Hong Kong: Govt concludes recruitment talks The Civil Service Bureau concluded its four-day recruitment talks in Shanghai and Beijing today, which attracted an online and in-person participation of over 2,000 Hong Kong people. Five recruitment talks on the Administrative Officer (AO) and Executive Officer (EO) grades were held at the Office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in Beijing, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Shanghai, Peking University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University. The bureau had especially arranged for serving AO and EO colleagues who had graduated from universities in Beijing and Shanghai to share their experience. Director of General Grades Hermes Chan and Principal Assistant Secretary for the Civil Service (Administrative Service) Yen Pun gave the attendees tips on preparing for the examinations. The joint recruitment exercise for appointment as AO, EOII and four other civil service graduate posts will be open for applications from tomorrow. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. This story has been published on: 2023-09-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. President calls for enhancing cultural ties 08:56, September 15, 2023 By Cao Desheng,Fang Aiqing and Wang Ru ( China Daily Need to harness Beijing's strengths emphasized at opening of key forum President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China will better utilize Beijing's advantages as an ancient capital and national cultural center to strengthen cultural exchanges with people from all over the world and enhance mutual learning among different civilizations. Xi made the remark in a congratulatory letter sent to the 2023 Beijing Culture Forum, which opened in the capital on Thursday. Themed "Inherit cultural legacies, promote exchanges and cooperation", the two-day event is jointly hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Beijing municipal government. Xi said the Chinese nation has a time-honored, fine traditional culture featuring openness and inclusiveness, noting that the Chinese civilization has always valued mutual understanding and respect among different civilizations. Beijing, with its long history and continuous cultural heritage, serves as a powerful testament to the continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness and peacefulness of Chinese civilization, he said. China will take better advantage of Beijing's strengths to promote exchanges with the rest of the world, in an effort to promote cultural prosperity and development, protect cultural heritage, and implement the Global Civilization Initiative, injecting profound and enduring cultural strength into the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said that people should take guidance from Xi's congratulatory letter to build the modern Chinese civilization at a higher level and carry out wide-ranging exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations. Cai expressed the hope that the forum will produce fruitful results and have a bigger presence. A holographic display fascinates visitors at a digital interaction exhibition during the opening of the 2023 Beijing Cultural Forum at the Drum Tower in Beijing on Thursday. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY More than 600 officials and notable cultural figures from home and abroad are expected to gather at the forum, giving over 50 speeches and taking part in roundtable dialogues. An evening gala was held at the Big Air Shougang a landmark of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Thursday. Several industry reports would also be released and international cultural cooperation projects signed. "By inviting key actors from within the cultural world and beyond, I'm convinced that this forum will bring new shared knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and renew our commitment to invest in culture," said Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, chairperson of the executive board of UNESCO. Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevien El Kilany said that she views taking part in this forum as a continuation and strengthening of her country's friendship with China. She said cultural relations serve as an important bond between China and Egypt. The countries, two of the oldest civilizations in human history, both advocate a culture of equality and mutual benefit, and respect cultures of other countries, she added. Egypt is the first country in Africa and the Middle East to offer Chinese language courses in universities. Ain Shams University in Cairo established a Chinese language department in 1958. Similarly, Cairo is also home to the region's first Chinese cultural center, which was built by China in 2002, she said. Christos Dimas, Greek deputy minister of culture, said cooperation between Greece and China has made important contributions to the development of world civilizations. Greece and China have signed a series of memoranda of understanding and cooperation in the cultural field. They have carried out a wide range of exchanges centered on their rich and glorious ancient cultural heritage, modern and contemporary literature, poetry, books, drama, and other creative fields, through exhibitions, performances and academic seminars, he said. For example, in 2017, an exhibition on the art and culture of ancient Greece featuring more than 500 artifacts was held at the National Museum of China. In the same year, a number of exhibitions featuring China's art and culture, including the Terracotta Warriors, were held at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. During the opening ceremony of the 2023 Beijing Culture Forum, a list of 10 major events held in 2022 to build Beijing into a national cultural center was released. They events included the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the completion of the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture. Following the opening ceremony, Chinese and overseas cultural officials and influential figures shared their insights and experience in fields such as urban development, culture and tourism development, literature and gala directing. Feng Yuanzheng, president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, said that Xi's congratulatory letter has clearly pointed out future directions for Beijing to lead the inheritance and development of Chinese culture, and spread awareness about the city's temperament and culture. The forum is a great opportunity to gather experts and insiders from multiple sectors of the industry to discuss further improvement and innovation of cultural works, he added. Maitri Sharma, an Indian participant who has been living in China for almost 11 years, said that platforms like the forum bring together people from all walks of life and various cultural backgrounds. "What matters is that we all come together and share the same platform, and we are working for the shared humanity," she said. "I feel that we are going on the right track and this is how we will come together and the world will be united." Du Juan contributed to this story. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) In this photo provided by Turkey's IHH humanitarian aid group, rescuers retrieve the body of a flooding victim in Derna, Libya, Wednesday, Sept.13, 2023. (Uncredited/AP) DERNA, Libya Libyan authorities limited access to the flooded city of Derna on Friday to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing and presumed dead following a disaster that has already claimed more than 11,000 lives. The staggering death toll could grow further due to the spread of waterborne diseases and shifting of explosive ordnance that was swept up when two dams collapsed early Monday and sent a wall of water gushing through the city, officials warned. Advertisement The disaster has brought some rare unity to oil-rich Libya, which after years of war and civil strife is divided between rival governments in the countrys east and west that are backed by various militia forces and international patrons. But the opposing governments have struggled to respond to the crisis, and recovery efforts have been hampered by confusion, difficulty getting aid to the hardest-hit areas, and the destruction of Dernas infrastructure, including several bridges. Aid groups called on the government to facilitate their access to the city so they can distribute badly needed food, clean water and medical supplies to survivors. Four days into the crisis, the lack of central oversight in Derna was apparent, with people receiving supplies and resources in some parts of the city but being left to fend for themselves in others. Advertisement Teams have buried bodies in mass graves outside the city and in nearby towns, Eastern Libyas health minister, Othman Abduljaleel, said. But officials worried that thousands more have yet to be found. Bodies are littering the streets, washing back up on shore and buried under collapsed buildings and debris, said Bilal Sablouh, regional forensics manager for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross. In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna, he said. Divers are also searching the waters off the Mediterranean coastal city. Adel Ayad, who survived the flood, recalled watching as the waters rose to the fourth floor of his building. The waves swept people away from the tops of buildings, and we could see people carried by floodwater, he said. Among them were neighbors. Salam al-Fergany, director general of the Ambulance and Emergency Service in eastern Libya, said late Thursday that residents would be evacuated from Derna and that only search-and-rescue teams would be allowed to enter. But there were no signs of such an evacuation on Friday. Advertisement Health officials warned that standing water opened the door to disease but said there was no need to rush burials or put the dead in mass graves, as bodies usually do not pose a risk in such cases. Youve got a lot of standing water. It doesnt mean the dead bodies pose a risk, but it does mean that the water itself is contaminated by everything, Dr. Margaret Harris, spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, told reporters in Geneva. So you really have to focus on ensuring that people have have access to safe water. Imene Trabelsi, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned that another danger lurked in the mud: landmines and other explosives left behind by the countrys protracted conflict. There are leftover explosives in Libya dating back to World War II, but most are from the civil conflict that began in 2011. Between 2011 and 2021, some 3,457 people were killed or wounded by landmines or other leftover explosive ordnance in Libya, according to the international Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. Even before the flooding, Trabelsi said the ability to detect and remove mines from areas was limited. After the floods, she said, explosive devices may have been swept to new, undetected areas where they could pose an immediate threat to search teams and a longer-term threat to civilians. According to the Libyan Red Crescent, there were 11,300 flooding deaths in Derna as of Thursday. Another 10,100 people were reported missing, though there was little hope many of them would be found alive, the aid group said. The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country. Advertisement Libyan media reported that dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster. The country has become a major transit point for Middle Eastern and African migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to seek a better life in Europe. Flooding often happens in Libya during the rainy season, but rarely with this much destruction. Scientists said the storm bore some of the hallmarks of climate change, and extremely warm sea water could have given the storm more energy and allowed it to move more slowly. Officials have said that Libyas political chaos also contributed to the loss of life. Khalifa Othman, a Derna resident, said he blamed authorities for the extent of the disaster. My son, a doctor who graduated this year, my nephew and all his family, my grandchild, my daughter and her husband are all missing, and we are still searching for them, Othman said. All the people are upset and angry there was no preparedness. According to the scheme, monthly financial assistance of Rs. 1,000 will be provided to all eligible women beneficiaries of Tamil Nadu. CM Stalin also distributed ATM cards to the beneficiaries of the scheme. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said, "This monthly financial assistance will decrease poverty. The scheme received 1 crore 60 lakh applications since August. 1 crore 6 lakh 50 thousand women were declared as right beneficiaries." Shiv Das Meena said that those who have been rejected will be given the reason and if they wanted to claim they could approach again. "I came to know that some were asked to give OTP and account details through phone. I want to tell them that nothing is been asked so far from the government so no one should fall prey to the calls. If any calls come I appeal to people to complain to the police immediately. I thank all government officials who made this scheme possible and implemented it," Meena said. The promised sum will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of the targeted beneficiaries. Devi Sampath a beneficiary received the first ATM card for availing the honorarium from the CM. The launch of the scheme marks the fulfilment of one of the ruling DMK's key poll promises. According to party officials, the scheme marks 100 per cent fulfilment of the partys promises to the people. The launch of this welfare scheme has been timed to coincide with the birth anniversary of the late Dravidian icon and former chief minister CN Annadurai. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to September 18 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Sorensplea against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons to him in a money laundering case. Soren's advocate urged a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi to adjourn the matter for Monday. Hemant Sorenhas filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging summons issued to him and said that the case a clear abuse of law by the Central Government and misuse of the central agencies to destabilize the democratically elected government led by him. ED had asked Soren to join its investigation in the alleged money laundering case on August 24. However, he did not appear before ED on that day. Soren was earlier summoned by the ED in mid-August in connection with an alleged land scam case. However, Soren did not join the central agency probe stating that he was busy with the preparation for the Independence Day celebration in the state. He was again asked to appear on August 24 and September 9 but he did not appear before the probe agency. Soren was earlier summoned by the ED in August in connection with an alleged land scam case. However, Soren did not join the central agencys probe stating that he was busy with the preparation for the Independence Day celebration in the state. In his plea, Soren urged the top court to declare Section 50 and Section 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 as ultra vires to the Constitution of India and to issue appropriate direction to declare the summons against him as illegal and null and void. "As sentinel on the que vive, this Court has the Constitutional mandate to quash any act of the Union Government which is vitiated by malice and designed to interfere with the franchise exercised by the people of Jharkhand. With the general election approaching soon in next 7-8 months, the political atmosphere in country has been vitiated by the ruling regime and all efforts have been made to threaten, humiliate and intimidate the political leaders, and particularly, when the opposition has united to form INDIA alliance in which petitioner and his party are vocal participant and integral part of alliance and who are not aligned with the NDA," the petition read. It said that issuance of summons is actuated by malice and that false allegation has been levelled against the petitioner with the sole motive to create political uncertainty and unrest in the state. The petition said ED earlier also sought to link the petitioner with the alleged illegal mining of stone chips in Jharkhand and summons were issued. Soren told the court that he has provided details of all movable and immovable properties owned by him and his family along with certified copies of the title deed. The Chief Minister had asked the probe agency to withdraw the summon against him or he will take legal action. In his letter written earlier, Soren said that he has provided all necessary documents and information. He alleged that ED has summoned him on August 14, on the instructions of its political masters. "Your choice of the date of 14th August does not come as a surprise to the undersigned (Hemant Soren). You and your political masters are fully aware that being the Chief Minister of the state of Jharkhand, the undersigned is scheduled to hoist the national flag on the occasion of the 77th independence day of the Republic of India on August 15, 2023," Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote in his letter. (ANI) The BJP on Friday continued its protest outside the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation commissioner's office for the second day, demanding permission to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, from September 19, at theIdgah Maidan. The sit-in protest is being led by Aravind Bellad, a sitting BJP MLA fromHubbali-Dharwad West. Bellad, along with the mayor of Hubbali-Dharwad West, Veena Bhardwaj and other BJP leaders sat on a 'dharna' (sit-in) on Thursday outside the office of the municipal commissioner, demanding permission to hold Ganesh festivities on the Idgah Maidan. Mahesh Tenginakai, the BJP MLA from Hubli Dharwad Central Vidhan Sabha Constituency, also joined the sit-in demonstration on Friday. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bellad said the idol of Lord Ganesha will be installed at the Idgah Maidan even if the civic body denies permission to hold the festivities there. Last year, the Karnataka High Court allowed Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to be held at the Maidan, ruling that since the ground was a property of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, it could allot the land to whoever it wanted to. Meanwhile, a petition filed by Anjuman-e-Islam, a Muslim body, seeking a stay on the earlier order, allowing the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi at the Idgah Maidan, will come up for hearing at the high court on Friday. If the civic nod comes through, this year will mark the first time that Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on the Idgah Maidan. The ground in Hubballi has been caught up in a controversial dispute for decades until 2010 when the Supreme Court held that it was the exclusive property of Hubballi-Dharawad Municipal Corporation. In 1921, the ground was leased to the Anjuman-E-Islam for 999 years to hold prayers. Post-Independence, many shops were opened on the premises. This was challenged in court and the matter was caught up in litigation till the Supreme Court ruling of 2010. The top court had granted permission for prayers twice a year, with a rider that no permanent structure could come up on the ground. The BJP, earlier, accused the Congress government of indulging in appeasement politics. "The Congress government is engaging in appeasement politics in quest for minority votes. The 'dharna' (protest) will continue till we have permission to enter (the ground). We won't call off our protest unless an authorisation (to hold Ganesh festivities on the Idgah ground) comes through from thecommissioner's office," Bellad told reporters on Thursday. He alleged that the government was holding up approval for Anjuman-e-Islam, which has petitioned the high court to withhold permission for the celebration of the Hindu festival on theIdgah Maidan. "The Congress government in Karnataka is deliberately delaying permission for Ganesh festival celebration," the Hubli-Dharwad West MLA alleged earlier. Bellad said though the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation has allowed the installation of the Ganesh idol at the Idgah Maidan, the state government was "playing appeasement politics" by withholding celebrations. "Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation's general body took a decision allowing Rani Chennamma Idgah Ganesh Utsav Samiti to install an idol of Lord Ganesha at the Idgah Maidan. However, the state government is playing appeasement politics in the matter by withholding permission for Ganesh Bhakts to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi,"the BJP MLA said. (ANI) "Greetings to all technocrats on Engineer's Day. Engineers have played a pivotal role in nation-building by contributing to every sector of the economy. In recent times their role in shaping the technological revolution has elevated India's prestige on the global stage. May this day inspire them further to contribute to the fulfilment of our nation's dreams," Shah posted on 'X'. In another post on the social media platform, the Home Minister paid homage to one of the country's foremost civil engineers and visionaries, M Visvesvaraya, on his birth anniversary which is observed as Engineer's Day. "I pay obeisance to the legendary engineer, Sir M Visvesvaraya Ji, on his birth anniversary. Visvesvaraya Ji powered our civilization with his inimitable engineering genius, designing and shaping a vast range of structures. His contributions will continue to inspire dreams in the minds of our new generations," the Home Minister posted. National Engineers' Day is dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary contributions of engineers to society, recognising their spirit of innovation and highlighting the crucial role they play in influencing the world. Born on September 15, 1861 in Muddenahalli near Chikkaballapur, Visvesvaraya is considered one of the foremost nation-builders. He designed several leading landmarks, which have, over the years, come to define and characterise modern India. He also served as the 19th Dewan of Mysuru, formerly known as Mysore, from 1912 to 1918. (ANI) The Colonel was laid to rest with full military honours at his native village Mullanpur Garibdass in Mohali on Friday. The mortal remains of Col. Singh were brought to his residence earlier on Friday for the last rites. Visuals widely circulated on social media, showed soldiers, shouldering a coffin carrying the mortal remains of the slain Army officer, arriving at his native village for the sombre send-off. Locals gathered in numbers outside his residence to pay their last respects. One of the clips from the tearful farewell showed Col. Singh's son saluting his father as he lay on the funeral pyre. Former Indian Army chief, General (retd.) Ved Prakash Malik, also arrived at the residence of the slain Colonel to pay his latest respects. Along with Colonel Manpreet, Major Dhonchak and DSP, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Humayun Bhat, also laid down their lives in the encounter that broke out on Wednesday, officials said. The mortal remains of Major Aashish Dhonchak were brought to his residence in Panipat on Friday. Visuals showed soldiers bringing home the mortal remains of the slain officer in a coffin. The last rites of DSP Bhat were performed in Budgam on Wednesday evening. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, expressed grief over the death of the officers in the encounter while also paying tributes to the slain DSP at Budgam on Wednesday. In a separate encounter, two terrorists were gunned down by security forces in the Narla area of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri on Tuesday. Security forces said they recovered warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that carried over into Wednesday evening, according to officials. The Army, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, meanwhile, resumed the operation in the Kokernag area of the Anantnag district. (ANI) After advocates withdrew three days long strike against Police, SDG law and order, Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kumar on Thursday said that the authorities would suspend the accused police inspector and the FIR filed in this matter will be cancelled. The advocates were on strike against the police lathi charge restored against them in Hapur. On Thursday night, the strike was called off after a meeting between the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council and representatives of the state government. The decision came after both sides agreed on several issues. Speaking to ANI on the matter of SDG law and order, Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kumar said that the meeting between the delegation of the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh and the DGP and the Chief Secretary went successful, and demands of the Bar Council were also discussed. "A meeting was held last night between the delegation of the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh and the DGP and the Chief Secretary."During the meeting, the demands of the Bar Council were heard and discussed, and the talks were successful. The lawyers withdrew their strike with immediate effect. Suspension action will be taken against the accused police inspector. The FIR registered in this matter will be cancelled," said Prashant Kumar. "A committee will also be formed by the Chief Secretary, and it will include members from the Bar Council. It has been assured that whoever is guilty will be punished. I want to appeal to everyone to return to work and uphold the interests of the state and its people," he said. A judicial committee constituted by the Allahabad High Court to investigate the incident will meet on September 16. Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta has been appointed as the chairman of the committee. Tension between police and lawyers escalated as Hapur Bar Association's officials and members earlier on August 29 staged a protest over an alleged 'fabricated' case filed against a woman lawyer and her father, and the police restored to lathi-charge against the lawyers. Chairman of the US Bar Council, Shiv Kishore Gaur, said on Thursday that strict action will be taken against the culprits in the Hapur incident. "A committee will be formed on the Advocate Protection Act. With this, the lawyers of UP will return to work on Friday," he said. (ANI) The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Friday launched a scathing attack against the Opposition bloc - INDIA for announcing a boycott of 14 journalists. The decision to boycott 14 TV anchors was taken by the INDIA bloc's media committee on Thursday. Calling it "contempt against media," Patra said this is hatred against free journalism. Coming down heavily on the Congress party, the BJP's national spokesperson said, "Today is the 15th of September, and today we celebrate International Democracy Day. The fact that the circular has been issued on such an important day shows that these political parties have never believed in the freedom of the media or freedom of expression, and this always reflects in their actions," he said. "Indira Gandhi had declared an emergency, the Black Day of India. The way journalists were treated during that phase was brutal. Thousands of young journalists were punished during the time of emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). Similar was the situation under the Rajiv Gandhi government. The Gandhi family has never believed in freedom of expression," he said. Further, slamming the INDIA bloc for releasing the list, Patra said that "by releasing this boycott list, they have put the lives of these journalists in danger." Patra said, "This is not a boycott list, but this is a target list. They are going to file an FIR against these journalists. They will harass these journalists," he said. Who will take responsibility for any of your party workers who attack these journalists?" he added. "This was a hit job, done by a hit list released by the Congress party and the 'INDI alliance'," he said. Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Patra said, "When Rahul Gandhi goes to foreign countries and criticises the Indian government, saying that there is no democracy in India, I want to tell him that this very freedom that you are getting by criticising India on foreign soil is freedom. You can freely say anything, and the media shows it. This is freedom," he asserted. He further said, "How many journalists will you block? If the BJP had come up with this decision, they would have gone out on a candle march. Now all of them are keeping quiet." Taking to X, Chairman of the Media & Publicity Dept for Congress, Pawan Khera on Thursday said, "Hate shops are decorated on some channels every day from 5 pm onwards. We will not become customers of the market of hate. Our aim is 'Hate Free India'. With a heavy heart, it was decided not to participate in the shows and events of some anchors. We have been fighting against unrestrained comments, fake news etc. against our leaders and will continue to fight but will not allow hatred to spread in the society. Hate will end, love will win." The list, shared by leaders of the INDIA bloc contains the names of 14 news anchors. (ANI) Karnataka former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the future of the nation and children depends on the National Education Policy (NEP). "NEP can be State Education Policy (SEP) but its elements cannot be removed, not so easy. The future of children and the nation depends on NEP," Bommai said. The former Chief Minister was speaking at a special meeting of education experts on 'National Education Policy-2020' held on Thursday by the People's Forum for Karnataka Education, Mangalore. "Let there be a discussion about NEP. If there is a mistake in it, let's correct it. The Minister of Higher Education and Primary Education has not yet said why NEP is not needed. It is said that the element of North India has been pushed into it," said Bommai adding that the NEP cannot be completely replaced for any reason. Bommai also noted that politics should not be done on such issues. If politics is done, it will be like stealing the children's future. "Politics should always be pro-people. The state should not go backwards because of politics. Race should not be pushed away. Such politics would be fatal to the country and the state if it was not pro-people. We had done a lot of preparation while implementing NEP in the state. But it is a decision of political hatred to say that they will cancel the NEP, which was prepared after a long period of time, within 10-15 days after the Congress government came to power," he said. "Politics can be done in any matter. However, politics should not be done in the field of education for any reason. If politics is done, it will be like stealing the children's future," he added. MP Nalin Kumar Kateelu, Former Higher Education Minister Dr C.N. Dignitaries like Ashwattha Narayana, MLA Vedavyasa Kamath, Dr Y Bharat Shetty, Bhagirathi Murulya, Vidhan Parishad Member Pratapsinha Naik amongst others were present on the occassion. The National Education Policy was launched in July 2020 to provide a set of guiding principles for a paradigm shift across the education sector in India from school to doctoral level. (ANI) Andrew "AJ" Freund plays with toy cars at a family event in McHenry County. AJ was placed in a foster home at birth because he was born with drugs in his system, but his parents worked to regain custody. (Family photo) Two former child welfare workers declined to testify Friday in their trial on charges they failed to protect 5-year-old A.J. Freund before his death at the hands of his mother in Crystal Lake in 2019. Carlos Acosta, a former investigator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and his supervisor, Andrew Polovin, both declined to tell their side of the story, as is their right. Advertisement Each man is charged with endangering the life or health of a child and reckless conduct. Prosecutors rested their case Thursday. AJ died in McHenry County, so the case is being heard there, but judges there recused themselves, so Lake County Judge George Strickland is handling the case. Defendants Carlos Acosta, left, and Andrew Polovin listen to testimony during the fourth day of their trial, Sept. 14, 2023, at the McHenry County Courthouse. (Gregory Shaver/Northwest Herald) In December 2018, police took the boy and his 3-year-old brother into protective custody after finding the house in disrepair with urine and feces on the floor, and a large bruise on AJs hip and other marks on his face. Advertisement The boy told a doctor, Maybe someone hit me with a belt, and Maybe Mommy didnt mean to hurt me. AJs mother, JoAnn Cunningham, had a history of heroin addiction and calls of domestic violence to her home, which are known risks for child abuse. But Acosta, consulting with Polovin, released the boys to their parents, and closed the case two weeks later as unfounded. Four months later, AJ was found beaten to death by Cunningham. She and the boys father, Andrew Freund Sr., are in prison. AJs brother is living with a relative. Defense attorneys argued that DCFS workers were overworked and understaffed, with caseloads that exceeded a court order. The threat to AJ, they said, only became evident in hindsight. After a scheduling conference next week, attorneys likely will give closing arguments in the bench trial in early October. If convicted of a Class 3 felony, which would require showing the defendants actions were a proximate cause of AJs death, the defendants could face two to 10 years in prison. If convicted of misdemeanors, they could get probation. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that if he wants to be Prime Minister, then he will have to travel to the Moon. Along with this, Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister of the country in the year 2024. "Rahul Gandhi will have to travel to the moon to become Prime Minister. If Rahul Gandhi wants to become PM, then I will send him to the Moon in Chandrayaan and he can become PM there, he said while participating in the Vaishali Utsav organized at Nalanda University, Rajgir in Nalanda district of Bihar. On being asked if Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar could be the PM from the INDIA bloc, CM Himanta Biswa said that there is no hope for him in the alliance, he would be left as an isolated person. Whatever information we have got about INDIA alliance meetings; on that basis I am saying that the Chief Minister of Bihar (Nitish Kumar) will not even become the convener of the INDIA bloc or the Prime Minister of India because Modi ji is reserved there. But I guarantee that there is no hope for Nitishi Ji, he will be left as an isolated person in the alliance, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Further speaking on the controversy over Sanatana Dharma, Assam CM said that the silence of Congress on this issue shows that they are behind this. What is the Congress stand on it? If the faith of 80 per cent people of India is being attacked and Congress is not saying anything about it, then it is logical that Congress is behind it. That's why the people of the country have to identify who wants to destroy us. We all should come together and punish Congress in the next elections, CM Sarma added. Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jibe at the leaders of the INDIA bloc on Thursday following their announcement of boycotting some of the journalists and said that the opposition leader has proved their intolerant attitude. "Today, the INDI alliance has boycotted a few journalists. The same people who were lecturing us on freedom of speech, by boycotting news anchors have proved their intolerant attitude. If these people come to government, the first thing they will do is impose press censorship," said Himanta Biswa Sarma. (ANI) The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry in collaboration with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, launched the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' (SHS) campaign on Friday. The fortnight campaign, initiated as a prelude to Swachh Bharat Diwas (Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti), will run from September 15 to October 2, aiming to commemorate nine years of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission', read the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs press release. SHS-2023 was inaugurated in a virtual ceremony by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh. During the event, officials from different cities, including Leh, Ladakh; Pimpri, Maharashtra; Meerut, Uttar Pradesh; and Lakhimpur, Assam, shared their cities' best practices in Swachhata-related activities, read the press release. Addressing the launch event, Puri highlighted the significance of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission.' He emphasized that the Swachhata mission had prioritized marginalized and vulnerable sections of urban areas, uplifting and empowering the urban poor. The Swachhata Hi Seva fortnight seeks to engage millions of citizens across the nation through various activities, including the Indian Swachhata League 2.0, 'SafaiMitra Suraksha Shivir,' and mass cleanliness drives. The event witnessed the launch of a video on SHS-2023, along with the unveiling of the campaign's logo, website, and portal. Additionally, logos for the "Indian Swachhata League (ISL) 2.0" and "Safaimitra Suraksha Shivir" were introduced, along with the "Citizens' Portal", read the press release. Speaking about the Swachh Bharat Mission and the launch of SHS 2023, Puri hailed the mission's transformative impact. Puri said, By building 73.62 lakh toilets (67.1 lakh individual household toilets and 6.52 lakh community and public toilets), we have provided dignity and health to millions of urban poor. 95 per cent wards in India have 100 per cent door-to-door collection of waste. More than 88% of the wards have source segregation of waste. This was possible because the Swachh Bharat Mission evolved to become a Jan Andolan instead of a typicalsarkariprogramme, he added. He recalled that when the Prime Minister announced the Swachh Bharat Mission on August 15, 2014, achieving such a massive transformation was unimaginable, read the release. Despite India's poor sanitation performance, the country successfully achieved the Open Defecation Free (ODF) target within five years, with all 4,884 urban local bodies (ULBs) in India now ODF. Puri further announced the extension of the urban component of the mission through the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0) until 2026. SBM-U 2.0 aims to make all Indian cities 'Garbage Free' and address legacy dumpsites. It covers various aspects, including Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Waste-to-Energy plants (WtE plants), construction and demolition waste management, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plants, scientific landfill sites, and the remediation of legacy waste, read the release. The 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign's theme for 2023 is 'Garbage Free India,' with activities planned to ensure a visibly higher level of cleanliness across local bodies, and welfare initiatives for sanitation workers. The campaign aims to involve government ministries, PSUs, state governments, local bodies, and citizens in massive cleanliness drives, awareness campaigns, and welfare programs. As India enters this new phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the nation is poised to renew its commitment to cleanliness and hygiene, striving towards the vision of a cleaner and healthier India, the release said. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that a people-friendly police system should be created in such a way that the poor people who come to the police station and the common people feel confident about the police system. Addressing the annual conference of senior police officers held at the office of the State Director General of Police, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said," Our government will not wash its hands by just taking action against the lower level officials, action will also be taken against the senior officials. "Instruction has been given not to wait for complainants to come in sensitive cases. Action should be taken by registering a voluntary FIR against those who disturb the peace of society through false news and rumours," CM added. CM Siddaramaiah also mentioned that 230 new personnel have been approved to strengthen the Central Crime Branch and if necessary new buildings will be provided to the staff. He also warned that the government will have zero tolerance on the issue of immoral policing. "A people-friendly police system should be created in such a way that the poor people who come to the police station and the common people feel confident about the police system," he said. Home Minister G Parameshwar, Additional Chief Secretary to Government Rajneesh Goel, State Director General of Police Alok Mohan, City Police Commissioner Dayanand, and Chief Minister's Political Secretary Govindaraju were present in the meeting. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latest Morning Consult survey showed him with the highest approval rating among the global leaders. He called this a testament to the success of the Modi doctrine in foreign policy but also a global recognition of PM Modis undeterred achievements. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Shah said, The latest Morning Consult survey shows that PM @narendramodi Ji's popularity remains unrivalled among global leaders. This is not only a testament to the success of the Modi doctrine in foreign policy but also a global recognition of Modi Ji's undeterred achievements in lifting millions out of poverty, selfless efforts to improve their living standards and people's unyielding trust in him, he added. https://x.com/AmitShah/status/1702683259438760189?s=20 Meanwhile, according to a survey by Morning Consult, PM Modi continues to top global ratings among world leaders with an approval rating of 76 per cent. As per the US-based consultancy firm's 'Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker 76 per cent of people approve of PM Modis leadership, while 18 per cent disapprove of it and six per cent did not give any opinion. Notably, this is a huge number by a far margin, as the second-best approval rating is enjoyed by Switzerland President Alain Berset (64 per cent) and Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (61 per cent). In previous ratings too, Prime Minister Modi had topped the ranking. Brazilian President Lula da Silva has a 49 per cent approval rating, Australian PM Anthony Albanese has 48 per cent, and Italian President Giorgia Meloni has 42 per cent. US President Joe Biden has a 40 per cent approval, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has 37 per cent, UK PM Rishi Sunak ratings stood at 27 per cent, and France President Emmanuel Macron stood at just 24 per cent. India recently successfully hosted the G20 summit in the national capital, hosting over 40 global leaders and their delegations. At the Leaders Summit, the New Delhi Declaration was adopted unanimously with full consensus. A major standout of the declaration was bringing all global powers on the same page and forging consensus on an issue as divisive as the Russia-Ukraine war. At the conclusion of the summit, PM Modi handed over the gavel to Brazilian President Lula da Silva and also proposed to hold a virtual G20 session in November to review the suggestions and proposals made at the premier forum for international economic cooperation. Throughout Indias presidency, raising the voice of Global South and the developing nations was at the forefront of New Delhis agenda. Indias theme for the G20 Presidency was also One Earth One Family One Future, whose Sanskrit translation goes as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. PM Modi stated that India's G20 Presidency has become a symbol of inclusion both inside and outside the country, adding that it has become Peoples G20 in India and crores of citizens are connected with it. A major and historic takeaway of Indias presidency of the G20 Summit has been the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G20). (ANI) According to officials, six fire tenders are on the spot and efforts to douse the fire are underway. So far, no casualties or injuries have been reported in the incident. However, the reason behind the fire is still being ascertained. More details are awaited. Further investigation is underway. (ANI) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday informed that more than one lakhAyushman Cards are being made through the Ayushman app within two days at the beginning of the Ayushman Bhava Campaign. "More than 1,00,000 Ayushman Cards made through the Ayushman app within two days at the beginning of the Ayushman Bhava Campaign," Mandaviya posted on X (Former Twitter). Earlier on September 13, President Droupadi Murmu virtually launched the 'Ayushman Bhav' campaign as well as the Ayushman Bhava Portal from Raj Bhawan Gandhinagar, Gujarat adding that it will play a critical role in achieving the ambitious goal of delivering healthcare services to the last mile of India. This historic launch of the campaign and the portal marked a significant leap towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensuring healthcare for all as it strives to further consolidate the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services, particularly for the underserved, President Murmu said. Adding further, she said the health services through the three components of Ayushman Bhav- Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness Centres (HWC) and Community Health Clinics (CHC) and Ayushman Sabhas in every village and panchayat will substantially expedite the access of healthcare services at grassroots levels thereby ensuring the building of a healthy nation. Speaking at the occasion, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya lauded the support of the President in healthcare endeavours. Underlining the commitment of the government towards healthcare, he stated With "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas", Ayushman Bhav will emerge as a big initiative in the field of healthcare. This initiative is being implemented in line with the motto of "taking everyone together and leaving no one behind". He further added With the Ayushman Bhav initiative, India is going to write a new chapter in making healthcare affordable and accessible. Under Ayushman Bhav, Health Melas and Medical Camps are an important component that will be set up once a week at all HWCs and CHCs. He further added Besides the launch of the Ayushman Bhav initiative, organ donation and blood donation pledge campaigns will also be organized which are noble initiatives that should be taken up by every individual. 'Ayushman Bhava' programme to ensure optimum delivery of all state-run health schemes to every intended beneficiary, including those in the last mile. Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the worlds largest health protection scheme which provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per beneficiary family per annum. (ANI) The gang was exposed after a man from Delhi filed a case against them. "The victim had started talking to a woman named Shaheen Parveen through a dating app called Tagged. Parveen had called him to her flat in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad. After reaching the flat, Parveen, along with her associates, beat him up and snatched Rs 50,000 after making an obscene video of him," said ACP Ghaziabad Swatantra Kumar. "The police registered a case and raided the flat in Vasundhara, arresting Parveen, Deepanshi, and Ankit. Parveen was a member of two gangs. She led one gang and the other was led by Deepanshi. Deepanshi first became friendly with boys through dating apps and called them to her flat. She then lured them into conversation and made obscene videos of them. After that, Ankit and Robin reached the flat beat up the victim and demand money," said ACP Swatantra Kumar. The police are searching for the absconding accused Robin. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. (ANI) Congress leader Digvijay Singh took a pot-shot on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and said he is a diamond and we shaped him. Digivijay Singh said He is a diamond; he will shine if shaped. We shaped him, but after losing the last Lok Sabha elections he got demotivated. I also lost elections but the one who fights again after losing is the fighter, not the one who joins those against whom he lost. We had not expected that from Jyotiraditya Scindia. Now you can see what is happening with him, these BJP leaders are not going to give the respect that Congress gave to him." Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has declared its first list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, the party's election in-charge for the state, informed on Thursday. As part of its first list, the ruling party has declared candidates for 39 Assembly seats. Speaking to reporters at Umaria in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, Tomar said, "We have declared our candidates on 39 seats for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. The candidates for the remaining seats will be named soon." In Madhya Pradesh's Bina, PM Modi accused the INDIA bloc of dividing the country in terms of culture while taking a dig at the Opposition, saying that there is a dearth of a leader in the alliance. "At a time when Bharat is emerging as a world leader at global forums, some parties are trying to divide the country and its people. These people came together to form an INDI alliance. Some people are calling it a ghamndiya (arrogant) alliance. They dont have a leader yet and there is a lot of suspense on who would lead them going into the Lok Sabha elections next year. They are working with a hidden agenda, which is to attack India's culture," PM Modi said. Urging voters to differentiate among the political parties on the work done by them, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for projects in Bina. The last Assembly polls in 2018 saw the Congress coming to power, with veteran leader Kamal Nath taking oath as the chief minister. However, a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020, after then Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, switched over to the saffron camp. The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the BJP formed the government, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister. (ANI) According to the Press release, Professor Eqbal Hussain was the Dean of the Faculty of Law, JMI before this appointment. He started his teaching career with the National Law School of India University, Bangalore in June 1990 and joined JMI in February 1994. He was promoted to the post of Professor at JMI on September 23, 2013. Pro Vice-Chancellor is also known as Naib Shaikhul Jamia. Prof Hussains main areas of interest are Intellectual Property Rights, Consumer Protection Laws, Mercantile Laws and Jurisprudence. He is the Life-Member of Indian Law Institute, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi. He has contributed a large number of articles on contemporary issues which have been published in national and international journals. Consequent upon the appointment of Prof. Eqbal Hussain as PVC of the university, the Vice Chancellor appointed Professor Kahkashan Y Danyal as the new Dean of the Faculty of Law, JMI, the release said. The Vice-Chancellor also appointed Professor Zahid Ashraf, Department of Biotechnology as the Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences and Professor Tabrez Alam Khan, Department of Chemistry as the Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences of the university. These two faculties were recently created by bifurcating the erstwhile Faculty of Natural Sciences of the university, the release added. The Vice-Chancellor also appointed Prof Seemi Farhat Basir as Dean Students Welfare (DSW) of the university with immediate effect. (ANI) Xavier Menziescq, 51, of Chicago Heights, former head of the Markham Public Library was charged in an indictment Friday. The library is quiet Friday after normal business hours, September 15, 2023 (John Smierciak/for the Chicago Tribune) The former head of the public library in south suburban Markham has been indicted on federal charges alleging he embezzled nearly $800,000 from the cash-strapped town over more than a decade and spent it on personal items such as tickets, auto repairs and home mortgage payments. Xavier Menzies, 51, of Chicago Heights, was charged in an indictment made public Friday with four counts of wire fraud. Hes scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago, court records show. Advertisement According to the charges, Menzies was executive director of the Markham Public Library and managed the librarys finances, employees and services. He also oversaw funds provided by the neighboring village of Posen, which paid Markham thousands of dollars every month for its residents to be able to access Markhams library facilities, the indictment stated. For more than a decade beginning in 2009, Menzies embezzled library funds, including money from Posen, and hid it in secret bank accounts he controlled, according to the indictment. Advertisement Menzies covered up the scheme by falsifying financial information presented to the librarys board of trustees, according to the indictment. He also misappropriated checks made out to the library by depositing them into side accounts without the boards knowledge. Also, in 2016, Menzies increased his salary without the boards approval, the indictment alleged, though the amount of the increase was not stated. [ Ex-Markham Mayor David Webb Jr. gets 2 years in prison in bribery scheme that included cash-filled coffee cups ] Over the 10-year length of the scheme, Menzies stole at least $770,000, according to the indictment. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of that amount if Menzies is convicted. In addition to his job in Markham, Menzies also was director of the public library in nearby Harvey. A woman who answered the phone there Friday said he recently left the facility, though his name still appears with the title of director on the librarys website. Calls to Harveys Village Hall were not immediately returned. A Facebook page attributed to Menzies states he is also a pastor and runs a religious organization called the Christian Family Worship Center in Hammond. A recent post on the centers profile stated, Mic check. ... Just so you know, not every pastor is trying to get over and become rich off the church. Some just want to help people and families be better. Reached by phone Friday, Menzies attorney, Derrick Reese, declined to comment on the charges, saying he had just received a copy of the indictment and had not had a chance to investigate the allegations. A spokesperson for Markham, Michael Taylor, told the Tribune that Menzies has not been employed by the village for nearly four years and that the library, at 16640 Kedzie Ave., is thriving under new leadership. We have a new director and there has been a complete overhaul of services, Taylor said, adding the facility has been outfitted with new computers and other state-of-the-art features. Our goal is to do things the right way. Advertisement In addition to traditional library services, the facilitys website also touts a full calendar of community activities such a crochet club, bingo and family movie night. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > The library districts total 2022-2023 budget was just over $1 million, with the vast majority of revenue coming from a property tax levy on Markham residents, according to a copy of the budget posted online. A small town of about 12,000, Markham has long been beset by financial woes and public corruption. In 2021, former Markham Mayor David Webb Jr. was sentenced to two years in federal prison for taking nearly $300,000 in bribes, including from one developer who left coffee cups stuffed with cash in the mayors office. The current mayor, Roger Agpawa, was elected three years ago despite being a felon convicted of mail fraud in a federal medical insurance case in 1999. Taylor, however, noted the charges against Menzies predate Agpawas administration, which he characterized as transparent. Advertisement We let the authorities, whether they are state or federal, do their job, he said. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Based on secret information, Karimganj district police on Thursday night intercepted a vehicle in the Badarpur area. Superintendent of Police Karimganj district Partha Pratim Das said,"We received information that, a vehicle carrying narcotics substance was coming from Mizoram side. Accordingly, we intercepted the vehicle. During a search, we recovered 40,000 Yaba tablets from a secret chamber of the vehicle. We have arrested two persons namely Kamrul Islam and Sanjay Suklabaidya." He further said that the arrested persons had planned to deliver the seized drugs to Guwahati. Meanwhile, a case has been registered in connection with this and further police investigation is on. (ANI) The Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh on Friday said that round-the-clock renewable energy will cost just about Rs 6 per unit if green hydrogen is used for storage. Speaking at the Special Ministerial Session of the Fourth International Conference & Exhibition on Clean Energy in the national capital today, Union Minister RK Singh said that the cost of Green Hydrogen would be cheapest in India and that the Green Hydrogen would become a viable energy storage alternative. Green hydrogen is cheaper than gas and battery energy storage systems. We have come up with a pilot bid for about 100 MW which we hope will establish the benchmark. Once we are able to use green hydrogen for our energy requirements, all supply chain issues such as availability of lithium-ion batteries will be resolved. We will make green hydrogen and use it as storage. The average price of power in the energy exchange has recently been Rs. 8 per unit, so if our cost for round-the-clock renewable energy comes to Rs. 6 per unit, we are in business. That is what the future is: renewables. The future is here, not far away," he said. The theme of the Special Ministerial Session, held on the closing day of the two-day summit, was Global Champions for Advancing Clean Energy Innovation & Manufacturing. The Minister informed the industry that the basic legal framework for carbon market has been formulated and that the government is thinking of permitting the industry gain carbon credits for green hydrogen and green ammonia which is exported from India. With this, the industry will have yet another advantage, which will make Indian industry totally competitive, added the Minister. The Minister said that the renewable energy industry of India is now world-beating, consisting of majors who can compete anywhere. Singh told the industry that the government has made sure that it has opened the paths for the growth of the industry. We have been leading with policy papers, rules and regulations, opening new doors. We came with Green Open Access Rules, where we have given right for anybody to set up capacity anywhere and transfer it to wherever they want. I have written to all industry captains to switch over from thermal to renewables, this shift will also bring down price of energy," he said. The Minister informed that the spirit of Electricity Act 2003 is open access and that timelines for grant of open access have been given in the Act. If grant of open access is not given within the timeline, it will be deemed to have been granted. Somebody will have to answer if it is not given; the person who heads that institution such as a State Electricity Authority will be punished if the law is violated," the Union Minister said. Singh added that the government has made the power system friendly to industry and to consumers. We came up with consumer rights; we will investigate whether the violation has happened, and we will file a prosecution in the court of law," he said. Speaking of the rapidly growing energy demand, the Minister said that energy demand of the country will continue to grow rapidly since our economy is growing fast. We need energy demand as fast as possible to meet this demand. We will make the electricity required for our growth. If our price for round-the-clock renewable energy is anything to go by, then we will not have to go the thermal way, we will adopt the renewable path. About 42 per cent of our capacity is from renewable sources already. The Minister pointed out that India is emerging as a manufacturing powerhouse of renewable energy. Around 88,000 MW renewable energy capacity is under construction and our plan is to add 50,000 MW of renewable energy capacity every year. We are already emerging as an exporter. The world will come to rely on us more and more. So, all those who are setting up capacity have made a good bet. At the same time, we need to keep ourselves at the leading edge of technology. The Minister added that India is going to emerge as the biggest exporter of solar cells and modules and that more grid capacity is being added. The Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister said that more and more people are going to come and invest in renewable energy sector in the country. UAE wants to make investment here, since they see the future here. Getting investment for green transition is not an issue, investment is coming since we have de-risked the system and made the whole system transparent. Every generators power bills are totally up-to-date. Legacy dues of discoms have been reduced to less than half of what they were, and this too will be wiped out in next 23 years. Every genco is now profitable. AT&C losses have come down and the system is totally viable now. Everything has been made conditional on prudential norms," he said. The Minister informed that 5.8 million tons of green hydrogen at various stages of capacity is already being set up, under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. We will be the biggest exporter since our green hydrogen and green ammonia cost is going to be the lowest in the world. And we will come up with another bid for grid scale storage. All that you have to do is to take advantage of the growing demand. Future Renewable Energy Purchase Obligations are going to be issued under the revised Energy Conservation Act. If any obligated entity falls short, they will have to pay a huge penalty. The Minister assured the industry that this is an era of huge growth for energy. I believe all of you are fully confident and capable of the huge opportunities lying there for you. We want Make in India and manufacturing in India. But if you are not competitive and up-to-date, you will not succeed. I want all of you to be world-scale. On the occasion, a CII-EY Report titled Global champions for advancing renewable energy innovation and manufacturing was released. The report notes that India's energy transition holds potential for India to become a global champion for advancing renewable energy innovation and manufacturing. The report proposes an energy transition investment pipeline and identifies enablers for advancing supply chain resilience. Read the reporthere. The event also saw the release of Energy Transition Investment Monitor, a collaborative analytics platform for global investors to identify and track energy transition investments (announced, under bidding, permitting, construction, etc.) from concept to commissioning. The Energy Transition Investment Monitor platform can be accessedhere.Upon registration, any user can get full and free access to the dashboard and its features. The 4th International Conference & Exhibition on Clean Energy brought together industry leaders, veterans, experts and policymakers from around the world to showcase world-leading renewable energy innovation, products and services, facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration for catalysing global efforts in building self-reliant supply chains. (ANI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a chargesheet against businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in Covid Center scam case. The chargesheet against the associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was submitted before the court's registry and it will come up before the special judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after scrutiny of papers. Patkar and another accused Kishore Bisure were arrested by the ED on July 19 and they are currently in judicial custody. ED raids in this case were also conducted at the residences of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal and Suraj Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction). After the ED in July arrested Sujit Patkar and Kishore in connection with the alleged Mumbai Covid Centre scam case. The ED said that Sujit Patkar did not cooperate in the inquiry and when he was asked about the money transaction, he was not answering properly. Earlier in June, the ED raided 15 locations in Mumbai in connection with the alleged BMC Covid centre scam case and seized cash and documents of properties worth crores, according to ED sources. The ED source said that Sujit Patkar is the kingpin of the scam. He is one of the four partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services that was awarded the contract to run a COVID-19 jumbo centre in Worli. The ED said that Rs 22 crore was allegedly laundered via shell companies for which Patkar played an instrumental role. ED had seized Rs 68.65 lakh in cash during the raid. Documents of 50 immovable properties located at various places in Maharashtra with a market value of more than Rs 150 crore, fixed deposits and investments worth Rs 15 crore and jewelery worth Rs 2.46 crore have also been recovered. According to the sources, ED had also seized several mobile phones and laptops along with many incriminating documents. The search revealed that one company was giving body bags for dead COVID-19 patients to another company for Rs 2,000. That company was giving the same body bags to the Central Procurement Department for Rs 6,800 and this contract was signed by the then BMC mayor, said the sources in the ED. (ANI) Bangladesh government on Thursday expressed "utter disappointment" at the adoption of an European Parliament's resolution on "Human Rights situation in Bangladesh, notably the case of Odhikar". According to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the timing and language of the joint motion put by the European Parliament on two Odhikar officials delivered today in Dhaka reflected their intention in interfering into the independent judiciary of the state. Odhikar is one of the leading human rights organisations in Bangladesh, operating since 1994. It is a member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). "The timing and language of the joint motion, tabled by some political groups in the European Parliament, for making judgemental comments over sub-judice matters and a court verdict on two Odhikar officials delivered today in Dhaka is reflective of their intention of interfering into the independent judiciary of a sovereign state, the statement said." However, Bangladesh ensures open and fair judicial proceedings and that the rights of the parties are respected. "The independent judiciary of Bangladesh continues to ensure that judicial proceedings are conducted openly and fairly, and that the rights of the parties are fully respected." "Bangladesh judiciary decides matters before them based on evidence and in accordance with the law, without any restrictions, influences, inducements, pressures, threats or interferences, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reason," the statement added. Underscoring 'Odhikar' as a non-compliant and politically biased entity, the statement said that the Bangladesh government is appaled by the favouritism in the European Parliaments resolution to Odhikar. "The Government of Bangladesh is appalled by the favouritism, reflected in the European Parliaments resolution, to Odhikar - a non-compliant and politically biased entity with proven record of circulating misinformation, and an accomplice of vested quarters that promote terrorism and violent extremism," the statement said. It further stated that Odhikar is not an independent organization that it tries to claim and is unfortunately believed by some in the international community. "Its a fact known to all that Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar, was appointed Deputy Attorney General by BNP-Jamaat Government and worked in that capacity for five years from 2001 to 2006. Therefore, Odhikar is not at all a neutral or independent organization that it tries to claim and is unfortunately believed by some in the international community," the statement added. According to the statement by Foreign Affairs Ministry, "To support and promote an organization like Odhikar in the name of upholding civic and democratic space is tantamount to adoption of a totally subjective, selective, and partisan approach and is a clear manifestation of double standard by those who speak of defending human rights of the victims on one hand and make exposed and imposing attempts to protect the alleged violator on the other." However, the Bangladesh government disagreed to the text of their resolution. Moreover, Bangladesh deeply values its 50-year long growing partnership with the European Union and all its institutions including the European Parliament. It further expects the same to continue through meaningful engagement based on the principles of mutual respect and non-interference into each others internal affairs, according to the statement. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, US, next week as he sets to make the case for ongoing aid-related discussions for his country, reported Al Jazeera. However, the details of his visit appeared in US media on Thursday afternoon, with anonymous government sources confirming his further plans. According to Al Jazeera, Zelenskyy is likely to meet US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday and will make a stop at the Capitol. Biden administration has asked Congress to provide USD 24 billion for Ukraine support, including USD 13.1 billion in additional military aid and USD 8.5 billion for humanitarian aid, reported Al Jazeera. However, some of the politicians, particularly from the Republican party have resisted at the idea of providing more money and supplies to Ukraine, as it attempts to repel Russian forces. Moreover, his visit coincides with the Congress debate over federal spending, as the lawmakers face an impending September 30 deadline to pass a budget. Although, Congress has approved aid over USD 113 billion. But their last funding was in December, before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, according to Al Jazeera. Moreover, the far-right politicians hold greater say over how budget legislation is decided. Just last July, 70 House Republicans, led by Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, backed a proposal to cut off security assistance to Ukraine altogether. Furthermore, Zelenskyy's visit to Capitol Hill will be his second visit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. His first visit was in December when he delivered an impassioned speechbefore Congress, rallying lawmakers against Russian aggression. It is just a matter of time when they will strike against your other allies if we do not stop them now. We must do it, Zelenskyy told the US Congress. Your money is not charity. Its an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way," he said. Although, in the past, Zelenskyy has made few visits international visits since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, reported Al Jazeera. Zelenskyy has made few trips outside his native Ukraine since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US already next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. Reportedly, his presence was not certain but according to the experts, he is trying to generate support for the Ukrainian war by meeting with world leaders in person. Earlier this, Zelenskyy also made surprise visits to the Netherlands and Japan, in a similar effort to take help globally. (ANI) Amid sectarian tensions between Shias and Sunnis in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan, the local administration continues to suspend all internet services in the region causing inconvenience to the residents. It has been over a fortnight since the sectarian tensions between the Shia majority in Gilgit Baltistan and the Sunni community boiled into massive protests against Islamabad and its new amendment in blasphemy laws. Gilgit Baltistan a largely impoverished region had internet services in only a few pockets. The people there had just started exploring the possibilities of online businesses and education opportunities, and the Pakistan-backed administration in the illegally occupied territory imposed a ban on internet services leaving a number of students in Gilgit city deprived of their routine online classes. Due to the unavailability of internet services for the last 15 days, our studies have been disrupted. We request the administration to restore the internet services said a student from Gilgit city. The new online businesses that the residents had set up are down, rendering many youths jobless and frustrated. A small businessman providing financial services to locals, said, I work for Easypaisa (a financial services app). About 20-25 Easypaisa retailers are doing business in this area. All of them are unemployed these days. Due to the internet shutdown over the last 20 days, all of us are out of work. We urge the administration to restore internet services as it would enable us to start our businesses again." Another youth, who had assumed freelancing a few months ago, said he was disturbed over the suspension of internet services in the region, adding that he lost about 8-10 work projects during the period. He said, We are freelancers and the internet is a basic requirement for us. We request the local administration to restore internet services as our work is being hampered.We are facing a lot of problems. We have lost about 8-10 work orders during this period." The suspension of the internet in the region has added to the woes that locals in the illegally-occupied territory have been suffering for decades. (ANI) The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Thursday announced that they have formed an alliance against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Sindh, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. The two parties made the announcement after a JUI-F delegation, led by Molana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, held a meeting with the MQM-P Rabita Committee at their temporary headquarters in Karachi's Bahadurabad, Geo News reported. Speaking to reporters, MQM-P senior deputy convener Farooq Sattar said his party, JUI-F, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) have decided to "free people of Sindh from the clutches of the PPP". Farooq Sattar said, "We have decided not to let Sindh card work anymore. The JUI-F has the political force in rural Sindh, we will together remind the landlords and feudal of their times and beat the PPP's policy of hatred and nationalism," Geo News reported. He said the new alliance will remove the misconception of the people in rural Sindh that they do not have an alternative leadership. He said, "The new political alliance is ready to serve the people of Sindh." Meanwhile, Molana Rashid Mehmood Soomro said that the three parties will not fight for any one ethnicity. However, the parties will fight for everyone from Karachi to Kashmore. Soomro urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to address the JUI-F, MQM-P and GDA's reservations on transfers, appointments and delimitation of constituencies, Geo News reported. He added, "If the reservations are not removed, we will decide the future course of action together." All parties of all hues and makes in the country are gearing up for the upcoming general elections in Pakistan. However, there has been a controversy surrounding the date for the polls. On September 13, Pakistan President Arif Alvi, in a letter to a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, proposed November 6 as the date of national elections, Dawn reported. In the letter, President Alvi said he had dissolved the National Assembly on the Prime Ministers advice on August 9. The Presidents advice to the CEC came against the backdrop of divided opinions among stakeholders on the time frame for elections. He also cited Article 48(5) of the Constitution, which he said empowers and mandates the President to appoint a date not later than 90 days from the date of the dissolution, for the holding of a general election to the Assembly. The letter stated, "Hence, in terms of Article 48(5), the general election to the National Assembly should be held by the 89th day of the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, i.e. Monday, 6th day of November 2023." Alvi, in the letter, recalled that in an endeavour to fulfil the constitutional obligations, the chief election commissioner was invited for a meeting to devise the modalities of implementing the constitutional intent and mandate, Dawn reported. He acknowledged that it was the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) responsibility to abide by all the constitutional and legal steps stipulated under Articles 51, 218, 219, 220 and the Elections Act, 2017 for organising and conducting free and fair elections. According to the Dawn report, he advised that the ECP, in consultation with provincial governments and political parties under the relevant provisions of the Constitution and in view that some of these matters are already sub-judice, may seek guidance from the superior judiciary for the announcement of a single date for the general election to the national and provincial assemblies." (ANI) Pakistan Supreme Court's registrar on Thursday with objections returned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) petition seeking nationwide elections in the country within 90 days, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. The plea was returned as the former ruling alliance did not approach the relevant forums before filing the petition in the Supreme Court. In the plea, the PTI included Pakistan President Arif Alvi as a respondent. However, the registrar said that the head of the state cannot be made part of the petition under Article 248. The Registrar of the Supreme Court further said, "The petition did not mention which fundamental right of the petitioner was violated. The petition does not meet the requirements seeking the courts intervention under Article 184/3," according to Geo News report. In August, the PTI approached the apex court seeking its directives to hold polls in Pakistan within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly. The petitioner, who is PTI's Secretary General Omar Ayyub, urged the Supreme Court to direct Pakistan President Alvi to give a date for the elections and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue an election schedule accordingly. Ayyub filed the petition underArticle 184(3) of the Constitution and requested the court to declare the decision of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) dated August 5, 2023, approving the census as illegal and void ab initio. It was the second petition filed in the Supreme Court, Geo News reported. Earlier, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid S Zubairi had filed the same petition in the Supreme Court. Zubairi filed the petition through Barrister Ali Zafar, which also requests that the notification by the Bureau of Statistics dated August 8, 2023, be declared illegal, unlawful, and void ab initio. He also requested the court to declare the exercise proposed to be taken by the ECP, dated August 17, 2023, illegal, unlawful, and void ab initio. In the petition, the PTI had made the ECP, the federation, Pakistan's Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Council of Common Interest (CCI), the chief secretaries of Punjab, Khyber, Sindh, Balochistan, and other respondents. The PTI also requested the court that the Sindh Governor may be required to announce the date of the polls within 90 days of the dissolution of the Sindh Assembly and the electoral body be asked to issue the election schedule accordingly, and the same for the Balochistan province. Meanwhile, the ECP further said that the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies might be held as per the court's judgements and within a time frame fixed by the court, Geo News reported. The PTI in the petition said that the census is being used by the ECP as an excuse to delay the polls to the National Assembly, as shown by the ECP in its response dated August 24, 2023, to the letter of the president dated August 23, 2023. On September 13, Pakistan President Arif Alvi in a letter to a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, proposed November 6 as the date of national elections, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. In the letter, President Alvi said he had dissolved the National Assembly on the Prime Ministers advice on August 9. Notably, the Presidents advice to the CEC comes against the backdrop of divided opinions among stakeholders on the time frame for elections. He also cited Article 48(5) of the Constitution, which he said empowers and mandates the president to appoint a date not later than 90 days from the date of the dissolution, for the holding of a general election to the Assembly,' according to Dawn report. The letter stated, "Hence, in terms of Article 48(5), the general election to the National Assembly should be held by the 89th day of the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, i.e. Monday, 6th day of November 2023." Alvi in the letter recalled thatin an endeavour to fulfil the constitutional obligations, the chief election commissioner was invited for a meeting to devise the modalities of implementing the constitutional intent and mandate, Dawn reported. He acknowledged that it was the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) responsibility to abide by all the constitutional and legal steps stipulated under Articles 51, 218, 219, 220 and the Elections Act, 2017 for organising and conducting free and fair elections. (ANI) The Russian government has expelled two US diplomats for allegedly maintaining contact with a Russian national who worked for the US Mission and is accused by Moscow of being an informant," CNN reported. The two diplomats - Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein have been declared as persona non grata, which implies that they have to leave the country within one week. United States has condemned Russia's decision stating that Mosco was chosen "confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement." According to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy in Moscow, US Ambassador Lynne Tracy was summoned to the Ministry on Thursday. Lynne Tracy was informed that the two diplomats Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein have been declared as persona non grata, which means they have to leave the country within a week. US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller condemned Russia's decision to expel two diplomats. Miller said that Russia has yet again chosen "confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement." He further said that the US would respond appropriately to Russia's actions. While addressing a press briefing on Thursday, Matt Miller said, "This unprovoked expulsion of our diplomatic personnel is wholly without merit, as is the case against a former Russian contractor of our embassy who was arrested for the supposedly nefarious task of performing such activities as providing our embassy with media clips." He further said, "Yet again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. We regret that Russia has taken this path, and you can certainly expect that we will respond appropriately to their actions." Miller said the expelled US diplomats have not yet left Russia, according to CNN. The expulsion of the two US diplomats comes at a time when the ties between Washington and Moscow have been strained. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Tracy was given a harsh demarche with the presentation of an official note regarding the incompatibility with the diplomatic status of the actions of the First Secretary of the US Embassy Jeffrey Sillin and the Second Secretary of the Embassy David Bernstein. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that these individuals carried out "illegal activities" and maintained contact with Russian citizen Robert Shonov, according to CNN report. It termed the "illegal activities" of the US diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country as "unacceptable." The Russian Foreign Ministry said, "These persons carried out illegal activities, maintaining contact with Russian citizen (Robert) Shonov, accused of confidential cooperation with a foreign state, who was given tasks for financial compensation aimed at harming the national security of the Russian Federation." It further said, "It was also emphasized that illegal activities of the US diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country, are unacceptable and will be resolutely suppressed. The Russian side expects Washington to draw the right conclusions and refrain from confrontational steps." Russian citizen Shonov, who had served in the US Consulate in Vladivostok for more than 25 years, was arrested and charged with confidential cooperation with a foreign government, CNN reported citing Russian state media outlet TASS report in May. US State Department spokespersonMatt Miller termed the charges as being wholly without merit." He said Shonov was working for a company contracted to provide services to the US Embassy in Moscow in strict compliance with Russias laws and regulations after the Russian government banned the US from employing Russian staff in 2021, CNN reported. In May, Miller said that Shonov's role at the time of his arrest "was to compile media summaries of press items from publicly available Russian media sources." (ANI) Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh has said that India shares a unique relationship with UNCITRAL and has been a member of UNCITRAL since its inception. He spoke about the diversity of the region and the economic strides made by the South Asian Region. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh made the remarks at the 2023 UNCITRAL South Asia Conference, jointly hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), UNCITRAL and the UNCITRAL National Coordination Committee for India (UNCCI). Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud inaugurated the 2023 UNCITRAL South Asia Conference. The Ministry of External Affairs in the press release said, "The three-day conference is in continuation of the conference hosted in New Delhi, in 2016 to celebrate 50 years of UNCITRAL and is aimed at furthering Indias engagement with UNCITRAL and to encourage interaction between UNCITRAL, Judiciary, bureaucracy, academia and the legal fraternity." In his inaugural address, DY Chandrachud recalled his participation at the previous conference in 2016 where he spoke about ISDS reforms which at that point was an unsettled question on whether UNCITRAL should address the topic and he pointed out that it has come a long way since then with the UNCITRAL Commission having just adopted the first texts on ISDS reforms. Chandrachud pointed out that this was an example of the significant role played by India at UNCITRAL in having this topic allotted to a Working Group of UNCITRAL. He also pointed out that International investment law has been criticized for being disadvantageous to developing countries. According to the press release, "He also pointed out that International investment law has been criticized for being disadvantageous to developing countries, and mentioned that it was essential that the formulation of any new systems in international investment law, such as the creation of a permanent court, adequately account for these concerns and ensure that they do not remain areas of concern as the need of the hour is a fair and balanced system for the resolution of investor-state disputes." Attorney General of India R Venkataramani spoke about the fallacies facing the investment treaty regime and the need to revisit the same. He highlighted the need for a declaration on global investment law, spearheaded by India and expressed hope of having a New Delhi Convention. At the Conference, UNCITRAL SecretaryAnna Joubin-Bret gave an overview of the various projects and subjects undertaken by UNCITRAL through its Working Groups and the status of the same. Chair of UNCCI, Fali S Nariman spoke about the ailments faced by the international arbitration system including the debate on arbitrator bias. He called for the need to have a balanced and fair system of arbitration. Judges of the Supreme Court of India, judges from various High Courts across the country, Senior Advocates, legal experts from across the world, academia and the government participated in the inaugural session of the conference. The MEA in the press release said, "The comprehensive agenda, of the conference includes sessions featuring global and regional experts providing insights on a wide range of topics such as the digital economy, MSMEs and access to credit, insolvency, investor-state dispute settlement reform, international commercial arbitration, and mediation." According to the MEA press release, the highlights of the conference include the high-level Roundtable on Regional Perspectives on UNCITRAL and the final day focusing on alternative dispute resolution developments including a session where the panellists include judges from four High Courts from the various regions of the Country discussing on how to make India a hub for arbitration. The MEA in the press release noted that the economic diplomacy division of the Ministry has been actively involved in the activities of UNCITRAL including the reforms to ISDS and promoting India as a hub for arbitration. The Ministry of External Affairs through the conference hopes to reach out to the legal fraternity and policy makers in promoting India as a hub for arbitration and in the field of capacity building in international trade law to promote best practices and improve the ease of doing business. (ANI) France's Ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain, on Friday thanked New Delhi, terming the country's energy, optimism, and confidence in the friendship between the two nations as "invaluable." He said India and its people have taught him so much and he will cherish his experience of serving in India for the past four years. Lenain, whose four-year tenure in India ends soon,made the remarks in a video posted on X. He will take up his next assignment inBrazil. In the video, he shared glimpses of his tenure in India, noting that the two nations have made progress in the Indo-Pacific. Lenain said in the video, "To all of you who have followed me during these 4 years as Ambassador of France to India: thank you. Your energy, optimism and confidence in the friendship has been invaluable. India and its people have taught me so much - I will always cherish this experience." "Dear Friends, Au Revoir, Today, I am leaving India after four wonderful years in your country. And I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have been following me, you have been sharing ideas, your energy, your optimism. It's been a great help. And our two countries have achieved new progress. Made progress in the Indo-Pacific, we have been steering through during the pandemic of COVID and we all know the suffering for our two peoples," he added. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France to attend the Bastille Day Parade and also spoke about French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India to attend the G20 Summit. He stated that there were "very good exchanges" between PM Modi and President Macron. Further, in the video, the French envoy said, "And more recently there was a superb exchange of visits: Prime Minister Modi going to Paris for Bastille Day as Guest of Honour and during the visit of President Macron last weekend for the G20. There were very good exchanges with PM Modi and a new plan for further progress in the coming months, coming years. Now, I am heading to a country that is very close to India, also Brazil. And I am sure that my knowledge of India will help a lot, and maybe we can make further connections so please keep in touch in the future." President Macron and Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting in Delhi on September 10, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Following the meeting, PM Modi said they reaffirmed their commitment to take India-France relations to newer heights of progress. PM Modi posted on X, "A very productive lunch meeting with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed a series of topics and look forward to ensuring India-France relations scale new heights of progress." The two leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthen defence cooperation through partnership in the design and expansion of production in India and called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap. According to the joint statement, India and France "reiterated their commitment to strengthen the defence cooperation through partnership in design, development, testing and manufacture of advanced defence technologies and platforms, and expand production in India, including for third countries in Indo-Pacific and beyond. In this context, they also called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap." "Acknowledging the strength of the India-France partnership, founded in deep trust, shared values, belief in sovereignty and strategic autonomy, a resolute commitment to international law and principles enshrined in the UN Charter, an abiding faith in multilateralism and a mutual pursuit of a stable multi-polar world, both leaders emphasized the need to expand their collaboration to address regional and global challenges," the joint statement read. PM Modi and French President Macron reiterated their "unwavering commitment to collectively serve as a force of good, carrying the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam i.e. one earth, one family, one future, during tumultuous times reshaping the global order." (ANI) The American-based media outlet reported that the Journalist, Isa Balado for the En boca de todos program on Spains Cuatro channel was reporting on an alleged robbery on Tuesday. The man allegedly walked towards her and then seen wrongfully touching her as the reporter was talking to the anchor Nacho Abad in the studio. The presenter then asked the journalist if the man touched her, and Abad asked her to put this stupid guy on camera. He continued to talk to her, before reaching his hand out to rub her on the head and then eventually walking away. Balado then continued with the rest of her report. In a later video segment, Balado commented on what had happened. Its very unpleasant, particularly when you are working, she said before the camera panned to show the man standing on the street with another man.(ANI) As the ship arrived on September 14, the Sri Lankan Navy gave a rousing welcome with naval traditions. According to the release, after the arrival of the ship, the Commanding Officer of the Indian Naval ship, Commander Jeetu Singh Chauhan called on the Commander of Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral PS De Silva and held cordial discussions on further training in diving during the eight-day deployment. In the eight-day deployment, the officials onboard are scheduled to have engagements such as Yoga, interaction with School children and beach cleaning. As per the press release, the Indian Naval Ship Nireekshak (A-15) is equipped with two six-man recompression chambers and one three-man diving bell. The ship is fully capable of undertaking rescue operations from a submarine in distress and training of saturation divers. The ship had earlier visited Trincomalee in September 2019 and March 2022 for a similar training deployment for SLN divers. Such continued engagement of Indian Naval ships with the Sri Lanka Navy is in keeping with the Government of India's capacity-building initiative as part of its 'Neighborhood First' policy. (ANI) According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the terrorists had attacked a security forces post near Wali Tangi on Thursday evening. During fire exchange, three terrorists were sent to hell, the statement said. It added that Subedar Qaiser Raheem was killed and one other soldier had been seriously injured, Dawn reported. Security forces of Pakistan will continue to thwart the efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country, the statement said. Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack and said the entire nation saluted the martyr. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also condemned the attack and paid tribute to the martyred soldier. The people of Pakistan and all institutions are determined to root out the menace of terrorism, Dawn quoted the speaker as saying. Earlier this week, four people, including two policemen, were injured in two hand grenade attacks on police vehicles, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. According to officials, unknown miscreants riding motorcycles threw a grenade at a patrolling police vehicle in the Sariab Road area of Quetta. However, the grenade missed the target and exploded away from the vehicle. Notably, Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year, as per Dawn. A report released in July by the think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the first half of the current year witnessed a steady and alarming rise in terror and suicide attacks, claiming the lives of 389 people across the country, Dawn reported. (ANI) In the latest episode of top Beijing official facing purges, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu who has not been seen in weeks is being investigated for corruption and likely will be removed, The Washington Post reported citing two US officials. The expected purge of Li, who has been noticeably absent from public view for the past two weeks, in the wake of other dismissals will heighten a sense of uncertainty over how Chinas day-to-day foreign policy is being managed. It will also further call into question Xis leadership as he consolidates power, the Post reported citing analysts. They note that the narrowing of his inner circle to yes-men has deprived him of opinions and advice that could avert damaging decisions. One Chinese official said that Lis dismissal was imminent, but said it was for health issues, not corruption. Two people involved in the Chinese defense industry, however, said there is broad consensus that Lis absence is related to corruption charges relating to his previous position as head of military procurement, The Washington Post reported. Li (65) who was appointed defense minister in March this year, is one of five state councillors high-level officials tapped by Xi to form Chinas leadership cabinet this year. Li was last seen on August 29, when he gave a keynote address at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing. Last month, he travelled to Belarus and Russia, meeting in Moscow with his counterpart, Sergey Shoigu. He is due to take part in a major international defense and security conference in Beijing next month, the Xiangshan Forum. Meanwhile, Lis apparent cashiering would come months after the purge of Chinas foreign minister, Qin Gang, and the leadership of the Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force, its premier military unit in charge of the countrys growing arsenal of nuclear weapons and conventional missiles, The Washington Post reported. These are some of the most important outward-facing positions in China, The Post quoted one senior US official. Li is under serious investigation and in all likelihood is being removed, the official said, noting that the Rocket Force leadership purge also involved allegations of corruption. Notably, if Li is sacked, he would be the second state councillor to be removed from a ministerial position within three months. It could be even worse than that, the official added, alluding to the potential for further purges. Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, on Friday suggested that Li had been placed under house arrest. Might be getting crowded in there, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, Emanuel wrote. The Chinese Embassy in Washington declined to comment on Lis absence. Asked about Li on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she didnt know about the situation mentioned. Beijing has not publicly explained Lis absence, and Chinese military websites still list him as Minister of Defense. Traditionally, when Chinese officials are ousted for corruption or other disciplinary crimes, Beijing refrains from citing a reason, and confirmation can take months or even years, as per The Washington Post. When Qin abruptly disappeared from sight in June, Beijings foreign ministry steadfastly refused to comment, instead scrubbing his existence from its Chinese-language website. Similarly, when Xi this summer purged the top two leaders of the PLA Rocket Force, the only information released by Beijing was an announcement of their replacements. Since Chinas 20th Party Congress last October, Xi has consolidated power, elevating a cadre of high-level officials based on their loyalty and closeness to him. The removal of Li on the heels of other officials would take a huge toll on Xi Jinpings reputation and credibility, said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. It would basically suggest that Xi Jinpings domestic political position is in question, The Post quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, the housecleaning comes as Chinas economy is struggling to right itself after a disastrous mass lockdown policy during the Covid-19 pandemic, a real estate market crash and a mounting debt crisis. The tumult of Xis domestic problems was likely a factor in his skipping the G-20 leaders summit in New Delhi last week, The Washington Post reported citing analysts. With the dismissals of top diplomatic and military officials, it seems like theres a lot of churn and instability in whos representing and speaking for China on the world stage, said Sheena Chestnut Greitens, director of the Asia Policy Program at the University of Texas, Austin. As Chinas whole system has become more and more opaque and as powers become personalized under Xi Jinping, that makes it harder for outside interlocutors to know where Chinas foreign policy is going to go, The Washington Post quoted Greitens as saying. Dennis Wilder, a former senior China analyst at the CIA, who is now a senior fellow at Georgetowns U.S.-China initiative, has said that Xi has created his own dilemma because hes taken so much power for himself. Several years ago, Xi abolished term limits allowing him to serve an unprecedented third term. When you close down a system to one-man rule like this, you close off discussion and debate within the system other opinions arent brought into play that can lead to better decision-making, the Post quoted Wilder as saying. Lis ascension to defense minister followed several high-profile roles at the forefront of Chinas military modernization efforts, including serving in 2016 as deputy commander of the PLA Strategic Support Force, a unit that oversees advanced warfare technology including space and cyber operations. The following year, he was named as the top military procurement official, heading up the PLA Equipment Development Department, a powerful unit responsible for buying weapons. In recent months, the procurement agency announced it had launched an investigation into alleged violations during a period that coincided with Lis tenure as director. In July, a notice released by the department called for tips into alleged violations in the procurement process dating to October 2017. The notice listed eight violations, including actively leaking secrets, unfair handling of matters and lack of supervision. It solicited tips regarding individuals who had manipulated the bidding process for personal gain, according to The Washington Post. Chinas national strategy to rapidly build a military that can compete with the US has seen billions of dollars flow to public and private contractors, a process which analysts say is easily corrupted. The temptations that come with that for senior officers in charge of these programs are great, Wilder said. The alleged corruption calls into question the professionalism and readiness of the PLA, he said. We tend to judge the PLA by the equipment theyve been buying. But this leads to questions about the quality and reliability of the officer corps. Are they working in the national defense or lining their own pockets? The Post quoted Wilder as saying. Notably, corruption has long plagued Chinas military, according to The Washington Post. In 2012, when Xi took power, he removed the two vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission who were later charged with corruption. A few years later, the former chief of the joint staff of the PLA, Fang Fenghui, was placed under investigation for corruption, and in 2018, Xi fired the Chinese head of Interpol after he reportedly admitted to taking more than USD 2 million in bribes. In 2019, Fang was sentenced to life in prison on corruption charges, The Washington Post reported. In 2018, Li and the Equipment Development Department were sanctioned by the US for violating a law barring significant transactions with persons working on behalf of Russian defense or intelligence agencies. These transactions involved Russias transfer to China of Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment. The sanctions on Li have caused friction between Beijing and Washington as U.S. officials are seeking to restart military dialogues. Beijing in May declined a US request for Li to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, citing the sanctions. The State Department in May said it was not considering lifting sanctions on Li. There have been subsequent discussions about revisiting the issue, but there seems to be no appetite to do so, and in any case, Lis removal would moot the issue, The Washington Post reported citing officials. The state of things is changing constantly day-to-day now, said an adviser to the Chinese government in Beijing. The person said that there is fresh scrutiny of the countrys security apparatus, including the military, intelligence agencies and internal security forces. US officials said that Xis decade-long campaign to root out corruption is challenged by systemic issues. Some of the PLAs enduring problems may be too big for Xi to solve, and they have a real impact on the PLAs ability to achieve what he wants them to, said a second US official. We know that corruption in the PLA runs deep enough for this to be a factor. And we know its had a profound effect on what theyre able to do, and how they do it, The Post quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, Chinese President, this week, sought to project an image of control. During an inspection of a PLA unit in northeast China, Xi, dressed in a pale green military button-down, assembled officials to strictly enforce education and management of the troops, and maintain a high degree of centralization, unity, security and stability, CNN reported citing state news agency Xinhua. (ANI) Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 15 (ANI/WAM): Lunate, a new Partner-led and independent global alternative investment manager, today announced it will launch with more than USD 50 billion of Assets under Management (AuM), making it one of the largest in the MENA region. The creation of Lunate follows a multi-party effort to establish an independent investment manager of scale and breadth, headquartered in Abu Dhabi and serving global markets. With a focus on private markets, Lunate is an independent entity owned by Chimera Investment LLC and Lunates senior management. Its mandate is focused solely on generating superior risk-adjusted returns for its clients and has been structured to provide private and public market multi-asset class investment solutions to institutional investors, pension funds, family offices and other investment firms. Lunate, which will be based in Abu Dhabi Global Market, the leading international financial centre located in Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, has signed long-term Separate Managed Accounts (SMAs) with multiple clients at the time of launch with commitments to manage their existing assets and deploy new capital. Lunate will invest globally through a combination of Limited Partner (LP) commitments, co-investments and direct investments across private equity, venture capital, private credit, real assets, public equities, and public credit. Lunate intends to expand globally with international offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Managing Partner at Lunate, said, After many months of hard work, we are delighted to be launching Lunate as an independent, commercial enterprise that is ideally placed to become a leading global alternative investment manager. We sincerely appreciate the trust placed in us by our clients to manage their capital. With a steadfast commitment to generating best-in-class risk-adjusted returns and creating long-term value for our clients, we aspire to bolster Abu Dhabis position as a global asset management hub. (ANI/WAM) Australian envoy Philip Green OAM posted a video on 'X', stating, "Hindi is popular not only in Australia but also among our diplomats based in Delhi. Today, on the occasion of #HindiDiwas, our diplomats are sharing with you their favorite Hindi proverbs that inspire them." https://twitter.com/AusHCIndia/status/1702226209512603859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1702372159220490614%7Ctwgr%5E3cb977d37687f7e96385ec843eebb7dbe55d0fec%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpib.gov.in%2FPressReleasePage.aspx%3FPRID%3D1957542 According to the official statement by the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi responded to the post of Australian High Commissioner to India. Responding to his message, PM Modi took to his social media platform 'X', and said, "These couplets and idioms of yours are mesmerizing! This attachment of Australian diplomats towards Hindi is very interesting. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1702372159220490614 Earlier, British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis wished Indians on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, and also disclosed his five favourite words in Hindi. From my very patient Hindi teachers to everyone else on X who has been so supportive, thank you! Mere paanch pasandida Hindi shabd (My five favourite Hindi words), Ellis posted on X (formerly Twitter). Ellis posted a video, where he listed down his five favourite words. The words listed by Ellis are Adrak, lena dena, jugaad, khushboo and gapshap. Moreover, the US State Departments Hindustani Spokesperson Margaret MacLeod congratulated all the Hindi language-speaking people in the world and expressed her happiness at delivering the message of the American government. Earlier in the day, PM Modi also wished the countrymen on the occasion and said that the Hindi language will continue to "strengthen the thread of national unity and goodwill." Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14 to commemorate the decision to adopt Hindi as one of the nation's official languages. (ANI) Extending immense support for Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday emphasized that the objective is for Ukraine to succeed in regaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Blinken along with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed the briefing. As both Blinken and Baerbock have recently returned from Ukraine, the former said," We were able to compare notes on our visits but also make clear that we are both deeply committed to continuing the strong support that we and dozens of other countries around the world have been providing to Ukraine military, economic, humanitarian." While addressing the briefing, Blinken said, "The objective is for Ukraine to succeed in its efforts to regain its sovereignty, its territorial integrity but not only to survive the Russian aggression, which it has and will, but to thrive in the future and to be able to stand strongly on its own feet." Yesterday, Penny Pritzker, former US Secretary of Commerce was named as special representative for Ukraines economic recovery. Noting the development, Blinken said, "On the economic side, just yesterday we named a very highly respected senior official and colleague of many years, Penny Pritzker, our former secretary of Commerce, to take on the role of being our special representative for Ukraines economic recovery, to work closely with Germany, with the European Union, with G7 partners, and many others who are working on this." He further said the most sustainable way for Ukraine to succeed economically is through private-sector investment. "Even as governments and international financial institutions support Ukraine and that will continue ultimately the most sustainable way for Ukraine to succeed economically is through private-sector investment. And so we are focusing many efforts on these," Blinken stated. He further stressed that Pritzker's expertise and remarkable knowledge will help to do this. "Penny Pritzker brings remarkable expertise, remarkable knowledge, remarkable networks of contacts around the world to help do this," he added. Bringing the Black Sea Grain Initiative into the discussion, Blinken said that both Germany and US strongly urge a return to the initiative. "Of course, both of us continue to strongly urge a return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which, when it was in force, enabled Ukraine to export well over 30 million tons of grain, enough for 18 billion loaves of bread." He said that the agreement never should have been necessary in the first place. "It was only necessary because Russia blocked Ukraine from exporting its food to the world. But when the agreement was in force, it at least enabled that food to get out. Since Russia has torn it up, the food is not getting out," he said. Blinken further noted that the people in developing countries are suffering the most. "Greater food scarcity, rising prices for everyone, even those countries that were not directly getting the food from Ukraine and we know, of course, that most of the grain getting out of Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative was going to developing countries," he added. Blinken reaffirmed that the US will continue to work on alternate routes to get grain out of Ukraine. "But also as we think about the longer term and the importance of all of us being able to support Ukraine in all of these areas in a sustainable and effective way as it builds a military for the future, as it tries to develop a strong economy, and as it continues to deal with the humanitarian the horrific humanitarian consequences of Russias aggression," Blinken said at the briefing. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Saturday said that US President Joe Biden is set to host Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, noting that it will be their third meeting. Noting Russia's desperate attempts to seek help from countries like North Korea, Sullivan further said, "It certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in the counteroffensive..." However, according to NSA Sullivan, the US always keeps on preparing new military packages for Ukraine. "We are always preparing a new military package for Ukraine. We do these drawdown packages essentially every couple of weeks. He further highlighted that there will be an announcement soon on additional weapons for Ukraine. "I think you can anticipate that there will be a further announcement of additional resources and capabilities, additional weapons to go to Ukraine...," he added. (ANI) US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Saturday said that US President Joe Biden is set to host Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, noting that it will be their third meeting. At the press briefing, Sullivan said, "President Biden will host President Zelensky of Ukraine here at the White House on Thursday. And this will be their third meeting." Noting Russia's desperate attempts to seek help from countries like North Korea, Sullivan further said, "It certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in the counteroffensive..." He further emphasized on US's support to Ukraine and said that Biden is looking forward to hear Zelenskyy's perspective on this. "President Biden looks forward to hearing President Zelensky's perspective on all of this and to reaffirm for the world and for the United States, his commitment to continuing to lead the world in supporting Ukraine as it defends its independence, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity," Sullivan said during the briefing. However, according to NSA Sullivan, the US always keeps on preparing new military packages for Ukraine. "We are always preparing a new military package for Ukraine. We do these drawdown packages essentially every couple of weeks." He further highlighted that there will be an announcement soon on additional weapons for Ukraine. "I think you can anticipate that there will be a further announcement of additional resources and capabilities, additional weapons to go to Ukraine...," he added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, US, next week as he sets to make the case for ongoing aid-related discussions for his country, reported Al Jazeera. Biden administration has asked Congress to provide USD 24 billion for Ukraine support, including USD 13.1 billion in additional military aid and USD 8.5 billion for humanitarian aid, reported Al Jazeera. However, some of the politicians, particularly from the Republican party have resisted at the idea of providing more money and supplies to Ukraine, as it attempts to repel Russian forces. Moreover, his visit coincides with the Congress debate over federal spending, as the lawmakers face an impending September 30 deadline to pass a budget. Although, Congress has approved aid over USD 113 billion. But their last funding was in December, before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, according to Al Jazeera. Furthermore, Zelenskyy's visit to Capitol Hill will be his second visit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. His first visit was in December when he delivered an impassioned speech before Congress, rallying lawmakers against Russian aggression. Although, in the past, Zelenskyy has made few visits international visits since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, reported Al Jazeera. (ANI) York County Council can finalize an incentive agreement Monday night for the $1 billion QTS Data Centers project. The decision would come after a scheduled public hearing. For months the county has been working through details on the agreement. York County on Friday released its agenda for Mondays meeting, which listed a final decision on the incentive agreement. That was the first time the county identified QTS Data Center, which previously been called Project Cobra. The Herald had connected the project via land records and prior county decisions to the Kansas-based data center. Do recent land transactions point to $1 billion Project Cobra deal in York County? QTS is projecting a $1 billion investment and 12 new jobs. The proposed economic incentive deal would require a minimum $900 million investment and 10 jobs within eight years. Property that ordinarily would be taxed at 10.5% would instead pay a fee, if the company hits promised targets, based on a 4% assessment. Millage would be adjustable. The deal would extend over 40 years. The company also would be eligible for credits against that fee of 20% to 35% during the four-decade term. Those special source revenue credits are based on infrastructure produced by the company. QTS owns property for the site in the Campbell Road and Hands Mill Highway area of Lake Wylie. The Herald previously reported QTS had 360 acres in that area after spending more than $10 million in July. A Kansas data center company bought hundreds of acres on York County. A $7 million purchase was for more than 230 acres at 2107 Hands Mill Property and surrounding areas, north of Paraham Road. QTS spent more than $4.3 million for another 130 acres at 5805 Campbell Road. More tax incentive deals Also at Monday nights council meeting, set for 6 p.m. at the county government center at 6 S. Congress St. in York, two more decisions await. Both involve economic incentive agreements. The county can finalize an incentive deal with Silfab Solar Cells. The Herald previously reported plans for 800 new jobs and a $150 million investment for the solar manufacturer eyeing 7149 Logistics Lane in Fort Mill. There has been citizen and council member push back on that project related to roads in that area. The Silfab project was initially labeled Project Mountie. The incentive deal would be a similar assessment rate reduction and fee in place of a tax, this time for 30 years. Fort Mill residents voice concerns over proposed plan to add 800 jobs to York County Also on Mondays agenda, council can decide whether to convey terms from an existing economic development incentive deal for RG Baxter Lane to Exeter 7149 Logistics. The county completed a fee deal with RG Baxter Lane in 2019. The Herald reported RG Baxter Lane bought 72 acres of farmland in the Gold Hill Road area of Fort Mill in 2019 for almost $8.5 million. The Herald also reported RG Baxter Lane applied that same year for a 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse project, Stateline 77. Documents listed with the decision to convey the incentive agreement list the same Stateline 77 subdivision property. The property, building and incentive arrangement would transition to Pennsylvania real estate investment management company EQT Exeter. Whats going on? This is how Rock Hill region readers can keep up with recent projects MEMPHIS, Tenn. One person was sent to the hospital Thursday after a car crashed into a utility pole and caught fire in Millington. The Shelby County Sheriffs Office said the vehicle overturned after striking the pole on Highway 51 N. at Sullivan Road around 2 p.m. One person was transported to Regional One in non-critical condition. Highway 51 was blocked while the sheriffs office, Millington Police, and Millington Fire responded to the scene. It reopened at 3:45 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. One person was taken to a hospital as crews battled an apartment fire in Marina del Rey Thursday afternoon. The blaze was reported around 2:50 p.m. at 4600 Via Marina and was soon upgraded to a 3rd-alarm, fire officials said. Heavy smoke and fire was seen on the roof as firefighters worked to quell the flames, aerial video from Sky5 showed. The Los Angeles Fire Department also responded to the scene and more than 100 firefighters battled the blaze. Around 5 p.m., the Fire Department indicated that flames were extinguished on the first and second floors and that firefighters were still working on the third floor of the building. Just an hour later, officials said the fire, which burned some 30 apartments in the complex, had been completely extinguished, but that crews would remain at the scene for the next several hours for extensive overhaul. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Police are investigating a shooting outside a bar in the citys Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood. Just before 11:45 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to a 911 call for shots fired in the 1400 block of Woods Run Avenue. They searched the area for victims but didnt locate anyone. A second 911 call reported a male was shot outside Young Brothers bar. Officers found a male who would not show them his injuries and refused medical treatment, according to a Pittsburgh Public Safety report. Medics located a graze wound on the back of his thigh and convinced him to go to a local hospital, the report states. He was taken in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Local families told they owe thousands they dont have after Social Security overpayments Multiple Ross Township homes evacuated after contractor hits gas line Family of teen fatally stabbed in Schenley Park frustrated with lack of movement in case Theyre late for school: Some Ambridge parents frustrated with bus issues DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts One person was killed and a trooper injured after a police shooting Thursday morning in the area of Coburg and Harlow roads in Eugene. One person was killed and a trooper injured after a police shooting Thursday morning in the area of Coburg and Harlow roads in Eugene. Oregon State Police was notified of an attempt to locate a stolen vehicle at about 9:10 a.m. State troopers located the vehicle in Coburg. The driver fled when troopers tried to stop the vehicle. A short time later, the vehicle was found at an apartment complex in the area of Coburg and Harlow roads by Coburg Police, Lane County Sheriff's Office deputies and state troopers, according to Oregon State Police. "During the course of the incident, at least one law enforcement officer discharged their duty weapon," Oregon State Police said in a news release. The release did not provide any additional information about what led police to draw and fire a weapon. The driver of the stolen vehicle was taken to the hospital and later confirmed dead. One officer on the scene received non-life-threatening injuries during the incident, according to police. According to Oregon State Police, all officers have been placed on traumatic event leave per standard protocol in deadly force incidents. The Lane County Interagency Deadly Force Investigation Team is investigating the incident. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 1 person dead, trooper injured after police shooting in Eugene The California Highway Patrol has announced that officers seized more than 150 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl-laced pills during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Fresno County, KTLA sister station KSEE/KGPE reports. Officers say the discovery of the drugs, with an estimated street value of approximately $7.3 million, resulted in the arrest of 27-year-old Carlos Jordan Lopez of SeaTac, Wash. Photo Credit: California Highway Patrol On Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, at approximately 4:00 p.m., a Central Valley CHP canine officer conducted an enforcement stop on a 2013 Toyota Camry for a traffic violation. The stop occurred on northbound I-5 at Shields Avenue, in Fresno County. During the contact, the officer noted several factors that led him to believe the driver was engaged in criminal activity. A search of the Camry led to the discovery of a large truck tire within the trunk. Officers say the tire was extremely heavy and believed to contain narcotics. Officers were able to access the tires contents and recovered approximately 107 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills (485,340 pills) that were disguised as Oxycodone. Officers also located approximately 45 pounds of cocaine from within the trunk compartment of the Camry. 27-year-old Carlos Lopez (image provided by the Fresno County Sheriffs Office) The driver, Lopez, was arrested, and the case was turned over to the Fresno High Impact Investigations Team (HIIT). These drugs were definitely en route somewhere within our county here in Fresno or somewhere in the state, it could have been in contact with hundreds of people across the state, if not the country if this traffic stop did not happen, says Mike Salas, an officer with the Fresno area CHP. Countless lives have been saved thanks to this one-stop. Lopez was booked into the Fresno County Jail on the charges of possession of cocaine and fentanyl for sale, and transportation of cocaine and fentanyl across noncontiguous counties. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Miriam Margolyes, the actor famed for Harry Potter, The Age of Innocence and her supremely entertaining chat show appearances, has released a new memoir: Oh Miriam: Stories from an Extraordinary Life. Margolyes, who has increasingly become known for her candid anecdotes during her TV interviews, has not held back in the book, which is out now. From naming the people she loathes the most in the world to her encounter with the horrid Steve Martin and the smug Mick Jagger, below are the 11 biggest revelations from the memoir. 1. Margolyes says she is now mostly unable to do theatre as she is semi-crippled Margolyes describes herself as semi-crippled in the new memoir, adding: Usually that means you have to stop. And I dont think I can do theatre again unless Im playing a character similarly disabled. I know Maggie [Smith] and Eileen [Atkins] and Judi [Dench] and Vanessa [Redgrave] still tread the boards, and theyre older than me but theyre fitter, bugger it, and good luck to them! But Margolyes says she has told her agent to tell casting directors that she is still available. 2. Margolyes names her most-despised people ever In the memoir, Margolyes names Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu as the living person she most despises. She writes: The decline of decency, honesty and justice in the world during my lifetime has been inexorable. And the nastiest of the current nasties is the Israeli prime minister, who should be in jail for breach of trust, accepting bribes, and fraud. Explaining her reasoning, she continues: The crime of his recent attempts to control judges in Israel is the most egregious. He is fanning the flames of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and removing the chance of peace between them. Elsewhere, Margolyes writes that there is no shortage of candidates for my Despised List, adding that the other people she loathes most in the world are Vladimir Putin, Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and David Cameron. 3. Margolyes calls out Warren Beatty for on-set habit Margolyes says that, after she was cast by Warren Beatty in 1981 film Reds, she took it upon herself to call the actor-director out for his irritating habit of filming people without warning. She writes: I challenged him on it. He said, Im sorry, I dont have time to prepare people. If I want to take a quick shot, I say their name, and they must be able to act straight away. I found that rude and inconsiderate and I told him so. He stopped doing it, so I think he understood, but he was definitely irked. Hes not somebody I would call the mother of the company. The motherf***er of the company maybe. Warren Beatty (Getty Images) 4. Margolyes flashed Martin Scorsese on Age of Innocence set Margolyes reveals she once flashed a tired Martin Scorsese after one particularly long morning on the set of his 1993 film The Age of Innocence. Margolyes says that after seeing crew members faces lined with fatigue, she felt it was my duty to raise their spirits. Consequently, she fell back on my well-tried remedy for the flagging male and female. The actor writes: And without further ado, I pulled up my maroon Dickens Universe T-shirt and my proud and thrusting breasts, released from any confining brassiere cascaded out of my clothes, in a snowy Victoria Falls of mammarial magnificence. She says Scorsese and the assembled crews reaction was a stunned and dazed silence, which quickly turned into roars of laughter and ultimately, according to Margolyes, gratitude. Margolyes says Scorsese has never forgotten the memory, stating: Many years later, he said to me, I remember that hair and make-up parade most particularly. 5. Margolyes says Kenneth Branagh sacked everyone on set of his first film After being offered a role in Mike Newells 1979 directorial debut The Awakening, Margolyes says she accepted like a shot but knew hed cast me because I was a friend and friends are needed on a film set. The actor claims this was a lesson learnt by Kenneth Branagh while he filmed Dead Again (1991), which Margolyes had an uncredited role in. According to Margolyes, she was flabbergasted when Branagh went nuclear and sacked the whole crew working on the film after they refused to do anything he told them to do. 6. Margolyes says working with Steve Martin was horrid In the book, Margolyes reflects on the uncomfortable experience of working with Martin on Frank Ozs cult hit Little Shop of Horrors, which was released in 1986. Margolyes, 83, played the secretary to Martins psychopathic dentist Orin Scrivello in the film and, in their musical number Dentist!, Margolyes is punched by Martins character, who also slams a door into her face. Margolyes suggests she was hurt for real while filming the scenes, writing: I was hit all day by doors opening in my face; repeatedly punched, slapped and knocked down by an unlovely and unapologetic Steve Martin perhaps he was method acting and came home grumpy with a splitting headache. She adds, Let it not be said that I have never suffered in the name of art, concluding that the actor was undeniably brilliant, but horrid to me. 7. Margolyes felt terrible after swearing about Jeremy Hunt on BBC Radio 4 She reflects on the blunder that saw her swear on BBC Radio 4 in October 2022. Without realising she was still live on-air, Margolyes said of Jeremy Hunt, whom she encountered as he was leaving the studio: When I saw him there I just said, Youve got a hell of a job best of luck, but what I really wanted to say was, F*** you, you bastard. Margolyes says in the book that she was overcome with horror over the terrible moment, writing: I was still shaking, because its an unforgivable blunder to utter such words on the nations main morning programme and I felt Id let myself and Radio 4 down. She adds that she felt ashamed about it until the producers sent me flowers to comfort me even though she thought theyd be furious. Margolyes describes the blunder as a reminder that sometimes you do need to button yourself up. 8. Margolyes calls Mick Jagger a smug c*** Margolyes says that she encountered Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger after working with his ex Sophie Dahl in a 2001 production of The Vagina Monologues. Every evening, Mick Jagger would pick her up at the stage door, looking like a debauched 57-year-old angel in tight jeans, his face perpetually grumpy, she writes, adding: Id never had much time for Mick Jagger but Sophie loved him so desperately that Sian [Phillips] and I worried about her. She may have been voicing a vagina in the production but if anything, he was the c***. He was always so smug and a smug c*** is such a turn-off. Mick Jagger (Getty Images) 9. Margolyes recalls falling in love with Vanessa Redgrave According to Margolyes, Vanessa Redgrave, while rehearsing Orpheus Descending in 1988, delivered the single most extraordinary piece of acting Ive ever seen. The actor says she developed a schoolgirl crush on Redgrave, writing: I was cracked on her just like being back at Oxford High School. By the last night, I had to say something. I couldnt let the production end without letting her know. Just after the final curtain call, as we were all going off stage together, I blurted it out: You know Ive fallen in love with you, Vanessa? She stopped dead, looked intently into my eyes and smiled sweetly and very tenderly at me. And then she said, But why did you wait till the last night to tell me? 10. Margolyes feels sad about the Phillip Schofield controversy Margolyes says that she enjoys appearing on morning shows as egos are less in evidence, and name-checked This Morning as one she particularly enjoyed. The actor says hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were warm, welcoming and ready to join in the frolic when she appeared on the series as their Agony Aunt. Addressing Schofields decision to quit after admitting to lying about an affair with a younger male colleague, Margolyes adds: I feel sad I shant have the chance to make Phil laugh again; he was a darling then and to me he always will be. 11. Margolyes regrets Matthew Perry exchange on The Graham Norton Show Margolyes reflects on appearing on The Graham Norton Show alongside Friends star Matthew Perry while having no idea who he was. She writes: Matthew was expecting a bland conversation that stayed on the surface of things, but I was warming to my theme and immediately launched in, burrowing deeper. I asked him if he was an alcoholic. On reflection, I really wish I hadnt. She says that particular chat show episode was one of the few times she didnt quite mesh with another guest. Oh Miriam: Stories from an Extraordinary Life is out now. Eleven Mexican former police officers were found guilty on Thursday in the murders of 17 migrants who were shot and burned near the United States border, prosecutors said. The prosecutor's office said in a statement it had "managed to obtain a conviction" against 11 police officers charged with homicide, while another one was found guilty of abuse of office. After a trial that lasted more than three months, judge Patricio Lugo Jaramillo ruled there was enough evidence to convict the former police officers. The killings took place on Jan. 21, 2021 in the community of Santa Anita in Tamaulipas state, close to the border with the United States, where 16 migrants from Guatemala and one from Honduras were headed. People carry a coffin with the remains of Elfego Miranda Diaz, one of the Guatemalan migrants who was killed near the U.S.-Mexico border in January, at a cemetery in Comitancillo, Guatemala, Saturday, March 13, 2021. / Credit: Moises Castillo / AP The victims "lost their lives due to gunshot wounds and were subsequently incinerated," the prosecutor's statement read. Initially, 12 police officers were charged with murder, but one of them had the charge softened to abuse of authority in exchange for cooperating with the investigation. The charred bodies were found in a truck in the municipality of Camargo, a major smuggling transit point for drugs and migrants. Organized crime groups covet control of stretches of the border because they make money off everything that crosses the border. Camargo is near the edge of territory historically controlled by the Gulf cartel and in recent years a remnant of the Zetas known at the Northeast cartel has tried to take over. A total of 19 bodies were discovered, including the remains of two Mexicans who, authorities said, were human traffickers who were going to take the migrants to the border. At least 853 migrants died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully over a 12-month span in 2021-2022, making fiscal year 2022 the deadliest year for migrants recorded by the U.S. government, according to internal Border Patrol data obtained by CBS News. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Extended interview: Ron DeSantis on Trump's legal troubles, issues important to voters and more Biden says striking UAW members should get "record contracts" amid record profits Hunter Biden's possible defense a "contradiction" to dad's gun policies, GOP strategist says Ever since she burst onto the scene in the early 60s, Diana Ross has become quite an icon. From her voice to her personality and style, its easy to see why the 79-year-old Detroit native has cemented herself as one of the greatest performers of all time. Whether belting out chart-topping singles with The Supremes to venturing out to start a successful solo career and starring in big-name movies like Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, and The Wiz, theres no question that Ross is a force. In honor of her legendary career, were going way back to her early days with The Supremes when they were called The Primettes to her memorable duet album with Marvin Gaye and beyond. Scroll on for some of the rarest and most memorable moments. Biography.com is home of the people you know and the stories you dont. Subscribe to our free newsletter to learn about all your favorite musicians. Early 1960s: Posing with the Supremes First up is a photo of Ross with fellow members of The Supremes. As mentioned, the group was originally known as The Primettes and was founded in Detroit in 1959. Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Betty McGlown, and Florence Ballard were the four founding members. McGlown left after getting engaged and was replaced by Barbara Martin, who also parted ways with the group later on. Getty Images Early 1960s: Getting Ready to Perform Catch a fun black-and-white candid of Ross helping her fellow members get ready backstage. Getty Images Early 1960s: Taking the Stage The group performed countless times together, often in matching outfits. Theyre pictured here in light green frocks with beaded hems, sparkly bodices, and matching heels. Its certainly a show-stopping look. Getty Images 1962: In New York City In 1962, Ross stepped in front of the camera with Ballard and Wilson in New York City. It was around this time that the group released their debut album Meet the Supremes. Getty Images 1964: A Portrait Session The trio went with softer pink and white cardigan sets for this photo shoot in 1964. Between 1964 and 1969, the group managed to record and release 12 No. 1 hits that fans couldnt get enough of. Getty Images 1968: At E.M.I. Records Here, Ross rocks an effortlessly cool ensemble featuring a white turtleneck, round glasses, a silk scarf, and a statement necklace. She struck a pose when she stopped by the E.M.I. Records headquarters. Getty Images 1969: G.I.T. on Broadway A year later, Ross starred in G.I.T. on Broadway with The Supremes and The Temptations. During the television special, the two groups performed various songs and acted in comedy sketches inspired by Broadway and Hollywood. Getty Images 1970: Solo Career Shortly after, Ross launched her solo career. Her first single was Reach Out (And Touch Somebodys Hand). Getty Images 1972: Lady Sings the Blues Then, in 1972, Ross took to the big screen in Lady Sings the Blues, a film about Billie Holidays life. It was one of her first movie roles. Getty Images 1973: In London She went across the pond to London in 1973, and around the same time, she released several studio albums such as Touch Me in the Morning, Last Time I Saw Him, and a duet album with Marvin Gaye titled Diana & Marvin. Getty Images 1974: Radio City Music Hall Last, but not least, Ross commanded the stage at Radio City Music Hall in a head-turning feathered gown. She also went on to star as Tracy Chambers in Mahogany, a film about a blossoming fashion designer, a year later. Getty Images You Might Also Like NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJW) The parents of a 14-year-old boy are warning others about a rare illness that started out seeming like the simple flu and turned into a nightmare. After going to the doctor twice earlier this summer for prolonged influenza, Mathias Uribe landed in the emergency room on June 30 after his heart stopped, his parents said in a GoFundMe campaign. He was reportedly diagnosed with pneumonia and Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes accompanied by sudden onset of shock, organ failure, and frequently death. Lawrence teacher credited with protecting kids from Snapchat predator Uribe was eventually admitted to the ICU at Monroe Carrel Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. He was taken off life support by mid July, but by early August, his doctors and parents had to make the tough decision to amputate his hands and feet due to poor blood flow. It is extremely hard for us to explain the ups and downs we have felt in the last few weeks. Our brilliant, 14-year-old son is a fighter, his family said in the GoFundMe. Our son has always been a happy, tender, loving boy, who touches the heart of everyone around him. At school, he has always excelled, and his teachers always have nothing but praise for his work ethic and eagerness to learn and go above and beyond both inside and outside the classroom. Uribes doctor told WSMV4 in Nashville that there was nothing the teens parents could have done differently. Sometimes, when you get the flu, it does set you up for a bacterial infection. But even then, most kids dont get nearly as sick as Mathias did, Dr. Katie Boyle told the news outlet. While still extremely uncommon, a letter to the editor in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal noted clinicians should be aware of reported cases of STSS increasing in Europe and the U.S. last year, especially in children who have influenza infections. KC hospital leaders seeing concerning rise in COVID cases, says dont get complacent We are in awe of his unwavering spirit and determination, which will undoubtedly guide him through the challenges that lie ahead, Uribes family said. The GoFundMe has been set up to help with the boys medical expenses and prosthetics. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The Benton Franklin Health District gave failing grades to 14 restaurants and other businesses selling food in the Tri-Cities area during food safety inspections from Sept. 4 to 8. The weeks inspections included a focus on concessions and food stands at the Dust Devils GESA Stadium, with two failed inspections and six passed inspections there on the first check. The health districts food safety team gave passing grades on 24 inspections total, with seven earning a perfect score. In the districts routine inspections, businesses or organizations that receive at least 35 points for the more serious red violations are required to have additional inspections and must meet a tougher standard on those. To pass followup inspections, they must have fewer than 25 red points and fewer than 10 red points for previous issues. Red violations are those most likely to cause food-borne illnesses, such as improper temperature control of food, lack of handwashing or bare-hand contact with foods. Blue violations are low risk factors related to the cleanliness and physical condition of an establishment. No notice is given before the inspections. Inspection results are posted online so residents can look up the status and the details of any violations of individual restaurants or check other businesses. Go to bit.ly/BFHDinspections. Click on the business name and then on the date of the inspection on the right half of the next page. Look for the Violations tab. Failed inspections Basin City Hot Spot (Food service) 7380 Road 170, Mesa, Follow-up Sept. 7 (25 Red, 5 Blue) Notes: Improper hot holding (<130F), inadequate equipment for temperature control. Bradys Brats & Burgers, 6481 W. Skagit Ave., Kennewick, Follow-up Sept. 7 (20 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improperly disposing of potentially unsafe food, improper cold holding (>45F). Buriram Bites, Event, Follow-up Sept. 8 (30 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improper hot holding(<130F), improper cold holding (42-45F). Connell Food & Gas Mart (Food service), 457 S. Columbia Ave., Connell, Follow-up Sept. 7 (25 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improper hot holding (<130F). Dust Devils Stadium 1st Base, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Sept. 6 (60 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Lack of active managerial control, improper hand washing, improper produce washing, improper chemical use, lack of conformance with approved procedures. Dust Devils Grill Cart (Mobile), Event, Routine Sept. 6 (60 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Lack of active managerial control, improper hand washing, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper produce washing, lack of conformance with approved procedures. El Mirador, 1315 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 7 (25 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improper hot holding (<130F). Picante Mexican Taqueria, 20 S. Auburn St., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 5 (60 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improper hot holding (<130F), room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control, improper cold holding (>45F). Some Bagels Too, 810 S. Washington St., Kennewick, Follow-up Sept. 7 (15 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improperly disposing of potentially unsafe food, improper cold holding (42-45F). Sweet Snack Attack, Event, Routine Sept. 8 (10 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Lack of conformance with approved procedures. (Required to temporarily close because handwashing sink was not working.) Taqueria Buena Vista, Event, Routine Sept. 7 (35 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improper hot holding, improper cold holding (>45F). Texas Roadhouse, 835 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 8 (40 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Food worker cards not 100%, room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control, improper cold holding (>45F). Trejos Taco Factory, Event, Routine Sept. 8 (35 Red, 5 Blue) Notes: Food worker cards not 100%, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper produce washing, improper cold holding (>45F). Tropical Sno (Mobile), Event, Follow-up Sept. 5 (35 Red, 0 Blue) Notes: Improper hand washing (employee handled cash and and then ice with same gloves on), lack of conformance with approved procedures. Passed inspections 509 Coffee Company (Mobile), Event, Routine Sept. 7 (10 Red, 0 Blue) Birrieria Colima Y Michoacan, 404 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 5 (0 Red, 5 Blue) Burger Ranch, 108 S. Oregon Ave., Pasco, Routine Sept. 5 (0 Red, 5 Blue) Desserts By Kelly, 1312 Jadwin Ave., Richland, Routine Sept. 7 (15 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Stadium 1st Base, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 7 (0 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Stadium 3rd Base, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Sept. 6 (20 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Stadium BBQ Patio, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Sept. 6 (0 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Stadium Fry Shack, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Sept. 6 (0 Red, 10 Blue) Dust Devils Stadium Hot Corner, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Sept. 6 0 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Stadium Pizza Hut, 6200 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Sept. 6 ( 15 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Dippin Dots (Mobile), Event, Routine Sept. 6 (0 Red, 0 Blue) Dust Devils Grill Cart (Mobile), Event, Follow-up Sept. 7 (10 Red, 0 Blue) El Torito MX Market (Deli), 420 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 7 (0 Red, 0 Blue) Franciscos Bakery, 5300 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 8 (5 Red, 3 Blue) Kagen Coffee & Crepes, 270 Williams Blvd., Richland, Routine Sept. 7 (20 Red, 5 Blue) Karlas Snacks, 524 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Routine Sept. 5 (5 Red, 0 Blue) La Casita, Event, Follow-up Sept. 8 (5 Red, 0 Blue) Lewis & Clark Elementary School, 415 Jadwin Ave., Richland, Routine Sept. 8 (0 Red, 0 Blue) Little Randys Diner, 104 W. 1st Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 5 (30 Red, 0 Blue) Maverik, 4306 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 8 (Deli 15 Red, 0 Blue) (Store 0 Red, 0 Blue) Some Bagels, 1317 George Washington Way, Richland, Routine Sept. 7 (10 Red, 0 Blue) There is an expensive reason for the zigzag lines of thin clouds in the Fresno skies that was spotted by many Thursday. An Alpha rocket was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base by the startup company Firefly Aerospace, soaring through the skies just after sunset as part of a responsive space mission called Victus Nox. The rockets vapor trail left that squiggly line in the sky seen in Fresno and as far as Arizona and leaving many curious about what they saw. Does anyone know what this is? a person on nextdoor.com wrote. According to the Firefly Aerospace website, the goal of the Victus Nox program is to demonstrate the United States capability to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs during a conflict or in response to a national security threat. For decades, the promise of a faster and more responsive launch capability has seduced military strategists who have looked for ways to get satellites to orbit quickly in response to adversary threats or intelligence demands, reads a spacenews.com story. One such effort is Victus Nox. In a news release sent by Firefly space in August, the Victus Nox space mission never has been done before. The rocket reportedly had a price tag of $15 million, according to nextspaceflight.com. The U.S.s ability to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs is critical to our national defense, particularly in todays evolving space environment, Space Force Lt. Col. MacKenzie Birchenough said in the Firefly Aerospace news release. The accelerated build time the team demonstrated for VICTUS NOX, combined with the demanding launch and on-orbit goals, exemplifies our strong commitment to preserving our nations dominance and ability to freely operate in the space domain. Im from Fresno California and this weird zig zag showed up in the sky what is it pic.twitter.com/TwZO3XalDV Rah Rah (@officiallrahrah) September 15, 2023 FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) A 15-year-old is recovering after he was shot in Kings County on Wednesday morning. The Avenal Police Department says the shooting took place at East San Joaquin Street and North 5th Avenue in Avenal. Police Chief Robert Nevarez said the suspects are two to three males, possibly juveniles, wearing jeans, and black face masks. Officials say they escaped on foot. The shooting occurred four blocks away from Avenal High School. Chief Nevarez says he spoke to the school superintendent and did not feel a lockdown was necessary. Officers say the shooting is likely to be gang-related as the victim was likely the intended target. The victim was airlifted to a hospital in Fresno. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Avenal Police Department. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. The body of a 15-year-old Georgia boy was recovered after he fell off a raft in rough surf, Florida officials told news outlets. The teen was with a friend, also a teenager, and the friends mom at Fernandina Beach on Sept. 12 and swimming about 100 feet offshore with a blow-up float, Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue told WFGA. As the surf grew rougher, the three lost control of the raft and went into the water, officials told the outlet. They were swept up by a rip current, officials told WJAX, and a witness called 911 to help pull them from the water. The friend and his mother were pulled from the water by rescuers and taken to a hospital for observation, officials told WJXT, but the 15-year-old had vanished from sight. Officials continued the search until nightfall, when operations were suspended, the outlet reported. The search resumed the next morning, but was classified as a recovery mission, officials told WJXT. Officials found the teens body in the afternoon of Sept. 14, they told WJAX. Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue Chief Ty Silcox told WFGA the beach has been flying red flags to warn swimmers about the strong surf and waves brought in by Hurricane Lee. We encourage people to stay out of the water, if you are not a strong swimmer, its not good conditions for you to be in the water, Silcox told the outlet. Officials have not identified the teen as of Sept. 15. What is a rip current? Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that happen on the coasts of the U.S. and in the Great Lakes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. About 100 people are killed by rip currents each year in the U.S., NOAA reported. Lifeguards rescue thousands of people from rip currents annually. Experts say people can take steps to stay safe from rip currents, including: Check the local water conditions before getting in. Talk to a lifeguard at the beach about the conditions. Only swim at beaches where lifeguards are present. Dont assume great weather means good swimming conditions. Fernandina Beach is about 35 miles northeast of Jacksonville. Boater vanishes trying to save man who fell off tube in California lake, officials say 61-year-old fisherman mysteriously vanishes on Lake Michigan, authorities say Shark comes face-to-face with surfer jumping off wave and bites him, Florida officials say Seal bit swimmer through wetsuit in Washington. Then she needed special medicine Two school districts in California banned the display of LGBTQ+ pride flags this week, amid ongoing efforts by conservatives to crack down on the LGBTQ+ communitys visibility and civil rights. In Southern California, the Temecula Valley Unified School District passed a resolution Tuesday banning all flags except U.S. and state flags, in a meeting that drew a large turnout of parents, teachers and students. Tensions flared at times, local news outlet KTLA reported. Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Bay Area, chaos broke out as the Sunol Glen Unified School District approved a ban on LGBTQ+ pride flags specifically. The Mercury News reported that the entire audience was thrown out of the meeting Tuesday night before board members took a vote, passing the resolution 2-1. Some people in the Sunol district are now talking about recalling the conservative board members who backed the measure. A lot of average parents are about to learn a lot more about recall, parent Matthew Sylvester told The Mercury News. The Temecula board passed its resolution by a 3-2 vote. The three board members who voted together Jen Wiersma, Joseph Komrosky and Danny Gonzalez all received backing from the Inland Empire Family, a conservative Christian political action committee. In recent months, they have whipped up turmoil in the district with antics including a meeting on whether the district should hire an anti-critical race theory consultant, as well as launching a ban on discussion of California civil rights icon Harvey Milk. The pride flag bans are part of a larger push by conservative activists to focus their political efforts on local school districts particularly in California, given the hold Democrats have on the state. The Los Angeles-area Chino Valley Unified School District landed itself in hot water this summer by requiring teachers to out transgender students to their parents. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit to stop the district. But others have passed similar rules, including Temecula and the nearby Murrieta Valley Unified School District. Related... Two men have been charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in a shooting in Bridgewaters Finderne section in March 2022. Ikeem Thomas, 20, of Covington, Georgia, and Josiah T. Talbert, 20, of the Somerset section of Franklin, are also both facing charges of second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said Friday. The first-degree crimes of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder carry 10-year minimum prison sentences. Second-degree crimes can result in five to 10-year sentences. At about 3:31 p.m. March 1, 2022, Bridgewater police responded to Sunny Slope Road after a 911 call from a victim reporting gunshots fired at their vehicle, McDonald said. No one was injured in the incident. Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit and the Bridgewater Township Police Department determined that Thomas and Talbert allegedly were involved in the shooting, the prosecutor said. Both were arrested without incident. Thomas was arrested May 5, 2022, in New Brunswick and Talbert was arrested Aug. 28, 2023, in North Brunswick. The prosecutor's office did not release a motive for the shooting. McDonald thanked the agents from the FBI Newark Field Office based in Branchburg, the U.S. Marshals Service, the New Brunswick Police Department and North Brunswick Police Department for their assistance with the investigation. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Bridgewater Township Police Department at 908- 722-4111 or via the STOPit app. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential. Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Bridgewater shooting suspects charged with attempted murder [Source] Two teenage girls were arrested in connection to the assault of Danxin Shi, a 62-year-old rideshare driver, in Chicago's Chinatown. Arrests and charges: The Vehicular Hijacking Task Force arrested a 17-year-old girl in the 5100 block of South Wentworth Ave. on Wednesday. The next day, a 15-year-old girl was also taken into custody in the 1100 block of South Hamilton Ave. Both teenagers have been charged with two felony counts of vehicular hijacking and aggravated battery to a victim aged 60 and over, according to CBS News. About the incident: The teenagers are believed to be two of the three females who physically attacked Shi in front of his apartment on West 22nd Place at around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 5. The 62-year-old man had just parked his car when the three suspects chased after him. Surveillance footage of the incident shows one of the women hitting Shi with what appears to be a pipe as he lies on the ground. Theyre holding me, you know, three people, three girls hitting and beating me, Shi previously told ABC7 Chicago. I have a key and they took my key. More from NextShark: Miami reporter defends restaurant sanitation investigative segment against accusation it targets Asian businesses The attackers managed to flee the scene with his car, which Shi said had a great impact on him as a driver. The Chicago Police Department is currently searching for the remaining suspect. More from NextShark: Actor Yoon Hong-bin recalls administering CPR to Seoul crowd crush victim Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Yale Museum surrenders 13 stolen South Asian artifacts worth over $1 million Chinese Grandma Who Fought Off Attacker to Donate Over $900K from GoFundMe to AAPI Community Surveillance cameras captured three smash-and-grab suspects storming into a Newport Beach jewelry store and getting away with an estimated $260,000 worth of high-end watches last week. The robbery at Jewelers on Time, located in the 100 block of Riverside Avenue, happened on Sept. 8 at around 4 p.m., according to a store employee. Surveillance footage shows three masked suspects in black clothing rush into the jewelry store as man inside the store, who was wearing a yellow shirt, appeared to be holding the security gate open. One of the thieves uses a hammer to shatter the glass display cases while the other two suspects begin snatching trays of watches and putting them in bags. $260,000 worth of high-end watches stolen during smash-and-grab robbery in Newport Beach Two of the masked suspects then turn toward the door, which was still being held open by the man in a yellow shirt. As they exit the store, one of the suspects pulls the man holding the door out with them with third masked suspect following. As the four men get outside, they all flee in the same direction. It is unclear if the man wearing the yellow shirt is a suspect in the robbery. Family tied up, held at gunpoint by masked robbers in Orange County Businesses across Southern California, both big and small, have been dealing with a growing number of smash-and-grab robberies. Just this week in Northridge, three businesses, including a Macys in the Northridge Mall, were hit by smash-and-grab thieves. Both incidents were caught on cameras. Smash-and-grab thieves Northridge Mall Earlier this month, in something of a twist, video captured a would-be smash-and-grab thief as he sprayed bear repellent in the face of a 70-year-old man in El Monte and attempted to rob a family-owned jewelry store. Video: employees fight back against robbery suspect who sprayed them with bear repellent The stores employees fought off that suspect, identified as 36-year-old Joshua Lee Simmons, who ended up running out of the store shirtless, empty-handed and pulling up his pants. KTLA has reached out to the Newport Beach Police Department for comment on the robbery at Jewelers On Time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A cliver pill box, three-in-one charger and card-holding phone sticker. A cliver pill box, three-in-one charger and card-holding phone sticker. Popular items from this list: Space-saving compression bags that dont require a vacuum (but really, truly work!) A folding pill organizer with convenient windows for easy access An easy adhesive phone card holder to keep all your credit cards and cash on your person, because if theres ONE thing you know youll never lose, its your phone. HuffPost receives a share from retailers on this page. Prices and availability are subject to change. A vacuum-free space-saving compression bag that truly works Emma Lord/BuzzFeed A vacuum-free space-saving compression bag that truly works It's so easy to use that all you have to do is stick your clothes inside, zip up the bag, roll the bag and watch all the excess air get squished out of them until your clothes magically shrink! I am obsessed with these. Despite all the rave reviews, I was definitely skeptical of space-saving bags that don't require a vacuum, and even as they were actively squishing my clothes into oblivion I still couldn't quite believe it. I had easily two suitcases worth of clothes I wanted to pack for a three-week trip to London, and I managed to neatly pack the entirety of my wardrobe in one roller carry-on bag. Truly, all I had to do was put my clothes in the bag, push them to the bottom, and then sit on it to get the air out before sealing it up. I had tons of extra bags and make a habit of taking them with me in case other people joining me on trips need them to be able to pack souvenirs on the way home. I'm never taking a long trip without these again these are worth every penny. $14.97 at Amazon A folding pill organizer with convenient windows for easy access www.amazon.com A folding pill organizer with convenient windows for easy access Promising review: "If you travel, I suggest buying several of these! They organize pills very well and always stay shut and are easy to pack. I also use one for my jewelry when I travel. They stay closed with a strong magnet and fit into a corner of your luggage very easily. I also used a label maker and labeled the individual spaces with the name of the supplement to help organize my partner!" Anna Zucker $9.99 at Amazon A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount designed for use on all airlines www.amazon.com A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount designed for use on all airlines Perilogics is a small business creating hyper-functional tool holsters and bags for carrying your stuff on the go. Not only can you mount this to the tray table of an airplane seat, but to the arm of a chair or any flat surface, so you'll be able to stream content easy as pie wherever you roam. Reviewers have used it on everything from their car dashboards to carry-on luggage handles to office desks and bedside tables. Promising review: "I bought this nifty gadget about six months ago for a multi-leg, ultra long-haul trip and it more than held up the entire duration. I was able to finagle it to fit the tray tables on different planes and like others, I find the height just nice when clamped onto a stowed tray table. It also works on my roller carry-on handle during layovers." Earendil $12.97 at Amazon A fully waterproof tricked-out travel backpack complete with two laptop sleeves, a shoe compartment, a secret anti-theft pocket, a USB charging port, and a wet bag for sweaty clothes or liquids www.amazon.com A fully waterproof tricked-out travel backpack complete with two laptop sleeves, a shoe compartment, a secret anti-theft pocket, a USB charging port, and a wet bag for sweaty clothes or liquids It's available in three sizes and 30 styles. Promising review: "I recently took a cross-country flight with my three kids. I really didn't want to worry about checked bags getting lost so maximizing our carry-ons was a priority. This backpack fit an unfathomable amount of stuff! Lots of zippers and compartments for everything from shoes to laptops/iPads, easy access compartments for cell phones and boarding passes, I fit tons of neatly folded clothes. The best part was that fully loaded it easily slid under the seat." Kindle Customer $36.99 + at Amazon Alleyoop's portable travel razor, a travel GODSEND that comes with two triple-blade razors, a moisturizing balm and a water spray bottle all in one ergonomic compact case www.amazon.com Alleyoop's portable travel razor, a travel GODSEND that comes with two triple-blade razors, a moisturizing balm and a water spray bottle all in one ergonomic compact case Alleyoop is a woman-owned small business that specializes in functional makeup products. Promising review: "I love this product. I took it on a recent vacation and it really is a time saver. The moisturizer bar it comes with is sooo nice. I usually get a little itchy after shaving but the fact that you can rub in the excess product on the shaved area has helped with itch and ingrown hairs. Now that I'm not on vacation I use it right before I go the pool, I seriously take this thing everywhere." Karlie Hanson $15 at Amazon An extremely nifty, oh-so-portable AI-powered smartphone stabilizer to give you the most seamless, cinematic shots of all the beautiful sights you're beholding www.amazon.com An extremely nifty, oh-so-portable AI-powered smartphone stabilizer to give you the most seamless, cinematic shots of all the beautiful sights you're beholding Promising review: "The Insta 360 is small and compact and works well with the app. Its intuitive and easy to handle, not bulky or heavy. Perfect size and takes all movement out of videos while walking or moving. Love this item." Thomas $159 at Amazon A three-in-one foldable magnetic wireless charger you'll honestly be mad you didn't know about before now www.amazon.com A three-in-one foldable magnetic wireless charger you'll honestly be mad you didn't know about before now Check out a TikTok of the foldable 3-in-1 charger in action. It folds out from a small square into a rectangular charging pad with a spot for your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch to charge all at the same time. It'll save so much space in your bag. It's available in six colors. Promising review: "I use this product to charge my iPhone 13, AirPods, and Apple Watch. Prior to this 3-in-1 compact purchase, I have purchased three different kinds of 3-in-1 chargers. I frequently travel between school and home with carry-on bags on airlines and all of the previous stand version chargers doesn't fit well in my bags or I am always worried I would break. This is compact and folds so well that I can fit in my carry-on or in any zipper pockets without having to worry about breaking anything. Charger works really well and it is the best compact one you can find in market. Love it and been using it for two months now and no issues!!" SBREDDY $39.99 at Amazon An easy adhesive phone card holder to keep all your credit cards and cash on your person, because if there's ONE thing you know you'll never lose, it's your phone www.amazon.com An easy adhesive phone card holder to keep all your credit cards and cash on your person, because if there's ONE thing you know you'll never lose, it's your phone Wallaroo Wallets is a small business that specializes in uniquely-designed minimalist wallets. I've used these wallets for four years now, and they are worth every penny! Mine last about six months at a time before they get dingy enough to replace, and easily hold three cards and a five dollar bill. I've never had any issues with them un-sticking off the phone case, and they're super easy to pull off. It makes my life so much easier not to carry a wallet around, plus I never lose my ID! It's available in 14 colors. Promising review: "The Wallaroo phone wallet is a must have for any cell phone owner. The quality of the leather and design of the wallet is superb. I recently went on vacation and purchased my Walleroo before my trip. It was so convenient to carry my ID, credit card and hotel key and not have to carry my actual wallet. This is a great product that I highly recommend." Todd Smithson $14.30 at Amazon A reusable, delightfully portable gel lint roller for quick lil' touch-ups both at-home and abroad www.amazon.com A reusable, delightfully portable gel lint roller for quick lil' touch-ups both at-home and abroad Promising review: "I saw this on TikTok a bunch of times and finally decided to get it. I hate the paper lint rollers, they never seem to work that well and I hate that I have to throw them away. This is awesome because it fits right in my bag, and Im able to reuse it over and over. Its super sticky and works great!" Ella $9.99 at Amazon A four-pack of LeakLocks Toiletry Skins to keep things from going www.amazon.com A four-pack of LeakLocks Toiletry Skins to keep things from going "kaboom!!" in your carry-on Rinseroo is a small business specializing in problem-solving cleaning, pet, and travel products. These extend to fit both full-size and travel-size toiletries like shampoo, sunscreen, foundation, or any other liquids you'd rather not find spilled all over your socks and underwear post-flight. Promising review: "These covered various sizes of products hair care, body wash, etc. Nothing leaked out of these whatsoever, even after a lid popped open during a flight. These prevented it from leaking out on the other contents of my luggage. Easy to use. Not flimsy. Very flexible. LOVE THESE!" TAG $11.99+ at Amazon A set of portable blackout curtain shades perfect for parents who use them for nap time or anyone staying in a brightly-lit area www.amazon.com A set of portable blackout curtain shades perfect for parents who use them for nap time or anyone staying in a brightly-lit area They're available in 10 styles and two-packs, and stick to windows with suction cups. Promising review: "I got this set to black out rooms when we travel with our baby. They work well, stay up the whole trip, it's easy to customize to the size of the window. Glad we got them, baby slept better while away because we had them." Bri $21.38+ at Amazon A collapsible leakproof water bottle www.amazon.com A collapsible leakproof water bottle Promising review: "I just bought this bottle and Im already obsessed. I even ordered four more to bring with me on vacation and share with my family. I love how easily it folds back up and it doesnt leak at all. I just wish it came in more colors and cant wait to show everyone my cool new bottle!" Brittany $11.99 at Amazon A digital luggage scale perfect for anyone who likes to play chicken with the weight limits on various airlines www.amazon.com A digital luggage scale perfect for anyone who likes to play chicken with the weight limits on various airlines Check out BuzzFeeder Elizabeth Lilly'sTikTok of the digital luggage scale in action. Promising reviews: "This scale works and was accurate on four flights. First flight was a test at 46 pounds and Delta scales said it was 46 pounds. The next two flights were at 49 pounds and both United and Delta found it to be 49 pounds. The bag on the fourth flight weighed 49 but the United scale found it to be 48 pounds. Four different airports and scales proved that this scale is a good, low-cost, must-have item for air travel." Robert $9.39+ at Amazon A machine-washable Airplane Pocket tray cover designed to slide seamlessly over an airplane tray to create an instant, deeply convenient hub Amazon A machine-washable Airplane Pocket tray cover designed to slide seamlessly over an airplane tray to create an instant, deeply convenient hub Check out a TikTok of the Airplane Pockets tray table cover in action. Airplane Pockets is a small business that specializes in sanitary, portable travel organization products. Promising review: "I used it last week and it was terrific. It fit everything: magazine, iPad, tissues, gum, glasses, phone, earplugs and water bottle. It stretched easily but tightly over the tray and both the flight attendant and my seat mates complimented me on it. I plan to use it every time I fly. It would be perfect for children, too. Highly recommend it." Sue G. $29.99 at Amazon A ridiculously beloved, Amazon A ridiculously beloved, "Shark Tank"-featured Click & Carry grocery bag carrier to help you lift bulky, heavy bags while you're traveling Click & Carry is a "Shark Tank" and QVC-featured small business that specializes in easy carry accessories. Promising review: "TikTok made me buy it. This is great when you have a few bags and a box for example, if you balance the bags, you can throw it over your shoulder and walk inside and have two free hands to carry the box, which is great. Product seems well built, and is comfortable on your shoulder or hand because of the padding." Hung $13.99 at Amazon A hybrid hair tools travel bag/heat-resistant mat with lots of space for all your curling and straightening needs, plus a flap closure you can rest them on www.amazon.com A hybrid hair tools travel bag/heat-resistant mat with lots of space for all your curling and straightening needs, plus a flap closure you can rest them on Promising review: "I thought this bag was just going to be something heat proof for my curling iron, but it is so much more all the little pouches and zippered areas and extra compartments! Everything I need for hair is going to be encompassed in this one bag. Im so glad I bought it." Karen Lynn Smith $32.99 at Amazon A Snooz Go sleeper that's a travel-friendly sound machine, Bluetooth speaker and night light all in one Goodful A Snooz Go sleeper that's a travel-friendly sound machine, Bluetooth speaker and night light all in one Promising review: "It has drastically improved my sleep (and drowned out noisy neighbors and dogs) over the past week. It's super compact and I love the option for different (and nonlooping) sounds. I use it every night in my bedroom, but I'm looking forward to bringing it on future vacations too!" Alex M. $59.99 at Goodful A set of silicone www.amazon.com A set of silicone "EarPlanes" designed with a twist-on structure to help relieve pressure that hurts your ears during altitude changes during landing and takeoff Reviewers also swear by these for driving through altitude changes in the mountains and for helping with sinus pressure pain! Promising review: "This product has changed my life. I travel fairly frequently and always have issues with ear pressure on the plane. My ears will be clogged up, and it is painful to swallow for a day or two after short-distance flights. But now, I use these and fly incident-free. You are supposed to insert them before the plane takes off and then before landing. I have found that it works best if I leave them in the entire flight from before takeoff until landing, but they work almost as well if you take them out once you reach cruising altitude." Thomasina $7.35 at Amazon A 60-pack of chewable toothpaste tablets so you have one less thing to worry about going Amazon A 60-pack of chewable toothpaste tablets so you have one less thing to worry about going "kaboom!!" in your carry-on Promising review: "I took these on a three-week trip to Europe. Didn't have to put them in my liquids bag. You chew them (don't swallow), then brush. It doesn't seem like they'd work, but they did. My teeth felt clean after using. Good purchase." Pattipeg S. Harjo $13.98 at Amazon A minimalist-style silicone makeup bag because this case is so easy to clean that you'll never have to replace it, not even when all of your liquid-based makeup leaks on the plane www.amazon.com A minimalist-style silicone makeup bag because this case is so easy to clean that you'll never have to replace it, not even when all of your liquid-based makeup leaks on the plane This also features a double magnetic closure to keep everything secure, and designed with a flat style for easier packing. It's available in 12 colors. Promising review: "Love this item. So versatile. You can use for makeup, a book at the beach, or an e-reader to protect from sand or water in your bag. Many uses." Amazon Customer $22.99 at Amazon A dry shampoo powder just as effective as the beloved aerosol ones that you might have trouble packing in a carry-on, if they're too big (not to mention these are much more environmentally friendly!) Amazon A dry shampoo powder just as effective as the beloved aerosol ones that you might have trouble packing in a carry-on, if they're too big (not to mention these are much more environmentally friendly!) Hair Dance is a U.S.-based cruelty-free, vegan small business that specializes in haircare products. Promising review: "I was a little unsure about this product but wanted it for vacation to limit aerosols or liquids. I am mind blown! It smells great, doesnt leave a residue and both volumizes and keeps my hair looking fresh. It also lasts for much longer than an aerosol if youre someone who uses this daily or every other day. The bottle is small enough to not take up space, but Ive had my first bottle for months and am barely through half. This will be my go-to from now on." E $11.99+ at Amazon A two-in-one contacts and glasses case Amazon A two-in-one contacts and glasses case This includes a compartment for glasses as well as a separate one with space for your contacts, a tweezer and contact lens solution. It comes in 12 colors. Promising review: "Because of my job, I live out of a suitcase, and I am always worried if I need an extra set of contacts or a spare pair of eyeglasses. This is perfect, because I just put it in the bottom of my suitcase, and I am confident I have them both in one place. I got the pink case, and its very cute. Very happy with this purchase." N. Rivera $14.85 at Amazon A set of two TSA-friendly travel bottles with pumps www.amazon.com A set of two TSA-friendly travel bottles with pumps Promising review: "I've traveled with this thing for about two years now doesnt leak whatsoever!!! Ive used so many travel sized bottles and most of them leak or break. Its good enough for a week or two vacay!" Rashai Kailiwai $7.99 at Amazon A portable hair tie hub to make you the Hair Tie Hero you want to see in the world Amazon A portable hair tie hub to make you the Hair Tie Hero you want to see in the world Hair Tie Hub is a small business that specializes in hair tie organizing keychains. Each carries three hair ties and easily attaches to gym bags, purses, keys and more! Get it one of three colors. Promising review: "If you're anything like us, you are always forgetting a hair tie. Adding this to my keychain has been very useful. We are never having to scrounge around a purse or the car for one when we need it." Muhammad Wasiq Maskeen $8.95 at Amazon A portable hanging luggage organizer for the ultimate lazy unpacker hack www.amazon.com A portable hanging luggage organizer for the ultimate lazy unpacker hack This works with your existing suitcase, unlike similar models that come pre-built into more expensive suitcases! All you have to do is pack your clothes in this, fold it into your suitcase, and then magically unfurl it in a hotel closet for access to all your stuff. Guess who's going to be the first one to the hotel pool after check in??? (You. It's you.) It's available in four colors and several sets. Promising review: "I was able to pack seven outfits and have way more space in this organizer. I just packed the clothes in the organizer, closed it up, and placed it in my carry on. Once I got to the hotel, I just hung it in my closet. It would be perfect for cruises since their is never any drawer space and very little room to move around." jess $27.39+ at Amazon A cult-favorite adjustable infinity pillow designed with 360-degree support to best cushion your neck www.amazon.com A cult-favorite adjustable infinity pillow designed with 360-degree support to best cushion your neck The pillow is made with a breathable, super soft bamboo fabric and is fully machine-washable. It comes in 10 colors. Promising review: "We got a few different types of travel pillows for a red-eye to Europe and this was overall our favorite due to its versatility. The loop actually allows you to have various self supporting positions, and this will contort all sorts of ways to be a pillow, neck rest, arm rest anything. Its actually just good for any type of travel in general and got a lot of use on the whole trip. The material is soft and comfortable." Tom Shaw $44.99 at Amazon A three-pack of storage scrunchies perfect for anyone who needs an extra pocket www.amazon.com A three-pack of storage scrunchies perfect for anyone who needs an extra pocket LokiStashed is a California-based small business that specializes in unique and practical hair accessories. These are handy enough to hold little items like lip balm and mini hand sanitizers, and are a great discreet way to hold cash when you're on the move. Promising review: "I got these scrunchies so I could stash away money, lip balm, and car/house keys while enjoying a hike, at the beach, or going to festivals ... basically places where you don't want to be worried about carrying a lot or you don't want people to know where your stuff is. I have very long thick hair and the scrunchie will go around my hair twice while in a ponytail or bun and it is comfortable." Amazon Customer $12.99 at Amazon An intty-bitty travel face ice roller because taking a trip doesn't mean your face doesn't deserve the best part of its oh-so-soothing wakeup routine! www.amazon.com An intty-bitty travel face ice roller because taking a trip doesn't mean your face doesn't deserve the best part of its oh-so-soothing wakeup routine! Promising review: "I bought this because I wake up in the morning with very puffy eyes and my jaw is always sore from overnight grinding. Im not going to say this is a cure all, but it is extremely soothing to roll on the skin. It isnt excessively cold to where my skin burns when using it, and its small and slim enough to pop in luggage when traveling." Liz $9.95 at Amazon Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity. Related... Police say a disagreement that started in Guatemala led to the stabbing of two men at a Sanford apartment complex last month. WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS Just after 10 p.m. on August 5, Sanford police officers responded to a 911 call from the Stoneridge Pointe Apartments on West 25th street for reports of a stabbing. They arrived to find two men outside of one of the apartments with serious stab wounds. READ: Neighbors saw red flags for months before 4 children were removed from Volusia County home Both victims were taken to HCA Lake Monroe hospital for urgent medical care. One of the victims suffered life-threatening wounds to the chest and back that required a blood transfusion to survive. The second victim was treated for a single deep stab wound to the abdomen. After interviewing the victims and witnesses, Sanford police identified 46-year-old Agusto Garcia-Mendez and his two adult sons, 20-year-old Efrain Garcia-Ramos and 23-year-old Mauricio Garcia-Ramos, as the suspects. According to police, the three men waited outside of the victims apartment and waited for him to return home from work. Investigators say Agusto Garcia Mendez held the victim down while Efrain Garcia Ramos stabbed him multiple times. The second victim, who was asleep in the apartment at the time, heard screaming and ran outside to see what was happening, and was stabbed by Efrain Garcia Ramos as well. READ: Traffic safety improvements completed at Poinciana intersection where 4 died in crash One of the victims told police he recognized the suspects because they once lived in the same neighborhood in Guatemala. According to police, the stabbing was done in retaliation for an argument that started there. The Sanford Police Departments Criminal Investigation Division, along with members of the Neighborhood Response Unit, arrested all three suspects Wednesday without incident. They were each charged with one count of attempted murder. Efrain Garcia Ramos was additionally charged with one count of aggravated battery using a deadly weapon. All three are being held in the Seminole County Jail on no bond. The level of violence demonstrated during this unnecessary act, which reportedly occurred over a disagreement, is disturbing, Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said in a statement announcing the arrests. This investigation was fluid from the beginning, and I credit members of our investigative section for acting quickly on behalf of the victims and family. The investigation into the stabbing is ongoing. READ: Deputy injured during training at Orange County Sheriffs Office gun range Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Sanford Police Department or Central Florida Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477. Crimeline callers can remain anonymous and could become eligible for a reward of up to $5,000 if the information they provide leads directly to an arrest. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The last three men to stand trial in connection with a plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were found not guilty on all counts. William Null, his twin brother Michael Null and Eric Molitor were among a group of 14 men charged in state and federal court over an alleged plot to kidnap the governor at her vacation home. The Null brothers and Molitor were the last of the 14 to stand trial; nine other men who had connections to the plan were previously convicted. They were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge, The Associated Press reported. They were accused of supporting leaders of the kidnapping plan by participating in military-style drills and visiting Whitmers vacation home in northern Michigan. The jury in Antrim County, where Whitmers vacation home is located, heard 14 days of testimony. Molitor and William Null testified in their own defense. They admitted they attended gun drills and took rides to check Whitmers property. William Null said he and his brother broke away when talk turned to getting explosives. Michael Null did not testify, and his lawyer declined to question witnesses. The key players in the kidnapping plot, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy last year, AP reported. According to evidence from the trial, the plan was derived after the men were disgusted with government-imposed COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. When the plan was exposed, Whitmer blamed then-President Trump, saying his actions gave comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Four decades after a murder trail had gone cold, a man identified as the killer of a teenager in 1983 is now a suspect in a girl's 1982 murder, Michigan State Police said in a news release Thursday, and more potential victims could be identified. The body of 16-year-old Kimberly Louiselle was found on April 14, 1982, on a wooded trail 20 miles from where she was last seen. Her sister, Cindy Arthurs, wrote on social media that Louiselle was hitchhiking home, and "she made at least 4 phone calls to people who lived in South Lyon trying to find a ride the rest of the way home." Kimberly Louiselle,16, was murdered in 1982. / Credit: Livingston County Sheriffs Office But she never returned. Arthurs said Louiselle was held for three weeks and "repeatedly raped, beaten and strangled." Investigators spent decades trying to find out who killed the 16-year-old with no leads. In the summer of 2022, the cold case unit at Michigan State Police partnered with students from Michigan State University's School of Criminal Justice and reopened Louiselle's case. Around the same time, investigators on the cold case team in Livingston County, Michigan were investigating the 1983 murder of 19-year-old Christine Castiglione, who was walking on a road when she disappeared. Investigators on the case received a grant in 2022 through Season of Justice, a not-for-profit that provides funding for advanced DNA testing. The DNA samples were tested at Othram Inc., a private forensic laboratory in Texas, and in 2022, three separate familial DNA comparison tests identified Charles David Shaw, 26, as the suspect in Castiglione's killing, the sheriff's office said. The team entered his DNA profile into the national database called CODIS. In June 2023, investigators found DNA from evidence in the Louiselle case and it matched the DNA found in Castiglione's case and to Shaw. CBS Detroit reported that Shaw's relatives told authortities he lived just a few miles from Castiglione. The Sheriff's office also learned from Shaw's family that "he was a sex addict with a disturbing life who struggled with mental illness and his gender identity." Shaw had several interactions with law enforcement beginning at a young age, CBS Detroit reported. In 1981 he was arrested for attempted abduction of a woman in a McDonald's parking lot. Shaw died in 1983, police said. Investigators are asking anyone with information on crimes Shaw may have committed from the early 70s to his death in 1983 to contact Michigan State Police. Prime Time in Colorado | Sunday on 60 Minutes Full interview: Sean Penn on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" What the UAW union is demanding and how the strike will affect the economy MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A fifth former Memphis police officer pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal civil rights charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop. Emmitt Martin made his first federal court appearance since he and four former collagues were charged Tuesday with using excessive force and conspiring to lie about the Jan. 7 beating of Nichols as he cried out for his mother just steps from his Memphis home. Five former Memphis officers federally indicted in Tyre Nichols case Magistrate Judge Annie T. Christoff said Martin would be released on a $50,000 unsecured bond, which means that he does not have to pay any money unless he fails to appear in court. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Justin Smith and Martin were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of deprivation of rights under the color of law through excessive force and failure to intervene, and through deliberate indifference; conspiracy to witness tampering; and obstruction of justice through witness tampering. Bean, Haley, Mills and Smith entered not guilty pleas Wednesday. Former MPD officers federally charged in Nichols case enter not guilty pleas Nichols, 29, died in a hospital three days after he was punched, kicked and hit with a baton in a pummeling that was caught on police video. His beating was one of several violent encounters between police and Black people that have sparked protests and renewed debate about police brutality and police reform in the U.S. The five former officers also have been charged in state court with second-degree murder and other alleged offenses. The five former officers, all Black like Nichols, have pleaded not guilty to the state charges as well. The officers were part of a crime-suppression team that officials disbanded after Nichols death. However, members of that Scorpion unit have been moved to other teams. Kristen Clarke, who leads the U.S. Department of Justices civil rights division, said at a Tuesday news conference that the five former officers used excessive force, failed to advise medical personnel about Nichols injuries, and conspired to cover up their misconduct. The indictment says the officers failed to tell dispatchers, their supervisor and emergency medical technicians they knew Nichols had been hit repeatedly. It alleged they were trying to cover up their use of force and shield themselves from criminal liability. Additionally, the indictment alleges instances where the officers used their body cameras to limit what evidence could be captured at the scene. The former officers are scheduled to report to court on Sept. 21. They also have a hearing scheduled Friday in state court. Three of the five officers have asked for separate trials on the state charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Six people who identified themselves as members of a religious group called the Soldiers of Christ have been arrested in connection to the death of a South Korean woman who was beaten and starved in Georgia, authorities said. The victim was a woman in her 20s or 30s and weighed approximately 70 pounds when she was discovered Tuesday evening in the trunk of a car parked outside of Jeju Sauna, a popular South Korean spa located in Duluth, about 25 miles north of Atlanta, the Gwinnett County Police Department said in a news release. Duluths population is nearly a quarter Asian, according to the US Census Bureau. The medical examiners office believes malnourishment could be a contributing factor to the womans death, but the exact cause of death is still under investigation, according to police. The woman is thought to have been subjected to beatings and malnourishment for weeks, the department said. Detectives believe the woman moved to the United States from South Korea during the summer of this year for the purpose of joining a religious organization, the agency said. On the evening of September 12, 2023, police officers responded to a suspicious activity call outside of the Jeju Sauna in Duluth, Georgia. - Gwinnett County Police Law enforcement officers found the woman in the trunk of a car after one of the suspects, 26-year-old Eric Hyun, parked his car in a parking lot and got picked up by a family member, police said. Hyun later asked his family member to retrieve something in his vehicle where the woman was being kept. When the family member found her body in the trunk, they called 911, the department said. Authorities then conducted a search of a home associated with the vehicle where they allege the womans body was found. Police say the Soldiers of Christ beat and kept the victim in the home until her death, but they did not specify when the woman likely died. In addition to Hyun, the suspects were identified by police as Gawom Lee, 26; Joonho Lee, 26; Hyunji Lee, 25; and Juoonhyum Lee, 22. One of the arrested individuals is a 15-year-old, police said. CNN is not naming the juvenile who has been charged as an adult. They all face charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another, according to police. CNN has not been able to identify attorneys for the six suspects for comment. The South Korean consulate in Atlanta declined to comment on the case when contacted by CNN. This photo of a crime scene, with areas of blood redacted, was released by Gwinnett County Police. - Gwinnett County Police One of the suspects is a South Korean citizen visiting on a visa, authorities said, while the others are American citizens. Police released photos of the basement that appear to show a storage room with laundry and other supplies neatly arranged on shelves. The carpet of the room has large areas of blood, which have been redacted in the photos provided by the department. Authorities did not release the name of the victim, pending notification of her death to her family in South Korea. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departure from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Aug. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press Megyn Kelly interviewed former President Donald Trump for the first time since 2016 on Thursday. The interview was recorded at Trumps home in Bedminster, New Jersey, and aired on the Megyn Kelly Show on Sirius XM. Here are six takeaways from the interview, where they spoke about several controversial culture war issues. 1. Supporting Fauci and giving him a Presidential commendation Kelly said to Trump, For years youve been saying the reason you didnt fire Anthony Fauci was because hed been there for a long time, you wouldve taken heat, that it would have created a fire storm, but, not only did you not fire Fauci ... you made him a star. She continued, You made him the face of the White House coronavirus. Having said that, he was out at every presser, that he was running hard for the administration, and that you actually gave him a Presidential commendation before you left office. Kelly asked, Wouldnt you like a do-over on that? Trump responded, I dont know who gave him the commendation. He continued, Fauci was very important in the Biden administration He didnt want to stop China. He wanted to let everyone come in from China. I stopped it. I overrode it. I overrode many of the things he did. He was much less important to me. 2. Mask mandates and vaccines during the Trump administration Kelly asked Trump about mask mandates and vaccines during COVID-19 and said, Wouldnt you like a do-over on any of that? Look, when this came in, nobody knew what the hell it was. It sounded like an ancient, you know, pandemic you thought was from 200 years ago or from 1917. We never thought youd have a pandemic. We had no idea, he said. We got word that bad things were happening in China right around the Wuhan clinic. And I was the one that said it was in the Wuhan clinic. Related 3. Transgender issues Kelly said in 2016, Trump allowed Caitlyn Jenner to use the womens bathroom at Trump Tower and allowed biological men to compete in the Miss Universe competition he owned. She asked, How do you feel about it now? Should biological men who say they are trans be allowed in womens locker rooms, womens restrooms, womens prisons, in womens spaces? Im the one that wouldnt allow it in the military. That was a big move. I went to the real generals and said, What do you think? And they did not like it, he said. My stance in that is really pretty much what I had in the military I dont think Ive changed. At the beginning it was such a small subject, nobody really thought about it but then with time you change. Kelly followed up and asked, Can a man become a woman? After some hesitation, Trump finally responded, I think part of it is birth. Can a man give birth? No. 4. Minors and gender transitions Kelly asked, Should children be provided access with puberty blockers and cross sex hormones when theyre minors? Im so against it, Trump responded. First of all, many of them ... when theyre older say, Who did this to me? Why did you do this to me? Second of all, the parents have to make the decision. You know, theyre trying to give it to school boards and schools, its unbelievable. Related 5. The obstruction case and criminal charges Kelly said, Some argue that criminal or not, you behaved irresponsibly with our national security documents. Weve all heard the audio of you, post presidency, showing third-parties some sort of document that youre describing as secret. Allegedly it was a Department of Defense Mark Milley plan to attack Iran you later told Brett Baier in an interview that you had no document that day, only newspapers and magazines. But we hear you on the tape saying, quote, Look, this is him. This is the Defense Department and him. Its highly confidential. This is secret. This was done by the military and given to me, as president I could have declassified it and now I cant. This is still a secret. Why would you describe a newspaper as secret? Related I did nothing wrong because I come under the presidential record, he said. This was done in 1978 and this was done for exactly this reason. Im allowed to have these documents. The other side didnt even mention that. They dont even mention the words, Presidential Records Act. Frankly, when I have them, they become unclassified. People think you have to go through a ritual. You dont. At least in my opinion, you dont. 6. Does Trump think President Biden is too old? Kelly asked, Do you think that Joe Biden at 80 is too old? Trump, who is 77, responded, No, not old, hes incompetent. Age is interesting, because some people are very sharp and some people do lose it, but you lose it at 40 and 50 also. But, no, hes not too old at all, hes grossly incompetent. This is an audio version of The Reason Livestream, which takes place every Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern on Reason's YouTube channel. It's back-to-school season, and for some parts of the country, that means dealing with COVID restrictions again. Americans are no longer experiencing indefinite school closures or ubiquitous masking, but intermittent school closures, temporary mask mandates, and COVID vaccine requirements persist. Will it ever end? Or are we in "the new abnormal"? To examine these questions, Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe spoke with Aaron Kheriaty, the psychiatrist fired from the University of California, Irvine for refusing to get vaccinated. He's a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center who wrote a book called The New Abnormal: The Rise of the Biomedical Security State, in which he argues that the authoritarian measures implemented during the pandemic are sure to linger and reshape American society for the worse absent concerted and organized political pushback. Zach and Liz discussed his firing at length, surveyed the landscape of remaining COVID restrictions across America, reacted to clips of both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom reflecting on their governance through the emergency, and talked about policies that can best help us escape "the new abnormal." Sources referenced in this conversation: ABC News: "School districts in Kentucky, Texas cancel classes amid 'surge' of illnesses including COVID" Bloomberg: "Covid Mask Mandate at Elementary School Draws Ire of Some Republicans" Reason: "The University of Michigan Will Force Students With COVID To Leave Campus" Cochrane Library: "Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses." American College Health Association report on campus vaccine mandates and COVID policies Reason: "A Federal Judge Blocks California's Ban on Medical Advice That Promotes COVID-19 'Misinformation'" Aaron Kheriaty in The Wall Street Journal: "University Vaccine Mandates Violate Medical Ethics" Aaron Kheriaty's lawsuit against the University of California, Irvine 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Missouri v. Biden The post Aaron Kheriaty: Will COVID Restrictions Persist Indefinitely in Schools? appeared first on Reason.com. Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." 1932-2013 Latest News: Fernando Botero Dies at Age 91 Famed Colombian sculptor and painter Fernando Botero died September 15 of pneumonia complications, according to the Associated Press. His daughter, Lina, first reported his passing to Colombian radio station Caracol. Known for his paintings of people and objects in colorful, inflated forms, Botero had his work displayed globally in museums and was beloved in Colombia partly because of his philanthropy. He donated 23 statues throughout the country and gave 180 paintings to Colombias Central Bank, which were later used to create the Botero Museum in capital Bogota. The painter of our traditions and our defects, the painter of our virtues has died, Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote in a social media post. Who Was Fernando Botero? Fernando Botero left matador school as a child to become an artist, displaying his work for the first time in 1948 as a teenager. His subsequent art, now exhibited in major cities worldwide, concentrates on situational portraiture united by his subjects proportional exaggeration. Boteros bronze sculptures can be seen throughout the world in the parks of many European and Latin American capital cities. The painter and sculptor died on September 15, 2023, at age 91. [table-of-contents] stripped Quick Facts FULL NAME: Fernando Botero Angulo BORN: April 19, 1932 DIED: September 15, 2023 BIRTHPLACE: Medellin, Colombia SPOUSES: Gloria Zea (1955-1960), Cecilia Zambrano (1964-1975), and Sophia Vari (1978-2023) CHILDREN: Fernando, Lina, Juan Carlos, and Pedro ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries Early Years Born in Medellin, Colombia, on April 19, 1932, Fernando Botero Angulo attended a matador school for several years in his youth, then left the bull ring behind to pursue an artistic career. Boteros paintings were first exhibited in 1948, when he was 16 years old, and he had his first one-man show three years later in Bogota. Boteros work in these early years was inspired by pre-Colombian and Spanish colonial art and the political murals of Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Also influential were the works of his artistic idols at the time, Francisco de Goya and Diego Velazquez. By the early 1950s, Botero had begun studying painting in Madrid, where he made his living copying paintings that hung in the Prado and selling the copies to tourists. Paintings and Sculptures BORIS HORVAT - Getty Images Throughout the 1950s, Botero experimented with proportion and size, and he began developing his trademark styleround, bloated humans and animalsafter he moved to New York City in 1960. The inflated proportions of his figures, including those in Presidential Family (1967), suggest an element of political satire and are depicted using flat, bright color and prominently outlined formsa nod to Latin-American folk art. And while his paintings includes still lifes and landscapes, Botero typically concentrated on his emblematic situational portraiture. After reaching an international audience with his art, Botero moved to Paris in 1973, where he began creating sculptures. These works extended the foundational themes of his painting, as he again focused on his bloated subjects. As his sculpture developed, by the 1990s, outdoor exhibitions of huge bronze figures were staged around the world to great success. In 2004, Botero turned to the overtly political, exhibiting a series of drawings and paintings focusing on the violence in Colombia stemming from drug cartel activities. In 2005, he unveiled his Abu Ghraib series, based on reports of American military forces abusing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq War. The series took him more than 14 months to complete and received considerable attention when it was first exhibited in Europe. In 2013, Botero unveiled the book Circus: Paintings and Works on Paper, which showcased 137 paintings, 31 drawings, and 22 watercolors from 2007 through 2008. Botero was inspired by his trips to the circus as a young boy in Colombia. Everything seemed gigantic. There were some very big dogs... they seemed like huge bears. The circus leaves a sweet memory, he said, according to Reuters. Boteros art continues to appear in exhibits around the world. Personal Life Getty Images Botero was married three times. His wed his most recent wife, the Greek artist Sophia Vari, in 1978. She died in May 2023. The famed artist had three children from his first marriage to Gloria Zea: sons Fernando and Juan Carlos, as well as a daughter named Lina. Botero also had a son named Pedro with his second wife, Cecilia Zambrano. Pedro died at age 4 in a car accident in 1974. Botero, who was driving the vehicle, lost parts of two fingers in the wreck and some movement in his right arm. He would say the best painting he ever did was of his late son. I still had the bandages on when I painted it, he said. Death Botero died from complications of pneumonia on September 15, 2023. The 91-year-old was in Monaco, where he had a home, at the time. Boteros daughter, Lina, said that although the artist was too weak to stand and hold larger brushes recently, he continued to work in his studio in Monaco regularly. He couldnt work on oil paintings. But he was experimenting with water paintings, she said. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us! You Might Also Like By Thomas Escritt ERFURT, Germany (Reuters) - The convention by which Germany's far right is kept far from government regardless of how many parliamentary seats it wins was dealt another blow on Thursday when its votes were used to defeat a regional government in a crucial budget bill. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been leading in polls in parts of eastern Germany for months, benefiting from dismay at rising prices and uncertain economic prospects, but a so-called "firewall" of all other parties joining together has kept it far from power. Thursday's vote in Thuringia's parliament, when the far right, the conservative Christian Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats combined to push through a tax cut against the wishes of the left-wing coalition, is the latest sign of change. "This is the blackest day of my long parliamentary career," said Thuringia's premier Bodo Ramelow, saying the CDU could have consulted with his coalition on a way of delivering on their goal of helping the poor without voting with the AfD. But, highlighting the dilemma, the regional CDU leader Mario Voigt said such a course of action would effectively deprive him of the right to oppose. "I can't make good, important decisions that help families and the economy, subordinate to the risk that the wrong people might vote for them," he said. Last month, the Thuringian district of Sonneberg elected Germany's first ever AfD district administrator, while in the state of Saxony-Anhalt the AfD's administrator candidate came first and will now face off against the second-placed candidate in a run-off. The party stands at 32% in the polls in Thuringia, and also tops the polls in three other states of the former East Germany, where allegiances to the parties inherited from West Germany are weaker and where lower incomes make the economics hurt more. But it is in the rolling hillsides of thickly forested Thuringia that the AfD's success rings the most alarm bells: anti-terror authorities there are formally monitoring the regional organisation, which they deem extremist. The party's regional leader, Bjorn Hoecke, is currently on trial for hate speech after uttering a slogan that stems from a Nazi chant. The party is part of a "mosaic" of far-right organisations that has taken root in the state, taking advantage of cheap real estate and motorways that can rapidly get them anywhere in Germany, said Thuringia's security service head, Stephan Kramer. But the party's polling performance, which most recently saw the AfD becoming the most popular party in the state of Brandenburg that surrounds Berlin, leaves many doubting that the cordon sanitaire can last. "We democrats have a common responsibility to oppose the AfD," Daniel Guenther, premier of the northern state of Schlweswig-Holstein, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine. "We democrats have to stop the finger-pointing, sit down together and find a position that lives up to that responsibility." (Reporting by Thomas Escritt, Editing by Rachel More and Nick Macfie) This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org. A majority of Californians, and Americans at large, say they have faith in the electoral process. But efforts to undermine election integrity or violent reaction to the results are a looming possibility. In a September report by the Safeguarding Democracy Project and UCLA Law, a bipartisan committee of experts warned public officials, tech companies and journalists that in a post-2020 and post-January 6 landscape, election integrity in the United States is under serious threat. No longer can we take for granted that people will accept election results as legitimate. The United States faces continued threats to peaceful transitions of power after election authorities (or courts) have declared a presidential election winner, the panel concluded. The reports release coincides with International Day of Democracy. And both coincide with the end of the 2022-23 California legislative session, where lawmakers sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom s desk a series of measures that will directly affect elections, electoral processes, and the fragile state of democracy in the nations most populous state. Here are some of the bills intended to bolster democracy in California. Assembly Bill 421: Ballot referendums Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryans bill will simplify ballot language on the statewide referendums that are an integral feature of state policymaking. The desired outcome, according to the Bryan, is that campaigns (particularly those with wealthy corporate backers) will no longer be able to mislead voters with complicated wording. Instead of the traditional Yes or No question, voters will choose between Keep the law or Overturn the law. Unions, environmentalists and other left-leaning groups that support the legislatures Democratic supermajority, say signature-gathering for referendums favors corporations and wealthy conservative groups. The Senate approved the bill 29-8 on September 5, surpassing the two-thirds majority required, and the Assembly concurred with a vote of 54-17. Newsom signed it on September 8, and its changes will apply to the 2024 election. The bills final version was significantly watered down from Bryans initial draft, which also sought to amend the signature-gathering process for referendum petitions. AB 421 in its original form would have required updated certification requirements for paid signature gatherers, and campaigns disclosure of their top three donors. It would also have mandated that at least 10% of signatures be gathered by volunteers. It feels like a light step because we were so ambitious. That speaks to the change thats needed, Bryan said. Did we go for everything and the kitchen sink at the beginning? We absolutely did, because the people deserve for us to fix these processes completely. Assembly Bill 969: Voting systems Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, who spent 27 years working in the Santa Cruz County elections office, watched as the Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted earlier this year to scrap their voting system in favor of a manual hand-tally. She responded with a new law. Assembly Bill 969 will require counties to use a certified voting system (manual tally is not certified by the state of California), and make it illegal for counties to scrap their existing voting infrastructure before approving a transition plan including a signed contract with a new vendor. Three hard-right members of the Shasta board voted in support of the manual hand tally because they believed Dominion Voting Systems which many counties across the state and rest of the U.S. use had been hijacked by supporters of Joe Biden in 2020, thereby stealing the win from Donald Trump. These claims remain baseless three years later. Pellerins bill passed the Assembly on Sept. 7, and the Senate concurred Sept. 8. Assembly Bill 1078: Diversity in school curriculum One of the most explosive topics in California and American politics at large is parental involvement in schools particularly where students gender identity and school curriculum is concerned. Parents rights activists have rallied against Assemblyman Corey Jacksons AB 1078, which will bar school boards from banning books, instructional materials or curricula that are deemed inclusive and diverse. The debate came to a head earlier this summer when Temecula Valley Unified School District in Southern California voted to reject a social studies curriculum that featured gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Temeculas school board president called Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in the state, a pedophile, but backed down after Gov. Newsom threatened to sue the district for $1.5 million. Those in opposition mostly Republicans, although Democratic state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil also opposed say that such a bill gives the state too much control over local governing bodies. They also believe that children are being exposed to inappropriate topics at too young an age. But the bills author isnt buying the parents rights angle. We know that this is really a political strategy, Jackson said September 8, when California lawmakers passed it. And were not going to fall for it. And we have to protect our most vulnerable children. So I think overall, were on the right side of history. A public records overhaul While this Consumer Watchdog ballot initiative is not part of the legislative session, it will likely show up in some form on the California ballot in 2024. The taxpayer and consumer advocacy groups proposal, called the Government Transparency Act, would drastically overhaul the states open records law. It would strengthen Californias Public Records Act and the Legislative Open Records Act in part by requiring legislators to publicly report meetings with lobbyists and fundraisers, as well as make public any allegations of misconduct or sexual harassment. Consumer Watchdog filed the initiative with the Attorney Generals office in early August. An early poll showed 71% of voters support the initiative. The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed all 17 Russian Shahed drones that attacked Khmelnytskyi Oblast on the night of 14-15 September. Source: Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Quote: "The enemy attacked Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs from the southeast (Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia) at night. A total of 17 attack UAVs were launched, moving along different routes in the direction of Khmelnytskyi. All 17 Shahed drones were destroyed by anti-aircraft defence along their route." Details: The Air Force reported that fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups of the Air Force and other components of the Defence Forces were involved. Background: The Air Force reported that air defence was responding in Khmelnytskyi Oblast in the morning on 15 September. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A Russian overnight drone strike on Sept. 15 was targeting Ukrainian bombers in response to an attack against a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol earlier this week, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said. On Sept. 13, Sevastopol's Sevmorzavod Shipyard in occupied Crimea suffered a strike that reportedly destroyed a Russian landing craft and seriously damaged a submarine. Sky News reported that the Sevastopol attack was carried out using U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. The Air Force said earlier on Sept. 15 that all 17 Shahed "kamikaze" drones launched against Khmelnytskyi Oblast have been destroyed by air defense. The central-western Khmelnytskyi Oblast hosts the Starokostiantyniv Air Base where the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade, operating Su-24 aircraft, is stationed. Russian forces tried to target the air base already in July in a missile strike. Ihnat commented at the time that the attack was ineffective because the Air Force had protocols in place to protect the aircraft. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Strike on shipyard in occupied Sevastopol damages 2 Russian vessels Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian Air Force pilots have been successfully hitting Russian targets with both British Storm Shadow and French SCALP cruise missiles, and they are looking forward to receiving German Taurus missiles for even greater efficiency. Source: Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force, on Telegram Quote: "British and French media outlets are wondering what type of cruise missiles Ukrainian pilots used to send the Minsk and Rostov-on-Don vessels the same way as the Moskva cruiser [the Russian warship that was famously told to "go f**k itself" - ed.]. That makes perfect sense, as it would be hard to imagine a better advertisement for a national arms manufacturer. Here is my report! The Air Force has two types of cruise missiles provided by our partners to fight the occupier. We hang British Storm Shadows under the left wing of a Su-24M and French SCALPs under the right wing. Both missiles work perfectly - the occupier has no chance! Storm Shadow -24, Scalp , - "" pic.twitter.com/WcAi8rYlf3 (@ukrpravda_news) September 15, 2023 Theres also room for the German-made Taurus under the wings of our bombers. Then the game of cities can be continued even more effectively." [Cities is a game in which each player names a real city that starts with the last letter of the previous citys name. In this case, Lieutenant General Oleshchuk is probably referring to the fact that the Ukrainian Air Force already has cruise missiles from France and the UK, so Germany and probably the US should be next ed.] Details: The Air Force commander released a video of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signing a SCALP missile [during celebrations to mark the Ukrainian Air Force Day ed.]. Oleshchuk once again thanked Ukraines Western partners for the weapons and equipment that are helping destroy the aggressor and liberate Ukrainian land. Background: On the night of 12-13 September, the occupation authorities of Sevastopol claimed that a missile attack had caused a fire to break out at a shipyard near Kilen-balka, and the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack by missiles and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) which damaged two ships. The Ukrainian media outlet Defense Express reported that the Rostov-on-Don submarine and the Minsk landing ship had been disabled for an extended period or even completely destroyed. OSINT researchers reported that a Ropucha-class large landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine were damaged at a shipyard in occupied Sevastopol. The Russian Telegram channel Baza said the attack damaged the Minsk landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine. Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, thanked the Ukrainian pilots for "hitting" the Russians in Sevastopol. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian forces shot down all 17 Shahed "kamikaze" drones launched by Russia overnight in the direction of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the Air Force said on Sept. 15. According to the report, the drones were launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. As the Shaheds approached Khmelnytskyi Oblast along different routes, they were tracked and destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses with the support of fighter aircraft and mobile fire groups, the Air Force reported. The central-western Khmelnytskyi Oblast is not among the regions most commonly targeted by Russian airstrikes, but attacks have been reported here in the past. On Aug. 19, almost 400 buildings were damaged in several local communities by a Russian drone strike. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Air defense system destroyed, two ships damaged in occupied Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A C-130H Hercules cargo plane is parked for maintenance at the Montana Air National Guard base near Great Falls. The US Air Force has announced that the 120th Airlift Wing at Great Falls will receive eight new C-130J aircraft to replace the aging C-130Hs. The Commander of the Montana Air National Guard spent the day at Gore Field Thursday, thanking the men and women of the 120th Airlift Wing for their hard work and dedication and pausing to bask in the glow of the Air Forces announcement that eight brand new Super Hercules cargo planes are destined for Great Falls. This is the first time in history that were going to have a fleet of brand new airplanes in the Montana Air National Guard and thats pretty nice, said Brigadier General Buel Dickson from one of the hangers at the MANG s airbase at Great Falls. So well have that new car smell and the pride to go along with it. On Wednesday, the Air Force announced that the 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls was one of four Air National Guard units in the country selected to receive eight new generation C-130J cargo planes. The decision was critical to the Montana Air National Guards future, both to replace an aging fleet of C-130H aircraft the airbase currently has, and to ensure the 120th Airlift Wings mission in Great Falls will continue for decades to come. This will integrate us better with the Air Force when we deploy, and this will give us more capability throughout the state to be there for natural disasters, and to evacuate people or haul equipment, Dickson explained. The J model will add 15 years plus for us for longevity in the wing. That will really help our airman settle in, learn their new jobs, and understand how this works. Adjutant General Buel Dickson, commander of the Montana Air National Guard, explains the importance of the new C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft that will be coming to Great Falls. The H model C-130s MANG currently deploys were originally developed in the 1950s and are slowly being phased out across the United States. Montana was one of eight states that had requested the new generation C-130 Super Hercules cargo planes, and one of four to be given a nod from the Air Force for their future delivery. Dickson said the quality of the MANGs facilities, the Demonstrated expertise of its maintenance personnel, the success of the bases recruitment program, and family readiness throughout the entire 120th Airlift Wing were all factors in Air Forces decision. We are a busy organization up here at the Montana Air National Guard, said Dickson. The Montana work ethic shown through. I think they saw that when they selected us to this position. A C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft is parked for maintenance at the Montana Air National Guard base in Great Falls. The three additional air wings to be selected to receive the new C-130Js are the 103rd Airlift Wing in Hartford, Connecticut the 133rd Airlift Wing in Minneapolis, and the 182 Airlift Wing in Peoria, Illinois. The eight C-130Js destined for Great Falls are expected to arrive sometime between 2026 and late September 2028. The very newness of these aircraft means that additional training will be required before they become fully operational here in Great Falls. This is a big conversion for us with all the avionics, different engines, and different things weve got to do, Dickson said. Its a whole different weapons system. It looks the same, sounds the same, but everything you do inside the cockpit is a little bit different, so it will take a little time to get us there. He said it may take until 2029 before the Super Hercules cargo planes in Great Falls are fully operational. Dickson said he hopes to see 120th Airlift Wing pilots begin advance training at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas before the C-130Js are delivered to the Montana Air National Guard. Dickson also offered deep praise to all the people who have supported the MANGs mission in Great Falls leading up to the Air Force announcement. I cannot say enough about how the community has come together and how the Air National Guard has come together, the General said. Everybody made this happen, all the way down to the communities support in downtown Great Falls. I couldnt ask for a better position to be in. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Montana and Air National Guard to receive eight cutting edge C-130Js Prosecutors have responded to Alex Murdaughs motion for a new trial on the grounds of jury tampering allegations at his murder trial, stating that South Carolina investigators have found significant factual disputes with the claims. The response filed on Friday by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson concedes a hearing may be needed to decide if the convicted killer should get a new trial - but moved to dismiss the motion for a procedural defect in the filing. Its the states first response to the bombshell motion filed by Murdaughs attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian last week that accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of pressuring jurors to return a guilty verdict earlier this year. An investigation was launched by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which the AG claims is still ongoing, but has said has revealed significant factual disputes as to claims in (Murdaughs) motion. Prosecutors have not elaborated on the details of the factual disputes but did note comments by Mr Griffin and Mr Harpootlian in multiple media interviews following the motion. Prosecutors also said in the filing they want Murdaughs defence team to show that they did not know about the alleged jury tampering during the murder trial. The response allows Murdaughs attorneys to correct the reported deficiencies within 10 days if they wish to proceed, adding It may well be that suspension of the appeal and a remand for an evidentiary hearing will be necessary to properly resolve some of the serious claims raised. Last week, Murdaughs attorneys called for a federal investigation into whether the court clerk violated Murdaughs civil rights. The motion alleges Ms Hill tampered with the jury because she was driven by fame and a desire to secure a book deal. Her tell-all book from the trial Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders was released on 1 August. Ms Hill is accused of having one-on-one chats with the jury foreperson, sometimes behind closed doors in a bathroom. Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill listens as Prosecutor Creighton Waters makes closing arguments in Alex Murdaugh trial in March She allegedly told jurors who smoked they couldnt take a cigarette break until a verdict was reached. She also gave jurors the business cards of reporters during the trial. She asked jurors about their opinions about Mr. Murdaughs guilt or innocence. She instructed them not to believe evidence presented in Mr Murdaughs defense, including his own testimony. She lied to the judge to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty. And she pressured jurors to reach a guilty verdict quickly so she could profit from it, Murdaughs attorneys wrote. Ms Hill also allegedly told the jury not to be fooled by the evidence presented by the defense, to watch Murdaugh closely as he testified and to look at his actions, and look at his movements. One juror said in a sworn statement that they understood that to mean Murdaugh was guilty. The clerk also accompanied three jurors to New York City where they gave TV interviews after the trial. Clerks are supposed to help get people in the courtroom, organise exhibits, get lunch or answer simple jury questions like finding the bathroom, lawyer John Fishwick Jr, a former US attorney, told the Associated Press. You are never supposed to talk to a jury about the case. If the allegations are proven to be true, attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent that Murdaugh should then unquestionably be granted his request for a new trial. Ms Hill has not commented publicly on the allegations. At this time, she does not face any criminal charges. (AP) The response from the state on Friday comes a day after a smiling Murdaugh appeared publicly for the first time since he was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, this time to face a string of financial fraud charges. At the status hearing in Beaufort County, Judge Clifton Newman set the trial date for 27 November. The case will focus on the millions of dollars he stole from the family of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, part of the 101 state charges in response to his alleged financial crimes. Two former friends and alleged co-conspirators in the case also appeared in court on Thursday, former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte and former attorney Cory Fleming, the latter sentenced to 10 years in prison. The South Carolina Attorney Generals Office finally responded Friday to allegations that a court clerk tampered with the jury that convicted Alex Murdaugh of murder, saying state investigators have found significant factual disputes with the claims. The response was filed just before the Friday deadline to respond to the motion for a new trial filed by Murdaughs defense team on Sept. 5. In their searing 65-page motion, Murdaughs attorneys accused Colleton clerk of court Rebecca Hill of advising the jury not to believe Murdaughs testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense. Fridays reply from the AGs office shot down Murdaughs hopes, with prosecutors asserting that a fresh trial cannot be requested while the previous case is still on appeal, as Murdaughs is. Still, prosecutors said theyd already asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to investigate claims against Hill and the agency hadnt found any evidence to support the claims to date. Objective investigation by SLED remains ongoing, but the inquiry has already revealed significant factual disputes as to claims in [Murdaughs] motion, the filing said. If no credible evidence can be found to support the claims brought by [Murdaugh], the State will be prepared to argue against the motion. Alex Murdaugh Lawyers Claim Fame-Hungry Clerk Rebecca Hill Tainted Jury In their Sept. 5 motion, Murdaughs attorney wrote, Ms. Hill had frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson, a Court-appointed substitution for the foreperson the jury elected for itself at the request of Ms. Hill. During the trial, Ms. Hill asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaughs guilt or innocence, the motion continued. Ms. Hill invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty. Ms. Hill pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict, telling them from the outset of their deliberations that it shouldnt take them long. Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame. Murdaughs defense team also sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs to request a federal investigation into whether Murdaughs civil rights were violated during the trial. In order to be considered for a new trial, prosecutors indicated Friday that Murdaughs team would have to prove five things: That the evidence they bring forward would probably change the results of a new trial; that the evidence was learned since the trial ended; that the evidence couldnt have been easily missed during trial; that the evidence is material to the issue of guilt or innocence; and that the evidence is not merely cumulative or impeaching. Proving each of those points could prove to be a challenge for Murdaughs team. Prosecutors claimed in their Friday filing that defense lawyers told reporters in a press conference on Sept. 5 that they spotted jury tampering in real time during the triala fact that would disqualify them from being granted a new one. At the end of the six-week trial, jurors took just three hours to convict Murdaugh, who is now facing two life sentences for killing his wife and son. He is also separately facing about 100 state and federal charges for a litany of other crimes. He is set to plead guilty to federal fraud crimes next week and will face his first white-collar crime trial in November. Buster Murdaugh Opens Up on Odd Thing During Dads Trial Hill, who is an elected state official, previously denied tampering allegations to The Daily Beast, calling them totally not true. This is crazy, she added. In their motion, defense lawyers detailed several allegations of jury tampering, accusing Hill of talking to the jury foreman in private and making statements about the case during the latter half of the trial. Hill also allegedly warned jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh before he testified in his own defense, the motion claimed. Yall are going to hear things that will throw you all off. Dont let this distract you or mislead you, Hill told the jury, according to the motion. In another example, the motion alleged that Hill invented a Facebook post from the ex-husband of a juror who seemed to be on the fence about Murdaughs guilt. Hill informed Judge Clifton Newman about the post, which ultimately led to the juror being removed from the trial. After the trial, the motion alleged, Hill traveled with several jurors to New York City to appear on the Today show. Mr. Murdaugh may be the most unpopular man in South Carolina right now, Murdaughs defense attorneys said in the Boroughs letter. He has become the symbol of the Lowcountry judicial corruption. Disgust at his frauds unfortunately has created in some minds a but not Alex Murdaugh exception to the due process rights enjoyed by all Americans, regardless [of] guilt or innocence. Those minds may delight in the irony that he may very well be a victim of the corruption he symbolizes. 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. (Reuters) - Detained Ukrainian business magnate Ihor Kolomoisky, already facing fraud charges, has been served with notice of a third set of allegations, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday. Serhiy Leshchenko , a former investigative journalist and parliamentarian who now works as an adviser in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, said on Telegram that Kolomoisky has been told of the allegations in detention. Leshchenko said the new allegations resulted from an investigation by Ukraine's Bureau of Economic Security. They included forging documents, illegal takeovers of property by an organised group and property acquisition in questionable circumstances. There was no immediate comment from the Bureau of Economic Security. Leshchenko said investigators alleged that Kolomoisky was behind a plan to steal funds from Privatbank, which he owned, by creating the appearance he was depositing funds at the bank's main office. He said Kolomoisky was alleged to have forged deposits worth the equivalent of nearly $24 million. PrivatBank was nationalised in 2016 as part of a clean-up of the banking system. Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine's richest men, has denied any wrongdoing. He was first served notice of suspicion of charges of fraud and money laundering this month and ordered held in custody until the end of October. He was offered the option of posting bail, but his lawyer said they would appeal and post no bail. Within days, Kolomoisky was identified by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as one of six people suspected of embezzling 9.2 billion hryvnias ($250 million) from PrivatBank. The latest allegations come as Zelenskiy seeks to root our corruption and restrict the influence of business magnates in order to underpin Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. Kolomoisky is among the tycoons who built their fortunes in the ashes of the Soviet Union and amassed political power in Ukraine's fragile democracy. He is under U.S. sanctions and was once a backer of Zelenskiy whose election he supported in 2019. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Nick Starkov; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) 6th June 1944: Allied commander in chief General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969) talks to paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division about to take off for the D-Day landings in France. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images) When Germany learned of the Allied invasion at Normandy , it struggled to launch a real response. Bureaucratic nonsense, in-fighting, drinking and more created issues for the Germans. But even a perfectly-oiled machine would have struggled because the Allied air forces bombed the Nazis ahead of D-Day like I bombed tests in high school: repeatedly and overwhelmingly. Allied war planners prepared for the massive bombing campaign for months, enacted it for over a year, and then watched it pay off in a single day and then for 11 months after. The Limies and the Yanks find common ground Great Britain's leaders breathed a sigh of relief when America, with a massive industrial base far out of range of Axis bombers, joined the war. But the leaders from across the pond found themselves at loggerheads often when it came to strategy and tactics. One big sticking point came in the bombing plans: American leaders quickly adopted a strategy of daytime, precision bombing. They targeted critical bottlenecks in German wartime industries, like petroleum refining or fighter production, and then tightened the bottlenecks as much as possible. Britain, short equipment and skilled pilots after losses on the continent and in the Battle of Britain, favored nighttime raids that let them keep as many pilots while still inflicting some damage. In late 1942 and early 1943, as the Allied powers started preparing for what would become D-Day and the invasion of Normandy, the fight over daytime or nighttime became more and more tense. But then U.S. Army Gen. Ira C. Eaker wrote a memo to Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He ended it with, "If the RAF continues night bombing and we bomb by day, we shall bomb them round the clock and the devil shall get no rest." Churchill relented, and American and British planners started a joint bombing campaign under the Casablanca Directive of early 1943. Around-the-clock bombings The full directive and other guidance from leadership made clear: The air forces were not to win the war. They were to prepare the continent for a combined arms invasion. Other, lesser priorities made it into the directive, like supporting operations in the Mediterranean, but the directive ordered that, until it was rescinded, the priority was to go to preparations for an invasion of the European continent. And Oh My God, did the Allied air forces work to break Germany's ability to fight. The Air Force gets little credit for D-Day, but that's because it put in the work for a year beforehand. While British bombers struck entire industrial areas at night, American bombers assaulted key industries, roads, rails, and enemy units. The Yanks pummeled aircraft factories to reduce Luftwaffe units and brought fighters along to kill German pilots during the raids. The broad scope of operations was to destroy ball bearings, petroleum, grinding wheels, abrasives, metal production, rubber, and logistics . Americans hit petroleum refining so hard that Luftwaffe officer Albert Speer later claimed he told Hitler , "It would be pointless to have tanks if we could not produce enough fuel." While the British forces had found great success bombing railroad junctions in Italy , they upped the ante in Germany. They developed special bombs for destroying submarine pens and collapsing mountain tunnels . Parachutes fill the sky after the 12th Air Force Troop Carrier Air Division C-47s drop Allied soldiers and supplies over the beachhead between Marseilles and Nice, during the Allied Invasion of France. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The final push by the air forces before D-Day The joint, constant bombing operations started in 1943. But in January 1944, both air forces dug deep to prepare for a summer invasion . They intensified attacks on infrastructure and launched Operation Argument , a week-long assault on Luftwaffe production. By the time June 1944 marched around, German defenders could no longer rely on air cover, on submarine support, or on steady reinforcements and resupply. Germany had so few transportation vehicles that many Normandy defenders were in static units that could not transport themselves. On D-Day, American bombers assaulted German positions near the coast with little fear of fighter intercepts, though some attacks happened. Heavy ground defenses took a large toll on Allied air forces and on the paratroopers who jumped that day. LONDON As countries increasingly pursue multidomain operations, NATO can play an important role in creating an ecosystem to experiment with information sharing, industry experts said. Establishing a common data standard that avoids being constrictive may be the real challenge, they said. The Ukraine war has reaffirmed the vital importance of enabling militaries to communicate faster, more efficiently and safely with each other. More countries have committed to developing such capabilities, including the U.S. military, which in its 2024 fiscal budget request allocated $1.4 billion for Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, projects. Similarly, the U.K. has placed multi-domain fusion and interoperability at the heart of its military vision, as underlined in its Integrated Operating Concept 2025. The plan foresees the capabilities of each branch across all five domains functioning as a seamlessly integrated force, with the government and key partners. When asked what their ideal common data plan would entail, during a panel hosted by Defense News on Sept 14. at the DSEI exhibition in London, experts highlighted two perspectives partners should adopt in thinking about information sharing. The first data-centric view allows for information to be seen as a fixed asset, regardless of the system that uses it. The second, an allies-first approach, helps to guide interconnectivity among partner nations. A number of obstacles remain before either be achieved, the experts said. More experimentation is needed as we have not yet grasped how best to share data and which is more valuable and necessary [between partners] to have these integrated operations occur, according to Christine Harbison, executive vice president at Mercury Systems, a U.S. developer of computer hardware and software products for the defense and aerospace industries. A role for NATO? One of the ways industry experts agreed on is that NATO could have a valuable role in enabling forces to come together through exercises or events to share successes and create more opportunities for innovation as well as trust. Yet, the discussion around whether the alliance should be the one to set a common data standard or if this should be left to individual states is intricate, they said. If we see it as a sort of body that everyone can shoot at, then that would provide industry with at least something to strive for, said James Waddington, director of the U.K. defense portfolio at U.S. defense contractor Leidos. But, at the same time, it must not constrain the innovation. What may be too constraining for member states, he added, is if they were told that they cannot produce anything unless it met that standard. NATO is a big organization, with lots of different nations who are going to have different ideas as well, Waddington said. Televangelist and former Donald Trump spiritual adviser Paula White claimed that she helped Nelson Mandela end apartheid in South Africa. White made the outrageous claim during the Universal Peace Federation 2023 Peace Summit in Seoul, South Korea, on May 4. White who claims to speak in tongues and once prayed for the angels of Africa and South America to reverse the 2020 election claims in a resurfaced clip that she worked with Nelson Mandela to end apartheid in Pretoria, South Africa, while doing advocacy work, according to The Christian Post. Paula White speaks at the 2023 Universal Peace Federation Peace Summit on May 4. (Photo: Prophetic News TV Susan Puzio / YouTube screenshot) Amen, said White after being introduced and noting that she once lived in a trailer park with her young son despite being from a wealthy family. In America, they wouldve at the time called me trailer trash. Related: Im Allowed to: Donald Trump Claims He Can Declassify Documents By Just Holding Them. People on Social Media Call Him a Moron. The televangelist said that after being given a turkey by a good Samaritan, she only kept half and gave the other half to people more unfortunate than herself, thus beginning her advocacy work. I began to feed homeless people, and I just asked God, Could I spend the rest of my life doing this? My life was radically changed since I prayed a little prayer, claimed the televangelist. That advocacy started, and I would go to South Africa soon after that and build the first AIDS home in Pretoria, South Africa, and begin to work with Nelson Mandela to abolish apartheid. The Nelson Mandela Foundations Razia Saleh told the Post the foundation had no record of White ever working with Mandela. We have searched our holdings and do not find anything on Paula White, said Saleh. Several people reacted to the false claim on social media and noted the 57-year-olds penchant for lies. Read the full story on Atlanta Black Star. If Paula White worked with Nelson Mandela, it must have been in a dream, replied one X user. A second user asked, So, she jus lies for sport? Another X user wrote, Why does she feel the need to save us? And whos allowing the grifting? A legend in her own mind, concluded one. White is known for her outrageous statements, including a racist rant where she pretended to speak in tongues as she prayed for Trump to be reelected. White prayed for African and South American angels to give victory to Trump days before the November 2020 election. For angels are being released right now. Angels are being dispatched right now, dispatched from Africa right now, Africa right now, Africa right now, she said.From Africa right now . From Africa. From South America. Angelic forces. Angelic reinforcement. Angelic reinforcement. Angelic reinforcement. Angelic reinforcement. Trumps spiritual advisor Paula White calling on angels from Africa and South America to come help Trump win the election pic.twitter.com/0zNY5Z53dT Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) November 5, 2020 White is the senior pastor of the City of Destiny Church in Apopka, Florida. TechCrunch Apple has warned over a half dozen Indian lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main opposition of their iPhones being targets of state-sponsored attacks, these people said Tuesday, in a serious digital espionage charge just months ahead of next year's general elections. Rahul Gandhi, Indian opposition leader, said in a media briefing Tuesday that his team had received the said alert from Apple. Shashi Tharoor, a key figure from the Congress party; Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party; Mahua Moitra, a national representative from the All India Trinamool Congress; and Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena, a party with notable influence in Maharashtra reported that they too had been notified by Apple regarding a potential security attack on their iPhones. Cubas ambassador to Russia Julio Antonio Garmendia Pena said that his government will not prevent Cuban citizens from enlisting in the Russian military and fighting in Ukraine. We have nothing against Cubans who just want to sign a contract and legally take part in this operation with the Russian army, Pena told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Sept. 14. But we oppose illegality and these operations that have nothing to do with the legal area. Pena's statement follows a Sept. 4 report that Cuban authorities uncovered a human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting Cubans for Russias war on Ukraine. In response, the Cuban Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Cuba has a firm and clear historical position against mercenarism and that Cuba is not a part of the war in Ukraine. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Cubas Interior Ministry reportedly arrested 17 individuals last week in an effort to dismantle the trafficking ring. We are talking about bad people who, on the basis of such an important issue as a military operation, as relations between our countries, want to earn money, want to put money in their pocket and engage in illegal activities, Ambassador Pena said. He did not clarify whether or not Russian recruitment of Cuban citizens is still considered mercenarism, a crime under Cuban law. Russia has moved to increase the size of its forces in Ukraine after sustaining an estimated 300,000 casualties over 18 months of full-scale war. On Sept. 3, the U.K.'s Defense Ministry reported that Russia was trying to recruit foreigners to avoid announcing a new mobilization campaign before the 2024 presidential elections. Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. This is the admirable America I know exists the humane one many of us love with all our hearts. A year after Gov. Ron DeSantis plucked two groups of migrants from Texas and using Florida taxpayers money flew them to Marthas Vineyard under false pretenses, his evil scheme to dump them on liberals without any aid has been, once again, met with extraordinary kindness. Score another win for the forces of good, which would not leave penniless women, two children and young men lost and bewildered. The volunteers on the island who fed, sheltered, and helped resettle the 49 migrants most of them Venezuelan brought them back to Marthas Vineyard last weekend, this time, to celebrate. They invited every single one of the migrants, now scattered around the country and starting lives anew, to return to St. Andrews Church on Sept. 9, for a joyful first-year reunion. It was a gesture, motivated by the desire to do more good, to make them again feel welcome against the backdrop of a national epidemic of anti-immigrant hate. Not all could come, but the 36 who did step away from jobs and obligations showed joy and gratitude to their hosts and benefactors. How beautiful is that? The generous Vineyard community raised money to host the asylum seekers, with cases still pending, inviting them to bring guests, and they paid their way, their stay and activities, including group gatherings and trips to the beach. The black-and-white pictures and story in The Vineyard Gazette show quite an emotional bash. Last weekends events were largely kept under wraps. If asked, attendees donning name tags and color-coded wristbands were told to say they were gathering for a family reunion. It was, in some ways, true.https://t.co/vrT8TKyj4m Vineyard Gazette (@vineyardgazette) September 12, 2023 Making a difference The refugees smiles, hugs and thumbs-up are an antidote to the anti-immigrant rhetoric poisoning Americans: The spirit of Lady Liberty redeemed. The humane character Americans were known for. Is it making a comeback? One can hope. Perhaps the goodwill never actually went away, just sat out one misguided presidential election and two gubernatorial races in Florida, once also a sanctuary. The Vineyard volunteers didnt have to do any of this. They had already made a huge difference in these peoples lives when they initially arrived. DeSantis pulled this publicity stunt to position himself as the most immigrant-loathing of them all in the GOP race for the White House putting at risk immigration hearings and location check-ins. They could have missed appointments and court dates and ended up in legal trouble from where theres no coming back. But the Vineyard souls plus, the national outrage generated by Democrats over DeSantis cruelty facilitated immigration lawyers, and another story began to be written. Charity toward fellow humans replaced Republicans vilification of people fleeing circumstances so dire most Americans cannot imagine them. What DeSantis, bragging father of three, did leaving confused kids and their parents without food or shelter on a street corner for political thrills was inhumane. He, its to be hoped, never become president, as he has shown how low hes willing to stoop for personal ambition. The Vineyard residents generosity of spirit leaves the governor with a fresh dose of eggs on his face a bonus to the happy news of the reunion. Certainly, the Massachusetts island, playground for the rich and famous, didnt reconnect with the migrants for publicity. They kept their plans private, allowing only one local reporter and a photographer to chronicle the moments of friendship, joy and fraternity. And, as the hosts requested, the Gazette agreed to hold off publishing the story until Tuesday, after the immigrants had a chance to return home. We wanted this to be a sacred time, organizer Lisa Belcastro told the Gazette. Blessed be the protectors, even when they make my reporting job harder. And Belcastro, a homeless-shelter coordinator, whom the right-wing media took out of context to show liberals dont want immigrants either, is exceptional. A year ago, she cried when she told the media gathered around her about the trauma the migrants had endured. Some of them have gone through really horrific things, she said, breaking down for a moment, then picking up their defense. Its step by step, folks, she said. And here she is, offering another step up and still protecting them. READ MORE: By turning immigrants into crime victims for publicity, DeSantis guarantees their stay | Opinion Community comes together I only found out about the celebration because a watchful reader, Helena Poleo, sent me the link to the story. This is what happens when a community comes together, Caracas-born Poleo wrote to me. Shes a Miami political consultant and media professional, a former journalist and an immigrant-rights advocate. Her words took me back to pre-Trump times when Miami was that kind of community that, indeed, came together for immigrants. When we flocked in 1980 to a Coral Gables womans house to clothe, house and feed a group of unaccompanied teenagers who had arrived on the Mariel boatlift and she had taken in. When we sent our best ambassadors salsa queen Celia Cruz and king Willy Chirino to the Guantanamo U.S. Naval Base refugee camps to raise the spirits of Cuban refugees who lingered there for months. Chirino not only sang, bringing the sun-burnt balseros to tears, but he advocated for their acceptance and release to Miami. Marthas Vineyard reminds us: It is inconceivable that too many Miamians fail to condemn DeSantis for his cruelty to the Venezuelan migrants he used and abused. It shouldve been us throwing the Venezuelan refugees a party. The text message alerting Nour Kalbouneh of the latest DACA ruling pinged into her smartphone Wednesday. It wasnt great news: A Texas judge had ruled that the program that had protected her from deportation and allowed her to work in the U.S. was unlawful. Still, Kalbouneh, 28, didnt flinch. She had seen too many shifts in the policy to overreact. Were very aware of the reality of losing DACA and what that could mean to me, said Kalbouneh, who arrived from the Palestinian territories with her family at age 5. Today, she works for the ACLU-Wisconsin in Milwaukee. But Ive been thrown in this loop over and over again. After a while you just become numb to the situation. Nour Kalbouneh, 26, works for the ACLU of Wisconsin and will begin law school in the fall. She hopes to work exonerating unjustly accused inmates and later become a law professor goals realized in large part through DACA. Wednesdays ruling by a Texas federal judge that DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was unlawful sent another ripple of uncertainty and angst through the more than 600,000 DACA recipients who are studying or working in the United States. The ruling doesnt require the government to take action against current DACA recipients, who can continue to renew every two years. But it bars the government from approving new applications. The case is likely to bring renewed attention to immigration as a political issue heading into the 2024 presidential election. Experts and advocates said the case probably will be appealed by the Biden administration and be decided by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and, ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court. DACA, now in its 11th year, has been under steady attack from former President Donald Trump, a barrage of lawsuits and state and federal lawmakers who argue it is illegal to allow some immigrants to stay in the U.S. without an act of Congress. In that time, a policy that began as a landmark immigration solution has shrunk to serve a niche group, living in perpetual uncertainty. The program is still in place but on life support, said Julia Gelatt, a senior policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, with a diminishing number of beneficiaries. Is DACA still active in 2023? FILE - Susana Lujano, left, a dreamer from Mexico who lives in Houston, joins other activists to rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. A federal judge on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) ORG XMIT: NYWS308 President Barack Obama introduced DACA in 2012 as a temporary relief for young migrants until Congress passed more permanent solutions. It never did, and today recipients cling to the tenuous policy as a portal to opportunity. DACA beneficiaries are protected from deportation and given permission to legally work in the United States. The policy serves immigrants who were brought here as children under the idea that they should not be deported to a home country they had never really known. To qualify, recipients needed to have arrived in the U.S. before age 16, be enrolled in school, have graduated or been honorably discharged from the military, and never been convicted of a major crime, among other requirements. The benefit needs to be renewed every two years. The program has benefited more than 800,000 immigrant youth since its inception. There are now more than 600,000 DACA recipients, including activists, college students and entrepreneurs. No new recipients have been allowed into the program since it was challenged in the White House and the courts starting in 2017. The DACA-eligible population earned $23.4 billion in 2017, up from almost $19.9 billion in 2015, according to a report by the bipartisan research and advocacy organization New American Economy. More than 93% of DACA-eligible people were actively employed in 2017. What does judge's latest ruling mean? Immigration rights activists take part in a rally in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC on November 12, 2019. - The US Supreme Court hears arguments on November 12, 2019 on the fate of the "Dreamers," an estimated 700,000 people brought to the country illegally as children but allowed to stay and work under a program created by former president Barack Obama.Known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, the program came under attack from President Donald Trump who wants it terminated, and expired last year after the Congress failed to come up with a replacement. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_1M776J On Wednesday, Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that a recent effort by the Biden administration to make the DACA policy more permanent by codifying it into federal regulation was unlawful. Congress, for any number of reasons, has decided not to pass DACA-like legislation," Hanen wrote. "The executive branch cannot usurp the power bestowed on Congress by the Constitution even to fill a void." The Biden administration was expected to appeal the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the case could wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court. It wouldnt be the first time. After Trump canceled the program in 2017, the Supreme Court declared in a 5-4 ruling that the president didnt follow the law. If the Supreme Court ultimately shuts down DACA, its recipients will be at risk of being deported. Frankie Miranda, president and chief executive of the Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit advocacy group, said his group will be pushing Congress to make more permanent solutions for DACA recipients. Were not putting any of our hopes in the Supreme Court, he said. What we can do is mobilize our base and organizations and thousands of members of our community and demand action from members of Congress. Whats next for DACA and its recipients? Appeals and legal wrangling are expected next, and it could take years for the case to wend through the courts, said Gelatt, the policy analyst. The wait will feel harshest for the more than 58,000 young migrants who qualify for DACA but have not been allowed to apply, she said. These people have met the standards but reached the age to apply in 2017 just as the program shut down. For Leo Medina, 25, Wednesdays news felt particularly devastating. As a DACA recipient, he was able to land a well-paying job as a surgical technician at a hospital in the Dallas area. His brother, Carlos, 22, however, is waiting for the program to reopen so he can apply and reap some of the same benefits and protection. The Medina brothers were brought into the country without proper documentation at a young age. The constantly shifting nature of DACA makes it hard to focus on their future, Leo Medina said. Its disappointing, he said. Were trying to better our family and better ourselves. But if we dont have that support, theres not much we could do. Kalbouneh, of Milwaukee, said she would like to see Congress step up and give DACA recipients a pathway to citizenship, given how much theyve contributed to the U.S. This is where we built our home, and this country expects a lot from us and expects us to succeed, she said, but doesnt want to give anything in return. Contributing: John Fritze Follow Jervis on X: @MrRJervis. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals: Courts bring more uncertainty I think what winds up happening is people promote them, theyre using words that sound like maybe theres something there, but when you ask for whats the data on it ... Im not finding many studies showing some support [for] these kinds of things, I think what winds up happening is people promote them, theyre using words that sound like maybe theres something there, but when you ask for whats the data on it ... Im not finding many studies showing some support [for] these kinds of things," said Lynn Bufka. Earlier this summer, Meghan Markle was seen wearing an anti-stress patch, known as NuCalm Biosignal Processing Discs, that provide the neurochemistry to accelerate the onset of the relaxation response, according to the brands website. Whats more, theyre said to emit biosignals and frequencies that calm the body down. NuCalm has a host of products, devices and an app that all share a common goal to help you sleep better, focus better and relieve stress. The sticker Markle was seen wearing is meant to be used in conjunction with the app to reap the theoretical benefits. These stickers are just one of several brands that have popped up with the aim to help users find some peace through a simple adornment. But can a patch have an effect on anxiety levels? Heres what therapists say: First, know there are a few different kinds of anti-anxiety and anti-stress patches. As mentioned above, the patch Markle wore claims to emit calming frequencies, but there are other types of anti-stress patches that exist, too. According to Jennifer Anders, a Colorado-based psychologist who runs The.Anxiety.Doc Instagram account, there are also anti-anxiety stickers that encourage breathing exercises to help ground you. Ive seen circles or ... a box breathing diagram, where you trace the pattern with your finger and then do a breathing exercise, Anders said. And when its on your body, it really helps to remind you to regulate your breathing. You may have heard of brands like Calm Strips, which are used as an anti-anxiety tool, but these dont claim to send frequencies to the wearer. So, do patches that emit frequencies work? When it comes to the frequency sticker, theres very little scientific support for these kinds of strategies, said Lynn Bufka, the associate chief for practice transformation at the American Psychological Association. I think what winds up happening is people promote them, theyre using words that sound like maybe theres something there, but when you ask for whats the data on it ... Im not finding many studies showing some support [for] these kinds of things [and] not finding many studies, period, of these kinds of tools, Bufka added. Theres no suggestion that thats going to be helpful for a persons well-being and functioning. While theres some research on these tools, its limited so far, according to the experts we spoke to. In one study conducted by NuCalm that found efficacy, study participants put stickers on their heads, not on their wrist, said Kate Hanselman, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry in West Hartford, Connecticut. Additionally, the study was small just 20 people. During the study, participants also listened to calming music and wore an eye mask. If I gave you an eye mask and some soothing music, and told you to sit for 10 minutes, youd feel better, your heart rate would come down, which is great, Hanselman said. And if you think about it, if their program is that you do that process, and you wear the sticker, then as you go throughout your day, its sort of a Pavlovian response as you wear the sticker because youve been practicing, essentially meditating, and calming your system down. There is nothing wrong with using the sticker as a reminder of the calm you felt earlier, but Hanselman said you do not need a frequency-emitting sticker to achieve this. We can do that by just having you sit still, we can do that by having you believe that youre going to be calm, we can do that by having you practice meditation. Meditation is a science-backed way to decrease your stress and anxiety. Meditation is a science-backed way to decrease your stress and anxiety. What about the other anti-stress stickers? Experts feel a bit differently about the anxiety stickers that are there to remind the wearer to stay calm. The theory behind why they work and why theyre effective is because, essentially, they help promote a holistic way [of] managing anxiety by connecting your breath to physical sensations, Anders said. So, no special technology, but more of a helpful anti-anxiety nudge and this can be really helpful. Kia-Rai Prewitt, a psychologist with Cleveland Clinics Marymount Hospital, agreed. Traditionally, when you think about treating anxiety, there have been different tools that people use to help remind them to do things to reduce stress, and so whether its a sticker or just a little reminder that you can tell yourself, theres different ways that people can use prompting to help them manage anxiety, Prewitt said. These kinds of stickers can act as a prompt. In fact, many encourage breathing exercises through messaging or designs on the sticker. Why is breath work so important in regard to anxiety symptoms? Well, your breath is directly connected with anxiety, Anders said. Your autonomic nervous system is going haywire when youre in fight or flight, and deep and controlled breathing activities help bring your body back into rest and digest, that state of being that promotes relaxation. When youre feeling anxious or having a panic attack, your breath becomes rapid and your heart rate experiences, and these physiological experiences are what contribute to the sensation to the feeling of anxiety. But with these patches and the stickers, they remind us to engage in a controlled pattern of breathing that helps normalize and regulate the breath, Anders added. So both of these kinds of stickers can be considered a prompt to take a few breaths and get yourself back into the present moment, but thats about it. Be wary of quick-fix stress and anxiety treatment. When it comes to calming stickers, this is money that youre spending, you may want to think about other sources of what you spend your money on, Bufka said. Additionally, when it comes to stickers that are said to target your brainwaves, Prewitt said you should take extra caution. I would say do your research ... theres so many things advertised as quick fixes, Prewitt said, noting that you should also chat with a doctor before trying a new treatment of any kind. According to Prewitt, self-care is an important way to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. How can you feel your best if you arent taking care of yourself? This can look like getting a massage or getting a pedicure, but should also be more basic, too. Doing some type of physical movement, whether its taking a walk or stretching, doing things like mindfulness or meditation, watching your nutrition, Prewitt said. You can go to YouTube for guided meditations, or check out meditation apps like Ten Percent Happier or Calm. Bufka added that getting good sleep and having good social connections are also important tools. Additionally, if you find that youre really struggling, you can reach out to therapists or psychiatrists for support. Talk to somebody ... a health care professional, psychologist, somebody about some recommendations for things that have evidence behind them as ways of learning to respond differently [and] manage their responses to anxiety, Bufka said. Related... Yaad Ali, 55, left, and his son Musikur Alam, 14, row a boat to collect drinking water in the floodwaters in Sandahkhaiti, a floating island village in the Brahmaputra River in Morigaon district, Assam, India, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) MORIGAON, India (AP) Monuwara Begum is growing weary of moving every time water pours into her home. The 45-year-old farmer, who lives on an island in the mighty Brahmaputra River in the northeastern state of Assam, said she and her family suffer from more violent and erratic floods each year. They live in knee-deep water inside their small hut, sometimes for days. Cooking, eating and sleeping, even as the river water rises. Then when the water engulfs their home completely, we leave everything and try to find some higher ground or shift to the nearest relief camp, Begum said. Begum is one of an estimated 240,000 people in the Morigaon district of the state that are dependent on fishing and selling produce like rice, jute and vegetables from their small farms on floating river islands, known locally as Chars. When it floods, residents of Char islands often row in makeshift rafts with a few belongings, and sometimes livestock, to dry land. They set up temporary homes with mosquito nets. Having nowhere else to permanently go, they then go back when the water subsides, clean up their homes and resume farming and fishing to make ends meet. Begum said the river has always intruded on the Chars but it has become much more frequent in recent years. We are very poor people. We need the governments help to survive here since this is our only home. We have nowhere else to go, she said. The Assam state government has devised a climate action plan which has guidance on dealing with weather events but the Indian federal government has yet to approve the plan. The state also does not have a separate budget to implement the plan. Increased rainfall in the region due to climate change has made the Brahmaputra River already known for its powerful, unpredictable flow even more dangerous to live near or on one of the more than 2,000 island villages in the middle of it. India, and Assam state in particular, is seen as one of the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change because of more intense rain and floods, according to a 2021 report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, a New Delhi-based climate think tank. Begum and her family, and other Char island dwellers, are on the frontline of this climate-induced fury, year after year. ___ AP climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. By Elizabeth Pineau and Tassilo Hummel PARIS (Reuters) -Apple pledged on Friday to update software on iPhone 12s in France to settle a dispute over radiation levels, but concerns in other European countries signalled it may have to take similar action elsewhere. France this week suspended sales of iPhone 12 handsets after tests which it said found breaches of radiation exposure limits. Apple contested the findings, saying the iPhone 12 was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global standards, but said on Friday it would issue a software update to accommodate the testing methods used in France. Researchers have conducted a vast number of studies over the last two decades to assess the health risks of mobile phones. According to the World Health Organisation, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by them. But the radiation warning in France, based on results of tests that differ from those carried out in other countries, has prompted concerns across Europe. Belgium's state secretary for digitalisation said he had asked Apple to upgrade the iPhone 12 software across EU countries, even though he said that based on the Belgian regulator's own preliminary review the handset presents no danger to users. Germany said it was in touch with French authorities to find a European Union-wide solution, while Italy was set to ask Apple to upgrade the software on iPhone 12s there, according to a government source in Rome. However, any request to Apple or separate decisions by Italian authorities will only come after the end of the French investigation, a second Italian government source said. The Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure said it was also conducting its own investigation, due in two weeks, and was in contact with Apple as well as German and French authorities. The agency said it had received calls from concerned consumers. The French government welcomed Apple's software update, saying it would be swiftly tested and should allow for sales of the relatively old iPhone 12 model, launched in 2020, to resume. "We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France," Apple said in a statement. "This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern," it said. Apple routinely provides software updates for its phones and computers, mostly to fix a security issue. They can be focused on a particular model or a region, and sometimes Apple issues such updates several times in a month. LIMB TESTS France's Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR) said on Tuesday the iPhone 12's Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) - a measure of the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body from a piece of equipment - was higher than legally allowed, which prompted the sale suspension. A change in French regulations in 2020 allowed for testing SAR for limbs - holding a phone in hand - as well as for the head and body, used elsewhere. In the French limb SAR tests, which the iPhone 12 failed, it is measured at a distance of 0 mm compared with a distance of 5mm for body tests. The Belgian minister for digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, said in a statement on Friday that while a review of the phone by the country's IBPT regulator was still underway, the first results were "reassuring" and there was no need for a recall of the phone in Belgium. Even so, he said he had contacted Apple and asked it to "review its software updates in an identical manner within the whole of Europe." Denmark too moved to reassure owners of the phone, saying its Safety Authority would not take action following France's findings and that it was not concerned about radiation levels from using the iPhone 12. "Based on the available information, the Danish Health Authority's assessment is that you can continue to use your iPhone 12 without concern," it said in an emailed statement. Industry experts said there were no safety risks as regulatory limits, based on the risk of burns or heatstroke from the phone's radiation, were set well below levels where scientists have found evidence of harm. "Ultimately I suspect the whole incident will be quickly forgotten," said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, highlighting that the iPhone 12 is an old model. Apple launched the iPhone 15 on Tuesday and the iPhone 12 is not available to buy from Apple directly. It can, however, be bought from third parties that have inventory or trade old phones. A bigger issue would have been a potential recall, which France had threatened if Apple had refused to do a software update. Apple's revenues totalled about $95 billion in Europe last year, making the region its second biggest behind the Americas. Some estimates say it sold more than 50 million iPhones last year in Europe. The U.S. company does not break out its sales by country or model. (Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, and Tassilo Hummel in Paris, Elvira Pollina in Milan, Hakan Ersen in Berlin and Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Additional reporting by Dominique Vidalon and Supantha MukherjeeWriting by Ingrid Melander and Silvia AloisiEditing by Mark Potter and David Evans) Apple is prepping a software update to address alleged radiation concerns regarding the three-year-old iPhone 12s after French regulators alleged that the phone exceeds proper radiation levels. France stopped selling the smartphones after recommendations from the countrys radiation watchdog (ANFR), but Cupertino denies the allegations and seems to place the onus on the European nations testing protocols, as reported by Reuters. To that end, Apple has reiterated that this isnt a safety concern and notes that the phone was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards. The software update wont adjust radiation levels, as that would be a hardware issue, but it will accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. So it looks like Apple thinks the software patch will be enough to allow the iPhone 12s to sail through future radiation tests, saying it looks forward to the iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France. France did change its regulations back in 2020. It added consideration for extremities, like hands, when testing for radiation levels and the rate of radio-frequency energy absorbed by the body by using a particular piece of equipment. This is called the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR.) During the country's recently-instituted SAR tests, regulators found that the iPhone 12s exceeded normal levels of energy absorption when holding the phone, despite acing the test when considering the head and body. Belgium and Denmark have both come to Apples aid here, with Belgian minister for digitalization, Mathieu Michel, saying that local tests were reassuring and recommending against a suspension on sales. Denmarks Safety Authority followed suit, suggesting it had no concerns regarding iPhone 12s radiation levels. Industry experts have also weighed in, stating that the findings indicated no risk of burns or heatstroke emanating from the phones radiation. France says Apples software fix should be adequate and that theyll resume testing as soon as it arrives, which was spelled out in a French press release unearthed by TechCrunch. Apple regularly drops software updates for its iPhones, so it should show up in the near future. In the meantime, the companys focusing its energy away from the three-year-old iPhone 12 and onto the new hotness that is the iPhone 15. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office used vehicles vehicle outfitted with special tracks for snow and mud. A man was arrested after Coconino County officials said he fled from deputies responding to a domestic violence report. According to the Coconino County Sheriffs Office, 51-year-old Aaron Rose was taken into custody without incident at around 10 p.m. Thursday. A resident in the Valle area called the Sheriff's Office stating they had Rose held at gunpoint on their property. Earlier that morning, Rose had been identified as the suspect in a domestic violence report where a victim had been assaulted throughout the evening, the Sheriff's Office said Thursday. Deputies responded to the area near Amherst Street in Valle where they were advised that Rose had fled and was likely armed. During the search of an "associated residence," deputies were fired upon from a ridge line by an unknown subject with a gun, according to officials. Sheriffs Office spokesperson Meg Miller could not confirm that Rose was the one who fired at deputies, telling The Arizona Republic that the incident remained under investigation. Rose was interviewed by detectives and booked into the Coconino County Sheriff's Detention Facility in Flagstaff on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/dangerous instrument and burglary, according to officials. "CCSO would like to thank the residents of the Valle Community for their support and assistance. We would also like to thank the Northern Arizona Multiagency Tactical Team, Flagstaff Police Department, AZ Department of Public Safety, the US Marshals Service, the Flagstaff Fire Department, and the High Country Fire Department for their assistance in bringing this situation to a peaceful conclusion and apprehension of the suspect," the Sheriff's Office said. No other information was released. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona man arrested in connection with domestic violence incident Fiestas Patrias: The traditional celebration displays Hispanic pride, independence, and culture. It coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially kicks off this weekend. We celebrate all Latin American countries, but there are many Latin American countries that celebrate their independence around this time such as El Salvador, Chile, or Peru. For Seattle were celebrating September 16th and 17th. During those two days there are a lot of activities happening, Angelica Barajas, SeaMar Quality Management Director, said. The festivities kick off at 11 a.m. with a parade at South Park, a long-standing tradition thats been around for over 20 years Oh, its a lot of color, a lot going on. For those who have been, we have dancers, bands, horses... We have something from Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador... Were celebrating our community as a whole, so its everyone, Barajas said. After the parade, you can head to the Seattle Center and find tons of vendors everything from shopping, art exhibitions, delicious food, and live performances on the stage. While you enjoy the activities, you can also take advantage of the health fair with resources and screenings provided by SeaMar. The fiesta at Seattle Center starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and Sunday at 11 a.m. Actor Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from his role as chairman of the board for his anti-child sex abuse organization Thorn. The organization posted the letter to its blog on Friday; the letter itself was dated on Thursday. The resignation comes days after Kutcher and his wife, actress Mila Kunis , received backlash for writing character letters on behalf of fellow That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week. The couple have since apologized for writing the letters. Ashton Kutcher, left, and Mila Kunis arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The couple are apologizing for character letters they wrote on behalf of actor Danny Masterson ahead of this week's sentencing of their fellow "That '70s Show" cast member. A judge in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately, Kutcher wrote. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve. Time was the first to report news of the move by the actor. He and his ex-wife Demi Moore started Thorn in 2012 after learning about child sex trafficking in Cambodia. As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited. Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences, the actors letter continued. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade. The Dude, Wheres My Car? actor then apologized to the victims of sexual abuse and the organization itself. The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry. He ended his letter by commending Thorn for its tireless advocacy and dedication to the cause. I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorns work. Just last week, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women. FILE - Danny Masterson appears at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn. on June 7, 2017. Masterson is going back on trial on three charges of rape. A deadlocked jury led to a mistrial for Masterson in November. Opening statements in his retrial will begin on Monday. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP, File) The judge sentenced the actor after rejecting a defense motion for a new trial. The sentence was the maximum allowed by law. It means Masterson will be eligible for parole after serving 25 1/2 years, but can be held in prison for life. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. China's top legislator meets Venezuelan president Xinhua) 09:00, September 15, 2023 Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji on Thursday met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros in Beijing. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China-Venezuela relations have withstood the test of the evolving international landscape and remained rock-solid. Noting that President Xi Jinping and President Maduro on Wednesday announced the elevation of the China-Venezuela relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership, Zhao said this reflects the high level of China-Venezuela strategic cooperation, meets the common expectations of the two peoples and demonstrates the two countries' firm determination to jointly build a more just and equitable international order. Zhao said that China's NPC is willing to maintain close exchanges at all levels and in all fields with Venezuela's National Assembly, carry out exchanges of legislative experience, continue to consolidate the iron-clad friendship between China and Venezuela, and better benefit the two countries and two peoples. Maduro said the visit was fruitful and of historic significance. The Venezuelan side is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation and push for the strong development of the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Ashton Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, faced outrage after letters they had written asking a judge for leniency in sentencing convicted rapist and former "That '70s Show" co-star Danny Masterson were made public. (Peter Barreras / Invision / Associated Press) Ashton Kutcher stepped down Friday from his anti-sex-trafficking organization following outrage over letters he and wife Mila Kunis wrote asking a judge for leniency in sentencing convicted rapist and former "That 70s Show" co-star Danny Masterson. Kutcher announced he was resigning effective immediately from his role as board chairman at Thorn, an organization whose goal is to address the role the internet plays in child sex trafficking and abuse. Kutcher founded the group with his then-wife, Demi Moore, in 2009. "After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve," Kutcher wrote in a letter shared by Thorn. In it, he apologized to survivors of sexual assault for the letter he wrote that defended Masterson's character. Neither Kunis nor Kutcher argued that Masterson was not guilty, but they vouched for the person they knew him to be. Read more: Danny Masterson Sentencing Memo Letters of Support "The character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade," Kutcher wrote. Masterson, 47, was sentenced last week in Los Angeles County to 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape. The May verdict followed his second trial that stemmed from accusations made by three women he met through the Church of Scientology. "I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself, Kutcher wrote in his letter to Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo. Read more: Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis asked judge for leniency in Danny Masterson's rape sentencing Kunis, who was also a star on "That 70s Show," wrote another letter on Masterson's behalf. From the very beginning, I could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature, Kunis wrote. His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally. In a video posted to Instagram, the couple clarified why they wrote the letters a day after they were publicized. Read more: Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis respond to backlash over their letters supporting Danny Masterson They were written for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way, Kutcher said. We would never want to do that. And were sorry if that has taken place. Kunis is also stepping down from her role as an observer on the Thorn board, according to a story in Time, which first reported the resignations. "We would not be the Thorn that we are today without Ashtons contributions. He has played a significant role in the impact we have made, and we are grateful for his participation over the last 15 years," the organization said in a statement. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ashton Kutcher , co-founder of Thorn a technology company protecting children from sexual abuse announced Friday he would resign from the organizations board amid backlash he received for supporting former co-star and convicted rapist Danny Masterson . This decision is rooted in the recognition of recent events and ensuring Thorn remains focused on its mission: to build technology to defend children from sexual abuse, the company, founded by Kutcher and Demi Moore, said in a statement. On Sept. 7, a Los Angeles judge sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women. Kutcher and his wife, actress Mila Kunis , who both co-starred with Masterson on That 70s Show, wrote character letters to the judge prior to Mastersons sentencing. In his letter, Kutcher described Masterson as a friend he considers a brother and a role model. Kutcher and Kunis were heavily criticized over their support of Masterson, later releasing a video on social media to say the letters were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way. The couple received more backlash for their apology in the days since it was posted to Kutchers Instagram account. After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effective immediately, Kutcher wrote in a letter to fellow board members. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract us from our efforts and the children we serve. Kutcher wrote that the character statement he submitted to the judge is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. The message from the Thorn team concluded that they humbly ask for the continued support of our community, partners, and supporters as we continue our commitment to building a world where every child can be safe, curious, and happy. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) is shown during the Assembly session Thursday, September 14, 2023 at the Capitol in Madison, Wis. MADISON Assembly lawmakers passed legislation late Thursday that would overhaul how Wisconsin's legislative boundaries are drawn, adopting an "Iowa-style" nonpartisan redistricting process that Republicans are now embracing in order to bypass the state Supreme Court's new liberal majority. Just one Democrat joined Republican lawmakers in passing the legislation, which directs nonpartisan legislative staff to draw new maps that would replace the current legislative boundaries that were put in place in 2022. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is pursuing the legislation after opposing the idea for years. His about-face comes after the April election of Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz , which flipped the state Supreme Court to liberal control giving Democrats a chance for the first time in more than a decade to rewrite the state's electoral maps that currently heavily favor Republicans. Despite a decade of efforts from Democratic lawmakers to implement similar measures, the minority party bristled at the GOP proposal, voicing a number of concerns with the bill as it was introduced and criticizing Republicans for rushing the bill to a full vote without a public hearing. Republican lawmakers put forward a series of amendments on Thursday to address some of the Democrats' concerns. "Weve adopted every single change to correct any problem that we have heard. So the only thing thats left, is what? A deafening silence from those on the left. Because they have no argument. No argument why they oppose the plan. None. None," Vos said on the floor. Rep. LaKeshia Myers of Milwaukee was the only Democratic lawmaker to join Republicans in supporting the bill. "Black folks and Hispanic folks in the state of Wisconsin have been screwed by Democrats and Republicans equally, so we get to be friends with benefits with everybody," Myers said. "When you have to lead, it means something. Its not about staying in this body forever. Its about doing the work while youre here. And sometimes, just sometimes, that means having a conversation. That means actually engaging." Wisconsin State Representative LaKeshia Myers on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Myers represents the 12th assembly district in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Two lawsuits seeking to overturn the current legislative maps are before the state Supreme Court. Vos and other Republicans have warned if Protasiewicz does not recuse from such cases they could consider impeaching her because she called the maps "rigged" while campaigning and received about $10 million from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which stands to benefit from new maps. Vos announced this week he is assembling a panel of former state Supreme Court justices to probe whether the Assembly could pursue impeachment of Protasiewicz if she does not recuse. The state Constitution allows for impeachment only in cases of crime or corruption. Democrats launched a $4 million ad campaign in response to Vos' threats of impeachment in recent weeks. Several Democratic lawmakers accused Assembly Republicans of pushing the redistricting bill to distract from talk of impeachment, or of making a last-ditch effort to hold onto power before the electoral maps go under the state Supreme Court's review. "We are here today debating this bill because you see the ultimate outcome ahead and must distract the people of Wisconsin with another political stunt," Rep. Kalan Haywood, D-Milwaukee, said during Tuesday night's debate. "Now that you are faced with the potential consequences of your actions, you are trying to change the rules as you always have." According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks these efforts, 57 of Wisconsin's 72 counties have indicated support for nonpartisan redistricting through a referendum, resolution or both. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, has been noncommittal on whether the chamber would take up the bill. From there, the proposal would go to Evers, who has promised to veto it. While nonpartisan redistricting is a new direction for Vos, some Republicans especially those in swing districts and Democrats have introduced it in previous sessions. "This is the perfect timing. I'm a little surprised by the hypocrisy that will be brought out by our members today. Some people all of a sudden are opposed to exactly what they've been advocating for," Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, who has co-authored nonpartisan redistricting bills since winning a competitive seat in 2014, said before the floor session. More: Why Wisconsin Republicans suddenly embraced redistricting changes and Democrats want no part of it The bill would require the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau to draw maps without giving either side an advantage and without accounting for incumbency. The reference bureau would report to a five-member advisory commission. The commission would consist of two Democrats and two Republicans, and those four members would then choose a fifth member, who would serve as the commission's chairperson. Under the bill, the LRB would submit maps to the Legislature, which could reject the first two proposals. Once a third proposal is introduced, lawmakers could amend it with a simple majority. It would then require the governors approval, and would likely end up in the courts without an agreement unless the Legislature were able to override the governors veto. Republicans proposed seven amendments Thursday night in attempts to shore up support among Democrats. The first, which added a line specifying that the Legislative Reference Bureau would provide assistance to the redistricting advisory commission regarding its operations, passed on party lines. The second, which added a requirement that if the redistricting process went to a third round, the maps could only be approved with bipartisan support, picked up one Democratic vote: Milwaukee Rep. Marisabel Cabrera. The same was true of the third, which added provisions aimed at preventing a deadlock on the advisory commission. A fourth amendment, which stipulated that the commission must, with recommendations from the LRB, appoint someone with expertise in the federal Voting Rights Act to offer guidance, picked up another Democratic vote: Milwaukee's Myers. It passed 66-32. The same was true of the fifth, which reined in the Legislatures influence in the case of a third set of maps, limiting any amendments to corrective language. The final two amendments passed with the support of Republicans, Cabrera and Myers. The sixth adjusted a requirement that public hearings must be held in Madison and in the northern half of the state, to add Milwaukee to the list. The final amendment added a requirement that the drafting file for the maps must be available for public inspection. Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said ahead of the floor session that Democrats are working on introducing their own bill to implement nonpartisan redistricting. More: Robin Vos proposed 'Iowa-style' redistricting for Wisconsin. What does that mean? Hope Karnopp of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Assembly adopts redistricting overhaul patterned on Iowa Read the full article on Motorious It's a very rare car. In a thrilling development for classic car aficionados, a remarkably rare Aston Martin DB1 is going under the hammer. This automobile, one of only 15 ever produced, will be the crown jewel of H&H Classics' 30th-anniversary auction. Set to take place at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford on September 20, the auction presents an extraordinary opportunity for collectors to nab a piece of automotive history. Check out Daniel Craigs secretive car collection here. The DB1, known formally as the 2/2.6-Litre Sports, stands as a living tribute to David Brown, the iconic British entrepreneur. Its rarity makes it a highly coveted asset among Aston Martin enthusiasts. The vehicle has been in the possession of its current owner for nearly three decades and previously had an exciting life in the hands of Shaun Magee, an Aston Martin engineer and former race car driver. The car promises to be more than just a trophy for its new owner; it's a restoration dream waiting to happen. Once returned to its former glory, it could be the showstopper in some of the globes most distinguished automotive events. Damian Jones, a top-tier motorcar expert at H&H Classics, expressed excitement about the auction. "This DB1 is a truly remarkable artifact, with an intriguing past," he said. "As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, it seems serendipitous to feature a car that has been under singular ownership almost as long as we've been in business." Jones continued, "Whoever becomes the new custodian of this rare gem will not only acquire an invaluable piece of motoring lore but also have the extraordinary opportunity to chart its future adventures." H&H Classics anticipates a lively event full of eager vendors, potential buyers, and classic car connoisseurs. The day promises not just a thrilling auction but also a celebration of classic cars and the rich history they represent. So, mark your calendars and prepare to bid on a once-in-a-lifetime find that's waiting for its next guardian. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By Aimee Donnellan LONDON (Reuters Breakingviews) - Can a CEO be worth $9 billion? Thats the question posed by the 4% fall in AstraZenecas shares following an article stating boss Pascal Soriot may soon resign. The company has played down the report, and its stock has recovered, but the episode highlights its uncertain position were 64-year-old Soriot to leave. Without a clear succession plan, investors should prepare for further swings. By most measures, Soriot is a top performer. He joined the $205 billion Anglo-Swedish group in 2012 with a mandate to rebuild its empty pipeline. Barely two years in he had to fend off a 55 pound a share offer from rival Pfizer. Today AstraZenecas shares are worth nearly twice that amount, and the group has thrived thanks to blockbusters like breast cancer treatment Lynparza, and bold M&A, such as the $39 billion purchase of rare disease specialist Alexion in the middle of the pandemic. Berenberg analysts reckon AstraZenecas annual return on research spending has averaged 12% since 2016, comfortably exceeding its 8% cost of capital and trouncing most major pharma groups. The combination of these tactics has gifted investors with an over 400% return including dividends during Soriots tenure, handily beating European rivals like Novartis, Sanofi and GSK. Small wonder investors and analysts wonder whether AstraZeneca will be able to find a successor capable of replicating his success. Soriots lengthy tenure, more than double the average for a FTSE 100 chief executive, makes the issue all the more pressing. There are better ways to handle a succession. Take Diageo. When Ivan Menezes passed away, he left a clear replacement in Chief Operating Officer Debra Crew. Alternatively, AstraZenecas board could line up a number of candidate CEOs, giving it ample choice when Soriot resigns. AstraZeneca has some credible internal candidates. The success of its cancer treatments, which made up 35% of sales in 2022, would put either Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of oncology research and development, or David Fredrickson, who runs the commercial strategy for that business, in a strong position. Others could include Chief Financial Officer Aradhana Sarin. The board could also consider external candidates like Luke Miels, a former protege of Soriots who defected to rival GSK in 2017. It would be hard for any of those to match Soriots returns. Still, the lingering uncertainty needs a quick fix. Follow @aimeedonnellan on X CONTEXT NEWS Shares of AstraZeneca fell more than 4% on Sept. 11, following a report in the Mail on Sunday that CEO Pascal Soriot may retire as soon as next year. The company did not explicitly deny the report, but said in a statement on Sept. 11 that it does not comment on market rumours, adding that it would make an announcement if there were any truth in a rumour that could significantly impact its share price. (Editing by Neil Unmack and Streisand Neto) One man is dead and another has been charged with murder following a shooting Friday morning in Augusta. Traveon Wade, 21, is charged with murder, possession of a firearm during a crime and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Just after 12:30 a.m. Friday, the Richmond County deputies responded to the 2800 block of Fairmount Street for a shooting, according to a news release from the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. When deputies arrived, they found Dwayne Anthony Tillman II, 33, of Augusta, who was shot at least once, according to the release. Tillman was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Richmond County Coroner's Office. An autopsy has been sceduled. No further information is available, according to the sheriff's office. Child pornography arrest: Hephzibah woman charged with uploading child pornography This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: One dead, one charged with murder after Augusta shooting (Bloomberg) -- Australia will permanently cancel millions of controversial carbon credits, removing a loophole that could have been used to meet its international climate commitments. Most Read from Bloomberg The cancellation of more than 700 million so-called Kyoto credits equivalent to about 150% of the nations estimated emissions last year means they cant be used toward the nations Paris Agreement goal. Australia will also officially confirm its compliance with its Kyoto Protocol target early next year, after an international review, the Energy Ministry said Friday. The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese , which came to power in May last year on a platform to end the nations reputation as a climate laggard, has set a legally binding target to reduce emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030. Carrying over credits from previous international climate goals toward current targets has typically been seen as a controversial carbon accounting measure, especially considering the infamous Australia clause in Kyoto that allowed the nation to flatter its baseline under the protocol. The Albanese Government has delivered on its election commitment to legislate our ambitious but achievable climate targets, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in the statement. Were closing the loophole for dodgy accounting tricks. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in 2020 that he was very confident Australia could achieve its targets at the time without the need to use the carryover credits, but never removed them. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Australias top general has raised serious concerns over how artificial intelligence can be used by hostile nations to further speed up disinformation and disrupt liberal democracies, eroding the ability to deter military conflict. Most Read from Bloomberg This tech future may accelerate truth decay, General Angus Campbell, chief of Australias Defence Forces, said in a rare speech in Canberra on Thursday night at an event hosted by the Australia Strategic Policy Institute think tank. As these technologies quickly mature, there may soon come a time when it is impossible for the average person to distinguish fact from fiction, he said. He warned that strategic competitors, including China, could bypass the need for a physical attack and strike directly at the psychological, calling for greater education to counter the impact of disinformation. While the growth of new AI technologies could benefit societies, they also present huge opportunity for opponents to cause irreparable damage, according to Campbell, becoming the latest Western figure to sound the alarm over AIs capacity to worsen disinformation. Politicians in countries including Australia, the UK and the US have called for greater government oversight of AI development. Australias center-left Labor government is evaluating whether regulation is necessary, with new laws possible before the end of the year. Building within us, across our community, that sense of a capacity for critical thinking is the first step in having that engaged and informed public conversation, Campbell said. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Authorities are searching for an inmate who escaped from a Long Beach facility on Wednesday. Dajuan King, 26, walked away from a Male Community Reentry Program facility around 9:30 p.m., according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Agents were alerted after a door alarm was activated. Shortly after, staff received a tamper notification alert from Kings ankle monitor. An emergency person count showed King was missing, officials said. Staff members immediately searched the facility, but he was nowhere to be found. King is described as a man standing 6 feet tall and weighing 175 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He is currently serving a 10-year sentence for robbery, including being a second striker. Dajuan King, 26, in a 2022 photo from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was admitted to the correctional facility on June 4, 2018. Anyone who has seen King or knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact local law enforcement or simply call 911. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. KINGS CANYON, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Kings Canyon National Park officials are searching for a man who is missing after a day hike Wednesday. Park officials say 65-year-old Paul Benson was last seen on Wednesday, September 13 at 8:40 a.m. Paul intended to go on a day hike in the Ranger Lake area of Kings Canyon National Park and return to camp that evening at Ranger Lake. Kings Canyon National Park Kings Canyon National Park According to officials, Paul was part of an 8-person multi-day backpacking trip hiking near Seville Lake, Lost Lake, Ranger Lake, and the JO Pass area. Paul was last seen wearing a red and gray jacket, a blue, purple, and brown patterned fleece, tan or red clay pants, and an olive-brimmed hat. Paul is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. If you were in the Ranger Lake area on Wednesday, Septmeber 13, or today, or think you may have seen Paul, please contact Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Dispatch at 559-565-3195. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. United Auto Workers, including Joseph Burch, wearing a mask, hold signs while on strike Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Toledo, Ohio. | Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade via Associated Press The United Auto Workers union declared an unprecedented strike against the three biggest automakers in the U.S. Friday. What we know: The union started a strike against General Motors, Ford and Chrysler parent company Stellantis, marking the most ambitious U.S. industrial labor action in decades, Reuters reported. Its the first time the union has gone on strike against all three at the same time. For the first time in our history we will strike all three of the Big Three, UAW President Shawn Fain told Reuters. The strike implemented is called a Stand Up Strike, which is a call for workers to walk off the job, and the union says it might request other Detroit locals to stand up and do the same, joining the strike, according to CNN. A total of 13,000 of the United Auto Workers 145,000 members left the job Friday, per CNN. These were chosen carefully by the UAW and reflect a strategy that will ensure a large number of suppliers and dealers are affected, while reducing the number of UAW workers that, at least initially, are on strike and receiving strike pay, Patrick Anderson, CEO of Anderson Economic Group, told CNN. What do the workers want? Here are some of the demands, according to The Associated Press: 36% raises in pay over four years. An end to varying tiers of wages depending on factory jobs. 32-hour work weeks that involve 40 hours of pay. Restoring traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires who now only receive 401(k)-style retirement plans. Cost-of-living pay raises reinstated. The union allowed to represent workers at electric vehicle battery factories most are joint ventures between automakers and South Korean companies. What have automakers offered in response to the strike? Negotiations have been ongoing, and automakers have offered some concessions, but the union agreed to strike and ask for more. Heres what the companies have offered, per AP: GM announced it offered a 20% wage increase Thursday. Ford offered a 20% boost in pay. Stellantis says it will increase wages 17.5%, but has since made another offer that hasnt been made public. Automakers argue that the unions demands are too expensive. What could auto workers strike mean for the economy? The economic impact could affect more than just the automakers and members of the union. A six-week strike would cost the U.S. two-tenths of a percentage point of economic growth over a period of three months ending in December, chief economist for Moodys Analytics Mark Zandi told ABC News. Even a shorter 10-day strike could cost the U.S. economy $5.6 billion in losses, according to a report from the Anderson Economic Group. William Chrestman, the ax handle-wielding Kansas City-area Proud Boy charged with conspiring to breach the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has agreed to a plea deal with the government, federal court records show. Chrestman, 49, of Olathe who prosecutors allege was a key player in the attack is scheduled for a plea hearing Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The hearing originally was described as a status conference, but on Thursday it was converted to a change-of-plea hearing, according to the court docket. Chrestman was arrested in February 2021 and has been held without bond pending trial. His plea hearing will be held before Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who has handled many of the Capitol riot cases involving Proud Boys. The notice of Chrestmans change of plea comes one week after co-defendant Christopher Kuehne pleaded guilty to obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, a felony. Kuehne, formerly of Olathe, had been charged with multiple felonies. And just days before Kuehnes guilty plea, Kelly a Trump appointee sentenced Proud Boys former national chairman Enrique Tarrio, of Miami, to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges involving his role in organizing a mob of Trump supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6. Tarrios sentence is the longest to date in connection with the riot. Three other Proud Boys leaders found guilty of seditious conspiracy Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were sentenced shortly before Tarrio to prison terms of 15 to 18 years. Another member, Dominic Pezzola who broke a Capitol window with a stolen police riot shield was acquitted of the seditious conspiracy charge but sentenced to 10 years for other felonies. The far-right Proud Boys have been key targets of the federal investigation into the Capitol attack. Authorities rounded up dozens from around the country on charges including assault of law enforcement officers, civil disorder and sedition. Chrestman, an Army veteran and former sheet metal worker, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 26, 2021, along with three other Kansas City-area Proud Boys Kuehne; Ryan Ashlock, of Gardner; and Louis Colon, of Blue Springs and Arizona siblings Cory and Felicia Konold. The six were charged with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Chrestman also was charged with threatening to assault a federal law enforcement officer and carrying a wooden ax handle while in the Capitol building and on the grounds. William Billy Chrestman of Olathe is seen here (in separate photos) at the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Chrestman could be seen on numerous videos alongside other Proud Boys during the insurrection, dressed in tactical gear, leading chants and at one point using the ax handle to obstruct metal barriers that had been deployed to prevent the mob from advancing further into the Capitol. A federal judge said in one court hearing that Mr. Chrestman was much more much, much more than someone who merely cheered on the violence or who entered the Capitol after others cleared the way. All members of the Kansas City Proud Boys group except Chrestman were released on personal recognizance bonds pending trial. Colon pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of civil disorder, a felony. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Ashlock was sentenced to 70 days in jail and 12 months of supervised release in November 2022 after pleading guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, a misdemeanor. Kuehne is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 23. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The Konolds are scheduled for change-of-plea hearings on Nov. 1. Chrestmans family and other supporters have long complained that he continues to be held without bond. He is among the Capitol riot defendants incarcerated the longest, even though he hasnt been convicted. He and other Jan. 6 inmates in the District of Columbia jail are referred to as political prisoners by former President Donald Trump and other GOP hard-liners. The Proud Boys, an organization of self-described Western chauvinists known for street-level violence and confrontations with anti-fascists at protests, received national attention in September 2020 when, during the first presidential debate, Trump was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. Trump responded that the Proud Boys should stand back and stand by. During a CNN town hall with Trump in New Hampshire in May, the former president called Jan. 6 a beautiful day and said many of the detainees are just great people. If re-elected, he said, he would be inclined to pardon many of the rioters convicted of federal crimes. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has held a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Washington where they discussed the issue of Russia's war against Ukraine and promised to support Ukraine long-term. Source: European Pravda, citing Tagesschau Quote: "We support Ukraine, we support the people in Ukraine as long as they need us. Russian President Vladimir Putin is missing the mark if he believes the world will adapt, and get used to the war because there are other issues." But Blinken said that strong support for Ukraine from the United States and dozens of other countries will continue in military, economic and humanitarian terms. He also thanked Germany for its leadership in supporting Kyiv. "Germany is the second-largest supporter of Ukraine in the world after the USA," the US Secretary of State said. Background: Earlier, it was reported that Blinken discussed the issues of strengthening Ukraine's air defence with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her visit to the United States. Baerbock said that it was necessary to strengthen the air defence of Ukraine in the coming months. The German Foreign Minister called for protection of Ukraine's critical infrastructure during the coming cold season. During Baerbocks meeting with her Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv they discussed additional air defence systems to protect the Ukrainian energy system and ports, among other things. The Pentagon announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine, which in particular included equipment for supporting and strengthening the air defence systems of Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! FILE PHOTO: Human rights activist Maryam al-Khawaja flashes a "V" sign after being released outside the Airport Police Station, in Muharraq By Aziz El Yaakoubi RIYADH (Reuters) - A daughter of prominent Bahraini rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja said on Friday she was denied boarding a flight in London as she tried to return to the Gulf state and press for her father's release from prison. Maryam al-Khawaja said she was told at a British Airways' counter at Heathrow Airport that she was not allowed to board her flight and should contact Bahraini immigration authorities. "Effectively we are being denied boarding by British Airways on behalf of the Bahraini government," she said in a video taken in British Airways' check-in area, and posted on X, formerly called Twitter. The Bahraini government said it welcomes all visitors, provided they meet the necessary entry requirements. "However, as with other countries, Bahrain reserves the right to refuse entry, if deemed necessary," the government said in a statement sent to Reuters. British Airways did not immediately respond to request for comment. Maryam said she would travel to Bahrain and risk her arrest because her father was denied access to urgent and critical medical treatment, part of the reason why he is on a hunger strike. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, also a Danish citizen, is a former president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and is serving a life sentence for his role in Bahrain's pro-democracy protests in 2011. A group of activists, who said they would join her, including Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard and Front Line Defenders' Olive Moore, were also denied boarding, she said. 'MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE' Asked whether there were any charges against Maryam Al-Khawaja, the Bahraini government said she was convicted after she assaulted two policewomen in 2014 and she "never served or appealed her one year sentence". "In Bahrain, as with any government with an independent judiciary, individuals who are convicted in a court of law are subject to legal proceedings and due process," a government spokesperson said. On Wednesday, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja resumed his hunger strike after authorities did not allow him to get to a scheduled medical appointment, his second daughter, Zainab, told Reuters. His decision followed an announcement by rights groups that hundreds of other political prisoners had suspended hunger strikes as the government promised to improve prison conditions. Mary Lawlor, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said the deteriorating health of Bahraini prisoners Abduljalil al-Singace, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and Naji Fateel was "extremely" concerning. "Medical negligence and lack of adequate care has left them in a worrying state," Lawlor said in a statement. On Wednesday the government denied Khawaja was on hunger strike, adding he has "repeatedly and voluntarily declined to attend his regular medical appointments". "Abdulhadi al-Khawaja's health is stable with no serious concerns," it said. The Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa dynasty has kept a lid on dissent since Riyadh sent troops to help it crush an Arab Spring uprising in 2011 by the mostly Shi'ite opposition. Bahrain accuses Shi'ite Iran of fomenting unrest, charges Teheran denies. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi, additional reporting by Muvija M and Emma Farge; Editing by William Maclean and Mark Potter) Barberton is joining Akron in hiring a nonprofit organization to erase medical debt held by private citizens. But it does not appear that Summit County will be joining the effort for other county residents. In July, Akron City Council unanimously approved authorizing Mayor Dan Horrigan and his staff to enter a contract with RIP Medical Debt. The organization has worked with dozens of cities, counties and other organizations across the United States to pay off private medical bills. RIP takes donations and buys large bundles of medical debt at a steep discount $1 usually can leverage $100 in debt relief. The debt erasure is a gift with no tax consequences to recipients. The organization has relieved more than $10 million in debt so far and helped nearly 6.7 million individuals and families in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to its website. Horrigan committed $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal stimulus funds to the effort. That will give RIP Medical Debt enough money to leverage the retirement of up to $50 million in medical debt held by Akron residents and their families. Who qualifies for medical debt relief? RIP negotiates and purchases medical debt in bulk from a hospital, which can include current and past-due bills sold to a debt collector. RIP assists patients with a household income up to 400% of the federal poverty level. That is $54,360 for an individual or $111,000 for a family of four. Additionally, the debt must equal 5% or more of annual income. Patients cant apply to be considered for debt relief. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, four in 10 adults in the United States say they have some kind of medical debt. Two-thirds of bankruptcies cite medical debt as a leading cause. Whats happening in Barberton? Barberton Mayor William Judge said he and others had seen news reports this year that other large Ohio cities were looking into or had committed to relieving medical debt for some residents. Judge reached out to RIP and received some initial estimates for Barberton residents. He was told that 4,000 Barberton residents could qualify and if Barberton put in $110,000, that would write off about $10 million in medical debt. I was a little skeptical, Judge said recently during a phone interview. . Judge reached out to officials in Cook County in Illinois and other communities that were further along in the process as he researched it. In April, the Barberton City Council unanimously approved using $110,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to work with RIP to eliminate medical debt for qualified Barberton residents. Judge said he applied to the Barberton Community Foundation for the organization to kick in $10,000. The request was approved, so the city will spend $100,000 in ARPA funds, he said. Judge said he is reviewing the RIP contract and anticipates signing it within the next few weeks. Once Judge signs the contract, RIP has told him it could take six to 10 months for residents to see relief. Judge said he and the council believed relieving medical debt for some residents is the right thing to do. Part of my job is to just improve the quality of life for our residents and looking at medical debt and how people can be buried with it, Judge said. If we can pay off medical debt and the ratio is that high, why wouldnt we do everything in our power to help 4,000 residents? Judge said there remains a lot of confusion about how the medical relief would work and education is needed. The city will not be issuing checks to relieve the debt and the city wont know which residents medical debts are erased, Judge said. Whats happening in Akron? When the Akron City Council approved the legislation in July to work with RIP Medical, it was the culmination of a years worth of work by Councilwoman Nancy Holland. Holland was made aware of the medical debt relief program by a group of students at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). Holland, joined by council leadership and Deputy Mayor Marco Sommerville, then launched a public campaign in March to convince Horrigan of the merits of the plan. Council passed a resolution days later urging Horrigan to find unspent ARPA federal dollars to seed the program. City spokeswoman Stephanie Marsh said the law department is reviewing the contract with RIP Medical Debt. What's RIP? Some Ohio cities are erasing their residents' medical debt. Here's how it works Summit County not pursuing contract with RIP Medical Debt Summit County government does not appear to be pursuing a deal with RIP to widen the medical debt relief to other qualified residents in the county. In November 2022, Toledo became the first Ohio city to partner with RIP with an $800,000 investment in ARPA funds. Lucas County made an equal match in general funds, which combined could retire $240 million in medical debt for city and county residents. In a phone interview, Greta Johnson, chief of staff for Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, said the NEOMED medical students came to County Council in the spring to explain RIP Medical Debt. Johnson said there was no formal presentation. Mark Potter, chief of staff for Summit County Council, confirmed there has been no indication from council members to move forward. Johnson said Summit County officials researched the program and discovered there were questions raised by outside counsel for Lucas County about whether ARPA funds could be used for the medical debt relief program. RIP Medical Debt spokesman Daniel Lempert said other communities have used ARPA funds and the White House acknowledged RIPs program as an appropriate use for ARPA funds. Regardless, Johnson said Summit Countys ARPA funds are spoken for and there is no money in the general fund to pursue medical debt relief. Johnson also expressed concern that consumers credit scores were already ruined with medical debt and whether the debt relief would help. If a medical debt acquired by RIP had been reported to the credit agencies, we ensure that the negative mark is removed," Lempert said. It's up to the respective provider/hospital/collection agency if they want to report a medical debt or not so sometimes debts we acquire havent been reported so theres no need, he said. There is a new federal law barring debts below $500 from being reported to the credit agencies which also provides more times for people to pay medical debts before theyre reported. Cure for medical debt? Akron to work with nonprofit to erase millions in hospital bills Whats next? Lempert said no other Akron-area governments have approached his organization about partnering to erase residents medical debt. RIP representatives are already in talks with some local hospitals ... and hope to have more to share soon, he said. Lempert said he could not discuss specifics because nondisclosure agreements are signed. I cant say exactly when a first round of debt relief will be announced. We need to do our due diligence and sign a contract with Akron and then sign agreements with local hospitals. Then well be ready to start announcing debt abolishments, he said. Beacon Journal medical reporter and consumer columnist Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Barberton joins Akron in working to erase some residents medical debt FILE - Barry Steenkamp, the father of Reeva Steenkamp sits in the High Court for the re-sentencing proceedings of Oscar Pistorius, in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, June 13, 2016. A family spokesperson says the father of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman who was fatally shot by Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius, has died. He was 80. Family lawyer and spokesperson Tania Koen confirmed Barry Steenkamps death to The Associated Press on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Phill Magakoe, Pool Photo via AP, File) CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Barry Steenkamp, the father of Reeva Steenkamp , the woman who was fatally shot by Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius, has died, a family spokesperson said Friday. He was 80. Family lawyer and spokesperson Tania Koen confirmed Barry Steenkamp's death. A foundation set up by the Steenkamp family in memory of Reeva said Barry Steenkamp died in his sleep on Thursday evening. It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden and peaceful passing of Barry Steenkamp, the foundation said in a statement on its Facebook page. Barry was a blessing to many, and he will be remembered with love and great fondness. "We find solace in the knowledge that he is now with his beloved Reeva." Barry Steenkamp cut a grieving and sometimes angry figure during Pistorius' murder trial for the killing of 29-year-old Reeva, who was a model and law graduate. Pistorius was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison after a series of appeals for shooting his girlfriend multiple times through a closed toilet cubicle door in his home in the predawn hours of Valentine's Day 2013. Pistorius, 36, is still in jail but the double-amputee former runner and multiple Paralympic champion is seeking release on parole. He attended a parole hearing in March, when South African authorities said he will only be eligible for early release next August. He has challenged that and claims he has served the required amount of time in jail to be eligible now. Barry Steenkamp met face-to-face with Pistorius last year as part of a program in South Africa that gives victims of crime or their families a chance to confront offenders who have applied for parole. At that meeting, Steenkamp said he urged Pistorius to confess that he had intentionally shot Reeva in rage after an argument. Pistorius says he mistook Reeva Steenkamp for a dangerous nighttime intruder hiding in his bathroom and shot her multiple times through the toilet door in self-defense. He was initially convicted of culpable homicide -- which is comparable to manslaughter -- in 2014 and sentenced to five years in prison. That was overturned and replaced with a murder conviction and his sentence was increased after appeals by prosecutors. Reeva Steenkamp's parents said they initially forgave Pistorius but later changed their minds. They said in February on the 10th anniversary of their daughter's killing that they still believed Pistorius intentionally shot her and wanted him to stay in jail for the rest of his life. The Steenkamps opposed Pistorius' release on parole. I told Oscar directly that he had shot my daughter deliberately and he denied it, Barry Steenkamp said in an interview with British newspaper The Daily Mail of the meeting with Pistorius in 2022. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder. After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit he did it in anger. That is all we wanted. If he told me the truth, he would have been a free man by now and I would have let the law take its course over his parole." But I was wasting my time. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail. Reeva's mother, June Steenkamp, attended the parole hearing for Pistorius in March, when authorities ruled that he would only be eligible to be released in August next year. Barry Steenkamp wasn't able to attend because of poor health, family spokesperson Koen said at the time. ___ More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Editors note: This commentary was first published in The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. My calendar stood wide open that Saturday as I drove around listening to the local country radio station. So when I heard an advertisement for a resource fair for veterans at my favorite local brewery Service Brewing Company I figured Id give it a shot. I served four years in the Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform and bun hair. I liked finding ways to improve my life after leaving active duty, and the fair sounded like a good opportunity, even though I already had a job. After I arrived, I got one of the owners small-batch sour beers and wandered from booth to booth, asking each representative what they had to offer. I was met with the same question at every table: Are you a veteran? I wondered whether everyone got the same question. Was I not veteran enough? Oh, well, I thought, and nodded my head and smiled. Eventually, I stopped at a financial companys table. A man and a woman sat on bar stools with pamphlets in front of them. I asked my usual: Whats going on here? I listened to their spiel and left with a business card and a chance to win a gift card. I also had a newfound desire to get my finances in order and possibly even invest, especially when they told me their services were free to veterans. A few days later, I got a text message that Id won a gift card to Amazon. I just needed to meet the woman from the financial company somewhere downtown. I headed to the tavern where wed agreed to meet, excited to learn about the financial freedom the company could help me achieve. We made small talk at a booth, and then I asked what her company had to offer. In turn, she asked me what I did in the military. Journalism, I told her. I served as a public affairs specialist. Journalism was always the plan. I wasnt prepared for what she asked me next, or the turn the conversation was about to take. Were you ever sexually assaulted in the military? she asked me. Stop. Replay that line. Where am I? I thought. I felt like I paused forever, my eyes darting around the table to the floor, to the ceiling, to my lap, to her eyes. My brain turned over a series of questions. Who is this woman again? What am I doing here? What is she meeting me for? What gave her this idea? A million things ran through my head all at once. I thought maybe she had read too many headlines recently and generalized. I thought about my suicide watch for the friend I made in advanced individual training and wondered what she would say if shed been cornered like this. I thought about the fact that I knew this woman had not served. I reminded myself we were in a tavern so I could collect my winning gift card and talk about financial freedom. My mind flooded with more questions: Is this woman a lawyer? Is there an angle with money and sexual harassment? Didnt matter. It felt like forever passed before I finally answered her, although it was probably only a second or two. No, I told her. Time restarted. The world went on spinning. Sort of. I couldnt make eye contact with her. What do I say now? I wasnt hiding something. Id had it fairly easy in the military. No horror stories, except for poor leadership strictly in the business sense. I hadnt lived on base and I hadnt experienced anything close to sexual assault. Had I insinuated? Given off a vibe? No way I could have. I dont lie. I dont tell people something happened in my career that didnt. Shit, shes still trying to meet my eyes. I mean, I know people who have been, I fumbled, as if I needed to justify myself. As if I needed to validate her question while knowing full well I didnt own this trauma. Surely she didnt have this same conversation among coworkers. Or those who hadnt worn the uniform. My answer seemed to suffice. She opened her mouth and filled the silence that had begun to make me uncomfortable. She apologized. Perhaps my reaction disconnected me enough from the situation for her to change the topic. I suddenly welled with empathy for anyone who had reason to say yes. Not just a woman in the military. Any woman. Chazz Gilbert, left, and Noelle Wiehe reunite at the U.S. Armys Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, after completing advanced individual training at the U.S. Armys Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland. (Photo courtesy of Chazz Gilbert) There is a time and a place for a question like this. For a conversation about this. There are those that women ought to be able to trust, to open up to about their trauma. But this wasnt it. Not even close. I knew women who would cry at this moment. How could anyone ask such a personal question in the middle of a conversation about finance? I wanted to leave. But then shed probably think I had lied. That I had been sexually assaulted. What would it matter to her? WHY WAS SHE ASKING?! I gathered myself, tried to reroute the conversation. But Im writing about it because the truth is it bugged me. I left that meeting with a $25 Amazon gift card. But I was so perturbed by her insensitivity about such a sensitive topic that I knew my finances could wait. Still, I met her later the next week. But I wasnt comfortable. Did she assume all women in the military were victims of sexual assault? What an awful assumption that just because I served I must be a victim. And didnt that take away from the women who had experienced this kind of life-altering trauma? I knew I couldnt work with her. The conversation prompted a few rants with close friends who found the interaction equally uncomfortable. It also prompted a lot of personal reflection. Veterans represent less than 10% of the adult population in the U.S. Eight-nine percent are men. And because I was a woman who served, I was stigmatized, stereotyped by a stranger. And even though I knew I was a minority as an American service member and a woman I was stunned. Id attended a resource fair where the first question I got was whether or not Id served. And then one of those vendors had assumed that Id had the same experience as women at the center of some of the worst news stories Id ever heard. Noelle Wiehe always knew she wanted a career in journalism. She spent four years in the military as a public affairs specialist. (Photo courtesy of Noelle Wiehe) It wasnt fair. None of it. I guess maybe you dont know how generalizing someone can hurt so much until its happened to you. I know this much. I would never ask someone such a personal question. And I dont think anyone ought to. Unless they can help, and unless its a safe settingbut even then Im not so sure. Could this woman have helped? Didnt matter. I wasnt the person who needed help. But what if I was? My heart breaks for the person who does need help. Is this why they dont speak up? Ive taken a lesson from this. Dont ever assume. Dont think you know something about someone because they served in the military. Would you ask someone who served in Iraq or Afghanistan if they have post-traumatic stress disorder? You shouldnt. Every person in this world is fighting a battle of their own. A private battle. Military veterans face unique battles, no doubt. But we arent all fighting the same battles, and its not safe or kind to assume we are. Statistics exist for a reason. But we dont all have the same story. There is something I believe we all have in common, though. Our service helped protect the freedoms all of us enjoy. That should include the freedom from judgment by those who know nothing about us. Noelle Wiehe is an award-winning journalist from Cincinnati, Ohio. She worked as a civilian journalist covering several Army units, including the U.S. Armys Cadet Command and the 75th Ranger Regiment. She joined the military as a public affairs specialist and was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. She deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve to Kuwait. As a Military Veterans in Journalism fellow, she covered every branch of the military as well as the first responder community at Coffee or Die Magazine. She now resides in Lafayette, Louisiana, and serves as a media relations specialist for the militarys healthcare system. Have an opinion? This article is an Op-Ed and as such, the opinions expressed are those of the author. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, or submit an editorial of your own, please email opinions@militarytimes.com for Military Times or our services sites. Please email opinion@defensenews.com to reach Defense News, C4ISRNet or Federal Times. Want more perspectives like this sent straight to you? Subscribe to get our Commentary & Opinion newsletter once a week. Protentis was found not guilty Thursday on charges of open and gross lewdness and annoying a person of the opposite sex following a two-day trial in Hingham District Court. NEW BEDFORD A 51-year-old New Bedford man will spend the next two years in prison for his role in the 2022 death of an Assonet woman. According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, Christopher Noguera was convicted on Wednesday in New Bedford District Court of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation in connection to the fatal car accident that killed Joy Swartzendruber. Victim identified: Fatal crash on Route 140 in New Bedford Saturday under investigation At around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 20, 2022, state and local police were called to an area of Route 140 north in New Bedford after receiving a 911 call about a motor vehicle versus pedestrian incident. Noguera was driving northbound on Route 140 in his Ford F-150 when he crossed over into the breakdown lane and slammed into Swartzendruber, who was standing next to her Toyota Avalon. Dash-cam video seized from the defendant's vehicle showed that the victim was clearly standing off the roadway and her vehicle was visible to other motorists on the highway. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The video also showed the defendant driving negligently during the minutes before the crash. His vehicle could be seen frequently drifting from lane to lane and into the breakdown lane in the moments before the crash. The defendant remained on the scene after the crash and was not impaired or excessively speeding. However, the jury found he clearly was operating his motor vehicle in a negligent manner, which directly led to the fatal incident. "The defendant's negligent operation of his pickup truck resulted in a terrible tragedy that could easily have been avoided. The victim was clearly in the breakdown lane when the defendant struck and killed her. My heart goes out to the family for their terrible loss. I hope today's verdict, and the sentence imposed by the court, provides some consolation to them," District Attorney Quinn said in a release. Noguera was sentenced to two years in the Bristol County House of Corrections with one year to serve and the balance of the sentence was suspended for three years. The defendant also had his driver's license revoked for 15 years. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Noguera sentenced in fatal car accident The European Parliament recognizes the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko as an accomplice to the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, including the mass abduction of children from occupied parts of Ukraine. The Red Cross recommends that the head of its Belarus branch, Dzmitryi Shautsou, step down until the investigation into his support for Russias war ends. The international community condemns Minsks recent decision to ban passport services at its embassies abroad, calling it the latest in a long line of cynical rejections by the regime of its basic obligations to its people. Subscribe to the Newsletter Belarus Weekly Join us S&P Global Ratings suspends its long- and short-term foreign currency and local currency sovereign credit ratings for Belarus due to a lack of sufficient and timely information to maintain our ratings. British American Tobacco says its selling its Russian and Belarusian businesses. A documentary following the lives of people victims of the migrant crisis engineered by Belarus premiers at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. European Parliament recognizes Lukashenkos regime as accomplice to Russias crimes The European Parliament adopted a resolution officially recognizing the Belarusian regime under dictator Alexander Lukashenko as an accomplice to the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. The statement said Lukashenkos regime shares responsibility for the destruction and damage caused to Ukraine during Russias full-scale war, and that the Belarusian leadership should be investigated alongside Putin and the Russian political and military leadership. It urged the European Union and its members to take necessary measures to prosecute Belarusian officials who are complicit in the crime of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of genocide committed against Ukraine. A future international tribunal on Russian crimes of aggression must therefore also investigate the leadership of Belarus. The European Parliament also said it considers Lukashenkos regime as responsible as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russias Childrens Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the illegal transfer of children from Ukraines occupied territories. Read also: Stolen generation. Russia systematically abducts children from Ukraine, gives them to Russian families The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova in March, a move that the European Parliament urges it to make for Lukashenko. The statement also refers to Belarus as a satellite state of Russia, saying Lukashenko is allowing the country to be absorbed by Russia into a so-called union state, making the risk of direct occupation extremely high, against the clear will of the majority of Belarusians. The European Parliament also said athletes from neither Russia nor Belarus should be allowed to compete at international sporting competitions. IFRC recommends that Belarus Red Cross head steps down amid investigation The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has recommended that the organizations Belarus head, Dzmitryi Shautsou, steps down until the investigation into his support for Russias war is concluded, Russian state media TASS said. Shautsou admitted in July to the Belarusian branchs involvement in the forced deportation of children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine to Belarus, referring to them as recreational trips. He was also shown wearing military clothes adorned with the letter Z, which is a Russian pro-war symbol. At the time, the IFRC said it was not made aware of his visit to Russian-occupied Lysychansk and is not involved in any of the (Belarusian branchs) activities, including with children. IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa reportedly told TASS that the investigation into Shautsous actions will end in October and that he was asked to step down until Oct. 3. The IFRC confirms that, through the Compliance and Mediation Committee, we recommend that the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross suspend his duties while the case is being considered, IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa said, as quoted by TASS. Dzmitryi Shautsou, Head of the Belarusian Red Cross, near the Polish border in 2021. (Photo by Ulf Mauder/picture alliance via Getty Images) Meanwhile, Belarusian state media claimed the Belarusian Red Cross branch voted unanimously on Sept. 7 to keep Shautsou in office. At the meeting, Shautsou vowed to continue helping children in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine by bringing them to Belarus. According to official estimates, Russia has abducted over 20,000 children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, although the actual number is likely much higher. Belarusian authorities have themselves confirmed hosting over 1,000 children from Russian-occupied Ukraine. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Childrens Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for organizing the illegal transfers. The European Parliament called on the ICC to issue a similar arrest warrant against Lukashenko for his complicity in the crime, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the ICC to do the same for Shautsou. Read also: Kyiv, Moscows opposing attitudes toward Soviet past shape two different futures International community condemns Belarus decision to block passport services abroad The U.S., the European Union, and the UN have criticized Belarus recent decision to prohibit its embassies from issuing and renewing passports abroad, a move that leaves the regimes critics vulnerable to prosecution if they return. As of Sept. 7, Belarusians can only now obtain or renew their passports in Belarus, and can only sell their real estate or cars to either be physically present or produce a power of attorney signed inside Belarus. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Sept. 7 condemning the move, saying it harms thousands of Belarusians living abroad and is the latest in a long line of cynical rejections by the regime of its basic obligations to its people. The statement said the U.S. is in close consultation with its European allies and Belarus democratic forces led by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya about how to help Belarusians impacted by the punitive decree. EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said the decision is an attempt to force Belarusians living abroad to come back and most likely face reprisals from the Lukashenko regime. The UN also criticized the decision, urging Minsk to revise the decree in line with international standards. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch urged governments to provide effective alternatives to documentation, allowing them (Belarusians) to work, travel, and access services. The United Transitional Cabinet, a democratic force led by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has reportedly accelerated its efforts to develop a New Belarus passport, which would provide an alternative to those issued by the state. Tsikhanouskayas senior advisor, Franak Viacorka, suggested that the first passports could be issued in January 2024, although her foreign affairs representative, Valery Kavaleusky, said that all states but two have yet to officially recognize the document. S&P Global Ratings suspends Belarus due to lack of information S&P Global Ratings (S&P) said it suspended its long- and short-term SD/SD foreign currency and CCC/C local currency sovereign credit ratings for Belarus due to a lack of sufficient and timely information to maintain our ratings. The ratings agency said its missing information on Minsks budgetary performance, the composition of its debt stock, and its debt repayment schedule. S&P Global Ratings said it would reinstate Belarus ratings if the missing information is made available and it meets the agencys standards for quality, timeliness, and reliability. However, if its requirements are not met, the agency will withdraw the ratings. Belarus international ratings have been on the decline since the onset of Russias full-scale war against Ukraine. Back in April, Fitch Ratings affirmed Belarus Long-Term Foreign-Currency (LTFC) Issuer Default Rating (IDR) as Restricted Default (RD), due in part to Minsks insistence on covering dollar payments in Belarusian rubles. Read also: Putin cracks down on pro-war opposition as all-out war falters British American Tobacco sells businesses in Russia, Belarus British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the worlds leading tobacco producers, announced on Sept. 7 that it is selling its Russian and Belarusian businesses in compliance with local and international laws. According to the companys press release, the buyer is a consortium led by members of BAT Russias management team. The businesses will reportedly be known as the ITMS Group after the sale is finalized, which the company says should be next month. Upon completion, BAT will no longer have a presence in Russia or Belarus and will receive no financial gain from ongoing sales in these markets, the press statement said. Like many foreign companies, BAT announced it would withdraw from Russia in the wake of the full-scale war against Ukraine. Venice Film Festival premiers documentary on Minsk-engineered migrant crisis Green Border, a documentary detailing the horrors faced by those experiencing the migrant crisis engineered by Belarus, premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. The documentary by Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland follows the experiences of migrants trapped at Belarus green border exclusion zone between Belarus and Poland, where they faced violence, starvation, and hypothermia. Minsk funneled thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, which it brought to Belarus under the false promise of easy asylum in the European Union, to its borders with Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland in retaliation for EU sanctions against Belarus. Continuous crossing attempts by migrants prompted Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania to build walls along their borders with Belarus. While acknowledging that Minsk orchestrated the crisis, deemed a hybrid attack by the European Union, Hollands film criticized Polands controversial pushback strategy toward migrants. Alternate Belarusian passports The Spotlight segment provides readers with the historical context of contemporary events in Belarus. The United Transitional Cabinets attempt to issue alternative Belarusian passports in light of Lukashenkos decision to suspend passport-related services abroad is not the first such move in Belarus history. The Belarusian Peoples Republic (BNR), a partially recognized and short-lived state that proclaimed independence in 1918 under German occupation, made a similar move. The BNRs council, the Rada, issued Belarusian passports to facilitate travel throughout the newly created state and abroad without fearing arrest. Historians say the documents were printed at a publishing house in Berlin, Germany, and issued on Belarusian territory. The 12-page document, embossed with the traditional Belarusian Pahonia emblem, was granted to all those who lived within the boundaries of the BNR or to Belarusians evacuated from German occupation. When Soviet Russia gained control of Belarusian territories by the end of 1918, the BNRs council was forced into exile, after which it issued the documents from abroad. It did so from countries like Ukraine, Germany, Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria, and the Baltic states. The documents were in use until the 1920s. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, an armed formation of Belarusian military volunteers who have been defending Ukraine since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion, has reported the liberation of the village of Klishchiivka (Bakhmut district, Donetsk Oblast), and posted a video of soldiers walking across the settlement. Source: Kastus Kalinouski Regiment on Telegram Quote: "The video was shot by medics from the Kalinouski Regiment entering Klishchiivka (a suburb of Bakhmut), now liberated from Russian occupiers. The village was liberated thanks to the efforts of the soldiers of the Volat battalion and the Lytvyn battalion of the Kalinouski Regiment, as well as the Mikita Kryucou UAV unit of the regiment." , pic.twitter.com/8jiAyduXvO (@ukrpravda_news) September 15, 2023 Update: The Regiment later deleted the information and the post about Klishchiivka. A similar situation occurred on 14 September, when Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar announced the liberation of Andriivka, a village not far from Klishchiivka. Defenders called the information "untimely", but the General Staff officially announced the liberation of Andriivka on 15 September. Background: On 15 September, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that the Ukrainian forces had taken control of the settlement of Andriivka during their assault efforts, pursued their offensive and had partial success near Klishchiivka. Soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade have reported that the Russian garrison in Andriivka had been surrounded and smashed to pieces, and the capture and liberation of the village would be the key to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! On Friday 15 September, the Belgian government approved the country's participation in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets as part of an aircraft coalition aimed at supplying fighter jets of this type to Ukraine and training personnel to fly them. Source: Le Soir, citing Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder, reported by European Pravda Details: In accordance with the Belgian governments decision, six Ukrainian instructors and four mission planners will be trained in Belgium so that they can subsequently train Ukrainian pilots and other personnel on F-16s. In addition, in the coming weeks, the Belgian Ministry of Defence will send a group of three servicemen to a training centre for Ukrainian F-16 pilots in Denmark, which has made its Skrydstrup air base in the south of the country available for this purpose. And in 2024, the Belgian Defence Ministry will send two two-seat F-16B jet trainers to Denmark for advanced training, as well as a contingent of about 50 military personnel, mostly technicians, who will be responsible for the deployment of F-16s. Quote from Dedonder: "In addition to this important contribution to the preparation and commissioning of F-16s, our government is officially pledging its support to help implement this new capability, essential to the modernisation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces." Background: Ukrainian pilots are known to have begun training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. It is also known that Greece and Portugal will join in the training of Ukrainians on F-16s. Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have announced their decision to provide F-16s to Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models on display in London in October 2020. iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models on display in London in October 2020. Earlier this week, France announced that it would halt iPhone 12 sales over potential radiation emissions from the devices that surpass legal limits. Now, Germany and Belgium appear to be a bit spooked as well. Reuters reported this morning that Belgian regulators will be assessing the radiation concerns French authorities expressed in regard to the iPhone 12. While the phone model will still be sold in Belgium, the countrys secretary of state for digitalization Mathieu Michel told Reuters that he reached out to Belgian telecommunications regulators to investigate all Apple smartphones. The outlet also reported that Germany was following suit. Read more Apple has certainly had a busy week in regards to the iPhone. While facing scrutiny from European countries over the alleged radiation from the iPhone 12, the tech corporation also announced the iPhone 15 at its Wonderlust event on Tuesday. The new phone is larger than its predecessor, with a 6.1" screen on the base model with a 6.7" screen on the Plus model, along with increased camera functionality, a customizable action button in place of the mute button on the Pro model, and Roadside Assistance via satellite. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. In remarks Thursday at a Maryland college, President Biden took a swipe at former President Trump for being one of two presidents who left office with fewer jobs than when he entered. In an effort to sell Bidenomics, his economic plan that intends to build from the bottom up and middle out, Biden coined a new nickname for his predecessor: Donald Hoover Trump. Folks, it wasnt that long ago we were losing jobs in this country. In fact, there were only two presidents in American history with fewer jobs the day they left office than when they started, Biden said during his remarks at Prince Georges Community College in Largo, Md. One was President Hoover, and the other was Donald Hoover Trump. There were 3 million fewer jobs in the U.S. when Trump was preparing to leave office than on his Inauguration Day in 2017, reports from the Labor Department showed. Bidens handling of the economy has gotten mixed reviews, however. RealClearPolitics polling shows just 38 percent of those surveyed approve of Bidens efforts, while 58 percent disapprove. Biden, who, like Trump, is on the campaign trail seeking a second term in 2024, is angling for voter support behind Bidenomics. Seriously, were living through one of the greatest job-creation periods in our history. And, folks, its not an accident, Biden said Thursday. That literally is our economic plan in action. Bidenomics in action. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House next week as the administration pushes Congress for additional funding to support Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces. National security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Zelensky will visit the White House Thursday, immediately on the heels of the United Nations General Assembly, where Biden and other world leaders will gather in New York City. The White House meeting comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine, Sullivan said. The U.S. has provided billions of dollars in military and humanitarian support for Ukraine since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion in February 2022. The Biden administration last month sent a supplemental funding request to Congress that included $24 billion in additional military, humanitarian and financial aid for Ukraine. The request featured about $13 billion in defense funds to assist Ukraine: $9.5 billion for equipment and replenishment of Pentagon stocks and $3.6 billion for continued military, intelligence and other defense support. Biden has been adamant that the U.S. will stand with Kyiv for as long as it takes for the Ukrainians to win the war. While there is broad bipartisan support for Ukraine aid, a handful of Republicans, however, have been outspoken in their opposition to continued U.S. funding, including former President Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination in 2024. Sullivan said he would not speak to Zelenskys schedule outside of the White House visit, but he has every expectation that the Ukrainian president will meet with both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. I dont believe President Zelensky needs our advice to prove what Ukraine needs, Sullivan said. He has proven there is no better advocate for his country, for his better people. Next week will mark the second time in the past year Zelensky has visited the White House. He leader traveled to Washington, D.C., last December amid the war with Russia to meet with Biden and deliver an address to a joint session of Congress. Biden also traveled to Ukraine in February to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv. Updated at 1:56 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden will meet next week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as world leaders gather in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, marking their first face-to-face meeting since Netanyahu returned to office last year. National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Friday the two leaders will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues focused on the shared democratic values between the United States and Israel, and a vision for a more stable and prosperous and integrated region. The two will also compare notes on effectively countering and deterring Iran, Sullivan said. Relations between the White House and Netanyahu have been tense in the wake of an effort earlier this year by the prime ministers team to push through reforms to Israels judiciary that would effectively allow the government to choose judges on the countrys top court. Biden had urged Netanyahu to back away from the proposed reforms, which critics argued would erode Israels system of checks and balances and could protect Netanyahu from court cases in which he faces charges of bribery and corruption. Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister for his current term in December. He said in July that he had been invited to visit the U.S., though officials had said there was no invitation at the time for a White House visit. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Joe Biden speaks about the economy at Prince George's Community College, Center for the Performing Arts, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Largo, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden' s busy agenda for his time at the annual U.N. General Assembly next week will include meetings with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . He'll then return to Washington for critical talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also confirmed that Biden will host Zelenskyy on Thursday for talks at the White House. Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with Democratic and Republican lawmakers while in Washington. The sit-down Zelenskyy's third visit to the White House since Biden took office comes as Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. It also includes $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors through the World Bank. The talks also come after Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un for talks in Russia this week. The White House has said that U.S. intelligence indicates that North Korea, which has previously provided Russian munitions, is considering sending more military aid to Russia. Sullivan sought to downplay concerns that Zelenskyy faces a heavy lift during his time in Washington as far-right Republicans push to tighten the flow of aid to Ukraine. We believe based on our consultations on the Hill, there continues to be strong bipartisan support in both houses for continued funding, Sullivan told reporters. Because, frankly, Republicans and Democrats both recognize that the United States cannot in its own naked self interest let alone the moral obligation cannot walk away from Ukraine at this critical moment. Biden is scheduled Tuesday to address the annual gathering of the world body and meet with the leaders of the Central Asian nations Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The meeting with leaders from the grouping, known as the C5, is expected to focus on regional security, trade, climate change, ongoing reforms to improve governance and other issues, Sullivan said. Separately, Biden will hold talks on Tuesday with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. For Biden's address to the General Assembly, Sullivan said the president would lay out the steps his administration has taken to advance a vision of American leadership that has put great emphasis on working with others to solve the worlds most pressing problems. The president and first lady Jill Biden will also a leaders' reception Tuesday evening at Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Democratic president has increasingly emphasized a return of American leadership on the world stage under his watch as his 2024 reelection effort heats up. Biden is attempting to demonstrate greater competence and unity with allies compared to his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president, who pushed an America First foreign policy during his term in office, is the leading candidate vying for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Biden will also squeeze in some campaigning while in New York, with two fundraisers Monday and two more Wednesday. Sullivan said Biden has put a lot of points on the board and the president would look to spotlight how his foreign policy agenda to date has helped ladder up to a larger vision. Biden, however, will skip out on a major climate meeting set for Wednesday. Guterres had called on nations to come to the meeting with ambitious new policies to showcase that are in line with emission reduction goals set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Sullivan did not reveal who Biden would dispatch to the climate meeting in his place or if the U.S. would have any major policy announcements. In addition to Biden and leftist Brazilian president da Silva's one-on-one talks on Wednesday, the two leaders will meet with labor leaders from Brazil and the United States. Sullivan said that meeting is meant to highlight the role that workers play in building a sustainable, democratic, equitable and peaceful world. Biden will also meet on Wednesday with Netanyahu. The U.S. president and some Democratic lawmakers have been critical of Netanyahus push to overhaul the countrys judicial system. The effort to weaken the Supreme Court and give more power to the governing coalition has drawn strong criticism from Washington, where officials have said the U.S.-Israel alliance must be rooted in a shared approach to democracy. Biden said earlier this year that he had no intention to meet Netanyahu in the near term, but the president softened his position in July, paving the way for talks between the leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly. President Biden spoke with the head of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and leaders of major auto companies Thursday as the two sides seek to avert a strike over a contract dispute. The White House said Biden spoke with Shawn Fain , president of UAW, and the company leaders to discuss the status of ongoing negotiations. Bidens involvement came hours before a deadline for the two sides to reach an agreement before auto workers are poised to go on strike at a handful of factories unless General Motors, Ford and Stellantis meet their demands. Fain has said a small percentage of the unions nearly 150,000 members would walk off the job at 11:59 p.m. EDT Thursday without a deal. The union is asking for 36 percent raises in general pay over four years, as well as an end to differing wage tiers for factory jobs and the restoration of benefit pensions for new hires, among other changes. Also at issue is the unions representation and benefits for workers at electric vehicle battery factories, an issue that has bubbled up as the Biden administration has pushed to incentivize the use of electric vehicles. Automakers argue the proposals are neither affordable nor realistic, especially as they make massive investments in the transition to electric vehicles. A strike would deal a major blow to Biden, who frequently touts himself as the most pro-union president in history and who has for months argued the economy is strong and getting stronger. A strike could jeopardize economic gains and damage Bidens reputation for working closely with unions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden spoke with United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and executives from Detroits three legacy automakers as they approach a Thursday night deadline for a deal that would prevent a strike, the White House said. Most Read from Bloomberg The White House said Biden discussed with union and company leaders the status of ongoing negotiations but didnt provide specifics on the conversations. Fain is preparing to hit the automakers - General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV with targeted walkouts at strategic locations in several states if they dont reach an agreement by 11:59 p.m. Thursday in Detroit. The contentious labor negotiations between the union and automakers have placed Biden in a difficult situation politically. He has regularly called himself the most pro-union president in American history and highlights his efforts to strengthen organized labor. Earlier: Biden Has Few Options to Avert Strike Against Big 3 Carmakers Yet his push to transition the country to electric vehicles is at the center of the negotiations, with unions worried that it could lead to job cuts and lower pay, and favor non-union car companies such as Tesla Inc. Biden has avoided work stoppages in other industries, including securing a deal for freight-rail workers and seeing an agreement between dockworkers and terminal operators for West Coast ports. The auto industry negotiations pose a new test of his pro-union credentials and threaten to deliver a blow to supply chains and the economy if the two sides fail to reach an agreement by the deadline. The administration is preparing for the potential fallout from a strike, which could lead to higher car prices and inflict financial damage on industry suppliers. A 10-day strike would likely cost $5.6 billion in lost output and push swing-state Michigan into recession, according to the Anderson Economic Group. Read more: UAW Prepares Targeted Strike to Maximize Automakers Pain As the Thursday night deadline approached, automakers began sharing more details on their negotiations. GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra, in a letter to employees, detailed a proposed 20% pay raise over the contract period. While the terms are up from a previous offer of 18%, they are still short of the 36% sought by the union. (Updates with additional details, from second paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. President Biden said Friday that record-high corporate profits should be shared with workers, hours after the United Auto Workers (UAW) went on a historic strike. Biden said that while he appreciates that the Big Three automakers have been working to make a deal on workers contracts with UAW, they failed to reach an agreement because the companies didnt offer enough. I believe they should go further. Record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared by record contracts for the UAW, Biden said in remarks at the White House. Lets be clear, no one wants a strike. No one wants a strike. But I respect workers rights to use their options under the collective bargaining system and I understand the workers frustration, he added. Negotiations between the UAW and Ford, Stellantis and General Motors have been focused on pay increases, pensions and career security, while workers also have concerns about electric vehicles (EVs) and how a shift toward them could affect their jobs and pay. Biden said he is dispatching acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling to Detroit to talk to both sides over the strike. He also hailed American auto workers for their decades of contributions to the U.S. economy. The praise comes as the union has not yet endorsed Biden in 2024, arguing in May that it has concerns over the White Houses focus on EVs. The union made clear at the time that it doesnt plan to endorse former President Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination. Over generations, auto workers sacrificed so much to keep the industry alive and strong, especially through economic crises and the pandemics. Workers deserve a fair share of the benefits they helped create for an enterprise, Biden said. He said that UAW members have demonstrated extraordinary skill and sacrifices and that the union is at the heart of our economy. He added that a transition to EVs should be fair and a win-win for auto workers and auto companies. Its my hope that the parties can return to the negotiation table, the president said. The bottom line is that auto workers helped create Americas middle class. They deserve a contract that sustains them and the middle class. Biden on Thursday evening, ahead of the strike, had spoken with UAW head Shawn Fain, and leaders of major auto companies. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) A bill going through Alabamas legislature would require public K-12 schools to broadcast or sanction the National Anthem once a week. The bill, SB2, would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama 2022. It would require each public school to broadcast the first stanza of the National Anthem at least once a week during school hours. PHOTOS: Crews dismantling I-65 Saturn 1B rocket The first stanza of Francis Scott Keys The Star Spangled Banner is what is commonly referred to as the National Anthem. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today. In the bill, lawmakers cite, For over 100 years, The Star-Spangled Banner has served to inspire generations of patriotic Americans, and it is imperative that students have exposure to this history and inspiration. Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) states that there are options to how it is broadcasted. Either the local Board of Education (BoE) can select any recording of the first stanza of the Star Spangled Banner that is archived within the Library of Congress and available on the Library of Congress website. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Another option given was that the BoE could allow for the performance of the first stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner from original sheet music, archived within the Library of Congress and available on its website, by a school-sanctioned band program, choral program, vocal group, or vocalist. If this bill passes through the legislature, it would then be presented to Alabamaians to vote on during the next election cycle. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Since she was a child in the 1950s and 60s, Bea Leach Hatler had always heard stories of the land in Eatonville that was an important part of her familys legacy. On Thursday, for the first time, she saw what was left of the property that once housed the Robert Hungerford Normal and Industrial School, her great-grandfathers namesake. Its like, God, they were here. They were here, said Hatler, 71. My grandfathers, from the 1800s, they have walked this property. Im so humbled. Its not just soil. Its not just dirt. This is Black American history and, by God, it needs to stay in Eatonville. Once a 300-acre campus that taught Black students when schools were legally segregated, about 100 acres remain. Under the shadow of Interstate 4, lined in chain-link fencing with Keep Out signs bolted every few yards, the land is at the center of a battle between Orange County Public Schools, which nearly sold it to a developer in March, and the residents of Eatonville, who said the developers plan for new housing was far too expensive for most residents whose families had lived in the historic Black town for generations to afford. In a grassroots effort led by longtime residents, about 100 people showed up to a town council meeting in February and spoke out against the development. They successfully swayed the town council, which voted down the project, leading the developer to cancel the $14 million sale a month later. The school board has since dropped the search for a new buyer but the future of the land is still uncertain. Eatonville celebrates: Hungerford land victory renews hope among residents In July, Hatler joined a lawsuit filed by Alabama-based civil rights organization the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is representing her and the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, PEC. Im here for my great grandfathers vision, said Hatler, who spent days walking around the town visiting the post office, the library, the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts and Hungerford Elementary School where she saw a portrait of her great grandfather, who died of an illness at just 26, for the first time. They have the same nose, she said. People had no idea that there were even Hungerfords still living and Im here to say that Im representing the Hungerfords vision and their love for Eatonville and their love for the people, she said. Im with the PEC and I stand strong right beside them to make sure that the school board relinquishes this land and we get Eatonville and the people of Eatonville to tell us what they want because they deserve it. Im here to see that happen. Representatives for the school board have said little to indicate what will happen to the land except to say that the request from the residents that OCPS donate the property to the town so residents and leaders can decide its future alone is prohibited by law. Legal experts who reviewed the law and school board policy at the request of the Orlando Sentinel earlier this year disagreed with that interpretation and said the land could be donated. School district can donate Hungerford land, legal experts say In a motion to dismiss filed last month, lawyers for the school board argued that the SPLC lawsuit lacked, standing pointing out that Hatler, who lives in Oregon, and the PEC, led by longtime activist and Eatonville resident N.Y. Nathiri, had no right to file suit against OCPS because they were not and would never be students or parents of students. The SPLC complaint also argued that when OCPS bought the land for well below market value in the early 1950s, the school board agreed that the purpose of the land was for the education of Black students. Beginning in the decades following the sale, OCPS has fought to remove that requirement so the land could be sold and developed for non-educational purposes. OCPS lawyers claimed that the courts had already decided to strike the requirement years prior and it was too late to appeal that decision. The lawyers went on to say that even if a judge ruled to reinstate it, the requirement would be unenforceable because, by their interpretation, it requires the School Board to operate a public school for African American children only, lawyers for the school board wrote. The school board argued that reinstating the educational requirement would violate U.S. Supreme Court decisions meant to protect civil rights, Brown v. Board of Education, which required school desegregation, and Shelley v. Kraemer, which ensured the right for all citizens to be protected under the law regardless of race. Taking Brown and Shelley together, the 1951 Court-imposed Use Restriction became illegal after Brown as it required the School Board to operate a segregated school on the Hungerford Property as desired by Plaintiffs and is unenforceable pursuant to Shelley because its enforcement by this Court would preclude all other children who are not African American from attending said school in violation of their Fourteenth Amendment rights to equal protection under the laws of the United States, the school boards motion said. SPLC lawyers disputed this claim in a response to OCPS motion to dismiss the case, saying that no argument was made that called for OCPS to operate a segregated school. One idea for an educational use for a portion of the property was presented earlier this year by Nathiri, who requested $87 million to build a ZORA! Campus that would include a new museum complex dedicated to famed writer and Eatonville native Zora Neale Hurston and an upgraded Excellence Without Excuses computer lab to replace the current one on Kennedy Boulevard. It would also include a STEM Center for science, technology, engineering and math education and a conference center that can accommodate meetings up to 1,000 people. Hatler said she supports the idea for the ZORA! Campus if Nathiri can raise funds to build it. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday for a judge to determine if the case can continue or if it should be dismissed as OCPS has requested. dstennett@orlandosentinel.com On Aug. 19 at Pine Mountain Settlement School, a group of local residents zoomed up the drive in trucks and on ATVs to oust an artists collective from the chapel over perceived desecration. In another building, a group of Native American activists were holding a workshop on indigenous issues, including the historical erasure of Native Americans from areas of Kentucky like Pine Mountain. This is a small detail in the overall events of the day, which have rippled through Appalachia and well beyond in writing and social media. Many have decried the groups actions, others have defended them. Theres a petition to get rid of the schools interim director, set up by Tate Napier, the leader of the local group and a descendant of William Creech, who in 1913 gifted the land on Pine Mountain to form the settlement school. There was even a mention of buying back the land once owned by the Creeches or somehow dissolving the non-profit that controls the property. For me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the whole episode has been a discussion of who owns Pine Mountain Settlement School, or who belongs there through family heritage or religion or the right kind of politics. The fact is, of course, there were many people there before the Creeches, bands of Cherokee or Shawnee or other tribes who for hundreds of years had not owned the land, but had hunted, grown crops and lived there. Their artifacts still sit on shelves at the school, but they, the first inhabitants, have been conveniently forgotten. Pine Mountain was the ancestral home of Native Americans for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, and the irony is that the Native Americans who inhabited it believed the earth was here for everyone, said Landra Lewis, an activist of Cherokee and Sac descent,who grew up near Pine Mountain. To have people now decide that they have some kind of ownership on it and certain people should not be allowed to be there is so wrong and so contrary to indigenous philosophy. As America grapples with its culture wars over belonging and values, over what should be remembered and who has been forgotten, Pine Mountain stands as a fascinating microcosm of a place with overlapping histories that ebb and flow. There are the people who built a school at Pine Mountain, and the people who inhabited the land long before that. That history is clear, and one of the reasons we know about it is because of a 14-year-old girl named Frances Johnson. Burial ground In 1923, Johnson was with a group of Pine Mountain students exploring a cliff overhang behind some of the settlement school buildings. According to the Pine Mountain Settlement School archive, and a story in the Lexington Herald, shed been told by a John Metcalf that Native Americans were once in the area and wanted to find evidence; Ive brung a mattock; I aim to dig me up an Indian! she allegedly said. And so she did, finding ample evidence, including several skulls, until the schools director, Katherine Pettit, stepped in to stop the very unscientific operation. Pettit called in Dr. William D. Funkhouser at the University of Kentucky (for whom many things at UK are named). He soon arrived at Pine Mountain with a work crew. The rock overhang at Pine Mountain Settlement School held Native American remains. (Credit: Pine Mountain Settlement School Archive.) Nine bodies or ancestors, as they are now called, were found at the site. They were all buried in a sitting posture, some with the bones of the turkey wings that had been placed beside them for their last journey according to the school. They may have died all at once from one of the European diseases that decimated native populations. One ancestor was wired together and taken to the University of Kentucky under the aegis of Funkhouser, although UK did not yet have an anthropology department. Frances, according to the Herald story, helped with the archaeology, and worked so hard she was declared an ideal scientific worker. Funkhouser wrote of the work, Ancient Life in Kentucky: A Brief Presentation of the Paleontological Succession in Kentucky Coupled with a Systematic Outline of the Archaeology of the Commonwealth, co-edited with William S. Webb in 1928 and considered a seminal work on Kentucky archaeology. The archaeological museum at UK was later named in Webbs honor. The other ancestors were reburied at the site. Its not clear if its accessible to the public today; officials at Pine Mountain did not return calls for comment. According to the archive, some people in the community were upset at the gravesite being disturbed in this way, and some locals sang an old funeral song at the burial: Been a long time travelin here below, Been a long time travelin away from my home, Been a long time travelin here below, To lay this body down. Dark and Bloody Ground If UKs Webb Museum sounds familiar, its because it recently made national news over the schools slow pace at complying with the 1990 federal law called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The law required Native American artifacts and remains to be returned to tribal nations. The Webb Museum, which had the sixth largest collection of Native American remains in the country with 4,500, had only returned about 3 percent of them, according to ProPublica. Following the story, UK announced it would devote nearly $1 million to repatriation efforts. So would Pine Mountains ancestor be returned to the tribal nations of either the Cherokee or Shawnee? Not exactly. Celise Chilcote-Fricker is an assistant professor of anthropology and UKs NAGPRA coordinator. We dont have anything from Pine Mountain, she said. NAGPRA requires a careful database; the museum does have some artifacts from the area but no ancestors. Chilcote-Fricker says the museum communicates with tribal nations known to have been in Kentucky before they were pushed further westward including Cherokee, Shawnee, Osage, Peoria, Seneca and Chickasaw to see if they want to put forward repatriation claims, or the nations might contact her directly with geographical or oral history claims. But Kentucky is complicated by the myth of the Dark and Bloody Ground, Chilcote-Fricker said, which held that tribal nations only used Kentucky to fight and hunt, but not as a place to live. The term is believed to have come out of negotiations between the Cherokee Nation and the Transylvania Company in 1775. It was a very very obvious ploy she said, for white colonists to perpetuate so they could freely take land and not give any up. It means that repatriation is more difficult and must be done through multiple nations working together. Attitudes are changing for a variety of reasons, Chilcote-Fricker said. NAGPRA legislation hit its 30 year mark and there was reflection on the lack of progress that many institutions had made, she said. Then there have been huge general shifts in anthropology and archaeology with more sensitivity about white colonization of North America and more interest in returning the often plundered Native American sites back to tribal nations. We see a lot more community engagement in general across the board, she said. As for the Pine Mountain ancestor, it could be anywhere. There was a lot of sharing between universities, or objects were loaned out for display at state fairs and historical societies, Chilcote-Fricker said. UKs archival researcher will now open a file for the Pine Mountain ancestor to see if any neighboring institutions might know where it is or if it could be repatriated. Its not clear if Pine Mountain Settlement School is subject to NAGPRA; it would depend on how much if any federal funds they receive. A sacred space The idea that one familys ownership of land gives that family a perpetual claim over it is as silly as pretending the land was not first occupied by many other people before. But as a country, weve long been unwilling to deal with our less savory histories of enslavement, colonization and persecution. Over the years, Pine Mountain has had many constituencies its indigenous inhabitants, the many people of European and also native descent who were born in the infirmary, went to school there or got married in the chapel. Most of all its a place of learning, about art, about nature, about history and, if we chose to have the conversation, about the conflicts that divide us and the love of place that could bring us back together. Every time we walk in this region, we walk on the bones of the ancestors, said Landra Lewis, citing part of the land acknowledgment she makes before public events. Pine Mountain is a very special place for so many of us, she said. It always felt like a sacred space. A Boone County Circuit Court judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by landowners against Lebanon and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. that challenged the annexation of more than 5,000 acres for a new development headlined by a $1.6 billion Eli Lilly development. The lawsuit, filed by 11 landowners in January, claimed the annexation was illegal because it was not included in the city's comprehensive plan, which was adopted in January of 2020 and is a guideline for how the city should develop. The challenge also addressed the zoning of the annexed land, which it said was illegal due to Lebanon's development guidelines. City officials passed an updated development plan for Lebanon and the annexed land in mid-August. Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry, a Republican, called the legal challenge "an attempt to delay a 100% voluntary annexation that had no reason to be filed" in a social media post. "All that resulted from this frivolous lawsuit was a waste of taxpayer dollars and an affirmation that the City of Lebanon followed the law precisely," said Gentry. "I am glad we have received the Courts decision to dismiss this case with prejudice. The City of Lebanon will continue to work with the IEDC to develop the LEAP Lebanon district into a world-class research and innovation district that will bring boundless opportunities and benefits to the citizens of Lebanon and the State of Indiana." Zionsville lawyer Michael Andreoli, who represented the landowners, said the court took the case under advisement for so long "to allow the city to fix what theyve done wrong" and rework the annexation and rezoning into the comprehensive plan. He denied the case was frivolous. Boone County Preservation Group, a local group formed in opposition to the LEAP District, said that though the lawsuit did not rule in favor of the landowners, the legal challenge had the desired effect, which was that the city and the IEDC changed their development plans and zoning to exist within the city's comprehensive plan. We supported this filing to force the local government to follow its own rules and ensure the correct processes were used when approving such an enormous project, Jim Love, a Boone County resident and group member, said in a statement. Lebanon went back and corrected the issues brought in the suit, leaving the case moot. However, we got the desired outcome and hope this serves as a warning to all levels of government that they cannot cut corners in the future. The district is anchored by Eli Lilly's $3.7B investment in 12 buildings encompassing 1.6 million square feet, including two 330,000 square-foot three-story peptide manufacturing facilities. Though Lilly is the only company to commit publicly to LEAP thus far, the IEDC is marketing the site to manufacturing and technology companies, earlier this summer requested $122 million to attract a $50 billion semiconductor facility to the district. Contact business reporter Claire Rafford at 317-617-3402 or email crafford@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Boone County judge dismisses lawsuit challenging massive development Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attends the opening ceremony of the 2023 Beijing Culture Forum and delivers a speech in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) The 2023 Beijing Culture Forum opened on Thursday in Beijing, and it received a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping. The letter was read out by Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, at the opening ceremony. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Speaking at the event, Cai said Xi's congratulatory letter vividly demonstrates China's firm determination and policy stance to adhere to the Global Civilization Initiative, strengthen cultural exchanges with the rest of the world, and jointly promote cultural prosperity and development. He emphasized the need to take the spirit of the congratulatory letter as a guide, develop modern Chinese civilization, promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and inject profound and lasting cultural strength into the endeavor to build a community with a shared future for humanity. Cai stressed the importance of self-confidence and self-reliance, vigorously promoting the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, systematically protecting historical and cultural heritage, and nurturing the spiritual strength to achieve national rejuvenation. He called for promoting openness and inclusiveness, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations. Cai added that China will work together with the international community to promote common values of humanity and strive to open up new horizons for people-to-people exchanges, connectivity and cultural integration worldwide. He expressed hopes that the Beijing Culture Forum will achieve fruitful results and serve as a first-class platform to promote cultural exchanges and deepen mutual learning among civilizations. The 2023 Beijing Culture Forum was jointly hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Beijing municipal government. Officials from central and local publicity and cultural units, renowned experts, scholars, writers, artists, industry leaders, as well as international political figures and heads of international cultural organizations attended the forum. SAN DIEGO (Border Report) After being closed for nearly three years, the northbound lanes of Ped West resumed operations eight months ago, albeit under limited hours. The pedestrian crossing has closed once again. This time, the closure is due to an influx of migrants along the Tijuana-San Diego border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it needs the facility to process the asylum-seekers since other facilities in the area have been operating at maximum capacity. Throughout Thursday morning, a constant flow of Border Patrol buses and field vehicles drove into the backside of PedWest. Border Patrol releasing migrants onto streets of San Diego According to CBP, the migrants brought to PedWest will be primarily family units or unaccompanied children. In a statement, the agency said CBP will work to return to normal operations as quickly as feasible. US-Mexico border is deadliest migrant land route: UN agency But those who normally use PedWest to cross the border to go to work, school, visit family or for appointments in the U.S. are none too happy. Migrants waiting on the east side of the San Ysidro Port of Entry where wait times are expected to increase due to PedWests temporary shutdown. (Jorge Nieto/Special to Border Report) A man named Juan got visibly upset as he approached the border crossing from the Tijuana side when told it was closed. Why? No one said anything? he said. CBP did put out a news release Wednesday evening, but it was clear many people didnt get the message. It read: While PedWest is closed to the public, CBP will open as many lanes as possible at the PedEast crossing to accommodate those who typically use PedWest. Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the United States-Mexico border PedWest closed for renovations and remained closed once the coronavirus pandemic set in. Earlier this year, it began operating only in a northbound direction and only from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Southbound pedestrian traffic had yet to resume, although there has been talk it would reopen soon. According to CBP, this temporary suspension will not impact the currently scheduled processing of CBP One appointments at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. The trial of the Boston man who was allegedly recruited by a local marijuana trafficking ring and is now accused of killing three people, including a Rochester police officer, starts Monday with jury selection. Jury selection is expected to last most of the week, and the trial could be as long as a month . The trial is expected to expose how two drug rings engaged in a violent turf war arsons, murders, shootings that led to the homicide of a 29-year veteran of the police force, Anthony Mazurkiewicz. Wounded in the July 21, 2022, shooting on Bauman Street was another Rochester police officer , Sino Seng. Among the charges for Kelvin Vickers Jr. are aggravated murder, second-degree murder, attempted aggravated murder, attempted second-degree murder, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the Bauman Street homicide. The funeral for Rochester Police Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz was held in the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY on Monday August 1, 2022, Vickers was also initially accused of shooting a teenage girl at a home who was struck by an errant bullet. That charge has been dropped; prosecutors say the girl does not want to testify. DIFFERENT MURDER CHARGE: Aggravated murder is different than intentional murder of a police officer; with the latter Vickers would have to have known the targets were law enforcement. The Mazurkiewicz killing is one of only three of the homicides police linked to Vickers. The others are killings associated with what prosecutors contend was the battle between two marijuana-dealing factions . When ambushed, Mazurkiewicz and Seng were conducting surveillance in an undercover van as police tried to quell the violence. The day before, two men, Richard Collinge and MyJel Rand, were fatally shot and another man injured in what police say were homicides on North Clinton Avenue sparked by the marijuana trafficking conflict. Vickers, Deadrick Fulwiley, and Raheim Robinson are accused of murder and attempted murder in those crimes. Vickers is now being tried alone. District Attorney Sandra Doorley is the lead prosecutor on the case. GANG FROM BOSTON: Police have tied Vickers to a Boston-based gang. Brandon Washington, who is facing federal drug trafficking charges, is accused of making calls to gang members in Boston and Ohio seeking help to respond to the opposing drug organization. Adam Sandler bringing tour to Blue Cross Arena in November Gary Craig is a veteran reporter with the Democrat and Chronicle, covering courts and crime and more. You can reach Craig at gcraig@rocheste.gannett.com. He is the author of two books, including "Seven Million: A Cop, a Priest, a Soldier for the IRA, and the Still-Unsolved Rochester Brink's Heist." This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Murdered Rochester police officer: Trial case of 3 killings to start An Arkansas resident is dead after being infected by a brain-eating amoeba traced to a country clubs splash pad, officials say. The Arkansas Department of Health said an investigation revealed a person was infected with Naegleria fowleri at the Country Club of Little Rock splash pad. The health department did not identify the person who died, but KARK reported the victim was a child. Officials said the country club closed its splash pad and has been cooperative with the health department. There is no risk to the public, as the infection cannot spread from person to person. Only about three people get infected annually with Naegleria fowleri in the United States, the health department said, adding that this was the first case in Arkansas since 2013. Naegleria, often found in warm fresh water, infects people when water containing the amoeba enters a persons body through their nose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Naegleria fowleri is the only species of the amoeba that infects people. The amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes a devastating infection, the CDC said, adding that the infection is often fatal. The majority of Naegleria fowleri infections occur in boys 14 years old and younger, though the reasons are unclear, according to the CDC. Symptoms of the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about 5 days, officials said. 1 dead after two people contract infection along NC coast, officials say. What we know Child dies of brain-eating amoeba after visit to hot spring, Nevada officials say Indiana Sen. Mike Braun (R) endorsed Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) to succeed him for the Senate seat he is vacating. Braun said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Banks is a proven conservative leader who has a strong track record of fighting for Hoosier values as a former Indiana state House member, Afghanistan War veteran and current House member. I am confident Jim will continue to put America First and fight for conservative values in the US Senate, Braun said. I give Jim Banks my full and complete endorsement for the United States Senate because he knows America is worth fighting for. Banks thanked Braun, who is forgoing a reelection campaign to instead run for governor of Indiana, for the endorsement, writing in a tweet, Senator @braun4indiana has been a strong pro-life and fiscal conservative in the U.S. Senate, and Im proud to have his endorsement to replace him. Banks the only current major GOP candidate running is the favorite to win the Republican nomination and the seat in the deeply red state. He was endorsed by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, in February. Banks has also received endorsements from numerous other senators and representatives, state legislators and the Indiana Republican Party. He said when he announced his candidacy in January that he was running because We NEED conservatives in Washington who arent afraid to fight [President] Bidens radical agenda. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Five former members of London's Metropolitan Police Service face up to six months in prison after pleading guilty to sharing racist jokes on a WhatsApp chat group called "Old Boys Beer Meet." None of the men were serving with the police department at the time they shared the jokes. The men made fun of, among others, Princess Catherine, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as black people, Chinese people, Muslims, and Romanians. While they face prison time, an attorney representing some of the men says he hopes they will only receive a fine. A sixth former officer who was a member of the chat group has denied the charges against him and will go to trial in November. The post Brickbat: Old Boys Club appeared first on Reason.com. A view of Lucy Letby, who was on trial at Manchester Crown Court charged with the murder of seven babies, being taken in custody by police, in Chester LONDON (Reuters) - British nurse Lucy Letby has applied to appeal against her conviction for murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more, a court spokesperson said on Friday. Letby was last month found guilty of killing five baby boys and two baby girls at the neonatal unit of Countess of Chester hospital in northern England over 13 months from 2015, injecting the infants with insulin or air or force feeding them milk. The 33-year-old was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to a whole-life order last month, meaning she will never be released from prison. Letby has filed an application for leave to appeal against her conviction at London's Court of Appeal, a court spokesperson said. No date for any appeal has been set, they added. The nurse's conviction, following a harrowing 10-month trial, made Letby Britain's worst serial child killer in modern history, local media said. Letby had refused to attend her sentencing in August, which the mother of one of her victims described as a final act of wickedness. Shortly after, Britain announced plans to give judges new powers to force criminals to attend their sentencing, following a furore over several other high-profile cases where killers refused to appear in the dock. The government has also launched a public inquiry into the case, which will look at the circumstances of Letby's crimes and consider accusations from doctors on the neonatal unit that their concerns about Letby were not heeded by senior staff. (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Alistair Smout) The European Commission has decided against extending the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, the commission announced on Sept. 15. Read also: Ukraine to use WTO arbitration in response to extended grain import embargo by Poland At the same time, the decision is predicated on Kyiv meeting certain obligations. Ukraine has agreed to introduce any legal measures (including, for example, an export licensing system) within 30 days to avoid grain surges, the message said. Until then, Ukraine is to put in place from Sept. 16 effective measures to control the export of four groups of goods in order to prevent any market distortions in the neighboring Member States. Ukraine will submit an Action Plan to the platform no later than close-of-business on Sept. 18. The European Commission concluded that "market distortions" in the five neighboring countries of Ukraine disappeared due to the work of the coordination platform and temporary measures in place since May 2. Read also: Hungary threatens to introduce total ban on Ukraine agro imports Brussels also assured it would not re-impose trade restrictions as long as the "measures taken by Ukraine are fully effective." Read also: Bulgaria to lift embargo on Ukrainian grain imports The European Commission and Ukraine will jointly monitor the situation. The European Commission also assured that they would not impose restrictions as long as the "measures taken by Ukraine are fully effective." Despite these measures, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia announced they will extend their own bans on importing Ukrainian grain, effective from Sept. 16. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine When Lan Xiaoxi, a seasoned scriptwriter from Nanjing, the capital city of East China's Jiangsu province, was approached to adapt a novel into the TV series All the Way to the Sun, she felt as though she had been transported back to the golden era of China's thriving real estate market. The 36-episode series, which began showing on China Central Television's channel 8 and streaming on Youku in mid-August, is adapted from the 2018 best-selling novel Da Cheng Xiao Shi (A Small Home in a Metropolis), which chronicles the remarkable growth of the property industry in Beijing from 2007 to 2017. Lan, a former journalist with experience covering diverse topics, from real estate to food, conducted interviews with more than 100 women between the ages of 20 and 35. Through these conversations, she explored their perspectives on love, their aspirations for a better life, and their pursuit of successful careers, seeking inspiration for the female protagonists in the script. Set one year before Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, the TV series revisits the period when the Chinese capital was brimming with energy, drawing in a multitude of ambitious recent college graduates yearning to make their mark. Set against the backdrop of this dynamic era, the tale delves into the intertwined lives of Li Mujia and Tian Rong, two close friends who have just graduated from a second-tier college. While Li's ambitious nature propels her to secure an internship at a prestigious law firm, despite her modest educational background, Tian, who is more introverted, faces challenges in finding employment and endures the pain of a breakup with her arrogant boyfriend. Nevertheless, the booming real estate market ushers in unforeseen developments in their lives. Tian, with her keen understanding of the market, convinces her parents to support her in purchasing three apartments in the eastern part of Beijing. She relies on prudent savings from her salary and rental income to meet the mortgage payments. Li unexpectedly crosses paths with the magnate of a commercial real estate empire, catching his attention and earning her the opportunity to work as the lawyer on a high-profile case. Through her diligence and determination, she emerges as an exceptional lawyer, and later switches jobs to join a start-up in order to pursue a bigger dream. "We have been working on the script since 2019. Since the story is set more than 10 years ago, we have conducted extensive research to ensure its authenticity," says Lan. Their job is like documenting the history of Beijing's real estate market. Delving into a lot of news reports and documentaries, and conducting research at some property agencies, Lan and her fellow creators produced a stack of paperwork, meticulously recording the annual property prices in different areas of Beijing, as well as noting the significant news events that would influence the market. "The plot spans 10 years, a period of tremendous change in Beijing. Countless buildings rose up and the city was rapidly expanding. The country and its capital, in this special way, become intertwined with the youth of the two main characters. I believe this connection will deeply resonate with many post-1980s viewers," says Lan. Aside from the property sector, the scriptwriter also went to a top law firm to closely observe the daily routines of lawyers and interns, obtaining a lot of firsthand information that makes the details in the show richer. However, what impressed her the most was not the established lawyers winning a difficult lawsuit or solving a challenging problem, but seeing the busy scenes of young interns at the law firm. "Their desks were filled with ringing phones, the printers continuously spitting out documents," recalls Lan. Despite the often-discussed stress of urban life driving many young people to leave the hustle and bustle behind, there are still plenty of individuals striving for their dreams and contributing to the prosperity of big cities, she says. The drama also features depictions of some real-life real estate tycoons. However, due to the difficulties of reaching and interviewing people of such high stature, Lan and her creative team had to find alternative sources, turning to biographical books of magnates like Pan Shiyi, cofounder of SOHO China, and Wang Shi, founder of China Vanke Co, for insights and inspiration. Through the process of polishing the tale, the scriptwriter has gained a profound understanding of Chinese people's connection to property, which is deeply rooted in their culture and history. Through interviews with many people who have made Beijing their home, despite some of them not having hukou (permanent residence registration), the scriptwriter says that she has found owning an apartment provides a sense of security, giving them the impetus to strive. According to statistics from the China Television Artists Association and the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, the drama, which concluded its first run earlier this month, surpassed all other TV dramas during its broadcast time and has accumulated 2.7 billion clicks on all related topics on major social platforms like Sina Weibo. Elk Grove will reconsider its rejection of a contentious affordable housing project in the citys historic Old Town that prompted Californias attorney general to sue the city, alleging it broke state housing laws. Council members will discuss the proposed Oak Rose project at their Sept. 27 meeting. City staffers are recommending the city approve the project to avoid costly litigation. Elk Grove officials said in a lengthy statement Thursday that the costs of fighting lawsuits filed by state Attorney General Rob Bonta and an earlier suit filed by Oak Roses developers challenging the July 2022 council decision would be too great. Bonta, announcing his offices lawsuit in May, said Elk Grove had repeatedly violated state housing law requiring cities streamline construction of affordable housing, saying of his suit: They left us no choice. The 67-unit Oak Rose apartment project proposed for Elk Grove Boulevard near Kent Street in east Elk Grove would have been the first in the city to provide permanent housing and services for low-income families who had been homeless, the projects developers said. But Elk Grove leaders last July rejected the site, saying the site was too dense and that ground-floor residences planned for the site did not adhere to zoning requirements for the historic district. Oak Rose, proposed for three stories, would sit near a bus line, shopping and a planned new city library. The Elk Grove City Council voted in May to fight the AGs legal action but had hoped to head off the dual lawsuits with a settlement proposal that included alternate sites a plan earlier proposed to and rejected by Oak Rose with sweeteners, city officials said in the Thursday statement. Elk Grove would have taken over the Old Town site as part of the deal, possibly to expand its new city library to be built next door at Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road, but an agreement was not reached. Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen again defended the citys record on affordable housing. Several large affordable housing projects are in the works, either being dug or on the drawing board, including The Lyla, a 294-unit development on Bruceville Road north of Laguna Boulevard; the 387-unit Poppy Grove apartments on Bruceville Road near Whitelock Parkway; and the Cornerstone Village complex on the grounds of the Light of the Valley Church on Bruceville Road just south of Laguna Boulevard. Elk Grove maintains its commitment to providing housing for all, Singh-Allen said Thursday. The city council has approved other projects that include permanent supportive housing units and continues to fund and operate a range of options designed to prevent, respond to, and end homelessness. City leaders will be reconsidering the Oak Rose site after recently approving the soon-to-be city library site, the vacant Rite Aid drug store at Elk Grove and Waterman, as a winter weather shelter for roughly 30 of the citys unhoused from November through March. Construction on the new city library is expected to begin in mid-2024. The space is being paid for with Measure E funds from a voter-approved 1% sales tax hike last fall that prioritized city spending on public safety and the homeless among other issues. But the site, much like the proposed Oak Rose development, is drawing concern from worried Old Town and east side residents who say the shelter sits too close to homes and will pose a safety risk to its neighbors. Several residents queued up at Wednesdays city council meeting to take their concerns to council members. The Democratic-led California Legislature voted to place on the ballot an amendment to the state Constitution that seeks to thwart a business-led effort to make it harder to pass new taxes. Lawmakers on Thursday passed Assembly Constitutional Amendment 13, which would require ballot initiatives that seek to increase voter thresholds under the California Constitution to meet that same higher bar in order to take effect. The amendment, which will go before voters on the March primary ballot, is a direct response to an initiative called the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act. Led by the California Business Roundtable and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., that act would require voter approval for all tax increases passed in Sacramento. New local special taxes also would require a two-thirds vote of approval by residents. Here's what you need to know: 1. How would voting thresholds change? Let's start with the basics. California law provides two pathways to amend the state Constitution. Through the Legislature, lawmakers can adopt a change through a two-thirds vote. Then voters need to approve that amendment with a majority vote at least one vote over 50% in favor during a statewide election for the change to become law. Citizens also can organize to change the California Constitution under the statewide initiative process. To qualify a proposed amendment for the ballot, proponents must gather voter signatures in support of the change, equal to at least 8% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. If those signatures are verified, the measure similarly goes before voters and requires a majority vote in a statewide election. In March, a group of business interests gathered enough signatures to qualify an initiative to increase the threshold for voter approval of tax increases. If approved by voters on the November 2024 ballot, the measure would require all new taxes passed by the Legislature to be approved by a majority of voters. For new local special taxes, the bar would rise from a majority vote to two-thirds voter approval. Democratic lawmakers with their labor union allies responded over the summer by introducing their own change to the Constitution in the Legislature with ACA 13. This measure, which passed Thursday with the strong support of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), would require that any measure passed through the signature-gathering initiative process that seeks to change the California Constitution to increase voter approval requirements on state or local measures would need to meet the same voter approval requirement. For example, if a measure seeks to raise voter approval from a majority vote to a two-thirds vote, the measure itself would also need support from two-thirds of voters in order to take effect. ACA 13, dubbed the Protect and Retain the Majority Vote Act, would also allow local governments to hold advisory votes to understand voter opinions on an issue. If approved by voters in March, ACA 13 would apply to constitutional amendments passed through the initiative process that go before voters after Jan. 1. 2. Sounds wonky. Why do unions and lawmakers want to change the thresholds? ACA 13 is the latest example of political gamesmanship in the battle between progressive unions and conservative business interests at the state Capitol. Defeating the business-backed ballot measure has become high priority for Democrats and their allies. Service Employees International Union of California, which co-sponsored ACA 13, and a coalition that includes the League of California Cities and the California Teachers Assn. contend businesses are trying to deceive voters and undermine the will of communities to adopt their own measures. The coalition contends that the changes would result in millions of dollars in cuts to local public services. "To be very blunt, we are here today because a very few special interests led by the California Business Roundtable have qualified a measure and want to change the rules to their benefit," Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said during a vote in the Senate on Thursday. "Make no mistake: They want to fundamentally alter the foundations of our government, bring it to a halt and stop our progress." Raising the threshold for approval under ACA 13 from a majority of voters to two-thirds for the tax measure to pass would make it much harder for business interests to prevail. Unions say it's only fair that if you want to increase the threshold for other measures, your own measure should be subject to the higher bar as well. 3. What do opponents say? Business interests say they are funding the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act in order to increase accountability over how government spends California tax dollars. Their argument against ACA 13 is relatively similar to the case made by unions against the business-backed measure. The California Business Roundtable contends that ACA 13 is an example of special interests trying to diminish the voice of voters by applying the change only to amendments that land on the ballot through the signature-gathering process and not those that are passed through the Legislature. "Very simply, if you look beyond all of it, what this is about is raising taxes and making it easier to raise taxes," state Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) said during debate in the Senate, where the proposal passed with a 28-9 vote. The Assembly approved the measure Thursday with a 54-19 vote. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Hundreds of thousands of health care workers in California are likely to secure a new minimum wage of $25 an hour as the Legislature successfully sent the bill Thursday night to Gov. Gavin Newsom s desk. One caveat, though, is workers would have to wait between three and 10 years to see the full wage. Senate Bill 525, introduced by Los Angeles Democratic Sen. Maria Elena Durazo and backed by unions, would ensure a minimum wage of $25 for a wide variety of employees at covered health care facilities. The wage floor applies to direct patient care providers, such as nurses, physicians and medical residents, but also to workers in support positions, such as janitors, housekeepers, food service workers, medical billing personnel and gift shop clerks. Until recently, the bill faced staunch opposition from the hospital industry along with community clinics and dialysis centers. But a series of last-minute amendments and agreements, which include a four-year ban on ballot initiatives and referendums brought by the unions or health care industry against one another, cleared the way for the bills passage. The Assembly voted 59-11 to approve the bill Thursday evening just after dinner; the Senate concurred along party lines, 31-9, shortly after 11 p.m. Original provisions of SB 525 narrowly passed the Senate in June with the minimum 21 votes. Im very proud of everyone who came to the table, Durazo said shortly after the Assemblys vote. At first it seemed impossible, like there was just too much to overcome. The version of the bill that lawmakers sent to Newsom differs starkly from the original measure. Along the way, amendments introduced a three-tiered phase-in that would leave some workers at government-funded health facilities waiting 10 years to see the full $25 floor. Additional amendments made in the Assembly included a requirement to establish a waiver program by March so health facilities that are in financial distress can temporarily delay payroll hikes. State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, listens as Assembly Bill 531 is discussed in Senate chambers Thursday at the state Capitol. The measure sailed through a floor vote after unions and hospitals struck several concessions. Swapping minimum wage for dialysis ballot measures A broad coalition of hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis clinics and community health centers originally denounced the bill and ran attack ads that said the measure would reduce health care access and cost $8 billion a year. But this week, the union sponsoring the bill cut a last-minute deal with health care industry players and settled on a series of compromises that gave the bill a path forward. SEIU California, whose various locals represent health care workers across the state, and the dialysis clinics agreed to not bring forward any legislation or ballot measures, at the state or local level, for four years. In the last three election cycles, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, which represents more than 100,000 workers, has poured millions of dollars into three unsuccessful propositions that would have required dialysis clinics to have at least one physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant on duty while patients are under treatment. SEIU-UHW is one of the main proponents of SB 525. This agreement protects patients from the ongoing threats at the ballot and in the Legislature while also providing additional wage increases for many health care workers, said Jaycob Bytel, a spokesman for the California Dialysis Council. The union sponsors of the bill also agreed to a 10-year moratorium on local ordinances that would establish higher minimum wages specifically for health care workers. Municipalities could raise the health care minimum wage starting in 2034. As amended today, SB 525 strikes the right balance between significantly improving wages while protecting jobs and safeguarding care at community hospitals throughout the state, said Carmela Coyle, leader of the California Hospital Association, in a statement before the vote. We urge the Governor and Legislature to approve this landmark agreement. Shortly after the Assembly vote, Durazo said she believed the deal came together because both sides acknowledged that recruiting and retaining health care workers is increasingly difficult and agreed that wages were an important component in addressing the problem. She indicated that the unions agreed to sit down and discuss options for how to get to the $25 wage without hamstringing cash-strapped hospitals. Durazo also said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate Speaker Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, were instrumental in bringing the final bill over the finish line. You cant know exactly which moment, which minute, it broke through, but I think all those pieces were important, Durazo said. Kudos for Durazo, concerns for rural Californians Assembly debate consisted largely of messages of support for the bill and for Durazo, but two Republicans rose to voice their opposition to the measure. Assemblywoman Megan Dahle, R-Bieber, stood firmly against the bill despite the outside pact. She called SB 525 a one-size-fits-all solution and said it would have a disastrous consequences on rural communities, including those in her sprawling North State district. This will, without a doubt, break rural hospitals, Dahle said. I will be a strong no. And hopefully, when something does detrimentally happen, the rest of you will stand with me when we need to fix it. Opposition also came from Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Porterville, who raised concerns about how California families could bear the increased costs associated with higher wages for workers. Mathis told his colleagues that his 8-year-old son, Jefferson, who has spina bifida, was just released from the hospital this week after his eighth surgery. The workers there at our hospitals are amazing, and they deserve everything that we can do for them, Mathis said. But we also have to look at the other side of this, and thats the cost. While Im tremendously thankful that my son had a successful surgery, Im not looking forward to the bill from his hospital stay. And part of that bill is going to be that increased cost for the staff. A number of Democrats mentioned in their comments that they were initially skeptical of the bill. But, thanks to provisions that ease the financial burden for rural and community clinics, they felt they could support it. When I first heard about the bill, I said, Theres no way that this can work for my communities, said Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, whose North Coast district is mostly rural. And I have to say Im really impressed with the work that has gone into this. With all due respect to our colleague from Bieber, this is not a one-size-fits-all. There is no way I could stand up here and say that Im supporting this bill tonight if it was. Later on in the Senate, Republican Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield relayed a message from an alarmed leader at a hospital in her district. Although the hospital would only have to implement an $18 per hour wage at first, they fear they would face fierce competition from larger hospitals nearby that will be required to pay the higher minimum wage. When will health workers start earning $25 an hour? If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bills three-tiered phase-in schedule would leave some employees waiting until as late as 2033 to see their full pay boosts. Large health care facilities (more than 10,000 full-time employees) and dialysis clinics would introduce a $23-per-hour minimum wage starting June 1, followed by $1 increases each year until $25 an hour was reached by mid-2026. Public health facilities run by counties whose population exceeds 5 million people are also included in this tier. Hospitals that are largely government-funded, as well as those in small or rural areas, would introduce an $18-per-hour minimum wage in 2024. Over nine years, the wage would then increase 3.5% annually until it reached $25 an hour in 2033. Community clinics would follow a schedule of $21 an hour in 2024, $22 an hour in 2026 and $25 an hour in 2027. All other covered health facilities would see the minimum wage phased over five years $21 an hour in 2024, $23 in 2026 and $25 in 2028. An analysis from the Assemblys appropriations committee estimated it would cost the state at least $970 million a year to raise wages for all affected state employees. Analysts caution that the state could also incur billions of dollars in increases to Medi-Cal provider reimbursement rates. The state isnt required to increase provider rates to keep up with state-mandated changes, except for certain long-term care facilities. But the Department of Health Care Services said that rate increases would likely be necessary to maintain patient access to providers, especially given that the Medi-Cal program covers approximately a third of Californians. The state would also need to pay an unknown, but definitely significant sum to increase wages for University of California health system employees. The Bee Capitol Bureaus Lindsey Holden contributed to this story. Healthcare workers rally outside the Hospital Assn. of Southern California in 2022 in support of a $25 minimum wage in Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Californians who work in hospitals and other medical settings, including receptionists, cleaners and security guards, could see a significant raise after the state Legislature approved a $25 hourly minimum wage requirement Thursday night. The fate of the bill is now in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom , and comes after a hard-fought deal between unions calling for more support for employees deemed essential workers in the pandemic and industry administrators concerned about costs as financially struggling health facilities brace for closure. Last-minute amendments to the bill including a provision that blocks cities and counties from hiking wages locally for the next decade reflect concessions made to employers in an attempt to get it past the finish line. Even union-friendly Democrats were initially reluctant to approve the worker-focused bill, worried that rural community hospitals already facing bankruptcy would collapse under mass wage increases or pass costs on to patients. Under the bill, workers at large healthcare facilities would earn $23 per hour starting next year, $24 per hour in 2025 and $25 in 2026. That applies to all staff, including nursing assistants, medical coders, launderers and hospital gift shop workers. On Thursday, in the final hours of California's Legislative session, the bill, SB 525, was approved by lawmakers after months of negotiations with unions and lobbyists representing nurses, hospitals and dialysis clinics. "When I first introduced this bill on this floor, there was a lot of conversation, there were a lot of issues raised and concerns raised, and I took those to heart," state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), who wrote the bill, said on the Senate floor Thursday. The bill would establish the first minimum wage specifically for healthcare workers in the nation. But it's still unclear if the Democratic governor will sign it into law. The governor has warned of vetoes to come because of cost concerns as the state faces a $31.5-billion deficit. An earlier legislative analysis of the proposal estimated that it would cost California $973.7 million annually to pay for raises at state-owned facilities, plus a "definitely significant" undetermined amount to bring non-healthcare workers' wages up due to parity requirements at University of California facilities. Costs of the bill in its current form are still being calculated but are expected to be lower because of significant amendments. Republicans voted against the bill Thursday even after its many changes, saying they worried that rural hospitals and clinics will struggle with wage hikes, and that, in turn, Californians will see more expensive medical bills. "We keep increasing the cost of living, so we have this mind-set that well just increase the minimum, and well just keep pushing it up and up and up," Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) said on the Assembly floor. "But somebody has to pay for that increase." The bill had originally aimed to increase wages for all eligible health workers next year impacting an estimated 469,000 people but amendments added this week slowed the implementation and staggered raises depending on where employees work. Employees of independent rural hospitals and places that serve high rates of Medicare and Medi-Cal patients will only see minimum pay of $18 per hour next year, and won't see $25 per hour until 2033. Other smaller facilities, including urgent care clinics and skilled nursing facilities, would be required to pay their employees $21 per hour next year, reaching $25 per hour in 2028. The bill now allows for some facilities to apply for temporary waivers if they can prove financial distress. In addition to a moratorium on local health wage ordinances until 2034, SB 525 would also block attempts to cap hospital executive pay, such as the measure Los Angeles voters had expected to vote on next year. If the bill is signed into law, that measure along with any new city ordinances aiming to hike healthcare worker pay would appear to be void. Cities including Los Angeles and Long Beach, under pressure by Service Employees International Union (SEIU), had approved $25 per hour minimum wages for local healthcare workers. But those initiatives are on hold after a coalition of hospitals and other industries gathered enough signatures to put the question to local voters, seeking to repeal them over concerns that universal wage hikes would force facilities to scale back programs, ultimately diminishing patient care. The California Hospital Assn., which has opposed the local ordinances, changed its position on SB 525 this week to one of support after the latest amendments. Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the association, called the final version of the bill a "landmark agreement" that strikes a balance between "significantly improving wages while protecting jobs and safeguarding care at community hospitals throughout the state. Coyle said wages should be set by the state instead of by way of local initiatives in order to create "greater equity for all of Californias health care workforce." The California Dialysis Council also withdrew its opposition after a behind-the-scenes deal was made with health worker union leaders to hold off at least until 2026 on costly recurring ballot measures regarding the operation of kidney dialysis clinics. California voters have repeatedly rejected a statewide mandate to increase staffing at the centers, a constant fight between health worker unions and dialysis companies. This agreement protects patients from the ongoing threats at the ballot and in the legislature while also providing additional wage increases for many health care workers," Jaycob Bytel, spokesperson for the California Dialysis Council, said in a statement. Nearly half of the workers expected to see a wage increase under the bill are Latino, and 75% are women, according to a report by the UC Berkeley Labor Center. Supporters say that understaffed hospitals are a danger to patient care, and that raises are necessary to stem the state's health worker shortage, as medical facilities are losing workers to retail, food and hospitality industries because they pay some staffers more and the jobs can be less stressful. Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California, called the statewide minimum wage plan "a historic breakthrough." Everyone in the healthcare sector understands that we have a workforce crisis, and that wages are the essential prerequisite for any solution, Orr said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Senate Bill 43 expands the criteria for the detention, treatment and conservatorship to address the statewide mental illness crisis made worse by homelessness and illicit drugs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers gave final approval late Thursday to a significant overhaul of the states landmark 1967 behavioral health law, part of an ongoing effort to address a statewide mental illness crisis made worse by homelessness and illicit drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine. Senate Bill 43, introduced this year by Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), expands the criteria for the detention, treatment and conservatorship of people with severe mental illness. Passed by the Assembly and the Senate, the bill advances to Gov. Gavin Newsom , who has until Oct. 14 to sign or veto the measure. The bill is one of three passed by the Legislature on Thursday night aimed at transforming the behavioral health landscape in California. The others, championed by Newsom, place a measure on the March 2024 ballot to fund an increase in psychiatric beds and services across the state. All three passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, a rare display of unity on one of Californias most vexing issues. Republicans and Democrats alike spoke of the need for serious changes to get mentally ill Californians the help they need. Eggmans bill represents a decades-long legislative effort to amend the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, or LPS, passed when Ronald Reagan was governor. That law said someone could be detained against their will if they are gravely disabled or posed a danger to themselves or others. This is the year we got there, said Eggman, who sees SB 43 as one of a series of legislative victories that have transformed mental health care in the state. These have been the biggest five years for behavioral health in California if not in the history of the state, then certainly since the 1960s. The measure was endorsed by a coalition of mayors, psychiatrists, physicians and the National Alliance on Mental Illness California, which said it provides counties with another tool for addressing an epidemic of mental illness. It could be implemented county by county starting in January. Read more: Lawmakers approve Newsom's plan to transform California's mental health system Reforming LPS has been a goal since the 1980s, so this has been a long time coming, said Rod Shaner, former medical director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. SB 43 is the culmination of many bills and attempts to modernize core LPS language. Eggman has moved this bill further than many people thought likely. Critics, who include human rights and disability rights advocates, argue that SB 43 could undermine the civil liberties of Black, Indigenous and other communities of color, given the demographics of the states homeless population. Others say the measure risks overwhelming a mental health system already stretched to capacity. Deb Roth, a senior legislative advocate for Disability Rights California, said the bill will lead to more use of conservatorship, which takes away peoples rights. Roth testified against the bill before the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Together with the CARE Act and Newsoms initiatives calling for the reform of mental health services funding, SB 43 is part of a wave of change coming to Californias behavioral health laws. SB 43 adds severe substance use disorder to the definition of gravely disabled, which had previously been defined as the inability to provide food, clothing and shelter. In addition to those categories, the law adds personal safety and necessary medical care as basic personal needs for compelling people into treatment. Under SB 43, if evidence is found that a mental health disorder or substance use disorder is placing or will place a persons physical or mental health at substantial risk of serious harm, crisis teams and mental health providers can initiate an involuntary hold that can lead to conservatorship. The focus on substance use disorder which adds to the focus that LPS places on chronic alcoholism takes into account the overlap of substance abuse and mental illness, Shaner said. Treating mental illness cant be successful without tackling substance abuse. In addition, the new law gives conservatorship court more leeway in allowing testimony from expert witnesses, who may not have first-hand knowledge of a case. Medical records, for instance, are often ruled as hearsay in court and inadmissible unless the doctor who wrote the report testifies. SB 43 would go into effect in 2024, but counties can postpone implementation until 2026 amid concerns about the burden it might place on already crowded psychiatric facilities. NAMI California, which endorsed SB 43, said in a statement that the bill is essential for those living with severe mental illness and their families by modernizing the definition of gravely disabled. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she hopes the Department of Public Health with its division of substance abuse prevention and control will move urgently to put SB 43 into practice. We want to be methodical, but we dont have that luxury, she said. People in communities are frustrated, and people are languishing in the streets. But the countys Department of Health Services, which operates three hospitals with locked psychiatric emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric units, expressed concern about resources, saying in a statement that the law would pressure facilities to discharge patients to sub-acute beds that dont exist. The California State Assn. of Counties raised a similar concern. Expanding the definition does not expand placements in a system already stretched thin. To truly realize an expansion of LPS, additional investments are needed for treatment, including locked facilities, workforce, housing, and step-down care options, it said in a statement. An estimated 171,000 people are homeless in California, and nearly 70,000 live in Los Angeles County. In 2019, it was estimated that as many as 76% of homeless people in the county could be affected by mental illness, substance abuse, poor health and physical disability. Dr. Margot Kushel, who directs the Center for Vulnerable Populations at UC San Francisco, said she doesnt believe the bill will be as effective as legislators hope. Read more: 'Against their will': A proposed law would make it easier to detain people with mental illness Eggman is right to bring attention to a big problem, but I dont think changing the definition of grave disability will meaningfully address the problem it is trying to solve, she said. We already have very strong laws that allow us to hold people against their will, but that system is not functioning because at the end of the day we dont have adequate housing or support for those people. Rachel Bhagwat, legislative advocate for the ACLU California Action, said that involuntary holds do not work in advancing treatment and instead lead to processing people into the most restrictive and most expensive corners of the system. We want to make sure people get the services they need, and while SB 43 was written with good intentions, it expands an approach that has failed and harmed our communities, Bhagwat said. The other key measures approved by the Legislature would amend the states Mental Health Services Act. AB 531 is a nearly $6.4-billion bond measure for the construction of mental health campuses, residences and permanent supportive housing. SB 326 would reallocate $1 billion from the act to operate the facilities. These high-profile bills will reform a primary funding stream for behavioral health in California. When Eggman introduced SB 43 in March, she cited progress lawmakers had made addressing the escalation of homelessness and mental illness that had overtaken the states ability to provide meaningful treatment. But that work, she added, had not made a huge dent in helping the most ill. An unwillingness to modify LPS stood in the way. That legislation, which went into effect in 1972, served as a model for similar bills written by other states interested in adopting a more progressive approach to behavioral health care, and for years, its landmark status made it difficult for California lawmakers to reform. But now with SB 43 on Newsoms desk, that fidelity to the past is gone. None too soon, according to Eggman. We were the most steadfast in holding to LPS and not to our credit, she said. We had a part in not helping people and letting it go on for too long. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Californias estimated 500,000 fast food workers are likely days away from celebrating two wins a nearly $5 minimum wage raise and the creation of a first-in-the-nation council charged with setting pay and workplace standards for the entire industry. Assembly Bill 1228, authored by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, sailed through its final votes in the Legislature on Thursday and now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom . His signature is expected, following an agreement finalized last Monday between labor unions and fast food companies. Up until then, the two groups were barreling toward a costly 2024 ballot fight that could have reached into hundreds of millions of dollars. The fast food industry has since agreed to withdraw the referendum and labor dropped its plan to hold fast food franchisors legally liable for labor violations committed by their franchisees. The legislation passed in the Assembly 48-17 late Thursday after 32-8 approval in the Senate earlier in the evening. We now have something that workers can be proud of, said Holden, shortly after the Assembly vote. They longed for a seat the table. They now have a seat at the table. Once signed, the legislation will result in a $20 minimum wage for all fast-food workers at chains with more than 60 locations nationwide. The pay hike is effective April 1. Future increases would come through the new nine-member fast food council, which is charged with advancing pay and workplace standards. The council will have the power to increase that minimum wage annually by up to 3.5% or the change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, and recommend new standards. The council, a first in Americas fast-food industry, will consist of two representatives of the industry, two franchisees or restaurant owners, two employees, two advocates for employees and one neutral member of the public, who will serve as chair. It is set to hold its first meeting no later than March 1. Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasedena, breaks with fellow lawmakers in the Assembly chamber at the state Capitol on Thursday, the final day of the legislative session. Holdens bill will raise the minimum wage for fast food workers at large chains to $20 per hour. The $20/hr wage and council workers are about to win has the power to lift up more than half a million cooks and cashiers in the state, the majority of whom are women of color, said Joseph Bryant, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union. California fast-food workers are inspiring workers everywhere by challenging corporate power and rewriting the rules of systems designed to work against them. A Jan. 1, 2029 sunset date is included in AB 1228, meaning that the law expires then unless extended. How did the agreement come to be? The showdown between labor unions and fast food companies began last year with AB 257, also known as the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act. The law proposed a 10-member council to set pay and industry standards for employees of chains with more than 100 restaurants. One day after Newsom signed the law, opponents launched a campaign to qualify a referendum to reverse it. What followed was a signature gathering campaign in which petitioners were accused of inaccurately representing what the law does. The referendum qualified in January, setting up voters to have the last word on the 2024 ballot. But labor unions also responded this year with AB 1228. The measure aimed to hold companies and their franchisees jointly liable for accusations of harassment, wage theft or other forms of mistreatment. Democrats also revived the Industrial Welfare Commission, a dormant state agency with the authority to set pay and workplace standards for multiple industries, through this years state budget. That strategy led the sides to start working on a compromise, with the help of the governors office. They announced an agreement last Monday. This agreement creates the best possible outcome for workers, local restaurant owners and brands, while protecting the franchise business model in California, said Matt Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association. California lawmakers say they want to make it easier for people to delete personal information held by data brokers. (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press) Erasing your digital footprint could get a lot easier by 2026. California lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill known as the Delete Act that would allow consumers, with a single request, to have every data broker delete their personal information. Data brokers include a variety of businesses that gather and sell peoples personal information, such as their address, marital status and spending habits. Those companies include credit reporting agencies, people-search sites and data analytic firms that work with political campaigns. The Senate approved the legislation Thursday, a day after it was passed by the Assembly. The bill heads to the governor's desk for consideration. Under Senate Bill 362, the California Privacy Protection Agency by January 2026 would create a way for consumers to ask that their records be erased through a single request. Roughly 500 data brokers are registered in California, so reaching out to every single broker can be time-consuming. Currently, it's not always clear what information consumer data companies have or share. Businesses also might deny deletion requests or not respond. The passage of SB 362 builds upon a sweeping data privacy bill lawmakers passed in 2018 with the California Consumer Privacy Act, which gave consumers the right to ask businesses to delete their personal data but through an unwieldy process. Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) said on the Senate floor that the bill would allow consumers to get sensitive information held by data brokers, including about reproductive health care and geolocation, erased. "This bill will help Californians actually exercise the right to delete their information from data brokers and protect our right to privacy," Becker said. The California attorney general's office sent a letter to Becker on Tuesday expressing support for the bill. In the letter, the office said the right to delete information from businesses is limited to data collected from the consumer. Data brokers might not always collect data directly from the consumer, creating a loophole in California's privacy law. Businesses, including advertisers, lobbied aggressively against the legislation, saying it would destroy Californias data-driven economy. Businesses use data to serve personalized ads, and credit bureaus use personal information to verify peoples identities. Dan Smith, president and chief executive of the Consumer Data Industry Assn., said in a statement that the bill could have "unintended consequences." The association represents credit bureaus and background-check companies. The bill undermines consumer fraud protections, hurts small businesses ability to compete, and solidifies the big platforms data dominance," Smith said. "It also empowers third parties to request to delete consumers data with no guardrails." The bills supporters say consumers would have more control over their personal data online, which data brokers often collect without their consent or knowledge. They also point to scenarios in which peoples personal data could end up in the hands of scammers and other bad actors. Amid resistance from businesses, Becker made changes to the bill. Consumers could exclude certain data brokers from their deletion request and there are exemptions. Starting in August 2026, data brokers would be required to delete all personal information of the consumer at least once every 45 days. An earlier version of the bill gave data brokers 31 days to do this. They would also be barred from selling or sharing new personal data. If a data broker denies a deletion request because it cant verify it, the request would be processed as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of the consumers personal information. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A customer examines a Valor Industries LLC California-compliant AR-15 style rifle displayed for sale at a vendor booth at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show at the Orange County Fairgrounds. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images) California lawmakers on Thursday approved Gov. Gavin Newsom 's resolution calling for a constitutional convention of the states to consider a new amendment on gun control, a politically astute yet seemingly unattainable proposal from the Democratic leader. The governor introduced the proposal on national television over the summer, boosting his profile in the culture wars between Democrats and Republicans at a time when many voters feel increasingly frustrated over the lack of action in Washington to address mass shootings that have anguished communities all over the country. But constitutional scholars have warned that Newsom's plan could be risky by opening the door for other changes to the U.S. Constitution if a convention took place. Newsom's resolution asks Congress to call a constitutional convention to allow states to approve an amendment that imposes new laws requiring universal background checks on gun purchases, raises the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, institutes a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases and prohibits the sale of assault weapons to the public. The resolution also calls for states to be able to approve an amendment to affirm that federal, state and local governments may adopt safety regulations limiting firearm sales, possession and carrying guns in public. For Newsoms proposed 28th Amendment to be considered, legislatures in two-thirds of the states must vote in favor of a constitutional convention. Robert A. Schapiro, dean of the University of San Diego School of Law, and other scholars note that it's hard to imagine that the gun control protections would be approved even if a convention were called. Republicans control more than half of the state legislatures, some of which have recently reduced gun restrictions, and amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by three-fourths of the states to become law. They also contend that if a constitutional conventional did take place, it's possible for Republican states to propose other amendments to ban abortion or gay marriage, for example, through the untested process. "It is a valid concern that if a constitutional convention were called, the scope of the convention could not be limited, and so in theory, the convention could propose any kind of Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the First Amendment right to free speech or any other kind of provision," Schapiro said. "I view Gov. Newsom's proposal as perhaps having more symbolic value." Though Newsom and the authors of the resolution, state Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward) and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), included language in Senate Joint Resolution 7 that seeks to limit California's application to gun control only, Schapiro said there's nothing in the Constitution that says a convention could be limited. Newsom's attempts to lessen the concerns weren't enough of a guarantee for several lawmakers within his party. "I support every single policy listed in this resolution; every single gun safety policy, I support," said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). "I have a 0% rating from the National Rifle Assn., which I am proud of. My concern is that we cannot have any assurance that calling for a constitutional convention will lead to a limited constitutional convention." Wiener voted against the resolution along with one other Democrat and several Republicans in the Senate, where it passed with a 24-11 vote last week. Five other Democrats declined to vote on the proposal. The Assembly passed the proposal Thursday on a 51-14 vote, with several Democrats declining to vote. Sean Clegg, Newsom's senior political advisor, called the concerns a "red herring" considering that any amendments to the U.S. Constitution would need to be approved by three-fourths of the states. "It's not like you can call a constitutional convention and then it's a free pass on whatever goes," Clegg said. "It's got an enormously high bar to be enacted." Newsom has pointed to polling by Fox News from earlier this year that found Americans overwhelmingly support the gun restrictions he proposed. Clegg argued that issues conservatives could want to pass, such as abortion bans, would have to go against the opinion of a majority of Americans. In a Gallup poll from May, 69% of respondents said abortion should be legal in the first three months of pregnancy, for example. Perspectives on whether it should be legal under any circumstances were much more mixed. National public opinion hasn't stopped some states from restricting abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade last year. Performing an abortion is a felony in Texas, with exceptions to save the life of a patient, for example. In Florida, a 15-week abortion ban is under consideration by the state Supreme Court. If upheld, the ruling could clear the way for a six-week ban Gov. Ron DeSantis signed this year to take effect. Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant, said that Newsom's decision to promote a constitutional convention, despite the concerns, was a political calculation and that the governor is smart enough to know the convention is "never coming to fruition." "The likelihood of this happening is basically nil," Madrid said. "Serious constitutional scholars and historians realize that it's dangerous, but as a crass political tool, it makes all the sense in the world." As an outspoken advocate for national gun control, Newsom, by simply calling for the amendment, sharpens his position as "the tip of the spear" for Democrats in the battle with Republicans over progressive and conservative values, Madrid said. Newsom has denied having an interest in running for president, and says his only political goals for the 2024 election are to help President Biden's reelection campaign and to turn out Democratic voters. Nonetheless, the gun control effort could help Newsom if he runs for national office in the future, Madrid said. Newsom first announced his plan in June on the "Today" show. "This helps him win a Democratic primary. There's no policy prescription that any Democrat could come up with that is stronger than saying, 'I am the NRA's worst nightmare,'" Madrid said, adding that Newsom's stance could also help him earn support from some college-educated suburban Republican women. Newsom has dubbed his proposal "A Right to Safety" and attempted to cast the proposed amendment as an opportunity to give elected officials more power to decide gun control measures for their own communities and to enshrine restrictions into federal law. The conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is considered averse to expanding gun control measures. A high court ruling last year struck down restrictive and subjective concealed-carry laws as unconstitutional, leaving California and a few other Democratic-led states scrambling to rewrite their gun laws. Newsom has been traveling to other states to boost Democrats before the 2024 election and criticize the policies of right-wing Republican leaders. On a tour of the South in April with his wife and kids, he met with students from the New College of Florida in Sarasota as DeSantis, the Republican governor, tried to overhaul the progressive campus by putting conservative trustees in charge. He also paid tribute to the Little Rock Nine at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., and made stops in Montgomery, Ala., and Jackson, Miss. The California governor spent time around the Fourth of July at a fundraiser in Boise, Idaho, making a case for Biden's reelection and speaking to Democrats at a separate fundraising event in Bend, Ore., before stopping in Montana and Utah. Clegg said Newsom also intends to build on the success of his amendment effort in California by traveling to, and working with, other states to convince them to join his fight. "When suffrage was introduced in 1878, it took 41 years, but that wasn't symbolic," Clegg said. "Now, you don't want it to take 41 years. But it's the nature of difficult systemic change. A lot of big change starts out looking like a long shot until it's not." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. This aerial photo taken on July 11, 2023 shows new energy vehicles for export at a terminal of Taicang Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. [Photo/Xinhua] China is "highly concerned" and "strongly dissatisfied" with the European Union (EU) leadership's announcement to launch an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles, said a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday. China believes that the investigation proposed by the EU is a practice of pure "protectionism," the spokesperson said, adding that the probe is, in essence, to protect the EU's own industry in the name of "fair competition." The probe will seriously disrupt and distort global automotive industrial and supply chains, including those in the EU, and it will have a negative impact on China-EU economic and trade relations, the spokesperson said. China will pay close attention to the EU's protectionist tendencies and follow-up actions, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies firmly, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson said that China's electric vehicle industry has developed rapidly with improved competitiveness in recent years, thanks to unremitting efforts in scientific and technological innovation, and the construction of complete industrial and supply chains. The competitive advantages of Chinese electric cars, won through strength and hard work, have been welcomed by global users, including EU consumers, the spokesperson said. Chinese electric vehicles have also made great contributions to the global response to climate change and the green transition efforts of many countries and regions, including the EU. The spokesperson said that China and the EU have a broad space for cooperation and common interests in the automotive industry. After years of development, they have formed a pattern of mutual support. EU automotive companies have invested and operated in China for many years, and the Chinese market has become the largest overseas market for a lot of EU car companies. China always maintains an open and cooperative attitude, and welcomes EU automotive companies to expand their investment in the country, including investment in electric vehicles. The spokesperson said that China urges the EU to conduct dialogue and consultation with China, taking into consideration the bigger picture of maintaining the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and the stability of global industrial and supply chains. The two sides should work together to create a fair, non-discriminatory and predictable market environment for the common development of the China-EU electric vehicle industry, oppose trade protectionism, and commit to global efforts to address climate change and achieve carbon neutrality, the spokesperson added. Angela Contreras holds a picture of her late brother who she said suffered for four years after a doctor left gauze in his abdomen following surgery. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) When Angela Contreras complained to the states medical board in the fall that a Long Beach doctor had left gauze in her brothers abdomen during surgery, she waited and waited for the board to respond. Nearly a year after sending the board detailed medical records of the complications that ensued in her brothers case, she received a form letter stating the board was unable to meet the burden of proof required to pursue administrative action. It offered no details on why the medical records she had provided had been insufficient. This board, she said, is a disaster. It was a feeling familiar to many longtime critics of the Medical Board of California, which licenses and regulates physicians. Now, patients and families are about to acquire a bigger voice in disciplinary proceedings before the influential but long troubled board, which has been beset by a lack of funding and harshly criticized for lax oversight of negligent doctors. On Thursday, the state Legislature passed a bill that would for the first time require board investigators to interview patients or their families before closing a complaint, create a complaint liaison unit to help the public navigate the enforcement process and allow victim impact statements to be considered by the board before voting on a disciplinary case. Read more: Botched surgeries and death: How the California Medical Board keeps negligent doctors in business Senate Bill 815 by Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside) is intended to include patients in the board's enforcement process, which critics say has shut out medical negligence victims and left board members with an incomplete picture of the gravity of cases. The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is expected to sign it. Carmen Balber, executive director of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, said this year's bill includes meaningful reforms patient advocates have been pleading for. "By closing a complaint before speaking to the family who submitted it, it increases the board's chances exponentially that they don't have the whole story," Balber said. "The public does not know what the board needs to move a case forward. That's why they need to communicate with patients when they submit a complaint." The bill also raises doctor licensing fees by 33%, providing critical funding for the medical board, which has been surviving on loans. But although staunch critics of the board say this year's bill is a major win, some of the most far-reaching changes including adjusting the composition of the board and evidentiary standards were stripped from SB 815 in recent weeks in the state Assembly. The 15-member board currently comprises eight physicians and seven members of the public. Most members are appointed by the governor. Read more: A doctor was charged in a billion-dollar fraud scheme. But his license remains active "Does this [bill] radically overhaul the board? No," Balber said. "There's a lot more changes we need. And we're disappointed in the weakening of this bill along the way, but it does give consumers a real voice in the enforcement process." The reforms follow a Times investigation that found the medical board consistently allowed doctors accused of negligence to continue practicing and harming patients, in some cases leaving them dead, paralyzed, brain-damaged and missing limbs. The state licensing board allowed some doctors to keep seeing patients even after accusing them of hiding significant medical errors from patients and investigators. Angela Contreras received a form letter stating the state medical board was "unable to meet the burden of proof required to pursue administrative action" in a case involving her late brother. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) The Times analysis in 2021 showed the medical board received nearly 90,000 complaints against doctors in the last decade from patients, nurses, fellow physicians and others. Board investigators substantiated 3,100 of those, resulting in disciplinary action that mostly consisted of probation or a letter of reprimand. Only 439 less than 0.5% of the original complaints ended in licenses being revoked. Medical board member Eserick TJ Watkins openly condemned the board's failure to discipline negligent doctors during legislative hearings and board meetings. Watkins, a nondoctor member of the board, told The Times in 2021 that he routinely watched doctor-led disciplinary panels protect fellow doctors while ignoring aggrieved patients. "Its one thing to not feel heard; its another to be dismissed and ignored, Watkins said at the time. Watkins declined to be interviewed about the new bill. Read more: Whistleblower or flamethrower? California Medical Board member calls out his colleagues Although the medical board has come to support overhauling its own makeup to a public-member majority, proposals to do so have stalled in each of the last three legislative sessions most recently with it being amended out of SB 815 in the Assembly in July. The Assembly removed another key provision from the bill this month which would have reduced evidentiary standards used for determining whether discipline is warranted. Balber said that would have made it quicker, easier and less expensive to discipline doctors. Currently, the board must show clear and convincing proof to a reasonable certainty that disciplinary actions such as public reprimands, probation, suspension or revocation are warranted. That is a lower burden of proof than the beyond a reasonable doubt standard in criminal prosecutions, but it is a higher bar than the preponderance of evidence in civil litigation, which requires a greater than 50% probability that a claim is true. Medical boards in 41 other states and U.S. territories apply the preponderance standard that SB 815 sought to allow in most disciplinary cases. "That was a real loss because that change would have sped up the enforcement process," Balber said. That change and the overhaul to a public-majority board have been fiercely fought by the California Medical Assn., the influential doctor lobby, which has long had significant sway in the state Capitol. Eserick "TJ" Watkins is a nondoctor member of the medical board. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) Two years ago, lawmakers approved a bill to bring in an enforcement monitor to oversee the board's disciplinary actions and handling of complaints. The enforcement monitor found that the board referred 1 in 10 complaints to an investigator and that it took, on average, 1,167 days to complete an investigation during the 2021-22 fiscal year. The enforcement monitor said the board's lack of funding created uncertainty. Under this year's bill, the board would raise doctor licensing fees that pay for board operations to $1,151 every two years up from $863. That amount would increase to $1,255 in 2027. SB 815 initially sought to raise licensing fees to $1,350 every two years. The medical association, often referred to as CMA, said that 56% increase was "unjustified" and that the fees are already among the highest in the nation. CMA remains committed to patient safety and ensuring the Medical Board of California has the necessary funds to operate, but this increase despite being $200 lower than what they initially proposed will make their license fee the second highest in the nation and more than double that of Californias other physician licensing board which has the same duties," said CMA President Dr. Donaldo Hernandez. Despite the already high fees, Hernandez said "physicians and recent medical school graduates are waiting months for their licenses to be processed." The state medical board has sought fee increases for years as it took on more and more debt to pay for its operations and enforcement programs. "The simple reality is that the board is not able to pay its bills, which is why we've had to take on $18 million in loans just to maintain our typical operations," Dr. Randy W. Hawkins, the medical board president, and Dr. Richard Thorp, a board member, said in a joint statement to lawmakers. In a statement to The Times on Monday, Hawkins said the higher fee amount approved in the legislation will help ensure that the board can meet its financial obligations. Other enforcement changes will provide "new tools that help us protect consumers from physicians who act unprofessionally," he said. SB 815 also allows a doctors license to be automatically revoked following the conviction of a serious felony, whether or not it is related to the physicians practice of medicine. The bill was introduced as part of the Legislature's oversight process for boards and bureaus, known as a sunset review, which typically takes place every four years. As part of that process, the bill authorizes the medical board to exist beyond Jan. 1. These are historic reforms, said Roth, the bills author. Some of these advocates have been requesting for 10 or more years this essentially says to patients, Hey, listen, we hear you, we're empowering you and we're giving you a stronger voice in this process. Once approved by Newsom as expected, two of the new patient transparency measures will not be implemented until six months after the board has the staffing the complaint liaison unit and the requirement that patients or their families are interviewed prior to closing a complaint. Roth said he expects the process for both to start when the bill is effective Jan. 1 and that "hopefully we will see some implementation next year." For Contreras, the changes would come too late. The La Habra resident filed her complaint with the board in October and sent them her brother Carlo Sanfilippo's medical records. She said the records provided a clear scenario: A surgeon had operated on her brother's colon cancer, after which he suffered a series of complications, including an abscess, sepsis shock and an amputated leg. The medical records include a notation from a second surgeon that "the loop end of a laparotomy pad" had been found during a subsequent operation. Sanfilippo had only ever been operated on by one other doctor, Contreras said. "We suspect this was the source of his chronic abscesses and fistulas," the second surgeon noted, according to portions of medical records shared by Contreras with The Times. The surgeon involved in the complaint declined to comment, citing patient privacy laws. Sanfilippo, who had an intellectual disability, had been in crippling pain in the four years after his first surgery, Contreras said. He died in April at the age of 56. "It was one thing after another," she said. "He was never the same." She said she's not sure the new changes will ensure patients and their families are truly heard by the medical board. "I think it would help, but will they really listen?" she said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. After months of debate, negotiation, twisted arms, votes and re-votes, the 2023 legislative session came to a close on Thursday night. Lawmakers sent hundreds of bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom s desk from legalizing psychedelics to expanding paid sick leave to strengthening the states concealed carry gun laws. In the coming weeks, well find out which bills will become law and which ones Newsom will veto. In the meantime, heres five of the biggest takeaways from the end-of-session bill palooza: Newsom had a successful session Lawmakers largely got behind the governors largest priorities. They cleared the March ballot so that his $6.4 behavioral health bond will go before voters in without any competing statewide bond measures. Newsom also had some success with gun safety. Democrats passed a resolution Thursday calling a Constitutional Convention on the governors proposed 28th Amendment to raise the minimum age for purchase from 18 to 21, mandate universal background checks, establish a waiting period for all purchases and ban civilian ownership of assault rifles. Constitutional scholars consider Newsoms effort essentially impossible. Two-thirds of states must pass similar constitutional convention legislation. But it reinforces the message he has been carrying into red states, where he has waged his Campaign for Democracy for issues like abortion access and transgender rights, financed by his PAC. The state is on track to strengthen its concealed carry gun laws after a bill that failed to clear the legislature last year was sent to Newsoms desk on Tuesday. The governor has already said he will sign the bill and gun rights groups are standing ready with a lawsuit to file the same day. Although Newsom was not able to secure a deal to address the homeowners insurance crisis, he said Tuesday hes exploring other options to prevent more companies from reducing coverage. Passage does not guarantee a signature Some high-profile bills could be at risk of a veto. These include legislation to give striking workers unemployment benefits and restrict the rollout of self-driving trucks. AB 316, authored by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, would require a human operator behind the wheel of any autonomous truck driving on California roadways. The bipartisan bill sailed through both chambers with overwhelming support, including a 36-2 vote in the Senate on Monday. Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, talks with a lobbyist Tuesday. Her bill to require a human operator in autonomous trucks faces a likely veto. However, the Newsom administration has been frank about where it stands on the issue with the autonomous vehicle industry. While driverless cars have been cruising California roadways for years, the state currently bars autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds, like trucks. The legislation circumvents a regulatory process underway at the California Department of Motor Vehicles to begin considering unraveling the states prohibition. Dee Dee Myers, the administrations top business official, wrote to lawmakers last month that AB 316 hampers Californias competitiveness and undermines existing oversight. Our state is on the cusp of a new era and cannot risk stifling innovation at this critical juncture, she wrote. Bills that failed repeatedly finally passed A handful of bills killed by lawmakers in past sessions had a reversal of fortune this year. A hard-fought effort more than 20 years in the making that allows legislative staffers to unionize made it to the governors desk. This was at least the fifth time since 2000 that a staff unionization bill was introduced. If signed by the governor, it will take effect in 2026. A bill to place a state excise tax on guns and ammunition made it to the governors desk after years of previous failed attempts dating back to 2013. Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, did not let last years narrow defeat stop him from trying to shore up the states concealed carry rules again. Portantino came back with a similar bill this year but dropped an urgency clause to lower the number of votes required for passage threshold. The bill secured the necessary support and is expected to be signed by the governor in the coming weeks. State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, walks in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol on Thursday. Big Tech scored some major wins This year shaped up to be a big one for Big Tech, which faced a number of measures on the agenda intended to curb its power. So how did those bills fare? In a word: Poorly. A bill to ban TikTok and other apps owned by companies based in countries with potentially hostile regimes, like China, on state-issued smartphones was amended and then pushed off until 2024, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order for the state to study artificial intelligence. Also shunted off to the 2024 calendar was Assembly Bill 886 from Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland that would have required social media platforms like Meta and Google to pay news organizations for content that they use. That bill faced intense pushback from Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, which threatened to pull news from its platforms outright if the bill became law. One major tech bill Senate Bill 680 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley was killed outright, one of many measures quashed by the Legislatures powerful appropriations committees. SB 680, like SB 287 before it, would have held social media platforms accountable for children who become addicted to their platforms, as well as those who suffer an eating disorder or inflict harm on themselves or others as a result of accessing social media. But there were some bright spots for lawmakers looking to push back against Big Tech. Senate Bill 362, by Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, strengthens the California Consumer Privacy Act by allowing consumers to request that their data be deleted from data broker websites. Despite heavy tech industry lobbying against the measure, it passed an Assembly floor vote, 52-14 on Wednesday and was likely to pass on concurrence in the Senate on Thursday. Assembly Bill 1394, also by Wicks, which is intended to curb child sex trafficking and exploitation on the internet, passed out of the Legislature earlier this week and is awaiting a signature, or veto, from Newsom. State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, advocates for a bill in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol on Thursday. A quieter year for climate legislation This session marked a relatively quiet year for environmental policy, a clear contrast to 2022 when Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced and signed a flurry of bills meant to slash carbon emissions. Still, some consequential environmental bills stood out. Lawmakers advanced two first-of-their-kind measures to allow Californians to assess the carbon footprint of the states largest corporations and gain insight into how those companies plan to handle their climate-related risks. Assembly Bill 1373 represents a deal between lawmakers and the governor to advance Californias burgeoning offshore wind industry through central procurement. Fierce opposition from agriculture and business watered down several strong water rights measures, but Senate Bill 389 spells out the states powers to investigate long-standing claims to water. After spending late summer in a picturesque town in the Pacific Northwest, I'm eager to get home to California and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. But it's not just the climate that I miss. There's something fabulous about our varied scenery. The drive past Mount Shasta and into the Central Valley always stirs my heart. And I love the spirit of California, with its diversity of people, cuisine and culturesas well as its fascinating Gold Rush history. The state always beckoned me, so much so that when I was offered a job in Orange County in the 1990s I accepted it immediately and then had to break the news to my shell-shocked wife. Even then, the home prices were daunting compared to the rest of the countryan imbalance that only has gotten more pronounced in the ensuing 25 years as slow-growth regulations took hold and led to a consistent underbuilding of new housing units. I still remember poring over The Orange County Register's classifieds (remember classified ads?) and finally found a house we could afford. We drove down the street. There were bars on most windows, sketchy characters hanging out and graffiti on buildings. Despite my wife's fears that we traded our serene Midwestern life for a scene from a crime drama, we eventually bought a home, raised three kids, and acclimated to the lifestyle. And it is a pretty great lifestyle. I've since visited every one of the state's 58 counties and virtually every city and town of any note. My brain understands why so many friends and neighbors have moved to Texas, Arizona, and Florida, but my heart doesn't. It's time for state policymakers to recognize what's going on and cop to their complicity in the continuing outmigration of people who, I suppose, mostly love the state as much as I do. "California has long beckoned with its coastal beauty and bustlethe magnetic pull of Hollywood, the power of Silicon Valley," explained a recent New York Times article. "That allure helped make it a cultural, economic and political force. For 170 years, growth was constant and expansion felt boundless." The article centered on new population figures: By 2020, California officials expected our population to soon reach 40 millionand they expected another 10 million people in the coming decade. When I was born in 1960, California had a population of less than 16 million people. When I moved here, it had more than doubled to 33 millionhaving gained far more than the current total population of my home state of Pennsylvania. California's rapid growth infused every policy discussion. It went hand in hand with the sense of opportunity that built our culture. As recently as 2017, the state had gained 300,000 people year over year, but the numbers were slowing. We were edging closer to the 40-million mark, but the state no longer was a magnet for other Americans. The growth came mostly from births and immigration. Lawmakers dismissed the impact of the California Exodus, whereby many Californianstired of the high taxes, unaffordable home prices, in-your-face progressive politics, and meddlesome regulationsmoved to states with laissez-faire policies. Then after the 2020 Census the slowing growth turned to actual declines. Lawmakers blamed COVID deaths (as if other states hadn't experienced the same pandemic). Now the decline trend is obvious. Per the Times, "The state lost more people than it gained in each of the last three years and shrank to less than 39 million people. Recent data released by the state Finance Department now offers a stunning prediction: The population could stagnate for the next four decades." Endless growth isn't necessarily a good thing in and of itself, but it toys with our self-esteem. I've lived in declining cities in the Midwest, and let's just say that optimism is in short supply there. Sadly, this trend is entirely self-imposed. I'm not saying our leaders don't love California, too, but their zeal for expanding government, quashing entrepreneurship, and their focus on social engineering at the expense of basic governance has taken its toll. They forget a key point: California's appeal had always been its blank-slate appeal to people who have new ideas and want to escape the stodgy, encrusted attitudes of the states and countries that they have fled. But you can't try new ideas in a place where overly powerful bureaucracies crush entrepreneurial ideas and regulate every aspect of our lives. The population figures show that young, wealthy people are now fleeing California, too. Older people who own homes and are heading toward retirement mostly are staying, but the California Dream was never about turning this place into a giant retirement home. California was a land of boundless opportunity. That's no longer true. Barring some political disruption, I suspect the Times is right that this means decades of stagnation despite the state's inherent wonders. This column was first published in The Orange County Register. The post California Was Once a Land of Boundless Opportunity. That's No Longer True. appeared first on Reason.com. Two California school districts banned the display of LGBTQ pride flags Tuesday as organizations and municipalities move to limit flags on display, often citing the controversy around them. Districts in the Southern California city of Temecula and the Bay Area small town of Sunol banned the flags this week. Temecula passed a resolution banning all flags except the U.S. and state flags, while Sunol specifically banned the LGBTQ pride flag. Both decisions have resulted in widespread criticism, with protesting Sunol residents starting the process to recall school board officials who voted for the effort, The Mercury News reported. Pride flags have been a minor but notable target of anti-LGBTQ activists as legislation and violence against the LGBTQ community have increased significantly in recent years. Conservatives have pushed for bans on books with pro-LGBTQ messages, bans on public drag performances and limited the availability of gender-affirming care. In June, a town near Detroit banned pride flags, and a House bill attempted to do the same for Veterans Affairs hospitals. That bill passed a party-line vote through the House Appropriations Committee, with all Republicans supporting. The Gilbert Baker Foundation, named for the flags creator, tracked dozens of municipalities nationwide that have banned the display of the pride flag as of February. Make no mistake; right-wing groups want to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, and theyre starting with banning the Rainbow Flag, the foundation President, Charley Beal, said in a statement. Its part of a huge conservative trend to censor minority rights across America. Already, bans have been reversed, but every month brings a new threat to LGBTQ+ rights and equality, she continued. We must remain vigilant. Dangerous wording can be added to any unrelated bills and go to a vote tomorrow. The American Civil Liberties Union has argued that bans on LGBTQ pride flags are unconstitutional and qualify as viewpoint discrimination. However, a challenge to a school or municipalitys pride flag ban has not been ruled by the Supreme Court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. How difficult should it be to raise taxes in California? Democratic lawmakers late Thursday night passed two constitutional amendments that could have lasting implications on state and local taxation leaving it to voters to weigh the question through three separate November 2024 ballot measures. The first measure would make it easier to pass local bonds or taxes for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 lowers the threshold needed to pass the bond or tax from a two-thirds supermajority of voters to 55%. The measure would align with the 55% needed for school bonds, which historically have been the most successful funding initiatives across the state. The second, known as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 13, does not make any direct changes to taxes in California. It was crafted to block a pro-business ballot measure that imposes strict limitations on raising taxes. The business-backed measure, known as the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, would have mandated a two-thirds vote for all new local special tax increases and require all new taxes passed by lawmakers be approved by the electorate, among other provisions. Under current state law, such an initiative could be approved in November 2024 with a simple majority of voters. ACA 13 was meant to counter the anti-tax measure by requiring that any ballot proposal to raise the threshold to a supermajority must also be passed by the same voter threshold. It was originally slated for the March ballot but was moved to November. This means it will no longer effect the anti-tax initiative, since theyll be decided on in the same election, but it would make similar efforts more difficult to pass in the future. Assemblyman Christopher Ward, D-San Diego, authored ACA 13 and calls it a common sense measure to fix an unbalanced system. The broader concern and the reason Ive introduced this is not because of one particular measure. Its because were seeing a pattern of attempts to abuse our Constitution in a way that benefits special interests, Ward said. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California Business Roundtable, which are sponsoring the anti-tax measure, adamantly disagreed. Jon Coupal, president of the taxpayers group, called ACA 13 an ambush attack. The language did not exist until a few weeks ago, Coupal said. This is a classic jam job. Assemblyman Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, cast one of the dissenting votes on Thursday and implored his colleagues to do the same. No matter how much higher taxes get in California, it never seems to be enough, Hoover said. We continue to pass policies that increase the cost of living in our state and make it more expensive for California families. Attorney General Daniel Cameron is pushing back on recent claims that he wants to criminalize or ban birth control. Camerons answers to the Northern Kentucky Right to Life 2023 primary election questionnaire have in recent days raised concerns that if elected Kentuckys next governor on Nov. 7, he would make contraception illegal. It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest I oppose or want to criminalize birth control or contraception, Cameron told the Herald-Leader. The survey in question, published in April, asked candidates 11 questions about their various stances on abortion, stem cell research, assisted suicide and public funding for reproductive health care. Camerons critics have taken his answers, on the whole, to mean he supports criminalizing birth control because he responded yes to a question asking if hed support making it a criminal offense to perform or assist with an abortion. In two other questions on the survey, abortion is defined incorrectly as including birth control. Daniel Cameron answered YES to every question (on the survey), Kate Turner, a former Democratic candidate for Kentucky House posted to Twitter. A yes to those questions affirms: 1) he supports criminalizing abortion 2) abortion is defined as including the so called standard birth control pill. There is no doubt that Cameron is fervently anti-abortion. He has celebrated the downfall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, fought to uphold Kentuckys abortion ban and has promised to make defending innocent life a top priority as governor. And in the 12-way Republican primary contest, Cameron touted his endorsement from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. In his official capacity as attorney general, Cameron has vigorously defended several anti-abortion rights laws passed by the Republican-dominated legislature. Most notably, his office has led the defense in court of Kentuckys laws banning abortion. Following the reversal or Roe v. Wade last year, Kentuckys trigger ban took effect, criminalizing abortion except when a pregnant persons life is threatened. Concurrently, a fetal heartbeat law, or six-week ban, also became enforceable. It outlaws abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks gestation. The combination of both laws has led to a virtual elimination of abortion in Kentucky. This near-total ban is an area that Democrats hope is a weakness for Cameron in the general election. A commercial released by the re-election campaign of Gov. Andy Beshear slammed Camerons support for those bans, in particular highlighting their lack of exceptions in cases of rape or incest. On the NKRTL survey, the first question asks if he would support codifying fetal personhood, from fertilization until natural death. The second question asks if he would support making it a criminal offense to perform, to assist with, or to pay for an abortion on another, with noted exceptions for preventing the death of the pregnant person. A later question asks if Cameron would support prohibiting the use of local, state, federal, and/or Medicare or Medicaid funds for abortion. In that question and one other, the NKRTL falsely equates abortion medication with emergency contraception and the so-called standard birth control pill. The medical consensus is clear: birth control and abortion are not the same. Emergency contraception, also called the morning-after pill or by brand name Plan B, does not cause an abortion, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Food and Drug Administration. Abortion ends a pregnancy, whereas emergency contraception prevents pregnancy by delaying ovulation and will not work if the person is already pregnant. A Cameron campaign spokesperson told the Herald-Leader that Cameron does not include emergency contraception in his definition of abortion. Cameron answered yes to all 11 questions on the survey. His yes answer to the question conflating birth control with abortion medication led some critics to conclude that Cameron would seek to limit access to birth control. That suggestion was what Camerons team called ridiculous. Cameron was clear, however, that he is against taxpayer funds including Medicaid paying for contraception. I believe in upholding the fundamental right to religious freedom, Cameron said in a statement. No one should be compelled to act against their religious beliefs. That includes taxpayers. Those ideas are mainstream. The majority of the Republican respondents, including the other slate of constitutional officer candidates: Secretary of State Michael Adams, Treasurer and candidate for auditor Allison Ball, treasurer nominee Mark Metcalf and commissioner of agriculture nominee Jonathan Shell answered yes to all 11 questions. Republican Attorney General nominee Russell Coleman and former treasurer candidate OJ Oleka were noted as responded, but did not answer questionnaire. The NKRTL questionnaire does not allow for candidates to answer with nuance. NKRTL must point out to the reader that some candidates take it upon themselves to modify our questions, thereby failing to answer them specifically, and indeed making exceptions of their own, while simultaneously attempting to answer yes, to attempt to present a Pro-Life position, the document says. They failed to answer the questions as asked. Such action by the candidate deprives the voter of information on the candidates position on the issues which the candidate avoided answering. Cameron also received a 100% pro-life score from the statewide Kentucky Right to Life. The statewide Right to Life asks if candidates are morally and/or medically opposed to chemical abortions, which it defines as including drugs known to prevent the newly created human being from attaching (implantation) to his/her mothers womb. It also asks about conscience clauses that would allow physicians and pharmacists to opt out of participating in any type of induced or elective abortion, including surgical, chemical and medical. (Bloomberg) -- Canada is postponing a trade mission to India that was planned for early October, a move that comes as broader trade talks between the two countries have stalled. Most Read from Bloomberg It also follows a contentious meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent Group of Twenty summit in New Delhi. Modis office publicly criticized Trudeau after the meeting for allegedly tolerating anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada, while Trudeau said he raised concerns over foreign interference in Canadian politics. In a statement released Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng gave no explanation for calling off the trade mission, and did not give a future date for sending one. The trip had been planned to go to Mumbai beginning Oct. 9, and focus on sectors including automobiles, agriculture and information technology. At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India, said Alice Hansen, Ngs spokesperson. In the next year we will be taking businesses to Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. Canada and India had also been holding formal talks toward signing an early progress trade agreement, but shortly before Trudeaus trip to India it was revealed those talks have been paused. Ng told reporters this week that the two sides are taking time to reflect on the negotiations, in part to consult with more stakeholders. Its a normal part of these conversations, she said. Indias Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said in an interview with Indian media outlet Firstpost that the pause was needed to make sure that geopolitically and economically the countries are on the same page. We have had certain issues which are of serious concern, he said, adding that Modi highlighted these issues with Trudeau at the G-20 summit. We are hoping for resolution of some of these issues before we take it forward. India is concerned about Sikh Canadians who advocate for an independent homeland known as Khalistan. Trudeau has said his country condemns any violence or hatred, but it must also defend freedom of expression and peaceful protest. Canadas Indo-Pacific strategy, published last year, put a strong emphasis on diversifying trade in the region away from China. Indias growing strategic, economic and demographic importance in the Indo-Pacific makes it a critical partner in Canadas pursuit of its objectives under this strategy, the document said. --With assistance from Laura Dhillon Kane. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Rabbi Judith Lazarus Siegal cannot stress enough, especially around the Jewish High Holy days, the importance of being a part of a Jewish community. You really cannot be Jewish alone, said Siegal, the senior rabbi of Temple Judea, a Reform synagogue in Coral Gables. Anyone can read about Judaism on the internet and learn about the details of a Jewish ritual lighting the Shabbat candles, hearing the sound of the shofar during Rosh Hashana but its not until someone joins a temple or synagogue that they can have a deeper understanding of what it means to be Jewish, she said. But if you can come into the synagogue, feel a part of it, hear the music, smell the challah baking, have somebody shake your hand; those are all literal touch points and sensory experiential aspects of being Jewish, Siegal said. This year, Temple Judea, along with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and other groups, are focused on reaching out to those who dont regularly attend services, underscoring what it means to be a part of a congregation at a temple or synagogue. Weve been doing a lot of learning about how we can do a better job in the Jewish community of welcoming people, whether theyre of the LGBTQ-plus families or families with physical disabilities or mental health issues, also Jews of color, or interfaith families, Siegal said. We want to make sure that they know that our home is your home; this is your Jewish home. Temple Judea Rabbi Judith Lazarus Siegal after the Yom Kippur services last year at the Coral Gables temple. Beginning Friday at sundown, Jews across South Florida will celebrate Rosh Hashana, which means head of the year or first of the year and is considered one of Judaisms holiest days. The holiday marks the beginning of the 10 Days of Awe, or a period of repentance and reflection that leads up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rabbi Siegals sermon will address some of the problems going on in the world conflicts in Israel, the environmental crisis, the epidemic of loneliness, to name a few. Its a lot to cover, but the holiday requires introspection of the past year in order to move forward. Rosh Hashana is a new year. Its not like the secular new year, which is just a pure celebration. Its really reflective, Siegal said. Its very much about turning inward and thinking about how we can each as individuals be better and do better and mend the relationships that are broken. For those in Miami who may not be a member of a temple or synagogue, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami are making sure every member of the Jewish community has somewhere to go for the holidays. The Federations High Holiday Welcome Program connects people to seats at a High Holy Day service, free of charge. Weve found that sometimes people just havent found where they want to belong, said Michelle Labgold, chief planning officer at the Federation. Sometimes, people have an issue with with affordability. Reaching out to young people More and more, young adults are finding alternatives to practice religious rituals they find meaningful without belonging to a house of worship. OneTable, for example, is a national social dining platform that helps young adults in their 20s and 30s host or attend Shabbat a Jewish Day of Rest beginning at sundown Friday with a Shabbat dinner and continuing until sunset Saturday. The tradition acknowledges the importance of rest in making the world a better place. I think we see a lot of pressure being put on young adults, said Naomi Davis, senior field manager of the Miami OneTable chapter. Were so plugged into technology. We are feeling the pressure in our jobs, in our social circles and Shabbat is a reminder to take a deep breath and create a night that feels nourishing and fulfilling to you. You dont have to be familiar with Shabbat, or even Jewish to use OneTables resources which include guides such as Queer Shabbat, Sober Shabbat, and extra funding, which they call Nourishment, of up to $10 per person that hosts can spend on dinner. We really believe that no matter who you are and what you believe, Shabbat is just plain good for you, Davis said. For Fridays Rosh Hashana celebration, 725 dinners are taking place across the country using the OneTable model, with 7,600 people in attendance. Permission to Unplug, Storytelling for Connection Shabbat at Easy Peasy Tattoo in Miami, hosted by Naomi Davis/OneTable. The Tribe also offers a bridge to people who may be struggling to connect to their Jewish faith. Their model which has been around for 15 years finds ways to weave the rich traditions of Judaism into things that people already enjoy doing. There are a lot of people who say, Im not religious but what they mean is that theyre not observant Jews, said Tribe Rabbi Joanne Loiben, who also serves as a rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach. Maybe they dont follow all of the rules of Jewish law. But they actually really enjoy having religious experiences. They feel connected on a spiritual level, and also on a communal level. Much of the Tribes programming, including Shabbat After Dark, marketed with the tagline, This isnt your parents Shabbat! is aimed at a new generation of Jews, who may not yet be a member of a synagogue. In past years, many of the Tribes events took place away from temples, such as the Sacred Space in Wynwood, but this year, the Tribe is moving to Temple Beth Sholom. Were getting a sense that people actually do want religion and want it to feel authentic and want it to feel like theyre coming to a Jewish Rosh Hashana experience, Loiben said. Part of OneTable Conversations Queer-ing Shabbat at Tropotrope in Miami, Florida. Meeting with people at their home Temple Judea Rabbi Jonathan Fisch has helped create programs, including Torah Tuck-In and Mezuzah Make-Over, that offer experiences for those who want to connect to their Jewish faith outside of the synagogue. Fisch brings Jewish education to the homes of young Jewish families by unrolling the Torah in their homes or blessing new Mezuzahs to hang to their doors. The brick and mortar is really important. And so is going past that barrier and exploring, said Fisch. We can do those moments where we invite the whole family to participate in something that is both age appropriate for their young children and really, really, knowledge stimulating to the parents about what does it mean to parent as a Jew? Rabbi Jonathan Fisch delivers his sermon during the Yom Kippur service on Oct. 5, 2022, at Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida. Fisch believes that young adults are hungry for knowledge and want experiences that touch on the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of Judaism: What is it that were doing that is going to invite people back? I think we have to look at the big issue and say what made people leave in the first place. I recognize that religion may not be for everybody. Fisch, who has been a rabbi for almost 10 years, is passionate about building a community that can connect to their faith wherever they are. I think sometimes people look at synagogues for their Judaism, and Judaism exists right here, and we just got to tap into that more often. To learn more about the Federations High Holiday Welcome Program call 305-373-7328. To learn more about OneTable and The Tribe go to onetable.org and thetribe.org. This report was created with philanthropic support from Christian, Muslim and Jewish funders in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all work. Nicholas Coffey left Razzles nightclub in Daytona Beach early Sept. 2 and headed to Deltona with another man in a stolen Mercedes Benz to break into cars under the cover of darkness, or so he thought. But Coffey's movements were tracked by digital cameras, known as License Plate Recognition devices, or Readers, as local law enforcement refer to them. The cameras known by their acronym, LPR, are strategically located on major roads and around cities and serve as extra eyes for police officers working to catch criminals that use getaway vehicles. An example of a license plate reader camera, provided by Flock Safety, the manufacturer. So, even after Coffey, 23, was long gone from the Deltona neighborhood where he broke into 13 vehicles and tried to get into another locked one, the cameras would give Volusia County sheriff's deputies the clues they needed to find him. Coffey has refused to tell sheriff's detectives who the driver of the Mercedes Benz stolen out of Ormond Beach is, but detectives are following leads to find him, the sheriff's office said. Origin of LPRs License Plate Recognition cameras are manufactured by south Florida company Flock Safety. The company also produces the software and installs them wherever they are requested, said company spokesman Holly Beilin. The owner of the company was the victim of a home burglary, and after multiple contacts with police working on solving the crime, he realized that although neighborhood surveillance camera footage was available, there were no quality images that could be used as evidence. Nicholas Coffey Research also showed that a large number of crimes were committed by people using vehicles, so the company decided to come up with a high-quality, smart camera that could help law enforcement, and at the same time keep the community safe, Beilin said. "Seven in 10 crimes are committed by people using vehicles," Beilin said. "So, we started playing with ideas on how to develop something that would read license plates and provide clear photos of them." So, in 2017 Flock Safety, of Fort Lauderdale, launched its camera. Since then, Flock Safety cameras are now in use in 40 states and more than 3,000 communities, Beilin said. How cameras help law enforcement The LPR cameras are strategically placed in the Volusia County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction at major intersections. Cities also have their own cameras, said sheriff's spokesman Andrew Gant. Gant said the cameras capture tags, which are run through databases in real time and automatically checked against vehicle tags that have been flagged for a variety of potential warrants or crimes. The cameras sends the alert to deputies, who can access a screen of current LPR hits on their computers in their patrol vehicles. The information is also sent to the Volusia County Crime Center where analysts study the information, Gant said. The Flock Safety operating system. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has about 40 to 50 License Plate Recognition/Readers in its jurisdiction, an investment of at least $150,000 to fight crime, Gant said. "That doesnt include others that belong to cities and other jurisdictions.," Gant said. Crime spree after nightclub When he was arrested, Coffey told detectives he was picked up from the Razzles nightclub in Daytona Beach at 2 a.m. on Sept. 2. He claimed he didn't know the Mercedes Benz was stolen, according to reports. When Coffey was confronted with images from surveillance videos, he became uncooperative but did not deny breaking into the cars, detectives said. Although Coffey would not talk about the car burglaries or his whereabouts, detectives were able to track what he did through the LPR cameras, reports state. The license plate cameras showed the Mercedes Benz was last scene in Daytona Beach at 1:55 a.m. The cameras then registered the stolen vehicle in Deltona at 3:01 a.m. The car was last seen in Deltona at 5:45 a.m. so detectives believe Coffey and his accomplice hit the Deltona neighborhood between 3:01 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. Fast arrest In less than 24 hours, Coffey was in handcuffs charged with 11 counts of conspiracy to commit car burglary and one count of conspiracy to commit attempted car burglary. He was being held Friday in the Volusia County Branch Jail without bail. "LPRs are without a doubt some of the best tools available to help solve crimes fast, just like this one," Gant said. "In this case, the big factors were the LPR data along with a detectives ability to recognize and identify the suspect when the gas station photo was sent out throughout the agency." The gas station photo was taken from video surveillance cameras at a Deltona Circle K when Coffey and his accomplice stopped there at 4:31 a.m. on Saturday to put in gas, investigative reports show. A detective recognized Coffey, as he was familiar with the suspect who was also being investigated for breaking into cars in Daytona Beach and Holly Hill in August and then using credit cards he took from the vehicles to make fraudulent purchases, detectives said. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Cameras in Volusia County help catch car burglar [Source] A miraculous car collision reportedly saved a Chinese woman from a kidnap-ransom scheme in Thailand on Thursday. Key details: The victim, a 27-year-old Chinese woman on a tourist visa, managed to escape her captor following a rear-end car collision on Bangkoks Si Rat Expressway on Thursday. Zhao Wulin, a 36-year-old man from Henan province, China, was arrested in front of Piyavate Hospital on Rama 9 Road in Bangkok at around 1 p.m. that day. Zhao, whom investigators learned was working as a chauffeur in Dubai and was in Thailand for a holiday, was initially charged with extortion, detention, impeding freedom and obscenity. How it started: The woman, whose job is to arrange clients with cosmetic surgery in South Korea, reportedly met Zhao from a friend through the Telegram app. She agreed to a date with him on Wednesday, 10 days after they started speaking with each other. More from NextShark: Vancouver Chinatown stabbing suspect deemed 'significant threat' prior to release that led to violent incident What happened next: The woman claimed she felt dizzy after their meal and drinks and had no recollection of what happened that night. She reportedly woke up naked in Zhaos home in Ramkhamhaeng 81 neighborhood the following day. The scheme begins: Zhao reportedly took the victim out on a trip to Pattay. During their trip, the man allegedly threatened the woman and drove them to a remote area where he tied her ankle and demanded a ransom of 200,000 yuan (approximately $27,825). The woman told Zhao she did not have that kind of money and instead said she could borrow 50,000 yuan (approximately $6,896) from her friend. More from NextShark: Husband of woman killed in Florida parasailing crash after captain cut tether files lawsuit Escape and arrest: The victim managed to escape her captor when the silver Toyota Yaris car registered in Bangkok they were driving on rear-ended a white Toyota Fortuner SUV driven by 33-year-old Somphong Sisod, who insisted that Zhao wait for the insurance representative to arrive despite the latter telling the other man he would pay for the damage out of his pocket via a translator. Meanwhile, the victim, with rope still tied around her ankle, fled the scene and got into a taxi before running into cops. They later arrested Zhao on the scene, much to Somphongs surprise. Criminal ties: Thai authorities noted that Zhao had no ties to Chinese fraud gangs during their investigation. They also checked if Zhao had an outstanding warrant in China or if there were records of him committing crimes in Thailand. More from NextShark: Monterey Park shooter reported his attempt to stop a robbery in 1990, police docs reveal Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Queens man accused of killing Chinese food delivery worker is obsessed with duck sauce, other condiments, say police Kweichow Moutai, a homegrown luxury liquor brand, has partnered with Mars Inc-owned Dove to make liquor-filled chocolate, in a bid to make its products more appealing to the country's younger generation. The product, which is expected to retail from Saturday, is priced at 35 yuan ($4.81) for a gift box of two pieces and 99 yuan for a box of six, according to Moutai's WeChat mini program. Products with less sugar are priced at 39 yuan for a box of two, 109 yuan for a box of six and 179 yuan for a box with a dozen pieces. Moutai announced the partnership with Dove on Thursday, just 12 days after it teamed up with China's largest coffee chain Luckin Coffee on a liquor-coffee drink which sold 5.42 million cups and reached sales of 100 million yuan on launch day. Mid-Autumn Festival that falls on Sept 29 is the primary gifting season for chocolate and alcoholic products in China. The Moutai-Dove tie-up has buoyed the chocolate market mood which experienced growth challenges during the past three years and is set to make the Moutai brand more accessible to young consumers in the country, said Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China. Since young consumers often pursue healthy lifestyles, the consumption of chocolate has grown slowly in China, thereby entailing greater innovation in taste and packaging. According to market research firm Euromonitor International, the retail value of the chocolate confectionery sector in China has grown marginally in recent years, from 21.5 billion yuan in 2018 to 22.3 billion yuan in 2023. The sector is forecast to reach 25.6 billion yuan in 2028. The partnership means more in terms of branding than sales volume, said Zhu Danpeng, an independent food and beverages analyst. "Behind every collaboration, the corporate value and persistence in long-term development make the longevity of a brand, not a one-time deal," he said. In recent years, "liquor plus" has become a driving force for Moutai to grow revenue and to get closer to consumers, he added. The domestic chocolate market is dominated by international confectionery brands. According to a 2021 report by iiMedia that ranked chocolate brands in China, Dove, Ferrero Rocher and Snickers were in the first tier, with sales higher than all other brands combined. Moutai has of late paid more attention to diversification and internationalization. In May, the nation's most renowned liquor brand said it had rolled out six types of ice cream products and begun to develop liquor-filled chocolate. The company said it now has 11 types of ice cream with the Moutai flavor, selling nearly 10 million cups this year. In 2022, sales of Moutai-flavored ice cream hit 262 million yuan, according to the company. Moreover, culturally innovative products, such as Moutai-themed blind-box gift sets, have been developed since 2022, contributing to nearly 600 million yuan in revenue last year. "Dove's global branding and reputation offer Moutai a pivot to double down on its expansion in the home and overseas markets," said Zhu. It's been nearly two weeks since a man last seen on a Carnival Cruise was reported missing. Friends, family, and fellow passengers have been appealing for information about Kevin McGrath. Many are upset that Carnival has carried on its cruising business as usual. It's been nearly two weeks since a 26-year-old former US Army veteran seemingly vanished the morning a Carnival Cruise liner docked in the Port of Miami after a family vacation. McGrath was reported missing at 7 a.m. on September 4, the day he and his family were set to disembark the Carnival Conquest, a representative of Carnival told Insider. Miami-Dade Police also told Insider he was last seen hours before at 2 a.m. by his brother. Three days later, the US Coast Guard announced it had called off a search for McGrath in the waters surrounding the port, NBC Miami reported. Over a week later, McGrath's whereabouts remain unknown. While the cruise line told USA Today it was cleared by police to resume services, it's a move heavily criticized by McGrath's loved ones and some of his fellow passengers. Carnival did not respond to Insider's request for comment on its standard procedure in cases of missing passengers. However, a representative said that "guests were already disembarking from the ship" when McGrath was reported missing. "Local law enforcement is in charge of the investigation and our team members have fully cooperated with officials," they added. Jenn Lyles, a passenger who was on the same cruise as McGrath and his family, told Insider she "found it weird that passengers weren't informed or even sent a picture to share if we saw him or knew something." In a video she shared on TikTok, Lyles who said she found out McGrath was missing by scrolling the news after the cruise criticized Carnival for sending out a customer satisfaction survey about the voyage days after disembarkation instead of appealing for information about McGrath's whereabouts. This embedded content is not available in your region. "How about an email that says 'Hey, there's a guy missing. Did you see him? He wasn't seen past 2 a.m. He never showed up to meet his family for breakfast. This is his photo," Lyles said in the video, which has over 660,000 views. "Is this what happens when you go missing on a cruise ship?" she added. A Carnival Cruise representative told Insider the survey is "routine port-cruise communication" and unrelated to McGrath's disappearance. "If the guest in the TikTok video had information to share, she should have contacted us or Miami Dade Police, but as her comments suggest, she does not have anything to contribute to the investigation," they added. Nevertheless, Lyles' criticism has been widely echoed by McGrath's loved ones and strangers as they continue to draw attention to his disappearance and share links to a Change.org petition addressed to Carnival. The petition bio said it was created on behalf of McGrath's family, friends, and supporters. "We believe that Carnival wants to and will do the right thing," it states. "We believe that human life should take priority and precedence over any financial gain. To date, Carnival has shown us that they do not feel the same." McGrath's father, Sean McGrath, told the local outlet Treasure Coast News that the family is seeking any and all information about his son's case. He added that 43 friends and family members were on the three-day cruise to celebrate him turning 60. "Even if it's something for closure," he said. "We just want to not get up every day and not know where he is or what happened to him." The Carnival Conquest docked in Key West, Florida. Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images McGrath's sister Danielle also spoke out about the case and appealed for information from the public in an interview with NBC Miami. "My brother didn't just vanish," Danielle McGrath said. "Someone knows something. Someone's seen something. I just want my brother home. My family wants my brother home. Just please, we need him home." Friends and family of McGrath did not respond to requests for comment. The Conquest has made several voyages since McGrath was reported missing. Voyage data shared on Vessel Finder reports recent port calls include Nassau, Bahamas, on September 10 and Cozumel, Mexico, on Wednesday. Miami-Dade police did not respond to further requests for comment on whether a search for McGrath is ongoing, and whether it has been in contact with his family members. While authorities told Insider that there is no evidence that McGrath went overboard while on the cruise, his disappearance comes after at least six people have gone overboard on cruises in the last four months, Insider's Hannah Towey reports. A 2020 study from the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association found that 19 people go overboard on cruise ships each year on average. Read the original article on Insider On Thursday, NBC News reported that the FBI has created a stand-alone unit to investigate all the threats being made against FBI agents and federal prosecutors investigating Hunter Biden. You will be forgiven for thinking that this must mean there has been a spate of left-wing terrorism we haven't heard about but, in fact, the threats are coming from right-wingers who are convinced that these federal officials have been too soft on the younger Biden. Apparently, there has been "a dramatic uptick in threats against FBI agents that has coincided with attacks on the FBI and the Justice Department by congressional Republicans and former President Donald Trump." And let's not forget the right-wing media which has been hammering this for months, and in the process encouraging their febrile audience to believe that everything coming out of the FBI and the Justice Department is being manipulated by the White House and the career FBI officials and prosecutors are all Democratic operatives. It is the only way they can explain the fact that their Dear Leader, Donald Trump, has been credibly accused of more crimes, corruption and malfeasance than any president in American history. If they were to admit that all these law enforcement personnel and judicial officers have had ample reason to believe that Trump is guilty, they would have to admit that they are blithering fools. You would think that they would feel just a bit chagrined however, to learn yesterday that Hunter Biden has now been indicted on three federal felony charges for lying on a form to obtain a gun and is on the verge of going to trial to potentially face many years in prison if he is convicted. After all, they have been demanding that Hunter Biden be charged with a crime and now he has been. But no. It's not good enough. Not good enough at all. Let's just say that this news is unlikely to result in fewer threats against the FBI and the prosecutors. Let's hope they are all well protected. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said that it's a "small start" but is fit to be tied that they've only charged a crime that no one can say had anything to do with Joe Biden. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz quipped, "Getting Hunter Biden on the gun charge is like getting Jeffrey Dahmer on littering." They want special counsel David Weiss to indict Hunter Biden on all the crimes they've fabricated in their fever dreams, particularly the fantasies about President Joe Biden running an international influence peddling operation and human trafficking ring. The sad truth of the matter is that in this case there really is a two-tiered system: Hunter Biden's alleged crimes would never be prosecuted if he weren't the president's son. It doesn't appear that Weiss is going to do that, largely because there is no evidence of any such thing. But most legal observers believe that the special counsel may be on the verge of indicting Hunter Biden on the tax charges he previously pleaded guilty to, in which he admitted that he had filed his returns late for two years. (He has paid them in full.) And that too will leave the right-wingers unsatisfied. They suspect that Hunter Biden's taxes are a treasure trove of evidence that he and his supposedly senile father are criminal masterminds if only someone would look hard enough to find it. In other words, their preposterous crusade to have Hunter Biden and Joe Biden put behind bars in order to prove that Donald Trump is an innocent man isn't going away. Related Related_link The sad truth of the matter is that in this case there really is a two-tiered system: Hunter Biden's alleged crimes would never be prosecuted if he weren't the president's son. Filing taxes late in and of itself is usually a civil crime, as demonstrated by the Justice Department's treatment of Trump crony Roger Stone. And virtually no one with a clean criminal record who never even shot the gun or used it in the commission of a crime (he only had it for about 11 days) would ever see the inside of a courtroom. According to the New York Times, even Weiss confided that no other American would not be prosecuted on the evidence against Hunter. Mr. Weiss told an associate that he preferred not to bring any charges, even misdemeanors, against Mr. Biden because the average American would not be prosecuted for similar offenses. (A senior law enforcement official forcefully denied the account.) But then the politics kicked in: Earlier this year, The Times found, Mr. Weiss appeared willing to forgo any prosecution of Mr. Biden at all, and his office came close to agreeing to end the investigation without requiring a guilty plea on any charges. But the correspondence reveals that his position, relayed through his staff, changed in the spring, around the time a pair of I.R.S. officials on the case accused the Justice Department of hamstringing the investigation. Mr. Weiss suddenly demanded that Mr. Biden plead guilty to committing tax offenses. Ah yes, the vaunted whistleblowers who claim that the Justice Department stopped them from getting at the truth about Joe and Hunter's suspected nefarious criminal tax crimes. This claim has been denied by the DOJ, Weiss and others who were present at the meetings the whistleblowers say proved their allegations. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Despite the political pressure to throw the book at Biden, Weiss' office didn't really have the goods so they settled on a plea deal that blew up in court on the day it was to be settled. That agreement had Biden pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges (those late filings) and agreeing to a so-called "diversion" program in which he agreed to never try to purchase a gun again and would not use any controlled substance or drink alcohol for two years. But the judge called into question the constitutionality of the diversion terms and it also became clear that while Biden's lawyers had logically assumed that this agreement represented the conclusion of the case, the prosecution had decided they weren't closing it after all. So now, irony of ironies, Hunter Biden is facing a felony gun charge in federal court and right-wingers who insist that the right to bear arms is so unfettered that even terrorists can't be denied their constitutional right to own them are cheering it on. As MSNBC's Chris Hayes likes to say, after seeing these charges he's decided not to vote for Hunter Biden for president or any other office which is exactly the point. Hunter Biden is a messed up man who ran a sleazy business in which he traded on his daddy's name, like generations of offspring of powerful men. But he is not running for anything so there's really no need for all this hype. And according to a 538 analysis of the polling, all the nervousness that it's going to hurt the president politically is overblown. Mainly it's serving the purpose of hurting Joe Biden personally which is part of the plan. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the other day that she wants to make the impeachment inquiry "long and excruciatingly painful for Joe Biden" so I'm sure nothing makes her and her fellow GOP sadists happier than for his troubled surviving son to be put through the legal wringer. If they could make it bad enough for Hunter to crack under pressure and lose his sobriety, it would make their year. It doesn't even have to have any political purpose. They just want to see Joe Biden suffer. Read more about the GOP's anti-Biden efforts Oceans Zero On Monday, MGM Grand casinos across the US were forced to shut down after a mass cyberattack compromised the company's computer systems, granting bad actors access to casino and hotel operations in "Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio," a casino rep confirmed to the Associated Press on Tuesday. Though its website is still inaccessible, the casino company has maintained that "certain systems" were shut down immediately to protect its patron's privacy, and the FBI has since opened an investigation into what strongly appears to be a ransomware attack. Regardless, MGM is the largest casino operator on Las Vegas' iconic strip; that a black hat group was able to gain such extensive access to its operations local outlet Fox5 News reported that guest room keys apparently stopped working, while casino patrons took to social media to announce that ATMs and slots had stopped working is pretty shocking, especially considering the security-heavy business that it's in. This all in mind, you might imagine that the attack itself was incredibly sophisticated. But in a Tuesday post on X-formerly-Twitter, the malware registry vx-underground said that all the alleged perpetrators at a Russian-speaking ransomware group called ALPHV/BlackCat did was "hop on LinkedIn, find an employee, then call the Help Desk." "A company valued at $33,900,000,000," the group added, "was defeated by a 10-minute conversation." That's right, kids. If vx-underground which claims it spoke to ALPHV to confirm its allegation is to be believed, a bit of social engineering was all it took to bring one of the most prominent casino operations in the world to its knees. https://twitter.com/vxunderground/status/1701758864390050145?s=46&t=mOWjpAvBR_EgMxB3MbSPxw Fool Me Twice The MGM hackers may also be serial offenders. As Bloomberg reported yesterday, an English-speaking group called "Scattered Spider," believed to be an affiliate of ALPHV/BlackCat, executed another successful social engineering attack on Caesars Palace just a few weeks ago, with the hackers allegedly making out with the sensitive data of Caeser's loyalty members and, as Caesers reportedly chose to cough up a ransom, tens of millions of dollars as a result. The members of the Scattered Spiders group are "incredibly effective social engineers," Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer for the Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant, told Bloomberg, adding that the black hat cohort is "one of the most prevalent and aggressive threat actors impacting organizations in the United States today." As for whether MGM will pay up remains to be seen. Whatever the case, any and all casinos in Las Vegas and beyond might want to consider re-upping their employees' cybersecurity training. More on cybersecurity: Hackers Took Over a Subdomain of Wired.com for Several Months and Replaced It With Sleazy Online Casino Content Article first published: Friday, Sep. 15, 2023, 5 a.m. ET Article last updated: Friday, Sep. 15, 2023, 8 p.m. ET On Friday at 8 pm, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Category 1 Hurricane Lee is 470 miles south-southwest of Halifax Nova Scotia and 300 miles southeast of Nantucket Massachusetts, with maximum sustained wind of 80 mph. Its moving 20 mph to the north-northeast. "... the center of Lee will continue to approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday." forecasters noted. "Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday." YESTERDAY (Thursday): Yesterday, Lee lost strength and was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. Portions of atlantic Canada placed under a tropical storm warning by forecasters. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: - New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island - Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: - Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border - Martha's Vineyard - Nantucket - New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island - New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish - Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: - Prince Edward Island - Magdalen Islands - New Brunswick from Belledune to Shediac - Nova Scotia from Tidnish to Aulds Cove - Nova Scotia from Aulds Cove to Meat Cove to Point Tupper A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: WIND: Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch areas in Atlantic Canada on Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in southern New England within the next few hours and then spread northward across the rest of New England within the Tropical Storm Warning area through Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread across the Tropical Storm Warning area in Atlantic Canada tonight and Saturday. These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages. SURF: Swells generated by Lee are affecting the northern Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. RAINFALL: Late tonight into Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches, or 50 to 125 millimeters over portions of eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. This may produce localized urban and small stream flooding. STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... East of Montauk Point, NY to U.S./Canada border...1-3 ft Cape Cod...1-3 ft Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket...1-3 ft Boston Harbor...1-3 ft Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY...1-2 ft Long Island Sound...1-2 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. A dangerous storm surge will produce coastal flooding within the wind warning areas in Atlantic Canada in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the Sun Herald Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Full hurricane coverage at sunherald.com/news/weather-news/ LAS VEGAS (KLAS) As tensions continue to mount between educators and the Clark County School District, it was quiet at Thursday nights board of trustees meeting. This comes after a Clark County District Court judge ruled to stop rolling sickouts at CCSD schools this week. Its really disappointing, Anne England, a CCSD teacher, shared her reaction to the latest court ruling. For me, its really about the students at the end of the day. She is one of several teachers who spoke at Thursdays meeting, as contention continues over teacher raises. These teachers are speaking out, Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Vellardita said. And essentially saying its bad. Vellardita told 8 News Now while the union was not involved in the recent absences, they have filed an appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court against the claim these sick calls constituted a teacher strike, which is against state law. We feel very confident that the facts and the evidence weigh more heavily in our favor, Vellardita said. What happened has not slowed down our efforts to get a contract. As part of that contract, teachers are asking for a 10% raise in the first year and an 8% raise in the second year. CCSD and CCEA have not been able to come to a solution, so the issue will now go to arbitration. Theres a lot of initiatives that are coming at us without support, England explained. We are working without a contract. England said she hopes to see change in the near future and that she wont stop until everyone in the classroom gets what they need. Im doing what I can to support myself, England concluded. CCSD said the judges decision to stop rolling sickouts protects children so they can receive their entitled education. At this point, there is no word on when arbitration in the case will begin. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Elon University leaders are working to expand its law school in North Carolina with a new location in Charlotte. In July, the university submitted an application to the American Bar Association, which provided full accreditation to the Greensboro-based law school in 2011. The law school was established in 2006, and more than 400 students are enrolled. If Elons request is approved by the ABA, it will be the first law school to operate in Charlotte since the for-profit Charlotte School of Law closed in 2017 after losing a state license amid issues about admissions and student aid laws. The Charlotte School of Laws demise again rendered Charlotte as the biggest U.S. city without a law school. In 2017, UNC Charlottes then-chancellor said the university did not envision creating a law school, given the challenging job market at the time for law school grads. Elon Law is one of several law schools in the state. The others are Duke School of Law, Durham; Campbell Universitys Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Raleigh; North Carolina Central University, Durham; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem. After the Charlotte School of Law shut down in 2017, it left the city again without a law school. More about Elon University Priscilla Totten, a spokeswoman for the ABA, declined to detail Elons application, saying it was confidential. BusinessNC first reported about the application. According to the BusinessNC report, An independent arm of the ABA that deals with law school accreditations hasnt decided on Elons application yet; that council next meets in November. Elon University, a private university in Alamance County, was founded in 1881. More than 7,000 students from throughout the U.S. and 51 nations are enrolled there. Elon Law school said total tuition cost for its incoming class of 2023 for its 2 1/2-year Juris Doctor degree is $125,000, or lower based on scholarships and fellowship awards. The law school also guarantees that there will be no tuition hikes during their time there. An Elon spokesman declined to comment about the schools law school plans for Charlotte. But he said an announcement about academic programs would be coming on Tuesday, when the university opens its Charlotte Regional Center in South End on Tremont Avenue. Elon University submitted an application to the ABA to have a law school in Charlotte. WASHINGTON - Donald Trump and other Republican presidential candidates visited Washington on Friday to speak with social conservatives and address a central factor in the race: Trump's huge lead. "We're leading by a lot everywhere," Trump told cheering delegates at a Concerned Women for America's Leadership Summit in the nation's capital. Trump spoke hours after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told the same group of social conservatives to choose carefully in the 2024 election, delivering a standard speech attacking Democrats and "woke" ideology in schools and businesses. "We are in the midst of a national malaise," DeSantis said while mostly bashing President Joe Biden. DeSantis did not mention Trump by name, while the former president attacked the Florida governor at length during his 55-minute speech. Donald Trump and other Republican candidates Pence, Ramaswamy also in D.C. Four GOP candidates - Trump, DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Vice President Mike Pence - also addressed another group of religious conservatives meeting in Washington, the "Pray, Vote, Stand Summit" sponsored by the Family Research Council. On social media and in public, Trump spent most of his day talking about polls showing him way ahead of DeSantis and others, both nationally and in early contest states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Trump promotes social issues, bashes indictments In his speech to members of Concerned Women for America, Trump stressed his presidential record on issues like abortion and "religious liberty." He cited appointments of many conservative judges, including three members of the Supreme Court who voted to overturn the Roe vs. Wade ruling on abortion rights. Trump also defended his own abortion views, repeating that he supports exceptions to bans in cases of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother. That position has drawn criticism from some social conservatives. Noting that Democrats plan to use the abortion issue against GOP candidates in 2024, Trump warned social conservatives that "you have to be able to discuss it properly." After bragging about his polls, Trump also protested the four criminal cases that are pending against him, describing the indictments against him as efforts to hurt his presidential bid. At another point, Trump attacked criticized Special Counsel Jack Smith for seeking a gag order against him. "Our nation is being challenged like never before," Trump said. During his late-night speech to the Family Research Council, Trump also defended protesters sentenced to prison for their roles in the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, and suggested he would like to pardon many of them. If elected, Trump pledged to appoint a task force to "rapidly review the case of every political prisoner." DeSantis and evangelicals DeSantis' Washington speech came in the midst of a renewed appeal to social conservatives. "We must reverse this national decline," DeSantis told members of Concerned Women for America. On Saturday, DeSantis travels to Iowa to promote his "Faith and Family" coalition at a "God Above Government" in Des Moines. Later in the day, eight Republican candidates - but not Trump - will also speak Saturday at the the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Fall Banquet, another event focused on social issues. The guests at that event include South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Pence assails 'erosion of the traditional family' In his speech at the Family Research Council, Pence offered proposals to address what he called "the erosion of the traditional family." Pence also did not mention Trump by name and spent most of his time attacking Biden while bemoaning the state of the nation. "I believe this country is in a lot of trouble," Pence said, including the fact that people are "losing faith in our institutions." Ramaswamy's commandments In previewing his speech to social conservatives, Ramaswamy said he opposes what he called "the Lefts commandments" of "Race, Gender, Sexuality, Climate." "We cant just be against their vision," he said on X, formerly Twitter. "We must offer our own: Individual. Family. Nation. God." Debate plans Republican candidates are also gearing up for a Sept. 27 debate at the Ronald Reagan library in California - again, all except Trump, who has said he will skip the event. Trump also refused to attend the first GOP debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. Republicans are more hopeful that Trump will show up a third debate. Republican National Committee members disclosed this week that they are planning hold a third debate in Miami, very near Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chasing Trump: DeSantis, Pence, Ramaswamy vie for social conservatives NBC News correspondent Piers Anderton (left), and NBC News cameraman Peter Dehmel (right), talk with West Berlin student Dominico Sesta recently, in the basement of a building in West Berlin. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) CIA missions are literally the stuff movies are made from . Don't believe us? Imagine pulling a Soviet submarine from the ocean floor or using a sham Hollywood company to rescue American diplomats. Welcome to the CIA's lesser-told tales, where these high-stakes operations are just the tip of the iceberg. Founded in 1947, the CIA is one of the most enigmatic and powerful agencies in the United States. The organization has been at the helm of countless covert operations and intelligence missions. And sometimes, some of the Agency's most-daredevil exploits come to light. These aren't your run-of-the-mill James Bond escapades; they are missions grounded in reality but extraordinary in execution. For example, do you remember that time the CIA ran a top-secret program from 1953 to 1973 that involved conducting hundreds of mind-control experiments on U.S. citizens? Hello, Project MK-Ultra. It's wild to think about now, but here's the thing. The CIA conducts these covert ops all the time and most of us dont know boo. So, heres a deep dive into five fascinating CIA missions. Project FF and the blueprint for change In 1952, Kermit "Kim" Roosevelt Jr. , was given a very sensitive task. This famed political Roosevelt family descendant and the head of the CIAs Near East and Africa division was no stranger to covert ops. But his new mission was pretty out there. He got orders to encourage Egypt's King Farouk to enact reforms aimed at curbing revolutionary fervor within Egypt. This CIA mission, informally dubbed Project FF, was a critical chess move in the greater geopolitical game. The codename FF derived from an unflattering nickname the CIA had for King Farouk, owing to his extravagant lifestyle. Efforts to work with Farouk failed. The focus changed quickly. The Society of Free Officers led a military coup overnight between July 22 and 23. They replaced Farouk with Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser. Farouk went into exile in Italy. However, the impact of Project FF remained. Miles Copeland Jr., the CIA's chief in Cairo then, believed that Project FF prepared for Operation Ajax. Operation Ajax staged a successful coup in Iran in 1953, proving the CIA's strong influence on global events. U-2 spy plane: Eye in the sky On November 25, 1954, President Eisenhower approved the U-2 aircraft's development. This decision boosted American intelligence capabilities. The U-2 first flew over Eastern Europe on June 20, 1956. On July 4, it flew over the Soviet Union. These flights gave vital reconnaissance data. However, on May 1, 1960, risks increased. Russia shot down a U-2 flight with pilot Francis Gary Powers over Sverdlovsk. Powers was captured but later returned to the U.S. in a highly publicized prisoner exchange depicted in the movie, " Bridge of Spies ." Yet, perhaps the most defining aspect of this CIA mission was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. On October 14, 1962, the CIA dispatched U-2s to survey Cuba. The aerial photographs they took confirmed the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles aimed at the U.S., triggering a tense standoff from October 15-28, 1962. The U-2's mission was crucial in providing the intelligence that helped America navigate this perilous moment in history. The Berlin Tunnel CIA officer Bill Harvey conceived the Berlin Tunnel or Operation GOLD. On May 11, 1954, they finished the tunnel. It let the CIA and British Intelligence (MI-6) tap Soviet cables in East Berlin. But there was a problem. George Blake, a spy inside MI-6 for the KGB, leaked the plan. The KGB knew everything from the start. But they waited. They wanted to protect Blake, their mole. So, in April 1956, they pretended to discover the tunnel during a cable repair. Yet, the Berlin Tunnel wasn't a complete loss. It gave valuable insights into the Soviet military. Many in the intelligence world still view it as a success. Project COLDFEET Before James Bond or Batman made the Fulton Skyhook system a household name in their thrilling on-screen adventures, CIA missions were all about covert ops . Enter Project COLDFEET, a daring mission executed in 1961. When the U.S. discovered an abandoned Soviet research station on a drifting ice island in the Arctic, the CIA saw an opportunity too tempting to pass up. Two brave Navy pilots were airdropped onto the perilous ice on May 28, 1962. They were tasked with collecting critical intelligence from the deserted station. The catch? They needed a way to be extracted along with the invaluable data they gathered. That's where Robert Fultons Skyhook came in, a marvel of airborne retrieval technology. A B-17 aircraft, specially equipped with this device, was the answer to this logistical puzzle. By June 2, the CIA, with the aid of the Skyhook system, managed to successfully retrieve both the pilots and a whopping 150 pounds of vital information, including documents, samples, and equipment the Soviets had left behind. Project COLDFEET was not just an operation. It was a showcase of ingenuity and audacity. B-17G N809Z which had been used in project Coldfeet. The Deep-Sea Coup Imagine a CIA mission as intricate as standing atop the Empire State Building, lowering an 8-foot-wide grappling hook tied to a steel rope to the street below, grabbing a car full of gold, and hoisting it back upall without anyone noticing. That's precisely the kind of audacity that defined Project AZORIAN. In 1974, the CIA engineered a specialized ship, the Glomar Explorer, with one mission in mind: to lift a sunken Soviet submarine from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The public was fed a cover story that billionaire Howard Hughes was conducting deep-sea research and mining manganese nodules. But in reality, this was a clandestine operation aimed at securing Soviet naval secrets. While the mission became public knowledge on March 18, 1975, due to media exposure, its strategic success was undeniable. It remains one of the most awe-inspiring intelligence operations of the Cold War era. The last word on CIA legends If the CIA's missions were a Hollywood screenplay, even the most creative directors might say, "This can't be real." Yet, here we stand, with true stories that far outpace fiction. From audacious Arctic adventures in Project COLDFEET to deep-sea escapades in Project AZORIAN, these missions underscore the CIA's relentless pursuit of American security and global stability. In these untold tales, we witness the CIA using a blend of technological innovation, strategic planning, and good old-fashioned audacity to achieve their goals. Each story showcases different facets of what makes this organization not just an intelligence agency, but a symbol of American resilience, ingenuity and prowess. These aren't merely past episodes, but an ongoing legacy. The men and women who put these missions into actionlike the pilots navigating treacherous Arctic landscapes, the engineers developing cutting-edge technology like the U-2 spy planes, or the brilliant minds who conceived operations like the Berlin Tunnelhave set the standard for excellence. So the next time you find yourself engrossed in a spy thriller, remember that reality has often outdone fiction, thanks to the CIA's daring and ingenuity. The tales may seem untold, but the impacts reverberate through our history and continue to shape our future. Mission accomplished. By Anna Cooban, CNN London (CNN) Chick-fil-A is making another foray into the United Kingdom after gay rights campaigners forced the fast-food chain to close a pop-up site in the country in 2019. The company said in a press release Thursday that it would open its first store in early 2025, with another four opening over the following two years. Each restaurant will be owned and operated as a franchise, Chick-fil-A said, and each is expected to create between 80 and 120 jobs. They will be the companys first stores outside of North America, it added. Chick-fil-A opened a temporary store in Reading, a town west of London, in 2019, triggering protests by local LGBTQ+ rights activists. Soon after, the mall hosting the pop-up site said it would not extend the shops lease beyond the six-month trial period, local media outlet Berkshire Live reported. For years, the restaurant chain has faced criticism from LGBTQ+ rights activists for its past donations to Christian organizations, including the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which have expressed opposition to gay rights, including same sex marriage. In 2012, former CEO Dan Cathy, who is the son of Chick-fil-As founder Truett Cathy , told Christian publication The Baptist Press that he believed in the biblical definition of the family unit, which many took as a signal of his opposition to gay marriage. However, in 2019 the restaurant chain changed the focus of its charitable foundation. It ended donations to anti-LGBTQ groups and said it would give exclusively to organizations working on education, homelessness and hunger. From our earliest days, weve worked to positively influence the places we call home and this will be the same for our stores in the UK, Joanna Symonds, head of UK operations, said in this weeks statement. We encourage our operators to partner with organizations which support and positively impact their local communities, delivering great food and wider benefits to those around them. Chick-fil-A, which plans to invest $100 million in the UK over the next decade, also intends to open restaurants in Asia by 2026. The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) A Chickasha man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to hitting his father over the head with a cinder block, killing him. U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester of Western District of Oklahoma confirmed, Phillip Keith Ray, 45, of Chickasha, was sentenced to serve 300 months in federal prison for murder in the second degree in Indian Country. On March 1, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Ray, charging him with murder in the second degree. Phillip Ray, Grady County Detention Center UPDATE: OKC Police, local hospital identify woman According to an affidavit, on October 19, 2021, law enforcement responded to a distress call at a home in Chickasha. Once on scene, Chickasha Police officers located a deceased male victim in the backyard, with significant injuries to his head. A concrete block was found near the body. Ray, the son of the victim, was home at the time of the murder. Another family member told Chickasha Police they believed Ray was responsible for the crime. On September 14, 2022, Ray pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree. As part of his plea, Ray admitted to striking the victim on the head with a cinder block. The case is charged in federal court because Ray is a citizen of the Comanche Nation and the crime took place within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation. Find more Top Stories from KFOR.com At the sentencing hearing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Ray to serve 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The court noted the need to incapacitate the defendant and protect the public from any potential future violence. This case is a result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office with assistance provided by the Chickasha Police Department, Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. This photo taken on July 4, 2022 shows a workshop of the Volkswagen Anhui MEB (Modular Electric Drive Matrix) plant under construction in east China's Anhui Province. [Photo/Xinhua] Top executives of foreign automakers have voiced their long-term commitment to the Chinese vehicle market, which as one of the country's economic pillars is cruising at a high single-digit growth rate. Auto manufacturers in China delivered 2.27 million passenger vehicles in August, up 6.9 percent year-on-year, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Deliveries during the month brought total vehicle sales in the first eight months to 15.64 million units, up 6.7 percent from the same period last year, said the CAAM. Volkswagen AG, as the world's No 2 automaker and the bestselling foreign vehicle brand in China, has a clear focus on the country, said Oliver Blume, chairman of the company's board of management. "We are successful in China. We are the biggest international carmaker in China. We have a long tradition in China. We have our partners with a strong commitment," Blume said. He said China is not only the world's largest auto market, but also a pacesetter in terms of technology. "China shows what will happen in the next 10 years around the world, and that's a big opportunity. We believe in it. We have worked out ... a China strategy for Volkswagen Group, which outlined our commitment to develop 'in China, for China' for Chinese customers," Blume added. In July, the German automaker partnered with Chinese electric vehicle startup Xpeng to develop two models for the Chinese market, which will enrich the portfolio of Volkswagen's own EVs. The models, which will be available exclusively in China, will begin appearing in showrooms in 2026.They will bear the Volkswagen marque but feature Xpeng's expertise in software and autonomous driving. In addition to its deal with Xpeng, Volkswagen has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese partner SAIC to speed up collaboration on Audi's electric vehicle development, with the Audi brand being part of the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen said joint development with SAIC will swiftly and efficiently extend its portfolio of smart EVs on offer in the premium segment. "We are producing people's cars. But people's cars in the future will be different from those in the past. Therefore, we will combine our experience, our knowledge with new technologies being developed in China," Blume said. Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said China has been leading the smart EV sector. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said first-half passenger vehicle sales in China with driving-assist functionality exceeded 2.88 million units, accounting for 32.4 percent of the total. Chen said such "futuristic" features will soon become a must for new vehicles. He also expects overall sales this year, based on available figures, to eclipse 2022's nationwide total, thanks to a series of favorable policies the government has put in place. Ola Kaellenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said the world is experiencing a more challenging economic environment, but companies should adopt a long-term attitude. "We have a very clear strategy: we will continue to invest in China... It is the largest car market in the world. It is our biggest market. "But that should not distract us from thinking long-term: for the long term, Mercedes-Benz believes in China," Kaellenius said. Stephan von Schuckmann, a member of the board of management of German auto parts supplier ZF Group, said, "For ZF, China has become home to global technologies and functionalities, and a global innovation hub." ZF has nearly 50 production sites, four R&D centers and nearly 240 after-sales service outlets in more than 20 cities across China, with over 20,000 employees in the country. In the first half, the company's sales in the Asia-Pacific region, mainly in China, reached 5.276 billion euros ($5.693 billion), an increase of 16 percent year-on-year. BEIJING (Reuters) - China said it is willing to maintain regular strategic communication and deepen exchanges on governance with Cambodia, state media said on Friday after leaders of the two countries met. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet . Xi said China was willing to work with Cambodia on law enforcement and security cooperation and continue to crack down on cross-border crimes such as internet gambling and telecommunication fraud. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom and Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) The News After a summer of deadly floods in Beijing, oppressive heat waves in Shanghai, and intense rainstorms in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Chinas biggest cities are grappling with urban planning in a new climate reality. To prepare for a more unpredictable future, they must ditch the large-scale industrialized projects that have till now defined Chinese megacities in favour of nature-based solutions, Yu Kongjian, the godfather of Chinese urban planning, told me. Xiaoyings view Although Chinas central government recognizes that the country is facing rising climate risks, its urban centers have yet to put resilience at the core of their development strategies. This is partly because even though local officials must now meet environmental targets, they still face pressure to develop cities by upgrading infrastructure and bolstering economic growth. Moreover, Chinas current planning system, introduced after the countrys urbanization boom in the 1990s, is designed to spur, not limit, cities growth. It is hard for [the system] to respond to elements that will restrict a citys growth, such as environmental protection and prevention of floods and droughts, said Cui Guo, an urban planner and editor-in-chief of Urban China. Yet, according to Yu, that is exactly what must be done. We need to use a post-industrialized logic to respond to climate change, he told me. Instead of pouring funds into gray infrastructure, such as concrete dams, Chinese cities must befriend floodwaters by harnessing nature, he said. The 60-year-old advocates one solution in particular: the concept of sponge cities where urban areas provide more room for nature to act as a giant sponge to retain and absorb rain, and slow down floods. Know More In China, Yu is not just any expert: He is a grand master of Chinese urban planning. After studying design at Harvard in the 1990s he returned to China to help establish the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University, where he is still the dean. He is also the founder of Turenscape, a design agency, and is a leading proponent of the sponge city idea. Yu first proposed the concept in 2003, arguing that cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou prone to extreme downpours as a result of a monsoon climate should borrow from Chinas ancient water management wisdom instead of Western industrialized measures when it comes to flooding-control, pointing out that the former showed it worked for thousands of years. After demonstrating the idea in several projects, he officially proposed the concept to Chinas Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in 2011. The following year, heavy rainfall battered Beijing, killing 79 people. And in 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping endorsed Yus idea, instructing the nation to build sponge cities that can let [rainwater] accumulate, penetrate and purify naturally. The program has since been rolled out in 31 pilot cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Why, then, did they not hold up in Beijing or Shenzhen this year? Yu argued that it would take time and effort for the concept to be fully implemented and that some places have labeled themselves sponge cities without putting the theory fully into practice. He added that certain disasters, including the most recent one in Beijing, were caused by flooding in entire river basins, not as a result of urban waterlogging. Therefore, the resilience of the whole basin would need to be enhanced. Room for Disagreement Several analysts question whether the sponge city concept really works. The strategy was a fairly good plan when it was initiated, but ignores the extreme events and disasters like the flash flood, Xu Hongzhang, a researcher at the Australian National University, told Bloomberg. Li Zhao, a Beijing-based researcher at Greenpeace, concurred, telling the outlet that water management systems in the sponge city concept were not designed to handle the level of extreme weather we see today because they were based on rainfall levels in the 30 years prior to 2014. The View From The Netherlands The Dutch port city of Rotterdam, some 80% of which lies below sea level, presents many good examples of handling flooding. It launched an adaptation program titled Rotterdam Climate Proof as early as 2008 to help it achieve full climate resilience by 2025. Different water-borne structures, including floating offices, homes, and farms, have been built in the city. There is also a dedicated water square. During heavy storms, excessive rainwater is rechanneled to the square, which is designed to hold 1.7 million liters equivalent to 8,500 bathtubs. On dry days, it serves as a public leisure space. Notable Shenzhen, a pilot sponge city, is bracing itself for climate change by building a Green Great Wall. Robert C. Thornett explained the citys effort to address its twin water crisis floods and droughts with ecological solutions in The Diplomat. (Bloomberg) -- China announced it was sanctioning Northrop Grumman Corp. and a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp. for supplying arms to Taiwan, the latest example of Beijing symbolically showing its displeasure at US support for the island. Most Read from Bloomberg In accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the PRC, China decided to impose sanctions on these two above-mentioned US defense companies, said Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday. She used the abbreviation of the countrys formal name, the Peoples Republic of China. Mao said Lockheed Martin has directly participated in the US arms sales to Taiwan, while Northrop Grumman has participated in US arms sales to Taiwan several times. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, although it has never had control of the self-ruled island. The action is likely nothing more than a symbol of Chinas unhappiness about the weapon sales, as neither firm has any activities to sanction in China. Earlier this year, China imposed symbolic fines and sanctions on Lockheed Martin and a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies Corp. Last year, it sanctioned top executives of Boeing Co.s defense subsidiary and Raytheon. In August, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a $500 million sale of equipment for the F-16 fighter jet, which will be supplied by Lockheed Martin in Missouri. Last December, the same agency announced that Northrop Grumman would supply Taiwan with a system to deploy anti-tank mines. On top of those deals, last month the US State Department announced a package worth as much as $80 million for Taiwan to purchase US weapons. That money could be used to finance the acquisition and refurbishment of armored and infantry vehicles, artillery systems, drones and counter-drone equipment, communications and individual soldier equipment, as well as requisite training, according to the congressional notification. (Updates with more details on companies and previous Chinese sanctions.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Picture of the Rocket Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of the PLA conducting missile tests into the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan, is seen on a newspaper front-page, in Beijing BEIJING (Reuters) - A unit of China's Rocket Force uncovered "shortcomings" during a field assessment of an exercise, the PLA Daily reported on Friday in a rare critique, suggesting gaps in combat readiness at the armed force overseeing conventional and nuclear missiles. Assessment of problems in the training and preparation of troops must be done "every day and every month" to clear up bottlenecks and difficulties, the official newspaper of the Chinese military reported, citing a Communist Party leader of a unit at the Rocket Force who went on a recent field survey. The combat readiness of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, a strategic branch of the Chinese military, has come under focus recently after its two most senior leaders were suddenly replaced at the end of July with commanders not from the force. Since August, the Rocket Force has conducted at least two drills and training sessions, according to its official account on Weibo, a popular Chinese microblog. In the year to date, Communist Party members of the Rocket Force have visited the front lines of drills and exercises "multiple times" to assess the unit's combat readiness, according to the PLA Daily. Ad hoc groups of Party members have not been able to meet the needs of troops scattered across "thousands of kilometres", the newspaper reported, citing one of the problems. Their "spirit" should be focused, it said. The newspaper also cited a lack of staffing at a certain brigade. On a visit to troops stationed in northeastern Heilongjiang province early this month, President Xi Jinping, also the military's commander-in-chief, renewed his call for higher combat readiness as new capabilities are being built. The uncertainties over leadership have not been solely focused on the Rocket Force. In early September, Defence Minister Li Shangfu abruptly pulled out of a meeting with Vietnamese defence leaders, officials with direct knowledge of the matter previously told Reuters, amid questions about his absence from public view for weeks. China's defence minister is mainly responsible for defence diplomacy and does not command combat forces. His ministry has yet to comment on his absence. (Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Lincoln Feast) Chinas defense minister has been placed under investigation by Beijing officials over alleged corrupt procurement of military equipment, according to multiple reports. Defense Minister Li Shangfu , who has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, was taken away for questioning by authorities last week in relation to his role in weapons buying, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. And The Financial Times reported, citing U.S. officials, that the Biden administration believes Li, who was appointed as defense minister in March, has been placed under investigation. China has not publicly confirmed such actions, but the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, further stoked speculations when he announced late Thursday that Li was a no-show for a planned trip to Vietnam and was absent from a scheduled meeting with the chief of Singapores navy because he was placed on house arrest??? As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, Emanuel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The National Security Council and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, said Friday that he had no information on Lis status but that the United States remains fully prepared . . . to engage with the Chinese government, whoever happens to be holding the positions of responsibility at a given time. The absence of Li, who led Chinas militarys procurement unit from 2017 to 2022, comes amid turmoil within Beijings national security arm. Chinese President Xi Jinping two months ago dismissed the top two generals on the countrys Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force, which develops Beijings long-range missiles and nuclear weapons. Former Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang also was fired from his role in July. Reuters reported that eight senior officials in the Beijings militarys procurement arm, are also under investigation along with Li. Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29, according to Reuters. He was intended to visit to Vietnam for an annual defense meeting between the Beijing and Hanoi scheduled for Sept. 7-8, but the meeting was canceled Sept. 3, due to a health condition that Li had. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Donald Trumps 91 felony counts arent nearly as significant as the actual conduct that led to the former presidents indictments in four different criminal cases. That conduct is a preview of what he would be like if he were the nominee again and the president again, Christie said on CNN on Thursday. What he will do next will absolutely be consistent at 78 years old with what hes done before. Christie, once a loyal Trump ally now running against him for the Republican presidential nomination, recalled Trumps 2016 message to supporters: I am your voice. But that, he said, has changed. Today, he says, I am your retribution, Christie said. Those are two very different people, and I would argue someone who is now just out for himself purely and not have any element where hes out for the American people. Christie said Republican voters should take that into consideration before selecting a nominee. He added that theres another issue they should keep in mind before casting their vote: I just dont believe he can win, and thats a huge problem for the Republican Party. See his full conversation below: Christie says hell leave race if he doesnt do well in New Hampshire Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie says he would leave the 2024 race if he does not perform well in the first primary state of New Hampshire. The former New Jersey governor told The New York Times in an interview that he does not see any circumstances where he would leave the race before the primary, but the state is key to his path to the nomination. If I dont do well in New Hampshire, then Ill leave, he said. Separately Christie said in an interview on NewsNations CUOMO on Thursday that he does not feel he needs to win the state to stay in the race but must do well. He said finishing in the top four in the state is absolutely attainable and is what his campaign is pushing for. If you dont do well in the first few states, you should get out of the race. Voters are speaking, money will dry up. Im just being practical about it, Christie said. He told the Times that said New Hampshire is about retail campaigning instead of big policy speeches. Christie has staked much of his candidacy on New Hampshire and has seen a rise in the polls in the Granite State. An Emerson College poll from last month showed him in second place, 9 percent behind former President Trump, who is far and away the front-runner for the GOP nomination A Times analysis of Christies campaign stops found more than 90 percent of his events have been in New Hampshire since February. The former governor has been arguably the fields most vocal critic of Trump, often making his denunciation of the former president a key part of his pitch to voters. Christie said the way to stop Trump from winning the nomination is to deny him a victory in New Hampshire. I think once Donald Trump loses in one place, that entire rotted building will crumble, he said. But he said Trump will be the GOP nominee if he wins the state, which means New Hampshire will determine the future of the party and the country. Christie vowed that a strong performance in New Hampshire would mean that he would remain in the race, adding that he has been through a presidential election before, referring to his 2016 run, and understands what these races mean. He said New Hampshire is about retail campaigning instead of big policy speeches. What you do is you come up here to meet voters, Christie said. This story was updated at 3:35 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Kansas has one of the worst civil forfeiture regimes in the nation. There are no good reasons to keep the current system in place a system that hurts everyday Kansans and erodes confidence in the government that enables it. On paper, civil forfeiture may sound innocuous enough, but in practice it is abusive and fundamentally unjust. It is an archaic system that enables the government to keep a persons cash or property without a criminal conviction. The system is flawed, badly so. Take Barbara Reese for example. Even though she was never charged with a crime, much less convicted, it took her nearly 25 years and the help of an official act of the Kansas Legislature for her to receive less money than was seized. A system like that is hardly just. At nearly every step, Kansas civil forfeiture regime stacks the deck in favor of the government. For starters, law enforcement gets to keep 100% of the forfeiture proceeds. That incentivizes a profit-based approach to seizing and policing. The government is not required to prove the owners guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, the regime turns the presumption of innocence on its head and forces property owners to prove their innocence a wildly un-American concept. The government-imposed hurdles are, for most, just too much to overcome. The government has far more resources at its disposal, and far more experience in the courtroom all of which is funded by Kansas taxpayers than the average citizen. For most, it just does not make sense to take on such a Herculean task. The data backs this up. According to an Americans for Prosperity Foundation analysis of Kansas-specific data, half of all seizures in Kansas have a value of $3,000 or less. Whether one is taking off work and representing themself, or paying an attorney to represent them, most are financially better off giving up. At its core, Kansas civil forfeiture regime disregards property rights, fails to adequately protect due process, and in the end, it facilitates government overreach and abuse. Property owners hardly stand a chance. More: Kansas officers can seize money and property from drivers, even if charges aren't filed Opponents of civil forfeiture reform sometimes claim that forfeiture is an important tool in fighting crime and that it helps keep people safe. But the evidence does not bear that out. According to at least two reports by Institute for Justice, forfeiture does not help solve crimes, stop drug use, lead to greater policing effectiveness or reduce crime. In Kansas, the evidence strongly suggests that civil forfeiture is not being used to bust up large drug cartels or human trafficking rings, as some civil forfeiture proponents suggest. Quite the contrary. Again, half of all seizures in Kansas have a value of $3,000 or less. Finally, opponents of civil forfeiture reform argue that criminals should not profit from their crimes. While true, it is not a good enough reason to keep in place the current regime. If forfeitures goal is to disrupt criminal enterprises and criminal activity, the law should require the government to first secure a criminal conviction. More: This is how Kansas Civil Asset Forfeiture laws help keep Kansans safe If the government cannot prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, it has no business taking away that persons cash or property. It is long past due for the Kansas Legislature to fix this broken and un-American system. Sam MacRoberts is litigation director at Kansas Justice Institute. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas' civil forfeiture may sound innocuous but is abusive and unjust Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark in new court filings sought to justify becoming involved with Georgias 2020 presidential election by arguing former President Trump had an unqualified and illimitable right to change his job responsibilities. Clark, who is charged in Georgia alongside Trump and 17 others over their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, heads to court on Monday to convince a judge to move his state prosecution to federal court, which would enable him to attempt to assert immunity. To move courts, Clark must show that the allegations against him were within the scope of his duties as a federal official, among other things. Clark is charged with two counts over his desire to send a letter to Georgia authorities asking them to hold off on certifying their election results while the department investigated. He is accused of being part of a months-long conspiracy to unlawfully keep Trump in power. Clark pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have rejected the notion that the letter could have fallen within Clarks job responsibilities. Clark at the time oversaw the Justice Departments environmental division and, in an acting capacity, the civil division. The President has the unqualified and illimitable right to seek and obtain such advice from his senior legal advisors, Clarks attorneys pushed back in the new court filings. They noted a meeting Clark had with Trump and other senior administration lawyers on Jan. 3, 2021, at which Trump initially desired sending the letter and appointing Clark as attorney general. He ultimately did not do so, however. This act by the President conclusively ratified that Mr. Clarks responsibilities included the election-related issues discussed in the draft letter, and that all of his charged conduct was under color of law, Clarks attorneys said of the meeting. Court filings show Fulton County District Attorney Fani Williss (D) office has subpoenaed Jody Hunt, who ran the Justice Departments civil rights division earlier in the Trump administration, to testify at Mondays hearing. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, who will preside, has already rejected a request from one of Clarks co-defendants to move their charges to federal court. Jones ruled that the allegations against Trumps former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, were political activities outside the scope of his job responsibilities. Meadows is now appealing. Three other co-defendants in the case are also trying to move their charges, and Jones will hold a hearing to consider their effort on Wednesday. Trump has also suggested he, too, could soon follow in their footsteps. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A visitor plays chess with an AI chess playing robot during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2023 in Shanghai, east China, July 6, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] China's top intellectual property regulator on Thursday said it had stepped up examination efforts to better protect patents in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), genetic technology and blockchain. It has revised examination standards for these cutting-edge industries, expanding patent scope and providing higher examination quality and efficiency, said Wu Hongxiu, an official from the National Intellectual Property Administration, at a press conference. To support sci-tech innovation and IP protection in emerging industries and new business forms, the administration has been more open on patent data, making 18 databases on frontier technologies accessible to the public, Wu added. China has leveraged IP to drive innovation, particularly in meeting the demand for new technologies and industries in recent years. For example, by 2022, the country had secured the top position globally in terms of the number of patent applications filed for AI technologies, with the scale of the core AI industry surpassing 500 billion yuan (about 68.7 billion U.S. dollars). LIBERTY, Mo. Clay County sheriff deputies help stop a thief trying to get away with about $5,500 in stolen items. The Clay County Sheriffs Office says a property owner called them to report a black truck with a trailer that he saw on surveillance video trespassing on his property. BPU warns of new phone scam targeting its customers Two deputies went to the area of Foster Road and Raines Road and stopped the suspect as he was trying to leave. The sheriffs office says the suspect had taken five pairs of industrial HVAC blower motors and some tools. He told the deputies he intended to sell the motors for scrap. A deputy spoke with the property owner to confirm the suspect did not have permission to take the items like he claimed. Kansas City election board leaving Union Station, moving to new office The deputies arrested the suspect for larceny and took him to the Clay County jail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. A fake ID and an out-of-state notary public is all it took for a Cobb County man to say a piece of his land was stolen right out from under him. Greg May says when he received the annual tax bill for a 10-acre plot of land in Carroll County hes owned for 15 years, he pulled it up on the county assessor website only to find the property was listed as sold, and he had allegedly sold it. I saw that I sold the property, and I told my wife the property was sold. We didnt sell the property, did we? May said. May later saw the Georgia drivers license used as proof of identification in the sale. It was his name, address and license number but it was not his picture or signature, he told Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In the state of Georgia, it is really easy. Anybody can get a license, put your picture on it, I guess. And you can claim a property as yours and sell it. Its that easy and it should not be, May said. The fake Greg May even listed the property for sale with a relator on the Georgia MLS. It was sold in March to a neighbor for $115,000. The paperwork was signed off by a Texas notary. Its scary that it can be done that easily. I dont know what to do, May said. In a Channel 2 Action News investigation last year, we showed you how the same thing happened to Eric Thompsons South Fulton home. This is like a strong-arm robbery dude, Thompson told Gray. TRENDING STORIES: The buyer in that case had already sold the house himself before realizing the original seller was an imposter. May has contacted local police, the closing attorney, the real estate agent, the buyer and an attorney of his own. Hes been told it could take months to sort out the mess. I dont know what kind of checks and balances need to be put in to buy and sell properties, but it shouldnt be this easy. It just shouldnt, he said. Enhanced title insurance can help protect against this kind of fraud. Fulton County residents also have a free option that adds a layer of protection. Because of increases title fraud, the county created the Real Estate Activity Alert and Contact Tool or R.E.A.A.C.T. By creating an account and registering a parcel ID number on R.E.A.A.C.T., property owners receive alerts any time filings are made regarding the registered property. If the filing isnt recognizable, you can contact the Clerks Office and local authorities. You can sign up for the program if you are a Fulton County property owner here. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: This years membership drive for the faculty union at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) hit a stumbling block late last month, as the schools administration shuttered an on-campus informational table set up by the organization and two state-level union representatives were taken away in handcuffs. The HACC Education Association, which was formed in April 2022 and represents roughly 900 faculty members, kicked off its recruitment campaign with an event at the schools York, Pennsylvania campus on Aug. 22. It went on without incident. Accompanied by two representatives from the unions state affiliate, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), members of the local HACC Education Association set up promotional display tables and handed out union merchandise. Over 100 faculty members attended the hybrid virtual and in-person event, HACC Education Associations president, Kathy Sicher, told The Daily Beast. Right-Wing Cancel Culture Has a Home at Texas A&M University But a hiccup arose as the union planned to continue its campaign with an informational table at the colleges campus in Lancaster the following week. As with the York event, Sicher told The Daily Beast, the union went through the proper channels that [HACC] had told us to go through to reserve the table and the space. But after days without a reply, she learned that HACC had informed a PSEA representative that the request for tables was denied. Indeed, on Aug. 28, according to a statement provided by HACC to The Daily Beast, the college told the PSEA that it was deemed an external entit[y], barred from promoting their special interests on any HACC campus as per school policy. (While HACC says that the PSEA requested tables at HACC Lancaster, Sicher told The Daily Beast that it was actually she who had done so, acting as the local unions president and a full-time tenured professor at HACC.) Citing the First Amendment and state law enshrining public employees right to bargain collectively, Sicher says the union decided to move forward with the table nonetheless. On Aug. 30, a few HACC faculty union membersjoined by the same PSEA representatives present at the York event eight days priorset up a display in a building on the Lancaster campus. The faculty members running the table were in the lobby of the main building in Lancaster, which is a public space, off to the side, Sicher told The Daily Beast. It was peaceful, non-confrontational, non-disruptive of the academic setting. But, as shown in a video published by CBS 21 News, soon after the local union members set up campus security told them to leave. The local police were called to the scene and, after being told to disperse from the table or be in the same situation as the PSEA representatives, the HACC faculty members complied and left. The PSEA staff members, however, were arrested for trespassing after citing their right to be here to reach out to our members and refusing to leave. HACCs statement held that [t]hese types of incidents are unfortunate and do not reflect HACCs core values. In an email to The Daily Beast, PSEA spokesperson Chris Lilienthal wrote that the state affiliate has a right and a duty to communicate with members in the bargaining unit. Union activity is protected under state labor law. The facultythe local, legally recognized unionwas organizing membership tables, and our state reps are welcome to be there if they want to be there, Sicher said. It was [the locals] marketing drive, she emphasized, but it doesnt matter. Were part of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the PSEA. Were part of the NEA, the National Education Association. As for the difference between HACCs reaction to the event at York, which went on smoothly, and the union display at Lancaster, she suggested that the support garnered for the union at the former event could have displeased HACC management. In its statement, HACC charged that the Aug. 30 incident represented a deplorable and disgraceful publicity stunt on the part of the faculty union, which had been orchestrated so that [the representatives] would be arrested. The college lamented that some students were traumatized by seeing armed law enforcement officers making arrests on their campus. Ben Shapiro Is Helping Elon Musk Fight a War on Freedom of Speech Such a narrative, however, would only be sound if HACCs hands had truly been tied at the time. But other, more favorable courses of action than shutting down the table were doubtlessly available. As Sicher told The Daily Beast of the Aug. 30 incident, I would have thought HACCs management would have said, you know, We need to work this out. We need to come up with a plan on how youre going to do this. But there was no conversation like that. As another alternative, HACC could have deferred to the principle of open debate by acknowledging the right of its faculty members and union representatives to share information in a public forum. Sicher noted that this right cuts the other way, too, saying, Somebody could have stood right next to our union table and said I dont like unions, and they have the freedom to say that. Instead, HACC resorted to suppression. Speaking Your Mind in Ron DeSantis Free State of Florida Could Get You Fired The incident is not a bolt out of the blue. Too often, when confronted with faculty expression that challenges power relations within universitiesparticularly amid the upsurge in higher education labor organizing over the past two yearscollege administrations have taken censorial stances. In April, for example, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that, in response to graduate student workers unionization efforts at Stanford, the private university distributed faculty guidelines against professors posting opinions about union organizing on your office door, in your faculty office or on social media. After a well-deserved backlash, the university promptly adjusted the guidelines, walking back the restriction on sharing opinions about unionizing on social mediabut not those regarding offices and office doors. This summer at the University of California-San Diego, protests by academic workersaccusing the university of foot-dragging over implementing a 2022 union contractwere met by the administration with a heavy hand. In July, three protesters who allegedly wrote phrases like Living Wage Now in chalk and washable markers on a university building faced felony vandalism charges. These workers were charged with felonies for exercising their right to protest, Rafael Jaime, the president of the UC Student-Workers Union wrote for the progressive magazine In These Times. As higher education organizing continues, managerial attempts to clamp down on dissent about labor activities on campus deserve continued vigilance from free speech watchdogs. A Teacher Showed Islamic Art Depicting Muhammad to College Students, and Lost Her Job Its also worth briefly spelling out how the academic labor movement could improve the state of freedom of expression on campus. After all, as public conversations about campus speech too often overlook, adjunctification and precarious employment relationships play crucial roles in limiting professors expressive freedom. In a recent report by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), untenured professors accounted for almost three-quarters of documented retaliatory firings of faculty for their speech. FIRE also notes that untenured professors report being more fearful than their tenured colleagues of termination for expressing their opinions. Pointing to a straightforward remedy to this stifling reality in a May Twitter post, campus speech expert Jeffrey Sachs observed that faculty unionization offers a solution to the general phenomenon of self-censorship among academic workers, particularly off the tenure track. Those who wish to defend and promote free expression on campus, then, ought to keep a keen eye on higher education labor efforts, not only because they represent potential targets for administrative censorshipas demonstrated by the recent incident at HACCbut also considering their potential to improve academic job security and, by the same token, the state of open debate in academia. 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. FILE - Mount Evans is seen near Idaho Springs, in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, Sept. 10, 2016. On Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, federal officials renamed the towering mountain southwest of Denver to Mount Blue Sky as part of a national effort to address the history of oppression and violence against Native Americans. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert, File) DENVER (AP) Federal officials on Friday renamed a towering mountain southwest of Denver as part of a national effort to address the history of oppression and violence against Native Americans. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted overwhelmingly to change Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky at the request of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and with the approval of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis . The Arapaho were known as the Blue Sky People, while the Cheyenne hold an annual renewal-of-life ceremony called Blue Sky. The 14,264-foot (4,348-meter) peak was named after John Evans, Colorados second territorial governor and ex officio superintendent of Indian affairs. Evans resigned after Col. John Chivington led an 1864 U.S. cavalry massacre of more than 200 Arapaho and Cheyenne people most of them women, children and the elderly at Sand Creek in what is now southeastern Colorado. It is a huge step, not only for the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, but also for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Southern Ute Tribe, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and other allies who worked diligently to begin the healing process, bringing honor to a monumental and majestic mountain, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Gov. Reggie Wassana said after Friday's vote. Tribal leaders are now focusing their efforts on changing the name of the adjacent Mount Evans Wilderness Area to Mount Blue Sky Wilderness area, which would require congressional action. Polis, a Democrat, revived the states 15-member geographic naming panel in July 2020 to make recommendations for his review before being forwarded for final federal approval. On Friday, the federal board considered changing several other geographical names submitted from across the country, none as prominent or well-known as Mount Evans. The name Mount Evans was first applied to the peak in the 1870s and first published on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps in 1903, according to research compiled for the national naming board. In recommending the change to Mount Blue Sky, Polis said John Evans' culpability for the Sand Creek Massacre, tacit or explicit, is without question. Colonel Chivington celebrated in Denver, parading the deceased bodies through the streets while Governor Evans praised and decorated Chivington and his men for their valor in subduing the savages, Polis wrote in a Feb. 28 letter to Trent Palmer, the federal renaming boards executive secretary. Polis added that the state is not erasing the complicated history of Evans, who helped found the University of Denver and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Evans also played a role in bringing the railroad to Denver, opposed slavery and had a close relationship with Abraham Lincoln, Polis noted. Studies by Northwestern and the University of Denver published in 2014 also recognized Evans' positive contributions but determined that even though he was not directly involved in the Sand Creek Massacre, he bore some responsibility. "Evans abrogated his duties as superintendent, fanned the flames of war when he could have dampened them, cultivated an unusually interdependent relationship with the military, and rejected clear opportunities to engage in peaceful negotiations with the Native peoples under his jurisdiction," according to the DU study. In 2021, the federal panel approved renaming another Colorado peak after a Cheyenne woman who facilitated relations between white settlers and Native American tribes in the early 19th century. Mestaaehehe Mountain, pronounced mess-taw-HAY, honors and bears the name of an influential translator, also known as Owl Woman, who mediated between Native Americans and white traders and soldiers in what is now southern Colorado. The mountain 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Denver previously included a misogynist and racist term for Native American women. In the 1960s and 1970s, the federal board took action to eliminate the use of derogatory terms related to Black and Japanese people. The latest moves come amid a reckoning on race relations across the U.S. and under the leadership of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the nation's first Native American Cabinet member. Central Missouri Chapter of the Links Inc., an organization aimed at supporting Black professional women and their volunteerism, is set to honor a Columbia woman this weekend with its 2023 Health and Human Services Community Service Award. Powerhouse Community Development Corp. Executive Administrator Erika Buford was selected for her passion and dedication for years of helping young people in Boone County. She will receive the honor Sunday afternoon during the Links' Rhapsody in Green: Soul to Sole event at the Country Club of Missouri on Woodrail Avenue in Columbia. She aids youth in realizing "they have gifts and a purpose to realize their dreams and change their lives for the better," an award announcement stated. Buford is a 1986 Hickman High School graduate. She then earned an associate's degree in computer information technology. She has four children, six grandchildren and started her own organization, Spread Your Wings, in memory of her son. Buford also has involvement with Almeta Crayton Community Programs and had helped found Operation K.I.T.E., which aimed to keep incarcerated parents in touch with their children. The Columbia Links chapter started in 2016 and has contributed over 10,500 documented hours of community service in Columbia and Jefferson City. The national Links volunteer service organization, founded in 1946, welcomes 17,000 professional women of color in 17 chapters. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Central Missouri Chapter of the Links to honor Erika Buford Columbus police said Friday the stabbing death of a 77-year-old woman in her home in the University District appears to have been a random attack. Emily Foster, 77, was stabbed on the afternoon of Sept. 9, possibly during an altercation inside her home over a phone, Deputy Chief Smith Weir said. A neighbor, who went around 3:55 p.m. on that Saturday to check on Foster at the home on the 2000 block of Iuka Avenue, found her on the kitchen floor. Paramedics pronounced her dead a few minutes later. Weir said forensic evidence helped investigators identify Michael J. Brooks II, 28, of Columbus, as a suspect and put him at the scene. As of Friday morning, there did not appear to be any connection between Foster and Brooks. "It gave us pause initially as well," Weir said. "Its common law enforcement knowledge that it tends to be more of a personal attack using a knife. Many of our homicides and felony assaults are gunshots and you can be a bit further away for that." In a stabbing, the victim and the attacker have to be close together, Weir said, making random stabbings rare. Evidence from cameras in the area showed Brooks, riding a bike without pants, after the homicide. Despite some reports that Foster died earlier, Weir said the death 100% happened Sept. 9. Images released by Columbus police show Michael J. Brooks II, 28, riding a bike in the University District. Police believe the images show Brooks shortly after 77-year-old Emily Foster was killed on Sept. 9. Other evidence showed Brooks entering the area wearing a pair of sweatpants, which Weir said was found near the crime scene. Prosecutors filed a murder charge against Brooks on Wednesday, and police began actively looking for him. On Thursday morning, Columbus police got a call from Fayette County, Georgia, that Brooks was in custody there. Authorities in Georgia said they took a call around 2 a.m. Thursday in Fayette County, southwest of Atlanta, about a burglary in progress, Weird said. Police there said the homeowner shot Brooks, who remains hospitalized in serious, but stable, condition in Georgia and under police guard. Weir said Brooks also was connected to a stolen car in the Trotwood area, near Dayton, and at least one other incident in Kettering, also near Dayton. Both of those incidents happened Wednesday, Weir said. Brooks was released June 15 from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and taken to the Franklin County jail, where he was awaiting trial another charge. He was previously in prison after being convicted of aggravated robbery in 2016, for which he received a sentence of four years and nine months. In that case, Brooks had pointed a gun at someone who had allowed Brooks to use his phone after Brooks claimed to have car problems. Three days prior to being sentenced in that case, Brooks was arrested in a stolen vehicle. Court records show Brooks was released Sept. 8 from the Franklin County jail, despite pleading guilty to two counts of felony fleeing. He initially faced a felonious assault on a peace officer charge in connection to a September 2022 incident that happened while he was in prison but agreed to plead to a lesser charge of fleeing. He was scheduled to appear Oct. 23 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for a sentencing by Judge Jaiza Page in the pending felony case. At the time of the plea, Brooks also had a holder, meaning he could not be released even if he posted bond. However, that was lifted Sept. 8, and Brooks posted the $10,000 bond and was released, less than 24 hours before Foster's death. In an interview Friday with The Dispatch, Page said Brooks was in custody when he pleaded guilty Sept. 5 and that he was given a bond, which he later posted, calling it standard practice. Paperwork seeking to revoke Brooks' bond has since been filed, so if he were to be released in Georgia, there would be an open warrant from Ohio on that case, as well as the murder charge. Weir said Brooks' criminal history spans the length of Interstate 75, including charges in the Detroit area and now down into Georgia. Columbus police continue to look at potential motives for Foster's killing but do not believe robbery was the primary motive, given that electronics and other potentially valuable items appeared undisturbed, Weir said. Columbus police have created a QR code for people to submit photos and videos for possible evidence in the continuing investigation into the Sept. 9 homicide of Emily Foster. Police ask anyone who might have seen Brooks in or around the University District to provide photos or videos they might have. Businesses and homes with security cameras are also being asked to review their footage to help police determine how Brooks got into the area and determine how he left the neighborhood. Foster lived in the Iuka Avenue home for 50 years and previously worked as an editor for several magazines, including Columbus Monthly, The Dispatch's sister publication, which is part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Neighbors and friends of Foster expressed relief Thursday at news of an arrest, allowing those who knew Foster to focus on the life she lived. Authorities ask anyone with information to call detectives at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. Police have also created a QR code where photos and videos can be uploaded, including anonymously. Dispatch reporter Mark Ferenchik contributed to this report. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police believe Emily Foster's stabbing death was random The latest government advisories on the new monovalent COVID-19 vaccines were not much of a surprise. On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccines as safe and effective, and a day later the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shots for all Americans over the age of 6 months. Even less of a surprise was the reaction of the resolutely anti-vax, anti-science Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican, who is angling for the GOP nomination for president, staged a roundtable of scientific mountebanks on Wednesday to attack the vaccines. They included his crackpot state surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, and Stanford professor Jay Bhattacharya , who is a member of a COVID-19 advisory committee assembled by DeSantis. Bhattacharya is also a purveyor of a fatuous program of useless anti-COVID policies that has been impervious to the raw data that persistently demonstrated that it did not work. There's been an enormous experience with this vaccine, with more than 13 billion doses distributed. It is arguably one of the best-studied vaccines in history, with a tremendous safety record. Vaccine authority Paul Offit, The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia In the course of the event, Ladapo announced that the state Department of Health would advise against anyone under 65 taking the new vaccine. DeSantis' roundtable took place, naturally, on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, which is today most notable as the place where truth goes to die. The roundtable, as one might have predicted, was an agglomeration of misinformation, misunderstanding and misrepresentation that amounted to a public health threat in real time. It raised the question of how many lives would be saved across the country if DeSantis' presidential campaign completes its glide path to irrelevancy, sapping his quest for the most politically expedient right-wing policy prescriptions. The answer, conservatively, is hundreds of thousands. Florida boasts one of the worst COVID death rates in the nation, more than 391 deaths per 100,000 people. If Florida's rate were applied to the entire U.S. population instead of the national rate of 338.6 deaths per 100,000, then nearly 1.3 million Americans would have perished from the disease, instead of the documented toll of 1.1 million. (By the same token, if the entire U.S. had California's low death rate of 258 per 100,000, the national death toll would have been lower by 267,500.) In other words, the end to DeSantis' boorish, charisma-free performance on the campaign trail would be a public health boon. Can there be any greater proof of the adage that "elections have consequences"? What's curious is that DeSantis' attack on the vaccines is a complete about-face from his initial reaction. On Dec. 14, 2020, he stood at a lectern in Tampa and bragged about having been on hand that day for the very first shipments of the vaccine to his state. "I had the privilege to be able to actually sign for the vaccines from FedEx," he said. Read more: Column: RFK Jr.'s town hall showed the folly of trying to fact-check quackery in real time Soon after that, however, he must have concluded that his path to challenging Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination involved kowtowing to the far right wing. That included embracing the anti-vaccination movement in a bear hug. That said, let's take a look at the roundtable, which was a one-stop shop for anti-vaccine tropes. The event started out as a flat-out attack on the CDC and FDA, aimed at undermining the credibility of the nation's leading public health agencies. This has long been a theme of DeSantis' world. As long ago as 2021 he was fundraising off a personal attack on Anthony Fauci, who was not associated with either agency but was the nation's most respected authority on epidemics and immunology. His campaign sold T-shirts bearing the slogan Dont Fauci my Florida." An online fundraising appeal made Fauci the subject of every paragraph. I refused to blindly follow Dr. Fauci ... and allow him to strip Floridians of their God-given freedoms, DeSantis declared. I chose to lift Florida up, not follow the lead of Dr. Fauci and lock Florida down. Ladapo opened the roundtable by stating, "We continue to live in a world where the CDC and the FDA, when it comes to COVID at least, are just beating their own path in a direction that's just inexplicable, in terms of thinking about data and thinking about common sense." This is a guy who has promoted nostrums that science has shown to be utterly useless against COVID, such as the anti-parasitic ivermectin and the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. Ladapo turned the mic over to Bhattacharya. He aired the familiar anti-vaxxers' complaint that the new vaccine has not been subjected to a randomized clinical test. This is a claim popularized by anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and it's utterly bogus. As I reported earlier, randomized testing of every iteration of the current vaccines is unethical, unwise and unnecessary. The truth is that such trials are important when an entirely novel product is developed, as occurred when the mRNA vaccines against COVID most widely used today were originally developed by Moderna and Pfizer. "There's been an enormous experience with this vaccine, with more than 13 billion doses distributed," says Paul Offit, a vaccine authority at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee. "It is arguably one of the best-studied vaccines in history, with a tremendous safety record," Offit told me. Read more: Column: Sorry, Joe Rogan: Scientists should never 'debate' anti-vaccine quacks. Here's why Demanding a randomized prospective trial for every iteration of this vaccine makes no more sense than doing so for the annual updates of the flu vaccine, which doesn't happen, Offit says. Bhattacharya also implied that the protection against COVID provided by the previous vaccine versions is modest and "short-lived," based on the waning of antibody levels over the months after the shot. Of the new shot, he said, "We don't know that it protects you against being hospitalized, we don't know that it protects you against dying." Yet it's well understood that antibodies always fade during the months after a shot. Is there any dabout that vaccination keeps people healthier against COVID-19? These charts from the CDC show that vaccinated Americans were safer from infection and death than the unvaccinated through the entire pandemic. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) In the case of COVID, Offit told me, "the critical immunological component responsible for protecting against severe disease is the memory T-cells, which are long-lived and recognize parts of the virus that have been generally conserved, from Wuhan-1 [the original recognized strain] to BA.2.86 [the rapidly spreading strain against which the new vaccines are expected to be effective]." As for the suggestion that the vaccinations don't protect much against COVID, that's absurd. Data have consistently shown that case and death rates have been higher among the unvaccinated than the vaccinated, sometimes as much as 14 times higher. That brings us to what may be the most preposterous and irresponsible claim aired by Ladapo during the roundtable. "Multiple studies" in the U.S., the Middle East, Iceland and other places, he said, "are now finding that after four to six months, what was just waning effectiveness ... is entering a negative area," which means that after a period there is "risk of increased infection. This is obviously an enormous finding." It also appears to be wholly mythical. Ladapo wasn't very precise about where he got the idea that vaccination can increase susceptibility to COVID, a phenomenon known as "negative immunity" or "negative efficacy." But it needs to be stifled at birth. I asked Ladapo's health department to identify the studies he referred to. The agency didn't respond, but the vaccine advisory it issued later Thursday listed 14 studies backing up Ladapo's claims supporting his caution about the vaccines. Read more: Column: These 'experts' sold the U.S. on a disastrous COVID plan, and never paid a professional price Not a single one supported his claims about negative immunity. One, of vaccination outcomes in Qatar, mentioned such a finding, but cautioned that it was almost certainly due to bias in the study design and "not true negative biological effectiveness." On the whole, the study certified that the mRNA vaccines provide "strong and durable protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and death." As for Iceland, the health department advisory listed a study from that country that found that the rate of reinfection from the Omicron variant of COVID increased with the time since vaccination, and that the rate of reinfection was slightly higher among Icelanders who had two shots than those who had one. But it advised that the finding should be "interpreted with caution" because of the complexities of assessing the conditions under which the shots were administered and the Icelandic lifestyle. The notion of "negative immunity" appears mostly to derive from a 2022 article on a right-wing website that stupidly misconstrued graphs in a scientific paper. That paper's author, Danyu Lin of the University of North Carolina, conclusively refuted the interpretation in interviews with Reuters and the Associated Press. The statement that the vaccine destroys any protection a person has from natural immunity is unfounded, he told Reuters. He told the AP, The evidence we have supports the finding that natural immunity is boosted by vaccination rather than being destroyed by vaccination as claimed." Yet the claim was swiftly taken up by the far right and anti-vax communities because it fed their conspiracy theories so well. Ladapo and DeSantis, despite their claim to adhere to science and data, are all too happy to retail this claptrap. Have they come to believe their claims? Or are they just trying to slip lies past a credulous public for their own malignant purposes? We have one clue from Ladapo's history of flagrant falsehoods. We know from reporting last April in Politico that he personally altered a state-sponsored study of the COVID vaccines to inflate their risk to young men, which fed his anti-vaccination mind-set. In March, the FDA and CDC warned Ladapo in an unusual, if not unique, joint letter that his claims about the purported dangers of the COVID vaccines were "incorrect, misleading and could be harmful to the American public." Misinformation like his denigrating vaccine safety "has led to unnecessary death, severe illness and hospitalization." In short, he and his mentor in the Florida statehouse are menaces to the public health. Perhaps if DeSantis' presidential campaign finally crashes and burns, he'll give up on the attacks on COVID vaccination and return to his original stance, when the vaccines were first introduced in early 2020 and he gloated about obtaining an early shipment for his state. Until then, unfortunately, public health sits on a knife's edge. DeSantis and Ladapo are the most prominent public officials undermining the crucial effort to get more Americans vaccinated. As the toll continues to mount, the blood is on their hands. Get the latest from Michael Hiltzik Commentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The firm with the sole salvage rights to the Titanic is moving forward with a planned 2024 expedition. But in the aftermath of the Titan sub disaster, the company is looking at sending ROVs instead of a manned sub. ROVs may not yield the same results, but "the expedition absolutely must go forward," the firm's president said. The private Georgia-based company with the exclusive salvage rights to the Titanic is moving ahead with plans for a 2024 expedition down to the famed shipwreck. But it may be "too soon" to send people back down to the ocean's depths, the company's president said. In the aftermath of the Titan submersible disaster that killed all five people on board, including French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet who served as the company's director of underwater research RMS Titanic Inc. is leaning towards sending an unmanned deep-sea vehicle for its expedition. "I feel like a manned submersible expedition is too soon," Jessica Sanders, the president of RMS Titanic Inc., told Insider in an interview this week, adding, "We're still grieving." Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his teen son, Suleman, and OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush whose company operated the doomed dive were killed on June 18 when the sub they were in imploded on a voyage to the Titanic. Sanders says her company is still in shock months later that Nargeolet is gone. "We're still kind of in this stunned mode of somewhere between mourning and grief, and how do you replace somebody who's irreplaceable?" Sanders said. The planned 2024 expedition 'absolutely must go forward' Nargeolet was known as "Mr. Titanic" for having visited the wreck site of the iconic ocean liner more than 35 times, and was set to pilot a sub for RMS Titanic Inc.'s planned 2024 expedition, Sanders said. As a result of the deadly Titan tragedy, the company is looking at using remotely operated vehicles (ROV's) for the mission instead, but Sanders said the firm has determined at least one thing for certain "the expedition absolutely must go forward." It's what Nargeolet would have wanted, the RMS Titanic Inc. president said. "We all understood PH was going to dive to this wreck site until the day he died and he did," Sanders said. "It was what he wanted to do, and he was not going to stop. And so we're not going to stop." RMS Titanic Inc.'s mission, Sanders said, is to "preserve the legacy" of the passenger liner that hit an iceberg and sank 12,500 feet down to the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912, killing more than 1,500 people. "I think that now we fold in his legacy into that mission," Sanders said of Nargeolet. Paul-Henri Nargeolet, director of a deep ocean research project dedicated to the Titanic, poses next to a miniature version of the sunken ship inside a new exhibition, at 'Paris Expo', on May 31, 2013, in Paris. Joel SAGET / AFP "One of the things that he spent his life doing and he died doing was visiting this wreck site and bringing the story of Titanic to the public," said Sanders, explaining that Nargeolet "believed everybody should have the right to see the wreck site." She added, "We think that we honor him more by continuing the work that he started and that he believed in, and really what he died doing." Though Sanders isn't as "confident" that ROVs can bring the same results as an expert like Nargeolet piloting a manned sub can because "deep sea recovery is an art," she says, "I think we need to try." Plans for the 2024 expedition filed days before Titan sub disaster Just days before OceanGate's Titan sub imploded, RMS Titanic Inc. had filed its tentative plans for its 2024 expedition in the US District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees the organization's access to the wreck site. In the filing, the firm said that likely in May 2024, it plans to take images of the entire Titanic wreck site as well as work to recover artifacts from the debris field. The company also noted it "may recover free-standing objects inside the wreck, including for example objects from inside the Marconi room, but only if such objects are not affixed to the wreck itself." Over the years, RMS Titanic Inc. has salvaged more than 5,000 artifacts from the wreck site, the majority of which were recovered by Nargeolet himself, according to Sanders. RMS Titanic Inc. has recovered more than 5,000 artifacts from the Titanic wreck site. RMS Titanic Inc. The planned 2024 expedition would be the company's first since 2010; however, the US government is fighting it, arguing in a recent court filing that the company needs to get authorization from the Secretary of Commerce first. Sanders said she's confident the company is within its rights for the expedition. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard is leading an investigation to determine what caused the Titan sub to implode and Sanders said if there's ways for RMS Titanic Inc. to help on its planned 2024 expedition with "some additional supplemental imaging" or other requests, "we want to be in a position to do that." Titanic is 'deteriorating' and time is of the essence, Sanders says RMS Titanic Inc. has not yet submitted its finalized plans with the court for its proposed 2024 expedition, but Sanders said time is of the essence to get back down to the shipwreck site. "It is deteriorating," Sanders said of the 111-year-old wreck. "And every year that passes, we're losing opportunity for access. So there is a sense of urgency." The port bow railing of the Titanic lies in 12,600 feet of water about 400 miles east of Nova Scotia. Reuters/File photo Sanders explained that Titanic's decks "are starting to collapse" and that there was documented deterioration in the roof above the Marconi room the ship's radio area where the Marconi wireless telegraph machine is held. "Obviously, once that collapses, it's gone," Sanders said. "It's gone forever. You've lost it to the sea twice now." Read the original article on Insider China's defense ministry urges U.S. to stop military ties with Taiwan Xinhua) 09:07, September 15, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday urged the United States to stop all forms of military ties with Taiwan. Spokesperson Tan Kefei made the remarks when commenting on information about Taiwan's recent military interaction with the United States, including a reported plan to buy mine-laying systems from the United States. "We firmly oppose the United States conducting any form of official contact with China's Taiwan region and selling weapons to the island," Tan said. The collusion between Taiwan and the United States will harm and even destroy Taiwan, Tan said, stressing that obstinately relying on the United States to seek "Taiwan independence" will only push Taiwan to the brink of war. The Chinese People's Liberation Army has always been on high alert and will resolutely defeat any secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and attempts of external interference, Tan said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A staff member introduces products to a visitor at the InnoMatch Global Tech-Matching Fair of the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum in east China's Shanghai Sept. 10, 2023. A global technology matching platform associated to the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai has offered 25 billion yuan (about 3.5 billion U.S. dollars) worth of innovation matching projects. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) A new Chinese smartphone was launched online as U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited China at the end of August. Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, testing by Bloomberg News showed, is capable of cellular speeds "on a par with 5G devices like Apple Inc.'s latest iPhones." Though a gap still remains between China's chip-making capabilities and those of the world's most advanced, China is catching up. Such a development seems to fulfill warnings from U.S. chipmakers that sanctions wouldn't stop China, but would spur it to redouble efforts in finding alternatives to U.S. technology. Over the years, Washington has been preventing China's access to cutting-edge technology by hook or by crook. It rolled out a chip act, a thousand-page protectionist document; the groundless accusation of "China stealing intellectual property" was again hyped up; and limiting U.S. investment in China's high-tech sectors was among its latest perilous moves. If there is any validity in these rule-defying attempts, they only prove that innovation is becoming all the more important in today's world. To China, it is front and center in securing its sustainable development. Hunkering down, China has been trying hard. Official data show that China's spending on research and development totaled 427.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, up 10.4 percent year-on-year, a double-digit growth seen annually since 2016. The country, currently the largest electric vehicle (EV) market in the world, is embracing an EV boom. The overall exports of China's EVs, lithium and solar batteries, in the first half of the year, climbed by 61.6 percent compared with a year earlier. Artificial intelligence is also gaining traction. Four Chinese tech firms including Baidu Inc and SenseTime Group just debuted their AI chatbots to the public as the government greenlights AI products to widen their use. Economic bullying and technological blockades have, in effect, accelerated China's innovation. Up against the critical need for tech self-sufficiency, as the New York Times said in a July article, "if any country can overcome such a challenge, it is likely to be China." Yet wary of China making further headway, the tentacles of U.S. tech suppression are spreading even wider. Washington has been endeavoring to forge such exclusive cliques as the "CHIP4" and "U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council," wooing its allies under the guise of "security cooperation." In the wake of such maneuvers that will spill over and jeopardize global technological cooperation, people's true responses speak for themselves. South Africa said last month it would not be subject to the pressure of the United States and stop using Huawei's network communication devices. Amid doubts among U.S. policymakers about the extension of the China-U.S. Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, two Stanford professors sent an open letter to the White House standing up for renewal. Over 1,000 U.S. scientists signed the letter within a week. In the same vein, China's progress isn't forged behind closed doors. By far it has established technological cooperation with more than 160 countries and regions. Some 200 international organizations and multilateral mechanisms have China as their member. People attend the Huawei Cloud Summit Saudi Arabia 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 4, 2023. The Chinese tech giant Huawei announced on Monday the opening of a cloud data center in Riyadh, as part of its efforts to expand its online service offerings in the Middle East. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) The latest 2023 Nature Index shows that Chinese authors are an important part of natural science research in 2022. For the first time, it ranked top in the share of papers published in high-quality journals, overtaking the United States. While enhancing its independent R&D capabilities, China allows the world to share in its technological progress. This is a potent testament to its pursuit of globalization and open economy, which, Modern Diplomacy notes, have been the two key factors in human progress over the past few decades. It is true that China was once the "world factory," but as observers in the West find Huawei's and hence China's progress "better than expected," the country is well on its way to becoming a global hub for open innovation. As the "world factory" turns into an innovation hub, "the next China is (still) China," said chairman of McKinsey China Joe Ngai. A federal judge has once again issued the legally correct ruling on the Obama-era program that lets young immigrants remain in the United States. Now, it should lead to the right policy result. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, was an effort to shape policy outside of congressional purview. It was executive overreach, and it has survived for years because of drawn-out court battles and the Trump administrations fumbled effort to repeal it. Federal Judge Andrew Hanen , a Texas appointee of President George W. Bush, struck down the program in a ruling issued Wednesday. But he is letting it continue for current enrollees, a nod to the fact that the Supreme Court will probably have the ultimate say. The idea behind DACA is solid: Those brought to the country illegally by their parents, at an age so young that they remember no other home, need a path to legal status and eventually citizenship. Congress ongoing failure has failed them, and the vast majority who have gone to American schools, work American jobs and build American families deserve to officially wear their countrys name. Were talking about more than 580,000 people, including nearly 96,000 in Texas. So, why not just leave the order, which President Joe Biden backs, in place? Because its a standing monument to the constant creep of executive authority. Legislation is not written in the executive branch, but too many politicians are testing the bounds. Its a bipartisan effort. President Donald Trump issues sweeping orders on issues such as immigration and COVID policies. Biden has had several policy reaches knocked down by the courts, on topics from workplace vaccine mandates to student debt cancellation. Governors are getting in on the act; New Mexicos Michelle Lujan Grisham recently decided that gun-carrying rights were suspended in part of her state, a constitutional affront so brazen that even her partys staunchest gun-control advocates said she was wrong. If the executive recedes, Congress must step forward. Yes, the Senate and House are frequently dysfunctional. For decades, theyve eagerly ceded tough decision-making and thus political culpability to the executive branch. That lets political wounds fester, and thats more true on immigration than on perhaps any other issue. For decades, a failure to secure borders, set out firm asylum policies and craft rules for ordinary and beneficial movement of workers has allowed for a constant escalation of anger on the issue. Some bold lawmakers have tried to find sweeping solutions. Instead, a series of steps that build trust and compromise are in order. The Dreamers, as the young immigrants are known, should be a source of common ground. We hope Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who is no dove on this issue but understands change needs to come, will lead the way. Were not naive about the political environment, particularly as the 2024 presidential election nears. Dont expect any movement soon. But if DACA does disappear, we hope that it can spur movement to a sensible path. After all, voters are increasingly frustrated with chaos at the border. And the national debate has heated up now that blue-state mayors and governors are feeling the brunt of migrants arriving with bus tickets courtesy of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Voters will demand action, and if they dont get sensible policy that works, they may turn to darker alternatives. The Republican presidential campaign has featured noxious ideas about immigration specifically, Donald Trump and his emulator, Vivek Ramaswamy, pledging to reverse the longstanding legal notion that anyone born on U.S. soil is born an American citizen. This attack on birthright citizenship is an affront to the ideals that have, for centuries, allowed the U.S. to grow both in numbers and in strength. These candidates feed the beast of executive overreach, saying they see a way to change this longstanding policy through presidential action alone. Republicans should reject both the underlying proposal and the strongman technique. If theres a problem with illegal immigration and of course there is fix it. Dont take it out on children and commit them to a life in limbo in the only country theyve known. Thats how we got DACA. If Congress does its job, we can avoid a repeat and have more useful and humane immigration policies once and for all. Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us! We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news and to publish those views in the Opinion section. Letters should be no more than 150 words. Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: Email letters@star-telegram.com (preferred). Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic. Congress lurched closer to a government shutdown Thursday after Senate conservatives demanded changes to a noncontroversial spending package that had strong bipartisan support, bringing the bill to a screeching halt. The conflict over the Senate spending bill revealed the divisions between the Republican leadership and restive conservatives intent on forcing spending cuts and other reforms through Congress, even if it risks a government shutdown. The unexpected breakdown also came a day after divisions within the House GOP conference forced Republican leaders in the lower chamber to postpone a vote to begin debate on the annual defense appropriations bill. House conservatives are refusing to move forward until Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) agrees to their demands to drive a hard line with Democrats in the year-end spending talks. Senate and House conservatives are ratcheting up the intensity of their tactics fewer than three weeks before government funding expires on Sept. 30. Their goal is to maximize their political leverage with Democrats and leaders of their own party and minimize the chances they get steamrolled on a continuing resolution to keep government funded or other spending bills that need to pass by years end. Conservative rebels dont want a replay of what happened earlier this year when bipartisan majorities in the Senate and House passed legislation to raise the debt ceiling by some $1.5 trillion along with fiscal reforms that many conservatives viewed as toothless or inadequate. The Senates spending bills had gathered strong political momentum after passing out of the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year with large bipartisan majorities. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday had praised the Senates work as the gold standard for good governance and drew a pointed contrast between the bipartisanship on the Senate side and the chaos in the House. But, instead, Senate conservatives took a page from the House conservatives playbook and derailed the first appropriations package that came to the Senate floor: legislation to fund military construction and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) refused to grant consent to begin voting on amendments, demanding the legislation be broken up into three separate bills, even though doing so would likely drag out the process for passing them through the Senate by weeks. That demand prompted exasperated reactions from Schumer and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the vice chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, who vented their displeasure and warned of a potential government shutdown. Members cannot have it both ways. They cannot block floor consideration of appropriations bills that were unanimously reported by the committee and yet maintain they dont want an omnibus bill. Its one or the other or a government shutdown, even worse, Collins warned on the Senate floor. A visibly frustrated Schumer accused Senate conservatives of trying to mimic the House Freedom Caucus by holding up the spending package, despite the strong support it enjoys from colleagues. MAGA Republicanism seems to be taking over the Republican Party. You have the House in such disarray that they cant even pass a defense appropriations bill, something that used to be their bread and butter, Schumer said. And now all of a sudden you have a group, a small group in the Senate, trying to mimic Freedom Caucus in the House and holding up the defense bill, which had huge bipartisan support, he said. Republican leaders have to reject this MAGA Republicanism for the good of the country and for the good of their party. At the same time, conservatives in the House are hardening their demands for steep spending cuts and major policy changes related to border security, the Justice Department and the Pentagon. They are refusing to even open consideration of any spending bill even a less controversial one like defense unless they see the top-line figures for the full slate of appropriations bills. And they are threatening to force McCarthy out of the Speakers job unless he insists on lowering the top-line discretionary spending level for fiscal 2024 by more than $100 billion below the spending cap he agreed to with President Biden earlier this year as part of the debt limit deal. McCarthy confronted his critics during a tense closed-door House GOP conference meeting Thursday. If somebody wants to file a motion to vacate, file the fing motion to vacate, and thats it. And stop holding up everybodys work, McCarthy said, according to Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.). On Thursday, news emerged that House Republicans were working on a package for a stopgap funding bill that also included border security measures and spending cuts. Such a package would likely earn no support from Democrats and set up a clash with the Senate though it could set the stage for negotiations. Johnson said that he wants the Senate to slow down and pass the military construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill separately from the bills funding the departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. We need to return some function to this place A pretty simple objection. Lets just proceed to this one bill. Whats wrong with that? he said. Just go onto military construction, [Veterans Affairs]. Lets proceed to that and pass it, then wait for the House to send us other bills. Makes a lot of sense, he said. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said Senate conservatives want to see the appropriations packages scheduled for the floor broken up. Generally, any of us that are fiscal conservatives are wanting to get the whole process back to something closer to what it was 20 years ago, he said. Aides say Johnson has thrown up a major obstacle to the combined Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development bill by invoking Senate Rule XVI, which prohibits legislating on appropriations bills. Johnsons argument is that since the base bill is the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, it is a violation of Senate rules to amend it by adding the other appropriations bills. Because he is invoking a standing Senate rule, Schumer would not be able to override his objection simply by filing cloture, Senate aides say. Instead, Schumer would have to muster 67 votes two-thirds of the Senate to suspend the standing rule to set aside the procedural objection. Collins argued on the Senate floor that by holding up the smaller appropriations packages, Johnson and other Senate conservatives are increasing the chances that lawmakers will have to pile them into a massive omnibus package at the end of the year. The Senator from Wisconsin has repeatedly said, and I agree with him, that we should not end up with an omnibus bill, a 4,000-page bill at the end of the year, she said. So why is the senator from Wisconsin objecting to proceeding to three appropriations bills that were reported unanimously by the Senate Appropriations Committee after a great deal of work? Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a Collins ally and member of the Appropriations Committee, called Johnsons objection to the Senate spending package unfortunate. She warned that lawmakers need to package some of the bills together to get them passed before the end of the year, given the dwindling number of days on the legislative calendar. I think we need to get moving, and [a] minibus is the way to do it, she said. Johnsons blockade, however, drew applause from hard-line House conservatives. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) described the development as probably a good thing, while noting he spoke with Johnson the day before. I mean, we have conversations regularly with our colleagues on the other side of the building, he told The Hill. And I saw Ron last night, but I wasnt aware of that specifically. But I know [Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)] and Ron and others are, you know, working to try to make sure that were not getting jammed with something out of the Senate like we did through the stupid omnibus last December, Roy said. Some appropriators warn the GOP risks losing leverage in negotiations with Senate Democrats later this month to avert a shutdown. We would have had some leverage had we been able to pass some bills, but others have different ideas, Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), an appropriator, told reporters earlier this week, adding: If you cant pass defense, you cant pass any of it. But thats kind of the mentality thats been created here is that, if you get Democratic votes on something, then it must be bad, Simpson said. Al Weaver and Emily Brooks contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The federal gun law used to indict Hunter Biden has a surprising critic: a conservative-led federal appeals court The panel ruled the law was unconstitutional in another case, but legal experts say it could come up in Biden's case. The president's son was indicted on three gun-related charges on Thursday after his original plea deal fell apart in court. The day before Hunter Biden was indicted, a conservative-led appeals panel ruled that the federal gun law used to charge Biden was unconstitutional when it was applied in a previous case. The three-judge panel on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided against the law in a case involving Patrick Daniels, a Mississippi man who was convicted and sentenced to prison for possessing a firearm while being a marijuana user. The law in question prohibits anyone who is an "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" from owning a firearm. But the appeals court panel ruled that it was too broad when it was used in Daniels' case and tossed out his conviction. The appeals court's ruling, which applies to Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, came after the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision last year striking down a longstanding public carry law in New York and dramatically expanding Second Amendment rights. Wednesday's ruling cited that decision N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen when tossing out Daniels' conviction, saying it was inconsistent with the US's "historical tradition of firearm regulation." "Our history and tradition may support some limits on an intoxicated person's right to carry a weapon, but it does not justify disarming a sober citizen based exclusively on his past drug usage," Smith wrote. "Nor do more generalized traditions of disarming dangerous persons support this restriction on nonviolent drug users." Hunter Biden the son of President Joe Biden was indicted Thursday on three gun-related charges. Two charges in the indictment allege that Biden President Joe Biden's son lied when he wrote that he didn't use narcotics before buying the gun, a Colt Cobra revolver. The third alleges he illegally owned the firearm when he shouldn't have. Two of the charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The less serious charge carries a maximum of 5 years of incarceration. Daniels' case is "readily distinguishable" from Biden's, former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy told Fox News, so it may not apply directly. But "it's possible the Justice Department could rationalize that the 5th Circuit's ruling supports its exercise of discretion to give Biden deferred-prosecution treatment as currently proposed, two years of probationary conditions followed by dismissal if the conditions are met in a plea agreement." Read the original article on Business Insider The Murfreesboro Water System issued a notice last week detailing how tests showed E. Coliform bacteria in water and how it violated a drinking water standard. The violation occurred In August, while the water system was routinely monitoring for contaminants. One hundred and thirteen samples were taken to test for the presence of coliform bacteria, and at one site, a sample showed total coliform and E. Coli bacteria. The department did not issue a Tier 1 Public notice nor did they notify the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Water Resources within 24 hours, it said, noting that the steps weren't completed due to an error. Following the results of the testing, a sample from the original site as well as upstream and downstream sites were tested. The upstream and downstream sites did not show E. Coli or total coliform bacteria during the initial testing. Follow up testing revealed the presence of total coliform but not E. Coli at the original site, officials said. The water system's notice claims the finding is "not an emergency. "Murfreesboro Water System water is safe to drink and for regular use," a statement from the water department said per its public communications director Mike Browning. "Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation." What is E. Coli? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Escherichia coli, or E. coli, are bacteria found in the environment, foods and intestines of people and animals. Although most strains are harmless, others can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, pneumonia and other illnesses. The types of E. coli that can cause illnesses can be transmitted through contaminated water or food or through contact with animals or people, the CDC said. Most people exposed to infection might start to feel sick 3-4 days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria. However, illnesses can take root anywhere from 1-10 days after exposure. Symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person, however most get better within 5 to 7 days. Infections can be mild, severe or life-threatening, the CDC said. What is being done now? The Murfreesboro Water System is having a third party complete a comprehensive assessment of the water system as well as monitoring and operational practices to identify and correct any causes of the contamination. They are also reviewing all protocols and conducting additional training to prevent something similar from happening in the future. What should you do? According to the notice, no corrective actions, like boiling water, for example, should be taken. Older people, infants and those with severely compromised immune systems may be at greater risk. It is recommended to consult your healthcare provider should you have specific health concerns. Diana Leyva covers breaking and trending news for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Murfreesboro water tests positive for E. Coli bacteria A court in Sakhalin has sentenced a contract soldier to 13 years in a maximum-security prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine. Source: BBC News Russian service, referring to the website of the South Sakhalin Garrison Military Court Details: It is reported that this week the contract soldier was found guilty in a case of desertion during mobilisation (Art. 338.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and sentenced to nine years in prison. The court's website says that the man did not report to the military unit, wanting to "avoid being sent to the zone of the special military operation [as the Russians call the war against Ukraine ed.] and spend his time being idle". In February of this year, he was already conditionally sentenced in a case of leaving the unit without permission (Art. 337.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The Russian contract soldier was therefore sentenced to 13 years in a strict-regime penal colony. Mediazona reported that the soldier in question is Maksim Aleksandrovich Kochetkov, and is 21 years of age. The Insider stated that Kochetkov was among the Russian servicemen who were held in inhumane conditions in a non-operational penal colony in Luhansk Oblast in Ukraine last year because they refused to fight. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! [Source] The New York Police Department seized $35 million in counterfeit goods many of them replicas of luxury bags sold openly in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday. How it went down: In a video announcing the bust, Inspector William Glynn said they received a tremendous amount of complaints from community members and business owners about the fakes, which later filled three flatbed trucks. The raid covered Canal Street from Church Street to Broadway, and then Broadway from Walker Street to Howard Street. Charges: Eighteen people were arrested in the operation. Most have been charged with trademark counterfeiting, according to local reports. More from NextShark: Chinese man who claimed to have been kidnapped 'blood slave' fabricated his story, Cambodian police say Whats next: Social media users pointed out that the illegal sales had been going on for years. Police vowed to continue patrolling the area to prevent illegal vendors from showing up. Were going to continue with the operations, Chief Timothy Baudette said. Going forward, were also going to be posting officers here to try to prevent this setup, so the gentlemen dont waste their time out here losing their merchandise or getting arrested and so forth. More from NextShark: Toronto police officer, auto repair shop owner killed in Canada shootings Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Woman Has Meltdown on Train After Being Asked to Wear Mask Properly in Taiwan Former President Donald Trump insisted that he "could have pardoned" himself during his presidency in the four criminal cases now amounting to nearly 100 felony charges across the federal and state levels. The GOP frontrunner said he was "given the option" to do so before leaving office during an interview, set to be released Sunday, with NBC News anchor Kristen Welker after she asked whether he would absolve himself if he were re-elected in 2024. "I was given an option to pardon myself. I could have pardoned myself when I left. People said, 'Would you like to pardon yourself?' I had a couple of attorneys that said, 'You can do it if you want.' I had some people that said, 'It would look bad if you do' because I think it would look terrible," Trump said. "I said, 'The last thing I'd ever do is give myself a pardon.'... The last day, I could have had a pardon done that would have saved me all of these lawyers and all of these fake charges, these Biden indictments," he added, repeating his frequent cry that his indictments are politically motivated. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Trump dubbed the prosecutors who have indicted him this year "thugs, horrible people" and "fascists" who have been after him "from the day I came down the escalator with Melania" before rattling off examples of his "great job as president." All the while, he continued to reiterate that he could have pardoned himself but didn't want to consider it. "I never even wanted to think about it, and I could have done it," he told Welker. "And all of these questions you're asking me about the fake charges, you wouldn't be asking me because it's a very powerful thing for a president." EXCLUSIVE: Fmr. Pres. Trump tells Kristen Welker that he was given an option to pardon himself before leaving office. Trump: I had a couple of attorneys that said, You can do it if you want. I said, The last thing Id ever do is give myself a pardon. pic.twitter.com/1grDtjDXt2 Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 14, 2023 Legal experts, however, have swiftly refuted the former president's claim. Former White House Ethics Czar Norm Eisen, in a Thursday appearance with CNN, said that Trump pardoning himself would have likely been against the law taken with the foundational decision in Thomas Bonham v. College of Physicians, "one of the oldest precedents in Anglo-American law." "The principle of that case is that no person can be a judge in their own case," Eisen told the panel after referencing a Washington Post opinion he co-authored on the issue of self-pardoning when it first arose during the Trump administration. Related Trump's core strategy is to spread chaos and confusion duh! Is it working? In the 1610 case, the Court of Common Pleas ruled that the College of Physicians could not act as a court and a litigant in the same case by receiving a fine it had the power to dole out despite the college's royal charter authorizing it to punish individuals for practicing without a license as Bonham had. "The Constitution embodies this broad precept against self-dealing in its rule that congressional pay increases cannot take effect during the Congress that enacted them, in its prohibition against using official power to gain favors from foreign states and even in its provision that the chief justice, not the vice president, is to preside when the Senate conducts an impeachment trial of the president," Eisen, legal scholar Laurence Tribe and lawyer Richard Painter wrote in the article. "The Constitution's pardon clause has its origins in the royal pardon granted by a sovereign to one of his or her subjects. We are aware of no precedent for a sovereign pardoning himself, then abdicating or being deposed but being immune from criminal process," they continued. "If that were the rule, many a deposed king would have been spared instead of going to the chopping block." Though the principle in Dr. Bonham's case is a piece of foundational jurisprudence, Eisen noted on the air Thursday that it has never been resolved as a legal matter but has been referenced in a federal memo. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. "Nixon's office of legal counsel, four days before he resigned, issued an opinion: The lawyers lawyers within the Department of Justice know Richard Nixon could not pardon himself. So there is a federal opinion memo," Eisen added during the CNN segment. "Probably if [Trump] tried, it would fail, but nobody really knows." Trump just declared that he could've pardoned himself while in office--but that would've been against the law A foundational precedent in Anglo-American jurisprudence holds that no person can be a judge in their own case I explained @CNN @wolfblitzer @jamiegangel @GloriaBorger pic.twitter.com/DjkkPpQxvQ Norm Eisen (norm.eisen on Threads) (@NormEisen) September 15, 2023 MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin also noted Trump's "especially funny" declaration on self-pardoning in regards to the federal case regarding his retention of national security documents. "Trump's insistence to @kwelkernbc that he could have but did not pardon himself during his last presidency is especially funny given that he could not have pardoned himself for the crimes charged in the classified docs case," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, Friday. "Why? Because the charged conduct did not occur until after he was no longer president," she added. "A president can charge uncharged crimesbut not ones that have not yet happened." Why? Because the charged conduct did not occur until after he was no longer president. A president can charge uncharged crimesbut not ones that have not yet happened. FIN. Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) September 15, 2023 Read more about Trump's legal entanglements Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday approved an expedited trial for two of Donald Trump 's co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case, attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, severing their case from those of the other 17 defendants. Trump and 18 co-defendants were charged last month over their efforts to reverse the ex-president's defeat in the 2020 election in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis used Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to have all 19 defendants in the case stand trial together. But Judge McAfee said that severing the remaining 17 defendants was "a procedural and logistical inevitability" and said the courthouse "simply contained no courtroom adequately large enough to hold all 19 defendants," as ABC News reported. This ruling "was a big win for Trump and the other defendants," Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor, told Salon. "They'll get a preview of the witness testimony before they are tried and will be able to more effectively prepare for cross-examination and rebutting the prosecution's arguments." Rahmani also said it was a loss for federal special counsel Jack Smith as well as for Willis, and speculated that Smith might wonder "why Willis took a 'kitchen sink' approach instead of the more targeted strategy that he did, charging only Trump." Related Fani Willis' case against Meadows to move forward after federal court ruling Severing the two defendants' cases will have a "series of ramifications," including increasing the workload on the Georgia prosecutors and creating more strain on the state's judicial resources, said Temidayo Aganga-Williams, a white-collar partner at Selendy Gay Elsberg and a former investigator for the House Jan. 6 select committee. Chesebro and Powell, who are now set to go to trial Oct. 23, appeared in court on Thursday to request that all transcripts of the Georgia special grand jury be unsealed, and that they be allowed to speak to the grand jurors who indicted them in August on charges related to the 2020 election. They appear to be suggesting that perhaps not all the grand jurors had thoroughly reviewed the entire 98-page indictment, which is not entirely implausible given that the jury appeared to reach a decision after meeting for just one day. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism "Their legal strategy is clearly to leave no stone unturned," Aganga-Williams said, adding that in a case of this importance that's actually how it should be" "With a prosecutor's office handling 19 defendants that include a former president, defendants aggressively filing every defensible motion is certainly to be expected." This case will be an "epic legal battle," Aganga-Williams added, and "it is only just beginning." Judge McAfee suggested that he might allow Chesebro and Powell's defense team to speak to the grand jury, but likely not the defendants themselves. That was the best way, he said, to "accommodate the case law" governing grand jury secrecy while still allowing the defense "to make sure that the grand jury fulfilled its duty in a manner recognized by law," as reported by The Messenger. Since grand jury proceedings are typically kept confidential, even this concession would be highly unusual. "Chesebro and Powell are likely asking for this information to find shortcomings in how the Fulton County district attorney obtained the indictment," Aganga-Williams said. Even a minor procedural failure on Willis' part could lead to a defense motion to dismissall charges. "This would be a long shot," Aganga-Williams said, but "any effort that forces Willis to start from scratch will surely be worth a try for these defendants." Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. McAfee has not yet ruled on Chesebro's motion to unseal transcripts from the special grand jury, which is not the same jury that the defense team hopes to address. This would be the first Fulton County panel convened by Willis, which conducted investigations and recommended charges but did not have the power to indict anyone. Although this trial will not include Donald Trump, Aganga-Williams said the former president will be at great legal risk. "If Willis can successfully handle this first trial, it could spell doom for Trump," Aganga-Williams said, and potential convictions of both Chesebro and Powell could "lead to a cascade of cooperation that only strengthens the state's case" as more co-defendants turn against their leader. Read more about the endless Trump drama Maren Morris has announced her plans to leave the country music scene over its part in the cultural divide in the US. On Friday (15 September), the 33-year-old singer released the songs The Tree and Get the Hell Out of Here, the lyrics of which address her estrangement from the genre. I hung around longer than anyone should / Youve broken my heart more than anyone could, she sings in The Tree. In a statement Morris released Friday, she said: These two songs are incredibly key to my next step because they express a very righteously angry and liberating phase of my life these last couple of years, but also how my navigation is finally pointing towards the future, whatever that may be or sound like. Honouring where Ive been and what Ive achieved in country music, but also freely moving forward. I thought Id like to burn it to the ground and start over, she said of country music in a newly published interview with the Los Angeles Times. But its burning itself down without my help. Asked what she thought the turning point in the genre was, Morris replied: After the Trump years, peoples biases were on full display. It just revealed who people really were and that they were proud to be misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic. All these things were being celebrated, and it was weirdly dovetailing with this hyper-masculine branch of country music. I call it butt rock. Morris has been involved in a feud with fellow country artist Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany Kerr Aldean following transphobic comments they made in August last year. Morris is a rare advocate for LGBT+ rights in the country music scene. Maren Morris (Getty Images for GLAAD) Aldean faced a storm of criticism in recent months over the music video for his recent single, Try That in a Small Town. The visuals feature alarmist news footage of violent clashes between demonstrators and police officers, petty crime and flag-burning. Critics called the song racist and a lynching anthem after learning that the music video was filmed outside the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where 18-year-old Black teenager Henry Choate was lynched in 1927. The location was also the site of the Columbia race riot in 1946. Asked about the songs success in the charts, Morris said: People are streaming these songs out of spite. Its not out of true joy or love of the music. Its to own the libs. And thats so not what music is intended for. Music is supposed to be the voice of the oppressed the actual oppressed. And now its being used as this really toxic weapon in culture wars. The LA Times confirms that Morris now plans to release music on Columbia Records, the labels more generalist arm, instead of Columbia Nashville, moving forward. This aerial photo taken in April 2020 shows the vehicles carrying a batch of components from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) Braving the scorching sun, engineer Rinat Turganbekov patrolled through glittering solar panel arrays that adorn the expansive plains of Kazakhstan. The Kapshagay photovoltaic power station, one of the largest single solar power projects in the Central Asian country, is a part of the China-Kazakhstan green energy cooperation initiative, jointly invested and constructed by the Chinese company Universal Energy and Kazakh counterparts. As a seasoned member of Universal Energy Kazakhstan, Turganbekov has witnessed firsthand the remarkable transformation brought about by solar power stations, providing local residents with green and affordable electricity. Meanwhile, along the Belt and Road, a series of cooperative efforts aimed at sustainable development are writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. "Chinese companies have brought significant changes to my life," said the 36-year-old, who studied in Tianjin and is proficient in Chinese. Initially, he worked as a translator at the company. During his tenure, his Chinese colleagues encouraged him to venture into project coordination. During his five years at the Chinese company, the Kazakh engineer has participated in several construction projects. In 2020, the Kaskelen photovoltaic power station project, included on the list of key projects of China-Kazakhstan capacity and investment cooperation, was in a crucial phase. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, Chinese employees could not return to Kazakhstan on time. Turganbekov, along with the Kazakh team, worked remotely with their Chinese counterparts, meticulously overcoming every challenge. Eventually, their efforts paid off, culminating in the successful and timely completion of the project. "When I look back, I still get excited. We collaborated across time zones, and everyone's hearts were in the same place, striving for the same goal," Turganbekov said. With the combined efforts of the Sino-Kazakh team, the Kaskelen photovoltaic power station was successfully connected to the grid and commenced power generation in June 2020, generating 80.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and reducing local carbon emissions by 80,800 tonnes. Meanwhile, green energy cooperation along the Belt and Road brings not only clear skies, lucid waters and lush mountains, but also newfound green wealth for people. Over these five years, Turganbekov has seen his income increase and he managed to purchase a house in the major city of Almaty. "Chinese companies have helped me grow and have improved the lives of our local people," he said. According to Turganbekov, conventional power generation methods such as coal power tend to incur relatively high costs, consequently leading to elevated electricity prices for citizens. Green energy not only facilitates Kazakhstan's transition towards sustainable development but also furnishes local residents with access to cost-effective electricity. "Particularly in the southern regions, there has historically been a deficit of electricity, necessitating transmission from the northern regions. However, with the establishment of solar and wind power stations by Chinese enterprises, residents in the southern regions no longer contend with electricity shortage." Nan Yi, chairman of the Chinese energy company, revealed that since 2015, the company has been investing in new energy projects in Kazakhstan, including photovoltaic and wind energy stations. To date, it has completed the construction of six new energy stations with a total capacity of 380 megawatts, all listed on the key projects list of China-Kazakhstan capacity and investment cooperation. These projects reduce carbon dioxide emissions by one million tonnes annually, while meeting the electricity needs of approximately 600,000 local households. As of now, the cumulative electricity generation of the new energy stations invested, constructed and operated by the company in Kazakhstan has surpassed 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.7 million tonnes. "Nowadays, more and more people are joining hands with each other to build the Belt and Road," Nan said. With a growing number of Chinese companies' present in Central Asia, solar power and wind power stations have gained widespread recognition. Both state-owned and private enterprises are actively "going global," promoting standardized construction in local regions, and providing support for local development, Nan added. According to the senior executive, through cooperation along the Belt and Road, the strengths of both China and its foreign partners can be better leveraged, ultimately achieving mutual benefits. "The 'win-win example' in Kazakhstan has made it easier for us to explore the Uzbekistani market. According to the agreement, Universal Energy will invest in and construct a 500-megawatt wind power project in the country. In the future, we will also work with more countries along the Belt and Road," Nan said. A mail carrier and her husband pleaded guilty Friday to stealing nearly $9 million in checks from mailboxes along her Charlotte route, U.S. Attorney Dena King said. Kiara Padgett, a 29-year-old Waxhaw resident, and her spouse, 28-year-old Dominique Dunlap of Charlotte, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to a news release by Kings office. Dunlap also pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of stolen mail, prosecutors said. Padgett stole at least 400 checks from the mailboxes of homes and businesses along her west Charlotte route from August 2021 until November 2022, according to plea documents and other court filings. She used her husband as the intermediary to sell the checks to other people, including Charlotte resident Terrell Alexander Hager Jr., court records show. Dunlap sent Hager photographs of the stolen checks, and pictures of stacks of stolen mail, prosecutors said. Hager pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to court documents. Prosecutors say he posted $7.3 million of the stolen checks for sale online. Padgett, Dunlap and Hager did not return messages from The Charlotte Observer. The trio face up to 30 years in prison and $1 million fines, court records show. Dunlap also faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the possession of stolen mail counts. Their sentencing dates havent been scheduled, prosecutors said. In Fridays news release, King thanked postal investigators and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for investigating the thefts. This embedded content is not available in your region. The Pechersk Court in Kyiv put pro-Russian lawmaker Nestor Shufrych under arrest for 60 days without bail, Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne reported on Sept. 15. Shufrych arrived at the Kyiv court earlier the same day after being charged with treason for subversive activities against Ukraine. The lawmaker, who was handcuffed in the courtroom, plans to appeal the ruling, Suspilne wrote. If convicted, Shufrych faces up to 15 years in prison. According to the media outlet, the hearing was closed to the public due to the prosecution's request, while Shufrych's lawyers objected, advocating for an open session. Shufrych, elected for the now-banned party Opposition Platform For Life, worked closely with a former Ukrainian official and an agent of Russian intelligence, Volodymyr Sivkovych, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) previously reported. Sivkovych, who served as the deputy chairman of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council from 2010 to 2013 under pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych , was charged with treason in July last year. He is currently hiding in Russia. According to the SBU, one of Shufrych's main tasks was spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Ukraine, such as that Ukraine is an artificial entity or that Russians and Ukrainians are a single nation. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. ALLEGAN A man accused of seriously injuring an Allegan County sheriffs deputy who was trying to arrest him has been charged with five felonies, including attempted murder, WOOD TV-8 reports. Christopher Gerou, 35, of Dorr Township, was arraigned Wednesday in Allegan County for an incident Monday, Sept. 12. The charges against him include assault with intent to murder; assaulting, resisting and obstructing police causing serious impairment; assault with intent to do great bodily harm; operating while intoxicated; and assaulting, resisting and obstructing a police officer, court records show. The attempted murder charge is punishable by up to life in prison. A man accused of seriously injuring an Allegan County sheriffs deputy who was trying to arrest him has been charged with five felonies, including attempted murder, WOOD TV-8 reports. At the arraignment Wednesday afternoon, Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch asked for a $100,000 bond for Gerou. She cited the seriousness of the charges against him and said the deputy was severely injured with significant head trauma. She also pointed out that Gerou is a habitual offender and said Gerou would be a significant flight risk. Gerou responded by saying that is not true. Though he acknowledged the seriousness of the case, Attorney Magistrate Daniel Norbeck noted that Gerou has not had a criminal conviction since 2014. Koch said that was because he spent eight years in prison. Norbeck set Gerous bond at $10,000. The Allegan County Sheriffs Office said Gerou assaulted a deputy who was trying to arrest him Monday night. A court document says the deputy suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed. He remained in the hospital Wednesday, Sheriff Frank Baker told News 8. An Allegan County man has been arraigned and charged with hitting and injuring a sheriff's deputy Monday night. We are happy to be able to report that we are seeing improvement. Weve been updated regularly and he is starting to show some type of improvement over his condition that night, Baker said. The deputy was sent to a neighborhood in the area of 142nd Avenue and 16th Street in Dorr Township on a report that someone was driving back and forth at a high rate of speed without headlights. Baker said the deputy found Gerou outside his home and called for backup after noting Gerou was agitated and likely drunk. A Michigan State Police trooper soon arrived. (The deputy) went to place the individual under arrest, at which time the suspect then struck him and created a head injury that resulted in him being incapacitated, Baker told News 8. According to a probable cause document filed with the court, after Gerou admitted to driving to the end of his driveway to get his mail, the deputy gave him a roadside sobriety test and Gerou then refused to take a portable breath test. (Gerou) stated, youre not getting no blood from me, you can (expletive) off and die,' the court document says. The deputy told Gerou he was under arrest, but Gerou started walking away, the document says. (The deputy) attempted to grab Gerous wrist at which point Gerou abruptly turned around and struck (the deputy) with his right arm in the head/neck, rendering him unconscious as he fell to the driveway, the document says. Subscribe: Receive unlimited access to your local news coverage When the MSP trooper tried to grab Gerous wrist, he again pulled off and used an expletive, the court document says. The trooper pulled his Taser and Gerou gave up. While Gerou was laying on the ground at Taser-point he stated, I hope hes dead referring to (the deputy) who was still laying unconscious on the driveway and was later found to be bleeding from the back of his head, the document says. Gerou was discharged from the Michigan Department of Corrections in August 2022 after serving about eight years in prison for assault by strangulation, online records show. MDOC records show he previously served time for assaulting a police officer in 2007 and for home invasion and marijuana convictions in 2010. Court records show he has prior arrests for assaulting a prison employee and domestic violence. Gerou is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause conference Sept. 21 and again for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 27. WOOD TV-8s Demetrios Sanders contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Allegan County man arraigned for hitting, seriously injuring deputy Lawyers attend the courtroom prior to the reading of the sentences during the trial regarding the attacks at a Brussels metro station and the city's airport at the Justitia building in Brussels, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The morning rush hour attacks at Belgium's main airport and on the central commuter line took place on March 22, 2016, which killed 32 people, and nearly 900 others were wounded or suffered mental trauma. (John Thys, Pool Photo via AP) BRUSSELS (AP) A Belgian court on Friday sentenced five men to sentences ranging from 20 years to life in prison on charges of terrorist murder in connection with 2016 suicide bombings that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds at Brussels airport and a busy subway station, the countrys deadliest peacetime attack. A chief suspect, Salah Abdeslam, had previously been given a 20-year sentence for involvement in a shootout days before the March 22, 2016, attacks and received no further jail time. It happened after police discovered him and another suspect by accident when they inspected what they thought was an empty apartment. Four officers were hurt. Abdeslam was serving a life sentence without parole in France over his part in attacks that hit Paris cafes, the Bataclan theater and Frances national stadium in 2015. Both the Paris and Brussels attacks were linked to the same Islamic State network. Taking the stand at a high security court in Brussels on Monday before the jury and magistrates retired to deliberate on sentences, Abdeslam implored them for leniency, insisting that he did not take part in the suicide bombings in Belgium two at the city's airport and one on a subway train during the morning rush hour - and was not aware of the plot. I have been demonized. Youve condemned someone who doesnt deserve it, the 34-year-old Frenchman said, according to Belgian daily Le Soir. I ask you to be fair with this last decision, on sentencing. In total, 10 defendants were involved in what has been the biggest trial in Belgiums judicial history. Two brothers were acquitted of all charges. The other eight were convicted of participating in activities of a terrorist group; six of those eight also were convicted of terrorist murder. Abdeslam was the only survivor among the Islamic State extremists who struck Paris in November 2015. After months on the run, he was captured in Brussels on March 18, 2016. His arrest may have prompted other members of the IS cell to rush ahead with attack plans on the Belgian capital. Also convicted of terrorist murder at the trial was Mohamed Abrini, a childhood friend of Abdeslam and a Brussels native who walked away from Zaventem Airport Belgiums main air hub after his explosives failed to detonate. He was sentenced to life in prison. Two others accused of playing a role in the suicide bombing plot Osama Krayem and Bilal El Makhoukhi were sentenced to life in prison, while a third, Ali El Haddad Asufi, received a 20-year term. Oussama Atar, identified as a possible organizer of the deadly attacks on both Paris and Brussels, was convicted of terrorist murder in absentia. He is believed to have died in the Islamic State groups final months of fighting in Iraq and Syria, but was also sentenced to life in prison. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Abdeslam received no new prison sentence. In response to a request from the prosecution, Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv has increased Ihor Kolomoiskys bail to UAH 3.8 billion ($103 million), Ukrainian legal news outlet Graty reported on Sept. 15. On Sept. 3, the court ordered Kolomoisky be held in custody for a period of 60 days unless he posted bail of UAH 509 million. Read also: 1st seized RU assets to be transferred, details of Kolomoisky case, Musk blocked attack on Black Sea Fleet Between 2013 and 2014, Kolomoisky unlawfully seized 5.8 billion hryvnias ($150 million) by establishing a criminal group consisting of PrivatBank employees, of which he was a founder and shareholder, according to Ukraines SBU security service. Kolomoisky denies all allegations and currently has no plans to post bail. Read also: $27.3 million in alleged fraud: Kolomoisky s case On Sep. 7, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAP) informed Kolomoisky and five others of suspicion in embezzling over 9.2 billion hryvnias from PrivatBank ($247 million). Read also: Kolomoisky drops from dollar billionaire status as net worth plummets 2.5x amid war, Forbes estimates In January-March 2015, while serving as the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Administration, Kolomoisky allegedly crafted a scheme to misappropriate PrivatBanks funds. The objective was to further finance an offshore company under his control and increase his stake in the banks statutory capital. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Senators this week launched a formal investigation into reports that Coast Guard leaders mishandled sexual assault investigations at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for years and then hid the mistakes from public view. Sens. Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn., and Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., called the allegations unsettling both because of the crimes committed and the lack of appropriate response from senior leaders. The issues came to light earlier this summer after a series of reports by CNN and other outlets, chronicling dozens of sexual assault reports filed by academy cadets dating back to the late 1980s which were ignored or covered up. It is unclear whether those responsible have continued their careers in the Coast Guard, received higher positions of authority, or left service and escaped accountability all together, the senators wrote in a Sept. 12 letter to service officials. The public deserves to know why so many reported cases of sexual assault and harassment were allowed to go uninvestigated for so many years. 31 charged in Coast Guard test-fixing scheme, prosecutors say Coast Guard officials in 2014 launched an investigation into years of mishandled cases at the academy, which they dubbed Operation Fouled Anchor. According to Senate officials, that work lasted for six years and found credible allegations of sexual misconduct by at least 43 academy staff. But the results were never reported publicly or to lawmakers. In June, after several news outlets reported on the hidden findings, Coast Guard officials issued a public apology for not having taken appropriate action at the time of the sexual assaults. Blumenthal and Johnson, the two top senators on the Senates Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, are now demanding all records related to the investigation and subsequent decisions not to make the findings public. Members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee made similar requests of the Coast Guard earlier this summer. Lawmakers have not yet said when hearings on the issue may take place. In response to congressional outrage over the incident, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan in July announced plans for a 90-day accountability and transparency review of the service. The findings of that work have not yet been released. The new COVID-19 vaccine designed to better target the virus spreading variants has started to arrive in Chicago. The question of whether or not Chicagoans should get the shot is a no-brainer for the medical school experts and Chicago Department of Public Health leaders studying it. A million people in the United States have died from COVID, said CDPH Medical Director Stephanie Black. We have to respect all of that and take it seriously. Everyone really should be vaccinated. Here are answers to questions about the vaccine shared by experts and public health officials with the Tribune. What is the new vaccine? Its just that, said Dr. Robert Murphy: A new vaccine, and not an updated booster. Its like a flu shot. Every year, you get a flu shot, said Murphy, executive director of the Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. This is a completely new vaccine. Compared with the first widely-used COVID-19 vaccine and the bivalent booster shots introduced in fall 2022, the new vaccine is better designed to protect against the spreading omicron variant, Murphy said. And even as the specific omicron subvariants it targets become less predominant, the vaccine should still provide protection against common emerging subvariants, said Dr. Susan Bleasdale, University of Illinois Healths medical director of Infection Prevention and Control. It will provide more protection than what people have been vaccinated with in the past, Bleasdale said. The CDC approved the two mRNA from manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna and is reviewing another more traditional protein-based vaccine from Novavax. All three vaccines use not-alive material based on the actual virus and cannot cause COVID-19 infection, Bleasedale said. Past versions of the vaccine will be replaced by the better-suited updates, she added. If youre going to get a COVID vaccine, this is the one youre going to get, Bleasedale said. Who should get the vaccine and when? The vaccine is recommended by the CDC for every American more than 6 months old. Most people should get just one shot, the agency recommends. They tried very hard this time to keep it simple, Murphy said. But the recommendation comes with some caveats. People who are immunocompromised or older than 65 can get a second dose four months after their first, according to the CDC. Children under 5 who havent been vaccinated or contracted the virus should get a regimen of shots, Murphy said. As long as its been two months since your last COVID vaccine, you can get the new shot right away, the CDPH told the Tribune. If youve recently contracted the virus, the CDC says you can get vaccinated as soon as symptoms are gone. Murphy said he advises his patients to wait a month or two before getting a COVID-19 vaccine after theyve been sick with the virus. They already have such a high immunologic response. Theyll have a lot of side effects from the vaccine, he said. But for many at-risk people, a shorter timeline could be appropriate, he added, so people with recent infections considering vaccination should talk to their doctor. Bleasdale said its particularly important for people to get the shot who are older, immunocompromised or have risk factors that could lead to complications with COVID-19, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. I want to make sure that people who are at the highest risk are really making this a top priority, she said. Both doctors and the CDPH urged all Chicagoans to consider getting the new vaccine. How do I get the vaccine in Chicago and is it free? People with private health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare should go to a pharmacy or doctors office to get the new vaccine, according to the CDPH. Same-day appointments were available in Chicago at several CVS locations via online scheduling for Thursday, with appointments at some Walgreens locations open Monday. Federal, state and local programs have also been designed to get uninsured people vaccinated at no cost, Bleasdale said. So no one should hesitate to get it based on their insurance status, she said. The CDPH is planning to host mass vaccination clinics at City Colleges on Saturdays starting in October. Vaccines will be offered at no cost for underinsured and uninsured Chicagoans at several regularly open city-run immunization clinics and numerous federally qualified health centers. The CDPH also offers at-home vaccination for those with limited mobility and homebound seniors. The no-cost vaccines will be available to people in Chicago regardless of immigration status, CDPH medical director Brian Borah said. The health department plans to use mobile clinics to offer vaccination to migrants and refugees at official and unofficial shelters, who also receive health care through the county, he added. Vaccine equity continues to be a top priority for us, Borah said. While some Chicago retail pharmacies have received the shots, the health department expects to receive the doses it ordered by early next week. Murphy noted the shot does cost money for insurers. The vaccines triple-digit cost can be covered by hundreds of programs for uninsured people, but it will take some digging. You can do it, but its going to be a little bit challenging to find where you can get it, he said. Its really unfortunate. Vaccination may come with some small administrative costs not covered by insurance, Bleasdale said. Why should I get this vaccine? There are two reasons to get vaccinated, Murphy said. One, to protect yourself. Two, to protect everyone around you, he said. Clinical trials for the new vaccines and the widespread use of older COVID-19 vaccines show the inoculations are safe and effective at presenting severe illness, he said. For people not at high risk of severe illness, the vaccines may be able to help them stave off the emerging threats of long COVID, like lingering brain fog, he said. Youre going to have less chance of having it and less chance of giving it, he said. The older vaccines have already led to dramatic decline in COVID-19 deaths, Bleasdale said. And if vaccinated people do get sick with COVID-19, they will likely be more functional and get back to activities sooner, she said. Its also important for us as a community, Bleasdale said, adding that vaccination can help prevent high capacity in hospitals. Fewer than a quarter of Chicagoans received the bivalent booster shot offered last fall, CDPH data shows. Its just excruciating to not see better picking up of the vaccine, Black said. With COVID-19 still infecting people in Chicago, the vaccine can help people get back to their normal lives and do things like travel during the holidays, she said. This vaccine is kind of a ticket to being able to do that, she said. Its particularly important for people who are at high risk, she said. But the virus can and has killed and hospitalized people of all ages harsh consequences vaccination helps prevent, she said. What is the status of COVID-19s spread right now? Chicago saw pandemic lows in lab-confirmed cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations in July. Since, the two indicators have steadily risen, though both are slightly down this week, according to the CDPH. The city is seeing daily averages of 12 hospitalizations and 155 lab-confirmed cases, as well as about two deaths per week, CDPH data shows. The city and most counties across Illinois remain at a low risk level, as defined by the CDC. However, its hard to tell how widely the virus is spreading with access to lab-confirmed tests severely curtailed, Murphy said. We dont really know. Its incredible how stupid the system is, he said criticizing cuts in testing funding. Hospitalizations have risen around 10% each week over the last seven weeks nationwide, Murphy said. The virus remains more transmissible than the flu and around three times more likely to lead to death or hospitalization, he said. He expects new vaccines to come annually, possibly earlier in the year before apparent late summer spread, he added. Bleasdale said the country is no longer in a pandemic, but instead faced an endemic disease in the spreading coronavirus. COVID-19 is with us, its not going away, and we know how to manage it, she said, citing mask wearing, vaccinations and isolating when sick as the best tools. Local virus levels are below levels across the state and country, Borah said. As it gets colder, as people head indoors, as our behavior changes with the fall and winter months, we do expect levels of flu, RSV and COVID activity to increase over the coming weeks and months in Chicago, he added. What do I do about my lost vaccination card? A lost vaccine card is no problem, Murphy said. The place where someone was previously vaccinated can issue a replacement, he said. But its a good idea to keep track of all your vaccinations, he added. A state vaccination registry can also help medical professionals track down pasts shots, Bleasdale said. But the new, annual vaccine makes keeping track more straightforward: You need the new one each year. If you lost your vaccination card, thats OK, it really doesnt matter about past vaccinations, she said. And if someone completely fills vaccination card, they can request a new one and staple it to the old one, according to the CDPH. Can I get this at the same time as my flu shot? It is safe to get both the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, the CDC says. The side effects are generally the same whether the shots are administered separately, the agency added. Bleasdale argued it might be best to get the possible aches out of the way together. You can get both at the same time, she said. Its often easier to get it done at the same time, and it doesnt affect your ability to build immunity. And you dont want to forget to get the other one. The Florida Department of Health and the CDC are at odds over the new COVID booster and it has left people having to sort through mixed guidance on whether or not to get the updated shot. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The CDC is recommending all Americans six months and older get the latest COVID booster, which is aimed at protecting individuals against new variants. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] But this week, Floridas Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued a recommendation against the booster for Floridians under the age of 65. COVID has seemed to become an illness of political affiliation, Jacksonville pediatrician Dr. Randolph Thornton said. Thornton said the political divide surrounding COVID health policy has made it difficult for doctors and patients alike to figure out what to do sometimes. READ: IRS freezes COVID-19-era employer tax benefit amid questionable claims Its been incredibly confusing with the information coming down from the state, and from different doctors, and even between doctors, and then different friends. Youll get all kinds of opinions across the board, Thornton said. For some Floridians like Jacksonville resident Quajon, the conflicting messaging has led them to rely on their own judgement to decide whether COVID vaccinations are in their best interest. Me, I dont plan on succumbing to societys norms or you know, what people think is right for me and my health. Im just gonna continue to do what I do. Eat right, take my vitamins, work out, Quajon said. So, how can Floridians best navigate what option is best for them? Dr. John Gross, a Family Care Practitioner in St. Petersburg, argued its always best to consult with the medical professional who knows you the best: Your doctor. READ: Action News Jax Gets Real: Jacksonville clinic aims to end medical mistrust Your 60-year-old male who has no health issues at all, will be a different conversation from say a 75-year-old patient who has already had COVID, is at risk for pneumonia, has COPD or other pulmonary issues that put them at higher risk, Gross said. Dr. Thornton agreed, but argued based on his read of the evidence, he believes whatever risk may be posed by the booster is still outweighed by the risk of contracting the virus without the added layer of protection. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] This one, I would still recommend it, but if parents decide not to get it because its optional, I would say dont knock yourselves out over it. But my opinion is the evidence is more in favor of getting it than not, Thornton said. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The Snohomish County Health Department is asking residents to stay vigilant while they monitor a rise in local COVID cases. We still have a pandemic going on, and we still dont know what COVID is going to do, said Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. James Lewis. He says the county has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases at local long term care facilities, an increase in requests for testing, and an increase in reported infections. These factors are all indicators that the county is seeing a rise in overall cases. But despite that data, some residents remain unfazed. If Im gonna get it, Im gonna get it, said Everett resident Pamela Lewis. The new variant known as Pirola is leading the local and national surge. And while its fast spreading, the newest vaccines recently approved by the FDA are designed to fight it. Similar to your annual flu vaccine moving forward, rather than a booster, its just a new vaccine thats going to target whatever variant of COVID is circulating most prominently at the time, Dr. Lewis said. He and other health experts say theres an urgency for people to protect themselves, not just from COVID, but from the upcoming RSV and flu season as well. I think, right now, the main thing is to get all of the vaccines as quickly as possible, UW Medicines Dr. Helen Chu. The newest COVID-19 vaccine should be available at some pharmacies in Western Washington as soon as this weekend. Residents can find appointments around their area. Dr. Chu tells KIRO 7 that vaccines can be taken at the same time. Right now, what were recommending is that you get the flu and the COVID vaccines at the same time. And its completely safe to get them at the same time, and its as effective as getting them separately, says Dr. Chu. Keep in mind that the more vaccines you get at one time, the more side effects youll have. You get a sore arm and people get achy after their vaccine. So then youll have two sore arms instead of one. WASHINGTON Hunter Biden was indicted on three felony gun charges Thursday, a historic first that has pitted President Joe Biden s federal law enforcement against his sole surviving son, with the younger Bidens troubled past taking center stage as his father mounts his re-election campaign. Bidens political opponents accuse him of weaponizing the Justice Department against his foes in the Republican Party including the four-time-indicted Donald Trump, his chief rival heading into 2024. But even as Biden has faced accusations of using the levers of government to pursue his political enemies, his son, whom he calls his heart, now faces charges that could put him in jail for a decade or longer, weeks after a plea deal collapsed in stunning fashion in a Delaware courtroom. The immediate response to Hunter Biden's indictment proved illustrative of a nation that is deeply polarized, with critics and allies of the president seeing the charges as evidence bolstering their positions about the weaponization of the Justice Department. The indictment filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Delaware charged Hunter Biden with three criminal counts related to gun possession for allegedly having lied about his drug use when he bought a firearm in 2018. Two of the counts carry maximum sentences of up to 10 years in prison, while a third has a five-year maximum. And prosecutors have indicated that might not be the end and that he could still face tax-related charges. On one side, Bidens allies view the indictment as evidence of a firewall between the White House and the Justice Department, which the president promised to put in place after four years of Trump. It gives me confidence that even the presidents son can be indicted, said Richard Painter, a chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush. Yet from the other side, the fact that the Justice Department is only now charging the presidents son, after years of investigation and under mounting political pressure, is a testament to the contrary. Calling the charges a very small start, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said the special counsel should broaden his investigation or face accusations that he is protecting the president. Claims of preferential treatment have dogged the probe, with an IRS whistleblower testifying before Congress that special counsel David Weiss said privately that he did not have the authority to bring full charges, a claim Weiss has denied. How people view the charges tends to reflect their feelings about Biden. Some close to the family contend that prosecutors unfairly targeted Hunter Biden because of his family ties and that a defendant with a different last name would never have seen the inside of a courtroom. Michael LaRosa, a former press secretary to first lady Jill Biden , said in an interview that Hunter Biden is being held to a very, very different standard. Given what we know about the charges and accusations, if their name werent Biden, I dont think that any normal American would have a DOJ investigation of five years opened into them for this kind of first-time, minor offense, LaRosa said. Its hard for me to say that the system is working. Hunter Bidens defense team has questioned the constitutionality of the gun charges. Abbe Lowell, his lead counsel, said Thursday that the indictment presents a grave threat to our system of justice. Lowell said in a statement that the legal team plans to challenge the validity of the law in court. LaRosa said the accusations against Hunter Biden over the past few years have weighed heavily on Joe and Jill Biden. I think the president and first lady would like to see more people fighting for him, LaRosa added, referring to Hunter Biden. They are both incredibly protective of Hunter, very much so, he said. Meanwhile, Bidens political opponents argue that his son evaded more severe penalties after prosecutors let the statute of limitations on earlier tax crimes lapse and worked to negotiate a sweetheart plea agreement that would protect the younger Biden from future criminal charges. Mike Davis, a conservative judicial activist who leads the Article III Project, said in a statement that the charges levied by Weiss continue his deceptive pattern for years of protecting Hunter. He said Weiss let the statute of limitations expire on serious tax charges, buried evidence deemed credible by the Pittsburgh U.S. attorney of the Bidens alleged foreign bribery schemes and attempted to give Hunter a sweetheart deal with secret, broad immunity that protected President Biden. Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that the indictment was a smokescreen to deflect attention from the Biden familys overseas business dealings and from Joe Bidens cratering support among Democratic voters. The White House has mounted a defense of the president, but whether his sons legal troubles in the middle of a re-election fight could hinder him politically is not yet clear. Sarah Longwell, who conducts focus groups and publishes The Bulwark, a conservative website, said in an email that in sessions with both Democrats and swing voters, voters regard Hunters legal troubles as generally irrelevant to how they feel about Joe Biden. About 1 in 3 Americans said they were very concerned about whether Biden had committed any wrongdoing connected to his son's case, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted Sept. 7 to Monday. For now, Painter said, Bidens political rivals have not delivered evidence to back up their claims that he was involved in any potential wrongdoing by his son or other family members. In a post-truth world, you can say everything involving Hunter has to do with the president, he said. If they have evidence, they can produce the evidence that the independent counsel has been interfered with, but I dont see it. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Work Safety Committee of China's State Council has decided to supervise the investigation into a gas spurt incident in the city of Ordos in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Thursday. On Sept. 7, a high-pressure gas spurt occurred at a workshop of Yiding Ecological Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. in an industrial park in Hangjin Banner, killing 10 people and injuring three others. Ten-year-old Aaron should have been in school for the last two weeks. Instead, he is stuck at home caught in the crossfire of the ongoing debate over educational standards at ultra-Orthodox yeshivas. His mother, Beatrice Weber, is one of the leading advocates for reform, pushing yeshivas to teach legally mandated subjects like English and Social Studies along with Torah and Talmud. But according to the terms of a custody agreement with her ex-husband, she is required to send her son to one of the schools she wants to change. Only Aaron hasnt been to school this year. Hes not on the roster this fall at Yeshiva Mesivta Arugath Habosem in Williamsburg, leaving him to languish at home while his peers return to school, according to court documents reviewed by the Daily News. They told me he was unhappy, and that was why they didnt want to take him back, said Weber, executive director of Young Advocates for Fair Education. But I strongly suspect, she continued, the school does not want my son because theyre concerned about the questions Im going to ask. The court documents suggest Weber is not alone in her suspicions. Ms. Webers reputation, said Steven Silpe, an attorney for Aarons father, in filings, as someone who will cause these yeshivas to have to spend tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation is well known to the Orthodox education community at large. Silpe did not return requests for comment. The ex-husbands identity is being withheld to protect the privacy of Aaron, who shares a last name with his father. School officials were asked by The News why Aaron has not been registered; in their response, they said Weber standing is in the way of her sons Hasidic education. The fact is that Ms. Weber regularly bring [sic] her son to school late, and has hampered our every effort to get him the services and assistance he needs, read a statement from Yeshiva Mesivta Arugath Habosem. It is shameful that Ms. Weber uses her perch atop a tax-exempt non-profit to further her personal litigation, and even more shameful that she has made her son a pawn to advance her professional interests, it said. Weber said a court-appointed liaison for the family told her the yeshiva will not be accepting Aaron this year. She is heading to family court Monday to ask that Aaron be immediately enrolled in a co-ed religious school that offers more secular studies. In response, her ex-husband through his attorney asked to bar Weber from educational decision-making, saying the yeshivas would be willing to accept Aaron if he is calling the shots, court documents reviewed by The News show. Yeshiva reform Weber, a mother of 10 who decided to leave the Hasidic community, filed a petition in 2019 with the state Education Department, charging that Yeshiva Mesivta Arugath Habosem failed to offer the same level of reading and math instruction as public schools, or basic lessons in social studies and science. Secular instruction lasted at most six hours per week, she alleged, and Aarons two older brothers left the program without exposure to American history, English literature, or math skills beyond long division. Weber brought the complaint against the backdrop of a larger movement to regulate nonpublic schools falling short of state learning standards. In 2015, the yeshiva reform group she now leads asked officials to investigate dozens of yeshivas they alleged were not teaching the basics that would allow graduates to read and write in English, and participate in the modern workforce. Last fall, State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered the city to work with Aarons yeshiva on a corrective plan marking the first time the state intervened in the teaching practices in an ultra-Orthodox school. The yeshiva is supposed to start implementing those reforms and reviews by local education officials this school year. More recently, a city investigation released this summer found 18 other yeshivas from the 2015 petition were noncompliant with state educational requirements, starting a lengthy process for several of those schools to revamp their curriculum and hire qualified teachers. Aarons education At home, Aaron is an inherently curious child. A prior goal to work for NASA has since evolved into a passion for geography and maps, including where Jewish people lived in Europe in the 1500s. During an interview with The News, he can hardly be torn away from his new 3-D printer that he is learning to program. Under the terms of the divorce, Aaron will be released from the requirement to attend Yeshiva Mesivta Arugath Habosem when he graduates elementary school in 2026. But Weber is concerned about how long it will take for Aarons yeshiva to implement the state-mandated reforms and if he will ever be able to catch up. Systemic change takes time, said Weber. My own son I want him to have a better opportunity now, or hes going to fall more and more behind. Editor's note: Check back often for updates on the trial in this blog. FORT WORTH, Texas The punishment trial of Amber Nichole McDaniel for charges related to the death of her 2-year-old son, Jason Wilder McDaniel, went into the fourth day of testimony on Friday in the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. Amber pleaded guilty in April in Wichita Falls to child endangerment for bringing Wilder around her ex-boyfriend, James Irven Staley III, who has been convicted of his murder. She also pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence for deleting messages on her cell phone between her and Staley from late September 2018 and through Oct. 10, 2018. Staley was convicted of the capital murder of a child under 10 and sentenced March 13 to life in prison without parole. He smothered Wilder with a pillow in his crib and then moved his body to the floor to make it look as if the child died as a result of a fall from the crib Oct. 11, 2018, according to testimony. Thirtieth District Judge Jeff McDaniel ordered Amber's trial moved to Fort Worth because of pre-trial publicity. Wichita County District Attorney John Gillespie is the lead prosecutor. Chief Felony Prosecutor Kyle Lessor is assisting him. Wichita Falls defense attorney Mark Barber is representing Amber. Amber, who is eligible for probation, faces two to 10 years in prison for evidence tampering, a third-degree felony, and six months to 24 months in state jail for child endangerment, a state jail felony. Amber's husband and Wilder's father, Robert "Bubba" McDaniel Jr., is recovering from a nonfatal gunshot to his arm. Bubba was shot Sunday evening while with his 17-year-old son in Wichita Falls. The 17-year-old was not shot. Police arrested the man they believe shot Bubba after a standoff Monday at a Wichita Falls apartment complex. Amber Nichole McDaniel leaves the courtroom Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth where her trial is taking place. More: Day 1 Live Blog: Amber McDaniel trial More: Day 2 Live Blog: Amber McDaniel trial More: Day 3 Live Blog: Amber McDaniel trial Friday's testimony 4 p.m. The judge dismissed the jury and recessed the trial until 9 a.m. Monday. McKnight told jurors not to discuss the case, view media reports or look at social media pertaining to it. 3:24 p.m. Courtney Bachman, Amber's sister-in-law, took the stand. She testified that she and Amber were pregnant at the same time, Amber with Wilder, and Bachman with her younger daughter. While Bachman was still pregnant, her older daughter played with Wilder at Memaw's house often. Memaw is Karen Burke, Bubba and Bachman's mother. Then Bachman gave birth to her younger child, and her older daughter quickly adjusted. "She just played big sister to both of them," Bachman told the jury. The tears came when Barber asked her about telling her older daughter about Wilder's death. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do was watch her. I couldn't tell her," Bachman said. "My husband had to tell her. We had to pull her out of school." Her daughter is still grieving. It's especially hard for her since she had that close relationship with Wilder. "None of us will ever be the same," Bachman said. It's not something you think will ever happen to you, and it's totally changed her whole family, including Bubba, Bachman testified. "He's never going to be himself anymore," she told the jury. "They've lost their baby." The way they lost Wilder, at the hands of another person, especially makes it hard, Bachman testified. Barber asked her if Bubba, "a big tough guy," has cried over Wilder's death. "A lot," Bachman said. Shalah Wakefield and Courtney Bachman talk about their slain nephew, 2-year-old Jason Wilder McDaniel, after the capital murder conviction of James Irven Staley III on Monday, March 13, 2023, for killing Wilder on Oct. 18, 2011. Bachman testified that Phoenix is perfect and has brought back a littler glimmer in Amber and Bubba that she didn't think she would ever see again. Bachman has worried about Amber being suicidal because Wilder was her whole world. Amber didn't want to have another child. "She wanted to get up to Wilder as quickly as possible," Bachman told the jury. Bachman told the jury she has been in abusive relationships. During one, she was pregnant and living in Indiana. The relationship became physically abusive. She left him but later returned. "He promised me that he was going to change. He was going to be different," Bachman testified. "He was going to be the man I needed." She flew back to Indiana. When he picked her up, he told her that he was not ever bringing her back. Bachman became very scared and decided she needed to leave. He let her fly back because he thought she was going to return to him. She already had a roundtrip ticket in her pocket when she arrived there. Gillespie cross-examined Bachman. She confirmed that she left the father of her child because she realized she had to get out of there and take care of her child. Bachman agreed that children must be protected. She testified that she attended Staley's trial. In addition, she learned about the text messages. "It broke my heart for Wilder and just some of the things that were said in there," Bachman said. She agreed that Amber has had a strong support system. Amber and Bachman didn't have a good relationship when Amber and Bubba split up. But Burke helped Amber. Barber asked Bachman if she loves Amber and wants her to be in her life and Phoenix's. "Yes, I do," Bachman said. She told the jury she was manipulated in an ill-fated relationship based in Indiana. She has fallen into abusive relationships twice. The other one wasn't physical, but the man was manipulative and psychologically abusive. Gillespie asked her about the Justice for Wilder campaign. Bachman testified that she doesn't remember Amber doing much of the Justice for Wilder campaign, but Bubba did. Gillespie showed the jury and Bachman a photo of Amber wearing a Justice for Wilder T-shirt. He also showed her a post in which Amber wrote about being tired of being quiet and of crying. She was criticizing law enforcement and pushing for the police to arrest Staley. Bachman testified that Amber helped police every way she could. She is aware that Amber signed a judicial confession to tampering with evidence. Bachman was dismissed from the stand. 3:10 p.m. McKnight sent the jury out for an afternoon break. Then he cautioned members of the media not to take any images of jurors and publish them, including when they are in the hallway outside the courtroom. Little Phoenix provided a ray of sunshine in the hallway during the break, laughing while his mother and aunts played a game carrying him up and down the hall. The solemn faces of the child's family members, some of whom testified, lit up when they saw him. 1:56 p.m. Wichita Falls police detective Chad Nelson is called back to the stand, this time to testify for the defense. He has already given extensive testimony for the prosecution this week. Nelson was a primary investigator early on in Wilder's homicide. He testified about being at Jimmy's Egg with Bubba and Amber after Staley was found guilty and after she had pleaded guilty to the charges against her. "I viewed her as a mother who had lost her son five years earlier, and we had gotten the verdict that we had wanted to get," Nelson told her. It was a pleasant visit. Nelson testified that he searched Staley's house and seized evidence the day of Wilder's murder. On May 11, 2020, Sgt. Brian Sheehan told Nelson to finish up a supplement he was working on and to turn Wilder's case over to the cold case unit, Nelson testified. Nelson told the jury police had gotten information that Staley was moving items out of his home on Oct. 22, 2018, and they served a search warrant on the house on Irving Place. He referred to documentation, noting it looked like police took several items to a lab on Nov. 8, 2018. He believes police seized Staley's computer on Oct. 22, 2018, he testified. They also took possession of Amber's phone. She was across the street with her attorney while they were serving the warrant on Staley's home. She voluntarily relinquished the phone, passcode and other information to get into it, Nelson said. The detective said he agreed it would have been better to seize the cell phone closer to the death of the child instead of several days later. Nelson came into possession of messages Staley sent to a group of his friends. The messages were abusive to Wilder. Staley called him a homophobic slur. The messages contained a video showing an upset Wilder running after his mom and several derogatory comments about the little boy from Staley. Nelson confirmed that Amber came in voluntarily for interviews on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 in 2018. On the other hand, Staley did not cooperate with police. Nelson testified that Amber began to cry when the detective made statements about blood on Wilder's pillow. Nelson interviewed Tara Campisi, who told him she did not believe Staley would be a danger to their daughter, but he was not in the state of mind to be a dad. Campisi told Nelson on Oct. 23, 2018, that Staley was not involved in Wilder's murder, the detective testified. Nelson told the jury that Amber provided palm and other prints to police. He received emails from Campisi. Barber moved on to a report on information from cell phone providers for Amber and Staley. The report provided top 10 in-bound and outbound numbers for the phones, Nelson said. Barber continued to go through a police report written by Nelson about Wilder's homicide. The defense attorney read from Nelson's report: Amber did not believe Staley might have killed Wilder until she heard from the detective about the blood on the child's pillow. Barber stood at the side of the witness box, flipping through documents during a long pause. A post-lunch haze seemed to hang over the courtroom. Nelson told the jury that the final autopsy results did not seem conclusive, but the summary was point blank. The cause and manner of Wilder's death was undetermined, according to the autopsy report. But the medical examiner wrote that there was signs his death was a homicide caused by someone intentionally asphyxiating the child. Barber asked Nelson if Amber's tears in the interviews were sincere. "I do believe that the crying was sincere. I think some of the words stated at the time make more sense now that I know about the text messages," Nelson told the jury. Gillespie began cross-examining Nelson. The detective confirmed that he was new to homicide investigation when he began probing Wilder's death and that he was taken in by what Gillespie called, a "crying mom" believing she was fully aiding the investigation. Nelson confirmed that Staley messages sent to his Country Club friends Aug. 7, 2018, including a video in which Wilder was upset and running. At the time, Staley was chasing Wilder, and he subsequently kicked Wilder out and Amber out of his house. Nelson told the jury that the case became his whole work life, and he wrote approximately 90 pages of reports about it. He testified that the Justice for Wilder campaign targeted him and the Wichita Falls Police Department with Amber participating. But he continued to treat her kindly. Barber took over questioning. Nelson testified that Amber did exactly what she was accused of. She destroyed evidence and put her child in a dangerous situation. Nelson told the jury he is not a psychologist, but maybe the situation was comparable to someone who was in a long-term abusive relationship not just with James but also with Bubba, too. Nelson told the jury he understood how frustration could have set in, but she could have been more helpful in providing information. Gillespie asked Nelson if he didn't want to see the text messages between Amber and Staley in the leadup to Amber's trial because he had been taken in by her. The messages were not available for Nelson to see when he was investigating the homicide. It took over two years for the authorities to break into Staley's cell phone, and Amber had deleted messages between them. Nelson testified that no, that wasn't why he didn't seek to see the text messages. It wasn't his investigation anymore. He was dismissed from the stand. 1:45 p.m. Wichita Falls police officer Jesse Bartow took the stand when the jury returned from lunch. He described an incident 12:15 a.m. Jan. 26, 2019, with a distraught Amber who seemed suicidal and who attempted to stab herself. Bartow had her committed to the North Texas State Hospital on an emergency basis. On cross-examination, Gillespie asked questions to point out that the incident was the day after an interview Amber had at the police station and to point out that there are better ways for a person to take their own life than in close proximity with a police officer. Bartow was dismissed from the stand. 12:10 p.m. McKnight sent the jury to lunch. 11:14 a.m. Longtime prosecutor Lisa Tanner took the stand to testify on behalf of a criminal defendant for the first time in her career. Tanner served as a special prosecutor in Staley's capital murder trial earlier this year. Soon, Gillespie will be cross-examining the prosecutor who helped him put Staley in prison for life. He considers her to be a legend because of her experience in capital murder prosecution. Tanner testified that she worked for the Texas Attorney General's Office, but she left there because of the turmoil now going on in that office. Tanner became an independent prosecutor for hire. Tanner told the jury that she was lead prosecutor in eight cases that resulted in defendants being sent to death row. She and Amber met a number of times and talked on the phone several times in the leadup to the trial, Tanner said. We had a lot of heart to hearts," Tanner said. She told the jury that Amber had no immunity of any kind when she testified in Staley's trial. She was an important witness for a variety of reasons. Probably the simplest was we knew James Staley's lawyers would probably try to point the finger at her," Tanner told the jury. The mother is the most important witness in a child's murder case if she was not involved in the killing, and the prosecution in Staley's case needed Amber to testify that she wasn't involved, Tanner told the jury. This is the team of prosecutors, investigators and others who worked on the murder case against James Irven Staley III. Staley was convicted on March 13, 2023, of killing 2-year-old Jason Wilder McDaniel. Those pictured are, from far left, Assistant District Attorney Kyle Lessor, DA's Investigator Brayden Little, DA's Chief Investigator Ty Davis, DA's Office Executive Assistant LaDonna Bedford, DA John Gillespie, Special Prosecutor Lisa Tanner, DA's Investigator Jonny Zellner, Municipal Court Prosecutor Misty King and ADA Bryce Perry, appeals specialist. When Tanner talked with Amber, the prosecutor would alternate between wanting to shake her to wanting to hug her, Tanner testified. I cant tell you which was more or less, but it was a lot of both," she told the jury. Tanner wanted to shake her because of the texts between Amber and Staley. I had days were I was like, 'How dumb are you?' Tanner told the jury. But Tanner understood that things other than rationality are involved in such situations, she testified. She understands there are men who manipulate women, control them and gaslight them, Tanner testified. She has never seen anything like Staley's abuse of Wilder in her career. The amount of effort Staley put into it shocked her. One of the most manipulative things was he took a still shot from what we called the hostabe video, he sent it to Amver and said, if you look at this and think I abuse dher culd. Just hte level of manipulation that went on, not jsut with Amber. We learned his history later on. Ive just neve rseen anybody like him never. She doent want ot see another Staley. 11:03 a.m. The jury returned, and Gillespie continued cross-examining Burke. She focused on giving little ground. 10:43 a.m. The judge sent the jury out on a break. McKnight had a quick talk with Burke. The judge asked her not to talk over Gillespie so the court report can get everything down and to stick to only answering the question before her. Burke interrupted the judge, who said, "Certainly, don't interrupt me." He told Burke that Barber would have ample opportunity to ask her follow-up questions. 10:06 a.m. Bubba's mother, Karen Burke, took the stand. She kept Wilder every day while Bubba and Amber worked, Burke testified. He was a special child. He was very smart, and it was because of her," Burke told the jury, referring to Amber. "She was an exceptional mother. Burke found out about Wilders death when a detective called her and told her that he was found deceased that morning. Bubba was hysterical when he found out. He was working in San Antonio, and Burke was afraid for him to drive back to Wichita Falls, she told the jury. Amber was devastead. Bubba was devastead. We all helped in the planning of the funeral," Burke testified. She has been fighting tears on the stand, and she broke down crying more when Barber asks her how it was to watch her grandson being lowered into a grave. Bubba is still not over Wilders murder, Burke testified. He beats himself up all the time," Burke told the jury. Bubba feels like he should have been there to protect his son, Burke testified. He was out of town when Wilder was murdered. She is not over her grandson's death. How can you ever get past that?" Burke told the jury. She misses Wilder and thinks about him all the time. The song that was played at his funeral, I hear it at work every once in a while, and it makes me stop in my tracks," Burke told the jury. It always makes her cry, Burke testified. When Gillespie cross-examines her, the sparks fly. She often disagrees with his contentions about Amber, posed as questions for her to agree or disagree with. 9 a.m. Tara Campisi, Staley's ex, was the first witness of the day. She told the jury she "unfortunately" knew Staley and had a short relationship with him. Campisi, the mother of Staley's daughter, knew him three months before she moved in with him. Both were living in Dallas when they met. She lived with him for four months and then moved out. She got pregnant after that and was living at home. Campisi testified that she didn't rush into moving back in with him. She was seven months pregnant when she broke up with Staley. It was very much a toxic relationship with mental, psychological and verbal abuse, she testified. "I would say a month after we started dating, I started thiniking this person is unlike anybody I've ever been with," she said. He called her names, blamed her for everything, gave her the cold shoulder and slept all day. He made her feel unappreciated, Campisi testifed. Later in the relationship, things got worse, but he was able to hide it better, she told the jury. He spent a lot of time at his father's office in Turtle Creek. Staley was abusive over texts, she testified. He was manipulative. "There's so many examples, but he had a way of turning every situation around making it seem like it was my fault," Campisi testified. "It was my fault that he slept through the weekend. ... It was my fault that he had to take so much medication to get taxes done. Then he had a way of just beating me down." She knew who she was when she went into the relationship, but Staley took a toll. "Even now all these years later, I still have scars emotionally," she told the jury. He isolated her by getting her to move to Wichita Falls, Campisi said. He was controlling and gas lighted her. Campisi confirmed that she felt defeated by what he did to her in the relationship. She continued dating him after she moved out, but he continued to be abusive. He texted a lot, she testified. She never saw anyone who texted so much. She told the jury there would be five good days in a month. "James had a way of apologizing. He would send me selfies of himself crying, snot coming down from his nose. It would be like nobody loves me. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me," Campisi said. Things would be good, but they would got back to bad soon. Campisi went through many cycles of abuse with Staley. She testified that he had a sick sense of humor. He would call their daughter "dumpster," and he would call her a "wet blanket. She could produce thousands of thousands of messages that would be disturbing from Staley. "His sense of humor, I've never met anybody like that," Campisi told the jury. He would joke around with her daughter and tell her she was stinky, she testified. Staley would be called profane names used to put down women with adjectives in front of them like ungrateful and selfish. Her father always told her she was wearing a mask, Campisi testified. Around her family she was smiling and pretended like everything was fine. She was too embarrassed to admit what was happening. "When I was pregnant, I started driving back home every weekend from Wichita Falls back to Dallas," she testified. It took her some time to go through with leaving him and going back home. "I felt sorry for him," Campisi said. "He said early on, no one loves me. I mess up everything that comes into my life." Jason Wilder McDaniel is shown here with his father, Bubba McDaniel. He would cry, she testified. "I thought I could save him," Campisis told the jury. After she left him, she asked herself why she was in that relationship. Staley's ex-finance reached out to Campisi through Facebook and shared things with her that really helped her make sense of things, Campisi testified. "She said that she was emotionally traumatized by being with him," Campisi told the jury. He was manipulative and abusive, but she called off the wedding. "She warned me she got sucked back in every time," Campisi testifed. The ex-finance was finally able to walk away and changed her number, Campisi testified. Their custody arrangements for him to see their daughter involved short visits and no overnights until she was 3, Campisi said. They would have conflicts over text regarding his visitation with the child. When their daughter was 6 months old, Staley demanded she bring their child to Wichita Falls so he could see her, Campisi said. She complied because otherwise, he was going to come get the baby, and Campisi didn't have a legal agreement yet. They would have arguments over text that lasted into the early morning with Staley making demands, she testified. He was lax in providing child support. "James used to always skip to his own beat and didn't really care about anybody else's feelings, time, emotions," Campisi told the jury. Child Protective Services got involved in one incident, Campisi said. Their daughter was only two months old when Staley demanded she bring her to Wichita Falls. She drove there and sure enough Staley stayed up all night and slept until almost noon the next day, Campisi said. She loaded up her car and just needed a few more things. Campisi was carrying formula boxes, and he pushed her, causing her to basically do a cartwheel, she testified. She is still in back pain to this day from that. He apologized, she testified. Campisi left and had driven 30 minutes toward Dallas and decided to turn around and go to the authorities in Wichita Falls. Campisi was relieved that CPS was geting involved. Later, she, Staley and his mom, Nancy, made an agreement for the little girl to stay overnight, and Nancy had to be there, Campisi testified. This was the weekend that Staley's home was vandalized. Nancy went out of the house to get something, and Staley locked her out, she testified. That was after Wilder's murder. Staley would not talk Wilder's death with Campisi, she testified. She had felt sympathy because she knew it was traumatizing to find someone dead. But he would just say that he didn't know what happened, she told the jury. During a rare weekend visit of her daughter with Staley, she Facetimed Campisi on an iPad, she testified. The child wanted chocolate milk, and Staley was sleeping and wouldn't get up. This happened while Staley was living in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Campisi testified. She contacted the authorities there. They couldn't get in the building. After that, she limited his visits. She did allow Staley to stay in one of the six bedrooms of her house so he could see their child, Campisi testified. Staley did not interact with their daughter much. Instead, he slept all day. Campisi was at her hair salon one day, and Staley brought their child's rainboots, she testified. "Jesus Christ, ..., just hug me," Staley said to their daughter when she didn't want to hug him. "He was a horrible father," Campisi said. She testified that she did not warn Amber about Staley. Campisi has thought about how to tell her daughter about what happened with Wilder. "I think it will affect her later. She wants to know what happened to Wilder. I know she doesn't want to talk to her father," Campisi testified. Campisi told her daughter it is her story and not to be ashamed of it. She felt that her daughter was approaching the age that Staley would have affected her. "I told James, you better get it together," Campisi said. She told him their daughter was not a toddler anymore and would have questions. Campisi testified that her daughter has good memories of Amber. "When Wilder passed away, I just said to myself, I just wish Amber had longer," Campisi said. What she means is longer to see that the apologies will happen, but then it will be the same thing again with the abuse and manipulation, Campisi testified. Campisi doesn't know if she would have become aware of that in the short time Amber was with Staley. Gillespie started his cross-examination by asking Campisi if she had seen the text messages Staley sent Amber. Campisi testified she has not. Gillespie asked her if Staley's actions murder, assault -- went beyond a quirky odd sense of humor. She agreed that they did. Campisi also confirmed that when it became clear her daughter didn't want to be around Staley after the incident in Oklahoma, Campisi took steps to protect her daughter. In addition, Staley's prosecution was important, and his bond conditions precluded him from seeing their daughter, Campisi agreed. "I know she's with me," Campisi said. She confirmed that she gave investigators a lengthy interview and cooperated to help the DA's Office. With time it gets easier, but it hurts every day, she testified. Gillespie asked her if it upsets her that Staley abused Wilder in front of their daughter. "Abused him period," Campisi said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. She testified that she was not aware that Amber came home from a bar, and their daughter told her that Staley had pushed Wilder off the bed. "Your daughter was subjected to emotional abuse iwht this defendant in the house, correct?" Gillespie said. Campisi agreed. And Amber never picked up the phone and called her to tell her what Staley did? Gillespie said. Campisi agreed that Amber did not. Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia. This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Day 4 Live Blog: Amber McDaniel trial Police investigators inspect bombing damage on the eastern facade of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., on September 15, 1963. Photo courtesy Birmingham Public Library Sept. 15 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1812, Russians set fire to Moscow in an effort to keep out Napoleon and his invading French troops. In 1954, the famous scene in which Marilyn Monroe is shown laughing as her skirt is blown up by a blast of air from a subway vent was shot during the filming of The Seven Year Itch. The scene infuriated her husband, Joe DiMaggio, who felt it was exhibitionist. The couple divorced a short time later. In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States after saying he hoped to improve relations with Washington. In 1963, four Black girls were killed in the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Ala. Two Black teenage boys were shot to death later that day as citywide rioting broke out. Greenpeace protesters gather at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony at the Capitol on January 20, 2017, in Washington, D.C. On Sept. 15, 1971, the environmental organization Greenpeace was founded by 12 members of the Don't Make A Wave committee of Vancouver, British Columbia. File Photo by Michael Wiser/UPI In 1971, the environmental organization Greenpeace was founded by 12 members of the Don't Make A Wave committee of Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1983, an ailing and secluded Menachem Begin resigned as prime minister of Israel. Australia's 400m gold medal hope, Cathy Freeman, stands in the pool below the waterfall which she lit with the olympic torch during the Sydney Summer 2000 Olympic opening ceremonies on September 15, 2000. File Photo by Peter J. Thompson/UPI UPI File Photo In 1988, the Museum of the Moving Image dedicated to the history of film, opened in London. At the opening, Britain's Prince Charles condemned those responsible for gratuitous violence on television and video. Frank Sinatra greets then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on the set of "Can Can" September 19, 1959, during Khrushchev's visiti to the United States. On September 15, 1959, Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States after saying he hoped to improve relations with Washington. UPI File Photo In 1993, Katherine Ann Power, a Vietnam War opponent and a fugitive for more than 20 years in the death of a police officer during a bank robbery in Boston, surrendered. She pleaded guilty and spent six years in prison. In 1999, a 47-year-old man opened fire during a youth service at the Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, killing seven people and wounding seven before killing himself. In 2000, the 27th Summer Olympic Games opened in Sydney, with a record number of female athletes participating -- and with North and South Korea marching together in the opening procession. In 2009, the U.S. House voted to officially rebuke Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for yelling, "You lie!" at U.S. President Barack Obama during a speech on healthcare reform. In 2009, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession, which began in December 2007, was "very likely over" but the economy would appear weak "for some time." File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI In 2011, a widespread U.S. outbreak of listeria food poisoning was traced to contaminated cantaloupes sold by a Colorado company that recalled millions of melons. Officials said about two dozen people had died of listeriosis in 20 states. Two farmers were sentenced to five years probation and each ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution. In 2019, Norman Lear became the oldest person to win an Emmy award as part of the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmys. He won the Outstanding Variety Special award for Live in Front of a Studio Audience. In 2020, for the first time in Scientific American's 175-year history, the popular science magazine made a presidential endorsement -- Joe Biden. In 2021, SpaceX launched Inspiration4, the first all-private orbital spaceflight, from Florida, carrying four civilians. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met during a high-stakes meeting in eastern Russia this week, underscoring deep ties and possibly cementing a military support and technology deal the U.S. warns will prolong the war in Ukraine. While no official announcement was made, Western analysts still expect that North Korea and Russia reached an agreement in which Pyongyang will provide Moscow with artillery shells in return for food and critical technology to power nuclear missiles and satellites. Greg Kennedy, the director of economic conflict and competition research group at Kings College London, said the lack of a formally announced deal probably has the intention to keep people uncertain on the specifications to avoid international scrutiny, especially because it would violate United Nations security resolutions. The uncertainty is something they can work with, Kennedy said. Without some kind of narrative or some kind of agreement thats been verified by Western press, then youre able to tell whatever narrative or whatever story you want around the world. So in different places, different Russian representatives can say different things. Kim traveled to the city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia via armored trained at the beginning of this week, making the trip after Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July. The two leaders met Wednesday and announced that ties remained strong, according to North Koreas Foreign Ministry. Kim said he supported the strategic interests of Russia and vowed to strengthen relations even further. He even invited Putin to visit North Korea. Kim also toured the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a major launch center in Russia, as North Korea has struggled to get satellites up into space. Kim is extending his stay in Russia, expected to tour Russias Pacific fleet and other facilities in the coming days. North Korea may also seek help with modernizing its navy and air forces. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday said there was no deal signed on military-technical cooperation. No agreements were signed on this issue or on other issues and there were no such plans, he said, according to Russian state-run media outlet Tass. Details of any forged deal are likely to be revealed over time by Western intelligence officials who are monitoring the situation closely. Sasha Baker, the U.S. acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said the U.S. will try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment. The implications of any deal are high. North Korea, which is still technically at war with South Korea and has robust artillery production, likely has tens of millions of rounds it could deliver to Russia, which is expending high rates of artillery. Any technology provided to North Korea could lead to an emboldened Pyongyang, which has been ramping up nuclear missile testing as tensions rise with South Korea. The U.S. has warned that North Korea will pay a price if the country supports Russia in the war against Ukraine. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Thursday they were monitoring the situation and would expect a deal was made. What were seeing right now is Russia in quite a desperate mode and seeking support from North Korea, she told reporters. Providing any type of ammunition would further continue the war. Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko also threw himself into the mix this week, saying there could be a three-way alliance among his country, Russia and North Korea. Summing up all of the developments, Kennedy, of Kings College London, said for Russia, theres a bit of embarrassment here. This is not the great alliance of World War II or anything like that, he said. But Kennedy noted that the likely deal means Russia could now fight through the winter while it ramps up production at home. Anybody who thinks this was going to be over has been hedging their bets, he said of the war in Ukraine. You should probably open your eyes and realize that this is going to be a long term thing. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - The shadow of Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, are cast on a large representation of the Yemeni flag as they attend a demonstration against an arms embargo imposed by the U.N. Security Council on Houthi leaders, in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 16, 2015. A delegation from Yemen's Houthi rebels have flown into Saudi Arabia for talks with the kingdom on potentially ending the yearslong war tearing at the Arab world's poorest nation, officials say. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) A delegation from Yemen's Houthi rebels has flown into Saudi Arabia for talks with the kingdom on potentially ending the yearslong war tearing at the Arab world's poorest nation, officials said. It remains unclear what terms are being discussed between Riyadh and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital of Sanaa since September 2014. But this first public trip by a senior Houthi delegation comes after regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a Chinese-mediated detente earlier this year and as there has been a flurry of diplomatic activity between the different parties in the proxy war. This latest effort appears to have begun with a visit Monday to Oman by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the assertive son of King Salman who launched the kingdom-led war back in March 2015. Oman long has served as an interlocutor between both Iran and the Houthis during the war. On Thursday, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed reportedly received letters from Iran's hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, who is a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . The substance of the letters was not publicly acknowledged by either country, but they came as an Omani delegation visited Houthi officials in Sanaa. Field Marshal Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the Houthis supreme political council, issued a statement via the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency praising the peace efforts. Peace was and remains our first choice, which must be worked on by everyone," al-Mashat said. In response to the mediation of Oman, the national delegation will go, accompanied by the Omani delegation, to Riyadh to complete consultations with the Saudi side. Early Friday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency acknowledged that a Houthi delegation had been invited to the kingdom, without elaborating. The English-language newspaper Arab News, which is owned by a company long tied to the kingdom's royal family, reported that the 10-member Houthi delegation had flown into Riyadh on Thursday night. Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, welcomed Saudi Arabia's hosting of the Houthi delegation and thanked Oman for its role in brokering the talks. We call on all parties to this terrible conflict to further solidify and expand on the benefits of the truce that has brought a measure of peace to the Yemeni people, and ultimately bring this war to an end," Sullivan said in a statement. Analysts have described the move by Saudi Arabia to welcome the Houthi delegation publicly as a positive step. However, it isnt yet likely the definitive moment in reaching a peace in Yemen, though it is important, said Farea Al Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House. This is no doubt a crucial step in further de-escalation in Yemen, he said. It can build on a comprehensive U.N.-led ceasefire as well as further measures that will help lessen the suffering of Yemeni people. Yemens conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north. The internationally recognized government fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom. However, international criticism over Saudi airstrikes killing civilians saw the U.S. pull back its support. But the U.S. is suspected of still carrying out drone strikes targeting suspected members of Yemen's local al-Qaida branch. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters. A cease-fire that expired last October largely has held in the time since, however. Saudi Arabia, its local allies and the Houthis conducted a prisoner exchange in April as part of peace talk efforts. ___ Find more of APs Middle East coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/middle-east FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The Fresno Yosemite International Airport announced Friday that Delta Air Lines will launch daily nonstop flights between Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport beginning June 7, 2024. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the people of Fresno deserve an airport that gets them where they need to go. The addition of this service to Atlanta helps propel us towards that goal, said Mayor Jerry Dyer. Providing nonstop service to such a massive transportation hub is huge for our residents. I want to thank Delta Air Lines for once again investing in Fresno. Great cities have great airports, and these are the types of moves that make our city great. According to the airport, Atlanta will be FATs farthest route and will offer passengers more convenient travel options and seamless connectivity. Delta Air Lines launch of Atlanta service is truly a big deal for Fresno and the Central Valley, said Director of Aviation Henry Thompson. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport consistently ranks as one of Fresno Yosemite International Airports Top 10 Markets where travelers from the Central Valley are flying and we extend our appreciation to Delta Air Lines for its commitment to our region. Delta Air Lines said they will operate the Atlanta route using the Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a schedule ideal to accommodate one-day business trips or a multiple-day stay. The outbound flight departs FAT at 10:50 p.m. PDT and arrives ATL at 6:26 a.m. EDT coinciding with morning departures to the East Coast, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Florida, and many more global destinations. The launch of the Atlanta service in the summer of 2024 will complement Delta Air Lines current daily nonstop service between Fresno and Salt Lake City (SLC). Tickets for the new route will be made available on Saturday, September 16, 2023. For flight schedules and ticket bookings, please visit Delta.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the sixth cross-Strait youth development forum that opened on the same day in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province. Xi emphasized the vital role of youth as the hope of the country and the future of the nation, hailing the forum as an important platform for youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and learn from each other. Xi expressed his hope that through the forum, more young people across the Taiwan Strait would become close friends and good partners working together for a better future. Stressing that realizing national rejuvenation is the shared aspiration of all the Chinese people, Xi welcomed young people from Taiwan to pursue and fulfill their dreams on the mainland. He called on young people across the Taiwan Strait to keep pace with the trends of history and safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and national unity. Xi also urged them to remain committed to the right path of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and ensure that the future of cross-Strait relations remains firmly in hands of Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. In recent months, Ive been bombarded with social media ads singing the praises of shower head water filters. My immediate reaction was skepticism, but I have to admit I was intrigued. A beauty product that doesnt require daily labor on my end but can help to improve my hair and skin sounds too good to be true. But according to Dr. Brendan Camp, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City, shower head filters can be a great investment. Shower head filters are comparable to filters you use on drinkable tap water, and can remove impurities in municipal water sources such as chlorine and chloramines (which are disinfectants), along with calcium, copper, magnesium and more. These minerals and chemicals can potentially dry or irritate hair and skin, Camp said. Dr. Brandon Kirsch, a board-certified dermatologist at Kirsch Dermatology in Naples, Florida, further explained that water with high concentrations of calcium and magnesium is known as hard water. He told HuffPost that while theyre generally safe for consumption at the levels found in tap water, they can have cosmetic and dermatological effects, such as drying out hair and skin or exacerbating conditions like eczema. Both experts agreed that a shower filter can improve the quality and texture of both skin and hair and could potentially also boost the potency of your hair products. Without a residue of these compounds, Camp stated, products may be able to penetrate hair and skin more effectively. If youre not sure whether you really need a shower water filter, you can look for signs that your regular shower head water is causing problems. If your skin feels excessively dry and itchy after showering, it might be due to the chlorine or hard water minerals, Kirsch said. Chlorine and hard water minerals can also strip away natural oils from your hair, leaving it looking dull, and chlorine in particular can cause colored hair to fade faster. You can also be on the lookout for warning signs in your showers surroundings. Camp noted that scaling, which refers to the buildup of minerals on shower heads or bathroom tiles, might be an indication of a high mineral content in your shower water. He also said that before you purchase a shower head filter, consider doing an online search to determine if the water sources in your area are considered to contain higher mineral content or hard water. If your interest has been piqued, keep reading. Below, you can check out four water filters recommended by Camp and Kirsch. A new shower head water filter might be exactly what you need to up your beauty game without having to adjust your daily routine. HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted. Jolie Filtered shower head filter system Amazon Jolie Filtered shower head filter system There's a good chance you've seen ads on social media for this cult-fave shower head filter recommended by Dr. Brendan Camp, a board-certified dermatologist. This high-pressure shower head is available in four colors to match your existing bathroom hardware and can be easily installed to fit all U.S. shower heads. You can adjust the angle seamlessly. Promising review: "I rarely leave reviews but have to review this. This didnt immediately show results for me but it started to show results after week 2.5. I have long healthy Asian hair and was skeptical I could really benefit that much more from anything except for maybe a keratin treatment. And wow was I wrong. I had no idea my already-nice hair could use this type of a boost. It made my shiny black hair SHINIER AND BOUNCIERby a lot! It looks as if I ran shimmering shine spray from my roots down to the very ends of my hair, top to bottom. I couldnt believe it. At first I thought I was imagining it, it seemed too good to be true. And oh, the bounce. I didnt realize my hair needed bounce but now I dont think I can live without it. As for my skin, its only been 2.5 weeks but I noticed that the pores on my nose are smaller." Jade "Saved my hair! I was using a different brand of water filter and shower head and after 2 years of living in Florida with it my hair was frizzy and breaking at the nape of my neck. I just installed this new version last night and took my first shower with it. It was my last ditch effort before chopping all my hair off again. My hair turned out amazing! It didnt feel gummy or frizzy and when I blow dried it, it fell straight like it should! I have a hard time growing my hair to begin with and this filter will definitely help save what I have! I thought the price point was expensive but investing in yourself is worth it! Also a few hours later my skin still feels soft and moisturized. I put on some shower oil when I got out and my skin soaked it all in instead of just laying on the surface." Mari Beeghly $165 at Amazon AquaHomeGroup 15-stage shower filter Amazon AquaHomeGroup 15-stage shower filter Also a Camp recommendation, this filter is extremely popular and highly rated among Amazon users. It can help to remove odors and impurities associated with hard water, chlorine and other minerals found in tap water. It's compatible with myriad shower styles and doesn't reduce or affect existing water pressure. It's a great option for people with sensitive skin. Promising reviews: "Absolutely amazing for hair and skin. As a professional hairstylist and blonde haired Ive noticed how hard water can really affect the hair/skin overall. This was SO easy to install and has made the biggest difference in my hair! I recommend to all of my clients" katie spicer "Wonderful product. This filter was so easy to install. I cannot believe the difference in my skin in just a month. If you live in the city and have hard water this is a must!" Jeff $69.69+ at Amazon Aquasana shower water filter system Amazon Aquasana shower water filter system Dermatologist Dr. Brandon Kirsch told HuffPost that this filter is NSF-certified to remove chlorine, lead and other pollutants. It also has a 10,000-gallon capacity, which means you won't have to change the filter until it has filtered 10,000 gallons of water. "I have used Aquasana in my own house and been very pleased!" he said. It's easy to install and is compatible with 1/2-inch shower arms. Promising reviews: "My partner and myself both have psoriasis. We use the shampoos hair oils etc. The whole 9 yards. Never really seemed to help. Took into consideration that perhaps it was our water. Heavy in calcium, lime, all those harsh fun chemicals. After having used it for 3 days, our psoriasis doesn't hurt like it did. My skin is even feeling better and no where near as dry as it otherwise would be when I exit the shower. Definitely a much better improvement to our daily routine. I can say with confidence, I am definitely going to want to get a few more for the other spouts in our home." Shina "Clean & soft water. I made this purchase due to my wife always complains about how our city water makes her body itch after showering so I decided to give this shower head filter a try and it worked wonders. My wife no longer has those itch moments from the harsh city water coming from our water plant." demetrius smith $27.95 at Amazon Culligan S-H200-C handheld shower head Amazon Culligan S-H200-C handheld shower head If you prefer a handheld shower head, Camp recommended this Culligan option. It is unique in that is has a magnetic docking mechanism that can be securely popped on and off its base. It has a brushed-chrome stainless steel finish that is aesthetically pleasing and will look lovely with the rest of your shower fixtures. Promising reviews: "Love it! Nice quality. Not cheap looking. Easy to assemble. I am so happy to have this. So many great features! I definitely recommend you buy this product!!!" Janet "Love this showerhead, I love the filters they really help soften my hair and skin. The different settings are great and the magnet is strong and allows for easy positioning." Keianna Wilbur $137.47 at Amazon Related... A 25-year-old Des Moines resident is facing more than a dozen felony charges stemming from their alleged role in vandalizing several law enforcement vehicles last weekend in Ames. The Iowa State University Police Department reported that 15 vehicles from the Iowa State Patrol and Story County Sheriffs Office were damaged during the Sept. 9 Cy-Hawk game between Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. In an email to the Ames Tribune, the ISU PD said the vehicles were "gashed" and, in some cases, "caused extensive damage." Investigators shared posts on social media that generated several tips in the case and identified the Des Moines 25-year-old, who faces eight counts of first-degree criminal mischief and seven counts of second-degree criminal mischief. Law enforcement was able to track the individual through security camera footage in the student tailgating lots at 2:35 p.m. Sept. 9, the same time the Cy-Hawk game was scheduled to kick. ISU PD posted the video on X (formerly known as Twitter.com) Tuesday morning. The 25-year-old turned their self into the police Friday and was booked into the Story County Jail. The eight charges of first-degree criminal mischief, according to ISU police, are each Class C felonies for damage causing more than $10,000 in damage. The seven second-degree criminal charges are Class D felonies for damage under $10,000 and more than $1,500. Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines resident allegedly vandalized patrol cars during Cy-Hawk game The News Ron DeSantis is ramping up his COVID talk on the campaign trail, calling out scattered mask mandates that have been popping back up, criticizing new booster shots, and tying it all to Donald Trumps record. I fought against Fauci when he was popular, DeSantis said during an interview Thursday. Its easy for Republicans to ding him now because hes unpopular with the broader electorate. Back then, Donald Trump used to cite Faucis poll numbers as a reason why Fauci was somebody that should be listened to. The COVID focus is nothing new: DeSantis became well-known among conservatives over his handling of the pandemic in Florida. But its become a bigger part of his message in recent weeks amid rising Republican concerns about new outbreaks potentially bringing back old restrictions. As the left pushes a new wave of COVID hysteria, Ron DeSantis is the only candidate with a proven record of fighting back and capable of bringing a reckoning for the wrongdoings committed, campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin told Semafor. His allied Never Back Down super PAC, in the meantime, is hoping a transgender-focused message will help power a comeback. Its running ads in Iowa featuring footage of influencer Dylan Mulvaney, drag queens, and an old viral clip on the right of a breastfeeding transgender parent. Tying it all together: Headlines about Trump saying in 2012 that hed be open to transgender women competing in his beauty pageants. Its broadly similar to an attempted viral video eventually traced to the DeSantis campaigns meme department that drew significant attention over the summer for some of its odder imagery. Shelbys view COVID, anti-wokeness, gender ideology these are all themes DeSantis has gone to in the past that are central to his brand. But theyve also failed to make a dent in the race thus far, while the bar for even just getting headlines gets higher with every poll showing Trump up by 30, 40, and even 50 points. The biggest immediate threat to DeSantis (and really the whole field) right now isnt being attacked so much as being ignored. So to the extent theres a good sign for him this week, its that the focus on these topics has forced responses from Trump, providing team DeSantis with more opportunities to go on the attack. During his Thursday interview with Megyn Kelly, Trump claimed he had no idea who gave Fauci a presidential commendation in his final days in office while arguing that DeSantis had followed lockdown policies similar to other governors in the early pandemic. DeSantis swiftly hit back: Was that the immaculate commendation that just happened to happen? he asked in a radio interview, adding that Trumps response was really pathetic. Kelly also brought up Trumps past comments supporting tolerance for transgender people, noting both his pageant comments and an interview in 2016 where he said Caitlyn Jenner would be allowed to use the womens restroom at Trump Tower. Trump also criticized North Carolinas bathroom ban at the time. Trump pleaded ignorance, saying he was unfamiliar with the issue then, but subsequently took action to block the military from integrating transgender soldiers. This was a brand new subject, he said. It hadnt exploded. I mean, nobody talked about it, really. Candidates have had no luck making attacks on Trump for flip-flopping or hypocrisy stick so far, though, including on these specific topics. The question remains for DeSantis: If familiar attacks inside his comfort zone havent worked by now, when will they? Room for Disagreement One former DeSantis staffer argued that continuing to home in on the same core topics could still pay off for the Florida governor, because large chunks of voters only begin tuning in later in the campaign. I think that the people that are paying attention now are open to being moved, I think, or not committed anywhere, they said. So this messaging maybe has more of an effect on that. Notable Ron DeSantis is also perfecting his electability argument when it comes to Trump: During a recent interview with CBS News, the Florida governor argued that if Trump is convicted of any felonies, his chance of getting elected president is as close to zero as you can get. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reset his sights on an old target Wednesday as he advised Floridians under the age of 65 against adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions updated COVID-19 vaccine guidance. The CDC recommended Tuesday that all Americans aged 6 months and older to receive updated COVID-19 boosters made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna that target currently circulating variants related to XBB. I will not stand by and let the FDA and CDC use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots that have not been proven to be safe or effective, the governor said in a statement Wednesday. Once again, Florida is the first state in the nation to stand up and provide guidance based on truth, not Washington edicts. Meanwhile, new COVID-19 cases in Florida have increased 227% in the past 10 weeks, according to the Florida Department of Healths latest numbers published on Sept. 1. Why Florida stands against new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said Wednesday that state health officials will recommend against anyone under the age of 65 getting the new COVID-19 vaccine boosters recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Ladapo was joined by DeSantis on the panel that also included Stanford University Health Policy Professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya , a prominent COVID contrarian who frequently has participated in events organized by the governor, and two other physicians. Florida contradicts new COVID guidance: Florida health officials say most people shouldn't get new COVID shot, contradicting CDC The panelists raised a number of concerns about the new shots. At this point with the amount of immunity thats in the community and the questions we have about safety and about effectiveness, but especially about safety, my judgment is that its not a good decision for young people and for people who are not at high risk at this point in the pandemic, Ladapo said of getting an updated vaccine shot. Bhattacharya said he supports that recommendation. Youre gonna hear, I think, from American public health a lot of outcry over the guidance but I think they should be asked: What data are they relying on? Bhattacharya said. Why the CDC updated its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations The CDC website says the updated or bivalent vaccines protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5. The CDC said Tuesday that vaccination is the best way to prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths and to help people reduce chances of suffering from what is known as long COVID. The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time, the CDC said on its website. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States. Federal officials say the new vaccines are safe and effective. The FDA is confident in the safety and effectiveness of these updated vaccines, and the agencys benefit-risk assessment demonstrates that the benefits of these vaccines for individuals 6 months of age and older outweigh the risks, the FDA said Monday in information posted on its website. Latest COVID-19 vaccine guidance Here are the latest COVID-19 vaccine recommendations to ensure youre up to date: Everyone aged 6 years and older : Should get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date. People aged 65 years and older : May get a second dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised: May get additional doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Children aged 6 months to 5 years: May need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, including at least one dose of updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, depending on the number of doses theyve previously received and their age. New COVID-19 strain: New COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 isn't in Florida yet, but you should get vaccinated anyway Who should get the latest COVID-19 booster? Everyone aged 6 months and older should get the updated COVID-19 booster shot, according to the CDC. Where to get COVID-19 vaccines in Florida Finding updated COVID-19 vaccines in Florida can be done in a number of ways: Visit vaccine.gov : Head over to vaccine.gov and click on Find COVID-19 Vaccines. Youll be taken to a new page that shows a map, a place to enter your zip code and a few filter options. Plug in the info you want and press the search button and youll be taken to yet another page with all of your results. Phone : Call 1-800-232-0233 to find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you. Text: Text your ZIP code to 438829 to find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you. How many COVID-19 vaccines are there? There are four COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S.: Pfizer-BioNTech Moderna Novavax Johnson & Johnsons Janssen (J&J/Janssen) Contributors: Zac Anderson and John Kennedy - Sarasota Herald-Tribune This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Why Florida says no to new COVID-19 vaccine guidance GOP presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed both congressional Democrats and Republicans for the nations $32 trillion in national debt at a summit on Friday. Im not going to let the Congress spend this country into oblivion any longer, DeSantis said at the Concerned Women for America Summit in Washington, D.C. And lets just be clear we didnt get $32 trillion in debt just because of one party. Its been Republicans and Democrats in D.C. who have bankrupted this country, he continued. DeSantis recently called out both parties for adding to the national debt and singled out his opponent, former President Trump, in an interview with CBS News released Wednesday for his contribution to the debt while he was commander in chief. The national debt rose by $7.4 trillion throughout the duration of the Trump administration, from $19.5 trillion to $26.9 trillion, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Donald Trump added almost $8 trillion to the debt in four years. He ran saying he was going to eliminate the national debt, DeSantis said during the interview. He did make that promise, and they did the opposite. The Florida governor has also been an outspoken critic of the bipartisan debt ceiling deal President Biden signed into law in June, saying the U.S. is still careening toward bankruptcy. In Washington, D.C., they do these cycles to just get them through the next election. And thats ultimately one of the reasons why they continue to fail, DeSantis said at the time. Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gave similar remarks attributing the national debt to our Republicans at the first GOP primary debate last month. No one is telling the American people the truth. The truth is that Biden didnt do this to us, Haley said. Our Republicans did this to us too. When they passed that $2.2 trillion COVID stimulus bill, they left us with 90 million people on Medicaid, 42 million people on food stamps. No one has told you how to fix it. Haley railed against her fellow Republican candidates, including former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and even DeSantis himself. You have Ron DeSantis, youve got Tim Scott, youve got Mike Pence they all voted to raise the debt. And Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt. Our kids are never going to forgive us for this, Haley said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blasted former President Trump over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that the former president would enact the same restrictions he did in 2020 if another pandemic pummeled the country in the future. During a Thursday interview with Fox News Radio, host Jimmy Failla asked DeSantis about Trumps claims that the Florida governor listened to advice from former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci more than the former president did. DeSantis took the chance to offer rare criticism of the former president, who remains leading DeSantis in GOP primary polls nationwide. In fact, during that time in COVID, particularly the summer of 2020 and beyond, the Florida media was used the Trump administration as a cudgel to attack me. Because they say, Governor DeSantis is not following the White House guidelines. He has restaurants open. He has all this other stuff. And they were constantly coming back to that. So thats just the reality, he said. DeSantis also said that the Trump administration needs to own what they did and assured that those mistakes would never happen again if he were to be elected president. You can take that to the bank with me. But Donald Trump, hes basically saying he did everything right, and I think that means you should understand he would do the same thing all over again if put in that position. And that would be disastrous for our country, DeSantis said. DeSantiss campaign and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R ) have rejected Trumps criticism of how the governors handled the pandemic and slammed the former president for not supporting their decisions to roll back restrictions. At the time, Trump said he disagreed strongly with Kemps decision to start reopening the economy in April 2020. DeSantis also moved to lift the lockdown in Florida around that time and officially ended the lockdown in September 2020. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The majority of Americans say they want to get the new COVID vaccine, despite a resurgence of fearmongering over the safety of the jab, according to two new polls released Friday. At least 57 percent of registered U.S. voters are planning to get the newly authorized shot sometime this year, according to a poll from Politico and Morning Consult, with 37 percent saying they definitely plan to receive it. A second poll from Reuters/Ipsos found similar results, with 53 percent of those surveyed expressing interest in receiving the new vaccine. However, both polls found sharp ideological divides among those surveyed, with interest in the vaccine broadly split along party lines. Of the 53 percent of people interested in receiving the new vaccine, 77 percent identified as Democrats, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found, while only 34 percent were Republicans. Chris Jackson, head of public affairs at Ipsos, told The Daily Beast that political affiliation is still the biggest driver these days of vaccine reluctance. Its almost divorced from any scientific or health-related conversations, Jackson said, describing the public debate over COVID-19 as a culture war issue. Despite overall enthusiasm for the new vaccine, a sizable minorityabout 18 percent of those surveyedbelieve the shots are dangerous, Jackson told The Daily Beast. The Food and Drug Administration approved new COVID vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna on Monday, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending every American over the age of six months receive the shot. The approval comes as an uptick in COVID cases across the country has led to a steady increase in hospitalizations over the last two months, CDC data shows. Several new variants of the virus, including the highly mutated BA.2.86, are continuing to circulate. Just are surely as COVID cases have increased, so too has political rhetoric around the dangers of the new vaccine, as well as the potential for new mask mandates or restrictions. In Florida, presidential hopeful Gov. Ron DeSantis stoked unfounded fears around vaccine safety, saying in a statement on Wednesday that he would not let the federal government, use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots that have not been proven to be safe or effective. In direct opposition to the CDCs advice, Floridas surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo also advised under-65s in the state not to get the new vaccine. A number of Republican lawmakers and governors have also publicly vowed in recent weeks to fight any new COVID restrictions, as have presidential hopefuls DeSantis and Nikki Haley. Both former President Donald Trump and DeSantis have made COVID part of their campaigns for the Republican nomination. DeSantis has used Trumps pandemic legacy as a wedge issue, attempting to peel off a base of vaccine-skeptical voters still angry over lockdowns and mandates. Trump, meanwhile, has boosted conspiracy theories that the Democrats will use the new COVID surge to reinstate restrictions and steal the next election and lashed out at criticisms of his own record on the virus. This week, the former pandemic allies publicly criticized each others handling of the virus, with Trump claiming DeSantis had shut down Florida and obeyed the instructions of Dr. Anthony Fauci during the pandemic. DeSantis hit back, calling Trumps comments pathetic and false. Meanwhile, longtime anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has given him a platform to share his bizarre theories. In July, Kennedy was criticized by the White House after he suggested COVID was engineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. It is vile, and they put our fellow Americans in danger, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of his comments. 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. New details have emerged about what caused Mondays crash on Interstate 35W that killed four people and injured five, according to a report from KXAS-TV. Fort Worth police told KXAS Thursday that a black Chrysler 200 was traveling northbound on I-35W when it began to spin and veered to the left, crashing into the center median. Several drivers stopped to check on the driver of the Chrysler, including a pickup truck, a semi-truck cab, and two Hyundai cars, according to the report. It is not yet clear if all the vehicles stopped on the far left shoulder, as initially reported. A police spokesperson said Monday that two drivers pulled over on the left shoulder and another driver stopped to help and partially blocked the left lane. Police determined an 18-wheeler then collided with the stopped vehicles before a second 18-wheeler crashed into the first. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office identified those who died at the crash scene as 31-year-old Susana Longoria; 23-year-old Kiara Barker, of Bastrop, Louisiana; and 25-year-old Chase Mapes, of Yukon, Oklahoma. Jasmine Jones, 21, died at a hospital. A woman and four men had injuries and were transported to hospitals, according to MedStar. The multi-vehicle crash is still under investigation, a police spokesperson told the Star-Telegram Thursday evening, but police said they dont believe that alcohol or weather were factors. A Whatcom County Superior Court Judge on Friday ordered the Northwest Regional Council in Bellingham to pay more than $9.3 million to a severely developmentally disabled man who was abused and neglected by his caretaker for more than 30 years. Judge Lee Grochmal signed off on the settlement Friday after the plaintiffs lawyers and NWRC came to an agreement in August. The Northwest Regional Council (NWRC) is a taxpayer-funded facility that provides case management services under the state Department of Social and Health Services. It serves seniors, individuals with disabilities, and family caregivers in Whatcom, Island, San Juan and Skagit counties. NWRC will have 10 days to pay the fines levied against them to the court. After the plaintiffs attorney and the mans guardian ad litem are paid out of the settlement, the remaining money will be placed in a trust for the man. This is the second time Judge Grochmal has awarded the plaintiff, James Rupke, financial compensation. In June, the judge approved a settlement against DSHS for $13.35 million. In total, Rupke has now been awarded over $22 million as a result of legal action. This brings to a conclusion a case that involved 30 years of abject neglect and abuse that he suffered while he was supposedly being case managed by DSHS and (NWRC), said David P. Moody, the attorney for Rupke. The settlement in this case is enormous but it reflects the neglect and the severity of the neglect that he endured for 30 years. This is undoubtedly the largest settlement ever in state history on behalf of a disabled person. Despite the large settlement against DSHS, Moody said he believes NWRC is the most culpable of the two defendants. The lawsuit alleged that DSHS, the state Attorney Generals Office and NWRC failed to protect Rupke from readily foreseeable harm at the hands of his state-approved and state-paid caregiver, Alf Vatne. Vatne subjected James to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and abandonment, all of which could have been avoided if DSHS and NWRC had conducted even the most rudimentary assessment of Alfs qualifications or conducted any meaningful oversight of the care that Alf was being paid to provide at taxpayer expense, according to court filings. Court filings also noted that Rupke was stashed away in a disrepaired, rat-infested shack in Vatnes backyard for more than 30 years. Rupke was unable to protect himself against Vatne as a result of his extreme disability. No case managers ever entered the shack, and the rats and smell were never mentioned in any assessments. The lawsuit contended that Vatne lied to case workers about Rupke having his own room in the house, but neither DSHS or NWRC took any steps to ensure that James had a safe place to sleep. The filings noted that Vatne would leave Rupke alone for long periods of time with no care while he used Rupkes money to travel on vacations. Because of the lack of care, Rupke was filthy covered in dirt and smelled of eye-watering body odor, feces, and stale urine. Additionally, the lawsuit maintains that Rupke was sexually abused by Vatne. Vatne also would hire sex workers to perform sex acts on Rupke while Vatne watched. In Vatnes deposition, he said that he first met Rupke at a bar near his home. He said that after Rupke began living on his property in the 1980s that a man from DSHS showed up at his home and informed him that he would be paid by DSHS for being a caretaker for Rupke. There was really nothing to it. DSHS just started paying me, Vatne said in the deposition. For more than 30 years, DSHS just kept paying me. No background checks were performed for Vatne, and no inspection was ever made of his home, Vatne said. Vatne said he became aware at some point in the 1990s that NWRC was handling case management for Rupke, but that they, along with DSHS, never asked about Rupkes condition, nor did they check to make sure that Vatne himself felt like he was in enough physical shape to care for Rupke. Moody noted previously that years of Rupkes records were missing, and that the state had no explanation for the missing records. Moody said that the case involved clear neglect by DSHS. Instead of recognizing that early on, and trying to get this settled early on, the Office of the Attorney General dug in its heels and made this much, much worse for the taxpayers in the state of Washington than it had it be, Moody said. If they would have come to the table early, and negotiated early instead of playing games and hiding documents, this case would have probably resolved for less than it did. The Office of the Attorney General did a very poor job of defending the taxpayers in this case. Rupke is now under the care of two other guardians. Moody told McClatchy that Rupke is now full of life and is moving forward. While DSHS referred Vatne to the Whatcom County Sheriffs Office in July, the Sheriffs Office has yet to file any criminal charges against the 91-year-old. NWRC did not respond to multiple requests for comment from McClatchy. Diddy Wants To Work With Tyler Perry And Byron Allen On A Black-Owned Media Conglomerate | George Napolitano/FilmMagic via Getty Inages Although Paramount decided against selling its majority stake in BET, Sean Diddy Combs still hopes to collaborate with other media titans and industry leaders to help create more opportunities for Black people. Ahead of the release of his LP The Love Album: Off the Grid, his first in over a decade, the media mogul discussed the importance of helping increase the visibility of Black excellence across multiple industries in a recent interview with Billboard. During the conversation, the Ciroc owner shared his perspective on how collaborating with other wealthy Black leaders at the forefront of change will help increase the variation of people in executive leadership roles. As far as our business strategy, were in acquisition mode to really build a Black-owned media conglomerate, Diddy said. Thats why we were looking at BET and at a couple of other businesses. BET is definitely the mecca, the originator of Black media, and still is. So just the thought of unifying Were not going to be able to reach our highest level of success in the media world, like a Rupert Murdoch, if we dont unify. Diddy also shared that he wants to work with Tyler Perry and business mogul Byron Allen to help create a shift because they have a special influence on the culture. Like me, Tyler Perry and Byron Allen. We have a responsibility because its like 15 of us getting money, but 10 billion people in the world, he said. We need to pool our resources, everybody from LeBron James and Issa Rae to Tracee Ellis Ross to Jada Pinkett [Smith] and Queen Latifah. Thats what Im pushing for: unity in a disruptive way thats never been done before. Having such a media platform is one of the most powerful tools in changing our trajectory. On the heels of Revolts 10th anniversary, the three-time Grammy winner explained his aspirations for the future of his media company. His goal is to make Revolt not just the biggest Black-owned network but the biggest media company that I can. Im not pigeonholing myself. Again, nobodys going to give us power, and theyre not going to share it with us. Thats why 10 years ago, I named my network Revolt, because we have to take our quality of life back. Theres so much value and information. And when the Black media doesnt have an outlet thats controlled by somebody of color, then its not truly a Black free press. He continued, Revolt is the only foundation right now thats going in that direction. But it takes time. I own 65% of Revolt so we could change the narrative. Im investing in the Black future with Revolt. Its not a hustle, not a money play. Everything I do is to make sure that I do my best to break down the barriers. Media is one of the most important and powerful parts of freedom. To lead by example, Diddy recently donated $1 million to HBCU Jackson State University and $1 million to Earn Your Leisures Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, the hosts of Revolts financial literacy show Assets Over Liabilities, on the same day. As Blavity reported, Diddy recently reassigned publishing rights to Bad Boy Records artists, including Biggie, Faith Evans and Mase. I decided to reassign publishing rights to the whole catalog in May or June 2021. The news is just now coming out because it took time to finalize everything. But this was during the time that I was holding the Grammys to task, he told Billboard. I was also getting major offers for the catalog during the [acquisition] frenzy back then. When I was looking at the catalog and everything, I was put in a position where I felt like I had to look in the mirror. I had to make sure that what I was standing for was my total truth. We live in a time where things are constantly evolving. And it was about reform for me. Im living my purpose as far as coming in and making people feel something, he added. Breaking down barriers and showing people how to hustle, make money, make a career and living and be successful. A former legislative director for Texas Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington has come under fire for a vulgar message he sent to a woman on social media, a day after he posed for a photo at a fundraiser with Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn and other conservative figures. Tinderholt called the comment by Jake Neidert disgusting, adding that it would have been a fireable offense if Neidert hadnt already been terminated from his office this summer. Neiderts private message on X, formerly Twitter, made a vulgar suggestion to the woman of inseminating her, using a pun that referenced the Sandy Hook school shooting that killed 26 people. The woman posted a screenshot of the message and wrote that Neidert is an active employee of the Texas legislature. In response, Tinderholt said Neidert had been fired over the summer. Tinderholt added: This is a disgusting comment. Had he made it while employed by my office, his employment would have been immediately terminated for it. Neiderts offensive message came to light a day after he posed in a photo at a clay pigeon shoot with a group that included Waybourn and Kyle Rittenhouse , the young conservative activist who was acquitted of shootings in Wisconsin during the civil unrest of summer 2020. Rittenhouse had shared the photo Wednesday on his X account with a brief message saying it was a great day to shoot clays with the group. He has since deleted it. Waybourns office said Friday that more than 100 people participated in the widely advertised clay shoot fundraiser. That being said, I dont have personal knowledge of the social media practices of attendees, but its sad to learn such a message was sent to any woman. The comment is horribly insensitive and should be offensive to anyone, Waybourn said in a statement to the Star-Telegram. Neiderts twin sister Kelly is the founder of Protect Texas Kids, which has been behind drag show protests across the state, including Fort Worth. Protect Texas Kids has protested alongside white supremacist groups, including Patriot Front, Aryan Freedom Network and the New Columbia Movement, as well as This is Texas Freedom Force, which the FBI has designated as an extremist militia. Rittenhouse has become a popular figure among some conservatives after his acquittal on the charges of shooting three men two fatally during protests sparked by the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Rittenhouse, 17 at the time, said he acted in self-defense. The photo that Rittenhouse posted from the clay pigeon shoot also tagged Cary Cheshire, executive director of Texans for Strong Borders, and Chad Shoemake, former political director of the Texas Republican Party. PATERSON In a case that brought infamy to Paterson on the national political stage, half of the four suspects accused of election fraud in the 2020 City Council races have gotten off the hook. The New Jersey Attorney Generals Office allowed Abu Razyen to enter the pretrial intervention probationary program in September 2022. A month after that, the state dismissed the charges against Shelim Khalique. Officials in Trenton kept that information quiet until this past week, when they acknowledged those outcomes in responding to questions from Paterson Press. The Attorney General's Office wont explain why those charges were set aside, saying Tuesday that it doesnt comment on prosecutorial decisions. Razyen and Khalique were the small fish in the state investigation. They were campaign workers charged with fewer and lesser crimes than the two big-fish, high-profile defendants: current City Council members and recent mayoral candidates Michael Jackson and Alex Mendez. Michael Jackson and Alex Mendez maintain their innocence Paterson councilman Michael Jackson and councilman-elect Alex Mendez. Jackson and Mendez repeatedly have professed their innocence, expressing confidence they will be exonerated when their cases go to trial. But the legal proceedings have been stalled by frequent postponements, and its almost time for the two of them to begin collecting signatures on nominating petitions for their possible runs for reelection next May. On Monday afternoon, a judge is scheduled to decide whether Jackson must give state investigators the passcode for his cellphone, which they seized several months ago in a probe looking into his allegedly tampering with a witness in the election case. Meanwhile, Mendez next month has a court session in which his trial date may be set. Abu Razyen The recent revelations that the Razyen and Khalique election charges have gone away raise questions about what impact those developments will have on the states cases against Jackson and Mendez. Some political insiders are speculating that Razyen and Khalique will cooperate with the Attorney General's Office against Jackson and Mendez something Khalique has told Paterson Press he is not doing. Others say the dismissal of the charges against the small fish may be a sign of weakness in the states case against the two big fish. Shelim Khalique The state announced the charges against the four men in June 2020, just days before Jackson and Mendez were going to take the oath of office. Top-ranking officials issued forceful statements that called the accused criminals even though none of them had been convicted. Todays charges send a clear message: If you try to tamper with an election in New Jersey, we will find you and we will hold you accountable, said Gurbir Grewal, attorney general at the time. We will not allow a small number of criminals to undermine the publics confidence in our democratic process. The press release depicted the case as one big package of Paterson corruption. But none of the hundreds of pages of court documents made public so far makes any mention of any conspiracy, collusion or cooperation among the four men. The criminal charges, probable cause affidavits and indictments all read like four separate cases, with each set of accusations focusing on one defendant without naming anyone else. In a sense, that separateness reflects the nature of the ward elections that were the focus of the probe Jackson won the 1st Ward seat; Khalique and Razyen were campaigning for Shahin Khalique, the accuseds brother who won the 2nd Ward seat; and Mendez prevailed in the 3rd Ward race. After the criminal charges were filed, a judge nullified Mendezs victory, but he ended up winning the seat anyway in a special election five months later. Paterson election fraud case: Why did NJ drop 2020 charges against councilman's brother? Three years later: Paterson's election fraud case drags on and on What are the accusations? Thirty months have gone by since the Attorney General's Office announced the Jackson and Mendez indictments, which came nine months after the original charge. Paterson 1st Ward Councilman Michael Jackson. Both men are accused of violating a state law that prohibits candidates from delivering vote-by-mail ballots and another law banning anyone from delivering more than three mail-in ballots. Jackson also has been charged with allegedly taking a voters mail-in ballot that had not been filled out or sealed and delivering it to the election board sealed. Paterson 3rd Ward Councilman Alex Mendez. Mendez has been charged with submitting registration forms for two people to vote in the 3rd Ward when he allegedly knew they lived elsewhere. The entire May 2020 election was conducted through mail-in ballots because it took place in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The attorney general's press release said the state started the probe after hundreds of Paterson ballots were found mailed together, one batch in a mailbox in Haledon and another in a Paterson mailbox. But none of the criminal charges make any reference to the bundling of ballots found in the two mailboxes. Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ election fraud case: Alex Mendez, Michael Jackson charged Washington Special counsel Jack Smith filed a blistering motion in response to former President Donald Trump 's request that the judge overseeing his federal 2020 election interference criminal case recuse herself. "There is no valid basis, under the relevant law and facts, for the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan, United States District Judge for the District of Columbia, to disqualify herself in this proceeding," Smith wrote in a 20-page filing an hour before a deadline set by Chutkan to respond. Trump's 4 indictments in detail: A quick-look guide to charges, trial dates and key players for each case He said that in seeking Chutkan's recusal, Trump "both takes out of context the Court's words from prior judicial proceedings and misstates the proper legal standards governing judicial recusals." Smith also argued that Trump "cherry-picks" from two of Chutkan's sentencing hearings for two Capitol riot defendants, and in both cases, "the Court was appropriately responding toand ultimately rejecting a common argument raised by scores of January 6 offenders: that they deserved leniency because their actions were inspired by, or were not as serious as, those of others who contributed to the riot but had not been held responsibleincluding former president Donald J. Trump, the defendant in this case." Trump's lawyers asked in a filing Monday that Chutkan remove herself from the case because of previous statements she had made in two separate Capitol riot sentencing hearings. "Judge Chutkan has, in connection with other cases, suggested that President Trump should be prosecuted and imprisoned," Trump's lawyers wrote in their request. "Such statements, made before this case began and without due process, are inherently disqualifying." They highlighted statements she made about the former president, including telling one Capitol riot defendant in October 2022 that the violent attempt to overthrow the government came from "blind loyalty to one person who, by the way, remains free to this day." "The public meaning of this statement is inescapable President Trump is free, but should not be," Trump's attorneys wrote. But in his filing, Smith provided more extensive transcripts of the remarks Judge Chutkan had made in the two Capitol riot sentencing hearings to make the argument that the full transcripts show that she "did not state that [Trump] was legally or morally culpable for the events of January 6 or that he deserved punishment," but rather, that "the Court was engaged in its judicial responsibility to hear, acknowledge, and respond to [the Jan. 6 defendant's] sentencing allocution." Addressing the emphasis placed by Trump's recusal motion on this phrase, "it's a blind loyalty to one person who, by the way, remains free to this day," Smith wrote, "From this simple statement of uncontroverted fact, the defendant purports to draw the 'inescapable' message that the Court believes that defendant Trump should be imprisoned. But the only inescapable thing about the Court's comment is that it stated an uncontested and accurate fact in response to a mitigation argument that the Court had heard many times before." Smith argued Trump has not proven Chutkan made biased claims because he "must show that they display a deep-seated animosity toward him." "The defendant cannot meet this heavy burden," Smith wrote. "Because the defendant cannot point to any statements expressing actual bias, all he can sayand he says it repeatedlyis that the Court's comments 'suggest' some sort of bias or prejudice toward the defendant," Smith added. Ultimately, it is up to Chutkan to decide whether her past statements create the perception of bias. A new judge would be assigned to the case if she recuses. Trump's attorneys could petition an appeals court to require her to recuse, but such efforts are often not successful. Trump will be able to respond to Smith's counter-argument, and his deadline to do so is next week. Fin Gomez and Graham Kates contributed to this report. Extended interview: Ron DeSantis on Trump's legal troubles, issues important to voters and more Biden says striking UAW members should get "record contracts" amid record profits Hunter Biden's possible defense a "contradiction" to dad's gun policies, GOP strategist says People stand near the construction of a canal, on the bank of the Massacre River, a natural border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, photographed from Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into the shared river. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) DAJABON, Dominican Republic (AP) The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about construction of a canal on Haitian soil that taps into a shared river, as armed Dominican soldiers patrolled entry points and military planes roared overhead. Flights were canceled and border towns usually teeming with vendors and Haitians crossing daily to work in the Dominican Republic were subdued. Crowds of people on the Haitian side gathered under the shade of trees as they observed the scene on Friday. Nearby, a white flag fluttered in the breeze under a Haitian flag in a sign of peace. It was unclear how long the rare closure of the borders will last, with Dominican President Luis Abinader saying the measure will remain in place as long as necessary. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the canal project violates a 1929 treaty and must be halted immediately before pursuing any other dialogue. Abinader ordered his administration to buy all perishable goods normally exported to Haiti, including chicken, onions, beans and eggplants. The food will be used for government programs that offer free meals to students and others, according to Joel Santos, minister of the presidency. Producers should know that the government is going to support them in this situation, because the measure taken by the president represents an issue of security and defense of national sovereignty, he said. The diplomatic crisis began earlier this month when workers in Haiti resumed construction of a canal near the Massacre River that runs along the border, to help alleviate a drought that hit Haitis Maribaroux plain. The river is named after a bloody clash between Spanish and French colonizers in the 18th century, and was the site of a mass killing of Haitians by the Dominican army in 1937. Abinader says the canal will divert water and negatively affect Dominican farmers and the surrounding environment, while Haitis government insists that building the canal falls within its sovereign right to decide how to use its natural resources. The closure will represent a significant economic hit for both countries that share the island of Hispaniola, although Haiti is expected to feel it more acutely. Its really a very drastic measure that doesnt make sense economically for either the Dominican Republic or Haiti, said Diego Da Rin with the International Crisis Group. This will clearly have very bad consequences economically in the Dominican Republic, and it will very likely worsen the humanitarian situation mostly in the areas close to the border. Haiti is the Dominican Republics third biggest trading partner, with $1 billion in exports to Haiti last year and $11 million in imports, according to the Dominican Republic's Export and Investment Center. Meanwhile, a study by the Dominican Republics Central Bank found that $430 million in informal border trade was conducted in 2017 between the countries. Of that amount, more than $330 million consisted of exports to Haiti. Officials from the two countries met on Wednesday to discuss the situation, and were still meeting on Thursday when Abinader announced he would close all borders on Friday, prompting the Haitian government to criticize what it called a unilateral decision. Da Rin called Abinader's actions an overreaction and noted that he confirmed last month he is running for re-election, and appeared to be staking out tough stance on migration. Maybe Abinader thinks this is a way to portray himself as a strong nationalist leader who will be the only one ... able to really stop the Haitian invasion as he always calls the growing migration influx. Authorities were still allowing people to cross into Haiti on Friday, although the long lines from Thursday had diminished. Among those debating whether to leave the Dominican Republic was Jhon Alberto, who sells purses and mens clothing in the northern city of Santiago de los Caballeros. My parents are asking me to leave. They dont want me to have a problem here, he said, adding that he was concerned for his safety if he stays. Many Haitians, like Julian Jean, 50, who works at a chicken farm in the Dominican Republic that exports animals to Haiti, questioned why the borders were closed. Over a little canal so we can gather a bit of water? he said. (Its) so we can progress and see if we find a bit of food for the stomach because we are going through a lot of hunger and a lot of work. On Friday, Haiti's Support Group for Returnees and Refugees condemned Abinaders moves, and said the canal work should continue. Closing the border will bring big consequences for Haitian migrants, coordinator Ketia Bronte said. She warned that more people are going to cross the border illegally and that the number of cases of human trafficking and contraband would likely increase. Haiti and the Dominican Republic are two nations whose history is intertwined, she said. Their destiny is linked to living together on an island. Abinader announced this week that he has stopped issuing visas to Haitians and closed the border near the town of Dajabon. He also has pushed to limit the number of Haitians migrating to the Dominican Republic and has expelled tens of thousands of them and those of Haitian descent. Bronte noted that in August alone, some 22,000 Haitians were deported twice the usual monthly number. The Dominican Republic also has started building a 118-mile (190-kilometer) wall along the Haitian border that he announced early last year. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press videographer Pierre-Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed. Dominican Republic closed its shared border with Haiti after the killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Dajabon Dominican Republic closed its shared border with Haiti after the killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Dajabon By Paul Mathiasen SANTO DOMINGO/OUANAMINTHE, Haiti (Reuters) -Hundreds of Haitians returned from the Dominican Republic on Thursday after the Dominican president announced an imminent total border shutdown amid a conflict over the construction of a water channel from a shared river. The border is set to close from Friday at 6 a.m. (1000 GMT) and will last "as long as necessary," Dominican authorities said, with backing from their military and police forces, though talks with the Haitian government are set to continue. Over a thousand people streamed through the border into Haiti at Ouanaminthe, near the canal, as authorities briefly opened the gates on Thursday afternoon for people getting deported or families looking to return. Harold Estimable, director of the national migration office in Ouanaminthe, said some 250 to 300 Haitians had been arriving daily from the Dominican Republic in "very bad shape." United Nations experts warned earlier this week that Haitian women seeking pregnancy and postpartum medical care in the Dominican Republic were reportedly being arrested during check-ups and deported immediately without a chance to appeal. The Caribbean country has tightened border security amid the worsening gang warfare in Haiti - where there are daily reports of kidnappings and sexual violence - deporting tens of thousands who left their country. DRASTIC MEASURES "We have been prepared for weeks, not only for this situation but also for a possible peace force in Haiti," said Dominican President Luis Abinader, adding if the Haitian government could not control the construction, Santo Domingo could. The Dominican Republic, which threatened to shut the border last week, argues construction works off the River Massacre violate a 1929 treaty. Abinader is set to raise the issue on a visit to the United Nations next week. "Unfortunately, they left us no alternative but to take drastic measures," Abinader said, adding the Dominican Republic is planning the construction of two dams that "without the treaty could significantly affect" Haiti. The government said the border closure will include all land, sea and air routes, and that it deployed a further 20 armored vehicles to a military camp on the border. Later on Thursday, Haiti's government said that it has the sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, as does the Dominican Republic, in line with the 1929 treaty. It also said it would take all measures to irrigate the Maribahoux plain. The government said it "will take all necessary measures to protect the interests of the Haitian people." Local airline Sunrise Airways said it was adding a flight between both countries on Thursday afternoon ahead of the closure. The U.S. Embassy, which has called on its citizens to leave Haiti, said on its website that those planning to leave for the Dominican Republic would need to make other arrangements. (Reporting by Paul Mathiasen in Santo Domingo, Octavio Jones in Ouanaminthe, Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Aida Peleaz-Fernandez in Mexico City; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates and Diane Craft) President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader locked down his country's border with Haiti Friday amid an escalating immigration crisis and an emerging dispute over Haiti's plan to build an artificial canal off a major river that separates the two nations. File Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The Dominican Republic on Friday closed its border with Haiti amid an escalating immigration crisis and an emerging dispute over Haiti's plan to build an artificial canal off a major river that separates the island-sharing nations. The country locked down all ports of entry with Haiti, including every access point by land, air and sea, according to a Thursday announcement from President Luis Abinader, who vowed to keep the shutdown in place indefinitely. In response, the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo issued a security alert, warning U.S. citizens that the government would offer no diplomatic assistance to Americans trying to get in the Dominican Republic from Haiti. Immediately after the order, the main airline serving the two countries announced flights were suspended, while Dominican bus services that serve points across the border screeched to a halt. Abinader also sent troops to the border to enforce the closure, while blasting the canal as "nonsensical," saying it was a "totally inadequate construction without any type of engineering" and a "provocation that this government is not going to accept." The move to seal the border comes amid a broad crackdown on Haitian immigration and also as the Dominican Republic was building a wall to stop a flood of illegals who crossed the border in recent months to escape the worsening violence in Haiti. "As you know, the Haitian government has a control problem in its territory," Abinader said. "And if things are uncontrollable there, they will be uncontrollable for the Haitian government, but they will not be uncontrollable for the government of the Dominican Republic." Haiti's plan to build the canal off the Massacre River stoked further tensions as the new channel would draw thousands of gallons of water away from the Dominican Republic in order to irrigate 7,400 acres inside Haiti. The Dominican government said the canal violates a 1929 agreement that prohibits each nation from changing the "natural course" of waterways along the shared border. On Thursday, Haiti's government issued a statement saying Abinader's "unilateral" move to close the border had undermined recent diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute, and as tens of thousands of Haitians have been deported in recent months. "The government of the republic of Haiti will take all measures as of law to protect the interests of the Haitian people," the statement said. The recent upheaval on Hispaniola underscores centuries of strained relations between the two nations, stemming from their fractured history under French colonial rule. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, tensions have steadily intensified, leading to widespread violence throughout Haiti. Dominican lawmakers have voiced increasing concerns over the canal, calling it a potential threat as the Haitian government was susceptible to corruption as it was held in duress by criminal gangs who were vying for control of the country. Former President Donald Trump stands on stage before speaking at a Concerned Women for America Summit at the Capitol Hilton, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Donald Trump is dominating the early stages of the Republican presidential primary even as he's refused to endorse a federal ban on abortion, allowing some top rivals to get to the right of him on an issue that animates many conservative activists. Aiming to return to the White House, the former president often notes how his presidency advanced the cause of abortion opponents. He appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, abolishing the federally guaranteed right to the procedure and fulfilling the decades-long aspirations of anti-abortion activists. But Trump has so far declined to go along with some of his rivals, most notably his onetime vice president, Mike Pence, who is pushing for national bans that would take effect relatively early into a pregnancy. He's warned Republicans against locking themselves into positions that are unpopular with a majority of the public and has argued that the Supreme Court's decision gives abortion opponents the right to negotiate restrictions where they live rather than rely on federal curbs. That tension underscores the new reality the GOP finds itself in more than a year into the post-Roe era. While top Republicans were long able to simply declare themselves opposed to abortion, they must now contend with more complicated questions including when access should be banned and whether uniform standards might apply across the U.S., even in states where support for abortion rights runs deep. Theres a wide variety of opinion. Should there be a national ban? At how many weeks? Should it be entirely left to the states? said Steve Scheffler, president of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and a Republican National Committee member. Some people get it wrong when they think this constituency is in lockstep. The dynamic will be on fresh display in the coming days, at events dominated by social conservatives. Trump joined a crowded slate of candidates speaking Friday in Washington at an event for the Family Research Council and headlined the Concerned Women for America's Leadership Summit dinner. But hes skipping Scheffler's Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition banquet on Saturday in Des Moines, where Pence will be among the candidates who will address evangelical Christians, long an influential bloc in the first-in-the-nation caucus. Polling suggests about two-thirds of Americans believe abortion should generally be legal, and Trump has said in recent years that he supports exceptions to abortion bans when a pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or threatens the life of the mother. But Trump, who said again Friday that the Supreme Court ruling moves the issue back to the states ... where it should be," has repeatedly criticized fellow Republicans for the way they talk about the issue. He argues it could benefit the party politically if candidates learn to speak about it differently by highlighting Democratic positions that are out of the political mainstream. To be honest, Republicans dont know how to discuss the subject, he said at the Concerned Women for America event. We do have to hold on to office, we do have to win. And we can win elections on this issue, but its very delicate and explaining it properly is an extremely important thing. Speaking later Friday at the Family Research Council event, Trump blamed the issue for the GOPs lackluster performance in the 2022 midterm elections. I will say politically, its a very tough, its a very tough decision for some people, but very, very hard on elections. Very, very hard, he said. This was, we had midterms and this was an issue, you know. Indeed, in the aftermath of the high court's abortion decision, Democrats mounted a strong performance in last year's midterms, limiting their House losses and maintaining the Senate majority. Voters in Republican-leaning states from Kansas to Ohio have also rejected GOP-backed efforts to curb abortion. Once a self-described very pro-choice New York businessman, Trump had to do more than most major GOP candidates to win over initially skeptical evangelical Christians during his 2016 presidential run. A political committee supporting one of his rivals ran an ad with footage from a 1999 interview in which he declared, I am pro-choice in every respect. Attempting to bolster his anti-abortion credentials, Trump released a list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court who could be counted on to overturn Roe v. Wade long before actually winning the White House. Trump now calls himself the most pro-life president in U.S. history, pointing to his Supreme Court picks and other actions long sought by the anti-abortion movement. Ironically, Democrats are promoting the same branding. President Joe Biden is making abortion rights central to his reelection campaign and attacks on the former presidents Make America Great Again movement. Led by Donald Trump, whos done more to pave the way for abortion bans than anyone in history, MAGA Republicans are poised to again be rejected by the American people who want women to have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, said Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Bidens reelection campaign, in a statement. Ahead of last years midterm election, meanwhile, Trump warned candidates, including his endorsed choice for Michigan governor, Tudor Dixon, to talk differently about abortion. He urged Dixon to explicitly allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk, but she nonetheless lost handily to Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Mike DeMastus is an evangelical Christian in Des Moines who was part of a private meeting this summer between Trump and a group of pastors and asked Trump about abortion. His response to me was, Ive given you leverage now to make a better deal, recalled DeMastus, who supports some form of a federal ban but isn't ruling out backing Trump even if he doesn't. Many in the Republican primary field have taken a harder line. Pence, whom Trump picked as his No. 2 in part because of his credibility with social conservatives, has declared that every Republican running for president should endorse, at a minimum, a federal abortion ban 15 weeks into pregnancy. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, also making a push to appeal to Iowa evangelical voters, concurs with Pence. He recently criticized fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, who says Republicans should look for bipartisan consensus on abortion since stricter federal bans won't clear Congress. But entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy opposes national bans in favor of state restrictions, and other major candidates have been noncommittal. That includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who often answers questions about a federal ban by saying his state recently passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Trump maintains that even some anti-abortion activists believe the six-week ban before many women even know theyre pregnant is too harsh. The countrys leading anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, wants GOP presidential candidates to advocate for a 15-week federal ban. Its president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said anything less is unacceptable to the pro-life movement. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung noted that Dannenfelser's group has praised Trump's presidency as the most consequential in American history for the pro-life cause." Other activists aren't as firm, however. Kim Lehman, the former president of Iowa Right to Life and also an RNC member, says the issue should be left to the states. We need someone who is going to stand up for life and not just be a mouthpiece, said Lehman, who has not endorsed a GOP primary candidate. But I believe our people are best served when this decision is made from the ground up. Democrats have unified around calls to protect abortion rights, seeing it as an issue of strength in 2024. Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Republicans are trying to seem softer on abortion in an attempt to head off more losses. They know that, if theyre clear about their motivations and their positions, theyll lose. And so theyre trying to confuse the public, Timmaraju said. The challenge is, theyve run for so long as a party embedded and intertwined with the radical, extremist anti-abortion movement that its almost impossible to disentangle themselves now. Marlys Popma, a longtime GOP strategist for statewide and presidential candidates in Iowa, is among those suggesting her party embrace nuance. She described herself as an incrementalist" but acknowledged, Certain people in the movement dont like incrementalism and think "we have to have it all." And if you want anything different than that, she added, "then you are wrong and a bad pro-lifer. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report. By Gram Slattery and James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made their cases to evangelical voters who gathered in Washington for a pair of events on Friday, seeking an edge with a voting bloc likely to play a pivotal role in selecting a 2024 presidential nominee. The pressure was all on DeSantis, who trails Trump in the Republican presidential primary by nearly 40 percentage points in most opinion polls, including among evangelical voters. Both candidates spoke at a pair of national summits convened by the Concerned Women of America and the Family Research Council, evangelical advocacy groups that support laws restricting abortion among other issues. At the Family Research Council event, DeSantis defended allowing churches to remain open in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing cheers from the ballroom crowd. "We protected our religious institutions when so many states were running roughshod over people's rights to practice their faith in full," he said. DeSantis also talked up Florida's law that bans abortion at six weeks, one of the most restrictive in the nation. "We have stood up," he said. Trump also addressed abortion at the council event, saying he supports bans with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother, a position that was received coolly by the crowd. Trump said a more restrictive position on abortion damages Republicans in elections. "They lost a lot of elections, and we can't let that happen," he said. "Many politicians who are pro-life do not know how to properly discuss the topic." Longtime president of the council, Tony Perkins, a prominent evangelical leader, did not endorse Trump during his 2016 campaign and has yet to endorse a candidate this time around. But introducing Trump, he praised him as "a man who fights for what he believes in." Even with Trump's sobering talk on abortion, there was little sign he has lost his grip on social conservatives. He received a thunderous ovation from the crowd. Trump holds a roughly 35 percentage-point lead over DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy among evangelical Christians, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday. Those voters have stood by the twice-divorced Trump even as he rarely invokes scripture or speaks with an evangelical bent, and as he has faced a series of charges involving attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and a scheme to pay "hush money" to a porn star. Many Christian activists credit him for helping to bring an end to nationwide abortion rights by appointing three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, which last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Robert Goss, 77, a retired law-enforcement officer from Locust Dale, Virginia, was awaiting Trump and DeSantis at the council event, saying he was still deciding which candidate to support. Goss said he could be persuaded to vote for Trump again, but "he's got to get past all the legal things. And I just don't want four more years of nothing but fighting and bickering. We want to get something done." Hannah Brusven, 25, a political organizer from Idaho who attended the women's event in Washington, said she was initially interested in DeSantis, but she had turned back to Trump. "I really was thinking DeSantis would be a perfect person because he's young, he's vibrant. He could have been a new JFK," Brusven said, referring to popular Democratic President John F. Kennedy. "But he wasn't." DeSantis' advisers are betting he can eat into Trump's significant polling lead by outperforming among devout Christians, especially those who are affluent and well-educated, according to several people familiar with his strategy. That could be a major factor in the state of Iowa, where white evangelical voters are expected to turn out in large numbers in the first 2024 Republican nominating contest four months away. On Thursday, DeSantis unveiled a "Faith and Family Coalition" of more than 70 faith leaders backing him in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, all early voting states. DeSantis and several other Republican primary contenders are due to speak at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's fall banquet on Saturday in Des Moines, another major gathering of religious conservatives. Trump, who has a rocky relationship with some key political figures in Iowa, will not attend. (Reporting by Gram Slattery and James Oliphant; Additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Howard Goller, Kim Coghill and Tom Hogue) The family of a Farmington man shot dead by police in the doorway of his home in April during what authorities have labeled a tragic accident has filed a lawsuit against the City of Farmington and the three officers involved in the shooting. Attorneys for the family of the shooting victim, Robert Dotson, filed the suit in federal district court on Friday, Sept. 15. It seeks unspecified damages. Dotson was killed shortly before midnight on April 5 by officers responding to a domestic violence call in the neighborhood. The officers mistakenly went to Dotson's home, knocking repeatedly on the door of the residence. The officers turned to leave after several moments when no one responded, but Robert Dotson then answered the door armed with a handgun. Police opened fire on him and shot him dead, maintaining he had pointed his weapon at them. Another exchange of gunfire occurred moments later when Kimberly Dotson, Robert Dotsons wife, picked up the gun he had been holding and began firing at the officers, who fired back at her. That exchange ended when the officers identified themselves as police. No one was injured during that exchange. Flanked by family members, Kimberly Dotson, wife of the late Robert Dotson, talks about her husband's shooting dead at the hands of three Famington police officers during an April 20 press conference in Farmington. The lawsuit describes the shooting of Robert Dotson as unjustified but unintentional. The lawsuit claims the three officers had not identified themselves as police officers by the time they shot and killed him. The suit describes the actions of the officers as extreme and unreasonable, and maintains the City of Farmington failed to properly train and monitor them. Farmington attorney Mark Curnutt, who is representing Kimberly Dotson, was in court Friday morning and was unavailable for comment. More: Farmington police chief acknowledges shooting of homeowner impacted citizen trust Luis Robles, the Albuquerque attorney who is representing the city and the three officers involved in the incident Waylon Wasson, Daniel Estrada and Dylan Goodluck said in an interview with The Daily Times on Friday that the law authorized the officers use deadly force to respond to the situation which Mr. Dotson created by pointing the gun at them. Robles said the complaint filed by the Dotson family contained a good deal of hyperbole and claimed the facts did not support the use of such language. The officers body camera footage and the home surveillance video obtained from the Dotsons doorbell camera supports his contention, and that of the officers, that they felt they were in danger, he said. I can see unequivocally and very clearly what actually happened, he said, explaining his belief that the video shows Robert Dotson pointing his weapon at Wasson and Goodluck. Robles said the video footage shows with incredible clarity the threat Robert Dotson and later Kimberly Dotson posed a threat to the officers. Robles said Friday he had not spoken to the officers that day about the lawsuit. The Dotson family home at 5305 Valley View Ave. in Farmington is pictured on April 6, the day after homeowner Robert Dotson was shot dead in his doorway by Farmington police. The case is being investigated by the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office. The three officers involved in the incident have returned to work with the Farmington Police Department. Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e. This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Family of Robert Dotson targets city of Farmington, officers in lawsuit Drought has descended on another Mississippi Coast crop this season: Christmas trees. The popular Gartmans Christmas Tree Farm in Saucier will close for the rest of the year, its owners announced on Facebook this week. The weather is so extreme, they said, that trees are struggling to grow and the farm must wait a season to give the surviving ones a fighting chance. The closure comes after a cold winter and punishing summer of heat with little rain. Kevin Steele, incoming president of the Southern Christmas Tree Association, would like to set the record straight: Christmas is not canceled. Absolutely not, he said. Everything will be fine. Steele, who owns a Christmas tree farm in Louisiana, said his trees seemed pristine after the Southern Christmas Tree Associations convention in early August. But the summer drought combined with ridiculous heat Ive never seen in my 70 years of being on this earth, he said, added extra stress. The conditions ultimately forced Gartmans to close for the season. Hurricanes and rain soaked the ground over the past few years and forced them to cut down trees. But this summer veered so far in the opposite direction that some farms barely got rain at all. Gartmans hopes to reopen in 2024 and recommended customers buy trees from Holly Berry Hills Christmas Tree Farm in the meantime. Andrew Harris pulls his son, Daniel, in a wagon as the Harris family look for their perfect Christmas tree at Gartmans Tree Farm in Saucier in 2014. In October families were enjoying agritourism in Mississippi in search of pumpkins and in now are heading back looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Tim Isbell/Sun Herald file Holly Berry Hills, also in Saucier. has troubles too. It has rained less than an inch in the past month, said owner Mike Haley, so he started spraying his trees. He trimmed them. He tried everything. But 260 still died. If it dont get better soon were gonna wind up closing, the Harrison County business owner said. Its been really tough. The ground, he added, is so dry that even when it rains the water just runs off. Farms across the Coast have struggled in the summer weather. Coastal Ridge Farm in Hancock County also recently closed through at least September, and most of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties are under extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A popular Christmas tree farm in Louisiana closed last week too, sparking widespread worry among customers that the holiday season might come without enough trees. Steele said every Christmas tree farmer he knows always plants more trees than they sell, so he expects most farms will survive. Yes, he said. Its been a challenge. But its nothing we wont overcome. A man takes photos of a train ready for a trial run along the newly-constructed mega Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) rail line via the China-built Bangladesh's largest Padma Bridge on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sept. 7, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Bangladesh lies at the point where the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia meet. Occupying a narrow geographic space that serves as a drainage basin for the Himalayas, it has long grappled with the challenges of bearing over 800 rivers, which at times have brought catastrophic flooding. Yet despite these challenges, and having endured hardship and poverty, it is a country that has a lot to be optimistic about. Bangladesh is an economic power of the future, which has long established itself as the fastest-growing economy in South Asia and whose GDP per capita has rocketed above that of India and Pakistan. With a population of 160 million people, it is undeniable that Dhaka will establish itself as a very important market in the near future. But with such large-scale economic growth and the geographic challenges the country faces, Bangladesh requires infrastructure like never before in the form of roads, highways, railways, bridges, airports, energy, telecommunications, and more. This requirement has made China, a regional neighbor, a critical partner. In October, the two countries will unveil one of the most significant projects they have ever worked on, the Padma Bridge rail link. The Padma River is one of the largest rivers in Bangladesh, cutting across the country diagonally and spanning over 130 kilometers. Because it slices the country in two, navigating its logistical challenges is critical for Bangladesh's interconnectivity. Construction of the Padma Bridge, which was undertaken by a Chinese firm from 2015 to 2022, is a marvel of contemporary engineering. With 41 sections, the bridge spans 6.15 kilometers and is the longest in the country. Not only that, it is the deepest bridge ever built: a response to the challenges posed by the enormous river. The benefits of the bridge are equally vast. It is expected to boost Bangladesh's GDP by an additional 1.3%, turbocharging the country's economic growth by interconnecting its regions, some of which suffer higher rates of poverty than other areas of the country. Now, 15,000 vehicles cross the bridge every single day. Moreover, the bridge was built using a "double-decker" system to incorporate both road traffic above and rail traffic below. In doing so, the bridge serves as a link for the brand-new Bhanga-Dhaka railway, a 172-km route that connects the two cities and was constructed by the China Railway Group (CREC) and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China. The railway is set to be officially inaugurated next month and will revolutionize transportation, commerce, and logistics throughout the country, in turn allowing Bangladesh to unleash its manufacturing and economic potential. The success of this project is a reminder that China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its associated infrastructure projects are not a "zero-sum" game whereby some countries "win" and others "lose." Rather, it creates win-win benefits that drive forward the interconnectivity, logistical development, and economic horizons of countries throughout the global south. Some countries, on the contrary, see infrastructure development as a geopolitical game about wielding influence over others and seek to create "rival schemes" that do not seek to lift others up but instead bring them down. However, for countries such as Bangladesh and others who need infrastructure, this has never been the case. For them, it is not about "choosing sides" through ideological struggles or bloc confrontation. It is about maximizing national benefits to unleash economic transportation so that Bangladesh can rise from once being an impoverished country to a modern industrial nation a path that reflects China's story, too. In this case, the best way forward for global development is openness, cooperation, and partnership. The Padma Bridge and its accompanying railway subsequently now stands as the greatest single feat of cooperation between the two countries and is a clear message espousing the benefits of the BRI. Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. The Dry Creek Elementary Joint School District has joined a growing list of California school systems that will notify parents if their child is considering a change in gender identification. Following districts in Rocklin, Chino Valley and Sunol, trustees of the Placer County K-8 system voted unanimously Thursday evening to require staff to inform parents when their child requests to be identified as a gender other than the childs biological sex or gender. Such requests will include when a student wants to change their pronouns, go by a different name other than a commonly recognized nickname, or have access to sex-segregated sports or facilities. More than 130 people attended the monthly meeting, which lasted until well after 9pm. Unique to the Dry Creek policy, though, is a provision that appears to be a concession to critics who say such notification policies run the risk of outing trans or gender nonconforming students to unaffirming parents or guardians. Only in the event that a staff member in conjunction with the site administrator determines based on credible evidence that there is substantial jeopardy to the childs safety, the notification may be delayed pending timely investigation prior to notification, the amended Parent Rights And Responsibilities will now read. As a District, we believe communication and honesty between students and families is profoundly important, and we encourage families to speak about sensitive and important matters, the district said in a statement. It was the boards first reading of the measure, so no action was required but the rules allowed for a motion to pass it. Trustee Jason Walkers motion, was seconded by Trustee Jon Fenske. After listening to public comment it was a crowded meeting with supporters on both sides of the issue lining up to speak for their allotted two minutes the board passed it unanimously and without discussion. Jon Fenske, right, who is running for Dry Creek School Board, stands with Marni Weber, 2nd Vice President of the South Placer Republican Womens Federation as he takes to mic to speak at their brunch event Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at the Sierra View Country Club in Roseville. He is running on a GOP-endorsed platform with Jean Pagnone and Jason Walker. Fenske, Walker and Jean Pagnone were all elected in the fall of 2022, where they ran a joint campaign on a parents rights platform. They were just three of many such advocates who ran and won in Northern California after growing frustrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what they saw as the states mishandling of school closures and re-openings. Michele Burnett, a 4th grade teacher whos taught in the district for more than 20 years and raised kids in Roseville, said it was disheartening to hear the anti-teacher sentiment. Burnett is a member of the Dry Creek Teachers Association and spoke out against the policy at Thursdays meeting. Teachers arent here to hide things from parents, she told The Bee after the meeting. I just want to teach. My goal as a teacher is to teach. Reading, math, social studies. I dont have a political agenda in my classroom. It was disheartening to hear so many people stand up and act like we have a political agenda ... the word demon came up multiple times. Its hard to want to wake up and go to work in the morning. Burnett shares concerns with other teachers and union members about the legality of the policy, and the position it puts teachers and school staff in to violate student privacy. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has already filed a lawsuit with Chino Valley for passing their policy, and has threatened to do the same with Rocklin. He issued a statement condemning the Dry Creek board on Friday. Dry Creek Joint Elementary School Districts decision to adopt a forced outing policy poses a serious threat to the emotional, psychological, and physical safety and privacy of transgender and gender-nonconforming students, he said. My office is closely monitoring the decision and will not tolerate districts that target and compromise the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of this vulnerable community. A Duxbury mother accused of murdering her three young children in their familys home before attempting to take her own life earlier this year was indicted Friday by a grand jury, moving her case to superior court, prosecutors said. She killed the kids!: Duxbury mother strangled 3 children with exercise bands, prosecutor says Lindsay Clancy, 32, was indicted on murder and strangulation charges in the deaths of her children on the evening of Jan. 24, 2023, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced Friday. Prosecutors say Clancy used exercise bands to strangle her 5-year-old daughter, Cora, her 3-year-old son, Dawson, and her 8-month-old baby, Callan, inside their Summer Street home before jumping out of a window in an attempt to take her own life. Around 6:11 p.m. that night, Duxbury police received a 911 call for a report of a suspected attempted suicide of a female. Upon arrival, officers and first responders located Clancy, treated her at the scene, and transported her to a local hospital. Shock and pain: Husband of Duxbury mother charged in childrens deaths gives statement Stand by her: In letters, dozens show support for Duxbury mom accused of killing her 3 children Chilling timeline: Lindsay Clancy accused of planning murders of her 3 children, prosecutor says First responders then located Clancys three children in the basement, unconscious and with obvious signs of severe trauma. Cora and Dawson were transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth where they were pronounced dead. Callan was medflighted to Boston Childrens Hospital where he was treated for several days before he passed. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Lindsay Clancy and she was taken into custody. The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death to Cora and Dawson was asphyxia, and the cause of death to Callan was complications of asphyxia. In May, Clancy was ordered to remain committed at Tewksbury State Hospital for at least six additional months. Doctors believe Clancy needs extended mental health care, her attorney, Kevin Reddington, confirmed to Boston 25 News. She was at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital before being transferred to Tewksbury on May 2. Reddington has said his client had postpartum depression and was overmedicated at the time of her childrens deaths. After the alleged murders, Reddington said that his client suffered serious spinal injuries that left her paralyzed. Clancy is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in Plymouth Superior Court at a later date. Shock and pain: Husband of Duxbury mother charged in childrens deaths gives statement Lawyer for Duxbury mother accused of murdering her three children says she was over medicated Arrest Warrant: Duxbury mother charged with strangling kids to death Clancy is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in Plymouth Superior Court at a later date. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The Duxbury mother accused of killing her three children has been indicted on three counts each of murder and strangulation, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said. Lindsay Clancy, 32, is being held without bail at a Tewksbury State Hospital. Duxbury police responded to a 911 call on Jan. 24 that reported that a woman living on Summer Street jumped from a window in a suspected suicide attempt. First responders found Clancy at the scene. Three children were then found in the home's basement, all unconscious and showing signs of severe trauma. Cora and Dawson Clancy, ages 5 and 3, were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess in Plymouth and pronounced dead. Eight-month-old Callan Clancy was flown to Boston Children's Hospital, where he died several days later. The chief medical examiner said the children died from asphyxia. Exercise bands were used to strangle the children, authorities said. Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said in May that Clancy suffers from postpartum depression and was overmedicated at the time. Clancy was rendered a paraplegic after jumping from a window, Reddington said. Clancy was a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. She will be arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court on a date to be determined. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Lindsay Clancy, of Duxbury, indicted on murder charges in kids' deaths Amid a backdrop of extreme weather events and devastating wildfires, federal and international officials this week issued dire warnings about record-setting temperatures and the worsening effects of climate change. Last month was the planet's warmest August on record, and the Northern Hemisphere experienced its hottest meteorological summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday. "Global marine heat waves and a growing El Nino are driving additional warming this year, but as long as emissions continue driving a steady march of background warming, we expect further records to be broken in the years to come," read a statement from NOAA chief scientist Sarah Kapnick. (1 of 5) ITS OFFICIAL: The world just had its hottest August on record. 5th-consecutive month of record-high global ocean surface temps. 4th-consecutive month of record-low Antarctic #SeaIce coverage.https://t.co/4UN86b4C2U@NOAANCEI #StateOfClimate pic.twitter.com/KYNPEH3N3p NOAA (@NOAA) September 14, 2023 The warning comes on the heels of a study published this week in the journal Science Advances, which found that the planet has transgressed 6 out of 9 boundaries for processes deemed critical for maintaining the stability and resilience of the Earth system as a whole. The boundaries include biosphere integrity, freshwater changes and climate change. Two boundaries air pollution and ocean acidification are close to being breached, while only one, atmospheric ozone, has slightly recovered. "Earth is now well outside of the safe operating space for humanity," the study said. According to NOAA researchers, global surface temperatures last month were 2.25 degrees above the 20th century average of 60.1 degrees, surpassing the previous record, from August 2016, by more than half a degree. "That to me is a really huge jump from one record to the next," said Ellen Bartow-Gillies, a physical scientist with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. She noted that graphs of temperature records dating to the 1850s show a steady climb accelerating during the industrial era but that August 2023 was "on a point of its own, essentially." In addition to being the warmest August in NOAA's 174 years of records, the month saw the third-highest temperature anomaly of any month on record, meaning the third-highest from its average. The hot month continued a trend that began weeks earlier, with June and July both setting monthly temperature records. Collectively, June through August a period defined as meteorological summer in the Northern Hemisphere and meteorological winter in the Southern Hemisphere was the warmest on record. During that period, the Northern Hemisphere was 2.59 degrees above average. What's more, the last 10 June through August periods are the 10 warmest such periods on record. The year-to-date global surface temperature January through August ranked as the second warmest on record. Read more: July was the planet's hottest month on record so far The report confirmed what millions of people experienced in recent months, including record-shattering heat waves that touched nearly every corner of the planet. Asia, Africa, North America and South America had their warmest August on record, as did the Arctic. Europe and Oceania a region that includes Australia had their second-warmest August on record, the report said. It wasn't just the land that boiled: August set a record for the highest monthly sea surface temperature anomaly 1.85 degrees above average. The warming oceans contributed to shrinking sea ice, with Antarctica experiencing its fourth consecutive month with the lowest sea ice extent on record. Globally, sea ice extent in August was about 550,000 square miles less than the previous record low, set in August 2019. "We've seen unprecedented warmth in the global ocean, and that's definitely alarming because it has ramifications beyond just the scope of the ocean," Bartow-Gillies said. "Not only are you disturbing marine habitats, but you're affecting storm creation, you're creating more instability in some areas, you're creating flooding events in other areas. There's a whole host of issues that come along with these warmer ocean surface temperatures that we're seeing." Indeed, the report comes amid a series of brutal, globe-spanning natural disasters. This week, a Mediterranean storm caused catastrophic flooding in Libya, killing more than 11,000 people. In Canada, wildfires burned through more than 42 million acres of boreal forests this summer, and several are still burning. On Maui, Hawaii, last month, a fast-moving wildfire killed at least 115 people, with more than 60 still missing. In the U.S. alone, NOAA researchers confirmed 23 weather and climate events that each cost $1 billion or more this year the all-time highest number of billion-dollar disasters on record. Though global warming was not the singular cause of any of these disasters, heating of the Earth continues to increase the likelihood of extreme weather events and wildfire worldwide. "We know that pushing the climate into this state of extreme heat causes a lot of instability across the climate, and causes more inconsistent weather," Bartow-Gillies said. Read more: Climate change-attributed heat touched 81% of the world's population in July, study finds In reviewing the dizzying data through August, officials said there is now a 95% chance that 2023 will rank among the two warmest years on record. "The scientific evidence is overwhelming we will continue to see more climate records and more intense and frequent extreme weather events impacting society and ecosystems, until we stop emitting greenhouse gases," read a statement from Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which also determined that this summer was the hottest on record. Bartow-Gillies said that it's difficult to quantify how much of the recent warming is due to El Nino a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific associated with warmer global temperatures and how much is due to climate change, but that both are playing a part. "These El Nino conditions that we're seeing starting to develop and intensify, combined with the general trend of climate change, have sort of laid the groundwork for this extreme heat that we've seen over the last few months," she said. "It becomes like a positive feedback loop, where everything is encouraging one another to reach peak intensity." According to the latest forecast from the NOAA, El Nino will stick around through at least early 2024. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A former police officer in East Cleveland, Ohio, who robbed a man twice during a yearlong crime spree was sentenced to prison Thursday, court records show. File image by Simaah from Pixabay Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A former police officer in East Cleveland, Ohio, who robbed a man twice during a yearlong crime spree was sentenced to prison Thursday, court records show. Willie Warner Sims, the 32-year-old former officer, and his 35-year-old partner Alfonzo Cole pleaded guilty last month to charges stemming from a string of robberies in which they would pull people over or respond to emergency situations and steal money from them. The crime spree began in July 2020 when Sims responded to the scene of a dispute between a woman and the 52-year-old victim he robbed, prosecutors said in a news release announcing the plea deal last month. Sims allegedly saw a gun in the victim's car and searched the car, seizing $3,850 in cash he found. Prosecutors outlined six other robberies, which happened after either Sims or Cole executed a traffic stop. The officers stole a total of $14,781 and two firearms from six victims. One man was on his way to a funeral home to pay for his mother's services when he was robbed. Sims pleaded guilty to charges including four counts of robbery and one count of theft in office, court records show. Cole was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison. During his sentencing on Thursday, Sims was hit with 12 months in prison at the Lorain Correctional Facility for each of the five counts. All but two of the counts were ordered to run concurrently, meaning Sims will spend two years in prison. Both men were each fined $40,000, or $10,000 for each of four of the victims, court records show. The men were jointly ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to victim Martez Brown. Sims was additionally ordered to pay $2,000 to victim Jonathan Whitlow -- whom he robbed twice -- as well as $3,850 to victim Steven Nagy. "Cuyahoga sheriff is ordered to keep defendant, a former police officer, safe in custody and segregate him from other prisoners whether it be in isolation or what is classified as a safe range, until he is transferred to ODRC custody," Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Timothy McGinty ruled. "[The sheriff's office] is further ordered when it delivers this defendant to prison to deliver this court's order to ODRC and control that this defendant, Willie Sims, is to be imprisoned for his sentence in an environment that protects a former police officer felon." Whitlow told McGinty on Thursday that he did not want Sims to go to prison because he wanted the former officer to pay him back his money, Cleveland.com reported. "How is he going to pay me making 3 cents an hour?" Whitlow asked. McGinty told Whitlow that his fears he would not see his money were warranted. The officers have forfeited their state police officer licenses and their arrests are connected to a wider investigation into corruption on the police force. "The one person that the public should be able to have confidence in ... would be your emergency services, your police officers, your firefighters, your EMTs," said another judge, Michael Russo, according to NBC News. "You've shaken the confidence of the public in the criminal justice system and the trust they put in police officers." Listening to the creator of a relatively new standardized college admissions test tell it, hes all about education rooted in truth, goodness, and beauty. And by that, he apparently means white, male and Christian. Of course, thats not the spin the State University System Board of Governors put on it last week, when they voted to add the Classics Learning Test to the ACT and SAT as a valid tool for students seeking admission to one of Floridas 12 universities. That makes Florida the first state in the nation to adopt the test system-wide. Instead, they nearly knocked themselves out with self-congratulation, bragging in the official press release that they are standing up to controversy and critics. In this case, the controversy was largely self-manufactured. None of the authors that the Classics Learning Test includes in its pantheon of approved texts are banned or restricted from study in Floridas institutions of higher education (though a few of them, including William Shakespeare and Benjamin Franklin, have written passages that have, or could, offend the delicate sensibilities of the book-banning cartel led by the ironically named Moms for Liberty). Better prepared for learning? Heres what the backers of this latest move arent saying: Theres been almost no research that ties scores on the CLT to academic performance or graduation rates for college students. In fact, this test seems designed to swaddle home-schooled students and graduates of private, religious schools from the proper goals of a modern, expansive education, including the ability to evaluate competing points of view or understand cultures that arent based in Judeo-Christian, historically male viewpoints. That makes it scary. Because the aim of the Board of Governors appears to be to change the university system to match the philosophy of this test, rather than choosing an instrument that reflects the proper goals of modern higher education. Floridians have already seen that in action in the wreckage of the New College, one of the states quirkiest, most free-wheeling campuses. Many of its faculty have been sent packing, as Gov. Ron DeSantis carried out his stated intention of remaking it in the mold of ultra-conservative, religious bastion Hillsdale College. But the damage isnt limited to one campus; DeSantis and the Board of Governors have created an atmosphere that threatens the independence of faculty at all state university and college campuses, as well as efforts to boost diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. Glaring absences Thats certainly reflected in the list of authors the CLT draws upon for the reading comprehension portion of its test. Among those who are notably excluded: Nigerian Chinua Achebe, whose novel Things Fall Apart is considered a seminal work of African culture; 11th century noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote The Tale of Genji, a thousand-year bulwark of Asian literature, or Khaled Hosseini, whose 2003 novel The Kite Runner effortlessly gained acclaim as a modern classic. Instead, the test promotes writers like St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Carmelite nun. In a passage from a sample test, students are asked to study Avilas screed on the dignity of true poverty. As you have given up revenues, give up also all care about food otherwise all is lost, she writes. Author John Green has words for those trying to ban his book in his hometown | Commentary Think about that one for a minute in a state where the governor has rejected aid that would keep more Floridians on food stamps. How is this less offensive or political than the SATs inclusion of passages from modern politicians such as a defense of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act written by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY? (That portion of the SAT has since been dropped.) Whose status quo? As with many of DeSantis initiatives, the adoption of this new test represents a non-solution to a non-existent problem. CLT founder Jeremy Tate told the Chronicle of Higher Education last year, his test aligns with the vision of education in Florida because it uses works of Western philosophy and history that are essential to know if students are going to act as informed citizens in our constitutional republic. Thats the scariest point of all. This test, and the misleading claim that the so-called classics focus aims to pursue, doesnt expand Floridian students exposure to modern thought. It narrows their vision to a worldview that allocates power based on faith, money and skin color. It prepares them to believe its OK for the governor to spend taxpayer dollars on anti-immigrant patrols in Texas (or shoot a few people) or for the Legislature to pass a law making property ownership more hazardous for Asian Americans. Some might claim that these hazards are overstated. But we cant help but see a trend one thats more about ugly political reality than classical beauty. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com Nevada is the latest state where advocates are pushing to enshrine abortion access and other reproductive rights in the state constitution, taking a cue from other states that have successfully codified those rights after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year. Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom a coalition made up of Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada, NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada submitted a petition with Nevadas secretary of states office on Thursday seeking to ask voters to preserve those protections with a constitutional amendment. If the group collects at least 103,000 valid signatures from registered voters by next June 26, the question will appear on the ballot in November 2024. If a simple majority supports an amendment, voters will be asked in 2026 to give it a second approval, per Nevadas rules for changes to its state constitution. The fallout of the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade has shown us that we have already suffered one year too long without the guaranteed right to reproductive freedom, and we simply cannot afford to stand by and allow any further encroachment on the fundamental right of Nevadans to determine their own reproductive lives and care, Lindsey Harmon, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada, said in a statement. People in Reno, Nevada, protest the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. People in Reno, Nevada, protest the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. The amendment would ensure that Nevadans have the right to make decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, according to a copy of the text obtained by HuffPost. That includes, but is not limited to, prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, vasectomy, tubal ligation, abortion, abortion care, management of a miscarriage and infertility care. The amendment would allow the state to regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability, which typically begins at around the 24th week of gestation, so long as the pregnancy doesnt threaten the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual. The effort in Nevada comes as pro-natalist Republicans, galvanized by the Supreme Courts decision that states can set their own restrictions on abortion, have set their sights on an all-out, nationwide abortion ban even though laws that extreme remain very unpopular with voters, polls show. When the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion care, it permanently altered the landscape for access across the country, Caroline Mello Roberson, director of state campaigns for NARAL Pro-Choice America, said in a statement. Now, state-level protections like those we have in Nevada are being tested like never before. Anti-abortion extremists are more determined than ever to end abortion access, and we cannot and will not allow their dangerous vision for Nevada to become a reality. Nevada, where polls show roughly 7 out of 10 voters identify as pro-choice, currently has a state law protecting abortion, but a constitutional amendment would make that right more secure. Nevada is among the states that have seen a sharp increase in abortion patients since the fall of Roe, as people from states that have cracked down on the procedure migrate around the country for care. Several other states have passed similar constitutional amendments during recent elections, including California, Michigan and Vermont. Anti-abortion efforts in deep red states have proven unpopular in the past year as well, with Kentucky voters rejecting an effort to codify in the state constitution that the state does not protect the right to abortion or require funding for abortion care. Kansas voters also overwhelmingly chose to keep abortion protections in their state constitution. Ohioans will vote on a similar constitutional amendment later this year, and an effort to place a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on the ballot in Florida is underway as well. Related... Elon Musk the Tesla co-founder and SpaceX chief technology officer; owner, chairman and CTO of X, the company formerly known as Twitter, and worlds richest person has long been a powerful figure on the global stage. But revelations in a newly published biography of the outspoken entrepreneur suggest that Musk may have amassed too much power, especially when it comes to Russias war in Ukraine. Satellite communications According to Walter Issacson's book, Elon Musk , the mercurial tech mogul refused to allow Ukraine to use SpaceXs Starlink satellite communications to launch a surprise drone submarine attack on Russian forces in Crimea last September. Musk refused over concerns that Russia would launch a nuclear attack in response, telling Isaacson that he was trying to avoid a mini-Pearl Harbor. He believed it was reckless for Ukraine to launch an attack on Crimea, which Russia had annexed in 2014, Isaacson wrote. He had just spoken to the Russian ambassador to the United States [who] had explicitly told him that a Ukrainian attack on Crimea would lead to a nuclear response. So Musk decided not to enable Starlink coverage of the Crimean coast, Isaacson continued. When the Ukrainian military learned that Starlink would not allow a successful attack, Musk got frantic calls and texts asking him to turn the coverage on. Elon Musk departs from a closed-door meeting with lawmakers and tech CEO on artificial intelligence in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines deputy prime minister, begged Musk to reconsider. We made the sea drones ourselves, they can destroy any cruiser or submarine, he texted using an encrypted app. I did not share this information with anyone. I just want you the person who is changing the world through technology to know this. According to Isaacson, Musk was soon on the phone with Jake Sullivan, President Bidens national security adviser, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other high-ranking administration officials to address their concerns about his decision. Whether intended or not, he had become a power broker U.S. officials couldnt ignore, CNN noted this week. Read more on Yahoo News: How am I in this war?: New Musk biography offers fresh details about the billionaires Ukraine dilemma , via CNN There was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol. The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor, Musk explained in a post on X last week . If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation. The decision drew praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called Musk an outstanding person at an economic forum in eastern Russia earlier this week. "He is undoubtedly an outstanding person, Putin said, according to a Reuters translation of his remarks . This must be recognized, and I think it is recognized all over the world." Senate launches probe Elon Musk laughs while speaking to reporters after attending a closed-door meeting with lawmakers and fellow tech CEOs on artificial intelligence in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) The episode has drawn the attention of Congress, which has launched an investigation into Musks actions in Ukraine. Bloomberg reported that the Senate Armed Services committee is looking into national security issues raised by Musks decision not to extend the private Starlink satellite network to aid a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships. Read more on Yahoo News: Musks denial of Ukraines Starlink request prompts Senate probe , via Bloomberg Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the committees chairman, said in a statement Thursday that the reports on the use of Starlink exposed serious national-security liability issues given the outsized role Mr. Musk and his company have taken. Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to U.S. national security, Reed added. Musk to meet with Netanyahu Elon Musk poses prior to his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on May 15. (Michel Euler/AP) The tech billionaires influence on world affairs does not appear to be waning. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Musk during a trip to the United States next week, Netanyahu's office said Thursday. Their meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, will reportedly include discussions about artificial intelligence. Read more on Yahoo News: Israel's Netanyahu is to meet Elon Musk. Their sit-down comes as X faces antisemitism controversy , via AP It comes at a time when Musk is facing accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on his social media platform X, the Associated Press noted . The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish civil-rights organization, has accused Musk of allowing antisemitism and hate speech to spread on X. Its director, Jonathan Greenblatt, said Musk had amplified the messages of neo-Nazis and white supremacists who want to ban the league by engaging with them recently on X. Though solar energy is more popular than ever, it can be tricky to find open space for solar panels. In a new paper, engineering professors at the Australian National University present a creative solution: Instead of building solar panels on land, they suggest placing floating solar panels in calm equatorial waters. The researchers noted that waters surrounding Indonesia and equatorial west Africa rarely see waves higher than 20 feet or experience winds stronger than 50 feet per second (about 34 miles per hour). Because these waters are relatively calm, floating solar panels in these areas wouldnt require costly defenses against storms, Electrek reported. If implemented, the authors calculate floating solar panels in equatorial waters could generate up to 1 million terawatt-hours per year. For reference, thats about five times more annual energy than is needed for a fully decarbonized global economy supporting 10 billion affluent people, the researchers wrote for The Conversation. In the waters surrounding Indonesia alone, there are about 140,000 square kilometers [about 54,054 square miles] of seascape that has not experienced waves larger than 4 meters [about 13 feet] nor winds stronger than 10 meters per second [about 22 miles per hour] in the past 40 years, the team said. The proposal requires a number of considerations. As global temperatures rise, wind and wave patterns are changing, possibly eventually disrupting the calm waters at the equator. Developers would also have to be mindful of nearby marine life. Solar panels for land-based installation are made mostly of silicon and aluminum, but since aluminum would break down quickly in the marine environment, there would have to be specialized panels designed to operate there, one person pointed out in the comment section of an Electrek article. We wouldnt want these panels to become ocean pollution like fishing/aquaculture debris. Nonetheless, if even a fraction of the waters identified by the paper are used for solar energy, it could generate an incredible amount of sustainable electricity. Every reservoir in the world should have floating solar to do two things produce power and reduce evaporation which will be sorely needed as temperatures continue to rise, another commenter said. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet. As we celebrate the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, a compelling vision of collaborative prosperity is emerging. This vision represents more than a diplomatic handshake; it signifies a new era of innovation diplomacy, and a willingness to share ideas, technologies, and solutions across borders. It paves the way for mutual advancement and it opens the door for other countries in the region to participate as well, both above and below the radar. Imagine living in a region where technological innovation was an integral part of our diplomatic exchange, where each nation contributes its own unique strength to our shared endeavors. This isn't just about exchanging technology; it's about building regional ecosystems and fostering knowledge economies. In this integrated region, shared technological resources can drive progress toward essential climate goals, such as sustainable agriculture and water management. The innovative ecosystem startups, investors, academia, mature companies and governments all have a crucial role to play. President Donald Trump, center, with from left, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Washington. Agricultural and environmental cooperation is a concrete example of how sharing knowledge resources can make a difference. Water scarcity is a pressing concern in the Middle East, but collaborative technology can change that narrative. For example, advanced desalination techniques developed in one country can be adapted and applied in another, while imported energy solutions can power these same desalinization facilities. Or, data analytics for optimizing crop yields can be shared to tackle food security issues collectively. This value is not limited to businesses and governments; utilizing local assets and leveraging unique competitive advantages holds the potential to create real impact and opportunity for the people of the region. This collaborative approach is increasingly seen in big deals between Israeli startups and organizations across the region. SupPlant, an Israeli ag-tech startup with sensor technology helping farmers adapt to climate change and maximize yields, recently partnered with the UAE's Mawarid Holding Investment for a water-saving irrigation project targeting date trees. The initiative reduces water usage by at least 20% in the first year while improving the quality of the dates produced. Embracing humility in leadership: A timeless lesson from Rosh Hashanah Another deal propelling regional collaboration is between SolarEdge Technologies, an Israel-based renewable energy company, and Saudi business group Ajlan & Bros Holding, boosting solar power adoption in Saudi Arabia. The joint venture, based in Riyadh, supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy away from oil and follows a preliminary cooperation agreement signed last year during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia. With the current lack of formal diplomatic relations between these nations, the partnership is significant in the broader context of Middle East collaboration. However, it's essential to acknowledge that there are challenges that must be navigated to realize this vision fully. Time frames for project execution may differ between nations, and expectations around these may need to be aligned. Nevertheless, these are manageable challenges, and the private sector's potential to fill the gap where government efforts lag is especially potent in meeting ambitious climate goals. In the past two years, at events initiated by Start-Up Nation Central, Israeli companies in ag-tech, water, logistics, fintech, and more, met, engaged, and formed partnerships with counterparts in the UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain. In a couple of months, Israeli climate tech entrepreneurs and innovators will attend COP28 in Dubai to do the same with Emirati colleagues, among other countries. This business engagement is accompanied by partnerships on an infrastructure level. Knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices in innovation ecosystem building have been taking place in a structured and intentional way to enable the growth of an innovation ecosystem on a regional scale. Representatives from different government agencies participated in workshops held during Connect2Innovate events in Manama and Casablanca, addressing needs and policies that enable the development of a thriving tech industry. Follow-on delegations met to discuss technology transfer, funding programs, and innovation platforms. The vision of collaborative prosperity is already transforming the Middle East. As the normalization ties forged three years ago mature into collaborative relationships, the exchange of insights, technologies and expertise can contribute to a more stable and prosperous region than any one nation can achieve alone. Innovation diplomacy and shared technological resources aren't just feel-good phrases; they are foundational strategies that can enable the region to meet sustainability and climate objectives. Avi Hasson is the CEO of Start-Up Nation Central, a Tel Aviv-based non-profit organization that promotes Israeli innovation around the world. Hasson previously served as Israels chief scientist and the founding chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and as an investor in many Israeli technology companies. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A new era of collaborative prosperity for the Middle East You are here: World Flash President-elect Tharman Shanmugaratnam (C) attends the presidential inauguration ceremony at Istana, the country's presidential palace, in Singapore, on Sept. 14, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Tharman Shanmugaratnam took the oath as Singapore's ninth president at Istana, the country's presidential palace, Thursday evening. In the inauguration speech, Tharman said he was honored and humbled to have been elected and will discharge his duties diligently and faithfully. The president also stressed building a more inclusive society and deepening Singapore's partnerships with the international community. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Tharman on winning the presidential election and pledged the full support of the government to the president. Tharman was elected the president after garnering 70.4 percent of the total votes. He used to be the senior minister and deputy prime minister of the city-state. WASHINGTON (Nexstar) Tens of thousands of childcare centers around the country could be forced to shut down in the coming months because the federal funding they rely on is about to run out. Over the past few years, a large part of the childcare sector was sustained by $39 billion in emergency pandemic funding. Without renewed funding, an estimated 70,000 childcare programs could shut down, leaving many American families to face difficult choices. Millions of children will likely lose their childcare slots, said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.). States used this critical funding to reduce cost for families and improve pay for providers, added Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). The consequences would also impact those who can still find and afford childcare by making it more expensive. Thats why Democrats are now pushing the Childcare Stabilization Act, which would provide $16 billion a year in funding for childcare for the next five years. This is must-pass funding. We must prevent our country from going over the childcare fiscal cliff, Clark said. Democrats say the funding is essential for families and the U.S. economy because if parents dont have child care, they cant work, which would impact women disproportionately. But passing the funding will be an uphill fight because the legislation doesnt have much Republican support. We have limited resources, so whats the most important things we can do and how do we make sure the money goes to the people that need it? said Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Estonian defence intelligence noted the successful actions of Ukrainian forces in temporarily occupied Crimea, as well as progress in other areas of the front, in a summary on Friday. Source: European Pravda, citing ERR. Details: The report mentions, among other things, Ukraine's latest combined attack on Sevastopol, which destroyed a large project 775 Minsk landing ship and a diesel-electric submarine of the Varshavyanka class. Estonian intelligence indicates that the strike achieved a military goal and somewhat diverted the attention of the Russian media from the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Far East Economic Forum and his meeting with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. Quote: "It is noteworthy that by asymmetric actions, Ukraine managed to deprive Russia of its sovereignty at sea along almost the entire western coast of Crimea and push the Russians into the eastern waters of the Black Sea," the intelligence said. Estonian defence forces suggest that after the latest attack, the Russians are likely to relocate ships from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, further reducing the city's role in occupied Crimea in providing naval operations. As for the situation at the front, Ukraine continues to systematically clear the fortified positions of the Russians on the Orikhiv front in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, near the recently liberated Robotyne. At the same time, there is a sceptical assessment of the possibility of a breakthrough by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Tokmak and the cutting of the Russian land corridor to Crimea. In other parts of the front, the situation has hardly changed: the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued combat operations on the Bakhmut front, while the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation attacked on the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line and struck on the Lyman front. Background: Last week, Estonian intelligence indicated that the further success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine depends on how quickly they can raise additional reserves and forces. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! FILE - A tractor collects straw on a field in a private farm in Zhurivka, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. The European Union faces a Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, deadline to decide whether to extend a ban on Ukrainian food from five nearby countries that have complained the influx has hurt their farmers. But they still allow grain and other products to head to parts of the world in need. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) The European Union on Friday decided not to renew a ban on Ukrainian food heading to nearby countries that have complained that an influx of agricultural products from the war-torn nation has hurt their farmers. The move sets up a clash with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, which have said that food coming from Ukraine has become stuck within their borders, creating a glut that has driven down prices for local farmers and hurt their livelihoods. The issue threatens European unity on supporting Ukraine against Russias invasion. Polands prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki , reacted by saying that his government will extend its own the ban on Ukrainian grain, regardless of any lack of consent from the European Commission, the EUs executive arm. Officials said the measure would be published Friday. We will do that because it is in the interest of Polish farmers, Morawiecki said during a campaign rally ahead of Oct. 15 parliamentary elections in which the governing Law and Justice party is trying to attract farmers votes. Hungary announted that it will not only extend its ban on grain imports from Ukraine but unilaterely restrict the import of 24 other Ukrainian agricultural products as of midnight Friday, among them rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, vegetable oil, honey, certain meats and eggs. We are defending the interests of farmers, so now that Brussels has decided to no longer maintain the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, our country will do so under national competence and even extend it to a wider range of products, said Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy. Slovakian Prime Minister Ludovit Odor said in a statement that his government decided to extend the ban on grain imports from Ukraine till the end of the year. We have to prevent the Slovak market from the excessive pressure and be fair to local farmers, Odor said. The European Commission said that the market distortions created by Ukrainian grain have disappeared. Ukraine has agreed to put measures in place starting Saturday to control the export of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds to neighboring EU countries. It also will introduce proposals for example, an export licensing system within 30 days to avoid grain surges, the EU said. In a turnaround, Bulgaria lawmakers on Thursday approved resuming imports of Ukrainian food products. Finance Minister Asen Vassilev says the ban has deprived the government of tax revenue and led to higher food prices. Ukraine praised Bulgarias decision and had pressed for an end to the ban, saying any further restrictions would have a clear destabilizing effect on the global food market, Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Grain and other Ukrainian food had been allowed to pass through the five European countries on the way to parts of the world in need. In July, Russia pulled out of a U.N.-brokered deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain safely through the Black Sea. Routes through neighboring countries have become the primary way for Ukraine a major global supplier of wheat, barley, corn and vegetable oil to export its commodities to parts of the world struggling with hunger. Recent attacks on Ukraines Danube River ports have raised concerns about a route that has carried millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to Romanias Black Sea ports every month. That has meant road and rail routes through Europe have grown increasingly important. While facing blowback from neighbors, they arent ideal for agriculture-dependent Ukraine either, whose growers face higher transportation costs and lower capacity. After the countries passed unilateral bans earlier this year, the EU reached a deal allowing them to prohibit Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from entering their markets but still pass through their borders for export elsewhere. The EU also provided an additional 100 million euros ($113 million) in special aid on top of an initial support package of 56.3 million euros ($60.2 million) to help farmers in the affected countries. (Corrects Sept. 15 story to say Enhertu showed objective response rate of 49%, not reduced tumour by 49%, in paragraph 2) (Reuters) - (This Sept. 15 story has been corrected to say Enhertu showed objective response rate of 49%, not reduced tumour by 49%, in paragraph 2) AstraZeneca said on Friday its and Daiichi Sankyo's cancer drug Enhertu was recommended by the European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee as a monotherapy to treat patients with a type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The recommendation is based on the mid-stage data where Enhertu showed a confirmed objective response rate of 49% and a median duration of response of 16.8 months in patients previously treated for lung cancer. The drug is already approved in the European Union as a treatment for patients with an advanced form of breast cancer. Recommendations made by the human medicines committee will have to be formally approved by the European Commission. (Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Shweta Agarwal) FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows trees as the sun rises at the Amazon rainforest in Manaus By Belen Carreno SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday threw its weight behind a plan to protect the Amazon rainforest, pledging to coordinate financial contributions from EU members and making sure the money was spent as intended under its Global Gateway investment scheme. Team Europe, which includes EU members states and institutions such as the European Investment Bank, will coordinate 260 million euros ($277 million) already pledged by Spain, Italy, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands to curb deforestation in the Amazon. On top of that, the EU will add an undisclosed amount to protect the forest from logging from the EU's Global Gateway scheme of investment in Latin America, where Amazon rainforest protection is one of the flagship projects. Under the Global Gateway project, the EU pledged in July to invest 45 billion euros in Latin America by 2027 and the scheme will be discussed in more detail on Friday among EU and Latin American finance ministers in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The ministers are looking to ensure the money is delivered and spent as intended, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations said, asking not to be named. In the past, the Commission has been criticised for pledging large amounts of investment to developing regions without any mechanisms to verify that the money was actually disbursed. Now the Commission will take the lead in coordinating the flow of cash, integrating individual country donations into a donor platform launched by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on Friday on the sidelines of the ministers' meting. More than half of global destruction of old-growth tropical rainforests has taken place in the Amazon and bordering forests since 2002. Rainforests, in particular the Amazon, absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide and are key in shaping the Earth's climate, making them vital to prevent climate change. ($1 = 0.9377 euros) (Reporting by Belen Carreno at Santiago de Compostela; Editing by Jan Strupczewski and Mark Potter) SARAJEVO (Reuters) - As a group of would-be protesters grows, shouting and blowing their whistles at the EU force's camp in Sarajevo, a military aircraft flies low and helicopters take off, all as part of a EUFOR exercise echoing the current political crisis in Bosnia. The protesters carry placards and shout "We don't want Bosnia", reminiscent of chants heard in recent demonstrations by Bosnian Serbs against the indictment of their separatist leader Milorad Dodik , when they also waved flags featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin . During the EUFOR regular annual drill dubbed "Quick Response 2023", the number of troops was temporarily raised from about 1,100 to 1,300 to test the force's ability to rapidly activate and integrate the reserve troops stationed in its 22 member countries. "This is of particular importance at the moment due to the unpredictability of changing scenarios requiring the ability to adapt our forces ... especially in these recently volatile times," said EUFOR Commander Helmut Habermayer. Habermayer however cautioned that "military force is always the last resort". Ethnic tensions still run high in the Balkan country 28 years after the end of its 1992-95 war in which about 100,000 died and millions were displaced from their homes. Dodik, a pro-Russian nationalist, has long sought to separate the Serb-dominated part of Bosnia from the rest of it. EUFOR replaced NATO troops in Bosnia in 2004 with a mandate to stabilise the ethnically divided country. Last year, days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the EU decided to almost double the size of its peacekeeping force from 600 troops by sending in reserves to ward off any potential instability. NATO and senior EU officials have warned that instability from the war in Ukraine could spread to the Western Balkans. (Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Hugh Lawson) The European Commission said it has not extended the import ban on Ukrainian grain products in five EU countries beyond Sept. 15. Shortly after the announcement, the Polish government's spokesman cited Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki saying that Poland would extend the restrictions unilaterally, as Warsaw warned before. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria requested the European Commission to ban the domestic sale of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed in these countries. The measure, instituted in May, did not restrict the transit of Ukrainian produce through the territories of the said states. The five countries were reacting to the pressure from their farmers, who feared that cheaper Ukrainian imports would threaten domestic production. The influx of grain from Ukraine also created logistical bottlenecks. In their Sept. 15 press release, the Commission said it had analyzed the data on the impact of exports of the four categories of Ukrainian agricultural products on the EU market, concluding that market distortions in the five member states bordering Ukraine "have disappeared." Read also: Ukraine says continuation of EU ban on grain imports unacceptable At the same time, Ukraine agreed to introduce legal measures (such as an export licensing system) within 30 days to avoid grain surges, the Commission wrote. Until then, Ukraine must implement effective export control measures to "prevent any market distortions in neighboring member states." Kyiv must submit the Action Plan no later than Sept. 18. "The European Commission will refrain from imposing any restrictions as long as the effective measures by Ukraine are in place and fully working." President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the EU's decision, thanking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for "keeping her word and following the rules of the free market." "This is an example of true unity and trust between Ukraine and the EU. Europe always wins when the rules work and the agreements are enforced," Zelensky said on Telegram after a phone call with von der Leyen. "It is important that European unity works on the bilateral level as well. That the neighbors would support Ukraine during the war. And if their decisions violate EU law, Ukraine will respond in a civilized way." Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. EVANSVILLE A jury found an Evansville man guilty of having sold heroin and fentanyl responsible for causing the overdose of a Kentucky woman, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. A grand jury indicted 31-year-old Johntavis Matlock on multiple charges, including distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, in June 2021. His arrest came after 28-year-old Jennifer Wiley, of Henderson County, Kentucky, suffered two overdoses between Dec. 2020 and February 2021. Wiley's second overdose proved fatal. An analysis of banking and cellphone records would later show that Matlock sold drugs to Wiley on numerous occasions, including hours before she died. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana, a jury found Matlock guilty of distributing heroin and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. Jurors did not find Matlock guilty of causing Wiley's death, though he will still face a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. Matlock also was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a controlled substance. In a criminal complaint, investigators cited extensive text message logs and CashApp transactions detailing Matlock's communications with Wiley. The messages show Matlock discussing a drug transaction with Wiley just hours before she suffered a non-fatal overdose on Dec. 11, 2020. "Can you get me a half?" Wiley asked Matlock at 4:48 p.m., referring to what a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency special agent concluded was either heroin or fentanyl. About two hours later, Matlock instructed Wiley to meet him outside a residence in Evansville. Investigators determined she purchased either heroin or fentanyl from Matlock shortly thereafter. At 10:27 p.m., Wiley sent Matlock the following message, according to prosecutors: "I overdosed and died, had an ambulance called and everything, be careful with that s--t." Matlock replied three minutes later, writing, "Damn Lins please don't overdo it. I don't wanna (sic) have that on my conscience. I've lost too many people to this stuff. Wtf wer you thinkin (sic)." In additional messages, both Matlock and Wiley appear to say that they will stop using opioids but according to prosecutors, Matlock continued to sell Wiley narcotics until her death on Feb. 28, 2021. A medical examiner confirmed Wiley had suffered a fatal overdose caused by a mix of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and carfentanil. For his conviction on charges of dealing in a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and gun and drug possession charges Matlock could serve between 20 years and life in prison, according to federal court records. Judge Matthew P. Brookman will sentence Matlock at a yet-to-be-determined date. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, described Wiley's death as "tragic" after a jury handed down Matlock's verdict. "The defendant continued to seek profits pushing these poisons with utter disregard for human life even after Ms. Wiley had already overdosed once," Myers said. "Substance use disorder is a devastating disease that international drug cartels and local dealers greedily exploit. Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors, the DEA, EPD, ISP, and local Sheriffs Offices, no more families will lose a loved one because of this defendant while he is serving his sentence in federal prison." Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville man found guilty of causing Kentucky woman's overdose CHICAGO Two former child welfare workers declined to testify Friday in their trial on charges they failed to protect 5-year-old A.J. Freund before his death at the hands of his mother in Crystal Lake in 2019. Carlos Acosta, a former investigator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and his supervisor, Andrew Polovin, both declined to tell their side of the story, as is their right. Each man is charged with endangering the life or health of a child and reckless conduct. Prosecutors rested their case Thursday. AJ died in McHenry County, so the case is being heard there, but judges there recused themselves, so Lake County Judge George Strickland is handling the case. In December 2018, police took the boy and his 3-year-old brother into protective custody after finding the house in disrepair with urine and feces on the floor, and a large bruise on AJs hip and other marks on his face. The boy told a doctor, Maybe someone hit me with a belt, and Maybe Mommy didnt mean to hurt me. AJs mother, JoAnn Cunningham, had a history of heroin addiction and calls of domestic violence to her home, which are known risks for child abuse. But Acosta, consulting with Polovin, released the boys to their parents, and closed the case two weeks later as unfounded. Four months later, AJ was found beaten to death by Cunningham. She and the boys father, Andrew Freund Sr., are in prison. AJs brother is living with a relative. Defense attorneys argued that DCFS workers were overworked and understaffed, with caseloads that exceeded a court order. The threat to AJ, they said, only became evident in hindsight. After a scheduling conference next week, attorneys likely will give closing arguments in the bench trial in early October. If convicted of a Class 3 felony, which would require showing the defendants actions were a proximate cause of AJs death, the defendants could face two to 10 years in prison. If convicted of misdemeanors, they could get probation. ____ Flash People hold placards during an anti-sanction protest in Harare, Zimbabwe, Oct. 25, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for the lifting of illegal unilateral sanctions so as to improve international humanitarian work. It is worth noting that illegal unilateral sanctions severely affect the ability of the public sector of the countries concerned to provide basic services such as education and food supply, and interfere with the private sector's regular activities in trade, investment, and business operation, and as such have become the biggest obstacle to public-private humanitarian cooperation, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. "The international community should jointly urge relevant countries to immediately lift unilateral sanctions, eliminate their negative effects, and create favorable conditions for international humanitarian actions," he told a Security Council open debate on advancing public-private humanitarian partnership. The humanitarian cause, as a common endeavor of all humankind, can build the greatest consensus across different civilizations. The international community should practice true multilateralism, promote international humanitarianism, unite all actors, including the public and private sectors and civil society, step up investment, jointly tackle challenges, and continuously improve the humanitarian situation in relevant countries and regions, he said. Zhang stressed the need to keep up the humanitarian investment. The current global humanitarian landscape faces unprecedented difficulties and challenges. For a long time, multinational corporations have benefited immensely from the resources and markets of developing countries and thus bear the responsibility to help relevant countries out of their humanitarian predicament and make greater contributions to their people's livelihood and well-being, he said. At the same time, official assistance from developed countries is the main channel for international humanitarian financing. Their financial commitments should be fulfilled on time and in full. The participation of the private sector should not lead to governments cutting their investment or shifting their responsibilities, he said. It is worth noting that in some conflict-affected regions and countries, humanitarian funding is being arbitrarily cut back, exacerbating the humanitarian plight of the local populations, which should not happen, he added. Zhang called for adherence to the fundamental humanitarian principles. Humanitarian actions should adhere to the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, and respect the sovereignty, laws, and customs of recipient countries. Public and private institutions, despite their different natures, should both stick to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs when providing international humanitarian assistance, and should not attach any political strings to aid or impose their will on others, let alone seek ulterior political interests in this process, he said. A few countries, under the pretext of democracy and human rights, have all too easily cut or even suspended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and other countries. Such actions will only victimize innocent civilians, worsen the socio-economic crisis, and contravene the spirit of humanitarianism, he said. Zhang also stressed the need to establish efficient partnerships on an equal footing. Ultimately, humanitarian assistance is to benefit the recipient country, with its effectiveness and success to be measured by how well it is received among the population in the recipient country. Humanitarian agencies, in determining priorities, modalities, and projects, should not only communicate with key donors, but also heed the views of recipient countries and various local actors. The private sector, in its participation in humanitarian actions, should make use of its comparative advantages and be more relevant to the actual needs of the countries concerned. It has been proven that by effectively increasing the voice and representation of recipient countries, humanitarian actions will be delivered in a more efficient and targeted manner with final results that will better stand the test of time, he said. For some time, international humanitarian assistance has been overly focused on certain countries while humanitarian assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Haiti, South Sudan, and the Sahel region are severely underfunded. The situation should not go on, he said. Zhang said there is a need to promote humanitarianism and development in an integrated manner. Humanitarian crises in some countries are rooted, among other factors, in deteriorating economic situation, climate change, and energy and food challenges, all bogged down to development in the final analysis. The key to fundamentally reducing humanitarian needs and weaning countries off dependence on humanitarian assistance lies in people-centered development, he said. "China is of the view that we must look beyond traditional means of humanitarian assistance and attach greater importance to the path of economic development. We must go further than short-term help and seek long-term fundamental solutions. We must rise above external blood transfusion and enhance the organic blood generation capacity," he said. Humanitarian action should be effectively dovetailed with the development strategies of the countries concerned with greater investment in infrastructure, industrial and agricultural development, education and training, among others. The private sector has a unique role to play in promoting trade, investment, and financing cooperation and job creation, thus aligning humanitarian assistance more closely with sustainable development, he added. China stands ready, together with the international community, to continue to actively participate in multilateral and bilateral humanitarian relief operations and continue to provide support and assistance within its capacity to countries in need, said Zhang. Donald Trumps word salad about the classified documents case during a recently released SiriusXM interview may have been a sly extrajudicial strategy because he has no legitimate defenses, according to Neal Katyal. I know everyones saying, Well, Trump is reckless in giving this interview, Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general during the Obama administration, said on MSNBC Thursday. I have a different view, Katyal said. I actually think that this is not an unwise strategy for him, because he doesnt have a legal defense. He doesnt have a factual defense. The only defense he has is to try and poison the jury pool with his cockamamie nonsense. Katyal was reacting to Trumps remarks in an interview with Megyn Kelly that aired Thursday. Many legal experts viewed the former presidents comments as incriminating and potentially helpful to prosecutors in the federal case concerning Trumps handling of classified documents stored at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate. Im allowed to have those documents, Trump said in the interview. When Kelly pointed out that he illegally defied a subpoena to turn them over, Trump replied: I know this. I dont even know that. Because I have the right to have those documents. Katyal suggested Trump is hoping hell draw a juror who buys into this rhetoric, or that he can just stretch this out through innuendo and so on until after the presidential election and hope that the prosecution is terminated. These arent legal defenses or factual defenses. Theyre extrajudicial defenses, he said. The Mar-a-Lago prosecution is one of four cases in which Trump has been indicted. He is accused of mishandling sensitive documents and intentionally obstructing the governments efforts to get them back, putting national security at risk. Watch Katyals analysis on MSNBC below. Related... A former University of Idaho professor has reached a $750,000 settlement with the university, its law school and two former deans for alleged discrimination and harassment based on race and gender. Shaakirrah Sanders, a Black, female law professor, sued the university in federal court in June 2019, alleging she was retaliated against by two white, male superiors at the school and endured a culture of racism and sexism that began three years after she was hired as a tenure-track associate professor in 2011. The settlement, approved by U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill on Wednesday, includes a $750,000 payment in damages and attorneys fees to Sanders. It also requires the law school to propose a new rule that would ban video and audio recording of faculty, staff and students. Sanders did not immediately return calls and emails from the Idaho Statesman on Thursday seeking comment. But in a news release sent through her attorneys, she said the cases resolution gives her space to heal. The settlement enabled her to avoid the continued emotional and spiritual harms that became part of this lawsuit largely perpetuated by a former interim dean, Sanders said in the news release. The lawsuit said that Sanders faced numerous discriminatory and retaliatory acts mainly by Mark Adams, dean of the law school from 2014 to 2018, and by Jerrold Long, interim dean of the law school from 2018 to 2021. According to the lawsuit, Adams began a pattern of differing terms and conditions of her employment, and when she raised concerns, he and the law school started retaliating against her. A spokesperson for the university told the Statesman by email that the settlement is a business decision made with the best interests of the U of I, its students and the state of Idaho in mind. Litigation costs money and time as well as creates the potential for ongoing distraction to employees and students, spokesperson Jodi Walker said. We wish professor Sanders the best in her future endeavors. Sanders left the U of I and joined the Pennsylvania State University law school in 2022. According to her bio, she was the first African-American descendant of slaves to reach the rank of full professor at U of I. UI law school, former dean face gender, race discrimination lawsuit Three U.S. senators asked U of I to drop U of Phoenix deal. Were Idahos among them? Former U.S. Army prosecutor Glenn Kirschner says a judges decision to break up the Georgia election interference case into two trials could devastate former President Donald Trump , one of 19 defendants in the sprawling racketeering probe over attempts to overturn the 2020 election in the state. Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday ruled that 17 of the defendants including Trump will not be tried at the same time as two other defendants who sought a speedy trial, pro-Trump attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell . They come before the court on Oct. 23. On an episode of his Justice Matters podcast posted Thursday, Kirschner said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her team will come out of the gates strong in the first trial and prove up the entire conspiracy, including Trumps alleged crimes. However, Trumps lawyers will get to preview the evidence and therefore be able to adjust their defense when it comes to his trial, Kirschner acknowledged. But Chesebro and Powells attorneys will only attack the evidence incriminating their clients, he said, so negative Trump news will drip out day after day, week after week, month after month. This is going to hurt, this is going to devastate Trump in the court of public opinion, said Kirschner. Watch the video here: Related... An ex-Russian general said "lies" are obscuring the reality that Ukraine's troops are gaining ground. Gurulyov confirmed that Ukraine has adapted to clear minefields and employ counter-drone attacks. His Telegram message also said Russian victory is being prevented by "lies" and "false reporting." An ex-Russian general acknowledged that Ukraine's troops are gaining ground on the battlefield, warning that lying and false reports in the military's highest echelons are keeping Moscow from achieving victory. On Friday morning, Russian Parliament member and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District Andrey Gurulyov posted a message on Telegram assessing the state of Ukraine's counteroffensive more than three months after Kyiv officially launched its push against extensive eastern and southern Russian defenses. His points were sharply at odds with the victoriousness and censorship that often characterize Russian war commentary. Gurulyov wrote that Ukraine's troops have changed their combat tactics, "have a lot of ammunition," and "are trying to burn out absolutely everything," according to a translation. "They are no longer moving forward in large forces; they were obviously forbidden to lose heavy equipment en masse," he said, noting that the Ukrainians "have switched to squeeze-out tactics" and "are massively using cluster shells, inflicting damage on the stronger points of our units." The "situation forces our troops to retreat deeper," Gurulyov added. The ex-general's comments offer a blunt Russian view of the mounting counter-offensive fighting to get past Russia's tough defenses, particularly the complex defensive Surovikin Line just south of Orikhiv, a city in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. In late August and earlier this month, Kyiv's forces managed to make major breakthroughs in the area with the goal of striking a line all the way down to the Sea of Azov, splitting Russian occupied land in half. It also adds weight to reports that Ukraine has learned to clear Russia's dense minefields, which posed a major roadblock earlier in the counteroffensive, and "have a lot of drones" that they use effectively both in counter-drone combat at the front line and deeper in Russian territory. A Ukrainian soldier of 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade puts camouflage on a tank's muzzle on September 11, 2023 in Eastern Ukraine, Ukraine. Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Gurulyov also suggests that Ukraine is having success deterring the attack helicopters that had stymied its early advance. They've "created conditions making it impossible to use anti-tank missiles by our helicopters," Gurulyov wrote, and used shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles like the US-made Stingers to strike Russian attack helicopters. Gurulyov, a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, has previously shared a Russian general's account that his troops were losing ground in artillery battles, a warning that would prove prescient. In his Telegram message, Gurulyov warned about the state of war. While assuring Russian troops are stronger and will endure, adapt, and win, he added: "Victory is separated from us only by one serious problem of ours - lies. Yes, there is less of it than there was at the beginning of the SMO, but it is there." SMO refers to "special military operation," the euphemism Russia has applied to its full-scale, devastating invasion of Ukraine now in its 19th month. "False reports, unfortunately, lead to poor decisions at many levels," Gurulyov added, suggesting that Ukraine's advances and the reasons for them may not be getting reported up the chain of command, preventing a proper response. That's a problem that has plagued Russia's command since the beginning of their war in Ukraine. Gurulyov previously made headlines for sharing an audio message from a senior Russian general saying he'd been dismissed from his post after questioning Defense Ministry decisions and raising concerns about the lack of counter-battery combat and mass casualties on the Russian side. Read the original article on Business Insider Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. Thiago Castro says the decision to open the newest Chima Steakhouse in Orlando came as a byproduct of real estates cardinal rule: Location, location, location. The director of development of the Fort Lauderdale-based high-end Brazilian steakhouse chain said securing a space on Restaurant Row Orlandos ultra-popular corridor of top restaurants along West Sand Lake Road nudged executives in this direction. The Orlando restaurant soft-opened on July 14 in the Plaza Venezia lifestyle center, edging out other hot markets such as Miami and Aventura, Castro told Orlando Business Journal. Everybody is looking for space in Miami, but when we spent more time on research, we found that Orlando is a much better opportunity than Miami in our perception. Read: Womans body discovered in brush along dune line at Satellite Beach Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) The Williamson County Sheriffs Office is investigating a false report of an active shooter that started circulating around the community Friday. In a social media post, deputies said there was no active shooter at Sunset Middle School in Nolensville, despite the rumors. Authorities suspect that students may have been the source of the false information and said they are working to get to the bottom of it. MLK High School students, parents describe lockdown experience following hoax threat The investigation comes just two days after multiple unfounded threats were reported in Nashville, including at two Metro high schools. In those instances, authorities said the specific telephoned threats were likely coming from out of state. There has not yet been any indication that the incidents are linked. No further information was immediately available. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. FILE - In this image taken from body camera video provided by the Farmington Police Department, a police officer knocks on the door of the wrong address in response to a domestic violence call, in Farmington, N.M., late April 5, 2023. Moments later, the homeowner was fatally shot by police after appearing at the door armed with a handgun. (Farmington Police Department via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) The family of a man shot and killed by police in New Mexico after they responded to the wrong address is suing the city and three officers. The lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court alleges Robert Dotson and his family were deprived of their civil rights when the officers in the northwestern New Mexico city of Farmington mistakenly showed up at their home the night of April 5. The officers responded to the wrong address after getting a domestic violence call from a home across the street. The lawsuit contends the officers acted unreasonably that night and created a risk for Dotson and his family. The 52-year-old and his wife were upstairs when they heard what they believed was a knock. Dotson put his robe on, went downstairs and grabbed his handgun from the top of the refrigerator, given the hour and not knowing what he would find, the lawsuit states. Neither Dotson nor his wife looked at footage from their front door Ring camera before he went down, according to Tom Clark, one of the family's attorneys. Video from the camera system at the front door showed the officers backing away, their flashlights trained on the door as Dotson opened it. Gunfire erupted, with the officers shooting Dotson 12 times. Their extreme, unreasonable actions demonstrate an utter and reckless disregard and conscious indifference for the rights of plaintiffs and the life of Robert Dotson, the complaint states. At the time, the police chief called the shooting tragic and vowed his agency would cooperate with New Mexico State Police investigators. That investigation is complete and is being reviewed by the state attorney general's office. Luis Robles, an attorney who represents the officers, reiterated the chief's sentiments in an interview with The Associated Press. They all wish it didnt happen, and yet it did. And thats whats tragic about it. It didnt have to happen, he said. Robles explained that the lead officer was using the computer-aided dispatch terminal in his patrol vehicle to find the home, and the mapping system placed the pin on the Dotsons' home rather than the residence where the call originated. Body camera footage released by Farmington police following the shooting showed that officers walked past the address that was illuminated by an exterior light at the home as they approached the door. The officers knocked and announced themselves. While knocking twice more, the officers can be heard asking a dispatcher to confirm the address and to tell the caller to come to the door. The dispatcher states the address of a home across the street and the officers begin to realize they were in the wrong place. The video released by police showed a chaotic scene erupting about four minutes after officers first arrived. According to the lawsuit, Dotson was blinded by the officers flashlights when he opened the door. The lawsuit states that Dotsons wife, wearing only a robe, came downstairs after hearing the shots and found her husband lying in the doorway. She fired outside, not knowing who was out there. Police fired back, each of their 19 rounds missing the woman. Once the gunfire stopped, sirens could be heard blaring as more officers arrived. Dotson's wife could be heard pleading for help, saying someone had shot her husband. Lawyers for the Dotson family said in the complaint that Farmington police handcuffed the woman and her two teenage children and took them to the station for questioning rather than acknowledging their error. They contend that the officers involved did not initially disclose that they were at the wrong address. While Robles acknowledged the officers' mistake, he disagreed that their reliance on technology amounted to reckless disregard. I think thats fundamentally the misconception about the tragedy, he said. It is tragic that the officers showed up at the wrong house. Its equally tragic that Mr. Dotson believed that he could point a gun at someone because they were knocking at his door at night. The blame is squarely on the officers who decided to open fire before even advising Dotson they were law enforcement, according to Clark. We believe that any dispute about the legality of the officers will be answered in our favor by a jury when the time comes, Clark told The Associated Press on Friday. Lawyers for the family have questioned training and oversight within the Farmington Police Department when it comes to the use of force. The complaint suggests damages should be awarded so that other cities and police departments are deterred from such conduct. A Georgia boy who went missing on Thursday has been located safe in under 24 hours. The Bibb County Sheriffs Office issued a statement on Friday that 11-year-old Jaymez Wilburn, who has autism, failed to return home from school on Thursday. The department responded to a home in the 2100 block of Adams Ave in Macon around 11pm on Thursday after family members reported Jaymez missing. Deputies learned that the boy had not attended classes at Ballard Middle School that day and did not meet his siblings to walk home when school was dismissed. Deputies searched for Jaymez in places he frequented throughout the night but were unable to locate the minor. On Friday, the Bibb County Sheriffs Office released an update saying that Jaymez was found shortly after 9am on Friday and was reunited with his family. The department did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the boys disappearance or if an investigation was underway. The Independent has reached out to the agency for comment. Flash Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on Aug. 1, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua] In response to the recent clamoring by the Taiwan authorities for so-called participation in the United Nations and their distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, Zhang Jun, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said Thursday that the one-China principle shall not be infringed on. Recently, the Taiwan authorities, in collusion with some external forces, again clamored for so-called Taiwan's participation in the United Nations and asked to reinterpret UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. This is yet another political farce staged by separatist forces for "Taiwan independence" and some anti-China forces newsjacking the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, he said in a statement. The so-called Taiwan's participation in the United Nations is an utterly false narrative, said Zhang. First, there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government of China. The United Nations is an inter-governmental organization composed of sovereign states. As a province of China, Taiwan has no basis, reason, or right whatsoever to participate in the United Nations and its relevant agencies, he said. Second, upholding the one-China principle, the government of the People's Republic of China previously had made proper arrangements for the Taiwan region's participation in the World Health Assembly and the International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly. However, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan have been stubbornly pushing for "Taiwan independence" and refused to accept the 1992 Consensus, thus erasing the political foundation for such arrangements. The responsibility lies solely with the DPP authorities, he said. Third, the one-China principle is a general consensus of the international community and is consistent with the basic norms of international relations. At present, 182 countries around the world have established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China on the basis of the one-China principle. By clamoring for so-called Taiwan's participation in the United Nations, the DPP authorities and some external forces are seeking to create "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas." This is a blatant violation of the basic norms of international relations, he said. UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971 was a fundamental solution to the issue concerning China's representation in the United Nations. The resolution recognizes the representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. The resolution expelled the "representatives" of the Taiwan authorities from the place which they had unlawfully occupied. Ever since then, the United Nations' position on this issue has been crystal clear and consistent, always upholding the one-China principle and always abiding by Resolution 2758, he said. To the DPP authorities and some external forces, Zhang said: UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 is not to be misinterpreted, the one-China principle is not to be infringed on. "We will continue to uphold the basic principles of peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems, work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and resolutely thwart attempts of 'Taiwan independence' and external interference," said Zhang. The Fayette County Sheriffs Office says a suspect possibly wanted for murder out of state was seriously injured after trying to break into a home early Thursday morning. Deputies were called out to the home in north Fayette County just before 2 a.m. Thursday over an active alarm. By the time investigators arrived at the home, they said the homeowner had shot the intruder trying to protect his family. The intruder was taken to a nearby hospital for his injuries. TRENDING STORIES: The Fayette County Sheriffs Office believes that the suspect could be related to a string of crimes, including homicide, out of state, the sheriffs office said in a news release. As the investigation remains ongoing, the Fayette County Sheriffs Office assures the community that it remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents. There is no word on what charges the intruder may be facing. IN OTHER NEWS: Rapper Ice Cube is kicking off his weekend by absolutely destroying Elon Musk in a Twitter meme battle. Musk, who spends most of his time trolling on his Twitter account, shared a meme Thursday poking fun at Ice Cubes age. The photo was relatively tame compared to the transphobic and antisemitic content Musk usually posts. Ice Cube hit back that evening. To call Musks reign at Twitter a dumpster fire is an understatement. The company is now worth a fraction of what he paid for it, and is staffed by a skeleton team. Musk renamed the platform X, trashing its unique and instantly recognizable brand. Musk has allowed Nazis and the Taliban back on Twitter, and hate speech has flourished under his watch. But rather than do something about it, he is attacking the groups trying to hold him accountable. The ferry Spokane has returned to service on the Edmonds-Kingston route Friday morning. Washington State Ferries said the repairs were completed and the Coast Guard approved the boat to return to service with the 6:10 a.m. departure from Edmonds. The route was down to one boat after the Spokane went out of service Wednesday morning with a mechanical issue. The boat returning to service is welcome news after one sailing was already canceled Friday morning. Riders faced hours-long delays on Wednesday and Thursday while the route was down to one boat. The issue with the Spokane came shortly after the end of a five-day stretch when vehicles were banned on the Seattle-Bainbridge run during a walkway project. Edm/King - Update: 2-Boat Service Returns With Edmonds 6:10a.m. https://t.co/QNmLsAdEgo Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) September 15, 2023 The field is narrowing. Friday morning, the final three candidates for Naples police chief met with the community at Baker Park to answer questions and share their plans for the police department. Finalist Jack McNiff withdrew from the competition earlier this week because of "family consideration," according to Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar. The remaining candidates, Kristen Ziman, Ciro Dominguez, and Matthew Fletcher all gave brief speeches at the event and spoke with Naples Daily News about the interviewing process and their hopes to become police chief. Naples police chief candidate Kristen Ziman speaks with Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann at the community meet and greet on Sept. 15. Kristen Ziman Ziman served as the police chief for the Aurora, Illinois Police Department for nearly six years before retiring. Two days after retiring, she packed her bags and moved to Naples. After being asked several times during the meet and greet what issues she wants to address in the community, Ziman said mental health is a prevalent issue in Naples that can't be ignored. "I want to talk to external stakeholders, business owners, residents, and ask them what they think our challenges are.," Ziman said. And within those 100 days, I'll devise an action plan but mental health issues are really paramount to our profession nationwide." Ziman wants to prioritize listening to the community about what they need before taking any action. "I don't think that the plan can be given until you listen," Ziman said. "You have to diagnose before you prescribe. I want to hear what we need to start doing and what we need to stop doing. We can be good, but we need to be absolutely remarkable." Ziman said clearly communicating with all parts of the city from management to residents is what will make the partnership between Naples PD and the community work. "Law enforcement is amazing when it's at its best," Ziman said. "Unfortunately we've had officers tarnish our badge, but that does not reflect the majority. And it's my job, and this is what I intend to do if I'm given the opportunity here, is to identify all the skills and the talents within the Naples Police Department and unleash that talent." Naples police chief finalist Ciro Dominguez speaks with Vice Mayor Mike McCabe at the meet and greet on Sept. 15. Ciro Dominguez Dominguez, who began his career as a police officer in Naples, said he's been waiting for a chance to apply as Naples police chief for 15 years. "I was a police officer here for 10 years and my career took me elsewhere," Dominguez said. "And my real goal is to come back and give what I've learned to the department." Dominguez wants to make sure he establishes a connection with locals as police chief to ensure their needs are being met. "I want to listen to the folks and find out what's going on [and] really understand how the police chief works, both culturally and how the leadership environment is, but the first thing I would want to do is both get in touch with my folks, really develop trust with them, and then find out what they need." Dominguez said the community had great questions for him today and he felt speaking with residents was important. "I think the strongest takeaway I get, is my original thought, I need to be involved with the community, I need to be going to meetings, I need to be talking to people, both in the group setting and just people walking down the street, and find out where they are and how they feel about the agency and how they feel about the needs in their community because perception [and] how they feel matters," Dominguez said." And my job is to serve and protect." Dominguez said the entire process of applying for the position he's wanted since 2008 has been extremely rewarding. "There's only one place I want to work," Dominguez said. "I want to go back to my alma mater and I want to get back to those people. So all this time goes by and finally it opens. So I applied. Here I am, 170-something people to get here. I'm so humbled and amazed." Interim Naples Police Chief and police chief candidate Matthew Fletcher speaks with a resident at the meet and greet on Sept. 15. Matthew Fletcher Fletcher, interim Naples police chief, feels his career-long journey at Naples PD has given him a leg-up in the competition. "I have the information and data available to me from our police department," Fletcher said. "I understand the complaints of our city and our citizens because I deal with them every day. I'm not bringing ideas from other places to here, I'm working on problems and solutions for our town." Fletcher said that based on his experience with Naples PD, traffic is an issue he wants to address. "Certainly, traffic is the number one complaint at the city in Naples and we'll continue on with our traffic operations and we're keeping our crime rate low here," Fletcher said. Fletcher said being considered among the other two candidates is an honor and he hopes to continue keeping Naples safe as police chief. "The competition is stiff and these are well-qualified candidates here," Fletcher said. "I feel like I'm also a well-qualified candidate. And I have the hometown knowledge. I've worked here. I've dedicated my career here. I've stayed the course and I'm going to continue to stay the course right here in Naples." Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar addresses the meet and greet crowd on Sept. 15. What's next? On Friday, Ziman finished her final interview with the selection panel and all three candidates had another meet and greet with the police department. "I will debrief with my senior staff to get their input and then we'll sleep on it over the weekend," Boodheshwar said. "And then next week, I'll check in with my staff again. And by the end of next week, we'll make a decision hopefully and have a clearer picture by then." This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples police chief candidates take part in community meet and greet Finland bans entry to cars under Russian registration only days after the Baltic countries instituted the same measure, the country's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced on Sept. 15, the Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported. The ban will come into force at midnight. Cars with Russian license plates that are already in Finland will have to leave the country within six months, that is by March 16, 2024. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia imposed the restriction earlier this week in accordance with the EU Commission's recommendations on sanctions against Russia. According to Yle, Helsinki joined the ban in order to synchronize its policy with the EU's common line. The public broadcaster reported that once the measure takes effect, only EU citizens permanently residing in Russia, their family members, diplomats, or people coming for humanitarian reasons will be allowed to bring a car with a Russian license plate into Finland. Read also: Belarus Weekly: Belarusian embassies to stop issuing passports luring opposition home Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Finland is planning to ban the entry of cars with Russian number plates, as the Baltic States have previously done. Source: European Pravda, referring to Yle TV and Radio company Details: Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen is to announce Finland's willingness to follow the EU's general tougher line on 15 September. The decision is based on the European Commission's policy, whose recommendations for implementation were issued a week ago. By banning the entry of cars registered in Russia, the European Commission aims to prevent sanctions evasion. At a briefing on 13 September, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna explained that the restrictions have a greater effect when applied together, and this increases the price Russia pays for the war. Yle stated that cars with fewer than 10 people inside that are registered in Russia will no longer be able to cross the border. There are some exceptions to this rule. It is not reported when the ban will come into force. Finland has tightened its visa policy because of Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine. Traffic on the eastern border has decreased, but it still remains relatively busy. Background: It was reported on 13 September that cars with Russian number plates could still enter Finland and that reports of car confiscations were not true. The European Commission shared clarifications on 8 September on the long-standing restrictions on the import and export of goods to and from Russia. It clarified that the ban includes cars and certain goods, regardless of whether they are personal belongings of travellers. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Boeing has provided visuals of its first pre-production example of the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone, which the company is currently developing for the U.S. Navy. Up to this point, the MQ-25 demonstrator which is also known as the T1 has been the public 'face' of the Stingray program . Although Boeing does describe the airframe as a real MQ-25, we do not know for sure what the plan for this particular example is. In a video released by Boeing today, we see the main fuselage of the pre-production MQ-25 being moved off the production line at Boeing's St. Louis plant to its static testing space. Static testing allows engineers to analyze the structural integrity of an airframe without flying it. https://twitter.com/BoeingDefense/status/1702397029849219413?s=20 According to Boeing, the MQ-25 seen in the video is the first of nine examples to be put through static testing. It is possible that the airframe could be one of several Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) variants, which Boeing was originally contracted to begin work on back in 2018 , or a ground testing article that might not ever be intended to fly. We've reached out to Boeing for further clarity on this. MQ-25 on the move. Boeing screenshot Aircraft being transported on a road. Boeing screenshot Once static testing is complete, the drones will progress to fatigue testing , the company notes. This involves applying further stress tests to airframes, with the aim of revealing how microscopic cracks form in the fuselage, and when these expand to a critical size. These represent important safety tests to airworthiness before full flight tests with pre-production examples can begin, as well as long-term durability of the type. Drone at Boeing's static testing facility. Boeing screenshot The fuselage of the example seen in the new video looks very similar to the T1 demonstrator. It wasn't clear how much Boeing was going to rework the basic demonstrator design for the production model. Such a practice is normal when moving from a demonstrator to a production configuration of an advanced air combat aircraft. In this case, the aircraft's upper flush-mounted inlet, one of the most intriguing features on the T-1, is basically the same, as are additional intakes atop the jet. The nose features the same three air data probes and the unique trapezoidal exhaust is also the same. This all indicates that changes between T-1 and the production MQ-25 will be relatively minor. This is impressive considering the T-1 was reworked from a design for a different mission set. The T1 demonstrator was an adaptation of an unmanned combat air vehicle design that came to be under the aborted Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. UCLASS was the Navy's cancelled multi-role combat drone tender that was the direct predecessor to Carrier-Based Aerial Refuel System (CBARS) initiative that gave birth to the MQ-25 as we know it today. It should be noted that Boeing has been testing the T1 demonstrator for years now, with expanded flight testing at MidAmerica Airport beginning in 2019 . T1 has been hauled aboard a U.S. Navy carrier , and conducted refueling tests with the F-35C Lightning II , F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighters, and the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye radar plane, since then. MQ-25 T1 on board a U.S. Navy carrier deck. Boeing MQ-25 T1 refueling an F-35C. Boeing As of April this year, the MQ-25 Program of Record consisted of 76 air vehicles . Of those, four are Engineering Development Models (EDMs) and three are System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTAs). The remaining 69 aircraft will be production examples, according to the Navy's Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_jDYPuXLig\u0026embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2F\u0026source_ve_path=MjM4NTE\u0026feature=emb_title While MQ-25 initial operational capability was previously anticipated by 2025, this was pushed back in April of this year to 2026 due to delays in construction. Delays have also impacted the development of the pre-production models, with earlier hopes that the first EDM MQ-25s would be delivered in the fall of 2022. The EDM drones are set to conduct more experimental work at the Boeing facility in St. Louis, Missouri before moving to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, where the flight test program will commence. Testing periods at Lakehurst in New Jersey and Eglin Air Force Base in Florida will also be conducted. Once the drones do end up in service, they will perform critical refueling support for the Navys carrier air wings. Having a dedicated tanker capability will allow tanker-tasked F/A-18E/F jets to focus on their primary mission sets. As weve noted previousl y, this will both expand the combat capabilities of strike fighter squadrons, as well as freeing up Super Hornet fleets. Deck-handling demonstration of the MQ-25 T1, January 2018, at the Boeing facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Boeing On top of this, MQ-25s are also expected to play an important role in undertaking intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions for the service. The Navy is actively pushing for larger uncrewed contingents on its carriers, with air wings becoming more uncrewed than not in the coming decade . Working with and controlling carrier-based drones will also form a critical component of the service's future next-generation F/A-XX carrier fighter . The MQ-25 will therefore form an important starting place for more regular carrier drone operations . Much of the operational and command and control procedures that come out of the MQ-25 program will be carried over to higher-performance carrier-based drone aircraft programs. Despite the more recent setbacks to Boeings progress regarding MQ-25 development, the new video is a reminder that the program is indeed proceeding at an increasing pace. Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Four years ago, 120 schools in Nevada received a five-star rating for performance, the highest that could be given. Last school year, that number dropped to 85 schools, but more than half of the schools that had the lowest rating, one star, improved, according to the Nevada Report Card from the Nevada Department of Education. The Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) Star Ratings were released Friday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The state received a waiver for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years due to the disruption caused by the pandemic. Our focus, across the state will be on advancing academic recovery to put our students on a path to excellence, said Jhone Ebert, superintendent of public instruction. Although there was a drop in the five-star schools, Ebert said some schools made huge strides and received a two-star increase. Mike OCallaghan i3 Learn Academy Middle School, Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts Middle School, Explore Knowledge Academy Middle School (a district-sponsored charter school), and Nevada Connections Academy (an online charter school) were among those that improved in performance. The report acknowledges Nevadas students are still recovering from interrupted learning due to the pandemic but adds the 2023 Nevada Legislature passed the largest education budget in history nearly $12 billion for education spending. The Governor and Legislature have set the districts and charter schools up for success. Now is the time to seize the opportunities to ensure our learners thrive, Ebert said. The Nevada Report Card showed all levels of students had a proficiency decrease in math and English language arts in the past four years. MATHEMATICS PROFICIENCY 2022-2023 2018-2019 ELEMENTARY 33.6% 41.9% MIDDLE 23.8% 30.6% HIGH 19.4% 24.8% Fifth graders had the highest level of ELA proficiency at 43.7 percent and third graders had the highest level of math proficiency at 41.4 percent. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PROFICIENCY 2022-2023 2018-2019 ELEMENTARY 40.6% 49.1% MIDDLE 38.3% 46.5% HIGH 46% 46.5% The data showed all Nevada high schools had a small boost less than .04 percent in their graduation rate. The majority of students in the state, nearly 63 percent, attend school in Clark County. The total enrollment dropped around 20,000 students from the previous report in 2018-2019. Clark County also experienced a drop in its graduation rates and a spike in its chronic absenteeism rate. CLARK COUNTY 2022-2023 CLARK COUNTY 2018-2019 ENROLLMENT 304,276 ENROLLMENT 325,081 SCHOOLS 383 SCHOOLS 384 TEACHERS 17,443 TEACHERS 17,689 GRADUATION RATE 81.31% GRADUATION RATE 85.22% CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RATE 38.3% CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RATE 21.9% SUSPENSIONS FOR BULLYING/CYBERBULLYING 3,384 SUSPENSIONS FOR BULLYING/CYBERBULLYING 9,206 EXPULSIONS FOR BULLYING/CYBERBULLYING 492 EXPULSIONS FOR BULLYING/CYBERBULLYING 737 The report also stated that bills were passed during the legislative session to put accountability measures into place such as requiring an analysis of the return on the historic budget investment into Nevadas educational system, emphasizing the critical need for proficient literacy skills by third-grade, a new requirement that all students are on track for college and career readiness diplomas, and data requirements that seek to connect school staffing levels with student behavior. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The last of five suspects has pleaded in the fatal shooting of a Columbus man who caught a 14-year-old breaking into his car outside the Foxy Lady Lounge on Victory Drive. Santonio Lamar Williams, 19, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity by committing car break-ins. Superior Court Judge John Martin sentenced him to 20 years with 12 to serve in prison and the rest on probation. Williams is the last to plead guilty in the June 5, 2020 death of Samuel Devoid London in the parking lot of the lounge at 3023 Victory Drive, where he and four others went to steal from cars around 2 a.m. Authorities said the group had gang associations, though Williams was the only one accused of violating Georgias gang act. London was leaving the nightclub when he caught then 14-year-old Raymond Leon Richmond III rummaging through his unlocked 2019 Jeep Compass, prosecutors said. Richmond shot London during the ensuing struggle, then dropped the gun as all five suspects fled. Grievously wounded, London picked up Richmonds gun, staggered back to the club for help. The 40-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital. The car burglars left so much evidence behind that detectives soon captured all five, and each later negotiated a plea deal. These are the other defendants and their sentences: Richmond, now 17, pleaded guilty May 31 to to voluntary manslaughter, entering an auto and using a gun to commit a crime. Judge Martin sentenced him to 30 years in prison with 22 to serve and the rest on probation. Cecil Brian Berguin III, 20, pleaded June 15 to illegally entering an auto and was sentenced to five years in prison with three to serve and the rest on probation. Victrez Jaequan Thomas, 20, pleaded June 15 to illegally entering an auto and was sentenced to five years in prison with three to serve and the rest on probation. Jyquarious D. Varner, 17, pleaded June 15 to illegally entering an auto, and also was sentenced to five years in prison with three to serve and the rest on probation. From L-R in center, defendants Victrez Jaequan Thomas, Jyquarious Varner and Cecil Brian Berguin III wait for a plea hearing to begin Thursday morning in before Superior Court Judge John Martin in Columbus. Defense attorneys in June said Berguin, Thomas and Varner had been jailed about 35 months, awaiting trial, and soon would be eligible for parole, when credited with the time held in confinement. Gun from robbery Thomas already has been released, and was in court Friday on another case involving Williams. Thomas, Williams and a third suspect whos not linked to Londons homicide were accused of robbing a Columbus woman in her home on June 3, 2020, two days before Londons death. Prosecutors said the trio stopped in the victims driveway as Williams went inside and Thomas waited on the front porch. The third man remained in the car. Williams robbed the woman of $600 cash and two Taurus-brand handguns together worth $500, police said, and later gave one of the stolen guns to Richmond. That was the same gun used to shoot London, detectives said. Represented by attorney Mike Garner, Williams also pleaded guilty Friday in that case, his charges reduced from armed robbery to robbery. He was sentenced to 10 years with seven to serve in prison, but hes to serve that time simultaneously with his sentence in Londons homicide, so it adds no additional penalty. Thomas declined a plea deal of 10 years with five to serve in the robbery case, and opted to go to trial instead, said his attorney, Shevon Thomas II. The evidence The plea deals in Londons death were negotiated by prosecutor Christopher George of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, who was assigned the case because local District Attorney Stacey Jackson had a conflict. All the suspects were teenagers in 2020 when they drove around Columbus looking for cars to break into: Like Richmond, Varner was only 14. Williams was 15; and both Berguin and Thomas were 17. They got together sometime before midnight, and traveled to the Foxy Lady in a Toyota Camry and a Nissan Altima. Richmond drove the Altima, though he was too young to have a license. When they got to the lounge, Richmond got out with a gun and started checking for unlocked car doors, using a T-shirt wrapped around his hand to avoid leaving fingerprints, George said. He was in the drivers seat of Londons Jeep when London came out and dragged Richmond from the car. Richmond shot London as he fell atop the victim, George said. The suspects fled in a panic, with Richmond dropping his T-shirt along with the gun. Three got into the Toyota and fled, taking the keys to the Nissan and leaving two to flee on foot, authorities said. The shooting was recorded on surveillance video. With other evidence such as the abandoned car, Richmonds DNA on the T-shirt, the gun he left behind, fingerprints found at the scene and the suspects own statements, Columbus police found enough evidence to charge all of them with murder. Police alleged Williams was the ringleader of the group; Richmond was Londons killer; and the rest acted as his accomplices, or parties to the crime, so all initially were charged with murder, before their plea deals. Judge John Martin listens as prosecutor Christopher Georgia explains the charges against Santonio Williams in the 2020 death of Samuel London. If theres something that we can all agree upon, when illness strikes, its comforting to know that your local doctor is there to assist you. A local doctor who specialized in delivering the care that you and your loved ones need without costing you the increased expenses associated with unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient care. A local doctor who cares about the patients they serve and who works in the best interests of their community, large or small, here in Florida. However, the Medicare program has become unstable in recent years, due to inaction by policymakers in Washington. This, in turn, threatens access to care and has led to increasingly high costs throughout our already broken health care system. Simply put, we cannot afford to have an unworkable Medicare program in a state where population growth is largely driven by vulnerable seniors who need access to their local doctors, more so than most. Fixing the Medicare program must happen sooner rather than later. Because, if policymakers dont act, local doctors will face increasing pressure to either consolidate, shutter their practices in rural areas or move. More: A primer on Medicare for those who are new to the program President Joe Biden speaks about Social Security, Medicare, and prescription drug costs, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Hallandale Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Therefore, Medicare should treat doctors the same way it treats hospitals, nursing homes and other entities that serve the most vulnerable members of our state. Unfortunately, this is not how the program operates. Instead, while other Medicare payment rates are updated to account for the growing expenses that all businesses across our state are experiencing, Medicare pays 2001 prices to doctors for the essential care they deliver in 2023. This is exacerbating our states physician shortage and will steer the next generation of doctors away from the state. Thankfully, bipartisan legislation in Congress would address this issue and improve the Medicare program. This legislation, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474), will enable doctors to receive the critical resources they need to deliver the best care possible to patients. We encourage Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Lois Frankel, and Brian Mast to support the measure. If local doctors are given these crucial resources, they will be empowered to better help their patients avoid unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions, more appropriately utilize nursing home resources, and attain better health. This will lower health care costs for all Floridians by allowing patients to receive care in the most affordable setting possible. Floridians deserve no less. Doctors want a better health care system that serves the best interests of society. That is, a Medicare program that delivers economic fairness, exercises fiscal restraint and promotes innovation. All without restricting or limiting access to care. And, moreover, do so while benefiting the nearly 5 million Medicare beneficiaries who occupy our state. Ensuring that patients continue to have access to local doctors should be a top priority in Washington. Fixing our broken Medicare program and, for that matter, the broader health care system will take time but this is one step that can be taken immediately. Treating local doctors like all other Medicare participants so that our most vulnerable patients can continue to visit the highly trained clinicians they trust their lives to is essential. But to ensure this continues to happen both in the near future and for generations to come, we should begin by passing the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act. Shawn Baca, M.D., of Delray Beach, is a rheumatologist and a board member of the Palm Beach Medical Society This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Doctor: Florida healthcare needs Medicare pricing at 2023 levels Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday he is ready to work with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to promote better integration and mutual improvement of the modernization process in China and Singapore. The remarks were made in his congratulatory message to Tharman Shanmugaratnam on his assuming office as president of Singapore. This photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows an exterior view of the venue for the fifth China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit in southwest China's Chongqing. [Photo/Xinhua] Noting that China and Singapore are each other's friendly neighbor and important partner for cooperation, Xi said that with concerted efforts of both sides, China and Singapore have jointly blazed a trail of success featuring mutual learning and win-win cooperation, which gives a strong boost to their respective development and rejuvenation, and also sets an example for cooperation among countries in the region. This year, China-Singapore relations have been elevated to an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership, charting the course for the high-level development of bilateral relations in the new era, Xi said. The Chinese president said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Singapore relations and is ready to establish a good working relationship with Tharman Shanmugaratnam to bring China-Singapore relations to new levels, promote better integration and mutual improvement of the modernization process, so as to bring more benefits to their people and make greater contributions to regional peace, prosperity and stability. Clarification: The S.C. Attorney General's Office, and state prosecutors, originally reported to The Hampton County Guardian/Greenville News and other media outlets that Cory Fleming was sentenced to 20 years. However, the AG's Office has now clarified Judge Clifton Newman's sentence order, which is for only ten years total time in state prison. Weeping, standing shackled before a state circuit court judge in blue and gray striped prison garb and facing up to a theoretical 195 years in prison and $8 million in fines, dishonored Beaufort attorney Cory H. Fleming pleaded for leniency. But Judge Clifton Newman , who is presiding over all of the S.C. State Grand Jury cases involving convicted family murderer and confessed fraudster Alex Murdaugh and his tight ring of co-conspirators, was not sympathetic. "I believe in justice and mercy," said Newman. "Leniency is not my responsibility." Newman, who had presided over Murdaugh's six-week double murder trial in Walterboro and dispended double life sentences, held court once more Thursday this time in Beaufort County and all of the key players were in the same hall of justice at once: Fleming, Murdaugh, and former banker Russell Laffitte. Cory Fleming stands for sentencing with his attorney Deborah Barbier. After federal prison sentence, Cory Fleming sentenced in state court For all of Fleming's state grand jury crimes, which he pleaded guilty to after copping a plea to similar federal charges, Newman sentenced him to a total of 10 years in state prison, to be served consecutively after he completes the nearly four years of federal prison time he is currently serving. This means that after his 46 months in Federal Correctional Institute Jesup in Georgia, Fleming must then serve 10 years in an S.C. state prison, with parole or time off likely for good behavior. Several of his crimes carry a mandatory 85-percent clause, which means he must serve at least 85 percent of that ten years, or 8.5 years, before he can be eligible for early release. For the multiple crimes of stealing from the family and estate of Gloria Satterfield, along with Murdaugh, Fleming was sentenced to ten years, to be served concurrently with the federal sentence. For the multiple crimes of stealing, along with Murdaugh, from the family and estate of Hakeem Pinckney, a deaf quadriplegic who later died after a horrific car crash, Fleming was sentenced to another ten years, to be served consecutively after his first state sentence. "Until I came down to the 14th Judicial Circuit, I had never sentenced a lawyer," said Newman, calling Fleming and Murdaugh's crimes "unprecedented" and "unimaginable." Newman handed down his sentence after hearing from a courtroom packed with Fleming's family, friends and supporters. "Everyone was here to tell me about the good, but we are here to deal with the bad, and this is as bad as it gets for a lawyer," said Newman. "This isn't about the good that Cory Fleming has done over time, but what this Cory Fleming has done." Newman said he would defer discussing the amount of restitution Fleming must pay to these victims until a later date, as the Sept. 14 hearing took most of a day. Justin Bamberg addresses the court. Creighton Waters, State of SC come out swinging at Cory Fleming Waters, the feisty USC Gamecock law school alum who made an international name for himself while prosecuting the Murdaugh murder case, appeared disappointed that he would not get to take Fleming's case to trial, but he came out swinging during the sentencing. The state and law enforcement had put numerous man-hours into investigating Fleming's connection to Murdaugh and their joint crimes, said Waters, and in the process uncovering other crimes allegedly committed by Fleming. When confronted with his crimes, Fleming originally tried to claim that he was a victim of Murdaugh's and was "recruited" and "duped" by him. But the state's evidence proved otherwise, added Waters, and prosecutors were not happy that Fleming had pleaded to one criminal count in federal court in August and was rewarded with what they considered a light sentence. Waters asked the court to give Fleming consecutive sentences for each group of crimes because he pleaded guilty in both state and federal courts only because he got "caught red-handed" and could not deny the evidence or the charges. Fleming then "thumbed his nose" at the state and went "down the street" to plead guilty to the feds and get a lighter sentence in a more comfortable prison. "A lawyer [who breaks the law] should not get one stop shopping for victimizing multiple people," argued Waters. "He should not get buy one, get one free... A lawyer should not have a decade of misconduct and have one-stop shopping." "You dont get to rob a bank, then run down the road and get caught, and then say, oh, heres the money," he added. "We cool now, right?" State prosecutors uncovered that Fleming was stealing checks from his clients going all the way back to 2012. In the Pinckney case, Fleming spent time with the injured family, going to their hospital bedside, then stole their money and went on a private jet jaunt with Murdaugh to the College World Series - only to bill it as a medical expense, said Waters. It was a shakedown, plain and simple," he added, and Fleming's claims of innocence or ignorance "defy common sense." "The whole thing stinks to high heaven." In all, Fleming stole $3.725 million from his victims, the state claims. With their clients at their backs, attorneys Justin Bamberg, at left, and Eric Bland address the press after Fleming's sentencing. Cory Fleming's victims speak out Tony Satterfield, the son of the late Gloria Satterfield, Murdaugh's former household employee whose death sparked Murdaugh's wrongful death insurance scheme, addressed the court and said that this case was a "life lesson for everybody." He added that he had forgiven Fleming. Satterfield's sister, Ginger Harriott Hadwin, said that her family had been hurt "tremendously" by Murdaugh, someone whom they considered "like family," and while she also forgave Fleming she felt he should be punished accordingly. Gloria did not die in vain her case brought out a lot of corruption, and things that were done to other people," she added. "Judge, we trust in you and your honor and know that you will make the right decision. Attorney Justin Bamberg, who represented the Pinckney victims, said that while it was clear Fleming regretted his actions and getting caught, he did not believe Fleming was truly remorseful. Fleming tearfully addresses the court, backed by supporters Several people spoke on Fleming's behalf during the sentencing - family members, friends, former law colleagues, his paralegal, his fellow YMCA volunteers and even his tenants. Many other people from Beaufort County wrote letters and sent emails to the judge. Some Fleming supporters called him "Uncle Cory" even though he wasn't family. People spoke about his character, work ethic, and devotion to the community and helping others. One person talked about how he represented their family in a criminal case pro bono, another talked about how he helped her when her pipes had frozen on Christmas morning. One woman said that she spent time with Fleming sharing Bible scripture. "He's a good person who makes very bad decisions," said his attorney, Deborah Barbier, who then pointed to the fact that his victims had expressed forgiveness. "We are all better than our worst decision." Fleming has voluntarily submitted his resignations to the Georgia and South Carolina bar associations and "will never practice law again," she added. Barbier also stated that no individual should have to serve separate sentences for the same crimes, and pleaded with the court for a 46-month concurrent sentence that would match the federal sentence. Then Fleming spoke on his own behalf, and initial sniffles broke into full sobs. "I made some terrible decisions, and I broke the law. There are no excuses and I place the blame on my own shoulders... I want this court to know my regrets." To the Satterfields, he said that their mother was a good woman and they deserved a better lawyer who had their best interests at heart. He then apologized to the Pinckneys, his legal peers, and his family. "I will spend the rest of my life regretting the shame and turmoil I've inflicted on my family. Your honor, I know I deserved to be punished and I take full responsibility for my conduct." After several references to the federal sentence, Judge Newman responded, "I don't defer to the federal court system in making my decisions." Attorneys react to Cory Fleming sentencing Following the sentencing, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson issued a press statement: In South Carolina, no one is above the law. Were pleased with Cory Flemings sentencing and hope his victims feel a little relief today. Our office has worked tirelessly on this case, just like the rest of the Murdaugh-related cases, and we are committed to seeing each and everyone through to the end. Bamberg and Satterfield attorney Eric Bland held an impromptu press conference after the sentencing. They called it a "robust" presentation by the AG's Office and added that he was "proud of our state" for standing strong and not bowing to the federal government. Alex Murdaugh entering the Beaufort County Courthouse on Thursday. Trial date set for Murdaugh's financial crimes Earlier in the hearing, Newman met with attorneys to set a trial date for Murdaugh's more than 100 financial and drug crimes. Over the objections of Murdaugh's attorney Richard Harpootlian, Murdaugh's next state criminal trial is set for the week of Nov. 27 in Beaufort County. However, Murdaugh is set to plead guilty to similar federal charges on Sept. 21 in Charleston, so that trial may not be needed if Murdaugh also decides to plead guilty to the state charges. Murdaugh, is currently serving two life sentences for the murders of his family, appeared in court only briefly wearing an orange S.C. Detention Center jumpsuit, and then was led out of the room before other cases were heard. No date set for Murdaugh co-conspirator Russell Laffitte Citing their busy schedules and a pending federal appeal for convicted banker Russell Laffitte, his attorneys pleaded with the court for more time. Newman said he would revisit scheduling Laffitte's state trial for another month to six weeks. Meanwhile, Laffitte, convicted in November 2022 on federal fraud charges, is set to begin serving his seven-year federal sentence at FCI Coleman in Florida on Sept. 21, unless his sentencing appeal is granted. Hampton County Guardian Editor Michael DeWitt, the Greenville News and USA TODAY Network will continue to follow the ongoing criminal and civil cases surrounding the Murdaugh crime saga. Follow DeWitt on Twitter at @mmdewittjr and support his local and national journalism with a digital subscription. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Murdaugh accomplice Fleming sentenced to 10 years in SC prison DERNA, Libya (AP) The death toll in Libya's coastal city of Derna has soared to 11,300 as search efforts continue following a massive flood fed by the breaching of two dams in heavy rains, the Libyan Red Crescent said Thursday. Marie el-Drese, the aid group's secretary-general, told The Associated Press by phone that a further 10,100 people are reported missing in the Mediterranean city. Health authorities previously put the death toll in Derna at 5,500. The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country. The flooding swept away entire families in Derna on Sunday night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has been mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. UN on Libya flood deaths: most deaths could have been avoided Here's a look at where things stand:WHAT HAPPENED IN LIBYA? Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night, residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea. A U.N. official said Thursday that most casualties could have been avoided. If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings," World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva. "The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out the evacuation. The WMO said earlier this week that the National Meteorological Center issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all governmental authorities by email and through media. Officials in eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm, and on Saturday, they ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams collapsing. HOW DOES CONFLICT IN LIBYA AFFECT THE DISASTER? The startling devastation reflected the storms intensity, but also Libyas vulnerability. Oil-rich Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade one in the east, the other in the capital, Tripoli and one result has been the widespread neglect of infrastructure. The two dams that collapsed outside Derna were built in the 1970s. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million euros for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. Libya's Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged the maintenance issues during a Cabinet meeting Thursday and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the dams' collapse. The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas. While the Tobruk-based government of eastern Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid.WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? Derna has begun burying its dead, mostly in mass graves, said eastern Libyas health minister, Othman Abduljaleel on Thursday. More than 3,000 bodies were buried by Thursday morning, the minister said, while another 2,000 were still being processed, He said most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were transferred to nearby towns and cities. Abduljaleel said rescue teams were still searching wrecked buildings in the city center, and divers were combing the sea off Derna. Untold numbers could be buried under drifts of mud and debris, including overturned cars and chunks of concrete, that rise up to 4 meters (13 feet) high. Rescuers have struggled to bring in heavy equipment as the floods washed out or blocked roads leading to the area. Libya's eastern based parliament, The House of Representatives, on Thursday approved an emergency budget of 10 billion Libyan dinars roughly $2 billion to address the flooding and help those affected. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED? As of Thursday, the Libyan Red Crescent said that 11,300 people have been killed, and a further 10,100 are reported missing. However, local officials suggested that the death toll could be much higher than announced. In comments to the Saudi-owned Al Arabia television station on Thursday, Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi said the tally could climb to 20,000 given the number of neighborhoods that were washed out. The storm also killed around 170 people in other parts of eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj, the health minister said. The dead in eastern Libya included at least 84 Egyptians, whose remains were transferred to their home country on Wednesday. More than 70 came from one village in the southern province of Beni Suef. Libyan media also said dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster.IS HELP REACHING SURVIVORS? The floods have displaced at least 30,000 people in Derna, according to the U.N.s International Organization for Migration, and several thousand others were forced to leave their homes in other eastern towns, it said. The floods damaged or destroyed many access roads to Derna, hampering the arrival of international rescue teams and humanitarian assistance. Local authorities were able to clear some routes, and humanitarian convoys have been able to enter the city over the past couple of days. The U.N. humanitarian office issued an emergency appeal for $71.4 million to respond to urgent needs of 250,000 Libyans most affected. The office, known as OCHA, estimated that approximately 884,000 people in five provinces live in areas directly affected by the rain and flooding. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it has provided 6,000 body bags to local authorities, as well as medical, food and other supplies distributed to hard-hit communities. International aid started to arrive earlier this week in Benghazi, 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of Derna. Several countries have sent aid and rescue teams, including neighboring Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Italy dispatched a naval vessel on Thursday carrying humanitarian aid and two navy helicopters to be used for search and rescue operations. President Joe Biden said the United States would send money to relief organizations and coordinate with Libyan authorities and the United Nations to provide additional support. ___ Associated Press journalists Samy Magdy in Cairo and Jack Jeffery in London contributed to this report. ___ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Libya floods: Death toll soars to 11,300 in Derna, aid group says A Southwest Florida woman who took a dip off a pier Monday morning while leaving her kid in the car ended up behind bars, the Lee County Sheriffs Office said. A police report says that deputies responded to Captain Cons Fish House restaurant in Bokeelia, on the northern tip of Pine Island, at 10:35 a.m. The call involved an unattended child. The witness reported seeing a woman park her 2007 Silver Honda Pilot near the pier, turn the radio up all the way, then jump into the bay. READ MORE: Florida woman leaves child in hot car to go to Walmart The witness said at first he did not notice that there was a child in the vehicle and watched as the woman swam around for about 20 minutes. When he did check her car, he noticed the engine and air conditionmer were running, and a small child was crawling around inside, so he called 911. While on the phone with the emergency operator, the witness saw the woman begin to make her way even farther away from land. The deputy noted that he needed binoculars to spot the woman. READ MORE: Florida mom left kids in car to shoplift. Car catches fire Another witness reported that fishermen in boats were warning her about dangers in the water, such as fishing hooks as well as possible sharks. The suspect reportedly yelled back at them that she didnt care, because she wanted to get hooked and would want to meet sharks, the witness said, according to the report. Fire and paramedic crews soon arrived to check on the child, who did not appear to be in any distress. The Boca Grande Marine Unit made contact with the woman and brought her aboard their vessel. Once ashore, the woman, 41, admitted to leaving her child in the car but thought it was OK because the A/C was on. The mother was charged with child neglect. She was taken to the Lee County Jail on $500 bond. The uninjured child was turned over to the father. A new Florida Department of Education employee whos reaching out to conservative school board members makes $126,000 a year, a salary funded by a federal grant designed to boost well-rounded educational opportunities, health and safety and effective use of technology. Terry Stoops was tapped in April to head the departments new office of Academically Successful and Resilient Districts. Most of his contacts during his first months on the job were to school board members whod been endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and representatives of conservative groups, his emails and calendar show. In April, for example, he met several school board members at a Learn Right summit in Sarasota spearheaded by a founder of Moms for Liberty, the conservative group launched in Florida and focused on schools. He emailed more than a dozen school board members endorsed by the governor in the 2022 election cycle and others who had the backing of Moms for Liberty, including Alicia Farrant, elected to the Orange County School Board in November. And in May, Stoops met with the Herzog Foundation; its goal is Advancing Christian Education. The education department did not respond to several requests for information about Stoops role or how his work meshed with the purpose of the federal grant. In an email, spokeswoman Cassie Palelis only said Stoops was a contract employee offering day-to-day guidance and best practices to school board members and superintendents. The U.S. Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment on Floridas use of the federal funds. DeSantis, who is running for president, told Fox News in June that if elected he would try to abolish the federal education department and other agencies. If Congress would not approve doing that, Im going to use those agencies to push back against woke ideology and against the leftism we see creeping into all institutions of American life, he said in that interview on June 28. Keeping politics out of the classroom will be very difficult if we cannot keep partisan politics off our school boards and out of our Department of Education, wrote Sue Woltanski, a Monroe County School Board member, in a blog post about Stoops. In an interview, Woltanski said she has not been contacted by Stoops nor has she heard others on the Monroe school board which she described as old-fashioned and apolitical mention theyd been either. But if Stoops goal is to help Florida school boards, then his help needs to be widespread, she said. I believe he should be coming and giving all of us the information, she said, not just to school board members who signed onto to fulfill the DeSantis education agenda. Stoops office is paid for with federal grant money sent to Florida through the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, according to the University of South Florida, which provides some business and fiscal services to the state education department, including the acquisition of staff for the new office of Academically Successful and Resilient Districts. Six positions in all Stoops earns $126,000, and two other employees in his office get salaries of $86,000 and $78,000, respectively, said Althea Johnson, a USF spokesperson, in an email. Three other positions in Stoops office are to be filled, too. The education department is responsible for selecting the job candidates, conducting interviews and deciding who to hire, Johnson wrote. Florida received nearly $69 million from the federal Title IV, Part A grant program for the 2022-23 school year, according to data from the U.S. education department. Ninety-five percent of the money was slated for school districts, but states could use the balance for statewide activities. All the money was to go toward initiatives that support well-rounded educational opportunities, improve conditions for student learning by focusing on health and safety and boost the effective use of technology as a way to improve academic performance, the departments website shows. Stoops, who started his job April 4, could not be reached for comment. In emails to board members, he wrote that he was focused exclusively on serving school board members, though the April and May emails and calendars show no interest in board members who did not share conservative political views. The Orlando Sentinel in early August made a public records request for any additional emails and calendars for Stoops but has not received them. Stoops also met with people who were not school board members but seemed to share his political views. For example, he attended a virtual meeting about American Birthright, a blueprint for how to teach students social studies that embraces the ideals of conservative Americans. Stoops, who spent nearly two decades in North Carolina mostly working on education policy for the conservative John Locke Foundation, was on the executive committee that helped devise American Birthright, which was released last year. Fighting woke agenda DeSantis made education a key part of his gubernatorial race last year, and in a move unprecedented in modern Florida politics inserted himself into local, and non-partisan, school board races. The governor surveyed candidates and endorsed those who promised to advance his agenda and combat the woke agenda from infiltrating public schools. Since taking office, DeSantis has signed new laws that limit discussions on race, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. That has prompted schools to pull books from classrooms and libraries fearful their content violates the legislation. Megan Wright, who defeated Misty Belford then chair of the Brevard County School Board in last years election, met Stoops at the conservative summit in Sarasota and later had a follow-up meeting with him, according to his calendar, obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read Project through a public records request and shared with the Sentinel. Wright, who had endorsements from DeSantis and Moms for Liberty, called Stoops office a huge blessing and said she likes that she has someone in Tallahassee she can call with questions. Its helpful to have a resource in the department of education, she said. Jacqueline Rosario, an Indian River School Board member re-elected in 2022 with DeSantis endorsement, agreed. I think its fantastic, she said. Its a great opportunity for all board members. Rosario also met Stoops at the Leadership Institutes Learn Right gathering in Sarasota. Bridget Ziegler, a Sarasota County School Board member and Moms for Liberty founder, is a national director for the institute. The summit drew Sen. Rick Scott, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and other GOP leaders as well as hundreds of school board members who were told it was a chance to reclaim your school board and meet with other like-minded individuals who share your commitment to conservative values. In late April, Stoops met with Jordan Adams, a former Hilldale College employee who has started an education consulting business and last year was asked to weigh in on whether math textbooks proposed for Florida classrooms contained critical race theory. Hillsdale, a conservative Christian school in Michigan, has strong ties to the DeSantis administration. Whats right for kids Tyler Brandeburg is a Lake County School Board member who was appointed by DeSantis to fill a seat left open after a board member resigned last summer. He then won re-election in November. He was contacted by Stoops and set up an online meeting, though Stoops had a conflict, so Brandeburg met with his deputy. In the meeting, the official offered help but provided few specifics, he said. I havent heard from any of them since then, Brandeburg said. DeSantis decision to appoint him to the board was helpful and appreciated, but Brandeburg said he and other Lake board members arent very interested in political debates. Theyd prefer, he added, a quieter focus on doing whats right for kids. Detectives on Friday arrested a special education teacher aide accused of sexually abusing a child in an incident that reportedly took place at the Folsom school where he worked, police said. Gary Spencer Jimenez Jr., of Folsom, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping of a child younger than 14 years old, oral copulation by force or fear of bodily injury and committing a lewd act on a child younger than 14 using force, violence or duress, the Folsom Police Department said in a news release. Jimenez, 23, worked as a a special education teacher aide for Folsom Cordova Unified School District, and the incident occurred two weeks ago at Folsom Middle School, police said. On Aug. 31, school district officials notified police about an incident reported on the Folsom Middle School campus earlier that day. Police said detectives determined that Jimenez had sexually abused a child. Jimenez was arrested on a warrant and booked Friday morning into the Sacramento County Main Jail. His bail was set at $1.4 million. Jail records show he is scheduled to appear for his arraignment Tuesday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court. During the final months of the previous school year, Jimenez was employed through a temp agency, Folsom police said. Detectives know he had been placed through that temp agency at Oak Chan Elementary School, also in Folsom. Other than the two Folsom Cordova Unified schools, the detectives believe Jimenez may have been temporarily employed at other area school districts, police said. The news release did not specify which districts he may have worked for. The criminal charges he faces stem from acts that are believed to have taken place at Folsom Middle School, according to the news release. The Police Department did not release any further details about the ongoing investigation. Investigators asked anyone with information relevant to this investigation to call Detective Patrick Thibeault at 916-312-1174. Tips can also be made by calling the Folsom Police Department tip line at 916-930-1098. (Bloomberg) -- David McCormick , the former Bridgewater Associates chief executive officer, will likely seek the Republican nomination for US Senate in Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Most Read from Bloomberg He would be looking to take the seat now held by Bob Casey, a three-term Democrat and son of a former governor, as Republicans aim to take control of the Senate in next years elections. Democrats now control the chamber, 51-49. The AP, citing unnamed sources, said McCormick, 58, had told people he planned to run and would announce his intentions next week. This would be his second foray into Pennsylvania politics. Last year, he lost a close Republican primary race to celebrity physician Mehmet Oz, who had the support of former President Donald Trump. Oz was later defeated by the Democratic candidate, John Fetterman. McCormicks entry into the 2024 Senate contest had been widely anticipated, he has been strongly encouraged to run by Senator Steve Daines of Montana, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Early this year, McCormick published a book in which he argued the right leadership could meld the Republican Partys traditional conservatism with its populist energy. Earlier: McCormick Dishes on Clash With Trump as He Weighs New Senate Bid During the primary battle with Oz, Trump dismissed McCormick as a liberal Wall Street Republican. In the book, he said he was surprised by the attacks because he supported many of the former presidents policies, had interviewed to be his Treasury secretary, and his wife, Dina Powell McCormick, served as his deputy national security adviser. McCormick, a West Point graduate, served in the first Gulf War and later was a deputy national security advisor under President George W. Bush. --With assistance from Laura Litvan. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Former Los Angeles Dodgers MVP Steve Garvey is considering a bid for Sen. Dianne Feinstein s (D-Calif.) Senate seat after she retires following the 2024 elections, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. Several GOP state party insiders and operatives told the outlet that Garvey, who played first base for the Dodgers and San Diego Padres for nearly 20 years beginning in the late 1960s, would run as a Republican. They said he has been meeting with Republican donors and leaders throughout the state and will likely decide whether to run in about the next month. Andy Gharakhani, a Republican strategist who is advising Garvey, confirmed to the Times that Garvey is considering running. He is being contacted by leaders up and down the state, Gharakhani said. Theyre recruiting him to run from both sides, Republican and Democrat, and hes seriously considering it. The strategist also said Garvey would run on issues surrounding the cost of living and public safety. Several prominent Democrats have already thrown their hat into the ring to run for the seat being vacated by Feinstein, who has held the seat for three decades. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee have all declared their bids for the seat. Eric Early, a Los Angeles attorney, is also running for the seat as a Republican. Multiple people who spoke to Garvey told the Times that he is aware of the steep odds he is facing to win in California a state where registered Democrats overwhelmingly outnumber registered Republicans. But he said the GOP needs to have a prominent name leading its ticket for the seat. Californias electoral system provides for the two top-performing candidates from the primary to advance to the general election, regardless of party identification. A World Series champion with the Dodgers in 1981, Garvey is a 10-time All Star and won four Gold Glove awards during his career. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A former lieutenant at the Sarasota County Sheriffs Office was arrested for insurance fraud on Friday. Neil Wilson has been on administrative leave since Sept. 6 after an investigation was made by the Florida Department of Financial Services for a suspected fraudulent workers compensation claim. The claim spanned 13 months and had a paid-to-date amount of $30,522. The total amount incurred was $64,033. More: 'Only cocaine:' Man dies in Sarasota deputies' custody after reportedly ingesting cocaine In case you missed it: Multiple people involved in North Port gas station shooting, police say The Department of Financial Services presented the case to the State Attorneys Office, which filed one count of workers compensation fraud, a second-degree felony. Wilson had worked for the Sheriffs Office since January 1998. The Sarasota County Sheriffs Office holds its employees to a high standard of conduct and behavior, Sheriffs Office representative Dana Judge said in a statement. The actions demonstrated by Mr. Wilson do not reflect the vision of the agency or its values of integrity, respect, service, and fairness. As such, the Sheriffs Office recognizes the importance of informing the public of our commitment to the community and to ensure we strictly adhere to those values. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Former Sarasota Sheriff lieutenant arrested for insurance fraud An ex-Scottsdale police detective was sentenced to two years of supervised probation after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and felony endangerment after crashing into a vehicle stopped at a red light while intoxicated in 2022. Former Scottsdale police detective Michael Lanouar was driving in his assigned detective vehicle while off-duty near Pima and Indian School roads on Nov. 4, 2022, when he struck another vehicle, injuring its occupants and both vehicles. Lanouar was arrested then on suspicion of DUI. Scottsdale police investigated the incident criminally and internally and completed the latter investigation on Jan. 12, prior to Lanouar's indictment, and demoted Lanouar from police officer to detention officer. Former Scottsdale police detective Michael Lanouar was sentenced to two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to DUI and felony endangerment following an incident where he struck another vehicle with a car while intoxicated. Lab results of Lanouar's blood showed he had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.198% and police recommended aggravated assault and endangerment charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Since the indictment, the department placed Lanouar on non-disciplinary suspension while the department re-evaluated his employment. He eventually resigned from the department on March 20. Lanouar was also sentenced to 10 days in jail for the DUI charge, with nine of the days suspended and potentially excused pending the completion of his substance abuse treatment. He was credited for the one day in jail he already served. Scottsdale police declined to comment further on Lanouar's arrest and referred all future inquiries to the attorney's office. During Thursday's sentencing hearing, the attorney for Danny Stites, one of the vehicle's occupants, read a letter written by him. The letter stated he suffered a broken ankle due to the collision and could barely walk. Stites, who was visiting from Florida with his wife, said he was also recovering from hip replacement surgery when the incident occurred and that much of his free time had been spent in doctor's appointments, physical therapy and chiropractor sessions. "The shocking thing to me is that all this was caused by a police officer," Stites wrote. "A police officer who was intoxicated over two times the legal limit." Stites said Lanouar initially told him that other vehicles were involved in the collision and accused Stites of helping cause the crash by suddenly braking. Lanouar's attorney, Benjamin Green, said his client was a decorated war veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and shouldn't have his life defined by an unfortunate mistake. "It's not an excuse, but we do give people a break that have been through things in their lives that may cause them to act and have certain behaviors," Green told the judge. "No one is perfect. Even though he is a Scottsdale detective and decorated war (veteran) he's not perfect. He made a mistake." Green also suggested the two occupants of the vehicle Lanouar struck were exaggerating the severity of their injuries in an attempt to get him a harsher sentence and themselves a higher payout. "The body cam video shows Mr. Stites walking around as I showed you in the back of that room," Green said. "Standing for long minutes, long periods of time. Well, that's a different story than what he's telling us here today in his letters." Green said his client also wanted to work jobs that involve training law enforcement and noted Lanouar would only use "dummy weapons" as opposed to actual firearms, which he is now barred from owning or using due to his felony conviction. Lanouar himself gave a statement to the judge expressing his remorse and desire to rehabilitate himself. "Hearing Mr. and Mrs. Stite's letter, there is truth in that," Lanouar said. "I did let them down. I let the public down. I let my agency down. I let myself down. I take complete responsibility for what happened. I put myself in that situation and because of that I lost everything I worked 20 years and all the training and all the stuff that I've done all the stuff I put myself through I've lost all of that. And I deserve it." Green declined to provide additional comment to The Arizona Republic following the proceedings. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Scottsdale detective gets 2 years probation for DUI conviction Ferries flowing into history in remote China Xinhua) 09:39, September 15, 2023 This aerial photo taken on July 11, 2023 shows a view of a section of the Wujiang River in Zhucang Township of Weng'an County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) GUIYANG, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Lu Xiyong treasures a photograph capturing him holding a bamboo pole to push the ferry away from the shore. The photo was taken in 2022. On that very day, he returned the boat he had worked on for 18 years to the government, bidding farewell to his days as a ferryman. Lu, 60, lives in Fengyan, a small village next to Wujiang River in Weng'an County, located in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Situated on the eastern side of Wumeng Mountain, Wujiang River is considered the mother river of Guizhou. The flowing river water has nourished neighboring villages while also hindering the travel of villagers. During the days of poor road infrastructure, ferries served as a primary mode of transportation for locals. However, with the expansion of rural road networks in the mountainous areas, ferries have gradually faded into history. Shuangchi Ferry Dock, where Lu used to work, had a history of up to a century. "Villagers turned to ferries when visiting relatives or going to market fairs. It was normal to ferry more than a dozen times a day," Lu recalled. "But the road conditions alongside the river were poor. It took up to an hour for villagers to trek to the dock." Lu said he cannot recall precisely when the decline in ferry passengers began. After the road facilities improved, it's now only a 10-minute drive to the dock. "More roads mean less demand for ferries," he said, adding that less cargo was delivered by ferries. In addition to farming, Lu now volunteers to collect garbage from the river water. Lu Xiyong (R) and Ran Maoying, Lu's wife, clean up floating garbage on the Wujiang River in Zhucang Township of Weng'an County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) Huang Jiangkai, deputy head of the county's transport bureau, said the county has formed a road network of six expressways and more than 1,500 km of rural roads. "Ferries have been replaced by roads," said Huang, adding that the number of ferry docks in the county's four townships along the river has declined from 11 to one since 2022. In Yuqing County, Maluo Ferry Dock is one of the only four ferry docks that are still in operation, while the other 23 have all closed. Shang Kongli and his wife are the third generation of his family engaged in the ferry business. Shang said that their business was running well when they took over from their uncle in 2011, with dozens of passengers crossing the river daily during peak periods. In 2015, when an expressway became operational, cutting the travel time from their village to the other side of the river to half, the number of villagers using the ferry dwindled significantly. To make a living, Shang decided to leave the ferry boat to his wife and he went to the provincial capital Guiyang to find a job. Song Meimai, Shang's wife, was engaged in orange farming to earn extra income. According to Song, while enhanced transportation options have impacted the ferry business, they have also been compensated for their losses in another way. This aerial photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows the Wujiang grand bridge, a main project on the expressway linking Dejiang and Yuqing, in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) "In the past, I had to carry oranges, pigs and other agricultural products down the mountain for sale. Now, the buyers can directly drive to our doorstep, saving much time and making the sale much easier," said Song, 33. Gao Zhan, a transportation official in the county, said that over 2,000 km of rural roads have been built in the county, and every township is accessible via an expressway within a 20-minute drive. "Wujiang River is no longer an obstacle for transportation. Ferries have gradually become history," said Gao. China, with a vast rural area, has built or upgraded 1.25 million km of rural roads over the past five years. All townships and villages where conditions permit are now connected by paved roads and linked to bus networks, according to the government work report released earlier this year. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) You are here: World Flash China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday urged the United States to stop all forms of military ties with Taiwan. Spokesperson Tan Kefei made the remarks when commenting on information about Taiwan's recent military interaction with the United States, including a reported plan to buy mine-laying systems from the United States. "We firmly oppose the United States conducting any form of official contact with China's Taiwan region and selling weapons to the island," Tan said. The collusion between Taiwan and the United States will harm and even destroy Taiwan, Tan said, stressing that obstinately relying on the United States to seek "Taiwan independence" will only push Taiwan to the brink of war. The Chinese People's Liberation Army has always been on high alert and will resolutely defeat any secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and attempts of external interference, Tan said. Enditem SAN DIEGO A former employee at the San Diego State University Aztec Shops tested positive for tuberculosis, the university confirmed on Thursday. According to the university, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency notified the school of the case, prompting them to notify individuals who might have been exposed to the employee from Feb. 22 to June 22 of this year. As people who become ill with TB may be sick for months before they are diagnosed, potential exposure windows can be long, and are shared out of an abundance of caution, SDSU said in an email Thursday to the campus community. No-cost testing has been organized for employees at the Aztec Shops who have been identified as close contacts. At this time, there have been no additional cases reported. Possible exposure occurred primarily at the Charles B. Bell Jr. Pavilion, according to HHSA. No classroom spaces were impacted with the exposure, according to the university. American Red Cross calls on San Diegans to donate blood amid national shortage Tuberculosis is an air-borne disease caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria primarily attacks the lungs, but can also have an impact on other parts of the body such as the kidney, spine and brain. Symptoms of active tuberculosis may include persistent coughing, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss. If not treated, tuberculosis may be fatal, the CDC says. Health officials encourage those that may be experiencing symptoms consistent with tuberculosis to see a medical provider right away to test for an infection. Members of the SDSU community that have questions about the positive test are encouraged to contact the university at healthadvisory@sdsu.edu or the county HHSA department at 619-302-5382 or 619-261-1243. There is no further information at this time about the positive case or the employees current condition. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Two former Visalia narcotics detectives will not serve prison time after they were accused of a slew of crimes in 2018, and later arrested. In fact, they won't serve anymore jail time, either. Despite the 48-count grand jury indictment filed against the men in 2020, Shane Logan and Bryan Ferreira pleaded guilty to one felony count of falsifying a police report and were sentenced to time served along with probation. Logan spent one day in jail following the arrest, while Ferreira spent four days behind bars. Logan and Ferreira will also be on probation for a year, according to Tulare County District Attorney officials. "We owe a debt of thanks to Tulare Police Department and district attorneys for bringing these two defendants to justice," Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Underwood said. Bryan Ferreira and Shane Logan were in court on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. The co-defendants faced charges of falsifying police reports, conspiracy, and perjury under the "color of authority." Logan faced 11 years in prison plus one year of local jail time and Ferreira faced 34 years plus six years of local jail time. Part of the issue prosecutors faced was finding reputable witnesses to testify against the former Visalia officers. Although the defendants will not see the inside of a cell, prosecutors say that the men were brought to justice. As part of the agreement, the men surrendered their Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) certificates, "effectively and permanently prohibiting them from working as police officers in California," prosecutors stated. "It was very important to get an admission of wrongdoing. It was a goal to ensure they can no longer be peace officers," Underwood said. "This plea ensured both of those things." Underwood hopes the case will deter future police officers, who "may engage in dishonest conduct." Allegations of misconduct The investigation into the officer's alleged crimes began in Tulare after the Visalia officers, part of the Special Enforcement Unit, served a series of search warrants. Tulare officers said they weren't notified of the busts, although such notification is common courtesy when one agency goes into another's city. Investigators said police reports didn't match up and found alleged drug deals claimed to obtain search warrants that never happened. After six months of investigation, the Tulare officers said detectives uncovered dozens of allegations of misconduct stemming from evidence and interviews from confidential informants. Logan and Ferreira were placed on administrative leave and later fired from Visalia Police Department. The detectives had patrolled the streets for more than a decade each. Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar called the actions "sad and disappointing." He added that the actions should not reflect on the police department. "We are angry about it and we will deal with it," Salazar said in 2018. "Our mission doesn't change." As a result of the charges, prosecutors had to dismiss at least 40 criminal cases that Logan and Ferreira worked on. At the time of their arrests, District Attorney Tim Ward said he couldn't recall a time when prosecutors had to dismiss so many cases. Grand jury indictment The Tulare County District Attorney's Office decided to forego a preliminary hearing because new evidence surfaced after the original complaint was filed in November 2018. In January 2020, a Tulare County Grand Jury handed down a multi-count indictment. The original complaint was dismissed in favor of the indictment. The 48-count indictment included charges of filing a false report, conspiracy to commit a crime, and perjury by declaration, unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, embezzlement and falsification of accounts by a public officer. For Ferreira, two serious felonies were added to his case including forced oral copulation and oral copulation under color of authority. Defense attorneys argued that many of the search warrants had legal errors and the evidence shouldn't be allowed at trial. During a hearing in July 2020, the attorneys asked the lead investigator why he didn't provide more evidence in his probable cause reports and why he left out certain information he'd gathered. "I put in the facts," Tulare Sgt. Raymond Guerrero said. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Former Visalia detectives plead guilty to falsify police reports Former Wagner Group soldiers are being forced to seek out new employment, per Russian reports. After Yevgeny Prigozhin 's plane crashed, many of them were told to seek new jobs, Russian media said. One soldier has started a taxi company named after the notorious mercenary group. Former fighters in the Russian mercenary outfit the Wagner Group are being forced to turn to new careers after the implosion of their group, including one who has started a taxi company named after his former employer, according to reports. Valery Bogdanov, a resident of Bolotnoye in Russia's southern Novosibirsk region, has even printed business cards using the Wagner Group's emblem of a grinning skull against a set of wings, Russian outlet VN.ru reported. Bogdanov was reported by the outlet to have left Ukraine in May, which is when a large concentration of Wagner troops pulled out of the Donetsk city of Bakhmut although it is not clear exactly where he fought. According to the Daily Beast, Bogdanov has five convictions for robbery and theft. VN.ru reported that his taxi business has one car, but he plans to expand. In chat groups, former Wagner soldiers are complaining that they're being turned away from jobs at factories and defense outfits, and being forced into driving taxis or courier work, the Beast reported. Many troops from the notoriously vicious mercenary group have been left at a loose end following the presumed death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to Russian independent outlet Important Stories. Both Prigozhin and the rumored co-founder of the Wagner Group, Dmitry Utkin, were on the passenger list of the flight that plunged catastrophically to earth on August 23, 2023. According to Important Stories, at the end of August unnamed remaining representatives of the group told fighters to find new careers because the Russian army proper would not take them back to fight in Ukraine. They were not being allowed to fight in the war against Ukraine due to "well-known circumstances," the representative said, according to The Daily Beast's translation. In June, Prigozhin led a failed rebellion against President Vladimir Putin, going into exile soon after. The representative told fighters to either wait "or search for other ways to make money," according to the report. The representative also said the group had been forced to look for more opportunities in Africa and the Middle East, Important Stories reported. In the Central African Republic visited by Prigozhin just days before his plane crashed Wagner troops are continuing to fight but are being slowly replaced by local soldiers, Middle East Eye reported, citing anonymous sources opposed to the country's government. Prigozhin's trip there had seen him meet with the republic's president, Faustin-Archange Touadera, with Prigozhin trying to persuade Touadera, in the face of new moves from the Kremlin, that his soldiers could still fight on Touadera's behalf, the outlet reported. Read the original article on Business Insider A former Wichita Police Department officers law enforcement license was revoked after she was accused of lying to supervisors about being under the influence of marijuana while on the job. Breanna Johnson was employed by the department from Jan. 11, 2021 to Feb. 17, 2023, according to a summary order of revocation from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training. The organization, also known as KS-CPOST, oversees law enforcement training and certification in Kansas. In a statement, Johnson said she used marijuana in 2022 to cope with PTSD after she was shot in the line of duty on Christmas Day in 2021. I wanted a 30-year career with the Wichita Police Department, however life had other plans, Johnson said. The summary order of revocation gives this account: On Dec. 12, 2022, a WPD employee noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from Johnson and reported it. Command staff interviewed Johnson and said that she appeared to be impaired. Johnson denied the accusation that she had used marijuana and said she would not test positive on a drug test. When she was tested, results came back positive for marijuana. Johnson then admitted that she lied to WPD command staff on December 12 when she stated that she had not used marijuana that day. Respondent also stated that she has no plans to discontinue her marijuana use. Johnson was a police officer in the department, WPD spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said in an email. He would not say if she had resigned or if she was terminated. In a statement emailed to The Eagle, Johnson said she started using marijuana to treat PTSD after being shot in the line of duty. Johnsons narrative coincides with a shooting that occurred at about 1 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2021 where two WPD officers were shot while following up on felony domestic violence case, The Eagle previously reported. The Eagle reached out to the Wichita Police Department for details on the shooting that Johnson said she was involved in but had not heard back. After the shooting, she was off patrol duty for the remainder of her time with the department. In 2022, my PTSD from the shooting became a very apparent issue, Johnson said. I became a shell of myself and was barely eating. I began smoking marijuana in an effort to ease the PTSD and to prevent an eating disorder from the occurring. She said she is seeking mental health care. I am unable to work in general at the moment. I cannot be in big crowds or even outside of my house without the PTSD occurring. At this point in time, I am looking to attend school for another degree, she said. My main priorities now are my kids, partner and ensuring that our household is stable. The Fort Worth Independent School District could be joining the growing list of districts across the state that are suing Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath over the Texas Education Agencys accountability ratings system, which is changing this year. The school board has called for a special meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday to consider joining the lawsuit, according to district spokesperson Cesar Padilla. The lawsuit revolves around a new criteria for grading schools that districts say will harm their performance ratings, even if performance improved, by way of retroactively changing the rules, the lawsuit filed on Aug. 23 reads. The A-F ratings for districts and schools are based on standardized test results, annual academic growth, graduation rates and more. Adjustments within the academic growth category are being made this year, as districts saw a big jump within the category in 2022 after students returning to the classroom following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Texas Tribune. TEA wanted to account for test scores rebounding to pre-pandemic levels and predicted steep declines in ratings if those factors werent addressed. The agency announced this week that it would be delaying the release of the ratings, originally scheduled for Sept. 28, by about a month. The agency said further re-examination of the baseline data was required to ensure ratings reflect the most appropriate goals for students. The final ratings methodology will be posted once this analysis of the growth data is complete, and about two weeks later, A-F ratings will be issued for parents, educators, and the public to use to help Texas schools continue to improve, the agency said in a statement. Crowley ISD was the only Tarrant County school district among the original districts that filed the lawsuit, and Dallas ISD joined it this week. The TEA has substantially changed the accountability ratings system in a manner that will impact every school district and campus in the state, meaning that the ratings expected to be issued in Fall 2023 for the 20222023 school year will be based on a different set of rules than previous AF ratings, and making it impossible to compare the ratings issued by the TEA in 2022 and 2023 side by side, the Dallas ISD resolution to join the lawsuit states. In the suit, filed in Travis County, the districts are asking for an injunction to prevent the TEA from issuing grades based on measures or methodology that was not available to the districts at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, when students took the tests that will be used to determine the ratings. The A-F accountability ratings system has been used since 2018, after the Texas Legislature approved it the previous year. This year will mark the first time the education commissioner has made substantial changes to the ratings formula, according to the lawsuit. A year after implementing a new plan, Fort Worth Independent School District officials can point to signs that an effort to keep students in school and give them a chance to work through behavior issues is paying off. But district records show the same racial disparities that existed in Fort Worth ISDs current discipline system played out in the new model, as well. Last year, Fort Worth ISD began using a new model for discipline at Metro Opportunity School, the districts alternative school. Under the new model, students who committed low-level offenses like using profanity were sent to a reset center, a designated room on campus where staff members trained in de-escalation were on hand to help them work through whatever problems were behind their behavior issues. When district leaders polled students who had been referred to the reset center, nearly half said the visit left them feeling less stressed and frustrated, and helped them go back into the classroom successfully later that day, said Karen Molinar, the districts deputy superintendent. District officials hoped the plan would help schools deal with a long-standing disparity in suspensions between Black students and their classmates. But data released by the school district in response to a record request by the Star-Telegram show that the same inequities existed under the new model: Black students made up a disproportionate number of referrals to the reset center last year. Black students suspended more often in FWISD, nationwide Fort Worth ISD launched the pilot program last year as one of several strategies for addressing disparities in discipline. For at least the past decade, Black students have represented nearly half of the districts suspensions, even though they made up only 20-25% of its overall enrollment, according to figures reported to the U.S. Department of Education and data released by the district last year in response to an open records request by the Star-Telegram. During the 2021-22 school year, 46% of the roughly 6,000 students the district suspended were Black, records show. But Black students made up only about 21% of the districts student body. That disparity isnt unique to Fort Worth. Across the country, Black students have made up a disproportionate share of out-of-school suspensions for years. According to a data snapshot released by researchers at New York University and Georgetown University in 2020, Black girls were more than four times as likely to be suspended as white girls during the 2017-18 school year. But in the reset center programs first year, Black students still made up an outsized share of the schools referrals to the center, district data show. One hundred of the 170 students who were referred to the reset center were Black, records show, or about 59%. About 47% of the students enrolled at the school last year were Black, district records show. Also noteworthy is the fact that Black students were drastically over-represented at the alternative school. While Black students generally represent about 20% of the district overall, they made up the largest single demographic group at Metro Opportunity last year. Latino students were a close second, with about 45%. But Molinar said not all of those reset center referrals were mandatory. In some cases, teachers sent students to the center because they were misbehaving, she said. But in other cases where a student wasnt behaving badly but seemed to be having a hard time, teachers offered them the option of going to the center to work through their problem, she said. How long students stayed in the center depended on what they needed, she said. Some students only stayed for a few minutes. Others were there for an hour or more, she said. Our goal is to keep them on the campus that day, and to get them back in the classroom, she said. District officials launched the program with the possibility of a future expansion in mind. Although that expansion is still possible, Molinar said its on hold following the administrative shakeup in Fort Worth ISDs central office. District leaders are giving the new student support service team a chance to evaluate all of the districts current programs before moving forward, she said. Among other strategies, the district also began working with students with behavior issues to find solutions other than suspension. For example, if a student got into trouble for fighting, the principal might talk to the student about what caused the altercation rather than suspending them automatically. If the fight was the result of a misunderstanding, principals might bring in intervention specialists to help students work through the conflict without suspending anyone. Molinar said the district saw a 3% decline in suspensions of Black students last year. Although she acknowledged that a decline of only 3% is nothing to trumpet, she said district officials hope its an indication that those strategies are beginning to work. Dallas ISD reset center plan also saw racial inequities The pilot program was modeled after a similar plan in the Dallas Independent School District, where school board members voted in 2021 to stop suspending students for low-level offenses and instead send them to reset centers. As in Fort Worth, school officials in Dallas hoped the plan would help narrow the disparity in suspensions. Before the change, nearly 52% of the students the district suspended were Black, but Black students made up only about 21% of the districts enrollment. At the end of the first semester after the change was implemented, district officials said there were indications that fewer students overall were being disciplined. But the same inequities existed under the new model: 45% of the students referred to reset centers were Black, compared to just shy of 20% of the districts enrollment, The Dallas Morning News reported. Racial backgrounds of teachers play a role in discipline rates Often, when school districts introduce a program as an alternative to more severe discipline consequences like suspension, the same inequities that existed in the traditional model of discipline show up in the alternative program, as well, said Sarah Woulfin, a professor in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. So a district that suspended Black students disproportionately is likely to see Black students referred to an alternative program disproportionately, as well, she said. One major factor driving that trend could be the racial backgrounds of teachers, Woulfin said. Theres research that suggests that Black teachers are less likely to refer Black students to the principals office than white teachers are, she said. In a district like Fort Worth ISD, where about half the teachers are white and nearly nine out of 10 of students are non-white, that mismatch could go a long way toward explaining the disparity, she said. Its ultimately difficult to pin down exactly whats driving the disparity without more insight into what infractions get students suspended, Woulfin said. Theres a big difference between a student being suspended for talking back to a teacher and another being removed for throwing a desk, she said. School districts generally track and report broad categories of behavior that lead to suspensions, but they dont typically do so with specific details about each incident. Even though being referred to a reset center is less detrimental to a students education than a suspension, Woulfin said the disparity in referrals between Black students and their classmates is still a problem. By being pulled out of their home campuses and sent to an alternative school, students are already being removed from their regular classroom environment. When theyre pulled out of class and sent to a reset center, that places them a second step removed from the academic instruction they should be getting, she said. Reset center model doesnt address underlying issues Dorinda Carter Andrews, a professor in the College of Education at Michigan State University, said the reset center model isnt necessarily a bad idea, but by itself, she thinks its insufficient. The model places the responsibility for correcting behavior issues with the student. In some cases, thats appropriate, she said some kids do have behavioral problems that need to be addressed. But the model doesnt do anything to deal with the systemic issues that led to racial disparities in suspensions in the first place, said Carter Andrews, who studies racial inequities in school discipline. Even if the model is designed to be less punitive and more supportive than traditional discipline methods, Carter Andrews said it still sends a message to the student that they dont belong in a classroom. If that message gets reinforced over and over, it can have the opposite effect to what district leaders are looking for, she said: Research indicates that students who think their teachers see them as a problem are more likely to act out in class. The trend of Black students being suspended disproportionately is due at least in part to teachers misunderstanding benign behavior because of cultural nuances, Carter Andrews said. Most people, teachers included, have a script in their head for what respectful behavior looks like, she said. The majority of teachers in American schools are white, so for most, those mental scripts are based on what behavior is considered normal among white people. Those preconceived ideas about what behavior is acceptable can lead teachers to perceive a threat where none exists, Carter Andrews said. If a Black male student adopts a certain posture and his teacher feels threatened, the student could end up in the principals office, she said. Although that office referral could be the product of bias on the teachers part, its often a bias teachers are unaware of, she said. Ideas about what good behavior looks like are deeply rooted in a persons upbringing and cultural context, she said. Its often unconscious, she said. Were socialized into these perceptions and stereotypes. While the fact that those biases are unconscious doesnt make them any less harmful, it does make them harder to manage, Carter Andrews said. Intensive training can help teachers recognize their own biases and work to mitigate them, she said, but districts cant just offer a one-time seminar and assume the problem is solved. Unconscious bias is deeply entrenched in the way people make their way through the world, and it takes a long time to unlearn, she said. So any training districts offer to help teachers identify and overcome those biases needs to be offered repeatedly over time, she said. Carter Andrews and other researchers are in the middle of a project in which they give teachers in grades kindergarten through five 18 hours of training, split up as six three-hour sessions, designed to help them understand race and racism and develop empathy for students from different backgrounds than their own. After the training, teachers look through discipline data at their own schools to see how what theyve learned helps them better understand whats going on in their building. That last piece is critical, Carter Andrews said if the training is to do any good, teachers have to use it to reflect on the ways they manage their own classrooms, including how their decisions are influenced by unconscious bias. It can also be helpful for teachers to talk through those issues with colleagues and friends who can support them and hold them accountable when they misstep, she said. That is lifelong work, she said. Its not like Hey, I went to one workshop, and now the veil has been lifted. But the disparity in discipline isnt the only issue demanding school leaders time and attention. Across Texas and nationwide, many districts are in the middle of a major shift in the way they teach students to read, a change that also requires a great deal of training for teachers. Most districts are also still struggling to help students regain academic ground they lost during school shutdowns and work through mental health issues they suffered as a result of the pandemic. In that context, have any school districts tackled the problem in a way thats done long-lasting good? Um, you know, Carter Andrews said, pausing a moment before she answered. No. RICHMOND, Ind. Four Richmond residents have been charged in an animal cruelty investigation. Brothers Jacob Alexander Saylor, 26, and Brett Christopher Saylor, 25, were charged Wednesday in Wayne Superior Court 2 with cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail. Charged with the same crime were Cierra Kendall, 23, and Allie Rutherford, 28. In an affidavit, a Wayne County sheriff's deputy wrote that Jessica Moore, Wayne County's animal control officer, first investigated allegations of animal neglect at a home in the 4700 block of King Road on May 15. She returned to the property on July 26, met with Jacob Saylor and examined three dogs who were apparently kept at that address while their owners lived elsewhere. More: Dog's death leads to cruelty charge against Richmond man Moore reported a German shepherd mix named Brawley at the address was thin and she could see his "ribs poking out while she was 15 feet away." Jacob Saylor said Brawley belonged to his brother, Bret. Also at that house was a mastiff named Simba, reported to belong to Jacob Sayler and Kendall. Moore said Simba was "extremely malnourished," according to the affidavit. Jacob Saylor said he "always had a problem trying to keep weight on Simba," but also said he "didn't feed the dogs for about a week up until two days prior," the deputy wrote. The third dog at the property was a pit bull named Buster. Simba attacked Buster during Moore's July 26 stop at the property, and she reported the pit bull was thin, missing a significant amount of hair and had "multiple puncture wounds," mainly on its back legs. She also said Buster showed signs of suffering from intestinal parasites. "Buster and Brawley were both itching uncontrollably," the affidavit said. Moore later that day left a "door hanger compliance order" at the house, giving Jacob Sayler a week to "get the dogs into a vet to care for their injuries, weight loss and fleas." On Aug. 10, Moore and deputies served a search warrant at the property and took the three dogs. Reports indicated the dogs had access to little water and no food. Once in the care of authorities, the canines quickly gained weight, the affidavit said. Simba's weight increased from 78 pounds to 92 pounds in three days, while the other two dogs each gained at least five pounds. Rutherford contacted the animal control officer on Aug. 28 and reported Brawley belonged to her and her boyfriend, Bret Saylor. She said the dog had stayed at the King Road address for about four months, according to the court document. Initial hearings in the four Wayne Superior Court 3 cases are set for Oct. 3. Brett Saylor has been convicted of domestic battery, battery resulting in bodily injury and criminal mischief. Jacob Saylor has also been convicted of domestic battery. Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Animal cruelty charges filed against four Richmond residents Morning sunlight silhouettes workers as they unload harvested grapes, in a muscadet vineyard, in Chateau-Thebaud, western France, on 13 September (AFP via Getty Images) The deaths of four grape harvesters in Frances Champagne region are being investigated by authorities on concerns they may have suffered heatstroke during this years blistering summer. The four deaths were reported from Rheims and Chalons-en-Champagne, two cities in northeastern France, in recent days as temperatures soared to 34C (93F) in the region at the end of last week. Authorities said two men died while picking grapes, a woman died at home a few days after feeling faint during her vineyard work, while a fourth person died in hospital after falling from a straddle tractor without showing any physical injuries from the fall, according to the AFP news agency. The deaths were not being considered suspicious and no autopsies were ordered, prosecutors said, declining to comment about links to high temperatures, according to AFP. However, some local harvesters have raised concerns over workers health amid blistering heat, leading to an investigation being ordered. Maybe it will turn out that the sun had something to do with this, Maxime Toubart, head of the Champagne growers association, told the news agency. I am very sad. People dont join the harvest to lose their lives. France already recorded nearly 400 excess deaths during the August heatwave, the countrys public health agency said on Wednesday. People aged 75 and over were the most affected, the agency said in a statement, adding that no fatal workplace accidents were notified in the said period. France suffered through several phases of unusually high temperatures amid record-shattering heat worldwide. A heatwave between 11-26 August in France affected 52 of the countrys 96 mainland departments, where 46.3 per cent of the population lives. France faced all-time high temperatures for late summer during this period as nationwide average temperature over 24 hours hit 27.1C, announced Meteo France, the French national meteorological service. Such continuously high temperatures have never been recorded so late into the summer in records that go back to 1947, the weather authority said. The summer of 2023 was confirmed to be the hottest so far on record. Other bouts of locally high temperatures have already worried agricultural workers. Every year, one or two people died from heart failure or aneurysms, Mr Toubart told AFP. Several countries in Europe and around the world imposed a ban on outdoor work during the months of June, July and August. New grant money will pay for a new kind of fitness option in York. One that anyone in that area can use -- free of charge. We are excited to bring the fitness court to this growing community, said city parks and recreation director Chris White. One of the most significant benefits that the fitness court will provide is free access to fitness equipment for people who may not be able to afford a gym membership or have access to fitness equipment. York applied for a $30,000 grant in February to partner with San Francisco-based National Fitness Campaign for a new fitness court. The city got the grant in March. The partnership will bring a more than 2,000-square-foot fitness area to the York Recreation Complex. It will have a seven-movement, full-body workout setup with core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility and bend components. The recreation complex at 74 4th St. also puts the free fitness court both at a known gathering spot for city residents and an easy connection with the citys bicycle trail system for people who might ride or walk there. According to its website, National Fitness Campaign aims to fund 5,000 outdoor fitness courts across the country by 2030. The organization offers a variety of city and school grant options. The York fitness court will be one of only two of its kind in South Carolina. Generations Park in Aiken has one. Two more fitness courts in this region are at Veterans Memorial Park in Charlotte and Chestnut Square Park in Indian Trail. While a grant will fund the park, York will offer a variety of naming rights for the facility and its features to raise additional funding. City officials expect an early 2024 opening. Flash China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in Beijing on Friday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, commended on the important and unique role that China-Zambia relations had played in the history of China-Africa friendly exchanges. The profound historical heritage and solid political foundation of the bilateral relationship have withstood the vicissitudes of the international landscape and remain rock-solid, said Zhao. Noting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Zhao said China is ready to work with the Zambian side, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to further deepen political mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies and jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road, and to achieve new and greater development of bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the two peoples. Zhao added that China's NPC is willing to work with Zambia's National Assembly to strengthen friendly exchanges in various fields and at all levels, carry out experience exchanges in rule of law and other areas, safeguard and develop the common interests of the two countries. Hichilema shared Zambia's admiration of the brilliant development achievements of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, underscored the significance of relations with China, reiterated the nation's firm adherence to the one-China policy, and voiced willingness to deepen the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between Zambia and China for the benefit of the two peoples. The French ambassador to Niger and other French diplomats are literally being held hostage at the French embassy, according to French president Emmanuel Macron. Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Cote DOr region in France on Friday, Macron said that food was prevented from being delivered to the embassy in Niamey, and that the ambassador was eating military rations. The ambassador, Sylvain Itte, cannot go out, he is persona non grata and he is being refused food, Macron also said. After seizing control of the West African country in July, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country. It later revoked his visa and instructed police to expel him. But the diplomat remained in place, according to the French presidency, with French authorities reiterating that they do not recognize the authority of the junta. Asked if he would work on bringing the ambassador back home, Macron emphasized the authority of ousted Niger president Mohamed Bazoum: I will do whatever we agree on with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day. Itte is still working, according to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. The ambassador is working, I can confirm that, and he is very useful through his contacts, his team, there is still a small team with him, said Colonna in an interview with French TV channel LCI. Colonna added that Itte will stay as long as we want him to stay, and that his return is Macrons decision. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com PARIS (Reuters) - France's ambassador in Niger is being held hostage at the French embassy by the military junta which has seized power in the West African nation, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. "As we speak, we have an ambassador and diplomatic members which are being literally held hostage at the French embassy, and food is prevented from being delivered. They're eating military rations," Macron told reporters during a visit to Burgundy. (Reporting by Michel Rose; editing by Geert de Clercq and Andrew Heavens) Mexico declared its independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1810, and established diplomatic relations with the United States 200 years years ago. The close relationship between the two nations was highlighted Friday at Fresno City Hall, where Mexicos green, white and red flag was hoisted up one of the three flagpoles along P Street in front of the building in recognition of Mexican Independence Day and the contribution of Mexican-Americans to Fresno and the Valley. Over 50% of our population is of Hispanic origin, Fresno City Council Vice President Annalisa Perea told The Fresno Bee. What this means is that while it is symbolic in nature to raise a flag, its really a reminder to the people that their city has their back. Its important for us to not only celebrate (the independence anniversary), but also to honor those individuals here in our own city that have contributed to the successes and advances and vibrancy of our city. The vast majority of Hispanic or Latino residents in Fresno and Fresno County are of Mexican descent, U.S. Census Bureau data shows. Consul General Adriana Gonzalez Carillo, who heads the Mexican governments consulate in north Fresno, spoke at the ceremony of the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. Raising the flag of Mexico is a symbol of the friendship between our countries, Mexico and the U.S., on the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Gonzalez Carillo said. We honor the shared prosperity that as good neighbors we build every day, and celebrate our binational community of more than 3 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans that live in Fresno and the Central Valley. Mexican consul Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo dedicated the the Mexican Independence Day ceremony at Fresno City Hall to farmworkers on Sept. 15, 2023. Gonzalez Carillo and Perea both spoke of the importance of migrant labor from Mexico to the Valleys economy. It is very important that Fresno recognizes Mexico by raising the flag on this national independence day, because this is also the home of many Mexican men and women for many decades who have come to work looking for a dream and managing to collaborate to enhance the city of Fresno and the Central Valley of California, the consul told The Bee. The original communities of Mexico mainly Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Chiapas, which are mainly indigenous communities are the ones who work in the fields, Gonzalez Carillo added. They are the ones who fight every day so that their children can study and in the future they can dedicate themselves to something else that involves less physical effort. Perea, who co-sponsored the ceremony with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, acknowledged that those farm laborers may not know were honoring them today, but its important for everyone else to acknowledge that 98% of those in the fields are Mexicans. Without them, we literally would not have food on our tables, Perea added. Its important now more than ever, in Hispanic Heritage Month, to pause and really honor these individuals. Its so easy to go about our day and not think about where our food comes from. Dyer noted that through the flag-raising ceremony conducted by an award-winning honor guard from the Autonomous University of Baja California at Ensenada we only celebrate the independence of Mexico from Spain, but we are also honoring and valuing every person of Mexican descent. From the farm workers to doctors, teachers, judges, corporate executives and even City Council members, they are difference-makers in our community and we are honored by the celebration they make right here in Fresno, he added. Dyer was joined by Perea and City Council members Nelson Esparza, Miguel Arias and Mike Karbassi in presenting a proclamation to Gonzalez Carillo. Certificates were also presented by representatives of state Sen. Anna Caballero, Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria, and Congressman Jim Costa. The Mexican government has had a consulate in Fresno for 92 years; Gonzalez Carillo has been the consul general in Fresno for four years. Fresno City Council Vice President Annalisa Perea, far right, glances as Mexican Consul General Adriana Gonzalez Carillo, center, is recognized by, from left, City Councilmembers Mike Karbassi and Nelson Esparza, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and Councilmember Miguel Arias, partially obscured, during the Mexican Independence Day ceremony where the Mexican flag was raised at Fresno City Hall on Sept. 15, 2023. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) attacked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on the floor of the House on Thursday, saying that his caucus is a circus and cant gather enough votes to pass any significant legislation. So America, in 15 days from now when our country comes to a halt, remember who did this to you, Frost said. Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the extremist House Republicans, who care more about themselves and their politics than you. Frost, the Houses youngest member, also railed against Republican attempts to impeach President Biden over his sons business deals. McCarthy announced he would back plans for an impeachment inquiry this week. And the cherry on top of all of this is that instead of getting to work on funding the government, theyre trying to impeach Hunter Biden, I think, who spoiler alert is not the president of the United States, he added. McCarthy has also been under fire from members of his own party over the impeachment inquiry, including from Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has pushed McCarthy to go farther on going after Biden. Gaetz has floated votes to oust McCarthy in recent days. This speaker doesnt even have the votes for impeachment, doesnt even have the votes to fund the government, Frost said. Its unclear if he even has the votes to keep his own job. The House has struggled to move forward on bills crucial for government funding, including a bill on defense funding measures that sank after opposition from far-right Republicans. Government funding expires at the end of the month. We are 15 days from a government shutdown that will impact millions of working people, and Speaker McCarthy cant get his own party to pass any significant pieces of legislation, Frost said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning drug companies against improper patent filings, saying that they could potentially face legal action for doing so. The FTC issued a statement Thursday saying that brand drug manufacturers could be harming competition in the generic market by improperly listing patents in the Food and Drug Administrations Orange Book a list of certain patents that a brand name says would cover its product. Brand drug manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their patents are properly listed. Yet certain manufacturers have submitted patents for listing in the Orange Book that claim neither the reference listed drug nor a method of using it, the FTC wrote. When brand drug manufacturers abuse the regulatory processes set up by Congress to promote generic drug competition, the result may be to increase the cost of and reduce access to prescription drugs, the commission added. The commission said it put out its notice to warn companies that it will be looking into whether these improper listings constitute unfair methods of competition in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The FTC said that these improper listings could disincentivize investments in competing products and reduce patient access to more affordable drugs. It warned that it will use its full legal authority against those who continue to improperly list patents. Patents improperly listed in the Orange Book can significantly undermine fair competition and harm the American public. The FTC will continue to use all its tools to halt unlawful business practices that contribute to high drug prices, the FTC wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Romolo Tosiani and Federica Urso SAN PAOLO DI CIVITATE, Italy (Reuters) - As Italy's autumn grape harvest begins, winemakers are braced for a sharp drop in output after a rampant fungus ruined vines, thriving on drought followed by torrential spring rain. The plasmopara viticola fungus, which causes a disease named grape downy mildew, destroyed vines in many Italian regions and will result in a 12% production loss nationwide versus last year, according to wine lobbies UIV and Assoenologi and agriculture institute ISMEA. That means Italy is set to lose its position as the world's top wine producer to France, which had ceded the crown nine years ago. First found in the Americas some 190 years ago, the fungus thrives in warm, humid conditions which were common in Italy this year due to unusual heat and heavy downpours during the key month of May, when the grapes are forming. Worst hit were regions along the Adriatic coast, with Abruzzo, known for its Montepulciano d'Abruzzo red, and Molise, losing 40% and 45% of their output respectively. Further south Puglia, famous for its Primitivo red, is down by 25%. Paolo Niro, a small-scale grape farmer who cultivates 14 hectares around the Puglia town of San Paolo di Civitate, lost his entire crop. "Early in May we realised there would be no harvest, we cultivate organically and experienced the (fungus) attack sooner," he told Reuters. Italian output is forecast to fall to below 44 million hectolitres this year, according to the wine lobbies and ISMEA, from 50 million last year. A hectolitre is 100 litres, or 133 standard wine bottles. Wine production in France is expected to fall 2% this year to just below 45 million hectolitres, with major disparities between regions after some vineyards were severely hit by fungal diseases while good weather in other regions boosted potential output, the French farm ministry said last week. SOUTH BEARS BRUNT Plasmopara viticola, which attacks the vines' leaves and the fruit, is historically more prevalent in the rainy regions of northern Italy. This year, however, the north emerged almost unscathed, losing just 0.8% of output. The centre and south, on the other hand, were hit hard as prolonged periods of drought were interspersed with intense rain, particularly during May, damaging crops and agricultural infrastructures, and favouring the fungus. "The plants are the most vulnerable during the pre-flowering, flowering, and early fruiting stages," said Andrea Luvisi, professor of phytopathology at the University of Salento in Puglia. Thanks to heavy rains and humidity, the fungus was able to attack the vines during these vulnerable periods, he added. The Italian government last month allocated a modest one million euros to help grape producers hurt by downy mildew. The Puglia farmer Niro, who employs 25 permanent workers, said he alone expected lost income of 110,000 euros ($117,128.00). Fazil Dusunceli, agriculture officer at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), based in Rome, said global warming was causing more frequent extreme climate events that threaten vineyards, and contingency plans were needed. Italy has already registered 2,664 extreme events so far this year, including heavy rain and large hail, according to the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD) against 3,192 for the whole of 2022 and just 787 recorded 10 years ago. Dusunceli called for more investment in new, disease-resistant strains of grape, saying he was sure this year's plasmopara attack "will force many farmers to look for other types of varieties." ($1 = 0.9391 euros) (Editing by Gavin Jones and Susan Fenton) Voters arrive at their election precinct on Tuesday morning, November 8, 2022, at the Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls. Vote centers and electronic poll books were touted as the future of voting in South Dakota more than a decade ago. The state was one of the first to allow counties to establish vote centers where anyone in the county could vote on Election Day, regardless of their residential address or precinct. Vote centers require electronic poll books, which replace large paper volumes of voters names, allowing election officials to scan a drivers license to more quickly verify peoples eligibility to vote. The software prevents people from voting twice in different locations and allows officials to get live updates about voter turnout. An e-poll book is not electronic voting. Advocates of vote centers say the switch makes voting easier and more accessible, possibly leading to an increase in voter turnout, and say that vote centers and electronic poll books save on election costs. The Legislature resoundingly supported the enabling vote center legislation in 2012, with only one nay vote out of 105 legislators. The idea behind it is that people are busy with their lives. Lets make voting as convenient as possible, said prime sponsor of the 2012 bill and former Sen. Todd Schlekeway, R-Sioux Falls, at the time. Yet the technological wave anticipated a decade ago has been slow to build. Only nine of South Dakotas 66 counties switched to vote centers, and only 10 counties use electronic poll books. South Dakota is one of 17 states to allow counties to use vote centers on Election Day. Costs for purchasing electronic poll books are one of the biggest factors affecting a countys decision to switch, while some counties use alternative voting methods to improve voter accessibility. A voter submits his ballot for the school board election in 2019 in Sioux Falls. Vote centers favored in rural areas with long commute times Oglala Lakota County, which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota, consistently has the lowest voter turnout in the state. General elections hover around 30-35% turnout. The county commission switched to vote centers in 2022, after nearly a decade of saving money for the expense and persuasion from Sue Ganje, auditor for Fall River and Oglala Lakota counties. It was a no-brainer, said Ganje, who is based in Hot Springs. Its such a large county and theres such distance between polling locations. It allows them to vote where its convenient. Oglala Lakota went from nine precincts across the 2,097-square-mile county to eight vote centers. The move wasnt focused on saving money (usually by significantly cutting down on polling locations), but rather on voting accessibility. For example, Ganje said, people commuting to work from Kyle to Pine Ridge, which is fairly common in the area, had a 50-minute commute to get back to their precinct before polls closed. She also sees several residents driving to or from Rapid City for appointments or work, so stopping at a vote center on the way to or from Rapid City is more convenient than scheduling their day around voting at their precinct. While the county didnt see an immediate improvement in voter turnout, Ganje is hopeful itll improve over the next few election cycles. Its the best thing I think that could happen for them down there, Ganje said. Haakon County, on the other hand, switched to vote centers in 2020 and saw an increase in its 2022 voter turnout from the 2014 and 2018 midterm elections. Auditor Stacy Pinney said the county wont go back. Not if I can help it, Pinney said. Tuesday is sale day in the western South Dakota county, home to Philip, where ranchers sweep into town each week to visit the auction barn. Instead of driving back to their rural precincts in time to vote, ranchers and their families can vote while theyre in town, Pinney said. Voters fill out ballots behind privacy screens in 2020 at the Sioux Falls School District Instructional Planning Center. Vote centers prioritize convenience over accessibility, official says Sioux Falls School District has used vote centers since the Legislature approved a pilot project in 2010. But the school districts voter turnout remains in the single digits despite the switch. Turnout might not have increased significantly, but thats because of the voters and not the opportunities, said former Secretary of State Jason Gant, who was a proponent of vote centers in the early 2010s. Its all about making sure we can do anything to help people vote if they choose to vote. Gant currently serves as Charles Mix County auditor in south-central South Dakota. While the county still adheres to traditional precinct polling, Gant is hoping to switch to vote centers during his tenure. In 2012, the City of Sioux Falls used vote centers, cutting precincts from 59 to 12. We lost voters, if I recall, said former City Councilman and current Minnehaha Commissioner Dean Karsky, because they went to where they normally voted and no one was there. It confused people more than it helped. The city quickly pivoted back to precincts and does not use electronic poll books. Minnehaha County has never used electronic poll books or vote centers. Bob Litz, former Minnehaha County auditor, introduced the idea of e-poll books and vote centers to county commissioners when it first became an option in 2012. He planned to cut the county from 71 precincts to 22 vote centers, he told South Dakota Searchlight. But commissioners did not support the idea. Current Minnehaha Auditor Leah Anderson is planning to increase the number of precincts in the county from 75 to 83. I believe precincts uphold the integrity of our elections, she said. Karsky agreed. Vote centers prioritize convenience over accessibility, he said, specifically in urban areas. Ideally, he believes residents should be able to walk to their polling place from their homes. If you went down from 80 precincts by neighborhood to 20 regionalized vote centers, youre going to limit people who have mobility and transportation issues, Karsky said. Youre taking voting accessibility away from those people more than youre giving it to others. Cell service, costs & drive time deterrents in switch Some counties have shied away from vote centers and e-poll books because of a lack of internet and cell service accessibility. Beadle County, for example, relies on polling places in tin buildings in rural parts of the county, which interferes with connectivity, said Auditor Jill Hanson. In 2018, eight counties using e-poll books couldnt properly connect during the primary that year, leaving citizens to cast provisional ballots. The snafu led to a law requiring counties using e-poll books to keep paper poll books on hand in case internet service is cut off. Pennington County used e-poll books that year, but the county has never switched back to e-poll books. Auditor Cindy Mohler said shes not entirely opposed to e-poll books and vote centers, but shes concerned about providing enough ballots to all vote centers across the third largest and second most populated county in the state especially since it would be a 50-mile drive from Rapid City to deliver more ballots to Wall, on the eastern edge of the county. The greatest election expense for counties switching to vote centers is purchasing or leasing e-poll books. Brown County, which is home to Aberdeen, bought 33 electronic poll books for 12 vote centers in 2021 for a total of roughly $45,000. Hughes County, home to Pierre, bought 23 e-poll books for five vote centers for about $41,000. Sully County, where some residents commute to Pierre for work, has a quote from an election technology company to replace its e-poll books: seven e-poll books for three vote centers will cost around $14,000 total. Auditor Susan Lamb said its a worthwhile investment. I think wed have a hard time if we went back to voting by precinct, Lamb said. I dont think our taxpayers would be very happy with us. Itd cost them more time and itd be more of an issue where they like the convenience of vote centers. Vote centers could cut election costs in half, officials say In the first year the Sioux Falls School District switched to vote centers, it cut costs by about $38,000, Rep. Charles Hoffman, R-Eureka, told legislators in support of the 2012 bill. The county cut polling places from 58 to 10 across the district, cutting 262 precinct workers to 72. Each precinct or vote center across South Dakota typically has between three to five poll workers on Election Day. Those are real dollars, my friends, that can be spent somewhere else, Hoffman told legislators in 2012. Sioux Falls School District Business Manager Todd Vik, who has been with the district for over two decades, guessed that it would cost the district double each election if they switched back to precincts. The district leases e-poll books for each election, Vik said. He estimated it costs over $20,000 to lease the devices, which includes support and software, for one election. Minnehaha County employed 346 poll workers during the 2022 election, costing nearly $68,000 for their time, according to data received by South Dakota Searchlight. The cost to rent space for 61 polling locations (some precincts are combined at one building) was just under $5,000. If the county cut its precincts nearly in half to 40 vote centers itd save $36,800 in labor, though it would still have printed poll book and ballot costs. Auditor Anderson received a quote for e-poll books earlier this year, estimating a cost of $390,625 upfront for 225 e-poll books and $32,000 a year for software updates. Even with a cut to 108 e-poll books among 40 vote centers, itd cost the county $187,500 upfront. Anderson added that a switch to vote centers would increase the cost of ballots because the county would print more, since they wouldnt know how many people to plan for at each vote center. Although the e-poll books would only be used every other year, the county still has to pay for yearly software updates, Anderson said, just as the county already does for its other election technology. We spend about $40,000 in a non-election year just to have tabulators and express vote machines sitting in storage, Anderson said. Alternatives to vote centers Custer County in western South Dakota has invested the money into e-poll books for its 10 precincts. Yet the county hasnt considered switching to vote centers. Instead, the county combines three of its 10 polling places into the same building in the city of Custer as a super precinct, said Deputy Auditor Barb Cox. Thats not the same as vote centers, though, since county residents must still vote in their assigned precinct. Beadle County also uses a super precinct in the Huron arena, combining six of its nine precincts in the same building. If youre at the wrong polling place you just go across the arena floor to another, Auditor Hanson explained. The county uses the super precinct method because its more convenient for in-town voters and requires less organization to rent out locations. However, it still requires the same amount of poll workers required of the precinct system. Hanson hasnt considered vote centers because theyd require purchasing e-poll books and wouldnt be accessible with poor cell service in rural areas of the county. Auditors in some counties that havent switched to e-poll books or vote centers said its because they cant use federal funds to purchase e-poll books, and some said they wish the state had grants to supplement material costs. Bob Litz, former Minnehaha County auditor, pushed for more technology to be used in the county during his tenure. Now retired in Arizona and working as a private contractor on election machines across the country, Litz predicts that the electronic wave will still come, just more slowly than anticipated. Current political pressure from an election integrity movement to move away from technology and back to paper ballots could slow down the transition, Litz said. I think when more people involved with technology come into being and help with elections, youll see that switch to e-poll books and vote centers, Litz said. I think the people who dont like vote centers will age out. South Dakota counties using vote centers Brookings Brown Haakon Hughes Hyde Oglala Lakota Potter Sully Yankton This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Few SD counties adopt vote centers and e-poll books A representative of the Belgian government expects the G7 countries to announce an indirect ban on trade in Russian diamonds. Source: Reuters, quoted by European Pravda Details: The Belgian official said he expects to hear an announcement about an indirect ban on Russian diamond shipments in the next 2-3 weeks. The ban itself, according to the report, should come into force in January. The Group of Seven announced plans to limit trade in diamonds with Russia in order to cut revenues that fund Russia's war against Ukraine back in May. But since then, no details of how the sanctions will work have been announced. In the EU, trade in Russian diamonds has already fallen due to voluntary commitments. But the EU has not yet introduced official restrictions on Russian diamonds, partly due to Belgian resistance. Russia is the world's largest producer of diamonds. Trade in precious stones is an important industry and a significant source of income for the Russian Federation. Last year, at the insistence of the Brussels side, the EU did not include the diamond mining giant Alros in the eighth package of sanctions. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The author of Gender Queer responded to Sen. John Kennedys (R-La.) viral Senate reading of the memoir this week, which was meant to justify book bans. The author, Maia Kobabe , told the Washington Post in an interview published Thursday that the conservative senator seemed to conflate the illustrated format with a book meant for children. Gender Queer is a comic, and in full color, but that doesnt mean its for children, Kobabe said. I originally wrote it for my parents, and then for older teens who were already asking these questions about themselves. I dont recommend this book for kids! The Louisiana senator read a particularly sexual passage from Kobabes book, with the clip shared widely on social media. I got a new strap-on harness today. I cant wait to put it on you. It will fit my favorite dildo perfectly. You are going to look so hot. I cant wait to have your cock in my life. Im going to give you the blowjob of your life, then I want you inside of me, Kennedy said, quoting the book. Kobabe said it was interesting the senator chose to read the page without showing the images because the images on that page are not salacious at all its an illustration of me sitting at my job, which was in a library, reading text messages from someone I was dating. Kobabe said that the scene revolved around consent. Its purpose, according to the author, is to show readers that its okay, even mid-sexual experience, to stop and check in with your partner and say, This isnt working for me, and I need to back off.' Its a scene about showing the reader I think thats a message thats important to share, and its not one that I heard often when I was a teenager, Kobabe said. Tuesdays hearing was called in the midst of school board meetings seeing an onslaught of arguments over which books are appropriate for kids, as conservative parents and politicians push for bans on books about sensitive topics like race and sexuality. Gender Queer was the most banned book of the 2021-22 school year, according to free speech group Pen Americas banned book list. The first thing I would say is, please read it before you judge it, Kobabe told Pen America in an interview. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukraine has liberated Donetsk Oblast's village of Andriivka, located south of Bakhmut, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 15. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar announced the liberation of the settlement already on Sept. 14. However, the 3rd Assault Brigade fighting around Bakhmut denied the report, saying that the fighting continues in Klishchiivka and Andriivka, after which Maliar corrected her statement. On the morning of Sept. 15, the deputy defense minister said again that Andriivka was liberated by Ukrainian forces over the course of fighting the previous day, referring to the report by the General Staff. Later the same day, the 3rd Assault Brigade confirmed that the settlement had been retaken, adding that Ukrainian forces dealt a crushing blow to the Russian 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade in the course of battle. According to the 3rd Brigade's report, the Russian formation lost its chief of intelligence, three commanders, almost all of its infantry, including officers, and a significant amount of equipment. "It was difficult and yesterday's situation changed very dynamically several times," Maliar explained the contradicting reports. The General Staff said that Ukrainian forces liberated Andriivka and inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops as a part of offensive operations around the nearby Klishchiivka village, in which they have also achieved partial success. Andriivka is a small settlement located around three kilometers south of the embattled Klishchiivka, and less than 10 kilometers south of occupied Bakhmut. Read also: Russias southern mistake Surovikin lines, Gerasimov tactics Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Flash China has decided to impose sanctions on two U.S. companies due to their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. In disregard of China's firm opposition, the U.S. government deliberately supplies weapons to China's Taiwan region. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, contravenes international law and basic norms governing international relations, and undermines China's sovereignty and security interests. The United States is going further down the wrong and dangerous path of arming Taiwan, Mao said at a daily press briefing. Mao said Lockheed Martin Corporation, St. Louis, MO directly participated in the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan announced on August 24 as the principal contractor. Northrop Grumman participated in several U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. "In accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China, China decides to impose sanctions on these two above-mentioned U.S. defense corporations," she said. The Chinese government never wavers in its resolve of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mao stressed. "We call on the United States to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop arms sales to Taiwan, stop military collusion with Taiwan, and stop arming Taiwan, otherwise it will be met with China's resolute response," she added. On Friday morning, at about 5:15 a.m., a Chatham County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) Unit Officer discovered detainee Lloyd James unresponsive in his cell, according to a CCSO press release. James was transported to Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Region 5 Investigative Office is currently conducting the investigation to determine the cause of James' death. According to CCSO records, 16 inmates have died at the jail since 2016. Investigations revealed that eight of those deaths were by suicide, three by disease, one by natural causes and one by overdose. James' death is the first in the jail since Maurice Small died on May 5. The investigation of Small's death is pending review with the Chatham County District Attorney. Jail death: GBI investigating death of prisoner at Chatham County Detention Center Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigates death in Chatham County jail According to CCSO records, James had been arrested and booked into the jail 25 separate times since 1999. James had been incarcerated in the jail since Oct. 30, 2021, charged by the Pooler Police Department with burglary in the first degree, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana, participation in criminal gang activity, disorderly conduct, no proof of insurance, and failure to register vehicle. Per CCSO protocol, medical staff and officers immediately responded. Emergency Medical Services (EMS), medical staff, and officers attempted lifesaving measures. James next of kin has been notified. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Inmate found dead at Chatham County jail, Georgia Bureau to investigate Germany could decide to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles within one to two weeks, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sept. 15 during the Westphalia Peace Conference. "The delay in deciding whether to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine is not due to distrust or hesitation but stems from Berlins need to carefully consider the consequences of each move," Pistorius said. Read also: Germany to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine Reznikov "Its not about trust but about protection. We have pledged not to endanger the German people. Thats our mission. Concurrently, we want to offer support to Ukraine. If it takes a week or two to reach a decision, so be it." Pistorius added that Berlin has around 500 Taurus missiles, half of which are outdated and require refurbishment and reprogramming. Read also: Germany sends Ukraine tens of thousands of new shells for Gepard air defense systems Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced progress in discussions regarding the provision of American ATACMS and German Taurus missiles to Ukraine on Sept. 13. However, a final decision has yet to be reached. Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 11 that the German government was exploring the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Taurus-guided missiles. At the time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was reportedly insistent on making modifications to the missiles to ensure that they could not target Russian territory. Scholz denied any indecision on his part, although government sources have hinted that he may be the primary factor in slowing down the approval process. Read also: Scholz blocking Taurus transfer to Ukraine amid claims German leader fears Ukraine might use them to hit Russia Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Bloomberg) -- Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is in the US this week to take the political pulse of Germanys most important ally. But her first stop wasnt Washington. It was Austin, Texas, for a meeting with a governor whos one of the countrys most conservative. Most Read from Bloomberg Just over a year before an election that may bring Donald Trump back to the White House, US allies in Europe are rushing to figure out what that might mean and how to prepare for it. So Baerbock, a former leader of the Green Party known for her feminist foreign policy and support of the rights of immigrants and for tough public sparring with opponents spent an hour in the governors mansion Tuesday chatting cordially with Greg Abbott, a Republican whos backed the USs most restrictive limits on abortion and deployed barbed wire to keep migrants from crossing the border. From there, she stopped for beers and barbecue, rode in a self-driving car and toured an Air Force base before heading to Houston for a meeting with the democratic mayor. Then it was off to Fox News for a live TV interview. Texas is a bellwether for America and for the future, said Baerbock, 42, who spent a year in Florida as a high-school exchange student in the 1990s but is making her first visit to the Lone Star state. Its a state of extremes in a country of extremes. Thats an America that makes many in Europe nervous. US allies are still nursing wounds from Trumps first term, during which he berated them for not doing enough to provide for their own security and threatened to dump the NATO alliance, not to mention pulling out of diplomatic deals and tossing out trade agreements. The prospect of a second term is a matter of acute anxiety in capitals across Europe, according to officials. While Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he prefers Joe Biden over his predecessor and hopes he wins a second term, others in Berlin arent taking chances. A senior lawmaker said a key lesson from the shock of Trumps first term is that Germany needs to prepare well in advance this time. Thats led to quieter outreach to Republicans by senior officials and legislators in recent months. The transatlantic friendship is not limited to one party, Baerbock told a German newspaper in an interview published during her visit. Were not naive but we dont let ourselves be driven crazy, either. Texas, she said, is a state where you can see and experience a lot. In La Grange, a small town on the prairie about an hour outside Austin, she stopped at Back Porch BBQ and Grill whose motto is Lets Meat for a dinner of smoked brisket and spare ribs that would have mortified the vegetarians in her party back home. Baerbock got behind the bar and served some beers, and really enjoyed herself, said owner Derrick Burnett. The visitors tried fried okra for the first time and really liked it, he said. In addition to offering refreshments, Baerbock was careful to underline the importance of the transatlantic relationship on her visit to the US heartland. At Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, she hailed decades of training conducted there for pilots from Germany, without which we would not be in a position to further strengthen security here in Europe. Not averse to a little political theater of her own shes seen as a potential candidate for chancellor after leading the Greens to third place in 2021 she climbed into one of the T-6 propeller training planes to get an explanation of the instruments from the pilot. From Texas, she headed for Washington to meet legislators all Republicans. Baerbock explained that shes met Democrats before and is in regular touch with the administration, so shes focusing on meeting people on the other side of the aisle. One gave her tips on how to handle her first-ever interview on conservative network Fox. On Capitol Hill, she pushed back against the populist criticism that Europe isnt bearing enough of the burden of defending itself and Ukraine. Fresh from a trip to Kyiv, she argued that Europe is paying not only for military and economic aid, but also for housing and feeding the refugees from the war. Do I think that Germanys foreign minister and a Green Party leader is trying to make inroads with the next president of the United States, Donald Trump? Yes, but its not as politically calculating as you might think, said Ric Grenell, who was Trumps ambassador to Germany and has been mentioned as a member of his administration if he wins a second term. The Greens recognize the importance of putting Germany First. If Baerbock liked any of the policies she saw in Texas, she didnt let on. Its a state marked by insane social tensions, she said in the German newspaper interview, in which she also slipped in a dig at the lack of universal healthcare in the US. But on Fox News, she was all smiles. She went to Texas because politics is about the people, she said, delivering lines in English that would have made any politician proud. I really wanted to see the diversity of your wonderful, your beautiful country. --With assistance from Julie Fine. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Seven years after a 4-year-old girl was permanently brain damaged during a root canal treatment, her former Texas dentist has been sentenced to probation, records show. Nevaeh Hall ... is conscious, but can no longer see, speak, walk or eat on her own, family attorney James Moriarty said in a September 2022 news release. She requires 24-hour medical care. The dentist was accused of waiting hours to call 911 after Nevaeh began seizing during the January 2016 treatment, McClatchy News reported. She passed out hours later while still at the dentist and was later diagnosed with irreversible global brain damage, according to her family attorney. Bethaniel Jeffersons medical license was revoked by the Texas Dental Board in November 2016, KWTX reported This week, Jefferson, now 46, was found guilty of recklessly causing serious bodily injury to a child by omission. On Thursday, Sept. 14, a Harris County jury recommended Jefferson spend 10 years in prison, KHOU reported. The judge instead sentenced her to five years of probation. McClatchy News requested comment from Jeffersons defense attorney on Sept. 15 and was awaiting a response. In court, attorney John Kovach argued Jefferson could add value to her community and prison wasnt right for her, according to KHOU. Its very disappointing because she gets to walk free, live her life going about her business, said Nevaehs grandmother, Clara Clark, according to Houston Public Media. But we have Nevaeh here that, you know, we didnt get to see her start school. You know, we dont get to see her walk around and play. Nevaeh is now 11 years old, the outlet reported. I think the decision was very unfair and justice was not served, Clark continued. This sentencing comes one year after the childs parents were awarded $95.5 million in damages during a jury trial. Nevaehs family is unlikely to get those millions as Jefferson does not have money to pay them, a family attorney told KTRK. Doctor posted autopsy videos of couples decapitated newborn on Instagram, lawsuit says Patients surgically removed tumor was lost, cant be tested for cancer, lawsuit says 18-year-old died after doctor waited hours to get help, officials say. Hes convicted By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There are 745 million more moderately to severely hungry people in the world today than in 2015, and the world is far off track in its efforts to meet an ambitious United Nations goal to end hunger by 2030, the U.N. said in a report on Friday. At the halfway point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is seeing little to no improvement in most of the food and agriculture-related goals, said the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, released ahead of a U.N. sustainable development summit next week in New York. "The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with other crises such as climate change and armed conflicts, are having widespread impacts," the report said. "Progress made in the past two decades has stagnated, and in some cases even reversed." Global food insecurity spiked sharply in 2020 as the pandemic disrupted food markets and drove up unemployment, but hunger has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. About 29.6% of the global population - 2.4 billion people - was moderately or severely food insecure in 2022, up from 1.75 billion in 2015, the report said. Undernourishment is worst in the global south, with hunger rising most in Sub-Saharan Africa. The world has also seen no improvement towards a goal to halve food waste, which has remained at about 13% since 2016. Countries should craft policy to reduce food loss, the report said. Reuters reported last November that the lack of global progress on food waste is due to low public investment and clear policy, and wasteful consumer habits. The world is also far from achieving goals to protect fish stocks, conserve forests, and reverse land degradation. Some progress has been made on water use efficiency and curbing illegal fishing. (Reporting by Leah Douglas; editing by Grant McCool) The Google logo is displayed at the company's London offices. The tech giant agreed to settle with the state of California over the company's use of location data. (Alastair Grant / Associated Press) Google has settled for $93 million with California, resolving allegations that the company used location data without informed consent, violating the state's consumer protection laws. The settlement follows the California Department of Justice's multiyear investigation that found the tech giant deceived users by storing, collecting and using their location data for advertising and consumer profiling without consent, according to a news release from California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta. Our investigation revealed that Google was telling its users one thing that it would no longer track their location once they opted out but doing the opposite and continuing to track its users movements for its own commercial gain," Bonta said in the release. "Thats unacceptable, and were holding Google accountable with todays settlement." A spokesperson for Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The settlement comes after Google reached settlements with 40 other states last year for $391.5 million over its location tracking practices. Read more: Google's search engine dominance is at the center of the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in decades The Mountain View-based company receives a good chunk of its revenue through location-based advertising because advertisers want to market to users based on where they're located. The company uses location data to create behavior profiles of its users to figure out which advertisements are best. Bonta alleged in a complaint that Google deceived users by falsely telling them that if they turned off the "location history" setting on their browser their location data wouldn't be stored. According to the complaint, Google continued to store users' location data even after the setting was turned off. Google also allegedly falsely told users they could opt out of advertisements tailored to their location. Under the settlement, Google will also be required to become more transparent about location tracking, show more information to users when they enable location-related settings and provide more information through a "location technologies" webpage that would include information about location data, according to the release. The company will also be required to disclose to users if it uses location history data to build ad profiles. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Learning how to use Google Pay is easy, whether you have an Android device or an iPhone. The Big Gs digital payment platform lets users pay for products and services online and in stores, send money, and save loyalty cards all in one app. With online shopping and contactless payments becoming more popular, Google Pay has become an important tool for people who want a safe and easy way to manage their money. It makes paying easier and gives you extra perks like rewards and savings, making it a great alternative to other payment platforms , such as Apple Pay. How to set up Google Pay To use Google Pay, you must have an active Google account. If you dont, create one. 1. Download the Google Pay app from your phones app store. You can't use Google Pay until you have the app. 2. Open the app. Select your country in the upper right corner, then sign in with your Google account. Tap Continue and set up your privacy preferencesyou can let people find you only by your phone number, and make your transactions public, if you want. But if you dont feel like getting into it right away, you can also select Not Now and adjust the preferences later in your Google account. Choose your country so the app knows which currency to use. 3. You must add a payment method by linking your debit or credit card, bank account, or PayPal account to your Google Pay account. Tap Add an account (iOS) or Link account (Android). Note: If youve already added credit or debit cards to your phones native wallet app, Google Pay might automatically add them to the app. Connect the main bank account you want to withdraw money from. 4. Google Pay uses Plaid, a third-party service, to obtain transaction and balance information from your accounts. Select Accept to agree, then Continue on the next screen. Accept the terms and conditions to continue. 5. Select your financial institution from the short list or type its name into the search bar at the top if you dont see it listed. When you find it, select it and log in. You'll have to find your bank's logoit's a good thing they all mostly have their name in it. 6. If the app is able to connect to your bank, the platform will let you know your account was successfully added. Tap Continue to finish. Youre all setyou can use Google Pay immediately. The app is connected and ready for use. How to send and receive money with Google Pay Once you link your bank account or debit card to the app, you can easily pay your friend back for last Sundays brunchjust tap Send or request, select the person you want to send money to, enter the amount, and confirm the transaction. You can also request money from others by entering their email address or phone number. Choose who you want to send money to and how much. How to use Google Pay in stores iOS and WatchOS Once youve set everything up on your iPhone or Apple Watch, you can use Google Pay without opening the app. All you have to do is unlock your Apple device, hold it near a contactless payment terminal, and follow the instructions on the screen. Your gadget might ask you to authenticate the transaction via FaceID or by providing your fingerprint, or pressing the lock screen button. Note that you cant add a gift card to Google Pay on iOS, as that feature is only available for the Android version of the app. Android Google Pay doesnt come downloaded by default on Android phones, so youll have to download it and set it up. Once thats done, you can pay without opening the appjust unlock your device and hold it close to a contactless payment terminal. How to use Google Pay for online and in-app purchases Figuring out how to use Google Pay for in-app and online purchases is simplejust look for the right payment option at checkout. Select it, choose the card you want to use for the transaction (if youve added more than one) and follow the instructions. [Related: 4 good international money transfer apps ] If youre using a credit card, you might have to confirm the security code (CVV) at the back of your card. If prompted, finish by authenticating the purchase using your device's security measures. Keep in mind that not all vendors support Google Pay, so if thats your only available payment method, make sure the website or app is compatible before filling up your cart. FAQs Q. Who accepts Google Pay? Many businesses, including websites, apps, and physical stores accept Google Pay. On the web and on your phone, look for the Google Pay option at checkout. When youre in a store, look for contactless payment options or for the Google Pay logoyoull usually find it by the register, the door of a business, or on the payment terminal screen. Additionally, you can use Google Pay for peer-to-peer payments between individuals, just like Venmo, PayPal, or Chime. Q. Can I use Google Pay without a bank account? You dont need to link your bank account to use Google Payyou can just add a debit or credit card, though that will only work to pay merchants directly. If you want to use the app to send or request money, you will need to link a bank account. If you dont have a bank account at all, you can still use Google Pay. Instead of a credit or debit card, just link the platform to a prepaid card to make payments online and in store. Q. Is Google Pay safe? Google Pay is safe. It uses multiple layers of encryption to protect user information and offers features like biometric authentication to enhance security . Additionally, Google Pay does not store actual card numbers , reducing the risk of fraud in case of phishing or data leaks. Q. What is the limit on Google Pay? Google payment methods vary depending on the country and the specific payment method used. There may be a daily transaction limit for international transfers . It is best to check with your bank or Google Pay's support for the most accurate information regarding limits. Q. Can I make cash withdrawals with Google Pay? Google Pay does not support cash withdrawals. It's designed for making digital payments and transferring money to others electronically. Q. Does Google Pay work like a debit card? Google Pay is a digital extension of your traditional payment methods, so it operates under the same rules. This means that if you link your debit card to Google Pay, the platform will act like a debit card and apply charges directly to your checking account as youre spendingno matter if youre sending money to someone or paying for an in-app purchase. Q. What's the difference between Google Wallet and Google Pay? Google Wallet is available only for Android devices and it allows users to save digital working copies of credit and debit cards, concert tickets, boarding passes, and even your COVID vaccination card. You can use it to shop in-store by placing your phone near a contactless payment terminal. Meanwhile, Google Pay (available for Android and iOS) is a more comprehensive money management platform. It allows for peer-to-peer payments as well as purchases both online and in-store, andon Android devicesit connects directly with Wallet to use added payment methods. If theres something that Google wants you to know, its that the defendant in the United States most significant antitrust trial in 25 years is not a search monopoly established through unfair, anti-competitive meansand if people get that impression, its only because all the other search engines suck. Google is, literally, just built different. Over the first week of U.S. et al. v. Googlea suit initially filed by the U.S. Department of Justice along with more than a dozen state attorneys general in 2020Googles lawyers put out myriad opening arguments to convince the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the iconic company is not what the government accuses it of being: a search giant that reached and then stayed atop its pedestal by unfairly colluding with other tech companies to ensure its dominance. The DOJ alleges that Google intentionally crowded out search-engine competitors in order to control the sector, allowing it to overcharge advertisers, stifle the reach of other search sites, and leave consumers with no choice but to use Googles steadily degrading product. Judge Amit P. Mehta will decide, over the course of the next 10 weeks, whether the governments argument passes musteror if Google is right that it should not be held liable under antitrust law. If the government wins, Google may have to break apart many of its subsidiary properties, like YouTube and Android, from its search business; a Google victory, meanwhile, would represent a significant setback for the Biden administrations efforts to smack down Big Tech companies under existing antitrust statutes. What Google is hoping to avoid is the immediate fate of the last defendant in a Big Tech antitrust trial: Microsoft, which ultimately settled with the government and saw its ambitions dim following its 1990s heyday. (These days its more than fine.) What did the first few days of the trial look like? Dont Google it; just read below. The core allegation from the DOJ goes something like this: From the early 2000s onward, as Google made its plays within the emerging internet-search-engine market, it explicitly planned to make use of its financial advantagesits billions and billions of dollarsso as to ensure not only success but ubiquity. Much of the evidence presented by the government consists of internal Google communications going back decades. The companys chief economist, Hal Varian , made note in 2003 of the fact that Microsoft planned to include its custom search software within its Windows operating system. Varian told his colleagues that this poses a serious threat, and they appeared to lay out a counterstrategy in the following years: making Google the default on as many web-browser homepages as possible by disbursing as much money as possible to those very companies. One example: Google began licensing with Apple in 2002 to incorporate its tech into the Safari browser, and started to share ad revenue as part of this license in 2005, conditioning the money flow on exclusivity privileges for Google. Two years later, when Apple wanted to offer a Safari screen asking users whether they preferred Google or Yahoo to be their default search, Google threatened to yank the revenue-sharing agreement. It later pulled a similar move with Samsung and AT&T, to which it pays billions of dollars a year so as to make Google the default search on Android smartphones. When the two mobile carriers had tried to create a separate program allowing phone owners to search for information across their already-downloaded apps, sidestepping any need for Google functions therein, the search giant changed up its contracts with both companies to condition them away from implementing that alternative. Such actions, the DOJ says, diminish[ed] general search rivals ability to compete. The fact that Google, a company worth $1.7 trillion, offers billion-dollar revenue lines to these corporations, utilizing funding amounts generally unavailable to search-engine startups (and garnered, the government argues, by using its Apple/Samsung default status to rake in ad surcharges), means that those clients cant write Google off so easily. In turn, as Forbes notes, the DOJ stated in 2018 that Apple devices generated about half of Googles revenue. The administration has since added that such default contracts account for a whopping 50 percent of everyday Google searches. Plus, as academic expert Antonio Rangel testified on Thursday, Google clearly understood the incumbency advantage granted by default status in others browsers. As Bloomberg characterized Rangels take: Getting prominent real estate on a web browser or mobile phone discourages people from switching to rival search engines. Often consumers dont even realize they are making a choice by default and they dont know how to change it. As such, DOJ lawyers declared, Google benefited from a feedback loop that cemented its dominance thanks to all the additional advertising revenue and search data gathered along the way, as the Wall Street Journal put it. Googles defense was that the money and agreements were immaterial; what made the difference is that its search engine was superior (the key word here being was). Rangel cited a 2020 decision by Brave software to make the tracker-blocking search engine DuckDuckGo its default in four European countries, finding that a sizable number of consumers stuck with DuckDuckGo. As a counterexample, Googles lawyers mentioned that when Microsoft made Bing the default search option on the companys Edge browser, the overwhelming majority of Microsoft computer software users preferred Google, according to the Journal, because Microsoft had failed to innovate. The same was true for Mozilla and its Firefox browser, which made Bing its search default only to see users flock to Google instead. With this case, Googles lawyer claimed, the government was running interference for Microsoft and Bing (neglecting to mention smaller search engines) because it wished to forc[e] people to use inferior products in favor of a dubious competitive argument. As for those multibillion-dollar contracts? Those were all fairly obtained and negotiated, Google argued. The potentially damning stuff in those emails consisted of snippets of internal deliberations presented out of context in court, and besides, as Varian himself said in court, he doesnt remember those communications anyway. For all the comparisons between this trial and the historic government antitrust case against Microsoft in 1998, it hardly seems to strike anyone involved with U.S. et al. v. Google that if Microsoft had failed in search efforts, it may have been in part because its own antitrust case forced Microsoft to shift its business practices early on in a way that Google had not been forced to. One takeaway could be that the government should stay away from tech companies; another could be that the government should trust-bust all tech companies in an equal-opportunity manner. One question from Mehta pertained to the actual data behind Googles claims. Company lawyers said in court that its browser-default contracts arent anti-competitive because Safari and other browsers still promote other search websites, and it doesnt take much effortliterally four tapsto switch from Google to one of those options if so desired. (Rangel, however, testified that it actually took up to 10 steps to get out of Googles default setting on the Android 12 smartphone.) The judge then asked: How many people have actually switched from their default search pages, whether on Edge or Firefox or elsewhere? Googles lawyer responded that such data was unavailable, and that even if the company did have this data, it wouldnt be trustworthy because the switching process is easy and arbitrary enough to diminish the relevance of such tracking. (As the New York Times Steve Lohr observed: Really? In a digital world where every click is tracked?) That wasnt the only form of data at dispute in this trial. As Bloomberg points out, Hal Varian has often suggested over the years that Googles pioneering, powerful algorithm is what makes it the type of superior product that crowds out competitors, and that this is far more pertinent to Googles competitive edge than the stashes of search-and-click-garnered data (on users, ads, publication traffic, queries, trends, and so, so much else) that it holds thanks to market dominance. But, the Justice Department says, this line of thinking has been repeatedly undercut by fellow Google employees in internal communications, which demonstrates that these data troves are essential for Googles control. And because of the default agreements, Google receives 16 times more data on average than Bing; in a fairer search market, this data could be distributed more easily among competitors, allowing each of them the opportunity to improve their software accordingly. But its not as if Google thinks sharing is caring: State attorneys general have also alleged here that the company unfairly blocked Microsoft and Bing from getting access to its SA360 marketing program. Googles legal team retorts that opening up such tricks of the trade is simply not gonna happenan odd argument to make in light of Googles willingness to share other inventions over the years with competitors, such as the Transformer machine learning model that paved the way for outsider apps like ChatGPT and Artifact, as well as its myriad open-source projects. Another literal data point: Googles own company logs. Reliant as it is on evidence scoured from Google workplace servers, the government has stated that the company hid and destroyed documents because they knew they were violating the antitrust laws, pointing to messages that alluded to auto-disappearing chats as well as words and phrases that Googlers instructed one another to refrain from using: scale, lock, bundle, market share, and still others. The reason for this? The company wished to be sensitive about antitrust considerations, as Varian reportedly wrote in a 2003 memo. Speaking of those inventions: Another Google argument is that its not just a search engine but a juggernaut with formidable competitors in various other sectors. Google Shopping has to face off with Walmart, Google Travel with Tripadvisor and Expedia, Orderfood.google.com with DoorDash and UberEats. In contrast with the governments position that Googles empire is held together in large part through a monopoly in the general search market, never mind the encroachment of apps like Reddit, ChatGPT, and TikTok, or the in-house search capabilities exclusive to sites like Amazon. The way Mehta interprets general searcha sector Google dominates to the tune of 80 percentand whether it includes other websites non-Google-linked internal search engines will be a key determinant here. In other words, Googles not a monopoly branding has the DOJ asking questions that Google professes have already been answered. Google will pay $93 million in a settlement it reached with California Attorney General Rob Bonta , resolving allegations that the companys location-privacy practices violated the states consumer protection laws. The California Department of Justice claimed that Google was collecting, storing, and using their location data for consumer advertising purposes without informed consent. The complaint alleges that Google continued to collect consumer data related to a users location even when a user turned the location history feature off. The company settled similar lawsuits in Arizona and Washington last year for illegally tracking consumers. In addition to paying $93 million, Google agreed to deter future misconduct. This settlement, which wont really hurt Googles deep pockets, is important because the tech giant generates the majority of its revenue from advertising and location-based advertising is a critical feature of its advertising platform. "Consistent with improvements we've made in recent years, we have settled this matter, which was based on outdated product policies that we changed years ago," Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda told Engadget. Moving forward, the California AG is asking Google to provide additional transparency about location tracking by providing users with detailed information about location data it collects. The company must also provide disclaimers to users that their location information may be used for ad personalization. Update, September 16, 2023, 2:26 AM ET: This story has been updated to add Google's statement. Pressure is mounting on the GOP-majority House to pass a reauthorization of the U.S.s long-term global HIV initiative, but the lawmaker holding up the legislation is showing no signs of moving. Former President George W. Bush , who launched the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, called on Congress to pass a five-year reauthorization in an op-ed published by The Washington Post this week, saying it would become a source of national shame if the programs authorization was allowed to expire. The reauthorization is stalled because of questions about whether PEPFARs implementation under the current administration is sufficiently pro-life. But there is no program more pro-life than one which has saved more than 25 million lives, the former president wrote. I urge Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR for another five years without delay, he concluded, calling on his fellow Republicans to back one of his proudest initiatives. Activist groups are also raising the temperature. Housing Works, an HIV/AIDS advocacy organization, occupied Speaker Kevin McCarthys (R-Calif.) office this week, calling on him to move PEPFAR as well as domestic funding for HIV and AIDS programs. The obstacle to moving PEPFAR, which supports developing countries in their efforts to combat the HIV epidemic, is Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who penned the Houses last reauthorization of the program in 2018. Smith, who is serving his 22nd term in the House, has vowed not to advance a new reauthorization ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline, arguing that the Biden administrations guidance on the program has led to funds going toward abortion rights movements in foreign countries. Bush should be on the phone with Biden and say, Why did you hijack my program? Smith said when asked about the former presidents op-ed. Advocates and lawmakers have warned that the consequences of not reauthorizing PEPFAR would be disastrous for U.S. diplomacy abroad and the health infrastructure that the program supports. This commitment of funding for a five-year term is what allows the international recipients of this aid whether its countries or medical facilities to plan for the long term, Housing Works CEO Charles King told The Hill. Not having that firm commitment makes that kind of planning very difficult. One of the things that we see around the world is the difficulty that low-income countries have retaining healthcare workers. They also argue that Smith is wrong to say the PEPFAR program funds abortions. Smith told reporters this week hes unconvinced and unmoved by the calls to allow the reauthorization to go forward. If we were to support a three-year, five-year [reauthorization], we will then rubber stamp and endorse all of the radical changes that have been made by President Biden, Smith said. The surface of the argument that its a clean reauthorization no its not. Pushing back Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., speaks during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on the administration foreign policy priorities on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in Washington. (Ken Cedeno/Pool via AP, File) The New Jersey congressman pushed back on criticisms that his tactics will hurt PEPFAR, noting that federal agencies such as the State Department have at times operated for decades without reauthorization. He said hed back an appropriations bill that added more funds to PEPFAR if it also includes pro-life guardrails and the Mexico City Policy a U.S. government rule that bars federal funds from going to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide abortion services. President Biden rescinded the Mexico City Policy in 2021, shortly after assuming office. In a Dear Colleague letter sent in June, Smith cited PEPFAR action plans and guidance released by the Biden administration as indications of the programs shift toward supporting abortion access. The PEPFAR 2023 Country and Regional Operational Plan released by the State Department said the program should work with government partners to incorporate reforms in law and policy regarding sexual, reproductive, and economic rights of women. While abortion is not mentioned in the document, Smith took this as a directive for PEPFAR to support NGOs that advocate for abortion access. However, the September 2022 document titled Reimagining PEPFARs Strategic Direction, also cited by Smith, explicitly notes PEPFAR does not fund abortions, consistent with longstanding legal restrictions on the use of foreign assistance funding related to abortion. Emily Bass, senior policy adviser of pandemic and outbreak activism at PrEP4All and author of a book on PEPFARs work in Africa, told The Hill that Smiths claims are absolutely baseless. They are actually legally impossible based on other legislation, Bass said, noting the Helms Amendment in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1973 blocks foreign aid from funding abortions. Smith told reporters the Helms Amendment was insufficient and that groups would work around that requirement. 25 million lives saved Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about PEPFAR at the World AIDS Day event hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding in Washington, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP) Begun in 2003 during the Bush administration, PEPFAR estimates it has saved 25 million lives through the prevention of HIV infections and supporting the use of viral treatments, even as the budget for the program has largely stagnated since 2009. In its 20-year existence, PEPFAR has been reauthorized three times before, each time with broad bipartisan support. PEPFAR would continue to operate without reauthorization, as KFF notes that the program works under largely permanent authorities like those of the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator at the State Department. Reauthorization also isnt required in order for funds to be appropriated for it. But some PEPFAR provisions would expire without a reauthorization, including requirements of how funds are distributed and how U.S. contributions to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are carried out. These lapses in requirements would disrupt global efforts in the fight against HIV, advocates say. The reason to have a program like this, thats authorized and then funded consistently over time, is you can build out those programs, maintain those programs and make sure that the services are getting to people on a consistent basis. And when you start to disrupt that, you start to disrupt the ability of folks to get the services, said David Stacy, vice president of government affairs at the Human Rights Campaign. Stacy said there is still a sense of optimism in the Capitol that a clean five-year reauthorization can be passed, noting the widespread support PEPFAR continues to garner across political and ideological spectrums. It seems dangerous. I dont understand Chris Smiths motives because really, the underlying circumstances are exactly the same. And to play games with this just seems unwise at best and really, really reprehensible, Stacy said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Republican-led Wisconsin Senate on Thursday voted to remove the state's chief election official ahead of the 2024 presidential election, prompting a lawsuit from the states top prosecutor who said the Senate lacked that authority. In a 22-11 vote along party lines, Republicans voted to remove Meagan Wolfe , a nonpartisan administrator of the battleground states elections commission. Hours after the Senate vote, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, announced a lawsuit seeking an order declaring Wolfe is lawfully holding over in her current position and the Senate has no power to reject her. Kaul called the Senate's move "reckless" during a news conference Thursday. While the Senate has purported to take a vote on an appointment of Meagan Wolfe, there is in fact no appointment, Kaul said. The state Senate has blatantly ignored Wisconsin law in order to put its stamp of approval on baseless attacks on elections in Wisconsin." The lawsuit names Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, House Speaker Robin Vos, and Senate President Chris Kapenga as defendants. LeMahieu introduced a resolution Thursday calling on the elections commission to appoint an interim administrator and to submit a nomination for a permanent replacement. LeMahieu said Friday that the elections commission had a "statutory duty" to appoint an interim administrator, and accused Wolfe and Democratic appointees on the panel of showing "blatant disregard for the appointments process" and state laws. "They have cast unnecessary suspicion on the integrity of Wisconsins elections," LeMahieu said in a statement. "The vote yesterday represents the lack of faith that Wisconsinites have in Meagan Wolfe as administrator of the Wisconsin Election Commission." Vos and Kapenga did not respond to requests for comment. State Sen. Cory Tomcyzk, who voted to oust Wolfe, said in a video statement that the elections commission had neglected its duties and "have gone to historic lengths to complicate what should have been a simple process." The Wisconsin Election Commission did not respond to a request for comment. Republicans had been calling for Wolfe to resign over how she conducted the 2020 presidential election in that state which was won by President Joe Biden. In June, the bipartisan elections commission, comprised of three Democrats and three Republicans, hit a deadlock over reappointing Wolfe for a second four-year term. While Republicans voted to renominate her, Democrats abstained over concerns that the Republican-led state Senate would block her confirmation. In the absence of a four-vote majority nominating Wolfe for confirmation by the Senate, a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling appeared to permit Wolfe to continue in the position after her term concluded on July 1. In remarks Thursday, Wolfe said she would continue to serve as the administrator for the elections commission "unless a final determination of a court says otherwise." Wolfe has repeatedly defended how she handled the presidential contest and has spoken out against election fraud falsehoods that have frequently been promoted by former President Donald Trump and his allies in the state. Continuing to defend her record on Thursday, Wolfe told reporters the state Senate's vote was "a reaction to not achieving the political outcome they desire." Its unfortunate that political pressures have forced a group of our lawmakers to embrace unfounded rumors about my leadership, my role in the commission, and our system of elections," Wolfe said. We cannot head into 2024 elections without a final determination of where the law stands regarding the correct course for the position of administrator because the commission is at a procedural gridlock, she added. The lawsuit comes hours after Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, called on the states Justice Department to quickly provide representation to keep Wolfe in the role. Taking aim at Republicans, who obtained a supermajority in the Senate earlier this year through a special election, Evers called the removal effort an "attempt to illegally fire Wisconsins elections administrator without cause," in a statement. He also praised Wolfe as a "consummate, qualified professional whos worked in voter registration and outreach and election security for more than a decade." Wolfe was appointed to the role of chief elections official by the state's bipartisan, six-member commission in 2018. She was unanimously confirmed by the state Senate in May 2019 for a four-year term. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com On Tuesday, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene , Matt Gaetz and their Freedom Caucus allies, along with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, announced an evidence-free impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden . They were doing what members of the MAGA cult do taking their marching orders from Donald Trump. They are not motivated by a devotion to their public duty or by a desire to protect the Republic. Instead, as Greene admitted, they only want to make the impeachment inquiry "long and excruciatingly painful for Joe Biden." In two significant respects, this has every prospect of backfiring. Related Even Lauren Boebert knows a phony Biden impeachment will backfire why the GOP will do it anyway It may well ensure that Republicans lose control of the House in 2024, as already looks likely. And it could also give Joe Biden a boost as he runs for re-election, presumably against Donald Trump himself or, hypothetically, some MAGA-infused successor. The framers of the U.S. Constitution intended impeachment as the most serious charge the legislative branch could launch against a member of another branch. It was meant only for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors," not for charges based on smoke, mirrors and a desire for political retaliation. As Alexander Hamilton wrote, if the impeachment power is misused it can "agitate the passions of the whole community, and divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused." Hamilton called on those who wield this power to act with due regard for its "delicacy and magnitude." But there is nothing delicate about what the Republicans are now doing. Having been through two serious and substantive impeachments of Donald Trump, one for trying to overturn the Constitution after the 2020 election, and another for trying to extort an investigation of Joe Biden relating to Ukraine, the fact-based American majority understands all this. Having been through two serious and substantive impeachments of Donald Trump, the fact-based American majority understands this impeachment inquiry is political theater. Retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee for president, stated in a book excerpt published this week in The Atlantic: "A very large portion of my party really doesn't believe in the Constitution." Exhibit A is the Republican House impeachment "inquiry." With hard-right MAGA activists pushing for and publicizing attempts to trivialize the impeachment power, most Americans are unlikely to accept Republican attempts to destroy the ultimate constitutional check placed on the presidency. Let's look at the two potential prospects for backfire. First, the Republican majority in the House is razor thin, with only five seats to spare. Eighteen Republican members come from districts won by Joe Biden in 2022. Few, if any, of those can afford to be seen as supporting impeachment in the absence of any evidence of serious wrongdoing. Astonishingly, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the House Oversight Committee chair who, along with Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, has run point on anti-Biden hearings has admitted that after a year and a half of investigating, Republicans have produced no evidence of any crime or misbehavior by the president. On Fox News last month, Rep. Nick Langworthy, a Republican from upstate New York, said that GOP investigators had "never claimed that we have direct money going to the president." We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism In other words, the MAGA crew wants us to believe that it's OK for them to proceed against Biden without evidence of wrongdoing because they never claimed to have any in the first place. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who represents one of the 18 Biden-friendly districts, observed that "to do an inquiry, you need direct evidence." The lack of any supporting evidence of "High Crimes or Misdemeanors" helps explain why McCarthy announced an "inquiry" without calling for a vote by the full House. Republicans in Biden districts don't want to be on the record supporting a fact-free impeachment. Instead, they want to keep their seats, and the people they represent know what is really going on. According to MSNBC, a poll of voters in those 18 districts found that a clear majority "said an impeachment inquiry would be "a partisan political stunt," and the same majority "said an inquiry would be more about helping former President Donald Trump." For irony, it's hard to beat Tuesday's reporting from Politico: In January 2020, Attorney General Bill Barr's Justice Department issued a memorandum saying that "impeachment inquiries by the House are invalid unless the chamber takes formal votes to authorize them." McCarthy himself was for that idea, before he was against it. On Sept. 1 he told Breitbart News, "[I]f we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People's House and not through a declaration by one person." His flip-flop this week followed intense pressure from his right flank, which may be a new low for McCarthy's impotent speakership. As former Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN on Wednesday, "it isn't worth it to be speaker to abdicate that much jurisdiction over the House." For now, that abdication may allow McCarthy to hold on to his job. But it won't help Republicans retain control of the House next year. There's a parallel opportunity for Joe Biden. That's largely thanks to Donald Trump, the obvious puller of the strings in this impeachment puppet show. He has proven to be a master at creating electoral blowback for Republicans. After winning the presidency in 2016 (thanks to a near-flukish Electoral College outcome), Trump led his party to the "blue wave" of the 2018 midterms and defeat in the 2020 presidential election. He then helped prevent the expected Republican wave election of 2022 by recruiting and backing extremist candidates in competitive districts. Democrats' overperformance in state elections has been impressive so far in 2023, according to Brent Peabody of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security. The party's candidates have outpaced Biden's 2020 performance by an average of 8%. Similarly, recent state and national polling cited by the New York Times' Nate Cohn supports the idea that Biden has increased his likely margins in key battleground states. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. The point here is that independents, whose votes decide national American elections, see through the lies of the MAGA House to the reality of the pain it has inflicted on America. Those voters want the government to address real problems, like increasing wages, improving infrastructure, reducing prescription costs and dealing with other issues that help everyone. They see clearly that impeaching Biden and shutting down the government are nothing but political theater. As the Washington Post put it, McCarthy and his caucus have thrown "impeachment chum into the waters" because they are struggling to "accomplish the basic tasks of governance." Impeachment without evidence in 2023 is much like the 2016 Republican-led Benghazi hearings which produced no serious evidence of wrongdoing. At the time, McCarthy himself said the quiet part out loud when he admitted that those hearings were not about facts but were about destroying trust in Hillary Clinton. House Republicans today are offering a rerun of that politically motivated abuse of congressional power. Trump himself has acknowledged that this year's impeachment effort is pure vengeance: "Either impeach the bum, or fade into oblivion," he posted on social media. "They did it to us!" As Jonathan Chait wrote on Wednesday, "Republicans have been threatening a revenge impeachment against the next Democratic president literally since Trump's first impeachment." Sensible Americans have seen what having Trump in power has meant for them and this country. In 2016, he won in part because Democrats failed to respond adequately to Benghazi. When asked on Wednesday about the impeachment "inquiry," Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania responded sarcastically, "Oh my gosh. It's devastating. Please don't do it." In 2022, activists organized what is effectively a "war room" operating to counter the phony Jordan-Comer "investigations." Just this week, they launched ads targeting the 18 Biden district Republicans. Biden, too, has a team focused on answering the fabricated charges. Fortunately, he has some history on his side, namely the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998. Although based on actual evidence of the president's perjury, it ultimately backfired and increased Clinton's popularity. Sen. John Fetterman, the famously plain-spoken Pennsylvania Democrat, understands the potential benefit for Biden. When asked on Wednesday about the impeachment "inquiry," he responded sarcastically, "Oh my gosh. It's devastating." "Don't do it. Please don't do it," he added in mock horror. But the current House majority doesn't have a great record of picking up on such warnings or heeding the dictates of political reason. They are showing, as Hamilton warned, that impeachment can be misused by "leaders or tools of the most cunning faction and on this account, can hardly be expected to possess the requisite neutrality towards those whose conduct may be the subject of scrutiny." But the judgment that Trump, McCarthy and company should fear is not just the judgment of history. Long before that, millions of American voters will deliver their verdict on Election Day. Read more from Austin Sarat and Dennis Aftergut In the aftermath of the Jacksonville murders, Florida leaders say DeSantis and state lawmakers are to blame for their divisive rhetoric. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers were handed a cease and desist letter by young activists, faith leaders and community members in the aftermath of the murders of three Black people in Jacksonville. The demonstrators, including college students from across Florida, say they delivered the letter to put DeSantis and the GOP-controlled state legislature on notice for spewing hate with their divisive rhetoric and culture wars. A demonstrator in Jacksonville, Florida, holds a sign referencing Gov. Ron DeSantis during an August rally against white supremacy after the racially motivated murder of three Black people at a Dollar General store. Activists and other community members accuse DeSantis of stoking the flames of racism. (Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images) The rhetoric is dangerous, Bishop William Barber, one of the lead organizers of the Friday demonstration and president of Repairers of the Breach, told theGrio. We know history enough to know that when you have this kind of rhetoric, it creates an ethos in the atmosphere that creates situations where violence occurs. On Aug. 26, a white gunman fatally shot three Black people at a Dollar General, devastating the Jacksonville community. Online writings from the gunman confirmed he hated Black people, according to reports. DeSantis, who is leading an anti-woke policy agenda in Florida that includes banning African-American history in classrooms and books by Black authors, was booed by community members in Jacksonville during a vigil mourning the three victims. Many Floridians believe DeSantis is to blame for the racist attack. Republicans and Governor DeSantis can say whatever they want to say you probably have not pulled the trigger, but you definitely are the ones who have allowed them to make it seem pulling the trigger is the right thing to do, said Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones , a Democrat representing Broward County in Miami. They are the ones who have pushed these culture wars for the past two to three years, he told theGrio. Delivery of a cease and desist letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (above) is part of a two-day demonstration led by Bishop William Barber, co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign. (Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images) Fridays cease and desist letter delivery is part of a two-day demonstration led by Barber and several groups, including March for Our Lives, a student-led organization advocating for gun control legislation. The demonstration will include a Take Back the Mic march to the state capitol on Saturday. Barber, the co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign, told theGrio he was invited by local clergymen to join the community in Florida to speak out against DeSantis, his rhetoric and policies, supported by a super-majority Republican state legislature, that they say harm Black and brown people, poor people, LGBTQ people, women and immigrants. Instead of focusing on using their legislative powers to pass laws against Black and other marginalized groups, the activists and community leaders say, DeSantis and lawmakers should focus more on addressing critical issues impacting communities like poverty, gun violence, voter suppression and a lack of health care. This is what we ought to be dealing with, said Barber, who noted that there are 7 million poor low wealth voters in Florida and 4 million people who make less than $15,000. But no, you want to divide, deflect and distract and use the kind of language that creates hostility and social turmoil rather than social justice. Jones said Republicans, who have been in charge for 25 years, are why Florida is in the position that its in right now. The lawmaker said his colleagues across the political aisle also are why millions of Floridians cant afford to live there and why people continue to die at the hands of gun violence. The gun laws in Florida are reckless, Jones said of his state, where DeSantis signed permitless carry gun legislation into law this year and has said he supports open carry. People take part in a March for Our Lives rally in Los Angeles on March 24, 2018, in response to the shooting deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. March for Our Lives, a student-led group that advocates for gun control, is among the organizations serving Floridas governor with a cease and desist letter. (Photo: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images) You would have thought after Pulse after Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and all of the other murders that have happened that in a bipartisan way, we would have stood together, he continued, to make sure that this state is safe. When it comes to race, DeSantis has been accused of stoking the flames of racism in the Sunshine State and inspiring other Republican leaders across the country to adopt similar policies. In addition to his anti-woke agenda, the governor has been repeatedly called out for not denouncing white nationalist protests in Florida. During one demonstration near Disney, white men in masks were seen waving Nazi flags, and at least one of them reportedly brandished a DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign flag. All they want to ensure is that [they] have [their] base, and thats why Governor DeSantis and the Republicans dont really denounce these types of things, Jones told theGrio. They believe that this is their way of holding on to power. Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses a crowd in April 2022 before publicly signing the stop woke bill, legislation that his detractors see as aiding an environment of divisiveness. (Photo: Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald via AP, File) Leaders and organizers in Florida hope that the outrage on the ground translates to more Floridians registering to vote and casting their ballots in 2024 to elect leaders who will address the economic and social issues they say are crippling Black, brown and other marginalized groups. While were nonpartisan, were going to encourage people to be engaged politically, said Barber. Part of taking back the mic is you have to raise your voice and your votes. Jones told theGrio he believes there are enough Democrats and Republicans in Florida and across the country who are tired of the culture wars and desire to move away from what they are seeing. The pendulum will swing back and it will swing back in the favor of whats right [and] whats fair, he predicted. Because the direction that Republicans are going in is not sustainable, and they know its not sustainable. Gerren Keith Gaynor Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Gov. DeSantis receives cease and desist letter for spewing hate appeared first on TheGrio. Republican State Senator Shawn Still will remain in office after a review commission appointed by Governor Brian Kemp did not recommend suspension. The Still review commission did not recommend suspension, ending the inquiry, Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for the governor said on Friday afternoon. Gov. Kemp named the commission in an executive order on Sept. 1. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Still was named along with former President Donald Trump and 17 others in a sweeping indictment handed up by a Fulton County Grand Jury alleging criminal interference in the 2020 election in Georgia. Attorney General Chris Carr, state Sen. Steve Gooch and state Rep. Chuck Efstration made up the commission to investigate Still and will send a written report back to the governor within 14 days about what they found. Georgia law requires the governor to do this in the event of a felony indictment. He has the full support of me, the full support of the caucus, said Lt. Gov. Burt Jones when asked about Still on Aug. 17. RELATED STORIES: Still has been charged with violation of the Georgia RICO Act, impersonating a public officer, forgery in the first degree (two counts), false statements and writings (two counts) and criminal attempt to commit filing false documents. Before being voted in as a state senator, Still served as one of the 16 alternate Republican Electoral College electors who signed documents falsely claiming Trump won. He also sued to decertify all of Georgias presidential election results based on allegations there were problems with voting equipment in South Georgias Coffee County. The suit was voluntarily dismissed three weeks after it was filed. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Causing environmental damage is considered a crime in a growing number of countries, and Mexico is one of the latest nations looking to lead the way for this kind of policy. According to the Guardian, upgrading environmental damage offenses to the level of ecocide would result in these activities being categorized as a crime, with appropriate penalties dished out to match. Vietnam, Russia, Ukraine, and France are among the countries to formally introduce ecocide as a crime, and if the law is passed in Mexico, those found guilty could face up to 15 years in prison. Growing number of countries consider making ecocide a crime Mexico latest country where government is considering passing new laws to criminalise environmental destructionhttps://t.co/iYMVz18J8R Conejo Climate Coalition (@ConejoClimate) August 26, 2023 As the Guardian reports, Mexicos proposal would criminalize any activity determined to knowingly cause a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment. Congresswoman Barron Perales of the opposition PRI party said: It is time to react and point out these failings in our legislation so that [these harmful acts] are punished with the gravity they deserve. Let them not continue to go unpunished. The move to implement such a law comes at an interesting time in Mexico, with the Maya train project leading to criticism of the government. Plans to construct a railway across the Yucatan peninsula have already led to the destruction of rainforest areas, and the train would disturb land that Indigenous groups call home. Meanwhile, according to the Stop Ecocide International group, the Catalan Parliament will bring forward a proposal to make ecocide a crime under the Spanish Penal Code, while Belgiums attempt to do the same has reached a second reading before the Council of Ministers. An ecocide law has also been proposed in the Netherlands. Its a huge step in global efforts to increase environmental protection. Actions such as deforestation, water contamination, and irresponsible waste disposal are destroying the natural world and are a significant driver of global heating. Measures such as this will hopefully lead to appropriate punishments for organizations and individuals responsible for natural devastation. The fact that ecocide is not even considered a crime today is a painful reminder of our priorities, one Twitter user commented on the Guardians report. We must change. The world is waking up to the need for this powerful protective law, said another. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. The U.S. government has warned a Virginia judge that allowing an American Marine to keep an Afghan war orphan risks violating international law and could be viewed around the world as endorsing an act of international child abduction, according to secret court records reviewed by The Associated Press. It is rare for the federal government to step into a local custody case, but concern about the childs fate has stretched across the Trump and Biden administrations. The Justice Department argued in the court documents that the dispute has ramifications that extend far beyond the rural courthouse where the girls future is being decided. Failing to return the child, now age 4, to Afghan relatives in the U.S. could jeopardize American efforts to resettle Afghan refugees, threaten international security pacts and might be used as propaganda by Islamic extremists potentially endangering U.S soldiers overseas, Justice Department attorneys and other U.S. officials warned in court filings seeking to intervene in the case. The Justice Department was particularly scathing in its assessment of how Marine Maj. Joshua Mast and his wife convinced a Virginia judge to sign off on the adoption of the girl, who has been in their custody since 2021. Secret records: Government says Marine's adoption of Afghan orphan seen as abduction, must be undone Citing a litany of falsehoods, the Justice Department wrote that the court relied on intentional misrepresentations from the Marine and skipped critical safeguards to protect children being brought to the United States. The grave harm that the Masts have inflicted upon the Child, her family, and the United States is ongoing, Justice Department lawyers wrote in the court documents, which included signed declarations from State and Defense department officials. Most troublingly, the child remains with the Masts to this day. The documents were filed under seal this summer in the bitter custody battle over the child who was pulled by U.S. forces in 2019 from the rubble of a military raid. Mast, who was on a short assignment as an attorney in Afghanistan, met the baby in a U.S. military hospital and became determined to bring her home. The Masts and the girls Afghan relatives, who are suing to get her back, have been ordered not to speak publicly about the case, and their lawyers did not respond to requests for comment. But in earlier court filings, Masts attorneys have written that the Marine and his wife acted in good faith and worked at great personal expense and sacrifice to protect the baby and provide her a loving home. Until now, the federal governments role in the case has remained mostly a mystery. The government filings reviewed by the AP represent just a fraction of the thousands of pages of documents, transcripts and exhibits that remain under seal, locked away with no word of when the public will be allowed to see them. The AP in January took legal action to unseal the case and a Virginia judge agreed to do so. Yet nine months later, the documents remain secret. It is unclear how the Masts responded to the Justice Departments court filings. In arguing that the girl should be returned to her Afghan relatives, the Justice Department wrote that the Masts, who were living in Fluvanna County, Virginia, at the time, convinced their local circuit court judge Richard E. Moore in 2019 that the child 7,000 miles away was the stateless daughter of foreign fighters from an unknown neighboring country, and that the Afghan government intended to waive jurisdiction over her. A year later, Moore, who has since retired, made the adoption permanent. The child, however, was never stateless, the Afghan government did not relinquish its claim over her, and the orders were obtained fraudulently by the Masts, who knowingly made false representations before the Virginia courts, the Justice Department wrote. Virginia law requires that whoever has physical custody of a child be given an opportunity to be heard in an adoption case. But the Virginia court failed to notify the U.S. government of Masts custody petition, the Justice Department argued. At the time, the baby was in the custody of the U.S. government, being treated at a military hospital in Kabul. The Afghan government was tracking down relatives, a State Department official wrote, and found an uncle who reported that the girls father, a farmer, had been slain in the raid, along with his wife and five other children. The documents reveal for the first time that concern about Masts actions and the courts decisions reached the highest levels of the Trump administration. When the U.S. embassy in February 2020 was working with the Afghan government to unite the child with her surviving relatives, Mast tried unsuccessfully to stop them, claiming the Afghan family was not biologically related. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed a cable to the embassy in Kabul that described Masts custody order from Fluvanna County, Virginia, as flawed in a number of respects, and questioned how any American court could have jurisdiction over an Afghan child. Pompeos cable said the State Department had concerns about the perception of the U.S. government holding an Afghan child against the will of her extended family and the Afghan government. The Red Cross took her to the Afghan family, who wept when they met her, according to a State Department declaration attached to the court filings. A young newlywed couple, the childs cousin and his wife, raised her for the next 18 months. The Justice Department declined to comment. The State Department referred AP to a prior statement saying it has acted appropriately by supporting efforts to find the girls surviving kin and reunify the family in Afghanistan. As the family grew and bonded, Mast tracked them down and tried to convince them to send the child to the United States by promising medical care, the Afghan family told AP in 2022. They said they refused to go along with the plan; they didnt want to be separated from the girl, who appeared to have fully recovered from a fractured skull, broken leg and serious burns. Later, in the summer of 2021, when U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over, Mast reiterated his offer of assistance, misleading the couple into believing the child would receive specialized medical treatment, the Justice Department wrote. Mast helped arrange a Defense Department evacuation of the Afghan family by falsely telling other military personnel that he was clear to bring the Child, the Justice Department wrote. When the Afghans arrived at a refugee resettlement camp in Virginia, the Justice Department wrote, Mast presented the adoption order to federal employees, who didnt know that the U.S. government had already deemed his claim to the girl to be flawed. Unwittingly, those employees helped Mast take custody of the child, and shes been with him ever since. Fluvanna County Circuit Court Judge Claude Worrell, who took over the case, has said the government shoulders some blame for the girl ending up in the Masts custody. He noted multiple federal employees and agencies helped Mast along the way. The left hand of the United States is doing one thing and the right hand of the United States is doing something else, Worrell said. Mast is assigned to the Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and the agency is fully cooperating with federal law enforcement investigations, according to a spokesperson. Earlier, a Marine official said at least one investigation focused on the alleged unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material. Records indicate that the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI also have been involved. Worrell voided the adoption in March, but left the child with the Masts, citing a custody order. That decision has been appealed by the Masts. In the meantime, the Biden administration argued in the filings that ongoing delays and a narrative that a U.S. servicemember stole a Muslim child are harming Americas standing on the world stage, particularly in Afghanistan, where the U.S.s withdrawal left a fragile nation behind. The perception that the United States is a place where Afghan children can be taken from their families, over their families objection, without effective recourse, increases those perceived risks, a State Department official wrote in a declaration, to the detriment of U.S. foreign policy interests. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Governor Kevin Stitt , joined by United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB) Chief Joe Bunch and Kialegee Tribal Town (KTT) Mekko Stephanie Yahola, sent letters to the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall, requesting they approve the tribes gaming compacts that were rejected by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2021. Im proud of the compacts Chief Bunch, Mekko Yahola and I negotiated for Oklahoma, the UKB and the KTT, said Governor Stitt. These compacts are better for all Oklahomans, requiring a higher percentage of gaming revenue to be remanded to the state while opening up this industry to the UKB and the KTT. Additionally, these compacts reflect our good faith efforts and demonstrates our ability and willingness reach agreements with tribes. I look forward to continued collaboration with our tribal partners and I call on the Joint Committee to convene and promptly endorse the compact. Could Oklahoma eliminate state income tax? Lawmakers disagree on decision Neither tribe is currently a member of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA), but these compacts give the UKB and KTT access to the gaming market that wasnt previously available to them, according to the Governors office. The letters to the Joint Committee can be found here and here and the signed compacts can be found here and here. The Governors office also says the compacts have remained unchanged since they were originally signed and approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2020. The compacts were deemed invalid by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2021. The high court determined because Stitt negotiated different terms to those included in a model gaming compact approved by voters in 2004, and without approval of a joint legislative committee, the agreements arent proper. I will not give an inch: OK Gov. files lawsuit against Republican lawmakers for overriding his tribal compact vetoes Now, the question remains: if the compacts have remained unchanged, would the legislatures approval be enough to legitimize the agreements? KFOR has reached out to the Attorney Generals office for his legal opinion and we were told Attorney General Drummond will review the compacts and other relevant information to determine their legitimacy before making any comment. News 4 also reached out to legislative leaders. Senate Pro Tem Treat told us, We were made aware of the existence of the compacts in conjunction with the press release being sent. We are reviewing them and communicating with the attorney general to see how these differ from the previous compacts that were ruled unconstitutional. KFORs Capitol Bureau Chief Kaylee Olivas will continue to follow this. It will likely be next week before any determinations are made. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. 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 New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently gained national headlines for her public health order which essentially banned carrying a gun in Bernalillo County, the States largest county by population. Her justification for this dramatic action was a recent shooting outside Isotopes Park, but residents of Bernalillo County and Albuquerque face and have faced these issues for years. Each time a criminal uses a gun to kill or steal it is frustrating and sad event. Both the causes and solutions are complicated and controversial. No matter the crisis one person (including the Gov.) cannot simply suspend the rule of law and the US Constitution. Many New Mexicans like me believe Albuquerques crime problem is the result of weak leadership at multiple levels: The City fails to enforce the law, Department of Justice policies further hamstring the police, catch and release judges that voters (sadly) keep electing, and an unwillingness of the Gov. and Legislature to pass laws addressing our serious crime problems. And those are just the public policy failures, not the societal ones. Many New Mexicans carry guns in response to the threat of violence they face. Any attempt to deal with crime needs to involve the Legislature and other State and local elected officials. This would be true even if New Mexico had Republicans in positions of political power which they dont. Sadly, Lujan Grisham is only taking the next logical step in accumulating political power to herself. Declaring a health emergency and then making all manner of policies regarding school and business openings as well as vaccines and masks with little public input or say-so was her approach during COVID. Sadly, the same Democrats who run the Legislature and who failed to pass basic restrictions on the Gov.s COVID powers (like a 45-day limit on her emergency powers) remain largely unwilling to address the Gov.s latest overreach on guns (Sen. Joe Cervantes is one notable exception as he has spoken out in opposition). This is not just about guns. Lujan Grisham has exhibited a pattern of taking powers whether they are hers to use or not. She is currently working through an unelected Environmental Improvement Board, not the elected Legislature, to impose drastic new mandates that will soon require 82% of vehicles sold in New Mexico to be electric. Occasionally the Gov.s anti-Democracy tactics are on seemingly minor issues. Back in the 2022 special session of the Legislature the Gov. requested $1 million to reduce fees on the struggling New Mexico Rail Runner Express. The funds were not allocated by the Legislature, but the Gov. decided to cut fares anyway on her own. Gov. Lujan Grisham may or may not have a political future beyond the remainder of her current term of office. Despite impeachment proceedings that have been filed by the GOP, we will likely be stuck with this Gov. until her term expires the end of 2026 when her term expires. But the entire Legislature is up next November. And when they are running for office, one of the very first questions voters need to ask them is what they will do to hold the Gov. accountable when she ignores the law. They should start by speaking clearly and publicly in opposition to her gun grab and then they should enact limits on the duration and scope of executive power in public health emergencies. Paul Gessing is president of New Mexicos Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Governor's disdain for Democracy nothing new Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm blamed poor judgment after a report that a staffer parked a non-electric vehicle by an electric vehicle charger to reserve it for her amid limited availability. NPR reported this week that the staffer parked a non-electric car in front of the charger to block it off for Granholm during a recent southeast trip to promote the money the administration is putting into climate solutions. One family that was not able to access the charger during this time called the police, though the action is not illegal in Georgia, where the incident occurred, NPR reported. Asked about the incident during a House hearing on Thursday, Granholm said: It was poor judgment on the part of the team. I can only imagine they wanted to continue moving, but the bottom line is its not going to happen again, she added in response to questions from Rep. Scott Franklin (R-Fla.). Since the NPR report was published, some Republicans have cited the incident in their pushback to the Biden administrations policies to support electric vehicles. In a recent letter to Granholm, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned whether the charger was blocked off so the secretary could charge without having to wait like other unfortunate EV users. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In the words of Channel 4, its only a batter of time until brand new Bake Off begins. Thats right, one of the nations most loved television shows is set to return for another season. Season 13 ended last November with a tense face-off between Syabira, Sandro and Abdul. Syabira Yusoff, kown for her experimental approach to flavours, took the crown, with judge Paul Hollywood saying: She can be a bit of a risk taker with her flavours and it has worked. Some of the flavours we have never had in the tent before and [are] unlikely to have again, she is an incredible baker. Prue Leith added: She is creative and she is careful, she practises like anything and she is imaginative, she just has the lot. She is a very skilful baker. Leith has been teamed up with original judge Hollywood for five seasons, and both are set to return for season 14. Presenter Noel Fielding is also returning to the tent, but he will be joined by new co-host Alison Hammond. The This Morning star, loved for her warmth and seemingly limitless laughter, is replacing comedian Matt Lucas, who quit after the 2022 series. In addition to a new co-host, this years series of Bake Off will also feature a change to the format. Episodes themed around different national dishes have been scrapped, following backlash in previous years to Japan Week in 2020, German Week in 2021 and Mexican Week in 2022. During these weeks, some viewers accused the presenters, judges and contestants of casual racism and playing into stereotypes. When will The Great British Bake Off return? Season 14 of the show will start on Tuesday 26 September. Bake a date in your diaries, read a tweet from the official Bake Off account. Join Paul, Prue, Noel and Alison on Tuesday 26 September for the return of The Great British Bake Off. Bake a date in your diaries. Join Paul, Prue, Noel and Alison on Tuesday 26th September for the return of The Great British Bake Off. #GBBO pic.twitter.com/4SSv0zrnvU British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 13, 2023 How do I watch the show? When it makes its way back onto TV screens, Bake Off fanatics can catch the show on Channel 4. If you do end up missing episodes on TV, fret not! The show will be available to watch on Channel 4s on-demand service All 4. In the US, the premiere date has not yet been released but season 14 will also be available to watch on Netflix. Greta Thunberg was charged with disobeying a police order on Friday - Reuters/Tom Little Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was charged with disobeying a police order on Friday, less than two months after she was convicted and fined for the same offence. Thunberg, 20, was fined 1,500 Swedish crowns (108) by a Swedish court on July 24 for failing to leave a protest when ordered by police. Straight after the verdict, Thunberg and other activists from the environmental group Reclaim the Future blocked the road for oil trucks in Malmo harbour and were again forcibly removed by police. The demonstration did not have a permit and it led to the blocking of car traffic. The woman refused to obey the police command to leave the scene, the prosecutor said in a statement. Thunberg, who became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament, could face a harsher sentence if convicted a second time. Failure to obey a police order carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) President-elect Bernardo Arevalo plans to call Guatemalans into the streets next week to protest efforts to derail his presidency before he can take office, he said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press. It would be Arevalo's first such request since winning the election Aug. 20. Since his landslide victory, the attorney generals office has continued pursuing multiple investigations related to the registration of Arevalos Seed Movement party, and alleged fraud in the election. International observers have said that is not supported by evidence. Arevalo said he has tried his own legal maneuvers to stop those who want to keep him from power, but now its necessary for the people to come out to the streets to support him. He said he wants to see businesspeople, farmers, Indigenous groups, and workers all come out to reject what has been happening. It wouldn't be the protest of one party, or oneself, against the system, but rather of a people that feels cheated, against a system that is trying to mock them, Arevalo said. Arevalo, a progressive lawmaker and academic, shocked Guatemala by making it into an Aug. 20 presidential runoff in which he beat former first lady Sandra Torres by more than 20 points. The attorney generals office has said it is only following the law, but has come under intense criticism within Guatemala and abroad for what appears to be a brazen attempt to keep Arevalo from coming to power, or to weaken him. Still, Arevalo said that he is committed to what lies ahead, and conscious that his movement has managed to create hope in Guatemalans. He said he has been overwhelmed by demonstrations of support, including those who drive by his home honking their car horns at night, or yelling Best wishes, Uncle Bernie! a nickname that his younger supporters have popularized. Arevalo was realistic about what he would be able to accomplish in four years as president, characterizing his administration as a start. Hundreds of years of marginalization, discrimination, the accumulated problems of 30 years of corrupt assault on power arent just going to disappear because were here, he said. But if we can start to change, to make the people feel that there are authorities who respond to them. This week, agents from the Attorney Generals Office opened boxes of votes and photographed their contents in an unprecedented violation of Guatemalas electoral law. Arevalo called for Attorney General Consuelo Porras resignation and said he would temporarily suspend the process of transition from outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei. Arevalo said that even within the countrys flawed democracy, the sanctity of the vote had been preserved, and there we had the prosecutor staining with his hands that sacred democratic place. Arevalo said is encouraged that Guatemalans nationwide seem to appreciate what is happening, and reject it. Here there is a national problem, Arevalo said. What is at stake is not the future of (the Seed Movement party). What is at stake is the reality, the viability of democratic institutions. Section CXI of the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants is on display during a Church History Department event to commemorate the final print volume of the Joseph Smith Papers at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The Joseph Smith Papers projects last section was completed in July, creating a comprehensive history of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including events in the life of its former prophet and president, Joseph Smith. A conference commemorating the completion of the project will be held Sept. 15-16. More information about the conference can be found on the Joseph Smith Papers website. Gail Miller, a financial supporter of the project, told the Church News that its a valuable resource to help strengthen testimonies all over the world. Other than the documents themselves which have been collected and organized to be shared and understood the collection includes media such as podcasts, videos, photographs, illustrations, charts and maps to help millions know Brother Joseph again. Here are seven different resources available to better understand the Joseph Smith Papers: The search bar On the homepage of the Joseph Smith Papers project website, the search bar is a good resource as questions and other ideas pop up during your exploration. Using it just like Google, it pulls up any documents or other media of the project related to your search. Podcasts Five different podcasts each with six or eight episodes were produced from the Joseph Smith Papers project, hosted by the associate managing historian of the project, Spencer W. McBride, who is an expert in religion and American politics. Each miniseries focuses on a pivotal event of Joseph Smiths life, including his First Vision of God and Jesus Christ, the restoration of the priesthood, building the Nauvoo Temple, early church life in Kirtland, and finally his death in Carthage. Historians' and church leaders voices and explanations set the scene for each event and give insights into surrounding events. The podcasts are available online and on most streaming services. Videos On the Joseph Smith Papers website, there is a collection of 85 videos that vary in length from a few minutes to about 20 minutes, and show the beginnings of the project and give explanations of documents in the collection. This might be the most useful resource for visual learners. Each video is titled and grouped into 10 different series, depending on what you want to learn more about: The Joseph Smith Papers Project. Documents. Journals. Histories. Administration. Revelation and translations. First Vision accounts. Joseph Smiths time and place. Family character sketches. TV specials. One video from the documents series includes the volume editor of the project, Matthew C. Godfrey, showing his favorite document. Also included is a series called The Joseph Smith Papers that is on BYU-TV and consists of 93 episodes, each about a half-hour long. Photographs The collections photo gallery focuses a lot on Joseph Smiths journals and the early written history of the church. Among the gallery are also the pistols that Joseph and his brother Hyrum had in Carthage Jail and a masonic apron from the 1800s. Illustrations Six illustrations are included in the collection that show early drawings and engravings by church members, including the three witnesses to the translation of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smiths planned tomb and a map of the city of Nauvoo. Looking at the illustrations could give you a good place to start while exploring other resources in this guide. Charts Another great resource for visual learners is the charts section, which has more than 60 different charts, including timelines of events, relationships between events, comparison charts and organizational structures. Heres a list of the different categories to look at: Overview. Histories. Revelations and translations. General church organizations and officers. Local church organizations and officers. Civic organizations and officers. Nauvoo Legion. Council of Fifty. Other charts. Maps There is an interactive world map of historical sites, links to photos and links to documents about those specific locations, which can be helpful to make connections. Also in the maps section are more than 50 maps that outline travel and missions, Latter-day Saints movements across the United States, early church land purchases, and more. The criminal indictment against Hunter Biden for illegal gun possession could run afoul of the new and broader 2nd Amendment interpretation that has been gaining traction in conservative courts. President Bidens son is not accused of using a gun to commit a crime, but rather to lying about his drug use when he purchased a handgun in 2018. This is exactly the kind of regulatory law that has come under challenge from judges who say the 2nd Amendment broadly protects gun rights the way the 1st Amendment broadly protects the freedom of speech. Last month, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans tossed out the criminal conviction of a Mississippi man who was stopped by police last year for driving without a license plate. They smelled marijuana and found marijuana cigarette butts in his vehicle as well as two loaded guns: a 9-millimeter pistol and a semiautomatic rifle. Patrick Daniels, the driver, admitted he was a regular user of marijuana, and he was charged with and convicted of violating the federal law that makes it a crime for anyone who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance ... to possess any firearm. A federal judge upheld his conviction on the grounds that Daniels was not a law abiding, responsible citizen and because he violated a long-standing gun regulation. But the 5th Circuit Court disagreed and overturned his conviction in a 3-0 decision in August. It did so based on last years Supreme Court ruling that expanded the scope of the 2nd Amendment. The courts opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas said an individuals right to bear arms should generally prevail unless the government can show its gun restrictions are consistent with early American history when the 2nd Amendment was adopted. Read more: Gun control laws in California and beyond in peril as Supreme Court expands 2nd Amendment Appellate Judge Jerry Smith said there is no early American history of restricting guns for addicted people, except a few ordinances that prohibited drunken people from firing off weapons at New Years celebrations. At no point in the 18th or 19th Century did the government disarm individuals who used drugs or alcohol at one time from possessing guns at another, Smith wrote. Meanwhile, the gun possession law at issue was the first federal law of its kind and was not enacted until 1968, nearly two centuries after the 2nd Amendment was adopted. Law professors who closely track the 2nd Amendment say Hunter Bidens indictment for illegal gun possession could be challenged and dismissed on constitutional grounds. That is a distinct possibility, said Jacob D. Charles, a Pepperdine law professor. He said the 5th Circuit was the only appeals court to rule directly on a challenge to the gun possession law, but other judges have been skeptical of the governments power to prohibit someone from possessing guns based on past nonviolent conduct. However, lawyers for the Biden administration are urging the Supreme Court to step back a bit and to uphold laws that restrict gun rights for persons who are not abiding, responsible citizens. The administration appealed a 5th Circuit ruling in March that struck down a law that barred gun possession for persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders. There, too, the judges said there was no early American history of taking away guns from domestic abusers. The court overturned the conviction of a Texas man whom prosecutors described as a drug dealer who had been involved in five shooting incidents. Solicitor Gen. Elizabeth Prelogar appealed, and the justices agreed to hear the case of U.S. vs. Rahimi in November. Governments have long disarmed individuals who pose a threat to the safety of others, she said. But even a high court ruling in that case may not save the federal law that forbids gun possession for those who have used illegal drugs. Thursdays indictment accused Hunter Biden of two counts of making false statements when he denied his drug addiction while applying to a buy a gun at a shop in Wilmington, Del. There is a separate count of illegal gun possession. Gun rights advocates did not offer him support after the indictment. The Gun Owners of America opposes all gun control, said Erich Pratt, a senior vice president of the group, but so long as this president continues to use every tool at his disposal to harass and criminalize guns, gun owners and gun dealers, his son should be receiving the same treatment and scrutiny as all of us. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Curt Samson gets help from volunteer Justin Witek with First Interstate. The duo was helping build homes for Habitat for Humanity along Wilmoth Street Wednesday, Sept. 13 in Ames. The old Ames Middle School location on State Street is getting a new lease on life. The lot has been empty for several years following the building's closure in 2005, but a new development of single-family homes is set to fill the void. The Baker Subdivision will be home to around 30 residences, with Habitat for Humanity of Central Iowa building seven. The subdivision's first contractor is currently building three homes on South Wilmoth Drive. The final four houses will be built over the next three years, Habitat for Humanity of Central Iowa executive director Dan Nutini said. The Habitat homes are made possible through a partnership with the City of Ames, the project developer. The city helps connect potential homeowners with Habitat for Humanity, and the non-profit helps create a home that best suits them. There are roughly 30 single-family lots out here, and we own seven of them, Nutini said. The city helps refer potential homebuyers to us, and then they apply through Habitat, so we work together on actually getting the families into the houses. Its a great partnership. Construction on the first three homes started in the spring, and the goal is to close on those properties next spring. The homes have a minimum space of 1,100 square feet on the first floor, which is driven by the design covenant and city ordinance. With a full basement and an attached one-car garage, each homes main floor will have two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a laundry room, and an open floor plan with a kitchen, dining, and living space. A deck will lead to the backyard. The basement will be home to another bedroom, a second full bathroom, as well as some unfinished space, which provide each family with the flexibility to create an extra bedroom, family room or whatever best fits. The homes are connected to geothermal wells to help with energy production. More: After 10-year effort, Ames chooses developer for Baker Subdivision affordable housing Chuck Abbott (left) works with volunteers David Tucker and John Jennet from First Interstate to build Habitat for Humanity houses at Wilmoth Street Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Ames. Habitat for Humanity families do pay for homes Theres a common misconception, Nutini said, that families get Habitat homes for free. Nothing could be further from the truth, he said. Habitat for Humanity of Central Iowa has completed about 70 homes in Ames and the surrounding area. All of the new homeowners go through an extensive application process and must qualify for a no-interest mortgage, on which they make monthly payments. They must agree that the home won't be used as a rental property. They also are required to help build the home. Habitat calls it sweat equity, which involves 450 hours of work for each family. Chuck Abbott, (left) and Curt Samson (right) work to build three Habitat for Humanity homes at Wilmoth Street Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Ames. Dedicated Habitat employees make a difference Chuck Abbott, a part-time construction foreman for Habitat, has helped build around 60 Habitat homes. He started as a volunteer and has had about every position" possible. Ive always enjoyed building things, Abbott said. I especially enjoy the rough framing because you can really see what youve accomplished. Curt Samson, a part-time assistant foreman, also started as a volunteer. The fellowship and the satisfaction of working on a project are what drew him to Habitat. He first applied to work at the Habitat for Humanity store, but when Marsha Taylor saw the skills he listed on his application, she sent him to a job site. Hes hooked. Taylor herself started as a volunteer, and now shes the one who organizes volunteers both on-site and at the Habitat Store. First Interstate Bank employee David Tucker works to build a Habitat for Humanity home along Wilmoth Street Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Ames. Volunteers are crucial to Habitat for Humanity's success We have an unbelievable group of folks that help us out on our projects, Nutini said. And were getting some sponsorship on our homes, where a company or an organization has agreed to commit financially to a home. The Baker Subdivision construction site signage indicates the many sponsors, including Chevron REG and Munn Lumber. Eventually, seven sponsors will help round out the project. To interject those corporate dollars have been very beneficial, and were looking for more sponsorships as we move ahead, Nutini said. Its all about community partnerships for us. Habitat for Humanity also relies on contributions from individuals and families in the community. The Habitat Store, located at 3504 Grand Ave. in Ames, is a significant source of funds for local projects. Anyone can donate furniture and home goods and residents can stop by to shop as well. We actually get a lot of people who are unaware that they can shop at our store, Nutini said. They think you have to be low-income or meet a certain economic criteria, but were trying to get the word out that anybody can come shop there, and anybody can donate good there. A truck will come pick up furniture if residents are unable to bring it by the store. It's all part of Habitat's mission to provide many options for the communities they serve. And all of the money stays local," Nutini said. "All of those dollars get pumped right back into the local community. So when people ask me how they can support Habitat, I always talk about our store and what a win-win it is, Chuck Abbott (center) gets help from volunteers from First Interstate Bank, including John Kemmett, Justin Witek, and David Tucker. The quartet are helping build a trio of Habitat for Humanity homes along Wilmoth Street. More: Habitat Store was a dream for Sandi Risdal, who retired after 15 years as director Side-by-side construction helps with efficiency Building three homes on the same street offers cost-efficient construction, Nutini said. An architect and founder of Nutini Architecture, he has many years of experience, while he has been full-time executive director at Habitat for a little more than a year. Habitat for Humanity's mission has been a great match, he said. Theres a need in our community for quality, affordable housing and efficient sources of that," Nutini said. "Also, its a source of community engagement that volunteerism that brings people together on our projects." First Interstate Bank was a prime example of community engagement this week. The local branch closed Wednesday afternoon so their employees could help build the homes on Wilmoth Street. Aside from the seven current lots, Habitat is working with the city to build even more on the other side of the street. Being consolidated in one spot is huge for us, Nutini said. Its an efficient use of materials and labor, he said. It helps with our volunteer groups, like DMACC, which is a big partner of ours, Nutini said. Des Moines Area Community College has stepped up to help during construction, enlisting high school juniors and seniors from its Building Trades Program. An instructor leads the students on-site as they focus on a single home at a time. In this case, the students are building the northernmost home, which is farthest along in the construction process. Then theyll go down the row here," Nutini said. "Were trying to leverage every partnership we can, every resource we can, to make it worthwhile." Curt Samson works with volunteer from First Interstate Bank John Jennett work to build three Habitat for Humanity houses at Wilmoth Street on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Baker Subdivision sees first construction as Habitat begins work on 3 homes By Ahmed Aboulenein and Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About half of Americans are interested in getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine more than three years after the virus infected millions and upended daily life across the United States and around the world, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The results suggest that more might be willing to get a booster shot than a year ago when only around roughly one in six Americans opted for an updated shot, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nationwide online poll, which concluded on Thursday, showed that almost 30% of respondents were very interested in getting the vaccine and another 24% were somewhat interested. Almost 17% were not very interested and 30% were not interested at all. U.S. public health officials earlier this week recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna that target a recently circulating Omicron variant of the coronavirus. U.S. officials are advising a much broader use of the vaccine - by everyone age 6 months and up - compared with the recommendations of many European countries, which prioritize the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The World Health Organization's latest advice says additional doses beyond the first two doses and one booster are not routinely recommended other than in older adults and certain at-risk groups such as those who have other illnesses. Around 14% of those not interested in getting the booster said it was because they had COVID already while another 14% said they believed their previous vaccinations provided sufficient protection. Around 3% said their age group does not need the vaccine. The number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen in recent weeks, but remains far below the levels seen in the dark days of the pandemic between 2020 and early 2022. OVERALL CONCERN DOWN Some 54% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they were "personally" concerned about the spread of the virus, down from 77% in a poll taken three years ago. At the height of the pandemic, in early 2020, some 90% of poll respondents were concerned. Almost 42% said they were mainly interested in getting the vaccine to reduce their risk of severe illness. Demand for the vaccine had dropped sharply after 2021 when it first became available and more than 240 million people in the U.S., or 73% of the population, received at least one shot. During the last revaccination campaign, when most Americas had either already had the COVID virus or been previously vaccinated, only around 56.5 million people got the updated booster shots, CDC data shows. That's far below the annual U.S. flu vaccine market of around 160 million shots. COVID-19 vaccinations have also roiled U.S. politics, with many Republicans seeing the push for vaccination as government overreach. Only 34% of Republicans said they would be interested in getting the updated vaccine, compared with 77% of Democrats. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential contest, on Wednesday urged people in his state under age 65 not to get the vaccination. Some 36% of people not interested in the vaccine said their main reason was because they think the vaccine is dangerous, and another 5% said they did not believe COVID makes people sick. "It really concerns me that over 30% think it is dangerous when there's really no credible evidence of that, yet a lot of disinformation and, honestly, fear mongering," said Dr. Jesse Goodman, an infectious disease expert at Georgetown University in Washington and a former chief scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "This does illustrate the power of misinformation and disinformation combined with anxiety," he said. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and nationwide between Sept. 8 and Sept. 14, gathering responses from 4,413 U.S. adults. It had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 2 percentage points (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Jason Lange in Washington; Additional reporting by Michael Erman in New York and Jennifer Rigby in London; Editing by Scott Malone and Leslie Adler) A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows about half of Americans are interested in getting a new COVID-19 shot. The poll found almost 30 percent of respondents are very interested and 24 percent somewhat interested in an updated vaccine, according to the survey. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved updated vaccines to give Americans more protection before a possible winter uptick in infections. The poll also found overall concern about the spread of the virus down. More than half of respondents 54 percent said they were personally concerned about the spread of the virus. That is down more than 20 points compared to a poll from three years ago, when 77 percent expressed concern. In early 2020, at the height of the pandemic, that personal concern was expressed by 90 percent of respondents. New COVID shots: 5 things to know after CDCs approval Other issues highlighted in the poll include fears about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 36 percent of those who said they were not interested in the vaccine cited concern over the vaccines safety. The FDA this week said the updated vaccine is safe and underwent rigorous testing. It really concerns me that over 30% think it is dangerous when theres really no credible evidence of that, yet a lot of disinformation and, honestly, fear mongering, Dr. Jesse Goodman, an infectious disease expert at Georgetown University and a former chief scientist at the FDA, told Reuters. The poll was conducted online nationwide between Sept. 8-14, with responses from 4,413 U.S. adults. It has a credibility interval of 2 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Your relationship with your spouse is one of the most important bonds in your life. It can provide you with deep love and connection, someone to share experiences with, and opportunities to help you grow into a better version of yourself. But sometimes other forces like bad habits and unhealthy beliefs get in the way of that. We asked therapists to name some of the biggest threats to married peoples happiness. Below, they share their thoughts and offer advice on how to turn things around if youre struggling. Comparing your relationship to other peoples. Humans have an innate tendency to see how they measure up to others. At times, that instinct for comparison can be a motivating force. But too often, it ends up being the thief of joy. Constantly trying to determine how your marriage stacks up against other peoples can be dangerous to the health of the overall relationship, Los Angeles marriage and family therapist Abigail Makepeace told HuffPost. Although some comparisons might make you feel buoyed, overall, comparison generally leads to a negative self-view, Makepeace said. Since there is no way to be privy to all the experiences and information in someone elses marriage, typically you are comparing the day-to-day experiences of your own relationship to a social media or other highlight reel of the other marriage in question. Thats a lot of power to give away without having all the facts. Try to keep in mind that youre only getting a small glimpse often a curated one of what another couples life is like. When you stop comparing, youll open up more room for gratitude and growth in your own relationship, Makepeace said. Instead of focusing on outward comparisons, spend time reflecting on how much youve grown as a couple or the difficulties youve overcome.Abigail Makepeace, marriage and family therapist Instead of focusing on outward comparisons, spend time reflecting on how much youve grown as a couple or the difficulties youve overcome, she said. This shift of thinking can lift your overall mood and challenge you to connect more deeply with your spouse. When you feel yourself falling into the comparison trap, identify whats lacking in your own relationship and think about ways to take some positive action in this area. That dream vacation you might be envying? Invite your spouse into that processing, and perhaps turn it into a shared savings goal, Makepeace said. Envy the amount of time another couple spends doing activities together? Use that as inspiration to carve out more time together. Having kids Research has shown that peoples marital happiness declines after having kids especially during the first year of a childs life and takes a while to fully recover. While children can bring deep love and joy into a couples life, they can undoubtedly bring on new stressors too. Many married couples share a common focus on the ultimate goal of building a family, yet often overlook the profound impact that having and raising children can have on their marriage, licensed clinical social worker Nicole Saunders of Therapy Charlotte in North Carolina told HuffPost.Its not uncommon that couples can trace the start of their disconnect back to the birth of their first child. Its understandable and normal for the addition of kids to put strain on a marriage given the new responsibilities and the diminished resources in terms of time, finances, and sleep, Saunders said. In order to combat this, she recommends making a joint commitment to carve out some time to connect as a couple. This can be as simple as setting aside 15 minutes in the morning to enjoy a cup of coffee together, or prioritizing quality time without distractions like phones before bedtime for cuddling and conversation, she said. It also means finding time for sex and intimacy, considering the constraints of energy and time that come with parenting responsibilities. Expecting you and your partner to stay the same over the course of the relationship When we hold our partners or ourselves hostage and do not allow change, we do so at the expense of our individual and collective happiness, therapist Lauren Bailey says. When we hold our partners or ourselves hostage and do not allow change, we do so at the expense of our individual and collective happiness, therapist Lauren Bailey says. Many folks mistakenly believe that the person they marry on their wedding day will be the same person five, 10 or even 50 years down the line. Lauren Bailey, a Chicago-based therapist at the Expansive Group, hasworked with quite a few clients who are having trouble coming to terms with a big change in their partners life, whether its something related to their career, sexuality or gender. The same is also true for other clients who are afraid of upsetting the status quo of their relationship when they realize something new or different about themselves, Bailey told HuffPost. When we hold our partners or ourselves hostage and do not allow change, we do so at the expense of our individual and collective happiness, they said. Instead, try to give you and your partner the space you both need to learn and grow. Create the type of safe haven that they can bring back what they find about themselves, and ask for your partner to do the same for you, Bailey said. If the exploration scares you, make sure you have a place to voice those fears without shutting down your partner(s) exploration. If your partner is trying to shut down your exploration, reassure them that exploration does not mean the end of the relationship, they said. One of my favorite lines from one of my clients was: It felt like we were falling apart, but we were actually falling into place. Not making time for regular check-ins Not carving out time for regular check-ins is a common mistake that long-term couples make. Not carving out time for regular check-ins is a common mistake that long-term couples make. Its easy for married couples to become two ships passing in the night, each so preoccupied by their own personal to-do lists, worries and distractions that they rarely have a moment of true connection. But when you fail to take each others emotional pulse on a near-daily basis, it has a way of widening the distance between you, said Los Angeles-based couples therapist David Narang. This leaves you isolated from each other, and more vulnerable to more intense conflict and also to possible betrayals, he told HuffPost. Narang suggests spending 15 to 20 minutes each night talking about the events of the day and, more importantly, getting into the emotional impact of those events e.g. joy, stress, fear or sadness on each partner. Ask questions so you can really understand where your partner is coming from. When we feel known by our partner, we are getting the closeness we need, and so we are spontaneously more likely to protect our couple, Narang said. This protection means, for example, that when there is a conflict, we are more likely to contain it rather than to send it off the rails, he said. This protection also extends to strengthening our resolve to avoid betraying our partner, both because we specifically want to avoid hurting our spouse due to the feelings of closeness, and because it is now difficult for another acquaintance to look as appealing as ones partner. Putting yourself last Youre probably familiar with the airplane oxygen mask analogy: You must put on your own mask first before youre able to help others. This line of thinking applies to marriage, too, Saunders said. You cant be a great partner if youre constantly putting other peoples needs before your own. I find that people who are unwilling to talk about their relationship, warts and all, to their support networks are doing so at the expense of their happiness.Lauren Bailey, therapist If you hate your body, consistently put your personal aspirations aside, and disregard your emotional well-being, it becomes challenging to be your best self within the relationship, Saunders said. Reserving time each day for self-care promotes self-confidence, a positive outlook and overall happiness. Infusing the relationship with this energy on a daily basis immediately improves the dynamic. Blaming your partner for your unhappiness As a marriage and family therapist, Makepeace often sees clients who believe that their partners actions or inactions are the reason they themselves are unhappy. Although unintentional, spouses can channel the disappointment in their lives into anger towards their partner, or use them as a scapegoat for their own failings, she said. We are sometimes deeply affected by the actions of our partners, she said. But just as with all other relationships, we can only control our own actions. Remember that we are each responsible for our own happiness. Shifting your thinking here can help soften feelings of anger and dissatisfaction and make both members of the couple more empowered to work towards their own joy, Makepeace said. Not asking for help or support One of the biggest threats to happiness in long-term relationships is the belief that you and your partner can get through your whole lives just relying on each other, especially in times of turmoil in the relationship, Bailey said. Its a show of strength not weakness to lean on others for emotional support when you need it. It might sound self-serving as a therapist to say to get a therapist, but trust and believe that your relational counselor is also in therapy and talking about their relationships, Bailey said. No one is an island. Bailey said their clients have also had success in support groups within their communities and from their inner circles. I find that people who are unwilling to talk about their relationship, warts and all, to their support networks are doing so at the expense of their happiness, Bailey said. Your support network is not there to judge your partner, but rather to support you. Let them be there for you. It can make a world of difference. Related... Vice President Harris began a seven-state tour over the upcoming month Thursday, targeting college campuses to court young voters. Her Fight for Our Freedoms college tour will focus on issues that especially impact young people, such as abortion rights, climate change and LGBTQ rights, the White House said. This generation is critical to the urgent issues that are at stake right now for our future, Harris said in a statement. It is young leaders throughout America who know what the solutions look like and are organizing in their communities to make them a reality. My message to students is clear: We are counting on you, we need you, you are everything. The tour began Thursday at Hampton University in Virginia, where the vice president emphasized the importance of voting and voting rights. Early voting in Virginias Legislature elections begins Friday. Weve got a fight on our hands right now. We are fighting for our democracy, and this is real, she said. These attacks on voting rights, on a persons ability to make decisions about their own body, on issues like affirmative action, on issues that are about what makes for reasonable gun safety laws. This stuff is real. And its happening right now in real-time. But I am optimistic, because I know that our leaders are up for this challenge and will not be denied. The Virginia elections are believed to be a critical bellwether for Democrats, as they are seen as a referendum on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin has pushed for a 15-week ban on abortion, as well as other conservative issues that Democrats have opposed. Democrats currently hold a slight majority in the state senate, while Republicans hold a slight edge in the state House. Every seat is up for election this year. Harris will also visit North Carolina A&T, Morehouse College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the College of Southern Nevada and Northern Arizona University. She will be in Greensboro, N.C., at North Carolina A&T on Friday, and in Atlanta at Morehouse on Sept. 25. The first three stops are at historically Black schools, which Harris and the White House have targeted for voter outreach. The College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas is a majority-Hispanic institution. The dates for the remaining three visits have not been announced. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) came out in support of the United Auto Workers strike on Friday, using the opportunity to attack President Biden. Auto workers deserve a raise and they deserve to have their jobs protected from Joe Bidens stupid climate mandates that are destroying the US auto industry and making China rich, Hawley said on X, formerly Twitter. United Auto Workers began a strike against the Big Three automakers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis Friday morning, a first in the unions history. The union is demanding increased wages, shorter work weeks and better retirement benefits. Biden on Friday called on the auto makers to increase their offer to workers to make a deal. I believe they should go further Record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared by record contracts for the UAW, Biden said Friday. Lets be clear, no one wants a strike. No one wants a strike. But I respect workers rights to use their options under the collective bargaining system and I understand the workers frustration, he added. The Commerce Department shared similar sentiments, backing the strike and citing its success to Biden administration policies. But Hawley blamed the strikes necessity on the Biden administration, saying federal regulations have driven up automaker expenses that would otherwise be spent on workers. Every dime the auto industry is spending on Joe Bidens radical climate mandates should be spent on workers, Hawley said. They deserve better wages, better hours, and a guarantee their jobs will be safe not shipped off to China. Former President Trump has also repeatedly used the UAW negotiations to attack Bidens push for a transition to electric vehicles, an effort he has promised to halt if he return to the White House. Profits at the Big Three automakers increased by 92 percent in the last decade, totaling $250 billion, according to an analysis released Tuesday. CEO compensation rose by 40 percent through the same period. The union reportedly rejected the latest counteroffers from all three automakers, which say the workers demands are not realistic and unaffordable, in part due to the cost of the shift to EVs. We are committed to winning an agreement with the Big Three that reflects the incredible sacrifice and contributions UAW members have made to these companies, Fain said in his Thursday address. The Hills Taylor Giorno contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sixty years ago, four little girls in Birmingham paid the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for freedom in the United States. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, on Thursday hosted a Terri Talks virtual discussion, Gone But Never Forgotten: Commemorating 60 Years Since the Passing of the Four Little Girls." The discussion featured Lisa McNair, the sister of Denise McNair who was one of the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing on Sept. 15, 1963 in Birmingham. More: Sister of Birmingham church bombing victim tells her story | DON NOBLE The conversation focused on the significance of the tragedy 60 years later and the need to ensure the pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement is never forgotten. Sewell is one of the first women elected to Congress from Alabama and the first Black woman to ever serve in the Alabama congressional delegation. Lisa McNair, whose older sister, Denise, was one of the four little girls killed in the infamous 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, was the featured speaker for the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Foundation Uplift Awards at Tuscaloosa River Market Friday, May 19, 2023. Sewell said Denise McNair and the other three girls who were killed in the bombing 60 years ago helped pave the way for her political career. "It's never lost on me that I get to walk the halls of congress as Alabama's first Black congresswoman because those four little girls never got to fulfill their dreams," said Sewell during Thursday's virtual discussion. Lisa McNair, who was born after her older sister's death, spoke about Denise McNair's life and how she is continuing to honor her memory. "Denise, from what I've heard family members say, was a very precocious child, she was very smart, she was quick-witted, but she was, even in her young age, was about justice," Lisa McNair said. Lisa McNair, whose older sister, Denise, was one of the four little girls killed in the infamous 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, was the featured speaker for the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Foundation Uplift Awards at Tuscaloosa River Market Friday, May 19, 2023. Sewell and Lisa McNair spoke about the legacy of the four little girls and the effects their death has on the city of Birmingham and the Civil Rights Movement. Lisa McNair said she believes it's important to remember the four girls who were killed in the bombing and continue to share their stories. In addition to 11-year-old Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Morris Wesley, all 14-year-olds, died in the church bombing. Three members of the Ku Klux Klan were eventually convicted in the case, the first in 1977 and two more in the early 2000s, according to the Associated Press. The church bombing came during the height of the fight for Civil Rights in America, and as Birminghams public schools were being desegregated. The four girls became emblems of the racist hatred that emanated from much of the opposition to equal rights. "It's important because we should not forget our history, if we forget our history, we are destined to repeat it," Lisa McNair said. After the 1963 bombing and other key events, such as the Selma march and the march on Washington, D.C., led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Congress passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act and life became less strictly segregated in the U.S. "Her death was not in vain ... We need to continue to share those stories, we need to continue to remember the four little girls because we gained so much more freedom after their death. And we need to always make that mean something," she said. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Terri Sewell marks 60th anniversary of Birmingham church bombing This article is part of HuffPosts biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Weve spent a lot of time this week talking about Hunter Biden and impeachment, which is fair enough. I just wish wed found more time to discuss another story, because it painted an alarming picture of whats happening to millions of low-income Americans and made it very clear which partys leaders want to do something about it. Im talking about the annual U.S. Census Bureau report on income and health insurance, which came out Tuesday and which my colleague Jonathan Nicholson summarized for HuffPost. The report found that the countrys poverty rate jumped from 7.8% in 2021 to 12.4% last year and that the poverty rate among children, specifically, rose even more dramatically, from 5.2% to 12.4%. To put it another way, last year more than 1 in 8 American kids were living in a household struggling to pay for food, shelter, transportation and other essentials. Just a year before, fewer than half as many kids were in that position. Of course, none of this was a surprise. In 2020 and 2021, poverty fell dramatically, with poverty among children hitting record lows. The reason was the extra income support that the federal government had provided as part of its efforts to get families and the U.S. economy through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders wanted to make permanent a temporary subsidy for families with children. But Republicans wouldn't support the proposal, and neither would Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). That was enough to keep the proposal from passing. President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders wanted to make permanent a temporary subsidy for families with children. But Republicans wouldn't support the proposal, and neither would Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). That was enough to keep the proposal from passing. A key element of that support was the child tax credit that provided families with up to $300 a month per child from July through December 2021. The credit was part of the American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats enacted shortly after he took office. Biden and his allies had hoped to make the temporary measure permanent. But they couldnt get the votes. Republicans wouldnt support it, which left the proposals fate in the hands of the Senates most conservative Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin blanched at the credits impact on the federal budget, and expressed concern that low-income families would use the money to buy drugs. In reality, as the data showed, low-income Americans were using the money mainly to pay for necessities. Now, with the assistance gone, they are back to paying more for those necessities or not getting them at all. Which is to say, theyre back in poverty. Its a disheartening, devastating story. And its not the last time were going to hear a version of it. Coming Next: More Uninsured Americans As usual, the annual Census report also included statistics on health insurance coverage. In 2022, just 8.3% of Americans had no insurance. Thats the lowest share ever recorded, which is great. But a big reason for that was another pandemic relief measure a federally imposed suspension of states requirements that Medicaid recipients reconfirm their eligibility for the program. That suspension ended earlier this year, which means states have started up the eligibility verification process again. What weve proved is that poverty for children in America is not some accident. Its a policy choice.Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) So far, nearly 6.5 million Medicaid recipients have lost coverage through this process, according to a running tally the health research organization KFF is keeping. A large number of these people are losing coverage for procedural reasons, meaning they might still be eligible for Medicaid and are only losing coverage because they got stuck or lost in the bureaucratic process of showing they still qualify. As a result, next years figures are likely to show an increase quite possibly a substantial one in the number of uninsured Americans. And based on the data about exactly who is losing Medicaid for procedural reasons, experts like Georgetown University research Professor Joan Alker are predicting that increase could include several million children. So not only would something like 1 in 8 kids be living in poverty, but a great many of them wouldnt have health insurance, either. Proponents of aggressive cuts argue that Medicaid rolls currently include lots of people who have found alternative sources of insurance. Thats true. But its also true that many states make demonstrating Medicaid eligibility difficult, in order to minimize enrollment, and have been doing so for a long time. Its among the reasons so many Americans have remained uninsured even with programs like the Affordable Care Act in place. A Glimpse Of What Might Have Been In a sense, the pandemic-era suspension of Medicaid disenrollments functioned a lot like the temporary tax credit for children: It strengthened the safety net, so that Americans were getting the kind of support their Western European counterparts have received from their governments for a long time. And while maintaining those pandemic measures required more government spending which is what so bothered Manchin and the Republicans it also achieved what it was supposed to achieve. Fewer families had to go hungry or without housing. More of them got health care. Kids especially stood to benefit, given all the data that links reliable food, shelter and healthinsurance to future emotional, intellectual and physical well-being. That impact doesnt seem to have registered with most Republicans, who have been pushing for tax cuts that would make it even harder to fund income support programs and who, preoccupied with their impeachment inquiry into Biden, had little to say about the poverty numbers this week. Their Democratic counterparts certainly noticed although, absent the votes to do something about it, all they could do was point out the irony. We have now proved something pretty phenomenal and at the same time, pretty obscene, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said this week. What weve proved is that poverty for children in America is not some accident. Its a policy choice. Related... Have you spotted a hickory horned devil? These large, bright green caterpillars may look dangerous, but they are nothing to be afraid of and will eventually turn into a regal moth, which can have a wingspan of up to 6 inches. September is when many people in Georgia and other states in the region begin to spot these oversized insects and often wonder if they should be avoided. Where are hickory horned devil caterpillars found? Hickory horned devil caterpillars are found in much of the eastern United States, most frequently in the southeastern states. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, they are found in the deciduous forest areas of the eastern U.S. According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, these caterpillars are often found on walnut, hickories, pecan, sweetgum, persimmon and sumac. More insect stories: Joro spiders are spreading in the Southeast and UGA scientists want your help to find more Are hickory horned devil caterpillars safe to touch? Yes. While intimidating in size up to 14cm or the "size of a large hot dog" according to UF IFAS and donning vicious-looking "horns," this insect is harmless. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Large, green hickory horned devil caterpillars spotted in Georgia Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this article had incorrect information about Frank Barrios' employment. He was a former state employee. Lifelong Phoenix resident Frank Barrios, a champion of upholding the citys Mexican American influence, died Monday afternoon at his home. He was 81. The cause of death was a year-long bout with pancreatic cancer, according to his friend, historian Pete Dimas. Barrios dedicated his life to promoting the history of the Mexican American experience in the Valley via preservation efforts he championed and a book he authored. Educated as a civil engineer, Barrios was a former state employee whose family traced its Arizona roots to the 19th century. "Frank was not trained as a professional historian. He did it out of his heart," Dimas said in a Wednesday interview with The Arizona Republic. For Barrios, working as a historian "was a personal drive to make sure that the stories that dealt with the beginnings and the growth of Phoenix were not omitted." It was most important for Barrios to spotlight the interest of the citys Mexican American residents to earn an education and win political clout, Dimas said. Fighting to prevent Mexican American erasure in Phoenix Frank Martin Barrios was born on April 8, 1942, an only child to Alphonso Barrios, a native of Tecate, Baja California Norte, who served in World War II, and Dolores Gold Barrios, who was born and raised in the Valley. Frank was raised in the predominantly Latino neighborhood south of Roosevelt Street and east of Seventh Street in Phoenix. In the mid- to late 2000s, Barrios sought restoration of the long-afflicted Sotelo-Heard Cemetery at 12th Street and Broadway Road. The historically Latino burial grounds had been vandalized and its upkeep ignored. Barrios work researching history and archiving photographs culminated with the 2008 release of his Images of America book, "Mexicans in Phoenix." The book looked at Mexican Americans in the Valley from the 1860s through the communitys political activism in the 1970s. Barrios maternal grandfather, Martin Gold, was a Yugoslavian immigrant and Arizona businessman who married into the Martinez family, which had been in the territory going back to the 1890s. Many of the photos and information featured in his book were from Barrios family collection, including the books cover image. The now-defunct Phoenix Museum of History centered exclusively on "Anglo-Saxon pioneers," Barrios said in a 2008 interview with The Republic, adding that he strived to tell the stories of ethnic Mexicans who he argued built the city. "They were very prominent here. They had a large presence here," Barrios said of Mexicans in Phoenix in the interview. "But history glossed over them. This is their history that has not been properly told." Frank Barrios, a longtime member of the Pioneers' Cemetery Association, has worked for a decade to bring a measure of dignity to the Sotelo-Heard cemetery. Some of the photos Barrios archived were part of a temporary exhibit at the history museum, including a 1915 photo showing young Mexican Americans dressed in the Edwardian fashion of that period as they posed in front of Camelback Mountains Praying Monk formation. "Most of the citys history has been written by non-Hispanics, tending toward a certain point of view. Also, politics has been dominated by non-Hispanics, and much of what happens is told through those that make the laws," Barrios said in an interview with The Republic at the time, adding that Mexican Americans are "a subset of the American experience that are just as patriotic, just as strongly pro-American as any other group." Expecting he would have little time before his death due to the typical short-term prognosis of pancreatic cancer, Barrios started working to ensure the rich history he had been collecting was not lost. Dimas said Barrios gathered historic photographs, written texts and oral histories in his possession and endowed these items to the Arizona Historical Society. A history of community efforts in Arizona Barrios earned his degree in 1966 from Arizona State University and worked in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Phoenix before joining the Arizona Water Commission, according to an online obituary. He would become the commissions manager when it was known as the Arizona Department of Water Resources, where he retired from in 1998. "Most people who know Arizona's water history agree the state's sustainable growth has only been possible because of the tireless work of Frank Barrios and many others in the water community during that critical time of anticipated Arizona population growth," read the obituary. He was a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens and ran unsuccessfully for election for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District in 2006 after a 2003 appointment to the board by Gov. Janet Napolitano. From 2014 to 2017, Barrios was president of the St. Vincent De Paul charity in Phoenix. "He was so kind and so humble and so generous with himself and his service to the poor," said his friend, Susan Junker, on Wednesday. In that spirit, when Phoenix was considering budget cuts on senior centers, Barrios in a January 2009 article in The Republic said, "Consider the needy and the poor. Consider all options before making cuts." Barrios enjoyed hiking and was a loyal fan of the Diamondbacks and Suns. Frank Barrios is pictured on Sept. 20, 2018, at Pioneer & Military Memorial Park in Phoenix. Some of the headstones from the historic Sotelo-Heard Cemetery have been moved to their current location to prevent vandalism. He is survived by several cousins. A rosary service will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home at 4800 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix. The funeral will be held at 9 a.m. on Sept. 21 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church at 4715 N. Central Avenue, with a gathering held after at the church grounds of Anderson Hall. Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @jrgzztx. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Historian for Phoenix's Mexican community, dies at 81 Sarah Afkami, a Hollywood writer for the last decade, is photographed with her shofar on Pico Boulevard near her home in Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 8:13 a.m. Sept. 15, 2023: An earlier version of this article misspelled the first name of Elana Mann of South Pasadena as Elena. It also said her children are attending religious school for free. They are receiving a steep discount. The end of summer has long been a season of spiritual accounting for Jews like Sarah Afkami. But while her neighbors in Pico-Robertson are busy praying for forgiveness, the TV writer has an additional concern: whether she can afford to celebrate the upcoming Jewish New Year. "I'm going to have to have a talk with my rabbi," said Afkami, 34. "It's been a rough summer." The Hollywood strikes have upended life for tens of thousands of workers in Los Angeles, leaving people of all faiths struggling to pay for food, rent and healthcare. But in a city that is home to more Jews than Tel Aviv, the labor disputes have also upset the autumn High Holidays, a period of festive family gatherings and intense communal prayer, when many believe their fates including their fortunes are written for the year to come. "Im a child of immigrants, so theres no generational wealth waiting for me," Afkami said. "I've questioned my entire life choices." Although healthcare and working conditions are part of the negotiations with studios, compensation is the central issue in the strikes, with writers and actors both seeking pay bumps and more generous residuals. Most union members are not breakout stars, and many struggle to eke out an existence in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It's a common and false antisemitic trope to say that Jews run Hollywood. In reality, the film industry is diverse, and Jews work in all types of jobs, many of them not so glamorous, powerful or lucrative, as shown by the communal crisis now facing thousands of workers across Los Angeles on the eve of the autumn holiday season. As with Eid or Lunar New Year, Rosh Hashanah is traditionally celebrated with lavish feasts and fine holiday clothes. Prayers for sustenance are part of the liturgy, alongside those for peace, long life and forgiveness. Many also have the custom to make donations for kapparot, a form of ritual atonement otherwise performed by slaughtering a chicken ahead of Yom Kippur. But the biggest expense by far for most Jewish families is the prayer service itself, which can cost hundreds of dollars as a stand-alone ticket and many times more as part of a synagogue membership. "Most synagogues charge thousands of dollars to become members," said Elana Mann, an artist and mother of two in South Pasadena, whose set-designer husband is out of work amid the strikes. "Theres people who are just like, 'We cant afford to go this year.'" Jean-Paul Leonard, from left, Elana Mann, Gabriella Mann-Leonard, 3, and Max Mann-Leonard, 8, before dinner in South Pasadena. Mann and her family have found support amid the Hollywood strikes through smaller and alternative synagogues. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Membership for a family like Mann's costs $3,805 at Valley Beth Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in Encino. At Temple Israel of Hollywood, a Reform congregation, it's $3,760. And at Beth Jacob, an Orthodox shul in Beverly Hills, membership would run them $2,630 for the year. Prices are similar at large synagogues across the state, from Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the Central Valley. That puts prayer out of reach for most striking workers, even as many feel they need it more than ever. "All they want is a place they can come and pray, even though they don't have the means," said Rabbi Zalman Partouche of Chabad of Hollywood, whose flock includes many writers and actors. "Specifically by the strike, they want to come and feel connected and loved." Chabad is a Hasidic movement whose modest synagogues are known worldwide as places to pray and eat for free on holidays and festivals. In Los Angeles alone, the sect boasts dozens of shuls, including special centers for Russian and Persian-speaking refugees. "We've always helped starving writers," said Rabbi Leibel Korf of Chabad of Greater Los Feliz. "We believe our sustenance is inscribed by God on Rosh Hashanah, so we'll give them all the support we can." Amid the ongoing strikes, both rabbis have redoubled their efforts to welcome those out of work. Read more: Why Hollywood's labor nightmare won't end soon: Frustration, fear and mistrust Still, relatively few Hollywood workers feel at home in Chabad's traditional services, where prayers are sung exclusively in Hebrew and Aramaic, and must be said out of sight by women, who worship hidden behind a screen. Others are left out by Orthodox interpretations of religious law, which recognize only those born to Jewish mothers or converted under Orthodox supervision. For them, L.A.'s alternative Jewish communities have emerged as a spiritual safety net. "We're a community of folks who haven't always been centered in Jewish life because they're interfaith families or they're queer Jews or Jews of color, or they've not had the financial means," said Rabbi Susan Goldberg of Nefesh, a nondenominational congregation in Echo Park. Most synagogues will negotiate with families who are experiencing financial hardship. But few make the process clear or easy. "Sometimes temples ask to see your taxes," Goldberg explained. "People can come to our High Holidays and make any amount of donation they're able to, including nothing." For Mann and her interfaith family, that meant renewing their longtime membership for just $50. "I told my parents, and they were agog," she said. "My mom, her jaw dropped. Literally, her mouth was just opened wide. It's totally unheard of." Elana Mann cooks dinner for her family as her daughter, Gabriella Mann-Leonard, 3, plays in the kitchen. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) For many rabbis, the commitment to striking workers goes well beyond the pulpit. Mann's children are now attending Nefesh's religious school at a steep discount, and some Chabad rabbis have waived preschool tuition for those affected by the strikes. Others have arranged meal delivery and mutual aid. "Our clergy are doing a lot more pastoral care," said Rabbi Morris Panitz of IKAR, a large nondenominational community in Mid-City. "This is a time of year that comes with a lot of introspection: Who am I and who do I want to be in this world? Those existential questions, coupled with the tremendous uncertainty [of] the strikes, create more of a need to lean on community." With writers and actors on strike together for the first time in more than 60 years, even major players are offering free seats. "This has such a ripple effect on this community," said Rabbi David Baron of Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts, which is offering free services to members in good standing from the two striking unions. "I said we should not make spiritual connection a financial impediment during this time when people aren't working." But the costs of free services are considerable, some rabbis say. "All of this takes a lot of funds," said Goldberg, the Nefesh rabbi. "We have to look for funding ... to support a community that's not as well-resourced." Read more: Writers' strike: What's at stake and how it could disrupt Hollywood A single Torah scroll costs upward of $30,000; a single holiday prayer book $25 to $50. Smaller synagogues must pay to rent hotel ballrooms or high school gyms, and hire staff to secure them. Most also pay at least one chazzan, a trained vocalist, to help lead the hours-long prayer service, which includes distinct High Holiday melodies that are unique to L.A.'s numerous Jewish ethnic communities and religious sects. Avinu Malkenu, one of the most recognizable and beloved prayers of the liturgy, is sung differently by Ashkenazi Jews at Beth Jacob than by Mizrahi Jews at Nessah, and differently again at Chabad of Beverly Hills, though all three are Orthodox synagogues less than two miles from one another in the same tony enclave. In addition to providing spiritual succor to those on strike, many rabbis have also joined the picket line themselves. "It's been important to both say that from the pulpit and back that up with activism," said Panitz, the IKAR rabbi, who recently picketed with the writers guild outside Sony Studios. "Actually joining the picket was an important part of that." Sarah Afkami, a Hollywood writer for the last decade, outside her home in Pico-Robertson with her shofar. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) For some, like actor Melanie Ehrlich, the strike itself has become spiritually significant. "Theres so much misery and shame wrapped up in the experience of being Jewish and not being able to afford it," said the actor, who recently organized a Jewish-themed picket outside Netflix headquarters in Hollywood, followed by a community Shabbat meal paid for with food stamps. "The strike is just exacerbating what already exists." For Ehrlich, this season of spiritual accounting has also become a reckoning with the Los Angeles Jewish community, where impressive prayer services sometimes come at the cost of communal care. "It doesn't have to have all these trappings," the actor said. "Just give me God." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday the threat of violence from foreign and domestic terrorism remained high in the United States, saying the rise in AI tools will likely help foreign governments continue to spread misinformation and sow distrust. The agency released a new report Thursday called the Homeland Threat Assessment, where officials said they expected the threat of violence from people radicalized in the U.S. to stay high, but largely unchanged, over the coming year, warning of lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning. But the agency said the proliferation of illegal drugs from Mexico mainly fentanyl would continue to kill more Americans than any other threat. Sharing information with the public on the threats we face is a vital part of protecting our homeland from todays evolving security challenges, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. NEW: DHS released the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment, a detailed report on the most pressing threats to the United States. DHS continues to identify a high risk of foreign and domestic terrorism in 2024. https://t.co/BIBKrvbsJVpic.twitter.com/NwNfWOVAay Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 14, 2023 The agency pointed specifically to ongoing misinformation campaigns by foreign governments, adding such countries hoped to undermine trust in government and democratic processes. Artificial intelligence tools will likely only bolster such acts, with the report pointing to sophisticated programs coming from Russia, China and Iran. Many of the tactics these adversaries use to influence US audiences will likely be used in the leadup to the 2024 election, the report reads. Russia likely will continue to use traditional media, covert websites, social networks, online bots, trolls, and individuals to amplify proKremlin narratives and conduct influence activities within the United States. President Joe Biden has addressed the threat of home-grown terror throughout his administration. In May, he used a commencement address to call white supremacy the most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland. A coalition of civil rights and gun control advocacy groups held a demonstration and delivered a cease-and-desist letter to the Governors Office Friday afternoon, demanding he and other Florida legislative leaders end what they call hateful rhetoric. The groups included the Poor Peoples Campaign, Repairers of the Breach and the March for Our Lives. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< While delivering the letter, they read aloud their demand for Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Republican lawmakers to cease and desist their culture war rhetoric. History tells us that words of hate create an ethos of hate, said Reverend Robyn Burnett. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The letter comes in direct response to the racist mass shooting in Jacksonville in late August. Reverend RB Holmes with the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee argued the Governors priorities and rhetoric emboldened the shooter. What this Governor is doing is creating hostility, hatred and disharmony. We come to ask him to change his ways, Holmes said. The Governors Press Secretary issued a brief statement on the demonstration. This is a stunt, DeSantis Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] But Jacksonville State Representative Angie Nixon, who represents the New Town community where the shooting occurred, said she hopes the letter sends a message to state lawmakers as they gear up to return to the State Capitol next Tuesday for their first round of committee weeks ahead of the 2024 legislative session. And we need to let these folks see our faces and the fact that were hurting and the fact that they arent doing their jobs. Us legislators work for the people and not corporations and not divisive antisemitic racist groups or folks like that. We need to make sure that we are working to ensure a Florida for all, Nixon said. On Saturday morning faith leaders and community activists plan to assemble for a prayer at the Bethel Church in Jacksonville before marching to city hall where they will rally and speak out against hate in Florida. 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. Its time to prepare those oven mitts as The Great British Bake Off is back for another season. Season 14 of Bake Off is right around the corner, with a host of new baking hopefuls arriving in the tent on 26 September. After the departure of host Matt Lucas, there is now a new star ready to make their way onto our screens, and fans could not be happier. Who will be hosting Bake Off this year? In the final scene of The Great British Bake Off trailer, we see This Morning presenter, Alison Hammond, 48, with fellow host Noel Fielding and judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood a scene that had many fans thrilled. Back in March, Hammond shared her excitement with a video that showed a cake version of her, Fielding, Leith and Hollywood, in a mock Bake Off tent. In the clip, she jokingly points to a figurine of herself and says: Alison, have you got any words whatsoever? To which the cake topper figure replies: Well, do you know what? Im absolutely thrilled. Im going to be meeting the bakers very soon. Im joining The Great British Bake Off. Im so very excited. As you can see, all my colleagues are absolutely speechless, she adds, as the camera pans past the silent figurines of the other Bake Off stars. Hammond ends the video by saying: Were so very happy, and we cant wait to get started. Alison Hammond (ITV) Hammond is a much-loved TV presenter and actor first appearing on TV in 2002 as a contestant in Big Brother. Her contagious laughter and charisma have seen her climb the TV ladder of success as she began presenting This Morning in 2003, a role that she has continued for 20 years. She has also appeared in popular programmes such as Celebrity Masterchef, Im a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing. Hammond will be joined by Fielding on Bake Off. Fielding first joined the show in 2017. The 50-year-old comedian and actor is known for his work on Taskmaster, The Mighty Boosh, Disenchantment and more. On Hammond joining the show, Fielding wrote on Instagram: It gives me so much pleasure to welcome @alisonhammond55 into the tent. Im absolutely pumped we are working together. We are gonna spend the whole time giggling like naughty school kids. The bakers are gonna love you to bits. Who are the judges? Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will reprise their roles as judges of this years Great British Bake Off. Hollywood, 57, has been a judge on Bake Off since 2010. Hollywood is the son of a baker and was originally trained as a sculptor until his father persuaded him to change careers. After establishing himself in the baking world, Hollywood became a head baker and worked at some of the most exclusive hotels, including the Dorchester in London. In 2004, he published his best-selling book 100 Great Breads and later presented his solo series Bread where he revealed his bread-making secrets from all over the world, and Paul Hollywoods Pies and Puds for BBC One. Hollywoods British Baking came out in October 2014 and Weekend Baker launched in 2016. Hollywood is currently in production with his new C4 series A Bakers Life. Leith, 83, is another loved figure on The Great British Bake Off. She was originally a judge on BBC Twos Great British Menu for 11 years, before joining The Great British Bake Off in March 2017, replacing Mary Berry. She is known to be one of the countrys foremost culinary experts and has had a career as a restaurateur, caterer, food teacher, food writer, novelist, television cook and a radio cook on the Today programme. Leith set up her own cookery school with students including Diana Henry, Lorraine Pascale and Gizzi Erskine. Leith has also published 12 cookery books, seven novels and a biography called Relish: My Life on a Plate. Before joining The Great British Bake Off, Prue was a judge on the BBCs Great British Menu and C4s My Kitchen Rules. Who is in The Great British Bake Off line-up? The contestants for season 14 have not yet been revealed. Viewers usually find out who will be competing just a few weeks or days before. House Democrats representing New York City were confronted by right-wing protestors at a press conference Friday to address Manhattans migrant crisis. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Adriano Espaillat spoke Friday morning to push for a pathway for migrants to more easily start working as one way to ease the social burden of the citys influx of migrants. They were met with a loud crowd and were forced to shout. They are prevented from getting jobs, they are prevented from employment and that is part of the strain on our public systems, Ocasio-Cortez said over protestors. So the faster that folks can access the work that they are asking for, legally, the better we can solve this problem. The progressive is also asking for increased federal resources to New York and other cities and municipalities dealing with a migrant crisis. And she said Venezuelans, the largest group of migrants entering the city, need an extension of temporary protective status. Protesters held signs that read Americans First: vetted and legal migrants only, and chanted send them back. Espaillat, the first formerly undocumented member of Congress, in response to the protestors, said, the American Dream will not be bullied into submission today. As of Aug. 5, Response for Venezuelans, a collaboration between the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, reported more than 7 million refugees and migrants have left Venezuela. More than 112,000 migrants have traveled to New York City since spring 2022, The Associated Press reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Skepticism is growing among House Republicans on the approval of more Ukraine funding as Congress faces its first test on Americas role in the war against Russia. The House could face a vote as soon as this month as the Senate looks to fold a Ukraine aid package into a continuing resolution that would push back the deadline for a potential government shutdown. While a minority wing of far-right lawmakers have long opposed more Ukraine funding, several GOP lawmakers told The Hill this week that more moderate House Republicans are also raising concerns. Its not just the Freedom Caucus; I think theres a lot of people that are concerned with funding, said Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee. I think it all depends on whats in the bill. McClain said she wanted Congress to focus the spending bills on keeping the federal government running and on domestic crises like the recent wildfires in Hawaii. We have the appropriations bills right that we need to get out, she said. That is super critical. But also what Im more concerned about is disaster relief for the United States. Thats what our focus is on right now. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, said he would not support a new Ukraine package and doubted any Ukraine funding would be moving to the floor anytime soon. But he was hesitant to say the opposition would ultimately have enough votes to stop approval of Ukraine aid. Weve got a lot of war hawks in Congress, he said, so Im not sure. Though the Republican opposition to U.S. military support for Ukraine has steadily grown over the past year and a half of the war both in Congress and among voters a majority of the GOP caucus and almost all Democrats have overwhelmingly passed previous spending packages for Kyiv. But the next vote on Ukraine aid will be the first on a major package since Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took the gavel promising no more blank checks to Ukraine. The uneasiness in the House comes as the Senate plans to include Ukraine funding in a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded as annual appropriations bills are worked out. If the House refuses to pass a CR with the Ukraine funding attached, it could be punted to later this year and attached to other spending bills or considered on its own. Punchbowl News reported this month that McCarthy does not want Ukraine funding in a CR but will move to pass it as a separate supplemental but only if he wins additional funding for the border. Congressional action is in response to President Bidens August request for $24 billion to support Ukraine, including $13 billion in security assistance. Biden included the request as part of a $40 billion package that includes disaster relief funds. The House is also ensnared in an impeachment inquiry into Biden, which may impact the spending talks. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), an Armed Services Committee member, said the House has a lot of other issues ahead of Ukraine funding. Additional funding for Ukraine is going to be difficult to sell to the American people because every day that we go on fewer Americans support the war in Ukraine, she said. A CNN poll in August found a majority of Americans, 55 percent to 45 percent, oppose more aid to Ukraine, though that is split on party lines. About 71 percent of Republican respondents said the U.S. should not provide additional funding, according to the poll, while 62 percent of Democrats back more funding. Other polls, including a Reagan Institute poll over the summer, have indicated stronger support. An August Fox News poll found a growing number of Americans were skeptical of backing Ukraine but the plurality, or 40 percent, said support should stay the same. The debate comes at a critical moment for Ukraine, which is struggling to gain ground in its counteroffensive launched earlier this summer and will need a steady supply of weaponry and equipment to stay in the fight. Congress approved $113 billion in total aid for Ukraine last year, about $47 billion of which translated directly to supporting Ukraines military needs. But that pool of money is running out fast. Its unclear how much money is left exactly because of the Pentagons massive accounting errors, but publicly available data shows about $44 billion has been spent so far, leaving just a few billion left. Its not only Democrats who are pressuring the House GOP to get on board with new funding. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the floor this month that skeptics of Ukraine aid were making faulty arguments, arguing the war was worth funding. Standing with our allies against [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is directly and measurably strengthening the U.S. military, he said. Our support to Ukraine is grinding down one of Americas biggest strategic adversaries. Since taking over the House in January, there has been a persistent fear among Ukraines supporters that Republicans will stymie more aid. That bubbled to the surface in July, when 70 Republican lawmakers supported a failed bid to insert an amendment in a draft version of the annual defense bill that would have cut off all U.S. military funding to Ukraine. Republican presidential candidates such as entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former President Trump are also giving voice to the growing skepticism showing up in polls. Theres also concern that Ukraine could be a casualty of McCarthys fraught relationship with the Freedom Caucus, which released a list of demands in August in order for members to back the spending bills. One of those positions was outright opposition to any blank check for Ukraine in any supplemental appropriations bill. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), a Freedom Caucus member, said he was hopeful McCarthy would keep Ukraine funding off the floor entirely. We have other things that we need to resolve, he said. The House needs to stay focused on funding the government. Davidson wrote Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he will oppose any future aid package to Ukraine until the Biden administration provides Congress with a clear mission in the war. The Biden administration maintains that it has been clear on its goals in Ukraine. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday that he doesnt know how many times Ive answered this question in the last year and a half. We want to see Ukraine succeed on the battlefield. We want to see them get all their territory back. We want to see their sovereignty respected, Sullivan said. We want to see no Russian troops inside Ukraine. We want to see the war end. And it could end today, obviously, if Mr. Putin would do the right thing and just get the hell out, he added. Thats clearly not going to happen right now. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republicans on the House Budget Committee are set to consider the partys long-term blueprint for the nations budget next week, the panels chair confirmed. Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told The Hill the committee is preparing to mark up the budget resolution next Wednesday, describing the proposal as a 10-year budget roadmap aimed at restoring fiscal responsibility. Were fired up about it, Arrington said. Its going to have elements of right-sizing the bureaucracy and the discretionary spending. The plan wont be signed into law, but it can provide a glimpse into the partys thinking on how the government should be funded over the long term. It was expected to come out earlier this year but was put on the back burner in the spring as a heated partisan clash over the debt limit dominated attention in Washington for months. The planned markup also comes as tensions are again on the rise on Capitol Hill amid several spending clashes ahead of a looming deadline this month to prevent a government shutdown. But Arrington isnt expecting the committees budget markup to be delayed despite the current spending fight. Ours is a 10-year, not one year, budget, and it includes the spending thats driving the debt, and thats the 70 percent of the budget thats mandatory, he said. Its 90 percent of the growth out into the future. They complement each other, and a lot of the things that were talking about here have to be done, not only this year, but every year on the discretionary side, he said of the ongoing appropriations process and the budget committees work. And we have that mapped out for the next 10 years. The plan isnt expected to take on changes to Social Security and Medicare, however. While both programs face threats of insolvency in the years ahead, some lawmakers are doubtful of any reforms to the popular programs in the current congressional session as the election cycle heats up. Some Republicans are instead looking to a commission to explore changes to the programs, while both parties focus more attention on the discretionary spending Congress is currently debating as part of the annual funding process. However, Arrington said he plans for the resolution to address mandatory spending as well as the need for reforms to entitlement programs, which account for a chunk of mandatory spending not subject to the annual appropriations process. Our interest on the debt is about to exceed the entire defense budget, he said. So, we got to work on the mandatory spending, rein it in and bring down the interest payments. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Airline passengers from Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley to Europe and other global destinations will have more options next summer, when Delta Air Lines launches a new nonstop route between Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Atlanta, Georgia. The airline and Fresnos airport announced the new service on Friday. The flights are projected to start in early June 2024, with tickets available as soon as Saturday on Deltas booking website. Thats a very big deal; its huge, said Cheri Verrastro, owner of the Travel Shoppe travel agency in Fresno. It brings Delta back into our picture, because they really havent been a player in Fresno because they only go to Salt Lake City. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines home base, is the worlds busiest airport, according to OAG, a global aviation data website. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that the Atlanta airport served more than 45 million passengers boarding flights in 2022. Fresno was ranked 93rd among U.S. airports with almost 1.1 million enplaned passengers in 2022. When the flights commence, they will reach farther east than any other flights from Fresno almost 2,000 miles surpassing the 1,750 miles on United Airlines seasonal service to Chicago. Delta Air Lines launch of Atlanta service is truly a big deal for Fresno and the Central Valley, said Henry Thompson, director of aviation for the city of Fresno, which owns and operates the Fresno airport.. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport consistently ranks as one of Fresno Yosemite International Airports Top 10 markets where travelers from the Central Valley are flying. Fresno airports spokesperson Vikkie Calderon told The Bee that Delta plans to offer the flights year-round rather than seasonal. Performance will be monitored (by the airline), she said, and any adjustments will be made based on bookings and load factors. Delta will use 160-seat Boeing 737-800 jets for the new route. The schedule announced Friday calls for flights leaving Atlanta to depart at 7:53 p.m. Eastern Time each day, arriving in Fresno at 9:50 p.m. Pacific Time.The flights to Atlanta will leave Fresno at about 10:50 p.m. Pacific and arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson at 6:26 a.m. Eastern. The interior cabin of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 is shown in this photo from the airline. Delta will begin offering nonstop flights aboard 737-800 jets between Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, where the airline is based, and Fresno, California starting in June 2024. /Delta Air Lines Verrastro said she expects the once-daily Delta flights to generate substantial demand among passengers in the Fresno region because Atlanta, she said, not only offers a jumping-off point to cities across the East Coast but also connects to all of Europe, like Paris and Rome. Currently, we really only have United (Airlines) and American (Airlines) to get across the pond, she added, using the colloquial term for the Atlantic Ocean. But, Verrastro said, the new route will also provide additional options for connections to Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. She predicted that the added destination could also help with airline fares that passengers have to pay since it will give us more options. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer also hailed the announcement. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the people of Fresno deserve an airport that gets them where they need to go, he said. The addition of this service to Atlanta helps propel us towards that goal. Dyer added that other nonstop flight destinations on his wish list for Fresnos airport include Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; John Wayne Airport in Orange County; and Hawaii. Deltas service to Salt Lake City has been a staple of the Fresno airport for years, and Salt Lake City was the fifth-ranked destination for nonstop flights from Fresno in 2022 at just shy of 70,000 passengers. But the airline has also had some fits and starts at Fresno, at times offering and subsequently discontinuing nonstop service to Los Angeles and to Seattle. FILE - Hugh Jackman, right., and Deborra-Lee Furness Jackman attend the premiere of Apple Original Films' "Ghosted" in New York on April 18, 2023. Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman have decided to end their marriage after 27 years and two children, the pair told People magazine Friday. In a joint statement provided to People, they said they have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage." (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) NEW YORK (AP) Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman have decided to end their marriage after 27 years and two children. We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth, they said in the joint statement. Their separation was first reported by People magazine. They said the statement would be their only one on their breakup. They added that their family is their highest priority and that theyll undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. A representative for the couple confirmed the statement to The Associated Press Friday. The couple met in 1995 on the set of an Australian television show where both were actors. Deborra-lee Furness at the time was the more established of the two. They married in 1996 and had two children: Oscar, now 23, and Ava, now 18. Jackman also ascended to major stardom in Hollywood and on Broadway. The couple have been red carpet mainstays for years, posing together at the Oscars, at Broadway events and at the Met Gala, including the most recent edition in May. They attended Wimbledon together in July. In April, Jackman celebrated their 27th anniversary with a tribute on Instagram. I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life, he wrote. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me. Furness, 67, is an advocate for orphans and adoption, especially in her native Australia, and one of the founding members of National Adoption Awareness Week. Jackman, 54, who played the superhero Wolverine in several movies, is reprising the role in Deadpool 3, which is on hold due to the actors strike. Every day, patients in the Wilmington area and beyond visit YOUr Center in Penny Hill. The practice offers behavioral health and substance abuse counseling, psychiatric services and medication management for people of all ages. Many of the practices patients rely on Medicaid to pay for their treatment, with about 400 of them using AmeriHealth Caritas as their primary insurance provider. But after nearly a year's worth of issues with reimbursements and a grueling audit process, the center is planning to cut ties with the provider meaning many patients will no longer be able to afford treatment at YOUr Center. I don't want to disrupt anything else for (the patients) lives, but we can't keep up like this, said YOUr Center co-owner and psychiatric nurse practitioner LaKeetra Josey. Josey said the issues with AmeriHealth Caritas began in January. The insurance provider notified Josey they were conducting a provider integrity audit of the center. The audit which can be conducted by the company regardless of whether a complaint has been filed wasnt an issue in and of itself, Josey said. It was the lack of transparency and over $47,000 in missing reimbursements that Josey said has left her without any other options. Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long attended a recent community education event hosted by YOUr Center. AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware acknowledged in a written statement that they are having discussions with YOUr Center to address certain contractual issues. We are hopeful that we can successfully address those issues and believe they are best handled in a confidential manner directly with our provider, the insurance company said. Lawyers for AmeriHealth and YOUr Center are in contact, Josey said, but so far no solution has been reached. A lack of reimbursements YOUr Center had never had major issues with AmeriHealth Caritas in the past. The reimbursement process was straightforward: see a patient, submit a claim and receive the money to pay the clinician. There was the occasional mix-up or rejected claim that needed to be resubmitted, but most of the owed money made its way to the correct paycheck. In the last cycle, YOUr Center submitted 116 claims to AmeriHealth Caritas for reimbursements, Josey said. Only six were approved. When Josey asked for a peer-to-peer review to determine why the claims were denied, the insurance company declined, stating that they were not denied because of medical eligibility but providing no other explanation. Josey said some of the confusion appeared to come from the fact that many of the claims are submitted under the name of her husband, as he oversees many of the other practitioners. But even after trying to explain this to the insurance company, reimbursements were still withheld, Josey said. As part of the audit, YOUr Center has been required to send paper copies of patient medical records to AmeriHealth Caritas. Josey said this not only presents an opportunity for invasion of privacy, but it also requires the centers administrative team to spend hours every week printing out and mailing the information. AmeriHealth employees have also contacted patients over the phone or in person to ask about their treatment, prompting concerned calls to YOUr Center. For some patients, seemingly random contact from the insurance company exacerbated mental health symptoms, amplifying paranoia and dredging up trauma. Its an impact that Josey said could have been avoided if shed been able to explain the situation that the insurance provider is within its rights to ask patients about their treatment and would be doing so to patients beforehand. Josey tried to raise these issues to AmeriHealth, but said emails and calls to AmeriHealth have gone unanswered or gotten passed around for months. None of her requests to schedule meetings to discuss the problems have been fulfilled. Its extremely frustrating, Josey said. Seeking support YOUr Centers ongoing issues with AmeriHealth Caritas are not the only problems that Delaware health providers have had with insurance companies this year. In April, nurse practitioners banded together to demand full reimbursements from Medicaid provider Highmark Health Options after the insurance company began reimbursing nurses at 15% less than doctors for the same services. HIGHMARK: Nurses say they were never told Medicaid reimbursements went down. Now they want answers Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who chairs the states Behavioral Health Consortium, was a major proponent in supporting the crusade for equal reimbursements, which eventually led to Highmark reversing their decision. Hall-Long has recently been made aware of the issues YOUr Center is facing with AmeriHealth Caritas, a spokesperson said, and she and her office will stay in communication with the center as (they) explore it. LaKeetra Josey is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and co-owns YOUr Center. The lieutenant governor believes access to mental health care and breaking down barriers to that care is critical, the spokesperson said. The Delaware Department of Health and Human Services learned of the difficulties YOUr Center is facing on Aug. 31, a spokesperson said. The Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance has since contacted AmeriHealth Caritas to ensure patients will still be covered at YOUr Center for the rest of the year. The division will not be taking further actions, the spokesperson said. He stated that because this is an issue between a provider and the company, it is not appropriate for the state to intervene. DHSS said it has not received any other complaints from contracted providers related to AmeriHealth Caritas. However, Josey said other local providers told her they have had to stop accepting insurance entirely because of similar issues. Serving vulnerable populations A core part of YOUr Centers mission is helping some of the most vulnerable and traditionally underserved members of the community. The diversity of the centers staff reflects the make-up of the demographic they serve, Josey explained. The majority of YOUr Centers patients are people of color, and Josey said many come to the center because they appreciate having the opportunity to see clinicians that look like them. Many of the roughly 50 clinicians on staff also do community outreach, hosting mobile outpatient therapy for children and adolescents and seeing (patients) in places where they need the help. Its a service that, even while waiting on thousands of dollars of reimbursements, YOUr Centers staff continues to provide. But as the center notified patients on Sept. 1, unless something changes, people relying on AmeriHealth Caritas to pay for treatment will need to find care somewhere else. We want to continue to do what we can for our community, Josey said, but I can't expect my clinicians to continue to see people and not get paid. Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Mental health center may drop Medicaid provider over reimbursements The Hungarian flag at the entrance to the city council building in Berehove Hungary has impeded Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration talks over what Budapest views as Kyiv curtailing the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraines Zakarpattia Oblast, Hungarian Foreign Ministry Secretary of State, Levente Magyar, said on Sept. 15. He made this claim during a meeting of the Hungarian-Ukrainian intergovernmental working group that aims to resolve these issues. Read also: Hungary wasnt involved in POW transfer from Russia, says Hungarian FM According to him, in recent years, the Ukrainian state has implemented several measures that limit the right of Zakarpattia Hungarians to study in their native language. Read also: Ethnic Hungarians in Ukraines Zakarpattya NV interview "This is so important to us that we have blocked Ukraine's entry and closer relations with the EU and NATO," Hungarian outlet Index quotes Magyar. He also said nothing will change unless there is significant movement in restoring these rights. The current technical discussions will be about how to achieve this. Read also: Hungary threatens to introduce total ban on Ukraine agro imports At the same time, the official expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached on a roadmap for resolving the dispute. The report notes that the Ukrainian government has shown leniency and is ready to negotiate about the rights of the Hungarian ethnic minority in Zakarpattia a commitment voiced by Ukraine's Deputy PM Olha Stefanishyna. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Hungary is threatening to stop Sweden from joining NATO over a 10-minute allegedly offensive Swedish video. Source: European Pravda citing Brussels-based independent online newspaper Euobserver Details: The video "definitely does not help your continuously raised demand to be fulfilled," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said personally in a letter to Sweden's foreign minister on Thursday (14 September), referring to Sweden's request for Hungary to ratify its bid to join NATO. The video was "fake information" that "democracy has been on a backslide in Hungary in the recent years [sic]," Szijjarto added in his official complaint. The offending video was produced by UR, a Swedish public service broadcaster whose content is not influenced by the Swedish government. It does not say anything that is not widely recognised in Europe. The European Commission has initiated sanctions against Hungary and withheld billions of euros due to the thuggish rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The European Parliament has declared that Hungary "is no longer a full democracy". But on Thursday, half of Orban's government unexpectedly came out against the short Swedish film. Quote: "Shocking Swedish government-approved educational video attacking Hungary! How do we convince Hungarian MPs to support Sweden's [NATO] membership when our democracy is repeatedly questioned, insulting our voters?", said the PM's chief political advisor Balazs Orban. Gergely Gulyas, a senior ruling party MP, added: "If the film is played in state schools, it means that Sweden is doing everything to prevent Hungary from ratifying its accession to NATO". The sudden outcry came after Hungary announced at a NATO summit in July that it was ready to proceed with ratification. Agnes Vadai, an MP from the opposition Democratic Coalition party, says that the apparent reversal makes the country look silly on the international stage. Turkiye and Hungary have not yet ratified Sweden's membership of NATO. For a long time, Ankara played a key role in blocking Swedish accession due to Stockholm's alleged connivance with terrorists, as well as after a series of Koran-burning actions in Sweden which angered many Muslim countries, including Turkiye. Background: In July, at the Vilnius NATO summit, Turkiye agreed to unblock the ratification process of Sweden's accession to the Alliance in exchange for help in rapprochement with the European Union. Turkiyes President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will submit the ratification of Sweden's NATO bid to parliament in October when the legislature reconvenes after the summer recess. At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Sweden will finally become a member of the Alliance this autumn. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell defended his client against a new federal indictment Thursday, saying new gun charges are not likely to hold up in court. The presidents son was charged with three federal counts, including illegal firearm possession as a prohibited person, by a federal special counsel Thursday. It is a unique and unjustified charge. Hunter owned an unloaded gun for 11 days, Lowell said in a CNN interview with Erin Burnett . There has never been a charge like this that has been brought in the United States. Prosecutors allege the younger Biden purchased a gun while on drugs, which is a felony. Lowell said the constitutionality of the charges is very much in doubt, noting that previous investigators have declined to bring the same charges against Hunter Biden. The U.S. Attorneys Office investigated this for no less than two or three years. They decided not to bring this charge, he said. Lowell said he would challenge the charges on procedural grounds, but that if there was a trial and he does not believe there will be he would also dispute the facts of the case. The new charges are related to those involved in a thrown-out plea deal, which would have seen Biden plead guilty to a single firearms possession charge and tax crimes. Lowell also doubted the legality of the new charges, saying Biden had already agreed to a diversion program unrelated to the plea deal. Federal special counsel David Weiss is still investigating the tax allegations and may bring further new charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- The indictment of President Joe Biden s son Hunter on three felony gun charges caused a splash, but a much bigger legal bombshell is expected to drop soon. Most Read from Bloomberg Hunter Biden will likely face federal tax charges for allegedly failing to pay taxes on $4.4 million in income he made in 2017 and 2018 from a Ukrainian energy company, a Chinese private equity firm, and other sources. Its those kinds of business activities that House Republicans are putting at the center of an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden and hope to make a major issue in the 2024 presidential election. The charges against Hunter Biden also raise the possibility of even more politically charged criminal trials during the campaign. Heres what you need to know about the legal peril that still awaits Biden: Hunters Unpaid Taxes Biden appeared in Delaware federal court on July 26 to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes on $2.3 million in income in 2017 and $2.1 million in 2018. But that deal fell apart when the judge questioned whether the plea deal improperly insulated Biden from future prosecutions. Prosecutors now have a fresh slate to charge Biden over the unpaid taxes. The plea deal to failing to pay reflected Bidens contention that he simply forgot to pay his taxes during a period when he was in the grip of drug addiction. But if prosecutors have evidence that Biden willfully sought to avoid his tax bill, they could charge him with the more serious crime of tax evasion, which is a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The political impact could be even bigger. The case would focus attention on Bidens lucrative overseas income streams, which were detailed in his abortive plea agreement. In 2017, for instance, Biden made $1 million from a company he formed with the chief executive officer of a Chinese conglomerate, $664,000 from a Chinese infrastructure investment firm, $500,000 from a Ukrainian energy company, $70,000 from a Romanian business, and $48,000 from an international law firm. He also made $666,000 from US business interests. Those entities werent named in the plea agreement, but Biden has acknowledged ties to Chinese company CEFC China Energy, Ukrainian energy company Burisma and the law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner. In all, he made more than $2.6 million from CEFC and Burisma, according to the plea deal. Republicans have long contended that the presidents son could only command that kind of pay by selling access to his father. Though no proof has yet emerged that Joe Biden performed any political favors for companies that employed his son, House Republicans, both in congressional probes and now in their impeachment inquiry, are pressing hard to uncover something they can use to attack the president as corrupt. A criminal trial over Hunter Bidens unpaid taxes could offer another avenue to spotlight the issue. Foreign Influence The gun indictment was filed Thursday in federal court in Delaware by Special Counsel David Weiss, and one on the tax violations is expected to follow soon in California or Washington. Prosecutors with Weisss office have also said theyre investigating whether his work violated a US law requiring foreign agents to disclose their activities on behalf of other countries. At the July 26 hearing, a prosecutor said Biden could still be charged under a law meant to prevent foreign governments from secretly trying to influence US policy. The Foreign Agents Registration Act requires anyone acting on behalf of a foreign nation to register with the Justice Department. FARA was used to prosecute a number of people in former President Donald Trumps inner circle, including his former campaign chief Paul Manafort and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Trump pardoned both of them before leaving office. Its not clear what nations or policy goals might be at issue in a FARA prosecution of Biden, but Republicans have long pushed a narrative that, as vice president, Joe Biden helped advance the interests of Burisma. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Federal prosecutors have indicted Hunter Biden , son of President Joe Biden , on gun charges, court documents show. Biden was indicted Thursday in Delaware federal court on three counts tied to the possession of a gun while using narcotics. Two counts are tied to Biden allegedly completing a form indicating he was not using illegal drugs when he purchased a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges that he possessed a firearm while using a narcotic. The indictment says Biden certified on a federally mandated form that he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious. Hunter Biden leaves court in Wilmington, Del., on July 26, 2023. (Julio Cortez / AP file) Two of the counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. The historic indictment against the son of a sitting president comes after a plea deal that might have ended a years-long probe into Hunter Biden fell apart and just as House Republicans have launched an impeachment inquiry in an effort to seek bank records and other documents from the president and his son. The case is being overseen by special counsel David Weiss, who also headed the investigation. Weiss is a Trump appointee who was kept on as U.S. attorney for Delaware because of the sensitive and unique nature of the investigation into a presidents son by the Justice Department, a part of the executive branch headed by the president. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland named Weiss special counsel in August, as negotiations over the tax and gun charges collapsed. Weiss declined to comment on the investigation when approached by NBC News on Thursday before the indictment was unsealed. Weisss investigation was opened in 2018, the year before Joe Biden announced his candidacy for president, according to a source familiar with the inquiry, and focused on the younger Bidens finances. The two sides reached a plea agreement in July that called for Hunter Biden to plead guilty in Delaware federal court to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes in return for prosecutors recommending a sentence of probation. A separate felony gun charge for illegally owning the Colt Cobra .38 Special handgun would have been dropped in two years if Biden honored the terms of whats known as a diversion agreement. The plea agreement started to fall apart at the court appearance where it was expected to be finalized after the judge presiding over the case raised questions about some details. The agreements are not straightforward and they contain some atypical provisions, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika noted, including one that could theoretically protect Biden from other tax-related crimes in the same time period. Prosecutors said the provision in the diversion agreement would not protect him from different charges, while attorneys for Hunter Biden said it would. Noreika, a Trump-appointed judge, asked both sides for more information, and the agreement which Republicans were already blasting as a sweetheart deal subsequently fell apart. In subsequent court filings, Weisss office noted that without the plea agreement in place, there were venue issues and the case would most likely have to go to trial in California or Washington, D.C. Prosecutors also suggested that they might bring different charges in the new case. Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell, meanwhile, argued the diversion agreement is still in effect because it had already been signed by his client and prosecutors and said it prevents any additional charges from being filed against Mr. Biden. We expect a fair resolution of the sprawling, 5-year investigation into Mr. Biden that was based on the evidence and the law, not outside political pressure, and well do what is necessary on behalf of Mr. Biden to achieve that, he said last week. Prosecutors dispute that the agreement is in effect, arguing it lacks a necessary signature from the probation department. Attachments to the plea agreement and the diversion agreement that were filed in court blamed Bidens conduct in the tax and gun cases on his drug and alcohol addiction. The documents say that he got sober in May 2019, and with the help of a third-party paid off about $2 million in back taxes and penalties by October of 2021. A statement of facts document included in the original gun case said that Biden was using crack cocaine during the period when he bought a revolver from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Delaware in October of 2018. Filling out a federally mandated form asking if he used illegal narcotics, Biden answered no, even though he was a user of and addicted to crack cocaine at the time, the court filing said. He wound up possessing the gun for 11 days, and during that time he purchased and used crack cocaine regularly, the filing continued. The gun was later found in his car along with drug paraphernalia, and was subsequently discarded in a trashcan outside a supermarket in Greenville, Delaware. The White House has been largely silent on the investigation, but the president defended his son in an interview with MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle on May 5. First of all, my son has done nothing wrong, the president said. I trust him. I have faith in him. Asked by Ruhle how charges against his son would affect his presidency, Biden said, It impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him. Hunter Biden told CBS News in a 2021 interview that he was cooperating completely with the federal probe. And Im absolutely certain, 100 percent certain, he said, that at the end of the investigation, I will be cleared of any wrongdoing. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com For Republicans hoping to defeat Joe Biden in 2024, the presidents son Hunter is something of a golden goose that keeps on giving. The First Son and his insalubrious past have led to both criminal charges and an impeachment inquiry in the same week. And they will cast a permanent shadow over his fathers re-election bid as he gears up for a potential 2024 rematch against Donald Trump. Hunter, 53, was indicted on Thursday by special counsel David Weiss on three federal charges relating to owning a gun for 11 days allegedly while abusing drugs in 2018. It is the first-ever prosecution of a serving presidents offspring, an extraordinary move that could put him on trial during next years campaign. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. It comes hot on the heels of Republicans opening an impeachment inquiry into the elder Mr Biden and his potential ties to Hunters lucrative business deals. In politically embarrassing public hearings, they plan to substantiate their claims of a culture of corruption around the Bidens. It leaves the president facing the prospect of having the Biden name sullied both in court and Congress as he fights for a second term next year. The White House dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a political stunt and had plotted to attack any findings in the same vein. A war council of lawyers, legislative experts and communications professionals has been assembled to argue that point, and initially appeared confident of success. Just a day ago, a White House spokesman wrote to US media outlets cautioning them on their coverage of proceedings based on lies. But the criminal case against Hunter has stunted that line of attack and instead added legitimacy to the probes in Congress. Republicans have long argued Hunter was being offered a sweetheart deal to avoid jail on tax and gun charges. That deal collapsed over the summer when it emerged Mr Weiss had not ruled out charging the presidents son with further alleged crimes following a five-year investigation. Mr Weiss has since requested and received special counsel status, giving him expanded powers to continue the case. He may exercise those to revive the charges relating to two minor tax offences, and has signalled he could also bring charges relating to Hunters work for foreign interests. Hunters team has indicated they will vigorously fight the charges, and the lengthy court drama could divert attention away from Mr Trumps own legal woes. The Republican frontrunner may be relishing the prospect. Reacting to the news, he suggested it was the inevitable consequence of the Democrats unfair... witch hunts. They have opened the proverbial Pandoras Box, he crowed. And yet, Hunters criminal jeopardy undercuts Mr Trumps argument that his own prosecution is politically motivated. The presidents Justice Department is now aggressively pursuing his son as well as his most likely 2024 opponent. Biden allies have pointed out that indictments for cases like Hunters alleged gun violation are exceedingly rare. Republicans are primed to seize the moment. In the words of James Comer, one of the Republicans leading Mr Bidens impeachment inquiry, this is just the start. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Lee was designated as a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday, but remained a powerful, dangerous and potentially damaging storm as it eyed the stretch of coast from southwestern Nova Scotia to New Brunswick for landfall midday Saturday, AccuWeather meteorologists warned. Lee is continuing to hold hurricane-force winds, which expand over 140 miles from its center. AccuWeather meteorologists expect Lee to strike with impacts similar to a hurricane or a powerful nor'easter. Lee is expected to be a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes in terms of impacts in the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada due to the magnitude of wind damage, power outages, storm surge flooding, coastal erosion, freshwater flooding and disruptions to commerce and travel expected in the region. As of 8 a.m. EDT Saturday, Lee was still producing hurricane force winds, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Lee was located 160 miles to the south-southeast of Eastport, Maine. Lee was moving north at 25 mph, which was more than double the speed of the system a day earlier. An additional increase in forward motion will occur as the storm transitions to a tropical wind and rainstorm on Saturday. Since Lee is expected to behave more like a nor'easter and the long-tracking storm has had plenty of time to raise winds, gather moisture and build seas, all of these impacts will be felt in eastern New England and the Maritime Provinces of Canada into Sunday. "Strong winds, heavy rain and large waves will continue to push outward from the accelerating and expanding storm," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. These conditions were being hurled at the zone from eastern Massachusetts to coastal New Hampshire, central and eastern Maine and much of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the first part of the weekend. "Lee already has a large wind field," Rayno said. Due to that, powerful winds will blast the coast in eastern New England and throughout much of the Canadian Maritimes. Lee's wind field is expected to further expand as Lee transitions into a rainstorm. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP The worst conditions from Lee are likely to be seen into early Saturday afternoon in eastern New England and into Saturday night in Atlantic Canada. The combination of high winds and already soggy ground and water-logged trees will lead to scores of power outages. Large tree limbs will break, and entire trees will be toppled. Regional power outages are likely along much of the coast of eastern New England, including around Boston, with regional to widespread power outages anticipated from Down East Maine to coastal New Brunswick and much of Nova Scotia. Flight delays and cancellations will mount, especially those incoming and outgoing from Boston Logan International Airport. In some areas, people may need to have the means to keep food preserved and the lights on if the power goes out. "Travel will be dangerous during and after the storm due to high water, downed trees, live power lines and other debris," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore said. The outer rain bands were already reaching parts of central Maine on Saturday morning. Rain will continue to reach well to the north and west of the storm as Lee accelerates northward later on Saturday. A general 2-4 inches of rain will fall from Down East Maine to a large part of New Brunswick. As much as 4-8 inches of rain will pour down and an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 9 inches is possible in New Brunswick. Enough rain will fall on already saturated ground to lead to flash flooding in urban areas and along small streams. Significant rises are likely, and flooding is possible on some of the rivers from Maine to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia this weekend. Storm surge flooding will occur with Lee with the worst conditions expected in eastern New England and Nova Scotia. The most significant water rise combined with wave action will occur along the stretch of coast from south of Boston to Cape Cod, including Scituate, Massachusetts, and along the shoreline north of Boston from Rockport to Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts. All of these zones are likely to experience pounding waves, property damage and dangerous conditions. The worst conditions will occur at times of high tide, which will happen in two rounds in New England through the midday hours on Saturday. A significant storm surge is also expected as Lee pushes swells northward along the southwest coast of Nova Scotia. As Lee pushes northward into the Bay of Fundy region, which borders Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine, water may become trapped and the routine exchange of tide water levels, which can be more than 50 feet in tranquil conditions, may be significantly disrupted. In the wake of Lee, conditions will improve dramatically from southwest to northeast over the region later Saturday night to Sunday for storm cleanup operations. However, since there may be live power lines on the ground and the risk of trees still toppling over in the saturated ground, residents are urged to use extreme caution. Serious injuries and fatalities occur even in the aftermath of a powerful storm. Since last week, AccuWeather meteorologists have been tracking another disturbance that moved off the coast of Africa. This tropical depression will soon evolve into the next tropical storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. The next name on the list is Nigel. This system may track near Bermuda late next week or possibly farther to the west like Lee has done. In the latter scenario, the budding system could be of concern for the eastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada, Rayno said. At the very least, another round of dangerous surf is likely at the beaches along the Northeast coast of the U.S., and building seas offshore over the Atlantic is likely next week. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. Storm surge and rainwater burst the banks of Colonial Lake and partially submerge park benches after Hurricane Matthew hit Charleston, South Carolina October 8, 2016. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters) Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin across parts of coastal New England Friday afternoon, with heavy rain and strong winds, as Hurricane Lee barrels north in the Atlantic, with the center of the storm still hundreds of miles off the U.S. East Coast. Those hazardous conditions could create localized flooding and power outages across affected areas. Coastal areas from New Yorks Long Island through Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts to the U.S.-Canadian border could see between 1-3 feet in storm surge this weekend if it peaks at the same time as high tide, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Read more on Yahoo News: Tropical storm warnings issued for Mass. as Hurricane Lee heads for New England, from Boston 25 News What is a storm surge? National Weather Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm surge is the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The surge is caused primarily by a storms winds pushing water onshore. Why storm surge is dangerous National Weather Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm surge can occur before, during, or after the center of a storm passes an area. It can cause water levels to rise quickly and flood large areas, sometimes within a matter of minutes. Storm surge poses a significant threat for drowning and is often the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane, according to the NHC. Just six inches of water can knock an adult off their feet, while it only takes two feet of rushing water to carry away most vehicles, including SUVs and pickup trucks. Storm surge has the potential to cut off evacuation routes, which is why its important to heed evacuation orders when theyre issued by local authorities. What to do when theres a storm surge watch or warning The U.S. Coast Guard advises people to stay informed with the latest weather forecasts and advisories, monitoring the National Hurricane Center and local news for information on a storms path and intensity as forecasts can change. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and enable emergency alerts. If you live in a coastal area or an area prone to flooding, be prepared to evacuate quickly and listen to all evacuation notices from local authorities. Check your states website to see if your address is within an evacuation zone, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agencys website here to see if you live in a flood zone. Prep an emergency kit with emergency supplies like: non-perishable food, water, first-aid kit, medications, flashlights, batteries, phone chargers, essential documents and pet supplies if applicable. In coastal communities, boat owners should secure their vessel or move it to a safer location. How to stay safe during a storm surge Run from the water and hide from the wind, advises the NOAA. When youre at risk from flooding, its important to get to high ground away from bodies of water and any flood-prone areas. Evacuate if youre told to do so from local authorities. You also dont need to wait for evacuation orders to leave if you dont feel your surroundings are safe. The U.S. Coast Guard advises people in distress to call 911. Its best to stay indoors during the storm, away from windows in an interior room on the lowest floor of your home, if possible. Stay away from the shoreline as dangerous waves, rip currents and high winds can create hazardous conditions. Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and those with disabilities to offer help to those who may need it. Where to find storm surge information During a storm event, find out the current storm surge risk and public advisories from the National Hurricane Center here or from the National Weather Service here. Find out your overall potential risk for storm surge here. Storm Lee made landfall at around 4pm in far western Nova Scotia, with winds whipping at 70mph, which killed one person and left thousands without electricity. Although it has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, it is still producing hurricane-force winds, battering a large swath of New England and Maritime Canada. A 51-year-old motorist died in Searsport, Maine, after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle on a US highway. The tree limb brought down live power lines, and utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, said police chief Brian Lunt. The storm was so big that it caused power outages several hundred miles from its center. At midday Saturday, 11 per cent of electricity customers in Maine lacked power, along with 27 per cent of Nova Scotia, 8 per cent of New Brunswick and 3 per cent of Prince Edward Island. Although both Massachusetts and Maine previously declared states of emergency, Massachusetts lifted its state of emergency on Saturday. The Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for hundreds of miles of coastline from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, affecting some 9 million people. Key Points Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival State of emergency declared in Maine as Lee approaches Bermuda pounded by heavy surf from Hurricane Lee Where is the storm currently? When will Hurricane Lee reach New England? 22:00 , Kelly Rissman Post-tropical cyclone Lee has taken at least one life A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, was killed after the gusts caused a large tree limb to topple onto his vehicle on Saturday on US Highway 1. The tree limb also brought down live power lines, meaning utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, police chief Brian Lunt said. The 51-year-old later died at a hospital, the chief said. Read more on the aftermath of the storm here. Motorist dies after tree limb falls on vehicle as Lee batters New England and Canada 21:30 , Kelly Rissman Post-tropical storm Lee is crossing Eastern Quebec According to Canadas hurricane center, Lee will result in about 1 to 4 inches of rain, which is expected to stop this evening. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible. Watch for possible washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts, the center wrote. 21:00 , Kelly Rissman Canadas hurricane center gives an update The remnant low from Lee is crossing the Gulf of St. Lawrence today. The current central pressure is estimated at 989 millibars. Conditions continue to improve in many areas of Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick. Environment Canada Hurricane Center tracks Lees path (Environment Canada Hurricane Center) 20:30 , Kelly Rissman Some advice from FEMA Hurricane #Lee brought damages to some areas. For your safety avoid power or utility lines they can still be electrified. If you see a downed power line or other electrical hazard, report them immediately to your power or utility company. pic.twitter.com/pbw6DHR9tD FEMA (@fema) September 17, 2023 20:00 , Kelly Rissman Climate change could bring more monster storms to New England When it comes to hurricanes, New England cant compete with Florida or the Caribbean. But scientists said Friday the arrival of storms like Hurricane Lee this weekend could become more common in the region as the planet warms, including in places such as the Gulf of Maine. One recent study found climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach more often into mid-latitude regions, which include New York, Boston and even Beijing. The study says the factors include warmer sea surface temperatures in these regions and the shifting and weakening of the jet streams, which are the strong bands of air currents encircling the planet in both hemispheres. More here. Climate change could bring more monster storms like Hurricane Lee to New England 19:30 , Kelly Rissman Leader of Canadas New Democratic Party offers support for those affected by Lee My thoughts are with all of the Maritimers who are being impacted by Hurricane Lee today. Youve gone through so much in recent months with the floods, forest fires and now a hurricane. Canadians have your back. Stay safe and listen to advice from local authorities. Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) September 16, 2023 19:00 , Kelly Rissman Post-tropical cyclone Lee has taken at least one life A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, was killed after the gusts caused a large tree limb to topple onto his vehicle on Saturday on US Highway 1. The tree limb also brought down live power lines, meaning utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, police chief Brian Lunt said. The 51-year-old later died at a hospital, the chief said. Read more on the aftermath of the storm here. Motorist dies after tree limb falls on vehicle as Lee batters New England and Canada 18:30 , Kelly Rissman Canadas hurricane center forecasts Lees path Environment Canada Hurricane Center tracks Lees path (Environment Canada Hurricane Center) 18:00 , Kelly Rissman Meteorologist captures Lees effects in Nova Scotia Scenes of monster waves and surf at Peggys Cove lighthouse last night in the wake of Post-tropical Cyclone Lee in Nova Scotia. Huge wind field is the signature of this storm. Today, we will be documenting the effects of the coastal erosion, since it is too expensive to fly out pic.twitter.com/0xDQtBPOF7 Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) September 17, 2023 17:30 , Kelly Rissman Thousands are without power in Nova Scotia, as workers try to restore it as soon as possible Work continues this afternoon as our crews respond to damage caused by Post Tropical Storm Lee. Significant winds impacted the province for almost 24-hours, with winds reaching over 90km an hour in most areas. Limbs and branches have come down onto power lines, and in some cases pic.twitter.com/gPs4MYByNz Nova Scotia Power (@nspowerinc) September 17, 2023 17:00 , Kelly Rissman National Hurricane Center issues last advisory All tropical storm warnings for Canada are discontinued, the hurricane center wrote. As of 11am, Lee is 135 miles from Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland, with winds moving at 45mph. The storm is expected to head over Newfoundland later today and over the Atlantic waters by early Monday, the center wrote. Wind gusts up to near gale force are still possible over portions of Atlantic Canada today, the National Hurricane Center wrote. 16:30 , Kelly Rissman Power outages in Maine A large chunk of the states residents 42,000 to be exact are without power as of Sunday morning, according to Poweroutage.us. That number is down from yesterday when nearly 60,000 locals had reported outages. Power outages across the US in the wake of Lee (Poweroutage.us) 16:00 , Kelly Rissman National Hurricane Centers Watches and Warnings in Effect: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... Nova Scotia from Lismore eastward to Point Aconi and southwestward to east of Porters Lake Prince Edward Island from Savage Harbor eastward to east of Wood Islands Magdalen Islands 15:30 , Kelly Rissman A look at the life cycle of Lee 16 days of the life of #Lee: Chapter 1: African easterly wave sudden intensification into Category 5 #hurricane Chapter 2: Eyewall replacements and restrengthening Chapter 3: Expansion, post-tropical transition, and landfall in Canada#meteorology pic.twitter.com/daWeZEC5Sk Stu Ostro (@StuOstro) September 17, 2023 15:00 , Kelly Rissman Gusty Winds in Atlantic Canada as Lee rages on An 8am advisory from the National Hurricane Center located the storm as about 70 miles from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island with winds whipping at 45mph. A faster northeastward motion is expected over the next couple of days, taking Lee over Newfoundland this afternoon and over the Atlantic waters by early Monday, according to the hurricane center. The storm is expected to gradually weaken over the next couple of days, and Lee could dissipate on Tuesday. Warnings called off in parts of US and Canada 14:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Post-tropical cyclone Lee made landfall at near-hurricane strength Saturday, bringing destructive winds, rough surf and torrential rains to New England and Maritime Canada. But officials withdrew some warnings for the region late Saturday night. The US National Hurricane Center discontinued a tropical storm warning for the coast of Maine, while Environment Canada ended its tropical storm warning in New Brunswick. A tropical storm warning remained in effect for parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands. Nearly 144,000 left without power in Nova Scotia 13:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar About 144,000 people were without power on Saturday after strong winds due to storm Lee downed trees. In neighboring New Brunswick, 37,000 people had no electricity. Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse, Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 kmph, it isnt safe for our crews. In a social media post, Nova Scotia police said they had received reports of drivers heading to the coast to watch the waves, which they said was dangerous. A downed tree hangs on power lines in Nova Scotia, Canada (AP) Storm Lee continues to move north 12:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Heavy downpour is expected to continue through Sunday in the Prince Edward Island province of Canada, the forecasters said. Storm Lee made landfall in far western Nova Scotia, with winds whipping at 70mph, which killed one person and left thousands without electricity. Lee is on track to turn northeast and pass over Saturday night into Sunday, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Hurricane Lee makes landfall in Nova Scotia 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Hurricane Lee made landfall in Western Novia Scotia on Saturday, as millions in New England and Canada have been preparing for its devastation. Maximum sustained winds were at 70mph, as of 4pm when the storm reached land about 50 miles from Eastport, Maine and about 135 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the National Hurricane Center. More here. Hurricane Lee makes landfall Teenager drowns ahead of Lee landfall 10:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A teenager drowned while in rough waters of the Atlantic on Wednesday, authorities in Florida said. The 15-year-old was with two other people when he fell off a raft, Fernandina Beach Police Department told Fox Weather. The other two were brought back to the shore and rushed to a local medical centre while authorities searched for the missing teen. The group had ventured into the ocean despite multiple red flags warnings about the rough waters ahead of storm Lees landfall. Republican representative survives after boat incident 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Billy Bob Faulkingham, House Republican leader of the Maine Legislature, and another lobsterman survived after their boat overturned while hauling traps ahead of the storm, officials said. The boats emergency locator beacon alerted authorities, and the two clung to the hull until help arrived, said Winter Harbor Police chief Danny Mitchell. The 42-foot boat sank.Theyre very lucky to be alive, Mr Mitchell said. Forecasters urged residents to stay home, but many ventured out anyway. Betsy Follansbee and her husband, Fred, jogged to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, Maine, to watch surfers some wearing helmets paddling out to catch waves reaching 12 feet. They were the biggest waves Follansbee has seen in her 10 years living there, she said.Were impressed that theyre bold enough to try, Ms Follansbee said. Climate change could bring more monster storms to New England 08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar When it comes to hurricanes, New England cant compete with Florida or the Caribbean. But scientists said Friday the arrival of storms like Hurricane Lee this weekend could become more common in the region as the planet warms, including in places such as the Gulf of Maine. One recent study found climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach more often into mid-latitude regions, which include New York, Boston and even Beijing. The study says the factors include warmer sea surface temperatures in these regions and the shifting and weakening of the jet streams, which are the strong bands of air currents encircling the planet in both hemispheres. More here. Climate change could bring more monster storms like Hurricane Lee to New England Thousands left without power and flights cancelled as Lee makes landfall 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Thousands of people were left without power as storm Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia, flooding roads and fanning anxiety in a region still reeling from wildfires and severe flooding this summer. The province's largest airport, Halifax Stanfield International, cancelled all flights. "People are exhausted. ... It's so much in such a small time period," said Pam Lovelace, a councilor in Halifax. The storm was so big that it caused power outages several hundred miles from its center. At midday Saturday, 11 per cent of electricity customers in Maine lacked power, along with 27 per cent of Nova Scotia, 8 per cent of New Brunswick and 3 per cent of Prince Edward Island. Hurricane-force winds extended as far as 140 miles from Lee's center, with tropical storm-force winds extending as far as 320 miles enough to cover all of Maine and much of Maritime Canada. Strong winds batter Nova Scotia 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar People walk in the rain and wind from Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee (Getty Images) A tree on the ground is pictured after taking down the power lines and shutting off access to this road in Liverpool, Nova Scotia (REUTERS) Motorist killed after storm Lee makes landfall 05:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, died after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle Saturday on US Highway 1 during a period of high winds, the first fatality attributed to the storm. The tree limb brought down live power lines, and utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, said Police chief Brian Lunt. The unidentified man died later at a hospital, he said. 05:00 , Kelly Rissman FEMA will deploy help to the East Coast FEMA and the Biden-Harris Administration are prepared and prepositioned to support needs that may arise. FEMA is working closely with other federal agencies and non-profit organizations to coordinate a whole-of-community response to serve residents and communities in the potentially affected areas.FEMA deployed three Incident Management Assistance Teams, with additional teams ready to support, and Urban Search and Rescue teams are in the region to help with rescues, if needed.The American Red Cross has prepositioned staff across Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and is prepared to provide shelter, if necessary. The Salvation Army has personnel and supplies prepared, including its canteen truck that provides water, comfort and hot meals for 1,200 to 2,500 people. 04:00 , Kelly Rissman Restoring power in Maine could take days Central Maine Power told WMTV that restoration could be a multi-day event, and could take until Monday and extend to Tuesday. John Breed from CMP told the outlet: Right now, we are making every effort to get power back on because we understand there are consequences beyond just sitting in the dark. Earlier on Saturday, there were nearly 60,000 reports of CMP customers without power. 03:00 , Kelly Rissman Lee has been a long time in the making Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee has officially made landfall in Nova Scotia with sustained winds of 70 MPH (tropical storm strength). This comes 11 days after the system first emerged as a tropical depression in the Atlantic. pic.twitter.com/siOmI6Yobs Tucker Antico (@tuckerweather) September 16, 2023 02:00 , Kelly Rissman Lee brings a rainbow A Weather Channel correspondent posted a photo of a rainbow in Portland, Maine as the heavy rains hit the coast. As #Lee pushes away from the Maine coast, a full rainbow appeared off Portland. Beautiful. Our team continues live coverage on @weatherchannel Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/J6X7MiecWX Justin Michaels (@JMichaelsNews) September 16, 2023 01:00 , Kelly Rissman The forecast for the next few days... According to the National Hurricane Centers 5pm advisory: A faster northeastward motion is expected during the next day or so, taking the system across the Canadian Maritimes. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts. Steady weakening is forecast during the next couple of days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 320 miles (520 km) from the center. An observing site in Halifax, Canada, reported a sustained wind of 52 mph (83 km/h) and a gust to 60 mph (96 km/h). An observation in Vinal Haven, Maine, reported a sustained wind of 44 mph (71 km/h). Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 320 miles (520 km) from the center. Wind Speed Probabilities for Lee (National Hurricane Center) Sunday 17 September 2023 00:00 , Kelly Rissman Many Maine residents are without power Shortly after Lee made landfall, nearly 60,000 residents had reported power outages. Central Maine Power urged locals to stay away from power lines and said to notify them by phone or through their website if an outage occurs. Were urging our customers to use caution when traveling during this storm and to stay away from power lines. These images from Rockland show the extent of damage our crews are seeing today. Falling trees present serious hazards. No one was believed to be injured in these photos. pic.twitter.com/5RKezoQAU1 Central Maine Power (@cmpco) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 23:00 , Kelly Rissman Lee touches down Hurricane Lee made landfall in Western Novia Scotia on Saturday afternoonThe maximum sustained winds were whipping at 70mph, as of 4pm when the storm made landfall. Since Saturday morning, hurricane-force winds, heavy rains, and coastal flooding have affected regions along the east coast. The National Hurricane Center said at 8am on Saturday that the maximum sustained winds reached 80mph. Read the full story: Hurricane Lee makes landfall Saturday 16 September 2023 22:30 , Kelly Rissman A view of the storm LEE LANDFALL: Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia around 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 70 mph at landfall.https://t.co/vQqaJi7nk5#ncwx #WeatherOnThe1s pic.twitter.com/SqLTxDE23z Tom Meiners (@tommeinerstv) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 22:00 , Kelly Rissman An update from the National Hurricane Center As of 5pm, just an hour after Lee made landfall, here are the watches and warnings still in effect A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: Cape Elizabeth northward to the U.S./Canada border New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Belledune, including Grand Manan Island All of Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island Magdalen Islands Saturday 16 September 2023 21:40 , Kelly Rissman FEMA sends warning about Lee The strong winds are likely to lead to downed trees and power outages. For those in the path of the storm, do not underestimate the power of this storm. We urge those in the path of Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee to remain vigilant as flooding, strong winds, & power outages continue across New England. FEMA and the Biden-Harris Administration are prepared and prepositioned to support any needs that arise. https://t.co/E7cmRdcj0Y pic.twitter.com/jSydD2i5Uc FEMA (@fema) September 16, 2023 Lee makes landfall in Nova Scotia Saturday 16 September 2023 21:18 , Megan Sheets Storm Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, as a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday afternoon at around 4pm, the National Hurricane Center announced. It is said to have maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110kmph). Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia around 4 pm AST. See below for details. pic.twitter.com/BEWSR6VNfD National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 21:00 , Kelly Rissman A meteorologist weighs in Robert Grove, a meteorologist for ECCC Weather Newfoundland and Labrador, predicted on X that Lee would make landfall in Yarmouth County within the next couple of hours. By the looks of latest satellite imagery, it looks like #Lee has made that NE turn and should make landfall in Yarmouth county within the next couple of hours.#NSStorm https://t.co/024RyeyQgV pic.twitter.com/Q1jrxnaP8e Robert Grove (@robertgwx) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 20:30 , Kelly Rissman Lee has already caused problems even before making landfall A CTV Atlantic reporter captured some of the devastation already caused by the post-tropical cyclone in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Tree down in Southend Halifax which has brought down power lines. Right now over 30,000 people are without power in the city. #HurricaneLee @CTVAtlantic pic.twitter.com/El8UhJYAjN Hafsa Arif (@_HafsaArif) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 20:00 , Kelly Rissman Post-tropical cyclone Lee is very near western Nova Scotia The National Hurricane Center issued another update at 2pm, writing that the storm is just 80 miles from Eastport, Maine and 150 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The maximum sustained winds are moving at 70mph. The center of Lee is forecast to make landfall in Atlantic Canada later this afternoon, and is expected to be near hurricane strength when it touches down, the hurricane center wrote. Timing graphic for Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee (National Hurricane Center) Saturday 16 September 2023 19:40 , Kelly Rissman The calm before the storm As post-tropical cyclone Lee threatens to hit the East Coast and Canada, some appreciated the beautiful sunset ahead of the storm on Friday night. Hurricane Lee is providing an incredible sunset on Monhegan Island, Maine.#mewx #hurricanelee pic.twitter.com/1PrK6As54n Benjamin Williamson (@photographmaine) September 15, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 19:20 , Kelly Rissman The forecasted timeline Saturday morning: Heavy rains and strong winds are already affecting some regions in New England and Canada hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect Saturday afternoon: The storm is expected to make landfall as soon as in the next few hours, according to the National Hurricane Center director. Saturday night: Lee is expected to move across the border into Canada tonight Saturday 16 September 2023 18:59 , Kelly Rissman Massachusetts lifts states of emergency Im relieved that the impacts of Hurricane Lee have been minimal across Massachusetts, so were lifting the states of emergency declared earlier this week. Im grateful for residents and public safety officials who have been responding to and preparing for severe weather and Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 18:45 , Kelly Rissman A message from Maines Governor MEMA warns that high winds from the storm, combined with full canopy trees and saturated ground, will result in downed trees. Avoid being on the roads if you can. If you must travel, avoid driving around downed trees or over downed wires and obey road closure signs and barriers. https://t.co/SEqgjzTblY Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 18:30 , Kelly Rissman President Biden Approves Massachusetts Emergency Declaration Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Lee from September 15 to September 17, 2023. The Presidents action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 14 Massachusetts counties. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, including evacuation and sheltering support, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.Mr. E. Craig Levy, Sr. of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Saturday 16 September 2023 18:07 , Kelly Rissman Maine lobstermen trying to rescue damaged boat as storm threatens VIDEO: Maine lobstermen taking a skiff to try and rescue a lobster boat damaged from #Lee in Bar Harbor The waves and wind are relentless against the little skiff, but theyre desperate to protect their livelihood @amlikethewind for @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/48C9trldfF Marissa Parra NBC (@MarParNews) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 17:15 , Kelly Rissman Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee Causes Power Problems In parts of Canada, residents are already suffering from power outages. On Saturday, over 100,000 people in Nova Scotia and over 40,000 in New Brunswick were dealing with no power. Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h, it isnt safe for our crews, said Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters. Saturday 16 September 2023 16:44 , Kelly Rissman An update from National Hurricane Center Director Dr Michael Brennan Dr Brennan said that eastern Maine, southwestern Nova Scotia, and southern New Brunswick are likely to be impacted first as soon as in the next few hours. While the storm has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, Dr Brennan said that the storm still has hurricane-force winds, with some areas experiencing gusts from 50-90mph, depending on the areas elevation. He warned residents of Maine to stay inside for the next few hours or for the rest of the day, if possible. Dr Brennan added that some areas are already experiencing significant power outages. Watch the full update here. Saturday 16 September 2023 16:11 , Kelly Rissman National Hurricane 11am Advisory The center of Lee is forecast to make landfall near or just east of the U.S./Canada border this afternoon. Lee is then expected to turn toward the northeast and move across Atlantic Canada tonight and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center predicted. Its expected to to be at or just below hurricane strength when it makes landfall later today, and is supposed to weaken throughout the weekend. Winds have lessened a bit from earlier this morning, and are now moving at 75mph as the storm is just 105 miles from Eastport, Maine. Environment Canada has upgraded the Tropical Storm Watch to a Tropical Storm Warning for Prince Edward Island, Magdalen Islands, and portions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the advisory wrote. The Tropical Storm Warning has been discontinued from Westport, RI to Portsmouth, NH, including Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket. Saturday 16 September 2023 15:45 , Kelly Rissman Footage from Nova Scotia Meteorologist Reed Timmer captured the storm scene from Baccaro Point lighthouse in Novia Scotia. Live update from Baccaro Point lighthouse with powerful post-tropical cyclone Lee approaching with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Watch out for flying donair. Over 60,000 power outages in Nova Scotia already. @accuweather pic.twitter.com/gz5ZrwdvPt Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) September 16, 2023 Saturday 16 September 2023 15:14 , Kelly Rissman Millions under storm watch as Lee threatens to hit the east coast Millions are under storm watch as Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee is forecast to brush the New England coast before making landfall later Saturday in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, which along with New Brunswick will see the brunt of it. But Lees effects were expected to be felt over an immense area. The National Hurricane Center predicted hurricane-force winds extending more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Lees center with lesser but still dangerous tropical storm-force gusts up to 345 miles (555 kilometers) miles outward. Saturday 16 September 2023 14:45 , Kelly Rissman According to an 8am advisory from the National Hurricane Centre... A hurricane watch is in effect for: New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum A tropical storm warning is in effect for: Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border Marthas Vineyard Nantucket New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper Saturday 16 September 2023 14:15 , Kelly Rissman Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee is expected to make landfall on Saturday Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee Advisory 44A: Lee Expected to Make Landfall Later Today. Strong Winds, Coastal Flooding, and Heavy Rains Already Occurring in Portions of New England and Atlantic Canada. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023 Hurricane Lee expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches New England and Atlantic Canada Saturday 16 September 2023 14:00 , Graig Graziosi The National Hurricane Centre warned on Friday that Hurricane Lee would arrive in New England and Atlantic Canada as a large and dangerous storm. The centre reported on Friday that Hurricane Lee was continuing to move further away from Bermuda and closer to New England and Atlantic Canada. The storm is expected to bring hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105mph(165km/h) with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520km) when it reaches eastern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts Saturday 16 September 2023 13:00 , Graig Graziosi A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week. The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm. Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night. READ MORE Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts WATCH: Hurricane Lee leaves a fingerprint on the Outer Banks Saturday 16 September 2023 12:00 , Graig Graziosi Lee downgraded to post-tropical storm Saturday 16 September 2023 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Storm Lee has become a post-tropical cyclone as it approaches Nova Scotia but it is still producing hurricane-force winds, the US National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. According to the 5am update, winds were still gusting at 8mph. Storm Lee is about 220 miles from Eastport, Maine and 230 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is moving north-northeast at the speed of 25 mph. Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity on most key measurements, study says Saturday 16 September 2023 11:00 , Graig Graziosi Earth is exceeding its safe operating space for humanity in six of nine key measurements of its health and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study has said. Earths climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and novel chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in the journal Science Advances. Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said. We are in very bad shape, said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick. Read more Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity, study says Hurricane Lee projected to make landfall in Nova Scotia Saturday 16 September 2023 10:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Hurricane Lee is projected to make landfall in Nova Scotia sometime after 3pm ADT or perhaps later in New Brunswick with winds below hurricane force, according to the Canadian Hurricane Center. The potential path could take the storm right into the Bay of Fundy, which separates the two provinces and has one of the highest tides in the world, with the difference between high and low tide as much as 12 metres. The US National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for hundreds of miles of coastline from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, affecting some nine million people. We encourage all of those in the path of this large and dangerous storm to remain alert, the White House said as president Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for Maine. The enormity of Hurricane Lee on display thanks to satellite photos Saturday 16 September 2023 10:00 , Graig Graziosi This Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, 7:10a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills. The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. (NOAA via AP) (AP) Hurricane Lee latest update Saturday 16 September 2023 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Hurricane Lee was located about 250 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, according to the National Hurricane Centers latest advisory. It was gusting at a speed of 80mph on its path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm. On the forecast track, the center of Lee will continue to approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday, the hurricane centre said. Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday. The probable path of Hurricane Lee (National Hurricane Center) Tropical Depression 15 likely to become Hurricane Nigel in coming days Saturday 16 September 2023 09:00 , Graig Graziosi The National Hurricane Centre said Tropical Depression 15, which formed Friday morning in the Atlantic Ocean, would likely become Hurricane Nigel, and had the potential to develop into a major storm in the coming days. The storm is expected to stay out at sea much like Hurricane Margot, which is still churning in the Atlantic the storm is the third hurricane in as many weaks to spin up. Through September 13, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is above average for all tropical cyclone parameters that we track at Colorado State University, hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach tweeted earlier this week. Biden approves emergency declaration for Main ahead of Hurricane Lee landfall Saturday 16 September 2023 08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar President Joe Biden on Friday approved the emergency in Main as Hurrican Lee approached the north-eastern part of the country. About seven million people are now under tropical storm warnings across New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.I thank President Biden for his swift approval of my request for an Emergency Disaster Declaration, which will give us access to additional resources as we work to keep Maine people safe during this storm, said Maine governor Janet Mills. I continue to strongly urge all Maine people, especially those Down East, to take the necessary precautions to stay safe as Hurricane Lee moves closer. The presidents approval authorises the federal department of homeland security and emergency management agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Saturday 16 September 2023 08:00 , Graig Graziosi How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? Well, the cold North Atlantic may decide that. New England is known for its fickle weather, powerful noreasters and blizzards. Destructive hurricanes, however, are relatively rare and typically dont pack the same punch as tropical cyclones that hit the southeast. Heres why the geography matters when it comes to Lees likely impact on the region. READ MORE How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? The cold North Atlantic may decide that East Coast states prepare for Lee landfall Saturday 16 September 2023 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Massachusetts governor Maura Healey joined Maine in declaring a state of emergency and asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration. She also activated up to 50 National Guard members to help with storm preparations, including operating highwater vehicles to respond to flooded areas. As weve seen in recent weeks, severe weather is not to be taken lightly. Flooding, wind damage, downed trees, tree limbs all these things create real hazards and problems for people, Ms Healey said. East Hampton, New York, barred swimming and, in at least some places, even walking on beaches because of dangerous surf. Caution tape was strung up along the edge of the sand at the tony second-home communitys picturesque Main Beach, where waves already were roiling Friday afternoon, News12 Long Island reported. In Rhode Island, governor Dan McKee said crews were working to secure the iconic 11-foot-tall Independent Man statue atop the State House dome. Workers wanted to safeguard the 500-pound statue against the storms wind and rain after a drone recently captured footage showing damage to the base. In Maine, where people are accustomed to damaging winter noreasters, some brushed aside the coming Lee as something akin to those storms only without the snow. We fear noreasters up here more than the remnants of a tropical storm, Andrea Silverthorne, who works in reception and reservations at the Inn on the Wharf in Lubec, Maines easternmost town, told the Associated Press. Saturday 16 September 2023 07:00 , Graig Graziosi Hurricane Lee to strike weather-worn New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee. As the Category 1 system impacted Bermuda, Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by state governor Janet Mills. The water-logged region prepared for 20ft waves offshore and winds of up to 80mph, along with more rain. The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds and coastal flooding were expected to arrive on Friday afternoon in southern New England and spread north. Although Lee did not contribute to the flooding that hit New England earlier in the week, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already waterlogged. The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages. Read more: Hurricane Lee to strike weather-worn New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes Canadian PM convenes meeting to discuss Hurricane Lee Saturday 16 September 2023 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Prime minister Justin Trudeau on Friday convened the incident response group, which meets only to discuss events with major implications for Canada. Consisting of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, it was previously convened over events including the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the record wildfire season this year. Ian Hubbard, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Hurricane Centre, told the Associated Press that Lee wont be anywhere near the severity of the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea a year ago. But it was still a dangerous storm. Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, urged residents to stay home, saying, nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is. Hurricane Lee in images: A surfer takes advantage of waves produced by the storm Saturday 16 September 2023 06:00 , Graig Graziosi Surfers in New York and New England took their boards out one last time on Friday before Hurricane Lee arrives in the region on Saturday. Surfers spend a day at Rockaway Beach as impact from Hurricane Lee delvers large surf and rip tides to much of the Northeast on September 14, 2023 in New York City (Getty Images) Saturday 16 September 2023 16:53 , Kelly Rissman Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee Causing Power OutagesIn Nova Scotia, over 130,000 people were without power on Saturday, while in New Brunswick over 40,000 people were dealing with power outages. Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h, it isnt safe for our crews, said Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters. WATCH: Maritimers buckle down for Hurricane Lee Saturday 16 September 2023 04:59 , Graig Graziosi Residents of Canadas Maritime Providences prepared Friday for Hurricane Lee, which is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon. Watch how they prepare for the storm below. Coastal Maine could see 15-feet high waves due to Hurricane Lee Saturday 16 September 2023 04:33 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The storm is projected to be more than 400 miles wide with tropical-storm-force winds when it reaches land, creating worries of power outages in Maine, the nation's most heavily forested state, where the ground is saturated and trees are weakened from heavy summer rains. Lee remained a hurricane with 80mph winds at night as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot ocean swells, strong winds and rain. Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40mph across the region, with peak winds reaching upward of 65mph ahead of landfall expected today. While landfall was projected for nearby Nova Scotia, the Category 1 system was big enough to cause concerns over a wide area even if it weakens to a tropical storm. Parts of coastal Maine could see waves up to 15-feet high crashing down, causing erosion and damage, and the strong gusts will cause power outages, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine. As much as 5 inches of rain was forecast for eastern Maine, where a flash flood watch was in effect. NOAA model shows Hurricane Lees predicted trajectory Saturday 16 September 2023 04:00 , Graig Graziosi The NOAA has released a new trajectory model showing the predicted path Hurricane Lee will take when it makes landfall near the US and Canadian borders on Saturday. Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm, and is expected to bring high winds and strong storm surges to the region. An NOAA map showing the predicted trajectory of Hurricane Lee as it continues on its path through New England and eastern Canada (NOAA) How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? Saturday 16 September 2023 03:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar New England is known for its fickle weather, powerful noreasters and blizzards. Destructive hurricanes, however, are relatively rare and typically dont pack the same punch as tropical cyclones that hit the Southeast. New England, in the crosshairs of Hurricane Lee, is usually protected from the worst of a hurricanes wrath by the cold waters of the North Atlantic, and thats expected to help reduce Lee to a tropical storm by the time it arrives by today morning A number of factors determine the path and strength of a hurricane. But the warm waters that can strengthen a hurricane are typically south of Cape Cod. North of there, the Atlantic waters are much colder More here. How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? The cold North Atlantic may decide that More than 3 million people under hurricane or tropical storm watches Saturday 16 September 2023 03:00 , Graig Graziosi More than 3 million people between New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces are under either tropical storm or hurricane watches as Hurricane Lee moves closer to landfall. The hurricane is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon. The storm is forecast to produce winds of up to 75mph (121km/h) in the affected region. CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson predicted that the Maritime Provinces would see the worst of the storm, but noted that 15 foot waves would likely batter New England as the storm moves through. Today is the last day to prepare warns meteorologist as Hurricane Lee closes in on New England Saturday 16 September 2023 02:00 , Graig Graziosi Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, warned residents of New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces that today was the last day to prepare before Hurricane Lee arrives with strong winds, 2 to 4 inches (50-100ml) of rain, and signficant storm surges. Today is the last day to preparshe told CBS Mornings on Friday. Conditions go downhill tonight, and tomorrow, Lee will be battering parts of New England. The strongest winds are expected to be along the coast. Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon. WATCH: Hurricane Lee and travel impacts Saturday 16 September 2023 01:00 , Graig Graziosi Nasa reveals how much hotter 2023 summer was than average Saturday 16 September 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi Warming seas, caused by the fossil fuel-driven climate criss, have helped to produce more severe hurricanes in recent years. As Hurricane Lee closes in on New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces, NASA has marked 2023 as the hottest year on record, The Independents Stuti Mishra reports. Earth recorded its hottest summer on record this year, data from the American space agency Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) confirmed in new maps that reveal how quickly the world is heating up. The last three months had the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the warmest winter in the Southern Hemisphere, Nasa and Noaa said on Wednesday in a release. READ MORE This was the hottest summer ever recorded on Earth, Nasa map reveals Rhode Island works to secure Independent Man statue atop the capitol before Hurricane Lee arrives Friday 15 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island told the Associated Press that crews were working to secure the states iconic 11-foot-tall Independent Man statue above the State House dome on Friday before Hurricane Lees winds blow in on Saturday. The 500-pound statue was shored up against the storms rain and winds. Crews work atop the Rhode Island State House to secure the Independent Man statue and its base, revealed by drone footage to be separating from the dome. This was not part of the exterior restoration work, says @GovDanMcKee - cost is yet to be determined. -SK #WPRO pic.twitter.com/Oc9GXJXCmH NewsTalk 99.7 & AM 630 WPRO (@wpro) September 15, 2023 Beaches close ahead of Hurricane Lee Friday 15 September 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi East Hampton, New York, shuttered its beaches on Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee. Swimming and in some cases even walking at the beach was prohibited due to the dangerous surf rolling in as a result of the storm. Local officials put up caution tape along the sand at Main Beach to ward off any last minute swimmers before the storms effects are felt in full, accoridng to News12 Long Island. Rough surf spotted off the coast of North Carolina as Hurricane Lee makes it way north Friday 15 September 2023 21:47 , Graig Graziosi An X/Twitter user captured video of rough surf off the coast of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, stirred up by the churning of Hurricane Lee. The storm is barreling north, where it is expected to make landfall on Saturday near the US-Canada border. Surfers in New England and the Maritime Provinces have taken advantage of the 10 to 15 foot waves produced by the storm, but local emergency officials have warned that residents should seek shleter before the storm arrives in earnest late tomorrow afternoon. This is the inlet at Wrightsville Beach North Carolina! The back of Hurricane Lee is packing a wallop as the tough surf crashes into the jetty The coastline is taking a beating with significant beach erosion! #HurricaneLee pic.twitter.com/vOIBhZOCyS Rocco DiBari (@G12Rocco) September 15, 2023 Canadian Prime Minister calls incident response group as Canadian residents warned to stay home Friday 15 September 2023 21:19 , Graig Graziosi Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the nations incident response group on Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee. The group consists of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, and is only convened ahead of or in response to events with major implications for the nation. The storm is expected to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces as well as high winds and substantial storm surges. Residents in Canada were urged not to let curiosity get the best of them and instead stay inside and safe during the storm. Nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is, Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, said Friday, according to the Associated Press. WATCH: North Carolina prepares for Hurricane Lee Friday 15 September 2023 21:00 , Graig Graziosi Utility workers pour into New England as residents pull out ahead of Hurricane Lee Friday 15 September 2023 20:38 , Graig Graziosi Utility workers poured into New England on Friday in preparation for Hurricane Lees landfall on Saturday. The outer rain bands are already approaching the region, and forecasters have predicted high winds could topple powerlines and cause outages when the storm arrives. At the same time, residents in coastal communities like Bar Harbor, Maine are pulling out of the area ahead of the storm. Mariners are returning home and many have reportedly been pulling their boats out of marinas in anticipation of storm surges resulting from the hurricane, according to the Associated Press. Hurricane Lees outer rain bands are approaching New England Friday 15 September 2023 20:13 , Graig Graziosi The outer rain bands of Hurricane Lee are on their way to New England as the storm barrels towards the east coast of the US and Canada. The hurricane is expected to dump between 2 and 4 inches (50-100ml) of rain in eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and portions of New Brunswick. The percipitation following on the heels of a previous storm system that rolled over the region could produce small stream and localised flooding in the region. Hurricane Lee expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches New England and Atlantic Canada Friday 15 September 2023 19:41 , Graig Graziosi The National Hurricane Centre warned on Friday that Hurricane Lee would arrive in New England and Atlantic Canada as a large and dangerous storm. The centre reported on Friday that Hurricane Lee was continuing to move further away from Bermuda and closer to New England and Atlantic Canada. The storm is expected to bring hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105mph(165km/h) with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520km) when it reaches eastern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Satellite images capture the first bands of Hurricane Lee moving across New England and Maritime Provinces Friday 15 September 2023 18:59 , Graig Graziosi The GOESEast satellite captured images of Hurricane Lees bands moving across New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces on Friday. Both Maine and Massachusetts have issued states of emergency, with the latter activating its National Guard in preparation for the storms landfall on Saturday. #GOESEast has been capturing absolutely stunning imagery of Hurricane #Lee today. That cirrus shield though .... pic.twitter.com/j3xMZGVbxB UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) September 15, 2023 New NOAA shows Hurricane Lees predicted trajectory Friday 15 September 2023 18:30 , Graig Graziosi The NOAA has released a new trajectory model showing the predicted path Hurricane Lee will take when it makes landfall near the US and Canadian borders on Saturday. Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm, and is expected to bring high winds and strong storm surges to the region. An NOAA map showing the predicted trajectory of Hurricane Lee as it continues on its path through New England and eastern Canada (NOAA) Massachusetts declares state of emergency Friday 15 September 2023 18:16 , Graig Graziosi Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency and has activated the National Guard ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival in the region later this evening. The storm is continuing its push north in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters believe that the eastern edge of the storm will brush Cape Cod and coastal Massachusetts on its way toward the easternmost Canadian provinces. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Cape Cod, the Islands, and coastal Massachusetts. Wind speeds are predicted to reach up to 60mph (97km/h) on Saturday. The National Weather Service said heavy rains are not anticipated for that region. HAMPTON, N.H. Millions of residents across eastern New England and parts of Canada remained under tropical storm warnings Friday evening as Hurricane Lee moved faster toward the region as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's evening update. Due to the approaching storm, President Joe Biden granted a disaster declaration requested by Maine Gov. Janet Mills to ensure access to federal resources and personnel, officials said Friday. Mills already declared a state of emergency for the state. There were widespread worries of power outages in Maine, the nations most heavily forested state, where the ground is saturated and trees are weakened from heavy summer rain. Utility workers from as far away as Tennessee began taking up positions Friday across the state as the storm approached. Although Lee is not the storm it once was and the worst-case scenarios for landfall in the heart of New England are off the table, risks remain for residents along the coast, where the possibility of tropical-storm force winds is highest. Lee was once a powerhouse Category 5 Once a powerhouse that doubled its wind speeds in 24 hours, growing to a Category 5 hurricane, Lee is now far weaker but much wider. The storm is encountering wind shear and dry air on its southern side that will continue to weaken the storm as it moves over cooler waters tonight and tomorrow, and Lee is forecast to be a tropical storm by Saturday evening. But the extent of its tropical storm force winds spanning a distance of 564 miles remain a reason to take the storm seriously, the National Weather Service is warning the regions residents. Wind gusts of up to 40-50 mph are possible inland, which is expected to bring down trees and damage power lines. Because it's losing its pure tropical storm characteristics, its will seem more like a nor'easter, according to the weather service office in Portland, Maine. Where is Lee now? Lee was spinning about 290 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. advisory. It was traveling north on a path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm, forecasters said. Hurricane Lee wind forecast, as of Friday morning "The worst conditions on Cape Cod will occur late Friday night and Saturday as Lee tracks more than 100 miles to the east Saturday morning," AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said. Then, on Saturday, "hurricane conditions and coastal flooding are possible in portions of eastern Maine, southern New Brunswick, and western Nova Scotia," the National Hurricane Center said. Maine prepares for Lee's arrival Maine residents were preparing Friday for the arrival of Lee. "We've taken everything out of our yard that could blow around. We've taken things out of the windows," said Mollie Brunetti, 76, of Belmont, Maine. "We just took family pictures and put them in totes, and fragile things that could blow around." "We've got our sump pumps set up and ready to go and if the power goes out, we'd have to hook that to a small generator we have. We're just doing the best we can," she added. Elsewhere, in Bangor, Maine, the Lowe's Home Improvement store has seen a steady flow of customers purchasing generators, sump pumps, shop vacuums, water, flashlight and batteries, store manager Ryan O'Donnell told USA TODAY Friday afternoon. "We're not used to this in northern Maine," he said. "There's a lot of chatter about that and hurricane weather, we don't hear a lot about that." The store ended it's patio season and is taking advantage of the empty space to put it's hurricane prep supplies for customer's ease of access. O'Donnell reiterated the anomaly of the hurricane, with Maine seeing high wind, intense rain and snow through the year, but rarely a hurricane. "This is all new to the community in Bangor," O'Donnell said. New storm forms in the Atlantic Tropical Depression 15 formed Friday morning in the open Atlantic Ocean, and it's forecast to become major Hurricane Nigel within the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said. Although it's expected to stay out at sea and not affect any land areas, the storm will add to what is shaping up to be a very active 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. "Through September 13, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is above average for all tropical cyclone parameters that we track at Colorado State University," tweeted hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach this week. This includes named storms, named storm days, major hurricanes and major hurricane days. Workers at Great Bay Marine in Newington lift the boat Bay Dreamer from the water Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in preparation for the potential impact of Hurricane Lee locally later in the week. See photos of hurricane prep: Hurricane Lee's path puts New England coastal towns on alert How big is Hurricane Lee Lee had a diameter of tropical-storm-force winds or higher across 564 miles on Friday, with winds of hurricane force spanning 184 miles. The tropical wind field is larger than the equivalent of 15 Rhode Islands if measured from east to west, and larger than three Massachusetts again measuring east to west. Comparing the size of Hurricane Lee to Hurricane Katrina Strictly by size alone, Hurricane Lee is huge. On Friday, its wind field was much wider than that of infamous Hurricane Katrina at landfall. That's in part because Lee was already transitioning away from a purely tropical system. Hurricane Katrina's tropical-storm-force winds hours before landfall were estimated at a diameter of 420 miles, while its hurricane-force winds spanned 178 miles. Lee's hurricane-force winds span a similar diameter, 184 miles, but its tropical-storm-force winds extend more than 120 miles wider, a total of 564 miles. Hurricane Katrina's winds, however, far dwarfed Lee's in intensity. At landfall, Katrina's maximum sustained winds were 120 mph, according to the hurricane center's final report. Lee's sustained hurricane force winds on Friday were 80 mph. Hurricane Lee on satellite on Friday morning, Sept. 15, 2023, in this image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. How is the size of a hurricane measured? It's easy to roughly guesstimate the size of a hurricane using forecasts and satellites, but experts use a more exact method to calculate the size of the wind fields within the storm. The size of the wind field in each quadrant of the storm is spelled out in each of the hurricane center's forecast advisories. Wind fields are fluid and can shift and move depending on what's happening within the storm and how close it is to land, where there's greater friction than over the water. "It's complicated," said Daniel Chavas, an associate professor of atmospheric science at Purdue University who has spent much of his career so far working on wind size. "It's so complicated, that there's no defined list" of hurricanes by size, Chavas said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has easily accessible lists that compare hurricanes by wind speeds and barometric pressure, but not size. Jody Scheske, of Provincetown, Mass., fills sandbags Thursday morning, Sept. 14, 2023. Provincetown Department of Public Works had sandbags at their Highway Garage for residents to fill to help with flooding issues with the predicted stormy weather from Hurricane Lee. DPW crews were also loading trucks with sand to take to shore up town landings. Residents were also able to fill up sand bags Thursday and Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee. Martha's Vineyard bracing for wind, floods Businesses on the popular Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts are setting up sandbags and hoping for a best-case scenario ahead of the hurricane's expected impact, said Carolina Cooney, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. As of late Friday morning, Cooney said it has been windy on the island as Dukes County has sent out a litany of emergency management information to businesses urging them to have emergency kits, batteries, dock boats and be prepared for possible power outages. People are crossing their fingers in hopes that fears about the storm don't materialize and they don't sustain major damage. Cooney said some businesses are looking to close early Friday in anticipation of extreme winds and foods. "It's only supposed to be tonight and tomorrow," she said. "The ferries are still running and some of us enjoy the wild weather." Maine under state of emergency Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday declared a state of emergency as the state was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years Thursday afternoon. Earlier in the week, the region saw 10 inches of rain over six hours. The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harms way. Its a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day, owner Kim Gillies said Thursday. Chad Richard and fellow Davis & Tripp Marina and Boat Yard crews pull a sailboat named Hurricane from the waters of Padanaram harbor in Dartmouth in preparation for the arrival of hurricane Lee. Commercial lobster fisherman Steve Train said fishermen have been sinking gear in deeper water to protect against storm damage. Fishing boats were also headed to the safety of harbors. The system threatened to bring a mixed bag of threats to coastal Maine. Ocean waves as tall as 20 feet could lash the coast, damaging structures and causing erosion; powerful wind gusts could knock down trees weakened by a wet summer; and rain could cause flash flooding in a region where the soil is already saturated, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine. State of Emergency declared in Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a State of Emergency in Massachusetts on Friday and requested FEMA issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration, she announced during a noon press conference. Healey activated 50 National Guard troops for storm preparation and to be prepared to respond with high-water vehicles if needed. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) opened their state of emergency operation center at their Framingham headquarters at 7 a.m. The state will also set up operation centers in Franklin and Tewksbury to support local and state agencies. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation told residents to plan ahead and to stay off the roads in the height of the storm. Will Hurricane Lee impact Boston? The worst of Hurricane Lee is expected to miss Boston, the state's largest city; however, noreaster conditions with heavy rain, strong winds and flooding along coastal and low-lying areas were still expected through the weekend, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at a news conference Thursday morning. She was made hopeful by the storm's turn "slightly east," according to the National Weather Service's Thursday update. She added that the hurricane's track could still change. "At this time we are expecting the worst of it to miss Boston, which is good news," Wu said. "Fingers crossed that that will remain the projection." Flight delays at Logan Airport in Boston and T.F. Green in Providence As of Friday morning, both major airports are showing limited delays and cancelations for Friday night and Saturday morning flights. Cape Air has canceled Friday flights from Boston Logan International Airport to Bar Harbor, Maine. The message on Logans website says advises travelers to check with their airlines for flight status prior to arrival at the airport. Scott Belliveau who is currently living in South Carolina had his friends Bob Warren, seen here removing the headsail, and Fran Grenon prepare his sailboat moored in Mattapoisett, MA harbor for the possible hurricane Lee making landfall at the end of the week. Massachusetts official: 'The ground is saturated' Officials across the state are also worried that the summer's heavy rainfall may worsen the storm's impact. Some parts of the Massachusetts South Shore received roughly double the amount of summer rain compared to last year. The ground is saturated, said Peter Buttkus, the public works director of Duxbury. ... the trees act like sails. Derek Brindisi, the town manager of Plymouth, said, We definitely anticipate losing trees during a high-wind event because the grounds are so saturated and roots become more susceptible to damage." Cape Cod residents brace for Hurricane Lee On Cape Cod, residents were advised to have cash on hand, a stock of non-perishable food, water and medicine for three days, flashlights and batteries, an emergency evacuation plan and a list of emergency contacts. The local power company, Eversource, said "Prepare for losing power for days." Ace Hardware Store Manager James MacNaught in South Yarmouth, Mass., said Wednesday the store is selling sandbags, Quick Dam flood barriers, generators and TruFuel, plastic gasoline containers, chain saws, flashlights, batteries and coolers. "We're seeing a lot of people," MacNaught said. "There's definitely an uptick." 'Not a lot of panic buying' Joshua Allen, store manager of Trucchi's in New Bedford, Massachusetts, told USA TODAY he hasn't seen a lot of panic buying at the store. Traffic has been higher than usual, he said, but not it's not translating to sell-out items like what is seen in the winter with snowstorms. "There's not a lot of panic buying going on and people I see on the weekend are coming in on today," Allen said. His co-workers are in high spirits as well and he's only heard a few employees talk about leaving early Friday to beat any rain. But Allen, who lives down the street from the store, said his concern is power outages as he'll need to be at the store if one happens. Surfers in New Hampshire take advantage of waves ahead of Lee's arrival As Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic, New Hampshires Seacoast is seeing large waves that are attracting surfers looking for a late-summer thrill. Local surf photographer and blogger Ralph Fatello was at the surf spot known as Fox Hill in Rye Thursday, shooting pictures and video of surfers enjoying 10-foot waves in 60-degree water. Surfer Mikel Evans, captured at Fox Hill in Rye by longtime surfer and photographer Ralph Fatello who documents surfing on the New Hampshire coast. Its like surfing in Hawaii, Fatello said. We dont get that that often. Surf shop Cinnamon Rainbows' Dave Cropper said the pleasant surfing conditions will last until Saturday when the storm worsens. He said the beach has been busy this week, as has his shop on Route 1 in North Hampton. Any time you have surf multiple days on end, that gets the crowds out, Cropper said. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver; Caitlyn Kelleher, USA TODAY Network; Hannah Morse, The Patriot Ledger; Denise Coffey, The Cape Cod Times; Cheryl McCloud; Kinga Brody, Worcester-Telegram; Associated Press. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Lee live updates: New England residents brace for landfall Visitors photograph the evening sky in advance of Hurricane Lee, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Bar Harbor, Maine. Red skies at night usually portend fair weather but Saturday's weather is predicted to be stormy. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) Fishermen removed lobster traps from the water and residents hauled hundreds of boats ashore leaving some harbors looking like ghost towns while utility workers from as far away as Tennessee began taking up positions Friday ahead of Hurricane Lees heavy winds, high seas and rain that's expected to span hundreds of miles (kilometers) of land and sea. The storm is projected to be more than 400 miles (640 kilometers) wide with tropical-storm-force winds when it reaches land, creating worries of power outages in Maine, the nations most heavily forested state, where the ground is saturated and trees are weakened from heavy summer rains. Lee remained a hurricane with 80 mph (128 kph) winds at night as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells, strong winds and rain. Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40 mph (64 kph) across the region, with peak winds reaching upward of 65 mph (104 kph), ahead of landfall expected Saturday afternoon . There was little else to be done but wait and worry, and make final preparations as Lee spun about 300 miles (485 kilometers) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. In Bar Harbor, there were only two lobster boats in the water compared with 20 to 25 on a normal day. Lobsterman Bruce Young said his 38-foot (12-meter) vessel was transported to the local airport, saying its better to be safe than sorry. Theres going to be huge white rollers coming in on top of 50 to 60 mph winds. Itll be quite entertaining, he said. On Long Island, commercial lobster fisherman Steve Train had just finished hauling 200 traps out of the water. Train, who is also a firefighter, was going to wait out the storm on the island in Casco Bay. He was not concerned about staying there in the storm. Not one bit, he said. In South Thomaston, Dave Cousens, who lost fishing gear when Hurricane Bob came through in 1991, said lobstermen were busy moving their traps, which cost $100 to $170 apiece, out of harms way to try to avoid damage from the rough seas. While landfall was projected for nearby Nova Scotia, the Category 1 system was big enough to cause concerns over a wide area even if it weakens to a tropical storm. Parts of coastal Maine could see waves up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) high crashing down, causing erosion and damage, and the strong gusts will cause power outages, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine. As much as 5 inches (12 centimeters) of rain was forecast for eastern Maine, where a flash flood watch was in effect. In Canada, Ian Hubbard, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Hurricane Centre, said Lee wont be anywhere near the severity of the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea a year ago. But it was still a dangerous storm. Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, urged residents to stay home, saying, Nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was convening the incident response group, which meets only to discuss events with major implications for Canada, on Friday. Consisting of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, it was previously convened over events including the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the record wildfire season this year. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey joined Maine in declaring a state of emergency and asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration. She also activated up to 50 National Guard members to help with storm preparations, including operating highwater vehicles to respond to flooded areas. The storm's arrival was expected just days after heavy flooding and tornadoes in New England. As weve seen in recent weeks, severe weather is not to be taken lightly. Flooding, wind damage, downed trees, tree limbs all these things create real hazards and problems for people, Healey said. East Hampton, New York, barred swimming and, in at least some places, even walking on beaches because of dangerous surf. Caution tape was strung up along the edge of the sand at the tony second-home communitys picturesque Main Beach, where waves already were roiling Friday afternoon, News12 Long Island video showed. In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee said crews were working to secure the iconic 11-foot-tall (3.4-meter-tall) Independent Man statue atop the State House dome. Workers wanted to safeguard the 500-pound statue against the storms wind and rain after a drone recently captured footage showing damage to the base. In Maine, where people are accustomed to damaging winter nor'easters, some brushed aside the coming Lee as something akin to those storms only without the snow. We fear noreasters up here more than the remnants of a tropical storm," said Andrea Silverthorne, who works in reception and reservations at the Inn on the Wharf in Lubec, Maine's easternmost town. Many tourists were caught up in the storm. Kent Thomas and his wife Robin, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, watched the weather reports closely before deciding to travel to Mount Desert Island, home to Acadia National Park. They're used to big storms back home, so they're going with the flow. Well hunker down like everyone else with the winds and the weather, Kent Thomas said while visiting Bar Harbor. We have a lot of experience with tropical storms and hurricanes in North Carolina. Power outages and tree damage go with the territory. Destructive hurricanes are relatively rare this far to the north. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts Blue Hill Observatory. But there have been no storms that powerful in recent years. The last storm to make landfall in New England as a hurricane was Bob, which tore across Cape Cod and charged northward toward Maine, losing steam and becoming a tropical storm, according to the National Weather Service. The region learned the hard way with Hurricane Irene in 2011 that damage isnt always confined to the coast. Downgraded to a tropical storm, Irene still caused more than $800 million in damage in Vermont. For this storm, part of Maine was briefly under a hurricane watch for the first time since 2008, for Hurricane Kyle, which skirted eastern Maine. The last hurricane to make landfall in Maine was Hurricane Gerda, which hit Eastport in 1969. ___ Sharp and Whittle reported from Portland. Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed. Hurricane Lee has weakened and its path is moving eastward, but its impact is still expected to affect Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine. A tropical storm warning remains in effect locally, according to the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. After dropping to a Category 1 storm earlier in the day, Lee was stirring off the coast of Virginia and traveling northbound on Friday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center reported that around 2 p.m., the system was about 340 miles south-southeast of Nantucket moving at 18 miles per hour. On the forecast track, the center of Lee will continue to move farther away from Bermuda and approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said. Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday. The hurricane was last measured as having 80-mile-per-hour maximum sustained wind speeds, and coastal New Hampshire and Maine are under tropical storm advisories. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center showed that Lee's hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles, while its tropical storm-force winds can be felt up to 320 miles away. Downeast Maine had a hurricane watch in effect as recently as Friday morning, though the National Weather Service has since downgraded it to a tropical storm watch. Joining Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean is the simultaneous Tropical Storm Margot, which late Friday morning was roughly 625 miles west of the Azores. Nikki Becker, a National Weather Service meteorologist stationed in Gray, Maine, noted Friday afternoon that Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia on Saturday night around 8 p.m. The system at that point is projected to lessen to a tropical storm. "Hoping for best": Southern Maine coast prepares for Hurricane Lee What the storm's impact looks like in Seacoast NH and southern Maine Hurricane Lees track has moved east over the last few days, decreasing expected rainfall, wind speeds and coastal flooding in the Seacoast New Hampshire and in southern Maine. Its ripple effects will still be felt throughout the region, however, and could lead to scattered power outages. NH power outage map: Track the latest information here Hurricane Lee is not anticipated to bring much rain to area communities, though the coast is currently under a high surf advisory and a coastal flooding advisory. Later Friday night, a wind advisory will take effect for much of the area. Satellite view of Hurricane Lee 6 a.m. Sept. 15, 2023. Sustained winds of about 10 to 20 miles per hour are expected along the coastline Friday night, with gusts reaching 35 miles per hour. Sea swells on Friday night could range between five and nine feet high with potential splash over. Beginning Friday night, according to Becker, slight rainfall is expected to begin, which would strengthen to on-and-off showers Saturday morning into early afternoon. On Saturday, the coastline may experience winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts hitting 45 miles per hour. Sea swells on Saturday may stretch to between 12 and 18 feet high, creating larger splash overs. Rainfall, wind speeds and possible flooding risks increase further north into Maine, Becker added. Maine power outage map: Track the latest information here Were actually not expecting that much precipitation in most of our forecast (area), she said. Were looking at around a few tenths (of an inch) to about a half inch, and its going to be higher the more north you go. It will be the same thing with the (sea) swells and the coastal flooding. Possible coastal flooding would not come from the anticipated minimal rainfall, though could be the result of Lees high winds and sea swells combining with Margots tropical storm winds. Temperatures in the low 70s are expected locally Saturday. The storm is forecast to wind down starting Saturday evening locally. Sunny weather with temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s is forecast Sunday. Stay connected: Seacoastonline, Foster's apps give you best access to local breaking news What will waves look like at Seacoast NH and southern Maine beaches? The National Hurricane Center's forecast cone for the storm center of Hurricane Lee, issued at 5 a.m. on Sept. 15, 2023. The National Weather Service has a high surf advisory issued for the New Hampshire and Maine coasts. Swimmers are being warned against going in the water with rip currents expected. Watch live: Here are web cams from Hampton Beach, Rye and southern Maine beaches "Its like surfing in Hawaii": NH surfers are making the most of Hurricane Lees waves Swimmers warned: Hampton Beach lifeguards warn of 'flash' rip currents and high waves from Hurricane Lee Coast Guard warns boaters Workers at Great Bay Marine in Newington lift the boat Bay Dreamer from the water Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in preparation for the potential impact of Hurricane Lee. The Coast Guard issued a statement urging caution for boaters as Hurricane Lee moves northward. "Do not go to sea in a recreational boat to 'ride out' a hurricane," the Coast Guard's statement says in part. "All mariners should stay off the water." NH impact: Hurricane Lee path tracker, spaghetti models The Coast Guard also offered more safety advice, including: If you cannot evade a storm, wear a life jacket and know how to activate your distress signaling devices. Rescue and assistance by the Coast Guard and other agencies, however, may be severely degraded or unavailable immediately before, during and after a devastating storm. If you are in a vessel and see signs of bad weather, seek shelter. While en route to shelter, tie down loose objects on the boat and prepare passengers for possible rough water, heavy rains and high winds. Have all aboard put on life jackets, including pets. Do not let passengers below deck remove their life jackets. If you think the boat may sink or capsize, keeping passengers above deck and attached to safety lines may be best. If you get into trouble, call for help immediately. How Seacoast NH and southern Maine towns are preparing The town of New Castle is closing down Great Island Common and the town beach to pedestrians beginning Friday evening as Hurricane Lee closes in, in addition to nearby Fort Stark. The grassy, rocky common is a popular spot for photographers to snap pictures of weather events, passing submarines heading to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and large boats traversing through the area. The closure will begin at 9 p.m. Friday and wont be lifted until the towns fire or police chief deem it appropriate. Large rocks and debris are blown (and) washed far from the edge of the shore and can cause serious bodily injury, wrote New Castle Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Ted Hartmann in a public notice. Injured or trapped persons (and) vehicles place additional burdens on emergency services. If you fall into the ocean limited measures can be taken during the severe weather. December 2022 storms, which wreaked havoc on local communities by causing flooding and widespread power outages, drew photographers and onlookers to Fort Stark. Hartmann wrote that rocks the size of softballs at Fort Stark were flung through the air due to winds in those storms. Additionally, being closed on Friday night in New Castle is the beach access and parking area at the end of Ocean Street. It is not worth the risk to capture a picture or feel the force of the wind, Hartmann added. Portsmouth cancels recreational soccer, farmers' market New Castles neighbor, Portsmouth, noted in a citywide hurricane alert that its public safety staff will be monitoring the storm, though the city does not anticipate major impacts this weekend. Still, the city shared that the Portsmouth Recreation Department has canceled soccer on Saturday, and Seacoast Eat Local has called off its regular farmers market. There is the potential for life-threatening storm surge, rip currents and dangerous surf, Portsmouths notice states. Expect high winds. Rainfall may produce localized urban, coastal, and small stream flooding from Friday night into Saturday. Kittery, Maine issues advisories, closes pier and parking Across the bridge, leaders in Kittery, Maine advised residents to remove their dinghies from the Pepperrell Cove docks by Thursday at 7 p.m. in order for town harbormaster John Brosnihan to finish preparation for the storm. The town warned that anyone who doesnt remove their dinghies could lose mooring privileges or be fined. Projected storm surge is causing the town to close the Pepperrell Cove pier and parking lot at 8 p.m. Friday until the storm ends. Kittery advised residents to steer clear of Fort Foster and Seapoint Beach during the storm. Accessing these sites increases the risk of injury or need for rescue if you are stranded or swept out with the waves, the town wrote in an alert on Thursday. Our public safety personnel will be actively addressing storm impacts all over town during this storm. By staying away from highly impacted, risky areas, you can help make their jobs significantly easier. York, Maine to close coastal roads and beaches The town of York, Maine, announced Friday they are expecting closures of low-lying coastal roads (Long Beach Avenue, Ocean Avenue and potentially others) due to forecasted storm surge and coastal splash-over on Saturday. The town also has ordered the closure of all beaches (including bathhouses/restrooms) from midnight on Saturday, Sept. 16 to midnight on Sunday, Sept. 17. Kennebunkport, Kennebunk and Wells, Maine brace for impact In Kennebunkport, the town announced that the Public Works Department would be placing large rocks at the foot-path entrances at Goose Rocks Beach to help mitigate the potential storm damage and clean-up. This will be a temporary measure and will be moved as soon as appropriate, the town said. A couple watches the waves at Hampton Beach on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 ahead of the expected impact of high winds and waves Saturday as a result of Hurricane Lee passing out to sea. Kennebunkport temporarily opened its newly acquired public boat launch on Langsford Road to allow people to take their boats out of the water, ahead of the storm and without the need for a reservation. On its website, the town of Kennebunk alerted residents that public service employees are in the process of removing portable trash cans and toilets, benches, stairs, ramps and more from all beaches. Similarly, the town of Wells issued an early advisory on its website, informing residents that efforts were underway to secure such coastline items as trash, receptacles, portable restrooms, and lifeguard stations. The town also is placing barricades throughout the community, in case road closures become necessary. Hurricane Lee's impact on weekend events The Alzheimers Association Maine Chapter announced Friday that the Maine Beaches Walk to End Alzheimers (York Beach) and Lakes & Mountains Walk to End Alzheimers (Lewiston) scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, are canceled due to weather concerns as Hurricane Lee approaches. The Alzheimers Association is encouraging participants to continue to fundraise and invite others to donate online. Fundraising for the Walk to End Alzheimer's continues through the end of the calendar year. The Mount A Challenge in York on Saturday has been postponed until Sept. 30. The Mount Agamenticus gate will be closed from sunset Friday, Sept. 15, through sunrise Sunday, Sept. 17. The York Art Association has moved its annual Art in the Park event from Saturday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 17. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Moulton Park at 394 York St. in York. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Will Hurricane Lee hit NH, Maine? Wind, high waves, what to expect A Nampa man accused of stabbing his mother to death last fall pleaded guilty to second-degree murder at the Canyon County Courthouse on Thursday morning. Levi Isaac Davis, 27, was awaiting the start of his trial next month on a charge of killing Karly Cantrell. Cantrell, the executive director of the West Valley Humane Society in Caldwell, was found dead from stab wounds at her Middleton home in October 2022, according to the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. Davis was suspected of stabbing his mother in the neck and abdomen, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. Cantrell had chunks of her hair and skin missing, and was later discovered by her husband in a pool of blood, according to the probable cause affidavit for Davis arrest. Police said Cantrells neighbor saw a car that matched the description of Davis blue hatchback-type car park in the driveway at Cantrells home the morning of her death. Another neighbor gave police video footage of a blue car leaving the home about 25 minutes later, the Statesman reported at the time of Davis arrest. Davis previously pleaded not guilty to the single felony count. On Thursday, he entered a guilty plea at a change-of-plea hearing, according to a news release. Under Idaho law, a person guilty of second-degree murder faces a prison sentence of no fewer than 10 years and could receive a life sentence. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Brent Whiting of the 3rd Judicial District on Dec. 1, according to court records. Illinois will soon become the first state in the United States to eliminate the cash bail system, allowing many suspects to remain free before their criminal trials. While law enforcement sources have opposed this change as a threat to public safety, advocates have celebrated the move as a way of lessening racial biases and economic inequalities within the criminal justice system. Tackling economic and racial inequality The Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act goes into effect on Monday. Specifically, it will eliminate the requirement that those charged with a crime must post cash bail to be released from jail while their cases are pending. Instead, the new law will generally allow those charged with most crimes to remain free pending trial. Advocates for fairness, meanwhile, argue that the preexisting bail system separated people based on income, not level of threat to the population, with those who couldnt afford bail sitting in jail for months or sometimes years while wealthier individuals could go home. Supporters also cite the racial disparities in pretrial detention under the cash bail system. Black and Latino men, for example, face higher average bail amounts than white defendants. Addressing law enforcement concerns Police organizations, prosecutors and conservative voices opposed the new laws passage and implementation. Some critics even pushed the narrative that the Illinois bill was a purge law, referencing the movie series in which all crime becomes temporarily legalized; experts have refuted those claims. Supporters of the new law note, for example, that the provision to release suspects would not apply to those charged with violent crimes, sexual offenses or gun charges. Although law enforcement organizations within the state have opposed this measure, many are coming to terms with the new reality within the state. Jim Kaitschuk, the executive director of the Illinois Sheriffs Association, warned that defendants who dont post bond have no incentive to return to court but indicated that law enforcement officials will respect the new law and are working through it as best we can. Other states like New Jersey have implemented cash bail reforms with mostly positive results, though the cash bail issue remains politically controversial as national crime rates rise for certain offenses. Nonetheless, reforming or eliminating cash bail is picking up steam. Illinois bold step will likely be a significant test case influencing similar decisions in other parts of the country. McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) Dozens of faith organizations and migrant advocacy groups spoke out on Thursday calling on Congress to act after a federal judge in South Texas declared DACA to be illegal. Border commuters fume as CBP closes pedestrian crossing to process wave of migrants On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen , of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, sided with Texas and eight other states that sued the federal government to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. This was the second time in two years that Hanen has ruled against the controversial program, which protects migrants who are brought illegally as children to the United States from deportation. Federal judge again declares DACA immigration program unlawful There are an estimated 600,000 in the program, who also are called Dreamers. Hanens ruling stops short of ordering them deported but it prevents any new applicants. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students celebrate June 18, 2020, in front of the Supreme Court after the Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trumps effort to end legal protections for young immigrants in Washington. (AP File Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reacted to the ruling by issuing the following statement: As the secretary of Homeland Security who promulgated a final rule to preserve and fortify DACA last year, and as the former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) who, in 2012, led the development and implementation of DACA, I am deeply disappointed by the ruling and uniquely qualified to say that DHS believes DACA is lawful and constitutional. Mayorkas said the agency will continue to process DACA renewals and stands ready to act with Congress to come up with a solution. Current DACA recipients will not lose their protection from removal. But this ruling does undermine the security and stability of more than half a million Dreamers who have contributed to our communities. The United States is the only home they have ever known. Congress has failed to act, and now Dreamers face an uncertain future, waiting to receive the permanent protection they deserve, Mayorkas said. A push to get Congress to act was a common theme echoed Thursday by several faith and migrant advocacy organizations upset by the ruling. This ruling portends the end of one of Americas most successful and popular immigration policies. Unless Congress steps up and acts, young immigrants who grew up pledging allegiance to the flag and are Americans in all but paperwork will face job loss and deportation, said Kerri Talbot, executive director of the Immigration Hub. Either Congress enacts a permanent solution now, or a dark chapter in American history will likely commence. With many DACA recipients living in mixed-status families that include citizens and green card holders, the fate of millions rests in the hands of Congress. Border Patrol releasing migrants onto streets of San Diego Once again, Dreamers are being made political targets by politicians who engage in fear-mongering and scapegoating. When is this travesty of destroying lives for political gain enough? Have they no sense of Christian charity?, said League of United Latin American Citizens National President Domingo Garcia. LULAC will support our Dreamers until justice is done. Judge Hanens newest ruling threatens a program that has supported the lives of many young people that were brought as undocumented children to this country. Both the Judge and the state of Texas aim to eliminate the program without having a permanent immigration solution available for these individuals. Until Congress acts and gives Dreamers a path to citizenship, it is paramount that DACA continues, said United Farm Workers Foundation attorney Ambar Tovar. Jesus Escamilla, a DACA recipient and UFW Foundation member, said the ruling was upsetting, adding that this program not only protects me from deportation, but has allowed me to work so I can support my family. Erika Andiola, a DACA recipient and communications director for the Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights said: Since the moment immigrants like me fought and won DACA in 2012, the program has been under attack. Judge Hanen has ruled against DACA before and todays ruling is unfortunately of little surprise. For years, DACA has been punted back and forth in a legal battle that has always been a reminder that our communities need and deserve more; we deserve to live full, safe lives in the places we call home, with the people we call home. Permanent protections would provide this security. As a DACA recipient, it is infuriating to always be told I dont belong Yuna Oh, DACA recipient In a time of intense polarization, Americans overwhelming support for DACA recipients and other Dreamers is a rare chance to advance meaningful bipartisan legislative solutions, a statement from the 40 coalition members of the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus said. Judge Hanens ruling reinforces the inadequacy and injustice of the status quo for Dreamers, which again cries out for a legislative fix. While avoiding the worst case scenario, where DACA was ended immediately for everyone, this is a further wakeup call of the cruel limbo Dreamers and their families have to live through, Vanessa Cardenas, executive director of Americas Voice said. Yuna Oh is a political associate for Americas Voice. She said: As a DACA recipient, it is infuriating to always be told I dont belong, as this ruling does. Every day, we have to wait for Congress to act on a permanent solution so we dont have to live in fear despite being Americans. Weve said this before, and well repeat it: Relying on the courts to protect DACA is not a viable strategy to protect our communities from deportation. Congress and the Biden administration must create a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented people in the U.S. The time for waiting is over, said Faisal Al-Juburi, spokesperson for RAICES. Women allegedly picked up 19 migrants at border near Santa Teresa A group of evangelical leaders also sent a letter to members of Congress urging they act. These dynamics are not theoretical for American evangelicals, many of whom personally know Dreamers who are members of and leaders within our churches, students on our college and seminary campuses and colleagues in our ministries, the letter reads. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center urged DACA participants to seek legal counsel for options beyond this program in light of Wednesdays ruling. The ruling is expected to be appealed. Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Impeachment consequences Kentucky voters need to strengthen our gumption, guts, and spines to use any available procedure to recall U.S. Rep. James Comer back to Kentucky for good because he has become a shameless embarrassment to the state and country as he leads an impeachment inquiry on President Joe Biden with no evidence nor vote of the full House. Well, I sure hope so... and Theres a lot of smoke and where theres smoke, theres fire he says in interviews when asked about evidence. Funding the government is not important as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Comer go after the Biden crime family to sow chaos and confusion as cover for former President Donald Trump as he faces umpteen criminal indictments. Frankly, Ive never seen a major political party turn into such an anti-democratic, power-and-money-seeking force as has the current Republican Party - and I used to work for it from state party to Senate decades ago when they were mostly sane. Kentuckys supermajority Republican legislature that gerrymandered Comers district -- its own force for tearing up Kentucky -- wont do anything about their boy Comer, but we voters can . . . on both. Lets go, Kentuckians! Ramona Rush, Lexington Dog whistles U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), James Comer (R-Ky.), and Jason Smith (R-Mo.) are about to show the world the value that dogs contribute to society by chasing their tails as they spearhead an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. This effort will be one of the most silly Congressional waste of tax dollars in recent memory. After all the investigating the House of Representatives has undertaken this past year to explore Bidens activities, they have not found anything to remotely start such an inquiry. Comers ever lengthening record of chasing nothingness seems to be one of his specialties and shows the ugly side of politicians being hooked on power. Following former President Donald Trumps lead, Comer thinks that all he has to do is dream up something that sounds scandalous, and that makes his hallucinations a hard truthful actuality. Come on Comer, Kentucky and America have scores of other pressing needs that require your attention. We deserve better, and you owe it to America and Kentucky to do better. Gene Lockhart, Lexington Impeach inquiry Jim Jordan insist this impeach inquiry is All driven by facts. Facts have a timeline and if real have are causes that have effects that can be measured in both quantity and quality. Even his statement driven by facts is a lie. Facts have a beginning, middle and end to any incident or event unless the incident and event is ongoing (a crime in progress) and these are easily witnessed. The only ongoing crime here being Jim Jordans and Comers fabrication of allegations formed around only innuendo of a biased interpretation of reality and 0 facts. Facts cannot be conjectured by reasonable people, they cant be alternate, they cannot be subjected to perception or interpretation ... like any truth ... they stand on their own merit or they just dont stand. Its not a fact, simply because someone declares something as a fact. Facts are not formed by or dependent upon belief. Leaps of logic with no connecting substantive variable of either quantity or quality are not valid and belief is not a reasonable standard of certitude of anything and in fact ... if belief is involved and necessary to make any connections ... it does not ever render fact, it is only ever renders belief. The only thing of certitude if one follows the facts or in this case a collection of only innuendo treated as facts is that this is a drama motivated to deflect from a reality of their own complicity in wrongdoing and the support of wrongdoing and doing wrong attempting to escape their own accountability. It is Gaslighting. Brooke Raby I learned today that the Lexington Philharmonic has appointed Brooke Raby as their interim Executive Director. For me, a publisher working in San Francisco, as well as other arts organizations in New York and beyond, this is very bad news. Several entities had hopes to entice her to join our companies. I had heard her name before, but Ive only met her once in person at a book publishing convention a couple of years ago while in a spirited debate about the center of arts in America. It was a West Coast vs. East Coast debate until Ms. Rabys participation. Im not, I dont believe, the only one who left thinking Kentucky might be ground zero, due to Ms. Rabys spirited and informed argument. She did once, kindly, speak to our staff about how things work at the intersection of art and commerce. To say she was impressive is an understatement. The arts community of Kentucky can be proud. Why am I writing this unctuous letter? In hopes of hiring her away in the future. But shell probably convince me to leave California for Lexington. In any case, congratulations to the arts community of Kentucky. Pat Walsh, Walsh Book Team, San Francisco, Cal. Absent proof Dear media: Our founders were a very bright bunch; a brilliance formed by years of oppression from an English monarchy. They also knew that, left to our own devices, human beings are fully capable of evil doings within the political theater. So, they gave great power to the fourth estate. A free press is charged with keeping reins on government by reporting abuses being foisted on our republic and its citizens. Where are they today? The most powerful of the press, referred to as the main stream media, is turning a deaf ear to obvious scandals being blatantly exposed in Washington, D.C. Yet they are defending them with silence. They are committing the most grievous sin against our founders intentions - the sin of omission. The media cannot claim unsubstantiated evidence. They simply wont even look at it. Its everywhere. Bank records, computerized mailings and testimony from whistleblowers. The founders didnt intend for journalists to choose political sides and protect their choice with silence. They demanded you to report the truth to the American people. And you refuse to do your duty. Shame on you. Wayne Burns Lexington 14th Amendment The United States Constitution: Fourteenth Amendment, Section 3 states as follows: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. So that person cannot have engaged in insurrection or given aid and comfort to the enemies (of the United States) who committed the insurrection. Former President Donald Trump has done both! And he continues to do both daily! Its in the United States Constitution and its in plain easy to understand language. If these provisions of the constitution are not enforced, we no longer have a free country and a Democracy. Jim Porter, Danville Compiled by Liz Carey Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he will take part in important international events in the second half of September. Source: Zelenskyy's evening address on 15 September Quote: "We are preparing for important international events scheduled for the second half of September. I had several long meetings about this today. We are doing everything to ensure that there are significant results for Ukraine both in new defense packages from partners and in the decisions of international institutions." Details: Zelenskyy also said that he held a wide-ranging meeting with representatives of law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies. The President of Ukraine also noted that the Office of the President, together with the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) and the government, are preparing decisions that will bring the final abolition of oligarchic and corrupt influences in Ukraine closer. Background: US Presidential National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on 15 September that Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy would meet at the White House next Thursday, 21 September. The meeting will take place after the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. A number of American media and news agencies previously reported on Zelenskyy's visit to the United States next week. According to The Washington Post, Zelenskyy will also visit the US Congress in order to get lawmakers to approve additional aid for Ukraine in the amount of US$24 billion. Earlier, Bloomberg's sources reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. According to the media reports, during the events, Zelenskyy may personally present his peace formula, a 10-point plan to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! SAN DIEGO More staffing and safety enhancements for the Metropolitan Transit System were approved by its board during a meeting Thursday morning. MTS said this vote will allow them to hire more staff for security, enhance visibility of staff and support their in-house employees. According to the transit agency, it will come with a price tag of $3.7 million, plus about half a million for uniforms and equipment. These funds will go towards an additional 34 inspectors, six supervisors, five dispatchers, assistant field operations manager and admin support professional, MTS says. Encinitas community discuss action plan to prevent further e-bike fatality There will be an additional presence on the trolley, and hopefully that will communicate that feeling of safety and security to those that are riding our trolleys, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said in an interview with FOX 5 Thursday. A customer survey conducted by MTS found that the one thing they want when riding on public transit is to feel safe. While we do all we can to provide the best security possible on 67 miles of rail, 62 stations and thousands of bus stops in San Diego city and county, our modest numbers truly limit our presence and our capabilities right now, Jonah Glasson, president of SD MTS Transit Enforcement Officers Association said during public comment during Thursdays meeting. MTS said it will take about seven weeks to finalize the hiring process and bring more people on board. MTS leaders said during Thursdays meeting that the increase in staff will cover 60 percent more service areas during both the day and night shift. Border commuters fume as CBP closes pedestrian crossing to process wave of migrants Thatll be really nice, said Christopher Thomas, a frequent MTS rider, when asked about the increase in staffing. I think with more staff you can (get) decreases the drug use that goes on through the trains. The vote comes after two deadly attacks at MTS stations in the last month. A 70-year-old man was stabbed at a station in Barrio Logan, while a 62-year-old man was fatally punched at a station in La Mesa. Theres no room for these kinds of incidents, Whitburn said. We want to ensure that people know that when they get on the trolley theyre gonna be safe theyre going to be secure and that theres going to be people there ensuring they are in good hands. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. A security guard stands behind the logo of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at its headquarters in Bengaluru By Nivedita Bhattacharjee BENGALURU (Reuters) - India is set to conduct a key test in its ambitious crewed space mission Gaganyaan as early as next month, the project director of the mission R. Hutton told Reuters. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is currently training four astronauts and looking to expand the cohort as it aims for more future manned missions, Hutton said. The Gaganyaan mission is aimed at developing a human-habitable space capsule that will carry a three-member crew into an orbit of 400 km (250 miles) for three days, before returning to safety in a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean. ISRO has said it will explore ways to achieve a sustained human presence in space once Gaganyaan is completed. The team is aiming to test its crew escape system, which can be used to eject astronauts in emergencies, before undertaking a battery of other tests before the final launch phase, Hutton said, adding: "Safety is the most important thing we need to ensure". About 90.23 billion Indian rupees ($1.1 billion) has been allocated for the mission, which comes after the space agency's historical landing of its Chandrayaan-3 craft on the lunar south pole. While an exact timeline has not been shared, the mission is expected to be launched from the country's main spaceport in Sriharikota before 2024. The space agency has previously said its Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre had successfully tested systems for stabilising the crew module and safely reducing its velocity during re-entry. ($1 = 83.0400 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee; Writing by Blassy Boben; Editing by David Holmes) An Ohio Department of Transportation camera shows stopped traffic along southbound Interstate 77 in Canton at 8 a.m. Friday following an accident. City police reported two lanes are closed. CANTON A utility trailer became unhitched from a pickup going south on Interstate 77 Friday morning, causing a four-vehicle accident that resulted in lane closures and slowed traffic. A 62-year-old woman from New Franklin, who was in one of the vehicles, was taken by Canton fire paramedics to nearby Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, Canton police said. Occupants of the three other vehicles did not appear to be injured, according to a preliminary police report. The accident took place around 7:22 a.m. on I-77 north of the 13th Street NW exit at Mercy Medical Center and just south of the Fulton Road NW ramp. All four vehicles involved were going south on I-77. The scene was cleared as of 10:07 a.m., according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol dispatcher, citing a video feed from an Ohio Department of Transportation highway camera. The Fulton Road exit was temporarily closed due to the accident. An ODOT camera showed traffic halted along the highway at 8 a.m. According to police, when the trailer got unhitched, it was only attached to the truck with emergency chains. That resulted in the trailer swaying back and forth, hitting vehicles. Police cited the 66-year-old Nimishillen Township man driving a 2014 Ford F-15 for failing to secure a load to his vehicle. He had a passenger, a 59-year-old Jackson Township man, who was not injured. When the utility trailer became unhitched, it caused a 58-year-old man from Smith Township in Mahoning County driving a 2015 Chrysler 300 to swerve and collide with a Chevy vehicle driven by a 62-year-old New Franklin woman. The Chevy vehicle then struck a 2017 Ford F-15 pickup being driven by a 61-year-old Jackson Township woman. Two vehicles sustained "disabling damage." Police did not find any initial signs of alcohol or drug use by the four drivers. Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly known as Twitter: @rwangREP. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Two lanes of Interstate 77 closed in Canton because of accident IQ Fiber, which announced in May that it was bringing its 100% fiber-optic network to Northwest Gainesville and Alachua County, has officially begun construction with a Phase 1 investment of about $40 million. Jacksonville-based IQ Fiber is deploying its network across Alachua, Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties as part of the companys first major network expansion outside of the Jacksonville region. It has always been a policy priority of mine to extend broadband competition in our community, said GainesvilleMayor Harvey Ward, in a press release. Im pleased to see IQ Fiber expanding into the Gainesville market, and I hope their presence here will create a variety of opportunities for all our neighbors. The company has established a satellite office in Northwest Gainesville at 4625 NW Sixth St., and is hiring over 30 employees to support the expansion. Four employees have been hired so far. IQ Fiber expects to hire additional workers by the end of the year and into 2024. Available positions can be found at iqfiber.com/careers. IQ Fiber, North Floridas only local fiber-optic internet service provider, is expanding to Gainesville with a first-phase investment of $40 million. More: Development plan calls for 730 apartments, retail adjacent to Newberry Square plaza The construction launch coincides with IQ Fibers two-year anniversary. Since its founding in 2021, IQ Fiber hasbuilt more than 600 miles more than 3 million feet of fiber-optic cable across North Florida. We are excited to announce the start of construction and will be working quickly to provide Gainesville residentswith a superior choice for internet service, said Ted Schremp, CEO of IQ Fiber, in a press release. In just two years, we have established a significant presence across North Florida and delivered on our promise to streamline the customer experience in a way that no other provider in the market has been able to achieve. The company said it expects a few Northwest Gainesville neighborhoods to be online in early 2024. "We take great care to fully test the network before releasing it for service," an email from IQ Fiber said. IQ Fibers fiber-optic network is capable of symmetrical speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second. The network consists of underground conduit and fiber-optic cables extending from the core internet backbone directly into individual homes, allowing for the fastest internet speeds available. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: IQ Fiber begins construction on network in Northwest Gainesville FILE - Children gather outside their tents at the al-Hol camp, which houses families of members of the Islamic State group, in Hasakeh province, Syria, on May 1, 2021. Iraq is stepping up repatriation of its citizens from a camp in northeastern Syria housing tens of thousands of people, mostly wives and children of Islamic State fighters but also supporters of the militant group. Its a move that Baghdad hopes will reduce cross-border militant threats and eventually lead to shutting down the facility. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad, File) BAGHDAD (AP) Iraq is stepping up repatriation of its citizens from a camp in northeastern Syria housing tens of thousands of people, mostly wives and children of Islamic State fighters but also supporters of the militant group. Its a move that Baghdad hopes will reduce cross-border militant threats and eventually lead to shutting down the facility. After U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led fighters defeated the Islamic State group in Syria in March 2019 ending its self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate that had ruled over a large swath of territory straddling Iraq and Syria thousands of IS fighters and their families were taken to the camp known as al-Hol. Many of them were Iraqi nationals. Today, Iraqi officials see the facility, close to the Iraq-Syria border, as a major threat to their country's security, a hotbed of the militants' radical ideology and a place where thousands of children have been growing up into future militants. It's "a time bomb that can explode at any moment, warned Ali Jahangir, a spokesman for Iraqs Ministry of Migration and Displaced. Since January, more than 5,000 Iraqis have been repatriated, from al-Hol, with more expected in the coming weeks, he said. It is mainly women and children who are sent home. Iraqi men who have committed crimes as IS members rarely ask to go back for fear of being put on trial. Those who express readiness to return, have camp authorities send their names to Baghdad, where the government does a security cross-check and grants final approval. Once in Iraq, the detainees are usually taken to the Jadaa camp near the northern city of Mosul, where they undergo rehabilitation programs with the help of U.N. agencies before they are allowed back to their hometowns or villages. The programs involve therapy sessions with psychologists and educational classes meant to help them shed a mindset adopted under IS. Iraq has been urging other countries to repatriate their citizens from al Hol, describing the camp at a conference held in June in Baghdad as a source for terrorism. At the gathering, Iraqs Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Sahhaf said it was critical for all countries with citizens at al-Hol to repatriate them as soon as possible in order to eventually close the camp. The alternative, he warned, is a resurgence of the Islamic State group. The heavily-guarded facility, overseen by Syrian Kurdish-led forces allied with the United States, was once home to 73,000 people, the vast majority of them Syrians and Iraqis. Over the past few years, the population dropped to just over 48,000 and about 3,000 were released since May. Those still at the camp include citizens of about 60 other countries who had joined IS, which is why closing al-Hol will require efforts beyond Iraq and Syria, an Iraqi Defense ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The camp currently has 23,353 Iraqis, 17,456 Syrians and 7,438 other nationalities, according to Sheikhmous Ahmad, a Kurdish official overseeing camps for displaced in northeastern Syria. And though the foreigners are a minority, they are seen by many as the most problematic at al-Hol persistently loyal to the core IS ideology. So far this year, Ahmad said, two groups of Syrians have left the camp for their hometowns in Syria. Earlier in September, 92 families consisting of 355 people returned to the northern city of Raqqa, once the capital of the IS caliphate. In May, 219 people returned to the northern town of Manbij. Syrian nationals are released when Kurdish authorities overseeing the camp determine they are no longer a threat to society. The release of other nationalities is more complicated, since their countries of origin must agree to take them back. Those of non-Syrian or Iraqi nationalities live in a part of the camp known as the Annex, considered the home of the most die-hard IS supporters. Many of them had travelled thousands of miles to join the extremist group after IS swept across the region in 2014. In late August, 31 women and 64 children from the camp were returned to the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan on a special flight, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced and thanked the U.S. government for providing assistance and logistical support for the repatriation. But other countries particularly in the West have largely balked at taking back their nationals who were part of IS. Despite the extremist groups defeat in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, IS sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks. Reports of grisly crimes inside al-Hol itself have shocked rights groups, which describe the camp's conditions as inhumane, particularly for children. Human Rights Watch has cited inadequate food, water and medical care, as well as the physical and sexual abuse of inmates by guards and fellow detainees. Ageed Ibrahim of Rights Defense Initiative, a human rights group in northeastern Syria, has appealed for humanitarian assistance to improve living conditions for people still in the camp. The U.S. military says reducing the camps population is a necessary step in the ongoing fight against IS and an important part of its long-term defeat. The United States has some 900 troops stationed in eastern Syria alongside an unknown number of contractors. The troops, who first arrived eight years ago, work alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella dominated by Kurdish fighters. The camp "is certainly a security concern over time, said U.S. Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, the commanding general of the anti-IS coalition. He cited the reduction of killings inside the camp as an indication that reducing the population there helps improve security. Our State Department, working with other ministries of foreign affairs, are focused on decreasing the numbers there to improve the conditions in that camp, he said. The U.S. military posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, recently that successful repatriations from al-Hol ensure that safety, security, and stability are maintained in the region. ___ Mroue reported from Beirut. ___ Find more of AP's Middle East coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/middle-east Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh says he no longer has to sit in the pub to hear the dark, drink-sodden thoughts of his neighbours for inspiration he just visits social media. The Scottish novelist, currently promoting the second season of ITV drama Crime, stars Dougray Scott and Joanna Vanderham as detectives working to solve crimes in Edinburgh. In an interview on Radio 4s Today programme, Welsh discussed the new season along with how he finds inspiration in the conversations he witnesses while online or out and about. You can find some nutter on social media and just go onto their account, the 64-year-old said. You dont need to be standing next to them, buying them drinks or listening to them, you can actually just see all this laid bare. People just give all that stuff away, they give away the very worst elements of themselves. Welsh noted that people are different in real life than they are on social media, meaning it was still important to spend time in the real world, as opposed to on a screen. Its important to see people how they really are, how they operate, he said. People in real life are different to how they are on social media, to get the humanity of characters you have to mix with them, you have to spend time with them. In a 2020 interview with The Independent, Welsh admitted he could spend hours on Twitter which he used as a distraction that was less harmful than some of his previous addictions. Discussing his character DI Lennox played by Scott, Welsh described him as kind of an avenging angel, rather than a clean-cut figure of the law. Hes not really a cop, hes a guy using the power of the police to apprehend murderers and sex offenders... because he himself was a victim of abuse as a kid, he said. So hes kind of an avenging angel, hes on a vengeance quest, and hes really using the police force as a kind of weapon to aid him on this quest. And thats his mission, really, I think he believes that by doing that he can mend himself, that everyone he puts away is cathartic to him, its another itch thats scratched. Welsh rose to fame after the publication of his 1993 novel Trainspotting, which followed a group of misfits navigating through Edinburghs murky, crime and drug-ridden underground. It was adapted into a feature film by Danny Boyle in 1996, starring Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller. His latest novel, The Long Knives, which followed the later life of Francis Franco Begbie, a violent psychopathic character first introduced in the Trainspotting series, was released last year to acclaim. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan warned Donald Trump in August that she would not tolerate any actions that could be perceived as witness intimidation by the former president in his 2020 election meddling case. Shes now considering a motion for a partial gag-order on Trumps public statements. According to a Friday filing, Justice Department prosecutors are seeking a narrow, well-defined restriction that is targeted at extrajudicial statements that present a serious and substantial danger of materially prejudicing this case. The proposed order would include (a) statements regarding the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses; and (b) statements about any party, witness, attorney, court personnel, or potential jurors that are disparaging and inflammatory, or intimidating. In other words, the DOJ wants a court order preventing Trump from making public statements that could intimidate witnesses or jeopardize the integrity of the case. According to another court filing released Friday, Chutkan granted a request from the Justice Department to have a redacted version of the motion against Trump filed to the cases public docket. In the judges initial decision, she wrote that prosecutors allege Trump targeted with inflammatory public statements individuals who were subsequently subjected to threats and harassment, and that their identities would be removed from the public filing. Last month, Chutkan partially granted a protective order that restricted Trump and his legal teams ability to share potentially sensitive evidence made available to them in the course of the trial. During the hearing announcing her ruling, Chutkan warned the former presidents attorneys that she would take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings. Even arguably ambiguous statements from parties or their counsel, if they can be reasonably interpreted to intimidate witnesses or to prejudice potential jurors, can threaten the process, she said. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Chinese city hunts for escaped crocodiles Xinhua) 10:27, September 15, 2023 GUANGZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities in south China's Guangdong Province have captured 44 crocodiles on the loose after a rain-triggered flood cracked open a farm for the reptiles. The escape happened on Monday morning after Typhoon Haikui unleashed torrential downpours and a deluge in the Beijieluo Village under the city of Maoming, causing two cracks in the enclosure of the crocodile farm, according to the city's publicity department. The local government has since mobilized nearly 1,000 people into a round-the-clock search, including police, militia, firefighters and professional crocodile hunters. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, 44 crocodiles had been caught, while the exact number of runaway crocodiles is unknown. The department said no crocodile attacks have been reported so far. Seventy-one Siamese crocodiles, including two juveniles, lived on the farm before the enclosure damage. Authorities are still draining the pool to verify the number of remaining crocodiles. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Hundreds of rioters have been charged, convicted and sentenced for joining the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. Unlike their cases, Samuel Lazars appears to have been resolved in secret kept under seal with no explanation, even after his release from prison. Lazar, 37, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, was arrested in July 2021 on charges that he came to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, dressed in tactical gear and protective goggles, and used chemical spray on officers who were desperately trying to beat back the angry Donald Trump supporters. There is no public record of a conviction or a sentence in Lazars court docket. But the Bureau of Prisons told The Associated Press that the man was released from federal custody this week after completing a sentence for assaulting or resisting a federal officer. Lazar was sentenced in Washingtons federal court on March 17 to 30 months in prison, according to the Bureau of Prisons, but theres no public record of such a hearing. He had been jailed since July 2021. Questions about Lazars case have been swirling for months, but the details of his conviction and sentence have not been previously reported. The Justice Department has refused to say why the case remains under wraps, and attorneys for Lazar did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. The judge overseeing Lazars case in May rejected a request from media outlets including the AP to release any sealed records that may exist. The case is raising concerns about transparency in the massive Jan. 6 investigation the largest in Justice Department history. Court hearings and records including sentencing hearings and plea agreements are supposed to be open and available to the public and the press unless theres a compelling need for secrecy. Lazar was transferred in July from FCI Fort Dix a federal lockup in New Jersey to community confinement overseen by the Bureau of Prisons, which means he was either in home confinement or a halfway house, according to a prisons system spokesperson. A social media post from Lazars sister that month shows Lazar standing outside waving an American flag with the caption: Hallelujah Praise God free at last ... #walkingfree. Secret plea hearings are not unheard of, though the records are often unsealed ahead of sentencing. In an unrelated example, the guilty plea by George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia influence investigation, was entered under seal and kept out of view for weeks until special counsel Robert Mueller disclosed that Papadopoulos had admitted making false statements to the FBI. Subsequent proceedings, including his sentencing hearing, were matters of public record. George Washington University criminal law professor Randall Eliason, who spent 12 years as a federal prosecutor in Washington, said he couldnt remember any case during his Justice Department tenure in which a sentencing hearing and sentence were placed under seal. Eliason said its possible that either theres some kind of security concern about him personally, or maybe more likely that hes cooperating in some respect that they dont want the people hes cooperating against to know about. But many Jan. 6 defendants have cooperation deals with the government, and their cases havent been resolved in secret. Defendants who agree to cooperate with prosecutors often get their sentencing hearings delayed until they finish cooperating. The fact that he also got sentenced, went to prison and is already out, that whole situation is just unusual, Eliason said. Lazar is among more than 1,100 defendants charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack. Outside the Capitol that day, Lazar was carrying a bullhorn and wearing ski googles, a tactical vest with a radio attached and camouflage-style face paint. Videos captured Lazar approaching police lines outside the Capitol and discharging an orange chemical irritant toward officers, an FBI agent said in a court filing. An officers body camera showed Lazar retreat down steps after police deployed a chemical at him. Lazar then turned and sprayed two officers, according to the agent. Lazar shouted profane insults at police through the bullhorn, calling them tyrants and yelling, Lets get their guns! Another video captured Lazar saying, Theres a time for peace and theres a time for war. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather in Washington, D.C, ordered Lazar detained pending trial, ruling that he posed a threat to public safety. The magistrate noted that Lazar also had been photographed posing with firearms on a public street during an August 2020 rally. In January 2022, a new indictment charged Lazar with five counts, including felony offenses. He pleaded not guilty to the charges the following month. In March 2022, prosecutors and Lazars attorney asked for more time to negotiate a disposition of the matter short of trial. In June 2022, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson canceled a status conference for Lazars case because he wasnt available to appear by video from jail. Thats the last publicly available court filing to address the status of the case. In April of this year, attorneys for a coalition of news outlets including the AP asked the judge to unseal any records related to a change of plea or sentencing hearing for Lazar, noting a March NBC News story citing an anonymous source that said Lazar was scheduled to be sentenced in a secret hearing. The public docket provides no explanation as to why, despite the strong presumption of transparency in this Circuit, these judicial records are not available to the public, the coalition lawyers wrote. After Lazars secret sentencing, his brother told Lancaster Online which first reported his release from prison in July - that their mother was even more confused, adding she has no idea if and when hes coming home, assuming he was actually given a sentence today. In May, Judge Jackson denied the news outlets request after a prosecutor and defense attorney argued against releasing the records, though she said the case law cited by the press coalition plainly recognizes that there may be circumstances where a need for secrecy can be outweighed by competing significant interests. Jackson said there were no undocketed records in this or any other case pending before her, adding that nothing has been sealed in this case without leave of court. But the judge said the news outlets could renew their request, setting a Sept. 29 deadline for its lawyers to file an updated status report setting forth their position or positions on this matter. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Local families told they owe thousands they dont have after Social Security overpayments Flames rip through large building in Butler TRAFFIC ALERT: 100-mile stretch of Pennsylvania Turnpike to close Thursday night into Friday morning United Auto Workers on the picket line in historic strike DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town of Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Aug. 24. An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town of Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Aug. 24. When Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from Fukushima last month, Russia and China were quick to criticize the move and suggest it was unsafe. Now, in an interview with HuffPost, a Japanese government official accused the two countries of spreading disinformation. Its political, said the official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the diplomatic process. Misinformation disinformation is causing reputational damage and adversely affecting the lives of people in Fukushima. In August, the state-owned Tokyo Electric Power Company started releasing heavily diluted and filtered water laced with small amounts of tritium, a short-lived and relatively harmless radioactive isotope of hydrogen, into the Pacific Ocean. The United Nations nuclear watchdog said this was safer than storing the water for a long time in tanks, where it could leak or spill in an earthquake, and pledged to maintain an independent monitoring system throughout the yearslong process. Despite routinely discharging tritium in far larger volumes from its active fleet of nuclear reactors, Beijing lambasted Tokyo for treating the ocean as its sewer and banned imports of Japanese seafood, cutting off the fishing industrys biggests market. Russia, which also releases tritium regularly from its own reactors, stepped up its criticism of Japan on Wednesday. We dont see any transparency or openness from Tokyo, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters at a press conference, according to Reuters. We are not the only country which is expressing such concerns - China has too, and the Japanese themselves have. The Chinese and Russian governments sent Japan three separate questionnaires in June and November of 2022, and in July of 2023 formally inquiring about Tokyos plans to release the treated water into the Pacific. Each time, the Japanese government responded with detailed answers about the process for filtering the water and safety protocols for its release. The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, posted the responses on its website. A substitute shopper helps an online customer buy salt at a supermarket in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, on Aug. 24. As Japan started to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, some Hangzhou residents bought a large amount of salt in a questionable bid to prevent radiation sickness. A substitute shopper helps an online customer buy salt at a supermarket in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, on Aug. 24. As Japan started to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, some Hangzhou residents bought a large amount of salt in a questionable bid to prevent radiation sickness. But the follow-up questionnaires appeared to ignore past replies. They contained many ambiguous questions and statements, the Japanese official said. The series of joint questionnaires from China and Russia made us wonder if previous answers provided by Japan were excluded. Nuclear energy has long been associated with the horrors of atomic weapons. Misconceptions about the dangers associated with radiation from reactors are seared into the popular consciousness with images of mushroom clouds and hazmat suits. As a result, while many around the world live relatively comfortably with the growing threats of disease caused by exposure to microplastics or the tiny particles of fossil fuel pollution, they panic over radiation of any kind, regardless of the health risks. Surveys by the consultancy Bisconti Research, which has polled Americans opinions on nuclear energy for decades, routinely show a perception gap in which respondents assume the broader public is more opposed to atomic energy than they are. Nearly 53% of Japanese polled this month by the news agency Jiji Press supported releasing treated water from Fukushima into the sea, while just 16% opposed the move and about 31% were undecided, as The Japan Times reported. That represents a significant shift from July, when another Jiji Press poll showed about 39% supported the discharge plans and 28% opposed. The panic has only worsened in China, where rumors spread across the countrys tightly regulated social media networks that water from Fukushima threatened to cause cancer and other diseases. The claims sparked a run on iodized salt, which many Chinese shoppers believed would protect against radiation sickness. While table salt would not provide enough iodine to protect a persons thyroid gland from taking in the particularly toxic radioisotopes released in an accident like the Soviet Unions 1986 Chernobyl disaster and could itself harm the body if overeaten the rush to stock up came after Chinese officials banned imports of Japanese seafood. Protesters wearing masks of political leaders from Japan, the U.S., and South Korea are pictured during a rally denouncing a summit between the countries, in Seoul, South Korea, on May 19. They oppose the nations' military alliance and the release of treated radioactive water from a Fukushima nuclear power plant. The text reads, Protesters wearing masks of political leaders from Japan, the U.S., and South Korea are pictured during a rally denouncing a summit between the countries, in Seoul, South Korea, on May 19. They oppose the nations' military alliance and the release of treated radioactive water from a Fukushima nuclear power plant. The text reads, "Imported marine products from Fukushima." Losing access to their largest export market stirred outrage among Japanese fishers, many of whom blamed the government in Tokyo for carrying out the discharges in the first place. Local people are afraid of the reputational damage generated by erroneous and false rumors, which are not based on scientific facts and have affected their livelihoods, the Japanese official said. The United States, which works closely with Japan on nuclear energy and supported Tokyos decision to release the water, sent Ambassador Rahm Emanuel to eat sushi on camera in Fukushima prefecture to demonstrate the seafoods safety. The mounting pressure from China and Russia comes as Japan looks to revive its nuclear energy industry, after halting most of its reactors more than a decade ago due to a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. On Friday, Japan restarted a reactor in the Fukui prefecture on the countrys west coast that had been mothballed since 2011. Last week, Japans Chubu Electric Power said it was buying a stake in the U.S. reactor firm NuScale Power, in a sign that the two countries long-entwined nuclear industries would continue to work closely together. Its part of an effort by the U.S., Japan and other nuclear energy users to generate more electricity from fission, as they seek to cut back on planet-heating fossil fuels and stabilize increasingly blackout-prone grids. But any growth in the nuclear industry could be hampered by rising tensions within the IAEA. As they jockey for influence, both China and the U.S. are far behind on paying dues to the organization, Bloomberg reported. As a result, the IAEA has a $235 million funding gap in its roughly $694 million budget for this year, according to documents that the financial newswire obtained. Work at the agency could reportedly grind to a halt in a month because of the unpaid dues. Related... Colorado's Jewish community is preparing to celebrate the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. All year long, the nonprofit Jewish Family Service helps some 5,700 people -- people of all faiths -- make ends meet with a food pantry. JFS volunteers tell us they're passionate about the organization's mission. With the high cost of food, fuel and housing families across our community are struggling. / Credit: CBS JFS is doing its part to help each month registering 55 new families to receive their food program support, its pantry is now serving 23 hundred households people of all faiths. "You don't need to register just show up to our Weinberg Food Panty here at JFS. We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 to 1," said JFS Chief Advancement Officer Jessica Zeidman. JFS believes hygiene items are crucial to wellness and health, is focused during the High Holidays on promoting donations of these goods. The nonprofit partners with more than 20 Jewish synagogues and preschools to raise awareness of food insecurity. And with the Jewish High Holidays here JFS and its volunteers are especially moved to help others. / Credit: CBS "The high holidays are a time of reflection, of introspection, of gratitude and this is an opportunity for our community to give back and stock our pantry shelves," Zeidman said. JFS volunteer Penny Ship said, "It makes me proud, happy to be in this country. That we have the resource, and we have the great village here of people that just want to show up and help. And as much as they thank us all day long, I have to say, I am so happy to have a place to come to. I am equally grateful for having a place to come to be needed." / Credit: CBS Founded 150 years ago, Jewish Family Service believes improving the lives of neighbors is a shared responsibility. Jewish Family Service also offers resettlement support each year to more than 100 refugees who build new lives here. It supports refugee children with mental health so they adjust to school better, and offers services for people with developmental disabilities. Jewish Family Service has a mobile food pantry also that visits 15 locations throughout metro Denver.. You can learn more about JFS at jewishfamilyservice.org/ And to learn more about how to donate during the high holiday campaign visit https://www.jewishfamilyservice.org/highholidays Could UAW and automakers reach an 11th hour deal? Potential timeline for next steps in Hunter Biden indictment What NASA's new UFO report says and what it doesn't Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter s grandson said his grandparents remain together and in love, even as they face health challenges. They're coming to the end, as we know, Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Centers Board of Trustees and an attorney, told USA TODAY on Thursday. The Carter Center, the longtime charity created by the former first couple, announced earlier this year that the former president was entering hospice care. In May, the Carter family revealed the former first lady was diagnosed with dementia He's been in hospice now for several months, but they are happy, Jason Carter said. They are together. They are at home. They're in love, and I don't think anyone gets more than that. I mean, it's a perfect situation for this time in their lives. And he added that despite his grandmothers diagnosis, this time marks a very joyful moment for her in a lot of ways. Rosalynn Carter turned 96 last month. They're both doing as well as can be expected, Jason Carter said. He added that his grandfather, whose 99th birthday falls on Oct. 1, faces really significant physical challenges, but he does spend time watching baseball games and seeing family almost every day. Jason Carter with his grandfather, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in Plains, Georgia, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar farm. The former president and President Joe Biden also "still communicate today on a relatively regular basis," Jason Carter said, and the president has written to Jimmy Carter "just to let him know that he's continuing to think about my grandfather, pray for him." Asked why he believes Jimmy Carter and the president remain close, Jason Carter explained that, of his grandfather's nearly 99 years, "he really only spent eight in big-time elected office," including his term as president and his term as the governor of Georgia. "He has lived in Plains, Georgia, in the same house that he built in the 1950s. And their ability to stay grounded in who they are, despite all of the things that they've done in their life, is remarkable," Jason Carter said. "And I think, frankly, Biden has that same kind of connection to who he was in, like simpler and more humble times despite having spent his entire life in Washington." Ahead of the former presidents birthday, The Carter Center is calling on the public to share messages and well wishes to be featured in a digital mosaic for President Carter, his family, and communities around the world to enjoy, The Carter Center shared in a news release. Individuals can share photos or wishes with The Carter Center or use the hashtag #JimmyCarter99 on social media. President Carter has dedicated his life to making the world a better place, and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to send him love and to thank him for all he has done, said Paige Alexander, chief executive officer at The Carter Center. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Carter, 'coming to the end,' receives well wishes from Joe Biden WASHINGTON Maxine was 4 years old when the bullet whizzed by her face. She remembers feeling a burning sensation on her forehead. And then the blood. Her uncle grabbed her, and they ran. I have a scar, she said, motioning to a faint line above her right eyebrow. Just a lot of people hollering. Thats all I remember. Maxine is in her 50s now. Her entire life has been shaped by that near-miss, and its not just because she could have died that day. Its because of the person who has been in prison ever since that chaotic 1975 shootout between FBI agents and Native American rights activists on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. And that person Leonard Peltier, a leader in the Indigenous rights movement has been on Maxines mind every day since. Every day. Every day we pray for him, Maxine, who requested to only use her first name, said of her tribal community on Pine Ridge Reservation. About 19,000 people live here. He should have been released a long time ago, she said. But they needed somebody to blame. Every day. Every day we pray for him, Maxine of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation said of Leonard Peltier. Every day. Every day we pray for him, Maxine of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation said of Leonard Peltier. Maxine was one of hundreds of activists and Indigenous leaders at a rally outside the White House on Tuesday, urging President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Peltier. Tuesday was Peltiers 79th birthday. Hes spent 48 of those years in prison, or nearly two-thirds of his life. Peltiers imprisonment has been rehashed for decades. But if time has made anything more clear, its that his imprisonment is bookended by obvious, infuriating injustice: The U.S. government put Peltier in prison based on lies and misconduct, with no evidence that he committed a crime. Today, Peltier is an ailing, 79-year-old man deteriorating in a maximum security federal prison in Florida. He uses a walker. He is blind in one eye from a partial stroke. He has serious health problems related to diabetes and an aortic aneurysm. His life is mostly confined to a cell with 18 inches for him and 18 inches for his cellmate. I am still here, he wrote Tuesday in an open letter to supporters. Peltier has maintained his innocence the entire time hes been in prison, which has almost certainly prevented him from being paroled. Last year, United Nations legal experts made the unusual decision to review Peltiers parole process and concluded that it was so problematic that Biden should release him immediately. Mr. Peltier continues to be detained because he is Native American, they wrote in a damning 17-page legal opinion. Biden has the authority to release Peltier at any time. Indigenous rights leaders made it clear Tuesday that they want him to do it now, before its too late and Peltier dies. For hours, they shouted it at the White House. They held up dozens of Free Peltier signs and unfurled a massive banner with the same message that took at least 10 people to hold it up. They chanted, burned sage sticks and banged drums in between speeches and tribal dances. Their voices should certainly matter to Biden, who is proud of being a strong ally to Native communities and tribes. He should be. His administration has made historic investments in Indian Country, from infrastructure to housing to climate change. He respects tribal sovereignty. He talks about the need for justice in Native communities, particularly when it comes to stopping violence against women. Hes put several Indigenous people into senior positions in his administration, not the least of whom is Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who passionately urged Peltiers release in her former role as a member of Congress. Congress hasnt weighed in on this issue in years. Im urging the Administration to release indigenous rights activist Leonard Peltier from prison due to COVID-19 concerns. At 75 with chronic health issues, it is urgent that we #FreeLeonardPeltier. https://t.co/XSa00RfdwJ Rep. Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) May 14, 2020 The president will be increasingly reminding Native communities and tribes of his record leading up to November 2024. Native voters were crucial to Bidens victory in 2020, particularly in key battleground states like Arizona and Wisconsin. But Peltiers prolonged imprisonment hangs over all of this. For many at Tuesdays rally, and beyond, he has become a symbol of something much bigger than himself. He represents the centuries of pain and injustice that Native communities have endured at the hands of the U.S. government. The longer Peltier remains in prison, the longer the collective wound festers. Biden hasnt said a word about Peltier since becoming president. On the one hand, its weird, considering that this is a president willing to address past wrongs against Indigenous peoples. His administration is very publicly reviewing the countrys painful legacy of Indian boarding schools, for example, and taking concrete steps to combat the long-ignored crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. On the other hand, Bidens silence puts him in line with his presidential predecessors. The FBI has made it clear, for decades, that it never wants Peltier released. And Biden, so far, appears to be letting the FBI dictate how this goes. Biden doesnt want to piss off the FBI because they want somebody locked up, even if its not the right person. Thats a political prisoner.Peggy Mainor, executive director of MICA Group, a Native-led organization in Baltimore But pleas to Biden for mercy for Peltier arent going away, and are likely only going to get louder as election season picks up. The Democratic National Committee last year unanimously passed a resolution calling on Biden to grant clemency to Peltier. Seven Democratic senators did too, along with a separate group of House Democrats. Mr. Peltier meets appropriate criteria for commutation: (1) his old age and critical illness, (2) the amount of time he has already served, and (3) the unavailability of other remedies, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, wrote in his own letter to Biden last year. Mr. Peltier should be granted a commutation of his sentence. During Tuesdays rally, 35 people got arrested, including Fawn Sharp, the president of the National Congress of American Indians, the largest and most powerful Indigenous rights group in the country. Sharp told HuffPost last month that Peltiers freedom is a top priority for her organization and its membership heading into 2024. Paul OBrien, the executive director of Amnesty International USA, also got arrested Tuesday. The massive international human rights organization recently launched a new campaign aimed squarely at urging Biden to release Peltier. Maxine got arrested, too. Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians, prays for Leonard Peltier before getting arrested at a White House rally in support of his freedom. Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians, prays for Leonard Peltier before getting arrested at a White House rally in support of his freedom. These were planned arrests to make a statement, and everyone was released soon afterward. The protest, organized by NDN Collective and Amnesty International USA, was peaceful the entire time. Perhaps most remarkable about the gathering was its diversity: People of all races and ages, from teenagers to people in their 70s, felt a connection to Peltiers story. Many could talk in detail about his imprisonment. Peggy Mainor, who is in her 60s, said she organized a march for Peltier in 1978 in Berkeley, California. She said she was deeply disappointed that President Barack Obama didnt release Peltier, and isnt surprised that Biden hasnt done so. He probably feels like he doesnt have to do anything because he does have a strong record with tribes and Native communities, said Mainor, who is the executive director of MICA Group, a Native-led organization in Baltimore that works with Indigenous communities to protect their lands and cultures. Biden doesnt want to piss off the FBI because they want somebody locked up, even if its not the right person, she added. Thats a political prisoner. Tyler Star Comes Out, a 20-year-old Indigenous woman from Pine Ridge Reservation, said she feels tied to Peltier because he was arrested on her grandparents land. For my entire life, Ive heard stories of Leonard Peltier and AIM, she said, referring to the American Indian Movement. Ive been hearing my grandparents advocate for him, and so, considering that Im the younger generation, Im continuing on their work. Star Comes Out, whose father is the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, will be old enough to vote in her first presidential election in 2024. She said shell most likely be voting for Biden, but if he doesnt release Peltier before then, I wouldnt be happy about it. Asked if she had a message for Biden on Peltier, she replied, Respect our elders. A display in support of Leonard Peltier. A display in support of Leonard Peltier. At least two of Peltiers children were at the protest, Kathy and Chauncey Peltier. So was Norman Patrick Brown, who was with Peltier during that 1975 shootout. He was only 15 at the time, the youngest AIM member there that day. Brown said it was really emotional being at the gathering for Peltier, whose freedom hes been advocating for his entire life. I feel like people will never understand the stand he took, said Brown, tearing up. They dont realize how much love there was by the Lakota people, the Navajo people. The elders thought of him as their son. ... He stood up against the federal government. The man was fearless, his heart was pure, his love for his people. Standing a few feet away, Chauncey Peltier said he knew what he would say to Biden if he had five minutes alone with him. I would ask him to please release my father from prison and let him go home. That would help the healing of my people [that they] have been going through for 500 years, he said. That would be a start. Hes completely failing us on this issue of justice for Leonard Peltier.Dallas Goldtooth, an Indigenous rights activist and actor on the television series "Reservation Dogs." The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Tuesdays protest or about whether Biden is considering clemency for Peltier. HuffPost has asked the White House about Peltier several times over the last two years. The last time it provided a comment was in February 2022, with this statement from a Biden spokesperson: We are aware of Mr. Peltiers request for a pardon and the outreach in support of his request. As many of you know, President Biden has a process for considering all requests for pardon or commutation, which is run through our White House Counsels Office. I dont have more to share on Mr. Peltiers request at this time. Peltiers attorney filed a clemency petition in July 2021, which begins the process for the Office of the Pardon Attorney to review his case for being released from prison. Asked what movement theres been, if any, on Peltiers clemency petition in the last two years, Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson pointed HuffPost to a searchable database on its website for those details on Wednesday. Its status here remains the same as it has been for two years: Pending. The status of Leonard Peltier's clemency petition as of Sept. 14, 2023. The petition was filed in July 2021. The status of Leonard Peltier's clemency petition as of Sept. 14, 2023. The petition was filed in July 2021. The FBI, which appears to be the only real obstacle to Peltiers release, provided a statement Wednesday on why it still wants him in prison: The FBI remains resolute against the commutation of Leonard Peltiers sentence for murdering FBI Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams at South Dakotas Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. We must never forget or put aside that Peltier intentionally and mercilessly murdered these two young men and has never expressed remorse for his ruthless actions. Peltiers conviction, rightly and fairly obtained, still stands, and has withstood numerous appeals to multiple courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. No amount of prison time changes the facts surrounding Coler and Williams deaths and commuting Peltiers sentence now would only serve to diminish the brutality of his crime and the suffering of their surviving families and the FBI family. But this is the exact same statement the FBI provided to HuffPost a year and a half ago, and every sentence of it is outdated, misleading or flat-out wrong. HuffPost asked the FBI in a follow-up email to explain all the discrepancies in its statement. There was never evidence that Peltier murdered anyone, and the prosecutors themselves later admitted they didnt know who did it. Peltier was never convicted of murder; he was convicted of aiding and abetting by virtue of being present that day. The statement also doesnt address the FBIs and U.S. Attorneys Offices now-known egregious misconduct in Peltiers case. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded in 2003 that the U.S. governments behavior in Peltiers case is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed. Furthermore, the FBI statement doesnt address the agencys own role in instigating the shoot-out that day, which has been called out over the years by the 10th Circuit, the late Judge Gerald Heaney on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and former U.S. Attorney James Reynolds. An FBI spokesperson followed up to say the bureau has no further comment. Actor and activist Dallas Goldtooth speaks to the crowd gathered outside the White House to urge clemency for Leonard Peltier. Actor and activist Dallas Goldtooth speaks to the crowd gathered outside the White House to urge clemency for Leonard Peltier. Some attendees at Tuesdays rally predicted that Bidens inaction on Peltier will depress voter turnout in Native communities in November 2024. Absolutely, said Dallas Goldtooth, 40, an Indigenous rights activist and an actor on the TV series Reservation Dogs. Hes completely failing us on this issue of justice for Leonard Peltier, Goldtooth said. All of us grew up with Peltier on our minds, our hearts, in our mouths. The fact that hes still locked up is something that we organize around. Because we want to see him free, but also we want to see our issues acknowledged by this administration. Maxine said people in her community regularly talk about how disappointed they are that Biden hasnt released Peltier. No one is going to turn out, she speculated. They just say that they made the wrong choice again. Somebody should have done something. But others saw Biden in a different light. Suzan Harjo, a longtime Indigenous rights advocate and 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, sat in a wheelchair amid the action. Baking in the sun on the cement, the 78-year-old poet and policy advocate said it was important to her to be there because Peltier has come to embody so much, for so many Indigenous people, for so long. Leonard has always been a stand-in for us, for all Native peoples, said Harjo, who had addressed the crowd earlier. This isnt some abstract guy, she continued. He was jailed as a symbol for us, for the freedom-loving Native people and the freedom-fighting Native people. Hes been in prison as long as he has been a symbol for us. People gather for a rally outside of the White House in support of imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier on Sept. 12, 2023, in Washington. People gather for a rally outside of the White House in support of imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier on Sept. 12, 2023, in Washington. Harjo said what many people dont understand is that all Indigenous people carry generations of hurt and pain caused by the U.S. governments actions. We dont want to see the old days come again. We want this to be a new day, and President Biden is just the kind of person that can make that happen, she said. I dont call him out; I call on him to do it. I believe in him. Harjo brings the perspective of someone who worked with Biden on and off for decades during his time in the Senate. Last month, she wrote to him to personally appeal to him to release Peltier. She praised him for being a longtime supporter of restoring Native peoples rights, from his work on the Indian Child Welfare Act to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act to the Violence Against Women Act. I think he will do it, she said of Biden ultimately releasing Peltier. I think that hes a compassionate man and hell understand that this is our family were talking about. WASHINGTON Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is finally getting a meeting with President Joe Biden , but not at the White House. The White House said Friday that Biden will meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday while the two leaders are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Netanyahu returned to power last December. Biden and the Israeli leader will discuss a range of regional issues focused on shared democratic values and a vision for a more stable prosperous region, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. They will also compare notes on how to effectively counter and deter Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Joe Biden on Wednesday while the two leaders are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting, which Netanyahu had long sought, comes at a time of strained relations between the two longtime allies. Netanyahu was reportedly irked that Biden had not invited him to the White House since his return to office. Biden met in July with Isaac Herzog, Israel's president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, and the decision to invite him instead of Netanyahu had created some awkwardness. Tensions flared earlier this year after Biden criticized Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the nations judicial system and said he wont be getting an invitation to the White House anytime soon. Biden said hes concerned about the state of democracy in Israel after the proposed judicial overhaul ignited street protests and public strikes. Biden also called Netanyahu's cabinet one of the most extreme that he's ever seen and said the U.S. is in regular talks with Israel's government, "trying to tamp down what is going on." Netanyahu' office announced in August that he had finally received a White House invitation, but the White House said only that the two leaders would meet in the fall "somewhere in the United States." From friendly to frosty: From friendly to frosty, Biden and Netanyahu's decadeslong relationship tested by current crisis On Thursday, Biden will meet at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House confirmed. The meeting will be their third and comes as Biden is requesting $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Biden has steadfastly stood behind Ukraines fight to defend its territory, directing billions of dollars toward that cause. He also traveled to Kyiv to visit Zelenskyy in February. Zelenskyy, who will address the U.N. General Assembly before traveling to Washington, also is expected to meet with congressional Democrats and Republicans while he's in the nation's capital, Sullivan said. Michael Collins and Francesca Chambers cover the White House. Follow Collins on X, formerly Twitter, @mcollinsNEWS and Chambers @fran_chambers. A test of friendship: Biden's relationship with Netanyahu put to test amid strike in Israel over judicial reform This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UNGA: Biden to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu Hours after the start of an historic strike among workers at the Big Three US automakers, President Joe Biden has urged company leadership to continue negotiating with union leaders, stressing that workers deserve a fair share of record profits. In brief remarks from the White House on 15 September, Mr Biden who has previously pledged himself as the most pro-union president in American history said that American auto companies have seen those record profits because of the extraordinary skill and sacrifices of United Auto Workers union members Those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers, he said. Auto workers deserve a contract that sustains them and the middle class. Mr Biden also announced his administration will deploy two top aides to Detroit as both parties continue negotiations. Thousands of members of the United Auto Workers union which represents nearly 150,000 workers struck at midnight on 14 September and walked out at three plants, including a General Motors site in Missouri, a Ford plant in Michigan, and a Stellantis centre in Ohio. The president spoke with auto executives by phone and urged them to continue negotiating with the union before his recent trip to Asia, according to the White House. He also recently spoke with UAW president Shawn Fain, who met with the president in the Oval Office earlier this year. Lets be clear, no one wants a strike, but I respect workers rights to use their options under a collective bargaining system, and I understand their frustration, Mr Biden said on Friday, adding that a contract should be a win-win for both workers and auto companies. Members of theUnited Auto Workers picket and hold signs outside of the UAW Local 900 headquarters across the street from the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan on 15 September. (AFP via Getty Images) The strike the first time that a union has struck all three companies at the same time is also the first national auto strike in roughly four years, following a strike against GM in 2019. Union officials and auto companies remain far apart in negotiations over wages, benefits and worker schedules, among other issues. Leaders are asking for a 36 per cent pay increase over four years to match the rates of executive pay, as well as a reduced 32-hour workweek, a return to traditional pensions, the elimination of compensation tiers and a restoration of annual and automatic cost-of-living adjustments, among other benefits. This is our generations defining moment, Mr Fain said in a Facebook Live address to union members before the strike deadline. The money is there. The cause is righteous. The world is watching. And the UAW is ready to stand up. GM chief executive Mary Barra told CNN that the companys officer of a 20 per cent pay increase over four years is a very compelling officer and thats the focus I have right now. Ford CEO Jim Farley told CNBC that there is no way we can be sustainable as a company under the unions demands. You want us to choose bankruptcy over supporting our workers? he said on Thursday. Heres our proposal: lets work through this. The Biden administration has previously played a key role navigating high-profile union battles amid an historic period for worker organizing and other American labour actions, from averting a national rail workers strike to meeting with the faces of Amazon and Starbucks union leadership at the White House. Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House adviser Gene Sperling will now head to Michigan to offer up the administrations full support should the parties resume contract negotiations, Mr Biden said. The bottom line is that autoworkers help create Americas middle class. They deserve a contract that sustains them in the middle class, he said. A mans mother said she still feels pain 10 years after a police officer shot and killed him in Charlotte. The death of Jonathan Ferrell, who was 24, stunned people throughout the community, and many came together Thursday night to remember him. PAST COVERAGE: 8 years since Jonathan Ferrells death, brother says solidarity improves justice I dont care how low I get, I know God is going to lift me up, said Georgia Ferrell, his mother. Georgia Ferrell said she would have attended Thursday nights vigil but she had health issues. I ended up getting COVID it almost took me out, but I had the faith that God was going to take care of me and he did, put me on dialysis, she said. It was the first time an officer was criminally charged in a shooting in more than 30 years in the Queen City. Ferrell wrecked his car in the Bradfield Farms neighborhood in the middle of the night. The Florida A&M student went to a nearby home for help and the occupant called the police. Former Officer Randall Wes Kerrick was one of three responding officers. At some point, Ferrell charged at Kerrick who shot him more than 10 times. Prosecutors quickly charged Kerrick believing that it was obvious that Ferrell was not armed. The jury deadlocked and the case was not tried again, which is one of the disappointments for the people at the vigil. Over the years, I just wonder, Had we got this case right? What would have happened with all the other shootings? Would those have happened? said Kass Otley, the vigils organizer. Georgia Ferrell had a message for those who attended. Be kind, but just stand up for what is right, she said. Lets do this to make a change. Lets stop some of the killings, not only with officers killing our people, but with us killing each other. VIDEO: 2021 Vigil to remember Jonathan Ferrell A new biography of the prophet Joseph Smith was announced during the Joseph Smith Papers Conference on Friday. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints During the seventh annual Joseph Smith Papers Conference on Friday, President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph the Prophet will be written using the comprehensive and recently completed Joseph Smith Papers project. A firm foundation has been laid on which additional works can be solidly built, President Oaks said at the end of his conference keynote. By assignment from President Russell M. Nelson, I was pleased to announce at the Joseph Smith Papers Conference today that the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has commissioned a new biography of the prophet Joseph Smith, to be authored by pic.twitter.com/JNjyP2ETsM Dallin H. Oaks (@OaksDallinH) September 15, 2023 The most recent biography of Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling by Richard L. Bushman, was published in 2005 before the Joseph Smith Papers was completed. Bushman is part of the national advisory board for the project. Who will write the new Joseph Smith biography? Former assistant church historian and recorder Richard E. Turley Jr. will write the new biography. He has written more than 20 books, including: Turley served as managing director of the Church Historical Department when the Joseph Smith Papers project first started. He also worked as chair of the projects editorial board, per the church. This book will focus on Joseph Smiths role as a Prophet, which will distinguish it from other recent biographies that focus on other aspects of his life, Turley said of the new biography, per Church News. Turley will receive help from the teams who worked directly on the Joseph Smith Papers project, staff from the Family History Department and professors from BYUs J. Reuben Clark Law School. When will the new Joseph Smith biography be released? There is no official release date for the new biography of Joseph Smith, but President Oaks said it will take years to complete. In a social media post, President Oaks said, Though there is much future work to be done on this book, it is fair to say it has been underway for the last 22 years thanks to the gold-standard research that has occurred since the inception of the Joseph Smith Papers project in 2001. Who is the new Joseph Smith biography written for? The biography itself will be written as a narrative for a general audience and is expected to garner a wide readership, the church announced in a press release. The purpose of the biography is to present the information from the decadeslong Joseph Smith Papers project to a wider audience. The project helps millions to know Brother Joseph again, said Joseph Smith Papers supporter Gail Miller in an interview with Church News. Related A federal judge approved AppHarvests bankruptcy plan Thursday, allowing the company to move forward with the liquidation of its assets. The Kentucky-based companys bankruptcy case couldve easily ended up in a much darker place, said Judge David Jones of the federal bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Texas. Jones approved AppHarvests plan less than two months after the indoor produce grower filed for bankruptcy. I have seen a very interesting mix in this case of negotiation, as well as collaboration, and they dont go hand in hand, always, Jones told the court. Thursdays confirmation came a week after Jones signed off on plans to sell AppHarvests last three greenhouses. Equilibrium, an Oregon-based investment firm, purchased the two largest greenhouses in Richmond and Morehead. Bosch Growers, a Netherlands-based indoor produce grower, bought the greenhouse in Somerset. As part of the negotiated plan, AppHarvest will use the money generated by the selling of its assets to pay back a portion of the companys creditors for outstanding debts. When the case was filed, unsecured creditors were expected to recover nothing, but through negotiations they could potentially recover up to 40% of their claims, Jeri Leigh Miller, an attorney representing AppHarvest, told the court. The plan will be executed by the end of the month. AppHarvest bankruptcy: A look at the rise and fall of the once-lauded Eastern KY startup However, the potential amount of money recovered for the creditors which includes several companies from across the state and world that assisted with the construction of AppHarvests greenhouses are dependent on the resolution of an ongoing dispute between AppHarvest and Dalsem Greenhouse Technology, a Netherlands-based company that manufactures and installed the high tech greenhouse equipment used by AppHarvest. Dalsem is AppHarvests largest unsecured creditor. The company claims its owed over $14 million for construction work done on the Richmond greenhouse. Weeks ago, Dalsem objected to AppHarvests sale of its Morehead and Richmond greenhouses but eventually agreed to allow the sale to go forward after provisions were made for the company to pursue its claims in mediation. Dalsems claims hearken back to over $14 million in mechanics liens the Dutch company filed in Madison County in late 2022 and earlier this year. Should meditation fail, the companies will enter arbitration to try to reach a resolution. Its no secret that Dalsems relationship with AppHarvest has been strained, Andrew Zatz, an attorney for Dalsem, told the court. Our sincere hope was to use these Chapter 11 cases as a platform to resolve the ongoing dispute between the parties. Unfortunately, that did not materialize. AppHarvest officials will take about three months to build a claim against Dalsem, Zatz said. After the liquidation, a small AppHarvest entity headed by Chief Restructuring Officer Gary Broadbent will continue to be employed by the company to manage transition issues and to manage pending litigation against suppliers such as Dalsem, said Travis Parman, a company spokesperson. The recovery of money for the other unsecured creditors is essentially held hostage while Dalsem and AppHarvest go through mediation, said Chuck Gibbs, an attorney representing a committee of unsecured creditors. The money the committee of unsecured creditors will receive will come partially from the sale or transition of two of the AppHarvest farms, a high-tech harvesting robot and the sale of shares owned by AppHarvest in an Abu Dhabi business called Red Sea Farms. AppHarvest becomes latest Kentucky company to file for bankruptcy. A look at others According to a liquidation analysis filed in court as part of the bankruptcy process, the sale of Red Sea Farms shares was expected to generate up to $5 million. The sale of robotics, developed by a company called Root AI, could command $180,000, the analysis said. In 2021, AppHarvest acquired the harvesting robot and the company that made it for roughly $10 million cash and $50 million in shares. AppHarvest originally built four greenhouses. A greenhouse in Berea had already been sold to Mastronardi Produce, AppHarvests distribution partner, in a cash-generating move in December. It was therefore not sold in the bankruptcy process. Prior to the bankruptcy filing, four company executives received nearly $2.47 million in direct cash payments from the company, AppHarvest announced in a public filing in July. Martin, Webb and Chief Financial Officer Loren Eggleton each received payments of $540,000. Broadbent, the companys chief legal and restructuring officer, received $850,000. Operations at all four of the companies farms which employed hundreds of people across the state have continued during the bankruptcy process. Bosch Growers told the Herald-Leader previously that they plan to continue the Somerset farms operations. Equilibrium has not publicly said what they plan to do with the Richmond and Morehead facilities. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Beijing on Friday. Zhao spoke highly of good neighborliness and lasting friendship enjoyed by China and Cambodia. He told Hun Manet how China has unswervingly followed the whole-process people's democracy and a development path suited to China's national conditions. He stressed that China respects and supports the democratic path chosen by the Cambodian people. The NPC is willing to work with the Cambodian National Assembly and Senate to implement the key consensus between the leaders of the two countries, strengthen exchanges of the two countries' legislative bodies at all levels, provide legal support for enhanced and fruitful Belt and Road cooperation, cement public support for generations of friendship, and push for greater development of China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership, said Zhao. Hun Manet expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their long-term valuable support for Cambodia's economic and social development. The new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy towards China, deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields and consolidate the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, he said. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Special counsel Jack Smith on Friday asked a judge to limit the extent former President Trump can discuss his looming trial on charges related to his effort to block the transfer of power in the 2020 election, citing a history of targeting those who present an obstacle to him. The order asks federal district court Judge Tanya Chutkan to restrict certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements from Trump about the 2020 election case, seeking a narrow, well-defined restriction limiting discussion about the testimony or credibility of witnesses in the case, as well as court personnel and jurors. The government said the gag order was needed because Trump has an established practice of issuing inflammatory public statements targeted at individuals or institutions that present an obstacle or challenge to him. The defendant knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspiresothers to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets, prosecutors wrote in the filing. They say the order would not stop Trump from referencing court documents or proclaiming innocence. The filing notes Trumps attorneys oppose the motion. Prosecutors cited seven examples of people whose addresses were shared or needed security after being referenced by Trump, including after he lashed out at a former Philadelphia city commissioner who described the experience to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Al Schmidt said after being name-checked by Trump in a tweet, the subsequent threats became more graphic and included members of my family by name, their ages, our address, and pictures of our home. Prosecutors again pointed to a social media post from Trump last month in which he said, If you come after me, Im coming after you. Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses, prosecutors wrote. Like his previous public disinformation campaign regarding the 2020 presidential election, the defendants recent extrajudicial statements are intended to undermine public confidence in an institutionthe judicial systemand to undermine confidence in and intimidate individualsthe Court, the jury pool, witnesses, and prosecutors. The filing then reviews the attacks Trump has launched against Chutkan and the prosecutors working on the case, with the filing becoming public just days after Trumps attorneys in the case filed a motion to push Chutkan to recuse herself from the case. The Hill spotted Chutkan at her D.C. courthouse Friday accompanied by several U.S. Marshals, a sign she remains under protection in the building even on days matters concerning Trump are not being addressed. The filing noted that both Chutkan and Smith have faced multiple threats since the indictment. Given the defendants history described above and the nature of the threats to the Court and to the Government, it is clear that the threats are prompted by the defendants repeated and relentless posts. To the extent that the defendants public posts reach the general public, they also reach the jury pool for this trial, the government wrote. Prosecutors also called out Trump attorneys complaints about Jay Bratt, a top prosecutor on the Mar-a-Lago case, saying the former president has accused him of improperly visiting the White House in connection with his case, when in reality, he was there to conduct a routine investigative interview of a career military official at that officials duty station. Prosecutors said Trump would have been notified of the meeting in a June batch of discovery in the case. The defendants objective in spreading a knowing lie to the contrary including by re-posting others Truth Social posts naming the prosecutor and repeating the lie is an attempt to prejudice the public and the venire in advance of trial, prosecutors wrote. Trumps campaign team complained about the motion. Crooked Joe Bidens weaponized DOJ are corruptly and cynically continuing to attempt to deprive President Trump of his First Amendment rights, the campaign said in a statement. This is nothing more than blatant election interference because President Trump is by far the leading candidate in this race. The American people the voters see right through this un-Constitutional charade and will send President Trump back to the White House. The unsealing of the motion came after a challenge by Trump to respond to the governments filing of the sealed motion. In a subsequent filing over the issue, prosecutors alluded to Trumps repeated commentary on social media in the case, complaining about the defendants daily extrajudicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury pool in this case. While Chutkan sided with Trumps attorneys in giving them a chance to respond, she ultimately sided with prosecutors, in allowing the filing of both a sealed and redacted motion on the topic. She cited the potential for intimidation of the witnesses referenced in the redacted filing. The individuals behind those redactions have already experienced harassment and threats due to publication of their information, and the possibility of that happening again risks witness intimidationincluding of other witnesses not identified in this motion, Chutkan wrote. Ella Lee contributed. This story was updated at 6:49 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Travis County state District Judge Dayna Blazey ruled Friday against a motion to change the venue of the murder trial of Austin police officer Christopher Taylor. Taylor fatally shot Michael Ramos, who was unarmed, in 2020 in an apartment complex parking lot in Southeast Austin after a group of officers responded to a 911 call reporting that a person possibly involved in a drug deal had a gun. It is believed to be the first time an Austin officer has been charged with murder for an incident while on duty. Blazey said at a hearing Friday that "the court finds that the defendant failed to carry the heavy burden to prove pretrial publicity has been so persuasive and so prejudicial" that an impartial jury could not be impaneled in Austin. She also said that Taylor's attorneys failed to demonstrate "the existence of a dangerous combination" that would prevent him from having a fair trial in Travis County. One of Taylor's lawyers, Ken Ervin, argued in a court hearing Thursday that a "dangerous combination" of biased media coverage and public perception made a fair trial unlikely. Austin police officer Christopher Taylor has been charged with murder in the death of Michael Ramos. Defense lawyers and prosecutors declined to comment after the judge's ruling Friday because there is a gag order in place forbidding them from talking to media. Jury selection for Taylor's new trial will begin Oct. 16. Blazey said Friday that there will be three panels of potential jurors with 100 people on each panel. The first panel of 100 people will be questioned by lawyers Oct. 16. Lawyers will be able to select jurors from the other two panels if they do not get enough eligible ones from the first panel. A month after Ramos who was Black and Latino was killed, he became the name and face in Austin for the national Black Lives Matter movement. Brenda Ramos, the mother of Michael Ramos, who was fatally shot by Austin police officer Christopher Taylor, speaks outside the Capitol at an April 2020 rally for police reform. Thousands of protesters took to the streets, many chanting his name and holding signs calling for justice for him and for George Floyd, the Black man whose death at the hands of mostly white Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement. Blazey declared a mistrial in the case in May due to problems with jury selection for the trial, including that flyers about the case were placed on the vehicles of three possible jurors. Defense attorneys filed a motion in July asking for the trial to be moved to another county. At the Thursday hearing about the motion, defense lawyers said the flyers placed on some potential jurors' cars could not be stopped if the trial was held in Travis County. Prosecutors argued that flyers could be put on cars in any county. More: Will the Mike Ramos murder trial be moved out of Travis County? Lawyers present arguments Prosecutor Dexter Gilford also said that only a fraction of the potential jurors in May said they knew about the case before the flyers were distributed. Angela Jones, a Texas State University criminal justice professor, testified for the defense Thursday that an analysis of 49 news articles given to her by Taylor's lawyers showed the media coverage has been "pro-prosecution." Joshua Blank, research director for the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, questioned that analysis, saying the defense provided no explanation as to why those 49 articles were selected. Blazey declared the mistrial in May because of other issues during the jury selection besides the flyers. The first panel of jurors called had to be dismissed because the courtroom doors had been accidentally locked, illegally preventing the public from viewing the process. Blazey also said that jurors had never been told that the trial might last four weeks. More: Judge declares mistrial in Austin police officer murder case during jury selection This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Judge: Murder trial of Austin police officer stays in Travis County FILE - Then-Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, speaks at a hearing at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., June 14, 2011. California Treasurer Ma will stand trial for sexual harassment after a former high-ranking female employee sued her alleging that the state official made sexual advances toward her before firing her. Ma said the allegations are without merit. A judge on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, denied Mas motion to dismiss the case. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A civil lawsuit brought against California Treasurer Fiona Ma by a high-ranking former employee who alleges Ma made sexual advances toward her before firing her can go to trial, a judge ruled Thursday. Judith Blackwell, the former head of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, alleged sexual harassment, racial discrimination and wrongful termination in the lawsuit, which was filed in July 2021, six months after she was fired. Ma has said the allegations are without merit and filed a motion to dismiss the case. The lawsuit alleged that Ma often rented hotel rooms and a home in Sacramento for staff to stay in after working late. Blackwell said that while sharing rooms, Ma called her into her bedroom several times, exposed her nude backside and climbed into Blackwell's bed with her at least once. Ma's motion for dismissal said the incidents were not sexual in nature and instead typical of what happens when people share a living space. In his ruling, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Christopher Krueger dismissed Blackwells allegations of racial discrimination and wrongful termination. Krueger said the state treasurers office presented evidence that Blackwell, who is African American, was fired based on job performance. But the judge said that Blackwell's allegations, if believed by a jury, could establish that Ma sexually harassed her. Ma spokesman Steve Maviglio said Friday that her office is pleased that a number of the allegations were thrown out and that the treasurer can have her day in court. The allegations are meritless by a disgruntled employee, and we look forward to having them proven false, he added. Blackwell suffered a stroke in September 2020 that put her out of work for two months. When she returned, she was given extra tasks that often kept her at work late, Blackwells lawsuit said. Ma, a Democrat, served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and was elected state treasurer in 2018. The treasurer manages state investments, serves on the board of its pension funds and oversees programs that provide tax credits for affordable housing and financing for public works projects. Ma was also previously elected to the Board of Equalization and the state Assembly. She has said she plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2026. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump to give a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James NEW YORK (Reuters) -A New York state appeals court judge on Thursday temporarily halted the scheduled Oct. 2 trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James ' fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump and his family business, a spokesman for the court said. The order came after the former U.S. president sued Justice Arthur Engoron, the trial judge overseeing the case, accusing him and James of defying a court order that could narrow the lawsuit, according to a report in the Daily Beast. According to the court spokesman, appeals court Justice David Friedman granted an interim stay of the trial, and referred the matter to a five-judge panel, which expects to rule in the last week of September. The trial could still begin on Oct. 2 depending on how the appeals court, known as the First Department, rules. Friedman's stay does not apply to a scheduled Sept. 22 hearing before Engoron on both sides' motions for summary judgment, which can proceed as planned, the court spokesman said. James wants a ruling that Trump's financial statements were fraudulent, while the defendants want most or all of the attorney general's claims dismissed. Engoron has said the trial could last until near Christmas. Lawyers for Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment. James said in a statement: "We are confident in our case and will be ready for trial." The attorney general has said that a "mountain of evidence" shows how Trump and his associates lied over a decade about his assets and net worth, which she says may have been inflated by as much as $3.6 billion, to obtain better terms on loans and insurance. She is seeking a $250 million fine, and to bar Trump and his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump from leading the family business, the Trump Organization. James filed her lawsuit in September 2022, after a three-year probe. In July, the appeals court said statutes of limitations may preclude James from suing over claims that arose before July 13, 2014, or Feb. 6, 2016, and said Engoron should decide which could proceed. Trump holds a dominant lead in the 2024 race for the Republican presidential nomination. He has denied wrongdoing, and called James' case part of a Democratic "witch hunt." In January, Engoron said the "witch hunt" argument did not justify a dismissal, and said some defense arguments were "borderline frivolous even the first time defendants made them." (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler) [Source] The person who jumped off the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York City last month has been identified as 17-year-old Noah Legaspi, an aspiring fashion designer from New Jersey. Confirming his identity: Family members confirmed Legaspis identity when speaking to multiple news outlets, including the New York Daily News and the New York Post, on Aug. 23. Legaspi's family also confirmed the news in a Facebook post, writing, "Hi all, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Noah has unfortunately passed away. We received word last night and are in the process of mourning. We, the Legaspi family, appreciate all the time and dedication that was put into finding Noah. The support was insurmountable and for that we are grateful. Call your loved ones, tell them you love them. Hug them tight and never take life for granted." More from NextShark: Group of men in India assault woman accused of smoking inside temple What happened: The incoming Colonia High School senior took a taxi from New Jersey to New York and leaped 750 feet to his death from the 21st floor of the Columbus Circle high-rise at around 9 p.m. on Aug. 17, according to police. Reports noted that the teenagers body was split in half after hitting a glass awning. A security camera reportedly filmed Legaspi entering the building and riding a service elevator to the floor where he jumped off. Investigators believe he entered the building via a loading dock area. He did not have an ID with him at the time and remained a John Doe following the incident until authorities confirmed his identity with his parents on Aug. 21. More from NextShark: Police call on publics help for missing pregnant woman from Chicago Chinatown Details before his death: Legaspis family told the New York Daily News that they last heard from him after dropping him off at his ex-girlfriends house on Aug. 17 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. They were only informed about his whereabouts when his ex-girlfriend called his mother. Prior to this, Legaspi had FaceTimed his ex-girlfriend while at the Mandarin Oriental, telling her, Look at this pretty view and I love you, Legaspis older brother, Luis, recalled to the New York Post. Legaspi's family believe the teen was not able to handle their breakup. Reporting to the police: Lesgaspis family reportedly looked for him in Avenel, New Jersey, hoping to find the description of a tall building she provided them. They later reported the New Jersey teen as missing to the police. More from NextShark: Steven Spielberg slammed for saying Squid Game stars were unknown What they are saying: Legaspi's family described him as a skilled tailor, volleyball player and bass guitar player. They also shared that he was battling mental health issues. Luis told the New York Post that while his younger brother brought smiles to other people's faces, he also "battled his own demons and insecurities. More from NextShark: S. Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo named Asian Male Swimmer of the Year He always felt that he wasnt deserving of love and attention and it really sucks because I dont know where it came from, Luis said. Legaspis family told his ex-girlfriend that they dont want her to have the impression that were upset and were blaming her" and also said that "it was nobodys fault. If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255. A jury has found three men not guilty of a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Twin brothers William and Michael Null and a third man, Eric Molitor, were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapons charge on Friday, according to the Associated Press. They were the last of 14 men charged over the militia kidnapping plot on the eve of the 2020 presidential election. Nine others have been convicted. Prosecutors had alleged that the Null brothers and Mr Molitor had participated in the scheme by taking part in military drills and travelling to governors lakeside vacation home in Elk Rapids, in northern Michigan. The trio were portrayed as anti-government extremists who were angry with Ms Whitmers decision to close down schools and businesses during the Covid pandemic. The plotters were being secretly monitored by the FBI for months, and were arrested in October 2020 before they could carry out the plan. Eric Molitor, 39, was acquitted of taking part in a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer on Friday (Antrim County Sheriffs Office/AP) Mr Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, testified that they had taken part in drills and admitted going to Ms Whitmers home, but said they backed out of the group when members discussed obtaining explosives, according to the Associated Press. Michael Null, also 41, refused to give evidence and his lawyer declined to answer questions of any of the trial witnesses. Plot ringleaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr were convicted of federal kidnapping conspiracy at a trial last year. A booking photo of William Null, who was found not guilty nearly three years after his arrest (Antrim County Sheriffs Office/AP) Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Croft received a sentence of 19 years after being found guilty on charges of kidnapping conspiracy, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and possessing an unregistered destructive device. Two other men, Brian Higgins and Shawn Fix, pleaded guilty earlier this year in exchange for reduced charges and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. After the kidnapping plot was foiled by the FBI, Ms Whitmer placed the blame for the failed scheme squarely on the shoulders of then-President Donald Trump. Michael Null, one of two twin brothers on trial, was also cleared (Antrim County Sheriffs Office/AP) Hate groups heard the presidents words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, Ms Whitmer said at the time. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet, encourage or fraternise with domestic terrorists, they legitimise their actions and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit. A federal jury has sided with the Knoxville Police Department in the shooting of Channara Tom Philly Pheap in 2019. The family of the 33-year-old Knoxville man had filed a civil lawsuit, saying he shouldn't have been shot as he fled an officer who was investigating a misdemeanor. Attorneys for Pheap's family told the jury he was running away from KPD officer Dylan Williams after a scuffle when he was shot in the back. Williams has maintained he was in fear for his life after Pheap fired a Taser at him. The police department did not have body-worn cameras at the time. In the end, the jury on Sept. 14 did not find Williams liable for claims of excessive force and battery. Claims against the city and then-KPD Chief Eve Thomas for failure to train and supervise, wrongful death and negligence were dismissed shortly before the trial in Greeneville. "We're grateful for the jury's time and attention, but obviously we are disappointed in the result," said attorneys Lance Baker and Joshua Hedrick, who had filed the $10 million wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Pheap's family. "We are evaluating the next step." Police Chief Paul Noel, who assumed command of KPD in June 2022 after Thomas retired, released a statement calling the circumstances of Pheap's shooting "tragic" but reiterated that "the use of force was reasonable given the exceptional position that Officer Williams was put in." "Our department and Dylan are glad to have this behind us," Noel added. "I am proud of how Dylan has carried himself and the support the members of our department have shown him since this incident occurred." Dispute over what happened formed basis of trial The lawsuit accused Williams of using excessive force during the encounter with Channara Tom Philly Pheap in the Clear Springs Apartments parking lot near Merchant Drive. It also alleged city leaders and police consistently failed to properly train and discipline officers who use force. "Officer Williams panic and lack of training unnecessarily escalated a routine investigation into a deadly one," the complaint said. Williams had gone to the apartment complex to look for a driver suspected of fleeing a traffic crash. The vehicle Williams was looking for was registered to a woman who lived in that complex. Williams saw Pheap, who was of Cambodian descent and lived in Knoxville with his young daughter, as he headed toward an apartment. In a manner of minutes, Pheap, who was unarmed, was dead in the parking lot, shot in the back. Williams stopped Pheap, the lawsuit said, even though he knew the registered owner of the car was a white woman. Pheap turned away when Williams tried to search him. Williams used a leg sweep maneuver to try to trip up Pheap, and grabbed him around his waist, the lawsuit said. The two wrestled. Pheap broke free and ran. What happened next was not caught on video. Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen ruled Williams use of deadly force was appropriate and legal. Allen has said Williams twice threatened to shock Pheap with his Taser as he ran. Williams said Pheap turned around and put his hands in the air, only to lunge forward and grab the front of the Taser. Williams said Pheap wrested the Taser from his grasp as he tried and failed to free his police dog from the back seat of his cruiser. Pheap fired the Taser at the officer, and Williams said he felt electricity in his arms and neck. Williams responded by firing two shots with his gun. The lawsuit alleged Williams fired those two shots from more than 13 yards away while Pheap was running and no longer a threat. Liz Kellar is a public safety reporter. Email lkellar@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville police officer found not liable in Philly Pheap's death Fifth Judicial District prosecutors played video of Carlsbad Police Department's interrogation of Alexis Murray Smith to a jury in an attempt to show she had trafficked fentanyl leading up to the death of her 12-year-old son from an overdose of the drug. This was during the third day of Murray Smiths trial Thursday on a count of child abuse resulting in death tied to the death of her son Brent Sullivan. On Sept. 28, 2021, Sullivan was found dead in a shed on the property of his grandmother and Murray Smiths mother Kellie Smith in the 2400 block of Western Way. Murray Smith is also charged with one count of child abuse not resulting in death tied to the presence of her infant daughter in the home. More: What to know as Brent Sullivan's mother faces trial for son's death from fentanyl overdose Alexis Murray Smith wipes her eye during her child abuse trial stemming from the death of Murray Smith's 12-year-old son of a fentanyl overdose, Sept. 14, 2023 in Eddy County District Court. Smith received identical charges for her alleged role in Sullivans death and was scheduled for trial Nov. 6. On the third day of Murray Smiths trial, the testimony of Michael Ortiz, Smiths boyfriend who first found Sullivan overdosing, continued and prosecutors brought out several pieces of evidence taken from the scene. The defense questioned the validity of the evidence, and its connection to Murray Smith. More: With fentanyl deaths rising, New Mexico lawmakers look for solutions to fight trafficking Heres what happened on day three of the trial. Ortiz denies trafficking fentanyl despite video of police interview Jurors were shown video of Ortiz at the Carlsbad Police Department hours after Sullivan was pronounced dead on Sept. 28, 2021. In the video investigators questioned Ortiz, who admitted to frequently using methamphetamine, about the presence of fentanyl at Smiths home where he often stayed. The defense argued reference to Ortiz's past drug deals should not be presented to the jury as evidence, but Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce argued any potential evidence of drug deals would explain the totality of the situation Sullivan was in when he died. More: Carlsbad grandmother charged with grandson's death back in jail after violating bond Michael Ortiz reviews evidence with Fifth Judicial Attorney Dianna Luce, during the child abuse trial of Alexis Murray Smith, Sept. 14, 2023 in Eddy County District Court. This is a child abuse case, not a possession case, she said. Our theory is that the child overdosed multiple times because of access to fentanyl. District Judge Lisa Riley sided with the defense and allowed the video to be played. In the footage, a distraught Ortiz explained to investigators the events leading up to his finding Sullivan unresponsive in the shed, and nearby evidence of his fentanyl use. More: Carlsbad grandmother charged with grandson's fentanyl overdose in 2021 released from jail Ortiz also discussed administering Narcan to Sullivan during an overdose about a month before his death at the house on Western Way. He testified he used two doses of Narcan and physical stimulation to wake up the boy. He said Murray Smith, Sullivans mother, was not present during the previous overdose. In the police interview Ortiz at first denied that he or Smith were trafficking fentanyl, but after being questioned further admitted that Smith was indeed selling the drug and that he had also sold some of the pills. More: Brent Sullivan's death has been ruled an accident. It's unclear if that will affect his family's trials. Michael Ortiz testifies during the child abuse trial of Alexis Murray Smith, Sept. 14, 2023 at Eddy County District Court. He told police he believed Sullivan got the pills that killed him from his mother, the defendant. Defense Attorney Todd Holmes sought to cast doubt on the interview, contending Ortiz changed his story after investigators made him feel threatened. Ortiz testified he did feel threatened during the interview. Holmes also pointed out that no pills were ultimately found in the house on Western Way, aside from one found in the shed and pills found in Ortizs Nissan Ultima parked on the property. More: NM senator cosponsors legislation targeting fentanyl supply chain On the video, you said there might be two pills in the house. They found zero pills in the house, Holmes said when questioning Ortiz on the stand. So you were wrong about that. Ortiz also maintained in court that Smiths house was safe for children and denied drugs were ever used around children at the house. Detective details evidence of drug use at Murray Smiths house where Sullivan lived Carlsbad Police Detective Tim Nyce took the stand to testify on the results of a search he conducted of Murray Smiths home in the 800 block of Alamosa Street. He said he found burnt tin foil, indicative of fentanyl smoking, throughout the house, along with a spoon used to cook drugs into a liquid for injection, and multiple Narcan cartridges. More: Bandidos raids in New Mexico stem from 'all-out war' between motorcycle clubs, police say Carlsbad Police Detective Tim Nyce testifies during the child abuse trial of Alexis Murray Smith, Sept. 14, 2023 in Eddy County District Court. He testified the foil was just out in the open uncovered, and that children would absolutely have access. The house was very, very dirty. Very cluttered, Nyce told the jury. There were just clothes, toys, food, burnt foil around. It was very, very cluttered and a lot of debris everywhere. Nyce said testified to finding drugs in the Honda Pilot driven by Murray Smith after it was searched at the Western Way house. More: 'Relentless pursuit' touted as law enforcement announces arrests in Eddy County drug busts Murray Smith appears to admit selling fentanyl in police interview In a recorded interview conducted by Carlsbad Police Department detectives hours after her son died of an overdose on Sept. 28, 2021, Murray Smith was questioned about her use of fentanyl and alleged trafficking. Murray Smith told police in the video she came home and smelled fentanyl being smoked in the house. She tells the detectives she then took the boy to her mothers home so she could search for any drugs he had hidden. More: With fentanyl deaths rising, New Mexico lawmakers look for solutions to fight trafficking She went to check on him that night and left him at his grandmothers house overnight. By noon the next day, 12-year-old Brent Sullivan was dead. Investigators also pressed Murray Smith in the video to confess to her use of fentanyl, and she eventually told them she used about 10 pills a day. More: 'I was in shock' says man who found Brent Sullivan dead, during mother's child abuse trial In the interview she admitted she got the drugs from her mother, who would give her about 100 at a time sporadically and once gave Murray Smith 300 of the pills which she sold on occasion for about $4 each. She said in the 2021 interview that she thought her son got the drugs he overdosed on from his grandmother, Smith. Cellphone evidence used to show Murray Smith confessing to drug possession and use Carlsbad Police Detective Joey Landgraf extracted several text messages from cellphones taken from the scene, including Murray Smiths found in her Honda Pilot. More: 'She knew he was using,' state says as trial begins for mother of boy who died of overdose Carlsbad Police Detective Joey Landgraf testifies during the child abuse trial of Alexis Murray Smith, Sept. 14, 2023 in Eddy County District Court. The messages were shown to the jury, illustrating multiple interactions between Murray Smith, her mother and Ortiz, where they talked about fentanyl and its alleged presence in the homes where Sullivan stayed before he died. A text from Smith to Murray Smith at about 11 a.m. on the day of his death said Sullivan had gone missing. He was found unconscious that day at about noon, and later declared dead at Carlsbad Medical Center. Whats next? Landgraf will be cross-examined by the defense, which is likely to question how the text messages and alleged fentanyl indicated intentional child abuse, of which the defendant is charged. Murray Smiths mother Kellie Smith, who is also facing charges tied to the incident, is on the witness list but has not yet been called to testify. Her testimony could prove important as Sullivan died at Smiths residence, and both Ortiz and Murray Smith appeared to indicate Smith was the source of fentanyl used by other family members. Friday is the last day scheduled for the trial, and the jury will be asked to render a verdict on if Murray Smith is guilty of the two charges. If convicted, she could face life in prison. Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Evidence of fentanyl trafficking offered to jury in Murray Smith trial The first-ever Black woman to serve on the US Supreme Court has urged Americans to confront uncomfortable truths about the nations past and its legacy of racist violence as she addressed a congregation recognising the 60th anniversary of a lethal act of white supremacist terror. US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jacksons unsparing remarks from Birmingham, Alabama, on 15 September reflected on the Ku Klux Klans bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four girls 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collins and galvanised a civil rights movement facing threats of racist violence. If we are going to continue to move forward as a nation, we cannot allow concerns about discomfort to displace knowledge, truth or history. It is certainly the case that parts of this countrys story can be hard to think about, Ms Jackson said in prepared remarks to a church congregation, joining pastors and other officials commemorating the attack and its aftermath. I know that atrocities like the one we are memorialising today are difficult to remember and relive, she added. But I also know that it is dangerous to forget them. Democratic US Rep Terri Sewell, Alabamas only Black member of Congress, hailed her district encompassing Birmingham, Selma and other southern civil rights landmarks as Americas civil rights district one which is currently embroiled in a constitutional battle that has reached the Supreme Court. In a landmark ruling earlier this year, the Supreme Court determined that the states Republican-drawn, gerrymandered congressional map discriminated against Black voters by packing most of the states Black residents, who make up more than a quarter of the states population and are overwhelmingly more likely to vote Democratic, into one single congressional district out of seven. Alabama state lawmakers were ordered to redraw the map, but defiant GOP leaders drafted a second map that largely maintained the status quo. Earlier this month, a three-judge federal court panel said that it is deeply troubled that the state approved a map that it readily admits does not meet its obligations to the constitution. Justice Jackson was introduced on Friday by former US Senator Doug Jones, who successfully prosecuted two of the four men responsible for the attack Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry decades later, in 2001 and 2022, when he was a US attorney. Robert Chambliss was convicted on murder charges in 1977. Herman Cash died in 1994 and was never charged in connection with the attack. US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson addresses an audience at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on 15 September to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four Black children. (AP) In her remarks, Ms Jackson stressed what its going to take to defend the core constitutional values affirmed by previous generations in an ongoing fight for equal rights. Pay careful attention to what we know: oppressors of every stripe, from the slave master to the dictator, have recognised for centuries that knowledge is a powerful tool, she said. They have seen that once acquired it can be wielded, and once wielded it is transformative, she added. Knowledge is transformative and it frees them. The work of our time is maintaining that hard-earned freedom, and to do that, we need the truth, the whole truth, about our past. We must teach it to our children and preserve it for theirs. America must own even the darkest parts of our past, understand them and vow never to repeat them, she added. We must not shield our eyes. We must not shrink away lest we lose it all. Her address gestured at a sweeping effort among Republican officials and right-wing groups to restrict honest discussions of race and racism in classrooms across the country, from campaigns targeting libraries to dozens of state-level bills outlawing so-called woke education and critical race theory concepts, referring to a legal framework to examine systemic racism that opponents have invoked to broadly restrict discussion of social justice issues. The justices remarks also follow a reported surge in hate crimes which have steadily risen from year to year, including a 12 per cent spike from 2020 to 2021 and a swell of right-wing violence and extremism-fuelled killings. Criminal cases targeting Donald Trump and efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election also strike at the heart of voter suppression efforts threatening a hard-fought right to vote, while a movement amplifying bogus conspiracy theories and false narratives that undermine voting rights continues to grip state legislatures and members of Congress. Kristen Clarke, the assistant US attorney for civil rights at the US Department of Justice, told the congregation that racially motivated hate crimes are a stain on our nations history as she recommitted herself to vigorously defending civil rights in any way we can and to dispel the discord of hatred and prejudice. A sign outside Birminghams 16th Street Baptist Church on 15 September as a congregation hears from US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, among other US officials, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a KKK bombing that killed four Black children. (AP) The killing of the four little girls focused Americas eyes on Birmingham, bringing into sharp clarity the injustices that sparked the Civil Rights Movement, Rep Sewell wrote in a column for Newsweek on 15 September to coincide with the anniversary of the church bombing. Their premature and senseless deaths awakened the slumbering conscience of America and inspired generations to demand change. The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 proved that their sacrifice was not in vain, she added. Today, as extremists seek to whitewash our history, rewrite our textbooks, and roll back our progress, it has never been more critical to ensure that the legacy of the four little girls lives on in Americas story, Ms Sewell wrote. Should America fail to learn from its past, we are doomed to repeat it, she added. A juvenile was injured in a shooting Thursday night in downtown Sacramento, the Sacramento Police Department said. Police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Front Street after 11:04 p.m. for a call from a male reporting he had been shot, police said. Officers located the victim who had suffered at least one gunshot wound not considered life-threatening. Police rendered medical aid until fire personnel arrived. He was transported to a hospital. During the investigation, officers determined that a call where sounds of a shooting were heard in the K Street tunnel was related to this incident, the Police Department said. Officers near the K Street tunnel, which separates Old Sacramento to the Downtown Commons, detained a man who was seen discarding a firearm prior to being stopped by officers. The man was determined not to be involved in the shooting that injured the juvenile, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of firearm-related charges. The shooting comes days after a suspect was killed in an officer-involved shooting in the parking garage on Third and L Streets near the Downtown Commons shopping center. No arrests have been made in connection to Thursday nights shooting, police said. We encourage anyone who has information regarding this incident to contact our non-emergency line, the Police Department said. HANGZHOU, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Friday met with Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, in the city of Hangzhou. Hung is in the capital city of Zhejiang Province to attend the sixth cross-strait youth development forum. Song conveyed the greetings from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to Hung. He said that as a stage for young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the cross-strait youth development forum has played a positive role in strengthening cross-strait communication among the youth and facilitating their joint efforts to advance national reunification and rejuvenation. He stressed the importance of adhering to the 1992 Consensus, opposing "Taiwan independence," and bringing cross-strait relations back to the right track of peaceful development. Noting that compatriots on both sides of the strait share the same blood, Hung said cross-strait exchanges and cooperation are unstoppable and cannot be cut by any force. She also expressed the hope that more young people on both sides of the strait will become engaged in cross-strait exchanges and join hands to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Kremlins puppet warlord in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, is in critical condition, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov said on Sept. 15. "We can confirm that he [Kadyrov] has had a severe relapse and has been in critical condition for several days," Ukrinform news agency quotes Yusov. Read also: Kadyrov fears for right-hand man Delimkhanov, asks Ukraine for information Earlier, unverified reports of Kadyrov being in a coma began circulation on Chechen Telegram channels. Read also: Where is Kadyrovs buddy? Kadyrov shares doctored video with Delimkhanov, debunked by Russian media In early March, media reports suggested that the Chechen leader was in ill health, noting his rapid weight gain and swollen face. Read also: Exiled Chechen PM explains potential disappearance of Adam Delimkhanov, key figure linked to Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov According to the head of the Chechen national government in exile, Akhmed Zakayev, Kadyrov has serious kidney problems. KyivPost journalist Jason Smart said that Kadyrov's kidneys were failing. Kadyrov later denied reports of his illness, insisting that he is "healthy and full of energy." In May, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov suggested that Kadyrov has "issues with excessive drug use." Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Vice President Kamala Harris returned to North Carolina for the second stop of her college tour. Harris visited North Carolina A& State University in Greensboro, the largest HBCU in the country, as part of her Fight for Our Freedoms college tour. During her time in Greensboro, shell speak with EPA Administrator Michael Regan and actor Terrence J in a moderated discussion. Both Regan and Terrence J are alumni of N.C. A&T. READ MORE: VP Kamala Harris speaks about reproductive rights 1 year after SCOTUS Roe V. Wade overturn The Fight for our Freedoms tour is a month-long trip to several campuses including Hispanic-serving institutions, community colleges, state schools, and HBCUs. Her tour began on Thursday at Hampton University in Virginia. The goal of the tour is to motivate action from young people on issues like gun safety, voting rights, and book bans, among other issues. (WATCH: VP Harris to discuss abortion rights in Charlotte) KANSAS CITY, Mo. A Jackson County judge sentenced a 25-year-old Kansas City man for the 2021 kidnapping and killing of 52-year-old Gilberto Gutierrez. Rashaud Lewis was sentenced to life in prison for a second-degree murder conviction and 16 additional years in prison for convictions of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of armed criminal action. Three injured following house explosion in Blue Springs In Missouri, a life sentence is defined as 30 years unless the charge is first-degree murder. Lewis was convicted by a Jackson County jury in July. According to court records, Kansas City police responded on a reported missing person on May 11, 2021. The victims family told police they had not heard from their father, but they found his bloody clothing. On May 17, 2021, the body of a man was found wrapped in a tarp near 56th and Elmwood. He was later identified as Gutierrez. Court documents say he died from several stab wounds. During the investigation, detectives determined that Lewis used his vehicle to kidnap the man. Police found receipts for drop cloths and bleach. Several cellphones also were recovered. Kansas City public safety leader enters race for Jackson County prosecutor Tests showed the victims DNA in a property associated with Lewis. Another suspect, Ahmad Herring, was sentenced in July to a total of 46 years in prison. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. FILE - A protester outside the Kansas Statehouse holds a sign after a rally for transgender rights on the Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2023, in Topeka, Kan. Kansas will no longer change transgender people's birth certificates to reflect their gender identities, the state health department said Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, citing a new law that prevents the state from legally recognizing those identities. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File) TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas will no longer change transgender people's birth certificates to reflect their gender identities, the state health department said Friday, citing a new law that prevents the state from legally recognizing those identities. The decision from the state Department of Health and Environment makes Kansas one of a handful of states that won't change transgender people's birth certificates. It already was among the few states that don't change the gender marker on transgender people's driver's licenses. Those decisions reverse policies that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly 's administration set when she took office in 2019. They came in response to court filings by conservative Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach to enforce the new state law. Enacted by the GOP-controlled Legislature over Kelly's veto, it took effect July 1 and defines male and female based only on the sex assigned to a person at birth. Jaelynn Abegg, a 38-year-old Wichita resident, said her heart breaks for fellow transgender Kansas residents who won't be able to experience the joy she felt when her new birth certificate, affirming her female identity, arrived in the mail in 2021. She said the change gave her a feeling completeness. This is something that Ive been grappling with my entire life. As far back as I can remember, I have wished that I was that I was a woman, Abegg said. And being able to embrace that and take that for myself has been has been life changing. Trangender Kansas residents also have said repeatedly in interviews that having ID documents that conflict with their identities makes traveling by airplane, interacting with police and even using a credit card in stores more complicated. Also, studies show that transgender people who don't have their identities affirmed, especially youth, generally are more prone to depression and at a higher risk of suicide. Kobach publicly chastised Kelly when she initially said that her administration could continue to change transgender people's birth certificates and driver's licenses despite the new law. He said it was her duty to administer the law even though she opposes it. Kelly said in a statement Friday: As Ive said before, the state should not discriminate or encroach into Kansans personal lives - its wrong, its bad for business. She added: "However, I am committed to following the law. Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney for Lambda Legal, which represents LGBTQ+ people in lawsuits, said Kelly's administration was forced to act as it did, though he expects the courts to find the law unconstitutional. People with a myopic view or a misunderstanding or misapprehension about trans people want to ensure that trans people are not seen by government and the world at large, he said. Kobach and other supporters of the new law have argued that a birth certificate is a record of a historical event and therefore shouldn't change even when a person's gender identity does. Also, some supporters of the law have acknowledged that they don't see transgender girls and women as girls and women. Kobach said Friday he is pleased that Kellys administration is complying with the new law, adding in a statement, The intent of Kansas legislators was clear. The new Kansas law was based on a proposal from several national anti-trans groups and part of a wave of measures rolling back transgender rights in Republican-controlled statehouses across the U.S. Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee also don't allow transgender residents to change their birth certificates, and Montana and Tennessee don't allow driver's licenses changes. From 2019 through June 2023, more than 900 Kansas residents changed the gender markers on their birth certificates and nearly 400 changed their driver's licenses. Both documents list a person's sex. Kobach issued a legal opinion in late June saying that not only does the new law prevent such changes, it requires the state to reverse previous changes to its records. The Department of Health and Environment said Friday a transgender person can keep a changed birth certificate and it remains valid, but if another copy is issued in the future, it will revert to listing the sex assigned at birth. For weeks before the new law took effect,LGBTQ-rights advocates urged trans people to change their driver's licenses and birth certificates before it took effect. Requests for changes surged in the weeks before the law took effect. Under the conservative Republicans who were governor before Kelly, transgender residents also couldnt change their birth certificates. Four trangender residents represented by Lambda Legal sued the state in 2018 over that policy, and months after taking office, Kelly settled that lawsuit. A federal judge signed off on a settlement agreement requiring the state to change transgender peoples birth certificates. In late June, Kobach filed a request with the same federal judge, asking him to lift the requirement because it conflicted with the new state law. The judge granted the request last month, saying he was leaving it to Kansas courts to determine how the law must be enforced. Kobach also filed a separate state-court lawsuit in July to prevent transgender people from changing their drivers licenses. A state district court judge ordered that such changes cease, at least through early January. In that state-court case, five transgender people argue that the new law violates their rights under the Kansas Constitution. That issue appears likely to go to the Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled in 2019 that the states Bill of Rights grants people a right to bodily autonomy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has set up a website for people to report that they've been harmed by the new state law rolling back trans rights. Accurate, affirming identity documents are crucial for the health, safety, and well-being of trans people, said D.C. Heigert, LGBTQ+ legal fellow for the group. ___ Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. ___ Follow John Hanna on the X platform: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna ___ For more AP coverage of Kansas politics: https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-state-government SALINA, Kan. KANSAS is asking its Kansas fans to Hold On as it announces two new performances in the Sunflower State, plus a few in Missouri. KANSAS will be performing live in Salina for two performances on March 22 and 23 next year. Both will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Stiefel Theatre. Country duo Dan + Shay bringing tour to Kansas City in 2024 The 70s rock band is also coming to Springfield and St. Joseph, Missouri, on March 8 and 9, respectively. The Springfield show will be held at Gillioz Theatre, and the St. Joe concert will be at Missouri Theater. Tickets for the shows start at $59 with VIP packages available, according to the bands website. Tickets are already on sale now. Fans of the Topeka-born rock band were left disappointed when it left the Sunflower State out of its 50th Anniversary Tour announcement in February. With the closest performances set in Missouri at the time, it appeared KANSAS fans would have to leave the state to see the band. KANSAS released its debut album in 1974, according to the bands website. Since then, KANSAS has released eight gold albums, three sextuple-Platinum albums, a platinum live album and two one million-selling gold singles. Comedian Jeff Dunhams Still Not Canceled tour coming to Kansas City-area The band has appeared on Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks throughout the 70s and 80s while hits like Carry on Wayward Son and Dust In the Wind remain trending songs. The band currently consists of Phil Ehart, Billy Greer, Tom Brislin, Ronnie Platt, Joe Deninzon and Richard Williams. David Ragsdale announced his departure from the band earlier this year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut departed for a mission to the International Space Station on Friday aboard a Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo by Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut docked with the International Space Station on Friday after lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft. The spacecraft was launched atop a Soyuz 2.1a booster rocket at 11:44 a.m. EDT from the Cosmodrome's Site 31/6 and docked at space station shortly before 3 p.m. The hatch opening occurred at 5:16 p.m., enabling the newest visitors to enter the space station shortly after. Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko joined NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara on the mission, which officially is called Expedition 70. Kononenko, who flew on four previous space station missions, holds the record for the longest time spent in space cumulatively at 736 days. Frank Rubio (L) broke the record for longest continuous time in space for a U.S. astronaut during his International Space Station mission. He is scheduled to return to Earth no earlier than Sept. 27. File NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI Cosmonauts and astronauts from previous expeditions were forced to delay their return to Earth because of a coolant leak in a previous Soyuz capsule. The Soyuz spacecraft was launched atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls Due to the return to Earth having been delayed, American astronaut Frank Rubio, who arrived at the space station in September 2022, will break the record for the longest continuous time spend in space by a U.S. astronaut, with the return trip being planned for Sept. 27 at the earliest. The scheduled return date means Rubio will have spent more than a calendar year in space continuously, a first for an American astronaut. The multinational crew is collectively referred to as Expedition 70. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI On Tuesday, NASA commemorated Rubio's record with the previous U.S. record holder Mark Vande Hei. "Astronaut Mark Vande Hei 'passes the torch' to astronaut Frank Rubio, who just beat his record for the single longest U.S. spaceflight. Rubio's extended stay aboard the space station helps us see how the human body reacts to microgravity and informs future missions to deep space," NASA posted on X on Tuesday. Keith Olbermann has slammed Bill Maher for resuming HBOs Real Time With Bill Maher amid the ongoing Hollywood WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The 64-year-old political commentator took to X (formerly Twitter) to ask Maher to f*** off for his move. Without writers, the new weekly SCAB edition of Real Time With Bill Maher will be 83 seconds long, Olbermann wrote. As somebody whos known you since 1978: F*** you, Bill, you selfish and unfunny scumbag. In a long statement earlier this week, Maher announced he will resume the production of Real Time without writers. Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing, Maher, 67, announced. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathise with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns. In response to Mahers move, WGA issued its own statement, calling the comedian and writers decision disappointing. Bill Mahers decision to go back on the air while his Guild is on strike is disappointing, the WGAs statement said. If he goes forward with his plan, he needs to honour more than the spirit of the strike. Bill Maher is obligated as a WGA member to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. It is difficult to imagine how Real Time with Bill Maher can go forward without a violation of WGA strike rules taking place. WGA will be picketing this show. Maher insisted the show sans writers will be absolutely different from before. I will honour the spirit of the strike by not doing a monologue, desk piece, New Rules or editorial, the written pieces that I am so proud of on Real Time, he said. Earlier this month, Maher criticised the screenwriters strike, calling the WGAs demands kooky. They are asking for a lot of things that are, like, kooky, Maher said on the latest episode of his Club Random podcast. What I find objectionable about the philosophy of the strike [is] it seems to be, they have really morphed a long way from 2007s strike, where they kind of believe that youre owed a living as a writer, and youre not. This is show business. This is the make-or-miss league, he said. The news of Real Time comes days after Drew Barrymore announced she will start production of the fourth season of her talk show in compliance with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In the latest update, Barrymores co-head writer, Cristina Kinon, joined those criticising the star for resuming her eponymous talk show without writers. After nearly two weeks of testimony, Texas senators will deliberate in the historic impeachment trial of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton , who could be barred from office on charges of bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust. A two-thirds vote is needed for conviction, meaning 21 of the chambers 31 members. Nineteen are Republicans, including Paxtons wife, Sen. Angela Paxton , who was seated for the trial but will not be allowed to vote. WHO IS TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON? Paxton, a Republican, was elected as attorney general in 2014 and took office in 2015. Hes in his third term, which he won with 53.4% of votes. Paxton has been among former President Donald Trumps top allies in Texas and was endorsed by Trump in his most recent election. Before serving as attorney general, Paxton served in the Texas House for a decade and in the Texas Senate for about two years, representing parts of Collin and Dallas counties. Sen. Angela Paxton, R - McKinney, listens during the impeachment trial of her husband Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Capitol on Wednesday September 13, 2023. Jay Janner/American-Statesman/Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK He and Sen. Angela Paxton, his wife, are from McKinney and have four children. As attorney general, Paxton has more than 4,000 employees. The office represents Texas in legal matters, handles rulings on open records requests, oversees the collection of court-ordered child support and handles the Texas Crime Victims Compensation Fund. The House in May voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton and send 20 articles to the Senate for a trial. He is suspended from the office. Paxton graduated from Baylor University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his family are members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. WHAT ARE THE IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AGAINST KEN PAXTON? Paxton is facing 20 articles of impeachment, which include charges of disregard of official duty, making false statements in public records, constitutional bribery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy, misapplication of public resources, dereliction of duty, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust. Most relate to allegations that he misused his office to give Austin real estate developer Nate Paul legal help. Paul was providing favors like home renovations and a job for Paxtons mistress, according to the articles. Now former employers reported Paxton to the FBI for aiding Paul in 2020 and filed a lawsuit claiming they were retaliated against for whistleblowing. Four articles stem from Paxtons long-standing legal trouble that resulted in 2015 federal indictments, but they are being held in abeyance, per Senate rules, so evidence on the articles isnt expected to come up. Paxtons attorneys have maintained the articles pending against him are unfounded. HAVE THERE BEEN IMPEACHMENTS OF OTHER TEXAS OFFICIALS? In Texas, three officials have been impeached and two were removed from office after impeachment Governor James Ferguson (D) in 1917 and State District Judge O.P. Carillo in 1975. Laura Olson, the alleged mistress of Attorney General Ken Paxton, waits to testify at the impeachment trial of Paxton at the Capitol on Wednesday September 13, 2023. Jay Janner/American-Statesman/Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK WHO IS LAURA OLSON, ALLEGED TO HAVE AFFAIR WITH KEN PAXTON? At the heart of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons recent troubles is that he used his office to help a political donor Austin real estate investor Nate Paul in exchange for allegedly helping the attorney general remodel his home and giving Paxtons mistress a job in his company. According to thedailybeast.com, Paxton reportedly acknowledged the affair with the woman, who worked as an aide to a Texas state senator, to his staff in 2018 and said he had ended it. Paul has denied that his hiring of the woman was as a favor to Paxton. Resignations of seven senior members of Paxtons staff followed, accusing their boss of accepting bribes and abusing his office. Others were fired. Four of his former employees filed suit, arguing that Paxton and his agency improperly retaliated against them. A $3.3 million settlement was reached earlier this year. Each of these four men is a conservative Republican civil servant, investigator Erin Epley told the House committee. Interviews show that they wanted to be loyal ... and they tried to advise him well and strongly. When that failed, each was fired after reporting General Paxton to law enforcement. On Wednesday afternoon after attorneys for House impeachment managers said they intended to call Olson as a witness, the Senate was told by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that Olson was deemed unavailable to take the stand, without elaborating. Ken Paxton and his MAGA allies framed his stunning impeachment trial as the last gasp of the GOPs weakened establishment. "RINOs and far-left radicals" were coming after him, Paxton said of the trial that has engulfed Texas politics for more than a week. Former President Donald Trump issued a similar warning, while Donald Trump Jr. is threatening to organize primaries against any Republican state senator who votes for the state attorney generals conviction, promising RINO hunting season starts soon!!! But as the trial nears its conclusion a decision could come as early as this weekend what the Paxton saga truly laid bare is something thats far less revealing about the establishment wing of the party than about its MAGA base. Even if he avoids conviction, Paxton has been damaged, with an ideological mix of Republicans aligned against him and his public approval rating ticking down. If the Texas trial proves anything, its that there may be at least some limits to the partisan tribalism of the Trump era. Even in the reddest of states, the forces buoying Trump within the GOP do not extend equally to the former presidents allies and hangers-on. "There are some apt comparisons to Donald Trump here because Ken Paxton is still very popular with the Republican Party base in Texas," said Brendan Steinhauser, Austin-based Republican strategist who has led campaigns for Sen. John Cornyn and Reps. Michael McCaul and Dan Crenshaw (He has also advised Paxton's wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton , who has recused herself from voting in the trial). However, Steinhauser said, "The Texas Senate is actually ideologically very aligned with Paxton, so if he gets convicted, it's not because these are the establishment people." Of all the hard-line Republicans who have embraced Trump in an effort to further their own careers, few have been so embattled or so closely associated themselves with Trump as Paxton. Texas Republicans for years stuck with him, including in his defeat of George P. Bush, a scion of the Bush dynasty, in Paxtons reelection last year. But while Trumps impeachments and, later, criminal indictments only served to rally the Republican base around him, Paxton is paying a price for his controversies with the Republican electorate a sign Trump's partisan halo extends only so far. Between when the Republican-led House voted 12123 to impeach him in late May something Trump had lobbied them against doing and shortly before the beginning of his trial, Paxton saw his approval rating crater by 12 points, to 27 percent, according to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll. An all-time high 23 percent of Republicans now disapprove of him. Cornyn, himself a former Texas attorney general, has called the allegations against Paxton "deeply disturbing." Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy, a former Paxton lieutenant, has previously called for his former bosss resignation. Paxton primary challenger and former Rep. Louie Gohmert wrote that pursuing Paxton is not an example of "corrupt prosecution." Konni Burton, a former Texas state senator who had the most conservative voting record, said she believes Paxton abused the office. I do think there are a lot of grassroots people who look at this, they equate it to what's going on with Trump, said a Texas Republican consultant granted anonymity to speak freely about intraparty dynamics. Paxton has done a very good job of trying to play the Trump card and say these are Democrats, this is a witch hunt, whatever else. But here again, when you look at who voted to impeach him, theyre Republicans. When you look at the people that brought the charges against him, these are conservatives that worked in his office. These are not Democrats. These are not RINOs. Even Rick Perry, the former three-term Texas governor and former Trump Energy secretary who was himself indicted while in office although charges were dismissed cautioned against outside groups working to delegitimize the impeachment proceedings. As a sitting governor who was once wrongly indicted, I know that processes can be abused. But that isnt what I see here, Perry wrote in The Wall Street Journal. We should be praising, not vilifying, them for taking their responsibilities seriously. Paxton, facing a historic, 16-article impeachment trial after years of allegations of corruption and bribery, has dismissed the proceedings as a "kangaroo court" in the Texas Legislature, while Paxtons lawyer derided the case as a lot of nothing. And the verdict is far from clear. Paxton needs 10 Republican senators to vacate the charges, and six Republicans have consistently supported every motion favorable to his case. Trump is still standing firmly beside him. "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was easily re-elected last November, but now establishment RINOS are trying to undo that Election with a shameful impeachment of him," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, calling Paxton "one of the TOUGHEST & BEST Attorney Generals in the Country." He added the Democrats are "feeling very good right now as they watch, as usual, the Republicans fight & eat away at each other." Matt Mackowiak, an Austin-based Republican strategist and chair of the Travis County GOP, said he suspected Trumps been persuaded that this has been sort of a Republican establishment attack on a conservative. But despite some parallels between their legal problems, he said, Its obviously a Texas issue. For the Texas Senate Republicans, crossing Trump is still perilous. Siding against Paxton could potentially result in them being primaried. This summer, one conservative group, Defend Texas Liberty PAC, sent out mailers and text messages and put up billboards around the state targeting Republicans who voted for Paxtons impeachment trial. Another group, Texans Strong Borders, sent out text messages in support of Paxton featuring Donald Trump Jr.s praise for the attorney general and calling for donations. STOP THIS SHAM IMPEACHMENT!, the text message read. Republican activist and donor Steve Hotze set up the site StandwithPaxton.com to raise money and petition against the trial. "You're gonna see a lot of candidates step up and run primary challenges, and then you're going to see these operatives get behind them with money and know-how, and a built-in system to support them, Steinhauser said. Now whether or not that leads to two or three incumbents getting taken out or 20 or 30, I don't know. But I think that it's a real effort." But to a far greater degree than with Trump, Paxtons party is no longer in lockstep. There are already dozens of conservative Republican challengers to the liberals in the Texas House who teamed up with Democrats to pass this impeachment, said Luke Macias, a conservative podcaster and director of Defend Texas Liberty PAC. Illustrating just how much the Paxton trial has animated some on the right, Macias also wrote a song and produced a music video about the Texas House, written from the perspective of the kind of RINO member his group is targeting. Where I come from, we overturn some elections and impeach your Ken, Macias sings to the tune of a Montgomery Gentry country music song. A Kentucky gay couple who were denied a marriage licence by former controversial county clerk Kim Davis have won a $100,000 payout. Ms Davis was briefly jailed in 2015 after she refused to grant David Ermold and David Moore permission to wed, citing her belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. The ex-Rowan County clerk spent five days in jail after she was held in contempt of court. Mr Ermold and Mr Moore had a highly publicised showdown with Ms Davis after they asked for a marriage licence with news cameras surrounding them. When she refused, Moore asked under whose authority was she acting. Under Gods authority, she replied. A jury awarded the couple $50,000 each after deliberating on Wednesday, according to lawyers for Ms Davis. A second couple who sued, James Yates and Will Smith, were awarded no damages. Mat Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel, a religious-rights organisation which represented Ms Davis in the case, said in a release that they look forward to appealing this decision and taking this case to the US Supreme Court. Ms Davis has argued that a legal doctrine called qualified immunity protects her from being sued for damages by the couples. The Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal to the case in 2020. The former county clerk was freed from jail after her staff issued the licences on her behalf but removed her name from the form. Kentuckys state legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licences. Last year, a federal judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, David Bunning , ruled that Ms Davis violated the constitutional rights of the two couples. In the ruling, Judge Bunning reasoned that Ms Davis cannot use her own constitutional rights as a shield to violate the constitutional rights of others while performing her duties as an elected official. David Ermold unsuccessfully ran to be clerk of Rowan County in 2018. Ms Davis, who ran as a Democrat, was also unsuccessful in the election and was defeated by another Democrat. She later switched her registration to the Republican Party. Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. (The eastern-based government of Libya/Handout via Xinhua) TRIPOLI, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- It's been five days since the floods struck, a time almost impossible to find more survivors. A miracle survivor Meed Abdul-Qaser, a 40-year-old resident in Libya's worst-hit Derna, revisited his darkest hours in the nightmare. "My family was completely surrounded by water. I lost contact with them. I was at the top of the stairs in the house before I could escape and save myself," Abdul-Qaser told Xinhua. Abdul-Qaser said that the floods began around 03:00 a.m. local time on Sunday morning (0100 GMT), hitting the outer walls of his house forcefully after two dams collapsed and the water swept away everything in its path and swallowed buildings. The deadly floods, triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel, have claimed the lives of at least 5,500 and injured over 7,000 others, Osama Ali, spokesman of the Emergency Department of Libya's Ministry of Health told Xinhua Wednesday, adding that more than 10,000 people remain missing in the floods, mostly in Derna. Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. (The eastern-based government of Libya/Handout via Xinhua) Ali confirmed that the death toll is likely to be much higher, as rescue teams continue efforts to recover bodies. According to Xinhua correspondent in Derna, the floods destroyed more than a quarter of the city. In the densely populated central area, buildings were submerged or even completely removed from their original locations. Nizar Al-Hunaid, an actor from Derna, said that he is suffering from enormous physical and emotional pain as he lost his wife and two children in the floods. "The moment the dam exploded, water poured onto the roof of where I was. In an instant, I lost my family and found myself on the roof of a house four streets away from my own. Next to me were an Egyptian and a child who survived on a fraction of an air conditioner with shocked faces," Al-Hunaid said. "In a few seconds, this disaster destroyed everything," he added. Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. (The eastern-based government of Libya/Handout via Xinhua) Khalil Bushiha, a 30-year-old resident of Derna, described the situation in the city as catastrophic. "I cannot describe what happened. My family and I somehow survived in our three-storey house, which was completely submerged in water before we were able to escape," Bushiha told Xinhua in his hospital bed. "Water started to drown the house. My mother and I went out to the street and the neighbors were screaming. Then, the floods threw us into an abandoned house about 200 meters away from our house. I carried my mother, who has leg problems, to the fourth floor until the water dissipated," Bushiha recalled. "I left her in that place and returned amid water rising to my shoulders. I passed by the body of a child and placed it on a nearby car. I went to the house of our only neighbor and found her body floating in the water," he said. "It's a miracle that my family and I survived, but we lost many family and friends. We ask everyone to stand with Derna in this ordeal that the country has not experienced since the earthquake in the city of Al-Marj in the 1960s," Bushiha added. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned Friday that the nation cant waver from teaching Black history as she marked the 60th anniversary of an Alabama church bombing that killed four Black girls. If were going to continue to move forward as a nation, we cannot allow concerns about discomfort to displace knowledge, truth or history, Jackson said during a visit to the church. It is certainly the case that parts of this countrys story can be hard to think about, she continued. I know that atrocities like the one we are memorializing today are difficult to remember and relive. But I also know that it is dangerous to forget them. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., committed by Ku Klux Klan members in 1963 killed four Black girls and injured more than a dozen others. The tragedy helped spur support for federal civil rights legislation. Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, acknowledged the trip was her first visit to the state. But she stressed that I know Alabama because her parents had made sure to teach her about the Civil Rights Movement growing up. My parents also taught me about the darker moments of the time the dogs, the fire hoses, the bombs, Jackson said. There was a reason my parents felt it was important to introduce me to those uncomfortable topics, and it was not to make me feel like a victim or crush my spirits. To the contrary, my parents understood that I had to know those hard truths in order to expand my horizons. They understood that we can only know where we are and where were going if we realize where weve been, she added. Jacksons comments come after some states, like Florida, passed legislation that limits what aspects of Black history can be taught in schools. Though she did not mention those efforts directly, Jackson said she came to Alabama Friday to commemorate and mourn, celebrate and warn. Knowledge emboldens people, and it frees them, she said. The work of our time is maintaining that hard-won freedom. And to do that, were going to need the truth, the whole truth about our past. We must, we must teach it to our children and preserve it for theirs. In other words, my parents were right all along. Jacksons speech was her first known public appearance since the Supreme Court left for its summer recess. The term concluded with several contentious decisions, including a 6-3 vote to end affirmative action programs in higher education. In a biting dissent, Jackson chastised her conservative colleagues for deeming race irrelevant in law as she discussed at length the race-based gaps that still persist. If the colleges of this country are required to ignore a thing that matters, it will not just go away. It will take longer for racism to leave us. And, ultimately, ignoring race just makes it matter more, Jackson wrote in her dissent. Jackson is soon set to confront another case implicating race as Alabamas redistricting fight returns to the Supreme Court. The Republican-led state has a pending emergency appeal with the high court asking to block a ruling that found their latest congressional map dilutes the power of Black voters. Other speakers at Fridays commemoration included U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who oversees the Justice Departments civil rights division; White House senior adviser Stephen Benjamin; former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.); and Rep. Terri Sewell (D), Alabamas lone Black congresswoman. The horrific tragedy that occurred within these walls focused the eyes of the world on Birmingham, bringing into sharp clarity the injustices of our paths, Sewell said. But for those of us in Birmingham, the bombing served as a reminder that every gain, every win, every advancement in the fight for civil rights has come at a high cost paid for by the sacrifices of others. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) expressed frustration Thursday with the Biden administrations lack of urgency in addressing what the United States has described as a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, a hotly disputed region at the center of rising tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Menendez, while chairing of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the crisis, said he was amazed by the responses from Yuri Kim, the acting assistant secretary for the State Departments Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. I have been doing this for 31 years. I am amazed sometimes at what the department comes before this committee and says, he said at the end of the hearing. The senators frustration centered on the administrations application of Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act, which bans direct support to the Azerbaijani government. However, Kim listed various reasons that ban has been waived, mainly to bolster Azerbaijans anti-terror efforts and secure its border with Iran. Menendez argued that the U.S. was only helping the regime of Azerbaijans authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev , whom the senator blamed for a blockade that has cut off Karabakh in apparent violation of a 2020 truce between Azerbaijan and Armenia. I have repeatedly expressed my deep opposition about waiving Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, allowing the United States to send assistance to his regime, he said. This clearly alters the balance of military power between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Aliyevs favor. I think Azerbaijans actions over the past three years have vindicated my skepticism. Earlier this year, Azerbaijani troops began a blockade of the Lachin corridor, which has reportedly led to the starvation of indigenous Armenians in the semi-autonomous Nagorno-Karabakh. The U.S. State Department released a statement Sept. 10 warning of the urgent need for humanitarian supplies in the region, but it avoided assigning direct blame. The United States is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the statement reads. We note that humanitarian supplies are positioned near both the Lachin and Aghdam routes, and we repeat our call for the immediate and simultaneous opening of both corridors to allow passage of desperately needed humanitarian supplies to the men, women, and children in Nagorno-Karabakh. We also urge leaders against taking any actions that raise tensions or distract from this goal. The use of force to resolve disputes is unacceptable. When Menendez asked Kim why Aliyev refused to open to corridor despite numerous promises to do so, Kim responded, We can have that conversation in a different setting, sir. Menendez shook his head before saying, What would be classified? Ill give you an unclassified answer: He wont open the corridor because he is trying to subjugate these people by starvation or by the threat of starvation and subject them to his will, the senator continued. In renewing the Section 907 waiver, the Biden administration has argued that targeted U.S. assistance is not undermining broader efforts to broker lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who fought a 44-day war over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. Yet the Armenian American community sees the extension of the waiver as a betrayal following Bidens historic decision in 2021 to recognize, for the first time, the Armenian Genocide. Menendez has been a consistent opponent of the waiver, and while the waiver is up for renewal, Menendez said he is doubtful the administration will change its stance. Menendez delivered remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday urging the Biden administration to take immediate action in holding Aliyev accountable for the blockade, which has the characteristics of genocide, according to Article II of the U.N. Genocide Convention. So far, there is one reported death amid severe food shortages in Nagorno-Karabakh, with many more expected to follow without immediate assistance. Kim noted that with U.S. pressure, one truck has made it through the blockade with humanitarian aid. One truck is not mercy, Menendez said. That truck was also Russian, which was cause for concern for members of the committee. Moscow mediated the 2020 ceasefire, but Kim said it was proving to be an unreliable broker. Russia is Armenias sole provider of energy and has a military presence in the country. Kim said the crisis offered the U.S. an opportunity to rebalance Armenias geopolitical relationships in Americas favor, as Armenians become disillusioned with Russia as an ally amid the Ukraine war. [Armenians] are beginning to have second thoughts about having invited Russian troops onto their territory, relying on Russia as their sole source of energy, [and] hosting Russian military installations in their lands, Kim said. While Kim repeatedly reassured the committee that the State Department is working hard to reopen the corridor and avoid impending genocide, Menendez was unconvinced. I just hope youll tell the secretary [of State] on my behalf: I would hate to see this administration stand by and allow ethnic cleansing to take place on their watch and under their eye, Menendez said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - Stranded trucks loaded with supplies for Afghanistan, park in a terminal along side on a highway after Afghan Taliban rulers closed a key border crossing point Torkham, in Landi Kotal, an area in Pakistan's district Khyber along the Afghan border, on Feb. 21, 2023. A key northwestern border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, after a nine-day closure due to clashes between border forces, officials from both sides said. (AP Photo/Qazi Rauf, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) A key northwestern border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened Friday after a nine-day closure due to clashes between border forces, officials from both sides said. Pakistan shut the Torkham border with its neighbor on September 6 after guards from both countries exchanged fire. It accused Taliban authorities of building unlawful structures in the vicinity. Pakistani government official Nasir Khan said the crossing reopened Friday morning. Afghanistan's commissioner in Torkham, Ismatullah Yaqoob, said stranded trucks and pedestrians have started passing through the border. A representative from the Pakistan and Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce welcomed the move. The reopening has ended the nine-day-long trouble faced by traders on both sides of the border, said Ziaul Haq Sarhadi. Traders have faced heavy losses in perishable items, he said. Pakistans envoy to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani met the Taliban administration's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul a day earlier. They discussed the recent surge in terror incidents and the closure of Torkham. Pakistan accuses its neighbor of harboring militants and allowing them to use its soil to launch attacks. Afghanistan has rejected this allegation. The odd case of a beloved chameleon taken by a suspected wildlife vigilante came to an unexpected end when a trucker found it trying to cross a busy Florida highway, rescuers say. Driver Noah Kenny of Carroll Distributing Company reports he spotted the chameleon Wednesday, Sept 13, along South Patrick Drive in Satellite Beach, according to the Wild Florida Rescue. Such a miracle, the agency wrote in a Facebook post. Worried the chameleon would get run over (Kenny) quickly pulled over, grabbed the animal and put it in the cab of the truck with him. Kenny then continued to his next delivery, where he paused to search social media and discovered a chameleon had been stolen Aug. 24 from a wildlife rescue agency in Satellite Beach, about 65 miles southeast of Orlando. A series of phone calls put the lizard back in the hands of Wild Florida Rescue later on Sept. 13, and close inspection by staff revealed it was indeed their stolen lizard, officials said. Known as Cornelius, the chameleon is a wildlife ambassador for the nonprofit, which rescues wildlife from predicaments that are often related to Floridas booming development. It remains unclear what happened during the 20 days Cornelius was missing, but the agency assumes it was a vigilante sort of thing that involved a kidnap and release to the wild. Someone walked right in the front bay and took him out of his cage and ran off with him, the agency wrote on Facebook. Chameleons are not native to Florida but have made their way into some South Florida wildlife areas via the pet trade, the University of Florida says. Heavily developed Satellite Beach is not among the areas where they are known to survive, experts say. Cornelius was not injured during his big adventure in the outdoors, officials said. We can assure all he is happy to be home and safe! the agency said. He climbed right into his cage and had a great big meal! ... Cornelius has got a forever and ever home with Wild Florida Rescue. Weird monkey sightings spread across Florida city, cops say. I knew I wasnt crazy How do you catch snake twice your size? Odd how to video shared by Florida trapper Divers catch a record 24,699 invasive lionfish in tournament off Floridas Gulf Coast A Tri-Cities man believed he was on a one way mission to hell, and had a contract to kill Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a new court document. The new information details the extent of Taylor Tarantos beliefs that he was waging war against the government. The document was included in a motion to deny his release from jail while he awaits trial for threatening lawmakers. He was arrested outside former President Barack Obamas D.C. home earlier this year. He also is facing two felony federal weapons charges, as well as federal misdemeanor charges for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection attempt. While much of the previously reported on threats were included in the document, the new filings included information about threats that had not yet been made public and were apparently intended to be blacked out but could still be read. The document notes Tarantos actions on Jan. 6, his attempts to enter two D.C. area schools to intimidate members of Congress who lived nearby, his threats to blow up a federal building and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his arrest when he tried to get into Obamas home. They also included new details of specific threats and calls for violence. D.C. District Court Judge Carl Nichols wrote that his decision was in part based on information provided by investigators that showed Taranto allegedly exchanging messages on Telegram plotting to kill politicians. Telegram is a website popular with right-leaning groups thats meant to be an alternative to Twitter. Taranto allegedly told another user, who has not been identified, that, We have to kill everyone who got in my way, and I need you to seek vengeance against them. The document also alleges that Taranto believed he had a contract to kill Kamala Harris. In May 2023, Taranto allegedly discussed implanting an explosive tooth into the vice presidents mouth. The document says Taranto then stated, This is the biggest contract I have ever satisfied, We have to kill them all, Payout is in the hundreds of millions. The excerpts from the messages also include Taranto telling the other user that militias had a duty to kill traitors. Im not in anyway encouraging you or anyone else but those in positions of power and authority to try and execute those who willfully betrayed the American people. But if they fail . . . it will be up to the free constitutional militias that the same traitors are trying to terrorize by undoing the constitution they have an affirmed constitutional duty to deploy and kill any traitors. Just before his arrest in June, Taranto allegedly told the other user, We still have to kill them all, and told them to wait for a signal just days before threatening to use his van to blow up a federal building. The document also says Taranto allegedly applied for a job at the same federal building before he threatened to blow it up. Its unclear if this was an attempt to gain access. The messages recently proffered to the Court by the government are extremely concerning, as they evidence an intent to consider violence against politicians and other government actors, Nichols wrote. In this image from U.S. Capitol Police security video, released and annotated by the Justice Department in the Statement of Facts supporting an arrest warrant, Taylor Taranto, circled in yellow, enters the U.S. Capitol through the Upper West Terrace door on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (Justice Department via AP) Release request Tarantos public defender previously argued that he did not present a danger to the community, and proposed a plan for his release back to his wifes custody in Tri-Cities, Wash., that included a requirement to seek both ongoing and inpatient mental health treatment at a VA hospital in the Puget Sound. The attorney told the judge that the hospital specialized in care for veterans suffering from PTSD and complex mental health issues. Taranto is a U.S. Navy Veteran and former webmaster for the Franklin County Republican Party. The organization told the Herald that they cut ties with Taranto last year over his increasingly concerning behavior. Taranto had been splitting his time between the Tri-Cities and attending various protest in D.C. Most recently he was seen with Freedom Corner, which is a vigil outside of the D.C. Metropolitan Jail for Jan. 6 defendants. According to the Gateway Pundit, that group also cut ties with Taranto after he allegedly began saying Ashli Babbitt was a government plant. Court documents show Taranto was present in the Capitol building in a group with Babbitt when she was shot and killed trying to break through a door between rioters and lawmakers. Babbitts mother has been a central figure in the Freedom Corner vigil, according to social media reports. Taranto also was in an incident in which he was attacked in the D.C. jail after his arrest, according to his attorney. Other Jan. 6 inmates told the Gateway Pundit they believed he was there as an informant, despite a well-documented history of Taranto accusing other Jan. 6 figures, like Ray Epps, of being government plants. Officers death Taranto is also a defendant in a wrongful death civil suit brought by the widow of a D.C. Metropolitan Officer that he allegedly helped another rioter attack. Officer Jeffrey Smith died by suicide nine days later, as he was due to return to work. His widow only recently won death benefits. Smiths widow said in an Op-Ed in the Washington Post, published in January 2022, that two medical examiners have testified that post-concussive syndrome and brain injury were the real causes of (her husbands) death because the concussion he suffered led to severe depression and suicide. The lawsuit accuses Taranto of handing another rioter a Ka-Bar self defense cane, which is made to look like a standard walking cane, but is much heavier, which was then used to hit the officer repeatedly in the face and head. Taylor Taranto is seen clashing with Capitol police during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in this image included in court documents. Taranto is circled in yellow. David Walls-Kaufman, his codefendant in a lawsuit for wrongful death of MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith is circled in red. Smith had been fighting to have her husbands death recognized as in the line of duty for more than two years. She told NBC News last month that she will now fight to have her husband inurned in Arlington National Cemetery. Officer Brian Sicknick, who died from strokes related to injuries he sustained in the riot, is also buried in the national cemetery. Taranto was named in the wrongful death lawsuit after outing himself by posting video from inside the Capitol building on social media. Online sleuths then found photos that linked Taranto to the attack. Taranto has questioned why he wasnt arrested sooner. He also recently appeared on a webshow walking the host through what he claims was footage of himself in the riot. During a June 2023 livestream, Taylor Taranto identified himself in footage of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents. His co-defendant in that civil suit, David Walls-Kaufman, was sentenced to 60 days in jail on misdemeanor rioting charges in June. Taranto was spotted by NBC News Reporter Ryan J. Reilly being asked to leave the hearing because he was attempting to record the proceedings. Federal courts do not allow outside photography. No trial date has been set for Taranto. He is set to be back in court in October. In this photo released by the Khabarovsky Krai region government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, looks at a military jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant that builds fighter jets in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, about 6,200 kilometers (3,900 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Khabarovsky Krai region government via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between the increasingly isolated countries. Since entering Russia aboard his armored train on Tuesday, Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations locked in separate confrontations with the West. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia. On Friday, Russias state media published video showing Kims train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. An Associated Press journalist saw Kims convoy, his limousine sporting the Russian and North Korean flags, sweeping out of the station on the way to the aircraft factory. Russias Cabinet later released video showing Kim, on an elevated platform, looking at the cockpit of the Su-57 Russias most sophisticated fighter jet while listening to its pilot. Kim beamed and clapped his hands when a Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight. According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of (North Korea), Manturov said in the statement. We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries task of achieving technological sovereignty. Kim travels next to Vladivostok to view Russias Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim on Wednesday. Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested that Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in three-way cooperation. It was Kims first foreign trip since April 2019, when he visited Vladivostok for his first meeting with Putin. The 2019 Russian visit came two months after Kim failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from the United States during a second summit with then U.S.-President Donald Trump in Vietnam. Kims earlier trip was likely primarily meant to seek Russian help to overcome the brunt of the U.S.-led sanctions. But this time, Putin appears to be desperate to receive North Korean conventional arms to replenish his exhausted inventory in the second year of Russias war in Ukraine. Experts say Kim, in return, would seek Russian assistance to modernize his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program. Asked whether Russia asked North Korea to send troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Putin flatly dismissed the idea, calling it sheer nonsense," according to Russia's state media. Putin reiterated that Russia would abide by U.N. sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday. Experts say it's highly unlikely for North Korea to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war, though it has publicly supported Moscow's invasion. But they say North Korea and Russia aren't likely to publicize any deals on weapons supplies to avoid stronger international criticism. The Kim-Putin summit took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russias most important domestic launch center. The venue is probably linked to North Korean struggles to put into space an operational spy satellite to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements. Asked if Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space research, Putin said: Thats why we have come here. (Kim) shows keen interest in rocket technology. Theyre trying to develop space, too. New video of Putin and Kim talking at the cosmodrome about rocket launches was released Friday. In the video, posted by Russian state news reporter Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel, Putin was heard telling Kim, You are a specialist, after a translator was heard relaying the North Korean leader's comments on where the separated rocket stages would fall after launch. Since last year, the U.S. has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, likely much of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine. On Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the U.S., South Korea and Japan talked by phone and expressed serious concerns about prospective weapons deals between Russia and North Korea. They warned that Moscow and Pyongyang would pay a clear price if they go ahead with such deals, according to South Koreas presidential office. After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies nuclear deterrence strategies, U.S. and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea. Sasha Baker, the U.S. acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while tightening security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Korea's weapons program. The possibility that Russia may aid North Koreas nuclear program stoked anger in South Korea, where some argued that Seoul could provide lethal arms to Ukraine in retaliation. But South Koreas Defense Ministry said Thursday its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remains unchanged. Seoul has far limited its support of Ukraine to nonlethal military supplies and humanitarian items. Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its closely guarded high-tech weapons technologies with North Korea in return for its conventional arms. But others say Russia would do so because of its urgent need to refill its drained reserves. Putin told reporters Wednesday that Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in areas like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid. The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin accepted Kims invitation to Pyongyang, and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit in October. At Wednesdays summit, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin in what he described as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Information on Kims trip to Russia is largely from the two nations official media outlets. North Korean media did not give updates Friday on Kim. They typically report on his activities a day later, apparently to meet the need for North Korean propaganda to glorify Kim. ___ Burrows reported from London. ___ More of APs Ukraine coverage is available at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Vladimir Putin has said Russia will build good neighborly relations with North Korea on the fourth day of Kim Jong Un s lengthy visit to the country, amid warnings from the West that Moscow must not break international sanctions targeting Pyongyang. Korea is our neighbor. One way or another, we must build good neighborly relations with our neighbors, Putin said at a press conference on Friday, after the Russian presidents meeting with Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko. Yes, there are certain special [circumstances] associated with the Korean peninsula, we are discussing this, discussing it openly, Putin said, claiming Russia never violate anything, and in this case, we are not going to violate anything either. His comments came after Kremlin officials talked up channels for cooperation between Moscow and the secretive state, which is the target of numerous international sanctions. The national security advisers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan on Thursday jointly issued a warning regarding potential violations of international sanctions by North Korea and Russia. Kim visited an aircraft plant in the eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, according to Russian state media. Russias Deputy Prime Minister, Denis Manturov, said after the tour that Moscow saw the potential for cooperation both in aircraft manufacturing and in other industries with North Korea, according to a Russian government press release Friday on its Telegram channel. We see the potential for cooperation both in aircraft manufacturing and in other industries this is especially relevant for achieving the tasks our countries face to achieve technological sovereignty, he said. The facility is the countrys largest aviation manufacturing plant and builds and develops warplanes for the Ministry of Defense, including the Su-35S and Su-57 fighter jets, state media TASS reported. Kims late father, Kim Jong Il , also visited the plant in 2002. Images showed Kim and his delegation at the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ), which is named after the famed Russian cosmonaut, and being shown the inside of a fighter jet, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti. Accompanying Kim on the tour was the citys mayor, Alexander Zhornik, and the Khabarovsk Region Governor Mikhail Degtyarev. The North Korean leader is also expected to travel to the port city of Vladivostok where he will view the military capabilities of Russias Pacific Fleet, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state news agency Russia 1. The tour of key sites in the Russian Far East region came after Putin previously said Russia is considering and discussing some military cooperation with North Korea, following a summit at which Kim appeared to endorse Moscows war on Ukraine. Wednesdays five-hour meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome signaled closer relations between the two countries, both of which face international isolation Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin had accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would also visit the country in October, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov . The private train of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen at the railway station in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East on September 15. - AP Asked if the two leaders discussed military and technical cooperation during the talks, Peskov said it was a sensitive sphere of cooperation and reiterated Moscows commitment to further developing ties with Pyongyang. Later on Friday, Peskov said that no agreements were signed between the two countries during the visit. Efforts to showcase that closer relationship were on full display during the summit. Putin presented Kim with a space suit glove that had gone into space and a high-quality domestically manufactured carbine a type of rifle while Kim also offered Putin a carbine crafted by North Korean artisans, according to Peskov. At a state banquet with Putin Wednesday, Kim vowed to establish a new era of 100-year friendship between the two countries. In the weeks before the summit, US officials warned that Russia and North Korea were actively advancing in a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology. Putin was asked if he discussed military-technical cooperation with Kim during the leaders meeting. In response, Putin acknowledged there were certain restrictions in place, saying Moscow fully complied with them. But he also said there were areas open for discussion and consideration, suggesting potential points of cooperation. Kim Jong Un's motorcade leaves the Komsomolsk railway station. - AP Kim said before a toast at the state dinner with Putin that he is certain that the Russian people and its military will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces that ambitiously pursue hegemony and expansion. Without naming Ukraine, Kim said the Russian military and its people will inherit the shining tradition of victory and demonstrate their reputation on the front line of military operation, the euphemistic phrasing Moscow uses to describe its illegal invasion of Ukraine. I will always be standing with Russia, Kim said, praising Moscow for having stood up against the hegemonic forces to defend its sovereignty and security, a veiled reference to the United States and the West. In return, Putin signaled a willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite program. On Thursday, a Ukrainian presidential adviser called the talks a manifestation of incapacity and said Ukraine was taking the actions of Moscow and Pyongyang very seriously and making its own calculations. Moscows need to beg for help from North Korea is certainly a reason for jokes, a manifestation of Russias incapacity, and a verdict on Putins 23-year policy, said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ukraines Defense Intelligence said Wednesday that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea was not new. Russian requests for projectiles for artillery and MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems) are already known to Ukrainian authorities, Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defense Intelligence, said in an interview with Ukrainian state media. We cant neglect this. This is an important factor that will be felt, unfortunately on the battlefield, but this is not news in this situation. This is a scenario, the reaction to which Ukraine is working on, Yusov reportedly said. When asked in a background briefing whether North Koreas rockets were being supplied to Moscow, an official from South Koreas presidential office said, We have long confirmed that weapons provided by North Korea were used by Russia in the Ukraine battlefield. The Biden administration believes North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles for use in Ukraine by Russian mercenary force Wagner last year. Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan said in a Thursday statement, released by South Koreas presidential office, that there would be would be clear consequences if either Russia or Norther Korea were to breach their obligations under the United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions, particularly those relating to arms trade and military cooperation. All three countries expressed grave concerns over the discussions between the two leaders, which included topics related to military cooperation, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), despite repeated warnings from the international community, the statement said. CNNs Gawon Bae, Yoonjung Seo, Jake Kwon and Yulia Kesaieva contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The Madera County Sheriffs Office says they are seeking the publics help in locating the next of kin for 59-year-old Judith Johnson. she passed away on Sept. 8, 2023. Officials say Judith was a Chowchilla resident before her death. She is originally from the Fresno area. The Coroners Office says they have searched numerous personal records and were unable to locate any next of kin. If anyone has information about Ms. Johnson, or how to get in contact with her next of kin, please contact the Madera County Coroners Office at (559) 675-7774. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Dmitry Peskov , the spokesperson for the Russian President, has said that no agreements were signed during Kim Jong Un 's visit to Russia, including military ones. Source: Russian Interfax, citing Peskov's statement at a briefing Quote from Peskov: "No, no agreements have been signed on this or any other topic, there were no such plans." Details: Peskov commented on claims that Moscow and Pyongyang's military cooperation violated UN sanctions and answered a question about whether Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) signed military-technical cooperation agreements during Kim Jong Un's visit. During a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko , self-proclaimed Belarusian President, on Friday (15 September), Putin cynically stated that Russia and the DPRK "pose no threat to anyone". Quote from Putin: "As for provoking something, escalating the situation, creating threats to anyone we pose no threat to anyone." Background: On 13 September, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin met with his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East for talks. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un raised a glass to the health of his Russian counterpart, "comrade" Vladimir Putin, and said he was "confident of Russia's success" in the so-called special military operation, i.e. in the war against Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Theres an old cliche that says no ones liberty is safe when the Legislature is in session. Well, here in Kansas, we can go that one better. Our state Legislatures a threat to liberty, even when its out of session. Case in point: The upcoming hearing of the 2023 Special Committee on Elections. Ive got the agenda for the hearing, and special is certainly one adjective that describes it though not in a good way. The committee is planning a full two days of hearings Sept. 28 and 29 to facilitate hours of crackpottery from conspiracy-minded election deniers, and smooth talk from hired guns representing billionaires who have their own interest in interfering with the election process. The star witnesses for the hearing come primarily from two groups, the Liberty Lion League and the Foundation for Government Accountability. Lions of Q Anon? The Liberty Lions are the Kansas version of a national group that peddles discredited conspiracy theories and claims Donald Trump won the 2020 election, bigly. In 2022, the group submitted those claims in a report to the Kansas Legislature that was long on speculation and practically devoid of actual evidence of voting fraud. It uncritically quoted thoroughly discredited theories from such election experts as My Pillow guy Mike Lindell , former infomercial producer and treasure hunter Jovan Pulitzer, and of course, Fox News, which recently paid a $787 million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems to avert an ugly court case over the networks repeated lies about the companys voting machines. The leader of the Kansas Lions is Greg Shuey, a former Air Force pilot from Johnson County who wrote in the report that when he retired, I was extremely dismayed to see Marxism come out from the closet and seep into then take over my country. To do what little I could, I started writing newsletters to enlighten family and friends, and eventually anyone who would listen, to what I was learning in constantly reading and analyzing history and political trends. In 2022, a report in the Kansas Reflector quoted Shuey at a Topeka church meeting peddling the ridiculous QAnon conspiracy theory known as Italygate, which claimed the 2020 election was stolen via satellite by operatives of an Italian software company working out of the U.S. Embassy in Rome with assistance from the Vatican. Thats credibility! Also speaking on behalf of the Liberty Lions: Tore Maras, a QAnon podcaster who ran as an independent for Ohio secretary of state in 2022. She collected 5,010 signatures in an election requiring 5,000 to get on the ballot, many of which were challenged by the state Republican Party because of incorrect or incomplete addresses and mismatching signatures. In court, her lawyer argued that those things dont matter, (My what an odd crop of election integrity advocates were growing this year). The court ruled Maras candidacy could go forward and she got 1% of the vote. Mark Cook, the Lions national IT expert, who was involved in a lawsuit filed by the Colorado secretary of state last year alleging Cook and another individual provided equipment and advice to help a county election official make illegal copies of voting data. Thad Snider, a Lions investigator who has previously advocated to the Legislature for all elections to be conducted by paper ballots, hand-counted. Bernie Rieter, qualifications unknown. A Google search on the name gets only one hit, a guy in Bolton, New York who signed a zoning petition in 2014. Im guessing its not the same Bernie. Billionaires unite! So lets take a look at the other elephant in the room, the Foundation for Government Accountability. The foundation is fueled with millions of dollars from right-wing billionaire donors across the county, all part of a network including our own Koch Industries that exists to increase corporation profits, widen the income gap between rich and poor and make the lives of disadvantaged people more miserable than they already are. Among the foundations chief priorities are fighting Medicaid expansion, loosening and eliminating public-protecting regulations on businesses, relaxing child-labor laws and cutting tax exemptions for those pesky community hospitals. On voting issues, they say theyre fighting to stop outside influence on our elections, which they somewhat ironically express by coming in from the outside and attempting to influence our elections. The election committee will be hearing from two of their representatives: Nick Adolphsen of Maine, the foundations state government affairs director, and Steven Greene, a Wichita contract lobbyist representing 25 other business and interest groups at the statehouse. The committee will also hear from Keith Esau, a former legislator and House Election Committee chairman, who wants to end the three-day grace period that gives the post office time to deliver legitimate ballots that are postmarked by Election Day. Maine resident Nick Adolphsen, of the Foundation for Government Accountability, shown here in an endorsement video for former Maine Gov. candidate Mary Mahew. Adolpsen will be coming to Kansas to tell lawmakers how to run elections. Sadness and absurdity Theres a sad component to this and an absurd one. Lets take the sad part first. There are 105 counties in this state and every one of them seems to have taken Frank Sinatra to heart and does it their way. Your voting rights should never be contingent on where in the state you live, but there it is. This state cant even decide on a consistent method for picking the people who run elections. The four largest counties Sedgwick, Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte have an election commissioner appointed by Secretary of State Scott Schwab. Everywhere else, elections are run by an elected county clerk. Theres certainly room for improvement, but it should go in the direction of making it easier for Kansans to vote, not harder like the Legislature does every time it touches the process. Like the Sedgwick County Commission, which recently voted to stop sending voters advance ballot applications, the state Legislatures justification for their actions is a purported loss of public confidence in elections. Well, maybe everyones confidence would increase if our politicians addressed real issues, instead of listening to weirdos and ax grinders with fairy-tale theories about elections and who shot JFK. I know mine would. The absurd part is what its costing to put on the hearing, which I would call a dog and pony show, but that would be an insult to dogs and ponies. The cost to get the lawmakers to Topeka is a few dollars shy of $6,600, including salary at $88.66 a day, $157 per lawmaker per day for subsistence, and mileage from their home to the capitol at 66.5 cents per mile. With 11 lawmakers on the committee, that averages out to $600 each though mileage varies depending on how far they have to travel. Personally, I could think of better ways for the state to spend our money than putting 11 people in a small room at the capitol to listen to two days of QAnon flakes and the billionaire boys club telling us how to run elections. Maybe thats just me. * Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday. * The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. * China firmly supports African countries in pursuing independent development paths, and firmly supports African countries in becoming an important pole in the world politics, economy and civilization, Xi said. BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday. The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Hichilema is paying a state visit to China from Sept. 10 to 16 at the invitation of Xi. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) UPGRADING BILATERAL TIES Xi said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship. Xi said China has always viewed and developed China-Zambia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level. The Chinese president said China supports Zambia in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. He expressed China's willingness to strengthen inter-party exchanges and exchanges of state governance experience with Zambia. The two countries should support each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns. The success of Chinese modernization shows the diversity of modernization models in the world, and China's high-quality development and modernization process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia, Xi said. China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said. Xi said China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia. He called on the two sides to make a success of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, and step up exchanges and cooperation in education and training, health care, culture, tourism and other fields. Hichilema said Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries. He said Zambia thanks China for its positive role in resolving the Zambian debt issue. The Zambian side abides by the one-China principle, highly appreciates the guiding philosophy and principles of Chinese modernization, and hopes to learn from China's development experience. Hichilema said Zambia is ready to work with China to take the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in mining, agriculture, economy and trade, science and technology, infrastructure construction, health care and other fields. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, investment cooperation, inspection and quarantine. Commenting on the elevation of China-Zambia relations, Li Wentao, executive director of the Institute of African Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the two countries, as long-standing partners, will seek cooperation in a wider range of areas and achieve more consensus in international affairs after upgrading their ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) ADVANCING CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION Noting that the collective rise of developing countries and their increasing international influence have become an irreversible trend of the times, Xi said China and Zambia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, strive to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries. Xi said China-Africa cooperation has become a pacesetter in South-South cooperation and international cooperation with Africa. The features of China-Africa friendship, including sincerity and equality, win-win cooperation, safeguarding justice, openness and inclusiveness, have never changed. China firmly supports African countries in pursuing independent development paths, and firmly supports African countries in becoming an important pole in the world politics, economy and civilization, Xi said. China is ready to work with Zambia and other African countries to implement the outcomes of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue, including the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, strengthen strategic alignment, deepen cooperation in various fields, support African countries in enhancing their capacity for independent development and realizing economic recovery and sustainable development, and jointly build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, according to Xi. Hichilema said China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction. Zambia thanks China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20, Hichilema said. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is an important platform for promoting the development of African countries, he said. Thanking China for hosting the FOCAC meeting in 2024, he said Zambia is willing to work with China to push Africa-China cooperation to a new level, jointly cope with global challenges such as energy and food security, and inject more stability into the world. Hichilema's visit came on the heels of Xi's state visit to South Africa and Beninese President Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon's trip to China. The recent frequent high-level exchanges between China and African countries will boost the China-Africa ties, said Li Wentao. China and Africa are engaged in cooperation in many fields, the essence of which is to promote Africa's independent development, Li said. Debate season is upon us. The two candidates seeking to win a term as Kentuckys chief executive Gov. Andy Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron have released their fall debate schedules. Luckily for Kentucky voters, there is overlap among the debates Beshear and Cameron have committed to attend, so they will be side-by-side on stage before voters head to the polls Nov. 7. So far this year, weve only seen the incumbent Democrat and Republican challenger appear together just once at the St. Jerome Catholic Church Fancy Farm Picnic in early August but not in a head-to-head, back-and-forth format. Heres each candidates debate schedule. Well update this story if the schedule changes and as viewing information becomes available. Kentucky Chamber Gubernatorial Forum The Kentucky Chamber will host its annual meeting Sept. 20 at The Omni in Downtown Louisville, and Cameron and Beshear have both committed to speaking at the event. Registration starts at 5 p.m. Eastern time with the dinner to begin at 6:30. The event is currently sold out, but there is a waiting list. FOX 56, WDRB and Nextstar Media Debate Only Camerons schedule included this Sept. 28 debate, co-hosted by FOX 56 in Lexington, parent company Nextstar Media and WDRB in Louisville. Spectrum News 1 Kentucky Only Camerons schedule included this Oct. 3 debate hosted by Spectrum News 1 Kentucky in Louisville. Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Gubernatorial Candidate Forum Both Beshear and Cameron have committed to participate in this Oct. 12 luncheon. The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerces Gubernatorial Candidate Forum will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central time at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention and Expo Center. Pre-registration is required and closes at noon on Monday, Oct. 9. Northern Kentucky Gubernatorial Debate Both Beshear and Cameron have accepting invites to this Oct. 16 debate in Northern Kentucky. This debate is hosted by the League of Women Voters and will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern time, pending schedule confirmation, according to the Beshear campaign. League of Women Voters Candidate Debate Only Beshear included this Oct. 21 debate on his schedule. This debate is co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and WLKY of Louisville and will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern. Kentucky Tonight Debate Both Beshear and Cameron have committed to the KET Kentucky Tonight Debate on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern. The Kentucky Debate Both Beshear and Cameron included WKYTs Kentucky Debate at 7 p.m. Eastern on Oct. 24. Lieutenant governor candidates to debate Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Camerons running mate, State Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderon, will also face off in October. Both have committed to the KET debate on Oct. 30. The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the publics help for any leads related to a womans murder inside an apartment in downtown L.A. Maleesa Mooney, 31, a model and real-estate agent was found dead inside her apartment on the 200 block of South Figueroa Street around 4 p.m. Tuesday. LAPD officers were dispatched to the Skye at Bunker Hill luxury apartments for a welfare check and discovered Mooneys body inside. Police did not release any details about possible injuries and her cause of death is under investigation by the Los Angeles County Coroners Office. Police have confirmed, however, that her death is being investigated as a murder. The LAPD Central Bureau Homicide unit is leading the investigation and requesting anyone with information to come forward. If you know anything about the suspects responsible for Mooneys death, you are urged to contact the LAPD detectives Pierce or Marcinek at 213-996-4150. Anonymous tips can be made online or by calling 800-222-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A hungry bear broke into a California home and helped itself to a sampler platter before leaving behind a trail of evidence in the form of sticky paw prints, news outlets reported. Video shows the plum sauce prints and chaos the bear left behind inside the Sierra Madre home, which homeowner Chelsea Mapanda told KCAL she spotted when she returned from a night out at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13. It looks like the baby had a sampler platter, like a Chilis sampler platter, she told the station. Hmmm a little here, a little there, maybe some of this, not feeling that. The bear also feasted on a blend of sweet and salty and calorie dense snacks: some mangoes, an avocado and an entire jar of guava jam, KTLA reported. Bears are on the hunt for as much food as they can get their paws on to bulk up for winter, the station reported. Mapanda told the stations she figured a bear had broken in and got back inside her car to call the police. Sierra Madre Police warned others to avoid the area on Facebook. A bear is suspected inside a home in 100 block of S. Hermosa Ave, police said in the post, adding that California Department of Fish and Wildlife was there handling it. We are hoping for a quick and safe resolution. The bear had already made its escape by the time wildlife officials arrived, a spokesperson told McClatchy News via email. The department has been all over Sierra Madre for weeks, trying to trap bears to tag them and move them to the an appropriate habitat, Tim Daly told McClatchy News. We know of at least 3 bears that have been spending time in that community, he said. But tags will help us (and the public) identify bears in the future info that will help us learn which bear is responsible for which activity. Given where the community is located at the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, bear and other wildlife visits arent uncommon, he said. People can report wildlife encounters via the Wildlife Incident Reporting system. A bear was spotted taking a leisurely dip in a backyard pool nearby the next day, KTLA reported. Clumsy bear cub gets paw stuck in tree then Florida officers pull out dish soap Sick bear has to be euthanized after eating trash people left behind, CO officials say Grizzly killed hiker near Yellowstone, officials say. Then it broke into home for food LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Police are looking for help hunting down a group of people who they say have repeatedly stolen items from local beauty supply stores. According to a release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the suspects have stolen from different beauty supply shops in the Las Vegas valley multiple times between May and September 2023. Police say the suspects enter the businesses and leave with multiple items. The culprits show no regard for damages, according to the release. Investigators hope someone can identify the individuals pictured. The suspect vehicle was described by investigators as a Chevy Blazer, possibly from the 2003 model year. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LVMPD retail theft section at (702) 828-3591 or via email. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department provided photos describe this male as Male B Additionally, those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or via the organizations website. A text line is also available by sending the message CRIMENV along with the tip to 274635 or CRIMES. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, listens during Sutherland Institutes 2023 Congressional Series at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. Friday was Stewarts last day in office. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Rep. Chris Stewart says it didnt quite sink in that his time in Congress had come to an end until he looked into his rearview mirror and saw the Capitol receding behind him. After more than a decade representing Utahs 2nd District, Stewart was familiar with that drive to the airport and the flight attendants who greeted him as he boarded the plane. But an unexpected congratulations over the intercom and subsequent applause from the other travelers put the five-term congressman in an even more pensive mood. He proceeded to spend the four-hour-long flight filling a notebook with lessons and stories from his time in office. I wrote pages of things that Ive learned, Stewart told the Deseret News during a phone call just hours before he would cease to be a U.S. representative. And it made me realize its been such a good experience. From receiving top-secret briefings as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Theres nothing in intelligence that I havent been exposed to and that I dont know, he said to traveling to Moscow, Russia, to discuss international relations and to western China to visit the Uyghur people, Stewart says the greatest insight he has been gifted with is an understanding of the difficulties and challenges people face. Related I essentially spent all day talking to people, Stewart said of his time in office, recalling he once had his staff keep track of all the people he met in a week. The average came out at just under 280. Its just such a great experience if you want to improve or to learn, Stewart said. But while Stewart says he worked until his final minute, signing and submitting his final bill as he walked out the door, there was only so much he could do in his final days to impact what he says was a lousy week in Congress. Theres a lot of anger among my colleagues. And I think more so than Ive ever seen since Ive been back there, Stewart said. Stewarts retirement comes as the House is staring down 11 legislative days to pass 11 remaining annual spending bills before government funding expires on Sept. 30. If the appropriations bills do not advance through a House vote and a reconciliation process with the Senate before that time, a government shutdown will ensue. That is, unless a continuing resolution is passed as a stopgap funding measure. While this seems like House Speaker Kevin McCarthys preferred solution as the House works its way through the spending packages, the conservative House Freedom Caucus has demanded a number of conditions that make avoiding a government shutdown increasingly difficult. McCarthy is now in a tenuous position, partially because of his slim four-seat majority. This razor-thin margin will shrink to three once Stewart is gone, and could fall to zero with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., receiving chemotherapy treatment for blood cancer; Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., facing federal charges; and Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., recovering from hip surgery. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, left, talks with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in the House chamber as the House meets for a second day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press Uncertainty around Speaker McCarthy Ive been through some emotional times back there from the Republican conference, Stewart said, referencing the government shutdown shortly after he entered office and the motion to vacate the chair when John Boehner was House speaker. But this time is unique, he says. Theres a lot of anger and uncertainty right now, Stewart said. Theres a lot of us who think Kevin is a uniquely talented leader. We support him. And yet a few of our colleagues have made it impossible for him to be successful. And that makes us angry. And while Stewart has said on numerous occasions he will miss the kind of public service he was able to do on Capitol Hill, he wont miss this. Im not going to miss this contention and the anger that so many people are kind of wallowing in right now. But McCarthy is sure to miss him. Stewarts role as one of 61 representatives on the highly coveted appropriations committee (members are already angling for his seat) made him a key player in spending discussions, and his experience made him an especially influential voice in mediating between factions within the conference. Stewarts hunch is that after a few more days of interparty drama, House Republicans will settle on a continuing resolution deal with some conditions attached, likely relating to border security. But if asked to bet on it, Stewart says hed offer up the change in his pocket. This ones different for some reason. Theres a lot more uncertainty and theres a kind of a simmering anger that hasnt been there in the past on both sides, Stewart said. So if anyone tells you that they think they know whats going to happen, I promise you they dont. Kevin doesnt. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, questions former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch at the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, during the second public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trumps efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. | Andrew Harnik, Associated Press What Utah loses with Stewarts resignation According to Kelly Patterson, a senior scholar at the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at BYU, its also important to remember what Utah loses with the resignation of its most senior member in the House. Immediately you lose seniority and influence, Patterson told the Deseret News in June. And it takes time for a new representative to build relationships, gain the trust of leadership in order to move into those exclusive committee assignments. And its not to say that the person who emerges wont be competent, its just theyre starting over. Stewart says he can relate to the pains of transitioning from one position to the next. Its lonely to sit in an office thats being packed up, Stewart said, describing his last few days. Part of it is packing up the last day, but part of it is having your staff just kind of move on, and going to an office that used to be super busy and full of people and the last couple of weeks its been three or four people there. However, Stewart made it his priority to get each member of his staff a position that was better than what they currently had, he said. One such effort has surprised Stewart, the staffer in question and the state. Rep. John Curtis and Rep. Chris Stewart speak with Celeste Maloy at the 2nd Annual Conservative Climate Summit at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Stewart on Celeste Maloys GOP primary win As soon as he decided he would resign, Stewart says he sat down with his former chief legal counsel Celeste Maloy, and encouraged her to run for his seat. Maloy officially entered the 2nd Congressional District special election race in mid-June, and on June 20, the congressman endorsed her. Days later, Maloy won the state Republican Party nominating convention in a surprise upset, followed by a victory in the Sept. 5 Republican primary. Maloy is favored to win the general election on Nov. 21 where she will face Democratic opponent Kathleen Riebe. I think its hilarious that she literally is going to move from a cubicle across the front office into my office. I just think thats a great story, Stewart said. Stewart says despite the chaotic state of his conference, hes comforted by the fact Maloy will be able to come in and pick up where he left off. Shes very, very bright. She works so hard, but the main reason I wanted Celeste to represent the 2nd Congressional District is for sincerity and for humility, Stewart said. Theres a lot of smart people in Washington. There are not very many humble people. And I think humility is the single greatest asset when it comes to real leadership. Related As to how he will spend his time once he is no longer in the business of legislating and campaigning, Stewarts answer is simple. He will spend even more time with the projects and the people he loves. Stewart announced his intention to retire from Congress on May 31, citing his wifes health concerns. He later clarified she had suffered a stroke a year earlier and continued to struggle with vision loss. Things are harder and it wasnt fair to her to be in a situation where her health wasnt what it used to be and to be gone all the time, Stewart said at an event on Sept. 8. As much as I loved serving and as much as I wanted to continue to serve, we needed to be together. When asked Whats next at the same event, Stewart said he had plans to start an organization with Robert OBrien, national security adviser under former President Donald Trump, where Ill be able to continue to work in the area of intelligence and international relations and it will be really satisfying, but I wont be gone all the time. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, at a backyard event in Farmington on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News UAW-GM workers were fighting plant closures in 2019. Four years ago, about 46,000 GM workers went on strike for 40 days. The last auto-worker strike targeted GM, not all three Detroit companies. The United Auto Workers union's historic strike at the Detroit Three hit a new milestone this week: it has officially surpassed the 40-day strike at GM in 2019. The United Auto Workers began strikes at all three Detroit car companies earlier in September after both sides failed to come to an agreement before the contracts expired. It's the UAW's second strike in as many contract talks, but the circumstances are particularly unique this go-around . UAW President Shawn Fain has led his members on what the union is calling a "Stand Up Strike," where work stoppages are dolled out incrementally and in response to progress (or lack thereof) at the bargaining table. The issues on the table this time around are also much different. The UAW is currently asking for significant wage increases and a reversal of concessions like cost-of-living adjustments workers made during the Great Recession. These demands have been met with strong opposition from executives at Ford, GM, and Stellantis, who say that the union's asks coupled with the extended work stoppages are only benefitting competitors like Tesla. But four years ago, when some 46,000 hourly workers at General Motors went on strike for more than a month, the union was largely fighting to keep plants open. GM at the time had idled two large assembly factories in Ohio and Michigan as well as other smaller plants, with plans to shutter these factories entirely. The Lordstown, Ohio factory did eventually close, but a previously idled plant in Detroit was converted into an EV facility. What the UAW looked like four years ago Things looked much different for the auto union in 2019. At the time, UAW leadership was embroiled in a yearslong federal criminal probe, eroding trust with the rank-and-file membership. At the same time, an age-old issue for UAW workers plant closures provided the union with the opportunity to rally enthusiasm and forge more unity among members. Typically, the UAW chooses what is referred to as a "lead company" or a "strike target" to set a pattern for bargaining at the other two companies (that's different with Fain, who has said the Big Three are the target). The union chose GM in 2019 because of the plant closure issue and the need to negotiate the future of those factories and their workers. Officially, the UAW went on strike in 2019 over pay, job security, and better benefits. But one of the main sticking points at the table was GM's decision to close four US factories, including a large assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The sides eventually agreed to a deal that saw GM investing billions of dollars in a battery joint venture in Lordstown, which unionized with the UAW in late 2022. In return, GM was allowed to shutter three other factories. Reverberations in the industry During the bitter, 40-day strike, the longest nationwide strike at GM since the 1970s, GM was forced to shutter several non-union plants as supplies from union-represented shops stopped coming through. In the end, GM said the 2019 UAW strike cost the company some $3 billion. GM's suppliers were also hard-hit when orders all but dried up during the extended work stoppage. Several suppliers were also forced to idle their own plants and issue temporary layoffs without business from GM. These work stoppages hit customers first, zapping supply for dealer repair shops and creating long waitlists for normally simple repairs. The hit for customers didn't happen overnight, though. Even in the depths of the strike, dealers reported healthy inventory levels for the time of year. It wasn't until those stockpiles started dwindling at the end of 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit US shores, that GM dealers started to run out of cars. What a resolution looked like At the end of the 40-day GM strike in 2019, GM workers won considerable gains, including better wages, a clear path to full-time employment for temporary workers, and a hefty one-time signing bonus of $11,000 to partially make up for lost wages during the work stoppage. A tentative agreement was reached on day 31 of the strike, typically signaling the end of a work stoppage. But union leaders at the time chose to continue striking even after reaching a tentative agreement with GM, deciding instead to wait until its members voted to approve the deal. The reason for this at the time was that the agreement to allow GM to close Lordstown and other factories left many members still feeling nervous about the future. About 57% of GM workers eventually voted in favor of the agreement its leadership reached with the company. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Latvias Evika Silina secured a parliamentary majority to become the Baltic nations new prime minister as she promised to bolster defense spending in the face of Russian military aggression. Most Read from Bloomberg Lawmakers in Riga voted 53-39 on Friday to install the new three-party coalition. Silinas center-right New Unity party forged an alliance with the Union of Greens and Farmers and the center-left Progressives, potentially moving policy in the nation of 1.9 million to the left. As long as one of our neighbors is an aggressive state, Latvias governments first priority will be security, Silina, 48, told parliament ahead of the confirmation vote. Latvia has already pledged to spend 3% of its economic output on defense, above the NATO benchmark of 2%. Silina becomes Latvas second female prime minister. Along with Kaja Kallas of Estonia and Lithuanias premier, Ingrida Simonyte, Silinas ascent means that all three Baltic nations which reclaimed their independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s have a woman as head of government. Silina succeeds Krisjanis Karins, who brought down the previous government last month after falling out with his nationalist coalition partners. Amid speculation that hell seek a high-level position in the European Union, Karins will become her foreign minister. Latvia, a member of the European Union as well as NATO, has been one of the harshest critics of Russias invasion of Ukraine, supplying Kyiv with weapons and advocating for tougher sanctions against Moscow. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. VILNIUS (Reuters) -Latvia's parliament voted on Friday to confirm Evika Silina of the centre-right New Unity party as the next prime minister, leading a broad coalition, following the resignation last month of Krisjanis Karins. The government of Karins, who will now become foreign minister, was a leading critic of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and one of Kyiv's strongest supporters in both the European Union and the NATO military alliance. Silina, a former lawyer who served as welfare minister, is expected to follow a similar course. "I think there will be no changes in Latvia's tough security policy, and there will be no changes in support for Ukraine," said Filips Rajevskis, a political scientist in Riga. "The most significant policy shift could be the new government's intention to legislate on human rights, such as to try to allow marriages for same-sex couples." Silina's appointment means all three Baltic republics - including Estonia and Lithuania, all EU and NATO members bordering Russia - will be led by female prime ministers. Reflecting security worries, Silina's government committed to raising defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product by 2027, up from 2.25% of GDP in 2023. She also pledged to switch to all-Latvian language education by 2025 in the country where ethnic Russians are a quarter of population and fear losing their identity, and to fence off Latvia's Belarus and Russia borders by the end of 2023. Karins, also of New Unity, the largest party in the 100-seat parliament, resigned after a breakdown in relations with junior partners in his multi-party coalition. Silina crafted a new, narrow majority with the left-leaning Progressives party and the Greens and the Farmers Union, a coalition of conservative groups fronted by Aivars Lembergs, the mayor of port town Ventspils who was put on a U.S. sanctions list for alleged corruption in 2019. Latvia's next parliamentary election is scheduled for 2026. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; editing by Terje Solsvik and Mark Heinrich) Rep. Lauren Boebert denied vaping at a performance of "Beetlejuice" in Denver. New footage shows her taking a hit and blowing out vapor. A pregnant woman later sat behind her. Boebert was escorted out of the theater after complaints she was "vaping, singing, causing a disturbance." Rep. Lauren Boebert denied vaping at the performance of "Beetlejuice" in Denver, Colorado, that she was escorted out of. But new footage shows Boebert taking a hit from her vape, with a pregnant woman later sitting directly behind her. Security footage obtained by 9NEWS Denver shows Boebert sitting in her seat and reaching into her bag. In the video, she can be seen bringing an object to her mouth, sucking on it, and then blowing out a cloud of vapor. Later in the performance, a pregnant woman sitting behind her can be seen saying something to Boebert. The woman told The Denver Post that she asked Boebert to stop vaping, adding that the Colorado lawmaker refused. The pregnant woman, whose name the Post did not release because she feared "backlash" from Boebert and her supporters, also said that Boebert called her a "sad and miserable person." Boebert's campaign manager, Drew Sexton, confirmed in a statement that Boebert was escorted out of the performance but denied that she had been vaping. He claimed that the fog machines and electronic cigarettes used in the show might have resulted in "a misunderstanding from someone sitting near her," according to The Washington Post. An incident report provided to Insider by Denver Arts and Venues said that two patrons, one of whom was later identified as Boebert, received three different complaints of "vaping, singing, causing a disturbance." Footage also shows Boebert dancing in her seat. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Boebert said she pleads "guilty to laughing and singing too loud! " Boebert's team did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider ISLAMABAD, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Arif Alvi on Thursday evening called on the international community to play their role to ensure peace for equitable development and smooth trade to benefit all countries on equal opportunities, said a statement from the President House Media Wing. Addressing a ceremony arranged for the foreign diplomats in Pakistan at the President House, Alvi stressed the need for enhanced efforts for peace and mutual trade by enabling an amicable atmosphere all around. The president said the establishment of peace required the elimination of exploitation and an end to the double standards, adding that the signing of peace conventions and their violations could not go on simultaneously. "Pakistan desires the developed countries to share its expertise in information technology with it as pursuing the ideals of 'one humanity', and they should spend their resources for the betterment of people outside their borders too," added the president. Urging the world to increase cooperation for the betterment of the next generations, the president said unequal opportunities for development have caused a brain drain issue for developing countries despite that they have spent huge resources on the education. The president said Pakistan as being one of the largest populated countries has offered a great deal of opportunities for the international community to invest and do trade of mutual benefits. Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. Nothing says class like vaping in front of a pregnant womanand then refusing her repeated pleas to stop. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Republican firebrand from Colorado, made headlines this week after video showed her and a male companion being escorted out of a performance of Beetlejuice in downtown Denver Sunday night after allegedly causing a ruckus during the show. Or, as host Danielle Moodie describes it, for being the classless piece of trash that she is. Its just a consistent reminder to me, Andy, of like, how just, how deepthis Republican party is filled with gutter rats. When you decide that Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert are going to be your standard-bearers, and this recent action by her is, it gives you everything that you need to know. Co-host Andy Levy agrees: Its just so sad. The video of her being escorted out and her giving the finger to the security people, its just, the absolute lack of class is hilarious. Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast. Plus! Mike Rothschild, author of the new book, Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories, reveals why, to this day, there are people blaming everything from COVID-19, to Joe Biden stealing the 2020 election, to California wildfires on this famous family of Jews. Its very easy to pin these [conspiracies] on the family, Rothschild says. No one really can prove them wrong. Of course, they cant be proven correct, but thats never how these people operate. Leaders Ignored Warning Signs That Musk Would Help Putin Then, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, a scholar at Middlebury Institute of International Studies on non-proliferation and terrorism studies, describes how we are living in a new nuclear era in which all the signs are pointing us in the opposite direction of where we wanna be And it is wild to me that we are like signing up to do all this again. But in stereo. Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. 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. California may put oil companies on the financial hook to plug and clean aging oil fields after lawmakers approved a measure meant to prevent taxpayers from footing the bill for orphaned wells. In a year that has been relatively quiet for climate legislation, the passage of Assembly Bill 1167 on Thursday night marked a win for environmentalists and communities mainly around Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley facing methane leaks from aging oil wells that require costly cleanup. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom , the Orphaned Well Prevention Act would prohibit the sale of an oil well unless the new owner can pay to plug and remediate it in full before it the well is left orphaned or without a financially solvent operator. The bill overcame opposition by the oil industry and criticism from the state Department of Finance when it narrowly passed the Senate on Wednesday ahead of a final vote in the Assembly. These wells pose serious threats to public health, safety and the environment, said Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, the bills author. It has been easy for the oil industry to neglect capping orphaned oil wells and pass on the costs to taxpayers, but not anymore and not on my watch. Enough is enough. California is seeing a long-term decline of its oil industry, falling from the countrys third-largest oil-producing state to seventh in five years. Some of the worlds largest oil companies including Shell and ExxonMobil have begun to sell their California assets. Industry experts and environmentalists say those sales have often left liabilities for smaller companies who in some cases have declared bankruptcy to perform expensive environmental cleanups, leaving the state to sponsor cleanups or leave wells unplugged. Orphaned wells, as theyre called, risk harmful leaks of oil, polluted water and methane often near residential areas. According to the Geologic Energy Management Division, known as CalGEM, California has plugged about 1,400 wells since 1977 at a cost of $29.5 million. The nonprofit California Council on Science and Technology estimates that of more than 100,000 active and idle oil wells in the state, some 5,540 are orphaned cleanups for the state that could amount to an estimated $500 million. As the onshore oil drilling industry further wanes, a recent Carbon Tracker report found that state taxpayers could be on the hook for a much higher $6.9 billion in cleanup even if all future industry profits an estimated $6.3 billion were redirected to decommissioning. The Western States Petroleum Association and other industry groups argued that AB 1167 would not meaningfully add to existing processes intended to avoid orphaned wells and could create hurdles for large companies who want to sell assets to smaller ones. What were saying is if were going to address this issue, this bill is not the way, WSPA spokesman Kevin Slagle said. This is another piece of legislation that ignores the facts on the ground when it comes to the financial obligations our industry provides to the state, and we believe this will do more harm than good. A bill analysis from the Department of Finance also opposed the measure, saying that the legislation could backfire by creating a new bonding system and imposing additional costs for larger companies, making them less likely to purchase wells from smaller outfits. The states current system to prevent orphaned wells mandates that oil producers put up bonds, which act as a security deposit on the promise they will perform cleanups. Yet environmental groups cite a troublesome gap between bond amounts and the actual costs to plug wells. In the days leading up to the final votes, the departments analysis was used by WSPA to lobby lawmakers against the bill in part by calling it opposition from Newsoms administration. The governor has called for an end to all oil extraction in California by 2045, but his office has not taken a position on AB 1167. Supporters of the measure a broad swath of Californias environmental organizations say the legislation would begin to hold the waning oil industry accountable to plug and clean idle wells at risk of leaking oil, brine and methane into vulnerable communities. Ann Alexander, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, celebrated the bills passage Thursday as a first step to stopping the slow-moving catastrophe of orphan wells. The California Legislature has been courageous and decisive today in the face of fierce opposition by Big Oil, she said. We need the governor to show the same courage as this bill heads for his desk. The governor has until Oct. 14 to sign bills into law. Former Memphis police officers Emmitt Martin III, back left, and Desmond Mills Jr., back center, stand with their attorneys in Judge James Jones Jr.'s courtroom involving the case of five Memphis police officers charged with fatally beating Tyre Nichols, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian via AP) MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Three former Memphis police officers accused of fatally beating Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop should have separate trials because they have different levels of responsibility than two other former colleagues who also are charged with murder in the highly publicized case, defense lawyers said Friday. Lawyers for Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith have filed motions to sever their cases from Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martin, arguing that they cannot receive fair trials if they all face a jury together for the violent beating of Nichols on Jan. 7 that was caught on police video. All five former members of a Memphis Police Department crime-suppression unit have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the beating of Nichols, who was punched, kicked and slugged with a police baton after he fled a traffic stop during which he was hit with a stun gun and pepper spray. Nichols, 29, died in a hospital three days after the beating. An autopsy report showed Nichols died from blows to the head and the manner of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries, cuts and bruises to the head and other parts of the body. The five officers, all of whom are Black, were fired shortly after the beating, which was one of several violent encounters between police and Black people that have sparked protests and renewed debate about police brutality and police reform in the U.S. In addition to the state charges, the five officers were indicted Tuesday on federal civil rights charges alleging they used excessive force and lied about the beating. They have pleaded not guilty. The five former officers were part of the so-called Scorpion unit, a crime-suppression team that police officials disbanded after Nichols' beating. During a Friday hearing in state court, Judge James Jones Jr. heard from lawyers from the three former officers who are seeking separate trials. John Keith Perry, the lawyer for Bean, and Martin Zummach, Smith's attorney, said neither officer was at the initial traffic stop, when police say Nichols was pulled over on an allegation of reckless driving. Police have since said they have found no evidence that Nichols was actually driving recklessly. Nichols ran away from officers who tried to restrain him outside of his car, authorities said. He ran toward his nearby home and called out for his mother as he was pummeled just steps from his house. Nichols was a helpless victim as he was hit by Haley, Martin and Mills while being held by Bean and Smith, prosecutors said in a court filing. The lawyers said Bean and Smith merely responded to a call about a suspect who was running away from police after he had been hit with a stun gun and pepper sprayed. Bean tackled Nichols, and he and Smith were just doing their job as they tried to get Nichols' hands behind his back so that he could be handcuffed, the lawyers said. Obviously, hes not going over there to kill anybody, Zummach said of Smith. Prosecutors oppose the requests for separate proceedings, arguing that the five officers can be treated fairly if tried together. Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said the five officers were not charged for actions from the traffic stop. Rather, they are responsible for what they did at the the second location, where Nichols was beaten and left to struggle with his injuries as he sat slumped against a police car, Hagerman said. We have all watched this crime happen together, Hagerman said, referring to police video that's been released to the public. Five people, at the same time, wearing the same uniforms, doing the same things. Jones set an Oct. 5 hearing to deliver his ruling on the motions for separate trials. If you've decided to buy your vehicle when your lease ends, it's essential to know all the costs associated with the purchase. This will help you budget for the buyout and avoid any unpleasant surprises. Buying out your car lease is similar to purchasing a vehicle, so you have to be prepared to pay sales tax on your leased car. Different states have different rules and tax rates for lease buyouts. You need to find out what your state charges if you want to have a more accurate estimate of the overall cost of your buyout. In this article, we provide some helpful information regarding lease buyout taxes, including how they work and how to calculate them. Ready To Buyout The Lease On Your Car? Explore Auto Loans Here How Lease Buyout Taxes Work If you live in Oregon, Alaska, or the handful of other states that don't charge sales tax on vehicle purchases or leases, you won't have to worry about buyout taxes. Otherwise, depending on the type of vehicle you're leasing and your location, your lease buyout taxes can amount to a considerable sum. So, it's important to have at least some idea of how much they can cost. If your lessor says you need to pay sales tax on the original price of the vehicle when your car lease ends, they're probably wrong. You may have already paid some sales tax on the car at the beginning or over the term of your lease. Therefore, it's highly improbable that the tax on your lease buyout will be calculated based on the car's initial purchase price. In most states, car dealers are required to roll the sales tax on leased vehicles into the monthly payments of their customers. However, several states don't use this tax-on-payments method. For instance, car lessees in Ohio must pay sales tax on all their monthly payments at the beginning of the contract. Texas, on the other hand, charges sales tax up front on the full purchase price of the vehicle, even if it's leased. If you live in New Jersey, you can choose to pay tax on the total of your lease payments or the original price of the vehicle. New Jersey requires that you make the payment at the beginning of the lease if the term exceeds six months; otherwise, you can pay sales tax with your monthly payments. Regardless of your state, you should have already paid a substantial portion of the total sales tax on your vehicle by the end of your lease term. If you reside in Texas, you would have already taken care of all the sales tax you need to pay. How To Calculate Lease Buyout Taxes To calculate your lease buyout taxes, the first thing you need to do is find out the residual value, which is an estimate of how much the vehicle will be worth at the end of your term. It's determined at the beginning of your lease and stated in your agreement. Your payments are partly based on the difference between the original price of the car and the residual value. After you've found your vehicle's residual value, look for a breakdown of the taxes you're required to pay in the original lease contract. If you live in a state that rolls the sales tax into lease payments, you'll pay the full amount owed in monthly installments. For example, if your lease costs $400 a month and the sales tax on a leased vehicle is 6% in your state, you'll have a monthly payment of $400 plus $24, or $424. By the end of a 36-month lease, the total amount of sales tax you would have paid is $24 multiplied by 36, which is $864. If you purchase your leased vehicle at the end of the term and haven't paid all applicable sales taxes, you'll only be taxed on the residual value. Things get more complicated if you opt for an early buyout, as you must take into account the sales tax on your remaining lease payments. To get a clear picture of how much sales tax you're required to pay, contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles to learn how lease buyout taxes are calculated in your state. Alternatively, you can get help from a tax professional. What Are the Costs Associated with a Lease Buyout? Sales tax accounts for only a small portion of the total cost of your lease buyout. You must consider other costs if you want to have an accurate estimate of the amount you need to pay to purchase your leased car. These costs include: Residual value of the vehicle: Your vehicle's residual value makes up the largest part of your buyout price. It usually won't change throughout your lease, so you'll know well in advance roughly what you need to pay to own the car. Buyout fees: When you buy out your lease, most dealerships will charge you a purchase-option fee. The amount is usually a few hundred dollars, and it lets you exercise your option to buy your leased vehicle. In addition, some dealers may charge a processing fee for handling the transaction. Depending on your state, there may be a cap on this fee. Early termination penalty: If you choose to buy your vehicle before the lease-end date, be prepared to incur extra costs. Not only do you have to pay the remaining balance of your lease, but your contract might indicate that you'll be charged an early termination fee. The sooner you break your lease agreement, the larger the penalty. Usually, it makes more sense financially to wait until your lease is over to purchase the vehicle. Title and registration fees: After you've purchased your leased vehicle, you need to bear the costs associated with car ownership, including title and registration fees. These don't amount to a lot but should factor into your lease buyout calculation. Choosing to buy out your vehicle at the end of your lease term means that you won't be charged a disposition fee. This is paid to the lessor as compensation for the expenses they incur finding a buyer for the car. It only applies to lessees who return their cars. Can You Negotiate a Lease Buyout? Depending on your leasing company, you may or may not be able to negotiate your buyout. Often, the residual value can't be negotiated as it's already specified in your lease contract. However, if you can prove to the dealer that your car is now worth significantly less than its residual value, they may be willing to reduce the price. So, it's important to check the market value of your vehicle before you start negotiating. Usually, the car dealership isn't the determiner of the lease buyout amount. Instead, you should try negotiating directly with your leasing company, which sets the car's residual value amount. This can increase your chances of getting a better deal on your car purchase. Even if your leasing company refuses to negotiate the residual value of the vehicle, you can try asking them to waive the purchase option or processing fees. Getting these removed or lowered can save you hundreds of dollars. Note that sales tax is strictly non-negotiable, as it's a state-imposed requirement. Still, it won't cost you a lot, or anything at all, if you've fulfilled the entire lease term. Title and registration fees are other costs that you can't negotiate. Is a Lease Buyout Right For You? If you've decided that your leased vehicle is the right one for you and want to keep it for good, purchasing it at the end of your lease can be a great option. However, keep in mind that a lease buyout may not make the most financial sense for some. To determine if your vehicle is worth buying, you must compare its residual value with its actual value. If the current market value of the car is higher than its residual value, then it's a good idea to opt for a lease buyout. However, if the car has suffered more depreciation than initially expected, you may want to avoid purchasing it unless you can negotiate a lower price. Another consideration is the extra fees you may have to pay if you return your leased vehicle. For example, if you've gone beyond the mileage limit or caused damage to the car, your dealer will charge you excess mileage and wear and tear penalties. These charges may be substantial, which can make buying the car a smarter move than turning it in. Regardless of your state, you would have already paid a considerable portion of the sales tax due on your vehicle, or in some cases all of it, by the end of your lease. So, if there's any remaining amount, it should only account for a small part of the overall cost of your car purchase. Besides sales tax, it's important to consider all the costs involved in your lease buyout so that you'll have a clear idea of what it takes to own the vehicle you've grown to love. After all, a lease buyout is a big investment that requires careful consideration and planning. You Might Also Like Voters cast their ballots during the Aug. 8 special election on Issue 1 at the Schiller Recreation Center in Columbus. Ohio will share election data with three other Republican-led states in an effort to prevent voter fraud after leaving a bipartisan national group with the same mission. Secretary of State Frank LaRose 's office announced Thursday that he reached three separate agreements with election leaders in Florida, Virginia and West Virginia. Ohio will exchange information with each state to ensure people aren't voting twice or registered in multiple places. Voting rights advocates and election officials, including LaRose, have emphasized the importance of maintaining accurate voter rolls to prevent fraud. "This is a major new development as states look to move beyond the old model of sharing voter data through an unaccountable third-party vendor," said LaRose, who is also running for U.S. Senate in 2024. "Ohio took the lead on this election integrity project, and its only one aspect of the work were doing to keep our elections honest as we prepare for the next presidential election year." The agreements came months after LaRose joined other Republican secretaries of state in pulling out of the Election Registration Information Center, known as ERIC. The organization was founded by Republican and Democratic election officials in 2012 to help states maintain accurate voter rolls. As a member state, Ohio would submit voter registration data and driver's license information to help identify voters who died, moved or had duplicate registrations. Members must also mail registration information to residents who aren't signed up to vote. Ohio first joined ERIC in 2016. Florida, Virginia and West Virginia also pulled out of ERIC. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose discusses Issue 1 in Richland County on Aug. 7. Why did Ohio leave ERIC? The organization faced scrutiny from conservatives who argued it's a liberal effort to register more voters and falsely claimed that it's funded by philanthropist George Soros, a frequent target of GOP ire. (Member states fund ERIC. It got some initial assistance from Pew Charitable Trusts, which received funding for a separate election initiative from Soros' foundation, according to PolitiFact.) ERIC still maintains support from some Republicans, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. "Registering more voters is not a liberal effort," said Nazek Hapasha, policy affairs manager for the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "Its a democratic effort, and it should be one thats the highest priority of the secretary of state." LaRose pushed ERIC's leaders to make several changes, such as loosening requirements for member states to contact unregistered voters. He also took issue with David Becker, a former board member who runs the Center for Election Innovation and Research and often speaks out against false voter fraud claims made by former President Donald Trump and his allies. The decision to leave was the latest example of LaRose's willingness to appease conservative election skeptics, even as he defends Ohio's voting system. "You have chosen to double-down on poor strategic decisions, which have only resulted in the transformation of a previously bipartisan organization to one that appears to favor only the interests of one political party," LaRose wrote to ERIC Executive Director Shane Hamlin. "I believe the current actions and inactions of ERIC will effectively set in motion its demise." How is Ohio's new agreement different? LaRose's office said these partnerships will serve as a decentralized way for states to combat double voting, without the additional requirements ERIC imposed. The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau requested copies of the agreements, which were not immediately provided. Spokeswoman Mary Cianciolo said they vary based on the state's laws but share the common goal "to bolster election integrity." Ohio and its partner states will be able to review voter rolls, identify double voting, assist voters who need to update their addresses and more. LaRose's team reached out to all 50 states about the idea in March and expects to reach agreements with three or four more in the near future. The Ohio Association of Election Officials did not take a position for or against withdrawing from ERIC. Executive director Aaron Ockerman said local boards of elections favor any robust compacts with other states that help keep voter rolls up to date. But Hapasha is skeptical that any alternative program put forward by LaRose will be as effective or efficient at combating voter fraud. "Right now, ERIC is the only nationwide organization that does what ERIC does," she said. "There is no replacement for ERIC. I would say ERIC is a member-driven organization and LaRose could have and should have worked with member states to be able to seek the change that he wanted to." Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio to share voting data with other GOP states after leaving ERIC Severe damage inflicted on Russian naval vessels in Crimea by Ukrainian air-launched cruise missiles Wednesday and on an advanced Russian surface-to-air missile system there by drones and domestically produced missiles Thursday are the latest examples of the vulnerability in Russia's air defenses. Incidents like those and others that are part of a concerted Ukrainian effort to degrade Russias vaunted layered air defense network - which includes Buk-M3 , Pantsir , S-300 , S-400 , and Tor-M1 systems, among others - are providing important lessons for the U.S. and NATO. However, the Russians are learning lessons of their own, which may limit the future success of such attacks, the top U.S. Air Force general in Europe says. https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1702257156127359263 https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1702314441466081658 Weve had some success with the [French-donated] SCALP and [U.K.-donated] Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, said U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker - head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), as well as NATO's Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA). The same is true for U.S.-donated air-launched munitions like the winged JDAM-ER GPS-guided glide bombs and AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles , or HARMs , Hecker said. Lt. Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, is seen signing the JDAM-ER. (Ukrainian Defense Ministry photo) All of those have been fairly effective, Hecker told reporters during a media roundtable Wednesday at the Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space and Cyber conference at National Harbor, Maryland. He spoke just hours after the attack on Sevastopol that severely damaged the Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarine Rostov-on-Don (B-237) and the Ropucha class landing ship Minsk. You can read more about that in our original coverage here . https://twitter.com/BlackSky_Inc/status/1701994911887679598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1701994911887679598%7Ctwgr%5Eeacfbb2795843a860a31f4a13da39725eadc3fd7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Frussian-submarine-landing-ship-struck-in-attack-on-sevastopol While declining comment on that attack because he was at the convention and not briefed on the details, Hecker said Ukraine has been using its aviation assets during the counteroffensive mostly for hitting targets behind the front lines, against command and control centers, ammunition depots and other logistic nodes as well as bridges. This approach slows down the Russian ability to respond to Ukrainian advances, said Hecker. Blinding The Eyes Beyond its air-launched weapons, Ukraine has also carried out numerous attacks with its drones and, in more recent days, with its modified Neptune anti-ship missile converted to a land-attack weapon. You can read more about that in our original reporting here . On Thursday, Ukraines State Security Bureau (SSU) carried out another such attack on a Russian S-400 system near Yevpatoriya in western Crimea. That system, as we noted before, is Russias most advanced and capable of any air defense system in widespread use. From our previous report: "Each self-propelled or semi-trailer-mounted launcher has four missiles, which have ranges up to 250 miles depending on the variant. That range is also highly conditions-based, including the target, its flight profile, and many other factors. Normal engagement ranges are usually significantly less than that. Search and tracking radars, including those in the X- and L-bands, give the complete system the ability to spot and engage both short-range ballistic missiles and low-flying cruise missiles, as well as fixed and rotary-wing aircraft." A Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system. Via Twitter A diagram showing various typical components used within an S-400 battalion., RIA NOVOSTI The SSU claimed it took a two-phased approach to taking out the system. First, SSU drones hit the eyes of the system its radars and antennas, Ukrainian Pravda reported Thursday . After disabling the radar stations, Navy units hit the S300/400 Triumf launch systems, using two Neptune cruise missiles. Thursdays attack was part of a two-pronged Ukrainian effort to degrade Russian air defenses and its ability to supply troops defending against the counteroffensive, Kyivs spy boss told The War Zone Thursday in brief comments. In the nearest future will be more beautiful strikes, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, commander of the Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), told us. Work to establish a pathway toward increased long-range attacks on the interior of Crimea began last month. Thats when the GUR destroyed a Russian S-400 system using a modified Neptune on Cape Tarkhankut, the westernmost part of the peninsula, jutting out into the Black Sea. Cape Tarkhankut, the western-most portion of Crimea, is an ideal place for a Russian advanced air defense system. (Google Earth image) The potential effect of the destruction of that system was something that we noted at the time : "Taking out this battery would potentially open a hole in Russia's air defense overlay of the peninsula and the northwestern Black Sea. This could go a long way to ensuring the survivability of standoff strike weapons, like Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, and other attacks, such as those by long-range kamikaze drones." This analysis, with the help of other measures, may have played out Wednesday in what was reportedly the first Storm Shadow/SCALP-ER attack on Sevastopol, a little more than 150 miles from the front lines. We dont know for sure all the factors that prompted a change in Ukraines use of their donated cruise missiles against targets in Sevastopol, but they are not impervious to air defenses and degrading Russias ability to detect and engage them certainly would increase their effectiveness against the home of the Russian Black Fleet. Lessons Learned Despite Ukraines recent successes against Russian air defenses, its pilots will continue to have to fly low-altitude missions to avoid being shot out of the sky, said Hecker. They're gonna have to do that for a while, Hecker said of low-altitude flying to avoid Russian radar. It's very difficult for 31 nations to take out [Russian] integrated air and missile defense systems, much less than one country that doesn't have the advanced systems that the other 31 and NATO have." The promised influx of dozens of F-16 Vipers , likely to arrive sometime next year, will not immediately alter that calculus, he added. "Just giving them an F-16 is not going to immediately turn the tide and give them air superiority. But it's a start. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) reacts as he sits in a F-16 fighter jet in the hangar of the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, northern Denmark, on August 20, 2023. (Photo by MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images) Even under the current restraints, Ukraine is hitting targets and the U.S. and NATO are taking notes, said Hecker. We see maybe some gaps that are there. But then we also see things where maybe we thought it was a gap, and it's not a gap, he said. So it's definitely helping us out. As you know, my number one priority is countering A2AD [anti-access/area denial]. We're taking all those lessons learned and feeding them into our training plans and how we plan to it. In a similar vein, the U.S. is learning lessons about Ukraines ability to find the seams in Russias strong electronic warfare capabilities, the commander of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing said. A Russian army Pole-21 jamming system. TASS Though at a lower scale than a peer confrontation with someone like China or Russia, the agility being displayed by both parties in the way that theyre executing operations in the spectrum, in Ukraine is providing lessons for the U.S., Air Force Col. Josh Koslov told reporters Wednesday at the AFA conference. Primarily, Russia is trying to deny Ukraines ability to maintain command and control of its forces, he said. But Ukraine has been very good at finding locations where Russia has gaps, given the size of the country and the limit on the number and capabilities of Russia's EW platforms . Both sides are doing the cat-and-mouse game very, very well, he said. And it shows that in the future for us if we do confront a peer, being agile, being rapid is the key to success in the spectrum. So that's number one. Number two, not having control of the spectrum leads to fatalities, leads to people getting killed. And we've seen that time and time again in that conflict. And so for us learning those lessons, but applying them to the grander scale, it's how the Air Force is going to fight if we fight our pacing challenge, which is China. Another lesson, said Koslov, is that some of [Russias] vaunted systems surface-to-air missile systems haven't performed at the level that they were hoping, and I look forward to learning more about that problem. Russian Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system. (Ukrainian military photo) But Russia too is taking notes about the Storm Shadows, SCALPs, HARMs, JDAM-ERs and other munitions that have defeated its air defenses, Hecker said. Each time a new weapons system has been introduced, Russia has pulled back out of range. Unfortunately, Russia is getting lessons learned as well, he said. They're making changes. So I don't know how long we'll continue to be successful with those types of munitions. Still, given Ukraines continuing improvements in the use of donated weapons, as well as its ongoing development of domestically produced munitions like the modified Neptune, Kyiv seems to be able to stay a step ahead. There is only so far Russia can pull back in the territory it occupies in Ukraine, but adaptation goes beyond just moving out of range. Tactics and procedures, as well as introducing new capabilities to better confront emerging threats are a natural part of an evolving battlefield, especially one that has been so active for over a year and a half. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com A Florida woman accused of shooting and killing her younger sister in Little Ferry after stealing her boyfriend's car and guns will be back in court next month after the prosecution rejected a plea offer. Angielly Dominguez was charged with murder in March 2022 after she allegedly shot her sister inside a Sand Hill Court house, supposedly after an argument over money. Dominguez appeared for a status conference Aug. 21 before state Superior Court Judge Marc Ramundo to update the case. During the hearing, Dominguez's attorney told Ramundo there had been discussions between her and the Prosecutor's Office about a potential plea. Dominguez's attorney said the last offer they gave the prosecutor was that Dominguez would plead guilty to second-degree manslaughter with eight years in state prison, which was ultimately rejected. Photos continue after gallery. "But we do believe there will be further discussion and that there will be reciprocal discovery from the defense turned over to the state," the defense attorney told Ramundo. During the hearing, the prosecution said the defense was doing some of its own investigation. Her attorney confirmed that they had been waiting on additional discovery from the state during previous court hearings and are currently finalizing discovery items for the state. Dominguez's attorney also brought up the issue of her client not being allowed time in the Hudson County Correctional Facility library to review her case and discovery but said she would remind the staff that there was an order allowing her to do so. Bergen County news Fort Lee boy, 7, who died fell from upper-floor window Dominguez's sister, Omelly, who was 21 when she was killed, had dreamed of being a nurse. She was called a scholar by her family because of her good grades and big goals for the future. She was studying at William Paterson University to achieve those goals. After Omelly Dominguez's death, there was a vigil held for her at the university's Student Center. Omelly Dominguez's little brother witnessed the shooting. He told police he came home from school and heard his sisters talking in the other room. He said he thought he heard a gunshot and went into the living room. He told authorities he saw Angielly, who supposedly stared at him before leaving the house. Dominguez will be back in court on Oct. 16, with Ramundo saying he will remain "cautiously optimistic" for a resolution being discussed and for progress. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Little Ferry NJ murder case moves on after rejected plea deal Editors note: This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org. No matter your position on the political spectrum, youre likely to start receiving campaign mailers and other advertisements from candidates running in Novembers local elections. This literature can include bold claims about a candidates convictions, accomplishments and involvement in high-interest local projects. But informed voters wont just take these advertisements at face value: They will want to dig deeper and fact-check candidates claims. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, voters in the metro will choose city officials in Johnson County, weigh in on ballot questions in Kansas City and vote on other local issues. The Star asked political science professor Bob Beatty of Washburn University in Topeka how to scrutinize campaign materials for yourself. Here are some of his top tips for voters. Dr. Bob Beatty is a professor of political science at Washburn University in Topeka. Figure out who is paying for the advertisement Political campaign ads are required to list who is paying for them. The sponsors name will likely be in small print on the bottom or back of the flier you receive in the mail. Beatty says this information is a good place to start when looking into the reliability of an advertisement. If the sponsoring group includes the name of the specific candidate, their campaign can be held accountable for whats printed on there. But a more vague group name that doesnt mention a particular candidate indicates a political action committee, or PAC, which doesnt have to disclose its donors. Anything from a PAC, you have to be aware that we may not know who that is, and thats information in itself, Beatty said. This 2019 mailer from Jolie Justus campaign depicted Quinton Lucas in a darker, grainier picture, which I think is disappointing, the now-mayor said at the time. Check the citations on claims if there are any Whether youre perusing a mailer or watching a TV ad, Beatty noted that many campaigns will include citations for their claims. Ads may cite a candidates past vote, a speech, a bill they sponsored or another record. If anybodys doing that, thats a good sign, Beatty said. But he added that these references are worth checking out for yourself to see whether a quote or position was taken out of context. He recalled an example in which a political ad called Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly weak on crime, citing recommendations from a policing commission she had formed. I went and looked at it, and they took a big leap from what the commission was talking about to, Kellys weak on crime, he said. That was an example, and I was able to look it up on the internet. Beatty added that in a crowded election season, voters may choose to disregard political ads entirely that dont include citations for their claims. In an election in which theres a lot of material, many voters may want to say, Thats my filter. If they want to make a claim, they need to back it up and if they dont, Im just going to ignore it, he said. U.S. Democracy Day is a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. Look up which bills incumbents have sponsored Many political candidates, even at the local level, have already served in some type of elected office. Their actions in those offices may speak louder than the words they print on campaign literature, Beatty told The Star. Rather than getting caught up in negative ads, see what it is they have that theyve supported, he said. Voters can find their state-level elected officials in Missouri using the state Senates Legislator Lookup tool. Each elected officials name will link to their legislator page, which includes a list of bills they have sponsored. In Kansas, you can find legislators committee memberships and sponsored bills by looking them up by name on the Kansas Legislatures website under the Find Your Legislator tab. Beatty added that while its harder to verify the positions of unelected candidates, reputable ones will have their policy platforms clearly listed on their campaign websites. Find out more about the candidates endorsers Endorsements are another clue that can help voters verify candidates claims. Beatty recommended doing a quick web search for groups youve never heard of before to see whether they are legitimate. What they may do is have some group that youve never heard of, and theyre trying to fool you, he said. It (could be) like a group of three people that put abortion in their name. But you could easily Google an organization that someone says has endorsed them. He added that campaigns rarely lie about endorsements from legitimate organizations, since these are easy to debunk by simply asking the group in question. If you arent sure about a candidates positions on the issues that matter to you, their endorsement by a trusted organization can indicate whether they are worth researching further. Beware of charged language nationalizing local races When scrutinizing a campaigns claims, its important to keep in mind what office the candidate is running for. Beatty said that both positive and negative ads may invoke national politics, link candidates to other better-known politicians and make claims that dont actually pertain to the job they are seeking. What some parties or candidates do is, theyll nationalize a state or local election. And theyre not necessarily lying, but theyre trying to change the way a voter thinks, he said. This may involve accusations of wokeness that dont relate to specific policy platforms, references to contentious topics like abortion or transgender rights or statements aligning candidates with national figures like Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Something the voters should think about is, does this information have much to do with the actual office this person is running for? (Or) is really all theyre sort of telling you their political party? Beatty said. Turn to reputable local sources for unbiased information It can be hard to know whether to trust campaign materials or the candidates behind them. But Beatty advised that, when in doubt, voters should turn to reputable local institutions to help them parse these claims. Theres established media outlets in Kansas city these are local people producing local news, he said. Some of the reporting that comes out during local elections by state and local outlets is immensely valuable. A few examples of helpful local reporting can include candidate interviews, investigations into campaign donors and voter guides that record every candidates responses to a small number of questions, allowing voters to compare their positions. Beatty added that candidates who make themselves available to the media and the public are typically more trustworthy than those who skirt accountability. Thats something voters should consider: If they wont debate, why not? he said. Candidates that seem to be hiding a bit might be just sort of coasting on their party identification or their incumbency, and thats something a voter has to think about. Do you have more questions about Kansas Citys upcoming elections? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com. BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the sixth cross-Strait youth development forum that opened on the same day in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province. Xi emphasized the vital role of youth as the hope of the country and the future of the nation, hailing the forum as an important platform for youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and learn from each other. Xi expressed his hope that through the forum, more young people across the Taiwan Strait would become close friends and good partners working together for a better future. Stressing that realizing national rejuvenation is the shared aspiration of all the Chinese people, Xi welcomed young people from Taiwan to pursue and fulfill their dreams on the mainland. He called on young people across the Taiwan Strait to keep pace with the trends of history and safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and national unity. Xi also urged them to remain committed to the right path of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and ensure that the future of cross-Strait relations remains firmly in hands of Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. A local man was arrested after a search warrant found drugs and other paraphernalia. On Sept. 12, detectives with the Miami County Sheriffs Office and Troy Police Department searched a home in the 600 block of Union Street after a months-long investigation, according to a media release. During the search detectives found methamphetamine, digital scales, packing material and other drug paraphernalia. >> Theft of RTA vehicle in Dayton has sheriff, once again, advising everyone to lock vehicles Michael Griffin, 46, of Troy was arrested and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine. The case continues to be under investigation. We will continue following this story and update as new story becomes available. The United Auto Workers union kicked off an unprecedented strike Friday against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, which is the first time in its history that it has struck all three of Americas unionized automakers at the same time. >> Read more trending news Nearly 13,000 workers walked out of the auto plants in Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. Economists said the strike could result in billions of dollars in losses, disruption to the supply chain and other financial consequences. PAST COVERAGE: What's at stake as 13,000 workers go on strike at major US auto makers Channel 9s Ken Lemon spoke with a local UAW representative who said they are watching the situation closely. Employees at this Freightliner plant in Gastonia are working under an agreement that ends in the spring. Their pay is about the same as the workers on strike. Their concerns are about the same, which are better benefits and higher pay. So the Freightliner workers may feel like what happens to the car makers could happen to them. Gastonia is hundreds of miles away from the striking workers, but the local UAW feels close to the issues. Shop Chair Kenny Dellinger said they are so close that he thinks the fight now in the Midwest may be a similar struggle in Gastonia, but hopefully without a strike. Kind of gives us a forecast of what its going to be like for us, said Kenny Dellinger, a representative with the UAW. The strikers are fighting for better pay and the last deal was struck in Gastonia in 2018. Dellinger said since then the price of everything has skyrocketed. Food, clothing, cars, supply, anything you buy has went up astronomically, Dellinger said. The people who build the product cant even go out and buy the product. Dellinger said the local union has already met with Freightliner twice to try to strike a deal early, but they couldnt. He said truck makers in Gastonia are also fighting for one thing that is not on the priority list of their counterparts. One of the biggest things to get is job security, Dellinger said. He said they have a deal that once workers have produced a certain number of trucks, Freightliner can start making trucks in Mexico at a cheaper rate. His union is fighting to make sure Freightliner doesnt try to move production out of the country. Dellinger said for now, he is keeping an eye on the current strike, hoping if car companies strike a deal soon to keep production strong, then maybe Freightliner will do the same. He said Freightliner workers in Gastonia have protested and havent had to strike. He hopes they wont have to do that. PAST VIDEO: UAWs clash with Big 3 automakers shows off a more confrontational union as strike deadline looms Visitors look at ammunition on display at the Defence and Security Equipment International trade show in London By Peter Apps LONDON (Reuters) - As Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met this week to discuss what analysts believe will be a deal for an exchange of weapons, the West's leading companies were descending on Europe's biggest arms show in London. Since the last iteration of the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in September 2021, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and dramatically increased tensions over Taiwan and North Korea have given a shot of adrenaline to arms manufacturers worldwide. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, European defence spending rose 13 percent in 2022 alone, bringing total global spending to an all-time high of $2,240 billion. Consultancy McKinsey reports that Russia saw its defence exports fall 21% over the first year following the Ukraine invasion, creating further openings for Western arms sales in the developing world. Overall, it expects military spending to increase globally by an average of 4% a year through to 2028, led by Japan increasing its military budget by an unprecedented 14% a year. "We are extremely busy," says Michael Elmore, head of sales at MTL Advanced, which specialises in processing and fabricating armoured steel at its factory near Sheffield. Within days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it was supplying basic body armour plating for Ukrainian combat troops. Since then, demand has only increased, particularly for armoured vehicle components to be used by both Britain and other European states. The firm says finding suitably skilled labour is a mounting problem, prompting it to step up its apprenticeship programme over the last two years. The need for greater armour is one of the more obvious lessons of fighting in Ukraine, analysts say. Others include the importance of being able to move quickly, minimise electronic emissions to avoid detection, and the mounting importance of high volumes of unmanned systems. Estonian firm MILREM, a market leader for light unmanned ground vehicles, says some of its equipment has already been trialled in action in Ukraine for tasks such as route clearance, surveillance and casualty evacuation. Already, battlefield experience has highlighted the importance of night operations and resistance to electronic jamming, CEO Kuldar Vaarsi said. "Ukraine is a very interesting combination of First and Second World War technologies and very modern technology," said Vaarsi, also pointing to the development of "loitering munitions" and artificial intelligence analysis. "Before the war in Ukraine, these were more theoretical concepts." MILREM says it has struggled to secure sufficient financing in Europe, prompting it to turn to Middle Eastern investors in the United Arab Emirates to fund the next round of development and expansion a move only approved by European Union regulators with the strict provision that data from MILREMs European military work would not be accessible by their non-European partners. Such nervousness over information leaks is increasingly widespread the United States and its allies are now engaged in a protracted worldwide effort to minimise loss of critical technology to Moscow and Beijing. Other worries include a lack of sufficient industrial capability to make basic weapons such as artillery shells as well as more expensive items such as drones and rockets. UKRAINE, SOUTH KOREA Ukraine fighting continues to consume huge volumes of Western stocks. According to experts at the conference, the waiting time to order a U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile is now in excess of three years. Britain's BAE Systems unveiled a new artillery shell at DSEI this week specifically designed to be cheaper and faster to manufacture. Britain doubled its arms exports in 2022 to a record 8.5 billion, dominated by major arms purchases from Qatar and Saudi Arabia with significant volumes also going to the United States and Turkey. British officials also hope the AUKUS agreement with the U.S. to provide nuclear submarine technology to Australia will open the door to further deals. DSEE is designed to build on that. But according to the organisers, this year has also seen a significant uptick in the presence of Asian, eastern and northern European manufacturers, many of them beneficiaries of Ukraine-related sales and rapidly shifting international partnerships. South Korea's tech and defence industries have made particular inroads into Europe, viewed as an alternative to China to manufacture high-tech chips and striking an increasingly confident series of defence deals to conquer the European market. The largest, a 2022 $13.7 billion deal to supply Poland with equipment including tanks, artillery pieces and jets, began delivering weapons within months. Defence industry insiders say South Korean firms are also now shipping increased amounts of weaponry to Taiwan, although this has not been acknowledged publicly. Ukraine is also striking its own deals with foreign suppliers. Ukraine and Sweden this month announced a deal to jointly produce 1000 CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles for the Ukrainian army. Multiple firms including Britains BAE, Germanys Rheinmetall and Finlands Patria have all been reported to be talking with Ukraine to build factories there. VARYING NATIONAL PRIORITIES As one defence executive put it: "War is good for business". Ukraine has used unmanned drones at sea on a scale few Western navies could currently hope to match. On other areas, such as unarmed ground vehicles particularly for major resupply, the technology is still believed a year or two away from being truly operational and with different countries pursuing a variety of priorities. "Germany will most likely field autonomous logistic convoy capabilities before combat vehicles," Rheinmetall Vice President for Business Development and Innovation Alain Tremblay said. "The UK will probably be the first NATO country to formally integrate unmanned ground vehicles into their land forces. The U.S. Marine Corps are also moving very rapidly." Much depends on regulation. Rheinmetall and other firms say they already have the technology to push "trains" of multiple trucks across Europe with several vehicles following a single human driver. Getting permission to do that on ordinary roads would either require more testing or a major international crisis. Such a crisis, however, is what many firms are quietly now preparing for. Dominic Philpott, chief operating officer of Hanwha Phasor a UK-based satellite relay firm now purchased by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha that serves both civilian and government clients noted several shifts. Clients with sensitive projects no longer wanted microchips from China, he said, citing concerns over both security and future supply. Those wanting satellite communications were also now requesting to access multiple different satellite systems at different levels in Earth orbit, giving them greater resistance to jamming or other deliberate action. "That's all happened very quickly," he said. "Companies are looking for resilience." (Reporting and writing by Peter Apps, Editing by Angus MacSwan) A Catholic priest in Long Beach was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography after a months-long investigation, according to the Ventura County district attorney's office. Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara, 38, of Long Beach was most recently a minister with the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit religious order, according to a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He had previously served as a transitional deacon and newly ordained priest with Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard from July 2021 through September 2022, the spokesman said. Martinez-Guevara first came under scrutiny after several anonymous reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A separate investigation was launched in April by the Ventura County Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The investigations found Martinez-Guevara had more than 600 images of child sex abuse, prosecutors say, including images and videos of victims under the age of 12. As a priest, the defendant is in a position of tremendous power, authority and trust, Ventura County Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. The alleged crimes deeply violate that trust and involve a disturbing number of sexual images of young boys." Read more: 'We're not a cult!' A mysterious L.A. society reinvents itself for modern 'truth seekers' In a statement, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said Martinez-Guevara had been removed from ministry by the archdiocese and his religious order. "The Archdiocese stands against any sexual misconduct and is resolute in our support for victim-survivors of any misconduct," the statement read. Pedro Arteaga, provincial superior for Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, said in a letter to congregants that the organization is cooperating with law enforcement and has launched its own internal investigation. "Let us be united in prayer for the children who are victims of abuse, their families, and the healing of our community," the letter concluded. Martinez-Guevara is set to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Friday in Ventura County Superior Court. Arrested Wednesday, he remains in custody at Ventura County jail in lieu of $750,000 bail. Read more: After 40 years, Boyle Heights priest still irks politicians and fights for his flock Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and other state and local officials announced the start of Bayfront Parkway construction Friday. The four-year, $112 million project to improve traffic flow and safety between Sassafras Street Extension and Holland Street has been nine years in the making. Construction "finally" will begin in October, officials said. Gov. Josh Shapiro, left, speaks with Todd Deitrick of Sheet Metal Workers Local 12 during a kickoff event for Bayfront Parkway improvements Sept. 15. Another major focus of the project will be improving connections between Erie's downtown and waterfront, with pedestrian bridges and other accommodations for walkers and cyclists. "From Philadelphia to Erie, waterfronts have been set apart from the rest of communities," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said. "Today we say, no longer. Even in this polarized political climate we can come together to get things done, and that is what today is all about. We're going to make this happen. We're going to reconnect Erie to its waterfront." The parkway project has been the focus of more than 100 public, planning and stakeholder meetings and numerous design changes through nine years, said Brian McNulty, regional district executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The process resulted in continued improvements and a final design that "is the most perfect balance we could possibly have for all modes of users," McNulty said. "It's been a long road. But we're at a significant milestone where we're about to shift from the design portion of the project to construction," McNulty said. Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a launch of the Bayfront Parkway construction project on Sept. 15. Also shown, at left, are Christina Marsh of Erie Insurance, PennDOT District Executive Brian McNulty (partially hidden), PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and Erie Mayor Joe Schember. At right are representatives of Erie's building trades and other officials. It's been a long road, too, to fund the construction, said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. Additional federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 and $1.5 billion previously allocated to Pennsylvania State Police from the state's motor license fund will help pay for the project and others statewide over the next three to five years, Carroll said. "It's going to have a tremendous positive impact," Carroll said. The construction will have a positive impact on local workers, said T.J. Sandell, president of the Great Lakes Building and Construction Council. "There will be millions of dollars in wages and benefits for local workers, wages that will feed our families and make our economy grow," Sandell said. Erie Mayor Joe Schember praised the project and the collaboration of local leaders and legislators in moving it forward. "The project is going to have at least three major impacts," Schember said. "It's going to calm traffic. It's going to increase pedestrian safety and access. And it's going to reconnect our world-class downtown and bayfront, finally." Construction in October will include off-road work on the roundabout at Sassafras Street Extension. The project will also include the construction of another roundabout, at Holland Street, lowering the parkway beneath State Street and construction of an "iconic and beautiful" pedestrian bridge at Holland Street, McNulty said. A second bridge, at Sassafras Street Extension, will be built as funding becomes available. Also planned on parkway: A traffic light at Cranberry Street America250PA: Three PA governors encourage Erie to celebrate history as nation's 250th birthday nears Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Gov. Shapiro helps launch Erie parkway construction Harold and Sherren McKenzie of State College will be honored next week with the Madison Award for Civility in the Community, sponsored by Constitution Day Centre Inc. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made longtime contributions to civility and community service. The couple has served as community leaders of Unity Church of Jesus Christ for 46 years, including 45 years in ministry, according to a press release. For more than 40 years, they provided spiritual counseling and assistance to local residents including African American, Latino and other people of color. Harold McKenzies accomplishments include serving on the town and gown Task Force on Policing and Communities of Color and co-founding the Racial Unity Network and Community and Campus in Unity, which Constitution Day Centre Inc. President David Hutchinson called a model for how other communities can address difficult issues in a way that is both civil and meaningful. Constitution Day Centre Inc. wrote in a press release that Sherren McKenzie is well known for her profound way of connecting with people of different beliefs and backgrounds. She demonstrates great sensitivity to how people are feeling, and assists people who are hurting. After 29-year-old Osaze Osagie was fatally shot by a State College police officer during a crisis call in 2019, the McKenzies worked with the Osagie family and local communities. They received the Forum on Black Affairs Humanitarian Service Award. For nearly 50 years, as leaders of the Unity Church of Jesus Christ, Harold and Sherren have selflessly dedicated their lives to the welfare of others, not only to the members of their church, but also to the broader community often during the most challenging of circumstances, Hutchinson said in a written statement. 2023 Constitution Day will be held from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at Nittany American Legion Post 245, 1950 Pine Hall Road, State College. The McKenzies will be presented the Madison Award for Civility in the Community at 1:15 p.m. For more information on the event, visit www.constitutiondaycentre.org. Defense attorney Tony Buzbee, standing a podium, makes closing arguments during the impeachment trial for suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) The Texas Senate acquitted state Attorney General Ken Paxton on 16 articles of impeachment Saturday after a two-week trial. Paxton, a Republican and star of the conservatives legal movement, now returns to office after being suspended since May when the GOP-controlled House voted 121-23 to impeach him on 20 articles that include bribery and abuse of public trust. Most of the articles deal with Paxton using his office to benefit a wealthy donor, Nate Paul, prompting eight of the attorney generals top deputies to report him to the FBI in 2020. The Senate did not take up four of the articles. Three of those date back to Paxtons pending 2015 felony securities fraud case, including lying to state investigators. The other is related to Paxtons ethics filings in the impeachment trial. In Texas, a public official is suspended from office if they are impeached by the House. A Senate vote to convict on any article of impeachment results in being permanently removed from office. Acquittal allows them to resume their duties. A look at the 16 articles on which Paxton was acquitted and the four that the Senate set aside: DISREGARD OF OFFICIAL DUTY ARTICLE 1 - Protection of charitable organization Paxton is accused of failing to act as a public protector of charitable organizations by directing his employees in the attorney generals office to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Roy F. & JoAnn Cole Mitte Foundation against entities controlled by Paul, harming the Austin charity in an effort to benefit the wealthy donor. ARTICLE 2 - Abuse of the opinion process Paxton is accused of misusing his official power to issue written legal opinions. He allegedly had employees prepare an opinion that protected some of Pauls properties from being sold in foreclosure. Paxton concealed his actions by asking a Senate committee chairperson to seek that opinion. Hes also accused of directing employees to reverse their legal conclusion to help Paul. ARTICLE 3 - Abuse of the open records process Paxton is accused of misusing his official power by allegedly interfering with his offices handling of a public records request dealing with the files of a criminal investigation into Paul. ARTICLE 4 - Misuse of official information Paxton is accused of misusing his power to administer public information law by improperly obtaining previously undisclosed information held by the attorney generals office to benefit Paul. DISREGARD OF OFFICIAL DUTY ARTICLE 5 - Engagement of Cammack Paxton is accused of misusing official powers by hiring attorney Brandon Cammack to investigate a baseless complaint made by Paul. That led to Cammack issuing more than 30 grand jury subpoenas in an effort to help Paul. ARTICLE 6 - Termination of whistleblowers Paxton is accused of violating the states whistleblower law by retaliating against employees who reported his alleged unlawful acts to law enforcement, terminating them without good cause or due process. Hes also accused of engaging in a public and private campaign to impugn those employees professional reputations or prejudice their future employment. MISAPPLICATION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES ARTICLE 7 - Whistleblower investigation and report Paxton is accused of misusing public resources by directing employees to conduct a sham investigation into terminated employees whistleblower complaints and publish a report containing false or misleading statements in Paxtons defense. DISREGARD OF OFFICIAL DUTY ARTICLE 8 - Settlement Agreement Paxton is accused of misusing his official powers by concealing his wrongful acts in connection with the whistleblowers complaints by entering into a settlement with the whistleblowers that provides for payment from public funds. The settlement halted the wrongful termination suit and delayed the discovery of facts and testimony at trial, to Paxtons advantage. That allegedly prevented voters from making an informed decision about his reelection in 2022. CONSTITUTIONAL BRIBERY ARTICLE 9 - Pauls employment of a woman with whom Paxton has acknowledged having an affair It is alleged that Paxton benefited from Pauls decision to hire the woman. In exchange, Paul allegedly received favorable legal assistance from, or specialized access to, the attorney generals office. ARTICLE 10 - Pauls providing renovations to Paxton home It is alleged that in exchange for providing the renovations, Paul received favorable legal assistance from, or specialized access to, the attorney generals office. ARTICLE 15 - FALSE STATEMENT IN OFFICIAL RECORDS It is alleged that Paxton made or caused to be made multiple false or misleading statements in the lengthy written report issued by his office in response to whistleblower allegations. ARTICLE 16 - CONSPIRACY AND ATTEMPTED CONSPIRACY Paxton is accused of conspiring or attempting to conspire with others to commit acts described in one or more articles. ARTICLE 17 - MISAPPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES Paxton is accused of misusing his official powers by causing employees to perform services for his benefit and the benefit of others. ARTICLE 18 - DERELICTION OF DUTY Paxton is accused of violating the Texas Constitution, his oaths of office, statutes and public policy against public officials acting contrary to the public interest by engaging in acts described in one or more articles. ARTICLE 19 - UNFITNESS FOR OFFICE Paxton is accused of engaging in misconduct, private or public, of such character as to indicate his unfitness for office, as shown by the acts described in one or more articles. ARTICLE 20 - ABUSE OF PUBLIC TRUST Paxton is accused of using, misusing or failing to use official powers to subvert the lawful operation of the state government and obstruct the fair and impartial administration of justice, bringing the attorney generals office into scandal and eroding public confidence in state government, as shown by the acts described in one or more articles. ___ The Senate did not take up these four articles during the impeachment trial: OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE ARTICLE 11 - Abuse of judicial process Paxton is accused of abusing the process to thwart justice in the securities fraud case against him. It is alleged that Paxton concealed facts from voters with protracted delay of that trial, preventing voters from making an informed decision about his election. ARTICLE 12 - Abuse of judicial process It is alleged that Paxton benefited from donor Jeff Blackards lawsuit that interfered with payment of the prosecutors in Paxtons securities fraud case. That allegedly delayed the case, including discovery of facts and testimony at trial, and deprived voters of a chance to make an informed decision when voting for attorney general. FALSE STATEMENTS IN OFFICIAL RECORDS ARTICLE 13 - State Securities Board investigation Paxton is accused of making false statements to the State Securities Board in connection with its investigation of his failure to register with the board as an investment adviser required by state law. ARTICLE 14- Personal financial statements Paxton is accused of failing to fully and accurately disclose financial interests in his financial statements filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. Suspended Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, sits with his attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Mitch Little, right, as his impeachment trial continues in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton s impeachment trial in which he was acquitted Saturday on corruption allegations is among several such proceedings that have occurred in U.S. history. Impeachment is a political proceeding, not a court one. Typically in a U.S. legislative body, it is the House of Representatives that impeaches an officeholder, charging him or her with wrongdoing. The Senate then conducts a trial, and a guilty verdict results in ejection from office. Sometimes that includes a stipulation that prevents future qualification to hold office. In Texas, an impeachment charge from the House results in immediate suspension from office, as was the case for Paxton. The Senate deliberated articles of impeachment to determine whether Paxton would be permanently removed. He was accused of trying to protect an Austin real estate developer who was indicted in June on federal charges of making false statements to banks. Acquittal means Paxton returns to office. In the past 25 years, impeachment has been used three times against two presidents. The current GOP-led House has opened an impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden, although it has not proceeded beyond that yet. Nonetheless, impeachment remains a rarely used means of removing someone from office for serious legal or ethical misconduct and has played a significant role in U.S. history. Some notable cases: PRESIDENTS Three U.S. presidents have been impeached, one twice, but all were acquitted by the Senate: Democrat Andrew Johnson, who had been Republican Abraham Lincoln's vice president, was targeted for impeachment by Radical Republicans in 1868 for 11 high crimes and misdemeanors, including replacing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton while Congress was not in session. Democrat Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 for perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power, notably denying a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky in a lawsuit filed by Paula Jones. Republican Donald Trump was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in seeking Ukranian authorities' intervention to influence the 2020 presidential election. He was impeached in 2021 for incitement of insurrection in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Trump is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice. GOVERNORS Among 15 state governors who have been impeached, eight have been removed from office. They include Republican Gov. Evan Mecham of Arizona for financial crimes in 1988, the first gubernatorial impeachment in 60 years. Republican Gov. William Holden of North Carolina was impeached, convicted and removed from office in 1871 for illegally using military force when he reacted to white supremacists violence by declaring martial law and having state troops arrest 100 Ku Klux Klansmen. The state Senate voted in 2011 to pardon him, but the House failed to concur. Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was impeached and removed from office in 2009 for misdeeds including attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by then President-elect Barack Obama. STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL Paxton has company as an impeached state attorney general. South Dakota Republican Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was impeached and convicted in 2022 for his involvement in a 2020 crash in which the car he was driving hit a pedestrian. The impeachment charges accused him of committing a crime that led to a death and of misleading investigators. In Kansas, Republican Attorney General Roland Boyton was impeached with Auditor William French for their suspected involvement in a 1933 scandal in which the well-connected son of an influential banker, given access to the state vault, stole bonds and forged them. Boyton and French were acquitted. JUDGES Before Paxton, Texas had not held an impeachment trial since the 1970s, which ended in the conviction of a state judge. Other impeached judges in the U.S. have included: U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings was acquitted of a criminal charge of conspiracy to solicit a bribe in 1983, but he was impeached and convicted by the Senate in 1989. He was not barred from holding public office, however, and he was elected as a Democrat to a congressional seat from Florida from 1993 until his death in 2021. District Judge Charles L. Crum of Montana, whose strict adherence to constitutional principles and voicing of nonconformist views during World War I were perceived as pro-German and anti-patriotic, was impeached and removed from office in 1918. In 1991, the Montana Senate approved a resolution exonerating him. ___ AP researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York and AP statehouse correspondents from across the U.S. contributed. Its 8:19 a.m. Tuesday at the Los Angeles Police Departments Rampart Division. Nothing about this place, at least on this morning, shouts crime wave. There are a few people in the lobby a woman checking on the status of her stolen car, a couple reporting a stolen passport. The streets outside are bustling with kids headed to school and vendors setting up for the day, but the neighborhood has the sleepy feel of a community going back to work after a long weekend, not of a place living under the siege of crime. Television coverage leaves a different impression. Over the Labor Day weekend, one station went big with the mugging of a young father who was robbed of his savings and the story of jewelry store owners who fought off a robbery attempt. On another station, all five of the top local stories were about crime as of Tuesday morning. That has an effect on public perceptions. In a Public Policy Institute of California survey last fall, two-thirds of Californians said they viewed crime as a serious problem. In Los Angeles, by far the states biggest hub of crime, 69% of residents said they considered violence and street crime as either a serious or significant problem. So, which is it? Is crime a dire and growing threat? Or is this a period of relative calm? Is the rise in crime real or media-driven? The answer, confusingly, is all of the above. Violent crime in Los Angeles is down this year and more than a little. Homicides are down 24%, from 269 in 2022 to 203 this year (through Aug. 26). Rapes are down 17%, robberies 12%. Those are significant drops, and they are not confined to Los Angeles. Violent crime is down in San Francisco and San Jose, too. But thats not the whole story. At Rampart, to take just one example, the crush of property crimes is constant. Stolen vehicles, burglaries and thefts from autos top the divisions weekly list of crimes, and solving them is made more difficult by staffing shortages: Once a force of more than 10,000 officers, the LAPDs ranks are now just more than 9,000 and dropping. Since violent crimes tend to get priority, the loss of personnel is especially felt in units assigned to defending property. Citywide, property crimes are mostly level in recent years down just 1.3% since 2021. But personal and other thefts have increased 14% this year and are up 42% from this time two years ago. Thats a genuine crime surge, even if it is occurring during a lull in violent crimes. In response, the LAPD, true to its history, has sent mixed signals. Its budget request for this fiscal year, which began on July 1, touted the departments success in combating violent crime but then asked for more money, while neglecting to mention the less sexy need to respond to property crime. The budget request singled out the need to replace helicopters, to retain officers and to create youth programs, but it did not once mention property crimes. The result was strange, boasting of success while hand-wringing for more support. Thats hardly new. The LAPDs data analysis has long been a source of exasperation among local officials. One particularly contentious debate arose in the 1990s when department officials struggled to explain a rapid fall in arrests, first claiming that it was evidence of success at moving toward problem solving and later reversing and claiming credit for a rise in arrests as proof that officers were working harder. The lessons of that period can sometimes appear lost, but are worth remembering. Notably: Shifty analysis undermines sensible policy. And here we are again. Does the LAPD need more officers to combat violent crime at a time when violent crime is dropping? Perhaps not, but it may need those resources to respond to property crimes and it may need support elsewhere. At Rampart and throughout Los Angeles, officers complain about Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, who has attempted to institute policies that are less punishing of criminals who are driven by addiction, has eliminated bail for minor offenses and has declined to prosecute many misdemeanors. At Rampart on Tuesday, one officer complained that it was hardly worth arresting criminals for burglary because they were back on the street within hours. Its just a ticket, the officer said. Officers love to complain about prosecutors (and vice versa), but its fair to ask whether the agencies responsible for arresting criminals and those charged with prosecuting them are working together. And the answer to that is no. At a recent press conference of city leaders to address smash-and-grab robberies, Gascon was pointedly excluded. He then called a press conference of his own and sniped at reporters for asking questions, rarely a good sign. Amid that confusion, the Los Angeles City Council recently approved Mayor Karen Bass request for additional funds to retain officers and hire others. Its nominal budget impact is negligible, increasing the LAPDs authorized strength from 9,460 officers to 9,500. But much of the money the mayor is dedicating to hiring and retention is needed just to stem attrition. The council voted 13-1 to approve a budget that allocates $3.2 billion to the LAPD, about 25% of every dollar that Los Angeles spends on services. That budget includes money to hire some 400 officers in order to reverse the current trends in attrition. What the trends in violent and property crime suggest, however, is that the current challenges facing law enforcement in Californias major cities, certainly in Los Angeles, are less about the raw numbers of police officers and more about thoughtful, coordinated policies to deter and respond to those crimes. The city could use better targeting of resources officers assigned to property crimes in places such as Rampart and more coherent prosecution strategies, starting with the recognition that lawlessness and community disorder can give rise to more serious offenses. Good data, smartly analyzed by public officials committed to public safety is at the core of any intelligent response to crime. Very little about Los Angeles current efforts does much to instill confidence. Jim Newton is a veteran journalist, best-selling author and teacher. He worked at the Los Angeles Times for 25 years as a reporter, editor, bureau chief and columnist, covering government and politics. He teaches at UCLA and founded Blueprint magazine. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Los Angeles leaders are struggling to respond productively to crime FILE - Vehicles enter at the main security gate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary the Angola Prison, the largest high-security prison in the country in Angola, La., Aug. 5, 2008. A federal judge ruled on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 that incarcerated youths be removed from a temporary lockup, at a former death row building in Louisianas adult maximum-security prison.(AP Photo/Judi Bottoni, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) NEW ORLEANS (AP) Juvenile detainees who were being held at a former death row building at Louisiana's adult penitentiary were transferred to a new facility in north Louisiana, state juvenile justice officials said Friday. Friday was the deadline a federal judge had set for moving the youths from the prison at Angola in rural West Feliciana Parish. The state had won a temporary delay from a federal appeals court that was preparing to consider the case. The state said it would continue with its appeal, even while going ahead with the transfer. The announcement from the Office of Juvenile Justice said the state found that a Jackson Parish juvenile facility that opened in July could accept the youths being held at Angola. They are to be housed there until work is completed on a new state facility in Monroe. The number of youths involved in the transfer was not released. Juvenile detainees and their advocates allege in a lawsuit that youths have been held in harmful conditions at the penitentiary. Although the juveniles have been segregated from adult prisoners since the temporary facility opened during the summer of 2022, they have suffered dangerous heat waves, extended confinement to their cells, foul water and inadequate schooling, according to the complaint. Proponents have argued that the space is needed to house high-risk aggressive youths, many of whom have been involved in violent incidents at other detention facilities, and that locking them up at the adult prison keeps the community safe. Gov. John Bel Edwards had announced the transfer of youths to Angola after an escapee from a New Orleans area facility was accused in a carjacking and shooting before he was recaptured. State officials have vehemently disagreed with plaintiff's claims, and some of U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick's findings, about conditions at the Angola facility. OJJ continues to disagree with the courts ruling, which we believe contained several findings about the conditions at the West Feliciana Center for Youth that are at odds with the facts, the statement said. The transfer of youths to Angola was supposed to have been a short-term fix, with a goal of moving youths from Angola to a new secure facility in Monroe by spring 2023. However, the timeline has been pushed back to November. ___ AP reporter Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report. SARAJEVO, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The second batch of materials donated by China for fighting the African swine fever was handed over to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Thursday. A handover ceremony was held in the city of Gradiska in the northwestern region of the Republika Srpska (RS), one of the BiH's two entities. The aid consists of funds and equipment to fight the spread of the swine fever. In the presence of RS President Milorad Dodik, a document on the handover of the aid was signed at the ceremony at the customs terminal in Gradiska by Chinese Ambassador to BiH Ji Ping and Director of the BiH Veterinary Office Sasa Boskovic. Ji said that livestock farming is one of the pillars of agriculture in BiH, but the outbreak of the African swine fever has seriously affected the livelihood of about 600 farmers. He hoped that the donation will help farmers reduce losses and contribute to a rapid post-epidemic recovery of BiH's economy. At the end of July, the Chinese Embassy in BiH donated the first batch of anti-swine-fever aid to the RS, following the World Organization for Animal Health confirmed the outbreak of the animal disease there in June. The RS government declared a state of emergency in the northeast region on July 10. Irene Ortega was flying from France to Germany when she says her $955 Rimowa suitcase was lost. When 42 days passed without her suitcase, she flew from Malaysia to Germany to search for the bag. Ortega said she couldn't find her bag altogether, worth $5,000 at Lufthansa's luggage warehouses. When Irene Ortega's new, shiny black Rimowa suitcase was lost on a Lufthansa flight, she spent more than $1,000 on flights and 14 hours on a plane in an attempt to track down her bag, she told Insider. While she said she convinced Lufthansa staff to let her comb through rows of lost suitcases once she landed in Munich on a flight from Malaysia, Ortega couldn't find her $955 suitcase and its contents, which she said were worth around $4,000. It's been more than three months, and Ortega's bag is still missing. But she told Insider she wants her luggage back, along with the Gucci sneakers, Le Creuset accessories, and the designer goods inside. Ortega lost her bag at the end of a 3-week trip to Europe At the end of May, Ortega and her husband were wrapping up a three-week trip across Europe. One of the final flights was from Toulouse, France, to Frankfurt, Germany, with a layover in Munich. (The itinerary was viewed by Insider.) On May 22, the couple arrived at the airport in Toulouse, where they priority-checked their two bags with Lufthansa, Ortega said. They landed in Frankfurt and headed for baggage claim. Ortega said her husband's bag came out immediately, and they waited for Ortega's Rimowa suitcase to land on the conveyor belt. Soon, it became clear that Ortega's bag wasn't there. The same day, Ortega filed a report with Lufthansa (which was viewed by Insider) for the missing luggage. Airport staff told her at the time that passengers are usually reunited with their suitcases within a few days. Ortega and her husband were only in Germany for a day, and by the end of it, she still didn't have her bag or any updates on where it might be, she said. After contacting the airline and learning that they still hadn't found her bag, Ortega headed back to one of her homes in the Philippines. When she got home, she didn't give up her search. Every day, she said she called and emailed Lufthansa requesting updates on her lost luggage. But since the customer-service representatives weren't stationed at the Munich or Frankfurt airport, she said they never had any updates specific to her case. In a statement sent to Insider, a Lufthsana representative said that "travelers can report lost baggage up to 21 days after arrival. Lufthansa then searches intensively for the lost baggage for at least 90 days, regardless of whether or not compensation claims have already been made by the travelers." Lufthansa did not respond to a request for comment on Ortega's case specifically. Irene Ortega said she wasn't sure which airport had her bag, so she flew to 2 Around day 20 of her bag missing, Lufthansa issued Ortega $1,700 in compensation. (The email was viewed by Insider.) In a statement sent to Insider, a Lufthansa representative said, "The Montreal Convention has established binding regulations on damage to or loss of baggage." The convention, which is an agreed-upon treaty with most developed nations, outlines the rules airlines must follow when it comes to claims for delayed, lost, or damaged luggage. Forbes reported that as of January 2023, the max compensation is about $1,731 close to the amount that Ortega received. Still, Ortega wanted her bag back. By the sixth week without it, Ortega decided to take matters into her own hands. At the time, she was in Malaysia and booked a flight to Munich that she said cost her about $910. When she landed in Munich on July 3, she begged Lufthansa workers at the airport to let her look for her bag. A room with luggage at the Frankfurt airport in Germany. Irene Ortega "After crying and begging, I was able to go to one small storage room," Ortega said. The room only held bags for recent flights, and since Ortega's bag had been missing for a while, it wasn't there, she said. But Ortega wasn't done looking. Since her original flight landed in Frankfurt, she thought there was a chance her bag could be there. Plus, she said she had read rumors on a Lufthansa Complaints Facebook group that Munich often sends lost luggage to warehouses in Frankfurt. So, she booked a Lufthansa flight from Munich to Frankfurt for the next day to continue her search. This flight, she said, cost her 14,000 miles and $130. In Frankfurt, Ortega said a Lufthansa worker agreed to help her search in one of the airport's warehouses where they keep lost luggage. In the room, she spotted hundreds of bags belonging to travelers. "I was shocked," she said. "You can imagine, it's just floor-to-ceiling racks of luggage." Unfortunately, she said, her bag wasn't within the aisles of suitcases either. Irene Ortega said her suitcase was filled with luxury items she had purchased on her three-week trip to Europe. Irene Ortega Ortega said the compensation doesn't begin to cover the luxury items in her suitcase Ortega said her Rimowa Essential suitcase cost her $955. Inside, she said she had designer labels as well as brand-new belongings she purchased during the three-week trip. The items included a pair of $923 Gucci sneakers, $215 of Le Creuset accessories, a $225 Mont Blanc belt, and $875 worth of skincare. "Inside, everything is branded," Ortega said referring to the designer items in her suitcase. "Even my underwear is branded." Together, her total claim amount was $4,968 (which was viewed by Insider). But Ortega said it's not just the money that she cares about. Some of the items in her bag had value beyond their cost, and she said she believes Lufthansa should take more accountability for losing her bag. Ortega is one of thousands of travelers to lose their luggage During the last few months, Ortega has been scouring the Lufthansa Complaints Facebook group daily searching for advice and tips from other travelers. The group, which isn't directly affiliated with the airline, has more than 10,000 members and is dedicated to Lufthansa passengers who say they've had issues with flights and baggage. In the group, passengers describe similar stories of lost luggage. Some users share their tips and tricks on how they successfully tracked down their bags like showing up to the airport in person and others share horror stories of searching for lost luggage in enormous warehouses to no avail. Ortega said she's been shocked that there are so many stories like hers. Lost luggage is a larger issue in the airline industry. The Department of Transportation reported that across 10 US-based carriers, there were more than 200,000 mishandled bags in May 2023 alone. And it's not just Ortega who has gone to great lengths to look for lost bags. Earlier this year, Dermot Lennon arrived at the Dublin Airport only to learn that his bag had been lost on his flight between Ireland and Australia, as Insider previously reported. After a week without his luggage, he purchased a plane ticket so he could access the airport's baggage claim, where he ultimately found his bag. Do you have a travel nightmare to share? Insider would like to hear from you. Email mhumphries@insider.com. Read the original article on Insider New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said Donald Trumps comments to Megyn Kelly on Thursday caught at least one person close to the former president off guard. That was a surprisingly candid statement that one person who is an ally of his described as a confession to me about an hour ago, Haberman told CNNs Anderson Cooper. She was referring to Trumps response to a question about the impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, in which he not only indicated it was in retaliation for his own impeachments, but suggested they were only just getting started. I think had they not done it to me ... perhaps you wouldnt have it being done to them, Trump told Kelly, then took it a step further: And this is gonna happen with indictments, too. Haberman said some Republicans are worried the admission could hurt the party during next years election. That is something people had been hoping to avoid him saying explicitly around this Biden impeachment inquiry, because it does make it seem as if it is less on the level, she said. It makes it harder for Republicans who are going to get dragged into this to sell it in districts that are more centrist. See more of her discussion with Cooper below: By Mushtaq Ali and Mohammad Yunus Yawar PESHAWAR, Pakistan/KABUL (Reuters) -The main land crossing on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan re-opened on Friday after a closure of nine days following shooting between guards on both sides, a senior Pakistani official told Reuters. Thousands of travellers and hundreds of trucks laden with goods were stranded last week by the closure of the Torkham border crossing, at the western end of the fabled Khyber Pass. "It's opened for pedestrian and vehicular traffic," Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of Pakistan's Khyber district, told Reuters. A security official in Torkham said talks between the two sides had resolved the issue that sparked the clashes. Spokespersons for Pakistan's foreign ministry and authorities in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar confirmed the re-opening. The road is a key lifeline for landlocked Afghanistan, linking the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar to Jalalabad, the main city in Nangarhar, and the route onwards to the capital, Kabul. "The border closure was causing huge losses to traders and common people of the two neighbouring countries," said Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Among dozens of families braving the heat and humidity in a bid to return home was an Afghan refugee, Mohammad Ismail, who had spent a week in a makeshift shelter in Peshawar with his wife and four children, waiting for the border to open. "They're not letting us go back," Ismail told a Reuters photographer, saying that officials were not acknowledging his legal documents, although he had pleaded with them to let the family cross over and seek medical assistance. "All my children have fallen sick," he added. The refugee family has been in Pakistan for the last three years. Dozens more families in the queue also complained of very slow processing of documents. Lining the route nearby were hundreds of vehicles carrying perishable fruits, vegetables and other items. Pakistan's top diplomat in Kabul met the Taliban administration's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss the re-opening, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. In its account of the clashes at Torkham, Pakistan said the Taliban administration had tried to encroach on its territory with the construction of an "unlawful structure" and cited "indiscriminate firing" by Afghan forces. The Taliban foreign ministry criticised the closure of the crossing and said Pakistan security forces had fired on its border guards as they fixed an old security outpost. Ties between the neighbours have occasionally been testy, mainly because of border disputes and Islamabad's accusations that militants launch attacks in its territory from bases in Afghanistan, charges that Afghan authorities deny. (Reporting by Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar and Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul; Additional reporting by Fayaz Aziz at Torkham; Writing by Gibran Peshimam and Asif Shahzad; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Clarence Fernandez) . ASHEVILLE - A 47-year-old murder suspect in a Sept. 2 West Asheville shooting that left one man dead is now in custody in the Buncombe County Detention Facility after being extradited Sept. 14 from the Dubois County Jail in Indiana. After Asheville Police Department officers responded to reports of shots being fired just before noon on Sept. 2, they discovered Ismael Munoz, 37, with several gunshot wounds in a residence on East Oakview Road, according to an APD news release. Munoz died from his wounds before Buncombe County EMS could transfer him to the hospital. Arturo Cordero Martinez, 47, was charged with first-degree murder following the results of a search warrant executed on the scene by Criminal Investigations Division detectives and forensic technicians, according to the news release. However, Martinez fled the state before being arrested. Asheville Police Department Sgt. Charles Wells contacted Indiana State Police Trooper Connor Giesler to assist in apprehending Martinez, informing Geiser that the suspect was traveling from Asheville to Colorado in a 2001 Ford Mustang bearing a Tennessee license plate, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Citizen Times Sept. 14. Martinezs phone was actively being tracked by Asheville PD, according to the affidavit. More: Family, friends remember Asheville teen murder victim on birthday; condemn gun violence More: Update: Mars Hill carjacking suspect charged with attempted murder, Sheriff's Office says ISP troopers were informed the suspects vehicle was traveling west on Interstate 64 near the 115-mile marker in the early afternoon hours of Sept. 2, according to a news release from ISP. Giesler located Martinezs vehicle on I-64 and conducted a traffic stop, taking Martinez into custody without incident, according to the news release. During his arrest, ISP troopers believed Martinez was driving while intoxicated, without an operators license and while in possession of cocaine. After ISP troopers took Martinez into custody, he admitted to Trooper Villanueva that he had used cocaine approximately 30 minutes prior to being stopped, according to the affidavit. In addition to the first-degree murder warrant out of Asheville, Martinez was taken to the Dubois County Security Center and processed on the charges of possession of cocaine, operating a motor vehicle without a license and three counts of operating while intoxicated, including a charge of having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. However, Dubois County Prosecutor Beth Schroeder informed the Citizen Times that she will not be filing these additional charges against Martinez. I am not filing charges on him because I do not want him here, Schroeder said. They are taking him back to North Carolina on his murder warrant. Theres nothing wrong with those charges, I just dont want him being tied to Dubois County. He can go back to where he came from. Schroeder said she could file the charges in the future if issues arise, but she doesnt plan to right now. She said Martinez will be extradited to Asheville in the very near future, but didnt give an exact date due to security concerns. Aaron Sarver, spokesperson for the Buncombe County Sheriff Office, confirmed Sept. 14 that Martinez is listed on the inmate log, meaning he is currently being held in the Buncombe County Detention Facility. Martinez was living in Asheville at the time of the shooting, according to Schroeder. Asheville police have not responded to multiple questions on whether Martinez or Munoz lived at the address where the shooting took place or if the two men knew each other. When ISP troopers arrested Martinez, the following items were found in his vehicle, according to the affidavit: A black Taurus-brand 9mm pistol. A black Taurus-brand 9mm pistol magazine. A spent 9mm cartridge. Brass knuckles. A blue Motorola-brand cellphone. A small plastic bag containing a powder substance that field tested positive for cocaine. Martinez has an add-on court date of Sept. 14, according to an online jail database. Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. News tips? Email Ryley at rober@gannett.com. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Man charged with fatal W. Asheville shooting extradited from Indiana FILE - A man is apprehended after being in a pickup truck parked on the sidewalk in front of the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building, as seen from a window of the U.S. Capitol, Aug. 19, 2021, in Washington. A man whose bomb threat near the U.S. Capitol forced evacuations and sparked an hourslong standoff with police in 2021 was sentenced to five years of probation Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Floyd Ray Roseberry was experiencing a mental-health crisis at the time of the threat, and during the year that he served in jail after his arrest he stopped a violent assault on a guard, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras said. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) WASHINGTON (AP) A man whose bomb threat near the U.S. Capitol forced evacuations and sparked an hourslong standoff with police in 2021 was sentenced to five years of probation Friday. Floyd Ray Roseberry was experiencing a mental-health crisis at the time of the threat, and during the year that he served in jail after his arrest he stopped a violent assault on a guard, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras said. I'm very optimistic that this was the worst day of your life and nothing like this will ever happen again, Contreras said. In August 2021, Roseberry, of Grover, North Carolina, drove a black pickup truck onto a sidewalk near the Library of Congress and began shouting to people in the street that he had a bomb, authorities said. It came as Washington was still on edge months after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and his threat forced many of the same workers to again flee from their offices. Roseberry, 52, professed a litany of antigovernment grievances and demanded that President Joe Biden step down as part of a bizarre episode he livestreamed for a Facebook audience, authorities said. He surrendered after about four hours. Police said they did not find a bomb but did collect possible bomb-making materials. Defense attorney Mary Petras said Roseberry briefly glommed onto political events in the news, but was primarily affected by his mental-health crisis. With few treatment options in his hometown, he had been put on improper medication that likely contributed to his episode, she said. Prosecutors did not dispute that finding. He got court-ordered treatment for his bipolar disorder after his arrest that was found to be effective before he was declared mentally competent to proceed with the case. I've watched all the videos and I take full responsibility for what happened," Roseberry said. If I had been on the correct medication it would not have happened." After his arrest, Roseberry was held in jail in Washington for about a year, and at one point he stepped in to help a guard who had been attacked from behind and beaten, Contreras said. Roseberry grabbed the man and stopped the attack as he was about to hit the guard again, though his actions later made him a target for fellow inmates, he said. Contreras cited Roseberrys selfless act as he handed down the sentence. Prosecutor Christopher Tortorice had argued for a 2 1/2-year prison sentence, saying it would send a message that this is unacceptable. The defense had asked for the year in jail he already served as well as three years of probation. SAN DIEGO A man was convicted Friday for gunning down a marijuana delivery driver in Southcrest. Ismail Abouabid, 20, was found inside a vehicle with a fatal gunshot wound in the 4000 block of Boston Avenue on Jan. 15, 2020, the San Diego Police Department reported. Man sentenced for killing brother with crossbow Witnesses told investigators three male teenagers had been with Abouabid just prior to his death and walked off toward a nearby park just before he was found. Deputy District Attorney Kerry Conway alleged the slaying stemmed from a marijuana purchase arranged by Raheem Malik Meals, who was 18 years old at the time. According to Conway, Meals robbed and shot Abouabid in the head. Designer blankets worth $10,000 stolen from Bonita home Meals was arrested several months later on Aug. 21, 2020 in connection to the crime. He plead not guilty for robbery and murder. While back in court Friday, Meals was found guilty on all counts, according to the Public Affairs Office for San Diegos Superior Court. This included murder in the first degree, robbery, having a concealed firearm on person, and attempted robbery. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. A man has filed a lawsuit against Canadian police after he allegedly found a female police officer in his bedroom when he walked out of the shower naked. The alleged incident took place at Kirk Forbes home in Coquitlam, British Columbia, back in June 2022, Global News BC reports. Mr Forbes said that he had just finished taking a shower when he walked into his bedroom to find the woman. Mr Forbes said that she did not immediately identify herself and only revealed that she was with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) when he asked what she was doing inside his home. The officer reportedly told him that she was trying to serve him a traffic ticket. I felt violated in my own home, Mr Forbes told CBC. Thats my safe place. It should always be that way. The ordeal left Mr Forbes, who was seen naked by the officer, feeling shocked and embarrassed, he said. Late, after he hurried to get dressed, he went to his living room and found a male officer searching the residence. The officers reportedly told Mr Forbes that they had knocked on his door and found it was open. One of the officers then reportedly joked about investigating a potential break-in before they handed the traffic summons to Mr Forbes and left the home. RCMP said in a statement that the officers entered Mr Forbes home after deeming the residence apparently insecure. Mr Forbes claims he was not aware of the traffic violation, which occurred in 2021 in a township two hours away from his home. Mr Forbes said he was never pulled over for that violation. I was confused and, at that point, pretty much in a state of shock, Mr Forbes said. This is all [because of] a six-month-old alleged traffic violation that I find myself in the situation, and I do find it just unreasonable, unprofessional and unwarranted. The agency said that the officers thought they had dealt with Mr Forbess concerns informally before he filed the complaint. RCMP will now conduct a review of the documentation available in the case, including radio transmissions and other related material. As with any civil claim against the RCMP, the Department of Justice will review the claim and prepare a statement of defence for the RCMP which will then be issued through the courts. It would be inappropriate for us to provide any further comment at this time, the statement read. Mr Forbes told CBC that he now feels anxious in his own home. He also claimed that several attempts to obtain answers from RCMP were unsuccessful and that in one instance he was referred to as the shower guy by a receptionist. It was pretty disturbing to find out that for some reason this incident has become the talk of the police station, and that was not a pleasant feeling for sure, Mr Forbes told CBC. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Police are investigating after a man was found dead near the Shelby County Jail Thursday afternoon. Police say at 6:40 p.m., officers were flagged down at BB King and Washington in regard to an unresponsive man. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. MPD says there are no signs of foul play at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. TEHRAN, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has seized two foreign tankers carrying more than 1.5 million liters of smuggled fuel in the country's southern waters, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Friday. The Panama- and Tanzania-flagged tankers were seized by IRGC's naval forces stationed in the southwestern port city of Bandar-e Mahshahr, the Mehr quoted Mohammad-Sharif Shirali, deputy commander of IRGC's third marine zone, as saying. He added that the two tankers, which smuggled Iran's diesel in an organized manner, were confiscated under a judicial order. Shirali noted that 37 crew members on board the two tankers have been referred to the country's judicial authorities. A Williamson County jury sentenced Hector De Jesus Villatoro-Guevara to 45 years in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend. A Williamson County jury has sentenced a man to 45 years in prison in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend in Cedar Park. The jury found Hector De Jesus Villatoro-Guevara, 33, guilty of the murder of Cameron Wilcox on Wednesday and sentenced him on Thursday, according to a news release from the district attorney's office. "This case is a tragic example of how a disagreement or argument can escalate into a deadly confrontation when a gun is involved," Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said in the release. "We are pleased that justice has been served for Cameron Wilcox and his family. My office will continue to seek justice for the victims of senseless gun violence within our community." Cameron Wilcox was killed by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend in a driveway in Cedar Park Defense attorney Vikash Bhakta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. "The defense claimed that Villatoro-Guevara acted in self-defense, but the jury rejected this argument and returned the guilty verdict after deliberating for only thirty minutes," the release said. Hector De Jesus Villatoro-Guevara fatally shot Cameron Wilcox in a front of Villatoro-Guevara's two daughters and the mother of the girls. The fatal shooting happened after a July 7, 2021, confrontation at an H-E-B grocery store where Villatoro-Guevara was shopping with his and his ex-girlfriend's 4-year-old and 6-year-old daughters, the release said. It said Villatoro-Guevara ran into his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Heredia, and 30-year-old Wilcox in the checkout line and confronted Wilcox with raised fists. More: Man killed in Cedar Park was known as family peacemaker Villatoro-Guevara then followed his ex-girlfriend and Wilcox to their home on Peach Tree Lane in Cedar Park, where witnesses saw him park at the end of the driveway, retrieve a handgun from the backseat and open a closed gate to enter the driveway, the district attorney's office said. More: Cedar Park police: Man fatally shot ex-girlfriend's boyfriend Villatoro-Guevara fired two shots into the air and then shot Wilcox "multiple times in broad daylight," the release said. It said the shooting happened in front of Villatoro-Guevara's and his ex-girlfriend's two daughters. Wilcox and Heredia were unloading groceries from their car when the shooting occurred, Heredia has said. Wilcox, who was unarmed, died at the scene. He graduated from Cole High School in San Antonio and worked in a variety of jobs, including in the information technology field, a relative has said. He was training to be a medical assistant when he died. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man found guilty of Cameron Wilcox murder in Cedar Park sentenced A man was sentenced to 60 years in prison Friday after he was found guilty of murder in a 2021 Fort Worth shooting, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office said in a social media post. Hector Deleon, 43, was sentenced by a Tarrant County jury at the conclusion of the trial Friday. On May 24, 2021, Deleon went into a business, Kool Stuff Smoke Shop on Northeast 28th Street in the Diamond Hill neighborhood, where he shot 34-year-old Christopher Esparza, according to the district attorneys office. Esparza died from a gunshot wound to his back and his death was ruled a homicide by the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office. With a long history of violent crime, Deleon also admitted to wounding Esparza in a previous shooting in 2019, the district attorneys office said. A man was mauled to death by dogs in a horrendous attack in England, police said. Ian Price, 52, was set upon by two dogs on Sept. 14 in Stonnall, a village about 130 miles northwest of London, according to a police news release. Price died attempting to shield his mother from the animals, which had gotten loose from a nearby property, according to the Guardian. Our deepest sympathies remain with the family and friends of Ian, police said. A 30-year-old man who was believed to be watching the dogs was later arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, police said. The dogs, both of which died, were believed to be American XL Bullies. Tests are being conducted in order to reach a conclusive determination. Multiple people have been attacked in the United Kingdom by dogs believed to be American XL Bullies in recent years. An 11-year-old girl was injured in an attack in 2023, according to the Independent, and a 10-year-old boy was killed in 2021, according to the BBC. Its clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs; its a pattern of behavior, and it cannot go on, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a video posted on X on Sept 15. I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks with a view to then outlawing it, Sunak said. Though the breed is not well-defined, American XL Bullies are a cross between American Staffordshire terriers and pit bull terriers, according to the BBC. They can weigh up to 130 pounds and have enough strength to overwhelm an adult. Missing woman found dead days after crash, Louisiana police say. Boyfriend charged Soldiers of Christ beat and starve woman to death, put her in car trunk, GA cops say Popeyes cashier steals customers credit card and goes shopping, Texas cops say Lowndes County deputies were surprised to learn a man theyd pulled over for speeding had actually been indicted in the deaths of 17 people and an unborn child. According to the Valdosta Daily Times, deputies spotted a man speeding down I-75 and pulled him over. The driver said he was from the Bahamas and did not have a drivers license. The Valdosta Daily Times reported that he was arrested for several traffic and drug violations. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] While he was being booked, investigators learned he had given them a fake name. The driver was identified as Travis Jamal Moss. The Valdosta Daily Times reported that Moss had been indicted in a 2022 human smuggling operation that sent 40 people into the water when a boat leaving Nassau in the dark hit rough seas. Of those people, 17 people died. TRENDING STORIES: Moss and two others were indicted in their deaths. His specific role in the incident is unclear. He was also wanted on outstanding warrants in Broward and Orange counties in Florida. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Marjorie Taylor Greene has admitted that the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry is a nakedly political scheme to ensure Democrats lose big at the next presidential election. The Georgia firebrand, who first filed articles of impeachment against the president the day after his inauguration, boasted that Republicans were planning to draw out the inquiry to smear their opponents. We are going to drag Biden and everyone who covered up his crimes through the headlines day after day, month after month, and prove to the country the entire Democrat party is corrupt and cant be trusted, Ms Greene declared in a social media post on Thursday night. So no matter which candidate runs for president if they take Biden out, everyone will know the Democrat party is filled with liars and traitors. That, combined with Bidenomics destructive policies, will cause Democrats to lose big. Ms Greene also posted the statement to Truth Social, where it was shared by Donald Trump. Under intense pressure from far-right Republican lawmakers, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced this week he had opened the impeachment inquiry to investigate allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. The probe came after exhaustive GOP efforts failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing by Mr Biden or that he directly benefited from the business dealings of his son Hunter Biden during his vice presidency. Mr Biden told a Democratic fundraiser on Wednesday that he believes the inquiry was linked to Republican efforts to shut down the government. Marjorie Taylor Greene says the Biden impeachment is to ensure Democrats lose big (Associated Press) Ms Greene this week told The New York Times she had briefed Mr Trump on her strategy of making the inquiry long and excruciatingly painful for Mr Biden. The former president also met with House Republicans to urge them to impeach his likely opponent in the 2024 presidential elections. The Biden impeachment is not the first time Republicans have admitted using the formal levers of power to go after their political opponents. A House committee probe into the 2012 Benghazi attack that attempted to blame then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stretched on for two years and four months, longer than inquiries into 9/11 and the JFK assassination. In 2015, Mr McCarthy admitted the investigation was part of a strategy to bring down Ms Clintons popularity ahead of the 2016 election. Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee, he told Fox News Sean Hannity in an interview. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because shes untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened, had we not fought. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene , R-Ga., speaks during a news conference held by the House Freedom Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. She was removed from the Freedom Caucus earlier this summer. | Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, Associated Press On Thursday, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congresswoman from Georgia, told reporters she is not a member of the burn-it-all-down caucus anymore, referring to the hardline Freedom Caucus. Im a greatly, very happily a free agent and I want to do my job here. Greene was booted from the Freedom Caucus earlier this summer. Frustrations with Greene reached a boiling point after she got into a public spat on the House floor with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), calling her a little (expletive). Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.,) told Politico in July that while the clash with Boebert was the straw that broke the camels back, the Freedom Caucus was also unhappy with her support for Kevin McCarthy and her break with the group on the debt bill. Related Today, Greene expressed her frustration at members of the caucus after a closed-door GOP conference meeting, as reported by the Hill. A lot of my colleagues that are saying those things werent even in that room, so they werent there to hear any of the conversation nor raise their concerns, Greene said after emerging from the meeting. They cant stand out and hold press conferences but not attend our conference meetings and expect to work things out. Greene continues to be a close ally of McCarthy. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.,), a staunch member of the Freedom Caucus, told McCarthy earlier this week that McCarthy had not kept his end of the deal with caucus members. I rise today to serve notice. Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role. The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate total compliance or remove you, pursuant to a motion to vacate the chair, Gaetz said Tuesday. He also accused McCarthy of serving as a valet for Bidens spending agenda. Thursday, McCarthy shot back and dared hard-right members to try to oust him. You guys think Im scared of a motion to vacate. Go ... ahead and do it. Im not scared, McCarthy reportedly told the House GOP conference in the same closed-door meeting Greene attended. The frustrations Thursday emerged as the government faces a looming deadline to avoid shutting down: Sept. 30. A handful of staunchly conservative lawmakers announced Wednesday they would not move forward on the bill to fund defense because, as The Washington Post reports, their demands of leadership have not been met. Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was in office during the last government shutdown 10 years ago. He has a message for the Republican conference thinking about letting it happen again. Dont do it. Fewer than a dozen working days remain before the deadline. Holly Richardson is the editor of Utah Policy North Carolina still owes Mark Carver an apology, his attorney says. The 55-year-old spent more than eight years in prison, convicted in 2011 of murdering UNC Charlotte student Irina Yarmolenko. But the case never added up. As The Charlotte Observer reported in a 2016 series, Death by the River, Carver had carpal tunnel syndrome, limiting his grip and casting doubt on him strangling Yarmolenko to death. His IQ, tested to be somewhere in the 60s or 70s, raised questions about how he could have schemed and executed a murder. More damning, DNA samples collected from the students car the cases linchpin were gathered with an often doubted technique called touch DNA. After the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence took Carvers case, Superior Court Judge Christopher Bragg overturned his conviction in 2019, citing ineffective defense from his past lawyers. A Gaston County prosecutors appeal failed. In 2022 the countys district attorney dismissed the murder charge, citing no longer sufficient DNA evidence. Out of prison for about four years, Carver is still waiting for Gov. Roy Cooper to approve a pardon of innocence, which his lawyer formally requested nearly a year ago. That would bring needed closure, Carver told The Observer this week. It would also make him eligible to financial compensation for the years he was locked away. I want to clear my name of something I didnt do, he said during a phone interview. Im just like anybody else. Put yourself in my position. Wouldnt you want the same thing? Mark Carver on Sept. 13, 2023. The path to prison Theres a car thats run off an embankment and theres a body laying there! a 911 caller reported. Twenty-year-old Irina Yarmolenkos body was found on a remote riverbank of the Catawba River, near Mount Holly, on May 5, 2008. A bungee cord, her hoodies drawstring and a ribbon were wrapped around her neck. That day, Carver and cousin Neal Cassada were fishing nearby. They were charged later that year. At the trial, Carvers defense attorneys introduced no evidence, believing that the states case was weak, one told The Observer. But the purported DNA match, proximity to the scene and misleading testimony from a detective helped a jury convict Carver of first-degree murder. He consistently said that he didnt kill Yarmolenko or even see her or her car. He allowed his cheeks to be swabbed for DNA testing, repeatedly offered to take a polygraph and ultimately turned down a plea deal. He spent the next eight years behind bars, serving what was meant to be a life sentence. A long, hard, frustrating road Cassada died from a heart attack on the Sunday before his 2011 trial. While Carver sat in prison, he missed graduations, the birth of one of his grandchildren and one of his daughters getting married. Other family members died. Now exonerated, he is back in Gaston County, living with his father mostly. Disabled, he doesnt work. He doesnt fish anymore. His arrest soured that longtime hobby, he said. He wants the government to apologize for the years lost. It has been a long, hard, and frustrating road for Mr. Carver, a petition for a pardon of innocence dated Sept. 19, 2022, says. It was filed by Carvers longtime lawyer who helped overturn his conviction, Christine Mumma, the executive director of the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence. A pardon of innocence would acknowledge that Carvers conviction was wrongful, and could entitle him to $50,000 for every year he spent behind bars. But its not about the money, his family said. Its about clearing his name once and for all, said sister-in-law Robin Carver, who helps take care of him. Hes been exonerated. We dont understand why its taken so long for him to get the pardon. Carvers family has not heard from the governors office since the petition was filed nearly a year ago, Robin Carver said. Mumma told The Observer that the wait has taken longer than other clients shes represented. Pardon timelines vary, with no clear data With little data available, one professor said that its hard to characterize Carvers year-long wait for a pardon. I wouldnt find it atypical, Jamie Lau, a Duke Law School professor, lawyer and supervising attorney to the schools Wrongful Convictions Clinic, said. I cant say that its normal as well. Michael Parker, who was in prison for more than 20 years on charges that he sexually abused his own children in Henderson County, was exonerated with new evidence in 2014. He applied for a pardon of innocence the next year, and is still waiting on word from the governor, Lau said. By comparison Ronnie Long spent 44 years behind bars for a rape and burglary case out of Concord. He was release in 2020 and got a pardon in mere months, Lau said. In 2020 Lau and other staff at Duke lamented an increasingly foggy clemency system in an op-ed. The Governors Clemency Office stopped publishing the names and number of people who applied for clemency. The Observer requested data on the number of petitions submitted, approved, denied and pending since 2018 to better gauge how long Carvers wait has been compared to others. The governors press office did not respond to that request. Cooper has approved pardons before. In December 2022, for example, he pardoned four following rallies outside the governors mansion. Advocates had demanded that he use his clemency powers more often. N.C. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper talks with reporters after the opening ceremony of North Carolina Freedom Park in downtown Raleigh on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Expert: Clemency process a black box The Governors Clemency Office and his Office of General Counsel review pardon applications and the cases they stem from to make recommendations. The Observer made multiple requests to interview staff at the Governors Clemency Office. That office referred a reporter to the governors press team, which provided a brief statement. Requests for pardons follow an intensive review of many elements, including but not limited to outcomes in court, circumstances of the crimes, length of the sentences, records in prison and record after the sentence is completed, Jordan Monaghan, a spokesperson for Cooper, said. What exactly the review entails is vague, though, lawyers told The Observer. Once that petition goes to the governor, the process is pretty much a black box, Lau said. Its very opaque. No one knows what review takes place and what recommendations are made. The governors office has some established prerogative to secrecy, Lau said. It was reaffirmed when the Raleigh News & Observer sued then-Gov. Mike Easley in 2005. The newspaper had filed a records request with Easleys office asking for access to clemency applications, the register of applications and records that reflect support or opposition to requests. Easley released copies of clemency applications, the names of people supporting the application and documents granting clemency. The governor kept confidential copies of letters supporting and opposing clemency and related records, the News & Observer reported in 2007. Then-Wake County Superior Court Judge Evelyn Hill dismissed the lawsuit. In 2007 the state Court of Appeals upheld her dismissal. Theres some legal precedent for the governors office completely lacking transparency with respect to the issue of clemency, Lau said. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) declared a state of emergency Friday and requested that FEMA issue a Pre-Disaster Emergency Declaration as the Northeast braces for Hurricane Lees impact. Healey also activated up to 50 National Guard members to aid in storm preparations and response. I am declaring a state of emergency ahead of anticipated impacts from Hurricane Lee to ensure that the state can mobilize quickly to respond, Healey said in a statement. Were grateful for the extensive efforts of public safety officials who are responding to emergencies to keep people safe. Hurricane Lee is barreling toward the New England states and is expected to bring high winds and dangerous ocean swells. In an advisory, the National Hurricane Center reported tropical storm conditions and coastal flooding are expected to hit southern New England Friday afternoon and spread north through Saturday. These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages, the advisory said. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is encouraging residents to assemble emergency kits that include food, water, a flashlight and a radio. We are prepared to operate the State and MEMA East Regional Emergency Operations Centers 24/7 for as long as they are needed, MEMA Director Dawn Brantley said. Under the Stafford Act, a disaster relief and emergency assistance act, Massachusetts would be eligible for federal assistance to cover personnel, equipment, supplies and evacuation assistance costs. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Cape Cod, Massachusetts and other parts of eastern New England and Canada were under tropical storm warnings on Friday as Hurricane Lee heads toward the region as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Winds are expected to be strongest over the Outer Cape. Lee was traveling north on a path that could see it make landfall in Nova Scotia as a tropical storm on Saturday, forecasters said. Hurricane Lee is expected to pass to the east of Cape Cod late Friday night into Saturday morning. A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued for Cape Cod, in effect from midnight on Friday to 2 p.m. on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, one to two feet of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. Here's where to track power outages across Massachusetts as high winds could impact the area. Hurricane Lee in Massachusetts: When will the effects of Hurricane Lee arrive on Cape Cod? Watch: Live webcams on Cape Cod as storm approaches New England Massachusetts power outage map Hurricane Lee projected path tracker This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm, but does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts. The center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. Hurricane Lee spaghetti models Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts. Flashlight, batteries, nonperishables: How to prepare for possible hurricane on Cape Cod Hurricane Lee cancellations: What to look out for Contributing: Eric Williams, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massachusetts power outage map: Track outages as Hurricane Lee nears BAGHDAD, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and a targetted tribal leader wounded in an attack by unknown gunmen on Friday near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a security source said. The attack occurred in the evening when gunmen opened fire on the car of Sheikh Saeed al-Mashhadani, leader of the al-Mashhadani tribe, while he was heading to his farm in a village in the Tarmiyah, about 40 km north of Baghdad, Ammar al-Haidari from North Baghdad Operations Command told Xinhua. Al-Mashhadani was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital, while one of his companions was killed, al-Haidari said. Later the body of a farmer was also found at the scene by security forces, he said, adding the farmer, who worked on the al-Mashhadani farm, was believed to be shot dead by the gunmen. The attackers are believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) militants, al-Haidari said, stressing that the security forces launched an investigation into the incident. Sporadic attacks still haunt Iraq despite an improvement in the security situation after the defeat of the extremist militants of the Islamic State group across the country in 2017. Applying to be on MasterChef was a whim. Getting on the popular Fox show was a huge surprise to Gadsden native Savannah Miles. So, she always had a Plan B. Miles was voted off the show Wednesday night, but she started law school at the University of Alabama last month. After all, filming ended in March, and the amateur chef knew she hadnt won the $250,000 prize to open her own restaurant. Law school had always been on the local activist and farmers mind since she graduated from Harvard in 2018. Gadsden native Savannah Miles is shown with her cat Dennis the Menace in her house in Tuscaloosa, where she's in law school at the University of Alabama after making it well into the top 10 in Season 13 of Fox's "MasterChef." Its literally in her blood. Her father, Philip, is a plaintiffs attorney, as is her maternal grandfather, Greg Cusimano. I grew up working in my dads office, said the 27-year-old from her house in Tuscaloosa. Thats how I would pay for a new pair of shoes. Miles wants to be the same kind of attorney as her father and grandfather because she said she feels like thats where she can help people the most. She mentioned one lawsuit her grandfather was involved in where clients won millions from a company that was making people sick by polluting the water. You dont get paid if you dont win, she said. Miles has been helping the Gadsden community since she graduated. Shes been involved in trying to heal the racial divide she sees in her hometown, and shes joined action groups dealing with a variety of social issues. Change is hard to make, she said. But as an attorney, she might be in a better position to make more changes. Miles cast her net wide when looking at law schools. But Alabama offered her a full scholarship and she just couldnt turn that down. She said she didnt want to be six figures in debt when she got out of school. So, she and her musician boyfriend, Cory Shands, picked up and moved to Tuscaloosa from the 3-acre farm they had been running in Etowah County. They brought a little piece of it with them four chickens and two cats, Rosemary and Dennis the Menace. Her brother is keeping an eye on everything back home. They just pushed pause on their efforts at growing and delivering produce to customers. Savannah Miles of Gadsden is pictured during the "Hell's Kitchen/Semifinals" episodes of Fox's "MasterChef" that aired Wednesday. Miles was eliminated from the competition after making it well into the top 10. We actually broke even, Miles said of last summer. But instead of living in a tiny house that was a former stable, the couple is living high on the hog in Tuscaloosa, she said with a laugh. They have indoor plumbing, a washer and dryer and a dishwasher. And a bigger space for Miles to cook, something that has always been a passion. We have a cute little house, she said. Its close to campus. So far, Miles loves school. Its no cake walk for sure, she said. But my brain does still work. She said its been very humbling. I think I know the answer to something, she said, and I dont. Miles has been trying to keep up with her celebrity status on TV, too, she said. Several other chefs in the Southern group have had watch parties in various places. Shands drove 12 hours recently to get her back from Texas to be in class on time, she said. After her three years in Tuscaloosa, Miles said shell be coming back home not to go into practice with family though, she said carefully. Ill get my flaws sorted out first, she said. The university doesnt let law students work their first year, but Miles said she might get a job in a restaurant next year. Would she still open one of her own? Why not? she said. Who knows how much well have in 10 years. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: 'MasterChef' contestant Savannah Miles now in law school at UA Mayor Brandon Johnson said Thursday that elected officials should be held to a high standard even as he sidestepped a question about allegations of misconduct against Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and declared that the claims against her were settled by the city. Johnsons administration late last month decided to end the citys long legal fight to keep confidential a 2020 letter that laid out the accusations against Conyears-Ervin by an attorney for two former treasurer employees whom Conyears-Ervin fired. Asked why his administration decided to release the letter after Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration fought those efforts for two years, Johnson said we responded to the law. As I understand it, the attorney general of the state of Illinois made very clear that this was an expectation that should have been fulfilled before I arrived so we just simply, we responded to the law, Johnson said. Under Lightfoot, the city paid $100,000 to settle the claims by the two fired workers but refused to release the letter despite numerous requests by the Tribune and a binding opinion by the attorney generals office that it should be released. The December 2020 letter, which called for Conyears-Ervin to be investigated, said the city treasurer abused her power, violated the states whistleblower act and misused taxpayer resources by using government workers to run errands for her, hiring a former police officer to be her personal bodyguard and pressuring public employees to hold events benefiting political allies, among other accusations. Johnson made the comments following the Chicago City Council meeting Thursday during a customary post-council news conference. These allegations have been settled, and my hope is that we all as public servants continue to earn the trust of the people who send us here, Johnson added. And that all of us are ultimately held to a standard that I believe is quite reasonable. Although the citys Law Department settled the lawsuit brought by the former employees, Tiffany Harper and Ashley Evans, the allegations against Conyears-Ervin highlight weaknesses in the citys internal system to mete out accountability. The head of the Chicago Board of Ethics said Monday the board referred the case to the citys inspector generals office but that the board cant do more unless it receives detailed findings from the IG. The Board of Ethics is hamstrung by a lack of investigative power and instead must rely on the IGs office, which generally operates in secrecy until it releases quarterly reports. It has been almost three years since the letter was sent to the IG, which has not disclosed any findings. A former state representative who earlier this year was reelected to a second term as city treasurer, Conyears-Ervin has said she is considering a run for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. She has declined to comment on the accusations other than to release a statement in which she said the city settled the allegations in the most cost effective manner for the citizens of Chicago and that she has never, nor will I ever abuse or misuse taxpayer dollars and breach the public trust. The four-page letter claims Conyears-Ervin used government workers for her own personal use, including to plan her daughters birthday party and to be her personal bodyguard, in addition to the general accusation that she repeatedly misused taxpayer resources and pressured public employees to help her political allies. It also alleged the treasurer, who oversees city investments, tried to force BMO Harris one of the banks where city money is deposited to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for Conyears-Ervins husband, Ald. Jason Ervin , 28th. BMO officials have declined to comment. Conyears-Ervin threatened retaliation against employees who raised concerns about the conduct and other alleged misdeeds and told employees they should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them, the letter stated. The controversy dates back to November 2020, when Conyears-Ervin dismissed Harper, her chief of staff at the time, as well as Evans and two other workers, as part of what she called an office shake-up. Harper and Evans, the treasurers former chief impact officer, alleged their firings violated the Illinois whistleblower act, federal laws, and a city ordinance, and sent the letter to the city Law Department and the Board of Ethics, demanding an investigation and a reinstatement of their jobs. The Tribune sought a copy of the letter but was repeatedly denied access by Lightfoots administration. After the Illinois attorney generals office last year said in a binding opinion that the Tribune should get a copy of the letter, Lightfoots administration went to court to block its release. Johnsons administration late last month chose to drop those legal efforts. gpratt@chicagotribune.com The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a search in the residence of pro-Russian lawmaker Nestor Shufrych , Ukrainska Pravda (UP) reported on Sept. 15, citing its sources in law enforcement. The New Voice said that the lawmaker, elected for the now-banned Opposition Platform For Life party, is suspected of treason. However, the outlet's sources in the SBU did not confirm whether Shufrych was detained. Ukrinform reported that according to its sources in the Security Service, the search led to the discovery of a document dated July 2014 outlining a scheme for the "autonomy" of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, suggesting they should hold separate elections and form their own government structures. The document was signed by Shufrych and by Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who had been detained by the authorities last year and exchanged for Ukrainian military prisoners. The SBU officers also discovered prohibited Russian awards and symbols during the search, including St. George's ribbons, medals, and Russian military uniforms, UP reported, publishing photos of the search provided by a law enforcement source. According to the New Voice, Shufrych is under suspicion of working with Volodymyr Sivkovych, the former deputy chairman of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and an agent of Russian intelligence. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Sivkovych was charged with treason in July last year. According to the State Bureau of Investigation, the former official cooperated with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in carrying out "intelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine." He is currently in hiding in Russia. Earlier on Sept. 15, media reports emerged claiming that Shufrych had been detained at his home in the Kozyn village, Kyiv Oblast, but this information has not been confirmed. Shufrych was temporarily detained earlier in March 2022 by the Territorial Defense, reportedly when taking pictures of a military checkpoint in Kyiv. Read also: Investigative Stories from Ukraine: Pro-Russian politicians under sanctions in US, EU yet not in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Donald Trump just sat down with Megyn Kelly for an interview, but the SiriusXM host doesnt think hes forgiven her for calling him out eight years ago. The conservative pundit went on Newsmax to discuss her interview with the former president after it aired on Thursday. Kelly and Trump had a high-profile spat in 2015, after Kelly asked him during a GOP presidential debate about misogynistic things hed said about women. As moderator, Kelly, who worked for Fox News at the time, pointed out that Trump had called women he dislikes fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals and wondered if his temperament was suited for the presidency. Trump made incredibly sexist comments about her in return, calling her a bimbo, among other things. I like Trump. You know, our relationship is complicated, a little, I think on both ends, because of everything that happened around that question, that debate, Kelly told Newsmax host Eric Bolling. He knows, even though I like him, I have to ask him tough questions thats my job. And I know that even though hes inclined to like me, hes still ticked off about that debate question, she added. She later said she doesnt think Trump will ever totally forgive her for the question. In June, Kelly gushed about Trump after they had what she called a one-on-one together for the first time in years at a conservative conference in Florida. All that nonsense between us is under the bridge and he could not have been more magnanimous, she said at the time. Related... COVID-19 is moving back into the news, a trend that could have a political impact on the Republican primary. In particular, the issue is being weaponized by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as he seeks to make up lost ground against former President Trump. COVID hospitalizations have been rising at a rapid clip in the United States for about six weeks. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were almost 19,000 COVID-related hospital admissions in the latest week for which data is available, ending Sept. 2. The latest figures are close to a threefold increase from the roughly 6,500 hospitalizations related to COVID in the week ending July 8. This rise, in turn, led the CDC to recommend Tuesday that virtually everyone, with the exception of infants younger than 6 months, should get an updated vaccine. Those shots are intended to ameliorate any serious consequences from the newest subvariant of the omicron strain of COVID-19. There is no suggestion of a mandate regarding the new vaccination. And COVID hospitalizations, despite their recent rise, are at a tiny fraction of their level during the peak of the pandemic. Even so, the COVID issue has become a more salient one in the political sphere than it has been for a long time. DeSantis pushed back hard Wednesday against the CDC recommendations, urging anyone under the age of 65 to not get vaccinated. DeSantis asserted that he was not going to let public health bodies use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots that have not been proven to be safe or effective. DeSantis also claimed that his state would be the first state in the nation to stand up and provide guidance based on truth, not Washington edicts. The Food and Drug Administration, in a Monday statement, said that it is confident in the safety and effectiveness of these updated vaccines. DeSantiss comments are reflective of the skepticism he has shown toward federal policies on COVID-19 for some time. But they are also part of an attempt to find an exploitable vulnerability in Trumps political armor. Trump leads DeSantis by about 40 points in the current national weighted polling average maintained by data site FiveThirtyEight. That is a far wider gap than Trump enjoyed earlier in the year, before DeSantis launched his campaign. But Trump came under pressure this week during an interview with Megyn Kelly, whose show is broadcast on SiriusXM. Kelly seemed dubious of Trumps reasons for not firing Dr. Anthony Fauci as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases while in office, as many on the right wanted. She added, You made him a star This is the criticism of you, that you made him the face of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Do you think so? Trump responded. Kelly went on to note that Fauci had received a presidential commendation before Trump left office. I dont know who gave him the commendation, Trump claimed. It was a rare moment where Trump looked hesitant, even weak, while confronted with a critique from his right. On Thursday, the main super PAC supporting DeSantis, Never Back Down, released a new ad that featured excerpts from the Trump-Kelly interview as well as clips from the past of Trump calling Fauci great and a good man. DeSantiss attacks on Trump over COVID have developed a new edge. In a Thursday Fox News Radio interview with Jimmy Failla, the Florida governor mocked Trumps comments about the commendation for Fauci. Is this the immaculate commendation or something like that? Did this just happen out of thin air? DeSantis asked. DeSantis also contended that Trump would do the same thing all over again, if put in that position, and that would be disastrous for our country. Trump advisers have worried for some time that his record on COVID could be a vulnerability in a GOP primary despite the fact a vaccine was developed with remarkable speed during his administration. Trumps support for lockdowns and sporadic words of support for Fauci, with whom he had a contentious relationship, sit uneasily with the current sentiments of the GOP base. An Economist/YouGov poll from August 2022, the month in which Fauci announced he would retire, found that 75 percent of Republicans had an unfavorable view of the scientist, while only 13 percent had a favorable view of him. Those figures offered a dramatic contrast to the views of the overall population, where the plurality view of Fauci was favorable, 43 percent to 39 percent. Earlier still, in December 2021, Trump was booed at an event with commentator Bill OReilly when he revealed he had received a booster shot. I do think it is an issue where Trump has some vulnerability relative to DeSantis, whose policies were more clear, said Matt Mackowiak, chair of the Travis County, Texas, Republican Party. Mackowiak noted that DeSantis had become so identified with opposition to mandates and lockdowns that, in a Republican primary, he has a comparative advantage with most other candidates. But Mackowiak suggested the political impact of COVID to the GOP could be limited. And other voices put that point of view even more strongly. Alluding to the fact that DeSantis did, in fact, order a lockdown in Florida early in the pandemic, GOP strategist Barry Bennett said, He makes it sound like he was a fighter on COVID from Day One, and thats just not the case. Bennett, a senior adviser to Trumps 2016 campaign who worked for Miami Mayor Francis Suarezs short-lived bid this cycle, added that he was dubious that anything but a self-inflicted misstep could thwart Trump in his quest for the GOP nomination. I dont think there is anything that the rest of the field can do to beat Trump, Bennett said. Only Trump can beat Trump. The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A South Fulton County woman said a popular home rental company stole her home from her. Ciara Anderson reached out to Channel 2 Action News because she says the company, Invitation Homes, isnt honoring the lease-to-own contract she signed with them. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln learned the company is now trying to evict her. Anderson said its been a years-long battle fighting for her home. They came to my door and told me to stop the pursuit of getting my home back, Anderson said. TRENDING STORIES: Anderson, surrounded by rental housing advocates, claims the company misled her into thinking she would be able to purchase her home back from them. She says she fell behind on her mortgage in 2013 and the house was placed up for auction. Invitation Homes bought it. Soon after, a representative showed up on her front steps and offered her a two-year lease-to-own program so she wouldnt have to move. Two years came, and I approached them and asked them about the buyback option and they told me they never told me that, Anderson said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] She said when she began challenging the terms in her lease, the company started going after her with evictions. Rental advocates said this is a predatory practice where corporations pressure naive tenants into entering leases they presume are rent-to-own contracts. These companies and others are crossing state lines, a rental advocate said. Theyre doing this across the country. The City of South Fulton mayor, Khalid Kamau, said more federal oversight is needed against these corporations. It is ridiculous that we are letting residents try to go into court pro se and try to argue these complex cases when we, as governments, havent figured out how to regulate these agencies, Kamau said. According to a Fulton County judge, the home no longer belongs to Anderson. A judge ruled in favor of Invitation Homes, ordering Anderson to evict the property. Anderson said she plans to file a federal lawsuit against the company. A Johnson County strip center will be home to both a Mexican supermarket and restaurant. Alsuper Mexican Market, a 9,500-square-foot store at 10400 Shawnee Mission Parkway in the Shawnee Shopping Center, will offer a variety of Mexican products, as well as fresh meat and produce. It will also feature a Chipotle-style to-go kitchen in the back. Plus, owner Luis Ramos is opening a Mexican restaurant, El Lenador, at 10336 Shawnee Mission Parkway next door, said project manager Katrina Caddell. When Ramos was growing up, his parents owned a grocery store in Chihuahua, Mexico, Caddell said. After Ramos immigrated more than two decades ago, he began to dream of following in their footsteps. Ramos has owned his own drywall business for several years, but Alsuper remained in the back of his mind. This is his baby, Caddell said. This has been a dream of his for years, he just hasnt found the right place at the right time. El Lenador, next to Alsuper Mexican Market, will serve porchetta and other Mexican-style dishes. At El Lenador, which means lumberjack, Ramos will serve porchetta (a thickly sliced roasted pork dish), chamorro (steamed beef covered in sauce) and chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers), as well as popular Mexican dishes like quesadillas and tacos. Caddell said the grocery store is eyeing a March opening, while the restaurant may not be open until May. The supermarket and restaurant are the shopping centers two newest tenants near the Shawnee Mission Parkway and Frontage Road intersection but broker Sheryl Vickers, owner of Select Sites, is seeking other businesses to fill in the strip on either side. A Mexican market and restaurant will open in the Shawnee Shopping Center. Alsuper will sit next to Sharks Restaurant & Billiards. Vickers has leased several other spaces near downtown Shawnee, which has become a hot spot for bars and restaurants. Just this summer, Wild Child, a bar specializing in nonalcoholic drinks, opened at 11022 Johnson Drive. Brewery Friction Beer Co. opened weeks before at 11018 Johnson Drive. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) shot back at the state GOP after it sent fundraising notices related to her attempt to curb gun violence by banning firearms in the states capital. Im still waiting on a thank-you note from the New Mexico GOP, she said Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Way to use my call to action around gun violence as a fundraiser instead of using it as an opportunity for immediate action to save New Mexican lives. Lujan Grisham announced a public health order last week to ban the open and concealed carry of firearms in Albuquerque, citing rising rates of gun violence in the city. The move brought her significant backlash from Democrats and Republicans, who say the order violates the Second Amendment. Local law enforcement has pledged not to enforce the order. A firearms advocacy group filed suit against the state earlier this week. The state Republican Party said Tuesday it will file its own suit, attaching fundraising messages to the announcement. The public health order was blocked by a federal judge Wednesday pending a further decision on its legality. Lujan Grisham said she plans to continue to push for the measure. I refuse to be resigned to the status quo, and I will never stop fighting to prevent other families from enduring these tragedies, she said Wednesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Andrew Hay (Reuters) -New Mexico's governor on Friday narrowed her heavily criticized blanket suspension on the right to carry guns in the state's largest metropolitan area to one just covering parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque and its surrounding county. Michelle Lujan Grisham framed the initial suspension, which a federal judge blocked after gun rights activists challenged it, and Friday's new order as a public health response to deaths of children in gun violence, including the killing last week of an 11-year-old boy in an apparent Albuquerque road rage incident. Her unusual moved pulled New Mexico into a national debate on gun rights and public safety. Im going to continue pushing to make sure that all of us are using every resource available to put an end to this public health emergency with the urgency it deserves, the Democratic governor said in a statement. A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily froze the firearms provisions of Lujan Grisham's initial health order pending further litigation. National gun rights advocates had argued, and the judge agreed, that her 30-day suspension of firearm carry rights in all areas of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County went against a landmark 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gun rights. Democrat leaders of both chambers of New Mexico's legislature backed Lujan Grisham's modified firearms suspension at a Friday press conference. Her earlier ban had met opposition from some Democrats including the state's attorney general, as well as Albuquerque and Bernalillo county police. In response to the modified firearms restrictions, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said the city had already banned guns from almost all city parks in 2020. Keller on Wednesday urged Lujan Grisham to call a special session of the state legislature on gun violence. Lujan Grisham on Friday said she had no plan to call a special session as she believed her public health order, which includes measures on drugs and juvenile offenders, would at this time achieve more than new legislation. (Reporting By Andrew Hay; editing by Donna Bryson and Grant McCool) Commentary: China's high-quality development brings opportunities for ASEAN 10:33, September 15, 2023 By Huang Yaoteng, Zheng Bofei ( Xinhua NANNING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Over the past two decades, the partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has blossomed into a dynamic and fruitful one in the Asia-Pacific region. It serves as a shining example of endeavors to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Multilateral forums and events have been created to foster greater consensus on deepening bilateral cooperation and explore fresh opportunities. The China-ASEAN Expo, which will take place from Sept. 16 to 19 in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has witnessed the extraordinary journey spanning the "Golden Decade" and the "Diamond Decade" since its inception in 2004. Now, it is ushering in a new decade of opportunities. This year's expo is poised to consolidate a robust foundation for bolstering regional economic cooperation and further strengthening the China-ASEAN relationship. In November 2021, China and ASEAN elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking a new milestone in the history of bilateral relations and injecting new impetus into the peace, stability, prosperity, and development of the region and the entire world. Driven by the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), China and ASEAN are working together to sustain the smooth flow of trade, promote mutual investment, open up markets wider to each other, and foster deeply integrated industrial, supply and value chains. The two sides have been each other's top trading partners for three years in a row. In the first half of this year, ASEAN remained China's biggest trading partner, with the bilateral trade in goods rising 5.4 percent year on year to 3.08 trillion yuan (about 428 billion U.S. dollars). Amid a sluggish global economic recovery and an international market marked by heightened instability and uncertainty, China has displayed resilience. It stands out as one of the fastest-growing major economies and continues to function as a key engine of growth. The International Monetary Fund has recently projected China's economy expansion at 5.2 percent this year. China remains firmly committed to high-level opening up and the establishment of a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a robust legal framework. China's high-quality development and modernization represent a great boon to ASEAN and the world at large. Maintaining a strong and enduring relationship, China and ASEAN are good neighbors, good brothers and good partners. As key partners of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), ASEAN countries have seen tangible benefits from the cooperation. One example is the China-Laos Railway. Since its launch in December 2021, the railway has handled 20.9 million passenger trips and 25.36 million tonnes of cargo as of Sept. 3, according to data released by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. The China-ASEAN Expo shows a deep and enduring commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and jointly striving for a brighter and more interconnected future. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) This aerial photo taken on Sept. 15, 2023 shows a gap cutting the highway between Derna City and Sousse City in east Libya. The gap was originally linked with a bridge that was destroyed in recent heavy floods. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region. The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades. The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. (Photo by Ibrahim Hadia al-Majbri/Xinhua) TRIPOLI, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region. The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades. Also on Friday, Libya's Housing and Utilities Projects Implementation Agency revealed that the floods had damaged about 5,000 homes. It added that the floods have also ruined water supply networks, leaving people in the affected areas with a serious water shortage of drinking water. The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. The security services on Friday continued the mass burial of the retrieved bodies in Derna after taking their photos, and the city's public prosecutor is overseeing the collection of DNA samples from the victims so that they could be identified by their relatives later, local sources told Xinhua. Steel Cavillo, a Spanish humanitarian assistance worker, expressed horror at the extent of the destruction in Derna and said the hope to find more survivors is fading. As the bodies in the stricken areas start to decompose, Haider al-Sayeh, director of the National Center for Disease Control, on Friday called for the immediate evacuation of the areas affected by the floods. Al-Sayah told Xinhua that 55 cases of water contamination have been reported in the Derna after drinking water was mixed with sewage water. Osama Mohamed, a resident from Derna, said that 40 percent of the city has no electricity. "The telecommunications are weak, there is no drinking water, and only two bakeries in the city are working. The power generators need fuel, and it is difficult to get medication for people with chronic diseases," said Sulaiman al-Mabruk, a Libyan volunteer. This aerial photo taken on Sept. 15, 2023 shows people standing on the broken highway between Derna City and Sousse City in east Libya. The highway was originally linked with a bridge that was destroyed in recent heavy floods. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region. The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades. The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. (Photo by Ibrahim Hadia al-Majbri/Xinhua) A man sits in front of his destroyed house in Derna, Libya, on Sept. 15, 2023. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region. The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades. The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. (Photo by Ahmed Gaber/Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) Rescuers work in Derna, Libya, Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) A rescuer works on a damaged building in Derna, Libya on Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows people standing amid debris in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) People walk on a street in Derna, Libya on Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) A rescuer of the international rescue team searches in a damaged house in Derna, Libya on Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a man standing amid debris in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure. At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) An 11-year-old was shot and killed outside of a baseball game in Albuquerque on Sept. 6, the most recent incident in a string of horrific gun-related crimes. In response, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared gun violence a public safety emergency and announced she would suspend concealed and open carry permits for 30 days in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The governor's order wont prevent more killing, but it does violate the Constitution and would disarm law-abiding citizens. On Wednesday, a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking the temporary ban. As an Albuquerque resident, I can tell you this city is no stranger to crime. Last year, a person was killed in the park in front of my house. A few months ago, police found a body in that same park. Even since the governors gun suspension, there has been another shooting close to my home. Clearly, legislative action must be taken to prevent violent crime, but the governors plan is doomed. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issues on Sept. 8, 2023, an emergency public health order temporarily suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County. Governor admits that criminals won't follow her gun ban Shortly after her announcement, the governor admitted the 30-day gun ban would not stop criminals, but she said it would instead send "a resounding message" to everyone else to report crime by firearms. If a lack of reporting on gun crime were the problem, maybe Lujan Grisham's order would be useful. But given how laws surrounding illegal carry are enforced, even convicted criminals are unlikely to face repercussions. Rather than disarming responsible gun owners, we ought to penalize criminals who illegally carry firearms. I'm a sexual assault survivor. Now I train women to use guns to protect themselves. The governor has not made significant legislative attempts to combat crime and has instead insisted on preserving the states unsuccessful pretrial release program. The program gives discretion for the right to bail to governor-appointed judges many of whom have proved to be soft on crime. Meanwhile, Albuquerque Police Departments response times have been increasingly slow in recent years, and the state prison population is in decline. This has led Albuquerque residents, regardless of their political affiliation, to feel that the only way to ensure their safety is to arm themselves for self-protection. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Based on the governor's failure to enact meaningful legislation to put more criminals in jail, it seems that the only thing Lujan Grisham is concerned about is keeping her progressive base happy. By suspending legal carry during the states crime crisis, she makes it clear that safety is not her top priority and that even constitutional law wont stand in her way. Shooting victim says New Mexico gun suspension is unconstitutional Even Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and David Hogg, co-founder of March for Our Lives, have said that the 30-day ban is unconstitutional. By making a statement with a clearly unconstitutional declaration, Lujan Grisham gains attention and partisan support without improving anything at all. The governors disregard for her oath to the Constitution should not be tolerated. Despite what some may say or believe, democracy isnt justifying the ends with the means. International Day of Democracy: Are Republicans dishonest? Democrats immoral? Why toxic polarization threatens democracy. We need effective leaders who will work within the constitutional order to protect the people. In New Mexico, the opposition party, Republicans, must work hard to persuade voters with good candidates and a commonsense message to push back on progressive overreach. Gun violence and crime are among top issues that our politicians should address. Hunter Thomas, a Brigham Young University political science graduate and a law student. The governor has resorted to a temporary gun ban that she should know is ineffective and unconstitutional. Citizens deserve better. Hunter Thomas, a Brigham Young University political science graduate and a law student, is a Young Voices contributor. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Mexico governor's gun ban is unconstitutional and doomed to fail Attorneys for the family of a New Mexico man who was fatally shot by police officers who went to the wrong address filed a wrongful death lawsuit Friday. When Farmington police officers knocked on Robert Dotson's door on April 5, the 52-year-old answered the door holding a handgun and officers immediately opened fire, according to police and body camera footage of the incident. Dotson's wife, Kimberly Dotson, heard the shots, discovered her husband's body and fired back at the officers, the lawsuit said. The officers returned fire but she was not injured. The shooting occurred the week before a teenager in Kansas City, Missouri ,and a 20-year-old woman in upstate New York were shot after going to the wrong houses. The lawsuit, which names the city and the three officers involved in the shooting as defendants, claims the officers used "excessive, unnecessary force" and violated Dotson's civil rights. The city also failed to properly train and monitor the officers in how to properly use force, according to the suit. "It's the most horrific case I've ever seen," Doug Perrin, an attorney for Dotson's family, told USA TODAY. Flanked by family members, Kimberly Dotson, wife of the late Robert Dotson, talks about her husband's shooting dead at the hands of three Famington police officers during an April 20 press conference in Farmington, N.M. What happened during the shooting? Police were responding to a domestic violence call at 5308 Valley View Avenue when they approached 5305 Valley View Avenue instead, according to New Mexico state police, who are investigating the shooting. Body-camera footage of the incident released in April showed the officers knocking at the wrong address and announcing themselves. The officers appeared to realize they were at the wrong address and started backing away when Dotson answered the door holding the weapon, the footage shows. The officers then started firing at Dotson. Moments later Kimberly Dotson began firing at the officers, who then fired back at her. That exchange ended when the officers identified themselves as police. No one was injured during that exchange. Lawsuit claims officers were 'willful, malicious, and reckless' The lawsuit claims the Dotsons were upstairs when police began knocking and could not hear the officers announcing themselves. The suit said Dotson, who was shot 12 times, was blinded by police flashlights when he opened the door. Kimberly Dotson did not know police officers were in her front yard when she started shooting, according to the suit. Police fired 19 shots back at her and later detained and handcuffed Kimberly Dotson and her two children, the lawsuit claims. "She would not know it was the officers [who killed her husband] until she was finally told eight hours later at the police station where she was detained," the suit said. The suit alleges the officers deprived Dotson and his family of rights afforded to them by the federal and state constitutions and calls the conduct of the officers "willful, malicious, and reckless." Perrin said the family is seeking compensation, changes in the way the department hires, trains, monitors and retains its officers as well as more awareness of what happened to Dotson. He said Kimberly Dotson sees the fact that the officers are back on patrol as "a slap in the face." The Dotson family home at 5305 Valley View Ave. in Farmington is pictured on April 6, the day after homeowner Robert Dotson was shot dead in his doorway by Farmington police. Attorney for officers and the city says shooting was justified Luis Robles, an attorney for the city and officers Daniel Estrada, Dylan Goodluck and Waylon Wasson, said what makes the case a tragedy is not that the officers arrived at the wrong address, but "the manner in which Mr. Dotson answered the door." Robles said Dotson could have checked his doorbell camera or looked through the window to determine who was outside before opening the door with a weapon. "He chose to answer the door with a gun raised at the people who were simply knocking at his door," Robles said, adding that the officers were justified in using deadly force to protect themselves against Dotson and his wife. Robles said although the state attorney general's office is still reviewing the case, the officers have returned to work except for Wasson who is on paternity leave. The Farmington Police Department, the New Mexico State Police and the state Attorney General's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY. Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis Shootings may renew debate about 'stand your ground' laws This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert Dotson's family sues New Mexico police after shooting at home Sections of the Pecos River disappear underground along its route, and the Rio Grande is known to run dry during drier periods of the year. Bodies of water like that could be stripped of protections if they do not flow all year or run continuously, argued environmental groups following a federal decision to change how the Clean Water Act is applied. The law governs how the federal government addresses water pollution, establishing certain bodies of water as waters of the U.S. and requiring waters like rivers be connected to them to receive federal protections. More: New Mexico struggles to meet pollution goals, study says, despite oil and gas restrictions The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 29 issued its final rule to follow a May decision by the Republican-led Supreme Court requiring wetlands be connected to permanent bodies of water for the Clean Water Act to apply. This could impact several waterways in New Mexico that run dry throughout the year, meaning they are not permanent or connected to other bodies of water, argued environmental groups. Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians said 90 percent of New Mexicos waters fell into this category, meaning they would not be afforded Clean Water Act protections from pollution and other impacts under the EPAs new rule. President Donald Trump signed an order in 2017 directing the EPA under Administrator Scott Pruitt to withdraw from the Waters of the United States rule, which expanded the number of waterways protected under the Clean Water Act. More: New Mexico groups, state leaders push feds for stronger pollution policy Nationwide, the group estimated 63 percent of U.S. wetlands were unprotected by the final rule. Daniel Timmons, wild rivers program director at WildEarth Guardians said New Mexico must now develop its own, state-level water permitting program to protect wetlands and other waters impacted by the decision amid a lack of federal oversight. Protecting these waters of the state is essential to protecting drinking water quality in the Rio Grande, as well as groundwater aquifers that provide drinking water for many New Mexicans across the state, he said. It is essential that New Mexico develop its own water quality permitting program in order to protect vulnerable intermittent waters, as well as wetlands across the state. More: Mewbourne Oil Company faces $5.5 million federal, state fines for New Mexico air pollution How did the case come before the Supreme Court? The Supreme Court case arose from Michael and Chantell Sackett, a couple who bought property in Priest Lake, Idaho and began backfilling the lot with dirt to build a home. They were notified by the U.S. Environmental Protection that the backfilling violated the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into the waters of the United States, read the SCOTUS verdict and were ordered to restore the site and pay $40,000 per day in fines. The EPA alleged the backfilling occurred near a ditch that fed into a creek that fed into Priest Lake. Michael and Chantell Sackett at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011. A year later, the court unanimously agreed that they could immediately litigate their challenge to the EPAs order in federal court. In a hearing on Oct. 3, 2022, the justices will decide whether an appeals court used the proper test to decide whether wetlands are waters of the United States for purposes of the Clean Water Act. More: Oil and gas near schools? New Mexico groups hope to protect students from pollution A district court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the EPA, but the SCOTUS decision reversed these rulings. The opinion was written by Justice Samuel Alito, with the other members issuing concurring opinions in the case. In sum, we hold that the CWA extends to only those wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are waters of the United States in their own right, so that they are 'indistinguishable' from those waters, read Alitos opinion. More: How is New Mexico influencing federal oil and gas air pollution policy? New Mexico leaders argue states waters now exposed to pollution EPA Administrator Michael Regan said he was disappointed by the Supreme Courts decision as he said it reduced overall protections of clean water, but admitted the agency was required to adhere to the courts ruling. Weve moved quickly to finalize amendments to the definition of waters of the United States to provide a clear path forward that adheres to the Supreme Courts ruling, Regan said. EPA will never waver from our responsibility to ensure clean water for all. Moving forward, we will do everything we can with our existing authorities and resources to help communities, states, and Tribes protect the clean water upon which we all depend. More: Work is beginning on SunZia wind power project in New Mexico. Here's what to know. The ruling drew criticism from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham who said her administration was analyzing where state law could fill in the gaps in federal regulation left by the decision. I am appalled by the Supreme Courts decision, which leaves nearly 90 percent of New Mexicos waters without federal protections, she said in a statement. I have directed my administration to immediately begin identifying any regulatory gaps that we can fill at the state level, working together across agencies, the Legislature, communities and with other partners as soon as possible to make sure our water and our public health remain protected. Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico's rivers may see increased pollution after federal ruling In his first public statements following his arrest, Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla defiantly described charges of bribery and money laundering levied against him as a work of fiction that amounts to a political attack. This is a Democrat state attorney from Broward County who is targeting a Republican Commissioner from Miami, the commissioner told reporters as he emerged from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Read more: Miami Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla arrested on bribery, money laundering charges Diaz de la Portilla, who was booked at the jail hours earlier after an investigation by the Broward State Attorneys Office led to a host of charges against the commissioner and lobbyist William Riley Jr., exited the detention center to find a crowd of reporters waiting for him amid a light rain. He compared his case to the numerous allegations facing former President Donald Trump , who has frequently referred to efforts to prosecute him as witch hunts. The same thats happening to President Trump, at the national level, with four different false prosecutions, is happening to me in Miami at the local level, he said. Although the commissioner acknowledged he had not read the entire arrest warrant, he said there is no truth to the allegations against him. He specifically denied accusations of money laundering or that he took money from his brothers judicial campaign. Diaz de la Portilla, who is up for reelection this year, said he is not worried about his campaign. The commissioner said he is confident that he will win because the people in his community know and trust him. Read more: Alex Diaz de la Portillas political career is marked by both power and conflict Miami, Florida, September 14, 2023 - A defiant Miami City Commissioner, Alex Diaz De La Portilla speaks to reporters after he was let out of TKG following his arrest. The commissioner added that hes not concerned about the possibility of Gov. Ron DeSantis removing him from office. In the past, sitting elected officials who have been charged with crimes have been removed by the governor. Related Content: Here are the criminal charges against Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla Diaz de la Portilla described Riley, who left Turner Knight Correctional Facility about 30 minutes before the commissioner, as a friend of over 20 years who he has routinely worked with. Riley, an attorney and lobbyist, similarly faces money laundering accusations. The investigation began in Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundles office, but her office requested for the inquiry to be reassigned because due to a close relationship with Rileys family. DeSantis, a Republican, handed the investigation over to Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor. Miami, Florida, September 14, 2023 - A defiant Miami City Commissioner, Alex Diaz De La Portilla speaks to reporters after he was let out of TKG following his arrest. Its surely the second most popular mug shot in South Florida. Alex Diaz de la Portilla is dressed in a red prison jumpsuit, a color reserved for high-profile inmates, as he stares blankly at the camera. With his jowly appearance, he bears a passing resemblance to the late actor Paul Sorvino , who played a likeable bad guy in Goodfellas and other mob movies. This 58-year-old career politician, long known by the shorthand moniker of DLP, is, at the moment, a Miami city commissioner and former Republican state legislator whos in very serious trouble, even by the lax standards of Miami politics. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested him Thursday and charged him with 11 crimes, including money laundering, bribery, unlawful compensation, criminal conspiracy and official misconduct. FDLE even charged him with one count of accepting a campaign contribution in excess of legal limits, an unheard-of violation in Florida. DLP is obviously innocent until proven guilty, but if hes convicted, this laundry list of felonies is enough to send him away for a long time. A Miami attorney and political associate, William Riley Jr., 48, also was charged. They are accused of accepting more than $15,000 in unreported payments for DLPs brother Reniers unsuccessful campaign for a Miami-Dade judgeship in 2022. The Miami blog Political Cortadito unraveled other elements of the case, describing a pay-to-play deal in which the commissioner voted to basically give Biscayne Park away to a private school whose lobbyist paid for the commissioners accommodations and a vacation, among other things. Theres much more to know here. The arrest warrant has not been released because the investigation is ongoing, prosecutors said. The case is noteworthy because it delves into the slimy subterranean world of Florida political committees, which have received far too little attention from law enforcement and the news media, for that matter. We have repeatedly written about the grotesque excesses of PCs with their unrestricted donations and lack of spending controls that allow money-grubbing politicians to use them as personal slush funds. As an FDLE press release noted, Further investigation determined Diaz de la Portilla also operated and controlled two political committees used not only to support his brothers campaign, but also for personal expenditures. If thats a crime, then a lot more legislators are in trouble. Diaz de la Portilla controlled two political money machines that together raised more than $3 million from special interests, mostly in Miami. Based on what went down Thursday, the names of the committees are perversely ironic: Proven Leadership for Miami-Dade and Local Leadership for Miami-Dade County. As DLP left jail after bonding out, he insisted: Im honest. He claimed to be a victim of a partisan witch hunt and lashed out at Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor, who has been assigned to prosecute him. This is a work of fiction by a Democratic state attorney targeting a Republican city commissioner, Diaz de la Portilla said. Pryor, a Democrat, has the case, but thats a decision Gov. Ron DeSantis made at the request of Miami-Dade prosecutor Kathy Fernandez Rundle, who said she and defendant Rileys family have a long-standing personal and professional relationship. Two of Pryors assistant state attorneys, Catherine Maus and Janine Rice, will prosecute the case, FDLE said. For anyone who has followed Diaz de la Portillas career, the question for authorities is, what took you so long? This wily political character is a shrewd survivor of Miamis notoriously brutal politics who flourished in Tallahassees pay-to-play culture for 16 years. But as years of stories in The Miami Herald and elsewhere documented, he stiffed creditors, skipped legislative votes and flouted state campaign finance laws so recklessly that he was once fined a record $311,000 a sum whittled down to almost zero by an appeals court. I once wrote how three of his Democratic Senate colleagues covered for him by pushing his button dozens of times, recording him as voting in Tallahassee when he was actually in Miami, a blatant violation of Senate rules that went unpunished. Diaz de la Portilla is up for re-election in November and the candidate qualifying period closes next Saturday. Hes certain to be suspended from office by DeSantis, and the Florida Democratic Party demanded he resign immediately. But as of Friday, his smiling face was still on the city of Miami website as District 1 commissioner, where his biography describes him as a champion of infrastructure, parks and cleanliness. Yes, cleanliness. Because Miami. Steve Bousquet is Opinion Editor of the Sun Sentinel and a columnist in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. Contact him at sbousquet@sunsentinel.com or (850) 567-2240 and follow him on Twitter @stevebousquet. Miami will host the third Republican presidential primary debate in early November. The move was first reported by CNN. A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee confirmed the decision to the Miami Herald. The debate will follow the second such forum, which is set to take place on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. The first debate was held last month in Milwaukee, Wis. The decision to hold the third debate in Miami is notable, given that the two leading candidates for the GOP presidential nod former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis are Floridians. Florida, a longtime swing state, has also lurched to the right in recent years and Republicans have held it up as a success story for the party; after barely eking out a win in his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, DeSantis won reelection last year by a nearly 20-point margin. Its unclear how or if the criteria to qualify for the third debate will change. The RNC upped the qualifications between the first and second debate, requiring candidates to notch a minimum of 50,000 donors instead of 40,000 donors. Candidates will also have to score at least 3% in two RNC-approved national polls or one national and two early-state polls to qualify for the second debate. To make the debate stage the first time, candidates needed to hit only 1% in three national polls or two national and two early-state polls. Trump, whos leading the rest of the Republican primary field by double-digit margins in virtually every public poll, notably skipped the first debate last month and signaled that hes not likely to participate in the others, arguing that his polling lead renders the forums largely irrelevant. The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social last month. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES! Trump has also butted heads with the RNC over a requirement that candidates sign a so-called loyalty pledge to support the eventual Republican presidential nominee in order to participate in the first debate. That pledge is also required for the second debate. Scott Pilgrim vs the World creator Bryan Lee OMalley said Michael Cera randomly revived the film casts email chain after nine years of silence. Cera starred as the titular slacker musician in Edgar Wrights 2010 adaptation of OMalleys graphic novels. As it happened, the franchise was brought back by Netflix just after Cera got the cast chatting again. OMalley was speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the forthcoming Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime series, featuring the original film cast in voice roles. The cast have spoken about this email chain a lot but theres one detail that I dont think anyone has mentioned, OMalley said. We were exchanging emails when the movie was coming out and then this thread went dormant for about nine years. Then, before this anime was even on the docket, Michael Cera responded to a meme someone had sent as if no time had passed. He just said, Oh, thats funny. Chris Evans responded like, Michael, what the f*** are you doing responding to this email from nine years ago? And then we all started chatting again. Evans played douchebag skater Lucas Lee, the first in the League of Evil Exes that Scott (Cera) must defeat in order to date Ramona Flowers (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The all-star cast also included Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzman. Michael Cera (left) and Chris Evans (Getty Images) OMalley added: We were all pretty young when we made the movie. We all felt like family and I think we have ever since. Everyone just very kindly and very promptly said yes, he said of the new project. Consisting of eight episodes, the new anime series will tell the same story as the 2010 movie. In an interview last month, Cera admitted he felt a little depressed after Scott Pilgrim wrapped. We just had the greatest vibe with everybody, the 34-year-old said. I think that trickled down from Edgar [Wright] and the energy that he was creating. We all got to rehearse together and spend a lot of time together before we even started making the movie. The 35-year-old actor, who most recently starred in Greta Gerwigs Barbie, said that after nine months of filming, he felt like the film and the people involved were his safe space. This is my world, this is my group of friends, he said. I thought it was always gonna be this way, and honestly I was a little depressed when we were done because it all just goes away, and youre kind of like, Where did everybody go? You kind of get used to it as you get older, but I was sad to lose it, I could have kept making that forever, even though it was exhausting. In 2020, the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs the World reunited over Zoom for a virtual table read to mark the 10-year anniversary of the films release. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will be available on Netflix on 17 November. SOMERSET Around 100 migrants have been relocated to a hotel in Somerset as the state contends with an influx of refugees. Were gonna provide as much services as possible, Selectman Jamison Souza said during a meeting on Wednesday night. Thats what Somerset residents do. We care for one another. On Aug. 8, Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency around the number of migrant families arriving in the state and the lack of available placements in shelters. At the time, there were more than 20,000 migrants in state shelters, her office said. As part of the state of emergency, migrant families have been placed in temporary housing in hotels across the state. This week, Somerset Town Administrator Mark Ullucci announced that some migrant families have been placed at the Orbits Inn on Riverside Avenue in Somerset. On Thursday, he told The Herald News the group includes 27 children and around 80 adults. They include migrants from Haiti and Central American as well as some people from the area who were homeless, he said. Somerset Town Hall 05-04-23 Migrants are here legally At the selectmens meeting on Wednesday, some residents raised concerns that the migrants would stretch town resources too thin. What I most care about are the taxpayers and how were going to be able to afford it, said resident Jessica Machado. This is not the same as you or me coming into the community like my grandparents did. Ullucci said the town is tracking every use of town services for the migrants. The state of emergency means the town could likely receive federal reimbursements for at least some of the costs, he said. Machado and several other residents at Wednesdays meeting referred to the migrants as being undocumented; officials have stressed that all the migrants are in the country legally. Refugees who present themselves at a border crossing are allowed to live in the U.S. legally while they await hearings to formally seek asylum in the country. Theyve always been legal, said Selectmen Allen Smith. They were refugees. They didnt sneak into the county. New students for Somerset public schools Of the 27 minors in the group, Ullucci said he was unsure of exactly how many are school-aged. But, he and Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Schoonover are already discussing how best to integrate those children into the local public schools, he said. The schools will receive a state stipend of $104 per day for each child and will be eligible to have 50% of transportation costs reimbursed. School officials are working on how to address language barriers with the incoming students, he said. The hotel owners are collecting shoe and coat sizes for the children from the group so that residents can donate boots and winter coats, Ullucci said. "Winter is coming. Most of the residents there have not experienced winter," he said. Welcoming new residents Some residents at Wednesday's meeting said they welcomed the migrants to the town. I think it would be good if we look at this as an opportunity and not a problem, said resident Paul Cogley. We have an opportunity to be an example for the state, an example of how a community can come together in support of these families who are refuges and show them what the American spirit really is all about. He said the town has enough resources to help those in need and urged residents to be compassionate. Lets not hide our feelings and our emotions and our worries or concerns behind a fiscal issue, he said. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Migrants being housed in Somerset as part of state of emergency Mike Pence, the former vice president running a long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination, could not answer questions about protecting transgender lives from violence during a televised town hall event on News Nation Wednesday. Instead, he pivoted to invalidating transgender kids experiences, saying that it was important for lawmakers to protect them from making decisions about their futures. Responding to a question about parental rights pertaining to childrens education, Pence pivoted to the current Republican culture war issue: transgender rights. We have got to recognize that theres a radical gender ideology thats taken hold in many of our schools around the country, Pence claimed, bringing up his criticism of an Iowa school district regarding its transgender-inclusive policies. I actually got involved, Pence boasted. The Linn-Marr Community Schools in Iowa. Here was the policy: You had to have a note from your parents to get a Tylenol from the school nurse, but you could get a gender transition plan from the health department at the Linn-Mar Schools without ever telling your family. Thats not bad policy. Thats crazy! He said that, not as a former vice president but as a father and as a grandfather, it was his position that Its just totally unacceptable. And weve got to protect our kids from this radical gender ideology. In February, before Iowa passed some anti-trans legislation, Pence railed against the Linn-Marr Community School District for its support of transgender students. The schools didn't offer, by any means, transition plans that included medical procedures, but it merely allowed trans and gender-nonconforming students to use the restrooms and changing rooms of their choice, stated that school staff would respect their identities (including their pronouns), and not disclose their status to parents or guardians without their consent. The district had to revoke the restroom policy after the state passed a law saying students in public schools had to use the facilities for the gender they were assigned at birth. During the News Nation town hall, Pence also took the opportunity to grandstand against gender-affirming care access for minors suffering from gender dysphoria, a medically recognized condition that Republicans dont believe is real. Mike Pence town hall on NewsNation: Watch the full special youtu.be Ive made it very clear [that] as president of the United States, I will seek measures, if needs be nationally, to ban chemical or surgical transition procedures on anyone under the age of 18. We just got to protect our kids from this, he said. He added, Weve got to give parents the right to choose where their kids go to school so that theyre not subject to the liberal ideology that weve seen take hold in many public schools. Next, responding to the parent of a transgender child who asked, through tears, about what he would do to protect the lives of transgender women, particularly trans women of color, from violence, Pence pivoted back to health care for kids. He said that as a Bible-believing Christian, he believes in the protection of every American to live, to work, to worship according to their conscience. Then he shifted the conversation, claiming, What adults do in their lives, decisions that they make, including transgender adults, is one thing. He said that for those under 18, restrictions on tattoos, and for those under 21, restrictions on alcohol exist, oddly adding, Theres a reason why we dont let you drive until youre 16 in the state of Indiana. He said, Kids dont fully understand the consequences of their actions. Experts on human development say children develop a sense of gender identity between the third and fifth years of life. Pence said he opposed gender ideology and surgical or chemical procedures for kids. Prepubertal children arent treated with any medications or hormones, and kids entering puberty may be treated with safe and reversible medicines that delay the process. I really believe that weve got to protect our kids from decisions that will affect them the rest of their lives while at the same time saying that adults can make decisions according to the dictates of their own conscience, Pence asserted. After the moderator asked Pence under which circumstances parents should have access to tools to help their struggling children, the former vice president had no answer. I would just tell you, and having been married to an elementary school teacher all these years, I just think weve got to protect our kids, he said. The idea that we are telling young, impressionable kids, that little boys that they can become girls, or little girls that they can become boys, I just think is wrong. Pence, having just said that transgender people do not exist, added, Id like to put my arm around any one of those young people and just say, we love ya, but wait. Wait until you reach the age of majority. Wait until you have a better idea of who you are, and then live the life that you want to live in this free country. Pictured: Mike Pence and an Iowa mother House Republican defense hawks launched a counteroffensive Friday on far-right members of their party in a bid to break the stalemate that stalled annual Pentagon funding legislation this week. Led by California Reps. Mike Garcia and Ken Calvert, both House appropriators, and several other Republican military veterans, the lawmakers criticized both Democrats and Republicans holding out on the bill. But the target audience was unmistakably conservative holdouts whose opposition would tank the bill on a procedural vote, known as a rule. Garcia argued that torpedoing the bill, which contains a number of far-right measures, is effectively an endorsement of President Joe Biden's policies. "If you oppose a rule, which is effectively preventing this bill from moving forward, and if you oppose the passage of this bill, you are enabling the failed defense policies of this administration and accelerating the downward trajectory of our nation's security," Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, told reporters on Capitol Hill. Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday yanked the $826 billion spending bill amid a dispute with conservative lawmakers, chiefly the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, which is withholding its votes for the legislation in a bid to force a harder line in a broader spending confrontation with the Senate that may force a government shutdown. Many of those lawmakers have noted that theyre not against the defense bill itself. Following McCarthys move, GOP leaders are now trying to reach an agreement with hard-liners on government-wide spending that would free up the defense bill and allow debate to occur next week. If a deal isn't reached with the rebels, however, Garcia said McCarthy and his team should consider holding a vote on the defense bill and forcing conservatives to block it publicly. "If we can't get people on board, I think we owe it to our troops to bring the [bill] to a vote. I'm not in leadership. I'll defer that decision to the leader, the whip, the speaker," Garcia said. "But I think the American people deserve to know who is either on board or not on board with this DoD spending bill at some point." Defense hawks have lamented that their legislation is caught in a dispute that's unrelated to military spending. "What's happening is the military is being held hostage to these procedural votes, so that can't happen," Calvert said. "Our enemies are looking at us every day. And our friends, too. Where are we when it comes to national security?" Garcia and Calvert were joined at a press conference by GOP Reps. Rich McCormick of Georgia, a Marine veteran, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, a retired Navy SEAL, and Brandon Williams of New York, a former Navy submarine officer. Republicans have little room to maneuver on the defense bill or any of the other annual federal spending legislation. The Pentagon bill includes conservative provisions on the administrations abortion travel policy, transgender medical treatments and diversity programs. Biden has threatened to veto the legislation. McCarthy and Republicans who want to pass the spending bills can afford only four GOP defections. The lawmakers on Friday argued all Republicans want to see overall spending slashed and shouldn't hold up the Pentagon bill over efforts to cut the non-defense side of the budget. "I'm calling on the people in my party and the other party who are refusing to get on board with this bill to really think, reflect for a long period of time about what they're doing," Van Orden said. "And if that's not helping, I'd be more than happy to get on a plane with any one of them and fly to one of these conflict zones and I'll show you what you're mucking about with." Even if they can pass the defense bill, the right-wing legislation stands no chance of clearing the Democratic Senate. Conservatives are pressuring McCarthy to take a hard-line approach as part of any stopgap bill to fund the government past Sept. 30, despite the fact that doing so would be rejected by the Senate and heighten the odds of a shutdown. But McCarthys detractors could move to strip his gavel if he endorses a clean funding patch. KABUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The number of unemployed educated youth in Afghanistan reached 1.5 million, said the deputy of youth affairs in the Ministry of Information and Culture. "In Afghanistan, we have nearly 3 million educated youth, half of them are unemployed," a local media outlet Tolonews quoted Mohammad Yunus Rashed as saying. Quoting the official, the media outlet reported Friday that the caretaker government would spare no efforts to create job opportunities for the people, especially the educated youth of the war-torn country. Thousands of Afghan students graduate from universities annually and enter the job market in the country, but many of them due to poverty and lack of jobs leave their homeland for abroad including neighboring states. This year, more than 84,000 students excluding girls attended the university entrance exam, and more than 70,000 of them have found their way to higher education, semi-higher and private universities; while in 2022 about 150,000 students attended the entrance exam, with 35 percent of them girls. Russian forces accidentally dropped an aerial bomb on occupied Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast, causing casualties and damage in residential areas, spokesperson of Ukraine's Southern Operational Command Natalia Humeniuk said at a press briefing on Sept. 15. The spokesperson explained that Russian forces intended to fire the bomb at the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro River, but the launch failed and the ordnance instead fell on the occupied city. "In an attempt to deliver another air strike with guided aerial bombs against the Beryslav area... (Russian forces) dropped one of the guided aerial bombs on Nova Kakhovka in a residential area, causing damage to several apartment buildings," Humeniuk said. "According to preliminary information, there are casualties among the local population." The spokesperson added that Russia is attempting to falsely blame the Ukrainian military for the attack. According to the Suspilne news outlet, four multi-story buildings were damaged as a result of the explosion. "People said that they saw three planes flying in the morning from the Crimean direction, from the southern side. One of the witnesses also says that there were three planes. One of the bombs fell on Nova Kakhovka," journalist Oleh Baturin told Suspilne. The local Telegram channel Nova Kakhovka/Novosti published footage of the incident's consequences, showing extensive damage to residential buildings. Over the past day, Russian attacks in Kherson oblast injured six residents and killed a child, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. Read also: Russia holds sham elections in occupied Ukrainian territory Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Nicole Bohringer is seen in this undated photo with her husband, Chad, and daughter, Taylor. Bohringer, 40, was a pedestrian who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Appleton Avenue on Oct. 20, 2022. Calvin Gardner pleaded guilty in her death on Sept. 15, 2023. Walking is a bit tougher these days for Natalie Gilhuber. Putting one foot in front of the other seemed so much simpler when her friend Nicole Bohringer was by her side, no matter how far they'd go, no matter how cold it got. "We did everything together," Gilhuber said. "We were soul sisters." That changed on Oct. 20, 2022 the day police say Calvin Gardner struck Bohringer while she was walking a neighbor's dog. Gardner, 44, admitted in court Friday he took the Milwaukee mother's life, and said he was ready to take responsibility. He faced 25 years. He got less than a fifth of that. He reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, a Class G felony that carries a maximum of five years in prison. Gardner initially was charged in June with hit and run resulting in death, a Class D felony punishable by up to 25 years. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey A. Wagner on Friday ordered him to serve four years and four months in prison. Gardner also will serve 28 months of extended supervision afterwards. Bohringer's friends and family weren't pleased with the sentence, calling it too lenient. "I don't know what kind of monster hits someone, then takes off," Bohringer's mother, Linda Lampe, said. "Parents aren't supposed to bury their children." Milwaukee police got a call at 11:05 p.m. after a car heading southeast on Appleton Avenue struck a woman who was walking a dog. The driver didn't stop. The woman was Bohringer, 40, who had just moved to the neighborhood earlier that week. Prosecutor Daniel T. Flaherty said Gardner lied to police early in the investigation to avoid getting in trouble, but eventually sought a plea as more evidence surfaced. More: Dana Williams was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Fond du Lac. Her sisters want tougher laws. The evidence was solid and pointed to Calvin Gardner The vehicle: Officers later found a Buick Verano with front-end damage in a motel parking lot near the crash site. The damage was "consistent with having hit a person," according to a criminal complaint. Debris was found in the roadway, including a piece of a Carvana license plate bracket. Gardner was listed as the vehicle's owner, the document said. Bohringer's injuries: A medical examiner determined Bohringer suffered "multiple blunt force injuries consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle" and ruled it to be the cause of her death. An eyewitness?: Another motorist spotted the damaged car and later saw a man wearing a gray oversized hoodie standing on the sidewalk, "nervously" smoking a cigarette, the complaint said. The motorist also saw a "twisted" body, but initially didn't think it was that of a person. The witness told police they saw the man get into his vehicle and either drive slowly or push the vehicle to the motel parking lot, where police later found it. Cameras recorded some of the incident: Video footage captured on the motel's surveillance system shows a man walking around the vehicle, inspecting damage and, later, removing something from inside. He then walks away from the vehicle and the parking lot. More: 11-year-old Milwaukee boy has died after being struck by a vehicle on his bike in a hit-and-run, police say Gilhuber laments having to move on without Bohringer in her life. It was almost inevitable they'd become friends; they tumbled and flipped together as young girls in gymnastics. Their closeness continued throughout their adolescence, into their 20s, even into their parenthood. Walking with Gilhuber seemed the best time for her catch up with Bohringer at times. Walking without her isn't the same. "I can't go out there without fearing ... a car is going to come out and hit me," she said. More: 4-year-old girl in critical condition after being struck by hit-and-run driver in Milwaukee In court, Lampe told Gardner his actions have left her with a deep void and a family with tragic pain. Lampe said she still wrestles with how to explain to Bohringer's 3-year-old daughter her mother is gone and will never come back. "I've lost my daughter forever ... and you'll be out in five years," Lampe said. "I hope that you suffer in prison." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee man gets 4 years, 4 months in prison for killing pedestrian Belgium has confirmed its participation in the international coalition to train Ukrainian personnel on F-16 fighter jets, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said in a statement on Sept. 15. Six Ukrainian instructors and four mission planning specialists will undergo training in Belgium to then teach pilots in Ukraine, according to Dedonder. In addition, Belgiums Defense Ministry will send three instructors to a training center for Ukrainian pilots in Denmark. In 2024, Belgium will deploy two F-16B aircraft in Denmark for advanced training, the official said. A contingent of about 50 Belgian soldiers, primarily technical personnel, will support the deployment. On Aug. 22, the first Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said it would take at least six to seven months before Ukrainian pilots and technicians can operate the aircraft. On July 11, Reznikov first reported that Belgium was one of the 11 countries to form the fighter jet coalition, a group of 11 countries that pledged to assist Kyiv with training its pilots on F-16s and acquiring the aircraft. Greece and the U.S. have also pledged to join the training efforts. So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have promised to provide dozens of their own F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A missing woman is dead days after her car was found crashed, police in Louisiana say. Now her boyfriend, 34, is charged with hit and run. Authorities found Bobbie Jo Saltzmans remains Friday, Sept. 15, Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon said in an update posted on the departments Facebook page. The exact location wasnt disclosed by authorities. Her body was taken to Louisiana Forensics for an autopsy, he said. Saltzman, 49, was last seen Sept. 11 and reported missing the next day, deputies said in a news release Wednesday, Sept. 13. Her wrecked Nissan Frontier was found in Maurice later that morning, but Saltzman wasnt in it. This embedded content is not available in your region. Investigators determined her boyfriend, a 34-year-old man, was driving when they crashed. He faces multiple charges including obstruction and contempt of court, according to jail records. McClatchy News isnt identifying him because he hasnt been charged with a violent crime. Couvillon said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending. Saltzmans boyfriend remained in custody on a $14,500 bond as of Sept. 15, online records show. Vermilion Parish is about 100 miles southwest of Baton Rouge. 15-year-old vanishes while swimming with friend, Florida crews say. Body now found Kidnapped chameleon rescued by trucker who saw it trying to cross busy Florida road Body found burning on side of the road identified as missing 27-year-old, TN cops say TUNICA CO., Miss. A Coldwater, Mississippi, man has reportedly been charged with his seventh DUI in three years. David Williams, 57, was reportedly arrested Wednesday night during a traffic stop. According to the Tunica County Sheriffs Office, deputies stopped Williams near the intersection of Prichard Road and Dulaney Road just before 8 p.m. The sheriffs office says Williams was observed to be driving under the influence and taken into custody. Suspect arrested after allegedly beating, carjacking man According to the sheriffs office, deputies searched Williamss vehicle and found narcotics. Williams has been charged with DUI, driving with no insurance, careless driving, and driving with a suspended license. More charges are reportedly pending. The sheriffs office says that this is the seventh time Williams has been arrested for DUI since 2020. Williams was reportedly out on probation for a previous possession of controlled substance conviction. Williams had been sentenced to two years for that charge. The sheriffs office says Williams also had a felony bond for domestic violence/aggravated assault. Williams was in court Thursday and was given a bond of $11,650. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. A Marquette Transportation barge is seen along the Mississippi River on Tuesday July 18, 2023, in De Soto, Wis. A coalition of Mississippi River mayors want a 10-state compact that would establish collective management of the waterway. At the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiatives (MRCTI) annual meeting this week in Bemidji, Minnesota, about 30 mayors unanimously voted in favor of pursuing a compact that would span more than 2,300 miles of river. Its the first step of what could be a lengthy process. MRCTIs executive director, Colin Wellenkamp, said a compact among the core states bordering the river would be a way to think about river management at watershed-scale, from the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and coordinate during events affecting the whole river, like drought and flooding. Lacking an overall management structure makes it difficult to address multi-state issues like reducing runoff into the river, which ultimately contributes to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. A compact could provide legal protections for Mississippi River resources, such as the vast amount of water the river drains from 31 states and two Canadian provinces. Quite frankly, law and hydrology are not really on speaking terms, said Mark Davis, director of Tulane Universitys Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy in New Orleans. He and his team study Mississippi River management issues. Davis likened the water in the Mississippi River to a baton in a relay race; management changes with each of the 10 states it flows past, not including the other 21 states that feed into the river. One of the first questions is going to be: if this water is essential to prosperity and growth, whose? Should it be those who dream about it in dry places, or those who are next to it? Davis said. As parched states in the West grapple with drought and water scarcity, there have been renewed efforts to pump Mississippi River water west. But Wellenkamp said their concern lies with anyone that wants to put a straw in the Mississippi, not just western states. Old idea, new strategy Mississippi River states, whether altogether or in regional groups, have taken multiple stabs some short-lived and others long-standing at collective management: an attempted compact in the 1980s that crumbled before it gained much momentum; a decades-old coalition of upper river states that confers on connected issues; and an ecological restoration program approved last year for the lower basin. MRCTI has even supported a slate of legislation called the Safeguarding the Mississippi River Together Act, which pushed for a unified river management plan and a national office. When it stalled, they turned to other policy avenues, like the Farm Bill and the Water Resources Development Act. Other recent efforts at collective river management, including one called the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative, stalled out in Congress. Wellenkamp said this compact could provide a legal mechanism to prevent water from the Mississippi from being shipped elsewhere. But passing such a compact is easier said than done. MRCTIs vote Thursday was the first step in a lengthy process, and any compact with legal teeth would require approval from Congress. Theyll have to get buy-in from all 10 mainstem river states Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana and politics, economics and special interests all come into play. This time around, the mayors are looking to the Great Lakes Compact as a model. In that region, eight states and two Canadian provinces established principles for water management and a requirement to notify and consult other members before diverting large amounts of water. Over the course of more than three decades, the states and provinces updated the agreement until landing on a 2008 compact with specific protections against diversions and withdrawals. More: Great Lakes Compact protects water access. But that doesn't mean thirsty neighbors won't challenge it. More: Wisconsin still at center of water battles 10 years after passage of Great Lakes compact Unprecedented times Davis said the Great Lakes states didnt necessarily share a common vision at the onset, but they agreed on something fundamental: They didnt want their water sent to just anyone with a checkbook. One way or another, water will find its way to a user, and there wont be enough for everyone," Davis said. Wellenkamp said a Mississippi River compact would be similar to the Great Lakes agreement in terms of geographic scope, and he likes that it isnt overly prescriptive. But he said theres a key difference: Theyre trying to develop a Mississippi River compact in the face of severe climate threats. We are highly motivated by recent disasters and highly motivated by recent climate impacts that the Great Lakes did not have, he said. The mayors vote of support is the first step in a process that Wellenkamp, who wouldnt venture to guess how long this process might take, said will prevent the states from paying the price down the road. For the first time in many years, Davis said, the cities and towns along the Mississippi are starting to understand that they are next to a gem, and if they dont value it, someone else will. This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, funded by the Walton Family Foundation. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mississippi River mayors seek compact to protect the waterway Editors note: This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org. For more than 100 years Missouri residents have exercised more direct control over their democracy than their neighbors in Kansas. Missouris constitution allows citizens to place constitutional amendments on the ballot. The process has led to the successful passage of Medicaid expansion, marijuana legalization, legislative term limits and lobbying restrictions. But as abortion rights supporters in the state eye the petition process as a way to restore abortion access in Missouri, conservative lawmakers are looking for ways to make it harder. Meanwhile in Kansas, residents have never had that form of direct democracy. Instead, the state Legislature holds nearly exclusive power over policy-making in the state. Citizens can vote directly on an issue only when lawmakers vote to send it to them. News organizations across the country are publishing stories Friday focused on democracy in local communities in recognition of the International Day of Democracy, a day established by the United Nations to celebrate and promote democratic principles. The Star is joining the effort with a look at direct democracy, the efforts to undermine it in Missouri and how Kansas lack of such a process has impacted policy in the state. People tend to be more engaged and informed when they vote on issues in addition to politicians, said John Matsusaka, the executive director of the Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California. When people actually are voting on laws they dont have this feeling that many Americans say that they dont have any control of government, Matsusaka said. Even if people dont like the outcome of a decision they actually like the fact that they got to vote on it and theyre more likely to accept it as legitimate if it was decided by popular vote. Over the years advocates on both sides of the political spectrum have pushed policy through petitions. Often, he said, petitions limit the power of politicians or are used as a tool to push issues the political majority does not want to talk about. Even as abortion referendums have lawmakers in Missouri and other GOP-controlled states looking to roll back initiative petition policies, Kansas state Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a Baxter Springs Republican and longtime supporter of term limits, said hes contemplating pushing for a constitutional amendment to bring such a policy to Kansas. If you dont let the people have a voice, then you kind of run their democracy, Shallenburger said. There are a lot of people that believe that representative government is good enough, that if they dont like what we do they can vote us out. But the power of incumbency is pretty strong. Politicians are unlikely to talk about or vote on issues that limit their own power, Shallenburger said, and thats where initiative petition processes come in. U.S. Democracy Day is a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. Efforts to weaken petition power in Missouri For years the GOP-controlled Missouri General Assembly has flirted with tightening requirements on the initiative petition process in the wake of voters approving several liberal-leaning ballot measures including Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization. The reaction, Matsusaka said, is not unique to Missouri or to conservatives. When a petition passes that the party in power does not like, he said, the reaction for decades has been to work to roll it back on both sides of the aisle. Something comes down and passes and they go we want to stop this and so they tried to cut it back, he said. Those proposals which have included raising the threshold for initiative petitions to pass on the ballot from a simple majority to 60% have failed in previous years. However, as abortion rights supporters seek a ballot measure to restore abortion access in Missouri, some lawmakers have signaled that making it harder for voters to amend the constitution would be a priority in the coming year. Some Republicans, including Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher from St. Louis, have directly tied efforts to make it harder to amend the constitution to the possibility of an abortion rights petition. Republicans, for the most part, have argued that its been too easy to amend the constitution and that the current process gives outside interest groups and money too much of a role in crafting measures that influence Missourians. I believe the Missouri Constitution is a sacred document and should not be amended lightly. It must be protected from out-of-state special interests, Missouri state Sen. Jill Carter, a Granby Republican, said last month, urging Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson to call a special session. We must reform the current standards and ensure that changes to our Constitution are supported statewide. However, after voters in Ohio last month rejected a measure that would have required constitutional amendments to receive a 60% majority to pass, some are looking for another angle. One proposal, which failed earlier this year, would require amendments to also win a majority of congressional districts if they only obtain a simple majority statewide. The change would empower residents in the rural areas to block amendments even if a majority of voters support them. Missouri state Rep. Bill Falkner, a St. Joseph Republican, told The Star that hes working on another alternative where once initiative petitions receive enough signatures, they would either be vetted by lawmakers who wouldnt be allowed to change the wording or the proposal would have to pass on the ballot at 55%. No one really understands whats in the bill, he said of initiative petitions. So if theyre willing to take their bill through the process in both the House and the Senatethen they can take it to the voters and have it pass, simple majority. But initiative petition defenders have framed any of the attempts to change the process as an attack on direct democracy. Tom Bastian, the spokesperson for the ACLU of Missouri, said in a statement that initiative petitions have promoted civic engagement and accountability towards the government, touting the number of policies created from the process. We should be encouraging democratic participation, not erecting undue barriers, Bastian said. These bills attempt to subvert democracy by preventing people from voting on issues to which the legislature is opposed. Most reduce the amount of no votes needed to well below a majority to stifle popular constitutional changes from happening. Less direct democracy in Kansas In Kansas, lawmakers rarely talk about initiative petitions except in the hypothetical. Allowing an initiative petition process in Kansas would require a constitutional amendment. Two-thirds of the Kansas House and Senate would need to approve the amendment and then a majority of Kansas voters would have to vote yes. Its unlikely such a policy would ever clear the extremely high bar in a state Legislature dominated by Republicans. Matsusaka said no state has approved a new initiative petition process since Massachusetts in the 1990s. Its really really hard to do this because sitting legislators do not want the voters to have this right, he said. Regardless of what party is in power, he said, creating an initiative petition process requires lawmakers to be willing to give up some of their power. Kansas Democrats have often looked on with envy in recent years as Missouri citizens vote to institute long held goals like Medicaid expansion and legal medical marijuana. But theres little hope that, under the current political dynamics, a path exists for Kansas to establish its own policy. Theres no question: If Kansans were able to vote directly on key issues, nearly 140,000 more working people would have affordable health coverage through Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana would be legal, and Kansans would have seen responsible tax cuts last year, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement. In the absence of a petition process, Kelly said voters need to pressure their elected representatives. Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a statement that establishing an initiative petition process wont be a priority for next years session. This isnt an issue that comes up, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said of his conversations with constituents. Our efforts will be focused on tax relief, especially property taxes, this coming session. Under Kansas current system, legislative leadership has nearly total control on what policies get considered. Proposals that limit the Legislatures power, like term limits, or that face heavy opposition from leadership, like Medicaid expansion, are unlikely to get hearings, let alone votes. Davis Hammet, founder of Loud Light, a left-leaning voting rights and civic engagement organization, said these dynamics combined with the massive amounts of money in politics, laws that make it harder for some populations to vote, and political gerrymandering in Legislative districts creates a system in which Kansas political system is designed to serve the Republican party not the people of Kansas. The only way to change Kansas is to change the Legislature, he said. Failed effort to establish petition process in Kansas The last serious attempt to add initiative petition to the Kansas constitution came in the 1990s under Democratic Gov. Joan Finney, who pushed for the policy. Kansas state Rep. Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat who was Kansas House minority leader at the time, said he was able to work with Republican leaders in the House to secure the two-thirds majority in their chamber. But the Senate, he said, was uninterested. Sawyer said he remembered concerns about an uninformed electorate and the power of wealthy special interest groups and tax policies that would tie lawmakers hands. At the time I dont think we ever thought about things like Medicaid expansion, there was a lot of fear of what could go on the ballot, he said. Shallenburger, the Baxter Springs Republican, was in Kansas House leadership at the time and supported the proposal. He said the root problem came from a rural-urban divide. Rural lawmakers were reluctant to vote yes, he said, because they worried wealthy interests in Kansas urban areas would be able to push through environmental regulations without support from farmers. If Kansas had successfully approved the initiative petition proposal in the 1990s, Shallenburger said, hes convinced Kansas voters would have imposed term limits on lawmakers and instituted a tax lid. He said citizens likely also would have taken steps to expand Medicaid and legalize some form of marijuana but rejected the idea that the policy would widely benefit the left. What the Democrats would bemoan even more is the people are more conservative than their Legislature, Shallenburger said, arguing Kansans may push stricter regulations on abortion or LGBTQ rights. But Democrats believe they could force conversations that have long been closed if they had the sort of direct democracy other states have. April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, said she believes enough Kansans supported Medicaid expansion five to seven years ago that the state could have approved the policy through that avenue. But in Kansas convincing people isnt enough. Advocates need the support of lawmakers. There are so many reasons that this makes sense and yet elected officials are doing their very best not to talk about it, Holman said. That has been allowed to be the final word. When lawmakers considered an initiative petition in the 1990s, Sawyer said there was concern that voters may be more extreme than the Legislature. Now, he says it may have a moderating effect on the state and create a more open process where leadership would struggle to shut down debate on specific issues. If we had initiative we would at least be able to debate those issues in the Legislature, Sawyer said. The Legislature would know that if we didnt debate them, if we didnt have open conversation on those issues, then the public could just go around us. Everybody hates Mitt Romney and also, everyone loves Mitt Romney. This is exceedingly clear following the release of an excerpt from a Romney biography by McKay Coppins that was published this week in the Atlantic. In the piece, the Utah senatorwho voted twice to impeach Donald Trump is cast as the very last sane Republican, a man who is leaving politics behind because his own party, the GOP, has left him behind. In less than a decade, writes Coppins, hed gone from Republican standard-bearer and presidential nominee to party pariah thanks to a series of public clashes with Trump. What follows is a horror movie of GOP cowardice and hypocrisy, delivered with astonishing specificity: We learn of Sen. Mitch McConnell describing Trump as an idiot. He doesnt think when he says things. We meet various Senate Republicans who played their parts as Trump loyalists, in public, yet in private, they ridiculed his ignorance, rolled their eyes at his antics, and made incisive observations about his warped, toddlerlike psyche. Trump briefs a fawning GOP caucus lunch that gives him a standing ovation, then explodes in laughter when he leaves the room. Except, as the piece meticulously catalogs, it stopped being a joke in early January of 2021. Sen. Angus King had warned Romney that hed been briefed by someone in the Pentagon about threats of extreme violenceincluding some specifically targeting Romneythat might occur during the certification of the Electoral College votes. Romney shared the warnings with McConnell, forwarding Kings information: There are calls to burn down your home, Mitch; to smuggle guns into DC, and to storm the Capitol. McConnell, according to the book, never even bothered to reply to the plea. Jan. 6 happened four days later. Romney openly places the blame on Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and other GOP senators who had supported suspending the certification as the rioters took the buildingand continued to do so after the riot. His calling out the hypocrisy of the Republicans with whom he served, including the former vice president, is pitiless and meticulous. No one has been more loyal, more willing to smile when he saw absurdities, more willing to ascribe Gods will to things that were ungodly than Mike Pence, he tells Coppins. But as the GOP narrative hardened around the fiction that the election had indeed been stolen and the insurrectionists were confused and gentle tourists, things took yet another turn. Romney realized that there are deranged people among us, and that in Utah, people carry guns. It wasnt just that Romney found himself isolated and scorned; he was actively afraid of his constituents, worried that they could physically harm him. The fear was not his alone. One Republican congressman confided to Romney that he wanted to vote for Trumps second impeachment, writes Coppins, but chose not to out of fear for his familys safety. Romney recalls that a GOP senator who was mulling voting to convict Trump during the second impeachment had been cautioned, You cant do that. Think of your personal safety. Think of your children. Romney ruefully notes that hes been paying $5,000 a day since the insurrection to cover private security for his family. Most of his colleagues dont have car elevators, or private bodyguards, or security funds like Romney. Presumably their decision to shuffle along with Trumpism to protect their lives thus becomes rational. Whether Romneywho announced this week that he will not run for reelectionis a coward or a hero is thus once again a subject of an intense and insoluble debate. Michelle Goldberg writes that Romney is taking the gutless way out: He certainly isnt defecting from the Republican Party for the remainder of his time in the Senate. Instead, by putting age at the center of his argument, hes setting himself above the fray, pretending that both parties are equally at fault in bringing the country to this perilous pass. Romney has shown far more decency and courage in response to Trump than almost all his colleagues, but in this case, hes still pulling his punches. Writing in Time, Philip Elliott sees only courage: In the end, Romney found comfort in his own skin, confidence in his own character. The skittishness was gone, but so was his belief that he alone could fix what ails this country or even his own party. Aaron Blake writes: You can blame him for his late conversion, but its difficult to understand that what hes doing now is based on anything other than conviction, because of the costs involved. From my perch, in the long string of Republicans who reluctantly walk away from all that comprises Trumpism but do so far too late to matter, Romney is both a brave man for speaking truth to cowardsand a coward for walking away at all. Which is why perhaps the most arresting aspect of Coppins profile is the way in which Romney, as a senator, becomes the receptacle for all the other (bigger) cowards hushed confessionals. He recounts Mitch McConnell telling Romney that because of his constituency in Utah: Youre lucky. You can say the things that we all think. Youre in a position to say things about him that we all agree with but cant say. Coppins writes that Every time he publicly criticized Trump, it seemed, some Republican senator would smarmily sidle up to him in private and express solidarity. I sure wish I could do what you do, theyd say, or Gosh, I wish I had the constituency you have, and then theyd look at him expectantly, as if waiting for Romney to convey profound gratitude. The paragraph continues: This happened so often that he started keeping a tally; at one point, he told his staff that hed had more than a dozen similar exchanges. I was reminded of the two or three conversations I have every year with someone wishing to unburden themselves about some horrific incident they experienced with then-appeals court Judge Alex Kozinski, about whom I had written. After unloading whatever staggering tale they have to share, they tended to explain why there is no need to tell this story in actual public, but they also seem to wish to be thanked for sharing it with me. The cost for them to tell it themselves would be too high, but they are awfully glad someone else was around to have done something about it. One is reminded of the ritual scapegoat on which the high priest of the Old Testament unloaded all the peoples sins before shunting the poor creature off into the wildernessmoral expiation by way of the transitive property. Its not just that Romney, by speaking out and then walking away, is both a hero and a coward, then. Its that he is intrinsically a part of the winding daisy chain of cowards who shun him in public and thank him in private. His very existence allows them to believe that in whispering that they are with him even as they roam the world making it safer and safer for Trump and Trumpism, he has become an unwitting enabler of precisely the thing he most deplores. And for every coward that secretly confesses to Romney, there is yet another coward in his shadow, seeking expiation from him, in a seemingly endless chain of people who say one thing and then do quite another, because they want to be famous, or because they want to hang on to power, or because they are afraid someone with a gun will murder their children. In the parable, it takes only one brave soul to whisper out loud that the emperor is wearing no clothesthe realization that this can be spoken aloud then ripples across the land in a gratifying tsunami of truth. What the parable of Romney proves is that in our present world, when the brave soul whispers that the emperor is naked and, um, also an idiot, he becomes the whipping boy for everyone else, who can exhale because someone braver has spoken the truth, so that they might continue to lie. A system in which everyone in power can be secretly grateful that someone else spoke the truth does not serve truth. It serves only power. The ripple isnt toward the scales falling off everyones eyes; the ripple is gratitude that some sucker took one for the team. Maybe we can still at least be grateful that Romney and Coppins have cast a bright light on a long, terrified, power-mad chain of liars, because more than anything else it reveals that Donald Trump has no magical Svengali-like hold on his minions. Rather, each of these minions is in thrall to the project of keeping the lie alive, complicit in a pathological system of mortification, expiation, and fear that has taken on a life of its own. Mitt Romney has been roasted for his peculiar way of eating salmon as anecdotes from his long political career resurfaced following his announcement that he would not be seeking re-election in 2024. Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she was grateful to serve with her Utah colleague, even if hes wrong about salmon! During a meeting for his upcoming biography of Romney, Atlantic journalist McKay Coppins wrote how the senator showed me his freezer, which was full of salmon fillets that had been given to him by Lisa Murkowski, the senator from Alaska. Mr Coppins continued: He didnt especially like salmon, but found that if he put it on a hamburger bun and smothered it in ketchup, it made for a serviceable meal. Journalists and other political figures joined Ms Murkowski in ribbing the senator over his haunting eating habits. So many unbelievable, damning details about Romneys GOP colleagues in this piece ... But this one about the ketchup salmon keeps haunting me, Laura Bennet, an editor at The Atlantic, tweeted. Luke Winkie, of Slate, wrote that the publication made me prepare and eat Mitt Romneys eldritch, deeply f*****-up salmon ketchup sandwich. He added: Mitt Romney is not a foodie. That was made abundantly clear over and over again during his two-decade political careerhis record overflows with horrific crimes against good taste, to the point that Im surprised hes not been tried at the Hague. It somehow tasted worse than I expected. My girlfriend kept her eyes glued to the window during my consumption, in the same way you might stare at the ceiling while getting blood drawn. George Conway, conservative lawyer and Trump critic, also weighed in. Mustard is much better than ketchup on salmon but nobodys perfect, he tweeted. Imagine receiving Alaskan salmon from Lisa Murkowskiand putting ketchup on it. Sacrilege, Quill Robinson, associate fellow of the energy security and climate change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote. Mr Romney has previously revealed other odd food habits such as his favourite sandwich being peanut butter and honey. To all those celebratinghappy National Hot Dog Day! May there be many more hot dogs served in our wonderful land. pic.twitter.com/McEnevvg8d Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) July 19, 2023 He has called hot dogs his favourite meat. Well, as you all know, today is National Hot Dog Day, he said in a video this summer. Perhaps you also know that hot dog is my favourite meat. I love hot dogs. I love em in buns. I love them outside of buns. I love them in baked beans. I just like hot dogs. Mr Romney, 76, noted his age when announcing his retirement on Wednesday. I spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another, he said. At the end of another term, Id be in my mid-80s. Frankly, its time for a new generation of leaders. Theyre the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in. DHAKA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines resumed the flight between Dhaka and the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Thursday, said a statement by the Chinese embassy in Bangladesh. According to the statement, following the resumption, there are now 6 round-trip flights on this route weekly, with a capacity of 900 passengers. The flight had been suspended before due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resumption will increase the total number of weekly flights between China and Bangladesh to 50, including 30 flights to and from Guangzhou, 14 flights to and from Kunming, and 6 flights to and from Hong Kong. "Weekly passenger capacity will exceed 10,000, which will further facilitate the people-to-people exchange between China and Bangladesh and enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, culture, education, and more," said the statement. Since 2023, cross-border travel has increased sharply between China and Bangladesh. The Chinese embassy in Bangladesh has been working actively to create favorable conditions and improve efficiency for visa applications and issued over 30,000 visas in the past 6 months. A more moderate House Republican takes a somewhat dim view of his hard-right colleagues' antics. In an interview, Rep. Dave Joyce said they often say crazy things just to raise money and gain fame. "It's like, you think that's crazy, hold my beer," said Joyce. With the possibility of a government shutdown and a vote to oust House Kevin McCarthy growing ever more likely, one of the more moderate members of the House Republican conference has some thoughts on his hard-right colleagues' antics. Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio, the chairman of the Republican Governance Group, told POLITICO in an interview that some of his colleagues are incentivized to out-compete each other for who can make the most extreme and maximalist demands of government. Joyce said that lawmakers like Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who's threatening to call for a vote on ousting McCarthy, may be driven by the prospect of increased campaign contributions. "All of a sudden, you see that amounts to somebody like Gaetz [getting] all these personal contributions in small ways," said Joyce. "And it's like, 'you think that's crazy, hold my beer,' then the next one will get in line and say even crazier things." Joyce isn't the only Republican who makes this type of argument. After Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado introduced articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden in June, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia dismissed the effort as a mere fundraising gambit. Later on Friday, Gaetz responded via Twitter, releasing a short video highlighting the corporate PAC and lobbyist contributions that Joyce has accepted. Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 15, 2023 The Ohio lawmaker, who's served in Congress since 2013, made a similar argument in reference to Mark Meadows , the former North Carolina lawmaker who helped found and chair the House Freedom Caucus before becoming former President Donald Trump's White House Chief of Staff. While in Congress, Meadows led an effort in the House to "defund" the Affordable Care Act, eventually resulting in the 2013 government shutdown. "It propelled some to fame," Joyce said of that year's shutdown. "Meadows, you know, that crowd, I mean, they went on to bigger things." In the interview, Joyce says that he prefers the work of governing, including former bipartisan alliances with Democrats. "I hope and pray that is one of the reasons I've stuck around here that we're finally going to get back to that idea that bipartisanship works," said Joyce. "It sets in place things that last over time." Read the original article on Business Insider A Forsyth man was recently arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Cameras reportedly caught Michael Anthony Bradley, 49, trying to hit a police officer with a baton in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, the justice department announced in a press release. Bradley, dressed in camouflage and blue jeans while carrying a baton in a holster, approached the officer twice around 4:30 p.m. The officer sprayed Bradley with a chemical agent after he raised his baton in the first encounter. The next time he walked up to the officer, Bradley swung his baton and tried to hit them twice before moving to the side of the tunnel, the statement read. Bradley has been arrested several times before, serving a prison sentence for trafficking meth that concluded in 2012, Georgia Department of Corrections records show. He also did time for crimes including forgery, DUI and impersonation. Bradley appeared in federal court in Macon Sep. 8 for the charges before he was moved to Washington D.C., where he will be prosecuted, court records show. Bradley, identified as a Forsyth man in the statement, owned a house near the High Falls area, according to Monroe County property records. It was unclear in the statement where in Forsyth the FBI arrested him. The case is still under investigation by the FBIs Atlanta and Washington field offices. Wildlife authorities say a moose trampled a hiker this week along a Colorado trail after the person stopped to observe the large animal and its calf. The attack, which Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said marks the third of its kind in the state so far this year, took place on a Teller County trail about 25 miles west of Colorado Springs. According to a news release, two hikers with three dogs reported confronting a cow moose Tuesday near Crags Trail. All three dogs were reportedly on leash, officials wrote in the release. The hikers told officials they saw the moose and its calf in the first clearing about a mile into the trail. The hikers watched the moose for a short time, according to the release, then told officials they tried to go around it while keeping space from the moose. But the moose, the hikers said, drew close to the group. Grizzly bear attack in Montana: Officials search for grizzly bear that attacked hunter near Montana's Yellow Mule Trail A dog bark and protective defense As the moose approached, one of the dogs began to bark, officials said. "That prompted the moose to come at one of the hikers, trampling one of them," officials wrote in the release. "They were able to get the moose off and tried to run away, but the moose continued to chase after them down the trail." A moose feeds on aquatic plants in Lobster Township, Maine in 2020. Wildlife authorities in Colorado say a Moose trampled a hiker on Tuesday along a trail in Teller County after the person stopped to observe the large animal and its calf. At some point, the moose stopped chasing the hikers and they were able to get to their vehicles. The injured hiker walked away from the trampling on their own, officials reported, and went to a hospital to be evaluated and treated for minor injuries. This incident is a reminder of why we warn everyone to respect wildlife and give them their space, Tim Kroening, Colorado Parks and Wildlifes Area Wildlife Manager for the Pikes Peak region, said. We know Colorado residents love their dogs. But understand that moose see dogs as predators and react in defense of themselves and their young. Rhino kills zookeeper: Austrian zoo closes after rhino attacks married zookeepers, killing one Moose population spikes across Colorado The moose population is growing across Colorado, wildlife officials said, especially in Teller County. As of mid-September, officials said, there were some 3,500 moose in the state, compared to 2,250 in 2013. "With more people moving into Colorado and a growing moose population, it's becoming especially important to take precautions when recreating in the state," wildlife officials wrote in the release. After a 2022 incident on the Crags Trail when a moose attacked a woman while her dog ran off leash wildlife officials posted signs warning people to be leery of moose in the area. Attack marks third in state so far this year The attack comes on the heels of two other moose attacks reported in the state this year. Officials said both took place in the Boulder County area, another location with growing moose and human populations located north of Teller County and northwest of Denver. Signs of moose aggression include its ears laid back, hairs on its rump raised and it licking its snout, wildlife officials said. In autumn, Kroening said, wildlife including deer, elk and moose enter an annual breeding period called the "rut" when males become more aggressive, fighting one other for the opportunity to mate. The aggression can sometimes be turned toward people who get too close, officials said. Tips to avoid dangerous encounters Wildlife officials are reminding hikers to keep a safe distance from animals in the wild when observing them. They also recommend the following: Do not approach, touch, or feed wild animals. Keep dogs on a leash at all times. Do not attempt to keep going if you see wildlife ahead of you on a trail. Instead, back away slowly and return the way you came. Avoid thick willow habitat in areas where some are likely to be found eating or resting. (Moose's calves, born in a 3-to-4-week period from the end of May to mid-June, are often found lying in willows while their mother is off grazing and will stay with their mother into the fall. ) Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Moose tramples hiker on Colorado trail in Teller County Community members clad in bright blue Save Estero Bay T-shirts filled the Morro Bay Veterans Memorial Hall on Tuesday, urging the Morro Bay City Council to support a citizen initiative designed to block a massive battery storage facility on the Embarcadero. After more than 1,000 registered voters signed a petition to support the initiative, the City Council voted 4-0 to place it on the November 2024 ballot. Councilmember Jen Ford recused herself from the vote out of an abundance of caution and respect for public perception for the integrity of the process, she wrote in a text to the Tribune. Ford said her role as a field representative for the California State Assembly and as a City Council member could create a conflict of interest with the project. Local group Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation gathered 1,327 signatures in support of the initiative, far exceeding the citys requirement of 815 signatures to be eligible for the ballot, according to Morro Bay City Clerk Dana Swanson. Something of this magnitude needs to be decided by the citizens, group member Betsy Gaudette-Cross said at the meeting. The council had three choices: Place the initiative on the ballot, pass it into law or request staff to present a report within 30 days on the impacts of the initiative, Swanson said Mayor Carla Wixom voted to place the initiative on the ballot without requesting the report, she said, because the city has more than a year to educate voters on the impacts of the initiative. You can pro and con it all night long, Wixom said. We can be here for days, and thats not going to change what our options are as far as whether to adopt the ordinance or put it on the ballot. Adding the measure to the ballot will cost the city $4,000 to $5,000, Swanson said. The Morro Bay City City Council voted on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, to place a citizen initiative on the ballot designed to block construction of the Vistra battery plant. What does Morro Bay ballot measure do? Texas-based energy company Vistra Corp. wants to build a 24-acre, 600-megawatt energy storage facility on the property at 1290 Embarcadero replacing the dormant Morro Bay Power Plant and its iconic emission stacks. The battery storage project would feature three Costco warehouse-sized buildings housing 180,000 batteries, which could hold enough electricity to power 450,000 homes, according to Vistras website. If passed by voters, the citizen initiative would freeze the land use designation of the property as commercial-recreational fishing and visitor-serving commercial, which allows developments including hotels, shops and restaurants, according to Citizens For Estero Bay member Rachel Wilson. Morro Bay really values three things: We want a safe environment. We want a strong and vibrant tourist and fishing industry. We have a world-class waterfront that we want to expand, Wilson said, noting that the battery plant doesnt align with those values. The City Council must vote to change the Embarcadero propertys land use designation to light industrial to approve the project, according to Morro Bay Community Development Director Scot Graham. Right now, the council can change the land use designation by a majority vote. If the initiative passes, however, a majority of city residents would have to vote to change the propertys land use designation. Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation is concerned that the battery plant isnt safe to locate next to the harbor, Morro Bay High School and tourist attractions on the Embarcadero. The group wants the property to pass to a developer who will clean up pollution left behind by the power plant and build an attraction that is more tourist-oriented, such as an amphitheater. If we listed the property out in the world, there would be multiple billion-dollar corporations that would see this gorgeous iconic location and they would jump on it, Gaudette-Cross said. An aerial photo shows the location of the former tank farm at the Morro Bay Power Plant, where a new battery storage facility could be located. Could blocking battery plant discourage future development? A handful of speakers at Tuesdays meeting worried that freezing the propertys land use isnt the right solution. Opponents of the ballot measure say that Vistra could use Assembly Bill 205 as a loophole to approve the project. AB 205 allows developers to submit large renewable energy projects to the California Energy Commission for approval. Morro Bay resident Casey Cordes said the City Council should be empowered to make decisions about the project and negotiate with Vistra. If we pass this measure, if we leave this decision to voters in the future, it will be announcing to private industry that no one in the city can negotiate in good faith, Cordes said. We will be giving state regulators the nod. Well be telling them they have to act on our behalf because we cant present a united front. I think the result will be less local control over the future of our city, not more, Cordes added. Blocking the battery facility could discourage future developers from building in the city, Morro Bay resident Lee Johnson said. I can tell you with confidence, no developer will propose a project in this city that deviates so far from the normal process, Johnson said. Their money and their projects will go elsewhere. A mosquito has tested positive for West Nile Virus in a local community. Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County announced a positive mosquito was detected in a trap along Marshall Road in Washington Township. Public Health said they are working to coordinate a broad spray treatment and will release information in the coming days about where and when that will take place. >> Sears building at former Salem Mall site added to National Register of Historic Buildings West Nile Virus is most commonly spread by infected mosquitoes and can lead to severe fever, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals when they bite. The best-suggested way to avoid the West Nile Virus is to apply repellents or treat standing water near your property. Residents may call (937) 224-8793 for more information. (FOX40.COM) Its a long-established tradition in California government; the state Legislature, comprised of the Assembly and Senate, works on bills up until the final minutes of the midnight deadline when these have to pass both chambers in order to be sent to the governor to await his signature. This year is the first of a two-year legislative session, which gives lawmakers the ability to work right past the Thursday midnight deadline and continue into early Friday morning. The governor, who has already signed and vetoed a handful of bills, has until October 14 to sign or veto bills or let them become law without his signature. Of the more than 2,500 bills introduced at the start of the legislative session, here are some of the significant ones. Constitutional law expert discusses transgender notification policy lawsuit SB 447: End the travel ban to anti-LGBTQ states It has been seven years since California passed a law to prohibit travel to a handful of states that enacted laws against people who are transgender or LGBTQ. This new law, named the BRIDGE Act, removes the ban and creates a program to promote LGBTQ inclusion in other states. Newsom signed the bill into law on Sept. 13. AB 421: Clearer instructions on ballots This law seeks to reduce the confusion for voters when having to vote YES or NO on a ballot when that answer would mean the removal of a law or statute. Sen. Brian Jones talks failure of Alexandras law amid Californias fentanyl epidemic This law requires that the question posed to voters be Keep the law or Overturn the law, and it would also require every measures top funders to be listed. The law also allows campaigns to pull their initiative off of a ballot after it has qualified. Newsom signed the law on Sept. 8. AB 418: Ban certain chemicals in foods Originally known as the Skittles bill, this bill was later amended to remove from the proposed ban an ingredient found in Skittles. The bill as passed in the Legislature would still prohibit certain food chemicals found in candies, foods and beverages. Schiff, Porter lead in Senate race, but nearly one third of voters undecided, poll shows SB 2: Concealed-carry weapons permits This bill would strengthen the rules for requests for a concealed-carry weapons permit, including requiring firearms training, and limits the areas where these concealed weapons can be carried. SB 4: Facilitate affordable housing on religious properties This bill would make it easier for religious institutions, such as churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship, as well as nonprofit colleges, to build affordable housing on their properties. Porter says government, unions are key to protecting public from corporations SB 14: Make child sex trafficking a serious felony This bill would classify child sex trafficking as a serious felony, making the crime eligible as a strike under Californias three strikes law. The bill gained a lot of attention after the Assembly Public Safety Committee rejected the bill, setting off a backlash from legislators and the governor. SB 541: Makes free condoms available at high schools This bill would mandate public schools, including charter schools, to make condoms available at all campuses that serve grades 9 12, as well as at public health events in schools that serve grades as low as 7th grade. Bill requiring condoms be made available in public high schools heads to governors desk AB 12: Limits rent security deposits This bill would limit the amount a landlord can require as a security deposit to one months worth of rent. SB 799: Unemployment pay for striking workers Passed by the Legislature in the final hours, this bill would allow employees on strike for more than two weeks to qualify for state-funded unemployment insurance benefits. SB 616: More sick days This bill would raise the minimum amount of sick days available to all California workers from three to five. The bill was considered in part because of the time required to recover from COVID-19, which could reach beyond the existing mandated minimum. AB 374: Allow cannabis cafes This bill would allow cannabis businesses in cities and counties that allow it to sell food and non-alcoholic beverages to customers, while also allowing them to consume cannabis and these products on site. Cannabis cafes bill sent to Gov. Newsom. Heres what it would allow if signed into law SB 58: Decriminalize some psychedelics California could become the third state to decriminalize certain psychedelics if Newsom signs this bill into law. The bill would allow the possession and cultivation of limited quantities for the personal use of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline (but not peyote), psilocybin and psilocin, which are found in some mushrooms. AB 1078: Ban book bans This bill would penalize school boards that enact bans on books and other educational materials based on the materials inclusion of historical facts related to Asian, Black, Latino, Native American and LGBTQ groups. The bill would also update the states education code to require teaching about the experiences of diverse communities. Bill to counteract book banning passes California Assembly and Senate AB 957: Consider childs gender identity in custody cases This bill would require family court judges to consider whether a parent recognized their childs gender identity when making custody decisions, but it would not order that the child be placed with that parent. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Mr Nice guy: Elon Musk was originally going to be named after the French city where he was conceived, biography says Elon was also the name of Maye Musk 's grandfather. ODD ANDERSEN/Getty Images Elon Musk was almost called Nice, a new book by Walter Isaacson said. The name was a reference to the city in France where the billionaire was conceived, the book said. The Tesla CEO's parents opted for Elon in the hopes of making Maye Musk's family happy. The Musk siblings are known for their unusual first names, but the initial choice for Elon Musk was arguably the strangest of all. Walter Isaacson's biography said that the Tesla CEO had been due to be called Nice, which was a reference to the French city where the billionaire was conceived, the book said. The Tesla CEO's parents, Errol Musk and Maye Musk, later opted for Elon in the hopes of making his mother's side of the family happy, the book said. Elon was also the name of Maye Musk's grandfather and his middle name, Reeve, was the name of her maternal grandmother, Isaacson wrote. Isaacson's book touches on various details of the billionaire's childhood. It is based on the two years the biographer spent shadowing the Tesla CEO, along with multiple interviews he conducted with associates, exes, and relatives, among others. Errol Musk liked the name Elon because of its biblical links, the book said. It added that Errol Musk later said it was a prescient reference to a science-fiction book written by rocket scientist Wernher von Braun about colonizing Mars. Elon is the title given to elected leaders of Mars in the book. The SpaceX CEO has said he wants to build a self-sustaining city on Mars in the coming decades. In 2021, Elon Musk said he was selling his possessions and wanted as much capital as possible to fund a Mars colony. Representatives for Elon Musk did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal working hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Sep. 7, 2022. Credit - Valery SharifulinSputnik/AFP/Getty Images As Russia finds itself increasingly isolated on the global stage since its invasion of Ukraine last year, its become desperate to find friends wherever it can. This week, Vladimir Putin , who has avoided international summits like the G20 as he faces an international war criminal arrest warrant, welcomed North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un, where the leaders were believed to have discussed an arms deal. But that wasnt the only recent diplomatic visit from an Asian pariah state. Last week, a delegation from Myanmar visited Moscow and signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the two countrys election commissions, according to Myanmar state media. For the past decade, non-governmental organizations and foreign governments have sent observers to monitor elections in Myanmar, with 1,000 international observers accredited to observe the 2015 election and over 100 international observers monitoring the 2020 election. But since a 2021 military coup plunged the country into violent political turmoil, organizations that would monitor the vote have decided to sit out the next election held by the junta in order to avoid giving an expected sham process any semblance of legitimacy. Read More: How Myanmar's Fragile Push for Democracy Collapsed in a Military Coup When exactly Myanmar will hold its first election since the coup is not yet clear. It was originally scheduled to be this year but has been postponed until at least 2025, as the junta continues to extend its state of emergency and enact laws that bar meaningful opposition. Now Myanmar is turning to its longtime partner in Russia, which has supplied the junta with weapons it has used against its own citizens, to learn how to run an election. The Myanmar delegations Moscow visit from Sept. 612 included discussions on voter education and effective media utilization, among other topics. The delegation also explored Russias election methods, conditions for conducting elections, campaign procedures, and cultural aspects, state media reported. U Thein Soe, the chair of Myanmars election commission, was also invited to observe the Russian presidential election next year, where Putin is expected to be re-elected to his 5th term leading a country that consistently rates as authoritarian in the Economist Democracy Index and whose regional and national elections are frequently criticized as pre-ordained. The new cooperation agreement is a way for Russia to show that it still has allies, says Anna Matveeva, a visiting senior research fellow at the Russia Institute in Kings College London. And for Myanmar, she adds, Russias support gives the juntas eventual election a much-needed endorsement where it might otherwise have none. There will be some kind of facade of legitimacy, says Matveeva. To some extent, I think they will try to ensure that it will be procedurally right. Theyll want to ensure that theres participation. But certainly, this procedure and participation will be under a certain degree of control. This comes as Myanmar finds itself an outcast among its usual diplomatic partners. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has long abided by a policy of non-interference, has been divided on how to deal with Myanmara tension that reared its head again earlier this month as Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Jakarta for the groups latest summit. While some countries like Indonesia and Thailand have chosen to engage in quiet diplomacy in the hopes of fostering peace in Myanmar, others including Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines have outright condemned the juntas actions and boycotted its efforts to engage in defense cooperation. Read More: The People of Myanmar Have Rejected the Generals. ASEAN and the World Must Do so as Well As division over Myanmar renders ASEAN less relevant, the junta has begun aligning itself with states that have also been largely rejected or sidelined by Western institutions. It was granted dialogue partner status to the China-led security bloc Shanghai Cooperation Organization earlier this year, and it is now seeking to join BRICSa bloc originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa and expanded this year to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates, that presents an alternative to Western-dominated economic order. (China and India have also conspicuously steered clear of criticizing Myanmars junta.) The objective for Myanmar to cooperate with Russia is not to counter any existing structure, because they know this is not their playing field, says Amara Thiha, a doctoral researcher at Peace Research Institute Oslo. Rather, he says, the junta is trying to get involved in a new architecture. Contact us at letters@time.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Indian infrastructure development GMR Group, which is among the potential bidders in the 170.6-billion rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, showed interest in investing in the countrys transportation and energy sectors, according to Malacanang. In a statement on Friday, the Palace said that GMR Groups top officials had a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the 2023 Asian Summit in Singapore, where they expressed the desire to expand their operations in the Philippines with possible projects in airports, roads, and power. Srinivas Bommidala, the chairman of GMR Airports, shared that the group built six airports in India, showing their expertise in this field. Marcos welcomed GMR Groups plan, saying this would help the local tourism sector. We want it to increase as much as possible," Marcos told the group. "Im glad that you are looking at the Philippines The president said that while the government targets to upgrade the countrys main air hub, as well as build airports in nearby provinces, it was also developing regional airports. GMR Group already has a local partner in the Philippines Cavitex Holdings for the construction of the Sangley airport. According to Leonides Virata, chief executive officer of Cavitex Holdings, construction works may begin next year once they secure the green light from the government. Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Mychailo Wynnyckyj prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) of the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada). Mychailo Wynnyckyj is deputy minister of education and science, responsible for higher education. CIUS: In one of your Facebook posts you mention the emergence of a new territorial patriotism and heterarchic structures in Ukraine. What exactly are these structures? Wynnyckyj: Observing contemporary Ukrainian society is absolutely fascinating. Indeed, what is most interesting given my current involvement in government, is that society at large seems to be structured completely differently from the state. By definition, government is hierarchic. Having spoken to some of my western colleagues, it seems chains of command are ubiquitous in all governments. A basic requirement of a civil service seems to be that it is organized as a clear hierarchy with set procedures, chains of decision-making, signatures, etc. However, this way of structuring government represents a total mismatch with the way in which Ukrainian society seems to organize itself. This mismatch became very clear during the first days of the invasion. At one point I tried to capture the spontaneous self-organization that became the hallmark of Ukrainians resilience with an analogy: Ukraine is a beehive. If you look at how bees live, you will see that they are the least hierarchical society possible. On the one hand, a hive can include from 10,000 to 30,000 bees and a queen. On the other hand, the role of the queen is not to give orders or instructions. Every bee seems to know what to do. This is exactly the way in which Ukrainian society structured itself during the early period of the Russian invasion: situational leadership, spontaneous sociability, improvised action. My initial observations of these phenomena were complemented in 2022 by the outstanding work of my PhD student Artem Serdiuk. I thought the beehive we were observing was something uniquely Ukrainian, but Artem demonstrated that spontaneous sociability seems to be a natural human reaction to stress. Similar heterarchic structures have been observed in non-Ukrainian settings, for example, in civic self-organization during hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, forest fires, and particularly in New York in the wake of 9/11. In these high-stress situations, people come together spontaneouslynot looking for leadership but just performing urgent tasks. The major difference between hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods and the Russian invasion is that the former are short-term events whereas the latter has already lasted over 500 days. So Ukrainian spontaneous socialibity may have a long-term socializing effect that may yet transform into new institutionalized structures. I hope so What I have observed in Ukraineand continue to observe in the current phase of societal normalizationis that people tend to be most effective when they organize themselves in non-hierarchical structures. Though the term is not mine, I am calling this heterarchy. It signifies a specific network of relations within and between social groups and social hierarchies. It is sort of a bumpy, if I may say so, network. Leaders emerge, but they are situational figures. These leaders take temporary responsibility for a particular task or project. When the task is completed, they cease to be leaders. I have seen this phenomenon in the resilience of the Territorial Defense Units, in the amazing effectiveness of Ukraines Special Forces basically, in every place and group where the war effort has been successful. Ukraines heterarchy has moreover shown itself to be a great deal more effective than the hierarchical structure of the Russian army. My current position in government as Deputy Minister of Education provides me with an actual opportunity to bring heterarchy into a traditionally hierarchical environment. This is what I find exciting about the job. Flattening hierarchy is obviously hard to do, because a lot of traditions and processes need to be broken. However, if successful, not just in education and war, but in other areas as well, I am convinced that Ukraine can potentially become an example for other countries and societies. As part of this war, we have demonstrated how heterarchy can be more effective than traditional institutional hierarchy in achieving results. Now the question is whether this amazing reaction to crisis can be institutionalized in more routine decision-making. Read the rest of the interview here. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) One of the owners of a North Memphis restaurant says she was forced to shoot a naked intruder who threatened her and her family members inside the business late Monday night. The woman, who did want to be identified by name, said the man was dressed only in sneakers when he showed up at Mr. Potato Head while the restaurant was closed asking for water. He entered after pushing his way inside, shutting the self-locking doors behind him. She said the man became enraged when he couldnt leave the restaurant, and began damaging property. She said he also punched her in the chest and continued to come toward her even though she was holding a gun. I was just afraid of his strength, she said. Im pointing at him, asking him to calm down and stay away or get out of the store, which the door was jammed, and he had no way out, so therefore I was between a rock and a hard place, and I just did what I had to do, she said. The woman said she fired one shot at the man when he charged her and shot him again when he picked up a chair to throw. Its just a scary sight, and I know that people are saying what they couldve done, what they wouldve done. But until youre in a situation, you never know what you will do, especially when the fear hits you. You never know what youre going to do, she said. He was a big guy, big enough to hurt me. The womans sister, who began live-streaming after the shooting, likened the man to a lion locked in a cage. When the police were called, she said, the naked man was on the ground, and she and her sister and brother were still locked inside the restaurant. She said she went on Facebook to let loved ones know what was happening. If the police came in and arrested us or anything, my family needed to know. Somebody needed to know where we were or what was going on with us. When asked about the incident, Memphis Police said a man was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later died. They said a woman was detained, but havent released any further details about the shooting. The woman who fired the shots confirmed she was taken into custody, but said she is not facing any charges. She said she never wanted to take another persons life. Im not a monster. I would never hurt anybody purposely. I just feared for my life and just did what I thought I was supposed to do, she said. I didnt want him to die or anything like that. I just didnt wanna be the one my mom had to claim to identify. The sisters said they recognized the man from the neighborhood. Police have not publicly identified him. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. A NASA astronaut on her inaugural spaceflight and two cosmonauts launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft toward the International Space Station Friday, marking the first time Russia has launched astronauts to the orbiting outpost in nearly a year. The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:44 a.m. ET and began a quick, three-hour trajectory to rendezvous with the space station. The crew on board includes NASAs Loral OHara, a former research engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who was selected to the NASA astronaut corps in 2017. Flying alongside her are two Russian colleagues, Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub . Once at the space station, the group will prepare to take over operations from a trio of crew members that have been on the space station for nearly a year after launching aboard the Soyuz MS-22 vehicle. That spacecraft sprang a coolant leak in December 2022, which officials from NASA and Russias space agency, Roscosmos, later said was caused by an external impact likely a piece of space debris striking the vehicles exterior as it was docked with the ISS. Roscosmos determined that the MS-22 was not safe enough to carry a crew home and launched a replacement spacecraft in February. That left the MS-22 crew stuck on the orbiting laboratory while Roscosmos prepared another vehicle to resume regular crew rotations. The MS-22 crew includes NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, whose unexpected extended stay in space broke the US record for the most consecutive days in orbit earlier this month. After OHara, Kononenko and Chub arrive and take over operations, Rubio and his crewmates are expected to make their long-awaited return to Earth as soon as September 27. That would give Rubio a total of 371 days in space, besting the previous record by more than two weeks. (The late Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who logged 437 continuous days in orbit, still holds the global record for the longest mission in space.) NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, far left, and Russian Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, members of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 70-71 main crew, walk to report to the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos during the pre-launch preparations in the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday. - Vyacheslav Oseledko/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Rubio will also become the first American astronaut to spend a full calendar year in space. Rubio and now OHara traveled aboard Russian Soyuz vehicles as part of crew-swapping agreement between NASA and Roscosmos that was hashed out in the summer of 2022. In exchange, NASAs ISS transportation partner, SpaceX, has included Russian cosmonauts on its flights to the ISS. Despite geopolitical tensions between the United States and Russia as the war in Ukraine has escalated, NASA has repeatedly said its partnership with Roscosmos is vital to continuing the space stations operations and the valuable scientific research carried out on board. The most recent SpaceX flight arrived at the space station in August, carrying astronauts from NASA, Roscosmos, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the European Space Agency. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NASAs independent study team released its highly anticipated report on UFOs on Sept. 14, 2023. In part to move beyond the stigma often attached to UFOs, where military pilots fear ridicule or job sanctions if they report them, UFOs are now characterized by the U.S. government as UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena. Bottom line: The study team found no evidence that reported UAP observations are extraterrestrial. Im a professor of astronomy who has written extensively on astrobiology and the scientists who search for life in the universe. I have long been skeptical of the claim that UFOs represent visits by aliens to Earth. From sensationalism to science During a press briefing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson noted that NASA has scientific programs to search for traces of life on Mars and the imprints of biology in the atmospheres of exoplanets. He said he wanted to shift the UAP conversation from sensationalism to one of science. With this statement, Nelson was alluding to some of the more outlandish claims about UAPs and UFOs. At a congressional hearing in July, former Pentagon intelligence officer David Grusch testified that the American government has been hiding evidence of crashed UAPs and alien biological specimens. Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Pentagon office charged with investigating UAPs, has denied these claims. And the same week NASAs report came out, Mexican lawmakers were shown by journalist Jaime Maussan two tiny, 1,000-year-old bodies that he claimed were the remains of non-human beings. Scientists have called this claim fraudulent and say the mummies may have been looted from gravesites in Peru. Conclusions from the report The NASA study team report sheds little light on whether some UAPs are extraterrestrial. In his comments, the chair of the study team, astronomer David Spergel stated that the team had seen no evidence to suggest that UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin. Of the more than 800 unclassified sightings collected by the Department of Defenses All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office and reported at the NASA panels first public meeting back in May 2023, only a small handful cannot be immediately identified as known human-made or natural phenomena, according to the report. Many of the recent sightings can be attributed to weather balloons and airborne clutter. Historically, most UFOs are astronomical objects such as meteors, fireballs and the planet Venus. Some sightings represent surveillance operations by foreign powers, which is why the U.S. military considers this a national security issue. The report does offer recommendations to NASA on how to move these investigations forward. Most of the UAP data considered by the study team comes from U.S. military aircraft. Analysis of this data is hampered by poor sensor calibration, the lack of multiple measurements, the lack of sensor metadata, and the lack of baseline data. The ideal set of measurements would include optical imaging, infrared imaging, and radar data, but very few reports have all these. The NASA study team described in the report the types of data that can shed more light on UAPs. The authors note the importance of reducing the stigma that can cause both military and commercial pilots to feel that they cannot freely report sightings. The stigma stems from decades of conspiracy theories tied to UFOs. The NASA study team suggests gathering sightings by commercial pilots using the Federal Aviation Administration and combining these with classified sightings not included in the report. Team members did not have security clearance, so they could look only at the subset of military sightings that were unclassified. At the moment, there is no anonymous nationwide UAP reporting mechanism for commercial pilots. With access to these classified sightings and a structured mechanism for commercial pilots to report sightings, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office the military office charged with leading the analysis effort could have the most data. NASA also announced the appointment of a new director of research on UAPs. This position will oversee the creation of a database with resources to evaluate UAP sightings. Looking for a needle in a haystack Parts of the briefing resembled a primer on the scientific method. Using analogies, officials described the analysis process as looking for a needle in a haystack, or separating the wheat from the chaff. The officials said they needed a consistent and rigorous methodology for characterizing sightings, as a way of homing in on something truly anomalous. Spergel said the study teams goal was to characterize the hay or the mundane phenomena and subtract it to find the needle, or the potentially exciting discovery. He noted that artificial intelligence can help researchers comb through massive datasets to find rare, anomalous phenomena. AI is already being used this way in many areas of astronomy research. The speakers noted the importance of transparency. Transparency is important because UFOs have long been associated with conspiracy theories and government cover-ups. Similarly, much of the discussion during the congressional UAP hearing in July focused on a need for transparency. All scientific data that NASA gathers is made public on various websites, and officials said they intend to do the same with the nonclassified UAP data. At the beginning of the briefing, Nelson gave his opinion that there were perhaps a trillion instances of life beyond Earth. So, its plausible that there is intelligent life out there. But the report says that when it comes to UAPs, extraterrestrial life must be the hypothesis of last resort. It quotes Thomas Jefferson: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. That evidence does not yet exist. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Chris Impey, University of Arizona. Read more: Chris Impey receives funding from the National Science Foundation. Fourteen drivers. Ten spots. One race. The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick have punched their tickets to the Round of 12 with victories at Darlington and Kansas, respectively. Thats it. Martin Truex Jr., the regular-season champion, rebounded from an 18th-place finish at Darlington to start Kansas in third. But he didnt last atop that leaderboard, puncturing the center of his right rear tire during Lap 4. Its difficult, Brad Keselowski , currently fifth in the playoff standings, said in a video conference. You look at these scenarios, and theres a lot of opportunity to be aggressive and gain some position, but they come at high risk. Youre just constantly doing risk analysis in real-time. Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell join Truex on the wrong side of the elimination line. Wallace, who had won at Kansas last fall, started Sundays race strong but ultimately suffered a flat right-rear tire while running in second place. Its even tighter above that elimination line, where defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano finds himself in 11th and Kevin Harvick sits in 12th in his final postseason. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Denny Hamlin (No. 11) and Joey Logano (No. 22) spar late during Sundays AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports The playoffs are always tough. Any NASCAR race can come down to perfecting little details or depend on some unpredictable factors breaking a drivers way. But in the playoffs, the margin for error grows thinner and thinner. Even for a driver like Truex, the fields No. 2 seed who was celebrating his regular-season title just two weeks ago. The whole 10 weeks is super tough, but obviously as you get further and further into the rounds, it gets even harder, said Ryan Blaney, who is 25 points over the elimination line in sixth. The bonus points get pretty jumbled up at that point. Usually, if you get down to the Round of 8, you probably dont have a lot of playoff points, you probably have to go win one of those three. It is tough. Everyone approaches it differently. History isnt on Truexs side here. The 2017 Cup Series champion has struggled at Bristol, never winning there and only recording four Top 10 finishes in 32 starts. His last top five finish there was back in spring 2012. Chris Buescher won this race last September and has been among the hottest drivers down the stretch, winning three of the last seven races. But last weeks 27th-place finish his worst since April 2 at Richmond puts the RFK Racing driver in a tie for ninth place with Christopher Bell, just 13 points above the bubble. As much as is at stake for the 16 drivers in the playoff race, they wont be the only ones flying around the 0.533-mile bullring. And even if theyre not vying for a playoff spot, the Bristol night race is always one that matters more, Alex Bowman told reporters in the Darlington Raceway media center two weeks ago. Thats one of the trophies you want to win, one of the Victory Lanes you want to be in, Bowman said. When I was a kid growing up, thats always the race I wanted to go to. NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane Van Gisbergen (91) reacts after winning the Grant Park 220 of the Chicago Street Race at Chicago Street Race. Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports SVG signs with Trackhouse Racing Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealand-born driver who stunned the NASCAR world by winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race in his Cup Series debut, has signed with Trackhouse Racing and will compete in a combination of NASCARs three series next year. A three-time champion in the Supercars tour, the Auckland, New Zealand, native will race in Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series in 2024, Trackhouse announced Wednesday evening. This announcement means so many things to me, Van Gisbergen said in a release. Im proud of what I have achieved here in Australia, but Im excited by this new chapter in my career and the opportunities that it brings. May 6, 2023; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson (42) during Cup Practice and Qualifying at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports Mike Dinovo/Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports NASCAR lifts Gragson suspension Noah Gragson has been reinstated after completing diversity and inclusion training, NASCAR officials announced Tuesday. Its still unclear if Gragson, who was suspended indefinitely on Aug. 5 for liking a racially insensitive meme on Instagram, will return to a NASCAR series. Hes already been released from Legacy Motor Club, which announced John Hunter Nemechek will drive its No. 42 car next year. I want to express my sincere gratitude to NASCAR for reinstating me, Gragson, 25, wrote in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Over the past several weeks, I have dedicated myself to personal growth and reflection, and I believe I have become a better person because of it. I couldnt have done it without the support of my family and the NASCAR industry. I am now more focused and committed than ever to representing my future team in the best way possible. Im eager to get back behind the wheel and compete at the highest level, giving it my all on and off the track. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey, and I cant wait to make the most of this second chance. Odds for Saturday nights race Kyle Larson is the favorite to win at 11-2 odds. Hes followed by Denny Hamlin (15-2), William Byron (15-2), Christopher Bell (8-1) and Brad Keselowski (17-2). How to watch the Bass Pro Shops Night Race Where: Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tenn.) TV: USA Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Date: Saturday, Sept. 16 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Distance: 266.5 miles (500 laps) Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 125; Stage 2 ends on Lap 250; the Final Stage ends on Lap 500. NAVAL BASE NORFOLK, Va. In the minds of its crew, the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower was steaming along in the Mediterranean Sea, fighting a war in Europe along with the carrier Gerald R. Ford. In reality, however, the Ike was sitting pierside at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, while the Ford is actually deployed to the region, sailing in U.S. 6th Fleet waters with the command and control ship Mount Whitney. On their screens in the command center, the staff of Carrier Strike Group 2 could see the missiles and aircraft coming their way and how U.S. sailors were responding. The Ike and Ford were among six carrier strike groups two live and four virtual, spread across all seven U.S. fleets that participated in the Navys Large Scale Exercise 2023. Also took part: six amphibious ready groups (two live, four virtual), and 25 live and 50 virtual ships. The global training event, Aug. 9-18, brought together the combined firepower of the Navy and Marine Corps team, 25,000 personnel to test their ability to mass and coordinate large scale formations around the world as sailors and Marines tackled realistic scenarios akin to what they might experience in conflict. Navy seeks to offer virtual training to more of the fleet The ability to command and control our operations across 22 time zones is how we will fight and win in a global environment against our competitors, said Adm. Daryl Caudle, the head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. To do so, we have to globally synchronize precision and timing in order to conduct high-end modern warfare. The Ike, which recently completed its Composite Training Unit Exercise ahead of a deployment later this year, was operating very much like it would if it actually on U.S. 6th Fleet during combat, Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, Carrier Strike Group 2 commander, told reporters on the flight deck of the Eisenhower Aug. 11. The COMPTUEX is probably one of the most dynamic and most stressing situations that we put our watchstanders through and our aircrew through, Miguez said. We actually simulate, in the training environment, us being shot at by threat aircraft, threat ships and and threat land-based [cruise missiles] that we could incur if we go into a combat operation once we deploy. While COMPTUEX, a certification required for deployment, forced the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to address singular threats, Large Scale Exercises simulations presented multiple conflicts and threats simultaneously. What were doing for LSE 23 is were actually having two major threats at the same time, Miguez said. We did not do that for COMPTUEX. So, that is a slight nuance, and its going to give us exposure just in case this happens in real time. Navy Operations Specialist 2nd Class Justin Cutair stands surface warfare supervisor in the combat information center during sea and anchor detail as the destroyer Carney arrives in Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 25. (MC2 Aaron Lau/Navy) The main objective for Miguezs crew was to provide the Navys 6th Fleet with the necessary combat power to address any and all threats in that theater of operations. Meanwhile, other carrier strike groups in other regions of the world were tackling completely separate conflicts and threats, he said. Were in a defensive deterrence mindset, and were conducting presence operations, Miguez said. But as this scenario will unravel, were going to be put into a pretty stressful situation where we may have to obviously execute kinetic activity. Multiple threats The Navy and the Marine Corpss main objective for Large Scale Exercise was to globally synchronize operations to counter multiple threats in different geographic regions simultaneously. While a lot of the exercise was simulated, both in terms of where Navy and Marine Corps units were operating and the threats they faced, much of it was carried out at by units and personnel at sea, in the air and on the ground. In the Philippine Sea, the Reagan Carrier Strike Group was conducting flight operations to protect Americas interests in the Indo-Pacific and counter regional threats. Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Ocean, the commander of Destroyer Squadron 28 and crew members of the destroyer Porter discussed safe navigation and positioning in the ships combat center during a simulated transit of the fictitious Beryl Strait. Up on deck, a gunners mate loaded rounds into a M2A1 .50 caliber machine gun to prepare for the crossing. Elsewhere in the Atlantic, sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 12, working off the dock landing ship Gunston Hall, loaded into a rigid-hull inflatable boat to conduct an underwater detonation exercise. Further west, members of Marine Air Control Squadron 2, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, set up an AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar system as part of a larger tactical air operations center at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The scenario under which they worked was designed to test the centers survivability. Not far away, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 and U.S. Marines cleared debris from a simulated crater and filled it will concrete as part of an airfield damage repair operation. Missions such as these were playing out across the globe. Participating in the exercise were U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Command, Marine Forces Command, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific. Gunners Mate 3rd Class Travis Lemke, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer Porter, loads simulated rounds into an M2A1 .50 caliber machine gun to prepare for a simulated strait transit as part of Large Scale Exercise 2023. (IC3 Hailey Servedio/Navy) As the exercise wore on, the threat scenarios grew more intense. Coordinating a global Navy Navy leaders anticipate a future conflict wont be regional. Thats why the exercise looked to assess and refine concepts like distributed maritime operations to improve warfighting effectiveness against strategic competitors, according to Navy leaders. Its part of the Navys push toward fleetwide, coordinated naval formations, larger than traditional carrier strike groups. This distribution can be realized by spreading these formations out and by increasing the number of forces within the area of operations, bringing surface ships, fighter aircraft and bombers, and land-based forces to mass fires on enemy targets. Large Scale Exercise recognizes that we are a global Navy, Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, told reporters Aug. 11. Youve seen recent real world examples where our competitors are more increasingly operating with one another and are more increasingly sailing and operating further afield, he said. That further underscores the need for Large Scale Exercise in our ability to find, track and monitor potential threats and to do so across the world among commanders whose headquarters are linked at all times, Paparo said. The Navy and Marine Corps live units worked in tandem with 30 virtual ones, some participating pierside like the Eisenhower, others at training facilities and staff headquarters around the world. Navy, Marine Corps aim to refine, test modern warfighting concepts in Large Scale Exercise 2021 What makes this exercise unique is that we have both the friction of real forces as well as the scale virtual forces offer, and its all in a very intense period, said Adm. Stuart Munsch, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa commander,. Stressing command centers by introducing virtual units and virtual threat activity aims to acclimate them to a warfighting tempo and develop habits to effectively counter or eliminate those global threats, according to Paparo. A Marine prepares to help Navy sailors dig out debris from a simulated crater in support of Large Scale Exercise 2023 at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., Aug. 10. (Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal/Air Force) Focused on both the operational and tactical level of warfare, the exercise relied on input and decision-making from three- and four-stars to the most junior sailors and Marines operating across the world. The exercise also pulled in roughly a dozen retired flag and general officers to step into various roles like the defense secretary for the simulation. Practicing distributed maritime operations at the tactical level is critical because until they are carried out on real terrain and in real water, its just a bunch of concepts on paper, Paparo said. The saying is, the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in conflict. And thats whats important here, Paparo said. Stress to the max To become a more globally coordinated joint force, the exercises primary goal was to evaluate and stress to the point of failure concepts including distributed maritime operations, expeditionary advanced base operations, and littoral operations in a contested environment. By applying and testing these concepts during Large Scale Exercise, the Navy and Marine Corps attempted to challenge thinking on how the services can best maneuver, distribute and integrate forces. This is a departure from previous naval operations where a single strike group focused on more regional threats, said Capt. Chris Narducci, the lead planner for the exercise. We used to statically operate. Wed park a carrier strike group somewhere and execute, Narducci said. Those days are over when it comes to our strategic competitors. We cannot just sit there. We need to know how to fight better and how to operate on that global scale because its not going to be a regional conflict with our strategic competitors, Narducci said. It will be a global event because they are globally distributed themselves. Distributed maritime operations allow the Navy and Marine Corps to exploit uncertainty and achieve surprise, according to a tri-services maritime strategy document released in 2020. Utilitiesman 2nd Class Logan Littrell, left, and Equipment Operator 2nd Class Eric Hight, assigned to Underwater Construction Team 1, conduct pier repair in Norfolk, Va., during Large Scale Exercise 2023. (MC3 Max Biesecker/Navy) Ultimately, this distribution of forces gives us the ability to mass fires under the principles of expanded maneuver, Paparo said. That has been enabled by our ability to disaggregate sensor, shooter and platform to be able to achieve massive fires on particular centers of gravity while dispersing and operating formations more dynamically. Large Scale Exercise tested the spread of forces in numerous ways. For example, it exerted pressure on cross-coordination between the various geographic regions, Caudle told reporters. Adversaries will understand those limitations and will attempt to test whether U.S. forces are well-coordinated across geographic boundaries or see if they can take advantage of potential weaknesses, he said. Its easy to operate your own forces within your own operational area, Caudle said. Now, that may be challenged, because war is hell kind of thing. Being able to command and control forces effectively, in a structure thats not necessarily designed to do that well there is great learning and value there, he said. Another crucial element with distributed operations is logistics as naval elements span all areas of the globe. That means leaders must make complicated decisions about where best to share assets and resources, and created additional tension in the simulation. If you cant do distributed logistics, youre going to be in trouble, retired Adm. James Foggo, the exercises senior role player for higher headquarters, told reporters. Were stressing the force. Theres just not enough stuff to go around, Foggo said. So, somebodys going to get what they need here. Somebody else here may have to wait a little bit. But where are the priorities? An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 115, lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea Aug. 17 during flight operations in support of Large Scale Exercise 2023. (MC2 Daniel Providakes/Navy) Integrating Navy and Marine operations The Marine Corps is working to enhance its support of naval operations, and the exercise provided an opportunity to test concepts like expeditionary advanced base operations and littoral operations in a contested environment. Rather than focusing on just amphibious operations, littoral operations in a contested environment encompass a more integrated approach with the Navy to assert maritime dominance through both sea- and land-based capabilities, according to a 2017 Marine Corps document. Its using Marine sea- and land-based capabilities to control the sea, Narducci said. And then thats supported by expeditionary advanced base operations. Theres many challenges out there when were in a littoral, so we need to have these expeditionary advanced bases in order to execute sea control and sea denial using combined Navy and Marine Corps capabilities. Marines conducted multiple training events to apply these concepts. Near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, for example, they practiced refueling CH-53E helicopters at a remote forward arming and refueling point. The focus was to hone integration and strengthen communications between the Navy and the Marine Corps. This will allow the Marines to operate in smaller detachments in a forward littoral environment, according to Marine Corps Col. Ginger Beals, commanding officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 2. This is simulating, if we needed to, that the aircraft could come forward, they could refuel, they could go out on the ship, Beals told reporters in North Carolina. And then they could deploy with them into whatevers needed, whether its crisis response for humanitarian assistance, whether its kinetic environment. This enables aircraft to operate in more austere environments, and permits pilots to extend their range of operations, Beals said. Combat Logistics Regiment 2 provided support during fuel exercises to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The regiment also communicated with amphibious transport dock New York and Carrier Strike Group 4, which conducts training and certification for ships assigned to U.S. Fleet Forces and U.S. 2nd Fleet. First Lt. Anthony Viteri, a combat engineer officer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, directs aircraft with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 at Marine Corps Landing Outlying Field Oak Grove, N.C., Aug. 13. (Lance Cpl. Orlanys Diaz Figueroa/Marine Corps) Large Scale Exercise challenged forces to work in a more dispersed manner than they ordinarily do, said Marine Corps 1st Lt. Anthony Viteri, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271. The difference would be just a smaller footprint, more spread out, Viteri said. So, instead of being in a large built-up area, were in multiple different locations, with less people still being asked to do the same thing. This is a key tenant of distributed maritime operations. According to Foggo, disaggregating forces by distributing them to various expeditionary advanced bases presents targeting problems for the enemy, as does aggregating those forces again. Thats what DMO is all about and bringing [them] together into a combat-capable power projecting, lethal organization thats going to strike the enemy and destroy the forces, Foggo said. One of the key differences between this years exercise and the first iteration of Large Scale Exercise is that it took into account the actual size of the force, rather than inflating it with simulated forces. That hasnt always been the case and therefore, made the exercise more practical, according to Rear Adm. Eugene Burcher, the exercise director. Most exercises, you assume various different things, Burcher said. Were using actual numbers and that forces that tension and makes the exercise much more realistic. At the same time, the exercise also factored in the actual force size of enemy forces to present the most realistic scenarios. Multiple reports detailing lessons learned will emerge as a result, said retired Adm. Scott Swift, a senior role player for higher headquarters. Planning for Large Scale Exercise 2025 was set to begin the day after this years exercise concluded. This is about learning, Swift said. Were going to push this thing until its really hard for [U.S. sailors and Marines] to win, Swift said. We want to find the failure points. Chief Operations Specialist April Koberg stands watch in the combat information center aboard the command and control ship Mount Whitney Aug. 17 in the Aegean Sea during Large Scale Exercise. (MC2 Mario Coto/Navy) The Navy is expected to miss its recruiting goals for FY23 by roughly 7,000 sailors, according to acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti. The Navy and other services are struggling to bring in new recruits, which military leaders attribute to more thorough medical screenings, fewer Americans eligible to serve and low civilian unemployment. While the Navy will not hit its recruitment targets this year, the service had been bracing for a more dire outcome at the beginning of the fiscal year, Franchetti told the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday during her confirmation hearing to serve as CNO. We started out the year thinking wed be about 13,000 short, Franchetti said. Were going to be about 7,000 short. Were doing better month by month than we were last year. The Navy reported in September 2022 that it met its active duty enlisted recruitment goals for FY22, but was forced to drain its Delayed Entry Program pool to the lowest level the in 40 years to hit that mark. The program allows someone to join the Navy prior to their shipping date. The service has taken a number of steps to improve recruitment numbers this year, include raising the maximum enlistment bonus to $75,000 and raising the maximum enlistment age to 41. The service also kicked off a pilot program in December permitting sailors who scored lower on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, part of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, to still sign up for the Navy. The change allows prospective sailors who score between the 10th and 30th percentile on the AFQT to join if their ASVAB individual line scores are high enough to qualify for a Navy rating. I would like to make the point that the Navy has not lowered any of our standards, Franchetti said. We are using every available lever to us thats authorized to be able to expand the pool of people that were bringing in. Franchetti said the Navy also needs to have a conversation with America about what the sea service can offer, so those who dont live near Navy installations or coastal regions, and perhaps dont know any sailors, will still be interested in joining. Although the confirmation hearing was held, Franchettis selection to become the first woman to lead the Navy is one of hundreds of military nominations including the presumptive leaders of the Army and the Marine Corps stalled due to Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tubervilles ongoing hold on confirmations because of his opposition to the Pentagons abortion policy. The policy provides travel and transportation allowances for service members seeking non-covered abortion and reproductive services out of state. AUKUS agreement requires submarine production boost, Franchetti says According to Franchetti, it will take years for the Navy to recover from these promotion delays, which have resulted in acting commanders leading Naval Surface Forces, Naval Air Forces, the U.S. Naval Academy, among other commands. As we look right now, our Navy is facing challenges all around the globe, threats from our adversaries, she said. We want to have the right people with the right level of experience in those positions. And as we continue to not have the confirmed people that weve nominated with that experience, were going to continue to see an erosion of readiness. Earlier this month, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro slammed Tuberville for the hold-up after Tuberville told Fox News that Del Toro needed to get wokeness out of our Navy. I would argue that Tommy Tuberville, what hes actually doing is, hes playing Russian roulette with the very lives of our service members by denying them the opportunity to have the most experienced combat leaders in those positions to lead them in times of peace and in times of combat, Del Toro said in an interview with CNN. More than 150 counter-terrorism officers helped to eventually track down Daniel Khalife - Peter Nicholls/Getty Nearly 40 per cent of staff at Wandsworth Prison were absent on the day terror suspect Daniel Khalife is alleged to have escaped, the Ministry of Justice has revealed. Damian Hinds , the prisons minister, said 80 staff failed to turn up to work owing to illness or other reasons, equivalent to 39 per cent of all officers due to be on duty on Sept 6. Former soldier Khalife, 21, who was on remand at Wandsworth accused of terrorism offences and spying for Iran, is alleged to have escaped by using bedsheets to strap himself underneath a food delivery lorry leaving the jail at 7.30am. After a police search by more than 150 counter-terrorism officers and an all ports alert, he was arrested on a towpath in Northolt after being pulled off a bicycle by a plain-clothed officer. In a written answer to Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, the Tooting MP, Mr Hinds said 125 officers were on shift on the day, equating to 61 per cent of all staff due to attend. Daniel Khalife allegedly tied himself to the underneath of a van using bed sheets He said the numbers were above the minimum staffing level required to run a safe and decent regime at the jail and all the staff in the kitchen, where Khalife was working on the day of his escape, and the gatehouse, through which the lorry passed, were on duty. An initial investigation into Daniel Khalifes escape did not find the staffing level to be a contributing factor, he said. Khalife should have been checked as part of a roll call in the kitchen before the lorry left to pass through the gatehouse, where officers are required to check the underneath of any vehicle with mirrors. Prison insiders increasingly believe human error was to blame for the escape. The MoJ said all bar five of the absences were planned and included staff training and annual leave. On Friday, the MoJ also announced that a former director-general of the National Crime Agency has been appointed as the investigator into the prison escape. Keith Bristow served as the first head of the agency from 2011 to 2016, after spending five years as chief constable of Warwickshire Police. Khalife should have been checked as part of a roll call in the kitchen - Elizabeth Cook/PA Khalife, 21, was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday after his alleged escape. The MoJ said the investigation would seek to identify shortcomings and ensure lessons are learned to help prevent similar incidents happening in the future. The initial investigation did not find staffing levels to be a contributing factor in the escape. Two watchdog reports last year warned staffing levels at Wandsworth were a serious problem, with most officers lacking prison craft because they had less than two years experience. Absence rates were at 30 to 44 per cent. On one day last December, only seven officers turned up for a night shift to cover 1,500 inmates. Inquiries will focus on the role of operational support officers (OSGs) who are responsible for manning the security posts at the gates and checking the 20 or so vehicles that come and go from Wandsworth every day. They are among the lowest paid staff in prisons, earning as little as 21,355 or 26,000 in London. Those roles have the highest turnover at 17 per cent a year, as people are lured into better-paid jobs. There are 30 per cent fewer OSGs than in 2010, even though they are responsible for more prisoners. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Losses of the Russian Federation in Ukraine since the beginning of the Great War have exceeded 270,000 killed Ukrainian military eliminate nearly 500 occupiers and 28 Russian artillery systems in a day General Staff A further 470 Russian troops were neutralized in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, along with a further 13 tanks, according to the General Staffs latest update on Sep. 15. Read also: General Staff elaborates on tactics to destroy 80% of Russian equipment, forces Total Russian losses are now as follows: Personnel: Approximately 271,440 (+470) individuals Tanks: 4,612 (+13) units Combat armored vehicles: 8,814 (+4) units Artillery systems: 5,972 (+28) units Multiple rocket launchers: 774 (+5) units Anti-aircraft defense systems: 521 (+4) units Aircraft: 315 (+0) units Helicopters: 316 (+0) units Operational-tactical UAVs: 4,714 (+17) units Cruise missiles: 1,455 (+0) Ships/boats: 20 (+0) units Submarines: 1 (+0) unit Motor vehicles and tank trucks: 8,492 (+34) units Specialized equipment: 889 (+0) units. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has confirmed the liberation of Andriyyivka village in Donetsk Oblast. Additionally, there was partial success for Ukrainian fighters in the Klishchiyivka area, where Russian forces are attempting to breach the Ukrainian defense line near Bohdanivka. Read also: General Staff releases detailed update on Ukraines counteroffensive Over the past week, the defense forces have liberated an additional 2 square kilometers on the Bakhmut front, bringing the total liberated area since the beginning of the offensive to 49 square kilometers. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Neo-Nazi Jason Brown claims he is part of an extremist group called Order of the Black Sun (Brevard County Sheriff's Office) A neo-Nazi has been arrested after he hung huge banners with antisemitic messages off an Interstate 4 overpass near Disney World. Jason Brown, 48, from Cape Canaveral, was arrested when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed that he displayed images of swastikas and other antisemitic symbols on banners that he displayed over a highway in Orlando. They initiated an arrest after agents with the FDLE and the Orange County Sheriffs Office saw a video named "Disney Shock & Awe," where Mr Brown and the other demonstrators were seen dressed in camouflage clothing and carrying antisemitic flags and banners, the arrest warrant stated. He has been charged with criminal mischief, a misdemeanour. Mr Brown claims he is a member of the Order of the Black Sun, a neo-Nazi and white supremacist group that often spreads antisemitic propaganda, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The group is mainly based in Florida. Investigators say that Mr Brown and other members of the group displayed banners without receiving official permission, which is a violation of Florida state law, says the FDLE. The extremist is known to the Brevard County Police, and was arrested last year in connection to an antisemitic demonstration in Orange County which turned violent, according to USA Today. This law was put in place earlier this year after Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 269. There are still three pending warrants for arrest for other demonstrators, who are believed to live outside the state. "We want to thank Governor DeSantis for his support of law enforcement and for the signing of HB 269, giving us the tools to arrest this hate-filled radical," said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. "This activity will not be tolerated in the greatest state in the country, Florida." There has been a 36% increase of antisemitic incidents between 2021 and 2022 throughout the US according to the ADL (FDLE/X) This display of antisemitism comes hard on the heels of two other incidents: On 2 September a group of about 15 neo-Nazis from the Order of the Black Sun, Aryan Freedom Network and the Nationalist Socialist Movement stood outside the Disney Springs shopping centre wearing clothes and bearing flags that displayed Nazi propaganda, CBS reports. The other incident included other extremist hate groups parading through the Orlando area, shouting racial slurs and bearing flags with swastikas on them, according to The Guardian. In a statement by the Anti-Defamation Leagues Florida regional director, Sarah Emmons, she said, We are deeply outraged by the two extremist demonstrations in the Orlando area. This type of hateful activity has no place in our community. We call on public officials at the federal, state and local levels to stand up and clearly denounce this hateful activity. We cannot allow for hate and extremist beliefs to become normalized in our society. According to research by the ADL, there was a 36% increase in antisemitic incidents between 2021 and 2022 throughout the US, with the number of incidents reaching a record high of 3,697 since the organisation started to collect data in 1979. (CNN) Ellen DeGeneres is coming back to television. The former talk-show host has teamed up with Discovery Channel for Saving the Gorillas: Ellens Next Adventure, which, according to a press release, leans into her passion and commitment to animals, and admiration for world-renowned primatologist, Dian Fossey. What begins as Portia de Rossis simple desire to come up with a nice birthday gift for her wife, Ellen DeGeneres, snowballs into something bigger than anybody could have imagined, the announcement states. The couple find themselves embarking on one of the largest architectural and landscaping projects in the history of Rwanda, only to collide with challenges like volcanoes, earthquakes, and a global pandemic. DeGeneres had had a dream of protecting Fosseys legacy by building the The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda. Every single thing has led me to just have a big enough platform to say, Look at work Dian Fossey did, DeGeneres says in the documentary. Theres nothing that keeps you more present, more in the moment, than sitting with gorillas. Saving the Gorillas: Ellens Next Adventure is set to premiere on Saturday, Sept. 23 in honor of World Gorilla Day. (Discovery Channel, Animal Plant, Max and Discovery+ are owned by CNNs parent company.) This story was first published on CNN.com, "Ellen DeGeneres returning to television for passion project" Wrestling might be choreographed, but in his latest docuseries, Cheer and Last Chance U director Greg Whiteley proves just how real the emotions that form its foundation really are. Thanks to his past hit Netflix series, Whiteley has risen to prominence as a devout chronicler of underdogs. That impulse is alive and well in this riveting seven-part documentary which made its debut on the streaming service Wednesday. The series observes the many, many triumphs and challenges unfolding within the Louisville, Kentucky-based Ohio Valley Wrestlingwhich has given us legends like John Cena and Dave Bautista. Run by former WWE legend Al Snow , OVW is part of Americas crumbling regional wrestling infrastructure, and as such, its also chronically underfunded. In 2021, Snow sold a majority stake to Lexington, Kentucky attorney and radio host Matt Jones and his business partner Craig Greenberg. As seen in Wrestlers, the three mens temperaments and interpersonal styles are quite different, and the wrestlers within OVW are understandably leery of their new, collared-shirt-wearing overlord. In keeping with his prior projects, Whiteley declines to judge any of his subjects or to frame any of them in a two-dimensional light. His characters are rich, idiosyncratic, and often bewitchingly charismatic even in spite of their shortcomings. In other words, theyre human. Netflix Wrestlers weaves a rich tapestry of distinct personalities. The scrappy upstart HollyHood Haley J is a firecracker of ambition and talent whose meteoric rise frustrates some of her slower-simmering colleagues like her on-again, off-again partner Eric Darkstorm. Haley and her mother, fellow wrestler Amazing Maria, spend the series playing up the rough aspects of their relationship for the crowda gambit that dares the audience to guess where the fiction ends and the reality begins. Other big players in the locker room include the even-keeled father figure Cash Flo and the determined one-time WWE wrestler Mahabali Shera. In its early episodes, Wrestlers takes great pains to educate even its most oblivious viewers. In truth, however, you dont need to know much (or anything) about wrestling for this series to capture your attention for hours on end; the shows compelling characters and knotty relationships will do that all on their own. So, too, does the broader framework within which they all operate: More than a story about wrestling, its a story about heart in the face of economic devastation, both within OVW and the area it calls home. In this light, the conflict between Snow and Jones becomes more fascinating. Their tension clearly comes not from a place of personal malice but more likely from the imbalance in their relationship: Jones has the money that Snow needs, and as such, he has leverage that Snow and his crewthose whove been in the business for yearsseem to ambiently resent. Netflix Jones might just be one of the shows most complicated characters: In moments when hes leaning into lead commentator Bryan Kennison to bring in enough viewership to pay for his own job, hes not exactly a hero. In other moments, however, he expresses regret for how he handled his early days with OVW. Had he communicated more openly and less authoritatively, he concedes, the dynamic might have been a little smoother. But its the perpetual heel, Haley, who runs away with the show in her hot pink boots. The bleachy-haired, long-lashed second-generation wrestler is, in some ways, the shows aching emotional core. Whiteleys cameras follow her through contemplative car rides and quiet moments smoking on stairs, as she ruminates on her fraught relationship with her mother, the rape she experienced as a young girl, and the part of herself thats always in survival mode. In spite of the pair's spotty history, Maria is determined to help her daughter succeed. Netflix The wins and losses in wrestling might be pre-determined, and the moves might be rehearsed, but Wrestlers demonstrates how real the blood and tears viewers see in the ring really are. Al Snows dedication to narrative, and to showing the audience something theyve never seen before, also seems to stem from a desire to find some truth in the stories he and OVW are telling. With any luck, Netflix audiences will really hear themand, perhaps, help these determined athletes achieve all the glory (and economic stability) they so deeply crave. Did you like this review? Sign up to get our weekly See Skip newsletter every Tuesday and find out what new shows and movies are worth watching, and which arent. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A zoo in Scotland is working to adopt a bear that suffered a concussion in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Yampil, aged 12, was found in the "most appalling conditions" in Donetsk, the zoo said. The zoo said it needs around $250,000 to pay for the bear's long-term care and housing. A zoo in Scotland launched a call for donations to adopt a Ukrainian black bear that survived a concussion while under Russian occupation. The 12-year-old bear, named Yampil after the village from which he was rescued, was found in the "most appalling conditions" in eastern Ukraine, according to the Five Sisters Zoo near Edinburgh. In a Facebook post on Monday, the zoo said Yampil had been in an area of the Donetsk region which was occupied for five months and then recaptured. He was close to dying after being concussed by a shell explosion that took place close to his cage at an unspecified date, the zoo said in a statement sent to Insider. Yampil was one of the few zoo animals to escape, with many others succumbing to shelling and broader deprivation at the Ukrainian zoo, it said. Some were likely slaughtered for food, the zoo said. While Yampil's story is "truly horrific", Five Sisters Zoo said it now wants to make sure it gives him a "happy ending", per its Facebook post. The bear is currently in safe hands in northeastern Belgium at the Natuurhulpcentrum wildlife-rescue charity. It has asked Five Sisters Zoo renowned for its rescue work and care for endangered animals to give the animal a loving, permanent home in Scotland, per a Facebook post. In a statement sent to Insider, the Scottish zoo said that adopting such an animal requires a "significant" investment of around 200,000, or around $250,000. It would pay for a brand new enclosure for Yampil and his future veterinary care needs, the zoo said. It has not said how much of the total it has raised so far. "War and conflict is a horrible things, and it's very traumatic for people. It's often forgotten that it's traumatic for animals as well," Romain Pizzi, Five Sisters' head veterinarian, told CNN. Yampil is expected to relocate to Scotland in 2024, per the zoo's statement. At least 200,000 animals have been left homeless partly due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Ukrainians leaving their pets behind, Olga Chevganiuk, COO of Ukrainian animal organization UAnimals, told The Hill. As a result, animal shelters along the frontlines were filled to capacity, according to the first census published by the Ukrainian animal rescue service, Save Pets of Ukraine, in January 2023. In March 2022, animal rescuers in neighboring Poland told Insider they had not slept for days, driving back and forth over the Ukrainian border to ferry wounded cats and dogs to safety. Read the original article on Insider Hunters can harvest white-tailed deer during extended seasons designed to slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Marion, Wyandot and Hardin counties. Early archery season began in those counties Sept. 9, according to a news release provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. An early gun hunting season will be available in Marion, Wyandot and Hardin counties Oct. 7 to Oct. 9, the news release explained. Archery season for white-tailed deer across the rest of the state begins Sept. 30 and will run until Feb. 4, 2024. The state's regular gun season is split into two different periods this year. The first gun season will run Nov. 27 to Dec. 3; the second will be held the weekend of Dec. 16 and 17. Muzzleloader season across the Buckeye State will be Jan. 6 to 9, 2024. Several ways to test for CWD in deer harvested There have been 23 cases where deer have tested positive for CWD in Marion and Wyandot counties since the fall of 2020. CWD has been detected in 31 states and four Canadian provinces. The positive tests in Ohio forced ODNR biologists to establish a disease surveillance area in Marion, Wyandot and Hardin counties in 2021. That surveillance area remains in effect. A pair of deer graze a residential property on Marion Avenue Road. A portion of the white-tailed deer in Ohio have tested positive for COVID-19. "CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer and other similar species, including mule deer, elk and moose," the news release reads. "No evidence exists that CWD can spread to humans, pets, or livestock." The earlier hunting dates in those counties are designed to slow the spread of CWD by reducing deer numbers before the breeding season. Hunters who harvest deer in the disease surveillance area are required to submit their specimens for CWD sampling during hunts Oct. 7-9, Nov. 4-5, Nov. 11-12, as well as during the entire seven-day gun season (Nov. 27-Dec. 3). ODNR staff will be available at Ohio sampling locations during the seven-day gun season: Big Island Wildlife Area Headquarters, 5389 Larue-Prospect Rd West, New Bloomington 43341 Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area Headquarters, 19100 CH 115, Harpster 43323 Wyandot County Fairgrounds, 10171 OH 53, Upper Sandusky 43351 Rural King, 233 American Blvd, Marion 43302 Hardin County Fairgrounds, 14134 County Rd 140, Kenton 43326 McGuffey Conservation Club, 6950 Township Rd 55, Ada 45810 Hunters are asked to use self-serve kiosks for mandatory sampling or for free voluntary sampling throughout the remainder of the deer season. Kiosk locations are available at ohiodnr.gov/cwd. Instructions for sample submission will be provided at the kiosk. Successful hunters are not required to surrender their deer. Those with questions on having their deer sampled can call 419-429-8322. Outside the disease surveillance area, hunters may test a harvested deer at the Ohio Department of Agricultures Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for a fee. Call 614-728-6220 for more information. Special regulations apply for CWD hunting areas In addition to mandatory testing, the following regulations apply within the disease surveillance area: Salt, minerals and food are prohibited as bait during the special CWD hunts, the ODNR news release specifies. "Normal agricultural activities, including feeding of domestic animals, as well as hunting deer over food plots, naturally occurring or cultivated plants, and agriculture crops, are not prohibited," the news release reads. Carcasses and high-risk parts of the animal may not be removed from the disease surveillance area unless the carcass complies with regulations, it is delivered to a certified taxidermist, or taken to a processor within 24 hours of removal. More information on carcass regulations and a complete list of certified processors and taxidermists can be found at ohiodnr.gov/cwd. "The proper handling of carcasses, trims, and parts dramatically decreases the risk of spreading disease," the news release reads. "Hunters should properly dispose of deer carcasses by double-bagging all high-risk parts (brain, spinal cord, eyes, and lymphoid tissue) and setting them out with their household garbage for trash pickup, when permitted by waste disposal facilities. Those without trash pickup can double-bag the carcass and take it to a municipal solid waste landfill or bury the carcass at least 3 feet deep on the property of harvest. The Division of Wildlife provides receptacles in the disease surveillance area for proper carcass disposal." Deer are susceptible to COVID infections Deer are also susceptible to COVID infections, the Columbus Dispatch has reported. That's based on the results of a study conducted by a team of OSU researchers that between November 2021 and March 2022 used nasal swabs to sample 1,522 wild deer in 83 of Ohio's 88 counties. About 1 in 10 deer tested positive for COVID, and at least one positive was found in 49 of the 83 counties. Among the counties where COVID-infected deer showed up were Franklin, Delaware, Union, Fairfield and Hocking. Rural counties with higher deer populations, including Athens, Morgan, Washington, Meigs, Ashland and Richland, showed a significant incidence of infected deer. ztuggle@gannett.com 419-564-3508 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Extra deer hunts designed to limit spread of Chronic Wasting Disease HAMPTON As Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic, New Hampshires Seacoast is seeing large waves that are attracting surfers looking for a late-summer thrill. Local surf photographer and blogger Ralph Fatello was at the surf spot known as Fox Hill in Rye Thursday, shooting pictures and video of surfers enjoying 10-foot waves in 60-plus-degree water. Surfer Cam MacLeod rides a wave at Fox Hill in Rye Thursday when conditions were ideal thanks to Hurricane Lee offshore. New Hampshire is known for its big waves coming when the water is cold, including winter. Hurricane season is the rare time when the water warms up just when the waves start coming in. Its like surfing in Hawaii, Fatello said. We dont get that that often. Cinnamon Rainbows' Dave Cropper said the pleasant surfing conditions will last until Saturday when the storm worsens. He said the beach has been busy this week, as has his shop on Route 1 in North Hampton. Any time you have surf multiple days on end, that gets the crowds out, Cropper said. Hurricane Lee's impact: NH Seacoast, Maine to see tropical storm force winds, high waves Hurricane Lee expected to bring 10- to 12-foot waves Sarah Jamison, a forecaster for the National Weather Service, said the path of Hurricane Lees center, known as the cone, was projected to go away from the coast. The effects of the storm will be felt well outside the cone, however, which is why waves and winds are heading to the New Hampshire Seacoast and southern Maine this weekend. Saturday will be when the storm will impact the Seacoast the most. Jamison said there will be 10- to 12-foot waves and strong winds. She said they are expecting a fair amount of beach erosion due to the storm. Its going to be extremely hazardous, Jamison said. When youre talking about 10-foot waves, breaking waves, thats a lot of energy. Three surfers enjoy the waves brought by Hurricane Lee Thursday at Fox Hill in Rye. While some surfers do brave the treacherous water when the storm is at its peak intensity, Cropper said the waves by that point wont be enjoyable because of the wind. Fatello said wind is expected to blow into the waves, making it challenging to see. Its the blind takeoff, Fatello said. You cant see what youre dropping into. That is why Thursday and Friday are considered the days to get to the beach for New England surfers. Cropper also expects Sunday to be good for surfing, though Jamison at the NWS said winds from another incoming storm system are expected that day. Thursday, renowned New Hampshire surfer Kevin Grondin got out of the water at Fox Hill and looked forward to going back again the next day. Well see what happens tomorrow before the wind hits, Grondin said. Then its going to go crazy. 'Expecting the worst, hoping for best': Southern Maine coast prepares for Hurricane Lee Memorable surfs from past storms on the Seacoast Each hurricane season brings waves to New Hampshire, but some are more memorable than others. Cropper said Hurricane Bill in 2009 brought some of the best late summer conditions, which included sunny skies, late offshore winds and at least 10 feet of surf. Fatello agreed on Bill and added the infamous Perfect Storm of 1991. He said the storm brought some of the best waves he can recall coming to the Granite State. Surfer Mikel Evans, captured at Fox Hill in Rye by longtime surfer and photographer Ralph Fatello who documents surfing on the New Hampshire coast. Another storm of special significance for Fatello was Hurricane Gabrielle in 1989. That is when he told his then-pregnant wife they would be naming their child after the storm if it was a girl. Gabrielle was born six months later, Fatello said. Fatello said he plans to go out Saturday to find the few surfers willing to brave the hazardous wind and waves brought by Hurricane Lee. Until then, he said, the surf spots were busy with those enjoying the waves without a wetsuit, a rarity in New Hampshire where water is cold most of the year. A lot of these guys are in their trunks, Fatello said. When these tropical storms come, we take full advantage of them. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach: NH surfers are making the most of Hurricane Lees waves A North Carolina man with a history of mental illness was sentenced to five years of probation on Friday after pleading guilty to threatening to detonate a bomb near the U.S. Capitol two years ago. He no longer presents a threat, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras said before handing down Floyd Roseberrys sentence. In August 2021, Roseberry engaged in a four-hour standoff with police after threatening to blow up 2 1/2 city blocks. He said he was upset about the 2020 presidential election results and demanded President Biden resign from office, according to the Justice Department. This bloods on your hands, Joe Biden. We can make a deal, Roseberry threatened, according to prosecutors. Roseberry claimed at the time that his trucks toolbox contained a Tannerite explosive target and ammonium nitrate bomb and said there were four other Southern boys in Washington prepared to detonate bombs if he was killed, according to prosecutors. The defendant filmed the exchange on Facebook Live from his truck. It was later determined that the metal keg Roseberry said was a bomb only contained a small amount of smokeless black powder and could not be detonated by him, prosecutors said. The North Carolina man has since said he was in the midst of a psychotic break caused by ineffective treatment for his bipolar disorder, The Washington Post reported. Addressing the court, Roseberry said he takes full responsibility for his actions and understands why Im here, noting that he has since rewatched the videos of his behavior shared to Facebook. Roseberrys attorneys said in court filings he was suicidal and had been prescribed Adderall and Valium by a physician not a psychiatrist. A psychologist with the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health said the medication could cause manic and psychotic episodes in people with Roseberrys mental disorder, they wrote. The attorneys described a troubled childhood with an alcoholic, abusive father and detailed a series of familial deaths in the years leading up to the incident to which he pleaded guilty. If I had been on the proper medication, it would have never happened, Roseberry said Friday of his 2021 actions. One of Roseberrys five years on probation will include location monitoring and a rule that he cant travel to Washington without getting permission from a probation officer. Roseberry will also pay a special assessment of $100, though a fee was waived after the judge determined he could not pay it. Roseberry faced one count of threats to use explosives after prosecutors agreed to drop a more serious charge for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. The charge prosecutors dropped carried a potential life sentence, while Roseberry faced no more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the remaining charge. Prosecutors requested a sentence of 30 months and three years supervised release for Roseberry, citing the chaos his actions wreaked in and outside the Capitol and congressional office buildings. The DOJ also noted that the incident occurred just a few months after the political violence of January 6, 2021, referring to the U.S. Capitol attack. Prosecutors suggested the proximity is something the Court must also consider when deciding Roseberrys sentence. Mr. Roseberry effectively threatened the lives of hundreds of government officials and others working in surrounding buildings based in part on a political agenda just a few months after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, prosecutors said. Still, the governments sentencing request was the lowest within the guidelines calculated for Roseberrys offenses, which they in part attributed to his mental illness. At Roseberrys sentencing Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice conceded Roseberry might not be a current danger to society, but said the governments 30-month sentence request would still impose a punishment for his actions. Mary Petras, Roseberrys attorney, told the judge Roseberrys sentence decision should be the easiest the court ever makes because of good behavior since his arrest. She also clarified for the public record that Roseberrys actions were not linked to the Capitol attack. His brain glommed onto those issues, but (they were) not on his mind otherwise, she said. Roseberrys attorney requested a sentence of time served, given he had been incarcerated for a year before being released into home confinement in August 2022. Contreras, the judge, warned Roseberry he would not be as lenient if the North Carolina man acted unlawfully again, but said he expects Roseberry will not. Im very optimistic that that was the worst day of your life, Contreras said. Updated at 3:35 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Three North Dakota families with transgender children and a physician are suing the state over a law signed by Republican Gov. Doug Burgum in April that makes it a crime for doctors to provide gender-affirming health care to transgender minors. The lawsuit filed Thursday argues North Dakotas House Bill 1254 violates the constitutional rights of transgender minors by banning the use of medications like puberty blockers and hormones to treat gender dysphoria, while permitting the same medical care to be provided to patients of any age who are not transgender. The law, which took effect in April, additionally violates the rights of parents to make medical decisions on behalf of their children and puts health care providers in an impossible position by prohibiting them from administering best-practice medical care to young transgender patients, the lawsuit argues. We are standing up for all North Dakota kids and families whose lives have been upended by these politically motivated attacks on our rights, our personal freedom, and our ability to decide for ourselves whats best for our children, said Devon Dolney, the mother of 12-year-old Tate Dolney, one of the child plaintiffs in the case. It makes me sad and angry that people making laws in North Dakota are trying to keep me from having access to care that has helped me live a more full and happy life, Tate Dolney said Thursday in a statement. I wish they would understand that me and many other people are just human beings like them trying to live a happy life. The plaintiffs in Thursdays case are represented by Gender Justice, the Lawyering Project and Ciresi Conlin LLP. Defendants include North Dakotas Republican Attorney General Drew Wrigley and three state attorneys general. Wrigleys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Passed by the North Dakota legislature and signed by Burgum a 2024 GOP presidential candidate in April, House Bill 1254 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to 360 days in jail and $3,000 in fines to provide gender-affirming health care to transgender minors. It remains legal in the state to provide the same care to children who are not transgender. Laws that heavily restrict or ban gender-affirming health care for transgender minors and certain transgender adults in some cases were adopted by 19 states this year, according to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks state-level policies impacting LGBTQ Americans. Twenty-two states in total have limited or banned such care. Five states North Dakota, Idaho, Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama have laws in place that make it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to transgender young people, although bans in Oklahoma and Florida are currently blocked by court orders, and Idahos ban is not set to take effect until 2024. A federal appeals court last month lifted an injunction that had for more than a year blocked Alabama from enforcing its felony ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youths under 19. In August, however, the legal team representing the plaintiffs in Alabama said the preliminary injunction will remain in effect at least for the next two to three months, and possibly longer. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dan was my first love and my first grief, Brenda Lott said, as she spoke to families whove spent decades searching for answers about their missing loved ones. In a crowded hotel conference room in northern Virginia, Lott, 79, spoke at an annual government briefing in mid-August designed to offer updates on the search for missing American service members from the Korean War. When she was 6 years old, Lotts 18-year-old brother, Army Cpl. Daniel Dulin, who served with I Co., 3rd Battalion, 187th Regimental Combat Team, was presumed to be killed in action fighting in North Korea. Thats according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which is responsible for recovering missing service members. But Dulin has not yet returned to his loved ones. As the nation marks National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Sept. 15, approximately 7,500 American service members like Dulin are still unaccounted for from the Korean War, the vast majority of whom an estimated 5,300 are believed to be in North Korea. But North Korea isnt cooperating on repatriating American troops, or much at all, leaving Pentagon officials frustrated, and the families of missing loved ones in a suspended state of grief. Pyongyang and Washington hit an impasse back in 2019, mainly over U.S. demands for denuclearization, and the northern regime has refused to reopen talks since. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, told reporters that they havent given up. You have often heard the Korean War called the forgotten war, he said at the August gathering. It is not. Cpl. Daniel Dulin (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) Seven decades after armistice, families still wait The last conversation North Korea had with the Pentagon about search and recovery operations was in March 2019, McKeague said, and the last time the two sides undertook joint excavation work was in 2005. There were high hopes during various summits between then-President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, before the 2019 impasse over denuclearization. Kim has refused to open talks with the Biden White House, while conducting multiple missile tests near U.S. allies in the Pacific region. And Kim traveled to Russia just this week to meet leader Vladimir Putin. The trip prompted U.S. officials to warn that Kim may sell weapons to Putin for his war on Ukraine in exchange for nuclear or space technology. Adding to the mutual acrimony: Army soldier Travis King dashed north across the South Korean border in July, and remains in the regimes custody. North Koreas state-controlled media reported King blamed racism in the U.S. military for his flight. The soldier had been arrested and jailed by South Korea for damaging a police car, and had been in transit to face U.S. military justice when he escaped the airport and made for the border crossing. Frank Aum, a senior expert on Northeast Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace, told Military Times the U.S. and North Korea need to resolve their diplomatic stalemate before they can get back on track with humanitarian efforts, like the repatriation operations. Aum suggested conciliatory actions the U.S. could undertake including an end-of-war declaration. That would require coordination between North and South Korea, which in 1953 did not achieve a formal peace agreement. He also suggested dropping the broad U.S. travel ban to North Korea that was first imposed in 2017 after the death of American student Otto Warmbier, who suffered injuries in the Norths custody, and even a reduction in joint military operations that the U.S. conducts with South Korea and other Asian allies to rehearse how theyd repel an attack. North Koreas own COVID-19 travel restrictions also present practical impacts on the effort to restart joint recovery operations in the DPRK, said Dr. Mike Bosack, deputy secretary of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission, in an email. But we are examining the recent relaxation of the DPRKs COVID restrictions for opportunities to resume engagement. Still, the Pentagons recovery agency uses both the U.N. Command and U.N. diplomatic channels to try to reopen talks on recovery and repatriation, said Ashley M. Wright, a recovery agency spokesperson. For human remains recovery operations that occur along the DMZ (demilitarized zone), United Nations Command utilizes Armistice channels to communicate to the KPA (Korean Peoples Army) about the planned activities, Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners told Military Times via email. Identifying those who have made it home The work of identifying remains goes on, despite the impasse, with dozens of remains returned during that brief period of rapprochement during the Trump administration. Veronica Keyes, a forensic anthropologist and the Korean War identification project leader, was one of four scientists who traveled to North Korea in 2018 to collect 55 boxes of remains, containing an estimated 250 troops. Only 88 have since been identified. In the 1990s, North Korea turned over an additional 208 cases with approximately 700 individuals, some of which also still await identification. The recovery agency is also identifying troops who were buried in anonymous graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Theyd been returned after the 1953 armistice, in what became known as Operation Glory. Keyes said his agency is disinterring the cemeterys roughly 866 sets of unknown remains. So far, scientists have exhumed 572 and made 204 identifications, via dental remains, chest radiograph comparisons or DNA fragments. In August, the recovery agency announced that 21-year-old Pvt. Alvin D. Thurman was identified from remains disinterred from the Punchbowl, and 23-year-old Cpl. Francis James Jury was identified from the 55 boxes North Korea turned over in 2018. DNA test helps identify body of Korean War soldier from Georgia Finding Danny Boy Those discoveries offer some comfort to family members like Brenda Lott, whose brother Dulin was reported killed during action near the North Korean town of Opar-ri on October 21, 1950. She told Military Times that he was interred in a U.N. military cemetery near Pyongyang; but his remains were not identified among those initially returned to the U.S. in the years following the armistice. So, theres a chance hes already come back to the U.S., in the remains yet to be identified. Or, he might still be out there. Lott journeyed to South Korea in 2016 with other relatives of service members missing in action, in hopes of finding him. I never really realized the true depth of my grief until I was there, Lott said. She still treasures a tattered photo of her brother that stayed in her billfold until she had children of her own, and she gets sentimental when she hears one of their favorite songs, Danny Boy. Its like finishing a sentence, she said. We just need the period to put on it when we get their remains. Any country that supports Russia in the war in Ukraine will be complicit in the killing of innocent Ukrainian civilians, officials and soldiers on the battlefield. Source: Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh at Thursday's briefing Details: Singh noted that Russia is in a desperate state as it seeks ammunition from North Korea. Quote: "So we have been very public about our warnings to North Korea. Providing any type of arms to Russia would, again, violate the UN Security Council Resolutions that Russia itself voted for. So we would encourage that North Korea, you know, not pursue a deal with Russia, but yes, providing any type of ammunition would further continue the war." Background: Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin met on Wednesday at the Vostochny cosmodrome. On the day Kim arrived in Russia, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea launched two ballistic missiles off its east coast. The US has threatened to aggressively apply existing sanctions against Pyongyang and impose new ones if North Korea provides weapons to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. The EU stated that it is ready to take measures against North Korea if it supports Russia in its war against Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! By Guy Faulconbridge and Soo-hyang Choi MOSCOW/SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions, part of a visit Washington and its allies fear could strengthen Russia's military in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyang's missile program. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday. South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was a violation of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay. Putin told reporters Russia was "not going to violate anything", but would keep developing relations with North Korea. His spokesman said no agreements had been signed during Kim's visit on military issues or any other topic. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. view before and after Kim's visit was that "talks about the provision of weapons by North Korea to Russia, to kill Ukrainians, have been advancing and continued to advance." "We're not going to take their word for that, or basically anything they say," he told a White House press briefing, when asked about the Russian statement. "We'll see what actually ends up happening." "I can't name a specific agreement for you today, but we take a look at that with a heavy grain of salt," Sullivan added. He said Russia, and China, had legal obligations to uphold U.N. resolutions on North Korea. "We have very real concerns based on what Russia has just done, that they are going to live up to their basic responsibility as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council," Sullivan said. Kim, 39, on Friday visited aviation facilities in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant and the Yakovlev plant, both units of United Aircraft Corporation, which is under Western sanctions. At the Gagarin plant, which is also specifically under U.S. sanctions, Kim inspected assembly workshops where the Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter and Su-57 fighter are made, escorted by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the government said. Kim, dressed in a suit and accompanied by North Korean military officials in uniform, was shown on Russian state television examining the cockpit of a fighter jet. He then inspected workshops where the fuselage compartments and wing assemblies of Russia's Sukhoi Superjet 100 are made before watching a demonstration flight of the Su35. He nodded with approval as the fighter performed. Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the then-Soviet Union. For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war. Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world's biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made. U.S. WARNING The United States and South Korea fear the revival of Moscow's friendship with Pyongyang could give Kim access to some of Russia's sensitive missile and other technology. Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July. The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday the Biden administration would not hesitate to impose additional sanctions on Russia and North Korea if they conclude new arms deals. The Kremlin says it abides by U.N. sanctions but that it has a right to develop neighbourly relations, including on sensitive topics. Kim arrived in Russia on his special train on Tuesday, held a summit with Putin on Wednesday in Vostochny and appeared to have spent most of Thursday travelling before appearing in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 6,000 km (3,700 miles) east of Moscow, on Friday. His Maybach limousine was filmed being driven onto his train on Friday in Komsomolsk-on-Amur with the help of a special platform. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Soo-hyang Choi; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich and Grant McCool) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 14) The House Committee on Appropriations will look into the suggestion of Ombudsman Samuel Martires on the non-publication of annual audit reports (AAR) of government agencies. "The Committee on Appropriations is open to studying the suggestion of the Honorable Ombudsman Samuel Martires regarding the removal from the general provision of the General Appropriations Act the provision on publishing the Audit Observation Memorandum and will carefully evaluate the impact and implications of such action," said Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairman of the panel. Martires has assured that his intent in restricting access to the Commission on Audit's AARs was not to shield erring and corrupt government officials and employees, but to ensure that only the final audit report is made public. "The Annual Audit Report could still be taken up on appeal before the Commission on Audit En Banc and the Court," he said in a press release. House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro expressed shock at the Ombudsman's proposal as she stressed that many anomalies in the government were exposed due to the AARs. "The AARs are normally used by media, non-government organizations and other corruption watchdogs to see if indeed government agencies and officials are using taxpayer's money judiciously and are not enriching themselves," Frasco argued, Meanwhile, Co highlighted that it is vital to take into account the influence of such publications on the reputations of public officials. He said he understands the Ombudsman's concern about preventing hasty judgments and confusion among the public when reading AARs. "Rest assured that Ombudsman Martires's proposal will be discussed thoroughly within the committee, and we will engage in a comprehensive review to determine the best course of action in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability in government," Co said. A Dallas man pleaded guilty to hate crimes in a 2015 shooting at a car shop in which he targeted Muslims, killing one person and attempting to kill four others, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. Anthony Paz Torres, 38, pleaded guilty Thursday to five federal hate crime counts in the shooting at Omars Wheels and Tires in Dallas on Dec. 24, 2015. He also pleaded guilty to one count of using a firearm to commit murder. The shooting happened just days after Torres had gone to the car shop, made anti-Muslim statements, and said that he would come back, according to the release. When he returned to the shop a few days later, Torres asked customers if they were Muslim and opened fire on the customers and employees, the Justice Department said. A bystander who was sitting in a car at the business, 25-year-old Enrique Garcia-Mendoza, was killed in the shooting. Acts of Islamophobic-violence that cause death and injury have no place in our country and run contrary to our values as Americans, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division in the release. This defendant is being held accountable for a violent and deadly hate-fueled shooting spree targeting innocent Muslim Americans. Torres sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24. He faces up to 37 years in prison, with credit for time served. Religious hatred, including anti-Muslim bigotry, has no place in America, said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. And when that bigotry crosses the line into violence, we will not hesitate to hold perpetrators to account. The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Criminal District Attorneys Office assisted the FBIs Dallas Field Office in the investigation. The defendants deliberate targeting of a Muslim-owned business resulted in not only the death of one person, but also caused physical and emotional harm to everyone present that day, said Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Field Office. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim, but they are also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community. Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. How do you feel when you read the same word many, many, many times? Do people have an equal number of hairs in both their nostrils? Does electrifying your tongue change the taste of the food you are eating? The scientists who researched these questions are among the winners of this years Ig Nobel Prizes an accolade that has no affiliation to the Nobel Prizes which aim to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative and spur peoples interest in science, medicine, and technology. Rice University graduate student Faye Yap with a dead wolf spider for use as a necrobotic gripper. - Brandon Martin/Rice University The Ig Nobel Prizes 33rd ceremony took place virtually on Thursday night, with prizes awarded by genuine, genuinely bemused Nobel laureates over Zoom. Each winner received a (now defunct) 10 trillion Zimbabwe dollar bill and a pack of Ig Pseudo Cola. Winners of the prizes represented 22 countries, including five researchers from the United States, four from the United Kingdom, and three from China. Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz won the coveted Chemistry and Geology Prize for his research into why many scientists like to lick rocks. According to Zalasiewicz, scientists lick rocks as it is easier to tell its type when it is wet. The researcher demonstrated this scientific approach by licking a 400 million-year-old trilobite during his online acceptance speech. The Literature Prize went to a team of researchers who were offered congratulations and congratulations and congratulations and congratulations and congratulations for their research into jamais vu, the experience of finding a familiar thing unfamiliar, in the repetition of language. The researchers found that about two-thirds of people reported feeling peculiar when they repeated the same word about 30 times. A team from Rice University in Texas won the Mechanical Engineering Prize for re-animating dead spiders to use as mechanical gripping tools, able to grasp objects up to 130% of their own weight. The Medicine Prize was awarded for research into how many nose hairs are in each of a persons nostrils. Using dead bodies in their investigation, the winning team found that there are around 120 nose hairs in the average persons left nostril, and 112 in their right. This work will be used to investigate how the immune systems of people with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss, are affected by a lack of nose hairs. Research into brain activity when a person speaks backward won the Ig Nobel Communication Prize, while the Public Health Prize was awarded to urologist Seung-min Park, who invented the Stanford Toilet, a device that analyzes excrement, recognizing users by their analprint an identifier as unique as a fingerprint, apparently. Japanese scientists Homei Miyashita and Hiromi Nakamura won the Nutrition Prize for their research into how electrification can affect the taste of food, finding that it increased users perception of saltiness. American psychologists Stanley Milgram, Leonard Bickman and Lawrence Berkowitz won the Psychology Prize for investigating how members of a crowd looked up if they saw other people doing so, while the Education Prize was awarded for research into how teachers boredom affects the boredom of students in a classroom. Finally, the Physics Prize went to a team who investigated how the sexual activity of anchovies impacts ocean-water mixing and the global circulation of ocean currents. The ceremony was accompanied by mini-non-opera songs (songs with no plot, sung in an operatic way) about water, as well as an annual paper plane throwing event. The researchers will have the opportunity to meet one another at a companion Ig Nobel Face-to-Face event in Cambridge, Massachusetts in November. More songs and paper planes are expected. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com TAVARES Jurors on Friday found 79-year-old Morris Reynolds not guilty of killing his wife by reason of insanity. Prosecutors had charged him with first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm in the slaying of his wife, Joyce. The judge must now set a hearing to determine the next step for Reynolds, including possible commitment to a mental hospital. Morris Reynolds, left, is shown during his trial on Wednesday (Sept. 13, 2023) in Tavares. The state agrees that he had depression, Assistant State Attorney Jamie McManus said Thursday during her closing argument to the jury. But that depression did not rise to the level of insanity. The defense presented testimony from toxicology and pharmaceutical experts, but only one who offered an opinion on whether Reynolds was not guilty by reason of insanity. Defense psychologist Valerie McClain, Ph.D., testified that Reynolds suffered from major depression disorder. I dont think he appreciated his actions or consequences, she said. In insanity cases, the burden of proof falls on the defense. Everyone is presumed to be sane unless proven otherwise. There are two parts of the defense, prosecutor McManus argued: Either the defendant does not appreciate the consequences, or he did not know what he was doing was wrong. Theres a reason it says or in the jury instructions," she said. Reynolds told deputies what happened, and even pointed to the gun on the kitchen counter. He knew pulling out a gun would cause harm, McManus said. He didnt shoot it out a window or into the shower. It was premeditated, she said, because Reynolds went back to the bedroom to retrieve his handgun after arguing with his wife of 55 years. McManus produced jail records that showed no signs of hallucinations or cognitive deficits. The conclusion was that he was average, she said. McManus also pointed out that the law does not allow jurors to consider any abnormal mental conditions not constituting legal insanity. But McClain argued that Reynolds was delusional on Feb. 7, 2020, because of a belief system that he would be better off dead. Defense attorney Brad Bonifacino talked about Reynolds having to be hospitalized twice for major depression, and that a doctor in Vermont doubled his Zoloft prescription without monitoring the effects. The defense team also said Reynolds suffered from dementia, neurocognitive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. He suffered PTSD when he was 15 when he witnessed a farm hand being killed in an accident. Two days after shooting his wife three times, while recovering from his injuries at a hospital, he asked a sheriffs deputy, Is she OK? No, shes dead, the deputy replied. Really? Reynolds reportedly replied. After Reynolds shot her three times, he shot himself in the face and stabbed himself in the chest. Previous coverage of this case: Trial underway for man accused of fatally shooting his wife in 2020 The states psychologist, Jason Demery, Ph.D., interviewed Reynolds and determined that he was not insane. But McClain was the one who ran various tests, Bonifacino said. Prosecutor McManus said the 12 jurors had a duty to put their personal feelings aside, as difficult as that might be. Were human, she said, but jurors must follow the law. Its not just a tragedy, its first-degree murder, she said. Jurors started deliberating about 11:30 a.m. Thursday and went until 7:45 p.m., when Circuit Judge James Baxley sent them home for the night. This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Lake courts: Jury finds murder defendant not guilty by reason of insanity A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ There is no connection between rising COVID cases and elections, contrary to claims online CLAIM: COVID-19 only spikes during election seasons. THE FACTS: There is no connection between rising COVID-19 cases and the electoral process, epidemiology experts say. Since the first U.S. case was confirmed in January 2020, the virus has spiked near the end of the year, but also during summer, nowhere near major elections. But some on social media are falsely claiming the virus is a tool to control election outcomes. Some wont figure out the Mysterious Connection between The Coronavirus & The Election!!! reads a caption on one Instagram post. Its Called Election Interference by Mail In Ballots & the Machines. Wake-Up America. But elections do not dictate when COVID-19 spikes. Theres no biologically plausible or credible reason why spikes would be linked with election seasons, Dr. Emily Smith, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of emergency medicine and surgery at Duke University, wrote in an email to the AP. Surges are due to increases in cases, which are related to human behavior. So reduced masking and vaccination rates are associated with case increases. Not election seasons. Although there is no formal definition of a spike, it can be characterized as the peak of a consistent increase in cases, said Dr. Janak Patel, director of the department of infection control and healthcare epidemiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The U.S. has seen rises in COVID-19 cases that coincide with election seasons in November but they have also occurred during the summer, according to Patel. Data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that the largest spike occurred the week ending Jan. 8, 2022, when 30.5% of reported COVID-19 tests came back positive. By contrast, cases had been decreasing in the lead-up to the off-year election on Nov. 2, 2021, a few months prior. Cases did spike close to the 2020 presidential election after they began rising in September of that year, but the 2022 midterms were a different story. After a peak with a 14.2% positivity rate the week ending July 23, cases went down leading up to the election on Nov. 8. I havent seen any particular timing with elections, Patel said. And people campaign for elections throughout the year. It is unclear whether the current pattern of COVID-19 waves will continue, or why it has occurred thus far, since the virus hasnt been around long enough for scientists to know for sure, according to Patel. While COVID-19 hospital admissions are currently rising there were 18,871 for the week ending Sept. 2 theyre a far cry from past peaks, like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the nearly 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions during the omicron surge of January 2022. Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report. ___ No, the US did not send Ukraine $6 billion by mistake CLAIM: The U.S. accidentally sent Ukraine $6 billion in military aid. THE FACTS: The claim misinterprets an announcement by a Pentagon spokesperson in June that the agency had overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the past two years by $6.2 billion. That meant more could be sent in the future without asking Congress for additional funds, not that billions of dollars had been sent in error. A recent episode of comedian Joe Rogans podcast has resurfaced the erroneous claim. In a clip circulating online of the Sept. 7 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan states that the U.S. accidentally sent $6 billion to Ukraine. Rogan made the comment during a conversation with former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard about the governments response to the recent wildfires in Maui. But Rogan, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, misconstrued the Pentagons June statement. Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for the agency, said during the June press conference that the Pentagon had overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine since the start of the war by $6.2 billion, resulting in a surplus for future security packages. A detailed review of the accounting error found that replacement costs, rather than book value, were used to calculate the value of equipment pulled from Pentagon stocks for Ukraine, according to Singh. The Pentagon initially stated that it had overestimated the weapons value by at least $3 billion. Final calculations showed there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last Sept. 30. Singh added that the $6.2 billion was just going to go back into the pot of money thats been allocated for future withdrawals of Pentagon equipment. The Pentagon this month announced a new $600 million package of long-term aid to Ukraine, which will provide funding for an array of weapons and other equipment. The assistance comes from money previously approved by Congress. President Joe Biden has requested $21 billion more in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine in the final months of 2023. Melissa Goldin ___ Bill Gates-funded climate change venture doesnt call for razing 70 million acres of trees CLAIM: Bill Gates is backing efforts to cut down 70 million acres of trees in order to fight global warming. THE FACTS: There is no plan to cut down 70 million acres of trees. The U.S. Forest Service has a ten-year plan to reduce the risk of wildfires across millions of acres of forests in the American West through a combination of controlled burns, selective tree culls and other forest management strategies. Gates, separately, is among the investors in a company proposing to help thin out Californias densely packed forests and bury tree remains in Nevada. But many social media users are sharing a video that features a woman speaking in front of a screenshot of a story on a website known to publish fake or misleading content. Bill Gates Pushes Plan to Chop Down 70 Million Acres of Trees to Fight Global Warming, the story headline reads. How is this green? the woman on the video says incredulously to the camera. How is this helping the planet? In actuality, the Microsoft founder is among the lead investors in Kodama Systems, a startup company seeking to selectively remove trees from dense, wildfire-prone forests in California and bury their remains across the state line in Nevada. Gates, through his Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which invests in companies developing technology and other innovative solutions to global warming, is among a group of funders that have committed $6.6 million to the company, according to a December press release. These claims are false, Alex Reid, a spokesperson for Gates, wrote in an email. Kodama spokesperson James Sedlak similarly rejected the claims, noting that the 70 million acres cited in the posts misrepresent a figure cited in a Forbes article about the company. The July article states the U.S. Forest Service aims to thin some 70 million acres of densely packed forest in the American West in order to mitigate the risk of severe wildfires. As written, this does not mean cutting down all trees in those acres and was subsequently misconstrued, likely leading to the narrative that came across your radar, Sedlak wrote in an email. What the Forest Service and Kodama are actually seeking to do is known as ecological forest thinning, in which certain, at-risk trees are culled from dense patches of forest in order to allow mature ones to thrive, he explained. Merritt Jenkins, the company CEO, said it hopes to focus on a remote part of the Eastern Sierra Mountains in California, cutting down relatively small trees that cant easily be turned into lumber. But instead of burning the unusable trees, as typically happens in thinning efforts, the company would take the remains and bury them at an arid site in Nevada, he said in a phone interview Wednesday. The goal would be to avoid the costly and harmful effects of burning, while also preventing decay, a process that also releases carbon into the atmosphere, Jenkins explained. Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report. ___ A new study doesnt show Pfizers COVID vaccine causes VAIDS CLAIM: A new study by Australian researchers shows that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine caused vaccine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or VAIDS. THE FACTS: VAIDS is not a real condition, experts say. The co-authors of the study say their work is being misrepresented and doesnt show that the vaccine is harmful to the immune system. The false claim is spreading as U.S. health officials recommend most Americans receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizers COVID Vaccine Causes VAIDS in Children, Study Proves, reads the headline of a widespread blog post. A post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, sharing the blog post relayed a quote from it, claiming: Finally, we have scientific confirmation that vaccination against COVID-19 causes a marked decrease in immunity to heterologous pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. A condition known as VAIDS vaccine-induced AIDS. The blog post references a study published in August in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children alters cytokine responses to heterologous pathogens and Toll-like receptor agonists. But that studys findings are being misrepresented. Dr. Andres Noe, a co-author of the study and researcher at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Australia, pointed to a statement the authors published responding to such claims. It has been brought to our attention that our recently published study is being misinterpreted and misused to claim that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous, the statement reads. Our research does not provide any evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to the immune system of children or adults. In particular, it is incorrect to suggest that our study results show that COVID-19 vaccines suppress the immune system. The study examined blood samples from children one month and six months after receiving a Pfizer vaccine and observed changes in whats known as cytokine production by immune cells when encountering various pathogens, the authors explained. They noted, however, that such responses are only one facet of the bodys combined immune response and we do not know how long they last. The study did not look at what the changes mean in the real world or determine whether theyre harmful or helpful. Dr. Matthew Laurens, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicines Center for Vaccine Development who was not involved in the study, concurred that it doesnt show the vaccine is dangerous or leading to immune system problems. On the contrary, they suggest that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 may provide protection against other infectious diseases, something that would have to be examined in another study, he said in an email. These off-target effects of vaccination are viewed as beneficial, not as a risk. Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in New Jersey contributed this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck ___ Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck By Ludwig Burger FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Novartis shareholders on Friday voted in favour of spinning off the Swiss company's generic-drugs business Sandoz, with investors holding 99.7% of the represented capital supporting the complete separation. Ahead of the vote at the extraordinary general meeting, Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor said the new company is eyeing the launch of at least five additional biologic drugs over the longer term. In a bid to enhance Sandoz's investor appeal ahead of its market debut on Oct. 4, Saynor said his ambition was to improve the development pipeline of currently 25 biosimilars, which are cheaper versions of off-patent biologic drugs made from modified living cells. "When I joined (in 2019), there were less than eight biologics in the pipeline. Today, there's 25. And that journey will continue. I'll be happier when it's over 30," Saynor told Reuters in an interview. Sandoz is currently the world's second-largest maker of biosimilars behind Pfizer. Saynor said dethroning the U.S. pharma giant, whose focus is on developing new drugs rather than copying others, is "very much" his goal. (Reporting by Ludwig BurgerEditing by Miranda Murray) This year U.S. border agents have encountered a growing number of individuals on the FBIs terrorist watchlist trying to enter the country via the southern border, according to the Homeland Threat Assessment released Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security. As of July, 160 migrants whose identities match those on the Terrorist Screening Dataset had been apprehended by Customs and Border Protection trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border during fiscal year 2023, compared to 100 in fiscal year 2022. Fiscal years end on Sept. 30. The number of all people, including U.S. citizens, on the terrorist watchlist who had been stopped at the southern border as of July this fiscal year was 216, compared to 165 in all of fiscal year 2022. The number of border crossers on the watchlist was higher in fiscal year 2019, at 280. A DHS official told reporters that the increase from fiscal 2022 to 2023 is consistent with the overall increase in migrants crossing the border and the rising number of migrants coming from areas of conflict. The number of migrants from the Eastern Hemisphere more than doubled, from 110,000 in fiscal year 2022 to 228,000 so far in fiscal year 2023, the Homeland Threat Assessment said. The Eastern Hemisphere includes Africa and the Middle East, among other areas. The increase in encounters of individuals on the terror screening data set are largely commensurate with the increased flow to the border more broadly, a DHS official told reporters. Naturally, as we see more people arrive at the border from different countries, we are more likely going to see an increase in individuals who might be on the watchlist or directly related to terror activity. Those on the watchlist include people who may be family members of suspected terrorists; their crossings make up just 0.01% of the more than 1 million crossings of the southern U.S. border in the last fiscal year, another DHS official said. DHS is and always will work tirelessly to screen, vet and prevent anyone who poses a threat from entering the country, the DHS official said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., then the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, said in 2016 that more than 1 million people were on the terrorist watchlist. (The "no fly" list, a subset of the watchlist, is much smaller.) Historically, people on the watchlist are far more likely to be stopped entering U.S. airports than crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The Homeland Threat Assessment did not say how many airport travelers were found to be on the watchlist in 2023. The assessment also found that foreign and domestic terrorists are likely to continue to be a threat to U.S. homeland security in 2023. The threat of people who are radicalized in the U.S. will remain high but unchanged, the officials said. Americans are much more likely to die from illegal drug overdoses than terrorist attacks, the report noted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data said more than 100,000 Americans have died from drug overdoses in the last year, with more than 75% of those overdoses coming from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. While terrorists pose an enduring threat to the Homeland, drugs kill and harm far more people in the United States annually. The increased supply of fentanyl and variations in its production during the last year have increased the lethality of an already deadly drug, a trend likely to persist in 2024, the threat assessment said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) New numbers show hundreds of teachers are eligible for the Oklahoma State Department of Educations Teacher Bonus Program that was announced earlier this year. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced the Comprehensive Teacher Pay Reform initiative in April and as of September OSDE has confirmed that 800 applied with 533 eligible. | Initiative to attract teachers to Oklahoma with massive bonuses proposed > Dan Isett of OSDE said that the 533 eligible teachers are pending the return of required documents related to payment of bonus, a final certification check, a final check on years of service, and a signed 5-year agreement. The signing bonus breakdown is as follows: Less than 3 years experience: $15,000. If teaching in a rural or high-poverty district: $20,000 3+ years experience: $25,000. If teaching in a rural or high-poverty district: $30,000 5+ years experience and teaching in a rural or high-poverty district: $50,000 5+ years experience teaching special education: $50,000 Teachers moving to Oklahoma with less than 5 years experience: $25,000 Teachers moving to Oklahoma with more than 5 years experience: $50,000 According to Isett out of the 533 eligible so far: Pre-K through 3rd grade 352 Special Education 168 Pre-K through 3rd grade and Special Education 13 Out of state 74 Districts 197 High poverty districts 68 Rural districts 24 High poverty and rural districts 76 Isett said that 74 teachers ended up qualifying for the $50,000 bonus. He said that seven teachers in the Oklahoma City District met the criteria for the bonus: four for the $50,000 and three for the $20,000. | Dumpster fire: Frmr. OSDE employee wrongfully terminated for voicing concerns over teacher bonuses > It was confirmed through OSDE that the department would recoup the funds on a prorated basis from those who end up not fulfilling the five-year commitment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. While working as a registered nurse at a Wisconsin hospital, a woman stole fentanyl and replaced the drug with saline, according to federal authorities. Then she resealed the vials with what appeared to be superglue before putting the drugs back in dispensing machines for future patient use, authorities said in a Sept. 14 news release. At least one patient received one of her tampered vials from the emergency rooms machine in November 2021, according to court records. Earlier this year, she pleaded guilty to one count of product tampering, records show. Now, the 54-year-old Janesville woman has been sentenced to one year and three months in federal prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Wisconsin. She has also been fined $30,000 and ordered to one year of supervised release following her time in prison. Her defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Sept. 15. The tampered vial of fentanyl that was given to a patient was one of two tampered vials discovered over two days, according to the womans plea agreement. The vial given to the patient had a substance appearing to be glue on top of the vial, authorities said. Another vial had a clear crusty substance, which appeared to be superglue, on top of the vial, according to court records. The vials stopper had been punctured or pushed down, the amount of liquid seemed off and the liquid appeared to be more yellow in color, the court documents said. During an audit, authorities said they found another tampered vial in a different department. The vial had glue on the top, a puncture in the stopper and too much liquid, according to court documents. Investigators also discovered that the nurse had an excessive pattern of fentanyl overrides and wastes when compared to other employees in 2021, according to the release. The Food and Drug Administration took the three tampered vials, which were then sent to analysis, authorities said. The concentration of fentanyl in one of the vials was equal to 2.2% of the declared amount, and a second vial had 5.6% of the declared amount, according to court records. The third vial did not have enough liquid to be tested. Hospital management confronted the nurse and asked her to take a drug test in November 2021, authorities said. She refused to take the test and resigned from the hospital. During her sentencing hearing Sept. 14, she expressed remorse for her actions and noted that her illegal conduct was driven by her addiction to opioids, according to the release. She indicated that the harm she caused to her patients by her actions will haunt her for the rest of her life. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley said he understood that she acted out of character because of her addiction, according to the release. However, he also noted that her decision to steal fentanyl, and then tamper with the vials and return them to the medication dispenser for use with patients, was the reason he was sentencing her to prison. Fentanyl is associated with a high likelihood of dependency, abuse, and addiction, according to the American Addiction Centers. Many patients given the drug for severe pain, typically during cancer treatment or after surgery, need addiction treatment even after following doctor instructions. As many as 15% of medical workers will abuse drugs or alcohol during their career, according to the AAC. Healthcare workers stealing fentanyl has been a major issue concerning patient safety in hospitals. The theft and replacement of fentanyl (usually with saline) causes suffering to the patient that is unknowingly untreated for their pain, while the healthcare workers who steal fentanyl for personal use are at risk of overdose, the AAC said. Janesville is about 75 miles southwest of Milwaukee. If you or a loved one shows signs of substance use disorder, you can seek help by calling the national hotline at 1-800-662-4357 or find treatment using SAMHSA's online locator. Nurse stole painkillers meant for patients at Iowa hospital for years, feds say Nurse secretly replaced hospital fentanyl and used superglue to cover tracks, feds say Nursing student stole fentanyl and injected herself in hospital bathroom, feds say [Source] A man from New York has pleaded guilty to targeting the homes of Asian American business owners in an interstate burglary spree. Guilty plea: U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced that James Hurt , 47, entered the guilty plea on Wednesday in Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. The charge reportedly carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money stolen in the offense. Hurts sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2024. About the burglary spree: Along with seven other individuals, Hurt conspired to burglarize the homes of Asian American small business owners living in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware from December 2016 to March 2019, according to court documents. More from NextShark: Member of ISIS 'Beatles' gets life sentence over fatal kidnappings of American, Japanese and British hostages The group stole substantial amounts of money, jewelry and other valuable items before transporting them between states. In one incident, approximately $350,000 in property was reportedly stolen from a residence in Monroe County in Pennsylvania. Getting caught: Law enforcement officers were able to trace the burglars upon the discovery of a dropped cell phone, which helped lead them to the perpetrators. In May 2021, the members of the burglary crew were charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property by New Jersey federal authorities. According to a criminal complaint, one of the burglars told detectives that they were targeting Asian business owners because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences. More from NextShark: I hate Koreans!: Harlem man spews anti-Asian remark and punches senior woman, 76, in the head The seven others who were charged in the case include: Randi Barr of Vauxhall, New Jersey; Kevin Burton of Newark; Thomas Rodgers of Newark; Kevin Jackson of Rahway, New Jersey; Rabine Armour of Easton, Pennsylvania; Sherman Glasco of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Terrance Black of Irvington, New Jersey. Other defendants status: Last month, Barr was sentenced to 50 months in state prison and was ordered to pay $127,661 in restitution and forfeiture. There are no other updates on the status of the other five defendants criminal cases. More from NextShark: Massachusetts driver charged with hate crime for ramming Asian man into ditch, yelling Go back to China Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! UPDATE: NY Police Seek Man Who Repeatedly Stomped Elderly Asian Man in the HEAD Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) The Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) on Friday said it has already sent to the Bureau of the Treasury its 50-billion contribution for the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF). The government-owned bank is mandated by Republic Act (RA) No. 11954 to remit the amount to the Maharlika Investment Corporation for the sovereign wealth fund, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said was designed to drive economic development in the country. According to Finance Secretary and Landbank chairman Benjamin Diokno, the banks investment was already settled on Thursday, around two months since Marcos signed the law creating the fund and over two weeks since the state treasury issued the laws implementing rules and regulations. "Were witnessing a growing interest for investments in the MIF from multilateral financial institutions and foreign investors. With the regulatory requirements in place, and after securing the seed capital from state-run institutions, we are confident that the Fund will be operational by yearend," Diokno said in a statement. READ: Diokno: Maharlika fund draws 'a lot of interest' from multilateral institutions Under RA 11954, the initial capital for the MIF will come from the national government (50 billion), the Landbank (50 billion), and the Development Bank of the Philippines (25 billion). The seed capital contributed by these so-called founding government financial institutions allows them to subscribe to shares in the MIC, which has an authorized capital stock of 500 billion. Up to 75% of that capital stock, or 375 billion, are common or voting shares that can be sold only to the national government, and government-run corporations or financial institutions that already counted the two state-owned banks. The remaining 25%, valued at 125 billion, are preferred or non-voting shares available for subscription of the private corporations and financial institutions. Landbank President and CEO Lynette Ortiz said the law has enough safeguards to ensure full disclosure and transparency in the management of the Fund, as well as the integrity and professionalism of the management team that will be entrusted to lead the Maharlika Investment Corporation. A New York State Trooper was cleared of a December 2021 deadly shooting in Dolgeville, New York Attorney General Letitia James Office of Special Investigation (OSI) said Thursday in a statement. On Dec. 24, 2021, Carson Dobson allegedly broke into his mother's home and stabbed her several times before leaving. Officers located Dobson a short distance away, where authorities said he was armed with a knife and a sword. Dobson refused to drop the weapons despite repeated commands from law enforcement and three police members used a Taser on him. Despite that, officials said he continued toward the officers and threatened them. That's when Trooper Andrew Gorinshek fired his division-issued weapon, according to Observer-Dispatch archives; Dobson died at the scene, police said. The stabbing victim was taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover, officials said. Under New Yorks justification law, a person may use deadly physical force to defend against the imminent use of deadly physical force by another person, OSI said in a statement. When the defense of justification is raised at trial, the prosecution must disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, Mr. Dobson had reportedly stabbed his mother and he then exited his trailer brandishing a sword and a knife and charged at a trooper. Attorney General investigation OSI said it followed a thorough investigation - including a review of body camera footage, interview with witnesses and evidence from the scene before concluding that the shooting was justified. Under these circumstances, based on the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer who fired was justified, and OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued against the trooper, OSI said. State police declined comment and referred everything to the attorney generals office. This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Dolgeville fatal shooting: OSI clears state trooper in 2021 incident Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington after his scheduled appearance at the United Nations General Assembly next week, the NYT reported on Sept. 14. According to the NYT, Zelensky's appearance at the UN meeting was publicly known but the visit to Washington has not yet been announced officially. Reports of Zelensky's meeting in Washington comes soon after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin 's highly-publicized meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Additionally, recent US reports have expressed disappointment with the Ukrainian counteroffensive. However, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visited Kyiv last week and pledged continued US military and financial support for Ukraine. The meeting also comes amidst reports that President Biden was considering sending more missiles packed with cluster munitions as well long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems which Ukrainian officials have advocated as critical for the counteroffensive. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Air defense system destroyed, two ships damaged in occupied Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Oklahoma City Community College is hosting Fiestas Patrias 2023 from 2 p.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17th. According to OCCC administration, Fiestas Patrias is a celebration of Hispanic culture showcasing the rich heritage and contributions of the Hispanic community filled with vibrant music, traditional dances, cuisine and more. OK State Fair announces 2023 Great TASTE of a Fair winners Details are as follows: When: Sunday, Sept. 17th, 2:00 -10:00 p.m. Performance Schedule: 2 p.m., Cavalcade organized by Daniel Escamilla, Faculty Circle 2 p.m., Fiesta Patrias across the Americas 3:30 p.m., Rescate 420 4:00 p.m., Alta Frequencia 4:30 p.m., Conjunto Joya Nueva 5:00 p.m., Esperanza Norteno 5:30 p.m., Los Tam y Tex 6:30 p.m., Norahua Dance Group 7:00 p.m., Official ceremony of El Grito presided over by Consul General of Mexico in Oklahoma City Edurne Nerea Pineda Ayerbe 7:30 p.m., Mariachi musicians 8:30 p.m., Distinto Norte 9:30 p.m., Los Mier The event is a free community event with activities for families and children, including official patrimony ceremonies and the crowning of Miss Fiestas Patrias. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. An Oconee County man and an off-duty Athens-Clarke police officer engaged in a road rage incident Wednesday in which the officer drew his firearm. The incident is still under investigation by the departments internal affairs division, police spokesman Geoff Gilland said Friday. No charges have been filed against either the 44-year-old Oconee man or the police sergeant. The angry driving was reported to police about 7:45 a.m. on the Athens Perimeter near the Atlanta Highway exchange, according to the report. The Oconee man, driving a white Ram 1500 towing a trailer, reported he called 911 when the other driver pulled a gun on him after both had stopped their vehicles. Gun watchlist: Rep. Andrew Clyde's gun shop in Athens is on ATF watch program, reports New York Times The other man was a police sergeant driving an unmarked vehicle into Athens to report for work, according to police. The Oconee man became angry when he said the other driver made an improper lane change, which cut him off, then he was brake checked, according to the report. So Im like, then pull over. Lets talk about your (expletive) driving, the man told the investigating officer, according to the report. After the vehicles had stopped, the Oconee man said he got out to ask why he (expletive) brake-checked me. He pulled a gun on me, according to the report. The officer then questioned the off-duty sergeant, who explained he was on his way into Athens when a person started tailgating his vehicle aggressively and wouldnt stop. The sergeant reported he noticed that the Ram had a license plate that appeared military-related and illustrated with two rifles. When traffic stopped, the Oconee man jumped out and approached the other driver, according to the report. The police sergeant reported the other man quickly approached his vehicle. The "sergeant fearing for his life and not knowing if the driver had a gun, kicked his own door open, pointing his gun at the driver, telling him to go back to his vehicle," the report noted. A police lieutenant also responded to the scene to assist in the investigation. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Road rage involving Oconee County man and Athens cop under investigation SOUTHAVEN, Miss. The officers who fatally shot Ismael Lopez in his Southaven home in 2017 have reportedly been cleared of wrongdoing. Attorney Murray Wells represented Claudia Linares, the wife of Ismael Lopez, in a $20 million lawsuit for the wrongful death of her 41-year-old husband. This week, after four days of deliberation in federal court in Oxford, a jury in has cleared the officers. The decision means Lopezs widow will receive no compensation for her husbands death. The verdict was that the jurors did not believe that the use of force used by Officers [Zachary] Durden and [Samuel] Maze was excessive in light of all the facts that they considered, attorney Murray Wells said. Read our coverage on the death of Ismael Lopez Southaven Police officers shot Lopez on July 23, 2017. The officers had been dispatched to serve a warrant at a home in Lopezs neighborhood and ended up at the wrong address. Wells has maintained that crucial mistakes led the officers to fatally shoot Lopez. There are a couple of huge factors at play. One was this unbelievable mistake of going to the wrong address and we felt it was just incompetent because they didnt even take the time to look at the boxes, Wells said. They went to the wrong side of the road, so that started this. The officers claimed they saw a rifle barrel pointed through the door and started firing shots through the door. They shot Lopez while he was in his living room. Then those officers used tactical maneuvers to hide themselves as police officers, Wells said. They never announced that they were police and at the end of the day Ismael Lopez was shot through a door, in the back of the head. A year after the fatal shooting, the DeSoto County District Attorneys Office announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the officers. Southaven officers wont face charges in Ismael Lopez police shooting Lopezs widow filed a lawsuit against the City of Southaven, the Southaven Police Chief, and the officers involved in the shooting, claiming that they violated Lopezs civil rights. The lawsuit disputed claims that Lopez pointed a rifle at officers, stating that his fingerprints and DNA were not found on a rifle recovered more than six feet away from his body. The lawsuit also stated that Lopez was more than six feet away from the front door when he was shot in the back of the head. Judge rules Ismael Lopez was protected under U.S. Constitution, denies dismissal of case The City of Southaven reportedly claimed that Lopez had no civil or constitutional rights because he was an undocumented immigrant. A U.S. District Court judge denied the claim, stating that Lopez was protected under the U.S. Constitution. Wells says its uncertain what the future holds now for Linares. We look at whether or not we want to take this up or whether or not this closes a chapter of her life and shes just able to move on, Wells said. Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite released a statement in response to the ruling. This was a tragic event and our sincerest condolences continue for the family and friends of Ismael Lopez. This verdict proves what weve believed to be correct since day one as our officers responded appropriately considering the circumstance of being threatened with deadly force. Weve stood behind them during the last six years for this very reason and, for their sake, are glad this trial is over. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. CHICAGO Ambulances were called to the scene of a tent collapse Thursday in southwest suburban Bedford Park. At least 26 people were taken to area hospitals for injuries, officials said. Around 10:45 a.m. police arrived at the scene in the 5600 block of West 73rd at a parking lot. Upon arrival, officials reached out to neighboring towns for assistance. The chief of the Bedford Park police department, Tom Hansen, said five of the injured people were listed in serious condition. The cause of the collapse was under investigation, Hansen said. Hansen also said the tent was for an event being hosted in the parking lot. Last month, Ohio Attorney GEneral Dave Yost said while he encourages victims to report individual cases of abuse to authorities, he is unable to open up a statewide investigation into the dioceses. After advocates for survivors called on Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost last month to join around two-dozen other states' attorneys general who have launched investigations into abuse at Catholic dioceses, Yost responded that his hands are tied. His office cited state law that requires local or federal authorities to invite the Ohio Attorney General to launch investigations. Legal experts told The Dispatch that the Ohio Attorney General's power to launch investigations is constrained compared to other states like Pennsylvania, whose then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro released a bombshell report on six dioceses in 2018. But they noted that with an invitation from local authorities, the Ohio Attorney General could choose to investigate dioceses criminally. When asked whether an invitation from a district attorney or police chief would trigger Yost to launch an investigation into the Catholic dioceses, Bethany McCorkle, Yost's spokesperson, declined to comment. In arguing that a broad investigation is necessary, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and two Ohio groups noted last month that at least five Ohio Catholic priests in Steubenville, Strongsville, Toledo and Cincinnati have been convicted for sex abuse in the past five years. They also released a list of 49 Catholic priests who had ties to Ohio and were named in investigations by Maryland, Illinois, and Pennsylvania's attorneys general. In response, Yost said in a statement that while he encourages victims to report individual cases of abuse to local authorities, he is unable to open up a statewide investigation into the dioceses. "Unlike some other states, Ohio does not grant the attorney generals office the legal authority to investigate matters like this. The General Assembly has the power to change the law, but at present, SNAPs concerns should be addressed to local prosecutors," Yost said at the time. However, Claudia Vercellotti, an abuse survivor and victim advocate with SNAP in Toledo, is not satisfied. "We have been asking for more than 20 years for justice on behalf of Ohio kids who were sexually assaulted by clergy, how many more years is it going to take?" Vercellotti said. "Its 2023 its time AG Yost come up with a fresh answer." At a Statehouse news conference, Rebecca Surendorff (left), Teresa Dinwiddie-Herrmann (center) and Claudia Vercellotti speak out about child abuse in within Ohio dioceses. Other states' investigations into Catholic Church The Boston Globe broke national news in 2002 with an investigation detailing child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston, but the trend of state-led investigations began after Pennsylvania released its report in 2018. Shapiro's grand jury investigation identified 301 priests who victimized at least 1,000 children, and it documented an organized cover-up that included bishops, monsignors and others. The Pennsylvania investigation resulted in some high-profile resignations including of a cardinal as well as two new indictments. Soon after the report's release, the state eliminated the criminal statute of limitations on child sexual assault, since most victims come forward only later in life. (A similar bill was introduced in the Ohio Statehouse in 2021 but never made it out of committee.) Since 2018, at least 23 other states' attorneys general have launched investigations into dioceses, according to Child USA, a Philadelphia-based national nonprofit that works to empower victims of child abuse while advocating for legal reform. The investigating authorities have included Democrats and Republicans. Josh Hawley launched an investigation as Missouri's attorney general before gaining nationwide prominence as a Republican U.S. senator; in Pennsylvania, Shapiro went on to become the state's Democratic governor. Some of the states where investigations took place have laws giving their attorneys general robust powers but others do not, according to a database kept by the State Council of Governments. For example, despite not having the power to call a state-wide grand jury, Iowa's then-Attorney General Tom Miller facilitated an independent third-party report on clergy abuse in 2018 after gaining voluntary participation from several dioceses. However, the investigation lacked subpoena power and uncovered only 17 new allegations of sex abuse. Attorney general powers in Ohio In Ohio, criminal investigations and prosecutions begin with local authorities. However, the attorney general can launch a probe by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation if invited to do so by local prosecutors or local law enforcement, according to experts. "(But) it's an invitation, right? The AG doesn't have to accept the invitation," said Jonathan Entin, a professor emeritus at Case Western University School of Law. Entin noted that the state's top lawyer makes their own choices about how best to use their department's time and resources. In the past, Ohio attorneys general have accepted some invitations to investigate child sex abuse. For example, in 2013 then-Attorney General Mike DeWine investigated cases of rape that victimized teenagers in Steubenville, which resulted in a grand jury bringing six indictments. Marci Hamilton, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on clergy sex abuse statutes and the founder of Child USA, said she thinks the logical next step in Ohio is for a local prosecutor to invite the attorney general to investigate the dioceses. "Given the reality of the ongoing sex abuse in the Catholic Church and the fact victims on average dont come forward for decades after the abuse, a local prosecutor asking for a statewide report on clergy sex abuse is reasonable and should happen," said Hamilton. "Where are the local prosecutors who for sure have received numerous reports of Catholic sex abuse over the years?" Even without an invitation from local authorities, Vercellotti of SNAP said that Yost could investigate dioceses civilly, focusing on their property, since the attorney general has the authority to make sure that charitable trusts are complying with state requirements. Dave Ebersole, a tax lawyer who served as an assistant attorney general from 2011 to 2016, told The Dispatch he thinks that the Ohio Attorney General's investigatory powers go beyond the commonly understood limits. In an article published last year in the Ohio State Business Law Journal, Ebersole argued that the position holds "common law civil and criminal prosecutorial powers," which include the power to initiate investigations. But Entin said there can be good reasons for limiting an attorney general's criminal prosecutorial powers. My sense from having been in a number of states is that people are sometimes concerned about giving the attorney general too much power. ... Its a bigger problem if you have a rogue attorney general ... than if you have an overly aggressive county prosecutor, because the damage that a county prosecutor can do is less, he said. Why investigate? The Diocese of Columbus told The Dispatch that "we have been and will continue to be vigilant to maintain a safe environment for all children, youth, and adults." "We routinely self-evaluate safety protocols as well as utilize and cooperate with outside entities. The United States Conference of Bishops audits every diocese annually, which includes on-site visits every three years. Further, not only does the Diocese of Columbus mandate background checks and ongoing training for employees but also all volunteers," diocese spokesperson Jason Mays said after SNAP called on Yost to investigate. However, Hamilton said that dioceses across the country have yet to adopt strong child protective systems. In a 2021 peer-reviewed journal article, she and her colleagues examined written policies on preventing child sexual abuse at 32 archdioceses, and found none scored above 50% on their evaluation scale. Teresa Dinwiddie-Herrmann, co-chair of Ohioans for Child Protection, one of the groups calling on Yost to investigate, said in a news conference last month that she is aware of credible cases of abuse in Ohio that have not been investigated. Dinwiddie-Herrmann added there is also inherent value in bringing public scrutiny to the issue. "There is certainly a culture of silence around these issues," she said. "And as each investigation comes forward, we can no longer run from the truth." Peter Gill covers immigration, new American communities and religion for The Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at: bit.ly/3fNsGaZ. pgill@dispatch.com @pitaarji This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Experts say AG has options to initiate Catholic Church sex abuse probe A polling station sits empty at The Transfiguration Catholic Church in West Milton, Ohio, U.S., on Monday, March 16, 2020. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine invoked a health emergency to close the polls in the state's primary on Tuesday, after a judge rejected his recommendation to postpone voting because of the coronavirus threat. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images The state-level push to protect abortion rights will continue in Ohio in November with activists trying to amend the state constitution to protect reproductive healthcare. And while conservatives have tried to paint local efforts as outside actors pressuring Ohioans to amend the constitution, it turns out one of the largest pushes on either side is from local Catholic archdioceses, which have given nearly $1 million in donations to defeat the pro-abortion Issue 1. The Catholic Church, particularly in America, is vehemently anti-abortion. This is not breaking news. What is news is just how much money a handful of Ohio Catholic archdioceses donated to defeat Issue 1which would allow Ohioans to vote on enshrining reproductive rights into the state constitution, a legal strategy turned to by pro-abortion advocates after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Read more Closing schools one year and then finding half a million dollars the next for a political donation? The diocese is making a pretty clear statement about its priorities. The idea that out-of-state actors are trying to change Ohio stemmed from the campaign to amend how to amend Ohios state constitution. In August, Ohio held a special election for that amendment, which sought to raise the threshold for amending the constitution from a simple majority to 60 percent. (It lost.) The majority of money on both sides of the fight (seen as a test run of the abortion amendment) was powered by out-of-state donors. The Catholic Church has long been a political actor in America, particularly on issues of bodily autonomy like abortion and who you sleep with. Literally last week, the Diocese of Cleveland barred gender-affirming care and the use of pronouns that wouldnt be affiliated with the sex listed on a birth certificate. By a quirk of campaign finances, the nearly $1 million in donations to ant-abortion efforts is legal because the church is donating against a cause, i.e. a ballot issue, and not a partisan candidate. Each person bears moral responsibility for his or her vote, Jennifer Schack, Cincinnati archdiocese spokeswoman told The Enquirer. Polling from last November found that more than 59 percent of registered voters in the states support abortion protections, so well have to see whose morals win out. More from Jezebel Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. MANITOWOC - A 25-year-old Ohio man was placed on probation after he was convicted of two misdemeanor charges stemming from an attempted child abduction in 2021. Matthew R. Dice appeared in Manitowoc County Circuit Court Sept. 15 for a sentencing hearing. He was charged with felony child enticement, which was dismissed, misdemeanor attempt to interfere with child custody and misdemeanor criminal trespass to dwelling. Dice was arrested Feb. 27, 2021, at a residence in the township of Eaton. According to a criminal complaint, deputies from the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from that residence for a potential trespassing violation. The homeowner told officers an unfamiliar truck was stuck in the snow in his driveway and that a passenger ran from the truck when he approached it. Sentencing in weapon, drug case: Manitowoc man sentenced in weapon, drug possession charges related to 2021 death of Malachi Moore Deputies identified Dice as the driver of the truck and the passenger was later identified as a 12-year-old girl from Valders. According to the complaint, Dice had met the girl online through a video game, but believed her to be 20 years old, and had intended to bring her with him to Ohio. Dice was initially charged with attempted child abduction, a Class E felony, but that charge was amended to a misdemeanor charge of attempt to interfere with child custody during a plea hearing July 20. Sentencing in infant death: Two Rivers man sentenced to 35 years in state prison for infants 2018 death The sentence for both misdemeanor charges was withheld and Dice was placed on probation for two years, with permission to transfer his supervision outside of Wisconsin. Conditions of Dice's probation include no contact with the victim, no access to social media without an agent's approval, maintain full-time employment or schooling, and comply with any assessments or counseling deemed necessary. Fulfilling our obligation: This report is part of the Herald Times Reporter's mission to follow criminal cases from arrest to their conclusion. Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Ohio man who tried to abduct Valders girl sentenced to probation Curtis Basina dries sumac to prepare it for fermentation to make spirits in Red Cliff. RED CLIFF Curtis Basina is having a lot of fun experimenting with different alcohol distilling techniques, using what he forages from the Wisconsin Northwoods around the Red Cliff Ojibwe Reservation. This summer, he had his finds of red, edible sumac on drying racks at his Copper Crow Distillery in Red Cliff. Basina, a retired Wisconsin state police officer, was planning to use the tart, sweet, berry-like plant to make a vodka. Another recent forest find was wild mushrooms. The earthy and slightly bitter chaga made for some interesting spirits. Basina is probably most known for becoming the first Native American distiller in the U.S. in 2017, just before a 200-year federal ban on Native Americans distilling alcohol on reservations was lifted. And his most interesting products are probably spirits made from Wisconsin cheese, actually whey, which is a biproduct of the cheese-making process. Basina is one of a handful of distillers in the nation who makes spirits from whey. Thats because it involves a significant amount of science, time and work. Its kind of complicated, Basina said. Curtis Basina fermenting his latest batch of spirits made from Wisconsin cheese. The whey arrives with a very high lactose complex sugar content and then Basina adds enzymes to separate the sugar into glucose and galactose. Its the galactose that Basina wants to ferment with yeast, but galactose doesnt like to ferment, so the yeast immediately goes after the glucose. The yeast will eventually start to ferment the galactose, but Basina has to stop the fermenting process at the right time to avoid unwanted bacteria from forming. Were not able to ferment all available galactose, he said. The end product is not a typical vodka. People like it, Basina said. It has a different mouth-feel (than traditional vodka). Its creamier and finishes slightly sweet. Curtis Basina's Copper Crow Distillery in Red Cliff offers a variety of spirits made from Wisconsin cheese. He knew he wanted to set his distillery apart when he and his wife, Linda, were getting into the business. Being from the Dairy State, it made sense to venture into spirits related to Wisconsin cheese. Basina formed a partnership with nearby Burnett Dairy in Grantsburg to remove some of the whey from their hands after making cheese. They were excited because most whey is disposed of as a waste product, some of it is sprayed onto fields, but if its overly spread, it has the potential to get into water streams and whey can consume oxygen, possibly leading to fish die-off, he said. Basina also partnered with researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Stout to discover more efficient methods to convert whey into a value-added product. Stephen Nold, a biology professor at UW-Stout, said the research already fit into what he and students were working on. We were looking for authentic, real research problems and this was a perfect experiment, he said. Curtis Basina's Copper Crow Distillery in Red Cliff offers a variety of spirits made from Wisconsin cheese. Nold said whey creates an enormous waste problem, especially in Wisconsin, but with a little work, it can be converted into fuel as ethanol or a cleaning solvent, as well as alcohol. For every pound of cheese made, nine pounds of whey is created as waste, he said. But it turned out that UW-Stout couldnt improve much on what Basina was already doing. Nold said researchers spent five years experimenting with fermenting whey, but only helped to refine and simplify Basinas process slightly, with little tweaks here and there, such as by decreasing the amount of enzymes and nutrients added. We couldnt improve on his original recipe, Nold said. Curt nailed it right from the beginning. All we did was affirm what he was already doing. Basina is sharing the details of his process in an article of the trade magazine Craft Spirits later this month. At Copper Crow, hes still experimenting. Basina said hes been looking into creating a spirit from maple syrup, which is an important food and medicine for the Ojibwe peoples. For now, hes staying away from trying anything with wild rice (manoomin) because of its cultural significance to the Ojibwe and because environmental factors, such as climate change and pollution, have been causing a decline in wild rice beds in the Northwoods. Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Copper Crow makes spirits from Wisconsin cheese, plants, mushrooms Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo will stand in for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High Level Week (HLW) from Sept. 18 to 26 in New York City. On behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, I will deliver the Philippine National Statement during the UNGA General Debate, Manalo said on Friday. Guided by the President's national development and foreign policy agenda, I will articulate the Philippines advocacies for respect for the rule of law and ambitious climate action, as well as our achievements and aspirations as a middle-income economy with an important voice in global affairs, he also said. This iteration of the UNGA HLW was built around the theme of Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all. I will also sign the new Agreement under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of The Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) or 'High Seas Treaty' on 20 September, he added. The following agencies and Cabinet members will join the Manalo-led delegation: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources led by Sec. Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga; the Department of Health led by Sec. Ted Herbosa; the National Economic Development Authority led by Usec. Rosemarie Edillon; the Department of Finance; and other DFA officials. Manalo is also expected to conduct bilateral meetings with foreign ministers from other nations and sign memorandums of understanding to establish political consultation mechanisms with the countrys bilateral partners. Philippine ambassador to the US Babe Romualdez revealed last month that Marcos would skip the meeting but did not say why. READ: Marcos won't attend UNGA in September - envoy The president, meanwhile, has been in Singapore since Wednesday to attend the 10th Asian Summit and the finals of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2023. Marcos did attend the 77th UNGA session last year. It was there that he told world leaders the Philippines was a friend to all and an enemy to none despite Chinas continued incursions and harassment of Filipino vessels in Manilas exclusive economic zone. The top diplomats attendance at the 78th UNGA comes just over a month after the Senate adopted a measure condemning Chinas harassment in the West Philippine Sea and urging the DFA to file a resolution before the UNGA to end Beijings aggression. However, Manalo did not disclose if such action would take place at the Assembly. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. A spacecraft left behind by US astronauts on the lunar surface could be causing small tremors known as moonquakes, according to a new study. Researchers revealed the previously unknown form of seismic activity on the moon for the first time through an analysis of Apollo-era data using modern algorithms. Massive temperature swings that occur on the moon can cause human-made structures to expand and contract in a way that produces these vibrations, the report suggests. The lunar surface is an extreme environment, oscillating between minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius) in the dark and 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) in direct sun, according to a news release about the study. In fact, the entire surface of the moon expands and contracts in the cold and heat, noted the study published September 5 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Yet scientists were able to use a form of artificial intelligence to gain such an intimate understanding of the Apollo-era data that they could pinpoint gentle tremors that emitted from an Apollo 17 lunar lander module sitting a few hundred yards away from instruments recording the moonquakes, according to a synopsis of the study, which was led by Francesco Civilini, a recent California Institute of Technology postdoctoral researcher and a research space scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. (NASA provided funding for the study.) The analysis offers new insights into how the moon responds to its surroundings and what can affect its seismic activities. The rumbles were not dangerous and likely would be imperceptible to humans standing on the moons surface. Understanding moonquakes could be essential to future exploration, experts said, should NASA and its partners build a permanent outpost on the moons surface a goal of Artemis, the agencys lunar exploration program. How strong do we need to build our structures, and what other hazards do we need to mitigate for? Dr. Angela Marusiak, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizonas Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, said of the questions that this type of data analysis can help answer. Marusiak was not directly involved in the study, though she did have contact with the authors as a fellow expert in lunar seismology. Mining for moonquakes Marusiak noted that every Apollo mission carried instruments for detecting moonquakes. But the Apollo 17 mission, launched in 1972, was noteworthy because it left behind an array of seismometers capable of detecting thermal moonquakes or the tremors induced by the drastic heating and cooling of the lunar surface. Thousands of these signals were recorded during an 8-month span from 1976 to 1977 on four seismometers deployed during the Apollo 17 Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment, but the poor quality of data makes analysis difficult, the researchers wrote. We developed algorithms to accurately determine the arrival timing of the waves, measure the strength of the seismic signal, and find the direction of the moonquake source. Scientists revisited the data for the first time in decades. The fresh analysis allowed the research team to conclude that a certain type of moonquake called an impulsive thermal moonquake did not come from natural sources but rather from the nearby spacecraft heating and cooling. Every lunar morning when the sun hits the lander, it starts popping off, said study coauthor Allen Husker, a research professor of geophysics at Caltech, in a statement. Every five to six minutes (there was) another one, over a period of five to seven Earth hours. They were incredibly regular and repeating. These tremors differed from another type of moonquake, called emergent thermal moonquakes, that are likely caused by the grounds natural reaction to sunlight exposure, according to the study. Other seismic activity The researchers said they are hopeful that future lunar missions will offer an even more holistic picture of the phenomena. Apart from thermal quakes, the moon has also been known to have deep and shallow tremors as well as activity believed to be caused by meteorite strikes. Its important to note a key difference between the moon and Earth: On the lunar surface, there are no shifting tectonic plates that might cause catastrophic events. But the moon has an active interior life, and like Earth certain types of seismic events can occur at any time or location on the lunar surface, Marusiak said. Marusiak was keen about Indias lunar lander mission, Chandrayaan-3, which included a seismometer. Already, the Indian Space Research Organization has confirmed that the instrument was able to detect a moonquake. (ISRO researchers have not yet released extensive data on the recording or proposed a suggested cause of the event.) The Chandrayaan-3 instrument, which recorded activity near the lunar south pole for the first time, was put to sleep in early September. Researchers will attempt to awaken the spacecraft for further data collection on September 22, when the Chandrayaan landing site reenters sunlight. Im hoping that with the Artemis program, seismometers will continue to be included because they are really vital for understanding what goes on, not just at the very surface, but even deeper down into the regolith (soil), Marusiak said. But scientists are enthusiastic that poring through Apollo-era data with modern technology can yield fascinating new results. Its important to know as much as we can from the existing data so we can design experiments and missions to answer the right questions, Husker said. The Moon is the only planetary body other than the Earth to have had more than one seismometer on it at a time. It gives us the only opportunity to thoroughly study another body. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Israeli-Cypriot oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky has been slapped with fresh charges in the ongoing PrivatBank corruption case, according to a press release issued by Ukraines SBU Security Service on Sep. 15. Kolomoisky, who was reportedly stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship in 2022, now faces charges relating to fraud and document forgery, as well as misappropriation of funds, abuse of an official position, and money laundering. Read also: How Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes to send Ihor Kolomoisky into retirement Between 2013 and 2014, Kolomoisky unlawfully seized 5.8 billion hryvnias ($150 million) by establishing a criminal group consisting of PrivatBank employees, of which he was a founder and shareholder, according to the SBU. Throughout this period, members of this group assisted Kolomoisky in making systematic, fictitious cash deposits into the banks cash register, despite the bank not receiving any money. The SBU states that this scheme enabled him to amass a total of UAH 5.8 billion, equivalent to over $700 million at that time. These counterfeit deposits were subsequently credited to Kolomoiskys personal account, effectively becoming real non-cash funds, the SBU said. He then utilized them in his business activities by converting them into loans or cash, among other misuses. Read also: Kolomoisky drops from dollar billionaire status as net worth plummets 2.5x amid war, Forbes estimates On Sep. 7, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAP) informed Kolomoisky and five others of suspicion in embezzling over 9.2 billion hryvnias from PrivatBank ($247 million). In January-March 2015, while serving as the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Administration, Kolomoisky allegedly crafted a scheme to misappropriate PrivatBanks funds. The objective was to further finance an offshore company under his control and increase his stake in the banks statutory capital. Following these developments, on Sep. 2, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv issued a preventive measure for Ihor Kolomoisky, ordering his detention for a period of 60 days in Dnipro. He was granted the option to secure his release by posting bail. On the same day, the SBU, in collaboration with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and the Prosecutor Generals Office, formally charged Kolomoisky with money laundering of criminally obtained assets. According to the SBU, spanning from 2013 to 2020, Kolomoisky allegedly laundered over half a billion hryvnias by transferring funds abroad, utilizing the financial infrastructure of banks under his control. Read also: $27.3 million in alleged fraud: Kolomoisky s case Kolomoisky has been remanded in custody for a period of 60 days in Dnipro. He declined to post a multimillion-dollar bail, and his legal team is currently preparing an appeal. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Close up of emergency lights The Clarksville Police Department arrested a 26-year-old in connection with a shooting on Sept. 6. Quantavious Golliday, 26, was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard last week. A 17-year-old female was a passenger in the car with the victim, but she was not injured. Golliday was arrested on Wednesday by detectives and agents with the CPD and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. In addition to the first-degree murder charges, he was charged with: felon in possession of a firearm possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony prohibited weapons (brass knuckles) and manufacture, delivery and sale of a controlled substance He had several narcotics including fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine, according to a media release by police. Golliday has a violent criminal history and previous convictions of aggravated assault and Schedule II drugs in 2017. He has other charges pending in Montgomery County Circuit Court and General Sessions Court and was arrested for violation of probation on Sept. 5. CPD spokesperson Scott Beaubien said the victim's identity will not be released because he is a minor. The investigation is ongoing and other charges are pending. Anyone with additional information or video footage is asked to contact Detective Goble at (931) 648-0656, ext. 5323. If anyone wants to remain anonymous, call the Clarksville Montgomery County Crime Stoppers Tipsline at 931-645-8477 or P3tips.com/591. This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: One arrested in connection to fatal shooting on Wilma Rudolph last week Editors Note: W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Government Ever Be Stopped? The Biden family deserves congressional scrutiny. President Joe Biden reportedly engaged in phone calls with his sons foreign business partners that could jeopardize the integrity of the White House and our democracy. Especially because they seem to have gone beyond the president and his aides claims of strict noninvolvement in Hunter Biden s affairs. According to congressional testimony in July from Hunter Bidens former business partner Devon Archer, on several occasions Hunter put his father, then-vice president of the United States, on the phone during business calls. On a couple of occasions, Joe Biden even made appearances at dinners with Hunters foreign business associates. Even if Hunter Biden is merely guilty of selling the illusion of access to his father, as Archer put it, the vice president was complicit in creating the illusion. W. James Antle III - Courtesy W. James Antle III There are questions about these matters that need to be asked. But an impeachment inquiry is not the place to ask them. By launching such an inquiry against Biden on Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy becomes the latest political figure to debase and erode what was once the ultimate safeguard against presidential misconduct. He has contributed to turning what was and should be a rarely utilized mechanism for dealing with exceptional presidential malfeasance into a regular feature of partisan political disputes. Nearly 106 years passed between the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and the push to impeach President Richard Nixon . (Johnson was acquitted and Nixon resigned.) Now we could be on the verge of having three of the last five presidents impeached, one of them twice. Yet of these three, only in former President Donald Trumps second impeachment was there the remotest chance of sufficient bipartisan support for the process to win a Senate conviction. And that was only if a trial occurred while Trump was still in office, which it didnt. It seems that today, all it takes for a president to be impeached is for the opposite party to win control of the House. The speaker can then hold a simple majority vote to start the process, even though actually kicking a president out of office requires a Senate conviction only possible with a two-thirds majority (i.e. bipartisan) vote. A major problem with this recent trend of futile partisan impeachments is that it devalues the process and removes any sting from the constitutional remedy for a president who has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. Case in point is Trump. He was impeached twice. He is nevertheless the heavy frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and at least an even bet to win the general election. If impeachment has an impact on a presidents poll numbers, it may be the opposite of the intended one. Without any realistic prospect of a Senate conviction and removal from office, impeachment becomes the equivalent of a nonbinding resolution opposing the president. Soon it has little more impact than a mean tweet. President Bill Clinton addresses the nation from the White House after the US House of Representatives impeached him on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in 1988. - George Bridges/AFP/Getty Images Republicans opened this Pandoras box when they pursued an unpopular impeachment of President Bill Clinton for obstruction of justice and perjury for lying under oath about his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky while testifying in Paula Jones sexual misconduct suit against him. Any chance of a Senate conviction went out the window when Sen. Joseph Lieberman, one of the few Democratic senators to wholeheartedly condemn Clintons behavior in the Lewinsky scandal, called impeachment unjust and unwise. Democrats opened the box further when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the opening of Trumps first impeachment inquiry before the full House voted in favor of it, breaking precedent. (McCarthy has now done the same, citing Pelosis example.) From that point, there was a drive to get it done quickly heading into an election year. Even worse, the House, racing to get Trumps second impeachment done before the end of his term, fast-tracked the process so much that they passed an article of impeachment in less than a week after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, bypassing the kind of hearings and investigation that had been present in the proceedings involving Nixon and Clinton. Most Americans already believe that Biden was involved with his sons business interests as vice president, so the allegations do not require amplification through an impeachment process. On the other hand, while an investigation is needed to discover the totality of his involvement and what lines it may have crossed, impeachment implies to voters that we already know the answers when we dont. House Republicans are emphasizing the inquiry part of the impeachment inquiry this time because they need to get to the bottom of Bidens involvement with his son Hunters foreign business dealings. This move, they argue, will help them break White Housestonewalling by strengthening their subpoena power and helping them win court battles for documents. To paraphrase Pelosi, it seems we need to start impeachment proceedings to know whats in them. That backward thinking illustrates the problem that has led us to this point. The normal congressional oversight process, which ought to help us get to the bottom of matters such as the Biden family finances, can no longer serve that function because it is viewed as a fundamentally partisan exercise. This goes for congressional hearings on Benghazi, January 6 or Hunter Biden. When accountability is only demanded by and for political opponents, it means people on the other side of the aisle can safely ignore the investigations. If you use an impeachment inquiry to get around this predicament, there is a real possibility that the same will happen to impeachment. Impeachment needs bipartisan support to have any credibility, much less a reasonable chance of Senate conviction. That may be difficult to obtain in a polarized era. But it is the most prudent condition for using this congressional power. In the case of Biden, it is almost impossible to see how this inquiry will receive sufficient Democratic support to succeed in removing or even punishing the president. Even Senate Republicans dont seem especially eager to take up the matter. Partisan impeachments may even make it easier for presidents to survive wrongdoing in office because they are much simpler to dismiss as political witch hunts. And the precedent set by each such impeachment will be followed once again when the partisan roles are reversed. If we reach the point where divided government necessarily means impeachment, it will lose even any symbolic meaning. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney says he will not run for reelection in 2024, as he speaks to reporters in his Capitol Hill office in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. The 76-year-old easily won election in reliably GOP Utah in 2018 but was expected to face more resistance from his own party after he emerged as one of the most visible members to break with former President Donald Trump. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press Perhaps the most memorable thing Sen. Mitt Romney left us with this week was the image of his colleagues in the Senate as performance artists. And at precisely the time when we need real leaders. In a candid excerpt of an upcoming biography by The Atlantics McKay Coppins, Romney recounts being told by a Senate colleague, There are about 20 senators here who do all the work, and there are about 80 who go along for the ride. The Senate, he learned, was built around posturing and theatrics. Legislators gave speeches to empty chambers and spent hours debating bills they all knew would never pass. They summoned experts to appear at committee hearings only to make them sit in silence while they blathered some more. Please tell me youre not surprised. Romney is not the most popular conservative in Washington. But in my encounters with him and discussions with others about him, I find no reason to doubt the sincerity or accuracy of his observations. Thats often the case with the few, rare people who voluntarily relinquish their grip on power. In announcing that he wont seek a second term as Utahs junior senator, Romney cited age his own (76), former President Donald Trumps (77), President Joe Bidens (80) and presumably others among the 19 in the House and Senate who are 80 or older. He called for a new generation of leaders, but it seemed as if his point had less to do with a persons generation and more to do with leaders. And, as if on queue, his announcement on Wednesday was followed a few hours later by a federal judge in Texas ruling that Bidens Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, is illegal. It is illegal, the judge said, because, in essence, presidents are not dictators. Only Congress can pass laws granting permanent residency to people who were brought to this country as children by parents who are undocumented, which is what DACA is all about. He might have added that only Congress can solve the nations overspending problem by getting serious about reforming Social Security, Medicare and military spending. And only Congress should solve issues regarding federal lands and the designation of new national monuments issues important to many Utahns. Related Yet, instead, Congress fails to act, presidents fill the void through questionable executive orders and courts are left to decide what stays and what goes. That isnt how the founders intended it. And today, as Romney said, neither the president nor the former president are leading the way toward urging their parties to solve these problems. DACA ought to be an easy one. It prevents the deportation of people who arrived in this country through no decision of their own, and who have avoided criminal records or other problems. These are Americans in all but documentation. The original Dream Act was co-sponsored by the late Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch. It didnt pass. Former President Barack Obama then imposed a version of it through executive order. Trump tried to reverse that, but the Supreme Court eventually overturned that action, keeping the program in place. In 2022, the same judge that ruled this week struck that down, leading Biden to tweak it a bit. Now the judge has declared that version illegal, as well, while stopping short of deporting the roughly 580,000 people who have received work permits because of it. The Supreme Court is the next likely stop. It doesnt have to be. The beneficiaries of this program have been through a cruel rollercoaster of emotions. Yet, the Constitution contains rules that must be followed. As U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen wrote in his ruling, The solution for these deficiencies lies with the legislature, not the executive or judicial branches. Congress, for any number of reasons, has decided not to pass DACA-like legislation. ... The executive branch cannot usurp the power bestowed on Congress by the Constitution even to fill a void. In the excerpt from his book, Coppins quotes Romney saying, A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution. For many, a colleague told Romney, their first consideration is whether a vote will help them get reelected. Romney may be right that its time to pass the torch to a new generation, to paraphrase the late John F. Kennedy. But passing it to new leaders who are more interested in real work than in posturing and theatrics? That may be a difficult task. Editors note: For years, the Deseret News editorial page carried the epigraph: We stand for the Constitution of the United States as having been divinely inspired. In honor of Constitution Month, the Deseret News is publishing a variety of articles examining the Constitutions continued importance. Americans fought a war in the 1700s deeply rooted in the idea that the citizens needed a voice in government for any such government to be legitimate. And they were right, but how well are American voices heard these days? Sadly, the voices of Americans are filtered imperfectly through parties that often do not quite represent people. In the American constitutional system, citizen voices are registered through voting for individual officeholders who collectively come together to debate and represent Americas multifaceted interests and values. Voting is thus both a fundamental constitutional right and our foremost civic duty. Voting rates are up, and that is good, but our current state of heavy partisanship is out of step with our form of government and may indicate were abandoning our civic duty to vote thoughtfully and responsibly for true representation. There are many advanced democracies Britain foremost among them where power is concentrated in the hands of a legislature dominated by a single party. And there are good reasons why one might prefer this type of parliamentary system. The advantages political scientists most often list are flexibility, accountability and stability. Centralizing power in a parliament allows the public to judge the performance of a given political party, thereby creating democratic accountability or so the theory goes. But the constitutional system set up after the American War of Independence safeguarded government power by dividing and separating it. American schoolchildren all learn about separation of powers and checks and balances, devices in the service of making government power safe to use. Parties at least the parties of today want to frustrate this design. They want all the power concentrated in loyal party hands. By voting for a straight party ticket, Americans seem to be suggesting they would prefer to live in a parliamentary system where power is concentrated in the hands of a single party. I suppose this is one way to make your voice heard, but it does not make much sense given the checks and balances baked into the difficult-to-amend federal constitutional system that actually exists. Related Voting as if we lived under a parliament will not actually make one magically appear. The response most partisans give is they can only trust one of the parties, and this makes sense inside the partisan paradigm. But the political parties of the last 30 years have demonstrated they cannot control power in this country in accountable, stable ways. Especially at the national level, political parties are rarely in control of much. Since 1994, one party has controlled both chambers of Congress and the presidency only occasionally for a few years under President George W. Bush, and then just two years each under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. It happens less than a third of the time over the past three decades and that calculation avoids discussions of things like the Supreme Court or state governments. So why do voters behave like they must install a single party? The parties themselves tend to encourage it. Portraying the opposing party as villain, the voters as victims and my party as the vindicator makes it seem like the next election is the last one for democracy unless we can ELECT OUR GANG! And elections narrated in apocalyptic rather than analytical terms might make for more entertaining cable news. The fact that America has been in a state of close party competition for the last 30 years never seems to occur to anyone. Elections continue even though that last one was supposedly the final chance to affect government. Part of the reason for this might be that my own discipline of political science has, for decades, insisted on the importance of partisanship in voting to the point that what started as an observation about how people vote has morphed into a demand that voters behave as partisans. Perhaps this would work if the political parties would do what they have done in the past and push for true widespread popularity, building coalitions that were large and popular (as Republicans did after the Civil War and Democrats did during the New Deal), but that seems unlikely. Voters can keep attempting to install one of these almost-majority or just-barely-majority coalitions that the parties keep offering or they could just admit that we do not have a parliamentary government. Instead, ours is a government based on dividing and separating power where individual officeholders come together to debate and compromise. The quest for party control is hopeless until at least one of our parties changes. What does this mean for individual voters? I would ask you to consider this: Is single party voting getting America anywhere? Americans waiting for their party to truly control government have been waiting for years and if past is prologue, they will likely wait decades more. Instead of a party platform, see if you might find an honest agent of your interests and values, who in the challenging and constant negotiations that characterize our lawmaking process can be a conscientious and trustworthy representative of the common aspirations of your community. If you can find a few people from the other party that you think have some of those qualities, would it not be worth it to at least give them a chance? The framers of our Constitution were concerned that partisanship could overwhelm the liberties of citizens, so they intentionally frustrated the potential for party control by creating a system that divided and checked power. They wanted the voice of We the People to select officeholders to sensibly represent the multifaceted interests and values of their constituents. Given the constitutional system that we actually have, instead of seeing the frustration of partisan control as a bug, we should embrace it as a feature, and then studiously and deliberately exercise our right and duty to choose officeholders who can represent us faithfully. Jeremy C. Pope is a professor of political science at Brigham Young University and a fellow at BYUs Wheatley Institute. Rabbi Samuel Spector and Cantor Laurence Loeb review the materials before prerecording the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur service at Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News Earlier this year, the Anti-Defamation League issued a startling report that showed the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States assaults, vandalism and harassment was higher in 2022 than in any year since the league began keeping records in 1979. Those who think hate crimes against Jews are a thing of the past something belonging to black-and-white films from Nazi Germany are sadly mistaken. They exist and are on the rise. The report identified Utah as one of the safest states from such crimes, with six reported incidents in 2022. But that doesnt give a clear picture of what congregations face each week, requiring security to be present during services and constant training in response to aggression and violence. Thats happening everywhere. In 2021, someone etched a swastika on the window of a Jewish synagogue in Salt Lake City. As Utah Rabbi Avremi Zippel told reporters at the time, A swastika is not a political statement. A swastika is an image of hate. A swastika represents one thing and one thing only and that is death to the Jews. And this, the Deseret News reported him saying, is becoming unfortunately more commonplace. Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish new year, begins Friday evening and ends at sundown Sunday. Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism, will be observed Sept. 24-25 this year. It is the day of atonement, traditionally including 25 hours of fasting and earnest prayer. Many observant Jews spend most of the day in a synagogue. These sacred days of observance would be a good time for the rest of the community to pledge to confront and resist hatred of any form directed toward Jews. Locally, it should be a time to renew the long-standing and historic bond between Judaism and the greater Utah community at-large. That renewal includes remembering history. Jewish settlers came to Utah, or the territory of Deseret, as it was known then, not long after the first pioneers. They came because word had spread as to how friendly pioneer settlers were toward them. A history published on mormonsandjews.org notes some of these new settlers established profitable businesses. In 1865, Brigham Young offered a hall gratis for religious services. On the High Holy Days that year, 50 Jews attended services, including some from Bozeman, in Montana Territory. Related Among those early business leaders were the Auerbach brothers, Frederick, Samuel and Theodore. President Young helped them start a department store in Salt Lake City that remained a downtown fixture until 1977. It includes remembering history, such as the election of Simon Bamberger as Utahs first Jewish governor in 1916, an election the states website said came with the support of prominent members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bamberger took office at a time when the state had a budget deficit, which disappeared under his administration. He chose not to run for a second term. Surely, the history of Utah provides neither precedent nor cover for those who would commit crimes of hatred against any religious adherents, let alone members of the Jewish community. Nationally, the rise in antisemitic behavior ought to kindle revulsion in every patriotic soul. These crimes affect not only Jews, but also people wrongly believed to be Jewish, such as a University of Arizona professor who was shot to death last year by a student who mistook him for a Jew. The Anti-Defamation League report cataloged 2,298 incidents of harassment nationwide in 2022, either verbal or in writing, containing either slurs, stereotypes or conspiracy theories. This was a 29% increase over 2021. Antisemitic vandalism rose by 53%, and assaults were up by 26%. The United States is but one part of a global increase in antisemitic harassment and crimes. After the University of Arizona professor, Thomas Meixner, was killed, the Arizona Republic published an opinion piece by Michael Masters, head of a national security organization for the Jewish community. He argued that the crime happened because no one took seriously the visible threats the assailant had made. He had sent threats via texts. The school had expelled the assailant but took no further steps to prosecute him or bar him from campus. The lesson there is for no one to remain silent or passive in the face of hate-based threats. History is too replete with lessons about the outcome of such neglect. Instead, the community should use the upcoming holy days to pledge intolerance toward antisemitic behavior of all kinds, wherever it is found. Christopher Pray is pulled from the mud in a Portland pond Friday morning. The Portland Fire & Rescue team said the rescue took about an hour. The escape of an attempted murder suspect from the Oregon State Hospital and resulting public manhunt have raised questions about hospital security and public safety. But state officials have so far refused to provide complete answers, saying the investigation is ongoing. On Aug. 30, Christopher Lee Pray, 39, allegedly drove off the state hospital grounds in a stolen state van while in full restraints. Late Friday, the Oregon State Hospital announced a federal surveyor had issued "immediate jeopardy" findings related to how the hospital secures its vehicles and said the hospital would be taking immediate steps to address those findings. It did not detail the findings. If it doesn't make improvements within 23 days, it could lose all federal Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Pray came to the state hospital facing charges of attempted murder, assault, robbery, unlawful use of a firearm and felony possession of a weapon. He now faces 21 charges, including reckless driving and violation of parole. He is being held at Multnomah County Detention Center awaiting a Dec. 14 case management hearing. A 'fitness to proceed' hearing is scheduled for Sept. 19 to determine Pray's ability to aid his lawyer in his defense. Questions about that ability are why he was sent to the state hospital in the first place. What we know Oregon State Police and state hospital officials have declined to answer questions while the escape is investigated. No timeline for the completion of the investigation has been provided. Court records show Pray has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2002. He has been convicted of 16 felonies, including unlawful possession of a weapon, robbery and assault. On March 21, 2022, Pray allegedly robbed, assaulted and attempted to murder a Multnomah County woman by threatening her with a firearm at an AutoZone, according to his indictment. On June 4, Pray allegedly used a nail gun to assault a woman he was living with in Portland. He then fled their apartment. Officers attempted to pull Pray over, but he would not stop, according to court records. He was charged with reckless driving and fleeing a police officer, among other things. In July, a warrant was issued for his arrest, but he was not immediately taken into custody. On Dec. 25, Pray allegedly assaulted the woman he lived with again and faced further charges. On April 18, he was taken into custody. His bail was set at $27,500. On Aug. 22, Pray was determined unable to aid his legal counsel in his defense. He was transferred to the Oregon State Hospital Aug. 30. An individual escaped from the Oregon State Hospital Aug. 30, stealing a van as he was being brought back to the property. He was involved in a fight with another patient at about 6 p.m. the night of Aug. 30 and taken in handcuffs and shackles to Salem Health hospital for stitches in his lip and an x-ray. Pray was then loaded back into the van and was in what state police said were "full restraints," shackles on his ankles, handcuffs and a belly band with chains tying them together. A driver parked the van in front of the state hospital at approximately 10:45 p.m. and got out to assist Pray. That is when Pray "jumped in the driver's seat and drove off, according to an Oregon State Police report. Oregon State Police said they were notified of the escape at about 10:45 p.m. A call was made to Salem Police dispatch at about 11:13 p.m. By 11:26 p.m., a pursuit by Keizer Police with the help of Salem Police ensued on southbound Interstate 5 at speeds of more than 100 mph. At about 11:32 p.m., officers attempted to use tire spike strips to immobilize the vehicle near the Kuebler Boulevard exit, but the van already had passed that point. The chase was called off at 11:35 p.m. when the van reached the Delaney Road exit due to safety concerns. The Oregon State Police sent out a public notice at 11:02 a.m. the next day, Aug. 31, notifying residents of the escape and requesting help in locating Pray. The notice described him as "extremely dangerous." Oregon State Police sent this statement to the Statesman Journal when asked why it took nearly 12 hours to notify the public of Pray's escape: "OSP was not notified of the suspects criminal history and was involved in attempting to search for and safely take the suspect into custody. As our investigation revealed more information, we confirmed the information and made notification as soon as practical." Christopher Pray is pulled from the mud in a Portland pond Friday morning. The Portland Fire & Rescue team said the rescue took about an hour. At 8:17 a.m. Sept. 1, Portland Fire & Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau were dispatched to a report of a potentially deceased person in a pond in Portland. Rescue crews discovered a person alive, pulled the man from the mud in the pond and took him to a hospital. A nurse noticed he looked like the state hospital escapee. Portland Police confirmed Pray's identity, as he had given a fake name to rescue crews and hospital employees, and he was again arrested. What we dont know All outings outside of the hospital require an employee to fill out a form approving the trip unless a patient must be taken off the premises for an emergency medical situation. A risk review by a psychiatrist or other licensed medical professional for each patient establishes approved outings and patient-to-staff ratios for trips outside of the hospital, according to state hospital policy. It is unknown how many employees helped transport Pray from the state hospital to Salem Health and back. His case may have been considered an emergency medical situation, so pre-approved staff-to-patient ratios may not have been considered. The Statesman Journal initially reported that Pray had assaulted an employee to gain control of the van based on information provided by the state hospital, but Oregon State Police reports do not mention any assault. It's unclear how Pray obtained the key to drive off in the van, and it is not known how and for how long he operated the vehicle while in full restraints. Friday night, the Oregon State Hospital announced they had received "immediate jeopardy" findings from a federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services surveyor and they would be taking steps to immediately address the findings. According to a hospital news release, the surveyor cited issues related to the "secure medical transport of patients." "We are taking steps right away to reduce the possibility that an unauthorized leave could occur during transport and potentially put themselves, staff or members of the community at risk," OSH superintendent Dolly Matteucci said in the statement. According to the release, hospital administrators will provide a plan of action early next week. It is also unclear how Pray was able to rid himself of the handcuffs, belly band and ankle shackles. The state police have not disclosed how or why Pray got stuck in the mud in a Portland pond. Sydney Wyatt covers healthcare inequities in the Mid-Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions, and tips to her at SWyatt@gannett.com, (503) 399-6613, or on Twitter @sydney_elise44 The Statesman Journals coverage of healthcare inequities is funded in part by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational, and spiritual base of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State Hospital escape: What we know 2 weeks after manhunt Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) The Philippines is partnering with Estonia in digital cooperation to strengthen cybersecurity and e-governance initiatives, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). In a statement Thursday, the DICT said Sec. Ivan John Uy told Prime Minister Kaja Kallas that the Philippines is already preparing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on digital cooperation during the bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Tallinn Digital Summit 2023 in Estonia. The MOU awaits feedback from relevant stakeholders, according to the DICT. "The proposed MOU between the Philippines and Estonia will pave the way for future agreements in other fields of ICT, support the government's digital transformation, and enhance the country's cybersecurity posture," Uy said. Kallas said he anticipated the signing of the MOU that will establish the framework for future collaborations between the two countries. In 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Kallas also discussed advancing digitalization, particularly addressing cyberattacks. Estonia, a small country with a population of 1.3 million, was ranked third in the world in terms of cyber defense infrastructure by the Global Cybersecurity Index. Corruption combines with incompetence in allowing international crime organizations to launder billions of dollars of dirty money, leaders of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project on Thursday told University of Missouri journalism students. Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu spoke in the Reynolds Journalism Institute. The OCCRP is one of the Missouri School of Journalism's Medal of Honor recipients. The other is Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Chief Administration and Communications Officer. They were to receive their medals in a Thursday night ceremony at the Atrium. The organization partnered with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists on the Panama Papers investigation of offshore finance operations. "There's no world policemen," said Sullivan, a graduate of MU. "The only natural enemy of organized crime is investigative reporters." When Sullivan was a journalism student at MU, his career began, he said. "There are casinos in Missouri now," he said. "I wonder if there are any connections to organized crime?" He found them. A project called "Crime Inc." looked at organized crime and its enablers and the criminal infrastructure. They found a company that served as a ready-made money laundering system or organized crime, Radu said. "You need volume," Radu said. "You need a Wal-Mart of organized crime." A source who lost $500,000 buying Belarussian tires that weren't delivered tipped them off. They met him in Europe, they said. "Woody Allen said 90% of life is showing up," Sullivan said. "In reporting, it's really true." A file of banking records found there were thousands of transfers to this unknown company totaling $1.5 billion, Sullivan said. They found $160 billion a month flowing out of Russia into banks in Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, they said. The corruption of the criminals paired with the incompetence of banks to allow the crimes to continue, they said. "If they would really look carefully, they will lose the money," Sullivan said of the motivation of the banks. "Now we're all paying the cost of money laundering through higher bank fees." An attorney in Austria laundering money for international criminals went to Austrian police telling them he thought his life was in danger. They told him he was on his own, they said. "He kept on doing the business and hoping for the best," Sullivan said. He was found dead in an Austrian forest. "We are seeing plans to undermine states," Sullivan said. "An example is Hungary. Media is purchased or shut down. You basically undermine the election system and you propagandize the people." Other countries undermined by organized crime are Serbia and Albania, Sullivan said. "Romania has gone back and forth a few times," he said. Politics also is involved, but it's politics of every brand, they said. "Russians would look at Super PACS and say 'that's corruption,'" Sullivan said. Politicians are motivated to find money for re-election, he said. "Dozens of U.S. politicians are getting money from China, Russia and other state actors" through Super PACs, Sullivan said. "The problem is there's always impunity. It's fairly easy for this money to get into the system." A former president is an enabler for organized crime, Sullivan said. "Donald Trump has built apartments for organized crime," he said. But it doesn't discriminate based on party affiliation. "Don't get caught up in the politics of it," Sullivan said. "That doesn't matter. What matters is you follow the money." Hedge funds are another way to move a lot of money, Sullivan said. The investigations can be painstaking, Radu said. "You can pull the thread from any corner and follow the money to find out where it leads," Radu said. Banking records are only obtained through leaks and court cases, they said. They pay close attention to security, with the biggest vulnerability smart phones, they said. "In your most secure meetings, you take your phone for a walk," Sullivan said. It involves giving your phone to a colleague while attending the meeting without it. "I hate so say it, but we're becoming spies," he said. Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project gives MU master class Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg, Miss., pictured here on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, is the site where a 16-year-old Mayan from Guatemala, who had moved to Hattiesburg with his family, was killed in a workplace accident. Authorities with the U.S. Department of Labor are looking to Mar-Jac Poultry employees for information about the workplace that could help them in their investigation into the death of 16-year-old Duvan Perez. Perez, an indigenous Mayan from Guatemala, was killed July 14 during a workplace accident at Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg. "As federal investigators continue to try to understand how a 16-year-old died at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg, we are asking current Mar-Jac employees for their assistance," OSHA Jackson Area Director Courtney Bohannon said in a news release. "Federal law protects the rights of workers to participate in a U.S. Department of Labor investigation and forbids employers from interfering in any way, including by retaliating against an employee who does. With help from Mar-Jac's workers, we can make sure the employer provides a safer environment for everyone who works there." The Associated Press reported in an earlier story it had obtained records that indicated Perez was working on a sanitation crew at Mar-Jac when he became entangled in a conveyor belt he was cleaning. Anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited by federal child labor laws from working certain jobs at any meat-processing plant. Mar-Jac officials blamed an unnamed staffing company for hiring Perez to work at the plant and said Perezs paperwork appeared to misrepresent his age, according to the Associated Press. Following Perez's death, the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Wage and Hour Division opened workplace safety and child labor investigations at Mar-Jac Poultry plant. The administration obtained a warrant from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, which allows OSHA access to the Mar-Jac facility, OSHA officials said in a news release. Federal officials also are able to question any employer, operator, agent or employee privately and review records related to the operation and maintenance of the equipment involved in the incident. "Child labor laws exist to safeguard young workers from tragedies like the one that happened at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall. "To fully protect workers, we need information from employees and the community at large." OSHA representatives are working with local community groups to establish trust with workers and their families and collaborating with advocacy groups, such as the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity of Mississippi, to contact immigrant workers who are afraid of retaliation. Do you work at Mar-Jac? If you are an employee at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg who may have relevant information to provide investigators, you may contact OSHA at 855-321-6742 or the Jackson Area Office at 601-965-4606. Callers can speak confidentially, if requested. Plant workers also may submit a confidential complaint at osha.gov/workers/file-complaint. Reports also may be made confidentially to the Wage and Hour Division at 866-487-9243 to file a complaint or share information confidentially Spanish-speaking workers may contact the Employment Education and Outreach Alliance hotline at 877-522-9832 to speak to someone confidentially. This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: OSHA seeks employees to talk after Hattiesburg teen's death at Mar-Jac Protesters march through downtown Seattle after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old woman hit and killed in January by officer Kevin Dave in a police cruiser, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) SEATTLE (AP) Outrage grew Friday over a Seattle police officer's remark that the life of a young woman killed by a speeding patrol car had limited value." Diplomats from India are asking for an investigation following the death of the Indian graduate student as people in Seattle protested the officer's callous jokes caught on bodycam video. The footage released this week shows Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the rank-and-file police unions president after a different officer's speeding police car on Jan. 23 slammed into Jaahnavi Kandula at a crosswalk. Protesters on Thursday evening gathered at the Seattle intersection where the 23-year-old graduate student was fatally struck by Officer Kevin Dave's SUV. The King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office is conducting a criminal review of the crash. Auderer responded to the crash to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported. Dave had been driving 74 mph (119 kph) in a 25 mph (40 kph) zone on the way to an overdose call. Later, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In a recording released by the police department on Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests Kandulas life had limited value and the city should just write a check for $11,000. At the demonstration on Thursday, 5-year-old Layla Allibhai sat atop father Mo Allibhais shoulders while holding a sign saying: I have unlimited value. So did Jaahnavi. Protesters also carried signs saying Jail killer cops and Convict Kevin Dave. I think this has galvanized people because its so blatant and disrespectful to put a value on a human's life at $11,000," Patricia Hunter, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, said in an interview Friday. "And it galvanizes people to see that the culture at Seattle Police Department has some issues that need to be immediately addressed. Hunter's commission was formed to hold police accountable, along with the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Police Accountability. Hunter said its next step is to work with those partners to see what charges might be brought in the case, what policies might have been broken and "to amplify the voices of the community which are enraged over this video, so that justice can be done. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted that it has taken the deeply troubling matter up with authorities in Seattle and in Washington, D.C., and that it wants a thorough investigation and action against those involved. Newspapers in India have been following the case. In a statement Friday, the U.S. State Department called the situation disturbing. We are aware of, and are disturbed by, what was said about Ms. Kandulas death in the bodycam footage recently released by the Seattle Police Department, the State Department said. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolence to Ms. Kandulas family and loved ones. The Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement Friday that it understands the outrage caused by the highly insensitive comments. It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light, the union said. We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimized them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry. But the union noted that the bodycam footage captures only Auderer's side of the conversation: There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet. Solan, who had been on the other end of the call with Auderer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Auderer, in an Aug. 8 statement he provided to the Office of Police Accountability that the union released Friday, said Solan had lamented the death and that his own comments were intended to mimic how the city's attorneys might try to minimize liability for it. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," Auderer wrote. I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude." He denied that his remarks were made with malice or a hard heart. Kandula was from Andhra Pradesh, a state in Indias southern coastal region. Relatives told The Seattle Times that Kandula came to Seattle so she could one day support her mother back home in India. Kandula was on track to receive a masters in information systems this December from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. __ Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon. Lindsey Wasson in Seattle and Matthew Lee in Washington, DC, contributed to this report. Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez resigned Tuesday from his post, according to the city. No reason was provided for his resignation. (Overland Park Police Department) Overland Parks city manager began the termination process against Police Chief Frank Donchez, but he quickly decided to resign before he could be fired, officials told The Star on Friday. City Manager Lori Curtis Luther considered a conversation Monday between Donchez and Sheila Albers the mother of a teenager who was killed by an officer to be inappropriate and grounds for termination, city spokeswoman Meg Ralph said. Luther took steps to fire Donchez, she said, but he resigned on Tuesday. Basic empathy and progressive policing policies are essential for any police chief in Overland Park, Luther said in a statement to The Star. Donchezs resignation allowed the city to immediately sever ties with him, while a termination would have given him the opportunity to appeal, Ralph said. The citys statement contradicts an interview Donchez gave to The Washington Post on Wednesday, which quoted him saying he resigned for personal reasons. He said that he was not forced to resign and that he left because of family matters, rather than because of Albers. Donchezs resignation came about a year after Luther took over as city manager. Bill Ebel retired that spring after 11 years in the citys top role, during which Donchez was hired. City officials have yet to comment on whether Donchez and Luther got along. But tensions have built over the past year after four Overland Park police officers were placed on administrative leave. The Johnson County District Attorneys Office has said it is investigating criminal allegations involving a police nonprofit where three of the officers served as directors. But ultimately, Donchezs tenure unraveled during a heated exchange at the Overland Park City Council meeting where he spoke with Albers, the city said. Her 17-year-old son John had a mental health crisis when he was fatally shot by an officer on Jan. 20, 2018. Activists called for the removal of Donchez following the teens death. Albers said Friday she was glad the city released more information about the circumstances of Donchezs exit. I am fully confident that Overland Park will have a rigorous process and choose an outstanding new Chief of Police, she said. The shooting of her son resulted in a $2.3 million wrongful death settlement and a $70,000 severance paid out to Clayton Jenison, the officer who shot the teen. He was allowed to resign under ordinary circumstances, according to a form submitted to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, which licenses police officers in the state. Late Monday night, Albers sent an email to Luther and Mayor Curt Skoog recounting her conversation hours earlier with Donchez. She had asked him about the CPOST form and an interview where he said Jenison had quit before he could be reprimanded or encouraged to leave. According to CPOST records, Jenison left the department on March 4, 2018, about six weeks after he shot John Albers. I pushed Donchez hard on the lies he told in that interview and his response was asking me if I have ever lied before. I told him I have not lied in a professional setting like that, Albers wrote. He then said, I am sure you and Steve tell everyone you were the best parents. She replied, John struggled with his mental health. According to her email, Donchez replied, And you left him at his time of need. It is clear Donchez justifies the use of force because in his mind we failed as parents. Victim blaming at its worst, Albers wrote, adding that her parenting is irrelevant to the changes that need to be made in the department. In her email, she claimed Donchez told her that he will keep being the Chief until he retires and I can keep hoping he is not. Albers ended the email by saying she said what needed to be said and did not need the city to do anything. That exchange came after nearly a decade of turbulence with Donchez at the top of the department. While some in Overland Park have praised Donchez and his leadership, others have said he failed to regain their trust after the Albers shooting and have called for him to be replaced with a more progressive leader. In 2019, Donchez faced criticism after defending an officer who handcuffed and arrested a Shawnee Mission eighth grader who formed her fingers into a pretend gun and aimed at her classmates. In 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas accused the Overland Park Police Department of an overly reactive and militarized response to a Black Lives Matter protest. In February 2021, two police officers filed a lawsuit alleging Donchez discriminated and denied promotions on the basis of age, gender and race. The suit was dismissed, but during the course of litigation, they were promoted. Donchez began his law enforcement career in 1981 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, eventually became police chief there and later practiced as a lawyer. He later worked as chief of police in Davenport, Iowa, before Overland Park hired him in 2014. Donchez is eligible for standard post-employment benefits, Overland Park officials said, but did not receive a severance. The city has appointed Deputy Chief Simon Happer to serve as interim police chief while city conducts a national search for the departments next leader. Archaeologists were affronted to discover that billionaire Richard Branson had sent ancient hominin bones up on a commercial space flight, with some suggesting that the stunt reeks of colonialism. As Nature notes, the remains weren't even launched for terribly long as they soared aboard the Unity spacecraft, operated by Branson's Virgin Galactic, just above Earth before returning groundward. But the trip, which featured six living humans and the bones of two human ancestors, has nonetheless drawn intense criticism from the paleontology community. "To treat ancestral remains in such a callous, unethical way to blast them into space just because you can theres no scientific merit in this," Robyn Pickering, a geologist at South Africa's University of Cape Town, told Nature. Though various fossils have gone to space since the 1980s, when NASA astronauts took some bone bits from the lizard-like Maiasaura peeblesorum up on the Skylab 2 mission, this Virgin Galactic mission marks the first time that the remains of hominin (that is, human ancestors) have been sent up on a spacecraft, Nature reports. The bones aboard, as Live Science notes, belonged to the roughly two million year old Australopithecus sediba and the 250,000-year-old Homo naledi, both of which were found near Johannesburg, South Africa by National Geographic's Lee Berger, who played a huge hand in the discovery of both species. Berger, who is also South African, selected the fragments himself and had them carried by Timothy Nash, a South African-born entrepreneur and space tourist who, as Virgin Galactic points out, also happens to sit on the board of The National Geographic Society. As one might imagine, the selection of bones from South Africa by white scientists has ruffled some feathers as well. "As someone who is African and who is based in an African institution, this is basically a perpetuation of the past, very ugly aspects of palaeoanthropological research," Yonatan Sahle, also of Cape Town University, told Nature. Though everything about the bones' inclusion in the Virgin Galactic mission was above board, one of Berger's fellow scientists was surprised the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) granted the NatGeo luminary's application to temporarily export the bones to New Mexico, where Virgin Galactic's mission took off from, in the first place. Rachel King, an archaeologist at the University College London who specializes in cultural heritage policies, said that South Africa has generally been very protective of its artifacts, which makes the inclusion of the A. sediba and H. naledi bones on the Unity mission all the stranger. "What are regulators for, if theyre going to let someone do this?" King mused. "Its potentially a pretty big thing, and a pretty big shift." SAHRA and South Africa's University of Witwatersrand, which stores the bones, insisted in press statements that the risks involved in taking ancient remains to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere were outweighed by the benefits. In a media statement viewed by Nature, SAHRA representative Ben Mwasinga said that the agency was "satisfied that the promotional benefit derived was appropriately weighted against the inherent risk of travel of this nature," and Witwatersrand said that because the bones were selected in part because they had been extensively 3D scanned and photographed a characterization that King scoffed at. "If I document one of South Africas World Heritage Sites," the British archaeologist said, "could we then bulldoze it and put up a shopping mall?" More on hominins: Scientists Puzzled by Human-Like Skull That Matches No Known Species Brenan Hill A Palm Coast man was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting his girlfriend in the head two years ago, according to the court records. Brenan Hill, 34, was initially charged with attempted second-degree murder in the shooting of his girlfriend, Savannah La-Rynn Gonzalez, 24, of Palm Coast. Gonzalez was shot March 26, 2021, and died as a result of complications from the wound on Nov. 9, 2022. On Friday, a jury found Hill guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm causing serious injury and shooting within or into a vehicle, according to court records. Circuit Judge Terence Perkins has set sentencing for Dec. 1 when Hill will face up to life in prison. Hill drove his wounded girlfriend to the hospital on March 26, 2021, after she was shot in the head inside his car. He initially said that his girlfriend was shot in an alleyway by the Microtel Inn & Suites in Palm Coast by a man who had walked up to his car asking to buy weed. Later, he gave a different story, stating he and his girlfriend had driven to the Graham Swamp West Trailhead parking lot and were attempting to book a hotel room when a man approached the car and shot his girlfriend, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office stated. Hill later told detectives that he and his girlfriend had been arguing. He said he pulled the gun out of his waistband when it went off. During the trial, Hill came up with another version of how his gun went off accidentally, according to the State Attorney's Office. The sheriff's office obtained security video showing Hill exit his vehicle at a grocery store before taking his girlfriend to the hospital, according to the State Attorney's Office. Deputies later found the murder weapon buried under some brush where Hill had exited his vehicle, according to the State Attorney's Office. Detectives also found cellphone videos taken by the girlfriend of Hill in the months and weeks before he shot her, according to the State Attorney's Office. "Domestic murder is a grim reminder of how intimate partner violence can turn deadly," according to a statement from 7th Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza. "There is help for those who struggle with intimate partner violence. Reach out to your local domestic violence shelters and programs for help." Assistant State Attorneys Melissa Clark and Tara Libby prosecuted the case. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly commended the work of police and prosecutors in the case. Justice was served, and I thank the jury for seeing through the false lies and actions of the defendant. This was great policing and detective work by our team, and I commend them, Staly stated in a release. Hill lied from the beginning to the end, but our investigative team became the voice of Savannah to get to the truth in this case. I also thank Assistant State Attorney Clark for working closely with us in getting justice for Savannah. While we cant bring Savannah back, we hope this brings some closure for her family. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast man faces life in prison, convicted of girlfriend's murder A Flagler County man sentenced to prison 10 years in January for rape was sentenced Thursday to another 35 years for a home invasion where one of his accomplices was shot and killed in a drug deal gone bad. Kwentel Moultrie, 24, will serve the 35 years after he does the 10 years for rape, said Flagler County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ava Hanner. Moultrie pleaded no contest on Thursday to second-degree felony murder and burglary of a dwelling while armed, Hanner said. The burglary with a firearm carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years. Moultrie received credit for time served of 567 days, Hanner said. Rapist faces murder charges Palm Coast man convicted of rape, still faces murder charge in separate case Flagler County sheriff's investigators said that on Dec. 29, 2021, Moultrie, and two others, Taylor Manjarres, 21, and Zaire Roberts, 23, made plans to buy drugs from a dealer with the intention of robbing him. Just before 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2021, Manjarres met with the dealer at a Regent Lane home in Palm Coast. Moultrie and Roberts were hiding outside the home while Manjarres distracted the resident, investigators said. Moultrie and Roberts entered the home and the armed drug dealer confronted them and a shootout ensued. Roberts shot the drug dealer twice and the drug-dealing homeowner returned fire in self-defense killing Roberts, investigators said. Roberts died at the scene of the shooting. The drug dealer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was uncooperative with sheriff's investigators, officials said. However, Flagler County sheriff's investigators, assisted by investigators from the State Attorney's Office and St. Johns County, determined that Moultrie, Manjarres, and Roberts were all involved in planning the drug buy but instead tried to rip off the dealer, investigators said. Moultrie has an extensive criminal history including six felony and four misdemeanor arrests. Previous arrests include sexual battery, armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, theft and drug offenses. In May Manjarres pled guilty to being a principal to second-degree felony murder and burglary of a dwelling while armed with a firearm. She has not yet been sentenced and remains in the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, Hanner said. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast man sentenced to 35 years prison for murder Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) The family of slain overseas Filipino worker in Kuwait Jullebee Ranara is calling for a higher punishment for her killer, who was convicted of murder by a juvenile court but the Department of Foreign Affairs said only an increase in damage claims could be appealed. The 17-year-old son of Ranara's Kuwaiti employer was sentenced to 15 years in prison and another year for driving without a license. But the OFW's family said he should spend life in prison. "Hindi po sapat na ganon lang po 'yung hustisya na natangap niya (The justice she received is not enough)," Ranaras mother Norlynda Cabiles told CNN Philippines' The Source on Friday. READ: 'Sana makamit niya': Mother of slain OFW in Kuwait seeks justice The 35-year-old OFW was killed in January. Her body was found burnt and mangled in the Kuwaiti desert on Jan. 21. Despite understanding that there are different laws in Kuwait, her brother Mark Reyes insisted that their family wants "an eye for an eye," and is seeking life imprisonment for the murderer. "Fifteen years? Parang ang baba naman kasi buhay po tsaka grabe po 'yung ginawa, sobra. May apat po siyang (Jullebee) anak na nandito. Hindi niya deserve 'yung ganon," he said. [Fifteen years? I think that's not enough because she lost her life and what was done to her was too much. She has four children here. She did not deserve that.] However, the DFA said it cannot appeal the decision of the Kuwaiti government, adding that the imprisonment sentence of 15 years is already the maximum for a minor in that country. Magaan man, yun ang nasa batas ng Kuwait kaya hindi na pwedeng hingin pa na ipaakyat yan, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told CNN Philippines Balitaan. [Translation: Even if it's light, that's in Kuwait's law, so it's not possible to ask for a higher sentence.] De Vega said they will be in touch with the embassy in Kuwaiti to see what else could be done in terms of claim in damages to the victims family. DFA added that it is still waiting for a copy of the decision. Marcos lauds PH, Kuwaiti efforts President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meanwhile welcomed the courts ruling, as he commended the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, the Department of Migrant Workers, and Kuwaiti authorities. We hope that the appeal process will be conducted fairly, and justice will be served accordingly, he wrote in a statement posted on social media. The president visited the wake of Ranara in the Philippines in late January this year and vowed to offer all possible assistance to her bereaved family. I take comfort in thinking that Toots and Jullebee are looking down from heaven with smiles, he said, referring to the late Migrant Workers Secretary Susan "Toot" Ople who died last month. Their legacy serves as a reminder of our duty to protect and support our fellow countrymen, regardless of where in the world they may be, Marcos added. As Rosh Hashana the Jewish New Year is quickly approaching, and along with it the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, we have the unique opportunity not only for self-reflection but also to look back at the remarkable cooperation and stability that have quickly expanded throughout our region, where I have experienced the impact of the agreements firsthand. Last week, I had the pleasure of making my first official visit to one of the Abraham Accords countries, the kingdom of Bahrain. Since the signing of these agreements, we have discovered a true partner in Bahrain, and have been amazed by the all-encompassing bilateral success between the two nations. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen inagurates the Israeli Embassy In Bahrain on Sept. 4, 2023 What did the Abraham Accords do? The Accords have proved that the peoples of the region are eager for cooperation and have been awaiting the opportunity that it provides. Over the years, we have seen exponential growth in trade, tourism and people-to-people connectivity. Bilateral trade is on the rise, and during the first quarter of 2023, we doubled the trade between Israel and Bahrain in comparison with the same quarter the year before. I am certain that the substantial business delegation that I led last week will be yet another example of the continued connections between our peoples, sparking even more financial opportunities between the countries. Israel at 75: Let's celebrate technology innovation Israel recognizes the kingdom of Bahrain as a major player in the region and understands the key role it plays in regional land connectivity between the Gulf countries and the port in Haifa. This connectivity not only would boost trade between Middle Eastern countries, but also would create a land bridge affecting global trade from Asia to Europe. Thus far we have seen only a mere fraction of the true potential of the newfound relations. We must continue to cooperate, taking our countries to new heights, and I believe the utilization of regional connectivity is a vital step forward in our joint future in the broader Middle East. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen meets with Bahrain's crown prince and prime minister, HRH Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Hope for future cooperation It is crucial to remember that the Abraham Accords are far bigger than the member countries themselves, as it marks the most dramatic agreements in the region for the last 20 years and its impact is far-reaching. I am optimistic that the bilateral success of our two countries will be an inspiration for additional countries, in the Middle East and other regions, and will pave the way to prosperity and stability for many more partners. From left, Bahrain's foreign minister, Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani; Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, Bahrain's ambassador to Israel, Khaled Yousef Al Jalahma, and Israel's ambassador to Bahrain at the opening of the Israeli embassy on Sept. 4, 2023 in Manama, Bahrain. We must continue to lead by example, putting acceptance, regional security and prosperity for our peoples first, paving the way for additional nations to join these agreements. Together, we are creating a new vision for the Middle East and are working to turn that vision into a reality. As we enter the new Jewish year, may our two countries continue to work together to bring more success and look toward the future and what this partnership can bring to our people. Chag Sameach and Shana Tova! Eli Cohen is the foreign minister of the state of Israel. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Can conversation bring Middle East peace? Abraham Accords show us how WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagons Central Command has ordered interviews of roughly two dozen more service members who were at the Kabul airport when suicide bombers attacked during U.S. forces chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, as criticism persists that the deadly assault could have been stopped. The interviews, ordered by Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, were triggered in part by assertions by at least one service member injured in the blast who said he was never interviewed about it and that he might have been able to stop the attackers. The interviews are meant to see if service members who were not included in the original investigation, have new or different information. The decision, according to officials, does not reopen the administrations investigation into the deadly bombing and the withdrawal two years ago. But the additional interviews will likely be seized on by congressional critics, mostly Republican, as proof that the administration bungled the probe into the attack, in addition to mishandling the withdrawal. Some families of those killed and injured have complained that the Pentagon hasnt been transparent enough about the bombing that killed 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. servicemen and women. U.S. Central Commands investigation concluded in November 2021 that given the worsening security situation at the airports Abbey Gate as Afghans became increasingly desperate to flee, the attack was not preventable at the tactical level without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees. And, the Pentagon has said that the review of the suicide attack had turned up neither any advance identification of a possible attacker nor any requests for an escalation to existing rules of engagement governing use of force by U.S. troops. Central Command plans to speak with a number of service members who were severely wounded in the bombing at the Abbey Gate and had to be quickly evacuated from the country for medical care. They represent the bulk of the planned interviews, but a few others who werent wounded are also included. Officials also did not rule out that the number of interviews could grow as a result of those initial conversations. The purpose of these interviews is to ensure we do our due diligence with the new information that has come to light, that the relevant voices are fully heard and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously and thoroughly so the facts are laid bare, Central Command spokesperson Michael Lawhorn said in a statement. Officials on Friday began informing family members of those killed in the bombing as well as members of Congress about the latest plan. Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, head of Army Central Command, is overseeing the team conducting the interviews, which is led by Army Brig. Gen. Lance Curtis. Gen. Kurilla has asked Frank to provide an update in 90 days. In emotional testimony during a congressional hearing in March, former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews told lawmakers that he was thwarted in an attempt to stop the suicide bombing . He said Marines and others aiding in the evacuation operation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack before it occurred. He said he and others spotted two men matching the descriptions and behaving suspiciously, and eventually had them in their rifle scopes, but never received a response about whether to take action. No one was held accountable, Vargas-Andrews told Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. No one was, and no one is, to this day. The March hearing was set up to examine the Biden administrations handling of the withdrawal. Taliban forces seized the Afghan capital, Kabul, far more rapidly than U.S. intelligence had foreseen as American forces pulled out. Kabuls fall turned the Wests withdrawal into a frenzy, putting the airport at the center of a desperate air evacuation by U.S. troops. In April, President Joe Bidens administration laid blame on his predecessor, President Donald Trump, for the deadly withdrawal. A 12-page summary of the results of the " hotwash " of U.S. policies around the ending of the nations longest war asserts that Biden was severely constrained by Trumps decisions. It acknowledges that the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan should have started sooner, but blames the delays on the Afghan government and military, and on U.S. military and intelligence community assessments. The administration has refused to release detailed reviews conducted by the State Department and the Pentagon, saying they are highly classified. The White House summary says that when Biden entered office, the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country. A review by U.S. Inspector-General for Afghanistan John Sopko concluded that actions taken by both the Trump and Biden administrations were key to the sudden collapse of the Afghan government and military, before U.S. forces completed their withdrawal in August 2021. That includes Trumps one-sided withdrawal deal with the Taliban, and the abruptness of Bidens pullout of both U.S. contractors and troops from Afghanistan, stranding an Afghan air force that previous administrations had failed to make self-supporting, the review concluded. The HBCU Transformation Project, a collaborative venture between the United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Partnership for Education Advancement, announced on Wednesday a $124 million investment from philanthropic group Blue Meridian Partners. The gift will be used to increase enrollment, improve efficiency, enhance infrastructure and promote economic mobility at some of the nations Historically Black Colleges and Universities, according to a news release by the HBCU Transformation Project. Forty HBCUs currently work with the project, which was launched in 2022, with more schools expected to join before the end of the year. UNCF President and CEO Michael Lomax told CNN hes thrilled by the investment in the futures of Black students. HBCUs have done more with less for years, and this is I call it an investment, because we have to produce different outcomes, we want to increase enrollment, we want to increase our retention of students, (and) we want to have increased graduation rates, Lomax said. Lomax told CNN the financial investment by Blue Meridian Partners is just part of the effort needed to transform HBCUs. Weve got to build a lot of financial infrastructure for our institutions. Yes, weve gotten good support over the last three years. But for 150 years prior to that, we had little or no support, he said. The $124 million comes after Blue Meridians initial $60 million investment to the HBCU Transformation Project to support high-performing and high-potential HBCUs. HBCU enrollment has increased sharply since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the HBCU Transformation Project. Member institutions, like Morehouse College in Atlanta, were able to use some of the funding to train instructors to teach online when in-person learning shut down. Prior to 2020, the number of HBCUs offering online courses was very small, Melvin Foster, associate provost for academic success at Morehouse College, told CNN. Then, because of the pandemic, and the swift funding that UNCF provided, overnight it seemed, that I think almost all HBCUs went from being non-online teaching institutions to being online teaching institutions, Foster said. Foster told CNN the investment will also be used to overhaul classrooms and student facilities, and modernize the educational software used in classrooms. Despite the opportunities this significant gift will provide Black students, Lomax told CNN, More financial investment is needed. HBCUs need greater investment in order to help students get a quality education without graduating with massive debt, Lomax said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Stephen Kershnar was banned from teaching at a SUNY campus in 2022 after his comments on pedophilia. Kershnar filed a lawsuit against SUNY in June, saying his civil rights were violated by the ban. The first hearing between Kershnar and SUNY happened this week, with more to follow. Philosophy professor Stephen Kershnar, who was prohibited from teaching students over his comments on pedophilia, had a first hearing this week in an attempt to get back in the classroom. The lawsuit, which is between Kershnar and the State University of New York at Fredonia, had its first hearing Wednesday in New York's Western Federal District Court. The case dated back to comments he made in 2022 on the "Brain in a Vat" podcast about adult-child sex, saying that it was not necessarily a morally bad action. "Imagine that an adult male wants to have sex with a 12-year-old girl. Imagine that she's a willing participant," Kershnar says on the now-infamous podcast episode. "It's a very standard, very widely held view that there's something deeply wrong about this, and it's wrong independent of it being criminalized. It's not obvious to me that it is in fact wrong. I think this is a mistake." Kershnar has previously said that pedophilia should be criminalized as a matter of law, according to The New York Times. That didn't stop his podcast comments from blowing up online, eventually leading to petitions against him, per the Times. Then, SUNY school administrators released a scathing statement calling Kershnar's statement "morally reprehensible and irresponsible," per WGRZ. Ultimately, he was banned from campus. Now, he's taking the matter to court in an effort to return. For the last year, Kershnar has still been employed by SUNY, but he cannot go to campus and has not been teaching classes; instead, he has been assigned to work that does not give him contact with students, per the Times. In June, Kershnar filed a lawsuit against two of SUNY's administrators, President Stephen Kolison Jr., and Executive Vice President and Provost David Starrett. Representatives for SUNY did not respond immediately to Insider's requests for comment. His complaint alleged a civil rights violation, violation of his right to free speech, and capitulation to the "Twitter mob." Kolison and Starrett, however, saw the situation differently. In a motion to dismiss the suit filed in late July, Kolison and Starrett's lawyers alleged that the lawsuit against the school does not have legal standing, and that his ban from campus was a matter of safety. "Plaintiff's graphic speech about adult-child sexual relations was not made as a private citizen on a 'matter of public concern' and thus is not entitled to First Amendment protection," reads the motion. "Plaintiff contends his speech was extramural because it was made 'at home' and 'outside of his regular working hours.'" Kershnar is represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which told Insider it was not commenting on the case at this time. Read the original article on Insider It wasn't a bird! It wasn't a plane! It was a rocket that lit up the Southern California sky Thursday night. The mission, dubbed Victus Nox Latin for "conquer the night" launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. Base officials said Friday that it was part of a successful effort to demonstrate how rapidly the United States could put a satellite into orbit in response to a possible national security threat. The rocket's exhaust plume is seen from San Pedro on Thursday evening. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The mission, according to the U.S. Space Force, set a speed record for responsive space launch, going from orders to launch in 27 hours. The rocket took off at 7:27 p.m. Thursday. The launch's success "marks a culture shift in our nations ability to deter adversary aggression and, when required, respond with the operational speed necessary to deliver decisive capabilities to our warfighters, Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, commander of Space Systems Command, said in a statement. Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing Co. subsidiary based in El Segundo, built the satellite. Firefly Aerospace, a Texas-based aerospace firm, built the launch vehicle. As the sun sets in San Pedro, evidence of the rocket launch decorates the sky. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) For weeks, the two companies were in a "hot standby phase," awaiting orders from Space Force at an intentionally unknown time to proceed. "Upon activation, the space vehicle was transported 165 miles from Milleniums El Segundo facility to Vandenberg Space Force Base, where it was tested, fueled and mated to the launch adapter in just under 58 hours, significantly faster than the typical timeline of weeks or months," the Space Force said in a statement. "With the launch time, date and final orbital parameters unknown, the team then stood on alert, awaiting the call to launch." The previous speed record for responsive space launch was 21 days, set on June 13, 2021, according to the Space Force. The Firefly Alpha is seen from Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The goal was to begin operating the now-orbiting satellite within 48 hours. Times staff writer Jeremy Childs contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. An ultralight aircraft crashed into a cornfield in suburban Kansas Citys Northland on Thursday evening before catching fire and injuring the pilot, according to police. The plane crashed after taking off from the Liberty Landing Airport, a small airstrip on suburban Libertys outskirts near Missouri City. The pilot, who suffered severe burns, was the only person reported injured Thursday night. Sarah Boyd, a spokeswoman for the Clay County Sheriffs Office, said deputies were dispatched to the 911 call shortly before 7:30 p.m. The call came in after the pilot and walked back to the airstrip from the crash site, Boyd said in a statement. Firefighters were called in to assist, along with a Kansas City police helicopter. Boyd said it took an hour to find the downed aircraft, which was still burning until firefighters extinguished the flames. The crash site was near railroad tracks, which were shut down amid the site investigation Thursday. Boyd said the tracks may have been damaged by the crash. The Clay County Sheriffs Office was turning the investigation over to the Federal Aviation Administration. Representatives from the FAA were expected to arrive Friday. A man convicted of attacking other motorists with a metal pole last year and earlier this year was sentenced to five years in prison this week, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said. Nathanial Walter Radimak, 36, was identified as the attacker in incidents in 2022 in Glendale and Atwater Village and in January on the 2 Freeway in Northeast L.A. and in Pasadena. Before this most recent spree, Radimak had faced charges in a 2020 road rage case in Hollywood during which police reportedly found steroids and more than $30,000 in cash in his car. Suspect seen getting out of a Tesla SUV and attacking a victim with a large pipe on a SoCal freeway. The DAs Office said these attacks, in which he would exit his Tesla in the roadway and attack other vehicles with a metal pole, were not the only time Radimak has faced charges. Prosecutor: Tesla road rage driver targeted at least 6 motorists, was selling steroids Radimak has been terrorizing drivers for years and has a lengthy criminal history which spans nearly two decades and crosses multiple states, prosecutors said. The victims in this case were reasonably terrified by what they experienced, but this reign of terror ends today, District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement announcing Radimaks arrest. Motorists in Los Angeles shouldnt have to live in fear of being attacked while simply driving on the freeway. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Waldemar Buda , Polish Minister of Development and Technology, has signed the decree banning imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, including wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, for an indefinite period. Source: European Pravda with reference to Buda on Twitter Details: The Polish minister called the European Commission's decision not to extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports "erroneous" and said that the order would come into force at midnight on 15-16 September. "The Polish farmer comes first!" Buda added, thanking Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus and European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, who was appointed under the Polish quota. Background: The European Commission has imposed a temporary restriction on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products to five EU member states: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. They argued that Ukrainian grain was hurting their markets and harming farmers. On Friday, the European Commission announced that it would not extend restrictions on agricultural imports from Ukraine after 15 September, but Kyiv agreed to take measures to limit imports on its part. Nevertheless, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia decided to impose unilateral restrictions. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The European Commission's decision to lift restrictions on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products will not affect Poland's decision to introduce its own unilateral ban. Source: European Pravda, citing PAP; Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during a meeting with voters in the city of Ek Details: "The ban on imports [by the European Commission ed.] has been lifted. We will continue the ban on imports," declared Morawiecki, stressing that Warsaw will not listen to "Tusk Berlin" and Weber, referring to ex-prime minister Donald Tusk (who the current Polish government accuses of working for Germany) and, presumably, the leader of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber. "We will continue the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain, despite the lack of EU approval," the Polish Prime Minister emphasised. The European Commission has announced it will not extend restrictions on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine after 15 September, but Kyiv has agreed to take measures to limit imports from its side. Background: The European Commission imposed a temporary restriction on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to five EU member states: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. They claimed that the large volumes of Ukrainian grain exports affect their market and harm the interests of farmers. In June, the EU decided to extend the restrictions until 15 September, promising that this would be the last such decision. On 12 September, the Polish government adopted a resolution declaring its intentions to extend the ban at a national level if it is not extended at the EU level. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine would appeal for arbitration by the World Trade Organization in response. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Chinese premier meets with Venezuelan president Xinhua) 10:34, September 15, 2023 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday. "The decision of the two heads of state to elevate the China-Venezuela relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership is an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations," Li told Maduro. In the face of an international landscape with changes and turbulence intertwined, China and Venezuela should work together to deepen strategic coordination, appropriately respond to risks and challenges, and better achieve win-win development, Li said. Noting next year will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Venezuela, Li said China-Venezuela friendship, trust, and cooperation would grow thanks to the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and the joint efforts of both sides. Li said China will continue to firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty, national dignity, and legitimate rights and interests and oppose foreign forces' interference in Venezuela's internal affairs under any pretext. China is ready to work with Venezuela to implement the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative and strengthen the exchange of development experience, make good use of the Mixed Venezuela-China High-Level Committee mechanism, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields, the premier said. China will coordinate closely with Venezuela in multilateral frameworks and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Li said. Maduro said China is committed to peaceful development, follows a development path suited to its national conditions, and has made remarkable achievements, adding that China's growth benefits not only its own people but also the whole world. Maduro said establishing an all-weather strategic partnership between Venezuela and China is "a milestone in the cooperation between countries of the Global South." Maduro expressed support for the major initiatives put forward by the Chinese head of state and said Venezuela is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in the economy, trade, science and technology, agriculture, education, and culture to usher in a bright future for bilateral relations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) (CNN) US President Joe Biden plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week around the United Nations General Assembly meetings, according to multiple officials familiar with the plans. It remained unclear whether the meeting would occur in New York or later in the week at the White House. One source familiar with the matter told CNN that Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington, DC, after his stop in New York. Biden and Zelensky are both scheduled to address the assembly on Tuesday. Zelensky is planning to use an in-person appearance at the annual meeting to appeal for more support for Ukraine as it continues to wage a counteroffensive against Russia. Aside from an address to the assembly, he plans several meetings with other world leaders in New York, according to people familiar with the plans. Among his objectives will be trying to persuade nations that havent taken a firm stance against the war to be more forceful in their condemnation of Russia. Among his meetings will be with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government announced Thursday. Zelensky will also visit the US Capitol next Thursday, according to a GOP source familiar, though he will not address a joint session of Congress and is instead expected to meet individually with lawmakers and members of leadership. The anticipated visit, first reported by Punchbowl News, comes as Congress is weighing a White House request for additional aid to Ukraine. Its passage remains in doubt, with the GOP fiercely divided over the issue. Zelensky addressed a joint session last year but opposition to Ukraine funding has grown particularly inside the House GOP. Biden last met Zelensky in-person on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania in July. Before that, the men sat for talks in May at the G7 summit in Japan. Despite support from the United States for an appearance at last weeks G20 summit in India, Zelensky wasnt extended an invitation by the hosts. He last traveled to the United States in December, his first time leaving Ukraine since Russias invasion began. A spokesman for the US National Security Council declined to comment. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Zelensky in Kyiv last week as part of a trip aimed in part at aligning the US and Ukraine ahead of the diplomatic gathering. The top US diplomat told the Ukrainian president that the US is determined to continue to walk side-by-side with Ukraine. This story has been updated with additional information. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) One man is dead following a shooting outside of an apartment complex north of downtown Las Vegas. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johansson said officers responded to the 1600 block of Searles Avenue, near Las Vegas Boulevard and Owens Avenue around 12:15 a.m. Police investigate deadly shooting in apartment complex parking lot on Searles Ave. on Sept. 15, 2023. (KLAS) Police investigate deadly shooting in apartment complex parking lot on Searles Ave. on Sept. 15, 2023. (KLAS) Police investigate deadly shooting in apartment complex parking lot on Searles Ave. on Sept. 15, 2023. (KLAS) A witness told 8 News Now, the victim was seen a few hours earlier sitting on a bench in a nearby parking lot. Police said witnesses told them they saw a man in dark clothing leave the scene. A few blocks away, at Bonanza Road and Bruce Street, a police vehicle was involved in a crash with a car that police said was seen driving recklessly away from the scene. There is no information yet if that might be connected to the homicide.ne. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Schools in Pinal County were put on lockdown Thursday afternoon as police searched for an "armed and dangerous" fugitive. Coolidge police said multiple agencies were searching for an "armed and dangerous" fugitive in the areas west of 10th Street and West Vah Ki Inn. According to the U.S. Marshal Service, the agency was assisting the Pinal County Sheriffs Office with the search for Donald Hill, 45. He was considered dangerous, the agency said in a Thursday night news release. The agency said Hill was spotted by the sheriffs office near that area, but did not manage to arrest him. The search, police said, led to schools being placed on lockdown until about 2 p.m. when the action was lifted. Students would be released from school as "normal," police added. Hill was described as a white man, 6 ft tall and weighing about 155 lbs. The agency said he was bald with tattoos on his head and neck. According to the U.S. Marshal Service, Hill was wanted on 5 counts of kidnapping and 5 counts of aggravated assault. "If you see any suspicious activity in the city, notify our department immediately," police said. It wasn't immediately clear if the person authorities were looking for was found, and police did not provide information about the suspect. The Pinal County Sheriffs Office and U.S. Marshals Service were handling the investigation, police said. Anyone with information was urged by the investigating agencies to anonymously call 1-877-WANTED-2 or USMS Tips or their local police department. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Search underway in Coolidge for 'armed and dangerous' fugitive Polish President Andrzej Duda has said he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming days. Source: European Pravda with reference to Polish press agency PAP Quote from Duda: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and I agreed to meet in New York in the coming days. Among other things, we will talk about grain [export ed.]." Details: Duda emphasised that Poland is not interested in Ukrainian grain being sold on its market, because the country "has to protect its interests", adding that at the same time Poland is trying to help Ukraine. Background: The European Commission imposed a temporary restriction on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to five EU member states: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. They claimed that the large volumes of Ukrainian grain exports affect their market and harm the interests of farmers. In June, the EU decided to extend the restrictions until 15 September, promising that this would be the last such decision. However, now they say that they haven't made a final decision yet. On 12 September, the Polish government adopted a resolution declaring its intentions to extend the ban at national level if it is not extended at EU level. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal announced an appeal for arbitration by the World Trade Organization in response. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Polk County History Center on Wednesday will broaden its Women's Suffrage Movement exhibit, which commemorates the signing of the 19th Amendment, to include Delta Sigma Theta sorority's involvement in the movement. BARTOW Long before getting the right to vote through the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Aug. 18, 1920, women across the United States had worked hard toward that goal. As a way to share that important mission and the women who helped accomplish it, the Polk County History Center in 2020 installed and exhibit called The 19th Amendment at 100 Years: A Milestone of Democracy for Womens Suffrage. The exhibit highlighted the influential women involved in the voting-rights campaign. As part of that exhibit and the centers Living Constitution series, the Women's Suffrage Movement exhibit commemorating the signing of the 19th Amendment will broaden. The History Center plans to expand the current exhibit to feature Delta Sigma Theta Sorority's involvement in the suffrage movement and will capture some of the sororitys Lakeland Alumnae Chapter social action since its charter was formed on April 2, 1977. Founded Jan. 13, 1913, by 22 women at Howard University for scholarships, service and social action, there are now about 350,000 initiated women in more than 1,000 Delta Sigma Theta chapters worldwide. From 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, a soft opening of the exhibit will take place. The event was originally scheduled for Aug. 29, but was rescheduled because of Hurricane Idalia. Amanda Green, journalist for the Lakeland chapter, said one of the sorority's its first social justice acts was participation in the Womens Suffrage Parade in Washington, D.C., March 3, 1913. Green, who lives in Haines City, has been with the sorority chapter since 2022. She said the Womens Suffrage Movement has three display cases, each representing social activism by Delta Sigma Theta at the state, regional and national levels. The exhibit features former sorority members and their work with the suffrage cause, such as Dorothy Height, past national president; and Mary McLeod, who founded of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach. McCleod also founded the National Council of Negro Women, which was the first national coalition of African American women's organizations. She was instrumental in the educational-development focus of the sorority's five-point programming initiative. Height was the 10th Delta Sigma Theta national president and was the longest serving, in office from 1946 to 1957. She also founded the Women in Community Service of the sorority. There are currently 117 members of the Lakeland Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and many are scheduled to attend the Sept. 20 ceremony, including Delta Sigma Theta LAC President Mary Pearson of Mulberry. Green said the public should take time to visit the Womans Suffrage Movement display to see how women of color made an impact on the right-to-vote movement. In addition, to highlight our Delta Sigma Theta sorority women because we were at the forefront of the Womens Suffrage Parade on March 03, 1913. Even at a time when racism was high, we made history. Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. have a long history of social action in this country, and we continue to move forward, Green said. Florida Southern lecture series Opened in Lakeland with author of book on Rawlings Myrtice Young, historic preservation manager for the Polk County History Center, said the Delta Theta Sororitys contributions to the Womens Suffrage Movement will enhance its educational impact. She said the sororitys displays are part of the centers overall Living Constitution Exhibit, which will be changed and enhanced through 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States founding. The sorority exhibit will be up for at least a year. I think its really important we pause and reflect on how we have grown to a place where the right to vote is so essential to go back to reflect on how that happened when not everybody in the county was allowed to vote, she said. I think its important, as we approach the 250th anniversary as a nation, to go back to reflect on how weve gained those important rights. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk History Center women's suffrage exhibit to include Black sorority Southside Parks neighborhood doughnut shop is gone once again. Doughbot shuttered its operation on the corner of 10th and U streets just one year after its highly anticipated return to Sacramentos Southside Park neighborhood. The closure comes weeks after Buffalo Pizza & Ice Cream, which shared the massive retail space with the doughnut shop, made the trek in August back to its old stomping ground at 2600 21st St. in Land Park. Doughbot owner Kyle Khasigian wasnt immediately available for comment. The bakery told customers in a September Instagram post that it would close its doors for two weeks to game plan for wholesale and customer orders, but signage posted on the outside of the storefront of 2030 10 St. confirms the business isnt reopening. A new restaurant Thai Time is taking over both spaces. Doughbot at 2030 10th St, Sacramento is permanently closed, according to signage posted to its storefront. The bakery moved into the spot roughly one year ago. Thai Time will take the retail spaces of both Doughbot and Buffalo Pizza & Ice Cream at 2030 10th St. in Sacramentos Southside Park neighborhood. Doughbot opened in 2022 after an eight-year hiatus, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting. Its first location was at the space now filled by Japanese restaurant Binchoyaki at 2226 10th St. Doughbot closed in Sacramento This embedded content is not available in your region. Location: 2030 10th St., Sacramento The stylish American bakery threaded themes of robotics, futurism and history of Sacramentos Southside Park neighborhood throughout its entire space. The deep history and culture of the area has only given us more reason to give back to the community through a familiarity of food and a fresh experience, Doughbot wrote on its website. The breakfast sandwiches and doughnuts were crowd favorites, with a variety of vegan options. Other options included coffee cake with blueberry jam, puff pastry filled with spinach and feta, chive biscuits, cheese bagels and banana nut muffins. According to previous Bee reporting, Doughbot opened with a full espresso bar with lattes, hot chocolate, cold brew and cappuccinos. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. Job fairs scheduled in Barstow and Apple Valley as the U.S. Postal Service hopes to hire 450 career-oriented new employees in Southern California to assist during its busy holiday shipping season and beyond. Job fairs scheduled in Barstow and Apple Valley as the U.S. Postal Service hopes to hire 450 career-oriented new employees in Southern California to assist during its busy holiday shipping season. The new Elf recruits will be at the forefront of USPSs local campaign to deliver a happy holiday to its customers but will be kept on afterward and given opportunities to advance into lifelong postal careers. USPS will recruit 250 mail carriers, 100 clerks and 100 mail handlers at 33 simultaneous job fairs at post offices located in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Among the 33 post offices hosting job fairs, 18 are located in Riverside and San Bernardino counties shown below. Job fair locations in the High Desert include: Apple Valley Post Office, 22099 Highway 18. Barstow Post Office, 425 S. Second Avenue. Yucca Valley Post Office, 57280 Yucca Trail. This pre-holiday hiring blitz is focused on the post offices at which we currently have the greatest need, said USPS San Diego Human Resources Manager Carol Capone. The available postal positions, which offer starting pay from $17.32 to $20.05 an hour, are great opportunities for anyone seeking fast-paced work environments with good pay, and are a first step that could lead to long-term careers, postal officials said. As outlined in our USPS Delivering for America plan, were modernizing and continually adapting to the changing needs of our customers, Capone said. In order to do that, we need motivated, dedicated people to join us to deliver for our local communities and our nation. Theres never been a better time to join the Postal Service, Capone added. Our employees play essential roles in their communities, whether during the mad holiday shipping rush, unexpected tropical storms, or just a typical sunny San Diego day. We are a vital lifeline between our local communities and the outside world. USPS personnel will be onsite at the job fairs to answer questions, assist potential applicants, and provide detailed information about available positions. For a complete list of job fair locations, visit about.usps.com. Those unable to attend the job fairs can apply online at usps.com/careers. 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: Postal Service looking to hire 450 Elves for the holiday season A Catholic priest who served at an Oxnard church for a little over a year has been charged with felony possession of child pornography, prosecutors said Thursday. The Rev. Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara, 38, of Long Beach, allegedly possessed more than 600 images, including those showing minors under age 12, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a news release. The priest in the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit religious order was assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Oxnard's La Colonia neighborhood from July 2021 through September of last year, church officials said. Since then, he has been in residence with the missionaries order in Long Beach, according to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Senior Deputy DA Howard Wise, who is prosecuting the case, said some of the alleged offenses occurred while Martinez-Guevara was stationed in Oxnard. He served at the local parish as a deacon and newly ordained priest, the archdiocese said. Martinez-Guevara has been removed from ministry by the archdiocese and by his order, the archdiocese said in a statement. The removal means he cannot work as a priest in the archdiocese, said spokeswoman Adrian Alarcon. Archdiocese officials also noted the Martinez-Guevara was a priest with the order, not the archdiocese. While in residence in Long Beach, he had faculties to minister in the archdiocese, they said. "The Archdiocese stands against any sexual misconduct and is resolute in our support for victim-survivors of any misconduct," officials said in the statement. Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara The defendant was arrested Wednesday and booked into the main jail in Ventura. He remained there Friday in lieu of $750,000 bail, jail records show. No plea was entered during an arraignment Friday morning, court records show. The hearing was continued to the morning of Sept. 26 in courtroom 12. A public defender represented Martinez-Guevara during Friday's session. Martinez-Guevara became the focus of an investigation after several reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the district attorney's office said. In April 2023, a local task force focused on child exploitation and human trafficking started its own investigation. Early this week, the Ventura County Superior Court issued a warrant for the priest's arrest. The next day, he was located in Long Beach and taken into custody without incident, officials said. Staff writer Tom Kisken contributed to this report. Kathleen Wilson covers courts, crime and local government issues. Reach her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0271. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Priest who served in Oxnard charged in child pornography case This is a version of CNNs Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britains royal family. Sign up here. Its only a fleeting visit but it speaks volumes about the heir to the British thrones growing international role within the royal family. Prince William will touch down in New York on Monday for a two-day visit primarily to attend the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit. However, aides have revealed to CNN that the trip is also part of a wider strategy for the royal. The event coincides with both Climate Week NYC and the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and will see the announcement of the 2023 Earthshot finalists, who are in the running for a 1 million (about $1.2 million) jackpot. The 41-year-old Prince of Wales and his Royal Foundation launched the ambitious 50 million ($62 million) environmental competition back in 2020 with the goal of finding trailblazing climate solutions to repair our planet by 2030. Winners of the prize now in its third year will be revealed at a ceremony in Singapore on November 7. The prince will also be joined by former winners and finalists during the summit. The cohort will report on the progress of their projects and connect with business leaders, policymakers, philanthropists and activists who can help scale their innovative solutions. For William, his prize is about taking a more optimistic approach to confronting some of the planets problems. As he told us back in 2020, his vision was to remove the doom and gloom associated with climate crisis headlines and find ways to drive change forward. William and Kate visit Car-Y-Mor Seaweed Farm, a key partner of 2022 Earthshot Prize winner Notpla, in St. Davids, Wales on September 8, 2023. - Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty Images William was supposed to have gone to New York for the inaugural summit last September but pulled out following the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. In his absence, he sent a video message recorded a day after the Queens funeral, in which he said he had taken great comfort in the enthusiasm, optimism and commitment to his environmental award program and what we are trying to achieve. Aside from his green campaigning, the prince is also expected to fill his schedule with additional engagements and meetings while in town. In addition to unveiling this years Earthshot finalists next week, youre also going to see Prince William sitting down with the UN Secretary-General and other world leaders This really is the evolution of Prince William as the global statesman, a close aide said. William will surely be hoping this trip is less challenging than his visit to Boston late last year. While he was absolutely delighted to be in Beantown, where he met US President Joe Biden, the visit was somewhat overshadowed by a racism scandal back in the UK. This trips timing also appears to be quite fortuitous, in that it comes weeks after Prince William topped a new poll as Americas most popular public figure. He was given a 59% favorable rating, edging out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his own father, King Charles, as well as coming out ahead of Biden and former President Donald Trump. The recent Gallup poll also found William to be the most politically unifying personality, with more than six in 10 Republicans and Democrats viewing him favorably surely a positive omen of finding a responsive and open-minded public when hes traveling across the Atlantic to push his eco-prize. A huge crowd of well-wishers greets the Prince of Wales while in Massachusetts last December. - David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Getty Images The whistle-stop visit will be the heirs second solo trip in a year in which raising his global profile has been a focus. A close aide tells us that William is keen to evolve as an international leader as he continues his transformation from Duke of Cambridge to Prince of Wales and future King. Rather than get side-tracked by controversy and the distractions that have bruised the familys standing over the past few years, we understand he is keen to be part of the global conversation around bettering the world while fiercely concentrating on impact and solutions. The aide explained: Youve started to see this evolution over the last six months, whether it be him sitting down with President Biden in Boston in November, or heading to the Ukrainian border to meet with British troops. Earlier this year, he made a surprise visit to Poland, where he met with President Andrzej Duda as well as troops stationed near the border with Ukraine and refugees displaced by the Russian invasion. There we got a glimpse of Williams evolving diplomatic charm offensive. He expressed his gratitude for Warsaws efforts in supporting neighboring Ukraine while also adeptly deepening the ties between Poland and the UK. The visit was widely seen as a success and William will be keen to build upon it in the months and years ahead. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Princess Diana's famous sheep sweater sold for $1.1 million at auction on Thursday. Its designers told Insider that Diana had a big impact on the company when she wore it in 1981. The sweater was also sold with two letters that had been sent from Buckingham Palace to the brand. Princess Diana's sheep sweater sold for an unexpected $1.1 million at the Sotheby's Fashion Icon auction on Thursday. Sotheby's said in a press statement that the sweater fetched a total of 44 bids, and the price jumped from $190,000 to its final price of $1.1 million after a 15-minute bidding battle. Insider previously reported in June that the iconic sweater worn by Diana had been estimated to sell for between $50,00 and $80,000. When the lot finally went to auction on Thursday, it was sold for the staggering price of $1.143 million, making it the most expensive sweater ever sold, according to the press statement from Sotheby's. The sweater also now holds a record for the most expensive garment of Princess Diana's, previously held by a velvet ballgown she had worn for a royal portrait, which sold for $604,800 at a Sotheby's auction earlier this year. The sheep sweater is a design by British brand Warm & Wonderful, founded by Joanna Osborne and Sally Muir. At the time that Princess Diana wore the sweater in 1981, it was still a small brand, and Osborne and Muir told Insider it had a huge impact on the company. "It was a total surprise that she had it in the first place; the first we knew was when we saw her on the front of the newspaper wearing it," they said. According to Sotheby's, co-founder Osborne was searching in their archives for a sample pattern in March 2023 and instead emerged with what they suspected was the original sheep sweater worn by Diana. "Further investigation convinced the team: the damaged cuff, the shape, the single sheep at the shoulders, tiny variations in the sheep's eyes which were individually sewn on," a catalog note on the Sotheby's listing said. Designers Osborne and Muir told Insider that their decision to let the sweater be auctioned was a no-brainer. "We didn't want the responsibility of looking after it and keeping it away from moths. The letters are part of its history, so we thought the new owner should have them as well," they said. The Buckingham Palace letters on display at Sotheby's in London. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby's The letters they mentioned are an added bonus for the buyer, who not only won the sweater but also two Buckingham Palace letters from 1981 that were addressed to Osborne. These were sent by Diana's private secretary at the time, Oliver Everett. The first letter explained the sweater had been damaged and that Princess Diana "likes it very much and would love to see it restored to health or replaced," as shown in an image from the Sotheby's auction listing. The second letter thanks Osborne for their work, noting that Diana "will be very glad to have this sweater back and be most grateful to you for having re-done it." Osborne also apologizes for the lateness, writing: "Your parcel got amongst some late wedding presents waiting to be dealt with." Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Read the original article on Insider FILE - The historic Princess Diana black sheep jumper is on display at the auction house Sotheby's in London, Monday, July 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) A red sweater adorned with a flock of sheep worn by the young Princess Diana has sold at auction for $1.1 million, many times its presale estimate and a record for an item owned by the late royal. The playfully patterned wool jumper featuring a single black sheep in a grid of white ones was bought by an unidentified bidder at Sotheby's online Fashion Icons sale. The auction house had valued it at between $50,000 and $80,000 ahead of two weeks of bidding that ended Thursday. With 15 minutes left until the sale closed, the highest offer stood at $190,000, but leapt to $1.1 million after a final flurry of bids. The previous record for a piece of Diana memorabilia was $604,800 for a Victor Edelstein-designed ballgown sold by Sothebys in January. The sale also smashed the existing auction record for a sweater, the $334,000 paid in 2019 for Kurt Cobains green cardigan from Nirvanas MTV Unplugged concert. The 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer was photographed in the eye-catching ovine garment at a polo match in June 1981, soon after her engagement to Prince Charles, who was then heir to the British throne. Diana was already becoming a style icon - and one of the worlds most photographed women and the moment gave a big boost to designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, who made the sweater for their small knitwear label Warm & Wonderful. A few weeks later, Muir and Osborne received an official letter from Buckingham Palace explaining that Diana had damaged the sweater and asking whether it could be repaired or replaced. The original was returned, showing damage to a sleeve the designers thought might have been caused by snagging on Dianas diamond and sapphire engagement ring. A new sweater was knitted and dispatched, and Diana was photographed wearing it with white jeans and a black ribbon tie at an event in 1983. Osborne discovered the original lying forgotten in a box in an attic earlier this year. Diana, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, divorced Charles in 1996, She was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36. Some have speculated that the princess liked the black sheep pattern because she felt like an outsider in the royal family. Emma Corrin sported a replica as the young Diana in season four of The Crown. Muir and Osborne, who still sell a version of the design, said that while we are forever indebted to (Diana) for the impact this had on our business, our deepest appreciation lies in the knowledge that she shared a unique connection to the black sheep design. We are thrilled that this cherished sweater has now found a new home, carrying with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana, the designers said in a statement. (CNN) President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, has been indicted by special counsel David Weiss in connection with a gun he purchased in 2018, the first time in US history the Justice Department has charged the child of a sitting president. The three charges include making false statements on a federal firearms form and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person. Its an extraordinary turn of events after his original plea deal collapsed and potentially sets up a dramatic trial in the middle of his fathers 2024 reelection bid. The White House thought the Hunter Biden legal drama would end this summer, but a plea deal reached with Weiss to resolve the matter without charges collapsed over the summer amid scrutiny from a federal judge. House Republicans have also announced an impeachment inquiry into the president in relation to Hunter Bidens business ventures. Court filings show that a summons was issued Thursday for him to appear in court for an initial appearance on the charges, though it is unclear when and where the initial appearance would take place. Hunter Biden is currently in California, a source familiar told CNN, adding that any plan for a self-surrender or initial appearance, including the date and location, still needs be worked out. In an exclusive interview with CNN Thursday evening, Hunter Bidens lawyer, Abbe Lowell, claimed the indictment was a result of political pressure. Republican politicians, Lowell told CNNs Erin Burnett on OutFront, have been pressuring this US attorney to do something to vindicate their political position. And guess what? They succeeded, he added. Lowell defended his client in a statement earlier in the day, saying, Hunter Biden possessing an unloaded gun for 11 day was not a threat to public safety, but a prosecutor, with all the power imaginable, bending to political pressure presents a grave threat to our system of justice. Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination who has been indicted four times himself, described Hunter Bidens indictment as a sad situation. Its a sad situation, I mean, nobody should be happy about this, Trump told NBC News in his first public comments on the development. Gun purchase in 2018 Hunter Bidens gun-related legal troubles relate to a firearm he purchased in October 2018. While buying a revolver at Delaware gun shop, he lied on a federal form when he swore that he was not using, and was not addicted to, any illegal drugs even though he was struggling with crack cocaine addiction at the time of the purchase. Hunter Biden provided a written statement on Form 4473 certifying he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious, according to the indictment. Its a federal crime to lie on the ATF form or to possess a firearm as a drug user. (Hunter Biden possessed the gun for about 11 days in 2018.) Prosecutors have previously said the statute of limitations for some of these offenses is set to expire in October. Lowell on Thursday said the earlier deal means the gun charges should not be allowed. We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr. Biden, Lowell said in his statement, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court. Prosecutors say that deal never went into force. Weiss has been leading the Hunter Biden investigation since late 2018. Over the years, his team investigated potential felony tax evasion, illegal foreign lobbying, money laundering and other matters, largely tied to Hunter Bidens overseas business deals. The probe appeared to be winding down in June, when Weiss announced a two-pronged agreement where Hunter Biden would plead guilty to two federal tax misdemeanors, and enter into a diversion agreement where the gun charge would be dropped in two years if Hunter Biden passed regular drug tests and stayed out of legal trouble. But at a stunning court hearing in July, the deals collapsed under scrutiny from the federal judge overseeing the case. The two sides tried to renegotiate an agreement, but talks reached an impasse and Attorney General Merrick Garland elevated Weiss to special counsel status in August a major escalation in the probe. In addition to the gun case, Weiss is still weighing whether to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes. He said in a court filing last month that a trial is now in order on the tax offenses ad that he may bring tax charges possibly in California or Washington, DC. The charges If convicted on all counts, Hunter Biden could theoretically face as much as 25 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000, according to court filings. However, defendants very rarely get the maximum penalty, especially in cases like these, involving non-violent crimes and an alleged first-time offender. The three-count indictment was handed up Thursday by a federal grand jury in Delaware, according to court filings. Count One accuses Hunter Biden of lying on an ATF form when he bought the gun, by falsely swearing that he wasnt addicted to illegal drugs or using illegal drugs. Count Two accuses Hunter Biden of lying to the federally licensed gun dealer in Wilmington where he bought the gun. The alleged lie was related to the same sworn statement on the ATF form. Count Three accuses Hunter Biden of illegally possessing the gun while using drugs or being addicted to drugs, which is a federal crime. He possessed the gun for 11 days in 2018. One charge is facing serious constitutional jeopardy The gun possession law Hunter Biden is accused of breaking is already on shaky legal ground after an August ruling by an appeals court covering three southern states that declared the statute unconstitutional. Last month, a New Orleans-based federal appeals court struck down the decades-old law, saying it violated the Second Amendment in a case concerning a man who was convicted under it in 2022. In short, our history and tradition may support some limits on an intoxicated persons right to carry a weapon, but it does not justify disarming a sober citizen based exclusively on his past drug usage, Circuit Judge Jerry Smith, a Ronald Reagan appointee, wrote for the three-judge panel. Nor do more generalized traditions of disarming dangerous persons support this restriction on nonviolent drug users. The ruling by the 5th Circuit, which oversees Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, means that other defendants convicted under the law in those states could seek to bring new challenges to their convictions, but it has no legal bearing in Bidens case, which was brought in Delaware. This story has been updated with additional developments. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Sept. 15 that it had charged pro-Russian lawmaker Nestor Shufrych with treason for subversive activities against Ukraine. The SBU reported that Shufrych, elected for the now-banned party Opposition Platform For Life, worked closely with a former Ukrainian official and an agent of Russian intelligence Volodymyr Sivkovych. Sivkovych, who served as the deputy chairman of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council from 2010 to 2013 under pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, was charged with treason in July last year. He is currently hiding in Russia. According to the SBU, one of Shufrych's main tasks was spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Ukraine, such as that Ukraine is an artificial entity or that Russians and Ukrainians are a single nation. The lawmaker faces up to 15 years in prison. The SBU added that the searches of Shufrych's premises are ongoing. Several Ukrainian outlets reported on Shufrych's charges and on the SBU searches shortly before the official announcement. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Ukrinform wrote that according to its sources in the Security Service, the search led to the discovery of a document dated July 2014, outlining a scheme for the "autonomy" of Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The document suggested that the two oblasts should hold separate elections and form their own government structures. It was signed by Shufrych and by Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who had been detained by the authorities last year and exchanged for Ukrainian military prisoners. The SBU officers also discovered prohibited Russian awards and symbols during the search, including St. George's ribbons, medals, and Russian military uniforms, Ukrainska Pravda reported, publishing photos of the search provided by a law enforcement source. Read also: Timothy Snyder: If you want peace, Crimea has to be a part of Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Sitting Ukrainian MP Nestor Shufrych who used to represent the now-banned pro-Russian Opposition Platform For Life (OPFL) has been formally accused of treason, Ukraines SBU Security Service reported on Telegram on Sept. 14. The SBU said that it had, in cooperation with the State Bureau of Investigations and the Prosecutor Generals Office, gathered evidence concerning Shufrychs alleged anti-Ukrainian activities. According to their investigation, Shufrych is said to have maintained a close relationship and undertaken tasks assigned by the former Secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, Volodymyr Sivkovych, who allegedly coordinated Russian activities within Ukraine. Read also: Ukrainian law enforcers detain former Crimea SBU department chief Sivkovych fled to Moscow in 2014 and reportedly continued to coordinate subversive activities against Ukraine from there. He was notably the handler of former Chief of the SBUs Crimean division, Oleh Kulinich, who is also suspected of treason and was personally apprehended by SBU Head Vasyl Maliuk. One of Shufrychs primary objectives was to engage in subversive activities within the realm of information. He allegedly systematically disseminated Kremlin narratives, asserting that the Ukrainian state was an artificial entity and insisting on a common history between Ukraine and Russia, while promoting the idea that Ukrainians and Russians were one people. Currently, authorities are carrying out 45 searches at the residences of the accused and within his immediate circle. Read also: Ex-deputy NSDC secretary Sivkovych to be tried for dispersal of Student Maidan On Sept. 15, sources from within the SBU disclosed that searches were underway at Shufrychs residences, and he is currently under suspicion of committing treason. However, he has not been arrested at this time. According to the SBU sources, Shufrych was alleged to be one of the Kremlins mouthpieces in Ukraine. During the ongoing searches, a document outlining a plan for autonomy for the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts was reportedly discovered. Journalist Yuriy Butusov has asserted that Shufrych plays a pivotal role in a case involving a Russian spy network, allegedly established by a Russian FSB officer and former Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Sivkovych. In July 2022, the State Bureau of Investigations formally announced suspicions of treason against Volodymyr Sivkovych, who served as deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council from 2010 to 2013. According to reports from NVs sister publication Ukrainska Pravda, Sivkovych, currently in hiding in Russia, was purportedly preparing to assume the role of a manager for a fictitious occupation government following a hypothetical full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Pechersk District Court of Kyiv has ordered a two-month arrest for sitting Ukrainian MP Nestor Shufrych with no right to post bail, Ukrainian legal news outlet Graty reported on Sept. 15. Reacting to the court's decision, Shufrych told reporters that "the government needs this," suggesting he was charged with treason for political reasons. His lawyers said that they would appeal the court's decision. Read also: SBU exposes Russian MPs informant in Kherson Earlier on Sept. 15, NV's sources within Ukraines SBU security service said that Shufrych's properties were being raided by law enforcement investigating the politician for treason. During the searches, a document outlining a plan for "autonomy" for Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts was discovered. SBU later reported that Shufrych, who used to represent the now-banned pro-Russian Opposition Platform For Life (OPFL), has been formally charged with treason. Read also: SBU thwarts FSB operation, detaining ex-soldier recruited to target Kyiv utilities for Russias planned cold season attacks Journalist Yuriy Butusov has asserted that Shufrych plays a pivotal role in a case involving a Russian spy network, allegedly established by a Russian FSB officer and former Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Sivkovych. Read also: Security Council secretary Danilov categorically rules out talks with Russia In July 2022, the State Bureau of Investigations formally announced suspicions of treason against Volodymyr Sivkovych, who served as deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council from 2010 to 2013. According to reports from NVs sister publication Ukrainska Pravda, Sivkovych, currently in hiding in Russia, was purportedly preparing to assume the role of a manager for a fictitious occupation government Moscow planned to install after the invasion of Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Security Service of Ukraine, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General have collected considerable evidence on the anti-Ukrainian activities of Ukrainian MP Nestor Shufrych . Source: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); Office of the Prosecutor General on Telegram Details: Security Service case materials mention that the prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General had served Shufrych with a notice of suspicion under Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason). Quote SSU: "As is evidenced by the investigation materials, Shufrych worked closely with and carried out the tasks of the former NSDC (National Security and Defence Council) Secretary Volodymyr Sivkovych, an FSB agent whose task is to coordinate Russian agents in Ukraine. Sivkovych fled to Moscow in 2014 and created a network of moles for carrying out subversive activities against our state. It was he who supervised Oleh Kulynych, the former head of the SSU Department in Crimea, who is suspected of treason and who was personally arrested by the head of the Security Service, Vasyl Malyuk. One of Shufrychs main tasks was to conduct subversive activities in the media. He systematically disseminated the Kremlin's narratives that the Ukrainian state is a supposedly artificial entity, that Ukraine and Russia share a common history, and that Ukrainians and Russians are allegedly one nation. IN this way, Shufrych tried to develop pro-Russian sentiments in Ukrainian society." Details: It is specified that 45 searches are currently being carried out at the places of residence of the MP and his close associates. The pre-trial investigation continues. The sanction under the article provides for up to 15 years in prison. Background: On Friday 15 September, it was revealed that the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) found banned Russian St Georges ribbons, medals and uniforms during a search at the home of MP Nestor Shufrych from the banned Opposition Platform For Life, a pro-Russian and Eurosceptic political party. The SSU also found a document with a plan for the autonomy of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, dated 2014, signed by former MP Viktor Medvedchuk, now deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, and Shufrych himself. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Special counsel Jack Smiths office on Thursday sharply rejected former President Donald Trump s push for U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to step aside from the federal criminal case related to his bid to subvert the 2020 election. In a 20-page filing, prosecutors said Trump had failed to show any bias by Chutkan against Trump, despite allusions she made to him in a pair of sentencing proceedings against Capitol riot defendants in 2021 and 2022. Rather, argued senior assistant special counsels Molly Gaston and Thomas Windom, Trump cherry-picks from Chutkans quotes at those hearings to cast accurate and appropriate statements as inappropriate commentary. Because the defendants motion fails to establish any bias by the Court, much less the deep-seated antagonism required for recusal, the Court has a duty to continue to oversee this proceeding, Gaston and Windom wrote. Trump had asked for Chutkan, an appointee of President Barack Obama, to withdraw from the case over comments she made in two sentencing hearings for defendants who pleaded guilty to crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Both had raised questions about why they should face stiff sentences when they viewed themselves as simply carrying out directives from the then-president. In response, Chutkan alluded to the fact that Trump and others who spread lies about the 2020 election had yet to face accountability. In one case, she noted that Trump remains free to this day. Recusals are rare in criminal cases and typically only arise when judges has direct relationships with any of the parties in their court or a financial stake in the outcome. Federal law and Supreme Court precedent suggest judges should recuse when their impartiality may reasonably be questioned. However, judges also have wide latitude to state their views from the bench based on the facts and information they learn in the course of their cases and both defendants explicitly invited a comparison to Trump and others who stoked the fury of the mob that day. Smiths team, via Gaston and Windom, hammered on this point throughout the filing. The Court did not state that the defendant was legally or morally culpable for the events of January 6 or that he deserved punishment, they wrote. Tellingly, the defendant does not cite a single case in which recusal has been warranted on remotely similar facts. The prosecutors emphasized that Chutkan, like all D.C.-based federal judges, have presided over dozens of cases stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and in many of them, defendants have pointed to Trump himself as a motivator for their conduct. Chutkans reference to Trump and others who sowed distrust in the election was a response to and a rejection of those assertions, they noted. In fact, the Courts judicial statements reveal that when individuals being sentenced attempted to mitigate their culpability, including by assigning blame to defendant Trump, the Court rejected the argument and responded that it had no bearing on those cases, Gaston and Windom write. The prosecutors responded specifically to Trumps claim that Chutkans reference to the fact that Trump remains free renders her biased against him. This assertion, they say, stated an uncontested and accurate fact that was in response to a Jan. 6 defendant's effort to pin some responsibility for her actions on Trump. Chutkan rejected the argument, they noted. Smiths team cited a similarly high-profile Washington, D.C., case to bolster its point: the Watergate-era trial of Nixon chief of staff H.R. Haldeman. There, defendants sought recusal of the judge presiding over numerous, separate Watergate-related matters, in part based on statements the judge had made during an earlier, separate trial in which, among other things, he expressed a belief that criminal liability extended beyond the seven persons there charged, Gaston and Windom wrote. But in that case, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed recusal was unwarranted because the judges views stemmed from proceedings that occurred in his court. Trumps legal team claimed that the tenor and tone of Chutkans comments at the sentencings indicate she likely relied on facts from outside of her court, but prosecutors said there was no basis for such an assertion and the record in the earlier cases provide ample explanation for her comments. Prosecutors also cited a case familiar to Trump to bolster their point about the rarity of judges being forced to recuse: the prosecution of Trumps former national security adviser Michael Flynn for alleged lies about his post-2016-election conversations with Russias U.S. ambassador. During a plea hearing for Flynn, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan told the retired Defense Intelligence Agency chief and retired Army Lieutenant General that he arguably sold your country out. The judge soon withdrew his comment and the D.C. Circuit later rejected efforts to force him off the case. As a result of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, 504 children have been killed and 1,123 injured, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Sept. 15, citing juvenile prosecutors. The report stressed that these figures are not final as work to collect data in the areas of hostilities and in both occupied and liberated territories continues. The majority of casualties among children, both in terms of killed and wounded, have been recorded in Donetsk Oblast (487), followed by Kharkiv Oblast (300), Kyiv Oblast (129), Kherson Oblast (124), Zaporizhzhia Oblast (99), Mykolaiv Oblast (97), Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (96), Chernihiv Oblast (71), and Luhansk Oblast (67), the prosecutors said. Thousands of Ukrainian children have become victims of the Russian invasion, suffering deportations, separation from families, injuries, and death. According to the Children of War database run by the Ukrainian state, 1,236 children have gone missing, 13 have been subjected to sexual abuse, and at least 19,546 have been deported by the Russian authorities. Some 386 children have been rescued from the Russian captivity. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Philadelphia prosecutors are seeking to revoke bail for police officer Mark Dial. Dial was charged last week with first-degree murder over the killing of Eddie Irizarry. The local Fraternal Order of Police posted Dial's bail and offered their "full support." At a hearing early next week, Philadelphia prosecutors will argue for revoking the bail of a police officer charged with first-degree murder. On September 8, Mark Dial, an officer with the Philadelphia Police Department, was arraigned on charges related to the killing of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry last month. Police initially claimed that Irizarry was killed after lunging at officers with a knife. But bodycam footage revealed that Irizarry never left his car and was shot by Dial within seconds of the officer exiting his own vehicle. Because Dial faces a murder charge, prosecutors will argue at a hearing next week that he should not have been granted pre-trial release, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. After Dial turned himself in, the local Fraternal Order of Police posted $50,000 to bail him out, the outlet noted; the union earlier issued a statement saying it would offer its "full support" to the officer, who faces termination after failing to cooperate with an international investigation, according to Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. That Dial was granted bail at all was "highly unusual," KYW Newsradio reported, noting that it is typically denied in Pennsylvania when the defendant faces the possibility of a life sentence. In addition to murder, the officer has also been charged with, among other things, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. An attorney for Dial did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. Dial is one of several police officers who have now faced charges related to on-duty acts of violence since Larry Krasner was first elected district attorney in 2017. Last year, a jury convicted former officer Eric Ruch of voluntary manslaughter over the killing of an unarmed man following a high-speed car chase. A preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will outline their case against Dial, is scheduled for September 26. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Insider Dawood Sadiqi served as a translator for the United States military for eight years in Afghanistan. He and his family now live in Tallahassee, Florida. Two years since immigrating to the US, he and his family have yet to receive their green cards. All Dawood Sadiqi wants is the American Dream. I promised my daughter that I would take her somewhere which is not Afghanistan. She could wear whatever she wanted. She could practice whatever sport, she could dance, she could sing, she could learn music, Sadiqi recalled from the moment he first held her in his arms. But the hard truth is, all of this could soon disappear for Sadiqi and his family. He, his wife and two young children were promised US citizenship due to the years Sadiqi risked his life as a translator for Americans during the war. But his work license is set to expire this month. If his papers aren't processed, he will no longer be able to work as a project manager at North Highland, a consulting firm, and be unable to pursue any future career in the US. This Tallahassee resident and thousands of other Afghan refugees are facing the same roadblock as they wait for the US government to approve their files. Sadiqi had worked for eight years as a translator and project manager for the US. Amid growing talk of the withdrawal of American forces, Sadiqi expected an easy passage to the U.S. with his family. In an instant, all of that changed. "Scared for my life" During the summer of 2021, the US under the leadership of President Joe Biden abruptly pulled its military forces out of the war zone as the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital of Kabul. At 11 a.m. on August 15, 2021, Sadiqi knew he had to dispose of his United States government issued pistol, armor and helmet. Sadiqi went home to get his wife and two young children to a safer place, his brothers house a few miles down the road. As the Taliban breached the city, he knew it was only a matter of time before they would find his home and kill him and his family. While serving as a translator for the US military, Sadiqi risked everything. Dawood did more for our country than 95% of Americans. And that's as a non-citizen. And without a green card, without an immigration card, said Derek Whitis, who is a lobbyist Florida Power and Light Company, Polk State College Foundation, and several other companies. He carried a device that could intercept conversations from phones and walkie-talkies. But the Taliban figured out that he and other translators were listening in on their conversations and ordered snipers to kill the translators first. I was feeling scared for my life, he recalled. If I am killed, who will take care of my family? Sadiqi put his life on the line for a country he dreamt of calling home one day. The biggest motivation was that after completing two years, I can have a special immigration visa and go to the US - provide a good and safe life for my family and children, said Sadiqi. While serving as a translator, Sadiqi was also privy to high profile, secret information. When he got to his brothers home that evening, he burned everything disks, papers, badges all of it for more than seven hours. It was so much that at some point the fire stopped burning because we kept putting lots and lots of paper and it stopped burning, Sadiqi said. When that paper stops burning, you realize the volume of all those sensitive documents. Next he had to bury his weapon and armor into a ditch somewhere in the pitch black of night. He didnt sleep that night. I was scared, he said. I could not sleep properly because I was constantly thinking that yes, they are coming for me. The process for being vetted as an Afghan refugee who had assisted Americans serving in the nearly 20-year war, was not a priority amid the chaotic withdrawal. While temporary visas were emailed to Afghans who had worked for the US military, which included their family members, others found ways to print copies of the visas, causing the Kabul airport to be crowded with people begging to be put on a plane to safety. Sadiqi and his wife packed two bags one with diapers and baby clothes for their son who was six months old at the time and a bag of necessities . For Sadiqi, his wife and daughter, they only had the clothes on their backs when they finally caught a flight to safety. The extensive travel was draining on the family. They slept inside an airport for several days before flying to Qatar, where there were two portable toilets available for more than 500 people. Then they spent hours sitting on a tarmac in intense heat with no food or water before flying to Germany. The C-17 was packed with 400 refugees seeking asylum in the US. They sat piled on top of one another until they landed. Dawood Sadiqi served as a translator for the United States military for eight years in Afghanistan. He and his family now live in Tallahassee, Florida. Two years since immigrating to the US, he and his family have yet to receive their green cards. After about a week in the freezing temperatures of Germany, Sadiqi and his family were brought to the states with hundreds of others. "I have to take charge of my life" When he arrived in Washington, D.C., he and his family took their first showers in weeks. They were then loaded onto a bus to be taken to Fort Pickett in Virginia where they stayed for several months. The family had two sets of bunk beds in a bunker where they hung bed sheets to create some privacy for sleeping, as well as for Sadiqis wife to breastfeed. Months later, on Dec. 22, 2021, he and his family were relocated to Tallahassee. After all this time, Sadiqi's wife hadn't shed a tear through all the airports, hours in extreme temperatures or even when the women and children were separated from the men. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) had a home rented for the four of them near the Florida A&M University campus. They had a couple of mattresses, a small sofa and water. Sadiqis wife cried. She was disheartened to see that her family wasnt given what they were promised after all the sacrifices they had made as a family for a country that wasnt theirs until now. As the family built a new life, Sadiqi knew he needed to provide for his family. I realized if I stayed here, nothing would happen. I have to take charge of my life, said Sadiqi. He posted on Nextdoor and described his qualifications he has a masters degree in business administration and can speak five languages and asked if anyone had an old laptop he could use to apply for jobs. Whitis saw Sadiqis request for help. Whitis brother-in-law, who was a colonel in the Marine Corps, sent him a list of 10 questions for Sadiqi to answer in order to vet his identity. Sadiqi provided all of the answers and more. Dawood Sadiqi served as a translator for the United States military for eight years in Afghanistan. He and his family now live in Tallahassee, Florida. Two years since immigrating to the US, he and his family have yet to receive their green cards. With that laptop and knowledge, he was able to secure a job. "The rest is him making history for himself and his family," Whitis said. Stuck in limbo Sadiqi has been working as a project manager in Tallahassee ever since. His family now rents an apartment in Southwood with plenty of space and all the amenities that they could ask for, and his daughter is receiving an education at the School of Arts and Sciences, taking ballet lessons and learning gymnastics. But Sadiqi and his family are stuck in limbo while waiting for his papers to be approved so that he can continue to provide for his family. Once he becomes a permanent resident he plans to move with his family to Washington, D.C., because there is more of a community of his people that reside there. At the peak, there were 170 families and individuals who were transplanted to Tallahassee, he said. Now theres only 15 families because the rest of them left. The Tallahassee Democrat reached out to the International Rescue Committee multiple times for clarification on these numbers but did not receive a response. He had friends who died on the front lines while helping the US. One was killed by an IED. Another lost his leg. There are thousands of examples like them. We are only a few of those examples that could reach here, said Sadiqi. We don't say compare us to the veterans, but we also did service to this country. We deserve respect." Reach photojournalist Alicia Devine at adevine@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @alicia_c_devine. Check out her photos on Instagram @adevinephotography. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Afghan refugee in Tallahassee in limbo as he waits for citizenship The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, is reported to be in critical condition, according to Ukrainian military intelligence. The information is confirmed by various sources in the medical and political circles, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraines military intelligence branch, told Obozrevatel, which first reported the news. There is information that the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition and the diseases that were there have worsened and caused such a serious condition. His ill-health is not due to an injury, Yusov added. It is not about injuries. Other details require additional clarification. He has been ill for a long time, and we are talking about systemic health problems, he said. For the last few days, he has been in a serious condition. UNIAN and United24 Media also reported the news. Kadyrov, a Kremlin loyalist who has been nicknamed Putin 's soldier and Putin's attack dog, has deployed troops to Ukraine to aid Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war in Ukraine. Just this July, he said he had sent a detachment of Chechen troops to fight in Bakhmut. The detachment had signed a contract with Russias Ministry of Defense earlier this year, in stark contrast with Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had protested having his mercenaries sign on with Moscow. Soldiers Make Secret Pact to Destroy Putins Empire From Within Putin expressed his thanks to Kadyrov in March for helping Russia wage war in Ukraine at a meeting, according to the Kremlin. We are fulfilling all your orders and aim to proceed to a victorious conclusion, Kadyrov said at the time. Rumors about Kadyrovs health have circulated for months. The former vice-prime minister of Chechnya, Akhmad Zakayev, told the German newspaper Bild last year that Kadyrov had a serious kidney disease. Kadyrov has sought to pour cold water on rumors about his poor health. This March he told his cronies that he was not ill but just unusually bloated. People are attributing various diseases to me: Sometimes I have problems with my kidneys, sometimes with the liver, he said. Kadyrovs health appeared to deteriorate in recent days. Obozrevatel reported earlier this week that Kadyrov went into a coma and was flown to Moscow to seek treatment. He was reportedly returned to Chechnya. 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. (CNN) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continued his days-long trip to Russia Friday, visiting an aircraft plant in the eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, according to Russian state media, after the two sides said military cooperation was a possibility. The facility is the countrys largest aviation manufacturing plant and builds and develops warplanes for the Ministry of Defense, including the Su-35S and Su-57 fighter jets, state media TASS reported. Images showed Kim and his delegation at the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ), which is named after the famed Russian cosmonaut, and being shown the inside of a fighter jet, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti. Accompanying Kim on the tour was the citys mayor, Alexander Zhornik, and the Khabarovsk Region Governor Mikhail Degtyarev. The North Korean leader is also expected to travel to the port city of Vladivostok where he will view the military capabilities of Russias Pacific Fleet, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state news agency Russia 1. The tour of key sites in the Russian Far East region came after Putin said Russia is considering and discussing some military cooperation with North Korea, following a summit at which Kim appeared to endorse Moscows war on Ukraine. Wednesdays five-hour meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome signaled closer relations between the two countries, both of which face international isolation Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin had accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would also visit the country in October, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Asked if the two leaders discussed military and technical cooperation during the talks, Peskov said it was a sensitive sphere of cooperation and reiterated Moscows commitment to further developing ties with Pyongyang. Efforts to showcase that closer relationship were on full display during the summit. Putin presented Kim with a space suit glove that had gone into space and a high-quality domestically manufactured carbine a type of rifle while Kim also offered Putin a carbine crafted by North Korean artisans, according to Peskov. At a state banquet with Putin Wednesday, Kim vowed to establish a new era of 100-year friendship between the two countries. In the weeks before the summit, US officials warned that Russia and North Korea were actively advancing in a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology. Putin was asked if he discussed military-technical cooperation with Kim during the leaders meeting. In response, Putin acknowledged there were certain restrictions in place, saying Moscow fully complied with them. But he also said there were areas open for discussion and consideration, suggesting potential points of cooperation. Kim said before a toast at the state dinner with Putin that he is certain that the Russian people and its military will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces that ambitiously pursue hegemony and expansion. Without naming Ukraine, Kim said the Russian military and its people will inherit the shining tradition of victory and demonstrate their reputation on the front line of military operation, the euphemistic phrasing Moscow uses to describe its illegal invasion of Ukraine. I will always be standing with Russia, Kim said, praising Moscow for having stood up against the hegemonic forces to defend its sovereignty and security, a veiled reference to the United States and the West. In return, Putin signaled a willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite program. On Thursday, a Ukrainian presidential adviser called the talks a manifestation of incapacity and said Ukraine was taking the actions of Moscow and Pyongyang very seriously and making its own calculations. Moscows need to beg for help from North Korea is certainly a reason for jokes, a manifestation of Russias incapacity, and a verdict on Putins 23-year policy, said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ukraines Defense Intelligence said Wednesday that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea was not new. Russian requests for projectiles for artillery and MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems) are already known to Ukrainian authorities, Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defense Intelligence, said in an interview with Ukrainian state media. We cant neglect this. This is an important factor that will be felt, unfortunately on the battlefield, but this is not news in this situation. This is a scenario, the reaction to which Ukraine is working on, Yusov reportedly said. When asked in a background briefing whether North Koreas rockets were being supplied to Moscow, an official from South Koreas presidential office said, We have long confirmed that weapons provided by North Korea were used by Russia in the Ukraine battlefield. The Biden administration believes North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles for use in Ukraine by Russian mercenary force Wagner last year. Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan on Thursday jointly issued a warning regarding potential violations of international sanctions by North Korea and Russia. According to a statement released by South Koreas presidential office, the three nations said there would be would be clear consequences if either country were to breach their obligations under the United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions, particularly those relating to arms trade and military cooperation. All three countries expressed grave concerns over the discussions between the two leaders, which included topics related to military cooperation, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), despite repeated warnings from the international community, the statement said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko shake hands during their meeting in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) MOSCOW (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a meeting Friday with his Belarusian ally, who suggested that Minsk could could join Moscow's efforts to revive an old alliance with Pyongyang after this weeks summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made the proposal as he met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where the Russian leader said he would brief him about the talks with Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny spaceport in Russia's Far East. I would like to inform you about the discussion on the situation in the region, which was quite important, and also to touch on the most acute issue, the situation in Ukraine, Putin said at the start of the meeting. Lukashenko responded by saying that we could think about three-way cooperation," adding that "I think a bit of work could be found for Belarus to do there as well." Kim on Friday continued his trip by visiting an aircraft factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur to see the latest Russian fighter jets. On Saturday, he is scheduled to arrive in Russias port of Vladivostok where he is expected to see Russian Pacific Fleet warships and visit a university. The U.S. and its allies believe that Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for use in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Moscow, a deal that would violate the U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang that ban any arms trade with North Korea. Putin said after meeting Kim that Russia will abide by the U.N. sanctions and he reaffirmed the pledge Friday. We never violate anything, and in this case we have no intention to violate anything, he told reporters. "But we certainly will look for opportunities for developing Russian-North Korean relations. Putin's meeting with Lukashenko was their seventh this year. Lukashenko, who has relied on Russian subsidies and political support to rule the ex-Soviet nation with an iron hand for nearly three decades, allowed the Kremlin to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022. While Belarus has continued to host Russian troops, Lukashenko has emphasized that his country will not join the fighting. Lukashenko demonstrates that Belarus only wants to be a military hub for Russia and profit on that to compensate for the closure of Western markets and the sanctions, but it doesn't want to send its soldiers to die in Ukraine, said Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the beginning of a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko , self-proclaimed president of Belarus, that he would tell him about his "stable" economy and the meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti Quote from Putin: "I want to inform you in detail that we are completing the budget process. Everything is stable and reliable here. Why do I say this? Because the state of the Russian economy usually reflects our interaction within the framework of the union state. Because of this, we have mutual questions and obligations". "I recently had a meeting with the leader of the North Korean Republic. I wanted to inform you about how the discussion about the situation in the region went. And regarding our most pressing issue, about the situation on the Ukrainian front." Background: During a meeting with Putin, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un raised a glass to the health of his Russian counterpart, "comrade" Vladimir Putin, and said he was "confident of Russia's success" in the so-called special military operation, i.e. in the war against Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A State Department spokesman mocked Vladimir Putin for seeking weapons from North Korea. Putin was "scrounging around" for low-quality weapons in doing the deal, said Matthew Miller. Putin appeared to strike an arms deal with North Korea's Kim Jong Un at a summit this week. Russian President Vladimir Putin is "scrounging around" for low quality North Korean weapons amid problems supplying Russian troops in Ukraine, a US State Department official said. Spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing with reporters Wednesday discussed Putin's summit this week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok. The Russian president appears to be seeking weapons supplies from North Korea that can be used to attack Ukraine. In exchange, North Korea would seek increased military cooperation and economic support. Analysts said the North Korean weapons Putin seeks, such as rockets and ammunition, are ageing and inaccurate, but such are Russia's problems supplying front line troops in Ukraine that Putin wants to get hold of them anyway. "A year and a half ago, Vladimir Putin launched this war thinking he was going to restore the glory of the Russian empire, failed in all of his maximalist, imperialist aims, and now a year and a half later, after losing tens of thousands of Russian soldiers and spending billions and billions of dollars, here he is begging Kim Jong Un for help," Miller said. "I don't think that, at the beginning of this war, Vladimir Putin would have anticipated that a year and a half in he would have to be scrounging around, including with international pariahs like Kim Jong Un, asking for assistance." Kim during the summit toured a Cosmodrome and military sites in Russia, hinting at a possible satellite technology deal with Russia. He has offered North Korea's "full and unconditional support" for Russia's "sacred fight" in Ukraine. The summit has alarmed the US and its regional allies, who are seeking to curtail North Korea's capacity to develop nuclear weapons. North Korea is believed to be seeking satellite technology, an area where it lags behind other regional powers, analysts told Reuters. At Wednesday's briefing, Miller said that Russia was breaching the North Korean sanctions regime it helped to create as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The US says that North Korean satellite launches are in contravention of UN resolutions aimed at curtailing its ballistic missile programs, as they could be used to more accurately target the weapons. "I would say it is troubling when you see the Russians talking about cooperating with North Korea on programs that would violate UN Security Council resolutions that Russia itself voted for," Miller said. Read the original article on Business Insider Raleigh will not host its annual Christmas parade this year. The decision comes one year after an 11-year-old girl was hit and killed while performing in the parade. PAST COVERAGE: Driver charged after girl, 11, dies after being struck during Christmas parade in Raleigh The city says it made the decision out of an abundance of caution and out of respect for the Hailey Brooks family. Raleigh is now exploring other options for a holiday event. On Thursday, the Brooks attorney, Jason Miller of Raleigh-based Miller Monroe and Plyler, said the family disagrees with the decision to cancel the parade, WRAL reported. The Brooks family is disappointed that the City of Raleigh chose to cancel its 2023 Raleigh Christmas Parade rather than adopt basic safety measures to protect the community, Miller wrote. The city did not reach out to the family before making this decision. If consulted, the Brooks family would have urged the city to proceed with the parade after implementing basic, common-sense safety protocols that should have been in place in 2022, such as those proposed in the Shine Like Hailey Parade Safety Act. It has been 10 months since Hailey Brooks was killed, and it is time for the city to honor her by enacting protections for the safety of this community not by canceling the parade. VIDEO: Young girl dies after being hit by out-of-control truck in Raleigh Christmas parade; driver charged Cleotha Abston-Henderson, the man charged with the abduction and killing of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, makes a court appearance with Juni Ganguli, one of his new defense attorneys, in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, September 15, 2023. Cleotha Abston-Henderson is slated to have the first of his criminal cases go to trial in early 2024, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee V. Coffee said Friday morning. Abston-Henderson was prominently arrested and charged with kidnapping and killing Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher in September 2022, but that case will not reach trial until a disposition is reached in a case that is alleged to have happened over a year earlier. That case stems from the 2021 rape of Alicia Franklin and charges Abston-Henderson with aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman speaks to the media after Cleotha Abston-Henderson, the man charged with the abduction and killing of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, made a court appearance in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, September 15, 2023. Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said Tuesday the fact that Franklin's rape took place almost a year earlier was part of the calculus in having that case set earlier. "Come to understand that we even refer to this case as the Eliza Fletcher case, but in fact, this defendant is charged with two heinous and serious crimes," Hagerman said. "Miss Franklin deserves her day in court, as Eliza Fletcher and her family deserve their day in court. We believe they should both happen sooner rather than later, and this was one step to making that actually happen." Abston-Henderson was indicted for the rape days after his arrest in connection to the Fletcher abduction. Franklin said she met him on a dating app and was eventually raped. Franklin submitted to a rape kit, and gave police Abston-Henderson's name, contact information and social media profiles. The rape kit was submitted to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation without a rush order, and TBI said it was placed in a queue of unknown suspects. That kit was not tested until June 2022 and the results came back in late August. A hit on CODIS, a federal DNA database, was returned on Sept. 5, 2022, after Abston-Henderson had been arrested in connection to the Fletcher killing. In the wake of Abston-Henderson's arrest, Franklin sued the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department. In that lawsuit, she said the department did not conduct a thorough investigation of her rape. That case was dismissed in Shelby County Circuit Court, and her attorney said he plans to appeal the dismissal. More: A look inside Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy's turbulent first year in office Abston-Henderson recently was assigned new attorneys after the Shelby County public defender's office discovered a conflict of interest in representing him. Those new attorneys, Hagerman said, have worked quickly to parse through discovery, but the Fletcher case involves more evidence than others Abston-Henderson is facing. "Rather than waiting for their investigation to be complete on the murder case and just waiting and waiting, we want to move it forward," Hagerman said. "...[The rape case] alone, carries 100 years for this defendant. So, it's a serious case and Miss Franklin deserves her day in court. We are intending to bring this thing to a resolution however long it takes, but we'd prefer sooner rather than later." The Fletcher case, Coffee said, should be tried by the end of 2024. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Rape case against Cleotha Abston-Henderson to go to trial early 2024 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KARK) An Arkansas child died after exposure to a rare brain-eating amoeba at a Little Rock splash pad, public health officials said. The Arkansas Department of Health said Thursday that the unidentified child died after exposure to Naegleria fowleri, a rare amoeba that can cause a brain-tissue-destroying infection. Health officials said they had investigated the death and determined the infection came from a splash pad at the Country Club of Little Rock. Samples from the pad were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which confirmed one sample contained the amoeba. The club has closed the splash pad and pool. Brain-eating amoeba: How do infections occur, and where are they most common? The infection caused by exposure to Naegleria fowleri is called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. Symptoms of PAM include severe headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting which then escalates to stiff neck, seizures, and coma that can lead to death. The CDC reports that PAM is almost always fatal. Naegleria fowleri cannot infect anyone who swallows it and cannot be spread from person to person, the department of health said. People primarily become infected when swimming in infected bodies of water where the amoeba can enter through the nose. Seven infections in the U.S. have been traced back to drinking water sources, according to the CDC, but in each case, the water entered peoples system through the nose by putting their head underwater in a tub or by using a neti pot to clear their nose. Approximately three cases of these infections happen in the United States each year, and ADH officials said the last case of infection in Arkansas was in 2013. In that case, 12-year-old Kali Hardig was hospitalized for 55 days but was a rare survivor of the disease. According to the CDC, there have been a total of six cases of Naegleria fowleri infection reported in Arkansas between 1962 and 2022. While infections have been reported in nearly half of states, they happen more often in southern states. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. Today host Al Roker and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) were honored at the Library of Congress on Thursday as part of the Prevent Cancer Foundations Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) presented Roker with the Distinguished Service in Journalism award. The program granted Roker the award for his significant contributions to the fight against cancer through his work to educate about the need for cancer prevention and advances in cancer research. In his speech, Roker emphasized that the Black community is disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, but that the rate can be lowered with early screening. Prostate cancer often doesnt show symptoms, Roker said. So these early screenings can literally save lives. Its as easy and as simple as a blood test to gain insight to what your baseline levels are. When diagnosed early enough, the survival rate is 97%. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), also a cancer survivor, presented Maryland lawmaker and cancer survivor Raskin with a Special Recognition award. The two legislators praised each others journeys to beating cancer. Despite coming from two different political parties, Hogan said he and Raskin are members of the same club, one that neither one of us wanted to join, but were added together. I admire Congressman Raskin fought through this battle without even missing a single vote, Hogan said. While Jamie and I dont always agree on politics, I will always be proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in this important fight against this terrible disease. Raskin also reflected that the disease is often a unifying experience across party lines. Cancer is obviously bipartisan, and its really nonpartisan; you dont have to be in either of our parties, Raskin said. It doesnt discriminate along the lines of race, ethnicity, gender, social class, income. Theres a certain kind of solidarity and unity among all of the people who are going through it that does help you reach a kind of deeper place of humanity. Theres no political parties ever there, and theres no ideology, and were all on the same side, trying to get everybody through it. Patricia Garamendi, wife of Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and Martha Hill, wife of Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), also received awards at the 30th annual luncheon for their efforts toward cancer prevention and awareness. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), along with a dozen House Representatives, were also in attendance. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Authorities are taking no chances with convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, who is now being held at Pennsylvanias most advanced and expensive prison. Cavalcante woke up Thursday inside the State Correctional Institution Phoenix, a maximum-security facility in Montgomery County, which once also housed the likes of disgraced comedian Bill Cosby . Cavalcante is currently being kept in what officials described as a specialized observation unit, Patch reported. Dubbed a state-of-the-art facility by Pennsylvanias Department of Corrections, SCI Phoenix is significantly more notorious than the facility Cavalcante escaped from on Aug. 31. Surveillance video from that morning shows the 34-year-old former fugitive scaling a wall in the yard area of Chester County Prison and then up onto the roof all the while going unnoticed by a guard in a watchtower. For two weeks, Cavalcante eluded law enforcement officers by breaking into homes and taking food, stealing a delivery truck and even altering his appearance. He planned to make his way to Canada, but law enforcement got their big break in the case overnight Wednesday, when a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up his heat signal. Authorities managed to track him to a wooded area and then surrounded him. Even then, Cavalcante attempted to flee, prompting authorities to release a K9 named Yoda, who has been credited with subduing him. From there, he was quickly arraigned at the Avondale barracks on an escape charge, and then shuttled to the supermax facility, where he will serve out a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend. SCI Phoenix, Pennsylvanias newest detention center, opened in 2018 as a replacement for State Correctional Institution Graterford, which was built in 1929. The 3,422-bed prison, which has significantly more space and modern security features, cost $400 million. So far, no one has been able to break out of the pricey prison. _____ The Putin regime has leaned heavily on propaganda to rally support for its war in Ukraine. In doing so, it has come to rely on military bloggers to spread its message and back its efforts. But some milbloggers have gained a level of influence that Putin may not be so keen about. The Russian government appears to be cracking down on milbloggers even if many of those military-focused bloggers actually support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While these blogs are a useful propaganda tool to drum up public support for the war, their vigorous criticisms of mistakes in Ukraine could undermine support for Vladimir Putin's regime. Several prominent bloggers have been arrested, a hint of the extent of the Kremlin's concern. Milbloggers have "gradually, securely, and subversively if unintentionally challenged the Kremlin's management of the war in Ukraine, the performance of the Russian military, and, thus, the competence of the state," American researchers Donald Jensen and Angel Howard wrote in The Kyiv Independent in August. Milblogs, mostly found on Russian messaging service Telegram, aren't just popular with a Russian public that has reason to distrust official media. Milbloggers also have become an indispensable tool for Western governments, think tanks, and media to track the Russian war effort. Pro-Russian fighters patrol in Makiivka, a suburb of Donetsk, in February 2015. DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP via Getty Images The blogs have revealed blunders such as Russian troops standing in formation and then being wiped out by HIMARS rockets. They have also shown how Russian troops are being sent to fight without adequate arms and ammunition or used as cannon fodder in meatgrinder-like battles such as at Bakhmut. Media censorship is common in democracies during wartime. The US and British governments monitored and censored news reports during World War II to avoid disclosing sensitive information and undermining morale. Recent US administrations have also asked journalists not to print stories for reasons of national security. Even today, the Israeli media is subject to scrutiny by military censors, while the British government can issue DSMA notices that ask news organizations not to release stories. But the relationship between Putin and milbloggers illustrates the complexities of social media in an authoritarian state. Many milbloggers are ultra-nationalists with deep ties to the Russian military and intelligence agencies. It's a win-win relationship: Getting leaked information allows bloggers to grow rich from increased web traffic from news-hungry audiences, while the leakers gain some control over the milbloggers' agendas. Putin speaks with residents during a visit to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on March 18. POOL/AFP via Getty Images The very fact that milblogs are allowed to exist as the Kremlin clamps down on most other media is evidence that the Russian government sees value in them. Blogs are also weapons in the cutthroat world of Russian politics. Powerful politicians, such as Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, quietly sponsor milbloggers "as megaphones for their political aims," Jensen and Howard wrote. Putin, who is dependent on and yet distrustful of the military, security services, and wealthy oligarchs, can use blogs to indirectly indicate who he favors and who is on their way down. Factions within the government can also use blogs to embarrass opponents and redirect blame for a mistake, such as a failing war. Yet the risk is that milbloggers will become the genie released from the bottle. Igor Girkin, an ex-KGB officer who has become a prominent and pro-war blogger, was arrested in July after referring to Putin as a "lowlife" and "cowardly bum." In August, a Moscow court ordered Girkin be held for at least another month. Andrey Kurshin, an ultra-nationalist who frequently criticized the Russian military's conduct in Ukraine, was also arrested in August. Russian nationalist critic and former military commander Igor Girkin behind a glass enclosure for defendants during a court hearing in Moscow in August. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov But the Kremlin must walk a delicate line. On one hand, milbloggers do provide a pro-war narrative. They encourage Russians to enlist and raise funds for soldiers ("of which they almost certainly embezzle a portion," Jensen and Howard noted). Perhaps more important, milbloggers provide a safety valve for a Russian public that was never enthusiastic about invading Ukraine and now bears the cost of Western economic sanctions. On the other hand, the roots of the Russian failure in Ukraine rest with Russia's senior leaders. Despite years of massive defense spending and Putin's boasts of "invincible" weapons, Russia couldn't subdue its smaller neighbor Ukraine, which has now launched a counterattack that threatens to eject Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. There is much blame to go around, but if the crackdown is any indication, the Kremlin wants to prevent milbloggers from directing their criticisms at Russia's ultimate decision-maker: Putin. 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 (CNN) Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hit back after Elon Musk called the self-ruled island an integral part of China. Speaking remotely at the All-in Summit, which took place in Los Angeles this week, Musk compared Taiwans relationship with China to that of Hawaiis with the United States. [Beijings] policy has been to sort of reunite Taiwan with China, said the Tesla (TSLA) CEO, who claimed he understands China well. From their standpoint, you know, maybe its analogous to like Hawaii or something like that, like an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China mostly because the US Pacific Fleet has stopped any sort of reunification effort by force. Taiwan is a democratic island that the Communist leadership in Beijing has long claimed as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it. Hawaii has been an official US state since 1959. Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC [and] certainly not for sale! Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in a Wednesday statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to the country by its official name, the Peoples Republic of China. Wu pointedly added that he hoped Musk can also ask the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) to open X to its people. Like other Western social media platforms, X, which is now owned by Musk, has long been blocked in mainland China by authorities. China ties Musks comments were made in response to a question about the challenges faced by American businesses in China. Because of his business interests in China, Musk has met with senior leadership at many levels in China, he noted, adding that he felt he had a pretty good understanding of the country for an outsider. Musk visited China earlier this year, where he held court with numerous government officials and visited Teslas Gigafactory in Shanghai. In April, he announced plans for a new battery factory in the city. Musk has been effusive in his praise for Tesla vehicles produced in Shanghai, saying they are associated with not just the most efficient production, but also the highest quality. During his May visit, Musk said he was opposed to the idea of a US-China decoupling amid geopolitical fissures, calling the interests of both countries intertwined like conjoined twins. Tesla is deeply reliant on China, with deliveries from the Shanghai facility accounting for more than half of its global sales. The electric carmaker is bullish on the worlds biggest auto market, though it has encountered issues there. In recent years, some Chinese government ministries have banned the companys vehicles from entering their premises over purported security fears. The electric vehicle maker has also slashed prices for its cars in China several times this year, reigniting a price war in the industry, where it is in second place behind market leader BYD. In Taiwan, Tesla has a sales and charging network. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Taiwan hits back at Elon Musks claim that it is part of China" A worker examines repairs to a dam that had been opened up during recent flooding at Barrett Park, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Leominster, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) BOSTON (AP) The floods this week in Massachusetts that put a few dams at risk have raised concern the structures may increasingly be at risk as the region is hit by stronger and wetter storms. There are thousands of dams across New England and many were built decades if not centuries ago, often to help power textile mills, store water or supply irrigation to farms. The concern is they have outlived their usefulness and climate change could bring storms they were never built to withstand. When they were built, the climate was different. The design storms were different, said Robert Kearns, a climate resilience specialist with the Charles River Watershed Association. Leominster, Massachusetts, Kearns noted, got almost 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) of rain over several hours Monday night. At least two of the citys 24 dams nearly failed this week, prompting the city to recommend residents evacuate before the threat subsided. This infrastructure, the culverts, the dams, they were not built for the volume of water that were seeing and were going to continue to see in the future," he added. A federal database lists nearly 4,000 dams in New England, with 176 categorized as high-hazard structures that are in either poor or unsatisfactory condition. If these dams fail, they would pose a risk to people living downstream as well as roads, neighborhoods and key infrastructure such as water treatment plants. An investigation by The Associated Press in 2022 found the number of high-hazard dams was on the rise: More than 2,200 nationwide, up substantially from a similar AP review conducted three years earlier. The number is likely even higher, although its unclear because some states dont track the data and many federal agencies refuse to release details about dam conditions. In the 2019 AP investigation, a review of inspection reports found a host of problems with the dams, including leaks indicating internal failure, unrepaired erosion, holes from burrowing animals and extensive tree growth, which can destabilize earthen dams. In some cases, inspectors flagged spillways too small to handle the amount of water that could result from increasingly intense rainstorms. Part of the challenge is dam safety has long been ignored by policymakers, requiring many states to run their dam safety programs on shoestring budgets and repairs can take years. Advocates also say many programs lack transparency so communities may not even know a dangerous dam upstream poses a risk, while others complain dam safety officials have been slow to recognize the threat of climate change. We are not seeing a shift in mindset related to dams that we should be seeing in light of the massive changes were seeing from climate change in terms of particularly more extreme storms, said Emily Norton, executive director of the Charles River Watershed Association. We think there should be much more sense of urgency about dam assessment and dam removal. Christine Hatch, a University of Massachusetts Amherst hydrogeologist, said Massachusetts needs to do a statewide dam assessment to determine how best to spend its limited resources. The reality of climate change is that whatever we thought was safe enough when we built it isn't safe enough anymore, Hatch said. There isn't enough money to upsize all those or retrofit them." An assessment is needed to decide which dams are essential and which are dangerous, Hatch said. New England has seen numerous dam failures over the years. More than 50 have failed in New Hampshire over the past century, including the Meadow Pond Dam, which ruptured in 1996, killing a woman and flooding a neighborhood. There have been about 70 in Vermont, including the 1947 failure of East Pittsford Dam that devastated Rutland. Five failed in Rhode Island during a 2010 storm, prompting the state to examine all dam spillways. A 2019 study found a quarter of the state's high-hazard dams could not hold up to a 100-year storm an event with a 1% chance of happening in a given year and 17% couldnt survive a 500-year storm, which has a 0.2% chance of occurring in a year. Several dams nearly failed in Vermont this summer during heavy flooding, including one that would have inundated parts of Montpelier, the capital. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Wednesday that the administration is keeping an eye on dams across the state. We have already monitored the conditions of dams in many communities. Our Office of Dam Safety was on the ground, particularly in Leominster, the other day to take quick action working with others to make sure those dams were shored up. But its something were going to continue to watch, Healey said. Healey has warned about the increasing toll of climate change. A series of recent storms, including torrential rains in July that flooded farms in western Massachusetts, have highlighted the importance or bolstering the states defenses, she said. Obviously, this speaks to the need for federal funding which Im pursuing and also the need for continued investments in resilience and in infrastructure because weve seen the devastating results of these storms, she said. What weve seen with these storms, and it is different, is it can turn on a dime. The playbook cant be the same. The Barrett Park Pond Dam, located on a 9-acre (3.6-hectare) pond in Leominster, suffered significant damage during this weeks floods. Failure of the dam, which dates to the 1800s, could have sent water into a residential neighborhood downhill, state officials said. Last inspected in 2021, the dam was found to be in poor condition. The city received a $163,500 grant for repairs but was still in the design phase when the flooding hit. The good news was that the 24 dams held, said Leominsters director of emergency management, Arthur Elbthal, adding that proposed repairs must go through the timely budget process. "I do know what we have here is what we can build on," he said. Certainly, we need to pay attention to them. ... Every piece of infrastructure, whether it's a road, a sewer line, a dam, we are always looking to keep them repaired and functioning as they should. I don't see any change in that now. ___ Associated Press writer Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report. Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. Are you registered to vote? Its a fair question because as of this writing, I am not yet. As most of you know, I moved to Kansas City in June from Oklahoma, where I was a registered voter. Fortunately for me, and for many of you I wager, there are plenty of opportunities to register in Missouri and Kansas without delay. You dont have to wait until Tuesday, but its fitting to register on this commemorative day launched in 2012. There are many opportunities: the League of Women Voters of Kansas City, Jackson, Clay and Platte Counties are holding a voter registration drive. And you always can register at a Kansas City library. In Kansas, you can register to vote at most county election offices, or online at votekansas.gov. My colleague, reporter Natalie Wallington, answered many questions about how you can vote and voter qualifications. If you arent sure of your voter registration status, check your state election portals in Missouri and Kansas. For those of you who have registered, and there are many of you, do you remember when you became eligible to vote? Was it a rite of passage, like getting your drivers permit? Perhaps it was the day you turned 18. For me, it was in college. A student ran through my dormitory halls yelling the latest election news. I realized I had a right and a responsibility to cast my vote. This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org. Casting a ballot never a waste of time For those of you not yet registered, maybe you think you cant make a difference. Maybe you think your vote wont count and your time is wasted. Maybe you think everyone else can do the heavy lifting. It just doesnt work that way. The more of us who are registered and who do vote add a counterweight to the inevitable percentage of those who can but never actually make it to the voting booth. You might be surprised at the percentage of people who can vote vs. the percentage that do. U.S. Census Bureau data tells a curious story: In 2022, 74.5% of Missouris eligible voters were registered. How many showed up to vote that year? Only 51.9%. Dont get haughty, Kansas voters. In 2022, 73% of you were registered, but only 57% cast a vote. Kansas actually has a higher ratio of registered voters to actual voters than Missouri, but those numbers are nothing to be proud of. We can do better. There is some good news in these meager numbers: the uptick from 2018 to 2022. Voting registration rates went up in both Missouri and Kansas, averaging about a 5% increase. I cant say the same for voting rates, however. Missouri voters stayed home, from 53.7% in 2018 to 51.9% in 2022. Kansas, take a bow. Voting rates increased from 53.6% to 57% in 2022. Still, why cant we get those voting rates to match the registration rates? Big change could happen with three-quarters of the voting populace heading to the polls. Excuses for why we dont go to the polls The Census studied this difference and asked people who were registered to vote why they didnt. Most common answer nationally? Too busy, conflicting work or school schedule. Other census nuggets included: Homeowners had higher voter turnout than renters; more married people voted than unmarried; and those who lived longer in the same residence had higher voter turnout. Nows your turn. If you live in KC, members of the local League of Women Voters chapter will be out at several voter drive locations on Tuesday. Its free and for everyone, not just women. Volunteers will be at Penn Valley College from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers also will be registering voters at the following six area bus stops from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: 31st and Troost 39th and Troost 63rd and Troost Pershing and Main at the trolley stop at Union Station Vivion and North Oak in the Northland Barry Road and North Broadway in the Northland I can proudly say the entire Kansas City Star Opinion team is registered to vote in our region except me. Come Tuesday, I will join their ranks. I challenge everyone reading this: Become a registered voter. And then, go out and vote on your next Election Day. After serving as a beloved landmark for road tripping families for over 44 years, the iconic rocket overlooking the Alabama Welcome Center is coming down. Removal of Saturn IB began on Wednesday, said Patricia Ammons, Senior Director of Public and Media Relations for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Weather permitting, the removal is expected to be completed by the end of the week. As of now, no decision has been made as to what will be replacing the rocket. The iconic Saturn IB rocket at the Alabama Welcome Center near the Tennessee state line is being removed after 44 years. "The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, along with many elected officials and members of the community, would like to see a significant representation of Alabamas contributions to space exploration return to the welcome center," said Ammons. "The Rocket Center will join with state and community efforts in determining what that symbol would be and how it can be realized." The rocket, which was owned by NASA, has been on display at the rest stop since 1979. Since then, the rocket has degraded due to the years of exposure to the elements. In January, the center said reconstruction of the rocket would cost over $7 million, with no guarantee the structure would even withstand the process. Diana Leyva covers breaking and trending news for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Alabama-Tennessee border NASA rocket removal underway FILE - Colombian artist Fernando Botero gives an interview in New York, Oct. 30, 2013. Botero died on Sept. 15, 2023 in Monaco, according to his daughter Lina Botero who confirmed his passing to Colombian radio station Caracol. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero , whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, has died. He was 91. Lina Botero told the Colombian radio station Caracol that her father died Friday morning in Monaco of pneumonia complications. Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints, and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colorful form that was instantly recognizable. During his lifetime the artist attained global fame and influence, despite his humble origins, and his paintings were exhibited in museums globally, while his imposing bronze sculptures can be found in the parks and avenues of many European and Latin American capitals. His success was truly immense Boteros son Juan Carlos, wrote in a biography of his father, published in 2010. Fernando Botero has created a unique style, that is original and easy to recognize. Botero's paintings fetched millions of dollars at international auctions, and the artist was highly esteemed in his native Colombia, not just because of his success abroad, but due to the generous donations he made to his home country, including 23 statues, that are now in a park in downtown Medellin, and have become one of the city's most visited attractions. Botero also donated 180 paintings to Colombia's Central Bank which were used to create the Botero Museum in Bogota. His sculpture of a white, chubby pigeon, standing proudly on a pedestal became an emblem of Colombias efforts to make peace with rebel groups and is currently placed in a prominent gallery inside the nations presidential palace. Many Colombians appreciated Botero's art because it evokes nostalgia for the country as it was in the early 20th century. His characters wear bowler hats, and sport neatly trimmed mustaches. They move around in a colorful universe of green hills and lush trees, where homes are made with clay roof tiles. The painter of our traditions and our defects, the painter of our virtues has died, President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. He painted violence and peace. He painted the pigeon that was rejected one thousand times, and put one thousand times on a throne. Botero was born on April 19, 1932 in Medellin, Colombia. As a child he was enrolled by an uncle in a bullfighting school that he soon left, but it was a world captured later in his paintings. Botero decided at age 14 to dedicate his life to the arts, after managing to sell some sketches of bullfights to fans outside the city's bullfighting arena. His mother supported the decision, but told him he would have to pay for his studies. As a teenager, Botero participated in a group exhibition in Bogota, and had his first individual exhibition there in 1951. In the following year, he went to Madrid to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. From Europe, he traveled to Mexico to study the work of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco. During his travels, Botero married Gloria Zea, with whom he had three children, Fernando, Lina and Juan Carlos. Returning to Bogota in 1958, he was appointed professor at the School of Arts of the National University. He later divorced and took up residence in New York in 1960, where he arrived with just a few hundred dollars in his pocket. In the 1960s Botero began experimenting with the volume of objects and people in his paintings. His original and plump creations attracted the attention of art critics and, by then, the painter had created hundreds of drawings as well as some 1,000 paintings. Botero remarried in 1964 with Cecilia Zambrano, who he also later divorced. In 1970 they had a son, Pedro, who died four years later in a car accident in Spain. Botero captured the pain of his son's death in the painting Pedrito that depicts his son riding a toy horse and wearing a blue police officer's uniform. He also donated 16 works to the Museum of Antioquia, in Medellin, to honor the boy and in turn the museum named a room in memory of Pedrito Botero. In the 1970s, Botero put aside painting and began to experiment with sculptures in bronze, marble and cast iron, which brought him great success. In 1978 Botero returned to painting, and then alternated between the two disciplines. In his paintings, the artists depicted scenes of daily life, such as a family picnic or a party in an early 20th century ballroom. But he also tackled political subjects, like the death of drug dealer Pablo Escobar, or the emergence of rebel groups. In 1995, his bronze sculpture The Bird, weighing more than 1.8 tons and displayed in a park in Medellin, was dynamited by unknown attackers, causing the death of 22 people and injuring more than 200. In 2005, Botero created a series of 79 paintings that depicted U.S. soldiers torturing Iraqis at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, just a year after the incident came to light. The artist struggled to get the paintings shown in U.S. museums, but they were eventually exhibited at the University of California Berkeley, which still houses some of the paintings. I was moved by the hypocrisy of the situation Botero said of his Abu Ghraib series in a 2007 interview with Semana Magazine. A country that presents itself to the world as a model of compassion and as a defender of human rights, ended up torturing people in the same prison where Sadam Hussein tortured people. Botero said he would paint every day from morning until night, and in absolute silence, so as not to allow anything to distract him. Fernando Botero is one of the most disciplined people you can meet. His friends and family affirm that he works every day of every year. For Botero there are no rest dates, no holidays, no weekends, his son, Juan Carlos Botero, wrote in his book. At Christmas, "he is painting. On his birthday, he is painting. On New Years, he is painting. His daughter, Lina, told Colombian radio station Blu on Friday that Botero had been working at his studio in Monaco regularly, until last weekend. He couldn't work on oil paintings" she explained, because he was too weak to stand and hold larger brushes. But he was experimenting with water paintings. North Bend, Washington, renter Jake Douglas was full of ideas that would lower his bills and help the environment but his landlord just wasnt on board, the Washington Post reported. Across the country, many people are making smart choices to reduce their energy use and switch to cleaner power sources. For example, drivers are switching to electric vehicles, which are cheaper to drive than gas-powered cars and dont produce the same toxic fumes. Meanwhile, some homeowners are installing solar panels for free electricity and opting for highly insulated homes that are cheaper to heat and cool. Unfortunately, as the Washington Post pointed out, renters dont have the same opportunities. About 75% of tenants in the United States pay their own utility bills, which means their landlords have no incentive to make changes that lower them. Thats the situation Douglas faced when he moved into a new apartment in 2021. Initially, Douglas said his landlord promised an EV charging station would be installed. He just kept saying it was going to happen, and after a year and a half, two years nothing, Douglas told the Post. The renter even researched providers for his landlord, but the charging station never materialized. Douglas also wanted to install an energy-efficient heat pump to lower his power bill and protect the environment. It would also provide cooling in the summer, whereas the apartment originally had no air conditioning. But Douglass landlord wouldnt cooperate, the resident said. Douglas had to install a window air conditioning unit instead, which wasnt efficient, leaked, and allowed wildfire smoke into the apartment. Its a constant back and forth between trying to provide the cooling and trying to keep the smoke level down, he said. Allowing energy-saving and less-polluting solutions like these would save tenants money. It would also reduce the amount of heat-trapping gas being released into the air each year, bringing down the Earths rising temperature. However, money remains the biggest factor in many landlords minds and since renters are usually less wealthy than homeowners, they usually have few alternatives. Some companies are finding ways to bridge that gap between landlord and tenant. For example, Amperage Capital brings charging stations to apartments and rents them out to residents with the landlords permission, costing the landlord nothing. However, there is still a divide between owners and renters when it comes to adopting money-saving and eco-friendly technologies. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. California Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to appoint a Black woman to represent California in the U.S. Senate if Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein retires before the end of her term. However, the governor has mentioned the appointment would only be a temporary replacement. This pledge has offended California U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, who said the plan represents a token replacement. Gov. Newsom plans to appoint a caretaker Black woman to the Senate. Gov. Newsom first promised to appoint a Black woman to the Senate if Feinstein retired early in 2021; the governors pledge came after he failed to nominate a Black woman to replace Kamala Harris when she left the Senate to become vice president. In recent weeks, the governor has again reiterated his pledge as members of both parties are calling for the early retirement of Sen. Feinstein, who has been in poor health in recent years and has experienced several moments of apparent confusion while conducting her Senate duties. When asked about the situation recently on NBCs Meet the Press, Newsom reiterated his pledge to appoint a Black woman. He also stated he didnt want to determine the result of the upcoming 2024 election for the position. He, therefore, pledged only to appoint an interim senator who would not be running for the seat next year. Newsom agreed with host Chuck Todd that the potential appointee would only be a caretaker senator intended to fill the role temporarily. Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. This plan has angered Barbara Lee, who has represented California in the House of Representatives for 25 years and is now running for Feinsteins seat in 2024. On Sunday, Lee released a statement saying she was troubled by the governors plan. The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election. Lee also argued, The perspective of Black women in the U.S. Senate is sorely needed and needed for more than a few months. Lees statement called Newsoms planned appointment a token appointment. She scolded the governor, saying, Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. We need a seat at the table. The dispute between Newsom and Lee is the latest instance of the two California Democrats growing more distant in recent years. Rep. Lee was one of the women Newsom passed over when replacing Harris. Lee was previously considered the leading candidate to succeed Feinstein, a possibility ruled out by Newsoms caretaker pledge. With Newsom standing by his stance on the coveted Senate seat and Lee running for the position in 2024, these two public figures will likely continue to butt heads. Their disagreement highlights Black womens essential but underappreciated role in the Democratic Party in recent years and will continue to play as more of them take on increasingly prominent positions. Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher has convened both defense and finance experts to game out a hypothetical war between the U.S. and China should Beijing ever decide to invade Taiwan. Now, he says it would be useful to run a similar experiment with tech companies as well. I do find these tabletop exercises have a useful way of kind of pushing people outside their intellectual comfort zone and forcing them to go beyond just the standard conversation or the standard back and forth, said Gallagher, who chairs the House Select Committee on China. These war games have exposed that both U.S. industry and the government are ill-equipped to respond to a future crisis over Taiwan, Gallagher said. And they have also affirmed his view that imposing tougher restrictions on American investments and tech exports today would make a difference should such a conflict ever become reality. I just want us to do everything possible to prevent a war with China, because if nothing else, our war game teased out how destructive such a conflict would be, both in terms of the economic cost as well as the human costs, Gallagher said in an interview on POLITICO Tech. Most recently, Gallagher has urged the Commerce Department to expand its existing trade controls on China by cutting off tech exports to Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. after the two Chinese companies unveiled a new smartphone featuring a high-end chip that Gallagher contends must have been developed using American technology. And he rejected arguments from some American chipmakers, most notably Intel, that curtailing sales of microchips to China will cut into their revenue and force them to reconsider plans to build manufacturing facilities in the U.S. investments that the Biden administration has frequently touted as proof of his economic agenda. These are the same companies that are begging for government subsidies under the CHIPS Act, Gallagher said, referring to legislation passed last year that funneled $52 billion into domestic microchip research and manufacturing. He voted against it. If you're going to ask the American taxpayer to give you money, I think it's reasonable for the American taxpayer to say, OK, you know, you're going to have to accept a set of restrictions on your ability to do business in China, he continued. Congress should also put more constraints on U.S. investors profiting from Chinese tech companies, Gallagher said. In particular, he has called on lawmakers to expand an executive order President Joe Biden signed last month limiting some overseas investments to cover a broader group of both U.S. investors and Chinese tech firms. Similar proposals have previously garnered intense pushback from corporations and financial institutions. But Gallagher said as long as Congress legislates a solution, and has an appropriate transition period or glide path, I think they can live with it. Beyond tightening regulation on business with China, Gallagher said including tech firms in future war games is something I think needs to happen, because it could help the government identify loopholes that allow China to circumvent bans on U.S. technology. It could also surface strategies for preventing American dollars from funding Chinese companies that develop artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, he said. Gallaghers latest war game took place earlier this week in New York, where members of the House Select Committee on China huddled with Wall Street executives to assess what economic and financial measures the U.S. might take to deter an imaginary conflict set in 2028. It laid bare the complexity of the economic relationship between the two countries, including the U.S.s dependence on China for critical goods like minerals and pharmaceuticals. The moral of the story is that none of the options were great, Gallagher said. Annie Rees contributed to this report. To listen to interviews with Gallagher and other tech leaders, subscribe to POLITICO Tech on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts. A group of Republican lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee announced Friday that they will launch an investigation into the Biden administrations response to the deadly wildfires in Hawaii. The wildfires killed over a hundred people on the island of Maui early last month and nearly destroyed the town of Lahaina. The fire, which killed more than 110 people, caused over $5.5 billion in damage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated. The deadly wildfire in Maui shocked the nation and left many, especially those directly impacted by the tragedy, with serious questions that remain unanswered today, Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said in a joint statement. President Biden built his entire reputation on empathy and compassion but failed to deliver an appropriate response when it mattered most. The House Oversight Committee would be the second congressional panel to look into the federal response. The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on the fires later this month. President Biden said he welcomes any investigation from Republicans, arguing that his administration responded effectively. The White House has already pledged nearly $100 million to rebuild electrical infrastructure on the island. Electrical infrastructure is believed to be the cause of the fire. Multiple homeowners and the Maui government have sued the local utility company Hawaiian Electric claiming that its lack of action preparing for the high-wind storm caused the massive blaze. Comer and Sessions said their investigation will be focused on ensuring FEMA responded appropriately and is utilizing every tool at their disposal efficiently. It is estimated that cleanup and recovery from the fire could take up to a year and cost over $1 billion. That process would be a collaboration between FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said. Schatz added that the federal government has agreed to bear all recovery costs for the first three months of recovery. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. This is a locator map for Iraq with its capital, Baghdad. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) UNITED NATIONS (AP) The Security Council on Friday voted unanimously to end, a year from now, a U.N. probe into activities of Islamic State extremists in Iraq. The vote came at the request of the Iraqi government. The U.K.-sponsored resolution noted that Baghdad also asked that U.N. investigators hand over evidence they have gathered so far to the government, so that Iraqi authorities can pursue IS members accountability, as well as that of those who assisted and financed this terrorist organization. The Security Council in September 2017 set up the investigative team also at Iraqs request to collect evidence against members of the Islamic State group to be used in trials. Christian Ritscher, the head of the team, told the council in June that its investigators were compiling evidence on the development and use of chemical weapons by Islamic State extremists and advancing their documentation on the militant groups gender-based violence and crimes against children, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Christians and Yazidis. The Islamic State group seized about a third of Iraq in 2014, along with a large swath of territory in Syria, and declared a self-styled caliphate across the area. It was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017 following a three-year battle. However, IS sleeper cells continue to stage attacks to this day in both Iraq and Syria. Britains U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council that the U.N. team has supported the excavation of mass graves, facilitated the return of remains to the families of victims, and worked closely with Iraqi judges and prosecutors, particularly on collecting evidence. It has provided survivors, including of sexual and gender-based violence, with opportunities to provide testimony safely with their rights fully respected, she said. And it has enabled psychosocial treatment in partnership with Iraqs Ministry of Health, providing real impact for survivors. The resolution asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to submit a report by Jan. 15 on recommendations to implement Iraqs request for evidence obtained by the U.N. team. The Security Council also asks that the team, with approval of Iraq's government, determine how evidence can be shared with other countries and to inform Baghdad about any evidence already given to third countries. Woodward said Britain will work with the Iraqi government to continue the U.N. team's legacy, both in Iraq and around the world. On Wednesday, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, a Yazidi who was taken by Islamic State fighters and became a sexual slave, and her high-profile human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney, issued a statement highlighting their support for the team's mission and expressing concern that its mandate might not be renewed. They said in a joint statement that evidence and testimonies gathered by the team demonstrated the depth" of IS brutality not only against the Yazidis but also against other minorities. Murad and Clooney appealed for the extension of the team's mandate to preserve evidence for use in future criminal proceedings and to build Iraqs capacity in international crimes investigations and prosecutions. "Are federal agents and their informants catching bad guys, or creating them?" That's the question at the heart of Alphabet Boys, a new Western Sound/iHeartMedia podcast hosted by investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson, author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism. Its first season, "Trojan Hearse," centered on FBI efforts to infiltrate racial justice protests and track so-called black identity extremism in 2020. Its story is told through the prism of informants and their marks in Colorado. Its main character is Mickey Windecker, a Punisher-obsessed self-styled tough guy who drove around in a hearse and claimed to have fought with the Kurdish Peshmerga against the Islamic State. Windecker became a central figure in summer 2020 activism around Denver while also serving as a paid informant for the FBI. He egged on activists to escalate violence and plot extreme acts, but the biggest crime Windecker helped create/catch was convincing someone to purchase a gun for a felonhim. The show's second season, "Up In Arms," started airing in June. It tells the story of Flaviu Georgescu, a Romanian-American man sent to federal prison for brokering a $17 million arms deal with members of a Colombian insurgent group on the U.S. terror list. One of the men Georgescu dealt with was a Drug Enforcement Administration informant, and the "deal" was actually an entrapment scheme. But Georgescu himself had told the CIA about the deal and believed himself to be working for the intelligence agency. While telling those specific stories well, the podcast highlights longstanding ugly practices in federal law enforcement, including investigations concerned largely with political activity (of the sort allegedly confined to history books) and how tactics honed in the war on terror are being applied more broadly. The post Review: Alphabet Boys Explores Federal Cops' Manufactured Crimes appeared first on Reason.com. Research on turning dead spiders into robot-claws called necrobots and a smart toilet innovation to identify a person from their analprint are among this years Ig Nobel prize recipients. The Ig Nobel prizes are given every September to quirky scientific studies and achievements that make people laugh, then think. The prize ceremony is organised each year by the science humour magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Some of the research conducted over the last year which received the 2023 Ig Nobel prize included one in which scientists re-animated dead spiders to use as mechanical gripping tools, and another explaining the peculiar behaviour of many geologists who lick the rocks they study. In the public health category, this year, the prize went to researchers who invented a smart toilet that uses a variety of technologies to monitor and quickly analyse the substances a user excretes. The strange innovation by Stanford University scientists includes devices such as urinalysis dipstick test strip, a computer vision system for defecation analysis, as well as an interface with other devices. This invention, dubbed the smart toilet, also has a sensor paired with an identification camera which assesses creases in the lining of a persons anus to produce an analprint similar to fingerprints. Our bathrooms, often seen as the most private of spaces, have the potential to become the silent guardians of our health, Stanfords Seung-min Park, who was part of the team that built the toilet, told the Associated Press. Jan Zalasiewicz, a geologist at the University of Leicester, won this years award in the chemistry and geology category for his work explaining why scientists lick rocks. The geologist explained in a 2017 essay written for the Paleontological Associations newsletter that the minerals within rocks tend to stand out better on a wet surface than a dry one, making licking an easier way to identify them in the field. In his essay, he expresses nostalgia for the olden days when scientists not only licked rocks to identify them, but also sometimes cooked and ate them. Rice University mechanical engineers have found a way to convert the bodies of deceased spiders into necrobotic grippers (Rice University) A strange street experiment won the award in the psychology category for studying how many passersby stopped to look upward when they saw strangers looking upward. The research was an attempt to estimate the drawing power of crowds of different size, according to scientists. As the size of the stimulus crowd was increased a greater proportion of passersby adopted the behavior of the crowd, found the study. In the nutrition category, the award went to researchers who proposed the invention of electrified chopsticks and drinking straws, with the potential to change the taste of food. The medicine prize was scooped up by scientists who used cadavers to explore whether there are an equal number of hairs in each of a persons two nostrils, and in the education segment, the award went to a team studying the boredom of teachers and students. The latter study showed the mere expectation that classes will be boring caused students to feel bored, said sociologist Wijnand Van Tilburg from the University of Essex, who conducted the experiment. An international team which studied the brains of people adept at speaking backwards won the communication prize. Some of the subjects probed in the research could rapidly reverse sentences of up to 12 words. Research published in the journal Advanced Science, which showed that robots made using the bodies of dead spiders could potentially help grasp objects greater than weight of the arachnids, won the mechanical engineering award. The necrobots could open the doors to a new era of robotics, scientists said. As was customary every year, winning teams in each category received a $10-trillion bill from Zimbabwe alongside a trophy. The Rockefeller Foundation announced Friday that it would invest more than $1 billion over the next five years in strategies that combat climate change. The Foundation has made many big bets in its history, and we believe climate changes threats and the climate transitions opportunitiesespecially for the most vulnerablejustify what will be the biggest and most impactful bet in our history, Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of the foundation, said in a statement. Among the investments, the organization said they plan to donate $5 million in Battery Energy Storage Systems around the world, $1 million to kick off mini grid development in Zambia and develop metro-grids in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They will give $20 million to Invest in Our Future for climate-smart infrastructure in the U.S. They will donate $35 million in climate-finance investments, including grants to accelerate decarbonization and other nature-based solutions. The foundation said they will invest in overlooked communities around the world. Trillions of dollars are being invested in energy transitions in wealthier nations and localities, Shah wrote in her New Climate Strategy released Thursday. We need a global financial system transformation that both unlocks that level of finance and channels it toward those who need it most, her strategy said. Shahs strategy will use Rockefeller resources to transform the four systems essential to the well-being of people and the planet: energy, agriculture, health and finance. The Rockefeller Foundations philanthropic history began with an endowment of $100 million from John D. Rockefeller in 1913, the statement said. This new strategy aligns with the Rockefeller Foundations vision of encouraging scaled investment and seeking creative and science-based solutions to intractable problems, Shah wrote. Ahead of New York Climate Week, the foundation announced that its Manhattan-based headquarters and each of its locations in the U.S. and worldwide are taking steps to reach net zero emissions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a lawsuit Friday against IU Health and IU Healthcare Associates alleging the health care organization violated HIPAA and state law after a doctor made international news in 2022 when she shared the story of a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who traveled to Indiana for an abortion. In a statement, IU Health told IndyStar it plans to respond directly to Rokita's office on the filing. "At IU Health, we hold ourselves accountable every day for providing quality healthcare and securing privacy for our patients," the statement says. "We continue to be disappointed the Indiana Attorney Generals office persists in putting the states limited resources toward this matter." Earlier this year, Rokitas office saw a legal victory when Indianas medical licensing board found obstetrician-gynecologist Caitlin Bernard violated privacy laws in handling the abortion patients information in a story published in July 2022 in The Indianapolis Star. But representatives of the medical community nationwide from individual doctors to the American Medical Association to an author of HIPAA dont think Bernard did anything illegal. Further, they say, the decision will have a chilling effect on those involved with patient care. In August, Bernard decided not to challenge the licensing boards decision. The board fined her $3,000 and told her she would receive a letter of reprimand. Friday's lawsuit alleges IU Health violated HIPPA and the Indianas Deceptive Consumer Sales Act essentially by failing to protect the patient's information. The attorney general also takes issue with IU Healths statement following the medical licensing boards ruling, which said that the organization disagreed with the board and believed Bernard did not violate privacy laws. IU Health has caused confusion among its 36,000-member workforce regarding what conduct is permitted not only under HIPAA privacy laws and the Indiana Patient Confidentiality rule, and as a result, as Indianas largest health network, they created an environment that threatens the privacy of its Indiana patients, the lawsuit states. IndyStar archives contributed to this report. Contact IndyStar's state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Rokita files lawsuit against IU Health tied to 10-year old's abortion LONDON Romania is considering joining France, Belgium, Estonia, Cyprus and Hungary in the Mistral procurement program, to bolster its air defenses and border security against possible Russian aggression. Over the last week, the security situation in Romania has become more turbulent than normal, with the finding of drone debris near the countrys border with Ukraine. The discovery comes amid Russian attacks on Ukraine that have taken place close to this area. Bucharest has been looking to increase its air defense capabilities for some time now, in particular through previous and ongoing tenders to purchase electronic warfare and counter-drone systems. In recent weeks, the country has turned its attention to Mistral, through which it may obtain the Mistral 3 missile produced by MBDA, a France-based defense firm owned by BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo. a Romanian Ministry of Defense source told Defense News. MBDA is aware of Romanias interest in joining this procurement process and is engaged in ongoing discussions with them, Julien Watelet, a company spokesperson told Defense News on Sept. 14. The joint acquisition for the Mistral 3 was launched with the letter of intent signed on June 19 during the Paris Air Show by France, Belgium, Estonia, Cyprus and Hungary. Productio of the Mistral will double to about 40 units a month next year. Watelet added that the program could benefit from the support of the EU and allow scale economies to be achieved, as to incentivise member states to procure defense products jointly while reinforcing the European Defense Technological and Industrial Base competitiveness. It remains unclear how many systems will be delivered to each country and the cost of these purchases. The French-led project is being overseen by the ministrys procurement arm Direction Generale de lArmement on behalf of the partner countries. The Romanian defense official added that the country is also open to other proposals and in the process of assessing additional C-UAS systems both from local and international manufacturers. In June, Civitas Systems, a Romanian company specializing in border security systems, was awarded a $8.5 million contract from the government to supply an undisclosed number of counter-drone units through the countrys National Recovery and Resilience Plan. BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's plan to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain through its Constanta port to four million metric tons in the coming months remains achievable, the country's Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu said on Friday. Constanta on the Black Sea has become Kyiv's largest alternative export route, with grains arriving by road, rail or barge across the Danube. Ukraine, one of the world's biggest grain exporters, has already exported more grain via Constanta than it did in 2022, though volumes have fallen recently as Russian attacks on its Danube river ports prompt Ukrainian exporters to turn to road and rail routes. Russia, which abandoned a deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in mid-July, has since repeatedly struck Ukrainian river ports that lie across the Danube from European Union and NATO member Romania. "The level of transit we want to reach in the coming months is four million tons and such a thing is possible," Grindeanu said after meeting with officials from Ukraine, Moldova, the European Commission and the United States State Department. He said measures which will boost capacity included a staff increase to ease the passage of vessels into the Danube's Sulina canal and an EU-funded project to make the canal navigable round the clock, which should be finished by November. The Sulina canal goes to the port of Constanta on the Black Sea. Grindeanu said ship-to-ship transfer of grains in Constanta would also help to increase capacity by 500,000 tons monthly. This allows smaller vessels carrying grain to transfer it directly on to larger ships at the port. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the aim of doubling capacity should be achieved at the start of October, which "can help us solve at least 50% of our exports." Kubrakov also said Russia has struck Ukrainian ports 118 times since it quit the safe passage deal, and that around a third of port infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. "I am sure that we will have more and more security on these transit routes over the weeks and months ahead, and that will allow us to expand the work even more than what has happened recently," said Jim O'Brien, the head of the U.S. State Department's Office of Sanctions. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Jason Hovet; Editing by Jane Merriman) General Gheorghita Vlad, Romania's Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, has said the country's army is ready to bring down Russian drones that pose a threat. Source: Digi24 news outlet, as reported by European Pravda Details: Gheorghita Vlad explained that Romania has deployed about 600 troops and radar systems in the Danube Delta area in response to Russia's frequent attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube close to Romanian territory. "We have deployed several radars, put our defence system in operation and discussed solutions to counter Russian aggression with our NATO allies," said General Vlad. Responding to whether Romania would use its air defence forces against Russian UAVs, Gheorghita Vlad did not rule it out. "Depending on the threat level, we are ready to use all available military resources to protect the territory of Romania," the general said. Background: Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Sen. Mitt Romneys (R-Utah) decision to not seek reelection is setting off a scramble among Utah Republicans to fill his seat in 2024. A moderate Republican and an outspoken critic of former President Trump, Romney announced Wednesday that hell retire when his first term in the upper chamber ends in 2025, calling for a new generation of leaders. His exit likely opens the door for other, more conservative contenders to flood into the contest. Utah GOP Chairman Robert Axson told The Hill that roughly 30 people have expressed interest over the last few months in running for Romneys seat. Of those, he estimated a dozen are seriously considering right now. This is going to be a blockbuster Republican primary election, said Damon Cann, head of Utah State Universitys department of political science. No doubt about it. We dont see a lot of open Senate seats in Utah. Romney is a political legend in Utah, and had he run for reelection, he would have started out as the favorite. Yet his exit also may be a sign of the changing times in the state, the country and the Republican Party itself. Romney is the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges twice, and has repeatedly been willing to stand up to the former president in the Senate. Those votes made it highly likely hed have faced GOP challengers, and his exit could lead to a more open race. Cann said Romneys decision will likely spur still more people to jump into the GOP race. Previously, I wouldnt have predicted many more entrants into that race. Now I suspect were going to see a veritable landslide of candidates trying to run for the Republican nomination, Cann said. Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs has already declared his candidacy, and thanked Romney for stepping aside Wednesday. In an interview with One America News Network, the mayor said he also anticipates a lot of would-be challengers now popping up to surge into the race in Romneys absence. Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson has launched an exploratory committee for the Senate post. In a statement on Romneys decision not to seek reelection, Wilson teased stay tuned. Wilson said its important to elect a strong conservative fighter to the Senate, and Staggss website advertises him as the conservative fighter we need in D.C. Multiple other names are being floated as possible contenders for the Beehive States upper chamber seat among them, current Utah Republican Reps. John Curtis and Blake Moore. Curtis said Wednesday its encouraging to hear from friends urging me to run for Senate, but was noncommittal about a possible bid. Be it in the House or Senate, theres much to accomplish & I look forward to getting things done, Curtis wrote. Moore told Axios hes not ruling anything out but not planning on anything. Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz is seen by some as a possible candidate, as is Tim Ballard, the founder and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad and the inspiration for the controversial film Sound of Freedom. I do hope Utah ultimately elects, a solid, proven, and tested conservative to deal with the biggest and most tumultuous issues facing our country and the State of Utah, Chaffetz wrote after Romneys announcement. A Noble Predictive Insights poll of Utah Republican voters conducted in July found that a race without Romney is wide open. In that hypothetical, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes was the only possible contender to score double-digits, while more than half of Utah GOP voters said they were undecided. Reyes has announced he wont get in the Senate race and is running for reelection as attorney general, and teased that hell be backing someone else who could announce a bid in the coming days. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (Mont.), who has said establishment Republicans are planning to be more selective and active in recruiting candidates in 2024, said after Romneys announcement that we are going to nominate a candidate who will keep Utah red in 2024. A spokesperson for Utah Democrats, on the other hand, told The Hill that the race to replace Romney is going to be a contest for Utah Republicans to out-MAGA one another. Whoever ultimately wins the post will join Sen. Mike Lee, who beat out Republican-turned-independent candidate Evan McMullin to win reelection to Utahs other Senate seat in last years midterms. Unlike Romney, Lee voted against Trumps impeachments and was endorsed by the former president last year. Yes, its a same-party pair, but about as far apart as you can get with a same-party pair with Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, Cann said of Utahs two sitting senators. Gabi Finlayson, a founding partner at the Utah-based progressive consulting firm Elevate Strategies, said progressives in the state are sad to see Romney go, noting that theres not a lot of room for moderates in the GOP anymore. But Finlayson also thinks Utah will be one of the next states to flip blue, citing its young population and its fast growth in recent years. Though she conceded the race isnt likely to get close enough to be a real toss-up or pickup opportunity for Democrats, Finlayson predicted that whichever Democrat runs for Romneys seat will perform better than any Democrat that weve seen on a statewide level. No Democrat has filed yet for the Senate contest. Both upper chamber seats in Utah have been filled by Republicans for decades, with Romneys previously occupied by Sen. Orrin Hatch for more than 40 years. The Utah Senate race to replace Sen. Romney will be a case study in the future direction of the party, said one Republican strategist. The fact that Romney is retiring after one term in the Senate shows that the old guard of the Republican Party is prepared to step aside for new leadership. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. I recently learned from German theologian and Professor Emerita of Religion at St. Marys College of Maryland, Katharina von Kellenbach, that Repentance is not about repairing the past but about building a different future. As one of the thousands of Jews across North Carolina who will spend this weekend at festive meals and in the synagogue celebrating Rosh Hashanah and ushering in a New Year, that concept will be on my mind. This holiday represents the start of a 10-day journey of repentance ending in a 25-hour fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rabbi Judy Schindler During Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish community is immersed in prayer. However, our goal is not to just look back, but to look forward. Let us not dwell on the past but work together to build a brighter future. I will be thinking about our safety, about hope and celebration, and about our perseverance for democracy. On one hand, My prayerful focus this weekend will be on the Jewish community. In August, our Jewish Clergy Association organized a gathering of representatives from 30 Jewish organizations in the state to learn from the FBI, Anti-Defamation League and Secure Communities Network about how to better understand antisemitism and keep our communities safer. As a program leader, I was asked to send a follow-up email to attendees that included a STOP THE BLEED brochure in the event that we need to be first responders after an act of violence. I hit send in disbelief that this is the state of our world. With my prayer book in hand, I will say goodbye to the year 5783, thinking about the alarming global rising tide of antisemitism. At the same time, I will look forward with hope, committed to co-creating a Jewish community built on pride and celebration, rather than fear. As Jews, we are not alone in confronting a world turned upside down by hate and violence. I will be thinking about my colleagues and congregants children who attend UNC-Chapel Hill and were traumatized not once, but twice, in recent weeks as they faced panicked lockdowns for hours and a professor was tragically murdered. Equally as tragic has been the futility Ive heard from the parents with whom Ive spoken about solutions. We are presented with a choice. We can either keep building forts at our schools and places of worship or we can address the problem in partnerships that go beyond political affiliations. My repentance this year will require me to get to learn more about how common ground can be found to ensure our kids are safe so that they can learn and grow. Lastly, I will be reflecting on democracy in America and in Israel. My Israeli colleagues leading the progressive movement in Israel recently wrote that as we enter this New Year of 5784 and celebrate Israels 75th birthday, we need to recognize its real and extraordinary accomplishments while acknowledging that Israel, like the US, is a work-in-progress. Ill be there to support the hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrating to defend democracy. Israel means too much to me to not be engaged in continuing to actualize the vision embedded in its Declaration of Independence of a Jewish and democratic state based on freedom, justice, and peace. Repentance isnt for Jews alone. Professor von Kellenbach knows personally about the journey to repentance that encapsulates the Jewish holy time we are entering. When she was a teenager she learned that her uncle was an SS officer, the deputy commissioner of the town of Pinsk, Belarus, who oversaw the action that murdered 30,000 Jews. As an academic, she makes it her lifes work to address her familys and countrys painful past by teaching about the Holocaust, Christian-Jewish relations, and anti-Jewish teachings in Christianity. She is creating a better future by passing on knowledge to build a world of religious coexistence. In contrast to the secular New Year which is often celebrated with parties, champagne and personal resolutions, I and the Jewish community will welcome our Jewish New Year with a focus on family meals, worship services and with 10 days of solemn reflection grounded in repentance. Our confessional prayers are in the plural; we are responsible to create solutions for the struggles of our community. The best way we can take responsibility for our past collective complacency or complicity, is by committing to creating a better future. Rabbi Judy Schindler is Director of the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center at Queens University of Charlotte and co-chair of the North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association. Many of Royal Caribbean's North America-based itineraries stop at its private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. The cruise line has seen "exceptionally high" demand for its private island, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley told investors in February. Hideaway Beach, the first adult-only extension of the private island, will open in January 2024. Cruises offer a convenient low-stakes way to see bucket list destinations. Brittany Chang/Insider But one of Royal Caribbean International's more frequented ports of call in its North America-based itineraries isn't a historic city in Mexico or an Instagrammable Alaskan town. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean Group Instead, it's Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas. Brittany Chang/Insider Royal Caribbean has spent about $350 million on the splashy getaway since it launched in 2019, a spokesperson told Insider. Brittany Chang/Insider And so far, this investment has been a success: The island's financial returns have been "exceptionally high and significantly above its targeted returns," Naftali Holtz, Royal Caribbean Group's CFO, told investors in February. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean Group Cruise lines like MSC, Holland America, and Disney all have their own private island destinations in the Bahamas. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line But this competition doesn't seem to be worrying Royal Caribbean. Brittany Chang/Insider Four years from its debut, Royal Caribbean travelers are still loving Perfect Day at CocoCay. Brittany Chang/Insider The demand for the private island has been "exceptionally high," Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International's president and CEO, told investors Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean Group predicting that the island will see two-and-a-half to three million travelers this year. Brittany Chang/Insider Let's take a look around the cruise line's big attraction that can accommodate two cruise ships and thousands of eager travelers. Brittany Chang/Insider Perfect Day at CocoCay is filled with pockets of relaxation from these shady hammocks to the tree-lined walkways that snake around the island. Brittany Chang/Insider To best explore CocoCay, let's go from neighborhood to neighborhood. Brittany Chang/Insider Like Royal Caribbean's newer cruise ships, Perfect Day at CocoCay has several "neighborhoods," or sections, that appeal to different travelers of varying ages. Brittany Chang/Insider When guests first step off the ship and walk towards the island, they'll be greeted by the Arrivals Plaza. Brittany Chang/Insider The mood is immediately set with views of the water park, opportunities for photos Brittany Chang/Insider and a large ship that doubles as an interactive playground. Brittany Chang/Insider From there, travelers can either walk or take the tram to all the other neighborhoods. Brittany Chang/Insider Families and couples looking for a more private getaway can pay extra to access the tree-lined Coco Beach Club. Brittany Chang/Insider This pool and beachside retreat is complete with a restaurant, bar, lounge chairs Brittany Chang/Insider and cabanas, some overwater with small slides. Brittany Chang/Insider When I walked around Coco Beach Club, it was less intense and busy than the complimentary Chill Island and South Beach (not to be mistaken for Miami's infamous destination). Brittany Chang/Insider These two "neighborhoods" looked more like a typical tourist-beloved beach destination. Brittany Chang/Insider Here, there were no man-made pools or sit-down restaurants. Brittany Chang/Insider Instead, there were rows of beach lounge chairs, umbrellas, and palm trees Brittany Chang/Insider as well as shacks for portable meals and desserts. Brittany Chang/Insider There's also the option to rent snorkeling gear, go on a guided jet ski tour, or swim up to South Beach's bar. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean It's one of 10 bars on the island. Brittany Chang/Insider Looking to break a sweat? Play beach volleyball or giant billiards, both located at South Beach as well. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean Like Coco Beach Club, travelers looking for a more luxurious afternoon can rent a cabana or daybed on these public beaches. Brittany Chang/Insider But if you can't stand the feeling of sand between your toes, there's always Oasis Lagoon. Brittany Chang/Insider It's the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, according to the cruise line, and is the go-to destination for those who would rather lounge by the pool than on a beach. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean Here, the music and another swim-up bar fill the poolside getaway with pool party-like energy. Brittany Chang/Insider But it won't get too rowdy: Splashaway Bay, a children's water playground, is located just next to Oasis Lagoon. Brittany Chang/Insider Nearby, travelers can grab lunch or a snack at the grill overlooking Harbor Beach, yet another sandy lagoon. Brittany Chang/Insider For a more exciting day at CocoCay, travelers can pay an extra fee to go to Thrill Waterpark. Brittany Chang/Insider Here, you'll find what Royal Caribbean says is the tallest waterslide in North America. Brittany Chang/Insider The aptly named 135-foot-tall Daredevil's Peak is nestled among other water slides, all providing varying levels of excitement. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean For those who don't feel like launching themselves down 100-foot-tall slides, there's also a wave pool, an obstacle course-like pool Brittany Chang/Insider a two-person rafting slide, and a set of racing slides. Brittany Chang/Insider If that's not thrilling enough, travelers can head back to Oasis Lagoon for a quick ride down the 1,600-foot-long zip line. Brittany Chang/Insider But for travelers who are looking for a less intense afternoon on the island, there's a slower option: a ride 450 feet into the sky on a large helium balloon. Brittany Chang/Insider However, like a visit to Thrill Waterpark, this scenic ride and the zip line cost extra as well. Brittany Chang/Insider There are plenty of activities to fill an afternoon on the island. Brittany Chang/Insider But Royal Caribbean still isn't done expanding its private getaway. Brittany Chang/Insider In January 2024, the cruise line will unveil CocoCay's newest addition Hideaway Beach. Brittany Chang/Insider On September 14, the mega cruise brand gave travelers a sneak peek of this adult-only enclave. Royal Caribbean International The upcoming extension will have its own beach, two pools, 20 cabanas, and several food and dining options. Royal Caribbean International The more than acre-long beach will have lounge chairs that surround the water, shaded hammocks in the ocean, and a DJ. Royal Caribbean International But for those who want more of a rowdy atmosphere, the heated pool is the place for "partygoers," according to Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean International Source: Royal Caribbean International Here, another DJ, a swim-up bar, cabanas, and lounge seats both in and out of the water create a lively atmosphere. Royal Caribbean International But for those who want to feel more removed, there's the more exclusive and luxurious "Hideout" section with its own infinity pool and cabanas. Royal Caribbean International And we can't forget about the booze. One of the al fresco bars just slightly removed from the beach has live music, televised sports, games like shuffleboard, and of course mai tais and frozen margaritas Royal Caribbean International while the two bars on either end of the beach provide relaxing travelers with easy access to drinks. Royal Caribbean International When complete, this addition will then grow the popular island's daily capacity to 13,000 guests. Brittany Chang/Insider Source: Royal Caribbean Group Read the original article on Business Insider On September 7, 2023, the UKs Ministry of Defence announced the procurement of the Knights Armament Company KS-1 as the new Alternative Individual Weapon system. Designated the L403A1, the new rifle will supplement the standard-issue L85A3 service rifle. The KS-1 will enter service with the Royal Marine Commando Forces as well as the new British Army Ranger Regiment. A Royal Marine Commando wields the new AIW system (MOD) The AIW was selected under Project Hunter, a program designed to increase the lethality and reduce the operational signature of Britains special operations-capable units. In August 2021, the requirements for the AIW were released. Multiple companies submitted rifles to compete for the contract. Reportedly, this included Heckler & Kochs HK416A5, Glocks GR-115F and SIG Sauers MCX SPEAR-LT. However, it was the KAC KS-1 that ultimately secured the 90 million contract for the AIW. The rifles will be imported into the UK from Titusville, Florida, where KAC is based, by Edgar Brothers. The AIW is a full system including the rifle and its accessories (Edgar Brothers) An initial order of 15 million was placed for 1,620 AIW systems with options to procure up to 10,000 total. In addition to the KS-1 rifle, the complete AIW system includes an improved optical sighting system consisting of a Vortex 1-10x Low-Power Variable Optic and an Aimpoint ACRO P-2 red dot sight. The full system also includes accessories like a MAGPUL M54 sling and M-LOK Angled Fore Grip, SureFire Mini Scout Light Pro and KAC Suppressor with a thermal cover. A closer look at the optics package of the AIW system (MOD) KAC was founded by Reed Knight in 1982. Eugene Stoner, one of the lead designers on the AR-15/M16, joined the company in the 1990s where he further developed his AR-10 designed into the SR-25, which is used by the military as the Mk 11 rifle and M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System. KAC also makes the railed handguard system used on the M16 rifle and M4 carbine as well as the forward grip and suppressor used in SOCOM's Special Operations Peculiar Modification M4 carbine package. The KS-1 serves as the nucleus of the AIW system (MOD) Unveiled in 2022, the KS-1 is KAC's new flagship rifle, replacing the SR-15/SR-16 rifle. The KS-1 is available with 11.5", 13.7", 14.5" and 16" barrels. These cold hammer-forged barrels are dimpled with a heavy profile to increase durability over a hard-use service life. According to KAC's website, the 13.7" KS-1 which was adopted as the L403A1 weighs 6.88 pounds. The first AIW systems will be delivered to Commando Strike Steams and the Ranger Regiment this year. Much of Ukraine was subject to air raid alerts last night after Russia launched fresh drone strikes, with no casualties reported as of Sep. 15, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. A total of 17 strike UAVs were launched, primarily targeting Khmelnytskyi Oblast in western Ukraine, the Air Force said. Air defense units successfully downed all enemy targets. Read also: Russia launches 22 drones at Ukraine overnight, 17 downed no casualties reported Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missiles, mobile fire groups of the Air Force, and other components of the Defense Forces were involved in intercepting the attack drones. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian commanders were launching drones towards Khmelnytskyi Oblast on the night of 14-15 September in an attempt to find Ukrainian bombers after the events in occupied Crimea. Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, during the 24/7 national joint newscast on 15 September Quote: "Khmelnytskyi Oblast was under attack. We understand what the enemy is looking for: where the command hid our bombers after the events that took place recently in our sea near Crimea." Background: The occupation authorities of Sevastopol claimed that a missile attack caused a fire to break out at a shipyard near Kilen-balka on the night of 12-13 September, and the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack by missiles and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) which damaged two ships. Defense Express, a Ukrainian outlet, reported that the Minsk large amphibious assault ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine had been put out of service for a long time or even completely destroyed. Media outlets reported that Ukraine had used UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to carry out the attack. OSINT researchers reported that the Ropucha-class large landing ship and the Kilo-class submarine had been damaged at a shipyard in occupied Sevastopol. The Russian Telegram channel Baza wrote that the attack damaged the Minsk large amphibious assault ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine. Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force, thanked Ukrainian pilots for carrying out the attack on Sevastopol. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russian forces shelled eight communities in Sumy Oblast on Sept. 14, firing 26 times over the course of the day, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. The communities of Krasnopillia, Khotin, Velyka Pysarivka, Bilopolsk, Seredyna-Buda, , Novoslobodske, Myropillia, and Esman came under fire. The administration recorded 151 explosions total. In Krasnopillia, shelling damaged a non-residential building. No casualties or other damage was reported. Throughout the day, the Russian military targeted the settlements with mortars, mines, drones, artillery, and rockets. Multi-weapon attacks are a daily occurrence for the people living in the vulnerable settlements along Sumy Oblast's northeastern border with Russia. Read also: Deliberate murders of Ukrainian children by Russian soldiers reveal culture of impunity Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a factory that builds advanced fighters today as his tour of Russia continues. Kim inspected manufacturing facilities at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association, or KnAAPO, based in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East, leading to no shortage of speculation that North Korea might be preparing to trade artillery shells and other materiel for new or at least newer jets to overhaul its badly aging air force . North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the KnAAPO aircraft factory, accompanied by Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov (third from right), on September 15, 2023. Photo by Gov of Khabarovsk Reg/M. Degtyaryov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Official photos released of Kims visit to KnAAPO showed the North Korean leader accompanied by Russias Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov. Kim was seen looking into the cockpit of a Su-57 Felon next-generation fighter, as well as in the final assembly hall for the Su-35 Flanker multirole fighter, and watching a demonstration flight over the factory airfield by a pre-delivery Su-35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImS73otrYW8 Kims visit to KnAAPO came on the third day of his trip, which marks a very rare visit to a foreign country by the North Korean leader. Kim arrived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in his favored style aboard his specially equipped armored train , which had previously brought him across the border and then to the port city of Vladivostok. Kims trip has also included meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space facility in the far eastern Amur region. Discussions here reportedly included satellite technology, which North Korea is keen to obtain, as well as a potential deal to provide North Korean arms to Russia. An inspection of Russian Navy Pacific Fleet assets in Vladivostok is also planned . Kim Jong Un leaves Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region on September 13, 2023, via his armored train, after talks with President Putin. Photo by PAVEL BYRKIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images While the specifics of any such deal to provide Russia with North Korean armaments have not been disclosed, Kims visit has repeatedly been framed by both countries in the context of Pyongyangs staunch support for Russia against its Western foes and Russia's need for North Korean ammunition. There has also been an exchange of rifles between Kim and Putin, the symbolism of which can hardly be overlooked. https://www.twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1702502549033517401?s=20 Mikhail Degtyarev, regional of Khabarovsk Krai, where the KnAAPO facility is located, took to the Telegram messaging app to confirm Kims visit to the factory and also provided the following statement : Our fathers and grandfathers fought together against Japanese militarism, our country supported North Korea in its fight against the United States imperialist ambitions in the 1950s, and today we jointly stand up to the pressure of the collective West. Clearly, the Su-35 and Su-57 jets produced by KnAAPO would represent a huge upgrade over the severely outdated equipment that North Koreas air arm currently flies . Its possible that Moscow is offering these aircraft, or other advanced technologies to North Korea in order to secure the kinds of weapons it requires in high volumes notably large volumes of artillery ammunition, rocket artillery , and anti-tank missiles, for example. Two female pilots make an appearance in front of a MiG-21 fighter during North Koreas first airshow in 2016. AP It should also be noted that the Su-57 has so far not secured any export orders and has only been rewarded with strictly limited orders , so far, from the Russian Ministry of Defense. India, formerly a partner in the program, dramatically pulled out , while an apparent pitch to Turkey failed to attract any serious interest beyond photo opportunities . Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan examine a Su-57 at the MAKS airshow outside of Moscow in 2019. Sergey Guneev / Sputnik via AP Planned deals to sell Su-35s to Egypt and Indonesia both collapsed, apparently under U.S. pressure and a proposal to transfer to Iran some of the jets already built for Egypt has so far not materialized. Clearly, the current political climate, production limitations, and strict sanctions are already making the export of Russian defense equipment very complicated. A customer without such scruples, such as North Korea, could be an attractive alternative if the deal is right. If the Iranian deal does fall through, Pyongyang could also emerge as a potential candidate to buy the surplus Su-35s, too. https://www.twitter.com/RALee85/status/1601253821572730882?s=20 As well as fighters, North Korea would also almost certainly be interested in other Russian products, too, whether related to the modernization of other parts of its armed forces or to assist in furthering its own missile and space programs. There remains the question, however, of what kinds of technologies Russia will actually be willing to share with North Korea. After all, in exchange, Russia would likely be seeking comparably unsophisticated munitions . Here, North Korea would be easily able to shore up gaps in Russian production capacity, with the potential to draw upon thousands of artillery pieces and literally millions of rounds of artillery ammunition and deliver them rapidly to meet the demand for the war in Ukraine. https://www.twitter.com/Reuters/status/1684610851922116615?s=20 Even if top-of-the-line Su-35s and Su-57s are not on the table, other less capable aircraft would still be a massive upgrade for Pyongyang compared to its existing fleet of older Russian-made jets, including old MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters and Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack aircraft. Almost anything available from Russia would be sought after, whether MiG-29SMTs, Su-27s, or Su-30s. Even a supply of spare parts and overhauls of its current types would be of great value to Pyongyang. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0F1goVG5b8 On the other hand, Western officials, and the U.S. government in particular, are increasingly concerned that the deepening relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang is paving the way for more direct North Korean assistance for Russia in its war in Ukraine. Washington has already warned that North Korea would pay a price if it helped arm Russia at this point. https://www.twitter.com/berlin_bridge/status/1699673660645126547?s=20 In a statement yesterday , U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he had discussed the possible repercussions of the Putin-Kim summit with his counterparts in South Korea and Japan. They noted that any arms exports from the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] to Russia would directly violate multiple U.N. security council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt. North Korea has repeatedly denied providing Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine, despite claims from the United States that it has done so, including arming the notorious Wagner Group private military company. More surprisingly, North Korean-made artillery rockets have also ended up in Ukrainian hands , although its unclear if these were captured from Russian positions or allegedly seized at sea by a friendly country and donated to Ukraine. https://www.twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1685126870159802373?s=20 A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, said yesterday: I think Russia has already tested the North Korean shells in battlefields and is now ready to expand its use going forward. For South Korea, the prospect of North Korea receiving high-end defense technology from Russia, in turn, is especially alarming. September 13, 2023: A TV screen shows a South Korean report on North Korea firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, during the visit to Russia by Kim Jong Un. Photo by Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Lim warned Russia of very negative impacts on its relations with Seoul if it continues to expand its military cooperation with North Korea. Lim said: We express our deep concern and regret that despite repeated warnings from the international community, North Korea and Russia discussed military cooperation issues, including satellite development, during their summit. Ironically, Russia and South Korea previously had a military relationship of their own, primarily based around Moscow delivering various kinds of arms including armored vehicles and anti-tank missiles to Seoul as a way of paying back debts incurred during the Soviet era. A Russian-supplied BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle operated by the 3rd Armored Brigade of the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), seen in a video from January 2020. /Wikimedia Commons Specifically, Lim highlighted concerns about Pyongyang benefiting from Any science and technology cooperation that contributes to nuclear weapons and missile development, including satellite systems that involve ballistic missile technologies . Here it is worth recalling Kims visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome this week, where talks are known to have touched upon possible Russian assistance for North Koreas space program , which could well also encompass technology transfer related to ballistic missiles. Kims current trip to the Russian Far East which the Kremlin says will last a few more days is also just the start of what looks set to be a series of reciprocal visits. Yesterday, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin had gratefully accepted Kims invitation to visit Pyongyang, although a timeline was not disclosed. Ahead of that, Moscow said it will quickly prepare to send Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Pyongyang, with a trip expected in October. https://www.twitter.com/nknewsorg/status/1001795363232272384?s=20 Behind the symbolic value of Kims current visit, however, it remains unknown whether North Korea is poised to acquire at least newer fighters from Russia, however badly it might need them. What is clear is that the Kremlin is now doing its utmost to forge a deeper relationship with North Korea, including across the military domain, and that this is very likely driven by an urgent need for artillery ammunition to help sustain its war in Ukraine. With that in mind, Moscow may well be willing to offer its own high-tech arms as well as technology transfers if it means it can obtain the weapons it needs. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The Russian military has somewhat reduced the number of daily sorties its air force flies in southern Ukraine, relying more on artillery and tank attacks, Tavria front defense forces spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun told Ukrainian TV broadcasters Sept. 14. I would like to note that over the past two days, statistically, the enemy has reduced the number of air strikes, said Shtupun. Read also: Ukrainian military confirms successful strike on Russian S-400 missile system That is, there is a kind of relative calm at the battle line. Read also: Six-year-old boy killed, brother seriously injured in Russian artillery attack Shtupun added that on Sept. 13, Ukrainian forces recorded 10 enemy air strikes. At the same time, according to him, the intensity of artillery and tank attacks had increased. Read also: Worried about a Ukrainian breakthrough, Russian occupiers fortify positions near Mariupol He said that Ukrainian forces in the area are now digging in and suggested that Russia "does not want to waste ammunition." Earlier, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated that Russian forces in the south are on the defensive but are trying to reclaim lost positions. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian forces carried out attacks against at least 10 oblasts over the past day, killing a child and injuring eight people, local officials reported early on Sept. 15. In Donetsk Oblast, one person was injured in a Russian strike against Krasnohorivka, the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration reported. Russian strikes against Kherson Oblast killed one child and injured another, and led to injuries of five other people, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. The attacks targeted residential areas, an administrative building and a church in the Beryslav district, a critical infrastructure facility in the Kherson district, and a factory in Kherson, he added. Russian forces launched 17 Shahed "kamikaze" drones in the direction of Khmelnytskyi Oblast in an attempt to destroy Ukrainian bomber planes, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said. According to the Air Force's report, all the drones were shot down while approaching the oblast along various routes. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a 34-year-old man was injured and hospitalized in an artillery strike against Preobrazhenka, Governor Yurii Malashko reported. Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Sumy oblasts also came under attack but local officials reported no casualties. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Air defense system destroyed, two ships damaged in occupied Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that the Russian Navy would receive 12 vessels by the end of 2023. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet RIA Novosti Quote from Shoigu: "Two vessels have already been put into operation this year, and 12 more will be delivered by the end of the year. Among them are the Admiral Golovko frigate, the Emperor Alexander III strategic missile submarine, and the Krasnoyarsk nuclear-powered submarine." Details: Shoigu said that over the past 10 years, the Russian Navy has added more than 50 vessels to the fleet. Read more on this topic: Sinking the Moskva: previously undisclosed details. How the Ukrainian Neptune destroyed the flagship of the Russian fleet Background: The occupation authorities of Sevastopol claimed that a missile attack caused a fire to break out at a shipyard near Kilen-balka on the night of 12-13 September, and the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack by missiles and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) which damaged two ships. OSINT researchers reported that the Ropucha-class large landing ship and the Kilo-class submarine had been damaged at a shipyard in occupied Sevastopol. The Russian Telegram channel Baza wrote that the attack damaged the Minsk large amphibious assault ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine. Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force, thanked Ukrainian pilots for carrying out the attack on Sevastopol. The Moskva cruiser was destroyed in the Black Sea by a Neptune missile in April 2022, and the Olenegorskiy Gornyak large landing ship was destroyed by an uncrewed surface vessel in Novorossiysk Bay in August 2023. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Sergei Surovikin, a former Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) commander who was fired over his links to Wagner, came to Algeria together with a delegation of the Russian Defence Ministry. Source: Kommersant Details: The newspapers source connects the trip with the fact that "the military and political leadership of the country considers the implementation of eastern foreign policy to be of great importance." The newspaper also suggests that Surovikin may be appointed to a position related to work with the East. Earlier: On 11 September, Surovikin was appointed head of the Coordinating Committee for Air Defence under the Council of Defence Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Background: From October 2022 to January 2023, he commanded the joint group of Russian troops in Ukraine, and from 11 January 2023, he served as deputy commander. During the Wagner PMC mutiny on 23-24 June 2023, Surovikin recorded a video message to the mercenaries, calling for them to return to their places of deployment. After that, he did not appear in the public eye. On 13 July, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that the Russian secret service had detained at least 12 high-ranking military officers, including General Sergei Surovikin, in connection with Yevgeny Prigozhin s mutiny, and that 15 officers had been suspended or fired. On 22 August, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin dismissed General Sergei Surovikin as commander of Russias Aerospace Forces. Media reports say Surovikin was detained by Russian counterintelligence in connection with the mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was known to be linked to the general. On 5 September, it was reported that Sergei Surovikin had been released several days after the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash. On 6 September, a page containing information about General Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, disappeared from the Russian Defence Ministrys website. On the evening of 23 August, a small plane crashed in Russias Tver Oblast. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, was listed as having been on board. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russian large landing ship Minsk and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine, which were in Sevastopol undergoing dry-dock repairs, have sustained critical damage due to a strike by Ukraine, UK Defence Intelligence reports. Source: UK Defence Intelligence review on 15 September, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "Despite the Russian Ministry of Defence downplaying the damage to the vessels, open-source evidence indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage." Details: Analysts believe any effort to bring the submarine back to being service-ready would likely take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, the difficult task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks will likely put them out of commission for many months. This will pose a serious challenge to the Black Sea Fleet terms of maintaining vessels in working order. "The loss of the Rostov removes one of the BSFs four cruise-missile capable submarines which have played a major role in striking Ukraine and projecting Russian power across the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean," the review states. Background: On 14 September, the UK Ministry of Defence commented on the first-ever fuelling of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant with non-Russian nuclear fuel. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The fall of debris from shot-down Russian kamikaze drones damaged housing in Khmelnytskyi Oblast on Sept. 15, the deputy head of the regional military administration Serhiy Tyurin reported on Telegram. No one was injured by the falling debris, Tyurin said. In total, Russia launched 17 Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones at Khmelnytskyi Oblast. All of them were shot down by air defense forces. The wreckage fell in one of the villages in Khmelnytskyi district. Read also: Russia attacks Ukraine with 17 drones overnight, all UAVs successfully shot down Twelve houses, windows in a boiler room, 28 windows in a school and power lines were damaged. Authorities have already begun repair work. Khmelnytska ODA Khmelnytska ODA Khmelnytska ODA Starokostiantyniv air base is located in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, and the Russians have repeatedly tried to attack it, as the air base is home to a squadron of Su-24 aircraft equipped to fire Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Read also: Russian missiles hit school and residential areas in Khmelnytskyi city After the latest attack, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat suggested that the Russians were looking for where the Ukrainian aircraft had been hidden after their successful strikes on Crimea. The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Sevastopol, the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea, on Sept. 13. The attack, thought to have been carried out with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, damaged a large Russian amphibious assault ship, the Minsk, and a Kilo-class submarine, the Rostov-on-Don. Read also: Russia attacks Ukraine with two Kalibr missiles, private enterprise destroyed in Vinnytsia Oblast The submarine is capable of firing Kalibr cruise missiles, which Russia has frequently launched at targets across Ukraine from warships stationed in the Black Sea. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian invasion forces are rotating and trying to deploy more units to the Zaporizhzhya section of the front, head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces Natalia Humeniuk said on Ukrainian national television on Sept. 15. Despite the "powerful maneuvers," no critical strike groups have been formed in southern Ukraine, Humeniuk said. The Russian military is also seeking to strengthen the Kherson section of the front, but does not yet have the appropriate critical reserves to do so, she said. Read also: Ukrainian Armed Forces taking measures to boost Odesa Oblasts defense Humeniuk More powerful Russian assault units are being formed in the sector where they are "feeling the heat," while units of other profiles are forming defensive lines where they feel that there may be a threat of activation of the Defense Forces, Humeniuk added. Earlier, the Ukrainian militarys General Staff reported that on the Zaporizhzhya section of the front, the enemy had launched an airstrike near the village of Robotyne, and more than 15 settlements had come under artillery and mortar fire. Read also: Tantalizing pace of Ukraines counteroffensive Ukrainian forces continue to conduct offensive operations on the Melitopol section of the front in the south, and offensive (assault) operations near Bakhmut in the east, destroying the enemy and liberating occupied territories step by step. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Russian army lacks reserves to significantly strengthen its forces on the Kherson front, but it is rotating forces and building "defensive lines" there. Source: Nataliia Humeniuk, head of the joint press centre of Operational Command Pivden (South), on the air during the national joint 24/7 newscast on the morning of 15 September Quote: "Now, we do not observe the creation of critical strike groups in our area of responsibility, but we see powerful manoeuvres; they (Russians) are trying to replace one force with another; they are trying to transfer additional forces to the Zaporizhzhia front. They would like to strengthen the Kherson front, but so far, there are no such critical reserves, although we see the reformation of the groups. Obviously, they are trying to calculate which directions will be the most threatening for them." Details: As Humeniuk said, the front in Kherson Oblast is not exposed, but some units replace others: more powerful assault units are placed in those directions where there is a threat of the Ukrainians advancing by land. Some of the Russian units are forming defensive lines in Kherson Oblast, where they feel threatened. As Humeniuk reported, counter-battery measures are taking place on the Dnipro islands, which are considered a "grey zone". Over the past day, 34 invaders were killed, and three guns and three boats were destroyed. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu checked on the repair and modernisation of the Pacific Fleet's nuclear submarines at a top military shipyard on Friday, his ministry said. Shoigu earlier this week took part in talks between President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un who visited two aviation plants in the town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday. Shoigu checked construction of a floating docking complex and on how nuclear submarines are being repaired and modernized at Zvezda plant in the town of Bolshoi Kamen, the defence ministry said in statement. It added that Zvezda is the leading submarine repair facility of Russia's Pacific Fleet and the only one in the Far East specialising in repair and modernization of nuclear-powered submarine missile carriers. "Sergei Shoigu demanded the maximum use of Zvezda's production facilities in order to complete the repair and modernisation of submarines," the defence ministry said. Shoigu also visited the Progress plant in the town of Arsenyev which produces Ka-52 military helicopters. He stressed the importance of improving combat capabilities of Ka-52M helicopters and protection of their pilots. "The combat capabilities of Ka-52M helicopters need to be improved, and the pilots' protection needs to be increased," Interfax news agency quoted Shoigu. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday approved funding for a dozen new jobs to improve oversight of community complaints about the citys police and fire departments and to ensure policies reflect the best national practices. Six of the 12 new jobs will be in the citys Office of Public Safety and Accountability, which monitors investigations of citizen complaints. The office, which currently only has five staff members, was only able to review 64% of police misconduct investigations in 2021 and 52% last year, according to the city staff report. LaTesha Watson, director of the Office of Public Safety and Accountability, said the six new staff members she requested will allow the office to fulfill its directive to monitor, track and review all completed misconduct investigations concerning employees at the police and fire departments. What we want to do is improve our public safety delivery services to the Sacramento community, Watson said in a city news release. Thats our entire goal. The total cost for the new city jobs will be $1 million for this fiscal year and $1.8 million annually from then on. The money will come from Sacramentos general fund. The council voted 5-3 to approve the funding. Council members Sean Loloee, Katie Valenzuela and Mai Vang voted against the funding request. Councilwoman Caity Maple abstained from the vote, saying she wasnt comfortable approving more funding for police even though she supports more oversight. Loloee said this request for more money from taxpayers is being made without knowing whether it will work to improve oversight. He said he doesnt think the situation will be resolved by merely hiring more personnel. I think our OPSA operation is working but also is waiting for that gotcha moment, Loloee said during Tuesdays meeting. I think our Police Department is working hard but is also trying to fight back not fight back, to push back some of the comments by OPSA. So, it becomes a very unprofessional environment. Even with these additional employees, Loloee said he believes OPSA will be complaining a year from now that its not receiving information from police in a timely manner, and the Police Department will complain it doesnt have enough personnel to do that. The city established OPSA in 1999 with focus on law enforcement. It added oversight of the Sacramento Fire Department in 2004. Mayor Darrell Steinberg said debates around police on this council boil down to basic views on whether the city has a Police Department that is working the way they want it to work. We all have different positions. Mine is that the Police Department needs real improvement here, and that we have a very good police force at the same time, Steinberg said shortly before Tuesdays vote. These are the kinds of actions that I think are going to enable us to actually get to where we want to go, which is to be able to have more independent oversight over a department. Of the six remaining new jobs, four will be in the Police Department. Two others will go to the City Attorneys Office, which provides legal services to the Police Department and OPSA. City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said her office will see its workload increase as a result of the funding approved this week. Her office will add two senior deputy city attorneys. Sacramento Police officers investigate a shooting on Cantalier Street and El Camino Avenue in Del Paso Heights on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. New jobs for Police Department The four new jobs for the Sacramento Police Department will be filled by unsworn staff assigned to a new unit at the department called the Internal Compliance Office, which will be overseen by a new compliance manager who reports directly to Police Chief Kathy Lester. The Police Department created the new unit following an audit released in June by the Office of Public Safety and Accountability. The audit found several instances in which police officers appeared to violate the Fourth Amendment and act with racial bias. Nineteen drivers pulled over by police during a two-year span for tinted windows were either Black or Latino, according to the audit. In the majority of the 19 window traffic stops included in the report between June 2020 and June 2022, the officer did not ask about the window tint though the report did not give a specific number. The audit contends the stops appeared to be a pretext to initiate an unrelated investigation. The police chief has said her officers issued 445 citations for illegal window tint during that two-year period. In her response to the audit, Lester said the department is examining its enforcement protocols including pretextual traffic stops and a department-wide effort is underway to support intelligence-based policing. The Police Department and OPSA on Tuesday presented a joint report to the City Council on requests for the new jobs. Valenzuela was critical of the joint presentation, calling it incomplete since it was done without input from the citys Community Police Review Commission, a city council-appointed citizen panel tasked with reviewing and recommending Police Department policies, practices and procedures. And it feels intentional, Valenzuela said. It feels glaring, and I dont understand why that happened ... This feels like we were looking for certain answers. Instead, the Police Department gathered about 30 to 40 community members for a meeting of several hours to provide input. Some of them, who have worked with police before through community groups, spoke at Tuesdays meeting. I thought it would be really important to get just kind of a grassroots approach and get some feedback, Lester said. Certainly, I understand its not scientific necessarily. But I do appreciate the time and effort they spent. I think they really did give us a good voice for the community. Pretextual traffic stop policy A 190-page report of the audit contained 19 recommendations for training and policy updates. At Tuesdays council meeting, Lester said her department reviewed the recommendations, and that eight of them are already in practice or in the process of an update; 10 will be adopted in part or in full. One of the recommendations, updating the pretext stop policy, was being researched and under consideration. Lester said her department is tracking pending legislation on that issue, and they want to make sure they are compliant with the law. Lester said the newly funded unit in her department would be able to compile better data and improve public transparency. Other law enforcement agencies, including the San Francisco Police Department and the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, are using similarly assigned staff to further the goal of police reform; research and develop policies; and ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Its about being more proactive, being more modern and really bringing in the best practices, Lester said in the city news release. In the male-dominated world of Mariachi, the sweet sound of "Mariachi Bonitas de Dinorah Klingler" stands out. The all-female ensemble is keeping Mexican tradition alive and shattering glass ceilings as they do so. Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15 a time to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans in our country. This group of female musicians is taking the Mariachi world by storm. Founder, Dinorah Klingler formed the group during the pandemic. "Nobody was doing much at home," Klingler said. "To lift the spirits of musicians and all of these people I just decided I am going to give it a chance." Klingler was just nine years old when she began her musical journey in Mexico City. In her twenties, she moved to the United States with guitar in hand. She continued her passion in Los Angeles, joining the all-female mariachi, Mariachi Las Adelitas. She later formed her own mariachi, Mariachi Las Alondras, and went on to perform alongside stars such as Stevie Wonder and Patty LaBelle. Three years ago, she created the all-female, Sacramento-based "Mariachi Bonitas." "We see other women, other young women, get empowered," Klingler said. The group now shares their talents with audiences across Northern California bringing smiles, storytelling and a rich history of Mexico to every celebration. As they march to their own beat, their story "strikes a chord" with the next generation. "We want to see more artists, more female musicians say I can do it," Klingler said. "If they can do it, I can do it." The Mariachi Bonitas will be performing live at the Viva Mexico celebration in Southside Park on Sept. 17. They will also perform on Oct. 29 at the Mariachi Festival de Sacramento at Memorial Auditorium. Could UAW and automakers reach an 11th hour deal? Potential timeline for next steps in Hunter Biden indictment What NASA's new UFO report says and what it doesn't A dog died this week after spending time at the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities before increased toxic algae blooms were reported, according to the Benton Franklin Health District. The death of this beloved pet is still under investigation, the district said. But out of an abundance of caution, we are taking swift action to prevent further fatalities. It is urging residents to closely monitor their young children and pets along the river shoreline. They are most at risk from the toxin found in the river. Sampling has detected extremely high concentrations of a cyanotoxin in clumps of algae, the district said. Some samples showed a type of cyanotoxin anatoxin-a, which attacks the nervous system at levels 50 times higher than in surrounding water. Clumps of algae found along the Columbia River shoreline are pictured. Benton Franklin Health District What is commonly called toxic algae, or blue-green algae, is bacteria which have some of the characteristics of plants and produce toxins. The health district reported this week that preliminary tests of river water samples at Wade Park in Pasco and Leslie Groves park in Richland had raised concerns and that toxic algae also was suspected at Columbia Point in Richland. In mid-August the Howard Amon swim beach in Richland tested positive for anatoxin-a and signs have been posted since then warning people not to swim there or let their pets in the water. Stay out of the water at sites posted with a yellow warning or red danger signs, says the health district. But residents also should be cautious elsewhere along the shoreline of the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities area, it said. It recommends preventing dogs from eating or chewing on clumps of algae. They should not lick their fur if they have been in the river, and they should be rinsed with clean water after playing in the river. People also should rinse their hands and any exposed skin after touching a dog that has been in the water. The Benton Franklin Health District has posted numerous signs warning that people and their pets should stay out of the Columbia River at Richland and Pasco. Bob Brawdy/bbrawdy@tricityherald.com If a pet becomes ill after exposure to river water, the owner should call a veterinarian immediately. Any suspected cyanotoxin poisonings should be reported to the Benton Franklin Health District at 509-460-4205. Symptoms from ingesting contaminated water can appear in people and animals as soon as 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the person or animal and the amount of the toxin. A dog may die within minutes to days of exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exposure in animals may result in weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing, convulsions and death. Two summers ago several dogs who had played in the Columbia River in Richland and just upstream died, and sampling of river water showed the same cyanobacteria as found this summer. In people, signs may include numbness of the lips, tingling in fingers and toes, and dizziness. They should seek medical help. People catching fish in areas with a major toxic algae bloom, should be aware that neurotoxin present there may accumulate in the liver, kidneys and other organs of fish. They should remove the internal organs, which may contain more of the neurotoxin, and consider not eating the fish. The Tri-Cities municipal governments have treatment processes to neutralize the toxin in drinking water. The health district will leave signs up along the Columbia River shoreline until two weeks of testing produce results below the danger threshold. Salesforce will look to hire around 3,000 new employees, CEO Marc Benioff told Bloomberg this week. The company announced plans to lay off 10% of its staff earlier this year in a major cost-cutting effort. Benioff is now urging former staff who joined other firms to return to the company. Salesforce plans to hire over 3,000 employees across various departments in the company after laying off 10% of its workforce in January, Bloomberg News reported first on Thursday. "Our job is to grow the company and to continue to achieve great margins," Salesforce's CEO Marc Benioff told Bloomberg News in an interview at the company's annual conference in San Francisco on Thursday. "We know we have to hire thousands of people." The new hires will work across its sales, engineering, and data cloud product teams and help grow the company's artificial intelligence business to attract further investments, according to chief operating officer Brian Millham, who also spoke to Bloomberg. Millham told Bloomberg: "We have some very successful parts of our business right now, and we want a surge in those areas." Benioff informed employees that 8,000 people would be laid off in various rounds of job cuts at the beginning of this year, in a major cost-cutting effort. The company had a headcount of roughly 79,390 at the time. Employees blasted Saleforce's layoffs internally, per Insider's Ashley Stewart, saying they were handled poorly and that staff were given little clarity about the situation. "Having to Slack search each of my closest coprimes and ops personnel to see who survived and who didn't," one employee wrote in an internal Slack channel. "It's like checking the missing bulletin board after a major disaster." Benioff told Bloomberg that he is hoping to attract significant numbers of "boomerangs" employees who previously worked at Salesforce and moved to other firms to return to the company in the new hiring drive. He even said at the conference this week that he held an "alumni event" for people at other companies to say: "It's OK, come back," per Bloomberg. Read the original article on Business Insider SAN MARCOS, Calif. A juvenile was arrested at a home in San Marcos Tuesday in connection to a suspected ghost gun manufacturing operation, authorities said. According to the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, detectives from the sheriffs Street Narcotics and Gang Team (SNGT) responded to a tip regarding a 15-year-old suspect manufacturing un-serialized, commonly referred to as ghost gun, parts. Dump Day: How to dispose of unwanted items for free SDSO says detectives were able to locate the home and obtain access to the room belonging to the juvenile. While searching the location, detectives found a gun part fabrication process, ammunition, and several gun parts. According to authorities, this included a completed lower handgun assembly. Detectives seized the manufacturing elements, the gun parts, and ammunition. The teenager was arrested and booked into custody at Juvenile Hall for various firearm-related charges, SDSO confirmed. The department cannot release any further information at this time due to the suspect being a juvenile. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed a bill that bans state and local governments from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for workers after a similar ban expired last month. The legislation signed Thursday is aimed at defending citizens individual liberty, Sanders said at a press conference prior to its signing. The legislation also prohibits COVID-19 vaccinations from being required as a condition of education, or for obtaining a service or licensure, permit or certificate of some kind. Any potential risks and harms associated with the shots must also be recorded and published by the state. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that her state will never have mask or COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that her state will never have mask or COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The bill is different from the states prior ban on vaccine mandates, which first went into effect in 2021, in that it covers vaccines or immunizations for any subvariants of the coronavirus, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The latest COVID-19 vaccine, which was federally authorized for use this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, is specially designed to reduce major illness and illness from omicron virus variants that are currently circulating. In total, Sanders signed 11 bills on Thursday. A separate bill she signed restricts the public release of her travel and security records. That bill, which went into immediate effect, shields details about the security that the governor and other constitutional officers receive. These details include who travels on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips. Sanders argued that it was needed for her and her familys safety, though some critics said it eliminates government transparency. State Sen. Bart Hester (R), who co-sponsored the bill, said at Thursdays press conference that all of the states elected government leaders are still able to see the travel receipts through audit. The law also requires the state to file a quarterly report listing the monthly costs of protecting the governor. Related... FILE PHOTO: Opening of a new school built by the local charity Mona Relief on the outskirts of Sanaa CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia invited Yemen's Houthi delegation to Riyadh to continue ceasefire talks, the state news agency SPA reported on Thursday. The kingdom wanted to resume its and Oman's efforts to "reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen and a sustainable political solution acceptable to all Yemeni parties," SPA added. Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, said late Thursday that talks were continuing between Sanaa and the Saudi Arabia with Omani mediation. The discussions included "paying salaries of the Yemeni employees, opening airports and ports, releasing all prisoners and detainees, the exit of foreign forces, and reconstruction leading to a comprehensive political solution," he said. The Houthi al-Masirah TV reported earlier on Thursday that a delegation left Sanaa and was on its way to Riyadh to continue the negotiations. The trip will be the first official visit by Houthi officials to the kingdom since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014, after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government in Sanaa. The first round of the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which are running in parallel to U.N. peace efforts, was held in April when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa. The group has been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid. The peace initiatives have gained momentum since arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East. (Reporting by Alaa Swilam; Writing by Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates) A Greenville dentist was shot and killed by law enforcement officers just after midnight on Friday after he was allegedly firing weapons in a parking lot outside a gentlemans club. The Greenville County Coroners Office identified the man as 57-year-old Matthew Edward Healey. Healey was a graduate of Bob Jones University and the Medical University of South Carolina and lived on State Park Road. His practice is on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Taylors. Greenville County Court records show Healey was awaiting trial on two first offense drug charges. He was charged in December with having a controlled substance and narcotics. In January his dental license was suspended, according to records online with South Carolina Labor, Licensing and Regulation. A spokeswoman did not respond to a message asking for more information about why the temporary suspension was imposed. Lt. Ryan Flood of the Greenville County Sheriffs Office said officers responded to The Trophy Club at about 12:40 a.m. Greenville Police officers were there as well. He was not specific about what happened once officers arrived, but one deputy and one police officer fired at Healey, who sustained at least one gunshot wound. He was taken to Prisma Health, where he was pronounced dead, the coroner said. Healey had worked as a dentist in the Greenville area since 1992, according to his website, which also says he was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society after graduating at the top of his class. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been asked to investigate the shooting as it normally does in cases involving officers. The Greenville County Sheriffs Office announced it will release a Critical Incident Community Briefing on Oct. 30, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. to provide further details. A proposal to allow Richland District 2 students to leave schools during the day for religious instruction is drawing criticism from some school board members and community faith leaders. For the last two months, Richland 2 parents, students and community members have voiced both support and opposition to the district adopting a policy known as release time. The proposal was first introduced by Ken Breivik, a Richland 2 parent and the executive director of School Ministries, a multi-denominational Christian ministry that assists in the creation of release time Bible study classes across the country. Many have rallied behind him, flocking to board meetings wearing lime green stickers to show their stance. Advocates say its a positive thing beneficial for students at no cost to the district or to parents. Its a way for students to express their religious liberty, Breivik said. It allows parents to have some control. Religious classes are available to students before and after school, but Breivik pointed out that they are often inaccessible for low and middle-income students, whose parents work and rely on bus transportation to take their children home. Release time closes that gap, he said. But critics are wary. Some question the logistics of potential release time programs, while some say that it takes invaluable time away from a childs school day. Still others argue that it would disproportionately benefit Christian students, leaving out those of other faiths. Release time is legal. In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, upheld a release time law in New York with the stipulation that schools cant coerce students into attendance. And under South Carolina law, public school districts have the right to adopt a policy that allows students to be excused from the school day to attend religious classes offered by private entities off-campus, with limitations. Parents must consent to their children attending the classes, and no public funding or public personnel can go towards programs. Attendance must be kept and made available to a childs school. Transportation is the responsibility of the sponsoring church or organization or a childs parent. And while excused, the sponsoring organization assumes liability of the child. It is still unclear what release time would look like for Richland 2. Specifics, like program locations, transportation and the number of students that a program could accommodate, are still up in the air. But an Aug. 8 presentation to the board laid out the possibilities for a policy. According to the presentation, some school districts offer release time opportunities to all students, while others only make it available to middle and high school students. Release time programs at middle schools are often held during enrichment or exploratory time, while high schools offer it during elective periods. The presentation pointed out that important considerations would be scheduling, ensuring no loss in core content areas and being open to all entities that want to offer instruction, regardless of religious affiliation. If this is going to happen, its because the community really wants it and parents really want it, Breivik told The State. Without both of those things, the program will never exist. Joe Trapp, chair of the school board, said he absolutely supports release time, and looks forward to working with the community to develop a policy. Its nothing more than excusing absences for attending a class, Trapp said. If we can touch one childs life, its worth it. Vice chair Angela Nash and several other board members have also voiced some support for release time. But not all agree. At an August meeting, school board member Monica Scott expressed skepticism and wanted more information and community input representative of the entire district. And Lindsay Agostini questioned the abrupt move to quickly develop a district policy. Ive got serious concerns, Agostini told The State. We havent done our due diligence to move forward. She said that while she believes religious instruction can be beneficial, it should be done in a childs free time, and not in lieu of any class. There are too many questions about release time, Agostini said. Logistics and curriculum are far from concrete, and while public funds cant go towards potential religious instruction, she pointed out that district staff would still have to help administer the program as students leave and return. Agostini also said that fast-tracking a release time policy is stepping away from the priorities the board laid out for the year in January which were, according to an email obtained by The State, safety and security, recruiting and retention, academic achievement and socio-emotional learning. As we have a new superintendent and several new to senior leadership positions, and much work to stabilize the foundation of the district, is this the time to redirect focus to an issue that was not a board priority less than 8 months ago? Agostini wrote in the email. Local faith leaders had differing opinions about the value of release time in public schools. Young people are so troubled these days, said Henry Clay, an assistant pastor at Northeast Presbyterian Church in Columbia. Its not trying to twist anybodys arm, its just making (religious studies) available for those who want it. Clays church, he said, would be one of several partnering with School Ministries for Bible classes, if the district were to enact a policy. But state Rep. Ivory Thigpen, a Richland County Democrat and a pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church, has his doubts he called release time Pandoras box. Im always leery of policies that are in search of problems. To my understanding, there is no inability for individuals to access religious instruction, whether that be before or after school, Thigpen said. It seems to me that this is more of a political endeavor than a practical one for the benefit of the students. Many of the African American clergy, Thigpen said, have concerns too. Rabbi Jonathan Case, a leader at Beth Shalom Synagogue, told The State that the concept of release time blurs the line between church and state. Religious education is good for everybody, Case said, but it does not belong within the public school system. Education is precious, he said, and students cannot afford to squander a minute of it. Do not exclude me, and all the disenfranchised who still cling to the hope that America is the melting pot, where we all have a seat at the public arena, Case said at a board meeting. Listen to your heart, listen to your conscious, listen to the voice of God, it echoes through your soul. Do not dismantle what the founding fathers of our country and the ultimate father in heaven desires: One people, no one to be left out in the cold. While release time is open to all religions, Case pointed out that smaller factions dont have the wherewithal to administer such a program. Holli Emore, chair of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina, said that though release time is open to all faiths, she believes release time disproportionately serves Christian students, while leaving out others. Richland 2 is one of the most diverse school districts in South Carolina, according to Niche, thanks to its proximity to the capital city and Fort Jackson. Many of my colleagues and I view the (release time) proposal as little more than an attempt to infiltrate a public institution and indoctrinate vulnerable and impressionable children, Emore wrote in a letter obtained by The State. I expect the school board to exercise caution and wisdom as they contemplate how best to protect our children and assure the best educational outcomes for them. Neighboring districts Lexington 1, Lexington 2 and Lexington-Richland 5 already have some kind of policy in place, along with schools in Greenville, Spartanburg and Horry counties, according to the Richland 2 presentation. Lexington 1 adopted its policy more than two decades ago in 1998, and revised it in 2018. The policy allows students from fifth to twelfth grade to be excused during non-instructional periods for the purpose of religious studies. High schoolers can be awarded a maximum of two elective credits for the religious classes they take, which are evaluated based on secular criteria. Breiviks School Ministries is the same group that presented release time to the Richland 2 board more than seven years ago, in May 2016. According to past board agendas on the districts website, a policy was never voted on. At the time, some board members had concerns about the program, said former chair James Manning. I understand the premise of it, Manning said. However, I just feel like its not equitable. ... Not every student would have an opportunity to express themselves if their religion does not have a similar program. I was generally against the release time program, and I would oppose it if I was still on the board. The Richland 2 board heard legal advice about a potential policy during a closed-door meeting Sept. 12, according to the agenda, though the board voted to remove it as an item for discussion. Trapp said he expects that if the district formulates its own release time policy, it will come before the board for a vote later in the fall, likely November. Two South Carolina cities earned recognition from the company ConsumerAffairs in a ranking of best places to retire one good, one not so good. Perennial best of list maker, Charleston, was ranked No. 18 best city in the United States for retirement. Spartanburg was ranked second worst. ConsumerAffairs is a private company that offers consumers reviews of products and services. Charleston was listed because of a low crime rate and cost to rent, lower cost of living and high park access and walkability, the company said. Spartanburgs ranking came from a high crime rate and rent burden, no park access, high cost of living and no walkability, the company said. Charlestons lower score in crime (2.83) is especially significant compared to Spartanburgs score in crime (8.24), the company said. Charleston has received praise during the past few years from a number of magazines, including Southern Living, Forbes, the New York Times, Conde Nast and Travel + Leisure. Earlier this month, Charleston ranked No. 9 on a list by personal finance website WalletHub for retirees due to lower costs, safer environments and activities that appeal to older adults. WalletHub studied 182 cities to come up with its ranking. ConsumerAffairs said South Carolina as a whole is fairly popular. About 14% of South Carolina residents are retired. This large amount can be a significant benefit for retirees looking to increase their savings or live a greater quality of life than they could in more populated places, the company said. Lincoln, Nebraska, was ranked first due to a healthy older population and access to parks. Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was the worst place for retirees based on a higher cost of living and low score on a community well-being index. Combs said he and his fellow Black moguls must unite in order to compete with other networks and media moguls. Sean Diddy Combs intended to buy majority stakes in BET earlier this, as did Byron Allen and Tyler Perry . With BET staying with Paramount Global, Combs wishes to join forces with Allen and Perry to create a Black-owned media powerhouse. Combs discussed his desired collaboration with Allen and Perry in a recent Billboard Magazine cover story. He spoke about how he intended to build a Black-owned media conglomerate when he and his media company Revolt looked to purchase BET stakes from Paramount. He called BET the originator of Black media and stated that teaming up with people like Allen and Perry is necessary to compete with other media moguls and networks. Were not going to be able to reach our highest level of success in the media world, like a Rupert Murdoch, if we dont unify, Combs told Billboard. Like me, Tyler Perry and Byron Allen. We have a responsibility because its like 15 of us getting money, but 10 billion people in the world. (Left to right) Keyshia Cole and Diddy perform onstage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12, 2023, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV) In March, reports revealed Paramount considered selling its majority stakes in BET to pour more resources and funding into its Paramount+ streaming services. Combs, via Revolt, put his hat in the ring to purchase the BET stakes, as did Allen, CEO of Allen Media Group and owner of theGrio, and Perry. Paramount Global announced last month that BET is no longer for sale. The company, formerly Viacom, bought BET from founder Robert Johnson in 2000. Its stake in BET Media Group includes the BET cable network, the BET+ streaming service, and the VH1 cable network. Allen spoke of his push to purchase BET last March. As African Americans, we are very much underrepresented, he said. So I think its important we lean in; we control our platforms we own them, that way we control the narrative. We control how were produced, how were depicted and how were seen around the world. Last April, Perry said he was thrilled that Combs and Allen were also in the running to buy the BET stakes. He said that no Black person could purchase BET from Johnson, who sold it to Viacom for $3 billion at the time. So now, to see all of these Black people, men and women, who are able to be in a position to buy it? Man, that makes me feel really, really excited, he said. For nearly six years, Perry has partnered with Paramount. Through his deal, Perry has produced series for BET and BET+, including Tyler Perrys House of Payne and The Oval. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Sean Diddy Combs wishes to team up with Byron Allen, Tyler Perry for Black media conglomerate appeared first on TheGrio. If youre looking to beef up your tailgate offerings, Pennsylvania tourism officials have you covered. Chopped: A Charcuterie Trail is a guide to locations across the state that sell a variety of cured meats, owing to the many cultural groups that have made the Keystone State home. The trail takes visitors on an exploration of cured meats, ranging from smoked sausage to select, hand-carved boards with curing recipes that have been passed down for generations, a representative for PA Tourism wrote in an email. Stop by and make the perfect selections to serve at your upcoming tailgate or watch party. The meats of Pennsylvania VisitPA.com highlights some of the charcuterie that makes Pennsylvania unique: Ring bologna: Pennsylvania Germans contribution. A seasoned, precooked mix of beef and/or pork stuffed into a casing tube that is smaller than regular bologna. Its popular in Pennsylvania German communities and in the Midwest. Soppressata: Pennsylvania Italians contribution. Originating in southern Italy, its a dry salami with visible chunks of fat that is pressed under weights and cured so it has a flattened appearance. Often called soupie, its made across the state but most likely to be found in the central coal regions. Lebanon bologna: Another Pennsylvania German favorite. Originates in the Lancaster and Reading areas, though most Pennsylvania German communities have their own version. Venison: Pioneers and hunters contribution. Drying meat is a longtime preservation practice in this part of the world. Indigenous communities dried meats and made jerky from animals they hunted. Venison can still be found in the freezers of many Pennsylvania hunters and meat markets and encompasses deer, elk, reindeer, caribou and antelope. Chorizo: Mexican Pennsylvanians contribution. The spicy, pork-based sausage comes in fresh and dried forms. It originated in Spain but is part of many cuisines including Filipino, Puerto Rican and Portuguese and is also produced in many Italian markets. Justin Ratcliff and Katlin Massie, both of Lexington, Ky.. share a charcuterie board made with three meats, three types of cheese, fresh and dried fruit, olives and pickles, nuts, mustard, jam, honey and served with crackers from Fable Charcuterie and Wine at The Grove in Lexington, Thursday, May 27, 2021. The Grove is collaboration space between Harveys Bar and beer garden, Fable, which offers wine and charcuterie boards, Luna, a food truck and a new event space called The Melodeon. Hit the trail There are different Charcuterie Trail itineraries, depending on which part of the state you want to explore. The central Pennsylvania trail starts in Columbia County. Heres a look at each stop. The three-day, 15-stop trail begins at Rolling Hills Red Deer Farm, 63 Pinnacle Drive, Catawissa, not far from Interstate 80 near Danville. Visitors can tour the farm on a hayride and feed apples to deer in the field. Follow that with a visit to the farm store and browse the deer-related gifts, deer jerky, bologna and snack sticks. W.A. Rothermel Meats, 156 Rushtown Road, Danville, is the next stop. Try the old-school meat markets bologna and smoked sausage. If you stop by during hunting season, you might see the owner processing a deer. Head to Edelholz Hardwood Furniture And Gifts, 3169 Point Township Drive, Northumberland, for a cutting board or charcuterie board to display your eats. The wood is from Pennsylvania hardwood trees and the products are made my Amish woodworkers. Hilshers General Store, 5254 S. Susquehanna Trail, Port Trevorton, is the place to go if you want to make your own charcuterie. The community market sells butchering supplies, seasoning packets for jerky, sausage, salami and bologna, and casings and cure mixes. Next up is North Mountain Pastures, 201 Cold Storage Road, Newport. The family-owned business raises pastured, non-GMO meat on an 84-acre farm. They produce meat and sausage as part of a CSA and also have a store that sells nitrate-free meats cured with Himalayan sea salt. Head through the Juniata River Valley to Benners Butcher Shoppe, 56 Platt Hollow Road, Thompsontown. The areas food has heavy European influences. The markets meat case features garlic ring bologna, scrapple, honey/pickle/cheese bologna, kielbasa, chorizo and smoked cheese. Stock up at the market and make your way to the trails final Day 1 destination, Juniata Valley Winery and Wilson House Bed & Breakfast, 19175 Route 35 South, Mifflin. Set up a picnic by the nearby Juniata River, sample the offerings at the Juniata Winery and spend the night. Day 2 begins with a drive to Big Valley and Peachey Foods, 85 S. Penn St., Belleville. Locals take their animals to the Amish-run shop to be processed into bologna. Peacheys also sells its own bologna snacks as well as ice to Amish customers who dont use electricity to keep things cold (and for keeping your own cured meats cold in your car). Then, check out the Belleville Livestock Market, 26 Sale Barn Lane, Belleville, which is active on Wednesdays with flea markets, yard sales and the livestock auction. The trail next heads into Centre County. While not an official stop, Tait Farm Foods in Centre Hall offers several charcuterie options. The Penn State Berkey Creamery is a favorite spot for ice cream, but only one person has received two different flavors on an ice cream cone. The 10th site on the trail is the Berkey Creamery. Of course, theres ice cream, but charcuterie fans will want to seek out the sweet bologna near the cheese cooler. The Creamerys website also sells cheese and charcuterie boxes. While youre on campus, stop by the Meat Lab, located on Porter Road between Medlar Field and Park Avenue. Every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, the lab holds a sale in its retail store. A variety of meat products from Penn State farms are available starting at 9:30 a.m. Next up is Hogs Galore in Philipsburg, a family-owned pork producer. Trail organizers recommend the fresh kielbasa (but make sure you heat it properly before you dig in, and keep it cold until you get home). The second day of the trail ends at Black Moshannon Lodge in Philipsburg, where you can relax in the hot tub. Start the final day of the trip by exploring the park before taking the 30-minute drive to Country Butcher, 8791 Shiloh Road, Woodland. Check out the smoked meats and jerky, plus the barbecue sauces made in-house. The final stop on the tour is Santinocetos Italian Market, 304 N. Third St., Clearfield. There, you will find pepperoni, soppressata, salami and capicola a reflection of the population of Italian immigrants who settled in the area to work manufacturing jobs. For more information about this itinerary, or the Charcuterie Trail destinations in other parts of Pennsylvania, visit visitpa.com/trip/chopped-charcuterie-trail. Small charcuterie board at Philosophie at 616 Poplar St. in Macon. [Source] The Seattle police officer heard laughing and making questionable remarks on bodycam footage about the death of a woman earlier this year has been the subject of 18 other oversight investigations, according to reports. Driving the news: The Seattle Police Department (SPD) released this week the footage involving Officer Daniel Auderer, which was recorded shortly after the incident on the night of Jan. 23. Auderer, who is currently vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was responding to the fatal striking of 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula by another police car, driven by Officer Kevin Dave, near Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street. In his bodycam footage, Auderer can be heard laughing and making insensitive comments about Kandula, including saying that she had limited value and advising someone to just write a check. Auderer was in the car with the guilds president, Officer Mike Solan, who is not heard in the recording. What reports are saying: Web database OpenOversight, which collects information on police disciplinary actions, shows that Auderer was involved in 29 cases brought to the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), a city watchdog agency, between 2014 and 2021. Of these, 19 led to OPA investigations, which resulted in some allegations being sustained and Auderer receiving disciplinary actions such as written reprimand and suspension without pay. More from NextShark: High School Teacher's Nose and Teeth Damaged After Being Attacked With a 'Rock' in Seattle Chinatown Meanwhile, DivestSPD, a grassroots police watchdog, claims that Auderer was involved in lawsuits costing the city over $1.7 million. It is unclear what exactly these cases are, but previous reports, including from the Seattle Times and KOMO News, say Seattle paid $1.75 million in 2013 to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed over a violent arrest that reportedly involved Auderer and other officers. Rally held: A rally was held Thursday in the area where Kandula an Indian graduate student at Northeastern University Seattle was fatally hit. This time, protesters demanded action to be taken against Auderer, as well as Solan, according to KIRO 7. More from NextShark: No bail for Las Vegas man accused of shooting Chinatown restaurant worker 11 times More from NextShark: Indian American lawmaker slams Seattle police for lack of probe on feces attacks Jaahnavi Kandula harbored hopes of graduating from an American college after her mother took on substantial debt to send her from her home in southern India to Seattle to pursue a masters degree in information systems at Northeastern University. She was a brilliant student with a promising future, her family said in a statement to TIME. But in January, the 23-year-old student with a radiant smile and bubbly personality was tragically struck on a marked crosswalk by a reportedly speeding police car. Eight months on, Kandulas death has snowballed into a diplomatic incident, with Indian officials expressing concerns after disturbing bodycam footage from the Seattle Police Department was released and went viral on social media in recent days. It appears to show the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, Daniel Auderer, laughing about the incident and saying Kandula had limited value. The disturbing comments have led Indian officials in the U.S. to demand action from Seattle and Washington state authorities, as well as Indian-American lawmakers to speak out against the Seattle Police Department. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco weighed in on Friday, posting that it had taken the matter up with senior officials in Washington State and D.C. The incident has also stirred outrage amongst members of the Indian-American community, as well as India, many of whom continue to express outrage under the hashtag, #JusticeforJaahnavi, on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. In Seattle, community groups also took to the streets on Thursday. Why is there outrage over the police bodycam footage? In January, Seattle police officer, Kevin Dave, hit Kandula in January while driving 74 mphat about three times the speed limit, according to the Seattle Times. Body-camera footage later released by the city shows Auderer, joking about Kandulas death while on the phone with the Seattle Police Officers Guild unions president Mike Solen. Auderer says in the recording about Kandulas death the city should just write a check for $11,000. She was 26 anyway, Auderer said, incorrectly stating Kandulas age. She had limited value. A conservative radio show host on KTTH-AM said that, in a written statement, Auderer told the city watchdog agency investigating the incident that his comments were targeted towards lawyers and the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and that the comment was not made with malice or a hard heart, the Associated Press reported. The Community Police Commissiona police oversight organization established under a consent decree after the federal investigation of a fatal 2010 shooting by Seattle Policesaid in a statement that the incident was heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive. The organization added that the incident speaks to concerns repeatedly raised about the police departments culture and resistance to accountability measures. Read More: Column: 3 Years After George Floyd's Murder, Cop Culture Still Hasn't Changed Joel Merkel, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, tells TIME that the video starts with Auderer minimizing the need for an investigation into the collision and implying the officer was going slower than reports suggest he actually was. What that speaks to is just a callous disregard for police accountability systems, he says. A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula is displayed with flowers on Jan. 29, 2023 in Seattle, at the intersection where she was killed by a Seattle Police officer. Ken LambertThe Seattle Times/AP The Indian community's reaction to the incident Auderers reaction to Kandulas death has raised questions over how the police may devalue people of color, immigrants, and women, sending shockwaves through the Indian community in the U.S. and wider diaspora, as well as in India. It has also prompted an investigation by authorities. Ashok Mandula, Kandulas Houston-based uncle who had to make arrangements to send her body to her mother back in India, told the local Indian press: I wonder if these mens daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life. Kandulas family said in their statement her death had left anunfillable void. She had a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life, they wrote. It is truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments on the bodycam video from an SPD officer regarding Jaahnavi's death. The incident has also touched a nerve among Indian students studying in the U.S. who relate to Kandulas personal story. She shares similar goals, hustling far from family, X user Sai Siddartha Maram posted, On another day could have been any of us and we would have never known we were worth 11k USD or had little value or just a regular person. On Thursday, the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (SAARPR) held a rally with hundreds of protesters to call for action against the relevant police officers. The officer's comments indicate they think they're invincible. They think they can keep getting away with this forever, SAARPR told TIME in a statement. We're going to change that by winning political power for oppressed communities, the organization said. We need an all-civilian, democratically elected council to make sure when cops abuse their power we can take them off the streets ourselves. Read More: The Problems With Policing the Police The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), based in Maryland, passed a unanimous resolution on Thursday urging authorities to prioritize the investigation and respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals affected by this incident. NFIA President Raj Razdan told TIME that the Indian American community was very saddened by the incident, adding that the officers comments were very disheartening. Imagine a mother hearing in India that her child, who came to school here, is no more. It's very painful, Razdan said. What is the official response to Kandulas death? Responding to the community outrage, the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco called for a thorough investigation into Kandulas death on Wednesday. Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandulas death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling, a post from the consulates account on X stated. Read More: Column: What the Police Academy Gets Wrong About Training Future Officers The Office of Police Accountability, a city watchdog, has opened an investigation into Auderer for his comments, while the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office has opened a criminal review into the crash. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell also sent a letter to Kandulas family to offer his condolences. U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, an Indian American whose district includes Seattle, also posted about the incident on Thursday. Im sick to my stomach. This is exactly what happens when we normalize xenophobia and racism. It needs to stop, she wrote on X. Read More: How George Floyds Killing Highlighted America's Police Reform Failures According to reports from the Indian news outlets PTI and Indian Express, Senior Biden administration officials have also provided reassurance to the Indian ambassador and the Indian government that they will closely monitor the investigation, emphasizing their deep concern over the incident. Write to Astha Rajvanshi at astha.rajvanshi@time.com and Sanya Mansoor at sanya.mansoor@time.com. This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Volunteer members of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard could be seen on the streets Friday in western Iran as the country neared one year since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody, prompting protests that challenged the country's theocratic rule. In Tehran, Iran's capital, and other cities, the public noticed a heightened presence of police and security forces that went unreported by the country's state-run and semiofficial media. The demonstrations over Aminis death on Sept. 16, following her arrest by the countrys morality police for allegedly violating the country's mandatory headscarf law, represented one of the largest challenges to Irans theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A security force crackdown that followed saw over 500 people killed and more than 22,000 people detained. Irans theocracy is trying hard to both ignore Saturday's anniversary and tamp down on any possibility of more unrest. Video shared by Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group, showed what the group described as volunteer members of the Revolutionary Guard, known as Basij, in the city of Sanandaj on Friday. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the videos, though they resembled the wider region around Irans Kurdistan province, the same area where Amini was buried. Irans government, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has blamed the West for fomenting the unrest, without offering evidence to support the allegation. However, the protests found fuel in the widespread economic pain that Irans 80 million people have faced since the collapse of Irans nuclear deal with world powers after then-President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled America from the accord. International pressure remains high on Iran, even as the administration tries to deescalate tensions with other nations in the region and the West after years of confrontation. From the White House, President Joe Biden issued a lengthy statement on Friday acknowledging the anniversary of Amini's death, while the United States also issued new sanctions on Iranian officials and entities. Jill and I join people around the world in remembering her and every brave Iranian citizen who has been killed, wounded or imprisoned by the Iranian regime for peacefully demanding democracy and their basic human dignity, Biden said. Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but, the United States remains committed to standing with them including providing tools to support Iranians ability to advocate for their own future. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also noted the anniversary as he announced new sanctions targeting Iran's minister of culture and Islamic guidance, as well as Tehran's mayor and a police spokesman. A year on from Mahsa Aminis tragic death at the hands of Irans Morality Police, I commend the bravery of Iranian women as they continue to fight for fundamental freedoms," Cleverly said in a statement. Todays sanctions on those responsible for Irans oppressive laws send a clear message that the U.K. and our partners will continue to stand with Iranian women and call out the repression it is inflicting on its own people. Portage County school districts ranged from a high of five stars for Aurora to a low of 2.5 stars for Ravenna and Windham in the 2023 State Report Cards released Thursday by the Ohio Department of Education. Districts could earn between one and five stars. Three stars means the district met the state's expectations. One or two stars means the district performed less well than expected, and four and five stars means the district exceeded expectations. Districts earned stars for achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation rate and early literacy. Achievement and progress are weighted most heavily in the district's overall grade. Achievement measures whether students are proficient on the tests; progress measures how much students grew in a year, regardless of whether they are on grade level. Districts could receive a half star in the overall rating, but the categories are only full stars. This is the second year of a new report card rating system that highlights the successes and struggles of catching students up following remote learning due to the pandemic. A high star rating but low progress score, for example, would indicate a district had high test scores but did not improve significantly over the previous year. A high progress score but low achievement would indicate a struggling district is making significant year-to-year gains. Ravenna says test scores improved Ravenna had an overall score of 2.5 stars, and two stars each in achievement and progress. Last year, the district had two stars for achievement but only one star in progress. The district said students had a better showing in standardized test scores, despite a record number of students confirmed chronically absent. Test scores were steady or improved on 75% of the tests administered to students in grades 3 through high school. Students also made double-digit improvements in six test scores compared to last years report card from the state, the district said. We are proud of how hard our students work and the improvements they are showing, Ravenna Superintendent Laura Hebert said. I want every one of our students to feel that success, and its more important than ever before that they show up to school ready to learn, every day." She said students who were not chronically absent performed better on tests. I will shout it from the rooftops all day, we cannot teach students if they are not in school," she said. Windham sees dip in progress The Windham Exempted Village School District had 2.5 stars overall, two stars in achievement and one star in progress. Last year, the district had the same score in achievement and two stars in progress. A message was left for Superintendent Aireane Curtis. Kent sees high score Kent had a near-perfect score from the state, with 4.5 stars overall, meaning the district exceeds state standards. The district received four stars for achievement one more than last year and five stars for progress. A message was left for Superintendent Tom Larkin. See how your school district fared in the 2023 State Report Cards These are the results from Portage County's school districts: Aurora Overall: 5 stars Achievement: 5 stars Progress: 5 stars Crestwood Overall 3.5 stars Achievement: 3 stars Progress: 2 stars Field Overall 4 stars Achievement: 4 stars Progress: 3 stars James A. Garfield Overall 4 stars Achievement: 3 stars Progress: 4 stars Kent Overall 4.5 stars Achievement: 4 stars Progress: 5 stars Mogadore Overall: 4 stars Achievement: 4 stars Progress: 3 stars Ravenna Overall 2.5 stars Achievement: 2 stars Progress: 2 stars Rootstown Overall 3.5 stars Achievement: 3 stars Progress: 2 stars Southeast Overall: 4 stars Achievement: 4 stars Progress: 3 stars Streetsboro Overall: 4 stars Achievement: 4 stars Progress: 5 stars Waterloo Overall: 4 stars Achievement: 4 stars Progress: 5 stars Windham Overall: 2.5 stars Achievement: 2 stars Progress: 3 stars Akron Beacon Journal education writer Jennifer Pignolet contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: See how Portage County districts scored in the 2023 State Report Card A Senate subcommittee is kickstarting an inquiry into the mishandling of dozens of reports of sexual assaults and rapes at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs investigations subcommittee announced Thursday that it sent a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda L. Fagan notifying her of the inquiry. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), chairman of the subcommittee, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) write in the letter that the leaders who oversaw or perhaps created the environment where misconduct occurred and did nothing must be held accountable. It is unclear whether those responsible have continued their careers in the Coast Guard, received higher positions of authority, or left service and escaped accountability all together, they wrote. The inquiry comes after it was publicly revealed that the Coast Guard launched an investigation into allegations that its academy allegedly mishandled reports of rape and sexual assault from the late 1980s until 2006. The investigation known as Operation Fouled Anchor concluded in January 2020, but it was not made public or known to public officials until CNN reported on the internal investigation in June. The senators wrote that a memo published in January 2020 proved that leadership at the Coast Guard was aware of the allegations. According to this memo, the Academy was aware of allegations against 30 of the 43 individuals implicated at the time of the alleged assaults, however, only five were contemporaneously reported to USCG investigative services and/or local law enforcement, the senators wrote. Shortly after the CNN report, the Coast Guard issued an apology for not taking appropriate action years ago and acknowledged that it did not widely disclose the internal investigation. The senators are asking the Coast Guard for all records in connection to the investigation, as well as all policies related to sexual harassment and assault. The Hill has reached out to the Coast Guard for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers ability to access satellite communications via Starlink. Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday. The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacsons biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships. Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war. The three senators said the confusion over what actually happened demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musks role in the incident. The reports raise serious concerns about whether Mr Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key US partner at a critical juncture, the letter said. Several officials, including the three senators, have shared similar worries that commercial satellite companies similar to Starlink could cause issues by intervening in significant decisions like this one. Senator Jack Reed who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Armed Forces, said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg, that the situation with Mr Musk raised concerns about national security. Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to US national security, Mr Reed said. Weve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagons actions and contractual arrangements, Mr Reed added. Senate Armed Services Committee members (L-R) Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sen Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) (Getty Images) At the time of the incident, Starlink had no contract with the Pentagon and therefore no directive from US officials. Mr Musk said had he received an order from President Joe Biden to extend services to Ukrainians in Crimea he would have done so. In June, the Pentagon and Starlink signed a contract in which the DoD agreed to buy its services for Ukraine. Now, the three senators are imploring leaders to consider the implications of Mr Musks actions and look to prevent situations like this from arising in the future. We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr Musks whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign countrys self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests, the letter said. The senators requested Mr Austin provide answers by the end of October. WOODBURY A Bridgeton man who shot a New Jersey State Police detective has received a 37-year prison term.Tremaine Hadden, 30, opened fire on a New Jersey State Police detective who was investigating a home-invasion robbery in Pittsgrove on April 25, 2020, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. He was convicted in May after a trial for aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and weapons offenses, the agency said in a statement. Gunfire ended backhoe rampage Grand jury makes decision on fatal police shooting at Vineland mobile-home park Detective Richard Hershey was at the crime scene in the Harding Woods mobile home park when a hostile mob of 15 people pulled up in five vehicles around 10:30 p.m., said a statement from the Attorney Generals Office. It said members of the group intended to attack a resident of the park and damage her home. They were armed with at least two handguns, a knife and a bottle. Some of the suspects exited their vehicles and confronted Detective Hershey, who identified himself as a law enforcement officer and gave commands in an effort to control the intruders, the statement said. How many shots were fired at Detective Richard Hershey? Hadden fired about 11 shots at Hershey. Two other suspects Najzeir Naz Hutchings, 25, and Kareen Kai Warner, 22 opened fire from another vehicle. Hershey was shot in the hip and seriously wounded, but managed to return fire as the suspects fled. Hershey, who has returned to duty, was named the 2020 Trooper of the Year for his dedication and courageous actions during the confrontation, the statement said. More: Grand jury indicts 14 in mobile home shootout, NJSP detective wounded in incident Hutchings and Warner, who are also from Bridgeton, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in May. They await sentencing. Hadden must serve nearly 28 years before parole eligibility, according to the Attorney Generals Office. He was sentenced on Sept. 12 by Superior Court Judge John Eastlack in Woodbury. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com. This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Tremaine Hadden sentenced for shooting NJ State Police detective Sevier County Central Dispatch Director Todd Spence is on unpaid leave after a Tennessee Comptroller's report revealed he misused county money and work time. The dispatch service handles 911 calls in Sevier County. The report released Sept. 15 says the director made questionable purchases totaling at least $9,462.80 using county money. Sevier County officials say they're conducting their own internal investigation, according to a press release. A quick breakdown of the purchases listed in the comptroller's report: Tactical equipment such as body armor and magazine pouch attachments, items the report says aren't needed for the dispatch director job: $1,186.93 Clothing including performance polos and tactical pants for himself, and heavy duty work jackets for dispatchers even though the department doesn't have a uniform policy: $3,995.53 Food and drinks like premium coffee pods, chips, cookies, candy, protein drinks and energy drinks, most of which dispatchers said they never saw: $3,232.16 Supplies including specialty pens, specialty notebooks, flash drives and a drone battery: $684.81 Personal purchases such as a phone case and a foldable director's chair: $290.96 Personal travel expenses: $72.41 The director was seen and photographed with items like the premium coffee pods and director's chair outside of work, specifically at gun shows for his personal business. The report notes that the director also did not log 64 hours of annual leave. He taught volunteer and first aid classes for his personal business while on the clock for the county, the report says. The director self-reported adjusted timesheets in response to this investigation, along with his class schedule, the report said. The director also served as a volunteer for the Sevier County Sheriffs Department as a reserve deputy and as a paramedic on the Special Operations Response Team, for which the report says the county needs a policy to prevent "improper compensation." What the report recommends The comptroller report noted four deficiencies that it recommended Sevier County change: County officials didn't provide proper oversight over purchases made through the dispatch center. County officials didn't enforce the outside employment policy. The county was unaware that the director was using his job title and county affiliation outside of his position along with his incorrect leave on timesheets. The county didn't have necessary written policies related to the director volunteering for additional county departments that conflicted with his work hours, or a uniform policy with guidance to avoid waste or misuse of funds. The county didn't update the director's job description on the parameters and responsibilities of his role, which would establish designated work hours and separate volunteer hours. "The county has recently implemented new governmental structure and oversight to ensure department directors are more directly accountable to county officials," the official statement from the Sevier County Government reads. "This change along with new and updated policies provide better internal controls for county government. Sevier County will continue to review and make updates to our policies to deter future misconduct." "Sevier County thanks the Tennessee Comptroller's Office for their in-depth investigation, professionalism, and direction in partnering with the county on this situation," the statement concludes. Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sevier County dispatch director on unpaid leave after investigation The Army dismissed abusive sexual contact charges against the former commander of the 1st Cavalry Divisions Fort Cavazos, Texas-based 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, according to court records and a III Corps spokesperson. Col. Jon Meredith was fired from brigade command in October 2022 amid an investigation that ultimately led to criminal charges. Meredith was charged with two specifications of abusive sexual contact and two specifications of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly groping and kissing a subordinates wife without consent while her husband was away on a field exercise in July 2022. But now Meredith will only go to trial for alleged conduct unbecoming an officer, according to Lt. Col. Tania Donovan, a spokesperson for III Corps. She said the corps commander, Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, withdrew and dismissed the sexual contact charges on Sept. 11, three days after a Sept. 8 pre-trial hearing. The move was based on an assessment of multiple factors including a careful consideration of the current evidence, the interests of justice, input from the alleged victim, and preservation of good order and discipline, she added. Before withdrawing the charges, Donovan said, the general engaged with the new independent Office of Special Trial Counsel and sought an assessment by an OSTC civilian expert who is a seasoned prosecutor with decades of experience prosecuting sexual assault in the civilian criminal justice system. The new office, a product of Congress military justice reforms, will soon handle all prosecutions of major crimes across the service, and the militarys other branches have similar structures. How the Army quietly discharges soldiers charged with violent crimes Merediths attorney, Sherry Bunn, told Stars & Stripes she believes the remaining charges dont warrant a general court-martial. It appears the government reassessed its case after the motions hearing on Friday afternoon [Sept. 8] where several issues were litigated before the court, Bunn said. Unfortunately, lawmakers continued insistence that every alleged victim is truthful and every case should be prosecuted to the fullest leads to prosecutors and commanders forcing charges that are unsupported and contradicted by the evidence in the case. The colonels trial on the remaining charges is tentatively scheduled to begin Sept. 25, but such dates often move. Merediths wife, Col. Ann Meredith, was fired from her role as the 89th Military Police Brigades commander for reportedly interfering in her husbands investigation. Following the sham elections on the left bank of Kherson Oblast, the Russian occupiers have begun to form so-called territorial defence units recruited from the local population so that these locals can be drafted into the mobilisation reserve in the future. Source: Most ["Bridge"], citing Nataliia Humeniuk, Head of the joint press centre of Operational Command Pivden (South), during the national joint 24/7 newscast on 15 September Quote: "After the sham elections ended, they [the Russian occupiers ed.] tried to collect as much information as possible about the number of people that could be mobilised. And now the male population is effectively on the military register, and they are recruiting them into so-called territorial defence units, with subsequent transfer to the mobilisation reserve of the occupying forces." Details: Humeniuk also reported that currently no offensive groups are observed on the left bank of the Kherson Oblast, but the Russians are trying to conduct rotations. Background: On 29 August, the Ukrainian flag was raised by soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, over the district of Dachi, which is now a "grey zone". Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Book of Acts recounts the arrival of the Apostle Paul in the great city of Corinth. It was a Roman colony, which meant there was a large military presence there. Prostitution was ubiquitous and sexual immorality was more prevalent than any place Paul had ever been. It was the Las Vegas of the ancient world. Paul entered this city and did what any devout Jew traveling alone would have done. He went to find a synagogue. In a city the size of Corinth, with perhaps hundreds of thousands of people, there were probably several, and it was not long before Paul had found one. Shayne Looper A synagogue in the ancient world was not like a church in modern America, which only fills with people on weekends. A synagogue was more like a community center. Everything in the Jewish community revolved around the synagogue. On Sabbath days there were religious services, but there were people hanging around every day of the week. It was probably at the synagogue that Paul met Aquila and Prisca. Aquila was from Pontus, a city on the southern shores of the Black Sea. He and Prisca were also Jews and may have been, like Paul, Jesus-followers. They had recently arrived from Italy, forced to leave Rome by the decree of the Emperor Claudius. That biblical note ties into secular history. Scholars know that Claudius issued the deportation order in the year 49, possibly because of conflicts between traditional Jews and Jewish Christians. The Roman historian Suetonius, writing 70 years later, says the conflict was over someone named Crestus, which seems to be a reference to Christ. It is possible, and perhaps even likely, that Aquila and Prisca were Jews who had already acknowledged Jesus as the Jewish messiah. Paul hit it off with them right away. Both men were from what is now Turkey (Aquila from the north and Paul from the south.) Interestingly, Paul usually refers to Prisca by her nickname Pricilla, which would be like calling Susan, Suzie. Paul, like all rabbis, had been schooled in a trade: tent-making (or leather craft, since ancient tents were usually made from leather), and Aquila and Pricilla made tents. Tent-making was probably a thriving business in Corinth, because so many visitors came to the city for the Isthmian Games (second only to the Olympic Games), and to the religious festivals that drew pilgrims from all over Europe. So, Aquila and Pricilla offered Paul a place to stay and gave him a job, and on weekends he went to the synagogue and taught about Jesus and tried to persuade both Jews and God-fearing Greeks to believe in him. All this calls for reflection. Paul had found the perfect couple to stay with. Aquila already had a tent-making business and needed to increase his workforce. Pricilla was an intellectual who shared Pauls love of the Scriptures. Ironically, the reason Paul ran into these people in just the right place at just the right time was because of an ugly ethnic prejudice and a distant Roman emperors unjust and inconvenient decree. Perhaps that sounds familiar? It should. Once, about 50 years earlier, God made use of a towns unfriendly attitudes and a different Romans emperors unfair and enormously inconvenient decree to move a young pregnant woman to a little town called Bethlehem, which was just the right place, at just the right time for the savior of the world to be born. That is how good God is at what he does. He holds Roman emperors in his hands. And Turkish tentmakers. And people like us. Both the accidents of nature and the circumstances of life are forced to do his bidding. Wed prefer to see his hand when everything is going well, but it is often when were stuck at the intersection of unfair and inconvenient that God shows up. If Paul had been on a mission to secure a comfortable station in life and settle down, he would not have had the opportunities he had to see Gods providential work. It is those who seek Gods kingdom, not their own comfort, who find God waiting for them with gifts in hand. Find this and other articles by Shayne Looper at shaynelooper.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Shayne Looper: The surprising place where God shows up Three now-former officers with the Memphis Police Department argued that their criminal cases in Shelby County Criminal Court connected to the death of Tyre Nichols should be tried separately from the rest of the officers. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. is set to rule on the motions to sever by Oct. 5. The former officers Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith had attorneys argue that they were less culpable than the other two officers involved in the beating, and said that being tried together could cause jurors to group the actions of other officers alongside one another. Martin Zummach, who is representing Smith, said that he was sure the jury would look at the officers requesting to have separate trials as officers "doing their jobs," adding that the Shelby County District Attorney's Office's characterization that Smith and Bean were holding Nichols' arms so he could continuously be hit was "not true." The prosecution, led by Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman, said the arguments made by the attorneys Friday afternoon acted more as closing statements that would be made at trial instead of relating to the question of severing the cases. "This isn't really that different from many, many other cases where there are multiple defendants tried together, and it's particularly appropriate where all of the defendants were at the same scene, at the same time, in the same incident," Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said after the hearing. "There's a series of factors that courts look at, and none of them militate in favor of severance in this case. A lot of the argument that you heard from defense counsel today, as Mr. Hagerman accurately pointed out [in court], was not quite relevant to the discrete issue of severance it was closing arguments." Moving forward to trial Jones Jr. is hoping to set a trial date the next time all of the former officers are in court on Nov. 6. Though hoping to get the case to trial soon, prosecutors could not say exactly when it would start. "I think Judge Jones is hard working and he's going to set it as soon as he can," Hagerman said. "There's still a lot that has to be done, but we really won't know until it gets closer to November as far as what an actual trial date would be." More: Will Tyre Nichols' federal $550 million civil case be placed on hold? Rodney Wells and RowVaughn Wells, the parents of Tyre Nichols, listen as a photo of their son looks on behind them during a press conference held by civil rights attorney Ben Crump after the Department of Justice announced that an indictment is pending in federal court for the five now-former Memphis police officers involved in the Tyre Nichols case at Mississippi Boulevard Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. Hagerman acknowledged that there were questions over whether the federal indictment, which was handed down Tuesday, would change the timeline for the state case going to trial. He said they will be going "full speed ahead." "We've been coming to court over six or seven months," Hagerman said. "The family has been coming, y'all have been coming. We got six or seven months of work already in and we want to get this thing heading toward a resolution." Mulroy said that his office is not "in any way, shape or form troubled by or opposed to what the U.S. Department of Justice has done," adding that he welcomes it. "But, like Mr. Hagerman said, they've got their track and we have ours, and we're moving forward," Mulroy said. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Judge considers trying Memphis officers separately in Tyre Nichols case By Roushni Nair and Navya Mittal (Reuters) -Shell said on Friday that it had identified a cybersecurity incident involving some employees at BG Group in Australia, the latest company to be hit by the MOVEit hack. Several businesses globally have reported cybersecurity breaches involving the MOVEit software tool, which is typically used to transfer large amounts of often sensitive data, including pension information and social security numbers. The oil and gas major said it had identified some personal information related to affected individuals that was accessed without authorization and had made attempts to notify them. Shell completed its $70 billion takeover of BG Group in 2016, bringing into its portfolio oil and gas projects across countries including Australia and Brazil. "The data is from 2013 and although it is historic and some of it may be out of date, there is a risk to impacted individuals of identity theft and being targeted by phishing campaigns," Shell said in a statement. Shell did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment to clarify the exact number of individuals impacted. The company began informing affected staff members in early July, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The incident is the latest among a string of security breaches in corporate Australia since late last year, which led the government to reform its cybersecurity rules and even set up an agency to oversee government investment in the field. Hebe Chen, an analyst with IG Markets, told Reuters that the incident again highlighted one of the weakest spots in Australia's corporate ecosystem. "Not only does it expose the fragile protection measures that were in place, but it also raises questions about the effectiveness of the Australian government's national cybersecurity strategy," Chen added. (Reporting by Roushni Nair and Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Alexander Smith) A teenager who died in a utility task vehicle crash in Monroe County has been identified, the sheriffs department said Friday. David F. Browning, 17, of St. Louis died in the crash on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriffs Department. Browning and another person were ejected from the vehicle. The crash occurred at about 5:51 p.m. Tuesday in the 2600 block of Trout Camp Road near Waterloo. Browning was brought to a local hospital, where he died, the news release stated. The other victim, whose name was not released, was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital. The cause of the crash was not announced. The Trout Camp Road crash remains under investigation and no additional information was released. Anyone with information about the Trout Camp Road accident is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriffs Department Investigation Division at 618-939-8651 ext. 244 or ext. 271. Illinois State Police is investigating another crash that also occurred on Tuesday evening in Monroe County. Two women were injured in that single-vehicle crash on Bluff Road at Hanover Road. An incident in a Peckham shop led to protesters sticking signs on the building's window - Jamie Lorriman In a hair and cosmetics store in Peckham, the shopkeepers eyes never waver from a 50in TV which hangs from the ceiling showing the feeds of no fewer than 16 cameras focused on the aisles. Amid claims shoplifters can strike up to 10 times a day, another staff member is on standby to immediately block off the glass-fronted doorway and confiscate stolen items from customers who attempt to walk off with products in a dispute over a refund. The scene is typical of shops in the south-east London suburb where owners say they are protecting their business but customers from black communities argue they are treated with unnecessary suspicion and disrespect. Earlier this week, Sohail Sindho, 45, the owner of Peckham Hair and Cosmetics, was filmed with his hands around the neck of a customer in footage where she can be heard saying: Get the f--k off me Call the police. This man just strangled me. Rather than simply being another example of the countrys shoplifting epidemic, the scuffle has ignited tensions between mostly Asian shopkeepers and customers from the black community who believe their culture has been exploited for profit. Its not just this store, its all of them on the strip! Black owned only, was one of dozens of signs placed on the shutters as protesters accused the shop owner of racism and called for all-black ownership of shops along Rye Lane. A handful of protesters openly engaged in offensive slurs about Asian owners and one sign daubed on the store described Asian shop owners as parasitic merchants. Other posters read: You take black womens money yet assault them the first chance you get. Since the incident on Monday, Mr Sandho, 45, was interviewed under caution and a 31-year-old woman involved was arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed. Police described the row as a dynamic situation and said they would investigate if there are any posters or signs that reflect hate speech. The Mayor of Londons office said he remained in close contact with police, adding that the events of the last week have caused deep concern and distress. Protesters posted signs on the window of a Rye Lane store after the incident - Jamie Lorriman Activists claimed they were frequently mistreated by shop workers and said that stores mainly used by black women should not be owned by Asian men. Lisa, 53, said: All of them need to be shut down because they are abusing us. Our culture has been stolen for profit. Kelly Sinclair, 40, a professional declutterer who has lived in the area for 24 years, said that many shops on Rye Lane were dependent on black women and that shop owners were rude and disrespectful. Without our community they wouldnt be here, they are dependent, she said. Things like this happen quite regularly, the disrespect against people. It was inevitable this would happen. Around half of Peckhams population are from black communities and one in 10 residents are from an Asian background. Customers dont look at both sides Mr Sandho, who opened his shop eight years ago after moving to the UK from Pakistani Kashmir in 2004, has insisted he was not racist and was tolerant of people of all faiths and races. He said: What you are, you cant change this, it doesnt matter. Its not racial. They say probably, I am Asian, she is black, its not by your choice. I am colour-blind. All the faiths are beautiful. Owners of other cosmetic and hair shops, stocking extensions, wigs and specialist shampoos, claimed they frequently faced abuse from customers in rows over refunds or shoplifting. A third-generation owner, whose family came to the UK in the 1980s from Azad Kashmir, said: Customers most of the time dont look at both sides. That is what every shop owner on Rye Lane has to face. If you say to those customers you cant refund they will just take whatever People will walk out and they will pick up stuff. We have had to block the door a lot of times, we try to take something back. If someone gets out of hand we call the police but they will not get here until half an hour later. He claimed that the slurs on signs towards Asian communities were not new and some customers had deeply ingrained views about them. If you spent your time here, you would see what we had to deal with, he added. The shop owner said that it was unfair to suggest Asian people could not run shops selling to black women and many had several family members keeping the business going. Ngozi Fulani, the domestic abuse charity founder, speaks on Rye Lane at the protest - Thabo Jaiyesimi/SOPA Images/Shutterstock He said: Its not an owner sitting at home making money. We have to monitor the cameras, we are a business. We are not profiling people to steal, anyone can steal nowadays. It happens, every day, at least 10 times. My family came for a better life, more opportunities. If you work hard, you get something. People have been doing business on Rye Lane for 20 years, there must be something good about us. If people want to set up their own business then they should do it, go ahead. A Turkish shop owner said that items were stolen a few times a week and could be taken by anyone, but it was not worth calling the police who would do little. He added: That situation should have been handled differently from both sides. Those signs are not good, thats not nice. Two wrongs dont make a right. He said fighting shoplifting was a losing battle, adding: What can you do? We can keep an eye on the aisle and the boxes for the expensive things are empty. 99 per cent of the customers are good people but its impossible to know who will be the shoplifter. Experts said the incident had been exploited by opportunists who wanted to stoke tensions while police failures to solve low-level crime had seen shopkeepers defend their own stores. Dr Rakib Ehsan, social integration expert, said: Tribal opportunists have used the incident at Peckham Hair and Cosmetics to unleash their anti-Asian prejudices and enviousness over matters of business ownership. He said this week had shown some of the deepest fault-lines in modern Britain are between its racial and ethnic minorities, adding: It also highlights how the de-facto decriminalisation of lower-level crime heightens the risk of shopkeeper vigilantism in urban areas. Charlotte Littlewood, an extremism expert at the International Centre of Sustainability think tank, added that a community breakdown along ethnic lines was being ignored by the Government. Our policing and Government are failing to properly address interminority racism, she said. Perhaps critical race theory indoctrination combined with a fear of offending leads us blind and reserved when it comes to policing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Sigmund Freud Defended Queer People to a Degree Sigmund Freud and letter Freud: Wikipedia; letter: RR Auction A letter from Sigmund Freud shows him defending homosexuality well, kind of. The correspondence, dated December 6, 1938, is up for auction at the Boston-based RR Auction house. Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, wrote the letter in German from his London home. In the letter, Freud responds to a question about sexual orientation from a concerned writer who may know a queer person. "I cannot agree with your calling homosexuality a vice or a crime," Freud writes. "It is neither, regardless of the legislation in different countries. But it is an unfortunate trait, and efforts to overcome it are justified. If only it were achieved so easily!" The letter is one page and is signed Prof. Freud. This remarkable artifact sheds light on Freud's progressive views on sexuality and offers a glimpse into his personal beliefs, the auction house said in a release. In the letter, Freud goes through the obstacles that queer people faced and writes that psychoanalysis may be able to able to treat them. "Psychoanalysis has helped overcome it in rare cases; in numerous others, it succeeded in reinforcing simultaneously existing heterosexual instincts to the point where the subjects were able to live bisexually," he wrote, seeming to argue for a sort of conversion therapy. He admits that psychoanalysis does have its limits. "In most cases [psychoanalysis] has no influence over the abnormal tendency," he wrote, underscoring the intricacy of human sexuality and the difficult task of changing sexual attraction. Still, Freud cautions his correspondent not to be hasty in rejecting the gay person in their life. "The homosexual's case in today's society is not as hopeless as it may seem to you," Freud shares. He discusses the contributions gay people have made to society. "Several of the greatest men in history were homosexuals." The auction house states that the letter shows Freuds understanding beyond a binary understanding of sexuality he acknowledges the fluidity that sexuality can take throughout someones life. "It is important not to overlook the fact that a certain degree of propensity toward the homosexual object is part and parcel of the constitution of the so-called normal man," Freud wrote. RR Auction said the letter was written while Freud was in poor health he died the following year but that he was still participating in intellectual conversations and maintaining his social life. "This letter is not just a historical artifact; it's a message of hope and acceptance. Freud's insights are as relevant today as they were in 1938, reminding us of the importance of compassion and empathy," Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, said in a release. Its not the only letter from Freud that discusses homosexuality. In the 1935 Letter to an American Mother, Freud also says there have been great men who have been gay. "Homosexuality is assuredly no advantage, but it is nothing to be ashamed of, no vice, no degradation. It cannot be classified as an illness; We consider it to be a variation of the sexual function produced by a certain arrest of sexual development. Many highly respectable individuals of ancient and modern times have been homosexuals, several of the greatest men among them (Plato, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, etc.), Freud wrote. He added, It is a great injustice to persecute homosexuality as a crime, and cruelty, too. The online bidding for the 1938 letter is under way. It currently has four bids and is at $6,655. RR Auction expects the letter to fetch for $40,000 or more. I hope these thoughts will enlighten you, Freud concludes in the letter. Scroll down for images of the letter. More than 8,000 years ago, as the planet thawed following the end of the last ice age, Northern Europe abruptly cooled. New research reveals that Arctic ice melt weakened a critical ocean current, leaving Europe in the cold, a finding with important implications for future climate change. For a roughly 200-year stretch, scientists believe, temperatures in Europe and the North Atlantic fell by as much as 9 degrees F (5 degrees C), spurring more rainfall in Europe and drought in parts of Africa. The cause of this cooling was a slowdown in the conveyor-belt-like current that carries warm, tropical water north across the surface of the Atlantic, and cold, Arctic water south across the seafloor. This process is driven by the freezing of Arctic water. As seawater turns to ice, it expels its salt, leaving surrounding waters more saline. That dense, salty water then sinks to the seafloor, propelling the ocean conveyor belt. But 8,000 years ago, a sudden influx of fresh water disrupted this process. Microscopic fossils found in sediment gathered from the Scottish coast. Graham Rush Scientists previously believed the fresh water came from a massive lake in northern Canada, which drained into the ocean after an ice dam broke. But the new study finds much of the freshwater came from the melting of an ice sheet. For the study, scientists gathered samples of sediment along the Scottish coast, analyzing the fossilized remains of sea creatures to infer past sea level rise. They found that water levels rose by around 6 feet (2 meters) over 200 years, too much to be explained by the lake outburst alone. We have shown, that although huge, the lake was not large enough to account for all that water going into the ocean and causing the sea-level rise that we observed, lead author Graham Rush, of the University of Leeds, said in a statement. A large volume of water, he said, must have come from melting ice. The study was published in the journal Quaternary Science Advances. The future of the North Atlantic remains the subject of intense scientific debate. One recent study found that, as temperatures rise and the Greenland ice sheet melts, the Atlantic current could shut down this century, though those findings were met with skepticism. The new study offers additional evidence that present-day melting could lead to a slowdown in ocean currents. Of the new study, Rush said, We have shown that rapid ice-sheet retreat, which may occur in Greenland depending on the path of future fossil fuel emissions, can cause a range of significant climatic effects that would have very worrying consequences. ALSO ON YALE E360 New Research Sparks Concerns That Ocean Circulation Will Collapse No homeowner sits around and daydreams about their home being swallowed by a sinkhole. But in Florida, its not outside of the realm of possibilities. According to The Florida Museum, sinkholes are quite common in the state. Theyre naturally occurring, but are worsening due to human impact on the natural environment. As a result of climate change and land development, sinkhole formation in Florida is increasing, The Florida Museums website says. Periods of severe drought followed by intense rainfall can destabilize the ground leading to major outbreaks of new sinkholes opening. As the sea level rises, groundwater rises along with it, increasing the flooding of sinkholes further. Even in times of moderate weather, man-made development increases the likelihood of sinkholes. But how can you protect your home from a sinkhole? Or even know if your home is on property that's at risk for sinkholes? Does homeowners insurance for sinkholes even exist? Heres what you need to know about sinkhole insurance and who offers it. Do I need sinkhole insurance in Florida? Not every Floridian needs sinkhole insurance, but it isnt a bad thing to have if you can afford it. Residents in the west-central area of the state have the greatest need for sinkhole insurance. Pasco, Hernando and Hillsborough counties are responsible for a lot of the states sinkholes, which has earned the region surrounding Tampa a nickname: Sinkhole Alley. Does homeowners insurance cover sinkholes? Similarly to flood insurance, coverage for damages related to sinkholes is not covered in homeowners insurance policies and must be purchased separately. Home insurance covers your actual house, not the land that it was built on. Homeowners' insurance: How much do you need? Which insurance companies offer sinkhole insurance? Florida Statute 627 requires all insurance companies in the state to offer sinkhole insurance. When you apply for a sinkhole insurance policy, the insurance company may send someone to your property to look for any existing structural damage your home might have. They also might test the land itself, to determine the geological probability of a sinkhole occurring. All insurance companies licensed in Florida must offer sinkhole coverage, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services. However, an insurance companys willingness to actually provide sinkhole coverage is contingent upon the characteristics of the ground structure beneath your home. Floridas state-run, not-for-profit property insurance provider, Citizens Property Insurance, offers sinkhole coverage for HO-3 and HO-8 policy holders. Although, a more all-encompassing version of sinkhole insurance, called catastrophic ground cover collapse insurance, is automatically included in most Citizens home insurance policies. According to Citizens, Catastrophic Ground Cover Collapse coverage applies only when geological activity results in all of the following conditions: Abrupt collapse of ground cover A depression in the ground cover that is clearly visible to the naked eye Structural damage to the building, including the foundation Condemnation of the structure and order by government authorities that it be vacated Why does Florida get sinkholes? 30-foot sinkhole opens at Vitamin Shoppe lot in Ocala. How much does sinkhole insurance cost? Sinkhole insurance typically costs between $2,000 and $4,000 each year in Florida, depending on which insurance provider you use. What are the warning signs of a sinkhole? Here is a list of things to look out for in your home that might indicate a possible sinkhole, according to Foundation Professionals of Florida: Cracks in interior joint areas Cracks in stucco or exterior block Sticking windows and doors Yard or street depressions Separations, cracks, and gaps in concrete Wilting plants Neighbors with sinkholes Actual cavity forming Foundation cracks Settling foundation Sloping floors Ceiling cracks Loss of pool water This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida sinkhole insurance explained. Who offers it, who should get it This 2012 photo provided by Delbridge Museum shows an exhibit at the Delbridge Museum of Natural History in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota said Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, that it has pulled its taxidermy collection off display after almost 40 years over concerns about the impact of strong chemicals used to preserve the animals. (Delbridge Museum of Natural History via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) The Sioux Falls mayor announced a "strategic pause" Friday in the city's plans to ditch an arsenic-contaminated menagerie of more than 150 taxidermy animals that fill a now-closed natural history museum at the state's largest zoo. Mayor Paul TenHaken said in a news release that he has created a working group to figure out what to do with each of the mounted animals, including a lion, tiger and polar bear. The move follows intense pushback from the community and museum taxidermy experts, who say the arsenic risk is overblown. Older taxidermy specimens are frequently displayed, experts say, with museums taking precautions like using special vacuums to clean them or to encase them in glass. But Sioux Falls officials have said that would be costly. The mayor acknowledged the concerns but said that taxidermy, in its current condition, cannot remain on the campus of the Great Plains Zoo. We collaborated with City Council leadership on this strategic pause to bring a clear plan forward that identifies what will happen to each specimen, he said. The situation is complicated by a morass of state and federal laws that limit what can be done with the mounts. One issue is that the collection includes 53 endangered species, according to zoo officials, and they are protected even in death under federal law and international laws. Sioux Falls businessman Henry Brockhouse hunted most of the animals in the collection during a series of international hunting expeditions that started around 80 years ago. They were mounted by some of the foremost taxidermists of the time Jonas Brothers Taxidermy, no relation to the pop band and displayed at Brockhouse's West Sioux Hardware store. Following his death in 1978 and the subsequent closure of the store, his friend, C.J. Delbridge, snapped the collection up for $550,000 and donated it to the city. The natural history museum that bore Delbridges name opened in 1984. Ultimately the original 150-animal Brockhouse collection grew to around 170 animals as other mounts were acquired, including a giant panda that was donated by China. Around 20 of the animals are in storage. But the display occupies prime real estate near the zoo's entrance, which officials are eyeing as they look for a spot to build a new aquarium and butterfly conservatory. Currently, the taxidermy does not hold a strong draw for visitors, said Great Plains Zoo CEO Becky Dewitz. I think at one point in time it probably did," she said in a meeting last week, "but not today. With some of them showing signs of wear, the zoo considered moving the ones in the best condition to a smaller space, but the arsenic is complicating that. Test results, returned last month, showed nearly 80% were positive for detectable levels of arsenic, and city officials said they aren't willing to take any chances. The initial donation agreement, obtained by The Associated Press through a records request, said the collection needed to be kept behind glass or a suitable material to prevent touching. City officials insisted at last week's meeting that the barriers in place at the museum complied, but they also blamed some of the taxidermy damage to visitors ignoring signs and touching the mounts. The city considered adding glass, but it would cost up to $4.2 million to add it and upgrade the ventilation, Dewitz. She said an entirely new building of similar size would cost more than $13 million. And then there is the cost of fixing the signage and updating the signs. Instead, officials presented city councilors with a plan to declare the collection as surplus, a move that could lead to the disposal of many of the mounts. My soul is broken," lamented Brockhouses daughter, Beverly Bosch. Amid the backlash, multiple council members said last week that the city needed to slow down, possibly putting the mounts in storage while they weighed what to do. One possibility that was discussed was asking voters to pay for a new facility. Councilor Greg Neitzert said he had natural history museum experts from around the country reaching out to him, expressing concerns. Youd have to close virtually every natural history museum in the world based on the presence of chemicals and artifacts, he said. Its unnecessary and irrational. Washington As the U.S. ambassador to Russia was visiting Paul Whelan at a labor camp in Mordovia, his sister was in Washington seeking a meeting with President Biden to urge him to find a solution to bring him home. Elizabeth Whelan did not get an audience with Mr. Biden while she was in the capital this week meeting with administration officials. She last met with the president a year ago in the Oval Office. The White House has been in touch with her about scheduling a meeting with the president in the future, a senior administration official told CBS News. Elizabeth Whelan told CBS News earlier in the week that she had requested the meeting to ensure the president's advisers "have given him a complete picture of what it might take to bring Paul home, and I am not sure that that has happened." "Everybody wants to do the lowest risk," she said. The U.S. considers Paul Whelan to be wrongfully detained, a rare designation that puts the full force of the government behind securing his release. He was arrested in 2018 while attending a friend's wedding in Russia and sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges that he vehemently denies. Paul Whelan, a retired U.S. Marine who was arrested for alleged spying, listens to the verdict in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court on June 15, 2020. / Credit: Sofia Sandurskaya / AP He has remained imprisoned while the U.S. has made prisoner swaps to secure the release of Marine veteran Trevor Reed and WNBA star Brittney Griner, who were both wrongfully detained in Russia after Paul Whelan's arrest. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has since been arrested on unsubstantiated espionage charges and is awaiting trial. The U.S. has also declared him wrongfully detained. Elizabeth Whelan believes negotiating her brother's release is only going to become more complicated once Gershkovich is likely convicted and the Russians reveal what they want in exchange for his freedom. The Russians have been unwilling to consider a potential prisoner swap until after his trial. "We have this period of time before that happens to get Paul out because things are going to get exceptionally complicated," she said, adding that there needs to be "a sense of urgency that I'm not sure I'm feeling right now." "I feel like we're always behind," she said. "We're never on top of the situation and that gives Russia too much time to work out some other plan." While the meeting with Mr. Biden didn't happen, the Whelan family said they were grateful that Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador in Moscow, visited him in prison Wednesday. "It is good for him to hear directly from the U.S. that his release remains a priority," his brother David Whelan wrote in an email Thursday. "Unfortunately, President Biden did not meet with Elizabeth this week as she had sought. A meeting would have reinforced the message to the Kremlin that Paul's case remains a top priority for the U.S. government." Elizabeth Whelan thinks the U.S. government is too concerned about "minimizing risk" and not focused enough on how to solve the problem as fast as possible. "I don't know what the Russians are asking for at this particular point, but whatever it is, it had better be possible," she said. President Zelenskyy | Sunday on 60 Minutes Into the Streets | Sunday on 60 Minutes Hurricane Lee barreling toward New England, Canada The sisters of Ruby Franke, the mom and YouTube influencer being held without bail on six counts of aggravated child abuse, have released videos detailing Franke's separation from their family and their efforts to connect with her children. Franke, who was known for her online parenting videos through the channel "8 Passengers" was arrested on Aug. 30, along with her business partner and neighbor, Jodi Hildebrandt. One of Franke's children, a 12-year-old boy, climbed out a window and asked another neighbor for food and water. The neighbor called the police after seeing duct tape on the boy's ankles and wrists, and when the child was taken to an area hospital, he was found to be malnourished and suffering from "deep lacerations from being tied up with rope," according to court documents. Franke's 10-year-old daughter was also found to be malnourished. Four other children were taken into the custody of Utah's Division of Child and Family Services. Jodi Hildebrandt, left, and Ruby Franke are seen in this still from an Aug. 28, 2023, video uploaded to the ConneXions YouTube channel. / Credit: ConneXions YouTube channel Hildebrandt often appeared in Franke's videos and operated the company ConneXions Classroom, which she describes as a consulting service to help people improve their lives. The child who escaped was in Hildebrandt's house at the time he climbed out the window. Both Franke and Hildebrandt have been charged with aggravated child abuse and are accused of a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture; starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life; and causing severe emotional harm to two children, Washington County Attorney's Office in Utah said Wednesday. They each face six counts and face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and are being held without bail. Franke's sisters, Julie Griffiths Deru and Bonnie Hoellein, said in videos uploaded to their own YouTube channels that they were not aware of their sister's actions. Both also said that Franke had ceased contact with their family about three years ago, which Hoellein said caused their mother to have a "heart attack" and "kidney failure." Deru said that even before then, their extended family had expressed skepticism about ConneXions and Franke's relationship with Hildebrandt. "ConneXions was not a great resource, and we all saw it," Deru said. "We all felt weird about this Jody lady, we didn't, we weren't comfortable with it. We didn't like it, we didn't like the teachings Ruby was bringing to the family functions and we were this close to telling her 'If you come to our family events anymore, we do not want to hear what you were learning through ConneXions' ... We never did say that to her, but we thought it." Deru said that after Franke called their mom and "yelled at" her "for 45 minutes," none of the family heard from her. "She started all of her lies back then, lying to everyone in her life, getting rid of all of her friends and family, and I literally had no contact with her. She wouldn't respond to any texts or emails over the time that I tried reaching out to her and I literally had no contact with her," Deru said. "... I had no idea what was happening." Hollein said that she had the same experience. However, the family was offered a glimpse into Franke's life and parenting when her daughter Sherry became an adult and reconnected with her extended family, forming what Deru called a "really close, strong relationship." "It wasn't until about a year ago when we were able to reconnect with Sherry," said Hollein. "It was then that we were learning, slowly, bits and pieces of more, and that's where the part of behind the scenes, we did everything that we could." On Aug. 31, just after Franke was arrested, Deru and another sister, Ellie Mecham, said in a statement on Instagram that they have "done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe." Hollein criticized those who have said the extended family could have done more. "We did everything legally that we could, and for those that were saying that they'd go in and bust down doors and do whatever it took - to end up in jail? Because from jail, I can't do anything," Hollein said. Hollein also criticized Franke's husband, Kevin Franke, who has not been charged. In early September, a lawyer for Kevin Franke told CBS News that he was representing his client's interests in keeping his children together and in his care and that he could not comment on Ruby Franke's arrest. Hollein said that Kevin Franke had no contact with the extended family, and that he had cut off his own family as well. "It was Kevin's job to check in on things, and he did not," Hollein said. "When I say that Kevin and Ruby and Jodi and ConneXions have been destroying our lives offline for the last three years, that is exactly what they've been doing, causing turmoil within our family. We would talk in circles because nothing made sense. Nothing made sense of what they were saying, of what they were doing. It was off the wall. We couldn't make sense of what they were doing and why." Both sisters ended their videos with messages about how they will continue to "try and bring brightness into other people's lives" through their platforms, and advocate for Franke's children. "We are not going to let Ruby destroy another thing in our lives," Deru said. Hunter Biden's possible defense a "contradiction" to dad's gun policies, GOP strategist says Ukraine claims to recapture Russian-occupied village south of Bakhmut Auto workers strike after deadline for new contract passes: "We mean business" The sisters of Ruby Franke the YouTuber mom of six from Utah who was arrested on child abuse charges claim they had no knowledge of the events that police say went on in her Utah home. The controversial vlogger was known for disciplining her six children in an unusually harsh manner, such as denying them Christmas presents and food. Some of these punishments unfolded on the familys former YouTube account 8 Passengers. Earlier this month, Franke was arrested and charged with six counts of child abuse. On September 13, Ruby's sisters Julie Griffiths Deru and Bonnie Hoellein released separate YouTube videos alleging they were not aware of Franke's actions, as their sister had cut ties to her extended family. The sisters also criticized Franke's business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, a clinical mental health counselor who was arrested with Franke, for having what they said was a negative influence on their family. Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested on August 30, after the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department received a call about a minor who appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities, according to a press release. The juvenile was asking for food and water. Police found another minor in a similar physical condition of malnourishment in a nearby home. The release stated that four other children were taken in by The Department of Child and Family Services. Both Ruby Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested and charged individually with six counts of aggravated child abuse, according to the Washington County Sheriffs Office in Hurricane, Utah. Franke's sisters, Deru and Hoellein, expressed anger in their videos. "What my family and I have gone through the last couple of weeks is the worst thing that has ever happened to us," Hoellein said in her video titled "I am not my sister. I am not my sister's crimes." "The more I learn, my feelings are turning more to anger. I am mad at what has happened," she continued. "I am beyond disgusted." "We did not know what they were doing because like we said, we were cut off," she said. "We did not have access to anyone." Hoellein referred to Ruby and her husband Kevin Franke and Hildebrandt's now-deleted YouTube channel ConneXions, on which she and Ruby Franke would appear to give parenting advice, as "bull crap" and a "complete indoctrination of this thing that they created." "I don't agree with how extreme they are on everything I knew they were weird, I knew that they were off those are the things that we kept quiet about, because what was I going to say?" said Hoellein. "I was not going to come out and publicly say that I don't like my sister and I don't like what she's doing and I think she's weird. That is what we kept quiet about." It wasn't until about a year ago, said Hoellein, when the extended family re-connected with Franke's eldest adult daughter and learned more about how their nieces and nephews lived. Hoellein addressed people who accused her family of not doing more to help Franke's children, claiming they had no legal recourse. "For those that were saying that they'd go in and bust down doors and do whatever it took to end up in jail? Because from jail, I can't do anything," she said. Hoellein said Ruby's husband, Kevin Franke, was the appropriate person to intervene. "We had zero contact with him," she said. "It was Kevin's job to check in on things and he did not." TODAY.com reached out to Kevin's attorney for comment and did not immediately hear back. Ruby Franke's other sister, Julie Griffiths Deru, also posted a YouTube video titled "My Side of the Story Concerning my Sister Ruby Franke." Deru explained that she believes Franke's family was functioning until three years ago when they entered counseling. She said that ConneXions was not a great resource, in her opinion. We all felt weird about this Jodi lady, we werent comfortable with it ... we didnt like the teachings Ruby was bringing to the family functions," said Deru. "We were this close to telling (Ruby), 'If you come to our family events ... we do not want to hear what you are learning through ConneXions because we don't like it.'" According to the ConneXions website, the service offers paid courses "to help treat those lost and stranded in the darkness of distortion which addictions, fear, sadness, and all other self-destructive behaviors derive from." Deru said her sister soon cut off their family and wouldn't return her text messages or emails. "We are in complete shock still, as to what she had done," said Deru. "I had no idea what was happening." Deru and Hoellein did not immediately return TODAY.com's requests for comment. During a September 8 virtual hearing, a judge ruled that Franke and Hildebrandt would remain incarcerated without bail until their next court hearing; according to NBC News, the women will next appear in court on September 21. This article was originally published on TODAY.com The family of a 25-year-old Washington, D.C., Special Police Officer plans to file a civil lawsuit after she was killed by friendly fire during a police training session in 2022. A retired D.C. lieutenant who shot her was criminally charged and sentenced to three years in prison, but the family believes the city should share responsibility for her loss of life, and his sentence was too lenient. Maurica Manyan and her son. (Photo: GoFundMe) Maurica Manyan, a mother of one, attended a baton training conducted by former police officer Jesse Porter at the Anacostia Library on Aug. 4, 2022. The 59-year-old, though no longer an active officer, was hired as a private contractor to train the officers. Related: They Didnt Find Anything: Met Police Officers Who Strip-Searched Black 15-Year-Old Girl Exposing Her at School In 2020 Finally Face Discipline A new video released by The KLK Law Firm shows that at the end of this meeting, the class poses for a picture to commemorate the day. After the photograph was snapped, Porter stepped away from the group still huddled, turned around, and shot his handgun. The bullet fatally wounded Manyan with a single bullet to the chest. Porter said it was a prank gone wrong, and he did not mean for the gun to go off. He did not have any criminal intent, that it was not his intent to cause any harm to her on that day. Hes acknowledged that what it is that he did was negligent. But it wasnt criminal. But he also accepted responsibility, Brian McDaniel, Porters attorney, said to Fox 5. One witness said they heard Porter say, I thought I had my training gun. Why did I do this? Is she OK? WATCH THE VIDEO HERE. Immediately after Manyan was shot, Porter and another person unsuccessfully attempted to perform life-saving measures on her. Latoya Francis-Williams is representing Manyans family and says that the estate decided to file the lawsuit after it was established that Porter shot the woman in his capacity as a contractor or vendor for the city. Now, she is looking to hold the city accountable for his actions because the video shows he shot her clients relative while he was on the clock. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called Manyans death a tragic situation but said she had nothing more to say about her death or the lawsuit. Another attorney working on the case said the incident was unbelievable. Watching Officer Maurica fight for her life on the floor of the Anacostia Neighborhood Library with her killer towering over her in her final moments was nothing short of heartbreaking. Chelsea Lewis said to ABC 7. The District of Columbia bears a heavy responsibility for allowing such a tragedy to occur in a public library against one of their own public servants. She added that the family is calling for an investigation into the multiple suspected policy violations observed on the surveillance footage of the shooting. Her team is also asking the city to answer how the former officer was permitted to enter the library with a loaded gun. Our community deserves better protection and oversight from its governing bodies, she said. The family is fighting for justice and believes it was not served in Porters criminal trial. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three years in June. He will get credit for the time he already spent behind bars. Manyans loved ones and attorneys believed the sentencing was far too lenient based on her loss of life. It is not only a slap in the face, but it seemed as if the court completely disregarded the familys heartfelt pleas for justice, Lewis said. Students in San Luis Obispo County may have noticed an extra police presence at their schools on Friday in response to a social media threat circulating throughout the Central Coast. The Paso Robles Police Department and San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office were notified of the potential school threat on Friday, and the agencies were monitoring schools in the area. The social media post originated in San Antonio, Texas, according to Santa Maria Police Department Sgt. Felix Diaz. Law enforcement found the student who made the social media post, who admitted to posting the threat as a prank, Diaz said. The San Antonio Police Department determined that the threat is not credible, Paso Robles police said in a news release. The post did not contain any information specific to the Central Coast. Our schools in our jurisdiction were notified just as a precaution, San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said in a statement. Please immediately contact law enforcement for any threat of violence directed towards any person or school, Paso Robles police said in a news release. Further reposting of content of this nature is incredibly harmful and makes finding the origin of the message more challenging. The Slovak government has announced the introduction of unilateral restrictions on the import of certain categories of agricultural products from Ukraine on Friday evening, despite the decision of the European Commission not to extend them. Source: European Pravda, citing the government's statement on the portal Dennik N Details: According to the decision, Slovakia will ban the import of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds by the end of the year. "We must prevent excessive pressure on the Slovakian market so that we remain fair even to domestic farmers. At the same time, our step is a reaction to the same procedure of Poland and Hungary," the Slovak government said in a statement. They also promised to cooperate intensively with the European Commission and EU member states to find a pan-European systemic solution during the ban and, if such a decision is made, lift the ban. The European Commission has imposed a temporary restriction on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to five EU member states: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. They claimed that Ukrainian grain harms their market and farmers. But on Friday, the European Commission announced that restrictions on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine will not continue after 15 September, but Kyiv agreed to take measures to restrict imports for its part. Despite this, Poland and Hungary decided to introduce unilateral restrictions. Before that, Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, announced that Ukraine would request an arbitration of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in that case. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Senior CPC official meets Vietnamese public security minister Xinhua) 10:41, September 15, 2023 Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with To Lam, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese Minister of Public Security, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, met with To Lam, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese Minister of Public Security, in Beijing on Thursday. Chen said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Vietnam have developed bilateral relations based on mutual respect, equal treatment, and mutual benefit. Noting that law enforcement and security cooperation is a significant part of China-Vietnam bilateral relations, Chen said it is hoped that the two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, continuously push forward the vigorous development of China-Vietnam law enforcement and security cooperation, and consolidate the security foundation of the China-Vietnam community of shared future. For his part, To Lam said Vietnam is willing to push Vietnam-China law enforcement and security cooperation to a new level. Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with To Lam, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese Minister of Public Security, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) "Reanimated spiders" and "smart toilets" have triumphed at the Ig Nobel prizes ceremony, said The Guardian. The prizes celebrate unusual areas of research that "make people laugh, then think", said the paper, and the Ig Nobel mechanical engineering prize went to the team that worked on reanimating dead spiders for use as mechanical gripping tools. The prize for public health was awarded to a smart toilet that monitor human waste for signs of disease uses an anal-print sensor to identify the user. Ruins 'could prove Noah's Ark story' Ruins found in Iraq could prove that the Noah's Ark story in the bible is true, according to a documentary. The Bible Conspiracies programme claims a remains found in the Babylon Province of Iraq match the description of the Tower of Babel, which is integral to the biblical flood story. The documentary also insists that the true son of God was not Jesus Christ, but a Greek philosopher, noted The Mirror. Mystery white object in US sky Police in a US town are trying to identify a mysterious white or translucent object seen flying in the daytime sky, said UPI. Illinois police boss Bruce Franks said he was off-duty when he received a call about a crowd that had gathered to watch a mysterious object in the sky. A spokesperson said police are still trying to identify the object, but they do not believe it originated from space or from China. For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter Counter-subversive training has been conducted for border guards and military personnel on the Kyiv front, and it was also decided that video cameras should be installed at the state border. Source: Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Telegram Quote: "Training of forces and means of counter-sabotage was conducted on the Kyiv front, particularly in the Chornobyl zone. Units of the State Border Service of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine joined the event." Details: As part of the event, Naiev met with representatives of the regional military administrations of the Northern Operational Zone. Naiev says that the event was supposed to demonstrate how it is necessary to technically equip the state border of Ukraine and what methods can be used to fight against saboteurs on the state border of Ukraine in the strips of their regions. Quote: "Together, a unified approach to working on strengthening the state border and equipping it with video cameras and other technical means was developed, which, in case of attempts to break through, will serve as a good help to our soldiers to accurately inflict fire damage on the enemy." Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A South Carolina man has been convicted of killing a worker at the Speedway gas station on Amboy Avenue in Edison in 2018. Marcus A. Wright, 27, was found guilty Tuesday of murder, felony murder, and armed robbery, all first-degree crimes, as well as conspiracy to commit armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. Wright is facing life in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 1 by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Andrea Carter. Wright shot John Bertram during a Dec. 20, 2018, armed robbery. Bertram, 38, of the Fords section of Woodbridge, who had a learning disability, was working the night shift as a convenience store clerk at the gas station for about four months to help pay for the taxes on the home he inherited from his late father. Bertram was shot before dawn by a masked robber after handing over the cash register drawer at the Speedway in the Clara Barton section of Edison. Bertram was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:15 a.m. Marcus A. Wright shot John Bertram during a Dec. 20, 2018, armed robbery. Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutors Lynne Seborowski and Caitlin Lavery presented the case. The investigation was led by Middlesex County Prosecutors Office Lt. David Abromaitis and Edison Lt. Loren Long. The shooter, whose image was captured on the gas station surveillance cameras, was initially described as a man with a slight build wearing light-colored pants, a maroon-colored hooded sweatshirt, mask and gloves. The investigation found Wright and an accomplice, Olya Quinnam, of Beaufort, South Carolina, were involved in the crime. Quinnam waited outside while Wright entered the convenience store and held up Bertram with a handgun. On Jan. 3, 2019, Wright was arrested in South Carolina. Quinnam pleaded guilty in 2019 to one count of first-degree armed robbery and faces 15 years in state prison. More: Edison gas station murder victim remembered as 'extremely loyal' CBS New York reported Quinnam, now 26, testified during Wright's trial that the two were friends who met through Facebook and that she borrowed her boyfriend's car to move her sister to Long Island and Wright came along. They stopped at the Edison gas station on their way home where Wright went into the convenience store while she stayed in the car. When Wright returned to the vehicle, wearing a sweatshirt and mask, he told her to drive. After learning about the robbery through news reports, she left Wright at a rest stop and drove home, according to CBS. John Bertram was fatally shot during a robbery at the Speedway gas station in Edison in 2018. Wright and Quinnam were named as "persons of interest" in a Dec. 19, 2018, 7-Eleven robbery on Long Island, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. The Edison murder and robbery isn't Wright's only criminal offense. In 2019 Wright also was charged with the murder of his cellmate at Lieber Correctional Institute in Dorchester County, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections. The South Carolina affidavit indicates Wright and his cellmate Matthew Williams, 31, were locked in their cell on Sept. 13, 2019, when they became involved in a fight. Wright allegedly used a personal weapon to cause severe injuries to Williams head and face which resulted in his death. A pathology report indicated Williams died from blunt force trauma to the head. Wright had previously twice served time in the South Carolina Department of Corrections for burglary. Email: srussell@gannettnj.com Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Edison NJ Speedway gas station murder: South Carolina man found guilty WEST PALM BEACH Ronald Gamble punched his girlfriend and watched her fall. Then he left their apartment and locked the door behind him. For the two days that he nursed his swollen knuckles, his girlfriend lay unmoving on their apartment's entryway floor. Gamble left the home on a Friday and returned Monday, stepping over her decomposing body to call 911. Jurors convicted Gamble of manslaughter Thursday for the death of Rochelle Demmings, a 52-year-old Cleveland native who spent more than 30 years working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and is exactly what Gamble and his attorneys hoped for. I hit her really hard: What led to the fatal fight between Rochelle Demmings and Ronald Gamble He admitted to manslaughter before jurors even began deliberating, nudging them away from the second-degree murder conviction prosecutors sought. A medical examiner testified that Gamble's punches, hard enough to split Demmings' lip, blacken her eye and bruise Gamble's fist, weren't fatal. The fall to the ground, where Demmings hit her head and fractured her skull, was. West Palm Beach Police Department body cam evidence in is shown in court. Ronald Jerome Gamble, right in video, was charged with second-degree murder in the December 2019 death of Rochelle Demmings. Jurors convicted him of manslaughter. Prosecutors needed to prove that Demmings died as a result of Gamble's actions, and that he was driven by hatred, without regard for human life, for jurors to convict him of second-degree murder. Unlike first-degree murder, the charge doesn't require either proof of premeditation or intent to kill. To do so, they described a couple in turmoil, and a man whose paranoia and resentment mounted until he "snapped." "This wasn't a one-off," said Assistant State Attorney Bethany Johnson. "This was a long time coming." A letter addressed to Rayshon, Demmings' 27-year-old son, inside the couple's mailbox triggered the fight in their Grand Isles apartment, off Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach, on Dec. 13, 2019. Gamble accused Demmings of trying to supplant him with Rayshon, and she fought back. Assistant state attorney Courtney Behar watches West Palm Beach Police Department body cam evidence in court. The jury convicted Ronald Jerome Gamble of manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend Rochelle Demmings. She pointed to a conflict between Gamble and Rayshon. Gamble told police that the mother and son's closeness eroded his own relationship with her, and he feared the two were conspiring to squeeze him out of the relationship. "My life has been a living hell for a whole year," he said. Furious, he told police he tried to leave the apartment, but Demmings slammed the door shut as he began to open it and slapped him across the face. He punched her "before he knew it," he said. He did it once, maybe twice, and so hard that it hurt his hand. "I closed the door behind me. She didn't come out," he said. "She didn't say anything. So I left." Assistant State Attorney Courtney Behar said Gamble left the home knowing what awaited him upon his return and spent the days in between planning how best to circumvent the consequences. Why else did he have his phone powered off the entire weekend? she asked. Gamble drove to Orlando in Demmings' car Friday night and returned on Saturday to retrieve his own car, which he then drove to Orlando. He did so without once entering the apartment, prosecutors said, because he knew what he would find behind the closed door. Assistant Public Defender Raymon Burns said the opposite was true. More: Woman arrested in 2022 fatal stabbing of man at apartment near Greenacres Gamble spent the weekend with his brother in Orlando and was shocked when he returned home, Burns said. He called 911 immediately, gave police access to his home, phone, car and DNA and complied with everything investigators asked of him. Burns said the two had dated for about three years and were planning their wedding. When an officer asked Gamble if he thought he punched Demmings hard enough to kill her, he hid his face with his hands. "Dont tell me that," Burns told the jury Gamble said. He wept on the first day of the trial and didn't look at the bloody crime-scene photos prosecutors showed jurors. They reached their decision within hours Thursday. Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss is scheduled to sentence him at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 29. Editor's note: This story was updated on Sept. 20, 2023. Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Death of badly beaten woman was manslaughter, jury decides not murder South Korea grows worried due to military cooperation talks between Russia and North Korea and is not excluding the possibility of unilateral sanctions against the two countries, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Sept. 15, citing South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin. Seoul's statement comes shortly after the meeting between the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia earlier this week, reportedly to discuss Pyongyang's military support for the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. "North Korea reaching any agreement related to the arms trade with Russia through their summit would be an extremely serious threat to security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," South Korea's top diplomat reportedly told journalists at a forum in Seoul. When asked whether Seoul is considering unilateral sanctions against Moscow or Pyongyang, the minister responded that the government is "reviewing all possible measures," according to Yonhap. Park noted that any military cooperation with North Korea, including arms sales deals, would constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang. South Korea has previously joined international sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The country regularly imposes sanctions against North Korea over nuclear and missile threats or other illicit activities. Read also: Putin, Kim meet at Russian cosmodrome ahead of expected arms talks The North Korean leader met Putin in Russia's far-eastern Amur Oblast for talks on Sept. 13. According to the Kremlin, the meeting addressed possible cooperation between the two countries in the field of missile and space technology. However, Washington believes that Russia is seeking to secure North Korean arms supplies to bolster its floundering invasion of Ukraine. In the spring of 2023, Moscow reportedly approached Pyongyang with the offer of food supplies in exchange for weapons. North Korea has been heavily militarized since the end of the war with its Southern Korean neighbors in 1953 but suffers from chronic food shortages. Earlier in August, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea's capital to convince the country's leadership to provide artillery ammunition that Russian forces could use in its war against Ukraine. Yonhap reported on Sept. 14 that according to the South Korean intelligence reports, there have been recorded cases of Russian forces using unspecified types of North Korean weaponry on the battlefield in Ukraine. Read also: South Korea pledges $2.3 billion in aid for Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. With leaves already falling, one southwestern Wake County town gave residents a new option this week to dump their yard waste whenever they want. The Holly Springs Yard Waste Convenience Center opened Wednesday at 6412 Rex Road with the goal of keeping leaves and branches off curbs and out of storm drains and landfills. Holly Springs has a lot going on, weve got a lot of growth, and its a beautiful green space, so theres lots of leaf foliage and greenery, said Public Works Director Paige Scott. We accumulate a lot of yard waste. Putting it out on the street is not the best method. The Keeping it Green in Holly Springs campaign encourages recycling and clearing waterways and drains of debris. The convenience center is the first step in modernizing the towns yard-waste program. By March, Holly Springs, which has about 43,000 residents, will distribute yard-waste carts that will be emptied on recycling pickup days. Holly Springs residents must show proof of residency, such as a drivers license or utility bill, to use the yard waste convenience center. When it rains, leaves and branches can clog storm drains, creating more issues for neighborhoods, Scott said. From an environmental stewards standpoint, for all the creatures and things that are living in our environment, were making sure that theyve got a great place to live among us, Scott said. Its important to make sure that were getting waste out of the street and collected in a timely manner. Holly Springs residents pay sanitation fees each month, and yard waste collection costs $7.50 a month. The Yard Waste Convenience Center is free for all residents who show proof of residency, such as a drivers license or utility bill. Types of yard waste accepted Residents can drop off waste at the center from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. Scott said when residents arrive at the center, a worker will show them where to place certain items. Loose yard waste must be left at the center without bags or a container. Accepted items include: tree limbs shrubbery lawn clippings leaves pine needles Items like dirt, root balls, mulch, rocks, concrete, construction debris, pallets, lumber and mailbox posts cannot be left at the convenience center. Staff will direct residents who bring this material to the center to nearby landfills or waste centers. During the holidays, Scott said, a tree chipper will be at the center for residents to bring their Christmas trees. One resident dropped off their yard waste on the day the convenience center opened. Scott hopes more residents will learn about and start using the option throughout the fall. Were excited. Its been a long time coming, he said. This embedded content is not available in your region. You probably shouldn't hold out hope for a launch of SpaceX's giant Starship vehicle this month. SpaceX is gearing up for the second-ever liftoff of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, from its Starbase site in South Texas. The vehicle slated to make the leap is ready to go, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk; SpaceX just needs to secure the necessary regulatory approvals, including a launch license from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). That license could be coming soon though perhaps not as soon as Musk would like. "We're working well with them and have been in good discussions. Teams are working together and I think we're optimistic [about issuing a license] sometime next month," the FAA's acting administrator, Polly Trottenberg, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference on Wednesday (Sept. 13), according to Reuters. Related: Relive SpaceX's explosive 1st Starship test in incredible launch photos Last Friday (Sept. 8), the FAA wrapped up its investigation of Starship's first flight, which occurred on April 20. That test mission aimed to send Starship's 165-foot-tall (50 meters) upper stage most of the way around Earth, with splashdown targeted for the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. But Starship suffered several problems shortly after launch, including the failure of its two stages to separate, and SpaceX detonated the vehicle on purpose high above the Gulf of Mexico. Those issues spurred the FAA mishap investigation, which identified 63 "corrective actions" for SpaceX to take. The company has addressed the 57 actions that were required before the launch of Flight 2, Musk said recently via X (formerly Twitter). The other six corrective actions relate to future missions, according to the billionaire entrepreneur. RELATED STORIES: Starship and Super Heavy: SpaceX's Mars-colonizing transportation system Elon Musk says SpaceX could launch a Starship to the moon 'probably sooner' than 2024: report FAA seeks to fine SpaceX for August 2022 Starlink launch The timeline for Flight 2 whose aims will be similar to those of the April mission may remain murky even after the FAA issues a license, as Reuters noted. "SpaceX would still need a separate environmental approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a launch," Reuters wrote. "Trottenberg did not say how long that might take." Musk would like to fly Starship as often as possible. That's in keeping with SpaceX's ethos: The company iterates quickly and proves out, or finds issues with, its designs via test flights. (Bloomberg) -- Spain is analyzing Saudi Telecom Co.s plan to become Telefonica SAs largest shareholder, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, balancing a welcome for foreign investment with being wary of undue influence. Most Read from Bloomberg The government is analyzing the investment operation thoroughly, Sanchez said on Friday at an event in Madrid. We will guarantee that at all times national defense and security, understood in a broad sense, will be safeguarded. We also guarantee that any foreign investment will not exceed the limits that would involve undue influence over strategic companies or access to critical technologies. Sanchez, who didnt mention the firms by name, said in his first comments since the deal was announced last week that interest from large international investors in Spanish companies is always good news. In whats one more test of Europes appetite for investment from Gulf states, Saudi Telecom plans to take a nearly 10% stake in Telefonica for about $2.25 billion as the struggling Madrid-based carrier prepares to lay out a new strategy for future growth. If approved, the stake purchase would turn Saudi Telecom into Telefonicas largest shareholder, surpassing Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Blackrock Inc. and CaixaBank SA, which each own less than 5%. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Spain introduced restrictions on foreign investments by entities from outside Europe to protect companies whose valuations had plummeted. The government recently amended the rules, lowering the threshold for which authorization is required from 10% to 5% for companies related to defense. The government has the necessary instruments to protect its national sovereignty and its strategic interests, such as the access to critical technologies particularly in the area of security and defense, Sanchez said. Spanish legislation on control of foreign investments is among the most rigorous in Europe. Telefonica is a provider of systems and equipment to Spains military and defense ministry, according to the government. Shares of Telefonica were little changed in Madrid trading on Friday. The stock has climbed about 16% this year. In his speech, which evolved around the topic of strengthening free trade, Sanchez argued that the European Union has to launch a new commercial expansion based on consolidating and diversifying its ties abroad. This expansion should have as its main objective those countries that share with us principles, values and also interests, he said. The Saudi firms planned holding, which consists of a 4.9% stake in shares and an additional 5% through financial instruments, stirred debate about the protection of strategic assets. Saudi Telecom is Saudi Arabias largest telecommunications company. Most of it is owned by a sovereign fund through which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to wean the economy off its dependence on oil. Telefonica earlier this month described Saudi Telecoms move as friendly, noting its support for the management team, Telefonicas strategy and ability to create value. (Updates with share performance in eighth paragraph, additional comments from Sanchez in 10th) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON Special counsel Jack Smith is asking the federal judge presiding over Donald Trump s Jan. 6 case to stop the former president from making inflammatory statements that he said are endangering witnesses and will make finding a fair jury difficult. The defendant has repeatedly and widely disseminated public statements attacking the citizens of the District of Columbia, the court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses, Smith wrote in a Friday filing to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. The defendant knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets. Trump responded to the request barely an hour after it was posted by the court with a statement similar to the ones Smith spoke of in his 19-page filing. I am not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they wont allow me to SPEAK? How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT? Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. In his filing, Smith cited Trumps Aug. 23 post after his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was charged in a separate Georgia case: THE ELECTION WAS RIGGED & STOLLEN. HOW SAD FOR OUR COUNTRY. MAGA! He also included in the filing an Aug. 5 post in which Trump attacked former Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to do as Trump demanded and declare him the winner of the 2020 election. Hes delusional, and now he wants to show hes a tough guy, Trump wrote. Smith provided several examples of witnesses, whom Trump supporters have targeted for harassment and threats, whose names were blacked out in the filing. Details in the filing, though, suggest that Smith is citing Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two Atlanta elections workers whom Trump wrongly accused of fraud, as well as Chris Krebs, the DHS official in charge of election security whom Trump fired after Krebs said there had been no significant fraud. The defendant continues these attacks on individuals precisely because he knows that in doing so, he is able to roil the public and marshal and prompt his supporters, Smith wrote. As he acknowledged in a televised town hall on May 10, 2023, his supporters listen to him like no one else. Special counsel Jack Smith, pictured here, wrote in a filing to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that Donald Trump Special counsel Jack Smith, pictured here, wrote in a filing to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that Donald Trump "has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis." Smith further cited Trumps posting on Aug. 4, the day after his federal court arraignment, when he wrote: IF YOU GO AFTER ME, IM COMING AFTER YOU! And he has made good on his threat. Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis, Smith wrote. Smith also showed examples of Trumps attacks against Chutkan and against the special counsels office, including Smith himself. Put simply, those involved in the criminal justice process who read and hear the defendants disparaging and inflammatory messages (from court personnel, to prosecutors, to witnesses, to potential jurors) may reasonably fear that they could be the next targets of the defendants attacks, Smith wrote. The government seeks a narrow, well-defined restriction that is targeted at extrajudicial statements that present a serious and substantial danger of materially prejudicing this case, Smith wrote, adding that he would also like Chutkan to monitor Trumps attempts to poll the District of Columbia because such a survey could actually be designed to sway public opinion in favor of Trump ahead of a trial. The defendants past conduct, including conduct that has taken place after and as a direct result of the indictment in this case, amply demonstrates the need for this order, Smith wrote. As illustrated by the examples discussed above, the defendants statements reasonably could have a material impact on the impartiality of the jury pool while simultaneously influencing witness testimony. The office of Special Counsel Jack Smith has argued in a motion that theres no valid basis for Judge Tanya Chutkan to recuse herself after Donald Trumps legal team claimed that she should leave the case because of statements she made when sentencing January 6 rioters. There is no valid basis, under the relevant law and facts, for the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan, United States District Judge for the District of Columbia, to disqualify herself in this proceeding, the special counsels office wrote in a 20-page filing on Thursday. In service of his motion (ECF No. 50) seeking the Courts recusal, the defendant both takes out of context the Courts words from prior judicial proceedings and misstates the proper legal standards governing judicial recusals. The special counsel added that Mr Trump has failed to identify anything approaching the clear and convincing evidence necessary to overcome the presumption of impartiality. The office argued that Mr Trump was using suggestion and innuendo to insinuate something sinister in the Court simply doing its job by addressing sentencing arguments. The former presidents legal team argued that Judge Chutkan should leave the case because of statements she had made when sentencing defendants for taking part in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The lawyers for the former president wrote that Judge Chutkan agreed with portions of a sentencing memo for one of the January 6 defendants which wrongly placed blame on President Trump and complained that he had not been charged. The defence lawyer for the defendant referred to in the motion said in a sentencing memo that those voices, including the voice of the then-president himself, had convinced persons such as Mr. Palmer that the election was fraudulent and that they must take action to stop the transition of the presidency. . . . While many of the people who participated in the Capitol riot will be going to prison, the architects of that horrific event will likely never be charged with any criminal offense. The Trump lawyers added that although Judge Chutkan correctly noted that she does not have any influence on charging decisions, her ... comments stating you have made a very good point . . . that the people who exhorted you and encouraged you and rallied you to go and take action and to fight have not been charged and you have a point, that the people who may be the people who planned this and funded it and encouraged it havent been charged, but thats not a reason for you to get a lower sentence reflect her apparent opinion that President Trumps conduct ... occurred, and supports charges. Otherwise, she would not have characterized the point as very good, they said. Judge Chutkans statement that I have my opinions suggests that in her viewformed almost two years before the initiation of this matterPresident Trump should be charged, the Trump legal team added. After that filing, Judge Chutkan ordered that the prosecution, the legal team of Mr Smith, should file any opposing arguments within three days a response that came in Thursdays filing. The motion from Mr Trumps legal team arguing for the judges recusal came on Monday after she set a trial date of 4 March next year. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to four counts in the indictment laying out the case against him for attempting to overturn President Joe Bidens election victory. Trump lawyer John Lauro argued in his motion that even if Judge Chutkan thinks she can provide a fair trial for Mr Trump, the public will reasonably and understandably question whether Judge Chutkan arrived at all of her decisions in this matter impartially. The law and the overwhelming public interest in the integrity of this historic proceeding require recusal, he wrote. Judge Chutkan gave Mr Trumps legal team until Sunday to respond to the filing from the office of the special counsel. If she refuses the request from the Trump team, they could request that the US Court of Appeals disqualify her. Chinas Foreign Ministry on Friday skirted questions on the whereabouts of the countrys defense minister, amid mounting speculation the recently promoted general has been placed under investigation. Li Shangfu , who was appointed defense minister in March, has been absent from public view for more than two weeks, fueling rumors about his fate after a series of unexplained personnel shakeups roiled the upper ranks of Chinas ruling Communist Party this summer. The Financial Times reported late Thursday that the US government believes Li has been placed under investigation, citing American officials. The Wall Street Journal also reported Li was taken away last week by authorities for questioning, citing a person close to decision making in Beijing. Neither of the reports cite a reason for the investigation. Asked about Lis situation at a regular news briefing Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Im not aware of the situation. Questions over Lis whereabouts follow the unexplained disappearance of Qin Gang , who was dramatically ousted as Chinas foreign minister in late July after vanishing from public view for a month. Qin, who was only foreign minister for seven months, has retained the position of state councillor a senior role in Chinas cabinet which Li also holds. On Chinese government and military websites, Li is still listed as the defense minister, state councillor and a member of the partys powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). Lis disappearance also comes weeks after a surprise shake-up in the Chinese military. In July, the Peoples Liberation Army abruptly replaced two leaders of its Rocket Force an elite military branch overseeing the nations arsenal of nuclear and ballistic missiles. The commander who was removed had not been seen in public for months. CNN is attempting to reach US officials for comment. Lis absence was also noted in the diplomatic circles. Last week, US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Li hadnt been seen in public for two weeks. In his post, Emanuel said: President Xis cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christies novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen in public for two weeks. He wrote with the hashtag MysteryInBeijingBuilding. The disappearance of two high-profile ministers in quick succession has raised questions about the governance of leader Xi Jinping, who has made Chinas political system even more opaque as he concentrates power and enforces strict party discipline. The foreign minister and the defense minister are both externally facing interlocutors with the international community. They have been potentially removed without any explanation or any consideration for global perception, Drew Thompson, a senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, told CNN Friday. This fuels the crisis of confidence in China. It underscores the lack of transparency and the complete opaque nature of decision making in China. Before being promoted to defense minister, Li was head of the CMCs Equipment Development Department in charge of weapon procurement for five years from 2017. In that role, Li was sanctioned by the United States in 2018 over Chinas purchase of Russian weapons. In late July, the Equipment Development Department issued a notice calling for public tip-offs on corrupt procurement practices dating back to 2017, which coincides with the time Li was in charge of procurement. Li was last seen in public on August 29, when he delivered a keynote speech at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing. He last traveled outside China in mid-August on a trip to Russia and Belarus. In Moscow, Li met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu and hailed the military relations between China and Russia a model of cooperation. In Minsk, he met with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Two weeks away from the public view is not unprecedented for Chinas defense minister, who typically has less frequent public engagements than the foreign minister. But it has nevertheless fueled speculation, especially coming so soon on the heels of Qins disappearance and dismissal. Last week, Li abruptly pulled out of an annual meeting with Vietnamese defense leaders along the two countries border, Reuters reported, citing Vietnamese officials. The gathering was postponed after Beijing told Hanoi days before the event that Li had a health condition, Reuters cited two officials as saying. Vietnams defense ministry said at a press conference last month that Li would lead a Chinese delegation to attend the 8th Border Defense Friendship Exchange on September 7-8. There has been no official statement or media report from either side on whether the meeting took place. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com With September being Attendance Awareness Month, Springfield City School District is stressing the importance of school attendance post the COVID-19 pandemic. >> Classes dismissed at Troy HS after active shooter alarm accidentally goes off twice Chronically absent students in Ohio are 65 percent less likely to meet the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and 89 percent less likely to graduate high school on time, according to the Ohio Department of Education. If a student misses two days of school per month, they will miss the equivalent of one year of class instruction by their high school graduation, a district spokesperson said Friday. >> UAW strike against Big 3 auto plants could impact Miami Valley Springfield City School District has taken the following measures to disseminate the message to families: Billboard campaigns Social media messaging Increased phone communication between building leaders, secretaries, and families Creation of individualized success plans for families who may be struggling with attendance Increased the number of District Attendance Officers I encourage families to maintain an open channel of communication with their school, Superintendent Dr. Bob Hill said. Let someone know if you are having trouble getting your child to school whether you face issues with transportation, child care or something else. Our students cannot learn if they are not at school. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Las Vegas woman faces an attempted murder charge after police said she allegedly stabbed her ex-boyfriend three times before telling her neighbor to call the police, according to documents from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. On Wednesday, Sept. 13, at around 11 p.m., an officer with the LVMPD was on patrol near an apartment in the 200 block of West Philadelphia Avenue when a woman waved him down and told him her neighbor was stabbed and was bleeding to death, documents said. The officer found the victim on the second-floor balcony between two apartments in the complex, holding a cloth to his right torso, a report stated. When asked who stabbed him, the victim told police it was his ex-girlfriend, later identified as Amber Davis, 24. Amber Davis faces charges of attempted murder and domestic battery after police say she stabbed her ex-boyfriend. (LVMPD) Medical personnel took the victim to a local hospital, where he was treated for multiple stab wounds on the right side of his abdomen, his right knee, and his left shoulder. The victim sustained a laceration to his liver and was listed in critical, but stable condition at the time of the report. Davis neighbors told police they heard a banging coming from their ceiling that sound like bodies were falling, according to the report. They then said they heard the victim say he was dying and asked for help. Another neighbor told police the victim was at Davis apartment over the last few months and she saw the two arguing on several occasions. She told police she was leaving her apartment when she saw Davis leaving her apartment, her arm and chest covered in blood, according to the report. He kicked me, I stabbed him. Call the police, is what the neighbor said Davis said to her before she left the area, documents said. The neighbor told police the victim left the apartment holding his stomach, saying, Tell my mom I love her, I am going to die. Another neighbor helped hold pressure on the victims wounds while she went to flag down police, the report stated. There was a visible trail of blood from Davis apartment to the spot where the victim was found, according to the report. Inside the apartment, officers found a blood-stained kitchen knife, a blood-stained wig, and an eviction notice for the apartment with Davis name on it. While at the hospital, the victim told police he was staying with his ex-girlfriend, Davis, for the last few weeks and that she was in and out of the mental hospital. He was unable to provide details of what led up to the stabbing, the report stated. When police ran a record check on Davis, they found there were two active warrants for her arrest for assault with a deadly weapon and driving without a drivers license or insurance. Police said the assault incident involved Davis threatening a neighbor with a knife in March 2022. The records check also revealed that Davis was previously arrested for DUI, traffic, resisting a public officer, intimidating a public officer, and battery on a protected person, according to the report. Officers found out Davis was staying with family at a residence in the 5600 block of Deer Run Court. Police arrested Davis on Sept. 14. Davis told police that the victim was in a bad mood for a few days before the stabbing. She told police that while in the apartment, the two were arguing, and when she tried to leave, the victim grabbed her and out of nowhere kicked her in the chest, the report stated. She told police that the victim was slamming her into the walls of the living room and kitchen when she was able to grab a knife and swing it at him in self-defense. Davis sustained small bruises on her forehead and left knee, which the report stated was not consistent with the story she was describing. Police asked Davis why she did not stay and tell police she was defending herself. She said she knew there was a warrant out for her arrest and she did not want to go to jail, before saying her mind was mush and she could not think straight or make a decision, according to the report. Police booked Davis into the Clark County Detention Center, where she was held on $20,000 bail as of Friday. She faces one count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and three counts of domestic battery with a deadly weapon. For a list of local and state resources for domestic violence and abuse victims, visit this link. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Stanford University is launching a presidential search after its former leader resigned amid controversy over his research papers. (Ben Margot / Associated Press) Stanford University formally launched its search for a new president Thursday, announcing its committee members after the recent resignation of its former leader, who was found to have failed to correct errors in his published research. Marc Tessier-Lavigne stepped down as Stanford president last month, although an independent panel concluded he had not personally engaged in research misconduct and the review found no evidence that he knew the data used in several of his papers had been manipulated. He said in a statement at the time that he was resigning "for the good of the University." Stanford's leadership search comes as UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block also announced they will step down next year marking a major transition for three of the top universities in the state and nation. Whereas Christ will have served as chancellor for seven years and Block, 17 years, the average tenure of university and college leaders today is about six years, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Read more: Stanford president stepping down amid scrutiny over his research Current presidents expect to resign within five years, and reasons for leaving include weariness over the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing political polarization in higher education, the Chronicle reported. Jerry Yang, chair of Stanford's Board of Trustees, told the university community in a letter that the presidential search will be an "exciting journey" to envision and shape the university's future. "More than just finding an individual to serve in that capacity, this is an opportunity for us to collectively shape the future of our university and to help write the next chapter for how Stanford will lead," Yang said. Stanford's provost, Persis Drell, is also resigning this fall as the chief academic officer and chief budget officer. Jenny S. Martinez, dean of Stanford Law School, will succeed her beginning in October and was praised as a "champion of inclusion and a clear and reasoned voice for academic freedom" by interim President Richard Saller. Read more: Q&A: How this Stanford freshman brought down the president of the university In a separate Q&A last month, Yang lauded Tessier-Lavigne and Drell for their leadership, saying they had "transformed this university with forward-looking initiatives" while managing the pandemic. He noted such initiatives as more generous financial aid providing potential free rides to students with family incomes of less than $100,000, more faculty hires and fellowships to amplify scholarship on race and ethnicity, a new community board to revise campus safety practices and the first new school in 75 years, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Yang said the 20-member committee, made up of faculty, students, a postdoctoral scholar, staff and trustees, would seek community input through listening sessions within each of Stanfords seven schools, and also engage with other community members and alumni networks. The university has also created a dedicated email address presidentialsearch23@stanford.edu for anyone to share their thoughts, including direct nominations. The UC Board of Regents has not yet announced search committee members for the UC Berkeley and UCLA chancellor positions. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A key unit at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, above, has been restricted from accepting new patients under a California program for chronically ill children. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press) A key unit at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital has been restricted from accepting new patients under a California program for chronically ill children until it addresses dozens of concerns raised by state regulators. The California Department of Health Care Services found that the pediatric intensive care unit at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital had fallen short of standards for the California Children's Services program, which serves young people up to age 21 with chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, cerebral palsy, traumatic injuries and hemophilia a group that the agency called "our youngest and most vulnerable Californians." Among its findings and recommendations: The pediatric intensive care unit needed more staffing with critical care physicians. State reviewers wrote that at its level of staffing, particularly with the medical director needing to take on administrative tasks, "this is not a safe working environment for the physicians and thus not a safe patient care environment." Critical care physicians told the state agency there were times when they wanted to transport a patient elsewhere for care including some whose condition "portended decline that would unnecessarily endanger the patient if not transported" but were prevented from doing so or faced "disciplinary actions" for it, according to a state report on the findings. Among "the most egregious findings" were concerns about the pediatric intensive care unit operating outside of the program standards; inadequate policies and procedures; and failures to discuss problems in an organized way and act on findings to prevent future issues, the department said in a statement to The Times. Read more: New COVID-19 vaccinations are coming, CDC says. The shots will likely be available this week The Department of Health Care Services said the Santa Barbara hospital had submitted a plan to address such concerns in late July, the details of which the agency is still reviewing. New admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit for patients enrolled in the California Children's Services program often abbreviated as CCS will continue to be restricted "until the department has assurances that the corrective actions will address deficiencies, especially those that are most egregious and require immediate action." Hospital officials said they were working to implement the state recommendations so that they can get its approval to reopen the unit to new patients in the CCS program, who usually make up roughly a fifth of patients in its pediatric intensive care unit. In the meantime, the unit is continuing to care for young patients who are not in the CCS program. "We are confident that these findings and the recommendations are just going to make us stronger," Cottage Health vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer Laura Canfield said. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital officials also defended their performance and disputed some of the specific findings in the report. For instance, when asked about physicians being prevented from transferring patients to other facilities for care, Canfield said, "We don't have any data that supports that narrative at all." In reaction to staffing concerns, officials said the unit has been staffed around the clock by critical care physicians. The state review also indicated that there was no pediatric neurosurgeon who met CCS program requirements on staff. Dr. Miriam Parsa, chief pediatric medical officer at the hospital, said it had a neurosurgeon who did meet the requirements, because the doctor had "proficiency in the care of pediatric patients." The DHCS said it determined that it needed more information to assess whether that physician meets the standards of the program. "A pediatric neurosurgeon must have the appropriate training, board certification, and experience to provide care to pediatric patients," it said in an email. The Santa Barbara hospital is the second facility where the state has taken such action this year: Earlier this year, John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek was restricted from admitting new CCS patients to its pediatric intensive care unit until mid-August, when the restrictions were lifted. The state move followed a string of investigations by the San Francisco Chronicle into patient deaths at the Walnut Creek facility. Cottage Health public relations manager Cristina Cortez said the pediatric intensive care unit at the Santa Barbara hospital "provides exceptional quality care, with zero patient harm events [since January 2022] and 90th percentile patient satisfaction ratings for the past five quarters." Canfield said the DHCS findings were not based on patient outcomes, and "our outcomes are really, really good." Restricting admissions to the unit "has been a terrible hardship for our patients and our families," who have had to travel outside of Santa Barbara County and miss work to get the care their children need, said Parsa, who is also a pediatric rheumatologist. "If we didn't think this program was strong and able to provide the services that we know we can provide and we are providing we wouldn't have a PICU here," Parsa said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Massachusetts State Police troopers responded to Logan Airport Thursday night after receiving a report of an unruly passenger, an MSP spokesperson tells Boston 25. Troopers received a report from the crew of a flight landing in Boston from Chicago-Midway around 8:45 p.m. for a female passenger who was being unruly, MSP says. Boston 25 News has reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration to gain more information. On Monday, a landing flight at Logan needed to perform quick emergency maneuvers because there was already an aircraft on the runway. People on the plane gasped at the rapid pull-up and the roar of the engines as the rapid change in speed and trajectory pushed us backward into our seats and we saw the tarmac and land rapidly disappear under us, a passenger told Boston 25 News. Once we were back high in the sky circling, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and said something like, The runway... uh... was not able to be cleared of planes in time for us... uh.... we had to pull up and will circle for a bit and land shortly. 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 After nearly a decade in the citys political scene, Stephen Murray announced his resignation as mayor of Beaufort in a Facebook post Friday morning. First elected to City Council in 2014, Murray was serving his second term when he was elected mayor in 2020, earning 64% of the vote over former council member Mike Sutton. He was sworn in as mayor Dec. 8, 2020, beginning his tenure meant to last through 2024. Murray would not comment when asked about his resignation by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Friday morning. Murrays resignation comes just days after the website published by an organization that calls itself the Beautiful Beaufort Alliance alleged a confrontation between Murray and the Historic Beaufort Foundations Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins shortly after a council meeting they both attended. The website does not say how that information was obtained. At the council meeting on Tuesday, the City Council voted to stop giving the not-for-profit Historic Beaufort Foundation a say in filling a seat on the citys Historic District Review Board, which vets applications for renovations and demolitions in the historic district. Longtime councilman and real estate broker Michael McFee will become the acting mayor until a special election scheduled for Dec. 12, according to a news release from the City of Beaufort. Details about the filing period were not immediately announced. McFee said he found out about Murrays resignation when everyone else did on Friday morning. He was on a walk when he got the email informing him of his new responsibilities. I think it caught us all by surprise, McFee said. We were fortunate to have Steven as a mayor for the time that we did have him, McFee said. So he will be missed. Theres no question there will be large shoes to fill. McFee said it was too early to say if he was interested in running for mayor in the citys upcoming special election. Other area officials also were caught off guard by the news. It came as a surprise, a shock actually, when I read it. He sent us an email this morning giving us a heads up, Town of Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry said of the announcement. He did a great job for Beaufort, and you gotta do what you gotta do for your life, so I wish him the best. Mayor Lisa Sulka of Bluffton said she was surprised when she read Murrays announcement. I dont know whats happened that caused him to do it so quickly, she said, adding that Murray has done a lot for Beaufort. County Council Chair Joe Passiment said Murrays resignation was a shocker. We had a good working relationship; we accomplished several things together, Passiment said. There was kind of a collegial atmosphere that we had, so Im kind of stunned about this. It just blindsided me. I had no idea it was coming, City Council Member Neil Lipsitz said of Murrays resignation, calling the former mayor a visionary. I could see (Murray) going up into the state level or even the federal level, Lipsitz said. Councilman Josh Scallate responded to a reporters phone call by saying he had no comment on todays action. In July, Murray was elected president of the Association of South Carolina Mayors, putting him at the head of a group of 270 other mayors across the state. He was also chosen as an at-large board delegate for the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Murray is the owner of Kazoobie Kazoos and New South Shirts. Here is the statement Murray posted on his Facebook page. In the moments after the announcement, a dozen people posted words of appreciation and encouragement for his time in office. Dear Friends, I never aspired to politics as a kid or even as a young man trying to find my way in the world. I mostly chased my own idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But moving back to Beaufort in 2009 and attending the Leadership Beaufort program set my life on a totally different course trajectory. I became passionate about community development and threw myself into the world of non-profit boards, hoping to make a positive difference in my hometown. This led me to City Hall. I first ran for Council in 2014 and won a seat, ran unopposed for a second term in 2018, and then for mayor in 2020. Serving the last nine years as a member of Team Beaufort and the long list of other partners and associates has been the most challenging and rewarding job that Ive ever held. I first ran for office because I saw several areas of local government where I thought we could do things differently. Candidly, I felt that leadership prioritized one demographic of our population over others. Census and economic data support my feelings, and you only need to speak to a young working person to verify that weve woefully neglected them. Jobs, housing, recreation, educational opportunity, and just a general feeling that Beaufort is not a place for young folks to live. Weve been working hard to change this. In the past nine years, Ive had an active leadership role in creating the Beaufort Digital Corridor, the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, and the South Coast Cyber Center. In conjunction with our educational partners to whom Im extremely grateful, weve expanded access and are providing training and jobs for our people in 21st Century careers that pay a living wage. These efforts are just getting started and will continue to produce opportunity thanks to their respective staff and boards, folks who are some of the most remarkable people in the Lowcountry. Weve also transformed the city into a transparent and easily accessible local government. Online business licenses, livestreamed meetings that allow virtual public comment (pre-covid), all finances are online, a robust and clear strategic plan, and a public information effort that consistently provides information to local media outlets and our own social media channels across multiple departments. Weve made investments in police, fire, and public works to ensure public safety and a clean well-manicured city remains a top priority. Weve supported several hundred units of affordable housing and have been working with our partners to dramatically increase the number of affordable housing units across all income brackets. Weve completed significant stormwater projects in Mossy Oaks and are about to embark on a tremendous effort downtown to fix existing stormwater problems while also creating resiliency for climate change. Weve replaced the Waterfront Park playground and with a little council courage well break ground on the long overdue Southside Park while also making significant improvements in Washington St. park, so our residents have safe and quality places to play. Weve created strong regional partnerships with our neighboring municipalities, many non-profits, our military installations, and most of our utility providers. These are the highlights of the work from the past nine years that Im most proud of. Weve proved that local government can be responsive, that it can work with a robust list of partners to achieve shared goals, and ultimately provide high-quality daily services while also investing in our preferred future. This progress within city government has not come easy. Change is hard for a lot of people. Especially people whove had their hands on political levers for a long time. People who have advocated for their interests at the expense of many others. People who are not duly elected or operate in a transparent way. Ive been actively fighting against some of these folks and the status quo for almost nine years. And while Im proud of the work and I know there is still much to be done, Im tired. Im tired of the daily barrage of uncivil and rude people accusing me of impropriety without a shred of proof. Im tired of the he said, she said middle school drama that is present among many of the folks that Im required to work with outside of Team Beaufort. Im also tired of prioritizing my civic job at the expense of my health, my family, my friends, my businesses, and my reputation. The City of Beaufort deserves a mayor that has their heart and energy fully committed to the job. A mayor who is fully committed to fighting the last bastions of the good ole boys, fully committed to responding to even the nastiest email with kindness, and fully committed to actively and consistently communicating their thoughts to the people they represent. Id like to think at one time, not too distant ago, I was this mayor. But I do not feel like I am currently up to the task of the mayor I want to be, nor the one Beaufort deserves. I will forever be grateful for the relationships, the support, the kind words, the lessons imparted from so many of you. Local government and some of our partners are full of talented, caring, hardworking people that I have learned so much from. But I believe its time for me to focus more on my family, my friends, my businesses, and my health. Effective immediately, I hereby resign as the Mayor of the City of Beaufort and from all my affiliated board seats. The City is in capable hands with an amazing staff and dedicated council, and I am excited to watch our continued progress as a private citizen. Be Well, Stephen D. Murray III The Sterling Heights City Council approved a $265,000 settlement to resolve a federal lawsuit that accused a police officer of a wrongful arrest of a high schooler as he waited for his father to pick him up from work. Details were not initially made public after the council voted last week to approve the agreement because of a confidentiality clause in the settlement. The city released a copy of the settlement agreement to the Free Press on Thursday under a Freedom of Information Act request. "It is very common for parties to agree to confidentiality as part of settlement of a civil lawsuit," Melanie Davis, a spokesperson for the city, said in an email Thursday. "With that said, if the parties agree to confidentiality, the City always carves out an exception to confidentiality to allow disclosure through a Freedom of Information Act request, or when otherwise required by law, to preserve the public's right to request and review that information." Logan Davis, then 18, was arrested after being accused by officer Jeremy Walleman in April 2019 of loitering outside of a closed business while waiting for his father to pick him up from work. At the time of the encounter, Davis was standing two doors down from his job at a sub shop on Van Dyke Avenue. The City Council voted at the Sept. 5 meeting to approve the settlement agreement and resolve the federal lawsuit Davis filed in 2020. The agreement was among several items on the consent agenda the council voted unanimously to approve all at once. One council member was absent from the meeting. Three council members declined to comment when reached by the Free Press this week and requests for comment from City Manager Mark Vanderpool, City Attorney Marc Kaszubski, Mayor Michael Taylor and three other council members, went unanswered. A Sterling Heights police spokesperson and Walleman, who the spokeperson confirmed still works for the department, also did not comment on the settlement when reached. David Robinson, an attorney who has represented Davis, said they are satisfied with the settlement and that "it's a resolution and Logan can get on with his life now." Robinson said he couldn't comment on the terms or amount of the settlement because it's confidential. Davis' case was featured in a 2021 Free Press investigation into the use of resisting and obstructing charges in Michigan. The investigation found the charge carries harsh penalties under state law and disproportionately impacts the state's Black residents. Davis was charged under city ordinances with misdemeanor charges of loitering and resisting. Court records showed both charges were dropped. He alleged in the lawsuit that he was wrongfully investigated and arrested and that he was retaliated against for exercising his First Amendment rights. According to Walleman's police report, he decided to investigate after seeing someone standing near closed businesses on Van Dyke and wrote that his "first thought was that the subject was possibly acting as a look out for a possible break in." Video of the arrest shows Davis was approached by Walleman, who asked for his name. Davis gave his first name, but when Walleman asked for his last name he questioned why he needed it. "I'm telling you right now, when I request that you identify yourself, I have a lawful reason to stop you, you have to identify yourself," Walleman said at one point. "What is your reason?" asked Davis, who used his phone to record the encounter, which was also captured by the patrol vehicle's dash camera. "Because you're standing in front of a closed business and you're loitering," Walleman said. Davis asked how he was loitering when he had just gotten off of work and was waiting for his dad, Walleman responded: "How am I supposed to verify that, brother?" In the video, Davis appears to point at his work shirt from the nearby sub shop. In a court filing, attorneys for Walleman said it was dark outside and the officer never saw whether Davis was wearing a shirt from the sub shop. When Davis refused to produce his ID, Walleman told him to turn around and put his hands behind his back, but Davis repeatedly called the arrest illegal and, eventually, the officer slammed him to the ground, the video shows. After being handcuffed and placed in the back of a police vehicle, Davis knew he was being recorded by the in-car camera and said: "You see what they do to Black, young men in America who are just minding their business?" In a statement dated June 9, 2020, after the city learned the federal lawsuit had been filed, Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski called the encounter an isolated incident and said the department had taken several steps to address the situation, including disciplinary action and additional de-escalation training for the officer. Dwojakowski, the news release says, also met with the family to review the video and "clarified the reason for the approach and arrest and apologized." "We are committed to ensuring our police department lives our philosophy of continuous improvement and doing all we can to ensure positive race and community relations and dialogue with all those we serve while fulfilling the oaths we all took to uphold and protect our constitution and community and act with integrity and character," Dwojakowski's statement said. The night of the incident, Davis was worried when he saw the officer pull into the parking lot, he told the Free Press during an interview in 2021. He said: The first thing I thought was, Am I about to get shot tonight? Contact Gina Kaufman at gkaufman@freepress.com. Follow her on X @ReporterGina Contact Kristi Tanner at ktanner@freepress.com. Follow her on X @midatalove This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sterling Heights OKs $265K settlement agreement to resolve lawsuit Kal Penn, center, and John Cho, right, speak during a rally outside Paramount Pictures Studio on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Los Angeles. The film and television industries remain paralyzed by Hollywood's dual actors and screenwriters strikes. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) LOS ANGELES (AP) Contract talks that could end Hollywood's writers strike are set to resume next week, studios said Thursday. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry's studios, streaming services and production companies in union negotiations, said in a statement that they had reached out to the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week. Leaders are still working out the details, the statement said, and no further specifics were provided. Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike, the statement said. There are no talks yet planned to settle the actors strike. Writers have been on strike for 4 1/2 months over issues including pay, job security and regulating the use of artificial intelligence. A previous attempt to restart talks fell flat. The two sides had a handful of meetings in mid-August, including one that included the heads of Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. But writers said that after exchanging contract proposals, they were met with a lecture about how good their single and only counteroffer was, and the talks trailed off. California lawmakers on Thursday voted to allow striking workers to claim unemployment benefits. If signed by Newsom, the bill would benefit Southern California hotel workers along with the striking actors and screenwriters. But its not clear if Newsom will sign it. The fund California uses to pay unemployment benefits is insolvent. Business groups have said making more people eligible for benefits will only make it worse. ___ For more on the actors and writers strikes, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/ Students living at Clark Atlanta University residences were evacuated after thunderstorms led to flooding on Thursday. Over two inches of rain fell in an hour and flooded part of Downtown Atlanta and Clark Atlanta University. About three hours worth of rain fell in just 15 minutes. This led to parts of Atlanta being flooded under five feet of water and damage to cars, fences and buildings across the city. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the damage impacted at least three buildings around the Atlanta University Center, which comprises Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. A severe thunderstorm watch was issued earlier today around 2:06 p.m. within Metropolitan Atlanta. The area experienced heavy rains causing some streets near Clark Atlanta Universitys campus to flood and some of the universitys residence halls to experience flooding, a statement by Clark Atlanta University reads, according to FOX 5. The university added that water is being removed from campus and that repairs are being assessed. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also said he offered his administrations full support to students, faculty and staff at the Atlanta University Center, as well as at Georgia Tech and Georgia State University. Some students were injured during the incident. Morgan Lee, a Clark Atlanta student, told the AJC that one persons leg had bleeding and fractures after their leg was trapped in a doorway due to the water pressure. Most students were taken by surprise by the flooding. I got up, and she went to go check, like outside the door, and she started seeing water everywhere. And so, I had got up, and then, one of our other roommates, like across from us, she was like going back into her room until the water broke her window, and like fell all the way through in her room and stuff, Mya Moore, another Clark Atlanta student, told FOX 5. So, I got up, and me and my roommate grabbed everything we needed, and we basically trudged out of there and went upstairs. The incident left many in shock. So far, it is unclear how many people were injured. I was nervous and scared because when that happens, you dont know what to think. You can think of the worst-case scenario, Moore added. The Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida would like students to participate in Hispanic Heritage Month student contests with the theme Celebrating Floridas Hispanic Heroes and their Contributions to Freedom. Student essay contest winners will receive a 2-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. All Florida students are invited to participate in the art contest and in the writing contest that is based on this years theme. Students from kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to participate in the art contest and students from 4th grade to 12th grade are invited to participate in the essay contest. Students, parents, teachers, and principals are invited to nominate full-time educators of all student grades for the Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence in Education Award. Read: St. Johns County parents protesting changes to address overcrowded schools Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Hispanic Heritage Month Art Contest is open to all Kindergarten through third-grade students in Florida. Each student will submit original, two-dimensional artwork based on this years theme. Four statewide winners will be selected, and each winner will receive a $100 gift card for school supplies and a 1-year pass to Florida State Parks. For the essay contest, all students from grades 4 through 12 are invited to participate. Six winners will be selected: two elementary school students (grades 4-5), two middle school students (grades 6-8), and two high school students (grades 9-12). Each winner will receive a 2-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $100 gift card for school supplies. Read: Together against hate; Organizations help educate Jax community about different types of hate Contestants must be Florida residents, attend school in Florida in grades 4-12 (including public, charter, private, home or virtual), and able to provide a Social Security Number. Each student may enter only one essay, written in English, no longer than 500 words. Four winners will be selected, and nominations may be submitted by a principal, teacher, parent/guardian, or student. Excellence in Education award winners will receive $2,500 from Volunteer Florida. Read: Action News Jax Investigates uncovers billions of dollars in Social Security overpayments Student contest forms and educator nomination forms must be mailed to Volunteer Florida or submitted online at www.FloridaHispanicHeritage.com. The entries are due Sept. 18. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Ian Mitchell King, far left, speaks to the Studio City Neighborhood Council during the board's Aug. 16 meeting, shortly before his appointment was voted on. (Studio City Neighborhood Council / YouTube) Most members of the Studio City Neighborhood Council resigned last month after the group unanimously voted to appoint a convicted sex offender to fill a vacancy on their board. All but three of the councils 16 board seats are now vacant, according to a city official, meaning the group can no longer meet or conduct business. The elected advisory board is one of scores of neighborhood councils across the city that weigh in on local issues and provide community input. The resignations were first reported by KTLA -TV . At least two of the council's members were aware of Ian Mitchell Kings 2008 conviction for sexual battery by a public official before they voted on his appointment, but said they felt confused and constrained by guidance from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, which oversees the neighborhood council system. The members who were aware of Kings conviction also said they felt limited by the Brown Act, a California open meeting law that bars the majority of a legislative body from privately communicating. Most of the council resigned within a week of the mid-August vote, as news spread about Kings past. King did not respond to multiple requests for comment by phone and email over the past week. The address on a tax form that King provided to the neighborhood council matches the Studio City address listed in the Megans Law sex offender database. King was released from prison in August 2021 and remains on parole, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Read more: Shape Your L.A. on your block The matter surfaced Aug. 16, a few hours before a Studio City Neighborhood Council meeting, when Kim Clements, the panel's three-time treasurer, decided to research the new members set to be appointed that night. (Representatives are typically elected to neighborhood councils. But in this case, the council was voting to approve applicants for several vacancies.) After scanning numerous links with glowing descriptions about a candidate who she thought appeared perfect on paper, Clements came upon information that she said was both confusing and upsetting to her. Could Ian King, a self-described philanthropist and business consultant, possibly be the same Ian Mitchell King who received a 20-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a young woman while on duty as a school police officer? Clements shared what she had found with another member of the council's leadership. That council member, who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation, sent an email to multiple city employees asking how the council should proceed. Lorenzo Briceno, an assistant director of policy and government at the citys Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, wrote back that he thought the very sensitive matter could be handled by either voting on the appointment as planned, or postponing it, according to an email thread reviewed by The Times. If the neighborhood council did vote, it "would need to be extremely careful of bringing this information and possibly getting into character defamatory statements, Briceno wrote. Or the members could postpone the item and not schedule it on future agendas the course of action that Briceno suggested they take. The council member responded, saying that any postponement would open a can of worms because he had already spoken to King about how the meeting would work and appointments to other vacant seats were also on the agenda. The last thing I want is to open a can of worms," Briceno responded, saying that since there were other candidates being voted on, his "recommendation would then be to take up the item. If any particular candidate became the topic of conversation, council members should be reminded of their code of conduct and anti-bias training, Briceno said. If the council members ask one candidate a question, they should also ask it of other candidates so that no candidate feels like he/she/they are being singled out, Briceno said. The neighborhood council member on the email thread said he was confused by the guidance and thought it felt like a riddle. Ann-Marie Holman, a spokesperson for the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, said that in situations where "an agenda item is in question, yet the full facts are not available and cannot be verified due to a short timeline," her department recommends that neighborhood councils postpone the vote until more information can be gathered. But, Holman said, the department "does not advise, nor direct, how a neighborhood council board votes," nor does the department interfere with its voting processes. If a council "insists on moving forward with an agenda item," then the department will give guidance on complying with existing policies, she said. At the Aug. 16 meeting, King introduced himself to the board, describing himself as a born-and-raised Studio City resident. "I've been involved as a volunteer in various organizations, especially homeless organizations. And I've always been interested in city politics," King told them, saying he had heard about the council vacancy and thought he would be a good fit. During a brief question-and-answer session before the vote, another council member who had his laptop open appeared to have found the information about King online. That member asked King whether he had ever worked in law enforcement. King, who was arrested for actions taken while working as a school police officer, told the council that he had never worked in law enforcement. Clements, the council's treasurer, said that answer made her doubt whether King was actually the same person and feel unsure of how to proceed without potentially discriminating against him. She joined the rest of the board in unanimously approving King's appointment a decision that she says she now regrets. News of Kings past soon began to trickle out and Clements and others said they agonized over how to proceed. Mass resignations followed within five days of the meeting. People were concerned for their own reputations, Clements said, noting that she works at a family-run investment firm and wouldn't want to be seen "rubbing elbows with a convicted sex offender." She and others also said they weren't comfortable being on a board with King because the neighborhood council has a youth member and routinely hosts events with children. In the aftermath of the vote, multiple members of the all-volunteer council interviewed by The Times said they felt like they had enough training to know all the things they weren't supposed to do, but no training to prepare them for a situation like this. Several also said they felt unsupported by the city before the mass resignations. Holman, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment spokesperson, said that "efforts were made to expedite a resolution to this matter, which resulted in the resignation of Ian Mitchell King from the Studio City Neighborhood Council on August 25." L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian believes that what happened was outrageous, said Hugh Esten, a spokesperson for Krekorian, who represents part of Studio City. We're looking for a way to get the previously elected neighborhood council board members reinstated and to find a way to make sure that no situation like this ever occurs again in future. Esten said the former neighborhood council members had been put in an intolerable situation and King was obviously unsuited to serve on the body. Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose district also includes part of Studio City, said she believed that "the members who resigned did so in good faith, and I support a pathway to reinstating them as a soon as possible." Jen Bladen, a school teacher, was one of several former neighborhood council members who expressed regret that they would no longer be able to serve the community through the council. But, she said, she also thought the system had worked as it should, because she believes formerly incarcerated people should have the right to serve on neighborhood boards, as dictated by city rules. I know that's an overly optimistic, sunny, bright way to look at it. But I really think he should have been allowed to ask to be on neighborhood council, Bladen said. And we should have been able to exercise our right not to be on the same council as he is on. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. [Source] A groundbreaking study focusing on the health of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations has secured a $38.7-million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in collaboration with four other National Institutes of Health. About the study: The seven-year initiative spearheaded by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is aimed at addressing critical health disparities and knowledge gaps across the communities. The study will delve into the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, mental health issues, and other chronic conditions that affect the diverse communities composed of over 40 ethnic groups. Who are involved: The ambitious endeavor will involve five prominent research institutions, including the University of Hawaii, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Fox Chase Cancer Center, and New York University Langone Health Perlmutter Cancer Center. The institutions will collectively recruit over 10,000 participants from AANHPI communities across the United States, gathering vital health data and biospecimens, such as blood, urine and microbiome samples, to answer pressing questions about their health. Fred Hutch will serve as the coordinating center for this monumental project. More from NextShark: NYC Asian elderly are not leaving their homes over fears of being attacked, study finds Why its important: The glaring disparities within the AANHPI communities include higher rates of type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and gastric cancer compared to white Americans. Aggregated data, which has often masked variations in risk factors, disease occurrence and trajectories within these communities, will finally be dissected to uncover the nuances within these populations. There are a lot of gaps in our knowledge about the health of these populations and their risk factors for a variety of diseases, Dr. Garnet Anderson, director of Fred Hutch's Public Health Sciences Division, was quoted saying. With this grant, the National Institutes of Health is recognizing and responding to the lack of data on these populations. A crucial step towards health equity: This effort also aims to build a biorepository for future studies and examine the social determinants of health within AANHPI communities. More from NextShark: S. Korean university study suggests men with bigger noses have bigger penises By adopting a multidisciplinary approach known as "populomics," the study will delve into the complex web of influences impacting the health of these populations, including biological, lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and sociocultural factors. Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! South Koreas culture minister calls for BTS exemption from military service President Biden touts community funding, COVID Hate Crimes Act signing in AANHPI Heritage Month proclamation CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudan's main civilian political grouping warned on Friday that the country could be split and enter a protracted civil war if rival military factions that have been fighting for five months form competing governments. The statement by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) came after the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, threatened to set up a governing authority in areas under the control of his forces. The FFC said in a statement that threats by both sides to form a government were "an extremely dangerous issue that will result in the partition and division of the country" and could lead to a "comprehensive civil war". Since the outbreak of war between the RSF and Sudan's army on April 15 the RSF has controlled swathes of the capital Khartoum, as well as areas of south-west and central Sudan. Another faction that has clashed recently with the army, Abdelaziz al-Hilu's SPLM-N, controls large parts of South Kordofan state. The army remains in control in other parts of the country, including the eastern Red Sea city of Port Sudan, to which some government officials and international agencies have relocated. In an audio message released late on Thursday, Hemedti raised the prospect that the RSF could establish a government in Khartoum, warning that any move by the army to form a caretaker government in Port Sudan would split the country. Last month, a senior figure in Sudan's Sovereign Council, headed by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said a caretaker government was needed. The army, RSF and FFC shared power after long-ruling leader Omar al-Bashir was overthrown during a popular uprising in 2019. The army and the RSF staged a coup in 2021, before falling out over a planned transition to elections under a civilian authority. Fighting between the two factions has caused a humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which now has more internally displaced people than any other country. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 4.1 million people have been displaced internally since April, while over 1.1 million have fled to neighbouring countries. (Editing by Andrew Heavens) LAS VEGAS (KLAS) You probably heard that July was the hottest month on record. Now scientists are saying that it was the hottest summer since global records began in 1880. Thats the report from NASAs Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York. During June, July and August, temperatures were 0.41 degrees Fahrenheit (0.23 degrees Celsius) warmer than any summer in NASAs records. Las Vegas escaped some of that heat with June temperatures that were below normal and a week of wet weather in August as Tropical Storm Hilary blew through. But July was a hot one as the high temperature was above 100 every day of the month, data from the National Weather Service shows. July also included a 16-day run when the high was above 110, except one day when the high was 109. July 16 reached 116 degrees. A map shows extreme heat over the Pacific Ocean a signature of El Nino conditions as well as above-average temperatures in Europe and North Africa, the Middle East, Central America, Mexico, Japan, and in the Arctic region and Antarctica. The Goddard Institute notes that heat exacerbated deadly wildfires in Canada and Hawaii and likely contributed to severe rainfall in Italy, Greece and Central Europe. Summer 2023s record-setting temperatures arent just a set of numbers they result in dire real-world consequences. From sweltering temperatures in Arizona and across the country to wildfires across Canada and extreme flooding in Europe and Asia, extreme weather is threatening lives and livelihoods around the world, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. The impacts of climate change are a threat to our planet and future generations, threats that NASA and the Biden-Harris Administration are tackling head on. JUNE REPORT: Whats next for Lake Mead? El Nino, the drought and snowmelt for the Colorado River Scientists expect to see the biggest impacts of El Nino in February, March, and April 2024. El Nino is associated with the weakening of easterly trade winds and the movement of warm water from the western Pacific toward the western coast of the Americas. The phenomenon can have widespread effects, often bringing cooler, wetter conditions to the U.S. Southwest. Unfortunately, climate change is happening. Things that we said would come to pass are coming to pass, Gavin Schmidt, climate scientist and director of GISS, said. And it will get worse if we continue to emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. We all are familiar with heat waves that pass through during Midwest summers, but how about smoke waves? Those, according to Charles Stanier, professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of Iowa, may become the new normal. This summer, Des Moines had eight days where poor air quality levels exceeded the healthy level set by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. From May 18 to July 6, Iowa had 156 exceedances of the national standards a massive shift compared to the four cases seen in all of 2022, the data shows. Most of those cases were due to wildfire smoke drifting in from Canada. Hundreds of wildfires have spread across Canada and burned over 33 million acres as of Aug. 30 in the worst ever recorded fire season for the country, according to USA TODAY. More: Helicopter setting fire to trees was slowing wildfire, not setting one | Fact check Stanier said hotter, drier weather due to climate change could fuel more wildfires in North America, leading to more days of poor air quality in Iowa and in the U.S. "In short, people will need to learn to live with wildfire smoke. It wont be every year, but were likely to see summers like 2023 more often," according to The Conversation, which broke down Stanier's research with University of Iowa colleagues Gregory Carmichael and Peter S. Thorne. A runner makes his way through Water Works Park as a smoky haze surrounds downtown Des Moines on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The smoke from Canadian wildfires had drifted into the upper Midwest, prompting air quality warnings. How will the incoming smoke waves impact Iowans? While a majority of wildfire impact will be felt in heavily forested states, Iowans can expect for more summers with days of air quality alerts, keeping the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions, like asthma, indoors. "It does have a health impact," Stanier said. "It's well documented that breathing the mixture of particles and gases and smoke has negative impacts on the lung and on the cardiovascular system." It may not be every summer, he said, but there will be years that have several air quality alerts triggered by wildfire smoke. That could have a particular impact on Iowa, an agriculture state, he said. "The thing I worry about more is just a lot of people have to work outdoors if they're in the agriculture sector, and so protecting them from smoky days by making sure they know the hazards," Stanier said. "If they work, hopefully a lot of that time is spent in air conditioned cabs of tractors and combines and harvesters. That's really gonna help cut down on the exposures. Like being in a house with air conditioning or a car." Fortunately for Iowa farmers' bottom lines, Stanier said, there doesn't seem to be a link between crop yield and smoke. How to stay safe during air quality alerts Children, adults over 60 and those with vulnerable medical conditions are the most sensitive to poor air quality conditions, according to the Polk County Health Department. The department said during periods of poor air quality, it's important to do the following: Plan ahead for hazardous air quality (AirNow.Gov gives two-day forecasts). Read local air quality reports daily (use your weather app and AirNow.Gov). Use air cleaners, purifiers and filters. Limit outdoor work and exercise when air quality is poor. Wear a mask (N95 masks can reduce your exposure to pollutants). Understand the effects on sensitive groups. Monitor your health. The National Weather Service's graphic shows what levels on the Air Quality Index mean for health and safety. If air quality is in the orange or red zone, the health department recommends Iowans stay indoors. "If you have to go outside when air quality is bad, wear an N95 mask. And be aware that poor and bad air quality can affect your health," said Public Health Communications Officer Madisun VanGundy. Signs the air quality is impacting your health include: Coughing or itchy eyes. Headaches or migraines. Worsen breathing and lung diseases. In the event of unhealthy air quality, Polk County will alert the public on social media. Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter@NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Hazy skies, air quality alerts may become the new normal in Iowa Southeast Asia has a rare opportunity to attract global investments amid a diversification of supply chains from China, said a Malaysian minster. Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images Global supply chains moving away from China is an opportunity for Southeast Asia, said one Malaysian minister. Southeast Asia countries could take the chance to attract manufacturing investments, he said. This could spur a strong middle class and consumer base in the region. Supply chains diversifying away from China may be a problem for the country, but it could lead to bumper gains for Southeast Asian countries, a regional official said Friday. Liew Chin Tong , the deputy minister of investment, trade, and industry in Malaysia, thinks supply chains moving to other parts of Asia isn't exactly a bad thing. Instead, Southeast Asia has an opportunity to attract manufacturing investments that have been lagging for decades, as companies were going all in into China, he said. Liew made the comments at the Milken Institute Asia summit in Singapore. "This diversion from China is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Southeast Asia," said Liew. He added it would not only create a supply hub but, in turn, a middle class that would become a strong consumer base. As an example, Liew cited his country, Malaysia, which has been playing the "low-productivity, low-wage, and low-cost game for too long" due to the competition from China. But now, it wants to seize the opportunity, he said. Liew's comments came amid intense global discussions on the future of supply chains following disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. China's strict on-off lockdowns underscored the risks of depending heavily on the East Asian country, which has been the world's factory floor for the past four decades. China's strict on-off lockdowns underscored the risks of depending heavily on the East Asian country, which has been the world's factory floor for the past four decades. The developments are why the world is moving from a just-in-time to a just-in-case supply chain model, Steven Long, the general manager for Asia Pacific and Japan at Intel, said at the same Friday event. He was referring to the just-in-time strategy manufacturers use to transport materials right before they are required to be processed, which results in minimal inventory that needs to be stockpiled. This reduces storage costs. Manufacturers are now allowing processes to have some breathing room in what's known as the "just-in-case" supply chain model because "they want resiliency" in the supply chains, Long added. Even before the pandemic, the global supply chain started moving away from China around 2018 after President Donald Trump launched a trade war against China. Washington-Beijing tensions are still high under the Biden administration, particularly for high-tech chips, prompting investors across the board to reconsider their business risks. Read the original article on Business Insider Brazil's high court on Thursday sentenced a supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured at the United Nations, 2022) for his role in the Jan. 8, 2023, attempt to overthrow the government. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's high court, on Thursday sentenced a supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro for his role in the Jan. 8, 2023, attempt to overthrow the government. Supporters of the right-wing leader stormed the country's Congress, Supreme Federal Tribunal and Planalto Presidential Palace to protest the election of leftist Lula da Silva while calling for a military intervention to overthrow him. The violent demonstrators, inspired by Bolsonaro's rhetoric during his campaign, clashed with the country's military police and vandalized the buildings in Brazil's capital of Brasilia. Aecio Lucio Costa Pereira, a 51-year-old sanitation worker from Sao Paulo, is the first rioter to be sentenced for the incident in January. He was sentenced Thursday to a 17-year sentence in prison, the court said in a news release translated from Portuguese. Brazils Supreme Federal Tribunal, the countrys high court, on Thursday sentenced a supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro for his role in the Jan. 8, 2023, attempt to overthrow the government. File Photo by Andre Borges/EPA-EFE Pereira, who was arrested inside Brazil's Congress by the Senate police, also will have to pay a fine of about $6.1 million, the court said. His charges included engaging in an attempted coup, violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, armed criminal association, damage of heritage sites, and violence and serious threat against government property with the use of a flammable substance. Supporters of the right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country's Congress, Supreme Federal Tribunal and Planalto Presidential Palace to protest the election of leftist President Lula da Silva while calling for a military intervention to overthrow him in January. File Photo by Andre Borges/EPA-EFE Brazil's high court has 11 justices and the vote to convict Pereira was led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, according to the news release. Another six on the panel voted to convict Pereira on his five charges and agreed with the sentencing in full. Cristiano Zanin, one of the justices on the panel who did not fully agree to the sentencing, had agreed with the charges but said that some of the aggregating factors should not apply and proposed a sentence of 15 years. Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country's Congress, Supreme Federal Tribunal and Planalto Presidential Palace to protest the election of leftist Lula da Silva (pictured in January) while calling for a military intervention to overthrow him. File Photo by Brazilian President Press Office Another justice, Andre Mendonca, said he did not believe Pereira should have been convicted on the charge of engaging in an attempted coup. Mendonca thought that the charge was redundant with the charge of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and proposed a sentence of just over 7 years in prison. A third justice who did not fully agree with the majority, Luis Roberto Barroso, voted not to convict Pereira on the charge of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. Differing from Mendonca, he said he thought that the charge of attempting a coup absorbed that crime. He proposed a sentence of 10 years. Brazil's high court on Thursday sentenced a supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, 2022) for his role in the Jan. 8, 2023, attempt to overthrow the government. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, the case reviewer, had voted for a sentence of just 2.5 years in prison. Earlier this year, Federal District Gov. Ibaneis Rocha said authorities had arrested more than 400 people who "will pay for the crimes committed." "Let this serve a lesson to the putschists, because all of the participants, financial backers and masterminds of this coup will be discovered and held to account for these terrorist attacks on our country," Gleisi Hoffman, the president of Lula's Worker's Party said in a statement on Twitter. "Long live Brazilian democracy!" The Supreme Court has temporarily halted a lower court ruling that prohibited White House officials from communicating with social media companies. The temporary stay, from Justice Samuel Alito , is the latest twist in a controversial attempt by two states to challenge content moderation policies at social media platforms. The case stems from a lawsuit, brought by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, that claimed federal officials overreached in their dealings with social media companies namely Meta, Google and Twitter as they shaped moderation policies to handle election and COVID-19 misinformation. A lower court had previously issued an injunction that barred White House and other federal officials from communicating with social media companies. An Appeals Court decision last week eased many of the initial restrictions, but left in place a provision that banned the surgeon general, CDC and White House officials from pressuring social media companies into making decisions. That order, as CNN reports, was set to take effect September 18. That ruling is now on hold, thanks to Alitos temporary stay, as the two sides continue to argue the case. As Bloomberg points out, the stay will be in effect until September 22, though it could be extended. In a filing ahead of the stay, the Solicitor General argued that the injunction would impose grave harms on the government and the public and that that government officials had committed no wrongdoing in their interactions with social media companies. Rather than any pattern of coercive threats backed by sanctions, the record reflects a back-and-forth in which the government and platforms often shared goals and worked together, sometimes disagreed, and occasionally became frustrated with one another, as all parties articulated and pursued their own goals and interests during an unprecedented pandemic. While the current hold from Alito is another temporary measure, the case seems to be headed for a longer legal battle. The Justice Department is now laying the groundwork for a Supreme Court appeal, which could drag the case out even more. A South Carolina man surfing at New Smyrna Beach in Florida was bitten in the face by a shark on Tuesday. "I heard the crunch. It felt like a bear trap crunching on my face," Mark Sumersett told WESH 2 News. The 38-year-old man was Volusia County's seventh shark bite victim of the year. A South Carolina man who was surfing at a Florida beach was bitten in the face by a shark on Tuesday. "It was the scariest thing I've probably ever been through in my life. I've been in bad car accidents. Nothing like this," Mark Sumersett told WESH 2 News. Sumersett had just come off of his surfboard after riding a wave and was in about seven feet of whitewater when the attack happened, per WESH 2 News. The shark bit him on the right side of his face and left a wound that required about 20 stitches. "It was pressure, and I'll tell you that pressure, it was like a crunch," Sumersett said. "I heard the crunch. It felt like a bear trap crunching on my face." He told WESH 2 News that he suspected the gold chain he was wearing might have caught the shark's attention. Despite the close-up encounter, the surfer added that he didn't manage to see the shark that bit him. "I jumped on my board and paddled in. I thought that sucker was going to come back for me. I thought he was 'cause I was bleeding so bad," the 38-year-old said. Sumersett had arrived in town the day before the incident, and he already saw several sharks in the water on his first day. "I had a feeling. I had a feeling I was going to get bit yesterday. I really did. Honestly, I had intuition," Sumersett told WESH 2 News. The incident took place off the coast of New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County which is also known as the "shark bite capital of the world." Sumersett was the county's seventh shark bite victim of the year, per WESH 2 News. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), there have been 343 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Volusia County since 1882. Despite his terrifying encounter, Sumersett says he has no plans to give up surfing. "Heck yeah, I'm going surfing again," he told WESH 2 News. "Because I love it. There's nothing in the world that makes me feel better than surfing." Tips to reduce risk of a shark bite According to the ISAF, sharks are more likely to approach a solitary individual. The organization recommends swimmers to have a buddy around and avoid being too far away from the shore. The ISAF also discourages swimmers from wearing shiny jewelry because the reflected light may resemble the sheen of fish scales. If a shark tries to bite, the ISAF recommends hitting the shark in the eyes, the gills, or the snout. Read the original article on Insider FES, MoroccoThe city of Derna on Libyas eastern coast was virtually wiped off the map by a record-breaking flood this week. Oais Azouz, a Libyan student in Turkey, had been following the forecasts about a dangerous storm but was stunned by the impact on his hometown. I was on a call with my uncle who told me, Theres no more Derna, said Azouz. As Storm Daniel swept Libyas east on Monday, two dams near Derna swelled with water and collapsed. The recorded death toll in the city has since reached 6,000, amid expectations that the actual number is closer to 20,000 dead. Another 30,000 have been displaced. Ive lost almost 60 close relatives, Azouz told The Daily Beast. We still cant reach everyone. My aunt was missing for almost a day. My cousin saved his fathers life and was found dead. Up to 10,000 Feared Dead as Floods Swallow Eastern Libya Other members of his extended family lost to the flood include a husband and wife and their seven children as well as a pair of grandparents and their grandchildren. The storm severed much of the citys connection to the electrical grid and the Internet, undermining efforts to understand and address one of the worst natural disasters in North Africas history. Yet morbid images have trickled out. A view shows the damaged areas, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya, September 13, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Marwan Alfaituria/via Reuters Azouz heard stories of Dernas residents fishing corpses from the Mediterranean Sea, leading to fears that the handling of bodies with bare hands could make the city a hot spot for diseases, epidemics. An uncle told him that Storm Danielin addition to leveling Dernahad split it in two. Theres a western side and an eastern side now, said Azouz, and moving between them requires a boat. The people of Derna are no strangers to suffering. The city changed hands often during Libyas on-again-off-again civil war, at one point becoming a battleground for militias tied to ISIS and al-Qaeda. Derna has been under the control of the Libyan-American warlord and one-time CIA asset Khalifa Haftar since 2018, when his militia, the Libyan National Army, captured the city in a campaign marred by accusations of war crimes. The authorities response to the floods, in part a result of the failure to maintain Dernas dams, has brought renewed criticism. Our government is corrupt and wont help with the things needed, said Azouz. The city is dying. But the devastation extends far beyond Derna. In Bayda the streets are destroyed, Lamis Fouad Naseeb, whose inland city lies 60 miles west of Derna, told The Daily Beast. Families are homelesscars everywhere in the streets. We need professional rescue teams because there are still people locked in their houses by the water. A view shows damaged cars after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit, in Al Bayda, Libya, September 11, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from social media video. Instagram/@EX5TWD via Reuters Naseeb said that Storm Daniel had destroyed the walls around Baydas main hospital and flooded its electrical room, putting it out of service even as refugees from Derna have been streaming in. Recently the people of the city, from scouts to volunteers to students, have been organizing campaigns for the affected families in schools, Naseeb told The Daily Beast. Libyan Red Crescent volunteers started rescuing families and injured people, and also the Libyan National Army. One of the Libyan Red Crescent volunteers went missing down the street and they couldnt find him until now. Storm Daniels toll on Libyas buckling infrastructure has complicated the provision of additional assistance, with roads to Susa, a coastal city between Bayda and Derna, rendered all but impassable by the floods. Its been two days for the people of Susa without food and water, said Naseeb. One of my friends texted me saying that the sea started bringing back the floating bodies in the city. Roadblocks The biggest potential obstacle to humanitarian aid, though, is political. Libyas U.N.-recognized government, based in the capital of Tripoli hundreds of miles from the affected cities, has limited sway outside the west of the country and depends on a constellation of rival militias to enforce its authority. The dominant powerbroker in the storm-battered east is Libyan National Army commander Haftar, whose brutal campaign to drive out the regime in Tripoli ended in failure three years ago. Marwan Alfaituria/via Reuters But the national horror at the scale of the tragedy has brought at least a momentary respite from the decade of factionalism that followed Muammar Gaddafis 2011 ouster. Authorities in Tripoli are sending healthcare workers, medical supplies, and $412 million to assist with disaster management in the east. Turkey, one of the Tripoli governments most important backers, likewise joined Haftar patrons Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in flying humanitarian aid to Benghazi, the largest city in the east and the second largest in Libya. All the Libyan cities, with their political differences, took a serious stand together with Derna and put their differences aside, said Fatima Alzahra Aldghily, a resident of the eastern city of Ajdabiya. Aldghily attributed Ajdabiyas ability to withstand Storm Daniel to the work of the Libyan Red Crescent and local police. Everything was prepared in my city in the event of a flood, she told The Daily Beast. The equipment included ambulances, boats, and some relief, but thank God nothing serious happened and the storm passed over us safely, unlike Derna. Aldghily said that Benghazi too had taken successful steps to mitigate the effects of flooding, yet that city may soon have more in common with Derna than Ajdabiya. Benghazi residents told The Daily Beast of growing fears that the Wadi Qattara Dam, located east of the city, could burst like its counterparts in Derna. So far, the dams have held, but the patrols have evacuated the areas near the Qattara valley, said Saleem Alomami, a Benghazi University student who runs an Instagram fan page dedicated to the city. Derna-scale floods in Benghazi, with a population estimated to be between 715,000 and 812,000, could lead to untold numbers of deaths. The situation in Benghazi is very critical, especially in the areas near the dam, said Yeccu Alawati, a Benghazi human rights activist and outspoken advocate of Libyas Amazigh indigenous people. The Wadi Qattara Dam is on the verge of overflowing and there is a high risk of collapse. If that happens, it would be a disaster worse than what occurred in Derna. As Storm Daniels first wave of refugees take up residence in Benghazi schools, its people have drawn on a deep well of sympathy. Yet another feeling permeates the air of the city as Benghazi residents see a snapshot of whatthey fearcould be their own future. I will describe it to you in one word, said Alawati, horror. 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. Lisa McNair stands in the balcony of the 16th Street Baptist Church in front of the Wales Window on Sept. 11, 2023. The Wales Window was installed in 1965 by the people of Wales after the original was destroyed in 1963 during the bombing. Lisa McNair stands in the balcony of the 16th Street Baptist Church in front of the Wales Window on Sept. 11, 2023. The Wales Window was installed in 1965 by the people of Wales after the original was destroyed in 1963 during the bombing. Lisa McNair drove from her home in Birminghamto Alabamas state legislature in Montgomery last yearfor a forum about divisive concepts legislation being pushed by state Republicans. The GOP bill would have severely limited how educators could teach about race and racism. McNair believed the bill would force students to learn an inaccurate account of American history and about the tragic incident that had devastated her own family. When it was McNairs turn to speak, she stood at the microphone with a picture of her sister. I, too, want to oppose that bill because I feel that that bill will inhibit the teaching of the life of my sister, Denise McNair, she said. Her story is not CRT or whatever that is, because I really dont know, and I really dont care. But its true history. (CRT refers to critical race theory, a college-level academic theory about systemic racism. In recent years, Republicans have used the term to refer to any education about race, and have increasingly sought to remove such lessons from classrooms around the country.) Sixty years ago, on Sept. 15, 1963, McNairs sister, Carol Denise McNair, was one of four Black girls killed in a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The bombing of the predominantly Black church outraged the country and helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement. The 16th Street Baptist Church, as seen on Sept. 11, 2023. The 16th Street Baptist Church, as seen on Sept. 11, 2023. McNair told HuffPost she saw state Sen. Jabo Waggoner, one of the 12 Republican co-sponsors of the bill, tear up after hearing her testimony. She gave him a T-shirt with Denises face on it after the forum. The legislation would have prohibited students and employees of Alabama schools, state agencies and universities from learning any divisive concepts, including that fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to a race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, or that a student or employee should assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize, due to their race or national origin. The bill never made it to the state Senate for a final vote. Republican lawmakers made a second attempt to pass the bill in June, but they werent successful. Despite meeting McNair, Waggoner still supported the legislation and sponsored it a second time. His office did not respond to HuffPosts request for comment. Alabama Republicans are discussing reintroducing the legislation again, Republican sponsor and state Rep. Ed Oliver said this summer. (Olivers office did not respond to HuffPosts request for comment on the legislation.) I do believe me being there that day helped them to think differently about voting for that bill, McNair told HuffPost. You have to come in and talk to people where they live. You have to put a human face on it, and that is why you have to be in front of our legislators and state senators because they work for us. McNair is happy Alabama hasnt yet adopted a divisive concepts law, but for her and other survivors, it was a brutal reminder of how far the U.S. still has to go. It is hard to believe that 60 years later, we still are having such major racial issues, said McNair, who was born a year after her older sister was murdered. We never will forget what happened to Denise and the other girls. It was a turning point in our lives. My parents, that was their only child. They did not have any other children at the time. It never left them. They grieved for her till the day she died. Three Minutes Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robinson all died after four members of the Ku Klux Klan set off a bomb at the 16th Street Baptist Church at 10:24 a.m. that September day. McNair was 11 years old; the other three girls were 14. Thomas Edward Blanton, Bobby Frank Cherry, Robert Chambliss and, it is suspected, Herman Cash planted at least 15 stacks of dynamite with a timer under the steps of the church. An anonymous man called the church, and a teenage Sunday school secretary answered. Three minutes, the caller said, then hung up. One minute later, the church exploded. At least 22 people were injured during the bombing, including Collins 12-year-old sister, who had pieces of glass implanted in her face and was blinded in one eye. In this Sept. 15, 1963, file photo, firefighters and ambulance attendants remove a covered body from the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, after members of the Ku Klux Klan set off a deadly explosion. In this Sept. 15, 1963, file photo, firefighters and ambulance attendants remove a covered body from the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, after members of the Ku Klux Klan set off a deadly explosion. At the time, Birmingham was one of the most racially segregated cities in the county. It even became known as Bombingham because so many Black residents homes were bombed by white supremacists. By the start of the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was underway,with Martin Luther King Jr. largely leading the charge in the South. He worked closely with Fred Shuttlesworth, a minister in Birmingham, to establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Birmingham Campaign, an effort to bring national attention to the mistreatment of Black people in the city. Following the Montgomery bus boycott, where King and other members protested segregated public transportation, King wrote his now-famous letter from Birmingham jail in 1963 just five months before the church was bombed. On May 2, 1963, thousands of children left school and gathered at the church to march in downtown Birmingham against racial injustice. The protest became known as the Childrens Crusade. They were met violently with water hoses, police dogs, beatings and arrests. Many of the tactics were provoked and influenced by the racism of Theophilus Eugene Bull Connor, who served as Birminghams commissioner of public safety. Despite the police brutality, the children proceeded with their demonstration. It prompted the Department of Justice to intervene and influenced then-President John F. Kennedy to express his support for civil rights legislation. Lisa McNair talks to a group at the 16th Street Baptist Church about her sister Denise McNair, who was killed during the church bombing. Lisa McNair talks to a group at the 16th Street Baptist Church about her sister Denise McNair, who was killed during the church bombing. Activists also blamed then-Gov. George Wallace, a loud segregationist, for inspiring the racist acts. The same year as the church bombing, Wallace proclaimed in his inaugural address, Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever. He also hired Asa Carter, the founder of a local Ku Klux Klan chapter, as his speechwriter during a campaign in which he often blamed integration as the reason for an increase in crime. Two of the men behind the bombing, Blanton and Cherry, were not sentenced to prison until nearly 40 years later. Chambliss wasnt tried and convicted for the death of McNairs sister until 1977. And Cash died in 1994, having never been indicted on any charges. McNair believes that if the divisive concepts bill had been enacted, it would have not allowed the tragedy of the bombing to be told in detail. [The bombing] is the story of our shared American history, and it needs to be told, McNair said. Little white children, and all children, need to know, because this is what happened. No Regard For Humanity A white supremacist rally was supposed to take place in Birmingham on Sept. 15, and white teenagers Larry Joe Sims and Michael Lee Farley were among those who planned to attend. But the rally was canceled due to the bombing. So the two boys bought a Confederate battle flag and attached it to a scooter as they went into a predominantly Black neighborhood. They carried a .22-caliber pistol they had purchased three days earlier. They saw a young boy, Virgil Ware, and his brother riding a bicycle. Farley told Sims to shoot the gun and scare them. Sims ended up shooting Ware in the chest and face, killing him. An all-white jury convicted Farley and Sims of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced them to seven months of jail, but the cases were suspended by a judge and changed to two years of probation. Donnell Jackson,13, left, and Shirley Floyd, right, hold up a portrait of Virgil Ware as members of Ware's family stand behind it during a memorial ceremony for Ware in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 6, 2004. Donnell Jackson,13, left, and Shirley Floyd, right, hold up a portrait of Virgil Ware as members of Ware's family stand behind it during a memorial ceremony for Ware in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 6, 2004. Dale H. Long, a lifelong Birmingham resident who also survived the bombing, remembers the bombing and Wares killing the very same day, as well as the police killing of another Black boy, Johnny Robinson. That is what critical race theory is about. They dont want people to know, they dont want their kids to know [about other tragedies], Long told HuffPost. Sims used Ware as target practice, he said. Longs parents used to tell him not to go outside for any reason, especially when demonstrations were happening in the city. Black kids werent allowed to attend pools with white people, let alone use the same bathrooms or drink from the same water fountains. We did not have the luxury of traveling a lot and enjoying the amenities of the local museum. A lot of the activities took place at church, Long told HuffPost. Long, who attended Sunday school and played in the orchestra with Denise McNair, lived two blocks from Shuttlesworth and remembers the ministers home being bombed. We knew it, because it shook ours, Long recalled. Moving Forward McNair says there is a sadness that 60 years later, America is still having major issues with race. While she wishes the country would take more steps forward, she remains optimistic. I just wish that we werent in this place and that we should be further along. That is part of what I think. I hope that we will try to do better. I like to think so many more of us dont want racism and will stand up against it, McNair told HuffPost. Lisa McNair speaks with attendees during a book signing at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Lisa McNair speaks with attendees during a book signing at the 16th Street Baptist Church. But I still see people voting for politicians who espouse racist ideals, and it is hard to believe so many people would vote for a politician who espouses these ideas and not see them for who they are. Last year, she spoke to civic leaders in Pensacola, Florida, about her familys experience. But one local school canceled her separate speaking engagement and another cut her speaking time short to avoid discussions related to critical race theory, according to McNair, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has aggressively railed against. Long also said hes worried by DeSantis actions, particularly after the governor and presidential candidate said recently that Black people benefited from slavery. They are taking away our history. They find something wrong with teaching Black history, he said. You can talk about the Revolutionary War or Boston Tea Party, but they dont want to talk about slavery because it makes them look bad. A man charged with murder in Alabama was arrested in Carmel in late August after he fled to Indiana in a stolen vehicle, according to authorities. Damon Blinks, 28, is in custody in the Hamilton County Jail awaiting extradition to Alabama, where he is charged with capital murder, according to the Huntsville Police Department. Blinks is accused of shooting and killing 23-year-old Devin McDonald during a robbery in Huntsville around 10:40 p.m. Aug. 28, investigators said. Police found McDonald dead in a parking lot around 7 a.m. the next morning after they were called to the location for an unresponsive person. Detectives believe Blinks, who is from Greencastle in Putnam County, Indiana, fled to the state in McDonalds car. Carmel police officers spotted the car a few days after the killing on Aug. 31 on Willowmere Drive. Indiana solar eclipse: A Saturday solar eclipse is headed for Indianapolis; here's how to watch it When officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, Blinks sped away as police pursued. He stopped the car less than a mile away and ran from officers on Aqueduct Way before he was apprehended, according to Carmel PD. In Indiana, Blinks is facing charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, resisting law enforcement using a vehicle and resisting law enforcement. Investigators from Alabama traveled to speak with Blinks the same day as his arrest in Carmel and he was formally charged with capital murder. It has not yet been determined when he will be extradited to Huntsville to face the murder charge. An attorney for Blinks was not yet listed in online court records before publication of this article. Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel police arrest Alabama murder suspect after Huntsville shooting Part of a Conyers highway is shut down as police investigate a bomb threat. Thursday night, Conyers Police tweeted that they are at a location on Old McDonough Highway investigating the threat. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The location was a synagogue called The Way of Yah. They currently have Old McDonough Highway from behind Conyers Crossing to Iris Drive, shut down. Police said the location has been cleared and deemed safe. Update at 9:45 PM: The location was The Way of Yah. It has been cleared by our Explosive Detection K9s and has been deemed SAFE. Conyers Police (@ConyersPolice) September 15, 2023 We currently on scene of a bomb threat at a location on Old McDonough Highway. We currently have Old McDonough Highway from behind Conyers Crossing to Iris Drive shutdown. We ask that the public avoid the area as we investigate the threat. pic.twitter.com/Yc6WEsvRav Conyers Police (@ConyersPolice) September 15, 2023 There is no word on when the high will reopen. Police have not commented on what led up to the threat. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Detectives with the Tacoma Police Department are investigating a suspicious death where an 18-year-old woman was doused with an accelerant and intentionally set on fire. Around 1 a.m. on Sept. 3, firefighters with the Tacoma Fire Department responded to a brush fire in the 2900 block of Upper Park Street. After they extinguished the fire, they found the womans body in the debris. Her cause of death is still pending. On Wednesday, the Pierce County Medical Examiners Office identified the woman as Chloee Moore of Tacoma. A verified GoFundMe for Chloe has been set up by her sister, asking for help in the cost of a memorial service to honor her memory. Detectives are asking if anyone has information about this incident to contact South Sound 911 or Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Parents in the Springfield Local School District were told Friday morning the high school and junior high would be closed for the day. In a posting on its website and Facebook page, the district cited a shortage of staff and substitutes for the closings. "Due to being short staffed, and a lack of available substitutes, Springfield High School & Junior High are closed for students on Friday, September 15, 2023," parents were told. "Portage Lakes Career Center schedule is unchanged." A surge in staff sick calls and a lack of substitutes forced Springfield High School and Junior High School to close Friday, the district's superintendent said. 'A challenging (staffing) situation' The district is currently engaged in contract negotiations with the teachers union, the Springfield Local Association of Teachers (SLACT), and under state fiscal watch due to its financial outlook. It has attempted without success to pass a levy for new funding in recent years. But both sides in the negotiations said the shortage Friday wasn't related to the talks. "I think this is nothing more than a challenging (staffing) situation," Superintendent Shelley Monachino said in a phone interview. James Grubbs, a teacher in the district acting as spokesperson for SLACT, also said the closing wasn't due to any action from the union. "I know it wasn't planned," he said Friday. "When we met with the Ohio Education Association, they told us not to do these type of things." The union, Grubbs said, made clear such actions were not acceptable. "Our union really talked to us about that (and said) we will not tolerate that," he said. 25% of teaching staff sick at high school, junior high Monachino said administrators monitored the staffing situation throughout Thursday night and early Friday morning. As sickness calls mounted, two school board members made plans to help cover classes. But it became apparent, with 25% of the teaching staff at the high school and junior high sick, that the absences couldn't be covered. "There were so many rooms that were going to be left uncovered," said school board President Cynthia Frola. "I was going to go in and try to cover a room." After midnight, Monachino decided to make close the school for the day; the district prepared to send out the alerts on social media and its website at 5:30 a.m. It also sent texts, emails and an all-call telephone alert to parents. The high school and junior high had 844 students as of August. Monitoring situation over the weekend Monachino said she expects the school to be open Monday, but will keep close watch Saturday and Sunday. "I'm hoping that its back to normal on Monday," she said. "We will monitor it all weekend long." Districts throughout the county have been experiencing shortages of substitute personnel, along with teacher and other staff shortages in recent years. It is one of the issues in contract talks. "The sub shortage is real," Grubbs said. "Before COVID, you never had a problem getting substitutes," Monachino said. Spring Hill Elementary and Schrop Intermediate remained open for the day. "We did our best" to try to keep all the schools running Friday, said Frola, a former principal in the district. "The superintendent worked at it and worked at it and worked at it." Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Teacher illness, lack of subs force Springfield High to close Friday Authorities have scaled back the search for a juvenile suspect Friday who escaped from custody at a Sacramento hospital following a car chase that ended with the teen being bitten by a police dog. The suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was involved in a vehicle pursuit after deputies tried to stop his vehicle because the teen was wanted for a probation violation and a felony warrant, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office and police radio traffic. The pursuit started around 9:45 p.m. Thursday near Power Inn Road and Elder Creek Road in south Sacramento and ended a short while later at 24th Street and Fruitridge Road, said Sheriffs Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi. A sheriffs K-9 was used to take the teen into custody, Gandhi said, and the boy suffered a bite wound and minor injuries when the pursuit ended. After being taken to a hospital and, as he was being medically cleared for custody about 4 a.m., the teen ran from authorities while wearing handcuffs, Gandhi said. Authorities searched for the boy in the area around UC Davis Medical Center but around 11 a.m. said they would scale back a broader search around the adjacent Elmhurst neighborhood; a more directed search will still be ongoing, Gandhi said. The teen is described as 5-foot-7 and 125 pounds with short hair. He was last seen wearing a gray or red shirt, gray sweatpants and yellow hospital socks, according to police radio traffic. Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra sat down with Insider to talk about ketamine therapy. Baltierra has done ketamine therapy to address childhood sexual-abuse trauma. Lowell is supportive and believes the therapy has helped her husband. When it comes to their children, Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra believe in doing whatever they can to break generational cycles of trauma. The stars of "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter" which follows Lowell, Baltierra, and their castmates from "Teen Mom OG (2009)" and "Teen Mom 2 (2011)" sat down with Insider to talk about Baltierra's experience using ketamine therapy to address his childhood sexual-abuse trauma. Ketamine is a drug that can be administered intravenously or nasally as a painkiller or sedative . A doctor may also prescribe ketamine off-label to treat mental-health conditions like depression and anxiety. Because of its anesthetic properties, ketamine is thought to help people access the unconscious mind and process feelings about past events. For some people, dreams, memories, or out-of-body experiences may occur while taking ketamine. Talk therapy can only go so far After varying success with cognitive-behavioral therapy , Baltierra explained that he wanted to try something different. He learned that ketamine therapy is legal in his home state of Michigan. "I get to certain points in my life where I feel like I want to do something a little more intense," he told Insider. "Something where I'm forced to dive deeper into my head because I feel like so much talk therapy, it can get repetitive fast." He researched treatment options and recommended that others do the same to find the right therapist and treatment facility. "Ketamine was the first jumping-off point for me to get down to the core issues that I have with my trauma and how it affects me as an adult," he said. Lowell said that she's supportive of Baltierra working through his childhood trauma and believes that ketamine therapy has been beneficial for him. "Everybody's mental-health journey is different, and whatever you feel is going to assist you, like you know yourself the best, so of course, I'm like, absolutely go for it," she told Insider. Sometimes you have to sit with your feelings Starting ketamine therapy has been "very enlightening," Baltierra said. "It really helped me bring some trauma to the surface and the coping strategies that weren't working for me." One of these strategies is his tendency to "intellectualize" his feelings. "I would feel a feeling, and then I would intellectualize it by reading books and articles about it," he said. He thought that he could heal and move on by putting his energy into researching mental health rather than dealing with his emotions. "I never actually sat with the feeling and felt it," he explained. "And so, I feel like with ketamine, I can't intellectualize because you're at the mercy of the experience." In other words, he realized he couldn't rely on his usual coping mechanism of using science and knowledge to push away uncomfortable emotions. Reducing stigma around child sexual abuse Baltierra hadn't originally planned on speaking publicly about his experience with child sexual abuse. He changed his mind after considering how common it is for men to stay silent about this issue and wanted to break this pattern. "It's kind of scary for me to do it, but I know it's necessary," he said. "I feel like I have a little bit of a responsibility with this platform to be vulnerable and as transparent as possible." As a child, when he first told his peers about the abuse, he was surprised by their reaction. "I would tell stories, and a lot of the dudes would be like, 'Oh, cool, man,'" he said. "So I would pretend, like, I guess this is supposed to be cool even though inside it didn't feel cool. It was traumatic and scary." Lowell praised Baltierra for helping raise awareness about sexual abuse against boys and young men. "I mean, you wouldn't look at a woman who was molested or raped and be like, 'Oh, that's so awesome you've had an older guy do those things to you,'" she said. "It's not a cool thing. It is still trauma. It's all about ending that stigma that just because it happens to boys makes it not that big of a deal, and that's not accurate." Being a parent can force you to revisit childhood trauma Like Baltierra, Lowell has sought mental-health support for coping with childhood trauma. What she's learned about herself in therapy has reinforced her commitment to "breaking intergenerational traumas" and ensuring she doesn't pass them on to her three daughters. "As your children become certain ages where you experienced trauma, it can actually bring stuff to the surface for you," she explained. "You might end up getting triggered or having anxiety because of the traumatic experience that happened to you at their age." Talking to kids about protecting their bodies As a parent, whether you have a personal history of trauma or not, "sexual trauma should be a talking subject," Lowell said. "These are conversations that everybody should be having with their children." When their now 8-year-old daughter Nova turned 3, the couple felt it was important for her to start learning how to label her own body parts. "How can you protect your own body if you don't even know about it," Baltierra said. Lowell agreed, saying, "If something were to happen to your kids, and they were to tell somebody, they are using the correct terminology and not a nickname for it." Both parents recommended speaking to your kids at an age-appropriate level and letting their questions guide the conversation. She gave an example of what these conversations sound like with their daughters: "Everybody's got a bubble, and if you feel uncomfortable about somebody coming into your bubble, it's OK to tell them that they're not allowed," she said. "They're not welcome. I don't like that." Supporting your partner through their journey In the episode that aired on September 13, Baltierra's therapist invited Lowell to participate in a couple's session as part of his ketamine therapy. Her immediate reaction was wanting to learn more about her husband's experience and what she could do to support him. "I was going into it with a very open mind," she said. "I think it was important for me to hear the things that Ty had learned, so that way you can be that support system for your person. I feel like that's really important." Baltierra agreed, saying that men need to talk about child sexual abuse. "Because when you have unresolved trauma in the body, it will resurface itself in multiple ways." His advice for partners is to approach your loved one with curiosity and compassion. "Partners should go into it with an open mind and not be afraid of what you might discover or what you might hear and just try to be supportive," he said. You can watch the new season of "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter" on MTV on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. For more tools and resources to support emotional well-being, visit mentalhealthishealth.us . Read the original article on Insider ALAMO, Texas (Border Report) The public has through Friday to tell the federal government how they feel about a proposed 20-mile new section of border wall in rural Starr County, Texas. U.S. Customs and Border Protection earlier this month announced it would take online comments through Sept. 15. GAO report outlines how border wall construction damaged environment, wildlife, cultural sites The agency wants to know potential impacts to the environment, culture, quality of life and commerce, including potential socioeconomic impacts for the proposed construction of a border barrier system in Starr County, according to a Sept. 5 letter. The proposed barrier would be 18 feet high and, according to maps, would run from the tiny town of Salineno east past the town of Roma. The 18-foot proposed metal border wall to be built in Starr County would be similar to this segment of border wall built in Alamo, Texas, during the Trump administration. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report) Starr County has fewer than 70,000 residents and is just west of the more populous Hidalgo County, which is home to McAllen. The State of Texas earlier this year began building a segment of 30-foot-tall border wall in far western Starr County. And there already exists a segment of federal border wall built during the Trump administration near the tiny town of Fronton. Bite and hold: How a Border Patrol K-9 caught escaped Pennsylvania inmate The new 20-mile project would be funded by money appropriated by Congress in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 federal budgets. Although President Joe Biden halted construction of new border wall projects when he took office, only Congress could rescind the funding for new border wall projects in the Rio Grande Valley, which include Starr County. Scott Nicol, an active environmentalist, told Border Report that there is about $195 million in funding out of the original $1.375 billion appropriated. Biden is using up the remainder of that appropriation, in compliance with what Congress demanded, Nicol said. Instead of building more walls and inflicting more damage, CBP should use the remaining money to mitigate the damage done when other border walls were built with the FY2019 funds. Texas National Guard turns back migrants at border wall near El Paso Jim Chapman, president of the environmental group Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, which safeguards several wildlife tracks throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, spoke with Border Report on Thursday at a segment of border wall located less than 2 miles west of the refuge. Jim Chapman is president of the nonprofit Friends of the Wildlife Corridor. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report) He urged the public to tell CBP the reasons they dont want a border wall to go up in Starr County. This is really the only opportunity the public is going to have to voice their opinion and to what degree they will listen to us, of course, you know, who knows? But I think its the one thing they cant take away from us. And thats our voice. I mean, we need to speak up, Chapman said. Study: Border wall support doubles among South Texas residents He said building an 18-foot-tall metal wall with high-tech lights and a 150-foot-wide enforcement zone and road will cut vital brushlands along the riverbank and will cut off communities in Starr County from the Rio Grande. Many of these communities, like Salineno, were founded when Texas was part of Mexico. You have communities that are that are very close to the river. And you also have a greater percentage of brush and forest along the river there, Chapman said. He said the region is in a flood zone and he believes it would be a violation of the 1944 U.S. water treaty with Mexico to build on these lands. Work begins to replace border barrier that runs into the ocean in California He also said that walling off the riverbanks would damage the lands and hurt wildlife that wouldnt have access to and from the river. What theyre proposing is that concrete footing and of course, that allows nothing to pass no terrestrial and animals of any size, common, rare or endangered, Chapman said. Nothing will pass. Nothing will be able to get to the river. Nothing thats by the river will be able to get away from the river. And when you have fire or flood, then nothing gets out. A rare bird feed at the Salineno Wildlife Preserve in Salineno, Texas (Border Report file photo) If the wall is built in Salineno then it will also likely cut off the Salineno Wildlife Preserve, a popular birding location that draws thousands of visitors each year from across the country and world. The volunteer caretakers for the preserve, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told Border Report they worry that if construction begins then the preserve wont reopen for the fall birding season and could close permanently. Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border Last Sunday, some residents in Starr County, organized a town hall meeting to educate the public and passed out bullet points on why they dont want a border wall. Comments can be submitted to CBP via email to RGVComments@cbp.dhs.gov. Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. An 81-year-old Temperance man is in custody on charges that he beat his wife to death. The Monroe County Prosecutors Office authorized an open murder warrant against Edward Lee Hite, 81, of Temperance. The warrant also includes a charge of assault and battery. The victim in the case is Barbara Ann Hite, 78, of Temperance. The open murder charge allows a jury to determine the degree of murder, should the case go to trial. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office responded Sept. 8 to a home in the 2200 block of Fountain Circle in Bedford Township on a report of a death investigation. When deputies arrived, they learned an assault was possibly still in progress inside the residence. A deputy went inside, witnessed Edward Hite assaulting his wife and detained him, the sheriff's office reported. Medical personnel responded to the scene and provided medical care to Barbara Hite, who was taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital, where she later died. Edward Hite also was taken to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation. He then was taken into custody by the Sylvania, Ohio, Police Department and transported to the Lucas County Jail. On Thursday, Hite was extradited to Michigan and lodged at the Monroe County Jail. On Friday, he was arraigned before First District Judge Amanda Eicher, who set bond at $1 million. It was not posted. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact lead Detective Joshua Motylinski with the Monroe County Sheriffs Detective Bureau at 734-240-7523. This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Temperance man arrested in beating death of wife Nashville voters elected Tennessees first transgender lawmaker Thursday, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political action group that aims to elect queer people to public office. The historic victory comes months after Tennessee made national headlines for passing laws that restrict certain drag performances and prohibit transition-related medical care for minors. Olivia Hill, 57, won one of Nashville Metro Councils four nonpartisan seats up for grabs, securing 12.9% of the vote, according to election data site Ballotpedia. She served in the Navy for 10 years as an engineer before working as an engineer for Vanderbilt University, according to her campaign website. She has also been a vocal LGBTQ advocate in Nashville and beyond, serving on the board of directors for the Tennessee Pride Chamber, the website says. My expertise is fixing things, and while my focus for my native city is repairing Nashvilles outdated infrastructure, I also want to ensure that Nashville is represented with true diversity in a state where the ruling party thinks I should head to the closet, she said in a statement prior to her win. Annise Parker, president of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which endorsed Hill, applauded her victory and took aim at the states conservative lawmakers. Nashville voters clearly reject the hateful rhetoric that has grown louder in Tennessee politics lately, Parker said in a statement. Olivias victory proves that transgender people belong everywhere decisions about them are being made, including local office. Hills win coincides with seemingly competing phenomena: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people are being elected to public office at historically high rates, while a record number of anti-LGBTQ laws have been introduced in state legislatures across the country. Last year, at least 400 openly LGBTQ candidates the majority of whom are Democrats won their elections, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, surpassing 2020s record of 336 and 2018s record of 244. In November, notable wins included the election of the countrys first lesbian governors: Maura Healey in Massachusetts and Tina Kotek in Oregon. And in New Hampshire, James Roesener became the first trans man elected to a state legislature. Less than a year after these historic wins for the LGBTQ community, another record was made: So far this year, 496 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, with 84 of them passed into law, according to a tally by the American Civil Liberties Union. Tennessee has been one of several state leaders in terms of proposing and enacting anti-LGBTQ laws this year. The state introduced 26 anti-LGBTQ measures this year, according to the ACLU. In March, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a measure into law that would restrict transition-related care for minors and a first-of-its-kind bill that would prohibit some drag performances. A federal judge ruled the Tennessee drag law as unconstitutional in June. The states law on gender-affirming care for minors is still in effect as it is being challenged in the courts. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Tennessee state Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, has endorsed candidate Matthew Park in the election to represent Knox County Commission's District 9. McKenzie, who serves as chair of the legislature's Black Caucus, served as a county commissioner 2008-2016. McKenzie defeated Park in 2020 when the pair faced off in the Democratic primary. "Matthew is the right person for the 9th District. His passion for public service and serving the people of South Knoxville is proven," McKenzie said in a statement on Sep. 14. "Matthew will keep the balance between urban development and rural preservation. He will make a great commissioner for Knox County." Park announced his campaign to represent District 9, which covers the South Waterfront and stretches from the French Broad River Corridor to Alcoa Highway, on Sep. 8. He said in his campaign announcement that the commission has been "absent" from addressing the county's housing crisis. Matthew Park is running to represent the Knox County Commission's 9th District (Credit: Photo submitted the Matthew Park campaign) The 9th District seat is held by Republican Carson Dailey, who will be term limited in 2024. Rep. McKenzie has represented our community well in the State Legislature, and I am grateful to receive his endorsement," Park said in a Sep. 14 release. "Im excited to partner with him on affordable housing, farm preservation and public school funding to create a better Knox County! The Knox County Commission is comprised of 11 members. Nine represent districts, and two represent the entire county as at-large members. Terms are four years, and commissioners are limited to two consecutive terms. The primary election will take place March 5 and the general will be held Aug. 1. Allie Feinberg covers politics for Knox News. Email: alliefeinberg@knoxnews.com. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: State Rep. Sam McKenzie endorses Matthew Park for Knox County Commission The airline confirmed there were no injuries to passengers or crew members (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images) Pilots on a United Airlines flight were forced to descend more than 28,000 feet in 10 minutes following cabin pressure issues earlier this week. The Boeing 777-200 took off from Newark-Liberty International Airport in New Jersey at 9.20pm on Wednesday on its way to Rome and reached a top altitude of 37,000 feet before a pressure warning alerted the cockpit. As a result, the plane descended to 8,900 feet before returning back to Newark after turning around over Nova Scotia and landing at 12.22am on Thursday 14 September. Onboard were 270 passengers and 14 crew members. In a statement to The Messenger, a spokesperson for United Airlines said The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure and confirmed there were no injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration, the governing body that regulates flights in the US, also explained that the plane experienced a pressurisation issue, which forced it to return to New Jersey. The rescheduled flight later departed Newark-Liberty International in another aircraft after a delay of almost seven hours, according to plane tracking website FlightAware. Tesla is involved in a number of lawsuits these days, in some cases as the plaintiff and in others as the defendant. As the defendant, the electric vehicle company has been sued by several groups of customers for fraudulent or misleading activities. As the plaintiff, Tesla is suing multiple groups of former employees for stealing company secrets. In the newest case of Tesla suing its former employees, the company is bringing a suit against two ex-employees who allegedly leaked confidential information to German media outlet Handelsblatt, as Teslarati reported. The leak, which has since been dubbed the Tesla Files, (not to be confused with a 2018 documentary) apparently consisted of 100 gigabytes of information that included the confidential personal information (such as Social Security numbers) of more than 75,000 Tesla employees, according to Business Insider. However, since Handelsblatt declined to publish the leaked info, instead opting to inform Tesla and report broadly, the specifics of the information that the leakers were trying to make public were not released. Business Insider noted that the German publication reported Tesla CEO Elon Musks Social Security number and customer complaints were part of the leak. Although Teslas statement on the matter focuses on its employees personal information, it seems somewhat unlikely that the leakers exposed themselves to great legal risk to only turn over Social Security numbers to a German newspaper. If the leakers were attempting to expose some sort of corporate deceptiveness which Tesla has been accused of many times, including very recently and only exposed the employee information incidentally, it is possible that they could defend themselves as whistleblowers. But lacking any more specifics about the leak, we will all just have to wait and see how the case plays out. In another case of Tesla retaliating against former employees for stealing secrets, the EV company has also sued rival EV company Rivian, along with several ex-employees who allegedly left Tesla for Rivian and took proprietary information along with them. In that case, the ex-employees should not be considered whistleblowers, as they are accused of giving information to a rival company instead of a media outlet. However, Tesla still faced criticism for appearing to go against its stated mission to save the planet by open sourcing (i.e., making public) its EV patents. Whats the point of open sourcing your patents if youre going to blame employees for stealing technology when they want to jump ship to work for a better forward looking company, wrote one commenter on an Electrek article about the Rivian lawsuit. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Although a buildings age and architecture are noteworthy, its designation as a state landmark also considers the full story, including the congregation and design team. A church designed by Texas first licensed Black architect has received a designation that will aid in maintaining the institutions long history of serving the Black community. The Houston Chronicle reported that Boynton Chapel Methodist Church, which started in Houstons Third Ward in the 1880s, has been designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, the most significant distinction the state can bestow upon a historic building. John S. Chase designed the current structure in 1957, coming up with a one-of-a-kind design that featured stained glass windows and a unique profile with a cross-gable roof. Today, the church has 225 members; about 90 attend Sunday services each week. Boynton Chapel Methodist Church, designed by John S. Chase in 1957, has been designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. (Photo Credit: Screenshot/YouTube./com/Boynton Chapel Methodist Church Houston) My dad would be pleasantly surprised at the attention his work has gotten 10 to 12 years after he passed away, said Chases son, Tony Chase, of Boynton Chapels new status. This church was early in Dads career, so it was special to him. They were one of the earliest to embrace him, and once he proved himself with those early jobs, he got commissions to do all sorts of buildings. Walker Shores, a University of Houston student volunteer who has since graduated, assisted in making Boynton Chapel a Protected Landmark of the City of Houston in 2021. Sam Osemwingie, another UH graduate, helped Preservation Houston make the church a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Although both are noteworthy, a buildings landmark status stems not only from its age and architecture, but also its overall story, congregation itself, and the design team. In addition to a permanent position in the states recorded history, the designation opens the door to tax credits, grants, and other gifts that can be challenging for NGOs, particularly religious institutions, to get. The churchs well-known members include Christia Adair, a suffragist and civil rights advocate; Madgelean Mama Bush, a civic figure who oversaw the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and established Boy Scout and Girl Scout units in the Third Ward; and Dr. Forde B. McWilliams, one of the states first Black veterinarians. Because of segregation, the church stepped in to provide access to public swimming pools and other social activities for Black people. Boynton built a pool, a gym, and classrooms where they taught people employment skills in the following decades. In the 1930s, the neighborhoods community hall became a kindergarten for children of working women. At a time when no firm would hire him, Boynton Chapel was one of Chases first clients. He also designed Houstons Booker T. Washington High School, Texas Southern Universitys School of Communications, and Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He contributed to the renovations at the Astrodome and the Toyota Center. He died in 2012 at 87. Dads honors thesis for his masters at UT was about the Black church and the design and spirit of the Black church, so he was heavily invested in the development of the Black church, both physically and spiritually. It was also a practical matter, Tony Chase added, because, frankly, thats the place in the Black community where there was capital and a lot of growth and construction going on. The church is working to raise its portion of a $180,000 matching grant from the National Fund for Sacred Spaces, which will go toward replacing the churchs air conditioning system, resolving drainage issues, and repairing the bell tower, which hasnt functioned in 50 years. They would have to spend $15,000 on an architectural building assessment survey to be eligible for another grant to assist with repairing and restoring sanctuary windows. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Texas church designed by states first Black architect granted rare landmark status appeared first on TheGrio. After eight days of testimony, a jury of state senators started deliberation Friday in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton s (R) historic impeachment trial. Paxton is accused of corruption and bribery, and misusing the powers of his office to help real estate developer Nate Paul . Currently suspended from his post, a conviction on even one of the 16 articles of impeachment he now faces would permanently remove him from office. Paxton pleaded not guilty. The attorney general is only the third sitting official in the Lone Star States history to be impeached. Paxton, who couldnt be compelled to testify, appeared Friday for closing arguments, his first time in the chamber since the trial kicked off. Here are five things to know about the proceedings so far as the jury deliberates: Ex-Paxton aides, whistleblowers detail concerns The House impeachment team called multiple former Paxton aides and whistleblowers to testify to their concerns about the attorney generals actions and connections with Paul. Former First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer said in the first week of trial that Paxton used the states coronavirus response to help Paul avoid foreclosures on his properties. Paxtons actions with regard to Paul made Mateer think he was under undue influence at one time I thought, Is he being blackmailed? Former Texas Deputy Attorney General Mark Penley one of the whistleblowers who filed suit against Paxton, alleging they were fired in retaliation for reporting him said he warned Paxton that there was no legal or ethical basis to investigate Pauls allegations of law enforcement misconduct. Because Paul was a friend and campaign donor to Paxton, looking into the claims was a very dangerous investigation for him to continue, Penley recalled telling the attorney general. Paxtons then-head of law enforcement, David Maxwell, said Paxton got upset with him because I was not buying into the big conspiracy that Nate Paul was having him believe. Brandon Cammack, a lawyer allegedly hired by Paxton to look into Pauls claims, said Paxton misled him about the work, and that a Paxton aide later told him to eat an invoice. Ex-chief of staff talks Paxtons alleged affair One of the articles of impeachment alleges that the attorney general benefited from Pauls employment of the woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an extramarital affair, and that Paul in turn received favorable legal assistance from, or specialized access to the office. Paxtons former chief of staff testified earlier this week that Paxtons alleged affair strained office morale, and said she cautioned the top law enforcement official that his actions could be both ethically, legally and morally challenging. Katherine Missy Minter Cary said she told the top law enforcement officer that it wasnt my business who he was sleeping with but that when things boiled over into the office and into the state work, that it had become my business, and that I was having concerns about how the time and the effort of the travel aides, the security detail and myself was being spent. While Paxton wasnt present for most of the trial, his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton (R), has reportedly been in the chamber throughout the trial, though shes ineligible to vote with her fellow state senators on the verdict. The House impeachment team attempted to call Laura Olson, the alleged affair partner, to testify, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), whos presiding over the proceedings, announced before she could take the stand that shed been deemed unavailable to testify. He provided no further explanation regarding the call but said both sides had agreed to the decision. Defense rests after just a day Rusty Hardin, an attorney for the House impeachment managers, announced that his side rested its case Wednesday evening before Paxtons defense had the chance to cross-examine the witness on the stand. I messed up, Hardin said, suggesting that the defense should cross-examine anyway. But defense attorney Tony Buzbee pressed to accept the rest, and pushed forward with a motion for a directed verdict, seeking to end the trial. The House said it had a counter-motion. Shortly thereafter, Patrick told the court that both motions had been withdrawn, and that the defense would start its case-in-chief. The defense called just four witnesses, all current agency employees, before resting its case Thursday with several hours of time left on its clock. Both sides also reportedly forewent the chance to present rebuttal evidence, and started with closing arguments first thing Friday. Texas officials, Paxton attorneys spar in closing arguments This is not a criminal trial. This is a political trial. I would suggest to you this is a political witch hunt, Buzbee said in the closing argument for Paxtons defense. This trial has displayed, for the country to see, a partisan fight within the Republican Party. He lauded Paxtons work as attorney general and invoked President Biden, saying the presidents policies come to die in Texas because of the attorney general. Buzbee also took a swipe at the media, telling the jurors that if you decided this case from the Houston Chronicle, The Texas Tribune, Texas Monthly, The Dallas Morning News oh my goodness gracious, Ken Paxton is guilty. He dismissed so-called whistleblowers as disgruntled ex-staffers and took aim at allegations surrounding Paxtons affair. If this impeachment is based on a marital impropriety, then line up. Line up. Were going to be doing a lot of impeaching in this city. In rebuttal, Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, one of the House impeachment managers, walked through the various articles of impeachment upon which the jurors will need to decide, playing clips from earlier testimony to the chamber. Members of the jury, this is the most important choice you have ever faced. In 100 years, its probably the only vote that anyone will ever talk about in your careers. It will also decide what Texas politics look like. This is about: What does public service mean? Murr said. To Mr. Paxton, it meant serving himself and his friend, Nate Paul. Mr. Paul brought incredible wealth and a lavish lifestyle to the partnership. And Mr. Paxton brought the incredible power of the state, Murr said. State Rep. Jeff Leach (R) took a more personal note, knocking back at a defense comment that Paxton was being targeted out of hate. In voting to impeach Gen. Ken Paxton, my dear friend, a political mentor, a brother in Christ and a once-trusted advisor, this has not just been a hard vote, this has been one of the most difficult things Ive ever had to do in my life, Leach said. I have loved Ken Paxton for a long time. Timing of verdict uncertain Thirty of Texass 31 senators are deliberating on whether to convict Paxton, with the exception of Paxtons wife, Angela Paxton. Shes one of 19 Republicans in the state chamber. Conviction requires a two-thirds vote of all state senators, meaning 21 votes are needed to convict on each article. The jurors are deliberating in private, but theyll come back together to cast their votes in open court on the Senate floor, without debate going through each of the 16 articles of impeachment one by one, Patrick said Friday. All articles will be voted on, but a conviction on just one of the 16 articles will remove Paxton from the attorney generals office. I have no idea of how long the jury is going to deliberate. It could be hours. It could be days, Patrick said before closing arguments. He outlined rules for jurors during the deliberation period, permitting them to sleep outside the Capitol if the process continues into the weekend, but stressing that they cannot watch television, read news, or use their computers until the votes. You have serious work to do, Patrick told the jurors after closings wrapped up. Take as much time as you need to come to a decision that you believe is the right decision. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif., talks to reporters about avoiding a government shutdown and launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Thursday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Jon Ward is a Yahoo News senior correspondent who has covered national politics for over 15 years. Youre shifting gears to head into the weekend, so here are the top five political stories worth remembering this week. The week of Sept. 11, 2023, began with remembrances of the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil 22 years ago; with President Biden returning from a quick cross-globe trip India and Vietnam aimed at countering Chinese influence in that region; and with FDA approval of a new COVID booster shot. Looming next week are an autoworkers strike that began Thursday night and lots of angst in Washington over a potential government shutdown on Oct. 1. But heres what I think stood out from this past week. Republicans open impeachment inquiry into President Biden House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced Tuesday that hes opening an impeachment inquiry, without a House vote, claiming that there is a culture of corruption around Biden. Why it matters: Just two weeks ago, McCarthy told conservative Breitbart News that to open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. He said he would hold a vote in the House to authorize an inquiry, something he criticized Democrats for not doing in 2019 when they began their impeachment inquiry of former President Trump. This week, McCarthy reversed course and opened the inquiry himself, without a vote. There arent enough Republicans supporting such a measure to pass it, but McCarthy is under pressure from hard-liners in his party who are threatening to remove him from his post. McCarthy did not appear to gain any ground with hard-right Republicans who are threatening to remove him. The week ended with him shouting at House members in a closed meeting. But the impeachment effort is serving the GOPs larger goal of giving them something to say in response to former President Trumps criminal indictments. Good reads: Mitt Romney announces hes leaving the Senate Romney, a Utah Republican, announced Wednesday that he is not running for reelection in 2024. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks with reporters on Wednesday after announcing that he will not seek reelection. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images) Why it matters: Romney, the Republican nominee for president in 2012, has been one of the GOPs most resolute opponents of the rising populism and nationalism represented by former President Trump. His departure means the GOP will likely slide further toward Trumpism, and his seat in the Senate will now be open, potentially moving the Senate further to the right. Romneys comments to The Atlantics McKay Coppins for a forthcoming biography have a dark subtext. Romney expressed deep concern for the future of American democracy. His time in the Senate had left Romney worriednot just about the decomposition of his own political party, but about the fate of the American project itself, Coppins wrote. This is a very fragile thing Authoritarianism is like a gargoyle lurking over the cathedral, ready to pounce, Romney told Coppins. Good reads: A week of Elon Musk news A new biography of the billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX and social media company X written by Walter Isaacson was released Tuesday, prompting an avalanche of stories about Musk. Elon Musk arrives for a Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Why it matters: Good reads: Iranian prisoner swap The Biden administration cleared a major hurdle toward a swap of five American citizens held by the Iranian government, for five Iranians in U.S. custody and an unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leading the U.S. diplomatic effort to lower tensions with the government in Iran. (Cliff Owen/AP) Why it matters: Tensions remain elevated between the U.S. and Iran, but Iran needs the money for a troubled economy and the Biden administration is looking to bring Tehrans hard-line government into a diplomatic resolution to slow its pursuit of a nuclear weapons program. The prisoner swap could take place as soon as Monday, after the Biden administration cleared hurdles for the unfreezing of financial assets this week. Good reads: Another legal setback for 'Dreamers' in DACA ruling A federal judge in Texas ruled Wednesday that the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program cannot be expanded, knocking down an attempt by the Biden administration to do so. Beatrice Cruz of Arizona holds a sign in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy after a hearing on the DACA program in Houston in June. (Adrees Latif/Reuters) Why it matters: DACA, a program started under former President Obama in 2012, allows undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country for two-year intervals, and to seek employment. But the Texas judge, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen, ruled in 2021 that the program was unlawful. That decision blocked new enrollees from being included in DACA but did not end protections for those already in the program. The Biden administration sought to address the 2021 ruling with a regulation issued in 2022. But Hanens ruling this week found the Biden regulation insufficient. The ruling does not end protections for the roughly half a million people currently enrolled in DACA. The case is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Good reads: The US Senate Armed Services Committee is investigating Elon Musk's decision to not extend Starlink satellite internet coverage to enable a Ukraine attack on Russian warship near Crimea, Bloomberg has reported. "The committee is aggressively probing this issue from every angle," said chairman Jack Reed in a statement, adding that the incident exposed "serious national-security liability issues." The panel is still gathering information, and has not yet launched a formal investigation. The Ukraine Starlink incident was revealed in an Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson, via a disputed excerpt stating that Musk deactivated Starlink access close to the Crimean coast to prevent a Ukrainian attack on the fleet. However, Musk said that Starlink was not active in those areas because of US sanctions on Russia, so SpaceX had nothing to disable. In a recent podcast, he said would have extended Starlink to Crimea if President Biden had ordered him to do so but he didn't receive any such order. Rather, Musk said he denied Ukraine's request to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol. "If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation," Musk wrote on X. (The disputed excerpt will be changed in future copies of the book.) Nevertheless, senators questioned why the decision was made by Musk, rather than government officials. "Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to US national security," Reed said. At the time of Ukraine's request, SpaceX received no US payments for its Ukraine Starlink operations, but it now has Pentagon funding. The probe was announced just ahead of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the US and meeting with President Biden, set for next week. On top of Starlink, SpaceX is a major US contractor, launching spy satellites for the Defense Department . Thousands of Hasidic Jews gather in Uman for Prayer for Peace in Ukraine Thousands of Hasidic Jews, on their annual pilgrimage to Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, to observe Rosh Hashanah, came together in a prayer for peace in Ukraine at noon on Sept. 15, national broadcaster Suspilne reports. According to Suspilne, one devout individual implored both Ukrainians and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman and pray for a swift victory. Read also: Israel increasingly denying entry to Ukrainians, situation escalating, say diplomats If Volodymyr Zelenskyy comes here and prays, if he desires victory for the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian military in this war, come here and beseech God. And I assure you, as does Rabbi Nachman victory will be yours, the pilgrim said. As of the morning of Sept. 15, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine confirmed that 32,332 Hasidic pilgrims had arrived in Uman. This marked a notable increase from the previous year, which saw over 23,000 attendees. At total of 10,088 pilgrims crossed the state border at various checkpoints in a period of just 24 hours. Suspilne Cherkasy Suspilne Cherkasy The gravesite of Rabbi Nachman, located in the Jewish cemetery in Uman, serves as a pilgrimage destination for Hasidic Jews from across the globe. Annually, they gather there to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Prior to Russias full-scale invasion of Uman, the number of visiting Hasidic Jews typically ranged from 20,000 to 40,000. Read also: Israel donates several tons of medical supplies to Ukraine ambassador On Sept. 11, reports surfaced that, in defiance of warnings from diplomatic services and the Office of the President of Ukraine, over 3,000 pilgrims had already arrived in Uman. Amid concerns of potential suspension of visa-free travel with Israel, Ukraines Ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, emphasized the difficulties in safeguarding tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims from Russian attacks due to the absence of air defense systems. Read also: Stop humiliating Ukrainians or well cancel visa waivers, Uman pilgrimage for Israelis, says ambassador The diplomat said that the embassys position was that if, for any reason, Israel did not wish to provide arms for the protection of Ukrainian citizens, perhaps they intend to safeguard their own interests. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Gared Hansen shows psilocybin mushrooms that are ready for distribution in his Uptown Fungus lab in Springfield, Ore., Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer) EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Psilocybin tea, wind chimes and a tie-dye mattress await those coming to an office suite in Eugene to trip on psychedelic mushrooms. For roughly six hours, adults over 21 can experience what many users describe as vivid geometric shapes, a loss of identity and a oneness with the universe. Epic Healing Eugene Americas first licensed psilocybin service center opened in June, marking Oregon's unprecedented step in offering the mind-bending drug to the public. The center now has a waitlist of more than 3,000 names, including people with depression, PTSD or end-of-life dread. No prescription or referral is needed, but proponents hope Oregon's legalization will spark a revolution in mental health care. Colorado voters last year passed a measure allowing regulated use of psychedelic mushrooms starting in 2024, and Californias Legislature this month approved a measure that would allow possession and use of certain plant- and mushroom-based psychedelics, including psilocybin and mescaline, with plans for health officials to develop guidelines for therapeutic use. The Oregon Psilocybin Services Section, charged with regulating the state's industry, has received hundreds of thousands of inquiries from all over the world," Angela Allbee, the agency's manager, said in an interview. So far, what were hearing is that clients have had positive experiences, she said. While psilocybin remains illegal in most of the United States, the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 designated it a breakthrough therapy. This summer, the FDA published draft guidance for researchers designing clinical trials for psychedelic drugs. Researchers believe psilocybin changes the way the brain organizes itself, helping a user adopt new attitudes and overcome mental health issues. The Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association, however, opposed Oregon's 2020 ballot measure legalizing psilocybin, saying it is unsafe and makes misleading promises to those Oregonians who are struggling with mental illness. Allbee noted that psychedelic mushrooms have been a part of tribal spiritual and healing practices for thousands of years. Her agency is focused on safety, she said. First, customers must have a preparation session with a licensed facilitator who stays with clients as they experience the drug. The facilitator can deny access to those who have active psychosis, thoughts of harming anyone, or who have taken lithium, which is used to treat mania, in the past month. The clients can't buy mushrooms to go, and they must stay at the service center until the drug wears off. Besides approving psilocybin, Oregon voters in 2020 decriminalized possession of hard drugs, cementing the states reputation as a leader in drug-law reform. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize marijuana possession and one of the first to legalize its recreational use. But these days, the regulated marijuana industry is struggling with massive oversupply. And drug decriminalization has not greatly expanded addiction treatment or reduced overdoses as hoped. According to AP VoteCast, 58% of Oregon voters in the 2022 midterm elections thought Oregons drug decriminalization effort had been a bad thing. Its too early to assess Oregons mushroom legalization. Oregon Psilocybin Services spent two years establishing regulations and began accepting license applications in January. There are now 10 licensed service centers, four growers, two testing labs and dozens of facilitators. While Epic Healing Eugene has a long waitlist thanks in part to early media attention, other service centers say business is picking up as awareness spreads. Omnia Group Ashland, which opened this month in southern Oregon, has a prospective client list of 150, said co-founder Brian Lindley. Jeanette Small, the owner of Lucid Cradle in Bend, said she intends to see only one client per week to give close attention to each and is already booked through December. The law allows local jurisdictions to ban psilocybin operations, and several rural counties have done so. There are complaints the cost is too high, but those in the industry expect prices to fall as more businesses are established. A client can wind up paying over $2,000, which helps cover service center expenses, a facilitator and lab-tested psilocybin. Annual licenses for service centers and growers cost $10,000, with a half-price discount for veterans. Allbee said her agency requires every licensee to work toward social equity goals, with some already providing sliding-scale price models. She expects Oregons psilocybin program, currently receiving millions in taxpayer dollars, to be fully supported by licensing fees by mid-2025. She promised to then boost efforts to lower prices. Cathy Jonas, Epic Healing Eugenes owner, said she doesn't expect her service center to start making money for a while. Providing legal access to psychedelic mushrooms is a calling, she said: The plant medicines have communicated to me that Im supposed to be doing this thing." State regulations allow doses of up to 50 milligrams, but when Jonas tested a 35-milligram sample of pure psilocybin typically equal to about 6 grams of dried mushrooms she found it so powerful that she decided it would be the most her facility would offer. One of Jonas' first clients took 35 milligrams and described seeing a kind of infinite-dimension fractal that just kept turning and twisting." It was kind of mesmerizing to watch, but it got so intense, said the client, who didnt want to be identified to protect his privacy. I started to have this experience of dying and being reborn. And then I would kind of see large portions of my life going by in a very rapid way. He said the session was not particularly pleasant, but that it beneficially transformed how he views painful memories and provided a sought-after mystical experience. Licensed grower Gared Hansen has come full circle from the 16 years he spent as a police officer in San Francisco. He once busted a psilocybin dealer in Golden Gate Park. Today, he runs Uptown Fungus, a one-person psilocybin-growing operation in a nondescript building set among towering cedar trees near Springfield, Oregon. He tends mushroom varieties with names like Golden Teacher, Blue Meanies and Pink Buffalo. A 25-milligram dose costs $125. Hansen said he sometimes meditates with the mushrooms, hoping to imbue them with healing energy. Little, brown psychedelic mushrooms can be found growing in fields or in the woods, but they can closely resemble poisonous varieties. Hansen and others caution against obtaining psilocybin cheaper on the black market or tripping alone. Service centers provide measured and often strong doses in a controlled environment. Sometimes part of the healing could be a negative experience someone has to go through, to kind of flush negative emotions out or reexperience some trauma in a healthier way," Hansen said. Id hate to have someone thats never tried it before take it home, have a bad trip and hurt themselves. Three people died in a head-on collision Friday morning on Illinois 4 in Madison County, Illinois State Police said. The names of the victims were not released. One vehicle was traveling south on Illinois 4 just north of Old State Route 4 while another vehicle was going north when for unknown reasons, the southbound vehicle crossed the centerline and caused a head-on collision at 3:44 a.m., according to preliminary information gathered by Illinois State Police. The southbound vehicle was occupied by a male and the northbound vehicle was occupied by two females, according to a news release from Illinois State Police. All three persons were declared deceased at the scene. No other information about the victims or their vehicles has been released. The roadway reopened at 8:20 a.m. Three Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee are asking Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for answers about whether Elon Musk or other commercial satellite providers disabled or restricted the Ukrainian militarys access to communication networks and whether the Defense Department has the authority to intervene. The questions stem from reporting in journalist Walter Isaacsons biography of Musk, who in addition to his roles at Tesla and the social media platform formerly known as Twitter is also the CEO of SpaceX, which operates the Starlink satellite system. Musk sent Starlink terminals to Ukraine last year after Russias invasion to enable Ukraines military to communicate digitally. In his book, however, Isaacson reports that late last year Musk prevented the Ukrainian armed forces from using Starlink satellite communication terminals to mount an attack on Russian ships in Russian-held southern Ukraine. Initial media reports about the book said Musk disabled the Starlink network near the Crimean Peninsula after conversations with senior Russian officials. After the reports, Musk took to his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, to argue that he did not discontinue Starlink over Crimea but instead refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there. The onus is meaningfully different if I refused to act upon a request from Ukraine vs. made a deliberate change to Starlink to thwart Ukraine. At no point did I or anyone at SpaceX promise coverage over Crimea. Moreover, our terms of service clearly prohibit Starlink for offensive military action, as we are a civilian system, so they were again asking for something that was expressly prohibited. SpaceX is building Starshield for the U.S. government, which is similar to, but much smaller than Starlink, as it will not have to handle millions of users. That system will be owned and controlled by the U.S. government, he wrote. Isaacson also sent a message on the social media platform, writing: To clarify on the Starlink issue: the Ukrainians THOUGHT coverage was enabled all the way to Crimea, but it was not. They asked Musk to enable it for their drone sub attack on the Russian fleet. Musk did not enable it." In a letter sent Friday, Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois asked Austin to clarify what had occurred. The differing versions of events further highlights the confusion surrounding the circumstances of this reported incident, they wrote. The confusion over what actually happened during this Ukrainian attack and Mr. Musks specific role demands answers. Citing media reports about the book, the senators said Musks decision provided de facto protection to the Russian military, which has continued to launch attacks against civilians and infrastructure and enforced an embargo on grain shipments in the Black Sea. The reports raise serious concerns about whether Mr. Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key U.S. partner at a critical juncture, they wrote, and if so, how and why he was allowed to do so, and what actions the Department of Defense (DoD) will take or has taken to address these actions and prevent further dangerous meddling, and whether further legislation is needed for DoD to effectively pursue these ends. We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr. Musks whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign countrys self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests. In June, the Pentagon said it had signed a contract to pay SpaceX to keep providing Starlink to Ukraine, after Musk threatened to cut off service because of the cost. The three senators asked Austin to detail any other cases when Starlink or other commercially provided services were disabled or restricted for the Ukrainians since Russias invasion and whether the Pentagon was paying for those services, whether anything in the Pentagons contracts with the companies prohibits the companies from impeding services and how the Defense Department is working on alternative options to ensure there are more capabilities during times of crisis. They requested that he provide answers by Oct. 31. The Democratic chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, also questioned the role of Musks business interests in U.S. national security. Serious national security liability issues have been exposed and the committee is engaged on this issue, Reed said in a statement Thursday. Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to U.S. national security. Weve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr. Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagons actions and contractual arrangements. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Thurston County commission candidates, representing the newly expanded District 4 and District 5 seats, gathered Wednesday afternoon for a candidate forum hosted by the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. Thurston County District 5 commission candidates Terry Ballard and Emily Clouse listen to the moderator during a Wednesday candidate forum. The District 4 candidates are former longtime county employee Vivian Eason, who also is a former county commission candidate, and Tenino Mayor Wayne Fournier. Running in the District 5 race is state worker and nonprofit founder Emily Clouse and retired Army veteran Terry Ballard. The general election is Nov. 7. The forum was moderated by former Olympia Mayor Doug Mah, who often hosts such events and has a reputation for throwing curve balls at those running for elected office. They include asking quick-fire questions and demanding quick responses and allowing the candidates to pose questions to each other. True to form, Mah stuck to his script. Here are the questions the candidates asked of their opponent. Eason to Fournier: How would you work toward inclusiveness for those unincorporated county folks impacted by decisions made by the county commission? Fournier: The first step is having a representative that lives in the district, holding town halls, being available, going to various community events and representing the people with boots on the ground. Fournier to Eason: (Before he asked his question, Fournier claimed that Eason had endorsed controversial 3rd Congressional District candidate Joe Kent). Do you plan on endorsing and supporting him again? Eason: Honestly, I didnt endorse anyone last year. I may have been in a lot of places with him (Kent), such as a parade, but as a candidate I didnt endorse anyone, and I dont plan to endorse anyone this year. ... I dont know what that question is about, thanks. They were followed by questions from Clouse and Ballard. Clouse to Ballard: How would you promote the health and safety of our unhoused neighbors? Ballard: The homeless is a problem. Drug addiction is a major problem, said Ballard, adding that he believes a majority of them are dealing with drug addiction and also mental illness. We need to combat those problems with viable programs that work. As far as something being said, being planned, we need to get off that plan, we need to implement everything. Ballard to Clouse: In the lead up to his question, he claimed that the county commission had canceled 119 outstanding warrants, although he didnt provide any further explanation. However, he may have been referring to the possible dismissal of warrants tied to the reopening of the jail. His question: Would you continue to cancel 119 outstanding warrants? Clouse, confused by the question, asked moderator Mah if she could ask a clarifying question. He suggested she just respond to what he said. She took it as an opportunity to share one of her beliefs. Clouse: I do not believe in mass incarceration as a solution to handling human behavior, she said. The people who are affected the most by incarceration are those closest to poverty. We need to address the root causes of crime. We need to address possible workforce development opportunities for those who are under-served in our community. We need to promote adequate mental health and substance abuse services. I work with youth in the justice system. I see it every day. They need consistency. They need us to show up and provide opportunities for re-integration into our community that does not involve mass incarceration. Mah also asked his rapid-fire questions. He asked for their choice of beverage (coffee, tea or neither), social media, favorite county location and favorite spirit animal. But under spirit animal, he only gave them two to choose from: The invasive New Zealand Mud Snail, known for inhabiting Capitol Lake, and the endangered Mazama Pocket Gopher, blamed by some for blocking development in the county. Their responses: Eason: Coffee, Facebook, the forest on my horse and the cute little Pocket gopher. Fournier: All of the above, Facebook, Tenino and the Pocket gopher. Clouse: Coffee, LinkedIn, the pump track on the isthmus in downtown Olympia. She didnt pick either the snail or the gopher. I like Bulldogs, she said. Ballard: Coffee, Facebook, Lawrence Lake and the Mud Snail. One of Mahs final questions was a yes or no answer to whether they would vote to support the two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax increase for public safety. The only person to say no was Clouse. After the forum, The Olympian asked her about her answer. She said she understands that the Thurston County Sheriffs Office is stretched thin, but she would rather see investments in community programs, education and health to address crime. We can take another angle to approach public safety, she said. Following her Oscar-nominated short film The Present, Farah Nabulsi 's feature film The Teacher, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is an intimate, emotional journey of a Palestinian teacher. Starring Saleh Bakri and Imogen Poots, The Teacher introduces us to schoolteacher Basem El-Saleh (Bakri) and two of his students, Adam (Muhammad Abed Elrahman) and Yacoub (Mahmoud Bakri). Adam is a gifted student, while his brother is more defiant, after previously being in military detention. Basem, who lives in the same town as the brothers, becomes particularly invested in the boys, specifically after their home is destroyed without warning. He also gets close to a voluenteer worker, played by Poots, who Basem meets after she came to the school looking for the boys. As the story unfolds, Basem's connection to supporting the political resistance movement connects him to a couple who have been looking for their son, who was an Israel Defense Forces soldier, and has been held hostage for years. The Palestinian-British filmmaker explained to Yahoo Canada that during one of her trips to Palestine, she became aware of the story of Gilad Shalit , an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants in 2006. In 2011 Shalit was released in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. That was part of Nabulsi's beginning stage of developing The Teacher. "I really remember at the time just thinking, whoa what an imbalance in value for human life," she said. "At the same time, during my travels to Palestine, I've met with and had so many conversations with Palestinians who have experienced firsthand much of the cruel and absurd and terrible things that also inspired, and take place, ... in the film." "So really, it was this kind of accumulation and amalgamation of all these different real life events, coupled with my own visual, verbal imagination as a filmmaker, that brought this film together." TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 09: (L-R) Mohannad Malas, Farah Nabulsi, Muhammad Abed Elrahman, Sawsan Asfari and guest attend "The Teacher" premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 09, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images) 'My focus is very much on the personal' While The Teacher very much looks at Palestine's socio-political landscape, at the core of Nabulsi's film is this intimacy of these characters, taking a very character-forward approach to telling this story. "My focus is very much on the personal," Nabulsi said. "That's what interests me and that's the part that I wanted to explore the most. The human dynamics, the emotions, the experiences and circumstances, conditions that drive someone to make the choices they make, and take the actions they take." At the heart of that is an exploration of father-son, or parents-child, dynamics. It's an emotional touchstone for anyone who watches the film and a significant thread throughout The Teacher. "As a parent myself, as a mother, and the love I have for my children, and the sort of human dynamic as a parent, it certainly has translated into who I am as a filmmaker, and from where this actual story was able to emerge," Nabulsi said. "When you talk about the love of a parent, it's a universal theme, for sure. I hope it means that this was a way for audiences to be able to connect with these characters, regardless of them being very foreign to them, from a faraway land, in a landscape and environment that I'm sure many cannot relate to." TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 9 : Farah Nabulsi attends 'The Teacher' premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 9, 2023. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 'I don't think I could have done that in the same way had I shot elsewhere' Nabulsi made the choice to actual film The Teacher in Palestine, with the emotional events taking in the film very much front and centre in the very real place behind the camera. "This story is definitely very close to my heart and my identity ... and I think that while it is about certain characters, it definitely is representative of a people who have been severely marginalized, and underrepresented," Nabulsi said. "It challenges stereotypes and it lends a sort of insight into the lives and struggles of those people whose voices have often been excluded or misrepresented." In terms of deciding to shoot this movie in Palestine, the filmmaker wanted that authenticity of the typography and landscapes, but that meant this project was going to be "much more overwhelming." "The mental and emotional toll it was going to take was going to be that much more with the reality unfurling around me in real time," Nabulsi said. "But it also, in so many ways, fuelled me and gave me that kind of energy to keep going, despite it being so difficult, despite absorbing what was going on around me." The filmmaker gave an example of when she was on her way to set and she saw six young children standing in front of their home that had just been freshly demolished, which is something that's reflected in The Teacher. "On the one hand, that can really be a painful thing, and on the other hand it gave me fuel to want to use my artistic expression to give a voice to those who are experiencing that reality," Nabulsi said. "I don't think I could have done that in the same way had I shot elsewhere." (The Hill) The video-sharing app TikTok was fined 345 million euros, or roughly $368 million, on Friday by a European regulator that said the platform failed to protect childrens privacy. The Irish Data Protection Commission said its investigation into TikTok found its policies were inadequate in a number of ways, including setting childrens accounts to public by default and failing to provide sufficient transparency about rules to users. The commission also identified TikToks Family Pairing setting as not strict enough. The setting allowed a non-child user, who could not be verified as the parent or guardian, paired to the account of the child to enable direct messages for children users over the age of 16, according to the commission. The regulator also said that TikTok was nudging users towards choosing more privacy-intrusive options during the registration process. Google settles with California for $93M over location privacy allegations In response to the decision, TikToks head of privacy in Europe Elaine Fox published a blog post detailing how the platform has updated its policies since the EUs investigation began in September 2021. TikTok made all accounts for users aged 13 to 15 private by default in January 2021, Fox said. The platform will also roll out later this month a redesigned registration flow for new users aged 16 to 17 that will be pre-selected for a private account, she said. On the Family Pairing feature, Fox said TikTok has not allowed guardians to enable direct messaging for users aged 16 to 17 since November 2020 if the feature was already disabled. The fine from the EU regulator comes amid mounting global scrutiny over how TikTok and other social media companies cater to young users. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. FILE - The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone, on Feb. 28, 2023. European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, for failing to protect children's privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe's strict data privacy rules. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children's privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe's strict data privacy rules. Ireland's Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, said it was fining TikTok 345 million euros and reprimanding the platform for the violations dating to the second half of 2020. The investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos. Those default settings also posed a risk to children under 13 who gained access to the platform even though they're not allowed. Also, a family pairing" feature designed for parents to manage settings wasn't strict enough, allowing adults to turn on direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent. And it nudged teen users into more privacy intrusive options when signing up and posting videos, the watchdog said. TikTok said in a statement that it disagrees with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed. The company pointed out that the regulator's criticisms focused on features and settings dating back three years. TikTok said it had made changes well before the investigation began in September 2021, including making all accounts for teens under 16 private by default and disabling direct messaging for 13- to 15-year-olds. Most of the decisions criticisms are no longer relevant as a result of measures we introduced at the start of 2021 several months before the investigation began, TikTok's head of privacy for Europe, Elaine Fox, wrote in a blog post. The Irish regulator has been criticized for not moving fast enough in its investigations into Big Tech companies since EU privacy laws took effect in 2018. For TikTok, German and Italian regulators disagreed with parts of a draft decision issued a year ago, delaying it further. To avoid new bottlenecks, the Brussels headquarters of the 27-nation bloc has been given the job of enforcing new regulations to foster digital competition and clean up social media content rules aimed at maintaining its position as a global leader in tech regulation. In response to initial German objections, Europes top panel of data regulators said TikTok nudged teen users with pop-up notices that failed to lay out their choices in a neutral and objective way. Social media companies have a responsibility to avoid presenting choices to users, especially children, in an unfair manner particularly if that presentation can nudge people into making decisions that violate their privacy interests," said Anu Talus, chair of the European Data Protection Board. The Irish watchdog, meanwhile, also had examined TikToks measures to verify whether users are at least 13 but found they didnt break any rules. The regulator is still carrying out a second investigation into whether TikTok complied with the EUs General Data Protection Regulation when it transferred users personal information to China, where its owner, ByteDance, is based. TikTok has faced accusations it poses a security risk over fears that users' sensitive information could end up in China. It has embarked on a project to localize European user data to address those concerns: opening a data center in Dublin this month, which will be the first of three on the continent. Data privacy regulators in Britain, which left the EU in January 2020, fined TikTok 12.7 million pounds ($15.7 million) in April for misusing childrens data and violating other protections for young users personal information. Instagram, WhatsApp and their owner Meta are among other tech giants that have been hit with big fines by the Irish regulator over the past year. Tim Ballard, founder and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-child sex trafficking organization, is reportedly considering a 2024 U.S. Senate run amid a new report from Vice media revisiting a closed investigation into the nonprofits operations. Rumors of Ballards potential Senate bid started after Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who is close to Ballard, said Wednesday he was looking forward to supporting a great conservative, patriot, and warrior who would be announcing a Senate run in the days to come. Multiple sources close to Ballard have confirmed he is considering a run. Ballard, whose career was the inspiration for recent box-office hit Sound of Freedom, has also been the source of controversy and the subject of an investigation that did not result in any charges. Vice reported on Friday that Tim Ballard had allegedly claimed his work and other projects were endorsed by President M. Russell Ballard , acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The two men share the same last name but are not related. Vice News article was based on records obtained from a now-closed Davis County investigation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement in response to the report, first published by Vice. The full statement from the church reads: President Ballard and Tim Ballard (no relation) established a friendship a number of years ago. That friendship was built on a shared interest in looking after Gods children wherever they are and without regard to their circumstance. However, that relationship is in the past. For many months, President Ballard has had no contact with the founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). The nature of that relationship was always in support of vulnerable children being abused, trafficked, and otherwise neglected. Once it became clear Tim Ballard had betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballards name for Tim Ballards personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable, President Ballard withdrew his association. President Ballard never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tims personal or financial interests. In addition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them. President Ballard loves children, all over the world. It has been his mission and lifes work to look after them, care for them, and point them to their Savior. Tim Ballard founded OUR but left the organization earlier this year. He has since started a new organization, although it is unclear if he would keep that organization going if he decides to run for Senate. Ballard also served as a member of the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking under President Donald Trump. This week he testified to the House Homeland Security Committee about the international exploitation of children. When the Deseret News reached out for comment, Tim Ballard said he had just seen the Vice News story and would reach out through a representative. The Deseret News broke the news in May that the Davis County Attorneys Office had closed its investigation of OUR and would not pursue any potential charges related to the organization. The end of the investigation, dated March 28, 2023, in the document, marks roughly 21 2 years since Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings first publicly confirmed he was looking into the Utah-based nonprofit. The reviewed charges by Rawlings office included communications fraud, witness tampering and retaliation against a witness, victim or informant, according to a declination statement which Rawlings confirmed was authentic. The determination to close the investigation came after Rawlings office received and reviewed financial audits of Operation Underground Railroad and information supplied by law enforcement agencies, including the Utah Attorney Generals Office, the document says. Tim Ballard told the Deseret News in May the investigation harmed OURs reputation. The Davis County investigation into our organization lasted nearly three years and unfortunately was made public when it never should have been, Ballard said in a statement to the Deseret News. Operation Underground Railroads reputation, he said, was dragged through the mud. OUR provided a statement to Vice that read, in part, At O.U.R., we are proud to support law enforcement in liberating any person in the grips of human trafficking or exploitation and we strive to ensure ongoing aftercare for all those affected. Our resources have contributed to the arrest of over 7,400 suspected predators and have impacted the lives of over 7,800 individuals. Currently, we are carrying out an average of five missions per week worldwide. We are committed to this important work until everyone in need is safe. A video showed a tourist climbing on top of a statue and breaking off a piece. Police later arrested the tourist at a fast food joint. The man who helped restore the statue said he felt sad the statue was broken so soon after it was unveiled to the public. A tourist climbed onto a historic statue in Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday and accidentally broke a portion of it, Brussels police told Insider in a statement. The incident was first reported by the local newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. In a video posted by Het Nieuwsblad, a man in a white shirt and a pair of black shorts was shown trying to get down from the statue. The man is from Ireland, police said in the statement. Later in the video, a piece of the statue which the man was shown holding broke off and fell to the ground. The man was then shown walking away from the statue. The statue, which comprises a lion and a figure of a man with a torch in hand, is a part of the Brussels Stock Exchange building, the police said. The tourist had broken the statue just a day after it was shown to the public, following a three-year restoration project that cost 17,600 euros, or around $18,750, per Het Nieusblad. Police later arrested the man at a fast food joint that was located near the statue, according to Het Niewsblad. The Brussels Stock Exchange said it expects the man to pay for the broken statue's restoration, per the report. "The police arrived at the scene and found the tourist a bit further away. He was temporarily held in police custody and will face criminal charges," Brussels police told Insider, declining to reveal details about the man's identity. Nel Vandevennet, who was part of the team that renovated the statue, said that the repairs are going to take a few weeks or even months. "We thought the sculptures would enjoy greater respect. We just think it's very sad this happened," he told the Belgian broadcaster VRT. "The repairs are going to cost a lot of money because the work will have to be done by real craftsmen," Vandevennet said. It's not the first time a tourist has misbehaved overseas. In October last year, an American tourist smashed two sculptures and hurled them into the ground during a visit to the Vatican Museum. In July, a tourist defaced part of the Colosseum in Rome and used a key to carve "Ivan+Haley 23" on a wall. Read the original article on Insider The Moroccoearthquake ripped through the Atlas Mountains on Friday 8 September, leaving death and destruction in its wake in one of the most beautiful and remote regions of the country. As the dust began to settle it became clear that the worst hit areas were right in the heart of the High Atlas around Ijoukak and Talaat NYaqoub. Although important tourist areas like Marrakech and Imlil were in the quake zone, they survived more or less intact. Relief efforts were mobilised immediately and, by the morning, the Moroccan police and army had reached the towns and villages along the main road to the centre of the devastation. Around 3,000 people have died in the disaster and many more have been left homeless as traditional clay-built houses collapsed like packs of cards. Newer concrete houses appeared able to withstand the force more, although if they were near the epicentre they crumbled too. The very beauty of the landscape, which attracts so many visitors, has been its undoing. Small hamlets strung across the peaks, sometimes a day or two days journey from a road, were very difficult to reach. Many traditional clay houses didnt survive the quake (Alice Morrison) Now, a week on, almost all known villages have received aid and support. Tented camps have been built in every community for the homeless. The food situation is good and food is being dropped by helicopter to the most isolated. All main roads have been cleared and government and charitable aid is getting to the right people. Read more on Morocco travel: Miraculously, no tourists were killed in the earthquake. Morvern Mackenzie was staying in Toubkal refuge at the base of Moroccos highest mountain when the earthquake struck and spent the following night in Imlil with her guide, Mohamed Aitidar, and his family. She said: The love and kindness we were show during this time was unbelievable. Colleen Cassar, tour leader host for Roam Like Queens, was in Fes with 11 travellers from Australia when the quake happened. I woke up to our building squeaking, she said. In the morning, she realised what had happened and consulted the guests. The group is well away from the afflicted areas; all but one decided to stay. I feel conflicted because here I am prancing around the country having a great time. But I am continuing to put out a positive message about Morocco. It is not just an earthquake. It is a people. It is a culture, added Ms Cassar. Moroccan spirit; life carries on, says Alice (Alice Morrison) The decision to stay is warmly welcomed by the local residents who are looking to the future, both immediate and in the longer term. The last thing the Moroccans want is to be hit by an earthquake and then hit by an economic downturn, from Mike McHugo, co-founder of Kasbah du Toubkal in Imlil. Zina Bencheikh, the Manging Director of Intrepid Travel in EMEA, hopes that the Moroccan government will rebuild in the rural areas in a way that the people can benefit and so when travel comes back it comes back in the right way. It is an opportunity to rebuild this area as an asset to the country and to encourage responsible, ethical and sustainable tourism. So, what should travellers do? Give us two weeks. Right now we are concentrating on our families and our communities. But after that, we want to get back to work Rachid Imerhane, President of the Guides Association Dont cancel your bookings, urges Linda Lyons, owner of Riad Linda in Marrakech. Our riad is totally fine and most of Marrakech is safe. I had guests staying with me on Saturday who completed their stay and very few cancellations. Ive even had a couple of new bookings today. That message is echoed in the north and south of Morocco, where the impact was marginal. In the High Atlas, Rachid Imerhane, President of the Guides Association, says, Give us two weeks. Right now we are concentrating on our families and our communities. We still have much to do. But after that, we want to get back to work. The infrastructure of the country is intact and the roads that were blocked have now been reopened. However, buildings have been damaged and work is already underway to assess them and to then either repair or rebuild them. In Marrakech, there is also the option of staying in the new town, Gueliz, where the buildings are modern and concrete built. The aid effort in Asni (Alice Morrison) In the Atlas Mountains, Mr Imerhane says they will take the utmost precautions when guests and hikers return. The trails are actually fine to hike and the safety of our guests is the first thing in our mind, he said. We will stay mainly in tents or in gites that have no damage to them whatsoever. Guests are from God is the saying in the mountains, and the resounding message from Morocco is that it wants its vistors to return. So dont stay away for too long if you really want to help communities re-find their feet. Dos and Donts for travellers Do consider donating to one of the excellent funds like theintrepidfoundation.org or gofundme.com Dont feel guilty about coming. You are wanted and your visit will give the Moroccans purpose as well as supporting the local economy. Dont fly to Morocco to help with the relief effort. Although a very kind impulse, this is being well taken care of and individual interventions can actually be disruptive. Do make friends in Morocco and see if there is any further help and support to give them in future. Money is the best gift to give but you can also check with your guide/agency before you arrive to see if anything else is needed if you are travelling into the mountains. Alice Morrison is an adventurer and author of Adventures in Morocco. She has lived in the Atlas Mountains in Imlil for five years and was there when the earthquake struck. Editor's Note: Our Towns is a series looking at the people and places that are part of the communities of Beaver County, many of which often don't get a lot of attention from those outside their borders. It's a place for unheard voices and surprises about the county we share. DARLINGTON The modest two-story house at the end of Plumb Street is an unexpected time capsule, brimming with relics and tales from a bygone era. The Beaver County Industrial Museum, settled just off Route 168 in Darlington, elaborately traverses the regions manufacturing past years when the Beaver Valley set precedents in glass, steel and emergent energy production. Visitors are first greeted by the museums resident steelworker, a stately mannequin adorned with a heat-reflective aluminized jacket, flame-resistant pants, eye protection and a hard hat. If you worked by the blast furnace in the summer, youd wear all these layers to keep the heat off you, said Don Inman, 82, the museums board chairman and a former master electrician at J&L Steels Aliquippa plant. Don Inman, the Beaver County Industrial Museums board chairman and a former Jones & Laughlin steelworker, gives a tour of the museum on Aug. 20, 2023. Inmans collection of artifacts, films, photographs, magazines and newspaper articles spanning two centuries started in 1985, shortly after LTV Corp., which had taken over J&L Steel, shuttered its Aliquippa Works factory along the Ohio River. Stuff was disappearing; they were throwing a lot away, said Inman, recounting one late-night effort to preserve memorabilia at the site that was cut short as crews demolished the building around him. He operated out of Geneva College for years before moving the 501(c)(3) to its current location at 801 Plumb St. in Darlington, where the collection continued to expand and diversify. Weve had people from as far as Germany come visit, Inman said. In addition to J&L, the museum features exhibits on Babcock and Wilcox Steel, Moltrup Steel and Crucible Steel. Donated artifacts include a still-functioning 800-pound steam whistle once used at Aliquippa Works to signal shift changes and fires, alongside employee badges, tin-plated business cards, a token good for a half-stick of dynamite and detailed models of blast furnaces and coke ovens. An early 20th-century J&L Steel worker donated his miners light and hard hat, and a former J&L board member donated a lavish meeting chair once used by company president Tom Graham. Don Inman displays an 800-pound steam whistle once used at Aliquippa Works at the Beaver County Industrial Museum on Aug. 20, 2023. Another chair on display belonged to Pennsylvania Gov. Andrew Curtin, the states governor during the American Civil War and a close ally of President Abraham Lincoln . Curtin, Inman explained, played a key role in foiling a plot to assassinate Lincoln ahead of his first inauguration. After Curtin, the chair belonged to A. M. Byers, president of the A. M. Byers Co. which produced wrought iron and wrought iron pipes in Harmony Township, Inman said. A relative later donated the chair. Lincoln may have even sat in this chair, Inman said. We dont know. In the heart of the museum rests Inmans own hard hat, placed near an office chair that belonged to his father, who joined J&L in 1917 at 17 years old and stayed until his retirement. Like many items at the museum, his fathers chair is backed by a spirited personal story. As Inman tells it, company leadership delivered new office chairs in the 1920s, but Inmans (at times stubborn) father had no complaints about his initial seat and declined to switch. At some point, Jones III came to the mill; hes the one who chose the chairs, Inman said. He saw the old chair and told the janitor to get rid of it. The janitor said I cant do that, thats Mr. Inmans chair; hell have a hissy fit. After Jones insisted, the janitor risking termination stored the old chair in a main office attic until Inmans father retired in the 1960s. He had the chair and a spittoon as his retirement gift, he said. Thats what makes our museum different, youve got all these stories. The Beaver County Industrial Museum includes detailed models of blast furnaces, coke ovens and other industrial giants. The museum houses an immense research library that includes employment records and more than 6,500 black and white photos from just J&L Steel. Students have spent hours in the library, preparing everything from research papers to dissertations using museum materials. Hard-fought workers rights in Beaver County The museum doesnt gloss over the more harrowing aspects of Beaver Countys industrial past, particularly workers fight for economic security and safety protections amid hostility from company management. Steelworkers often worked long, grueling hours alongside intense heat, noise and hazards. Those attempting to unionize risked termination, arrest, harassment, assault and even death. The museum features video footage of the 1933 Ambridge riots, during which a mass of armed sheriff's deputies attacked striking workers from a number of area industrial plants near the Spang-Chalfant Seamless Tube Co. plant in Ambridge. Footage shows deputies shooting indiscriminately into the crowd of picketers, families, supporters, spectators and journalists. One man was reportedly killed and at least 15 others were injured. The Beaver County Industrial Museum is home to a broad range of industrial vestiges spanning two centuries, including artifacts steel, glass and nuclear power plants and local labor history. Beaver County workers shaped the U.S. labor movement, as illustrated by the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in National Labor Relations Board vs. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. that codified workers right to unionize. Other keepsakes include United Steelworkers Local 1211 newsletters and newspaper articles on pivotal labor strikes in Beaver County. Beyond steel Before steel was the big employer in 20th century Beaver County, it was glass in the 19th century, said Judy Cleary, a glass expert with the Beaver County Industrial Museum. After the Civil War, glass production moved upriver and there were about 22 different glass companies in Beaver County at once. Glass factories employed thousands of men, women and children in the region and motivated families from as far as Italy, Germany and Austria to settle in the region, Cleary said. The museums glass exhibit showcases distinctive forms of glassmaking found in products from H. C. Fry Glass, Co-Operative Flint Glass, Phoenix Glass and Mayer China to name a few. The uranium glass, or vaseline glass, shown under a blacklight is a crowd-pleaser among families, said Cleary. The pieces were made with very low levels of uranium, about a tenth of one percent, she said, adding, If it was a little higher, it would register on a Geiger counter. But its not harmful. I just love glass, said Cleary, who moved to Beaver County in 1970. When I came down, I was collecting Depression glass and one day someone said, If youre going to collect glass, you should collect local glass. And it all developed into this. Following Clearys presentation, Jim Clark gives a conceptual tour of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station the nations first full-scale commercial nuclear power plant opened in late 1957. Clark, a plant operator at Beaver Valley Power Station, will happily define fission and fusion and explain why Shippingport was ultimately chosen as the site of one of the world's first nuclear power plants devoted to peacetime purposes. Jim Clark, an operator at Beaver Valley Power Station and a nuclear power expert at the Beaver County Industrial Museum, talks atomic energy and the Shippingport Atomic Power Station on Aug. 20, 2023. As Clark explains how the plant was "the jewel in the crown of (President Dwight Eisenhowers) Atoms for Peace project, attracting world dignitaries and top scientists, he asks visitors to take a seat on the most comfortable chair you will ever find. When you bring in important people like that, you need to have comfortable places for them to sit, Clark said. If youre the U.S. government, you bring in trainloads of expensive folding chairs and forget them, he added, revealing Camp David written on the chairs underside. Were totally out of room More than a decade after the museum collection outgrew its space at Geneva College, Inman said it has now outlived its current spot on Plumb Street. Library rooms and storage closets are packed with monuments to the past itching to be systemized and displayed, he said. We need all the space we can get, he said. Were totally out of room. He's working to secure enough grant funding to build a new museum space; the floorplan involves a large, open room spanning the full length of the building. Here, Inman said, guests could roam the museum unobstructed. Although the venture isnt cheap the building alone will cost roughly $1 million Inman is optimistic about the grants hes already put in for. Hopefully, more funding is on the horizon, he said. A larger, more visible Beaver County Industrial Museum would benefit both Darlington and Beaver County, he said, fostering tourism and preserving history for generations to come. It would help boost foot traffic at the museum, too, after Norfolk Southerns train derailment in nearby East Palestine, Ohio, led to dramatic reductions in visitors and donations in recent months. We used to get people every Sunday, Inman said. This year, we went a few Sundays without a soul. To schedule a tour of the Beaver County Industrial Museum or ask about volunteering, call 724-312-0831. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Our Towns: Beaver County Industrial Museum captures regions past with grit, heart A high school in Orange County was briefly placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon after it was reported that one of the students had a gun, authorities announced. Officers with the Santa Ana Police Department responded to NOVA Academy Early College High School, located at 500 W. Santa Ana Blvd., just before 1 p.m. on reports of a possible active shooter, according to an SAPD news release. With the help of school officials, police evacuated all the students and school personnel while officers checked the school. KTLAs Chip Yost learned that a male student brought a toy from home and showed it to another student. A third student witnessed the interaction and reported it to the teacher, who then advised the NOVA Academys principal, which prompted the lockdown. The appropriate safety measures were taken by both our Officers and NOVA Academy staff to ensure everyones safety, the release stated. The male student was detained, and the toy gun was confiscated pending an investigation, police added. It is unclear if the student will face any charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Henry Etta Sitgraves, the first African-American female to be an officer at the Rock Hill Police Department, has died. She was 75, according to an obituary from Robinson Funeral Home. Sitgraves passed away last month after living many years in Texas, according to the obituary. A local celebration of life service is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Catawba. Police department officials confirmed Sitgraves is believed to be the first Black woman to be sworn in as an officer when she joined the department in October 1976. The Herald published a photo of her being sworn in on Oct. 2, 1976. Swearing in of new officers of the Rock Hill Police Department in October 1976. Retired police officer Marvin Brown, who also joined the force in 1976, recalled working the same shift as Sitgraves when both were early in their police careers. Patrol cars had two officers to a car in those days. Brown and Sitgraves were at times patrol partners. Sitgraves knew the city and its people, and was committed to doing a good job for the public, Brown said. Henry Etta did her job very capably, Brown said. She was one of us. Law enforcement in the 1970s was a mostly male vocation. The Rock Hill Police Department integrated the ranks with male Black officers in the 1960s a decade before Sitgraves became the first female African-American officer. A mother of two children, Sitgraves was a graduate of Friendship Junior College in Rock Hill (now known as Clinton University), and attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, according to her obituary. Sitgraves served in the military first in the U.S. Army Reserve starting in 1979, then on active duty after 1991, according to her obituary. A man who lost his wife and daughter in the earthquake sits in what used to be his home, in the town of Amizmiz, outside Marrakech, Morocco, on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. | Mosaab Elshamy, Associated Press Just before the 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Morocco on Sept. 8, lights were captured on video that lit up the sky. . 7 . pic.twitter.com/q845XXSlYu (@Eyaaaad) September 9, 2023 This phenomenon known as earthquake lights, or EQL, has been recorded at least 65 times in documents as early as the 1600s, geophysicist Friedemann Freund found in a published research paper published in Seismological Research Letters. Witness accounts and videos show lights around the time of other major earthquakes such as the one that struck Guerrero in Mexico in 2021, per NOVA PBS. Since the earthquake in Morocco happened at night, the lights would have been the chance to be seen by people and maybe even recorded by cameras would be relatively high, Freund told the Washington Post. It would be so bright that you can read the newspaper, Freund told the Post. Freund has previously published several studies on earthquakes and earthquake lights, worked at NASA for 30 years and is currently a senior research scientist at the SETI Institute. What are earthquake lights? Described by the U.S. Geological Survey as lights that occur in the sky before, during or soon after an earthquake, earthquake lights can look like sheets of light, balls of light, streamers, or show a steady glow. However, scientists are still fuzzy on further details since the phenomenon is difficult to track. When have earthquake lights been seen in recent years? Previous accounts collected by Freund and his team found that 80% of the EQL occurrences studied had a magnitude larger than 5.0. Here are recent earthquakes with accounts of earthquake lights. What causes earthquake lights? Freund told the Post that just because an earthquake happens, lights dont necessarily accompany it the connection is not totally guaranteed. There are several different theories about what causes earthquake lights including energy that builds up when the earths crust shifts, causing sparks of light. Some geophysicists debate whether earthquake lights are a real phenomenon, blaming the light on destroyed power boxes and the like, per the USGS. How rare are earthquake lights? Less than 0.5 percent of earthquakes worldwide exhibit earthquake lights, according to National Geographic. But if the lights do make an appearance, they usually show before or during the earthquake. How could earthquake lights help predict earthquakes? If we could find some phenomenon that gives us information about the pressure build up in the Earth before the earthquake, that may help us to predict earthquakes, John Ebel, a seismologist and professor of geophysics at Boston College told the Post. Related Infrastructure. The word has a sedative effect. Cant sleep? Say infrastructure three times. Read more Almost two years ago now, President Joe Biden signed legislation directing that $1 trillion be spent on improving the nations infrastructure, the buildings, roads, bridges, railways, airports and communications systems that make modern life possible. Nothings fast when it comes to the federal government, but that infrastructure money is starting to flow. Ron Busby, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Black Chambers Inc., knew what was coming. The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a renewed and unprecedented commitment to the Black community writ large, he said at the time. This legislation will amplify opportunities for those in our community who need it most through increased and reliable broadband access and expanded opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to grow and scale their business through the newly codified Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Newly codified Minority Business Development Agency is more government jargon in line with infrastructure, bond issuance and ad valorem taxation. The Minority Business Development Agency was established by executive order in 1969. Whats done by executive order by one president can be undone by an executive order from another. Biden made the MBDA a permanent agency and assigned an undersecretary of the U.S. Commerce Department to oversee it. That undersecretary is Donald R. Cravens Jr., a Black man who served as chief operating officer of the National Urban League and had a stint in the Louisiana House of Representatives before that. Cravens says his job is a simple one. I took this job to make a difference - for this nation and for its minority and underserved businesses, and I am proud to say we have accomplished a great deal thus far, he said in celebrating his one-year anniversary leading the MBDA. The MBDA has a range of goals and initiatives, but two - helping minority businesses with government contracting and access to capital - are key. Typically, when governments embark on big spending programs, Black businesses queue up for scraps - if they queue up at all. Governments, mindful of not doing business with a company that cant deliver what it promises, usually require firms they contract with to have solid financial backing and an established track record. Governments often only consider businesses that have been vetted and certified as one that can handle the work it might pursue. None of that is a piece of cake for Black businesses, many of which did not start with a small loan of a million dollars, as Donald Trump once said of assistance he got from his father. Black business owners fighting to keep the doors open often dont have the time or technical know-how to get certified, and getting financial backing is often a big challenge, too. Thats where the MBDA comes in. Rather than sign a giant piece of legislation into law and hope Black businesses get some of the contract work it generates, the Biden administration has put systems in place to make sure they get some of that work. Its not merely magnanimous largesse. More than any other block of voters, Black voters are responsible for the fact that there is a Biden administration. Politicians have long helped those who helped them - and righting the wrong of Black businesses getting scraps from the government table must surely have its own appeal. So, infrastructure. Sound a little sexier now? Wayne Washington is a former White House correspondent and journalist based in Florida. More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A man died after he was struck by a car while riding a motorized skateboard in east Orange County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Troopers responded to the crash on Alafaya Trail near Central Florida Boulevard shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday. According to an FHP news release, a Toyota Corolla was traveling northbound on the inside lane of Alafaya Trail. READ: Tropics: Lees dangerous rip currents threaten local beaches; other systems brew in the Atlantic FHP said a man on a skateboard was traveling east across the roadway, within a marked crosswalk, when the front of the Corolla struck him. The skateboarder, 22, of Orlando, was rushed to AdventHealth East Orlando Hospital but did not survive his injuries. Troopers said the cars driver, 30, of Orlando, was not hurt and remained on scene. READ: Traffic safety improvements completed at Poinciana intersection where 4 died in crash Investigators said they are trying to determine the color of the traffic signal at the time of the crash. FHP has not released the names of those involved in the crash. Stay with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this story. This embedded content is not available in your region. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. (Bloomberg) -- An embattled Chinese shadow bank has taken a step closer to receiving potential state-led assistance, entering a partnership agreement with two of the nations biggest financial firms. Most Read from Bloomberg About a month after Zhongrong International Trust Co. missed payments on scores of investment products, roiling markets, its now signed an agreement with Citic Trust Co., a unit of conglomerate Citic Group Corp., and CCB Trust Co., backed by China Construction Bank Corp., the firm said in a statement Friday night. The agreement provides so-called entrusted management services, Zhongrong said, and is aimed to improve efficiency. There was no specific mention of any financial terms or other types of assistance. Chinas government specifically asked Citic Trust and CCB Trust to examine Zhongrongs books and lead the effort to stabilize its operations, Bloomberg News reported last month. Read More: China Asks Citic to Examine Finances of Shadow Bank Zhongrong Publicly acknowledging its troubles, Zhongrong, said Friday that its been unable to make payments as scheduled on some products. It blamed unspecified multiple internal and external factors. Zhongrong and closely linked wealth firm Zhongzhi Enterprise Group spurred volatility in financial markets after halting payments on scores of investment products sold to wealthy individuals and companies. The crisis even sparked rare protests in Beijing. QuickTake: Why Crisis at China Trust Firm Stokes Contagion Fears Prior to the troubles becoming public, the National Administration of Financial Regulation established a working group in July to examine risks at Zhongrong, people familiar with the matter said earlier. Almost half of the funds raised by Zhongrong were funneled to its parent or affiliated units, one of the people said. Chinas trust industry is a key alternative funding source for weaker borrowers unable to get regular bank loans such as real estate developers and local government financing vehicles. Trusts pool money from clients and invest them into a variety of instruments and projects. The sector which has been severely affected by Chinas property downturn could face losses of the equivalent of $38 billion, according to a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimate. Fridays statement said that Zhongrongs debt relationships and legal relationships in relation to trust products wont be changed by the new pact with the two state-owned firms. The company will continue to assume trustee responsibilities of the trust products according to relavent laws and contract clauses, Zhongrong said. Citic Trust had 1.5 trillion yuan ($206 billion) of assets under management while CCB Trust oversaw about 1.4 trillion yuan, recent data show. The accord takes effect Sept. 15 and lasts for one year, but the companies can negotiate an extension or early termination, according to the statement. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A woman allegedly killed by her son in Troy early Wednesday was the widow of a former mayor, but she also was a waitress with a large following of devoted customers. At the time of her death, Norma Caraker, 60, worked at Troy Family Restaurant in Troy and The Lucky Rooster Pub & Eatery in St. Jacob. She formerly was employed at Sgt. Peppers Cafe in Edwardsville. Caraker used to post her work schedules on Facebook so people would know when and where to go for meals if they wanted to see her, according to customers who are now in mourning. She thought of her customers as friends, said Diane Busch, 72, of Edwardsville, whose Bible study group met for breakfast at Sgt. Peppers for years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Everybody who came into that place knew her. She took time to ask how they were doing, and if somebody had something bad happen in their lives, she was concerned. She treated you like a sister or a mother or a best friend. You didnt just feel like a customer. Troy police found Norma Caraker about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in her home at 600 Lower Marine Road after receiving a call for a welfare check. She was unresponsive and not breathing with obvious injuries not consistent with a natural death, according to a news release. As soon as we have additional information, were going to put it out, Police Chief Chris Wasser told the BND on Thursday morning. I want to be as transparent as I can without compromising the investigation. Late Thursday afternoon, the office of Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine charged Norma Carakers son, Neil A. Howard, 44, of Troy, formerly of Maryville, with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling her to death. Norma Caraker was married to Charles Tom Caraker, who served the city of Troy for three decades, first as a planning commission member, then alderman and finally mayor from 1997 to 2013. He died five years ago. Howard is one of Norma Carakers three children from a previous marriage, according to family members. Troy police found Norma Caraker unresponsive and not breathing about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in her home at 600 Lower Marine Road in Troy. The death is under investigation. Beyond Norma Carakers popularity with restaurant customers, she was known for donating tips to charitable causes. The Edwardsville Intelligencer and The Telegraph in Alton published a story in 2014 about Carakers pledge to donate her tips from one day a month to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes runs in my family, and its near and dear to my heart, Caraker told a reporter at the time. In 2022, KMOV-TV in St. Louis broadcast a story about Carakers efforts to help Partners for Pets, a no-kill animal rescue in Troy. She took up the Betty White Challenge, donating more than $500 in tips. Customers Penny and Brad Krome met Caraker about eight years ago at Sgt. Peppers and followed her to Troy Family Restaurant. They last saw her two to three weeks ago. Caraker used to donate gently used clothing to Penny Krome, who operates a booth at The Chirping Frog antique mall in Worden. She was so kind, said Krome, of Edwardsville. She was kind to everybody. She never met a stranger. She was funny and witty with her stories. She was just fun to talk to. She was a hoot. Im so sad that shes gone. I cant believe it. Norma Caraker grew up in Cahokia and attended Cahokia High School, according to her Facebook page. She and Tom Caraker had a blended family of five children, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Norma Caraker started working at The Lucky Rooster about a month ago. The staff was shocked when they heard Wednesday morning about her death, according to co-owner Michelle Smith. Smith described Caraker as a friendly, outgoing and well-liked person who fit right in at the restaurant. Caraker worked her last shift on Tuesday night. As usual, she talked about her grandchildren and other family and provided comic relief with a story about her weiner dog. She was telling us that she has to take (the dog) a McDonalds cheeseburger every night, Smith said. She said, If I dont, Ill give him a hot dog, and he will carry it around for a couple of days, but he wont eat it. He likes cheeseburgers. Thats why hes so fat. (Caraker) wasnt here long, but she left a lasting impression. Editors note: This story was updated Friday morning to clarify that Neil Howard, formerly of Maryville, was living in Troy with his mother at the time of her death. Former President Trump slammed Hunter Biden s new indictment on gun charges by prosecutors in Delaware in a Truth Social post Thursday. This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden , Trump said in his post. One down, Eleven to go! The Democrats, with all of their horrible, very unfair, and mostly illegal Witch Hunts, have started a process that is very dangerous for our Country, Trump continued. They have opened the proverbial Pandoras Box, and it is possible that the USA will never be the same again. SO SAD!!! The presidents son was charged Thursday with two counts for failing to disclose drug use when seeking to buy a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance, according to court filings. The most serious of the charges could land the younger Biden up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy , also a GOP presidential candidate, shared his thoughts on the indictment as well, calling it a smokescreen in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. This is a fig leaf designed to deflect attention away from the real problem: the Biden family is selling out U.S. foreign policy for their own familys private financial gain, Ramaswamy wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Department of Justice argued in April to keep former President Donald Trump in the dark regarding a warrant for the contents of his Twitter account, out of fear that Trumps reaction to the search could precipitate violence against law enforcement, Politico reported on Friday. Newly unsealed court filings reveal that the DOJ, which sought a search warrant for Trumps account in January, argued in April that Trump engaged in a pattern of obstructive conduct and presented a significant risk of tampering with evidence, seeking to influence or intimidate potential witnesses, and otherwise seriously jeopardizing the Governments ongoing investigations. Prosecutors further claimed that informing Trump of the warrant could precipitate violence as occurred following the public disclosure of the search warrant executed at Mar-a-Lago. In August of last year, Trump himself announced on social media that the FBI had executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago residence as part of an investigation into his post-presidency handling of classified materials. Days later, a gunman identified as Ricky Shiffer attempted to enter the FBIs office in Cincinnati, Ohio. Shiffer was shot and killed by law enforcement. When Twitter was served the warrant in January, the company argued against an accompanying nondisclosure order that prevented them from informing the president of the search. According to court documents filed in May, Twitter initially delayed production of the materials required by the search warrant while it unsuccessfully litigated objections to the nondisclosure order. Although Twitter ultimately complied with the warrant, the company did not fully produce the requested information until three days after a court-ordered deadline. The district court thus held Twitter in contempt and imposed a $350,000 sanction for its delay. News of the search remained under seal until last month. When the dispute became public Trump took to Truth Social to accuse Crooked Joe Bidens DOJ of secretly attacking his Twitter account. [They made] it a point not to let me know about this major hit on my civil rights, he added. My Political Opponent is going CRAZY trying to infringe on my Campaign for President. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Does the First Amendment still exist? Trump was indicted in June in on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. His case is expected to go to trial in May of 2024. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Former President Trumps rivals are under growing pressure to close the gap with him as his grip on the party shows no signs of weakening. Trump has remained the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination through months of campaigning, four indictments in multiple jurisdictions and skipping the first GOP debate last month, and polls have mostly shown a shift in other candidates positioning rather than fluctuations in Trumps numbers. The election cycle is still in its early stages with several months before the first votes, but strategists say the other candidates must explain why they are a better choice than Trump if they want to beat him. Hes not really being challenged, GOP strategist Chip Felkel said. Hes not being challenged by anyone at all other than [former New Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie, who isnt going anywhere, and [former Arkansas Gov. Asa] Hutchinson. The people who could actually make a dent are too scared of his voters to actually go after the orange elephant in the room. Trumps 2024 candidacy is unlike any other in U.S. history. Hes the first former president to run for the White House since Herbert Hoover in 1940 and the first to be indicted, facing four cases in multiple jurisdictions while running for the countrys highest office. But he has remained the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination, leading by 30 points or more over his next closest opponent in the race in national and state polls. Strategists say thats in part because the nearly a dozen Republican candidates have been so hesitant to separate themselves from the former president over fears of being attacked and having that sinking their candidacies. Felkel said the situation may be different if the candidates change course and run more directly against Trump, but the numbers arent going to change if not. He said a campaign with the baggage of Trumps would have already been ended if the candidate was anyone other than Trump. When I started working in politics, if theres a rumor that a guy smoked weed in college or cheated on his wife, his campaign would have been over, he said. Trumps lead in the RealClearPolitics polling average is as large now as it has been throughout the 2024 election cycle. His lead over his next closest opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, expanded since the first Republican debate last month from just above 30 points to more than 40 points. Felkel added that the other candidates likely hoped the legal system would do the work for them in taking Trump out of the race, but that has not come to fruition so far. Trump has been indicted four times in Manhattan for the Stormy Daniels hush money case; in Florida for the classified and sensitive documents case; and in Washington, D.C., and Fulton County, Ga., for cases on efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. But his significant lead has stayed, and if anything has increased, following multiple indictments being filed against him. Trump saw the most notable increase in his numbers after his first indictment in Manhattan in the spring. Further demonstrating the extent of his lead, Trump skipped the first debate despite easily qualifying for it and has not shown signs that he plans to participate in the upcoming ones. A few candidates, like former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence, received praise for their performances, but none has made significant inroads in the primary. Republican strategist Jimmy Centers said future debates, including the one scheduled for later this month at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, could be an opportunity for the other candidates to improve their standing if they change their approach. Given how big former President Trumps lead is, in my opinion, you need to start demonstrating why its critical for Republicans to change course, he said. Because thus far, just sharing the message and who you are and what youre going to do is not working. Several candidates are striving to cut into Trumps lead in Iowa, which will be the first state to vote in the nominating process. Centers, who is based in Iowa, said the nominating process will be pretty well over if Trump wins the Iowa caucuses and in New Hampshire, the second state to vote. He said three tickets are usually booked for candidates out of Iowa, but he expects there might only be two candidates with potentially viable candidacies after Iowa this year. He added that whoever comes in second in the state must defeat the candidate in third by more than only a few points to be able to argue they can be an alternative to him. Its going to be incredibly difficult for a potentially alternative candidate to the former president to make that case that they are the alternative if they dont win second in Iowa by a large margin, Centers said. He said candidates need to start making moves in Iowa, and the polls need to show at least some tightening for another candidate to have a chance in the state. GOP strategist Saul Anuzis pointed to a behind-the-scenes fight taking place on the distribution of delegates in the primaries and caucuses as key to determining whether someone other than Trump could have a chance at the nomination. State parties set delegate allocation rules and have various methods for awarding delegates based on how a candidate performs. Some states use a winner-take-all system, while others award delegates proportionally or based on congressional district or reaching a certain threshold. Anuzis said Trump wants as many states to use winner-take-all as possible, while the other candidates want a proportional system to give themselves more opportunities. He said the rules need to all be set by the end of the month, so that will paint a clearer picture of other candidates prospects. Whenever we know what the results are of all 50 states filing, well have a pretty good idea of what chance people have to either win the nomination or challenge Trump for the nomination, he said. Anuzis said candidates wont win the nomination by attacking Trump but rather by explaining why they are a better choice, pointing to their ability to serve two terms while Trump can only serve one more and that other candidates are less controversial. If youve been attacking Trump, the odds are those voters dont go to you, he said, referring to Trumps supporters. Youve got to handle it in a way that allows you to appeal to arguably an overwhelming plurality or majority of Republican activists who are currently Trump supporters. Strategists also said the potential obstacles to Trumps nomination will likely only help him be the nominee. Anuzis said the cases against Trump have energized his base of voters and improved his standing to win the nomination. I think these political prosecutions of various cases have actually backfired on the Democrats and have worked to strengthen his position and to deepen the level of support amongst his supporters, he said. Arizona-based GOP strategist Barrett Marson said the efforts to disqualify Trump from the ballot through the Constitutions 14th Amendment over his ties to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot is a misguided attempt that could yield sympathy to the former president. Lawsuits have been filed in Colorado and Minnesota to block Trump from the ballot based on an argument that he engaged in insurrection, as the 14th Amendment states, and therefore cannot hold public office. Marson said these attempts will only further prop up Trump and offend even Never Trumpers, right-leaning independents and moderate Republicans. It would elicit sympathy for a completely unsympathetic figure, he said. It would completely go against what these people are trying to do. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Donald Trump gave his two cents on Hunter Bidens indictment in an interview with Meet the Press on Thursday before pivoting into a rant about his own legal predicaments. I mean, nobody should be happy about this. Im not happy about it. Nobody is. Its a very sad thing. Its so bad for our country, Trump said in an interview with Kristen Welker, who is replacing Chuck Todd on the program. The ex-president, who is facing four criminal cases of his own, continued: But you know, if you think about it, Ive been under investigation from the day I came down the escalator. A phony investigation. Fake investigations. Investigations that I beat every single time. Still under investigations. But its a very sad thing. And its a slippery slope, and dangerous, very dangerous for our country. Trumps remarks arrive after a federal grand jury indicted President Joe Biden s son on three gun charges. Earlier in the interview, Welker asked the former president whether he can continue to say that there are two systems of justice in the wake of the Hunter Biden news. Well, I think theres no question about it, Trump replied. He and is allies maintain hes a victim of selective prosecution within the justice system. Trump faces 91 charges over four criminal cases, including for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Pointing to Hunter Bidens plea deal that fell apart in July, Trump said: He had a plea deal that was the deal of the century. The art of the deal, you could write a book on it The Art of the Deal and all of a sudden it was broken up by a judge who was able to a brilliant judge, actually who was able to see through what was happening. Related... Donald Trump appeared to suggest that the Republican impeachment of Joe Biden is simply revenge for his own historic two impeachments. Mr Trump told journalist Megyn Kelly that the president would not be facing a potential impeachment if Democrats had left him alone while he was in the White House. They did it to me, Mr Trump told the former Fox and NBC host in an interview on SiriusXM radio. And had they not done it to me, I think, and nobody officially said this, but I think had they not done it to me perhaps you wouldnt have it being done to them. Mr Trump was impeached for abusing his power and obstructing congressional investigations, before he was impeached a second time over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. On both occasions, Mr Trump was acquitted by Republicans in the US Senate. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, announced on Tuesday that his party would open an impeachment inquiry into Mr Biden over allegations of bribery and corruption linked to the foreign business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden . Republicans have so far failed to publicly provide any evidence linking Mr Biden to any wrongdoing. And Marjorie Taylor Greene has admitted that the impeachment inquiry is a nakedly political scheme to ensure Democrats lose big at the next presidential election. We are going to drag Biden and everyone who covered up his crimes through the headlines day after day, month after month, and prove to the country the entire Democrat party is corrupt and cant be trusted, Ms Greene declared in a social media post on Thursday night. So no matter which candidate runs for president if they take Biden out, everyone will know the Democrat party is filled with liars and traitors. That, combined with Bidenomics destructive policies, will cause Democrats to lose big. Mr Trump, who is the first and only former or sitting president to be criminally charged, faces a total of 91 felony counts across his four criminal indictments by state and federal prosecutors. Special Jack Smith has charged him with four criminal counts over his efforts to stay in power after the 2020 election. These include a conspiracy to violate civil rights, a conspiracy to defraud the government, the corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding and a conspiracy to carry out such obstruction. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a 4 March trial date, the day before the Super Tuesday primaries. He has been charged along with 18 others, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, in Fulton County, Georgia, for plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. Mr Trump faces 13 felony charges in the RICO case Mr Trump also faces 40 federal felony charges with Mr Smith accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving the White House. That case is expected to go to trial in May 2024. And he has been accused in New York City of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election. Mr Trump was indicted in March and is expected to go to trial on 25 March 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to every charge in each case and has accused prosecutors of election interference and an attempt to derail his 2024 run for a second term in the Oval Office. (Photo : John Moore/Getty Images) One source said that several Chinese spy balloons have flown into US airspace. The Chinese spy balloon found was part of a large-scale operation to spy on other countries that were paid for by the Chinese military, according to several US government officials who accessed the information. Biden administration officials said that Hainan, a tiny Chinese province, partly runs the monitoring operation using identical balloons. The United States remains in the dark about how many Chinese surveillance balloons are in operation, but reliable sources said the program had flown at least two dozen flights over five continents in the last several years, according to CNN. One individual with knowledge of the information estimates that perhaps half a dozen of the China spy balloon flights have occurred inside US airspace, but not necessarily over US territory. A senior source in the Biden administration acknowledged that the United States informed 40 friendly nations on Monday about the suspected spying. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also announced in the briefing that one balloon had circumnavigated the globe in 2019, flying over Hawaii and Florida, per a China spy balloon update. The Pentagon reported that another China Spy Balloon was reportedly observed last week above Costa Rica and Venezuela, per an update from the BBC. Read Also: Expert Warns Over EU Russian Oil Ban Chinese Spy Balloons Reportedly Seek US Sophisticated Weaponry The Biden administration source said the Gang of Eight, a panel of US Congressional leaders who oversee national intelligence, would be briefed on Wednesday and Congress on Thursday. One senior member of Congress with access to top-secret information, actively plotting the China spy balloon course, would disclose the locations of the United States' most lethal and secret weaponry, per a previous HNGN report. According to the China spy balloon update based on publicly accessible documents recently authored by Chinese military academics, balloons and airships should be developed further and used for a variety of tasks, according to Reuters. Related Article: UK PM Sunak Overhauls Government @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Former President Trump went after the United Auto Workers leadership in an interview released Friday, saying workers are being misled by their representation. He refused to take a side on contract negotiations which have devolved into a strike. Im on the side of making our country great The auto workers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump, Trump said in an NBC News interview held before UAW workers began their strike. UAW began a strike against the Big Three automakers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis Friday morning, a first in the unions history. The union is demanding increased wages, shorter work weeks and better retirement benefits. Trump said federal policies encouraging electric vehicles hurt the workers. The UAW has not endorsed a candidate for the 2024 election, citing hesitation over electric vehicle policies, but has stated it will not endorse Trump. The auto workers are not going to have any jobs, when you come right down to it, Trump said. Electric cars are going to be made in China. Trump said UAW President Shawn Fain is not doing a good job at representing his union. Fain said he will not support Trump, and that a second Trump term would be a disaster. Biden administration changes include tax credits for electric vehicles and a proposed rule that two-thirds of all produced vehicles be electric by 2032. The Biden campaign attacked Trump over similar comments blaming electric vehicle policies on Friday. Donald Trump will say literally anything to distract from his long record of breaking promises and failing Americas workers, campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said. Under Trump, autoworkers shuttered their doors and sent American jobs overseas. Under Trump, auto companies would have likely gone bankrupt, devastating the industry and upending millions of lives. Trump has used the electric vehicle attacks before in efforts to court Detroit auto workers to vote for him. President Biden is the most pro-union president in history, leading a renewed manufacturing boom, bringing hundreds of thousands of good-paying, union jobs back home. Thats because President Biden sees the world from assembly plant floors and kitchen tables, not penthouses on Park Avenue, Moussa continued. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NASA is offering to join forces with the Pentagon on UFO research to move away from sensationalism to science, NASAs chief administrator told reporters this week. The space agency released a report Thursday recommending that its scientists work with the Pentagons All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which spearheads the U.S. governments investigations of UFOs. That coordination could allow better research and data collection on unknown objects in the Earths atmosphere. NASAs long-standing public trust, which is essential for communicating findings about these phenomena to citizens, is crucial for destigmatizing UAP reporting, the NASA team wrote, referring to unidentified anomalous phenomena the scientific term for UFOs. More than 70% of Americans view NASA favorably, according to the Pew Research Center, only slightly behind the National Park Service and U.S. Postal Service. NASA officials will decide in the coming weeks and months how best to implement the teams suggestions. NASAs call to destigmatize UFO research and reports comes as the publics interest in anomalous phenomena grows. In July, a handful of retired and former U.S. military personnel made headlines describing encounters with fast-moving aircraft. One witness, David Grusch, told lawmakers that the government has a UFO retrieval and reverse-engineering program. Sixty-five percent of adults in the U.S. believe there is intelligent life outside of Earth, according to the Pew Research Center. And more than half of Americans believe these UFOs tracked by the government are evidence of intelligent life in the universe. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson believes the odds of finding extraterrestrial life in the universe are high and that its just a matter of time. Somewhere out there, we will discover another medium sized, stony planet around a medium sized star, at just the right distance, not too far, not too close with a tilt in its axis that rotates, that has carbon, that will have a habitable atmosphere, Nelson said, briefing reporters after unveiling the NASA report. If you ask me, Do I believe theres life in a universe that is so vast that its hard for me to comprehend how big it is? My personal answer is yes. The NASA team recommended harnessing the agencys satellites to differentiate between airborne clutter in Earths skies versus objects of interest like the fast-moving objects that flummoxed U.S. military pilots in 2004. Certain types of radars could also be used to monitor motions on the Earths surface. If you ask me, Do I believe theres life in a universe that is so vast that its hard for me to comprehend how big it is? My personal answer is yes. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson The report comes as the Biden administration continues to craft and update its policies regarding UFOs. Earlier this month, Defense Scoop first reported that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks would directly oversee the Pentagon UFO office and receive weekly updates from its lead. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are as skeptical as the public if not more so, suspecting theyve been kept in the dark on Defense Department UFO discoveries. A bipartisan group of lawmakers asked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to establish a committee to investigate and oversee federal government UFO policies. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that would cut red tape to more quickly declassify UFO-related material. The proposal would also put decision in the hands of an independent review board outside the Pentagons chain of command. Despite calls for UFO transparency, NASA was less transparent as it simultaneously announced appointing its first-ever director for unidentified anomalous phenomena research to coordinate with the Pentagon. The agency did not reveal the individuals name, a decision stemming from the treatment. Science needs to undergo a real and rigorous and rational process and you need the freedom of thought to be able to do that, said Dan Evans, an assistant deputy associate administrator in NASAs Science Mission Directorate Science. Some of the threats and the harassment have been beyond the pale, quite frankly. (Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will host the UKs Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, later this month as the two countries discuss ways to develop defense and trade relations, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg Turkey and the UK have been working to boost ties since Brexit and the rare meeting with a member of the British royal family comes on the heels of a visit by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. Prince Edward is also expected to attend a gala dinner and visit a British school during his stay, said the people, who asked not to be named as the trip has yet to be announced. Buckingham Palace and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks office declined to comment. Turkey is engaged in talks with the UK to extend the scope of an existing free trade agreement and is also in discussions with Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc over the joint production of engines for its tank and warplane projects, the people said. While talks with Rolls-Royce are at an advanced stage, no announcement is expected during the trip, the people said. Turkey is hoping to secure a deal with Rolls-Royce to boost its domestic program to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet, dubbed TAI Kaan, or TF. Rolls-Royce already has a joint venture with Turkish industrial conglomerate Kale Group in Turkey, where the future engine would be produced if an agreement is reached. The TAI Kaan is a stealth, twin-engine, all-weather fighter plane being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries with assistance from BAE Systems. Turkey has also expressed interest in buying three Type 23 frigates currently in use by the Royal Navy to replace some of its aging ships, the people said. Cleverly, the most senior UK minister to visit Turkey since a new government was formed in May, held talks with its foreign and defense ministers in Ankara earlier this week. His discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan focused on preliminary preparations to expand the scope of the free trade deal and diversify bilateral trade, which stands at close to $20 billion. --With assistance from Emily Ashton. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of a shooting that left one man dead and two other people injured last week in the Lemon Hill area of south Sacramento, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said Friday. The men have not yet been identified by sheriffs deputies but are alleged to be gang members, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesman for the Sheriffs Office. The shooting stemmed from the two men misidentifying the victims as members of a rival gang, Gandhi said. The two suspects fired 17 rounds, hitting three innocent bystanders. Deputies responded to the 5300 block of Gordon Drive around 10:15 p.m. Sept. 8 after receiving reports of the gunfire. All three victims were rushed to the hospital, but one man was later pronounced dead from his injuries, authorities said. He has been identified by the Sacramento County Coroners Office as 21-year-old Isaiah Daniel Vasquez Valencia, of Sacramento. The other two victims are expected to survive. Two Rochester men were indicted in connection with a deadly drive-by shooting on Dewey Avenue in May, and a second drive-by shooting that took place less than an hour later, according to Rochester police. Keyvin Miller, 18, and Kirsean Chatfield, 26, were both indicted for second-degree murder in connection with the May 31 shooting death of Eric Martin, 21. Miller was also indicted on two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony. A passenger in a passing car fired at least a dozen gunshots into a shopping plaza parking lot in Rochester's Maplewood neighborhood around 3:15 p.m., striking and severely injuring Martin, who had just dropped a relative off at work at the plaza on Dewey Avenue, just north of Magee Avenue. Martin, who was in the driver's seat of his vehicle, was shot at least once in the upper body. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital and died from his injuries on June 1. Police do not believe that Martin was the intended victim of the gunfire, but that he was shot with an errant round, said Capt. Frank Umbrino of the Rochester Police Department. Martin "was truly an innocent person in the wrong place at the wrong time." Less than an hour after Martin was shot, a passenger in a stolen vehicle fired gunshots at a group of people standing on Parsells Avenue, Umbrino said. Two vehicles were struck by the bullets but no people were injured during the incident. Police determined that the Parsells and Dewey Avenue incidents were linked, Umbrino said. Miller and Chatfield are accused of shooting Martin on Dewey Avenue, then ditching the stolen vehicle they were using and stealing another car from a Culver Road parking lot, Umbrino said. Miller is then accused of shooting at a group of people on Parsells Avenue. Miller is facing three more felonies in connection with the Parsells Avenue shooting - first-degree reckless endangerment and two more counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, Umbrino said. Chatfield is also accused of firing multiple shots into a house on Barton Street on June 25, Umbrino said. Although no one was hurt, a woman and her two young grandchildren were inside. Chatfield was apprehended after police stopped a vehicle he was in and found him sitting on a handgun, officers said. He was charged with criminal possession of a firearm. He also faces an unrelated second-degree menacing charge following a July incident in which he is accused of charging at a woman with a knife during a domestic violence call in front of responding police officers, Umbrino said. Miller was apprehended in mid-August after someone fired gunshots into a house on Roycroft Drive. When police executed a search warrant on the property, they found Miller inside, as well as a handgun and 10 pounds of marijuana, Umbrino said. Miller is accused of selling marijuana from a rear window of the residence. He was charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Miller and Chatfield were arraigned on the indictment Thursday morning in Monroe County Court and were remanded to the Monroe County Jail without bail. Both men are scheduled to return to court on Oct. 4. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Keyvin Miller, Kirsean Chatfield charged in drive-by shootings Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware. Outside of Birmingham, Alabama, those names have gone largely forgotten in the decades since Robinson and Ware died on Sept. 15, 1963, the day four Black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. They died in the erupting chaos after the Ku Klux Klan bombed the church that morning in an attack that killed 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carol Robertson and 11-year-old Denise McNair. In the uprising that followed, a white police officer killed Robinson and a white teenager killed Ware. For so long, the four little girls got all the recognition, and they forgot about the two little boys, James Ware, Virgils older brother, told The Birmingham News in 2013. Aside from the four girls, Robinson, 16, and Ware, 13, were the only two people to die in the aftermath of the attack that day. Robinson was with his friends when a group of white people drove by waving Confederate flags, throwing garbage and hurling racist slurs at the Black group, according to NPR. Witnesses said then that a police car arrived after Robinson and his friends were seen throwing rocks at a car draped in a Confederate flag. The crowd was running away and Mr. Robinson had his back [turned] as he was running away, FBI agent Dana Gillis told NPR in 2010. And the shot hit him in the back. Gillis, now retired from the FBI, told NBC News via email that he was tasked with delivering a letter to the Robinson family in 2010 with more information about Robinsons case and what actually happened that day. Consumed by grief, the Robinsons didnt talk much about the teens death, especially after local and federal grand juries decided not to prosecute Jack Parker, the officer who killed him, NPR reported. Parker died in 1977. For more from NBC BLK, sign up for our weekly newsletter. Gillis met with the family as part of an FBI civil rights program to resolve civil rights-era cold cases. Revealing information about Robinsons death was supposed to give the family closure, The Birmingham News reported in 2013. We didnt get no closure, Robinsons sister, Diane Robinson Samuels, said then. We aint got nothing but heartaches. Unlike Robinson, Ware didnt know about the church bombing that day as he rode on the handlebars of his brother James bike. Ware and his brothers had picked up a paper route and, to prepare for the gig, visited a scrapyard to find a bike for Ware, Time reported. On the way home, a group of white boys spotted them, apparently mistaking them for other Black boys accused of throwing a brick at a white teen. Shirley Peoples carries a portrait of Johnnie Robinson and leads a procession of family and others during a wreath laying ceremony in memory of Robinson on May 5, 2007, at New Grace Hill Cemetery in Birmingham, Ala. (Bernard Troncale / The Birmingham News via AP file) According to Time, one of the white boys, Michael Farley, handed a revolver to his friend Larry Sims and told him to fire a shot to scare the Black boys. Sims, who told Time in 2003 that he thought he was shooting at the ground, closed his eyes and fired. He shot Ware in the chest and the face. Sims was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, and Farley pleaded guilty to the same charge. A judge suspended their sentences and gave them two years of probation. DeJuana Thompson, the president of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, told NBC News in an interview that the history is well known in the city and that its people elsewhere across the country who dont know about the boys. An exhibit at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute features their stories. While the bombing happened that morning, their deaths that afternoon were the residual effects of the terror. Those individuals who exacted that terror upon Virgil and Johnny, they were emboldened by what happened that day, Thompson said. Before they attacked Ware, Farley and Sims attended a segregationist rally, and Sims has since held that he was simply following his friends and never intended to hurt Ware. People dont understand the ripple effects that these acts of terror have on our community. It didnt just stop with the church. It didnt just stop with the four girls and the fifth girl, Thompson continued, referring to Sarah Collins Rudolph, who was with the four others but survived the attack. There were impacts felt throughout different parts of the city, and those stories are important to tell, as well. The decades after Robinsons and Wares deaths were full of grief for the families grief over both the loss of loved ones and the seeming invisibility of their stories. For decades, Wares remains lay in an unmarked grave in a forest on the side of an Alabama road. In 2004, his remains were reinterred in a new, well-tended, marked grave, USA Today reported then. Wares brother Melvin told the newspaper then that he was happy to see such recognition for his brother. All these years, he was sitting in the back, in the shadow of the four little girls, he said. Now, hes right alongside them. He was in the shadows, and now theyve brought him into the light. The recognition has continued. In 2011, the boys were inducted into Birgminghams Gallery of Distinguished Citizens. Plaques bearing their images now sit alongside those of the four girls in the bombing. Two years later, the city unveiled a sculpture honoring the four girls and highlighting the boys in Kelly Ingram Park. The memorial sculpture, called Four Spirits, features bronze statues of four girls and a bronze bench featuring the names and photos of all six Black children killed that day, including Robinson and Ware. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Correction: An earlier version of his story included incorrect information about OneWebs timeline for fielding its Gen 2 satellites. LONDON With SpaceXs Starlink constellation dominating the space-based communications market, longstanding satellite operators are positioning themselves to compete with the billionaire-owned company particularly when it comes to military and government services. SpaceX, with its 5,000-satellite Starlink fleet, has a hedge on the satellite communication market, but executives at U.K.-based OneWeb and Luxembourg-based Intelsat told C4ISRNET this week during the DSEI conference here they see opportunities to join the behemoth in meeting increasing connectivity demands. Chris Moore, OneWebs vice president for defence and security, said in a Sept. 12 interview demand for these services means that other providers likely wont be waiting in the wings much longer. Weve got a supply problem its a good problem to have, he said. Theres plenty of room for us and Starlink in terms of meeting the worlds connectivity problems in the short term. And of course, others are going to be coming online. SpaceXs success with Starlink has also pushed its competitors to refocus and make new investments, according to Rory Welch, vice president of global government and satellite services at Intelsat. Its forced a lot of the traditional providers like Intelsat to up our game, Welch said in an interview. And we are. Were making big investments in our future network. Starlinks preeminence in the satellite internet services market has put SpaceX in the spotlight in recent weeks following the release of a biography of the companys billionaire founder Elon Musk. The book, written by journalist Walter Isaacson, claims that Musk secretly turned off Starlink services to prevent Ukraine from targeting Russian naval vessels in Stevastopol, the largest city in Crimea. Musk has since stated that he didnt turn off Starlink, but had in fact never activated the service in the region over concerns about how Russia might respond to an attack. While SpaceX wasnt under a military contract at that time, the U.S. Defense Department has since formalized an agreement with the company for Starlink services, though officials have not confirmed details on the specifics of that deal. The scenario has raised concerns among military leaders that commercial companies like SpaceX could refuse services in a time of conflict and underlines the pitfalls of relying on a single commercial provider for such a vital capability. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said this week at the Air Force Associations Air, Space and Cyber conference in National Harbor, Md., that without assurances that a commercial company will provide capabilities when needed, theyre not something we can rely on in wartime. Global coverage For OneWeb and Intelsat, the path toward competing with industry giant SpaceX has included a certain degree of rebuilding. Both companies declared bankruptcy in 2020 and underwent a financial restructuring. Since emerging from bankruptcy, OneWeb has launched hundreds of satellites to low Earth orbit about 1,200 miles (2,000 km) above the planets surface. That includes its latest batch in May, which brought its constellation to 634 spacecraft and helped it achieve global coverage in orbit. By early next year, it expects to have fully rolled out its ground infrastructure, which will close the loop for full global coverage. During DSEI, OneWeb announced that Britains Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, Argus, had connected to its LEO constellation marking the first time a military vessel deployed its SATCOM services. It also revealed the release of a portable, lightweight terminal that will bring broadband connectivity to users in remote areas. The equipment, which can fold into a large backpack, is ideal for military operators and rescue crews working in hard-to-reach areas with difficult terrain. OneWebs fleet is much smaller than Starlinks, but Moore said the company has a narrower customer base that includes high-end industries like telecommunications and energy as well as military and other government agencies. While it may compete with Starlink in those areas, its less focused on the mass consumer market. The companys impending merger with French SATCOM provider Eutelsat which is set to close at the end of this month will also allow it expand its coverage to new orbits, offering future customers a more diverse capability. Eutelsat operates a fleet of satellites in geostationary orbit, about 22,000 miles (35,000 km) above Earth. The merger will combine the strength of those GEO-based satellites, which can transfer large amount of data at slower speeds, with OneWebs LEO constellation, which offers higher bandwidth and lower latency to support real-time missions, such as machine-to-machine teaming for uncrewed military aircraft. Having that multi-orbit solution, Moore said, differentiates the company from firms like Starlink that are focused on LEO services. OneWeb is also in the process of designing its next generation of LEO satellites, which could be operating as soon as 2027. The spacecraft will replace older systems in the constellation, bring more capacity and will be upgradeable through software modifications. The second-generation, or Gen 2, satellites will also be built with both military and commercial requirements in mind, Moore said. Where Gen 1 was very much a commercial platform and a commercial architecture with some military applications on top, were designing Gen 2 to be dual-use from the outset, he said. Were in lots of conversations with a few governments about what that looks like. Beyond low Earth orbit Intelsat has also been working to bolster its position in the SATCOM market. A central feature of that work was establishing its global government and satellite services business in January, which Welch leads. The new business unit is focused on growing the companys work with international allies. That includes not only the traditional Five Eyes partners, but other countries in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Asia-Pacific region who worry about security threats from Russia or China. When they spend more on defense, typically theres a drag along with them spending more on space, Welch said. And these are countries that tend to operate in a more austere environment with less infrastructure or where theyre doing more deployments outside of their individual countries, a lot more need for beyond-line-of-sight communications. Along with offering Intelsats core SATCOM services, the global business unit provides assistance to customers as they design, build, launch and operate their satellites. The company is also looking to expand its global, GEO-based satellite network to include operations in medium Earth orbit, between GEO and LEO. Welch said Intelsat considered whether to develop its own LEO constellation but determined that MEO made better sense from a cost and complexity standpoint. The company is in the early stages of designing those satellites. Intelsat is establishing new partnerships with LEO operators and is also producing a new line of software-defined GEO satellites that can reroute traffic and adjust beams to ensure full coverage across orbits. Were really focused on the multi-layer elements of our network because we really think that its not just one its not just LEO or GEO or MEO, Welch said. Were going to compete with Starlink and other LEO operators because were a commercial company, but I think its more about what we can do as a multi-orbit constellation. A separate civil case took center stage as attorneys argued over how the Tyre Nichols civil case against the City of Memphis, and several Memphis police officers, should proceed amidst two active criminal prosecutions. That case was filed by Monterrious Harris weeks after five Memphis police officers were criminally indicted in Shelby County Criminal Court and alleges that the same officers that beat Nichols also beat Harris on Jan. 4 three days before Nichols was pulled over and beaten. That case was referenced by multiple defense attorneys since the federal judge in that case, John Thomas Fowlkes, issued a ruling in late August to pause all proceedings in that civil case until the criminal cases are resolved. The ruling came prior to the federal indictment, and defense attorney John Keith Perry said Friday a complete stay in that case should result in a complete stay in the Nichols civil case. "They're not the same case, but we think the implications in our case are heightened if the court would undermine the Harris case ruling," Perry, the attorney representing former officer Tadarrius Bean in all three cases, said. "...If you delve into discovery in this case, the court is taking a position that this case is less problematic than the Harris case." Another attorney argued that judges in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee need to "speak with one voice" when it comes to similar rulings. The judge overseeing the Nichols case, Judge Mark Norris, said he respects Fowlkes' ruling, but that judges have the discretion to issue different opinions. Not all defendants in the Nichols case, or the Harris case, favor placing a stay on the case. The City of Memphis in both cases voiced opposition to the stay. Robert Spence is representing one of the named former Memphis Fire Department personnel, Michelle Whitaker, and opposed staying the case in its entirety. Spence argued that there could be a stay placed on the five former Memphis police officers who have been criminally indicted, preventing them from sharing discovery, until their criminal cases are disposed. While the stay on those defendants is in place, however, Spence said the other defendants could begin the discovery process. Spence is also representing Harris in the other civil case. Attorneys for Nichols' family, led in court Friday by Antonio Romanucci, agreed with Spence's proposal with the addition that the officers facing criminal charges should respond to the complaint initially filed in the case and take part in the discovery process. Norris said he would be taking the arguments under advisement, and spend a bit of time figuring out the background information on the Harris case before ruling on the stay. He also said he would hold off issuing a scheduling order since his ruling on staying the case could impact the dates listed in that schedule. U.S. Attorney General for the Western District of Tennessee Kevin Ritz answers questions from the press as Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke, head of the Department of Justices civil rights division, looks on during a press conference announcing that an indictment is pending in federal court for the five now-former Memphis police officers involved in the Tyre Nichols case in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. The Nichols civil case requests $550 million in damages and cites multiple levels of negligence. The City of Memphis, along with Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis, are named as defendants in the case and have filed motions requesting they be dismissed. The motion to dismiss, along with a separate motion to strike all mention of the Atlanta Police Department's now-defunct RED DOG Unit that Davis was part of when she worked there, has been sent to Magistrate Judge Annie T. Christoff to be ruled on. That ruling has not yet been issued. Nichols was pulled over by members of the Memphis Police Department's SCORPION Unit on Jan. 7 this year. The officers proceeded to pull him from the car and to the ground, shouting numerous conflicting commands at him. Eventually, he ran from the officers who were pepper spraying him and at times kneeling on him and was later caught by other SCORPION Unit officers about 100 yards from his mother's home. The officers then punched, kicked, pepper sprayed and hit Nichols with a baton. He died three days later. More: A look inside Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy's turbulent first year in office Five officers face two different criminal cases. They were initially indicted in late January in a state case and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, official oppression, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of official misconduct. Tuesday afternoon, they were indicted in federal court and each face one count of excessive force, deliberate indifference, conspiracy to witness tamper and obstruction of justice via witness tampering. They face up to life in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Federal judge to consider pausing Tyre Nichols $550 million civil suit WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. plans to increase monthly production of 155 millimeter artillery shells over the coming years to 100,000 in 2025, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said on Friday. "We're going to be at 100,000 per month in 2025. We were at 14,000 per month 6 or 8 months ago, we are now at 28,000 a month today," Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said at a conference on Friday. Demand for 155mm artillery rounds has soared in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But allies' supplies for their own defense have been run down as they have rushed shells to Kyiv, which fires thousands of rounds per day. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington) FILE - Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, on April 18, 2023. Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in March on espionage charges, which he has denied, as have his employer and the U.S. government. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) MOSCOW (AP) The U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in an online statement. Tracy's visit comes a day after Gershkovich's parents and sister appeared in the United Nation's headquarters in New York and called on world leaders to urge Russia to free the reporter, who was arrested earlier this year in espionage charges he and his employer reject. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained in late March in the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow, while on a reporting trip. He has been held in Moscow's Lefortovo pre-trial detention center, notorious for its harsh conditions, ever since. Last month, a court in Moscow extended his detention until the end of November. Russias Federal Security Service said Gershkovich, acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. The authorities havent detailed what if any evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges, which both Gershkovich and WSJ deny. The U.S. government declared him to be wrongfully detained. The case against Gershkovich, shrouded in secrecy, has rattled journalists both inside and outside Russia. Tracy, the U.S. ambassador, visited Gershkovich in prison several times since his arrest, most recently in August. Following her visit on Friday, the U.S. embassy said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, that Gershkovich remains strong and is keeping up with the news including his parents appearance at the UN this week, and reiterated the call to release him and another American imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, Paul Whelan. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after U.S.-Russian tensions soared over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S. The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously said it would consider a swap for Gershkovich only in the event of a verdict in his trial. In Russia, espionage investigations and trials can last for more than a year. (Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images) The Philippine Coast Guard slammed the China Coast Guard for its "dangerous" tactics following the news of a possible visiting forces agreement between the Philippines and Japan to improve maritime security. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) says a China Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last week momentarily blinded several of its personnel with a "military grade" laser. The PCG accused the Chinese ship of "dangerous" tactics when it reached within 150 yards (137 meters) of the Philippine vessel. It posted photographs of the laser's green beam on its Facebook page, according to a CNN report. The incident reportedly happened on February 6 at Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, in the Spratly Islands, known in China as the Nansha Islands. On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that a Philippine Coast Guard "trespassed" into the seas of Renai Reef "without the permission of the Chinese side." Read Also: Turkey-Syria Earthquake Latest Update China asserts "indisputable sovereignty" over the majority of the islands and almost the whole 1.3 million square miles South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan claim the Spratlys, an archipelago of 100 mini islands and reefs. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately answer a request for comment. The office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not provide comment, instead directing the media to the Philippine Coast Guard statement. Another Case of Chinese Aggression China has been blamed for deploying lasers in the area before. In February of last year, a Chinese naval ship pointed a laser at a military surveillance plane in Australia. The incident was called an "act of intimidation" by the Australian government, per Reuters. The news of the latest China conflict incident broke as Marcos stated his willingness to negotiate a visiting forces agreement (VFA) with Japan to improve maritime safety. Last month, a wall of green lasers was recorded on video in a telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. NASA has said that the green lasers seen above Hawaii were not caused by its satellite. The agency said, more likely, it was from a satellite launched by China, as per a Vice story. The China conflict with the US intensifies further after the United States last week shot down a Chinese balloon that it believed was a China spy balloon. China condemned the US action, saying the balloon was used for weather research, per an earlier HNGN report. Related Article: US Shoots Down 4th Unidentified Flying Object @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In response to the racially motivated killings that were recently committed in Jacksonville, my office has been working jointly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners on a federal hate crimes and domestic terrorism investigation. The work has been non-stop, with a commitment from everyone on the investigative team to conduct a thorough and complete investigation and to follow up on each and every lead, wherever it takes us. The investigation and prosecution of hate crimes is a top priority for my office and the United States Department of Justice. When the Justice Department was founded in 1870, one of its first priorities was bringing to justice white supremacists who used violence to terrorize Black Americans. Even though we have made progress, our work continues to this day. A memory banner is held up by family during the funeral services for 29-year-old Jerrald Gallion on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Gallion was one of three Black victims killed in the Aug. 26, 2023, shooting at a Dollar General store near Edward Waters University. During my tenure, the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Civil Rights Division have successfully prosecuted several hate crime cases, including two brothers who physically assaulted a Black man who was shopping at a store (one defendant used an axe handle in the attack) and another defendant in a separate case who attempted to injure and intimidate a Black man by trying to force his car off the road (the defendant told officers that Black people need to be kept in their areas). In both cases, the defendants were convicted of federal hate crimes and were sentenced to federal prison terms for their racially-motivated attacks. In July, another defendant pleaded guilty to two federal hates crimes for attacking two Black women with a gun in Jacksonville in two separate instances. In the first attack, the defendant pointed a shotgun at the victim, a Black woman who was at work at a gas station, and cocked it. The victim, fortunately, was able to run away. In the second attack, the defendant directed racial slurs at a Black woman who was sitting on her walker on a sidewalk. The defendant left, returned with a shotgun, and fired. The victim, fortunately, was not hit. The defendant has pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing in federal court. More from US Attorney Roger B. Handberg U.S. Attorney: We need to protect the civil rights of our service members | Opinion Remembering our fallen heroes | Opinion One of our programs is called United Against Hate. Launched in 2022, it is being implemented in every U.S. Attorneys Office in the country. The goals of the program are to teach the community how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes and to build trust between law enforcement and communities. My office has partnered with organizations to put on the United Against Hate program, and we are looking to expand those efforts to other organizations across the District. To provide information about some of the federal resources and programs that are available in preventing hate crime, my office has set up a dedicated website (www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/unitedagainsthate). The website includes information for: U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Roger Handberg But the work of my office is not limited to hate crimes investigations and prosecutions. In addition, we provide support for victims of hate crimes and partner with members of community to conduct programs designed to improve hate crime reporting. We also coordinate with various components of the Justice Department and other agencies that provide grants and other assistance to prevent hate crimes by promoting community awareness and preparedness. Victims of the Jacksonville shooting regarding where to find resources and services; Nonprofits, institutions, and anyone else who is interested in information about grants and assistance to protect against hate crimes; Any organization that is interested in partnering with my office to hold a United Against Hate program. The Justice Department has resources and expertise that can assist victims of hate crimes and that can help prevent hate crimes from occurring in the first place. I hope that anyone who is interested in learning more will visit our website, which also will include contact information for members of my office who can further assist. My office is committed to using our resources to assist victims of hate crimes, to help members of the community in preventing hate crimes, to encourage the reporting of hate crimes, and to hold accountable anyone who commits a federal hate crime. We are united against hate. Roger B. Handberg is the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida This article originally appeared on Florida Today: US Attorney's initiative, Unite Against Hate, makes a difference. By Kevin Krolicki, David Shepardson and Steve Holland DETROIT (Reuters) -The United Auto Workers said it plans to resume bargaining on Saturday after launching its first simultaneous strikes at General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis, with effects of the limited shutdown starting to spread on Friday. The most ambitious U.S. industrial labor action in decades has halted production at three plants producing the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, along with other popular models. But by Friday afternoon a ripple effect was felt. "Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAWs targeted strike strategy will have knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage," Ford said in a statement. It told 600 workers who are not striking not come to work on Friday and GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down next week for lack of parts, stemming from a nearby plant being struck. At a rally on Friday afternoon and at picket lines during the day, union members protested loudly and took special aim at a two-tiered wage system that left new hires without the pay or benefits of seasoned hands. That was unfair and favored investors over workers, they said. "Were not going to wreck the economy. The truth is we are going to wreck the billionaire economy," said UAW President Shawn Fain. The union is demanding a bigger share of profits, shorter work weeks, restoration of defined benefit pensions and stronger job security as automakers shift to electric vehicles. UAW vice president Chuck Browning, who is leading talks with Ford, told a rally of hundreds of UAW workers in downtown Detroit on Friday afternoon that recent talks have made "good progress, but we have far to go." U.S. President Joe Biden , who faces re-election next year, called for the auto companies to reward workers just as executives' salaries have risen. "The companies have made some significant offers but I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts," he said. Striking workers said "tier two" employees can make only half the hourly wages of senior UAW workers and get worse benefits. "That's the biggest thing I hear in our plant: we were built on equal pay for equal work," said Bruce Baumhower, the UAW president for the local including the striking Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. Some two-tier systems were set in place during bankruptcies more than a decade ago. The starting wage for tier two workers of $15.78 now is on par with fast food restaurants and has not changed since it was set 14 years ago, he said. "Fourteen years later, our workers are still in bankruptcy," he added. None of the Detroit Three has proposed eliminating those tiered wage systems, a key UAW demand, but they have offered to cut the time needed to reach top pay to four from eight years. "I think they are making progress at the table," said Arthur Wheaton, who teaches collective bargaining at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor relations. Automakers have raised wage offers and the UAW appears to be focusing its demands. "You're no longer hearing anything about the 32-hours work week from the UAW," he said. Executives say the union's asks would make the automakers uncompetitive against other nonunion rivals. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the UAW's 40% wage hike demand would "put us out of business." GM CEO Mary Barra on "CBS This Morning" on Friday said "We still have a ways to go with the offer they put on the table last night." Senator Bernie Sanders, speaking at the Friday rally, retorted, I say to Ms. Barra, do you have any idea what its like for one of your workers to survive on $17 an hour? Friday's walkout was smaller than some analysts expected. "Keep the other plants open," said Sofus Nielsen, a 29-year Ford veteran, outside the Wayne plant. "This way we can be out here longer and hurt them more. The UAW has an $825 million strike fund but the automakers have built up billions thanks to robust profits from trucks and SUVs. Biden on Friday said acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and adviser Gene Sperling will travel to Detroit to offer support for talks but the White House said they would not mediate. Ford shares ended barely changed on Friday, GM stock rose about 1% and Stellantis shares earlier closed up 1.9% in Milan. The automakers have offered up to 20% wage hikes, without key benefits demanded by the union. Ford said the UAW's latest proposals would double its U.S. labor costs and make it uncompetitive against Tesla and other nonunion rivals. Stellantis said it had immediately gone into "contingency mode" and would take structural decisions to protect the company and its North American operations, without elaborating. Nearly half the 12,700 striking workers are at the Stellantis plant, although management has been preparing: a parking lot of finished Jeeps is more than a mile long outside the factory. GM said on Thursday the UAW wage and benefits proposals would cost the automaker $100 billion, but did not elaborate. Fain has rejected the automakers' assertions, saying the companies have spent billions on share buybacks and executive salaries. While Biden is pouring billions in federal subsidies into expanding electric-vehicle sales, this shift could threaten combustion powertrain jobs. The UAW has not endorsed his re-election. Biden's likely opponent, former president Donald Trump, on Friday criticized the shift to EVs as a job-killer for the UAW. (Reporting by Joseph White and Kevin Krolicki in Detroit, David Shepardson and Steve Holland in Washington and Mehr Bedi in BengaluruEditing by David Gaffen, Peter Henderson, Matthew Lewis and Chris Reese) (This Sept. 14 story has been refiled to correct the spelling of 'of' in paragraph 16) (Reuters) - Defence Minister Li Shangfu , who has been missing from public view for more than two weeks, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter. The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny. Eight senior officials from the Chinese military's procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation, according to two of the people in direct contact with the military. The probe into Li, who was appointed as defence minister in March, and the eight officials is being carried out by the military's powerful disciplinary inspection commission, those two people said. Reuters' detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defence leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters Friday that she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and the Defence Ministry did not immediately return requests for comment. Li could not immediately be reached. The Financial Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials, that the U.S. government believes Li has been placed under investigation. The Wall Street Journal cited a person close to decision making in Beijing as saying he had been taken away last week for questioning. The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports that U.S. intelligence officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Friday posed the question on X, formerly Twitter, whether Li was under house arrest. The U.S. embassy in Tokyo did not immediately have further comment. Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29 giving a key-note speech at a security forum with African nations. Earlier that month, he also visited Russia and Belarus. The probe into the minister started shortly after his return from that trip, according to a person in direct contact with the military and two foreign security officials briefed on the case. By Sept. 3, his ministry had cancelled a visit by Li to Vietnam for an annual defence meeting between the two countries scheduled for Sept. 7-8, according to a Vietnamese official. Beijing told officials in Hanoi that Li had a "health condition" when it postponed the event, two Vietnamese officials said. Li's failure to attend that meeting, and talks with a senior Singaporean military official in China the same week, raised questions among regional diplomats and social media users about his whereabouts. The probe into Li follows China's unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged absence from public view and a shake-up of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army's elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional and nuclear missiles. Chinese officials initially said Qin's absence was also due to health reasons. The moves have raised questions from some observers and diplomats about the abrupt changes in China's leadership at a time when its economy is struggling to recover from strict pandemic closures and its relations with the United States have further soured over a range of issues. Both Li and Qin were seen by observers of Chinese politics as handpicked by President Xi Jinping, making their absence after less than a year on the job particularly notable. The two men had prominent public-facing roles and also serve among China's five state councillors, a post outranking a regular minister. "CLEAN UP" IN MILITARY PROCUREMENT In July, the military's procurement unit took the highly unusual step of issuing a notice that it was looking to "clean-up" its bidding process. It invited the public to report irregularities dating back to Oct. 2017, when Li was at its helm. He ran the unit until October 2022. When asked last month by reporters to comment about the whereabouts of two other former senior military leaders who had not been recently seen in public and if they were under investigation, a Defence Ministry spokesman said the military has "zero-tolerance for corruption", without denying the possibility that they were the subject of a probe. "We must always blow the horn, investigate every case, punish every instance of corruption and resolutely win the hard and protracted battle against corruption," the spokesman said. In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the military's then-new Strategic Support Force - an elite body tasked with accelerating the development of space and cyber warfare capabilities. He was then tasked the following year with heading the military's procurement unit. Li was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 over weapons purchases from Russia's largest arms exporter, Rosoboronexport. Beijing has repeatedly said it wants those sanctions dropped to facilitate better discussions between the Chinese and U.S. militaries. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sought talks with Li during a defence conference in Singapore in June, but did not get beyond pleasantries, according to a Pentagon spokesman. (Reporting and writing by Reuters newsroom; Editing by Katerina Ang and Daniel Flynn) FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, speaks at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Tokyo By Humeyra Pamuk, Trevor Hunnicutt and Tim Kelly WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - When a Reuters reporter asked a U.S. State Department spokesperson this week about a sarcastic social media post by the U.S. ambassador to Japan concerning China's missing defense minister, the reply was appropriately diplomatic. The ambassador, Rahm Emanuel , has always spoken in "a colorful manner," said Matthew Miller, restraining a smile, although he declined to say whether Emanuel's comments had been cleared by the State Department. Emanuel, a legendary Washington political fighter who has served three Democratic presidents, had written on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the recent disappearances of top Chinese officials resembled Agatha Christie's best-selling crime novel "And Then There Were None," which follows the mysterious deaths of guests at a mansion in Britain. "First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen in public for two weeks. Who's going to win this unemployment race? China's youth or Xi's cabinet?," Emanuel wrote. On Thursday, he speculated in another post that Li might have been detained. "Might be getting crowded in there," he wrote. Li has not been seen in public for more than two weeks. On Friday Reuters reported that the defense official, handpicked by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter. In July, Foreign Minister Qin Gang was replaced after not being seen in public for over a month. He had been appointed to the post only seven months previous. POLICY OR OPINION? Though common on social media, pointed sarcasm is almost unheard of in the buttoned-down world of diplomacy, where ambassadors' comments are carefully vetted and scrutinized for nuance. So naturally, Emanuel's posts have raised questions about whether they reflect the views of the administration of Joe Biden, who Emanuel has known for years, dating back to the Obama White House. "I would guess that the Chinese government views Ambassador Emanuel's remarks as authoritative and deliberate signaling. I doubt that's the case," said Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. A Chinese embassy spokesperson said Beijing noted Emanuel's remarks. "We hope the U.S. side can stop smearing China and do more things that are conducive to enhancing understanding, trust and cooperation between the two countries," she said. A source familiar with Biden administration dynamics said Emanuel's comments were likely not part of an agreed approach. "Rahm is not subject to the rules that other ambassadors and senior officials follow," the source said. "I suspect that some of his public commentary makes the White House pretty uncomfortable, but his relationship with the President makes him effectively untouchable." "There may be some who view his tweets and commentary as a useful foil, but there is no deliberate strategy that I am aware of," the source said. On Friday, the State Department did not have immediate comment on whether Emanuel's tweets on Li reflected the knowledge and understanding of the U.S. government or whether they were his personal opinion. The U.S. embassy in Japan declined to comment. ANTI-CHINA U.S. AMBASSADOR Emanuel, 63, previously served as an aide to former President Bill Clinton and as former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff, when he was known as an effective enforcer, nicknamed "Rahmbo." In 2010, he successfully ran for mayor of Chicago but decided not to seek re-election in 2019 following controversy over his decision not to release footage of the shooting of a Black teen, Laquan McDonald. The combative Democrat is known for his use of colorful and sometimes profane language. At the start of his time at the Obama White House, he had a name plate on his desk given to him by his brothers that read: "The Undersecretary for Go Fuck Yourself." In Japan, his longstanding West Wing ties are seen as an advantage by the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which is eager to tighten bonds with Washington, a senior Japanese official told Reuters. Within China, Emanuel has a reputation as an anti-China ambassador, said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, adding that Beijing believes his position as ambassador to Japan should not afford him a role on relations between the U.S. and China, which have been tense in recent years. Emanuel has kept close ties with Biden, hosting him privately at the ambassador's residence in Tokyo, and is closely connected with members of Biden's inner circle, a rare direct line for an ambassador. All of that suggests that the administration is unlikely to rein in its Japan ambassador. "He's developed an extremely close relationship with the Japanese to advance the alliance and U.S. interests and is expressing his point of view," said an administration official. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Trevor Hunnicutt, and Patricia Zengerle in Washington and Timothy Kelly in Tokyo; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Don Durfee and Rosalba O'Brien) U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his intention Friday to have a type of dog known as the American bully XL banned in Britain, calling them "a danger to our communities." The announcement came a day after a man died from injuries sustained during an attack believed to have involved this type of dog. A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after originally being arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control. The death followed another recent attack in England in which an 11-year-old girl was seriously injured by an American bully XL. A December 2021 file photo taken at a shelter for homeless dogs in Antalya, Turkey, shows what appears to be a female American bully XL, a large dog originally bred from the American pitbull terrier. / Credit: Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Neither the U.K. nor the U.S. Kennel Clubs recognize the bully XL as a unique breed, though some other organizations do. It was originally bred from the American pitbull terrier and strongly resembles that breed, but larger. "Today I have tasked [government] ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dogs behind these attacks, with a view to then outlawing it," Sunak said in a video shared Friday on social media. "It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast. We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act." If added, the American bully XL, or XL bully as it is sometimes called, would be the fourth breed banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act in the U.K., joining the pitbull terrier from which it was bred, the Japanese tosa, the dogo Argentino and the fila Brasileiro. Sunak's statement came just a couple days after British Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was seeking advice on outlawing bully XLs in a tweet. She shared a news report that included security camera video showing the dog involved in the attack on the girl chasing and attacking a man after he tried to help. "This is appalling. The American XL Bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children," Braverman said. "We can't go on like this." This is appalling. The American XL Bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. We cant go on like this. I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them. https://t.co/fp07T4FWRZ Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) September 10, 2023 The U.K. Kennel Club argues that no breed of dog is inherently dangerous and has even suggested that demonizing certain breeds may make them more attractive to people who want to use dogs for violent or illegal purposes. The organization says breed-specific bans ignore the most important factors that contribute to biting incidents primarily irresponsible dog owners who train their dogs to be aggressive. The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe wrote in 2019 that there was no scientific or statistical evidence to suggest breed-specific bans reduce either the frequency or severity of injuries to people. President Zelenskyy | Sunday on 60 Minutes Into the Streets | Sunday on 60 Minutes Hurricane Lee barreling toward New England, Canada The U.S. "will respond appropriately" to Moscow's decision to expel two U.S. diplomats from Russia, State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller said in a press briefing on Sept. 14. "This unprovoked expulsion of our diplomatic personnel is wholly without merit," Miller said. On Sept. 14, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry told U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy that two American diplomats, Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, had been declared "persona non grata" and would have to leave the Russian Federation within seven days. The Russian government accused the diplomats of conducting "illegal activities" and collaborating with Robert Shonov, a Russian citizen who was arrested on espionage charges in May 2023. "Yet again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement," Miller said. "It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens." Miller said the U.S. diplomats were "just doing their jobs" and that neither was guilty of wrongdoing or criminal activity. He also said that Shonov, a former U.S. Consulate employee, had acted "in compliance with Russian law." Miller declined to give details about the U.S. government's next steps, but said they would respond "appropriately" and "expeditiously" to the expulsion. He also said that Sillin and Bernstein had not yet left Russia. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Air defense system destroyed, two ships damaged in occupied Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The United Arab Emirates has contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that it is to lift a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travelers. An official from the Gulf state told CNN: There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far. The source asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media. The UAE said in a notice last October it will no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations. It did not provide further details. Obtaining a 30-day tourist visa was relatively easy until the UAE abruptly stopped issuing the visas to Nigerian nationals. Flights between both countries were stopped last year after Dubais Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues. The carrier said it could not access and repatriate its funds amounting to $85 million withheld in Nigeria. Earlier this week, Nigerias President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi where both men finalized a historic agreement, according to a statement released by the Nigerian government. The government said in the statement that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban, including the immediate resumption of flights between both countries. Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay, a statement by Nigerias presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said. However, a statement by the UAE government later Monday said both leaders had during the meeting, explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration with the hope of reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria, but did not mention lifting the visa ban or flights restarting. In a follow-up statement, Nigerian government spokesman Ngelale said officials from both countries needed more time to finalize agreement details, contradicting his earlier statement. Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements, he said, adding that Everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation. An elites playground There was much jubilation from excited Nigerians when it was announced that the visa ban was lifted. Dubai is a popular destination for thousands of Nigerian tourists. It is also a haven for real-estate investors from the country. Before the pandemic, Nigerians ranked among Dubais largest foreign real-estate investors, with investments valued at nearly $2 billion, according to local media reports citing the Dubai Land Department. Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dubai, and one daily flight from the capital Abuja to Dubai. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Joe Biden aggressively sided with the United Auto Workers strike on Friday, calling on each of the Big Three car manufacturersGeneral Motors, Ford and Stellantis (formerly known as Chrysler)to come to the table and strike a deal to increase pay and benefits. Biden made the brief comments on Friday, just hours after 13,000 workers went on a work stoppagethe first time in history that Big Three workers have walked off the job simultaneously. While auto execs have fumed over the strike and accused the union of making outlandish demands, Biden pointed the finger back at them. He said the companies made record profits in recent years off the backs of the extraordinary skill and sacrifices of union workers. "Those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers" -- Biden speaks on behalf of UAW workers pic.twitter.com/tNyOsbXWEg Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2023 The bottom line is that autoworkers help create Americas middle class, Biden said. They deserve a contract that sustains them in the middle class. Biden said he dispatched deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House senior adviser Gene Sperling to Detroit on Friday to work with union leadership and automaker execs to strike a fair deal. No one wants a strike, he said, but I respect workers rights to use their options under the collective bargaining system and understand their frustrations. The union had set a deadline for overnight Thursday to reach an agreement with automakers over a list of hefty demands that included 36-percent raises for hourly workers, a four-day work week, cost-of-living adjustments, increases to vacation and family leave, and a return to a traditional pension system, among other requests. The auto manufacturers balked, with Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley saying during a Thursday interview on CNN that the proposals would put us out of business. No one wants a strike, Biden says of the UAWs negotiations with the Big Three automakers, but I respect workers right to use their options under the collective bargaining system. And I understand the workers frustration. pic.twitter.com/icY7tjQ2ri CBS News (@CBSNews) September 15, 2023 You want us to choose bankruptcy over supporting our workers, he added, lamenting the fact that the UAW had not come back to the table after the companies put together a record proposal to meet at least some of the unions demands: 20 percent raises, cost-of-living increases, and increases to vacation and family leave that would satisfy the UAWs requests. Nothing is going on, Farley said of the negotiations on Thursday. Full-time employees at the Big Three make between $18 to $32 an hourwages the union claims havent increased to keep up with inflation. Just two weeks ago, Bidenwho had personally intervened to speak with both sidessounded optimistic that a strike could be averted. Im not worried about a strike, he said at the time. I dont think its going to happen. But just after 10 p.m. on Thursday, UAW President Shawn Fain released a video address on Facebook and YouTube confirming that the strike would soon become a reality, and, hours later, workers across the trio of companies officially walked off the job. Experts predict the union opted against a total strike because it could burn through its $825 million strike fund in as little as 11 weeks. There are about 146,000 UAW members across the three companies. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbying group issued a stark warning Friday about the strikes implications, saying that prolonged picketing could tank the U.S. economy. The strike will have far reaching negative consequences for our economy, for the American workers directly employed by the Detroit Three, their suppliers and dealers, as well as the thousands of small businesses and families whose livelihoods will also be put at risk, the group said in a statement. Other experts warned that shrinking inventories from U.S. carmakers, which are typically more affordable than foreign cars, could drive prices up sharply at dealerships. The strikes impact was felt immediately on Wall Street, with CNN reporting U.S. stocks were largely down across the boardthe Dow by .1 percent, the S&P 500 by .4 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite by 0.5 percent on Friday morning. The first round of plants where employees walked off the job included a GM facility manufacturing trucks and vans in Wentzville, Missouri; Fords Ranger and Bronco plant in Wayne, Michigan; and a Stellantis-owned Jeep facility in Toledo, Ohio, according to Fain. In anticipation of the strike, Stellantis had reportedly bulked up its supply of certain vehicles in recent months, supplying dealers with enough inventory to last an estimated 82 days for Jeep Wranglers and 207 days for Jeep Gladiators. The same wasnt true for GM and Ford, however, who were already down to just over a months supply of their Bronco, Ranger, and Canyon trucks. More facilities may be included in the strike if negotiations remain at an impasse, Fain said during his address, adding that union officials wont sit down to negotiate until the carmakers come closer to reaching their demands. Im extremely frustrated and disappointed, GMs chief executive Mary Barra said in a Friday interview on CNBC. We dont need to be on strike right now. Executives from the Big Three largely pointed their criticisms at Fain, pleading with the union to negotiate instead of walking out. Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO, called Fains strategy posturing. Farley, the Ford CEO, said this week, We are here and ready to reach a deal. We should be working creatively to solve hard problems rather than planning strikes and PR events. Barra added Friday, Every negotiation takes on the personality of its leader. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A strike against Detroits Big Three automakers (General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford) is underway after their contract with the United Auto Workers expired late Thursday night with no new deal. >>ORIGINAL STORY: About 13,000 workers go on strike seeking better wages and benefits from Detroits three automakers The strike impacts nearly 150,000 UAW affiliated workers who are seeking a new contract. However only a fraction, around 13,000 workers, have actually walked off the job as part of a strategy by the UAW. Union president Shawn Fain told CNN the union could grow the strike if if the automakers refuse to meet workers demands. Its the first time ever the UAW went on strike against all three U.S. car companies at the same time. There is no UAW plant here in the Miami Valley, but economists say this will impact the entire country. >>RELATED: UAW poised for midnight strike at plants in Wayne, Michigan, Toledo, Ohio, and Wentzville, Missouri News Center 7s Xavier Hershovitz reported live Friday morning from DMAX in Moraine, which is owned by GM, and supplies diesel engines. DMAX workers are not part of the UAW Strike, but with assembly lines shut down, the impact of this strike could trickle down to them. Hershovitz spoke Thursday with Patrick Anderson, President of the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association (DRMA). He said it is likely a strike will impact some manufacturers here but wont have a major impact on the Dayton regions manufacturing industry entirely. >>RELATED: Why the United Auto Workers union is poised to strike major US car makers Hershovitz reports the UAW is doing a targeted strike focused on three key plants, including the Stellantis Toledo assembly plant. The other two plants are the GM Wentzville Assembly, Local 2250 in Missouri, and the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, Local 900 in Michigan. Union leaders say they will then expand if necessary. Its a dangerous thing to say, youre going to strike just some plants, but not others because thats not how the industry can operate, said Anderson. And you will see more than just those plants shut down. >>RELATED: UAW chief says offers from Detroit companies are inadequate, says union is ready to go on strike Hershovitz says the UAW is seeking up to a 40% raise. Other items include a 32-hour work week and the return of pensions. Those are all on-starters for the Big Three automakers. The UAW also wants to phase out concessions made in 2008 when carmakers nearly collapsed. What their initial offer was, is to pay our hourly workers about $300,000 each, and to work four days, said Jim Farley, Ford CEO. That would basically put our company out of business. >>RELATED: UAWs clash with Big 3 automakers shows off a more confrontational union as strike deadline looms Hershovitz says UAW workers in Toledo are standing together. I didnt think this was going to happen, said Candace Bowles, a striking Toledo Stellantis worker. Im really happy that everybody stood together, and it was a unanimous kind of thing to strike. As long as it takes for us to get a fair contract, said Leticia Hummer, a striking Toledo Stallantis worker. I want to look out for my brothers and sisters. >>RELATED: 4-day workweek, 46% raise: UAW makes audacious demands ahead of possible strike against Big 3 automakers Hershovitz says back in 2019 when the UAW was on strike against GM, DMAX workers were temporarily laid off while no vehicles were getting made. It is unclear at this point how long a strike could go before impacting workers in Moraine. Workers at the Sharonville Ford plant are not part of this initial strike currently, according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati. But that could change the longer this strike goes. News Center 7 will provide updates on any potential agreement reached between the UAW and the Big 3 automakers. Environmental groups are lining up on the side of the United Auto Workers against the Big Three never mind any setbacks for their green energy agenda. So far, only one of the three plants that union members have walked out on produces an electric vehicle the Jeep Wrangler 4Xe built at Stellantis' Toledo, Ohio site but an expanded strike could threaten production of the cars that President Joe Biden wants to make up 50 percent of all new vehicle sales by 2030. Still, environmental groups are supporting the labor action, saying its needed to ensure that factory workers are included in the transition to a clean economy. We firmly support the UAW members demands and believe that the success of these negotiations is of critical importance for the rights and well-being of workers and to safeguard people and the environment, a group of 100 labor, racial justice and environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and the Natural Resources Defense Council said in an open letter to the heads of Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Only through meeting these demands will the United States ensure a just transition to a renewable energy future. The green support for the union marks a relatively new development between two Democratic-aligned factions. Environmental groups have broadened their missions in recent years to address a range of social problems, including racial and economic issues, in part as an effort to build broader coalitions to support their campaigns to fight climate change and pollution that disproportionately affects minority communities and low-income areas. Greenpeace, which helped author the letter, has hosted UAW delegations at its ships in California to show the climate community stands behind the union, said Ben Smith, the environmental group's campaigner for strategic partnerships. Greenpeace started raising the issue of supporting a strike among other climate groups in August as the union's contract headed toward renegotiation, he said. "We have to speed the transition away from fossil fuels," Smith said. "So implementing this contract as a way to transition to EVs, where those workers see that there are good union jobs, is crucial. And so that's why the UAW's fight is our fight." Mainstream environmental groups in the 1980s would not have gotten directly involved in labor movement politics, let alone ones that threatened their own environmental priorities, according to people in progressive groups and labor historians. And frequently the two groups have been sharply at odds, as they were over issues such as Bidens move to block development of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a project that some construction unions had backed. But green activists have amplified Biden's policy plank that transitioning to clean energy is good for the economy and factory workers, according to Mike Williams, a senior fellow at the progressive think tank Center for American Progress who worked for more than a decade at the BlueGreen Alliance, a group the aims to strengthen ties between the labor and environmental movements. For the climate movement, which for years have said the words just transition, this is the moment where theyre actually putting their words into action, Williams said. You cant have a just transition if you dont have good jobs on the other side of it. UAW President Shawn Fain has repeatedly said the union supports Biden's electric vehicles push, and he has criticized automakers for closing plants and neglecting job security even as the companies expand production of new models of electric vehicles and opened battery plants. The UAW supports and is ready for the transition to a clean auto industry, Fain said in a recent statement. Republicans who have sought to slow Bidens green energy momentum have attempted to exploit the past political differences between the groups. Former President Donald Trump has tried to pit the two groups against each other, saying that the move to electric vehicles would eviscerate the union workforce. On Friday, populist Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance voiced much the same message, siding with the strikers on social media but also trying to spin the walkout as workers demanding higher wages and an end to political leaderships green war on their industry. A successful strike could be crucial to making sure working class Americans stay on board with Bidens green agenda, said Sharon Block, executive director at Harvard Universitys Center for Labor and a Just Economy. Many of the UAWs current demands are an attempt to claw back wages and benefits its members gave up to help the automakers survive the recession of the late 2000s. UAW members were asked to be a partner to the industry when times were bad, Block said in an interview. What theyre saying now is that times are pretty good for the industry and they want to share in the success. Why the environmental groups support the strike is [Fain] as head of the organization that is the best way to have a voice in what that energy transition looks like. That focus on the long-term success of Bidens green energy agenda has helped narrow the previous divide between green and labor groups, said Erika Thi Patterson, auto supply chain campaign director for Public Citizen, a group that advocates for progressive environmental and labor policies and helped organize the letter of support. Persuading dozens of other progressive groups to sign was a fairly easy task, Thi Patterson added. A lot of people thought it would have taken more convincing to get climate groups on board and showing up in solidarity, but we secured signatures in a rapid succession for the letter, Thi Patterson said in an interview. We need workers on our side. Industry analysts have warned that a prolonged strike could seriously crimp EV output and even disrupt the post-pandemic economic recovery the United States has been experiencing. Mona Dajani, a lobbyist for Tesla the leading U.S. EV maker and which doesnt operate any plants employing unionized workers sounded an alarm on the strikes impact. A UAW strike would put the brakes on current significant progress that's being made with the automotive industry, in particular, in clean energy with EVs, with batteries, with all the supply chain to those, Dajani said. And it's not just a labor dispute, I mean, I'm looking at this like it's a threat, it will put a chill to our energy transition and everything that Biden has really put his legacy on." Tanya Snyder contributed to this report. Philippines national library inaugurates Chinese bookshelf Xinhua) 10:47, September 15, 2023 People participate in a Chinese calligraphy writing event during the unveiling ceremony of the Chinese Bookshelf at the National Library of the Philippines in Manila, the Philippines, Sept. 14, 2023. The National Library of the Philippines on Thursday inaugurated the Chinese Bookshelf, an addition of Chinese books to the facility's already diverse collection, to promote cultural understanding between the two countries. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The National Library of the Philippines on Thursday inaugurated the Chinese Bookshelf, an addition of Chinese books to the facility's already diverse collection, to promote cultural understanding between the two countries. The new collection, including books on Chinese politics, science fiction, and language studies, among others, is a testament to the enduring cultural ties and friendship between the Philippines and China, said Cesar Gilbert Adriano, director of the library. The initiative will promote cross-cultural understanding and foster deeper connections in the years to come, Adriano added. As co-organizer of the book project, the Confucius Institute at the Angeles University Foundation contributed to the book donation, together with a Chinese publisher focusing on culture promotion. A photo exhibition on Chinese culture was also held at the library. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Debit card hackers are getting more and more notorious in today's world. This is why it is important to know the things you can do to protect your bank accounts from these sneaky fraudsters. Debit Card Fraud: What is It and How It Happens Credit cards and debit cards are quite different. Hackers/fraudsters usually target the latter because it is the one that's connected to your bank account. Fox News reported that a debit card fraud is quite similar to a house theft. Once malicious actors acquire your debit card PIN, they can easily use your money to make purchases or withdraw your funds. Debit card hacking can happen in numerous ways. For example, fraudsters can get your information by breaching a retailer that saves your financial information. Criminals also rely on phishing scams so that their victims will be the ones who will unknowingly provide their debit card details. If you notice that there are unauthorized transactions on your debit card, the best thing you can do is contact your bank immediately. This will allow you to cancel your debit card or freeze your bank account so that hackers can no longer drain it further. Of course, it would still be best if you could prevent debit card fraud from ever happening. If you want to ensure the safety of your bank account, here are the things you can do. Read Also: Microsoft Detects China-Based Hackers Breaching Email Accounts How To Prevent Debit Card Fraud US News provided some effective tips that can help you protect your debit card from fraudsters. These include the following: Check For Signs of Tampering One of the methods used by debit card fraudsters is skimming. They do this by using a device that allows them to tamper with ATMs and other transaction machines. If you see that the ATM looks like it has been altered, try finding another safe ATM. Beware of Phishing Scams The most common method used by debit card hackers is phishing scams. If you receive an unexpected message via text, email, or voice mail, there's a chance that the message is a phishing scam. If the unknown contact asks for your Social Security Number (SSN) and other sensitive information that can be used for your debit card or bank account, block them right away. Avoid Accessing Unsecured Websites Debit card fraudsters also use unsecured websites to trick their victims. If you see that the website's link doesn't have a lock icon, then you might as well close it since it could be a scam. Aside from these three effective safety habits, here are other things you can do to protect your debit card: Make sure that you are regularly reviewing your debit card reports for suspicious activities. Instead of using ATMs to check your balance, try installing your bank's mobile application. Always update your smartphone and computer software so you can get the latest security features. Make sure that your bank account has a two-factor authentication (2FA). Only make online purchases from trusted websites. Related Article: Security Flaw in UK Surveillance Cameras Could Be Exploited by Hackers @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Donald Trump discusses the charges against him in an exclusive NBC Meet the Press interview. Workers at the Big Three carmakers go on strike. And a study finds out what some experience on the brink of death. Heres what to know today. Trump talks pardons, Mar-a-Lago security tapes in exclusive interview Former President Donald Trump said it is very unlikely he would pardon himself if he wins another term in 2024, and he did not order a staffer at Mar-a-Lago to delete security video at the center of an investigation into whether he mishandled classified documents. Both comments were part of Trumps exclusive interview with NBC Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, which will air this weekend. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has been indicted four times, stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his retention of classified documents after his defeat and hush-money payments made to porn actress Stormy Daniels. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your morning. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. During the interview, Trump recounted the debate around the pardon question at the close of his first term. I could have had a pardon done that would have saved me all of these lawyers and all of this these fake charges, these Biden indictments, he said. Trump also said he would testify that he didnt ask for security video at Mar-a-Lago to be deleted. But more importantly, the tapes werent deleted. In other words, there was nothing done to them, he said. The wide-ranging interview, during which he also reacted to Hunter Bidens indictment, is Welkers first as moderator of Meet the Press. Tune into Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on Sunday for more from her exclusive interview with Trump. Check your local listings. United Auto Workers members Bryan Horvath, left, Ann Hardy picket at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., early Friday. (Paul Sancya / AP) Workers walk off the job at Ford, GM and Stellantis The United Auto Workers union began striking at midnight after failing to reach agreements on a new contract with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler-maker Stellantis. Its the first time in the unions 88-year history that members have been on strike with all of the Big Three companies at the same time. The walkouts kicked off at three plants in Missouri, Ohio and Michigan where car models like the Chevrolet Colorado, the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco are made. (And theres a reason why these three sites were chosen.) Follow our live blog for the latest updates. Hunter Biden indicted on federal gun charges Hunter Biden was indicted yesterday in federal court on three gun charges, court documents show. The counts, all tied to possession of a gun while using narcotics, come after a plea deal that might have ended a yearslong investigation fell apart. Two of the counts carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years and the third has a maximum of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. After the indictment was announced, Hunter Bidens lawyer argued that a diversion agreement from the previous plea deal is still in effect and therefore prevents any additional charges from being filed against Mr. Biden. Special counsel David Weiss, who also headed the investigation, was vague about whether there would be more charges or indictments. Legal experts said the charges brought against Hunter Biden are rarely prosecuted. This is if anything harsh, not lenient, Andrew Weissman, a former FBI general counsel and NBC News contributor tweeted after the indictment was announced. Libya flood survivors agonizing search for loved ones In Derna a city practically washed away by floods where as many as 20,000 people may have died construction worker Mohamad Mahmoud Ismail Al-Shalwi said something inside him dies every minute that passes without knowing what happened to his 12 missing family members, ages 3 months to 77 years. His grief is echoed across the city as survivors hold on to hope that their loved ones might be found alive. Another survivor described the moment the dam burst, seeing people standing on top of buildings. They were shouting for help, he said, but no one could do anything. Along the U.S. border is a bustling culture In cities like San Diego and El Paso, Texas, situated along the southern border, residents say a dynamic culture can be seen in its food and drink, art and local businesses. But some feel that the border regions deep history, Latino heritage and outsize impact on the United States culture, economy and identity has gotten lost amid the emphasis on immigration politics. NBC Latino kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with a to meet locals from these border regions, called fronterizos, to find out what makes them so unique. Paul Ratje for NBC News NBC Latino kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with a trip to these fronterizos, or border regions, to find out what makes them so unique. Politics in Brief War in Ukraine: Three Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee are asking for answers about whether Elon Musk or other commercial satellite providers disabled or restricted Ukraines military access to communication networks. 2024 election: If he wins the presidency in 2024, President Joe Biden will be the oldest person elected to the White House. So would Donald Trump, who isnt receiving as much scrutiny. NBC News interviewed dozens of voters about why Bidens age seems to be more of an issue. Social media: The Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that would restrict the Biden administrations contact with social media companies. Legal pot: Cannabis reform is moving one step closer to reality, with a hearing on a bipartisan bill that would make it lawful for legal marijuana businesses to access major financial and banking institutions expected to take place in a few weeks. Photo illustration of a woman's wide open eyes against a background of storm clouds. (NBC News; Getty Images) Staff Pick: What it feels like to almost die Its the stuff of TV hospital dramas: A patient on the brink of death sees a bright light followed by a montage of memories. I thought it was Hollywood imagination run wild, until I read this story about a first-of-its-kind study of the experiences of cardiac arrest survivors. Turns out our brains can stay active for a period of time during that liminal state between life and death. Richie Duchon, deputy platforms editor In Case You Missed It Alex Murdaugh appeared in a South Carolina courtroom for the first time he was convicted of murdering his wife and younger son, for the next phase of the states case against him. On this day 60 years ago, four Black girls were killed in the Birmingham church bombing. But the names of two Black boys who died in the ensuing chaos were largely forgotten. What decongestant should you use? Learn about some alternatives to phenylephrine, the ingredient the FDA said this week doesnt work. The family of a 13-year-old boy who died after two of his classmates attacked him will receive a historic $27 million settlement from a Southern California school district. Five adults and a juvenile who refer to themselves as Soldiers of Christ were charged with murder after a 70-pound woman was found dead in the trunk of a vehicle. Two sisters of Ruby Franke, the family vlogger charged with six counts of felony child abuse, shared video statements about the case, expressing shock at the allegations. Select: Online Shopping, Simplified With hundreds of skin care products on the market, figuring out the correct way to layer them can be tricky. Our Select team spoke to dermatologists to find out the best order to apply your products both morning and night. Plus, they recommended a few of the best items in each category. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for exclusive reviews and shopping content from NBC Select. Thanks for reading todays Morning Rundown. Todays newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If youre a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The U.S. Chamber of Commerce took a swing at the Biden administration Friday, saying its pro-union stances caused the recent United Auto Workers strike. Suzanne Clark, president of the Chamber, said the United Auto Workers (UAW) decision to strike at midnight Friday will have far-reaching negative consequences for our economy. The UAW strike and indeed the summer of strikes is the natural result of the Biden administrations whole of government approach to promoting unionization at all costs, Clark continued in a statement. For the 94% of American private sector workers not in a union, the costs are starting to stack up from increasing consumer costs now for new cars to sudden loss in business for those in related industries like auto suppliers, restaurants and caterers whose customers are now on strike. The UAW went on strike after contract negotiations between it and the Big Three automakers Ford, Stellantis and General Motors fell apart. The unions demands include higher pay, job security and increased benefits. President Biden has shown his outward support for unions, touting himself as the most pro-union president in history. In June, he held a campaign rally with union workers in Philadelphia, where he said they would be at the center of a transformation that has the power to transform this country for the next five decades. In 10 years, Americas going to look around and say, My God, look what we did. Look at the nations roads, bridges, airports and all the investments, Biden said at the rally. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The United Auto Workers union plans to walk off the job at three plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri beginning at midnight Thursday, barring an eleventh-hour deal with Ford, GM and Stellantis. The strike would initially target GMs Wentzville Assembly plant in Missouri, Stellantis Toledo Assembly in Ohio and Fords Michigan Assembly in Wayne, Mich., UAW President Shawn Fain announced on a live stream Thursday night. Union members at other facilities would continue working without a contract for the time being, Fain said. The strike would only target final assembly and paint at the Ford facility, he added. The strike would mark the first against all three major Detroit automakers simultaneously, though initially limiting the strike to the three facilities rather than the unions entire 150,000 members would dampen its short-term economic impact. But it would increase pressure on President Joe Biden to work with both sides to avert a full-blown work stoppage as his reelection campaign heats up. This strategy will keep the companies guessing. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining, Fain said. If we need to go all out, we will. Fain said other members should be ready to join the work stoppage at a moment's notice, but otherwise remained ambiguous about the unions next steps. All options remain on the table, he said. National leadership will determine the appropriate targets and timing for further stand-up strike action. In a statement late Thursday, Ford said UAW had presented its first substantive counterproposal to the carmaker at 8 p.m. but showed little movement from the unions initial demands. If implemented, the proposal would more than double Fords current UAW-related labor costs, which are already significantly higher than the labor costs of Tesla, Toyota and other foreign-owned automakers in the United States that utilize non-union-represented labor, Ford said. GM and Stellantis did not provide comment. The Wentzville plant employs 4,100 and produces mid-size trucks and full-size vans, including the Chevrolet Colorado and Express and the GMC Canyon and Savana. Stellantis Toledo has 4,420 employees and makes the Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Wrangler, including its electric version, the Wrangler 4xe. Ford Michigan employs 4,900 and produces the Ford Ranger and Bronco models. Its not clear how many of the employees at each of the targeted plants are UAW members or how many employees work on the final assembly and paint lines at Ford Michigan. Stellantis Toledo plant and Fords Michigan facility are located in counties that voted for Biden in 2020, while GMs Wentzville plant is in a county that voted strongly for former President Donald Trump. None of the states are so-called right-to-work states where union organizing is more difficult. Nick Niedzwiadek, Olivia Olander and Tanya Snyder contributed to this report. The UK has officially recognised the Wagner Group (Wagner Private Military Company) as a terrorist organisation. Source: UK governments press service Quote: "The Russian mercenary organisation, Wagner Group, has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation today (15th September) after an order was laid in Parliament on Wednesday (6th September). This order comes into force with immediate effect and will make belonging to the Wagner Group or actively supporting the group in the UK a criminal offence, with a potential jail sentence of 14 years which can be handed down alongside or in place of a fine," the statement said. Details: Apart from the Wagner Group, there are 78 other organisations on the UK list of terrorist organisations. Background: At the beginning of the month, the UK Home Office announced its plans to declare Wagner Group a terrorist organisation. UK Defence Intelligence suggests that the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner PMC, will have a profoundly destabilising effect on the Wagner Group. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russian landing vessel Minsk has almost certainly been "functionally destroyed" in the recent strike against the Sevmorzavod shipyard in occupied Crimea, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its intelligence report on Sept. 15. The Ropucha-class ship Minsk and the Kilo-class submarine Rostov-on-Don have sustained hits during a Sept. 13 strike against Sevastopol's ship repair facility while both of the vessels were undergoing repairs. According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, the submarine has most likely suffered "catastrophic damage" based on open-source evidence and any efforts to return it to service would probably take years and hundreds of millions of dollars. Read also: From Moscow to Novorossiysk: The list of attacks on Russian soil Ukraine's military intelligence reported that the strike damaged not only the two docked ships but also Sevmorzavod's infrastructure. The British analysis added that until the wreckage is removed, the dry docks will likely stay out of action for months to come. The U.K. ministry stressed the importance of the naval facility for maintenance purposes of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as the value of Rostov-on-Don, which is one of the Fleet's four missile-capable submarines that has played a major role in strikes against Ukraine. The Black Sea has seen an escalation of hostilities following Russia's unilateral termination of the grain deal. As Russia began targeting Ukraine's ports and agricultural infrastructure, Russian officials have also reported on a number of alleged Ukrainian strikes against targets in occupied Crimea and Russian naval bases. Only a day after the attack on Sevmorzavod, Ukrainian drones and missiles reportedly destroyed an advanced Russian air defense system S-400 in the Crimean coastal city of Yevpatoriia. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An employee erases the Wagner PMC logo from the window of the Wagner Center in St. Petersburg, July 1, 2023 The United Kingdom has officially recognized Russias Wagner mercenary company to be a terrorist organization, the UK governments press service said on Sept. 15 From now on belonging to the Wagner Group or actively supporting it in the UK is a criminal offense and could result in 14 years in prison. UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman emphasized that Wagner's members are terrorists, used by the Kremlin for its political purposes and involved in robbery, torture, and brutal murders. Braverman also said that Wagner's operations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa pose a threat to global security. Read also: White House opposes designating Wagner PMC a terrorist organization, media report says In July, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and the Wagner mercenary company as a terrorist organization. Earlier, Russian media reported that Wagner had suspended the recruitment of mercenaries. Read also: Wagner mercenaries in Belarus not a real threat Ukrainian intelligence Wagner may, however, already be a spent force. An Embraer Legacy 600 plane that crashed in Russias Tver Oblast on Aug. 23 was reported to have Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin, and his deputy, Dmitry Utkin , on board. Russias Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed there were ten people on board: seven passengers (Wagner militants, including Valery Chekalov, owner of several legal entities linked to Prigozhin) and three crew members. Read also: UK struggles to blacklist Wagner PMC as terrorist organization The plane crash occurred exactly two months after a failed mutiny attempt by Wagner. On Aug. 27, Russia's Investigative Committee officially announced that Prigozhin and his "right-hand man" Utkin had died as a result of a plane crash in Tver Oblast. On Aug. 29, Prigozhin's press service announced that his funeral was held in a "closed format" at a cemetery in St. Petersburg. After Prigozhin's death, Russian dictator Putin ordered all the so-called private military companies, including Wagner, to sign an oath of allegiance to Russia. According to Western media, Russian special services want to seize control of Wagner's operations in Africa. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images) Republican lawmakers introduced new legislation that would allow schools to fund firearm safety, hunting, and archery programs amid rising tensions regarding gun violence. Two Republican lawmakers introduced new legislation allowing schools to fund firearm safety, hunting, and archery programs as tensions regarding gun violence run high. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul introduced the Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act. This seeks to amend federal law to programs that aim to teach proper safety and training with a "dangerous weapon." Republicans Encourage Schools To Fund Firearm Safety The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 currently prohibits funds under the law's jurisdiction for "the provision to any person of a dangerous weapon" or training in using a dangerous weapon. During an interview, Ogles said that the federal government has no business in imposing federal restrictions on local schools that offer programs to educate students on firearm safety and the skills required for hunting and archery. The Republican continued to say that the Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act permanently removes that provision and ensures that the administration's baseless attack on his state and American values ends at the federal level, as per Fox News. Ogles said that he was pleased to be able to join Paul in the latter's effort to push back against United States President Joe Bidnen's administration and its efforts to block federal funds for schools that offer such extracurricular courses. In a statement, the Kentucky senator said that the Biden administration is using the same provision he fought to have stripped from the gun control bill. He said the president wrongly justified its assault on Kentucky students' hunting and archery programs. The Director of Federal Affairs for the Gun Owners of America (GOA), Aiden Johnston, said that Sen. Paul and Rep. Ogles deserve praise for stepping into the fray and calling out the Biden administration's ridiculous plan of blocking school funds. Read Also: Jacksonville Shooting: Gunman Identified, Bought Guns Legally Prior to 'Racially Motivated' Attack Tensions Over Gun Safety He added that this is simply one of the many poor policies that have resulted from Sen. John Cornyn's alleged compromise on gun control that Congress should never have enacted last year. The situation comes as Republicans are worried that the Biden administration is wrongly interpreting the bipartisan gun safety law, according to Penn Capital Star. The provision in the law that is in question is a bipartisan effort to curb gun violence that established new criminal offenses, and it also expanded background check requirements and the scope of existing restrictions. The Department of Education has interpreted the provision to justify its efforts to defund school archery and hunting programs across the United States. Despite a score of Republican criticisms regarding the situation, there is little evidence that any programs have been affected. On the other hand, protesters rallied in North Carolina after a fatal shooting that left a faculty member dead and scared students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It has galvanized gun safety advocates and local Democrats. There were roughly 600 students who were seen holding protest signs on a large lawn in the heart of campus and bowed their heads during a moment of silence, said the Associated Press. Related Article: New Mexico Gun Rights: Organizations Sue Governor Over Declaration of Public Health Emergency @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Markey Cancer Center, part of the University of Kentuckys health care system, has received the top designation from the National Cancer Institute, an honor that has been 10 years in the making. Markey has been designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute, which is the pinnacle for the institution and the cancer center, said Dr. Mark Evers, director of the Markey Cancer Center. The designation allows for more grants and trials at the center, and a holistic treatment experience for patients. Its the only comprehensive cancer center in the state. The National Cancer Institute is the federal governments agency for cancer research and training. Comprehensive cancer centers are recognized for their research focused on preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. They must demonstrate an added depth and breadth of research, as well as research and treatment across scientific areas, according to the NCI. Its really the gold standard of clinical care, research and community outreach, Evers said. The thing about comprehensive centers ... the expectation is that they want cancer centers outside of their ivory towers, so to speak. So not to be insular, but really being out in the community, and thats what it really means to be comprehensive. Markey Cancer Center was first designated as a NCI center in 2013. There are 72 NCI-designated cancer centers in the country, and 56 comprehensive cancer centers, according to NCI. Health care is a basic human right, and the heroes who work here every day are making sure Kentuckians have the very best, said Gov. Andy Beshear. Theyre leading the way of scientific research and getting us closer to finding a cure to something that takes far too many of our loved ones from us every single year. Evers said this designation means there will be more opportunities for funding, training and research at Markey. All that should lead to better care and treatment options for patients. The biggest benefactors are the patients, Evers said. Kentucky has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the state, behind heart disease. The designation also means Kentuckians do not have to leave the state for top cancer treatment, a principle that has guided UK HealthCare in recent years. At Markey, 97% of patients are from Kentucky, according to UK HealthCare. We have everything that the best centers in the country have: the best treatment programs, the same level of treatments, and maybe clinical trials that are unique to Markey are here, and may not be found at other centers as well, Evers said. Robert DiPaola, UK provost and co-executive vice president for health affairs at UK HealthCare, said the designation should also help with recruitment and retention of UK HealthCare employees. The comprehensive designation could help attract top employees to UK HealthCare, Evers said. These types of designations are really important to show that level of the best of the best, Evers said. Were all seeking the same high-level talent and the talent pool sometimes is limited. Earlier this year, UK announced plans to construct a new cancer center on South Limestone, which will bring all cancer treatment at UK HealthCare under one roof. The project is estimated to cost $500 million, and construction is scheduled to be complete in 2027, Evers said. (Bloomberg) -- UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer vowed to end the use of costly hotels for migrants and recruit over 1,000 government caseworkers to clear the backlog in asylum claims, as he ramped up efforts to position his opposition party as tough but pragmatic in dealing with immigration. Most Read from Bloomberg A Labour government would invest in temporary Nightingale courts like the so-called Nightingale hospitals set up during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure more appeals are heard and removals processed quickly, the party said in an emailed statement. A new returns unit would also be created to triage and fast-track the removal of people who dont have a right to stay in Britain, with a further 1,000 staff hired here to ensure enforcement. Starmer has accused Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has repeatedly pledged to stop asylum seekers arriving in small boats from France, of losing control of the UKs borders a particularly sensitive issue for Tory voters after the promises of Brexit campaigners. The government is under pressure over the number of crossings often run by criminal gangs as costs to the taxpayer soar amid a record backlog of asylum claims. More than 175,000 people were waiting for a decision on their claims in June, according to latest government figures. With a UK general election expected in 2024, Starmer has picked one of the hot-button issues in British politics to take on the Tories, a move that looks in part designed to counter criticism that hes too cautious and that his plans have lacked detail. Labour is also seeking a formal returns agreement with the European Union for migrants whose claims of asylum or other status are rejected in the UK courts. Starmer visited the Hague in the Netherlands on Thursday as he attempted to secure a provisional agreement with the European Unions policing body, Europol, and will meet French President Emmanuel Macron next week as he continues his international outreach. Tory chaos at our borders and in the asylum system is costing taxpayers billions and must come to an end, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in the statement. Labour has a serious plan to end the governments wasteful spending on hotels and return people who have no right to be here. Hotels will cease to be used for asylum seekers once the backlog has been cleared, under Labours plans, and instead asylum accommodation will be used which has space for 58,000 people at any one time. The risk for Starmer is that he gets drawn into a battle of perceptions that the Tories have long been geared up for. That began immediately on Thursday, when the governing party said his proposed returns agreement would effectively allow the EU to dictate how many migrants the UK accepts in exchange for cooperation. The Conservative Party said in an emailed statement that would mean more than 100,000 people a year. But thats based on the formula used among current EU members, rather than any agreement the UK might reach with the bloc. Its embarrassing that the government is pumping out this nonsense, Starmer told broadcasters. I can only assume its because theyve got nothing sensible to say on the issue. Sunaks spokesman, Max Blain, told reporters the government is also open to a returns deal with the EU but that it would not accept an immigration quota in exchange. There are discussions ongoing, so Im not going to get into whether or not we would or would not fund any further cooperation, he said. Meanwhile the governments plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has been beset by legal challenges. Labour has said that if it is elected, it will scrap the Rwanda plan and instead invest more in the National Crime Agency, which tackles people trafficking. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Ukrainian forces continue to clear Russian fortifications in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, laying the ground for a potential push further towards Tokmak, according to an assessment by Estonian intelligence, as reported by public broadcaster ERR on Sept. 15. Read also: Zelenskyy consults war cabinet to discuss ongoing counteroffensive The Armed Forces of Ukraine have taken several important heights near Novoprokopivka, which creates the conditions for further breakthrough and development of success, particularly by mechanized units, the statement reads. The report also says that the Russian reinforcements, including units of the 76th Airborne Assault Division, previously deployed to the area, are beginning to exhibit fatigue. As a result of incompetent decisions by Russian command, the units suffered major losses near the village of Verbove. Read also: Ukraine breaking through the first line of Russian defense towards Tokmak, says retired officer Estonian intelligence also believes that Ukrainian forces could potentially accelerate their advance towards Tokmak, though swift breakthroughs are not expected. Read also: Fierce fighting ongoing near Bakhmut as Ukraine fends off Russian attacks "The situation at other frontlines has hardly changed; Ukrainian forces continued to exert pressure towards Bakhmut, but have only achieved minimal success; as before, the main battle continues for Klishchiivka," Estonian intelligence reported. Read also: General Staff releases detailed update on Ukraines counteroffensive Earlier, Moscows forces attacked the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna axis in eastern Ukraine. Estonian intelligence believes that the goal remains the same: to create an operational dilemma for the Ukrainian command, and to restrict and hold back the Ukrainian units from participating in the southern counteroffensive. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian forces wound up bombing their own occupied territory in Ukraine in a botched attack Friday, Ukrainian officials alleged. The Russians reportedly meant to drop the explosives at the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro River, a military spokesperson said. Russian state media said 15 people were hurt and blamed the strike on Ukrainian forces. Russian forces battling Ukraine wound up bombing their own occupied territory in the Eastern European country after they botched an air strike on Friday, Ukrainian officials alleged. The Russian troops meant to drop the explosives at the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro River, but instead bombed the Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka, leaving people injured and multiple apartment buildings damaged, said spokesperson for Ukraine's southern command Natalia Humeniuk, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 15, 2023 "In an attempt to deliver another air strike with guided aerial bombs against the Beryslav area" Russian forces "dropped one of the guided aerial bombs on Nova Kakhovka in a residential area, causing damage to several apartment buildings," Humeniuk said, according to the news outlet. But Russian state-run news outlet RIA Novosti blamed Ukraine military for the explosion, saying it was Kyiv's forces that struck the residential area in Nova Kakhovka, leaving 15 people injured. Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne reported that four buildings were damaged in the bombing. In the past day, attacks in the Kherson region have injured six residents and killed a child, according to Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, the Independent reported. In June, Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in Russia's war against the country to reclaim Russian-occupied territory in the east and south, but it's been slow going so far. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently admitted Kyiv started the counteroffensive too late, giving Moscow ample time to plant countless land mines on Ukrainian soil. However, Ukrainian troops have seen small bits of progress along the front in recent weeks. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine has claimed fresh success in its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putins forces, with the recapture of another village a liberation that the army says is key to success in all further directions. Kyivs forces are seeking to reclaim land occupied by Moscow across multiple areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. The village of Andriivka is about 6 miles (10 kilometres) south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. Bakhmut is one of Ukraines key targets, with Russia having occupied it after some of the bloodiest fighting of Moscows 18-month invasion. Russian forces suffered significant casualties and lost various pieces of military hardware, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said. "Capturing and holding Andriivka - is our path to a breakthrough on the right flank of Bakhmut and the key to the success of the entire further offensive," said the Third Assault Brigade, which took part in the push. "There is no Andriivka left per se,... but as a place, as a square, it is an important square," brigade spokesman Oleksandr Borodin said. The village lies on higher ground which will allow Ukrainian artillery to operate more easily in the area, Kyiv-based military analyst Oleksandr Musiyenko told Reuters. Ukraine has reported slow, steady progress against entrenched Russian positions, retaking a string of villages and advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut, but with few major breakthroughs. The General Staff said in its update that troops were also inflicting substantial losses on Russian forces on the southern frontline, near the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region. The recapture of Andriivka comes weeks after an important tactical victory for Ukrainian forces in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where they punctured through Russia's first line of defense and took back the village of Robotyne. Kyiv has ramped up strikes on Russia in the Black Sea region and the occupied territory of Crimea to back up the counteroffensive on the ground by damaging as much military hardware as possible. Its attacks this week destroyed a Russian air defence system in western Crimea, badly damaged a submarine and a landing ship and struck two patrol ships. On Friday, the UK's Ministry of Defence said that the attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, had likely destroyed the landing ship and meant "catastrophic" damage for the submarine. A Ukrainian source also told Reuters that another attack with a sea drone hit the rear right part of Russia's "Samum" small missile ship on Thursday at the entrance to Crimea's Sevastopol Bay and inflicted "significant damage". Russia's defence ministry reported a Ukrainian attack on the Samum in a statement on Thursday, but said it was repelled and that the naval drone was destroyed. Kyiv also said that a Russian drone attack overnight into Friday on a region that hosts a Ukrainian military airfield showed Moscow was searching for warplanes involved in strikes on Crimea. Ukraine's air force said Russia had fired 17 "kamikadze" drones at the central Khmelnytskyi region that is home to the Starokostiantyniv air base, which has been attacked repeatedly during the war. In a statement, it said it downed all of them. "Khmelnytskyi region was attacked. We understand what the enemy is looking for: where the command has hidden our bombers after the events that happened recently in the sea near Crimea," Air Force Colonel Yuriy Ihnat said in televised comments. While not commenting on that claim by Kyiv, Russia's Defence Ministry said that its forces had destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones in the southwest part of Black Sea, state news agency TASS reported. The ministry also said a Russian warship had destroyed a naval drone, apparently in a separate incident. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report The bodies of 51 fallen Ukrainian soldiers were retrieved from Russian-occupied territories, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported on Sept. 15. The Headquarters carried out the transfer in cooperation with the Department of Civil-Military Cooperation of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces and the Department for Missing Persons of the Interior Ministry. The process of retrieving the fallen defenders continues in accordance with the Geneva Convention, the Headquarters noted. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian authorities have repatriated the bodies of 1,832 Ukrainian defenders, the report said. In the previous transfer on Aug. 29, Ukraine managed to retrieve the bodies of 84 fallen soldiers. Read also: As more soldiers go missing, desperate families left in limbo Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine unveiled a new bulletproof suit that is specially designed for women. The body armor is lighter than the men's version and is easier to take off. The body armor will be rolled out once it passes tests by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. A Ukrainian manufacturer unveiled a new set of body armor that is specially made for female soldiers. The manufacturer, Ukrainian Armour, demonstrated the bulletproof suit in Kyiv on Thursday, per the Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda. The company says the new suit is lighter than the men's version, fits better on the female body, and is easier to take off, per Ukrainska Pravda. The new armor will cost about $1,370, Ukrainska Pravda reported. "Currently, about 5,000 female servicewomen are in a double-risk zone at the front because they do not have protection for women," Ukrainian Armour told Ukrainska Pravda. "This poses a health risk to them, and psychologically, women do not feel protected. They are forced to wear men's bulletproof vests that do not fit snugly," the company added. The new body armor solves the chafing and discomfort that flat armor chest plates pose for women on the battlefield, per Ukrainian Armor. "There is no anatomical curve in a man's bulletproof vest, so women have a chest opening, a large area of damage," Yan Honcharov, director of Ukrainian Armour, told Ukrainska Pravda. The body armor has passed internal tests and will now undergo tests by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, per Ukrainska Pravda. Last month, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said it approved a summer field uniform for female soldiers. The then-defense minister Oleksii Reznikov hailed the move, saying Ukraine is a "trailblazer in meeting women's needs for comfort while carrying out their duties." A representative for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine claims to have destroyed another example of the advanced Russian S-400 Triumpf air defense system, near the town of Yevpatoriya in occupied Crimea. While you can read more about the wider context of the latest attack here , a Ukrainian intelligence source told the Reuters news agency that a combination of missiles and drones was used in the operation, which took place in the early hours of Thursday morning. https://www.twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1702228785595084893?s=20 https://www.twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1702327243455025296?s=20 https://www.twitter.com/kromark/status/1702289255035228288?s=20 According to the Ukrainian account, drones were first used to attack the surveillance radar of the Triumf system, leaving it open to destruction by missiles. The same intelligence source said that the Ukrainian Navy fired two surface-to-surface versions of the Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, taking out the systems launch complexes. You can read more about the modifications to the Neptune to attack ground targets, and their wider significance, here . https://www.twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1702247460901413258?s=20 Videos posted to social media showed a large explosion purporting to be in the vicinity of Yevpatoriya. https://www.twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1702175797673398390?s=20 On its Telegram channel for the occupied region of Crimea, Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne reported that Yevpatoria residents do not understand what is happening. The occupation authorities do not explain, and ambulances and the police are driving around the city. Meanwhile, Russia claimed its air defenses had shot down 11 drones sent to attack targets in Crimea overnight. https://www.twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1702172412798779640?s=20 By apparently taking out a critical part of Crimeas air defenses, the operation will have left the peninsula even more vulnerable to similar attacks, by both drones and missiles. The day before this strike, an apparent combined cruise missiles and drone boat attack inflicted serious damage on a Russian Navy Kilo class submarine and a Ropucha class landing ship in the port of Sevastopol, as you can read about here . The latest imagery from Sevastopol suggests that both those vessels were put out of action, potentially permanently. https://www.twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1702362949929574478?s=20 Before we head into the latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here . The Latest Another Black Sea Fleet vessel has reportedly come under attack by Ukraine, although it remains unclear whether any damage was inflicted. The Russian Ministry of Defense has said that it destroyed five Ukrainian drone boats that were trying to attack the Project 22160 large patrol ship Sergei Kotov in the Black Sea early on Thursday. The ministry said the unmanned surface vessels (USVs) were destroyed by fire from the ships standard weapons, although this cannot be independently verified. https://www.twitter.com/Tendar/status/1702384677460250659?s=20 https://www.twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1702194087011426604?s=20 https://www.twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1702369587713478991?s=20 The Sergey Kotov is one of four of the very modern Project 22160 vessels currently active with the Black Sea Fleet and has apparently come under attack before. In July, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that it destroyed two Ukrainian USVs that were engaged in an attack on the Kotov, as you can read more about here . The Project 22160 ships, which displace around 1,965 tons and are 300 feet long, have a standard armament that includes a single 76mm automatic gun and a pair of 14.5mm heavy machine guns. Britains most senior military officer, Sir Tony Radakin, is the latest Western official to wade into the debate on the progress that is characterizing Ukraines counteroffensive, which was launched in June. Speaking at the Defense & Security Equipment International ( DSEI ) tradeshow in London, Radakin pointed to Ukraines progress in the counteroffensive and said that it holds the initiative. Radakin, who has a role advising Ukraines most senior commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi, added that Ukraine is currently pushing Russia back. https://www.twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1700798798195560829?s=20 Radakin denied that the Ukrainian counteroffensive was struggling, noting that in the north, they are holding and fixing Russian forces there and in the south they are making progress between 10 and 20 kilometers [6 and 12 miles] depending on how you judge it. The idea that war is neat and tidy, and you can plan and predict it to the nth degree is nonsense, Radakin added. https://www.twitter.com/shashj/status/1700897697987772734?s=20 A recently emerged video purportedly provides a first look at one of the tracked 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13 Gopher) short-range air defense systems supplied to Ukraine by Jordan. The Strela-10 uses a highly mobile, tracked MT-LB chassis and can fire a variety of infrared-guided missiles, including the 9M37 and 9M333 families, which can engage targets out to a range of 3.1 miles. Prior to the start of the latest hostilities, Ukraine was thought to have at least 75 examples of the Strela-10 in service. At least six examples of the SA-13 have also been provided by the Czech Republic. https://www.twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1702217817615892627?s=20 An aviation security consultant has suggested that the business jet carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin , the boss of the Wagner mercenary group, was brought down by an air-to-air missile. This is the latest development surrounding the death of Prigozhin, killed when the jet came down in Russias Tver region, northwest of Moscow, last month. Eric Schouten of Dyami Strategic Security Services said his team has concluded that an air-to-air missile was the likely cause of the loss of the Embraer Legacy 600 that was also carrying other members of the Wagner Group, when it came down on August 23. https://www.twitter.com/AINonline/status/1702359046311891435?s=20 While the Putin administration denied suggestions that it was responsible for Prigozhins deaths, rumors very quickly began to circulate around what Wagner Group adherents said was a Kremlin-orchestrated assassination. If Schoutens hypothesis is right, it would point squarely to an assassination, something that is hardly unheard of when it comes to enemies of the Putin regime. As the architect of an attempted coup in Russia in late June, Prigozhin was clearly a marked man. Schouten, whose background is in the Dutch intelligence services, said that the theory of an onboard explosive device could be ruled out since large sections of the bizjets pressurized hull remained intact among the wreckage. Another option, a surface-to-air missile, was also unlikely, Schouten said since a launch would almost certainly have been detected. A law enforcement officer works at the site of the Prigozhin plane crash near the village of Kuzhenkino, Tver region, on August 24, 2023. Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images Fueling suspicions about an inside job is the fact that Russias Interstate Aviation Committee was apparently instructed not to investigate the crash, in a break with standard procedures. Instead, Russia has begun a criminal investigation. At this stage, Schoutens theory is just that, but it seems inevitable that rumors will continue to swirl around this incident for some time to come. In the follow-up to North Korean leader King Jong Uns meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, earlier this week, the Russian leader has gratefully accepted an invitation to visit North Korea, the Kremlin has confirmed. https://www.twitter.com/Reuters/status/1702374148562112981?s=20 The exact outcome of the meeting in the Russian Far East and especially its relevance to the war in Ukraine has not been disclosed. However, U.S. officials, in particular, have expressed concerns that North Korea may be closer to providing arms to Russia, while Moscow could supply Pyongyang with advanced missile technology in return. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Kims meeting with Putin as timely, useful, and constructive. At the same time, he also confirmed that the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will also visit North Korea, in October. In the latest wave of Russian drone strikes against Ukraine, authorities in Kyiv claim that air defenses brought down 17 out of 22 drones sent over its territory overnight into Thursday. On the night of September 14, between 9:00 pm to 2:30 am, the Russian invaders attacked Ukraine with several groups of Shahed-136/131 types from three directions, the Ukrainian Air Force stated on the Telegram messaging app. https://www.twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1702188024837071071?s=20 For their part, the Russian military and media reported that their anti-aircraft units downed Ukrainian drones in two regions of southern Russia over the same time period. According to local officials and the Russian defense ministry, five drones were brought down over the Bryansk region and one over the Belgorod region, both of which border Ukraine. No casualties or damage were reported. https://www.twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1702240394333794405?s=20 Russian drones were also active against ports along the Danube River, used by Ukraine for vital grain exports. According to the local governor of the Odesa region, Oleg Kiper, the port of Izmail in southern Ukraine was attacked, injuring several people, and starting a fire. Agence France-Presse reports that the Ukrainian military claimed 32 drones were downed during the attack. Kiper provided the following statement on social media: A total of seven civilians were injured as a result of Russian attack drones in the Izmail district. Six people in Reni and one in Izmail. Damage to port and other civil infrastructure was recorded. Ports along the Black Sea and Danube River have come under repeated Russian attack since Moscow withdrew from a U.N.-brokered deal allowing safe grain shipments earlier this summer. Particularly hard hit has been grain-exporting infrastructure in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. Ukraines infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, recently said that more than 100 Ukrainian port infrastructure facilities have been damaged by Russian attacks since July 18, when Russia pulled out of the grain deal. At the same time, Ukrainian grain exports had dropped by almost 3 million tons, Kubrakov said. Finally, it remains unclear what, if any heavy weapons or ammunition Russia secured after the summit between President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. However, the Kremlin has confirmed that the two leaders did each receive a rifle, with examples being exchanged between them as gifts. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin gave [Kim] a rifle from our production of the highest quality. In turn, he also received a North Korean-made rifle. https://www.twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1702387234522145061?s=20 Other gifts for Kim from Putin included a glove from a space suit that has been in space several times, Peskov said, according to AFP , raising speculation that North Korea could be set for involvement in upcoming Russian space missions. Thats it for now. Well update this story when theres more news to report about Ukraine. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com By Tom Balmforth and Anna Pruchnicka KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Friday it had recaptured the devastated eastern village of Andriivka, setting the stage for further advances on the southern flank of Bakhmut, the city that fell into Russian hands in May after months of heavy fighting. Kyiv's troops were securing their foothold in the area, while Russian forces suffered significant casualties and lost equipment, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a morning report. There was no immediate comment from Russia. "In the course of assault operations, they seized Andriivka in Donetsk region," the General Staff said. The village of Andriivka lies south of Bakhmut, the site of the fiercest and longest battle since the invasion by Russia in February last year. The General Staff also reported "partial success" near Klishchiivka, a village also south of Bakhmut. "Capturing and holding Andriivka - is our path to a breakthrough on the right flank of Bakhmut and the key to the success of the entire further offensive," said the Third Assault Brigade, which took part in the push. Ukraine advanced cautiously in the area to minimise losses from mines and "very active" Russian defences, brigade spokesman Oleksandr Borodin said. "They defend their flanks very heavily here because they understand if (their) flank falls completely it will create direct problems to hold the city (Bakhmut) itself," he said. "There is no Andriivka left per se,... but as a place, as a square, it is an important square," he said in televised comments. HIGHER GROUND The village lies on higher ground which will allow Ukrainian artillery to operate more easily in the area, said Kyiv-based military analyst Oleksandr Musiyenko. During its three-month-old counteroffensive, Ukraine has reported slow, steady progress against entrenched Russian positions, retaking a string of villages and advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut, but taking no major settlements. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials have dismissed Western critics who say the offensive is too slow and hampered by strategic errors. Further south in Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops continued to hold back a Russian offensive towards the towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka, General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovaliov said in televised comments. He said the defenders had managed to repel all Russian attacks near Maryinka. On the southern front, the General Staff said its troops were inflicting substantial losses on the enemy near the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region. Reuters was unable to verify the battlefield reports. (Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Timothy Heritage) The soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade have reported that the Russian garrison in Andriivka had been surrounded and smashed to pieces, and the capture and liberation of the village would be the key to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut. Source: 3rd Separate Assault Brigade on Telegram Quote: "The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has liberated the village of Andriivka. The 72nd Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the Russian Federation is in tatters! As a result of a lightning-fast operation, the Russian garrison in Andriivka was surrounded, cut off from the main forces and destroyed. In two days, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade disposed of: the chief of the enemys brigade intelligence three battalion commanders and almost all the infantry of the 72nd brigade, along with officers and a significant amount of equipment." Details: At the same time, fighting continues, and units of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade continue to consolidate their positions. The number of dead and wounded amongst the Russians, as well as other interesting details of the operation, will be reported later. The Ukrainian forces emphasised that the units of the Russian 72nd Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade had repeatedly suffered significant losses during clashes with Ukraines 3rd Assault Brigade: "Now, after recovery and regrouping, the enemy has suffered a total failure." Quote: "The capture and holding of the village of Andriivka is our way to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut, and the key to the success of the entire subsequent offensive. We are paying a high price for the results of these battles. And the blood of each of our fighters will be repaid only with blood." Background: On 14 September, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar claimed that Ukraine's Defence Forces had liberated the settlement of Andriivka on the Bakhmut front. The command of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade officially retracted her statement, saying it was wrong and premature. Subsequently, Malyar explained this situation was caused by "a communication failure between several sources of information reporting directly from the scene." On 15 September, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated Andriivka during their assault actions, are continuing their offensive, and have had partial success in the area of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Interest has been increasing pertaining to the whereabouts and condition of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu over the past few weeks as he was missing in several key defense meetings with Southeast Asian counterparts. This led to speculations from several Western reports and sources that he might have been dismissed from the post or was under house arrest. According to sources familiar with the matter, the 65-year-old general was supposed to meet the defense ministers of Singapore and Vietnam in recent weeks, but was not able to do so. His last appearance was in Beijing on August 29 when he delivered a keynote address at a security forum with African nations. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. 1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam. Now: Hes absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy (@USAmbJapan) September 15, 2023 Li Possibly Investigated for Corruption, US Officials Say The Washington Post cited US officials in its report when they said Li was under investigation for corruption and would likely be relieved from his role. The Wall Street Journal also reported that the Chinese official was being removed from office, while the Financial Times stated the US government believed Li was under investigation. US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel also speculated on Li's fate. "1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam. Now: He's absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest???" he wrote in X, formerly Twitter. China's defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the US Embassy in Tokyo said it did not have immediate further comment. Read Also: ONI Claims China's Shipbuilding Capacity 200x Better Than US Drama in Beijing? Meanwhile, when asked whether Li was under investigation, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a daily news conference that she was "not aware of the relevant information." Li's absence was the latest in a series of disappearances in China's key and senior leadership roles following the replacement of its foreign minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged period out of public view, as well as a shake-up of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force in recent months. Like Li, Qin is one of China's five state councilors, a cabinet position that ranks higher than a regular minister. The moves have raised questions from analysts and diplomats about the lack of transparency in China's leadership at a time its economy is slowing, its population declining, and its relations with rival superpower United States and other neighboring countries have soured over a suite of issues. National University of Singapore scholar Chong Ja Ian told Reuters that the lack of clarity surrounding Li's absence underlined uncertainty over China's decision-making. "The range of speculation demonstrates the high uncertainty of the PRC (People's Republic of China) system at present," he said. Related Article: US Aims to Access More Philippine Bases to Strengthen Alliance, Deter Beijing @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have liberated Andriivka during their assault actions, are continuing their offensive, and have had partial success in the area of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 15 September Quote: "In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group on the Bakhmut front, the Russians are continuing their attempts to break through the defence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Bohdanivka. In turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during their offensive operations, have had partial success in the Klishchiivka area. During the assault, they captured Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast, inflicted significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment, and now are consolidating their positions." Details: In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational-Strategic Group on the Avdiivka and Marinka fronts, the Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the areas of Lastochkyne and Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast. Yesterday, they carried out about 10 unsuccessful attempts to oust the Ukrainian units from their positions. In addition, all the attacks of the Russians on the Marinka front of Donetsk Oblast turned out to cause significant losses for them both in manpower and in equipment. On the Shakhtarsk front, Ukrainian soldiers have the initiative, putting pressure on the Russians, conducting assault actions and recapturing their land. On the Melitopol front, Ukraines Armed Forces continue their offensive operation, inflicting significant losses on the Russian forces in manpower and equipment in the area of the village of Verbove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational-Strategic Group on the Kherson front, the Armed Forces continue to conduct counter-battery combat, destroy supply depots and inflict successful strikes on the Russian forces rear. During the past day, the Ukrainian Air Force inflicted 10 strikes on clusters of personnel and military equipment. Units from Rocket Forces and Artillery and UAVs hit one command post, three anti-aircraft missile systems, five artillery pieces and one ammunition storage point. In the area of responsibility of the Pivnich Operational-Strategic Group on the Volyn and Polissia fronts, the operational situation remains unchanged. On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians are maintaining troops covering the state border, conduct active sabotage activities in the border areas in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other fronts, and increase the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod Oblast. In total, 25 combat clashes took place on the front in the past day. The Russians inflicted two missile strikes and 59 air strikes and carried out 56 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems both on the positions of Ukrainian troops and on civilian targets. Also on 14 September they attacked Ukraine with 22 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones, of which 17 were destroyed by Ukrainian air defence systems. Some settlements were subjected to airstrikes, such as Strilecha, Pletenivka, Stepova Novoselivka and Kotliarivka in Kharkiv Oblast; Nadiia and Novoiehorivka in Luhansk Oblast; Klishchiivka, Krasnohorivka, Vodiane, Prechystivka, Novomaiorske, Urozhaine and Staromaiorske in Donetsk Oblast; and Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. About 100 settlements in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts came under artillery fire. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraine has recently taken out two of Russia's prized S-400 air-defense systems in Crimea. A US think tank said Thursday this may indicate "tactical failures" in the system. Ukraine has hinted that further strikes, using its modified Neptune cruise missiles, are on the way. Ukraine's attack on a costly Russian air-defense system on Thursday may have exposed tactical weaknesses in Russia's Crimean air defenses, experts said. Using a combination of Neptune cruise missiles and drones, Ukrainian forces took out an advanced S-400 "Triumf" air-defense system in Yevpatoriya, on Crimea's western coast, a Ukrainian intelligence source told the BBC. The air-defense system is worth in excess of $500 million. It's the second strike on an S-400 in Crimea in a matter of weeks, after another of the highly-prized air defense systems was struck with a Neptune missile near Olenivka, Crimea, on August 23 a moment that was captured spectacularly on video. US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said the latest attack may signal Russia's air defenses in Crimea have "systemic tactical failures," it wrote on Thursday. The most recent strike "suggests that Russian forces were unprepared to intercept missiles with the system or were unable to do so," the think tank said. In this instance, Ukrainian drones first took out the antennae and radar of the S-400 system, before two Neptune cruise missiles were sent to destroy the rest, a Ukrainian intelligence official told Ukrainska Pravda. The official also suggested that further such attacks were coming, per the newspaper. In April, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov hinted that Ukraine sees Crimea as a testing ground for new weapons. Since then, Ukrainian officials have said that the R-360 Neptune missile, normally an anti-ship weapon, has been reconfigured to strike targets on land, handing Ukraine a broader long-range strike capability. Russian S-400 surface-to-missile systems in the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2023. Contributor/Getty Images The attacks are likely a blow to Russia's pride, coming in the wake of a wave of drone attacks on the country itself, including on several air bases. The UK's Ministry of Defence said that those attacks also expose weaknesses in Russia's air defenses and have likely prompted a reorganization around air bases. The S-400 system was created as an upgrade to Russia's earlier S-300, the country's answer to the US Patriot air defense system. It initially rattled the Pentagon, which warned Turkey off purchasing it under the Trump administration, as the New York Times reported in 2017. At that time, defense analyst Michael Kofman said the Russian system was "quite capable and at the same time it's terribly overhyped," the Times reported. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine's decoys are getting more and more convincing, with the latest an elaborate radar array. Ukrainian company Metinvest said Russia had blasted one of its dummy P-18 radars with a missile. Ukrainian media said pro-Russian sites were sharing a video of the strike, unaware it was a fake. A company that makes decoys for the Ukrainian armed forces said Russia had been fooled by an elaborate fake radar array and had used up expensive ammunition to destroy it. It's the latest win claimed by Metinvest, a Ukrainian steel company that, among other things, manufactures detailed decoys for use by the country's armed forces. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the company said that Russian troops had struck a mock-up of the Ukrainian P-18 Malachite radar, unable to tell the difference between a fake and the real thing. The company shared images of the decoy, which comes equipped with a rotating array and a camouflaged base just like the real thing before and after the strike. Video of a missile strike began circulating on pro-Russian social media on Tuesday, described by one Telegram group as being a successful strike on a P-18 radar in the direction of the district of Mariinski. Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi geolocated the site in the video, with a distinctive triangular field, to the Dnipropetrovsk region bordering Donetsk, which is consistent with the Telegram group's description. Metinvest did not give the date or location of the reported strike, and Insider was unable to independently confirm the Russian video. Metinvest says it has made at least 250 fakes to lure the Russians into targeting them, including fake M777 howitzers. As opposed to the exceedingly expensive kit they're meant to imitate, the decoys cost in the low thousands of dollars to make and can lure Russian forces into striking them with expensive missiles and drones. A company spokesperson told CNN: "War is expensive and we need the Russians to spend money using drones and missiles to destroy our decoys." Decoys are made from materials as humble as sewer pipes and plywood, the company told CNN, but it still uses a proportion of metal in order to approximate a convincing heat signature. Metinvest is owned by Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Ahmetov, a billionaire who has been a longtime political adversary of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Read the original article on Business Insider Vasily Popov, the commander of the Russian 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, has been killed in action in Ukraine. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian military reports Details: ISW has suggested that Vasily Popov was likely to have replaced Pyotr Popov in his position as commander of the 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment in August or September 2023. Vasily Popov was the second commander of the 247th Regiment and was killed in action in Ukraine. Units of the 247th Regiment operate in the border area of Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia oblasts. ISW has previously evaluated that the relatively elite forces of the Russian air assault regiment are conducting limited counterattacks on the fronts critical areas. The death of Vasily Popov confirms ISW's assessment that counterattacks may weaken these units further. Background: Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky, another commander of this regiment, was killed in the spring of 2022. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraines Foreign Ministry has drawn attention to a Hungarian video in which Peter Szijjarto, Hungarys Foreign Minister, complains that the world is suffering from the consequences of the war not because of Russia but because of the European Union. Source: European Pravda, referring to Oleh Nikolenko, the spokesman for Ukraines Foreign Ministry, on Facebook Details: He drew attention to the statements made by Szijjarto, who visited Hong Kong the other day, that the world is suffering from the consequences of the war not because Russia attacked Ukraine but because "Europe has globalised the conflict". Quote from Nikolenko: "In our opinion, Brussels should request an explanation from Budapest about why the Hungarian minister spreads disinformation against the European Union in the interests of Russia." More details: As he says, the issue here is not only about Ukraine but also about Hungary's efforts to shake up European positions in Asia. Background: At the beginning of September, Gergely Gulyas, the head of the administration of the Prime Minister of Hungary, announced the need to provide Russia with some "security guarantees" from Western countries. The representative of Viktor Orban's office also distinguished himself with a number of statements in the spirit of Russian propaganda, noting in particular that Ukraine allegedly "has no real chance" of regaining the territories occupied by Russia. This is not the first time that representatives of the Hungarian government have made statements in the spirit of Russian propaganda. In particular, Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, recently stated that the historic opportunity for Ukraine to join NATO has been lost and it is necessary to forget about Kyiv joining the Alliance. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukraine's President Zelenskiy addresses to defence ministers who hold meeting over Ukraine crisis, in Kyiv WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit the U.S. Congress next week, according to media reports, after a U.S. official earlier said the Ukrainian president was expected to meet with U.S. President Biden on Thursday. Punchbowl News on Friday said Zelenskiy's visit with Congress was tentatively scheduled for Thursday. The Washington Post also reported Zelenskiy was set to travel to the U.S. Congress on Thursday, while the Wall Street Journal said he would meet with U.S. lawmakers. Representatives for Zelenskiy and congressional leaders could not be immediately reached for comment on the reports. Zelenskiy is expected to head to Washington next week following his trip to New York for the U.N. General Assembly meeting, the U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday. His visit comes as Biden, a Democrat, presses U.S. lawmakers to provide an additional $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs amid Russia's ongoing invasion. Any funds must be approved by Congress. Biden's fellow Democrats control the U.S. Senate, but Republicans narrowly control the U.S. House of Representatives and have signaled resistance to the additional funding request for Ukraine. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Alison Williams and Chizu Nomiyama) (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the EU's decision not to further extend the ban on Kyiv's grain exports, but said his government would react "in civilised fashion" if EU member states broke EU rules. "This is an example of true unity and trust between Ukraine and the EU," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Europe always wins when rules and agreements are implemented." But immediately after the EU ruling was announced, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary said they would implement their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports. Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video message, said Ukraine needed support from its neighbours during the war against Russia and it was important for European unity "to work on a bilateral level with our neighbours". "And if the decisions of our neighbours are not neighbourly, Ukraine will respond in a civilised manner." Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also welcomed the EU move as "legal and fair" and bound to help uphold world food security. "We appeal to individual EU member-states to refrain from unlawful, unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural goods, he wrote on Telegram. "Such restrictions could become the object of arbitration with the World Trade Organisation." Shmyhal said Ukraine was ready to work with the Commission and neighbouring states and expressed confidence that "we will come up with a common vision and mutually beneficial approaches". (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Ron Popeski; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler) Experienced pilots from Ukraine will learn to pilot F-16s in the United States and Denmark, while young pilots will learn in the United Kingdom, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, told NV in an interview on Sept. 15. In September, the "language" training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians will begin at an air base in Texas ahead of training on U.S. F-16 fighters themselves, Ihnat said. Read also: Zelenskyy arrives in the Netherlands to discuss transfer of F-16 fighter jets "The United States has already given permission," he said. Weve been waiting for this for a long time. Where else but in the United States? They have the best pilot training facilities. That is why we are counting on the United States, because there are instructors, a base, and opportunities to reach more pilots. Ihnat also confirmed that Ukrainian pilots with combat experience have been training on F-16s in Denmark since the end of August. "Of course, (F-16 training) has started," said the air force spokesman. "Both pilots and ground staff left around Independence Day. Read also: Famous Ukrainian fighter pilot Juice dies in tragic crash The training will not be limited to Denmark, he added. "Young graduates are studying in Britain, they will have longer training, they do not have combat experience." Experienced pilots have gone (to Denmark) and are already implementing the program offered by our partners. The number of countries where this training will take place will only increase, Ihnat said. At the same time, he said that pilots would be sent for training in "waves" because some of them will be needed to continue to perform combat missions in Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade have shared footage from their battle against the Russian occupiers in the liberated settlement of Andriivka, near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. Source: 3rd Separate Assault Brigade Quote: "After the commanders of the 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Russian Federation were killed, some of the occupiers were still hiding in the encircled village. Soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade launched a UAV with a loudspeaker into the sky and the commander of the 2nd Assault Battalion issued the enemy with an ultimatum: captivity or death. Some of the occupiers surrendered as a result of the combat operation." 3- pic.twitter.com/WvePXMPuQ1 (@ukrpravda_news) September 15, 2023 Background: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on 15 September that the Armed Forces had gained control of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast following assault operations and were continuing to conduct offensive operations. They also had partial success near Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast. The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade reported that a Russian garrison was encircled and completely destroyed in Andriivka. Capturing and holding this settlement will be the key to a breakthrough on the right flank of Bakhmut. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi has been served with a new notice of suspicion under three articles of Ukraines Criminal Code in the case of embezzlement of UAH 5.8 billion (approx. US$155.6 million), this being the businessman's third notice of suspicion. Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) Quote: "The Security Service of Ukraine, the Economic Security Bureau and the Prosecutor General's Office have discovered new facts about the criminal activity of Ihor Kolomoiskyi, the owner of a large financial and industrial group. Based on SSUs information, he was served with an additional notice of suspicion." Details: Kolomoiskyi is suspected of committing offences under the following articles: Art. 27.3, Art. 28.3, Art. 200.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal actions in respect of remittance documents, payment cards and other means providing access to bank accounts, electronic money and equipment for their production); Art. 27.3, Art. 191.5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation of property by an official through abuse of office, committed by an organised group on an especially large scale); Art. 27.3, Art. 209.3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (legalisation (laundering) of the proceeds of crime). The investigation found that Kolomoiskyi had illegally obtained UAH 5.8 billion between 2013 and 2014. To do this, he created a criminal group consisting of employees of a bank of which he was a founder and shareholder. During this period, members of this group allowed Kolomoiskyi to allegedly make systematic fictitious "cash deposits at the bank's cash desk", but the bank did not receive any real deposits. The investigation established that, in total, such a scheme allowed Kolomoiskyi to receive 5.8 billion UAH, at that time equivalent to over US$700 million. Then these fake deposits were transferred to Kolomoiskyi's personal account, thus becoming real non-cash funds that the businessman used to pay for his business activities. Kolomoiskyi gave these funds as loans, used them to pay off the loans of his businesses, transferred them to his accounts abroad, converted them into cash and withdrew them from banks. "The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. A set of measures is being taken to establish all the circumstances of illegal activity and bring the perpetrators to justice," the SSU concluded. Previously: Serhii Leschenko, Adviser to the head of the Office of the President, said Ihor Kolomoiskyi had been served with a third notice of suspicion. Background: On 2 September, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Economic Security Bureau and the Prosecutor General's Office served Kolomoiskyi with a notice of suspicion under Articles 190 and 209 of the Criminal Code for fraud and legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means. Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv selected pre-trial restrictions for Kolomoiskyi and remanded him in custody for a period of 60 days with the possibility of bail in the amount of almost UAH 510,000,000 (approx. US$13,315,926.89). On 7 September, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, with the approval of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, reported that a notice of suspicion had been served for misappropriation of bank funds in the amount of more than UAH 9.2 billion (approx. US$240208877.28) on the ultimate beneficial owner of PJSC CB PrivatBank and five members of a group organised by it. On 8 September, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's office seized Kolomoiskyi's assets and property for two days. He faces up to 12 years in prison. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! U.S. intelligence officials claim that China already suspended its spy balloon program. Numerous sources familiar with the assessment of U.S. intelligence explained why there are no more Chinese spy balloons being launched. US Intel Claims China's Spy Balloon Program is Suspended According to CNN Politics' latest report, U.S. intelligence officials think that the surveillance program of China, which involves spy balloons, has been suspended. They stated that the reason behind this suspension is the recent action of the U.S. government to take down the Chinese spy balloon in February. Ever since American fighter jets shot down the controversial Chinese spy balloon, U.S. intelligence has not seen a single spy launch from China. The alleged suspension of China's spy balloon program comes as Beijing and Washington make efforts to stabilize their increasingly tense relationship. Previously, Time Magazine reported that the Chinese spy balloon in February could be a part of a worldwide espionage effort of Beijing. Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon's spokesperson, claimed that China's high-altitude spy balloons have been spotted in South America, Latin America, Europe, as well as other parts of Asia in the past few years. However, the U.S. intelligence community thinks that China didn't intentionally maneuver the spy balloon to enter the U.S. air space. Read Also: China Accused of Sparking Conflict with Philippine Coast Guard China's Spy Balloon in the US Wasn't Intentional The U.S. intelligence community said that the Chinese government wasn't aware that its surveillance balloon entered the United States air space. One of the U.S. intelligence sources explained that the Chinese Communist Party leaders even reprimanded the operators of the controversial spy program. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden also confirmed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was surprised when he was informed regarding the spy balloon's whereabouts in February. In a previous political fundraiser, Biden said that the Chinese president was upset when the U.S. government decided to take down the surveillance balloon. Since the recent spy balloon takedown was embarrassing to the Chinese government, experts said that it is unlikely for China to launch new surveillance aircraft. Christopher John, a former CIA analyst focusing on China, explained that although Beijing doesn't confirm that the spy balloon was part of its surveillance program, the U.S. will no longer see Chinese surveillance balloons entering its air space. Related Article: China Launches Anti-Graft Drive to Eradicate Corruption in Healthcare System @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Ukrainian partisan group says a Russian military member helped Ukraine with its strike in Crimea. This week, Ukrainian forces attacked a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol. Ukrainian missiles badly damaged a Russian submarine and landing vessel in the drydock. A Ukrainian partisan group alleges that a double agent in the Russian military helped plan the devastating attack on a shipyard in Crimea that damaged a Russian sub and landing vessel. The partisan movement of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars (ATESH) an armed underground guerilla group fighting back against Russia within occupied territory told the Kyiv Post that they got inside information from a Russian military member. "We managed to attract one of the military members of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," ATESH told the outlet. "He got up-to-date information about the placement and probable combat missions of the Rostov-on-Don submarine." That intel helped Ukrainian forces strike the crucial Russian naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea, on the Black Sea. On Wednesday, Ukraine's air force launched 10 cruise missiles at the shipyard, significantly damaging Russia's Minsk landing vessel and an attack submarine, the Rostov-on-Don. Russia said in a Telegram post that it had downed seven of those missiles and three of Ukraine's sea drones. ATESH told the Kyiv Post that it wasn't just a mole in the Russian military that gave them the crucial intel, but also local residents. "Much of the information was received from ordinary residents of Sevastopol, who constantly send us information about Russian troops," ATESH said, according to the outlet. "The constantly growing Ukrainian underground partisan movement demonstrates that the inhabitants of Crimea are ready to fight against Russia," ATESH told the Kyiv Post. The strike is part of Ukraine's larger plan to take back Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. A retired US army general previously told Insider that the attack is proof of Ukraine's strategy to make the region "untenable" for Russian occupation. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to take part in high-level sessions of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in person next week. File Photo courtesy of Ukrainian President Press Office/UPI Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to travel to the United States next week in a trip that will include a visit to the United Nations, Kyiv said Friday. Zelensky will attend next week's high-level session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a Ukrainian official told NBC News. The preliminary schedule for the event said Zelensky would deliver remarks on Tuesday as part of the four-day event at U.N. headquarters alongside 40 leaders from other nations, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In his first appearance at the U.N. in person, after attending remotely last year, Zelensky was expected to use the Tuesday speech, high-level debates on Ukraine on Wednesday and face-to-face meetings with leaders to try to persuade a swathe of fence-sitting countries to back Kyiv in its struggle against Russia. Many nations in the southern hemisphere in Africa, Asia and Latin America have avoided taking sides and have not joined sanctions or severed trade, business and diplomatic ties with Moscow over fears it would run counter to their national interests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak in person before the U.N. General Assembly next week. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI A contingent from the U.S. Congress is preparing to meet with Zelensky during his visit, NBC News reported, but details of a potential meeting with President Joe Biden, including where it would take place, were unclear as the White House declined to comment. Biden and Zelensky last met in July at NATO's summit in Lithuania, when Biden pledged NATO membership for Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Kyiv last week with an offer of an assistance package worth almost $500 million for military financing, humanitarian aid and law enforcement in territory recaptured from Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky's office is working to top off a trip to the United States for the Ukrainian president to take part in high-level sessions of the U.N. General Assembly with a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden (R). The pair last met in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12 on the sidelines of a NATO summit. File Photo courtesy of Ukrainian President Press Office/UPI The U.S. State Department said the package was aimed at demonstrating the United States' "unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and democracy, especially in the face of Russia's aggression." In August, the Biden administration asked Congress for a further $40 billion in emergency funding, including $10.5 billion earmarked to help Ukraine defend itself and $4.5 billion to replenish U.S. stockpiles of weapons and material diverted to Ukraine. The administration had previously committed almost $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, funded in large part by supplemental appropriations to the tune of $48.7 billion approved by Congress over the last two fiscal years. Ukrainian soldiers have relied on US-made Bradley fighting vehicles to stay alive in combat. Bradley crewmembers have praised the armor for being strong and durable on the battlefield. In a recent interview, one soldier said the Bradleys are "priceless" during nighttime assaults. US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles have proven invaluable for nighttime operations against Russian forces, a Ukrainian soldier said, describing the armored transport as strong, durable, and highly capable in combat. Throughout its months-long grinding counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military has relied on its arsenal of M2A2 Bradleys to brave incoming Russian fire, navigate across sprawling minefields, and face other deadly hazards. Kyiv's soldiers have credited the vehicles with keeping them alive in battle, saying that they wouldn't survive the same threats in Ukraine's Soviet-era troop carriers. In some cases, Bradleys have even been send to rescue civilians stranded under heavy fire. In a recent video interview with Ukraine's Strategic Communications Directorate, which was published on Thursday by the country's defense ministry, a Bradley crew from the 47th Mechanized Brigade described their experience training on the vehicle and then employing it on the battlefield. The interviewees a commander, gunner, and driver praised the Bradley for being strong and for its ability to withstand mine blasts. "It's a serious machine, a very serious machine," a soldier said. Soldiers and mechanics from Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade test-drive a Bradley at a secret workshop in a wooded area in the Zaporizhzhia Region. Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty Images One soldier described the Bradley's thermal imager of being "very high quality," allowing the crew to clearly see targets several miles out. He said that although the firepower range of the Bradley is lacking its primary gun is a cannon that can fire hundreds of 25 mm rounds a minute its projectiles can still cause significant damage. "The shrapnel density is crazy, the firepower density is just insane," the soldier said. "Target acquisition takes seconds, just seconds. At night, this machine is absolutely priceless, simply invaluable. You capture targets much faster, visibility is better than during the day." Another soldier said comparing the Bradley to its Soviet-era counterparts is like "night and day." He said the vehicle is "suitable for breakthroughs," and is capable of undertaking defensive roles and evacuating wounded troops. Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 14, 2023 Highly maneuverable and capable of traveling at speeds of over 40 mph, Bradleys are heavily armored vehicles that can transport up to six fully equipped troops to and from the battlefield, provide fire support, and carry out reconnaissance missions. They are armed with Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles capable of hitting enemy tanks and armored vehicles in the distance with high explosive warheads and two guns, including the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and a 7.62mm M240C machine gun. The Bradley was initially built as a response to Soviet infantry fighting vehicles, and it entered service in the 1980s before being deployed to the Gulf War in the following decade. According to a 1992 Government Accountability Office report on the Bradley's performance during that conflict, the vehicle "proved to be lethal" and its weapons demonstrated that they were "effective against a variety of targets." The Bradley was then sent to Iraq in the 2000s. The US announced in early January that it would send Bradleys to Ukraine, and because it is a tracked vehicle, it was initially misidentified by some observers as a tank. "It's not a tank, but it's a tank killer," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said to reporters at the time in an attempt to clear the apparent confusion. "It will provide a significant boost to Ukraine's already impressive armor capabilities. And we're confident that it will aid them on the battlefield," Ryder said. Ukrainian soldiers and mechanics work on a Bradley at a secret workshop in the Zaporizhzhia region on July 13. Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty Images Indeed, these vehicles eventually reached the battlefield in April, giving Kyiv a significant armor boost alongside other heavy weaponry provided by NATO countries that was delivered ahead of the much-anticipated counteroffensive. But despite the heavy praise by Ukrainian soldiers, Bradleys are not indestructible and they have still fallen victim to Russia's formidable defenses and relentless artillery in the months since. According to the latest Pentagon data, the US has pledged a total of 186 Bradleys to Ukraine as part of the nearly $44 billion in security assistance that the Biden administration has committed to Kyiv since Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Open-source intelligence collected by the site Oryx shows that 53 of the Washington-provided vehicles have been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned during fighting. It does not appear to be the case that any of the Bradleys have been captured by the Russians, and Ukrainian crews have repaired some enough to return to combat. Read the original article on Business Insider Car manufacturing workers walked off the job Friday morning at the Big Three automakers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis after a United Auto Workers strike was announced Thursday evening. But the 5,600 workers at the General Motors Arlington Assembly plant were not among the group. A Missouri GM assembly plant, Michigan Ford assembly plant and Ohio Stellantis assembly plant were the first strike targets after UAWs contract expired Thursday night. Contract talks between UAW and the Big Three manufacturers over the past few months have revolved around cost-of-living adjustments and inflation, the role and use of temporary manufacturing workers, the industrys shift from pensions to 401(k) retirement plans and a tiered wage system. The union demanded a 40% pay increase as of early August. General Motors employees work on the assembly line at GMs Arlington Assembly plant in 2019. The plant was not targeted in a strike that began Friday by UAW workers. While Arlington workers will continue North Texas operations for now, there is a chance they could be asked to strike in the near future, depending on how contract negotiations continue. This is the first time the union has targeted all of the Big Three manufacturers in one strike. Previously, UAW would target one company and call for a strike at all of the companys plants. This most recently happened to General Motors when workers went on strike for 42 days in 2019. Economists say the strike led to a $4.2 billion economic loss and sent the state of Michigan where General Motors is based into a one-quarter recession. Economists also say a 2023 strike of only 10 full days could lead to a total economic loss of $5.6 billion, according to a report from Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group. Our goal is not to strike, said UAW president Shawn Fain during a Facebook Live in August when 97% of union members voted to authorize a strike. I want to make that very clear. Our goal is to bargain good agreements for our members. But all weve tried to do with this is prepare everybody in the event that we have to take action to get a fair and just contract. More than 12,700 workers walked out as part of the initial strike. This is more of a symbolic strike than an actual damaging one, Sam Fiorani, a production forecaster at Auto Forecast Solutions, told Reuters. If the negotiations dont go in a direction that Fain thinks is positive, we can fully expect a larger strike coming in a week or two. UAW currently has an $825 million strike fund. Full-time employees at the Big Three make on average $18 to $32 an hour, depending on seniority, according to The Washington Post. The Big Three is our strike target. And whether or not theres a strike its up to Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, because they know what our priorities are. Weve been clear, Fain previously said. The North Texas General Motors facility has significantly contributed to Arlingtons economy since the plant opened in the 1950s. General Motors announced a $500 million investment in June for the plant to maintain existing jobs as it gears up for the next cycle of SUV production. General Motors Assembly in Arlington rolled out more than 34,000 new vehicles in March, setting a 70-year record for North Texas car production. UAW has more than 600 local unions and 400,000 active members across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, according to the unions website. It also has more than 1,700 contracts with more than 1,000 employers. A team of astronomers has discovered two new potential examples of a strange celestial object known as a polar ring galaxy. This elusive form of galaxy possesses a ring of stars and gas that's oriented 90 degrees to other stars in the realm as well as its main disk. This result implies that so-called polar rings may not be as rare as scientists once suspected. "Polar ring galaxies are some of the most spectacular looking galaxies in the universe," team co-leader and Queens University, Canada, researcher Nathan Deg said in a statement . "These findings suggest that one to three percent of nearby galaxies may have gaseous polar rings, which is much higher than suggested by optical telescopes." The strange ring features of the two galaxies NGC 4632, located around 56 million light years from Earth in the constellation of Virgo, and NGC 6156, located around 150 million light-years away in the constellation of Ara are hidden in visible light. However, the features revealed themselves in radio observations. Related: Globular cluster glitters in stunning new Hubble telescope photo These strange galaxies are believed to form their rings of stars and gas during mergers in which a larger galaxy swallows a smaller one, with the gravitational influence of one galaxy dragging a stream of matter from the other. If polar ring galaxies are indeed more common than suspected, that means these cannibalistic mergers are also more frequent. Studying the polar ring galaxies, which have been observed prior to this discovery, could also help scientists learn more about the haloes of dark matter that are believed to envelope galaxies while channeling the distribution of matter around them. Dark matter is a mysterious substance that accounts for around 85% of the matter in the universe but remains invisible to us. As such, the findings could have significant implications for our understanding of how galaxies have grown and, in turn, how the universe has evolved. The weird rings of stars and dust around NGC 4632 and NGC 6156 began to show up during an analysis of data gathered by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) located in Western Australia. University of Manitoba scientist and member of the discovery team, Jayanne English, used optical and infrared data from the Subaru telescope to resolve the spiral disks of NGC 4632 and NGC 6156. English then used radio data from ASKEPs Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind survey (WALLABY), which looked at the distribution of hydrogen gas around approximately half a million galaxies, to reveal the polar disks around them. That is when the team realized ASKAP had spotted polar ring galaxies for the first time. "These results are a really nice illustration of the tremendous value of mapping the sky more deeply and more widely than has ever been done before," Kristine Spekkens, research co-leader and Queens University scientist, said in the statement. "This is serendipity at its best: we found things we certainly didnt expect to find." The composite images of the galaxies show details of their rings that human eyes would not be able to see, thanks to the incorporation of light beyond the visible light spectrum, such as radio light from cold hydrogen gas. Related stories: Stunningly perfect 'Einstein ring' captured by James Webb Space Telescope Hubble telescope was at the perfect angle to capture this nearly impossible shot of two 'dancing galaxies' This new authority will decide the fate of astronomy atop Hawaii's contested Maunakea volcano "We were able to work with data that showed a fine grid of velocity channels, which are equivalent to the radio stations on your old-fashioned radio receiver," English said. "The richness of the velocity data meant I could assign multiple colors to this composite to subtly convey the motion happening within the polar ring." The color gradients within the rings show the different orbital motion of the gas, with purple regions at the disks base showing areas moving toward Earth, while white regions at the peak of the disk move away from us. "The dance and choreography of the gas are beautiful, and that motion of the gas gives us some clues as to how galaxies evolve over time ," English concluded. The next step for the researchers will be to confirm that these are indeed polar ring galaxies by investigating NGC 4632 and NGC 6156 with a wide range of telescopes, including the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. The teams findings were published Sept. 13 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . In the Disney movie, The Fox and the Hound, the two eponymous animals become unlikely friends. It turns out, the pairing may not have been so far-fetched. A dog-fox hybrid was recently discovered in Brazil, and it is believed to be the first-known crossbreed between the two creatures. The strange-looking canine was found after it was run over by a car in 2021. It was rushed to a hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, the countrys southernmost state, where it stumped veterinarians who did not know what to make of it. The black, pointy-eared animal displayed unusual characteristics, appearing neither fully wild nor fully domestic. The animal was discovered after it was hit by a car and brought to a veterinarian, according to the study. Photo from the journal Animals It was not as docile as a dog, but it also lacked the aggressiveness expected of a wild canid when handled, Flavia Ferrari, a conservationist, told The Telegraph. Intrigued, researchers ran a series of tests in order to identify the animals genetic makeup. They determined it was a hybrid between a pampas fox a fox native to South America and a domestic dog, according to a study published on Aug. 3 in the journal Animals. To our knowledge, this represents the first documented case of hybridization between these two species, researchers said. This discovery implies that, although these species diverged about 6.7 million years ago and belong to different genera, they might still produce viable hybrids, researchers said. The hybrid has been called a dogxim, a combination of dog and graxaim-do-campo, the Portuguese name for the pampas fox, according to the Telegraph. The animal died earlier this year of an unspecified cause. Hybrid animals are created both through human coercion and natural pairings in the wild, according to a 2021 study published in the journal Annals of Animal Science. About 10% of animal species interbreed with other species typically ones that are closely related. Mules, a cross between donkeys and horses, and ligers, a mix between lions and tigers, are two examples of hybrids created by humans, according to the study. In the wild, deer and elk species are known to interbreed. The creation of hybrids can have a negative impact on wild populations, including by transmitting various diseases across species, researchers said. However, most man-made hybrids are infertile. Copper-eyed mountain creature with pointed spurs discovered as new species See the absolutely magical moment boaters spot incredibly rare creature in Alaska Slimy creatures seen emitting rare continuous green light in Thailand. See them glow A US Air Force spy plane flying for the 55th Wing made an emergency landing in Qatar on Monday. The pilot said the aircraft experienced a flight control problem and returned to base. It's the latest event surrounding the USAF's aging fleet, which regularly have maintenance issues. A US military spy plane that's part of a fleet of aging aircraft from the 1960s had to make an emergency landing in Qatar this week after the crew reported an issue when flying near Bahrain. It's the latest in a long string of incidents for the unit's Boeing-made RC-135 Rivet Joint planes. This one, with call sign OMAHA-77, is more than a half-century old. It was built in 1962. And the Air Force has had plans to keep the fleet for flying for 20 to 30 more years which would make the oldest of the fleet more than 80 years old before it's retired. Soaring at 26,000 feet, the quad-engine aircraft which belongs to the Nebraska-based 55th Wing was flying near a KC-135 Air Force tanker when the latest malfunction occurred, Air Force officials confirmed to the Omaha World-Herald on Tuesday. "The crew promptly declared an in-flight emergency and followed standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of all on board," US Air Forces Central Command spokesman Col. Michael Andrews told the World-Herald in a statement. The plane was squawking 7700 at the time the international emergency signal. The 55th Wing's RC-135 spy plane (No. 62-4138) that experienced an emergency landing in Qatar on Monday. Steve Lynes/Flickr The aircraft and all 24 crew members eventually landed with no damage or injuries, and it was able to taxi and park under its own power, according to the World-Herald. The cause of the malfunction is now under investigation. The US Air Force did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The spy plane involved in Monday's event was originally built as a transport aircraft in 1962 before being transformed into a reconnaissance plane in 1967. It eventually joined the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base outside of Omaha in 1981 and is still flying more than 40 years later. The unit's particularly incident-prone fleet which runs missions out of England, Greece, Japan, and Qatar has had one of the worst safety records in the Air Force, according to an earlier World-Herald report, which combed through incident records. The RC-135 is 110 times more likely to emergency land compared to an airliner Despite the safety concerns, the US Air Force says the 55th Wing's aging fleet is a "safe and effective weapon system." Corbis via Getty Images According to the 2018 investigation by the World-Herald, the 29-strong fleet experienced an average of more than 80 emergencies and aborted takeoffs per year. In extreme cases, the aircraft return to base too damaged to fly forcing the wing to cut short some 500 missions between 2012 and 2018. The World-Herald's 2018 investigation prompted Nebraska lawmakers to request information from the Air Force about how it intended to maintain the fleet, expressing concerns over the "continued mission effectiveness" of the 55th Wing. Then-Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson responded to the letter defending the unit. She said the planes were "a safe and effective weapon system" and were able to fly 75.5% of the time between 2015 and 2018 noting that rate is close to the Air Force's 76% standard. "Based on historical safety reports and current safety trends, there is no increased risk to the safety of C-135 air crew," Wilson wrote. Nevertheless, military personnel have voiced concern for the crews who work on the aging fleet, which have experienced everything from onboard fires, high-altitude depressurization, and a broken flight deck windshield. Photos show the damage of a 55th Wing's RC-135 after it caught fire during flight in 2015. US Air Force In fact, the RC-135 was 110 times more likely to experience an emergency landing compared to a commercial airliner, the World-Herald found at the time of its report. "If my airline had that record, the FAA would have said, 'Stop flying and fix the problem,'" Frank Strickler, who is a former Air Force pilot, an air crash investigator, and a senior captain for American Airlines, told the World-Herald at the time. Take, for instance, what happened on Monday. According to the World-Herald, the plane was flying over the Persian Gulf north of Bahrain when the pilot asked air traffic control for "immediate direct Al Udeid, please," referring to the US' Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The flight path of the RC-135 tanker as it flew back to base. Courtesy of FlightRadar24 It appears the pilot was having trouble controlling the aircraft when the controller asked him to tighten the turn to keep out of restricted airspace, saying, "We're trying here." When asked again, the pilot said, "No, unable anymore turn." In the meantime, the refueling tanker callsign PYTHON15 was cruising at 28,000 feet and offered assistance if needed: "We just want to stay out of Omaha's way," the pilot said. "Anything we can do, if we need to help them." It is unclear if the RC-135 was fully refueled or was in the process of being refueled by the KC-135 tanker at the time of the malfunction, the World-Herald reported. But, the crew reported having eight hours worth of fuel and needed to dump about 35,000 pounds of it before landing. "We're going to need to reduce our gross weight," the pilot told ATC, according to audio from LiveATC.net that was posted on X, formerly Twitter. "We've got the aircraft under control at this time." The Air Force stands behind its incident-prone fleet The Air Force says it plans to make upgrades to its RC-135 fleet, expecting the planes to fly for another 20 to 30 years. Todd Feeback/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Despite the recent event and years-long concerns about the old fleet, the 55th Wing has not lost an aircraft in an accident since 1997 and has planned to make upgrades that will keep the planes flying for another 20 to 30 years. Former 55th Wing commander and current Air Force Safety Center head Maj. Gen. John Rauch described the fleet's maintenance and upkeep as "having your 1950s car rebuilt every five years," telling the World-Herald that the planes get "a lot of maintenance love." "I have complete confidence in flying this aircraft," 55th Wing vice commander Col. David Berg told the World-Herald in 2018. "These (planes), from every angle, are meticulously maintained." Read the original article on Business Insider A Lincolnshire project has been awarded funds to assist in the conservation of a tiny aquatic mammal that is currently threatened. The uncommon crystal moss is an invertebrate that has declined in the UK owing to habitat degradation, according to BBC News. It is one of 11 bryozoa species found in the UK and was discovered at a blow well, a habitat found exclusively in North and North East Lincolnshire, according to an environmental organization. It is one of 63 schemes in England to receive a share of 14.5 million. Natural England's overall budget is going toward breeding programs and habitat improvement for a variety of species. Bryozoans are tiny, filter-feeding sea organisms that live immobile in their adult state, stuck to the edges of boulders, rocks, or other surfaces. The Lincolnshire Chalk Stream Project's recovery project tries to develop new populations of the uncommon mammal. According to the environmental organization, there are approximately 37 known blow wells between Louth and Barton upon Humber. (Photo: by Cameron Smith/Getty Images) ULCEBY, ENGLAND - JULY 24: King Charles III (C) during a tour by Simon Jones (L) at the Poacher Cheese Farm during his visit to Lincolnshire on July 24, 2023, in Ulceby, England. The farm has been run by the Jones family since 1918 and is now in its fourth generation. The funds were given after a competitive application process and will be used in projects around the country by environmental charities, wildlife organizations, local governments, and charities. The initiatives will contribute to the delivery of the Nature Recovery Network by establishing, enhancing, and linking new wildlife-rich sites that benefit people and help animals survive. The initiatives will also create new chances for individuals to benefit from the natural world's well-being advantages, as well as assist in building resilience to climate change while preserving the important ecosystems that provide us with healthy soil, clean air, and water. Improving wildlife strongholds and investing in long-term species recovery will help the government meet its pledge to reduce species extinction by 2042 compared to 2022 levels, restore over 500,000 hectares of wildlife habitat, and increase species abundance, as outlined in the Environmental Improvement Plan. Read also: Chinese Archaeologists Discover First-Ever Intact Panda Remains in Han Dynasty Tomb Artificial Intelligence for Wildlife Conservation Also, a revolutionary artificial intelligence technology is redefining animal conservation. This AI tracking tool dubbed the "biggest leap forward in a century" by scientists, is giving critical data to protect endangered British species. In this post, we'll look at how artificial intelligence is transforming wildlife monitoring and conservation activities in the United Kingdom. Microsoft scientists collaborated with the UK wildlife charity Fera Science, as reported by Medium. They collaborated to create a novel system that blends motion-sensor cameras with a cutting-edge AI image analysis platform. Cameras are placed across the habitats of target species to catch animal movements. Instead of saving entire photos, motion sensors send only pixel changes to the cloud. The ground-breaking AI software filters out noise and unnecessary motion, detects probable animal movement, and compares pixel changes to stored outlines of distinct species. When a match happens, the AI system highlights it for expert assessment. This allows for accurate species detection and monitoring without the need to store or evaluate large amounts of data. The system was field-tested in 2020 before being disseminated across the UK at over 500 locations. This AI tracking tool provides large amounts of data on population sizes, behaviors, migrations, and trends over time and space. Analyzing this plethora of data gives conservationists capabilities that did not previously exist. The technique finds even uncommon and elusive species that traditional approaches miss. Machine learning algorithms are constantly improving detection accuracy for many species in changing settings. When compared to human surveys, remote monitoring reduces expenditures and field labor. AI tracking identifies previously unknown populations and gives geospatial data to direct conservation efforts by covering more habitats. By recognizing negative patterns, the technique allows for earlier intervention against dwindling species. AI tracking provides an important new weapon in the struggle to conserve Britain's endangered animals. Related article: Rare, Spotless Giraffe Born in Tennessee Zoo; Here's What the One-of-a-Kind's Potential Name! @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SAN DIEGO The U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego responded to a medical emergency 40 miles west of Point Loma Thursday. According to USCG, watchstanders received a distress call from the fishing vessel Ranger 85 around 3:30 a.m. A crewmember onboard the vessel reported that a 68-year-old man had suffered a laceration and was bleeding. Why is there a major mosquito bloom in San Diego? Officials say the injured mans blood pressure was also reported to be elevated, prompting USCG to determine that he required a higher level of medical care. At that time, Air Station San Diego launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew. After arriving on the scene, officials say the crew successfully hoisted the man aboard. Once back in San Diego, the injured man was transferred to awaiting EMS personnel for further medical treatment. The man was reported to be in stable condition, said USCG. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Jason Jay Smart, a special correspondent for the Kyiv Post English-language newspaper in Ukraine, explained in an interview with NV Radio on Sept. 13 how the upcoming presidential elections in the United Stated can affect Washingtons aid to Ukraine. NV: Have you heard the version that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is trying to extend the war until U.S. elections and hopes the situation in the United States will change and he can take advantage of those changes? Smart: Yes, I also heard it, even the Americans are talking about it: he expects and hopes that [former U.S. President Donald] Trump will win the election once again and become the president. He expects that Trump will be ready to negotiate with Russia, trade with Russia, this is his great hope, because he sees that its simply impossible with [incumbent U.S. President Joe] Biden. Biden has repeatedly stated that the United States is ready to protect and help Ukraine until the end, until the liberation of its entire territory. NV: I have friends in the United States who believe that Trump is being demonized in Ukraine. And even Im constantly reiterated that Ukraine received the first Javelins [anti-tank guided missiles] during the Trump administration. Do you think Trumps victory will really mean a U.S. turn toward Russia? Smart: The minister who worked with Trump outlined the Javelins issue, wanted to convince me that Trump would actually be ready to help Ukraine even more. And we simply dont know, Trump himself did not say this, he didnt say that he is ready to protect Ukraine. The war has been going on for a year and a half, and he has said very little, except that he would resolve the issue within a few days. Read also: And thats all he said. He didnt mention that he would provide more weapons, financial assistance, he didnt say that. So I doubt it, just that he might express it if he was thinking about it. But a year and a half has passed and he hasnt said anything, its strange for me. NV: At the same time, Vivek Ramaswamy is another candidate from the Republican Party. I saw U.S. polls, and hes in Top 3 in terms of popularity among Republican supporters. He also made many statements. He said that Ukraine wouldnt join NATO and made clear the possibility of Russia recognizing captured and occupied territories. What do you think should be done about it? The point is not only that Ramaswamy is a presidential candidate, but its a certain system of political values. Smart: Yes, I agree, thats a bad thing he said. But the good thing is that he will definitely not become the candidate from the Republicans. He has a rather low rating that isnt increasing. Whereas Trump, as you know, has about 45% of support, while [Republican presidential candidate] Ron DeSantis has 5%. Vivek has only about 5-6%. Such a low rating, I think its just impossible for him to become the candidate. The man who, frankly, has such a poor understanding of international relations, as he said the partnership between China and Russia is the greatest threat to the United States. Read also: Putin praises Musk and defends Trump But its actually just illogical. China sells to the United States, we sell to China, and this is 25% of all exports, imports from China. With Europeans, this is another 22% of exports from China. Why would China want to lose these opportunities and work with us when they can make some kind of partnership with Russia? Russia is only 2% of Chinas exports, its simply not beneficial to [to China]. Therefore, I think its illogical for him [Ramaswamy] to be afraid that the Chinese will work with Russia [more closely]. NV: As far as I know, Ramaswamy even talked about an alliance, even a military alliance between China and Russia. Formally, such an alliance doesnt exist, perhaps he meant an informal partnership. Smart: Yes, something informal. But again, he just doesnt understand whats going on in the world. We see this war in Ukraine has been going on for a year and a half, China is not ready to help Russia as it wants. We see Russia cannot do anything to help China regarding Taiwan. Who needs Russia now? Its simply not beneficial to China. If it was beneficial to them, yes, they would do it. But I think they themselves know and admit that it simply wont be beneficial to them. NV: How is Russian propaganda seen in the United States? In Europe, Russian television channels were simply removed from platforms, both from broadcasting and satellite ones, their broadcasting was banned since they arent media, but Kremlins propaganda arms. What do you think about countering Russian propaganda in the United States, will these measures be stepped up, given that this is not journalism? Smart: I think Russian propaganda is always a threat. I think most of Americans who dont understand what NATO is for, they just dont know what NATO is, and this is probably most citizens. Why? Because they dont feel it, dont see it, most have never been abroad. They just dont understand why we invest so much money in our [military] bases in Europe every year. And they just dont understand. Read also: DeSantis calls Russian war against Ukraine American "tertiary interest" I think, of course, there is Russian propaganda [playing a role] in this. There are also those who just dont understand what is happening. And in the case of the United States now, I think its the same as always, people who havent faced the issue yet, havent met a European citizen, have never read history, they dont understand what Russia is. They think its just a country, just a normal country. They dont understand that this is actually a terrorist regime. I dont know why they dont think NATO is important. NV: Do you think that Ukraine will receive the right signal from NATO at the Washington Summit in 2024 regarding Ukraines accession to the Alliance? Smart: I really hope so. I think that joining NATO will be a long process anyway, I dont expect it to be quick for Ukraine. While were waiting for that. I think its so important for Ukraine to sign bilateral agreements with different countries. For example, with the United States, Poland, the Baltic countries, to protect Ukraine in the future. Because this is something we can implement right now, it wont be a long process, it would be quick. And this is very real as we can start this process right now. NV: That is, youre now talking about security guarantees. Smart: Exactly. NV: I think were seeing just a lightning-fast operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine when a Russian military drydock in Sevastopol was destroyed in a missile strike. I know Americans like success stories. Political discussions on the provision of [U.S.-made] ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukrainians. This will allow increasing the number of such operations both on the Russian-occupied territory and military facilities. You mentioned Biden, saying that Putin would never come to an agreement with him. What effort should be made now so that Ukraine receives these missiles to develop its successful offensive, particularly in the south of our country? Read also: Why Russia is struggling to defend itself against drone attacks expert view Smart: To be honest, I believe it will happen later. I think the decision has already been made. I dont know why it takes so long. But finally, they have already made the decision and it will happen in the near future. As for weapons, its obvious to everyone that this is exactly what Ukraine needs now. And if we say that were ready to help Ukraine defend itself, why dont we give such weapons, such tools, so that Ukraine can defend itself and liberate its territory? And it can still save many lives of Ukrainians, soldiers, so that they dont shoot [in the war], so that there is an opportunity to destroy Russian bases from afar. I think Americans already know that this is necessary. That is, it will happen. Indeed, it will even happen this month. NV: Jason, of course you follow what the U.S. media write about Ukraine. Do you notice a change in tone? What do you say about the tone, both media and political, regarding the Ukrainian Armys actions now, at the current stage? Smart: You know, I read public opinion polls in the United States. And every time there is a big victory in Ukraine, like the offensive that took place a year ago, I remember that polls showed that Americans support Ukraine much more. That is, they support when they see that there is success. And they say in public opinion polls that theyre ready to give more money and weapons to Ukraine. Why is this so? Read also: Trump, DeSantis oppose transferring cluster bombs to Ukraine Because when they see that it can end soon, if there are all the weapons, if there are all the tools, all the money that is needed, when Ukraine can really defeat Russia in the near future, then its very interesting to them. Of course, the average U.S. citizen lives in his own world. He doesnt think about war every day. He thinks about his life. And they dont think about such far-off things as war. But when there is top news everywhere and they see that there is a victory, that Russia loses, then it will be interesting to them. And they see it as, lets say, a good investment. That is, Ukraine can really win the war with this help. And then they say in opinion polls that yes, we should provide new weapons to Ukraine. NV: Do you think Ukraine will be able to maintain bipartisan support in the long run? Smart: I think its very important to note that both parties are for Ukraine. Of course, its less [supported] by the Republicans than the Democrats. But nevertheless, these are those who have shown leadership in the Republican Party, Congress and the Senate. And they all fully support Ukraine. And these are the most important people. They decide what will happen in Congress and what will be legal. NV: In the period before the presidential elections, what exactly can affect the development of the U.S. political situation? Are any drastic changes possible, particularly in the candidates rating? Read also: Biden close to decision to supply Ukraine with ATACMS missiles FT Smart: Everything is possible. I think the problem is that Biden is very unpopular. Hes very unpopular. His rating is very similar to that of Trump: almost the same rating in both. Therefore, its quite possible that it will be Trump vs. Biden. And then it will be difficult to say who will win since Biden has his own problems. Americans dont really like Biden. Not because of what he does or doesnt do for Ukraine. But because he did very little for the United States. Thats why its now so important for him to emphasize what he has been doing for the past three years as U.S. president, for our citizens. Because they feel as if he has done nothing. NV: Do you think Ukraines success has any effect on the electoral situation in the United States? Smart: To my mind, if there is Ukraines great success, yes, of course, it helps it. It helps Biden. Because Americans are looking for some kind of result, something he has done. That is, he invested $66 billion in Ukraine. And what are the results? Has Ukraine already liberated [the territories] or not? And if there is some success, particularly in the counter-offensive, thats cool, thats great. Because Americans like it. They will also think: Biden was right to help the Ukrainians. NV: Under what conditions will U.S. business come to Ukraine? Agree, this is also very important. And is the first condition, in fact, the end of the war and Ukraines victory? Smart: Of course. I believe that after Ukraines victory, many different U.S. businesses will be ready to invest and start their work in Ukraine. I even personally know Americans who were already interested in this. Theyre already starting to learn [Ukrainian] just because they plan to open their own businesses or factories in Ukraine after the war. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Bloomberg) -- Conflicting views on whether Mexicos approach to energy violates a North America trade deal warrant creating an arbitration panel to rule on the issue, according to President Joe Bidens Ambassador. Most Read from Bloomberg Since talks between the two nations havent succeeded in closing the rift between them, the panel may be the way to resolve the dispute, US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said in an interview. At issue is whether Mexico is restricting private investment in the energy sector in violation of the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement of 2020. Watch more: Salazar Interview in Spanish on YouTube | Bloomberg en Espanol It seems to me that the differences are large enough that they should be taken to a formal panel to get to a decision, Salazar said following the inauguration of an Amazon distribution center in Mexico City, when asked about the status of talks on energy. Sometimes the consultation phase just involves a series of meetings that seek to advance to a solution. But the differences seem enough to go to a formal panel under the framework of the USMCA. Dispute panels are the final in a series of steps under the USMCA that seek to resolve trade issues between the countries involved. If the panel rules the policies are inconsistent with the trade pact, it could ultimately result in tariffs for Mexico. Read More: Mexico Is Seen Risking $30 Billion Hit in US-Canada Trade Spat While Salazar is the top US representative on the ground in Mexico, the decision on whether to create a dispute panel for energy is likely to be made in Washington, and not by the State Department but by the White House and the US Trade Representatives office, which is part of the executive office of the president. The Trade Representatives office declined to comment, and Mexican government officials didnt respond. The peso surrendered some of its gains in Friday trading on Bloombergs report, climbing 0.1% to 17.09 against the dollar after earlier rising as much as 0.3%. Shares of companies tied closely to trade between the nations, including real estate firm Corp Inmobiliaria Vesta SAB and logistics company Grupo Traxion SAB, fell in Mexico City trading. The countries have gone to dispute panels over various topics since the USMCA was established. Mexico and Canada won a trade dispute with the US over cars shipped across regional borders in January, while the US last month called for a panel on the topic of genetically modified corn. The US in July 2022 requested a settlement consultation process that has been drawn out. Mexicos moves to prioritize energy from its state utility over private renewables companies, as well as denials and revocations of US firms abilities to operate in the countrys energy sector, are among the issues the US is concerned about, government officials wrote then. The law is under review by Mexicos Supreme Court. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has worked to return the country to energy independence by supporting state-owned oil and gas producer Petroleos Mexicanos, known as Pemex, and state power company CFE. Mexicos energy regulator blocked several foreign companies from operating wind and solar plants as it sought to concentrate power in the hands of the utility, rejecting 213 permits related to the power sector between 2019 and 2022, according to Mexico Evalua. Over the past months, Lopez Obrador met with individual US and Canadian companies to discuss the issue on permits. Other key points from the interview: Mexicos return to the highest level of aviation safety from the US Federal Aviation Administration gives more opportunities to air transit; the Felipe Angeles international airport has a bright future ahead as its an option to decongest the crowded Mexico City Benito Juarez airport Nearshoring represents more than just a Mexico Moment but a North America moment of regional integration Mexicos Interoceanic Corridor project, which seeks to connect a port in the Gulf of Mexico with a Pacific port via a rail link lined with industrial parks, will help guarantee supply chain lines across the Atlantic US, including Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and other east coast ports The US and Mexico have a lot of interest in integrating efforts on semiconductors --With assistance from Eric Martin. (Updates with attempts to reach Mexican government in fifth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The US government has warned a Virginia judge that allowing an American Marine to keep an Afghan war orphan as his child risks violating international law. Marine Major Joshua Mast and his wife were accused of abducting the baby girl after her entire family was killed in a US special forces raid. The couple adopted the child after the now-four-year-old arrived in Washington DC with her cousin and his wife from Afghanistan for medical treatment in August 2021, two years after the child was first rescued by US troops. But the US government has now warned that the decision to allow the Masts to keep the child could be viewed around the world as endorsing an act of international child abduction, according to secret court records seen by The Associated Press. The Justice Department was particularly scathing in its assessment of how Marine Major Mast and his wife convinced a Virginia judge to sign off on the adoption of the girl, who has been in their custody since 2021. Citing a litany of falsehoods, the Justice Department wrote that the court relied on intentional misrepresentations from the Marine and skipped critical safeguards to protect children being brought to the United States. The grave harm that the Masts have inflicted upon the Child, her family, and the United States is ongoing, Justice Department lawyers wrote in the court documents, which included signed declarations from State and Defense department officials. Most troublingly, the child remains with the Masts to this day. The girls Afghan relatives are now suing to get her back, and alleged in court filings that in August 2021, the Masts lured them to the US under false pretenses and took custody of her without their permission. The Masts have denied the claims, stating they had been upfront about their intentions and only wanted what was best for the girl. Major Mast, who was on a short assignment as an attorney in Afghanistan, met the baby in a US military hospital and became determined to bring her home. In earlier court filings, Major Masts attorneys wrote that the Marine and his wife acted in good faith and worked at great personal expense and sacrifice to protect the baby and provide her a loving home. Virginia law requires that whoever has physical custody of a child be given an opportunity to be heard in an adoption case. But the Virginia court failed to notify the US government of Mr Masts custody petition, the Justice Department argued. At the time, the baby was in the custody of the US government, being treated at a military hospital in Kabul. The Afghan government was tracking down relatives, a State Department official wrote, and found an uncle who reported that the girls father, a farmer, had been slain in the raid, along with his wife and five other children. US Marine Corp Major Joshua Mast, center, talks with his attorneys (Copyright 2023 the Associated Press. All Rights Reserved) The documents reveal for the first time that concern about Masts actions and the courts decisions reached the highest levels of the Trump administration. When the US Embassy in February 2020 was working with the Afghan government to unite the child with her surviving relatives, Mr Mast tried unsuccessfully to stop them, claiming the Afghan family was not biologically related. The Red Cross took her to the Afghan family, who wept when they met her, according to a State Department declaration attached to the court filings. A young newlywed couple, the childs cousin and his wife, raised her for the next 18 months. The family told the AP that Major Mast tracked them down and tried to convince them to send the child to the United States by promising medical care. They said they refused to go along with the plan; they didnt want to be separated from the girl, who appeared to have fully recovered from a fractured skull, broken leg and serious burns. Later, in the summer of 2021, when US troops withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over, Mr Mast reiterated his offer of assistance, misleading the couple into believing the child would receive specialised medical treatment, the Justice Department wrote. Mr Mast helped arrange a Defense Department evacuation of the Afghan family by falsely telling other military personnel that he was clear to bring the Child, the Justice Department wrote. When the Afghans arrived at a refugee resettlement camp in Virginia, the Justice Department wrote, Mr Mast presented the adoption order to federal employees, who didnt know that the US government had already deemed his claim to the girl to be flawed. Unwittingly, those employees helped Mast take custody of the child, and shes been with him ever since. Mr Mast is assigned to the Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and the agency is fully cooperating with federal law enforcement investigations, according to a spokesperson. The launch of an ATACMS missile from the M270 MLRS in South Korea in 2017 The United States is nearing a decision on providing long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, as reported by U.S. newspaper the Wall Street Journal on Sept. 15. According to sources cited by the U.S. newspaper, the White House is reportedly reconsidering its plans to provide ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. This reconsideration may be influenced by concerns within the Pentagon regarding the potential depletion of U.S. missile stocks. Read also: US leans towards giving Ukraine long-range missiles and cluster bombs report As a result, Washington might be inclined to approve the transfer of a restricted quantity of ATACMS missiles. It is anticipated that the delivery of ATACMS missiles will be contingent on Ukraines commitment to refrain from using U.S. weaponry for offensive actions on the territory of Russia, which is considered the aggressor in this context, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Read also: Who is delaying transfer of F-16s and ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, and why expert interview U.S. officials have also mentioned that it will be months before Ukraine receives precision-guided GLSDB munitions with a range of approximately 145 kilometers. While ATACMS may not directly help Ukrainian forces break through the defense (constructed by Russian occupiers in southern Ukraine), officials hope they will enable Ukraine to strike certain logistical nodes and headquarters critical to the maintenance of the occupied Ukrainian territory, the report stated. Previously, UK newspaper the Financial Times, citing its own sources, reported that U.S. President Joe Biden is close to making a decision to provide Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles. According to media reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Biden next week. U.S. television news channel ABC News, citing its sources, indicated that the United States is likely to include ATACMS in a future military aid package to Ukraine. According to CNN, discussions about sending ATACMS to Ukraine have intensified in recent weeks. However, the Pentagon has not officially confirmed that a decision on the delivery of ATACMS is any closer. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The United States is moving closer to providing Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles to enhance Ukraine's counteroffensive. Source: The Wall Street Journal with reference to unnamed officials at the Biden administration, reported by European Pravda Details: The unnamed officials said the plans that are currently under consideration by the Biden administration would provide a limited number of missiles, which could ease Pentagon's concerns about overuse of US stockpiles. Biden has not yet approved the transfer, but administration officials have said they are taking a fresh look at delivering ATACMS to Kyiv this autumn to help Ukraine more quickly overcome the extensive defences of Russian forces in the south. Background: Earlier, Washington had already received assurances that Kyiv would not use the US weapons provided to it to strike at Russian territory. The article says that any provisions on the use of ATACMS will depend on a similar promise from Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes to convince his American counterpart Joe Biden to approve the decision to send the ATACMS to the Ukrainian military in the near future so that they can receive them this autumn. The Financial Times recently reported that President Biden is close to making a decision on providing Ukraine with the ATACMS. The US Department of State said on 11 September that its position on ATACMS for Ukraine had not changed. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The U.S. military has opened a new inquiry into the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 American service members, deciding to conduct more interviews on the deadly attack after concluding a probe into the incident roughly two years ago. Gen. Eric Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, ordered military personnel to interview more service members injured in the bombing, responding to concerns that some information was overlooked in the original probe. The decision alone does not constitute an entire reopening of the case. The purpose of these interviews is to ensure we do our due diligence with the new information that has come to light, that the relevant voices are fully heard and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously and thoroughly so the facts are clear, said Michael Lawhorn, a spokesperson from Central Command, in a statement. The news comes after Republicans have hammered the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Among the major concerns about the retreat is the suicide bombing attack at Abbey Gate, which wounded 45 Americans and killed 170 Afghans, in addition to the 13 U.S. service members who died. Republicans have raised questions about the incident and why the suicide bomber was not engaged before he attacked the airport, pointing to possible broken communication lines or fractured command structures that prevented the U.S. military from neutralizing the hostile. One former Marine, Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was deployed as a sniper at the time, testified to Congress he was told not to engage the suicide bomber because his superior was unsure who could approve the attack. Central Command wrapped up its investigation into the Abbey Gate attack in November 2021 after interviewing more than 100 witnesses and reviewing thousands of pages of documents. The probe concluded that the military leadership was appropriately engaged during the attack. In June, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, head of U.S. Army Central, began a new review into the Kabul attack based on the testimony from Vargas-Andrews, according to Lawhorn. After concluding the new review in August, Lawhorn said the former Marines statements contained new information not previously shared by any other witness, and led to additional witnesses that were previously unknown. These interviews will seek to determine whether those not previously interviewed due to their immediate medical evacuation possess new information not previously considered, he said, and whether such new information, if any, would affect the results of the investigation, and to ensure their personal accounts are captured for historical documentation. A report on any additional findings could come in the next three months or so because there is a tentative 90-day deadline for the new inquiry. The Afghanistan retreat has led to a House Republican investigation into the Biden administrations planning for the withdrawal. In a brief report, the White House this year pinned the blame for the withdrawal on the Trump administration while acknowledging better planning and coordination for evacuations is needed in the future. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a Pentagon watchdog, said last year that decisions and policies made during the Trump and Biden administrations contributed to the outcome. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The US Senate Armed Services Committee has begun studying national security issues caused by billionaire Elon Musk 's decision to block his private Starlink satellite network near occupied Crimea. Source: Bloomberg; Jack Reed, chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee; European Pravda Details: Reed says that the reports about the use of Starlink have revealed "serious national-security liability issues and the committee is engaged on this issue". "The committee is aggressively probing this issue from every angle," he said. Reed said the committee will look at the broader satellite communications market, government contracts and "the outsized role Mr. Musk and his company have taken here." "Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to U.S. national security," Reed said. Other Democratic senators on the committee, including Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, demanded an answer from the US Department of Defense about why Musk, and not the US government, decided when Ukraine could use the satellite network. Shaheen and Warren plan to send a letter to Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin asking for details about Starlink and Musk's work in Ukraine, said a congressional aide who spoke anonymously. The committee is not yet launching a formal investigation but is rather gathering information, the aide said. In a short interview, Shaheen said that she asked administration representatives during secret briefings about control over the use of Starlink in Ukraine and did not receive an answer. Background: Earlier, US Senator Elizabeth Warren demanded an investigation into SpaceX after Elon Musk admitted that he blocked Ukraine's access to Starlink to prevent an attack on Russian warships off the coast of Crimea. CNN, which obtained an excerpt of Musk's biography written by American journalist and author Walter Isaacson, reported that in 2022, Elon Musk secretly ordered the Starlink satellite connection near the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea to be shut down to disrupt an attack by Ukraine on the Russian naval fleet in Sevastopol. Later, Musk himself confirmed that the drone attack on the Russian fleet in Crimea had been disrupted. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is investigating SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk's decision not to activate the Starlink satellite network over occupied Crimea, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 15, citing Committee Chairman Jack Reed. Reports on the use of Starlink have revealed serious national-security liability issues and the committee is engaged on this issue", Reed noted. Read also: Musk denies treason allegations over restricting Ukraines access to Starlink "The committee is aggressively probing this issue from every angle. Neither Musk nor any private citizen can have the last word when it comes to U.S. national security. Other Democratic senators on the committee, including Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, demanded that the Defense Department answer why Musk, and not a U.S. government official, was able to decide when Ukraine could use the satellite network or not. Read also: Is Elon Musk a traitor? US to hold closed-door meeting over whether billionaire is conducting own foreign policy A congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Shaheen and Warren plan to send a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking for details about Starlink and Musk's work in Ukraine. The commission is reportedly not yet launching a formal investigation, but rather collecting information. In a brief interview, Shaheen said that she had asked administration officials during secret briefings about controlling the use of Starlink in Ukraine, but had not received answers to her questions. On Sept. 7, CNN reported, citing an excerpt from a new biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson, that in 2022, the businessman secretly ordered his engineers to disable Starlink off the coast of occupied Crimea to disrupt the Ukrainian Defense Forces' attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet. According to the biographer, Musk feared that Russia would respond to the attack with "nuclear weapons." Read also: Elon Musk shut down Starlink over Crimea to prevent Ukrainian drone attack, says CNN Soon after, Musk said that he did not deactivate the satellite network because it was not activated there to start with, but he also did not agree to connect it there for Ukraine. Later, the billionaire claimed that he refused to turn on Starlink in occupied Crimea at Ukraine's request because of "U.S. sanctions against Russia." Read also: Russian Ropucha-class landing ship destroyed in Sevastopol drydock report In the early hours of Sept. 13, as a result of a successful attack by the Defense Forces at the docks in occupied Sevastopol, the Russian large amphibious assault ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don were damaged. Ukrainian intelligence believes that they are beyond repair. NetBlocks analysts have recorded a severe international outage of SpaceX's satellite Internet service during the night of Sept. 12-13. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The U.K. now wants to ban American XL Bulldogs (commonly known as American Bullies). This was confirmed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, claiming that these dogs are "a danger" to U.K. communities. UK To Ban American XL Bully Dogs U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted an X (formerly known as Twitter) announcement to confirm their decision to ban American Bullies in the United Kingdom. "It's clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities," said the British leader. Sunak added that he ordered urgent work to define and ban American Bullies so that they can protect U.K. residents from violent animal attacks. The prime minister confirmed his decision on Friday, Sept. 5. Sunak's video already garnered over 5 million views on X. However, many netizens were disappointed to know that the United Kingdom is planning to ban these modern-breed canines. "It's dog racism. Plain and simple. You see the shape of a dog and jump to conclusions irrespective of the individual dog's behavior," said a netizen in the comment section. He added that the action of Rishi Sunak is not the approach that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) suggests. The X user explained that if Sunak is not ready to listen to experts' suggestions, then the problem with animal attacks will only continue. "The breed is not the problem. What we need is responsible ownership," added the netizen. Read Also: RIP Cheems: Meme Dog Balltze Dead at 12; Look Back At Pet Celebrity's Meme Timeline Why UK Wants To Ban American Bullies ITV reported that Sunak's effort to push a ban against American Bullies was confirmed after the recent XL Bully attack, which killed a man. However, Downing Street officials clarified that the order of the prime minister to outlaw these dogs had already begun before the latest incident. Previously, BBC News reported that a man identified as Ian Price died after two American Bullies attacked him. The violent animal attack happened in Stonnall, near Walsall Staffordshire. The 52-year-old British man was taken to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He was left in critical condition due to serious multiple injuries. Sadly, Price was later confirmed dead. Deadly animal attacks currently create debates among people regarding big dogs, such as the American Bully. Dog Breed Info confirmed that American Bullies are "gentle and loving toward" people. Unfortunately, there are really since instances when these dogs attack humans for some reason. Right now, the U.K. is still trying to ban American Bullies. If Sunak still pushes this, it would take a lot of time since the American XL Bully is not legally recognized as a dog breed, making it hard for the government to outlaw the canine. Related Article: UK Transport Cops Foster 'Smartly-Dressed' Dog After Intoxicated Owner Failed to Look After It @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Associate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson participates in investiture ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Associate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson participates in investiture ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington By Andrew Chung (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Friday called for a commitment to remember and teach the history of racism and violence in the United States as she commemorated the deaths of four Black girls killed by white supremacists in a Birmingham, Alabama, church bombing. Jackson delivered the keynote address at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, where members of the Ku Klux Klan carried out the bombing 60 years ago on Sept. 15, 1963. "I know that atrocities like the one we are memorializing today are difficult to remember and relive, but I also know that it is dangerous to forget them," said Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nine-member court, who completed her first full term in June. Jackson used part of her speech as a warning against "complacency and ignorance." "Learning about our country's history can be painful, but history is also our best teacher," she said. "Our past is filled with too much violence, too much hatred, too much prejudice, but can we really say that we are not confronting those same evils now? We have to own even the darkest parts of our past, understand them, and vow never to repeat them." The 1963 dynamite bombing killed 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, and 11-year-old Denise McNair. The girls' deaths shocked the nation and were instrumental to the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. Jackson's speech comes at a time of conflict in several states over the teaching of history in schools, especially in Florida, which has restricted some educational efforts regarding racism, slavery and LGBTQ rights. In July, the state sparked controversy by approving new guidelines on teaching Black history, including how enslaved people acquired skills for "personal benefit." Florida, led by Republican 2024 presidential candidate Governor Ron DeSantis, is one of several states that have banned the teaching "critical race theory," which studies racial bias in American laws and institutions. Earlier this year, Florida barred the teaching of Advanced Placement class in African American Studies, prompting over 800 academics and administrators to condemn it as censorship and attack on academic freedom. Jackson's speech echoed her dissent last June to the court's landmark ruling effectively ending college and university affirmative action policies in admissions. Jackson portrayed that ruling, powered by the court's six conservative members, as "ostrich-like," and traced the history of racism that persisted from slavery to the present day, preventing Black Americans from gaining wealth and excluding them from opportunities in education and professional life. "Knowledge emboldens people and it frees them," Jackson said on Friday. "The work of our time is maintaining that hard won freedom, and to do that we're going to need the truth, the whole truth about our past." (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis) HONG KONG (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury official Brent Neiman visited Hong Kong on Thursday, the highest ranking Treasury official to visit the financial hub since 2019, U.S. authorities said, as Washington aims to deepen ties with Beijing despite rising tensions. The U.S. Department of the Treasury said on Thursday that Neiman, the department's assistant secretary for international finance, will hold engagements in Hong Kong "building on President Biden's direction to deepen ties between the world's two largest economies". The Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neiman's visit comes as China's economy slows, weighed by weak consumer and private business sentiment, high levels of debt and a property market downturn. The meeting builds on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's visit to China in July, the statement said. During his visit to the special administrative region, Neiman will speak with "diverse audiences, including government officials, policymakers, scholars, the U.S. business community and financial leaders". Topics will include bilateral financial and regulatory matters as well as macroeconomic and financial developments in Hong Kong and China, the statement said. Neiman will also engage students and young professionals to deepen U.S.-Hong Kong "people-to-people ties". "Neiman will stress the United States' focus on securing and advancing our economic and national security interests, along with those of our allies and protecting human rights," the statement said. (Reporting by Farah Master. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Salt Lake County Council member Dea Theodore pets a heifer at Nye Dairy as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Even though Millard County is arid sagebrush country and didnt set any records for snowfall last winter, it is exporting some of its most precious and finite resource. Water. It doesnt leave by pipeline and it isnt siphoned from underground for transport elsewhere. Instead, it leaves via tankers in the form of milk, derived from local dairy cows who eat locally the locally grown grain, silage and alfalfa that it irrigates. When jobs dried up in Millard County after the construction of the Intermountain Power Plant was complete, the economy began spiraling into a chokehold in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Then-County Administrator Robyn Pearson and the county attorney at the time, Warren Peterson, said it didnt make sense to ship their most precious resource goods derived from water to another state. The county was so reliant on the economy coming from the Intermountain Power Plant project with the construction workers and them spending their money, what we were seeing was it taking a nose dive. It was dreadful times, Pearson said. We were shipping hay to California because it was the only place to get rid of it. It was a loser all the way around. The commission and Peterson crafted a marketing and recruitment plan to lure out-of-state dairy farmers to relocate their operations to Millard County. Its alfalfa, because of the ideal growing conditions, consistently earned top honors in an international alfalfa competition. In Connecticut, the Nye familys attention was captured by the campaign and by 1995, they had moved 425 Holsteins and their three children to Millard County. A recent two-day tour that included multiple stops in Millard County and a tour of Danone North Americas plant in West Jordan highlighted the nexus that exists among water, alfalfa, dairy farmers and fresh milk transformed into yogurt by the international company that controls the global market share. The tour was organized by Salt Lake County Council member Dea Theodore and, for the first segment, hosted by the Millard County Farm Bureau. Theodore said she was inspired to learn more about rural water usage because of the Great Salt Lakes problems and criticism leveled at the agricultural sector, particularly alfalfa farmers. Theres been a lot of talk that they are consuming more water than they should and in coming down here, you learn thats really not the case, she said. Its interesting to learn along the way all that they are doing to conserve, what they are doing for the efficiency of their operations, the jobs that they provide for the local economy and to help the state. The DMAD Reservoir spillway is looked over as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News The worlds most efficiently used water? The 400-mile long Sevier River flows south to north in southwest and central Utah, sustaining wildlife, recreation, towns, industries and farms along the way. It delivers water for the states largest privately owned reservoir, Yuba, and its sprawling watershed of over 9,900 square miles occupies an area larger than Vermont. The system was studied by Utah State University and was found to be the most efficient among watersheds surveyed in a global examination. A single drop of water is used six or seven times, said Mike Styler, a Millard County farmer, former commissioner, state legislator and previously the director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The water is taken out for farming or for other uses and returned to the system. Over and over and over again. Some of that water 10,000 acre-feet is stored for irrigation at the DMAD Reservoir which was rebuilt for dam safety and features the largest accordion-style dam in the West. Related The Sevier River drainage area is also the states most active place for projects led by Utahs Watershed Restoration Initiative, according to its executive director, Tyler Thompson. He showed the group on the tour the dozens upon dozens of areas where work has been completed or is ready to go. If you were to look at a map of Salt Lake County or Cache Valley, it would look a lot different, Thompson said, adding that urban water conservation districts are now starting to catch on in the face of Utahs prolonged drought. A dairy cow tosses feed into the air at Nye Dairy as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Birds gather in the water of a flooded alfalfa farm as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Salt Lake County Council member Dea Theodore and others look over the Delta reservoir spillway as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Mike Styler holds a 1915 photo of his grandfather working on the Yuba Reservoir as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Cattle at Nye Dairy are shown as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News An alfalfa farm is shown as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News The Delta reservoir in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Nye Dairy owner Maria Nye talks about corn meal as part of the cattle feed as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Mike Styler shows a cement ditch as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News The program has been such a success that land managers and property owners scramble for funding. The initiative receives $6 million from the state Legislature a year, but recently fielded $75 million in project requests. Farmers and ranchers are also enclosing ditches in cement to save water loss to evaporation where possible, or leveling fields with laser or GPS technology. Related Andy Nickle, president of DMAD Company and a local farmer, said leveling a field with GPS so it is configured as smooth as a pool tabletop boosts water efficiency significantly. As his truck maneuvered along narrow country roads, a nonleveled field underscored that point with a small spot of pooled water. A majority of the area farms, however, have been leveled using technology. Erin Sorenson, president of the Millard County Farm Bureau, said efficiencies have to be built into the system because of its arid nature. We dont have enough water to willy-nilly throw it on the ground. Cattle feed is mixed at Nye Dairy as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Water, Utah alfalfa and fresh dairy Alfalfa farmers in particular and agriculture in general have come under scrutiny and criticism because they use the majority of diverted water in Utah. Water conservation groups, members of academia and even some government officials in the West have criticized growing the crop amid a water scarcity crisis. In drought-stricken Arizona, a Saudi-owned dairy company growing alfalfa prompted an investigation by the state attorney general and local outrage over exporting that states water, essentially, to a kingdom. In Utah, a major media outlet editorialized alfalfa farmers should have their water rights bought and cease farming because that practice has become a greater liability to the states economy than what it is worth. Styler said the attacks on alfalfa and other aspects of agriculture are out of touch with reality. Doing away with agriculture is the same as saying we should stop eating, he said, adding he finds it curious alfalfa has been singled out when the corn he grows takes more water. Related The U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that per capita, people consumed 667 pounds of dairy products in 2021. Dairy products come from cows which depend on alfalfa and, according to Utah State University, removing alfalfa fields in the West would have disastrous environmental and economic impacts. Its production in the West has a worth of $8.5 billion as of 2018 in a region that supplied nearly half the nations milk supply. Related Since the Nye family moved its cows to just outside Delta, its operation has grown to 5,000 milking cows in Millard County. Each cow produces roughly 10 gallons of milk per day. The Nyes cows go through between 15,000 and 20,000 tons of hay per year, as well as much as 80,000 tons of corn silage and 6,000 tons of small grain hay. That livestock food supply is local, which was one of the major drivers of the familys decision to relocate their operation to Millard County. The Nyes currently employ 75 people. Greg Nye, the son of John and Maria Nye, said the family did not want to be in both the business of farming and taking care of dairy cows, and moving to Millard County allowed them to accomplish that goal. A tour is given at Nye Dairy as the Millard County Farm Bureau hosts a tour of alfalfa farms, water improvements and a dairy to showcase local agriculture in Delta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Its not just farming, its science Like the water efficiencies in play in much of the region, the Nye family embraces technology in their business. They have a hospital barn for any animal that might be struggling and in need of separation from the others. All of the cows at the dairy operation wear fitness tags tracking their daily activity. Maria Nye said that information is sent to a computer and is used to help monitor the animals health. It can translate that movement into a healthy cow versus not a healthy cow, she said. Greg Nye did research to design their livestock feed storage complex. He had huge food mixers installed that can process two tons of feed per hour. The mixers are like a Kitchenaid on steroids. Sorenson said she was glad to host Theodore and representatives from the offices of Salt Lake County Council members David Alvord and Corinne Johnson in Millard County to help build bridges to understanding. Utahs a very unique blend of rural and urban and its a symbiotic relationship. And so what we do is provide food and fiber that fills grocery stores for all those people who live out there. But then in return, what we need is an understanding and support from them with the policies they pass or support. She emphasized what happens in Millard County does not stay in Millard County. Its so vital that they (the Salt Lake County council members) are recognizing and supporting the fact that what were doing down here is important to their constituents, she said, adding that having a safe and stable food supply impacts urbanized Utah. The agriculture providing that food supply includes the alfalfa that is in the crosshairs of water use critics. The USU report points out that alfalfa is ideal for the landscapes in the West because it is so drought resistant. While it uses more water than other crops, it is actually more efficient than other types because it is harvested multiple times a year. The perennial plant can grow at all elevations and is a critical source of food for pollinators like bees, which are in steep decline due to hive collapse. Sean Hanson hooks up a milk tanker in the milk receiving area at the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Human consumption of alfalfa People also ingest alfalfa in a powder formulated into tablets to create one of the most mineral-rich supplements available. Stylers 350 acres of alfalfa goes to support the Nye operation, which produces 50,000 gallons of milk per day, delivered to the Wasatch Front. On the second day of the tour, Theodore and the group visited the Danone North America plant in West Jordan. The facility is where every gallon of milk produced by the Nye dairy is delivered. The plant in Salt Lake County is among the three largest in the country, producing three million cups of yogurt a day via a variety of brands that include Dannon, Activia, Light + Fit Dannon, Oikos, True Good, Danimals yogurt and smoothies geared at children and organic Wallaby. If you have tried the Greek yogurt parfait at Chick-fil-A at its 2,973 U.S. restaurants, you have tasted the product made from dairy milk that comes from Millard County alfalfa and other dairy rich regions in the West. The Wallaby yogurt is used in that parfait, and along with True Good, is exclusively made in West Jordan. Danone North Americas 24/7 operation in West Jordan happens in a tightly controlled 400,000 square-foot building where 20 to 25 trucks per day deliver 12 million pounds of dairy milk each week. It has 290 employees. Salt Lake County Councilman Dave Alvord, left, and Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, sample yogurt at the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Raw milk is pumped through the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Lawmakers, local officials and staff members tour the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Packaged yogurt containers fly down the packaging line at the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Yogurt is packaged at the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News The expiration date is blazed onto the lids of yogurt containers at the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News A robotic arm works at the Danone North America facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News The Danone North America facility in West Jordan is pictured on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Again, efficiency is at play and quality control happens every step of the way, with 44 operators who control the brain of the sprawling production facility. Olivia Kellam, who is director of producer relations in the West for Danone North America, said having connections to dairy farmers like the Nyes is crucial. They are just two hours away. The freshest milk will give us the highest quality product, she said. Back in Millard County, both Pearson and Peterson stressed the economic benefit of water, with its genesis in agriculture, spreads its tendrils far beyond that. That a bale of hay is more than just a bale of hay, but grows jobs. It keeps that economic benefit with the water use here, he said. And it is not just creating alfalfa, it is creating milk, cheese, yogurt, and all those things create more jobs. So basically the economic benefits stays home, you shop home, eat, do home, it stays here, Pearson said. You keep more value in the local economy. Related Peterson, a water attorney, Delta resident and policy expert who serves on multiple state boards such as the Legislative Water Development Commission and Utah Water Task Force, among others, said hes in discussion frequently about agricultures use of water, which he says supports not only dairy and beef cattle, but chickens, turkeys, sheep and hogs. If someone wants to suggest something else to do with the water, he said, his voice trailing off. Its part of a sustainable food supply. Correction: A previous version incorrectly listed Robyn Pearson as a former Millard County commissioner. Pearson was a county administrator. Driving into Derna in the early hours was like arriving in a ghost town. The city, decimated by flash floods that tore through homes and streets earlier this week, was eerily quiet. Even at night, damage and destruction could be seen everywhere you looked. In the light of day, a scene of utter devastation unfolded. For our team, which traveled into the area with the Libyan National Army (LNA), it felt like driving into a war zone where massive bombs had gone off. More than 5,000 people are believed to have been killed with thousands more missing, though estimates from different Libyan officials and aid groups have varied and the toll is expected to rise. Everyone CNN spoke to in Derna fears and believes the death toll is only going to rise significantly in the coming days. Officials told us the destruction and loss of life happened within the span of 90 minutes or so after the two dams above Derna burst, sending flood waters sweeping through the city, wiping out entire neighborhoods, homes and infrastructure, and carrying them out to sea. People are in shock. This is a country that has experienced years of turmoil since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafis regime in 2011 but the disaster has hit Libyans hard. They say they still cant comprehend what happened. They are used to war and death but nothing could have prepared them for this: They feel like a whole city has been wiped out. Driving in through one of the citys entrances in the early hours, there was a large handwritten board that read Sad Derna. Two young men sat next to it, around a fire, in an otherwise pitch-dark street, their feet covered in mud and clothes in dust. They waved at the LNA escort, smiled and gave a V hand gesture. Officials in the city are dealing with search and rescue efforts, recovery, draining the flood water, helping the displaced situations they have never handled before. One official told CNN he doesnt believe the search for survivors is over. Libyan officials say bodies are still washing back up on the shores of Derna, days after the wall of water swept through the city. The detritus of peoples lives can also be seen in the Mediterranean waters homes, door frames, windows, furniture, clothes, cars everything. Meanwhile, at least 30,000 people there have been displaced, the International Organization for Migration said Thursday. Concern for the welfare of survivors is growing. The head of the ICRCs Libya delegation said it would take many months, maybe years, for residents to recover from the devastation wreaked by Storm Daniels heavy rainfall. A man carries a child on his shoulder as he walks past a flash flood-damaged area in Derna on September 14, 2023. - Abdullah Doma/AFP/Getty Images The flooding has damaged roads and bridges, making access to the city and surrounding areas difficult. It took more than seven hours to drive from Benghazi airport to Derna on Thursday night a journey that would typically take three hours. This, combined with an uncertain security situation, makes it hard for humanitarian aid to get through. However, some Libyans told CNN how they felt this tragedy has brought a divided country together, at least for now. Libya has been riven by political turmoil since civil war erupted in 2014, and now has two rival governments, the eastern parliament-backed government in Benghazi and the internationally recognized government in Tripoli. But on the drive from Benghazi, many cars could be seen coming in from different cities from across Libya from the far west and the western mountains, or the coastal city of Misrata to the south carrying volunteers or bringing in aid. Some drivers had spray-painted their cars or were flying flags with a phrase that might translate as brotherly solidarity or rushing to the aid of our brothers. The volunteers pouring into Derna from across the country are trying to help with the recovery efforts. But some told CNN they were not equipped to deal with this kind of situation. One young man described how volunteers were tying ropes around their bodies to dive into the sea and haul out bodies. He recounted having pulled out 40 bodies by himself in the course of one day. Volunteers are saying they need heavy equipment that can remove large objects, such as cars that are feared to contain dead bodies, from the sea. They need divers and diving equipment, they say. There is some international support to be seen here, including a Turkish rescue team on a rubber boat. But nowhere near enough to deal with this disaster. And on landing at Benina airport in Benghazi, there appeared to be no big influx of aid, as one might expect following a catastrophe of this scale. LNA officials said, though, that the support they have received from countries that have sent in teams has helped them to deal with an unprecedented situation. Immense pain Mohammad Shteiwi, a social media activist from Misrata who came to Derna to help out with rescue operations, told CNN he had seen international diving teams pull eight bodies out of the water on Friday afternoon. Divers told me that they saw hundreds of bodies about 15-20 kilometers east from the Derna harbor, he said in a phone call. I saw so many bodies in the last two days. I counted at least 200 bodies that were washed up on the shore. These were bodies that were in buildings, swallowed by the sea and pushed back to the shore. The statistics are not accurate, there are many numbers floating around. All I can tell you is the operations are ongoing. I pulled out bodies myself. Shteiwi said his heart aches for all those who have been lost but that he saw a positive sign with Libyans from east and west coming together. Security forces that were once separated are now working together, as if those differences are in the past. It hurts to see that this unification is a result of immense misery and immense pain. CNNs Celine Alkhaldi and Sarah Sirgany contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com [Source] A man accused of stabbing three individuals at a Vancouver Chinatown festival was deemed a "significant threat" with a "high risk of relapsing" by the British Columbia Review Board five months before he was allowed to roam free and purportedly committed the crimes. About the suspect: Blair Evan Donnelly, 64, was apprehended shortly after he was implicated in the triple stabbing incident during the Light Up Chinatown! festival on Sunday evening. A married couple in their 60s and a woman in her 20s sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries from the attack. It was later reported that Donnelly was on a day pass from a forensic psychiatric institution at the time of the attack. Records show that in 2008, he was admitted to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital after being charged but found not criminally responsible for the death of his 16-year-old daughter in 2006. Significant threat: New details have emerged revealing that a review by the BC Review Board on April 13 determined that Donnelly continued to "meet the threshold of significant threat," leading to an order for his detention for eight months. More from NextShark: Japanese American Woman Finds Cup Filled with Urine, Anti-Asian Hate Messages on Car While he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and substance use disorder, the review board noted that he had no apparent signs of mental deterioration leading up to the recent incident. A history of violence: Donnelly's history included previous violent incidents while on day passes from the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. In 2009, he stabbed a friend while on a day pass, resulting in a conviction for assault with a weapon. In 2017, another incident occurred when he attacked a fellow patient with a butter knife shortly after returning from leave. Despite these incidents, he was allowed day passes again. Former Attorney General Barry Penner highlighted issues within the institutions, citing staffing shortages and administrative disorganization. More from NextShark: 'Maybe he realized how stupid it was halfway in': Hit-and-run driver in Japan paints his vehicle orange to avoid arrest Donnelly has since been charged with three counts of aggravated assault following the recent incident. Independent review: Amid calls for more accountability in the review board process, BC Premier David Eby announced on Thursday that former Abbotsford police chief Bob Rich would lead an independent review into why Donnelly was released despite the BC Review Board's assessment. Eby expressed concern about how a "violent, psychotic individual" was released into the community. More from NextShark: Purdue student who confessed to killing his roommate charged with murder Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Pfizer excludes Asian, white applicants from 9-year scholarship program Mike Null broke down in tears as the jury read the not guilty verdict for his brother first on Sept. 15. Editor's note: This article was updated at 12:43 p.m. to include a statement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. ANTRIM COUNTY After over 10 hours of deliberation, an Antrim County jury unanimously found all three men charged in the conspiracy plan to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer not guilty. Eric Molitor and twin brothers, Bill and Mike Null were found not guilty of the charge of providing material support to a terrorist act and of possessing a firearm in the process. As the jury foreman read the not guilty finding for each defendant the men, their families and their attorney began to cry. MIke Null and his wife embrace after the jury find him and his two co-defendants not guilty on all counts. The three defendants represented the last of 14 total men accused of providing support for an elaborately planned scheme to kidnap the governor from her Elk Rapids summer cabin in 2020 during the height of COVID-19 shutdowns. Prosecutors described the plot as a rallying cry for a U.S. civil war by anti-government extremists. The defense admitted to their clients' frustration with the government, but not the intent of violence against the governor or local law enforcement. More: 'I just wanted to go home': Defendant testifies in Whitmer kidnapping trial Subscribe: Check out our offers and read the local news that matters to you Eric Molitor in tears when the not guilty verdict was read in the Antrim County courthouse on Sept. 15. Widely publicized throughout the country, the plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer captured the nation's attention in 2020 when the defendants were initially arrested. Pandemic restrictions were in full effect at the time, prompting backlash from certain factions, riots were erupting in cities in response to the murder of George Floyd and rallies with gun-wielding protesters were occurring in numerous state capitals. Mike Null's attorney Thomas Siver in tears once the not guilty verdict was read. Bill Null's wife when she hears her husband was not guilty of all charges on Sept. 15. For their charges, Molitor and the Null brothers were facing sentences of up to 20 years in prison. Now they are free men. Eric Molitor said he had his bag packed and was ready to be taken to jail. He walked out of the courthouse with his mother, who had testified in his defense. More: 'Undercover Mark' testifies against Antrim County defendants in Whitmer kidnap trial Prior to Friday's ruling, the plot has so far seen four men strike a deal to plead guilty, two men acquitted, two men found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction, and three men convicted of felony counts of gang membership, providing material support to terrorism, and illegal weapons possession. At issue in Antrim County was the main point of whether the defendants knowingly contributed to the terrorist plot. Entangled in that was the role the FBI had in creating the events leading up to the defendants' arrests. FBI informants and undercover agents both played a part in obtaining the evidence presented in court. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel responded to the not-guilty jury verdicts and said, "While today's verdicts are not what we hoped for, the successes we have achieved throughout these cases, in both state and federal courts, sends a clear message that acts of domestic terrorism will not be tolerated in our state. We remain committed to combatting acts of domestic terrorism, and the proactive work on this joint action undoubtedly saved lives. I am grateful for the exemplary efforts of all involved at the local, state and federal level." Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: VERDICT: Antrim County defendants not guilty in Whitmer kidnap plot Video shows Russian soldier attempting to get children to detonate stun grenade, then setting it off himself Russian soldiers returning home from Ukraine can be just as much a danger to their own citizens, as a video that started circulating on the social medium formerly known as Twitter on Sept. 15 shows. The video, shot in the Russian city of Kazan, shows an intoxicated so-called "war hero" offering to give children a stun grenade as a toy. If used incorrectly, such grenades can tear off fingers or cause other serious injuries. Read also: Brainwashed Russian teen goes on school stabbing spree, lashes out at Western enemies conjured by Kremlin "Should we blow it up?" the drunken Russian suggests to schoolchildren walking in the yard. Shall we? Pull it! Go pull it out. Pull it out and I'll throw it, the Russian says, urging the children to take the pin out of the grenade. However, the children wisely refused to do so, after which the soldier decided to detonate the grenade himself, throwing it outside the windows of an apartment building, provoking panic among the witnesses who were watching. Read also: Luckiest man alive Abandoned Russian soldier watches comrades that ditched him go up in flames Such bizarre incidents in Russia are not isolated. After returning from Ukraine, Russian soldiers regularly find themselves in the criminal news at home, for killing, robbing, and raping other Russians. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Four Washington has turned their passion for singing into dollars with their brand partnerships. The pop and R&B group comprises four siblings, Cameron, Carmen, Reginald Jr. and Arrianna, who hail from Jackson, Mississippi. During the pandemic, they sang covers of popular songs from various genres and gained notoriety on TikTok for their exceptional harmonies. Eventually, they garnered attention from major brands like Crumble Cookies, McDonalds, Maruchan, Walmart, Color of Change, Chick-Fil-A, and most recently, Febreze for a new line of scents the fragrance company released. It was a very exciting feeling. I think we noticed more than what impact our voices had on other people during the time of the pandemic. Just to see that our level of music was growing and our capabilities. We could feel what people felt, Arrianna told Blavity in an exclusive interview. And reading the comments was one thing that helped. They always say dont read the comments but reading the comments and seeing what people were saying was very motivational, Reginald Jr. added. It makes us appreciate what were doing. The group got their start in music by their mom teaching them and singing in their church choir. As word spread locally about their beautiful voices and harmonies, they started getting requests from family friends, and people in their hometown, to sing at different engagements. We grew up in church singing and then we would take those songs home that we learned in the youth choir and we would just sing it at home. One thing led to another and we started getting requests to sing at family [events] and churches across our area, Arrianna shared. We got requests to sing at banquets or just different events in general so we started calling ourselves The Washington Family and about six years ago we rebranded ourselves as a Pop/R&B group, Four Washington. Thats where the root of everything is for us, family roots and just being really connected with each other and our voices show that, our group harmony. We just love to sing. Its a passion and we just made it something we just do now. Although they didnt mind singing because it was their passion, when they got older, the quad and their parents hired a manager so they could get paid for the hard work they were putting in behind the scenes for performances, so they started using their viral content for monetization. Starting off really young, we honestly didnt know what we were doing. We were just doing it because we loved it. Our mom would get a call like, Can they sing here? and she would just take us. We didnt mind it at the time because we were so young, said the oldest. Its something that became second nature to us and we thought this is how people do things, but after a while our parents, and when we hired a manager, we realized we could also get paid for all of the hard work we put in. I think an important thing to say here is your gift will make room for you. There have been a lot of times when we did things without asking for payment and we knew our gift was going to make room. God will provide for us no matter what, Arrianna said. When choosing companies to partner with, they make sure to pick companies that align with their positive, upbeat brand, and its even better when its a product they use, which is why partnering with Febreze for a second time for their new Mood Collection, which celebrates their Black consumers wants from research done by the company, to create a jingle for the Refreshing and Energize scent. We definitely believe in doing things that align with what we want to show. We of course love any brand deal that may reach out to us and we full-heartedly take it on and decide whether its going to be an opportunity for us, Reginald Jr. said. We absolutely love the scent. We went to Walmart and we saw some on the shelf and was like, Ooothis is the scent we made a song for. Our mother sprays that scent so much and runs through bottles. When making the perfect jingle for Febreze, they discussed the process and how crafting the material can be nerve-racking since they want to deliver the best work possible, which brings returning and new collaborations their way. It is some pressure too though because of course youre putting yourself out there and you want to make sure youre not only showing yourself great but for that brand as well. We have to just make sure that we stay confident in who we are and what we do, Carmen shared. You have to make sure you give a product, give a product with the best quality, and that it shows the best of you and you cant just sit on anything too long. We sing a lot of styles of music and when we got Refreshed and Energized as our scent we tried to figure out what musical style would be best for this particular song were creating, Reginald Sr said. We kind of went towards the funky, pop style that makes people feel energized and want to dance. The group posts content on Facebook (164K followers; 86K likes), YouTube (25.5K subscribers), Instagram (357K followers) and TikTok (1.3M followers; 11M likes) with the latter being the most favorable to them. Posting the right content for the right audience at the right time played an important role in the groups success. and vital to the groups success as they noticed some differences on each platform. For the most part, we noticed that Facebook has an older crowd, which is okay because theyre more likely to buy into your business and share what they post, Cameron disclosed. On Instagram, its a younger crowd and on TikTok, its an even younger crowd. Each platform has a different age range and we notice that gets a lot more attention on TikTok. They notice what TikTok users use and base the songs they select to cover and remix on that because itll be utilized more by people using the app. We also notice that on TikTok, a lot of people, if it is a song cover, they like something they can use for their videos and we started recognizing that as well. We find songs that people will actually want to use for audio because thats another thing that really skyrocketed more than we ever thought, Carmen explained. We did a cover of Faith Evans Never Gonna Let You Go and Sias Unstoppable, which are two of our most famous covers. From Sias song, people felt unstoppable, they felt confident and they felt like they could do anything. They used that sound for so many videos. It was one point where we were posting a lot, I think three or four times a week. And we were like, let us slow down a tad bit. We dont want people to get tired of us or anything. We are workaholics and we just do a lot, Carmen said. Sometimes when we take a step back from social media, were able to figure out what we want to showcase and nix. Were always thinking about elevation and seeing the same thing. We always have to up our game, Reginald Sr. added. Whats next for the group? Performing is going to be their main focus in the next era of Four Washington since the pandemic allowed them to hone their sound and what they like. Theyre now ready to put it on stage and have people come out to enjoy the Four Washington experience. V.S.S. Unity during the Galactic 03 mission, May 8, 2023. In a move that is garnering considerable criticism from the scientific community, a recent Virgin Galactic mission transported two ancient hominin fossils to the edge of space. Launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico on Friday, May 8, the V.S.S. Unity spaceplane carried fragments from Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi, hominin species fundamental to understanding human evolution. Beyond being seen as a futile, crude gesture, scientists argue that the stunt lacked scientific grounding and that transporting human ancestral remains in such a manner raises various ethical issues, among other concerns. That Unity didnt actually reach space, which it never does, adds a certain degree of insult to this injury. Read more For the Galactic 03 voyage, Berger selected a fragment of the collarbone, or clavicle, from the A. sediba specimen, estimated to be 2 million years old, and a thumb bone from the H. naledi fossil, roughly 250,000 years old. These fossils were securely stored in a carbon fiber tube. Berger personally hand-carried the fossils to Spaceport America, where they were handed to Nash in a ceremony just before the flight. The journey of these fossils into space represents humankinds appreciation of the contribution of all of humanitys ancestors and our ancient relatives, Berger noted in the Wits press release. Without their invention of technologies such as fire and tools, and their contribution to the evolution of the contemporary human mind, such extraordinary endeavors as spaceflight would not have happened. Bernhard Zipfel, Curator of Collections at Wits, added that these fossils are some of the most documented and have been made available globally thanks to scientific and open-access initiatives. Needless to say, the Galactic 03 mission is not without its detractors, with various scientists questioning the purpose behind such an endeavor, and whether it was appropriate to do so given scientific, cultural, and ethical considerations. Two important ancient human relatives packed and ready to go where no extinct hominins have gone before! #neverstopexploring! pic.twitter.com/rngRVQipef Lee R Berger (@LeeRberger) September 1, 2023 When Chris Stringer saw Bergers tweet (above) from September 1, he thought the fossil material was headed to somewhere like a synchrotron or a DNA lab, so he put a like on the tweet, but then others pointed out that these fossils had been rocketed to the edge of space. My first reaction was disbelief that anyone could have pulled such a stupid and arrogant stunt, Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at Londons Natural History Museum, explained to Gizmodo over email. He came to the realization that Berger had really done this, and inexplicably, had institutional permission to do it. Stringer is now worried that Berger has very likely lost what little scientific credibility he had left, in reference to the recent eLife and Netflix documentary controversies (more on this here and here, but in a nutshell, Bergers claim that H. naledi practiced burial rituals based on findings in Rising Star Cave sparked significant debate and media attention earlier this year). Im not sure where heand the very important naledi sitescan go after this, Stringer added. The mission received blessings from several officials, including Vice Chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi of Wits University, Virgin Galactics Richard Branson, Ian Miller from the National Geographic Society, and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). The journeys stated purpose in the SAHRA application was promoting science and bringing global recognition for our science of human origins research in South Africa. Gizmodo reached out to Wits University for comment, and it relayed an emailed statement from Ben Mwasinga, senior manager of heritage conservation management at SAHRA, detailing the institutions perspective, saying the permit application aimed to spotlight recent paleoscience discoveries in South Africa, with SAHRA satisfied that the promotional benefit derived was appropriately weighted against the inherent risk of travel of this nature. To which Mwasinga added: All applications submitted to SAHRA are publicly accessible to allow any member of the public to provide comment. Furthermore, any person may appeal our decisions within a (fourteen) 14-day period. No objections were received for this application. Eleanor Scerri, head of the Human Palaeosystems Group at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, believes the concerns brought up in this incident touch upon issues of heritage access and control. It seems obvious that fame, wealth, and power should not be privileged over scientific integrity, rigour and ethics when it comes to gaining access, she wrote via email. Would a request like this have been sanctioned coming from anybody with less wealth or fame? It very much feels like different strokes for different folks, with a resounding slap in the face to anyone who works hard to preserve human heritage for future generations. Scerri said this episode unsettlingly echoes a time when African palaeoanthropology was treated as a novelty by colonialists and adventurers, rather than priceless world heritage. This is why it is hard to see either the spirit of human endeavour or the promotion of African science here, she added. On X (formerly Twitter), several scientists, including biological anthropologist Alessio Veneziano, raised concerns about the suborbital flights motives and scientific validity, the ethics of transporting ancestral remains, Bergers unique fossil access, and the potential perversion of palaeoanthropology. Sonia Zakrzewski, a bioarchaeologist from the University of Southampton, expressed on X, I am horrified that they were granted a permit, and says she plans to use this as an example of unethical practices, noting, This is NOT science. In an email, associate professor Victoria Gibbon, a biological anthropologist from the Department of Human Biology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and curator of the UCT Human Skeletal Repository, wrote: I am shocked. Stewardship and curation of human ancestors are about protection and care. Therefore, unnecessary movement and handling of remains is normally avoided. I fail to see any scientific merit or stewardship policy that would support this mission. It is unfortunate a permit was issued from the South African Government citing promotional benefit. Promotional benefit for whom? This is highly unusual and a disappointing moment for the field. Alan Morris, a biological anthropologist and professor emeritus in the department of human biology at the University of Cape Town, said Berger has a history of stretching his evidence in order to get maximum publicity, as he explained over email, citing the scientists claims of brain tissue preservation in A. sediba, ancient dwarf hominins in Palau, and the aforementioned claims of burial and art among H. naledi. Berger runs with crazy ideas without the scientific rigor needed to support them, but the payout is not science, it is fame and the benefits that that brings in this modern world of social media, said Morris, who believes theres something very wrong with sending fossils to the edge of space and questions why and how a permit was granted for such an act. I have been on SAHRA committees in the past that have considered access to human fossil and subfossil specimens and at the heart of the decision is always the science, Morris explained. He posed some pertinent questions, such as how the research aims to benefit from sending fossils to the edge of space and what advantages this offers to descendant communities. Answering his own questions, Morris concluded: In fact, there is NO scientific valuethis is ONLY about publicity. Gizmodo reached out to Lee Berger for comment but did not immediately receive a response. This post was modified to include the quote from Victoria Gibbon. For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and bookmark Gizmodos dedicated Spaceflight page. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Virgin Galactic plans to fly again early next month. The company announced today (Sept. 14) that it's targeting Oct. 5 for the launch of Galactic 04, its fourth commercial spaceflight and ninth space mission overall. There will be three space tourists aboard, one apiece from the U.S., the U.K. and Pakistan. Galactic 04 will therefore break new ground: Nobody from Pakistan has made it to the final frontier before, according to Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic hasn't released the names of the Galactic 04 trio yet. However, one of the crewmembers made such an announcement himself. "On Thursday 5th October I WILL FLY TO SPACE. I've waited all my life to write those words," British advertising executive Trevor Beattie, who bought his ticket more than 15 years ago, wrote today on X (formerly Twitter). Related: Virgin Galactic launches 3 of its original space tourist customers to the final frontier (video) Galactic 04 will lift off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, carrying the customers to suborbital space and back. They'll make the journey aboard Virgin's VSS Unity space plane, which will be hauled into the sky by a carrier craft named VMS Eve. Eve will drop Unity at an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters); the space plane will then fire up its rocket motor to get to suborbital space. The Galactic 04 trio will become Virgin Galactic's 17th, 18th and 19th astronauts, according to the company. Joining them in Unity's cabin will be Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor. Kelly Latimer and C.J. Sturckow will fly VSS Unity, and Nicola Pecile and Jameel Janjua will be at Eve's controls. RELATED STORIES: Virgin Galactic launches 1st mother-daughter team and 1st Olympian to space on 2nd commercial flight (video) Meet the crew of Virgin Galactic's 2nd commercial spaceflight Space tourism companies might learn a lesson from the Titan sub disaster. But are they ready to listen? VSS Unity passengers get to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth against the blackness of space. A ticket to ride the space plane currently costs $450,000. The company is making good on its pledge to launch commercial missions roughly once per month with Unity; Galactic 01, Galactic 02 and Galactic 03 launched on June 29, Aug. 10 and Sept. 8, respectively. Virgin also launched two test flights with Unity this year, one each in April and May. The pace should pick up considerably in 2026 or so, when Virgin Galactic's "Delta" line of space planes starts coming online. Those vehicles are designed to fly once per week, company representatives have said. Virgin has one main competitor in the suborbital space tourist business: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' aerospace company. However, Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle hasn't flown in more than a year; it's been grounded since suffering a failure during an uncrewed flight on Sept. 12, 2022. Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 14 with the announcement from Trevor Beattie. The UK officially banned the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization Friday (September 15), weeks after the death of its founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The order made it illegal to be a contractor of, or to support, the Russian mercenary corps, with those found guilty of doing such facing heavy fines and penalties of up to 14 years in prison. British Home Secretary Suella Braverman called Wagner a "threat to global security" upon proposing the order. "Wagner's continuing destabilizing activities only continue to serve the Kremlin's political goals," she said. "They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law." Wagner now joins 78 others in a list of proscribed organizations in the UK, which includes Hamas and Boko Haram. A Rundown of Wagner's Recent History Wagner was allegedly founded in 2014 by Prigozhin and since the annexation of Crimea, the mercenary group quickly became a key tool of Russian state power under President Vladimir Putin, the BBC reported. Aside from its operations in Ukraine, Wagner has been at the service of Putin's allies in countries such as Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic. However, its general fate was jeopardized after Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against the Russian defense ministry, specifically with defense minister Sergei Shoigu. Prigozhin later died alongside other key Wagner leaders in a suspicious plane crash on August 23 and was buried in St. Petersburg. On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that an investigation into the causes of the crash had been too slow, claiming that it was "not a simple investigation" and "not a simple incident." "The investigation is ongoing, that is why giving some kind of commentary would be absolutely premature," he told reporters. Read Also: Pro-Kyiv Russian Volunteer Corps Urges Wagner to Switch Sides to Avenge Prigozhin's Death British MPs, Experts Say Wagner was Banned Too Little, Too Late Meanwhile, some senior members of parliament (MPs) in Westminster have been calling on the government to ban Wagner for months, a term officials call "proscription." Earlier this year, the parliament's foreign affairs select committee produced a report condemning the government's "remarkably complacent" approach to Wagner, as well as criticizing its "dismal lack of understanding" of the private military contractor's (PMC) influence beyond Europe, especially its presence in Africa. However, some say the ban has been too little, too late. Last month, experts told the BBC that rival private military companies were seeking to take over Wagner and its assets in the aftermath of Prigozhin's death. Foreign affairs select committee chair Alicia Kearns urged the government Thursday (September 14) to take "a more strategic approach" towards mercenaries operating across the world's conflict zones. On the other hand, the UK Labour Party's Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused the government of being too slow to act and of "failing to keep up" with changing threats to the UK's national security. In the aftermath of Wagner's decimation by battle and by politics, Russia was said to have established dozens of private military contractor firms with multiple and varying loyalties. Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute's Syria Program, told the BBC last month that one group, PMC Redut, was already seeking to rival Wagner in Syria. Related Article: Putin's Chef Cooked for Real: Russian Authorities Confirm Yevgeny Prigozhin's Death @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Scene LEESBURG, Va. On Tuesday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin s Parents Matter tour came to the place where it all started. The Loudoun County School Board, the scene of protests two summers ago over its handling of a rape case, met ten minutes down the road. Activists wearing RECALL THE SCHOOL BOARD were part of the sizable mid-day crowd. Scott Smith, the victims father whod been convicted of disorderly conduct at the school board meeting, had just been pardoned by Youngkin and he was in the room, too. Some of us went to sleep, and the school board started to do things that are inconsistent with the basic belief of parents, said Youngkin, shirtsleeves rolled up, pacing in front of GOP state senate candidate Juan Pablo Segura, who sued the school board shortly after launching his campaign. Kids belong to parents, not to the state. Virginias Nov. 7 elections, known colloquially as the commonwealths off-off-off year races, will determine whether Youngkin has a majority that can pass conservative bills. His Spirit of Virginia PAC has raised more than $16 million to make that happen; hes recruited and campaigned with candidates to demolish what Democrats call the blue wall, a four-seat Senate majority thats stymied him. Republicans are running on what worked in 2021, much of it under the parental rights umbrella, when the Loudoun controversy and a cash-flush campaign delivered the biggest GOP victory of the Biden era. But Democrats say that the Dobbs decision changed everything. In 2022, they defended two of the three House seats that Youngkins GOP was targeting thanks to their resilience in the suburbs; in January, they flipped a state senate seat in Virginia Beach after warning that Youngkin could pass a 15-week abortion limit if the blue wall fell. Zooming out to the national landscape, Republicans have not been able to replicate Youngkins formula in battleground races in the midterms or subsequent elections either. Ive knocked thousands of doors, and the number one issue I hear about is abortion, said Russet Perry, the Democratic nominee against Segura in the 37th district. Theres a lot of concern about the agenda Youngkin would actually push forward, to appeal to all of those Trump voters, so he can run for president. Davids view From a pure operations and resource perspective, Republicans may have the edge. For the first time in 12 years, Republicans are running an off-off-off year campaign from the governors office a sizable organizing and fundraising advantage. And both parties give Youngkin credit for focusing on these races early, helping nudge candidates with personal resources (Segura, a GOP donor who moved here during the pandemic, and got $500,000 from Youngkins PAC) or compelling biographies (Danny Diggs, a 24-year sheriff who retired then ran for senate). These are not your normal state senate candidates, said Youngkin strategist Zack Roday. In every seat where the 2021 gubernatorial race was decided by 5 points or less, the party had the recruit it wanted, often after Youngkin helped them through the primary; in 9 of the 15 closest seats, for house and senate, the GOP candidate had raised more money than the Democrat. And in one of the seats where the Democrat has raised more money, the candidate, Susanna Gibson, was revealed to have taken tips for online sex with her husband, a story that briefly knocked the party off-message. (In Leesburg, asked about that story, Youngkin demurred and said he was focused on electing Republicans.) I am always surprised, and a little bit befuddled, about how national donors dont understand that we have elections every year, said Virginia Democratic Party chair Susan Swecker. In 2019, when Gov. Ralph Northam spent the first half of the year engulfed in a racist yearbook photo scandal, the party needed anti-Trump energy and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe to bail it out. But back-up has begun arriving before early voting kicks off next week. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia started its ad buys on Friday, and its president, Jamie Lockhart, said that theyd been organizing for the first post-Roe legislative elections here since December. We now have an anti-abortion governor who has said that he would happily and gleefully sign any anti-abortion legislation that gets to his desk, said Lockhart, referring to remarks Youngkin made to conservative activists last year remarks almost every Democrat I talked to quoted, word for word. In 2021, we knew that the Dobbs decision was coming, but we saw a believability gap; people werent aware that Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Republicans have three responses to this. One: Theyre confident that Youngkins quest to bank early votes, embodied by his Secure the Vote bus tour, is going to fix one of the problems that sunk them in the Virginia Beach election. Having a strong partner and a leader in Governor Youngkin has been instrumental for our diverse batch of candidates, said Dee Duncan, the president of the Republican State Leadership Committee. Two: The 15-week abortion limit tests better than Democrats want to admit, and their candidates have the resources to clarify this when their challengers warn about a total abortion ban. In Leesburg, asked about passing a 15-week bill, Youngkin talked about a place where we can come together as Virginians, emphasized that he wanted exceptions for rape and incest, and accused Democrats of wanting to legalize abortion up to the moment of birth. Democrats think thats a non-starter; Republicans accused them of favoring full-bore infanticide in 2019, after Del. Kathy Tran stumbled during a floor discussion of emergency late-term abortions, and the party had its best off-off-year election in a generation. Their candidates also have the advantage of defending the status quo, backing the states current 26-week, six-day limit. I think the Dobbs decision crystallized that our rights can be taken away from us, Tran said in a short interview. Three: Republicans are running on plenty of other issues. In the close races, their candidates have dusted off the messaging that worked for them in 2021, from insisting that Democrats want to defund the police to warning that theyll trammel parents rights. That year, McAuliffe handed them a gift, saying in a debate with Youngkin that he didnt think parents should be telling teachers what to teach. This year, theyve got a list of child safety bills that the blue wall halted in Leesburg, Youngkin pointed to an online anti-porn bill that progressive Democrats killed and some less-explosive comments from Democrats who see parental rights push as a trojan horse issue. Democrats insist that the playbook wont work now not after Dobbs. At a crowded Loudoun County canvass launch last weekend, joined by Democratic school board candidates, Perry noted that her kids go to Loudoun County public schools; voters wanted to make sure that our teachers are supported and our kids are safe more than they wanted to keep fighting about 2021. (Youngkin carried the senate district by 1 point after Donald Trump lost it by 6.) And they werent quite sure how incumbent Republicans would run against a police defunding that never happened. In one of Seguras TV ads, an actor playing Perry (a former CIA officer and county prosecutor) is asked about crime going up on your watch. Seconds later, Segura is seen walking alongside Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman, whos seeking re-election in what he calls one of the safest places in the United States to live and work. Theyre living in the past, said Swecker, and were running in the present. The View From Virginia's Senators Virginias two Democratic U.S. Senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, have been trying to bring national attention to the falls races by warning that, along with clearing the way for Youngkins agenda, a win for Republicans could make other contests more competitive in the state during 2024. Warner pointed to Wisconsin, where national donors threw resources into a pivotal state supreme court election, as a model the party should follow. So much is at stake in terms of controlling the legislature and I just dont see that same national energy, candidly, from the White House, said Warner. The Democratic National Committee gave $1.2 million to Virginia Democrats last week. Notable In the Dispatch , David M. Drucker and Audrey Fahlberg write about Youngkin playing the hits on education and focusing on an issue that carried him to an unlikely victory two years ago. In the New York Times, Trip Gabriel sees other Republicans whove lost suburban races on the abortion issue wondering if Youngkin can provide a road map. And in Politico, Jack Shafer suggests that the Gibson story will bore voters whove come to accept previously taboo behaviors. Joe Biden walks next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he arrives for a visit in Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images) Volodymyr Zelensky is likely going to meet Joe Biden at the White House and also visit Capitol Hill in a diplomatic trip to Washington next week, suggested several media reports. The Ukrainian presidents second visit to the US since Russias invasion comes at a time Congress is mulling Mr Bidens request to assist Ukraine with as much as $24bn (19bn) in military and humanitarian aid. The visit also comes when Western leaders have defended Ukraines counteroffensive against Russia, that officials under the condition of anonymity have said has been slow to take off. On Friday, Ukraine announced it had liberated a village near Bakhmut in a lightning operation after fierce fighting with Russian troops amid its counteroffensive. Mr Zelensky will meet the US president at the White House next Thursday, an administration official said on the condition of anonymity. Two congressional aides confirmed the war-time presidents trip to the Capitol. The two leaders could also attend a meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to be held on 18-19 September. The White House National Security Council, however, has declined to comment on Mr Zelenskys plans. That includes the likely meeting between the two presidents at the White House. This will be Mr Zelenskys second visit to the US and also be only the second time he has ever visited any country abroad since the invasion in February last year. He had made a grand visit to the US in December last year and delivered an address to the US House of Representatives. In a bid to boost Ukraines military capabilities, Mr Biden sought a package of $13.1bn in additional military aid and another $8.5bn for humanitarian support, which also includes $2.3bn for financing and to catalyse donors through the World Bank. However, he is faced with pushback from conservative Republican lawmakers who have been calling for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Donald Trump as they specifically look to stop money to Ukraine. The Congress is facing increasing strife over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year and working to pass its annual appropriations bills before the 30 September deadline to keep the US government running. Mr Zelensky is likely slated to deliver a speech to the UNGA and also reportedly looking to hold meetings with other visiting world leaders. This has been claimed by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he planned to meet Mr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN meetings. Additionally, the US is looking to impose new sanctions on more than 150 individuals and entities related to Russias invasion of Ukraine. The US was continuing our relentless work to target Russias military supply chains and deprive (Russian president Vladimir) Putin of the equipment, technology, and services he needs to wage his barbaric war on Ukraine, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. Within the concrete walls of the Cook County Courthouse in Markham, monumental decisions are made each day that cast long shadows on peoples lives. Defendants are found innocent and guilty, people are married and divorced, others win lawsuits or suffer drastic losses. In this environment, the Rev. Elijah Adedire of Markham sees an opportunity. Wearing a straw cowboy hat and standing behind a table reading Need Prayer?, Adedire waits for passersby to walk the incline up to the courthouses front doors, asking each person if they need courtside ministry. Many of them, they request for life, said Adedire, a Nigerian native who now lives in Markham. Christ is the giver of life. For Adedire and the four volunteers who joined him Thursday morning, the ultimate mission is clear. My end goal is for them to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and their savior, said Oluyemisi Ajasa, who is also a native Nigerian and lives in Tinley Park. Several Nigerian natives have settled in the south and southwest suburbs through mission programs and volunteer with courtside prayer programs. For some, the idea of evangelizing to people at their most stressful moments may seem distasteful. Yet while conversion is a major goal evidenced by one of the volunteers boasting about how many people she got to sign up to attend church service Ajasa says it is not the only reason she volunteers. Those that do not accept (God), we still continue to pray for them, said Ajasa. This is the most rewarding work that I do. For two hours every weekday morning, Adedire and a rotating group of volunteers are at the courtside table and approach people heading to court, hand them a variety of biblical pamphlets and ask Can I pray for you today? Most requests are met with shrugs, silence or No thank you. But every so often, a person stops and allows the volunteers to take their hand, listen to their qualms and recite a particularly relevant verse or share a simple line in Gods name. The interaction usually lasts about 30 seconds before one side departs for court. People request prayer for a number of tribulations. Some request prayer for a sick family member or a problem at home. There is a lot of drama, said Patricia Mitchell of Matteson, who attends services at South Suburban Church of God. She laughed as she remembered some of the more salacious stories shed heard. Others need a prayer for life or direction. Some people dont have a dilemma. They just want God to direct their path, Mitchell said. But most people request prayers related to their court appearance, she said. A lot of them come and are praying that they get a shorter sentence. Mitchell told a story of one recent interaction that has stuck with her. One lady came to me, she was crying because her son went to jail. And I said What did he do? and she named these things, Mitchell recalled. And I said You have to be prayerful because God spared his life. Youre not going to a funeral. People come to Mitchell and her fellow volunteers not just for prayer but also just to talk and vent about their situation. Those offering prayers see themselves as a shoulder to lean on before a judge decides the persons fate or an often deeply significant matter. One young man arriving Thursday spoke with Mitchell for more than five minutes. He detailed how he had been struggling with a string of bad luck. A family member had health issues and on top of that he was recently injured in a car accident. Mitchell held his arm and looked him in the eye with a soft smile as he vented about recent events. He thanked her for her time and headed for the metal detectors. Do you believe in Jesus? one of the volunteers, Helen Okunola, asked a woman dressed in pink who said her name was Tina Butler. Yes, of course, Butler responded. Okunola then asked Butler what she needed prayer for this morning. Me coming up out of here safe and this case getting thrown out, dismissed, she said. With their hands clasped together, Okunola described how much Jesus loved her and is watching over her. Thank you, Butler responded, before walking up the ramp. Conversion and advocacy for connection to Christ is certainly a large aspect of the process. But so is the reward that the volunteers receive on a daily basis for feeling they are providing assistance to people. Their words and prayer through God is a part of what they offer. But another piece of assistance comes from their quiet listening and human touch. Ones faith can be deeply personal, Ajasa explains. She holds the subjects hand with one hand and places her other on their back before leaning in and asking them if they accept Jesus Christ. You have to touch to let people know that you really care for them, Ajasa said. The Washington State Constitution imposes a paramount duty on the state to provide ample education for all its children. The State Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that responsibility, most notably in the McCleary decision, but the high court has taken a confusingly divergent path regarding the thorny issue of capital construction costs. It now falls to the Democrat-controlled Legislature to ensure that rural communities receive fair support when it comes to building and upgrading facilities. That will require rebalancing state funding and empowering voters to pass school bond measures with a simple majority. The recent decision in Wahkiakum School District v. State of Washington is a slap to rural communities struggling to fund school building and maintenance. The court unanimously concluded that schools must pick up some of the cost of building new facilities, and if they cant or wont, then the state neednt help. That ham-fisted approach might be legally sound, but it misses the nuances and falls short of the laws spirit. It is tough to understand why Washington students constitutional right to education does not encompass access to safe, adequate educational facilities. Clearly, its easier for students to learn in modern, safe buildings with sufficient space, safety features and temperature controls. It is even more chilling to consider how many of the states young people attend seismically unsafe buildings because they live in districts that cant afford the upgrades. The State Constitution provides for creating a common school construction fund. This fund grants local districts greater latitude in raising money for construction and outlines a shared funding responsibility between the state and communities. But the ensuing decades have shown this model oversimplifies a complex issue and falls short of broader moral and constitutional obligations to kids. Voters intent in passing the 1966 constitutional amendment was not to penalize students in small towns. The tough roads that led to Pascos narrow passage of a school bond in February and Kennewicks approval of a bond in 2019, demonstrate the need for widespread reforms. But they managed to secure critical school funding through the existing system and are building schools and improving facilities, ensuring a safe, modern places to learn that will last for decades. Yet some other school districts, especially in rural communities, are locked out of making similar investments when a supermajority of voters are unwilling or unable to pay more taxes for construction and upkeep. The McCleary lawsuit arose from the stark inequality in educational resources. Wealthier communities have an inherent advantage. They can contribute more money, leading to superior educational experiences for their children. While it is true that construction costs differ from operational costs, the reality remains that students in well-maintained buildings reap the benefits of a better learning environment. Ignoring this fact perpetuates the disparities in our education system, undermining the spirit of the constitutional mandate. It is up to state lawmakers now to do the right thing. They should swiftly pass the recommendations of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, who is now calling for more funding for rural schools and a reconsideration of funding formulas. Also, he argues the state should lower the threshold to pass school bonds from 60% to a simple majority, like most other things on the ballot. That last idea might prove controversial, but it is imperative to ensure a fair chance to approve school bonds. With so much at stake for students and the quality of life in a community, a minority of voters shouldnt be able to sink a bond measure that a majority wants. It is high time Washington acknowledged rural districts challenges and provided them with the resources to offer equitable educational opportunities. We must ensure that the promise of equal education for all becomes a reality, regardless of a communitys size or economic standing. That goes for both the teaching and the building in which the teaching occurs. By Yara Nardi LAMPEDUSA (Reuters) - Claudine Nsoe, a 29-year-old mother of two from Cameroon, is one of the thousands of migrants who have arrived this week on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, a first port of call for those crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. Nsoe spoke to Reuters while she was camped outside the island's reception centre, which has an official capacity of around 400 but in the last few days has been crammed with as many as 7,000 migrants. She arrived in Lampedusa on Tuesday, travelling with her children, one just 18 months. The family set off from Libya, where living conditions were "very hard" and the journey took a week. "I hope the situation improves and they let us leave from here because the living conditions here are not easy. We sleep in the open air, in the sun, and in the cold," Nsoe said while sitting on a camp bed distributed by the Italian Red Cross. "Therefore we want to leave. Wherever that might be, we must go," she added. So far this year, Italy has recorded almost 126,000 sea arrivals, almost double the figure from the same period of 2022. The surge is a huge problem for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's rightist government, which has pledged to control immigration. The migrants who land in Lampedusa are transferred by ferry, military ship or plane to the larger island of Sicily and from there are spread around the country. Many of them want to reach northern Europe, but are often pushed back at Italy's borders. Under EU rules, migrants are supposed to file for asylum in the first EU country they reach. So when France or Germany catches migrants found to have been first registered in Italy, they send them back. Italy has said it can no longer take them in, because it is struggling to deal with new arrivals. Germany, in turn, said this week it would no longer accept migrants from Italy under a voluntary EU redistribution scheme. (Reporting by Yara Nardi, writing by Alvise Armellini, editing by Gavin Jones and Nick Macfie) Jason Robert Dockery reportedly shot Shystie Ranea Mayberry six times while she tried to flee from the passenger side of his car parked alongside a road Sept. 12 in the Heiskell community of Anderson County. In the back seat of the red Chevrolet Sonic, in a car seat, was her 21-month-old daughter, according to a warrant filed by Anderson County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Don Scuglia. Dockery then fled the scene in the car, taking the child with him and leaving Mayberry along Moores Gap Road where he'd parked near the East Wolf Valley Road intersection. The 44-year-old Knoxville man would be captured two days later, on Sept. 14, in Union County following a search involving multiple law enforcement agencies from Tennessee and Virginia. The search for Dockery would extend from Anderson County to Claiborne County, to Lee County, Virginia and back to Tennessee. Dockery dropped Mayberry's daughter off in Claiborne County, according to Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker. He said the child was turned over to the Department of Children's Services, and she will be reunited with relatives. He said Dockery's connection to the girl, if any, was yet to be determined as the Anderson County Sheriff's Office continued its investigation. Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker Dockery has been charged by the sheriff's office with first-degree murder. His arraignment hearing initially was set for Sept. 15, but was reset for Sept. 27. He is being held in the Anderson County jail in Clinton on $2 million bond. The public defender's office has been assigned to his case. The murder warrant states that that the 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol believed to have been used in the killing was in Dockery's possession when he was caught by Union County Sheriff's Office deputies, and that he confessed to what happened. Dockery also reportedly faces charges in other counties. Around 1:30 p.m. Sept. 12, the Sheriff's Office/Anderson County 911 Communications Center received a call from someone who said a man had shot a woman while stopped on the side of the road in Heiskell. Deputies found the woman, later identified as Mayberry, when they arrived. No other information on Mayberry has been released by law enforcement agencies. The manhunt ACSO detectives began searching for Dockery and notified other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout. Dockery's car was seen in Claiborne County, and he was pursued by police there into Lee County, Virginia, where he abandoned the car in the Ewing community and escaped into the woods, according to Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons. The search for Dockery continued into Sept. 13, with officials closing the county's public schools and the sheriff advising residents to lock their doors and stay inside because the man was considered "armed and extremely dangerous." But at 6:30 p.m. that day, the sheriff updated citizens on Dockery's whereabouts, saying it had been confirmed that he had left Lee County, "but because of the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation no further information can be released at this time." Multiple law enforcement agencies in Tennessee and Virginia were involved in the search, which ultimately ended in Union County, Tennessee. The U.S. Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information. The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed. Support The Oak Ridger by subscribing. Offers available at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Knoxville man charged with murder of woman in Anderson County, Tenn. On Monday, the Transgender Center at Washington University in St. Louis announced it will no longer provide gender-affirming healthcare to transgender minors because of a new anti-trans law in Missouri. The university, which said in a statement that the new liability was untenable, isnt the first institution to make the decision to start referring patients under the age of 18 to other providers for puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy (HRT); the University of Missouri also halted care to transgender minors on Monday, Aug. 28. Both decisions were made in response to a ban on gender-affirming care for new patients under 18 that was signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson in June after it was passed by the Republican legislature. Under the new law, some minor patients at Washington Universitys Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital could still receive treatment, but a special provision in the law gives patients the right to sue doctors who prescribe hormones to minors. In Missouri, a patient usually has two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, but under the new law patients who received care as minors can sue their doctors 15 years after treatment or after their 21st birthday, whichever comes later. This legal claim creates unsustainable liability for health-care professionals and makes it untenable for us to continue to provide comprehensive transgender care for minor patients without subjecting the university and our providers to an unacceptable level of liability, the university said in a statement. Trans pride flag Shutterstock Shira Berkowitz, senior director of public policy and advocacy for PROMO, a Missouri-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group, says that the states court system had a responsibility to protect the trans kids impacted by the new ban. Our court system had the opportunity to do its job by protecting our most vulnerable populations, Berkowitz said. Instead, it stood behind the political ideology every other branch of government has used to justify taking away the rights of children, parents, and adults to make their own medical decisions. Berkowitz also took aim at the Missouri State Legislature, the Missouri Attorney General, and Gov. Parson, saying, "We know youre proud youre able to say you kicked a trans kid and to have blatantly committed a hate crime against transgender Missourians." While Washington University will continue to offer mental health, education and some other types of gender-affirming care, community organizer and drag performer Maxi Glamour said that the situation in Missouri is so dire they know trans youth who are trying to leave the state so they can better access care and that trans youth are facing negative psychological implications of not really being able to live to your fullest. Bans on transgender healthcare shows just how much conservatives really want to regulate the bodies of other people and really have so much control over something they know little about, Glamour explained. To stop anti-trans bills like this from being passed in the future, Glamour said people need to urge their local public schools to start teaching students about LGBTQ+ culture and history so that people grow up with a better understanding of the issues queer people faceor better yet, run for school board so you can make the changes yourself. Trans pride flag Shutterstock Steven Brawley, founder of the St. Louis LGBT History Project, said that although the city of St. Louis and Washington University have been historic leaders in gender-affirming care, they are still in a majority red state. They use the trans community as part of their political schtick, he said of conservatives. It used to be gods, guns and gays. Now they're using the trans part of the community more so in terms of their rhetoric and so Missouri is in the thick of that. Republican lawmakers were first drawn to this issue when, earlier this year, Jamie Reed a former caseworker for the universitys Transgender Center accused doctors of giving children puberty blockers or hormones without obtaining proper mental health assessments. However, despite an internal investigation by Washington University finding the allegations to be unsubstantiated, the anti-trans bill went forward. There are reasons to be hopeful though, Brawley said. This year Missouri was facing an unprecedented level of homophobic, anti-trans, and anti-drag bills, but because of historic levels of activism by the LGBTQ+ communitythat he hasnt seen since the fight for marriage equalityonly two anti-trans laws passed out of the many that were on the table. Washington University didnt respond to a request for comment. VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Body camera and dash camera footage from a recent traffic stop involving a man driving a Power Wheels Jeep in Vincennes, Indiana was released Friday. The footage was obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Nexstars WTWO. In the video, an Indiana State Police Trooper is seen patrolling the area of Second Street in Vincennes when he pulls up behind 51-year-old John McKee driving the childs toy. After initiating the traffic stop, the trooper asks where McKee is headed, and McKee informs him hes heading home from the Hucks gas station with a can of gas, as he gestures to the back of the plastic Jeep. PREVIOUS: Man gets OWI while driving a Power Wheels Jeep Wheres your gas can at? The officer asks. Oh man, I left it back there! McKee responds. After checking with dispatch regarding the situation the trooper then administers field sobriety tests, which McKee fails. (Image taken from ISP dashcam footage) (Image taken from ISP bodycam footage) (Image taken from ISP bodycam footage) (Image taken from ISP bodycam footage) (Image taken from ISP bodycam footage) The trooper then informs McKee he needs to go to the hospital for a blood test and begins searching the vehicle. The trooper found six batteries designed for or compatible with the Power Wheels Vehicle strewn about the passenger seat and back compartment of the Jeep. It was later confirmed at Good Samaritan Hospital that McKee was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana, according to police. He was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction. Indiana State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle confirmed that McKees former conviction was for operating a vehicle while impaired. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL Thursday, August 31, 2023. The rocket is carrying 22 Starlink satellites. SpaceX is planning to launch its Falcon 9 rocket containing 22 Starlink satellites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida Friday evening. The 22 Starlink satellites are scheduled to be launched at 11:38 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, about 55 miles east of Orlando and along the Atlantic coast. The launch is a backup from the initially planned Thursday evening liftoff, which was postponed to Friday. The livestream of the launch will begin about five minutes before liftoff and will be broadcast on SpaceX's account on X, formerly Twitter. Launch livestreams used to be broadcast on SpaceX's YouTube channel, but this move pairs Elon Musk's space company with his social media platform. Once launched, the Falcon 9 rocket will send the satellites to low-Earth orbit. After the first stage separation, the Falcon 9 is set to land on Just Read the Instructions drone ship, which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch: NASA astronaut, 2 Russian cosmonauts lift off to the ISS This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SpaceX launch live stream: Watch Friday liftoff from Cape Canaveral FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) Wayback Burger announced Thursday details on how they are celebrating National Cheeseburger Day. Wayback Burger has operations in 35 states: right now there are two located in the Central Valley: one in Fresno and one in Firebaugh. On National Cheeseburger Day on September 18, guests are able to cash in on a buy one, get one free Classic Cheeseburger deal. Wayback Burger says guests are able to redeem this offer in the restaurant by ordering online, or through the Wayback Burger app. This deal is a limited one-per-app discount. For more information check out Wayback Burger on how to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian autonomous region of Chechnya, was reportedly in hospital in a critical condition, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports. "The information is confirmed by various sources in the medical and political circles," Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov told Ukrainian news outlet Obozrevatel. "There is information that the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition and the diseases that were there have worsened and caused such a serious condition." The Chechen warlord's ill health was not due to an injury, Yusov said, further saying that other details are yet to be determined. Read Also: UK Formally Declares Wagner Group Terror Organization Who is Ramzan Kadyrov? Kadyrov is the current leader of the Chechen Republic and a Kremlin hardliner, which earned him the nickname "Putin's soldier" or "Putin's watchdog" for his loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine. Prior to his involvement in the current war, he was known as the son of Akhmad Kadyrov, the first president of Chechnya who was assassinated in the regional capital Grozny by Chechen Islamists in 2009. In July, he said he sent a detachment of Chechen troops to fight in Bakhmut after they signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, something the late Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group has refused to do. In response, Putin expressed his gratitude to Kadyrov in March for helping Russia in its war in Ukraine. Related Article: Ukraine Forces Drive Out Russian Troops in Key Eastern City; Kadyrov Calls Putin To Unleash Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As an adult, wearing tights in the winter can sometimes make you feel like youre playing dress-up or going to ballet class. But when styled correctly, tights can be the chicest part of your look. So how do you avoid the pitfalls thatll make you feel 5 years old again? We spoke with stylists who weighed in on the best ways to style tights this season. They recommend playing around with your tights texture, color and opacity, which can elevate your wardrobe. As temperatures grow colder, heres how stylists say hosiery can keep your legs warm while pulling your outfit together. Sheer With Socks Lena Mahfouf, aka Lena Situations, at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3 in Paris. Lena Mahfouf, aka Lena Situations, at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3 in Paris. A sheer tight can look sexy when skin peeks out from underneath your look. Think black tights with a line running down the back, or even colored tights that are less opaque. I like sheer tights because they cant be mistaken for leggings, said stylist Jules Wettreich, who recently dressed Riverdale actor Drew Ray Tanner. A thick sock on top with a cute kitten heel or sneaker is a fun way to style your tights casually. Celebrity stylist Samantha Brown also stacks with socks. You can play with layering socks over fishnet or lace tights, she recommended. On-air style correspondent Sydney Sadick describes her dream date-night outfit with sheer black tights as the standout piece. She suggests Wolford back seam black tights (with a line running down the back), paired with a black miniskirt, a black turtleneck bodysuit, a brightly colored jacket and short boots. Wearing tights on date night makes me feel fun and flirty, she said. Wear Tights With Boots, Not Heels Street style stars at 2022 Fashion Weeks around the world wore their tights with chunky boots. Street style stars at 2022 Fashion Weeks around the world wore their tights with chunky boots. Winter footwear makes any tights look seasonally appropriate. Think combat boots, ankle boots, over-the-knee boots, Mary Janes or loafers. Play with the juxtaposition of tights and something more masculine like a loafer, Brown said. Stylist Parker Blaine is a fan of pairing tights with platform loafers. Loafers, whether theyre heeled or flat, add such an edge to tights, she said. Her personal favorites are Steve Madden Lawrence Loafers and Stuart Weitzman Ultralift Loafers. The biggest mistake: tights with peep-toe heels. Im not a huge fan, Wettreich said. In my experience, it made my feet look awkward because the seam was showing. Instead, she suggests a pair of black high boots from Camper. Sadick disapproves of wearing tights with pumps. In the fall, it can be cute, but in the winter, it just doesnt work, she said. Its really key to wear your tights with boots. Sadick said she normally wears tights with heels to a religious service for a more classic look. Boots are her go-to for winter street style. Break Out Your Summer Clothes Guests at Paris and London Fashion Weeks in 2022 broke out their summery clothes over tights. Guests at Paris and London Fashion Weeks in 2022 broke out their summery clothes over tights. Winterize your summer staples by adding tights underneath. Tank tops, miniskirts and tees are all fair game. Tights can be worn with any length of skirt or dress and also look great with shorts in wintery fabrics like tweed and leather, Brown said. The stylist transitions her favorite leather shorts into winter by layering them with textured tights, a turtleneck or a cashmere sweater. Brown recommends selecting darker-colored pieces to be winter-appropriate. Transition your summer dresses in darker palettes through the winter by adding opaque or textured tights, boots, and layers like a blazer or leather jacket, she said. There are two reasons to wear tights: style and function. Wettreich wears tights to keep warm, but she also uses them as a base accessory for layering. Miniskirts and slip dresses are my favorite summer pieces to style with tights because they are thin enough to layer with a turtleneck or a sweater on top, she explained. Layering it with nude tights underneath if its super cold out is the ultimate hack. Skims Mid Support Tights in Clay are her go-to. Wettreich also suggests styling tights with a maxi dress. I think the maxi-dress-and-tights combination is alluring because its such a nonconventional way to style a long dress, she said. It isnt something you see very often, but it makes your outfit look more expensive. Stock Up On Darker Tights Black tights will go with just about everything. Black tights will go with just about everything. Black tights are chic and lengthening, and they pull any look together. White tights are fun if youre going for a ballet aesthetic, but black is my favorite, Wettreich said. Its a great way to flaunt your legs in the cold weather. She recommends a pair of classic, sheer black tights from Sheertex. Bright colors arent necessarily off-limits, but Sadick believes reds and blues should be reserved for sweaters. I know that a lot of women like colored tights, but theyre not for me, she said. Wearing bright colors in sweaters, pants and dresses will be more complementary. Whatever you decide, a rule of thumb is to coordinate your tights back to the palette of your outfit this will help keep it cohesive. The No-Nos Styling tights with a winter ensemble can be fun, but not everything goes. Wettreich said one mistake she sees people make is pairing jeans with pantyhose. Tights layered with jeans is criminal, she said. Texturally speaking, denim and tights clash too much its just one too many layers. Browns biggest concern when styling tights has to do with size. Be sure that your tights fit correctly, she said. You dont want them to go too sheer if theyre snug, or pool at the ankles if theyre too large. Blaine recommends avoiding sneakers with tights. I cant get behind that pairing. Theres just too much going on, she said. Worst case, opt for a black leather sneaker if youre in need of some comfort. Want to try Senior Shopping Writer Lourdes Uribes favorite tights? Below is a roundup from Sheertex read about why she loves them below. HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. Sheertex Classic sheer rip-resist tights Sheertex Sheertex Classic sheer rip-resist tights These classic Sheertex tights are my go-tos. The sheer finish gives my legs a soft touch and the appearance of length something I desperately need. They look as good as they feel. Elegant, timeless and comfortable. $59 at Sheertex Sheertex backseam sheer rip-resist tights Sheertex Sheertex backseam sheer rip-resist tights When I want to add a flirty touch to an ensemble, I reach for the backseam tights. They have a vintage vibe that is at once sweet and alluring, and never itchy. $69 at Sheertex Sheertex classic semi opaque rip-resist tights Sheertex Sheertex classic semi opaque rip-resist tights When I want more coverage, the semi-opaque tights hit the spot. They show only a hint of skin tone, and are great for when I want to rock a more neutral, formal look. $69 at Sheertex Sheertex polka dot sheer rip-resist tights Sheertex Sheertex polka dot sheer rip-resist tights These kicky and eclectic sheer polka dot Sheertex tights are perfect for everything from date night to drinks with friends. They add an element of sexy fun that feels lighthearted and adds to the appeal of these swingy tights. $69 at Sheertex Related... A Bellingham Public Schools program designed to help special needs students transition into independent living, employment and/or post-secondary training is now operating in a larger, more permanent space thanks to a partnership with Whatcom Educational Credit Union. The Community Transitions Program will now operate from WECUs Birchwood Branch location at 1600 Birchwood Avenue, which was fully remodeled by Bellinghams RAM Construction over the course of a year to be repurposed as the credit unions Community Resource Center. The CT Program serves students who receive special education services in the Bellingham School District through the age of 21. It was previously housed at Bellingham High School, with participants frequently shuttling between multiple sites to access various services. At WECU, we are continuously seeking new strategic partnerships with other local organizations that prioritize the health and well-being of our community members, such as the Bellingham School District, said WECU President & CEO Jennifer Kutcher, in a previous announcement about the partnership. The building will provide the school district and their students with a much-needed solution for their very important work. The new location is near public transportation and has more space to accommodate the needs of the program. The building offers two large meeting rooms, four smaller meeting rooms, bathrooms, a full kitchen and a laundry machines. The CT Program expects to operate in the WECU building for the next two or three years while plans are in the works to build a permanent site for operations in the future. Bellingham Public Schools signed a five-year lease with WECU to ensure the program can continue to use the space if site development takes longer than expected. This is great news for students receiving services in Community Transitions and our staff, said Superintendent of Bellingham Public Schools Dr. Greg Baker in a previous announcement about the partnership. We really admire WECUs good intentions for using a building to help others, and they have always been a generous community partner. The CT Program had more than 80 students enrolled at the start of the 2023-24 school year. There is no limit to enrollment. A smaller meeting room at WECUs Birchwood Branch location will now be available for use for students in Bellingham Public Schools Community Transition Program. The program is designed to help special needs students transition from high school to the workforce or higher education. Community Transitions Administrator Analisa Ficklin told The Bellingham Herald this new space will be useful as the needs of the program and its students continue to grow. She said her goals for the future, permanent space are a larger kitchen that can accommodate a culinary classroom and extra storage space. Locating the program on a community college campus would also be helpful in connecting the programs students with additional education, she said. WECU will maintain ownership of the building. After the five-year lease is up, WECU will reevaluate community needs to best decide who to partner with and lease the space to, according to WECU Vice President of Retail Erynne Hallock. Credit union members will also continue to have access to a full-service, drive-up, ATM at the location. WECU is a a nonprofit financial cooperative with locations all over Whatcom County. It was founded in 1936 as Bellingham Teachers Credit Union, with strong ties to Whatcom County education. WECU now serves individuals and businesses located throughout the state of Washington with more than 144,000 members and employing almost 400 people. Chef Josh Rathbun is well-known in Wichita for his time leading kitchens at places like Siena Tuscan Steakhouse, Elderslie Farm and Public at The Brickyard. But soon, Rathbun will have a restaurant thats all his own. On Friday, Rathbun and leaders at Fidelity Bank announced to their staff that Rathbun would be taking over the vacant restaurant space at 320 S. Market, which is on the ground floor of the banks RISE Car Park. The space was previously home to First Mile Cantine, but it closed in April. Rathbun is naming the restaurant Lotte (pronounced law-tee), an ode to his 8-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Itll be a wonderful little dinner restaurant, Rathbun said, where he can serve the type of farm-to-table, seasonally inspired dishes hes become known for in Wichita. Ill continue with what Ive been good at, which is the farm-to-table stuff, Rathbun said. This is going to give me an opportunity to do fun, seasonal food without being hemmed in as far as style. I can really just focus on the season, the local produce and whatever flavors are exciting to me at the moment. Hes hoping to open by late October. First Mile Cantine vacated the restaurant space at 320 N. Market thats on the ground floor of Fidelity Banks RISE Car Park. But chef Josh Rathbun will open a new restaurant called Lotte there this fall. Rathbun said he doesnt plan to make Lotte a fine dining restaurant, per se. He describes the style of food hell serve as elevated comfort food. Hes from Wichita, he said, and he wants the restaurant to accurately reflect Wichita. He doesnt want it to be pretentious, stuffy or inaccessible, he said. I want to have food available thats approachable for everybody and not too out of a price range where you cant go without it being a special occasion, he said. The car park is only about two years old, and the restaurant space Rathbun is taking over is almost brand new. First Mile Cantine operated there for only nine months. But Rathbun said he will make some changes to the appearance of the dining room to make it his own. Hell bring in new tables, chairs and dishes. Rathbun said hes hired Zakk Thomas, his former sous chef from Siena Tuscan Steakhouse, to be his chef de cuisine at Lotte. Zakk Thomas, left, will work as the chef de cuisine at Josh Rathbuns new restaurant, Lotte. We have a great relationship, Rathbun said of Thomas, who most recently was working as chef de cuisine at Napoli Italian Eatery. Im really looking forward to working with him. Hes a huge talent thats overlooked in the city. The pair will use ingredients sourced from local farmers and also will get produce from the car parks rooftop farm, called RISE Farms and run by Leah Danner-Garcia. Lotte will start off serving dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays evenings, Rathbun said. He wont serve lunch at first but plans to add it eventually. Lotte also will provide catering for Fidelity. The new restaurant will have a full bar, and Rathbun plans to utilize the patio on the east end of the space thats connected to the dining room by a garage door. Back before COVID-19, when Fidelity was first looking for a tenant for the space, Rathbun almost signed on. He was working at Siena Tuscan Steakhouse at the time, he said. Rathbun said he and the bank tried to make a partnership work, but at the time, it wouldnt. When he later heard that First Mile Cantine had closed, he said, he immediately started making inquiries about the space. Melissa Knoeber, director of culture and talent for Fidelity, said that the bank was thrilled that the timing worked out this time, adding that the bank always likes to support new entrepreneurs. The logo for Lotte, a new dinner restaurant that chef Josh Rathbun plans to open this fall at Market and English in downtown Wichita Im very excited to be able to work with someone who is so very well respected in the Wichita community, Knoeber said. Joshs experience is just really something that sets him apart. Rathbun, whose first restaurant job was washing dishes at Watermark Cafe at age 15, went on to work in kitchens across Wichita, the country and the world. His early resume includes stints at Wichitas Cibola, The Anchor and Lakeside Club. He left Wichita as a young man and worked in a couple of restaurants in Australia. He also worked in Denver under well-known chef and James Beard nominee Alex Seidel at his restaurant, Mercantile. While there, Rathbun was named one of Zagats top 30 under 30 of restaurant industry professionals in Denver. Eventually, Rathbun and his wife, Andrea who he met while working at Lakeside Club had Charlotte and decided to move back home to raise her. Rathbun said hes happy to finally be opening a restaurant thats his own. This is really big for me because this is my opportunity to finally be the guy, he said. Ive always been in situations where Ive been afforded a lot of freedom and afforded great opportunities, but Ive never had the full responsibility of ownership and with it, the final say. And so thats something Im very much looking forward to to really express myself and to also create a space in Wichita thats unique from a professional point of view. Wells Fargo & Co. sees more opportunity to trim expenses by unloading more real estate and cutting additional employees, Chief Financial Officer Mike Santomassimo told investors. We continue to believe weve got a lot more to do to make the company as efficient as it should be, Santomassimo told those attending the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference this week. He noted that Wells Fargo has cut almost 40,000 jobs over the last couple of years, lowering headcount every quarter since mid-2020. ALSO READ: Wells Fargo announcing $500 million worth of improvements in Charlotte area Im not suggesting its going to be down every quarter forever, but I do think that theres more to do and youll see that through the headcount number, Santomassimo said. He added that Wells saw a noticeable change in attrition rates starting last fall, spurring the bank to turn to layoffs and severance packages more often to trim staff. Read more here. VIDEO: Wells Fargo announcing $500 million worth of improvements in Charlotte area Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi has met with Ukraines US and British partners. Afterwards he expressed his hope for "good news". Source: Zaluzhnyi on Telegram Quote: "A meeting with US and British partners. A wide range of issues and constructive talks. I briefed the Allies in detail on the operational situation across the entire front. We heard from the commanders and discussed the problems faced by the army groups. I shared our vision of the situation at the contact line. We discussed the Ukrainian army's ammunition, weapons and military equipment needs. We are expecting good news." Details: Zaluzhnyi added that the parties discussed how to boost Ukraine's air defence, provide additional transport to evacuate the wounded, and find ways to repair equipment and restore the combat efficiency of military units. The situation in the Black Sea was discussed separately. Zaluzhnyi thanked Ukraines partners for their productive work and their support in the fight against the Russian aggressor. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Editors Note: Sign up for CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter which explores what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world. A rare meeting between Russias Vladimir Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong Un at a space launch center in the Russian Far East earlier this week has triggered alarm from countries from South Korea and Japan to Ukraine, the United States and its partners in Europe. But China, the biggest economic lifeline for both Moscow and Pyongyang whose border lies less than 200 miles (321 kilometers) from where the two leaders met, may have a different view. Rather than look to oppose or limit cooperation between Russia and North Korea, Beijing may see more benefits than risks for itself in this emerging axis, analysts say particularly in regard to its great power rivalry with the US. And while its unclear exactly how much insight Chinese officials have into negotiations between North Korea and Russia, analysts say the meeting itself may not have gone forward with some level of consideration of Chinas ties to the two. (Given) the importance of the support that China provides to both, China is of course looming in the background, said Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of New South Wales in Australia. China is too important for both North Korea and Russia, so for them it would be foolish to do something behind Chinas back that it wouldnt like, he said. The China factor is there. Between the two countries Neither North Korea or Russia has released details of any agreements reached during the more than five hours Putin and Kim spent together during a tour of the Vostochny Cosmodrome, closed-door talks, and a lavish state dinner where both leaders toasted to their countries growing friendship. But observers say its clear what each is looking for from the other. Moscow is desperate for fresh supplies of ammunition and shells to feed whats become a war of attrition in Ukraine and Pyongyang is believed to be sitting on a stockpile. Pyongyang, after years of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and missiles program, is in need of everything from energy to food to military technology all of which Russia has. To be sure, North Korea potentially pumping munitions into Russia could raise awkward optics for China, which accounts for the vast majority of North Koreas trade and remains Russias most powerful diplomatic partner after its Ukraine invasion. The international community has long looked to Beijing to exert pressure over its government to follow the rules. And in recent months Beijing has been at pains to frame itself as a proponent of peace in the conflict in Ukraine part of a bid to win back lost goodwill in Europe, which has recoiled over Beijings decision to continue to strengthen its ties with Russia despite its war. Beijing has already signaled what its official response to any military cooperation between the two would be, with its Foreign Ministry this week repeatedly telling reporters that Wednesdays meeting was between the two countries implying its not Chinas business. But while China itself has appeared careful to avoid any large-scale military support of Russia, analysts say it may see potential support from North Korea as a boost to its own geopolitical calculus, where Russia remains a crucial partner amid rising tensions with the West. (If) North Korea is really prepared to provide ammunition to Russia, it would be good for the Chinese expectation that Russia doesnt experience a major military defeat in the battlefield in Ukraine, said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor of international relations at Singapores Nanyang Technological University. In that respect, its good for Chinas geopolitical interests in terms of China and Russia on the one hand and Western countries on the other, he said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un pictured during a visit from Xi to Pyongyang in 2019. - Shen Hong/Xinhua/Getty Images Balance of power China, which supported communist North Korea in the Korean War some 70 years ago, has maintained a complicated relationship with its rogue neighbor. Like Russia, it has backed past United Nations sanctions against North Koreas weapons programs though its also been accused of practicing an arbitrary implementation of these controls and in recent years has blocked efforts to strengthen sanctions and led efforts to ease them. Now, as China feels constrained by what it sees as an increasingly hostile US and its allies, it may welcome a stronger coordination with both Russia and North Korea as counterweights, analysts say. In that vein, a shift in the relationship between Russia and North Korea which sees Moscow lending support to Pyongyang could also take pressure off China and strengthen its position in the region. China would support a more capable North Korea in many respects economically, militarily and a North Korea that continues to serve as a troublemaker for the US, said Li. One reason? When you have a more assertive North Korea it will lead to some sort of incentive for the US and South Korea to seek Chinas cooperation in terms of dealing with North Korea, he said. Meanwhile, mutual support between the two sanctions-hit neighbors could mitigate international pressure on China over its strong ties to both. Since China is not the sole supporter of either, it reduces Chinas isolation for its support of both, Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, who said that while their tightening of ties is not without drawbacks for Beijing, its leaders would still likely see this as a net gain. Even a transfer of military technology from Russia to North Korea, which may be concerning to China given its interests in regional stability, may have a silver lining, according to Sun. China has a stake in avoiding seeing tensions between North Korea and US-allied South Korea escalate into conflict, which could spark to an influx of refugees across its own borders as well as American military response. Such a (military technology) transfer will be destabilizing for the region, but China will turn the table and blame the US and its allies for pushing both Russia and North Korea in a corner. This reinforces Chinas opposition to the Asian NATO it sees US as orchestrating, she said. But despite the potential gains, experts also say China is not immune to the risks that can come from a stronger Russia or a stronger North Korea. Beijing has a large stake in global trade, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. (It) can ill afford collateral damage from destabilizing pariah state behavior, such as the invasion of Ukraine and habitually threatening the use of nuclear weapons, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE - West Virginia University students lead a protest against cuts to programs in world languages, creative writing and more amid a $45 million budget deficit outside Stewart Hall in Morgantown, W.Va., on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. West Virginia University's Board of Governors gave final approval Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, to wide-ranging cuts in academic programs and faculty positions as the university addresses a $45 million budget shortfall. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham, File) CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Despite shouts of stop the cuts from students, West Virginia Universitys board voted Friday to make wide-ranging reductions to academic programs and faculty positions as it grapples with a $45 million budget shortfall. The state's largest university will drop 28 of its majors, or about 8%, and cut 143 of the faculty positions, or around 5%. Among the cuts are one-third of education department faculty and the entire world language department, although there will still be seven language teaching positions and students can take some language courses as electives. The university in Morgantown has been weighed down financially by a 10% drop in enrollment since 2015, revenue lost during the pandemic and an increasing debt load for new building projects. Students chanting slogans and holding signs, including one that read, This isnt the WVU that I fell in love with, briefly interrupted Fridays meeting just prior to the boards vote. Dozens of speakers, including students and faculty, also vehemently opposed the cuts at a board hearing Thursday. No one spoke in support. The cuts are on top of those made in June, when the board approved $7 million in staff reductions, or around 132 positions, slashed 12 graduate and doctorate programs and approved a 3% tuition increase. In addition, board chair Taunja Willis Miller said 509 staff positions have been eliminated since 2016 and various units combined to improve efficiencies. Maryanne Reed, the provost and vice president for academic affairs, acknowledged the dissenting voices but assured the board Friday that even with the accelerated timeline, this was a thoughtful, professional and data-informed process. A faculty group recently took symbolic motions expressing no confidence in school President E. Gordon Gee and calling for a freeze in the ongoing cuts, which the American Federation of Teachers called draconian and catastrophic. Faculty members will find out if they're losing their jobs by Oct. 16, but they can remain at the school through early May, said Stephanie Taylor, university vice president and general counsel. The vast majority of undergrad students whose majors were cut already have 60 credits and can graduate with WVU degrees, administrators say. The rest will get help finding alternatives. All graduate students losing their programs will be able to complete their degrees. WVU has labeled the cuts an academic transformation amid an existential crisis in higher education. Speaking with reporters Friday, Gee said administrators aren't concerned about the school's public image and were focused on having a great university. "This is a time of great change in higher education, and we are leading that change rather than being its victim, he said. The university president told faculty earlier this year that higher education nationwide has become arrogant and isolated, warning that without change, schools face a very bleak future. Critics see a different a set of circumstances, accusing the administration of financial mismanagement, poor strategic planning and lack of transparency in a state with the lowest rate of college graduates and highest rate of population exodus. West Virginia is the only state that now has fewer residents than it did in 1950. The universitys budget shortfall is projected to grow as high as $75 million in five years. WVU spent millions of dollars on construction projects in recent years, including a $100 million new home for the universitys business school, a $35 million renovation of a 70-year-old classroom building, and $41 million for two phases of upgrades to the football teams building. Gov. Jim Justice rejected suggestions this week that state money should be used to help WVU, in light of the West Virginia's $1.8 billion surplus in the 2023 fiscal year that ended in June. What we really need to do is let WVU have the time to get their house in order, Justice said. The Republican governor reiterated his confidence in Gee, who got a one-year contract extension from the board this summer and will stay on until June 2025. Regarding the cuts, Justice pointed to some level of bloating in programs and things that maybe, just maybe, we ought not to be teaching at WVU. The governor signed a bill last month giving $45 million for Marshall University to open a new cybersecurity center. WVU physics and astronomy Professor Sean McWilliams told board members Thursday that all other R1 research institutions offer a graduate degree in math. He fears the cuts will damage the schools reputation and that losing world language programs will make West Virginia appear insular and unwelcoming. Assistant English department chair Christine Hoffmann said many faculty will be driven to seek other employment, even if their positions arent eliminated. As long as Im here, my priority is the students I serve, she said. Im also going to need to prioritize my escape from a place where the people in charge will spit in your face and tell you its raining. Tehran On September 16, 2022, a young woman died in the custody of Iran's Morality Police. Mahsa Amini was 22. Iranian officials said she died of a heart attack, but her family told CBS News she was fatally beaten by the police after being arrested for wearing her mandatory hijab head covering incorrectly. Amini's death sent shockwaves across the country, triggering an unprecedented wave of anti-government protests. The demonstrations spread quickly, largely driven by young women demanding basic rights. They made the refrain "Women, Life, Freedom" echo around the world. Women burned their hijabs in the streets, despite a brutal response by Iran's security forces. The chants evolved, calling not only for women's rights but for the country's elderly male Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to be ousted. Weekly rallies soon popped up across the globe, with Iranians and others abroad echoing the cries of the protesters in Iran. It was the most serious internal challenge ever to the authority of the male Muslim clerics who've ruled Iran for almost five decades. What's it like for women in Iran now? A year after Amini's death, the street protests have all but vanished in the wake of the violent crackdown. But Iran's government has appeared to grapple with the lingering effects of the uprising. Many women have continued to shun the Islamic hijab when they're out on the streets, including Maryam, 29, who works at a Tehran coffee shop. She told CBS News she used to encounter the morality police frequently while walking her daughter to kindergarten on her way to work and was regularly chastised for not wearing the hijab properly, but was never taken into custody. She said that may have been because she had her young daughter with her. Amini's death and the protests that followed gave Maryam more courage, she told CBS News. She said she doesn't plan to wear the hijab anymore at all, and she knows there could be consequences. In this Sept. 19, 2022 photo, taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, women run away from anti-riot police during a protest over the death of a young woman detained for violating the country's conservative dress code, in downtown Tehran, Iran. / Credit: AP The Iranian government has proposed a "Chasity and Hijab Bill," believed to be a legislative effort to reinforce the mandatory dress code. The punishment for violations of the hijab rule in the bill are said to vary from fines for first time offenders to lashings and the denial of government services, and even long jail terms, for repeat violators. The bill has yet to be approved by the county's powerful Guardian Council. Security forces have taken measures to prevent flare-ups of dissent over the weekend marking the first year since Amini's death, including arresting known activists and some journalists. Sharzad Hemati, a female journalist with the Iranian newspaper Shargh, told CBS News she believes that "people will not back off" after Amini's death. Sharzad Hemati, an Iranian journalist for the Shargh newspaper, speaks with CBS News in Tehran, Iran, in early September 2023. / Credit: CBS News The movement Amini's death sparked "could, up to some extent, achieve at least one of the long-term desired requests, which was the end of the compulsory hijab," Hemati said. Even some women who adhere strictly to the hijab rules and say they'll continue to do so appear to recognize a change in Iranian society, and a need for some degree of free will. Fatemeh, a medical advisor in the capital, told CBS News there should be regulations, and "women are not supposed to appear naked on the streets, but I am concerned about others, too." Fatemeh, a medical advisor, speaks with CBS News on a street in Tehran, Iran, in early September 2023. / Credit: CBS News "They should have the right to choose, of course with consideration for the norms," she said. Despite the risks women continue taking, going out in public without their heads covered as the Iranian authorities try to figure out how to deal with the quiet resistance, for many, there is a new sense of fear. Neli, now 18, had just finished high school and was looking forward to starting college last September. After Amini died, however, Neli became very active in the street protests and in voicing dissent on social media. She told CBS News she was arrested by Iran's notorious paramilitary "Basij" forces and held for two weeks. Neli declined to share details about what happened while she was in custody, but said she now battles severe depression. Her parents want her to emigrate to Australia to finish her studies and to stay out of Iran until the situation in the country changes. How did the U.S. respond to Iran's crackdown? The international community heaped pressure on Iran's government to use restraint as it countered the protests. But from the very beginning, the authorities in Tehran dismissed the outcry. They called the protests a plot to undermine the Islamic Republic by its global foes, casting blame at the U.S., Israel, Britain, the European Union and Saudi Arabia. As the protests grew, the security forces cracked down more brutally on the demonstrators, shooting them with pellet guns and, in some cases, live ammunition. Thousands of people were swept up in rounds of mass arrests, with many claiming harsh treatment in custody, including some who said they were tortured and sexually assaulted. Iranian officials have denied all the allegations, calling them propaganda aimed at damaging the country's international reputation. The supreme leader announced a formal pardon of all those arrested during the protests, though many have since reportedly been rearrested or harassed by authorities. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act. If approved by the Senate and President Biden, the act will impose further sanctions for human rights abuses on Iranian officials. A protester holds up a photo of Mahsa Amini at a demonstration against visiting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, outside the United Nations, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York City. / Credit: STEPHANIE KEITH/Getty Washington and other major Western capitals remain highly critical of Iran, and the U.S. and U.K. announced further sanctions Friday targeting officials in Tehran. In a statement, President Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden "join people around the world in remembering her [Amini] and every brave Iranian citizen who has been killed, wounded or imprisoned by the Iranian regime for peacefully demanding democracy and their basic human dignity." Mr. Biden said Washington had "responded to the calls of the Iranian people and organized an unprecedented diplomatic campaign" to pressure Tehran. He said a growing number of human rights activists had been relocated to the U.S. and touted steps by the U.S. to ensure that Iranians were able to access the internet during the protests. "We have also sanctioned over 70 Iranian individuals and entities responsible for supporting the regime's oppression of its people," Mr. Biden said. "And today, we are announcing additional sanctions targeting some of Iran's most egregious human rights abusers." The U.S. Treasury said the new sanctions, imposed in conjunction with the U.K., Canada, Australia and other partners, targeted "18 key members of the regime's security forces," along with the head of Iran's prisons, three media outlets controlled by the regime, Fars News, Tasnim News and Press TV, "and three senior officials." But despite the still-mounting sanctions, diplomacy has also quietly ramped up in recent months, and there's been notable progress. What are Iran's relations with the world now? In the wake of Amini's death and under more pressure than ever from the international community, Iran's rulers have shown more flexibility recently in their foreign policy likely in the hope of having U.S. sanctions lifted to ease both the huge economic burden on Iran's economy and the extent of its isolation on the world stage. There's been notable diplomatic progress with some arch rivals, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and even the U.S. The most tangible advance to date was a diplomatic agreement, negotiated by China, with longtime regional foe Saudi Arabia. And another major breakthrough appears to be looming. As CBS News reported in August, Mr. Biden has signed off on a politically charged agreement with Iran to bring home five American citizens held in the Islamic Republic in exchange for the regime gaining access in the coming weeks to billions of dollars in funds held outside the heavily sanctioned country. The family of one of those U.S. nationals, Emad Shargi, who's been detained in Iran for more than five years, told CBS News they were holding their breath after his recent transfer from prison to house arrest as the highly sensitive negotiations continued. Gaining access to the roughly $6 billion in Iranian state funds that have been blocked by the U.S. in foreign accounts for years would be a massive achievement for the Iranian government, and many Iranians would embrace it. Mohammad Mehdi Rahmanian, editor in chief of the Shargh newspaper, noting the agreement with Saudi Arabia, told CBS News that Iran's government was moving in the right direction. Mohammad Mehdi Rahmanian, editor in chief of the Iranian newspaper Shargh, speaks with CBS News in Tehran, Iran, in early September 2023. / Credit: CBS News "We welcome it, and hope it continues," he told CBS News. "The same way we also hope that we have dialogue with others in the world, as this is the only way for the development of our country." "It is always better to solve problems by negotiation rather than fights," he said. Protests mark one-year since death of Iran's Mahsa Amini Son of former Mexican drug lord "El Chapo" extradited to U.S. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton acquitted in impeachment trial A 'whimsical' domed home next to Washington's Camano Island State Park is on sale for $295,000. Take a look. A property next to Washington's Camano Island State Park is on the market for $295,000. It includes 1.08 acres of surrounding woodland space and access to a private beach nearby. The unique property also has an outdoor shower/bath and compost toilet. The buyer of a "whimsical" $295,000 property for sale next to Camano Island State Park, Washington, will not only get to live in a domed tiny home, but also have access to a nearby private beach area and an expanse of woodland to call their own, according to its listing. A representative for Windermere Real Estate, which listed the property, said its previous owners built the SuperAdobe "earth bag construction" home in 2008, inspired by Iranian-American architect and CalEarth Institute founder Nader Khalili's work. According to CalEarth's site, this construction style uses earth architecture and long sandbags to build safe, arched or domed homes that pass severe earthquake tests in the state of California. The home is fitted with two bedrooms, an additional guest bunk, and an outdoor shower and compost toilet, the listing states. Take a look inside this unique property. A unique SuperAdobe-style home next to Camano Island State Park in Washington is up for sale for $295,000. It comes with an acre of woodland and access to a private beach near Saratoga Passage, according to the listing. The domed home's exterior and its outdoor shower. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate, Insider Real-estate agent Eva Croasdale told Insider the SuperAdobe construction style, made with long sandbags of moist earth, is naturally insulating. It stays cool on hot days, and the living room has a wood-burning stove for winter. The burner stove in the living room. Photographer's name/ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate, CalEarth With the home spanning 590 square feet, it packs a lot into its small space. For guests staying over, a convenient extra bunk in the living room can be accessed by a swivel-down ladder. The extra bunk above the living room. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate Croasdale said the gold-painted floor in this room has a center stone that aligns with the oculus skylight, and all the windows swivel open and closed. The main living space. ACRE Agency The home's master bedroom is accessed via a playful tunnel. A tunnel leading to the master bedroom. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate Though small, it's a comfortable space for those seeking privacy Windermere Real Estate's listing compared the property to "a cozy Hobbit hole." Inside the upstairs master bedroom. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate The bunk room has two beds with a tempered glass ceiling for stargazing, according to the listing. A second bedroom with bunks. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate The listing adds that the kitchen area comes fitted with a fridge, electricity, and mains water supply. The kitchen area. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate However, its owners will need to brave showering or bathing outdoors, and there's a brand new compost toilet for sustainability the property's only bathroom facilities. The outdoor shower. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate Croasdale said most people wouldn't know that there's a climbing wall built into the side of the structure, to the left of the front door shown here. A climbing wall to the left of the front door. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate There's plenty of outdoor space included. A hike to the state park beach takes 15 minutes through the forest, and a private community beach, which costs $125 per year, is only a one-minute drive away. A view of the outside space. ACRE Agency Source: Windermere Real Estate Read the original article on Insider President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with his American counterpart Joe Biden in Washington on Sept. 21, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at a press briefing. This will be their third meeting at the White House, and it certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine and Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in their counteroffensive, the official told journalists. The meeting will follow the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group summit at the Ramstein NATO base in Germany, which will be held on Sept. 19. Sullivan also said that the U.S. should announce another military aid package for Ukraine at some point next week. On Sept. 14, the New York Times reported that Zelensky would visit Washington after his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for Sept. 18-26. Biden will also address the Assembly, with a substantial section of his speech devoted to Ukraine, according to Sullivan. Read also: Umerov and Austin hold first call, discuss upcoming Ramstein meeting Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. After 27 years of marriage, Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, announced their divorce on Friday (September 15). The Australian celebrity ex-couple told People, who first released the news, that they were going their separate ways amicably. "We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage," the couple said. "Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth." Read Also: Canada's PM Justin Trudeau Announces Divorce from Wife Sophie After 18 Years Moving Forward with 'Gratitude, Love, Kindness' on 'Shifting Journey' Jackman, 54, and Furness, 67, said they would still prioritize the family they have created, in which they shared two children together, and asked the public to respect their privacy as they process with the struggles of decoupling. "We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness," they added, signing the statement as "Deb and Hugh Jackman" in what could be the last time they did so. "This is the sole statement either of us will make." Jackman and Furness met in 1995 on the set of the Australian TV series "Corelli" and married a year later. Furness was already an established actress when she married Jackman, who was 13 years her junior. During their married life, their roles were reversed when Jackman became famous for his role as Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Their last red carpet appearance was at the Met Gala last May, and their last appearance as a couple was in July when they attended the men's finals at Wimbledon. Related Article: Wolverine in the UK! Hugh Jackman Spotted in Yorkshire @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Despite a number of U.S. lawmakers being opposed to extending further aid to Ukraine, the White House is confident that the bill with a new comprehensive aid package will be passed, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sept. 15. "Based on our consultations on Capitol Hill, we believe that there is strong bipartisan support in both houses for the continuation of funding," Ukrinform news agency quotes Sullivan. Read also: European Commission advances efforts to redirect frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine At the press briefing, he expressed confidence that both Republicans and Democrats acknowledge that the United States cannot abandon its support for Ukraine at such a critical moment. Read also: Zelenskyy to meet with Biden at the White House On Aug 10, Bloomberg reported that U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to request an additional $25 billion in funding from the U.S. Congress, to be used to finance Washingtons aid and relief programs including military assistance to Ukraine. Read also: EU parliament supports joint arms procurement bill On Sept. 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will speak at the UN General Assembly in New York, before participating in UN Security Council debates on Ukraine the following day. On Sept. 13, the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), said that supporting Ukraine is in the interest of the United States and called on his fellow party members to support the government policy on the matter. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The White House remains confident that despite the differences expressed by various representatives in the US Congress over continued support for Ukraine, a bill with a new large-scale assistance package will eventually be passed. Source: Ukrinform, citing a briefing by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Quote: "Based on our consultations on Capitol Hill, we believe that there continues to be strong bipartisan support in both chambers for continued funding." Details: Sullivan also believes that both Republicans and Democrats recognise that the United States cannot withdraw support at such a critical time. Therefore, the administration remains confident that, despite the complexity of the legislative procedures, the United States will ultimately be able to continue supporting Ukraine and continue to lead the coalition of countries. Background: On 7 September, the Pentagon announced a new military assistance package for Ukraine, which includes equipment to support and strengthen Ukraine's air defence systems. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The US President's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on Friday that Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet at the White House next Thursday, 21 September. Source: European Pravda correspondent Sullivan announced that the US president will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart after participating in the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. Quote: "This will be their third meeting here at the White House, and it certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine, as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in their counteroffensive." The White House representative also announced that the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, known as the Ramstein format, will be held early next week. A number of US media outlets and agencies have already reported on Zelenskyys visit to the US next week. The Washington Post says that Zelenskyy will also visit the US Congress to get lawmakers to approve US$24 billion in additional aid for Ukraine. Background: Bloomberg reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. There have been media reports that Zelenskyy may personally present his peace formula, a 10-point plan to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A 14-year-old white boy indicted last month on a charge of attempted murder of a Black teen that he is accused of luring to a pond, throwing rocks at and attempting to drown was released from jail this week to the custody of his father after a court appearance. John Sheeran is also facing a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon over the July 19 incident at Goose Pond in Chatham, Mass., in which police say Sheeran dunked the victim underwater several times, knowing the Black teen could not swim, and called him racial slurs as another friend laughed and called the teen George Floyd. The 15-year-old victim told police that Sheeran and the other boy also threw rocks at him repeatedly, and the attack stopped only after another youth on the beach went into the water to intervene, according to officials. Other teens nearby told police they witnessed the incident. It is not clear whether the second teen, who is also white, will face charges. Goose Pond in Chatham. (Via Boston 25 video) Sheerans attorney, Kevin Reddington, told the Boston Globe that the charges against his client are over the top and downplayed the teens actions, equating them to horseplaying among kids. They were in the water horseplaying and it got out of control, clearly, Reddington said. I understand the basis of the judges decision, and we are appealing to the Superior Court and hoping to get him back in school. The allegations seem to fit the definition of a hate crime, one expert said. But thus far, no such charges have been filed against Sheeran. Why no hate crime charges? Margaret Drew, an associate professor at UMass Law School, says that though hate crime charges can be added later, she questions why they were not initially applied to the case given its severity. Massachusetts law defines a hate crime as any criminal act coupled with overt actions motivated by bigotry and bias, including acts motivated by racial, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation prejudice, among other things. A hate crime conviction carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. We would need to know whether the assistant district attorney, who was before the grand jury, requested hate crimes, Drew told Yahoo News, noting a recent precedent set in a case in Salem, Mass., in which a group of teens was charged with civil rights violations after initially facing other charges for allegedly assaulting another group based on their presumed sexual orientation in April. I noticed that [in] the case in Salem, which was a gender-identity-based incident, hate crimes were added to the charges [later]. Sheeran is being tried as a youthful offender, according to NBC Boston, a designation that gives state prosecutors discretion for seeking an adult sentence for children between 14 and 17 years old who are accused of serious offenses, including a charge that involves the infliction or threat of serious bodily harm. Unlike juvenile hearings, the proceedings under this statute are open to the public. Prosecutors on Monday said that just hours after the initial near-drowning incident, Sheeran got into a fight with a teen of Asian descent, punching him in the face and calling him slurs. Sheeran should remain in jail, prosecutors argued, calling him a danger to the community. Hes a violent child and weve heard no mitigating factors, Assistant District Attorney Eileen Moriarty said in court. This violence is unfortunately targeted towards children of other races, children that dont look like him. Drew, the UMass professor, took aim at Reddingtons characterization of his client Sheerans actions, calling it dangerous. These were kids that had the intention of violating the body of a Black boy and nearly drowning him, she said. So this is not horsing around, this is not rolling around on the lawn wrestling. And the danger to me is that when the seriousness of these acts is minimized, that does nothing but empower those who lean towards violence. If theres no boundaries drawn immediately, this is just going to get worse. Reddington did not respond to Yahoo News request for comment. A poster left at the scene of a hate crime in June 2021 in Winthrop, Mass. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Overall, hate crimes in Massachusetts are on the rise in recent years jumping 33% in 2021 from the previous year, according to a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League. The findings published in the Hate in the Bay State report revealed that these crimes have been driven mostly by white supremacist propaganda, antisemitism and harassment of the LGBTQ community. Massachusetts, in particular, saw the nations second-highest number of white supremacist propaganda incidents in 2022. Extremists have targeted Massachusetts with the intention to instill fear and intimidation through their stunts, propaganda and increasingly aggressive demonstrations, Peggy Shukur, deputy regional director of ADL New England, said in a statement. Racism controls so much of what we do Many critics have highlighted the role a disjointed justice system plays in incidents like this, which Black Americans have historically experienced in the U.S., particularly for more heinous crimes like murder. People who kill Black people, for instance, are less likely to face the death penalty than those who kill white people, a 2020 report from the Death Penalty Information Center found. The report noted that since the death penalty resumed in 1977, 295 Black defendants had been executed for killing a white victim but only 21 white defendants had been executed for killing a Black victim, even though Black people are disproportionately the victims of crime. The findings draw a direct line from how lynchings of the slavery era have evolved into discrimination in the current criminal justice system. As a country, we dont acknowledge the depth of racism and how racism controls so much of what we do and what we think, whether its conscious or not, Drew said. Race plays into almost everything that happens in this country. Under the guise of security concerns, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders made a brash attempt this week to gut her states public records law. And then an unexpectedly beautiful thing happened. Members of the public on the political left and right, in the media and in labor and from all walks of life, united to assert their right to know. For hours, Arkansans spoke up against politicians nasty attempts to kneecap their ability to hold the government accountable. They pushed their legislators to revise their proposals to limit the states Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). By Wednesday, legislators were forced to file two new versions, each one slightly less offensive than the one before. The latest iteration of the legislation was signed into law on Thursday morning. Crackdowns on Encrypted Messaging Dont Help the Children Its still bad for transparencyit severely restricts materials on who travels with the governor, how much it costs, and the activities of the Arkansas State Policebut it doesnt ravage citizens rights as badly as the first version would have. Thats thanks to the power of the people. Beware, though: This wont be the last time Arkansas officials try to take away some of the hard-won rights enshrined in the state FOIA. Laws like Arkansas FOIA are a crucial element of the publics ability to participate in our democracy and provide oversight of government policy, bloat, and malfeasance. In each state, they entitle people to access government documents and are intended to empower the citizenry of our democracy; people need to be able to understand how government decisions are made in order to hold their government officials accountable. While legal exemptions exist to block access to certain categories of sensitive information, like Social Security numbers or police investigatory techniques, there are plenty of other ways that government agencies try to circumvent having to disclose information that they think could embarrass them or expose them to criticism. Attempts to update state Freedom of Information laws often face a lot of resistance from government officials, law enforcement, and businesses, who usually find that the more the people know, the harder it is for the government to just do whatever it wants. Notably, none of the proposed changes had been run by the FOIA Review Working Group, which Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin tasked in June with crafting suggestionsin advance of the regular legislative sessionfor how to update FOIA. The Task Force unanimously voted Monday morning to oppose the original version of the proposed FOIA legislation. What the Kansas Newsroom Raid Reveals About Widespread Spying on the Press The recent moves in Arkansas were a clear threat to the publics ability to effectively hold accountable that states executive, a power grab that any state should reject in favor of an open and inclusive conversation around the publics right to know and appropriate privacy protections for public officials. Sanders claimed her familys safety was at issue when she announced last Friday that this weeks special session would feature major amendments to the Arkansas FOIA. But in addition to a broader than necessary carve-out for even more security records than are already exempted in the state law, there were a number of extra features that raised great big red flags for almost everyone who wasnt Sanders. These included proposals to: - Raise the bar for when requesters can win attorneys fees in cases where the government is found to have violated the FOIA; - Add a deliberative process exemption, modeled on the version in the federal FOIA, in order to withhold a broad range of records; - Expand the category of materials that could be withheld as part of attorney-client privilege; and - Exempt from disclosure communications between the governor and cabinet-level secretaries. The emergency session came the same week that an Arkansas blogger sued to access records on the costs and companions associated with Gov. Sanders travel. The FOIA legislation is meant to be applied retroactively to January 2022, which would cover the records demanded in that lawsuit. How Right-wing Free Speech Sites Censor Legal Expression Security concerns should be taken seriously, and FOIA laws should reflect the realities of todays electronic communications, but the suggested changes went way beyond security issues and would have affected all requesters of public records in Arkansas, with real repercussions for accountability in the state. It did not do justice to Arkansans right to transparency. Changes to the states transparency laws should be done thoughtfully and with consideration from all concerned stakeholdersgovernment officials and legislators, yes, but also members of the community, press, and civil society. This was irresponsible legislation. The publics right to know shouldnt be subject to a politicians self-interest. Though the states FOIA wasnt obliterated this time around, its clear that Sanders has government transparency in her crosshairs. Other elected officials across the nation should take heed of how rapidly much of her agenda was shut down. 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. Jaswant Singh Chail broke into Windsor Castle with a loaded crossbow A man who broke into Windsor Castle with a loaded crossbow to kill Elizabeth II has apologised to the Royal family for taking such horrific and worrying times to their front door. Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, who was detained in the castle grounds on Christmas Day 2021 while Queen Elizabeth was in residence, has admitted treason. During a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Chails barrister Nadia Chbat said he had apologised to the Royal family and the King in a letter to the court. Ms Chbat said: He has expressed distress and sadness about the impact his actions had on the Royal family, particularly while Her Majesty was in her latter years. Referring to the letter, she said: He has apologised to the Royal family and His Majesty King Charles. Embarrassed and ashamed He is embarrassed and ashamed he brought such horrific and worrying times to their front door. Ms Chbat added: He has expressed relief no one was actually hurt. It is important to him there was a surrender. Before his mental health declined, Chail was a kind, gentle and sometimes funny person, his family and friends said. Ms Chbat said: He was at the time of this offending 19 years old. Lockdown gripped the nation in March 2020. He was only 18 years old when we went into the first lockdown. Chails strong family unit includes his father, a software consultant working in aerospace, his mother, a special needs teacher, and his twin sister, a university student. Ms Chbat said: The events of December have utterly shocked and devastated this family unit and the defendant has sincere regret for how this has impacted on his family. And that deep regret will be with him for the rest of his life because of the severity of the offending that took place. Chail was encouraged to kill the Queen by an artificial intelligence girlfriend called Sarai, the court heard. On the day he got into the castle grounds, Star Wars fanatic Chail sent a homemade video to family and friends on WhatsApp in which he apologised for what he was about to do and called himself Darth Chailus. Chail wore dark clothes and a metal mask as he adopted the persona of a Star Wars villain for the video. In the clip, the defendant, who has Sikh Indian heritage, said he was seeking revenge for the Amritsar massacre in 1919, when British troops opened fire on thousands of Indians and left up to 1,500 dead. Chail embarked on his murderous mission after his bids to join the Armed forces failed in late 2021, the court was told. Highest possible sentence During yesterdays hearing, Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, said Chails crimes were so serious they should attract the highest possible sentence. She said: This is not simply somebody carrying a crossbow it was loaded and ready to be fired. The maximum sentence for treason is seven years in prison. Had Chail raised his weapon at his target, he could have been charged with the more serious offence of high treason, which carries a life sentence, she said. Ms Morgan added: I can think of three offences carrying a sentence of life imprisonment which Mr Chail could have faced, particularly if he had lifted that crossbow up in the castle. That gives an idea of the seriousness. Mr Justice Hilliard said: It might be said that if its a prime minister, any other significant figure or politician, it is top of the range. Chail, who has also admitted making a threat to kill the Queen and having a loaded crossbow, appeared in court by video link from high-security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor. The hearing follows seven days of evidence from three psychiatrists about Chails mental state as Mr Justice Hilliard considers whether he should be jailed, detained under the Mental Health Act or face a hybrid order. His treating psychiatrist Dr Christian Brown, who recommended a hospital order, suggested Chail will need around 18 months of one-to-one therapy. However, Prof Nigel Blackwood, for the prosecution, said the attack was carefully planned and Chail was well aware it was wrong. Mr Justice Hilliard will sentence Chail at the Old Bailey on Oct 5. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kansas Citys popular Winter Skies pop-up bar is returning once again this holiday season. Located at the Skies Kansas City restaurant at the top of Crown Center, the winter-themed bar was a major success last year. Kansas City bar among best places to enjoy champagne in US Despite not spinning last year, Winter Skies brought back the nostalgic view atop the Skies restaurant that closed in 2011. On Friday, Skies Kansas City and the Sheraton hotel announce the Winter Skies pop-up will be back with an unparalleled blend of elegance and wonder. But organizers arent releasing any information about this years event so far, saying details are exclusive for now. The Skies restaurant features over 70 windows for 360-degree views of Kansas City, including the downtown skyline and other landmarks. Last years pop-up bar was filled with white lights snowflakes and Christmas trees, offering special cocktails and more. New KC Ferris wheel will be available for gender reveals In 2022, tickets for multiple weekends at Winter Skies sold out within minutes, and the demand could very well be high again this year. Organizers declined to comment last year whether the Sheraton hotel would consider investing to get Skies spinning again or whether the unprecedented demand could turn the pop-up into a revival. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The shooting happened on East 18th Street, the Bronx (Google Maps) A 71-year-old woman has died after being hit by a stray bullet in New York. The shooting, which happened in the Bronx, New York, also injured another woman. The 71-year-old was shot in the back, while the other victim, a 34-year-old woman, was hit in the arm, police said. Both women were taken to Lincoln Medical Center, where the older woman was pronounced dead and the younger woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Police said two men were arguing on East 138th Street near Brook Avenue just after 12.30pm before one of them opened fire and his target fled. The gunman also fled the scene, heading west on East 138th Street, police said. Those bullets struck two innocent people standing out on the street, said NYPD assistant chief Benjamin Gurley at a news briefing on Thursday night. Police described the suspect as a man with dark skin and dreadlocks, wearing all black. Bronx district attorney Darcel Clark said the woman killed in the shooting was a senior in the community who was just standing there minding her own business. This has got to stop Enough is enough, she said. This is happening in broad daylight. We cannot allow this to continue to happen, she continued. Authorities are appealing for witnesses to come forward. The shooting was one of three New York shootings this week that have left four people with gunshot wounds, including an 8-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet just after he got off his school bus on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. Investigators believe the shootings may be gang-related. Duval County has experienced a rash of pedestrian fatalities with six this month, the latest being a woman who tried to rescue an injured dog. Through Sept. 14, the county has endured 26 lives lost for pedestrians, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Last year there were 47 total. The Governors Highway Safety Association's annual report Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2022 Preliminary Data calculates that drivers struck and killed at least 7,508 people walking in 2022 nationwide the highest number since 1981 and an average of 20 deaths every day. The figure also doesn't include Oklahoma which was unable to provide its statistics. Florida ranked third highest with 824, behind Texas at 834 and California at 1,100. Florida was slightly down from 2021s total of 833. In Jacksonville, extra patrols were launched in 2021 to help improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety through a High Visibility Enforcement project funded by the University of North Florida. The $57,096 contract from the university, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, was specifically designed to pay for Sheriffs Office overtime traffic deployments. "Enforcement efforts will focus primarily on educating drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists," the Sheriff's Office said at the time. "However, violations may result in warnings or citations depending on the circumstances." What are the latest pedestrian fatalities in Jacksonville? On Sept. 11 at about 10:20 p.m., a woman stopped her vehicle in the center turn lane in the 2100 block of University Boulevard South in an attempt to help a dog that had been struck by a vehicle and was in the southbound lane, according to the Sheriffs Office. She in turn was hit by another vehicle and died at a hospital. The driver stopped at the scene and was cooperating with detectives. The Sheriffs Office noted it was the 137th traffic fatality in Duval County this year. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family of the victim, 41-year-old Jennifer Burnette. The animal lover was on her way to work when it happened, according to the social media fundraiser. Jennifer (Blue as many of her friends knew her) was dutiful in everything she put her hand too; from her career as a security professional to her home life as wife and mother of 4 (three of which having special needs). When her husband passed away near to last Christmas (having battled cancer 2+ years), she was left to grapple with all of the challenges of that single parenting created alongside of holding down a full-time work commitment. On Sept. 9 at about 10:45 p.m. a dark-blue four-door sedan was westbound on Kings Street as a pedestrian attempted to cross the roadway northbound. She was struck by the vehicle, and the driver then fled the scene without rendering aid, according to the Sheriffs Office. Rescue personnel transported the victim to a hospital where she died. Deadly roads: 3-year-old girl struck, killed after wandering onto Butler Blvd. from disabled car On Sept. 6 at about 9:15 p.m. another pedestrian was attempting to cross northbound in the 2600 block of Normandy Boulevard and was struck and killed by a sedan going westbound in the inside lane. The driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with investigators. On Sept. 3 about 8:45 p.m. and also on Normandy near Blair Road, two women 32 and 45 years old were walking northbound across Normandy when they were struck by a vehicle heading northbound. One died at the scene and the other at the hospital, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. On Sept. 1 at about 7 a.m. a boy and his brother were walking on the sidewalk northbound on South Lane Avenue on the west side of the roadway near Wiley Road when a dog started chasing them, a witness told the Sheriffs Office. One stopped, but his 12-year-old brother continued running trying to get away from the dog. He ran onto the roadway toward oncoming traffic and was struck and killed by a car. On Aug. 29 at about 11:20 p.m. a pedestrian appeared to have been in the 4100 block of Philips Highway when he was hit by a light-colored four-door sedan. The victim in his early 40s was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The driver fled the scene and appeared to have left behind a piece of a plastic mirror cover. On Aug. 19 at about 8:35 p.m. a small sport-utility vehicle was westbound in the 8500 block of Collins Road when a man in his mid-40s started to cross the roadway and was struck and killed. The driver remained at the scene, and witnesses stated the pedestrian appeared to be on his cellphone as he was trying to cross, according to the Sheriffs Office. Pedestrian fatality: Girl, 5, killed crossing Jacksonville street with brother and father On Aug. 12 at about 10:45 a.m. a man in his 70s was crossing the 700 block of Duval Station Road without utilizing the crosswalk when a young woman driving a GMC Terrain from a shopping plaza parking lot didnt see him, the Sheriffs Office said. The pedestrian was struck and killed. On Aug. 6 at about 11:20 p.m. on Dunn Avenue near Biscayne Boulevard, a man was lying in the roadway possibly hit by a vehicle when another driver didnt notice him and struck him and left the scene, according to the Highway Patrol. The 31-year-old victim died. In a St. Johns County case on Sept. 6, 10-year-old Evan Policastro died while innocently riding his bicycle home from the bus stop, a daily routine he cherished, according to his obituary. His principal also reported the biking accident in an email to parents. The student's death "has hit our school, our staff, and our community like a nuclear blast to the soul," Principal Jesse Gates wrote as Times-Union news partner First Coast News reported. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office would not confirm whether he was struck by a vehicle or where and also would not provide the Times-Union the report citing its an ongoing investigation. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Duval County pedestrian fatals surge; woman struck trying to save dog A woman who spent three nights in jail with Ruby Franke talked to Insider about her experience. Debra Monsen told Insider Franke was "really concerned" about being separated from Jodi Hildebrandt. She said Franke seemed "almost childlike" and "smitten" with her. A woman who shared a jail cell with Ruby Franke for three nights said Franke seemed fixated on her YouTube partner Jodi Hildebrandt and complained that they were held separately from one another. Debra Monsen, 52, spoke with Insider about her stint in the custody of Washington County Sheriff's Office in Utah at the same time as Franke and Hildebrandt. Monsen was arrested on August 31 on allegations of petty theft and drug possession she told Insider she is innocent and will fight the charges. She was booked the day after Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested on suspicion of aggravated child abuse. Franke is a famous parenting YouTuber who launched the channel 8 Passengers along with her husband Kevin, documenting their life with their six kids. The channel closed earlier this year and Franke switched to helping front Hildebrandt's channel ConneXions. Monsen said she spent around an hour with Hildebrandt at the start of her stay in the Purgatory Correctional Facility, followed by three nights with Franke in a medical area. As of Thursday, both Franke and Hildebrandt were listed as still being in the jail. Insider contacted representatives for Franke, and Hildebrandt but neither responded. Monsen said she had no idea who they were at the time, and only realized after she left and her family was talking about them on the drive home. Monsen described both Franke and Hildebrandt as "really tight-lipped," but said she had a lot of time to observe how Franke behaved. Most notably, she seemed distressed that she and Hildebrandt had been separated. "She said, 'God, how long are they going to keep us in here? And why did they separate me and Jodi?'" Monsen said. "She said, 'I can't understand why they separated me and my friend.'" Franke was "really, really concerned" about Hildebrandt, she said, and "wanted to see her, wanted to talk to her." Monsen said Franke was interested after she let her know that she was briefly held alongside Hildebrandt. "She's like, 'Oh, what did she say? How did she act? Did she say anything at all?'" she said, and described Franke as "almost childlike" in her manner and "almost smitten" with Hildebrandt. Monsen told Franke that Hildebrandt seemed "pretty distraught" and "didn't want to talk about anything at all." "Jodi had obviously been crying a lot," Monsen said of her time with Hildebrandt. "Her eyes were really red and swollen and kind of squinted. You could hardly see her eyes, and she looked very distressed." She said she asked Hildebrandt why she was in jail, and Hildebrandt looked at her with "not a smile, not a frown" but a straight face, and said: "I'd rather not say." "I said, OK, I apologize, I wasn't trying to invade your privacy," Monsen said. "And that was everything that was said between us." Monsen said Franke reacted to her account by saying "That's what I thought she would be like." Monsen said Franke also "played mother hen" to another woman in their cell, who Franke believed was going through drug withdrawal. Franke was "tucking the blankets under her and mothering her, nurturing her," Monsen said. Franke also carried a Bible with her a lot of the time "she kept holding it to her chest and she closed her eyes," Monsen said. At one point, Monsen said she saw Franke crying. When she asked her what was wrong, Franke said, "I just miss my kids." Monsen said she doubted Franke's sincerity though, saying her emotions seemed to have "no depth" and that she seemed "completely narcissistic." Franke and Hildebrandt both face six felony counts of child abuse. The Franke kids were taken into care after the arrest and the courts have kept details of their care since confidential, citing the childrens' need for privacy. Legal documents from the arrest allege that two of the children were found badly mistreated. An affidavit said one, a boy, escaped from a window at Hildebrandt's home in Ivins, Utah, and pleaded for help from a neighbor. Officers described him as emaciated and wounded, with duct tape round his ankles. Police then found another child in the same condition at Hildebrandt's house. On their first, chaotic appearance in court on September 9, both Franke and Hildebrandt were denied bail. Both have another hearing scheduled for September 18. Read the original article on Insider It's not common for PCs, or any device for that matter, to have a lifespan where it will no longer work once it hits the deadline even if the hardware is still functional. That's the case for Chromebooks and users are not happy about it. As a way to lessen the backlash, Google has extended the years when the laptops are still usable. Chromebooks Now Last Ten Years The search giant has announced that instead of the already extended eight years, Chromebooks can now last for ten years of regular automatic updates for devices that were released in 2019 or other models that were released later on. This means that the laptops released in 2019 that were set to shut down next year will now get an extra two years. Ten years is already quite extensive for a budget PC, especially since macOS only has seven years of updates, according to Ars Technica. Windows has a similar automatic update period of ten years even for devices that were released in the late 2000s. The key difference is that even without the update, other computers will still work as opposed to Chromebooks which will turn into mere paperweights. Google says that starting in 2024, owning a Chromebook that was released from 2021 onwards will grant users ten years of updates, while the Google laptops released in 2021 that are already in use will have the option to extend automatic updates to ten years from release. While the extension is generous enough, iFixit Director of Sustainability Elizabeth Chamberlain says that it's still "fundamentally flawed" to base updates and service timelines on the first manufacture date instead of the last new sale date. The US Public Interest Research Group, along with repair techs, repair activists, and US school districts, urged Google to extend the support to ten years back in April, but the tech giant said that it won't be so simple to do so. Google reasoned that automatic update expiration (AUE) dates are not easy to change since the dates "depend on many device-specific, non-Google hardware and software providers that work with Google to provide the highest level of security and stability support." Read Also: Chromebooks Are No Longer the Best Choice for Schools Apple Might Have an Alternative Apple is rumored to be working on a cheaper laptop model, which could rival Chromebooks in both quality and the lack of an AUE. Apple computers are usually between $600 to a couple of thousand. Given that the budget laptops are still rumors, there's no price range yet. The cheaper Apple laptop would likely use cheaper materials in order to lower the price range, which will also go for components. This means that buyers shouldn't expect the same kind of quality they would find in Apple's higher-priced computers. According to Gizmodo, the laptop might be released in 2024, but since it's still just a rumor, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Chromebooks usually range from $200 to $500. Hopefully, Apple's rumored laptop will be close to those prices. Related: Apple is Rumored to Launch a Budget-Friendly Laptop A woman in Canada said she received a box with more than 1,000 Trojan condoms even though she didn't buy any. Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images A woman in Canada said she received over 1,000 condoms from Amazon. Joelle Angleheart told CTV News Toronto that she didn't order any of them. Amazon has refunded Angleheart for the order, but told her she could keep the condoms. A woman in Canada said Amazon randomly sent her a box of over 1,000 condoms she didn't order. Joelle Angleheart, a woman from Chapleau, Ontario, told CTV News Toronto in a segment that aired on Thursday that she "had no idea why" the condoms were sent to her. Angleheart told the Canadian news station that she received a package with 30 boxes of Trojan condoms. Each box contained 34 condoms, per Angleheart. "We really can't understand what exactly took place and why we received the package at our house," Angleheart said. Angleheart told CTV News Toronto that she did receive an email notification from Amazon on the delivery. However, she ignored it, thinking that the notification was a scam. CTV News Toronto did not specify when Angleheart received the delivery. Insider was unable to independently verify the package's delivery date. Angleheart later discovered that the condoms, which cost around $500, had been billed to her credit card. She told CTV News Toronto that she had spent the past four months asking Amazon for a refund. Angleheart said Amazon initially didn't agree to her request because the condoms were considered personal items. An Amazon spokesperson told Insider that Amazon has refunded Angleheart for the fraudulent purchase and is still investigating the matter. "We work hard to provide customers with a great experience and it's our commitment to go above and beyond to make things right for customers and hold bad actors accountable," the spokesperson said. "As we continue to investigate this matter, Amazon secured the customer's account and their money has been returned," the spokesperson continued, adding that Angleheart's case was resolved in June. Angleheart told CTV News Toronto that Amazon said she could keep the load of condoms. "I would perhaps try to advertise that I am selling condoms at a discounted price," Angleheart said. Editor's note: September 18, 2023 This story has been updated with comments from an Amazon spokesperson. Read the original article on Insider Members of the Army National Guard and Patriot Guard Riders salute the casket with the remains of Army Pfc. Roy J. Searle of Graniteville, Rhode Island, who was killed during World War II near Rehlingen, Germany in December, 1944. He was buried at the South Florida National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth Beach on September 13, 2023. Thousands of miles and nearly eight decades stood between U.S. Army Pfc. Roy J. Searle and his final resting place at the South Florida National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth Beach. We have longed for this day," the Rev. Julian P. Harris said during Wednesday's service for Searle, who died in Germany during World War II but remained unidentified until recently. Searle, a native of Rhode Island, joined the armed forces in October 1942. He served in the 357th Infantry Regiment, within the 90th Infantry Division a unit known as the "Tough 'Ombres" during a fierce battle about two years later. He was 22 years old when his unit crossed the Saar River before sunrise on Dec. 6, 1944, facing heavy resistance from German forces. Searle wore a standard-issue field jacket and wool clothing hardly enough to protect him from the frigid winter. Still, he pushed forward as enemy artillery and gunfire rained down on the U.S. soldiers. As a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, he fired 81mm mortars and heavy machine guns during the dayslong battle, fighting to capture and hold the heavily defended towns of Pachten and Dillingen. Enemy shrapnel hit Searle and brought his fight to an end near Rehlingen, Germany, on Dec. 9. Not long after, his division withdrew and traveled to the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, a swift maneuver that required fallen soldiers, including Searle, to be left on the battlefield. His body, along with others, were buried by enemy soldiers in a civilian cemetery," Harris said. "They were not discarded. They were buried with great care, as any soldier would do for another soldier. Dog tags hang from Army Pfc. Roy J. Searle's casket. In 1946, Searle's remains still unidentified at the time were recovered from the civilian cemetery in Germany and transferred to a site now known as the Normandy American Cemetery in France. Historians with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency researched the unknown soldier, labeled on documents as "X-4650." They unearthed his remains and sent them to a laboratory in June 2021. Scientists at the agency used dental and anthropological analysis to pinpoint the soldier's identity, and scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used several forms of DNA analysis. The announcement came about one year later: The remains belonged to Searle, and he had a surviving family member in Boynton Beach. Betty Rhodes, Searle's first cousin once removed, was born two years after the soldier's death. Rhodes was returning from a walk on the beach in late 2022 when she received a phone call that left her nearly speechless. A member of the honor guard hugs Betty Rhodes after a ceremony Wednesday at the South Florida National Cemtery for her cousin, Army Pfc. Roy J. Searle of Graniteville, Rhode Island, who was killed during World War II near Rehlingen, Germany in December 1944. MORE: Boynton man's grandparents perished in Auschwitz; his family's hidden heirloom has an extraordinary story I got a call from the military, confirming who I was and saying they had identified his body. I said, I cant talk now. You need to call me back because Im kind of in shock. Rhodes said it felt wonderful to finally see Searle honored for his service at Wednesday's ceremony. Members of the Army National Guard performed "Taps" on the trumpet and carried out a ceremonial folding and presentation of the American flag. Boynton Beach's American Legion Post 164 Honor Guard performed a three-volley salute. And a dozen members of the Patriot Guard Riders provided a motorcycle escort, along with a final prayer for Searle. Boynton Beach's American Legion Post 164 Honor Guard fires three volleys Wednesday for Army Pfc. Roy J. Searle. 'Don't wait until the next tragedy:' Boynton Beach reflects on lessons learned from 9/11 It is our great loss that we didn't know this brave warrior personally, but we do know that his love of country and his distinguished military service was proud, courageous and honorable, said Jeff Garten, a leader with the Patriot Guard Riders. Be at peace, brave soldier, you served us well." Boynton Memorial Chapel funeral director Hannah Weiss and Patriot Guard Riders move the casket of Army Pfc. Roy J. Searle, who was killed in December 1944 during battle in Germany. Giuseppe Sabella is a reporter covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at gsabella@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism and subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: WWII soldier identified, laid to rest at South Florida National Cemetery More than 1,300 boxes of records have been scanned as part of the Wyandotte County district attorneys effort to digitize decades-old files, in part to review cases touched by an indicted former detective. District Attorney Mark Dupree gave an update on the project Thursday at the regular meeting of the Unified Governments Board of Commissioners, which funded the $1.7 million project. County officials in November voted to borrow money and use federal coronavirus relief funds for the project after Dupree said he wanted to find and review each case that involved then-Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski, who faces federal charges for allegedly using his position to rape women and protect sex traffickers. Golubski worked at the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department from 1975 to 2010, including as a captain, and then in Edwardsville, where he was a detective until 2016. Attorneys for Lamonte McIntyre, who spent 23 years in prison for killings he did not commit, have long claimed Golubski framed him, raising questions about other cases he investigated in which prisoners maintain they are innocent. Thousands of district attorney case files sat in the countys old jail and were not organized or searchable, Dupree has said. It meant his office could not simply type in Golubskis name and determine which cases he worked. Initially, the DAs office thought there were 4,000 boxes of files, but after clearing out the jail, that figure rose to more than 4,600. As of this week, 1,397 of those boxes or about 10,700 files had been scanned, Dupree said. Our staff right now is receiving training from the folks who are doing the scanning ... so that we can have the ability to search every day and begin to review those files, he said. X, formerly Twitter, has launched government ID-based account verification for paid users to prevent impersonation and give them benefits such as "prioritized support." The social network has partnered with Israel-based Au10tix for identity verification solutions. The pop-up for ID verification indicates that the Au10tix could store this data for up to 30 days. X is rolling out an government ID based verification system Image Credits: Screenshot by TechCrunch X's support page for verification suggests that, while ID verification is available in "numerous countries," it is not available in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and the United Kingdom. This is most likely because of the stringent data protection laws of the region. The ID-based verification seems like a preempted step that currently leads to almost no benefits. The company said it might age-gate some content based on the age derived from the ID. "X currently focuses on account authentication to prevent impersonation and may explore additional measures, such as ensuring users have access to age-appropriate content and protecting against spam and malicious accounts, to maintain the integrity of the platform and safeguard healthy conversations," it said. Users who go through the verification badge will have a note that says that their government ID was verified. But you can only see it when you click on the blue checkmark on the profile page. The company also said that users with ID verification will get "prioritized support from X Services," but it is hard to understand what this means. Notably, last month, the company rolled out a way for paid users to hide their checkmarks from their profiles. X said that, in the future, it plans to expedite the review process for checkmarks if a user verifies their IDs. Plus, they will get to make frequent changes to their names, usernames or profile photos without losing the checkmark. The company is currently offering ID-based verification for paid users only. Ironically, X talks about reducing impersonation and spam but doesn't offer verification tools to all users. In April, Twitter discontinued its legacy verification program and removed checkmarks from accounts. But since that caused a lot of chaos, the company reinstated the checkmark for top accounts. Last month, the social network changed its privacy policy to add that it has the ability to capture users' biometric data, education and job history. This will additionally help us tie, for those that choose, an account to a real person by processing their government-issued ID, X said in a statement to Bloomberg at that time. This will also help X fight impersonation attempts and make the platform more secure. Florida rapper and would-be death row inmate Jamell YNW Melly is in court Friday for a hearing to determine whether he will be allowed to post bail and get out of jail ahead of his retrial on murder charges. Demons, 24, has been in custody since 2019, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his friends Christopher YNW Juvy Thomas and Anthony YNW Sakchaser Williams. Related Articles Bail is not guaranteed in first-degree murder cases, but to keep an inmate in custody, prosecutors have to convince a judge of his guilt using a burden of proof prosecutors and defense lawyers in the case described as even higher than beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard required to convict. That burden is known in court as proof evident, presumption great, and in laymans terms it means there is no reasonable question of the defendants guilt, though he still has a right to a trial by jury. Demons lawyers are arguing that he should be entitled to reasonable bail because a jury in July could not even agree that the reasonable doubt standard had been met at trial. Since the jury could not reach a verdict beyond a reasonable doubt, it certainly cannot carry the burden of proof evident, presumption great, defense lawyer Stuart Adelstein said on Friday. Surveillance video showed Demons, the victims, and driver Cortland YNW Bortlen Henry getting into a Jeep after a late-night recording session on Oct. 26, 2018. Thomas and Williams were shot to death, according to forensics experts, from someone sitting in the seat that Demons had occupied. Demons could face the death penalty if convicted. The driver, Henry, has also been charged in the case and will be tried separately. At least one juror was not convinced that Demons was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, which took place when the Jeep was miles away from the recording studio. Defense lawyers argued at trial that someone else did the shooting and investigators jumped to the conclusion that it was Demons in the back seat. The bond hearing for Demons began shorly before 10 a.m. in front of Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy. Prosecutor Kristine Bradley said in court that the judge is entitled to consider evidence that was not presented to the jury in determining whether the proof evident or presumption great standard has been met. Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. A Westchester County judge released the man who broke a Yonkers cop's nose without bail after the defense lawyer said he had been disoriented at the time of the attack and the man said he was trying to turn his life around and find a job. Yonkers police and Mayor Mike Spano expressed outrage that Judge Maurice Dean Williams set no bail for Johnny McCray on Sept. 8, two days after McCray seemingly sucker-punched the officer as police and EMTs were trying to help him. A second cop suffered a minor knee injury in the subsequent scuffle to subdue McCray. Spano called the attack on the officer "the very definition of insanity" and Detective Keith Olson, president of the Yonkers PBA and of the Affiliated Police Associations of Westchester, said McCray was a "menace to society" and the judge's decision "appalling". "The justice system is consistently bailing out criminal offenders," Spano said this week in a statement. "This Officer is now out on leave and not able to do his job, while this offender is able to continue to make a living. How can any reasonable person expect that we can protect the public if we cant even protect our Police Officers?" McCray, 39, had only been out of jail for six days after serving a sentence for misdemeanor assault. He was also still on parole after serving five years for a 2017 attempted robbery, his third stint in state prison. On the night of Sept. 6, police responded to Yonkers Avenue near Cypress Street on a report of a man down on the sidewalk. They helped McCray into an ambulance and urged him to stay there when he tried to get out. At one point he asked "Where am I?" and then punched one of the officers in the nose He was charged with second-degree assault and a city judge on Sept. 7 ordered McCray held without bail at the county jail. His Legal Aid lawyers sought a bail hearing in county court the next day, which Williams conducted virtually, according to a transcript. Defense lawyer Vincent De Marte told the judge that McCray had been jumped and knocked unconscious after getting off a bus and when he came to as the officers and EMTs were helping him "he started fighting thinking he was still under attack." De Marte said McCray, a father of six who lives with his fiancee in Tarrytown, is a lifelong county resident with no money to pay bail. Assistant District Attorney John Thomas asked for $75,000 cash bail, $150,000 bond or $300,000 partially secured bond that would have required McCray to come up with $30,000. He cited the possibility that McCray's three prior violent felonies make him eligible for a mandatory prison term that could include a maximum of life. And he emphasized that one of the warrants he has had for failing to appear in court was related to his most recent assault conviction. He only showed up seven months later because he was arrested for criminal contempt, Thomas said. While defendants don't normally speak at bail applications, McCray told the judge he was sorry for what happened and that he had a scheduled interview for a job at a bakery. He said he has had treatment for substance abuse and anger management. "I want to say that I apologize to everyone. I really am. I'm sorry," he said, according to the transcript. "I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know what was going on. I really, really, really like want to change my life. I had issues all my life. I finally got to a point in my life and I want to change and do good for the community." Williams said his responsibility was to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether a defendant "poses a risk of flight to avoid prosecution." He acknowledged the significant prison time McCray could face if convicted and that he committed his crime despite being on parole. "Notwithstanding that, given the facts and circumstances (giving) rise to this altercation or the circumstances leading to this defendant's arrest, this Court is going to decline to set monetary bail," the judge said. Williams ordered McCray to be fitted for a GPS anklet but would not subject him to home confinement. "To the extent that this defendant can try to get gainful employment, I don't want there to be any impediment...in the sense that he can make a contribution to society," the judge said. He gave McCray until his scheduled court appearance in Yonkers on Sept. 12 to get the monitoring device. McCray did show up for that and it was fitted on him. Bail reform in New York in recent years has limited cases that are bail eligible and requires judges to focus on whether a defendant will return to court and not whether they pose a danger. The outrage of Spano and police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza seemed to focus on the latter and on eventual punishment, with the mayor saying "we need to step up and re-commit to keep those proven to hurt and plague the community in jail where they belong." "If we continue to tell offenders that crime, especially violent crime, is not taken seriously by the decisions made in our courts, we can be sure that judges inaction and gentle approach to punishing repeat felons will severely undermine and limit the effectiveness of any crime-fighting strategy, Sapienza said. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers police, mayor angered by release of defendant who punched cop The New York Police Department has arrested two more men this week over their alleged involvement in destroying a Pride flag display at the Stonewall National Monument at Christopher Park. Three have been arrested so far. Last month, Patrick Murphy of Colorado was arrested after turning himself in to the police. Video of the incident that took place on June 10 showed three men, however, destroying the display and the many flags. Christopher Park, where the attacks occurred, is across the street from the location of the famed Stonewall Inn and the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park were designated national monuments in 2016. Authorities arrested Charles Hyder, 25, of Manhattan, on Tuesday in connection to the attack on the flags. On Wednesday, Jackson Randall, 24, of Boston, was also arrested, according to Gothamist. Both arrests occurred in Greenwich Village. The three men have been charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime. I just hope that people being held responsible for their actions will start deterring these things from happening in the future, the displays creator, Steven Love Menendez, told Gothamist. And more than that, I just wish that the rhetoric of hate that's being pumped out by some pundits and politicians and being put into the air would just be brought to an end. Two other incidents of vandalism also took place in Christopher Park in June. Those investigations continue, authorities say. After a summer of record-smashing global warming events, advocates hope this weekend will bring some of the largest climate protests in years nationwide, including marches, school walk-outs and a major mobilization effort in New York City on Sunday. "This summer has been unprecedented," said Xiye Bastida, a 21-year-old climate activist from Philadelphia. "Not only the heat waves, we've had the hottest days in 125,000 years, hurricanes where they aren't supposed to be. The skies turned red in New York due to the smoke. We can't keep up with all the things we've seen." She will be one of what advocates hope will be hundreds of thousands of people participating worldwide in what's being called global days of action between Friday and Sunday. More than 200 protests are scheduled globally. In Berlin, Germany as many as 24,000 protesters marched through the city on Friday, calling for stronger efforts to curb climate change. A Climate Clock installation in New York City, counting down the time remaining to prevent global warming from rising above 1.5C based on data from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. What do climate change protest organizers want? Multiple groups are sponsoring and organizing but the main US focus is a call for the Biden Administration to reject new fossil fuel projects, phase out fossil fuels and declare a climate emergency. Organizers predict the U.S. marches will be the largest climate protests in the last five years. "People don't want to march against something, they want to march for something," said Bastida, who is Mexican-American and a member of the indigenous Otomi community. "These marches have a very specific all to action." Last week the United Nations warned that the world is "heading in the wrong direction" when it comes to climate change. Globally, the protests are focusing on calls for political leaders to rapidly phase out fossil fuels. Floods, droughts, heat waves, extreme storms and wildfires are going from bad to worse, breaking records with alarming frequency," said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement. "There is nothing natural about the new scale of these disasters. They are the price of humanitys fossil fuel addiction." The activism is also linked to the United Nations General Assembly session scheduled for Sept. 20 on global participation and collaboration on climate action along with the fifteenth annual Climate Week New York City. Organizers from multiple activist groups are calling for a new urgency after a summer that so alarmed Guterres that he said in July, The era of global warming has ended. The era of global boiling has arrived. Young people are freaked out by climate change, said Aru Shiney-Ajay, deputy campaigns director for the Sunrise Movement, whose website proclaims "We are the Climate Revolution." Increasingly drastic, but non-violent, action As more people are impacted by climate change, Noah Gordon, co-director of the climate program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC., expects an increase in large public demonstrations. But there is also an uptick in small efforts aimed at getting the public to take notice. "If you think it's the end of the world, it makes sense to act. You're starting to see more drastic action, people gluing themselves to a highway or at car dealerships," he said. In Europe, climate protesters have defaced art, while during the US Open semifinal match on Sept. 7, protesters wearing T-shirts that said "End Fossil Fuels" interrupted the match for 49 minutes and one glued his feet to the cement floor. Gordon noted that while such protests inconvenienced some people, they have stayed overwhelmingly non-violent. A growing movement Climate protests have been taking place for years but became more urgent with the emergence of Climate Strikes, a movement begun in September 2018 when Swedish high schooler Greta Thunberg skipped school for three weeks, running to stand outside the Swedish parliament and calling for lawmakers to address climate change. In 2019 the organization she helped found, Fridays for the Future, held a massive Global Climate Strike. In New York City, as many as 250,000 marched. Large groups also turned out in San Francisco (40,000), Denver (7,500) Boston (7,000), Chicago (3,000), Portland (2,000) and Washington, D.C., among other cities. The COVID pandemic somewhat slowed the movement's momentum, making the 2023 protests the first major show of activity in many cities. "It's a very big deal," said Gordon. He maintains a climate protest tracker and expects this to be a major weekend for climate protests after the pandemic lull. Despite years of concern about global warming, the reality is staring humanity in the face, he said. The warning signs have spanned generations and decades, but now those abstract, expert predictions are increasingly becoming a world-shaping reality. "I would expect there to be large protests, especially with the summer we just had," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Global days of action Climate change protests planned this weekend Askia Strong wanted Nikeya Shumake dead. It didn't matter to him that their three children looked on from an SUV just a few feet away as he repeatedly pulled a trigger one day last year, trying to end her life, a prosecutor argued in court. Shumake, however, survived the attack. A Milwaukee County jury Thursday convicted Strong, 33, of Waukesha, of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, as well as other charges. During the four-day trial, jurors heard from 12 witnesses, including police investigators and detectives who described a macabre scene at a South 24th Street alley, one littered with bullet fragments and spent 9mm shells. Shumake and her 13-year-old daughter provided the most compelling testimony. Shumake and the teen became emotional as they separately recounted the July 23, 2022, shooting from the witness stand. Each identified Strong as the shooter. "My dad just shot my mom!" the girl can be heard screaming on a 911 recording that was played in court. Video of the incident captured on a surveillance camera in the alley where the shooting occurred also was shown to jurors. Defense attorney Theodore O'Reilly, of Milwaukee, argued the footage was too grainy and recorded from too far away to prove definitively Strong was the person who pulled the trigger. Here's what investigators say happened that day Shumake was driving with Strong and their three children ages 12, 5 and 2 at the time on South 24th Street to pick up a cell phone from a cousin's house. On the way, Strong tried to show inappropriate pictures to their daughter. Shumake told him to stop and that started an argument. Strong hit her in the face with the blunt end of a gun, according to a July 28, 2022, criminal complaint detailing the incident. Strong threatened her and yelled at her until their vehicle pulled up in front of the cousin's home. Strong, who was in the back seat, wouldn't get out of the vehicle and threatened to shoot her if she didn't start "acting right," the criminal complaint said. More: He was willing to kill to get Teryton Bonner's gun. Now, he's going to prison for 21 years. 'Stop! You're killing my mother!' Shumake was able to put the vehicle in park. It was then that Strong told her he was going to shoot her. Shumake got out of the vehicle and began to run. Strong got out of the car and chased the woman down an alley. A gunshot was fired. The woman felt pain in her neck and under her right ear. That's when the gunman shot her point blank in the upper back. She fell to the ground, then the gunman stood over her, then starting firing again. And again. "His intent was clear. He was trying to kill her," Assistant District Attorney Katie Bakunowicz told the jury. Shumake was struck in the abdomen, stomach and pubic area. One of her lungs collapsed. Investigators would later count "15-23 bullet holes; staff at St. Luke's Hospital described her as having been shot 'all over her body,'" the complaint says. More: 'Coldest of hearts': Milwaukee man gets life in corn vendor's slaying Shumake's daughter tried to help. She yelled at Strong: "Stop, you're killing my mother!" The woman's younger children, ages 5 and 2, ran toward her as the gunman was shooting her. After Strong left the scene on foot, Shumake somehow was able to get up and walk, with her children, towards South 24th Street. It was there that a Good Samaritan found her and drove her to the hospital. Strong also was convicted of recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, all felonies. He also was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of bail jumping. Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 17 before Circuit Court Judge Rebecca A. Kiefer. The gun used in the attack was never recovered. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee woman shot 15 times lives to testify in conviction of gunman The trial at the center of Zadie Smith s new novel, The Fraud, has all the ingredients of a reckoning with Victorian Britains colonial wealth and the crimes upon which it rested. The year is 1869, and a butcher, Andrew Orton, purports to be Roger Tichborne, the heir to the Tichborne-Doughty fortune, who was long thought to be dead. The Tichborne Claimant is defended first by his mother, though she dies in the first few pages of The Fraud, and then by Andrew Bogle, former valet to another member of the Tichborne family and son of a former slave, who claims he recognizes the Claimant and in fact journeyed back with him to London on a ship. Class and race collide and titillate the tabloid-reading public: a poor man laying claim to a great fortune, supported by the son of a slave. Among the fascinated readers is Sarah, the young fiancee of the novelist William Ainsworth. The daughter of a prostitute and boot-black, like many of her former class, Sarah is thrilled and fascinated by the trial; the idea that someone whose life looks and feels like hers did for most of her life might be laying claim to something more. I tell you I believe Sir Roger, she enthuses. I am a thorough believer in him hell show them uppity Tichbornes and all their prejudiced lawyers a thing or two. Meanwhile for Williams cousin Eliza, the trial reflects the absurdities of both sides: Illiterate Sarahs assuredness is only slightly more laughable to Eliza than William and his daughters confidence that this interloper cannot possibly be one of them. God help us all, she says half-heartedly amid one of the many heated household arguments over the subject. Each of Smiths characters is wary of fakes, counterfeits, and illusions. Each, except perhaps Eliza, feels sure that they have access to their own truth. Andrew Orton might be a fraud, and maybe Bogle too. But what about the cruel swindle of the slave trade, and of imperial domination? And doesnt the trial show, also, the absurdity of inherited titles and wealth? These systems of ordering our society might also be their own form of con. Closer to home, at least for Eliza, the frauds are novelists. Smith renders Ainsworth, as well as his contemporaries Dickens and Thackeray, as largely farcical. On Thackeray, Eliza says, Strange man. Curious mix of bitter humour, envy and cowardice. On Dickens, Oh what does it matter what that man thinks of anything? Hes a novelist! This doubtabout the role of the novelistis as much the center of Smiths book as the trial. For several years, Smith has been grappling with the novels fraudulence. It might well be that we simply dont want or need novels like mine anymore, she wrote in The New York Review of Books in 2019. It may be that the whole category of what we used to call fiction is becoming lost to us. The essay likens writing novels to colonialism, exploitation, and extraction: mining other peoples lives for ones own profit. Who has the right to make things upand to what end? Who has a right to hem in whom and at what cost? The Fraud picks up these questions, in a novel that is as much as an interrogation of storytelling as it is a story about the stories the characters tell in order to get by in Victorian London. Smith launched her career as a writer of sprawling, densely populated novels, and The Fraud has a typically complex arrangement of central characters. Relationships in the Ainsworth household are a complicated web. Eliza is cousin by marriage to William Ainsworth. She was once in love with his now dead wife and is also Williams former lover (S and M was involved; Eliza was the wielder of the whip). She is now his housekeeper. Then there is Sarah, who dresses and acts like the maid of the house, and used to be, until she bore William a child. Sarah and William are now set to be married in a ceremony orchestrated by Eliza in the coming weeks. Eliza is past middle age when we first meet her, far removed from almost all the major frictions of her earlier life. Shes wise and knowing, functioning mostly as the silent observer to the flaws and foibles of those around her, not least their farcical attempts at writing books. At the start of the novel, Ainsworth is embarking on a novel set partially in Jamaica, an island upon which he has never set foot. (Yes, but Eliza, neither have I lived through the Restoration, or been a highwayman, or met Guy Fawkes, he protests.) The result has only a short postcard portrait of the island, buried under the weight of an entangling plot like a bobbin at the bottom of a sewing box. When Eliza questions his use of Cant dialect in one of his novels, William assures her that while hes never deigned to hear it spoken in real time, he has seen it used once in a book. Eliza was quite sure this was not how it worked. These sections are charming, funnysticky almost with the glee of knowing enough to find these Great Writers and their Great Work absurdshowing how much sharper Eliza is than near everyone around her, though they leave us without much access to whatever else she might be. We skim past her vulnerabilities and missteps, elide what might live beneath her prickly surface, as she stays distanced from the arch comedy of these early scenes. As the trial gets going, Sarah is desperate to attend, and, shocking everyone, Eliza offers to function as her chaperone. Eliza is an abolitionistwho signed old petitions, began new ones, sewed, baked and wrote letters to raise money for visiting American speakers, and she focuses mostly on Bogle; a focus more intense even than her politics could explain. Later, Eliza could never decide whether it was the influence of the crowd or some mysterious and mesmerizing aspect of Bogle that had worked upon her. It seemed never in her life had she been more curious to hear a man speak. She is enough of a skeptic to doubt that the court proceedings will explain what really happened: Of all the places the truth may appear, she thinks, perhaps the least likely is the circus. But she wants to know Bogle, who appears to her a confoundment, like honesty itself. Much later in the novel, after the trial is closed, Eliza takes the surprisingly bold step of asking Bogle to lunch. And its here, in Bogles story, that the novel comes assuredly to life. We go back to 1770, and Bogles fathers boyhood on Hope Plantation, the inevitable loss and devastation. A different sort of life enters the novel; the parody falls away. Our attention is allowed to settle for long stretches; individual, paragraph-long scenes are stunning and affecting. We watch Bogles life shift constantly at the whims of his employers. One dies, another doesnt like him, hes sent away. He overhears Lady Tichborne refer to him as that ape. He buries wives and children. Whereas Smiths mode of flitting from scene to scene without direction feels destabilizing earlier in the novel, here it becomes devastating, tense, lifelike. Bogles story, as it butts up against the trials murmurings and distractions, reflects the world back at us, but in a sharper, more coherent form. The Claimant, by contrast with Bogle, is all empty bluster. I hate typing the word Trump, but hes there in all of Ortons bombast, more absurd even than the novelists. Two-hundred pounds heavier than the Roger Tichborne who left London, and with no recollection of the fluent French he once spoke, nor the education he supposedly received, one saw at once that here was a man who moved as the wind moved. A man with no center, who might be nudged in any direction, depending. If Bogle appears impenetrable to Eliza because of his depths, Orton appears scandalously legible to his crowd of supporters; everything is on the surface. And what else is honestyas the new Mrs Ainsworth liked to saybut a face what reads like an open book? After the first trip to the trial, and before Eliza and Bogles lunch, the book goes back in time to more talk of novelists, to drinks and parties, to more novelists absurdities. The men are rude to Elizasome willing to sit next to her, but more happiest when shes pouring them drinks. Scenes of untagged dialogue show bloviating painters, publishers, and writers. Ainsworths daughter Emily remembers Dickens because he gives her sugar cubes, claiming the one he keeps is for his horse, before eating it himself in front of her. If one of Smiths concerns about the dangers of the novel is its tendency to tell tidy, too-neat little stories, these sections feel like an active attempt at unruliness. Theyre told largely out of chronological order and lack many typical features of a novelistic narrative, the churn of tension or revelation. They feel instead like artfully built set pieces. They seem to flit around as if to create something atmospheric and not quite part of the novel, but they also attenuate the narrative investments that the books been building toward. As Eliza and Sarah get deeper into the trial, Eliza becomes less interested in the truth of Ortons claim than in her own sudden itch to write. She had her paper and her pen and her inkpot and the timing was impeccable she had known the giddiness of love, and the febrile sensations of hate and fear, but this feeling was different an excitement of the blood that was yet under the total control of her mind. It is a turn that makes sense intellectually. Elizas always been the sharp, quiet observer. The book is about novels after all. Yet the parts of The Fraud that falter are not those that unfairly lay claim to someone elses story but those that do not plunge far enough into another life. When Eliza, having taken in Bogles story, is moved to write it down, she has an epiphany: All her life she had been trying to open a locked door. She had pushed as hard as she could upon itusing means both personal and metaphysicalin the belief that the door opened outwards, onto ultimate reality, and that this was a sight few people are ever granted in this lifetimeparticularly if they happen to be born female. Now without any effort on her part, the door had come loose on its hinges. Finally, she could open it! But to her astonishment it opened inwards. She had been standing inside the very thing shes been looking for. Yet here is where the novel feels somewhat hollow: the very thing shes been looking for? In its pages, The Fraud does not reach deep enough into Eliza to convey her seeking and her yearning, to build up a sense of what that might be. More precisely, the book does reach, sometimes, into Eliza, but it has its fingers in so many other, separate places that it is difficult for the reader to get purchase on those depths when they come. In one of my favorite sections from Smiths 2017 essay Crazy They Call Me, told as a direct address from the perspective of an imagined Billie Holliday, Smith says: They never want to know about the surprise you feel in yourself when something in the modulation of your throat leaps up, like a kid reaching for a rising balloon, except most kids miss while you catch ityes, you catch it almost without expecting tolanding on an incidental note, a perfect addition, one you never put in that phrase before, and never heard anyone else do, and yet you can hear at once that it is perfection. Perfection! Its as good an articulation of artmaking, when, finally, its working, as I have read: a grasping, reaching, that through some inarticulable combination of thinking, feeling, trustingsometimes ventriloquizingyoure able to catch. Included in her collection Feel Free, Crazy is accompanied by this explanatory asterisk: I was asked to write an introductory essay for a book of Billie Holliday photos, Smith writes. I did try to write an essay about Billie, but every angle seemed too formal or cold. In the end, I opted for some form of ventriloquy instead. One has this vision of Smith sifting through those photos, casting about for different angles, trying to bring whats been said and seen before to new life. Finding, finally, the answer in this ventriloquism: unexpected, risky; reaching for and grasping that balloon. Yet it is when The Fraud reaches its emotional peak with Elizas epiphany that the book seems to crack under the weight of all its various interests, to succumb to its own uncertainty about the point of novels themselves. A great novel gives you not just a rendering of the books characters and actions but a sort of subliminal accrual of ineffabilitya subconscious sense that something ungraspable is being grasped at. Zadie Smith is absolutely a great novelist, but, in The Fraud, while there is much intricately rendered surface, and a crackling, thrilling intellect working through some fascinating questions, there is not quite enough trust in what the novel might still be able to contain. Feature: Malawi in gratitude marks 15th anniversary of Chinese medical team deployment Xinhua) 10:57, September 15, 2023 LILONGWE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China sent the first batch of a medical team consisting of 19 specialists to Malawi six months after the two countries established diplomatic relations in December 2007, which has started a long tradition of support that China has maintained to the sub-Saharan developing country. So far, China has dispatched 10 batches of medical teams to Malawi, with a total of 170 people, treating more than 200,000 patients. The Chinese medical team has always been helpful in the areas of capacity building, clinical services, and provision of medical equipment and supplies. "When the first medical team came to Malawi 15 years ago, our health system did not have enough clinical specialists as we have now," explained Jonathan Ngoma, director of Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), one of the two referral health facilities that the Chinese medical team supports in Malawi. "The (local) college of medicine at that time had not started producing their own specialists and, at that time, the current crop of senior specialists had gone to South Africa for their post-graduate studies," said Ngoma, as China celebrated 60 years of sending medical teams to the world and 15 years to Malawi, on Sept. 8 at the Chinese Embassy in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. According to Ngoma, the deployment of the Chinese medical team to Malawi continues to strengthen the country's health system, enabling it to remain resilient to a number of challenges. "Over the years, the Chinese medical team's specialists have helped in various areas, and during the period we've had interaction with the Chinese medical team, some of our team members have had attachments in China where they went to a college in Beijing," explained the KCH director. The other area that Malawi remains grateful for the support of the Chinese medical team is new equipment and medical supplies that each batch comes with to the two referral health facilities, namely, the KCH in Lilongwe, and Mzuzu Central Hospital (MCH) in the northern region of Malawi. In the wake of COVID-19 in Malawi, for instance, China was the first to donate various equipment and supplies to Malawi to strengthen the country's health system in fighting the pandemic. On this year's International Children's Day, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Long Zhou, and Malawian First Lady Monica Chakwera launched the "China-Africa Hand in Hand to Warm Children's Hearts" at the Home of Hope, an institution in Malawi's western border district of Mchinji. Through the campaign, the 10th batch of the Chinese medical team in Malawi provided free medical consultations to more than 300 children at the Home of Hope. Wang Hao, the Chinese charge d'affaires to Malawi, described the medical and health field as a "key area of cooperation" between the two countries. Wang's assurance during the commemoration last week was that China would continue to support Malawi's health system for the good health of the citizenry. "The Chinese government will continue to dispatch medical teams to Malawi, implement the paired hospital cooperation mechanism projects, and promote deeper and more practical cooperation in the medical and health field under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation," he said. "We hope to continue to promote health and welfare for the Malawians, and write a new chapter in our friendship." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Google Pixel Watch owners may want to be more careful with them. The search giant has recently confirmed to the press that it doesn't have any repair option for the Google Pixel Watch, forcing people who only want theirs repaired to replace them entirely. A Google Pixel Watch costs $349 or $399, depending on which configuration customers want. Google Pixel Watch Repair Problems Google Pixel Watch owners are unsatisfied with how difficult it is to have their cracked or broken Google Pixel Watch screens replaced. According to a report from The Verge, Pixel Watch owners have vented their frustrations about this issue on Reddit and in Google support forums. However, the publication managed to review an official Google support chat from a Pixel Watch owner with a damaged screen. In it, a support representative explained that Google doesn't have any repair or service centers that will repair their smartwatches for them. Google spokesperson Bridget Starkey added that Google doesn't have any repair option for the smartwatch at the moment. They also included that the customer in question can contact the smartwatch's customer support team to check on replacement options. Furthermore, Starkey referred to Google's hardware warranty policy, which states that the limited warranty that the smartwatch comes with doesn't cover the following circumstances: normal wear and tear accidents misuse neglect disassembly alterations servicing other than by Google-authorized technicians, and external causes (e.g. liquid damage, exposure to sharp objects, excessive force, anomalies in electrical current supplied to the Google product, and extreme thermal or environmental conditions.) Read More: Adobe Premiere Pro Filler Word Detection Tool is Every Editor's Savior As such, the warranty policy leaves Pixel Watch owners on their own, forcing them to find a way to repair their cracked or broken screens. They can also have their Pixel Watches replaced, but they'll need to fork over the equivalent of a new Pixel Watch to get their replacement, as one Pixel Watch owner found out. Whether Google will handle repairs for cracked or broken Pixel Watch screens remains to be seen. However, it is technically possible to replace a broken Pixel Watch screen with a new one. iFixit's Input While getting repairs on cracked or broken Pixel Watch screens from Google is seemingly impossible, replacing them with a new one is possible, albeit complicated. According to a 9to5Google report, How-to website iFixit has a guide that shows how to replace a cracked or broken screen. The repair process shows that the screen, regardless of its condition, isn't easily accessible, though the watch itself looks promising in terms of future repairability. Unfortunately, buying a replacement display isn't possible as of press time, as there's no current way to officially buy one. This sourcing issue is made worse by Google not offering repair options for its Pixel Watches. By contrast, a Samsung smartwatch is straightforward to repair, with iFixit listing out repair part costs and Asurion listing Samsung smartwatch repairs on its website. However, past precedence has shown that Samsung is an exception to the rule - Apple's smartwatches have also been difficult (and expensive) to repair. Related Article: Google Wear OS 2 Support To End Soon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is planning to meet with President Biden in Washington next week, according to multiple reports. Zelensky is slated to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City next Wednesday for the groups annual gathering. Multiple news outlets reported that he will then visit D.C. to meet with Biden and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, according to people familiar with Zelenskys plans. The Washington Post reported that Zelenskys trip to D.C. will be tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 21. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. He previously visited the nations capital in December, when he met with Biden and addressed a joint session of Congress. Since then, support for continuing to send aid to Ukraine has dwindled among a handful of Republican lawmakers, as the White House continues to pledge aid to Ukraine. Zelenskys reported trip comes on the heels of Secretary of State Antony Blinken paying a visit to Kyiv last week, when he announced an additional $1 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine to help defend the country against the Russian invasion. This aid will include air support and other resources Blinken said will build a force for the future, a military force of the future, that is capable of deterring future aggression, and if necessary, defending and defeating it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish President Andrzej Duda are set to meet in New York in a few days, according to the Polish Presidents offices statement on Twitter on September 15. The presidents are expected to discuss Polands ban on Ukrainian grain imports. Read also: Ukraine expects Brussels to honor grain export agreement FM Kuleba "Ukraine needs to understand our position; my task is to look after our Polish interests," Duda said. On Sept. 12, the Polish government adopted a resolution to prolong the ban on Ukrainian grain imports after the EU-level restrictions expire on Sept. 15. Ukraine contends that the unilateral extension of the ban violates the rules of the common market and the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Read also: Bulgaria to lift embargo on Ukrainian grain imports U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Zelenskyy at the White House during his time in the U.S., Reuters reported. Zelenskyy will participate in joint debates during the UN General Assembly session, which will run from Sept. 19 to 25. Read also: Ukraine to use WTO arbitration in response to extended grain import embargo by Poland Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on 15 September. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram Quote: "Held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. We had a detailed review of the situation at the front on all fronts. We heard reports of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief and commanders: Kharkiv Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, south. There were reports from intelligence." Details: Zelenskyy said that the meeting heard a report on completed special operations and put thought into planning future ones. Apart from that, the issue of the supply of weapons, ammunition and everything necessary for the front was considered. "We heard a great report of the Ministry of Strategy and Industry on the current dynamics of own production and the prospects for its increase," Zelenskyy emphasised. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! During his upcoming visit to the US, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House next Thursday, 21 September. Reportedly, Ukraines president will also visit the US Congress. Source: AFP, citing a source familiar with the matter, as reported by European Pravda Details: The source said that Zelenskyy will meet with Biden at the White House after talks with world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, which is further confirmation of the Ukrainian leaders upcoming overseas visit. In addition, as The Washington Post reported the day before, Zelenskyy will also visit the US Congress to get lawmakers to approve US$24 billion in additional aid for Ukraine. Some on the right wing of the US Republican Party, led by Donald Trump, claim that the United States is giving Ukraine too much aid and should focus on domestic priorities. Background: Bloomberg reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. There are media reports that Zelenskyy may personally present his peace formula, a 10-point plan to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on February 20, 2023 U.S. President Joe Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Sept. 21, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sept. 15. During a press briefing, Sullivan noted this will be the third meeting between Zelenskyy and Biden in the White House. Read also: Zelenskyy, Duda to Meet in New York during UN General Assembly The talks would come at a critical time, as Russia is desperately seeking aid from countries like North Korea, while Ukraine's defense forces continue their counter-offensive. Read also: Biden names US special envoy for Ukraine's economic recovery Sullivan also clarified that prior to Zelenskyy's and Biden's meeting, there will be a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format), where the United States and its allies will discuss further military aid to Ukraine. Read also: US may send limited number of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine WSJ To little surprise, the official said that Biden will confirm the U.S. commitment to play the leading role in supporting Ukraine. Zelenskyy is expected to travel to the United States next week to attend the UN General Assembly. The Ukrainian president earlier stated he wants to discuss with Biden the possibility of Ukraine being given ATACMS ballistic missiles. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the European Commission for lifting the restrictions on import of Ukrainian grain and stated that Ukraine would react to violations of the EU law by its neighbours in a civilised manner. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram Details: Zelenskyy thanked Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission, for keeping her word and sticking to the rules of the free market. He called it an example of real unity and trust between Ukraine and the EU. The President also stressed that it is important that Ukraines neighbours support it in this decision. Quote: "Right now it is important that European unity works on the bilateral level as well, that Ukraines neighbours support it during the war. If their decisions violate EU law, Ukraine will respond in a civilised manner." Background: On 15 September, the European Commission adopted a decision not to extend the restrictions on import of Ukrainian agricultural produce. At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz stated that Poland would extend the import ban despite the decision of the EU. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit Washington, D.C., next Thursday to meet with President Joe Biden, according tomultiplereports. The meeting, which was previously undisclosed and has not been officially announced, will follow after Zelenskyys previously scheduled appearance at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday in New York. While its unclear what is set to occur during the meeting next week, the news comes as the Biden administration has been considering sending long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine, The New York Times reported. The Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraines capital city of Kyiv in what he called a special military operation, which he claimed aimed to force Nazis to free ethnic Russians in the region. The war initially shocked the world. However, 19 months into the war, a CNN poll published in August found that a majority of Americans do not support the U.S. sending additional aid to Ukraine: According to the poll, 55% of Americans said Congress should not authorize the additional funding. The White House continues to be steadfast in its support for Ukraine. During a visit to Ukraine earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said that the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine in the war. We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive, but has what it needs for the long term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent, Blinken said. This will be the second time that Zelenskyy has visited the U.S. since Putin waged war on Ukraine. Zelenskyy visited the U.S. in December of last year. At the time, Zelenskyy declared to Congress that his country had been pushing through Russias attacks and asked for more support. Against all odds and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine didnt fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking, Zelenskyy said at the time in an address. Biden and Zelenskyy also met in July of this year during the NATO summit in Lithuania. In a joint press conference with Zelenskyy ahead of that meeting, Biden said that Ukraine will eventually become a part of NATO. I hope we finally have put to bed the notion about whether or not Ukraine is welcome in NATO. Its going to happen, Biden said at the time. Were moving youre all moving in the right direction. I think its just a matter of getting by the next few months here. That same month, in an interview with CNN, Biden said Ukraine would only be ready for NATO membership after its war with Russia had ended. Related... At-Large Councilman Marty Misjuns resolution to promote Merit, Excellence and Opportunity in City Government was again a subject of conversation at Lynchburg City Council, this time initiated by At-Large Councilmember Larry Taylor. Misjuns first introduced the resolution in June, and it was expected to be discussed at councils June 27 meeting. Community members had the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal during public comments at that meeting, but council did not, after Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi motioned to both amend the recently adopted Lynchburg City Schools budget and adjourn the meeting without any discussion of Misjuns resolution, the final item on the agenda. The merit resolution prohibits government communications and training that expresses, promotes, teaches, advocates or encourages racist or sexist concepts. The resolutions definition of these concepts includes that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex, that an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive whether consciously or unconsciously, and that an individual should receive favorable treatment because of his or her race or sex, among other concepts. The City Manager is directed to cease any employment practices including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, professional development, mandated training, or promotional processes that is/are operated, controlled, paid for or under the jurisdiction of the City of Lynchburg, Virginia that do not comply with the provisions of this resolution, it reads. Taylor brought up the MEO resolution at Tuesdays meeting as a role call item; roll call is a portion of the work session reserved specifically for councilors to bring up items they think are pertinent. Merit, equality and opportunity. I like the way it sounds, and my brother here, he proposed that, Taylor said of Misjuns. But I believe the city already has a plan where we have met merit, equality and opportunity and Im calling on Greg to take a look at the city policy before we do anything rash. Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick then gave a presentation about the citys current hiring practices, saying hed spoken with Taylor on Monday about the subject. First and foremost, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act makes it illegal for us to select or promote candidates based on any criteria other than merit. So we cannot discriminate based on any race, color, national origin, so on and so forth, Patrick said. He quoted the citys employment policies and procedures: The city supports merit principles for all employment actions including selection, promotion and reassignment. Patrick also noted staff legally must consider employees selection, promotion and reassignment through a merit lens only. So there are no gender-specific jobs, Taylor asked. No sir, that would not be legal, Patrick answered. Misjuns raised his hand to speak, to which Mayor Stephanie Reed said, Councilman Misjuns this is not a discussion, it was his role call item. Under city councils new rules of procedure, debate is not permitted during the course of role call in a work session. Misjuns could not be reached for comment by press deadline Thursday. Reached by phone and asked about the resolution Wednesday, Faraldi said, Councilmember Taylor offered some very intentional and strategic questions to city staff yesterday and City Hall had a fairly robust response to the, perceptually, the intentions with this resolution, and I feel confident that the city is doing everything it needs to be doing as it relates to equal opportunity and merit-based promotion, and hiring practices. One of the good things about Amazon's retail store is that there is always something on sale. When you keep an eye out, you might find yourself saving hundreds of dollars. Right now, the retail giant has Samsung monitors on sale, and here are the top picks you can look into. List Price: $1,499.99 With Deal: $996.51 You Save: $503.48 Samsung's Odyssey OLED G8 is one of the best gaming monitors it can offer. It features an advanced Neo Quantum processor, allowing you to have an optimized display for maximum quality. It has a resolution of 3,440 by 1,440 with a 34-inch screen. The curved Ultra-WQHD display has a 21:9 ratio, offering better gaming peripherals. The refresh rate is at 175Hz with a 0.03ms response time. It also features Samsung's Gaming Hub to instantly access streaming services and consoles. List Price: $399.99 With Deal: $298.65 You Save: $101.34 For something that fits streaming more than it does gaming, Samsung's 32-inch smart TV is the better option. Without having to connect to a separate PC, you can watch movies and shows from streaming services, as well as use productivity and video call apps. Along with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a resolution of 4K HDR, it also has a refresh rate of 60Hz. Although that is much lower than the Odyssey G8's, it's enough for simple tasks and streaming videos. You can remotely access another PC using the monitor's Work Mode. List price: $149.99 With Deal: $99.99 You Save: $50 The T350 monitor is a good budget device for those who want to purchase a low-cost monitor. Despite the prize, it has a higher refresh rate than the M7 smart monitor at 75Hz. It is smaller at 22 inches with the same 16:9 ratio. With the AMD Radeon FreeSync, your monitor and GPU will be in sync in terms of refresh rate, which reduces image tearing. Since it is equipped with an IPS panel, the screen retains its clarity and vividness across every part of the screen. Read Also: Samsung's Self-Repair Program is Rolling Out in the UK List Price: $270 With Deal: $254.19 You Save: $15.81 Sure, the discount price isn't exactly that far off from the original price, but it's still worth the purchase, nonetheless. It has a high resolution with 4K Ultra HD and also features an IPS panel and HDR 10, which allows you to see richer color tones. There are several connectivity options such as HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. You won't have to buy a separate mount since the stand is already adjustable. Plus, it has its own speakers, which eliminates the need for speakers that will take up space. List Price: $249.95 With Deal: $199.95 You Save: $50 Like the Odyssey G8, the monitor is also curved, which serves as a good advantage in gaming. With a 16:9 ratio, the monitor has a resolution of Full HD. It does rank low on the refresh rate front at just 60Hz, which could be a downside for gamers. It supports HDMI and VGA inputs and has a response time of 4 ms. The 27-inch monitor also comes with VA technology which prevents display distortion when viewed from different angles. And, it supports AMD FreeSync technology for smoother display in gaming. Related: Samsung Releases Its 49-Inch OLED Gaming Monitor A Lynchburg man was convicted by a jury in Lynchburg Circuit Court on Tuesday of two felonies and one misdemeanor after he was accused of fleeing from police. Wayne Leon Horsley, 47, was found guilty of two felony offenses of possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon and eluding a police officer, and one misdemeanor charge of driving after forfeiture of license, according to a news release from the Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorneys Office. His sentencing is set for Dec. 20. On March 18, Lynchburg Police Officer C. Peters was dispatched to 1401 Park Ave. for a report of a stolen 2015 Grey Chevy Tahoe, the release said. Peters found the vehicle at 7:30 p.m. driving on Fillmore Street and the officer initiated his lights and sirens. A high-speed chase ensued through residential streets until Horsley bailed out of the vehicle on 19th and Floyd streets at a dead end. Officers lost sight of him after he ran through thick brush. Ten days later, Officer M. Iazzi followed up on information of Horsleys location and spotted him at the corner of 11th and Pierce streets, according to the release. Iazzi turned on his LPD vehicle lights as he approached Horsley, who immediately ran away with his hands in his hoodie. When Horsley reached into his front hoodie pocket, the officer witnessed a large caliber handgun fall from Horsleys waistline. The .357 revolver fell at the officers feet as he continued to chase Horsley, apprehending him at 12th and Buchanan streets. Horsley was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Michael Pflieger and was represented by Scott De Bruin. Spirit Airlines announced a new partnership with Liberty University to launch the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program at the universitys School of Aeronautics on Thursday. The collaboration marks a milestone in the airlines efforts to grow its pipeline of professional pilots, a news release states. Liberty University becomes the 10th partner to join the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, which offers graduates a fast track to the flight deck and a rewarding career as a Spirit First Officer. We put a lot of hard work into developing the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program and assembling a great group of partners making it incredibly rewarding to reach this key milestone, Ryan Rodosta, senior director of flight operations and system chief pilot at Spirit Airlines said in the release. Liberty University offers a premier pilot training program designed to provide graduates with the skills to lead in the aviation field, and Spirits growth creates opportunities for those graduates to achieve their dreams with us. Liberty University students pursuing an aviation degree can apply for the program after finishing their sophomore year and obtaining a recommendation from a faculty member. If successful in Spirits interview process, they will receive a conditional offer of employment, a Spirit Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and mentorship as they complete their degree and build flight hours. After reaching Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) minimum requirements, program pilots must successfully complete the Spirit-funded and approved Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP) and Jet Transition Course. Graduates who meet all program requirements will join the team as a Spirit First Officer, the release states. We are delighted to join with Spirit Airlines as the 10th partner in their Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, Rick Roof, dean of the School of Aeronautics said in the release. This partnership is a major step in creating exceptional opportunities for our graduates, providing selected Liberty trained aviation professionals with a unique pathway directly to Spirit once they fulfill the necessary training and experience. Spirit will gain access to pilots with exceptional technical skills and the character to be difference-makers in the aerospace industry, while Liberty Aeronautics graduates can become a member of the Spirit team where they will join a recognized leader in quality of life while flying some of the most advanced aircraft in the skies. This is an incredible opportunity for our Champions to fulfill their aviation dreams, and their calling to serve. TOKYO, Sep 15 ( NHK ) - Japan's Prince Hisahito tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. He is the nephew of Emperor Naruhito and second in line to the throne after his father, Crown Prince Akishino. The Imperial Household Agency says the prince had a fever on Wednesday after returning home from school. He took an antigen test but the result was negative. The prince was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus when he was tested again on Thursday morning. Agency officials say he will rest through Monday. The officials say his parents, Crown Prince and Princess Akishino, both tested negative. A man believed to be living in the metro area under an assumed name to evade sex assault charges is a person of interest in connection to the death of a woman found at a Council Bluffs hotel. Jesse William Smith, 49, of Denver, Colorado was taken into custody without incident on Thursday, according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. Members of the department's Criminal Investigation division served a search warrant at 609 N. Eighth St. on Thursday as part of the ongoing suspicious death investigation. Natalia Victoria Manriquez Sepulveda, 35, a native of Chile who was employed as a housekeeper at the Super 8 Motel in Council Bluffs, was found dead there on Sept. 7. Police had asked for the public's help Wednesday in identifying a man sought for questioning in relation to the woman's death. Smith was interviewed by detectives, who then arrested him on charges of third degree sexual abuse and fugitive from justice, according to a press release. Investigators learned that Smith had extraditable arrest warrants from Colorado for failure to register as a sex offender and a parole violation. As of Aug. 9, Smith was No. 2 on Colorado's list of most wanted sex offenders. Police believe Smith has been living in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area under an assumed name for several years in an effort to evade charges in Colorado. The death investigation for which Smith was sought for questioning is still active, pending final results of an autopsy. Deborah Petersen, attorney at Petersen Law PLLC, in Council Bluffs, received the Gertrude Rush award from the Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys. The award was presented to her at the IOWA's annual gala in Des Moines on July 22. Established in 2003, the award recognizes a lawyer who demonstrates leadership in the community, the legal profession and advocates for human and civil rights. The award is co-sponsored by IOWA and the Iowa Chapter of the National Bar Association. The award is named for Gertrude Rush, who was the first Black woman admitted to the practice of law in Iowa in 1918. When Rush and four other Black lawyers were denied membership into the American Bar Association in 1924 because of their race, they founded the National Bar Association. The National Bar Association will celebrate its 100th anniversary in Des Moines in August 2025. Petersen was one of two female attorneys in private practice in Council Bluffs when admitted to the bar. There were hurdles to jump, often being mistaken for the secretary or assistant rather than the attorney. However, anyone who knows her, knows that will not stop her. She has been a mentor to many young lawyers and offers her services to those with questions in the areas of real estate, bankruptcy, estate planning and probate laws as well as general office practices. Petersen has been a leader in the Iowa State Bar Association, serving on the Board of Governors, the Real Estate Section Council, the Iowa Title Standards Committee, the Attorney Disciplinary Board and the Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission. In the community, Petersen has been active with many nonprofit organizations. She served on the Board of the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce, the Alzheimers Association of Iowa and Childrens Square, among others. Petersen recently received the Gary Wickland Lifetime of Service Award for her volunteer work with the Alzheimers Association of Iowa. In addition to being a community educator for the Alzheimers Association of Iowa, she is also a sponsor and volunteer for its annual signature fundraiser events, The Longest Day and The Walk To End Alzheimers, which is on Sept. 23. Petersen and her husband, Pete, are regular volunteers at local events. At the gala, Jaki Samuelson, member attorney at Whitfield & Eddy Law in Des Moines, received the Arabella Mansfield award. IOWA was founded in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa to promote the welfare and interests of women lawyers. A request to compel the testimony of Bruce Rastetter, an influential agriculture executive, during Summit Carbon Solutions permit hearing in Iowa is merely an attempt to create an irrelevant sideshow, Rastetter and his company, Summit Agricultural Group, allege. Some opponents of Summit Carbons proposed carbon dioxide pipeline seek Rastetters under-oath testimony for more information about the companys relationship with Summit Agricultural Group, which he founded. Opponents also want to know who will profit from the project. Rastetter is also co-founder of Summit Carbon. If the Iowa Utilities Board grants the subpoena request, it could open Rastetter to questions beyond the scope of the companies structures. Pipeline opponents have long alleged that Rastetters political influence and money have helped accelerate the pipeline project to approval in Iowa and have sought proof of it. An attorney for Rastetter and Summit Agricultural Group argued Wednesday that Rastetters testimony is inappropriate because the two companies are separate entities and that one does not exert unilateral control over the other. While Mr. Rastetter is an investor in Summit Carbon Solutions, and serves on the board of Summit Carbon Solutions, Mr. Rastetter is only one of eight board members and does not have the ability to control the corporate strategy of Summit Carbon Solutions, attorney Spencer Cady wrote. Cady further argued that the 11th-hour request for Rastetters testimony violates state rules that generally require the requests at least a week before the start of an evidentiary hearing for a hazardous liquid pipeline permit. The parties had ample opportunity to obtain information, to the extent relevant, regarding any connection between Summit Carbon Solutions and Summit Ag during the discovery period and chose not to do so, Cady wrote. Summit Carbons hearing started Aug. 22. The subpoena motion was filed Sept. 7 by the daughter of a landowner affected by the project. The Sierra Club of Iowa and a group of state lawmakers have since joined that motion. They have questioned whether Summit Agricultural Groups investments abroad might adversely affect Iowa-produced ethanol and want more information about who will profit from the pipeline. Even if this pipeline proposal were free of disputes on due process and allegations of the appearance of impropriety, the potential risks to public safety involved in this proposal would merit careful public scrutiny of the pipelines ownership, wrote Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, on behalf of the Republican Legislative Intervenors for Justice. Summit Agricultural Group is an important investor in Summit Carbon. When a South Korean energy company announced in May 2022 that it would acquire a 10% stake in Summit Carbon, it said it was part of a dream team with U.S. companies that are the leaders in their industries such as Summit Agricultural Group and others. A Summit Carbon spokesperson said they did not know what percentage stake Summit Agricultural has in the company. Summit Agricultural Group developed the concept for the project, according to testimony last week from James Powell, chief operating officer of Summit Carbon. He also agreed with a statement that Summit Carbon was borne out of Summit Agricultural Group. Its unclear when the IUB will decide the subpoena request. Summits hearing is in its fourth week. The IUB indicated it wants the hearing to conclude by the end of the month, but there are a large number of witnesses who might yet testify. Summit proposes a five-state pipeline system that would transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to North Dakota for underground sequestration. North and South Dakota have rejected the companys initial permit requests. The Nebraska Broadband Office is moving to the next phase of efforts to ensure access to reliable broadband for all Nebraskans. As part of this effort, there will be ongoing public engagements across the state, including a series of nine public meetings and an open comment period from Monday 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. Africa, the worlds richest region for renewable energy, must tap into its vast untapped resources to drive sustainable development and industrialization this was the main message coming from fruitful discussions on the Africa Green Minerals Strategy (AGMS) during the recent Africa Climate Summit 2023 in Kenya. At over 5500 exajoules per year, Africa boasts 44.8% of the worlds total technical potential for renewable energy, making it the worlds richest region for renewable energy potential. With the urgent need to industrialize and enhance economy-wide productivity, reliable energy is paramount, especially for priorities like food and water security. To meet these demands, the speakers at the Africa Climate Summit 2023 called on African leaders to prioritize the goal of diversification of the continents energy sources, with a growing focus on renewable energy alongside fossil fuels, particularly natural gas. The Africa Climate Summit 2023 served as a platform for fruitful discussions on the AGMS and its potential to reshape the continents economic landscape. Speaking during the Africa Climate Week 2023 that was organized in parallel with the Africa Climate Summit, African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) Director, Marit Kitaw, noted that the continent needs to learn from the past and benefit from its own minerals before they are exported. Kitaw and other experts have drafted policies and regulations for the AGMS, which were launched recently. The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report found that there is a new scramble for African minerals, with US and Chinese companies showing interest especially in lithium. While calling for Africa to support the global decarbonization agenda, Kitaw said the continent also needs to put itself first to solve its energy poverty before exporting minerals as countries around the world transition from fossil fuels to greener energy. To that end, she noted that the AGMS plan is designed to foster socio-economic development to tackle the disparities on the continent, despite its abundance of greener mineral resources. King Mohammed VI, part of his strong, personal response to the earthquake that struck Morocco on September 08, has made a financial contribution of MAD 1 billion ($100 million) to the special relief fund for the tremor victims, through Al Mada holding, in which the Sovereign is the main shareholder. At the recommendation of its main shareholder, King Mohammed VI, the board of directors of Al Mada decided to provide a financial contribution of 1 billion dirhams to the Special Fund for managing the effects of the earthquake. The special fund was created at the Kings instructions on September 11 to coordinate solidarity initiatives in response to this unprecedented natural disaster. Actually, King Mohammed VI had given his instructions to establish the special account with the Treasury and Bank Al Maghrib to receive voluntary contributions from citizens and private and public entities, during the working session he had presided over Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the Royal Palace in Rabat. The session reviewed the situation following the painful earthquake that occurred the previous day and that caused significant loss of life and property in the provinces of Al Haouz and Taroudant. On Thursday Sept. 14, the monarch chaired a working session with an inter-ministerial committee devoted to activating the emergency program for rehousing disaster victims and taking care of the categories most affected by the earthquake, the Royal Office said in a statement. Under this program, emergency actions will be taken for temporary resettlement of those who lost their home partially of totally, through providing suitable on-site housing solutions and structures designed to withstand cold weather and adverse conditions, or in designated reception sites equipped with all necessary amenities. Besides, financial aid will be granted to victims to rebuild their homes. In this connection, affected households will receive MAD 30,000 in emergency aid, those who had their homes partially collapsed will receive MAD 80,000, while the households whose homes were destroyed will get MAD 140,000. According to a census that has already been conducted, approximately 50,000 housing units, either partially or completely collapsed, in five provinces hit by the tremor. Furthermore, the first steps of a comprehensive and ambitious program for the restructuring and revitalization of the entire region have already been initiated. All these measures translate the Sovereigns strong and ambitious response to the disaster, because this gigantic program is not only question of reconstruction, but is part of a set of urgent actions in favor of all the disaster victims. Also, part of his commitment to his people and solidarity with his nation, the Sovereign visited on Tuesday some of the injured at the King Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech, and donated his blood. King Mohammed VI inspected the hospital and inquired about the recovery services and care being provided for those injured in the Friday night tremor and the conditions of survivors. In another development, the government has decided that cabinet members, high commissioners, and other senior officials will contribute one month salary to the special fund, a statement released by the government spokesperson said. The move is part of the national solidarity movement and is in line with Article 40 of the Constitution, which states that everyone bears, in solidarity and proportionally to their means, the burdens required for the countrys development, as well as those resulting from national calamities and natural disasters. Meanwhile, high-graded civil servants, state and public institutions employees will contribute a 3-day salary to the Special Fund. As decided by the government, the deduction of the 3 day-salary will be spread over three months, i.e. one days salary will be deducted from the pays of the months of September, October, and November, the government spokespersons statement said. The earthquake that hit several provinces, on September 8, has left nearly 3000 people dead and 5,674 Wounded, according to an update by the Interior Ministry. Apple seems to have hidden important information about the iPhone 12. The Cupertino-based tech giant reportedly told its staff to keep quiet about the iPhone 12's radiation radiation, preventing customers from making an informed decision when considering buying the device. Apple released the iPhone 12 in 2020, making the alleged issue ongoing for three years and counting. Apple's Complicity Apple is not as innocent as it may want to look like. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple has recently advised its tech support team to not provide any information when customers ask about the French government's claim. Instead of answering customers' queries, Apple had its tech support team say that they "have nothing to share," and to reinforce the company's policy that phones can't be returned or replaced two weeks after purchase. Additionally, the tech giant instructed its tech support team to reassure customers asking if the iPhone 12 is safe by answering that it went through "rigorous testing" to ensure they're safe. These instructions follow France's discovery that the iPhone 12 is emitting radiation levels that exceed the legal limits. You may recall that France's government agency that manages wireless communications frequencies found that the iPhone 12 failed one of the tests for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body. Read More: Unity Won't Retract Controversial New Policy Despite Public Outrage Interestingly enough, the government agency in question didn't reveal why the three-year-old smartphone failed the test, nor why or how it chose the iPhone 12 to test. Nevertheless, the government agency warned Apple to radiation-reducing software updates for the iPhone 12 or risk getting the device banned from France. However, France's digital minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said that the phone's radiation levels are still much too low for scientific studies to consider it harmful to users. He revealed in his X.com post that while the iPhone 12 was emitting radiation levels "slightly above" the allowed threshold, the radiation it emits is at levels more than ten times lower than the one at which there could be a health risk. While Apple has already discontinued its iPhone 12 production with its introduction of the iPhone 15, there are still many French who are using the device. As such, the device's alleged radiation could cause them to suffer radiation-connected sickness - something the French government agency is avoiding. The iPhone 12's Other Doubter France isn't the only country skeptical of the iPhone 12's radiation levels. Belgium's junior minister for the digital economy already asked the IBPT-BIPT to analyze the potential health risks linked to the radiation iPhone 12s allegedly emitted after France halted its sales. According to a report from Reuters, Mathieu Michel, Belgium's junior minister for the digital economy, wants to test the device for high radiation emissions to guarantee the safety of his country's citizens. As such, he had asked the IBPT-BIPT to analyze the potential danger the iPhone 12 poses, along with devices made by other producers, though the latter part may come at a later stage. Related Article: Belgium To Probe Potential Health Risks Linked to iPhone 12 Radiation The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has praised Moroccos leadership of the humanitarian response to the devastating earthquake that hit the country on Sept.08. The Agency Administrator Samantha Power has voiced her countrys commitment to support the Government of Moroccos recovery efforts, as the North African Kingdoms works to provide immediate, life-saving humanitarian assistance to those in need. Based on preliminary assessments, the United States, through USAID, will provide Morocco up to $1 million in initial humanitarian assistance to support people in the areas most affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks, said Mrs. Samantha in a press release. This funding will help organizations on the ground provide emergency food assistance, health services, shelter, and mental health and psychosocial resources to assist the Moroccan-led response. The United States is also sharing specialized technical expertise directly with the Moroccan government to bolster its ongoing emergency response. In the wake of the earthquake and its aftershocks, we have seen tremendous bravery and compassion from people doing everything they can to offer help. Neighbors have come together to rush food and water to families who have lost their homes. First responders have spent hours searching for those trapped. Citizens have stood in long lines to donate blood, said the USAID Chief. She also hailed the outpouring of generosity and compassion from individuals seeking to help the people of Morocco during these difficult times. People were evacuated north of North Plattes Bailey Yard for several hours after a a strong acid exploded about noon Thursday inside a stationary container aboard a railcar. The blast from the ignition of perchloric acid caused several nearby railcars to catch fire, Union Pacific Railroad said in a statement about two hours later. No Union Pacific personnel were injured, and our employees have been safely evacuated, U.P. spokeswoman Robynn Tysver told The Telegraph. The explosion did not result from a derailment, as the car had been stationary in the yard for a couple hours, she added. Perchloric acid is a hazardous material used in explosives, as well as some food, drug and biocidal products, Tysver said in the U.P. statement. The railroad was continuing its investigation Thursday afternoon. North Platte-area first responders quickly shut down U.S. Highway 30 between Front and Splinter roads, between mile markers 170 and 172 and directly north of the explosion site in Baileys west hump. U.S. 30 traffic was also being stopped at Buffalo Bill Avenue inside North Platte. Residents along that stretch of the highway and up to 1 mile north were evacuated after reports of heavy toxic smoke coming from the yard, according to texts received from the citys emergency notification system. Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and State Recreation Area closed, as did the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center just south of the yard. About 2:30 p.m., a follow-up notice warned people between Front and Homestead roads, U.S. 30 and West A Street outside North Platte to be prepared to evacuate in the next one to two hours due to wind and weather changing. To keep people out of the broader evacuation zone, North Platte police said, Nebraska Department of Transportation workers posted barricades in late afternoon on both West A and West Front streets at Lakeview Boulevard. But U.S. 30 reopened to traffic about 5 p.m., and a text notice was issued about 15 minutes later saying the fire was out and the evacuations had been lifted. Winds were blowing from the southwest at about 10 mph around the time of the blasts. Shortly afterward, dark smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from atop the eight-story Golden Spike Tower. Volunteer Gregg Robertson said he was talking to someone inside the tower when I just saw something and I looked and it was just a big ball of flame. And then it was just fire, fire, fire, constant for 10, 12 minutes maybe. And then the fire went down and smoke kind of increased, and then it was just sparks coming out. Robertson said he saw two smoke plumes rising from the blast site. The east plume was like black smoke. The west plume was orange smoke, something like Ive not seen from a fire, he said. Theres something was burning that I dont want no part of smelling what it was, because it was some kind of chemical over there going on. David Thornton, who was visiting the Golden Spike Tower from Great Britain, said he saw the explosions through his binoculars. I could see what looked like a sort of shower of sparks coming out, he said. Once I saw the smoke, I trained my binoculars on it and I could see (that) there was what looked like an explosion. But I didnt hear any sort of (audible) report. The Nebraska State Patrol during the lunch hour was allowing limited local traffic to go westbound on U.S. 30 at its junction with Hoover Road near the old Taft School building. At least one motorist was advised to wear a mask. Two men who live in that vicinity, talking aboard utility-type vehicles on nearby Scouts Rest Ranch Road, agreed that they heard four explosions in all. It just shook the ground, Charlie Morland said. You could feel it shake the vehicles and stuff. I knew it was a pretty violent explosion. The other man, a retired railroader who declined to give his name, said the blast happened across from Bailey Yards mini diesel shop about one-fourth of a mile west and south of Taft School. It shook our house pretty good, he said. This story includes reporting from Telegraph staffers Ryan Herzog, Andrew Bottrell, Joan von Kampen and Tyler Soper. A district judge has dismissed a benefits fraud case against a Lincoln mental health counselor. When the state rested its case at the end of Michael Keady's three-day jury trial last week, defense attorney Bob Creager made a motion for a directed verdict, saying the state had failed to prove an essential element of obtaining assistance benefits by fraud. The state was required to prove that Keady obtained or attempted to obtain any payment made on behalf of a recipient of medical assistance or social services "by way of a willfully false statement, representation, impersonation or other device," according to the order that followed this week. In it, District Judge Kevin McManaman said the evidence showed Keady had provided therapy to Medicaid patients and submitted Medicaid claims for payment for his professional services. Prosecutors relied solely on a 2015 contractual settlement agreement the state had with Keady, where he agreed not to submit any future Medicaid claims to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. In an order filed Wednesday, McManaman, who dismissed the case last week, said there was no evidence Keady submitted any Medicaid claims to DHHS. Rather, they had been submitted to and paid by private insurance companies. In court documents, the Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit of the Attorney General's Office alleged Keady saw Medicaid clients contracted through private subcontractors for the state of Nebraska at United Health Care, Wellcare of Nebraska and Nebraska Total Care. McManaman said the plain language of the settlement did not prohibit Keady from submitting claims to the private insurance companies. Keady is a licensed independent mental health provider as well as a licensed marriage and family therapist. 12 of the deadliest disasters in Nebraska history The Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888, 235 deaths Republican River Flood of 1935, 94 deaths Floods of 1950, 25 deaths 1976 Fremont hotel explosion, 20 deaths 1913 Yutan tornado, 20 deaths 1913 Berlin tornado, 12 deaths Millard hotel fire of 1933, 7 deaths 1930s Dust Bowl, deaths estimated in the thousands Video: Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888 Braniff Airways crash in 1966, 42 deaths Donald Trump at a campaign event in Rapid City, S.D. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Three new polls show more or less the same thing: Donald Trump is the Republicans overwhelming favorite to be their partys presidential nominee next year. Not only that, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, once seen as the best hope for a conservative alternative to Trump, is showing signs of collapse. His diminished standing has divided the non-Trump Republican field among several other candidates. The failure to settle on an alternative helps Trump. Every week that goes by, with the fragmentation in the non-Trump bucket, thats a week that he wins, Republican consultant Scott Jennings told the Wall Street Journal. Here is a look at the three noteworthy polls from CNN, Quinnipiac University and Emerson College. Read more on Yahoo News: 6 Of 8 GOP candidates at debate say they would back nominee Trump even if he's convicted, via HuffPost CNN: Trump 52%, DeSantis 18% Ron DeSantis campaigning at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. (Hannah Fingerhut/AP) The new CNN poll finds 52% of respondents favoring Trump as their presidential nominee, up from 47% in June. DeSantis, meanwhile, was far back at 18%, having lost 8% since the June poll. He remains in second place, while former South Carolina governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (7%), former Vice President Mike Pence (7%) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (6%) are effectively tied for third place. The poll also shows that most Republicans are not especially concerned about the four separate trials Trump faces in the near future. The poll was conducted from Aug. 25-31 among 784 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters nationwide. Read more on Yahoo News: How Trump's trials will make a mess of the 2024 election Quinnipiac University: Trump holds 50-point lead Vivek Ramaswamy rapping at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Aug. 12. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The results of the Quinnipiac poll were even better for Trump, who was the top choice of 62% respondents. Again, DeSantis was in second place but fading, with only 12% support, down from 18%. But the poll, which separately surveyed Democrats, held out hope for Republicans who want anyone but Trump to be their nominee: Nearly half (48%) said they might change their candidate choice depending on what happens leading up to the Republican primary. Story continues For that matter, Democrats werent especially thrilled with Joe Biden, with 58% telling pollsters they were open to another candidate. Clearly, loyalty to the two leading candidates in the primaries for president is not written in stone, Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy said. The survey was conducted from Sept. 7-11 among 728 Republican and Republican-leaning voters nationwide. Read more on Yahoo News: A Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon in 2024, whether voters like it or not, via Associated Press Emerson College: Trump slides in Iowa but so does DeSantis Trump in Pickens, S.C., July 1. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) If a candidate is going to emerge as a credible alternative to Trump, he or she will have to do it in Iowa, whose first-in-the-nation caucus will take place on Jan. 15. The most recent Emerson poll suggests that while it will be difficult to defeat Trump there, it may not be impossible. His support in the state, where evangelical Christians hold significant sway, has fallen from 62% to 49%. DeSantis has made Iowa the focus of his campaign, but he also lost ground (sliding from 20% to 14% since May). Meanwhile, Haley (7%), Ramaswamy (7%) and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (8%) all saw their support increase. A recent report in NBC News described Trumps campaign in Iowa as unfocused and unenergetic, perhaps providing his opponents the very opening they need. But even if Trump loses Iowa, the winner is unlikely to emerge as the eventual nominee, if history holds. Past victors have included Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, none of whom went on to become the GOP nominee. The survey was conducted from Sept. 7-9 among 357 Iowa Republican caucus voters. Read more on Yahoo News: Trump gets mixed reaction from crowd as he shows up at Iowa-Iowa State football game, via Deadline Who cares about debt to the federal government? Money is made up, people need it to live, that should be the priority The studios makes billions while the workers can't afford to pay rent, but he wants to be cautious about these payments because it's such a slippery slope once you start making sure people can afford to eat. Make it make sense I'm glad it had support to get passed and I hope it will end up helping the people who need it Reply Thread Link Damn, Jan 1? Is that how long the strikes are expected to last? Or are these unemployment benefits meant to be a staple going forward for those out of work? Reply Thread Link I think it's meant to give unions more power going forward, and it unfortunately can't start right away because legislative changes always have a lag. But this will still put pressure on the studios to make a deal now before the unions get even more bargaining power, and now they can't just run out the clock on people's mortgages/lives, etc. like they were planning to do. So it'll help way more in the future but it still helps to some degree now. Reply Parent Thread Link thanks for explaining! Reply Parent Thread Link Wow, that's huge. I know there a lot of people really hurting right now, and they need $$ yesterday, but it has to help having some relief in sight. Reply Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link This is cool news. Get shit together! Things are getting very weird as it feels very cultish at my school. Today is end of Week 3 and Financial aid is still delayed. People seems getting more uncomfortable and feeling unease to the point theyd be personally attacked on everything. Everything else are going up in inflation even the universities are now increasing tuition and making it unnecessarily helluva expensive than already. I finished revising my UCLA letter now that I just realized maybe Im not cutting out for a university or worthy job through higher education. There are increasingly barriers for sure. Hell, my British Lit classroom from the other day had a strong weird stench as if it was a gym or something. It gave me a split headache. I dont understand Like who tf Its weird. Very off. Reply Thread Link Good!! My roommate is an actor, on Nickelodeon no less, and hes been keeping me up to date on this whole thing since forever and striking on the line whenever he can. His show is streaming and his residual checks are fucking ridiculous now. 35 cents$3. My sisters an actress whos been in a ton of small roles and commercials and its just been hard overall. Give these people their damn money. Reply Thread Link My friend is a stylist, so she's been affected by being adjacent to actors. She went from having comic con, press tours etc booked for summer to having nothing. In her case, she's not exclusive to film so she was able to get things on the calendar but things were rough for a while. The good news is there are more rumblings about stylists unionizing now. Reply Thread Link my friend got laid off from his PR job. sucks that like 11 billionaires get to decide the fate of so many jobs Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh that's awful. So many industries in LA are going to hurt because of this. Feeling a little thankful I left my pocket of the entertainment world last year. Now my job just hinges on if we have a recession or not Reply Parent Thread Link there are so many industries that would benefit from unionizing, i hope it gains traction! Reply Parent Thread Link bill maher is a piece of shit. he deciding to continue with his show could very well put an end to the strike that so many people have been fighting for. all it takes is for one moron to step out of line and the dominos will fall. Reply Thread Link auto workers are on strike now, kaiser permanente healthcare workers may strike, i hope this timing forces his hand and newsom signs it. Reply Thread Link I'm a scientist who works for the state of CA and our union just overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike (meaning the union can call one, not that we are striking). We've been fighting for better pay for decades and HR just ignores us. Reply Parent Thread Link as much as everything sucks im glad unions are pushing back hard this year and i hope it continues. power to the people! Reply Parent Thread Link Rashida Tlaib was on the picket line for the UAW at one of the walk out plants at midnight last night. Theyre trying like a rolling/ targeted strike, instead of all uaw workers walking out at once) so Im interested to see how thatll work out strategy wise if it works faster or the same. Reply Parent Thread Link Just sign the bill, Newsom. But here's what is depressing. I know exactly why he's being cautious about it. He's planning a 2028 run for president and now he's being overly cautious because he knows anything he does can be used in a future presidential primary or general election. which is a TERRIBLE way to govern!!! Stop it, Gavin! Reply Thread Link I guess he also doesn't want to anger future donors too much either... Reply Parent Thread Link Yehhhh I love it! That's great news. I'm so heartened by all the union support. Americans legit forgot how people died for what we have now. Businesses are not just going to give it to us, we have to demand it. QQ about the debt Gavin is talking about...doesn't California give MORE than what we owe though? I don't know. Idk how debt or money works. Reply Thread Link I really hope the Governor signs the bill. I can imagine how hard the studios are lobbying him right now. Reply Thread Link JMH Roofing LLC Faces OSHA Penalties for Lack of Fall Protection The agency proposed $548,801 in fines to the company. A Millersburg, Ohio-based roofing company has become the subject of substantial fines following OSHA investigations in March, April and June 2023. In a release dated Sept. 14, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced OSHAs findings with regard to the company, JMH Roofing LLC. The agency has proposed $548,801 in fines for eight willful and two repeat violations. These include exposing workers to heights without fall protection, an absence of eye safety measures when handling pneumatic nail guns and the use of improperly extended ladders. Within just three months in 2023, OSHA found that JMH Roofing exposed its workers to perilous fallssome up to 19 feetacross residential roofing sites in Canton, Uniontown and Westlake, despite available fall protection gear. Notably, JMH Roofing LLC and RAM Roofing LLCboth companies owned and operated by Jonas Hershbergerhave a history of OSHA violations dating back to 2018. Jonas Hershberger continues his dangerous pattern of ignoring federal safety standards and exposing his workers to potentially serious and fatal injuries, OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts in Cleveland said in a statement. JMH Roofing owns fall protection equipment and provides it to its workers, but refuses to require them to use it or cooperate with federal inspectors, who repeatedly inform Hershberger of his obligation to protect his companys workers on the job. JMH Roofing LLC now has 15 business days after receiving the citations to comply, seek an informal OSHA discussion or challenge OSHAs findings. The EU and the U.S. are looking at developing lasting relationships with African countries in order to set up supply chains for critical metals. In her State of the Union address this week, EC President Ursula von der Leyen made a point about the EUs growing independence in sectors such as energy, chips, and raw materials. The official stressed the importance of these raw materials for energy, after which she went on to slam China for unfair market practices. Was she aware Europes transition is literally doomed without China? Perhaps. Or perhaps she sincerely believed the EU could build its own transition supply chains from scratch. Only that would be as tough as jumpstarting shale oil production across Europe. In fairness, this perception of a growing independence in the energy and raw materials sectors is more wishful thinking than a reality. The EU boasted it had given up Russian gas, but it had simply replaced it with U.S. LNG. Now von der Leyen celebrated the establishment of the Critical Raw Materials Club. The club aims to source critical raw materials from with reliable partners that are keen to develop their own critical raw materials industries, according to the piece of legislation that led to the establishment of the entity. There are plenty of countries keen to develop their own raw materials industries. The problem is that most of these countries are also keen to make the most of these industries and not settle for friends rates just because Europe is asking nicely. In other words, prospective partners are countries where resource nationalism is alive and well. And many of these countries may be quite open to the idea of a group similar to OPEC. Indonesia already indicated it was willing to try it for nickel. Earlier this year, the country held talks with three other countries that remained unnamed about the possible setting up of an OPEC-style cartel to control the nickel market. Whether the talks will yield an outcome remains to be seen, but the fact that such talks are being held should alarm large importers of the critical metal. Related: The Future Of Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Most of what the EU calls critical raw materials are concentrated outside the Western sphere of influence. The Democratic Republic of Congo, for instance, is notorious for being the home of over 40% of the global reserves of cobalt, per data from S&P Global cited recently by the Wall Street Journal. Chile has the worlds largest reserves of copper. Indonesia is the worlds largest reserve of nickelhence its push to cartelize productionand Argentina has the worlds largest deposits of lithium. It is hardly a surprise that both the EU and its North American partners have suddenly rushed to make friends across the world. Africa is an obvious choice, and not just the DRC. Most African countries are rich in mineral resources but dont have the means to develop them, and investment from international business has not been as generous as many might have hoped for reasons of political stability and clear mining legislation. The EU and the U.S. might be happy to help with the development of those resources, especially since opening new mines on their home turf is basically out of the question thanks to environmental legislation. But China is far ahead of both of them. China has effectively already cartelized a lot of African mineral resources. China has cornered supply chains and dominates the worlds processing capacity for lithium and rare earths. This is why the EUs transition would be impossible without China, which the EC President berated for undercutting local products because it subsidizes its industries more than the EU does. ADVERTISEMENT China has spent more than a decade doing all this and is now reaping the fruit of its labor. Brussels and Washington, on the other hand, slept through Chinas expansion in mineral commodities and are only now waking up. OPEC may be scary, but a transition cartel led by China is a lot scarier for the net-zero champions. And, unlike with U.S. shale, alternative supply would be scarce and hard to come by. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: For the first time in history that the 146,000-member union has simultaneously gone on strike against Ford, General Motors(GM) and Stellantis, according to Reuters. "Tonight, for the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the Big Three at once," UAW President Shawn Fain says. UAW President Shawn Fain announced that the strike would begin on Friday at three plants: GMs midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Fords Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio ...while not yet committing to a complete strike for all its members. Pro-union President Biden is walking a very thin line. Even though the president and other officials in his administration have repeatedly said they're not concerned about impending labor action, the Washington Post reports Biden officials "are preparing economic measures to protect suppliers to the auto industry from long-term damage." People familiar with internal conversations said the White House is very concerned about the strike that could "wipe out the thousands of suppliers" critical for Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis' complex supply chains. The chaos at the supplier level "could impede the broader US auto supply chain even after the possible strike ends," the people said. The type of support being offered is unclear, but one possibility could be in the form of grants via the Labor Department to assist workers at firms affected by strikes. Another option could be loans to these firms supplied by the Small Business Administration. "The administration wants to be sure to do what it can to protect the Detroit supply chains," one of WaPo's sources said, adding, "They have to worry about how some of the less well-capitalized firms could be at risk." If these sources are correct, it would contradict the president who stated ten days ago while at his luxurious beach house in Rehoboth beach: "I'm not worried about a strike. I don't think it's going to happen." On Monday, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo reaffirmed Biden's position that 'strikes will be averted'. On Wednesday, UAW boss Shawn Fain told members in a Facebook Live event that talks with General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis were still 'far apart' and, "We are preparing to strike these companies in a way they've never seen before." This week, UAW dropped their wage hike demand from 40% to 36%, but even then, that's still far off from auto companies offers: Ford is proposing a 20 percent raise over 4 years, up from its initial offer of 9 percent. General Motors is offering an 18 percent raise over 4 years, up from 10 percent earlier. And Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep and Chrysler, is offering 17.5 percent raises over that same time period, up from 14.5 percent. -WaPo Fain said a strike would begin in a "select few" manufacturing plants to keep automakers guessing where the next labor action will emerge: ADVERTISEMENT "This is going to create confusion for the companies. It's going to keep them guessing on what might happen next, and it's going to turbocharge the power of our negotiators." Last week, Bank of America Securities warned clients that a "strike is almost guaranteed." By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Freeport LNGthe second largest liquefaction facility in the United Statesis said to have returned to nearly full power on Friday after experiencing disruptions for the last week. The last week saw Freeport LNG take in less feedgas than normal, averaging as little as 0.3 Bcf/d over the last few days, compared to 1.8 Bcf/d last week. Freeport LNG canceled cargoes as a result of the slowdown, which it declined to comment on to media. Freeport LNG accounts for 20% of all US LNG imports. Industry analysts suspected that two of Freeports three LNG trains had been idled but were rumored to have restarted on Thursday. The gas markets were already on shaky ground prior to Freeports slowdown, with Chinas gas consumption on the rise and showing renewed interest in the LNG spot market to beef up for winter. China has recently signed many long-term LNG supply dealsincluding with the United States. Sinopec, in particular, was said to be looking for 13 LNG cargoes yet this year to start next month. Meanwhile, the gas market in Europe remains volatile due to the extreme heat, gas plant maintenance, and Australias LNG strikes at Chevrons Gorgon and Wheatstone facilitiesalthough Europe did manage to reach and even surpass its target for filling its gas storage facilities to 90% capacity ahead of its deadline. But a cold winter could collide with a potential full stop of the remaining Russian pipeline gas to Europe on October 1, when Ukraines supply contract with Gazprom is set to expire, the IEA predicted in its annual gas report published in July. Freeports outage increased the risk in the gas markets, with analysts struggling to predict pricing moves and market balance. So far, Chevrons Gorgon and Wheatstone projects have continued to export LNG despite the strikes. ADVERTISEMENT By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Military service members, many of them conscripts in their 20s, join a job fair for military personnel at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo Fewer Koreans in their 20s are getting new jobs but their employment rate is rising, in the face of a population decline that "misleadingly" represents a tough job market for young people. According to the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), a website run by Statistics Korea, Friday, a total of 3.75 million jobs were added for those aged 20 to 29 in August, down from 3.84 million a year earlier. The downside of the employment conditions for the twentysomethings is also shown by the number of economically inactive Koreans. Those in their 20s who are neither working nor actively seeking jobs outside the labor force reached 384,000 in August, up 28,000 year-on-year. The August figure also marked the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year increases in the number of economically inactive people for the age group. The employment rate for those in their 20s, on the other hand, increased from 62.8 percent to 63.1 percent during the same period, raising questions over how well young people are faring in the job market. Statistics Korea said the contradiction between job creation data and the employment rate for twentysomethings is related to the dwindling population. "Comparative and comprehensive analysis of multiple indexes is therefore always necessary to avoid statistical misinterpretation," it said. It explained the employment rate for those in their 20s increased because their total population has been dwindling, down 192,000 over the past year through August. The employment rate figure could be interpreted as meaning more young Koreans are working, but in reality it illustrates that the actual number of newly hired twentysomethings is decreasing. Statistics Korea said the risk of misinterpretation of job data for the age bracket could last into the coming years, as the population of the age bracket continues to fall. The job market has grown challenging for younger people, with the country losing 36,000 jobs year-on-year in August. People aged 60 or older led the overall employment gains, with a 304,000 year-on-year increase in their number of jobs. The numbers for those in their 50s and 30s also rose 73,000 and 64,000, respectively, over the period. Turkey and Russia have re-launched discussions to set up a regional hub for natural gas trading, but current disagreements about trading platforms and who should be in charge could delay the potential launch. In October last year, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russias Vladimir Putin agreed to set up a natural gas hub in Turkey, the Turkish president said. And in his own words, Putin announced to the world that Europe can get its natural gas from Turkiye, Erdogan was quoted as saying back then. A week earlier, Putin first had suggested that Russia redirect natural gas supplies intended for the damaged Nord Stream pipelines to the Black Sea and the creation of a European gas hub in Turkey. The Russia-Turkey talks were suspended due to the February earthquake in Turkey and the presidential election in May, in which Erdogan secured another term in office. This week, Turkeys Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar said, as carried by Bloomberg, that the talks had resumed. However, there are disagreements over the trading platform to be used. Russia insists on a new platform while Turkey proposes to expand its already operational Energy Exchange Istanbul, Bayraktar has said. Preparing for a potential gas hub, Turkey also plans to expand its natural gas infrastructure, the minister was quoted as saying by Reuters. Earlier this week, sources with knowledge of the gas hub project told Reuters that Russia and Turkey are at odds over who should be in charge of the hub. There are managerial issues, they are fighting for who should manage the hub, an anonymous source told Reuters, while another person, close to Russian state gas giant Gazprom, told the news agency that the two countries have encountered a problem over the management of the hub. Gazprom has reported a plunge in its first-half net profit as pipeline gas deliveries to Europe plummeted compared to 2022, when Russia was still supplying pipeline gas to its European customers for most of the first half of last year. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The UK has only been able to replace a third of public investment and just an eighth of infrastructure investment since leaving the European Union (EU), a think tank has warned. EU funding of 146bn over 46 years had supported crucial infrastructure schemes such as the Channel Tunnel, the Thames Tideway Tunnel and London Underground upgrades. After voting to leave the EU in 2016, the UK lost access to the European Investment Bank (EIB) which had supplied the cash, opting to create four new domestic development banks. But the banks have only been able to replace around a third of funding and are yet to plug the gap, according to a new report by think tank the UK in a Changing Europe (UKICE). The EIB invested an average of 6.4bn a year in real terms in the UK from 2009 to 2016 but the successors, including the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), invested 2.4bn in 2022. Co-author Stephen Hunsaker said: It is not clear that the UKs domestic development banks will be able to fill the hole left by the EIB by the end of the decade. They lack staff and expertise, inhibiting them from scaling up operations quickly. Nor have they achieved the coveted AAA credit rating of the EIB. Consequently, they lend at higher rates, making it more expensive to lend to public-interest projects. Labours shadow City minister, Tulip Siddiq said: The Tories failure to invest in British industry has left growth on the floor and our public services crumbling, with working people paying the price. Labour will unlock billions of pounds of private sector investment through our national wealth fund to deliver new gigafactories, clean steel plants and renewable-ready ports across Britain. While Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, Sarah Olney MP, said: This damning report highlights yet another broken promise from this Conservative government. We already knew farmers and [fishers] have suffered from the governments failed trade deals, but now their investment plans are left in tatters too. Chris Hayward, City of London Corporation policy chairman, told City A.M.: Its clear we need to raise the overall investment levels across the UK which have been too low for too long. The corporation has a plan for financial and professional services expansion dubbed Vision for Economic Growth which it says could unlock 225bn of growth and investment for the UK by 2030, and want to see a financial services council set up to drive this. A HM Treasury spokesperson said: The UIB was set up with 22bn financial capacity and is specifically designed to address net zero and levelling up, providing more targeted support than the EIB and is better aligned with the governments objectives. ADVERTISEMENT In its first two years the UIB has done 20 deals worth over 1.87bn in digital infrastructure, green transport and clean energy, supporting 5,700 jobs across the country. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Belarus has recently shipped diesel and gasoline to Russia, as requested by Moscow, and is ready to further increase supplies if needed, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, said while on a visit to Russia on Friday. Belarus has supplied 60,000 tons of diesel and gasoline each to Russia, Russian news agency Interfax quoted Lukashenko as saying. The Belarusian president is one of the very few allies Putin has left after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are diesel shortages in parts of Russia and the country is estimated to be planning to slash its diesel exports from its ports on the Baltic and Black Seas by nearly 25% in September compared to the export plans for August, amid refinery maintenance and rising domestic fuel prices. Russias plan for diesel exports in September lays out the lowest shipments since May this year when spring refinery maintenance was in place. The primary oil refining capacity that will be offline in Russia is set to soar by 44% in September compared to August amid seasonal maintenance, according to Reuters estimates based on data from industry sources. Russias authorities are also recommending refineries curb exports and sell more fuel domestically to meet local demand, but the recommendation is not legally binding, according to Bloomberg. Due to the close relations with Russia, Belarus and Lukashenko are under pressure from the West and the EU agreed last month to extend the scope of sanctions on Belarus, in response to Belarus's involvement in the invasion of Ukraine. The new measures create a closer alignment of EU sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus and will help to ensure that Russian sanctions cannot be circumvented through Belarus, the European Commission says. This week, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in which MEPs said that the illegitimate Lukashenka regime is actively supporting and has become fully complicit in Russias unjustified war of aggression and war crimes against Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT The Parliament also called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to consider issuing an international warrant for Lukashenkos arrest. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: High margins on the export markets and peak domestic summer demand prompted Chinas refiners to boost crude oil processing to a record-high 15.23 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, official Chinese data showed on Friday. The total throughput jumped last month by 19.6% compared to August 2022, according to data from Chinas National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) quoted by Reuters. The rise in refinery runs was the highest annual increase since March 2021, Reuters noted. Between January and August, refinery throughput went up by 11.9% year-over-year to 14.76 million bpd, per Reuters estimates. The August 2023 refinery processing rates were higher than in the previous month, too. In July, Chinese refiners processed 17.4% more crude compared to a year ago, in response to stronger demand for fuels both at home and abroad. At 14.87 million bpd in July, the refinery processing was up from 12.5 million barrels daily a year earlier. Refinery throughput further accelerated in August with record runs, thanks to peak summer travel demand in China and higher volumes of fuel exports as refiners looked to capture strong margins abroad and had additional export quotas allocated. China imported in August the third-highest monthly crude oil volumes ever as crude arrivals surged by 20.9% compared to July and by 30.9% versus August last year, according to Chinese customs data. Chinese crude imports hit 12.43 million bpd last month, the third-highest ever daily rate of arrivals in a month, per Reuters estimates on data from the General Administration of Customs. Refinery throughputs are likely to remain elevated as China has just issued the third batch of fuel export quotas for this year. At the end of August, China issued a larger-than-expected fuel export quota in the third batch of allocations this year as authorities look to incentivize refiners to sustain economic growth and sell more product abroad at a time when Chinas 2023 fuel demand may have peaked. The news of record-high refinery throughput only added to bullish sentiment in oil markets, pushing both WTI and Brent higher. ADVERTISEMENT By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: ConocoPhillips has inked a 15-year LNG supply deal with Netherlands-based Gate Terminal that would expand Conocos gas presence in Europe by 1l.5 million tons in regasification capacity annually. The deal will become effective in 2031 and will boost LNG supply for the Netherlands and Northwestern Europe from that year onwards. It is the latest example of a deepening EU divergence between words and actions. While Brussels and national government officials cheer their new independence of Russian gas and reduced dependence on hydrocarbons in general, thanks to a buildup in wind and solar, companies quietly sign deal after deal for long-term natural gas supply. Conoco was part of one such deal closed last November, for deliveries of Qatari LNG to Germanys brand-new LNG import terminal in Brunsbuttel. Cheniere Energy also recently signed a long-term LNG supply deal with Germanys chemicals giant BASF. This may be only the beginning of a wave of long-term supply deals for the continent as the realization that wind and solar cant do the job of gas sets in. Indeed, the very presence of long-term deals at all is sign enough that the realization is setting in. Previously, European gas buyers were not big fans of long-term purchase commitments at all. Until last year, Europe was actually a fan of the spot LNG market. That was when its intake of LNG was minuscule compared to current import rates, and LNG prices were low thanks to all the large-scale projects that had come online within a short time. Now, with almost no Russian gas, Europe needs all the LNG it can get to keep its head above the surface. Prices on the spot market can easily become unpalatable in this situation, hence the newfound European appetite for long-term commitments. Just when the IEAs Fatih Birol said natural gas demand was about to peak soon. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Libyas deadly flood that is estimated to have killed more than 11,000 people with thousands more missing hasnt harmed oil export terminals in the African OPEC member and ports are operating normally, the head of Libyas state oil firm told Bloomberg in an interview published on Friday. The oil export terminals in eastern Libya continue to operate under normal conditions, Farhat Bengdara, the chairman of Libyas National Oil Corporation (NOC), told Bloomberg. Amos Hochstein, the senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden for Energy and Investment, had told Bloomberg Radio earlier that there were some curtailments at Libyas oil ports after the flood. Early this week, NOC declared a state of emergency for its oil ports amid the Mediterranean storm Daniel that swept through Greece last week and was heading to North Africa. The four oil export ports Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sider reopened on Wednesday following their closure ahead of Storm Daniel, which caused extensive damage in Libyas east and is estimated to have killed thousands after wiping out a quarter of a city into the sea. On Sunday, right before Storm Daniel hit Libya, the NOC reported that its oil production had reached 1.207 million barrels per day. An Interior Ministry spokesman for Libyas eastern-based government said on Tuesday that the death toll in the eastern port city of Derna alone had reached 5,200 people and that number was expected to rise to more than 10,000. The spokesman said that international rescue teams were still working to recover bodies swept into the sea during the storm, the Libya Observer reported. As of early Friday, the death toll is estimated to have climbed to more than 11,000, AP reported. Authorities evacuated residents from Derna and limited access to the city as search operations continue for around 10,000 residents who are still missing. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia is again reviving the possibility that it could ban all crude oil product exports in order to stabilize volatile fuel prices in the country, according to Russias TASS new agency said on Friday. Alternatively, Russia could increase its oil product exports duty to $250 per tonne. This duty will be refunded for those companies that meet their quota for supplying fuel to Russias domestic market. A ban on product exports out of Russiaalthough temporarywould squeeze Europes diesel supplies even more. While Europe has banned the importation of Russian-sourced refined products as of February, it merely shifted trade patterns, with Russia increasing its refined products exports by 50% year over year as of the first quarter by increasing shipments to Africa. The news comes even as Gazproms Astrakhan gas processing plant resumed gasoline output after maintenance work. Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said earlier this week that there were a number of oil refineries that were due to be brought back online after maintenance workAstrakhan being just one. The end of maintenance work on the refineries could go a long way in easing Russias domestic fuel crunch, and could negate the need for a ban on the countrys exports. Russia has been considering a fuel export ban since May in an effort to avert domestic fuel shortages and rein in prices after announcing a halving of subsidies to oil refiners that will start this month in order to keep more money in government coffers to fund its military operation in Ukraine. Despite the domestic fuel crunch, Russias oil refineries increased crude processing rates in the first half of last month in the runup to the subsidy cuts. Russia also said it planned to reduce diesel exports from western ports by a quarter this month as seasonal refinery maintenance continued. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Four Omaha area artists will transform blank walls into vibrant art pieces along a trail in Council Bluffs. The artists will install murals along the First Ave trail, which opened in May and is located one block south of West Broadway. The trail is located in the area of a former rail corridor that was vacated in 2013. Future development opportunities such as housing and commercial space are also envisioned for the area, according to the projects website. The City of Council Bluffs worked with business owners and property managers along the trail to find spaces for local artists Dany Reyes, Betni Kalk, Weston Thomson and Ilaamen Pelshaw to install murals, said Ashley Kruse with the City of Council Bluffs. The project is funded by the Iowa West Foundation. Reyes mural is titled Children Doing Powerful Things; Kalks is titled Rails to Trails: Evolution of Transportation; Thomsons is titled Dream Builder; and Pelshaws is titled Fabric of Council Bluffs. A selection committee made up of representatives from the City of Council Bluffs and the foundation selected the four artists from a group of about 20 artists from the Omaha metro who had applied for the program, Kruse said. All four murals are expected to be completed by this winter. Three of the murals are already in progress, while one of the spots required more prep work and will be ready for mural installation soon, Kruse said. Were excited its moving so quickly, she said. Kruse said the city hopes to have more murals go up alongside the trail next year and also sculptural art that will be installed on existing concrete pedestals located along the trail. The trail itself is envisioned as a linear park with landscaping, public spaces and trail plazas, according to a press release. Cochran Park, which was recently renovated, is also located along the trail. Roughly 60% of Council Bluffs residents live within a mile of the trail, the release said. The city has found that residents are using the trail both recreationally and as a way to commute, Kruse said. Its an amazing amenity for Council Bluffs because its a connection between downtown Council Bluffs and downtown Omaha, Kruse said. The installation of the murals is designed to transform the trail into an artistic experience, the press release said. We just want to see this trail become a point of pride for the community, and something thats used regularly, Kruse said. Things like murals and the future sculptural art really bring it to life and help draw our residents, but also visitors, to the area. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 Several major local taxing entities in Douglas and Sarpy Counties will hold public hearings next week, as required by Nebraskas two-year-old Truth in Taxation law. Homeowners and other property taxpayers in metropolitan Omaha and across Nebraska have been receiving large postcards in the mail this week advertising public hearings and detailing estimates of how the local governments budgets could affect their own pocketbooks. The public hearing in Douglas County is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Wednesday in the Legislative Chambers of the City-County Building, 1819 Farnam St. The public hearing in Sarpy County is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium of Bellevue East High School, 1401 High School Drive in Bellevue. Representatives of the local governments that are required to hold the hearings will present information on their budgets, and take public comment. The hearings and postcards are part of a state law officially titled the Property Tax Request Act, but dubbed by supporters as Truth in Taxation. The law passed in 2021. It took effect last year. So this is the second round of public hearings. Backers of the law said they aimed to keep property taxes in check by making local elected officials more accountable for decisions that increase tax collections. The law requires school districts, cities, counties and community colleges to send out the postcards and have joint public hearings when they propose increasing their property tax requirements on existing property by more than 2%. Higher tax collections resulting from real growth, such as new construction or property improvements, do not count toward the 2% allowable growth percentage threshold. The hearings must be held before the political subdivisions formally adopt their budgets and set their property tax rates. The hearings set for next week meet that deadline. But in reality, the local governments are highly unlikely to change their proposed tax rates at this point. They have pretty much decided their budgets and calculated their planned tax levies. Officially setting the rates is generally a formality. The context behind the law is that many homeowners and other property taxpayers often pay higher taxes from year to year even if local governments dont raise their tax rates. Thats because of rising valuations. Thats true again this year in metropolitan Omaha, even though some entities, such as the City of Omaha and the Omaha Public Schools, propose to lower their tax rates slightly. The political subdivisions in the Omaha public hearing will be the Omaha and Bennington school districts, the City of Omaha, Douglas County, Metropolitan Community College and the City of Ralston. The local governments in the Bellevue meeting will be Sarpy County, Bellevue Public Schools, the City of Bellevue and the City of Gretna. Those are not the only entities that collect property taxes in the counties. Smaller political subdivisions are exempted by the state law. Others are keeping their property tax collections below the threshold established by the state law. So the postcards and meetings wont give taxpayers a complete picture of their property tax bills. They wont know how much they owe until they get their tax statements, which typically arrive in December. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Chairman Koo Ja-yeol, front row fourth from right, poses with members of the diplomatic corps in Korea and KITA executives during a reception at Grand Walkerhill Seoul hotel, Thursday. Courtesy of KITA By Yi Whan-woo Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Chairman Koo Ja-yeol hosted a reception for ambassadors in Korea from Central Asia, Europe and Latin America, seeking their support for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, the association said Friday. The reception comes as the 2030 host city will be announced in late November. The southeastern port city of Korea is competing with Italy's Rome and Saudi Arabia's Riyadh. Accordingly, Koo invited 41 ambassadors, representing the 70 members of the diplomatic corps of the countries in the three aforementioned regions, to the KITA Bridging Reception at Grand Walkerhill Seoul hotel, Thursday. From the KITA side, there were 30 executives present. "The reception was aimed at enhancing networking," the association said, noting that the chairman shared thoughts on deepening economic cooperation with each of the 41 countries and also requested support for Busan's Expo bid. In his speech, the chairman underlined that Busan can "present a vision for a great shift toward a better future for humankind" in the face of climate change, social polarization and other global challenges. "KITA has faithfully served as a bridge to bolster economic exchanges and country-to-country solidarity through trade," he was quoted as saying. "It will make full-pledged effort for firms to create a range of business opportunities." According to the association, it periodically hosts networking events for the members of the diplomatic corps, and connects them with Korean entrepreneurs. The upcoming event will be a reception in October for ambassadors from ASEAN member states and countries from the Middle East. Sgt. Dennis Pavlik and seven other soldiers trudged for four weeks through the dust and mud of war-ravaged Korea. Starving, parched and ravaged with dysentery, he could barely move. But a machine gun stuck in his back by his Chinese captors kept him marching forward until they arrived at a North Korean prison camp known as Death Valley. The 21-year-old soldier from Elba, Nebraska, lost 60 pounds. Lice invaded his hair and body. At night, rats crawled over his body. Pavliks ordeal as prisoner of war lasted 42 days, cut short only because of the truce that ended hostilities between North and South Korea on July 27, 1953. Those were the darkest days of my life, he said. Pavlik, now 91 and living in Omaha, is the last surviving Korean War POW from Nebraska. He was an honored guest Friday as about 75 people gathered near the colonnade at Memorial Park for the fourth annual observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day. We are thankful that you are here a hero among us, said retired Air Force Col. Ben Felix Ungerman, a top staffer to Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. An Air Force RPTC color guard from the University of Nebraska at Omaha opened the ceremony, which concluded with a three-gun volley fired by seven members of American Legion Post No. 1, and the rendering of taps. Representatives of 13 groups or organizations placed wreaths around the Korean and Vietnam War veterans monument the most since the event started, said Fred Tisdale, of American Legion Post No. 1, who organized and emceed the ceremony. Its getting bigger every year, he said. The Legion veterans set up an empty table and chair to represent the MIAs who have never been accounted for about 82,000 since World War II. They are commonly called POWs, MIAs, said Tisdale, an Air Force veteran. We call them brothers. Tisdale said the empty table was set with a white cloth, to symbolize the purity of the motives of the missing service members who took up arms to defend their country. On the table was a vase holding a red rose, symbolizing the families of the missing who have waited for their return; and a candle, symbolizing the unquenchable spirit of those held prisoner. An inverted glass reminded visitors that the missing service member is not present to drink a toast with his comrades. They are not here. Remember, Tisdale said. Remember until they come come. Remember. The ceremonys guest speaker, Franklin Damann, is responsible more than almost anyone else for bringing home the remains of the MIAs. He is the director of the Nebraska laboratory for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, at Offutt Air Force Base. The agency is tasked with finding and identifying MIAs. Damann told the story of Pfc. Sonny Simon, a 20-year-old soldier from Wisconsin who disappeared during the battle of Hurtgen Forest, a long, brutal battle along the border of Belgium and Germany that stretched for months in late 1944 and early 1945. Simons family despaired of ever learning what happened to him. His sister, Eileen, regretted that she hadnt said goodbye to him the morning he left for the Army because he was still sleeping. In 2019, historians examined records and theorized that the remains in a grave in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium might match Simons. His remains were disinterred and sent to the Offutt lab. He was identified through a DNA match with Eileen, and with Simons brother, James. Both were still alive to see Sonny Simon buried in his hometown in March. His sister, Eileen, who didnt want to wake him that morning, got to say goodbye, Damann said. He said 2,388 Nebraskans and Iowans remain missing from the wars since World War II including Pvt. Hymie Epstein of Omaha, a hero of the battle of Buna in New Guinea in November-December 1942; Sgt. Cecil French of Buffalo, Nebraska, missing in Korea in March 1951; and Staff Sgt. Manny Puentes, a Vietnam War MIA from Omaha, whose brother, Jose, laid a wreath in his honor Friday. We never stop looking for our missing service members, Damann said. Together, we represent the unwavering commitment of our nation, never to leave a colleague behind. Dennis Pavlik served as a living link to those still missing, including some men he served with. He understands he is one of the lucky ones. And he will never forget the feeling the day he walked back to freedom across the Bridge of No Return, at the Military Demarcation Line that separates North and South Korea. There was no relief like that. A big weight was taken off my shoulders, Pavlik said. The most beautiful sight in the world was our beloved American flag the red, white and blue. Photos: POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony in Memorial Park LINCOLN A 27-year-old Firth, Nebraska, man involved in a plot to kidnap and torture a man at a warehouse at the edge of Lincoln got 16 to 22 years in prison for it Thursday. Austin Widhalm stood and offered an apology to the victims, their families and anyone who was hurt by my actions. Last week, his co-defendant, Tanner Danielson, 31, got 70 to 90 years for attempted kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault. Hed pleaded no contest. At Thursdays sentencing, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Jeff Mathers said while Widhalm was not the driving force or the most culpable of the two, he did participate, and he participated in a major way. Frankly, had he not done so, I doubt that at least on that night, these events would have gone down as they did, Mathers said. He said the big question is why. Maybe in exchange for drugs, the prosecutor posed. Or because he is a follower. Prosecutors say late July 28, 2022, and over about 12 hours, Danielson who was a welder beat, burned with a blowtorch and branded a man he believed had stolen 50 pounds of marijuana from him after hed brought it back from Colorado, and raped a woman who had been with the victim. The 26-year-old man ultimately was left in the country handcuffed and tied to a tree. After hours, he was able to get free and, still handcuffed, was found by deputies walking on a dirt road near Firth. Widhalm ultimately pleaded no contest to second-degree assault and first-degree false imprisonment for the role he played in the crime. At sentencing, his attorney, Matt Aerni, pointed to Widhalms lack of a prior record and his remorsefulness for his actions and said it was sad that Widhalm put himself in this situation by choosing to get involved in drugs and alcohol, which influenced his thought processes. He acknowledges he deserves prison time for this, Aerni said. He cant undo time and rewind the clock. Certainly, if he could he would. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong said, We all know this was a horrific event that you were involved in, Mr. Widhalm. And, she said, she didnt know whether he could have done anything that night to stop Danielson. But it certainly could have helped had you walked away or called law enforcement, Strong said. Instead, she said, Widhalm kicked and punched the victim, held him down while he was being branded and tortured and kept him from leaving even after Danielson left the scene. According to the victim, Widhalm did meth instead of helping him. Strong said Widhalm also helped remove the victims car from the scene and helped Danielson tie him to a tree. Theres no doubt you did have a substantial role in the event, she said. But by all accounts, it was not his idea and she believed he was remorseful, Strong said before giving the sentence. Widhalm will have to serve eight years before hes eligible for parole. LINCOLN As restrictions on gender-affirming care options for Nebraskans under 19 officially take effect, transgender rights advocates plan to protest the changes at the Capitol. ACLU of Nebraska, Nebraska Appleseed and OutNebraska plan to hold a joint rally in Lincoln on Oct. 1, the same day a ban on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries are set to take effect under Legislative Bill 574. All three organizations advocated against the bill while it was debated in the Legislature. This rally is about letting trans Nebraskans know that we wont give up fighting for their right to belong and letting our elected leaders know that we are not going anywhere, ACLU of Nebraska legal fellow Grant Friedman said in an email. The LGBTQ+ community may continue to face unprecedented legislative attacks, but we can guarantee we will be right there with unprecedented fervor to protect and defend those rights because trans people belong in Nebraska. The rally will begin at 1 p.m. on the Capitols front steps. It will feature remarks from trans youths, parents of trans people and medical professionals. Along with its gender-affirming care restrictions, LB 574 increased Nebraskas abortion ban to 12 weeks based on gestational age. The bill was among the most controversial measures debated in the Legislature this year and is currently being challenged in court by ACLU lawyers who claim the law violates the Nebraska Constitutions single-subject rule. That lawsuit held the chance to block the laws gender-affirming care restrictions from taking effect through a temporary injunction ACLU requested on behalf of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. However, the Nebraska Supreme Court denied that request earlier this week, so the regulations of LB 574 will remain in place while the case is considered. LB 574 calls for a full ban on gender-affirming surgeries for people under 19, but directed the chief medical officer with the state health department to develop regulations for puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Until those regulations are approved, however, those medications will be fully banned for that age group unless an individual was already receiving treatment before Oct. 1. According to department officials, Chief Medical Officer Timothy Tesmer is working with a group of experts on drafting the regulations, all of whom will remain anonymous until the drafting is complete. Among the criteria for the regulations is setting a minimum number of gender-identity-focused therapeutic hours a patient must undergo to receive it, and a minimum waiting period between a medical practitioner receiving the patients consent and prescribing the treatment. Several Nebraska physicians said in interviews with The World-Herald that these criteria are already part of the standard practice doctors follow when prescribing such care. It is unclear how long the medications will be banned before the regulations are implemented. The department expects to hold a hearing on the proposed regulations before the end of the year, but Tesmer previously said a second hearing may be necessary depending on how the first goes. After the hearing, the regulations will go through several groups for review, including the Board of Health and the Attorney Generals Office, before finally going to Gov. Jim Pillens desk for approval. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 As cleanup of pesticide-contaminated waste at a former ethanol plant near Mead ramps up, researchers studying the aftermath on humans and the environment say area residents continue to show exposure to insecticides. A study of 21 people conducted jointly by the University of Nebraska and Creighton University found one-third of residents living near AltEn had measurable amounts of pesticides commonly used in seed treatments in their urine. AltEn used discarded seeds coated with neonicotinoids to make ethanol an unusual process among ethanol plants in the U.S. which also created heavily contaminated solid and liquid byproducts. Those waste products were spread on area farm ground or stockpiled on AltEns facility roughly 2 miles south of Mead where they were exposed to the elements. The plant shut down in 2021 after the company came under scrutiny of environmental regulators and efforts to clean up the site began shortly after. Of the seven area residents who showed detectable levels of insecticides in the university study, three had concentrations comparable to what was found in a 2015-16 study of the general population conducted by the National Center for Environmental Health, a division of the Centers for Disease Control. That survey showed roughly half of all Americans had between 0.4 and 2.8 parts per billion of the insecticide imidacloprid in their bodies on average an exposure the 2019 study said was likely through consuming foods treated with the compound. The four other samples submitted by Mead residents in 2022 showed concentrations of imidacloprid well above the range recorded in the CDC study, according to Eleanor Rogan, an associate dean in UNMCs College of Public Health who is leading the research effort. Those quantities ranged between 12 parts per billion to 42 parts per billion, a concentration roughly 20 times higher than the average reported in the CDC study. A second round of testing done earlier this year once again showed roughly one-third of participants in the study had detectable amounts of neonicotinoids in their urine, Rogan added, though at lower levels than the first round of testing. One sample in the second round of testing recorded imidacloprid at roughly 16 parts per billion, according to Rogan, while others were within the range of the CDC study. The low numbers also fall under the benchmark the Environmental Protection Agency considers unsafe for human exposure, which is also the figure used by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. While the decline in concentrations is encouraging, and tracks with what researchers have seen in other facets of their wide-ranging study, Rogan said that the results demonstrate residents of Mead continue to be exposed to chemicals from the AltEn plant. The neonics dont hang around, Rogan said, adding they dissolve quickly in water and are passed through the human body. If we are still detecting them in people, they are still getting exposed. The study was done more than 18 months after the plant stopped its operations, and months after the AltEn Facility Response Group six agribusiness giants who formerly supplied seed to AltEn capped an estimated 84,000 tons of pesticide-contaminated solid waste under a layer of concrete and clay. Those measures have helped control the spread of the waste through the environment, Rogan said, and point to contaminated dust already in the homes of Mead-area residents as the likely route of exposure for many. Meads source of drinking water is upgradient from the AltEn plant and not affected by any pesticide contamination, according to village officials. Rogan said more research is needed, both among residents living in proximity to AltEn as well as on the effects of neonicotinoids on humans in general. The university study is limited in its scope as well as its geography, Rogan said. Researchers would like to expand the study to people living south and east of AltEn, as well as attract more volunteers to provide blood and urine samples in order to determine their level of exposure. The studies also record a snapshot in time and do not provide evidence linking exposure to chemicals at AltEn to any health conditions, she said. In fact, Rogan said the science around the effects of neonicotinoids on humans is incomplete, though there is a scattering of studies linking exposure to conditions ranging from autism to respiratory illnesses, obesity and diabetes. Those are just associations, not cause and effect, she said. It would take a long-term, big study to try and see what the health effects are. GIBSON CITY The Ford County Public Health Department on Thursday reported that two birds have tested positive for West Nile virus. "The positive birds are an indication that West Nile virus is circulating in our area and individuals should take appropriate preventive measures to protect their health, stated Nancy Mandamuna, environmental health specialist for the department. West Nile is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird, the news release explained. Common West Nile symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. However, four out of five people infected with the virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can occur. The best way to prevent West Nile disease or any other mosquito-borne illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites," Mandamuna said. This includes staying indoors when mosquitoes are most active; wearing insect repellant and/or covering exposed skin when outdoors; and eliminating sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed. Surveillance for West Nile virus includes laboratory tests on mosquito batches, dead crows, blue jays, robins and other perching birds, as well as testing sick horses and humans with West Nile-like disease symptoms, the health department said. If a dead bird is found between May 1 and Oct. 15 and appears to have died of natural causes, it should be reported to the Ford County Public Health Department at 217-379-9281. Check out all the photos from the Boy Scout Lawn Social Scout Executive/CEO Ben Blumenberg presents Dr. Tom Nielsen and Dr. Kathy Bohn with their Good Scout awards. John Wohlwend, Julie Dobski, Jan Wohlwend (former Good Scout honorees) Karen DeAngelis, Julie Dobski Cheryl Magnuson, Terry Reid David and Maggie Sumner Vicki and Bob Varney ISU Interim President Aondover Tarhule and Rose Tarhule Scott Henrichs, Mary Bennett Henrichs, Dan Brady John and Marilyn Freese, John and Jan Wohlwend Jane Kuchefski, David Skillrud Larry Schmidt, Chuck Croxton, Kevin Thomas Honorable William Yoder, Coroner Kathy Yoder Good Scout honorees Dr. Tom Nielsen and Dr. Kathy Bohn with B.J. and Dick Luedke Mike and Sandy Remmes Tina Marlett, Laura Pritts, Pat Messinger, Kevin Thomas, Jon Pritts Tracy Patkunas, Jim Waldorf, Karen DeAngelis Charles Mems, ISU Mens Basketball coach Ryan Pedon Ryan and Stephanie Pedon Bob Dobski, Scout Executive/CEO Ben Blumenberg John Meek John Meek gives the three-finger Scout salute Presenting of the colors Eagle Scout Tim Spence holds the three-finger salute while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance John and Marilyn Freese Eagle Scout Tim Spence speaks about his scouting journey and how it has helped him grow his leadership skills. Tim was awarded his Eagle Scout as a senior in high school. He is now a freshman at ISU. Scout Executive/CEO Ben Blumenberg introduces Good Scout honorees Dr. Tom Nielsen and Dr. Kathy Bohn. Dr. Nielsens scouting uniform hangs in the background. Dr. Nielsen earned his Eagle Scout in 1974 during his senior year in high school. Good Scout honoree Dr. Kathy Bohn at the microphone, while fellow honoree Dr. Tom Nielsen looks on. Good Scout honoree Dr. Tom Nielsen Charles Mems, Colleen Kannaday Kim Schoenbein, Tracy Patkunas, Stephanie Morstatter Stan Glazier, Joan Stralow Byron and Patty Blotky Carole Ringer, Coleen Moore River and Nick Kunkes Irish Vaughn, Joe Nielsen, Betty Bohn, Beth Nielsen, Good Scout honorees Dr. Kathy Bohn and Dr. Tom Nielsen Tony Morstatter, Terry Reid Scott Henrichs, Kevin Birlingmair Scott Henrichs, Tracy Patkunas, Kevin Birlingmair Viki Burnett, Betty Garcia-Patino Mary Bennett Henrichs, honorees Dr. Tom Nielsen and Dr. Kathy Bohn, Julie Dobski, Tracy Patkunas, Kim Schoenbein DOUGLAS, Ariz. The sheriff of Arizona's easternmost border county asked state and federal officials for help with the sudden daily release of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., including families with small children. Along with other local officials at a news conference Thursday, Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County said that the rural area doesn't have shelters or other infrastructure to attend to the needs of migrants, many of them from faraway countries in western Africa and southeast Asia. We dont have any resources at all to house these people, Douglas Mayor Donald Huish said. The officials said Customs and Border Protection has been overwhelmed with arrivals and began releasing the migrants into small communities such as Douglas and Bisbee on Wednesday and continued Thursday. Some were dropped off at a bus stop outside a Bisbee supermarket. Douglas is a city of about 16,000 people on Arizona's border with Mexico. Dannels said the migrants entered the U.S. at other locations along the U.S.-Mexico border, but didn't specify where or why remote Cochise County was chosen as the location to release them. Officials said many migrants are being transported out of the area to a Tucson shelter on buses paid for by Pima County with federal grant funding. When contacted, CBP did not address specific questions about why Cochise County was chosen for releases, but said it is working according to plan and as part of our standard processes to get people quickly out of detention facilities before they become overcrowded. It said it aims to safely and efficiently screen and process migrants to place them in immigration enforcement proceedings consistent with our laws. Typically, asylum-seekers who are allowed to remain in the U.S. are sheltered for a few days by nonprofit organizations that then help them make contact with and travel to stay with relatives in other parts of the country pending their immigration court dates. But those organizations don't exist in remote areas like Cochise County. Yuma County, located on Arizona's border with Mexico in the far west, has encountered similar problems in 2021 when Border Patrol officials released migrants there when facilities became overwhelmed. Cities with the largest immigrant populations Cities With the Largest Immigrant Populations The US foreign born population share was at a near historic high before the pandemic Mexican immigrants account for nearly 25 percent of the foreign born population More than a quarter of the California population is foreign born Small and midsize metros with the most immigrants 15. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 14. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 13. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 12. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 11. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 10. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 9. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 7. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 6. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA 3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Aug. 8. AP-Yonhap The U.S. Department of Defense warned North Korea Thursday that its arms support to Russia would not only prolong the war in Ukraine but also be tantamount to "directly" joining the killing of innocent Ukrainians. Deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh made the remarks after this week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the prospects of Pyongyang sending more ammunition to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. "I think that any country that supports Russia in its unprovoked war in Ukraine is of course going to not only prolong the conflict but is directly engaging in the killing of innocent Ukrainian civilians, officials and those on the battlefield," Singh told a press briefing. "We have been very public about our warnings to North Korea ... We would encourage that North Korea not pursue a deal with Russia," she added. CHICAGO With more than 50 sites on our map of Illinois Underground Railroad, it would be quite challenging to make the 1,100-mile round trip in a single vacation. But as September is International Underground Railroad Month, if youve got a few days free, plan a weekender to visit the places where freedom seekers took refuge in their escapes from enslavement and get to know the stories of how they made new lives for themselves in Illinois communities. This three-day itinerary will require car travel and starts off in the Chicago area. It focuses on visiting as many sites within a reasonable time frame, with an emphasis on sites with interactive activities for an engaging trip. Sites are all around the state, so if a trip isnt feasible, be sure to take a look at our full map of Underground Railroad sites there might be places to visit much closer to home than you think. Friday Your destination is Alton, in the southwest corner of the state near St. Louis. But you have a few options for the journey. You could stop at the southern edge of Chicago to visit the Jan and Aagje Ton Farm, the first site in the city to be named to the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. Its also part of the African American Heritage Water Trail, beginning at the Cook County Forest Preserves Beaubien Woods and ending in south suburban Robbins. The 7-mile Little Calumet River trail requires those taking to the water to be experienced paddlers or traveling with an experienced guide, but you can also enjoy the view from the shore. By taking Interstate 57 south through Champaign, you could make a stop in Oakland to see the Dr. Hiram Rutherford House. The abolitionist faced off against Abraham Lincoln in a case involving a family of freedom seekers. Its only open until 2 p.m. Fridays, so this one is probably best for the early risers. Or you can make a slightly shorter, 4 -hour drive via Interstate 55 through Springfield. After strolling by the Old State Capitol, spend some time walking through history at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Among the places surrounding the Civil War-era presidents home are the Jameson Jenkins lot, the site where the home of Jenkins believed to have used his transportation business to aid freedom seekers once stood. If you reach Alton later in the day, you can unwind in town, or cross the river into St. Louis for a night out. On the Illinois side, Alton has dozens of restaurants, a handful of craft breweries and coffee shops. For a stay that mirrors your sightseeing plans, theres at least one Airbnb in a historic house, as well as a traditional bed-and-breakfast inn known as Beall Mansion. Saturday If youve timed your trip to include one of the third Saturdays of the month from September through November, the Freedom to Equality tour offers a convenient way to see many of Altons Underground Railroad sites and other places teeming with Black history. (If you miss the Sept. 16 tour, the next one will be Oct. 21.) If the bus tour isnt an option, you can explore the town yourself, or head north toward Jacksonville. On the way, the Hamilton Primary School will host a festival Sept. 23-24 that includes tours of the historic school and Underground Railroad stop, as well as a bake-off auction and a Sunday chicken dinner. On other dates, tours can be scheduled in advance. If the weather is nice, your 1 -hour drive could detour 30 minutes over to the New Philadelphia National Historic Site, which became a national park at the end of 2022. The town named for brotherly love was the first in the U.S. founded by a Black person, Free Frank McWorter. Now, the nonprofit New Philadelphia Association manages a visitors kiosk and virtual tour. A free app enables visitors to view 3D representations of buildings overlaid at their original locations within the existing landscape. Jacksonville is teeming with historic Underground Railroad sites, and most can be viewed on the Woodlawn Farm bus tours the next one is Oct. 15. Woodlawn Farm itself has open tour days from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from May through September. The farms owners aided freedom seekers, employed them and built cabins on the property for free Black families. The Jacksonville visitors bureau maps out a self-guided tour of its Underground Railroad sites, which include the Congregational Church at the heart of the towns abolitionist movement. If youre staying overnight, bed-and-breakfast inns are housed in elegantly restored mansions, such as Blessings on State and Villa DeWolf. Those who enjoy a night under the stars have multiple options for camping. A few popular restaurants include The Little Stove, Proud Richards, Normas North Star Cafe and Leos Pizza. Sunday As you head to Chicago, you have a few options. Detour in Princeton to see the Owen Lovejoy Homestead, once home to the abolitionist minister and congressman, and brother of murdered abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy. It is said that Frederick Douglass stayed here, and docents in present day can point out a hidden area above the stairs where freedom seekers hid. Tours take place 1-4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays from May through September. A shorter drive through Springfield and Bloomington on I-55 will pass by the I&M Canal Headquarters, open from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Even before the I&M Canal was completed in 1848, freedom seekers would follow its path as they headed for Chicago, aided by abolitionists along the route. Other routes could include visits to the African American Heritage Water Trail, if it wasnt visited at the start of your trip; or through the west suburbs to visit Blanchard Hall, the 1846 Israel Blodgett House, the Sheldon Peck Homestead or Graue Mill and Museum, all stops on the Underground Railroad. As a bonus, this course of action could also include a visit to the Ten Mile Freedom House Marker conveniently located in a McDonalds parking lot for hungry travelers. But if the weather is nice and youre in the mood to stretch your legs after so much time in the car, spend the afternoon in Graceland Cemetery. Take in the final resting place of many Underground Railroad conductors, freedom seekers and abolitionists along the historic cemeterys sweeping landscape. Self-guided audio tours describe the historic inhabitants, offering a final moment to reflect on the many lives shaping Illinois Underground Railroad before you head home. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term Among other things, sitting Illinois judges are prohibited by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 4.1 from making speeches on behalf of a political organization, or solicit funds for a political organization or candidate, except when theyre up for election or retention. So, you might ask, what the heck was Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford thinking when she decided to accept an invitation to be the keynote speaker at the Lake County Democratic Women annual fundraising gala on September 9? The registered political action committee is one of the most influential independent county-wide campaign groups of its kind in all of Illinois, having helped recruit, train and then elect dozens of local candidates over the years (including Justice Rochford herself). Illinois voters deserve a fair and impartial state Supreme Court that's free of and from politics, which does not appear to be the case here," said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe in a press release last week about Rochfords speech. The Illinois Supreme Court's Code of Judicial Conduct (Canon 4, Page 48-50) is clear: sitting judges who aren't up for election shall not speak at political functions supporting the election of candidates, the Illinois Republican Partys press release claimed. A Republican Party official said later that we can expect a formal complaint will be filed soon. The controversy boils down to two questions about the Supreme Courts rule: 1) Did Justice Rochford make a speech on behalf of a political organization? And 2) Did her role as keynote speaker mean she was soliciting funds for the Lake County Democratic Women PAC? Rochfords defenders say no to both questions. She gave a non-political speech to a political group, not on behalf of it. And she didnt do anything to solicit any money for the political action committee. Justice Rochford herself issued a rare statement to me last week: I receive speaking requests from many groups and organizations. I believe it is important for judges to appear in public and help educate people about the Judicial Branch. My speech at this event was about the work of the Illinois Supreme Court, its non-partisan nature and the collegiality that is fostered by our unique lodging arrangement during court terms. The content of my speech was not political in any way and so should not be construed to have been provided on behalf of any political candidate or organization. Others who were at the event confirmed Rochfords claim that she said nothing which could be construed as partisan or campaign-related in nature. I totally get the narrow and lawyerly interpretation. Any formal Republican complaints are likely doomed because of it. These are lawyers, after all. Words are carefully chosen for good reason. And, more importantly, we elect our judges in Illinois, so that means we do have to accept that they are inherently political beings. If they were all appointed and confirmed by the state Senate, or whatever, it would be a different story. But, I mean, come on. Keynote speakers are usually invited because they help legitimize the organization and, as a result, drive increased attendance. And robust attendance is obviously very crucial to the success of any annual fundraiser. So, while Rochford didnt technically speak on behalf of the group, she did help the Lake County Democratic Women further prove its bona fides by agreeing to speak. And while she did not directly raise money for the group which helped nominate her in a competitive Democratic primary and then elect her over a Lake County Republican general election opponent, it should have been abundantly clear that her very presence undoubtedly helped the group raise at least some campaign money that it might possibly not have brought in without her. Justice Rochford has been around politics for a very long time. She most certainly knows that this speech was far different from presenting to a law school symposium, or bar organization. Im not saying that judges and justices should cloister themselves away like monks. But they should at least try to keep up appearances when theyre not actively campaigning, especially during an era when every decision by just about every Supreme Court in the land, including the US Supreme Court, is being analyzed for political bents. The thoughts of one Moroccan schoolteacher immediately turned to her pupils when she felt the 6.8-magnitude earthquake strike a week ago. Nesreen Abu ElFadel was in Marrakesh - but Adaseel, the mountain village that was home to her school and pupils, was closer to the epicentre. The Arabic- and French-language teacher returned to Adaseel where she went searching for the children. She discovered that all 32 - ranging from six to 12 years old - had died. "I went to the village and started asking about my kids: 'Where is Somaya? Where is Youssef? Where is this girl? Where is that boy?' The answer came hours later: 'They are all dead.' "I imagined holding my class's attendance sheet and putting a line through one student's name after another, until I had scratched off 32 names; they are all now dead," she told the BBC. They were among the almost-3,000 people killed by the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Morocco, which struck on the evening of 8 September. The hardest-hit areas were those south of Marrakesh, where many mountain villages were completely destroyed. Adaseel was one of those places. Ms ElFadel recalled how she heard about what happened to six-year-old Khadija. Rescuers found the body of the child lying next to her brother Mohamed and her two sisters, Mena and Hanan. They had all been in their bed - probably asleep - during the quake, and they all went to Ms ElFadel's school. "Khadija was my favourite. She was very nice, smart, active and loved to sing. She used to come to my house, and I loved studying and talking to her." The language teacher described her students as "angels", and respectful children who were eager to learn. Despite struggling with poverty and a crushing cost-of-living crisis, the children and their families thought of going to school as "the most important thing in the world". "Our last class was on Friday night, exactly five hours before the quake hit," Ms ElFadel said. "We were learning Morocco's national anthem, and planned to sing it in front of the whole school on Monday morning." 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 Professor Smart Sarpong has appealed to political parties in the country to quit complaining about everything the Electoral Commission (EC) sets out to do in the name of advancing the electoral college of the country. The Senior Research Fellow of the Kumasi Technical University wondered why the parties, particularly those in opposition, always oppose the Commission whenever it decides to improve its system. To him, the ongoing limited registration exercise is in the right order, so called on the parties to give their support to the EC in making it a success. The Electoral Commission on Tuesday, September 12, commenced the registration exercise and will end on Monday, 2nd October, 2023. According to a statement by the EC, persons who have attained the age of 18 years since the last registration exercise and those who for one reason or the other did not register in 2020, should visit the District Office where they reside with either their Ghana Card or their Ghana Passport. The Commission further stated that eligible applicants who do not possess any of the identification documents listed above are required to present two (2) persons who are already registered voters to guarantee their registration and added; the General Public is informed that it is a criminal offence for non-Ghanaians (foreigners) and persons who are not 18 years and above (minors) to attempt to register." But the National Democratic Congress have opposed the EC's restrictions and filed a suit at the Supreme Court challenging the process. To Prof. Smart Sarpong, the use of Ghana Card as directed by the EC is a good move to rid the electoral system of irregularities. "My position is that every person should get the Ghana Card and use it to register and vote," he said contrary to views that the use of Ghana Card will disenfranchise eligible Ghanaians. "Let's give people in authority our support. Let's participate in the process led by people in authority...So, work with them. You can never have a perfect human being but, under the circumstance, you help them become perfect," he charged the political parties. 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 " " Usain Bolt of Jamaica carries his country's flag during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Bolt is the current world record holder in the 100m and 200m races and considered to be "the fastest man alive." Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images When you think of Jamaica, if you do think of Jamaica, what images come into your mind? Bob Marley? Beaches? Sebastian the Crab from "The Little Mermaid"? For an island of just 2.8 million people living on about 4,244 square miles (10,991 square kilometers), Jamaica is surprisingly well-known around the globe. It's sometimes called "The biggest little country in the world." Some people know Jamaica from having spent a holiday on its renowned white-sand beaches. Others have been captivated by reggae music, popularized by Jamaican artists like Marley and Peter Tosh. Or they've seen Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, the "world's fastest man" on TV, blazing through various track events. They may have also seen news coverage pictures of crime and violence. Each of these is a part of Jamaica. Advertisement These are conflicting images: A laid-back, mellow, "no problem, man" society contrasted with an underbelly of aggression. Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world. There were 1,463 murders in 2021, one of the highest homicide rates in the world [source: Statista]. Much of this is fueled by inner-city gang violence. The poverty rate is also high, 23 percent in 2020 while the 2021 unemployment rate was 9 percent [sources: UNAIDS, Macrotrends]. The combination of poverty and crime has fueled widespread emigration. In fact, an astounding 85 percent of college-educated Jamaicans have emigrated [source: Trading Economics]. There are probably as many Jamaicans living outside of Jamaica as there are on the island. And this has helped spread Jamaican culture abroad. Despite these conflicting images, Jamaicans always go home to visit -- and tourists come in droves. All told, Jamaica is one of the most naturally beautiful places you'll ever see. It will get under your skin and you can't let go of it. That said, Jamaica is a study in contrasts and always will be. The island's history may help explain why: Christopher Columbus "discovered" Jamaica in 1494. The island was originally populated by the Taino Indians, who were wiped out when Spain colonized it in the 1500s. In 1655, England captured the island and imported large numbers of African slaves to work the sugar plantations. After slavery was abolished, England imported Chinese and Indian indentured servants to the island. Jamaica won independence from England in 1962, but the racial melting pot that came from past colonization created an entirely new culture -- and a new set of cultural traditions. We'll start by introducing you to some of these traditions firsthand, courtesy of the writer, who was born in Jamaica. Let's start with the holidays. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The novel algorithm will provide real-time predictions for crop growth stages. Pictured above, the spatial pattern of real-time prediction of corn and soybean fields over Iowa in 2020. The stages are: a) greenup onset, b) mid-greenup phase c) maturity onset, d) senescence onset, e) mid-senescence onset and f) dormancy onset. Credit: South Dakota State University Farmers across the United States will be able to monitor their crops in real time, thanks to a novel algorithm from researchers in South Dakota State University's Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence. Two years ago, Yu Shen, research assistant in the GSCE, and Xiaoyang Zhang, professor in the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences and co-director at the GSCE, began investigating if it would be possible to make crop monitoring more efficient. "Previously, crop progress was monitored by visually looking at the plants," Shen explained. Monitoring crops currently requires around 5,000 reporters from across the U.S. who fill out weekly surveys based on the visual observations of fields in their area of the country. Based on standard definitions, reporters estimate the progress of crops through their stages of development while also providing subjective evaluations of crop conditions. Those surveys are then submitted to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which creates weekly crop progress reports that are categorized by state. Farmers rely on these reports, which are currently the best field-based crop progress information available at the regional to state level and are distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This process, while fairly accurate, is time consuming, costly and subjective. Shen and Zhang believed timely satellite remote sensing data could be used to create a more efficient monitoring system. Satellite observations have long been used to analyze historical crop phenologythe development stages of crop growth, from planting to harvest. However, utilizing them to develop a near-real-time crop monitoring system had not been widely investigated. "We thought we could improve on crop monitoring by making it more time and cost efficient," Shen said. "We proposed utilizing timely satellite observations to develop an operational algorithm." By fusing 30-meter spatial observations from the polar-orbiting satellites of Landsat, Sentinel-2 and temporal observations from the geostationary satellite, the research team was able to calculate high spatial and high temporal crop greenness development for operational near-real-time crop monitoring. This study was published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment. "Our results provide accurate timing for crop phenology," Shen said. "This information can help guide farmers in their crop management." Unlike previous work, this novel algorithm can monitor crop growth at a 30-meter field scale. It can calculate six dates of crop growth transition stagesthe start of growing season (onset of greenness increase), the middle of spring (date of mid-greenup phase), maturity onset (onset of greenness approaching maximum), the start of fall (onset of greenness beginning to decrease), the middle of fall (date of mid-senescence phase), and the end of the growing season (onset of greenness reaching minimum)before the phenological event occurs with increasing accuracy around and after the event. These transition dates are applied to determine crop growth stages, such as the timings of planting, emergence, silking, dough, dented, maturity and harvest for corn. The research team spent significant time validating the results of the algorithm by comparing the predictions with actual ground-level measurements from the 2020 corn and soybean growing season in Iowa. They found the real-time prediction capabilities were in line with the progress reports (distributed by the USDA) from that same year. "With the predictions at each field, the near-real-time monitoring of crop phenology offers robust spatially distributed crop progress information from local fields to the entire state," Shen said. "This is a great improvement compared with state-based National Agricultural Statistics Service crop progress reporting." The results from this algorithm will provide accurate measurements of crop phenology, Shen said, which will guide farmers in their crop management. "For example, our algorithm will provide the timing of the crop greenness reaching its maximum," Shen said. "This stage is the window in which farmers should do their irrigation. We will be able to predict when this stage will occur prior to it happening. They will be able to schedule their irrigation ahead of time." Shen predicts the information will also help estimate yield size prior to harvest. Zhang indicates that the algorithm with operational computer codes is to become a new geospatial tool for monitoring crop progress and condition in near real time. This tool will eventually be delivered to the USDA for integrating into existing operational systems for widespread use. Users will be able to see individual fields' crop conditions through an interactive map. Future avenues of research will see the team investigating ways to improve the algorithm's accuracy for short-term predictions. Applications of this geospatial tool at national and global scales could help evaluate worldwide food security. More information: Yu Shen et al, Developing an operational algorithm for near-real-time monitoring of crop progress at field scales by fusing harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 time series with geostationary satellite observations, Remote Sensing of Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2023.113729 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: University of Waterloo Businesses are becoming increasingly competitive as they fight to recruit and retain top talent. Recognition programs are widespread across businesses and workplaces, and are used to improve employee engagement, while motivating employee effort and performance. Despite recognition programs being commonplace, only a few studies have examined their impact in organizational settings, and most of this research focuses on the efficacy of individual-based recognition programs. New research from the University of Waterloo shows that team-based recognition can be effective in settings where performance is highly interdependent, and teamwork is essential to the company's success. The study, The Effects of Team-Based Recognition on Employee Engagement and Effort, is published in the journal Management Accounting Research. "Our findings, based on actual employees performing their real jobs, provides compelling evidence of the efficacy of team-based recognition programs. This study also demonstrates the positive effects of team-based recognition in a fast-food restaurant setting, which is a notably large industry in North America, well known for its difficulties motivating employees," said Sasan Saiy, assistant professor at the School of Accounting and Finance at Waterloo. A field-study was conducted on six fast-food franchise restaurant locations to examine how effective team-based recognition is on employee effort and engagement. The same franchisee operated each of the six locations, referred to as "Management" in the same geographic region within Canada. Each restaurant had a team of approximately 30 employees. Faced with ongoing low staff engagement, Management opted to adopt a formal, team-based recognition program. Researchers implemented this program, and assessed its efficacy. Every two weeks, each location was eligible to receive non-monetary recognition in the form of a thank-you card, token gift, etc. During this 12-week recognition program period, both employee engagement and effort increased as compared to the previous 12-week period. Researchers also found evidence that team recognition had indirect effects on effort through employee engagement. This suggests that there are both indirect and direct effects on team-based recognition through engagement impacting employee effort. This is the first study to show the beneficial consequences of team-based recognition on employee engagement and effort, whereas prior research has focused almost exclusively on individual-level recognition programs. "Team-based recognition is a potentially more cost-effective solution for businesses as compared to costly individual performance assessments," Saiy said. "Our results should be relevant to reward program designers, especially in settings where individual performance is costly or difficult to measure and where the nature of the work is team-oriented." The research findings directly address recent concerns about the generalizability of theory from labs and other controlled experiments to actual work settings. The highly repetitive nature of tasks performed at fast-food restaurants, the time constraints employees are under, the low pay and the limited opportunities for advancement all likely limit employee engagement and effort. This field-study shows the potential for recognition programs to be effective in settings where motivating employees can be particularly challenging. More information: Adam Presslee et al, Small sample field study:The effects of team-based recognition on employee engagement and effort, Management Accounting Research (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.mar.2022.100829 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A database tracking hospital admissions and deaths reveals the devastating impact cars, disease and dogs are having on the South East Queensland koala population. Professor Joerg Henning and his colleagues at The University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science have analyzed data from the UQ-developed KoalaBASE. "Car strikes, dog attacks and chlamydia-induced illnesses are injuring and killing an incredible number of koalas across the South East Queensland," Professor Henning said. "In the five years between 2009 and 2014, 52% of reported wild koala deaths were caused by car strike, 34% were from a chlamydia-related disease and 14% were because of a dog attack. "This equates to 1,431 koala deaths from a car strike, 943 chlamydia-related deaths, and 395 dog attack deaths in just five years. "Remember that these deaths were just the reported cases, so the real numbers would be significantly higher." The research has been published in Scientific Reports. KoalaBASE has been collecting data since 1997 across 15 local government areas from the Fraser Coast, to the Scenic Rim and Darling Downs and the South Burnett. Dr. Ravi Dissanayake conducted the initial analysis, supervised by UQ colleagues and Professor Mark Stevenson at the University of Melbourne. Data considered in the analysis included dog registration numbers, the human population and dwelling information, as well as road type and road length. "This analysis is a useful starting point for more pro-active approaches to managing preventable wild koala mortality risk," Professor Stevenson said. "There are plenty of policies that could reduce car and dog impacts on South East Queensland's dwindling wild koala populations." Professor Henning suggests that more road signs could alert motorists to reduce their speed in known koala habitat and activity areas. "Construction of over and underpasses is also essential to ensure the safe movement of koalas through their habitat," Professor Henning said. "And information campaigns could help reduce the numbers of dog attacks on koalas by reminding owners to leash their dogs or keep them fenced in areas it's vitally important to reduce koala deaths caused by dogs. "Our research included plenty of mapping, so we're now keen to work with policymakers to identify specific areas where intervention efforts can help to reduce koala deaths." More information: Ravi Bandara Dissanayake et al, Anthropogenic and environmental factors associated with koala deaths due to dog attacks and vehicle collisions in South-East Queensland, Australia, 20092013, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40827-w Journal information: Scientific Reports This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: DJF composite 200-hPa geopotential height (shading; m), winds (vectors; 10 m/s), and eddy kinetic energy (EKE; contour lines with interval of 10 m2/s2) anomalies during (a) El Nino (EN) and (b) La Nina (LN) in NCEP2. The red and blue circles represent the central position of the anomalous geopotential height in North Pacific during EN and LN, respectively. Strong El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events with Nino3.4 index greater (less) than 1 (1) C are selected in this study, as the atmospheric response to strong ENSO events is more pronounced than weak ENSO events. DJF anomalous 200-hPa geopotential height (shading; m) and SST (contour lines; K) during (c) EN and (d) LN in SYM_SST experiments. PCC denote pattern correlation coefficient of the model responses with the corresponding observed composites. Zonal mean anomalies have been to focus on the Pacific-North American teleconnection pattern. Credit: Geophysical Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL105277 A new study by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences challenges traditional climate research frameworks. It demonstrates the pivotal role of nonlinear energy processes in shaping the zonal asymmetry observed in El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-induced Pacific-North American (PNA) wave trains. The study was published in Geophysical Research Letters. The researchers found that nonlinear energy processes played a crucial role in shaping the zonal asymmetry observed in ENSO-induced Pacific-North American wave patterns, which challenges traditional linear frameworks. The researchers found that ENSO triggered a complex interplay of zonally symmetric and asymmetric responses within the atmosphere, ultimately affecting the positioning of Pacific-North American teleconnections. The nonlinear energy advection processes drive contrasting energy advection modes during El Nino and La Nina events, leading to variations in the zonal position of the Pacific-North American pattern. The team's findings have been successfully reproduced and confirmed in model experiments of varying complexity, verifying the significance of nonlinear energy processes in shaping ENSO-induced teleconnections. This study sheds new light on intricate mechanisms in ENSO-induced teleconnections, and emphasizes the need to consider nonlinear energy processes in climate research. More information: Ya Wang et al, The Role of Nonlinear Energy Advection in Forming Asymmetric Structure of ENSO Teleconnections Over the North Pacific and North America, Geophysical Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL105277 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters A TV screen shows an image of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 14. AP-Yonhap South Korea warned Thursday that North Korea and Russia will face consequences if they violate U.N. Security Council resolutions with potential arms deals and military cooperation. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit at the Vostochny space center in eastern Russia on Wednesday in their first meeting in more than four years. "North Korea and Russia will clearly pay the price if they are involved in any acts that pose a significant threat to our security by violating the U.N. Security Council resolutions," the South Korean National Security Council (NSC) said in a press release. NSC committee members, including National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong, Foreign Minister Park Jin and Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, called on Pyongyang and Moscow not to get involved in arms trade and military cooperation banned under the U.N. resolutions and international restrictions. Later in the day, the presidential office said Cho had a phone call with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Jake Sullivan and Akiba Takeo, in which they expressed serious concerns over the two nations' discussions on military cooperation, which includes the development of an inter-continental ballistic missile, despite repeated warnings from the international community. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Stability map of molecules with the formula CmN1Hk, where the amount of carbon and hydrogen in the compound varies from zero to 12 atoms. The m and k axes stand for carbon and hydrogen, respectively, and the amount of nitrogen is limited to one atom per molecule. Each bar stands for one compound, its height denotes stability, and the symbols on top refer to the medium, if any, where that compound has been experimentally observed to date. Among the most stable, or "magic," compounds is a close relative of the crap molecule skatole. Credit: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01753 Russian researchers have explained why scientists studying crude oil and celestial chemistryas well as certain down-to-earth mattersfrequently come across some molecules incorporating carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen but not other combinations of these three elements. The discovery transforms what used to be a jumble of haphazard rules of organic chemistry into a neat self-contained logical system based on the current fundamental understanding of quantum physics. Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, the study is not only sure to please many a perfectionist out there, but will actually guide astrophysicists toward new "chemical species" in outer spaceyes, that's really what they're called. "If you think about how organic chemistry is often taught, it's a bit like trying to memorize the yellow pages," said Skoltech Professor Artem R. Oganov, the principal investigator of the study. "Some molecules are stable and therefore common, others not so much. Some react readily, others not. But why? There are rules to this that sort of work, but it's not a neat system built from the ground upmore like a disorganized collection of observations." "Our study remedies this situation and shows how to explain and predict these things from first principles for the system of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen," he went on. "Now there's one small chart that explains whatever we've seen so far in space or in crude oil, and then some, as far as the combinations of these three atoms are concerned." The underlying principle was borrowed from nuclear physics and nanoscience, and identifies "magic" moleculesthose that have lower energy than the molecules of nearest compositions. The laws of physics say that matter tends to assume the lowest energy state available. That means the pretty, highly organized systems, which someone has put a lot of energy into, tend to degrade when left to their own devices (sorry, parents). Food is a good example: Before too long, a juicy apple packed with tasty energy loses it either to the environment by decaying or, hopefully, to someone who can appreciate it. Stripped of its energy, the compounds in the apple transform into the familiar reaction products, with the most noticeable molecule among themthink smellbeing skatole, named after the Ancient Greek word for poo. So, technically, what makes a molecule crappy is just how low the energy of the molecule that came before was prepared to fall in the course of the reaction. Skatole (C 9 NH 9 ) is close to being a "magic" molecule (and another molecule with the same composition and a slightly different arrangement of atoms proved to be magic). Ironically, the malodorous skatole is used in ice-cream and perfume, but in very tiny quantitiesguess what for? For its aroma. While the lead author of the paper, Skoltech master's student Elizaveta Vaneeva from Oganov's Material Discovery Laboratory, was reluctant to delve into the whole skatole aspect of the study, she generously commented on where the new compound stability map might actually be used in science and industry. "The predictions of our model agree well with the list of molecules found in crude oil and outer space. "But while oil has been thoroughly investigated, when it comes to the interstellar medium and planetary atmospheres, we might be able to give astrochemists some hints about what to look for, and it's much faster and easier to discover new molecules when you have a list of candidates at hand." "As for the technological applications, one could imagine organic chemists trying to synthesize an industrially useful compound that belongs to the class we were looking at," Vaneeva added. "This could be an organic dye, for example, a blue pigment. And instead of tediously doing experiments to figure out which compound would be stable, they could use our method, which relies on fundamental quantum chemical calculations, to predict the likely candidates. The method has no analogs, is quite fast, and now its predictions have been tested against the published astro- and petrochemistry data." In the future, the researchers intend to expand their approach to encompass other organic systems, such as amino acidsthe building blocks of DNA and RNAand proteins. More information: Elizaveta E. Vaneeva et al, Prediction and Rationalization of Abundant CNH Molecules in Different Environments, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01753 Journal information: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Holly Winkle On National Threatened Species Day 2023, the Australian Government declared the Empodisma peatlands of southwestern Australia endangered. Edith Cowan University (ECU) environmental scientists sought the listing, which came following three years of research and many more years of campaigning by dedicated organizations, to determine how to save the precious wetlands from extinction. ECU Senior Lecturer Dr. Dave Blake said the endangered listing would have a big impact. "It carries far-reaching implications, as it underscores the urgency and importance of preserving this remarkable ecological community," he said. Precious peatlands In Western Australia, they provide important habitat for animals such as the Sunset Frog, many iconic species of native plants such as the Albany Pitcher plant, and other organisms comprising a seasonally waterlogged freshwater, peat-based wetland. Empodisma, an herbaceous rush-like plant, can be found in the Warren Bioregion from Cape Naturaliste and Albany, the southern subregion of the Jarrah Forest Bioregion, and in high rainfall areas of the Fitzgerald, Northern Jarrah Forest and Perth subregions where conditions are suitable. "The reason these peatlands are so crucial to the natural environment are they provide important habitat for flora and fauna, regulate water quality and store carbon," Dr. Blake said. "They also hold cultural and spiritual significance to Traditional Owners." Dr. Blake said ECU's research shows these areas are under threat due to changing climate, increased vulnerability to fire and degradation from feral animals. "Changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures affect the hydrological systems maintaining these peat ecosystemsand changing the hydrology of these systems means they are more susceptible to fire and then, once ignited, burn for longer," Dr. Blake said. "Fire then makes these systems accessible to feral pigs which further impact on fauna and flora. "Ultimately, they cease to be carbon sinks and become significant sources of carbon emissions." Environmental collaboration The successful endangered listing was the result of ECU's efforts, alongside key organizations and individuals. These include Walpole Nornalup National Parks Association, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and the Commonwealth Department for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, along with the Commonwealth Threatened Species Scientific Committee. Steps to survival ECU is engaged in a five-year collaborative research project, Protecting Peatland Ecosystems and Addressing Threats in Southwest Australia (PEAT). Co-led by the University of Western Australia, it involves 21 interdisciplinary scientists working together, under the guidance of Indigenous elders, to determine how best to protect the natural habitat. "This listing, in conjunction with the PEAT project, enables us to collect the data we need to inform policy decisions and conservation efforts," Dr. Blake said. "If these systems were to be impacted by fire, it is unlikely they will recover in this era of climate change, they will be lost forever." "This is truly a crucial ecological system, and action is needed now to retain it for future generations." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The fire has burned through 75 hectares of peatland in the Ogan Ilir regency of South Sumatra province and around the toll road connecting it to the city of Palembang. Firefighters on a western Indonesian island were battling large peatland fires on Friday that have covered Palembang, a city of nearly two million people, in a haze for weeks, officials said. A prolonged dry season has caused higher risks of wildfires on the archipelago nation's major islands, stoking fears of repeat haze-belching forest fires that have also affected neighboring Malaysia and Singapore in recent years. The fire has burned through 75 hectares of peatland in the Ogan Ilir regency of South Sumatra province and around the toll road connecting it to Palembang, head of Sumatra island's forest and land fire control Ferdian Krisnanto told AFP. "That is our estimation because there were two big hotspots last night. (The burning area) could be bigger once we have validated it with satellite image," said Krisnanto. "From our observation, the peatland is most likely burned by someone". The fires are often started illegally to quickly and cheaply clear land for cultivationparticularly for palm oil and pulpwood. The latest fires, raging for around two weeks, have caused the sky in Palembang to become hazy and reduced visibility for residents, according to an AFP journalist. The local Palembang administration and hospitals reported an increasing number of patients with respiratory infections, the majority of them children. Winds also blew ash from the fires into the city, littering its streets and trees. "I haven't let my child play outside recently because the fire has made the weather hotter," said 35-year-old mother Rudini, who like many Indonesians has one name. "I do not want him to get a nose bleed". Satellite imagery seen by AFP shows multiple wildfire hotspots south of Palembang as of Friday. Drained peatlands release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and produce parched areas that are prone to fires. The fires in 2015 were among the deadliest on record, cloaking Southeast Asia in toxic smoke for weeks and causing many people to become ill, schools to close, and planes to be canceled. 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Director General of the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Walther Pelzer signs the Artemis Accords, Thursday, September 14, 2023, at the German Ambassadors Residence in Washington. Germany is the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASAs Artemis program. Credits: NASA/Keegan Barber During a ceremony at the German Ambassador's Residence in Washington on Thursday, Germany became the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR Dr. Walther Pelzer signed on behalf of Germany. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and the following also were in attendance: Jennifer Littlejohn, acting assistant secretary, U.S. Department of State Chirag Parikh, executive secretary of the U.S. National Space Council Andreas Michaelis, German ambassador to the United States Dr. Anna Christmann, federal German coordinator of German Aerospace Policy "I'm thrilled to welcome Germany to the Artemis Accords family," said Nelson. "Germany has long been one of NASA's closest and most capable international partners, and their signing today demonstrates their leadership now and into the futurea future defined by limitless possibilities in space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth." The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA's Artemis program. "Germany and the United States have been successful partners in space for a long time. For example, German companies in the space sector are already central contributing to the Artemis program. The German signing of the Artemis Accords gives a further boost to this joint endeavor to carry out programs for the exploration of space. Thus, the Artemis Accords offer a multitude of new opportunities for industry and scientific research in Germanyand ultimately also across Europe," said Pelzer. NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other original signatories. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also strengthen the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners adds new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery. More information: About the Artemis Accords: www.nasa.gov/artemisaccords Provided by NASA This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Reservoirs flood the animals' habitats, eliminating the rapids on which they depend. Credit: Raphael Zulianello New research shows that the construction of new hydroelectric power plants in Brazil's South region could have an impact on more than 30% of the habitat of Phrynops williamsi, the Williams' side-necked turtle. The species occurs only in areas of Atlantic Rainforest and Pampa (the grassland biome adjacent to Brazil's border with Uruguay and Argentina), and is classed as "Vulnerable" (facing a high risk of extinction) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). An article on the study is published in the Journal of Applied Ecology by researchers at institutions in the Brazilian states of Goias, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana. "Our study is the first to investigate the impacts of hydropower developments on the species in an integrated manner. The results can help plan how to mitigate the impacts of hydroelectric expansion on these freshwater turtles. The same method can be used to study other species threatened by projects in the electricity sector," Andre Luis Regolin, a professor and researcher at the Federal University of Goias (UFG), and first author of the article, told UFG's press office. The researchers found that hydropower developments and reservoirs overlap with areas highly suitable for the species corresponding to only 20% of its distribution. The problem will be made worse by small hydropower plants (SHPs) planned for the coming years. The area affected by SHPs will nearly equal that affected by large projects, which currently affect the species most. Reservoirs flood the animals' habitats, eliminating the rapids on which they depend, and they try to migrate in search of suitable areas, but are often prevented from doing so by dams. The study shows that highly suitable areas are increasingly rare and less interconnected owing to rising numbers of hydropower developments. The main method used by the authors entailed correlating data for potential areas of occurrence of the species with georeferenced data for hydropower plants obtained from the National Electricity Agency (ANEEL). The analysis covered 687 hydropower developments all told; 406 had operating power plants, 48 were under construction, and 233 were in the planning stage. The assessment of the species' conservation status partially confirmed previous studies, but suggested that the risk of extinction had been underestimated. In Brazil, the species is currently placed in the category "Data Deficient", meaning there is inadequate information to make an assessment, but the study suggests it is "Vulnerable" owing to the estimated loss of 30% of its distribution range. In Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, the species should be classified as "Endangered" because its range is very small, according to the study. One of the reasons these freshwater turtles have been overlooked in past hydropower development impact assessments is that reptile sampling methods tend to focus on terrestrial species. The researchers hope the study will support decisions on future projects. "We revealed the overall pattern of the cumulative impacts of hydropower developments on the distribution of the species, which was urgent," Regolin said. "Our findings are highly relevant to decisions relating to hydroelectric expansion, but much remains to be done to fill the gaps in knowledge about P. williamsi. Investment in cutting-edge research is needed to underpin concrete proposals for its conservation." More information: Andre Luis Regolin et al, Integrating ecological niche and hydrological connectivity models to assess the impacts of hydropower plants on an endemic and imperilled freshwater turtle, Journal of Applied Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14436 Journal information: Journal of Applied Ecology Provided by FAPESP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: NASA International Space Station program People have been using fire for millennia. It is a vital part of many ecosystems and cultures. Yet human activities in the current era, sometimes called the "Anthropocene," are reshaping patterns of fire across the planet. In our new research, published in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, we used satellite data to create global maps of where and how fires are burning. We calculated about 3.98 million square kilometers of Earth's land surface burns each year. We also examined research spanning archaeology, climatology, ecology, Indigenous knowledge and paleoecology, to better understand the causes and consequences of fires. Our international team found strong evidence fires are burning in unexpected places, at unusual times and in rarely observed ways. These changes in fire patterns are threatening human lives and modifying ecosystems. But the future does not have to be bleak. There are many opportunities to apply knowledge and practice of fire to benefit people and nature. Here's how fire patterns are changing Exploring multiple approaches and scales enables a deeper understanding of where, when and how fires burn. Satellite data provide evidence of changes in fire patterns at a global scale. Annual fire season length increased by 14 days from 1979 to 2020 and night fires, which indicate fires that cannot be quickly controlled, increased in intensity by 7.2% from 2003 to 2020. Other changes are apparent only when we look at data from particular regions. An increase in fire size and the frequency of large fires has recently been observed in forests and woodlands of the western United States. Meanwhile fire-dependent grasslands and savannahs across Africa and Brazil have experienced reductions in fire frequency. It's also important to consider the timescale and type of fire when interpreting changes. In Australia, satellite records show the frequency of very large forest fires has increased over the past four decades. At longer time scales, charcoal and pollen records indicate the frequency of low-intensity fires decreased in parts of southeastern Australia following British colonization in 1788. Changes in fire affect air, land and water Many animals and plants have evolved strategies that enable them to thrive under particular fire patterns. This means changes to fire characteristics can harm populations and ecosystems. Large and intense fires are reducing the available forest habitat preferred by the greater glider. But a lack of fire can be problematic too. Threatened species of native rodents can benefit from food resources and habitats that flourish shortly after fire. There is evidence that emissions from recent fires are already modifying the atmosphere. The historically exceptional 201920 Australian wildfires produced record-breaking levels of aerosols over the Southern Hemisphere, as well as substantial carbon emissions. The wildfire smoke-related health costs of the 201920 wildfires in Australia included an estimated 429 smoke-related premature deaths as well as 3,230 hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Experimental fires help us learn about ecosystems and sustainability. This is an experimental fire in temperate savannah in Minnesota, US, at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve. Credit: Frank Meuschke Changes in fire patterns are modifying water cycles, too. In the western United States, fires are reaching higher elevations and having strong impacts on snow and water availability. New studies are revealing how the air, land and water that support life on Earth are connected by fires. Smoke plumes from the 201920 Australian wildfires transported nutrients to the Southern Ocean, resulting in widespread phytoplankton blooms. Humans are responsible for the changes Human drivers such as climate change, land use, fire use and suppression, and transportation and extinction of species are causing shifts in fire patterns. Increasing global temperatures and more frequent heat waves and droughts increase the likelihood of fire by promoting hot, dry and windy conditions. A pattern of extreme fire weather outside of natural climate variation is already emerging in North America, southern Europe and the Amazon basin. Humans modify fire regimes by changing land use for agricultural, forestry and urban purposes. Until recent decades, large fires in tropical forests were uncommon. But deforestation fires used to clear primary forest for agriculture often promotes more frequent and intense uncontrolled fires. Humans have transported plants and animals across the globe, resulting in novel mixes of species that modify fuels and fire regimes. In many parts of the world, invasive grasses have increased flammability and fire activity. Social and economic changes propel these drivers. Colonization by Europeans and the displacement of Indigenous peoples and their skillful use of fire has been linked with fire changes in Australia, North America and South America. Using knowledge and practice of fire to achieve sustainability goals The pace and scale of these changes represent challenges to humanity, but knowledge and practice of fire can help to achieve sustainability goals. This includes: good health and well-being, by supporting community-owned solutions and fire practices that increase social cohesion and health sustainable cities and communities, by designing green firebreaks and mixed-use areas with low fuels, strategically located in the landscape life on land, by tailoring use of fire to promote and restore species and ecosystems climate action, by applying low-intensity fire to promote the stability of soil organic matter and increase carbon storage reduced inequalities, by allocating resources before, during, and after wildfires to at-risk communities and residents. As the world changes, society as a whole needs to keep learning about the interplay between people and fire. A deep understanding of fire is essential for achieving a sustainable futurein other words, a better Anthropocene. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Satellite observations of one of the world's biggest ecological experiments on the island of Borneo have revealed that replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings can significantly accelerate their recovery. The study "Positive effects of tree diversity on tropical forest restoration in a field-scale experiment" is published in Science Advances. The experiment was set up by the University of Oxford's Professor Andy Hector and colleagues over 20 years ago as part of the SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP). This assessed the recovery of 125 different plots in an area of logged tropical forest that were sown with different combinations of tree species. The results revealed that plots replanted with a mixture of 16 native tree species showed faster recovery of canopy area and total tree biomass, compared to plots replanted with four or just one species. However, even plots that had been replanted with one tree species were recovering more quickly than those left to restore naturally. Lead Scientist of the study, Professor Andy Hector (Department of Biology, University of Oxford) said, "Our new study demonstrates that replanting logged tropical forests with diverse mixtures of native tree species achieves multiple wins, accelerating the restoration of tree cover, biodiversity, and important ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration." Greater diversity gives greater resilience According to the researchers, a likely reason behind the result is that different tree species occupy different positions, or '"niches," within an ecosystem. This includes both the physical and environmental conditions that the species is adapted to, and how it interacts with other organisms. As a result, diverse mixtures complement each other to increase overall functioning and stability of the ecosystem. For instance, some tropical tree species are more tolerant of drought because they produce a greater amount of protective chemicals, giving the forest resilience to periodic times of low rainfall. Professor Hector added, "Having diversity in a tropical forest can be likened to an insurance effect, similar to having a financial strategy of diverse investment portfolios." In turn, a diverse mix of trees can support a much wider range of animal life. For instance, hornbills specifically require large mature trees with holes where the females can nest. One of the world's biggest ecological experiments Tropical forests cover just 6% of the planet's land surface but are home to around 80% of the world's documented species (WWF), and act as major carbon sinks. However, these critical habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate, chiefly due to logging for timber and conversion to palm oil plantations. Between 2004 and 2017, 43 million hectares of tropical forest were lostan area roughly the size of Morocco (WWF). Restoring logged tropical forests is a crucial component of efforts to tackle both the nature and climate crises. Up to now, however, it has been unclear whether this is best achieved through allowing forests to restore themselves naturally (using dormant seeds in the soil) or through active replanting. To investigate this, the researchers collaborated with local partners to set up the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment on 500 hectares of logged forest in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. This was divided into 125 experimental plots that were either left to recover naturally or planted with mixtures of either one, four, or 16 tree species that are frequently targeted for logging. The 16 species included several endangered species and the worlds' tallest species of tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana) which can reach over 100 m in height. The first trees were planted in 2002, with nearly 100,000 planted in total over the following years. The recovery of the plots was assessed by applying statistical models to aerial images captured by satellites. Within a few years, it became apparent that those with one species did worse than those planted with a mixture of four species, and those enriched with 16 species did best of all. Lead author Ryan Veryard (who analyzed the data as part of his Ph.D. at the University of Oxford), said, "Importantly, our results show that logged forest can recover so long as it is not converted to agricultural uses like oil palm plantation. They also emphasize the need to conserve biodiversity within undisturbed forests, so that we can restore it in areas that have already been logged." The Sabah Biodiversity Experiment team are now starting a new three-year project to take a census of all the surviving trees in the experiment. This will be combined with a wider range of remote sensing methods (including lidar sensors carried by a helicopter and smaller sensors carried by drones) to give a more comprehensive analysis of forest health. More information: Ryan Veryard et al, Positive effects of tree diversity on tropical forest restoration in a field-scale experiment, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf0938. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf0938 Journal information: Science Advances This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay Viewing sexualized Instagram posts by online influencers increases the negative mood and body dissatisfaction of young female adults who view them, and promotes negative effects among viewers beyond striving for thinness and attractiveness. A new study by Flinders University researchers published in Body Image highlights the negative impact of sexualized images on social media and the need for enhanced regulation in relation to influencer advertising. "Some Influencers endorse lingerie and bikini products, and there is growing concern about the overtly sexualized nature of the imagery they post to social media," says body image expert Associate Professor Prichard, who leads the Embrace Impact Lab at Flinders University. "This problem is amplified by the popularity of Instagram among young adults aged 1834 years, with more than two billion active users monthly." The study investigated the effect of viewing both standard fashion and sexualized imagery (in lingerie/bikini garments and posed in a suggestive manner) posted by the same female influencers on young women's mood and body dissatisfaction. Females aged 1725 years were recruited online and completed pre- and post-viewing measurements of mood and body dissatisfaction, as well as measures of appearance comparison and self-objectification. "Exposure to influencer imagery led to greater negative mood, body dissatisfaction, appearance comparison and self-objectification than exposure to control images," says Associate Professor Prichard. "Furthermore, exposure to sexualized images led to an even greater negative mood, body dissatisfaction and appearance comparison than exposure to standard fashion images of influencersand this was with images chosen as being only moderately sexualized (for ethical reasons) rather than hypersexualized, which depict more lewd poses. "The most obvious implication is that women should be advised to limit their exposure to such images and to unfollow the accounts of influencers who post this type of material. There is growing evidence that even a short break from Instagram can have considerable benefit." At a policy level, a new code of ethics for Australian advertisers that came into effect on February 1, 2021, prohibits the use of overtly sexualized images in advertising. However, this does not apply to user-generated material, and therefore does not apply to images posted by Influencers on Instagram. Associate Professor Prichard says it could be argued that Influencers, who gain considerable financial benefit from their endorsements, should be held to the same standards as other advertisers. "Our study findings highlight the detrimental impact of exposure to sexualized imagery, which is an increasingly common part of contemporary social media, and the role of social comparisons to such imagery," she says. "We have clearly shown that the effects of sexualization extend beyond those of attractiveness. These findings illustrate the need for more research and enhanced regulation regarding advertising by influencers on social media." More information: Ivanka Prichard et al, Comparing and self-objectifying: The effect of sexualized imagery posted by Instagram Influencers on women's body image, Body Image (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.07.002 Ministry of Economy and Finance's headquarters in the central city of Sejong is seen in this file photo provided by the ministry. Yonhap Korea has clinched an agreement with Ukraine to offer low-interest loans to the war-torn nation to help its reconstruction projects, the finance ministry said Friday. Kim Hyung-tae, Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, and Ukrainian First Vice Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko signed the agreement in Kyiv earlier this week to provide loans via the Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF), according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The agreement will pave the way for the two countries to discuss detailed projects and terms of the support, it added. The two countries inked a preliminary agreement with Ukraine in May. Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged last week to provide financial support for Ukraine to help the nation restore peace and rebuild following its war with Russia. Yoon announced the pledge during a session of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, saying Korea will provide the initial $300 million in 2024 in the form of humanitarian aid, along with another batch of $2 billion support in the form of long-term, low-interest loans through the EDCF starting in 2025. Seoul launched the EDCF program in 1987 to help developing countries with their basic infrastructure. (Yonhap) BRIDGETON Authorities have issued a new rendering of what a girl who vanished from a city park four years ago may look like at age 9. Dulce Alavez has been missing since 2019, prompting a years-long search into her disappearance at age 5. Authorities remain hopeful she is alive. That hope was renewed two days before the anniversary of her disappearance when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released its latest illustration of how the missing girl may have aged. Our age progression images have helped bring home missing children many times, Angeline Hartmann, a spokesperson for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Thursday in a statement. Dulce was last seen about 4:20 p.m. Sept. 16, 2019, playing with her then-3-year-old brother at City Park. Her mother was attending to an 8-year-old relative when she realized she was unable to locate her daughter, prompting an Amber Alert by police. The Prosecutors Office said it continues to follow tips it receives, conducting investigations in neighboring states. Detectives also have traveled to Mexico in the case. Bridgeton marks 9th birthday of missing girl Dulce Maria Alavez BRIDGETON Families and supporters gathered Sunday to celebrate the 9th birthday of Dulce M Leads about Dulces disappearance came from out of state as recently as within the past year, the Prosecutors Office said. Authorities urge anyone who may have seen a child similar to the one depicted in the new age progression image to contact detectives. We ask people to keep in mind that this may not be exactly what Dulce looks like now, Hartmann said. This is an approximation, meant to spark recognition. Were asking everyone to take a look and see if theres something familiar about this face. The Prosecutors Office said each lead has been and will be investigated. We know our images can work, Hartmann said. We just need the right person to see this and make that call. Information about Dulce can be shared with police by calling 856-451-0033 or visiting bpdops.com/tip/new. The Prosecutors Office also accepts anonymous tips at njccpo.gov/tip/new. GALLERY: Family of missing child Dulce Alavez hold birthday remembrance in Bridgeton State Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, has asked the governor and attorney general to drop lawsuits against school districts that elect to share information with parents about their children's gender decisions. "I am urging you to drop your current lawsuits against the Hanover Township, Middletown Township, Marlboro Township, and Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Boards of Education, and call for a special session with the legislature and other stakeholders to deal with this issue in a way that protects both our children and the rights of their parents to be the center of their upbringing and value system," Polistina wrote in a recent letter to Gov. Phil Murphy and state Attorney General Matt Platkin. Last month, a New Jersey judge blocked three of the school districts from enacting policies requiring parents be notified if a student makes moves to change their gender identity. Earlier in the summer, the state sued the districts over their policies. The lawsuits, filed by Platkin, argue that "outing" students to their parents violates state laws against discrimination and puts transgender students at risk of suicide and other threats. Polistina is running for reelection this year and faces Democratic Atlantic County Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick in the Nov. 7 general election. Fitzpatrick said Friday she thinks school districts should be free to decide on a case-by-case basis. "First of all, we are talking about less than 1.5% of students. Its not a big number of kids," she said. "I think teachers know their kids pretty well." She said if a teacher feels that a student might be in danger because of this choice they are making or thinking of making, they might not share information. But if a teacher feels the child will be supported at home, "of course you want to give a full picture." "We want parents and teachers to be involved in students' school lives, but not affecting the safety of the child or student," Fitzpatrick said. Polistina said many parents in the state do not feel comfortable with the governor's approach. "Your approach with school districts around the state as it relates to parents, their children, and what happens in our schools is frightening and concerning for many of my constituents and (others)," Polistina wrote. "The notion that government would try to step in to prevent information sharing with parents about 5-year-old children is unfathomable to many in our society." Last month, a Monmouth University poll of New Jersey residents found 77% think middle and high schools should be required to notify parents if their children ask to be identified by a different gender from the one on their school registration. TRENTON A central figure in New Jersey's oversight of Atlantic City will serve as the new commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday. Jacqueline Suarez will assume the role of acting commissioner of the department, replacing Kimberly Holmes, who had been in the role since the death of former Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver in August. Currently, Suarez serves as the department's director of local government services, a role through which she was actively involved in the state's oversight of Atlantic City, which has been ongoing since 2016. In accepting the nomination, Suarez said she intends to follow in Oliver's footsteps. "DCA plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life for New Jersey residents, municipalities, and businesses, and I will remain steadfast in my commitment to honor each and every one of our communities with the utmost respect and dedication," Suarez said in a statement Thursday. Murphy praised Suarez for her work serving local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Jacquelyn has skillfully served our state for many years lending her expertise to important legal and policy matters affecting municipalities throughout New Jersey, Murphy said. Suarez has directed the Division of Local Government Services since 2021. She would become the Department of Community Affairs' first Hispanic leader, the Governor's Office said. Her appointment awaits confirmation from the state Senate. She enters her new job Monday. Atlantic City says goodbye to Sheila Oliver, plans mural, further tributes Sheila Oliver was remembered Thursday evening as a champion for the city to which she hoped to one day retire. OCEAN CITY Hurricane Lee is set to pass by South Jersey well out to sea, without the pelting rain and punishing winds expected in New England and Eastern Canada over the weekend. While sunny skies and warm temperatures are in the forecast, Lee is expected to throw significant waves at area beaches, with the potential of waves of up to 9 feet on Friday and Saturday. As of Thursday, the swell was already building, with the most significant waves still to come. That may fill the hearts of some intrepid surfers with joy, but it has some worried. On Thursday, Ocean City Beach Patrol Director Allan Karas said lifeguards allowed people in the water in a narrow area in front of the stands, but only to their waists. For Friday, he planned to make a call in the morning whether to let swimmers in at all. I have to watch out for my employees, too, he said. A water rescue in overhead waves can been extremely dangerous. Many beach patrols have either ended operations for the year or have dramatically reduced the number of protected beaches. Some only have guards on duty for weekends after Labor Day, while Ocean City has six guarded beaches until Sunday, after which all guards will be off the beach. Guards are set to be at St. Charles Place, Eighth Street, Ninth Street, 12th Street, 34th Street and 58th Street. If there is not a manned lifeguard stand at the waters edge, the beach is not guarded. Only swim where a lifeguard is present, reads a warning on the citys website. Ocean City has long had an unwritten policy of allowing surfers to hit the waves even as it closed water access to others. In part, thats recognition that many of the surfers have experience in big waves, and also a tacit recognition that they would unlikely to be able to keep them all out. But even skilled surfers may be challenged by hurricane waves, and those unfamiliar with the ocean should be extremely cautious even very close to shore, advises Bruckner Chase, an ocean lifeguard and ocean and wave safety expert. Large breaking surf and turbulent conditions near the shore will create difficult conditions even in very shallow water, Chase said. While summer warnings often focus on rip currents, in this case, the water brought to the beach by a 6-foot wave can create a backflow of water that can be dangerous. The water could throw someone off balance or pull them into the impact of those large waves, especially for children or older adults. It could be pretty dangerous, he said. Chase advises someone who sees a swimmer in trouble to call 911 and not to enter the water or else they could create a worse situation with more than one person in trouble. As the powerful waves ease off, expected by Sunday, that can bring its own dangers, Chase said, when more people decide they can handle the strength of the waves. Even a three-foot wave is over your head when youre standing in the water, he said. This month, a Vineland man drowned in Strathmere and there were other deaths around New Jersey and throughout the northeast, as dangerous currents were spawned by the remnants of hurricanes Franklin and Idalia. Even someone on the beach for a stroll should be aware of their surroundings and of where they are on the beach. If there is an emergency, they can then tell the dispatcher exactly where they are. As long as you avoid the ocean, Hurricane Lee to bring pleasant conditions As long as you avoid hopping, surfing or boating in the ocean, you'll be in for a fairly comfortable stretch for the rest of the week and the weekend. Hurricane Lee will pass far enough offshore to bring only dangerous surf and a breeze. Just saying youre in the south end of Ocean City where there arent any lifeguards is not enough. That could be a two-mile area, Chase said. Even without rain, Lee could bring some coastal flooding. Karas and others expect the surf conditions to cause erosion as well. Ocean City just saw its latest beach replenishment project earlier this year. Were going to lose some of the beach we got, Karas said. In Strathmere and in sections of North Wildwood, there is already little beach left to lose. Strathmere is expected to see a beach replenishment project before the end of the year, as part of a larger project that will also add sand to Sea Isle City and the south end of Ocean City, but North Wildwood is still waiting for a federal beach project. Stephen Rochette, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said bids were set to be open Thursday on the Ocean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle City project. Details of that contract will not be available until next week. Also this week, the Army Corps announced a $16.1 million contract with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock to add more than a half-million cubic yards of sand to beaches in Cape May. Most of that will be placed in front of the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center. It does not sound promising for North Wildwood, however. A project in Lower Township could take place next year, but otherwise there are no further projects planned for Cape May County, Rochette said. GALLERY: Hurricane Lee churns New Jersey shore with big surf Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is asking for applicants to temporarily fill the 7th Ward seat on city council. The council voted 7-3 to remove Derek Cornette from office last week following a hearing in which the city's legal department outlined allegations of persistent harassment of female employees and intoxication at council meetings. Matson said he would accept resumes until 5 p.m. Saturday from applicants to temporarily fill the role representing 7th Ward residents. He won't pick anyone running for 7th Ward, so as not to give anyone a head start, he said. The temporary appointment would fill in until the Nov. 7 election, after which the winner would be sworn into office then instead of waiting until January, Matson said. It's similar to how Matson handled the previous vacancy in the 7th Ward. In April 2021, he asked the council to appoint Joseph Miller to the seat, with the caveat he would not run for election, after former alderman, Patrick Peacock, announced he would resign. Cornette's attorney previously told the Quad-City Times he would file suit in Scott County district court with the argument his client's due process rights were violated with short notice of the hearing last week. Nothing as of Thursday morning was yet filed, according to a search of county court records. Under Iowa law, city elected officials may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the entire council after it hears written charges on the cause for removal. But it's rare to see a city elected official removed from office, the Iowa League of Cities executive director previously told the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus, and few recent examples exist in Iowa. In one 2017 case, the Muscatine city council voted to remove then-mayor Diane Broderson from office. A judge ruled that Broderson had been wrongly removed and she won re-election later that year. The 7th Ward seat is among all 11 Davenport city offices up for election this fall. The city primary is Oct. 10 and the regular election is Nov. 7. Cornette has filed to run for the seat and has said he intends to stay in the race. Three others have filed to challenge Cornette: Mhisho Lynch, a realtor and owner of Lynch Heating and Plumbing, William Pamperin, a retired railroad engineer, and Scott Ryder, a realtor. Emotions run high during meeting Ald. Ben Jobgen made a wide-ranging speech, in which he touched on the recently released report on the partial collapse at 324 Main St., homelessness and gun violence. He was critical of the actions of a few people during and after last week's hearing on Cornette's removal, which he said "crossed a line." "There are a few or maybe a couple whose words and actions are just to further their own personal agenda," Jobgen said, declining to name who they were. "Some people went on the attack on an individual in chambers, exhibiting behaviors and speaking words which are defamatory," Jobgen said. "For those spewing accusations, even calling 911, I hope a period of reflection has made you aware that you were wrong." A city of Davenport police department spokesperson told the Quad-City Times call logs show at 6:11 p.m., someone called 911 to report they believed a city alderman was under the influence. The caller disconnected when asked further questions, according to the log. Jobgen, speaking about the investigative report on the building collapse at 324 Main St., said it's "provided a ton of information and has helped me drown out some of the rumors, speculation, and downright incorrect theories." He added that he's "confident whichever members are elected this November will appropriately address what is needed going forward." Addressing homelessness, Jogben said he hoped for future council discussions about making funds available for transitional housing, and not entertain city-owned affordable housing. "I hope the future council has discussions about establishing some sort of transitional housing funds similar to what was earmarked with ARPA funds and then utilized for assistance of those affected by the 324 Main Street building collapse," he said. Ald. Robby Ortiz urged any council members who had leaked a confidential memo about employees being "out of the office indefinitely" last week apologize. No one issued an apology. Ald. Rick Dunn read into the record a letter the mayor received in June from the Northwest Illinois Incident Management Assistance team, in which the team leaders wrote, "In my 30-plus years of managing large scale complex incidents, I rarely witness a level of total commitment to seamless communication, coordination, cooperation, and collaboration with an administration," adding that "every city department and every city employee who had the enormous responsibility to step up and meet the needs of the people they serve, do so in a completely unselfish manner." During public comment, a frequent attendee of the meetings, David Ezra Sidran, read from FOIA requests and news articles, mentioning the names or position titles of Neighborhood Services Director Rich Oswald, City Administrator Corri Spiegel, and 3rd Ward Ald. Marion Meginnis. Matson and Meginnis interjected, telling him not to name names or titles during his comment. Sidran ended his comments by pointing at the city administrator, Meginnis, and Matson, and telling them loudly each they need to resign or be fired. You guys cannot claim you didnt know what was going on at 324 Main Street," Sidran said. "You did know. All of you knew. Its obvious. You need to be fired. You need to resign. You need to resign. At this, Matson told Sidran he was done with his comments, and told the audience: "Ladies and gentlemen ... if you continue to personally attack, I will trespass you and you won't be allowed to continue to speak here." To a reporter later, Matson said he's asked audience members not to "personally attack," and given leeway to public commenters. "I'm just wanting people to know it's not OK," Matson said. "You'll be asked to leave. You can't keep coming when you personally attack people." "It depends on what they say," Matson said when asked to clarify the statement. "It just depends. It's like a Supreme Court justice said. I can't tell you what it is, but I know when I hear it. "I pray that we don't have to do anything and people come and tell us their thoughts on issues, concerns and policies." The Iowa Freedom of Information Council Executive Director Randy Evans has expressed concern about local government rules prohibiting speakers from commenting on individuals' performance of their official job duties, including the city of Davenport as well as the Bettendorf School Board. Each week, Matson asks public commenters to address the council "as a body, not as any individual." The city has said it is protecting itself from legal liability of allowing or publishing defamatory comments. Evans disagrees, however, citing a case in Jasper County where a judge cleared a man of criminal charges when he was arrested for comments criticizing actions of the mayor and police chief he made during a public forum of two Newton City Council meetings. "If the citizen's complaints are focused on these officials' performance of their official job duties then that is not defamation," Evans wrote in an email Thursday. "This is what the First Amendment's right to petition the government for a redress of grievances is about. "And a Jasper County judge concluded early this year that a Newton man was not guilty of a similar criminal charge filed at the direction of Newton's mayor because of comments the man made at a city council meeting." Close Davenport Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport mayor, new council sworn in Surrounded by family and friends, Davenport Mayor Mike Matson and eight council members, Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, and Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, and Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, were sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Alderwoman Maria Dickmann, 2nd Ward, and Alderman Kyle Gripp, At Large, will be sworn in next week by Matson. Davenport Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was in Washington, D.C. this week to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee regarding a new state law aimed at deterring book bans. Giannoulias, whose position also includes the title of state librarian, this spring championed legislation allowing his office to withhold state money from public libraries if they ban books. On Tuesday, he told the Senate panel that public libraries have become thunderdomes of controversy and strife across the country. We want our schools and libraries to be open and welcoming settings for education, not cultural battlefields, he said during his testimony. This legislation aims to unify our communities and seeks to restore a right that some of us may have grown to take for granted the freedom to think for ourselves. Giannoulias said he hoped other states would look toward Illinois to adopt similar legislation to protect the right to read freely and without fear of retribution. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, convened the hearing dubbed Book Bans: How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature. It was in reference to a report from the American Library Association which calculated there were more than 1,200 demands to censor books and other library materials last year nearly double the number of similar requests in 2021. While no specific legislation was considered in the hearing, much of the discussion centered around who should decide the content that is available in public libraries including school libraries across the country. The current wave of agitating for book bans has grown with the so-called parents rights movement in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anger about school shutdowns in the early months of COVID, which evolved into anger about mandatory masking and optional virtual learning when schools reopened, coalesced with discomfort around the growing popularity of curriculums that emphasized diversity, equity and inclusion. School board meetings and libraries have become the targets of parents rights activists. Groups have demanded books be removed from classrooms and library shelves based on content discussing race, history, gender identity and sexuality. Several public libraries in the Chicago suburbs have also received bomb threats in recent weeks, according to reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times. Emily Knox, a professor who researches intellectual freedom and censorship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, also testified before the Senate committee. She said her focus on book bans began as the child of a librarian in Maryland, where she remembered being confused when her favorite author Judy Blume showed up on a list during Banned Books Week each year. Knox told the panel that as a young person, reading about people who were like her helped her navigate her world. She pointed to an analogy from Rudine Sims Bishop, a retired Ohio State University professor known as the mother of multicultural childrens literature, likening books to windows, mirrors, or sliding glass doors. A book can help us understand each other better by helping to change our attitude towards difference, Knox said. What we see right now is that people are fixated on the idea that books are only mirrors and sliding glass doors. They only reflect something true about the reader themselves, or the readers world or they invite the reader to mimic an identity or action they read about a book. It's important to remember that books are also windows: They give us access to other people's lives. Though movements to ban certain books are nothing new, the last few years have seen the rise of sophisticated organizing and even professional non-profits that target public schools and libraries for their curriculums and materials available to children. In early 2021, U of I alum Nicole Neilly founded one such organization, Parents Defending Education, which has grown to 13 staff members in less than three years. Neily told the Senate panel that she wasnt advocating for censorship, but rather allowing parents and community members to have a say in what their children are exposed to. The book issue is a curation issue, she said. It should be obvious that a book that is part of a lesson plan in a second-grade classroom is more concerning than a book that can be voluntarily checked out from a public library and also that sensitive topics read to children at very young ages is more concerning than high schoolers learning about the human body and health class. Comments from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, demonstrated the divide between political parties on the issue. If I don't have any kids. Should I shut up? I pay taxes. When you have a public library and you have a board, somebody decides what books go in and what not to go in. Lend your voice to the cause. It's okay to speak out for your community, Graham said shortly before leaving the hearing. In his testimony, Giannoulias pointed out he has children of his own, and believes he holds the responsibility to decide what they are exposed to and when. But he says the point of this years legislation was to give parents and readers a choice. You don't have to burn books to destroy culture. Just get people to stop reading them. And that's where the real danger lies, he said. Parents, parents and only parents have the right and the responsibility to monitor the access of their children and only their children to library resources. Illinois law specifically states that as a condition for being eligible for state grants, libraries must adopt either the American Library Associations Library Bill of Rights or some other written statement prohibiting the practice of banning books. Giannoulias said previously it does not require that libraries have certain books on their shelves, but rather it aims to prevent the removal of books based on partisan or doctrinal beliefs. Durbin praised Giannoulias for his efforts in Illinois. We need to work together as a country to try to create clear standards for access to books so that no one individual can cause a book to be banned for an entire community, Durbin said. I'm proud of my home-state Secretary Giannoulias for leading the effort to push back against book bans. I hope other states will follow your example. Libraries and the treasured books within them are just too important to allow this rise and censorship to continue any longer. Justice Jacobs got a chance to exhale in March. The 28-year-old small business owner finally found a place of her own, an apartment she could rent in downtown Davenport. It was expensive she paid $950 a month in rent, a $1,000 for a security deposit, and a $300 fee so her lab-mix Zenon could live with her. But it was worth it. Her new home was the brick six-story historic building at 234 Main St. It was called The Davenport. All of Jacobs' hopes for her new home came crashing down on May 28 when the west wall of The Davenport collapsed into a giant heap of rubble. Three tenants were killed in the disaster, and another was rescued from the debris after her leg was amputated. In the aftermath of the collapse, Jacobs spoke to the assorted media that gathered near Davenport's City Hall. She told what would become a familiar narrative throughout the Quad-Cities. It's the story of people desperate to find places to live. 'My grandma vouched for me' For Jacobs, moving into The Davenport was a last-ditch effort to find a place to live. "I'm a felon," she explained. "I was convicted of forgery years ago and no matter how well I put my life back together or how hard I worked, I could not find a landlord or a property management company willing to work with me." Jacobs said she "did everything" to get an apartment. "The property people at The Davenport didn't want me at first," she said. "I brought my grandma in. I had my grandma vouch for me that I am a good person and would be a good tenant. "I paid whatever for a security deposit. I was so happy when I finally found a place." What Jacobs found after she moved in was, in her words, "very disappointing." "There was trash in the halls," she said. "There was trash everywhere. My car was broken into." Jacobs said she didn't complain. "I just moved in," she said. "I had no other options. It wasn't like I could just say 'Forget this, I'll move.' There is no where else for me to go. I was stuck living where I could get a lease. "The landlord has all the power when you're desperate. So I lived with it, you know?" 'Deplorable conditions' Lena Pillers is a director at King's Harvest in downtown Davenport, an agency that feeds people twice a week. It also offers 11 units for people to live in while they transition to more permanent housing. Pillers is helping develop four additional units. She hired private engineers to evaluate the structural integrity of all of the units. "The city inspected The Davenport," she said in July. "The city knew about the issues and didn't tell a single tenant about what the concerns were. "I'm going to find out what we have and what needs to be done. And if there's a problem, I'm going to tell our tenants. My first job isn't to say I have housing. My first job, above all else, is keep tenants safe." Pillers said she hears "rental horror stories" on a "fairly regular basis." "Look, there are good landlords out there," she said. "There are property owners who work hard to maintain their rental units and keep people safe. But, let's face it, we have people in Davenport and all over the Quad-Cities who live in deplorable conditions because they have to. "There are some populations who are exploited by landlords. There are people with eviction histories, criminal records, income issues, disability issues. Some landlords, when they know a tenant has no where else to go, will exploit that tenant." Some of the most vulnerable tenants may see their choices as limited, even when they are receiving assistance with rent. Pillers said some people transitioning from being unhoused, or going through addiction recovery, can sometimes accept living conditions that others would find unacceptable. "That makes the exploitation even easier for the landlords who are looking to take advantage of people," she said. Ashley Velez is the executive director of Humility Homes & Services in Davenport, an agency that helps rehouse people without homes. It had 12 clients living in The Davenport at the time of its collapse. Humility Homes did not place those clients in the building. Those clients chose the building. "The Fair Housing Act says we can't tell someone where they can or can't live," she said. "And we can't discriminate against landlords. We can't just tell a client we won't pay rent to certain places." A long line for housing vouchers On the morning of July 18, a 42-year-old woman called Samantha joined a long line outside a squat brick building at 825 17th St. in Moline. She made the drive from Davenport to apply for assistance from the Moline Housing Authority. Samantha was one of at least six people from Davenport who stood in the line between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. By noon, over 500 people from all over the Quad-Cities and from as far away as Indiana filled out Section 8 applications. Section 8 is a federally subsidized housing program for low-income families and individuals. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5.2 million people nationwide receive vouchers from the Section 8 program that cover some portion of their rent. Only one in five households eligible to receive assistance actually do, according to a study from the Urban Institute. "I have a job and I work hard at that job," said Samantha, who declined to give her last name. "I'm here today because I can't find a decent place to rent. Rent is astronomical in Davenport, astronomical in Bettendorf. "Even the run-down places are $800, $900 a month. I just can't afford that. I don't know anyone who can. I'm getting desperate and I'll move to Illinois if I have to." By the end of day, well over 1,000 people applied for one of the 239 Section 8 vouchers that were slated to become available in the coming months. John Afoun, the agency's director, said he wasn't surprised by Samantha's all-too-common story. "Right now, we have 165 people on the Section 8 waiting list," Afoun said on July 18. "That list was started four years ago and we had 1,000 people waiting. When we reached 165, we opened the list back up and today we saw, once again, just how much need for housing is out there." Affordable housing 'a crushing need' Afoun did not mince words when he talked about the need for affordable housing in Rock Island County and across the Quad-Cities. "I don't think politicians or the community at large really know how desperate the need for affordable housing is across all our communities," he said. "And we need decent housing for people. But very few people are putting their money where their mouth is and doing something constructive about making affordable housing available to people. "Affordable housing is a crushing need and very few people even want to talk about it." At the Moline Housing Authority, over 1,000 people are waiting for 239 Section 8 vouchers. In Rock Island, there were 980 people waiting for Section 8 vouchers. In Rock Island County, a total of 7,699 people received housing assistance or lived in public housing in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The average household income of those people is $14,095 a year. There are not as many people receiving housing assistance in Scott County. A total of 4,102 received Section 8 vouchers or lived in public housing in 2022. The average income of those people was $13,395 a year. Three residents of The Davenport at the time of its collapse were receiving Section 8 assistance. Afoun said he expects to see more people travel from Scott County to Rock Island County in the search for housing assistance because of the difference between laws in the two states. In May 2021, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law that allows landlords and property managers to not rent to individuals or families who use housing assistance to pay for all or part of their rent. In Illinois, the landlord or property manger has to accept all forms of income as rent, a law that was passed in May of this year. "Housing is a right," Afoun said. "Not everyone has the right to live in luxury, but everyone has the right to safe and affordable housing. It is a basic need for a strong community where people can thrive. "Until we start to address the issue of affordable housing, we have some people forced to live in terrible, dangerous conditions." Afoun said there are pressures to keep substandard rental units open to tenants. "The simple fact is this: Every city faces pressure to not close buildings like the one in Davenport," he said. "Why? The reason is also simple: What do you do with the people who are left unhoused after closing a building? "Many of the places that would be shut down are the only places some people can afford to live. Poor people, disabled people, people who don't make enough money, get to live in dangerous conditions because it is often the only thing available to them." Art is presented as part of the "Colour & Form Ten Slovak Artists" exhibition at ART Corner H in downtown Seoul's Euljiro area, Sept. 6. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu By Bereket Alemayehu ? Eight galleries located in downtown Seoul's Euljiro area are bustling with visiting art enthusiasts as part of Preview Art Week 2023. One of the designated galleries, ART Corner H, is displaying 10 Slovak artists' paintings and sculptures until Sept. 26. This particular exhibition, "Colour & Form Ten Slovak Artists," is held in partnership with the Slovakian Embassy in Seoul, ART Corner H and the Society of Slovak Artists on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Slovak Republic and Korea. ? Maria Horvathova, the exhibition curator, explained that Jozef Jankovic, the most distinguished Slovak sculptor, created a monumental, nine-meter-tall granite sculpture place at Olympic Park in Seoul in 1987. At the same time, his granite-and-bronze sculpture named "Sebastian" was included in the collection of the Korean National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. "We are delighted that this exhibition continues to present the artistic legacy of Slovakia," said Horvathova, who has been awarded multiple times for curating more than 300 exhibitions in Slovakia and around the world. "This exhibition showcases the work of 10 artists who arrived on the Slovak art scene in the 1980s and appeared especially at exhibitions of young artists. From the very beginning, their work showed surprising spontaneity and enormous vitality. The painters introduced a wide range of new subject matter, color and exuberant structural or gestural painting, whereas the sculptors reflected a new understanding of the sculptural material. Their works offered a stark contrast between expressiveness and lyricism, poetry and drama, leaning towards the boundaries of the unknown and the mysterious." Slovakian Ambassador to Korea Jan Kuderjavy mentioned in a message for the exhibition that "art has an extraordinary power to transcend borders, language barriers and cultural differences. It has the ability to touch our hearts, provoke thought, and foster understanding." He added that the exhibition serves as a vibrant reflection of the rich artistic heritage and contemporary creativity of Slovakia. "This captivating showcase not only highlights the talent of Slovak artists but also provides an opportunity for cultural exchange, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of our respective artistic expressions," he said. The showcase hosting gallery, ART Corner H, is a cultural complex built by extending and remodeling a historical building, providing a venue for artists to engage in various activities and introducing the art worlds of unfamiliar countries that were previously difficult to access from Korea, and expanding the base of culture and arts. The gallery works to introduce not only Korean domestic artists but also foreign artists.? Also during the Preview Art Week 2023, SAHNG-UP gallery is hosting Korean artist Im Ji-hyun's "Climber" solo exhibition until Sept. 24. "Climber" refers to a vine plant that grows vertically. This is her second time participating in the art week, with 27 of her paintings on display. "During the pandemic I was planting flowers and plants in my house, observing them day by day, how they grow and climb, focusing on the shapes and texture of the vine plant," she said. Korean artist Im Jihyun stands next to her paintings at SAHNG-UP gallery, Sept. 6. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu ? For some of the galleries around the Euljiro area, this year might be the last time hosting exhibitions, as redevelopment plans are moving forward to tear down the old buildings where the galleries are located. ? Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also co-founder of? Hanokers , a refugee-led social initiative, and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency. Visit? photopatternist.com ?for more information. Judge Henry Latham found Henry Earl Dinkins guilty of kidnapping and murdering Breasia Terrell. After reading a summary of the evidence, Latham announced his verdict Friday in Scott County court. Dinkins was found guilty of murder in the the first degree and kidnapping in the first degree. Latham said the testimony and evidence given by Breasia Terrell's younger brother identified as D.L. in the courtroom was crucial in solving the case and his decision. The judge called the boy's testimony "remarkable." D.L. was 8 years old when Breasia disappeared. He is 11 and testified in court. During his testimony, D.L. told the court how he and Breasia spent the night with Dinkins and his girlfriend, Andrea Culberson, in her apartment. He testified that he saw Dinkins leave with Breasia in the early morning of July 10, 2020, and how Dinkins later picked him up and drove him to the Clinton Walmart. Latham pointed to D.L.'s interviews with police, and how he told investigators about putting the battery back in Dinkins' cellphone while Dinkins was in the Walmart. That action allowed investigators to track Dinkins' movements. Latham said he found the testimony of every single state witness credible except for D.L.'s testimony about seeing Dinkins shoot Breasia. The trial lasted 14 days, included 47 witnesses and roughly 70 hours of testimony and concluded Aug 29. A little girl lost In the early morning of July 10, 2020, Breasia was taken from an apartment No. 8 at the Jersey Ridge complex in Davenport. She was reported missing just before 8:30 a.m. that day. Over the course of days, weeks and months, law enforcement officers from Davenport, Scott County, Clinton County, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched for the 10-year-old girl. Countless volunteers private citizens from both sides of the Mississippi River walked through fields and ditches and woods, hoping to find some sign of Breasia. From the day she disappeared, the Davenport Police Department considered Dinkins "a person of interest" in the case. Three fishermen found Breasia's remains on March 22, 2021, near a small, tree-shrouded pond behind Kunau Implement, an isolated area roughly two miles north of DeWitt. Dinkins was charged with her murder in early May, 2021. Dinkins was granted a change of venue, moving the trial to the Cedar Rapids Courthouse in Linn County. As jury selection started on Aug. 8, Dinkins asked for a bench trial. The trial was moved back to Scott County with Judge Henry Latham hearing the case. Former 7th Ward Ald. Derek Cornette is suing to overturn the Davenport City Council's decision to remove him from office. Cornette's attorney, Mike Meloy, said he filed a motion in Scott County court Friday arguing that Cornette's due process rights were violated when the city did not give Cornette enough notice of the hearing to prepare a defense, that the hearing itself was unfairly conducted, and that the evidence wasn't sufficient to remove Cornette from office. Meloy also filed a request for a temporary injunction to prevent Mayor Mike Matson from temporarily filling the 7th Ward seat until the court rules on the case. The council voted 7-3 to remove Cornette from office last week following a two-hour hearing in which the city's legal department outlined allegations of harassment of female employees and intoxication at council meetings. The legal department presented voicemail recordings, a video and statements from employees. Under Iowa law, city elected officials may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the entire council after it hears written charges on the cause for removal. The chapter includes eight reasons a public officer can be removed, including for "willful misconduct or maladministration in office" and for "intoxication, or upon conviction of being intoxicated," which were the two arguments the city made. Meloy made objections to testimony given during the Sept. 7 hearing, and made motions that Mayor Mike Matson and Ald. Kyle Gripp recuse themselves, which were denied. Meloy argues in the suit that Gripp, being named a "victim" in the charges against Cornette, and Matson, who'd made comments before the vote asking council members whether they condoned Cornette's behavior, were biased against Cornette. Cornette says the effort to remove him is an attempt to interfere in the election, which he's one of four candidates who've filed for the 7th Ward seat. "Ald. Cornette is being retaliated against by the city of Davenport and the mayor, in our opinions, because of public comments he's made concerning the 324 Main St. building collapse," Meloy said, as well as his stances on other public issues. The city said during its hearing that it had a duty to take action to protect its employees from harassment, and that meetings with the HR director pre-dated the building collapse. Meloy's arguments echo a 2017 case when the Muscatine City Council voted to remove then-mayor Diane Broderson from office. A judge ruled that Broderson had been wrongly removed, and she won re-election later that year. The 7th Ward seat is among all 11 Davenport city offices up for election this fall. The city primary is Oct. 10 and the regular election is Nov. 7. Cornette has filed to run for the seat and has said he intends to stay in the race. Three others have filed to challenge Cornette: Mhisho Lynch, a realtor and owner of Lynch Heating and Plumbing, William Pamperin, a retired railroad engineer, and Scott Ryder, a realtor. Close Davenport Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport mayor, new council sworn in Surrounded by family and friends, Davenport Mayor Mike Matson and eight council members, Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, and Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, and Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, were sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Alderwoman Maria Dickmann, 2nd Ward, and Alderman Kyle Gripp, At Large, will be sworn in next week by Matson. Davenport Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Officer Kevin Cram was killed just before 8 p.m. Wednesday as he tried to serve an arrest warrant to 43-year-old Kyle Ricke, said Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Cram, a 33-year-old husband and father who had been an officer in Algona since 2015, was pronounced dead at Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona. The shooting took place in the 1100 block of South Minnesota Street in Algona. The officers death left the normally quiet Kossuth County community of 5,300 stunned. Officer Cram was a kind and committed officer on our police force. He was a homegrown hero who served this community proudly and with integrity. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, fellow officers, dispatchers and coworkers during this difficult time, said Algona Mayor Rick Murphy. Cram worked as an officer with the Nora Springs Police Department from 2013 until 2015 when he made the move to the Algona Police Department. He worked with Nora Springs Police Chief Jessie Dugan during that time. With a two-person police department, Officer Cram and I worked very close together, Dugan said in a statement. He was a great friend and coworker. We spent time off-duty hunting and fishing together. Officer Cram will be sadly missed by all. The shooting prompted a Blue Alert, letting the public know a suspect who posed a threat to law enforcement was on the loose. Algona residents were warned to lock their doors and shelter in place. Ricke was captured without incident just before midnight in Brown County, Minnesota, about 100 miles north of Algona. He was charged with first-degree murder, Mortvedt said, and will be held in Minnesota pending extradition. Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram died serving his community, Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said during a press conference Thursday morning at the Kossuth County Election Center. Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram answered the call to serve. Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram died because he chose to be a beacon of light. Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram died because he was willing to stand in the gap between good and evil. Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram died a hero. Tragic, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching pain and agony, but we will bow our backs, we will be strong, and we will continue to do our jobs, Bayens said. Ricke had appeared in Kossuth County court earlier Wednesday on a charge of third-degree harassment. Cram was on patrol in Algona when he learned an arrest warrant had been issued for Ricke on the harassment charge, Mortvedt said. The officer went to a home where he thought Ricke might be and upon finding him told him he would be arrested. Cram was serving the warrant when Ricke took a handgun and shot the officer. After shooting, he allegedly yelled Too late motherf and I did it cause I am tired of this s. According to court documents, Ricke was accused of contacting a victim multiple times over the course of two hours and again several days later after police told him to stop. On Aug. 23, the victim showed an officer 63 unread messages and several missed phone calls Ricke had sent to the victim. This happened after the victim had told Ricke she no longer wanted contact with him, court documents state. Ricke was arrested Aug. 28 and a no contact order was granted Aug. 29. The trial in that case is scheduled for Nov. 3. During the press conference Bayens said Cram died with honor. The law enforcement community in Kossuth County is hurting, but they are not broken. They are shaken, but they are not broken, he said. Their hearts are heavy, but they will continue to honor Kevins legacy by being that beacon of light in their communities. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird released a statement expressing sadness for the loss of a law enforcement officer and honoring his and others sacrifices. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of law enforcement hero Kevin Cram last night in Algona. Officer Cram wore the badge with honor to serve and protect. As we mourn his heartbreaking loss, we remember Officer Crams selfless service and keep his family in our prayers. We will never take for granted the sacrifices made to keep us safe, and we will always stand strong alongside our law enforcement heroes. The states congressional delegation also posted condolences on social media. Please join me in saying an extra prayer for our men and women in blue today, Sen. Joni Ernst said. Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered flags be flown at half-staff Friday in Crams honor. Officer Kevin Cram died a hero, protecting his community and upholding the rule of law. Kevin and I are praying for his family, the Algona Police Department, and all the law enforcement officers in Kossuth County, Reynolds said in a statement. As flags are lowered across the state, Iowans honor Officer Crams legacy and stand united with his brothers and sisters in uniform. We will never forget his service and sacrifice. PHOTOS: Officer shot in Algona Wednesday night A press conference was held Thursday morning to address the shooting and killing of Algona officer Kevin Cram, 33. Cram was killed Wednesday night while in the line of duty. Suspect, 43-year-old Kyle Ricke, is in custody and is being held on charges of first-degree murder. Officer Shot-Iowa-1 Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations vehicles are at the scene of an officer-involved shooting north of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds o Kevin Cram.jpg Cram Officer Shot-Iowa-2 Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations vehicles are at the scene of an officer-involved shooting north of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds o Officer Shot Iowa-3 Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt speaks during a press conference at the Kossuth County Election Cent Officer Shot Iowa-4 Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens speaks during a press conference at the Kossuth County Election Center on Thursda Officer Shot Iowa-5 Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens speaks during a press conference at the Kossuth County Election Center on Thursda Officer Shot Iowa Kossuth County EMS vehicles are at the scene of an officer-involved shooting north of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds on South Minnesota Street Officer Shot Iowa-6 Kossuth County EMS vehicles are at the scene of an officer-involved shooting north of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds on South Minnesota Street The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the hit-and-run death of a Rosebud woman in Parmelee last June. Micheliegh Iron Cloud, 32, was walking along Highway 63 in Parmelee around midnight on June 17, 2022, when she was struck by a passing vehicle. Iron Cloud was found deceased, while the one-year-old boy she was carrying survived. Her obituary, posted on the Sioux Funeral Home's Facebook page, described Iron Cloud as a lover of life and someone who showed compassion to everyone. "Micheliegh could light up the darkest room with her smile; she had the biggest heart and was very kind-hearted," the post read. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Minneapolis Field Office 24/7 at 763-569-8000 or by submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. A kitten was saved Wednesday afternoon from a storm drain in the City Hall parking lot, just hours before rain fell in the downtown area. The saga began Wednesday around lunch time, when City building inspector Lon Schnittgrund was heading to his car in the City Hall parking lot. He heard a noise coming from the storm drain and discovered the young kitten who had slipped through the grate and found itself in a predicament. A call was made to the Citys Utility Maintenance Department and crew members Troy Landry and Chad Wilczynski arrived quickly on scene to open the grate. Several City employees had gathered during the lunch period to provide support and help coax the kitten to safety. Landry and Wilczynski descended into the storm drain box but the kitten, estimated at between four to six weeks of age, had been scared by the commotion and descended into the storm drain. Despite the coaxing efforts of many City employees, the kitten stayed put apparently finding the depths and darkness of the storm drain more comforting than wanting to exit and make new friends with City workers. City planner Alex Osborne even used some meatballs from his lunch, hoping to entice the kitten to safety, but the kitten was having none of it. The Humane Society provided a rescue cage which was set in the storm drain and employees took turns throughout the afternoon checking on the kitten to see if it came out for the food. Landry and Wilczynski opened nearby grates and worked to lure the kitten to safety but the kitten stayed put. Finally around 4 p.m., City electrician Mark Preble noticed the kitten in the trap. With the help of IT analyst Steve Baumker, the pair lifted the grate, Preble descended into the box and brought the kitten out to safety. The rescue came just in time as the downtown area experienced rain during the evening and overnight hours Wednesday night. The kitten went home with two City employees for the night and spent Thursday at the Utility Maintenance Department making new friends and finding a permanent home with one of the employees. The kitten has been given the name Stormy. Revisit the summer of 1787 and the creation of the United States Constitution. Learn about our nations vital document and how it evolved at an upcoming Constitution Day luncheon. The Black Hills Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting its Constitution Day luncheon at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Christian Life Center at Canyon Lake United Methodist Church, 3500 Canyon Lake Drive, in Rapid City. Anyone interested is welcome. Admission is free; freewill donations are accepted. The luncheon will include sandwiches, salads, desserts and a program by Carrie Huber. Huber is a James Madison Memorial Fellow for South Dakota who teaches U.S. government classes at Rapid City Stevens High School. Hubers presentation at the Constitution Day luncheon will focus on highlights from the Constitutional Convention in 1787, based on meeting notes taken at the convention. According to the National Archives, the Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The document was signed on Sept. 17, 1787, to establish the government of the United States. Ill focus on the Constitutional Convention and give an overview of what the purpose behind the convention was, Huber said. Ill be talking about what I learned about that event and how it shaped the Constitution as we know it today. The Constitutional Convention met during the summer of 1787. The United States first form of government was the Articles of Confederation, which established the functions of the United States national government after it declared independence from Great Britain. It [the Articles of Confederation] had a lot of issues, Huber said. It gave the bulk of power to the states and so delegates came together under the premise they were going to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention convened in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787. According to the National Archives, by mid-June the discussion and debate taking place made clear that, rather than revise the Articles of Confederation, the convention delegates would draft an entirely new frame of government. Throughout that summer, in closed sessions, the delegates debated and redrafted the Articles of Confederation into the new United States Constitution. Huber said that while the nations founders who drafted the Constitution were scholars of history, they didnt have a similar document from which to model the Constitution. The appreciation for the longevity of this document its incredibly complex and creating it was incredibly complex, Huber said. What they were able to accomplish is incredible. Many of the founders wouldnt have anticipated we would still have this Constitution. Theres not a ton of words but the depth of whats within the document is really powerful and allowed it to endure. The National Archives indicates that among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected directly by the people or by the state legislators. The Constitution stands as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. Huber is a South Dakota native who grew up in Aberdeen and is in her eighth year teaching United States Government at Stevens High School. Before teaching, she worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington state from 2011 to 2012, where her role was focused on constituent relations outreach. I have always been interested in politics. I remember conversations with my parents growing up, and following national elections really closely when I was in middle school and high school. There were always conversations that were happening at my house, she said. Huber graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., with a degree in political science and history. She eventually returned to South Dakota and earned her teaching degree. Huber and her husband, Chris, live in Rapid City and have two children. This year, Huber was named South Dakotas James Madison Memorial Fellow. The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation provides funds to support graduate studies of American history for secondary school teachers of American history, government and civics. Huber is working toward a Master of Arts degree in American History and Government from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Her graduate degree program of study is focused on primary sources, such as notes James Madison took day by day during the Constitutional Convention. This summer, Huber took a class on the founding of the United States and much of the course was devoted to the Constitutional Convention. Being able to read notes and sources written by people such as James Madison offers fresh insight into historical events for Huber and her students. Right now [with my students] were talking a lot about what are the compromises found within the Constitution. Getting students to think about debates the founders had helps them to see it in a much more meaningful way, and why its structured the way it is, Huber said. If you read a textbook, its a lot more abstract. [For example] we take it for granted we have one president, but it was a pretty radical idea during the Constitutional Convention. As a teacher, Huber said her goal is to help her 11th and 12th grade students prepare to become informed, active citizens. She teaches a semester-long course focused on the U.S. government and a year-long advanced placement college-level course about government. My ultimate goal is I want students who are future voters. I want kids who are active in our community. The content of government classes is a great mechanism to help them as they get ready to leave [high school], Huber said. Im really trying to get the students to think critically about the content and as were learning about government, to develop skills that are going to help them throughout their entire life, she said. I really work with them to analyze news sources and look at data. A big [concept] we work on is being able to make a claim and support it with evidence, be able to back that up with something meaningful and cite their sources and make that connection for developing a strong argument. Its most exciting to me because students are likely going to be the future voters, our policy makers. They are at a really exciting time in their life, thinking about their future. They can start making connections [about] what is their individual role in within our democracy not just the government happens to me but they have some agency in the process, Huber said. What is Constitution Day? The Constitution Day luncheon celebrates the beginning of Constitution Week, which is observed annually Sept. 17 to 23. Constitution Week begins on Sept. 17, the date in 1787 the Constitution was signed. The week commemorates the United States Constitution, which upholds and protects the freedoms central to our nation and way of life. The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two documents of paramount importance to United States history. The Daughters of the American Revolution initiated the Constitution Week observance in 1955, when the organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate September 17 to 23 each year to it. Congress adopted the resolution, and on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law. One of the largest patriotic womens organizations in the world, Daughters of the American Revolution is a service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, non-political group that promotes historic preservation, education and patriotism. Daughters of the American Revolution has more than 185,000 members in about 3,000 chapters across the United States and in foreign countries. Go to facebook.com/southdakotadar or dar.org for more information. A former Chadron State College student is asking for a rehearing following a split-decision reversal of a federal jury's $300,000 award in a civil case where she accused college officials of not doing enough to protect her after she reported being raped. Jane Doe's attorney said the college should have banned the man who attacked her in 2016 from campus instead of just ordering him not to have contact with her. She felt unsafe on campus because of the chance of running into her attacker and had to complete her degree through online classes after the two assaults in 2016. The woman graduated from college that December. The next year, she sued the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges System. At trial, NSCS argued the way the situation had been handled by campus officials was reasonable. Besides ordering the man not to have contact with the woman, they also had ordered him to complete counseling and put him on behavioral probation until he graduated. They also offered the woman a campus escort, which she turned down not wanting to draw attention to herself. The jury ruled in the woman's favor in December 2021. And the Board of Trustees appealed, saying, among other things, that they had not been deliberately indifferent after Doe reported being sexually assaulted on campus twice. Nineteen civil rights and survivor advocacy organizations filed friend-of-the-court briefs on her behalf. In a decision in August, Eighth Circuit Judge Ralph R. Erickson wrote for the majority of the three-judge panel that heard the appeal, saying: "While it is a rare case that reversal is warranted after giving appropriate deference to a jurys verdict, this is such a case." Erickson, of North Dakota, said it was understandable that Doe wanted the other student removed from campus, or to suffer more severe consequences, however, for a claim to go to a jury, she would have had to show Chadron "acted in a clearly unreasonable manner, which is not sustainable on the record." He said the case should have been dismissed prior to trial. In a dissent, Eighth Circuit Judge Jane Kelly, of Iowa, said: "Doe presented evidence that after she reported the second sexual assault to the college, the school responded with a safety plan that objectively made her vulnerable to additional harassment from (the accused). This is sufficient." The college banned him from the residence hall where Doe worked, but failed to notify the dormitory for five days. And, he was allowed to continue to live in an adjoining hall with a shared common area, where at least once he encountered Doe. Even after the male student admitted policy violations, the college's vice president did not conduct a risk assessment. "Rather, (Jon) Hansen merely used his own 'judgment' to place (the male student) on 'behavioral probation' a status undefined by the college and to impose modest sanctions, such as reading a book, journaling, and completing a consent course," Kelly said. His weekly counseling sessions were at the same campus counseling center where Doe had sessions. Kelly said a reasonable jury could find the college's actions weren't reasonably calculated to end the harassment and were clearly unreasonable in light of the sexual assaults that Doe suffered on campus. Doe's attorney, Maren Chaloupka, since has filed a motion for rehearing by the three-judge panel or the entire Eighth Circuit. An Indiana man was sentenced Thursday to several decades in prison following his conviction for molesting a girl several times in Laurel. Robert Lee Morrissey Jr., 60, kept his head bowed through almost his entire appearance in Yellowstone County District Court before Judge Ashley Harada, who ordered him to 70 years in Montana State Prison. Although Morrissey maintained his innocence through his sentencing, during the course of the Laurel investigation he admitted to sexually abusing girls younger than him during his youth. Thursdays hearing offered some of those girls, now women, a chance to confront Morrissey about that abuse and applaud the girl whose coming forward led to Morrisseys conviction. She was able to do what I could not, said one of the adult survivors during her testimony in court. The Laurel Police Department launched an investigation into the abuse in March 2020 following a report from the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. The mother of the girl who survived Morrisseys abuse told a Laurel detective Morrissey groped her daughter on multiple occasions. In an interview at the Yellowstone Valley Childrens Advocacy Center, which provides forensic interviews and medical examinations for children who have faced physical and sexual abuse, the girl, still in her teens, said Morrissey sexually abused her on three occasions from 2015 to 2017, from the time she was 8 to 10 years old. She later testified in court that a sex education class, along with an assembly in middle school centered on sexual assault helped her understand that what Morrissey did to her was abuse. It happened to me and I dont want it to happen to anybody else, she said during the trial. When police spoke with Morrissey in 2020, he denied that any abuse had occurred. On one occasion, he said he may have touched her leg. In another instance, in which Morrissey placed the girls hand on his genitals, he told the detective he may have accidentally put the girls hand into his pocket when reaching to get a Life Savers. Yellowstone County prosecutors filed charges against Morrissey in June 2021. At the time he was working as a correctional officer at a jail in Carlisle, Indiana. During the course of his career in law enforcement, according to testimony in court, Morrissey worked as a detention officer for juvenile offenders. An Indiana deputy and town marshal arrested Morrissey on a warrant issued by Yellowstone County District Judge Ashley Harada. He made his initial court appearance in January 2022. Morrissey left custody on a $75,000 bond after pleading not guilty to the three charges of sexual assault. At his trial in April 2023, Morrissey testified in court that he was shocked and hurt by the allegations. Along with the teenage survivor of Morrisseys abuse, her mother, the Laurel detective and an expert in child sexual trauma testified at the trial. The 12-person jury found him guilty on all three counts of sexual assault, and Morrissey has remained in custody at Yellowstone County Detention Facility since the guilty verdict. Leading up to Morrisseys sentencing, Judge Harada received a statement from the teenage survivor. Those in court Thursday also heard testimony from two women who were children when Morrissey forced them to engage in sex acts when he also was underage. While no charges were filed in connection to Morrisseys abuse as a juvenile, he admitted to his conduct while he was being investigated for molesting the Laurel child. One woman testified in court, with Morrissey still sitting with his head down while she spoke. Another woman submitted a statement to the court for prosecutors to read. He was manipulative and threatening, read Deputy County Attorney Sarah Hyde from the womans statement. Prosecutors asked Judge Harada for an 80-year prison sentence. Morrissey did not see an innocent girl when he molested her, County Attorney John Ryan said, he saw an object. Ryan too commended the survivor for reporting what Morrissey did to her. Ryan said the lengthy sentence was appropriate considering the harm inflicted on the girl, her family and for the abuse that Morrissey admitted to when he was younger. The defendant has demonstrated, time and time again, Ryan said, there is no line he will not cross when his sexual urges take hold. Tyler Dugger, who represented Morrissey, asked the judge for a prison sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years. Without minimizing the crimes that Morrissey was convicted of doing, Dugger said there have been no other allegations raised against him since he was underage. That includes the time when he served in the military, and as a youth correctional officer, Dugger said. When offered a chance to speak, Morrissey shook his head. Before issuing her sentence, Harada said Morrissey had tried during his psycho-sexual evaluation to portray himself as the victim. He is not a victim, Harada said, he is a serious sex offender. The girl who reported the abuse, and who as present in the court Thursday, needs to know that Morrissey was held to justice, Harada said. Shes a hero, she said. Harada had previously sentenced a Laurel man to 60 years in prison for similar charges. Michael Gilbert Voyles was convicted for three counts of sexual abuse in 2022. Voyles, a man in his 50s, had abused a child over the course of several years, with charges being filed after the survivor, now an adult, relayed the abuse to police nearly a decade later. Morrissey was sentenced to 70 years for each count of sexual assault, which he will serve concurrently. While in custody, Harada ordered Morrissey to seek sex offender treatment. The majority of all sexual assault victims are under 30, according to data from the non-profit The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Anonymous reports of child sex abuse can be made through the National Child Abuse Hotline at 800-4AC-HILD (422-4453). The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services also maintains a 24-hour hotline for child abuse reports at 1 (866) 820-5437. WASHINGTON While the nation has been transfixed by the two-week manhunt for escaped prisoner Danelo Souza Cavalcante in Pennsylvania, another fugitive drama has been playing out in the nation's capital with comparatively minimal attention. Christopher Haynes has been on the run for a week, since escaping from police custody at George Washington University Hospital on Sept. 6. Haynes, 30, had been arrested earlier in the day on murder charges relating to an Aug. 12 shooting in the district. His escape prompted a several-hour shelter in-place order last week for the entire GW campus and brief roadblocks on nearby streets. Cavalcante, a 34-year-old Brazilian national who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, was captured Wednesday morning in southeastern Pennsylvania after an extended pursuit that received wall-to-wall live coverage. Haynes is still at large and awaits a trial. The contrast between the two manhunts has been stark: While the national media has tracked every development in Cavalcante's flight, Haynes has basically dropped off the map. Police were able to provide an image last week of Haynes wearing a black T-shirt and gray briefs and moving through a backyard. But the only updates since then have been the offering of a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture and a news release Tuesday increasing the reward to $30,000 and providing additional details about the escape. Brian Levin, criminal justice professor emeritus at California State University, San Bernardino, believes the difference in public attention and media coverage comes down to a number of factors. For starters, there's the viral video of Cavalcante's innovative escape from Chester County Prison as he braced himself between two walls and performed a sort of vertical crab-walk up and out of sight. "There were all these aspects that were Hollywood-esque," Levin said. "The video of that crab-walk up the wall looked like something out of a movie." Haynes also staged a dramatic-sounding escape, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. However, no video of that escape has yet emerged. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved new COVID-19 boosters this week, and the shots are expected to be available at Richmond-area pharmacies and doctors offices in a few days. The Virginia Department of Health said people who are immunocompromised or over the age of 65 should get the vaccine and that everyone should talk to their health care provider to determine if the shot is right for them. Heres what you should know about the new vaccines: Who should get one? The CDC recommends everyone older than 6 months receive a shot. Young children, older adults and people with chronic conditions and compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable and most in need of the new shots, said Lisa M. Lee, a professor of public health at Virginia Tech. Adults over the age of 75 and infants younger than 6 months have experienced the highest rate of hospitalization, said Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist. Children ages 5 to 17 are least likely to suffer severe illness compared to other age groups. You should not get a shot if you got a COVID booster in the past two months or if you were infected with COVID in the past three months. What does the shot protect against? The new shots are specifically designed to counter the XBB variants, which have spread throughout the U.S. this summer and evolved from the original omicron variant. Both Pfizer and Moderna developed boosters, and each is taken as a single shot. The FDA has not approved Novavaxs booster yet, but Novavax said it expects to gain approval soon. Boosters also reduce the chance of developing long COVID. Are there risks to taking the shots? When the original COVID vaccines were distributed, a small number of men in their teens and 20s developed a condition called myocarditis an inflammation of the heart. When boosters were released last year, the prevalence of myocarditis declined to near zero. Out of 650,000 observed doses, only two people developed verified cases, Jetelina said. The benefits of a vaccine for severe disease among adolescents outweigh the risks, Jetelina said. But Norman Hearst, a physician in San Francisco, told KFF Health News he would not recommend the booster for young males because of the rare risk of myocarditis and the shots negligible benefit. He would, however, recommend the vaccine for older patients. The question is all the other people in between, Hearst said. More than 95% of the U.S. population has some COVID immunization through vaccination, infection or both, and the risk of serious illness among healthy younger people is not high, KFF reported. The new shot is a boost in protection for a few months, John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, told KFF. Are they still free? Pfizer and Moderna are charging up to $130 per shot, but insurance companies are required to cover the cost, so patients with insurance will have no out-of-pocket expense. Medicare recipients will not pay either, as long as the provider accepts Medicare assignment. Seniors with Medicare Advantage plans can get the shots for free as long as they go to an in-network provider. Uninsured people can get the shots for free from local health departments. How many Virginia residents got COVID shots? Three out of every four Virginia residents received a primary series. But residents were far less interested in boosters fewer than 20% have received all the recommended boosters. How bad is COVID now? Serious illness caused by COVID remains low in Virginia. Last week, about 2% of emergency room visitors were diagnosed with COVID, up from half a percent in July. While there are far fewer hospitalizations today than we had this time last year, it is in large part because of the protective effect of vaccine and previous infection, Lee said. It is difficult to determine the prevalence of non-serious disease, because people who test themselves at home typically do not report their results and may never visit a health care provider. Others may never test themselves at all. What about flu and RSV? You can receive your flu shot at the same time you receive your COVID shot. For the first time, there is a shot to prevent RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and its available for infants and people over the age of 60. You should ask your doctor about vaccinating for COVID and RSV at the same time, Lee said. How restaurant employment has changed so far in 2023 How restaurant employment has changed so far in 2023 Jobs at restaurants fell slightly in June after months of growth Foreign Minister Park Jin delivers a speech at a forum on North Korean human rights at a hotel in Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap South Korea's top diplomat hinted Friday that Seoul could potentially impose unilateral sanctions against Moscow amid a recent summit between North Korea and Russia that has prompted concerns of military cooperation between the two countries. "North Korea reaching any agreement related to arms trade with Russia through their summit would be an extremely serious threat to security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," Foreign Minister Park Jin told reporters at a forum in Seoul. When asked if Seoul is reviewing unilateral sanctions against both North Korea and Russia, Park replied, "We are reviewing all possible measures." South Korea has often imposed unilateral sanctions on North Korea over illicit nuclear, missile and cyber activities, but it has only participated in international sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The state health department in April investigated Parham Doctors Hospital, where Irvo Otieno was first admitted before he died days later at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County. Seven Henrico County sheriffs deputies and a Central State hospital worker have been charged in the death, in a case that has garnered national attention. Pryor Green, a spokesperson for Parham parent company HCA Healthcare, said a survey was performed at (the hospital) by the Virginia Department of Health at the request of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Green said the employees fully participated and cooperated in the survey performed by the VDH, but she would not elaborate about the nature of the investigation. To ensure the integrity of the CMS survey process, (the hospital) cannot comment further on such surveys, she said. Brookie Crawford, a health department spokesperson, confirmed that officials with the state agency visited Parham to conduct the investigation. Findings have not been made public. WTVR-TV, which first reported the state investigation, said the inquiry was prompted by a complaint about how Otieno was treated at Parham. Parham is one of three hospitals within the Henrico Doctors Hospitals campus. HCA has an agreement with Henrico governments mental health agency to provide behavioral health emergency services. Henrico officials have previously declined a request to release reports about the events that took place at Parham. Otieno, 28, was taken to Parham on March 3, then to the Henrico County Jail, and later Central State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital. He died of asphyxiation on March 6 after being pinned to the ground for about 12 minutes during the intake process, while in handcuffs and leg shackles. His death was ruled as a homicide, and second-degree murder charges were filed against the deputies and Central State worker. Charges were also filed against two other hospital workers, but later dropped by the Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney. Attorneys for the defendants have said Otieno was being combative and they were trying to restrain him. The family of Otieno has said he was having a mental health crisis and has called for a federal Department of Justice investigation. Virginia Commonwealth Universitys finances have avoided the worst-case scenario, as the university begins the new fiscal year with a $20 million shortfall. That is better than school officials expected. Higher utility costs and larger employee salaries led administrators to worry the problem could grow to $25 million. But the university received new funds in the state budget passed last week, and it got a boost from a large freshman class. VCU will still have to reduce its workforce, and the number of jobs affected is unclear, Chief Financial Officer Karol Kain Gray said Friday. VCU already told nearly 30 staffers their contracts will not be renewed next spring. When the new fiscal year began in July, VCU cut $25 million from its budget and notified some faculty they would not return at the end of the school year. Then in the past month, two good things happened to VCU. It received $10 million in new funding from the state budget that Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Thursday. The amount allocated to VCU was higher than any other state college. Enrollment also provided a boost. About 4,600 freshmen arrived at VCU this fall, and the class will be either the largest or second-largest in school history the final number will not be counted until several weeks into the semester, after some students have dropped out. The influx of new students brought an extra $3 million to the budget. This is the first time in five years VCUs enrollment has grown. This is a huge accomplishment, Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos said. VCU raised more revenue by asking more from its students. The university raised the cost of tuition 3% this year, which generated millions in new dollars. But the university is also facing more expenses, Gray said. Its cost for janitorial services, which the university outsources, is going up. So is the cost of its employees. The General Assembly mandated more raises for state employees, and VCU is saddled with some of that cost. So while VCU is getting $13 million in new funds, its financial problem is shrinking by less than half that. Gray said it is unclear how many jobs will be cut to achieve the necessary savings. Administrators will give each department an adjusted budget based on their financial performance. If the worst case-scenario had been realized, the university would have had to cut between 100 and 150 jobs, Gray said earlier this summer. Administrators said they would achieve as much cost savings as possible by freezing open positions as opposed to cutting working employees. But roughly a dozen professors in the Department of Focused Inquiry were told their contracts would not be renewed after the 2023-24 school year. Altogether, VCU has a budget of $1.5 billion. About half of that is spent on general expenses related to education, such as employees and utilities. The other half goes toward costs including research, scholarships and maintaining housing and dining, as well as the campus in Qatar. VCU Health System, meanwhile, is heading toward a financial turnaround. It finished the 2023 fiscal year with an operating loss of roughly $23 million, or less than 1%. That is significantly better than 2022, when it posted an operating loss of 2%. Both revenue and costs have increased at the health system in the past two years. VCU Health set a budget of $3.3 billion this year, 25% higher than 2021. VCU Health continues to spend more on its employees, including hiring contract nurses, raising salaries and offering incentives to new hires. The $73 million it paid to exit the Public Safety Building development deal did not come out of the health systems operating budget. The bottom line is, what a turnaround, VCU President Michael Rao said. In preparation for the early voting period for the Nov. 7 general election, Chesterfield County is informing the public about its election process. For the first time, the countys General Registrars Office and Electoral Board hosted voting informational sessions, giving residents the opportunity to learn and ask about such topics as voting security and accuracy, election cycles and the post-election process. The purpose is to help people understand how much is entailed in the election process, said Missy Vera, Chesterfields general registrar and director of elections. Its not just one day of voting, it is 45 days of early voting, and before those 45 days, its preparing absentee ballots to be mailed. For absentee voting, registered voters can send their ballots by mail or place them in a designated drop box. For early voting, residents from any district can visit the registrars office or one of the five satellite locations to submit their ballot in a machine. On Election Day, voters will have to go to their assigned precinct to cast their ballots. Following this years passage of House Bill 1948 by the General Assembly, witness signatures are no longer required for absentee ballots. Voters are now required to provide the last four digits of their Social Security number and their birth year. Wednesdays informational sessions at the Central Library gave the county a chance to explain the voting technology used during elections. During the early voting period, KNOWiNK and Ballot on Demand machines are used to verify that each voter receives the appropriate ballot. The DS450 machine tabulates 72 ballots per minute, which helps the county process up to 15,000 absentee ballots. Other tools used include the DS200, another high-speed ballot processor, and ExpressVote, an ADA-compliant ballot marking device that includes a touch screen, enlarged text and a headphone jack for people who need to hear the candidates names. The equipment is secured in cages at their respective sites and contains safeguards and encryption to avoid potential ballot manipulation. Richmond Public Works issues statement about worker killed by falling tree A tree struck and killed a Richmond city employee Thursday morning at Libby Hill Park. Security is front and center for the Electoral Board, said Rick Michael, vice chair of the board. Every meeting we have, we go into closed sessions to discuss security issues. With segments of people locally and nationally expressing mistrust in the election process in recent years, Chesterfield held the voting sessions to address questions and complaints. State Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, who lost her seat in a June primary, has questioned the integrity of Virginias elections and has backed former President Donald Trumps debunked claims of election fraud. In February 2022, the Virginia Senate rejected a proposal by Chase to spend $70 million in state funds on a forensic audit of the 2020 presidential election in Virginia, in which Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump by 10 percentage points. Theres a lot of conspiracy theories floating out there, said Traci Franssen, who is running for the Matoaca District seat on the Chesterfield School Board. I think having this session was really important to put information out there. We have Republicans and Democrats on our Electoral Board, and theyre both standing up there saying our elections are secure in Chesterfield. In addition to security measures, Chesterfield officials emphasized that chain of custody procedures are in place to ensure ballot accuracy. No votes, including absentee and early votes, are counted until the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. The Electoral Boards canvass system verifies the election results and resolves discrepancies, which takes about a week. According to the Electoral Board, each political party in Chesterfield, as well as independent candidates, is allowed to send representatives to observe voting machine testing and election certification. We hope to cultivate public trust in Chesterfield County and the way we run our elections, because there really are checks and balances, Vera said. Our staff, our board and our officers of election are all out there doing what they can to ensure that everybodys vote counts. From Sept. 22 to Nov. 4, Chesterfield residents from any district can vote in-person Monday through Friday at the registrars office at 9848 Lori Road, as well as the Saturdays of Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. All early voting at the registrars office will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chesterfield early voters can also head to the following satellite locations Oct. 23 through Nov. 4: Clover Hill Library 6701 Deer Run Drive Ettrick-Matoaca Library 4501 River Road LaPrade Library 9000 Hull Street Road Meadowdale Library 4301 Meadowdale Blvd. North Courthouse Road Library 325 Courthouse Road The libraries will be open for early voters from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. From the Archives: The opening of Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Cloverleaf Mall Family members and loved ones of inmates at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt say they were unable to speak with inmates for over a month due to recent lockdowns during which inmates reportedly were denied access to medical care and regular meals. The facility went into lockdown after three inmates died due to drug overdoses between July 30 and 31, officials from the Virginia Department of Corrections said. Family members and loved ones reported that they were unable to contact inmates inside Greensville for weeks even as video of a fire inside the prison surfaced online. They said VADOC officials would not offer any information regarding the situation or the statuses of specific inmates. When the phone calls, emails and letters resumed, they contained startling allegations against the prison and staff. Prisoners said they were unable to access medical care, were served moldy food at irregular intervals and were not allowed to shower. The administration deprived us of food for 24 hours, one inmate wrote in a letter dated Aug. 15. The letter was provided to The Richmond Times-Dispatch by the inmates wife. We have not been able to communicate with our family, friends, or loved ones, the letter continued. We are being held in our cells for 24 hrs., 7 days a week It's been 5 days since half of my housing unit were given the opportunity to shower. In a statement to The Times-Dispatch, Carla Miles, a spokesperson for VADOC, acknowledged the lockdown, which she said began July 31 and ended for "the majority of the population ... during the week of August 14th." However, she noted that "inmates in Housing Unit 1 ... remain(ed) on full lock with no access" phone calls, visits, video visits or kiosks even after lockdowns for the rest of the population were lifted. Family members and loved ones reported the lockdown in Housing Unit 1 finally ended sometime between Aug. 30 and Sep. 1. VADOC officials confirmed that all lockdowns had ended, but declined to specify the date they were lifted. Family members and loved ones say they are outraged and afraid. 'He could die in there' Shaun Stewart, 46, of Virginia Beach, said that his brother Anthony Tony Stewart, 44, who is currently imprisoned at Greensville has struggled with his chest catheter for months. Tony Stewart has kidney disease and end-stage renal failure, his brother said, and needs the catheter for dialysis treatments. In late June, the catheter which was supposed to be a temporary replacement for an arm port that had been messed up in a previous incident started to become loose, according to Shaun Stewart. Tony Stewart also suffered intermittent bleeding at the site where the catheter was inserted. A nurse said dont touch it, air could get in and kill you, Shaun Stewart said, adding that the lockdown has forced his brother to continue to endure the loose catheter despite the apparently critical nature of the issue. He and his brother filed 10 grievances in the span of 18 days but have heard nothing from VADOC, Shaun Stewart said. He is concerned for his brothers life. He could die in there, he said. One woman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that she was not able to reach her brother, who is an inmate at Greensville, until August 21, over three weeks after the lockdown began. She said her brother, who has a heart defect, has not been able to refill his blood pressure and cholesterol medications. She added that it has been more than 18 months since he has had bloodwork done. Another woman, speaking anonymously, said that her husband, a Greensville inmate with acute asthma, went eight days without an inhaler during the lockdown. "He uses the inhaler daily" and he could die without it, she said. The inhaler ran out of medication on Aug. 6, she said, and it was not refilled until Aug. 14. In her statement on behalf of VADOC, Miles said that "medication delivery ... has been occurring in the living units on schedule and as prescribed. Inmates are being triaged in the living units and if deemed necessary by medical staff they are escorted to the medical department for further assessment." 'The trays are always soggy' Another woman, speaking anonymously, said that her husband, who is incarcerated at Greensville, was finally able to get in touch with her on August 17 more than two weeks after the lockdown started. He told her that the food inside the prison had been inedible. In a letter, which she provided to The Times-Dispatch, her husband wrote they keep serving us moldy bread the trays are always soggy and waterlogged by the time we get our food. Another woman said her fiance, who is imprisoned at Greensville, told her that there was a 28 hour gap between the dinner tray (July 30) and the lunch tray on (July 31)." Virginia law requires that inmates are fed three meals within a 24-hour period. VADOC regulations stipulate that no more than 14 hours can pass between "the end of the evening meal and the beginning of the breakfast meal." Brandy Paul, 47, of Christiansburg, said she went 25 days without speaking to her son, who is imprisoned at Greensville. On Aug. 17, Paul finally received a JPay message from him. The message, which Paul provided to The Times-Dispatch, was dated July 31, and read, in part, (on) the first day (Monday) dinner was at 2:35 a.m. (and) was plain noodles and cabbage. The inmate said Greensville was making our hell even more hellish. Miles admitted that there were "delays" to meal service during "the first two days of lockdown," but denied the 28-hour gap. Miles did not clarify the precise cause of the delays, or how long they lasted. "Every inmate was fed three meals as required within a 24-hour period," she said. A June 2021 audit of Greensville, conducted by the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections and obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by The Times-Dispatch, indicated that meal costs at the prison were "$2.10 per inmate per day." The audit described the meals as "very tasty and of ample portion." 'Really doing us dirty' In a separate JPay message, Paul's son said that inmates sometimes went "1 to 2 weeks without receiving soap or toilet paper," and that he often had to "rely on inmates" to procure these items for him. Multiple other inmates also complained about sanitary conditions inside the prison during the lockdown. The inmate who alleged the 28-hour gap between meal trays said he was "only ... allowed to shower every 3 days," according to his fiance. Miles said that "inmates are afforded opportunity to shower three times within a 7 day period," per "established (VADOC) policies." Unit 1 silent for weeks Over a month later, family members and loved ones say the lockdown finally has been lifted for Housing Unit 1. Miles previously had said the extended lockdown in the unit was due to "disruptive" behavior that occurred Aug. 14, the day that VADOC officials said inmates started several fires inside the facility. She added that the department would "slowly return their privileges and return to normal operations based on their behavior," but had not offered a timeline for ending the lockdown in the unit. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said an inmate, communicating via unsanctioned channels, told her that the housing unit was not evacuated when the fires broke out, and that multiple inmates suffered from smoke inhalation. The inmate said that prisoners in the unit had been confined to their cells for 24 hours a day, and were able to shower only five times between July 28 and Aug. 28. 'They are still human' Family members and loves ones say they are scared for inmates and frustrated by VADOC's apparent lack of control over the situation and seeming unwillingness to communicate with them. "Someone needs to find out what is happening in this prison," Paul said. "I understand that it's a prison, but they are still human beings. "We all just want to hear from (our) loved ones and (know) they (are) safe in there." 15 photos of the Richmond City Jail from The Times-Dispatch archives Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail Richmond City Jail A New Kent County man was killed Friday when a pickup truck ran off Interstate 295 in Hanover County and crashed into the woods, police said. At 6:21 a.m., Virginia State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on northbound I-295 just south of the Pole Green Road exit. A 2009 Chevrolet pickup ran off the road to the right, into the tree line and down the embankment. Being a conservative in 2023 does not have the same meaning as being a conservative in the 1980s or even as recently as in 2015 (when the Freedom Caucus was founded). Classical American conservatism was grounded in the principles articulated by William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan. It had three essential elements: fiscal restraint, a belief in traditional American values, and a strong internationalist focus on trade and national defense. Todays politicians who label themselves as conservatives'' adhere to a quite different philosophy. Traditional fiscal conservatism (including that followed by think tanks such as the Hoover Institution and the American Enterprise Institute) meant low taxes, modest government spending, balanced government budgets and minimal government debt. It relied on a Darwinian approach to free markets whereby the government takes a back seat to capitalism, providing a limited, incentivized safety net for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. Because free markets are disruptive, they bring rapid change that maximizes growth at the expense of leaving late-adapters behind including those whose jobs become obsolete by progress. The Reagan Revolution had those consequences and America, along with most Americans (though far from all), prospered. However, that is not the philosophy driving todays political conservatives. Although fiscal conservatives today continue to adhere to a low-tax philosophy, they do so while increasing government debt, substituting it for business and individual obligations, larger deficits and propelling a centralized government coordination of economic activity that focuses on populism rather than fiscal probity (often referred to as statism). Traditional American conservatism emphasized minimal interference by governments in the lives of Americans, strict constitutional constructionism, and adherence to historical American family values. As President Ronald Reagan said, Governments first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives. Todays political conservatism nevertheless employs federal and state activism to empower workers and other stakeholders to have a voice in corporate decision-making, provide government subsidies to encourage larger more home-focused families, limit abortion and sexual rights, control what may be taught at schools and offered by libraries, subsidize onshore manufacturing and business-development, and restrict immigration to prevent the wage-erosion of native-born Americans, all policies that exalt government in ways similar to the Biden administration. What was once a smaller-government conservative mantra is now a bigger-government set of rallying cries that, surprisingly, are shared at various levels by both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. The traditional conservative approach to global issues relied on internationalism with a laser focus on national defense. Today, those are the policies of the Biden administration. Todays political conservatives instead have adopted "America first" isolationist trade and tariff policies that were last popular in the 1930s when America believed itself safely insulated by Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean distances. Vivek Ramaswamy recently provided an example of this current foreign policy conservatism by advocating a solution to the Ukraine war inspired by former President Donald Trump. If elected, he would require Vladimir Putin to end his alliance with China in exchange for Americas commitment that NATO would never admit Ukraine. In doing so, he would endorse Russias annexation of parts of Ukraine as well as Russias intent to thereafter absorb the remainder. This approach (and a similar one he proposed for Taiwan) ignores appeasement history (for example, the 1938 Munich Agreement that consented to the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia). Traditional conservatism recognizes that appeasing aggressors doesnt work and accordingly endorses a strong defense founded on a globalist-internationalist foreign policy in reliance on democratically centered alliances and a powerful military. The practice of 21st-century conservative politicians is to articulate positions that emphasize 1980s' conservative buzzwords without adopting traditionally conservative policies. A majority of todays conservative politicians offer a brand of populism designed to attract campaign dollars and maximize their odds of election. Unfortunately, perpetual electioneering with perpetual invective doesnt enhance democracy or result in fiscal restraint, further traditional American values or create a strong national defense. To the contrary, oppositional politicking leads to tribalism, extremism and internal strife. Labels of conservative, liberal, Republican and Democrat have mutated into electioneering slogans, shorn of their historical meanings. Instead of pursuing conservative policies, Americas current conservatives seem intent on being the party of opposition. However, oppositional government is not the same as effective government. Climate change provides a useful example of what a truly conservative agenda might accomplish. Traditional conservatism acknowledges realities, and despite climate change deniers, there is little argument among scientists that the planet indeed is warming. A core belief of traditional conservatism would find solutions void of big government programs and big government subsidies. A conservative response to global warming would include reducing burdensome government regulations that delay and often prevent the private development of energy alternatives. Similarly, rather than stigmatizing nuclear energy by treating it as a vote-killer, a conservative energy agenda would promote an expedited national process to permit the construction of next-generation nuclear reactors. Doing so would encourage nuclear energy over coal- and gas-fired energy production, admittedly a challenge for politicians from energy-producing states. Approaches of solving problems with less government intervention that foster a stronger capitalist economy used to be the cornerstones of conservative philosophy. Traditional conservatives' perspective was on bettering government. The goal of todays conservative politicians has become centered on election outcomes. That is terribly sad for America. 13 photos of Ashland from The Times-Dispatch archives Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Armed pair found by GPS after daytime robbery outside Cancun bank Cancun, Q.R. Two males were arrested shortly after a bank customer was robbed of more than 200,000 pesos. On Thursday, Cancun police were able to locate and detain the pair of males after the report of a daytime cash robbery in SM 219. The report detailed two armed men robbed a Bancomber bank customer outside a Cancun plaza on Kabah Avenue who was carrying 260,000 pesos in cash inside a suitcase. They also took his cell phone. Police began a search operation, locating the pair in SM 225. The two robbers were found in a green area between Kabah Avenue and 20 de November Avenue. The arresting officers found them in possession of the cash and a loaded weapon. Apparently the pair were divvying up the dough when officers located them. Both subjects were transferred to the municipal public security secretariat after being identified by the victim. Police were able to locate the pair of daytime thieves so quickly because the phone was outfitted with GPS. Cancun man facing 16 years over simulated kidnapping Cancun, Q.R. Jose Luis N has been charged for a simulated kidnapping that took place in Cancun in August. On Thursday, a Cancun judge ordered him to remain in preventative detention after his arraignment. According to an FGE statement, he will be tried for the crime of kidnapping in its simulation modality to the detriment of a girl in events that occurred on August 20 of this year. Based on the first acts of investigation, it was established that the accused, taking advantage of the family relationship and closeness, took the minor to a home in SM 255 where, in the company of another person, by telephone requested a payment in cash for the ransom of the victim. A Cancun judge issued an arrest warrant against Jose Luis N, which was completed by elements of the Investigative Police on September 8. According to the FGE, Jose Luis N could be sentenced to as many as 16 years in prison. Hong Kong: CE meets Tsuen Wan residents Chief Executive John Lee today visited local residents in Tsuen Wan to listen to their views on the upcoming Policy Address and toured two elderly services centres to learn more about the work of elderly services at the district level. Mr Lee called on an elderly family living in Fuk Loi Estate to find out about the daily lives of seniors with chronic diseases and dementia, and the challenges faced by their family members as carers. He then visited the Yan Chai Hospital Yim Tsui Yuk Shan Active Mind Centre to hear about the care services, training and support it provides for people with dementia. At the St. James' Settlement Project Care Neighbourhood Elderly Centre, the Chief Executive viewed the facilities and services it provides for seniors in the district as well as spoke to some elderly citizens there. He said: I care about elderly services and the issues faced by carers. My team and I will continue to listen to the views of various strata of society. I express my gratitude to members of the public for their opinions, which are very helpful to me in preparing the upcoming Policy Address. The Chief Executive added that he hoped the care teams set up by the current-term Government would continue to strengthen community support work and organise caring activities, with a view to building a caring and inclusive Hong Kong. The public consultation for the Policy Address was launched in late July. Mr Lee called on members of the public to give their views to the Government. Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun and District Services & Community Care Teams in the Tsuen Wan District respresentatives accompanied Mr Lee on the visit. This story has been published on: 2023-09-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Xi, Hichilema announce elevation of China-Zambia ties Xinhua) 13:49, September 15, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday. The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Xi said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship. Xi said China has always viewed and developed China-Zambia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level. The Chinese president said China supports Zambia in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. He expressed China's willingness to strengthen inter-party exchanges and exchanges of state governance experience with Zambia. The two countries should support each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns. The success of Chinese modernization shows the diversity of modernization models in the world, and China's high-quality development and modernization process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia, Xi said. China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said. Xi said China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia. He called on the two sides to make a success of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, and step up exchanges and cooperation in education and training, health care, culture, tourism and other fields. Noting that the collective rise of developing countries and their increasing international influence have become an irreversible trend of the times, Xi said China and Zambia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, strive to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries. Hichilema said Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries. China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction, Hichilema said. Hichilema said Zambia thanks China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20 and China's positive role in resolving the Zambian debt issue. The Zambian side abides by the one-China principle, highly appreciates the guiding philosophy and principles of Chinese modernization, and hopes to learn from China's development experience. Hichilema is paying a state visit to China from Sept. 10 to 16 at the invitation of Xi. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Korea's Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul, second from left, speaks with Heidi Shyu, the U.S. under secretary of defense for research and engineering, at his office in central Seoul, Sept. 14, in this photo provided by the ministry. Yonhap Senior Korean and U.S. defense officials have agreed to cooperate in utilizing 5th generation (5G) wireless technology in combined operations, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday. Korean Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul and Heidi Shyu, the U.S. under secretary of defense for research and engineering, vowed to carry out such efforts during their talks on defense technology and science cooperation in Seoul on Thursday, according to the ministry. During the talks, the two sides agreed to actively cooperate so that discussions between their offices to utilize 5G in combined operations can lead to "substantive" results, it said. Shin also emphasized the need to establish a high-level bilateral platform to strengthen defense technology and science cooperation, which Shyu agreed to, it added. Shyu arrived in Korea on Wednesday for a four-day trip. She also met with Kang Hwan-seug, vice minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Thursday for talks to step up cooperation in defense research and development. (Yonhap) Heineken building 8.7 billion Yucatan plant to meet Mexico demand Kanasin, Yucatan Heineken Mexico has announced a new brewery plant planned for construction in Kanasin, Yucatan. The beer making company says their new plant will cost more than 8 billion pesos. The announcement was made Thursday by several Yucatan dignitaries. The Secretary of Economy, Raquel Buenrostro along with the Governor of Yucatan, Mauricio Vila Dosal and the General Director of Heineken Mexico, Guillaume Duverdier, announced an investment of more than 8 billion pesos in a new beer plant that will be installed in Kanasin, Yucatan, the Secretaria de Economia del Gobierno de Mexico reported. In their public statement, they said this is a result of the confidence of the business sector and the favorable economic environment of Mexico. These types of investments, which are promoted from Gobierno Mexico to the south-southeast, promote the generation of well-paid jobs, protect the environment and strengthen supply chains in the region. Relocation is now a reality! Heineken Mexico will invest 8.7 billion pesos in the new Yucatan brewery. The new plant will create more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs. It will be their first plant in the southeast and will be a world-class brewery that seeks to expand its sustainable practices and promote community development, reported Guillaume Duverdier. This new brewery will strengthen the value chain and operational integration of Heineken Mexico in the region which will allow us to supply the growing demand in the southeast of the country and thus take advantage of the road, rail and port connectivity that this region offers, he explained. The new plant will create around 2,000 jobs. Photo: Economia Mexico September 14, 2023. The new brewery will contemplate practices that guarantee water efficiency through water treatment systems, minimal waste generation in production and the use of renewable energy, through state-of-the-art processes, equipment and technology. This important investment aligns with our sustainability strategy, delivering a better world. We are ready to join the development of Yucatan and provide a world-class brewery, Duverdier said. Heineken Mexico is planning operations to begin in 2026, with the production of emblematic brands such as: Amstel Ultra, Superior, Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Indio and Carta Blanca. Heineken Mexico currently employs more than 18,000 people in its seven breweries and one malting plant. Islander jailed on drug offences charged with Cozumel murder Cozumel, Q.R. A Cozumel man is facing the possibility of life in prison for the murder of an island resident. On Thursday, the State Attorney Generals Office reported that Francisco Antonio N will stand trial for his probable participation in the crime of aggravated homicide committed to the detriment of a male victim. According to the FGE, Francisco Antonio N, along with another person, entered a home where the now-deceased victim was where they shot him repeatedly causing his death. The murder is said to have taken place on August 1 of this year. The judge ordered Francisco Antonio N to remain in informal preventive detention. He was initially arrested in the streets of the island of Cozumel last week for being in possession of illicit substances. After his arrest, Cozumel Police reported that he was also being investigated for qualified homicide to the detriment of a victim of reserved identity, which occurred on the island on August 1 of this year. Mexico plans 50 new U.S. routes after regaining Category 1 aviation status Mexico City, Mexico Mexico has officially regained its Category 1 aviation safety status reported the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SICT) Thursday. The Ministry said the return of Mexicos Category 1 will bring numerous benefits to the country and to the United States. In the short term, Mexico is planning to open more than 50 new routes between both nations with more than 1 million passengers annually. The recovery of Category 1 in international aviation safety will bring numerous benefits to Mexico and the United States, stated SICT head, Jorge Nuno Lara. There will be more flights between both nations which will strengthen air connectivity, he said. It will encourage competition and improve the quality of services for travelers, which translates into more routes and frequencies with more competitive rates. It is expected, in the short term, that more than 50 new routes will be opened from Mexico to the United States, which could represent more than 1 million passengers each year. Likewise, Category 1 will generate more and better jobs in areas such as tourism, transportation and related services, emphasized the head of the SICT. We will have a potential for air cargo transportation, which will give renewed impetus to international trade and logistics in Mexico, favoring the growth of our aerospace industry, generating more investment attraction in the aviation sector and contributing to the economic development of the country. From the first day that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador entrusted the SICT with the mission of recovering Category 1, we worked with determination so that Mexico occupies the place it deserves in international aviation, Nuno Lara said in a statement. The recovery of Category 1 is an achievement that marks a new course for the development of aviation in Mexico, he stressed. Mexico is planning to open 50 new U.S. routes after regaining Category 1 safety status. Photo: SICT September 14, 2023. He added that the recovery of Category 1 is the result of the great work carried out by the SICT and in particular by the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), who worked hard to achieve the best standards of air operational safety, as indicated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Given the new scenario, the objective of the SICT, together with the AFAC, is to strengthen the national airport system to improve service to users, promote tourism and the countrys economy for the benefit of Mexicans. Today Mexico is taking off and we look forward with enthusiasm to a future with more employment, more investment, more development and well-being for Mexican families, highlighted Secretary Nuno Lara. Riviera Maya hotel employee killed in beach fight Playa del Carmen, Q.R. An employee of a Riviera Maya hotel was killed Thursday during a physical altercation. The fight took place on the beach area of the hotel during the morning hours. According to preliminary information, the male hotel employee was involved in an argument that lead to the phyical altercation. Staff found the man laying unconscious in the sand at which time 911 was notified. On site lifeguards reportedly tried to help the hotel worker, however, when paramedics arrived, they pronounced him dead at the scene. The incident happened Thursday morning between the worker and two other men. It is not known if the others involved were also hotel employees or hotel guests. The deceased Riviera Maya hotel worker has been identified as Raul N. Roanoke Circuit Court judges have recused themselves from hearing a case after the defendants mother said one of their colleagues promised to help her son in exchange for sex. Timothy Church, now 32, was convicted in Roanoke Circuit Court in 2019 of murder in the January 2018 death of a motel owner. He filed an updated writ of habeas corpus petition, which allows imprisoned individuals to challenge convictions and sentences, in the Roanoke court Aug. 30. In the filing, Church claims that Judge Onzlee Ware promised to provide legal advice to his mother, Grace Church, if she agreed to have sex with him. The document, submitted to the court by his attorney Jonathan Sheldon, asks that no Roanoke judge hears the case. Because of the credible claims in this amended petition of a Roanoke City Judges extra-judicial involvement in this case, we respectfully ask that [the case] be assigned to a judge outside of this judicial circuit, Sheldon wrote. Court records indicate that Ware continued to hear cases in Roanoke Circuit Court through Tuesday. But no hearings were scheduled in his designated courtroom Wednesday or Thursday. Ware has not responded to requests for comment. Chief Judge Christopher Clemens, who adjudicated Churchs murder case, including his bench trial and sentencing, signed a court order dated Sept. 5 that said he, Ware and other judges in Virginias 23rd Judicial Circuit would hand the case over to someone else. The Judges of this Court are so situated in respect to this case in their opinion to render it improper that they should preside at the trial, the order reads. The clerk of this court shall at once certify this fact to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia for designation of another judge to preside in this case ... Virginia code requires the state Supreme Court to designate a judge of some other court of record or a retired judge of any such court to preside at the trial in cases where all the judges of any court of record recuse themselves. Clemens wrote in a letter, also dated Sept. 5 and addressed to the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, that each of the 23rd Judicial Circuit judges has agreed that disqualification is necessary in order to assure both the fact and appearance of propriety. Once a judge is designated, counsel will be advised to schedule any proceedings directly with that judge, Clemens letter concluded. Churchs petition was originally filed Aug. 31, 2022, when Rob Dean, a Roanoke-based lawyer was then representing him. Dean consented to the revocation of his Virginia law license in July amid allegations that he had inappropriate sexual relationships with clients. Dean never served the original petition to the Office of the Attorney General, which would allow the case to move forward. He said in an interview Thursday that Virginia code allows lawyers up to 12 months to serve any civil action. We filed it to comply with the statute of limitations, and then we held off serving it in case there was other facts, other arguments, anything else that might materialize that could really help us, Dean said. And then sure enough, additional items came to light. Dean said he didnt know about Grace Churchs allegations regarding Ware until Aug. 8, about a week after his Virginia law license revocation went into effect. He said she shared the allegations in a text. I had no knowledge that Grace Church alleged any relationship with Judge Ware until after I informed her that we would need to transfer the file to new counsel, Dean said. Timothy Churchs petition filed by Dean included allegations of insufficient legal counsel. The updated petition filed by Sheldon included Grace Churchs detailed allegations about Ware, who has not responded to requests for comment. The amended filing claims that Timothy Church had no knowledge of his mothers relationship with Ware until Sheldon told him last month. His mother claims Ware advised her to direct her son to choose a bench trial and change attorneys so that he would receive a light sentence. In July 2020, he received a 40-year active prison term. A prospective student at Virginia Military Institute claims in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by a cadet in the schools barracks during an overnight Open House event. The woman, who at the time of the incident was a high school student interested in attending VMI, was assigned a cadet host with whom she shared a room during the September 2021 visit, according to her lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg. Identified only as Jane Doe in court records, the woman accuses the school and its board of visitors of violating Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination against students, prospective students and employees of public schools. The environment in which Jane Doe stayed was dangerous due to VMIs deliberate indifference of campus safety and Title IX protections, the lawsuit alleges. A VMI spokeswoman declined to comment on the case, citing a policy of not discussing pending litigation. Doe attended a two-day Open House with her parents, who have strong ties to VMI, according to the lawsuit. The schools website describes the program as the best way for high school juniors and seniors to see and experience first-hand what its like being a cadet at VMI. As part of the program, Doe was assigned a cadet host to house her for the evening in a shared single-room space, the lawsuit alleges. The cadet was not identified by name or sex in the pleading. Tommy Strelka, a Roanoke attorney who filed the lawsuit, declined to comment. The sexual assault allegedly happened during the early-morning hours of Sept. 18, 2021. After leaving campus later that day with her parents, the student expressed in an extremely distressed manner how she and been sexually assaulted, the lawsuit states. Does father reported the incident to the VMI Police Department the next day, and the matter was turned over to the schools Title IX coordinator. Throughout the fall of 2021, Jane Doe and her family were kept in the dark as to steps taken by VMI regarding the investigation, steps taken to address concerns of Jane Doe and her family regarding campus safety, and any information gathered in the investigation, the lawsuit states. In late December, Does parents met with Superintendent Cedric Wins, who said their daughters claims had been deemed unfounded but shared no other information, according to the lawsuit. The 11-page document, filed in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg, accuses VMI of failing to maintain a safe campus as required by federal law and of mishandling Does complaint through the Title IX process. Among other things alleged, the student and her family were not advised of their rights under the law or provided any written statements of the investigations finding. In 2021 four months before the incident alleged in the lawsuit happened an independent investigation of the state-supported military school in Lexington found what it called a pattern of institutional racism and sexism. Although the inquiry was ordered by then-Gov. Ralph Northam after complaints of racism were made by cadets and alumni, many people who spoke with investigators also identified the treatment of women as a problem. A survey found that 14% of female cadets reported being sexually assaulted at VMI and 63% said another cadet told them that shed been sexually assaulted, according to the investigations report. Officials at VMI said at the time that a number of steps had been taken in response to the report, including hiring a new inspector general and Title IX investigator to work on preventing sexual violence. Does lawsuit accuses VMI of discrimination and asks a federal judge to grant an injunction that would require the school to abide by all of the requirements of Title IX. It does not ask for a specific amount of damages. Doe, who chose not to apply to VMI following the incident, suffered economic and emotional harm from the schools severe, pervasive and objectively offensive handling of her case, the lawsuit alleges. DETROIT The United Auto Workers union says it will go on strike at three vehicle assembly plants as it presses Detroit companies to come up with better wage and benefit offers. The factories include a General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford factory in Wayne Michigan, near Detroit, and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. Contracts between 146,000 auto workers and the companies are set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Workers will stay on the job at all other plants. Time is of the essence, union President Shawn Fain told workers late Thursday in an online address less than two hours before the deadline. Despite increased offers from Ford and GM, it appears that no deals will be reached before the contacts expire. Fain said for the first time in the unions 88-year history, the UAW will strike at all three companies at the same time. About 13,000 workers at the three plants are preparing to walk off the job after contracts with the Detroit Three expire at 11:59 p.m. Fain has said more walkouts could be scheduled if companies don't move on bargaining. The union has a list of demands including 36% pay raises over four years, cost of living raises, and an end to different tiers of wages for workers. Ford and GM are offering 20% during the next contract while Stellantis last known offer was 17.5%. The companies say the union hasn't responded to their latest offers and have called union demands unreasonable. They fear taking on increased costs at a time when they have to spend billions to develop and build new electric vehicles, while also making automobiles with internal combustion engines. The Ford plant that's targeted employs about 4,600 workers and makes Bronco SUVs and Ranger midsize pickup trucks. The Toledo Jeep complex has about 4,200 workers and manufactures the Jeep Wrangler SUV and Gladiator pickup. GM's Wentzville plant has about 4,100 workers and makes the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickups, as well as the GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express full-size vans. Ford CEO Jim Farley countered that his company has made four offers without getting a genuine counteroffer. The company said it was waiting for one Thursday, a departure from the usual last-minute flurry of bargaining. Executives said they aren't optimistic about avoiding a strike. "Its hard to negotiate a contract when theres no one to negotiate with, Farley said, wondering out loud whether Fain was too busy planning strikes or events aimed at getting publicity. The company, he said, has made a generous wage offer, eliminated wage tiers, restored cost of living pay increases and increased vacation time. The union disputes his contention that tiers were ended. On CNBC Thursday, Farley said if Ford had agreed to the union's demands, it would have lost $15 billion during the last decade and gone bankrupt. Automakers contend that they need to make huge investments to develop and build electric vehicles while still building and engineering internal combustion vehicles. They say an expensive labor agreement could saddle them with costs that would force them to raise prices above their non-union foreign competitors. And they say they have made fair proposals to the union. In a video released Thursday night, GM manufacturing chief Gerald Johnson said the union initially presented over 1,000 demands that he said would cost more than $100 billion. That's unreasonable, Johnson said. It's more than twice the value of all of General Motors and absolutely impossible to absorb and still compete in today's automotive market. Read more: Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Three upcoming launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base are reportedly set to go in July and include a deployment of Starlink satellites and two top secret missions commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense. Figure From left to right, Acting Under Secretary for Policy Sasha Baker, and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins of the United States, and Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin and Vice Defense Minister Shin Beon-chul of South Korea attend deterrence dialogue, Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap South Korea and the United States warned that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and will come at a cost during a high-level deterrence dialogue Friday, just days after the leaders of Pyongyang and Moscow held a rare summit meeting. The fourth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), a gathering of the allies' vice-ministerial defense officials and diplomats, took place in Seoul's foreign ministry amid concerns Pyongyang and Moscow may have discussed a potential arms deal at the recent summit. "The recent reports about the potential sale of arms between North Korea and Russia are concerning and any such transfer of arms would be a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," Bonnie Jenkins, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, said during a press conference after the meeting. The meeting was led by Seoul's vice foreign and defense ministers, Chang Ho-jin and Shin Beom-chul, respectively, from the South Korean side, while the U.S. side was headed by Jenkins and Sasha Baker, deputy under secretary of defense for policy. The U.S. reaffirms any nuclear attack by the North against Washington or its allies, including South Korea, would be "unacceptable and result in the end of that regime," Jenkins said. She added that the two sides strongly condemned the escalation of North Korea-Russia defense and political cooperation and discussed how to counter Russia's facilitation of the North's unlawful nuclear and missile programs, as well as its assistance in Russia's illegal war efforts in Ukraine. On the Taiwan Strait issue, Jenkins expressed appreciation toward the South Korean government for repeatedly underscoring the importance of peace and stability in the region. Seoul's Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin also said the two sides agreed on the need to make North Korea and Russia "pay their price" for military cooperation, calling on Russia to "act responsibly" as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin explains the outcome of the fourth South Korea-U.S. Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group meeting during a joint news conference at the foreign ministry in Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers, which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993, or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1@Gmail.com. Also, visit dennisbeaver.com. Glossiphonia moorei Tatyana Eliseeva, Junior Research Associate, Laverov Centre. Russian zoologists have found a mistake in determining a flat leech genus and named a new species in memory of the scientist who made that mistake. They also found a related species in South Korea and described their differences from the other species known to science. Flat leeches of the genus Glossiphonia are widespread in freshwater bodies, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, ditches and even puddles, throughout Eurasia. Yet there are still many gaps in the knowledge of the species composition and distribution of this group. Some of these gaps appeared centuries ago. The scientists from St Petersburg University and the Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered at least two new species-level Glossiphonia phylogenetic lineages in Northeast Asia. They belong to the so-called verrucata group (subgenus Boreobdella Johansson). One of the species found was described by Dr. John Percy Moore, an American zoologist, in the late 19th century. The scientist took the leech from the Commander Islands for a representative of a species that had previously been discovered in Lake Baikal and used its existing name of Glossiphonia mollissima. As it turned out later, the leech inhabiting Lake Baikal is a completely different one. However, the definition mistake made in the 19th century persisted in the works of various scientists for a long time. As the zoologists note, this kind of refutation is a natural process for science. Each year, the technologies of search and molecular genetic and morphological study of living organisms are improved, which makes it possible to determine their types with more accuracy and study their structure in great detail. 'For more than a century, no one has been puzzled by the issue of the status and the correct scientific name of this leech. And according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, if a species has been given a name as a result of a definition error, then it must be renamed. Dr. Moore was the first to find this species, and although he made a mistake in its definition, we decided to name the species in memory of the scientist, Glossiphonia moorei,' said Ivan Bolotov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director of the Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The leech misidentified by Dr. Moore lives in Chukotka, Kamchatka, Kolyma, the Russian Far East up to the Amur River, Sakhalin, Alaska, and, as the St Petersburg University zoologists suggest, Japan. Glossiphonia moorei is very similar to the inhabitant of Europe, the snail leech Glossiphonia complanata, but genetic and morphological studies have shown that this is an independent Far Eastern and Arctic species. Thus, the leech differs from other congeners by a combination of the following characters: six rows of ovate, broad, but shallow dorsal papillae, each with a yellow or whitish spot; dorsal markings pattern with two blackish dotted outer paramedian lines; and two outer dark lines in the pattern of ventral markings. In addition, Glossiphonia moorei discovered by the St Petersburg University scientists is characterised by a high percentage of melanists, specimens with a dark colour in populations. 'A statistically representative sample enables us to say with a high degree of certainty that in the Arctic latitudes this species has significantly more dark-coloured specimens than the light ones. This is especially characteristic of Glossiphonia moorei,' said Maxim Vinarski, Head of the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University. According to Maxim Vinarski, dark-pigmented specimens of this species usually choose a dark substrate such as stones, soil or darkened wood for their settlement, while the lighter ones, on the contrary, choose a similar, but light substrate. This is probably one of the ways to avoid predators by becoming less visible to them. Examples of concealing colouration (camouflage) in Glossiphonia moorei. Olga Aksenova, Leading Research Associate at the Laverov Centre However, according to Maxim Vinarski, it is possible that the darkening of some specimens is affected by a lengthy (polar) light day in the Arctic. 'There may yet be another explanation. Dark colour enables leeches to attract additional solar heat, but it is not certain that this is true for aquatic species. There is also an alternative, directly opposite explanation. A high level of pigmentation, dark spots, can be a better protection against ultraviolet radiation. However, these are all hypotheses and there is no definite explanation for this feature of Glossiphonia moorei yet," the scientist added. In addition, as part of a large-scale research project, the scientists have discovered another species of this genus of leeches in South Korea. It has been repeatedly mentioned in the literature under the name Glossiphonia complanata. The zoologists from St Petersburg University and the Laverov Centre managed to prove that this identification was also incorrect. The new species was titled Glossiphonia koreaensis. The zoologists believe that this species had a common ancestor with Glossiphonia moorei, but the processes of mountain building, changes in river basins and other factors led to the evolutionary and geographical separation of the 'sisters' in the Asian continent. As Maxim Vinarski noted, the Korean species was probably the only one representative of that genus on the Korean Peninsula. 'Glossiphonia koreaensis is a medium-sized leech that can be distinguished from its relatives by a combination of the following features: six rows of dorsal papillae; two blackish dotted outer paramedian lines accompanied by 1012 brown longitudinal lines in the pattern on the back; and ventral markings pattern with two outer paramedian series of dark spots. This is an unusual, rather unique, pattern for leeches in this area,' Maxim Vinarski explained. For their research, the scientists collected Glossiphonia specimens in various water bodies throughout Siberia, the Far East, and South Korea. According to them, their findings suggest that the genus Glossiphonia is a fairly species-rich clade of freshwater leeches, which currently contains at least 16 reliable species. Provided by St. Petersburg State University Ukraine has claimed fresh success in its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putins forces, with the recapture of another village a liberation that the army says is key to success in all further directions. The announcement by the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces said that Russian forces had faced significant losses in the battle. Kyivs forces are seeking to reclaim land occupied by Moscow across multiple areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. The village of Andriivka is about 10 kilometres south of the Donetsk town of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May after some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. Meanwhile, Britains most senior military officer said Ukraine had taken the initiative over Russia with its offensive, even if gains are gradual. Sir Tony Radakin said: In the north they are holding and fixing Russian forces there and in the south they are making progress between 10 and 20km. His comments came as Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Ukraines destruction of a Russian air defence system in the annexed Crimea peninsula. Key Points Ukraine liberates village near Bakhmut - Kyiv Zelensky to meet Biden next week Kyiv drone attack wipes out $1.2bn air defence system in Crimea Ukraine targets Russias Black Sea fleet for second day Zelenskys property among 100 which Russian-backed leaders plan to sell in Crimea 07:28 , Andy Gregory Russian-installed authorities in Crimea have said they plan to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, including one belonging to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said the nationalised properties would be sold soon and the authorities had held the first eight auctions for the properties of Ukrainian business figures. The sale contracts amounted to more than 815 million roubles (6.8m), Mr Konstantinov said in a statement on Telegram. Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said in February that they had nationalised around 500 properties in Crimea including some belonging to senior Ukrainian politicians and business figures. Story continues Ukraine recaptures another village from Putins forces as it keeps up attacks on Russias ships 07:00 , Chris Stevenson Ukraine has claimed fresh success in its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putins forces, with the recapture of another village a liberation that the army says is key to success in all further directions. Kyivs forces are seeking to reclaim land occupied by Moscow across multiple areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. The village of Andriivka is about 6 miles (10 kilometres) south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. Bakhmut is one of Ukraines key targets, with Russia having occupied it after some of the bloodiest fighting of Moscows 18-month invasion. Russian forces suffered significant casualties and lost various pieces of military hardware, the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces said. Capturing and holding Andriivka - is our path to a breakthrough on the right flank of Bakhmut and the key to the success of the entire further offensive, said the Third Assault Brigade, which took part in the push. There is no Andriivka left per se,... but as a place, as a square, it is an important square, brigade spokesman Oleksandr Borodin said. Click here for the full story. Ukrainian troops fire a rocket launcher near the town of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region (REUTERS) Kim visit publicised on Russian state TV 06:00 , Sam Rkaina Kim visited aviation facilities in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant and the Yakovlev plant, both units of United Aircraft Corporation, which is under Western sanctions. At the Gagarin plant, which is also specifically under U.S. sanctions, he inspected assembly workshops where the Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter and Su-57 fighter are made, escorted by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the government said. Kim, dressed in a suit and accompanied by North Korean military officials in uniform, was shown on Russian state television examining the cockpit of a fighter jet. He then inspected workshops where the fuselage compartments and wing assemblies of Russias Sukhoi Superjet 100 are made before watching a demonstration flight of the Su-35. He nodded with approval as the fighter performed. Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the then-Soviet Union. For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war. Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the worlds biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made. (EPA) US not going to take Russias word over Kim visit 05:00 , Sam Rkaina U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. view before and after Kims visit was that talks about the provision of weapons by North Korea to Russia, to kill Ukrainians, have been advancing and continued to advance. Were not going to take their word for that, or basically anything they say, he told a White House press briefing, when asked about the Russian statement. Well see what actually ends up happening. I cant name a specific agreement for you today, but we take a look at that with a heavy grain of salt, Sullivan added. He said Russia, and China, had legal obligations to uphold U.N. resolutions on North Korea. We have very real concerns based on what Russia has just done, that they are going to live up to their basic responsibility as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Sullivan said. Kim visits Russian fighter jet factory 04:00 , Sam Rkaina North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a Russian fighter jet factory under Western sanctions on Friday. It was part of a visit Washington and its allies fear could strengthen Russias military in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyangs missile program. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday. South Korea and the United States said military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was a violation of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay. Putin told reporters Russia was not going to violate anything, but would keep developing relations with North Korea. His spokesman said no agreements had been signed during Kims visit on military issues or any other topic. (AP) (AP) Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars 03:00 , Sam Rkaina Finland has joined the three Baltic countries in banning vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory, a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the European Unions sanctions against Moscow over its war on Ukraine. The Nordic EU members Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the ban would stop private cars from entering Finland as of Friday midnight, Finnish broadcaster YLE said. Earlier this week, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania imposed the measure. Estonia said the decision followed the additional interpretation of the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation published by the European Commission on Sept. 8. As for the exclave of Kaliningrad, which is surrounded by Lithuania, Russian citizens will be able to continue transiting through the southernmost Baltic state by train. Under the EUs decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic states are among the most vocal European critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin. YLE said that Russian-registered cars with fewer than 10 passengers will no longer be permitted to enter Finland from Russia, although some exceptions are likely. In April, Finland joined NATO, doubling Russias border with the worlds biggest security alliance. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with its eastern neighbor. The three Baltic states are also NATO members. Senators press Pentagon on whether Musk used Starlink programme to thwart Ukrainian attack 02:00 , Sam Rkaina Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers ability to access satellite communications via Starlink. Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday. The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacsons biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships. Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war. The three senators said the confusion over what actually happened demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musks role in the incident. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Russian general in Algeria in return to work after Wagner mutinty 01:00 , Sam Rkaina Russian general Sergei Surovikin is in Algeria as part of a Defence Ministry delegation, in an apparent return to official duties after coming under suspicion in connection with a June mutiny by the Wagner mercenary force, Kommersant newspaper has reported, citing a source close to the general The newspaper published photographs of Surovikin wearing a khaki suit without military insignia that it said had been taken in Algeria, a major buyer of Russian weapons Surovikin, dubbed General Armageddon for his use of carpet bombing tactics during Russias intervention in Syrias civil war, briefly headed Russias campaign in Ukraine last year before being demoted in January He became popular among hardline critics of the Russian military establishment including Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a plane crash last month As Wagner mercenaries marched on Moscow in late June, he appeared in a video looking distressed and holding an assault rifle on his lap, urging them to turn back The general, who was praised publicly by Prigozhin, disappeared from public view after the mutiny. The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence believed he had known in advance about the revolt, the biggest challenge to President Vladimir PutinAAAs authority in his 24 years in power. Russian general Sergei Surovikin (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) Biden to meet with Zelenski with more aid coming for Ukraine Saturday 16 September 2023 00:01 , Sam Rkaina The United States expects to announce additional aid to Ukraine at some point next week, national security adviser Jake Sullivan hassaid. President Joe Biden is also due host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday at the White House. Zelensky is expected to meet with congressional leaders from both political parties while he is in Washington, Sullivan said. (AFP via Getty Images) Zelensky calls EU decision to lift grain export ban true unity Friday 15 September 2023 23:00 , Sam Rkaina Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the EUs decision not to further expand the ban on grain exports from Ukraine and called it an example of true unity and trust. As Poland, Slovakia and Hungary on Friday indicated they would impose their own ban after an EU decision to lift it, Zelenskiy said that if neighboring countries violate EU law, Ukraine will respond in a civilized manner. It is important now for European unity to work at the bilateral level as well. So that neighbors support Ukraine during the war, he said on the Telegram messaging app after talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima) Moscow using jailed Americans as bargaining chips' Friday 15 September 2023 22:00 , Sam Rkaina Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after U.S.-Russian tensions soared over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S. The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously said it would consider a swap for Gershkovich only in the event of a verdict in his trial. In Russia, espionage investigations and trials can last for more than a year. U.S. Ambassador to Russia visits imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Friday 15 September 2023 21:30 , Sam Rkaina The U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in an online statement. Tracys visit comes a day after Gershkovichs parents and sister appeared in the United Nations headquarters in New York and called on world leaders to urge Russia to free the reporter, who was arrested earlier this year in espionage charges he and his employer reject. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained in late March in the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow, while on a reporting trip. He has been held in Moscows Lefortovo pre-trial detention center, notorious for its harsh conditions, ever since. Last month, a court in Moscow extended his detention until the end of November. Russias Federal Security Service said Gershkovich, acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. The authorities havent detailed what if any evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges, which both Gershkovich and WSJ deny. The U.S. government declared him to be wrongfully detained. The case against Gershkovich, shrouded in secrecy, has rattled journalists both inside and outside Russia. Tracy, the U.S. ambassador, visited Gershkovich in prison several times since his arrest, most recently in August. Following her visit on Friday, the U.S. embassy said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, that Gershkovich remains strong and is keeping up with the news - including his parents appearance at the UN this week, and reiterated the call to release him and another American imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, Paul Whelan. Russia From The Other Side (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) UNESCO previously added Ukraines Black Sea port city of Odesa Friday 15 September 2023 21:00 , Sam Rkaina The two sites on the Dnipro River, a 15-minute drive from one another, are a masterpiece of human creative genius, according to UNESCO. The other site is the historic center of Lviv, near the Polish border. A fifth-century castle overlooks streets and squares built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The site includes a synagogue as well as Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic religious buildings, reflecting the citys diversity. In its urban fabric and its architecture, Lviv is an outstanding example of the fusion of the architectural and artistic traditions of Eastern Europe with those of Italy and Germany, UNESCO said. The political and commercial role of Lviv attracted to it a number of ethnic groups with different cultural and religious traditions. Lviv is more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Kyiv and even further from any front lines, but it hasnt been spared. Russian cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city in July, killing at least six people and wounding dozens. UNESCO added Ukraines Black Sea port city of Odesa to its list of endangered heritage sites in January. Russian forces have launched multiple attacks on the city, a cultural hub known for its 19th-century architecture. Russia says that it only strikes military targets. Under the 1972 UNESCO convention, ratified by both Ukraine and Russia, signatories undertake to assist in the protection of the listed sites and are obliged to refrain from taking any deliberate measures which might damage World Heritage sites. Inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger is meant to rally urgent international support for conservation efforts. The list includes more than 50 sites around the world. Monastery of the Caves and St. Sophia Cathedral put on danger list Friday 15 September 2023 20:00 , Sam Rkaina A Ukrainian government official welcomed Uncescos move. We are very happy to have a very rich history and culture of our country, and we would like to say that it has been over thousands of years, and we try to preserve it for our future generations, Deputy Culture Minister Anastasia Bondar said. So its very much important that the whole world community will join us also. The gold-domed St. Sophia Cathedral, located in the heart of Kyiv, was built in the 11th century and designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The monument to Byzantine art contains the biggest collection of mosaics and frescoes from that period, and is surrounded by monastic buildings dating back to the 17th century. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a sprawling complex of monasteries and churches some underground that were built from the 11th to the 19th century. Some of the churches are connected by a labyrinthine complex of caves spanning more than 600 meters (2,000 feet). Monastery of the Caves (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) UNESCO puts two locations in Ukraine on its list of historic sites in danger Friday 15 September 2023 19:30 , Sam Rkaina The U.N.s World Heritage Committee has placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger. The St. Sophia Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv, and the medieval center of the western city of Lviv, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites central to Ukraines culture and history. The decision to put those two on the bodys list of sites in danger has no enforcement mechanism, but could help deter Russian attacks. Neither site has been directly targeted since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Lviv has largely been spared from the fighting. But Russia has unleashed waves of strikes on Kyiv and other cities, hitting residential areas and critical infrastructure with Iranian-made attack drones. The decision was made at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. The committee maintains UNESCOs World Heritage List and oversees conservation of the sites. Sophia Cathedral (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Hungary imposes import ban on 24 Ukrainian farm products, including grains Friday 15 September 2023 18:45 , Sam Rkaina Hungary imposed a national import ban on 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including grains, vegetables, several meat products and honey, according to a government decree published on Friday. The ban is effective from Saturday. Hungary decided to unilaterally ban the imports of Ukrainian foodstuff after the European Commission said that it would not extend a current ban on imports of Ukrainian grains into Ukraines five EU neighbours that is due to expire on Friday. Poland will impose its own ban on Ukrainian grain, says PM Friday 15 September 2023 18:14 , Sam Rkaina Poland will itself extend a ban on Ukrainian grains into Poland from midnight, the prime minister said on Friday, after the European Union said it would not extend a ban it had imposed. We will extend this ban despite their disagreement, despite the European Commissions disagreement, Mateusz Morawiecki told a rally in the northeastern town of Elk. We will do it because it is in the interest of the Polish farmer. ICYMI: Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU Friday 15 September 2023 16:40 , Matt Mathers The European Union has reacted to the war in Ukraine with a rare unity but splits are already emerging between countries offering support for as long as it takes and those agitating for Kyiv to cut its losses, writes Mary Dejevsky Read Marys full piece here: Is Ukraine in danger of splitting the EU? | Mary Dejevsky ICYMI: Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals Friday 15 September 2023 16:20 , Matt Mathers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stopped in a far eastern Russian city Friday to see a factory that builds the countrys most advanced fighter jets on his extended trip that hints at his interest in sophisticated weaponry, as the US and others warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making banned weapons transfer deals. Kims visits to Russian weapons and technology sites and meetings with President Vladimir Putin have raised speculation he will supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia as the two nations deepen their ties while both are increasingly isolated and sanctioned in separate confrontations with the West. Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals Where is Andriivka, village recaptured by Ukraine? Friday 15 September 2023 15:47 , Matt Mathers Andriivka is a small village about six miles south of Bakhmut - the site of the lengthiest and bloodiest battle in the war so far. The Wagner Group, which has now left Ukraine, claimed it had taken Bakhmut in May, although fierce fighting continues in the surrounding areas. Professor Michael Clarke, defence and security analyst and former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, said recapture of the village could help Ukraine get at Russias reserve lines. He told Sky News: If they can get south of Bakhmut, then they can get into open country into Russias reserve lines. Ukraine plans big rise in defence spending in 2024 draft budget Friday 15 September 2023 15:28 , Matt Mathers Ukraines government approved on Friday a draft budget for next year, planning for higher defence spending and counting on continued Western financial support to cover the expected deficit. The draft 2024 budget puts the deficit at 1.548 trillion hryvnias ($42 billion) or at about 20.4 per cent of gross domestic product. More than half of all planned Ukrainian budget spending next year, or 1.7 trillion hryvnias, is planned for the defence sector to fund the war effort against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenksy will meet Joe Biden next week to discuss more military aid for Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images) Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars from entering their territory Friday 15 September 2023 15:07 , Matt Mathers Finland on Friday joined the three Baltic countries in banning vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory, a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the European Unions sanctions against Moscow over its war on Ukraine. The Nordic EU members Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the ban would stop private cars from entering Finland as of Friday midnight, Finnish broadcaster YLE said. Full report: Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars from entering their territory Ukraine claims Russia is trying to hunt for warplanes used in Crimea strikes Friday 15 September 2023 14:49 , Matt Mathers Russia is trying to find and destroy warplanes used in an attack against its Black Sea fleet that destroyed two ships, Ukraine has said. Yuriy Ihnat, Ukraine Air Force colonel, said that overnight drone attacks in the region of Khmelnytskyi were aimed at the planes. Khmelnytskyi region was attacked. We understand what the enemy is looking for: where the command has hidden our bombers after the events that happened recently in the sea near Crimea, Reuters reports Ihnat told local TV last night. Picture shows scene of Ukrainian attack on black sea fleet in Sevastapol (Mykhailo Podalyak) Romania plan to boost Ukraine grain transport achievable, minister says Friday 15 September 2023 14:31 , Matt Mathers Romanias plan to double Ukrainian grain transit capacity through its Constanta port to 4 million tonnes in the coming months remains achievable, the countrys transport minister Sorin Grindeanu said on Friday. Grindeanu was meeting with officials from Ukraine, Moldova, the European Commission and the United States as the parties seek to help Ukraine, a top global grain exporter, keep up exports after Russia refused to extend a safe passage corridor. Meanwhile, the European Union faced a Friday deadline to decide whether to extend a ban on Ukrainian food from five nearby countries that have complained that an influx of agricultural products from the war-torn nation has hurt their farmers. Poland , Slovakia , Hungary , Romania and Bulgaria still allow grain and other Ukrainian food to pass through on the way to parts of the world in need. The five EU members have said food coming from Ukraine has gotten stuck within their borders, creating a glut that has driven down prices for local farmers and hurt their livelihoods. The issue has threatened European unity on supporting Ukraine as it fights Russias invasion. More below: EU faces deadline on extending Ukrainian grain ban as countries threaten to pass their own Ukraine targets Russia Black Sea fleet again Friday 15 September 2023 14:10 , Matt Mathers Russias Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones in the southwest part of Black Sea, state news agency TASS reported. Earlier the ministry said a Russian warship had destroyed a naval drone, apparently in a separate incident. ICYMI: Pope's Ukraine peace envoy raises stalled Black Sea grain exports in Beijing talks Friday 15 September 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers Pope Francis Ukraine peace envoy discussed the need to resume Ukraine grain exports to feed the worlds hungry during a meeting Thursday with a Chinese official while on a mission to Beijing, the Vatican said. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi met with Li Hui, Chinas special representative for Eurasian affairs, at the Chinese foreign ministry. According to a Vatican statement, the meeting focused on the war, emphasizing the need to join efforts to foster dialogue and find paths leading to peace. Full report: Pope's Ukraine peace envoy raises stalled Black Sea grain exports in Beijing talks ICYMI: Ukraine holds initiative in counteroffensive against Russia, says UK military chief Friday 15 September 2023 13:35 , Matt Mathers Britains military chief has defended Ukraines counteroffensive and said its troops continue to hold the initiative amid criticism that the pushback against the Russian invasion is moving slowly. The comments have also come as the war-hit nations deputy defence minister on Thursday said good news had emerged in the eastern front of the battlefield. Arpan Rai reports: Ukraine holds initiative in counteroffensive against Russia, says UK military chief Putin meets the leader of Belarus, who suggests joining Russia's move to boost ties with North Korea Friday 15 September 2023 13:05 , Matt Mathers Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a meeting Friday with his Belarusian ally, who suggested that Minsk could join Moscows efforts to revive an old alliance with Pyongyang after this weeks summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made the proposal as he met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where the Russian leader said he would brief him about the talks with Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny spaceport in Russias Far East. Full report: Putin meets the leader of Belarus, who suggests joining Russia's move to boost ties with North Korea Recapture of Andriivka strategically important for Ukraine - military analyst Friday 15 September 2023 12:48 , Matt Mathers Ukraines recapture of Andriivka is strategically important for its wider war effort, a military analyst has said. Professor Michael Clarke, defence and security analyst and former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, said the gain could help Ukraine get at Russias reserve lines. He told Sky News: "If they can get south of Bakhmut, then they can get into open country into Russias reserve lines. Andriivka lies around 13km (8 miles) south of Bakhmut, which was the site of a long and bloody battle over many months. The Wagner Group, which has now left Ukraine, claimed it had taken Bakhmut in May. Professor Clarke added that getting south of the key frontline city means troops could "maybe turn south into Donetsk and try to really get behind Donetsk itself". "[Andriivka] doesnt look much but it is strategically quite important. You can see its like a First World War battlefield. Theyve really struggled for it." Ukraine security agency confirms new allegations against magnate Kolomoisky Friday 15 September 2023 11:50 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian business magnate Ihor Kolomoisky has been served with notice of a third set of allegations following his detention on suspicion of fraud and money laundering, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Friday. The new allegations against one of Ukraines richest men were first reported on Thursday by Serhiy Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist and parliamentarian who now works as an adviser in President Volodymyr Zelenskys office. The SBU, acting with Ukraines Economic Security Bureau and the prosecutor generals office, said Kolomoisky was suspected of receiving 5.8 billion hryvnias from an alleged scheme to embezzle funds from a bank he founded and was a shareholder of. The sum, currently worth $157 million, was the equivalent of more than $700 million at the time, the SBU said. Kolomoisky is suspected of having set up an organised group, which comprised employees of the bank, to obtain the funds from 2013 to 2014, it said. Reuters could not immediately reach Kolomoisky or his lawyers for comment on the new allegations. Kolomoisky has in the past denied any wrongdoing. Igor Kolomoisky (AFP/Getty Images) Russian serviceman helped plan Black Sea fleet attack - report Friday 15 September 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers Ukraines attack on Moscows Black Sea fleet was planned with the help of a Russian serviceman, it has been claimed. A spokesperson for ATESH, a Ukrainian-Crimean Tatar movement, told the Kyiv Post one of its members in the naval fleet obtained details of the location and possible missions of the Rostov submarine, which suffered catastrophic damage in the attack. We managed to attract one of the military members of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the spokesperson said. He got up-to-date information about the placement and probable combat missions of the Rostov-on-Don submarine. Picture shows scene of Ukrainian attack on black sea fleet in Sevastapol (Mykhailo Podalyak) Watch: Kim Jong-un tests out Putins limousine during historic meeting Friday 15 September 2023 11:20 , Matt Mathers Kim Jong-un tests out Putins limousine Putin regime in desperate mode over North Korea weapons talks - US Friday 15 September 2023 11:05 , Matt Mathers Putins apparent willingness to get arms from North Korea shows his regime is in quite a desperate mode, the US has said. The Pentagon said North Korea providing Russia with weapons would only prolong the war in Ukraine. Deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the US had not seen a formal agreement from Russia or North Korea but its something that were certainly monitoring and would expect. Sabrina Singh (AP) Zelenksy gives state awards to tank troops Friday 15 September 2023 10:50 , Matt Mathers Volodymyr Zelenksy has given state awards to tank soliders for their service in the war against Russia. The Ukraine president said he was honoured to present the awards as he congratulated the troops for their heroic bravery. Awards for our tank soldiers. I am honored to present them today, he said. When we congratulate our heroic tank troops and thank them, we thank them precisely for the fact that they return freedom, life, faith to our people in victory to Ukraine and make our forces stronger. The supreme commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is presented with state awards to the tankers of Mykolaiv marines (Ukraine Armed Forces) Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals Friday 15 September 2023 10:35 , Matt Mathers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stopped in a far eastern Russian city Friday to see a factory that builds the countrys most advanced fighter jets on his extended trip that hints at his interest in sophisticated weaponry, as the U.S. and others warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making banned weapons transfer deals. Kims visits to Russian weapons and technology sites and meetings with President Vladimir Putin have raised speculation he will supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia as the two nations deepen their ties while both are increasingly isolated and sanctioned in separate confrontations with the West. Full report: Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals G7 to announce Russian diamonds ban in 2-3 weeks - Belgian official Friday 15 September 2023 10:21 , Matt Mathers A Belgian government official said on Friday it expects the Group of Seven countries to announce an indirect ban on Russian diamonds in the next 2-3 weeks. The ban would come into effect in January. A number of Western countries - including the UK and EU - have place sanctions on the Russian state and Russian oligarch since the war started in February last year. Last week the UK announced that it was sanctioning a Russian cyber gang accused of targeting hospitals and other critical infrastructure Some 11 members of the gang were sanctioned in total. (UK government) Ukraine hails recapture of Andriivka near Bakhmut Friday 15 September 2023 10:05 , Matt Mathers Ukraine hailed the recapture of a village near the key battlefield of Bakhmut as it paid tribute to soldiers killed in the fighting. In a Telegram post, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade said the win was the result of a lightning operation and paid tribute to those who died in the fighting. The capture and holding of Andriivka is our way to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut, and the key to the success of all further offensives, the statement said. We pay a high price for the results of these battles. And the blood of each of our fighters will be repaid only with blood. This drone image on Wednesday Sept. 6, 2023, shows houses destroyed during the fighting between Russia and Ukraine near Andriivka (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Zelensky to meet Poland's Duda next week Friday 15 September 2023 09:50 , Matt Mathers The president of Poland Andrzej Duda is scheduled to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky next week, he has said. The two leaders will hold talks in New York, where the United Nations General Assembly is taking place, Dudas office said in a tweet. In a few days, in New York, I have an appointment with the President of Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa , he said. We will, among others: talk about grain. Ukraine must understand our position - my task is to take care of our Polish interests. Earlier this week Ukraine warned it could seek international arbitration over restrictions on its grain exports after Poland said it would continue to block domestic imports of Ukrainian grain even if Brussels lifts a ban. Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. Prezydent @AndrzejDuda dla @PAPinformacje: Za kilka dni, w Nowym Jorku, jestem umowiony z Prezydentem Ukrainy @ZelenskyyUa. Bedziemy m. in. rozmawiac o zbozu. Ukraina musi zrozumiec nasze stanowisko - moim zadaniem jest dbanie o nasze polskie interesy. Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) September 14, 2023 Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU Friday 15 September 2023 09:35 , Matt Mathers The European Union has reacted to the war in Ukraine with a rare unity but splits are already emerging between countries offering support for as long as it takes and those agitating for Kyiv to cut its losses, writes Mary Dejevsky. Read Marys full piece here: Is Ukraine in danger of splitting the EU? | Mary Dejevsky Washington will respond appropriately after Russia expels two diplomats Friday 15 September 2023 09:21 , Matt Mathers The US has expressed its regret at the expulsion of two of its diplomats from Russia and vowed to respond appropriately. Russias foreign ministry on Thursday declared two US diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in illegal activity. The ministry charged in a statement that the first secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, kept in touch with a former employee of the US Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year. The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for U.S. diplomats about Russias military action in Ukraine and related issues. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: Once again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation instead of constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass our embassy staff, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. Matthew Miller (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Putin rolls out red carpet for Kim ahead of aircraft plant visit Friday 15 September 2023 09:00 , Matt Mathers Russia rolled out the red carpet for Kim Jong-Un ahead of the North Korean leaders visit to an aircraft plant. Kim was welcomed as a top-ranking guest upon his arrival at Russias eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, according to state media. A red carpet was unfurled for the top-ranking guest, Russian state media TASS said, adding that Kim was welcomed with bread and salt in keeping with the Russian tradition for special guests. Kim has been visiting Russia this week and held talks with the Russian president about economic cooperation between the two countries. (Mikhail Degtyarev/Telegram/Reuters) Russias Shoigu inspects nuclear submarine modernisation in Far East Friday 15 September 2023 08:45 , Matt Mathers Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu checked on the repair and modernisation of the Pacific Fleets nuclear submarines at a top military shipyard on Friday, his ministry said. Shoigu earlier this week took part in talks between president Vladimir Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong Un who visited two aviation plants in the town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday. Shoigu checked construction of a floating docking complex and on how nuclear submarines are being repaired and modernized at Zvezda plant in the town of Bolshoi Kamen, the defence ministry said in statement. It added that Zvezda is the leading submarine repair facility of Russias Pacific Fleet and the only one in the Far East specialising in repair and modernization of nuclear-powered submarine missile carriers. "Sergei Shoigu demanded the maximum use of Zvezdas production facilities in order to complete the repair and modernisation of submarines," the defence ministry said. File photo: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov (Sputnik) Ukraine shoots down 17 drone overnight Friday 15 September 2023 08:30 , Matt Mathers Ukraine says it shot down 17 drones launched by Russia overnight. On the night of September 15, 2023, the enemy attacked Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 type UAVs from the southeast (Prymorsko-Akhtarsk Russian Federation),Ukraines air forces said in a statement. A total of 17 UAVs were launched, which were moving along different routes in the direction of Khmelnytskyi. All 17 Shakhediv was destroyed by anti-aircraft defense along the tracking route. File: A drone is seen in the sky seconds before it attacked buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Ukrainian forces reclaim a village in the east as part of counteroffensive Friday 15 September 2023 08:15 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian forces have recaptured a village in the countrys east after intense battles with Russian troops, the countrys military said Friday. The village of Andriivka about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region is the latest gain for Kyiv in a counteroffensive that has seen slow but steady gains by Ukrainian forces. The announcement of reclaiming Andriivka came early Friday from the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces. The 3rd Assault Brigade said it captured the village after surrounding the Russian garrison in Andriivka in what it described as a "lightning operation" and destroying it over two days. It described the capture of Andriivka as a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut and "key to success in all further directions." Arpan Rai has the full report: Ukraine closes in on village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south Zelensky to visit US next week for military aid talks Friday 15 September 2023 08:00 , Matt Mathers Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the US next week for talks with Joe Biden about getting more military aid for Ukraine. The two presidents are expected to meet either at the White House or at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US media report. Both Zelensky and Biden are scheduled to address the UN assembly on Tuesday. Full report here. Biden and Zelensky He couldnt see his wedding. But this war-blinded Ukrainian soldier cried with joy at new love Friday 15 September 2023 07:45 , Matt Mathers Blinded by a Russian mortar shell, Ukrainian veteran Ivan Soroka couldnt see his bride when she walked into his family home in a shoulderless white dress, a bouquet of white flowers in her right hand. But when Vladislava Ryabets, 25, stepped toward him, Soroka wept with joy at the new chapter of life starting months after enemy artillery stole his sight. War-blinded Ukrainian soldier cries with joy at new love at his wedding Russia has lost 271,440 soldiers since start of invasion - Ukraine Friday 15 September 2023 07:32 , Matt Mathers Russia has lost 271,440 soldiers during its illegal invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has claimed. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Moscow lost 470 troops in one day. Russia has also lost some 4,612 tanks, 8,814 armoured combat vehicles and 5,972 artillery systems among other military kit since 24 February last year. File photo: A soldier of Ukraines 3rd Separate Assault Brigade looks on against the background of an APC near Bakhmu (AP) Washington will respond appropriately after Russia expels two diplomats Friday 15 September 2023 09:19 , Matt Mathers The US has expressed its regretat the expulsion of two of its diplomats from Russia and vowed to respond appropriately. Russias foreign ministry on Thursday declared two US diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in illegal activity. The ministry said in a statement that the first secretary at the US embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, kept in touch with a former employee of the US Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year. The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for US diplomats about Russias military action in Ukraine and related issues. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: Once again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation instead of constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass our embassy staff, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. Matthew Miller (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Ships in Black Sea fleet have suffered catastrophic damage - MoD Friday 15 September 2023 07:16 , Matt Mathers Key Russian ships by missiles in a Ukrainian strike of the Kremlins Black Sea fleet in Crimea suffered catastrophic damage, Britains Ministry of Defence has said. The MoD said landing ship Misnk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed while the Rostov submarine has likely suffered catastrophic damage. This was despite the Kremlin trying to play down the significance of the attacks,the MOD. A statement said: Despite the Russian Ministry of Defence downplaying the damage to the vessels, open-source evidence indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage. (2/5) Despite the Russian Ministry of Defence downplaying the damage to the vessels, open-source evidence indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage. pic.twitter.com/hqs2Cpce0n Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 15, 2023 Latest attack sign of escalating fighting in Black Sea Friday 15 September 2023 07:00 , Sam Rkaina While Kyivs counteroffensive in the south and east has been slowed by minefields and Russian defensive lines, fighting has escalated in the Black Sea region where Russia is imposing a de facto blockade on Ukraines seaborne exports. Russian drones have regularly attacked Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River, a vital alternative export route for the major grain producer. It uses its Black Sea Fleet to rain down missiles on Ukrainian targets from afar. Ukraines embattled navy has used sea drones to strike back, hitting the Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship near Russias naval base at Novorossiysk early last month and a Russian fuel tanker. Senior presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine was focused on three key tasks aimed at the de-occupation of the peninsula, which lies far behind the battlelines of southern Ukraine. Kyiv, he said, was targeting air defence systems to open up the path to more strikes on Russian military and warehouse infrastructure. Kyiv was also attacking transport logistics to stop the large-scale continuous supply of resources and reserves into the area of active hostilities, he said We need to chase away remnants of the Russian Black Sea fleet from Crimean territorial waters and beyond and reinstate the status of the Black Sea as the sea of external jurisdiction, he wrote in English. Russia regards the peninsula as strategically important and uses its Black Sea Fleet to project power. Ukraine attacks Russian patrol ships Friday 15 September 2023 06:00 , Sam Rkaina Ukraine said on Thursday it attacked two Russian patrol ships and destroyed a sophisticated air defence system in the west of occupied Crimea, ramping up its strikes to challenge Moscows dominance in the Black Sea region. The attacks come a day after Kyiv said it seriously damaged a Russian submarine and landing ship undergoing repairs in a missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The Ukrainian military, in a post on Telegram messenger, said it hit two Russian patrol boats in the southwest of the Black Sea, causing certain damage in a morning attack. The (Sergei) Kotov was hit, military intelligence official Andriy Yusov told Reuters, sharing a grainy video circulated online by a Ukrainian government minister that appeared to show sea drones attacking a vessel at sea. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed an attack on the Sergei Kotov in a morning statement, but said the assault involving five sea drones was repelled. It made no mention of damage. Ukraine closes in on village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south Friday 15 September 2023 05:33 , Arpan Rai Ukraines military has good news in the eastern front of the battlefield where heavy fighting is underway to regain ground, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has said, saying Kyivs forces were making gains near Bakhmut. We are moving forward in the Bakhmut direction. The main battles continue in the districts of Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Klishchiivka. And we have good news there Andriivka. The situation is very complex and changeable, we keep our fingers crossed, the deputy defence minister said in her official Telegram channel on Thursday evening. Initially, the minister claimed Ukrainian forces had retaken Andriivka village, which falls south of Bakhmut, but the countrys Third Assault Brigade fighting in the region said the report was premature. More details on Ukraines advance here: Ukraine closes in on village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south US names former commerce secretary to coordinate private sector aid for Ukraine Friday 15 September 2023 05:00 , Sam Rkaina The Biden administration has tapped former Commerce Secretary and major Democratic donor Penny Pritzker to coordinate U.S. efforts to channel private sector reconstruction assistance to Ukraine. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the appointment on Thursday, just moments after the Treasury imposed a raft of new sanctions on Russia and Russian operatives for their role in the war on Ukraine. Working in lockstep with the Ukrainian government, our allies and partners, international financial institutions, and the private sector, she will drive the United States efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy, Biden said in a statement. This includes mobilizing public and private investment, shaping donor priorities, and working to open export markets and businesses shut down by Russias brutal attacks and destruction. (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu) Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU Friday 15 September 2023 04:00 , Sam Rkaina Mary Dejevsky writes: This may have been a mistake, but I have always regarded Ursula von der Leyen as a rather low-key, matter-of-fact politician in a Merkel-esque mode. This week, she defied that image, delivering her fifth and possibly last State of the (European) Union address in untypically high-flown and futuristic terms. It was a wide-ranging, well-organised and rather good speech, but little noted, alas, in the post-EU UK. And one of her main themes how could it not be? was Ukraine and its place in Europe. History, she said, is now calling us to work on completing our Union, and she set herself unambiguously on the side of EU enlargement, to include Moldova and the Western Balkans, plus, of course, Ukraine. Click here for the full view. Kim Jong-un tests out Putins limousine during historic meeting Friday 15 September 2023 03:00 , Sam Rkaina North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin convened at a rocket launch facility in Siberia in their first summit in four years. After visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin decided to show Kim his armoured Aurus limousine, inviting him to take a seat inside. Their meeting location shows that Putin is ready to share Russian rocket and space technology with Pyongyang in exchange for access to North Koreas arms stockpiles for the war in Ukraine. The talks between the two leaders were expected to focus on expanding military cooperation amid their intensifying confrontations with the West. Inside the Kim-Putin meeting this week Friday 15 September 2023 02:00 , Sam Rkaina Over a sumptuous lunch of Russian pelmeni dumplings made with Kamchatka crab, white Amur fish soup and sturgeon, Kim on Wednesday toasted to Putins health, to the victory of great Russia and to Korean-Russian friendship, predicting victory for Moscow in its sacred fight with the West. North Korea was founded in September 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union, and Moscow supported it for decades during the Cold War, though support dropped off after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. In recent years, China has been seen as the power with the most influence over Kim, but Pyongyangs leaders have often tried to balance ties with both Moscow and Beijing. After taking over from Boris Yeltsin in 1999, Putin visited Pyongyang in July 2000 for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. At the summit on Wednesday, it was unclear just how far Putin was prepared to go in fulfilling North Korean wish lists for technology. Amid artillery battles in Ukraine, Russia has ramped up its shell production, but a North Korean supply line could be useful. North Korea is believed to have a large stockpile of artillery shells and rockets compatible with Soviet-era weapons, as well as a history of producing such ammunition. Asked whether Russia could simply remove sanctions on North Korea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained a responsible member of the U.N. Security Council. But Peskov added that Moscow would develop its relations with North Korea in accordance with its own interests. Putin / Kim meeting discussed by US, South Korea and Japan Friday 15 September 2023 01:00 , Sam Rkaina On Thursday, the top national security officials of the United States, South Korea and Japan discussed the Putin-Kim meeting in a call. A White House statement said U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and counterparts Takeo Akiba of Japan and Cho Tae-yong of South Korea noted that any North Korean arms exports to Russia would directly violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt. South Koreas National Security Council (NSC) said on Thursday North Korea and Russia would pay a price if they violated U.N. Security Council resolutions. Kim is due to visit military and civilian aviation factories in the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and to inspect Russias Pacific fleet in Vladivostok, Putin said. Pope's Ukraine peace envoy raises stalled Black Sea grain exports in Beijing talks Thursday 14 September 2023 23:59 , Sam Rkaina Pope Francis Ukraine peace envoy discussed the need to resume Ukraine grain exports to feed the worlds hungry during a meeting Thursday with a Chinese official while on a mission to Beijing, the Vatican said. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi met with Li Hui, Chinas special representative for Eurasian affairs, at the Chinese foreign ministry. According to a Vatican statement, the meeting focused on the war, emphasizing the need to join efforts to foster dialogue and find paths leading to peace. Food security and Ukraines stalled grain exports were discussed with the hope that it will soon be possible to guarantee the export of cereals, especially to the countries most at risk, the statement said. Last month, Russia halted a U.N.-brokered agreement to guarantee safe exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea after Russias invasion impeded shipments at a time of growing world hunger. Russia said it was suspending the deal until its demands to get Russian food and fertilizer to the world are met. Ukraines agricultural exports, like those of Russia, are crucial for world supplies of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other foods that developing nations rely on. Since Russias suspension of the deal, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the River Danube and road and rail links into Europe, but those routes are more expensive and less efficient than the Black Sea. Putin 'gratefully' accepts Kim invite to visit North Korea Thursday 14 September 2023 23:00 , Sam Rkaina Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted Kim Jong Uns invitation to visit North Korea, stoking U.S. concerns that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could bolster Russias military in Ukraine and provide Kim sensitive missile technology. The invite was made during a summit in eastern Russia at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and helping North Koreas satellite programme. Calling each other comrades, the two leaders toasted their friendship on Wednesday with Russian wine after the 70-year-old Putin showed Kim, 39, around Russias most modern space launch facility and they held talks alongside their defence ministers. At the end of the reception, Kim Jong Un courteously invited Putin to visit the DPRK at a convenient time, KCNA said, referring to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, North Koreas formal name. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin gratefully accepted the invite and that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to Pyongyang in October. Since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has rarely travelled abroad. For the United States and allies, the burgeoning friendship between Kim and Putin is a concern. Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made. Both Russia and North Korea have denied those claims, but promised to deepen defence cooperation. During a visit to North Korea in July, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown banned ballistic missiles by Kim. Russias President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome (via REUTERS) Britains top military officer says Ukraine has the initiative Thursday 14 September 2023 22:50 , Sam Rkaina Ukraine has the initiative in the war against Vladimir Putin and is pushing Russia back, according to Britains most senior military officer. Speaking at an arms fair in London. Sir Tony Radakin hit back at the idea Kyivs counteroffensive was struggling. In the north they are holding and fixing Russian forces there and in the south they are making progress between 10 and 20km, the Guardian reported him saying. Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Tony Radakin (EPA) Satellite images appear to show Wagner camp in Belarus being dismantled Thursday 14 September 2023 22:00 , Sam Rkaina Satellite images of a military base southeast of the Belarus capital Minsk appear to show the dismantling of tents in recent weeks, which may indicate the winding down of the base for Wagner, the Russian mercenary company behind an abortive mutiny. On 23 August, Wagners boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and his top lieutenants were killed when a private jet he used crashed in so-far unexplained circumstances, leaving the fate of his mercenaries in doubt. Images of the Tsel military base in Mogilev region, taken on 25 July, 25 August and 9 September and provided by Earth imaging company Planet Labs, appear to show the gradual dismantling of tents in the camp. Sharing the images, Reuters said it could not verify the nature of the changes in the camp. In June, the Wagner group launched a brief mutiny against the army top brass in Russia, condemned as treason by President Vladimir Putin. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko invited Wagner to set up operations in his country as part of a deal that ended the mutiny. The base in Tsel seen from above on 25 July (via REUTERS) The same location on 9 September (via REUTERS) Zelensky hails destruction of a Russian air defence system Thursday 14 September 2023 21:03 , Sam Rkaina President Volodymyr Zelensky tonight hailed what he described as Ukraines destruction of a Russian air defence system in the annexed Crimea peninsula. A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message. I thank you for todays triumph, he said, a reference to Russias Triumf air defence system. The invaders air defence system was destroyed. Very significant, well done. (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima) US sanctions Turkish companies for supporting Moscow in war on Ukraine Thursday 14 September 2023 20:21 , Sam Rkaina The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on five Turkish companies and a Turkish national, accusing them of helping Russia evade sanctions and supporting Moscow in its war against Ukraine. The designations, first reported by Reuters, target shipping and trade companies accused of helping repair sanctioned vessels tied to Russias defense ministry and helping the transfer of dual-use goods. It is part of a bigger package of measures hitting Russia with sanctions on more than 150 targets, including the countrys largest carmaker. The action was taken at a delicate moment for U.S.-Turkey relations, with Washington hoping Ankara will ratify NATO membership for Sweden when the Turkish parliament reconvenes in early October. The United States and its allies imposed extensive sanctions on Russia after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but supply channels from Black Sea neighbor Turkey and other trading hubs have remained open, prompting Washington to issue repeated warnings about the export of chemicals, microchips and other products that can be used in Moscows war effort. Multiple senior U.S. officials, including Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, have traveled to Turkey since Russias invasion of Ukraine as part of a pressure campaign to prevent any Turkish companies from helping Russia circumvent U.S. curbs. For the past 18 months, weve shared our concerns with the Turkish government and private sector and informed them of the significant risks of doing business with those weve sanctioned who are tied to Russias war, a senior U.S. Treasury official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. These designations reflect our ongoing commitment to target individuals and entities who provide material support to sanctioned entities, the official added. There was no immediate comment from the Turkish government. Russias Foreign Ministry orders two US diplomats to leave country Thursday 14 September 2023 19:39 , Sam Rkaina Russias Foreign Ministry has declared two U.S. diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in illegal activity. The ministry charged in a statement that the first secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, kept in touch with a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year. The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for U.S. diplomats about Russias military action in Ukraine and related issues. According to the statement, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was summoned to the ministry on Thursday and informed that Sillin and Bernstein were being expelled. It was also emphasized that illegal activities of the U.S. diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country, are unacceptable and will be resolutely suppressed. The Russian side expects Washington to draw the right conclusions and refrain from confrontational steps, the statement said. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, speaking to reporters in Washington said: Yet again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. We regret that Russia has taken this path and you can certainly expect that we will respond appropriately to their actions. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow confirmed that the Russian Foreign Ministry informed the U.S. Ambassador Thursday of the decision to target the diplomats and said the U.S. government will respond appropriately. The embassy said it completely rejects the reason for the unprovoked expulsion of the diplomats and said it condemned the Russian governments ongoing attempts to intimidate and harass U.S. Embassy employees. Zelensky set to meet Biden at UN next week Thursday 14 September 2023 18:22 , Sam Rkaina Volodymr Zelensky is planning to attend the United Nations General Assembly next week and is expected to meet with Joe Biden. The pair met in February, when the US president made a surpise visit to Kyiv his first trip to Ukraine since the start of Russias invasion during what President Zelensky called a huge moment for his country. At the time. Mr Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance, including shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry. ICYMI: Despite its semi-comic optics, Putin and Kim Jong-uns show of comradeship is deeply sinister Thursday 14 September 2023 17:00 , Matt Mathers Editorial: If the West is serious about defeating the modern-day axis of evil, it will have to match the determination of the autocrats in control of Russia, North Korea and Iran. Read the full editorial here: Editorial: Putin and Kim Jong-un show of comradeship is deeply sinister ICYMI: Boris Johnson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak over slow response to Ukraine weapons pleas Thursday 14 September 2023 16:45 , Matt Mathers Boris Johnson has taken a swipe at Rishi Sunak, accusing the prime minister and others of dragging their feet over the supply weapons to Ukraine. The former PM has remained publicly quiet on Mr Sunaks performance in recent months, despite taking on a highly-paid role as a columnist for the Daily Mail. But in scathing remarks in a piece for The Spectator, the ousted Tory leader attacked his successor by saying the UK had given only a fraction of the arms that the US had provided to Kyiv. Adam Forrest reports: Boris Johnson attacks Sunak over slow response to Ukraine weapons pleas Russia expels 2 US diplomats, accusing them of 'illegal activity' Thursday 14 September 2023 16:15 , Matt Mathers Russias foreign ministry on Thursday declared two US diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in illegal activity. The ministry charged in a statement that the first secretary at the US Embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, kept in touch with a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year. The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for U.S. diplomats about Russias military action in Ukraine and related issues. Full report: Russia expels 2 US diplomats, accusing them of 'illegal activity' Update: Battle for Ukrainian village of Andriivka continues - deputy defence minister Thursday 14 September 2023 15:44 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian troops are continuing to fight to recapture the eastern Ukrainian village of Andriivka, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday. "The situation is very difficult and changing," Maliar said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. She said earlier that Ukrainian troops had recaptured the village from Russian forces, but then edited her statement in what she later described as a communication breakdown. Hanna Maliar (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Ukraine opposes any illegal extension of European farm trade curbs Thursday 14 September 2023 15:28 , Matt Mathers Ukraine said on Thursday that any move by eastern European states to extend restrictions on Ukrainian food exports that are due to expire on 15 September would be illegal and harm common economic interests. Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. Farmers in these eastern European countries have complained of a cereal glut sending domestic prices crashing and blamed it on cheap Ukrainian imports. "Were convinced that any decision ... that will further restrict Ukrainian agricultural exports will not only be unjustified and unlawful," foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook, but also harm "the common economic interests" of Ukraine, EU Member States and the European Union as a whole. Excavators work at a grain port in Izmail, Ukraine, Wednesday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) F-35 fighter jets land in NATO-member Denmark to replace F-16s, some of which will go to Ukraine Thursday 14 September 2023 15:08 , Matt Mathers Four F-35 fighter jets landed Thursday at an airbase in Denmark in the first installment of the US-made planes ordered by the NATO member to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, some of which have been promised to Ukraine. Dignitaries and officers clapped as the planes, in Danish Air Force colors, did several flyovers before landing at the Skyrdstrup Air Base. Ukraine has been asking for Western fighter jets to help it resist the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The United States recently gave its approval for Denmark and the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with the American-made jets. Last month, the two countries said they would donate F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, with Denmark pledging 19 and the Netherlands an unspecified number. Denmark said it would need to receive new F-35s first, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in August that she hoped the first six F-16s could be handed over to Ukraine around New Year. NATO member Norway also has indicated its intention to donate F-16s to Ukraine. File photo: US military personnel work near F-35 fighter jets of the Vermont Air National Guard (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) New US sanctions target workarounds that let Russia get Western tech for war Thursday 14 September 2023 14:45 , Matt Mathers The United States on Thursday is sanctioning more than 150 businesses and people from Russia to Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to try to crack down on evasion and deny the Kremlin access to technology, money and financial channels that fuel President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine. The sanctions package is one of the biggest by the State and Treasury departments and is the latest to target people and companies in countries, notably NATO member Turkey, that sell Western technology to Russia that could be used to bolster its war effort. Emma Burrows reports: New US sanctions target workarounds that let Russia get Western tech for war Breaking: Ukraine retakes village near Bahmut Thursday 14 September 2023 14:26 , Matt Mathers Ukraine has recaptured the eastern village of Andriivka near the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday. "Andriivka is ours. We are securing our positions", she wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Andriivka is Ukraine! Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar: "We are moving forward in the Bakhmut sector. On the northern flank, the enemy is trying to recapture lost ground. On the southern flank, we are successfully advancing. The main fighting continues in the areas pic.twitter.com/RvcnterJQP Denes Torteli (@DenesTorteli) September 14, 2023 UK PM Sunak: We continue to support Ukraine Thursday 14 September 2023 14:15 , Matt Mathers The prime minister has hit back at a suggestion from Boris Johnson that Britain needs to speed up and increase its support for Ukraine, Archie Mitchell reports. A spokesman for Rishi Sunak said: Under this prime minister, the UK was the first to send main battle tanks and long range missiles like Storm Shadow to Ukraine. We hosted the international conference that raised $60bn for Ukraines recovery and reconstruction. On a weekly basis, there is equipment and support going across the border from the UK and into Ukraine - so they can carry out brave attempts to thwart Vladimir Putins illegal war. The PMs spokesman said Mr Sunak has been speaking to president Zelensky on a regular basis and pointed to the thanks president Zelensky has had for the prime minister and the people of the UK for the continuation of our support. Former prime minister Mr Johnson had earlier asked why Britain is always so slow, calling for more backing for the country. File photo: Sunak in the House of Commons chamber (PA Wire) ICYMI: Putins meeting with Kim is sign of Kremlins isolation, claims No 10 Thursday 14 September 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers Vladimir Putins isolation on the world stage has left him needing to find an ally in Kim Jong Un, Downing Street claimed. The Russian president and North Koreas leader met for talks at a space base in Russias far east. Western officials believe that Mr Putin is seeking weapons from North Korea to rebuild stockpiles run down by the lengthy war in Ukraine. David Hughes reports: Putins meeting with Kim is sign of Kremlins isolation, claims No 10 What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile? Thursday 14 September 2023 13:35 , Matt Mathers British Storm Shadow cruise missiles were likely used in the largest Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of Russias Black Sea fleet since the start of Vladimir Putins full-scale invasion. Military sources said Wednesdays early morning attack on the main Crimean naval base at Sevastopol used Storm Shadow missiles, delivered to Kyiv by the UK earlier this year. But what is a Storm Shadow cruise missile? Arpan Rai and Cameron Henderson explain: What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile? ICYMI: Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea Thursday 14 September 2023 13:15 , Matt Mathers A Russian pilot fired two missiles towards an RAF surveillance plane after mistakenly believing he had permission to fire. Following the incident last September, Russia claimed it had been caused by a technical malfunction with the UKs Ministry of Defence publicly accepting their explanation. However, intercepted communications reveal that one of the Russian pilots believed he had been given permission to target the aircraft following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station. Holly Evans reports: Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea Russia says it destroyed uncrewed Ukrainian boat in Black Sea Thursday 14 September 2023 12:51 , Matt Mathers Russias defence ministry said on Thursday it had detected and destroyed an uncrewed Ukrainian boat in the Black Sea, at a time when Ukrainian forces appear to be launching more regular attacks on Russian ships. A Ukrainian missile attack on the Sevastopol Shipyard in Russian-annexed Crimea earlier this week caused heavy damage to a large Russian landing ship and submarine, commercial satellite imagery showed. The claims could not immediately be independently verified. Putin gratefully accepts Kim invite to visit North Korea - Kremlin Thursday 14 September 2023 12:35 , Matt Mathers Russian president Vladimir Putin accepted Kim Jong Uns invitation to visit North Korea, stoking US concerns that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could bolster Russias military in Ukraine and provide Kim sensitive missile technology. The invite was made during a summit in eastern Russia at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and helping North Koreas satellite programme. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin "gratefully" accepted the invite and that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to Pyongyang in October. Since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has rarely travelled abroad. Russias President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome (via REUTERS) Ukraine thanks Bulgaria for not extending food export restrictions Thursday 14 September 2023 12:21 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he was grateful to Bulgaria for not extending restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports from 15 Sept. "I thank (prime minister) Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity," Zelensky said on the X social media platform. Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. The restrictions, designed to ease excess supply, are due to expire on Friday. I am grateful to Bulgaria for its decision not to prolong restrictions on Ukraines agricultural exports after September 15th. I thank PM Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity. Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) September 14, 2023 Ukraine thanks Bulgaria for not extending food export restrictions Thursday 14 September 2023 12:05 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he was grateful to Bulgaria for not extending restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports from 15 Sept. "I thank (prime minister) Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity," Zelensky said on the X social media platform. Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. The restrictions, designed to ease excess supply, are due to expire on Friday. I am grateful to Bulgaria for its decision not to prolong restrictions on Ukraines agricultural exports after September 15th. I thank PM Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity. Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) September 14, 2023 Boris Johnson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak over slow response to Ukraine weapons pleas Thursday 14 September 2023 11:50 , Matt Mathers Boris Johnson has taken a swipe at Rishi Sunak, accusing the prime minister and others of dragging their feet over the supply weapons to Ukraine. The former PM has remained publicly quiet on Mr Sunaks performance in recent months, despite taking on a highly-paid role as a columnist for the Daily Mail. But in scathing remarks in a piece for The Spectator, the ousted Tory leader attacked his successor by saying the UK had given only a fraction of the arms that the US had provided to Kyiv. Adam Forrest has the full report: Boris Johnson attacks Sunak over slow response to Ukraine weapons pleas Lukashenko to visit Russia tomorrow Thursday 14 September 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko will travel to Russia on Friday for a working visit, state news agency BELTA reports. He will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with plans for the two leaders to discuss regional matters and economic collaboration, including import sustitution. On Wednesday the EU parliament called for the Internation Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Lukashenko for enabling Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine. Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally of Vladimir Putin (AP) North Korean security disinfected Kims chair at Putin summit - Kommersant Thursday 14 September 2023 11:19 , Matt Mathers North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns security detail spent several minutes disinfecting the chair that Kim sat on during a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Thursday. Video footage published by the newspaper showed a North Korean security official in white gloves scrupulously wiping down Kims black chair and spraying around an unidentified substance. The North Korean sprayed and wiped down the seat, the hands, the legs and even the area around the chair as a Kremlin bodyguard looked on in a slightly bemused way. Another North Korean guard then gave some sort of order to the guard doing the disinfecting. The nature of the order was unclear. "The chair turned out to be the subject of the greatest concern of the North Korean side," wrote Kommersants Kremlin correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov. Apparently Kims security detail - of over 100 people - were unhappy with the first chair and another one - exactly the same - was produced by the Russian side, Kommersant said. (via REUTERS) South Korea expresses 'concern and regret' over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin Thursday 14 September 2023 10:55 , Matt Mathers South Korea on Thursday expressed deep concern and regret over a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was apparently focused on expanding military cooperation as the two isolated, nuclear-armed leaders align over their escalating confrontations with the United States. Washington has warned that the summit on Wednesday between Kim and Putin could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscows war in Ukraine. Theres widespread concern in Seoul that the North in return would receive advanced weapons technologies from Russia, including those related to military spy satellites, which would increase the threat posed by Kims military nuclear program. Full report: South Korea expresses 'concern and regret' over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin UK train companies fund thousands of food parcels for Ukrainian rail workers Thursday 14 September 2023 10:39 , Matt Mathers Thousands of food parcels for Ukrainian railway workers and their families have been paid for by UK train companies. Industry body Rail Partners said its fundraising received nearly 106,000 in donations to support the scheme. This means 7,056 food parcels will be delivered to Ukrainian railway employees and their loved ones through the Global Ukraine Rail Task Force. The countrys rail network has been under huge pressure since Russias invasion in February last year. Each food package costs around 15 and consists of staples, such as flour, rice, pasta and tinned fish and meat, all sourced in Ukraine. They have been funded by the private sector members of Rail Partners, such as Arriva and FirstGroup. A railway worker stands next to heavily damaged train after a Russian attack on a train (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Ukraine targetted radar and antenna of Russian air defence system Thursday 14 September 2023 10:25 , Matt Mathers Some more detail now on reports that Ukraine destroyed a Russian air defence system. Ukraine sources said drones blinded the Russian "Triumph" air defence system by attacking its radar and antenna. The navy then fired two Ukrainian-made Neptune cruise missiles at the systems launch complexes, the source said. The Neptune anti-ship missile has been modified to attack ground targets, military analysts say. The attack comes a day after Ukraine launched missiles at the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian navys Black Sea Fleet, in an attack that signalled Ukraines growing missile capabilities. File photo: Ukrainian servicemen stand next to an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger mobile air defence missile system (REUTERS) Ukraine shoots down 17 Shahed drones Thursday 14 September 2023 10:09 , Matt Mathers Ukraine shot down 17 out of 22 Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight, Ukraine has said. A total of 22 "shaheeds" were launched in the direction of the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions, Ukraines Air Force said in a statement. According to the results of combat work that night, 17 out of 22 enemy attack UAVs "Shahed-136/131" were destroyed by anti-aircraft defense. File photo: A drone is seen in the sky seconds before it attacked buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Ukrainian shelling kills one, damages power supply lines in Russias Kursk region - governor Thursday 14 September 2023 09:45 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian shelling killed one man and damaged power supply lines in Russias Kursk region, governor Roman Starovoit said in a post on Telegram on Thursday. Starovoit said the man had been killed after shelling in the town of Tetkino on the Russia-Ukraine border and that 10 shells had been recorded as striking the village of Gordeevka. No casualties were recorded there, Starovoit said. The claim could not be immediately independently verified. Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea Thursday 14 September 2023 09:30 , Matt Mathers A Russian pilot fired two missiles towards an RAF surveillance plane after mistakenly believing he had permission to fire. Following the incident last September, Russia claimed it had been caused by a technical malfunction with the UKs Ministry of Defence publicly accepting their explanation. However, intercepted communications reveal that one of the Russian pilots believed he had been given permission to target the aircraft following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station. Holly Evans reports: Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea Arrest Lukashenko for his role in war, EU urges International Criminal Court Thursday 14 September 2023 09:14 , Matt Mathers The EU parliament has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko for enabling Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine. Politicians adopted a resolution on Wednesday calling for Lukashenko to be held accountable for his involvement in the conflict. Lukashenko, nicknamed Europes last dictator, allowed his country to be used by Russia as a staging post to invade neighbouring Ukraine from the north in February last year. The EU condemns in the strongest possible terms the Lukashenka regimes involvement in Russias unjustified, illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the resolution says. It calls on the ICC to consider Lukashenko for as responsible for these war crimes as Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova and therefore calls on the ICC to consider issuing a similar international warrant for Lukashenkas arrest. Switzerland Belarus (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Ukraine destroys Russian air defence system near Crimeas Yevpatoriya - source Thursday 14 September 2023 09:00 , Matt Mathers Ukraine destroyed a Russian air defence system near the town of Yevpatoriya in annexed Crimea in an overnight drone and missile attack conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine and navy on Thursday, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters. Russia said its air defences had shot down 11 attack drones overnight over Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. An Afghan woman and a child sits along a path, after a drizzle in Fayzabad district of Badakhshan province (AFP via Getty Images) The rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and the current state of such rights is an issue that will be very much on the agenda of an upcoming meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the world agencys chief Antonio Guterres said. Leaders from across the world will meet in New York on 18-19 September for the UNGA session where the war in Ukraine, humanitarian relief for Morocco after a devastating earthquake struck the country, and floods that have killed thousands in Libya will dominate discussions. The rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is absolutely central to all concerns and will be one of the issues that will be very much on the agenda, the top UN official said in a press conference on Thursday. The Taliban has issued its own reaction to the meeting and the militant groups regime spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said the international community should not interfere in the countrys internal affairs. The rights of women, girls and gendered minorities in the nation have consistently been encroached upon ever since the militant regime took control of the country in 2021. The issue of human rights is an excuse that is used. In reality, the people of Afghanistan have rights given to them by Sharia law. Nobody can show that someone elses rights have been violated. All individuals have rights, including men, women, children, and the elderly, the Taliban spokesperson said, reported Tolo News. This comes just days after the UNs human rights chief accused the Taliban of waging a systematic assault on the freedom of Afghanistans population, with women and girls experiencing immeasurably cruel oppression. The shocking level of oppression of Afghan women and girls is immeasurably cruel, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said during a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Afghanistan has set a devastating precedent as the only country in the world where women and girls are denied access to secondary and higher education. Story continues Human rights in Afghanistan are in a state of collapse in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban which has rolled back institutional protections at all levels, urging the UN member states to help fill the void. The Taliban had initially promised a more moderate approach after they took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, but have reinstated a very close model of their rule from the 1990s by mostly banning education for girls and women, and prohibiting them from work. Women and girls in Afghanistan are also mostly barred from public spaces like parks, gyms, national parks and even banning their presence in public during Eid festivities in some provinces. They also cannot travel without any male guardian or mehram, as directed by the Taliban, with failure in doing so to attract punishment from the hardline group. The Thomson Zettabook A14 I recently went to IFA 2023 in Berlin, and Ill be honest: it wasn't a particularly exciting year at the tech expo for laptop fans. Last year saw the arrival of two awesome cutting-edge foldable laptops the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 , both of which I tested at the event but this year I felt relegated to the minor leagues as my colleagues on the TV and home tech teams got to enjoy the more exciting hardware. Still, I wouldnt be deterred, so I set out to hunt for anything new and exciting within my computing sphere and what I found surprised me. Thomson (and parent company Vantiva) is a brand Im only tangentially familiar with; while its a veritable juggernaut in Europe, this French company has yet to properly breach other markets. Still, its a household name in many European countries, manufacturing everything from smart TVs to vacuum cleaners and, as it turns out, some rather impressive laptops. Thomthing to think about Although France is the companys base of operations, the team members helming Thomsons stand at IFA were keen to talk about future goals of expanding into the Americas. And after seeing what Thomson has to offer in the PC hardware department, if theres one brand Id like to see break into the US market, its this one. The laptop that immediately caught my attention was the new Zettabook A14 (pictured at the top of this article), a compact ultrabook with a starting price that roughly translates to around $800 / 650 / AU$1,200. In terms of specs, its fairly middle-of-the-road, with an Intel Core i3 or i5 CPU and 16GB of DDR5 memory along with 512GB of speedy PCIe 4.0 storage. The display is a 14-inch 1080p panel, again pretty standard, but fair for the asking price. Its a rather unassuming laptop with its matte black exterior and white LED-backlit keyboard, but what caught my attention was the weight. The Zettabook weighs about 900 grams, putting it in the same weight class as the popular LG Gram series. Its quite phenomenally lightweight, to the point where I was almost worried Id break it but the chassis and screen hinge actually felt surprisingly durable. Story continues A selection of Thomson products on display at IFA 2023 A plethora of products The Zettabook was far from the only laptop Thomson had to show off, too. There were a variety of productivity laptops (which mostly looked good, if boring) as well as Thomsons foray into gaming hardware, the Roxxor G16 laptop. The Thomson Roxxor G16 gaming laptop The build reminds me of Gigabytes affordable gaming machines; a decent level of quality that doesnt measure up to the fine aesthetics of more premium brands, but feels sufficiently robust. The pleasingly large touchpad and full-scale keyboard were a welcome addition, and there was a decent selection of ports on offer too a trait shared by the Zettabook A14, which included HDMI and microSD support, an increasingly rare sight among the best ultrabooks . The Thomson Roxxor XCLOUD gaming laptop There was also the XCLOUD laptop, a budget Windows gaming laptop designed specifically to be used with cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass and GeForce Now . Its a compact piece of hardware with a minimalist design, evoking the similarly cloud-gaming-focused Acer Chromebook 516 GE . Ive been critical of gaming Chromebooks in the past, but its fair to say at this point that cloud gaming is here to stay, so its good to see purpose-built devices for it that swap out ChromeOS for the more versatile Windows 11. If youre reading this, Luis Martinez-Amago (thats the CEO of Vantiva, thanks Wikipedia), please bring these laptops to the US and beyond. Healthy competition is rarely a bad thing, and since the blanket bans on Huawei laptops, Id certainly like to see more affordable and mid-range laptops for sale from lesser-known brands. Make it happen, Thomson! SERGEANT BLUFF Poke around long enough in the hay loft of Winston Belfrages barn, and youll find equipment that was once vital to a farming operation. Hay trolley tracks still run inside the roofs peak, and components of the hay carrier, a system of ropes and pulleys that enabled workers to hoist hay from the ground into the loft, are stashed in the area that years ago would be filled with hay to feed the cattle and horses that lived below. I can remember when this was clear full, up to the peak, and you could climb up there and touch the top, Belfrage said. Now, instead of hay and livestock, his barn is full of history and memories. Historic Belfrage Barn Winston Belfrage points out features of his historic barn. Built in 1910, the Belfrage Barn, 2410 Port Neal Road in rural Sergeant Bluff, is o Historic Belfrage Barn Winston Belfrage stands in the buggy room of his historic barn, which was built in 1910. Much of the barn is still original, aside from a new That history will be on display Saturday and Sunday, when the Belfrage Barn will be one of 72 barns included on the Iowa Barn Foundations All-State Barn Tour, an annual statewide event that celebrates classic barns, many of them more than 100 years old. The free, self-guided tour gives visitors a trip back in time, a glimpse of how farms operated decades ago. A lot of times, its older people, so they reminisce, Belfrages wife, Eileen, said of the visitors who have come to the Belfrage homestead at 2410 Port Neal Road in rural Sergeant Bluff during past tours. Wooden barns used to tower over most farms. But agriculture has changed, and everything is on a larger scale. The barn grandpa built is no longer big enough to hold tractors, grain and livestock. Metal buildings that can house the ever-larger tractors and combines have become the norm. The wooden barn is becoming obsolete, and its just as common to see one fading into the past, its roof caving in and paint long gone, as one thats still in use. Sometimes its sad that barns are going to hell, Winston Belfrage said. Nowadays, theyre not a functional item on a farm. Its not practical, I guess, for people to keep them up. Historic Belfrage Barn Built in 1910, the Belfrage Barn stands on land bought after the Civil War by Winston Belfrage's great grandfather, John Belfrage. The histori For Belfrage, it was more than practical, it was personal. His great grandfather, John Belfrage, bought 380 acres surrounding this site after settling here after the Civil War. In 1910, Winstons grandfather, W.L. Belfrage, had the 54-foot by 54-foot white barn with red trim erected. At one time, it housed horses, pigs and dairy cattle. An interior granary held feed for the livestock, and the loft was filled every summer with hay. Winston spent the first 13 years of his life here, until his grandfather died in 1969, and the farm was sold. He never forgot the barn and the farm. In 1991, he bought back the few acres on which the barn and house stand and moved back. By that time, the barn had fallen into disrepair. I wanted to save it. I grew up here, Belfrage said. An Iowa Barn Foundation grant helped pay for a new roof and paint. In return, Belfrage opens it up each year for the barn tour. Other than replacing the windows, its all original for the most part, the semi-retired Belfrage said. Historic Belfrage Barn Winston Belfrage describes how old equipment in his historic barn was used to hoist hay from the ground into the loft. The old hay carrier is Historic Belfrage Barn Cement inside Winston Belfrage's barn still bears the date, 9-1-09, when construction began on the barn built for his grandfather, W.L. Belfra He raises an overhead garage door, a replacement for the original barn door, to reveal a slab of cement with the date 9-1-09 and the initials W.L.B. scratched into it, a record of the date the cement was poured and the owner, Belfrages grandfather. Back in the day, horses were housed on one side, milk cows on the other. Hogs lived in the back. Nowadays, the barn houses only a small flock of chickens. The rest of the barn is empty of livestock, used instead to store a few modern farm tools and implements. But evidence of the barns past is plentiful. Hay bales havent been stored in the loft for years, but the hay hooks once used to wrangle them remain. Other rusty tools that once were farming necessities hang here and there. The wood is darkened with age, much of it smoothed and notched from decades of livestock rubbing and chewing on it. Still supported by tree trunks used as beams, the barn may be old, but it appears as sturdy as the day it was built. Its a good building, Belfrage said. Try to build a building like this now. You couldnt. And even if you did, it wouldnt have the character as the barns found on this weekends tour. Historic Belfrage Barn The Belfrage Barn is shown in this photo from the 1940s. Built in 1910, the barn still stands and has been maintained by Winston Belfrage, who SIOUX CITY The 18th annual Missouri River Outdoor Expo takes place Saturday and Sunday at Ponca State Park. The event has more than 100 outdoor activities, including wildlife encounters, fishing, kayaking, archery, camping skills, cooking demonstrations, contests, rock climbing, shooting sports, food and more. The expo will be open to the public each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Journal spoke with Ponca State Park Event Coordinator Lynn Mellick about the event. What is the Missouri River Outdoor Expo? The Missouri River Outdoor Expo is the largest outdoor Expo in the Midwest where guests connect with the outdoors through hands-on experiences. Whats new this year? Every year the Expo Advisory Board adds new attractions to the Expo and this year guests will have the opportunity to witness the Axe Women Loggers of Maine set a World Record on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. They will be log rolling across the Missouri River from the South Dakota side to the Nebraska side (Ponca State Parks riverfront). Also new to the 18th Annual Missouri River Outdoor Expo, an Exhibition Fun Shoot for high school trap teams on Sunday only starting at 12:30 p.m., then there is a bush plane featuring remote fly-in fishing and hunting trips, and the list goes on. Why do you put on the event? The goal of the Missouri River Outdoor Expo is to introduce and rekindle interests with individuals and families involving the great outdoors. What is your favorite part of the event? My favorite part of the Expo is the children. Seeing the joy in their faces and the connections they make. What makes this event unique? It is a free event for all ages, where guests participate in over 100 hands-on activities. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observes the final assembly process of the Su-35 multirole fighter jet at Russia's Yuri Gagarin fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, Friday (local time). Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly visited a Russian fighter jet production facility in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, prompting military experts to speculate that it may be aimed at upgrading North Korea's aging fighter jet fleet. Kim is now in Russia, where he attended a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. He departed Pyongyang for Russia aboard his train on Sunday afternoon. According to Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency, Friday, Kim, accompanied by Industry and Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov, observed the final assembly of Su-35 multi-purpose fighter jets and the new Sukhoi Superjet (SSJ-100) passenger jet at the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Khabarovsk region. He also had the opportunity to witness a test flight of the Su-35 fighter jet. Manturov expressed the potential for cooperation with North Korea across various industrial sectors, including aircraft production. SIOUX CITY Out of an abundance of caution, North Middle School, North High School, West Middle School and West High School were placed in secure mode Friday morning, said Leslie Heying, director of communications with the Sioux City Community School District. When secure mode is instituted, no one is allowed to enter or leave the building. That was done as a precaution while local law enforcement investigated information reportedly seen on social media. Shortly after 9:35 a.m. Friday, law enforcement determined there was no credible threat and the secure mode was lifted, Heying said. This is the second time in a week a Sioux City school was placed in secure mode following a social media threat. On Sept. 8, both West and North High School were locked down for a short period while law enforcement while investigated. As with Fridays incident, it was determined there was no reasonable threat. Parents were notified in both instances. An Omaha surgeon has been charged with manslaughter after prosecutors said he was driving nearly 70 mph over the speed limit when he caused a fatal crash on Dodge Street earlier this month. Mark A. Carlson, 61, faces one count of manslaughter in connection with the death of 22-year-old Anna Bosma of South Dakota. He remained in the hospital as of Wednesday, according to Deputy Douglas County Attorney Brenda Beadle, and will be taken into custody upon his release. If convicted of manslaughter, Carlson faces up to 20 years in prison. According to an arrest affidavit for Carlson, Omaha police officers responded to a crash at 62nd and Dodge Streets at about 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 1. Bosma, who was driving a Chevrolet Cruze, was declared dead at the scene. Citing witness interviews and security footage, officers now allege that Carlson was either racing or engaged in a road rage incident with a black SUV driven by 26-year-old Cameron Robinson before the crash. After passing University Drive East, Carlsons Mercedes E63 AMG left the roadway and struck a metal light pole on the north side of Dodge Street with the rear passenger side of his car. Carlson then crossed four lanes of traffic three westbound lanes and one eastbound before entering the farthest eastbound lane and colliding with the Chevy Cruze. Police applied for and were granted a search warrant for the air-bag control module on Carlsons Mercedes. The data showed that only about two seconds elapsed from the time Carlson hit the light pole to the impact with Bosmas car. At the time of impact with the light pole, according to the affidavit, Carlson was traveling 106 mph with 100% accelerator pedal input, meaning that he was still accelerating at full speed. Half a second before the impact with the Chevy Cruze, the accelerator pedal input remained at 100% and the vehicle was traveling 101 mph. The speed limit in the area where the crash occurred is 35 mph. Robinson, the SUV driver who was allegedly racing Carlson, does not face any charges as of Wednesday. Beadle said that Robinson stayed at the scene of the crash and provided a statement to police, but the investigation remains open. According to his University of Nebraska Medical Center faculty page, Carlson is the director of the Center for Advanced Surgical Technology in addition to being a professor in the department of surgery. He is also a staff surgeon at Omahas VA Medical Center. A spokesperson for the University of Nebraska Medical Center confirmed on Wednesday that a Mark A. Carlson is on the faculty in the department of surgery, but could not comment further on his employment status or confirm that it was the same person charged in relation to the crash. A spokesman for the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System confirmed Wednesday that Carlson is a staff surgeon at the Omaha facility. We are saddened by the situation, the spokesman said in an email. Bosma graduated from South Dakota State University in May, according to her obituary, and had just begun an occupational therapy doctorate program at the University of South Dakota. She had a deep love for animals and recently started a Facebook group to organize gatherings for people in Sioux Falls who owned Bernese Mountain Dogs. She was greatly loved, and she loved greatly in return, her obituary reads. Omaha World-Herald staff writer Julie Anderson contributed to this report. An Iowa-licensed nurse accused of multiple violations related to her work at three hospitals has agreed to surrender her license. According to the Iowa Board of Nursing, Rachel Faith Martinez, formerly of Spencer, was disciplined by the board in 2022 for administering medications to hospital patients at a higher frequency than ordered and for failing to document any pain assessments she may have conducted for certain patients. Later, Martinez was hired to work at another hospital, also unidentified by the board, and was allegedly fired from that hospital for what the board calls similar concerns. In response to that situation, the board placed Martinezs license on probation for six months beginning in October 2022. Immediately after the probation took effect, Martinez was hired to work at another hospital, which the board has not publicly identified. While working there, Martinez allegedly procured controlled substances she never documented as having been administered. She also is alleged to have given patients multiple as-needed medications at the same time or within minutes of each other, and to have doled out medications in a manner that didnt conform to a physicians orders. In addition, management at the hospital was informed by the staff that Martinezs patients were over-sedated, the board alleges. The board charged Martinez with committing an act that may adversely affect the welfare of a patient and with failing to assess or accurately document the status of patients. She and the board recently agreed to settle the case with Martinez relinquishing her license and her right to practice in Iowa. She can apply for reinstatement in one year. More nursing board actions Other Iowa-licensed nurses recently sanction by the board include: Kevin Call of Utah, who agreed to relinquish his right to practice in Iowa after the board charged him with misappropriating patient medications. The board alleged that while on a travel assignment and working at an unidentified hospital, Call procured medications for patients but never administered the drugs. Its not the first time Call has been accused of misappropriating patient medications. Records from the state of Utah indicate that in 2013, Call admitted to authorities that he had used a patients ATM card to withdraw $500 from the patients bank account without the patients permission. He also admitted taking $100 from a different patient and various sums of money from four or five other patients without those patients knowledge, according to Utah officials. A search of Calls locker at the hospital where he worked allegedly uncovered four syringes of oxycodone, plus a large number of other medications for which he had no prescription, licensing officials said. Call later practiced in the state of Montana, where he was accused of using another nurses license number to maintain employment. Calls Montana nursing license was subsequently revoked, and he agreed to surrender his Utah license. The Utah license was reinstated in 2017 subject to five years of probation. In 2019, the state of Utah terminated the probation and restored Calls license with full privileges, free and clear of any restrictions. Kathryn Stange of Des Moines, who agreed to have her nursing license placed on probation for two years. The Iowa Board of Nursing had charged Stange with excessive use of alcohol that might impair her ability to practice nursing with reasonable skill and safety. She was accused of being convicted of drunken driving on three occasions, most recently in November 2022. With regard to the 2022 conviction, police records indicate that shortly before midnight on the evening of July 23, 2022, authorities in Clarke County were notified of a black Ford Explorer that was weaving in and out of its lane, almost striking other vehicles. Less than an hour later, Stange called 911 to report that her black Ford Explorer was broken down on Interstate 35. When police arrived, Stange was allegedly sitting in the grass by her vehicle and showing signs of intoxication. A subsequent test indicated her blood-alcohol level was .218, well over the legal limit of .08, police alleged. Having previously been convicted of drunken driving in 2014 and 2017, she was initially charged with third-offense drunken driving, according to court records. In November 2022, Stange agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of second-offense drunken driving. Iowa Barn Foundation annual barn tour showcases unusual, historic barns frost barn waterloo .jpg frost barn 2 waterloo .jpg frost barn 3 waterloo .jpg frost barn 4 waterloo .jpg hayward barn 4 .jpg hayward barn 6 .jpg hayward barn 5 .jpg miller barn 3 .jpg miller barn 2.jpg koschmeder wooden silo 1 .jpg koschmeder wooden silo 5 .jpg koschmeder wooden silo 4 .jpg koschmeder wooden silo 2 .jpg secrest octagonal barn .jpg secrest octagonal barn 2 .jpg secrest octagonal barn 3 .jpg DES MOINES Government agencies in Iowa could reject a persons open records requests if the agency and a state board deem the requests to be excessive under a proposal being considered by the state board. The Iowa Public Information Boards legislative committee during a telephonic meeting Friday discussed the proposal, which was introduced by the boards executive director Erika Eckley and would require approval by state lawmakers. The committee took no action other than to recommend discussion by the full board at its next meeting. Eckley said she proposed the legislation because of concerns raised by local government officials who have complained of excessive open records requests that Eckley described as abusive and harassing in nature. Under the proposed legislation, which the board would provide to state lawmakers for their consideration, a governmental body in Iowa like a city, county or school board, for example could petition the board for relief from an individual who the government agency deems to be a vexatious requester. The Public Information Board then would determine the veracity of the agencys petition. It would consider multiple factors, including the number and scope of requests; the nature, content language or subject matter of communications to the government agency; or conduct that the government agency believes creates an unreasonable burden or is intended to harass the agency. The board then could deny the government agencys petition, or determine the petition could have merit and schedule a hearing to allow the alleged vexatious requester an opportunity to respond. If a hearing is held, the state board would then vote on the petition. If the board would vote to grant the petition, it could allow the government agency to reject the individuals open records requests for up to one year. The boards decision would be final, and could be appealed only through the courts. During Fridays legislative committee hearing, the members fielded questions from two members of the state media: Clark Kauffman of Iowa Capital Dispatch and Laura Belin of the liberal political news site Bleeding Heartland. Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a government transparency advocacy group, submitted a letter to the state board expressing concern for how the proposal would seriously erode the states open records law. He wrote that the proposed legislation would run counter to the law by excluding individuals from exercising their right to public records. What a government employee believes is a vexatious person or that the IPIB adjudicates as such may in fact involve someone others see as persistent, especially if they have a common interest in the same records and information, Evans wrote in the letter to the state board. The Iowa FOI Council is concerned this legislation would empower government to block requests for documents from individual requesters or their organizations based on the nature, content, language or subject matter of the requests. The nine-member Iowa Public Information Board is comprised of nine members, which must include three members each representing government, the media and the public. Eckley and two members of the boards three-person legislative committee public representative E.J. Giovannetti of Urbandale and government representative Barry Lindahl of Dubuque discussed the vexatious requester proposal during Fridays meeting. The legislative committees media representative, Joel McCrea, did not attend the meeting. Patrick Brown's recycled hallucination of climate science Posted on 15 September 2023 by Doug Bostrom Creating external costs Coming off very much as a disgruntled ex-academic, the Breakthrough Institute's Patrick Brown recently blew his top over what some might interpret as frustration about failure to place enough articles on their own merit into "prestige" journals. Brown decided to deal with that by tactical expediency, leaving him feeling squeamish and seeking to explain and justify himself by smearing his former colleagues in research. Brown vents his pent-up feelings in an op-ed which has poured like sweet music into the desperately thirsty and pathetically grateful ears of climate science deniers spanning the globe. We'll be hearing echoes of Brown's impulsively emotional blurt for a very long time given that workable material for climate contrarians to repeat is scanty meaning Brown has caused durable material harm to climate progress. It's to no good end. There's no silver lining here, no net gain, no legitimate cause being promoted; Brown's opinions are easily shown as factually incorrect. Brown's screed hinges on a set of bold claims in connection with a paper recently published in Nature for which he was lead author. The underpinnings of Brown's assertions are that he's juiced his work into rare success by employing deceptive practices. He frames his argument as a mea culpa, belated regret over choices he freely made and apparently would now like to excuse by scapegoating bystanders another risky choice. From his anecdotal self-imposed experience through creating an outlier report, Brown concludes that he "knows" things: "I knew not to try to quantify key aspects other than climate change in my research because it would dilute the story that prestigious journals like Nature and its rival, Science, want to tell." "And the editors of these journals have made it abundantly clear, both by what they publish and what they reject, that they want climate papers that support certain preapproved narrativeseven when those narratives come at the expense of broader knowledge for society." "The first thing the astute climate researcher knows is that his or her work should support the mainstream narrative..." "...we didnt bother to study the influence of these other obviously relevant factors. Did I know that including them would make for a more realistic and useful analysis? I did. But I also knew that it would detract from the clean narrative centered on the negative impact of climate change and thus decrease the odds that the paper would pass muster with Natures editors and reviewers." Brown is long on accusations but comes up short on evidence, in common with previous variations on a broad theme we've often heard: "climate science and academic peer review are suborned by a cabal of [globalists] [communists] [progressives] [other conspiratorial hobbyhorse]." And scientists, of course. We've already read these scripts and "scientists are corrupt" is boringly familiar and wrong. Osteoporotic rhetorical skeleton What's Brown offering in his personal interpretation of "they're all in it for..." beyond decorated splutter? Less than nothing. It's possible to cherrypick for rhetorical purposes, of course. Brown offers a hopeful smoking gun by trashing another paper in Nature. "... the authors never mention that climate change is not the dominant driver for either one of these impacts: heat-related deaths have been declining, and crop yields have been increasing for decades despite climate change." Of course they don't. These things are not the topic of the paper, which is explicitly intended to be a distillation of damages specifically attributable to CO2. Ask yourself: would a paper quantifying impacts of failing to use seatbelts swerve into a discussion of people falling from ladders and how fall arrestors might help with that, because both situations involve sudden stops on hard surfaces? No. Tangential irrelevancies are simply a distraction; there's no need to invent a nefarious purpose explaining "we're sticking with our advertised topic." Continuing in a polemical vein, Brown incompetently lodges an accusation by implication: "...there are also other factors that can be just as or more important, such as poor forest management and the increasing number of people who start wildfires either accidentally or purposely. (A startling fact: over 80 percent of wildfires in the US are ignited by humans.)" "Startling?" Forest management practics as well as human ignition sources are frequently acknowledged and discussed in a list (see below) of published academic articles we very easily produced, each often in plain sight without even passing through abstracts. What's truly startling is how Brown is telling us nothing anybody faintly acquainted with this topic doesn't already know, information easily found in all the appropriate places needed for a full picture of wildfire and climate change. Leaving aside academic literature, it's mundanely routine for readers of newspapers to read of human factors other than climate change involved in wildfire. In sum, what looks like attempted cognitive shortcircuit by gaslighting. Solipsistic tautology fails to describe climate science Brown's "I know" is pure speculation, a set of unfalsifiable claims marching in company with an army of other silly conspiracy theories about climate science and climate scientists. Meanwhile, if we remember that we're in a world of facts as opposed to overheated imagination, there's plenty of actual history we can use to evaluate Brown's indictment. Even assuming we're hearing a forthright description of his Nature paper's circumstances, we can see that Brown's work is a distinct outlier compared to most of what appears in an overall bibliography of typical related reports. Below is a partial (life is short) inventory of papers published over the past three years which deal with wildfire and climate and that happened to be included in our weekly New Research listing. The listing was derived from a dump of our database of articles including "fire" in the title, narrowing results on general relevance to the topic at hand, namely wildfire and climate change. Brief scrutiny reveals that they consistently fail to fit Brown's disturbing narrative and worldview. Despite his urgency to project his own perspective (and self-admitted apparent misbehavior) onto the habits of the scientific community at large, none of these papers reflect what he purports to be standard operating procedure. In this sample of reports we can see a common thread: climate change is a factor in wildfire among many others, is a growing component as we'd expect, and it's normal and ubiquitous that researchers acknowledge complications of wildfire factor attribution and weighting. As with the example above where Brown wishes researchers would diverge from their topic and dive into happy-talk about good things that might happen, we don't see these articles serving the role of incoherent melanges of fresh research results and wishful thinking. If they did, they'd be rejected for the obvious reasons that time and space don't need to be wasted in that way, and that popular literature is the better avenue for such mixtures. Climate research barycenter misidentified Brown seems particularly fixated on "prestige" journals, an impoverished and myopic perspective personal to himself and unreflective of the center of gravity of academic research on climate, which as with our solar system doesn't lie in the most massive shiny object in plain view. Our quick list includes articles from Nature's own journal family collection and an example from AAAS Science, but the vast majority of climate-related research is published in other journals such as Geophysical Research Letters and JGR Atmospheres. These journals don't operate in hermetic isolation from one another; reviewers and editors alike are found wearing many hats in many places. It's not remotely likely that a particular bent of bias could be maintained in some journals while others are chosen to be unaffected. As with so many other conspiracy ideations, Brown's includes too many moving parts to be plausible. Leaving aside comically implausible logistical mechanics of Brown's claims of systemic bias, it's trivially easy to find deflating examples from his favorite scapegoat Nature, leaving his imaginary scenario hanging without support. Readers may take a look for themselves, but meanwhile our quick survey of Nature articles over the past five years includes many blatantly obvious disproofs, such as Marine heatwaves are not a dominant driver of change in demersal fishes and Forced changes in the Pacific Walker circulation over the past millennium, both published only last month and of course easily visible to anybody not trapped in a bubble of motivated reasoning. So, we can see that Brown's perceptions and choices of strategies and tactics as key means of achieving publication success are belied in black and white. His hypothesis of a tacit conspiracy to distort scientific reports on climate change is factually incorrect and dipping far into deeply absurd. With 37 recent contradictory examples so readily available (including some glossy journals of the type in which he ironically yearns to appear) it seems that Brown's unoriginal personal take on climate science conspiracy is full of holes, one way or another. A better and more productive course for Brown might be to submit articles reporting research on topics of genuine interest to him in publications with a natural fit, even though doing so might mean they're published in more usefully appropriate journals such as Nature Climate Change rather than the generalist Nature, where findings from a plethora of fields jostle for limited attention. Missing the forest for the trees Is there anything substantive in Brown's plaint? He asks "So why does the press focus so intently on climate change as the root cause?" That's easy to answer, but it has nothing to do with the formal editorial or review processes of journals. Brown doesn't seem to understand but it's important for the rest of us to remember: large publishers maintain vigorous and competent press offices; what we see emerging into popular view in mass media is indeed certainly selected and styled as catnip. Battery chemistry and human health sciences are also reliable fodder for flaks. But journal press offices don't accept, review and publish research investigation reports. Assuming we're not looking at a persuasive economy of truth, Brown's expressed ignorance of the media food chain leads him into sloppy slander. Recent routinely circumspect research reports on climate change in connnection with wildfire: Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s, Parisien et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00977-1 Anthropogenic climate change impacts exacerbate summer forest fires in California, Turco et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2213815120 Assessing the role of compound drought and heatwave events on unprecedented 2020 wildfires in the Pantanal, Libonati et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac462e Atmospheric variability contributes to increasing wildfire weather but not as much as global warming, Diffenbaugh et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2117876118 Bottom-up drivers of future fire regimes in western boreal North America, Foster et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1088/1748-9326/ac4c1e Causes and consequences of eastern Australia's 2019-20 season of mega-fires, Nolan et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.14987 Causes of the Widespread 20192020 Australian Bushfire Season, Deb et al., Earth's Future 10.1029/2020ef001671 Climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme autumn wildfire conditions across California, Goss et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ab83a7 Climate regime shift and forest loss amplify fire in Amazonian forest, Xu et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.15279 Climate, fuel, and land use shaped the spatial pattern of wildfire in California's Sierra Nevada, Chen et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2020jg005786 Climate-driven Mediterranean fire hazard assessments for 20202100 on the light of past millennial variability, Lestienne et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-021-03258-y Climatology and trend analysis (1987 2016) of fire weather in the Euro-Mediterranean, Giannaros et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.6701 Contrasting the role of human- and lightning-caused wildfires on future fire regimes on a Central Oregon landscape, Barros et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac03da Fires prime terrestrial organic carbon for riverine export to the global oceans, Jones et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-020-16576-z How climate change and fire exclusion drive wildfire regimes at actionable scales, Hanan et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/abd78e Human-caused fires release more carbon than lightning-caused fires in the conterminous United States, Liu & Yang, Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/abcbbc Impacts of Californias climate-relevant land use policy scenarios on terrestrial carbon emissions (CO 2 and CH 4 ) and wildfire risk, Simmonds et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/abcc8d Increased extreme fire weather occurrence in southeast Australia and related atmospheric drivers, Richardson et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2021.100397 Increasing large wildfires over the western United States linked to diminishing sea ice in the Arctic, Zou et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-021-26232-9 Increasing synchronous fire danger in forests of the western United States, Abatzoglou et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2020gl091377 Large wildfire driven increases in nighttime fire activity observed across CONUS from 20032020, Freeborn et al., Remote Sensing of Environment Open Access 10.1016/j.rse.2021.112777 Letter to the editor on Nonlinear dynamics of fires in Africa over recent decades controlled by precipitation, Zubkova & Giglio, Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16021 Meteorological environments associated with California wildfires and their potential roles in wildfire changes during 1984-2017, Dong et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2020jd033180 Nonlinear dynamics of fires in Africa over recent decades controlled by precipitation, Wei et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.15190 On the prevalence of forest fires in Spain, Boccard, Natural Hazards Open Access pdf 10.1007/s11069-022-05384-x Projected increases in western US forest fire despite growing fuel constraints, Abatzoglou et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-021-00299-0 Quantifying contributions of natural variability and anthropogenic forcings on increased fire weather risk over the western United States, Zhuang et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2111875118 Record-setting climate enabled the extraordinary 2020 fire season in the western United States, Higuera & Abatzoglou, Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.15388 Relationships of climate, human activity, and fire history to spatiotemporal variation in annual fire probability across California, Park et al., PLOS ONE Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pone.0254723 Response to concerns about the African fire trends controlled by precipitation over recent decades, Wei et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16020 The Australian wildfires from a systems dependency perspective, Handmer et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/abc0bc The effect of climate change on indicators of fire danger in the UK, Arnell et al., Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/abd9f2 Towards a comprehensive look at global drivers of novel extreme wildfire events, Duane et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-021-03066-4 Tree planting: A double-edged sword to fight climate change in an era of megafires, Hermoso et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.15625 Trends and patterns in annually burned forest areas and fire weather across the European boreal zone in the 20th and early 21st centuries, Drobyshev et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108467 Wildfire combustion and carbon stocks in the southern Canadian boreal forest: Implications for a warming world, Dieleman et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.15158 Wildfire response to changing daily temperature extremes in Californias Sierra Nevada, Gutierrez et al., Science Advances Open Access pdf 10.1126/sciadv.abe6417 Popular memory has not been kind to Bill Clinton. Even many liberals and progressives now disavow the Clinton legacy. The (very solid) case against him, from the left: His presidency was marked by retrograde domestic policies that authored mass incarceration, workfare, unpopular trade deals, financial deregulation, and austerity through deficit reduction. In practice, Clintons new economy became a form of hypercapitalism defined by digital infrastructure, bloated executive salaries, advances in worker surveillance, the increasing hegemony of box stores with draconian anti-union policies, and the rise of McJobs within the so-called gig economy. (During the Clinton years, job growth was strongest in low-skill, low-pay industriesparticularly retail and service.) Executive-approved buzzwords such as team-building, employee involvement, and high-performance productivity gave new gloss to old forms of worker coercion. And as millions of good-paying manufacturing jobs vanished and unions floundered, the evisceration of key New Deal entitlements and social protections for newly vulnerable workers stoked resentment and electoral backlash. It didnt have to be this way. In a new book, historians Nelson Lichtenstein and Judith Stein (19402017) contend that the path to Clintonian neoliberalism was not a fait accompli, a top-down conspiracy, or even a set of strategic policy choices. Rather, it was contingent and crooked. Exploring the how and why of Clintons supposed transmutation from progressive to centrist, the authors argue that Bill Clinton and his team were not so-called New Democrats when they arrived at the White House. Rather, they gradually and fitfully moved toward the center between 1993 and 2001, thereby solidifying a host of short- and long-term structural changes and political shifts: the end of the Cold War, growing Wall Street influence, hyperglobalization, the explosion of the carceral state, the emergence of a more punitive and less generous welfare state, the decline of unions, and eventually the rise of Trumpism. Advertisement Advertisement Slate receives a commission when you purchase items using the links on this page. Thank you for your support. Advertisement These disastrous outcomes were never Clintons intention, Lichtenstein and Stein insist. But as thorough, insightful, and nuanced as their book is, this argument is not entirely convincing. A Fabulous Failure overlooks the fact that Clintons deep-seated hostility toward organized labor closed the door on the possibility of a more populist, interracial working-class electoral coalitionin the mold of Jesse Jacksons Rainbow Coalitionand precluded the development of genuinely bold, progressive policies. We are all paying the price today. Advertisement Advertisement Although never a New Leftist, the young Clinton was a southern progressive and cautious radical, the authors note, when he entered the Arkansas governors mansion in 1979. As governor, Clinton made populist gestures and, at times, presented himself as a political insurgent. Yet, A Fabulous Failures argument goes, he was constrained by the hard demands of the Arkansas business class and the absence of strong unions and civil rights organizations in the state. According to Lichtenstein and Stein, Clinton hoped to build a more equitable economybut he valued skills attainment over redistribution and private-public innovation over government programs. He was also sincere about education reform, even as he eschewed direct material aid in favor of teacher testing, vocational skills training, and meritocratic notions of educational opportunity. Clinton may have called himself a New Democrat, the authors admit, but they add that he was never a creature of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council. Even after Clinton was president, his proposed health care reform agenda (pushed by party activists and loyal opposition in the Congressional Budget Office) would have been far more transformational and market-regulating than Obamacare, they argue. Advertisement Advertisement The creation of a permanent and engaged New Dealstyle coalition that could win decisive legislative majorities and pass progressive policy in the 1990s would have required a potent and engaged labor movement. Yet Lichtenstein and Stein depict a rising politician undermining progressive allies, selling out unions, and largely acceding to corporate interests. The authors allude to young Clintons deeply held progressive sensibilities and determination to enact reform from within. But how committed was Clinton to the cause of working people when his first date with his future wife, in 1971, involved crossing a picket line at Yale? Lichtenstein and Stein never quite square this circle. Advertisement As a young politician, Clinton could have done far more. Arkansas in the 1970s was actually the most unionized state in the former Confederacy, and the AFL-CIO was its most influential political organization. Meanwhile, voters across the border in Missouria state comparable to Arkansas in many wayssupported a far more robust liberal-labor presence. Under Clintons leadership, organized labor disintegrated in Arkansas. As governor, he broke pro-labor campaign promises and opted not to challenge the states right-to-work law. Ever the triangulator, Clinton even launched attack ads against progressive challengers, warning that unions were disastrous for the economy of Arkansasall part of an effort to encourage corporations to relocate to the state and grow low-wage jobs there. Advertisement Such double dealings stemmed from Clintons distorted understanding of other economic systems and a failure of imagination. For example, Clinton dreamed of remaking Arkansas economy in the image of the small-scale, high-skill, and flexible production modelsmicroenterpriseshe encountered when he toured northern Italy in the 1980s. Curiously, though, Clinton did not see that regions massive trade union movement, syndicalist traditions, or municipal communism as critical to its economic success. The deterioration of organized labor under Clintons watch was, the authors write, a self-fulfilling prophecy, as he deliberately undermined unions in the state and then cited their shrinking numbers as cause for writing them off entirely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Oval Office, Clinton repeated these calculated betrayals on the national stage. Lichtenstein and Stein depict a chief executive who was smart and skilled, but also cynical, opportunistic, and unprincipled. Clinton sought moderate reforms, at least initially, but too often saw that agenda thwarted by an incredulous and tightly coordinated business classnot to mention endless culture war battles and personal foibles. Most importantly, Clintons personal disdain for organized labor left him ill-equipped to challenge entrenched corporate power, even if he had wanted to. (He didnt.) Despite a growing chorus of dissenters, which eventually erupted on the streets at the Battle of Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization in 1999, Clintons domestic agenda soon came under the near-total influence of doctrinal deregulators like Larry Summers, who sought to portray the political and economic program as pragmatic and natural. (Any alternative was not only ideological, but it was also futile.) Of course, their flavor of capitalismlike all forms of capitalismwas not organic. It required massive state mobilization to create and restructure markets and augment private-public partnerships. That mobilization did not, however, provide direct investment in universal programs for working people. The result: Clinton, unlike FDRor to a far lesser extent, Obamawas never able to pass legislation whose mass benefits would guarantee a broad, faithful, and durable voting base. Advertisement Advertisement Clintons role in decoupling the Democratic Party from mainstream labor, first in Arkansas and then nationally, had dire implications for working women and people of color. Lichtenstein and Stein profile a president who could feel racism and racial disparities, yet did not recognize that such injustices could be upended only through working-class empowerment. Whether in Hillarys relationship with Walmart (she sat on its board of directors from 1986 to 1992) or Bills tough on crime politicking, the Clintons exhibited a lack of understandingor perhaps concernthat diversity, crime, and trade issues were class issues, and labor issues specifically. This detachment of race and gender from class presumably helped justify both welfare deformas Eileen Boris and others call itand the 1994 crime bill, which, despite support from the Congressional Black Caucus and scores of middle-class Black voters, proved disastrous for working-class communities of color. In that sense, A Fabulous Failure hints at the extreme limitationsif not the utter futilityof any kind of anti-racism or feminism that does not include robust support for unions and worker power. Advertisement Advertisement But the book could have gone much further. This impressive survey of a leaders (somewhat) good intentions led astray by structural forces, personal failings, and a hefty dose of realpolitik might have led Lichtenstein and Stein to address larger questions about the deleterious impact of inequality on civil society and the basic contradictions between democracy and capitalism. Instead, the authors often seem to champion good (New Deal) over bad (neoliberal) expressions of capitalism. They see the 1970s as a pivotal decade (in Judith Steins well-known formulation) in which a new Democratic leadership class enabled a shift from the New Deal order to the post-Fordist order. Accordingly, Lichtenstein and Stein extol the New Deal tripartism that propelled U.S. economic growth, doubled the standard of living, and sustained Democratic Party hegemony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Butas other historians of the eras continuing impact on American life has recently articulatedthere are tremendous continuities between the New Deal and neoliberal stripes of capitalism. As Margot Canaday, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Colin Gordon, and others have shown, the New Deal state was often highly exclusionary (along lines of race, sexual orientation, and beyond), deferential to the business sector, and relatively meager compared to the supports offered in other industrialized nations. And in his new book, Brent Cebul shows how the supply-side liberalism of the midcentury period functioned as a bridge between these supposedly discrete historical eras and political traditions. In that vein, just as the New Deals emphasis on individualism and its conscious (anticommunist) rejection of collectivism ultimately sowed the seeds of its own destruction, the Clintonitesthrough policies that exacerbated economic inequalityhelped open the door to retrograde forces that they had barely imagined. Indeed, Clintons presidency ended with a variety of hidden fractures that slowly became evident starting with the bursting dot-com bubble and Al Gores defeat in 2000, and later resurfaced during the Great Recession, which laid waste to the fiction that corporate self-interest could serve as sufficient protection for the public. Bank bailouts and the increased concentration of private economic power in the political realm further blurred the lines between the corporate and governmental spheres. Predictably, these trends conferred new legitimacy on anti-statism, as right-wing populist anger spurred class dealignment, accelerated by the long decline of unions. Through scare words such as globalization and multiculturalism, Republicans connected economic grievances to racial resentment, hastening voter defections and laying the groundwork for the white nationalism and empty material promises of Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, A Fabulous Failure points to the hopelessness of social justice without a vital place for organized labor. This is a crucial and timely appeal. But the books central claim that Clinton became a full-throated neoliberal only as president is unconvincingand contradicted at times by the authors own evidence. Put simply, Lichtenstein and Stein are too soft on Clintons record before he took the oath of office in 1993. After all, Clinton had established his anti-labor and racist bona fides before his 1992 electoral victory over George Bush, as illustrated by the execution of Ricky Ray Rector and his appalling public repudiation of Jesse Jackson and Sister Souljah in the wake of the Los Angeles rebellion. Advertisement Moreover, precisely when or how Clinton became a Clintonite is less importantand less interestingthan how he, like Obama and Trump, both drew from and added to a consensus politics whose features cannot simply be indicted as neoliberalism. Rather, its traits are endemic to capitalism itself: extreme wealth inequality, corporate monopoly, symmetry between private and public power, market erraticism, worker displacement, and environmental destruction. We still inhabit the world that Bill Clinton created. But Clinton was also a product of the world that created him. Lichtenstein and Stein seem to advocate for a return to the New Deal and a softer brand of capitalism through enhanced worker power. Yet the New Deal eraadmittedly the greatest period of worker power expression in U.S. historycontained the very seeds of the market-oriented state that Clinton cultivated. With wealth inequality at an all-time high, fascism resurgent, and climate crisis at a tipping point, we are still harvesting that rancid yield. The sweep of democracy under capitalism between FDR and Clinton suggests that liberation cannot be achieved by taming unruly markets (managing capitalism) or promoting a more favorable balance between workers and owners. It can be won only by transcending the system altogether. For months, conservative media outlets, supporters of Donald Trump, and Republican officials have argued loudly that Hunter Biden has been getting kid-glove treatment in his assorted criminal investigations because hes President Joe Bidens son. This week, a major problem emerged with the GOPs two-tiered system of justice allegation when Hunter was charged with multiple felonies stemming from a 2018 firearm purchase. This development reveals that Republicans had it exactly backward: Hunter Biden is receiving especially unfavorable treatment because his father is the president. The new charges, unveiled in an indictment on Thursday, are not just unusual; they would be inexplicable outside of the context of the political attacks on the Biden family. Indeed, they reek of selective prosecution, as if special counsel David Weiss started with the premise that Biden must be charged with something, anything, to satisfy the howling mob, and gun-related crimes were the lowest-hanging fruit. Weiss, however, may well have miscalculated. The centerpiece of the indictment, an allegation that Biden possessed a gun while using crack, is on extraordinarily shaky constitutional ground; one federal appeals court recently held that the categorical gun ban for drug users violates the Second Amendment. The other two charges pertain to lying on a government form while trying to buy a firearm. These charges are on more solid ground, but for an extraordinarily common offense that almost never results in criminal prosecution. Advertisement It appears likely, then, that after a plea bargain between Weiss and Biden fell apart this summer, the special counsel sought to placate Republican critics by bringing the harshest possible charges. Biden deserves some blame here: Rather than accept a mostly favorable plea deal, he and his lawyers demanded sweeping immunity and an end to Weiss probean overreach that scuttled the agreement and set the wheels in motion for the new indictment. That miscalculation was the decisive factor in Attorney General Merrick Garlands decision to elevate Weiss, originally a Trump appointee, from U.S. attorney to special counsel. Armed with this broader authority, Weiss was bound to come up with some reason to threaten his target with prison time. This chain of events was entirely foreseeable, a fact that Hunter Bidens own hubris seems to have stopped him from seeing. Advertisement Advertisement And yet, after Weiss lengthy investigation as U.S. attorney, and further probing as special counsel, this indictment was the best he could come up with: an allegation that Biden violated laws that are either constitutionally dubious or vanishingly enforced. Yes, Weiss claims he is still probing Bidens business dealings, but so are congressional Republicans, and despite their obsessive inquisition, they have yet to identify any criminal conduct, aside from possible tax violations that usually result in financial penalties. Hunter Biden is a deeply flawed man who made many bad decisions, but it is improbable that those decisions would have triggered prosecution if he werent the presidents son. Advertisement Advertisement Start with the gun charge. Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm by anyone who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance. Standalone prosecutions for this crime are rare: According to an Urban Institute study, 3,695 people were investigated for violating the statute between 2000 and 2016, a rate of roughly 231 people a year. A smaller number of these suspects were charged, and even fewer convicted, though the exact data is unavailable. Notably, a majority of defendants charged with unlawfully possessing a gun for any reason were also charged with a substantive crime, like bank robbery. Charges against a drug user for gun possession are usually brought in conjunction with, or in lieu of, other drug-related charges, as professor Dru Stevenson has found. A charge unconnected to a more serious offense, like the one Weiss brought against Biden, is quite unusual. Advertisement These prosecutions are also in legal jeopardy because they are difficult to square with the Supreme Courts 2022 Bruen decision. In Bruen, the court declared that restrictions on the right to bear arms violate the Second Amendment unless they have sufficient historical analogues from the 18th and 19th centuries. But there are no historical analogues to the contemporary federal ban on gun possession by illegal drug users. A few regulations from past centuries barred people from carrying or using firearms while intoxicated; they did not impose a categorical ban on gun possession among people who used intoxicants. Once sober, gun owners regained their right to bear arms in public. For that reason, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit held in August that the categorical ban is unconstitutional unless applied to a person who uses a gun while intoxicated. While the 5th Circuit is often far outside the mainstream, this decision was joined by the liberal Judge Stephen Higginson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 11-day period when Biden had a gun coincided with renewed struggles with crack cocaine and alcohol, as he admitted in his memoir. But there is no evidence that he carried or used the firearm while under the influence of crack. Unless Weiss can prove otherwise, this charge may flounder in court. It is especially vulnerable at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, which encompasses Delaware; a coalition of conservative and liberal judges on the 3rd Circuit has begun to wield Bruen against categorical bans on gun ownership. Aware, perhaps, that this single charge would look weak, Weiss brought two accompanying charges, both accusing Biden of lying about his drug use on a federal form when buying the gun. (He allegedly committed two offenseslying to both the dealer and the federal governmentbut the charges are basically identical.) Obviously, Biden should not have done this; it was a wrongful act that deserves scorn and scrutiny. Advertisement Related From Slate The New Judicial Trend That Bodes Terribly for Donald Trump Read More But does it merit prosecution? Federal prosecutors dont seem to think so, at least when the suspect isnt named Hunter Biden. These forms are designed to identify individuals who are prohibited from buying guns before they are sold a weapon. Gun sales by licensed dealers are subject to a background check processed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check, or NICS. In theory, law enforcement should investigate most NICS denials; thats because a denial indicates that a buyer told the dealer he was eligible to purchase a firearm, but was later found to be ineligible. In other words, a NICS denial may signal that the buyer lied on their forms. (A 2016 federal audit found that less than one percent of one percent of denials are due to false positives.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Law enforcement, though, does not follow up on each NICS denial, because that would be impossible. A Government Accountability Office report examining data for fiscal year 2017 found that 112,090 people were denied a gun after a NICS background check. ATF referred 12,710 of those individuals for investigation. And a grand total of 12 people faced federal charges, a rate of 0.1 percent.* Most of these individuals, moreover, were charged for lying about a past felony conviction, not drug use. Advertisement There are other ways that law enforcement might discover that a gun buyer lied on their form. In a typical case, an individual might be found in possession of a weapon, and an investigation will show that they lied to the dealer when purchasing it. The Washington Post reported, based on data from the Department of Justice, that 433 of these cases were referred to federal prosecutors in fiscal year 2020, while charges were filed in 243 of them. Although the DOJ has not released the precise data, an overwhelming majority of these cases were almost certainly charges for lying about a criminal record, given that about 90 percent of people barred from buying a gun are disqualified by a felony conviction. (The number of people denied a gun because of drug use is about 3 percent.) These charges were also frequently accompanied by more serious criminal charges. Further, the DOJ did provide the Washington Post with specific data for Delaware, where Biden was charged; it shows that in fiscal year 2019, no one faced federal prosecution for lying on a federal form when trying to buy a gun. Advertisement Recall that about 200 million Americans now live in states where marijuana is legalized for recreational or medical purposes, and that marijuana users are still forbidden from buying a gun. With about 17 million gun sales a year, it is a safe bet that many purchasers are lying about drug use. And yet prosecutions of these lies are statistically close to zero. Hunter Biden should not have used crack cocaine, lied to the government, or illegally bought a gun. Nor should he have helped to blow up a favorable plea bargain because it did not give him absolute immunity. But his own misdeeds do not make it acceptable for Weiss to cook up three charges that an ordinary citizen would never face. Selective prosecution claims are essentially impossible to prove, so Hunter cannot use the flagrantly political motives here to defeat the indictment. That makes this case an unfortunate reflection of the criminal legal systems inability to restrain prosecutors worst impulses. These lawyers have vast discretion, and we trust them to exercise it responsibly; Weiss has broken that trust. Most victims of prosecutorial overreach are indigent people of color; Biden, by contrast, has a team of well-paid lawyers who will provide him with stellar representation, including a strong constitutional challenge. That advantage doesnt change the fact that his prosecution is fundamentally, irredeemably unjust. Loan processors play an essential role in the financial industry, acting as the bridge between loan applicants, mortgage lenders, and other stakeholders. This article goes into the key aspects of a loan processors job, from duties and responsibilities to required skills and qualifications. Well also explore the career outlook and opportunities for growth in this vital role. Loan Processor Job Description and Key Responsibilities A loan processors primary responsibility is to manage loan files and ensure the smooth processing of mortgage loans and other loan applications. Their job includes working with various banking computer software systems, coordinating with loan officers and mortgage brokers, and ensuring that mortgage loans and loan applications are processed promptly and efficiently. Some of the essential duties and responsibilities of a loan processor include: Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here Reviewing loan applications and financial records to assess the creditworthiness of applicants. Obtaining and verifying necessary documentation, such as credit reports, tax returns, and other financial information. Communicating with loan applicants, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, and other stakeholders to gather and confirm required data. Ensuring compliance with relevant rules, regulations, and law requirements in processing loan applications. Working closely with loan officers to provide exceptional customer service and address any issues or concerns that arise during the loan application process. Loan Processor Skills and Responsibilities The role of a Loan Processor is pivotal in the mortgage lending process, ensuring that all necessary documentation and information are meticulously prepared and reviewed for loan approval. Loan processors act as the bridge between borrowers, loan officers, and underwriters, ensuring a smooth and efficient loan origination process. Here are eight key responsibilities of a Loan Processor: Application Review: Thoroughly review loan applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with lending regulations and company policies. Thoroughly review loan applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with lending regulations and company policies. Document Collection: Gather all required documents from borrowers, such as income verification, credit reports, appraisal reports, and insurance information. Gather all required documents from borrowers, such as income verification, credit reports, appraisal reports, and insurance information. Communication: Maintain open communication with borrowers, loan officers, underwriters, and other stakeholders to provide updates on the loan status and request any additional information as needed. Maintain open communication with borrowers, loan officers, underwriters, and other stakeholders to provide updates on the loan status and request any additional information as needed. Verification: Verify the authenticity and accuracy of borrower-provided documents, including income, employment, assets, and liabilities. Verify the authenticity and accuracy of borrower-provided documents, including income, employment, assets, and liabilities. Credit Analysis: Perform credit analysis to assess borrowers creditworthiness and ensure they meet lending criteria. Perform credit analysis to assess borrowers creditworthiness and ensure they meet lending criteria. Title and Escrow Coordination: Collaborate with title companies and escrow agents to ensure a smooth closing process, including verifying property titles and coordinating the settlement. Collaborate with title companies and escrow agents to ensure a smooth closing process, including verifying property titles and coordinating the settlement. Compliance Adherence: Ensure that all loan files comply with federal, state, and company regulations and guidelines, including anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Ensure that all loan files comply with federal, state, and company regulations and guidelines, including anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Pipeline Management: Manage a pipeline of loan applications, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines to facilitate timely loan closings while providing exceptional customer service to borrowers and stakeholders. Responsibility Description Application Review Thoroughly review loan applications to ensure they are complete, accurate, and compliant with lending regulations and company policies. Document Collection Gather all necessary documents from borrowers, including income verification, credit reports, appraisal reports, and insurance information. Communication Maintain open and effective communication with borrowers, loan officers, underwriters, and other stakeholders. Provide updates on the loan status and request additional information as needed. Verification Verify the authenticity and accuracy of documents provided by borrowers, including income, employment, assets, and liabilities. Credit Analysis Perform a credit analysis to assess borrowers' creditworthiness and ensure they meet the lending criteria set by the company. Title and Escrow Coordination Collaborate with title companies and escrow agents to ensure a seamless closing process, which includes verifying property titles and coordinating the settlement. Compliance Adherence Ensure that all loan files adhere to federal, state, and company regulations and guidelines, including compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Pipeline Management Manage a pipeline of loan applications, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines to facilitate timely loan closings. Provide exceptional customer service to borrowers and stakeholders throughout the process. Small Business Deals Educational and Experience Requirements for Loan Processors Loan processors are generally required to meet a minimum educational requirement of a high school diploma or equivalent, though many employers prefer candidates with a bachelors degree in finance, business, or a related field. Previous experience in banking, mortgage lending, or loan processing can provide a competitive advantage to applicants. In addition to educational and experiential qualifications, loan processors must possess knowledge of loan repayment plans and creditworthiness assessments. They play a crucial role in evaluating the financial stability of loan applicants and determining appropriate loan repayment plans. With the right combination of education, experience, and expertise, loan processors can help ensure successful loan processing outcomes. Compensation and Career Outlook for Loan Processors The salary of a loan processor can vary based on their level of experience and the location of the job. Qualified applicants can expect opportunities for growth and advancement in both job responsibilities and compensation, much like other positions within the financial industry. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in loan processing may also be eligible candidates for similar job titles, such as mortgage underwriter, credit analyst, or loan officer. Each of these roles involves unique challenges and rewards, with varying levels of responsibility and specialization in the fields of mortgage lending and loan processing. Creditworthiness assessments are a critical aspect of all these positions, and loan processors must possess this expertise to succeed in their role. Navigating Financial Institution and Credit Union Regulations Loan processors must be well-versed in the established regulations and guidelines governing financial institutions and credit unions. They are responsible for ensuring that all loan applications and contracts adhere to these rules, which can be both complex and subject to change. To stay current on industry regulations, loan processors should engage in ongoing background research and education. This may include attending industry conferences, participating in professional organizations, and maintaining relevant certifications or licensures. Ensuring Timely Processing and Meeting Tight Deadlines One of the most significant challenges faced by loan processors is managing their workload to meet tight deadlines. Loan applications must be processed in a timely manner to ensure that potential borrowers receive a prompt response and that mortgage lenders can efficiently move forward with the loan approval process. To meet these deadlines, loan processors must have excellent time management skills and be able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. They must also be adept at coordinating with various stakeholders, such as loan applicants, mortgage lenders, real estate agents, and loan officers, to ensure that all necessary documentation and information are collected and verified quickly. Collaborating with Various Stakeholders and Building Strong Relationships Loan processors work closely with many different parties throughout the loan application and approval process. Building strong relationships with these stakeholders is crucial for ensuring a smooth and efficient process. This includes maintaining excellent communication with loan officers, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, and financial institutions. To develop and maintain these relationships, loan processors must have exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal. They should also be able to provide excellent customer service and be comfortable working with diverse groups of people. The Loan Processor Role: Challenges and Tips for Success The loan processor role can be challenging, but it is also rewarding and offers numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. To succeed in this career, loan processors should focus on honing their time management, communication, and soft skills, while also staying up-to-date on industry regulations and best practices. Some tips for success in the loan processor role include: Continuously updating knowledge of industry regulations, trends, and best practices. Developing strong relationships with loan applicants, mortgage lenders, real estate agents, and other stakeholders. Utilizing efficient systems and software to streamline the loan application and processing workflow. Prioritizing tasks and setting realistic deadlines to manage workload effectively. Seeking opportunities for professional development, such as attending industry conferences or pursuing certifications. Adapting to Changes in the Financial Industry The financial industry is constantly evolving, and loan processors must be adaptable to keep up with these changes. This may include staying informed about new loan products, adjusting to updated regulations, or embracing technological advancements that improve efficiency and accuracy in the loan processing workflow. Loan processors should always be open to learning new skills and techniques that can enhance their performance in their role. By staying current on industry developments and embracing change, loan processors can ensure they remain valuable assets to their financial institutions and continue to provide the best possible service to their clients. Balancing Multiple Loan Types and Individual Loans In their role, loan processors are often responsible for processing various loan types, from mortgage loans to personal loans and auto loans. Each loan type may have its own unique set of requirements and guidelines, which loan processors must be familiar with to ensure accurate and compliant processing. Loan processors must also be able to balance the demands of processing multiple individual loans simultaneously. This requires excellent organization and multitasking skills, as well as the ability to prioritize tasks effectively. By staying organized and focused, loan processors can manage their workload efficiently and ensure timely processing for all loan applications. Job Seeking Tips for Aspiring Loan Processors For those interested in pursuing a career as a loan processor, its essential to develop a strong resume that highlights relevant skills, qualifications, and experience. When applying for loan processor jobs, be sure to tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific requirements and expectations of each potential employer. This may include emphasizing your experience with mortgage lending, loan processing, or financial institution regulations. Networking is another critical component of job seeking in the financial industry. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and engage with others in the field through social media or online forums. Building connections with professionals in the loan processing and mortgage lending fields can lead to valuable job opportunities and provide insights into the latest trends and best practices. Job Description Template When creating a loan processor job description, it is essential to outline the specific duties and responsibilities, required qualifications, skills, and experience, as well as any expectations for the workplace, schedule, and potential collaboration with other professionals. Here is a template to help guide you: Job Description Template #1: This template is for a Loan Processor position at a small business specializing in providing financial solutions. The Loan Processor will be responsible for reviewing loan applications, verifying information, and preparing loan files for underwriting. The ideal candidate should have strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines. Job Description: Loan Processor Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a small business specializing in providing financial solutions to our clients. We are currently seeking a detail-oriented and organized Loan Processor to join our team. As a Loan Processor, you will play a critical role in the loan origination process, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in processing loan applications. Job Description: As a Loan Processor at [Company Name], you will be responsible for gathering and reviewing loan documentation, verifying information, and preparing loan files for underwriting. The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines. Responsibilities: Receive and review loan applications to ensure completeness and accuracy of information. Verify borrower information, including income, employment history, and creditworthiness. Request and gather required documentation from borrowers, such as pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns. Submit loan files to underwriting for review and decisioning. Coordinate with loan officers, borrowers, and other stakeholders to obtain any missing or additional documentation. Review loan documents for accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements. Prepare loan packages for closing, including preparing closing documents and coordinating with title companies or attorneys. Communicate effectively with borrowers and provide regular updates on the loan status. Maintain accurate and organized loan files and documentation. Qualifications: Previous experience as a Loan Processor or in a similar role is preferred. Strong understanding of loan processing procedures, including knowledge of mortgage lending regulations. Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Effective communication skills, both written and verbal. Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Proficiency in loan origination software and Microsoft Office Suite. High school diploma or equivalent; additional education in finance or related field is a plus. Benefits: Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for professional growth and advancement. To Apply: Please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications to [email address] with the subject line Loan Processor Application [Your Name]. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to reviewing your application. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Job Description Template #2: In this template, the company is a reputable financial institution seeking a Senior Loan Processor. The Senior Loan Processor will oversee the loan processing function, review loan applications, and maintain quality control throughout the loan origination process. The role requires extensive loan processing experience, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to excellence. Job Description: Senior Loan Processor Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a reputable financial institution providing a wide range of lending services to our clients. We are currently seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Senior Loan Processor to join our team. As a Senior Loan Processor, you will oversee the loan processing function and ensure the timely and accurate completion of loan files. Job Description: As a Senior Loan Processor at [Company Name], you will be responsible for managing and supervising the loan processing team, reviewing loan applications, and maintaining quality control throughout the loan origination process. The ideal candidate has extensive loan processing experience, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to excellence. Responsibilities: Oversee and manage the loan processing function, including assigning tasks and monitoring team performance. Review loan applications for completeness, accuracy, and adherence to lending guidelines. Verify borrower information and documentation, including income, assets, and credit history. Communicate with borrowers, loan officers, underwriters, and other stakeholders to obtain any necessary documentation or clarification. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies. Manage loan pipeline and prioritize workload to meet closing deadlines. Perform quality control checks on loan files to identify and resolve any issues or discrepancies. Train and mentor junior loan processors to ensure their professional development and adherence to processing standards. Stay updated on industry trends, regulations, and best practices related to loan processing. Collaborate with underwriters, loan officers, and other departments to resolve any loan-related issues. Maintain accurate and organized loan files and documentation. Provide excellent customer service to borrowers and stakeholders, addressing any inquiries or concerns in a timely and professional manner. Qualifications: Previous experience as a Loan Processor, with a strong background in mortgage lending. In-depth knowledge of loan processing procedures and regulations. Strong leadership and supervisory skills. Excellent attention to detail and organizational abilities. Effective communication and interpersonal skills. Proficient in loan origination software and Microsoft Office Suite. High school diploma or equivalent; additional education in finance or related field is a plus. Benefits: Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for professional growth and advancement. To Apply: Please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications to [email address] with the subject line Senior Loan Processor Application [Your Name]. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to reviewing your application. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Job Description Template #3: The company in this template is a trusted mortgage lender searching for a Mortgage Loan Processor. The Mortgage Loan Processor will review loan applications, gather documentation, and coordinate the loan processing workflow. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of mortgage lending procedures, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. Job Description: Mortgage Loan Processor Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a trusted mortgage lender dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve their homeownership dreams. We are currently seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Mortgage Loan Processor to join our team. As a Mortgage Loan Processor, you will play a critical role in ensuring the smooth and efficient processing of mortgage loan applications. Job Description: As a Mortgage Loan Processor at [Company Name], you will be responsible for reviewing loan applications, gathering documentation, and coordinating the loan processing workflow. The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of mortgage lending procedures, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. Responsibilities: Review loan applications to ensure accuracy, completeness, and adherence to lending guidelines. Collect and verify borrower information, including income, assets, and credit history. Request and obtain necessary documentation from borrowers, such as pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns. Communicate with borrowers, loan officers, underwriters, and other stakeholders to obtain any missing or additional documentation. Prepare loan files for underwriting, ensuring all required information is included. Coordinate with title companies, appraisers, and other third parties to facilitate the loan closing process. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies. Maintain accurate and organized loan files and documentation. Provide updates to borrowers and stakeholders regarding the status of loan applications. Qualifications: Previous experience as a Mortgage Loan Processor or in a similar role is required. Strong knowledge of mortgage lending procedures, including understanding of loan products, underwriting guidelines, and regulatory requirements. Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills. Effective communication and interpersonal abilities. Proficient in loan origination software and Microsoft Office Suite. High school diploma or equivalent; additional education in finance or related field is a plus. Benefits: Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for professional growth and advancement. To Apply: Please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications to [email address] with the subject line Mortgage Loan Processor Application [Your Name]. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to reviewing your application. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Please note that only qualified candidates will be contacted for further consideration. Job Description Template 4: This template is for a Junior Loan Processor position at a growing financial institution. The Junior Loan Processor will assist in reviewing loan applications, collecting borrower information, and preparing loan files. The role requires attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment. Job Description: Junior Loan Processor Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a growing financial institution dedicated to providing excellent lending solutions to our clients. We are currently seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Junior Loan Processor to join our team. As a Junior Loan Processor, you will support the loan processing function by assisting with loan application reviews, documentation collection, and file preparation. Job Description: As a Junior Loan Processor at [Company Name], you will work closely with senior loan processors and loan officers to ensure the timely and accurate processing of loan applications. The ideal candidate is organized, eager to learn, and has strong attention to detail. Responsibilities: Assist in reviewing loan applications for completeness and accuracy. Collect and verify borrower information and documentation. Request and gather necessary documentation from borrowers, such as income verification, tax returns, and bank statements. Input loan application data into the loan origination system accurately. Assist in preparing loan files for underwriting, ensuring all required documents are included. Communicate with borrowers, loan officers, and other stakeholders to obtain any missing or additional documentation. Support the coordination of loan closings by working with title companies and attorneys. Maintain accurate and organized loan files and documentation. Learn and adhere to regulatory requirements and company policies. Provide updates to borrowers and stakeholders regarding the status of loan applications. Qualifications: Previous experience in a loan processing or administrative role is preferred. Basic understanding of loan processing procedures and terminology. Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask. Effective communication skills, both written and verbal. Proficiency in using computer systems and Microsoft Office Suite. High school diploma or equivalent. Willingness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment. Benefits: Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for career growth and advancement. To Apply: Please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications to [email address] with the subject line Junior Loan Processor Application [Your Name]. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to reviewing your application. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Category Template #1 Template #2 Template #3 Template #4 Position Loan Processor Senior Loan Processor Mortgage Loan Processor Junior Loan Processor Company Type Small business Reputable financial institution Trusted mortgage lender Growing financial institution Responsibilities - Review loan applications - Oversee loan processing - Review loan applications - Assist in reviewing loan applications - Verify borrower information - Review loan applications - Gather documentation - Collect and verify borrower information - Request and gather docs - Verify borrower info - Communicate with stakeholders - Assist in preparing loan files - Submit loan files - Ensure compliance - Prepare loan files - Input application data - Review loan docs - Manage loan pipeline - Coordinate loan closings - Communicate with stakeholders - Prepare loan packages - Quality control checks - Ensure compliance - Support loan closings - Communicate with borrowers - Train and mentor juniors - Maintain loan files - Learn and adhere to policies - Maintain loan files - Stay updated on industry - Provide updates to stakeholders - Provide updates to stakeholders trends and regulations Qualifications - Previous experience - Previous experience - Previous experience - Previous experience - Understanding of procedures - In-depth knowledge - Strong knowledge of - Basic understanding - Attention to detail - Leadership skills mortgage procedures of procedures and terminology - Strong analytical skills - Attention to detail - Excellent attention to - Strong attention to detail - Effective communication - Organizational skills detail and organizational - Effective communication skills - Effective communication skills skills - Proficiency in software - Proficiency in software - Proficiency in software - Proficiency in software - High school diploma - High school diploma - High school diploma - High school diploma or equivalent or equivalent or equivalent or equivalent Benefits - Competitive salary - Competitive salary - Competitive salary - Competitive salary - Comprehensive benefits - Comprehensive benefits - Comprehensive benefits - Comprehensive benefits package package package package - Opportunities for growth - Opportunities for growth - Opportunities for growth - Opportunities for growth The Future of Loan Processing As technology continues to advance, the loan processing industry will likely see increased automation and digitalization. This may result in faster and more efficient loan processing workflows, as well as changes to the role and responsibilities of loan processors. However, the expertise and human touch that loan processors provide will continue to be essential for ensuring accurate, compliant, and personalized loan processing experiences for borrowers. By staying informed about industry trends and continuously developing their skills, loan processors can position themselves for success in the evolving financial industry. By embracing change and remaining adaptable, they can continue to play a crucial role in helping borrowers achieve their financial goals and secure the loans they need. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What does a loan processor do? A loan processor manages loan files and ensures the smooth processing of mortgage loans and other loan applications. They work closely with loan applicants, loan officers, mortgage lenders, and other stakeholders, gathering and verifying necessary documentation, and ensuring compliance with relevant rules and regulations. What qualifications do I need to become a loan processor? At a minimum, loan processors typically have a high school diploma or equivalent. However, a bachelors degree in finance, business, or a related field is often preferred. Prior experience in banking, mortgage lending, or loan processing can also be advantageous. What skills are important for a loan processor? Some essential skills for a loan processor include excellent communication, time management, adaptability in a fast-paced environment, and proficiency in MS Office and relevant software systems. Technical knowledge of financial processes, loan products, and industry regulations is also important. What is the average salary for a loan processor? The average salary for a loan processor varies depending on the level of experience and the geographic location of the job. Salaries can range from entry-level positions to more experienced roles, with opportunities for advancement and growth in compensation and responsibilities. Are there opportunities for advancement in the loan processing field? Yes, loan processors can pursue various opportunities for advancement within the financial industry. This may include progressing to roles such as mortgage underwriter, credit analyst, or loan officer, each of which offers its unique challenges and rewards. How can I stay up-to-date on industry regulations and best practices? To stay current on industry regulations and best practices, loan processors should engage in ongoing background research, attend industry conferences, participate in professional organizations, and maintain relevant certifications or licensures. Staying informed about changes in the industry will help loan processors excel in their role and provide the best possible service to their clients. Small business grants can be a great way to get funding for your business, but its important to make sure you qualify before you apply. Here are a few things to keep in mind: Check the eligibility requirements. Each grant has its own set of eligibility requirements, so its important to read the fine print carefully before you apply. Some common requirements include being a small business owner, having a certain number of employees, and operating in a specific industry or region. Each grant has its own set of eligibility requirements, so its important to read the fine print carefully before you apply. Some common requirements include being a small business owner, having a certain number of employees, and operating in a specific industry or region. Make sure your business meets the grants goals. Many grants are designed to support businesses that are working to achieve specific goals, such as creating jobs, expanding into new markets, or developing new products or services. Be sure to read the grants objectives carefully to make sure your business is a good fit. Many grants are designed to support businesses that are working to achieve specific goals, such as creating jobs, expanding into new markets, or developing new products or services. Be sure to read the grants objectives carefully to make sure your business is a good fit. Gather any required documentation. Many grant applications require you to submit documentation such as your business plan, financial statements, and tax returns. Be sure to gather all of the required documents well in advance of the deadline. If youre not sure whether you qualify for a particular grant, you can always contact the grant administrator for clarification. Its also a good idea to talk to other small business owners who have applied for grants in the past. They can share their experiences and insights, which can help you increase your chances of success. Small business grants can provide entrepreneurs from all backgrounds with the resources they need to launch new businesses and projects that would be difficult to start without financial assistance. These grants can also help communities thrive economically and make neighborhoods safer. Here are some specific business opportunities available through small business grants, including grants for women and pandemic recovery grants. Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here Small Business News September 15, 2023 This week the roundup starts with the efforts of the SBA helping small businesses in Hawaii after the devastating fires. The SBA opened a Business Recovery Center in Kapaa on Sept. 11 towards that goal. Additionally, the SBA also announced it is investing $20 million towards small business international expansion efforts. For that and more take a look at the rest of this weeks roundup. As a result of the devastating wildfires that began on Aug. 8, small business owners in Hawaii are getting a lifeline. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is set to open a Business Recovery Center in Kapaa on Sept. 11. This move is part of an expanded disaster assistance declaration aimed at helping small businesses throughout Hawaii recover. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has allocated $20 million in grants to boost small business international trade. These grants will benefit 49 state and territory international trade agencies across the nation under the SBAs State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). Etsy has rolled out Etsy Share & Save to recognize how sellers engage with buyers and how theyre rewarded for it. The goal is to encourage sellers to promote their Etsy stores outside of the platform, and in return, the company will reward them with lower fees. Small Business Deals HubSpot announced the debut of two innovative tools geared towards helping businesses enhance their audience engagement. The unveiling of content assistant and ChatSpot.ai is a testament to HubSpots commitment to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to empower businesses. eBay has unveiled a new AI-driven listing tool that simplifies and expedites the process of putting up items for sale. The innovation promises to make listing faster, more straightforward, and more accurate, leveraging state-of-the-art technology. Californias fast food and health care sectors may soon see significant wage hikes if new legislative proposals get the nod, according to a report from Fox Business and Wall Street Journal. Fast-food titan, McDonalds, is saying goodbye to self-serve soda machines by 2032 in its US outlets, according to a CNN report. Small business owners should take note, as this move highlights the changing landscape of customer preferences and how giants in the industry are adapting. In a timely reminder from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), taxpayers, especially small business owners such as gig workers, sole proprietors, retirees, partners, and S corporation shareholders, are urged to ensure they meet the third quarter tax payment deadline of September 15, 2023. In whats being termed as the most significant US antitrust trial in decades, Googles dominance over internet search is under scrutiny. This development could bring forth changes that impact every facet of the digital landscape, especially for small business owners who rely on search engines to drive traffic and sales. Few of us are successful in founding an iconic brand. What is it like to start one of the greatest outdoor companies in the history of the world? On The Small Business Radio Show this week, I discussed this with Hap Klopp, the founder and a 20-year CEO of The North Face. Rippey AI announced its chatbot integration with two leading collaboration platforms: Slack and Microsoft Teams. This strategic move by Rippey AI looks set to redefine user experiences by bolstering instantaneous, precise, and streamlined communications. Small business owners across the U.S. and Canada might soon find it easier to secure much-needed working capital thanks to a new strategic collaboration between Uplinq Financial Technologies and Visa. Uplinq, recognized as the first global credit decisioning support platform specifically for small business lenders, announced its alliance with the digital payment giant Visa. Wondershare unveiled VirtuLook on Aug. 30, 2023, a cutting-edge AI product that promises to radically reshape how small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and e-commerce entrepreneurs design product images. Why It Matters to Small Businesses For many SMBs and e-commerce startups, the visual representation of products is indispensable in their marketing strategy. Zoom Video Communications announced the launch of the Zoom AI Companion, its newest generative artificial intelligence feature. It will be offered at no extra cost to its paid users, signifying a significant move towards integrating advanced technology into the day-to-day operations of small businesses. Originally known as Zoom IQ, the rebranded AI Companion is Zooms answer to the evolving needs of businesses in the modern digital era. With the primary goal of improving collaboration and productivity, the tool aims to become an indispensable asset for businesses of all sizes. Zooms latest offering aligns with the current trend of businesses seeking comprehensive solutions on a singular platform. By facilitating limitless human connections, Zoom hopes the AI Companion will increase productivity and bolster team effectiveness. Additionally, the conversational intelligence software Zoom IQ for Sales will now be recognized as Zoom Revenue Accelerator. Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here Introduced initially in June, Zooms generative AI has already made significant strides. Thousands of companies have reaped the benefits of free trials for features such as Team Chat compose and Meeting summary. With the autumn launch of AI Companion, the company plans to drastically augment its AI offerings for paid users. A notable aspect of Zooms AI offering is its federated approach. By integrating its own extensive language models with third-party ones such as Meta Llama 2, OpenAI, and Anthropic, Zoom ensures top-tier results while also managing to lower costs. This approach enhances user experience and ensures that the AI is versatile, adaptive, and effective. Smita Hashim, Zooms Chief Product Officer, emphasized the transformative nature of their new tool. We were founded on doing whats right for our customers, and we firmly believe that offering Zoom AI Companion at no additional cost to our paid Zoom user accounts delivers tremendous value as we all navigate the challenges facing us today. We are excited to see our customers and users start using AI Companion and about our strong roadmap for further innovation underpinned by a commitment to responsible AI. Of paramount importance to Zoom is the safety and privacy of its users. The company confirmed that it does not utilize any customer content to train its AI models. The AI Companion, when rolled out, will be disabled by default. Account owners and administrators will have full control over its activation, ensuring that customer privacy remains uncompromised. Small Business Deals The AI Companion is not merely an added feature but a transformational tool. It promises a plethora of benefits: Enhanced Meeting Experiences: Users can revisit recordings through highlights summaries and even receive AI-generated answers to questions during live meetings. Improved Team Chat: Reduce the clutter in team chats with AI summarization, auto-complete sentences, and quick meeting scheduling. Whiteboard and Email Assistance: AI Companion promises to streamline several business processes from drafting emails to generating whiteboard content. Conversational Interface: Slated for a spring 2024 release, this feature will allow users to interact with AI Companion for real-time assistance across the Zoom platform. Zooms commitment to user experience is evident in its intuitive AI Companion interface. Accessible directly within existing Zoom features, this tool aims to blend into the users workflow seamlessly. The in-meeting experience is set to be enhanced by spring 2024, as more capabilities are added. For small business owners, the integration of such advanced tools at no additional cost can be a game-changer. It optimizes operations and provides them with an edge in an increasingly competitive market. Defense Minister nominee Shin Won-sik responds to reporters' questions as he arrives at his temporary office in Seoul, Friday, to prepare for his parliamentary confirmation hearing. Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin Defense Minister nominee Shin Won-sik said, Friday, that it was desirable to scrap the inter-Korean military agreement amid repeated North Korean provocations that violate the pact. South and North Korea signed the pact on Sept. 19, 2018. It calls for halting all hostile acts between the two nations to reduce tensions along the inter-Korean border. "I have always thought that it would be desirable to abolish the Sept. 19 military agreement as it would expose our military vulnerability," Shin told reporters upon arrival to the temporary office at the defense ministry's compound in Seoul. The three-star general-turned-lawmaker has advocated for the abolition of the inter-Korean military agreement on the grounds that South Korea's military's ability to monitor the front lines of North Korea has been damaged. However, Shin noted that as defense minister he cannot unilaterally make such a decision and would discuss the issue with relevant government agencies. Earlier this year, President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the National Security Office to review the suspension of the inter-Korean military agreement in the wake of North Korea's saber-rattling episodes. On Wednesday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles the 16th such occasion this year. "If I assume the role of defense minister, my primary focus will be on considering the directives and intentions of the top military leadership to build a highly advanced and elite military force," he said. "I will spare no effort to ensure that our troops adopt the appropriate national and adversarial perspectives, maintain unwavering dedication to their core military duties, and embody the qualities of victorious soldiers in battles against adversaries." Regarding the relocation of independence fighter Hong Beom-do's bust and the renaming of the Hong Beom-do-class naval vessel, Shin said, "If I am appointed as defense minister, I will diligently gather diverse opinions and conduct a thorough review before communicating the direction to the public." He expressed significant concern about the growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia after the two held a summit in the Russian Far East. "Should North Korea and Russia establish a close military cooperation, it will have a substantial impact on North Korea's advancement in weaponry. In response, we are actively working on strengthening our military's strategic orientation," Shin said. "Through robust military cooperation with our allies and friendly nations, we can deter provocations from various angles. Consequently, I will explore multifaceted improvements." Leonard "Len" A. Ault, 89, of Mechanicsville, MD, passed away on September 8, 2023. On October 28, 1933, Leonard was born to Chester and Grace Ault in Chicago Heights, IL. After Leonard graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School in 1951, he went on to graduate with a degree in physics in 1955 from Roanoke College. He was called from inactive duty with the Air National Guard to active duty in October 1961 and was Honorably Discharged in August 1962. In his youth, he was proud of being a Boy Scout and attaining the title of Eagle Scout. In 1977, he met his future wife, Maureen McCarthy-Ault at a New Year's Eve party in Silver Springs, MD, and were later married on July 22, 1978. Leonard had two children, M. Kathleen Ault Dellinger (Will) of Berryville, VA, and Karen Lloyd who predeceased her father. Leonard retired from NASA in 1994 after 40 in the field. In his free time, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, his volunteer work for St. Mary's County, singing, dancing, oil painting, sculpting, quilting, and watching sports. Leonard was predeceased by his parents, his daughter Karen, and sisters, Joan Lachapelle and Mary Ring. He is survived by his beloved wife, daughter, three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, and many adopted grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm with the memorial service beginning at 7:00 pm on Thursday September 14, 2023, at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Inurnment will be on October 2, 2023 at 1:45 pm at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Hwy, Cheltenham, MD 20623. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association. Piestany is the place to be for all cinephiles. Visit a triple point in northern Slovakia to taste delicious cheese. Here's what to do during the weekend. A kite-flying parade will take place at Schloss Hof, near Bratislava, during the weekend. (Source: SKB/Michal Cilc) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share TRAVEL Trnava's popular autumn fair The third weekend of September will bring the traditional town fair to Trnava. This year's edition will feature even more live music, including troubadours and cymbalists, and you'll even experience a royal engagement. Masters and craftsmen from all over Slovakia will display their products at 350 stands in the town centre. The town tower will be open even longer during the fair, allowing you to see Trnava even during the night. A ceremonial shot will be fired from the town catapult too. Ride on a retro tram in the High Tatras If you are going to the High Tatras this or next weekend, take the opportunity to travel to Stary Smokovec and Strbske Pleso on the historic tram Trojca from 1969. For more information and tickets, click here (in Slovak). Historic tram Trojca from 1969. (Source: TASR) TIP: Near the highest motorway bridge in central Europe, taste delicious cheese and look for a boundary stone in a ditch. ART Open day in Trnava theatre While you're in Trnava to enjoy the fair, don't miss the opportunity to visit Jan Palarik Theater Open Day on Saturday and celebrate its 50th season. You will get the chance to see backstage, including dressing rooms and make-up room, talk to the actors, and be shown upcoming projects. And that's just a small selection from the overall program that you can find here (in Slovak). Film festival with a hundred films This week, the 18th edition of the Cinematik International Film Festival in Piestany is taking place. Almost a hundred films from 26 countries around the world will be screened, many for the first time ever. In addition to movies, visitors will be able to enjoy a variety of accompanying events such as lectures, discussions, concerts, even a live recording of a film podcast. The program as well as other information is available on the festival website in English. Attendees of last years's Cinematik festival. (Source: TASR) Learn to see Kosice differently Although the multi-genre festival Use the City started in Kosice a few days ago in several heat-exchanger-stations-turned-culture points, the main event will take place on Sunday. The festival invites people to start looking at their city a little bit differently. Many Slovak as well as foreign artists will bring to life both well-known and lesser-known nooks and public spaces of the eastern Slovak city in the form of theatre and music performances, but also architectural interventions that change the character of the place. More information here, entry to all events is free. TIP: While in the Kosice Region, why not give a new treetop attraction a try? SPORT For your running fix If you missed last week's run through Slovak Paradise, here is another run that might be up your alley. The Dobsinska Desiatka run will take place near the south-western edge of the national park and features two tracks, one 10 kilometres long, the other 7 kilometres long. The majority of both tracks take runners through the forest. You can register even on the day the run is held. For more information click here (in Slovak). MISCELLANEOUS FUN A kite parade near Bratislava Just a stone's throw from the border, a 30-minute drive from Bratislava, lies the exquisite Baroque-Classicist Austrian mansion Schloss Hof. This weekend it is the place to be if you are a fan of kites, as various kites will be flown in its premises, ranging from historic to very futuristic. Even if you don't own a kite, they will help you make one in the creative workshops. For more information about the kite parade click here (in English). Just a stone's throw from Bratislava a kite parade will be held this weekend. (Source: TASR) TIP: The next lecture in the SNG's Open Studio will be dedicated to cyanotype photography. UPCOMING EVENTS September 22-27: The 32nd International Theatre Festival Divadelna Nitra will bring performers from Belgium, Spain, Ukraine and other countries to the town of Nitra. The theme of this year's edition is reflections on socio-political issues. September 12-24: In memory of Matus Horvath and Juraj Vankulic, who were murdered in a terrorist attack last year, the Slovenska Teplaren festival once again gathers clubs, pubs, bars, and other venues all over Slovakia with the goal to support LGBTI+ people. BEFORE YOU GO WHAT TO DO FOR FREE: A hike to a popular hill above Bratislava, or a concert of an Austro-British artist. What will you pick? WHAT TO BE CHEERFUL ABOUT: NASA publishes a spectacular comet photo taken in Slovakia. WHAT TO EXPLORE IN BRATISLAVA: A wine festival in the Raca borough, an international festival of chamber music that tells stories, or a burger street festival? There are many events in the capital to choose from. WHAT TO TRY FROM SLOVAK CUISINE: How to make Slovak roast goose or duck. WHAT TO READ: Slovak chefs vegan kimchi wows international judges. That's it for this week. Take care, and have a restful weekend! Robert Fico closer to his fourth premiership, illegal migration, and a Slovak chef's obsession with a Korean specialty. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Good evening. Here is the Thursday, September 14 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Friday, September 15, is a public holiday in Slovakia. Most shops will be closed. The next news digest will be published on Monday. Another Russian diplomat told to leave Slovakia The Slovak Foreign Ministry building in Bratislava. (Source: Slovak Foreign Ministry ) Slovakia has expelled a Russian Embassy employee on Thursday. His activities, which were in direct violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, have been cited by the Slovak Foreign Ministry as the reason. "The said person must leave the territory of the Slovak Republic within 48 hours," added the ministry. The ministry, moreover, summoned the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Slovakia, Igor Bratchikov, to urge him to carry out their activities in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Russia's Foreign Ministry told the TASS agency that it will respond to the expulsion of one of its diplomats. "Moscow will give an appropriate response," the ministry pointed out. Related: A few weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Slovakia expelled 35 Russian Embassy workers. For espionage suspicions, three staffers had also been expelled before. Slovakia expelled several Russian Embassy workers in 2020 and 2021 as well. More stories from The Slovak Spectator website Election: The latest public opinion poll shows that Smer, Hlas and the SNS could be the coalition that will rule Slovakia from October. The latest public opinion poll shows that Smer, Hlas and the SNS could be the coalition that will rule Slovakia from October. Bratislava: A woman went missing last weekend. Is Bratislava a safe city? A woman went missing last weekend. Is Bratislava a safe city? Feel-good stories in short: This week's selection of good news stories will take you to the Slovak village of 2023, which you probably have not visited, and will show you a NASA photo. It is beautiful. This week's selection of good news stories will take you to the Slovak village of 2023, which you probably have not visited, and will show you a NASA photo. It is beautiful. Art: The next lecture in the Slovak National Gallery's Open Studio will be dedicated to cyanotype photography. It starts tomorrow afternoon. The next lecture in the Slovak National Gallery's Open Studio will be dedicated to cyanotype photography. It starts tomorrow afternoon. Food: Slovak chef Daniel Karakas is obsessed with Korean specialty kimchi. Are you? If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you. ANALYSIS FOR THURSDAY In eye of illegal migration storm Illegal migrants from Syria, as portrayed at the Foreigners' Police office in Bratislava on September 8, 2023. (Source: TASR - Henrich Misovic) Migrants have been arriving in Slovakia in ever-larger numbers, attracted by a document introduced by a former Smer government five years ago which they believe, wrongly, grants them the right to stay in the EU. WHAT'S ON IN BRATISLAVA 3 things to do in Bratislava for free video //www.youtube.com/embed/v7IiP8Rz_3g You can set out on an easy hike or listen to an album by Alicia Edelweiss. The Austro-British artist will perform in the city next week. Do not miss it! In other news In August, the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict of the Regional Court in Bratislava in the case that concerns former Czech PM Andrej Babis . The Supreme Court dismissed Babis's appeal against the decision of the regional court from last year. The regional court then dismissed the politician's lawsuit against the Slovak Nation's Memory Institute. The institution possesses the documents that show that Babis was an agent of the communist secret service, but Babis has repeatedly rejected this claim. His lawyers have sued Slovakia at the European Court of Human Rights due to the delays in the court proceedings. The case has been dragging on for more than a decade. Slovakia is ready to extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain after September 15, if the European Commission does not do so . The ban would concern wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. Poland announced a similar decision on Tuesday. In connection with the upcoming parliamentary election in Slovakia, the American Democratic Senator Bob Menendez has called on the head of Meta company Mark Zuckerberg to ensure that his social networks do not give space to disinformation and distorted news spread by Russia in Slovakia. Menendez has written a letter to Zuckerberg following a recent NYT article. After Facebook and YouTube, the disinformation medium Kulturblog has also been banned from TikTok . It had almost 1,800 followers there. The medium has close links to far-right politicians Milan Mazurek and Milan Uhrik. (Aktuality) The protection of Devinska Kobyla, a peak in the Small Carpathians near Bratislava and a nature reserve, will increase to Level 5 following a recent government decision. Devinska Kobyla has been a protected area since 1964. Slovakia has been facing a lawsuit, filed by the Commission, because of the lack of protection of the territory. After 15 years, Bratislava renovated the buffet building on the popular Partizanska Luka meadow. (Source: Facebook/Bratislava - hlavne mesto SR) WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: A foggy morning in some places. Clouds will remain with us for most of the day. Some had better prepare for showers or rain. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 26C. Saturday and Sunday will be warmer than Friday, with less cloud cover. (SHMU) Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator). https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/maine-braces-for-lees-impact-as-state-placed-on-first-hurricane-watch-in-15-years-1113382169.html Maine Braces for Lee's Impact as State Placed on First Hurricane Watch in 15 Years Maine Braces for Lee's Impact as State Placed on First Hurricane Watch in 15 Years Maine Governor Janet Mills has declared a state of emergency, and the region is preparing for 20-foot waves, 70 mph winds as Hurricane Lee, a Category 1 storm, swirls off the coast. 2023-09-14T23:22+0000 2023-09-14T23:22+0000 2023-09-14T23:20+0000 americas us maine new england hurricane storm /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0e/1113382012_0:292:2001:1417_1920x0_80_0_0_def481fa46e403cfcaaae6161201918c.jpg Maine is facing a rare and potentially dangerous event as Hurricane Lee approaches its shores, a development which saw the the Pine Tree State placed under a hurricane watch for the first time in over a decade.The situation is expected to worsen as Lee approaches the coastline, with a dangerous storm surge projected for Massachusetts' Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Island. The brunt of the storm is anticipated to hit early Saturday, threatening to exacerbate the already waterlogged conditions in the region.Emergency management agencies and the Coast Guard have issued warnings to New England residents to prepare for the hurricane's impact. Utility companies are mobilizing reinforcements to address potential power outages. Communities, such as Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, are working together to fortify boats.The hurricane poses a multifaceted threat, including massive ocean waves, powerful wind gusts that could knock down weakened trees, raising the risk of flash flooding in an already saturated region.In addition to Lee, the region experienced unrelated severe weather, with a likely tornado causing damage to trees and power lines in Rhode Island and Connecticut.As Maine and neighboring regions brace for Lee's impact, the government is urging residents to take the storm seriously, prepare, and consider assembling a 72-hour safety kit. Maine Governor Janet Mills has also requested a preemptive presidential disaster declaration to access federal resources. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230817/hurricane-hilary-positioned-for-rare-california-landfall-bringing-catastrophic-flooding-to-desert-1112690429.html americas maine new england Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Egor Shapovalov Egor Shapovalov 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 Egor Shapovalov maine governor janet mills, will maine be affected by hurricane lee, hurricane lee what to expect, what is category 1 storm, boothbay harbor marina in maine, maine weather forecast https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/us-political-system-frozen-by-soviet-style-aging-crisis-1113382319.html US Political System Frozen by Soviet-Style Aging Crisis US Political System Frozen by Soviet-Style Aging Crisis The leaders of the United States are aging with no replacement in sight amid unbreakable political gridlock, reminiscent of the conditions prior to the fall of another superpower three decades ago, experts told Sputnik. 2023-09-14T22:52+0000 2023-09-14T22:52+0000 2023-09-14T22:49+0000 analysis dan lazare joe biden diane feinstein soviet union capitol hill senate democrats congress white house /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0a/0b/1101736891_0:131:3177:1918_1920x0_80_0_0_6632b966a65a4b34437d48bfa7b76e78.jpg Last week, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now 83, announced she would run for reelection again next year, while Senator Diane Feinstein, 90, continues to sit in the Senate with no thought of retirement even though her own daughter took power of attorney to pay her bills. Last week, 81-year-old Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, addressing concerns about his health following episodes of freezing in public, vowed to finish out his term.In addition, a recent CNN poll revealed 75% of Americans are concerned about US President Joe Bidens age and mental competence, while 67% of Democrats do not want him to run again. Constitutional historian Dan Lazare suggested these developments are part of a generational illness afflicting an out-of-touch US governing elite that stayed too long in power, not unlike what happened to the Soviet Union during the 1980s, when the Kremlin was plainly at a loss in responding to a declining economy and dysfunctional political system. However, while Reagan's line got a good laugh, Lazare added, the joke is on the United States with elderly lawmakers feebly holding on to Senate seats, not to mention Bidens "growing senility." Deepening gridlock has led to 30 years of trench warfare on Capitol Hill, Lazare pointed out. And thanks to this deadlock, the lineup barely shifts from one year to the next, he added. However, Lazare warned, history has proven this cannot go on forever. In the Soviet Union, he explained, the "ice eventually broke" with the appointment of premier Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 - but the change came too late. "The ice will eventually break in the United States as well, but the results could be just as explosive," Lazare said. Vested Interests Resist ChangeThe experts argued that the US age crisis is unlikely to be resolved any time soon, especially when control of the White House and Congress is at stake. Lazare said Democratic Party leaders right now are especially vulnerable to exacerbating the age crisis by backing Biden regardless of the ramifications or opposition within his own party. For Democrats frightened that former President Donald Trump would chew them up and spit them out, the message to Biden is to hold on "at all costs," Lazare said. Trump, although wounded, is still alive and appears energized - especially compared to his opponent, he noted. In way of other examples, Lazare said a Feinstein resignation could set off a bruising intra-party battle among Congress members. So Democrats would prefer that Feinstein hold on until the end of her term so voters can decide matters at the polls in 2024. The Republicans, in turn, Lazare added, have McConnell supporters who are worried that if he steps down, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear will try to defy a 2021 state law requiring him to appoint another Republican to take his place. As a remedy to the situation, California State University Professor Emeritus of Political Science Beau Grosscup said the United States urgently needed to pass age limits for top public officials - but the power of established interests was too great. Grosscup said the crisis reveals the degree to which seniority in Congress matters - including party leadership and the control of the committee system. The old so far wield institutional power to choose those they approve of - and they tend to choose their age-old friends, he added. Retired Brown University assistant professor of economics Barry Friedman said the United States now needed additional preventive safeguards to counteract the undue influence of seniority in politics as well as other sectors like the military and economy. The established interests, Friedman warned, are blocking the emergence into the spotlight of newer and better - but perhaps riskier - faces and ideas. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/theyre-red-flags-libertarian-party-eyes-conservatorship-for-biden-mcconnell-1113380887.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230530/us-senator-dianne-feinstein-relies-heavily-on-her-aides-media-reports-1110784629.html soviet union capitol hill Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us political system, us, concerns of biden's age, republicans opposition to biden 2024 run, gerontocracy, aging us politicians https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/bidengate-why-joes-2024-bid-seems-doomed-1113402827.html Bidengate: Why Joe's 2024 Bid Seems Doomed Bidengate: Why Joe's 2024 Bid Seems Doomed Joe and Hunter Biden appear to have taken a double punch from Republican lawmakers and the US Justice Department. Does it mean they are in real trouble? 2023-09-15T16:41+0000 2023-09-15T16:41+0000 2023-09-20T13:00+0000 americas joe biden americans gop opinion us ukraine hunter biden 2024 us presidential election us economy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/0d/1112560517_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_526179532509bef166cf4a142179b4be.jpg First son Hunter Biden has been indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss this week of making false statements on a federal form when buying a gun in 2018 and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. That became possible after Hunter's plea deal with the DoJ collapsed earlier this year.The indictment came on the heels of House Republicans' decision to launch an impeachment inquiry into US President Joe Biden on Tuesday following their long-term investigations of the Biden family's foreign business dealings. GOP lawmakers suspect that Joe Biden could have benefitted from his son's cash bonanza.The double-barreled legal drama comes amidst Joe Biden's 2024 re-election campaign. Sputnik has looked into what damage the Biden family is actually facing.Will Impeachment Inquiry Lead to Joe's Removal?The White House insists that the US president did nothing wrong and that GOP lawmakers don't actually have any basis for the impeachment inquiry. Moreover, US legal observers have drawn attention to the fact that conviction is unlikely in the Democratic-controlled Senate.Republicans also don't seem that united to bring the investigation to its logical end, per Steven Abramowicz, the owner and CEO of the Mill Creek View and the host of the Mill Creek View podcast."This is September 20, 2023. There's an election in just over a year from now. It would take way too long. And the Senate, filled with people like Mitt Romney, will never vote to remove [Joe Biden]. So I will know exactly what we already know, but it'll be in the official record and nobody's going to be removed from office. And the next five presidents are going to be able to say: 'Oh, I don't have to follow the rules because those guys did'. Whether you think Trump was a criminal or Biden's, it doesn't matter. We've had two presidents now under a cloud and no controlling legal authority, as Al Gore said, to do a darn thing about it. And I think that's why we call it the swamp," he continued.Whats especially frustrating, according to Abramowicz, is that there is reportedly a vast number of genuine documents implicating the Biden family, and still, the Democratic Party and the White House claim that there is nothing there.Meanwhile, prominent American legal scholar Jonathan Turley argued in one of his recent blog posts that even though the House GOP impeachment inquiry is unlikely to be supported by the US Senate, it is still worth trying."An impeachment inquiry does not mean that an impeachment itself is inevitable. But it dramatically increases the chances of finally forcing answers to troubling questions of influence-peddling and corruption," Turley underscored.Is Hunter Biden's Indictment a Ruse?To add insult to injury, the first son was indicted at the time when the GOP was closing in on the US president. Having been indicted by Weiss, Hunter faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.Still, some US observers argue that the indictment may turn out to be a "ruse". In particular, they suggest that the probe would be used by the DoJ as an excuse for declaring all evidence "sub judice" and off-limits to journalists (and even Republican lawmakers). In addition, the special counsel can stretch the investigation until long after the 2024 election, they say."What I suspect is that the DoJ is throwing a bone and not even a very good bone at that in order to get people off the really important charge," the journalist stressed, suggesting that Hunter's alleged tax crimes were "really important" but neither the Justice Department nor Weiss appeared to have any appetite to catch the first son red-handed. As was previously suggested by a couple of IRS whistleblowers in Hunter's case, the Justice Department simply let some damning cases expire.Could Huntergate Hurt Biden?Meanwhile, the recent twist in Hunter's legal case appears to have backfired on his father. Just the News, an US independent media, surmises that the indictment of the first son is "the latest powder keg threatening to blow up President Joe Biden's reelection bid."Indeed, Biden's approval rate is fluctuating around the 41% mark, while disapproval solidly stands at over 50%. Hunter's controversial conduct may further exacerbate the situation, given the American public's resentment of the first son's behavior.A YouGov poll conducted in August indicated that 66% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Hunter Biden, while only 17% have a favorable view. An Ipsos survey carried out the same month showed that 59% of Americans think that Hunter Biden is guilty of the alleged crimes, including 51% of Democrats.Hunter's controversial business affairs and apparent influence peddling have cast a shadow on his father. Per an SSRS' August study, 61% of Americans agreed that Joe Biden had at least some involvement in his son's business dealings; 42% said the incumbent president acted illegally; and 18% said Joe acted unethically, while not illegally.On top of that, the most recent YouGov survey carried out on September 13 indicated that 41% of Americans oppose impeaching Biden; 44% are backing the idea of Biden's impeachment; and 15% "dont know".Per the journalist, there are many other aspects undermining Biden, including Ukraine's failed counteroffensive, poor economic record, old age, and mental health questions, to name but a few.At the same time, the Bidens' apparent corruption is backed by an impressive amount of evidence: "this is easy stuff for the public to understand," Lazare concluded. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230913/life-not-so-peachy-for-biden-as-impeachment-looms-1113344291.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/time-to-transition-biden-urged-to-retire-by-gop-senator-romney-1113360458.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230822/new-memos-hint-at-bidens-personal-interest-in-firing-ukraine-prosecutor-targeting-burisma-1112791288.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/hunter-biden-faces-up-to-25-years-in-prison-in-latest-indictment-1113378449.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230827/do-clintons-seek-to-steal-thunder-from-team-biden--cash-in-on-ukraine-1112930025.html americas ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova joe biden, hunter biden, joe biden impeachment inquiry, hunter biden indictment, joe biden approval rates, influence-peddling, hunter biden three charges, hunter biden firearms case, hunter biden faces up to 25 years in jail, joe biden re-election bid, joe biden 2024, democratic party, house republicans investigation bidens https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/bosnia-still-suffering-from-impact-of-depleted-uranium-munition-bombings---ambassador-1113394647.html Bosnia Still Suffering From Impact of Depleted Uranium Munition Bombings - Ambassador Bosnia Still Suffering From Impact of Depleted Uranium Munition Bombings - Ambassador The repercussions of the US-led bombing of the former Yugoslavia with depleted uranium munitions are still felt in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Ambassador to Russia Zeljko Samardzija said on Friday. 2023-09-15T13:03+0000 2023-09-15T13:03+0000 2023-09-15T13:03+0000 military depleted uranium bosnia and herzegovina yugoslavia nato bombings 1999 nato bombings bombing of yugoslavia nato us army defense department pentagon /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/18/1108752813_0:60:1152:708_1920x0_80_0_0_024a8319f0e8addc25d4e1f9f3a44daa.jpg "Our stance [on shells] is absolutely clear - it has been 30 years since the bombings of Yugoslavia with [depleted] uranium and we still feel the consequences of this weapon. Our citizens continue to die today, while new citizens, children, are born with disabilities - the consequence of bombings with such munitions," Samardzija told journalists. Based on its own experience, Bosnia and Herzegovina "stands against the use of such shells," the ambassador stressed. When asked if depleted uranium munitions are much more harmful than the usual ones, the ambassador responded: "they absolutely are," explaining that their consequences are there to impact many generations to come. On September 6, the US Defense Department announced a new $175 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes depleted uranium munitions for Abrams tanks, as well as air defense equipment and 155mm artillery shells. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230324/no-guilt-no-shame-western-leaders-excuses-for-nato-bombing-of-yugoslavia-1108758495.html bosnia and herzegovina yugoslavia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International depleted uranium munitions, depleted uranium, yugoslavia bombings, nato op in yugoslavia, why was yugoslavia attacked, why nato started operation in yugoslavia, yugoslav war, nato bombing, nato attack on yugoslavia, depleted uranium bombs, us uses depleted uranium, ukrainian crisis, failed counteroffensive, ukrainian counteroffensive, us weapons, nato equipment, nato-supplied military equipment, us arms for ukraine, foiled counteroffensive, counteroffensive attempt, thwarted counteroffensive, counteroffensive effort, nato arms for ukraine, nato support for ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/bundestag-member-dagdelen-urges-germany-to-lift-sanctions-against-russia-1113393054.html Bundestag Member Dagdelen Urges Germany to Lift Sanctions Against Russia Bundestag Member Dagdelen Urges Germany to Lift Sanctions Against Russia Sevim Dagdelen, a member of Germany's Bundestag lower house of parliament from the Left party, has called for the lifting of sanctions against Moscow, as they cause damage to Berlin. 2023-09-15T11:41+0000 2023-09-15T11:41+0000 2023-09-15T11:41+0000 world russian economy under sanctions germany sevim dagdelen bundestag european union (eu) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/18/1112856658_0:171:3035:1878_1920x0_80_0_0_10efb046d586ce0da75687c5dc89dfc7.jpg "It is high time we put an end to the self-destructive sanctions which do not hit Russia rather than boomerang on Germany, devastating citizens and companies," Dagdelen said in social media on Thursday. The consequences of the "economic war," which Berlin has been waging against Moscow, are deteriorating the situation in Germany, resulting in an increased number of bankruptcies. Around one in 10 companies in the food service industry is at risk of going bankrupt. Russias economy is growing, the proceeds from the sale of oil are high, and Russias military capacity, the main target of the economic war, has not been affected at all, Dagdelen said. In August, Dagdelen compared the German governments policy to suicide bombers, highlighting that despite the sanctions, Russias economy was growing, while Germanys economy contracted by 0.3%. After the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the West, including the EU, rolled out a massive sanctions campaign against Moscow. To date, the bloc has already adopted 11 sanctions packages. The last package was introduced in June and expanded export, import and personal restrictions. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230908/most-austrians-believe-russia-sanctions-harm-eu-citizens---survey-1113215654.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230810/russian-economy-overtakes-germany-uk-and-france-despite-western-sanctions-1112511026.html germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian economy under sanctions, economic war against russia, sanction war, dagdelen sanctions, russia sanctions https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/china-imposes-sanctions-against-lockheed-martin-northrop-grumman-defense-firms-1113393328.html China Imposes Sanctions Against Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Defense Firms China Imposes Sanctions Against Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Defense Firms China has decided to impose sanctions against the US-based Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin defense technology companies over an alleged arms supply to Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. 2023-09-15T11:51+0000 2023-09-15T11:51+0000 2023-09-15T11:51+0000 world china us us-china relations taiwan taiwan strait northrop grumman lockheed martin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105375/17/1053751715_0:136:3392:2044_1920x0_80_0_0_3a43edc0466179d4f03b5e38979e58b0.jpg "Lockheed Martin Corporation, St. Louis, MO directly participated in the US arms sale to Taiwan announced on August 24 as the principal contractor. Northrop Grumman participated in several US arms sales to Taiwan. In accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the Peoples Republic of China, China decides to impose sanctions on these two above-mentioned US defense corporations," the spokeswoman told a briefing, adding that Beijing calls on the United States to respect China's sovereignty and stop arms sales to Taiwan so as not to provoke "China's resolute response." Chinese sanctions against businesses imply a ban on all investments as well as export and import activities in the country. The companies' leadership received an entry ban. Work and stay permits of all the companies' employees are being annulled. Besides, the enterprises have to pay fines, which are twice as large as the total sum of each company's deals with Taipei. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing regards the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous entity but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official foreign contacts with Taipei and regards Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable. The latest escalation around Taiwan took place in April after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States. Beijing responded by launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a warning to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers. In August, the Taiwanese armed forces reported multiple sightings of Chinese naval and air patrols in the island's vicinity. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230831/arming-taiwan-diverts-from-bidens-flaws-and-benefits-us-military-industry-1113024685.html china taiwan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china, us, us-china relations, taiwan, tensions over taiwan, us-china tensions, chinese sanctions Figure Lee Keun-won, second from left, head of the defense ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification, speaks with family members of the late Pfc. Park Dong-geun, killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, in a ceremony marking his return at a home of Park's family in Incheon, in this photo provided by the ministry. Yonhap Korea's military has identified the remains of another soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, nearly two decades after their discovery at a former battle site, the defense ministry said Friday. The ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification recovered the remains of Pfc. Park Dong-geun in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in 2005. KIA stands for killed in action. The agency identified the remains as his through a DNA analysis using a sample from a family member last year, following a long search for Park's surviving family based on military records. During the war, Park took part in a battle to defend the coastal city in August 1950 but was killed that month at the age of 20, according to the ministry. A ceremony marking his return took place at a home of his bereaved family in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, on Thursday. Korea has so far identified the remains of 216 service members killed in the conflict since it launched the excavation project in 2000. (Yonhap) https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/go-fing-ahead-and-do-it-mccarthy-dares-republicans-to-boot-him-from-speakership-1113384052.html 'Go F***ing Ahead': McCarthy Reportedly Dares Republicans to Boot Him From Speakership 'Go F***ing Ahead': McCarthy Reportedly Dares Republicans to Boot Him From Speakership Amid rising tensions among House Republicans, Speaker McCarthy dared his opponents to challenge his position as Speaker. 2023-09-15T02:05+0000 2023-09-15T02:05+0000 2023-09-29T17:50+0000 americas kevin mccarthy matt gaetz democrats republicans congress government shutdown house speaker speaker of the house us government shutdown /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/07/1106102072_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_b3107a6441b404dd2417ecdfa3625f4d.jpg US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reportedly dared the House Freedom Caucus and other hard-right members of the Republican House to try and oust him from his leadership position amid growing threats from the fractured lower chamber.You guys think Im scared of a motion to vacate. Go f***ing ahead and do it. Im not scared, McCarthy said during a closed caucus meeting early Thursday, according to a lawmaker who spoke to US media on the condition of anonymity.The majority of Republicans still support McCarthy, but the GOP as a whole holds only a slim majority in the House. A vote to remove the Republican would require a majority from the House overall. If House Democrats joined with even a few hardliners in the Republican party, McCarthy could lose a potential vote to vacate. However, there have been no indications from Democrats they plan to join the Republican hardliners in removing McCarthy.It is unclear if doing so would even be advantageous to them outside of making Republicans look chaotic. A new speaker would also require a majority vote in the House. Democrats would either have to agree on a new speaker with the hardline Republicans - something that is unlikely given their political differences, or join with other elements of the GOP to choose a speaker after just voting to remove one they support. Despite how messy it could be for both parties to remove McCarthy, tensions have been rising in the Republican House Caucus over the looming government shutdown, which lawmakers have until September 30 to avoid.On Wednesday, House Republicans failed to pass a procedural vote on funding the Defense Department, normally one of the least controversial spending bills in Congress. Officials also failed to pass an agricultural bill in July, another provision that usually passes little resistance.In total, 12 appropriation bills need to be passed to avoid a shutdown, and many are expected to be more difficult than the Defense Department and agriculture bills. Meanwhile, the Senate has already cleared all 12 of its funding bills past the procedural vote and is expected to vote on three of them next week.If their spending bills are passed before the House, Republicans fear the Democrat-controlled Senate will have the upper hand in negotiating the final spending bill.The primary concern of the House Freedom Caucus and other Republicans who have spoken out against McCarthy is that they say they still havent been told how much the 12 appropriation bills will cost in total, which they say McCarthy promised them.On Tuesday, McCarthy announced an informal impeachment inquiry into US President Joe Biden for, in the words of McCarthy, allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption.Democrats have claimed that the impeachment inquiry is an attempt by McCarthy to placate the hardliners in the Republican party. However, said hardliners have been adamant that the impeachment is a separate issue from their support for funding bills. Their Wednesday vote backs that assertion.US Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is a member of the Freedom Caucus and one of McCarthys most vocal critics. He previously said that if McCarthy tried to push forward spending bills without fulfilling the promises he made to hardline Republicans, he would file a motion to vacate.Gaetz dismissed McCarthys impeachment inquiry on Tuesday as baby steps and accused him of acting like a valet to Bidens agenda. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230912/us-house-speaker-mccarthy-orders-formal-impeachment-inquiry-into-biden-1113315465.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/matt-gaetz-doesnt-support-speaker-mccarthy-child-poverty-jumps-and-usiran-prisoner-swap-1113355755.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino motion to vacate, house speaker impeachment, can the house speaker be removed, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/indictment-of-hunter-biden-drops-jan-6th-prisoner-speaks--democrats-protect-the-biden-corruption-1113382761.html Indictment of Hunter Biden Drops, Jan 6th Prisoner Speaks, & Democrats Protect the Biden Corruption Indictment of Hunter Biden Drops, Jan 6th Prisoner Speaks, & Democrats Protect the Biden Corruption On todays episode of The Backstory, host Rachel Blevins discussed current events including Russia responding to the transgender Ukrainian officials death threats to journalists, and Hunter Biden indicted on federal charges. 2023-09-15T04:04+0000 2023-09-15T04:04+0000 2023-09-18T19:48+0000 the backstory radio ukraine new mexico second amendment the united nations (un) doj january 6 proud boys /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0e/1113382604_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_5893494057bd4eb1ae25f80b2d70d3dc.png Indictment of Hunter Biden Drops, Jan 6th Prisoner Speaks, & Democrats Protect the Biden Corruption On todays episode of The Backstory, host Rachel Blevins discussed current events including Russia responding to the transgender Ukrainian officials death threats to journalists, and Hunter Biden indicted on federal charges. Sonja Van Den Ende - Independent Journalist, Writer | India and China Get Criticism from Ukraine, The Donbass Region is Delighted to Vote Again, and The Globalists Are Using Ukraine for Global Surveillance GoalsJoe Biggs - US Veteran, January 6th Prisoner, and former Proud Boy Member | Joe Biggs Speaks from the DC Jail, Video Evidence Proves the Proud Boys Were NonViolent, and the Media Helped Demonize the Proud Boys Mark Krikorian - Executive Director of Center for Immigration Studies | Democrats are Openly in Favor of Unlimited Immigration, Democrats Are Anti-Trump Policies, and Taxpayers are Paying for Democrat Failed Policies Dennis Fusaro - Virginia Grassroots Conservative Activist, and Second Amendment Advocate | Anti-Gunners are upset at grassroots activists succeeding, The County Sheriff in New Mexico refuses to Enforce the Law Enforced by the New Mexico Governor In the first hour, Rachel spoke with Sonja Van Den Ende about her return to the Kherson region, Ukraine leaders showed their racism, and the UN weapons shipped into Ukraine. Sonja spoke about the economy of Germany and the German people have noticed the pain of supporting Ukraine. Sonja talked about the land of Ukraine and rumors of Ukraine becoming the first all digital country.Rachel spoke with Joe Biggs about the way the prosecution used Joe's past military experience, Joe spoke about his personal video evidence of January 6th, and the DC jury hated the Proud Boys. Joe discussed the unfair trial of the Proud Boys and how corrupt the Justice Department has become. Joe spoke about the inmate treatment the Proud Boys have received and the media only showing up for the sentencing of the Proud Boys.In the second hour, Rachel spoke with Mark Krikorian about the state of Democrats' immigration policies, the Border Patrol is extremely overwhelmed, and the Massachusetts National Guard activated to help with migrants. Mark commented on the Massachusetts governor and her decision to use the National Guard to assist with the migrant crisis. Mark discussed how Americans will vote in the 2024 election and how unlimited immigration has turned negative against Democrats.Rachel spoke with Dennis Fusaro about the public health emergency order by the New Mexico Governor, Democrats pay attention to what occurred in New Mexico, and a Federal judge paused parts of the emergency health order. Dennis spoke about the Second Amendment in America and how this issue has begun to cross party lines. Dennis compared the period in America when the plague hit America and contrasted it to the New Mexico Governor's emergency health order.The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comCatch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM ukraine new mexico Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Rachel Blevins Rachel Blevins 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 Rachel Blevins the backstory, transgender ukrainian officials death threats, sarah ashton-cirillo, donbass region election, ukraine racism, joe biggs interview https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/kim-jong-uns-train-arrives-at-railway-station-in-russian-city-of-komsomolsk-on-amur-1113383905.html Kim Jong Un's Train Arrives at Railway Station in Russian City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Kim Jong Un's Train Arrives at Railway Station in Russian City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur A train transporting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un across Russia arrived early Friday at the railway station of the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a Sputnik correspondent confirmed. 2023-09-15T01:07+0000 2023-09-15T01:07+0000 2023-09-15T01:05+0000 russia russia vladimir putin kim jong-un russian pacific fleet far eastern federal university komsomolsk-on-amur /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0d/1113347189_0:0:3092:1739_1920x0_80_0_0_b303ce3729c01558df88cd030052c1e8.jpg The green armored train arrived at the station around 8:50 a.m. local time (22:50 GMT on Thursday), the correspondent reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier detailed that Kim would be traveling to Komsomolsk-on-Amur to visit plants for the production of civilian and military equipment. "The chairman has a big agenda ahead. He is flying from here to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, he will visit factories where aviation equipment is produced, both civilian and military," Putin said at the time.The Russian president previously stated that Kim intended to visit Vladivostok to oversee the capabilities of Russias Pacific Fleet.The early Friday visit comes on the heels of talks held between the two leaders on Wednesday, when the pair met at the Vostochny spaceport in Russia's Far East. It officially marked the North Korean leader's first visit to Russia since 2019. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230913/1113340697.html russia komsomolsk-on-amur Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International kim jong un, north korea, putin-kim summit, komsomolsk-on-amur city, russia, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/lavrov-participates-in-envoys-round-table-on-ukraine-1113388105.html Lavrov Participates in Envoys Round Table on Ukraine Lavrov Participates in Envoys Round Table on Ukraine Russia is open to peace negotiations as long as new territorial reality is recognized and its citizens safety is ensured. 2023-09-15T08:13+0000 2023-09-15T08:13+0000 2023-09-15T08:20+0000 world ukrainian crisis sergey lavrov russia moscow kremlin ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/0d/1111852753_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_a28ce9ff7585d66a1463692e64fb245b.jpg Sputnik is broadcasting live from Moscow, as Russian foreign policy chief Sergei Lavrov engages in a roundtable discussion on the Ukrainian crisis alongside ambassadors from 35 nations. The diplomats will share their views on the current situation and look for possible solutions.Kremlin officials repeatedly stressed that Moscow is open to negotiations as long as new territorial reality are recognized. Russian representatives also emphasize that real peace talks should be held with Kievs Western backers, who are the ones really in charge of current Ukrainian politics. In October 2022, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill that prohibits any negotiations with Russia.Follow Sputnik live feed to learn more! russia moscow ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov participates in an embassy 'round table' event aimed at finding a solution to the Ukraine crisis Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov participates in an embassy 'round table' event aimed at finding a solution to the Ukraine crisis 2023-09-15T08:13+0000 true PT28M50S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian foreign policy, ukrainian crisis, ukraine peace talks, ukraine peace plan, sergey lavrov https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/matter-of-honor-n-korea-will-never-bow-to-us-pressure-despite-huge-weapons-sales-to-the-south-1113403665.html 'Matter of Honor: N Korea Will Never Bow to US Pressure Despite Huge Weapons Sales to the South 'Matter of Honor: N Korea Will Never Bow to US Pressure Despite Huge Weapons Sales to the South Washingtons goal on the Korean Peninsula has always been to destabilize and destroy the socialist Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), which has blocked its goal of unifying Korea under a pro-US banner for 73 years. 2023-09-15T17:31+0000 2023-09-15T17:31+0000 2023-09-18T13:38+0000 f-35 kf-21 boramae south korea scott bennett kim jong-un russia military north korea /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/04/0f/1082639403_0:0:2048:1152_1920x0_80_0_0_34a7497159e931efd00a99752e96af44.jpg The US State Department on Wednesday approved the sale of 25 more F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to South Korea for $5.06 billion. The package includes a spare jet engine and a variety of weapons and equipment for the stealthy aircraft.Seoul is slated to receive a total of 60 F-35As, which operate from conventional airstrips, and at least 20 F-35Bs, the short and vertical-takeoff and landing variant of the jet suitable for flying from the amphibious assault ship the South Korean navy plans to build in the coming years.The F-35s will operate closely with the KF-21 Boramae, a joint project between South Korea and Indonesia to produce a similar aircraft to the F-35 with less stealth and a much cheaper cost.Scott Bennett, a former US Army psychological warfare officer and State Department counter-terrorism analyst, told Sputnik on Friday that the latest F-35 sale to Seoul was a gross hypocrisy, but ultimately not of major concern, due to the aircrafts many failings.It's also not too concerning, because the F-35s essentially are one of the worst air platforms ever designed and no nation can fly them for more than a couple days without grounding them for repairs, he continued. So they're not a serious piece of military technology and certainly South Koreans are not capable of even understanding them, never mind operating them, especially given the superior technology of North Korea.Bennett said the US had made the decision to approve the massive weapons sale during DPRK leader Kim Jong Uns visit to Russia, which Washington is striving to isolate geopolitically, because its only goal in Korea has been to destabilize the DPRK and cause it to implode, ultimately with the goal of depriving China of a powerful ally.What is most interesting is that the US strategy has failed, and is indeed beginning to backfire, as we see most recently with the assembly of the multipolar world and BRICS organizational success. Indeed, this was capped off this past week, when the president of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, jumped on a train and visited President Putin, and together they toasted their long friendship and enduring commitment to each other, militarily, economically, socially and politically. It was clear to all who could see, and had honest hearts to understand, that there was deep honest affection between them, and an enduring commitment between North Korea, and Russia now exists because of the pressure and hostility imposed against them by the United States in NATO, he said, adding: This will only increase and become more dynamic in the future months and years.Bennett noted that despite US protests, Pyongyang has promised to always stand by Russia, refusing to be turned into a weapon for destabilizing its northern neighbor.Indeed, it seems that many nations and tribes of the world are now finally recognizing that if they do not support each other against the global domination ambitions of the West, then they will hang independently and individually in the future as the West methodically targets one nation after another. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230913/north-koreas-visible-show-of-support-key-takeaways-from-putin-kim-talks-1113347691.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230830/south-korea-us-conduct-air-force-drills-involving-b-1b-bomber-1112985674.html south korea russia north korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier dprk; south korea; f-35a; weapons sale; kim jong un, american f-35, 35 sale to south korea, us critisizes north korea, kim jong un visits russia, kim jong un meets putin https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/moscow-slams-inclusion-of-kim-jong-un-in-ukrainian-myrotvorets-database-1113389003.html Moscow Slams Inclusion of Kim Jong Un in Ukrainian 'State Enemy' Database Moscow Slams Inclusion of Kim Jong Un in Ukrainian 'State Enemy' Database The inclusion of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Ukrainian neo-Nazi website Myrotvorets (Peacemaker) is another provocation by Kiev and a vain attempt to intimidate everyone, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said on Friday. 2023-09-15T08:36+0000 2023-09-15T08:36+0000 2023-09-15T08:49+0000 world ukrainian crisis russia kim jong-un /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/09/1113230605_0:45:900:551_1920x0_80_0_0_3ae5d2d0c6ed613441352ec68fea6a49.jpg The Myrotvorets website has taken the liberty of disclosing the personal information of journalists, military personnel from the recently annexed Russian territories, and various other individuals whom the creators of the website deem as "adversaries of Ukraine." People on the database often received threats from Ukrainian nationalists after their contact details were disclosed on the website.''Once again, the Kiev regime seeks to provoke and instill fear in us all. However, their attempts are futile, just like everything that the Myrotvorets website and its supporters from the Kiev regime stand for.'' Galuzin told reporters.Kim Jong Un was added to the Ukrainian wanted list on September 6. The infamous website, known for advocating the assassination of individuals who are believed to support Russia, outlined reasons such as "nuclear blackmail, the development of unlawful nuclear and missile programs, and cybercrime" to justify its actions. russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukrainian crisis, russian special military operation, kim jong un https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/moscow-to-seek-intl-organizations-reaction-to-kievs-threats-against-russian-journalists-1113400722.html Moscow to Seek Int'l Organizations' Reaction to Kiev's Threats Against Russian Journalists Moscow to Seek Int'l Organizations' Reaction to Kiev's Threats Against Russian Journalists Moscow will seek an adequate reaction of the relevant international organizations to Kiev's threats targeted against Russian journalists, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. 2023-09-15T15:09+0000 2023-09-15T15:09+0000 2023-09-15T15:10+0000 world russia russian foreign ministry kiev journalists threats /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/07/02/1083289175_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_4cbb6eacd29a0e9d7457faa089722f33.jpg Earlier this week, the official representative of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, made a statement that contain direct calls for the murder of employees of Russian media, state and public structures involved in covering the progress of Russia's special military operation. In their remarks, Ashton-Cirillo branded Russian and pro-Russian journalists as "war criminal propagandists" and insisted that they would be "hunted down."The spokesperson for the Ukrainian military also claimed that the world will soon see Moscow's "favorite criminal propagandist" "pay" for Russia's "crimes." russia kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian journalists threatened, ukraine threatens journalists, threats to journalists https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/mysterious-white-object-spotted-over-illinois-turns-out-to-be-stratospheric-balloon-1113384319.html Mysterious White Object Spotted Over Illinois Turns Out to Be Stratospheric Balloon Mysterious White Object Spotted Over Illinois Turns Out to Be Stratospheric Balloon The unusual occurrence unfolded when Todd's Tire and Auto employees alerted off-duty Police Chief Bruce Franks to the peculiar spectacle that had gathered a curious crowd. 2023-09-15T02:48+0000 2023-09-15T02:48+0000 2023-09-15T02:46+0000 beyond politics viral illinois balloon weather balloon mysterious object high-altitude balloon /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/07/18/1079978118_0:0:1600:900_1920x0_80_0_0_9f191000fb723376ce8e47554f7f35aa.jpg A baffling sighting temporarily left the town of Prophetstown, Illinois, in awe as local police scrambled to unravel the mystery behind a mysterious object spotted hovering in broad daylight. Although the US National Weather Service earlier denied launching any weather balloons in the vicinity that would have explained the sighting, it later turned out the mysterious object was a stratospheric balloon owned and operated by South Dakota Aerostar Company, US media reported.However, the company did not disclose the purpose of the attention-grabbing balloon.Eyewitness accounts initially described the enigmatic object as a balloon-like structure connected to a box, emitting intermittent red lighting. What made this sighting even more perplexing was the fact that the object remained motionless in the sky for an extended period, leaving onlookers and authorities puzzled.The latest incident bears some resemblance to a series of teardrop-shaped balloons that sparked speculation about foreign surveillance or UFO activity in Phoenix, Arizona, earlier this year. Those objects were later identified as Thunderhead weather balloons operated by the company Aerostar. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230801/mysterious-object-found-on-australian-beach-identified-as-space-debris-from-indian-rocket-1112311842.html illinois Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Egor Shapovalov Egor Shapovalov 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 Egor Shapovalov illinois, prophetstown ufo, what was strange white flying object in prophetstown, us ufo 2023, high-altitude balloon https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/opposition-to-further-ukraine-aid-growing-among-us-house-republicans---reports-1113400834.html Opposition to Further Ukraine Aid Growing Among US House Republicans - Reports Opposition to Further Ukraine Aid Growing Among US House Republicans - Reports Opposition to providing more US aid to Ukraine is growing among Republican members of the House of Representatives, an American news agency reported on Friday. 2023-09-15T15:26+0000 2023-09-15T15:26+0000 2023-09-15T15:28+0000 republicans ukraine andy biggs kevin mccarthy samuel house us senate us house of representatives us congress republican us arms for ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/03/1106016564_0:16:3073:1744_1920x0_80_0_0_5c436e7e350290dac3dd6c3be3e1a907.jpg An increasing number of Republican lawmakers, including some so-called moderates, are opposing the addition of further aid to Ukraine as part of a government funding measure slated for a vote later this month, the report stated, citing several Republican lawmakers. Not just the Freedom Caucus of conservative Republicans, but there are many lawmakers who are concerned with potential additional funding, the report cited US Congresswoman Lisa McClain as saying. Congress is set to vote on a continuing resolution before the end of September to temporarily fund the US government and avoid a shutdown. The Senate is seeking to include additional aid for Ukraine in the legislation. Meanwhile, more and more House Republicans come out against further transfers of taxpayer dollars and military equipment to Ukraine. US Congressman Andy Biggs vowed not to support a new Ukraine aid package and expressed doubt that any such measure would reach the House floor soon, the report said. Biggs pointed out, however, that there still may be enough votes to advance additional aid to Ukraine given the presence of many "war hawks" in Congress, the report said. US Congresswoman Nancy Mace emphasized that the US House has many other issues to address ahead of further Ukraine funding, the news agency stated. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has previously vowed to stop writing "blank checks" to Ukraine and is seeking to detach aid for Ukraine from the spending bill as well as hold a separate vote on it instead, media reported earlier. In addition to working on passing a spending measure by the end of the month, McCarthy also recently announced an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The Biden administration has repeatedly expressed confidence in lasting bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress and in the lawmakers ability to pass more aid packages. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230804/majority-of-americans-oppose-additional-us-funding-for-ukraine---poll-1112392442.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230814/us-announces-new-200mln-security-assistance-for-ukraine-1112587177.html ukraine americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, failed counteroffensive, ukrainian counteroffensive, us weapons, nato equipment, nato-supplied military equipment, us arms for ukraine, foiled counteroffensive, counteroffensive attempt, thwarted counteroffensive, counteroffensive effort, nato arms for ukraine, nato support for ukraine, europe for ukraine, us congress, us house representative, us senate, us weapons for ukraine, us aid to ukraine, us funding of ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/putin-us-uses-cluster-munitions-by-ukrainian-proxy-despite-calling-it-a-crime-1113392359.html Putin: US Uses Cluster Munitions Through Ukrainian Proxy Despite Calling Their Use a Crime Putin: US Uses Cluster Munitions Through Ukrainian Proxy Despite Calling Their Use a Crime While the United States often call the use of cluster munitions a crime, they essentially these weapons themselves in Ukraine, albeit by using the Ukrainian forces as a proxy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. 2023-09-15T11:12+0000 2023-09-15T11:12+0000 2023-09-15T12:36+0000 world russia vladimir putin kim jong-un ukraine us cluster munitions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0f/1113392167_0:0:3162:1779_1920x0_80_0_0_436695e39da2aa2ec655a51eb50f9874.jpg It is the United States who uses cluster munitions. In this case, they just do it with the hands of the Ukrainian Army. And so this side (the US) thinks that it is a crime, but allows itself to perpetrate it, Putin said. This is the main problem in international relations. And this is why the majority of the participants of the international communication [process] strive together with us to create the multipolar world.He added that even the countries that are currently regarded as allies of the United States are none too thrilled by this situation.According to Putin, the United States tries to resolve any issues it encounters through force, threats or economic sanctions. He noted that Russia does not pose a threat to anyone and that the Americans themselves admit that the real threat comes from the White House. Regarding the prospects of negotiating with Ukraine, the Russian president pointed out that Moscow has never refused to parlay with Kiev, but the latter is yet to express an interest in dialogue.Furthermore, Russia has recorded facts of presence of foreign instructors on the battlefield in the special military operation zone, and some of them were captured recently, the president said.We detect foreign mercenaries and foreign instructors both on the battlefield and in the units where training is carried out. I think that, yesterday and the day before yesterday someone was captured once again, Putin told reporters.On Special Military OpAs many as 300,000 volunteers have already signed up to join Russia's special military operation, Vladimir Putin remarked."I said a couple of days ago that our men, our soldiers, had already signed contracts with the Russian armed forces, 270,000, but this was already outdated data. This morning they reported about 300,000 signed contracts by people who, I want to emphasize, are ready to sacrifice their lives in the interests of their homeland, defending the interests of Russia," he said.Commenting on statements about North Koreans allegedly volunteering to fight in the special military operation, the president called them nonsense, adding that Russia does not need to send foreigners to fight in the operation.On Relations With North KoreaRussia never violates anything and does not intend to do so, but will develop relations with North Korea within the framework of the international law, President Vladimir Putin highlighted.[North] Korea is our neighbor, we must build good neighborly relations with our neighbors one way or another. Yes, there are certain features associated with the Korean peninsula, we discuss this, we discuss it openly. We never violate anything and in this case we are not going to violate anything, but, of course, we will look for opportunities for the development of Russian-North Korean relations, Putin said during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230907/fact-check-have-us-cluster-munitions-proven-effective-amid-ukraine-counteroffensive-1113185683.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230909/uk-hired-gun-in-ukraine-found-dead-in-pond-hands-tied-behind-back-1113234749.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International vladimir putin, russian special military operation in ukraine, ukrainian crisis, conflict in ukraine, war in ukraine, nato proxy war in ukraine, cluster munitions, russia-north korea relations, alexander lukashenko, putin meets lukashenko, putin-kim meeting Foreign workers receive free medical checkups at the Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers in southwestern Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers By Lee Hae-rin Korea is set to shut down support centers that help foreign workers settle in the country as part of a broader belt-tightening fiscal policy. However, the decision is in stark contrast to its intention to attract immigrant workers to tackle the country's workforce shortage amid a demographic crisis. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor Thursday, the government has decided not to appropriate a budget for foreign worker support centers across the country next year. Since the opening of the first center in 2004, 44 more centers have been opened and operated with an annual budget of around 7 billion won ($5.3 million) to help foreign workers with labor issues and social integration, as well as to provide them shelter, Korean language lessons and education. The centers received excellent performance reviews in the Ministry of Economy and Finance's latest report on projects, which assessed that they have significant policy implications because the number of foreign workers is expected to increase in the future. The ministry's report also assessed that the 7 billion won budgeted for the 44 centers was at the "minimum level for practical management." The unprecedented budget cuts mean that all 44 centers will be shut down. Their number already falls short of meeting the needs of the 400,000-strong immigrant workers nationwide under the employment permit program, considering that 231 multicultural family support centers are available for around 168,600 marriage migrants and their families across the country. The no-budget plan comes amid the government's "flexible labor supply" policy, which brings in more foreigners to tackle the country's workforce shortage, which stems from the low birth rate and shrinking population, especially in remote regions. "When there are people willing to work and businesses in need of their labor, it is essential to swiftly rectify any impractical regulations that stand in the way," President Yoon Suk Yeol said during a meeting last month on lifting regulatory barriers. "This becomes even more of an imperative given the pressing demographic crisis. To effectively tackle the challenges posed by the changing population dynamics, it's crucial to ensure a flexible labor supply that aligns with workforce demands." The labor ministry claimed that it will not suspend the country's support for immigrant workers, as local governments and other state organizations will divide tasks "for greater efficiency." It also aligns with the government's belt-tightening budget amid continued economic uncertainties. However, experts did not buy the explanation, instead expressing concern. "As seen in the cases of France and the United Kingdom, immigrant integration failure could become a cause for social unrest and lead to riots," said Son Jong-ha, the head of the Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers. "We need integrated support for foreign workers." Cho Hyuk-jin, a researcher at the Korea Labor Institute, pointed out that the measures focus on bringing in more foreign workers, while getting rid of government support for helping new arrivals settle in. "The government turned to cutting the budget first for foreign workers, who have no right to vote and can't file civil complaints," he said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/russian-ship-destroys-unmanned-boat-of-ukrainian-military-in-black-sea-1113391747.html Russian Ship Destroys Unmanned Boat of Ukrainian Military in Black Sea Russian Ship Destroys Unmanned Boat of Ukrainian Military in Black Sea A Black Sea Fleet ship destroyed an unmanned boat of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Black Sea on Friday morning., the Russian Defense Ministry said. 2023-09-15T10:33+0000 2023-09-15T10:33+0000 2023-09-15T10:43+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis ukrainian counteroffensive attempt black sea fleet /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0f/1113391440_0:153:3097:1895_1920x0_80_0_0_54b81f2630dbbe2ae2b579e13f44f7c5.jpg "This morning, a small Askold cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet discovered an unmanned boat of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Black Sea. The unmanned enemy boat was destroyed by fire from the ship's standard weapons," the ministry said in a statement.Earlier, Sergei Kotov patrol vessel of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed five Ukrainian drone boats overnight. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230814/why-is-russias-navy-forced-to-take-tough-measures-in-the-black-sea-to-ensure-security-1112587954.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian terrorism, ukrainian drone attacks https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/russias-defense-minister-inspects-fulfillment-of-state-defense-order-in-far-east-1113387297.html Shoigu Inspects Modernization of Nuclear Subs in Russia's Far East Shoigu Inspects Modernization of Nuclear Subs in Russia's Far East Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has inspected the fulfillment of the state defense order at the Zvezda plant in the Primorsky territory in Russia's Far East, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday. 2023-09-15T04:50+0000 2023-09-15T04:50+0000 2023-09-15T07:45+0000 military russian armed forces pacific fleet sergei shoigu russian defense ministry nuclear submarines /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0f/1113387634_28:0:1664:920_1920x0_80_0_0_cd4433b941ef07c5ae3045e55f3e9ee4.png "Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the construction of a floating docking complex and the progress of repair and modernization of nuclear submarines within the state contract at the Zvezda defense plant," the ministry said. The ministry specified that the minister inspected the facility on Friday during a working visit to the Primorsky territory. Shoigu "draw special attention of the enterprise's management to compliance with the schedule of defense contract fulfillment" and ordered that the Zvezda plant "make maximum use of production capacities to complete the repair and modernization of submarines," the statement said. The Zvezda plant is Russia's leading submarine repair facility of the Pacific Fleet and the only one in the country's Far East specializing in the repair and modernization of nuclear-powered submarines.In addition, Sergei Shoigu visited the construction facility of Ka-52 helicopters aka Alligators and inspected the fulfillment of the defense contracts.Russian Navy to Receive New VesselsThe Russian Navy will receive 12 vessels by the end of 2023, including surface and underwater ships, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday."This year, two ships have already been commissioned, and 12 more will arrive by the end of the year. Among them are the Admiral Golovko frigate, the Emperor Alexander III strategic missile submarine, and the Krasnoyarsk nuclear submarine cruiser," Shoigu said at a meeting at the headquarters of the Pacific Fleet of Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221205/how-many-nuclear-submarines-does-russia-have-1105034535.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has inspected the Zvezda plant in the Primorsky territory in Russia's Far East Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has inspected the Zvezda plant in the Primorsky territory in Russia's Far East 2023-09-15T04:50+0000 true PT0M26S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian armed forces, russian nuclear submarines, russian submarines, pacific fleet submarines, submarines with nukes https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/ukraines-spokesperson-threatens-journalists-russia-and-n-korea-reset-relations-liberal-fascism-1113383349.html Ukraine's Spokesperson Threatens Journalists; Russia and N Korea Reset Relations; Liberal Fascism Ukraine's Spokesperson Threatens Journalists; Russia and N Korea Reset Relations; Liberal Fascism Ukraine's American Spokesperson has released a video threatening to hunt down "Russian propagandists" worldwide. 2023-09-15T04:06+0000 2023-09-15T04:06+0000 2023-09-20T13:01+0000 the critical hour radio ukraine taiwan hunter biden david ignatius syria russia joe biden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/0e/1113383191_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_7b87d125a16334545c4461e58c40ad2e.png Ukraine's Spokesperson Threatens Journalists; Russia and DPRK Reset Relations; Liberal Fascism Ukraine's American Spokesperson has released a video threatening to hunt down "Russian propagandists" worldwide. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War", joins us to discuss Biden-gate. Hunter Biden has been charged with lying on his application for a firearm. Dan Lazare says that he is skeptical that this will go far in court because the process is constitutionally suspect due to the 5th amendment right against self incrimination. He also says that President Biden is on his way out and will not be the nominee in 2024.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. Russia and North Korea (DPRK) have reset their relations after productive talks between the leaders of the two nations. Mark Sleboda says that the space facility at which they met was representative of upcoming space cooperation between the nations. Also, it represents the DPRK's missile program and potential cooperation in that area.Misty Winston, radio host and political commentator, joins us to discuss the media. The public relations specialist for Ukraine has threatened journalists worldwide. Misty Winston says that this makes supporters of Ukraine look like maniacs. She also says that this violates the international protection of non combatants.KJ Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss Asia. The meeting between the leaders of Russia and the DPRK represents a reset in the relationship between the two nations. KJ Noh says that this represents the non-aligned nations realigning. The US only has itself to blame for accelerating relations between nations in the Eurasian region. These are neighbors linking arms to rally against the encirclement the US is working to complete.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The Times of Israel argues that the Iran/US prisoner swap shows the limits of deals between foes. Laith Marouf says that the US and Israel do not want peace with Iran and they are delaying their war on Iran like the actions they took with Ukraine and Russia during the Minsk Accords. Also, the Palestinians have suffered more since the Oslo Accords than before the Accords were signed.Jon Jeter, journalist and author, joins us to discuss neoliberal fascism. Jon writes that Black people are the focus of racist hate and capitalist predation. Jon argues that segregated Black neighborhoods are extraction zones for capitalism. He also argues that Africa is treated the same way, but the Africans are starting to rise against the parasitic system.Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Africa. France says that the government of Niger has released a French elected official arrested in the West African nation. Dr. Horne says that the United States would like to push France aside in West Africa and take over its neo-colonial aspirations. Also, Western media points to Cameroon as the likely next ground for a regime change.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents", joins us to discuss Black Agenda Report. The September 11th attacks carry with them the legacy of forever wars and the loss of legal rights. Margaret Kimberly says that we have to remember September 14th, the day that Congress passed the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force" (AUMF) and authorized Presidents to wage a forever war. Also, we lost most of our rights against surveillance. She says that the abuses such as Guantanamo and kidnappings demonstrated that the collusion between the two parties was cemented.The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comCatch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM ukraine taiwan syria russia north korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.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 Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg the critical hour, ukraine's army spokesperson, hate speech, ukraine crimes, hunter biden crimes, situation in west africa https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/ukrainian-military-casualties-exceed-400-in-donetsk-zaporozhye-directions--1113394336.html Ukrainian Military Casualties Exceed 400 in Donetsk, Zaporozhye Directions Ukrainian Military Casualties Exceed 400 in Donetsk, Zaporozhye Directions The Ukrainian military lost over 400 soldiers in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday, adding that six enemy attacks have been repelled in these areas. 2023-09-15T12:43+0000 2023-09-15T12:43+0000 2023-09-15T12:45+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis ukrainian counteroffensive attempt donetsk black sea russian defense ministry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/0e/1111871978_0:208:2899:1839_1920x0_80_0_0_8aee00b84a3411d4aeae766feba89cb3.jpg The enemy lost up to 275 military personnel [in the Donetsk direction], four armored combat vehicles, four vehicles, three US-made M777 artillery systems, as well as the Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, the ministry said in a statement, specifying that four attacks have been repelled in this area.Two attacks have been repelled in the Zaporozhye direction near the Rabotino settlement, the ministry said, adding that a Ukrainian assault brigade near Verbovoye has been attacked.More than 145 Ukrainian military personnel and three vehicles were destroyed, the ministry said.Moreover, the Russian troops have repelled two attacks in the Krasny Liman direction in the past 24 hours.In the South Donetsk direction, units of [Russias] Vostok grouping of troops repelled an attack by the Ukrainian armed forces in the area of the settlement of Novomayorskoye in the Donetsk Peoples Republic Enemy losses in this direction amounted to more than 175 Ukrainian military personnel, two armored combat vehicles, four cars, two D-30 howitzers, and one D-20 gun, the ministry said.Russian forces have destroyed two unmanned boats of the Ukrainian armed forces in the southwestern part of the Black Sea over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday."Over the past 24 hours, the Black Sea Fleet discovered and destroyed two unmanned semi-submersible boats of the armed forces of Ukraine in the southwestern part of the Black Sea," the ministry wrote on Telegram. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230912/they-dont-want-to-die-pointless-death-why-ukrainian-troops-increasingly-surrender-1113318870.html donetsk black sea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian counteroffensive attempt, ukrainian losses https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/us-ready-to-send-their-nato-peers-armies-to-be-slaughtered-russian-top-security-official-1113388614.html US Ready to Send Their NATO Peers' Armies to Be Slaughtered Russian Top Security Official US Ready to Send Their NATO Peers' Armies to Be Slaughtered Russian Top Security Official Washington will easily send the troops of other alliance [NATO] member countries to be slaughtered without risking the lives of its military, says Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. 2023-09-15T07:33+0000 2023-09-15T07:33+0000 2023-09-15T09:29+0000 world us nato russia-nato showdown russian security council /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107955/66/1079556647_0:0:2399:1350_1920x0_80_0_0_0197034e1534fb8cd00bf51ae55feb3b.jpg Patrushev clarified that the US treats the troops of alliance members as "colonial armies," meaning that they are expendable in comparison to the "privileged" American people. He added that international terrorist organizations are also supported and financed by Western secret services and are used to strengthen "Atlanticist influence".Patrushed added that hundreds of employees of foreign intelligence services and other persons involved in reconnaissance and subversive work against Russia and its strategic partners have been neutralized in recent years.The United States and Europe are spending enormous resources on searching for and educating so-called young democratic leaders in specialized educational centers, who will then be used to organize coups to create regimes dependent on the West in previously independent states, Patrushev said in an article for the Razvedchik ("Intelligence Officer") magazine. "In recent years, hundreds of employees of foreign intelligence services, as well as other persons involved in organizing intelligence and subversive activities against our country and our strategic partners, have been identified and neutralized," Patrushev said.Subversive Activities of Western EnvoysThe ambassadors of the US, the UK and France tried to force delegations of other countries not to go to Russia for an international security meeting under the auspices of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev sain in an article.From May 23-25, Russia hosted the 11th international meeting of high representatives in charge of security issues under the auspices of the Russian Security Council. The forum was attended by delegations from 101 countries and six international organizations."The conference took place in a difficult international situation, under conditions of overt pressure, when the ambassadors of the US, the UK and France tried to force its participants to refuse to travel to Russia," Patrushev stressed. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230818/us-main-instigator-of-coups-terrorism-and-assassinations-around-world---media-commentator-1112710064.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato, us, russia-nato showdonw, us subversive activities https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/us-to-sell-f-35a-fighter-jets-to-czech-republic-at-discount-1113392773.html US to Sell F-35A Fighter Jets to Czech Republic At Discount US to Sell F-35A Fighter Jets to Czech Republic At Discount If the Czech Republic buys 24 fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets from the United States, their price will be lower than expected, media reported, citing Defense Ministry senior official Gen. Jaroslav Mika. 2023-09-15T11:28+0000 2023-09-15T11:28+0000 2023-09-15T11:28+0000 military us czech republic f-35a /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107969/98/1079699807_0:0:1369:770_1920x0_80_0_0_f5ac0068409e9f7fb894b1916b67d406.jpg Today I can say that the price [for fighter jets] will be much lower, we will present this price to the government. We will target [the price reduction] by about 10 percent, Mika said, adding that it is impossible to name the exact price yet as talks are still ongoing on some contract details. The price for the aircraft was initially expected to be 122 billion korunas (about $5.5 billion). The first F-35 fighters for the Czech Republic should be manufactured in 2029, after which training of flight and ground personnel will begin. In 2031, all aircraft should be in the Czech Republic. Along with the fighters, weapons should also be supplied: air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. The aircraft price includes training of the first crews and ground technical personnel, as well as support during the first years of the life cycle, including spare parts. The F-35's service life is expected to last until 2070. Currently, the Czech Air Force uses 14 Jas 39 Gripen fighters leased from Sweden, as well as own-produced L-159 light multirole attack aircraft. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/mig-35-vs-f-16-russian-veteran-pilot-explains-which-plane-would-win-in-a-dogfight-1112552714.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230809/su-57-edges-out-f-35-to-emerge-sentinel-of-skies-1112468913.html czech republic Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International f-35a, f-35a fighter jets, lockheed martin, us military, us weapons Catch The Cowboy topped the Ohio Selected Jug Yearling Sale on Friday, Sept. 15 at the Pickaway Ag Center in Circleville, Ohio as the focus of many of the Buckeye states Standardbred owners and trainers turned to a search for the next champion harness horse. There was a flurry of bidding activity at the Ohio Selected Jug Sale, paving the way for the highest gross in the sales storied history and a double-digit increase of 10.7 per cent from last years auction. The highest priced yearling sold in the state of Ohio fetched $225,000 from Greg Luther of Blacklick, Ohio. The sale topper was Hip 106, a Catch The Fire half-brother to Captain Cowgirl p,3,1:49.3f ($614,275), named Catch The Cowboy. The handsome bay colt was bred and sold by Jeff and Senena Estys Spring Haven Farm, the perennial leader in average and gross in Ohio Standardbred auctions. Catch The Cowboy is out of the Western Hanover mare, Rideintothesunset, and is the dams most expensive yearling. Overall, the gross sales totalled $8,276,000 for 269 yearlings sold, resulting in an average of $30,766 per horse. The average price marked a 9.4 per cent increase from last years premier Ohio yearling auction. The median was $25,000. Randy Haines, president of the Ohio Harness Horse Breeders Association, was very pleased with the outcome. This was a strong sale across all categories," he said. "It speaks volumes to the prominence of the Ohio program and peoples desire to be a part of it. The sale is conducted by the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale Company and general manager Bruce Brinkerhoff was equally excited about the strength of the sale. We are very thankful for the enthusiastic bidding from a deep contingent of buyers throughout the day," said Brinkerhoff. "Our consignors have upped their game and continued to bring horses that are in great demand and it shows with record gross, average and the record priced horse. Looking at the numbers more closely, the highest average for pacing sires, for the third year in a row, was dominated by Downbytheseaside at $50,968 for 31 sold. First crop sire Catch The Fire was second at $35,909 for 22 sold, followed by Lather Up with $34,000 for eight sold. On the trotting side, Triumphant Caviar had just five yearlings sold, but averaged $79,000. Much of that was on the strength of two six-figure yearlings, especially Hip 144, Rose Run Ari, a full brother to two-time Ohio Sire Stakes champion Rose Run Yolanda, purchased by Luther for $150,000, the highest priced trotting yearling sold. Both of those colts hailed from the Rose Run Farm consignment, which sold 13 yearlings for a gross of $856,000 for a leading consignor average of $65,846. While the stallion Volstead averaged $37,000 for six sold, Uncle Peter ($33,909 average for 22 sold) and What Hill ($31,632 average for 38 sold) also led the trotting sires with greater numbers sold. Spring Haven Farm topped the consignor gross sales category with $1,331,000 in total for 44 sold. They were followed by Dublin Valley Farms with $901,000 (38 sold) and Midland Acres with $898,000 (36 sold). Archie Yoders Rose Run Farm also sold the highest priced pacing filly in the sale, Hip 36, Rose Run Ashlee, a gorgeous Downbytheseaside filly that was purchased by Burke Racing for $140,000. For complete sale results, click here. (With files from Ohio Harness Horse Breeders Association) IMPORTANT LINKS A delegation of nine parishioners representing Immanuel Christian Ministries of Culpeper took a mission trip to South Africa in July, according to a release from church pastor, the Rev. Dr. Milton Branch Sr. One delegate flew in from Saudi Arabia to join the group, including an 86-year-old woman, according to Branch. The delegation attended The Baptist General Convention of South Africa Winter School of Theology. Immanuel Christian Ministries also sponsored African students and ministers by paying their tuition so they could attend school. On July 10, it snowed in South Africa. It had not snowed there since 2010, Branch said. We drove by a school and children were having great fun playing in the snow. There were many highlights of our trip, said the local pastor. We visited Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto and Cape Town. We even took a safari. The Nebraska Supreme Court has affirmed a Scotts Bluff County District Court judges ruling denying a new trial for convicted murderer Jeff Boppre. Boppre, now 60, was convicted after a March 1989 jury trial of two counts of first-degree murder and other charges in the killings of Richard Valdez and his girlfriend, Sharon Condon. The former Scottsbluff man is serving two life sentences in the Nebraska prison system. In this latest bid, filed in October 2019 and outlined in a September 2020 records hearing by Judge Andrea Miller, Boppre and his attorneys filed a 153-page motion for new trial. They submitted one exhibit, nearly 1,000 pages long, that contained a transcript of the trial and included sealed envelopes with additional documents, including photos of the murder scene, and a flash drive. Miller ruled in March 2021 that Boppre was not entitled to an evidentiary hearing in his motion for a new trial and dismissed the motion. Boppre filed a follow-up motion to alter or amend the motion for new trial, arguing that the dismissal was improper and that he was entitled to an evidentiary hearing under the states Postconviction Relief Act. The Scotts Bluff County District Court judge took that motion under advisement, but ultimately upheld her initial conclusion that an evidentiary hearing was not required. Miller again denied his motion for a new trial. Boppre appealed that ruling to the Nebraska Supreme Court. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said it had done a de novo review of Boppres case, meaning a review of the case in its entirety had been done, in reaching its decision to affirm Millers ruling denying Boppre an evidentiary hearing. The ruling quoted from the evidence introduced in Boppres trial, including testimony from one man, Ricky Zogg, that he had been with Boppre as he had attempted to rob Valdez two months before the killings. The court also cited testimony from the two main witnesses in the case, Kenard Wasmer and Alan Niemann. At trial, the two men testified that they had gone with Boppre several times on the night of the murders, Sept. 18, 1988, to purchase cocaine from Valdez. According to their testimony, sometime after midnight, Boppre proposed, Lets just go blow (Valdez) away. Niemann testified that he had accompanied Boppre to Valdezs home and witnessed Boppre shooting Valdez and saw the man lying on the floor after he had been shot. He said he also witnessed Boppre returning to the home, and testified that he could hear the killing of Sharon Condon, as Boppre sought to leave no witnesses to the shooting. After the murders, Wasmer and Niemann testified, they traveled with Boppre to Phoenix, Arizona. On that trip, Wasmer dismantled the gun used in the shootings and disposed pieces of it, citing claims that Boppre had indicated he wanted to rob a convenience store and kill whoever was behind the register. Later, near Gallup, New Mexico, Wasmer and Niemann testified, Boppre disposed of the weapon. Later, police recovered the gun, which had several missing parts, with the help of Niemann and Wasper. A ballistics expert matched shell casings found in Boppres fathers yard from the gun, which Boppres father told police he had fired on his property, with casings test fired from the gun recovered by police. Testimony in the case also came from two Scottsbluff officers, Lt. Bob Kinsey and Detective Mark Overman, about finding of Valdezs and Condons bodies. At the scene, officers found the letters J-F-F B-O-P-E written in white grease on the floor and J-E-F-F written in what officers testified appeared to be blood on the door casement, close to Valdezs body. A pathologist testified that, though Valdez suffered four gunshot wounds, he opined that the man could have lived up to 15 minutes and retained consciousness and was capable of having written the letters on the floor and wall. A pathologist testifying for the defense countered that he believed it would be highly unlikely for Valdez to have written the letters and that he would would have only remained conscious for about three minutes and died five to six minutes afterward. In its ruling, the Nebraska Supreme Court cited that state statute sets out seven grounds on which a motion for new trial can be granted, including newly discovered evidence that the defendant could not, with reasonable diligence, have discovered or produced at trial. The defendant must also show that the evidence would have affected the outcome of a trial, i.e. that a different verdict would probably have been reached at trial. In Boppres case, the Nebraska Supreme Court weighed whether his motion for a new trial and its support documents entitled him to an evidentiary hearing on that motion. Regardless of timeliness, the court said, a court may dismiss a motion for a new trial without an evidentiary hearing if it finds the motion and supporting documents do not set forth sufficient facts to establish that the newly discovered evidence would have produced a different finding or verdict at trial. The court said in its ruling it found no meaningful effort in Boppres ruling and supporting documents to tie any of the allegations to the statutory requirements for an evidentiary hearing ... or timeliness requirements set out in statute. Boppres operative motion reads more like a true crime mystery than a concise legal motion, the Nebraska Supreme Court said. It is 153-pages long, includes more than 60 images and video links, and buries factual assertions within long historical narratives that are scattered with legal conclusions. ... It is not the courts duty to scour the record in search of facts that might support a claim. The court stated that motions must make specific allegations to receive an evidentiary hearing and that Boppres motion failed to do so and that the brief in his motion failed to support his claims with coherent legal analysis. The court also outlined that evidence in the case, including that in which Boppre alleges a relative of Condons had committed the murders had already been considered as the result of previous motions filed, and denied, seeking additional DNA testing in the case. Previous rulings had previously been determined that Boppre was not entitled to a new trial because additional testing and evidence submitted in those previous motions did not disprove Boppre as the perpetrator of the killings or impeach the testimony of witnesses in the murder case. The ax cut through the thick rope, sending 38 Santee Dakota men to their deaths. The largest mass execution in American history happened in freezing temperatures on Dec. 26, 1862, before hundreds of residents in Mankato, Minnesota. Thrown into a shallow grave, the bodies were exhumed within a day, mostly by physicians who sought to use them as cadavers for experiments. Only one set of remains from that day the warrior Cut Nose has been returned to the Santee, who were then forcibly relocated to Nebraska. The inability to provide a proper burial is a familiar atrocity for tribes across the U.S., where the push to correct those injustices has found renewed energy since the 2021 discovery of mass graves at Indian boarding schools in Canada. Now multiple Nebraska museums in possession of Native remains say they are either on the verge of returning or restarting efforts to return them to their rightful tribes an act known as repatriation. That includes 39 sets of remains held by History Nebraska, the state agency long known as the Nebraska State Historical Society. At the Hastings Museum, a curator says hes establishing tribal connections needed to launch repatriation efforts for the 81 sets of remains that the museum hasnt returned. Eight institutions in Nebraska reported they possessed or still possess Native remains, this April, according to National Park Service data compiled by the news outlet ProPublica. The three with the most the University of Nebraska State Museum, History Nebraska and the U.S. Department of Defense all have made 90% or more of the remains available for return. The Hastings Museum and the U.S. Department of the Interior the fourth and fifth largest caches of remains each had return rates near 55%. The remaining three institutions reported sets of remains in the single digits. Despite some progress, outreach efforts still need to improve, said Sunshine Thomas-Bear, preservation officer for the Winnebago Tribe. I think Nebraska still has a long way to go in the repatriation process, Thomas-Bear said. Repatriation efforts in Nebraska have improved over the past 20 years, say people like Walter Echo-Hawk, former president of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. Gone are the days when museums ignored Native American wishes while displaying their ancestors as museum exhibits. Echo-Hawk became one of the first Native American representatives seeking repatriation in the 1980s. He did so on behalf of the Pawnee, one of more than a dozen tribes that the U.S. government removed from Nebraska. The Nebraska State Historical Society fought us every step of the way, Echo-Hawk said. They ignored us. But times have changed, Echo-Hawk says. In 1989, the Nebraska Legislature passed Legislative Bill 340, which required the return of Native American remains and funerary objects. Echo-Hawk credits the law with being the foundation of a national law passed in 1990. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act provides a process for identifying and returning tribal remains and objects from organizations, such as government agencies and museums, that receive federal funding. Still, the process did not go smoothly. In 1998, allegations that a University of Nebraska-Lincoln anthropology professor had mishandled Native remains touched off a firestorm. A graduate student alleged that the professor had, among other offenses, manipulated the skull of a Native child so that it appeared to be talking. An Nebraska State Patrol investigation ended without criminal charges and UNL reached an agreement with tribes to return those remains. According to the ProPublica database, the universitys museum has made 1,965 remains available for return, while 49 still havent been made available. The 49 sets of remains have been identified as unaffiliated because experts havent been able to confirm tribal identity, said Susan Weller, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum. She says the museum has consulted with 37 Great Plains tribes as well as a few in the southwest U.S. We are focused on the Plains, Weller said. Its not a quick process, but we are working towards full repatriation of all the ancestors. At History Nebraska, the 39 sets of remains that havent been made available for return will soon be handed over to the Pawnee, said Dave Williams, the states archaeologist. The tribe will hold services for the remains when theyre reburied. We will bury them in an undisclosed location, said Marti Only A Chief, the Pawnee NAGPRA officer in Oklahoma. We dont want them stolen again. The Stuhr Museum in Grand Island questioned the finding that it has two sets of remains that havent been made available for return. Based on museum records, the last set of Native American remains were returned in 2009, according to Chris Hochstetler, the Stuhrs executive director. Its possible that either the NAGPRA office didnt update the database or previous museum staff didnt submit the updates. The situation is being corrected, he said. The only remains we have now are white people, he said. At the Hastings Museum with a 57% return rate curator Dan Brosz said he is working to restart repatriation efforts. The museum has 81 sets of remains that havent been made available for return. The whole problem is that when these remains were stolen, no one kept records of where they took them from, Brosz said. While most Nebraska remains returned were Pawnee, some of the remains hes working with now are from across the country, Brosz said. Theyre often culturally unidentifiable or unaffiliated, he said. Since Ive been here, Ive gone through and reestablished connections with the tribes because during COVID, everything kind of fell to the wayside, but we had a lot of great success in getting communications with the various tribes from Florida to Oregon, he said. The horrifying discoveries of mass graves at Indigenous boarding schools in Canada rekindled public awareness and led to a reexamination of similar schools in the U.S.. That includes the former Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School in Nebraska. The Omaha World-Herald reported in July that an excavation effort to find a potential gravesite did not uncover any remains. At least 86 children are believed to have died at the school, the newspaper reported. While much of the recent attention has focused on remains, repatriation efforts also extend to artifacts and culturally significant items. Representatives of Nebraskas four tribes Winnebago, Ponca, Omaha and Santee say repatriation is key to their past and their future. Taken, piece by piece, these items comprise a tribes history and culture, said Judi gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs. The tribes pasts have been stolen, their language, their land, their tools, art and most personal possessions. Although past wrongs cannot be undone, the return of these items, personal and sacred, provides remembrance, healing and a path forward. The Ponca who successfully recovered Chief Standing Bears tomahawk from Harvard Universitys Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in 2022 have recouped more than 300 other historical and cultural items, said Stacy Laravie, Ponca tribal preservation officer. While returning these items to the tribes is crucial for healing, its only a first step, according to Laravie, who believes tribes need to take the extra step to reuniting the artifacts with the land. Everything is connected, she said. Whether its seeds or an ancestor, their belongings, or even the small children in the boarding schools, missing and murdered tribal members, being returned to their people, they need to put them in place. Its a bringing back of something to its mother. Lawmakers attend a meeting of the parliamentary education committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap The parliamentary education committee passed a set of revisions aimed at enhancing teachers' rights Friday as a series of suicides by teachers has sparked demands for the improvement of their rights in classrooms. The deaths sparked criticism that South Korea's school system and related laws fail to protect teachers' authority in classrooms and discourage them from taking necessary disciplinary measures, out of fear of being accused of child abuse. The four revisions, known as the "teacher rights restoration bills," aim to strengthen the criteria to hold teachers accountable for child abuse and provide grounds for the schools and education offices to protect them against disgruntled parents or unruly behavior from students. A controversial provision that would allow teachers to leave a record of students who infringe upon their rights during education activities was not included, as the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The revised bills will later be deliberated at the legislation and judiciary committee, then be put to a vote at a plenary session of the National Assembly next Thursday. "They will be approved at the plenary session on Sept. 21," said Rep. Kim Young-ho from the main opposition Democratic Party. "People will feel the change in schools soon, as the bills were designed to take effect immediately after their promulgation." (Yonhap) The Nebraska Passport season will soon draw to a close, but theres still time to squeeze in one more adventure out west at Riverside Discovery Center. Riverside Discovery Center is a small, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo in Scottsbluff with an impressive lineup of animals from around the world. A favorite of local families, the zoo is often called a hidden gem on the western edge of the state. Riverside Discovery Center Executive Director Desiree Drane-Davison said that being selected as a Passport stop has brought plenty of new faces to the zoo, many of whom are surprised to find such a place nestled in the Nebraska Panhandle. We are a big little zoo. Actually, we have animals here that Denver doesnt have, Drane-Davison said. Anyone who plans their visit to Riverside Discovery Center on a hot day will get to take advantage of the zoos best non-animal feature. The most popular attraction is the splash pad, especially on hot days, Drane-Davison said. Everyone wants to get in the water. Even I want to get in the water some days. Naturally, the animals are the highlight of any visit. Drane-Davison said some of the zoos popular characters are Smokey the grizzly bear and a pair of hyenas, Baby and Charlie, who were recently added to the RDC lineup. Oh, and the literal babies of course. Some of the animals housed at Riverside Discovery Center are included in Species Survival Plan programming through the AZA. These programs oversee the movement of certain animals from zoo to zoo in order to maintain genetic diversity, health and sustainability of select species. This summer, a porcupine named Oscar is visiting RDC from Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines on one of those breeding missions. If successful, there may be a good reason for visitors to return in a few months time. Were hoping for little porcupines in the spring, Drane-Davison said. Right now, the zoo is home to three baby animals, two zebras and one Highland cow calf, who easily overshadow the popularity of their adult counterparts. Everyone is coming out to see the babies.. Whatever it is that brings a visitor through the gate, Riverside Discovery Center does its best to make sure that they leave with more knowledge than they brought with them. Education is a cornerstone for most zoos and RDC is no different, seeing it as an important piece in the protection and preservation of our planets incredible wildlife. The only way were going to be able to protect the animals that we have at the zoo especially those that are on a Species Survival Plan is through education, Drane-Davison said. Its a solid purpose for zoos. Despite its small size, Riverside Discovery Center finds ways to keep pace with much larger zoos. In this way, theyre able to provide an important experience for folks who dont live within easy driving distance of more well-known zoos. Its a long distance between Denver and Omaha, which are our closest zoos, Drane-Davison said. As an accredited AZA facility we have to go through the same process that San Diego, Denver and Omaha go through. The fact that we can hold our own with the big zoos says a lot about the staff and the commitment to the zoo, and people see that when they come to visit. Although the window to claim a Passport stamp is quickly drawing to a close, Drane-Davison said that the last few weeks of September are actually the perfect time to stop and visit the animals. They dont necessarily like to be out in the heat. Theyre a little bit smarter than we are and will find shade and hunker down, she said. As it cools off, the chances of seeing some of these animals are much better. Drane-Davison also said there are plenty of reasons to drop by Riverside Discovery Center even after the Passport season has concluded. Anyone visiting or traveling through western Nebraska should add it to their agenda alongside Scotts Bluff National Monument, Wildcat Hills, Chimney Rock and the rest. If theyre out here visiting, they should really see all the sights, and were definitely a good place to visit, she said. Riverside Discovery Center will be closed to the public during the first week of October so the staff can prepare the grounds for its 35th annual Spooktacular. Both kid-friendly and scary nights will be hosted at the zoo throughout the month of October for those craving some Halloween fun. Diane Flynt wasnt looking for an orchard when she took the path that led to her dozen years of prize-winning cider making in the Blue Ridge hills west of Floyd. Growing up in Georgia, my grandparents had a farm, she said. I always wanted some sort of farming in my life. Flynts story of her progress creating Foggy Ridge Cider in Dugspur is laced with praise for mentors and friends in the world of apples grower Tom Burford in Nelson County, agronomist Lee Calhoun in Pittsboro, N.C., and cider guru Greg Peck at Virginia Tech and Cornell. She set out to learn from the best in the field and now shes sharing from the best of the lore she collected in a book shell introduce on Sunday (Sept. 17) at the Jessie Peterman Library in Floyd. The book is Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, and was just released by UNC Press at Chapel Hill. Flynt calls her volume a look at the South through the lens of one food ingredient. Americans may think of the South for peanuts, cotton and tobacco, but apples have been core to our farms and families for hundreds of years. The Spanish missionaries or soldiers may have brought apples over from Europe; they did bring peaches. Many of the indigenous groups in the Southeast were really skilled farmers, Flynt said. When apple seeds arrived, they were really primed to use them and succeed. Georgia was home to many of the apples that were chosen by the Cherokees, who were very accomplished farmers before their relocation to the West. Such discoveries were still in the future for Flynt, just finding her way out of a banking career as she and her husband, Chuck, looked for land within an easy drive from Greensboro N.C., their home at the time. I had cider on my mind, but also other farm-based businesses. Most of the acreage they saw, they were sure would be overtaken by urban sprawl. Then a friend in Laurel Fork suggested Dugspur, where they bought 50 acres in 1997, then added 150. There were no orchards on the place at the time. But the 3,000-foot altitude welcomed apples. I got to know a lot of people at [the markets in] Cana, Flynt said, and the W.O. Hill Orchard Supply. [Extension agent] Jon Vest came out to look at the farm. New trees take seven years or so to produce, so it was 2005 before Flynt was ready to sell cider. And sell she did, as Foggy Ridge earned a name for itself. Chefs and food writers began to notice an emerging niche of craft cideries. Sean Brock, the entrepreneurial chef in Charleston, Greenville and Nashville, was an early enthusiast and he writes the forward to Flynts book. Brock is a multiple winner of James Beard Awards, and Flynt, by the time she brought her last cider to market in 2017, was a multiple nominee as well. At the industrys CiderCon 2022, Flynt, now a full-fledged evangelist for this all-American refreshment, was the keynote speaker. Flynt still sells apples to cider-makers around the South. Its the apples, after all, that bring the special flavors that tantalize farm-to-table diners just as they refreshed Appalachian settlers. The book is profusely illustrated by photographer Angie Mosier, and Flynt will show several of those slides on Sunday during her 3 p.m. program, sponsored by the library and Sustain Floyd, at 321 W. Main St. Flynt may not claim a favorite apple, but ask her which ones make good cider. The northwestern regions of Syria are grappling with a deteriorating economic situation, Enab Baladi writes. A prevailing sense of fear has gripped the population in northwestern Syria, following reports of the suspension of critical food security projects supported by the United Nations. This suspension comes as a consequence of the failure to secure an extension for the entry of UN aid through the Bab aal-Hawa border crossing with Turkey. Moreover, the region is plagued by a lack of adequate camps with essential resources such as drinking water and bread, which constitute the primary sustenance for the local populace. The northwestern regions of Syria are grappling with a deteriorating economic situation, inadequate infrastructure, and a heavy reliance on humanitarian assistance to sustain life. This reliance is particularly acute for families who have lost their primary breadwinners or have been affected by the devastating earthquake that struck the region last February. Muath Bakbash, the director of the Sarmada office at the Ataa Humanitarian Relief Association, has highlighted that food security projects supported by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) currently address only 40 to 50 percent of the regions food security requirements, with local donations covering a mere 1 percent. Bakbash has issued a stark warning, emphasizing that any obstruction in extending the entry of humanitarian aid through the Bab al-Hawa crossing poses a grave threat to these vital projects. This potential disruption foreshadows a looming humanitarian catastrophe that could befall northern Syria. He points out the inability of humanitarian organizations to meet the basic needs of the people, which could have dire consequences for their health and overall well-being. Among the most critical food security projects implemented by humanitarian organizations in the northern Syrian camps are those related to the distribution of bread and the supply of drinking water. This is especially crucial given the damage to infrastructure such as roads, water supply networks, and sewage systems, which has made it increasingly challenging to provide water to the camps. According to Bakbash, bread and water represent the fundamental necessities for the camp residents. While he acknowledges that the current projects may be somewhat limited in scope, there are ongoing efforts to establish drinking water stations in the camps, recognizing the increased demand for water, especially during the hot summer months. Furthermore, Bakbash underscores that the population is grappling with a staggering increase in prices, exceeding 24% compared to the previous year. This has rendered it impossible for families in the camps to afford water, which is being sold at exorbitant prices within the camp boundaries. In light of these dire circumstances, Bakbash appeals for urgent action from the international community. He calls for concerted efforts to secure an extension of the decision to allow aid entry and implores all humanitarian organizations, media outlets, and human rights institutions to unite their efforts in averting the impending catastrophe. Fears of worsening crisis The suspension of food security projects not only threatens the economic well-being of the population but also carries the potential for serious health and social problems that will burden the affected communities. Abdul Salam al-Yousef, the director of al-Tah camp situated in the northern countryside of Idleb, has disclosed that the camp is home to 307 families, all of whom fall below the poverty line. Among these families, 50 have no breadwinners, 15 have at least one member with special needs, and 30 have been impacted by the recent earthquake. Tah camp faces a scarcity of food security projects initiated by humanitarian organizations, despite their already limited scope. These projects play a vital role in sustaining the lives of residents and providing the essential water needed for drinking and cleaning, as per Yousef. According to the camps director, a pervasive sense of panic and fear has enveloped the residents following reports of the cessation of bread and water aid. There are growing concerns about the potential outbreak of diseases, particularly skin ailments due to water scarcity, and childhood illnesses resulting from inadequate nutrition. Yousef emphasizes that the suspension of humanitarian aid will have detrimental effects on all aspects of life within the camp. Furthermore, the risk of increased school dropout rates among children and the prevalence of child labour in the community are expected to rise due to the anticipated poverty and destitution resulting from the aid suspension. On a social level, the surge in poverty and the perceived inability of parents to provide for their childrens basic needs may lead to an upswing in suicides, divorces, and the disintegration of families within the camp. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Various factions, some aligned with the Syrian National Army and others with HTS, engage in mutual military build-ups, SYRIA TV writes. The eastern countryside of Aleppo is currently a powder keg as various factions, some aligned with the Syrian National Army and others with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, engage in mutual military build-ups. These developments are setting the stage for a potential military clash, driven by Hayat Tahrir al-Shams efforts to expand its influence in the region following a recent schism within the Ahrar al-Sham Eastern Sector. The dispute also involves economic interests related to control over the Al-Hamran crossing in eastern Aleppo. The conflict within Ahrar al-Sham Eastern Sector revolves around two factions. One is led by Muhammad Rami (Abu Haidar Maskana), who has chosen to align with the Second Corps of the National Army, severing ties with Tahrir al-Hayat. The other faction, headed by Hussein al-Talib (Abu al-Dahdah Manbij), directly coordinates with Tahrir al-Sham, further distancing itself from the National Army. The leadership of Ahrar al-Sham in Idlib, represented by Amer al-Sheikh, has also distanced itself from the National Army. The conflicts roots trace back to a split within Ahrar al-Sham Eastern Sector in April 2022, when it separated from the Third Corps of the National Army to align with Ahrar al-Sham Movement under direct coordination with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani. This move effectively made the sector an arm of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in National Army-controlled areas, allowing it to exert influence and control over the financially lucrative Al-Hamran crossing. However, the recent division within the sector has escalated tensions. Abu Haidars decision to join the Second Corps angered the leadership of Ahrar al-Sham in Idlib and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. In response, they isolated Abu Haidar and appointed Abu al-Dahdah as the new sector commander. Abu Haidar had previously dismissed Abu al-Dahdah and Zakaria Al-Sharida (Abu Omar) from their positions, citing their alleged overreach of authority, further weakening the sectors cohesion. This dispute, initially perceived as an internal matter within Ahrar al-Sham Eastern Sector, is emblematic of a larger conflict between two dominant forces in northern Syria: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Second Corps, particularly the Sultan Murad Division that assimilated the sector under Abu Haidars leadership. Economic interests Hayat Tahrir al-Shams economic interests in the region were adversely affected when Al-Hamran crossing remained under Abu Haidars control, leading them to mobilize forces in collaboration with Abu al-Dahdahs Ahrar al-Sham faction. Their aim is to wrest control of Al-Hamran crossing and other military sectors in proximity to areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Conversely, forces aligned with Abu Haidar have also mobilized, prepared for a potential confrontation, with directives issued by the Ministry of Defense to the National Army Corps to respond to any attack initiated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Rival factions vie for control One leader within Abu Haidars bloc described the root causes of the dispute, stating that a movement within the sector, represented by figures like Abu al-Dahdah, Zakaria al-Sharida, and Abu al-Farouq al-Bab, aimed to align completely with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, with support from Ahrar al-Shams deputy leader, Ahmed al-Dalati. On the other hand, Abu Haidars faction remained committed to the National Armys overarching direction. Efforts to isolate Abu Haidar escalated, with Amer al-Sheikh, leader of Ahrar al-Sham in Idlib, attempting direct control over the sector to ensure it followed the Hayat Tahrir al-Shams agenda. Following Abu Haidars rejection, a statement purportedly from the Gaza Strip Shura Council was released, dismissing Abu Haidar and appointing Abu al-Dahdah as his replacement. The situation remains precarious, with strategic points such as the Al-Hamran crossing and the Abla sector still under the control of the Abu Haidar bloc. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has introduced additional forces into the region under tribal cover from Idlib, exploiting recent tensions on the Manbij axis to potentially launch an attack and seize these crucial areas. The sectors spokesman denied any prior intention to formally align with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, emphasizing the high level of coordination between the two parties, particularly during confrontations against the Third Corps. Nevertheless, the situation remains fluid, with potential implications for the broader dynamics in northern Syria. Further developments are expected in the coming days as tensions escalate. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Turkey might be actively working to gradually eliminate the presence of Syrian refugees, Orient Net writes. A tragic incident unfolded in the western Turkish city of Izmir, where a young Syrian refugee lost his life due to multiple stab wounds inflicted by a young Turkish man. The incident occurred a few days ago in Izmir and came to light through the efforts of human rights activist Taha al-Ghazi. He shared the heartbreaking news on his Facebook page, accompanied by a poignant photo of the Syrian youth and a video capturing the immediate aftermath of the stabbing. He was stabbed because of a cigarette. Ghazi provided details surrounding the tragic demise of the Syrian young man, Ibrahim Deli Hassan. His family confirmed his passing after he spent several days in the intensive care unit of an Izmir hospital following a vicious stabbing by a Turkish youth. The brother of the deceased shared a harrowing account, stating that on the previous Saturday, Ibrahim (22 years old) and his friend were shopping in Izmirs Sanjak neighborhood during the early evening hours, around seven oclock. Two Turkish young men approached Ibrahim, with one of them requesting a cigarette. Ibrahim, a non-smoker, politely declined, but this interaction took a horrifying turn. The young Turkish man proceeded to viciously stab Ibrahim multiple times in different parts of his body. Ibrahim was rushed to a government hospital by ambulance and placed under intensive medical care for several days. Despite the diligent medical attention, he succumbed to his injuries. According to Ghazi, law enforcement authorities swiftly apprehended the perpetrator and initiated legal proceedings to determine the motives and circumstances surrounding this heinous crime. Ghazi also mentioned his collaboration with various human rights advocates within the Turkish Bar Association in Izmir, aiming to offer comprehensive legal support to Ibrahims grieving family and to monitor the cases progress through the judicial system. In another distressing incident that occurred recently, several Syrian refugee women, along with their children, faced verbal and physical assaults while on a public bus in Izmir. They were subsequently forced off the bus following a barrage of curses and abuses directed at them. Racism and hate speech worsen In an article featured on Orient Net, Syrian lawyer and dedicated human rights advocate Ghazwan Qoronfol sheds light on the distressing reality that Syrians in Turkey face on a daily basis. He points out that scarcely a day goes by without some Syrians experiencing verbal or physical assaults driven by racist motives. Qoronfol underscores a troubling transformation in Turkey, where hate speech against Syrians and Arabs has evolved from mere rhetoric spouted by a minority of racists to becoming an alarming aspect of societal behavior, practiced by a segment of Turkish society that is no longer negligible. This behaviour has escalated into acts of aggression and physical attacks, tragically resulting in the loss of lives in some cases. Qoronfol raises a critical concern by criticizing the apparent reluctance of Turkish authorities to address these acts through legal means. He suggests that this reluctance may reflect a broader agenda, indicating that Turkey might be actively working to gradually eliminate the presence of Syrian refugees and permanently close this chapter. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The Captagon tablets seized were likely destined for a third country, according to Zaman al-Wasl. Dubai police have successfully seized a staggering 86 million tablets of amphetamine, known as Captagon, concealed within a shipment of doors and building panels, according to an announcement by UAE authorities on Thursday. The estimated value of these confiscated pills surpasses a billion dollars, underlining the gravity of the situation. This seizure comes at a time when Captagon sales have emerged as a critical issue across the Middle East, fueled by support from the Syrian regime. CCTV footage, made public by the UAE Ministry of Interior, reveals suspects attempting to smuggle Captagon pills through Dubais Jebel Ali port. The illicit tablets were ingeniously concealed within five shipping containers loaded with doors and building panels. Astonishingly, these smuggled Captagon tablets weighed in excess of 13 tons. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE interior minister, issued a stern statement, declaring, The UAE will remain vigilant against anyone attempting to undermine the security and stability of our society. Although the authorities did not disclose the identities of the suspects, they characterized them as part of an international criminal gang and refrained from revealing the source of the Captagon shipment. Colonel Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb, the director of the Dubai Polices General Department of Narcotics, explained that these Captagon tablets were likely destined for a third country, without specifying its name. The estimated cost of a single Captagon tablet stands at approximately $12 while neighbouring Saudi Arabia reports a higher price of $25 per tablet. Syria has gained notoriety as the worlds largest source of smuggled Captagon, an addictive amphetamine, especially since the onset of the war. Over the years, hundreds of millions of Captagon tablets have been illicitly transported into Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states from territories under the control of the Syrian regime. The United States, Britain, and the European Union have levelled accusations against Bashar al-Assad, his family, and their allies, including the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, for their alleged involvement in facilitating and profiting from the Captagon trade. These allegations suggest that this trade has provided a significant financial lifeline to Assad, particularly during a period of economic turmoil in Syria. However, both the Syrian regime and Hezbollah have vehemently denied these accusations. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. On Thursday, Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made an apparent reference to alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria that took place on Wednesday. He remarked, Last night, we received further confirmation that in the State of Israel, the roar of our planes is louder than any other background noise. Simultaneously, Syrian regime forces used force against protesters in Suweida on Wednesday, injuring at least three individuals. This marks the first instance of the regime resorting to violence in the region since protests began in the southern province in early August. Nevertheless, the protests continue unabated. Additionally, the country is facing a threat to its precious cotton crop due to the spread of the Spodoptera littoralis moth. Gallant after Syria strikes: Proof thunder of Israels jets is loudest At least two Syrian soldiers were killed in suspected Israeli airstrikes that hit military positions on Syrias coast, Al-Monitor and local media reported. The Syrian state news agency, SANA, cited a military source saying that Israel had fired a series of rockets from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday afternoon, targeting a number of air defense sites in the Tartus countryside. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors events in Syria through a wide network of sources in the country, said the attack targeted two weapons depots belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. It confirmed the death of the two soldiers and added that an unidentified allied fighter had also been killed. Eight were injured. According to SOHR sources, the strikes came one day after a Hezbollah convoy carrying weapons entered Syria from Lebanon via unofficial crossings and stored the weapons at the targeted warehouses in Tartus. Later on Wednesday, SANA reported another round of Israeli missiles fired from Lebanese airspace that hit military sites in the Hama countryside, causing only material damage. The SOHR said the scientific research center in Taqsis village was targeted. Meanwhile, opposition-affiliated media said the evening strikes had hit the Shuairat military airport, southeast of central Homs province, a claim government media have denied. Israel has carried out hundreds of precision strikes against suspected Iran-linked targets in Syria throughout the conflict there, but rarely admits doing so. The SOHR has documented 27 attacks by Israeli forces in Syria so far this year. Last month, Israeli strikes hit the Aleppo International Airport, briefly forcing its closure. Israel has repeatedly targeted airports and seaports in regime-controlled areas of Syria in an effort to halt the movement of Iranian-supplied weapons to the Islamic Republics proxies in the region, including Hezbollah. Gallant Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant appeared on Thursday to reference alleged Israeli airstrikes which targeted sites in Syria on Wednesday, stating last night we received another proof, that in the State of Israel the thunder of the planes is louder than all the other background noises. In the end what matters is the performance, not the talk, said Gallant at a pre-Rosh Hashanah toast with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the General Staff Forum. The targeted project, known as Project 99, is located at a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) near Tal Qartal, south of Hama, according to Alma. Syrian reports indicated that the Shayrat Airbase in the Homs region was also targeted during the strikes near Hama, with the Syrian Sawt al-Asima news site reporting that the airbase was partially evacuated and a state of alert was activated. The Shayrat airbase is frequently used by Russian forces stationed in the country. According to the Capital Voice, the strikes targeted military sites where Iranian weapons and military equipment that had recently arrived in Syria were being stored. According to the report, Syrian air defenses did not respond to the strike. The strikes near Hama came just hours after an alleged Israeli airstrike targeted Syrian air defense bases near Tartous in a rare daytime strike. Protests continue in Suweida despite Syrian regime forces firing for the first time Syrian regime forces shot and injured at least three protesters in Suweida on Wednesday, 14 September, marking the first time the regime has employed violence against the area since protests started in the southern province in early August, New Arab reported. Demonstrators have occupied the main square of Suweida city, al-Karama Square, for over four weeks, calling for the downfall of the Syrian regime and an improvement in economic conditions. The Syrian regime has generally ignored the protests in the Druze-majority province while violently suppressing them in other areas, such as the neighbouring province of Daraa. On Wednesday, protesters headed towards the ruling Baath party headquarters in Suweida when armed men stationed on the roof began to shoot at them, resulting in light injuries. Videos posted by local outlet Suweida 24 showed men, one in military fatigues, on the roof of the building pointing rifles at demonstrators. [After the shooting] there was anger in the street, but we tried to calm it. Protesters gathered and agreed to continue their protests in a peaceful manner, Maan al-Khadaj, an activist in Suweida, told The New Arab. Khadaj further explained that the shooting represented an attempt by the regime escalate what have so far been peaceful protests to justify the further use of violence. But the street understands its games and will adhere to peacefulness until the end, Lana Aswad, a human rights activist in Suweida, told TNA. Aswad said the use of violence would not deter her or other protesters from continuing their demonstrations. Since we came out and demanded the overthrow of the regime, we have forgotten fear and put it behind us. We will never back down, Aswad said. What happens next? Demonstrators in Suweida say their goal is to help spread protests across regime-held Syria to spur a political change in the countrys leadership. However, as of yet, sustained protests have not taken root, besides sporadic demonstrations in Daraa. Activism in other regime-held areas have mainly manifested in the distribution of political leaflets and anonymous dissent online. Security forces have fired on protesters in Daraa and arrested activists for Facebook posts in areas typically thought of as friendly to the regime, such as the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous. Inside Suweida itself, protests continue to intensify and deepen, prompting worry among some activists that the regime will increasingly resort to violence. It appears as if the regime is exhausted, it doesnt have any other option besides violence. In the end, the Syrian regime is known for violence the regime will not have any real hesitation to kill people, Rayan Maarouf, the editor of Suweida 24, told TNA. Russia disrupts Wagner in Syria as Moscow tries to subsume groups operation Russias ministry of defense reportedly disrupted a Wagner Group forces rotations plane from landing in Syria, amid reports of the ministry trying to subsume the mercenary groups operations in Syria, Al-Arabiya reported. The Russian ministry of defense blocked Wagner forces from rotating personnel from Africa through the Hmeimim airbase in Syrias Latakia, according to the Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner Grey Zone. Wagner, after being banned from flying through Hmeimim and the cancellation of permits from the Russian Foreign Ministry, agreed with the Syrian Ministry of Defense and arranged flights for rotation to Africa, through the Syrian Tiyas military airbase, Grey Zone reported on Telegram. It added: As the plane took off, Russian helicopters were raised into the air, and fire trucks were driven onto the runway to prevent it from landing. This prompted Wagner forces to negotiate with the Syrian ministry of defense to rotate through the Tiyas airbase in Homs instead. But the Syrians were told that if this plane lands, fire will be opened on it. Additionally, a Kremlin-affiliated military blogger said the Russian ministry of defense used vehicles on the runway to prevent a Wagner plane from landing at the Tiyas airbase on September 12, and then deployed helicopters threatening to shoot down the Wagner plane. Grey Zone said: At Wagners HQ, they said that if this plane was shot down, then Wagner in Libya would strike the ministry of defenses base in response. But at the last moment, the leadership of Wagner in Syria got through to [Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Yunus-Bek] Yevkurov and the order was canceled, and the plane landed. According to Grey Zone, the plane was carrying 170 Syrians on board and Wagner contractors who were flying home after a contract in Libya. Cotton crop in Northeast Syria to fade Hussein Muhammad Kheleif, 50, inspected his cotton crop, especially after the spread of the Spodoptera littoralis which has caused significant damage this year, North Press reports. Kheleif, a farmer in the countryside of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, expresses his frustration because of the low production and poor quality due to the impact of Spodoptera littoralis. Although he sprays insecticides to eliminate the worm every 10 to 15 days, all of that has been of no use in combating it. The farmer faces a set of challenges in cotton farming including securing diesel fuel to operate the generator and irrigate the crop, which requires a lot of effort and time to obtain. The farmer considers harvesting the remaining crop 20 days before the scheduled harvest date to avoid further losses. If we manage to get benefit from half of the crop this year, it will be a blessing by God, he told North Press. Cotton is one of the most important crops in Syria, with a significant focus on its cultivation in northeastern Syria, especially in the Euphrates Valley, where it has the largest acreage. According to farmers, the cotton planting period usually begins in early April and continues until late November, when it is harvested and packed in nylon bags. Cotton production this year is very low compared to previous years, especially since the prices of all agricultural inputs have multiplied, Ahmad Mousa, a farmer from the village of Nasran in the countryside of Qamishli, told North Press. We buy everything in USD, including diesel fuel, fertilizers, and agricultural medicine. All their prices depend on the exchange rate of the USD, which has witnessed a significant increase, and this affects us, he said. Back from the dead: Desperately searching for Syrias missing prisoners Veteran journalist Lina Sinjab published a long report on BBC, Back from the dead: Desperately searching for Syrias missing prisoners, in which she highlights the harrowing and tragic situation faced by the families of individuals who have disappeared in Syrias prison system during more than a decade of civil conflict. Heres an analysis of the key points: Disappearance of Thousands: The article discusses how thousands of people have disappeared within Syrias prison system, leaving their families in anguish. These individuals were often arrested arbitrarily or for political reasons during the Syrian civil war. Desperate Search: Families of the missing individuals are left in a desperate situation, resorting to paying large sums of money to middlemen, government officials, and security forces for any information about their loved ones. This search for information becomes an emotional and financial burden on these families. Middlemen and Deception: Many of the payments made by these families are to middlemen who claim to have connections with or work for the Syrian authorities. The article exposes the prevalence of deception in this process, with families paying substantial amounts for information that often turns out to be false. Release Through Payments: The article presents the story of individuals who were detained for years and only released after their families paid significant sums of money. In some cases, this money is used to secure the release of loved ones from prison, highlighting the corruption within the Syrian prison system. Advocacy and Assistance: The UN General Assembly recently adopted a resolution to establish an independent institution to find information about missing persons in Syria. Additionally, organizations like the Association of Detainees and Missing in Seydnaya Prison (ADMSP) have emerged to assist families in their search efforts. Financial Toll: The financial toll on these families is immense. The article reports that between 2011 and 2020, families paid an estimated $900 million in their quest to find information about their missing relatives. Some families even had to sell their homes to make these payments. Corruption and Bribery: The article suggests that corruption and bribery are deeply embedded in the Syrian regime, with various individuals, including security forces and government officials, benefiting from the payments made by desperate families. Emotional Impact: The article also highlights the emotional impact on the families, who continue to hold on to hope despite facing immense challenges. They often keep photographs and memories of their missing loved ones as a form of solace. In summary, this article sheds light on the heartbreaking and complex situation faced by families searching for missing loved ones in Syria. It highlights the exploitation, deception, and corruption that often accompany such searches, as well as the financial and emotional toll it takes on those left behind. Former presidential chief of staff for policy Jang Ha-sung / Yonhap The state audit agency announced Friday that high-ranking officials, including a former land minister and key presidential aides from the preceding Moon Jae-in government, manipulated various economic data for several years, allegedly in support of its key economic and real estate policies. The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) disclosed the interim results of its six-month investigation and has formally requested the prosecution to investigate 22 former government officials, including all four former presidential chiefs of staff for policy Jang Ha-sung, Kim Su-hyun, Kim Sang-jo and Lee Ho-Seung as well as former Land Minister Kim Hyun-mi. The BAI concluded that the presidential office and the land ministry exerted undue pressure on agencies responsible for statistics, compelling them to manipulate official data on income, employment and housing prices since the Moon administration assumed office in May 2017. Notably, curbing surging housing prices was one of Moon's policy agendas, leading the land ministry to implement a series of drastic yet contentious real estate measures, including imposing high taxes on those owning more than one home. Despite the government's efforts to combat what it labeled as real estate speculation, housing prices skyrocketed. The BAI asserts that the former government officials distorted key economic indicators to create the appearance of policy success. In detail, Jang Ha-sung, who is considered the architect of Moon's income-led growth policy, ordered prior reports or revisions before key statistics were compiled and announced, the BAI said. A relevant law bans statistics agencies from providing data to other government agencies prior to the announcement to prevent undue influence during the compiling process. The BAI determined that Jang also pressured the Korea Real Estate Board (REB), an affiliate of the land ministry, to intentionally skew samples and use manipulated survey data in publishing real estate price trend reports. "Cheong Wa Dae and the land ministry exerted undue pressure on statistical activities of the REB at least more than 94 times from 2017 to 2021 to tamper with the statistical numbers," Choi Dal-young, a BAI senior official, said during a press briefing. The BAI ruled that such illegal acts of leaking data and manipulation had continued by his successors, Kim Su-hyun and Kim Sang-jo, and Lee. During all five years of the Moon administration, the REB data indicated housing prices in Seoul rose by 19.5 percent. However, data compiled by a local bank suggested the prices soared as much as 62.2 percent. "After June 2019, when (housing) sale prices began rising again, the land ministry pressured the REB more strongly by inducing the resignation of an REB chief or making comments, such as blowing up the agency or the budget," Choi said. Former Land Minister Kim Hyun-mi / Yonhap During an interpellation session at the National Assembly in 2020, former Minister Kim said that housing prices rose by merely 11 percent during the Moon administration, citing REB data. Decreased income for low-income households was another controversial issue in light of Moon's income-led growth initiative, which included a sharp hike in the minimum wage. The BAI ruled that the former presidential officials intervened in statistical affairs by ordering that major economic statistics released by Statistics Korea be doctored. In detail, Statistics Korea's household income trend survey for the first quarter of 2018 showed that the income gap widened and the total distribution ratio for disposable income, a key barometer of earnings equality, worsened. The reports at the time triggered criticism that the income of the poor had further decreased and the distribution gap had widened despite Moon's income-led growth initiative. The BAI said Statistics Korea then changed its statistical survey method by adding a weighted value, in an attempt to produce what looked like improved data on income distribution. The presidential office denounced the case as a "shocking breach of national discipline." Choi Dal-young, a senior official at the Board of Audit and Inspection, speaks during a press briefing at the headquarters in Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday the state has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against a Kelso gun shop for allegedly breaking a 2022 state law by selling high-capacity magazines to the general public. The lawsuit alleges that gun store Gators Custom Guns, located at 301 North 1st St. in Kelso, plus its owner Walter, or Wally, Wentz, has been selling high-capacity magazines after the distribution, sale, importation and manufacture of such equipment was banned in the state in July 2022. Wentzs son Benjamin Wentz told The Daily News they didnt know about the lawsuit until Tuesday, but declined to talk further. The Attorney Generals Office asks that Gators Custom Guns destroy or return any remaining inventory of the prohibited items, and no longer stock, sell or advertise high-capacity magazines, describing the store as among the states largest and most persistent purchasers of high-capacity magazines from out-of-state distributors. Walter Wentz could face a fine of at least $7,500 for every time the shop sold or offered to sell high-capacity magazines, as determined by a judge, said Communications Director Brionna Aho for the Washington State Attorney General Office. Investigation Gators Custom Guns is the second lawsuit brought forth by the Washington Attorney Generals Office in regard to illegal sales of large capacity magazines, with the capability to contain more than 10 rounds of ammo, according to a department press release. As mentioned in the lawsuit, the Attorney Generals office conducted a sweep of drop-in visits by investigators in August of 2022 of brick-and-mortar shops across the state. Investigators attempted to buy large capacity magazines at 25 stores, but only two retailers sold or offered to sell the prohibited item. The Attorney Generals Office then conducted a second round of drop-ins in March and May, visiting nearly 90 gun stores, with a vast majority of gun retailers adhering to the law. However, at Gators Custom Guns, the suit says the shop openly displayed hundreds of (large capacity magazines) for public sale in their retail store. In May, investigators say they purchased from the store three high-capacity magazines: a 33-round magazine for a Glock, a 27-round magazine for a rifle, and a 40-round magazine, also for a rifle. Walter Wentz himself allegedly sold prohibited items during the investigators second visit to the Kelso shop. The suit alleges that Gators Custom Guns was a persistent purchaser of large capacity magazines and that the store purchased and (with) caused to be delivered into Washington at least 11,408 large capacity magazines since the passage of the law. Our sweep continues to show that an overwhelming majority of gun retailers in Washington are doing the right thing and complying with the law, Ferguson said in the press release. In contrast, Gators Custom Guns intentionally built a retail stockpile that exceeds anything my office has seen since the ban went into effect. During the pandemic, Gators Custom Guns was also reported to be operating even though it wasnt considered an essential business under outgoing Governor Jay Inslees stay-at-home orders, as previously reported by The Daily News. Walter Wentz told the outlet at the time he received legal advise stating his business was essential. Other alleged violators Ferguson filed a similar consumer protection lawsuit against Federal Way Discount Guns and its owner for selling high-capacity magazines. Ferguson was able to get a county court judge to order an injunction halting the store from selling high-capacity magazines in December. The Attorney Generals Office also fined a Lakewood, Washington gun seller, WSG Guns, $15,000 for intentionally violating the high-capacity magazine ban, after the company allegedly sold the prohibited items two months after the law barring their sale went into effect. According to the lawsuit, large-capacity magazines were used in 10 of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history since 2009. Multiple high-capacity magazines were found in the hotel room of Stephen Paddock, the man alleged to have killed 61 people in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. The union that represents Washington corrections officers filed a complaint Wednesday seeking a court injunction to stop the impending closure of Larch Corrections Center. The complaint filed in Clark County Superior Court alleges the Washington Department of Corrections, under Secretary Cheryl Strange, has committed several violations leading up to the facilitys planned Oct. 1 closure. Corrections communication team said Thursday the department does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation. It confirmed Larchs closure, which is part of DOCs Best Bed Project, is still slated for October. Teamsters Local 117, which represents 6,000 state corrections employees, argues the department has refused to bargain over the closure, violated workers seniority rights and improperly offered employment to bargaining unit members in exchange for ceasing union activities. The complaint also alleges the department violated Gov. Jay Inslees emergency proclamation concerning statewide wildland firefighting. In partnership with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the minimum-security prison near Yacolt has trained fire crews used in fighting wildfires across the state for more than six decades. The DOC has betrayed the trust of the entire community, John Searcy, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 117, said in a Thursday news release. Instead of engaging impacted stakeholders, the department blind-sided the public and continues to recklessly move ahead with a plan that will harm workers, incarcerated individuals and their families. Closing Larch will disrupt the lives and progress of incarcerated individuals working towards reentry while endangering people across Southwestern Washington who rely on the facilitys fire crews that have served and protected families in the region for 50 years. The union is asking the court to stop the closure until the alleged violations have been addressed in arbitration. The injunction would also prevent corrections from dismantling or moving fire crews from the facility. New board members with local ties have been added to a state nonprofit that uses federal funds to help Washingtonians find work. Workforce Southwest Washington welcomed Nick Massie, Ebony Price and Bill Sauters Jr. to the Board of Directors in June. The board consists mostly of representatives of local businesses and business organizations. Massie is a trainer for Rotschy Inc. and represents the private sector and business in Clark County. He serves on several boards and advisory councils including the Cowlitz County Building and Planning Advisory Council, the Southwest Washington Contractors Association Advisory Council, the SWCA Education Committee, the La Center School Advisory Council and the Battle Ground Advisory Council. Price is the Assistant Director of Healthcare for Service Employees International Union, Local 49, and represents organized labor. She is a medical assistant with 12 years of clinical experience and a degree in healthcare administration. Sauters is the Washington State Area Representative for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers and represents organized labor. He has experience in the trades and serves on several local labor councils including the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Central Labor Council and the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Washington Area Council. AI Roundup: Tencent has obtained regulatory approval to launch its AI model, Hunyuan, in China. This tool already powers over 50 of Tencent's products and services. A study by Finnish and Norwegian researchers found that AI chatbots like ChatGPT-3 and ChatGPT-4 generate more creative ideas for unconventional everyday items than average humans. In a separate development, MIT researchers developed Style2Fab, a generative AI tool allowing users to customize 3D-printable models using natural language prompts while preserving functionality. All this, and more in today's AI roundup. 1. Tencent to launch AI model after govt approval Tencent announced on Friday that it is launching its AI model called Hunyuan in China after receiving regulatory approval, according to a report by Reuters. The AI model was released on September 7 and has become the foundation of more than 50 of Tencent's products and services, the company said. It is trained with over 2 trillion tokens and as many as 100 billion parameters and is capable of conversing in both Chinese and English. 2. Study reveals AI gives more creative ideas than average humans A recent study conducted by researchers in Finland and Norway has revealed that while humans present the best and most creative ideas, AI chatbots present ideas that are more creative than average humans. According to a PTI report, the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, involved asking AI chatbots such as ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4, and Copy.AI to give ideas for silly, uncommon everyday utility objects. Grassini, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Bergen, Norway said, In this case, we could define that such type of "creativity" expressed by the AI-model is some sort of emerging quality of its functioning. 3. Uniphore introduces AI solution for capturing data Conversational automation technology company Uniphore announced the launch of its latest enterprise AI solution that can capture structured and unstructured data. According to a release, it can enable automation, analytics, and action from connected applications across a platform. Umesh Sachdev, co-founder and CEO of Uniphore said, Uniphore blends our own internal innovations with those acquired through our strong M&A strategy to deliver solutions across our X Platform that transform both customer and employee experiences. 4. Buchanan introduces AI platform for data literacy platform Legal services firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney announced the launch of its AI platform as part of its data literacy program. The AI platform, called BuchananArtifex, leverages OpenAI's powerful Large Language Models via secure API. According to a release, it is designed to give Buchanan lawyers a tool to improve their research capabilities as well as their understanding of legal issues that affect their clients. 5. MIT researchers develop AI tool to customize 3D-printable models Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a generative AI-driven tool that allows users to add custom design elements to 3D models while maintaining the functionality of the fabricated objects. Called Style2Fab, users can use natural language prompts to personalize their 3D models, according to the release. Faraz Faruqi, a computer science graduate student and lead author of a paper said, Style2Fab would make it very easy to stylize and print a 3D model, but also experiment and learn while doing it. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A woman walks past a closed Apple Store in Lille, northern France, Monday, March 16, 2020. A French watchdog ordered Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the market because it is emitting too high levels of electromagnetic radiation. The National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), the body monitoring public exposure to radiations, called on Apple to "implement all available means to rapidly fix this malfunction," in a statement released on Tuesday Sept.12, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File Apple has agreed to install updates for the iPhone 12 in France after French regulators ordered the company to stop selling the model because it emits electromagnetic radiation levels that exceed European Union standards. The company, which just unveiled its newest generation of iPhones, insists the 12 model is safe and the phones have been certified in countries around the world since its introduction in 2020. It says the problem raised by the French government agency that manages wireless communications frequencies is "related to a specific testing protocol." The French agency said the iPhone 12 recently failed one of two types of tests for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body. On Tuesday, France's government ordered a halt to sales of the iPhone 12 and told Apple to issue a software update to address the problem or face a recall. Apple said in a statement Friday that it "will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators." It did not elaborate. The French ban could have extended to all 27 EU countries after three months if Apple had refused to issue updates and if no other government objected, European Commission spokesperson Sonya Gospodinova said Thursday. France's digital affairs minister said the iPhone 12's radiation levels are still much lower than what scientific studies consider potentially harmful to users, and the radiation agency acknowledged that its tests don't reflect typical phone use. Cellphones have been labeled as possible carcinogens by the World Health Organization's cancer research arm, putting them in the same category as coffee, diesel fumes and the pesticide DDT. The radiation produced by cellphones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light. Experts have recommended that people concerned about their cellphone radiation exposure use earphones or switch to texting. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The United Auto Workers is set to announce strike actions, barring a last-minute agreement with automakers. The head of the US auto workers late Thursday announced plans to strike at three factories beginning at midnight if there is no deal reached in the waning remaining hours. "Tonight, for the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the Big Three at once," United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said in a webcast two hours before the midnight contract expiration at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Fain said the union would strike at one plant at each of the three major automakers: a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri; a Stellantis facility in Toledo, Ohio; and a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, but only the final assembly and paint operations. About 12,700 workers are set to walk off the job Friday, barring a last-minute agreement. The UAW represents about 150,000 workers in the United States, so the stoppage will at least initially be very small. However, Fain has described the targeted strike as aimed to maximize pressure on the companies while negotiations continue. Ford, which had complained about the UAW's slow response to its latest offer, received at 8pm a counteroffer with "unsustainable" terms. "Ford has bargained in good faith in an effort to avoid a strike," the company said, adding that it "remains absolutely committed to reaching an agreement that rewards our employees and protects Ford's ability to invest in the future as we move through industry-wide transformation" towards electric vehicles. General Motors and Stellantis did not immediately comment. Earlier Thursday, General Motors upped its offer lifting its proposed wage increase to 20 percent. The company had previously proposed an 18 percent rise, according to the UAW. A prolonged social conflict could prove bad news for President Joe Biden's re-election campaign, as voters are already unhappy about stubborn inflation. On Thursday evening, he spoke by telephone with Fain and the heads of major automakers to discuss the ongoing negotiations. 'Bargaining in good faith' After a lengthy period of union defensiveness, Fain has seen the current tight labor market as an opportunity to push through major gains. The current negotiations also come as the Detroit Three remain buoyed by a period of profitability. In his presentation Wednesday, Fain described the plan of a gradually expanding strike as aiming to keep the companies off balance and maximize the union's bargaining position. "It is long past time to stand up for the working class, to stand up for our communities and to stand up against unchecked corporate greed," Fain said. Fain has told local unions to be in a "state of readiness" in case their factories are enlisted in the strike, said Michael Spencer, vice president of UAW Local 1700, which represents 6,000 workers at Stellantis' Ram factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Spencer and other leaders at the union are devising strike plans in which workers would do scheduled five-hour strike shifts, manning the plant's 14 entrances to create a visible UAW presence. "At the end of the day, nobody wants to strike," said Spencer, who noted the goal is not to hurt consumers or the company. "You are trying to shake the table up enough to get their attention," he said. Spencer said wages have not kept up with the cost of living, which means Stellantis workers cannot afford the vehicles they make. The Ram 1500 pickup begins at between $40,160 and $84,355, depending on the trim level. Other sticking points include raising pay and benefits for temporary and junior employees at lower tiers who currently make as little as $22 per hour compared with the top rate of $31 an hour. The UAW's demands include a 40 percent hike in wages, which Fain has said is needed to match rises in CEO pay. Thus far, while the "Big Three" automakers have not matched that level, they have offered double-digit increases. Analysts have said a lengthy strike would put pressure on suppliers, who might be forced to lay off workers in a move that could slow a recovery when the strike ends. The worst-case scenario would be a lengthy strike at all three companies, dampening consumer spending and weighing on the economy in the Great Lakes region, Canada and beyond. 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Google sign hands over an entrance to the company's new building, Sept. 6, 2023, in New York. Search giant Google has agreed to a $93 million settlement with the state of California on Thursday, Sept. 14, over the its location-privacy practices. Credit: AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File Search giant Google agreed to a $93 million settlement with the state of California on Thursday over its location-privacy practices. The settlement follows a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states, reached in November 2022, to resolve an investigation into how the company tracked users' locations. The states' investigation was sparked by a 2018 Associated Press story, which found that Google continued to track people's location data even after they opted out of such tracking by disabling a feature the company called "location history." "Our investigation revealed that Google was telling its users one thingthat it would no longer track their location once they opted outbut doing the opposite and continuing to track its users' movements for its own commercial gain. That's unacceptable, and we're holding Google accountable with today's settlement," Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. As part of the settlement, in which Google admitted no wrongdoing, the company also agreed to a number of restrictions, including providing more transparency about location tracking, disclosing to users that their location information may be used for ad personalization, and showing additional information to users when enabling location-related account settings. "Consistent with improvements we've made in recent years, we have settled this matter, which was based on outdated product policies that we changed years ago," Google said in a statement. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Tech giants have been targeted by the EU for a number of allegedly unfair practices. Irish regulators on Friday handed out a 345-million-euro ($369-million) fine to TikTok over data breaches, part of a battle between the European Union and big tech firms on issues from tax avoidance and hate speech to data privacy and monopolistic practices. Here is a summary of the tussles between the tech giants and Brussels. Privacy Ireland issues the most stringent fines on this front as Dublin hosts the European offices of several big tech firms and data privacy is enforced by local regulators. Friday's massive fine against TikTok for mishandling children's data came just four months after Ireland hit Meta with a record penalty of 1.2 billion euros for illegally transferring personal data between Europe and the United States. Luxembourg had previously held the record for data fines after it slapped Amazon with a 746-million-euro penalty in 2021. Stifling competition Brussels has doled out over eight billion euros in fines to Google alone for abusing its dominant market position. In 2018, the company was fined 4.3 billion eurosthe EU's biggest ever antitrust penalty even after it was reduced to 4.1 billion eurosfor using its Android mobile operating system to promote its search engine. The firm has also incurred billion-plus fines for abusing its power in the online shopping and advertising sectors. The European Commission, the EU's executive, recommended in June that Google should sell parts of its business and could face a fine of up to 10 percent of its global revenue if it fails to comply. Apple has also been in the EU's sights, with Brussels investigating its dominance among music streaming apps. Taxation The EU has had little success in getting tech companies to pay more taxes in Europe, where they are accused of funneling profits into low-tax economies like Ireland and Luxembourg. In one of the most notorious cases, the European Commission in 2016 ordered Apple to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes in Ireland after ruling a sweetheart tax deal with the government was illegal. But EU judges overturned the decision saying there was no evidence the company had broken the rules, a decision the commission has been trying to reverse ever since. The commission also lost a case involving Amazon, which it had ordered to repay 250 million euros in back taxes to Luxembourg. Disinformation, hate speech Web platforms have long faced accusations of failing to combat hate speech, disinformation and piracy. The EU's Digital Services Act is designed to force companies to tackle these issues or face fines of up to six percent of their global turnover. The law came into force in August for 19 major platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, before its wider rollout next year. Paying for news Google and other online platforms have also been accused of making billions from news without sharing the revenue with those who gather it. To tackle this, the EU created a form of copyright called "neighboring rights" that allows print media to demand compensation for using their content. France has been a test case for the rules and after initial resistance Google and Facebook both agreed to pay some French media for articles shown in web searches. 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The lights of the state Capitol glow into the night in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. California, which already has some of the strongest digital privacy laws in the U.S., is on the verge of handing consumers a major new tool to combat the sale and secret use of personal information they may never have agreed to share. Both houses of the state legislature have passed the Delete Act, which would establish a one stop shop where individuals could order hundreds of often shadowy data brokers to delete information such as their location history and financial details.Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File You may not know it, but thousands of often shadowy companies routinely traffic in personal data you probably never agreed to shareeverything from your real-time location information to private financial details. Even if you could identify these data brokers, there isn't much you can do about their activities, including in California, which has some of the strongest digital privacy laws in the U.S. That's on the verge of changing. Both houses of the California state Legislature have passed the Delete Act, which would establish a "one stop shop" where individuals could order hundreds of data brokers registered in the state to delete their personal dataand to cease acquiring and selling it in the futurewith a single request. The Delete Act isn't law yet. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom still has to decide whether to sign the measure, whose impact could potentially extend well beyond state lines given California's history of setting similar trends. Here's what you need to know. WHAT THE BILL DOES While California law already gives individuals the right to request data deletion, doing so currently require making separate requests to hundreds of data brokers registered in the state, many with their own unique requirements for drafting and handling such requests. Even then, nothing stops these companies from simply reacquiring the data after they delete it. The Delete Act would require the state's new privacy office, the California Privacy Protection Agency, to set up a website where consumers can verify their identity and then make a single request to delete their personal data held by data brokers and to opt out of future tracking. Proponents call it a "do not track" signal similar to the "do not call" list for telemarketers maintained by the Federal Trade Commission. California already regulates data brokers, but the Delete Act would strengthen those provisions by requiring the companies to disclose more information about the data they collect on consumers and beefing up the state's enforcement mechanisms. MEET THE DATA BROKERS The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit focused on bolstering the right to privacy, defines data brokers as companies that collect and categorize personal information, usually to build profiles on millions of Americans that the companies can then rent, sell or use to provide services. Members of the California state Assembly meet at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, June 20, 2022. California, which already has some of the strongest digital privacy laws in the U.S., is on the verge of handing consumers a major new tool to combat the sale and secret use of personal information they may never have agreed to share. Both houses of the state legislature have passed the Delete Act, which would establish a one stop shop where individuals could order hundreds of often shadowy data brokers to delete information such as their location history and financial details. Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File The data they collect, per EPIC, can include: "names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, gender, age, marital status, children, education, profession, income, political preferences, and cars and real estate owned." That is in addition to "information on an individual's purchases, where they shop, and how they pay for their purchases," plus "health information, the sites we visit online, and the advertisements we click on. And thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and wearables, data brokers collect and sell real-time location data." Privacy advocates have warned for years that location and seemingly non-specific personal dataoften collected by advertisers and amassed and sold by brokerscan be used to identify individuals. They also charge that the data often isn't well secured and that the brokers aren't covered by laws that require the clear consent of the person being tracked. They have argued for both legal and technical protections so consumers can push back. ARE DATA BROKERS THAT BAD? Data brokers say they get a bad rap for serving a vital need. Dan Smith, president of the Consumer Data Industry Association, which describes itself as "the voice of the consumer reporting industry," called the Delete Act "severely flawed" and warned in a Wednesday release that the change could lead to unintended consequences by undermining consumer fraud protections, hurting the competitiveness of small businesses and entrenching big platforms such as Facebook and Google that collect vast amounts of consumer data but don't sell it. Smith also argued that the heart of the billthe one-stop data deletion programcould potentially allow malicious outsiders to impersonate consumers and delete their data without permission. The organization also argues that the cost of the legislation will be much greater than California regulators currently suggest. WHAT ABUSE OF DATA BROKER INFORMATION LOOKS LIKE In other respects, though, the information collected by these companies can be startlingly easy to abuse. The general lack of U.S. restrictions on what brokers can do with the vast amount of data they collect means there's aren't many legal protections to prevent outsiders from spying on politicians, celebrities and just about anyone who is a target of idle curiosity, or malice. In mid-2021, for instance, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the resignation of its top administrative official, Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, ahead of a report by the Catholic news outlet The Pillar probing his private romantic life. The Pillar said it obtained "commercially available" location data from an unnamed vendor that was "correlated" to Burrill's phone to determine he had visited gay bars and private residences while using Grindr, a dating app popular with gay people. The Pillar alleged "serial sexual misconduct" by Burrill, as homosexual activity is considered sinful under Catholic doctrine and priests are expected to remain celibate. Following an extended leave, Burrill resumed his ministry in the small town of West Salem, Wisconsin, according to the Catholic News Service. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Rep. Park Kwang-on, fourth from right, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, is seen speaking at a Supreme Council meeting in Seoul, Sept. 15. Yonhap The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Friday called off an earlier plan to impeach Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup over the death of a young Marine, after he offered to step down and his replacement was named. Rep. Kang Sun-woo, a DPK spokesperson, announced the decision, saying the party takes President Yoon Suk Yeol's nomination of a new defense minister as a decision to sack the current minister. "We believe (Yoon) has accepted our demands for dismissing Lee and effectively dismissed him in the form of a voluntary resignation," Kang said after a Supreme Council meeting. The DPK had earlier decided to impeach Lee, accusing him of interfering with a military investigation into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was swept away by an overflowing stream during a mission to search for victims of downpours on July 19. Even though the impeachment push was called off, Kang said the party will push for an independent counsel investigation into suspicions of outside influence over the Marine Corps' investigation into the death. Earlier this week, Minister Lee offered his resignation, and Yoon named Rep. Shin Won-sik, a retired general-turned-lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, to replace him. (Yonhap) In a groundbreaking move to enhance cryptocurrency accessibility in Nigeria, Yellow Card, a prominent Africa-focused crypto exchange, has forged a strategic partnership with Moonpay. This collaborative effort aims to streamline and revolutionize the crypto purchasing experience for Nigerians by harnessing the convenience of local bank transfers. The initiative reflects Yellow Card and Moonpays commitment to making crypto trading effortless, user-friendly, and accessible to all Nigerians. Transforming Nigerias Cryptocurrency Landscape The partnership between Yellow Card and Moonpay represents a pivotal moment in Nigerias evolving crypto ecosystem. It comes in response to the Central Bank of Nigerias (CBN) directive instructing financial institutions to disassociate themselves from crypto entities, which led Nigerian users to seek alternative avenues for buying and trading cryptocurrencies. Among the emerging alternatives, peer-to-peer trading has gained substantial popularity among crypto enthusiasts in the country. Yellow Cards recent press release, issued on September 12, highlights that this collaboration will empower Nigerian users to engage in peer-to-peer crypto transactions with unparalleled ease. Leveraging local bank transfers, users can surmount the challenges that have complicated cryptocurrency purchases via traditional banking channels. Uzoma James, the West Africa regional manager of Yellow Card, expressed the companys core mission, stating, At the heart of our companys mission is the belief that everyone should have access to the power and potential of cryptocurrencies. By partnering with Moonpay, we aim to eliminate the barriers preventing Nigerians from participating in the crypto economy. Together, we can make crypto trading easy, intuitive, and accessible to all. Ivan Soto-Wright, the co-founder and CEO of Moonpay, emphasized the significance of supporting local bank transfers, asserting that their collaboration with Yellow Card would unlock immense opportunities for crypto users. Empowering Nigerians Through Local Bank Transfers The Yellow Card and Moonpay partnership signifies a significant step forward in facilitating cryptocurrency adoption and trading in Nigeria. By utilizing local bank transfers, the two entities intend to simplify the process of buying and selling cryptocurrencies, ultimately making it more user-friendly. Heres how this partnership is set to empower Nigerians: Simplified Transactions: Through the integration of local bank transfers, Yellow Card and Moonpay aim to simplify cryptocurrency transactions. This streamlined process will enable users to seamlessly convert their local currency into cryptocurrencies and vice versa. Accessibility: The collaboration seeks to enhance accessibility to cryptocurrencies by removing the barriers created by the CBNs directive. Nigerians can now participate in the crypto economy without the hindrance of traditional banking channels. Peer-to-Peer Trading: As peer-to-peer trading gains momentum in Nigeria, Yellow Card and Moonpays partnership aligns with the prevailing trend. It enables users to engage in direct crypto exchanges with ease and security. Eliminating Obstacles: Yellow Cards integration with Moonpay allows users to overcome the challenges previously associated with purchasing cryptocurrencies via banks. This opens up new possibilities for crypto enthusiasts in Nigeria. User-Friendly Experience: Both Yellow Card and Moonpay are committed to making crypto trading intuitive and straightforward. Their collaboration aims to provide a user-friendly interface that caters to both beginners and experienced crypto traders. The Road Ahead for Crypto in Nigeria As Yellow Card and Moonpay embark on this transformative journey to enhance crypto accessibility in Nigeria, the cryptocurrency landscape in the country is poised for significant evolution. The partnerships emphasis on local bank transfers aligns with the prevailing shift towards decentralized and peer-to-peer trading methods. This development underscores the resilience and adaptability of the crypto community in Nigeria, which has persisted despite regulatory challenges. By providing a platform that empowers users to navigate the crypto market with ease, Yellow Card and Moonpay contribute to the ongoing expansion of the digital currency ecosystem in the country. Nigerias crypto enthusiasts can now look forward to a more streamlined and user-centric experience, free from the constraints of traditional banking systems. The partnership between Yellow Card and Moonpay serves as a beacon of hope for those who believe in the transformative potential of cryptocurrencies. A Vision for Financial Inclusion Beyond the immediate impact on crypto trading, Yellow Card and Moonpays collaboration carries broader implications for financial inclusion in Nigeria. By enabling easier access to cryptocurrencies, the partnership aligns with the global push for inclusive financial systems that empower individuals who may have been previously marginalized. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to serve as a financial bridge, allowing individuals in underserved or unbanked regions to participate in the digital economy. With the hurdles to crypto adoption gradually being dismantled, more Nigerians can explore the advantages of digital assets, such as borderless transactions, security, and financial sovereignty. Conclusion The partnership between Yellow Card and Moonpay represents a significant milestone in Nigerias crypto journey. By leveraging local bank transfers and prioritizing user-friendliness, the collaboration aims to empower Nigerians and simplify their access to cryptocurrencies. This initiative not only supports crypto enthusiasts but also contributes to the broader vision of financial inclusion and the digital transformation of Nigerias economy. As the crypto landscape in Nigeria continues to evolve, Yellow Card and Moonpays efforts are poised to have a lasting impact, reshaping how Nigerians engage with digital currencies and unlocking new opportunities for economic growth and financial empowerment. In a significant development in the financial world, Deutsche Bank has unveiled its strategic partnership with Taurus, a cryptocurrency infrastructure platform. This groundbreaking collaboration will enable Deutsche Bank to offer its customers comprehensive cryptocurrency custody solutions on a global scale. The move underscores the banks commitment to embracing the digital revolution sweeping through the financial sector. Deutsche Banks involvement with Taurus dates back to February 2023 when it participated in a remarkable $65 million series B fundraising round for the cryptocurrency infrastructure platform. Taurus is renowned for providing enterprise-grade infrastructure solutions for cryptocurrency issuance, custody management, and trading, encompassing a wide range of digital assets, including nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and tokenized assets. Lamine Brahimi, co-founder of Taurus, highlighted the extensive due diligence process that preceded this partnership, emphasizing the meticulous approach taken by both parties. He stated, The collaboration discussions commenced in late 2021 and concluded in 2022. We secured the deal several quarters ago. Deutsche Banks foray into cryptocurrency custody and trading services has been a three-year-long endeavor. The bank has consistently demonstrated its commitment to offering clients access to cryptocurrency markets and assets. This commitment was recently exemplified by the banks application for a digital asset custody license from Germanys financial regulator, BaFin, in June 2023. Importantly, this partnership with Taurus is not limited by geographical boundaries. Taurus will be responsible for providing custody and tokenization technology, meticulously aligned with local regulatory requirements across the globe. This global reach reflects Deutsche Banks ambition to cater to a broad spectrum of clients and investors. Paul Maley, Head of Global Securities Services at Deutsche Bank, underlined the significance of this move, recognizing the immense potential within the cryptocurrency space. He believes that the cryptocurrency market is poised to expand into trillions of dollars of assets and is set to become a top priority for both individual investors and institutional players alike. Meanwhile, Deutsche Banks asset management arm, DWS Group, has been actively exploring opportunities within the cryptocurrency landscape. In February 2023, reports surfaced indicating discussions regarding potential investments in two German-based cryptocurrency firms. These discussions included crypto exchange-traded product provider Deutsche Digital Assets and market maker platform Tradias. Furthermore, Deutsche Bank Singapore, in collaboration with Memento Blockchain, recently concluded a groundbreaking proof-of-concept project known as Project DAMA (Digital Assets Management Access). This project enables the efficient management of digital funds within tokenized securities, showcasing the banks commitment to embracing digital innovation. Taurus, founded in Switzerland in 2018, embarked on its series B fundraising journey with Credit Suisse taking the lead. Deutsche Bank, alongside Arab Bank Switzerland, also joined this venture, underscoring the substantial interest from traditional financial institutions in Tauruss capabilities. This series B round announcement reiterated Tauruss strategic focus on serving tier 1 banks in Europe, signaling its strong positioning within the industry. Lamine Brahimi, co-founder of Taurus, revealed that the platform currently serves nearly 30 banks, with most collaborations extending beyond cryptocurrencies. Tauruss services encompass a wide array of financial products, including tokenization of equity, debt, and other assets, highlighting its versatility in catering to the evolving needs of the financial sector. In conclusion, Deutsche Banks partnership with Taurus marks a significant milestone in the world of financial services. As the cryptocurrency market continues its rapid growth, traditional financial institutions like Deutsche Bank are embracing digital innovation to offer their clients a comprehensive suite of services. This collaboration underscores the banks commitment to staying at the forefront of the evolving financial landscape, providing customers with secure and reliable access to the burgeoning cryptocurrency market. AGF Management Limited is one of Canada's premier investment management companies with offices across Canada and subsidiaries around the world. 2007 marks AGF's 50th anniversary ofproviding Canadians with innovative investment solutions across the wealth continuum. AGF's products and services include a diversified family of more than 50 mutual funds, the evolutionary AGF Elements portfolios, the Harmony asset management program, AGF Private Investment Management, Institutional Account Services and AGF Trust GICs, loans and mortgages. With approximately $53 billion in total assets under management, AGF serves more than one million investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol [AGF.B]. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of market infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for financial institutions, corporations, and government entities in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, India, Abu Dhabi, Israel, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Exchanges, Fixed Income and Data Services, and Mortgage Technology. The company operates regulated marketplaces for listing, trading, and clearing an array of derivatives contracts and financial securities, such as commodities, interest rates, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as corporate and exchange-traded funds; and trading venues, including regulated exchanges and clearing houses. It also offers energy, agricultural and metals, and financial futures and options; and cash equities and equity options, and over-the-counter and other markets, as well as listings and data and connectivity services. In addition, the company provides fixed income data and analytic, fixed income execution, CDS clearing, and other multi-asset class data and network services. Further, it offers proprietary and comprehensive mortgage origination platform, which serves residential mortgage loans; closing solutions that provides customers connectivity to the mortgage supply chain and facilitates the secure exchange of information; data and analytics services; and Data as a Service for lenders to access data and origination information. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Chevron Corporation, through a network of subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy and chemicals operations worldwide. The company is the 7th largest integrated oil company worldwide, the 2nd largest in the US, and has been in operation since 1879. Chevron was part of the original Standard Oil Company and is one of the 34 successor companies that were formed when it was broken up. Today, the company brings in roughly $160 billion in annual revenues and is the last remaining oil and gas component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Originally called Standard Oil Of California the company grew quickly via mergers and acquisitions. It was hailed as one of the Seven Sisters to dominate the US and global production throughout the mid-20th century and became even bigger in 1985 when it merged with Gulf Oil. The merger with Gulf Oil resulted in the rebranding from Standard Oil Of California to Chevron (a brand used by the company outside its California jurisdiction) and then ChevronTexaco Corporation in 2005 when that merger took place. The company rebranded again in 2005 to what we know today as Chevron Corporation. Chevron Corporation is now based in San Ramone, California, and has operations in 180 countries. The company employs more than 42,500 people who operate 5 refineries and 8,000+ Texaco, Chevron, and Standard Oil service stations in the US alone. The company's Exploration and Drilling operations produced a record 3.1 million barrels per day and its US refineries process more than 1 million barrels per day. At the end of 2021, the company has more than 11.3 billion barrels of proven oil and liquid-equivalent reserves and boasted a 112% reserve replacement rate. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment explores new reserves, develops known reserves, produces petroleum and gas products as needed, transports, processes, pipes, stores, and markets petroleum worldwide. The Downstream segment refines and markets the full line of petroleum-based products including but not limited to fuels such as gas, diesel, and aviation fuel, as well as lubricants, petrochemicals, and plastics. The company transports products via pipeline, rail, marine vessels, and truck. Chevron recognizes the need to lower the worlds carbon output and is working toward that end. The companys strategy is two-pronged and includes reducing its own carbon output while investing in green and lower-carbon technologies. The companys goal is to invest $10 billion or more into lower carbon energy sources and technologies by 2028. Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat. The company has been paying a dividend since 1989 and it has raised it every year since its inception. Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through MedSurg and Cardiovascular segments. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems. It also provides medical technologies to diagnose and treat rate and rhythm disorders of the heart comprising 3-D cardiac mapping and navigation solutions, ablation catheters, diagnostic catheters, mapping catheters, intracardiac ultrasound catheters, delivery sheaths, and other accessories; spinal cord stimulator systems for the management of chronic pain; indirect decompression systems; and deep brain stimulation systems. In addition, the company offers interventional cardiology products, that uses in the treatment of coronary artery disease and aortic valve conditions. Further, it provides stents, balloon catheters, guidewires, atherectomy, and thrombectomy systems to treat arterial and venous diseases; and peripheral embolization devices, radioactive microspheres, cryotherapy ablation systems, and micro and drainage catheters to treat cancer. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Pfizer Inc. is a US-based multinational biotech company. The company operates as a research-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, production and marketing of medicines and vaccines. It is the 2nd largest drugmaker globally by revenue and is ranked 64th on the Fortune 500 list. The companys avenues of research include Immunology, Oncology, Cardiology, Endocrinology and Neurology. Regarding its product line, the company has at least ten blockbuster drugs producing more than $1 billion in avenue revenue each. The company brought in over $81 billion in total revenue in 2021. The US is its main market and represents roughly 50% of all revenue. China and Japan make up roughly 12% of the business, while the rest come from the rest of the world. It employs roughly 79,000 people and is headquartered in New York state. Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer Sr. and his cousin Charles Earhart. The two were German immigrants and chemists that set up shops outside New York City to make medicinal compounds. The first major success was an antiparasitic called santonin, and the commercialization of citric acid-making technologies quickly followed that up. Their success with citric acid led to the companys expansion and other major discoveries. World War I caused a shortage of materials for making citric acid and forced the company to seek alternatives. The one they latched on to was the fermentation of certain fungi known to produce citric acid naturally. This led to the advancement of fermentation technology that was later used in the commercial production of penicillin and then the advancement of antibiotics in general. Pfizer Inc was incorporated on June 2nd, 1942 in Delaware, and another period of expansion began. The postwar drop in demand for penicillin led to the discovery of newer, more marketable antibiotics and cemented the companys role in modern medicine. By the time he 80s rolled around, the company was trading on the New York Stock Exchange and on the path to developing todays blockbuster lineup. The companys top seller in 2021 was Comirnaty, a COVID-19 vaccine. It generated nearly $37 billion in 2021 and was followed by Prevnar, Ibrance and Eliquis with just over $5 billion in sales each. Other blockbuster names on Pfizers list include Xeljanz and Enbrel, each bringing in $3.5 billion. Pfizer operates 39 research and production facilities worldwide and sells its products in 125 countries. As of 2022, the company had a robust pipeline of potential treatments, with more than 220 in some stage of clinical trials. Among its leading candidates is a vaccine for RSV, a life-threatening respiratory disease affecting children. 2021 highlights include 8 FDA approvals, four new regulatory submissions and 13 new trial startups. Pfizer is also a well-known dividend payer and has returned more than $8.7 billion to shareholders since going public. Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, development, and sale of mineral products primarily in Turkey, Canada, Greece, and Romania. The company primarily produces gold, as well as silver, lead, and zinc. It holds a 100% interest in the Kisladag and Efemcukuru gold mines located in western Turkey; Lamaque gold mines located in Canada; and Olympias, Stratoni, Skouries, Perama Hill, and Sapes gold mines located in Greece, as well as the 80.5% interest in Certej development projects located in Romania. The company was formerly known as Eldorado Corporation Ltd. and changed its name to Eldorado Gold Corporation in April 1996. Eldorado Gold Corporation was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. National Assembly employees restrain a belligerent man, center, wielding a knife in front of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's office, Sept. 15. Yonhap A man in his 70s was kicked out of the National Assembly on Friday after taking out a knife in an attempt to write a pledge in his blood in front of the office where opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is on a hunger strike. The 73-year-old man, only identified by his surname Kim, held out a large piece of paper and a knife while calling out, "The country is in ruins," and tried to cut his thumb in front of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader's office inside the National Assembly at around noon, according to security forces. The man, who reportedly entered the building with a visitor's pass, was restrained by employees, stripped of his weapon and kicked out, according to officials. No injuries were reported, except for a minor cut on the man's finger. On the piece of paper, messages critical of the Yoon administration were jotted down. Security forces said they sent the man home, as it is difficult to punish him for hurting himself. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been on a hunger strike since Aug. 31 as a means of protest against the Yoon Suk Yeol government, accusing them of destroying people's livelihoods and democracy. On Wednesday, Lee moved the site of his hunger strike from a tent in front of the National Assembly to his office, citing his worsening health. (Yonhap) FedEx Corporation is a global courier delivery services company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Founded in 1971, it is one of the largest logistics companies in the world, with operations in over 220 countries and territories. FedEx offers various services, including express shipping, ground shipping, freight forwarding, and e-commerce solutions. The company has over 600 aircraft and more than 180,000 vehicles in its fleet and employs over 600,000 people worldwide. Frederick W. Smith is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Corporation. He has been at the company's helm since its inception and has been instrumental in its growth and success. In 2022 Frederick Smith passed the baton to Raj Subramaniam. Raj Subramaniam has over thirty years of leadership experience and moved into the CEO role from his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In recent years, the company has made a few critical changes in its leadership team, including the appointment of Lance Moll as President and CEO of FedEx Freight in 2020, who started his career as a manager at a FedEx distribution center. FedEx reported that revenue has risen at an excellent pace yearly for several years. Net income, while only a fraction of revenue, is pacing in growth with the revenue. This is due to FedEx maintaining a healthy profit margin, with a net profit margin of approximately 3.5%. The company has also been actively managing debt to reduce its debt levels. Total assets on hand are robust enough to cover total liabilities within the company. FedEx has a price-to-earnings ratio lower than the industry average and a price-to-book ratio lower than the industry average. These valuation metrics suggest that the company's stock may be undervalued compared to its peers. FedEx's stock had performed well in recent years, with the stock price recovering from a tumble in 2022 when FedEx pulled its earnings forecast due to worsening business conditions. FedEx operates in the highly competitive logistics and courier delivery services industry with low margins and intense competition. The company faces competition from established players like UPS and DHL and newer entrants like Amazon, which has been expanding its delivery network. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, such as changes in trade policies and tariffs, which can impact the flow of goods across borders. Despite the challenges in the industry, FedEx has several growth opportunities. The company has expanded its e-commerce capabilities by acquiring ShopRunner, a membership-based e-commerce platform, in 2021. The company has also invested in autonomous delivery technology, launching the FedEx SameDay Bot, designed to make deliveries in urban areas. In addition, the company has been expanding its presence in healthcare logistics by acquiring Cargex in 2021. Several risks and challenges could impact FedEx's future growth prospects. One significant risk is the potential for changes in consumer preferences, particularly with the growth of online shopping and the increasing demand for faster and more convenient delivery options. The company also faces regulatory risks, particularly with changes in trade policies and tariffs. Competitive pressures are also a significant challenge, with Amazon expanding its delivery network and other logistics companies competing for market share. Finally, the company is also subject to risks related to its operations, such as disruptions to its supply chain or the impact of natural disasters on its infrastructure. Merck & Co., Inc. is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company. It was officially founded in 1891 as the US arm of Merck Group, headquartered in Germany. Merck Group was founded in 1668 when Friedrick Jacob Merck purchased a pharmacy in Darmstadt, Germany. The company transformed from a pharmacy into a drug manufacturer in 1827 with the commercialization of morphine and the perfection of the manufacturing process. The company will later gain recognition for isolating and commercializing the manufacture of cocaine as well. Merck Group sent Theodore Weicker to New York as its representative in 1889 and he quickly began to set up operations. The original investment of $200,000 resulted in a facility in lower Manhattan and the addition of Merck family member George Merck to the project. They began operations in 1891 and were in business as the US branch of Merck Group until 1917 and the onset of World War I. World War I brought about the Trading With The Enemy Act of 1917 and the nationalization of Merck Groups US operations. Those operations were repurchased at a government auction only 2 years later with the help of Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, but the split was done. The company retained rights to the Merck name in the US but remained independent. One of many noteworthy achievements in the post-War period is the discovery of streptomycin, which was revolutionary in treating tuberculosis. In 1953 the company merged with Sharp& Dohme to form the then 2nd largest US drug manufacturer. The merger brought smallpox vaccines to the portfolio and opened a new avenue of research for the business. Since then, advancements in vaccine technology include treatments for mumps and chickenpox. Other notable advancements include the discovery of statins as a cholesterol inhibitor and work in veterinary medicine. Today, Merck & Co operates through 2 segments and under 2 different names with a headquarters in Kenilworth, NJ. The company operates as Merck & Co in the US and as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the US and Canada. The 2 segments are Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. Revenue topped $49 billion in 2022 and employed more than 68,000 people. The company has 8 research facilities near major university systems, including 7 in the US and 1 in the UK. As of 2022, the company had 82 pipeline products in Phase 2 trials, 30 in Phase 3 trials and 3 under review. The Pharmaceutical segment researches discover and commercializes human health products in several areas of medicine. These include but are not limited to oncology, acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes. This segment has 6 blockbuster drugs as of late 2022, with each generating more than $1 billion in revenue. The leading treatments are Keytruda for treating cancer-related immune conditions, Gardisil which is a vaccine for HPV and Januvia for treating Type-II diabetes. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary healthcare products and services. Both segments sell to healthcare facilities and distributors. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA provides dialysis and related services for individuals with renal diseases in Germany, North America, and internationally. The company offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure. It also develops, manufactures, and distributes various health care products, including polysulfone dialyzers, hemodialysis machines, peritoneal dialysis cyclers, peritoneal dialysis solutions, hemodialysis concentrates, solutions and granulates, bloodlines, renal pharmaceuticals, systems for water treatment, and acute cardiopulmonary and apheresis products. In addition, the company develops, acquires, and in-licenses renal pharmaceuticals; offers renal medications and supplies to patients at homes or to dialysis clinics; and provides vascular, cardiovascular, endovascular specialty, vascular care ambulatory surgery center, and physician nephrology and cardiology services. The company sells its products to dialysis clinics, hospitals, and specialized treatment clinics directly, as well as through local sales forces, independent distributors, dealers, and sales agents. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Bad Homburg, Germany. Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A. operates as an integrated energy operator in Portugal and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Upstream, Industrial & Midstream, Commercial, and Renewables and New Business. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbons primarily in Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola. The Industrial & Midstream segment owns refineries in Portugal, as well as is involved in activities related to energy management of oil products, gas, and electricity. This segment also provides storage and transportation infrastructure for oil and gas products, as well as engages in the sale of electricity to the grid in Portugal and Spain. The Commercial segment is involved in the areas of retail to final business-to-business and business to consumer customers of oil, gas, and electricity. The Renewables and New Business segment is involved in the development of solar and wind power generation projects in Portugal and Spain. In addition, it produces biodiesel, biofuel, and green hydrogen; and operates service stations. Further, the company engages in the reinsurance business. The company was formerly known as Galp Petroleos e Gas de Portugal, SGPS, S.A. and changed its name to Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A. in September 2000. Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. operates as a media company in the Spanish-speaking Mexico and internationally. It operates through three segments: Cable, Sky, and Other Businesses. The Cable segment operates cable multiple system that provides basic and premium television subscription, pay-per-view, installation, Internet subscription, and telephone and mobile services subscription services, as well as sales local and national advertising services; and telecommunication facilities, which offers data and long-distance services solutions to carriers and other telecommunications service providers through its fiber-optic network. The Sky segment offers direct-to-home broadcast satellite pay television services comprising program, installation, and equipment rental services to subscribers in Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic; and national advertising sales. The Other Businesses segment is involved in the sports and show business promotion, soccer, gaming, and publishing distribution businesses, as well as provides transmission concessions and facilities. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF, formerly iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Index Fund, seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of publicly traded securities in the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for the S&P 600/Citigroup Growth and Value Index series. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The component stocks in the Index have a market capitalization between $300 million and $1 billion (which may fluctuate depending on the overall level of the equity markets), and are selected for liquidity and industry group representation. The Index is adjusted to reflect changes in capitalization resulting from mergers, acquisition, stock rights, substitutions and other capital events. Aflac (NYSE:AFL) pays an annual dividend of $1.68 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.20%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 40 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 22.46%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, AFL will have a dividend payout ratio of 27.14% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for AFL. The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: 2028 West Broadway, Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, Better Health Network, Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., MHAZ, Magellan Complete Care, Mercy CarePlus, Molina Care Connections, Molina Clinical Services, Molina Healthcare Data Center, Molina Healthcare of Arizona, Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida, Molina Healthcare of Georgia, Molina Healthcare of Illinois, Molina Healthcare of Indiana, Molina Healthcare of Iowa, Molina Healthcare of Kentucky, Molina Healthcare of Louisiana, Molina Healthcare of Michigan, Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Molina Healthcare of Nevada, Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, Molina Healthcare of New York, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma, Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania, Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico, Molina Healthcare of Rhode Island, Molina Healthcare of Rhode Island Holding Company, Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Molina Healthcare of Tennessee, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah, Molina Healthcare of Virginia, Molina Healthcare of Washington, Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin, Molina Pathways, Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Oceangate Reinsurance, Pathways Community Corrections, Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, SWH Holdings, Senior Health Holdings, Senior Whole Health of New York, The Game of Work LLC, The Management Group, Total Care Medicaid plan, Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. Read More The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. The company's Personal Lines segment provides automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverages through direct-to-consumer channel and independent agents. Its Property & Casualty Other Operations segment offers coverage for asbestos and environmental exposures. The company's Group Benefits segment provides group life, disability, and other group coverages to members of employer groups, associations, and affinity groups through direct insurance policies; reinsurance to other insurance companies; employer paid and voluntary product coverages; disability underwriting, administration, and claims processing to self-funded employer plans; and a single-company leave management solution. This segment distributes its group insurance products and services through brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, trade associations, and private exchanges. Its Hartford Funds segment offers managed mutual funds across various asset classes; and exchange-traded products through broker-dealer organizations, independent financial advisers, defined contribution plans, financial consultants, bank trust groups, and registered investment advisers, as well as investment management, distribution, and administrative services, such as product design, implementation, and oversight. The company was founded in 1810 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) pays an annual dividend of $5.20 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 5.94%. PM has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 16 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 100.97%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on EPS estimates, PM will have a dividend payout ratio of 79.03% in the coming year. This indicates that the company may not be able to sustain their current dividend. Read our dividend analysis for PM. The League of Tropical Universities Blazes a Trail in Tackling Tropical Challenges People's Daily Online) 14:44, September 15, 2023 The League of Tropical Universities (LTU) is a pioneering organization in bringing together leading research institutes and universities from tropical and related regions across Asia, Africa and South America to advance the higher education and socio-economic development in the tropical regions, home to 40% of the world's population. Initiated by Hainan University and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), the other six founding members include Cairo University in Egypt; Chulalongkorn University in Thailand; Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Indonesia; the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the University of Malaya and the Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia. The LTU is a result of aspirations for sustainability of the world and empowering the tropics through science-driven transformation pivotal to the UNs 2030 SDGs acceleration. The founding members all expressed the common commitment to developing the alliance into a powerhouse of education and innovation globally, contributing to the formation of the community of tropical regions. Da Hsuan Feng, Chair of the International Advisory Board of Hainan University and Honorary Dean of Hainan University Belt and Road Research Institute, affirmed this alliance as a milestone in growing into a leading example of the 21st century for internationalization of higher education, which, he emphasized, would require pragmatism and shared vision among its members. Luo Qingming, President of Hainan University and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), noted the significance of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. To unleash the potential of the tropics, the LTU will join forces to tackle the thorny tropical development issues, particularly on food security, climate change, public health, as well as to strengthen, expand and clarify the dimensions of higher education internationalization among the alliance members. Hainan University which plays a vital role as actor, think tank, incubator and talent pool in supporting the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port will work with the alliance members to promote innovation in higher education in a bid to cultivate talents for the culturally diverse regions, improve the overall quality of higher education and technological innovation capabilities of the region. Source: Hainan University (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae / Yonhap Prosecutors on Friday demanded a seven-year prison sentence for former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae on charges of unfairly influencing politically sensitive trials under ousted former President Park Geun-hye. Yang, who headed the top court from 2011-17, is accused of having used trials as bargaining chips in dealings with the Park administration to promote his bid to establish a court of appeals. He is also suspected of having pressed subordinates at the National Court Administration, the top court's governing body, to devise plans to influence politically sensitive trials for Park, including a compensation suit pursued by victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. Prosecutors demanded the Seoul Central District Court sentence the former chief justice to seven years in prison in the final court hearing held on the case before the sentencing. Prosecutors accused Yang of seriously breaching his duties as a judge by meddling in trials. "It cannot be accepted under any circumstances that the organizational interests of the judicial branch are considered in the trial procedures," the prosecutors said. "Nevertheless, the independence of trials was disrupted, and the constitutional value of judges' independence was neglected while people on trial had their rights to a fair trial violated as certain court rulings were demanded," the prosecutors said. Friday's sentencing request came nearly 4 1/2 years after prosecutors indicted Yang in the judiciary power abuse scandal with an unusually high number of 277 court hearings held on the case so far. The final sentencing in the case is widely expected to come near the end of the year, taking longer than the month long period that is commonly needed between the sentencing request and the ruling. The former chief justice was released on bail in July 2019 following 179 days of detention over his suspected role in the power abuse scandal. Yang is the first chief justice ever to have been arrested as a criminal suspect. (Yonhap) Veeva Systems Inc. provides cloud-based software for the life sciences industry. It offers Veeva Commercial Cloud, a suite of software and data solutions, such as Veeva customer relationship management (CRM) that enable customer-facing employees at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; Veeva Vault PromoMats, an end-to-end content and digital asset management solution; Veeva Vault Medical that provides source of medical content across multiple channels and geographies; Veeva Crossix, an analytics platform for pharmaceutical brands; Veeva OpenData, a customer reference data solution; Veeva Link, a data application that allows link to generate real-time intelligence; and Veeva Compass includes de-identified and longitudinal patient data for the United States. The company also provides Veeva Development Cloud, a suite of applications for the clinical, regulatory, quality, and safety functions, including Veeva Vault Clinical, Veeva Vault RIM, Veeva Vault Safety, and Veeva Vault Quality; Veeva QualityOne, a quality and document management, and training solution; Veeva RegulatoryOne, a solution that helps companies to manage regulatory submission content; and Veeva Claims addresses the end-to-end product and marketing claims management process. In addition, it offers professional and support services, including implementation and deployment planning and project management; requirements analysis, solution design, and configuration; systems environment management and deployment services; services focused on advancing or transforming business and operating processes related to Veeva solutions; data migration and systems integrations technical consulting services; training on its solutions; and ongoing managed services that include outsourced systems administration. The company was formerly known as Verticals onDemand, Inc. and changed its name to Veeva Systems Inc. in April 2009. Veeva Systems Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company for New York Community Bank. New York Community Bank is the nations 47th-largest financial institution and its largest thrift. As a thrift, the bank specializes in real estate and consumer accounts specifically real estate loans and savings accounts and has limited exposure to other forms of business banking. Among the benefits to consumers are interest-bearing checking and saving accounts that come with higher-than-average interest rates. New York Community Bank was founded in 1859 to serve Queens County, New York. It operated under that name, growing all the while, until 2000 when it changed its name to better reflect the business. The company IPOd in 1993 and has made multiple acquisitions in the time since. As of 6/30/2022, the bank had $63.1 billion in assets and $41.2 billion in deposits. New York Community Bank operates in greater New York City, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. The company provides deposit products ranging from interest-bearing checking and money market accounts to savings accounts, IRAs, and CDs. Brands under the companys umbrella include AmTrust in Florida and Arizona, Ohio Savings Bank, Garden State Savings Bank, and Atlantic Bank. The bank offers a wide range of real-estate-related loans including but not limited to multi-family loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and consumer loans and mortgages. Investment products include annuities, mutual funds, and life insurance. Customers include individuals, small businesses, and organizations and are served through a network of more than 230 branches, and 300 ATMs, online, mobile, and by phone. Many of the locations are open 24 hours and 6 days a week although those hours are not available at all branches. Clients can access their accounts digitally 24/7. New York Community Bancorp and its underlying business carry investment-grade credit ratings from all the major rating agencies. The credit outlook in the 4th quarter of 2022 was stable as it had been for some time. In New York, it is a leader in the multi-family market specializing in lower-cost housing in rent-controlled areas. As of June 30, 2022, the multi-family loan portfolio accounted for more than 75% of all investments. The company has a stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan that help to sustain a high level of ownership. PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk, together with its subsidiaries, engages in coal and mining business in Indonesia. The company operates through Coal Mining and Trading; Mining Services; Logistics; and Others segments. It provides trading, transportation, warehousing, quarrying, cargo handling, mining, and transportation support services. In addition, the company offers agriculture, construction, seaport service activities, as well as repair and installation of machines, power supply, and water treatment services. Further, it provides coal handling and barging, terminal handling, power plant, water, and mud treatment services. The company exports its products to Malaysia, India, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, and internationally. The company was formerly known as PT Adaro Energy and changed its name to PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk in February 2022. PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. Yokogawa Electric Corporation provides industrial automation, and test and measurement solutions in Japan, Southeast Asia, Far East, China, India, Russia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Middle and South America. It operates through Industrial Automation and Control Business, Measuring Instruments Business, New Business, and Other segments. The Industrial Automation and Control Business segment offers field instruments, such as flow meters, differential pressure/pressure transmitters, and process analyzers; control systems and programmable controllers; and various software products and services. The Measuring Instruments segment provides waveform and optical communications measuring instruments, and signal generators; electric power, temperature, and power measuring instruments. The New Business, and Other segments manufactures and sells biomass materials. It serves oil and gas, oil, and gas downstream, LNG supply chain, chemical, power, renewable energy, water and wastewater, mining and metal, pharmaceutical, battery, pulp and paper, iron and steel, and food and beverage industries. Yokogawa Electric Corporation was founded in 1915 and is headquartered in Musashino, Japan. Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, operates, maintains, and manages roads in the People's Republic of China. It operates through Toll Operation, Securities Operation, and Others segments. The Toll Operation segment operates and manages high grade roads; and collects expressway tolls. The Securities Operation segment offers securities and future broking, margin financing and securities lending, securities underwriting and sponsorship, asset management, advisory, and proprietary trading services. The Others segment engages in hotel operation, high grade road construction, investment in other financial institutions, and other ancillary activities. The company also offers vehicle towing, repair and emergency, and rescue services, as well as investment management and advisory services. Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd. was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China. Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Communications Investment Group Co., Ltd. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Choir voices from throughout Central Nebraska will fill the sanctuary of Grand Islands First Presbyterian Church at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24. The massive choir will be accompanied by the churchs recently restored pipe organ. Jeremy Bankson, a nationally known hymn festival clinician, from Dublin, Ohio, will be the director. Bankson, a native of Hordville, is the minister of music at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Dublin, Ohio. He previously served as associate minister of music at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, and the executive director of Abendmusik in Lincoln, a 50-year-old concert series. The 55-member Hastings College choir will join voices from 60 area churches and other vocalists in the mass choir. Brett Epperson, director of the Hastings College Choir, and Amanda Boyd, choral director of First Presbyterian Church, will also be directing. The Hymn Festival celebrates the restoration of the 36-rank Moller Pipe Organ by the Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City, Iowa. A rank is a row of organ pipes that make the same sound at different pitches. The festival also will feature the Hastings Cathedral Brass, handbells, string instruments and a timpanist. People interested in joining the mass choir are invited to come to the 2 p.m. rehearsal at the church, 2103 W. Anna St.; the festival will begin at 4 p.m. Anyone who appreciates hymns is encouraged to attend this inspiring festival of congregational song and to celebrate the restoration of the organ as a community resource. Admission is free with the event underwritten by First Presbyterian Church and its endowment fund. A reception will follow the festival in the Fellowship Hall with church deacons serving Anna Street Trolley ice cream. For more information, contact Don Brittin, Hymn Festival facilitator, at 308-382-4176 or the church office at 308-382-0930. More than 14,000 pounds of food, most of it supplied by FFA students, were collected this week in the annual food drive at Husker Harvest Days. Participants were helping out with the 14th annual Heartland United Way Food Drive. The drive's other sponsors are Farm Progress, Nebraska Farmer and Husker Harvest Days. Karen Rathke of Heartland United Way said Thursday the food donations at Husker Harvest Days totaled 14,234 pounds. Food was also collected at area grocery stores as part of the drive. The food will be distributed today, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Third City Christian Church in Grand Island. The distribution is for area nonprofits and other organizations, rather than individuals. At Husker Harvest Days, food was received from 112 FFA chapters, most of them from Nebraska. One chapter was from Iowa, and another from Kansas. FFA students who donate at least five non-perishable food items receive free admission to Husker Harvest Days. Rathke said the Husker Harvest Days Food Drive has been an important resource for area backpack programs, food pantries and organizations that provide hot meals. The donations address food insecurity and make sure that children, families and the elderly "have the next meal provided for them," when it might not always be available, Rathke said. Area residents are "really blessed to have Husker Harvest Days so close to our four-county area," Rathke said. The donated food stays in Hall, Hamilton, Howard and Merrick counties. During Husker Harvest Days, a semi-truck is parked at the bus entrance each day from 8 to 11 a.m. Donation collections began at area grocery stores on Sept. 4. Donation sites were at Hy-Vee, the two Super Savers in Grand Island, Whitefoot Market, Hometown Market, MNO Hometown Market and Kerrys Grocery. For more information, call Heartland United Way at 308-382-2675 or visit www.heartlandunitedway.org. One woman died as a result of a two-vehicle crash in central Nebraska. Around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Howard County Sheriffs Office responded to the crash that occurred at the Nebraska Highway 92 and Nebraska Highway 11 intersection. An initial investigation found a man, who was driving a 2022 Ram ProMaster City cargo van, was driving south and allegedly ran a stop sign. A press release said the cargo van struck an eastbound 2020 Jeep Cherokee. Both vehicles ended up in a ditch and the Jeep also overturned. The woman who had been driving the Jeep died at the scene. The man was taken to the Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul to be treated for his injuries. Sheriff Tom Busch declined to release the names of those involved pending notification of family members. He did say the people did not live in Howard County. The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating the crash and reconstructing it. In addition to the State Patrol, fire and rescue departments from St. Paul, Elba and Dannebrog assisted the Howard County Sheriffs Office along with the Nebraska Department of Transportation. President Yoon Suk Yeol salutes as he inspects naval warships during a ceremony to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation at Incheon Port, Friday. Joint Press Corps Domestic, foreign Korean War veterans attend event By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed "peace through strength" and "overwhelming response capability" against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats during a ceremony to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation, also known as Operation Chromite, which single-handedly changed the course of the 1950-53 Korean War. "North Korea is openly increasing its military threats, by advancing in its nuclear and missile capabilities and explicitly mentioning its strike on South Korea," Yoon said during his speech at the ceremony. "Also, anti-state forces, communists and their sympathizers are threatening our democracy with fabrication and manipulation." He added, "Based on strong national defense capability, we will build peace through strengths and safeguard liberal democracy. With the ironclad South Korea-U.S. joint defense posture, we will enhance the security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and secure overwhelming response capability against the North's threats." During his speech, Yoon did not mention the talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place Wednesday. However, his attendance at the ceremony, which was the first for a serving South Korean president, is interpreted as an indirect message highlighting the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and solidarity between friendly nations. Marine Corps amphibious vehicles take part in a 73rd anniversary commemoration ceremony for the Incheon Landing Operation in the sea off Incheon, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul "The president's attendance was arranged as part of his intention to honor the sacrifices and dedication of the South Korean Armed Forces and United Nations forces who participated in the Korean War," an official at the presidential office said. The event was participated by Korean War veterans, including veterans from the Marine Corps, the Army's 17th Division and the Korea Liaison Office. Foreign veterans also attended the ceremony, including Vincent Sordello, who participated in the landing operation with a U.S. Marine Corps artillery unit; Alfred Kim, who fought in the war while on board the USS Lenawee; and Ronald Foyle, who served on the Canadian destroyer Cayuga and carried out maritime patrol and refugee protection missions. During the ceremony, Yoon boarded the ROKS Nojeokbong and watched the naval demonstration along with 1,300 serving soldiers and citizens on board the ROKS Dokdo. "The Incheon Landing Operation is part of the proud history of liberal democracy repelling totalitarian communism and is a valuable asset that the free world should cherish," Yoon said. "The government will remember this victory which was achieved by the sacrifices of the veterans, and inherit its assets to defeat any threats." South Korean UH-60 helicopters deploy flares during a 73rd anniversary commemoration ceremony for the Incheon Landing Operation in the sea off Incheon, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul The Incheon Landing Operation took place from Sept. 15 to 16 under the leadership of Douglas MacArthur, then commander in chief of United Nations forces. Approximately 75,000 U.N. military personnel from countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia took part. The landing came as a surprise offensive that broke the back of the North Korean military, which was pushing its frontline to the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. Northern Vietnam LNG-to-power project likely to receive in-principle approval by Nov By Tri Duc Fri, September 15, 2023 | 11:38 am GTM+7 Thai Binh province is trying to deliver in-principle approval for a 1,500 MW LNG-to-power project by November. Thai Binh Chairman Nguyen Khac Than made the request at a Thursday meeting to review the project's progress. The future plant, located in Thai Thuy district, will play an important role in the provinces socioeconomic growth, so Than asked relevant agencies to push the project forward. Thai Binh's Chairman Nguyen Khac Than (right) and Vice Chairman Lai Van Hoan at a meeting on the LNG-to-power project in the northern province, September 14, 2023. Photo courtesy of Thai Binh newspaper. So far, the Thai Binh LNG-to-power project has been added to the provincial planning, meanwhile the draft planning of the economic zone for the project has been submitted to authorities for approval. The project is now compiling a 1-to-2000 ratio draft plan. In November 2022, Japan's Tokyo Gas and Kyuden Group inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Truong Thanh Vietnam JSC on jointly developing this project. The MoU was signed at the Asia Green Growth Partnership Ministerial Meeting (AGGPM) in Japan. Vietnam, China agree to boost connectivity under Belt Road Initiative By Anh Minh Fri, September 15, 2023 | 11:06 am GTM+7 Vietnam and China have agreed to continue enhancing strategic connectivity and cooperation in the framework of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry has said. The consensus was reached between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang last week in Indonesia during the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings, said spokesperson of Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang at a regular press meeting on Thursday. Spokesperson of Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. Photo courtesy of the ministry. The two countries will strengthen connectivity on land and by rail in border areas and construct effective and resilient multimodal logistical systems, providing opportunities for businesses and peoples of the two countries and the region, the spokesperson added. The two governments have signed a memorandum of understanding on connecting Vietnams Two Corridors, One Belt with Chinas BRI. Businesses of the two countries have been transporting cargo along the corridor connecting Chinas Chongqing with Vietnam and several ASEAN countries, and from ASEAN to Central Asia and Europe via Vietnam. Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung attended the eighth BRI summit in Hong Kong, China on September 13-14. Vietnam welcomes initiatives that promote connectivity and regional economic cooperation on the basis of equality, cooperation, mutual benefit. and respect, in compliance with international law and the UN Charter, towards sustainable development and common prosperity for all nations, she noted. Vietnam expects the BRI to further promote economic connectivity and support countries to develop infrastructure and expand markets, helping narrow the development gap between them, Hang said. Vietnam H1 profits down for Prudential, Dai-ichi Life, up for AIA By Tri Duc Fri, September 15, 2023 | 8:22 am GTM+7 Foreign-invested life insurers in Vietnam have posted contrasting H1 post-tax profit figures, with that of Prudential down 40.5%, Dai-ichi Life's down 2.2%, and AIAs up 19.2% year-on-year. Prudential, AIA, Dai-Ichi, Manulife are top foreign life insurers in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of CafeF. Prudential Vietnam UK-invested Prudential Vietnam recorded a post-tax profit of VND1.34 trillion ($55.4 million) in the first six months of this year, down 40.5% year-on-year, according to the firms financial statements. In H1, the firm earned revenues of VND12.64 trillion ($521.7 million) from insurance business, down 8.3% year-on-year; VND5.56 trillion ($229.5 million) from financial activities, up 2.4%; and VND12.1 billion ($0.5 million) from other activities, up 1.6%. In particular, the firms insurance premiums reached VND12.93 trillion ($533.7 million), down 7.7% year-on-year; while it had to pay VND11.23 trillion ($463.4 million) for insurance indemnification, up 60.7%. As of end-June 2023, Prudential Vietnams total assets inched up 3.9% from end-2022 to VND168.03 trillion ($6.9 billion); while its equity grew 6.9% to VND20.71 trillion ($854.5 million) and its liability increased 3.5% to VND147.32 trillion ($6 billion). Prudential opened its first Vietnam representative office in Hanoi in 1995. The insurer expanded its bancassurance network to eight banks in 2019 and now operates over 360 agencies in all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. AIA Vietnam AIA Vietnam, under Hong Kong-based insurer AIA, recorded a post-tax profit of VND886.7 billion ($36.6 million) in January-June, up 19.2% year-on-year. In the six-month period, AIA Vietnam earned revenues of VND7.57 trillion ($312.6 million) from insurance business, down 12.6% year-on-year; VND1.59 trillion ($65.7 million) from financial activities, up 32.4%; and VND9 billion ($0.4 million) from other activities, down 28.1%. The firms total insurance premiums reached VND7.92 trillion ($326.8 million) in the period, down 12.1% year-on-year; while it had to pay VND5.27 trillion ($217.7 million) for insurance indemnification, down 0.4%. As of end June 2023, AIA Vietnams total assets went up 5.3% from end-2022 to VND56.97 trillion ($2.4 billion); while its equity increased 6.4% to VND14.65 trillion ($604 million) and its liability grew 4.9% to VND42.32 trillion ($1.7 billion). Launched in Vietnam in 2000, AIA now provides services to over 1.5 million Vietnam people. Its network features over 200 agencies in more than 50 provinces and cities, and six banks in its bancassurance system. Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Dai-ichi Life Vietnam, the Vietnamese subsidiary of Japans largest life insurer Dai-ichi Life, recorded a post-tax profit of VND1.28 trillion ($53.4 million) in H1, down 2.2% year-on-year, its financial statements show. The insurer earned net revenues of VND9.44 trillion ($395.9 million) from insurance business, down 7.1% year-on-year; VND1.77 trillion ($74.3 million) from financial activities, up 49.8%; and VND2.1 billion ($88,070) from other activities, down 8.8%. As of June 30, Dai-ichi Life Vietnams total assets reached VND62.37 trillion ($2.62 billion), up 7.5% from that on January 1. The insurers liability was VND42.93 trillion ($1.8 billion) and equity VND19.44 btrillion ($815.1 million), up 7.7% and 7% after six months, respectively. Established in January 2007, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam now operates about 300 offices and agencies across the Southeast Asian nation, with over 2,000 staff and 114,000 financial consultants. Dai-ichi Life Vietnams business network is the third biggest in the sector in Vietnam, the insurer said. CARBONDALE A team from New Orleans EMS delivered the keynote address of SIH Trauma and Critical Care Conference Thursday afternoon in the event center at Walkers Bluff Casino Resort. The team of five is part of the program Nightwatch on the A&E Network. Their address, Blood in the Big Easy, explained how they administer blood to critical patients before they reach the hospital. Lindsay Fealko, Shaquille Harris, Joe Frazer, Heather Currie and Janette Yates presented the program. Frazer said prehospital blood administration is saving a lot of lives in cities around the world. In New Orleans, one of the first American cities to follow the procedure, is giving cold blood to patients in the field in about five or six minutes. Its important. We are saving a lot of lives, Frazer said. When a trauma or critical patient loses blood, the blood loss must be stopped as quickly as possible and the blood replaced. Historically, those emergency personnel would try to stop the bleeding and transport patients to the hospital for a blood transfusion. New Orleans EMS began to study changing that protocol to allow some paramedics to give patients blood in the field. After several years and numerous delays, they worked out guidelines and, after another delay from Hurricane Ida, they began training personnel. Since December 2021, they have administered blood to roughly 200 patients, and most of them had great outcomes, according to Currie. Ive seen people turn around like that, Currie said, snapping her fingers. Fealko and Yates talked about the importance of controlling hemorrhaging. Were going to stop the bleed because that is what will kill them (the patient) first, Fealko said. They look for signs of shock, then administer two units of blood, followed by calcium and TSA. Frazer told the crowd about the first patient he gave blood to. The man had been stabbed seven times and walked a mile home. He had lost a lot of blood and was near death. Frazer gave him two units of blood, calcium and TSA. By the time they reached the trauma center, the patient was awake and asking about his dog. After that call, I was like, 'were on to something here,' Frazer said. The New Orleans EMS personnel was invited to the conference by Roy Oellermann, a paramedic at Jackson County Ambulance Service. Oellerman and his fiance took a trip to New Orleans three years ago during the height of the COVID pandemic. Their daughters love Nightwatch, so he decided to try to get some autographs for the girls. He emailed New Orleans EMS, and they agreed to sign t-shirts for them. They dropped off t-shirts in New Orleans. When they returned to get the signed shirts, they met some of the personnel and got pictures with them. When the conference came up, he invited them to come and talk about their prehospital administration of blood. They are the first ground ambulance to be able to carry blood, Oellerman said, adding that helicopters have been the ones to give blood. Dr. Joseph Hake served as emcee for the conference. He said their topics on Thursday included acute extremity emergencies, stroke, child sever child abuse, abdominal aortic aneurysms and other topics. He said this is the first conference of its kind in Southern Illinois. It offered free continuing education, which doctors, nurses and EMS personnel are required to do. Everything was free, including meals and snacks. It really helps give hospital and prehospital personnel training and care, Hake said. The conference continued Friday. If two things have been natural for Julie Hibdon, it is a career in criminal justice and being part of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Hibdon, an associate professor in the School of Justice and Public Safety at SIU, has both and she shares her passion for criminology and the region with her students. This is my home, in many, many ways, she said, both of Southern Illinois and in her role as director of the criminology and criminal justice program at SIU. A native of Effingham, she said she was introduced to policing and the justice system at an early age. Her father was a police officer and she said she always want to be in the field, but it was a criminology class she took as an undergraduate at SIU that convinced her. From that point on, I was hook, line and sinker, she recalled. I knew that this was what I was supposed to be doing. Well, at least, she said, she knew she wanted to be in criminology somehow. Initially I thought I would get my degree and work as a probation officer or work in the system in some capacity, maybe as a victims advocate or something, she said. Then I got into it a little bit more and realized that there were things that needed to be changed a little bit. Thats when I decided to go into research and help make those changes, but also educate the people who are going into the system about the realities of the criminal justice system and give them an opportunity to be change agents as well. So, after a stint working in a New Jersey law firm, earning a masters degree (also from SIU) and working as a probation officer in Marion County, Hibdon pursued a doctorate degree at George Mason University, becoming a researcher at the Center for Evidence Based Crime Policy. I got to work on a bunch of really great research projects to help different police agencies and policy makers, she explained. Then a job came open at SIU and I told my husband I thought we were supposed to go home and thats what we did. I am happy to be back. Hibdon joined the SIU faculty in 2012, directing graduate programs in criminology and teaching courses on crime prevention, policing and victimization. I teach classes that focus on the ways we can deter and prevent crime outside of criminal justice agencies and how agencies can deter and prevent crime. My classes also tend to focus on what are the effects of crime on people in society, she explained. She said she loves interacting with students who, like her, want to make a positive impact. I think most of the student that come into criminology and criminal justice are people who want to make a difference. They are people who see parts of the system that they think are wrong or unjust and they want to be within the system to be change agents or they are people who just generally are called to professions of service and public service, she said. She said graduates of the program enter a wide range of careers from policing to advocacy work, social services and rehabilitation. It is more than just the law enforcement side of things, which people often focus on, she said. Hibdon added that she loves the enthusiasm of her students. Its really great when you have students who are engaged and excited because theyre learning about things that are of interest and importance to them, she said. Its really rewarding to be the facilitator of information to help them pursue the things they are passionate about. I love being part of that learning experience and I love being here. CARBONDALE An examination of debates on whether the Constitution protects abortion rights is part of Southern Illinois University Carbondales observance of Constitution Day next week. Constitution Day is Sunday, Sept. 17. Brittany Leach, an assistant professor of political science and sociology in the School of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology, will present Beyond Constitutional Rights: The Jane Collective and Reproductive Autonomy from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in the University Museum Auditorium, Faner Hall, Room 1526. The lecture is free and open to the university community and the public, and those attending are encouraged to bring lunch. There will be time for Q&A after the presentation. A look at differing court decisions Leach will use the U.S. Supreme Courts June 2022 Dobbs decision and 1992 Casey decision to illustrate competing perspectives. She said the bulk of her talk will focus on the Jane Collective, an underground Chicago-based organization in the late 1960s and early 1970s that provided abortion services along with counseling prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Their vision of reproductive freedom included more than just a privacy right to have an abortion without government interference, Leach said. For instance, Jane effectively invented abortion counseling and sought to transform the way that women were treated by medical professionals. Leach said she will share some archival evidence from her research, which includes quotes from Jane participants. The main argument is that Jane illustrates the complex and ambiguous relationship between freedom and the law, as well as providing a more nuanced picture of illegal abortions in the pre-Roe era. Learning more about pre-Roe feminist abortion activism can help shed light on the post-Dobbs situation in states that have banned abortion. Delivering the Constitution personally In addition to the lecture, Walter Ray, Morris Librarys political papers archivist with the Special Collections Research Center, will provide free pocket Constitutions to students from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 18 at Delytes in Morris Library. Ray will be dressed as President Abraham Lincoln and be available to discuss various topics, including the state of the Civil War and habeas corpus a Constitutional right protecting people from unlawful and indefinite imprisonment which Lincoln suspended in September 1862. Constitution Day marks the anniversary of delegates to the Philadelphia Convention completing and signing the U.S. Constitution in 1787. All educational institutions that receive federal funding must annually deliver programs on the U.S. Constitution. SPRINGFIELD Efforts to form a union by staff in House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welchs office could provide an early and unexpected test of the new Workers Rights Amendment to the Illinois Constitution. Brady Burden, a staffer in the speakers office who is part of the organizing committee of the Illinois Legislative Staff Association, said efforts to unionize have thus far been stymied by a provision in state law that specifically exempts the General Assembly from the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. But there is no such exemption in the Workers Rights Amendment, approved by voters less than a year ago. That addition to the states constitution provides, in part, that all employees have a fundamental right to organize and engage in collective bargaining over wages, hours and working conditions. But at least one expert in Illinois labor law says relying on that amendment may be more difficult legally for the workers than it might first appear. Anytime this (constitutional amendment) is going to be litigated, if ever, it's going to require some degree of interpretation. It just will because its just not clear, said Michael LeRoy, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law and the School of Labor and Employment Relations. It's not exactly clear what this means. According to Burden, efforts to form a union began last year but they did not go public with their campaign until May. He said well over half of the 38 employees who would be part of the bargaining unit analysts, researchers and people who work with legislators have signed a petition calling to form a union, which would be enough for automatic recognition by most other public employers. Among the issues theyd like to negotiate, Burden said, are wages and hours. He said the starting salary for Democratic House staffers is around $43,000 annually, which he said is significantly lower than comparable jobs in the Senate or even for House Republican staff. He also said they would like better compensation for overtime. Legislative staff jobs are exempt from wage and hour laws, so those workers do not receive the standard time-and-a-half when they work more than 40 hours in a week which they do routinely during legislative sessions. Instead, Burden said, they receive roughly one hour of comp time for every three hours of overtime they work. But because current law specifically exempts the General Assembly from the definition of a public employer, Burden said they are asking Welch to recognize their union voluntarily. Welchs office, however, has said he prefers they hold an election because recognizing the union voluntarily would deny staff the chance to weigh in on which organization theyd like to represent them. Burden said that cant be done because of the exemption in current state law, leaving them with the options of voluntary recognition or a lawsuit. It's in the Constitution. We have a right to organize, Burden said. The only issue that we need, is that the speaker recognize the union. LeRoy, however, said the Workers Rights Amendment is actually vague on that issue because its written in prospective terms, referring to future enactments by the state or local governments. He said that although the first sentence of the amendment says employees have a fundamental right to organize, the next sentence says, No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates, or diminishes collective bargaining rights. They use the term shall be. That's future tense, he said. It doesn't reach back. It doesn't say any law that has been enacted that interferes with collective bargaining is hereby nullified. It doesn't say that. LeRoy said the purpose of the amendment was to prevent the enactment of so-called right-to-work laws at either the state or local level. Those are laws that say employers cannot require someone to be a member of a union as a condition of employment. This constitutional amendment really grew out of the experience with (former Republican) Gov. Bruce Rauner, who really wanted to make Illinois a right-to-work state, he said. That was a Democratic reaction to, or response to, (Rauner). LeRoy said that from a legal standpoint, he believes the Workers Rights Amendment is not a convincing argument for those trying to form a union. But he added, Politically, it is very convincing. I mean, in effect, this is really calling out the Democratic-controlled General Assembly as a group of hypocrites, he said. You're legislating for thee, not me. And I think in the court of public opinion, that's where this battle can be waged with a better chance of success. Photos: Illinois State Fair political days through the years 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2009 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2005 State Fair 2004 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2006 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2018 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2021 State Fair 2021 State Fair Two Southern Illinoisans were among the 15 individuals and one group honored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as Outstanding Volunteers of the Year. Pat Racana of Makanda, who volunteers at Giant City State Park, and Cobdens Kathy Tolson, who volunteers at Trail of Tears State Forest, were among the statewide honorees. Racana is a longtime volunteer. He has spent most of his Saturday mornings working at the Giant City State Park Visitor Center since 2015. His association with the park goes back more than four decades. We started camping at Giant City in 1981, so we just have a long history of enjoying this part of the state, he said. We started buying land here over 20 years ago. We were just planning on retiring down here at some point. This area is like part of the Ozarks. Its got character and stone work, and its not flat like so much of Illinois. It makes it more interesting to hike through and visit. A former salesman, Racana spends his time at Giant City selling visitors on the wonders of the park. Just talking to the visitors that come in and listening to the visitors that come in, its definitely the highlight of my week, no doubt about it, Racana said. Tolson has been volunteering for less than two years, but finds the work no less rewarding. I went through the Master Naturalist Program through the University of Illinois, thats how I learned about the volunteer program, she said. I found out the person that was doing it (volunteering at Trail of Tears) became ill, so there was an opening for a bluebird box monitor. They have 21 boxes at the state forest, thats checking them once a week from March to August. After the monitoring was done, I could just see I could do other things there, volunteer work, Tolson said. Tolson offered to stay on, and now spends a significant amount of her volunteer hours cleaning the trails utilized by equestrians and hunters. A longterm former Kroger employee, Tolson said she considers her avocation a privilege. I think about that, its like whenever we start our day and were going onto a fire trail and were cleaning it off, I guess just the satisfaction that were leaving it a little better than when we began, she said. I like the idea that were getting it ready for the horseback riders, the hunters and the hikers and just for the people to come out and enjoy the forest. It is just a wonderful place. It is just so beautiful getting up on the ridges and just the beauty of the forest. I honestly feel privileged to be out there and be back on those ridges. I feel like not everyone has that opportunity. Racana and Tolson were nominated for the award by Illinois Department of Natural Resources staffers. "Volunteers are the backbone of Giant City State Park, said Calvin Beckmann, the IDNR site superintendent at both Giant City and Trail of Tears. They are essential to helping the park meet objectives and we are so appreciative of the skills, expertise, and time that they share with us. " ELLOREE Personnel from nine law enforcement agencies aided in the arrest of a larceny suspect and the discovery of an alleged vehicle chop shop, Elloree Police Chief Shawn Murphree said Wednesday. Joseph Michael Burden, 48, was taken into custody on charges of grand larceny of goods valued at $10,000 or more, receiving stolen goods and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The case required an unusual amount of time, travel and communication with other agencies, but Murphree said: We are relentless. We take care of our people and their property. The case began when someone forced entry into Carolina Eastern-Elloree on Snider Street in the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 16. The company describes itself as a dealer of agricultural products. A fence was damaged and two trailers were missing: a 2018 Big Tex flatbed trailer owned by the company and valued at $10,500 and a 2021 Cynergy enclosed trailer owned by an employee and valued at $8,000. Elloree police got their first break in the case on Sept. 5, when the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office shared information about the theft of a trailer in the Poplar Creek area. Security camera images at both scenes showed a black Hummer towing a trailer. Murphree put out a be on the lookout notice for the vehicle. Just minutes later, a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper saw the vehicle in Santee and performed a traffic stop. The driver was Burden, who said he had no fixed address and had been residing short-term at various campgrounds along Lake Marion, including at Santee State Park and in the Eutawville area. Murphree drove to the scene of the traffic stop, took Burden into custody and transported him to the Orangeburg County Detention Center. A magistrate set bond on Burden at $500,000 cash or surety for the Elloree charges and an additional $75,000 cash or surety for the Calhoun County charge, Murphree said. Further investigation indicated that the trailers had been hauled to locations in Clarendon County and were allegedly sold for $600 to $800 each to a man who drove a yellow Hummer and a brown truck, Murphree said. Investigators then went to the Highview Street residence of 24-year-old Luis Gustavo Sanchez Rosas in rural Sumter County and found a yellow Hummer and a brown truck, Murphree said. They also allegedly found the T-Rex trailer reported stolen in Elloree, an expensive hydraulic dump trailer reported stolen from Orangeburg County, a four-wheeler reported stolen from Charleston County and a large food truck reported stolen from Richland County. Officers claim they found items that had been inside the trailer that was stolen from the Poplar Creek area, but they did not find the trailer itself. Law officers also found welding machines and paint sprayers. They also allegedly found three trailers with vehicle identification numbers that had been removed, repainted and welded over, Murphree said. Murphree claims, This was a 100 percent chop shop. The term chop shop is slang for a place where stolen vehicles are disassembled so that the parts can be sold or otherwise reused. The items that were recovered intact were valued at about $55,000, Murphree said. The Elloree Police Department did not do it by ourselves, the chief said. It was a team effort of sharing information and working together. We wouldnt have solved this without the sharing of information. Murphree expressed appreciation to the South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center, also known as the Fusion Center. He said the center often doesnt get the credit it deserves for its behind-the-scenes role in solving crimes. He also thanked the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office, the Clarendon County Sheriffs Office, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office, the Holly Hill Police Department, the Eutawville Police Department, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Elloree Police Assistant Chief David Martin, and Elloree Police Investigator Austin Arant for their assistance. Calhoun Countys longtime clerk of court oversaw technological improvements in his office, but he thinks showing courtesy and respect were the real keys to his success. Ken Hasty retired as the Calhoun County clerk of court on Sept. 1 after 18 years. The 66-year-old Sumter native was elected as Calhoun Countys first African American clerk of court on Nov. 2, 2004. With that election, he also became the first African American in the county to be elected to a countywide office and was also the first African American male to become a clerk of court in South Carolina. Hasty was no stranger to Calhoun County because he had previously served 28 years with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He retired as a sergeant in 2004. His entire career with the SCHP was served in Calhoun County, but it wasnt long after his retirement that he decided to serve his community in another way as clerk of court. When I first came to Calhoun County, I was 22 years old. So I didnt realize that Id stick around this long and make it such as permanent assignment, but it was a good career. It was a good career as a trooper. I learned a lot from the Highway Patrol, which poured over to being clerk of court, Hasty said. My whole 28 years on the Highway Patrol was spent in Calhoun County. So I came by this courthouse quite a few times with various court cases from the Highway Patrol. So it just kind of stayed with me, and I smoothly transitioned from a Highway Patrol sergeant into clerk of court, he said. Hasty said the implementation of an electronic filing system in the clerk of courts office was a key objective that he accomplished. After working with the Governors Office and Business Information Systems, we got the capability through our systems at the Recorder of Deeds Office because I was also the recorder of deeds. Calhoun County was the second county to initiate e-filing for deeds and just about everything else you want to file, he said. Hasty said one of the biggest challenges of his office was getting people to serve on jury duty. Each time we have a jury, we have to call in roughly about 150 people in a pool so that we can draw at least 14 out of it, which is 12 jurors and two alternates. Thats one of the big challenges, but most people do serve diligently, and they serve well, he said. Hasty, who received a criminal justice degree from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, has seen many changes over his career, including the renovation of the historic Calhoun County Courthouse in 1987 and 2018. The installation of a new copper roof and carpet were among the renovations completed in the latest major restoration effort. Hasty said it all has helped create a good working environment for him and his colleagues, with his staff being among the things hell miss most about his job. Secondly would be the citizens, my constituents who I see day in and day out. I will miss and have already begun to miss some of the judges, some of our folks in our solicitors office and all the co-workers in the county system, he said. Lakeisha Moorer, the countys deputy clerk of court, was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to fill Hastys seat. She was sworn in on Sept. 6. The seat is up for election again in November 2024. Hasty said he has tried to practice the golden rule in his dealings with his staff and constituents. He learned that from his days with the SCHP. I tried to treat all my employees the way I wanted to be treated. That held out real good for me. Your job is to serve the citizens that you represent. I dont see myself needing to be here if I cant be of benefit to my constituents, a benefit to the county, or an asset in that manner, he said. Hasty continued, I taught all my clerks that my whole motto from the Highway Patrol was courtesy, efficiency and service. I lived by that. So that poured over to this job, and it worked very well when it was used. Its in short supply now because the whole game has changed. I would say people in our society have changed. Thats to be expected, but, you know, a lot of times extreme changes endanger a lot of things that we hold true and believe in. We have to make sure that everybodys included, he said. As a court system, everybody has to be included, and they have to be included equally. My biggest thing is to make sure everybody is included on an across-the-board basis, Hasty said. He said Calhoun County Council has worked hard to support economic development in the county, where he has seen industry flourish and keep the tax base relatively stable. Everybody expects taxes to creep up periodically as time goes on. You cant get things accomplished if you stay at one tax base forever. ... The more industry that you can garner into your community, the less taxes your citizens will have to pay. Thats ultimately somebody elses job, Hasty said, smiling, but we try to keep up with it so we can explain that to people. Making sure his constituents were well-informed on topics such as, for example, living wills was also key to his success as clerk of court. I put on seminars with South Carolina Legal Services to help residents know how to make a will or do certain things that most of us dont normally do in our community. I thought that was a big benefit just to help with those sorts of things. When I first became clerk, that was one of the things that I accomplished. That was part of what I set out to do, Hasty said. Hell miss the massive amount of paperwork he sometimes found himself under the least, and looks forward to spending more time with his family. His family includes his wife of 26 years, Delia, a bilingual customer service representative at the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities, their three daughters and their 10-month-old granddaughter. With serving 28 years with the Highway Patrol, 18 years here as clerk and then having a new grandbaby, I just want to spend more time with my family now. I think 46 years in public service is a good stint of service. So its time to wind down and do some of the things that I like to do, Hasty said. Cooking is one of them. A lot of men like fishing, riding motorcycles and stuff like that, but I like to cook. Cooking is my preferred stress reliever. I do all the cooking in my house. So its one of those things that I enjoy doing, Hasty said. Who knows? Maybe Ill buy me a food truck and go to some of these festivals and do things like that. My whole thing is I love to interact with people. People are the driving force for a lot of the things that I do, he said. Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who has been staging a hunger protest since Aug. 31, lies on the floor of his office at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps By Nam Hyun-woo Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung had been continuing his hunger protest for 16 days as of Friday. Despite his declining health, however, it still seems difficult for him to find convincing causes to end the protest while appealing to the public. The party hopes that former President Moon Jae-in will visit Lee and persuade him to stop the protest, which will be seen as a gesture of addressing the party's divide between pro-Moon and pro-Lee factions. But the chairman is insisting on continuing his strike and demanding a response from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. DPK chairman's chief of staff, Rep. Cheon Jun-ho, told reporters Friday that Lee's overall physical condition has severely deteriorated, noting that his blood sugar level is seriously threatening his overall health. "He was advised to be hospitalized," Cheon said. "However, Lee is expressing a strong intention to continue his hunger strike." Lee has been staging the sit-in protest since Aug. 31, saying, "There is no other way to stop the retrograding practices of the Yoon administration." As the protest has continued for more than two weeks, a number of DPK lawmakers, including those who have been critical of Lee, and the party's seniors, visited to express their concerns and ask the chairman to stop the protest. DPK floor spokesperson Rep. Lee So-young said, "DPK lawmakers expressed their commitment to containing the Yoon government's tyranny during the upcoming National Assembly session and asked the chairman to stop the protest." Along with lawmakers, Lee Nak-yon, a former DPK chairman who locked horns with Lee during last year's presidential primary, Kwon Noh-gab, the DPK's adviser, and former President Moon also expressed concerns. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has also urged Lee to stop the protest, citing his health condition. PPP Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon said during a party supreme council meeting on Thursday, "With all due respect, I request the DPK Chairman to stop the protest regardless of the reasons." Kim also said on Friday that Lee should stop his hunger protest for the sake of his health, despite refusing to visit Lee who is striking at the Assembly. Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea hold banners calling for Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung to stop his hunger protest at Lee's office at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps Lee did not specify the conditions for ending his protest, but made three demands to the administration a public apology from President Yoon for damaging democracy; the government's open opposition to Japan's release of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and a sweeping renovation of the government and a Cabinet reshuffle. On Wednesday, Yoon replaced defense, culture and gender equality ministers. Then Lee released a statement saying "the reshuffle goes against common sense, and nothing but an attempt to put up a fight against the public." However, Yoon and his staffers are maintaining indifference to Lee's hunger protest. "Among the presidential office, it seems that Lee's hunger protest is not a compelling matter," an official at the presidential office said. "Not sure it is a strategic silence or a complete indifference, but the issue itself seems to be out of the office's priority." When asked about the office's view on Lee's protest, another official at the office said in a press briefing on Sept. 12 that "it seems inappropriate for the presidential office to mention about a pending political issue." President Yoon Suk Yeol boards the presidential helicopter on the deck of the ROKS Nojeokbong, after attending the 73rd anniversary ceremony of the Incheon Landing Operation in Incheon, Friday. Courtesy of the presidential office COLUMBIA Sen. Tim Scott wants the Republican National Committee to change how it orders the candidates on stage for its next presidential debate, suggesting changes that could put the South Carolina Republican in a better position and make him more a part of the conversation. In a letter shared Wednesday with The Associated Press, Scotts campaign manager Jennifer DeCasper wrote to RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel that since Iowas caucus is the leadoff to GOP balloting next year, polling results from Iowa should be the primary consideration for podium placement at the September debate. Scott, who launched his presidential bid in May and has been running millions of dollars worth of ads in Iowa, was second from the right edge of the stage in the first GOP debate last month. He did not have a breakout moment as some others did, including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The RNC has said that to qualify for debates candidates need to meet certain percentages in national and early-state polling. DeCasper wrote that the RNC had not specified which polling will be considered in deciding the podium placement. The next debate is Sept. 27. Relying on national polling results for the podium placement simply would not represent where the candidates actually stand in relation to where we are in the process with the voters, she wrote, referring to the candidates focus on early voting states. As another option, DeCasper wrote, the RNC could take the candidates average polling results of all four carve out states Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina in determining the podium placement for the September debate. Scotts campaign has placed a heavy emphasis on Iowa since he launched in mid-May, betting that his upbeat message of personal responsibility, wrapped in the Christian faith he comfortably cites, is a good fit for Iowa Republicans who might split from former President Donald Trump. So far, Scott and others in the White House race remain far behind Trump. But Scotts team is asking for more weight on polls in Iowa, where hes been performing somewhat better than nationally, though he still trails DeSantis as well as Trump in most polls there. Asked about Scotts proposal, Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann told The Associated Press that the state whose caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 15 would certainly be supportive of more heavily weighing polling from the carve-out states, which could better reflect where the momentum is among the candidates. Should the RNC adopt his rules, he could be more prominently featured in the Sept. 27 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. His campaign says Scott has already met the donor and polling thresholds set by the RNC for that debate. As for other future debates which have not been announced by the RNC DeCasper suggested in a separate letter to McDaniel that the RNC adopt other criteria that will better reflect the trends of the early voting states, including a requirement that participants have attended at least one event of the Republican Party of Iowa, the New Hampshire Republican Party, the Nevada Republican Party, and the South Carolina Republican Party. Asked about Scotts proposals, which were first reported by Axios, RNC spokeswoman Emma Vaughn said the debate committee has had a very thoughtful approach to the entire process, and we continue to welcome input from all candidates, partners and stakeholders. Recipients of assistance from the BBO with members of the BBO and parents at last Mondays presentation cermony. Amidst the growing cost of school supplies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, eleven graduates of the Layou Government School who began their secondary education this school year, were recipients of blessings from the Layou-based Becket Benefit Organization (BBO). At a presentation ceremony held last Monday, Sept. 11, at Layou RC Centre, the BBO made a donation that included a Laptop Computer, eleven backpacks and eleven gift certificates, the certificates being redeemable at Jacks Enterprises. The Laptop was donated by former President and founding member of BBO- Mr Marcus Martin, and was awarded to the top performing student in the 2023 CSEC - Zavid Lee. The other recipient were: Kshawn Duncan, Kanda Homer, Tiannah La Borde, Taijuan Lee, Aaden Newsome, Kiara Sempa, Bernard Williams, Kyle Williams, Jadiah Stephen and Jahlil Rodney. Master of Ceremonies and founder of the BBO -Dr. Alston BECKET Cyrus broke into song as an encouragement to the students, doing a rendition of the Mighty Sparrows Education. Mrs. Stella Quow retired teacher with some forty years experience, reminded the recipients/graduates of the challenges ahead. Hunter Bidens transgressions will not do his father any good in his fathers quest to retain the White House. US President Joe Bidens son Hunter has been charged with three criminal counts related to firearms possession, a United States court document showed. In Thursdays indictment, prosecutors accused Hunter of making false statements related to drug use in order to acquire a firearm in 2018. The indictment, which was brought by US Special Counsel David Weiss in federal court in Delaware, comes after a deal for Hunter to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enroll in a programme to avoid prosecution on a gun-related charge collapsed in July. A White House spokesman referred questions on Thursday to the US Department of Justice and Hunters legal team, saying the charges stem from an independent investigation. The case will no doubt play an outsized role in the 2024 US presidential campaign as Biden seeks re-election in a likely rematch with his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who leads the GOPs nomination race. It also comes just days after Republicans announced they would open an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic president in large part over his sons business dealings. For years, Hunter has been the focus of attacks by Trump and his Republican allies, who have accused him of wrongdoing relating to Ukraine and China, among other issues. Bidens critics also have seized on Hunters personal troubles, including a long struggle with drug addiction, to hit out at the US president. Prosecutors said in Thursdays indictment that in an effort to procure a firearm, Hunter made a statement "certifying he was not an unlawful user of, an addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance. They said, however, that he knew the "statement was false and fictitious. All of this comes just days after Republicans announced they would open an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic president in large part over his sons business dealings. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced he is launching an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, yielding to mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump and his allies. McCarthy said on Tuesday that the House investigations into the Biden familys business dealings this year have uncovered a "culture of corruption that warrants deeper review. "These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, McCarthy told reporters outside his office at the United States Capitol. "Thats why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. McCarthy said he will direct the chairmen of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees which have been working together for months on various probes related to the Biden family to lead the impeachment inquiry. (Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies) Past student - Zyann Johnson on the violin, with another past student - Darron Andrews assisting her. Celebrating the 34th Anniversary of a milestone is usually an occasion of heightened focus. This did not matter to the C W Prescod Primary School which, on Monday, September 11, 2023, the school observed it 34 th Anniversry of its opening. The occasion was observed by a Church Service, held at the Kingstown Methodist Church, and attended by the schools current population, former head teachers, deputies, staff members, past students, Ministry of Education officials, Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown- Fitzgerald Bramble, friends of the institution and other well-wishers. The Church Service featured renditions on the steelpan and violin, as well as a dance and Chorale Speech, samples of presentations for which the School has received acclamation over the years. All cultural performances were done by present and past students. And, as part of the reenactment, the students, staff and parents, marched from the venue to the schools current location, as was the case when the doors were opened to the New Kingstown Primary School, as it was first named. The school was named the CW Prescod primary School in 1991, in homage of Christopher Wilberforce Prescod am educator whose impact was throughout the state. Recounting that special day, thirty- four years ago, Hyacinth Lewis, who is still assigned to the school related: "The school ushered in its first Principal- Mr. Lennox Lewis. He, along with fifty- two teachers, welcomed one thousand and thirty excited students, who were eager to relish their new surroundings. The school was initially built to accommodate students from the Kingstown Methodist School, which at the time was overcrowded and had fallen into disrepair. However, a change in governments policy resulted in all unsuccessful students who resided in Kingstown and its immediate surroundings, and who were unsuccessful at the Common Entrance Examinations, being accommodated at the new school. This meant a senior section, Grades 7 and 8, was added to the Junior section, Kindergarten to Grade 6. The senior section was discontinued in 2005. The CW Prescod Primary School has a population of over 700 students, a complement of 51 teachers and 8 ancillary staff members. "It is a dream come true was the reaction of 16-year-old Kayla Tiara Akacia Bobb, on learning that she was the recipient of the first Scholarship awarded by the Isle of Man-St. Vincent and the Grenadines Education Programme (ISEP). Kayla will pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma at King Williams College (KWC) in the Isle of Man. The IB is a two-year course of study which sets a strong foundation for entrance to leading universities worldwide. It blends a solid academic curriculum with other skills, intended to ground an individual for life. Her scholarship will cover all tuition, board, lodging and almost every other expense she will incur in the Isle of Man. Kayla lives in Biabou with her mother and 4 siblings. She attended the Biabou Methodist (Primary) School, where on graduation in 2018, she received the Most Outstanding in Mathematics award and placed second in her school in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment Examinations. Kayla attended Girls High School where she studied 14 subjects of the Caribbean Council Examinations (one in Form 4 and 13 in Form 5). She obtained passes in all 13 subjects taken this year, receiving Grade Ones in most subjects. She graduated from secondary school in July 2023 and received her Schools awards for Social Studies and Clothing and Textiles. Her additional achievements include being a recipient of awards from the Basil Charles Education Foundation Scholarship, and bursaries from the Taiwanese Education Scholarship Programme and the Norma Keizer Scholarship Fund. Kayla received awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022 for her submissions in the Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition a gold award each for her poem titled "Blessed Land of Paradise (2020) and her speech, written as if from the leader of a Commonwealth nation after the Pandemic on "We have fought the good fight (2021), as well as a bronze award for her speech "Resilience and Recovery in 2022. Kayla is passionate about making a meaningful contribution to her country and wants to be able to make a difference to future generations, so that they can grasp opportunities before them and follow their dreams. About the ISEP ISEP is a registered charity in the Isle of Man comprising a small group of volunteers from the Isle of Man and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, established to provide scholarships and travel grants to Vincentian students. ISEP embodies the theme the "Art of the Possible which propounds that the opportunities are endless for young people, no matter what their personal circumstances may be. ISEP was launched in August 2022 with an inaugural programme which took 12 St. Vincent Community College students, together with two chaperones, to the Isle of Man for a unique educational 3-week summer programme. ISEPs first annual scholarship was opened for applications earlier this year via circulation of application information to all secondary schools through the Ministry of Education and an advertisement in the local newspapers. Shortlisted applicants were interviewed by a diverse panel of interviewers and Kayla emerged as the successful candidate amidst very close competition. Jamal Cribbit Finch did not escape death this time around as he might have done on previous occasions. Jamal Cribbit Finch is deaddead at 41 years old. He was shot and killed on Friday 8th September 2023 in Mala Village at about 11:55pm, while on his way home. His death was met with very little, if any sympathy by persons at large, given his notoriety as it related to violent crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Finch was only 17, June 1999, when he made his presence felt in a most violent manner, almost severing an arm of Otis Shearman during a graduation ceremony of the Intermediate High School (IHS), held at the St. Marys Roman Catholic Cathedral. Finch, himself, attended the Intermediate High School but it is unclear whether or not he completed the expected minimum five years at that institution. The young man was in 2002 sentenced to three years in prison by High Court Judge Odel Adams after he changed his plea to guilty, with the judge describing the crime as "heinous and that "it calls for life imprisonment! But even as he awaited the trial for wounding, Finch, in 2001, received a seven-month suspended prison sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm, ammunition and marijuana. In March 2004 Finch was again in trouble with the law, when during a search of his person he was found to be in possession of cocaine and marijuana. By June 2007, during a spate of shootings in capital Kingstown, the aim turned on Finch. He was early in the year shot in the face while walking in Pauls Avenue where he is said to have been resident at the time. Later in the year, he was at the receiving end of gunfire once again, this time in Middle Street. He escaped with an injury to his right arm and a graze to his back. By September of that year, Finch was convicted and received a three-year custodial sentence after he was found guilty of having six rounds of .38 special ammunition and one round of nine-millimeter ammunition. This followed an August 4 raid at house in Cane Hall which Finch and an associate occupied at the time. Related Matter In a related matter, a police report issued after a search on Finchs residence at Sion Hill on Sunday 10th September, said that they recovered one (1) 9mm pistol and six rounds of ammunition. Unconfirmed indications are that Finch was shot with a Draco semi-automatic pistol, which is believed to be the same type of weapon used in the July 19, 2023 shooting deaths of five males, just outside the NAPA building, Uptown, Kingstown. Finchs death brings the homicide count for the year to 37, inclusive of three shooting deaths during police action, and followed that of Jovanne Baptiste of Rose Place who was shot and killed in Buccament while on his way to work at the Sandals Beaches Resort construction site. Candice Sealey Marketing Officer, SVBLA (left) and Phylicia Alexander Scipio-Lavia - Founder of Red Root SVG Inc. (right) with recipients of school supplies and guardians. The St. Vincent Building & Loan Association (SVBLA) partnered with Red Root SVG, a local NGO, to donate school supplies to three families with children in need of support. Through the initiative, dubbed The Backpack Giveback, Antonia John and Delicia Francis, who are now first formers at the Intermediate High School, as well as Ronald Isaacs, a student at the Chateaubelair Methodist School, received backpacks with school supplies courtesy SVBLA. Supplies included geometry sets, water bottles, drawing books, folders, notebooks, crayons, colour pencils, exercise books, pencil cases, pens and pencils. The handouts were in keeping with SVBLAs recognition that (re-)entering the classroom environment can be stressful on its own, but returning to school without the necessary supplies can increase feelings of anxiety and concern. The financial institution also recognises that helping children succeed today builds a better future for everyone. In short, the SVBLA was happy, through this small gesture, to be able to alleviate some of the pressure on families that need support, especially since many families spend hundreds of dollars to send their children back to school. Red Root SVG expressed its pleasure with the collaboration and also cited the successful outcome of its back-to-school campaign which encompassed the distribution of essential supplies including backpacks, school shoes, educational materials, and notebooks. One student who benefited accordingly was Janila Francois who will be attending the Fitz Hughes Government School. Furthermore, as part of this commendable effort, parents made valuable contributions by providing gently-used textbooks, and in return, they received the necessary schoolbooks required for their childrens academic journey. SVBLA has a tradition of supporting communities having previously teamed up Red Root SVG in 2021 to distribute Christmas gifts to families in SVG, as well as continuously engaging in community efforts. Vaughan Toney received a plaque after SVG PM Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, right, announced Toneys appointment as Ambassador-at-Large in September 2022. Consul General Rondy Luta McIntosh is also in photo. The Brooklyn, New York-based Friends of Crown Heights Educational Centers, Inc. (FOCH) last week Monday announced the passing of its longtime president and chief executive officer, Vincentian-born, Vaughan Toney. He was 68. Hugh Hamilton, the Guyanese-born director of communications & program development at FOCH, said Toney died earlier on Monday, Labor Day public holiday (Sept. 04) in the United States, following a battle against cancer. In a career spanning more than four decades of exemplary public service and advocacy in the fields of child care and early childhood education, legislative reform, community empowerment and political activism, Toney was the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, "celebrating his lifelong commitment and leadership in the service of others, Hamilton said. In September 2022, Toney was formally accredited by the Government of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves as an Ambassador-at-Large in recognition of his outstanding service to the Vincentian Diaspora. Toney said, at the time, that the appointment was "by far, the crowning achievement of my public service in the Vincentian community at home and abroad over the past 40 years. "For me, public service has been both a calling and the blessing of a lifetime, he added. "It has been and will continue to be a labor of love, because there can be no greater good than the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others. An exemplary journey Vaughan Peter Adrian Toney was born on Jun. 29,1955 in Calliaqua, a small town close to the southernmost point on mainland St. Vincent. As a teenager, he migrated to New York in 1969 to join his mother Ela Toney, a professional nurse. On completing his secondary education, he enrolled as a student at the State University of New York (Albany), where he served as an elected member of the student governing body while concurrently working as a student intern in the office of then-State Assemblyman Angelo del Toro. On graduating from SUNY Albany in 1978 with a Bachelors degree in political science, Hamilton said Toney was recruited directly to the staff of the New York State Assembly Education Committee, "where he served with distinction as legislative assistant to Chairman Leonard Stavisky, a former professor of history and government. When Stavisky acceded to the New York State Senate six years later, Toney followed as senior staff analyst and special assistant to the senator. "For the young Vaughan Toney, it was an assignment he would later describe as the pivotal experience and opportunity of a lifetime, Hamilton said. In 1992, following the adoption of a new City Charter and an expanded, more representative New York City Council, Toney left Albany to serve as chief-of-staff to Council Member Una Clarke, the Jamaican-born, first Caribbean-born woman elected to the New York City Legislature. Four years later, he moved on to accept the position of chief-of-staff to Belizean the Rev. Dr. Lloyd Henry, representing the adjacent 45th Council District in Central Brooklyn. In both capacities, Hamilton said Toney crafted the legislative strategy that brought tens of millions of dollars in capital investment and economic stimulus to the Flatbush, East Flatbush and surrounding communities of Central Brooklyn. Amid these political engagements, Hamilton said Toney also pursued studies toward a Masters degree in public administration at New York University. In 2001, he narrowly lost an historic election bid to represent the 45th District in the New York City Council. For the past 22 years, Toney served as president and chief executive officer of FOCH, a New York State-registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit, community-based organization in the City of New York. With a current network of 21 full-service Early Childhood Education Centers in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island, Hamilton said FOCH has evolved under Toneys leadership to become "the largest City-contracted, not-for-profit provider of subsidized child care and early education in the City of New York. In addition to its signature, center-based Infant/Toddler, 3K and Pre-K programs, the agency also operates an extensive Family Child Care Network, serving hundreds of preschool children in dozens of affiliated provider homes in Brooklyn and Queens, Hamilton said. Through separate contracts with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), he said FOCH also administers multiple Elementary and Middle School Afterschool programs. Additionally, FOCH is a New York State-contracted sponsoring agency of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) a nutrition education and meal reimbursement program enabling providers to serve nutritious and safely prepared meals and snacks to children in licensed child-care settings. In recognition of his lifelong leadership and advocacy in the field of Early Childhood Care and Education, Hamilton said Toney was invited to serve as a Board Member of the Day Care Council of New York a membership organization of over 100 agencies that together operate more than 250 publicly and privately-funded child-care centers and family child-care programs in New York City. As a community leader and activist, Hamilton said Toney served as a member of the Kings County Hospital Advisory Board; was a founding member of the Caribbean American Political Organization; past president of the 42nd Assembly District Democratic Club; and a former member of the Carlos Lezama Archives and Caribbean Cultural Center all in Brooklyn. Toney was also an active member of numerous humanitarian and philanthropic organizations, such as the Brooklyn-based SVG Relief USA, Inc., "working to support the wellbeing and aspirations of his fellow Vincentian nationals both at home and throughout the Diaspora, Hamilton said. Elvis Dexter Chance was killed in a style which Grenadians Police say is not common to Grenada. It didnt take long for news of the death of Elvis Dexter Chance, a Vincentian national, to flood social media platforms here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. According to the official report from neighbouring Grenada, where, from indications he had remained after a court case that ended in 2022, Chance was shot and killed in a vehicle in Woburn, St. George, Grenada, on Monday, September 11, 2023. On Tuesday, one day after the murder, police said they were not ruling out the possibility of it being a cross-border criminal act. The newly-appointed head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Grenada Police Force, Superintendent Esau Pierre told a news conference with regards to the murder, that "because Grenada has porous borders, one can never eliminate the possibilities and movement of persons connected to the underworld. "And as such, we will always up our guard with respect to cross border criminality. With respect to this particular case, we continue our investigations and we will determine where the assailants originated from, said Pierre. Chance was no stranger to the world of illegal drugs. As a matter of fact, many across the region referred to him as a drug lord, given his history of cases he was made to answer in connection with drug trafficking. In 2011, Chance was one of four men found guilty of drug trafficking offences in connection with a 2008 coke bust in the British Virgin Islands, and was sentenced to six years in prison. The case stemmed from the arrest of Chance and six others, including Vincentians Gareth McDowell and Carlos Sutherland, after police seized 61.2 kilograms of cocaine valued at more than $1 million from a hidden compartment aboard a sailboat docked at the Hodges Creek Marina, Tortola. The history of the case showed that Chance, who had returned to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was extradited from his homeland where he was held on remand since 2009. After a lengthy trial, Chance was found guilty of importing cocaine, along with McDowall, Sutherland and one Dale Nibbs. However, Chance and fellow countrymen McDowell and Sutherland returned to their homeland as free men, following an Appeal Court ruling in their favour, in January 2014. The decision was handed down in the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands after the three men would have spent a total of five years, all taken, in prison. But it was not long after that Chance surfaced again in a matter related to narco-trafficking. Chance was the lone Vincentian arrested and charged in August 2019 alongside Grenadian Bernard Spann and Jamaicans Ian White and Alrick Reynolds, in connection with the seizure of 40 kilograms of cocaine at Dr. Grooms, Point Salines, Grenada. He was acquitted of all charges in July 2022. Chance, 51, is originally from Chateaubelair, where residents there and in surrounding areas have reacted to his death with mixed feelings. A refueling tanker fuels HMM TACOMA with GS Caltex's new bio marine fuel at Busan New Port, Friday. Courtesy of GS Caltex By Ko Dong-hwan GS Caltex, a Korean oil refinery firm, has begun testing its new eco-friendly marine biofuel in a container ship departing from Busan on Friday. The HMM Tacoma, a container ship built by Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), was topped up with the fuel, officially called B30 Bio Marine Fuel, before it departed. Throughout the 6,400 twenty-foot equivalent unit-large ship's course to Singapore, India and South America, the fuel will be tested. B30 Bio Marine Fuel is a mixture of GS' heavy oil for vessels and Korean bioenergy developer DS Dansuk's used cooking oil-based biodiesel for vessels. GS Caltex last August acquired ISCC EU, a certification by the European Commission for sustainability and emission reductions. The company said it was the first time for a Korean oil company to earn the certification. Marine biofuel is made with recyclable waste feedstocks and saves more than 65 percent of carbon emissions compared to traditional fossil fuel-based marine fuel. A new type of marine biofuel made with used cooking oil-based biodiesel can reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 percent. It is also cheaper than methanol or ammonia and can be used without additional facilities or vessels. The International Maritime Organization, at the latest meeting of its Marine Environment Protection Committee last July in London, acknowledged the fuel's carbon neutralization effect. GS Caltex Executive Vice President Lee Seoung-hoon said the company has created a marine biofuel for the first time in Korea's oil refinery industry. He said that to further reduce carbon emissions globally, the company plans to refuel ships worldwide with the marine biofuel in Korean waters. On Sept. 5, the company supplied Korean Air with its new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to test during a flight from Incheon to Los Angeles. BEIRUT The results of the latest mission of French special envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian in Lebanon are "positive," stated caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, after a call with Le Drian at the end of the envoy's three-day visit to Beirut. Le Drian's visit, the third in months, aimed to break the presidential deadlock. The French envoy arrived in Lebanon Tuesday and is due to end his tour Friday. Lebanon's presidential vacancy has persisted since Michel Aoun's term of office expired on Oct. 31, 2022. Mikati discussed meetings he has had with local leaders with Le Drian. The two men agreed that the results of the talks regarding presidential elections were positive. Le Drian also visited Ain al-Tineh on Friday, but no information on his talks with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri have been released so far. Berri denied on Thursday that Le Drian proposed a third presidential candidate, although the respective candidates of the March 8 alliance and opposition groups have so far failed to garner sufficient votes to be elected. "We are on the same wavelength with Jean-Yves Le Drian," said Berri in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat published on Thursday. "Dialogue is not only his request but also an Arab and international request because it is the only way out of the crisis," he continued. On Friday morning, Berri met with Le Drian before the latter concluded his three-day visit to Beirut. At the end of August, Berri called for a meeting of political party leaders to participate in dialogue, to reach consensus on a candidate. Welcomed by Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Berri's initiative was criticized by opposition groups. Faced with this impasse, the French envoy reportedly proposed a new mediation, consisting of an open electoral session in Parliament, after the withdrawal of the two current candidates (Sleiman Frangieh, backed by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, and Jihad Azour, an executive of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), supported by the opposition groups and the FPM). Le Drian's visit came ahead of a new meeting of representatives of the Group of Five (United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar) in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, to discuss the Lebanese file. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Wyoming is aging and aging quickly. That fact is not new. In 2014, experts urged state action to prepare for an impending gray wave in Wyoming. The states rapidly aging population is raising similar concerns almost a decade later. But there is a silver lining. The majority of Wyomings 65 and over residents are young-old, giving the state valuable time to reinforce its elderly and health care systems, according to a new report and data compiled by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with the Wyoming Healthy Aging Coalition and the University of Wyoming. While Wyomings aging population has yet to create challenges or strain the states infrastructure, Elizabeth Dugan, an associate professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the reports lead researcher, said during a Tuesday webinar that Wyomings communities need to look ahead. The time to act, to plan, to advocate is now, she said. A clearer aging picture The Wyoming Healthy Aging Data Report has been years in the making. Using a slew of federal and some state data, Dugan and her team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Boston assembled profiles for each of Wyomings 23 counties as well as more than a hundred maps that track health indicators of the states aging population. The report provides a thorough picture of Wyomings older adults and their health. At the same time, it allows for county-by-county comparison, revealing differences in important metrics for older Wyomingites like health care access and chronic disease. Among the reports most significant findings is that Wyomings aging population largely consists of the young-old, or those between 65 and 74 years old. In every county the young-old make up the majority of those 65 and older, while statewide they account for 61% of Wyomings aging population. Its not a new revelation other analyses by the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information have pointed to a dramatic increase in people between the ages of 65 and 74 years old in recent years but it is significant for two overlapping reasons. The first is that a significant number of Wyoming residents, roughly 1 in 10, will soon be in need of greater support as they continue to age and their health declines. In a few years that young age group may need services and supports that dont yet exist, Dugan said. The second is that there is still time before their care becomes exceedingly expensive and challenging. Since more than half of Wyomings 65+ population is young and relatively healthy, there are major opportunities to allow residents to help make Wyoming an even better place to grow up and grow older, Dugan and the researchers wrote. Though Wyomings relatively young aging population is a benefit for the state, the report points to obstacles that communities and policymakers will have to overcome to meet the needs of the growing number of elderly in the state, including geographic barriers and socioeconomic disparities. Wyomings frontier counties those with fewer than seven residents per square mile have a higher percentage of elderly than urban and rural areas with roughly 1 in 5 residents 65 and older. Yet, frontier counties have less access to health care and aging support, including fewer primary providers, fewer nursing homes and less broadband access, according to the report. In a state as geographically large as Wyoming, delivering services such as home health care or transportation can be expensive and logistically challenging, the researchers wrote. Innovations to optimize the health and longevity of Wyoming residents now will support the economic health of the state in the long run. Alongside geographic hurdles are socioeconomic disparities that make aging drastically different and unequal across Wyomings counties. According to the report, the counties with higher 65+ median household incomes performed best on the health indicators the researchers measured. Teton County outperformed the state across 11 health indicators, more than any other county, followed by Laramie and Albany, both of which also have among the highest median incomes in the state. On the flip side, the counties with lowest 65+ median household incomes, including Carbon, Weston and Big Horn, recorded more health indicators that were worse than the state average. A baseline for solutions Wyoming is aging faster than the U.S. The states seniors swelled by more than 45% from 2010 to 2020, making Wyomings 65 and over population the fastest growing age group in the state, according to the healthy aging report and the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. Though they can fly under the radar, seniors live in every corner of the state. This isnt something that one county could ignore or not pay attention to, Dugan said. Its something that everybody who lives in Wyoming has an interest in because it affects the state. Thats in part why Dugan, the Wyoming Healthy Aging Coalition and the University of Wyoming partnered to create the healthy aging report, compiling a trove of data that communities, local governments and state lawmakers can use to help seniors and improve aging in Wyoming. Its also the first step in a broader initiative by UW researchers to build out the Wyoming Integrated Statistical Environment (WISE), an online hub that will put more data at the fingertips of local and state decision makers. The value of the report is not just the data that it brings together on Wyomings aging population but how narrowly that data focuses, Tom Lacock, AARP Wyomings associate state director for state advocacy and communications, said in an interview. You want to have that list of granular data so you know where youre at and where you can improve as a county [and] as a state, he said. With data comes the ability to chart your own course a little bit, Lacock added. You have a baseline, a roadmap, that you can start to set out to determine where you want to go to improve some of those indicators. In Lacocks view, as groups like AARP and state lawmakers and officials weigh the needs of Wyomings growing elderly population, the healthy aging report stands out not for new revelation but for a trend it reinforces. One thing that jumps out is just the pure enormity of the change in the demographics. In other words, were gonna get older fairly quickly, he said. In addition to that, were a state that has struggled with finding service providers to take on some of our home- and community-based services. The issue of long-term care for seniors has been a focal point of the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committees interim work ahead of the 2024 legislative session, and it will feature prominently in the panels September meeting in Saratoga. Among the concerns groups have raised is staffing that states nursing homes and long-term care programs, including home-based services. Action or inaction will have consequences for the states budget either way since Wyoming Medicaid is the largest payer for long-term care in the state and nursing homes cost significantly more than home care. With a rapidly aging population, the future of long-term care in Wyoming is a timely and necessary discussion, Lacock said. We can serve somebody with an average $1,800 per person per month with home services, or we can move them into a nursing home at about $5,000 per person per month, Lacock said. Do we have the [nursing home] beds and do we have the money to be able to do something like that if were not loaded up with the appropriate amount of service providers to provide those home services? Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in Wyoming, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Star-Tribune app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Were here tonight to celebrate the marvelous American political tradition of divergence of opinion in our political life and the equally beautiful tradition of political debate, which is the punctuation mark in our narrative about ourselves, Cowboy State Daily columnist Rod Miller, standing behind a podium at the front of a room in the Ramkota Hotel in Casper, began. Six lawmakers Reps. Ember Oakley, Barry Crago and Jerry Obermueller and Sens. Bill Landen, Jim Anderson and Eric Barlow sat at a table to Millers right. Two empty seats reserved for the mysterious actors behind the lawmaker rating website WyoRINO.com were to his left. Debate, Miller continued, has been woven into our political beings in the U.S. throughout the countrys life. I would submit that this is a prerequisite of engaging in the tete-a-tete of American politics, especially here in Wyoming where we dont hide behind anonymity, Miller said. With no further ado, were inviting WyoRINO.com to come up and take their place on the stage. Going once. Going twice. WyoRINO.com, please come forward, your table awaits! No one came forward. Since it first popped up in 2019, the anonymous website WyoRINO.com has further cleaved Wyomings already divided Republican Party, declaring certain state lawmakers to be Republicans in Name Only. But the people behind the site have never attached their own names to these claims. The lawmaker ratings on WyoRINO.com have crept their way into political discussions in Wyoming since the website first appeared. Some lawmakers from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a far-right contingent of the state House of Representatives, posted their WyoRINO.com ratings when the new scorecard came out this year. Political candidates have cited WyoRINO ratings to denigrate their opponents and boost their own standing. WyoRINO.com scores have appeared on campaign mailers. Voters also look to the WyoRINO scorecards to guide their own choices Crago told the Star-Tribune that, when knocking on doors, he would sometimes spend hours talking with constituents about why he voted a certain way on a bill that was included in WyoRINO.coms scoring. Though there are several other websites that are similar, Crago said that WyoRINO.com is the site that voters mention most often. Some people take issue with the website because of its oversimplification, Civics 307 owner Gail Symons, who sat at a table with Crago and other lawmakers at the beginning of the event, said. Lawmakers have to consider hundreds of bills and take thousands of votes during a single legislative session. Yet, WyoRINO.com bases their ratings on only 10 bills and gives lawmakers a failing grade if they score 70% or lower on those bills. The websites anonymity heightens animosity in politics too, some say. The Natrona County GOPs executive committee decided in April to host an event and invite the actors behind WyoRINO.com to an open debate with lawmakers who have been labeled RINOs by the website. Though leaders in the Natrona County GOP didnt expect the WyoRINO.com actors to show up, they felt that the invitation itself would send a message on its own. Their cowardice comes through, Joe MacGuire, chairman of the Natrona County GOP, said at the April executive committee meeting. So then, to the people in the state of Wyoming, the statement is, how much weight do you put on this website? They dont even show up to a public forum to discuss who they are, or disclose who they are. Theyre completely anonymous. All the lawmakers invited to speak at the event have been labeled RINOs by the website, with some receiving the websites RINO of the month award. Though no one at the event claimed an affiliation with the website, a couple people tried to fill in for the missing actors. Dan Sabrosky, a Natrona County precinct committeeman and member of Libertys Place 4 U, a group that formed in part because members felt that the Natrona County GOP isnt conservative enough, stood and asked if WyoRINO.com could have representation. No ones going to represent WyoRINO except WyoRINO, Miller replied, adding that it wouldnt be a close-ended discussion by any stretch. Youll get your chance to weigh in, and questions from the audience I think would be most welcome. Mike Eathorne, Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathornes brother, spoke up from the back of the room, where he sat at the same table as Sabroksy. Were the closest youre going to get to WyoRINO, he said. Are you WyoRINO? Miller asked. Im the closest youre going to get, Eathorne repeated. Yeah, thats not gonna work, Miller replied. Thats like the old Cecil B. DeMille movie Spartacus where everyone says I am Spartacus. Eathorne denied knowing the actors behind WyoRINO.com when later asked by the Star-Tribune. Without the presence of the mysterious actors behind WyoRINO.com, the panel of legislators focused its discussion on transparency, but also turned at times to the lawmakers general frustrations with other members of the Republican Party. I do think somethings at play here as far as a battle for the spirit of Wyoming, and specifically, the conservatism of Wyoming and what that means, Oakley, a Riverton republican and fifth generation Wyomingite, said. Conservatism, she believes, stands for having the absolutely smallest government that you can have, which is live and let live. And then youve got what is infiltrating our Wyoming and our Republican Party, and its very authoritarian. I mean, the irony is so thick of calling this freedom. The bills and the ideas and the concepts and the policies that are brought forward are all controlling. She took aim at some of the bills included in WyoRINO.coms scorecard for this year (she said she had never visited the site and did so for the first time in preparation for the event). One would have barred businesses and other entities from requiring masks, which she argued would inhibit a business freedom to make that choice. Thats big government at its best, she said. Another bill aimed to bar employers from requiring employees to have microchips implanted in their bodies. I think we can all agree that were not for that, Oakley said as people in the crowd chuckled. However, we heard testimony that not once, not in any state and not in any country has this ever been done. We have limited time. We have limited resources, she continued. Lawmakers are neglecting their duties, she added, when they are being overwhelmed by this very unserious legislation. Landen, a Casper Republican, talked about efforts in the Legislature to increase transparency, particularly around campaign spending. The last couple of years, weve actually had some pieces of legislation that asked the very same thing that Rod just brought up, and that is, why is it that were still allowing people to stand behind a hedge somewhere and throw rocks over the top of the hedge and break windshields and not even let people know who it is? Landen asked. First amendment! someone yelled. Landen, who chairs the Senate Elections, Corporations and Political Subdivisions Committee, mentioned legislation that the Joint Corporations Committee is considering that aims to increase transparency around campaign spending by corporations and organizations. You would think that in Wyoming that would get a 100% vote on that committee. You know what? It didnt. It was interesting to see who didnt want that legislation. At the end of the panel discussion, Miller asked again if anyone from WyoRINO.com was in the room. We know absolutely no more about WyoRINO.com than we did an hour ago, or a week ago, or a month ago, or a year ago, he said when no one came forward. They remained behind their mask. They will not come out into the bright sunshine of Wyoming, stand up on their hind legs, tell us who they are and debate the issues. So next election season, if you see a billboard, or if you get a smarmy mailer in your mailbox, or you see a post from WyoRINO.com castigating one of Wyomings legislators for their voting record, all you need to do is consider the source. Theyre cowards. They wont show up. At the conclusion of the panel discussion, Sabrosky stood to ask about other rating websites similar to WyoRINO.com, but that consider more than just 10 bills. The website evidencebasedwyoming.com, for example, says on its website that it selects model legislators against which every vote of other legislators is compared. Another website, wyovote.com, uses roll-call votes to rate lawmakers. Evidencebasedwyoming.com does have a name behind it Gillette resident Doug Gerard. Wyovote.com doesnt list the names of the people who make the ratings on its website. Sabrosky argued that the other websites still show lawmakers liberal voting record. So are those other scoring websites okay with you? Crago replied to Sabrosky saying that hes not opposed to being rated by websites, but that he wants to be rated fairly and have the opportunity to respond. As legislators, we know were up for criticism, and we should be, Crago said. Thats part of the job. Lawmakers dont vote perfectly every time, he continued. We know that. Were willing to listen to the folks back home. We just want the opportunity to respond and have a dialogue with them on why were wrong. If were wrong, we need to know that. But we need to know why, and some of these websites dont give us that opportunity. Sabrosky, speaking later with a Star-Tribune reporter, questioned why those who take issue with WyoRINO.com dont make their own website with a different scoring system. Eathorne, the Wyoming GOP Chairmans brother, also stood and asked the lawmakers if they support the Wyoming Republican Party platform. I generally do support it, but I dont hold the State Republican Party higher than my voters who voted me in, Obermueller, a Casper Republican, said. We represent the people, and the party must receive and allow the constituents to make the choice of who they want to represent them. And the next election cycle always rolls around. But in the meantime, I personally am going to represent my constituents, the people who voted me into office. I cant afford this. That was the sentiment on display in Casper the evening of Aug. 24 at the Public Service Commissions hearing on Rocky Mountain Powers (RMP) proposed electric rate increases. A hearing that went two hours beyond its scheduled time and saw estimates of 200 people coming to express their frustration, and in many instances, desperation. It was reiterated the next day at the Joint Corporations Committee hearing in Douglas. Its what I hear from people in my district and frankly, across Wyoming. I traveled to Casper and Douglas to oppose RMPs proposals because my phone hasnt stopped ringing since spring when these rate increases were announced. Wyoming families are at a breaking point. Rate increases are supposed to be just and reasonable. I believe RMPs proposed increases are neither just, nor reasonable. Rocky Mountain Power is seeking two rate increases. The Energy Cost Adjustment Mechanism (ECAM) is seeking to raise rates an average of 7.4% or $50.3 Million for energy cost overruns. The General Rate increase looks to raise rates an average of 21.6% or $140 Million. Combined, the company is asking the Wyoming Public Service Commission to authorize an increase of $190 Million. RMP asserts that net power costs are a major driver in the need to raise rates. The company claims this is due to high coal and natural gas prices. Shockingly, RMP is also asking the PSC for the ability to shift 100% of fuel cost overruns onto the customer, instead of sharing in that expense. Currently, fuel cost overruns are split with customers paying 80% and RMP paying 20%. Not that long ago, the ratio was 70/30. I not only suggested to the Public Service Commission to reject RMPs proposal, but to return to the 70/30 ratio. Ive previously called these rate increases disappointing, but its more than disappointing. Its blatantly offensive. According to a Wall Street Journal article from Aug. 9, electricity bills are projected to decline because of decreasing coal and natural gas prices. RMP asserts just the opposite in their rate cases. Something doesnt compute. Weve repeatedly heard renewable energy will result in lower electric bills. Its becoming obvious the fuel source may be zero cost, but there is an enormous expense to build out the infrastructure to support renewable energy. The infrastructure building frenzy may be good for shareholders as RMP looks to capitalize on federal subsidies and green energy policy, but its going to cripple Wyoming families and businesses. Management decisions to accelerate the energy transition and meet aggressive targets from other states have led RMP to buy more power on the open market. This is necessary because the transition to green-energy, otherwise known as intermittent power, isnt as reliable as firm power from coal or natural gas generation. Management and shareholder decisions have caused this predicament, not Wyoming customers, and thats who should be on the hook to pay the price. Please join me in saying enough is enough. RMPs aggressive transition plans arent in the publics interest. Wyoming cant afford this increase, be it families or industry. Contact the Wyoming Public Service Commission to make your voice heard at 307-777-7427 or wpsc_comments@wyo.gov. WHEN the rice finishes, we make dumplings. Thats the reality for one family because they simply cannot afford to replenish food until the next pay cheque. Living pay cheque to pay cheque is a dilemma many households are facing in Trinidad and Tobago. 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. Ukraine Minister of Energy German Galushchenko, left, and Head of KT's Global Business Moon Sung-uk shake hands in Kiev, Thursday. Courtesy of KT By Ko Dong-hwan Korean telecommunication giant KT has proposed to the Ukraine government how it can improve the war-torn country's telecommunication infrastructure and introduce ways of managing energy efficiency while operating key government networks. Moon Sung-uk, head of KT's Global Business, visited Kiev on Wednesday and presented the company's scheme for helping Ukraine rebuild its communication infrastructure. In a presentation titled "ICT Partner for Ukraine," Moon explained the plan to Ukraine's key government officials including the deputy prime minister and cabinet ministers. Moon suggested Ukraine establish public safety-LTE (PS-LTE), a government-exclusive disaster responsive communication network with high security. He said the country's national defense can benefit from a military-broadband convergence network (M-BcN) that allows stable communication and 24-hour situation room monitoring. The proposed setup was proven in Korea in 2018 when the company launched the "world's first" disaster responsive state network, according to the company. Moon said the Ukraine government can manage critical data for national security purposes with a government-exclusive internet data center (G-IDC). As to the country's power generation that has been reduced by more than 50 percent compared to before the Russian invasion's onset in February 2022, KT's advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) can help Ukraine's power companies check households' power meters more efficiently and solve power shortage problems. KT is among the 18 state-run and private firms that have joined a delegation of One Team Korea, led by Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, visiting Ukraine to sign agreements on postwar reconstruction. Moon, during his two-day visit to Kiev with representatives of other companies, said KT's information and communication technology (ICT) will be helpful in recovering Ukraine's infrastructure. EIGHT MEN were slain between Sunday night and yesterday, among them the multiple killings of As we sit in the comfort of our Caribbean homes and look on in horror at the merciless genoc A surge in border crossings this week has stretched the regions migrant-aid network to capacity and prompted Border Patrol agents to release migrants into the streets, without pre-arranged transportation or support, in four small Arizona cities. Unsheltered street releases those that dont involve advance coordination with migrant-aid providers began Wednesday in Nogales, Douglas, Bisbee and Casa Grande, and are also perilously close to happening in Tucson, officials say. But so far none of the released migrants, who have all been processed as asylum seekers by U.S. border agents, have been left unsheltered overnight, officials in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties told the Star. Through close coordination with Pima County emergency management, and the state Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, the released migrants have all been transported to short-term shelter providers like Casa Alitas in Tucson and the International Rescue Committee in Phoenix, usually after just a few hours wait in the small communities where they were released. Asylum seekers are then quickly connected to family or sponsors often in the interior of the U.S., and typically leave Arizonas migrant shelters within 24 to 48 hours. But its not clear how long these under-resourced communities, and the agencies that support them, can keep up with the accelerated pace of migrant releases. We are on the precipice of (migrants) being unsheltered overnight in Bisbee, Daniel Duchon, director of Cochise County Emergency Management, said in a Thursday interview. It hasnt happened yet. Im on the phone 24/7 with state and Pima County emergency management, going Help me out, and they do it every time. But at a certain point, if the numbers keep going up, theyll have to say, Dan, I cant. Since June, Cochise County has been receiving migrants released by the Border Patrol, but with enough notice that federally funded transportation services could meet the migrants upon arrival, Duchon said. Those releases have been seamless, Duchon said. Pima County and DEMA (the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs) are running three buses a day to Douglas and another three to Bisbee. The scope of this effort theyre doing is nothing short of phenomenal. But the new rapid street releases pose a major challenge, he said. Volunteers and faith-based organizations in Douglas have stepped up to offer some shelter options, but Bisbee still lacks any real housing options for migrants who would need overnight stays, he said. Santa Cruz County is preparing for the possibility that migrants released in Nogales may require shelter overnight, but that hasnt happened yet, Jose Arriola, deputy director for health and human services for Santa Cruz County, said on Thursday. Being a small community, our resources are stretched kind of thin. Were making it work with what we have, he said. This is a federal problem and unfortunately, its falling on us. Between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, about 100 migrants had been released in Douglas and nearly 60 released in Bisbee, Cochise County officials said. A spokesman for Pinal County, home to Casa Grande, directed the Star to the county sheriffs department for comment on the street releases, but the Star did not receive a response before deadline. Duchon said on Wednesday night in Bisbee, he watched as a few migrant families, including children ages 3 to 5, took shelter in front of a Safeway store where border agents had left them. It was 6 p.m. and raining as Duchon called DEMA officials to ask if they could send another bus by 7 p.m. Thankfully, a bus was available, but the situation is untenable, he said. Were in desperate need, Duchon said. It breaks my heart. Surge in apprehensions For the past week Border Patrol agents have reported apprehending 4,000 people a day crossing the border in the Tucson Sector, said Mark Evans, spokesman for Pima County, which is the fiduciary of the federal funding for migrant-aid services. Those numbers bring the situation in Tucson to crisis levels last seen in May on the eve of the expiration of Title 42, the pandemic-era measure that allowed the federal government to expel some migrants from the country immediately. That was the closest Pima County came to having uncontrolled street releases, Evans said. We think this is just a wave that is going to crest, and then it will go back to the 500 (apprehensions) a day that it was, and everything goes back to normal, Evans said. Typically the Border Patrol closely coordinates with local governments and migrant-aid organizations to ensure a smooth handover of migrants leaving Border Patrol custody. But border officials have been processing and releasing migrants quicker, and with less warning, to ensure their facilities maintain safe standards for detainees. Border Patrol agents said their facilities are dangerously full lately, Evans said. We fully understand the situation that the Border Patrol is in, Evans said. We understand their need to release people. But at the same time we dont want to create dangerous conditions for the people being released without shelter or without support services into the community. Its taking them from one danger to the next. Following a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, Border Patrol detention facilities in the Tucson Sector must meet certain conditions of confinement laid out in a permanent injunction issued in 2020. U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman John Mennell said Thursday that when non-governmental organizations that offer short-term shelter for migrants are over capacity, the Border Patrol coordinates with local governments to find drop-off locations where migrants can access transportation services or other accommodations. A Thursday CBP statement said the agency is working according to plan and as part of our standard processes to quickly decompress the areas along the Southwest border, and safely and efficiently screen and process migrants to place them in immigration enforcement proceedings consistent with our laws. Anger in Cochise County Cochise County officials held a news conference on Thursday to demand a federal solution to the immigration crisis, to decry border-related crime and to plead with local residents to avoid falling into vigilantism. Frustration about street releases should be directed at the federal government, not at the vulnerable migrants in the community, Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre told reporters. Ive seen, unfortunately, the reaction online to the newest changes in policy, McIntyre said. They include threatening statements and in general, an attitude of disgust for people who are just pawns in a process. The asylum seekers released in Cochise County are lawfully present in our community, McIntyre said. While we may not agree with that decision, the blame for that does not belong with these human beings, he said. I implore the members of this community to band together. Together we will get through this, without harm coming to any person during the process. Vigilantes wont be tolerated, said Willcox Police Chief Dale Hadfield during the news conference. These people are being street-released legally to go forth and try to find a better life. This is a public safety issue. Its not a political issue. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels highlighted border-related crime thats hit Cochise County, including dangerous high-speed chases, assaults and human smuggling. He clarified that in the vast majority of cases, migrants werent the culprits. Of the nearly 2,400 border-related offenses committed in Cochise County in the last 18 months, 136 of them involved people who were foreign born or present illegally in the U.S., Dannels said. What that tells me is the people coming to Cochise County are coming down from all over the U.S., ages 13 to 72, to commit international crime in Cochise County, he said. Thats impacted every community. Dannels also expressed frustration that Border Patrol representatives declined to appear at the Thursday press event and answer questions. I invited Border Patrol today to come speak at this. They werent allowed to come, he said. Im so disappointed to hear that they could not come. They should stand in front of you just like we are. If you saw a bright streak of light in the sky Thursday night, you witnessed a satellite launched more than 600 miles from Tucson. The "Alpha Rocket" launched by Firefly Aerospace took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base around 7 p.m. as part of the U.S. Space Force mission "Victus Nox," according to a social media post shared by Firefly Aerospace. A similar sighting was documented by Tucsonans in October, when a SpaceX rocket was launched from the same Space Force base. PHOENIX Saying she is guilty of plagiarism, Republicans on a Senate panel rejected the choice of Joan Serviss by Gov. Katie Hobbs to head the Arizona Department of Housing. The 3-2 vote Thursday by the Committee on Director Nominations came after Serviss acknowledged that some letters of support for policy changes at the federal level she sent when she headed the Arizona Housing Coalition were lifted verbatim from what was written by others. But she said that was common practice among advocacy groups. She also said these carbon copies amounted to no more than 5% of all the communications she sent out during her dozen years running the coalition. Democratic Sen. Flavio Bravo said it isnt like these were academic research papers where plagiarism is strictly forbidden. But Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, who heads the panel, said this is about far more than parroting language from other advocacy groups. He specifically cited what he said where whole paragraphs lifted, without attribution, from Bloomberg News. He said that makes Serviss unfit to head a state agency with millions of dollars to administer, in part because he said it shows she lacks original thinking. I think that Katie Hobbs is looking for a yes woman, someone who is just going to rubber stamp whatever Hobbs agenda is, and not push back, he said in voting to reject her. Water and housing issues Hoffman said that is underlined by the fact that Serviss has not been included in discussions about restrictions on new housing developments in the fastest-growing parts of the Phoenix area because they lack an assured water supply. Those restrictions, he said, eliminated 25% of the potential new housing stock, an issue directly related to the job of the Department of Housing to help ensure affordable housing. That issue also was raised by Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson. Wadsack, a real estate agent, accused Hobbs of favoring multi-family homes and commercial development over single-family homes because none of those were affected by the decision of the Department of Water Resources not to issue permits for new subdivisions in some areas on the fringes of Phoenix. Neither Hoffman nor Wadsack noted that this was not a decision by the governor, however. A 1980 state law approved by a Republican-controlled Legislature spells out that new residential development can occur only in areas with an assured 100-year supply of water. The freeze on permits was announced by Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke after he said those areas lack that assurance. But Hoffman insisted after the hearing that law does not mandate a halt to new housing permits. Anyway, he said, the modeling of water supply and demand that determines where development can occur includes assumptions not required by statute. Wadsack agreed, saying the 1980 law gives the governor the authority to fix the issue that has arisen in Queen Creek and Buckeye. Instead, she said, the move to restrict new housing permits resulted in unwanted national publicity about the states water supply drying up. We are having to fix the narrative now solely because she chose to fire, ready, aim on this issue, Wadsack said of Hobbs. As to the claim of Hobbs being biased against single-family development, though, that appears to be beyond the governors reach. A spokesman for the Department of Water Resources said the 1980 law requiring an assured water supply applies only to subdivisions which are being built for purchase as single-family homes and exempts commercial development and apartment complexes. Hoffman claims executive overreach But it was the accusations of plagiarism that ultimately torpedoed Serviss nomination, despite her widespread support from various veterans organizations that praised her work with them when she headed the Arizona Housing Coalition. Her supporters also included a developer and the organization that represents apartment building owners. It was clear, though, that Hoffman, who had amassed the paperwork with the duplicate writings, came to Thursdays hearing prepared to attack not just her nomination but, more specifically, the Democratic governor with whom he has had an openly hostile relationship. Katie Hobbs repeated attempts to legislate via executive order and force her nominees to act as accomplices to doing so have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the statutory and constitutional restraints placed on her executive power, Hoffman said. He said it is the role of the committee he chairs to determine whether her nominees will enforce the law as written or whether theyll choose to bend, change or create new law, whether by their own ideological motivation or as an accomplice to Hobbs despotic executive overreach. Hobbs office cites political games In a prepared response, Hobbs press aide Christian Slater did not address any of the comments about whether Serviss was trying to pass off the work of others as her own. Instead, he accused Hoffman and his committee of being interested in nothing more than playing political games and making a mockery of the nominee confirmation process. Extremists in the Senate made it clear theyre more interested in creating a political circus than fairly scrutinizing cabinet nominees, Slater said, citing the near-unanimous support for Serviss from those who testified. Rejecting the director is a disservice to the people of Arizona who she is committed to serving, he said. Serviss: Using templates isnt plagiarism In questioning Serviss, Hoffman cited a 2018 letter she wrote on behalf of the Arizona Housing Coalition to the Food and Nutrition Service about policy changes. In six full paragraphs of that comment letter that you authored, it appears to have copied and pasted, without attribution, the text offered by Northwest Harvest and the Arizona Community Action Association that they submitted weeks before you submitted your letter, he told her. Would you consider this to be plagiarism? Serviss said she did not. A common practice among advocacy organizations was to utilize templates to submit a shared chorus of support or concern on policy priorities, she responded. Serviss said the ACAA, like her former group, is a member of the basic needs coalition which includes advocacy organizations that work on issues of housing, food insecurity, child care and other social issues. Hoffman was not convinced that was legitimate. A similar world view did not allow Serviss to regurgitate it as your own, he said. Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, said he was prepared to back Serviss and provide the necessary margin to advance her nomination to the full Senate for consideration until he saw materials from Bloomberg News that ended up in a Serviss letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development without attribution. That was a change for me, Shope said. Previous thwarted nominations This isnt Hobbs first run-in with Hoffman and the nominations panel. The Republicans on the committee previously voted to reject Dr. Teresa Cullen to head the Department of Health Services after expressing concern about how she handled the COVID pandemic while heading the Pima County Health Department. That included her recommendations on a mandatory curfew, mask wearing, the closing of schools and classrooms, and her method of urging people to get vaccinated. Hobbs, even before a hearing was held on the matter, also withdrew her nomination of Matthew Stewart to head the Department of Child Safety after Hoffman said the governor wasnt properly vetting her nominees. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Preparations for Rosh Hashanah (this year Friday evening, Sept. 15 through Sunday night, Sept. 17) often take me back to the pivotal year of 2001. That year, my experience of the Jewish High Holidays was a powerful and lasting memory. I was a Yeshiva student in Israel at the time and was tasked with coordinating a mission of 25 rabbinical students to lead services in Jewish communities in western Ukraine. Long years of Soviet suppression of religion had had an impact that was difficult to shake off locals relied on us, as they knew little about Jewish customs or how to read Hebrew. Rosh Hashanah began that year on Sept. 17, so we scheduled a flight from Tel Aviv to Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv for the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 11. My luggage was packed, and the taxi was booked when the news unfolded that there had been a deliberate terror attack on the World Trade Center in New York. All flights were grounded. Suddenly, days before Rosh Hashanah, our New Year plans were left in limbo. The world was shattered that day. The most powerful country in the world one that had not seen an attack of this magnitude since Pearl Harbor was consumed with uncertainty for the future and fear for the present. It brought even greater meaning to the Rosh Hashanah liturgy, Concerning countries; judgment is pronounced on this day which for war and which for peace . When flights resumed a few days later, we were able to make it to Zhytomyr shortly before the holiday began. Residents, scarred by years of communist terror, greeted us with enthusiasm. Their yellow-painted brick synagogue was the last one standing out of 40 synagogues that once operated in the city. They had worked hard in the years since the fall of the Iron Curtain to rebuild their community, and they took pride in what they achieved. They knew precious little about their heritage and were eager to learn more. We helped them conduct services, navigate the prayer books, read from the Torah scroll, and sound the Shofar, which is the central activity of Rosh Hashanah. We then sat together for the holiday meals, singing Chassidic melodies in Ukrainian and Russian, languages used interchangeably in those early post-Soviet years. Ukraine had only regained its independence a decade or so earlier and faced continued, sometimes existential challenges, and yet the Americans that year seemed like the less fortunate ones. Ukraine became independent without bloodshed with the signing of the Belovezha Accords. The United States was about to embark on the longest-lasting war in its history. Which for war, and which for peace. Many of our prayers that year were for the people of the United States. We thought about those who perished. We prayed for the firefighters and first responders who heroically risked and gave up their lives so that others could live. We prayed that the optimism for the future and peace in the present prevalent in Ukraine would soon exist in the U.S. as well. Today, more than two decades later, the world has once again reversed. Americans are living in safety and peace, and now the people of Ukraine are in need of our prayers and support amid the largest war on the European continent since World War II. Which for war, and which for peace. SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho speaks at the annual general shareholders meeting at its headquarters in Icheon, 56 kilometers southeast of Seoul, March 29, in this file photo provided by the company. Korea Times file SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho said Friday his company stopped doing business with Huawei Technologies, following U.S. chip sanctions against China in 2020 and has not supplied semiconductors to the Chinese smartphone maker. Last week, the chipmaker said it opened an internal investigation into how its memory chips ended up in a new smartphone made by Huawei, after Bloomberg News reported that the South Korean chipmaker's DRAM LPDDR5 and NAND Flash memory are used in the Chinese tech company's latest smartphone Mate 60 Pro. "We have had absolutely no business (with Huawei)," Park told reporters before attending SK Group's event at a hotel in eastern Seoul. "We are investigating the circumstances," he said, adding, "We need to check more closely what kind of DRAM is being used in that phone." IMMIGRATION | DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS HOUSTON A federal judge on Wednesday declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen agreed with Texas and eight other states suing to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The judge's ruling was ultimately expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, sending the program's fate before the high court for a third time. Hanen barred the government from approving new applications but left the program intact for existing recipients during the expected appeals process. Hanen said his order does not require the federal government to take any actions against DACA recipients. The states have argued the Obama administration didn't have the authority to first create the program in 2012 because it circumvented Congress. In 2021, Hanen had declared the program illegal, ruling it had not been subject to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. The Biden administration tried to satisfy Hanen's concerns with a new version of DACA that took effect in October 2022 and was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process. But Hanen, who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2002, ruled the updated version of DACA was still illegal. He previously said DACA was unconstitutional and it would be up to Congress to enact legislation shielding people under the program, often known as "Dreamers." Hanen also had previously ruled the states had standing to file their lawsuit because they had been harmed by the program. The states have claimed they incur hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. The states that sued are Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kansas and Mississippi. Those defending the program the federal government, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the state of New Jersey argued the states failed to present evidence that any of the costs they allege they have incurred have been tied to DACA. They also argued Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the legal authority to set immigration enforcement policies. James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow James D. Watts Jr. 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 Whatever the faux hacienda-style building at the corner of 21st Street and Sheridan Road may become, it aint gonna be a Casa Bonita. In early June, people were seen working on the roof of the building, which anchors the north end of the Alameda Shopping Center, and that activity led to a flurry of speculation that maybe finally! someone was going to resurrect Casa Bonita. After all, there was all the hubbub and ballyhoo about Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the guys behind the TV series South Park and The Book of Mormon, who purchased the Casa Bonita restaurant in the Denver area and poured some $40 million into restoring the place to its original glory. It was enough to make longtime Tulsa residents who cling to memories of going to Casa Bonita imagine it wouldnt be long before they would be sitting in The Cave Room, or by The Waterfall, or in the Courtyard, wolfing down dinners of Tex-Mex staples served on piping-hot metal plates, and raising the little fabric flag to alert any passing server that yet another basket of sopapillas and honey were needed at this table. Yeah, not gonna happen. Not that the current owner of the Alameda Shopping Center is unaware of the passionate nostalgia many people have for this restaurant, which operated in one form or another, with varying degrees of success, for 40 years. I have become very aware of how much people loved that place, said Thai Bliaya, who purchased the Alameda Shopping Center about two years ago. I think just about every person who lived in Tulsa in the last 20 to 30 years has a memory about it about the food, about the way it looked. Everyone wants to share what they remember about it. Bliaya, on the other hand, has no first-hand knowledge of what Casa Bonita was in its heyday, or its progression to the buildings present, somewhat derelict condition. A native of Laos, Bliaya came to the United States in 1975, when his family escaped during the final days of the Vietnam War. He spent much of his life in California and Texas, and he earned a degree in business administration from Chapman University in Oregon before moving to the Tulsa area in 2020. Bliaya said he also recently purchased the Southern Ridge office building at 6506 S. Lewis Ave., in addition to the Alameda Shopping Center. It was an opportunity that arose, and it was at a good price, he said of the Alameda center, which he purchased for $9 million. We own the entire center, with the exception of the McDonalds on the corner, and the (Sheridan Discount) liquor store. The recent roof work to the Casa Bonita building, Bliaya said, was a necessary repair to fix the damage resulting from years of neglect. The place has not been well maintained, Bliaya said. Every time it rained, there would be leaks everywhere. We really couldnt do anything more with that building until we stopped the leaks. A night in Mexico The first Casa Bonita opened in Oklahoma City in 1968; the Tulsa restaurant opened three years later. There would be other locations in Little Rock, Arkansas; Fort Worth, Texas; and the Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colorado most of which would be closed by the mid-1990s. It was founded by artist and entrepreneur Bill Waugh, a native of Norman. After a start in the dry cleaning business, Waugh developed Taco Bueno, opening the first restaurant in Abilene, Texas, in 1967. The first Taco Bueno in Tulsa opened a short time after, and a short distance from, Casa Bonita, at 6565 E. 21st St. (That location was recently bought and reopened as Eduardos Mexican Restaurant.) Waugh would also develop Crystals Pizza, which also started in Abilene. A Tulsa location opened in 1975, also in the Alameda Shopping Center, closing in 1995. Waughs final concept was Burger Street, which began in 1985. What set Casa Bonita apart from most other restaurants of the time was that it promised an experience as much as a meal. Guests would walk a hallway area, past the posted menu, to place their orders; by the time they reached the end of the line and had equipped themselves with cutlery and a tray, their requested dish would coming whooshing out of a slot. Once laden with food, guests were led to one of several dining spaces in the area that was designed to appear as if one were wandering through a storybook Mexican city at night, thanks to the blacked-out ceiling and rooms that bore such names as the Governors Mansion, Banditos Hideout and Rositas Kitchen. Strolling mariachi musicians, magicians, a video game arcade and puppet shows added to the over-the-top, carnival atmosphere. Spend a night in Mexico was one of Casa Bonitas advertising slogans. Another feature was that dinner could be an all-you-can-eat affair. The signature Deluxe Dinner included refried beans, rice, a beef taco, a tamale topped with chili, two enchiladas filled with chili and cheese, guacamole, chili con queso (a cheese sauce) and sopapillas. And one could have unlimited refills of everything on it, if one raised the small flag that was on every table. When the Tulsa location opened, this meal would set one back $1.69. It would swiftly be raised to $1.89 and would continue to increase in price as time went on. Other meals were also available, including an array of Gringo Dishes, such as fried chicken, but none of these had free refills. Founder Bill Waugh ultimately sold the Casa Bonita and Taco Bueno restaurants to the British food company Unigate in 1981. Ownership would change hands a few more times, until it was purchased by Star Buffets. The Tulsa Casa Bonita first closed to the public in 2005, but was reopened in 2008, before shutting permanently in 2011. The space was renamed Rio Restaurant & Bar in 2014, and while it kept much of the Casa Bonita trappings, it was definitely not a family restaurant it was the subject of a DEA raid in 2019 and closed permanently soon afterward. A work in progress All those years, including the decades during which it has sat unoccupied, have left the Casa Bonita building in not very good shape, said Thai Bliaya. Much of what was left of the restaurants interior was demolished and removed last year, he said. Fixing the roof was the next step in getting the building into some sort of usable shape. Not that Bliaya has any plans for the old Casa Bonita building. The whole place is going to need a lot of work for it to be usable again, Bliaya said. And you have to remember this is a very big space. Its about 26,000 square feet. Bliaya said he believes it would be a perfect location for a small grocery store, which is fitting before Casa Bonita was built, this area was the site of an IGA grocery store. But there are other projects within the center that command his attention. For example, he is wanting to turn the space that formerly held Crystals Pizza in the center into a mini-market and food court. While details as to vendors are still being worked out, Bliaya said that he envisions the food court will feature a variety of South Asian foods, such as Thai spicy pork noodle soup, crispy pork belly with rice and a chili dipping sauce, Lao and Hmong style papaya salads, Hmong-style sticky rice and pork sausage, seafood and pork khao piak soup, and more However, thats kind of on hold, because we are waiting for the city to approve things, Bliaya said. Its my hope that we could start construction on that project in early 2024, but it all depends on the city. This area is going to be a work in progress for a long time, he said. I was told that there was a time when this neighborhood was the place to be, and I hope that what we want to do here will help revitalize this area, to make it the place to be once again. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. 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Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today It wasnt planned to be this way, but the newly revised 2023-2024 season for Tulsa Opera means that the company will celebrate its 75th anniversary by presenting a years worth of American opera. In June, Tulsa Opera announced it was canceling its planned main stage productions for this season, Verdis La Traviata and the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance, citing financial concerns exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new streamlined season will feature two works by the Italian-born American composer Gian Carlo Menotti: The Medium, a dark thriller about a woman whose dabbling in the spirit world leads to madness and tragedy; and Amahl and the Night Visitors, a Christmas-themed work that will be performed by the Tulsa Youth Opera. In addition, Oklahoma opera star Sarah Coburn, a regular performer with Tulsa Opera, will perform a concert accompanied by Tulsa Opera chorusmaster and principal pianist Lyndon Meyer that will also be a fundraiser for the company. Several small-scale events that were part of the original 2023-2024 season remain, including a production of the musical comedy I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change, and shows that will be presented at venues such as Living Arts of Tulsa and the Church Studio, where the company will stage Henry Mollicones Wild West opera, The Face on the Barroom Floor. This variety of productions and venues, Artistic and Interim General Director Aaron Beck said, is something that a number of opera companies around the country are trying, as a way of engaging with potential new audiences with innovative shows in unexpected places. In fact, with one exception, Tulsa Opera will be presenting no productions in its usual home, the Tulsa PAC. The exception is Amahl and the Night Visitors, which will be performed in the PACs Liddy Doenges Theater. Its not that we dont have an audience that can fill the Chapman Music Hall, said Beck, referring to the Tulsa PACs 2,400-seat main performance space. Its a matter of being able to afford to present a show that would fill up the stage the size of Chapman, and for us at this month, thats simply not feasible. What we are essentially trying to do this season is maintain the quality thats been a hallmark of Tulsa Opera the quality of the voices we feature, of the physical productions, everything but do it on a scale that is responsible for the situation that our company faces right now, Beck said. It will give us the ability to right this ship. Beck said he had long wanted to present an immersive production of Menottis The Medium, which he described as one of the most fabulous, creepiest operas there is. The operas title character, Madame Flora, knows that the seances she conducts are not real, but as one particular session with some of her regular customers and a guest, something unexplainable happens that causes her to lash out at her two assistants. And these disturbing manifestations begin to weaken Madame Floras already fragile sanity. The production will star Mary Ann Stewart, who played The Bakers Wife in Tulsa Operas Into the Woods last season, as Madame Flora and Bree Nichols as her assistant Monica, will be staged at Studio 308, 308 S. Lansing Ave., the home of American Theatre Company. Jen Alden will direct the production, with Meyer as musical director. In keeping with the spooky nature of the show, it will be presented Oct. 20-21, right before Halloween. Of course, it has great music, but its also a story that just surrounds you, Beck said. Ive always wanted to have a production of The Medium where the audience feels as though they are part of that seance. It is also a way for Beck to emphasize one aspect of opera that sometimes gets the short shrift namely, stories. Personally, I love good stories, and frankly, some of the things youll see on stage in both opera and musical theater arent good stories, he said. And I am really very keen on changing that, because I believe that you can have both outstanding singing and outstanding story. Thats why were doing I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change, Beck said. Its hilarious, but it also has some very poignant moments as well its kind of a musical comedy version of Friends. But were going to be bringing a level of singing that I dont think people have heard in a show like this. Soprano Coburn, who has starred in numerous Tulsa Opera productions throughout her career, will perform in recital Dec. 2 at the Lorton Performance Center on the University of Tulsa campus, 550 S. Gary Ave. Coburn will also serve as a goodwill ambassador for Tulsa Opera throughout the 75th anniversary season. Since the early days of my career, Tulsa Opera has been a firm foundation, Coburn said in a statement. Of course, the company is based in my home state, but Tulsa Opera is known throughout the world as a top-tier opera company presenting innovative productions and invaluable educational and community engagement programming. I am so grateful every time I get to sing on the Tulsa Opera stage. We need music, beauty and community now more than ever, Coburn said. I believe in the power of opera to bring people together in a magical way, and I am delighted to serve as the companys ambassador this season. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow James D. Watts Jr. 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 Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine, a new book on the life and work of Bob Dylan inspired by items from the Bob Dylan Archives, will be launched with a weekend of events Oct. 20-21 sponsored by The Bob Dylan Center, 116 E. Reconciliation Way. The book, written and edited by Mark Davidson, senior director of archives and exhibitions at the Bob Dylan Center, and Parker Fishel, an archivist and co-curator of exhibits at the center, will be officially available Oct. 24. The 608-page tome featuring essays by 30 writers and artists, and more than 1,100 images by 135 photographers, artists and film directors that cover the full scope of Dylans career, from his Minnesota boyhood to his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. The book retails for $100. An exhibit that will showcase a wealth of never-before-seen Dylan artifacts from its collection will open to the public Oct. 20. The exhibit, also titled Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine, will include manuscripts, artifacts and both iconic and rare photographs, the majority of which have never been shown previously and will be on display only for this exhibition before being returned to the vault. The weekend will also feature a number of live performances by artists such as Sarah Lee Guthrie, daughter of folk music legend Arlo Guthrie, who will perform with her trio Oct. 20 at the Woody Guthrie Theater; and Hurrah for the Riff Raff, with opening act Bedouine, performing Oct. 21 at the Cains Ballroom. In addition, rock music critic Greil Marcus and Dylan superfan and collector Mitch Blank, who recently donated some 10,000 items to the Bob Dylan Archives, will take part in public presentations on Dylans life and work. For more information, including how to purchase tickets for the concerts and other events: bobdylancenter.com. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Kevin Canfield Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Kevin Canfield Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today After working 10 years at the Nut Hut kiosk inside the Tulsa Promenade mall, Paresh Shah is out of a job. Shah, 61, is one of dozens of employees and business owners who were informed Monday that the interior of the mall is closing effective Sunday. We have less than one week notice, Shah said. In this one week notice we cant find a new location. The decision to close the interior portion of the mall was made by the property owner after the company was cited for fire code violations. The owner is Tulsa Realty 126 LLC in Rochester, New York, according to city records. A $7,200 past-due water bill has been paid, a city spokeswoman said Thursday. The fire code violations have nothing to do with Dillards, the Tulsa Oilers ice rink under construction, or any of the other businesses operating on the perimeter of the mall. The CREOKS Health Services and TruHealth Integrated Care are not affected by the closure, officials said. They are actually considered separate buildings, even though they are connected," Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Andy Little said. Little said the property was inspected a couple of weeks ago in response to a citizens complaint. The mall continued to operate after those violations were found, Little said, because the owner of the affected properties hired a company to provide fire watch. The fire watch will be discontinued Sunday, according to a Thursday update from Little. Little said the Tulsa Fire Department does not ever wish to see a businesses close, but he said the fire marshals first priority is public safety. The closure will affect roughly a dozen businesses, including nail salons, clothing stores and a jewelry store, that remain in the mall. Nisa Malik has owned a fragrance store inside the mall for 30 years and the nearby Nut Hut kiosk for 18 years, she said Thursday. Her store has been without air conditioning for four or five years, Malik said, and the property in general has not been well-maintained by the owner. This is what we get. Yeah. So its kind of sad, she said. With another location already established at Woodland Hills Mall in south Tulsa, Malik said she can pick up and move. Its just, like, unexpected, she said. Nobody knew what was going on. Bob Archer, owner of Medicare Prepare, said that after about a decade in the mall, he was not surprised when he received the notice. We have somewhere to go to; we just rented a spot, Archer said. But, yeah, its just a pain because its right in the middle of our work. Were going to have to stop and change. It hasnt been great, but I will tell you the mall has been generally pretty good for us over the years. Sarah Meyer, an employee at Bridal Rentals and More, said the business is trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Were looking at this as a new opportunity to find a bigger place because we have a lot of inventory. You know, bright new eyes, (being) in a better place and just take it with the best of heart that we can, Meyer said. The letter to tenants informing them of the closing says they will be able to get access to remove inventory as needed. As she packed up her store Thursday afternoon, that seemed to provide little solace to Malik. Oh, my god. Its horrible, she said, because all of these people are such nice family people. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Michael Dekker Tulsa World Business Writer Follow Michael Dekker 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 Building standards for cyberspace behavior and digital technology such as artificial intelligence is imperative, a top U.S. State Department official said Thursday at the University of Tulsa. We are working on building coalitions of allies and partners to deter misbehavior in cyberspace, said Nathanial Fick, the first U.S. ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy. We lead incident response to attacks. We lead efforts at the United Nations in New York to develop norms governing responsible behavior in cyberspace. Fick was at TU on Thursday to give a presentation and take questions from students and faculty. TUs School of Cyber Studies is one of the top programs of its type in the country. He spoke with the Tulsa World before his public presentation. Fick is a tech executive and entrepreneur, a retired Marine and combat veteran in Afghanistan and Iraq, and best-selling author who in June 2022 was confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said artificial intelligence is among the areas he discusses with representatives from around the world. Asked about perceptions of the dangers of AI, he said: 9/11 and its aftermath were a formative experience for me. I was a Marine at the time. I read the 9/11 Commission report with interest. The most interesting piece for me was the attribution of the attacks to primarily a failure of imagination. Its a great cautionary tale, he believes. The one thing that we, in government positions, cannot allow to happen is that we succumb again to failures of imagination, Fick said. Whatever terrible thing that you can imagine in an AI-powered future, we need to take seriously. He disagrees with a call for a pause to AI development. The reality is our adversaries are not going to pause, he said. When we pause all we do is give up the lead. The countrys approach to AI is to start with voluntary commitments from leading artificial intelligence developers. The voluntary is important because, one, it doesnt constrain innovation. We really need to maintain our innovative edge in this area and not cede our leading position to our adversaries, and, two, voluntary means fast, he said. These voluntary commitments are a first step toward a governance structure; theyre not the last step. But they enabled us to get out the door quickly with a robust set of principals around safety. He also said it is essential to make sure users can distinguish between AI-generated content and content that is not. The companies agreed to these principals. And now were working to multi-lateralize them to get other non-U.S. companies involved, to get partner governments to be supportive, to translate all of this into a code of conduct that countries can sign up to so that we can govern AI and safeguard our citizens and put guardrails in place, given the huge amount of risk, he said. But again, the North Star needs to be to maintain our innovative edge. Ficks area is not only in cybersecurity policy but also in digital policy, which includes cable, fiber, wireless networks, satellites and data centers. He advocates for programs that aim for more people to take tech jobs. There are 400,000 such jobs unfilled in the U.S., he said. The majority of my time is spent on diplomatic engagement outside the U.S. Sometimes thats with allies and partners; sometimes its with competitors, he said. Im in the room all over the world on a regular basis with Chinese representatives, with Russian representatives, advocating and articulating the American point of view on a lot of this stuff. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti 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 On her last day as superintendent, Deborah Gist said she wanted to speak from her old kindergarten classroom at Salk Elementary School to conclude my Tulsa Public Schools journey where it began. Ebony Johnson now takes over as superintendent after Gist and the TPS board reached a mutual separation agreement that ensures autonomy for the local school board. In a livestream Friday morning, Gist expressed gratitude that the Oklahoma State Board of Education allowed Tulsa Public Schools to keep its accreditation after State Superintendent Ryan Walters threatened that the school district might lose its status. Walters had targeted Gist for removal from her position leading the states largest public school district. The departing superintendent celebrated the changes made in her eight years as superintendent, such as the districts expansion of prekindergarten offerings, its three Montessori schools and the growth of its internationally recognized world language programs. She noted that the districts graduation rate, despite taking a dip during the pandemic, has shown improvement after growing from 63% during her first year in Tulsa to about 72%. She provided an update on the status of an investigative audit requested by Gov. Kevin Stitt, which remains ongoing after about a year. Our team continues to be as supportive as we possibly can, providing significant documentation for that review, Gist said. Well stand ready to make any improvements that we need to make depending on the end results, just like from all the audits we do. On a related topic, Gist discussed the investigation into allegations of embezzlement by former TPS employee Devin Fletcher, which was prompted by a third-party review into contract irregularities and was immediately reported to law enforcement. Gist noted that the federal seizure of about $215,000 in that case means funds will come back to the district. That amount is only about half of what officials think might have been stolen, she said, including from the Tulsa Public Schools Foundation. Gist said officials hope further restoration will come through a fidelity bond being explored so the funding can be used as donors intended. We need to and have done everything we can to make sure that were restoring those dollars and that justice prevails in that investigation, Gist said, and Im confident that it will. For those with concerns about oversight of Tulsa Public Schools, Gist noted that this year offers the rare opportunity for three seats up for election on the school board. Be active; be involved; pay attention to those elections, she said. As you know now more than ever, the people who lead our school district on the Board of Education are just critical. We also need to encourage other people to join them. Gist explained the T-shirt she was wearing during the livestream, which includes the message Tulsa has a hard history: We teach it. Its such an important part of our values at TPS that we believe in teaching a complete and true and accurate accounting of our (history) in a way that really helps us to understand the human condition, where weve been and where we need to go as a result of that. She said its important to Tulsa educators that the history being taught is accurate, even if its hard sometimes, like when talking about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the Trail of Tears and the Holocaust. In learning about our history, we can also make sure that we dont repeat the mistakes of our human history, Gist said. The career educator got choked up when talking about what her future might entail after focusing solely on serving Tulsa as superintendent. Its hard to imagine, quite frankly, because this work is so important to me, Gist said. But Im going to figure that out, and I have faith. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. From top left, this combination of pictures created, Sept. 13, shows Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, arrives for a US Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 13. Reuters-Yonhap Tesla CEO Elon Musk called on Wednesday for a U.S. "referee" for artificial intelligence after he, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and other tech CEOs met with lawmakers at Capitol Hill to discuss AI regulation. Lawmakers are seeking ways to mitigate dangers of the emerging technology, which has boomed in investment and consumer popularity since the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot. Musk said there was need for a regulator to ensure the safe use of AI. "It's important for us to have a referee," Musk told reporters, comparing it to sports. The billionaire, who also owns the social media platform X, added that a regulator would "ensure that companies take actions that are safe and in the interest of the general public." Musk said the meeting was a "service to humanity" and said it "may go down in history as very important to the future of civilization." Musk confirmed he had called AI "a double-edged sword" during the forum. Zuckerberg said Congress "should engage with AI to support innovation and safeguards. This is an emerging technology, there are important equities to balance here, and the government is ultimately responsible for that." He added it was "better that the standard is set by American companies that can work with our government to shape these models on important issues." Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, right, joins other tech leaders attending the Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum in the Russell Senate Building on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 13. EPA-Yonhap More than 60 senators took part. Lawmakers said there was universal agreement about the need for government regulation of AI. "We are beginning to really deal with one of the most significant issues facing the next generation and we got a great start on it today," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who organized the forum, told reporters after the meetings. "We have a long way to go." Republican Senator Todd Young, a co-host of the forum, said he believes the Senate is "getting to the point where I think committees of jurisdiction will be ready to begin their process of considering legislation." But Republican Senator Mike Rounds cautioned it would take time for Congress to act. "Are we ready to go out and write legislation? Absolutely not," Rounds said. "We're not there." Lawmakers want safeguards against potentially dangerous deep fakes such as bogus videos, election interference and attacks on critical infrastructure. X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk speaks to reporters as he leaves a US Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 13. AFP-Yonhap Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Cockroft to fill the secretary of state opening created by the departure of Brian Bingman. A former state representative from Wanette, Cockroft was a lobbyist for the Oklahoma Association of Realtors before signing on with Stitt. Oklahomas secretary of state is responsible for maintaining official records. Unlike in many states, the secretary of state does not oversee elections. Since becoming an appointed position in the 1970s, secretaries of state have tended to serve as advisors and sometimes negotiators for the administration. Many have been former legislators. In addition to serving as secretary of state, Cockroft will hold the title chief policy advisor to the governor. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. (DONE) President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to two Oklahoma soldiers for their heroism in Vietnam on this day in 2014. The president gave the nations highest military honor posthumously to U.S. Army Spc. 4 Donald P. Sloat and to retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins. Sloat, of Coweta, was 20 when he smothered a grenade in 1970 to protect members of his unit. Adkins, who was drafted out of Waurika, was on his second tour of duty in Vietnam in 1966 when he suffered 18 different wounds to his body. Over the decades, our Vietnam veterans didnt always receive the thanks and respect they deserved. Thats a fact," President Obama said. But as we have been reminded again today, our Vietnam vets were patriots and are patriots. You served with valor. You made us proud. And your service is with us for eternity. So no matter how long it takes, no matter how many years go by, we will continue to express our gratitude for your extraordinary service. Adkins died of COVID-19 on April 17, 2020, at the age of 86. Stitt on compacts Gov. Kevin Stitt called on legislators Thursday to ratify gaming compacts he previously negotiated with the Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Kialegee Tribal Town. The two groups do not have gaming currently. Stitt has been at odds with the Legislature and most tribal government throughout his tenure, with gaming compacts being one of the main sticking points. Stitt's letter on Thursday addresses the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall. Barbara Hoberock Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Barbara Hoberock Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today OKLAHOMA CITY House Speaker Charles McCall has no plans to start impeachment efforts against State Superintendent Ryan Walters, he said Thursday. I am unaware of anything criminal that Ryan Walters has done in his official duties as superintendent of education for the state of Oklahoma, said McCall. I think that is the level of infraction for this body to consider something that strong. Elective state officers can be impeached for willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, habitual drunkenness, incompetence or any offense involving moral turpitude committed while in office, according to Article VIII of the Oklahoma Constitution. McCall was asked about the issue during an unrelated press conference. House Democrats on Aug. 29 called for McCall, a Republican from Atoka, to begin the process of impeaching Walters by forming a bipartisan special committee to investigate the state superintendent. House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, cited Walters consistent pattern of inflammatory language aimed at our public education teachers, outright lies and targeted attacks on local control, along with a continued criminal investigation into the potential financial mismanagement of State Department of Education funds and continued refusal to cooperate in good faith with lawmakers. When the House votes to impeach a state official, a trial is held in the Senate and requires the concurrence of at least two-thirds of the senators present, according to the Oklahoma Constitution. The threshold to meet articles of impeachment is very high, and it should be, McCall said. Elections have consequences, he continued, adding that until an allegation is put forth that is criminal in nature, the House will not weigh in and try to overturn election results. McCall was asked what he thought about the superintendents actions in recent months. Ryan Walters performance is not mine to judge, McCall said. He was elected, just like the 101 members of this House were elected. Lawmakers get a report card from the people of the state of Oklahoma and will be accountable to the people in the next election, he said. Walters, a Republican, defeated Democrat Jena Nelson with 56.78% of the vote on Nov. 8. I am very disappointed with the speakers decision, Munson said. As each day goes by without action from the House of Representatives, the superintendent is emboldened to continue defunding and dismantling our public education system because he knows he wont be held accountable. Related content More coverage of State Superintendent Ryan Walters Authorities in Soc Trang Province, located in southern Vietnam, will break ground on the Dai Ngai bridge project on October 20, with its price tag of over VND8 trillion (US$331.17 million) backed by the state budget, a local official said on Friday morning. The Mekong Delta province already completed site clearance and compensation, making sure that cleared land will be handed over to the projects investor before the groundbreaking date, said Tran Van Lau, chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee. Located along National Highway 60, the bridge will span over the Hau River and link Soc Trangs Long Phu District with neighboring Tra Vinh Provinces Tieu Can District. The entire project will have a total length of over 15 kilometers, five intersections and seven bridges, with Dai Ngai 1 and Dai Ngai 2 being the two main bridges. It is considered a strategic project and a main route connecting Mekong Delta provinces with each other. Once completed, the bridge is expected to improve the capacity of the deltas transport network and facilitate travel between the region and Ho Chi Minh City, as it will help shorten the distance vehicles have to cover when traveling from Ca Mau, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu Provinces to the southern metropolis by some 80 kilometers. It will also ease the traffic overload facing the section of National Highway 1 in the region and meet rising travel demand after some economic zones in the area are put into service, the local official added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nguyen Van Thien, a war veteran from Tien Hai District in Thai Binh Province, northern Vietnam was astonished when the U.S. Department of Defense presented him with a diary he had lost 60 years prior. In a very special moment during U.S. President Joe Bidens two-day visit to Vietnam, which wrapped up on Monday, Thien finally received the notebook he believed to be lost forever. The diarys long journey home began about a year ago when Thien received a phone call asking if he was the writer of a war diary. Immediately, Thien realized the diary in question was a notebook he had lost during a military operation called 'Junction City' in early 1967. Now, decades later, the diary is a stark reminder of the fierce war and the camaraderie he shared with his fellow soldiers. Thien is the only son of a martyr from Vietnams revolution against France. As such, he was exempt from conscription during the American war in Vietnam. However, when the war began to escalate in 1965, then-17-year-old Thien felt he could not sit back and watch as his fellow countrymen served in his stead. He then began sending in application after application until authorities finally allowed him to join the war effort. Several months later, after spending considerable time training with a 443-strong air defense battalion from Thai Binh, Thien traveled south for battle. It was then, amongst the heart-breaking loses of heroic soldiers on the battlefield, that Thien began noting down the things he saw and the ways he felt. According to Thien, losing the diary felt like losing a piece of himself and the threads holding him to some of the most profound, agonizing, and glorious memories of his youth. During those days, there were strict regulations on what information soldiers could record about the war. As such, Thien included no personal information in the diary and, therefore, believed he would never see it again. The diary was given a leather cover and a leather box before being handed over to its owner. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre Years later, when a group of Vietnamese researchers at Harvard University involved in a 'Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War' project was researching, cataloguing, and sharing information about the memories of Vietnamese veterans during the war, they came across Thiens diary. Flipping through the pages, they stumbled upon a note Thien had written grieving a fallen comrade. February 13, or the 24th day of the first lunar month, [is] the most sorrowful day as my brother, my comrade, laid down his life while on duty. Nguyen Van Xuan, [in] Dong Quach Village, Nam Ha Commune, Tien Hai, Thai Binh, Thien wrote at the time. In early 1965, Thiens battalion made a stop in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on their way south. Some soldiers took charge of gathering rice for the battalion, including Thiens close friend, Nguyen Van Xuan. Unfortunately, Xuan caught malaria while gathering rice and passed away. Xuan left three remembrances for Thien and asked Thien to transfer his watch to his wife in their hometown. Xuans death marked the first fallen soldier in Thiens battalion. According to Dr. Nguyen Hai, director of the Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War project, it was Thiens note about Xuan that gave the researchers hope that they might find the diarys rightful owner. Researchers in Dr. Hai's group later visited Xuans family, hoping they could shed some light on who the owner of the diary might have been. During the meeting, Xuans daughter shared that she believed the author of the diary to be Thien. She added that Thien had returned to Thai Binh in 1972 to be treated for wartime injuries and had brought Xuans watch with him to place on his altar, where it still sits today. The page Nguyen Van Thien wrote about his comrade the clue that led the diary back to its rightful owner. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre Recognized as a martyr after nearly 6 decades Among the documents and exhibits that the U.S. Department of Defense handed over to Vietnam during President Bidens visit to the Southeast Asian country was a report by Dr. Hais team regarding the fate of 563 Vietnamese martyrs. Vietnam goes to extraordinary lengths to search for the remains of martyrs in order to recognize their sacrifice to the country. One such martyr was Dang Thanh Tuan from An Duc Commune, Hoai An District, Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam, who was recognized as a martyr in late 2022, more than 50 years after his death. Tuan was a southern student studying in the north. He wrote letters with blood begging to join the army in 1964 and was accepted in 1965. In early 1966, he left home for the south. His family never heard from him again despite spending nearly 50 years working with agencies to hunt down information. Thanks to the support of many people, they found documents that the U.S. military confiscated during the war in Vietnam on the Internet, including the list of Vietnamese martyrs and their death notices, consisting of Dang Thanh Tuan. At the beginning of 2020, Tuans family wrote to the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi asking for help to verify the information. Dr. Hai and his team eventually dug up considerable information on Tuan and, on September 8, 2022, the Vietnamese prime minister signed a decision to recognize Tuan and eight others in Hanoi and nothern Hai Duong Province as martyrs. We never skip a single piece of paper because we understand that a piece of paper could decide the destiny of a soldier or family, Hai said. The Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War project is part of a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2021 between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Emergency teams on Friday kept up their search for the thousands still posted as missing from the tsunami-sized flash flood that swept the Libyan port city of Derna, killing at least 4,000 people. The enormous surge of water burst two upstream dams late Sunday and reduced Derna to an apocalyptic wasteland where entire city blocks and untold numbers of people were washed into the Mediterranean. An AFP photographer said central neighbourhoods on either side of the river, which normally dries up at this time of year, looked as if a steam roller had passed through, uprooting trees and buildings and hurling vehicles onto the port's breakwaters. "Within seconds the water level suddenly rose," recounted one injured survivor who said he was swept away with his mother in the late-night ordeal before they both managed to scramble into an empty building downstream. "The water was rising with us until we got to the fourth floor, the water was up to the second floor," the unidentified man said from his hospital bed, in testimony published by the Benghazi Medical Center. Derna: flood-hit Libyan city. Photo: AFP "We could hear screams. From the window, I saw cars and bodies being carried away by the water. It lasted an hour or an hour and a half -- but for us, it felt like a year." Hundreds of body bags now line Derna's mud-caked streets, awaiting mass burials, as traumatised and grieving residents search mangled buildings for missing loved ones and bulldozers clear streets of debris and mountains of sand. In one shattered home, a rescue team pumped out the water to reveal a woman's lifeless arms still clutching her dead child, an AFP correspondent reported. "This disaster was violent and brutal," said Yann Fridez, the head of the Libya delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which had a team in Derna when the floodwaters hit. "A wave seven metres (23 feet) high wiped out buildings and washed infrastructure into the sea. Now family members are missing, dead bodies are washing back up on shore and homes are destroyed." The floods were caused by hurricane-strength Storm Daniel, compounded by the poor infrastructure in Libya. Photo: AFP Abdelaziz Bousmya, who lives in the Chiha neighbourhood which was spared by the wall of water that devastated lower-lying districts, estimates that at least a tenth of the city's population of 100,000 were killed. "I lost my friends, my loved ones -- they are all either buried under the mud or got swept out to sea by the floodwaters," the 29-year-old said. 'Catastrophic impact' The floods were caused by hurricane-strength Storm Daniel, compounded by the poor infrastructure in Libya, which was plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Libya is now divided between two rival authorities -- the UN-backed, internationally recognised government in Tripoli, and an administration based in the disaster-hit east. UN World Meteorological Organization chief Petteri Taalas said many deaths could have been avoided if early warning and emergency management systems had functioned properly in the war-scarred country. Residents search mangled buildings for missing loved ones and bulldozers clear streets of debris and mountains of sand. Photo: AFP With better coordination, "they could have issued the warnings and the emergency management forces would have been able to carry out the evacuation of the people, and we could have avoided most of the human casualties," said Taalas. Access to Derna remains severely hampered as roads and bridges have been destroyed and power and phone lines cut to wide areas, where at least 30,000 people are now homeless. Climate experts have linked the disaster to the impacts of a heating planet, combined with Libya's decaying infrastructure. Storm Daniel gathered strength during an unusually hot summer and earlier lashed Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, flooding vast areas and killing at least 27 people. The opening ceremony of the competency evaluation program for prospective UN peacekeepers (CEPPP), under the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Experts Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, was held in Hanoi on Wednesday. The opening event of the program, under the co-chairmanship of Vietnam and Japan, was attended by Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) and head of the CEPPPs steering committee. The ceremony also gathered representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, the embassies, and military attaches of the ADMM+ countries in Vietnam, the ASEAN Secretariat, and 18 delegations of the ADMM+ countries. Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan (R, 2nd), deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army and head of the CEPPPs steering committee, shakes hands with a CEPPP delegate in Hanoi, September 13, 2023. Photo: Ha Thanh / Tuoi Tre This is the first time that Vietnam has hosted such a large-scale multilateral event on UN peacekeeping operations, helping affirm the nations role, position, and contributions to multilateral cooperation mechanisms on UN peacekeeping operations in the region and within the ADMM+ framework, the Vietnamese military official said. The CEPPP, held from September 13 to 21, draws the participation of close to 300 peacekeeping experts, trainees, and observers from ADMM+ member countries. It is the concluding field training course of the ADMM+ Experts Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations Cycle 4 (2021-23), comprising three phases encompassing theoretical and practical training, along with specific instructions for military medical personnel, engineers, and military observers. The program is aimed at enhancing the coordination capability and peacekeeping skills of the prospective UN peacekeepers and is expected to help strengthen the friendship and cooperation ties in UN peacekeeping operations among the ADMM+ members, General Tan stressed. The Vietnamese delegation attends the CEPPP opening ceremony in Hanoi, September 13, 2023. Photo: Ha Thanh / Tuoi Tre Speaking at the opening ceremony, both Vietnam and Japan said they have worked closely together to organize the events they co-chaired, including the CEPPP. Colonel Nguyen Nhu Canh, deputy head of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations under the Ministry of National Defense, said that the training will also help raise awareness about and the importance of women in performing UN peacekeeping duties. Peacekeeping experts, trainees, and observers from ADMM+ member countries attend the CEPPP opening ceremony in Hanoi, September 13, 2023. Photo: Ha Thanh / Tuoi Tre Matsuzawa Tomoko, director for defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region at the Japan Ministry of Defense, said both Japan and Vietnam have deep concerns about efforts to raise awareness about the role of women in UN peacekeeping operations among ADMM+ members. Regarding the ADMM+, it is a platform for ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the U.S. to strengthen security and defense cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan (standing), deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army and head of the CEPPPs steering committee, chairs a welcome ceremony for leaders of delegations from ADMM+ member countries in Hanoi, September 13, 2023. Photo: Ha Thanh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! With the first phase of dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima scheduled to end on Monday and the second phase possibly set to start as early as late September, Japan's prime minister tried very hard to whitewash the dumping issue and shift the blame to China by lobbying by hook or by crook during the two-day summit of Group of 20 (G20) leaders, which wrapped up on Sunday. Announcing the end of the first phase, which will release 7,800 tons of contaminated water, will come on Monday, TEPCO - operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant - gave no date for the start of the second discharge, Japanese media reported on Saturday. This first phase of dumping coincided with the G20 summit held on Saturday and Sunday. Out of geopolitical considerations, some senior politicians of countries that will not be directly affected by the dumping and were coerced and wooed by Tokyo and Washington unfortunately gave Japan's disposal the nod after talking with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, observers said.? On Friday, 151 people, counting residents from five Japanese prefectures including Fukushima and Tokyo, filed a suit at Fukushima's court against the Japanese government and TEPCO requesting they stop the dumping, Japanese media outlet Tokyo Shimbun reported. According to the plaintiff's lawyers, this is the first lawsuit in the country to seek an injunction to stop the discharge. Additional lawsuits are scheduled to be filed at the end of October, Chiyo Oda, representative of the plaintiff group, told the Global Times. Deliberately dumping contaminated water is a "double harm" by the Japanese government and TEPCO, which has a responsibility in the Fukushima nuclear accident 12 years ago?that can't be shirked, the plaintiff group said, noting that the dumping violates the fishing rights and personal rights of fishermen and the "right to live peacefully" of local residents.? The plaintiff group pointed out that the dumping violates the London Protocol 1996, which prohibits the dumping of radioactive materials into the ocean.? "We hope the trial can stop it [the dumping] as soon as possible," Oda said. Additionally, another Fukushima resident Yoshitaka Ikarashi, the Japanese representative of the Somei Platform - a Japan-China common market promotion association, told the Global Times on Sunday that he recently had meetings with several Japanese parties and are planning to establish a new cross-party group aimed at stopping the dumping. Challenged by the domestic opposition, the two houses of the Japanese Parliament on Saturday held a joint review meeting on the issue of nuclear contaminated water discharge. The heads of the Japanese national fisheries' association who attended the meeting called on the Japanese government to assume its responsibility and respond to the unease and anxiety of the fishing industry.? The dumping also has affected Japan's tourism industry. In Fukushima city, the capital of Fukushima Prefecture, about 100 reservations for local hotels were canceled from late August to early September, according to Fukushisma local media. Despite the strong concern at home, Kishida made every effort to flatter the G20 leaders who gathered in New Delhi, according to an official with Japan's foreign ministry as cited by Reuters. "Prime Minister Kishida explained that the monitoring data collected since last month's (water) discharge began has been made public in a prompt and highly transparent manner" Hikariko Ono, press secretary at Japan's foreign ministry, told reporters. Meanwhile, Kishida criticized some countries are taking "uncommon actions" such as suspending all imports of Japanese marine products in response to the release of the contaminated water, Japanese media Yomiuri Shimbun has reported. Kyodo News has reported that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte fully "supports" Japan's approach, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also affirmed that Japan is cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency to take appropriate measures. Chinese observers say that the PR stunts by the Japanese government are an admission of guilt. If the wastewater were safe, Tokyo wouldn't need to conduct such a big PR campaign. Observers have condemned some heads of countries who have succumbed to the US-led clique's pressure and indulged the Japanese contaminated water dumping plan for risking their people's health and the world's future. A Philippine nuclear expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times that similar to other countries, the dumping of contaminated water from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean has also raised concerns and questions from various stakeholders in the Philippines. However, the reaction has mostly been mild, the expert revealed. This article was originally published on? The quality of tap water supplied by Vietnamese water treatment facilities is on a par with that of many Asian and European nations, making it safe to drink directly, Nguyen Ngoc Diep, chairman of the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA), claimed at a press conference on Thursday. Despite its high quality, Diep does not recommend drinking Vietnams water from the tap. He explained that comprehensive investments in treatment facilities and distribution networks enable people to drink directly from the tap in many countries. In Vietnam, however, the installation of water pipes in residential areas is asynchronous and takes place over multiple phases, meaning the availability of clean tap water cannot be guaranteed. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, old water pipe networks often coexist with new water pipelines, creating quality control issues. However, with our current investments in new urban areas, coupled with the synchronized development of clean water pipelines, we aim to ensure uniform water quality from the treatment facility to residential taps, allowing people to consume water directly from the tap, the chairman said. The VWSA held the press conference in Hanoi to unveil plans for the organization of Vietnam Water Week 2023 from September 28 to 30 in Binh Duong Province, just outside Ho Chi Minh City, with informational assistance from the Ministry of Construction and relevant government departments and agencies. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Fifty additional victims have been identified in the Banh Mi Phuong food poisoning incident which began earlier this week in Hoi An, a tourist city in central Vietnams Quang Nam Province, bringing the total number to 141, including 34 foreigners, local health authorities reported on Thursday. All the victims have been taken to two different hospitals over the past three days with fevers, vomiting, stomachaches, and diarrhea a few hours after eating banh mi a Vietnamese baguette typically filled with cold meats, pate, and vegetables at Banh Mi Phuong, a popular bakery in Hoi An, according to the provincial Department of Health. After recording 91 victims on Tuesday and Wednesday, 50 more were taken to the hospitals on Thursday, pushing the total sufferers to 141, including 34 foreigners, director of the department Mai Van Muoi said. According to Muoi, the massive influx is owing to the fact that many of the victims were not Hoi An locals, meaning reports of their being affected by the incident were made indirectly and at different times. Among the 141 sufferers, 105 were taken to hospitals in Quang Nam and 36 were brought to neighboring Da Nang City, approximately 40 kilometers from Hoi An. Since their admissions to the hospitals, most of the patients have since stabilized, Muoi said. The Hoi An administration suspended Banh Mi Phuongs operations immediately following the incident and the local health center has taken food samples from the bakery for testing at Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, which is expected to provide results in seven to 10 days. Banh Mi Phuong sold a total of 3,620 banh mi sandwiches on Monday and Tuesday before its operations were suspended, the center reported, adding that all 10 of the bakerys ingredients were sourced from different providers. The center also said it is looking into food provision contracts between Banh Mi Phuong and three of its suppliers, and stressed that many of whom had no contract with the bakery. According to Voice of Vietnam, Banh Mi Phuong failed to comply with food safety and hygiene regulations specified by the Sub-Department of Food Safety and Hygiene under the provincial Department of Health. The Ministry of Health has requested local health authorities focus their efforts on the treatment of the victims in order to help them recover as soon as possible. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Border guards in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam have saved a young man from a group that tricked him into going to Thailand to get a job but they actually attempted to sell the victims kidney for over US$41,000. The victim, Nguyen Duc D., 21, hailing from Hanoi, was rescued on Thursday evening in Sepone District of the Laotian province of Savannakhet, where the group and the victim arrived on their way to Thailand, the Quang Tri Border Guard Command reported on Friday. The rescue was made by the border guard station at Lao Bao International Border Gate in Quang Tri in coordination with Laotian authorities and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Savannakhet, which borders Quang Tri to the west. D. was brought safely from Sepone to Vietnam at 10:00 pm on Thursday, the Command said, adding that they have launched an investigation into the case. Lao Bao border guards said they deployed the rescue after they received a message for help from the man. D. told the rescuers that he managed to escape from the group when they arrived in Sepone after accidentally discovering that the group attempted to sell his kidney for VND1 billion ($41,300) upon their arrival in Thailand, instead of helping him to get a job as previously promised. After escaping successfully, D. came to a gas station in Sepone and asked for a shelter there. He then sent a message back to Vietnam calling for help. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Next on 60 Minutes, a breakthrough in a missing persons cold case which may hopefully bring a family some answers. Plus a story on Danny Masterson already well-covered in the news, does it really need a fresh item? Gone Girl On 60 Minutes, startling developments in a confounding 30-year mystery, the disappearance and likely murder of Revelle Balmain. Back in 1994, Revelle, then 22, was making a career as a model and dancer but she was also keeping a secret. To earn extra money she worked as an escort. When she vanished one night in November that year suspicion fell on her last client, the last person to see her alive. At the time there wasnt enough evidence to bring charges, so the case gathered dust until a fresh team of detectives was assigned to investigate. Now they reveal a major breakthrough. As Tara Brown reports, theyve uncovered new clues and new persons of interest. And for those who knew and loved Revelle, that means theres finally genuine hope for long-awaited answers. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Natalie Clancy What Were They Thinking? One-time sitcom actor and well-known devotee of Scientology, Danny Masterson, is now also a convicted rapist. Last week he was jailed for 30 years for drugging and sexually assaulting two women in 2003. Mastersons trial attracted enormous attention, not only because of his fame and violent crimes. The Church of Scientology was also condemned, accused of going to extraordinary lengths to protect its star recruit from prosecution. But whats been revealed since Mastersons sentencing is causing more controversy. The disgraced actor received substantial support from fellow Hollywood celebrities including Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. In letters to the judge asking for leniency for Masterson, the married couple described their friend more like a saint than a sinner. They said he was a role model and an exceptional character. Not surprisingly their comments have caused outrage. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Naomi Shivaraman 8:30pm (ish) Sunday on Nine. UK thriller Sherwood by writer James Graham returns to ABC next week with a community torn apart by two shocking killings. A complex political past means that the industrial villages around Sherwood Forest have often been divided communities. But when two local residents are killed, old wounds are reopened and the town is engulfed in tension and fear. Soon everyone is under suspicion, neighbours are turning on neighbours, and no one can be trusted especially not the authorities. Its down to local police chief Ian and London met police officer Kevin to solve the case and unravel the lies. Can they put their own troubled history aside and help this fractured community heal? Drawn from real-life events, Sherwood is a shockingly relevant thriller about a burgeoning lack of trust in local police and national government and the way thatsupposedly long-buried political tensions can resurface to devastating effect. Friday, 22 September 8.30pm on ABC. Lockheed Martin's logo is seen during Japan Aerospace 2016 air show in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 12, 2016. Reuters-Yonhap Beijing sanctioned Friday two U.S. defense companies, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, over their roles in supplying arms to Taiwan. The United States Congress, under the Taiwan Relations Act, requires the supply of weapons to the self-governing democracy for its defense. President Joe Biden's administration has recently announced a slew of arms sales to the island, including one that for the first time approved direct U.S. military aid to Taiwan under an assistance program aimed at foreign governments. "Despite China's firm opposition, the U.S. government is determined to provide weapons to Taiwan... seriously harming China's sovereignty and security interests, and going further and further on the wrong and dangerous road of arming Taiwan," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing. She said that Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan that took place on Aug. 24, and that Northrop Grumman had taken part in sales "many times". "According to the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the PRC, China has decided to impose sanctions on the above two U.S. military companies," she said, without providing details of the curbs. Mao said China urged the United States to stop selling weapons to Taiwan. "Otherwise, it will inevitably face a resolute and strong response from China," she added. Arms sales The United States said in August that it had approved the sale to Taiwan of advanced sensor equipment built by Lockheed Martin for its fighter jets. The systems improve warplanes' ability to detect airborne threats, increasing their chances of survival during combat. The U.S. State Department said at the time that the sale would help Taiwan "meet current and future threats by contributing to the recipient's abilities to defend its airspace, provide regional security and increase interoperability with the United States through its F-16 program". The State Department said the F-16 Infrared Search and Track systems and related equipment would help Taiwan "maintain a credible defensive capability." Another $80 million arms package approved in August was small compared with recent sales but was the first assistance to Taipei under the Foreign Military Financing program, which generally involves grants or loans to sovereign countries. China, an increasingly assertive diplomatic and military power, claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to seize it, by force if necessary. In July, the United States unveiled a $345 million military aid package designed to quickly bolster the island's ability to deter a Chinese invasion. The package which an official said featured intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment and small arms munitions was to be drawn from Washington's own reserves, allowing it to be delivered on a faster-than-usual timeline. Regional tensions Lockheed Martin previously faced sanctions imposed by Beijing after an arms deal in February 2022 involving $100 million in upgrades to Taiwan's U.S.-built Patriot missile defense system. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at the time that the sanctions also targeting U.S. defense firm Raytheon were intended "to safeguard China's sovereignty and security interests." Lockheed Martin was also sanctioned by Beijing in 2020 due to its involvement in the sale of nearly $2 billion worth of missiles to Taiwan. The fresh sanctions announcement comes after days of heightened tension in the region. Taiwan's defense ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected near the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. Beijing has in recent years ratcheted up pressure on Taiwan. The number of warplane flights around the island increased dramatically following last August's visit by Nancy Pelosi, then-speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. (AFP) Marie el-Drese, the aid group's secretary-general, told The Associated Press by phone that a further 10,100 people are reported missing in the Mediterranean city. Health authorities previously put the death toll in Derna at 5,500. The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country. The flooding swept away entire families in Derna on Sunday night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Here's a look at where things stand: What happened in Libya? Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, but the worst hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night, residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea. Damage from massive flooding is seen in Derna, Libya, Wednesday, Sept.13, 2023. - Yousef Murad/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved. A UN official said Thursday that most casualties could have been avoided. If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings," World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva. "The emergency management authorities would have been able to evacuate. The WMO said earlier this week that the National Meteorological Center issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all governmental authorities by email and through media. Officials in eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm, and on Saturday, they ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams collapsing. How does the conflict in Libya affect the disaster? The startling devastation reflected the storms intensity, but also Libyas vulnerability. Oil-rich Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade - one in the east, the other in the capital, Tripoli - and one result has been the widespread neglect of infrastructure. Story continues The two dams that collapsed outside Derna were built in the 1970s. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million euros for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. Libya's Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged the maintenance issues during a Cabinet meeting Thursday and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the dams' collapse. The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas. While the Tobruk-based government of eastern Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid. Damage from massive flooding is seen in Derna, Libya, Wednesday, Sept.13, 2023. - Yousef Murad/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved. What's happening now? Derna has begun burying its dead, mostly in mass graves, said eastern Libyas health minister, Othman Abduljaleel on Thursday. More than 3,000 bodies were buried by Thursday morning, the minister said, while another 2,000 were still being processed, He said most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were transferred to nearby towns and cities. Abduljaleel said rescue teams were still searching wrecked buildings in the city centre, and divers were combing the sea off Derna. Untold numbers could be buried under drifts of mud and debris, including overturned cars and chunks of concrete, that rise up to 4 meters (13 feet) high. Rescuers have struggled to bring in heavy equipment as the floods washed out or blocked roads leading to the area. Libya's eastern-based parliament, The House of Representatives, on Thursday, approved an emergency budget of 10 billion Libyan dinars - roughly $2 billion - to address the flooding and help those affected. How many people have been killed? As of Thursday, the Libyan Red Crescent said that 11,300 people have been killed, and a further 10,100 are reported missing. However, local officials suggested that the death toll could be much higher than announced. People look for survivors in Derna, Libya, Wednesday, Sept.13, 2023. - Yousef Murad/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved. In comments to the Saudi-owned Al Arabia television station on Thursday, Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi said the tally could climb to 20,000 given the number of neighbourhoods that were washed out. The storm also killed around 170 people in other parts of eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj, the health minister said. The dead in eastern Libya included at least 84 Egyptians, whose remains were transferred to their home country on Wednesday. More than 70 came from one village in the southern province of Beni Suef. Libyan media also said dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster. Is help reaching survivors? The floods have displaced at least 30,000 people in Derna, according to the UNs International Organization for Migration, and several thousand others were forced to leave their homes in other eastern towns, it said. The floods damaged or destroyed many access roads to Derna, hampering the arrival of international rescue teams and humanitarian assistance. Local authorities were able to clear some routes, and humanitarian convoys have been able to enter the city over the past couple of days. The UN humanitarian office issued an emergency appeal for $71.4 million to respond to the urgent needs of 250,000 Libyans most affected. The OCHA office estimated that approximately 884,000 people in five provinces live in areas directly affected by the rain and flooding. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it has provided 6,000 body bags to local authorities, as well as medical, food and other supplies distributed to hard-hit communities. International aid started to arrive earlier this week in Benghazi, 250 kilometres west of Derna. Several countries have sent aid and rescue teams, including neighbouring Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Italy dispatched a naval vessel on Thursday carrying humanitarian aid and two navy helicopters to be used for search and rescue operations. President Joe Biden said the United States would send money to relief organizations and coordinate with Libyan authorities and the United Nations to provide additional support. FILE PHOTO: People stand near NIO ET5 car model at the NIO House, the showroom of the Chinese premium smart electric vehicle manufacture NIO Inc. in Berlin By Reinhard Becker and Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) - Imports of Chinese vehicles and parts to Germany jumped 75% in the first half of the year while trade the other way slumped, showing the mounting pressure on Europe's biggest auto production hub. Several Chinese brands entered the German market this year, the German Economic Institute (IW) said in a report seen ahead of publication by Reuters, bringing the total to eight, though they still account for just 1.5% of vehicles sold in the country. Cars made in China by non-Chinese brands, such as the all-electric iX3 from Germany's BMW's, also contributed to the rise in imports. The study comes days after the European Commission launched an investigation into whether to impose punitive tariffs to protect EU producers against cheaper Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports it says benefit from state subsidies. It also shows exports of German vehicles and parts to the world's second-largest economy slumped 21% in the first half of the year, accounting for three quarters of the total decline in exports to China of over 8%. "The business model that used to support car production in Germany - the intercontinental export of high-quality vehicles - is coming under increasing pressure," wrote study authors Juergen Matthes and Thomas Puls. "German manufacturers have been relocating more and more production to China for years, currently also increasingly in the previously resistant premium class." More broadly, vehicles are increasingly becoming an Asian product, with nearly 60% of all vehicles produced in an Asian country last year, compared with around 31% in 2000, they wrote. Europe is losing significance for the sector, with only Germany and Spain among the top ten auto producers worldwide, which in 2000 included also France, Britain and Italy. German automakers' early entry into the Chinese market in the 1980s is to thank for their relative resilience, the IW said. Story continues IS DERISKING BEGINNING? Germany has at times been seen as a weak link in Western attempts to decouple from China, given Berlin's strong business ties with the Asian superpower which became Germany's single biggest trade partner in 2016. But Germany has over the past year joined the broader push to reduce dependence on China - which its policymakers have dubbed "de-risking". The IW study, entitled "Is Derisking Beginning?", said a breakdown of the broader 17% drop in German imports from China in the first half of the year pointed to the first signs of a reduction of Germanys reliance on China. Some 70% of product groups with a relatively high value where China traditionally accounts for more than half of imports saw a decline in China's market share. And just under 16% of such product groups saw declines in China's import share of more than 20 percentage points, the study showed, without naming the product areas or giving the exact market shares. But the chemicals sector alone accounted for 14 percentage points of the total decline in imports. It is too early to draw clear conclusions from the data about derisking, IW said, adding authorities needed to make more data available. We urgently need information about which products are indispensable, what role they play in firms supply chains and whether they could be replaced in sufficient supply and a short timeframe by other countries or production at home, it said. (Reporting by Reinhard Becker and Sarah Marsh; Additional reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Mark Potter) Inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The image shows a large room with curved rows of seats and curved white walls. Wikimedia Commons: Diliff At a European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg on Thursday, September 14, Irish MEP Grace OSullivan condemned a library protest that took place in Kerry in July. The Munster Green Party representative blamed ongoing far-right campaigns for the recent crusade against certain anti-LGBTQ+ books, which she described as an attack on literature. Specifically referencing the incident in Tralee, she stressed that Kerry people have always been proud of their literary heritage. But Ireland is no stranger to controversy, she noted. Remember that Brendan Behan and even Edna OBrien had their books banned in Ireland. OSullivan continued: Thankfully, we have moved past those days, and we will not allow extremists like those who barged their way into Tralee Library to bring us back to those darker days. The episode to which the MEP is referring to occurred on July 13, when a group of violent anti-LGBTQ+ protestors stormed a drag storytime event at Tralee Library in Kerry. While children were listening to a story read by Butch Chastity and Miggeldy Bubbles, the demonstrators entered the building and started shouting that it was immoral to read filth to children. This went on for several minutes before Gardai intervened. This is just one example of several similar incidents that have occurred in Ireland over previous months, including in cities such as Dublin, Cork and Limerick. OSullivans comments on the Kerry library protest came in coincidence with the European Parliament adopting a new report on the future of the regions book sector, which passed by a vote of 513 in favour to 11 against. Aiming to defend libraries facing attacks, it deemed that these facilities should be safe and welcoming spaces where a wide diversity of viewpoints are respected. The report also aims to defend independent bookshops from online giants and improve young peoples access to literature, as well as calling for more supports for publications in minority languages such as Irish. Story continues This report we passed today is a celebration of our book culture and a rallying call to defend our libraries and bookshops, OSullivan concluded. Just adopted a report in defence of libraries facing attacks and supporting independent bookshops from online giants ? I was recently down at the great @TheBookCentres in Waterford. Wheres your favourite book spot? Pic with Daniel of @Booksellers_Fed and @BooksellingI pic.twitter.com/0uos1O0bCJ Grace OSullivan MEP (@GraceOSllvn) September 14, 2023 The post Kerry anti-LGBTQ+ library protest condemned at European Parliament meeting appeared first on GCN. New Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty unveils new set ahead of its new season. (Photo: Andres Poveda/RTE) Patrick Kielty has said "it's going to be strange" to hear a Northern accent on one of Ireland's biggest talk shows as he prepares to host The Late Late Show for the first time. The comedian and presenter also revealed that he had received a message from previous host Ryan Tubridy ahead of his debut episode on Friday evening. Kielty is the fourth regular host in the run of The Late Late Show, being preceded by Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Ryan Tubridy. He is also the first host to hail from Northern Ireland and is originally from Dundrum in Co Down. Kielty said he was not feeling any animosity on being the first host from across the border, and that he has been welcomed into his new role. "I think it's going to be fun. "It's going to be a bit strange for people up the road to hear the County Down accent on the show," he said. "I think what's interesting is sometimes we talk these things up even more, I think that if you look at all of the identities that we have on this island at the minute, and the progress that we've made, I think that - I don't see it as a thing. "And I think that the welcome that I've had coming into this building, certainly not a thing down here." The Late Late show has not shied away from controversy in the past, with the show facing a High Court case in 1985 for billing two former nuns who were lesbians when Gay Byrne was host, and Tubridy's interview with Tony Blair that took place just the night before the former prime minister was pelted with eggs at a book signing in Dublin. Kielty said that in his tenure on the show, he would not shy away from difficult discussions. "I think the only way you can have a difficult conversation is to be honest, and not to judge. "Whenever I was doing my documentaries, and visiting the bonfires, and I think with all conversations, you go in and try to see who the human being is you're talking to, and why they feel the way they're talking, what their position is, and I think that's at the heart of it," he said. Story continues "And I think that hopefully any conversation that I'll have on the show that I'm hosting, I'll hopefully bring those skills to it." A compilation of well-wishing messages from people in Kielty's hometown of Dundrum was prepared for him, and he said he felt the benefits of support from his local community. "That type of stuff that nearly puts you over the edge like all the other stuff you can kind of cope with, but people in the village and people you grew up with and people who went to school with," he said. "I got an amazing wee message sent to me from my best friend's family, and they were all sea swimming this week, and they were all in the sea jumping up going 'Hey, Paddy!' "It's nice to know, you've got so many people in your corner." Kielty's predecessor Tubridy, who presented the show from 2009, announced his resignation in March 2023, with his final episode airing on May 26. Just a month after his gracious exit from the Late Late, Tubridy became embroiled at the heart of the scandal at RTE when the broadcaster revealed it had not correctly declared his fees to between 2017 and 2022, when he was the highest-earning presenter. Kielty said the controversy: "Weirdly, hasn't impacted how we do the first show, at all really". "In terms of, you're coming in, you're hosting the Late Show, you're always going to put your stamp on it, you're always going to have to be you," he said. "I think the fact that kind of none of that concerned me and it was happening before my time meant that really you were just focusing on what you could control. "I think that when you put all of this stuff together it maybe seems like one story, but for me, I don't really see myself as part of that, I see myself as I got the show, I'm hosting the show, let's host the show." He did say he had received a message from his forerunner during preparations for his pilot episode. "I got a little message from Ryan wishing me good luck which I thought was very nice," he said. Kielty remained tight-lipped on what audiences can expect from the new series of the Late Late. When asked to describe the first episode in one word he said it was "coming", adding that if he had been asked for three words he would have said: "wait and see". "I don't think we're giving guests away. "And it feels like I'm not answering it, and I'm not answering it, I kind of want to answer it. "There's lots of nice treats that I'm really happy with and I hope everybody else is," he said. Kielty is married to TV presenter Cat Deeley and the pair have two sons, aged five and seven. With Kielty planning to travel between London and Ireland for his new hosting gig, he said the family has always had to deal with "moving parts" due to his and his wife's careers. "Neither of us have had a nine to five job and so there's always been stuff where Cat's gone and done stuff, and I've gone and done stuff. "It feels, weirdly, that this show is probably the most routine that we're going to have as a family," he said. "And what's nice is that I still get to do a couple of school runs if it's the start of the week and coming from Co Down and still having a house there, I get to see the other part of the family and get to be here, so it's not as much of an upheaval as maybe you think. "It was a wee bit trickier whenever you're maybe doing stand up gigs and living in LA, that was harder." Kielty said Deeley and their sons would not be attending the first show on Friday, but said "the request may come in for a trip" approaching Christmas as he prepares to take on The Toy Show. "There's the first show and then there's the Toy Show. "And whenever I got this gig the Toy Show was the one where you're just like, 'Oh, my God, that's the one'" he said. "The first show was the one really that we kind of want to get out of the way. "And then once we get bedded in and stuff like that, we'll tick on." Asked if he had plans to celebrate when his first episode wrapped on Friday night, Kielty said: "Win, lose or draw I've decided I'm going to enjoy this week so drink might be taken." Audiences can tune in to Kielty's maiden hosting of The Late Late show at 9.35pm on Friday September 15. Fox News Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on three gun-related feloniesa turn of events due in part to a previous plea deal falling apart in July. Yet according to Fox News host Jesse Watters, the main prosecutor in the case is somehow still protecting President Joe Bidens son. On The Five, Watters apparently couldnt bring himself to bask in the news like some other right-wing commentators have done. Instead, he suggested that the president has his thumb on investigations into his son. Biden is definitely heading down, but hes not going down without a fight. This is Joe Biden were talking aboutthe stubbornest man in Washington D.C. Its going to get ugly, Watters predicted, before mentioning special counsel David Weiss, whom Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed to that role last month. Weiss is his pocket boy. Hes still protecting Hunter. I dont think [Hunter] is going to serve a day in jail on the guns. I think theyre going to drag it out. Its a charge not connected to the president, and they dont often prosecute this because its really hard to prove, Watters said. Most people dont confess to being on drugs and buying guns. Only Hunter is dumb enough to pull that off. The indictment, returned by a grand jury in Delaware, alleges that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use when he filed paperwork to obtain a handgun in 2018. Biden provided a written statement on Form 4473 certifying he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious, the indictment states. Biden, who says he has been sober since 2019, could face a 25-year prison sentence and $750,000 in fines if convicted. However, as Watters alluded to, non-violent first-time offenders facing such charges are unlikely to receive substantial prison time. Weiss, appointed Delawares top prosecutor in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump, could still bring two misdemeanor charges against Biden for failure to pay income taxcharges that Biden was expected to plead guilty to this summer as part of the plea deal. Story continues 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. School children eating school lunch as main and drop in of chocolate mousse Millions of youngsters are well into the swing of their new school term and the back to school vibe has sparked a surge in the 10 most popular school dinners as Angel Delight is going viral on TikTok. Long gone are the 'cold lumpy custard' school dinner days, as parents look at school dinner vs packed lunch to see which is cheaper amid the cost of living crisis with some parents opting for fresh packed lunch ideas for their young ones. A new study by ExamPapersPlus.co.uk has pulled together the 10 most popular school dinners, and to TikTok is bringing a wave of nostalgia back for children and parents alike. With school dinner searches at a whopping 8.2 billion on TikTok and school dinner hashtags at 18.7 million video views - it looks like school dinner fans are keen to do their homework and create some of the dishes at home. We look at which age-old favourites are increasing in popularity... Top 10 most popular school dinners, according to TikTok 1. Angel Delight (1970s) With 9.2m views, Tiktokers just cant get enough of Angel Delights heavenly taste, with searches spiking 1000% over a 30 day period. Despite the desserts British roots, the study shows its whipping up huge interest in the US, with searches increasing by 200% in the last 30 days, and searches in Canada spiking by 100% in the last month alone. At the other side of the world, Google searches for 'Angel Delight Australia' have peaked 256% in the last 12 months. The retro dessert made a comeback in supermarkets back in 2018 following a makeover that saw it's powder mix packet become a ready made dessert pot. One fan commented, "70s retro pud, loved by GenXers. Butterscotch is the best." another fan added, "Its a 10/10 plus another point for childhood memories of begging mum to buy it while in the shop so 11/10" While a third fan added, "Aw man I'm an adult now, why don't I eat this all the time (mum made it as a treat, in special glass bowls)." Story continues Chocolate mousse, Vegan avocado, banana and cocoa mousse. Topped with coconut whipped cream and dark chocolate. White background 2. Rice pudding with jam (1970s-1980s) Next in the most popular school dinner meals is a comforting dessert associated with 1970s Britain. Theres been an increased trend in people seeking out nostalgic comfort foods on Tiktok, with the rice pudding dessert having one of the highest view counts included in the study at a whopping 153.2 million, increasing by 500% in the past month. rice pudding with jam 3. Turkey Dinosaurs A retro school dinner snack that is certainly making a comeback, turkey dinosaurs were popular in the 1980s and 90s, and are still keeping fans in raptures today. Over on TikTok, #turkeydinosaurs has a roaring 16.1 million views, with the term showing a huge 300% increase in the last 30 days. Looking at search increases in the last month, 'turkey dinosaurs' had a surprising 100% increase in Canada. Fans couldn't wait to recreate the dish at home, one wrote, "Im gonna make this for us when I get back" while another fan added, "I want to do this'. This embedded content is not available in your region. 4. Turkey Twizzlers Featuring a twirly shape and a crispy coating, turkey twizzlers are a school food savoury to put a smile on your face. According to the study, turkey twizzlers are on the up, particularly on Tiktok where turkey twizzlers hashtag has 4.5 million views, and has a 200% increase in views in the last 30 days. Bernard Matthews stopped making them but in 2020 - some 15 years after they disappeared - turkey twizzlers made a comeback into supermarkets when a healthier version was made. One fan commented, "Not going to lie that one looks pretty good. Dont tell Jamie Oliver I said that though." This embedded content is not available in your region. 5. Bread & butter pudding A classic comfort dessert, bread and butter pudding has been a firm favourite among the older generation, but its now experiencing a surge in popularity among Tiktokers, with over 5.3 million views, and a 100% increase in searches in 30 days. This embedded content is not available in your region. 6. Chips & Gravy With 10.4m searches on TikTok, both school and a classic chip shop order is chips and gravy. However, some might experiment with toppings, opting for either mushy peas, curry sauce or a student fave cheesy chips. And there's not forgetting the modern version of fully loaded fries. One TikTok user commented, "Chips and Gravy is so under rated! Try it - you might be surprised!" This embedded content is not available in your region. 7. Curly Fries A twist on the usual chip variety, these spiral potato creations left you in awe at how it was possible to get the vegetable into that shape. So it's no surprise that the paprika seasoned classic has had 106.9m views on TikTok. Anyone who's had curly fries will be able to relate to not being able to resist pulling the curls apart like you're detangling your nan's vintage corded phone! This embedded content is not available in your region. 8. Jelly & Ice Cream A nostalgic pudding if there ever was one - and one that would often pop up at children's birthday parties. Jelly and Ice cream has had 1.4m searches on TikTok, and is so easy to recreate at home with these tasty ice cream recipes. One fan commented, "Omg I haven't had this since I was a kid". This embedded content is not available in your region. 9. Instant Mash Instant mash - or Batchelors Smash - is something many will remember their grandparents having in the cupboard. Love it or hate it, it's often difficult to avoid the scoop in the dinner queue. This super quick food turned from crumbs into potato like magic, by just adding boiling water and a bit of butter to make them creamy. And looks like TikTok users have gone all nostalgic with 842,000 views and some videos show alternate uses for instant mash powder like for thickening soups. This embedded content is not available in your region. 10. Spam Fritters And last but by no means least, Spam Fritters have been searched 39,000 times. For anyone who's not familiar with the food, it's a slice of Spam fried in batter. And it's commonly eaten with chips and mushy peas. You might have seen one in the hot counter at your local fish and chip shop or burger bars in the UK. They were first introduced during World War II due to fish being unavailable. While some fans who don't even like Spam are willing to try a new spam recipe, with one commenting, "I don't even like Spam but I will try this." Another fan is keen to know what it's like, asking, "What does Spam taste like anyone plz before I buy it and try it??" One fan replied, "If you grill it it tastes like smoked bacon. it's the only way I can eat it as it tastes like pork pie jelly otherwise." This embedded content is not available in your region. For more food news, how about this Angel Delight cookie recipe, or Angel Delight Ice lollies and there's even a mini Angel Delight cheesecake recipe. BERLIN (Reuters) - European Union quotas for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), seen as an expensive but essential key to greener air travel, are not achievable by today's standards, according to the chief executive of Germany's Lufthansa . The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a deal to set binding targets for airlines in Europe to increase their use of SAFs, which have net-zero CO2 emissions or lower CO2 emissions than fossil fuel kerosene. "From today's point of view, it won't work to have even the availability of the quantities that are demanded of us, not to mention the high costs that in the end the passenger will have to bear," CEO Carsten Spohr said in a briefing with reporters on Thursday evening in Frankfurt. However, he added, shareholders were now demanding "that the industry get better at this." Worldwide, SAFs make up just 0.1% of airlines' fuel, versus 0.2% at Lufthansa. The EU targets foresee 2% by 2025, rising to 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035 and gradually to 70% in 2050. The CEO also said Lufthansa would participate in a consortium with German defence firm Rheinmetall to produce and maintain U.S. F-35 fighter jets, confirming an earlier report from Business Insider. (Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Miranda Murray) William Beckford statue (City of London Corporation) Plaques are being fixed to the statues of a former Lord Mayor of London and MP explaining their links to slavery, after it was decided the statues would stay on display at City of London Corporation headquarters. The corporation has been granted planning permission to fix a plaque to William Beckfords statue, which is displayed at Guildhall, in the new year. A Lord Mayor in 1762 and 1769, Beckfords vast wealth derived from the 3,000 slaves he owned in Jamaica across 13 sugar plantations. Beckford inherited the considerable wealth that his grandfather Peter Beckford had accrued from Jamaican sugar plantations. A plaque will also be placed next to slave trader and former MP Sir John Cass but it did not require planning permission. A 2021 independent report commissioned by Sir John Casss foundation, which changed its name to The Portal Trust, identified Sir John Casss role not just in investing in the Royal African Company, but in his active management of the slave trade from its London base. Sir John Cass statue (Getty Images) An anti-racism taskforce set up by the City initially recommended the two statues removal in 2021, but a new statues working group overruled them and recommended they stay, provided their links to slavery would be explained. The City has worked with arts and heritage charity, Culture&, to commission designers, writers, and poets, and an inter-generational panel and accessibility panel were consulted to develop a response to both statues. Following the approval of listed building consent, both plaques will explain the mens links with slavery and be installed in the new year. Munsur Ali, the chairman of the City Corporations Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee, said: Whether cast in lead or sculpted in marble, the statues to Beckford and Cass signify a deeply shameful period in the Citys history. My colleagues at Guildhall are working closely with many talented individuals and organisations to ensure that this project is handled very sensitively and that, no matter how we try to contextualise this period in our history, these two mens actions are called out and condemned in the strongest possible terms. The death of George Floyd while in the custody of police in Minneapolis sparked protests across the world in 2020, with the statue of Edward Colston dumped into Bristol Harbour and a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill vandalised with the words is a racist. China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 2. Reuters-Yonhap Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has been missing from public view for more than two weeks, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter. The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny. Eight senior officials from the Chinese military's procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation, according to two of the people in direct contact with the military. The probe into Li, who was appointed as defense minister in March, and the eight officials is being carried out by the military's powerful disciplinary inspection commission, those two people said. Reuters' detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defense leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters Friday that she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and the Defense Ministry did not immediately return requests for comment. Li could not immediately be reached. The Financial Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials that the U.S. government believes Li has been placed under investigation. The Wall Street Journal cited a person close to decision making in Beijing as saying he had been taken away last week for questioning. The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports that U.S. intelligence officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Friday posed the question on X, formerly Twitter, whether Li was under house arrest. The U.S. embassy in Tokyo did not immediately have further comment. Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29 giving a key-note speech at a security forum with African nations. Earlier that month, he also visited Russia and Belarus. The probe into the minister started shortly after his return from that trip, according to a person in direct contact with the military and two foreign security officials briefed on the case. By Sept. 3, his ministry had cancelled a visit by Li to Vietnam for an annual defense meeting between the two countries scheduled for Sept. 7-8, according to a Vietnamese official. Beijing told officials in Hanoi that Li had a "health condition" when it postponed the event, two Vietnamese officials said. Li's failure to attend that meeting, and talks with a senior Singaporean military official in China the same week, raised questions among regional diplomats and social media users about his whereabouts. The probe into Li follows China's unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged absence from public view and a shake-up of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army's elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional and nuclear missiles. Chinese officials initially said Qin's absence was also due to health reasons. The moves have raised questions from some observers and diplomats about the abrupt changes in China's leadership at a time when its economy is struggling to recover from strict pandemic closures and its relations with the United States have further soured over a range of issues. Both Li and Qin were seen by observers ok Chinese politics as handpicked by President Xi Jinping, making their absence after less than a year on the job particularly notable. The two men had prominent public-facing roles and also serve among China's five state councilors, a post outranking a regular minister. Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, April 16. Reuters-Yonhap Tens of thousands of climate activists around the world will take part in protests between 15-17 September. They are calling for an end to the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels as the globe suffers dramatic weather extremes and record-breaking heat. The 'Global Fight to End Fossil Fuels' strike will take place in dozens of countries and in hundreds of cities worldwide and continue through the weekend. It is driven by several mostly youth-led, local and global climate groups and organisations, including Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future movement. The protests mark the lead up to the United Nations Secretary Generals Climate Ambition Summit next week. Where are climate protests taking place this weekend? Protests are organised around the world, from across Europe to the US, India, Africa, Australia and South America. In one strike in Quezon City in the Philippines, activists lay in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in protest, and held signs demanding fossil fuels - from coal to natural gas - be phased out. Another major strike is planned to take place Sunday in New York, to coincide with the citys Climate Week and the UN climate summit. The Fossil Fuel Treaty map gives an overview of planned events. They are most heavily concentrated in Europe, with several protests registered in London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Brussels, Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm and beyond on Friday and over the weekend. Climate activists have organised similar worldwide strikes in recent years, where protesters from different nations join together on a single day. Tens of thousands of climate activists around the world are set to march, chant and protest Friday to call for an end to the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels. - AP Photo/Aaron Favila Why are climate activists protesting? "This historic mobilisation renews and reinforces the globally coordinated efforts focused on ending the era of fossil fuels," a statement on the 'Fight Fossil Fuels' website dedicated to the protests reads. Story continues "Across the globe, we are coming together to fight back against the fossil fuel industry and its enablers," it adds. A week before the planned protest, the United Nations warned that countries are way off track to curb warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, as agreed in Paris in 2015. The world has warmed at least 1.1 degrees since then. Over the past few months, Earth broke its daily average heat record several times according to one metric, July was the hottest month ever on record, and the Northern Hemisphere summer was declared the hottest on record. Dozens of extreme weather events - from Hurricane Idalia in the southeastern United States to torrential flooding in Delhi in India - are believed to have been made worse by human-caused climate change. The Medi Tech Trust Team (Photo: Submitted) The team have spent months collecting and checking nearly 60,000 items of equipment and consumables from hospitals, manufacturers and suppliers across the UK resulting in a full container being shipped this week. Medi Tech Trust Unit Manager Jose Valero Gil praised the small group of volunteers who give their time so willingly. This equipment donation will be followed up by a team of Urologists, funded by Medi Tech Trust who will visit the Lilongwe hospital to train the local team to ensure full use of the equipment. The Princess Royal and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch during the Northern Ireland Investment Summit 2023 at the ICC, Belfast. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in the Budget delivered in March plans for 12 new investment zones, saying there would be at least one in Northern Ireland. The designation could see areas benefit from increased funding for spending and tax incentives, and the Government says the programme has been designed to increase innovation, grow key industries and drive growth as part of the so-called levelling-up agenda. Speaking in the Commons, Tory former Cabinet minister Dame Andrea Leadsom asked: "What consideration has (the Secretary of State) given to creating an investment zone that covers the whole of Northern Ireland that would bring much-needed investment to that much-loved part of the United Kingdom?" Ms Badenoch responded: "I think this is a... very interesting idea. I do know that the investment zone policy is owned by the levelling up department, so I will raise it with the Secretary of State there and with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State. "But what I think I must say is that officials from the UK Government and the Northern Ireland civil service continue to work closely to explore developing investment zone policy in the country. "The lack of a functioning executive there has of course limited the scope, and the nature of engagement on investment zones, but if the executive is restored we will work together to progress an investment zone at pace. And if it isn't formed, we will set out different plans in due course." Elsewhere in the session of questions to business and trade ministers, Government frontbencher Nusrat Ghani was challenged over concerns of a "Brexit tax" being applied to food imported from the European Union. SNP MP Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) asked: "Perhaps she can explain why her Government's plan for a 43 inspection fee on each consignment of food imported from the European Union represents barrier-free trade? "Can she tell small food retailers, restaurants, and their customers in Glasgow North when or whether they are going to have to pay this Brexit tax and the higher prices that it will lead to?" Business and trade minister Ms Ghani said: "I know that the honourable member wants to put all of his anxiety on Brexit and forget about all the opportunities that we're securing with trade agreements around the world. "The issue that he raises is fundamentally an issue that sits at the doorstep of the Cabinet Office and Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). We're working very closely with them to resolve all of them." The plot line for Passenger C reads like an only in Hollywood inspirational tale. Big-time Hollywood agent and producer Cassian is on a red-eye flight back to Los Angeles when he agrees to take the seat next to Marco, an ex-Marine with PTSD. When Marco begins to flip out, physically assaulting Cassian and threatening the other passengers, Cassian tries to calm him down. After landing, when Marco is handed over to the police, Cassian promises he wont forget him. He never did. Cassian is the producer and big-time Hollywood agent Cassian Elwes, and the incident on the red-eye, more than a decade ago, changed his life. It altered the course of Elwes career, pushed him to back a project nobody in Hollywood believed in a little Oscar winner called Dallas Buyers Club and to set up programs like the Horizon program to help female filmmakers and, most importantly, to stand up for Marco at his criminal trial, where he faced a 20-year prison sentence. More from The Hollywood Reporter For his directorial debut, Elwes retells the story of Passenger C in a sparse, black-and-white film that bears little resemblance to his previous work as a producer Elwes long list of credits includes Lee Daniels The Butler, Dee Rees Mudbound and Liza Johnsons Elvis & Nixon. But it fits nicely into the indie aesthetic of the Oldenburg Film Festival, where Passenger C is having its international premiere. Elwes teamed up with long-time friend, German actress and producer Veronica Ferres, on Passenger C, and the pair spoke with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the films Oldenburg premiere on Saturday. Before talking about the film, can I ask how the two of you met and came to work together on this movie? Elwes: It was years ago. I was an agent for many years for William Morris, and I went to the Berlin Film Festival. We had a client there, Sharon Stone. And Sharon Stone asked me to go to a party with her. She saw Veronica and said to me: Youve got to come and meet her. Shes the Sharon Stone of Germany. We immediately hit it off, and weve been friends ever since. That was, I dont know, 20 years ago, or something like that. Weve worked on a number of movies together, movies that shes been in, and weve stayed friends. I convinced her to come to America and get an agent here and shes been incredibly successful. So when I first started thinking about this movie, I immediately asked her if she would produce it with me. Story continues Passenger C is centered on an encounter you had on a flight. What impact did the incident have on your life that you felt compelled to tell the story as your directorial debut? Elwes: The event happened to me 10 years ago, but Id been thinking about this film for quite some time. I realized I was having terrible PTSD myself over it, that things were happening to me psychologically that I wasnt able to control and they were affecting my life, my personal life, my work and a lot of different aspects. All that started coming out while doing therapy. The incident itself happened when I was in New Orleans. We were in the middle of shooting The Butler and having a lot of issues in making that film. We had done a night shoot and it was Saturday morning, about 10 oclock in the morning, where Id just gone to sleep about two or three hours before when my daughter called me and said: I know youre going back to Los Angeles tomorrow but is there any way you can come to New York first and spend the weekend with me because Im moving into a new apartment and I need to go upstate and get all my stuff out of storage. So I said of course and changed everything and flew to New York and took the last flight out of New York City on Sunday night, which was this JetBlue flight out of JFK. Id never been on JetBlue before. Of course, people joke with me now that this is what happens when you fly on JetBlue. But, actually, the incident turned out to be incredibly important in my life; it triggered something very cathartic for me. I started to really think about my life and that, if I could affect one mans life (Marcos) could I affect other peoples lives? Initially, I had the glib idea of maybe going to work for Habitat for Humanity or something, but I had lunch one day with [Black List founder] Franklin Leonard, and he said: You have this incredible knowledge of the film industry. What you really should do is help mentor people, help young people in a more meaningful way in your business. And thats how these programs started, like Horizon, to help female directors. And Its really taken off. Weve done it for 10 years now, where we bring young female directors out of colleges and film schools across the country and bring them to Sundance for mentorships. In the last four years, Ive made maybe 10, 12 movies and at least seven of them were with female directors, most of those first-timers. Im trying very hard not just to talk the talk but to walk the walk. And it all came from that incident on the JetBlue flight. When Marco said: Youre going to forget me? Elwes: And I said, No, Im not. I wont. But I did. I started working on Dallas Buyers Club, and then I moved to the next movie and the next. And I lost touch with him. But because I had sent all these tweets out about what happened that night I wrote them in the cab ride on the way home, when it was all still fresh in my memory and that had gone completely viral, something like 500,000 people read it or something, someone tweeted at me three months later and said: What happened to Marco? And I thought, Oh my God, where is he? Whats happened to him? Im even choking up now, talking about it, but I tracked him down. He was in the maximum security in Denver. I went down there to meet with him, and I went to his trial to support him. I wrote [the judge], asking for leniency. And, right on the spur, he decided, to change the sentence. Instead of giving Marco five years of prison, he gave him three years of probation. I wrote to the guy; I made the effort, and it actually changed something. Thats what motivated me afterward. I was like, you might not be able to change the whole world but you can change one little thing at a time. Ferres: When Cassian came to me he said, Ive had this experience, and I really have to make this movie about it; maybe it could change peoples lives. I immediately said I had to produce this film. Firstly, because Im just very proud to know this genius who is so much more than just an agent or a producer; he can really inspire filmmakers, directors, writers, actors and put them together in a way that is the best to make a great film. When he said he wanted to direct, I told him I wanted to be the producer of Cassian Elwes first feature. Elwes: And Veronica, God bless her, shes been an angel in my life. She gave me a lot of notes on the shoot and in post-production, in the editing room and shes continued to help me, through getting this film to the Oldenburg Film Festival. Shes been the kind of producer to me that I try to be to other filmmakers. What were the biggest challenges in telling this story? Elwes: Well this is not a classical three-act story. It required a very unique form of storytelling that reflected what was happening in real-time. And I wanted to include things, like the daughter-father story, that were very important to my emotional arc. Im going to get very personal here. My daughter got married, about five years ago and I gave a speech at the wedding in front of maybe 200 people. And I started telling this story. I was saying, This thing happened to me, and I could have died, and if I had, I wouldnt be here today. Afterwards, I was so mortified that I said that, in front of all these people. That was what started me thinking about what had happened and when I started to go to therapy about it. I wrote the script over a three-year period when I had broken up with my second wife and I was living alone. I was sitting at my dining room table up at my little house, which is depicted in the movie, and I was writing this script out in longhand. It was at first just flashes of moments that would come to me in the middle of the night and Id write down. It wasnt really a script. When Veronica looked at it, it was just a series of thoughts and notes. She really helped me turn it into a movie. What surprised me is how the film shifts from the incident on the flight, which plays almost like a real-time thriller, to the period afterward, which shows the behind-the-scenes business of Hollywood as you try to put together financing for Dallas Buyers Club. Elwes: When I started writing, the actual conversation that I had with Marco on the plane, which was still very vivid in my mind, was the first thing I wrote. And once Id written that was like, well, thats 25 pages, thats not a movie. And then I started thinking about how Dallas Buyers Club happened to me, the opportunity to get involved in it, happened right after that. It didnt actually happen the next morning, like in the film, thats a bit of bit of poetic liberty, but I got back on Sunday night, and I got the phone call on Dallas Buyers Club on Tuesday. I thought Id throw that in because it might be interesting for people to see what my life is really like. Its a much smaller, lower-budget film that you are used to making as a producer. Elwes: This was a COVID movie, we shot the whole movie in eight days, mostly at my house, at my office, at the Starbucks on Sunset where I go as a regular. I didnt have a permit. I just went out there with a camera and the actors and said, Lets do the scene. There were people going in and out, getting coffee and the people behind the counter were like: Its OK, its just Cassian trying to make a movie. Was it odd seeing your own story play out on screen, with an actor (Jon Jacobs) playing you? Elwes: Well, strangely enough, back before I became an agent, I produced exploitation horror movies, I did four of them, even directed one, but I dont count that. Passenger C is my real directorial debut. But one of the four films was called The Girl With Hungry Eyes. And it was directed by and starred this young British actor-director called Jon Jacobs. When I started thinking about Passenger C I thought of Jon, because he kind of looks like me, and because hes a director too, he could actually help me with the performance stuff, about where to put the camera and so on. Jon continued to make low-budget movies and produce low-budget movies and his partner, Michael Kastenbaum, is an excellent low-budget line producer. So I basically recruited them together to come and help me do a budget for the film. And getting Jon to play me really helped with getting the thing made. What was that experience like, going back to the roots like that? Elwes: It was ultra-low budget, shooting quickly, and I have to tell you: It was so much fun. It was like my first experience, making my first movies, when I was 23, making very low-budget movies for $200,000, $300,000. And when I look back on it, even though the films themselves werent, you know, amazing, they were made for the right reasons, which was for all of us to learn how to make films. It was so much fun making those films. My wife recently said to me, The version of you making this movie [Passenger C] was the first time I saw you completely let go and have the greatest time being an artist and not think about the business. The version of me that made this movie was the greatest version of me. I loved it. Can you talk a bit about the Horizon program, which you started in part because of this incident? Elwes: The big change came after I wrote that letter to the judge. Because you always think: This is a huge problem, I cant do anything about it. But you dont have to solve the huge problem, you can solve one little problem. Or you can try to help with one little problem. And maybe that might make a difference. I didnt think the Horizon program for young female directors would mean this great change in our business. But I thought maybe I could show by example, that if one person tries to do something, others could follow. Now you see a lot of programs like this out there and Im happy about that. We were the first. How do you feel about premiering the film in Oldenburg? Ferres: Oldenburg is a festival I have a history with. And it suits this film, because one of the main themes is about criminal justice reform, and Oldenburg is known for its prison screenings. Its close to one of the biggest European prisons, the most modern prisons for male criminals. When my film [2013s Gefahrliches Schweigen] premiered there, there was a serial killer sitting on one side of me and a rapist on the other. And I was talking to them about my movie, what it did to them, and also about their lives, the events in their lives that led them to this place. It was a tremendous honor just to be there, to be able to have that experience. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. Six families have launched a High Court challenge to the Governments controversial Legacy Bill. The families, who all had relatives killed during the Troubles, have lodged judicial review proceedings challenging the lawfulness of the legislation and its compatibility with international human rights standards. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill has been passed into law and is awaiting royal assent. The Bill will give a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences to former terrorists who co-operate with a truth-recovery commission. It will also halt all future civil cases and inquests. The Bill was opposed by all major Stormont parties, victims campaign groups and the Irish government. Family members of Ballymurphy victims protest against the UK Governments controversial Bill to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles (PA) Madden & Finucane Solicitors released a statement on Friday outlining that they would be challenging the legislation on behalf of family members of Kathleen Thompson, Gervaise McKerr, Gerard Casey, Sam Marshall, Pearse Jordan and Gerard and Rory Cairns, all of whom were killed in the Troubles. The statement said that they intend to lodge applications for families directly affected by the Legacy Bill to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. Billy Thompsons mother Kathleen was shot dead by a member of the Royal Green Jacket regiment in Derry on November 6 1971. In 2022, a coroner rejected the evidence of a former soldier who killed Mrs Thompson and referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Kathleen Thompson was shot dead by a soldier in her back garden (PA) Jonathan McKerrs father Gervaise was shot dead near Lurgan on November 11 1982 when members of an elite firearms unit of the RUC fired more than 100 rounds into a car he was driving, killing him and his two passengers. All three were unarmed. An inquest into their deaths has never been concluded. In May 2001, the ECHR found the UK to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because no effective investigation had ever been conducted into Mr McKerrs death. Story continues Una Eakin is the widow of Mr Casey, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on April 4 1989 in Rasharkin, north Antrim. Mr Casey had been threatened in Castlereagh in the 1980s and a legally held shotgun was seized by the RUC during a house raid six months before his death. In 2007, Mr Caseys inquest verdict was quashed by the High Court and in July 2010 the Attorney General for Northern Ireland ordered a new inquest into his death. In 2022 the Police Ombudsman published a report which found collusive behaviour between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries in his murder. Sam Marshall, 31, was shot dead in 1990 (PA) Linda Hewitt is taking the case for her brother Mr Marshall, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on March 7 1990 in Lurgan, shortly after leaving Lurgan RUC station after signing bail. In a small urban area patrolled by at least 11 heavily armed undercover British soldiers on foot, in observation positions and in cars, two UVF men were able to enter the area, murder Mr Marshall and attempt to murder his two companions, and then safely withdraw unhindered. Teresa Jordans son Pearse was shot dead by the RUC on the Falls Road, Belfast on November 25 1992. In 2016 a coroner formally referred two former RUC officers to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether they should be prosecuted for perjury or perverting the course of justice arising from their evidence to the inquest. A prosecutorial decision has not yet been taken. Teresa Jordan (left) with Marie Cush, a Sinn Fein councillor (PA) Eamon Cairns two sons Gerard and Rory were murdered in their home by the mid Ulster UVF in October 1993. In 2019 a loyalist paramilitary admitted on a BBC Spotlight programme that he and others had conspired to murder every male member of the Cairns household and that intelligence had been received directly from the RUC. In May 2023 a file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Irish government is seeking legal advice on the possibility of taking an interstate case against the UK in relation to the Legacy Bill. Banga soup and pounded yam - ba55ey/Shutterstock When it comes to Nigerian food, warm, fragrant dishes dominate the cuisine. In a country with over 300 tribes from many different ethnic groups and an extensive food history, the likes of suya, jollof rice, and egusi soup are often the most popular dishes. While the spicy, aromatic flavors in these dishes represent the cuisine well, exploring lesser known foods like banga soup is an absolute must. Hailing from the southern region of Nigeria, banga soup is a rich soup made from meat or fish, palm nut fruit concentrate, and an assortment of spices and aromatics, such as Cameroon, habanero, and scotch bonnet peppers. Banga also contains oburunbebe sticks, sometimes called African licorice sticks. Like other soups from Nigeria, it's eaten with "swallow," a type of side dish that is dipped into your soup of choice and swallowed, not chewed. Banga can be eaten with eba, a swallow made from fried cassava, or pounded yam, which is made from peeled, boiled yams. The ethnic groups that created banga eat it with delta starch, which also comes from cassava. Banga soup has a savory, spicy taste, however, the foundation of it comes from palm nut cream. Palm nut soup is eaten across West Africa, with each country and ethnic group delivering their own special take on it. With banga soup, the unique spices and aromatics that are native to Nigeria enrich the soup, giving it its own earthy flair. Read more: 40 Types Of Soup And What Makes Them Unique Where Did Banga Soup Originate From? Banga soup in white bowl - Joy Nnenna/Shutterstock Although banga soup is enjoyed by a variety of Nigerians, the ethnic groups in the Niger Delta are to thank for the dish, particularly the people of the Urhobo and Itsekiri tribes. There's no specified time period for when it originated, but its star ingredient has deep roots in the country's history. The oil palm tree, which produces red palm oil as well as palm nut concentrate, grows in the Niger Delta and has been in the country for thousands of years. The oil palm fruit and everything that's derived from it have always held significance. For Urhobo and Itsekiri people, as well as the other groups found in the Niger Delta, banga soup is present at special events, such as traditional wedding ceremonies. Story continues While the protein in banga soup is dependent on the preferences of whoever prepared it, seafood is traditionally used. The region gets its name from the river that runs through it, providing it with the crabs, snail, catfish, periwinkle, and crayfish that flavor banga soup. Although oil spills from international companies have polluted the water throughout the Delta, its fresh and dry seafood remain integral to the rich taste of banga soup. How Is Banga Soup Made? Banga soup with fish - Red Confidential/Shutterstock The main ingredient in banga soup is palm nut cream. Extracted from the fruits of the oil palm tree, the cream has a deep, nutty flavor. Typically sold in tin cans, the thick paste needs to be diluted with water and stock from the meat or fish you cook. Add your meat and fish to a large pot and season it with salt, aromatics, and bouillon cubes. Once your protein is finished cooking, remove it from the pot and pour the palm nut cream into the pot. While the palm nut cream is simmering, blend some onions and scotch bonnet peppers to stir into the mixture. Although the palm nut cream provides the soup with a nutty taste, the spicy, earthy flavors come from the banga spice, which contains a variety of spices such as African nutmeg and a blend of ataiko and irugeje seeds. Tracking down individual spices can be difficult, but you can find blends of them at African grocery stores or online. Once you've sprinkled in the spices, add your meat back to the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the banga soup starts to thicken, take it off the stove and serve with the swallow of your choice. Read the original article on Tasting Table. Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches and fries - rblfmr/Shutterstock As fast food restaurants like McDonald's and Taco Bell have expanded globally in the decades since their introductions, Chick-fil-A has, for the most part, stayed in the U.S. It opened locations in South Africa in the 1990s, but both closed by 2001. While the company has seen some success in Canada with its ten locations, it's finally making definite moves further, announcing in a press release that it will open a store in the U.K. in 2025, with four more stores to follow by 2027. Despite the company's statement that the stores will bring jobs and that it plans to invest $100 million over the next ten years in the United Kingdom, the announcement brings with it reminders of past controversies. The company made a previous attempt to enter the U.K. market with a pop-up shop in the town of Reading, England, in 2019. In response to CEO Dan Cathy's comments in 2012 that many deemed as opposing gay marriage, LGBTQ activists and supporters protested the fast food restaurant's opening. The result was Chick-fil-A moving out of the Oracle shopping center at the end of its six-month lease. In 2020, protests against a location in Scotland also caused its closure. Read more: Fast Food Chicken Chains, Ranked Worst To Best The Company Has Tried To Improve Their Image activists protesting Chick-fil-A - Jeremy Sale/Shutterstock Reading Pride was the group that organized the protests against Chick-fil-A's Reading location with the tagline, "Get the Chick Out." The group's chief executive told Berkshire Live, "This was not about their (or their CEO/founding family's) beliefs, we're not that thin-skinned. It was about their reported actions, that's where we drew the line and decided to act." After Chick-fil-A left the United Kingdom, it turned its focus back to North America, increasing its store count in the U.S. and adding stores in Canada. And though Dan Cathy never waivered on his statements regarding traditional marriage, he told the Toledo Blade in 2014 that he wouldn't be talking about it anymore. "The bottom line is we have a responsibility here to keep the whole of the organization in mind, and it has to take precedence over the personal expression and opinion on social issues." Chick-fil-A has donated a lot of money to charities every year, and one of the biggest criticisms Chick-fil-A has faced was its donations to groups characterized as opposed to gay rights. In 2019, it stopped donating to some groups that were considered anti-LGBTQ, intending to focus its funds on organizations focused on homelessness, education, and hunger, such as Feeding America and its Community Scholars program. Chick-fil-A plans to continue its strategy in the U.K., donating to local organizations while also introducing its Shared Table program. Read the original article on Mashed. Exhausted passengers face queues of over 1000 people at UK airport. (Photo: Malcolm Murray PGA - @malmur on X) A furious passenger has shared how he was met with queues in excess of 1,000 people from various different arrivals when he arrived at Gatwick Airport in the early hours of this morning (Friday 15 September). Malcolm Murray, who arrived at Gatwick Airport after a flight from Egypt at 1.40am, told NationalWorld he was exhausted and distressed but he had no option but to stand in the huge queue. He was travelling with his two young children, much like the other travellers in the queue, he said, and everyone was unhappy. Mr Murray said there were no staff available providing assistance or direction and at one point some travellers took it upon themselves to skip to the front of the queue, which caused anger amongst people like ourselves who had waited. He said that when he finally got to border control he discovered that the automatic gates were not working and there were only seven people on the desks trying to get passengers through. He added that he finally made it to the hotel at around 03.45am with two very upset children. He told NationalWorld: Coming into an airport like Gatwick, you have all the technology sitting there not getting used while you stand there. Whats the point? We had a bad experience getting in and out of Egypt but I think the experience in Gatwick tops it off. Matt Whelan also took to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his annoyance at the huge queues and closed gates at Gatwick Airport. He said: Absolutely pathetic @Gatwick_Airport! Flight delayed due to lack of ATCs and now passport control is jammed with no gates and half the counters closed!!! Useless. The huge queues and chaotic scenes in the early hours of this morning coincided with several flights being delayed and cancelled at the airport due to a staff absence. The airport confirmed a short notice staff absence in its ATC tower, managed by National Air Traffic Services (Nats), which meant 42 flights were cancelled on Thursday (14 September). More than 6,000 passengers are likely to have been affected by cancellations. Story continues It comes just over two weeks after a Nats technical glitch caused widespread disruption at airports across the UK, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded overseas for several days. A spokesperson from Nats said flights at London Gatwick are operating normally this morning and it apologises very sincerely to everyone who has been inconvenienced. The spokesperson added: We are working closely with Gatwick Airport Ltd to build resilience in the airports control tower to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. New air traffic controllers have been recruited since last summer, increasing our presence by 17%, and others are due to start after completing their training, in line with the agreed plan when NATS took over the contract last October. London Gatwicks senior management understands that we are working hard to keep the operation moving. Airlines operating at London Gatwick were aware of the situation when NATS was appointed but that does not dilute the apology we offer sincerely to them and their passengers who have been inconvenienced by recent disruption. A London Gatwick spokesperson said: There was a planned national e-gate outage last night for routine maintenance across all airports. Due to the schedule shift as a result of ATC issues more passengers were travelling through security during this time. Brazil brings innovative ideas to Pujiang Forum (People's Daily App) 15:18, September 15, 2023 Brazil was the country of honor at this year's Pujiang Innovation Forum, a three-day science and technology event in Shanghai that ended on Monday. Brazilian officials, businessmen, and researchers shared their innovative ideas and sought collaboration on energy conservation, carbon reduction and sustainable development. (Video source: Shanghai Daily) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Foxconn logo is seen in this illustration taken, May 2. Reuters-Yonhap Foxconn Technology Group, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, is offering higher rates for workers that make Huawei Technologies' handsets in southern tech hub Shenzhen than those that make iPhones, according to recruitment posts and information from labor agencies. Foxconn's FIH unit, which makes Huawei smartphones and operates under a subsidiary previously known as Foxconn International Holdings, on Thursday was offering a 26 yuan ($3.60) hourly rate for new workers at its factory in Shenzhen's Longhua district, according to two recruitment agents. This is higher than the hourly rate of 21 yuan offered at Foxconn's integrated Digital Product Business Group (iDPBG), which makes iPhones. The FIH unit, which assembles handsets and various consumer electronics devices for Huawei and other smartphone firms, mainly serves Huawei these days, according to a report by local newspaper China Business News. "The new hires will know what phone they are making after the factory allocates them to different teams based on current demand, but these days they have a higher chance of making handsets for Huawei," an agent in Shenzhen surnamed Xu said. Taiwan-based Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on hourly rates. People look at iPhone 14 models at an Apple store in Beijing, China, Sept. 14. EPA-Yonhap Greta Thunberg is carried away by police officers during a climate protest on July 24 (file photo) (TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Ima) Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been charged with disobeying a police order on Friday, less than two months after she was convicted and fined for the same offence. Ms Thunberg, 20, was fined 1,500 Swedish crowns (108) by a Swedish court on July 24 for failing to leave a climate protest when ordered by police. Straight after the verdict, the activist and others from the environmental group Reclaim the Future blocked the road for oil trucks in Malmo harbour and were again forcibly removed by police. The demonstration did not have a permit and it led to the blocking of car traffic. The woman refused to obey the police command to leave the scene, prosecutors said in a statement. She could face a harsher sentence if convicted a second time. Failure to obey a police order carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. The 20-year-old became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament. The charges come as tens of thousands of climate activists around the world are protesting throughout the weekend to call for an end to the burning of fossil fuels. The action is taking place in dozens of countries and in hundreds of cities worldwide, including in Sweden. Greta Thunberg pictured blockading a harbour in Malmo in climate change protest (REUTERS) Protesters on Friday gathered in front of Parliament, just next to the Royal Palace where Swedens King Carl XVI Gustaf was celebrating his 50th anniversary on the throne. Their chants about climate justice" could be heard in the palace courtyard as the king watched the changing of the guard during the golden jubilee celebrations. In a separate demo in Quezon City in the Philippines, activists lay in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in protest, and held signs demanding fossil fuels be phased out. Last week, the United Nations warned that countries are way off track to curb warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, as agreed in Paris in 2015. Over the past few months, Earth broke its daily average heat record several times, while July was the hottest month ever on record. Sheffield mum Kerry Needham, left, has given her reaction to hearing that a boy found in a river in Germany is not her son Ben, right, missing since 1991. Pictures: PA The mum of missing toddler Ben Needham has told of her reaction as she was given DNA results by police after a body was found in Germany. Ben has been missing since 1991, when he vanished aged just 21 months while the family was on holiday on the Greek island of Kos. South Yorkshire Police contacted mum Kerry, aged 51, after the remains of a young boy were found wrapped in foil in the River Danube in Germany. But police now say it is not Ben, following tests. Ben Needham Kerry told the Daily Mirror she had been a nervous wreck during the investigation into the German find, that she had been on edge every day, and that she hopes they find who the dead boy was. On receiving the results she said: My stomach did a somersault. But its a relief. I actually was physically sick when I heard. It was all that pent-up anxiety. I was expecting it to be in another couple of days. It came as a huge shock but obviously a relief." Kerry Needham had previously said that she believed a facial reconstruction of the boy discovered in the Danube 'had a look of Ben,' and had called on police to investigate. South Yorkshire Police confirmed it was not Ben earlier this week, and said: "Bens family has been informed and are being supported. "Our thoughts remain with the young boy who is yet to be identified and, of course, the Needham family who continue in their search for answers." For more information about Ben Needham and the appeal to find him, visit: www.facebook.com/helpfindben In September last year, the world learned something serious was happening in Iran through social networks. Outraged women were burning their hijabs, leaving their hair exposed in defiance of the theocratic regime. This after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman who was detained by the morality police for wearing her veil incorrectly. The protests spread like wildfire on 15 September 2022; youth fed up with the oppression of a regime most consider outdated. The authorities responded by restricting access to the Internet and social networks. The regime accused the United States, Israel and their agents of having fomented the protests. The West tightened sanctions and Iranian authorities made a show of force by gathering tens of thousands of people in Tehran in defence of the mandatory use of the hijab. Soon, the protest movement gained momentum and the slogan "Women, life, freedom" was heard in every corner of the country. The government committed to silencing the protesters by force, shooting at crowds on multiple occasions. In the following weeks, there were hundreds of deaths, including members of the security forces. Tens of thousands of people were arrested and seven people were sentenced to death for their participation in the protests. The name of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini who died in the September 2022 is written with red colour over a black colour covering a previous anti-government slogan, in Tehran. - Vahid Salemi/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved In February, authorities sent a signal of appeasement, declaring an unprecedented amnesty for protesters. Meanwhile, numerous girls' schools were attacked with toxic gas, leading some to speculate that the regime's hardline supporters were responsible. There are those who see the hand of the hard wing of the regime, which nevertheless firmly condemns the events. The crackdown took effect and the protests faded over time. Determined to reimpose the use of the veil in public spaces, the government has toughened the law and reestablished the patrols of the controversial morality police. But there are still women on the streets who don't wear a veil and the memory of Mahsa Amini remains alive. The government has redoubled the police presence to prevent a resurgence of protests on the first anniversary of her death. Ten years ago, the idea of The House of Mouse crafting live-action updates of their animated classics was a bit of a novelty. Alice in Wonderland was visually arresting in 3D even if it was a bit on the vapid side. The Jungle Book was a good bit of fun with some clever updates to the voice cast, and Cinderella was well, Cinderella but with a beautiful-looking human cast, and Beauty and the Beast had some worthwhile enchanting moments. While most of these films have just been relatively innocuous and fun ways for new parents to show their kids old favorites, the efforts have been rather dodgy of late. The Lion King may have looked beautiful but the unemotive CGI lions (nothing was live-action about it), were lacking. Mulan was again just fine but not as much fun as the original. Cruella at least was a fun punk-infused origin story for the famous villain. Aladdin was pretty tough as Dumbo was a flop with Pinocchio being the worst offender as a hollow attempt to recapture the magic of the 1940 original. And here we are with Rob Marshalls The Little Mermaid. Truthfully, Ive never been a big fan of the original animated classic. Its a fine film and I enjoy the songs, I love that the look of Ursula was based on Divine, but I never really had a strong connection with that one. I was a seven-year-old boy who loved Ninja Turtles and Batman at the time. So I thankfully wade into Marhsalls update without that extra fandom baggage. On the whole, its a beautiful-looking update. Every frame is a virtual visual marvel of special effects and the songs are just as infectious as ever - the older classic original ones at least. Halle Bailey proves to be a wonderful Ariel giving everything shes got to bring the character to life. Of the live-action update films weve seen thus far, I found her to be the biggest highlight and the best modern casting. Likewise, I enjoyed Javier Bardem as King Triton giving the character that perfect angry/irritated father vibe to give the character some new dimension. Even Melissa McCarthy is a fun-if-predictable addition as Ursula. That said, I would have thought itd be clever and funny if they brought in John Travolta to complete his Divine run after his time with Hairspray. My main issue is this film has a bizarre need to pad things out. At two hours and fifteen minutes, its almost an entire hour longer than the 1989 classic. And after a while, you really do start to feel that hour. You can coast on visual effects and splendor for so long before you become numb to it all. I dont mind Rob Marshall and team wanting to give Jonah Hauer-Kings Eric some more character dimension over the original film, but damn, this movie is just too long. Did this guy really need a wishing song? His backstory with adoptive parents and becoming a leader and their import politics is just overwrought filler. Its called The Little Mermaid, let's keep the focus on the character that matters. And then I do have to wag a finger at Lin-Manuel Miranda for the ear-bleeding new Scuttlebutt song Overall the film is fine. I found I was far more entertained by it than expected. Its certainly better than Disneys last few live-action outings and those quick to dismiss it without seeing it should give it a true shot. Like I said at the outset, Im just not a big fan of The Little Mermaid in general, its not my favorite Disney movie. If Im going to watch a flick about aquatic redheads falling in love with the surface world, give me Ponyo any day of the week and twice on Sunday. To that end, Ill say Disney shouldnt necessarily outright stop making these live-action updates, but maybe they should put a little more thought and time into them instead of just rushing to capitalize on the IP. These films should be as special as the classics that spawned them, but lately, these remakes are just shadows of past magnificence with intermittent shades of brilliance and creativity. Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray The Little Mermaid 2023 surfaces for its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release with a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital release from Disney. On a curious side of things, the standard 4K set seems to be a Movie Club exclusive so we were sent the Walmart Exclusive with a beautiful slipcover and exclusive enamel pin for review. Thankfully the pin is positioned inside the case where it shouldn't move or slip and shouldn't damage the discs while in transit. The discs are housed in a standard sturdy case with individual trays and arent stacked. The 4K is pressed on a BD-66 disc with a BD-50 for the 1080p. NOTE: We haven't been able to rip the 4K disc yet so all images are sourced from the included 1080p disc. When we can we hope to update the pictures and maybe add a video sample. The University of North Georgia (UNG) and the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta are teaming up for the fourth consecutive year to offer scholarships to UNG students of Mexican or Latinx descent. This year's $5,000 grant is matched by $10,000 from UNG. It has a focus on College of Education students and is providing money for eight scholarships for 2023-24. Dr. Christian Bello Escobar, director of academic and community engagement in the College of Education, is the principal investigator for the grant. In addition to financial support, the scholarship program weaves in elements of community service, leadership development through monthly training, and faculty and staff mentoring for the students. "We provide different perspectives to students," Bello Escobar said. "We want to encourage students to use the leadership skills we teach them now and after they graduate." The grant is funded through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME) via the IME-BECAS Program; "becas" is the Spanish word for scholarships. UNG is one of five post-secondary institutions in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama and one of only two public schools in Georgia to be awarded the grant. Due to increased applications, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will provide funding to match or supplement the Mexican Consulate funds. Valencia Flores, associate director for undergraduate recruitment and diversity, said students who earn the scholarship build a sense of community and push each other to excel. "The students grow into themselves," Flores said. "We see the peer support developing throughout the program. We want these students to know they are valued and can excel." Three University of North Georgia (UNG) graduates and one student took part in an internship this summer with the University of Maryland's Research for Intelligence and Security Challenges (RISC) Initiative. Elizabeth Dobbs, '22, and Sonrisa Reed, '23, earned bachelor's degrees in environmental spatial analysis, while senior Emma Vail is pursuing the same degree in the Lewis F. Rogers for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA). 2nd Lt. Phillip Ly, '22, earned a degree in strategic and security studies. An intensive 10-week virtual program, RISC brought together teams of two to four interns from across the country to work on solutions for real-world problems posed by government operators and supported with realistic data sets and other materials. Faculty mentors and government topic experts supported them in these efforts. "What we learn here at UNG, especially in IESA, it's something that's highly sought in Washington right now," Dobbs, who was part of the internship for a second summer in a row, said. "GIS, remote sensing, databases they really want people with those types of skills." Dobbs' group came up with a method to map the scientific landscape of Africa. Reed's group sought to aid in the identification of cellphone towers in Sub-Saharan Africa to help advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Vail's group examined North Atlantic iceberg detection. Ly's group focused on defense research and software development. "It was a good experience for getting accustomed to doing research in a group for when I go to graduate school," Vail, who is also pursuing a minor in computer science, said. Reed, who also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNG, said her project gave her the opportunity to use geospatial and artificial intelligence tools to help address a public health issue. "The more accurate information a decision-maker has, the better the decisions will be," Reed said. At summer's end, the interns gathered for a poster presentation in College Park, Maryland, to discuss project outcomes with peers and visiting experts from the Department of Defense and the intelligence community to gain further insight into how their work fits into the government agencies' missions. Dobbs and Reed were part of seven teams out of 48 that were asked to make a second presentation on their work and that had their groups' posters sent for display in the Pentagon, and Dobbs' group also traveled to the Air Force Academy to present its work. "This experience was eye-opening as it exposed us interns to many careers in the intelligence and security fields," Ly said. Hanoi French Hospital marked its 26th anniversary this year with the launch of its expanded hospital in May 2023. The event was very positively received by the wider public as it meant HFH could meet the growing demand for internationally benchmarked healthcare services. With the rapid growth of Viet Nam's prosperity and the increasing number of foreigners and international tourists in Hanoi and the surrounding provinces, this expansion increases the hospital's capacity to 170 beds, ensuring it can meet the rising demand for treatment and medical care according to top international standards. For its 26th anniversary, HFH offers an exclusive opportunity for more and more customers to experience first-class healthcare services through the promotion "First-Class Care-giving" starting from 12 September 2023 till 12 November 2023. As part of this programme, customers participating will receive a complimentary specialist consultation and a 26 per cent discount on associated lab tests, imaging, and bed fees (subject to applicable terms and conditions). The promotion is available to all customers who visit HFH, whether outpatients, inpatients or customers who need A&E services. For the purpose of the campaign, HFH will follow up with customers' feedback on the first class healthcare services they experience from this programme. For your medical needs, you can register for the promotion here or call the hotline at 024 3 577 1100 for further assistance. To enhance its medical capacity, HFH continues to attract a team of talented internationally trained doctors, recruiting experienced doctors with international backgrounds from France, Japan, Italy, and others, alongside internationally trained Vietnamese experienced doctors from various nationally acclaimed hospitals. HFH is progressing with its Medical Development Strategy for 2023-2024 led by its French Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Erwan Debuc, who has a solid professional and leadership background and exposure to international healthcare best practices. The strategy focuses on delivering safe and internationally accredited medical care with a patient-centred approach. This includes the development of a comprehensive maternal and child healthcare roadmap, covering all stages from reproductive health to newborn care and continuing until children reach 16 years of age. HFH is also strengthening its internal medicine department by establishing specialized centres for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various disorders, particularly vascular diseases. Additionally, the hospital is expanding its outpatient specialties in orthopedics, otolaryngology, spinal treatment, and gastroenterology. Advanced support services such as diagnostic imaging, interventional radiology, pharmacy, and laboratory testing are also being prioritized. Accident & Emergency (A&E) services is are always taken as the heart of the first-class healthcare in HFHs operations. The hospital's A&E Department operates 24/7, staffed by a team of internationally trained doctors and nurses who are prepared to respond to any medical emergency. Supported by laboratory, radiology, and operating room personnel, this dedicated medical team ensures prompt, safe, and high-quality care for patients. For any serious health issues that need emergency care, Hanoi French Hospital is always at the top of my mind, without hesitation. I felt at peace and very secure when being treated for an emergency here. HFH saved my life, for which I am eternally grateful, said a middle-aged patient from Hai Ba Trung District who was treated for critical post-Covid breathing issues. In 2023, HFH is continuing to enhance its emergency service capacity by recruiting international emergency physicians specializing in adult, pediatric, and obstetric care. The professional skills, as well as a commitment to serving the patient's best interests, create a difference in terms of the quality of healthcare services at Hanoi French Hospital. Please visit website: www.hfh.com.vn, FB Fanpage Hanoi French Hospital for more information about HFH. HA NOI Innovation is to play a key part in Viet Nam steel industry's objective to cut down its carbon footprint, according to Nghiem Xuan a, Chairman of the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) and CEO of Vietnam Steel Company (VNSteel) during a seminar exhibition on green development organised by the association in Ha Noi on Wednesday. a said the industry remains one of the main contributors to carbon emissions and consumers of fossil fuel and must lead at the forefront in the country's effort towards sustainable and green development. According to a report by the association, green development has become a global and national goal, a necessity in the case of Viet Nam as the Southeast Asian country is among some of the most affected by the adverse effects of climate change. In order to fulfil the country's commitments made at COP26, the Government has been working around the clock to build and implement an action plan to realise the goal of carbon neutrality for the industrial and commercial sectors by 2030, with a vision to 2050. He said the industry has been taking part in the country's effort by ways of adopting and embracing digital transformation, technological optimisation and improved efficiency. For example, some steel mills in Viet Nam have started generating electricity from the excess heat from their factories, aiming to reduce negative environmental impacts and energy use. He noted that the industry has experienced a period of rapid growth since 2015, turning Viet Nam into the world's 13th largest producer of crude steel, leading ASEAN in both production and consumption of steel products. However, it has come at a cost. The industry currently accounts for 7-9 per cent of the entire country's total carbon emissions. a said it's high time the industry started modernising and innovating to build towards a more advanced and sustainable model. According to VSA, the industry has set an objective of carbon neutral by 2050. "The transition to a greener model of steel production is an unstoppable wave and is in line with Viet Nam's direction towards sustainable development," he said. "I hope the seminar has been an opportunity for steel producers, and other industrial sectors, to better understand the global green development trends and our responsibility," a said. The exhibition was part of a promotional campaign by the industry to inform and encourage greater responsibility among steel producers, as well as their counterparts in other industrial sectors. At the event, participants discussed measures to help the industry realise its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050; share experiences and lessons from other countries around the world; study the technological transformation in steel production and lay out a roadmap towards greener growth for the future. More than 200 businesses in the steel manufacturing industry attended the event with many bringing proposals and solutions for the industry's sustainable growth. Among the participants were representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), the ASEAN Iron and Steel Association, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese markets ended the week on a positive note, thanks to the injection of cash flow during the trading session, supporting indices. The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) rose 0.29 per cent, to close the day at 1,227.36 points. The breadth of the market was in neutral territory, with 253 stocks up while 247 traded lower. During the session, investors poured over VN21.7 trillion (US$894.5 million) into the southern market, equivalent to a trading volume of nearly 917.4 billion shares. The 30 biggest stocks tracker VN30-Index also closed higher at 1,238.81 points, up 0.38 per cent. Seventeen ticker symbols of the VN30 basket climbed, while 11 went down and two ended flat. The VN-30 group performed positively and bolstered the market. In the basket, the biggest gainers were banking stocks, with gainers being Military Bank (MBB), Techcombank (TCB), Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), HDBank (HDB), Tien Phong Bank (TPB), Sacombank (STB), Vietcombank (VCB), and BIDV (BID). On the contrary, VietinBank (CTG) and Saigon-Hanoi Commercial JS Bank (SHB) suffered selling pressure, losing 1.4 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively. Oil and gas group also recovered thanks to the buying force, such as PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS), PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PVS), the PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Service Corporation (PVD) and Binh Son Refinery and Petrochemical Joint Stock Company (BSR). With supply still quite active, it is possible that the market will retreat and retest the support zone of 1,210 - 1,215 points. Currently, we can still expect the market to receive support from this area and recover in the 1,210 - 1,245 point area, which is also the previous distribution area, said Viet Dragon Securities Co. Therefore, investors still need to observe supply and demand developments and reassess the market state. They should consider the possibility of taking profits or reducing the proportion of stocks that have increased rapidly to the resistance zone or are weakening from the resistance zone, it said. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index closed the trading day at 252.76 points, up 0.36 per cent. VNS VINH LONG The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vinh Long is opening a cultural space called Terracotta Road to honour the art of terracotta pottery. The road is 500m long and located in Vinh Long Citys Ward 9. It displays around 2,500 terracotta products from 16 pottery manufacturers in the province, such as a wide variety of vases, tea tables and stools, decoration items, and bricks. The highlights of the space are a model of a traditional house in the south made from 25,000 bricks, and a traditional brick kiln. According to Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh, deputy chairwoman of the provincial Peoples Committee, the Terracotta Road aims to promote terracotta products of the province among people in Vinh Long and visitors from across the country and the world, which contributes to preserving the provinces unique cultural values and handicraft villages that make terracotta products. Vinh Long is known as having the most famous and largest brick and pottery villages in the Mekong Delta. In 1980s, the province had more than 3,000 kilns in Mang Thit and Long Ho Districts, offering thousands of high-quality products which were exported to Europe, the US, South Korea, Japan, and other countries. However, the number of pottery manufacturers in recent years has decreased, and the province now has only about 20 manufacturers. The Peoples Committee approved a project called Contemporary Heritage of Mang Thit to preserve 653 traditional kilns in Mang Thit District, and encourage more than 360 households to keep the handicraft. Thanh said the project is expected to bring terracotta products of Vinh Long to the international market. VNS HA NOI The 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, hosted by the National Assembly of Viet Nam and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), has opened in the capital city of Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on Friday with the theme The role of youth in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation." The conference during September 14-18 gathers nearly 500 delegates, including 300 international delegates from 70 IPU member parliaments and international organisations, making it the biggest one since the conception of the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. The conference - encompassing three primary sessions Digital Transformation, Innovation and Startups, Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity in Support of Sustainable Development" - takes place as political, economic and societal upheavals have set back the progress of fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments and climate change response in many countries. The trends of digital transformation, green transition, and innovation are increasingly given priority and promoted around the world. In his opening remarks, Viet Nam's National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue said the organisation of this conference highlights Viet Nams priority and concern for youth and global youth-related issues of today. The Vietnamese top legislator also quoted late President Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of Viet Nam, in saying that "Youth is the future master of the nation. The prosperity or decline of the nation largely depends on youth." "Young people are the driving force and the bearers of historical responsibilities in the international integration and national development efforts of each country as well as global prosperity, Chairman Hue said, asking the young parliamentarians to utilise their intelligence, youth, creativity, and enthusiasm to contribute positively to the success of the conference. National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue asked the delegates to pay attention to five key points during their discussions and debates. First, what needs to be done and how to comply with and uphold international law and the United Nations Charter, as a crucial condition for the maintenance and nurturing of peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. Secondly, the role of developed countries, international organisations, business communities, and youth in addressing global issues such as sustainable and secure digital transformation, just energy transition, adaptation to climate change, and robust promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation. Thirdly, making people and businesses truly the centre of all policies in the development process, both as the objective and as the motivation and fundamental resources. Fourthly, leveraging the values of culture and human beings in sustainable development, promoting the respect for cultural diversity in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and enhance cooperation in innovating the operation of the economy, increasing labour productivity, and creating new momentum for economic growth. At the same time, this will help government agencies become more transparent and efficient on the digitalisation path, narrowing the development gap, and ensuring national sovereignty and individual privacy in cyberspace. And lastly, Chairman Hue also proposed that the IPU explore the establishment of a global network of young parliamentarians dedicated to innovation, allowing them to exchange experiences and learn from one another. IPU President Duarte Pacheco in his remarks thanked the Viet Nam National Assembly for "providing an exceptional setting for the IPU meeting," and expressed his appreciation towards Viet Nam's "commitment to leading by example on youth empowerment." "While we are behind with the SDGs, we are supercharging progress in technology [...] We need to link this progress in technology with the work being done to achieve the SDGs. Digitalisation and innovation are important opportunities." He also urged the responsible use of technology and innovation. "Technology should not force us into a one-size-fits-all model. Our global community has many traditions, languages, and perspectives. This diversity makes our lives richer and can also take us to greater innovation When we combine the power of technology with cultural diversity and ethics, we open up creativity and problem-solving." "As members of parliaments, we must promote inclusivity, intercultural dialogues, and respect for diversity as drivers of sustainable development and peace." Martin Chungong, secretary general of the IPU, underscored the significant roles young parliamentarians, and the young people that they represent, can play, calling them the "main champions who can be at the vanguard of this transformation." "You can be a driving force for progress, injecting fresh perspectives, energy, and innovative solutions into parliamentary processes. Sharing practices, amplifying your voices on the issues that concern you most, and better connecting you to youth, is what this Conference is all about." He remarked that the young's "passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to accelerating the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation are a guiding light for us all." The IPU Secretary General also took the occassion to remind that young women are still underrepresented in the parliaments, adding that the contributions of young women are crucial to accelerate the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation. Dan Carden, member of the UK Parliament, President of the Board Forum of Young Parliamentarians, said the young parliamentarians have a valuable role to play in supporting the next generation of tech-savvy and problem-solving youth, working towards sustainable development and peace, for example, through influencing their country to invest more in education for young people, especially to boost digital skills, science; training in transitioning to clean technologies, green jobs ; channeling youth voices from the grassroots up through the parliament bodies, especially when laws related to digital transformation are being examined; and facilitating the transition from education to employment. VNS Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc granted an interview on the State visit to Viet Nam by United States President Joe Biden from September 10-11 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. Could you please evaluate the results of US President Joe Bidens visit? The visit took place as planned and was a great success. Initially, President Joe Biden invited Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to visit the US. However, due to unfavourable conditions, the Party leader could not make that visit and sent a letter inviting President Biden to visit Viet Nam. To conduct President Bidens visit, the US side made unprecedented efforts, adjusting the foreign affairs programmes of both the President and Vice President. The US President sent the Vice President to attend the East Asia Summit in Indonesia on his behalf and he had to shorten the duration of his attendance at the G20 meeting in India to make the trip to Viet Nam. The two sides issued a joint statement upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and setting out major directions for cooperation in the next ten years and beyond. This is a very important document with ten pillars, covering all areas of cooperation in the two countries' relations. This shows that cooperation between the two countries has not only expanded but also deepened and become more substantive; not only on bilateral cooperation but also on regional and global issues. Although his Viet Nam visit was short and he had to return on September 11 for the US commemoration, Biden held talks and meetings with all the four key leaders of Viet Nam. This was also the first time a US President had visited the National Assembly building to meet the Vietnamese top legislator, and witnessed the handover of war mementoes of the two countries war veterans. This action demonstrates the respect for Viet Nams political institutions and its leadership, not only in words included in the joint statement but also in practice. At the same time, it provided an excellent opportunity for President Biden to build and strengthen relations with Viet Nams top leaders. The protocol, logistics, and security works were also successful, with a State-level welcome ceremony hosted by Party chief Trong at the Presidential Palace in Ha Nois autumn atmosphere. We also ensured absolute security and safety for the delegation. President Biden and the US delegation were deeply impressed, very satisfied, and repeatedly expressed their thanks to the Party General Secretary and other leaders, and people of Viet Nam for their warm and hospitable reception. The establishment of the Viet Nam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development is a historic milestone in the relationship between the two countries. So, what benefits will it bring to both countries? The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership brings both long-term and immediate benefits to both sides. In general terms, Viet Nam has opportunities and conditions to develop its relationship with the US, a partner of strategic importance, in an extensive, efficient, and substantive manner, practically serving the development goals, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, and enhancing the country's reputation and position, as in the spirit of the 13th National Party Congresss Resolution. Vice versa, the US has conditions to strengthen relations with Viet Nam, a partner with an increasingly important role in the region, thereby strengthening relations with ASEAN and regional countries in general, and take advantage of new cooperation opportunities to enhance its position and role in the region. The new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework will create conditions for the two sides to enhance mutual understanding, build and consolidate trust a very important foundation in the long-term relationship between the two countries in the following years. The upgrade of relations will have a positive impact, increase consensus in each country, create conditions to mobilise and concentrate resources for important cooperation programmes and plans that benefit both sides. Particularly for the US, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework will strengthen bipartisan support for the two countries' relationship, thereby increasing the stability, sustainability, and predictability in the US policy towards Viet Nam regardless of which party is in power in the American country. One thing that needs to be emphasised is that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework not only brings benefits to the people of the two countries, but also makes an important contribution to peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and the world. Could you share more about the process to reach the Joint Leaders' Statement of Viet Nam and the US? Upgrading relations is an important step forward, opening up a new phase of cooperation, or as President Biden said, it "opens a new era" in Viet Nam-US relations. Therefore, the discussion process of the joint statement was very lively and exciting because this is a process of reviewing 10 years of cooperation in the comprehensive partnership framework, affirming important principles that are the "guidelines" in the relationship between the two countries, such as respecting international law and the United Nations Charter, respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions; and at the same time setting out major orientations for cooperation between the two countries in the next 10 years and beyond. The process of negotiation and reaching a consensus on the Joint Leaders' Statement shows that both sides demonstrate goodwill, an attitude of inquiry, respect, willingness to listen, mutual understanding, and the wish to maximise win-win cooperation areas and contribute to peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and the world. Could you elaborate on how will the contents of the Joint Leaders' Statement be realised in the future? And which areas will be given priority? With eight pages, the joint statement's wording is concise, tightly-knit, and has a somewhat dry tone, but this document contains many important and meaningful contents for the future cooperation between the two countries, with both sides expressing their hopes, expectations and even emotions, as US Ambassador to Ha Noi Marc Knapper stated in response to the press. With 10 years of experience in the Comprehensive Partnership, I am confident that both sides will actively and effectively implement the contents of the joint statement on the comprehensive strategic partnership, based on the existing frameworks and mechanisms, as well as those to be established in the future. This process demands significant efforts from each side, including Government agencies, legislatures, organisations, local authorities and businesses. Each year, there should be a specific roadmap and plan to achieve the set objectives, and the implementation should be reviewed every year. Looking at President Biden's activities during his 24-hour visit to Viet Nam and examining the contents of the joint statement, you can clearly see the priorities of the relationship. (i) First of all, it is the exchange of high-level reciprocal visits and engagements on the sideline of regional and international forums; strengthening cooperation through all channels: Party, State, parliament, and people-to-people exchanges. This is crucial as it contributes to creating a favourable environment and a driving force to promote cooperation in all other areas. (ii) Economic affairs, trade and investment continue to hold a high priority, with science, technology and innovation as breakthrough areas and capital infrastructure and human resources training as priority fields. The round-table business meeting with the presence of President Biden and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was a highlight of the President's working programme and demonstrated one of the key focal points of the bilateral relationship. (iii) Other areas that also receive attention are addressing the consequences of war, education and training, cooperation in handling global issues such as participation in peacekeeping forces, climate change adaptation, including the Mekong Delta region, energy security, food security, water resources security, health care, counter-terrorism, and more. Viet Nams foreign relations have developed strongly, creating space and room for the development not only in the Viet Nam-US relationship but also helping Viet Nams overall foreign ties to be more balanced and steady in correlation with other key partners. Could you tell us how this visit has showcased a bright spot in Viet Nams foreign relations in 2023? The establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US carries significance beyond the bilateral ties, including: Firstly, the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US marks a very important milestone in our overall foreign policy. For the first time, Viet Nam has had relations from the level of strategic partnership with all five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, Russia, the US, the UK, and France), thereby creating a framework for stable, long-term relations with important partners and helping to consolidate the countrys solid foreign policy. Secondly, in 2023 and in recent years, along with the development of its ties with the US, Viet Nam has actively stepped up relations with neighbouring countries, regional nations, major and important partners and traditional friends such as China, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, ASEAN member states, Russia, and India. This will contribute to creating a broad and favourable complexion of foreign affairs, contributing to the maintenance of a peaceful and stable environment for development, fostering the integration of deep and wide-ranging interests, promoting the realisation of the development goals till 2024 set at the 13th National Party Congress and enhancing Viet Nams position and prestige. Thirdly, recent foreign affairs, including the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US, once again strongly affirmed the soundness as well as the important and prominent outcomes of Viet Nams foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, diversification, multilateralisation, cooperation and development, and the country's "Four Nos" defence policy. VNS PRETORIA Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met with Secretary General of South Africas ruling party African National Congress (ANC) Fikile Mbalula in Johannesburg on Thursday, within the framework of her official visit to the country. Xuan told him that Viet Nam highly values the role of the ANC in South Africa, and expressed her good impressions of the countrys development achievements under the leadership of the Party. Mbalula said that he always values the solidarity and friendship that Viet Nam had for South Africa's past struggles, and stressed the consistent policy of his Party and the Government in promoting good comprehensive cooperation with the Party and Government of Viet Nam in the future. They agreed that in the future, the two Parties and States need to increase delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, promote the sharing of experiences in leading and managing the country and in Party building, to closely coordinate at international political party forums of which the two Parties are members, and to facilitate economic cooperation activities for the benefit of the two peoples. Earlier the same day, Xuan met with leading officials from the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) and local enterprises. She proposed the two countries continue promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation in the coming time to match their potential. The official also suggested SACCI and the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry strengthen collaboration and promote the exchange of ministerial-level delegations, increase information sharing about each country's legal framework, and encourage businesses from both sides to connect and participate in fairs and exhibitions. Participants showed their hope to have more opportunities to learn about the Vietnamese market. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam prioritises the strengthening of friendly cooperation with its traditional friends, including Algeria, National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue told Deputy Speaker of the Peoples National Assembly of Algeria Monder Bouden during a reception in Ha Noi on Friday. Chairman Hue thanked the Algerian Government and people for providing Viet NAm with great support during the past struggle for national defence and the current national development. Bouden, for his part, spoke highly of the session on enhancing digital capacity for the youth, the opening, the first and second plenary sessions of the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians which is underway in Ha Noi. He said the Algerian delegation made positive contributions to these activities. He took the occasion to convey greetings from Speaker of the Algerian legislature to Chairman Hue. He expressed his wish that the two sides facilitate the bilateral exchange of their friendship parliamentarians groups. He also suggested the Vietnamese NA back the Algerian legislature's bid to become an observer in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). Both leaders pledged to reinforce economic, trade, and investment ties that match fine bilateral political and diplomatic relations and the huge potential of each nation. The guest affirmed that Algeria is ready to act as a bridge and gateway for Viet Nam to enter the African market. In reply, Hue stressed that Viet Nam is ready to be a bridge and gateway for Algeria to access ASEAN, a dynamic market with 650 million people and the fifth largest economy in the world. Sharing the view that both countries need to facilitate the exchange of delegations at all levels, they also hailed the twinning and exchange of localities. On the occasion, the host extended his invitation to the Speaker of the Algerian legislature to visit Viet Nam soon. He also mentioned his plan to pay an official visit to Algeria in the near future. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam attaches importance to further strengthening solidarity, special and loyal friendship with Cuba as well as stepping up cooperation in fields of their strength, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son told Vice President of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State of Cuba Ana Maria Mari Machado during a reception in Ha Noi on Friday. Son said the VUFO and the Viet Nam-Cuba Friendship Association (VCFA) have worked closely with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), the Cuba-Viet Nam Friendship Association (CVFA), the Cuban Embassy in Ha Noi, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba to organise numerous activities within the framework of the cooperation agreement signed between VUFO and the VCFA in 2020. Since its foundation on January 25, 1965, the VCFA has engaged in a wide range of meaningful activities, contributing positively to the preservation of shared values and traditions, enhancing solidarity between the two countries people, and playing an important role in promoting the special friendship between the two Parties and countries, he added. He affirmed that with its role as the core people's diplomacy agency, VUFO and the VCFA will continue closely partnering with the ICAP, and the CVFA. They will also closely link with the Cuban Embassy in Ha Noi to follow directions of the leaders of the two Parties, Governments and legislatures. The goal is to further strengthen the bond between their people and step up the continued development of bilateral relationship. Ana Maria Mari Machado, for her part, stressed that Cuba highly values its special friendship with Viet Nam. She expressed her appreciation for the close-knit cooperation and strong bond between the two countries, as well as between the ICAP and the VUFO in particular over the past years. Cuba places great importance on educating the younger generation about the special and loyal friendship between the two nations, she said, adding that Cuba is thankful and deeply appreciates Viet Nam's invaluable and sincere assistance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. She believed the bilateral relationship will continue to grow in the near future. VNS HA NOI Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong inh Hue received the Speaker of the Tongan Parliament, Lord Fakafanua, in Ha Noi on Friday. The top legislator stated that Viet Nam wants to strengthen relations with South Pacific island countries and always supports them, including Tonga, in connecting more closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He informed the guest that the leaders of Viet Nam have approved the establishment of diplomatic ties with Tonga, which Hue said will be a very important start for the two countries to roll out cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks. The Tongan parliament speaker said the King of Tonga has also approved the establishment of diplomatic ties with Vietnam, adding that the move reflects the wish of Tonga to further strengthen cooperation with the Southeast Asian country. Both leaders expressed joy at the forthcoming establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, saying it meets the aspirations of the two peoples. They shared a view that both countries are ready to be friends with nations worldwide, for peace, cooperation, and development. Lord Fakafanua agreed with the NA Chairman that on the basis of the Viet Nam-Tonga relationship, their bilateral parliamentary cooperation will be strengthened, particularly in delegation exchanges. Both nations have the potential for joint works in such fields as agriculture, consumer goods, agricultural machinery, rice production, and fisheries. The Tongan official noted that South Pacific island nations, including Tonga, view climate change as a significant threat and expressed a wish for international cooperation to mitigate this challenge. He also conveyed the greetings of the King of Tonga to NA Chairman Hue and hoped to soon welcome the top Vietnamese legislator in an official visit to Tonga in the near future. VNS HA NOI The 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference (GCYP) is poised to make history as it convenes in Ha Noi from September 14 to 17, 2023, bringing together young parliamentarians from an impressive array of 173 countries. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Young National Assembly Deputies Group, said the event carries immense global significance, serving as a platform to strengthen the role of parliaments worldwide and particularly emphasising the pivotal role of young parliamentarians in advancing sustainable development goals. Tuan shed light on the meticulous preparations Viet Nam has made to ensure the success of the conference. The journey towards securing the consensus of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for Viet Nam's role as the host commenced two years ago, involving extensive negotiations and advocacy activities with the IPU, member Parliaments, and international partners. These efforts culminated in a pivotal moment when, on March 13, 2023, within the framework of the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly in Manama, Bahrain, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Tran Thanh Man, received IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong and witnessed the signing of the Agreement for hosting the 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference in Ha Noi in September 2023. The conference's scale and its substantive agenda make it a foreign affairs event of paramount importance. It underscores Viet Nams proactive, responsible, and engaged participation in the world's largest inter-parliamentary institution. Furthermore, it highlights the keen interest of Viet Nams Party and State leaders in harnessing the potential of young National Assembly delegates to shape policies, enact laws, and drive innovation, digital transformation, and entrepreneurial spirit. The conference aligns with the broader strategic vision of Viet Nam, as it actively pursues the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations and IPU Resolutions. It embodies the nation's commitment to implementing Directive No 25-CT/TW of the 12th Party Central Committee Secretariat, aimed at elevating the level of multilateral diplomacy until 2030 and advancing Vietnamese youth development strategy for the 2021-2030 period, Tuan said. "This conference not only reinforces Viet Nams role in international parliamentary diplomacy but also offers a golden opportunity to showcase Viet Nams cultural traditions, its people, and its socio-economic achievements. It also provides a platform to engage with parliamentary partners worldwide, thereby advancing Viet Nams foreign policy objectives," he said. He also underscores the broader significance of Viet Nams hosting duties, noting that it serves as a unique occasion to bolster diplomatic relations with international partners, particularly parliamentarians and emerging leaders from across the globe. The journey of the Young National Assembly Deputies Group has been marked by milestones since its inception in 2015 during the 13th National Assembly. The group, which now comprises 124 members from the 15th National Assembly, has been actively engaged not only within the National Assembly but also on the international stage. Notably, at the 41st AIPA General Assembly hosted by the National Assembly of Viet Nam in September 2020, a groundbreaking initiative was proposed the establishment of an annual conference mechanism for young parliamentarians within the Inter-Parliamentary Council of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). This initiative garnered unanimous approval from AIPA member parliaments, heralding a significant development in the regional landscape for young parliamentarians. The group has been proactive in engaging with international partners through bilateral talks and exchanges, sharing valuable experiences in parliamentary activities and collaborating with various international organisations with ties to Viet Nam. These efforts have not only deepened relations between the National Assembly of Viet Nam and other countries but have also elevated Viet Nams standing in the global and regional arena. Participation in multilateral parliamentary forums has been another avenue through which the Young National Assembly Deputies Group has made a substantial impact. They have actively contributed to discussions and offered proposals on issues of global and regional concern. Their contributions at forums such as the IPU Young Parliamentarians Forum and APF Young Parliamentarians Network have been acknowledged and appreciated by member parliaments and the IPU Young Parliamentarians Forum, he said. Tuan said the focus of the 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference on the role of youth in promoting the implementation of sustainable development goals through digital transformation and innovation reflects a recognition of the profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This revolution has prompted nations worldwide to recalibrate their development strategies, emphasising modernisation and the application of science and technology in governance. It is with this backdrop that Viet Nam has set forth a vision that places youth, at the core of this transformative journey, and sees them as the driving force behind the digital transformation, innovation, and development of the country. He reveals that the conference will feature three thematic sessions: Digital Transformation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity for Sustainable Development. Additionally, discussions will delve into the strengthening of digital capabilities for young people. These topics resonate with global concerns and the priorities of IPU member Parliaments. Young parliamentarians are ideally positioned to contribute to policy development and legislative initiatives in these areas, thereby advancing not only Viet Nams development goals but also contributing to global progress and narrowing the development gap. At the conference, the Group of Young National Assembly Deputies, infused with a strong sense of responsibility and youthful enthusiasm, will collaborate closely with relevant agencies to ensure meticulous preparation and active participation in the conference's general discussion sessions. One of the most anticipated outcomes of the conference is the "Ha Noi Declaration on the role of youth in promoting the implementation of sustainable development goals through digital transformation and innovation, Tuan said. This declaration, if endorsed by parliamentary delegations, will serve as a crucial document in galvanising governments to implement sustainable development goals through digital transformation and innovation, emphasising the central role of young people and young parliamentarians as key architects of policies and laws. As the leader of the Vietnamese Young National Assembly Deputies Group, Tuan said the group aims to fulfill its objectives by actively engaging in discussions, sharing experiences, and presenting Vietnamese youth as dynamic, responsible, and solution-driven participants in addressing global challenges. This conference is a testament to Viet Nams commitment to playing an active role in global affairs, particularly in the realm of parliamentary diplomacy and the pursuit of sustainable development goals. It signifies Viet Nams emergence as a responsible and forward-looking nation on the world stage, committed to forging partnerships and contributing to the betterment of humanity, he emphasised. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Public Security has instructed local police departments to collaborate with agencies to inspect fire safety in mini apartment blocks and high-occupancy lodgings, aiming to swiftly identify and rigorously address any breaches. This directive was issued on Wednesday evening following a devastating fire in a complex on Khuong Ha Street, Thanh Xuan District, Ha Noi, the previous Tuesday at midnight, which resulted in the deaths of 56 individuals and injuries to 37. The initiative is in place to bolster the efficacy of national fire prevention and response management by the State. The ministry highlighted that the Party Secretariat, Government, and Prime Minister have disseminated numerous documents urging all tiers and sectors to rigorously enforce fire safety regulations. Nonetheless, implementation, particularly at the grassroots, has exhibited lapses, as noted by the ministry. Subsequently, the ministry has directed local police units to partner with media outlets, promoting fire safety awareness during peak viewing hours on local TV channels, over public announcement systems in residential zones, and through group messaging platforms on Zalo and Facebook. Furthermore, the ministry stated that local police departments are to provide guidance on fire-fighting and evacuation procedures to all households and individuals residing or working in mini-flats or densely populated accommodation establishments. The ministry tasked the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Department to collaborate with units under the Ministry of Construction. Their joint objective is to present a preliminary assessment covering eight months of executing Directive No 01 from the Prime Minister, focused on bolstering fire prevention and response in the current context. Simultaneously, this department is expected to suggest immediate strategies to the Government for augmenting fire prevention in mini-flats and accommodation establishments with a high concentration of residents. The departmental leaders are mandated to oversee and be accountable to the ministry for the enforcement outcomes from the localities. Support for victims Following the guidance of Ha Noi's People's Committee to address the aftermath of the blaze on Khuong Ha Street, Thanh Xuan District on Tuesday midnight, the city's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs visited local hospitals on Thursday to extend support and uplift the spirits of the victims. From the city's budget, the department contributed VN10 million (US$410) to the families of each deceased victim and VN5 million ($205) to every injured individual. Furthermore, the city's Children's Sponsorship Fund donated an extra VN5 million to families who lost a child in the tragedy, and VN10 million to those with a child injured in the incident. On Wednesday evening, Le inh Hung, the deputy chairman of the Ha Noi Labour Confederation, visited Military Hospital 103 to offer aid to the families of union members affected by the fire. Hung conveyed that the confederation had set aside VN10 million for the kin of each deceased victim and VN5 million for each injured individual from the confederation's own funds. By Thursday morning, the citys Education and Training Union had raised nearly VN180 million ($7,400) in donations for the fire victims. The education sector mentioned that fundraising initiatives for the affected individuals would be initiated in local schools in the coming days. Trong's condolence letter General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on Thursday sent a letter of condolence to the Party Committee, Government and People of Ha Noi after the tragic fire. On behalf of the Party and State leaders, Trong expressed his deep sympathy, shared the loss and pain, and sent condolences to the families of the victims. He also welcomed and praised the forces, local people and authorities of Thanh Xuan District for urgently rescuing the victims, minimising human and property damages during the fire. He told all relevant agencies to urgently overcome the consequences, give priority to treating the injured, have timely policies to help the families of the victims. He also said the capital administration needed to seriously review and learn deeply from the incident. The authorities must investigate and clarify the responsibilities of relevant organisations and individuals and strictly handle violations in accordance with the provisions of law. He asked the Prime Minister to direct the strengthening of fire prevention and fighting throughout the country, providing guidance and widespread dissemination on mass media so that people can increase their vigilance and respond promptly when a fire or an explosion occurs. VNS Viet Nam News reporters talk to delegates at the 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference, exploring their perspectives on the conference theme and their anticipations regarding takeaways from this significant event. Woraphop Viriyaroj, Thai Parliament Member I think that the sustainable development goal is a very interesting topic because it's now become the common goal across countries including Thailand. So we are willing to learn and share with other young parliamentarians in this session. Of course, if we want to achieve sustainable development goals, we need a new innovation to access it, to reach the target of the goal. So digital transformation is of course one of the ways to maximise the resources and we have to use the resources efficiently. I would also support and encourage young people to participate in politics and there are many ways to participate in politics. Because I think politics is about their future and of course will definitely determine the future of the young. Of course, I think because each country has its own dynamic, maybe we can learn from some case study that's suitable for our country and maybe some of our case studies would be suitable for them. I think the more we share, the more we learn, the better we can improve our own world. Chong Chin Yee, Member of the Legislative Council of Brunei Darussalam I am very happy and honoured to represent Brunei at the 9th Global Conference for Young Parliamentarians. The theme of this conference focuses on the role of youth in escalating the achievement of SDGs through digital transformation and innovations, and I think that this theme could not be more relevant today, as we are now living in an era when I see the rapid advancements of artificial intelligence. This progression is gradually transforming digital innovation from a mere advantage into a necessity for nations aspiring for technological progress. Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they are also the influences of today. They'll bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to the table. So with that, hopefully, there will be more balanced and inclusive perspectives in the policy-making process. My colleagues and I hope to gain insights from the global community, experience and perspective. We want to understand how digital transformation and innovations have effectively harnessed worldwide to expedite the achievement of the SDGs. Aisha Ulenge, Tanzanian Parliament Member Enhancing digital capacity for the youth actually is a very important topic. It is very important for the youth to have digital literacy for the efficiency of their work. So I think as a young member of the Parliament, the whole world should adopt enhancing the capacity of the youth to the digital economy. And it's very important also to enhance the capacity of cybersecurity because in the digital economy, you think you can do a lot of business to grow the digital economy, but cybersecurity and cyber attacks are threats to the digital economy. So the world should now come up with a digital infrastructure that can attack cybersecurity and cyber attacks for the sustainability of the digital economy and digital competence. Alessandro Cattaneo, Italian Parliament Member It's really an honour for us for the group of parliamentarians from Italy to be here in Viet Nam for one of the most important topics in the world, the Climate Exchange and all the youth generation. Young parliamentarians can contribute to this fight against climatic change, and digital is one of the instruments to achieve this important goal. Why? Through digital instrument, we can improve new technology, a new way of life, a new way of work and together improve new technology to have a sustainability different from the past. I think that is really a fantastic opportunity only to speak together, to have a new relationship. We can exchange the best practices. We can also speak together about the problems that we have with each other in our nations and talk about how to fight together for this important goal. Federica Onori, Italian Parliament Member I think the choice of the topic this year is excellent. Indeed on a global level, the future will depend on the decisions that policymakers will make in this field, such as digital transformation and innovation. At a parliamentary level, in order to face these global challenges, I think the role of young people is really crucial. If we want to overcome some global challenges such as poverty, hunger and all that is listed among the sustainable development goals, I think the role of youth is imperative, mainly, I would say. First of all, the future we are acting for will be the place where young people today will be living. Secondly, the population is predominantly young already. And thirdly, perhaps most importantly, we will need much, much creativity if we want really to reshape and rebuild the production system, and the distribution system and if we want to change our habits that are. Daniel Carden, President of the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, World Parliamentary Union We gather here to deliberate on the subjects of digital transformation and innovation, catalysts for expediting the realisation of our sustainable development goals. Our focus is on the future, harnessing digital technology to accelerate progress. It is our shared responsibility as representatives from nations around the world, particularly the younger generation, to collaboratively seek solutions to future challenges. Delegates from diverse countries are assembled here, bringing their experiences and ideas, eager to contribute to the Conference. VNS HANOI (Sputnik) - It is estimated that the total revenue of the entire SOE sector in 2023 will reach 1.41 million billion VND, an increase of 4% compared to the plan. The total pre-tax profit is estimated at 117,388 billion VND. The resulting loss is estimated at 41,666 billion VND, mainly from EVN and Vietnam Airlines Corporation. On September 14, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presided over a Standing Government conference to collaborate nationally with State-owned companies (SOEs) on ideas to enhance production, business, and investment development. At the beginning of the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and delegates observed a minute of silence to commemorate the victims who died in the fire in Hanoi and the 7 victims who died from flash floods in Lao Cai on the night of September 12. early morning September 13. According to a Ministry of Planning and Investment report, the country has nearly 680 SOEs. Of these, 478 enterprises with 100% charter capital held by the State, accounting for nearly 6% of the country's enterprises, and 198 enterprises with the State holding controlling shares, accounting for nearly 2.4%. 680 SOEs hold an amount of assets greater than 3.8 million billion VND. Particularly, 478 enterprises have 100% charter capital held by the State with a total capital of over 1.55 million billion VND, accounting for about 7% of total assets and 10% of equity capital, 25.78% of total production and business capital and 23.4% of the value of fixed assets and long-term financial investments of all enterprises nationwide. By the end of 2022, the total assets of SOEs will reach 3.8 million billion VND, an increase of 4% compared to 2021. State capital invested in SOEs is 1.69 million billion VND, an increase of 3% compared to 2021. Notably, 64/676 businesses incurred losses of 29,456 billion VND; 144/676 enterprises (accounting for 21% of the total number of SOEs) have a total accumulated loss of 69,892 billion VND. SOEs have liabilities of 1.98 million billion VND, an increase of 6% compared to 2021. In the first 6 months of 2023, the total revenue of SOEs across the country is 689,534 billion VND, reaching 50% of the 2023 plan. Earned profit before corporate income tax is 67,403 billion VND, reaching 63% of the plan 2023. The total loss incurred by the entire SOE sector is 33,639 billion VND, mainly concentrated in central enterprises such as EVN, which incurred a loss of 32,055 billion VND; Airlines Corporation incurred a loss of 1,317 billion VND. Also read: Pre-tax profit of 18 SOEs above expectations Vietnam News - Latest Updates and World Insights | Vietreader.com According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, it is estimated that the total revenue of the entire SOE sector in 2023 will reach 1.41 million billion VND, an increase of 4% compared to the plan. The total pre-tax profit is anticipated to be 117,388 billion VND; losses are estimated to be 41,666 billion VND, primarily from central companies such as EVN: 37,062 billion VND; and Vietnam Airlines Corporation: 4,515 billion VND. After listening to the report, the Prime Minister emphasized that for SOEs to truly become "an important material force of the state economy" leading other economic sectors, it is necessary to identify bottlenecks in the mechanism, policies for this business sector, limitations within the business itself, from which to propose innovative directions and solutions to improve the efficiency of resource use at SOEs. The Prime Minister asked the delegates to focus on discussing and clarifying the following issues: Firstly, it is necessary to properly identify and evaluate the position and role of SOEs today, thereby clarifying the goals of arranging and reforming the sector. SOE sector by the actual situation of Vietnam. This is also the work to organize a preliminary review and comprehensive assessment of the implementation of Resolution No. 12-NQ/TW on continuing to restructure, innovate and improve the efficiency of SOEs to report to the Politburo. Consider and submit to the Central Executive Committee term XIII. Also read: PM urges increased competitiveness, efficiency of SOEs Vietnam News - Latest Updates and World Insights | Vietreader.com Second, it is necessary to more clearly evaluate the investment implementation situation and investment efficiency of SOEs in recent times to identify problems and difficulties that need to be resolved. What difficulties come from policy institutions, what difficulties come from the implementation stage from which to advise the Government and the Prime Minister on policy decisions to free up resources, create breakthroughs, and develop and promote the role of SOEs with the motto "earliest - most effective" and "harmonious benefits, shared risks". Third, identify priority investment sectors and fields for central and local SOEs in the coming period. SOEs need to do big, difficult, and new things to create motivation for economic development. Fields such as offshore wind power, green hydrogen or semiconductor industry... require the participation of SOEs, especially large-scale SOEs... The Prime Minister emphasized the spirit of "There is a way to climb even in high mountains/Even if the road is dangerous, there is a path". The Prime Minister hopes that delegates will discuss and find solutions to promote better socio-economic development, focusing on growth drivers, especially investment. Nguyen Viet Ha, managing director of BowerGroupAsia Vietnam It was an honour to join other business executives at the Presidential Place in Hanoi on September 11 for the state luncheon with US President Joe Biden and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. I had never been so close to a US president before. As I watched the two leaders sitting side by side and speaking as friends, I was reminded of how far the bilateral relationship had come in such a short time considering both countries were enemies only 50 years ago. Bidens visit builds on the legacies of his predecessors, presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, to normalise the relationship in 1995 and upgrade it to a comprehensive partnership in 2013. These historic decisions paved the way to advance bilateral cooperation, particularly in terms of trade and investment. Starting from a modest trade turnover of $450 million in 1995, the United States has become Vietnam's largest trade partner, with a turnover of more than $123 billion. Vietnam, on the other hand, has become the largest trading partner of the US in ASEAN and the seventh-largest trade partner globally. These achievements are the result of the great efforts from both Washington and Hanoi to strengthen ties. With this latest engagement, the two countries have upgraded their relationship from a comprehensive partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This is the highest tier of diplomatic relations, which Vietnam enjoys with only four other countries China, South Korea, India, and Russia. The new partnership clears the way for greater economic cooperation, with a focus on innovation, technology, and investment. Businesses are optimistic about the new sector-specific opportunities Biden emphasised during his visit, ranging from semiconductors and science and technology to energy and public health. Agreements made under the Memorandum of Cooperation on Semiconductor Supply Chains, Workforce, and Ecosystem Development could provide access to the $500 million International Technology Security and Innovation Fund to further develop Vietnams current semiconductor ecosystem, regulatory framework, workforce, and infrastructure needs. The US has also offered technical support and capacity building through higher education and training. Additional initiatives were announced to promote talent cultivation, policy coordination, sector efficiency, and collaboration on AI, research and development, and higher education. Specifically, $12.8 million in funding will be used to help the Ministry of Education and Training modernise and internationalise the higher education system in Vietnam. Once implemented, these initiatives are expected to benefit millions of Vietnamese personnel, helping the country meet its critical demand for skilled and educated labourers. As Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said, "The Vietnam-US comprehensive strategic partnership represents new thinking, a new vision, and new motivation, and it creates new strengths and new values." The upgraded partnership opens new opportunities for the two countries and their businesses to expand ties and turn todays commitments into tomorrows reality. So, in President Bidens words, lets keep it up. Vietnam and US companies collaborate on semiconductors and innovation High-level meetings between the US and Vietnam have paved the way for a strategic partnership focusing on the technology sector, with semiconductors and innovation at the forefront. Erick Contreras, managing director of BASF Vietnam and chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnams Green Growth Sector Committee BASF is proudly a co-founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). Our joint mission is to address this issue, as it is one of the most pressing challenges we face today. Our flagship project, Clean City Green Vietnam in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is operated with the clear objective of developing scalable solutions for reducing unmanaged waste and unlocking the value hidden within waste materials. We aim to mobilise capital and achieve quick wins in the short term through early impact projects, replicating proven solutions. I believe that supporting AEPW and this core initiative can empower Ho Chi Minh City in its battle against plastic waste, and we look forward to even stronger support from the city. BASF is also a member of Together for Sustainability (TfS), a dynamic, member-driven initiative that is committed to elevating corporate social responsibility standards across the chemical industry, enabling it to become more sustainable. For example, we share the responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly Scope 3 (upstream), in the chemical industry. Last September, we launched the product carbon footprint guideline for calculating carbon footprints associated with chemical materials helping industry players to identify, track, and mitigate their CO 2 emissions. This is especially important for Vietnamese companies exporting into EU markets that have stringent standards on sustainability. Siemens' SiGREEN technology is an exciting pilot initiative that aims to facilitate safe data-sharing of upstream product carbon footprint information among TfS members and suppliers. Upon completion in early 2024, it will simplify cross-industry comparisons and provide a comprehensive emissions management framework across all scopes. We would like to ask that the different levels of government establish a more concrete policy framework for green growth, especially for startups venturing into sustainability and companies providing sustainable solutions that meet EU standards. Partnering with foreign associations like the Green Growth Sector Committee plays an instrumental role in driving sustainability and circularity through exchanging expertise, regulations, and best practices. We propose the establishment of regular exchanges and dialogues among government bodies, foreign associations, and local business forums. This collaborative effort could harness the wealth of experience available and expedite our collective journey towards sustainability. The path to green growth is one that requires commitment, collaboration, and innovation. By supporting sustainability initiatives, advocating for policies that promote sustainability within industries, and fostering international dialogue, we can chart a course towards a greener, more prosperous future for Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam as a whole. BASF Vietnam: creating chemistry for a sustainable country Chemicals group BASF is driving sustainability through innovations and partnerships across the value chain. BASF and partners build seventh school in Vietnam BASF and its co-sponsors broke ground on a school building project at Hieu Tu C Primary School in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh on April 19. The two new classrooms and one playground with a total area of 328 square metres will be built to enhance the educational experience for teachers and students. The event is part of the 2023 Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum, which is being held from September 13 to 17. Ho Chi Minh City is very well positioned to become a hub for green finance. The vast majority of multinational companies that are present in large numbers here are now committed to green and sustainability goals. The highly educated society and financial institutions here are well aware of the need, so the potential for green finance is significant, said Vietnam CCO Ramachandran A.S. (RamC) in his speech. According to a detailed research report published by Citi in July, there is a $1.7 trillion investment gap to limit the negative impacts of climate change on the planet and its people. The public sector cannot fund such an investment alone, so 70 per cent of all climate finance must come from the private sector. Several foreign banks present in Vietnam are therefore Working Group members of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, and have committed to collaborating with the Vietnamese government to raise private finance to support Vietnams energy transition. This is called the Just Energy Transition Partnership, and it has initial funding of $15.5 billion. Half of the budget is coming from the private sector, and the other half from multilateral development institutions. Citi has provided short- and medium-term finance for green projects, as well as to purchase green coffee from Vietnamese agents and farmers that meets Rainforest Alliance certified standards. Citi has provided short- and medium-term finance for green projects, as well as to purchase green coffee from Vietnamese agents and farmers that meets Rainforest Alliance certified standards. This has helped increase both sustainability and farmers' incomes. In 2022, Citi executed the first voluntary carbon credits transaction with a developer in Vietnam. The project aims to distribute approximately 850,000 low-emission cook stoves and 364,000 water purifiers to over 350,000 low-income rural households in Vietnam. Following the first offtake transaction in 2022, Citi closed another in February, in which it acted as an arranger and structurer in the first-ever emission reduction-linked bond with the World Bank. This enabled prepayment financing for the project developer to manufacture and distribute 300,000 water purifiers to 8,000 schools in Vietnam. Citi also secured the offtake of carbon credits generated from this project, which enabled access to clean drinking water for 2 million children and helped reduce CO 2 emissions by 3 million tonnes over five years. There are discussions to set up an International Finance Centre in Ho Chi Minh City. Establishing a carbon trading market for Asia would be a great way to create a value proposition for this centre, in addition to promoting the issuance of green and sustainable bonds for Asia. RamC stated, We are optimistic about Vietnams prospects for continued economic growth in 2023 and beyond. We look forward to partnering with Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnamese government to develop an environment that attracts additional investment and drives innovation and sustainable growth in the country. Citi was the first US bank to establish a presence in Vietnam 29 years ago, acting as a trusted advisor for large Vietnamese companies and multinationals in the country. FinanceAsia names Citi Best Sustainable Bank in Vietnam Citi has been recognised by FinanceAsia, the region's premier capital markets publication, for sustainability work in the country and commitment to partnering with clients. 'Green skills vital' for green transition Organised by the United Nations in Vietnam on August 11, this years International Youth Day focussed on the role of education and highlighted the importance of teaching green skills to young people, so they can move towards a brighter, greener, and more sustainable future for Vietnam. The 100 CEO Tea Connect event is a part of the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum, which is running from September 13 to 16 with the theme of Green Growth - The Journey to Zero Emissions. Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai speaking at the event It is also an opportunity for city leaders to meet and discuss with their counterparts from both domestic and foreign corporations and businesses about a number of orientations and cooperation opportunities to make Ho Chi Minh City a pioneering locality for sustainable development, green growth, and the circular economy. According to Gabor Fluit, chairman of EuroCham, the European Union's green agreements and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism aim to meet the net-zero goal by 2050. "EuroCham wishes to support Ho Chi Minh City through technology transfer, model sharing, and building capacity for projects, thereby helping the city become an export centre for the EU market. Over the next few months, we will hold a series of activities to help businesses implement Europe's green agreements and promote sustainable development," Fluit said. At CEO 100 Tea Connect, international experts shared their experiences and pledged to join Ho Chi Minh City in implementing its green growth strategy. Photo: Le Toan Ichisaka Hirofumi, senior executive director of International Relations in Osaka City (Japan), shared that since 1886, Japan has had the idea of integrating environmental protection content into the legal system in an effort to control pollution. "In the 50s, Japan developed miraculously, but it also brought with it serious pollution problems," Hirofumi stated. In 1973, Osaka implemented the first business management model in Japan, with clear regulations on environmental factors. Thanks to that, we maintained stable growth and, at the same time, pioneered to overcome the environmental problems, said Hirofumi. The more significant the growth, the more negative impacts it has on the environment, and Japan's experience is that it is necessary to have a balanced economy. In this circular economy, the output products are input materials for other manufacturing industries, regenerating and exploiting the majority of products, he emphasised. Meanwhile, Ricardo Valente, city councillor for economics and finance from Porto City (Portugal), emphasised that there are many factors that need to be achieved if Ho Chi Minh City wants to develop in even greener ways. The first is education. In Porto, right from the first school year, students are taught how to adapt to greening and green growth. The second factor is the need to create a circular business spirit. Challenges must be set for businesses to meet the city's requirements, especially startup businesses. He said, Any business with an effective solution will be chosen by both city authorities and consumers. The question must be, how can everyday items, such as clothes and electronic devices, be reused to avoid waste and harm to the environment? Other solutions include fiscal policies and tax exemption incentive mechanisms. Porto city has set up environmental indices and tax exemptions for companies that meet them. It also has an energy centre that provides energy and guides people to build green houses that meet environmental safety criteria. Another vital point is that local governments are the largest consumers in society, so they must pioneer the use of green products, creating incentives for businesses to produce them. "If the state does not participate in this green consumption process, it cannot create motivation for society," he emphasised. The city has always made great efforts in a bid to build a convenient, safe, and effective working environment for both people and businesses, said Mai Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said that the comments made at CEO 100 Tea Connect will be absorbed by the city in the completion of its green development strategic framework until 2030, with a vision to 2050, in September. Ho Chi Minh City's green development framework for 2030, with a vision to 2050, puts people and businesses at the centre of the transition, focusing on green human resources, infrastructure, and behaviour. Pilot projects such as turning Can Gio district into the first green locality highlight the pioneering nature of this green transformation. Green development: A solution to post-pandemic recovery for businesses At the 2022 Green Economy Forum with the theme of Post-pandemic Adaptation and Development in Ho Chi Minh City, all speakers agreed that Green Development is a solution that will coincide with future trends, helping businesses navigate their way out of the pandemic. Green development adds value to Vietnamese brands A seminar, organised by Brand Finance and Mibrand Vietnam, on how Vietnamese brands should approach the transition towards sustainable development took place as part of the announcement ceremony of the 2023 Top 100 brands in Vietnam on August 16. AstraZeneca plans to raise its total investment in Vietnam to $308 million over the 2020-2024 period Despite the slowdown in 2023, Swedish companies are optimistic about Vietnam's economic outlook for the coming 12 months. According to a business climate survey by Business Sweden and the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam, 44 per cent of the surveyed companies planned to increase their investment in the country. There were 36 Swedish companies in Vietnam who chose to participate in this years survey. This does not give a complete picture, but the participating companies do represent a broad spectrum. In the professional services area, no companies are planning to leave the market, while 56 per cent reported having expansion plans in the nation. However, companies in the consumer segment showed the most pessimistic outlook, as only 25 per cent of them had plans to further invest in Vietnam, and 17 per cent were planning to leave the market. In addition, 61 per cent of Swedish companies participating in the survey also reported a profitable financial year in 2022, with 27 per cent reporting break-even or losses compared to 63 per cent and 30 per cent respectively in 2021. Though the number of profitable firms showed a slight decrease, companies recording a loss only accounted for eight per cent in 2022, which is the smallest proportion seen in the last three years. Medium-sized companies performed especially well during 2022, with 100 per cent reporting a profitable year, while small companies suffered the most, with 17 per cent reporting losses. Newcomers seemed to have a successful year in 2022, as 67 per cent enjoyed profits and no firms experienced losses. In line with the conservative forecasts for Vietnam's economy in 2023, Swedish companies expressed their concern about their business in Vietnam, with only 47 per cent expecting a higher turnover, compared to last years responses of 70 per cent. At the same time, 39 per cent of Swedish companies anticipate a loss in 2023, which is triple last years figures. While some uncertainties remain, businesses are still hoping for better performance in the second half of the year now China has relaxed its lockdown policy. Numerous prominent Swedish companies, such as ABB, AstraZeneca, Atlas Copco, Electrolux, Ericsson, IKEA, Oriflame, SKF, Volvo, and Tetra Pak, have all established a presence in Vietnam. With the signing of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, Swedish companies are increasingly showing a keen interest in the country, considering it an important destination for their investment expansion plans. Statistics from the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment show that Swedish investors poured nearly $168 million into Vietnam in the first half of 2023, including five newly registered projects worth $154.6 million. Swedish groups pioneer innovation Innovations from Sweden are increasingly prevalent in Vietnam, with climate change forcing a sustainable shift towards new high-tech and digitalised offerings. Sweden leading in green, digital goals Companies are betting on digital transformation and 5G to increase operational efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability. David Liden, trade commissioner of Sweden to Vietnam, talked to VIRs Bich Thuy about the lessons from Sweden in the twin green and digital transition. A former campus minister at Baylor University and the man he described as his spiritual mentor were indicted Thursday in the continuous sexual abuse of two young children. Former Chi Alpha minister Chris Hundl, 38, was arrested May 23 on the same charge, based on a Child Protective Services report to Waco police. He was released the next day on $50,000 bond. His longtime mentor, Daniel Savala, 67, was arrested at his Houston home on June 2 and charged with the same crime, and later transferred to the McLennan County Jail where he remains jailed on $250,000 bond. According to arrest warrant affidavits, the two men on multiple occassions took two boys, then 11 and 12, into a sauna where Savala instructed the children to masturbate. The affidavit says this abuse occurred at a sauna at Savalas Houston home as well as at a sauna at Hundls Waco home over a two-year period. The affidavit also says Savala touched the childrens genitals while Hundl was present. The affidavit says these incidents took place between summer 2021 and March 2022. According to the affidavit, Hundl told police Savala became his spiritual mentor after they met while Hundl was in college. Hundl also told police he and Savala would perform sexual acts on one another as a spiritual activity, and said Savala acted as a grandfather to the children. According to the Texas sex offender registry, Savala was charged in 2012 for sexual abuse of a minor, a third-degree felony. Court documents show the offense was committed in Alaska between 1995 and 1997. An Oct. 25, 2012 Ketchikan Daily News article about the case says Savala pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 days in prison for the offense, in part because the crime took place when sentencing guidelines for sex offenders were lighter. Chi Alpha is a worldwide Christian college ministry that is affiliated with the Assemblies of God church. Savala has been tied to the leadership of multiple chapters of Chi Alpha in Texas and Louisiana, as well as Clover Pass Community Church in Ketchikan, Alaska. Clover Pass church leader Dwight Chris John is also under indictment on child sex abuse charges. Will Robinson, the former leader of Chi Alpha at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, where Hundl served before coming to Waco to start the Baylor chapter, was arrested last July on child sex abuse charges and is set to appear in court in Corpus Christi on Monday. Chi Alpha at Baylor has been suspended and under investigation by Baylor since early May, around the same time Regional Assemblies of God leadership said they ousted Hundl from his leadership position due to his association with Savala and sought to have his ministry credentials revoked. Assemblies of God officials from the denominations North District Council said they also notified CPS after Hundl reported certain actions to leadership. State Rep. Charles Doc Anderson, R-Waco, announced Thursday he will not seek reelection to an 11th term next year and will retire when his term ends in January 2025. In a news release, he said stepping down after 20 years of legislative service will allow him to spend more time with his wife Lyn, whom he married in 2016 after the death of his first wife Sandy in 2015. Its been a tremendous joy to serve in the Texas House of Representatives through 10 regular legislative sessions and countless special sessions, he said in the release. While Im extremely proud of my record of service in the Texas House and love representing my McLennan County friends and neighbors, its time for a new chapter in my life and to seek new ways to serve my community, state, and nation. Andersons news follows an announcement Tuesday by McLennan County businessman Pat Curry that he would run in the Republican primary for the House District 56 seat that Anderson occupies. In a news release Thursday, Curry acknowledged Andersons longtime service as a state representative. McLennan County owes a huge debt of gratitude to State Representative Doc Anderson for his years of service to our community, Curry said in a statement. Doc Anderson is a rock-solid conservative, and I hope to follow in his footsteps of delivering conservative results for Texas House District 56. I wish Doc and Lyn all the best, and I know they will continue to be a driving force for good in McLennan County. Anderson, who is retired as a veterinarian, was first elected to the House District 56 seat in 2004 and has been reelected nine times since then. The state representative noted the work to be done in his remaining term, from an anticipated special session in October on the issue of passing school choice in addition to his ongoing work as vice chairman on the Agriculture and Livestock Committee, leadership roles in the Texas Legislative Rural Caucus and the House Aerospace Caucus. Anderson observed that during his seven years of marriage to Lyn, he had served four regular and seven special sessions of the Legislature in addition to the time spent in committee and caucus meetings, district events and travel from Waco to Austin. Im looking forward to spending the next chapter of my life with Lyn, traveling, and getting to do some of the things serving in the Texas Legislature just wouldnt allow, he said. Its been (quite) a ride, but we still have a few miles to go. When I do complete my legislative service in 2025, I know I will do so confident in the knowledge that I will have served District 56, McLennan County, and the State of Texas honorably, ably, and always in the best interests of the people of House District 56 and Texas. May God bless Texas, the release concluded. District 12 Representative Kyle Kacal, R-College Station, worked with Anderson on many McLennan County issues during Kacals first five terms before redistricting put east McLennan County into a new district. Anderson not only helped Kacal with introductions to the county and state leaders in Kacals early years as a representative it helped having a fellow Aggie to show him the ropes, Kacal joked but proved a good colleague on issues of shared concern, such as aid to West in the aftermath of the 2015 fertilizer plant explosion. Im thankful for his service. Its been an honor to serve with Doc, he said. He was a big help with the West trouble and it was nice to have two representatives working together on issues. McLennan County Republican Party Chair Brad Holland said the longtime state representative will leave after finishing a praiseworthy time in the House. Doc has a strong record to be proud of and hes leaving on good terms, on his own terms, he said, adding Anderson combined conservative political values and an affable personality readily identifiable by his cowboy hat and bolo tie. At a time when many in the public are disdainful of career politicians, Andersons constituents saw him as a beloved veterinarian first with a long time of legislative service, Holland said. Hes a regular guy and very approachable. You knew what you were getting with Doc, Holland said. Given that the District 56 represents Waco and with Republicans heading state government in Austin, Holland anticipated there may be several Republican candidates throwing their hats in the ring in upcoming months. Theres a lot of interest in that seat, he said. I would be very surprised if there were not more (candidates) filing for that seat. Local political experts and party leaders were watching intently Friday as the Texas Senate deliberated the guilt of Attorney General Ken Paxton, a 1985 Baylor University graduate, in his historic impeachment trial. No statewide officeholder has faced impeachment since Gov. James "Pa" Ferguson in 1917, and Paxtons trial is only the second in Texas history. The Texas House on May 27 impeached Paxton by a 121-23 margin and suspended him from office until his Senate trial concludes. He was originally charged with 20 articles of impeachment, which have since been reduced to 16 for this trial. The articles allege Paxton abused his power to intervene in an investigation against his friend and political donor Nate Paul, cover up an extramarital affair, took bribes and retaliated against whistleblowers who reported his misconduct. Pat Flavin, the Bob Bullock professor of political science at Baylor, said impeachment trials in state governments are fairly rare because most states are controlled by one political party and usually, politicians would not pursue charges against someone in their own party. More and more states are controlled by a single party more than say, even 10 or 20 years ago, Flavin said. Another thing that makes this stand out and draw national attention is that its a Republican majority in the House and Senate, a Republican lieutenant governor potentially holding one of their own accountable, which is very different from say, the impeachment of Trump where it was a Democratic Congress leading the way. Flavin said there is currently a split in the Texas Republican Party between traditional establishment Republicans and a competing Trump strain that includes Paxton. He said the suggestions that Democrats or so-called RINOs Republicans In Name Only were behind the impeachment may be a good political strategy. But in fact, a majority of House Republicans have supported impeachment, including ones that were farther right. Representative Charles Doc Anderson, R-Waco, voted against impeachment and told the Tribune-Herald at the time his vote was based on process concerns, as he said House members did not even know Paxton was being investigated until the articles were revealed, and said members had little time to fully consider the articles before voting to impeach. Representative Angelia Orr, R-Itasca, whose district includes part of McLennan County, voted in favor of impeachment and said in a statement that the allegations against Paxton were disturbing and serious enough to merit a full Senate trial. She also noted that 70% of House Republicans voted to impeach, and said she felt it was important for voters to know the investigation was triggered by Paxton asking the Legislature to use $3.3 million of taxpayer money to settle a lawsuit against whistleblowers who he fired after they reported his misconduct to the FBI and Texas Rangers. Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, who represents Waco, declined comment after the May vote. The Texas Legislature is currently under a gag order, so Orr and Anderson were unable to comment when contacted by the Tribune-Herald this month. In order to be removed from office, 21 of the eligible 30 Senators must vote to convict Paxton. Anything less means he will be acquitted. The current sway of the Texas Senate is 19 Republicans to 12 Democrats. Paxton's Waco ties include his time as student body president at Baylor, and he won 64.2% of the McLennan County vote in the 2022 general election. McLennan County Republican Party Chairman Brad Holland said the impact of the trial will certainly be felt locally, but not to the point of affecting local or state primary elections. He said he doesn't foresee Paxton's troubles fracturing the Republican Party in Texas. Some people want to make this a wedge issue for the party, Holland said. I think we still stand for what we stand for. The fact that one individual has been accused and gets his day in court shouldnt fracture the party. Holland said that while many people may try to politicize the impeachment, the trial is a legal process that should not be swayed by politics and should instead be decided on evidence. He said he has been very impressed by the expertise of the legal representation on both sides of the trial. He said the situation surrounding Paxtons impeachment trial is unfortunate and said nobody wants it to happen, but reserved his judgment on Paxtons guilt and said it is up for the Senate to decide. As a party, we have been trying to make sure this process is done correctly, and that justice is served, Holland said. Holland said despite the accusations against Paxton, he has done many good things for Texas and many Texans are proud of Paxtons political record. Holland said Paxton has been instrumental in keeping the power of the federal government in check and allowing Texas to stand for itself and resist federal intrusions into state matters. Jim Dunnam, a Waco lawyer and former Democrat Texas State Representative who represented parts of McLennan, Falls, Robertson, Leon and Madison counties from 1997 to 2011, served in the Texas House around the same time Paxton did. Paxton was a state representative from 2003 to 2013, and was a state senator from 2013 to 2015 before becoming attorney general. Dunnam said he didnt have much of an impression of Paxton as a state legislator, calling him an odd duck and non-entity who didnt really seem to have much of an influence within the Legislature. Dunnam said he was surprised that Paxton was able to get to where he is today. Dunnam said Paxton has largely been able to hold office due to riding the MAGA wave, referring to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. He also said Texas suffered from political polarization, and many state politicians have been campaigning on national issues such as immigration that state legislatures have no control over instead of issues that are actually decided in Austin, such as schools, roads, prisons and healthcare. Dunnam also said Paxton has been given preferential treatment over the delays in his securities fraud cases. Since July 2015, Paxton has been under indictment on charges that he solicited shares of Servergy Inc. to investors without disclosing that he was receiving compensation from the company in return. The trial has been delayed many times, and Dunnam called it a travesty of justice that the trial has been delayed so long. Just because of who you are, you shouldnt be treated differently and not have a trial, Dunnam said. Theyve managed to stall it out for so long, that in and of itself is an injustice. Flavin said the prosecutors in the securities fraud and impeachment trials reached an agreement to postpone the fraud trial until the impeachment trial has concluded. If Paxton is impeached, Flavin said Gov. Greg Abbott can decide to keep the interim attorney general, Angela Colmenero, or appoint someone else until an election in fall 2024 would select someone to fill the remaining two years of Paxtons term. WATERLOO Will Earnest Young Jr. said he opened fire on a man who hit him and was fighting his brother in 2020 because he was in fear for his life. A Black Hawk County jury didnt believe him and found him guilty in a verdict handed down late Thursday following two days of testimony. Young, 34, of Cedar Falls, was charged with willful injury causing serious injury and intimidation with a weapon. Assistant County Attorney Brad Walz said Young pulled out a gun and shot Joseph Ayala, who was unarmed, in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2020, as they were leaving The Saloon on West Fourth Street. Ayala told jurors Young and Youngs brother, Willis Brown, apparently took offense at something he said in the bar and the bartender made all three leave the establishment. Young took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors there had been no argument in the bar and he merely left so his brother could smoke a cigarette outside. Ayala, a 41-year-old former amateur mixed martial arts fighter who runs his own painting company, said he approached Young and Brown outside because they exchanged words with him as he exited. He admitted he threw the initial punch. I swung first, Joseph Ayala told jurors. During cross-examination, defense attorney Maurice Spencer questioned Ayala about his 11-4 fight record, reading off a list of knockouts, arm bars and decisions where referees stepped in to end the matches. Ayala said he quit his fighting career about eight years before the shooting. He said outside the bar, he felt Young and Brown were getting aggressive and about to jump him. I felt like I was in danger, so I swung, Ayala said. After Ayala hit Young in the face, Brown engaged Ayala, taking him to the ground and hitting him. The bullets fired by Young hit Ayalas thigh and hip. Another grazed his back. Ayala said the rounds struck a major vein, requiring surgery. He was in the hospital for almost two weeks and couldnt walk for a month. To this day, he still notices pains in his leg on a weekly basis, he said. Young, who had a permit to carry weapons, said Ayalas initial punch felt like he was hit with a brick. The guy hit hard, he said. I was super scared. I thought he was trying to kill me. When Ayala and Brown began fighting, Young said he didnt think there was any way he could get Ayala away from his brother. I felt that punch, and I didnt want it to happen to him, Young said. He said he feared he or his brother were going to be killed, so he shot, aiming for the legs for a less-lethal shot. Young said he suffered a laceration to his face from the single punch and still has occasional flashes in his vision from the injury. Jurors also watched videos from Fourth Street businesses showing a brief scuffle around 1:38 a.m. Authorities said Young pulled the trigger while Ayala was on the ground and Brown was on top of him repeatedly punching him. Waterloo Police Detective Kyle Jurgensen estimated Ayala was about 8 to 10 feet away from Young and tangled up with Brown when the shots were fired. There were also people across the street, downrange. The officer characterized the shooting as very reckless. He also noted that neither Young nor Brown called 911 or tried to make contact with police following the shooting. They left the area and it was up to police to piece together who was involved by tracing a vehicle leaving the area to the Youngs home. Police recovered the 9 mm Smith and Wesson pistol at the house. Police also admitted Ayala hadnt been charged for punching Young because of the seriousness of his injuries. Sentencing for Young will be at a later date. States with the biggest gun industries States with the biggest gun industries #50. Washington DC (tie) #50. Hawaii (tie) #49. Rhode Island #48. Delaware #47. New Jersey #46. Vermont #45. New York #44. North Dakota #43. Illinois #41. Alaska (tie) #41. Maine (tie) #40. Massachusetts #39. South Dakota #38. Nebraska #37. Wyoming #36. West Virginia #35. Connecticut #34. New Mexico #33. California #32. Montana #31. New Hampshire #30. Maryland #29. Mississippi #28. Idaho #27. Iowa #26. Utah #25. Louisiana #24. Arkansas #23. Nevada #21. Oregon (tie) #21. Washington (tie) #19. Oklahoma (tie) #19. Minnesota (tie) #18. Kansas #17. South Carolina #16. Kentucky #15. Wisconsin #14. Alabama #13. Missouri #12. Indiana #11. Michigan #10. Tennessee #9. Colorado #8. Georgia #7. Virginia #6. Ohio #5. North Carolina #4. Pennsylvania #3. Arizona #2. Florida #1. Texas WATERLOO The Jesse Cosby Center is hosting an expungement and employment barriers resource clinic from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 21 at the Jesse Cosby Center. The clinic is for Black Hawk County residents. The purpose of the clinic is to use the law to help remove barriers to housing, education, employment and prosperity for people who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Eligible clients will receive one-on-one legal help from an attorney for criminal record expungement, court debt, driver's license and vehicle registration issues, and private background checks. Preregistration is required. A form can be submitted online at tinyurl.com/ILAexpungement or by calling Iowa Legal Aid at 1-800-532-1275. The deadline for registration is 5 p.m. on Sept. 19. The Jesse Cosby Center is located at 1112 Mobile St. Interpretation services will be provided. A high school for dropouts: Goodwill offers adults a second chance at a diploma A high school for dropouts: Goodwill offers adults a second chance at a diploma When someone with a medical emergency calls 911, they expect an ambulance to show up. But sometimes, there simply isnt one available. Most states dont declare emergency medical services (EMS) to be an essential service, meaning the state government isnt required to provide or fund them. Now, though, a growing number of states are taking interest in recognizing ambulance services as essential a long-awaited move for EMS agencies and professionals in the field, who say they hope to see more states follow through. Experts say the momentum might be driven by the pandemic, a decline in volunteerism and the rural health care shortage. EMS professionals have been advocating for essential designation and more sustainable funding for longer than Ive been around longer than Ive been a paramedic, said Mark McCulloch, 42, who is deputy chief of emergency medical services for West Des Moines, Iowa, and who has been a paramedic for more than two decades. Currently, 13 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws designating or allowing local governments to deem EMS as an essential service, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a think tank that has been tracking legislation around the issue. Those include Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. And at least two states Massachusetts and New York have pending legislation. Idaho passed a resolution in March requiring the states health department to draft legislation for next years legislative session. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Wyoming this summer rejected a bill that would have deemed EMS essential, according to local media. States have the authority to determine which services are essential, required to be provided to all citizens, said Kelsie George, a policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures health program. Among those states deeming EMS as essential services, laws vary widely in how they provide funding. They might provide money to EMS services, establish minimum requirements for the agencies or offer guidance on organizing and paying for EMS services at the local level, George said. The lack of EMS services is acute in rural America, where EMS agencies and rural hospitals continue to shutter at record rates, meaning longer distances to life-saving care. The fact that people expect it, but yet its not listed as an essential service in many states, and its not supported as such really, is where that dissonance occurs, said longtime paramedic Brenden Hayden, chairperson of the National EMS Advisory Council, a governmental advisory group within the U.S. Department of Transportation. More financial support There isnt a sole federal agency dedicated to overseeing or funding EMS, with multiple agencies handling different regulations, and some federal dollars in the form of grants and highway safety funds from the Department of Transportation. Medicaid and Medicare offer some reimbursements, but EMS advocates argue it isnt nearly enough. It forces it as a state question, because the federal government has not taken on the authority to require it, said Dia Gainor, executive director for the National Association of State EMS Officials and a former Idaho state EMS director. Its the prerogative of the state to make the choice to mandate and fund EMS. In states that dont provide funding, EMS agencies often must rely on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements and money they get from local governments. Many of the latter dont have the budgets to pay EMS workers, forcing poorer communities to turn to volunteers. But the firefighter and EMS volunteer pool is shrinking nationally as the volunteer force ages and fewer young people sign up. Overhead for EMS agencies is expensive: A basic new ambulance can cost $200,000 to $300,000. Then there are the medicine and equipment costs, as well as staff wages and farther driving distances to medical centers in rural areas. By contrast, police departments are supported and receive funds from the U.S. Department of Justice along with local tax dollars, and fire departments are supported by the U.S. Fire Administration, although many underserved areas also rely on volunteer firefighters to fill gaps. We need more if were going to save this industry and [if] were going to be available to treat patients, Hayden said. EMS in general represents a rounding error in the federal budget. Whats more, reimbursements only occur if a patient is taken to an emergency room. Agencies may not receive compensation if they stabilize a patient without transporting them to a hospital. Gary Wingrove, president of the Paramedic Foundation, an advocacy group, has co-authored studies on the lack of ambulance service and on ambulance costs in rural areas. The former Minnesota EMS state director argues that reimbursements should be adjusted on a cost-based basis, like critical-access medical centers that serve high rates of uninsured patients and underresourced communities. A rural crisis About 4.5 million people across the United States live in an ambulance desert, and more than half of those are residents of rural counties, according to a recent national study by the Maine Rural Health Research Center and the Rural Health Research & Policy Centers. The researchers define an ambulance desert as a community 25 minutes or more from an ambulance station. Some regions are more underserved than others: States in the South and the West have the most rural residents living in ambulance deserts, according to the researchers, who studied 41 states using data from 2021 and last year. In South Dakota, the Rosebud Sioux Reservation covers a 1,900-square-mile area in the south-central part of the state. State Rep. Eric Emery, a Democrat, is a paramedic and EMS director of the tribes sole ambulance station, providing services to 11,400 residents. Emery and his colleagues respond to a variety of critical calls, from heart attacks to overdoses. They also provide care that people living on the reservation would otherwise get in the doctors office if it didnt take the whole day to travel to one. Those services might include taking blood pressure measurements, checking vital signs or making sure that a diabetic patient is taking their medicine properly. Nevertheless, South Dakota is one of 37 states that doesnt designate emergency medical services as essential, so the state isnt required to provide or fund them. While he and his staff are paid, remote parts of the reservation are often served by their respective county volunteer EMS agencies. It would simply take Emerys crew too long up to an hour to arrive to a call. Something I wanted to tackle this year is to really look into making EMS an essential service here in South Dakota, Emery said. Being from such a conservative state thats very conservative when it comes to their pocketbook, I know thats probably going to be a really hard hill to climb. Ultimately, Wingrove said, officials need to value a profession that relies on volunteers to fill funding and staffing gaps. Were looking for volunteers to make decisions about whether you live or die, he said. Somehow, we have placed ourselves in a situation where the people that actually make those decisions are just not valued in the way they should be valued, he said. Theyre not valued in the city budget, the county budget, the state budget, the federal budget system. Theyre just not valued at all. Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (15 September 2023) Part I (see Part II) In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in close co-operation with aviation and artillery, repelled four attacks by AFU assault groups near Klescheevka and Mayorsk (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemys losses amounted to up to 275 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, three U.S.-made M777 howitzers, as well as one Gvozdika howitzer. Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 110th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit close to Avdeevka. In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems repelled two attacks by the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). A cluster of AFU manpower and hardware of the 80th Air Assault Brigade was neutralised near Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). Over 145 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles were eliminated. In counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, one UK-made FH-70 gun, three D-30 and one D-20 howitzers were destroyed. In Krasny Liman direction, well-coordinated actions of the Tsentr Group of Forces, strikes by Army Aviation and artillery fire repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Torskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Up to 55 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and one D-20 gun were eliminated. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces repelled an AFU attack close to Novomayorskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Aviation and artillery inflicted losses on the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Vladimirovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The total losses of the enemy in this direction amounted to over 175 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two D-30 howitzers, and one D-20 gun. In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Sinkova, Berestovoye, and Kislovka (Kharkov region). Up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M109 Paladin and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-48 counter-battery radiation station have been neutralised. An ammunition depot of the AFU 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade has been obliterated close to Kislovka. Russian Defence Ministry Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (15 September 2023) Part II (see Part I) In Kherson direction, up to 75 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, and two Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers were neutralised. Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 124th Territorial Defence Brigade was neutralised close to Antonovka. In the past 24 hours, the Black Sea Fleet detected and destroyed two AFU unmanned semi-submersible vehicles in the south-western part of the Black Sea. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 137 areas during the day. In addition, a communication station of the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit close to Novomikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). One P-18 radar for detecting and tracking air targets was destroyed near Novolozovatovka (Dnepropetrovsk region). Russian air defence forces intercepted three HIMARS MLRS projectiles. Moreover, 41 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles shot down close to Maloryazantsevo, Lisichansk (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Novoandreevka Artyomovsk, Gorlovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Kamenka-Dneprovskaya, Pologi, and Tokmak (Zaporozhye region). In total, 467 airplanes and 249 helicopters, 6,800 unmanned aerial vehicles, 437 air defence missile systems, 11,865 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,150 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,394 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,019 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Russian Defence Ministry WtR It was a working summer for Winona Area Public Schools nurses Krissy Coudron and Makala Geurink, who worked together with experts from the Minnesota Department of Health to do their part at the local level to implement a law developed at the state level. At the last legislative session, state lawmakers passed a bill that requires every public and charter K-12 school in Minnesota to have two doses of nasal naloxone available on-site. Nasal naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a life-saving medicine that can reverse an overdose from opioids including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications according to the Centers for Disease Control. The drive to require the medicine in schools was led by a Twin Cities suburban mother who lost her child to substance abuse that started when he was in high school. Coudron and Geurink worked closely with nursing colleagues at the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure safe and effective care. They had to obtain a standing order, a medical provider signed condition-specific protocol and work with school administration to adopt a school board policy, which is working its way through the process of being formally approved. They also worked with the Steve Rummler HOPE Network for purchasing the nasal naloxone doses. During the week before the school year started, the naloxone boxes were installed at each school site with the required doses of nasal naloxone. Each naloxone box includes two doses of medication, directions for use and equipment needed for rescue measures. Planned Parenthood will resume offering abortion services in Wisconsin on Monday after a Dane County judge ruled in early July that the 1849 law widely interpreted as a near-complete abortion ban doesnt apply to abortions at all. The move marks a massive win for liberals and abortion rights supporters, 15 months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade led to the immediate shuttering of abortion services statewide. The organizations announcement comes as Dane County Judge Diane Schlipper appears slated to issue an order in the coming weeks prohibiting prosecutors from going after abortion providers under the 1849 law. That lawsuit may eventually be decided in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is confident in our decision to resume abortion care in Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin president Tanya Atkinson said in a video posted Thursday. Abortion is health care, and the people of Wisconsin have been without this critical health care since Roe was overturned. The organization will resume its abortion services in Madison and Milwaukee on Monday, but not in its Sheboygan clinic until the organization can address staffing and logistics issues, likely in the coming weeks. The Planned Parenthood clinics will operate under Wisconsin laws that ban abortions 20 weeks after probable fertilization. Women seeking abortions would have to first take an ultrasound, have a counseling period and wait a full day before the procedure. For pill abortions, patients would have to schedule two visits with the same physician one for a counseling appointment and one to get the pills. Laws prohibit telehealth visits and mailing the abortion pill to the patient. While this is an important first step on the path, there is a long pathway ahead to protect abortion for the long term and to really expand access and remove unnecessary barriers, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Legal Director Michelle Velasquez said. Spokespeople for the organization said appointments would be immediately available but that it wasnt clear how long the wait times would be. This is critically important news for Wisconsin women and patients across our state, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said. Anti-abortion advocates were incensed by the announcement, which came before any court issued an injunction preventing prosecutors from enforcing the 1849 law for abortions. The action on the part of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin today is presumptuous, said Julaine Appling, director of the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Family Action. Because there has been no court action putting an injunction on the enforceability of the law, theres been no legislative action revoking the law, that law is enforceable. Its tragic, Appling said about the resumption of abortion services in Wisconsin. During the time that this law has been respected, weve calculated that there have been thousands and thousands of babies saved. Appling said shell consider intervening in the current lawsuit as it moves through the courts. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he will pray tonight for all the unborn children who will no longer have the opportunity to be born because of the decisions that politicians are making. Restoring access Planned Parenthood attorneys as well as other abortion advocates told the Wisconsin State Journal in July that abortion services were likely just a couple months away from resuming, given Schlippers earlier ruling. Lexy Ware, call-line coordinator for POWERS, a Madison group that helps women access abortions, said the resumption of abortions in the state will remove an undue burden on residents. Its going to make it much easier for people, not having to travel out of state anymore, said Ware, whose group is called Pregnancy Options Wisconsin: Education, Resources and Support. But she noted that Wisconsin still has numerous abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period, a required ultrasound before an abortion, a ban on telemedicine delivery of medication abortions and a ban on abortions for minors without parental consent unless the minor receives a court-issued waiver. We go back to some of the same problems we faced before, Ware said. Its not like Wisconsin ever had the best laws in place when it came to women and pregnant people needing abortions. Jeanne Bissell, president of the Rockford Family Planning Foundation, lauded Planned Parenthoods decision to offer abortions again in Wisconsin. But she said it doesnt change the foundations plan to open a clinic providing surgical and medication abortions, and other care, soon in Rockford, Illinois. The plan materialized in response to the suspension of abortions in Wisconsin 15 months ago. Another Rockford clinic, which offers only medication abortions, opened in January. The more access, the better, said Bissell, of Fitchburg. We want to continue to improve and increase access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion care, throughout the Midwest. What Planned Parenthood's announcement means For 15 months, since the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion has been unavailable in Wisconsin in the vast majority of cases In early July, a Dane County judge ruled that the 1849 law widely interpreted as a near-complete abortion ban didn't, in fact, apply to abortions at all Given that ruling, Planned Parenthood announced it would resume its Wisconsin abortion services beginning Sept. 18 That will mark the first time abortion will be widely available in Wisconsin since June 2022 Lawsuit ongoing The Planned Parenthood decision comes about 15 months after Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court alleging the 1849 ban wasnt applicable to abortions because later bans conflicted with the earlier one. Separately, physicians who intervened as plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that a Wisconsin Supreme Court case already made clear that the 1849 law applied to feticide, not abortion. The defendants in the ongoing lawsuit are the prosecutors in the counties where abortion was widely available before the decision overturning Roe: Sheboygan County District Attorney Joel Urmanski, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. Urmanski sought to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this year, saying the plaintiffs lacked standing in the case. Beyond rejecting Urmanskis motion to dismiss the case, Schlipper in her July ruling repeatedly referred to the 1994 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that found the 1849 law applies only to feticide, not abortion. There is no such thing as an 1849 Abortion Ban in Wisconsin, Schlipper stated in that ruling. She also referred to a dictionary that defines feticide as killing a fetus usually by assaulting and battering the mother, which she said is different from the technical definition of abortion. The meaning of feticide is not ambiguous (the 1849 law) does not prohibit a consensual medical abortion, she said. Kaul since sought a final ruling to decide whether the 1849 law can apply to abortions. That ruling, which is widely expected to prohibit prosecutors from going after abortion providers under the 1849 law, could come in the next several weeks. State Journal reporter David Wahlberg contributed to this report. The Supreme Court fight over an abortion pill: What's next? Intro What is mifepristone? How did the case get started? How did the case get to the Supreme Court? What could happen next? A closer look These four options are the same maps that will be presented to council members during the August 9th Reno City Council Meeting. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The Reno Police Department has released body camera video of an officer-involved shooting on Yori Avenue earlier this month. Officers originally responded to the area to a reported stabbing early Monday on September 4th. That's when officers found the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Sherman Crutcher armed with a fillet knife. He later died at the hospital. Police say no officers were hurt during this incident. The 16-year-old victim was transported to the hospital. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation and assisted by the Sparks Police Department. *** Warning: The video may be graphic for some viewers. ORIGINAL STORY: The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is investigating a Reno Police officer-involved shooting early Monday morning. The incident started after 12:30 a.m. in the 2600 block of Yori Avenue between Grove Street and Gentry Way when police responded to a reported stabbing at that location. When officers arrived, they found an armed suspect and that's when the shooting occurred. The unidentified suspect died later at a nearby hospital. The victim of the stabbing was also transported to a local area hospital for medical treatment. Police say no officers were hurt during this incident. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation and assisted by the Sparks Police Department. Deputies say this is an ongoing investigation, with no outstanding suspects or threats to the public. If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness to 775-322-4900. For Denmark to reach the national climate ambitions and lower the share of fossil fuels in the national energy supply, the green transition needs to be accelerated. This will only happen through an acceleration of renewable energy and only by speeding up the development and construction of offshore wind farms. Earlier this year, a political agreement laid the foundation for the largest Danish build-out of offshore wind historically at 9GW. The partnership formed by Andel and CIP will play a central part in the build-out and delivering on the national ambitions with two of the countrys most notable companies working together on offshore wind farms placed attractively close to the Danish island of Zealand. The two parks will have a capacity to supply power to the equivalent of two million homes. The international climate and energy crisis is a threat to our energy supply, and it is of great importance that we support the build-out of renewable energy. We are very happy and proud to form this strong strategic partnership with CIP, a company with expertise within development, construction, and operation of offshore wind farms. In our investment program up to 2035, DKK 90 billion will be invested into growth and the green transition. Now, together with CIP we are ready, and it is our goal to win the tenders for Hessel and Kriegers Flak II, said Jesper Hjulmand, CEO of Andel. The continuous build-out of offshore wind in Denmark serves not only a purpose of transitioning the power supply but will also be central to Denmark in keeping the global position as a global leader in renewables, while growing the economy, and creating jobs both during construction and operation. Hessel and Kriegers Flak II are very important pieces of the puzzle that is the transition of the Danish energy system. It is of utmost importance that we keep the transition moving, and at Andel and CIP we are ready to do our part of the job. Andel has strong competences in operating electricity supply and trading energy in large volumes both financially and to consumers, so Andel is a partner that complements our competences very well. Our common ambition is to be an important driver in the realisation of the potential for even larger amounts of renewable energy generation in Danish waters, said Jakob Baruel Poulsen, managing partner at CIP. The Danish authorities have appointed attractive areas designated for construction of offshore wind farms in the Northsea, Kattegat, and the Baltic Sea through a screening process followed by pre-investigations of the sites. Hessel Offshore Wind Farm is planned for completion by 2029 and Kriegers Flak II by 2030. The two parks will have a total minimum installed capacity of 1.8 GW . For more information about offshore wind farm projects across the globe, click here . Fernando Botero, the extraordinary Colombian painter and sculptor who revolutionized modern art with his signature style, died Sept. 15 in Monte Carlo of complications from pneumonia. Boteros hometown of Medellin has declared seven days of mourning for his death. AARP Membership Join AARP for $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine. Join Now A creator of the style known throughout the world as Boterismo, the artist was self-taught and developed his own aesthetics by exalting the volume of the people he represented in his paintings and sculptures. He was one of the few modern-day Latin artists whose style was immediately identified by a mass audience. Fernando Botero and his wife, Sophia Vari, at their home in Italy in 2001. Pool COCHARD/MERILLON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Botero was born on April 19, 1932, in Medellin, the son of a seamstress and a traveling salesman who died when Botero was just 4 years old. As a teenager, Botero was inspired by his older brother and began producing watercolor paintings, which he sold at a store that also sold tickets for bullfights. His interest in painting continued through his schooling, and in August 1951, Botero took advantage of the sale of some paintings to move to the coastal town of Tolu, on the Atlantic, with the idea of becoming a sort of Latin American Gaugin. It was in Tolu that the young painter came across a disturbing scene on the shore: a policeman with the conservative government transporting a liberal prisoner, bound to a stick by his hands and feet, as if he were a tiger. The terrifying experience inspired the painting Frente al mar (By the Sea), which won a $7,000 prize, a veritable fortune at the time. He was only 20 years old. Botero used the prize money to settle in Madrid, where he became disillusioned with the work of modern-day artists, and began to obsessively study the works of older masters like Goya and Velazquez. One night, while wandering the streets of Madrid, he came across a book displayed in the window of a bookstore, a volume on the Italian Renaissance. The book was opened, showcasing a reproduction of Solomon's Encounter with the Queen of Sheba, the fresco that Piero della Francesca painted in the 15th century. It was the most extraordinary thing I had seen in my life, he recalled during an interview for the 2018 documentary Botero. I was just mesmerized by that painting. I realized then that the painting was much more than I had imagined. A lot more complex, a lot more important, a lot more everything. The next day, Botero returned to the bookstore and bought the book. In September 1953, he traveled on a Vespa to Florence, accompanied by his friend Ricardo Iragorri. He stayed for two years in Italy, where he took classes, studied the great masters, and improved his technique. He lived in a small apartment so cold that he was forced to sleep with a coat and gloves. But the experience helped him crystallize his very personal style. It was the first time I found a real zest for life, Botero said in the documentary. I was so happy I didnt want to do anything but paint. Cover Images/BauerGriffin Celebrity The Twinkie depicter in 'Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift' laments not being able to experience certain things in an Instagram Story post shared on Wednesday, September 13. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Being famous isn't all that great for Bow Wow. The Twinkie depicter in "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" admitted that he regrets missing prom and college due to fame. The 36-year-old reflected on his life through an Instagram Story post shared on Wednesday, September 13. "Just woke up... Thinking to my self like man damn....I never been to prom nor college," he wrote. "I wanna pledge so bad I wish I was apart of a fraternity. Yall think I'm lucky because of my lifestyle but I really want what yall have." The "Let Me Hold You" rapper may not have been able to experience certain things, but he hasn't missed out on being a father. Last Sunday, the emcee shared a post in which he held his son, Stone Moss while watching the Atlanta Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That aside, Bow Wow was recently accused of swindling a 10-year-old girl out of a feature. The girl in question reportedly paid the artist $3,000 via Cash App for a feature. According to The Neighborhood Talk, he accepted the payment but never gave the girl what she wanted. Thus, her family is suing him for $15,000. "Based on the foregoing and as a direct consequence of Defendant's actions and failures, Plaintiff's total damages, including costs and attorney's fees, amount to $15,000.00," so read the docs. Bow Wow has shut down the allegations though. "D pippin done got yall again huh? [laughing emoji] i dont conduct business on apps," he declared. "I do NOT use or have cash app. So if you aint call management and send a wire .. you def was NOT dealing w me." Bow Wow went on to share a message to fans. "Be careful who yall send yalls money to online. This happens everyday to folks. This the 3rd time somebody acting like me catfishing people," he claimed. You can share this post! Universal Pictures Movie Amid the ongoing Hollywood strike, the Sophie Sheridan depicter doubts studio bosses could 'afford' to pay the cast 'fair' wages for the third installment of 'Mamma Mia!' franchise. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Amanda Seyfried is unsure Universal could "afford" to pay the "Mamma Mia!" stars what would be "fair" for a third movie. The 37-year-old actress, who played Sophie Sheridan in the 2008 ABBA musical movie and reprised the role in the 2018 sequel, would love to return for a third instalment, but she believes whether it happens or not is likely to "come down to something stupid like whether or not Universal wants to pay the money." "Nobody is saying no, but nobody is saying yes either. The powers that be probably can't afford us to be honest. I hate to say it, because would I do 'Mamma Mia 3' for free - of course I would - but that's not the business we're in. What's fair is fair, and I feel like a third film is gonna come down to something stupid like whether or not Universal wants to pay the money," she told Vogue magazine. Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley has admitted the company are interested in making "Mamma Mia 3". She told the publication, "Universal would love to make a third movie, and I'll leave it at that." And Meryl Streep is keen for a third movie if the storyline "excites" her, despite her character Donna being dead. She said, "I'm up for anything. I'll have to schedule a knee scoping before we film, but if there's an idea that excites me, I'm totally there. I told Judy if she could figure out a way to reincarnate Donna, I'm into that. Or it could be like in one of those soap operas where Donna comes back and reveals it was really her twin sister that died." She joked, "We may have to call it 'Grand-Mamma Mia!' by the time we make it!" But Stellan Skarsgard, who portrays Bill Anderson, doesn't think a script will appear anytime soon. He quipped, "I will be in an urn by the time there's a script for 'Mamma Mia 3', but I will gladly participate as a pile of ashes." In January, Seyfried admitted she was "still waiting for the call" to join a third "Mamma Mia!" film. You can share this post! CBS TV The former 'Ellen DeGeneres Show' host will be 'saving the Gorillas' in her 'Next Adventure', more than a year after leaving daytime show due to toxic workplace allegations. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Ellen DeGeneres is back on television over a year after her daytime talk show went off air. The 65-year-old star will star in new two-hour documentary special "Saving the Gorillas: Ellen's Next Adventure" on the Discovery Channel after "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" ended in May 2022 following allegations of mistreatment and misconduct behind the scenes. "Every single thing has led me to just have a big enough platform to say, 'Look at work Dian Fossey did.' There's nothing that keeps you more present, more in the moment, than sitting with gorillas," she said. The documentary is set to air on September 23 on Discovery Channel, and again on September 24 for World Gorilla Day on Animal Planet. The programme will highlight Ellen's love for animals and her admiration for primatologist Dian Fossey as she builds the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda. The campus opened last year and has helped with gorilla conservation and biodiversity, while it also hosts visitors, including groups of local schoolchildren. Craig H. Shepherd, executive vice president at Zero Point Zero Production, added, "We are so thrilled to partner with Ellen, Portia, and their team to bring this amazing Gorilla conservation journey to life on screen. Their impact on conservation and the immediate community in Rwanda is an inspiration for all." Ellen previously faced accusations of being "mean" and the furore prompted an internal investigation into her talk show by bosses at Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia. The presenter issued a statement addressing the reports when the show returned to TV in September 2020 and insisted changes were being made. She also admitted she's not perfect and stressed she was "working" on her behaviour, adding, "The truth is I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things. I get sad. I get mad. I get anxious. I get frustrated. I get impatient. And I am working on all of that." She announced the series would be coming to an end in May 2022, saying in an episode of the show, "You may wonder why I've decided to end after 19 seasons. The truth is, I always trust my instincts. My instinct told me it's time." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The MAGA ringleader's son is gloating over the legal woes faced by Hunter Biden after the latter was slapped with charges as his plea deal with prosecutors fell apart. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Hunter Biden has been slapped with federal gun charges months after the collapse of his plea deal with prosecutors. The 53-year-old son of US President Joe Biden, 80, was indicted in a federal courtroom in Delaware on Thursday, September 14 with one count of false statement in the purchase of a firearm, a count of false statement to information required to be kept by federal firearms licensed dealer, and another of possession of a firearm by an active drug user. Hunter reportedly committed the three counts of owning a firearm while being a drug user in 2018. He could go on trial next year during the 2024 presidential election. The two counts of making false statements carry sentences of up to 10 years and five years, respectively, while the gun charge possession also carries a sentence of up to a decade. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's son mocked the US leader over the charges. He ranted on X, "Now that Hunter Biden has been indicted how many mins till Biden's corrupt DOJ (Department of Justice) drops another Trump indictment to change the narrative? It's nice to see something happen, though this is likely the excuse DOJ will use to pretend they're fair when they give him a slap on the wrist!" Now that Hunter Biden has been indicted how many mins till Biden's corrupt DOJ drops another Trump indictment to change the narrative? It's nice to see something happen, though this is likely the excuse DOJ will use to pretend they're fair when they give him slap on the wrist! Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 14, 2023 House Oversight Committee Chairman Republican Senator James Comer called the indictment a "very small start" unless prosecutors investigate "everyone involved in the fraud schemes." Hunter's indictment comes months after his deal with federal prosecutors fell apart during a court hearing in July. In June, the two sides reached an agreement in regard to two misdemeanour crimes and a gun charge against the President's son which would have meant federal officials would not charge Hunter with the more serious gun charge in exchange for a guilty plea to the two misdemeanour crimes. The parties were set to resolve the matter during a court hearing in July before Judge Maryellen Noreika raised concerns about the terms. She asked federal prosecutors if the agreement meant Hunter would be immune from prosecution for other possible crimes. The judge also questioned the plea deal's constitutionality, specifically the diversion clause, and the immunity Hunter would have received. Hunter has previously admitted openly about his addiction to cocaine during the years in which the tax and gun crimes allegedly occurred. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity A judge reportedly denied the Canadian rapper's motion because he is 'convicted of a violent felony, has a history of violating court orders, and isn't a U.S. citizen.' Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tory Lanez is officially headed to prison. The "It Doesn't Matter" emcee attempts to appeal his 10-year prison sentence in Megan Thee Stallion's shooting case, but a judge reportedly denied his bond request. On Thursday, September 14, the 31-year-old made a court appearance for a hearing to decide if he would be granted bail while his appeal plays out. However, a judge denied his motion, noting that the rapper is "convicted of a violent felony, has a history of violating court orders, and isn't a U.S. citizen," per TMZ report. Tory's legal team allegedly argued the last point. They claimed the Canadian rap star is in America legally on an active work visa and has no reason to go back to his home country. However, the judge stuck to the ruling. Tory's latest motion was revealed by Legal Affairs & Trials reporter Meghann Cuniff earlier this month. Meghann obtained a copy of the legal documents and posted it on X (formerly Twitter). "From his sentencing hearing engagement announcement to his bail motion wedding announcement, Tory Lanez's relationship status has advanced rapidly in the last few weeks," Meghann noted in the caption of her post. "His fiancee is now his wife, according to the motion." The bail motion additionally revealed the rapper's future plans should he be released back into society. "If released, he would live locally in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Raina Chassagne, and their child, aged six years old," it read. "Upon receiving bail, Mr. Peterson's wife and child will be relocating from Florida to Los Angeles, where the child will be regularly attending school," it continued. "They will rent a home near Mr. Peterson's father, step-mother, siblings, and their children." Tory received the 10-year prison sentence on August 8 after being found guilty in December 2022 of three felony counts including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence in connection with the July 2020 incident. He will spend 9 years in prison after being credited with time served. You can share this post! Cover Images/KOI SOJER Celebrity After first footage of the incident where the 'Creed III' star stops an intense brawl between two high school students emerges, some people accuse him of PR stunt. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jonathan Majors' recent good deed has been questioned by some social media users. After a video surfaced of him breaking a fight between two girls, the actor has been accused of staging it to show him in a different light amid assault allegations. "That Jonathan Majors video is hilarious sorry man ran in and was facing the camera basically the whole time... perfectly in the middle of the shot," one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another claimed, "He Said 'Make Sure You Get Me on Video.' " A third alleged, "Lmaooo PR team doing overtime." Someone went as far as posing as a "former employee of Jonathan Majors' PR team" and writing a mock speech, urging people to let the actor "be in all those movies again." While they didn't accuse Jonathan of faking the fight, a fifth person suggested that his PR team saw an advantage out of the situation. However, a few have come to Jonathan's defense. Clapping back at the trolls, someone said, "It weird, when ppl be out here fighting y'all complain about ppl not stepping in and just pulling out there phones. But when someone actually steps in, now it has to be a PR stunt. You damned if you do and dammed if you dont." Another argued, "One of them girls was gettin whooped on and y'all tellin staged social media got y'all so out of touch." The incident reportedly occurred at an In-N-Out restaurant across from Hollywood High School on Monday, September 11. Jonathan was allegedly getting food at the fast-food establishment when he decided to step in and stop the altercation. In the video which was obtained by TMZ on Thursday, September 14, the two girls were seen in an all-out brawl before Jonathan got involved. He was seen stepping between then and keeping them apart. After the video cut, both girls allegedly went their separate ways. Speaking to the outlet after the incident, the "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star urged students to "stay cool." When asked if he was "just trying to be a helpful guy," he responded, "Yeah." He additionally confirmed that he did not know the two individuals involved. Jonathan is currently in the middle of a legal fight with his ex-girlfriend, who accuses him of getting violent during a night out in New York City back in May. He is due back in court on Friday, September 15 for the case. You can share this post! Cover Images/Faye's Vision Celebrity The actor portraying Cody Hoyt on 'Big Sky' reveals via social media that he has been sober from 'some kind of nicotine or marijuana' for the 'longest' time since he was a teen. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Ryan Phillippe has proudly celebrated a new milestone in his journey to be sober. Making use of his social media account, the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" actor bragged about his "longest" sobriety since he was a teenager. The 49-year-old revealed the good news via Instagram on Thursday, September 15. In a post, he announced in the caption, "Officially the longest I've gone since I was a teen without some kind of nicotine or marijuana in my system(among other things)." The actor portraying Cody Hoyt on "Big Sky" went on to share, "Feeling thankful for the freedom that comes with breaking addictions and dependency on substance." He concluded the caption by writing, "Sobriety, clarity, and spiritual connectedness feels real good," adding a folded hands emoji. In the post, Ryan uploaded a photo of him in a bedroom capturing him striking a pose in front of a huge mirror. In the snap, he showed his arms tattoos in a sleeveless white tee. He put on a pair of sunglasses, earphones, a silver wrist watch, small shoulder bag as well as a number of colorful bracelets. Ryan's revelation of his "longest" sobriety came years after he opened up about his battle with depression. Speaking to PEOPLE back in 2017, he admitted, "I'm a lot more at peace than I was when I was younger. I struggled much more with depression when I was in my 20s and 30s." The "American Murderer" actor explained, "I think the amount of reading that I've done, the work on myself and the ways that I've found to cope are healthier than when I was younger. I don't know what that specifically amounts to other than being more careful and considerate about why you make the choices you do or where the feelings you have come from. And then ultimately just breathe." One year later, in August 2017, Ryan discussed further about depression. In an interview with Women's Health, he stated at that time, "I believe that depression and mood disorders are on a spectrum akin to the way autism is, where it's an individual experience. I think people fear being stigmatized or treated in a blanket fashion, which is sometimes the response to someone who says, 'I struggle with depression.' " "But really, depression could manifest in a thousand different ways depending on who it is," he continued. "I don't think there's any reason not to talk about it. We can help each other cope and give tools that we learn along the way." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity Legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff confirms that the Canadian rapper called her out during his latest court appearance, but declares that 'words will never hurt me.' Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tory Lanez apparently lost his cool during his latest court appearance. The Canadian rapper is said to have hurled insult at a reporter, who has been covering his trial in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case, on Thursday, September 14. Meghann Cuniff claimed the "Jerry Sprunger" hitmaker called her "a googly eyed b***h" toward the end of his court appearance, during which his motion for bail was denied. "I didn't hear it and I'm still working to see if transcript has it, but I've confirmed Tory Lanez chose to use his final courtroom moments to profanely insult me, calling me 'a googly eyed b***h' as he looked at gallery," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The legal affairs journalist noted that there are "conflicting reports" on whether he named her. She cheekily added, "A fitting end." After her claim was reposted on various blogs on Instagram, Meghann shared her reaction. Not letting the insult bring her down, she wrote in the comments section of one post, "Thanks for the shoutout, ShadeRoom. To all the Roomies acting like giddy 7th graders over such a clever burn, all I have to say is, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.' " Journalist Meghann Cuniff reacted to Tory Lanez's insult at her. Tory attended a hearing on Thursday to find out a judge's decision on his request to be released on bail. The judge eventually denied his motion, noting that the rapper is "convicted of a violent felony, has a history of violating court orders, and isn't a U.S. citizen." Tory's legal team allegedly argued the last point. They claimed the Canadian rap star is in America legally on an active work visa and has no reason to go back to his home country. However, the judge stuck to the ruling. Tory'z remark comes after Meghann questioned whether the "Say It" spitter's attorney Jose Baez was prioritizing his client after posting photos from his trip to Italy on Instagram Stories late last month. The journalist pointed out that Jose stated he planned on filing a motion to seek bail for Tory more than two weeks before he posted his vacation pictures while nothing had been filed. Jose responded by referring to Meghann as a blogger and accusing her of having "had a clear bias against Tory and has attacked everyone associated with him as well as made numerous inaccurate assumptions." Tory received the 10-year prison sentence on August 8 after being found guilty in December 2022 of three felony counts including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence in connection with the July 2020 incident. He will spend 9 years in prison after being credited with time served. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The ordeal, which left one person dead, reportedly occurred while the 'Pound Town' raptress was filming a music video with her group at Oakland Park Flea Market on Thursday, September 14. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - Sexyy Red has broken her silence on a fatal shooting that happened near her music video set. After reports suggested that one person was dead from the ordeal, the "SkeeYee" hitmaker insisted assured fans that she's "secure." The 25-year-old spoke up about the incident via Instagram Story on Friday, September 15. She began her message, "I send my condolences to the family of the man who lost his life and prayers up for the person who was wounded. But i gotta address the rumors that it happened at my video shoot bc s**t is not true, at all." "To be clear it happened at a gas station across the street from my video set. Florida Highway Patrol and Broward County Sheriff confirmed that the shooting wasn't on my set," she added. "[I'm] secure and thanks to my production team getting all the paperwork right and working with the Broward Sheriff's Office to hire off-duty's to make sure everyone was safe." Sexxy, born Janae Nierah Wherry, went on to note that she and her team "finished the shoot at a different location and everyone from our set went home safely. Period." She then concluded her post by writing, "I'm just trying to work hard, make good music, connect with my fans. Please don't try to twist narratives and put this on a b***h." Sexyy Red speaks up after a fatal shooting occurred near her music video set in Florida. The shooting reportedly occurred on Thursday night. According to TMZ, a suspect opened fire while Sexyy was filming a music video with her group at Oakland Park Flea Market. One person was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. In a video shared on Instagram, some police officers could be seen standing around one injured individual who was lying on the ground. Another clip, meanwhile, showed people walking on the other side of the road. You can share this post! Facebook Celebrity The Florida native gets cozy with his alleged new girlfriend during a NYC night out after they were spotted attending the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards together. Sep 15, 2023 AceShowbiz - It looks like Kodak Black has a new special someone in his life. In a video surfacing online, the "ZEZE" rapper was seen packing on PDAs with a mystery woman during a night out in New York City. In the said clip, which was shared by The Shade Room on Instagram, the Florida native was seen hugging his new flame while holding a drink. The 26-year-old and his new rumored girlfriend were also spotted cuddling up at the 2023 MTV VMAs while enjoying the performances. The alleged new romance came around one month after Kodak sparked concerns among fans. In August, the 26-year-old filmed himself on livestream during which he appeared to be sitting in a parked car. He was seen holding what looked like a cup or a can and lifting it to his face before his eyes slowly shut and his head fell down. After a few seconds, Kodak appeared to be startled and awakened by a voice in the background and that's when the clip ended. Subsequently, his followers expressed their worry as they suspected that he was high on drug. "Kodak leanin," one person speculated. Another wrote during the livestream, "Pray for kodack [sic]," while a third person added, "U good." After the video was reposted on The Neighborhood Talk's Instagram page, many others encouraged Kodak to seek help for his issue. "Yeah that H ain't no joke. Can somebody in his camp check him into rehab please," one person reacted to the clip. You can share this post! In a world where technology and innovation reign supreme, Engineers' Day is a momentous occasion to recognize and pay tribute to the unsung heroes behind the machines that shape our lives. Apollo Tyres is thrilled to announce the release of a heartwarming digital film that not only celebrates the spirit of Engineers' Day but also underscores the invaluable contributions of engineers in our daily lives. Titled "Engineers: The Driving Force," this film promises to be a delightful and enlightening experience for viewers. In a society that often takes the marvels of modern machinery for granted, "Engineers: The Driving Force" takes us on a captivating journey into the heart of a state-of-the-art tyre factory. Through a fun and light-hearted narrative, the film brings to life the often-forgotten world of engineers who craft these intricate machines. As the first shift ends, the factory springs to life with the machines themselves taking center stage. The film showcases a comical conversation among the machines as they humorously argue that they do all the hard work while engineers take all the credit. They playfully contend that machines don't need engineers as much as engineers need the machines. However, as the conversation unfolds, an unexpected incident serves as a poignant reminder that engineers are, indeed, the true driving force behind these remarkable creations. This digital film is a heartfelt tribute from Apollo Tyres to all the engineers who diligently work at their factory and across the nation. It encapsulates the essence of Engineers' Day, emphasizing the vital role engineers play in our lives and the undeniable synergy between human ingenuity and advanced machinery. As a brand synonymous with quality and innovation, Apollo Tyres understands the pivotal role that engineers play in ensuring safety, performance, and excellence. This film underscores their commitment to recognizing and celebrating the tireless efforts of engineers who strive to make our world a better place through their inventions. This Engineers' Day, join Apollo Tyres in acknowledging the indomitable spirit of engineers and the vital role they play in shaping our world. Let us remember that while machines are impressive, they are only as extraordinary as the engineers behind them. The highly anticipated reality show of Kannada GEC has finally been revealed. On Thursday, COLORS Kannada officially announced the launch of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10. For the very first time in the history of Bigg Boss Kannada, it will embrace a theme, 'Happy Bigg Boss,' to commemorate a decade of entertaining the market. The 80-second promo, featuring Kichcha Sudeepa, the show's host, underscores the anticipation among Karnataka's audience for the biggest visual spectacle of Kannada television. In the promo, Kichcha Sudeepa enthusiastically declares "100 days of festival" that will captivate the audience with drama, emotions, and a myriad of human sentiments. As COLORS Kannada announces the show, speculation now centers on the 17 potential celebrity contestants from diverse backgrounds who will enter the Bigg Boss house. Commenting on the Bigg Boss Kannada announcement, Prashanth Nayak, Business Head of COLORS Kannada, stated, "This being the 10th installment of the most significant visual spectacle in the Kannada GEC market, Bigg Boss Kannada, we are introducing the theme for this season, 'Happy Bigg Boss,' which aims to spread joy among all Kannada television viewers. Bigg Boss is a show that encompasses a wide range of emotions, and happiness has always been one of the most celebrated human sentiments. In essence, we are announcing happiness for our audience to make this season the best one yet." However, COLORS Kannada has not yet disclosed the show's launch date and time. So, stay tuned to COLORS Kannada for further updates. Cultos Global, a pioneering web3 venture headquartered in Dubai, has successfully secured an undisclosed sum in their ongoing funding round. The investment comes from a distinguished group of backers : Mr. Sameer Mehta, the Founder & CEO of India's esteemed unicorn, boAt Lifestyle Mr. Tarun Katial, Media Tech veteran and Founder & CEO of Coto a web3 based social crypto community platform for women Mr. Ashwath Bhat, Finance Head at Fractal Analytics Mr Vijay Ratnaparkhe - Software Industry Veteran and Head of Bosch Southeast Asia also joins the Advisory Board along with his investment. These prominent names join forces with a list of several San Francisco based investors and existing stakeholders that continue to support the vision of Cultos Global as they look to transform the way brands engage their customers. These luminaries join a consortium of Bay Area investors and existing stakeholders, all aligned with Cultos Global's vision to revolutionize brand-customer engagement. Co-Founder of Cultos Global & Chief Commercial Officer , Adib Samara, states, "Cultos Global is reshaping brand-customer engagement by introducing an elegant, unified platform that seamlessly combines digital marketing and customer rewards programs, transforming passive consumers into a network of active nano-influencers." Cultos Global provides brands with the tools to create their own brand token and set up their rewards systems in a matter of minutes and drive adoption from the bottom up, leading to greater efficiencies, better conversion rates and increased sales. On the injection on capital from prominent angel investors, Cultos Global Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Pavan Govindan highlights that Cultos Global is thrilled and excited to have industry leaders on board as we scale up in our journey to provide brands with the ability to effectively bring their rewards, loyalty and influencer marketing to Web3. This will give brands access to first-party data, but with advanced security and enhanced privacy for end consumers. With strategic investors to support our vision, we are now even more confident in establishing Cultos Global as the preferred Web3 wallet for some of the biggest brands globally. The funds raised will primarily bolster the expansion of Cultos Global's Product & Engineering teams across the UAE and India as well as expanding its platform development by introducing several new innovative functionalities. Tarun Katial, a staunch advocate of Web3 Technology, lends his support, stating, "Cultos Global operates within an ecosystem that prioritizes end-user privacy while providing incentives and empowers brands to engage more effectively. I firmly believe that next-generation loyalty will be pivotal, and Cultos Global stands at its core with its proven web3 technology." InMobi, a leading provider of content, monetisation and marketing technologies that help businesses fuel growth, today announced its strategic partnership with Ad Net Zero, the climate action program with the mission to accelerate the decarbonisation of the advertising industry. This collaboration underscores InMobi's resolute commitment to sustainability, aligning with Ad Net Zero's mission to revolutionise the advertising landscape through decarbonisation initiatives spanning ad production, distribution, and publication. The global advertising industry is at a critical juncture, as it grapples with the environmental impact of its operations. Recent statistics underscore the urgency of the issue, with the internets greenhouse gas emissions comprising approximately 4% of the global total surpassing even the aviation sector. Notably, the energy required to serve one million ad impressions is equivalent to the carbon produced by manufacturing 2.4 million plastic straws. Recognising the growing importance of sustainability in business decisions, InMobi has taken a proactive step by aligning itself with Ad Net Zero. As a leader in the ad tech industry, InMobi recognises the significance of demonstrating sustainability efforts to both its existing clients and potential partners. A recent Deloitte survey highlights that 98% of consumers believe brands are responsible for contributing to a better world, and a considerable portion of consumers prefer to be patrons of sustainable brands. By joining forces with Ad Net Zero, InMobi embarks on a journey to align with the organisation's five-step plan, designed to minimise the carbon footprint of advertising: Reduce emissions from advertising business operations Decrease emissions stemming from advertising production Diminish emissions from media planning and buying Lessen advertising emissions from awards and events Harness advertising's potential to drive behavioral change InMobi's dedication to sustainability extends beyond rhetoric to measurable action. InMobi Exchange, powered by Microsoft Azure which boasts of complete carbon neutrality, stands as a testament to its commitment. Furthermore, data gleaned from the Microsoft Azure Impact Emissions Dashboard showcases InMobi's impressive emission reduction metrics: InMobi's emission factor ranks within the top fifth percentile compared to average server emission factors Server usage demonstrates a remarkable 80-90% higher green efficiency compared to alternative on-premise solutions, even high-efficiency ones Direct SDK integrations, paired with machine learning, have driven emission reductions of up to 30% "InMobi's partnership with Ad Net Zero symbolises our dedication to ushering in a more sustainable era for the advertising industry," states Kunal Nagpal, Chief Business Officer at InMobi. "We are proud to stand alongside fellow tech companies and agencies, united in the pursuit of a greener, more responsible future. By fully embracing Ad Net Zero's comprehensive plan, we are steadfast in our commitment to minimising our environmental impact while advancing the power of advertising." "Ad Net Zero is thrilled to work with InMobi as they support more sustainable advertising solutions, contributing to our collective global impact. InMobis commitment is another significant step toward an eco-friendly future for the industry, says John Osborn, Director of Ad Net Zero in the U.S. InMobis partnership with Ad Net Zero follows its global sustainability commitment to Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), where InMobi is undergoing a 24-month goal validation process, at the end of which InMobi will commit to ambitious Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reduction targets in line with SBTi sector guidelines and the GHG Protocol standards. Our partnership with Ad Net Zero strengthens and accelerates InMobis commitment to creating a more sustainable advertising ecosystem, said Rishi Bedi, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, at InMobi. By embracing Ad Net Zeros comprehensive five-step plan, InMobi will be able to further reduce carbon emissions, minimising our environmental impact while advancing the power of advertising across the globe." InMobi also continues its partnership for the second year with Givsly, the leading purpose driven B2B marketing solution, and shared the stage with Givsly, Dentsu, and IPG Brands at Cannes Lions 2023 to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and the path that can be taken for a sustainable ad tech stack. Recently, InMobi served as the primary audience partner in AdTechCares campaign with Project Drawdown, a nonprofit organisation working to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. AdTechCares is a 501 (c)(3) organisation that leverages ad tech to combat misinformation and keep humanity well, and InMobi is a founding member. A protracted fight between Matebeleland Engineering trading as Yagden Engineering has exposed alleged Police capture, abuse of power and rampant corruption in the force. The squabbles led Tony Renato Sarpo, to appear in court 43 times. From 2012 to 2018, Sarpo was arrested on 43 charges. The court, however, acquitted him of all the charges. According to Sarpo Police were quick to arrest him without evidence and during his incarceration or while defending himself in court his property was being sold by other directors. They caused my arrest alleging that I stole motorbikes and the Police were swift to make an arrest and the other directors sold them before the matter was finalised at the court. Now I want my motorbikes they are dragging their feet. They are not arresting the accused although there is glaring evidence, he said. National Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the Police are still working on the report. He went on to say he would give an official position on Monday. We are working on the report. We are going to give an official position of the Police on Monday, said Nyathi. In another matter Matabeleland directors, Wayne Williams and Regis Maburutse allegedly connived with Prolific Auctions to sell Sarpos Land Cruiser short base worth US$40 000 and a spray booth worth US$15 000. Prolific Auction, run by Livingstone Mavunga was engaged by the Sheriff of the High Court to dispose of property belonging to Matebeleland Engineering after it was successfully sued for US$186 924 plus 12% interest per annum by Hothfield Enterprises (PVT) LTD. The items on the list of the writ of execution against movable property (Case No. H/C 12773/16), however, did not include the Land Cruiser and the spray booth. It is alleged that on July 4, 2019, the same day other items on the writ were sold, Prolific Auctions allegedly sold the vehicle and listed it as a scrap vehicle although the vehicle was in perfect condition. According to invoice number 16091 issued by Prolific Auctions both the vehicle and the spray booth were sold at US$ 2 000 each although the auction had generated more than the amount demanded by Hothfield from the sale of the items listed on the writ. The Land Cruiser was sold to Donald Mangenje. Maburutse went on to write to the Sheriff of the High Court asking him to transfer the said surplus of money to his Ecobank account 0141107609499201 in Msasa. Sarpo left the vehicle in 2016 after a dispute with his partner, Wayne Williams, over running of the company, but agreed that the dispute could only be resolved by the courts (H/C 1324/17). It is, however, alleged that Wayne Williams and Maburutse later connived and hired the services of a locksmith to open up the car and started using the vehicle without Sarpos consent. Wayne is alleged to have used the vehicle before Maburutse took the car away. When Sarpo reported to the Police last year, (Rhodesville Police Station CR26/12/12) they said Mangenje could not be located. They also removed the auctioneer from the accused persons and turned him into a State witness. The Mirror has a letter of complaint dated July 6, 2023, written to Police Commissioner General, Godwin Matanga. Part of the letter which was received at the PGHQ by a Sgt Muyambo on July 24, 2023, reads: To the Police Commissioner General Zimbabwe Republic Police Headquarters Harare. Subject: A follow-up on an appeal I filed on the 7th of July 2023 for Police Anti-Corruption intervention on a matter State vs. Regis Maburutse and three others. Rhodesville CR/26/2022. The auctioneer who is being treated as a State witness will automatically be exonerated. Meanwhile, Donald Mangenje will be added to the wanted persons list and it will be impossible to account for him since there will be no further particulars availed. That will be the end of my story and a perpetuity of unlawfully permanent loss of my property as well as orchestrated derailment of justice. Masvingo Mirror Reacting to the decision of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance not to take part in the shows and events of 14 on the countrys top TV news anchors, the News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) called it a draconian order and a decision to crush free speech. Among these news anchors are Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan and Anand Narasimhan of News18; Chitra Tripathi and Sudhir Chaudhary of AajTak; Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today; Prachi Parashar of India TV; Arnab Goswami of Republic Bharat; Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat 24; Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat; Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express; and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News. Incidentally, NBF is led by Arnab Goswami. In a statement issued, the NBF vociferously condemned the "undemocratic, Emergency-era directive to boycott 14 select news anchors as part of an undemocratic institutionalised political decision to crush free speech and target the Indian media in a pre-election year". It affirmed, "The blanket decision to ban representation of I.N.D.I.A political alliances members on the on-air shows of 14 specific news anchors across broadcast networks in the country is an unprecedented attempt to muzzle the voice of the Indian media through intimidation and singling-out tactics. The I.N.D.I.A. political alliances order is clearly an attempt to censor the media in this great country, which prides on its wealthy history of free speech, thought and expression." The NBF further stated, "The statement that has been ascribed to the I.N.D.I.A Media Committee has unilaterally sounded the ushering of an Emergency-like mind-set once again. To make an institutional political decision against handpicked journalists of established stature is a clear and outright onslaught against free speech through systemic targeting of the media." It called the opposition alliance's decision a "blot on Indias democratic principles and a grave assault on Article 19 of the Indian Constitution for the pre-election political alliance I.N.D.I.A to be out rightly tinkering with the countrys rich history of being a free and vibrant press". The NBF wholly condemned this clear instance of political parties and alliances targeting of journalists across news networks a pre-election agenda. "We strongly urge the I.N.D.I.A Media Committee to revoke its draconian order with immediacy," the NBF stated. News18 India, India's No. 1 Hindi news channel, recently hosted an exclusive interview with Mansukh Mandaviya, India's Minister of Health and Family Welfare. During this interview, Kishore Ajwani, Managing Editor, News18 India delved into the remarkable achievements of the Ayushman Bharat program and India's steadfast commitment to public health and global solidarity. To celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, a groundbreaking initiative known as Ayushman Bhava is set to launch on a national scale. The campaign is scheduled to run from September 17th to October 2nd, and Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has passionately called upon the nation's citizens to actively participate. He revealed that "Seva Pakhwada" will be celebrated during these 15 days, welcoming any Indian citizen, social organization, representative, or political party to partake in this noble endeavor. The Ayushman Bharat program, a government-led healthcare initiative, has positively impacted an astonishing 600 million individuals, providing them with crucial healthcare benefits. In a significant step towards improving accessibility and user-friendliness, the government recently introduced an innovative mobile application, ensuring ease and convenience for beneficiaries. One of the program's standout features is its widespread reach, with an impressive 240 million individuals already possessing Ayushman cards. Minister Mandaviya disclosed that these cards could now serve as a means for organ donation, streamlining the process and granting donors a certificate of their altruistic contribution. Minister Mandaviya emphasized, "Ayushman Bharat is more than just a program; it is evolving into a monumental campaign." Prime Minister Modi's vision of offering free medical treatment up to 500,000 rupees has already transformed countless lives, and the upcoming Ayushman Villages initiative aims to further bolster healthcare accessibility. Expressing his deep faith in the initiative, Minister Mandaviya stated, "We are undertaking this campaign for the betterment of humanity," expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support from citizens and NGOs eager to collaborate for the greater good. "In our nation, health is not a business but a selfless service," underscored Minister Mandaviya, underscoring the government's unwavering commitment to serving its people. When questioned about the healthcare sector, the Minister stressed the importance of international medical cooperation, particularly in the ongoing pandemic era. He highlighted the pivotal role played by digital technology in managing citizens' health, with digital vaccine records contributing significantly to the efficient vaccination drive. Regarding India's remarkable vaccine initiative during the COVID-19 crisis, Minister Mandaviya pointed out that extensive vaccine research had been conducted, leading to India's global vaccine distribution efforts under the "vaccine maitri" mission. The world has recognized India's substantial contributions to global vaccination efforts, highlighting the nation's dedication to international solidarity. In closing, Minister Mansukh Mandaviya extended an invitation to all individuals to join hands with the Ayushman Bharat initiative, saying, "Come, be a part of our journey, support us, and help us scale new heights to ensure the success of the 'Ayushmaan Bhav' initiative." Advertising, Marketing and Media industrys apex body The Advertising Club has announced the Managing Committee for the current fiscal, i.e., F.Y. 2023-2024, at its 69th Annual General Meeting.Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India has been elected to lead the body. Partha Sinha will continue as a member of the Managing Committee as the Immediate Past President for the ensuing year. Speaking about the appointment, Rana Barua, President, The Advertising Club said, Its an honour to serve as the President at The Ad Club, a nearly 70-year-old venerable institution, whose legacy is deeply rooted in its unwavering commitment to excellence and is a beacon of inspiration for our industry. Our mission extends beyond accolades; it's about actively shaping belonging and how we engage and influence the larger fraternity and the newer generation. Our new management team, a mosaic of diverse leaders across sectors, embark on a journey of limitless possibilities and opportunities. Together, we commit meaningful initiatives that will enable us to attract fresh talent into the industry, championing women empowerment, nurturing future leaders, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and fostering progressive alliances and conversations." The below members were elected unopposed. The Office Bearers of The Advertising Club for 2023-2024 are Rana Barua President Dheeraj Sinha Vice President Dr Bhaskar Das Secretary Shashi Sinha Jt. Secretary Mitrajit Bhattacharya - Treasure r Managing Committee Members include the below industry leaders who will play a decisive role in driving synergies and ensuring the success of all The Advertising Club initiatives: Avinash Kaul Malcolm Raphael Prasanth Kumar Punitha Arumugam Shubhranshu Singh Sonia Huria Subramanyeswar Samayam In addition, given below is the list of co-opted industry professionals: Ajay Kakar Pradeep Dwivedi Vikram Sakhuja The below list of leaders are special invitees and bring immense value to The Advertising Club through their expertise and deep understanding of the respective industry segments: Ajay Chandwani Alok Lall Anusha Shetty Lulu Raghavan Mansha Tandon Nisha Narayanan Raj Nayak Satyanarayan Raghavan UNIVO Education, one of the largest online higher education companies in India, partnered with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) during the recent '4th Edition of EduSummit 2023,' which took place on 29 August 2023 in New Delhi. Organized by CII Northern Region, this Summit focused on the theme 'Reimagining Education with Technology and Internationalization' and served as a confluence of influential stakeholders from the corporate sector and India's education industry. Eminent figures such as Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Dr. Chandrasekhar Buddha, Chief Coordinating Officer at the All India Council for Technical Education, Mr. Joyce Poan, Programme Specialist at UNESCO and Dr. Vinnie Jauhari, Co-Chairperson, CII Regional Committee on Education & Industry Connect and World Wide Public Sector, Senior Education Advisor at Microsoft Corporation graced the event with their presence. Mr. Siddharth Banerjee, Chairman of the CII Northern Region Committee on Education and Industry Connect, and the CEO of UNIVO Education, delivered the opening remarks, setting the stage for a substantive dialogue aimed at identifying the current challenges within the education system and devising adaptive and innovative solutions to address these challenges. The event featured three power packed panel discussions, which gathered a distinguished group of speakers, including industry leaders, Vice-Chancellors, and Directors of universities, as well as education leaders from national and international allied bodies. These discussions spanned various facets of the education landscape, encompassing topics such as Leveraging Adoption of New Technology in Higher Education, Comprehensive Internationalization in Higher Education, and Education to Employability: Innovative Approaches. Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of UNIVO Education and Chair of the CII Northern Region Committee on Education & Industry Connect, said, "EduSummit 2023 provided an exceptional platform for policymakers, regulators, multilateral agencies, academia, and corporate leaders to engage in discussions, debates, and action plans related to higher education and employability. We remain committed to conveying the significant issues and opportunities highlighted during the Summit to policymakers and regulators through the CII platform." With its diverse lineup of speakers and active participation from academia, industry leaders, and students, the event underscored its pivotal role in shaping the future of education in India. Vedanta Resources today announced the appointment of Chris Griffith, former CEO of Gold Fields, one of the largest producers of gold in the world, as the Chief Executive Officer for Base Metals & President of its International Businesses, effective October 2nd 2023. He will be leading the Groups international zinc business in South Africa and Namibia, its iron ore business in Liberia and the entire copper portfolio including KCM, Zambia, Fujairah, UAE and Sterlite Copper in India. Before Gold Fields, Chris served as the CEO of two major businesses at global mining major, Anglo American Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) and Kumba Iron Ore. At Amplats, he was behind a phenomenal improvement in operational performance, increasing EBITDA by 1500% during his tenure. At Kumba, the fourth largest iron ore company in the world, he was responsible for a big ramp up in production ahead of schedule. Revenue increased by 127% during his stint as CEO. Announcing the appointment, Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Group said, "We are delighted to welcome Chris Griffith to Vedanta as the CEO for Base Metals & President International. His extensive experience in the mining industry and leadership track record at Gold Fields, Angloplats and Kumba make him an invaluable addition to our team especially as we embark on an exciting growth phase in our copper business with the return of KCM to our portfolio. Chriss growth mindset along with a strong commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with Vedanta's core values. In his new role as CEO for Base Metals, Chris Griffith will assume responsibility for steering both the Vedanta Zinc International and Vedanta Copper businesses, including operations at Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia as well as oversight for the downstream processing businesses of the company across India and the Middle East. As President International, Chris will be part of the broader strategic leadership for the company and will provide guidance for Vedanta's operations outside India, including the Iron ore business in Liberia. Speaking on his appointment, Chris Griffith said, "I am excited to take on this new role at Vedanta, one of the worlds most exciting and fast-growing mining and metals companies. I look forward to driving innovation, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth to Vedantas Base Metals businesses, creating KCM as a cornerstone asset for the company and growing the group internationally. Together, we will deliver value to all our stakeholders in different geographies. Chris holds a bachelors degree in mining engineering from the University of Pretoria. VerSe Innovation proudly unveils its groundbreaking month-long initiative, "There For You, a mental health campaign leading up to World Mental Health Awareness Day on 10th October. Uniquely designed, this campaign endeavors to amplify voices of change and support from across the nation, reaching audiences in a plethora of vernacular languages. By bridging gaps and fostering inclusivity, "There For You" is set to be a beacon of change in the realm of mental health. Harnessing the strengths of its diverse platforms, VerSe Innovation is primed to make significant strides in creating awareness, building thought leadership, nudging behavior change, and amplifying diverse opinions on social causes. Dailyhunt, India's foremost content aggregator and news ecosystem, offers real-time information to a wide and varied audience. Parallelly, Josh, the nation's premier short video app, taps into the pulse of India's youth, empowering them to voice their concerns and hopes. Complementing this is One India, a multi-media news portal, which boasts an expansive readership spanning India's vast expanse, catering to various linguistic backgrounds and making it easier for organizations to communicate with depth and breadth. The "There For You" campaign is intricately designed to harness the immense potential of various stakeholders such as civil society and non-profit organisations, private healthcare systems, social impact funders, and especially Indias youth. By leveraging the comprehensive reach of its platforms, VerSe Innovation aims to mold a resilient nation where mental well-being takes center stage. Over the month, the campaign promises a spectrum of expert panels, influential thought-leadership posts, and grassroots stories, shining a spotlight on the integral relationship between mental health and the daily experiences of individuals. Central to this campaign is a strategic collaboration with Fortis National Mental Health Program, Fortis Healthcare, AVPN and MASH Project Foundation alongside select trailblazing non-profit organizations. Fortis National Mental Health Program is a comprehensive multi-city multi-centric mental health program. Besides end-to-end mental health solutions and tele mental health services, Fortis National Mental Health Program is committed to the cause of community and preventive mental health with a focus on advocacy and skill building. The Fortis 24x7 Helpline is a 24-hour multi-lingual helpline that provides crisis intervention and mental health support. AVPN, Asias largest social investors network, is a leading ecosystem builder that is increasing the flow of financial, human, and intellectual capital from Asia and around the world into the social sector in Asia. They have recently launched the Youth Mental Wellbeing Philanthropic Fund to increase accessibility of youth mental wellbeing services across the region. Their goal is to strengthen and scale transformative impact organizations that are working to address accessibility to quality, evidence-based mental health services for youth communities in Asia, and to also work with funders to provide non-financial support to grantees through corporate volunteering engagement opportunities. MASH Project Foundation, an award-winning social enterprise, is deeply committed to advancing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, under which mental health prominently resides. As a forerunner in cultivating an ecosystem for tangible social impact, their approach spans building robust communities, honing capacities, and adeptly leveraging digital & media channels for meaningful impact communications. In partnering with the There For You campaign, MASH Project Foundation underscores its steadfast commitment to fostering a world where mental well-being is recognized, addressed, and championed. Umang Bedi, Co-founder, VerSe Innovation commented, At VerSe Innovation, we believe that content has the power to drive meaningful change and transform society. We are excited to launch the There For You campaign, which aims to promote a deeper understanding of mental health in India. With the combined reach of our platforms, Dailyhunt, Josh and One India, we aim to amplify conversations about mental health and encourage behavior change. We are proud to collaborate with Fortis National Mental Health Program, Fortis Healthcare, AVPN, and MASH Project Foundation to build a more resilient nation where mental well-being is a top priority. As part of our Changemakers initiative, this campaign is a testament to our commitment to leverage content for positive societal impact. Dr. Samir Parikh, Chairperson, Fortis National Mental Health Program, Fortis Healthcare commented, "A sustained collective effort is needed to de-stigmatise and prioritize mental health. Everyone is a stakeholder and has a role to play in this. Making mental health a universal right for all has to be a goal for society." Lavanya Jayaram, Regional Director - South Asia, AVPN commented, "AVPN recognizes the paramount importance of addressing the second most significant factor contributing to the decline of the lifespan of Asian youth. To this end, we have established the Asian Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund, a proactive initiative aimed at enhancing the mental health and well-being of young people in India, Malaysia and Singapore. We welcome partners who share our passion for enhancing the well-being of young people." Aashish Beergi, Founder & CEO, MASH Project Foundation commented, "Our continued efforts to build more conversations on mental health have given shape to this month-long campaign, 'There For You', with very credible partners like Fortis National Mental Health Program, Fortis Healthcare and AVPN, among others, and using the power of effective campaigns, we along with VerSe Innovation (Josh, Dailyhunt & One India) are committed to creating a stronger ecosystem of multi-stakeholders that advance work on creating better mental health & wellbeing for our people." This campaign is being launched under VerSe Innovations Changemakers initiative which stands tall as the companys purpose-driven content program to create social impact across Bharat. A beacon for progressive change, the program introduces the pioneering concept of "content for cause." This innovative approach harnesses the power of content to foster mass awareness and education, stimulate positive behavioral shifts, build thought leadership, and cultivate an active community of changemakers. In doing so, it extends a formidable platform for organizations dedicated to social impact, amplifying their voices and efforts in unprecedented ways. In the same spirit, the launch of "There For You" reaffirms VerSe Innovation's unwavering commitment to employing content as a formidable catalyst for societal evolution, further solidifying their reputation as thought leaders and changemakers in the digital content realm. The Federal Council Bern, 15.09.2023 - At its meeting on 15 September 2023, the Federal Council approved additional support for digitalisation in Ukraine. This will enable citizens, refugees and businesses to access public services and have a political say despite the ongoing war. The 'E-governance for Accountability and Participation' (EGAP) project will receive a contribution of CHF 15 million this year. As a result of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, millions of citizens have been displaced within Ukraine or to third countries. Infrastructure and housing have been destroyed over vast areas, while numerous businesses have been forced to relocate. The attacks make it more difficult for people to access public services and exercise their political rights, and are pushing national and regional authorities to their limits. Because Ukraine invested in its digital transformation well before the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, public administrative bodies were able to respond quickly to the new challenges and needs, and were able to continue to function. Online services enable contact with authorities regardless of location Switzerland has been supporting Ukraine in its digital transformation since 2015. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2022 (URC2022) in Lugano, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis underscored that digital transformation is a key component for Ukraine's resilience as well as for the future recovery process. He therefore held out the prospect of increasing the corresponding support by CHF 15 million at URC2022. Swiss support is implemented within the framework of the EGAP project, which has proved extremely relevant and successful in the face of Russia's military aggression, especially with the online service 'Diia'. Diia offers numerous public services digitally, for example the issuing of digital documents such as identity cards or driver's licenses, access to medical prescriptions and vaccination cards, and to a range of services for parents of newborns. Following Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, the project's activities were quickly adapted and expanded. For example, registration for state support for internally displaced persons, access to digital documents for refugees, and electronic registration of damaged property were integrated into the service. A new feature was also developed to educate the public about the dangers of landmines and other explosives, and to enable them to report suspicious objects directly to the authorities. Digital access to public services is particularly important in places where administrative offices are currently inaccessible or inoperable due to destroyed state infrastructure. Today, more than 19 million Ukrainians use the Diia online portal or app. Address for enquiries For further information: FDFA Communication Tel. Press service +41 460 55 55 kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html The Federal Council Bern, 15.09.2023 - At its meeting on 15 September, the Federal Council was briefed on the outcome of the consultation of the foreign affairs committees in the run-up to the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The main items on the agenda are the international financial architecture, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, international law and UN reforms. The 78th session of the UNGA will open next Tuesday in New York. President of the Confederation Alain Berset and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the FDFA, will represent Switzerland. The Federal Council was briefed today on the outcome of the consultation of the foreign policy committees in the run-up to the 78th session of the UNGA. UNGA sessions run for one year the 78th session from September 2023 to September 2024. The UNGA is the world's most broad-based platform for dialogue. 193 states are represented in it to discuss and find common solutions to global issues such as poverty reduction, respect for human rights, sustainable development, conflict resolution and the fight against climate change. Preparations for the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024 will also be on the agenda in the coming General Assembly year. Switzerland will work in the UN to achieve goals in all of these areas to safeguard its interests and implement the foreign policy objectives defined by the Federal Council. From Switzerland's perspective, the key themes to be addressed in the upcoming session are the international financial architecture, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, international law and UN reforms. Finance and taxation In preparation for the UN Summit of the Future, the UN Secretary-General's proposals for reforms of the international financial architecture will be discussed. These include government debt and new indicators to measure prosperity. The UN General Assembly is also increasingly discussing international cooperation in tax matters. Switzerland considers it important not to duplicate existing structures and mechanisms (e.g. those of the OECD). 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development The start of the 78th session of the UNGA also marks the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda. To take stock of progress to date, the Summit for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda (2023 SDG Summit) will be held during the opening week of the UNGA in September 2023. The goal is to identify areas where increased efforts are needed and generate new momentum for the implementation of the 17 SDGs. This is also important for Switzerland's sustainable development strategy. Various aspects of the 2030 Agenda, such as financing for development or pandemic prevention and control, will be discussed in high-level dialogues and summits during the 78th session of the UNGA. International law International law is coming under increasing pressure around the world. Russia's military aggression against Ukraine has made this even clearer. The universality of human rights is also increasingly being called into question. As an internationally networked and export-oriented nation, Switzerland places international law at the heart of its international relations. It helps to create a secure legal framework and works to prevent the supremacy of 'might makes right'. Switzerland intends to participate in the debates on this issue. UN reforms The UN's role as an agent for peace is more important than ever in today's global context. But the UN must be capable of meeting current and future challenges. Periodic reforms are therefore necessary. The next steps in the reform process will also be discussed at the 78th session of the UNGA, with a view to expanding the UN's capacity to act, for example in the areas of data use and innovation. Switzerland sees a particular need for action in the secure use and collection of data, as well as potential in the application of strategic forecasts and digital tools. Opening week of 78th UNGA The 78th session of the UNGA will open, as it does every year, with a high-level week attended by over a hundred heads of state and government, as well as foreign ministers from around the world. The high-level week thus offers a unique opportunity for an exchange of views and for meetings with a wide range stakeholders. President of the Confederation Alain Berset and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will represent Switzerland at several events during the opening week from 18 to 20 September in New York. Mr Berset will deliver Switzerland's official address at the opening of the general debate. He will also represent Switzerland at meetings to address vital issues such as health and sustainable development. These include the 2023 SDG Summit, which is only held every four years, and a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention. In addition, he will represent Switzerland at a UN Security Council debate on Ukraine which is scheduled for the opening week of the UNGA. Mr Cassis will attend, among other events, a ministerial meeting on plastic pollution and a ministerial exchange on the reform of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. During his visit to New York, Mr Cassis will also address issues relating to the security of Ukraine's civilian population. In addition, Mr Cassis is expected to participate at a joint press stakeout by the foreign ministers of the ten non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, which will focus on enhancing the efficiency of the Council. In New York, Mr Berset and Mr Cassis will also take the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with numerous heads of state and government and foreign ministers. Address for enquiries For further information: FDFA Communication Tel. Press service +41 460 55 55 kommunikation@eda.admin.ch FDHA GS Communication Tel. +41 58 462 85 79 media@gs-edi.admin.ch Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Federal Department of Home Affairs http://www.edi.admin.ch Members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) are preparing to launch a new outfit through its political front, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), sources have told ANI. After the Central government banned the PFI in September, the leaders and activists of the outfit have been actively inducting new members to form a youth front in association with the SDPI, sources said, adding that the SDPI has also dropped broad hints about the formation of a new outfit comprising youths. The banned outfit has also introduced some changes to its old recruiting methods, sources told ANI, adding that the induction process now involves picking up 4 to 5 potential recruits from each area where the outfit is known to operate and providing them with training and funds to make them full-time activists. Further, according to sources, once the outfit has recruited enough members in its strongholds, the SDPI will start holding rallies and programs highlighting contemporary national issues. The new outfit could be lined up for launch by the SDPI in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year. Earlier, activists and leaders of the PFI were recruited at religious centres and institutions affiliated with them, sources informed, adding that once the outfit and its recruitment pattern came under the scrutiny of central agencies, it adopted new ways to induct new members. Over the last three months, leaders from both outfitsPFI and SDPIheld several private meetings in Trivandrum, and in the next few months, leaders from northern states are also expected to join these secret gatherings, sources told ANI. Setting sights on expanding the ambit of its operations, the PFI has also started recruiting cyber experts, the sources informed, adding that the inductees were trained to work for its cyber wing. The outfit is believed to be recruiting activists, who are tech-friendly and equipped to explore cyberspace to add members and expand its operations. Sources added that several tech entrepreneurs have also invested in helping the outfit strengthen itself. PFI was banned across the country last year for an alleged anti-national agenda. The outfit was banned for five years under the UAP (A). China's top legislator meets Zambian president Xinhua) 15:28, September 15, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in Beijing on Friday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, commended on the important and unique role that China-Zambia relations had played in the history of China-Africa friendly exchanges. The profound historical heritage and solid political foundation of the bilateral relationship have withstood the vicissitudes of the international landscape and remain rock-solid, said Zhao. Noting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Zhao said China is ready to work with the Zambian side, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to further deepen political mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies and jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road, and to achieve new and greater development of bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the two peoples. Zhao added that China's NPC is willing to work with Zambia's National Assembly to strengthen friendly exchanges in various fields and at all levels, carry out experience exchanges in rule of law and other areas, safeguard and develop the common interests of the two countries. Hichilema shared Zambia's admiration of the brilliant development achievements of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, underscored the significance of relations with China, reiterated the nation's firm adherence to the one-China policy, and voiced willingness to deepen the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between Zambia and China for the benefit of the two peoples. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) News On Japan - Oct 31 For everyone using the free messaging app "LINE", have you neglected an important notification? If you haven't yet given consent to their new privacy policy, there's a risk you won't be able to use LINE from November 1st. Is there really a certain poetry to life in Mobile or Birmingham? Were about to find out, as each of the two cities picks a poet to serve and represent it as city poet laureate. Interested candidates still have time to apply for consideration, as the application process continues through the end of September. By years end, a local evaluation process will end with the mayor of each city making the final call. The city poet laureate is a first-time program backed by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, which will fund the stipends paid to the poets selected. Executive Director Elliot Knight said the idea came in part from seeing how such programs had worked in cities outside Alabama, such as Columbia, S.C., and Chapel Hill, N.C. Aside from getting a little poetry into peoples lives and increasing general interest in poetry, he said, the poets also found ways to connect contemporary audiences to community history. Theres a lot of flexibility within it for it to kind of develop uniquely in any community that has one, and based on whoever that poet is, Knight said. He wants that to be the case in Alabama, where the state council is letting local agencies run the process rather than trying to implement a top-down approach. That was one of the big things for me, Knight said. I think the state council can play a role in helping support a program like that, but it really needs to be something that is developed and controlled at the local level. The state councils role, he said, is to connect the dots and provide the funding. The positions are defined the same way for both cities, and the selection processes are similar. In Mobile, the Mobile Arts Council is overseeing the process. In Birmingham, local partners are the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Committee of the Birmingham City Council and Create Birmingham. The city laureates are to serve as ambassadors for poetry for a two-year term. This is an honorary position and roles and responsibilities include making local appearances, facilitating public and educational programs, and building advocacy and community through poetry. The poet laureate will receive an honorarium of $5,000 over the course of their term and poems will be published by the City in the form of a book that will be made available during public events. Additional funds will be available for materials and other approved costs associated with community engagement programs that the poet laureate facilitates. Applicants must be 18 or older and must reside in the relevant city when they apply and as they serve; this means the Birmingham position is limited to residents of the city of Birmingham, not of outlying communities in the greater Birmingham area. They must demonstrate a track record of public presentation of original poetry, including in-person and/or online events and via websites and social media, and have capacity and availability to attend periodic public events over the course of the two-year term. Duties include hosting a specific number of workshops, participating in specified city events and writing original poems for the city. The application process has been open since Aug. 1; Mobile submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 1 and Birmingham submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 2. In each city, Poets will be selected for consideration by a distinguished community review panel who will make recommendations to the mayor. In each city, the mayor will officially select the laureate. In Mobile, interested poets can apply through the Mobile Arts Council at mobilearts.org. In Birmingham, candidates can apply through Create Birmingham at createbirmingham.org. Both of them were willing partners to kind of take it and run with it, Knight said of Mobile Arts Council and Create Birmingham. Representatives of both organizations say theyre hoping the impact will go well beyond the elevation of one poet. Lucy Gafford, executive director of Mobile Arts Council, and Viola Ratcliffe, Community Engagement Manager at Create Birmingham, said they hope to see widespread communal benefits. Were hopeful that this program will lead to more creative writers and poets participating in programs and workshops to improve their abilities and establish a wider knowledge and appreciation of literary artists in our area, said Gafford. I think thats the ultimate goal. Its our hope that by having a city poet laureate it will make poetry and creative writing arts more accessible to the residents of Birmingham because well actually have someone placed in an honorary position to kind of advocate for poetry in the city, said Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe said she thinks the poets selected will find an eager collaborator and supporter in Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley Jones. Its been really wonderful because Ashley Jones has actually been a consultant for us and helped us create this program, she said. We really worked closely with her to learn how the application process should go, what overall a poet laureate should be doing. Shes been wonderful, shes been such a huge asset in terms of that. Knight, Gafford and Ratcliffe all encouraged anyone interested to take a shot. Knight said his work at the Alabama State Council on the Arts has shown him that win or lose, the application process holds value for those who apply. For example, even those who arent selected visual arts fellowships have their work exposed to people who are knowledgeable in the field, and that often leads to other opportunities down the road. Getting your work seen is a great benefit of applying, he said. We would encourage you to apply, said Ratcliffe. Look at the website, look at the application. If you have questions, please speak out, were happy to chat with you about it. Were really excited for this opportunity, and we encourage anyone who has an interest to get your applications in, we encourage you not to wait to the last minute, definitely go ahead and submit. The Rev. Manuel Williams of Resurrection Catholic Church, featured in the American Cancer Societys (ACS) film project Requiring Justice: Faith and the Coverage Gap, believes now is the right time to appeal to Gov. Kay Iveys faith to expand Medicaid as part of her legacy. Given Iveys term ends in 2027, Williams said, were at a tipping point, and theres a need for more friendly pressure, more advocacy. In the film, he and several other Christian ministers discuss how healing the sick was one of Jesus imperatives. The film was recently screened and discussed in Montgomery, and there will be future screenings in Huntsville Saturday morning and in Birmingham on Sept. 23. Williams said there were approximately 40 people at the previous screening. He said party affiliation, race, economic status, and insurance status arent factors in who supports Medicaid expansion. This is an Alabama program that will vastly improve the lives of all Alabamians, Williams said. Not just the poor, not just people of color, not just those on the margins, but all of us. According to Jane Adams, Alabamas government relations director for the ACS Cancer Action Network, the strong coalition of organizations such as Cover Alabama pushing for expanding Medicaid to approximately 200,000 Alabamians made producing these films a simple process. The stories that we heard from faith leaders were really compelling to us and made us want to speed up the timeline and make sure this is relevant information that gets out to the public and gets out those who are interested in this issue, Adams said. She added faith leaders have appealed to the governors office in the past, but, like Williams, shes optimistic this latest push will make a difference. Weve always taken Gov. Ivey at her word, Adams said. Any time shes spoken publicly about Medicaid expansion, she said its not an issue of right or wrong, its an issue of cost. She said the current burden of healthcare costs to individuals is more significant. Alabama is one of 10 states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid. The expansion would cover people who cant afford private insurance but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid under current eligibility requirements. Estimates show that Alabama would pay $225 million annually if Gov. Ivey expanded Medicaid. However, federal incentives and expense reductions would increase the states budget. Studies have shown Medicaid expansion increases overall workforce participation rates, an issue which Adams said Ivey is focused on currently. In our state, there are tens of thousands of workers who would be working if they were only healthy enough to work, Adams said. Theres a moral and just imperative to close the coverage gap. But also, there is a financial benefit to closing the coverage gap. The film will be screened at the Human Rights Film Festival at the University of Alabama in Huntsville at 11 Saturday in Morton Hall 147. The next screening is 5 p.m. on Sept. 23 at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham. For more information on the ACS Medicaid expansion campaign, visit the Medicaid Covers US website. Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl expressed confidence around noon Thursday that news was forthcoming about the state hosting, for the first time ever, a televised presidential debate. I cant announce anything yet, Wahl told a gathering of the Eastern Shore Republican Women in Fairhope. Take my no comment as a good sign. A few hours later, the good sign turned sour for Wahl and Alabama Republicans who had hoped for hosting the third presidential primary debate. A CNN report posted online Thursday afternoon suggested that Miami will host a third presidential debate scheduled for sometime in early November. The Republican National Committee has not confirmed the date nor location for the next debate. The national reports cited unnamed sources linking the third debate to Miami, and not Alabama. The second debate is less than two weeks away, set for September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. It will be hosted by Fox Business. Wahl, on Friday, said he remains optimistic of Alabama hosting a debate despite the sudden shift in plans. I worked hard to advocate for Alabama to get a presidential primary debate, Wahl told AL.com. Whether the third debate is in Miami or not, we still hope to have one in Alabama at some point. In the past two months, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the third debate was coming to Alabama. Christie, late last month during an appearance on Morning Joe, said the debate will happen in Tuscaloosa. Brilyn Hollyhand, a representative of the RNC Youth Advisory Council and a Tuscaloosa area resident, said the decision from the Republican National Committee is not an anti-Alabama decision. Its not that the RNC is upset with Alabama or the university, said Hollyhand, who has pitched the idea of having a debate take place at the University of Alabama or on a college campus. This is not over, Hollyhand said. There is still a possibility in the future. Hollyhand said the decision is likely political, noting that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flipped reliably blue Miami-Dade County during last years governors race. It was the first time in 20 years Miami-Dade County voters backed a Republican candidate for Florida governor during a general election contest. DeSantis is trailing former President Donald Trump -- the GOP frontrunner -- by 41.2 percentage points, according to according to a FiveThirtyEight aggregate of polling into the Republican presidential contest. Trump is at 55.5%, while DeSantis is second at 14.2%, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is third at 7.3%. Trump has said he will skip all of the GOP presidential primary debates. Alabama, a reliably red state, could be in the running for a fourth primary debate that likely would not take place until December. Its unclear if any other city is in the running. Hollyhand said there will be limited debate opportunities after the New Year after the 2024 Iowa GOP primary caucuses set for January 15, and the New Hampshire primary occurring a week later. Alabamas GOP primary is set for March 5, 2024. Alabama salon owner and hairstylist Bridgett Michelle Rutledge Jones died Sept. 8. She was 58. She was known for her two salons, Bridgetts at Greystone and Jucos Aveda Salon Spa, one of the first Black-owned Aveda concept salons in Alabama. Birmingham stylist and salon owner Tonya Jones (unrelated to Bridgett) met her when taking classes together at Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute in the early 2000s. Tonya Jones said she had a sense of peace about her and learned a lot from her. I just want people to remember her for the strong woman she was, the passionate woman she was, Tonya Jones said. She had a burning desire to help people, to please people, to make them look beautiful. Hands down, (she was) probably one of the most talented hairdressers Ive ever met. Jones was born on Christmas Eve in 1964. She graduated from Huffman High School in 1983 and earned her associates degree at Lawson State Community College. She taught students at Jackson Olin High School and later became an instructor at Aveda. She styled celebrities such as Tom Joyner and several Alabama television personalities, including former WVTM 13 anchor Malena Cunningham Anderson. Anderson lived near Jones and her family. She said Jones salon was fun, a place of sisterhood and a sanctuary. Jones would even take time out of her schedule to do Andersons hair at the last minute. There were times when there was breaking news that she would meet me at her shop. The shop wasnt even open, Anderson said. So I was always appreciative of her being accommodating to what could be a crazy schedule for a news anchor. Jones loved the outdoors, God, and, most of all, her children, according to her daughter Cody Danielle Short. Short said she was in her happy place when she combined those three elements of her life by hiking with her and her brother Julius Elworth Short. Jones attended and volunteered with multiple churches, including Maple Grove Church of God, New Covenant of Faith Ministries, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, and Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. In her spare time, she created wigs for cancer patients and was a member of the Birmingham chapter of Jack and Jill of America, according to information provided by her family. Jones is survived by her children, her mother, Carolyn Rutledge Jones, and her sisters, Adrienne Jones Harper (Edgar Harper Jr.), Danielle Catrice Jones Williams, Erica Stanford, and Ersula Stanford (Thomas Peace). Jones celebration service will be on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. White flowers can be sent to Davenport and Harris Funeral Home until Friday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. Matthew Hicks grew up attending predominantly white schools in Birmingham. He said his schools curriculum did not properly teach African American history. Instead, he turned to Black family members who lived through the civil rights movement to learn more. This week, as Birmingham honored the 60th anniversary of the16th Street Baptist Church bombing, the church hosted a conference, There IS A Balm in Gilead: Healing from the Events of 1963. This event brought together teachers, preservationists and activists to acknowledge the harm done to those who lived through the civil rights movement. The stories and the narratives that have been told have been told from a perspective of someone that wasnt afflicted, so we want to make sure that its told right, said Victor Jordan, who works on the churchs media team. He said he wants youth to learn more about the history of American race relations. He fears this history may be forgotten or erased if it is not preserved. In the 1950s and 1960s, Bethel, a Black church, served as headquarters for the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Its pastor, the legendary Fred Shuttlesworth, was the organizations president. The church was a site for many mass meetings that empowered people across the country to fight against racism. The church was bombed three times. It recently received a $750,000 preservation grant. Bethel stands as a representation of the tenacity of the activists who fought for civil rights through religious faith and empowerment. Martha Bouyer, executive director of the Historic Bethel Baptist Church Community Restoration Fund, created the conference as a space for healing for survivors. Hicks, Bouyers nephew, said she taught him about the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow. He saw how traumatic these experiences were to his older family members who personally experienced the movement. The youth, the next generation, if theyre not being taught essential pillars of their own history, Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, theyre not going to pursue a future that honors the past or corrects what was done wrong. Theyll just perpetuate it, Hicks said. Hicks attended Hewitt-Trussville High School, where someone told him that Black history was irrelevant. He said many historical events were taught incorrectly and discussions about race were often contentious. Social studies teacher Jeremy Brown teaches a class about holocausts and genocides at Oakman High School in Walker County. He said when he was growing up, the Holocaust and American civil rights movement were not discussed much. Brown said he was inspired the first time he visited Bethel Baptist Church. Now, he collects personal narratives from those who experienced the events firsthand. If I can connect a persons story to the students, they realize that this wasnt just an event, these are people, Brown said. I dont want to just glance over it. I want to be able to teach them and do justice to the people that were murdered, to the people that were activists and to the people that were involved. Alabama is one of many states where state officials have restricted divisive discussions in the classroom, leading to some reports of a stifling of Black history and civil rights history. To combat the erasure of African American history and amplify the stories of survivors of the civil rights movement, the Historic Bethel Baptist Church has been applying to partner with the International Council for Monuments and Sites for eight years. Bethel hopes that if it can work with the international nonprofit, which protects cultural heritage sites, the churchs building and history will be preserved forever. Bethel has partnered with teachers throughout the city to get students to seek out the hidden figures and untold stories of the civil rights movement in their own communities. Jordan said the church is also creating a seven-part documentary series to preserve this history, to be released this time next year. They are currently collecting video clips from pastors, teachers and students telling the many stories of the civil rights movement. Elizabeth Silkes, executive director of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, said local preservation efforts help communities heal and seek reconciliation and reparations. Reparations start with a full, honest, humble acknowledgment, and that has never happened. The state of Alabama has not done that. Thats the first step, Silkes said. This will help move healing forward. We cant leapfrog over reparations and accountability right to healing because that places the burden on the victims. It also doesnt prevent these things from happening in the future. See more from AL.com: Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks at 16th Street service, honors 4 little girls. 5 places in Birmingham to learn more about civil rights history. 16th Street Baptist Church is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Birmingham Childrens Crusade foot soldiers are still fighting for equity. First Black students attended Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville public schools 60 years ago. Brookwood Baptist Health will close two labor and delivery units in the Birmingham area next month, dealing another blow to pregnant women in a state where long drives for prenatal care have become increasingly common. A spokesperson for Brookwood Baptist Health said the obstetrics departments at Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster and Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birminghams West End will close after Oct. 25. Shelby County sixth largest in Alabama with more than 230,000 people will become the largest county in the state without a labor and delivery department. Maternity services will remain available at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center and Walker Baptist Medical Center, wrote spokesman David McKinney in a statement. We are grateful to the obstetrics department staff and physicians for their continued commitment to provide our patients with outstanding care. Their professionalism and skill have helped create cherished memories for countless families over the years. More than a third of Alabama counties are classified as maternity care deserts, according to the March of Dimes. Closures of labor and delivery units have left 25 of the states counties with zero access to prenatal and delivery care. Hospitals have been shutting down labor and delivery units for years, but the pace has increased since 2018, when March of Dimes began tracking the closures. Closures often affect rural areas. In Alabama, some women drive more than 70 miles to reach hospitals with labor and delivery services. About 28 percent of Alabama women live more than 30 minutes from the nearest hospital with a birthing unit, compared to 9 percent nationwide, according to the March of Dimes. Neither Princeton Baptist nor Shelby Baptist is considered a rural hospital. But the closures will affect patients in the city of Birmingham and its suburbs, said Dr. Elizabeth Sahlie, a pediatrician who practices at Princeton Medical Center. In recent years, the pediatrics and obstetrics departments at Princeton had worked hard to improve care for mothers and babies. Practitioners offered group prenatal care and incorporated nurse midwives, who had the ability to provide prenatal care and attend deliveries, Sahlie said. As a result of that, we saw improvements in our outcomes, Sahlie said. We had big reductions in out C-section rates and increases in our breastfeeding initiation rates. According to the 2020 birth statistics from the Alabama Department of Public Health, Princeton Medical Center had the lowest cesarean section rate in Jefferson County. It is the only other hospital in the county besides UAB to be designated as Baby Friendly, which means staff are specially trained to support breastfeeding. I think its going to reduce the choices that people have and the type of birth experience that they want to have. I think its a tragedy for people who were seeking out that particular model. Dr. Jesanna Cooper worked with Sahlie on many of the changes at Princeton. She said it had always been her dream to work at a hospital with Baby Friendly certification and she was elated when the staff achieved it. During 10 years at the hospital, she said the number of deliveries increased as mothers sought out care from midwives and other special services. Still, Princeton had fewer births than many of the surrounding hospitals. It created a culture where we were able to do low risk births and high-risk births in a patient centered and woman-centered way, Cooper said. Its less cookie cutter, and part of the reason was because we were small. Cooper left Princeton in December, but said she was emotional at the news of the departments closure. She said she thinks the company that owns Brookwood Baptist Health, Tenet Healthcare, probably made the decision to end the service several years ago. If you look at how for-profit healthcare tends to work, they do not invest in communities of color and they do not invest in communities of lower socio-economic status, Cooper said. Birth outcomes in Alabama are among the poorest in the country. The state has high rates of infant and maternal mortality, especially among Black mothers and babies. A large percentage of pregnant women in the state have conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure that make pregnancy more dangerous to mothers and babies. Financial pressures have forced many hospitals to cut labor and delivery services. About half the births in Alabama are funded by Medicaid, which pays hospitals lower rates than private insurance. Brian Binzer, city administrator for Alabaster, said the company informed him recently labor and delivery service would be ending in Shelby County. It was a business decision made by the hospitals owners, he said. The city is disappointed that this longstanding service in our community is going to be discontinued in October, Binzer said. Its one service we hate to see go, but we understand they have to make a call on that. Binzer said other investments have been made in the hospital and the emergency room will be well-equipped for obstetrical emergencies. Many women in the area already travel to Jefferson County for care, he said. There will be some impacted families that were expecting to have babies here in Alabaster and thats unfortunate, Binzer said. Its something were disappointed about. But again, its not the citys decision, its ultimately the hospitals decision. A Mountain Brook doctor charged in the traffic crash death of her 10-year-old daughter while she was allegedly fleeing police was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and released on bond this morning. Sarah Kathleen Cumbest Mullican, an anesthesiologist, is charged with reckless manslaughter and felony attempting to elude in the July 22 death of daughter Annabelle Mullican. Mullican surrendered to the Jefferson County Jail at 6:50 a.m. Friday and was released at 7:56 a.m. after posting $45,000 bond. Here is full coverage of the case She is represented by attorneys Tommy Spina, Brett Bloomston and Ben Preston. Warrants have been served, bond has been made and we now begin the next steps in the criminal justice process, Spina said. Mountain Brook police announced the charges against her on Sept. 6 after the warrants were issued by the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office. We are grateful and appreciative of the cooperation of the Mountain Brook Police Department, the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office in allowing for Mrs. Mullicans voluntary surrender on her arrest warrants, Spina said. The fact that this is a criminal case does not diminish the devastating effect that this tragedy has had and will continue to have on this family and the community, he said. We continue to ask for your prayers as we navigate through these exceptionally difficult, multi-layered times. The crash happened about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22, on Cherokee Road in Mountain Brook. According to a police report, an officer was parked in the driveway of a residence on Old Leeds Road when he saw a white Toyota Highlander coming towards him traveling from Crosshill Road on Old Leeds Road at a high rate of speed. The officer clocked Mullican with his radar driving 47 mph in a 30- mph zone. The officer followed the SUV and saw it swerve out of its lane several times, the report states. It then turned left onto Cherokee Road, nearly striking a vehicle that it turned in front of, the report states. The officer then activated his emergency equipment and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The officer saw the driver throw a cup out the window along with another unidentified object in the 3500 block of Cherokee Road, police have said. The vehicle appeared to accelerate after (the officer) turned his lights and siren on, the report states. The SUV then negotiated the curve as the roadway curved to the right. As the roadway curved back to the left, the vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway. It then struck several trees and overturned before coming to a stop in the ditch on the right side of the road. The crash was recorded on the officers dash cam. A juvenile girl was killed and two other people injured Saturday, July 22, 2023, in a single-vehicle crash on Cherokee Road in Mountain Brook. (Carol Robinson) It showed that when the SUV ran off the right side of the road, the passengers side of the vehicle struck a tree. The vehicle began spinning before it struck another tree on the passengers side. The vehicle then spun around and overturned as it struck another tree while sliding further down the ditch, according to the report. The SUV then hit a fourth tree with its front bumper before coming to a stop while it was still overturned. Mullican had several abrasions on her arms and legs. She was treated by Mountain Brook Fire on the scene and released. Callie Mullican, 8, also sustained abrasions on her arms and legs. Police believe she was seated in the passengers side backseat, with her seatbelt locked in place, records state. She was taken to Childrens of Alabama. Annabelle was seated in the drivers side back seat. Her seat belt was not locked in place indicating that she was not wearing her seatbelt, according to the report. Annabelle had a major head injury and was unresponsive at the scene, the officer wrote. She was taken to Childrens of Alabama where she was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. The Jefferson County Coroners Office told police Annabelles fatal injuries included a skull fracture. The report says Dr. Mullican was taken by police to Childrens of Alabama. A search warrant for Dr. Mullicans blood and saliva was later carried out at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center. Dr. Mullican was admitted to Brookwood hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and issued a traffic citation by police for reckless driving. The results of the toxicology report have not yet been released. Annabelle was bright, loving and a joy to be around, Canterbury United Methodist Church posted on Facebook. Our hearts break alongside the Mullican familys as they grieve Annabelles passing. The former chairwoman of the Alabama Republican Party, who also co-chaired Mo Brooks Senate campaign last year, is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential contest. Terry Lathan was named the DeSantis campaign chair in Alabama on Friday. In a statement, Lathan said DeSantis can win next November, and called him a levelheaded, time-tested conservative patriot. Related: Though she did not mention former President Donald Trump -- who has a comfortable lead in national polling -- Lathan said that DeSantis, as governor of neighboring Florida, has led with results since hes taken office, and not just from words. Governor DeSantis is exactly who America needs at this important political crossroad in our nation, Lathan said. While we have several gifted and talented candidates, Ron DeSantis is a time-tested warrior who has implemented conservative policy and understands the important of our military needs. She praised DeSantis military career which included him earning the Bronze Star Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal win the U.S. Navy and as a JAG officer. FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the "Don't say gay," bill, at Classical Preparatory School, on March 28, 2022, in Shady Hills, Fla. DeSantis' divisive education policies have faced wide criticism from civil rights leaders and professional educators, among others, but they also have paid off politically. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)AP Governor DeSantis epitomizes rock solid conservative principles in his actions while fighting insane liberal policies in a statesmanlike manner, she said. His incredible results are not from words -- they are from his actions. Lathans endorsement comes after she touted DeSantis during last years Senate campaign in Alabama after Trump withdrew an earlier endorsement of Brooks. The former president eventually sided with Katie Britt, who went on to defeat Brooks in a GOP runoff. Lathan was the Brooks campaign co-chair at the time. She told AL.com in March 2022 that she heard from a lot of upset people over Trumps withdrawal of the Brooks endorsement, saying the move has really shaken a lot of Trump supporters in Alabama. She said that people, at the time, were confused over Trumps accusation that Brooks was woke, calling the former Huntsville congressmans voting record as the gold standard for Republicans in every category. Lathan said, I read that word and started laughing out loud. I dont know if Mo Brooks can say the word, woke. Trump withdrew the endorsement during a time in which Brooks struggled in polling and called him woke and disloyal to him for doubting claims about the 2020 presidential election. Lathan, a former Mobile County Republican Party chair, became the head of the state party in 2015. She held that position until 2021, becoming the longest serving head of the state GOP party since 1985. Her role in the DeSantis campaign comes at a time when Trump enjoys a resounding 41.2 percentage point lead over DeSantis, according to a FiveThirtyEight aggregate of polling into the Republican presidential contest. Trump is at 55.5%, while DeSantis is second at 14.2%, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is third at 7.3%. Trump, though, faces 91 criminal counts against him in three separate cases. The legal activity, pundits have said, has helped boost the former president in polling. The Huntsville city council on Thursday, after an hour of discussion, tabled a proposal that would outlaw a driver handling a cell phone. The proposal came from Councilman David Little and would make it a primary offense, meaning that police could initiate a traffic stop if they observe a driver handling their phone while driving. Related: Driving while holding cell phone may be outlawed in Huntsville The majority of the discussion at the meeting came from concerns voiced by Councilman Devyn Keith, who said that the ordinance would put the onus on offender rather than police. Keith said that a citation could be issued and prosecuted solely on the word of the officer who gave the citation. Going to court to fight a citation should not be a nominal consideration, Keith said. City Administrator John Hamilton acknowledged there could be issues with prosecution but that it would not be unlike other traffic violations that sometimes rely solely on the word of the police officer. Ultimately, the prosecutor and the judge and a jury have to make those kinds of decisions, Hamilton said in response to Keiths concerns. So youre correct that this is a very difficult ordinance to enforce ... to the point of getting a conviction. It will be extremely challenging to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in a courtroom that someone did it. I dont think theres any doubt in anybodys mind about the challenges of enforcement. Councilwoman Jennie Robinson proposed voting on the ordinance be postponed until the next council meeting on Sept. 28 with the opportunity to involve Huntsville police in the discussion. No representatives of the police department attended Thursdays meeting. Little said he has been working on the ordinance with the citys legal and police departments since February. The councilman added that the proposal has the support of Huntsville police. Littles proposal prohibits a driver using a phone while driving unless its connected to a Bluetooth system or is on speakerphone mode or any other mechanism that would eliminate handling the phone itself. A first conviction would result in a $100 fine or imprisonment up to 10 days while a second conviction within two years of the first would be a $200 fine or imprisonment up to 30 days. It would also beef up a new state law that only prohibits holding your phone while their vehicle crosses in or out of a traffic lane without using a turn signal, the vehicle swerves, or the vehicle is otherwise operated in an impaired manner. And it would strengthen the citys current ordinance that only outlaws sending or receiving digital message such as emails or text messages. The prohibition also does not allow for police to initiate a traffic stop. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is investigating a shooting Thursday by a Huntsville police officer that took the life of a man. ALEAs State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) announced this afternoon it has launched an investigation into the officer-involved shooting at the request of Huntsville police. The incident happened near the 500 block of Monroe Street in Huntsville. Huntsville police said the incident happened around 6 p.m. Thursday. Huntsville police officers arrived at the scene to find Sterling Keyon Arnold, 43, who authorities say had a handgun. During the incident, Arnold was shot and later pronounced dead. No officers were injured during the incident. The investigations findings will be turned over to the Madison County District Attorneys Office. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his right-wing colleague Rep. Matt Gaetz on Thursday traded f-bombs as Republican infighting intensifies over the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and a looming government shutdown. McCarthy lost his cool at a closed-doors Republican caucus meeting when he unleashed profanity at Gaetz and others who have threatened to introduce a so-called motion to that would force a vote on stripping him of the speakers gavel. If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file the fing motion, McCarthy told fellow lawmakers, GOP Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., according to The Hill. Gaetz hit back Thursday, taunting McCarthy about his hopes to keep the government open by cutting a spending deal with the White House. Pull yourself together, Kevin! the MAGA lawmaker tweeted. The Freedom Caucus firebrands want McCarthy to renege on a deal he cut with Biden in the spring to enact only small spending increases in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. The conservatives are willing to risk a government shutdown to win their goal of major spending cuts and historic changes in the way Congress enacts budgets. Gaetz has also floated a grab bag of other seemingly unrelated Republican priorities, including scrapping aid to Ukraine, a crackdown at the southern border and turning up the heat on presidential son Hunter Biden. Gaetz started the week by taking to the House floor to threaten action against McCarthy, a highly unusual action even for the fractious GOP in the Trump era. The Florida lawmaker says McCarthy is out of compliance with a shadowy January deal that installed him as speaker. Despite Gaetzs claims, that deal has never been made public and its unclear if it was more than a series of verbal promises by McCarthy. Democrats, meanwhile, are hitting back hard at Republicans over the impeachment push, which they believe will spark a backlash among Democratic and independent voters. Republicans spent the morning talking about their illegitimate impeachment inquiry and shutting down the government which will hurt everyday Americans, Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said. Biden on Wednesday night told a fund-raiser that he will seek to keep the focus on his so-called Bidenomics plan to boost the economy and ignore the impeachment effort. Democratic congressional candidates are launching attacks on endangered Republican lawmakers who have gone along with the impeachment push even though they say they are pushing the GOP to take more moderate stands. Dont call them moderates if theyve never done anything to justify that label, tweeted Mondaire Jones, who is making a bid to oust Rep. Mike Lawler in a Westchester County-based district. _____ 2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Lawrence County authorities have arrested one man in connection with a fatal shooting Wednesday night. Timothy Houston Harville, 58, of County Road 160, Moulton, has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Angela Berryman Hill Harville. Timothy Houston Harville is being held in the Lawrence County Jail with no bond pending an Aniahs Law hearing. Sheriff Max Sanders said the two were in-laws. According to witnesses, Timothy Harville went to the residence of Angela Berryman Hill Harville in the Hatton Community at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday. An argument started, with witnesses saying that Timothy Harville pointed a shotgun at Angela Harville and shot her in the head. It is unclear what touched off the argument. An investigation is continuing. According to Sanders, Timothy Harville was out on bond following an arrest last December on charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling/vehicle and two counts of reckless endangerment. The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and the Moulton Police Department assisted with the investigation. They moved in seeking a quiet, safe and clean environment at an affordable price. But dozens of senior citizens at a complex in Tarrant say their sanctuary has transformed into a den for drugs, prostitution and longstanding neglect. It looks good on the outside, but once you get on the inside there are a whole lot of issues going on that the management company will not address, said Danny Threatt, a longtime resident who has become the unofficial spokesperson for disgruntled neighbors. Its sad that the women have to put sticks behind their doors just to feel secure. Residents of the Flats at Colebridge complain of problems ranging from lack of maintenance and poor response time to a need for security inside and outside the complex. The elevators were out for more than three weeks this summer, forcing senior residents to take the stairs to access the three-story building, tenants said. The problem was especially troublesome for one woman, a double amputee. Neighbors said they had to carry her up and down the stairs. Passions spilled over into shouting as about three dozen tenants attended a community meeting with property managers and city officials on Sept. 5. Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton arranged the meeting after residents went to city hall for help. Danny Threatt has become the unofficial spokesperson for disgruntled neighbors at the Flats at Colebridge. Novillee Williams told AL.com that from her bedroom window, she hears the back door slam throughout the night as unauthorized visitors enter the building. This place needs security. We are afraid to be out, Williams said. At dark, most of us are locked in. This place is not going to get better until they weed out those bad tenants. At the meeting, residents squeezed into a community room on the second floor of the complex, moving chairs to make space for the walkers and wheelchairs that aided several residents. Mayor Newton told AL.com that city inspectors determined the building is up to code. He said he called the meeting to allow residents a chance to raise concerns, which only the property management company, Vantage Management, can address. Zac Plumstead, a vice president for Vantage Management Group, sat silently for much of the meeting as he and his staff listened, took notes and fielded more than a few verbal barbs from frustrated residents. Plumstead acknowledged that communication remains a problem. Thats something we need to work on, he told the crowd. What it looks like, I cant tell you right now. Plumstead did not respond to requests for comment from AL.com. Vantage opened the 56-unit independent living complex for people 55 and older in 2016 with financial support from federal and local governments. The company received tax credits through the Department of Housing and Urban Developments Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and low-interest financing through the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Those government programs were created to give private companies financial incentives for providing affordable housing options to communities. The Jefferson County Department of Community Services oversees the HOME program locally. After learning of initial complaints, county officials contacted Advantage to address issues. Frederick Hamilton, Jefferson Countys director of community services, told AL.com that he again contacted Vantage to get answers now that he is aware of lingering resident concerns. As an administrator for the grants program, Hamilton said his office has a responsibility to investigative resident complaints from the Flats at Colebridge Vantage Management operates complexes funded by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and HOME programs in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In all, the company has a portfolio of 63 properties, according to its website. The company is currently the defendant in a lawsuit where tenants at a complex in Cullman complain that the company failed to address mold at Villas at Cloverdale, an affordable family complex that opened in 2012. Those residents allege children became ill because the company was negligent. Vantage in court filings denies responsibility. Williams was among the first people to move into the Flats at Colebridge when the complex opened in Tarrant, a city of about 6,000 residents northeast of Birmingham. The Alabama Affordable Housing Association even featured her smiling face in its newsletter. Seven years later, her excitement has dissolved into frustration. Its the bad tenants, and then you have the people off the streets. They would come and sleep on the sofa, Williams said, describing the open lobby. You just wouldnt believe how open this place is. Ruby Hamilton said she called the Jefferson County Health Department to report concerns that the property manager ignored. Its not like it used to be, she told AL.com. I lost count of how many times there was an infestation. As residents and officials met inside, a contractor repaired a broken entry gate outside. Plumstead promised to address resident concerns. Still, many residents remained unconvinced until widespread action was taken. Im tired, said Threatt, a Vietnam War Army veteran who uses oxygen. I dont know how long I am going to be here, but I am doing it for the people who live in this building. Somebody has to speak up for these people. What do we have to do to get you to do right by us? One man, Tony Curtis Woods, said hed had enough by the time the discussion turned to a coming rent hike. Holler at your boy, Im out! he said, walking away. Residents recently received letters from Vantage saying their rent could go up by as much as $150 per month in October. Plumstead assured residents the increases wouldnt be that high. Rent at the Flats at Colebridge is based on a tenants income. The property managers said they will return for a followup meeting with the community in October. Threatt said the company shows contempt for its own residents by raising rates while they have ignored the needs of their tenants. Were sick of whats going on around here, he said. But then when it comes down to rent, you dont refuse that. One woman, who moved in just a few months ago, said she could not afford a rate hike. I just got here, she told Plumstead. Plumstead noted that according to her lease, a rate increase could occur after a 30-day notice. These people dont care nothing about this place, but we do, Woods told AL.com. This is all weve got at our age. This is the best we can do right now. This is our final resting place until we get called and this is what weve got to look to. One person was taken to the hospital following an officer-involved shooting Thursday night in downtown Huntsville, police said. The incident occurred near Monroe Street and Holmes Avenue around 6 p.m. Thursday, said police spokeswoman Sydney Martin. One person was taken to the hospital by Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, Inc., said Martin. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. No officers were injured in the incident, which was described as an officer-involved shooting. Police did not provide details on the circumstances surrounding the shooting, deferring any questions on the incident to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. WHNT reported an officer discharged their weapon during the incident. An ALEA spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment. ALEAs state Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate the shooting. Tina Fey probably did not have rescuing a shark on her beach vacation itinerary, but thats exactly what happened when the Texas resident and others were swimming in the Gulf on Thursday. Fey shot video of the mako shark that washed ashore Thursday on Pensacola Beach as swimmers aided the struggling fish. Soo this just happened!!! Pensacola Beach. Contact [wildlife] rescue and life guards, and was told theres nothing they could do for him. So sad!! Fey wrote on social media along with a video of the shark that went viral. Fey said she and her husband, Josh, were vacationing in Gulf Breeze to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary. The Hallettsville, Texas, couple went swimming Thursday on Pensacola Beach when the shark happened to beach itself right in front of us. Babe, look at them freakin teeth, Tina Fey can be heard telling her husband in the video. We took action to get him back in the water since the wildlife people and lifeguards told us there was not they could do!! So we did our best to try to save him!! she posted on social media. The shark was clearly sick or injured, Fey wrote. She told AL.com that there were no indications that the shark died as of Friday afternoon. As Josh Fey and other beachgoers flocked to the beached mako, the shark began flapping, causing the group to scuttle away. They returned to tug on the sharks tailfin to help get the mako back in the water. The shark is then seen swimming away. While two Republican presidential candidates hinted that the third Republican debate would be held in Alabama, the Republican National Committee reportedly decided Miami will host the event. Both former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suggested that Alabama would host the debate, with Christie going as far as saying the candidates would be debating in Tuscaloosa. First debates August in Wisconsin. Second debates September at the Reagan Library. Third debates October in Alabama by October, youre going to see a totally different ball game, Haley, who also served as President Trumps ambassador to the United Nations, said during a July campaign stop in New Hampshire. Christie also floated the possibility that Alabama would host the third debate, adding that Trump would likely attend a Tuscaloosa debate. Trump skipped the first debate in Milwaukee. I would keep my eye on the debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in October, Christie, the former New Jersey governor, said during an appearance Tuesday on MSNBCs Morning Joe. At that point, he will have lost even more ground in the polls in my view, Christie said. And you know that is all Donald Trump cares about is looking at the latest poll that he can see and determining his conduct, not by what is right or fair for the Republican voters, but what he perceives to his personal interest. Multiple media reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the event, said the RNC decided Miami will host the debate. The RNC has not made any public announcements regarding the third debate. English News Northeast China to blaze path of high-quality, sustainable development Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 13 Septembre 2023 Furthermore, the region should serve as a "ballast" in ensuring national food security, integrate itself more deeply into the Belt and Road Initiative, systematically arrange the construction of modern infrastructure system, improve the overall population quality to promote the high-quality development of the population, and develop a cordial and clean relationship between government and businesses across the board, making new breakthroughs in the full revitalization of northeast China. By People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to blaze a path of high-quality and sustainable development with more courage and concrete actions, and stressed "writing a new chapter" in striving for the full revitalization of northeast China. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks as he convened a key meeting in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Observing the overall development of the CPC and the country in a strategic context, Xi profoundly expounded on the significant missions shouldered by northeast China, deeply analyzed the major new opportunities the region faces in its revitalization, and made arrangements for promoting the full revitalization of northeast China on the new journey of the new era. Xi's remarks charted the course and provided fundamental guidance for the region to embark on a path of high-quality and sustainable development. Northeast China is an important industrial and agricultural base of the country. It is in a crucial strategic position in ensuring the security of national defense, food, ecology, energy and industries, and thus is vital for the overall development of the country. China attaches great importance to the revitalization and development of old industrial bases in the northeastern region, and has formulated and issued a document on the full revitalization of old industrial bases in northeast China and other regions. Northeast China boasts rich resources, solid industrial foundations, favorable geological locations, and significant development potential. Xi said that efforts to build self-reliance and strength in science and technology at higher levels will help the region turn its strengths in science, education and industries into growth advantages; the building of a new development pattern further highlights the region's significant strategic position; to promote Chinese modernization, northeast China's role as a strategic pillar needs to be bolstered. Looking to the future, China should firmly grasp the important mission of northeast China in safeguarding the five major securities (political, economic, military, cultural and social securities) of the country, and firmly grasp the primary task of promoting high-quality development and the strategic task of building new development paradigm. It is also important to coordinate development and security, adopt goal-oriented and problem-oriented approaches, and consolidate strengths and make up for deficiencies. Xi also called for more support and stimulating endogenous motivating power, and emphasized the need to blaze a new path for high-quality and sustainable development with tenacity, more courage and concrete actions, so as to write a new chapter for the full revitalization of northeast China. Xi stressed the importance to promote industrial innovation with sci-tech innovation, and accelerate the development of a modern industrial system with the characteristics and advantages of northeast China. He also noted that the region should prioritize the development of modern agriculture and accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. Xi further stressed the need to accelerate the construction of a modern infrastructure system and enhance the level of opening up and cooperation domestically and internationally. He also noted that the overall population quality should be improved so that the revitalization of northeast China on all fronts can be sustained by the high-quality development of the population. Besides, Xi called for efforts to further improve the political landscape and create a sound business environment. In the course of fully revitalizing the region, it is a must to develop the real economy, encourage sci-tech innovation, and promote the upgrading of its industries. Furthermore, the region should serve as a "ballast" in ensuring national food security, integrate itself more deeply into the Belt and Road Initiative, systematically arrange the construction of modern infrastructure system, improve the overall population quality to promote the high-quality development of the population, and develop a cordial and clean relationship between government and businesses across the board, making new breakthroughs in the full revitalization of northeast China. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Finance Ministers' Meeting Seeks $30 Billion Boost for Water and Sanitation AI Beauty Ranking: The Most Attractive U.S. Presidential Candidates for 2024 Climate dialogue held to explore new opportunities of China-U.S. cooperation on green development Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a unanimous three-judge decision on September 1, 2023, holding that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) overstepped its statutory authority by attempting to ban using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. In Apter v. Department of Health and Human Services, court concluded, FDA is not a physician. It has authority to inform, announce, and apprisebut not to endorse, denounce, or advise. Writing for the three-judge panel, Circuit Judge Don R. Willett began the courts opinion by citing the strident nature of the FDAs opposition to ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. Willett opened his opinion as follows: You are not a horse. Or so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted millions of Americans via social media, midway through the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency had discerned that some people were treating their symptoms using the animal version of a drug called ivermectin. FDA decided to target the practice via the horse messageand others like it. The messaging traveled widely across legacy and online media. Left unmentioned in most of that messaging: ivermectin also comes in a human version. And while the human version of ivermectin is not FDA-approved to treat the coronavirus, some people were using it off-label for that purpose. The case involved three physicians, Robert L. Apter, Mary Talley Bowden, and Paul E. Marik, each of whom jeopardized his or her professional career by prescribing ivermectin for COVID-19 in defiance of the FDA warnings. Apter and Bowden claim to have treated or consulted more than 9,000 COVID-19 patients, with each experiencing a 99 percent survival rate, despite regularly prescribing them ivermectin off-label as a treatment. Pill bottle (edited) by mdjaff. Under FDA regulations, any licensed physician may prescribe off label any medication the FDA has approved, even if the FDA has not approved the medication for the illness for which the physician is writing the prescription. In 1996, the FDA approved ivermectin to treat in humans parasitic diseases caused by parasites. For daring to ignore the FDAs vociferous public relations campaign demonizing the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19, the Courthouse News Service reported a major Houston hospital system forced Talley Bowden to resign her privileges; Apter was referred to physician regulatory boards of Arizona and Washington state for discipline; Marik was forced to resign from his post at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where he was a medical professor and chief of pulmonary and critical care. Pharmacies across the nation quit filling prescriptions for ivermectin to treat COVID-19 based solely upon the FDAs stridently broadcast admonitions not to do so. Marik joined Pierre Kory, M.D., MPA, co-author of the 2023 book The War on Ivermectin: The Medicine that Saved Millions and Could Have Ended the Pandemic, as one of the critical care specialists co-founding the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), the 501(c)3 organization that brought the case to federal court. In federal court, FLCCC attorneys argued that the FDAs messaging interfered with their individual ability to exercise professional medical judgment in practicing medicine. The doctors also alleged that the FDAs internet posts on social media demonizing the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 harmed their reputations. The Fifth Circuits decision does not mean that the FDA now approves of ivermectin to treat COVID-19. But by ruling that Apter et al. had standing to bring the case, the Fifth Circuits admonition that the FDA had overstepped its legislative authorization was loud and clear. The Fifth Circuit reversed the district courts ruling that FLCCC lacked standing to bring the case against the FDA, remanding the case back to the district court. Still, the decision could not be more important, given that the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is already warning that there are concerning trends for COVID-19 ahead of the winter season in the northern hemisphere, including increased ICU admissions and hospitalization in Europe. CNN sounded the alarm over a highly mutated new variant of the virus, BA.2.86. The newest version is nicknamed Pirola and has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared with its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, according to Dr. Jesse Bloom, who studies viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. In the War on Ivermectin, Dr. Kory wrote: The government has lost my trustand not just with regard to medicine. Climate change, the war in Ukraine, oil shortages, a banking collapsewhatever the new narrative is, Im inclined to suspect its usually and mostly false; willfully constructed not for the common good, but for the good of those who control the institutions of society. Its so bad that I am now even suspicious of the relentless refrain, Ninety-eight percent of climate change scientists agree that C02 is the root cause of global warming. Do you know why? Because I heard that same consensus about ivermectin, HCQ, and the vaccines. It might be true; it may not be. I may have time to do my own research someday; I may not. Regardless, they blew it. I will never again believe a word they say without verifying it myself through exhaustive investigation. According to SOMOs research report, Pharmas Pandemic Profits, published on February 27, 2023, Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and Sinovac made an extraordinary $90 billion in profits on their COVID-19 vaccines and medicines in 2021 and 2022. Government National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists raked in more than $325 million in royalties from Chinese and Russian entitiesas well as pharmaceutical companiesfor their research on vaccinations. Former National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Dr. Anthony Fauci was among the thousands of government physicians to be paid royalties from pharmaceutical companies between September 2009 and October 2020. With this much money to be made off COVID-19, it is no wonder the FDA demonized ivermectin (and hydroxychloroquine), common inexpensive medications that possibly could have ended the COVID-19 pandemic before the NIH began demanding that President Trump lock down the U.S. economy. The question now is whether the American public is being set up for another round of COVID-19 scare so big pharma can continue raking in the billions from COVID-19 booster shots that may or may not work. Since 2004, Jerome R. Corsi has published over 30 books on economics, history, and politics, including two #1 New York Times bestsellers. In 1972, he received his Ph.D. from the Department of Government at Harvard University. His doctoral dissertation in 1972 was entitled Prior Restraint, Prior Punishment, and Political Dissent: A Moral and Legal Evaluation. His book, Volume I, in his Great Awakening Trilogy, The Truth About Energy, Global Warming, and Climate Change: Exposing Climate Lies in an Age of Disinformation, received highly positive reviews from prominent climate scientists. Volume II, The Truth About Neo-Marxism, Cultural Maoism, and Anarchy: Exposing Woke Insanity in an Age of Disinformation, is scheduled for publication on November 14, 2023. Dr. Corsi has resumed podcasting on his new website TheTruthCentral.com, which is now on the Internet in its first development phase. Critics of euthanasia have always warned that, however tight the initial restrictions, its legalization would inevitably comprise a slippery slope. These critics have always been right. Typically, initial restrictions will specify that the candidate patient must be terminally ill, of sound mind, and suffering greatly. But in all cases these restrictions are slowly but surely loosened up. Canada was not the first country to legalize medically assisted suicide, but has leapt to the forefront by making plans to legalize euthanizing the mentally ill. Not surprisingly, this development has caused considerable outrage from the disability community but most critics, not knowing much about the inner workings of present-day psychiatry, are unaware of how truly outrageous this plan really is. For we are living at a time when, for a variety of reasons, it may be the treatment of mental patients, rather than their illnesses, that may make them want to die. Even true believers in the wonders of modern medicine will concede that psychiatry is the least scientific of the medical specialties. Psychiatry has always had a huge shortcoming: unlike other medical specialties, it is unmoored from the biological analysis of illness. There are no biological markers for psychiatry, no blood tests, X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, or biopsies, that mark the existence of mental illness and points to a particular biological pathogen that has caused it. Despite this fact, the treatment of mental illness today is manifestly biological. For what could be more biological than putting powerful chemicals into the human organism? Even as late as 1980 the use of medication comprised only about fifty percent of training of psychiatrists, the rest being in psychotherapy. Today, medicating patients comprises almost all psychiatric training. With this chemical emphasis, one might be forgiven for thinking that psychiatrists today know everything there is to know about psychotropic drugs and what they are doing when they prescribe them. Unfortunately, this is far from being the case. About a year ago a bombshell report dramatically brought home how questionable and harmful the use of the most common type of anti-depressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). By now many people have heard about SSRIs because they are associated with a popular theory about what causes depression, that is, a chemical imbalance in the brain, specifically an imbalance of serotonin. However, a July 2022 report by Prof. Joanna Moncrieff and a team of scientists at University College, London in Molecular Psychiatry decisively debunked this theory. After reviewing decades of research, these investigators concluded that there is no scientific basis to support it. Moncrieff wrote: Thousands of people suffer from side effects of antidepressants, including the severe withdrawal effects that can occur when people try to stop them, yet prescription rates continue to rise. We believe this situation has been driven partly by the false belief that depression is due to a chemical imbalance. It is high time to inform the public that this belief is not grounded in science. Anti-depressants are not the only psychotropic drugs being marketed that are potentially harmful, especially when taken long term. The first psychotropic drugs were introduced in the 1950s and it was not long before red flags began to appear regarding their safety and effectiveness. A World Health Organization (WHO) study compared outcomes in both rich and poor countries where drugs were used to treat schizophrenia. The finding of this report was that patients in poor countries, where drugs were limited, did better than those in rich countries with abundant resources. Schizophrenia is often said to be incurable but in poorer countries, after five years, 64% of patients with schizophrenia were functioning and normal, whereas in rich countries only 18% were doing as well. On the contrary, in rich countries 61% were being permanently maintained on anti-psychotics because their illness was deemed to be chronic, whereas in poor countries, only 16% used these drugs and then only intermittently because their illnesses turned out to be either one-off events or reappeared only episodically. These findings were ignored in the U.S. and other developed countries. In fact, by 1998 in the U.S. things had only gotten worse. By then a full 92% of schizophrenics were permanently maintained on anti-psychotic drugs. Notably the WHO reported that patients in rural India did best of all, so you would be better off being diagnosed with schizophrenia there than, say, in Manhattan -- that is, if the diagnosis itself was reliable which is all too often not the case. Studies have shown that there is limited concurrence among psychiatrists regarding diagnoses with a 30 to 40 percent discrepancy, and that diagnoses differ even depending on the country in which they are made. Different psychiatrist, different country -- different diagnosis. Despite this fact each new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual adds new illnesses based on the thinnest of clinical evidence. The net widens. There are innumerable serious side effects from psychotropic drugs. When taken long-term, they can shrink the brain, damage the heart, kidneys, and other vital organs, wreak havoc with the endocrine system and generally shorten a patients life. It gets worse. One side effect of antidepressants is suicidal ideation. Another is mania, and because of this side-effect a depressed patient will often be rediagnosed with bipolar disorder and switched to a whole new array of ineffective and harmful drugs. Perhaps the most interesting and least well-known side-effect to the public is a syndrome called akathisia. Hard to describe but well documented, patients who experience this side-effect often say that it makes them feel as if they want to jump out of their skin, which may lead them to kill themselves and/or others. This is a clinically proven side-effect. Using the method which clinicians call challenge/rechallenge, the syndrome will appear when the drug is given, go away when the drug is stopped, and reappear again when the drug is again taken. When you read of shocking and unexpected behavior of patients who have been diagnosed with depression this may very well have been caused by the drugs they were given and not their illness. Much of mental illness, especially depression, is situational, triggered by the loss of a loved one, unemployment, or failure in school. Others are episodic and self resolving or the individual learns to compensate and function reasonably well. Still others, such as childhood bipolar or ADHD are arguably not really illnesses at all but developmental problems reflecting an immature central nervous system. Time will heal, but will not do so if all such things are interminably treated with dangerous drugs. When the Trudeau regime announced its plan to allow the euthanizing of the mentally ill some psychiatrists objected for religious reasons or because of the strictures of the Hippocratic Oath. However, Dr. Derryck Smith at the University of British Colombia, who favors the idea, mouthed the usual platitudes of the need to relieve suffering, respecting human dignity and allowing people to make their own health decisions. Nevertheless, knowing what we know about the adverse effects of drugs, we are entitled to ask him exactly what problem does he think he is solving by counselling this most decisive and irreversible of all interventions, the problem that was brought to him by a hapless patient, or the one that he himself may have created through his treatment? Whatever his answer, one thing that we know from his own mouth is that he has not taken the Hippocratic Oath because he claims that it is archaic. But archaic has different meanings. There is the neutral meaning which means simply ancient and the pejorative one which means outmoded and irrelevant to our time. It appears that he is referring to the latter meaning but what, one might ask, is outmoded about the Hippocratic stricture to do no harm? In this context, one might feel inclined to offer a bit of archaic wisdom to his prospective patients. Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware. Image: Pexels There has been an alarming, mysterious rise in whale deaths in the Northeast, coinciding with a massive, subsidized buildout of offshore wind farms. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA,) the federal organization ultimately responsible for reporting on and protecting whales, asserts there is no link between wind farm development and whale deaths. At the same time, NOAA now issues expedited whale take, or harm and kill permits, to wind companies. The likely link between deaths and NOAA permitsdeafening and disorienting acoustic pulses generated for sub-seafloor seismic surveying and constructionis commonly acknowledged by marine mammal biologists and undersea acousticians, yet it is now publicly ignored or suppressed. The price of these absurdities may include the imminent extinction of the North Atlantic right whale. Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore describes the current Northeast US whale migration pathway as a death zone. For example, since 2016, the starting year of the most recent Unusual Mortality Events for whales, over 200 Humpbacks have beached or stranded. The year 2016 also marked the beginning of a frenzied, subsidized buildout of offshore wind in the Northeast US. Today, as pre-construction surveying and build-out of new turbines promised by the Executive branch continues, dolphins and whales are found beached or floating lifeless offshore on an almost daily basis. Many animals are never found, are never reported, or are only documented informally. This cetacean die-off threatens the last of 340 remaining North Atlantic right whales, including as few as 70 reproductive females. While disavowing any connection between wind development and whale harm, NOAA now expedites authorizing incidental whale harassment and take by wind companies. While killing of whales is illegal, there are exceptions. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972, take or harassment and possible killing, is prohibited, but provided certain findings are made, NOAA Fisheries may issue incidental take authorizations allowing the unintentional take of marine mammals incidental to specified activities, including construction projects. Take, under the MMPA, is defined as the intent to harm, harass, or kill a marine mammal, in its simplest terms, says NOAAs Mendy Garron, Acting Communications Director at NOAAs Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office. NOAA stipulates, Incidental take is an unintentional, but not unexpected, impact to a marine mammal that can range from a non-minor behavioral response, to an injury, to a mortality. The deaths are not intended but expected. NOAA acknowledges the impact of human-generated noise on whales, but officially rejects the effects of wind farm development. Benjamin Laws, deputy chief for permits and construction at NOAA, stated, we do not have evidence that would support the connection between the [wind] survey work and these recent stranding events or any stranding events in the last several years. NOAA attributes deaths to human interaction, specifically ship-strike or fishing gear entanglement. These causes are more easily discovered in necropsies than internal organ (hearing) damage. (According to NOAA, many whales are significantly decomposed by the time they are discovered.) NOAA blames fishing and ships, except for offshore wind survey ships. But powerful sound waves can harm both toothed and baleen whales. Whale strandings have been linked to hearing damage and disorientation from high-intensity, low-frequency sonar pulses like those used in wind farm pre-construction surveys. In 2015, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported, we now know that intense sound waves can have direct physiological impacts on whales, including internal hemorrhaging. For creatures who navigate using sound, vessel strikes, entanglement, and hearing damage are not mutually exclusive causes of death. According to Greenpeaces senior research specialist Tim Donaghy (in words often attributed to famed biologist Sylvia Earle,) a deaf whale is a dead whale. Bonnie Brady of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association explains we are often told these are ship-strikes and they have nothing to do with offshore wind. But the wind survey boats are out there harassing whales with low-frequency pulses right where they breathe, feed, and nurse. A whale that cant hear is far more likely to get hit by a ship. The wind companies hired survey boats use high-energy acoustic pulses to map the ocean floor and sub-floor for wind turbine placement. These pulses can adversely affect and damage the internal hearing function and organs of whales, all of which use sound to communicate and some to navigate and find prey. SONAR has a range of impacts on marine mammals. On one end of the scale, you have outright death. If youre close enough to a SONAR source with the kind of high-intensity sound that is emitted from those sources, it can lead to internal organ damage, said Zac Smith, staff attorney at the NRDC. There are indications of bleeding from the ears and the eyes, so theres those kinds of impacts at the very closest range, the most horrible ones. The connection between powerful sound waves and the whales health is not disputed. A U.S. Navy study in 2001 revealed that whales were killed in an accident involving ship-based low-frequency active SONAR. These systems and the seismic survey sonar and airgun/horn systems used by hydrographic survey vessels operate in similar and overlapping frequency and intensity ranges. One NOAA official has sounded the alarm. In a recently disclosed memo, Dr. Sean Hayes, Chief of Protected Species at NOAA, warned the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the risks of offshore wind development to North Atlantic right whales. The development of offshore wind poses risks to these species, which is magnified in southern New England waters due to species abundance and distribution. Even as deaths have increased, NOAAs take permitting has increased. A comparison between past years and current Incidental Take authorizations shows a drastic increase in size and scope. Take Permits are now active or in process for Dominion Energy, US Wind, Community Offshore Wind, Attentive Energy, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, SouthCoastWind Energy, Orsted Wind, BluePoint, Vineyard NorthEast, and others. According to NOAAs list of all applied and granted Incidental Harassment (IHA) and Take Authorizations since 2016, permits for offshore wind activities in the Atlantic north of Florida numerically overwhelm any others granted for that area. Since 2016, from Virginia to Massachusetts, 56 separate marine mammal IHAs, many overlapping in time and geographic area, received permits. The Feds have been cautioned. In a 2022 memo, a consortium of 15 environmental groups warned NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Since June 2017, NOAA Fisheries has permitted or is considering permitting 108 vessels to conduct geophysical survey activities over more than 10,000 survey days, resulting in more than 113,000 instances of harassment (i.e., Level B takes) of marine mammals. Of those takes, 402 represent North Atlantic right whalesa number now greater than the population size of the species. Construction of new turbines has now begun in Southern New England, where the North Atlantic right whale feeds. Survey vessels continue to zig-zag off the coast, bombarding the sea with powerful sound waves. Forthcoming pile-driving of turbine towers will increase sound intensities exponentially. As Minke whales, Humpbacks, and dolphins die, the ultimate fate of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale draws near. Franklin Raff is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed professional captain and is host and co-producer of the multiple Emmy-Award winning PBS conservation documentary Great White Shark (The Great White Shift,) now in worldwide distribution. Ive already made several pleas now to Joe Biden and his administration, explaining how our Border Patrol agents are working tirelessly to keep our country safe from migrants. But, as expected, hes chosen to ignore such criticism, believing that his current method is working like a charm and that theres no cause for concern. Only there is. And if you need further proof of this, lets take a look at an incident that occurred at a small county prison in Pennsylvania. Somehow, this facility had Danelo Cavalcante in its custody; in 2017, Cavalcante allegedly murdered a man in his native Brazil, but before he could be arrested, he fled the country, made his way to the U.S., and wound up stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in 2021. Per this report, Cavalcante managed to make his way up a wall using a rather bizarrebut nevertheless effectivecrab-walk method. This allowed him to bypass security, despite the prison being fully staffed. Once he reached the top of the wall, he maneuvered over the razor wire, ran across the roof, leaped to the ground, and escaped the penitentiary. There are a lot of questions here surrounding the security provisions of the jail. Currently, the acting warden of the Chester County Prison, Howard Holland, is looking into the matter, even going as far as to put a rooftop guard on leave following his inability to spot Cavalcante escaping. Per Holland: In fact, what was perhaps overlooked was the fact that addressing the single point of physical countermeasures should have been bolstered by additional means. But theres much more to address here. Again, I cant help but wonder how someone as dangerous as Cavalcante got into this country in the first place. He somehow managed to evade ICE and other law enforcement agents to make his way into an area as small as Chester County. Think about that. And clearly he isnt the only one. Were now seeing millions of illegal aliens flood into this country, with Biden and his administration effectively hamstringing Border Patrol and border enforcement policies. A few days back, Senator James Lankford stated that our country had hit a milestone he asserted that in the less than three years of the Biden regime, weve had more people illegally cross the border than we had under the eight years of the Obama administration, and the four years of the Trump administration. This has resulted in these illegal aliens being transported all over the place, from Florida to Texas to New York, and who knows where else, since no one really knows what to do with them. Even ICE is dumbfounded, and unable to keep tabs on everyone; thats how criminals like Cavalcante slip through the cracks. So now, with this particular case in the spotlight, I am once again asking Joe Biden to do something. Go to the border yourself and take a look at whats happening. Weve seen a number of Republicans do it and address the matter at hand, only for Biden to brush them off as merely performing political stunts. They arent stunts, Joe. Theyre people doing their job and telling you there is something severely wrong with open border policies. Again, if someone like Cavalcante can slip into this countryand just as easily out of jailthen something is very wrong. Biden needs to get his mind off of other countries problems and focus on his own. That includes first and foremost, vetting with extreme scrutiny, the foreigners entering the country; funding law enforcement which gives them the ability to hire qualified officers and take care of their current ones; and allowing Border Patrol and ICE agents to do their job. Biden needs to do something, and quickly. Otherwise, this country is going to find itself stuffed full of invadersand who knows how many of them are dangerous people like Cavalcante. Michael A. Letts is the CEO and founder of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Image from X. Every book published prior to 2008 has been removed from a public high school library in Canada to ensure that kids are not exposed to non-inclusivity. Yes, you read that correctly. Imagine the surprise of students at Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, when they entered the school's library last spring to discover...empty shelves. Staff told them, "If the shelves look emptier right now it's because we have to remove all books [published] prior to 2008." Why? Because "The Peel District School Board works to ensure that the books available in our school libraries are culturally responsive, relevant, inclusive, and reflective of the diversity of our school communities and the broader society," according to the school board. And the Ontario Ministry of Education (OME) describes the PDSB's "equitable curation cycle" as "a three-step process that holds Peel staff accountable for being critically conscious of how systems operate, so that we can dismantle inequities and foster practices that are culturally responsive and relevant." What are these three steps? Step 1: Teachers/librarians are instructed to focus on reviewing books that were published 15 or more years ago (AKA problematic books). Step 2: An anti-racist and inclusive audit is conducted, during which a book's quality and appeal are defined by "resources that promote anti-racism, cultural responsiveness and inclusivity." Step 3: A second or "representation" audit is performed, noting how books (and other resources) reflect student diversity. What happens to the books that don't pass muster? Apparently, they are "S-canned," because board documents state they could be "causing harm." Causing harm?! Yes, the musty old books could be a health hazard, either because of their physical condition or because "they are not inclusive, culturally responsive, relevant or accurate." Ergo, the board documents say the books cannot be donated, as "they are not suitable for any learners." Maybe the PTSD PDSB educators just burn them. (In a highly inclusive manner, no doubt!) Fortunately, the CBC questioned the OME about this practice, and the OME agreed that cleansing library bookshelves of all titles published before 2008 is bad. Ontario education minister Stephen Lecce recently said he wrote to the board urging it to immediately end the practice. Lecce stated: "Ontario is committed to ensuring that the addition of new books better reflects the rich diversity of our communities. It is offensive, illogical and counterintuitive to remove books from years past that educate students on Canada's history, antisemitism or celebrated literary classics." (Especially those on Canada's history of antisemitism, I'm guessing.) Nonetheless, the writing is on the wall. We can see where this is all headed. The most inclusive thing we can do is to ban books published before 2008, right? Because nothing of note happened before Obama was anointed. And not just a book or two here and there that some far-right extremists find unsuitable for young children, but every single novel, paperback, hardcover, textbook, tome, manual, work, atlas, tract, and treatise written and/or published before 2008. The Bible? Right out! "The Wealth of Nations"? Perish the thought! Atlas Shrugged? No way! 1984? The title itself precludes it adorning our library! (Oh, I see why they want pre-Obama books banned.) Forget Socrates, Aristotle, Martin Luther, William Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson, and C.S. Lewis. There's no need for Animal Farm or The Fountainhead. Bring on Gender Queer and All Boys Aren't Blue. What student needs works discussing philosophy, freedom, spirituality and the state of man in general when there are books available with illustrations of young boys fellating each other? I mean, "well read" is a subjective term, is it not? It is no wonder our kids are suffering the highest ever recorded rates of confusion, depression, and suicide. And, in my book, that's a crime. Image via Pexels. Amid the sea of blue city chaos in Oakland, it's come to this: What began as another enclave of folks seeking a low-cost alternative to high San Francisco Bay area housing prices, has turned the Oakland estuary into a pirate's nest. Rogue live-aboards have been stealing from infrequently visited boats docked in the marina, surrounding businesses, homes, and each other. The situation has become such that the United States Coast Guard has been called in to police the matter. The Coast Guard will bring sea and air power to the table. The pirates stand little chance. Oakland Mayor Thao says, "There has to be justice." Get ready for something comical or tragic. It's not like the movies. Basically, it's an extension of the organized theft gangs that have plagued the Bay Area, forcing private businesses to take billions in theft losses which is driving many of them from the cities. Two weeks ago, I wrote about that here. Oakland's wokesterly mayor, Sheng Thao, is utterly useless, given that she has turned her city over to thieves of all sorts in the name of social justice, meaning, homes, cars, businesses and retail malls are all targets of mass looting that rarely ever gets punished now. It's gotten so bad the local NAACP has protested. Much of it is Mexican and Central American cartel-fueled, and with laws largely unenforced in that region, the cartels have had a field day, branching out into actual sea piracy. Thao remains feckless, though, and can't attract cops to her police department, given the left's demonization of police which pretty well tells police officers that one thing goes wrong and the politicians do not have their back. Who'd want to work for an organization like that, particularly since there are many nice cities out there that do support law and order and have their officers' backs? Of course they stay away, no need to "defund the police" because there aren't any police. The article linked above, from BoingBoing, reports that the city of some 423,000 has just one officer whose job is to police estatuary matters, including piracy. The department itself is at least 45 officers short. Good luck to the just-robbed boat owners trying to get him on the phone. Still, the outcry has been significant enough that she's done what Democrats do, which is call for a federal bailout, in this case in the form of the Coast Guard. She suggests that now things will be done differently: Citing ABC7, BoingBoing continues: "There has to be justice," Thao said. "That means policing has to be done differently, investigations must be done differently, along with how resources are deployed." This is where the U.S. Coast Guard comes in. Cpt. Lam says there are multiple types of vessels that would be used in situations like this including a 45-foot response boat the Coast Guard would deploy to help local agencies. "Additionally, we will be looking to use some of our aviation resources to provide, overt presence from the air," said Cpt. Lam. "So we see what is happening along the estuary." It would have been a lot better if she had plainly stated that the Coast Guard shoots pirates and there won't be any woke DAs involved to mess things up, but that's probably too much to ask. The bottom line here is that this is the future of deep blue cities that have turned themselves over to the forces of lawlessness -- sanctuary cities, zero bail, zero crime enforcement, absent police, and rampant criminality, which, they gaslight to voters is all in their heads. Now it's the Coast Guard called in to clean up the mess that she and her wokestery coevals in power have made. All she had to do was do her job and enforce crime. She didn't so now she has a military intervention. One hopes that nothing local is going to stand in their way and they will bill Oakland for their trouble. It's probably a harbinger of more to come as Mexico militarizes its society in the wake of the cartel rise, and now Oakland has militarized its estatuary. What other cities will follow? Who will call the Army or Navy or Air Force for the next outrage of wokester neglect when things get intolerable? It's come to this. Image: RawPixel // CC0 public domain The Washington Free Beacon headline read, This Illinois Democrat Cant Stop Tweeting About How Dumb His Constituents Are but what it should have said something like This Illinois Democrat Cant Stop Owning Himself and His Party the disparaging remarks made by the freshman representative from Illinoiss 17th congressional district against his own voters are more a self-reflection than anything. Eric Sorensen is a meteorologist and Illinoiss first openly gay member of Congress whos also evidently very insecure and not the brightest, considering his tirades against the illiterate and ignorant rubes of America and Illinois are in fact, against many of his own supporters. As the Free Beacon article reported yesterday, Sorensen has made countless outlandish statements against his constituents and Americans in general, like his claim that Illinois voters wouldnt be able to spell Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowskis name correctly, or his assertion that Americans who push back hard when it comes to climate change dont have any idea of how it all works because, after all, theyre backward conservatives; Sorensen is the educated progressive; therefore, he has the real claim on science. First off, if Illinoisans were actually that illiterate, I then have to ask: Whos running the education system? Furthermore, whos been running the education system? Sounds like a big government problem if you ask me. Secondly, if were to trust Sorensens low opinion of the people of Illinois, and theyre the ones who voted him into office, then what in the world does that say about him? If these unlearned dummiesthats what hes implyingfound that the best man for the job to represent them was Sorensen, then hes probably an unlearned dummy too. Then, in response to the earthquake in Morocco last week, Sorensen posted a map image of northern Africa for reference before saying this: I have found that many Americans lack knowledge of geography, especially internationally. A refresher is importantespecially with big news events. Eric Sorensen (@ERICSORENSEN) September 9, 2023 Again, Id be inclined to question what the education system, run by leftists, is like. Perhaps Democrat lawmakers and Democrat indoctrinators should go back to focusing on geography instead of pornography? Oh yes, thats right, Sorensen once sat on a board that pushed a pornographic book on children. From an October 2022 Breitbart report: Sorensen, who is running as a Democrat to be the next congressman from Illinoiss 17th Congressional District, was on the board of Clock Inc., a pro-LGBT organization that tailors many of its events towards youth. The organization hosts meeting groups, with titles like Youth Transgender/Nonbinary Group and LGBT+ Middle School Group. The organization also hosts a chest binder giveaway. Clock Inc. announced that Sorensen was joining the organization as a board member in a post on Facebook in December 2019. According to the organizations website, Sorensen joined Clock Inc. in order to support the mission of Clock, Inc and to provide a safe place for LGBT+ youth that he was not fortunate to have himself growing up. This year, Clock Inc. teamed up with Rock Island Public Library in order to host a youth book club. One of the books that was promoted was Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, which features pornographic illustrations. The book is intended for children. Just a few days back, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy read excerpts from two books, one of them being Gender Queer. I will warn you, the content is beyond obscene, but you can watch below: "All Boys aren't Blue" and "Gender Queer" WATCH: Senator Kennedy reads excerpts of two books during Senate hearing. This is what the left wants your kids to read. In school. Why would DeSantis ban this?? pic.twitter.com/HMpmRzoVge Charles Weber - aka THE Jew from Boca (@CWBOCA) September 13, 2023 A saying attributed to John Locke comes to mind: I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts. If a gay man seeks to foster confidential spaces with minor students to discuss aberrant sexualityafter all thats what safe means for confused youth in LGBTQ clubsand pushes pornography on these children, how might one interpret his innermost thoughts? I can tell you this much, Sorensens opinion has absolutely no weight, and his constant attacks against other people seem like a diversionary tactic; this story about an ally also seems oddly heralding: Image: US House of Representatives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. When WaPos David Ignatius declares the man he did so much to install in the Oval Office should not seek re-election, it means something. Actually, it means a lot. Ignatius is a despicable excuse for a journalist. As I stated here, Ignatius was a primary mouthpiece for deep state actors peddling the Russiagate conspiracy. Any journalist with a modicum of integrity and self-respectgiven what everyone should know now, and anyone with any intellectual curiosity should have suspected even thenwould have outed the sources that fed him such bogus and blatantly false information. Alas, there have been no mea culpas from Mr. Ignatius or any outing of his deep state sources. Ignatius wasnt an unwitting dupe; he was an active participant in the deep state coup to overthrow a democratically elected president. If this isnt the definition of sedition, I cant imagine what would be. The logical conclusion that Ignatius is no more than a mouthpiece for the CIA is hard to escape. This is what makes his call for Biden to bow out now so significant. Mr. Ignatius is largely incapable of independent thought and when any does accidently slip through, hes invariably wrong. Most anything you read under his byline isnt what he thinks, its what hes been instructed by his handlers to say. Ive riffed more on this topic here. Given this, Mr. Ignatiuss latest missive doesnt reflect his personal view that Biden should step aside, rather the view of his handlers. Its relatively common knowledge within the beltway and Acela corridor that WaPo is the go-to outlet for CIA leaks to drive media narratives while NYT is the FBIs outlet of choice. How many James Comey op-eds have they subjected us to? I must confess Im not a regular reader of NYT or WaPo, but you dont have to be to stay abreast of their continued onslaught of state propaganda. I once read where the only difference between the readers of the New York Times and Pravda (the Soviet era state propaganda organ,) was that at least the Pravda readers knew they were being lied to. I find this to be quite true and even funnier in that the NYT readers think themselves so sophisticated and enlightened. And WaPo is just such a nasty partisan rag its disgraceful. But the outsized influence these corrupt media outlets have cant be overstated. The corruption of corporate media will do more to destroy the great American experiment than anything else I can imagine. When Trump said the media is the enemy of the American people, he wasnt wrong. I said it LONG before he did, but no one listens to me. But back to my main point. Ignatius isnt through with Joe Biden, his CIA handlers are. And as Chuck Schumer famously warned Trump, they have six ways from Sunday of getting back at you. As to the question of why, I can only speculate. Given the Biden crime familys grift of millions of dollars from foreign actors, any intelligence around this would certainly exist within the CIAs purview. Its very likely they know that under a House impeachment inquiry they wont be able to hide it forever, not to mention their own corrupt role in burying overwhelming evidence of what can only be characterized as treason by the holder of the highest elected office in the land. They have no undying allegiance to Joe Biden. He has always been an empty vessel that at a minimum, would protect deep state corruption from being exposed by an outside usurper such as Trump. But make no mistake, this is a seismic shift that represents a major crack in the deep state wall that has been hiding Joe Bidens blatant and shameless corruption from the American people and electorate for decades. What other explanation could there possibly be for the dirty 51 current and former intelligence officials declaring the Hunter laptop, that a majority of them had to know was true, to be a Russian disinformation operation? Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. Having previously read and his manifesto some years ago, I have been revisiting the Unabomber's treatise on technology and its toxic effects on society and individual psychology. (I feel compelled -- not out of moral obligation, because I believe any rational person is capable of separating the message from the messenger but because of rampant targeting by the state of so-called "domestic terrorists," a category to which I have surely been relegated on some government list somewhere to caution that I do not endorse mailing bombs or any variety of offensive violence in any form.) Here he is taking a magnifying glass and a razor-sharp scalpel to leftist psychology. Via Industrial Society and Its Future: " The two psychological tendencies that underlie modern leftism we call feelings of inferiority and oversocialization By feelings of inferiority we mean not only inferiority feelings in the strict sense but a whole spectrum of related traits; low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, depressive tendencies, defeatism, guilt, self-hatred, etc When someone interprets as derogatory almost anything that is said about him (or about groups with whom he identifies) we conclude that he has inferiority feelings or low self- esteem. This tendency is pronounced among minority rights activists , whether or not they belong to the minority groups whose rights they defend. They are hypersensitive about the words used to designate minorities and about anything that is said concerning minorities. The terms negro, oriental, handicapped or chick for an African, an Asian, a disabled person or a woman originally had no derogatory connotation The negative connotations have been attached to these terms by the activists themselves ... Those who are most sensitive about politically incorrect terminology are not the average black ghetto-dweller, Asian immigrant, abused woman or disabled person, but a minority of activists , many of whom do not even belong to any oppressed group but come from privileged strata of society." Examples of this phenomenon in practice in modern Western society are legion, but perhaps the most emblematic is the force-feeding of the term "Latin-X" dreamed up by some neurotic Women's and Gender studies postgraduate -- as a new-age descriptor for Hispanics, despite the Hispanic population itself rejecting its use. Via Gallup: "One of the central threads in critiques of the use of "Latinx" is evidence measuring the opinions of rank-and-file Hispanic Americans themselves. These data show that relatively few Hispanic adults have even heard of the term , and very few indicate an interest in using it to describe their ethnicity Only 4% of Hispanic Americans surveyed by Gallup preferred "Latinx" as the label of choice to describe their ethnic group." Yet, the corporate state media, in combination with academia, relentlessly and relentlessly is the only correct word here push this social engineering bilge on the population as an "inclusive" alternative to "Latino," one that purportedly subverts something called the "gender binary," used by the Patriarchy to persecute the LGBTQ+++ alphabet people. Another example, of course, is the ever-evolving terminology used to refer to Persons of Color. In a different time, "colored people" was used to refer to black people, which, as Kaczynski notes, was never meant in its conception or use for decades to be derogatory. Rather, liberals at some point unilaterally declared it to be offensive, and all at once the term became verboten in polite society. Ditto, again, as Kaczynski notes, with the "handicapped," which then became the "disabled," which then became "persons with disability." And with "retard." And with "Oriental." And so on; literally every minority group has a veritable laundry list of terms that were once considered non-offensive and standard and that suddenly, overnight, became alleged slurs. No one voted on any of this, including the protected categories whose interests are ostensibly meant to be advanced by their forced uptake in everyday parlance. Ben Bartee, author of Broken English Teacher: Notes From Exile, is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Follow his stuff Substack if you are inclined to support independent journalism free of corporate slant. Also, keep tabs via Twitter. For hip Armageddon Prose t-shirts, hats, etc., peruse the merch store. Image: Certo Xornal Insta-tip jar and Bitcoin public address: bc1qvq4hgnx3eu09e0m2kk5uanxnm8ljfmpefwhawv People should pay close attention to Vivek Ramaswamys idea because he is willing to think outside of the box about how government should work, compared to the grotesque behemoth we now have in D.C. Most importantly, he thinks its possible for the president to fire most of the federal workforce. Hes not just talking about Schedule F political appointees. He wants to empty buildings full of ideologically corrupt agencies. Schedule F employees are those people in the federal government who hold political offices and serve at the presidents will. When Democrats come into office, they usually fire everyone; when Republicans come into office, they dont. Democrat administrations have agency leaders who align with their policies; Republicans dont. Part of this is a manpower problem. Leftists gravitate toward D.C.; conservatives dont. From any pool of candidates with the basic skills for a position, most will be Democrats. (As an aside, a small organization called American Moment is working hard to change that by creating a cadre of young people who are true conservatives, wise in the ways of D.C., and ready to take on political jobs. I got to meet Saurabh Sharma, the president and co-founder, and came away impressed by both his ideas and his energy.) Image: Vivek Ramaswamy. X screen grab. The only problem is the pushback that panics Republicans. Take the furor when George W. Bush tried to fire some U.S. Attorneys, a position purely within the presidents purview. A still-palpitating Wikipedia describes how, in 2006, Bush fired seven U.S. Attorneys. This was unprecedented and saw Congress launch investigations focused on whether the Department of Justice and the White House were using the U.S. attorney positions for political advantage. Well, duh. But Republicans were warned: Democrats get to make political appointments; Republicans do not. But what about the rank-and-file workers in the agencies, the majority of whom donate to the Democrat party? A long time ago, that was irrelevant because, no matter how they voted, they just did their jobs. However, since Obama (at least), agencies have used their power to effectuate Democrat policies on America. (See, e.g., the FBI, the Department of Education, the EEOC, the CDC, etc.) And because they get to write their own rules and try their own cases, they have totalitarian control over the matters within their purview. Cowed by unions (thanks JFK), Republicans are too afraid of lawsuits to fire anyone. Moreover, as weve seen with the lawfare against Trump and his supporters (e.g., lawyers, ordinary people swept up in the January 6 dragnet, etc.), D.C.s judicial system is purely Democrat. If youre a Democrat who wants a political advantage in the courts, ensure D.C. is your jurisdiction. Any federal firing will get entangled in that court system. By the time the unions and the courts have had their say, no one gets fired. But Vivek thinks hes found a way around the problem of the roughly 2 million federal employees, most of whom are leftists, all of whom are expensive, and many of whom are defiantly partisan and hostile to the American people: Referencing 5 USC 3301 and 5 USC 3302, he argued that the president has considerable power over staffing in the civil service, including the competitive civil service. He also challenged the idea that a specific section of the U.S. Code, 5 USC 7513(a), dictates that the president can only fire such employees for.. cause. Turns out large-scale reductions in force are not covered by the statute, he said, arguing that mass layoffs of that sort are governed by a much less restrictive statute, 5 USC 3502. Large-scale mass layoffs are absolutely what we will bring to the DC bureaucracy, Mr. Ramaswamy pledged to applause and cheers from the America First Policy Institute audience. He suggested that potential cabinet position heads should be subject to a litmus testthat that agency head is prepared to carry out mass layoff[s]. In addition, Mr. Ramaswamy asserted that provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1977, found at 5 USC 901, empower the president to reorganize, consolidate, and even shut down federal agencies. [snip] He further argued that the Supreme Court case INS v. Chadha does not limit the presidents mandate over agencies as established by the Reorganization Act of 1977. If Vivek is right, what were looking at is the wholesale remaking of the American government, breaking apart the bureaucratic monolith that Woodrow Wilson built, Frank Roosevelt put on rocket fuel, LBJ put on atomic energy, and Obama and Biden have turned into a massive nuclear bomb. If you're worried that this probably wont hurt and may help government efficiency, dont forget that Elon Musk fired 80% of Xs workforce. Since then, the site has chugged along just fine. Its problems arent because of staffing; theyre because leftist NGOs and the Obama administration are trying to destroy it. As I said, I hope the other Republican presidential candidates, from Trump on down, are paying attention because, if Vivek is right, simply by using existing statutory means, hes describing a true second American Revolution. There is a small joke going around social media circles for the past few weeks involving the strange border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. You may have seen it a hundred times already, but here it is anyway: As you can see from the map, Croatia is located mostly north of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but a long stretch of the former borders the Adriatic Sea blocking nearly all of the other country's access to the water. It might appearand as the joke suggests that Bosnia and Herzegovina is completely landlocked with no access to the sea. This is not correct. Bosnia and Herzegovina does have a beach, albeit a short oneonly 20 kilometers long. It is the second shortest coastline in the world after Monaco. Even tiny islands such as Tuvalu and Nauru have longer coastlines. Bosnia and Herzegovinas coastline is barely visible on the map above. To see it, you have to zoom into Google Maps. This is Bosnia and Herzegovinas coastline. All 20 kilometers of it belongs to the town and municipality of Neum. Being the country's only access to the Adriatic Sea, Neum is a popular tourists destination and there are lots of beach resorts here. Neum actually punctures the long Croatian arm cutting off its southernmost territory from the rest of Croatia. This part of Croatia is a pretty big tourist destination itself. The beautiful walled, mediaeval city of Dubrovnik is located here. So how did Croatia end up with all that coastline? To understand it, we have to go back to the time when Dubrovnik was an independent state. This entire coastal region, historically known as Dalmatia, was fought over by the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The Venetians had control over most of Dalmatia, with the exception of the city-state of Dubrovnik which became independent in the 14th and then became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire had control over the adjacent Kingdom of Bosnia and the region of Herzegovina. But when the Ottomans began encroaching on others territories, an alliance called The Holy League was formed between the Venetian Republic, the Holy Roman Empire, the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth and Russia, and the Great Turkish War broke out in 1683. The walled city of Dubrovnik. Photo credit: Hans Permana/Flickr Dubrovnik found itself in the middle of a war it had nothing to do with it. Being a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, Dubrovnik feared that the Ottomans enemies might try to attack their city. So in order to shield itself from an attack from The Holy League, Dubrovnik literally distanced itself from the rest of Dalmatia by seceding a small piece of land by the Adriatic Seathe land we now know as Neumto the Ottoman Empire. Now to get to Dubrovnik, Ottomans enemies would have to cross over this small territory belonging to the powerful Ottoman Empire. This arrangement actually worked, even though the Turks themselves suffered a crushing defeat and lost large amounts of territory in Hungary, Poland, as well as part of the western Balkans. Dubrovnik was left untouched until it fell to Napoleon's army in 1806. Meanwhile Bosnia remained under the Turks until 1878. Then came the Austro-Hungarians, and following the First World War, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was born. Finally with the end of communism, Yugoslavia broke up into a bunch of independent nations, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Bosnia and Herzegovina retained its only access to the Adriatic Sea through the Neum corridor. The Adriatic coast at Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo credit: Chris Goldberg/Flickr Croatia was left with an exclave surrounding Dubrovnik, and this caused some headache for tourists wishing to visit this stunningly beautiful coastal city. To get to Dubrovnik, tourists have to cross two international borders and go through two custom checks and the associated security arrangements causing a lot of unwanted delays. A bridge has been planned connecting Croatia's mainland to the Peljesac peninsula that would allow traffic to completely bypass the Neum Corridor. Construction on the 2.4 km long bridge was supposed to have begun early this month. Samsung has just dropped another hint at a nearing launch of the Galaxy S23 FE. The company recently added the unreleased Fan Edition (FE) phone to a list of Galaxy devices compatible with Samsung Pay. It was probably an accidental or premature addition, but the Korean firm hasnt de-listed the device from its website, at least not as of this writing. This should mean an imminent unveiling of the long-rumored FE-series phone. First spotted by SamMobile, the Galaxy S23 FE is mentioned under the Galaxy S family of devices that support the Samsung Pay platform in Spain. The upcoming phone appears at the top of this list, above the regular Galaxy S23 flagships. The website also contains several other lists (Galaxy Z, Galaxy Note, Galaxy A, and Smartwatches), most of which list the devices in order of their launch dates, with the latest model at the top. Advertisement Advertisement This addition doesnt reveal any other information about the upcoming phone. However, this is another official confirmation of the existence of the Galaxy S23 FE. Samsung has already published support pages for the device on some regional websites. The companys vice president of mobile for South Africa previously admitted that it needs to launch a new FE phone to fill the gap between its Galaxy A series and the flagship Galaxy S series. Unfortunately, we still dont have a confirmed launch date. There are rumors that Samsung will unveil the phone in late September or early October, but no date. Indian e-commerce platform Flipkart has already published a product page for the device. It says the Galaxy S23 FE will arrive before the Indian festive season, which is in mid-October. So our long wait for the Galaxy S21 FE successor might finally end in a few weeks. Certifications have already confirmed Galaxy S23 FE specs The Galaxy S23 FE has already picked up regulatory approvals in many countries. Those certification listings and leaks have revealed its design and specs in great detail. The phone will feature a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an FHD+ resolution (23401080 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung has included an optical under-display fingerprint scanner here. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200 SoC, the device should come with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It will feature a 50MP primary rear camera paired with an 8MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP selfie camera. The new FE phone packs and 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging and boasts an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Stay tuned for its official launch. Samsungs 2024 flagships wont charge faster than its 2020 phones. The Galaxy S24 series will support a maximum charging speed of 45W, with the base model topping out at 25W. The confirmation comes courtesy of a certification listing in China. According to the 3C certification agency, the Galaxy S24 features a 9V/2.77A power rating, which equates to 25W fast charging. The Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra will both support up to 45W sharing speeds (9V/2.77A). This listing pertains to the Chinese versions of the phones bearing model numbers SM-S9210, SM-S9260, and SM-S9280. However, the new Samsung flagships will ship with the same power rating globally. Advertisement Advertisement As expected, Samsung wont provide a charging adapter in the retail box. If you dont have one lying around in your home, youll have to purchase it separately. Thankfully, if youre upgrading from an older Galaxy model, theres little chance that youll be missing out on faster charging. As said earlier, the Korean firm hasnt increased the charging speeds of its flagship phones since the Galaxy S20 series in 2020. For the first couple of years, Samsung kept 45W charging reserved for the Ultra model. The other two models maxed out at 25W. The company upgraded the Plus model to 45W with the Galaxy S22+ in 2022. Unfortunately, the base model will stay at a maximum charging speed of 25W for at least one more year. Some competing or even more affordable phones boast almost ten times its charging speed. There have been rumors about Samsung considering offering up to 65W of charging on the Galaxy S24 series, at least the Ultra model. However, it seems to have decided against the idea. The company is sticking to 45W, which should fully charge all three models in about an hour. That isnt bad, but Samsung will certainly face some criticism for it because of the wild charging speeds offered by its Chinese rivals. The Galaxy S24 and S24+ will feature bigger batteries Samsung may not be increasing the charging speeds of its flagship phones, but its increasing the battery capacity of the base and Plus models for two years straight. Certifications have revealed that the Galaxy S24 will pack a 4,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S24+ will get a 4,900mAh unit. This comes after Samsung increased the battery capacity of the Galaxy S23 from 3,700mAh to 3,900mAh, and the Galaxy S23+ from 4,500mAh to 4,700mAh last year. The Ultra model, meanwhile, has had a 5,000mAh battery since the Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2020. Next years Galaxy S24 Ultra will also feature a 5,000mAh battery. The new Samsung flagships are expected to arrive in January 2024. Google Chrome tabs are the individual web pages that you have open in the Google Chrome web browser. When you open multiple web pages simultaneously, each one is represented by a separate tab at the top of the browser window. You can switch between these tabs to access different websites or content without having to open separate browser windows. Google Chrome tabs help users manage and navigate multiple web pages efficiently. And to open it, its simply just a tap on the + sign on your chrome browser Google, known for always coming up with new ideas, seems to be working on a solution for people who love using its Chrome web browser. Google is trying out a new feature called Organize Tabs. We dont know all the details yet, but from the pictures weve seen, it looks like Google is trying to make it easier to keep your tabs organized. Advertisement Advertisement Google Chrome tabs and tab groups Chrome has a history of making it easier to manage tabs. For example, they introduced something called tab groups. This lets you put similar tabs together so that your browser looks more organized. They also made it possible to use tab groups on different devices. And if you like to move your tabs around, they made it easy to do that with keyboard shortcuts. Tab groups are useful because they let you group related tabs together. For example, you can put all your tech-related tabs in one group and your social media tabs like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Reddit in another. You can also pin important tabs so theyre always at the top for quick access. As we wait for more information about this new Organize Tabs feature, we cant help but wonder: Could this be the solution weve been waiting for to make dealing with too many tabs easier? Chrome has come a long way in how it helps us manage tabs, from simple features like pinning tabs to more advanced ones like tab groups. If this new Organize Tabs feature becomes a reality, it could mean a smoother and more organized browsing experience. In the vast and often confusing world of the internet, having an easier way to navigate is like having a helpful guide to make things. In the latest day of Googles antitrust trial with the DOJ, lead litigator Kenneth Dintzer alleges that Google trained employees to avoid words that could make them sound like monopolists. This included avoiding phrases like market share and instead using the term query share. Googlers were also reportedly told to avoid using the words leverage with regards to any of the companys products. With Google telling employees that they dont leverage anything. This was part of a training Google held in 2011 called Antitrust Basics for Search Team. In which it also informed employees that Google doesnt lock up or lock in users or partners. According to Dintzer, this was part of Googles tactics to hide evidence. This was in addition to deleting scores of chat logs between employees via the auto delete function that was enabled when chat history was off for internal communications. As Bloomberg reports, Google would often instruct employees to have conversations with the history off so logs would be deleted in the 24-hour timeframe. Advertisement Advertisement DOJ alleges Google knew it was violating antitrust laws In the first day of the trial, Dintzer issued his opening statement by saying Google was aware of what it was doing. That it knew it was violating antitrust laws. And that this knowledge has been a big part of its tactics over the years that included history off chats and the avoidance of certain words and phrases. Based on Dintzers presented evidence so far, Google has been using these tactics as far back as 2003. Dintzer also references that Google more recently employed this tactic in October 2021. Where Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai says he needed a link for my leaders circle tomorrow, followed by a request that the setting of the chat group be turned to off. This and other evidence according to Dintzer paints a picture of Googles true intentions. And its willingness to skirt various antitrust laws to maintain its top spot in search. All of this of course is merely one side of the argument. Google will likely deny these allegations as it has others thus far. But things are already looking a little rough for the search giant. And the trial has barely begun. Even with Dintzers evidence though, things could still go either way. As its too early to tell whether or not Google can actually lose this case. You can catch up on all the latest details of the trial here. France has decided to ban iPhone 12 sales due to higher-than-allowed radiation (SAR) levels. Now, more European countries are considering the iPhone 12 ban as well. So, what happened? Well, Frances National Frequency Agency (ANFR) discovered that the iPhone 12s SAR levels are above the legal limit. Soon after that happened, Apple denied such allegations. Advertisement Advertisement Still, France told Apple to fix that, otherwise they cant sell the phone in the country. Based on what Frances junior minister for digital economy said, this problem can be fixed via a software update. More European countries could ban the iPhone 12 due to high SAR Following France, however, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands are now considering banning the iPhone 12 sales too. Belgium is assessing the iPhone 12 for potential health risks, and will do the same with other Apple devices. Germany is watching whats going on, while the Dutch regulators have asked Apple for an explanation. Spanish consumer association OCU has asked the government to suspend the iPhone 12 sales too. What exactly is SAR? SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate. It measures the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the human body from a device. If the SAR levels are above the allowed limit, theyre considered to present a threat to human health, which is why France did what it did. Apple is no longer officially selling the iPhone 12 The EU is very cautious over such things, and many would say for a good reason. It remains to be seen what will happen from this point on. The thing is, Apple no longer officially sells the iPhone 12. Third-party retailers still have it on offer, of course, but its not officially available from the company. That is a three-year-old smartphone at this point, in case you were wondering. Apple could be forced to release some sort of an update to try and fix things. If not, the iPhone 12 could end up being banned in a number of European countries. UPDATE: Apple will issue a software update soon in order to fix the problem. Samsung is wowing people on social media with a new ad campaign promoting the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable smartphones. No, we arent talking about the one that innocuously trolls Apple. The Korean firm has published new videos featuring giant, movable foldables at some iconic locations around the world. The ads look impressive and can easily grab anyones attention. But if you havent already figured it out they arent real. The Samsung ads in question feature the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 mounted on massive billboards and buildings at places like Times Square in New York City, Coex Media Tower in Seoul, and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Mall in Chengdu, China. The foldables have their bases attached to the billboard or building, with the other half slowly unfolding skyward. Crowds below stare up and take pictures of the outlandish ads on their smartphones. Advertisement Advertisement However, all of this is fake. Well, the locations are real, but everything else is CGI (computer-generated imagery). Samsung didnt actually put up massive, movable models of its latest foldable smartphones at those locations. Instead, it superimposed images of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 on real buildings and billboards and used CGI mastery to bring them to life. The result is impressive enough to wow the internet. Using advanced video editing techniques, moving cameras, and rotoscope technology, these huge, photorealistic foldables were superimposed onto footage of actual billboards and buildings. Rendered at a large scale but in meticulously realistic detail, the digital models capture viewers imaginations by showing the new foldables distinctive form factors inserted into familiar settings, Samsung explained via a press release. Samsung used CGI mastery to draw attention to its foldable phones Of course, the Korean firm has mentioned this in fine print in the video that it originally posted on Instagram. Please note that the OOH advertisement scenes featured in this video are not real but virtual images created with computer graphics, the notice in fine print reads. Samsung wanted to draw peoples attention toward its new foldables through these OOH (out-of-home) ads, and the trick seems to have worked. People arent questioning the reality. Unsurprisingly, Samsung launched this ad campaign for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 just when Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 series. The Korean firm has done so on numerous occasions in the past as well. It releases new ads for its latest products coinciding with new iPhone launches. The Huawei Mate 60 series launch managed to rock the boat in the US. That smartphone comes with a 7nm processor, and the US doesnt believe Huawei managed to avoid the sanctions. Republicans are actually demanding even stricter sanctions on Huawei and SMIC, the company that made the chip for Huawei. The US could impose even stricter sanctions on Huawei & SMIC Digitimes Research senior analyst, Luke Lin, believes the US could issue even stricter sanctions on Huawei. The company actually launched this device during the US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondos visit to China. Was that planned, we dont know, but the timing is impeccable. Advertisement Advertisement Some see this as Huaweis statement on self-sufficiency, actually. Lin actually says that the US issued its sanctions too late and made them too lenient, which is why Huawei managed to do what it did. Luke Lin actually went on to explain the situation. SMIC purchased the immersive DUV equipment capable of processes under 14nm between 2018 and 2020. The US issued a ban on SMIC regarding sub-10nm process equipment in 2020, but that was too late, it seems. Since 2020, China actually continued to import more immersive DUV equipment, and that equipment is one of the key reasons Huawei was able to produce 5G chips with the 7nm process. Qualcomm and other US companies lobbied with the US to be more lenient with its sanctions, as they didnt want to lose Huawei as a customer, so that played a role in everything too. Huawei was on the path to become worlds number one smartphone OEM, prior to sanctions This story is far from over, of course. Huawei was hurt by the US sanctions quite a bit. It was on the path to becoming the worlds number 1 smartphone manufacturer, but things drastically changed after the ban. Huawei is doing its best to return to its former glory in the smartphone market, but it hasnt been easy. Its not only limited from the hardware standpoint, but the software too, as it cant use Google services. Huawei created its own ecosystem based on Android, and it actually did a really good job with it. Still, its not the same. The company is constantly making progress on both hardware and software fronts, so it remains to be seen what will happen going forward. Advertisement If Huawei chips manage to achieve a good enough yield rate to be exported overseas, theyll manage to hurt the US companies even more in the long term. Huawei is allegedly getting $30 billion in state funding to build a secret network of wafer fabs across China. This is based on a previous report by Bloomberg, as DigiTimes notes. Lin notes that, in order to prevent a production scale-up, the US sanctions will need to target chip-making equipment and consumable materials. Lin also notes that, in order for sanctions to be truly effective, the US should prohibit equipment from entering China at all, and not just restrict sales to Huawei. It remains to be seen what will happen from this point on. TikTok has gradually been expanding its foothold in the United States with the introduction of new features. Now, as part of these efforts, the company has announced its new e-commerce platform in the United States called TikTok Shop, which not only enables users to discover but also directly purchase products featured in live videos, tags within content on their personalized For You page, on brand profiles, or through a dedicated Shop tab. Although TikTok first began testing the new feature in the US back in November with a select group of users, the new shopping experience represents significant development as it empowers creators to tag products in their videos and establish partnerships with brands that offer commission-based marketing opportunities, ultimately increasing revenue. Advertisement Advertisement For creators interested in selling their own products, the company is introducing a new Fulfilled by TikTok program, which takes care of storage, packaging, and shipping. Additionally, to capitalize on the hype, the platform is actively promoting hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. With TikTok Shop, were giving people a place to experience the joy of discovering and purchasing new products without leaving the app, says TikTok. Challenges surrounding the shopping experience Although TikTok says their new shopping experience has already garnered the support of over 200,000 sellers and over 100,000 creators, there are a few issues that could affect the experience. Firstly, many users have reported that the shop button primarily displays inexpensive or counterfeit products from China. Secondly, in light of concerns about TikToks alleged data privacy practices, there are worries about the company collecting more data from users, including financial information, shopping habits, and addresses. US users payment information is managed by USDS, and we work with third-party payment platforms to facilitate transactions on TikTok Shop, says TikTok. Furthermore, TikTok is not alone in the e-commerce market and will face stiff competition from giants like Amazon and Shein. Nevertheless, the platforms unique proposition of allowing users to directly purchase products they come across in their feed could pose a significant threat to traditional retailers. (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 15 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday the government would continue to work to relaunch cultural heritage and tourism in Italy after the UN's education, science and culture agency (UNESCO) decided not to include Venice on its World Heritage in Danger list. "At UNESCO, thanks to the teamwork of the Italian government and Venice, we have achieved an international success for the lagoon city," said Tajani on X. "We will continue to work for a strong relaunch of cultural heritage and tourism in Italy," he added. On Thursday at a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee agreed unanimously not to include Venice on its 'blacklist' of endangered World Heritage Sites. The decision came after UNESCO in July recommended that the lagoon city be added to its list of World Heritage in Danger on grounds Italy was not doing enough to protect the city from the climate crisis and mass tourism. It "is demonstration that all the efforts we are making, at every institutional level, to safeguard Venice have been recognised, and that the proposal (to include the city) in the list of endangered sites was very political and not very technical," said Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. "I am delighted to learn that Venice will not be included in UNESCO's list of endangered sites and, like every other Italian, I rejoice at this extraordinary result, which rewards the commitment of the Government, the Veneto Region and the City of Venice, who have worked together to win a difficult game," said Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche. "However, this must not reduce our efforts to protect a city that is an open-air monument," she continued. "We will continue to work to promote an increasingly accessible and sustainable tourism, in line with the industrial vision we have drawn up for the sector," concluded the minister. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 15 - Austria is to intensify monitoring at the Brenner Pass on the border with Italy in response to the uptick in the arrival of migrants and refugees to Lampedusa, the Austrian press agency APA said Friday, citing interior ministry sources. Vienna was said to be "in contact with the Italian authorities" on the matter. On Friday morning the situation at the Austrian-Italian Alpine border crossing was reported to be calm and there was no sign of a change in the management of controls on the Austrian side. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 15 - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Friday said the situation on the island of Lampedusa is "critical" following the arrival by sea of unprecedented numbers of migrants and refugees in recent days and insisted that ensuring "adequate assistance" for the most vulnerable must be "a priority". "The situation in Lampedusa is critical and we appreciate that urgent action is underway to return the island to normalcy," said UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino Chiara Cardoletti in a statement. "We fully recognize the difficulties caused by a very large number of people arriving simultaneously on a small island where reception capacities are limited. In order to ensure that people get the assistance they need, decongesting the island remains a top priority," she continued, expressing appreciation for the efforts of the Italian authorities "who have already transferred almost 5.000 people in the past 28 hours". "In this situation of severe overcrowding, it is a priority to identify and ensure adequate assistance for vulnerable people such as, for example, survivors of violence and those with other fragile conditions," said Cardoletti. The UNHCR representative added that the current situation can be addressed "by reverting to a landings mechanism that involves the use of ships with greater capacity that can relieve pressure on Lampedusa by bringing rescued people to other landing areas as well". This solution, she said, "requires the early support of the European Union in a spirit of shared responsibility and solidarity with the countries of first landing", reiterating UNHCR's call for the establishment of an agreed regional mechanism for landing and redistribution procedures for people arriving in the bloc by sea. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 15 - The European Parliament gave the green light to start negotiations with the Council of the EU to reform the Union's electricity market. However, the Council is currently deadlocked due to disagreements, mainly between Germany and France, over the financing of nuclear energy. Consumer protection. With a reform of the European electricity market, MEPs want to protect consumers more strongly against price fluctuations. Citizens should have the right to fixed price contracts as well as contracts with dynamic prices, according to the European Parliament's negotiating position adopted in Strasbourg on Thursday. Consumers should also be provided with more information on the options available to them. The basis for the parliamentary position was a legislative proposal from the European Commission in March. In mid-July, the European Parliament's Industry and Energy Committee amended the proposal - by strongly limiting the subsidies for the nuclear industry - in preparation for talks with the Member States to finalise the text. This mandate was approved by all MEPs on Thursday (366 votes in favour, 186 against, 18 abstentions). This position in the parliamentary committee could have been approved without a vote in plenary unless expressly opposed by at least 71 elected members. Exactly that happened, though, resulting in a formal vote with no possibility of amendments. The protest was led by members of the French EPP and Renew delegations, who felt that the text was too restrictive on nuclear power plants' access to government-guaranteed pricing mechanisms and risked jeopardising the "major overhaul" of the French nuclear fleet. Slovenian, Romanian and Czech liberal Renew MEPs joined forces with the centre-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and radical left MEPs. They were unable to prevent the adoption of the text, which remained unchanged. With the reform of the electricity market, the European Commission wants to avoid exploding prices for consumers and promote the expansion of renewable energies. According to the proposal, long-term contracts for electricity generation from renewable energies and nuclear power are to be promoted in particular. However, there is no common position among EU countries yet. According to EU diplomats, there have been fears in the past that the French nuclear industry could be disproportionately favoured. So far, Germany and France have been at odds with each other. Council dispute on nuclear energy continues. The electricity market reform has stalled in the Council because France is demanding that subsidies for the development of public-private Contracts for Difference (CfD) can also apply to existing nuclear activities. Those contracts work by the state agreeing with a producer on a fixed price for buying and selling electricity over a certain period, and then paying back the difference depending on whether the actual price was higher or lower than the fixed price. Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Italy are against extending these to nuclear assets. Austria and Luxembourg oppose because of their historic opposition to nuclear power, Germany and Italy because of the particularity of the French electricity mix, with almost 80 percent being produced with atomic energy. Such a measure would benefit French companies over those in the rest of the continent as it would result in an automatic public subsidy for domestic energy producers in the event of a crisis, permanently shielding French companies from price fluctuations. Slovenia, like some other EU members gathered around France, will not agree to "deprivileging nuclear energy, which is key to decarbonisation and the green transition", Slovenia's Minister for Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer, said. At the same time, this would also put upward pressure on prices, he added. Kumer welcomed the efforts of the Spanish Presidency to converge positions on electricity market reform. He stressed that the key is finding a common denominator and that both the German and French blocs need to work on this. On the use of CfDs, Slovenia is in favour of maximum flexibility. "We want this to reach the ordinary consumer, not just business and industry," said Kumer, who also advocated effective control at European level, on the redistribution of revenues and subsidies. Last week, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU distributed its first official proposal to pave the way for negotiations on the reform of the EU electricity market. The draft includes concessions to France while introducing controls to avoid market distortion, which is of particular concern to Germany. The Spanish Presidency's new proposal focuses on those aspects where disagreement remains and, in particular, seeks to resolve the positions of Paris and Berlin on CfDs. The third vice-president of the Spanish government and Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, told the press in Brussels last week that she was confident that the Member States would be able to reach an agreement "in a few weeks", which would allow the final negotiations with the European Parliament to begin. Putting consumers first?. The Spanish Presidency's proposal defines the design features of the instruments to ensure the economic viability of the lifetime of nuclear plants. It also requires that the revenues from the Contracts for Difference are distributed to final customers. Furthermore, these contracts for difference must be designed to ensure that there is no under- or over-compensation; to determine the amounts of remuneration through a transparent and non-discriminatory tendering process and to avoid distortions of competition and trade in the internal market arising from the distribution of revenues to companies. It also establishes a remuneration scheme for consumers, especially companies, who would receive money based on their total consumption, without altering the incentives to reduce consumption or undermining competition between suppliers. The system would be overseen by the European Commission, which could impose limits on income redistribution for companies. New investments shall flow into new electricity generating installations or investments aimed at substantially extending their lifetime. More renewable energy. The Spanish presidency's draft definitions for economic viability of installations and how the revenues are distributed to consumers after adjustment of the CfD do not only regard nuclear energy. They also concern wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy and hydroelectric energy without reservoirs. However, Member States may exempt small-scale renewable energy installations. On Tuesday, the European Parliament backed a significant expansion of renewable energy generation, calling for renewables to account for at least 42.5 percent of energy used across the European Union by 2030. Many European countries would need to dramatically increase renewable energy production to meet the target. In Germany, for instance, the share of renewable energies stood at 20.4 percent in 2022, according to government figures. On Wednesday in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also announced a series of forthcoming measures to promote wind energy, stressing the need to speed up the issuing of permits. Before the electricity market reform can come into force, the EU countries still have to reach an agreement with the European Parliament. The objective is that the final version of the reform can be agreed with the European Parliament before the end of the year or early 2024. From then on the centre of power of the EU will enter a pre-electoral phase in view of the European Parliament elections in June 2024. (The content of this article is based on news by agencies participating in the enr, on this occasion AAFP, ANSA, dpa, EFE, Europa Press, STA). (ANSA). Eighty prison officers at HMP Wandsworth did not attend their shifts on the day Daniel Khalife escaped from the prison, a Government minister has said. Justice minister Damian Hinds confirmed the figure, equating to 39% of total expected staff on September 6, in response to a question submitted by Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting. However, Mr Hinds said an initial investigation into Khalifes escape did not find the staffing level to be a contributing factor. Khalife, 21, was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday after allegedly escaping from HMP Wandsworth on September 6 by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery lorry. He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London on Saturday after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer. Dr Allin-Khan asked how many and what proportion of shift slots at Wandsworth Prison were unfilled on that date, to which Mr Hinds responded on Thursday: On 6 September 2023, 1,594 prisoners were held at HMP Wandsworth. 125 Band 3 Prison Officers at the prison attended their shift on that day. This equates to 61% of all staff due to attend. 80 officers did not attend their expected shift at the prison on that day. The Conservative MP for East Hampshire said staffing levels were still above the minimum level required at the prison, and all staff in both the kitchen and gatehouse were on duty on the day in question. Rishi Sunak declined to say whether the level of absenteeism on the day was acceptable (Aaron Chown/PA) Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted it would be premature to talk about the specific incidents until an independent investigation establishes the facts of the escape. He would not be drawn on whether the level of absenteeism on the day was acceptable but urged people to turn up (to work) wherever they work. No 10 acknowledged there was a need to hire more prison workers but suggested the staffing levels at Wandsworth on the day did not necessarily reflect a wider pattern. Its important not to take a snapshot of a single day and draw wider assumptions. I think staffing levels were above the set requirements by the prisons regime management plan. But we do recognise the need to hire more prison staff, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said. The Prison Service said almost all absentees had been factored into workforce planning and included annual leave and training days. A spokesperson said: Staffing levels at HMP Wandsworth have increased by around a quarter since 2017 and there were an appropriate number of staff on duty that day, with almost all absences factored into workforce planning, including staff out for training or on annual leave. The initial investigation did not find staffing levels to be a contributing factor in the escape. All staff were on duty in the kitchen and gatehouse. It is understood fewer than five of the absences were unauthorised. But Andrea Albert, president of the Prison Governors Association, said there are other prisons running with maybe 30%-40% reduction in staff on a daily basis. But then in other parts of the country, particularly in the north, were over-recruiting. So, some prisons have got 120% of their target staffing, she told BBC Radio 4s World At One programme. She said the extra 20% are sent to places like Wandsworth to try to bolster their staffing figures. Ms Albert acknowledged there is a recruitment and retention problem due to a rise in violence, low pay and poor development opportunities. She said: Across some of our prisons, we do have high levels of staff sickness, we do have wellbeing issues. It is a very stressful environment. I would probably say that in some of our prisons it does border on being quite dangerous. Labours shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said: It is astonishing that almost 40% of planned staff did not turn up to their shift on the day of the escape at HMP Wandsworth. This makes it clear that the dire conditions at the prison are having wide-ranging implications, including on staffing levels. HMP Wandsworth has been a known problem for the best part of a decade. Why, after so many warnings, has the Government failed to act? pic.twitter.com/mGNI3ddutN Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) September 12, 2023 Thirteen years of Conservative mismanagement has led to staff shortages and unmanageable workloads in the prison and probation service, making the public less safe. Morale amongst staff is in the depths of despair, and the rate of loss of experienced staff is frankly alarming. The Government needs to urgently grip the challenges that prison staff are facing to ensure we see an improvement in engagement and retention. Keith Bristow QPM, former director-general of the National Crime Agency, has been appointed to lead the probe into the escape. The Ministry of Justice said the investigation will seek to identify shortcomings and ensure lessons are learned to help prevent similar incidents. It will consider a range of factors, including whether relevant protocols were in place at HMP Wandsworth when the escape happened and how Khalife was given access to materials that might have facilitated it. Staffing levels and an assessment of relevant security measures, such as checks relating to the lorry, will also be scrutinised before findings and recommendations are provided. The report on the investigation will be submitted to the ministrys Lord Chancellor and permanent secretary. More must be done to protect women from birth trauma, a Tory MP has said after a new poll revealed that traumatic births have prevented a significant proportion of women from having more children. Theo Clarke said that it was vitally important that women receive the care and support they need after a traumatic birth. It comes after a poll of members of the Mumsnet community found that more than half (53%) who had suffered birth trauma said their experience put them off having more babies. Guest post: @theodoraclarke shares how her own experience of birth trauma led her to campaign to change how we deal with birth trauma and postpartum care in this country. Read the guest post and share your experience to help drive changehttps://t.co/9EoRXlVmkK pic.twitter.com/DkThPYvpE8 Mumsnet (@MumsnetTowers) July 26, 2023 The MP for Stafford has previously spoken out about her own birth story, where she described how she thought she was going to die after suffering a third degree tear and needing emergency surgery. She has since set up an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Birth Trauma to try to highlight the plight of thousands of women who suffer similar situations each year. A poll of 1,000 members of the Mumsnet website, shared with the PA news agency, found that 79% of those surveyed had experienced birth trauma. While the poll does not represent all mothers across the UK, it provides a snapshot of the experiences of those who use the popular parenting site. The survey also found that 72% of those who had experienced birth trauma said their issue had not been resolved a year after giving birth. Theo Clarke has spoken out about the horrendous experience women have after a traumatic birth Among those who had experienced physical, emotional or psychological birth trauma, 44% said healthcare professionals used language which implied they were a failure or to blame for the experience. Three quarters (76%) of all of those polled said they felt that health professionals had become desensitised to birth trauma. Almost two thirds (63%) said they did not believe healthcare workers did everything they could to prevent birth trauma. And 64% said they felt a lack of compassion from healthcare professionals during labour. Commenting on the poll, Ms Clarke said: These survey results are deeply upsetting. They speak to my own experience of birth trauma and quite clearly to many, many other womens horrendous experiences too. That more than half of women across the UK who responded say they are less likely to want another child because of their birth experiences and they were made to feel they were to blame is simply terrible. Some 79% of those polled said they had experienced birth trauma (PA) The survey is clear that more compassion, education and better after-care for mothers who suffer birth trauma are desperately needed if we are to see an improvement in mums physical wellbeing and mental health. The APPG is now up and running in Parliament and will continue to listen to mothers and experts to drive fundamental change in how we treat mums. Our ambition is for birth trauma to be included in the Governments womens health strategy. It is vitally important women receive the help and support they deserve. Mumsnet chief executive Justine Roberts said: We hear daily on Mumsnet from women who have had deeply upsetting experiences of maternity care, and this latest research underlines that the majority of mothers experience birth trauma whether physical or psychological. This trauma has long-lasting effects and its clear that women are being failed at every stage of the maternity care process with too little information provided beforehand, a lack of compassion from staff during birth, and substandard postnatal care for mothers physical and mental health. Kim Thomas, chief executive of the Birth Trauma Association, added: It is time for a complete overhaul in the way women experience maternity. This should include: honest, evidence-based antenatal education; compassionate and professional care during labour; and postnatal care that is designed to identify and treat every birth injury or mental health problem. A maternity system that puts women at the heart of care is not some kind of unfeasibly high goal it is the bare minimum that women have the right to expect. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: We are committed to making the NHS the safest place in the world to give birth, and improving support for women before, during and after pregnancy is a priority in the Womens Health Strategy. We are investing an additional 165 million per year to grow and support the maternity workforce and improve neonatal care. NHS England recently published a three-year plan to make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families. To support women following trauma related to their maternity experience, we are rolling out 33 new maternal mental health services, which will be available across England by March 2024. The 02 Brixton Academy can reopen after councillors voted to restore its licence. The south London music venue has been closed since a deadly crush in December 15 last year which killed two people, when fans tried to force entry into a show by Nigerian artist Asake. It faced permanent closure after the Metropolitan Police urged the council to remove its licence, having indicated it had no confidence in the company which owns the Academy to run it. But following a two-day hearing, Lambeth Councils licensing sub-committee has voted to allow the venue to continue operating so long as it meets 77 extensive and robust new conditions. Responding to the decision, Brixton Academy said it was immensely grateful to Lambeth Council and would reopen at first with test events. The company which owns the Brixton Academy, Academy Music Group (AMG), told the committee it had developed new safety measures in an effort to have its licence restored, including stronger doors, a better queuing system and more secure ticketing. AMG said changes to its operating policies had been developed by leading professionals to prevent a repeat of last years events. The company, which has operated the venue for 20 years, has done all in its power to analyse what went wrong, the barrister representing AMG, Mr Philip Kolvin, added. The venue has spent 1.2 million on maintenance and improvements in 2023, despite being closed, he added. Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died after a crowd crush at the O2 Brixton Academy (Metropolitan Police/PA) The Metropolitan Police urged the council to remove the licence after large-scale disorder at the scene, with crowds of 1,000 people trying to force their way in. When the doors were breached the crowd poured into the lobby towards the auditorium and surged over people who had fallen to the floor. Councillors previously suspended the venues licence for three months and the decision was supported by the venues owner. Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the Met, said the force was not trying to shut down the venue, but believed AMG should no longer be the licensee. Security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died and a 21-year-old woman, who was injured in the crush, remains in hospital in a critical condition. A total of 165 security staff were used for the Asake show, the highest number the venue had ever used, the committee was told. Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died (Family Handout/PA) A police investigation was launched and the Security Industry Authority opened an inquiry into corruption allegations made after the crush. Councillor Dr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeths cabinet member for safer communities, said: AMG will now need to put in place the agreed measures to enable the re-opening of this much-loved local venue, which is a key part of Brixtons cultural heritage and has been enjoyed by millions. We will be working to closely monitor all licensing conditions to ensure that safety is at the forefront of the venues future operations. Brixton Academy said it looked forward to welcoming fans back. In a statement, the venue said: We are immensely grateful to Lambeth Council and Lambeth Licensing Sub-Committee. We continue to be devastated by the events of last December. Our heartfelt condolences remain with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson. What happened was and is a tragedy and we are committed to ensuring that it can never be repeated. Over the past nine months, the venues importance to the local community and the live music scene in the UK has been made clear. Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15 2022. As the Licensing Sub Committee knows, the venue must implement all the new conditions and will reopen at first with test events. The commitment we give to work in close partnership with all the responsible authorities as we reopen is a serious and sincere one. There will be announcements on activity and a timeline in due course. We look forward to welcoming fans back to this iconic venue. Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall, said: I know how popular the Brixton Academy is and the fondness in which it is held as a music venue. It plays an important role in Brixtons night-time economy and boosts trade for surrounding businesses. I am therefore pleased that it will reopen, but this should only happen in the full knowledge that it is safe to do so. Now that the decision has been made, it is now up to AMG to restore trust with the community and demonstrate their commitment to prioritising safety at all future events. The Metropolitan Police said officers will work with Academy Music Group and Lambeth Council to ensure the public can enjoy events at O2 Brixton Academy again. In a statement, Superintendent Gabriel Cameron, Lambeth neighbourhood police lead, said: Our thoughts today are with the loved ones of Rebecca Ikumelo, Gaby Hutchinson and the young woman who remains critically injured. It has always been the aim of the Met Police to ensure that the venue is operated safely for the public, and it is run by a licensee who will take all necessary steps to ensure this is the case. It has never been our aim to ask for the venue itself to be permanently closed. We absolutely recognise the cultural importance of it and its place at the heart of Lambeth. Our investigation to establish the circumstances of what caused the tragic incident on 15 December 2022 is ongoing. Gaby Hutchinsons partner, Phoebe Turley, and the family of Ms Ikumelo both declined to comment when approached by the PA news agency. A number of family members of victims of the Troubles have launched a High Court challenge to the Governments controversial Legacy Bill. The families, who all had relatives killed during the conflict in Northern Ireland, have lodged judicial review proceedings challenging the lawfulness of the legislation and its compatibility with international human rights standards. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill has been passed into law and is awaiting royal assent. The Bill will give a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences to former terrorists who co-operate with a truth-recovery commission. It will also halt all future civil cases and inquests. The Bill was opposed by all major Stormont parties, victims campaign groups and the Irish government. Family members of Ballymurphy victims protest against the UK Governments controversial Bill to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles (PA) Madden & Finucane Solicitors released a statement on Friday outlining that they would be challenging the legislation on behalf of family members of Kathleen Thompson, Gervaise McKerr, Gerard Casey, Sam Marshall, Pearse Jordan and Gerard and Rory Cairns, all of whom were killed in the Troubles. The statement also said that they intend to lodge applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. Relatives of a further three victims have lodged judicial review proceedings with the High Court, represented by Harte Coyle Collins Solicitors. The next of kin of Annette McGavigan, Thomas Burns and James (Jim) McCann lodged papers challenging all aspects of the legislation including the amnesty scheme. Billy Thompsons mother Kathleen was shot dead by a member of the Royal Green Jacket regiment in Derry on November 6 1971. In 2022, a coroner rejected the evidence of a former soldier who killed Mrs Thompson and referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Kathleen Thompson was shot dead by a soldier in her back garden (PA) Jonathan McKerrs father Gervaise was shot dead near Lurgan on November 11 1982 when members of an elite firearms unit of the RUC fired more than 100 rounds into a car he was driving, killing him and his two passengers. All three were unarmed. An inquest into their deaths has never been concluded. In May 2001, the ECHR found the UK to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because no effective investigation had ever been conducted into Mr McKerrs death. Una Eakin is the widow of Mr Casey, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on April 4 1989 in Rasharkin, north Antrim. Mr Casey had been threatened in Castlereagh in the 1980s and a legally held shotgun was seized by the RUC during a house raid six months before his death. In 2007, Mr Caseys inquest verdict was quashed by the High Court and in July 2010 the Attorney General for Northern Ireland ordered a new inquest into his death. In 2022 the Police Ombudsman published a report which found collusive behaviour between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries in his murder. Sam Marshall, 31, was shot dead in 1990 (PA) Linda Hewitt is taking the case for her brother Mr Marshall, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on March 7 1990 in Lurgan, shortly after leaving Lurgan RUC station after signing bail. In a small urban area patrolled by at least 11 heavily armed undercover British soldiers on foot, in observation positions and in cars, two UVF men were able to enter the area, murder Mr Marshall and attempt to murder his two companions, and then safely withdraw unhindered. Teresa Jordans son Pearse was shot dead by the RUC on the Falls Road, Belfast on November 25 1992. In 2016 a coroner formally referred two former RUC officers to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether they should be prosecuted for perjury or perverting the course of justice arising from their evidence to the inquest. A prosecutorial decision has not yet been taken. Teresa Jordan (left) with Marie Cush, a Sinn Fein councillor (PA) Eamon Cairns two sons Gerard and Rory were murdered in their home by the mid Ulster UVF in October 1993. In 2019 a loyalist paramilitary admitted on a BBC Spotlight programme that he and others had conspired to murder every male member of the Cairns household and that intelligence had been received directly from the RUC. In May 2023 a file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions. May McGavigans sister Annette, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, was shot by the British army on September 6 1971 in Derry. The shooting is currently under investigation by the Legacy Investigation Branch of the PSNI. Patricia Burns father Thomas was shot by the British army on July 12 1972 when leaving the Glenpark Social Club in North Belfast. Mr Burns was an ex-serviceman who had served in the British Navy for 10 years and left behind his widow Kathleen and four young children Stephen, Patricia, John and Martin. In March 2023, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland directed a fresh inquest into the shooting. Responsibility for the shooting is not disputed by the Ministry of Defence. Patricia Burns, whose father Thomas Burns was shot dead by a British soldier in 1972, with other Time for Truth and Justice campaigners (PA) Daniel McCreadys uncle Mr McCann is alleged to have been shot by the British army on February 3 1973 in Belfast. Mr McCann was one of six people shot in what has become known as the New Lodge 6 shootings. In February 2021, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland directed that a fresh inquest take place. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Irish government is seeking legal advice on the possibility of taking an interstate case against the UK in relation to the Legacy Bill. The father of a 10-year-old boy mauled by a dog as he played football outside his home has released footage of the attack to raise awareness of the danger of out-of-control dogs. Mohammad Sami Raza could be seen on CCTV footage playing on the front drive of his family home in Bentley Drive, Walsall, when he was attacked by the dog a Staffordshire bull terrier at around 7.35pm on Wednesday. Family members came from inside the house to try to help the boy, who was attacked for around two minutes before the dog ran off. Mohammads father, Gohar Siddique, has also released pictures of his son in hospital to spread awareness. It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to outlaw American XL bully dogs by the end of the year after a spate of attacks in recent days. Speaking on Friday, Mr Siddique said: Its been terrible, it should have been avoided if the owner of the dog took responsibility. The police said they would take the dog and the owner would be arrested. The owner should take responsibility for these dogs, and these incidents should not be happening. [The ban on American XL bullies] should be extended to other breeds too. I support a ban on any dog that attacks a human being, that should not be happening. Its the owners fault, its the owners responsibility to keep [people] safe from these dogs. Mohammad was attacked while playing football outside his home (Gohar Siddique/PA) A woman in her 60s was arrested following the attack, West Midlands Police confirmed, and was given a caution, while the animal is set to be destroyed. The incident came just days after an 11-year-old girl was seriously injured by an American XL bully in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, on Saturday, with two other men also injured. Then on Thursday a man was fatally attacked by two dogs, believed to be XL bullies, in Stonnall, Staffordshire. The attack over which a 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter prompted the Mr Sunak to pledge to ban the breed once it is defined. Meanwhile, 54-year-old Gary Stevens pleaded guilty on Friday to being in charge of a dog which killed his own brother in Derby in April. He will be sentenced in November. Mr Siddique, 36, said he did not know the breed of dog that attacked his son, who attended hospital due to his injuries, although this was later confirmed by police. Mohammad Sami Raza in hospital (Gohar Siddique/PA) A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: We were called to Bentley Drive in Walsall on Wednesday September 13 to reports of a disorder and that a child had been bitten by a dog. The 10-year-old was taken to hospital to be treated for bite marks on his arm. The dog was seized from the location. We believe the dog managed to get out of its address without the owner knowing. On Thursday September 14 we arrested a woman in her sixties on suspicion of possession of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. She has since been released with a caution and has given up the dog to be humanely destroyed. Children have sent birthday wishes to the V&A Dundee as it celebrates its fifth anniversary. Scotlands first ever design museum opened on September 15, 2018 and has since welcomed 1.7 million visitors. Artist Kate Colin created 500 geometric paper twists containing candles, inspired by architect Kengo Kumas design for the building, and schoolchildren, visitors and community groups left messages inside them with their hopes for the city to mark the anniversary. Children as young as five who visited from local primary schools took part in the event, which will be followed by more celebrations over the weekend. Two pools of water outside the museum were filled with the paper designs. A number of local school children added their messages to the artwork (Jane Barlow/PA) Earlier this week, a new report by BOP Consulting and Tialt showed the V&A Dundee has generated 304 million for the Scottish economy since it opened. Celebrations on Saturday will feature music performances by Be Charlotte and Andrew Wasylyk, free access to the Tartan exhibition, and street food on the plaza. There will also be family activities, free museum tours and the opening of a new permanent display on V&A Dundees architecture, Stories From The Building. It explores Kumas design, from the photograph of Scottish cliffs which inspired his first sketch, the models created for the international architectural competition in 2010, the beginning of construction from 2015, through to its completion in 2018. The display, which will be in the Locke Hall on the ground floor of V&A Dundee, includes concept sketches, photography of the engineering and construction, and samples of building materials, including steel bars which reinforce the museums curving concrete shell and sun pipes which bring natural light in to save energy. Interviews with the architects, project managers and engineers are accompanied by a new animation showing the development of the museums design and the complexity of its engineering and construction. The UKs development finance institution is using taxpayers money for some questionable investments including in fossil fuels and a cosmetic surgery firm in India, MPs have warned. Some investments do not have a focus on tackling poverty, are at odds with the Governments policies or have even harmed society and the environment, according to the Commons committee tasked with scrutinising UK aid spending. The International Development Committee criticised the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Offices (FCDO) hands-off approach to overseeing British International Investments (BII) activity. The FCDO is the sole shareholder of BII, which invests in the private sector in the developing world with the aim of creating jobs and increasing economic opportunity, and thereby reducing poverty. But the Committee said BII holds some legacy investments that conflict with the Governments climate goals, including in the development of gas infrastructure in Mozambique. Nearly 10% of BIIs portfolio by value was exposed to fossil fuels in 2021, and there is no clear timeline for BII to exit those investments, MPs said in their report. BII also remains invested in Chinese businesses, despite Beijing being deemed as an epoch-defining challenge in the integrated review of foreign and defence policy. International Development Committee chair Sarah Champion said there was not enough oversight from ministers on BIIs investments (UK Parliament/PA) The Committee also raised concerns that the bodys investments are not always benefiting the worlds poorest people. It concentrated 28% the largest share of its global portfolio by value in India, a middle-income country, in 2021, and not all of its investments there have clear development links or help the poorest, according to the report. This has also been the case when BII has invested through financial intermediaries, including where money went to a cosmetic surgery clinic in India and to a wine restaurant chain in south-east Asia. Also noting alleged instances of fraud and investments that have rewarded intermediary agents in tax havens, the cross-party panel urged BII to exert greater control over intermediary funds and stop subcontracting its legal, ethical and development responsibilities. Committee chairwoman Sarah Champion said: Evidence to this inquiry has raised the concern that there is not enough oversight from ministers on BIIs investments. It is not exerting sufficient control or transparency to ensure value for UK taxpayers money, or that outcomes match its remit or UK development goals and strategy. We certainly dont need more business-as-usual investment in fossil fuels or through tax havens. The BII says its desperate to get out of dodgy subsidiary investments like a cosmetic surgery firm in India, but the fact that UK taxpayers money found its way there in the first place shows how poor control has been. She said that cuts to the aid budget mean that pressure is on to target development assistance towards the poorest and most marginalised groups. The Committee called for the FCDO to increase its oversight of BII and take a non-voting seat on its board. Bond, the UK network for international development organisations, said BIIs governance must be radically reformed. Policy and advocacy director Gideon Rabinowitz said: It is unacceptable that BII is de facto exempt from the UKs climate commitments on aligning all new UK aid with the Paris Agreement by the end of 2023 and has no clear timeline to exit fossil fuel investments. BII should be a trailblazer in development finance leading the way and role-modeling sustainable, transparent, accountable investment with a clear development impact. When climate change is felt in all corners of the world, there should be no ifs or buts about ceasing financing carbon-intensive ventures. Coherence of BIIs investments with the Governments own commitments on fossil fuels, climate, sustainable development goals, or poverty reduction will never be possible with the Governments current hands-off approach. Graham Gordon, head of policy at Cafod the official aid agency for the Catholic Church of England and Wales, said: An opaque organisation such as BII should not receive any further aid money from the UK Government until it sorts out its serious failings, and should immediately pull out of fossil fuel investments. Without stricter oversight of exactly where BIIs investments are going, the UK is losing all credibility in claiming to tackle climate change and poverty. Oxfams health policy manager Anna Marriott said: The FCDOs hands-off approach to BII has resulted in some horrific human rights abuses, from patients being overcharged, exploited or denied emergency healthcare to shocking cases of people actually imprisoned in UK-funded private hospitals because they were too poor to pay their eyewatering bills. The select committee is right to call for greater oversight and accountability, but the gravity of BIIs failures in both health and education requires immediate Government action to halt all future direct and indirect BII investments in these critical sectors and to fully investigate any harm caused. A spokesperson for BII said: We are pleased the Committee recognises the substantial contribution that development finance makes. BII is one part of the overall government toolkit. Our investments alleviate poverty by creating jobs and generating positive economic, social and environmental outcomes. Recent investments include a project to provide electricity for the first time to 9 million people in Burundi. We constantly strive to enhance our investment approach. We welcome the Committees detailed recommendations and will consider them alongside FCDO. A Foreign Office spokesman said: The FCDO works closely with BIIs board to ensure the investments portfolio is in line with our objectives, including reducing poverty and supporting a just and fair green transition. Under its governance arrangements the FCDO regularly holds meetings with BIIs board, executive management and shareholders, and continuously engages with BII at a working level. This allows us to hold BII to account on its decision making and raise concerns where necessary. Irvine Welsh has said Scotlands high level of drug deaths is down to the country not having control of its own destiny and being on the margins of British society. The 64-year-old author rose to fame with the publication of Trainspotting in 1993, a novel about Edinburgh-based young people grappling with drug addiction. His novel was adapted by Danny Boyle into the 1996 movie of the same name, starring Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner and Kelly Macdonald. It returned for a sequel in 2017, and there are also plans for a musical next year. Welsh has spoken out about Scotland not having control of its own destiny (Jane Barlow/PA) When asked about Scotlands high drug death rates on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Welsh said: Scottish culture about detoxification has always been unhealthy and weve dealt with all this debate with alcohol really, its just the menus changed, but the behaviours are the same. It comes down to deprivation, it comes down to the fact that we dont really still have political institutions to have control of our own destiny in Scotland, and we are on the margins of British society even more so, I think, now. So I think all these things have an impact. Theres also basically nothing else to do if youre a young kid in Scotland. You used to have job opportunities, you used to have an education, you used to have a tax rebate maybe not brilliant, but you had prospects in some ways. Ewen Bremner, Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle all starred in Trainspotting and its sequel (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Now theres nothing, there is literally nothing except (drugs). Figures reported on Tuesday showed suspected drug deaths rose in the first six months of this year in Scotland. Statistics published by the Scottish Government showed there were 600 such fatalities over the period January to June with this total 7% higher than the same time in 2022. The SNP has been keen to introduce drug consumption rooms in Scotland and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has said the UK Government will not intervene to stop the plan. When asked about the Scottish plan, Welsh said: I think that ship has sailed I think (the) time to do something with that (was) about 20 or 30 years ago. Most of the harmful drugs, arent illegal drugs I mean, I do welcome it (decriminalisation), if it ever happened, but it should have happened 30 years ago its (going to) take a major shake-up to our lives to sort something like that. He also spoke about how his younger self would have found him a bit of a wanker nowadays. Welsh added: A younger me sort of would have said that anybody over 25 wasnt worth talking to, and theyd probably be right in some ways. The King is to visit a Scottish village to hear how an anti-poverty charity has been making a difference to peoples lives. Charles, who is on his summer break at the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, will visit St Pauls Church in Kinross, Perthshire, on Friday to meet Annie McCormack, the founder of Broke Not Broken. He will be given a brief overview of the charity, which began life by providing food to those who need it, and view the garden where it grows its own fruit and vegetables. Volunteers, including secondary school students, will talk to Charles about the charity, which now also provides a counselling service and money advice to residents. The King is currently in Scotland on his annual summer break (Jane Barlow/PA) The King will then view an art exhibition within the church featuring pieces by local artists, before meeting members of the public outside. Charles will also visit the nearby Kinross Day Centre, where he will meet people who directly benefit from the services it provides, alongside visitors and volunteers. The King will hear details of those services, including the provision of lunches for elderly residents and activities such as bingo, art classes and singing groups. Before leaving, it is expected the King will unveil a plaque marking the 40th anniversary of the centre. Perth and Kinross Provost Xander McDade said: It will be an honour to be part of the group welcoming the King to Kinross and it will be an unforgettable day for everyone in the town. It is fantastic His Majesty will be seeing first hand some of the amazing work being done by community groups working in the area. Their work provides a lifeline to many people and shows what tremendous community spirit there is Kinross. Labour has pledged to create temporary so-called Nightingale courts to speed up asylum decisions as the Opposition party sets out its stall on immigration ahead of a general election. Sir Keir Starmer this week used a visit to The Hague in the Netherlands to push his partys proposed solution to the small boats crisis as a way of taking control of the situation. The Labour leaders proposals have faced criticism from both the left and the right, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman accusing him of looking to hand Brussels the keys to our immigration system. Sir Keir indicated he could be prepared to do a deal with Brussels which would involve the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers who arrive in the bloc in exchange for the ability to return people who cross the English Channel. (PA Graphics) But he has insisted that his focus would be on ensuring that an anti-terrorism-style international crackdown could smash the gangs behind the vile trade, preventing people leaving in small boats from France in the first place. With Sir Keir headed to Canada to meet centre-left leaders this weekend, his party announced on Friday that hotels, barges and former military sites would no longer be used to house asylum seekers under a Labour government. It also promised new staff to cut the current claims backlog. The party said it would recruit more than 1,000 Home Office caseworkers a 50% increase on current staffing levels to end the asylum backlog, which shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said would end the use of hotels and other sites. Labour is also promising to fast-track decisions on applications from safe countries, namely Albania and India. Expanding on the Governments deployment of temporary so-called Nightingale courts to deal with the pandemic backlog of criminal cases, Labour said it would use a similar idea to create extra capacity to speed up asylum legal challenges. Labour has set out its stall for dealing with the small boats crisis (Jordan Pettitt/PA) A new returns unit, again backed by 1,000 staff, would also be created to triage and fast-track removals. Ms Cooper said: These plans will go hand in hand with our plans to stop the criminal smuggling gangs, put stronger powers in place and get a new security agreement including working with Europol so that we can tackle the problem at the source. Labour will take back control of our asylum system. The party said that once the current backlog is clear there will be no need for hotels, barges or former military bases, which Labour claims are costing taxpayers more than 2 billion a year. It said the current proposals are time-limited to tackle the backlog, with new staff employed on two-year contracts. Labour is looking to establish its position on small boats ahead of a likely general election next year, with Sir Keirs outfit committed to binning the Tory Governments Rwanda proposals. Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks idea of deporting irregular asylum seekers back to their country of origin or to the east African country is currently held up in the courts. As well as facing Tory attacks from the right, Labours immigration stance was criticised by a senior union chief. Matt Wrack, the president of the Trade Union Congress, said Sir Keir was in danger of pandering to right wing Tory rhetoric on immigration. Mr Wrack, who is also general secretary at the Fire Brigades Union, told The Guardian: Labour must offer a sensible alternative to the inflammatory approach of Tory ministers. The Tories have suggested Sir Keirs plans for a return deal with Brussels could result in 100,000 EU migrants coming to the UK every year, a claim rubbished by Labour. In an article for the Daily Express, Mrs Braverman who on her watch has seen more than 20,000 migrants arriving in Britain via small boats this year alone said: The price for Starmers dirty deal is that the UK will take our fair share of the swathes of illegal migrants who pour into Europe over a million last year. Senior Tory ministers have argued that, if a returns agreement with the EU had been in place last year, it would have forced the UK to take 124,614 so-called illegal migrants in 2022 as part of a mandatory fair share agreement. According to the governing partys workings, if Britain was part of Europes mandatory share agreement, its 67 million population would mean taking 12.9% of the 966,000 people who applied to the bloc for asylum last year. The criticisms come despite Downing Street suggesting it would been keen to hold talks about a returns agreement with the EU. Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said the 100,000 figure was fantasy and pointed out that the fair share arrangement only applies to countries inside the visa-free Schengen Area. She told BBC Radio 4s PM programme: We were in the EU but we were never in Schengen so we wouldnt be part of that agreement, clearly we wouldnt, so we would never have anything to do with it. We need to have our own agreement with the European Union and it needs to be part of a proper plan. Labour has said its plans for an immigration returns deal with Europe would focus on safe routes for children with family in the UK amid Tory accusations of an open border policy. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the party has always insisted routes to Britain must be capped as she sought to defend its pledges against attacks from the right. Formally joining the European Union quota scheme would not be part of the plan because the UK is not a member state, she said. (PA Graphics) A vicious political battle has broken out over Sir Keir Starmers proposals for closer co-operation with Brussels on immigration, with Rishi Sunak claiming they could result in 100,000 EU migrants coming to the UK every year. Touring broadcast studios on Friday, Ms Cooper said the Conservatives were talking garbage about Labours approach because they were failing in their own attempts to stem Channel crossings. Unfortunately this is just Rishi Sunak making things up because his plan isnt working to tackle the Tory boats chaos, she told LBC. Weve always said that yes the routes need to be capped Were not talking about this European quota scheme at all. We wouldnt be part of that. Thats part of what the Conservatives have made up. But she added that the party would seek some form of returns agreement with other European countries, which would see controlled and managed but safe routes for children who have family in the UK. Chris Philp said Labours plans amount to an open border policy (James Manning/PA) Home Office minister Chris Philp suggested the plans amount to an open border policy that would be unpopular with voters. I think his policy has no credibility and the British public dont want to see 100,000 of Europes illegal immigrants being shipped over here under Keir Starmers open border policy, he told Times Radio. Sir Keir Starmer this week used a visit to The Hague in the Netherlands to promise to smash the criminal gangs profiting from from small boats crossings the Channel with an anti-terrorism-style international crackdown. This would involve strengthening serious crime prevention orders directions that are used to restrict the movement of serious offenders like extremists and drug traffickers so that they can be applied to suspected people smugglers. The Labour leader also indicated he could be prepared to do a deal with Brussels that would involve the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers who arrive in the bloc in exchange for the ability to return people who cross the Channel. Hotels, barges and former military sites would no longer be used to house asylum seekers under a Labour government, the party has said, promising instead new staff to cut the current claims backlog. The party has pledged to recruit more than 1,000 Home Office caseworkers a 50% increase on current staffing levels. Expanding on the Governments deployment of temporary so-called Nightingale courts to deal with the pandemic backlog of criminal cases, Labour said it would use a similar idea to create extra capacity to speed up asylum legal challenges. A new returns unit, again backed by 1,000 staff, would also be created to triage and fast-track removals in a bid to take back control of our asylum system. The party said that once the current backlog is clear there will be no need for hotels, barges or former military bases, which Labour claims are costing taxpayers more than 2 billion a year. Binning the Tory Governments Rwanda plan, which is currently held up in the courts, and redirecting the money to fund its new proposals also form part of Labours plan. Taking a hardline stance on illegal immigration will be seen as important to convince swing voters the party can tackle Channel crossings, which have passed 23,000 this year. Labour has set out its stall for dealing with the small boats crisis (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But apart from facing Tory attacks from the right, its policy pledges were criticised by a senior union chief. Matt Wrack, the president of the Trade Union Congress, told the Guardian Sir Keir was in danger of pandering to right wing Tory rhetoric on immigration. Senior Tory ministers have argued that, if a returns agreement with the EU had been in place last year, it would have forced the UK to take 124,614 so-called illegal migrants in 2022 as part of a mandatory fair share agreement. According to the governing partys workings, if Britain was part of Europes mandatory share agreement, its 67 million population would mean taking 12.9% of the 966,000 people who applied to the bloc for asylum last year. The criticisms come despite Downing Street suggesting it would been keen to hold talks about a returns agreement with the EU. Sir Keir will be in Montreal in Canada over the weekend for a summit of progressive politicians ahead of an expected visit to France next week to meet President Emmanuel Macron. No 10 downplayed the significance of the Opposition leaders Paris trip, saying it is not unusual, but it is widely seen as a bid to appear statesmanlike ahead of a likely general election next year. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as former UK prime minister Sir Tony Blair are among those reported to be attending the so-called 2023 Global Progress Action Summit in Montreal. A man who broke into Windsor Castle with a loaded crossbow to kill the late Queen has apologised to the royal family for taking such horrific and worrying times to their front door. Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, who was detained in the castle grounds on Christmas Day 2021 while the Queen was in residence, has admitted treason. During a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Chails barrister Nadia Chbat said he had apologised to the royal family and the King in a letter to the court. Ms Chbat said: He has expressed distress and sadness about the impact his actions had on the royal family, particularly while Her Majesty was in her latter years. Referring to the letter, she said: He has apologised to the royal family and His Majesty King Charles. He is embarrassed and ashamed he brought such horrific and worrying times to their front door. Ms Chbat added: He has expressed relief no-one was actually hurt. It is important to him there was a surrender. CCTV of Jaswant Singh Chail being arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle (Metropolitan Police/PA) Before his mental health declined, Chail was a kind, gentle and sometimes funny person, his family and friends said. Ms Chbat said: He was at the time of this offending 19 years old. Lockdown gripped the nation in March 2020. He was only 18 years old when we went into the first lockdown. Chails strong family unit includes his father, a software consultant working in aerospace, his mother, a special needs teacher, and his twin sister, a university student. Ms Chbat said: The events of December have utterly shocked and devastated this family unit and the defendant has sincere regret for how this has impacted on his family. And that deep regret will be with him for the rest of his life because of the severity of the offending that took place. Chail was encouraged to kill the Queen by an artificial intelligence girlfriend called Sarai, the court heard. The homemade metal mask recovered from Chail after his arrest (Metropolitan Police/PA) On the day he got into the castle grounds, Star Wars fanatic Chail sent a homemade video to family and friends on WhatsApp in which he apologised for what he was about to do and called himself Darth Chailus. Chail wore dark clothes and a metal mask as he adopted the persona of a Star Wars villain for the video. In the clip, the defendant, who has Sikh Indian heritage, said he was seeking revenge for the Amritsar massacre in 1919, when British troops opened fire on thousands of Indians and left up to 1,500 dead. Chail embarked on his murderous mission after his bids to join the armed forces to get close to the royal family failed in late 2021, the court was told. During Fridays hearing, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said Chails crimes were so serious they should attract the highest possible sentence. She said: This is not simply somebody carrying a crossbow it was loaded and ready to be fired. The crossbow Chail had in his possession (Metropolitan Police/PA) The maximum sentence for treason is seven years in prison. Had Chail raised his weapon at his target, he could have been charged with the more serious offence of high treason, which carries a life sentence, she said. Ms Morgan added: I can think of three offences carrying a sentence of life imprisonment which Mr Chail could have faced, particularly if he had lifted that crossbow up in the castle. That gives an idea of the seriousness. Mr Justice Hilliard said: It might be said that if its a prime minister, any other significant figure or politician, it is top of the range. Chail, who has also admitted making a threat to kill the Queen and having a loaded crossbow, appeared in court by video link from high-security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor. The hearing follows seven days of evidence from three psychiatrists about Chails mental state as Mr Justice Hilliard considers whether he should be jailed, detained under the Mental Health Act or face a hybrid order. His treating psychiatrist Dr Christian Brown, who recommended a hospital order, suggested Chail will need around 18 months of one-to-one therapy. However, Professor Nigel Blackwood, for the prosecution, said the attack was carefully planned and Chail was well aware it was wrong. Mr Justice Hilliard will sentence Chail at the Old Bailey on October 5. A smart toilet that can identify a person from their analprint has won one of this years spoof Ig Nobel prizes. Just like fingerprints, the creases in the lining of a persons anus known as analprint is said to be unique. The toilet developed by experts at Stanford University in the US features cameras that take photos of a persons bottom to analyse these distinctive creases. Health prize winner Seung-min Park and the Stanford toilet (Ig Nobel/Seung-min Park/Stanford University/PA) However, the key aim of the Smart Healthcare Toilet is to look for signs of diseases by analysing stools and urine. In addition to the anus, the cameras also take pictures of stools to look for tell-tale signs of cancer and other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. The technology comes with test strips that can detect substances such as glucose and red blood cells in the urine, which are associated with various health issues. Dr Seung-min Park, an instructor of urology at Stanfords School of Medicine, who led the research, told the PA news agency, said: Our bathrooms, often seen as the most private of spaces, have the potential to become the silent guardians of our health. The Smart Healthcare Toilet is our vision of the next frontier in healthcare, where preventive healthcare melds effortlessly into our daily routines. The toilet is among 10 other winners at the annual spoof awards for wacky science, which are supposed to make us laugh but then make us think. The prize is awarded annually by the science humour magazine the Annals of Improbable Research. Winners receive a 10 trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe alongside a trophy. Dr Park, who won the public health prize, described it as a humbling experience, which serves as a tribute to the researchers, mentors, and visionaries who dare to seek answers in unconventional places. He told PA: We might laugh at the thought of a Smart Healthcare Toilet today, but with this recognition, it becomes evident that the potential for positive health impact, even in our most private moments, is immense. Other awards at the virtual ceremony on Thursday included the medicine prize for using cadavers to explore whether there is an equal number of hairs in each of a persons two nostrils, and the nutrition prize for experiments to determine how electrified chopsticks and drinking straws can change the taste of food. The education award was scooped up by the research team studying the boredom of teachers and students. Dr Wijnand Van Tilburg, an experimental social psychologist at the University of Essex, who was part of this team, said their studies showed the mere expectation that classes will be boring caused students to feel bored. He said studying boredom is very important because it has been blamed for behaviours like lacking attention, loss of motivation, and even student drop outs. Nobel laureate Marty Chalfie presenting the education prize to Katy Tam, Wijnand van Tilburg and Christian Chan (Ig Nobel/PA) Dr Van Tilburg told PA: Beyond education, boredom is associated with poor mental health, such as depression and anxiety. To combat the negative outcomes of boredom, it is crucial to study it scientifically. This will help us answer questions such as who is likely to get bored and why, what the causes are of boredom, and what can we do to avoid (it). An international collaboration won the communication prize for studying the brains of people who are expert at speaking backwards, some of whom are able to rapidly reverse sentences of up to 12 words. Dr Adolfo Garcia, of the Global Brain Health Institute in the US, told PA: It all began when we learned that a famous Argentine photographer had this ability and was willing to have his brain scanned. We were intrigued by the oddity of the situation, but then became amazed at how proficient he was at reversing speech. Nobel laureate Rich Roberts presenting the geology and chemistry prize to Jan Zalasiewicz (Ig Nobel/PA) He said their work gives insights into how the fundamental aspects of human language shape the brain. The mechanical engineering award went to a team who re-animated dead spiders to use as them as mechanical gripping tools. Faye Yap, a PhD student at Rice University in the US, said the findings, published in the journal Advanced Science, showed that spiders are able to grasp objects greater than their own weight, potentially opening the doors to a new area of robotics. A study of the unfamiliar or peculiar sensations people feel when they repeat a single word many times was awarded the literature prize while the chemistry and geology gong went to Jan Zalasiewicz, emeritus professor of palaeobiology at the University of Leicester, for explaining why geologists like to lick rocks. Prof Zalasiewicz, told PA: These days field geologists sometimes lick rock samples theyve collected before examining them with a hand lens, because its easier to see the mineral particles on a wet rock surface. A couple of centuries ago and more, though, some geologists had learnt to tell different rocks and minerals apart by their taste thats a skill weve now almost completely lost. Sir Keir Starmer will declare people-smuggling, terrorism, climate change and weakening democracy the four major threats to western countries as he embarks on the latest in a series of engagements on the global stage. The Labour leader will say the joint challenges make up an axis of instability during an appearance at a summit for progressive politicians in Canada over the weekend. Following his insistence during a trip to The Hague that closer co-operation with the EU is key to tackling organised immigration crime, he will argue that internationalism is the best protection against all four threats. Sir Keir will be joined by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy at the summit in Montreal ahead of an expected visit to Paris next week to meet French president Emmanuel Macron. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper at Europol in The Hague, Netherlands (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The flurry of international engagements has been seen as a bid to appear statesmanlike and burnish his leadership credentials ahead of a likely general election next year. Labour officials are emphasising Sir Keirs background as a director of public prosecutions in making the case that he could manage organised immigration crime if handed the keys to No 10. No 10 appeared to downplay the significance of the Opposition leaders expected Paris trip, saying it was not unusual. But Sir Keir could also be eyeing a White House meeting with US president Joe Biden in the coming months, whose Bidenomics and landmark green subsidy push has attracted admiration from Labour. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Norways premier Gahr Store and Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, are among other leading politicians expected at the event this weekend, where Sir Keir is to set out his foreign policy stance. A political row has broken out following Sir Keirs indication that Labour would seek an EU-wide returns agreement which would involve taking a quota of migrants from the bloc. The Tories have seized on the suggestion of closer ties to Brussels, claiming that any such arrangement could lead to 100,000 EU migrants coming to the UK every year. As well as attacks from the right, Labour faced criticism from Matt Wrack, the president of the Trades Union Congress, who told The Guardian Sir Keir was in danger of pandering to right-wing Tory rhetoric on immigration. Labour dismissed the 100,000 figure as total garbage and insisted any partnership would focus on children with family in Britain rather than formally joining the EUs official quota scheme. The party said it would deepen intelligence ties with the EU and station more British police on the continent as part of efforts to smash the criminal gangs profiting from small boat crossings. Stephen Hammond has become the latest MP to confirm they will call it quits at the next election. The Wimbledon MP and former minister will join a Conservative exodus, with more than 40 announcing that they will not defend their seat in an election that is likely to take place next year. In a letter to his local party association on Thursday, Mr Hammond said he would not seek the nomination as the Tory candidate following what he called an incredibly tough decision. Tonight at the newly constituted Wimbledon and Maldens AGM I have announced that I shall not be seeking re-adoption as the Conservative candidate. Stephen Hammond MP (@S_Hammond) September 14, 2023 He said: It has not been easy for me to make this decision and, despite the national picture, I do believe we can win locally. However, this is the right decision for Sally (his wife) and me. In recent years we have both been stretched by increased caring responsibilities for our elderly parents and this is unlikely to change in the coming years. He said it had been the privilege of my life to represent Wimbledon in Westminster for the past 18 years. The 61-year-old was first elected to Parliament in 2005 and was promoted to the government front benches in 2012, being handed a junior transport role by David Cameron during the coalition years before losing his position in a reshuffle two years later. During the Brexit years, he was twice punished for rebelling against Tory governments. Stephen Hammond was one of 21 Brexit rebels stripped of the Tory whip by former prime minister Boris Johnson (Andrew Boyers/PA) Former prime minister Theresa May sacked him as vice-chairman of the party in 2017 after he voted in favour of a so-called meaningful vote on her Withdrawal Agreement. In September 2019, he was one of 21 MPs stripped of the Tory Party whip by then-prime minister Boris Johnson after they backed a plan to take control of the Commons timetable to pass legislation to block a no-deal Brexit. He and nine others later had the whip restored following talks with Mr Johnson a month later. Mr Hammond made an appearance at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, asking Rishi Sunak whether he would consider convening a dementia medicines taskforce to review progress on a new diagnostic test and drug treatment. With Mr Sunaks Tories well behind in the polls, a host of senior party MPs have chosen not to fight for another term. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace and former cabinet ministers Dominic Raab, George Eustice, Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid have all called time on their Commons careers. The Prime Ministers ban on American XL bully dogs has been commended by the former Conservative home secretary who introduced the Dangerous Dogs Act. Rishi Sunak on Friday said the dogs will be banned by the end of the year in response to a series of attacks. The decision has been backed by campaign groups, the Labour Party and Baron Baker of Dorking, who put the Dangerous Dogs Act on the statute books more than 30 years ago. The pledge comes after it emerged a man died after being attacked on Thursday by two dogs suspected to be bully XLs in Staffordshire. Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023 Home Secretary Suella Braverman appeared to set the Government action into motion after stating on Sunday that she had commissioned urgent advice on banning XL bullies following a video of another incident that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries in Birmingham. Posting on Twitter, now known as X, after the Prime Ministers announcement, Mrs Braverman said she expected police to use all available powers to protect the public from these beasts before a ban is formally introduced. Mr Sunak said he had ordered ministers to bring together police and experts to define the breed of dog behind these attacks so they can then be outlawed. In a video posted on social media, the Conservative Party leader said: We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year. These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe. Lord Baker, the architect of the Act during the Sir John Major era, said American XL bully dogs should be neutered or destroyed once the ban has come into force, with any permitted to live being muzzled for the entire time. Former home secretary Lord Baker introduced the Dangerous Dogs Act (Dave Thompson/PA) Speaking to LBC, the Tory peer said: It should be done almost immediately because this is a very dangerous breed and it has actually killed children and attacked other people, and I do not accept the views of the Kennel Club and the RSPCA that breeds should not be banned. This dog is, in fact, bred in order to fight and to be aggressive. It has already done enough damage and the Prime Minister is absolutely right to add it. Three campaign groups issued a joint statement welcoming the UK Governments announcement. Bully Watch, the Campaign for Evidence Based Regulation of Dangerous Dogs (CEBRDD) and Protect Our Pets claimed the XL bully breed was a a clear and present threat to public health. A man has been mauled by two dogs in Stonnall. There are rumours that the dogs in question are two Bully XLs. The man mauled is in critical question. Police sharpshooters were called and a number of police were called to the scene. We are asking for clarification. If the dogs Bully Watch (@BullyWatchUK) September 14, 2023 Lawrence Newport, of CEBRDD, said: Retrievers retrieve, pointers point. Fighting dogs fight. We have found this to our great cost. The importing of the American bully, a highly inbred Pitbull-type, led to skyrocketing deaths and attacks. This ban will finally allow the Government and police to act, before another child or pet is ripped apart. Labour, while supportive of the ban, criticised the Prime Minister for dithering over bringing in restrictions on their ownership. Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said: Families will be furious that it has taken this long for Rishi Sunak to finally act. Downing Street denied the Government had taken too long to introduce a prohibition. Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced on Sunday that she had commissioned advice into banning American XL bullies (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The American XL bully dog type is not recognised as a specific breed by the Kennel Club, and some fear its cross-bred nature could inadvertently outlaw a range of other dogs. Mr Sunak pledged that animal experts and police would work to accurately define the breed of concern. There are currently four banned breeds of dog in the UK: the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro. A coalition of animal charities, including the RSPCA and the Kennel Club, said banning American XL bully dogs would not stop attacks. A spokeswoman for the Dog Control Coalition said: For 32 years, the Dangerous Dogs Act has focused on banning types of dog and yet has coincided with an increase in dog bites, and the recent deaths show that this approach isnt working. The UK Government must tackle the root issue by dealing with the unscrupulous breeders who are putting profit before welfare, and the irresponsible owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control. The group, which also includes the Dogs Trust and British Veterinary Association, said it was deeply concerned about the lack of data behind this decision and its potential to prevent dog bites. A police officer outside a property in Main Street, Stonnall, Staffordshire, after a man was killed after being bitten by two dogs (Matthew Cooper/PA) Within minutes of Mr Sunak announcing the ban, a man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the attack in Main Street, Stonnall, on Thursday, Staffordshire Police said. The 30-year-old, from the Lichfield area, was previously arrested on suspicion of being in charge of dogs dangerously out of control causing injury. Police confirmed the victim, Ian Price, aged 52, died in hospital of his injuries. One of the dogs died after being restrained and the other died after an injection was given by a vet, the force said, adding that both were believed to be XL bullies but further tests are being carried out to determine their breed. Separately, a 60-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a dog dangerously out of control after the dog attack on Saturday that left 11-year-old Ana Paun with injuries that required her to spend a night in hospital. She suffered shoulder and arm injuries in the attack by an American bully XL and Staffordshire bull terrier crossbreed puppy in Bordesley Green, Birmingham. Two other men were also injured in the attack after the dog broke free from its collar twice. Police have charged the father of Sara Sharif and two other people with her murder. The trio have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and will face Guildford Magistrates Court on Friday. Here is a timeline of the events in the case so far. August 9 Saras father Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan Sharifs brother, Faisal Malik, 28, travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, with five children aged between one and 13 years old. Urfan Sharif (left) and Beinash Batool (Surrey Police/PA) August 10 Officers from Surrey Police are called from Pakistan by Mr Sharif at about 2.50am to a semi-detached property on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey, where Sara is found dead. A murder investigation is launched. August 15 A post-mortem examination is unable to establish the cause of Saras death and further tests are carried out, but the examination shows the child had suffered multiple and extensive injuries which were likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time. August 18 Surrey Police say they would like to speak to Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik in relation to the investigation, with a search for them under way. August 19 The Associated Press news agency reports that Pakistani police in the eastern province of Punjab are seeking to arrest Mr Sharif in connection with Saras death, with his family home believed to be in the city of Jhelum. Officer Imran Ahmed said police found evidence that he had briefly returned to Jhelum, before leaving and disappearing. August 20 Surrey County Council confirms to the PA news agency Sara was known to the local authority. The search for her father continues. August 24 Rawalpindi Region police chief Khurram Ali says the force is close to locating Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik, after they had interrogated Mr Sharifs father, brother and uncle. Police in the UK issue a fresh appeal for information in the case. Sara Sharifs body was found at her home in Woking (Surrey Police/PA) August 27 Speaking to the Sunday Times, Saras grandfather Muhammad Sharif, 68, urges the three individuals to hand themselves in to police. August 29 An inquest into Saras death is opened at Surrey Coroners Court, and hears the precise cause of her death is not yet ascertained but is likely to be unnatural. September 6 In footage sent to broadcasters including the BBC and Sky, Ms Batool, accompanied by Mr Sharif, speaks publicly for the first time since Saras death and describes it as an incident, saying they are willing to co-operate with the UK authorities and fight our case in court. September 9 A police spokesman in Jhelum says Mr Sharif and Ms Batool are in hiding and 10 close relatives have been taken into custody for questioning, including Saras grandfather Muhammad Sharif. September 11 The BBC reports that five children have been taken from the home of Muhammad Sharif, with dozens of police officers raiding the property in Jhelum. Eyewitness accounts say officers broke CCTV cameras at the property, stopped traffic and prevented passers-by from filming. The children were later returned. The whereabouts of Urfan Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik are still unknown. September 12 A court rules that the five children will be sent temporarily to a government childcare facility in Pakistan. In the UK, Surrey Police say they are working to secure the safe return of the siblings from Pakistan. September 13 Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik land in the UK at Gatwick Airport on an Emirates flight from Sialkot, Pakistan, via Dubai, and are arrested on suspicion of murder immediately after leaving the plane. Sialkot police spokesman Khan Mudassir said the three individuals were handed over to the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency. 3 people charged with the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, whose body was found at her home address in #Woking on 10 August. Read more here: https://t.co/AYrYqwoNie pic.twitter.com/izUJzdIdDd Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) September 14, 2023 September 15 Just after midnight, Surrey Police issue a statement saying the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the trio to be charged with Saras murder. They are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and scheduled to face court later the same day. Lampedusa has seen an influx of migrants with 7,000 people arriving in two days, prompting its mayor and the United Nations refugee agency to warn the Italian island is becoming overwhelmed. The island whose population is under 7,000 has long been a first port of call for people crossing from north Africa and has been a flashpoint in Europes migration crisis. Mayor Filippo Mannino on Thursday said the migrant crisis had reached a point of no return. In the past 48 hours, around 7,000 people have arrived on my island, an island that has always welcomed and saved in its arms, Mannino told Italys RTL 102.5 radio. Now we have reached a point of no return where the role played by this small rock in the middle of the Mediterranean has been put into crisis by the dramatic nature of this phenomenon. The figure was also confirmed to CNN by the countrys interior ministry. The UN refugee agencys (UNHCR) Representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino, Chiara Cardoletti, said Friday the situation on Lampedusa is critical, and moving people off the island is an absolute priority. Cardoletti said that urgent action was underway to bring the island back to normality and that authorities had transferred around 5,000 people off the island in the last 28 hours. Many of the latest people to arrive have fled political instability in Tunisia. In previous years, most came from Libya and had been rescued by NGO charity vessels and Italian rescuers rather than reaching the island, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The group now fears numbers will rise even further following the catastrophic floods in Libya. Lampedusa has seen an influx of 7,000 migrants in 24 hours. - Alessandro Serrano/AFP/Getty Images Migrants from a migrant housing centre on Lampedusa are guided by a security official. - Alessandro Serrano/AFP/Getty Images On Wednesday, Germany said it informed Italy of its decision to postpone until further notice its intake of migrants under a European voluntary solidarity plan, according to the countrys interior ministry. That program oversees the relocation of asylum-seekers for a year and is aimed at easing pressure on EU borders. Separately, Frances Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin said earlier this week that due to the destabilization of Libya and Tunisia, which has accelerated, more migrants were arriving at the French and Italian border. Many of those arriving in Lampedusa, and who are transferred to the Italian mainland, try to cross the Ventimiglia border into the French seaside town of Menton. Darmanin who was speaking from Menton on Tuesday, said we have a 100% increase in flows on the Italian border, which obviously affects the Alpes-Maritimes department as well as all the departments in the Alps, announcing very significant reinforcements to tackle the situation at the border and fight illegal immigration. I look at our German friends, they have four times as many asylum applications as we do, which is proof that when you put a lot of resources at the border you also limit attractiveness of our country, Darmanin said. A large proportion of the people who cross the Italian border here want to go to Great Britain, which is also an incentive to negotiate with our British friends and in particular develop a European treaty between the European Union and Great Britain, he added. The island of Lampedusa is struggling to cope with an influx of migrants. - Alessandro Serrano/AFP/Getty Images Rosario Valastro, president of Red Cross Italy, whose facility on Lampedusa hosts thousands despite being built for 500 people, said he was expecting some relief after this weeks surge. Activity continues incessantly at the Lampedusa hotspot where 3,800 people are present this morning, the Red Cross said in a statement Friday. The over 130 operators and volunteers of the Italian Red Cross are doing beyond the impossible to ensure basic necessities. Yesterday, 5,000 lunch meals and 5,000 dinner meals were produced. We are tested but operational, Valastro said. For us, people come before anything else, he added. As of September 14, 125,928 people had arrived in Italy, according to the Interior Ministry, a number thats in line with those from 2016, when migrant numbers surged in the wake of the Syrian war. However, Flavio Di Giacomo, from IOM, said the number of arrivals in Lampedusa now was much higher than before. A lack of Libyan Coast Guard presence due to the floods, and the high number of migrants in Libya (a transit country for migration to Europe) kept in detention centers who are now desperate to leave, could also affect arrivals in the coming weeks. This week, Italys Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini called the arrivals an act of war during a press conference with Italys Foreign Press Association. He suggested the arrivals were being orchestrated and said the government would stop at nothing to curtail the arrivals, applauding Italian PM Giorgia Melonis attempts to negotiate with Tunisia. In July, Meloni, along with EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen, traveled to Tunisia with a promise of investment funds as an incentive to stop the boats, including 105 million euros ($111 million) dedicated to stop smugglers, but the EU this week largely stalled the plan in Brussels. Meloni, under pressure from within her own coalition on migrant numbers, has not commented directly on Lampedusa, but told RAI on Thursday that relocation was not the issue stopping the arrivals was. CNNs Nadine Schmidt in Berlin contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com It started with a bang at 3 a.m. Monday as the residents of Derna were sleeping. One dam burst, then a second, sending a huge wave of water gushing down through the mountains towards the coastal Libyan city, killing thousands as entire neighborhoods were swept into the sea. More than 5,000 people are believed to have been killed with thousands more missing, though estimates from different Libyan officials and aid groups have varied and the toll is expected to rise. The eastern Libyan city of Derna, the epicenter of the disaster, had a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy. Authorities say that at least 10,000 remain missing. CNN could not independently verify the figures. Buildings, homes and infrastructure were wiped out when a 7-meter (23-foot) wave hit the city, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which said Thursday that dead bodies were now washing back up on shore. But with thousands killed and many more still missing, there are questions as to why the storm that also hit Greece and other countries caused so much more devastation in Libya. Experts say that apart from the strong storm itself, Libyas catastrophe was greatly exacerbated by a lethal confluence of factors including aging, crumbling infrastructure, inadequate warnings and the impacts of the accelerating climate crisis. A ferocious storm The extreme rainfall that hit Libya on Sunday was brought by a system called Storm Daniel. After sweeping Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, with severe flooding that killed more than 20 people, it formed into a medicane over the Mediterranean a relatively rare type of storm with similar characteristics to hurricanes and typhoons. The medicane strengthened as it crossed the unusually warm waters of the Mediterranean before dumping torrential rain on Libya on Sunday. It brought more than 16 inches (414 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours to Al-Bayda, a city west of Derna, a new record. While its too early to definitively attribute the storm to the climate crisis, scientists are confident that climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather events like storms. Warmer oceans provide fuel for storms to grow, and a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, meaning more extreme rainfall. Storms are becoming more ferocious because of climate change, said Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading in the UK. A history of flooding Derna is prone to flooding, and its dam reservoirs have caused at least five deadly floods since 1942, the latest of which was in 2011, according to a research paper published by Libyas Sebha University last year. The two dams that burst on Monday were built around half a century ago, between 1973 and 1977, by a Yugoslav construction company. The Derna dam is 75 meters (246 feet) high with a storage capacity of 18 million cubic meters (4.76 billion gallons). The second dam, Mansour, is 45 meters (148 feet) high with a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters (396 million gallons). Those dams havent undergone maintenance since 2002, the citys deputy mayor Ahmed Madroud told Al Jazeera. But the problems with the dams were known. The Sebha University paper warned that the dams in Derna had a high potential for flood risk and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid catastrophic flooding. The current situation in the Wadi Derna reservoir requires officials to take immediate measures to carry out periodic maintenance of existing dams, the paper recommended last year. Because in the event of a huge flood, the result will be catastrophic on the residents of the valley and the city. It also found that the surrounding area lacked adequate vegetation that could prevent soil erosion. Residents of the area should be made aware of the dangers of flooding, it added. Liz Stephens, Professor in Climate Risks and Resilience at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, told CNN that there were serious questions to be asked about the design standard of the dam and whether the risk of very extreme rainfall events had been adequately taken into account. Its very clear that without this dam break, we wouldnt have seen the tragic number of fatalities that that have happened as a result, she said. The dams would have held back the water initially, with their failure potentially releasing all the water in one go, Stephens also told Science Media Center, adding that the debris caught up in the floodwaters would have added to the destructive power. Derna has been battered in the past, its infrastructure upended by years of fighting. From battling ISIS and then later, eastern commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), the citys infrastructure has crumbled and is woefully inadequate in the face of floods like the one brought by on by Storm Daniel. A lack of warnings Better warnings could have avoided most of the casualties in Derna, the head of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization, Petteri Taalas, said. If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they would have issued the warnings and also the emergency management of this would have been able to carry out evacuations of the people and we would have avoided most of the human casualties, Taalas told reporters at a news conference Thursday. Talaas added that the political instability in the country has impeded WMO efforts to work with the Libyan government to improve these systems. Yet, even robust early warning systems are not a guarantee that all lives can be saved, said Cloke. Dam failures can be very hard to forecast, and are fast and ferocious, she told CNN. You have this monstrous volume of water just taking out the city entirely, Cloke said. Its one of the worst types of floods that ever happens. While dams are usually designed to withstand relatively extreme events, its often not enough, said Cloke. We should be preparing for unexpected events, and then you put climate change on top, and that ramps up these unexpected events. The risk climate-fueled extreme weather poses to infrastructure not just dams, but everything from buildings to water supplies is a global one. Were not ready for the extreme events coming towards us, Cloke said. CNNs Celine Alkhaldi, Mostafa Salem and Sharon Braithwaite contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Sometimes it only takes one visit to convince visitors to pack up their belongings and move to Bonaire permanently. Susan Davis lived in Chicago her entire life before taking a scuba diving trip to Bonaire in 1988. Just four years later, Davis kissed her American life goodbye and bought a one-way ticket back to the Dutch Caribbean island, where she now works as a bird guide. I fell in love with Bonaire, Davis, now in her mid-60s, says of her initial visit. The day it was time to fly home, I remember I sat on the bed at my accommodations and said to myself, Someday I want to live here. Shes not alone. In the 1960s, Bonaire had a population just less than 6,000, but this more than doubled to 15,000 by 2010. Today, about 23,000 people call Bonaire home, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which has been providing information about the Netherlands for more than a century. It is not difficult for an American citizen to move to the island, but patience is required, as it is a standard paperwork procedure, says Rolando Marin, the information officer for Tourism Corporation Bonaire. The positive and peaceful vibe of the island gets tourists hooked. More than a spectacular diving destination First, a little background. Bonaire, pronounced Bone-air, is located just off the coast of Venezuela, and its one of the three ABC islands: Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands; Aruba and Curacao are autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Bonaire is just 111 square miles (287 square kilometers), and you can drive around it in three or four hours. Bonaire is known for its scuba diving, but unless youre Dutch or an avid diver, you probably havent given the island much thought. But its more than great diving thats persuaded new arrivals to drop their former lives and move to a sparsely populated island. A view of Kralendijk, Bonaire's capital, from a cruise ship - Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy Stock Photo Its a three-hour direct flight from Miami into a teeny tiny airport, and then a 10-minute drive to the islands capital, Kralendijk, where most of the resorts are concentrated. At Delfins Beach Resort, the rooms are outfitted with mini-kitchens, as the majority of guests have extended stays of a few weeks or longer. There are also rental homes via Airbnb available, and many are less than $100 per night. At restaurants, local catches, including tuna, barracuda, mahi-mahi and bonefish, are highlighted on the menus, and sustainability is emphasized. The very popular Cactus Blue Bonaire food truck is a draw for locals, who line up on the side of the road at lunch to snag a lion fish wrap. Lion fish are an invasive species that divers catch daily to keep its population at bay. The food truck, which serves lunch on weekdays close to a dive site near the airport, uses on reusable plates, along with glass bottles of fresh fruit juice that customers are asked to return. The island exhibits a communal commitment to conservation. They have a donkey sanctuary, a sea turtle conservation group, a flamingo sanctuary, a coral reef renewal foundation and more. Officials are trying to rid the entire island of plastic, and many single-use plastics such as straws and plastic cutlery were banned in 2022. Protected natural beauty Bonaire had always been the least developed island among the ABC islands, and a 1969 land deal helped stave off future development with the establishment of a national park. Boy Herrera, the owner of the former Washington Plantation, made a deal with the government to take over the land upon his death with the sole purpose of keeping it a nature sanctuary, explains Annette Emerenciana, spokeswoman for Tourism Corporation Bonaire. Another plantation was added to the area 10 years later. Washington Slagbaai National Park covers just under 14,000 acres. Washington Slagbaai National Park is an ecological reserve on the northwestern part of Bonaire. - johnandersonphoto/iStockphoto/Getty Images Then, in 1999, the Bonaire government purchased Klein Bonaire (an uninhabited island a half mile offshore) from the private sector for $4.6 million with the agreement that it would remain a naturally preserved island. Development is prohibited. Its home to turtle nesting grounds, and its accessible via water taxi or boat excursions. Harry Schoffelen, co-owner of the Cactus Blue Bonaire food truck, visited Bonaire from the Netherlands in 2010 when he was at a crossroads in his life, and he never left. Whats there not to love? says Schoffelen, whos in his late 50s. We get this so many times - people arrive for the first time, and theyre already looking at buying a house here. Its mind boggling, but you fall in love. Bonaire is considered safe; the US State Department puts the island in its lowest, Level 1 travel risk category encouraging visitors to exercise normal precautions. The weather is warm, the public schools are excellent and free health care is provided to residents. There are no traffic lights, goats and flamingos roam freely, the beaches are beautiful and housing is relatively affordable for some incoming residents. Moving to the island Thats why Kiki Multem decided to move to Bonaire after visiting for five days in 2021. Bonaire is super laid back and easy-going, says Multem, a travel blogger in her early 30s. People are extremely friendly, and I really found peace here. Living the island life changed me so much as a person in a good way. Perhaps one reason why so many people drop their previous lives to move to Bonaire is the relative ease of staying for an extended period. If you have a Dutch or US passport, you can stay in Bonaire for six months per year without a residence permit. Many other nationalities can stay for up to 90 days at a time without a residence permit. Flamingoes and other wildlife make the island home. - Tourism Corporation Bonaire If you hold a Dutch or US passport and want to stay longer than six months or work on the island for any period exceeding 90 days, you must apply for a permit. There arent any restrictions on foreign home buyers in Bonaire. There are more details on this government site on requirements for various living situations, including retiring to the island. Living in Bonaire does take an adjustment, although they do get Amazon deliveries. When Davis first moved to the island, there was a dearth of supplies, from groceries to hardware items to home decor. She remembers being happy if she found mushrooms in the supermarket. And the prices for most items are higher than they are in the United States or in Europe because of shipment costs and import duties. And yet she lives on an island and pets donkeys as they wander through the streets. People are nice, she goes to the beach every day and passion fruit is readily available. When Davis got a flat tire, other drivers stopped to help before she even had the chance to get out of the car. Bonaire has a certain magic, Davis says. When people arrive the first time, they see a lovely island with beautiful seas, lands and friendly people. But by the time they have spent a week here, the magic has insinuated itself into them: They feel the pull of the island. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Sept. 11, 2023: Marlington Local school bus overturns with 19 students; minor injuries LEXINGTON TWP. The driver of the Marlington Local school bus that overturned on Monday has resigned, school officials confirmed Friday. Debra Weisel, who had been a bus driver for Marlington for 17 years, notified the district on Thursday that she was resigning immediately. I do so with great sadness, but it will be better for the district, myself and family, she wrote in her resignation letter, which The Canton Repository obtained through a public records request. A Marlington Local school bus with 19 students overturned Monday afternoon in Marlboro Township. One student sustained a serious injury. The driver of the bus, Debra Weisel, resigned Thursday after 17 years with the district. Weisel, 58, was driving a Marlington school bus with 19 middle and high school students west on Beeson Street Monday in Marlboro Township when she failed to navigate the curve onto Columbus Road NE and drove off the right side of the road. The bus struck five traffic signs, a ditch and an embankment before it overturned on its right side, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrols crash report. The bus had been traveling 40 mph, well under the posted 55 mph speed limit, the report shows. Of the 19 students on board, five were taken to a medical facility by ambulance and 10 were taken by their parents. One 11-year-old boy who was taken by ambulance was listed as sustaining a serious injury, 13 had suspected minor injuries, two had possible injuries and three had no apparent injuries, the report shows. The students were between 11 and 16 years old. Weisel, who suffered a minor injury in the crash, could not be reached for comment Friday. She had been on administrative leave since Monday. A Marlington Local school bus with 19 students overturned Monday afternoon in Marlboro Township. One student sustained a serious injury. The driver of the bus, Debra Weisel, resigned Thursday after 17 years with the district. Marlington superintendent: Students are back in school Marlington Superintendent Dan Swisher said Friday that each of the students who had been riding Weisel's bus has returned to school. He said he, other school administrators and school counselors have kept in touch with the parents throughout the week to keep them apprised as to what was happening. Swisher also addressed questions that have arisen this week about Weisels driving record. Stark County court records show that Weisel has been cited for misdemeanor traffic infractions six times since 1999. Her most recent citations came in 2018. In October 2018, she had been driving a Marlington school bus on St. Peters Church Road and struck a utility pole. The Marlboro Township police chief told the Repository at the time of the crash that she had been distracted by the passengers in the back. One boy had been taken to the hospital for neck and back injuries. Weisel was cited for failure to control, fined $150 and received two points on her drivers license record, court records show. In January 2018, she was cited for assured clear distance, fined $40 and given two points on her drivers license. The other citations occurred before 2012 and included driving in marked lanes, assured clear distance and failure to yield. Two citations from 1991 for not wearing a seat belt were dismissed. For Mondays rollover, Weisel was cited for failure to control and received two points on her license. Swisher said all Marlington bus drivers are vetted through the Stark County Educational Service Center and the districts safety and transportation team, and Weisel met each of the state requirements for bus drivers. Under Ohios administrative code, a bus driver cannot have more than six points on their license in the past two years, a driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance conviction within the past 10 years, two or more serious traffic violations during the past two years or any railroad crossing violations during the past year. Weisel also had been a longtime employee. The Repositorys request for Weisels personnel file remains pending as district attorneys redact portions of it that are required to be kept confidential by law, Swisher said. Swisher said Mondays crash has prompted district officials to review its safety procedures, bus driver training protocols and expectations, and how the district communicates with parents. He said officials typically review many of the topics during monthly discussions, but this review would be more comprehensive. This is something we can do better as a district, said Swisher, who has been with Marlington for nearly 20 years and became superintendent in 2022 after the abrupt resignation of previous superintendent Mike Shreffler. Swisher said the districts transportation supervisor has been driving Weisels bus route since Monday. He said a substitute driver will take over the route next week. Reach Canton Repository staff writer at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Marlington bus driver Debra Weisel resigned after school bus crash Joseph Ladapo, Floridas surgeon general, and Gov. Ron DeSantis go-to panel of experts on Wednesday attacked federal public health officials for allegedly performing bad science and using Americans as guinea pigs for newly approved coronavirus vaccines. Ladapo doesnt seem fazed by the hypocrisy of his attacks given that he withheld key data when he recommended young men not get vaccinated last year. A Tampa Bay Times analysis of public records revealed the Department of Health removed from an analysis data that showed contracting COVID-19 could increase the chances of cardiac-related deaths much more than vaccines. That was irresponsible at best and dishonest at worst, but Florida provides the environment where Ladapo shines. With COVID-19 cases and hospitalization on the rise, he recommended people under age 65 do not get the new vaccine that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Monday for an omicron variant. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended everyone 6 months and older get a shot. Florida COVID cases more than doubled in the last week of August compared to the month before, the Herald reported. Florida has the largest number hospitalizations after California. These numbers pale in comparison to previous waves of the virus, but Floridians should already know that the best way to protect themselves is by getting vaccinated. As a reminder, Ladapo also promoted two debunked treatments for COVID-19: hydroxychloroquine, which the FDA, based on several clinical trials, says increases the risk of serious heart rhythm problems; and Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug that a clinical trial with 1,206 COVID patients found wasnt effective, according to a study published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Any doctor that pushes such quackery should be relegated to academic obscurity and ridicule. But in Florida, Ladapo was fast-tracked into a faculty position at the University of Florida College of Medicine. A committee of the UF Faculty Senate last year found college administrators cut corners in his hiring, the Gainesville Sun reported. Ladapo became the standard-bearer for DeSantis approach to the pandemic, giving it the rubber stamp of a Harvard-trained doctor. The Florida Blueprint, as DeSantis sells it, proved the mainstream scientific community wrong. What that narrative leaves out is that Floridians paid for it with their lives. During the 2021 delta wave, Florida residents died at a higher rate, adjusted for age, than people in almost every other state, a New York Times analysis of federal data found. The Sunshine State accounted for 14% of the nations deaths between July and October 2021, even though it represents only 7% of the American population. Most troubling is that vaccines were widely available by then. DeSantis, after initially touting the shots for seniors, helped sow doubt about their effectiveness and safety. Had Florida increased its rates to those seen in five New England states with the largest number of vaccinations, more than 16,000 lives could have been saved, a study published in The Lancet medical journal concluded. Ladapos latest recommendation doesnt rule out the vaccine for people 65 and older. He instead says that they should discuss the vaccine with their healthcare provider. His suggestion that younger Floridians are somehow naturally protected from the worst effects of COVID-19 isnt supported by data. Of the states 90,000 COVID-19 deaths, 22% were people under 65, the Herald reported. Of the 23,000 deaths that happened during the delta wave, 39% were among those younger adults, the Times reported. The vast majority of them were unvaccinated or had not finished their two-dose regimen. For some Floridians, no amount of studies in prestigious journals will persuade them that vaccines work or are safe. Unfortunately, Ladapos target audience is vast and looking for someone with a surgeon generals title to validate their beliefs. Other Floridians who havent gone down the rabbit hole of misinformation should look elsewhere for reliable medical advice. Would they rather trust someone with a record of data manipulation and of pushing unproven treatments for a lethal virus? Or will they protect themselves with a vaccine that has saved lives and prevented serious illness? That choice should be easy. Just tune out Floridas surgeon general. Click here to send the letter. By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Google agreed to pay $155 million to settle claims by California and private plaintiffs that the search engine company misled consumers about how it tracks their locations, and used their data without consent. Both settlements resolve claims that the Alphabet Inc unit deceived people into believing they maintained control over how Google collected and used their personal data. The company was accused of being able to "profile" people and target them with advertising even if they turned off their "Location History" setting, and deceive people about their ability to block ads they did not want. "Google was telling its users one thing--that it would no longer track their location once they opted out--but doing the opposite and continuing to track its users' movements for its own commercial gain," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. "That's unacceptable." The California settlement requires Google to pay $93 million, and disclose more about how it tracks people's whereabouts and uses data it collects. Money from Google's $62 million settlement with private plaintiffs would, after deducting legal fees, go to court-approved nonprofit groups that track internet privacy concerns. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said this made sense because it was "infeasible" to distribute money to the approximately 247.7 million U.S. adults with mobile devices. Some critics say this type of settlement, known as "cy pres," offers little benefit to class members. Google denied liability, and both settlements require court approval. Last November, Google agreed to pay $391.5 million to resolve similar allegations by 40 U.S. states. The Mountain View, California-based company has also reached $124.9 million of settlements with Arizona and Washington. A spokesperson for Google on Friday referred to a blog post discussing the multistate settlement, and said it related to "outdated product policies that we changed years ago." Lawyers for the private plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Google generated $110.9 billion of advertising revenue in the first half of 2023, accounting for 81% of its total $137.7 billion of revenue. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Daniel Wallis) LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Makenze Cameron, the wife of Republican gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron, dismissed the Democratic governor's proposal for an 11% pay raise for public school personnel as unfeasible as she promoted her husband's education plan during a campaign appearance Thursday. Speaking at a Moms for Cameron event in Kentucky's largest city, Makenze Cameron chatted about motherhood, her husband, her faith and the frenzy of the campaign. She also delved into issues especially pertaining to education, having formerly taught school for seven years. Gov. Andy Beshear and state Attorney General Daniel Cameron have presented competing education plans, staking out positions on an overarching campaign issue. Cameron pledged to boost starting teacher pay, saying the ripple effect would lift salaries for other teachers as well. Beshear upped the ante by proposing an 11% pay raise for teachers and all public school personnel, including bus drivers, janitors and cafeteria staff. He said it would amount to the single largest raise for Kentucky public school educators in at least 40 years. When mentioning Beshear's proposed 11% raise, Makenze Cameron heard chuckling and responded: You can find that laughable because we in this room know that he does not have the power to do that himself. She said her husband consulted with leaders of the state's GOP-dominated legislature before presenting his education plan and got a favorable response. Republicans point to the Democratic governor's strained relationship with GOP lawmakers in saying that Cameron would have a much better chance of getting his proposals passed. Picking up on that theme Thursday, Makenze Cameron said: These 11 percent raises, I would imagine, thats not feasible. And he does not have the power to do that. Daniel Cameron gave an introductory speech but quipped that his role was as the warm-up act. Asked afterward if he agreed an 11% pay raise isn't feasible, Cameron said his wife's point was that he had essentially gained buy-in from key GOP lawmakers for his plan while the governor had not. He cannot get it done because he does not have the relationships, Cameron said. Beshear campaign spokesperson Alex Floyd responded that the governor's proposed 11% raise is needed to recruit and retain the best educators for Kentucky's children. Kentucky ranks 44th nationally in average teacher starting pay and 40th in average teacher pay, Beshear has said, citing statistics from the National Education Association. An 11% raise a $1.1 billion expense over two years would vault Kentucky to the middle of the pack. Daniel Camerons campaign may think an 11% raise is infeasible, but Andy Beshear knows that fairly compensating our hard-working teachers is no laughing matter, Floyd said. With a record budget surplus and strong economy, the governors proposals are affordable with plenty of space to meet other demands, State Budget Director John Hicks has said. Beshear also has pledged to keep pushing for state-funded pre-K for all 4-year-olds if he wins a second term in November. The governor said his plan would fully fund student transportation. Camerons plan would focus on overcoming pandemic learning setbacks by developing an optional, 16-week tutoring program for math and reading instruction. Students falling behind grade level would get first priority. The proposal mirrors initiatives started by some school districts. Camerons plan also aims to bolster classroom discipline and reduce bureaucratic paperwork for teachers. He has proposed setting the statewide base starting pay for new teachers at $41,500. My message to teachers would be, You will get a raise if Daniel Cameron is governor. That will happen,'" Makenze Cameron said Thursday. Beshear has said the average teacher starting salary in Kentucky is $38,010, based on NEA statistics. He said his proposal would raise that to $42,191. Cameron's wife has taken on an increasing role as a campaign surrogate with the Moms for Cameron events. She made a strong pitch for her husband's candidacy while criticizing Beshear on a range of issues. I hear over and over from people, and I know you hear it too, Andy Beshear is not that bad," she said. "I just encourage you to truly, truly look at his record. Truly look at what he has done in his three and a half years as governor. The governor's wife, Britainy Beshear, has had a visible role at times during the campaign. As first lady, she has been a steadfast advocate for children, including those of military personnel. When tornadoes hit western Kentucky before Christmas 2021, she organized a toy drive for children in the devastated areas. She did the same to help children in eastern Kentucky following massive flooding in 2022. In both instances, toys and donations poured in from around the country. The first lady also has supported domestic violence victims through the annual Shop and Share program. It helps domestic violence shelters statewide to have the resources and supplies needed to help survivors and their children be safe and help them rebuild their lives. Prince Harry turns 39 today, and he's celebrating with his wife, Meghan Markle, and veterans and their families in Germany for his Invictus Games. Last night, Harry, Meghan, and members of their team went out to dinner in Dusseldorf for the Duke's birthday, and per Page Six, they ate "family-style dishes of wiener schnitzel, pork knuckle, sausage, roast and mashed potatoes." As a waiter shared after the dinner, "They were very happy. He is a lovely man, and they were so nice." Today, during the sitting volleyball match between Poland and Germany at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, fans sang "Happy Birthday" to Harry as he clapped along. Chris Jackson - Getty Images However, the royal family's social media accounts have been noticeably quiet on Harry's big day. Last year, his birthday fell during the official mourning period for Queen Elizabeth, but in the years prior, the royal family's social accounts have tweeted birthday wishes for Harry. Last month, on Meghan Markle's birthday, the accounts were similarly devoid of any birthday messages, and they also didn't mark Prince Archie or Princess Lilibet's birthdays earlier in the summer. Today, the @RoyalFamily account was posting about King Charles's visit to Kinross, and @KensingtonRoyal and @PrinceandPrincessofWales, the accounts of Prince William and Kate Middleton, shared posts yesterday about their visit to Hereford, but nothing new today. Despite any snubs from his family, Prince Harry seems to having a blast at the Invictus Games. Chris Jackson - Getty Images The 6th annual games wrap up tomorrow, and after, Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to return home to Montecito, California. You Might Also Like Alligator known as "Lil Guy" seen at Wilson's Landing in Sanford, Florida on Aug. 29, 2023. An alligator missing his top jaw has been rescued in Florida after a photo of him gained nationwide attention over the past few weeks. "Lil Guy," as he is affectionately called by a local wildlife advocate, was first spotted at the end of August in Sanford, Florida, about 25 miles north of Orlando. A local woman named Eustacia Kanter snapped a photo of Lil Guy that shows his upper jaw completely missing all the way up to his eyeline. Kanter said she saw the alligator on a canoe launch at Wilson's Landing, and reached out to a wildlife nonprofit called Bear Warriors United to see if they could help. "How is he going to eat?" Kanter wrote to the group's executive director, Katrina Shadix, in a Facebook message. "It's just a little guy and now completely defenseless," she wrote. 'We were just in awe' Massive 920-pound alligator caught in Central Florida The search begins The story was picked up by People, Newsweek and ABC News, among hundreds of other outlets. Through many pleas on Facebook and emails to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other wildlife organizations, Shadix helped get the search for Lil Guy underway. Hailee Seely, a spokesperson with the commission, confirmed in an email to USA TODAY that Lil Guy was captured on Thursday evening by a contracted nuisance alligator trapper. She said they were awaiting further information on the gator's condition, but shared that he was being transferred to Gatorland as of Friday afternoon. "He's safely resting," Shadix posted on Facebook shortly after his capture. Shadix said believes Lil Guy lost his jaw in a snare trap, which she's been advocating for years to get banned, along with steel traps, she told USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lil Guy, a Florida alligator missing top jaw, is rescued Cracked walls, mold, sewage backups, even the risk of electric shock. That's what students at Druid Hills High School outside Atlanta faced for years and they wanted the world to see. Chronic under-investment left school buildings and facilities there in disrepair. The problem got national attention after a video the students posted to social media went viral. In the video, one student shows walls peeling from water damage. Another points to holes in the ceiling. One shows a sign warning students not to touch a metal pole in a classroom because of the risk of electrocution. "This isn't really normal," said Harley Martz, a senior at Druid Hills who helped produce the video as a sophomore in 2022. "The bottom floor of our main building flooded [students] had to relocate and it was just very claustrophobic. I mean, those kids, I don't think they had class that week. I mean, it threw off just everyone's schedule." As a new academic year begins, many students, like Martz, face barriers from the very walls of their school buildings, rather than their teachers or textbooks. A CBS News analysis of federal data found school districts with more Black students were able to invest far less money in buildings than majority-White districts and often-unequal funding practices by state governments can make the problem worse. 7 miles apart, a world of difference Druid Hills High is part of DeKalb County Public Schools, a district where CBS News found one of the starkest examples of unequal school building investment. Between 2015 and 2020, the DeKalb County School District invested about $961 in its buildings for each student enrolled. Jack Cole, now a senior at Druid Hills, said the impact of under-investment was clear to the students. "It's like there's no drive to want to be there and learn if I don't want to be in school in the first place," said Cole. But while their school building is crumbling, others nearby are new, modern and innovative. In comparison, City Schools of Decatur a smaller, wealthier and majority-White public charter district completely encircled by the larger county district invested more than $3,500 per student in buildings during those five years and it shows. School districts are almost entirely funded by local taxes, meaning wealthier districts have more money to invest in things like building improvements. Decatur's median household income is about $123,000, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates. DeKalb County's: less than $70,000. The Decatur district's own website boasts of several recent building projects including restroom renovations, replacement blinds, upgraded air conditioning, new water bottle filling stations, and a new pottery kiln in an elementary school's art room a stark contrast to what the Druid Hills students faced. It's not the fault of wealthier school districts that they're able to invest more, said Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund, who has studied inequity in capital school funding for decades. But the system, Filardo says, has resulted in dramatic inequities around the country. "There's no way to address the structural inequity that we have between school districts without addressing how we fund them," Filardo said. A spokesperson for DeKalb County School District declined to comment on CBS findings; City Schools of Decatur did not respond to our requests for comment. Unequal funding Experts told CBS News state funding is needed to help make up gaps like these. But the opposite happened in the case of DeKalb and Decatur. Federal data shows DeKalb County schools received about $132 per student from the state for "capital outlay" money used to acquire land or renovate buildings and other long-term spending. Decatur got $345 per student. Majority-Black districts are often less funded and as a result have less to invest in capital projects than districts with more White students. From 2015-2020, DeKalb County schools had three times more Black students than Decatur, and six times more low-income students. During that same period nationwide, districts that were at least 80% Black invested about half as much money in buildings than those that were less than 20% Black. And it appears many states may be contributing to the problem by giving those majority-Black districts less money for capital outlay. Districts that were at least 80% Black got about a quarter of the money those with few Black students received. Research has shown for years that there are significant overlaps between race and poverty in schools, and low-income districts were similarly impacted. CBS News' analysis of federal data showed those with more students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch invested less in buildings, too. Local funding, local disparities School districts fund building projects through local taxes and so-called bond referenda proposals to raise funds voted on by residents. State funding can help fill in the gaps, but current funding decisions often exacerbate inequalities. "Part of what we have structured in this country is local control, which means we have many thousands of school districts," Filardo said. For the most part, school districts rich or poor are "funded locally, particularly for school facilities," Filardo said. "And so, if you're poor, if you have really old buildings, you may not have enough money within your district to afford the modernization of your buildings," Filardo added. CBS News found examples like DeKalb and Decatur across the U.S. CBS News Los Angeles found disparities between two adjacent districts; one had high percentages of Black and Hispanic students, while the other was mostly White. Fontana Unified School District, which had more than 80% students of color and more than 92% of its children qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, invested just $450 per student in buildings during those five years. Etiwanda Schools, just one district to the west and with fewer students of color and fewer students in poverty, invested more than $1,350 per student. On the East Coast, CBS News New York found the Brentwood Union Free School District in a Long Island community where nearly all students were Black or Hispanic and qualified for financial aid was able to invest just $25 per student on its facilities. Another Long Island school district, Shoreham-Wading River Central School District, spent nearly $6,000 per student on buildings. Nearly all its students were White, and less than 5% were low-income enough to qualify for lunch assistance. Even when districts have tried to give money to the schools that need it the most, it's often not enough. Records obtained by CBS News Miami showed that Broward County Public Schools was estimated to need $2.9 billion for building improvements in 2014, but the district only asked for $800 million in its bond referendum that year. District officials told CBS News Miami they didn't ask for the full amount because of concerns voters might reject the proposal. CBS News analyzed data showing how that $800 million was spent. It shows schools with more low-income students and Black students were budgeted more money for building improvements. But those poorer, majority-minority districts have been slower than wealthier, white districts to complete projects. In Colorado, low-income districts are forced to compete for a limited pool of funding every year. Schools that don't make the cut can be left with dilapidated buildings and no way to improve them. "What we have is a ticking time bomb and no solutions," the superintendent of one district told CBS News Colorado. "Because there is no financial support." Real-world consequences These disparities have a clear impact on learning, said Dr. Josh Sharfstein, M.D. who has done extensive research on these kinds of building inequities at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. "The physical condition of schools affects the health of children, and it affects the learning of children," he said. "Schools can make kids sick from asthma, from overheating, from leaks and mold, all kinds of things. Also, kids don't learn as well when they're in environments that aren't well-suited for learning." Decades of research back up the assertion that the physical condition of schools impacts student performance. A 2012 Miami-Dade study revealed that students in aging buildings score notably lower on tests, even after adjusting for things like income. Researchers with The World Bank in 2019 found "providing access not only to school places but also to spaces that are safe and healthy positively affects pupils' academic outcomes." And according to a 2022 report from the Center for American Progress, "upgrading and modernizing schools is not simply a matter of aesthetics but an essential element of learning." In August 2023, CBS News toured Baltimore City School District's Benjamin Franklin High School, built in 1926 and one of the district's oldest buildings. Its age and lack of renovations were visible to anyone who looked. The problem of not having air conditioning recently became all too clear. Just a few days after the school year began on August 28, the school was forced to send students home early as a heat wave smothered the city. Other classrooms feature rotting and collapsed floors, holes in ceiling tiles, computers from the 1990s, and blackboards from the 1960s "It's kind of hard, you know. You see the ceiling. It's messed up," one student said. "I mean, sometimes it gets crowded, and it might be hot, like some days ... it gets really hot." Sharfstein said the inequities in Baltimore are rooted in history dating back to public school segregation as are many other disparities CBS News found around the country. "It's important to understand the roots in history of what we're seeing right now in the state of Maryland," Sharfstein said. "Really, for decades, Baltimore [City School District] has been disinvested. There have not been the same levels of investment in a city that is majority Black than in the rest of the state. And the consequences of that are physically manifest in school buildings." The problem only worsens as each year passes without enough investment, according to Sharfstein. "Because there have been such disproportionate shares of political power, people who are low income, often minority communities living near those schools, their voices haven't been heard," said Sharfstein. "I think every state should be asking the question of how to make funding decisions fair for schools and children." CBS News Chicago: A Harvey school was falling apart, then officials took action without new taxes New approaches Recognizing the problem in 2020, Maryland state lawmakers started to fix the state's school funding model. Overriding a veto by the governor, the General Assembly passed the "Blueprint for Maryland's Future," legislation that increases annual education funding by $3.8 billion within the next 10 years. That will include an additional $4,000 going to schools for each student enrolled. As part of the "Blueprint," lawmakers constructed the "Built to Learn" Act specifically to help fund building construction and renovation, including $400 million specifically targeted towards building and repairing schools in lower-income and minority districts. "We are investing in a more equitable system across the state of Maryland than almost any other state in the country," said State Senate President Bill Ferguson, who represents Baltimore in Maryland's Capitol. "I think Maryland has done a great job of really trying to make a more equitable funding system. We don't just solely rely on the property tax in Maryland," Ferguson said. "We use state dollars so that wealthier jurisdictions put in more where they have the ability. The state steps in for the lower income jurisdictions to make sure that we can fund appropriately." A handful of other states are trying a similar approach. "I think every state needs to revisit how they're doing," said Stephanie Smith, a member of Maryland's House of Delegates. "I think we can't always wait for just a change in administration." "From what I've seen just going around the city and the state, it is working," said Smith who represents Baltimore City and serves on the House's Appropriations Committee. "People are putting these dollars to use." Whether students are at school districts with explosive growth and new buildings or in districts with old, deteriorating buildings, "at every level, the student still deserves to be in a safe, healthy building that supports their learning," said Smith. But critics say under Maryland's "Blueprint," more money needs to be sent even faster to school districts in need. CBS News Philadelphia: "Do more with less": Why PA school districts continue to struggle with funding despite unfair ruling Sharfstein was so concerned about the inequities that still exist even in Maryland's new funding approach that he sent a letter to state officials writing that the current method "does not appear to be fair to those students ... disproportionately low income, Black and Hispanic... who go to school in aging facilities with major infrastructure problems." The money won't come soon enough for students already attending Franklin High who will graduate before any renovation or change comes to the high school. "We've really tried to do the best we can to make a more wealth equalized system," said Ferguson. "We still have a ways to go." Ross Palombo, Jennifer Bisram and Joe Gorchow contributed to this report. How common are prison escapes? Timeline of the special counsel investigation into Hunter Biden UAW worker on Ford layoffs, CEO salaries and automakers' "family" culture Another week, another set of polls showing Donald Trump with a huge edge over his opponents for the Republican presidential nomination. And a dive into the numbers shows that the former presidents lead may be more durable than the ones leading presidential candidates have enjoyed in past summers. Quinnipiacs latest national poll puts Trump's GOP support at 62%, a full 50 points ahead of his nearest foe, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A new Washington Post/Monmouth survey of the first-in-the-South primary state of South Carolina has Trump at 46%, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley a distant second at 18%. That lead is even more imposing when you consider that both Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, also from South Carolina, have won multiple elections there. And yet their combined share of support in the South Carolina poll 28% is just over half of Trumps. By now, theres nothing new or particularly surprising about numbers like these. Since April, Trump has been steadily polling above 50% in rolling national averages and established formidable leads in key early states. Our own NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll, for instance, gave Trump a 42%-19% advantage over DeSantis in Iowa last month. Its been awhile since a nonincumbent GOP candidate enjoyed polling leads this large and sustained at this point in the campaign. To find a parallel, you have to go back to the fall of 1999, when then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush was sitting on Trump-size leads nationally and in the early states. Bush, of course, went on to win the nomination, though not without a real scare. He ended up getting crushed in New Hampshire by John McCain before surviving a make-or-break battle with McCain in South Carolina, only to turn around and suffer an upset defeat in Michigan, and then finally steady the ship enough to win a series of big states on Super Tuesday and force McCains surrender. In other words, what looked in the fall of 1999 like a glide path to the GOP nomination turned into a bruising and politically costly primary battle for Bush, one that arguably damaged his image with general election voters and nearly cost him in what ended up being a razor-thin victory over Democrat Al Gore. So, on the surface, the case of Bush and the 2000 Republican primaries offers a glimmer of hope to Trumps rivals, who are staring at polls that look just as gruesome for them now as they did for Bushs foes at this point in the 00 cycle. But inside the numbers, theres a key difference, one that suggests Trump may be far less vulnerable to the kind of slippage that Bush ultimately suffered. It has to do with how many Republican voters are telling pollsters that their minds are already made up and that they definitely plan to vote for the candidate they now support. Thats where we see significant differences between Trumps standing now and Bushs in the fall of 1999. Lets start with the national polling. This weeks Quinnipiac poll has Trump at 62%, DeSantis at 12% and the rest of the field in single digits. A CNN/SSRS national poll last week that found a similar, though not quite as overwhelming, Trump edge, with him at 52% to DeSantis 18% ahead of the single-digit brigade. Again, these are just two recent surveys, but theyre consistent with what national polling has been showing for some time. Now, lets compare these to what the GOP race looked like nationally in the fall of 99, via a CBS/New York Times poll from that time: Bush had 63%, while McCain was closest to him at 14%, with Steve Forbes and Alan Keyes behind him. You can see how similar the Trump and Bush advantages appear to be. But this is where the commitment level of their supporters comes in. In this weeks Quinnipiac poll, 68% of Trumps supporters say they are firmly set on Trump no matter what happens leading up to the Republican primary. Similarly, in the CNN/SSRS poll, 85% of Trumps supporters say they will definitely support him. But with Bush in 1999, the story was different. In that CBS/New York Times poll, just 43% of his backers said their minds were made up. The same trend pops out in early state polling, too. As mentioned, our recent NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll gave Trump a 42%-19% lead over DeSantis in Iowa, with no other Republican in double-digits. In that poll, 67% of Trumps backers said that their minds were already made up. Conversely, in the fall of 1999, the Registers poll put Bush ahead of Steve Forbes 49%-20%, with McCain at 8% and Gary Bauer at 7%. But only 42% of Bushs backers said their minds were made up. In New Hampshire, where recent high quality polling has been scarce, theres a University of New Hampshire poll from July that put Trump up 37%-23% over DeSantis. It also found that 76 percent of those Trump supporters said they will definitely vote for him. In 1999, Bush like Trump now wasnt polling as strongly in New Hampshire as elsewhere. He led McCain 41%-28% in a fall Quinnipiac poll of the state. But only 35% of Bushs supporters in that poll said their minds were made up. That soft level of commitment helps explain why Bush proved so vulnerable in the state and ended up losing it by 20 points to McCain. This is what makes Trumps advantage in the new South Carolina poll that much more striking. Not only is he crushing both a favorite daughter candidate, Haley, and a favorite son candidate, Scott, he also enjoys a deep and unrivaled level of commitment, with 76 percent of current supporters saying they are definitely going to vote for him. We are staring at a unique set of circumstances in the current Republican contest. Yes, we have seen front-runners with Trump-size leads before; besides Bush in 2000, there was also Bob Dole in the 1996 cycle. But neither Bush nor Dole enjoyed anywhere near the level of commitment that Trump appears to command from his supporters. If these Trump backers mean what they say, then he has already locked down the vast majority of the support hes now receiving in polls. Whats more, even among those who arent now on board with him, Trump remains quite popular, with favorability ratings in polls generally the strongest or nearly the strongest among the GOP field. Its just as easy or perhaps even easier to imagine Trumps support expanding further rather than evaporating. Twenty-four years ago, the glide path that polls suggested Bush was on proved to be a mirage, and he ended up having to scratch and claw his way to the GOP presidential nomination. But with Trump, it may not be a mirage at all. Rep. Mary Peltolas (D-Alaska) office released a statement Thursday following news of her husbands death in a tragic plane crash Wednesday. We are truly grateful for the kindness that Mary and her family have received since Buzzys passing yesterday, Peltolas chief of staff, Anton McParland, wrote in the statement Thursday. McParland highlighted the generosity of Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowskis (R) and Dan Sullivans (R) staffs, whove called to share comfort and advice based upon their years of service working for Alaskans in Congress. Murkowski and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy both made their staff available to help, McParland said, and Sullivans chief of staff was on the phone in the early morning offering support. These moments really stood out amidst a difficult time, reminding us of the community bonds that make Alaska so special. We are thankful to them and to everyone who continues to reach out with sympathy and stories about Buzzy, the statement read. McParland said the office has been briefed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the crash as they do with every crash. The NTSB, who work tirelessly to keep our skies safe, briefed us on the process yesterday. We defer all related questions to their team. Out of respect for the familys privacy, our office will not be commenting any further on the investigation at this time, McParland said. Peltola is home in Alaska with her family, and McParland provided an address to send condolence notes. In the statement Thursday, McParland said Alaskans have felt taken the news of Peltolas husbands death personally. Alaska is a tight-knit state that relies on planes for basic travel, and so many Alaskans have felt the impact of an accident like this. That doesnt make it any less devastating, but it does mean we know how to support one another, McParland wrote in the statement. To everyone who has reached out, from Alaska to D.C. and everywhere in between, thank you. You have made a dark time just a little lighter. Peltola was first elected to Congress in 2022, replacing Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) who died in office after serving 49 years, becoming the longest-serving Republican. Peltola, a Democrat, ran a campaign focused on state-related issues, rather than national partisan causes. She was endorsed by some former members of Youngs staff and by Murkowski. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A former South Carolina attorney and longtime friend of Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to state charges related to helping the convicted murderer steal millions of dollars from his clients. Cory Fleming, 54, was sentenced in a Beaufort County courtroom after pleading guilty to the charges last month over his involvement in scheming with Murdaugh to steal from two clients Murdaugh referred to him. Most of the stolen funds were from an insurance settlement Fleming helped secure for the estate of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh family housekeeper who died after a trip-and-fall accident at the Murdaugh home in 2018. An investigation into her death has been reopened. Fleming is also charged with stealing from the family of Hakeem Pinckney, who was severely injured in a car crash in 2009 and died in 2011. Prosecutors have said the settlement money that was supposed to go to the Pinckney and Satterfield families instead went to a fake bank account and was used by Murdaugh and, in some cases, Fleming. Judge Clifton Newman, who handed down Flemings sentence, said the disbarred attorney must suffer the consequences of (his) actions, while noting Flemings victims were vulnerable people who trusted him as their attorney. Fleming is currently serving a federal sentence of three years and 10 months after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, pledging in exchange to work with state and federal prosecutors, according to his plea agreement. His sentence on the state charges is far longer. He will likely spend more than 15 additional years behind bars in a state prison after he finishes serving his federal sentence, which was set to run concurrently with the state sentence. Today, I offer this court no excuses. There are no excuses. I place the blame for my actions on my shoulders, nobody elses, said Fleming, handcuffed and wearing a striped prison jumpsuit, as he read his statement to the court. I have a profound and deep disappointment in myself. It is a very difficult and constant feeling I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Flemings attorney requested Newman issue a sentence that directly matched his clients federal sentence, but the judge sentenced him to back-to-back 10-year sentences on the state charges a decade for the crimes against the Satterfield family and an additional 10 to be served after that for the crimes against the Pinckney family. The foundation of our justice system remains strong, attorneys for the Satterfield family, Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, said after the sentencing. The Satterfields feel like justice was done in connection with Cory Flemings crimes committed against the estate of Gloria Satterfield and her sons. Murdaugh, a disbarred personal injury attorney, is appealing his conviction for murdering his wife and grown son. However, last week his attorneys requested that appeal be suspended as they seek a new trial for Murdaugh based on their allegations of jury tampering. The court has not made any decisions on that motion for a new trial. Murdaugh is currently serving two life sentences in a South Carolina state prison. Murdaugh is scheduled to appear before a federal court judge next week, where he is expected to plead guilty to nearly two dozen charges related to fraud and financial crimes, pending a cooperation agreement, according to Murdaughs defense team. Separately, Murdaugh is also set to stand trial in November on the first of 101 state charges, with victims alleged total losses amounting to almost $8.8 million, according to prosecutors. The state pointed to these crimes which Murdaugh admitted to while on the stand during his murder trial as evidence of his deceit, calling on members of his former law firm to testify about how they had started to uncover his lies and theft in the months before the murders. Wearing an orange South Carolina Department of Corrections jumpsuit, Murdaugh on Thursday once again stood before Newman who, in March, handed down the two life sentences hes currently serving to learn the trial date for the state financial crimes he faces. Murdaughs attorneys eventually agreed to a November 27 trial in Beaufort County, for the charges associated with the millions of dollars in stolen insurance settlement funds from Satterfields estate. CNNs Kevin Conlon contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Remains of an alleged non-human is seen on display in a box during a briefing on unidentified flying objects (REUTERS) Alleged non-human alien corpses that were displayed to the Mexican Congress have prompted scepticism among scientists. A self-described UFO expert claimed the two small corpses were retrieved from Cusco, Peru. They were presented in windowed boxes in Mexico City on Wednesday, stirring excitement within the UFO conspiracy-theorist community. The event was spearheaded by journalist Jaime Maussan, who claimed, under oath, that the mummified specimens are not part of our terrestrial evolution, with almost a third of their DNA remaining unknown, reported Mexican media. Mr Maussans claims have not been proven and he has previously been associated with claims of discoveries that have later been debunked. His claims have also drawn scepticism from scientists. Antigona Segura, one of Mexicos top astrobiologists, toldThe New York Times: These conclusions are simply not backed up by evidence. The whole thing is very shameful. Meanwhile, Julieta Fierro, a scientist at the Institute of Astronomy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, told ABC that Mr Maussans claims were all made up. Mr Maussan claimed the remains are about 1,000 years old, saying researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico used carbon dating to determine the age of the corpses. The university has distanced itself from Mr Maussan, claiming its scientists were not involved in the research and never came into contact with the full specimens. In no case do we make conclusions about the origin of these samples, the universitys National Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry With Accelerators said in a statement. At the public hearing, Mr Maussan showed US officials and members of the Mexican government several videos of UFOs and unidentified anomalous phenomena before unveiling the alleged alien corpses. He said: These specimen(s) are not part of our terrestrial evolution... These arent beings that were found after a UFO wreckage. They were found in diatom (algae) mines, and were later fossilized. Mr Maussan has previously been associated with claims of alien discoveries that have later been debunked, including five mummies found in Peru in 2017 that were later shown to be human children. Former US Navy pilot Ryan Graves, who also attended the hearing to share his personal experience with sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) heaped criticism on the presentation. Yesterdays demonstration was a huge step backwards for this issue, Mr Graves said on the X, formerly known as Twitter. I am deeply disappointed by this unsubstantiated stunt. Meanwhile, Peruvian culture minister Leslie Urteaga said no scientific institution in the South American country had identified the remains as non-human and questioned how the specimens had left Peru. There is a criminal complaint from the Ministry of Culture against some people who had a relationship with these gentlemen, Ms Urteaga said in reference to Mr Maussan and his associates. I am going to ask for information to see what has happened ... about the removal of pre-Hispanic objects, because I understand they are part of pre-Hispanic bone remains, she added. Earlier this year, veteran and former member of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency David Grusch, testified during a US congressional hearing that the US government is in possession of intact craft of non-human origin from UAP crash sites. A version of this story appeared in CNNs What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Two major threats to President Joe Bidens reelection his son Hunters legal problems and the widely held perception the 80-year-old is too old for reelection are both causing him major pain this week. There is plenty to keep Biden busy with his day job. He is set to come off the sidelines Friday from a standoff between the United Auto Workers and major US automakers now that a historic strike is underway. Its a challenging task for a president with ties to labor but who wants to protect the larger economy with his self-branded version of Bidenomics. It would be hard for him not to be distracted by other developments this week that hit closer to home. Hunter Biden was indicted on federal gun charges in Delaware on Thursday, accused of lying about his past drug abuse and violating a gun law when he bought a handgun in 2018, before his fathers presidential campaign. The weapon was later abandoned behind a grocery store by Hallie Biden, the wife of Hunters late brother, Beau. Hallie and Hunter were having an affair at the time. Read an annotated version of the indictment. Hunter Bidens legal problems That sad and sordid family drama of addiction could land the presidents son in prison, although separate investigations on tax evasion and foreign business dealings have not yet led to charges from the Delaware US attorney David Weiss, who was elevated earlier this year to special counsel to guarantee independence from the US Department of Justice. While Weiss has found no basis to criminally charge Hunter Biden over his foreign business dealings and no direct connection has been drawn between the sons business interests and the fathers policy positions, House Republicans plan to dig deep as they look for more evidence during an official impeachment inquiry authorized by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this week. Pushing onward with impeachment The impeachment may never occur, and the years of investigation may not have exposed any wrongdoing by President Biden but the inquiry will certainly keep Hunter Biden top of mind for voters who may wonder why the president would let his family operate like this. Any Democrats who dismiss the effort might recall that McCarthy bragged in 2015 that the exhaustive House investigations focused on Hillary Clinton wounded her politically. At the time, he was talking about investigations into the death of a US ambassador in Benghazi, Libya, while she was secretary of state. The effort by todays GOP to tie Biden to his son could have a similar effect. What Americans believe about Hunter Bidens business Even if there is nothing to tie President Biden to the millions of dollars Hunter Biden and other family members made from interests in China, Ukraine and elsewhere, most Americans are not convinced. Well more than half the country, 61%, thinks Biden had some involvement in his sons business dealings while serving as vice president, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in late August, before the gun-related indictment was handed down but after a previous plea deal fell apart. Most of those people who think the president was involved back then also think the actions were illegal. Whats not clear is whether the Hunter Biden issues will be a motivating factor outside the group of voters who already dislike the president. His low job approval rating and concerns about the economy could ultimately be more damaging in an election. The age issue will not die The publics perception of his relationship with his son is not even the most concerning element for Biden in the poll. That would be his age. Bidens age isnt just a Fox News trope; its been the subject of dinner-table conversations across America this summer, the Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote this week in calling for Biden to step aside ASAP to give someone else a shot at winning the 2024 election. Just about a quarter of Americans in CNNs poll said Biden has the stamina and sharpness to serve effectively, far from a ringing endorsement of a president who brought policy wins back from a trip to Asia last week but left the impression he was confused at a press conference. Appetite for an alternative Only a third of Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters in the poll said they think Biden should be the Democrats candidate in 2024. Two-thirds want a different candidate, although almost nobody knows who. Ignatius had enough of the presidents respect earlier this summer to get an invite to Bidens state dinner for the Indian prime minister in June. Hunter Biden also attended. Ignatius is among the people who effusively say Biden has been a very good president, both successful and effective. What I admire most about President Biden is that in a polarized nation, he has governed from the center out, as he promised in his victory speech, Ignatius wrote, adding plaudits for Bidens domestic accomplishments and foreign policy leadership. But Ignatius fears another pairing of Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris risks undoing his greatest achievement which was stopping Trump. But who? Among Democratic voters, the most-cited concerns with Biden are his age and the need for someone younger. The vast majority of the Democrats interested in a Biden alternative picked just someone besides Joe Biden. One of the most-supported specific alternatives, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is older than Biden. The lack of confidence in Harris to take up the mantle was evident when CNNs Anderson Cooper talked Wednesday night to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is running for reelection to Congress but stepped away from her leadership position. Cooper asked Pelosi if Harris was the best running mate for Biden. He thinks so and thats what matters, Pelosi said, although she did commend Harris for being politically astute. Pelosi promised that Democrats are behind Biden, and she does think hes the best candidate to beat Trump. He has great experience and wisdom, Pelosi said. CNNs Edward-Isaac Dovere writes that the Biden campaign is plotting a long-game strategy and that aides blame the media for what they view as validating concerns about Bidens age and about Republican claims of Hunter Bidens corruption by covering those concerns, despite what they argue is a lack of evidence. They are banking, he writes, on a data-focused emphasis on key states to turn the moveable voters away from Trump. Biden was a strong closer in 2020 He lost badly in Iowa and New Hampshire in the 2020 primary, for instance, before riding a wave of support from moderates in southern states to a dramatic upset of multiple younger candidates and those with more committed followings. Biden emerged from a crowded pack four years ago. Theres little indication it would make sense for him to open the primary up, as Ignatius suggests, to some of those same people today. Ultimately, there is an open question over what this election will be about. If its about a referendum on an aging president whose fitness worries voters and who allowed his son to make millions in circumstances that raise suspicions even without evidence of wrongdoing, Biden will struggle. That said, one of the few things voters might like less is a person who tried to overturn an election. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com US President Joe Biden plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week around the United Nations General Assembly meetings, according to multiple officials familiar with the plans. It remained unclear whether the meeting would occur in New York or later in the week at the White House. One source familiar with the matter told CNN that Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington, DC, after his stop in New York. Biden and Zelensky are both scheduled to address the assembly on Tuesday. Zelensky is planning to use an in-person appearance at the annual meeting to appeal for more support for Ukraine as it continues to wage a counteroffensive against Russia. Aside from an address to the assembly, he plans several meetings with other world leaders in New York, according to people familiar with the plans. Among his objectives will be trying to persuade nations that havent taken a firm stance against the war to be more forceful in their condemnation of Russia. Among his meetings will be with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government announced Thursday. Zelensky will also visit the US Capitol next Thursday, according to a GOP source familiar, though he will not address a joint session of Congress and is instead expected to meet individually with lawmakers and members of leadership. The anticipated visit, first reported by Punchbowl News, comes as Congress is weighing a White House request for additional aid to Ukraine. Its passage remains in doubt, with the GOP fiercely divided over the issue. Zelensky addressed a joint session last year but opposition to Ukraine funding has grown particularly inside the House GOP. Biden last met Zelensky in-person on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania in July. Before that, the men sat for talks in May at the G7 summit in Japan. Despite support from the United States for an appearance at last weeks G20 summit in India, Zelensky wasnt extended an invitation by the hosts. He last traveled to the United States in December, his first time leaving Ukraine since Russias invasion began. A spokesman for the US National Security Council declined to comment. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Zelensky in Kyiv last week as part of a trip aimed in part at aligning the US and Ukraine ahead of the diplomatic gathering. The top US diplomat told the Ukrainian president that the US is determined to continue to walk side-by-side with Ukraine. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com California voters will be asked whether to lower the vote threshold on new taxes and bonds that increase funding for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) In 2022, nearly 60% of voters in Berkeley approved a $650-million bond to build affordable housing and repair streets, sidewalks and other outdated infrastructure. The same year, more than 61% of voters in Lompoc, Calif., backed a 1% special transient occupancy tax increase for hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other lodgings to pay for police and fire services. And in Sonoma County, a 2020 sales tax that would have raised an estimated $51 million each year for wildfire prevention earned close to 65% of the vote. All three ballot measures still failed. That's because California requires approval from two-thirds of voters on certain special tax increases and bond measures, a threshold set by the 1879 state Constitution and through ballot measures such as Proposition 13 in 1978. Democrats in the state Legislature are trying to overhaul that requirement. They introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 this year to ask voters whether the threshold to approve new special taxes and bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects should be lowered to 55%. The constitutional amendment required a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature. The Assembly narrowly approved the bill on Sept. 6 in a 55-10 vote, with Republicans in opposition and a number of moderate Democrats in the 80-member chamber withholding their vote. The 40-member Senate finalized it Thursday in a 29-10 vote. Voters will now have the final say on the November 2024 ballot. Heres what you need to know: What would ACA 1 help build? The ballot measure won't itself approve any special taxes and bonds or lead to the construction of new housing or public projects. Instead, it's asking voters whether the threshold to pass taxes and bonds that cities use to pay for local services and affordable housing should be lowered from two-thirds to 55%, the same bar required to pass bonds for school renovations. The proposal adds certain accountability requirements, including annual and independent audits of how money is used, and the establishment of citizens' oversight committees to track spending. "Our state and local governments are under enormous pressure to address an ongoing crisis with housing and homelessness," Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, a Winters Democrat who wrote the proposal, said during a Monday committee hearing. "You cannot have housing without roads and sewers and public safety facilities. And approving ACA 1 will provide the most accountable transparent method in our state for doing so." Why do supporters think this is a good idea? Supporters of ACA 1 say requiring approval from two-thirds of voters has stymied affordable housing construction over the last several decades, and blocked necessary funding for public safety services and upgrades to parks, libraries, water or streets. The initiative is sponsored by influential unions representing public service workers and construction laborers. Affordable housing groups, along with dozens of cities and counties across the state, also support ACA 1. Jason Rhine, a lobbyist for the League of California Cities, said that when measures fall short of a supermajority vote, local governments are left without funds to update their infrastructure or build much-needed affordable housing to address a ballooning homelessness and mental health crisis. "If a measure fails, there really isn't adequate resources there to take on all these really difficult challenges," Rhine said. Other advocates for ACA 1 see it as course-correcting the fallout from Proposition 13, which they see as one reason housing in California is scarce and homeownership unaffordable. "The voters of that era were a different cohort of voters," said Matt Lewis, a spokesperson for the pro-housing group California YIMBY. "We are now living in the 21st century with a set of tax measures passed by Californians 50 years ago almost. "The basic nature of ACA 1 is how about we try a little more democracy in how we fund the things that we care about in California?" What are the arguments against ACA 1? Opponents of the measure contend it will make California, already one of the most expensive states to live, even more inaccessible to middle- and low-income residents. Taxpayer watchdogs argue that ACA 1 rolls back long-established protections that maintain lower property and sales taxes. They say new taxes will drive businesses out of California, harm workers and add barriers to home ownership. Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., called ACA 1 a "direct attack on Proposition 13" that "opens the floodgates to higher taxes." "The loss of that important protection in Prop. 13 means that struggling taxpayers will be hit with higher local taxes again and again after every election," Coupal said. Peter Blocker, vice president of policy at the California Taxpayers Assn., said ACA 1 could lead to more than $250 million in increased taxes every election cycle. Blocker said the two-thirds threshold established by Proposition 13 safeguards Californains against "excessive taxation." "It should come as no surprise that one of the biggest concerns we hear from taxpayers is the rising cost of living in California," Blocker said. "We think ACA 1 will worsen this problem and make the state less affordable." Aguiar-Curry fast-tracked the proposal in the final weeks of this year's legislative session, but pledged to work on new legislation in 2024 to clarify remaining questions and ease opposition to the measure. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Striking California workers are one gubernatorial signature away from being able to apply for and receive state-funded aid after a last-minute push by lawmakers. The California Senate voted 27-12 on Thursday to concur with Assembly amendments to Senate Bill 799, authored by Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino of Burbank. Only workers who have been on strike for at least 14 days would be eligible for the unemployment benefits. Lets remember when somebody goes on strike, its not a romantic thing. Its hard on that family, Portantino said during debate on the floor. People have raised legitimate concerns about the fund itself. The impact on that fund would be very minor relative to this bill, but the impact to the individual on strike would be significant. Its unclear whether Newsom will sign the bill. The governor dodged the question at a Politico forum earlier this week, but noted his concerns about the nearly $18 billion in debt that the unemployment fund currently carries. I havent read all these bills, Newsom said. What I am very aware of is the debt that we have accrued for the UI fund, he continued. I think one has to be cautious about that before you enter into a conversation about expanding its utilization. State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, left, speaks with Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, in Senate chambers on Thursday, the final day of the legislative session. Xavier Mascarenas/xmascarenas@sacbee.com The renewed effort to give strikers financial relief comes as tens of thousands of California workers, mostly in Los Angeles, walked off the job and onto the picket line during what some have called a hot labor summer. The nearly 13,000 screenwriters represented by the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since May 2. Hundreds of thousands of actors represented by SAG-AFTRA joined them in solidarity in mid-July. Also in southern California, thousands of hotel workers walked out in early July, and Los Angeles municipal employees struck for a day in early August. The bill faces harsh criticism from the business community in general and the California Chamber of Commerce in particular. The lobbying group has characterized the bill as a job killer and voiced concerns about increased taxes on employers. CalChamber has said it would seek a veto from Newsom if the Legislature passed the bill. Portantino told The Bee shortly after the vote that he hasnt had the chance to speak with the governor about the bill and doesnt have specific ideas yet for how to improve the unemployment fund. But he was glad that SB 799 started the conversation about reform. The positive consequence of 799 is it made the focus on the fund become a priority, he said. I think there will be a lot of conversation between now and January. Lawmakers question future of UI fund, availability of money Republican senators spoke in fervent opposition to the bill, saying that it turned the original intention of unemployment insurance on its head. Im surprised that we even have a bill of this magnitude here in these chambers, said Republican Sen. Brian Dahle of Bieber. This is a horrible bill. This is a bad idea. Californias unemployment insurance system is funded primarily by payroll taxes that employers pay to the federal government. The amount is calculated by taking a certain percentage of the first $7,000 that an employee earns in a calendar year. Committee analyses noted that California is one of the few states that hasnt increased the baseline amount of wages eligible for unemployment insurance taxes. Dahle argued that asking employers to fund unemployment benefits for workers who are striking against them is an unthinkable ask for business owners. All eight Republicans voted against the measure, along with four Democrats. Senators acknowledged the need to reform the funds finances.. A Senate labor committee analysis showed that the existing nearly $18 billion in debt would balloon into more than $20 billion by the end of 2024. The only other states with similar laws are New York and New Jersey. In New York, an employee has to be on strike for 14 days before becoming eligible for unemployment benefits down from seven weeks as of a change passed in 2020. New Jersey enacted its law in 2018 and recently amended it to decrease the waiting period from 30 days to 14 days. I do wish there was better data to understand this and how it will impact our UI fund, and to look and see how the models in New York and New Jersey are working before we take this step, said Democratic Sen. Josh Becker of Menlo Park during the debate. Becker noted that he spent the first two years in the Legislature on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee investigating the Employment Development Departments bungling of unemployment claims during the pandemic. One thing is clear we are in desperate need of unemployment reform, and I hope we start that conversation in earnest in the fall. Portantino said hes committed to working on a reform effort next year, but that the condition of the fund shouldnt keep the Legislature from helping striking workers in the meantime. This conversation about SB 799 has actually put the fund at the forefront of the conversation, he said. Were going to deal with that piece as well. One criticism from Republicans and the business community is that paying unemployment benefits to workers who strike would give them more of an incentive to walk off the job. Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli, from Corona, has argued that taxpayer dollars shouldnt be used to pay people who have jobs but are simply choosing to not work them. The Senate labor committee analysts pointed out that the maximum unemployment insurance benefit that a worker could receive is $450 per week. Considering the median weekly income of a Californian is roughly triple that amount, a worker is not likely to be incentivized to go on strike simply because they can get UI benefits, the analysis read. Lawmakers in both the Assembly and Senate also raised questions about the states ability to accurately administer the additional benefits. The Employment Development Department, which operates the unemployment insurance program, came under harsh criticism during the COVID-19 pandemic for its mishandling of the large surge in claims, many of which ended up being fraudulent. Those missteps earned the department a classification as a high risk agency by the state auditors office last month. Lets not take our concerns about EDD, about our funds, out on people who need the help right now, said Assemblymember Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, on the Assembly floor earlier this week. Only a handful of strikes this year including the actors and writers strikes have lasted longer than 14 days, according to Cornell Universitys Labor Action Tracker. Additionally, a report from the National Employment Law Project, a labor advocacy group, pointed out that the number of striking workers who would be newly eligible for benefits would likely comprise a fraction of the claimants who apply for benefits due to job loss. The number of potentially eligible striking workers simply pales in comparison to the overall pool of UI claimants, including the 157,000 workers who are, on average, laid off each month, the groups report read. A representative of the Writers Guild of America spoke in favor of the bill before the Senate labor committee Wednesday morning, reminding members that studio executives in Hollywood have openly acknowledged their strategy of letting the union bleed out before resuming talks in the fall. The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses, said one studio executive to Deadline, the online Hollywood news site, in July. An employer shouldnt be able to use deep desperation to force movement at the table, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, leader of the California Labor Federation, previously told The Bee. The organization is a main sponsor of the bill, and Gonzalez Fletcher led previous efforts to expand unemployment benefits to workers on strike. The Bee Capitol Bureaus Mathew Miranda contributed to this story. By Joe Cash and Liz Lee BEIJING (Reuters) -China will impose sanctions against U.S. aerospace and defence firms Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin for providing weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday. The sanctions are being enacted under China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing. "We urge the U.S. side to effectively abide by the one-China principle... cease U.S.-Taiwan military liaison and stop arming Taiwan, or else it will be subject to a resolute and forceful retaliation by the Chinese side," she said. Mao named Lockheed Martin Corp's branch in Missouri as the prime contractor that was directly involved in an arms sale to Taiwan on Aug. 24 and said Northrop Grumman has repeatedly participated in the sale of weapons to Taiwan. China has applied sanctions on U.S. companies over selling weapons to Taiwan on numerous occasions before, and it is not immediately clear how they work or what they are intended to achieve given that neither company sells to China. U.S. President Joe Biden last month approved the transfer of up to $80 million in funds to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing programme, according to a notification sent to Congress. The sanctions were imposed during a week of busy military activity around the democratically-governed island, in which a Chinese naval formation led by the aircraft carrier Shandong passed within 60 nautical miles (111 km) of Taiwan's southeast. Taiwan has also reported dozens of Chinese fighters, bombers and other aircraft flying into its air defence zone this week. Beijing views the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a breakaway province that must accept Chinese sovereignty and has never renounced the use of force to achieve that goal. China's wide-ranging law to counter foreign sanctions came into force in 2021 in an apparent move to legalise tit-for-tat retaliation against punitive actions taken by foreign countries. It has extraterritorial reach and is part of a suite of laws Beijing has introduced in recent years that analysts say may enable China to police countries' behaviour towards it beyond its shores. (Reporting by Joe Cash, Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christian Schmollinger) Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has reportedly made friends with ex-Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah in prison. 39-year-old Holmes was convicted in January 2022 on four counts of fraud and conspiracy for lying about the capabilities of her biotech companys blood testing technology and conning investors out of millions of dollars. 49-year-old Shah pleaded guilty to fraud charges in July last year following her involvement in a telemarketing scam. Both women are incarcerated at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, where Holmes is sentenced to 11 years and Shah is sentenced to six and a half years. Theyre friends. Theyre both rehabilitating and have bonded over being on this journey of positive change, Shahs representative, Chris Giovanni, told People magazine on Thursday (14 September). Their situations brought them together, and they have a good understanding of one another. Theyre getting through it together. Giovanni added that Shah has taken on a mothering role towards Holmes, who gave birth to her second daughter this year. Jens given her a lot of advice. Shes even met Elizabeths baby and held her, Giovanni said. Elizabeth Holmes (left) and Jen Shah (Getty Images/Bravo) Holmes is also a regular at the fitness classes that Shah conducts, called Sha-mazing Abs, according to Giovanni. Jen gets all the ladies together and they rally behind her while she teaches them fitness moves, and Elizabeth has been there right along with them, he said. Holmess lawyer did not immediately respond to The Independents request for comment. In July, The Independent reported that Holmess prison sentence had been shortened by nearly two years. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) database shows Holmes projected release date is 29 December 2032, nine years and seven months after she reported to the minimum security Camp Bryan federal prison in Texas on 30 May this year. According to the BOP, prisoners can be granted early release for good behaviour, completion of substance abuse programmes or receive credit for productive activities. The spokesperson told The Independent that every inmate earns a sentence discount of 54 days per year for every year they are deemed to have met good conduct requirements under the First Step Act. Similarly, Shahs sentence has been reduced twice since she entered prison on 17 February. She was originally scheduled for release in mid-2029; however, records now reportedly show her release date as 1 July 2028. Holmes and her former partner and Theranos COO Ramesh Sunny Balwani, who was convicted at a separate trial of 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy, were also ordered to repay victims $452m. She claimed to have developed medical devices that could diagnose hundreds of diseases and medical conditions with just a pinprick of blood. But when it emerged that the blood testing technology didnt do what she claimed it did, the company imploded and she was charged with fraud and conspiracy in 2018. Holmes continues to appeal her sentence and conviction from behind bars. The Department of Energy has committed to two new environmental restoration projects at the Hanford nuclear site rather than pay a fine that at one time was more than $1 million. The Washington state Department of Ecology had issued the penalty because it said DOE was not giving it direct access to important information and data about environmental contamination at the reservation. As a regulator at the Hanford site, it said it should be allowed access to electronic documents that many DOE employees and its contractor employees can routinely see and should have a way to search the information in DOEs main records repository, the Integrated Document Management System. A search would help it determine what documents have information it needs, the Department of Ecology said. Instead, the Department of Ecology said when it issued the penalty in early 2020 that it sometimes had to wait weeks or months for paper documents it determines it needs. That was a change from earlier years when information was provided promptly, it said. An employee of the Washington state Department of Ecology, a Hanford site regulator, takes a close-up look inside the Tank-Side Cesium Removal Systems process enclosure in September 2021. DOE said in a statement Thursday that it has consistently provided information requested by the Department of Ecology needed for the state to issue permits for cleanup work. Earlier it said that granting Ecology unfettered access to any database it independently identities would upset the balance of the Tri-Party Agreement. Hanford access negotiated The settlement agreement does not allow direct access to Hanford electronic databases, but DOE will set up a separate repository for Ecology with documents that the state agency needs for inspections to make sure environmental cleanup and monitoring meets legal requirements outlined in the Tri-Party Agreement. The Tri-Party Agreement reached in 1989 by DOE and its regulators Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency governs cleanup of the Hanford site. The 580-square-mile site in Eastern Washington adjacent to Richland is contaminated with radioactive and hazardous chemical waste from the past production of nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program during World War II and the Cold War. Hanford was used to produce plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program during World War II and the Cold War. Environmental cleanup is underway now. Ecology officials have said they need quick access to information such as piping diagrams, tank inspection reports, problem evaluation reports and safety procedures. Among the projects that Ecology regulates are Hanfords aging underground tanks storing 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste. Tanks built as early as WWII are prone to leaking waste into the ground beneath them. Were pleased to reach agreement with Energy on a solution that gets us what we need, said Laura Watson, director of the Department of Ecology. Our job is to protect the people and environment in Washington, she said. In order to do our job, we need access to basic documents the U.S. Department of Energy is required to provide. DOE said the agreement settles the dispute about access to DOE electronic data in a mutually acceptable outcome. The settlement comes more than four years after the Department of Energy was accused by the state of missing a Tri-Party Agreement deadline related to policies for sharing Hanford information. The agreement has regularly been updated through the decades with new deadlines and requirements negotiated and added to address issues. DOE also was out of compliance with two other sections of the agreement, allowing the state to fine it $30,000 for every week it was out of compliance. The state issued a fine of just over $1 million at the start of 2020, and DOE appealed to the Washington state Pollution Control Hearings Board. DOE penalty reduced The board found in the Department of Ecologys favor on all counts, said David Bowen, manager of Ecologys Nuclear Waste Program, but reduced the fine to $540,000 in May 2022. As DOE appealed that decision, the state and federal agencies entered negotiations and the case was paused. DOE must set up the new repository of Tri-Party Agreement information by the end of 2024, under the requirements of the new agreement. Part of the center of the 580-square-mile Hanford site is shown in June 2022 with the vitrification plant in the foreground. But some documents and data are being added immediately to the repository, Bowen said. Thats better than continuing litigation with no access, the state decided. Routine electronic access to databases and reports became an issue for DOE due to medical privacy laws and the increasing threat of identity theft, which were not addressed in the Tri-Party Agreement. The Department of Ecology found it was waiting to have documents cleared after an initial request, and then if the documents were needed again a few years later it had to wait on the same clearance process again. Once information has been added to the new repository, it will not have to be cleared again, Bowen said. In negotiations, state and federal officials have worked to better define what information is relevant to Tri-Party Agreement requirements, he said. To settle the $540,000 fine, DOE has agreed to a project that will control weeds and conserve habitat across the Hanford site and it also will restore some of the Gable Mountain area at Hanford. Gable Mountain holds an important place in the culture of area tribes. Tribes and bands, including the Wanapum, Yakamas, Nez Perce and Umatillas, have wanted Gable Mountain restored to its condition before settlers and tribes were made to leave as the federal government took over land for Hanford during WWII. The two projects are projects that DOE was not previously required to do, Bowen said. Without the agreement the fine paid by DOE would go into a general Washington state account. Maleesa Mooney, a model and real estate agent, was found dead in her LA apartment (Maleesa Mooney / Nest Seekers ) Before a 31-year-old woman was found dead in her Los Angeles apartment, her family suspected foul play due to indicators from her iPhone and laptop. The family of Maleesa Mooney started becoming anxious when they couldnt get ahold of her last week. They noticed that the iPhone messages they sent to her changed from blue bubbles to green bubbles, which usually indicates that the messages have not been received. Police conducted two welfare checks at her home, according to KABC. The first occurred late last week while the second occurred on Tuesday, during which police found her body in her downtown Los Angeles apartment. Mooneys family believes she was murdered, according to the outlet. Were supposed to grow old together, Mooneys sister Jourdin Pauline told the publication. Thats not supposed to happen to her. She then pointed to Mooneys other Apple products, which gave indications that something was amiss. Whoever did it stole her belongings, because theyre trying to sell her iPhone and her MacBook, Ms Pauline added. Her iCloud had an alert like she was on. Ms Pauline described her Mooney as the most amazing girl ever. Mooneys sister posts tribute (Jourdin Pauline / Instagram) Shes so kind, shes so genuine, shes so loving, she said. To have someone do what they did to my sister, to that caliber, is sick. Its demented. Ms Pauline also posted a heartfelt tribute to her sister writing, This is so sick I cant believe my baby big sister is gone...the reason Im me is because of you!!! She added, Im still waiting for a call to tell me this isnt real. Eleanor Davenport described Mooney to The Independent as her best friend. She said they would talk on the phone for hours, describing Mooney as her twin sister since they are just four months apart in age. Mooney was one of the smartest people Ive ever met but also had a big heart and was always sharing love with people, Ms Davenport added. Mooneys best friend posted a photo of her after the news broke (Eleanor Davenport / Instagram) Ms Davenport met Mooney in the modeling industry. She recalled that Mooney just seemed to know how to act and helped me adjust to LA as a model. The 31-year-old model added that she had never met someone like her who was so welcoming to a nobody from Kentucky, referring to herself. She provided some background on her best friend, saying Mooney had been homeschooled and worked as a real estate agent when she wasnt modeling. Mooney dated celebrities, like G-Eazy, Ms Davenport said, and was so popular, noting that the model was always on her phone. LAPDs homicide bureau is now investigating the incident. The LAPD told The Independent on Thursday that there is no suspect at this time. Mooneys neighbours are also distraught over the news. It is scary... Im just right down the hall, neighbour Kristin Verduin told KABC. The coroners office has not yet determined the cause of death. The third Republican presidential primary debate will be held in Miami in early November, sources familiar with the event tell CNN. NBC News and Salem Media are in talks to host the Miami debate, according to two people familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for NBC News declined to comment. CNN has reached out to Salem Media. The third debate will follow the first 2024 GOP gathering in Milwaukee last month and the second debate scheduled to take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on September 27. The debates could play an increasingly crucial role as Republican candidates vie to be seen by primary voters as the partys top alternative to former President Donald Trump. Trump, who has maintained a large lead in national and early-state primary polls, skipped the first debate and told former Fox News host Megyn Kelly that while he would participate in potential general election debates with President Joe Biden, he is unlikely to debate his GOP rivals. I dont see it, Trump told Kelly in an interview released Thursday. Why would I do it? Still, the debates represent the best opportunities for Trumps Republican opponents including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who would be on home turf in the third showdown to reach a national audience. The Republican National Committee has not yet announced the debate-qualifying criteria for the Miami event. The partys minimum thresholds to make the stage increased from the first debate to the second one jumping from a minimum of 40,000 donors to 50,000 donors and at least 1% in three national or two national and two early-state polls to at least 3% in two national polls or one national and two early-state polls. A signed pledge committing to supporting the eventual Republican nominee was a requirement for the first debate and will be again for the second.. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A survey conducted by Fox News found that in the three weeks since the first Republican presidential primary debate, former President Trump has widened his lead. Despite not participating in the August GOP debate hosted by Fox News, Trumps support has strengthened, and his margin as the Republican front-runner has increased, Fox reported. Unless something changes, this is Trumps race to lose, said Daron Shaw, a Republican pollster for Fox News. The survey found that 60 percent of Republican primary voters support Trump, which is up from 53 percent in Foxs survey conducted before the August debate. Some of Trumps biggest gains come from women (+10), voters under age 45 (+9), white evangelicals (+8) and white men without a college degree (+8), the survey found. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saw a decline in support since the debate. The survey found support for DeSantis, who has generally been running second to Trump in polls, fell from 16 percent to 13 percent. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy held his third-place slot at 11 percent. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley won 5 percent, while former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) both won 3 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received 2 percent. When voters were asked to name their second choice if Trump exited the race, polling showed a tight contest between DeSantis and Ramaswamy, with each hovering at 30 percent support in that scenario. Voters who said they would definitely support Trump increased since June, the survey found, rising from 58 percent of supporters to 68 percent. Ramaswamy and Haley also saw increased support in this category. Christie garnered the most negative reaction from GOP voters; 53 percent said they would never support him. Support for Trump is so strong in the Republican primary that any signs of growth among his rivals also spurs backlash among Trump loyalists, said Chris Anderson, a Democrat. Its increasingly difficult to see a winning pathway out of primary for anyone not named Trump. President Biden widened his lead in the Democratic presidential primary, too. He increased his support from 64 percent in August to 71 percent in the new Fox poll. The next Republican debate is Sept. 27 and will be hosted by the Fox Business Network. Updated Friday at 4:27 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google has given a small group of companies access to an early version of Gemini, its conversational artificial intelligence software, The Information reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Gemini is intended to compete with OpenAI's GPT-4 model, according to the report. For Google, the stakes of Gemini's launch are high. Google has intensified investments in generative AI this year as it plays catch-up after Microsoft-backed OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT last year took the tech world by storm. Gemini is a collection of large-language models that power everything from chatbots to features that either summarize text or generate original text based on what users want to read like email drafts, music lyrics, or news stories, the report said. It is also expected to help software engineers write code and generate original images based on what users ask to see. Google is currently giving developers access to a relatively large version of Gemini, but not the largest version it is developing which would be more on par with GPT-4, the report said. The search and advertising giant plans to make Gemini available to companies through its Google Cloud Vertex AI service. Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Last month, the company introduced generative AI to its Search tool for users in India and Japan that will show text or visual results to prompts, including summaries. It had also made its AI-powered tools available to enterprise customers at a monthly price of $30 per user. (Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) Children near a park were nearly purposely hit by an 18-year-old accused of reckless driving, Colorado officials said. On Sept. 11, the man was seen quickly leaving Aqua Vista Park in a gold SUV after he was accused of almost hitting 20 kids, according to a Sept. 13 Facebook post by the Aurora Police Department. Surveillance footage from a nearby home shows the car speeding towards a group of kids, police said. Officers said, even though not shown in the video, there were more kids walking to a school bus or in the park. Children were crossing the street, and others were on the sidewalk, police said. One of the kids was almost hit when the car accelerated toward them as they were crossing the street, officers said. Police have located the car and are determining possible charges, officials said. The Aurora Police Department asks the public to call 720-913-7867 if you have any information on the incident, officials said. Aurora is 10 miles east of Denver. Wrong-way driver going over 100 mph says he was meeting friend for sex, Utah cops say Car with only 3 tires reached speeds of 95 mph on I-95, Florida cops say Motorcyclist was driving 100 mph before crash that killed pedestrian, Georgia police say North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin convened at a rocket launch facility in the Russian Far East on Wednesday in their first summit in four years. After visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin decided to show Kim his armoured Aurus limousine, inviting him to take a seat inside. Their meeting location shows that Putin is ready to share Russian rocket and space technology with Pyongyang in exchange for access to North Korea's arms stockpiles for the war in Ukraine. The talks between the two leaders were expected to focus on expanding military cooperation amid their intensifying confrontations with the West. Emergency teams are working to find survivors and retrieve bodies after a massive flood hit Libyas northeast three days ago, killing at least 11,000 people and leaving 10,000 missing. Eyewitness footage shared on social media showed the devastation after the floods, with collapsed rooftops and tumbled cars amid the rubble of destroyed infrastructure. Satellite images showed buildings in the worst-hit city of Derna destroyed by water and sand. The coastal citys shores appeared to have been severely eroded. At least 11,300 people are dead in Derna, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Saturday, revising an earlier estimate, and about 170 people had been killed outside Derna. In Derna alone, at least 10,100 people are missing, the UN report explained. Local rescue teams continue to search for the missing, according to state media. More than 30,000 people have been displaced, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya said on Wednesday. Relatives of those still missing told CNN they are terrified. Others who learned of their families tragic fate are devastated. One resident of Tobruk, a city to the east, told CNN that eight of his relatives died in the flooding in Derna. My wife Areejs sister and her husband both passed away. His whole family is also dead. A total of eight people are all gone, Emad Milad told CNN. Its a disaster. We are praying for better things, Milad said. Libya has been riven by political turmoil since civil war erupted in 2014, and now has two rival governments, the eastern parliament-backed government in Benghazi and the internationally recognized government in Tripoli. Each has reported conflicting numbers for victims following the catastrophic floods in the country. CNN is unable to independently verify the number of deaths or those missing. Heres what we know so far: Where did the flood hit? The flood hit Libyas northeast, which lies on the Mediterranean coast. The worst-hit city is Derna, which sits some 300 kilometers (190 miles) east of Benghazi, the second-largest city in the country. A city of roughly 100,000 people, Derna sustained heavy damage. Whole neighborhoods are believed to have been washed away, according to authorities, and emergency response workers say that hospitals are no longer operational. Morgues are stacked to capacity and dead bodies have been left on the sidewalks outside, Osama Aly, spokesperson for the Emergency and Ambulance Service in Libya, told CNN Tuesday. The flooding was also exacerbated by the collapse of two dams, which sent water rushing towards Derna, authorities said Tuesday. Whos in control in Libya? Libya is particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters as it has no unified government, but two rival administrations that are locked in a political standoff following a civil war that began in 2014. The country has been in chaos since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Today, two warring parties are vying for control of the country. The UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, sits in Tripoli in northwestern Libya, while its rival is controlled by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), who support the eastern-based parliament led by Osama Hamad. A man sits on a damaged car, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit eastern Libya, on Tuesday. - Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters Derna and the surrounding cities hit by the flood fall under the control of Haftar and his eastern government, which isnt recognized by the international community. Analysts have said that climate forecasts gave warnings days before the storm hit Libya, but that authorities in the east did not act quickly enough. The inadequate response, analysts said, also comes from Libyas lack of preparedness in addressing natural disasters, something that the LNA spokesman in the east, Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, acknowledged on Tuesday. Libya and the eastern authorities are not equipped to handle this level of damage, Al-Mismari told Al-Arabiya TV Tuesday, adding that at least three different specialist rescue teams are needed. Whats happening with aid? Several countries have said they are sending humanitarian aid to Libya, including Egypt, the UAE, Turkey, Italy and Algeria. Analysts have said that the politically fragmented situation in Libya only complicates rescue missions and international aid delivery. Countries have to decide whether they will send aid to the capital, or to Haftars rival administration in Benghazi. Most countries have so far sent their aid to Benghazi, the closest major city to Derna and its surrounding towns. Algeria, however, sent its aid to the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, some 1,000 miles away. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya doesnt affect their operations. We have a good relationship with officials in both governments, he said. How did the flood happen and what role did climate change play? The torrential rainfall that has devastated Derna and other cities in Libyas northeast is the result of a very strong low-pressure system, which brought catastrophic flooding to Greece last week before moving into the Mediterranean and developing into a tropical-like cyclone known as a medicane. As ocean temperatures around the world soar off the charts due to planet-warming emissions, the temperature of the Mediterranean is well above average, which scientists say fueled the storms heavy rainfall. Flooding in the city of Derna, in eastern Libya on Tuesday. - Jamal Alkomaty/AP While no formal attribution of the role of climate change in making storm Daniel more intense has been conducted yet, it is safe to say that the Mediterranean Sea surface temperatures have been considerably above average throughout summer, Karsten Haustein, climate scientist and meteorologist at Leipzig University in Germany, told the Science Media Center. The warmer water does not only fuel those storms in terms of rainfall intensity, it also makes them more ferocious, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A text from Mitt Romney to Mitch McConnell in the hours leading up to the January 6 siege of Congress by a violent mob of Donald Trumps supporters ended up predicting accurately both the attack itself and the threat posed by DCs National Guard contingent reporting to the man accused of dispatching the mob itself. It was revealed in an excerpt of Atlantic reporter McCay Coppinss new book on the departing US senator, slated for upcoming release. Romney: A Reckoning, is set to be a biography of the Republican centrist and the most revealing look yet into his experiences within a Trump-controlled Republican Party. The text message, spurred by a warning from fellow senator Angus King, is an eerie look at just how accurately federal law enforcement agencies were in their predictions and intelligence-gathering in the leadup to January 6 and in the end, how little it mattered. In case you have not heard this, I just got a call from Angus King, who said that he had spoken with a senior official at the Pentagon who reports that they are seeing very disturbing social media traffic regarding the protests planned on the 6th, Romneys text read, according to Coppins. There are calls to burn down your home, Mitch; to smuggle guns into DC, and to storm the Capitol. I hope that sufficient security plans are in place, but I am concerned that the instigatorthe Presidentis the one who commands the reinforcements the DC and Capitol police might require. His prediction was dead on the money. For hours during the attack on the Capitol, a severely outnumbered force of Capitol Police officers faced off against thousands of violent rioters and saw themselves pushed back into the halls of the congressional complex itself. At one point, a woman was shot while attempting to breach a barricade protecting the floor of the House where lawmakers were huddled in fear for their lives. DC National Guardsmen showed up three hours after the attack began, after dozens of police officers had been injured some severely. One officer suffered two strokes and died eight hours after being sprayed with a chemical irritant during the attack, and four officers died by suicide in the months following. While Pentagon officials have testified that reinforcements were not deliberately held back by Department of Defense officials during the attack, the fact remains clear that Mr Trump himself (whom the DC Guard contingent reports to) did not issue a directive to send them as the attack began and held off for hours himself before issuing a recorded statement asking the attackers, his supporters, to leave peacefully. Mr Trump now faces criminal charges, the first case of a US president to do so, for his efforts to alter the results of the 2020 election and block Joe Biden from taking office after his challenges all failed in court. A handful were brought by the Department of Justice, and another set have been filed by prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia. A first-term senator, Mr Romney announced on Wednesday that he would decline to seek reelection for a second term in 2024. Since taking office, he has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of Donald Trump within the GOP, and supported both pushes for Mr Trumps impeachment in 2020 and 2021. This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. Almost a decade ago, many in Washington were trading some version of the same text message to each other as they watched a 90-minute documentary called simply Mitt: Where the heck was this Mitt Romney when he ran? It was an entirely fair question. Romneys 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns were confounding, contradictory, and ultimately calamitous exercises in misreading both a candidates true self and the electorates tolerance for perceived inauthenticity. Although almost 61 million Americans voted for Romney as the GOP nominee in 2012, that left him with 47% of the popular vote and just 206 of the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the biggest prize in American politics. While Romney dutifully defended his advisers and accepted the blame for his and his campaigns errors, he also had in his back pocket all of the footage collected by a documentary crew of both of his short-in-the-end efforts. The resulting Mitt showed a goofy grandfather, a decidedly decent man, and an earnest pol who just wanted to help his country, dating back to his first try for the Senate in 1994. The film introduced Americans to an infinitely more likable and relatable figure, qualities that maybe shouldnt matter when picking a national CEO but they do. But the image correction was a beat too late, being created with the understanding between Romney and the filmmaker, Greg Whiteley, that it would never see the light of day until he was done running foror beingPresident. Well, by 2014, that seemed entirely likely. Romney conceded his 2012 loss and seemed ready to return to private life. After six yearsmore, if you count his turn lining up friendships with donors as the head of the Republican Governors Association while leading Massachusettsof trying to get to the White House, it seemed Citizen Mitt was going to have his deserved retirement and do things going forward without fear of what a stumble even in private could do for his legacy. In the film, even Romney acknowledged the toll taken by his reputation as "the flippin' Mormon during his White House runs. Gone was, in his words, a quixotic question to unfix the publics mind: Youre not going to convince them that Dan Quayle is smart, or that Jerry Ford isnt a stumblebum. And it may be that Ive got to live with that. Oh, you flip on everything. In which case, I think Im a flawed candidate. Then, a curious thing happened. Donald Trump started to climb in the polls and heading toward the 2016 nomination, and Romney didnt much like what he saw. He spoke out against the radicalization of his fellow Republicans and gave an early warning against the path they were on. Romney was never again going to run for anything and could unload his real thoughts. Two years later, he used his continued critique of Trump to win a Senate seat from Utah, becoming the first person since Sam Houston to serve as Governor of one state and a Senator from another. It was an unexpected return for someone who had for so long seemed stymied by his inability to stop running the risk-reward tables in his head. But Romney now had the luxury of having won a Senate seat with 71% of the primary vote and 63% of the general election balloting. Romney was in deep-red Utah, a state that Trump carried in 2016 with just 46% of the vote. Then, something even more curious happened: the same Democrats who spent close to $100 million in outside money to bury his 2012 presidential dreams suddenly found themselves cheering him on. The same Establishment Republicans who found him a phony in 2008Who let the dogs out? comes to mindand insufferable in 2012 suddenly had someone who was willing to say what they were all thinking about Trump. Romney was the lone Republican to vote for conviction during Trumps first impeachment trial, became an important negotiator for deals with Joe Bidens White House, and stood-in as a moral core for what conservatism could ideally stand for and against. Here, it seemed, was an entirely reasonable Republican, someone not bewitched by Trumpism or unbowed by the mean tweets. Unmoored to his political ambition, Romney could be as authentic as he wanted to be. During the White House campaigns, he was dogged by his record: yes, he passed a forerunner to Obamacare; he changed his position on abortion rights; his foreign policy proved fungible at times. In the Senate, that didnt much matter. After voting against Bidens nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to a seat on the D.C. federal appeals court, he later reversed himself and joined those who voted her onto the Supreme Court. Romney could do what he saw as the right thing, even when it put him afield of the present Republican Party and even his own voting record. He no longer feared the flip-flopped label. But in embracing Romney, D.C.s elite proved their equally audacious inconsistency. The man they pilloried was now a hero, the candidate they crushed came back as a Lazareth deserving a second life. (In this analogy, of course, the same Washington insiders double as a deity here.) No one seemed to mind that Romneys once-dogmatic fear of what the folks at the conservative think tanks might be saying about him had melted to admirable compromise. It was impossible to despise someone who spent hours huddled over draft legislation that ultimately gave Democrats major wins in exchange for concessions sought by mainstream Republicans in the bipartisan infrastructure billeven if Romney was unbending in his opposition to a big spend on mass transit. And, once they got to know Romney as more than the guy who once strapped a kenneled family dog to the roof of the station wagon, they actually found they could do business with someone who sees the balance sheet as a solid barometer. So when Romney announced on Wednesday that he would finish his current term in the Senate but open the door for someone else come 2025, those same voices who had in the past mocked the predictably had nothing but praise for their future former colleague. Fawning tributes poured in and it was as if Henry Clay himself were taking a final tour. It was the height of insta-amnesia, convenient if hackneyed. Ultimately, it may not matter what those voices think or say. In the end, Romney found comfort in his own skin, confidence in his own character. The skittishness was gone, but so was his belief that he alone could fix what ails this country or even his own party. Finally recognized as the fair-minded patriarch of one of the great families in the Mormon faith, he can head to spend time with his five sons and their children. In leaning into the Romney that the country belatedly met in Mitt, he finally got to Washingtondecades after his first tryas his true self. In embracing Romney, much of Washington also revealed their true fickle selves. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter. Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com. Illustration: Lex Villena University of Virginia (UVA) student activist Zyahna Bryant is back in the news again, after facing backlash over a partnership with Dove. The 22-year-old announced in August that she was working with the soap company to promote "fat liberation." Following coverage from the New York Post, the Daily Mail, and even a comment from Elon Musk, calls to boycott the company have been growing, and "#BoycottDove" was trending on Twitter as of Friday afternoon. It's not surprising that Bryant would be an online target. As Reason revealed in an April investigation, she made serious accusations that ruined a young woman's life without sufficient evidence. But canceling her is still both wrong and unhelpfulas are nearly all instances of cancel culture in action. In 2020, Bryant publicly accused fellow student Morgan Bettinger of telling a group of Black Lives Matter protesters that they would "make good speedbumps"sparking a social media firestorm that resulted in widespread calls for the university to expel Bettinger. For her own part, Bettinger has consistently claimed that she never spoke to protestors, instead saying that a truck driver who had been sent to block the road during the protest had begun a casual conversation with her, during which she quipped something to the effect of "it's a good thing that you are here, because otherwise, these people would have been speed bumps." A university investigation later found "insufficient evidence" for Byrant's claims, even concluding that it was "more likely than not" that Byrant never even heard Bettinger make a "speed bumps" remark at all. Despite the inquiry's results, the university allowed Bettinger to be punished anyway, holding to the results of an earlier student-run tribunal which expelled Bettinger in abeyance and forced her to complete a litany of other sanctions. The previous student tribunal found Bettinger guilty of "threatening" UVA students, despite appearing to agree with Bettinger's facially nonthreatening version of events. Last month, Bettinger filed a formal lawsuit against the university, claiming that school officials violated her First Amendment rights and that administrators "purposefully tampered" with the numerous investigations into Bettinger's conduct to ensure she would be punished for obviously protected speech. "Despite their personal knowledge that multiple University investigators had concluded that Morgan was innocent of the charges against her," the lawsuit reads, "[University officials] persecuted, prosecuted, and punished Morgan Bettinger." Now that Bryant has received a Dove sponsorship, those outraged by her baseless accusations against Bettinger have been fomenting an internet firestorm by attempting a Bud Lightstyle boycott of the company's products. Reason has consistently argued that internet mobs are a terrible way to find the truth and get justice for those who have been wronged. What's happening here is blatant cancel culturea concerted effort to destroy someone's personal and professional prospects over a single past incident or comment without any capacity for forgiveness. Witnessing how an internet pile-on utterly shredded a young woman's life and reputation offers little evidence that these kinds of outrage campaigns can do any good. If anything, this mob will only leave Bryant feeling justifiably aggrieved. While Bryant did far more than mere political wrongthinkshe actively lobbied for another student's expulsion and displayed little remorse once the reality of the situation emergedviciously attacking her (or mounting a boycott of a soap company) won't help Bettinger repair her tarnished reputation. In fact, if attempts to boycott Dove work, they will distract from what actually happened to Bettinger. They turn her story into a culture-war meltdown and lump her in with online trolls who consider attacking someone's physical appearance a key component of political discourse. Yes, Zyahna Bryant thoughtlessly ruined Morgan Bettinger's life by slinging baseless allegations in the public square. But getting to the truth of what happened that day in July 2020and getting justice for Bettingerwon't be accomplished by a nasty, tribalistic internet mob. The post Morgan Bettinger's Accuser Has a Deal With Dove. That's No Reason To Boycott. appeared first on Reason.com. UPDATE: Overland Park city officials say they were starting termination procedures against Frank Donchez when he decided to resign. Read the latest news. Frank Donchezs ability to effectively lead one of the largest police forces in Kansas was called into question just a few years into his time as chief of the Overland Park Police Department. Four years after moving to Kansas, one of Donchezs officers shot and killed John Albers, 17, who was experiencing a mental health crisis. The police shooting was highly publicized and criticized, causing some in the community to lose faith in the chief. Some even called for him to resign, which he eventually did on Tuesday after a terse conversation with the teens mother, Sheila Albers, who has been an activist since her sons death. Her own investigations have shed light on how the department handled the shooting. Top city officials have not responded to questions about whether Donchezs resignation was connected to that incident. Donchez told The Washington Post on Wednesday evening that he was not forced to resign and that he left because of family matters, rather than because of Albers. Absolutely. I resigned, Ive got a lot of things going on back home in Pennsylvania and that is drawing me back home, to be with family, he told The Post. My conversation [with Albers] was my conversation. Obviously we havent seen eye to eye for five-and-a-half years. I guess I didnt expect that was going to change anytime ever. But questions continue to surround Donchezs abrupt departure. Some who know him spoke highly of a leader who cared deeply for his community and his faith. Others say he failed to regain the trust of the community he served. We believe in honest and transparent government; that starts with leadership. The resignation of Chief Donchez gives the city of Overland Park a new opportunity to ensure those values are present in the person they select for this essential role, Lora McDonald, with MORE2, a local civil rights organization, said in a statement Wednesday. Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez resigned Tuesday from his post, according to the city. No reason was provided for his resignation. Overland Park Police Department Donchez had a challenging tenure for reasons other than the handling of the Albers shooting. In 2019, Donchez faced criticism after defending an officer who handcuffed and arrested a Shawnee Mission eighth-grader who formed her fingers into a pretend gun and aimed at her classmates. Ill take the heat all day long for arresting a 13-year-old, Donchez told The Star in October 2019. Im not willing to take the heat for not preventing a school tragedy. In 2020, The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas accused the Overland Park Police Department for an overly reactive and militarized response to a Black Lives Matter protest. In February 2021, two police officers filed a lawsuit alleging Donchez discriminated and denied promotions on the basis of age, gender and race. The suit was dismissed, but during the course of litigation, they were awarded promotions. More than a year ago, four Overland Park police officers were placed on paid administrative leave; their status remained unchanged Wednesday. The Johnson County District Attorneys Office has said it is investigating criminal allegations involving a police nonprofit where three of the officers served as directors. Donchez has so far declined an interview with The Star. Sheila Albers continues to seek justice for her son, John Albers, 17, who was was shot and killed by Overland Park police officer Clayton Jenison during a welfare check at the familys home in Overland Park in 2018. Albers seeks an investigation of Police Chief Frank Donchez. A friend of Albers created the portrait of John from a photo taken at a family wedding. Tammy Ljungblad/tljungblad@kcstar.com His resignation comes about a year after Lori Curtis Luther took over as city manager. Bill Ebel retired in spring 2022 after 11 years in the citys top role, during which Donchez was hired. Luther and Mayor Curt Skoog have not responded to requests for comment. McDonald, with MORE2, said she hopes that they will include community engagement as a critical element of the search process for a new Overland Park Chief of Police. A pastors view of Frank Donchez Pastor Darwin Neal in his many years working at a moving company, rarely had a paying customer stop to chat. But Donchez did. The two met in 2014, as Neal helped unload a moving truck in front of Donchezs new home in Overland Park when he took over as police chief. Neal said Donchezs love for people was immediately obvious. But what they quickly bonded over was their faith in Jesus. Neal, in addition to being a pastor at Anointed House of Glory Church in Martin City, is also a chaplain for the Grandview Police Department. Reached by phone Thursday, Neal had nothing but glowing reviews of Donchez, who he said is more like a brother to him than a friend. Soon after they met, Donchez invited Neal to join him in pastoring to prisoners at Lansing Correctional Facility south of Leavenworth. They made the trip north about once a month until the pandemic hit, Neal said. He shared hope for a better life, even where they are, and a better life when they get out, and a new direction, Neal said. Theres no better man that I could ever think of to have the responsibility of law enforcement than that man. He also invited Donchez to speak at his church a few times, as well as at Trinity Temple Church of God in Christ in Grandview, one of the largest Black churches in the metro. One evening in 2016, while at Trinity, Donchez spoke about the need for more minority police officers in the metro area, saying it could help bring communities and police closer together, Channel 41 reported at the time. Hes infectious in the way that he deals with minorities, said Neal, who is Black. Neal texted Donchez on Tuesday evening, when he saw the news, to say he was praying for him. They spoke over the phone Thursday, and Neal said its his impression Donchez stepped down as the result of the conversation with Albers. Being a leader means, if someone else makes a mistake, their mistake is your responsibility, Neal said. I believe thats why he quit. He felt a personal responsibility for the actions of one of his officers. He added that if someone asked Donchez to go a mile for them, hed go two. Overland Park has lost a servant to the community, Neal said. Career in law enforcement Donchez began his law enforcement career in 1981 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, working his way up the ranks to police chief. He then spent several years as police chief in Davenport, Iowa. Craig Malin, a former Davenport city administrator who was Donchezs supervisor, said the former police chief improved the department throughout his tenure and decreased crime in the city by about a third. During the interview process, Malin said he and a few other Davenport officials traveled to Bethlehem to meet with Donchezs references in person. At the time, Donchez was working as a lawyer in private practice after several years as a police commissioner. Donchez introduced Malin to his past co-workers at the Bethlehem Police Department, and they greeted him with hugs like he was a long lost brother. No one had a bad word to say about Donchez, Malin said. His hiring in Davenport was controversial at first among some officers, who thought someone from within the department deserved the position. But Malin said Donchez quickly won the department over. He was a very straightforward gentleman, Malin said. He was supportive of employee development. He had high expectations for their performance, but he was empathetic and caring and people understood that he was there for the broad public mission of law enforcement. Donchez always looked for new ways to learn and improve. After starting his career in Bethlehem law enforcement, he earned his law degree and practiced for a few years. Later, he also got his pilots license and once flew with Malins son to help him earn a Boy Scout aviation merit badge. I literally trusted the life of my son to him, Malin said. An abrupt resignation On Wednesday afternoon, the city issued a new statement, saying Donchez submitted his resignation to Luther, the city manager, on Tuesday. Meg Ralph, an Overland Park spokeswoman, provided no reason for his departure, saying the city does not comment on personnel information. The citys statement Wednesday also described an encounter Monday between Donchez and Albers, the mother of the teen killed by police in 2018. After Mondays city council meeting, Albers and Donchez had a heated exchange, according to Wednesdays email from the city. John Albers, 17, was shot and killed by Overland Park police officer Clayton Jenison during a welfare check at the familys home in Overland Park in 2018. His mother Sheila Albers seeks an investigation of Police Chief Frank Donchez. Courtesy of Sheila Albers On Jan. 20, 2018, Overland Park police were called to a welfare check at the Albers home. As the teenager was backing the family minivan out of the driveway, officer Clayton Jenison fired 13 shots at him, striking him six times. Jenison said he feared for his life and opened fire after the teen ignored commands to stop. The shooting resulted in a $2.3 million wrongful death settlement. After the shooting, Sheila Albers and her husband organized an advocacy group JOCO United with goals of improving how police respond to people in mental distress and of increasing government transparency. Albers became a vocal advocate for police reform, critiquing police use of force even before the high-profile deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Albers raised questions about the team that responded to her son and about a $70,000 severance paid out to Jenison. Jenison was allowed to resign under ordinary circumstances, according to a form submitted to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, which licenses police officers in the state. Late Monday night, Albers sent an email to Luther and Skoog recounting her conversation hours earlier with Donchez. She asked him about an interview he did shortly after the shooting, saying Jenison had left the department before he could be reprimanded or encouraged to leave. According to CPOST records, Jenison left on March 4, 2018, about six weeks after he shot John Albers. I pushed Donchez hard on the lies he told in that interview and his response was asking me if I have ever lied before. I told him I have not lied in a professional setting like that, she wrote. He then said, I am sure you and Steve tell everyone you were the best parents. She replied, John struggled with his mental health. According to her email, Donchez replied, And you left him at his time of need. Email from Sheila Albers to Overland Park's city manager and mayor by The Kansas City Star on Scribd In her email, she claimed Donchez told her that he will keep being the Chief until he retires and I can keep hoping he is not. She ended the email by saying she said what needed to be said and did not need the city to do anything. The city appointed Deputy Chief Simon Happer to serve as interim police chief until officials can conduct a national search to hire a new police chief. The Stars Katie Moore contributed reporting. By Julia Payne and Alan Charlish BRUSSELS/WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend its ban on imports into Ukraine's five EU neighbours. Ukraine was one of the world's top grain exporters before Russia's 2022 invasion reduced its ability to ship agricultural produce to global markets. Ukrainian farmers have relied on grain exports through neighbouring countries since the conflict began as it has been unable to use the favoured routes through Black Sea ports. But the flood of grains and oilseeds into neighbouring countries reduced prices there, impacting the income of local farmers and resulting in governments banning agricultural imports from Ukraine. The European Union in May stepped in to prevent individual countries imposing unilateral bans and imposed its own ban on imports into neighbouring countries. Under the EU ban, Ukraine was allowed to export through those countries on condition the produce was sold elsewhere. The EU allowed that ban to expire on Friday after Ukraine pledged to take measures to tighten control of exports to neighbouring countries. The issue is a particularly sensitive one now as farmers harvest their crops and prepare to sell. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday countries should refrain from unilateral measures against imports of Ukrainian grain, but Poland, Slovakia and Hungary immediately responded by reimposing their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports. They will continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian produce. "As long as Ukraine is able to certify that the grain is going to get to the country of destination, through the trucks and trains, the domestic use ban is not really going to put a dent in Ukraine's ability to get exports out," said Terry Reilly, senior agricultural strategist for Marex. He noted that disruptions to Black Sea exports are a bigger concern. It is unclear how much Ukraine has pledged to restrict exports or how the new bans would impact the flow of produce from Ukraine. The issue has underscored division the EU over the impact of the war in Ukraine on the economies of member countries which themselves have powerful agriculture and farming lobbies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the EU's decision not to further extend the ban on Kyiv's grain exports, but said his government would react "in civilised fashion" if EU member states broke EU rules. But the three countries argue their actions are in the interests of their economies. "The ban covers four cereals, but also at my request, at the request of farmers, the ban has been extended to include meals from these cereals: corn, wheat, rapeseed, so that these products also do not affect the Polish market," Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said in a statement posted on Facebook. "We will extend this ban despite their disagreement, despite the European Commission's disagreement," added Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki. "We will do it because it is in the interest of the Polish farmer." Hungary imposed a national import ban on 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including grains, vegetables, several meat products and honey, according to a government decree published on Friday. Slovakia's agriculture minister followed suit announcing its own grain ban. All three bans only apply to domestic imports and do not affect transit to onward markets. SOLIDARITY LANES The EU created alternative land routes, so-called Solidarity Lanes, for Ukraine to use to export its grains and oilseeds after Russia backed out of a U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal in July that allowed safe passage for the cargo ships. The EU Commission said existing measures would expire as originally planned on Friday after Ukraine agreed to introduce measures such as an export licensing system within 30 days The EU said there was no reason to prolong the ban because the distortions in supply that led to the ban in May had disappeared from the market. The EU said it would not impose restrictions as long as Ukraine exercises effective export controls. Farmers in the five countries neighbouring Ukraine have repeatedly complained about a product glut hitting their domestic prices and pushing them towards bankruptcy. The countries, except Bulgaria, had been pushing for an extension of the EU ban. Bulgaria on Thursday voted to scrap the curbs. Romania's government, which unlike its peers did not issue a unilateral ban before May, said on Friday it "regretted that a European solution to extend the ban could not be found." Romania said it would wait for Ukraine to present its plan to prevent a surge of exports before deciding how to protect Romanian farmers. Romania sees over 60% of the alternate flows pass through its territory mainly via the Danube river and its farmers have threatened protests if the ban is not extended. For the last year, Ukraine had moved 60% of its exports through the Solidarity Lanes and 40% via the Black Sea through a U.N. brokered deal that fell apart in July. In August, about 4 million tonnes of Ukraine grains passed through the Solidarity Lanes of which close to 2.7 million tonnes were through the Danube. The Commission wants to increase exports through Romania further but the plan has been complicated by Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure along the Danube and near the Romanian border. (Reporting by Julia Payne and Alan Charlish; additional reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague and Karol Badohal in Warsaw, Boldizsar Gyori, Krisztina Than in Budapest; Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; Luiza Ilie in Bucharest and Tom Polansek in Chicago; writing by Nina Chestney; editing by Simon Webb, David Evans, Alistair Bell and Grant McCool) A horse slipped and fell 300 feet down a ravine in a horrific trail riding accident in Colorado, officials said. A 23-year-old rider was hurt in the accident on the Shadow Canyon Trail on Wednesday, Sept. 13, officials with the Boulder County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. The trail is part of the City of Boulders Open Space and Mountain Parks. She was riding along the trail with a friend when her horse slipped on a loose rock and fell downhill, officials said. The rider was thrown off as the horse started sliding down a steep scree slope, officials said. The other rider tried to calm the panicked horse, but it tried to get up and slid even farther down the ravine, officials said. The horse slid 300 feet below the trail and came to a stop in a creek, officials said. The rider who was thrown from the falling horse injured her leg but managed to walk a short distance to a rescue vehicle, officials said. Rescuers drove her out to the trailhead where paramedics evaluated her, officials said. She determined she didnt need further medical care. A veterinarian who was called to evaluate the horses injuries determined the horse wouldnt survive and said the most humane thing to do would be to put the horse down, officials said. They euthanized the horse and rescuers helped remove the horses body from the ravine and take it back to the trailhead. Hearts & Hooves Livestock Services took over at the horse owners request, officials said. Horse falls through rotted wooden bridge in Washington. See the dramatic rescue Horse frightened by storm gets stuck in a pool, photos show. Then NC rescuers show up Disturbing photos show stuck horse up to neck in mud. Fortunately rescuers had a plan The trio were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai (Surrey Police/PA) (PA Media) The father, stepmother and uncle of Sara Sharif have been charged in the murder of the 10-year-old, Surrey Police said. Sara was found dead in her family home in Woking on 10 August. A post-mortem examination revealed that she had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period of time. Her father Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, all of Hammond Road, Woking, have been charged in the case. The trio have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of the child. All three have been remanded in custody to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on Friday. All three flew to Pakistan a day before Sara was found dead at a home in Woking. They were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport after they disembarked from an Emirates flight from Sialkot, in eastern Punjab province in Pakistan, via Dubai. The police said at the time that they were being taken into custody for questioning and that Saras birth mother, Olga Sharif, was informed of their arrest. Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Saras death at this very difficult time, Surrey Police said after their arrest. Five of Saras siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to Pakistan on 9 August with Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik. They were found by police in Pakistan on Monday at the home of Mr Sharifs father, and have since been taken into care. alien corpses presented in mexico (Reuters) Supposed aliens found in Mexico make no sense, a scientist has said, and are lacking in proof. This week, strange looking, humanoid bodies were presented in Mexicos Congress. They were claimed to be extraterrestrial, and immediately kicked off internet excitement that the first ever alien remains had been found. But scientists have been quick to point out that there is no good evidence that the remains are real and that they might not be bodies at all. Even others who had taken part in the same hearings criticised the reveal as an unsubstantiated stunt. At the Congress hearings, Mexican journalist Jose Jaime Maussan presented two boxes with supposed mummies found in Peru, which he and others consider non-human beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution. The shrivelled bodies with shrunken, warped heads left those in the chamber aghast and quickly kicked up a social media fervour. Its the queen of all evidence, Maussan claimed. That is, if the DNA is showing us that they are non-human beings and that there is nothing that looks like this in the world, we should take it as such.But he warned that he didnt want to refer to them as extraterrestrials just yet. The apparently desiccated bodies date back to 2017 and were found deep underground in the sandy Peruvian coastal desert of Nazca. The area is known for gigantic enigmatic figures scraped into the earth and seen only from a birds-eye-view. Most attribute the Nazca Lines to ancient indigenous communities, but the formations have captured the imaginations of many. In 2017, Maussan made similar claims in Peru, and a report by the countrys prosecutors office found that the bodies were actually recently manufactured dolls, which have been covered with a mixture of paper and synthetic glue to simulate the presence of skin. The report added that the figures were almost certainly human-made and that they are not the remains of ancestral aliens that they have tried to present. The bodies were not publicly unveiled at the time, so it is unclear if they are the same as those presented to Mexicos congress. On Wednesday, Julieta Fierro, researcher at the Institute of Astronomy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, was among those to express skepticism, saying that many details about the figures made no sense. Fierro added that the researchers claims that her university endorsed their supposed discovery were false, and noted that scientists would need more advanced technology than the X-rays they claimed to use to determine if the allegedly calcified bodies were non-human. Maussan has done many things. He says he has talked to the Virgin of Guadalupe, she said. He told me extraterrestrials do not talk to me like they talk to him because I dont believe in them. The scientist added that it seemed strange that they extracted what would surely be a treasure of the nation from Peru without inviting the Peruvian ambassador. Congressman Sergio Gutierrez Luna of the ruling Morena party, made it clear that Congress has not taken a position on the theses put forward during the more than three-hour session.Believing or not was up to each member of the legislative body, but those who testified had to swear an oath to tell the truth. Gutierrez Luna stressed the importance of listening to all voices, all opinions and said it was positive that there was a transparent dialogue on the issue of extraterrestrials. After the hearings were over, Ryan Graves a former US fighter pilot who has described unexplained encounters with flying objects said that he had been disappointed by who he had shared a stage with. He said that he had accepted the invitation hoping to keep up the momentum of government interest in pilot experiences with UAP. Unfortunately, yesterdays demonstration was a huge step backwards for this issue, he wrote on Twitter. I will continue to raise awareness of UAP as an urgent matter of aerospace safety, national security, and science, but I am deeply disappointed by this unsubstantiated stunt. Popular scientist Brian Cox also said that the supposed corpses were way too humanoid. Its very unlikely that an intelligent species that evolved on another planet would look like us. Secondly - send a sample off to 23andme - let alone the University down the road - and theyll tell you within 10 minutes, he wrote on Twitter. Additional reporting by Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Volunteer members of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard could be seen on the streets Friday in western Iran as the country neared one year since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody, prompting protests that challenged the country's theocratic rule. In Tehran, Iran's capital, and other cities, the public noticed a heightened presence of police and security forces that went unreported by the country's state-run and semiofficial media. The demonstrations over Aminis death on Sept. 16, following her arrest by the countrys morality police for allegedly violating the country's mandatory headscarf law, represented one of the largest challenges to Irans theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A security force crackdown that followed saw over 500 people killed and more than 22,000 people detained. Irans theocracy is trying hard to both ignore Saturday's anniversary and tamp down on any possibility of more unrest. Video shared by Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group, showed what the group described as volunteer members of the Revolutionary Guard, known as Basij, in the city of Sanandaj on Friday. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the videos, though they resembled the wider region around Irans Kurdistan province, the same area where Amini was buried. Irans government, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has blamed the West for fomenting the unrest, without offering evidence to support the allegation. However, the protests found fuel in the widespread economic pain that Irans 80 million people have faced since the collapse of Irans nuclear deal with world powers after then-President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled America from the accord. International pressure remains high on Iran, even as the administration tries to deescalate tensions with other nations in the region and the West after years of confrontation. From the White House, President Joe Biden issued a lengthy statement on Friday acknowledging the anniversary of Amini's death, while the United States also issued new sanctions on Iranian officials and entities. Jill and I join people around the world in remembering her and every brave Iranian citizen who has been killed, wounded or imprisoned by the Iranian regime for peacefully demanding democracy and their basic human dignity, Biden said. Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but, the United States remains committed to standing with them including providing tools to support Iranians ability to advocate for their own future. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also noted the anniversary as he announced new sanctions targeting Iran's minister of culture and Islamic guidance, as well as Tehran's mayor and a police spokesman. A year on from Mahsa Aminis tragic death at the hands of Irans Morality Police, I commend the bravery of Iranian women as they continue to fight for fundamental freedoms," Cleverly said in a statement. Todays sanctions on those responsible for Irans oppressive laws send a clear message that the U.K. and our partners will continue to stand with Iranian women and call out the repression it is inflicting on its own people. SEOUL (Reuters) - Senior diplomats and defence officials of South Korea and the United States agreed on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is a serious violation of U.N. sanctions and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay. The officials, meeting in Seoul to discuss "extended deterrence" against growing threats from North Korea, called on Moscow to show responsibility as a permanent member of the Security Council. "We agreed to work together to ensure there is a price to pay for the grave violation of Security Council resolutions," South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin told a news conference. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is visiting Russia this week and met President Vladimir Putin to discuss military cooperation, the war in Ukraine and Russian help for North Korea's satellite program. U.S. Under Secretary of Defence Sasha Baker said the allies will identify, expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment for the war in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the summit between the increasingly isolated Moscow and Pyongyang was aimed at allowing Russia to acquire ammunition from the North to supplement its dwindling stocks. Chang and U.S. Under Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins also said any use of nuclear arms by the North against the South would be met with a swift and overwhelming response. (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Hyonhee Shin and Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) A body found in the trunk of a car parked outside a popular Korean bathhouse revealed abuse and deceit at the hands of a self-proclaimed religious group, Georgia police said. Police were called to Jeju Sauna in Duluth on Sept. 12 after a 911 caller said there was a body in the trunk of a silver Jaguar parked outside, McClatchy News previously reported. Inside was the decomposing body of a woman in her 20s or 30s, Gwinnett County police said in a Sept. 14 news release. Detectives believe 26-year-old Eric Hyun drove the car and parked it in the bathhouses parking lot sometime earlier, according to the release. Hyun then called a family member to come and pick him up and take him to the hospital for what police said are unrelated injuries. While there, Hyun asked the family member to grab an item from the Jaguar, according to the release. The family member found the body in the trunk and called 911, police said. Officers and detectives searched a home in Lawrenceville that they said was associated with Hyun and found a bloodied basement floor, according to crime scene photos shared by police. The woman, who has not been identified pending the notification of her death to her family in South Korea, was lured to the United States sometime over the summer by a group calling themselves the Soldiers of Christ, police said in a Sept. 14 news conference streamed by WAGA. She came to the U.S. intending to join the group, police said in the news conference, but when she arrived she was put in the basement and beaten. She was starved for weeks, and at the time of her death she weighed just 70 pounds, according to police. Police said they believe she died sometime in late August, according to the news conference, and was in the trunk of the Jaguar for a few days. The womans official cause of death is still under investigation, but the medical examiner said malnourishment was a contributing factor to her death, according to the release. Hyun was taken into custody in the hospital, police said at the news conference. Police identified the other members of the Soldiers of Christ that were living at the home, including three brothers. Gawom Lee, 26, Joonho Lee, 26, Juoonhyum Lee, 22, Hyunji Lee, 25, and a 15-year-old were all taken into custody. The brothers include two adults and the teenager, and one woman charged is a girlfriend of one of the brothers, police said in the news conference. Hyun also lived at the home for a period of time, police said, but was not related to the other members of the Soldiers of Christ. All six religious group members were charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another, police said. Police said in the news conference they do not believe the family member that found the body is involved, and they have not been charged with a crime. Police have not found evidence of any other victims, they said in the news conference, and they believe all people involved have been charged. The investigation is ongoing. The home is n Lawrenceville, about 15 miles from where the womans body was found in Duluth and about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta. Cult followers starved to meet Jesus and death toll keeps climbing, Kenya cops say Womans toes grew back because of prayer, Missouri pastor says. Website wants proof Pastor ran theft ring that stole at least $1.4M from Home Depot, Florida officials say Youth pastor filmed kids bathing at Texas church, feds say. Hes going to prison The Texas Congressional Delegation, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the State Department, the Pentagon and the Embassy of China all held meetings with a particular group visiting Washington this week. The groups members were not international geopolitical power brokers yet they were the top students at International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas), a charter school with 23,000 students across 22 campuses. The school teaches its students Mandarin Chinese and Spanish on top of the regular curriculum, part of an attempt to forge global leaders with Texas roots. The economic, the cultural connection between Texas and Mexico is extremely important. When we started the school at the time, all of the commerce flying into the Dallas Fort Worth airport, the highest dollar value was between Texas and China, said Eddie Conger, the schools superintendent and founder. So why wouldnt we create a system where our kids are learning the language and learning the culture for us to be stronger Americans? Conger, a former Marine infantry officer, schoolteacher and principal, started ILTexas in 2012 aiming to prepare students for public service with a global perspective; the schools motto is Others Before Self. On the global stage, the logical focus was on China, but Conger said Texass ties to Mexico were not lost on him. Texas, you know, theres a pretty big country just south of Texas, he said. Since the schools foundation, Mexico has surpassed China as the United Statess top trading partner, in part because of the pandemic, and in part because of the USMCA partners two-way trade that contrasts with the large trade deficit across the Pacific Ocean. And for many of ILTexass students, theres a personal connection. Just like Texas, about 50 percent of our students are Hispanic. We have a larger share of African Americans; about 30 percent are African American. Then the remaining is some white, with some Asian students, as well, Conger said. So I would say for the most part, looks like Texas. The top 3 percent of students were recruited for this weeks Washington trip, where they bridged a diplomatic gap not often traversed in Washington, meeting both with U.S. national security officials and Chinese officials. What Ive asked both sides is: Why is this charter school having to be the one to fill the gap? Conger said. Because when Im in China, and I talk with folks in the Ministry of Education there, they keep saying it is important for people-to-people cultural, the cultural language exchange. When Im at the U.S. State Department, thats exactly what they say. Though only the top 3 percent of students got to experience a taste of high-stakes cultural diplomacy, Conger touted ILTexass success rate overall, adding that some challenges remain. One hundred percent of graduates have received an acceptance to a four-year degree. What were still struggling with is getting all of the kids who have that four-year college acceptance, to get them there. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Kevin Krolicki and Steve Holland DETROIT (Reuters) -The United Auto Workers union launched simultaneous strikes at three factories owned by General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis on Friday, kicking off the most ambitious U.S. industrial labor action in decades. The walkouts at the Detroit Three will halt production of the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck, along with other popular models, though the action was smaller than some expected, with roughly 12,700 workers striking at the outset. The action caps weeks of clashes between the union and Detroit Three executives over union demands for a bigger share of profits generated by combustion trucks, and stronger job security as automakers shift to electric vehicles. The automakers' previous contract expired at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, and there will be no negotiations on Friday, the UAW said. Union President Shawn Fain said the union will hold off more costly company-wide strikes for now, but all options are open if new contracts are not agreed. President Joe Biden, who faces re-election next year, called for the auto companies to reward workers just as executives' salaries have risen. "No one wants a strike, but I respect workers' right to use their options," Biden said, echoing statements from union leaders. He said that until now, these profits "have not been shared fairly" with workers. Dozens of workers picketed the main entrance at Fords Michigan assembly plant in Wayne on Friday. Many passing drivers blew their horns in solidarity, including a police car and a car marked Ford Security. Workers said they have been hurt by a series of changes to their contract and work rules over the past 15 years which have shifted risks to "tier two" workers. Those employees can make only half the hourly wages of senior UAW workers and face a longer climb to reach the highest pay under the expired contract. None of the Detroit Three has proposed eliminating those tiered wage systems - a key UAW demand. There are times when I look in my pantry, I look in my fridge and I dont know how Im going to feed my family, said Gerry Gunn, 38, who started at Ford six years ago and was on the picket line on Friday in Wayne. Executives say the union's asks would make the automakers uncompetitive against other nonunion rivals. "We still have a ways to go with the offer they put on the table last night," said GM CEO Mary Barra on "CBS This Morning" on Friday. In addition to Ford's Wayne plant, the strikes are taking place at assembly plants operated by GM in Wentzville, Missouri, and by Stellantis' Jeep brand in Toledo, Ohio. Those plants produce some of the automakers' most profitable vehicles. Friday's walkout was smaller than some analysts expected, but workers in Michigan supported the plan. "Keep the other plants open," said Sofus Nielsen, a 29-year Ford veteran, outside the Wayne plant. "This way we can be out here longer and hurt them more. Targeted walkouts could limit the cost of strike pay to the UAW, which has an $825 million strike fund. The automakers have built up billions thanks to robust profits from the trucks and SUVs UAW members build. Stellantis has more than 90 days' worth of Jeeps in stock, and has been building SUVs and trucks on overtime, according to Cox Automotive data. But a week-long shutdown at the Toledo Jeep plant could cut revenue by more than $380 million, based on Stellantis financial reports. Biden on Friday said acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and adviser Gene Sperling will travel to Detroit to offer support for talks. Ford stock was up 0.2% in New York on Friday, while GM shares gained 1.2%. Stellantis shares closed up 1.9% in Milan. COST HIKE FEARS The UAW has said it wants a 40% raise, while the automakers have offered up to 20%, but without key benefits demanded by the union. The automakers have said the union's demands would create an unsustainable financial situation and leave them exposed to losses in coming years. Fain has rejected the automakers' assertions, saying the companies have spent billions on share buybacks and executive salaries. Ford said the UAW's latest proposals would double its U.S. labor costs and make it uncompetitive against Tesla and other nonunion rivals. A walkout could mean that UAW profit-sharing checks for this year would be "decimated," it said. Stellantis said it had immediately gone into "contingency mode" and would take structural decisions to protect the company and its North American operations, without elaborating. Fain said earlier this week that Stellantis had proposed shutting as many as 18 U.S. facilities. GM said on Thursday that the UAW wage and benefits proposals would cost the automaker $100 billion, but did not detail how the union proposals would result in that cost, or over what time frame. While Biden is pouring billions in federal subsidies into expanding electric vehicle sales, this shift could threaten combustion powertrain jobs. The UAW has not endorsed his re-election. Biden's likely opponent, former president Donald Trump, on Friday criticized the shift to EVs as a job-killer for the UAW. (Reporting by Joseph White and Kevin Krolicki in Detroit, David Shepardson and Steve Holland in Washington, Peter Henderson in San Francisco and Mehr Bedi in BengaluruEditing by David Gaffen, Alexander Smith and Matthew Lewis) (This Sept. 14 story has been refiled to correct the spelling of 'of' in paragraph 16) (Reuters) - Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has been missing from public view for more than two weeks, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter. The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny. Eight senior officials from the Chinese military's procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation, according to two of the people in direct contact with the military. The probe into Li, who was appointed as defence minister in March, and the eight officials is being carried out by the military's powerful disciplinary inspection commission, those two people said. Reuters' detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defence leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters Friday that she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and the Defence Ministry did not immediately return requests for comment. Li could not immediately be reached. The Financial Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials, that the U.S. government believes Li has been placed under investigation. The Wall Street Journal cited a person close to decision making in Beijing as saying he had been taken away last week for questioning. The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports that U.S. intelligence officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Friday posed the question on X, formerly Twitter, whether Li was under house arrest. The U.S. embassy in Tokyo did not immediately have further comment. Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29 giving a key-note speech at a security forum with African nations. Earlier that month, he also visited Russia and Belarus. The probe into the minister started shortly after his return from that trip, according to a person in direct contact with the military and two foreign security officials briefed on the case. By Sept. 3, his ministry had cancelled a visit by Li to Vietnam for an annual defence meeting between the two countries scheduled for Sept. 7-8, according to a Vietnamese official. Beijing told officials in Hanoi that Li had a "health condition" when it postponed the event, two Vietnamese officials said. Li's failure to attend that meeting, and talks with a senior Singaporean military official in China the same week, raised questions among regional diplomats and social media users about his whereabouts. The probe into Li follows China's unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged absence from public view and a shake-up of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army's elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional and nuclear missiles. Chinese officials initially said Qin's absence was also due to health reasons. The moves have raised questions from some observers and diplomats about the abrupt changes in China's leadership at a time when its economy is struggling to recover from strict pandemic closures and its relations with the United States have further soured over a range of issues. Both Li and Qin were seen by observers of Chinese politics as handpicked by President Xi Jinping, making their absence after less than a year on the job particularly notable. The two men had prominent public-facing roles and also serve among China's five state councillors, a post outranking a regular minister. "CLEAN UP" IN MILITARY PROCUREMENT In July, the military's procurement unit took the highly unusual step of issuing a notice that it was looking to "clean-up" its bidding process. It invited the public to report irregularities dating back to Oct. 2017, when Li was at its helm. He ran the unit until October 2022. When asked last month by reporters to comment about the whereabouts of two other former senior military leaders who had not been recently seen in public and if they were under investigation, a Defence Ministry spokesman said the military has "zero-tolerance for corruption", without denying the possibility that they were the subject of a probe. "We must always blow the horn, investigate every case, punish every instance of corruption and resolutely win the hard and protracted battle against corruption," the spokesman said. In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the military's then-new Strategic Support Force - an elite body tasked with accelerating the development of space and cyber warfare capabilities. He was then tasked the following year with heading the military's procurement unit. Li was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 over weapons purchases from Russia's largest arms exporter, Rosoboronexport. Beijing has repeatedly said it wants those sanctions dropped to facilitate better discussions between the Chinese and U.S. militaries. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sought talks with Li during a defence conference in Singapore in June, but did not get beyond pleasantries, according to a Pentagon spokesman. (Reporting and writing by Reuters newsroom; Editing by Katerina Ang and Daniel Flynn) The United Auto Workers union is set to go on strike at midnight Thursday, but workers at two major Kansas City employers dont know yet if they will be walking the picket lines. Shortly before the unions contract expires, the UAW is expected to announce which plants will be affected by the targeted strike. In Kansas City, Kansas, the General Motors Fairfax assembly plant produces the Chevy Malibu sedan and the Cadillac XT4 crossover SUV. It employs 2,234 people, according to a company website. In Claycomo, the Ford assembly plant produces F-150 pickup trucks and Transit vans. It employs roughly 7,250 people. The union and Detroits three automakers remain far apart in contract talks, the Associated Press reported Thursday afternoon. The UAW is demanding a 36% boost in pay and the automakers General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler have countered with offers that are roughly half of that increase. Late Wednesday, in an online address, UAW President Shawn Fain said the automakers continue to reject some of the unions demands. We do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifices and contributions our members have made to these companies, Fain said. To win were likely going to have to take action. We are preparing to strike these companies in a way theyve never seen before. The strike would be the first against all three companies at the same time in the unions 80-year history. UAW Local 249, which represents members at the Claycomo plant, posted Wednesday on X formerly known as Twitter instructions if a strike occurred. If the plant is struck, you will be instructed to leave the Plant by UAW Local Leadership, an attachment in the post read. Members were also given a strike schedule. In the event of a strike, all active members must participate in strike duties to be eligible for strike assistance, the attachment said. Your strike duties have been assigned to you by the Local Strike Committee. Participation may be picket duty, strike information classes or any other strike related assignment. Local union leaders could not be reached for comment Thursday. Ukrainian forces have recaptured a village near Bakhmut in a lightning operation after fierce fighting with Russian troops, the countrys military announced on Friday. The village Andriivka is six miles from the Russian-held town Bakhmut in Donetsk region, and has witnessed weeks of heavy fighting as part of Ukraines continuing counteroffensive. As a result of a lightning operation, the Russian garrison of Andriivka was surrounded, cut off from the main forces and destroyed, the Third Separate Assault Brigade said in its official Telegram channel, claiming to have eliminated the chief of intelligence, most combatants and almost all officers of Russias 72nd brigade along with their equipment. Now, after recovering and regrouping, the enemy has suffered a total failure, it said. The recapture of Andriivka is a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut and "key to success in all further directions", the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces said. A short while earlier the Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said the military had good news in the eastern front of the battlefield, adding that Kyivs forces were making gains near Bakhmut. We are moving forward in the Bakhmut direction. The main battles continue in the districts of Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Klishchiivka. And we have good news there Andriivka. The situation is very complex and changeable, we keep our fingers crossed, the deputy defence minister said in her official Telegram channel on Thursday evening. Overnight the minister claimed Ukrainian forces had retaken Andriivka, which falls south of Bakhmut, but the countrys Third Assault Brigade fighting in the region said the report was premature. Ms Maliar also said Vladimir Putins troops had sustained significant losses in attacks on key towns as Ukrainian forces are bolstering their efforts to capture clusters of villages in a drive towards the Sea of Azov. The Russian casualties had significantly reduced their ability to defend themselves, she said. Senior military officials said heavy casualties have been inflicted on Russian forces on the southern front, with over 600 deaths of Russian soldiers. The enemy, as a result of attempts to recapture at least some of the lost positions in the Tavria (south) direction in the last two days has lost 15 tanks and 12 armoured vehicles, Oleksander Shtupun, spokesperson for troops on the southern front, said on national television. Russian personnel losses stand at 665 over two days, he said. As part of a critical component of Ukraines four-month-old counteroffensive, the countrys forces are pushing southward with the aim to split a land bridge created by Russian forces between the Crimean peninsula and the areas Ukraine holds in the east. Russias defence ministry claimed its forces repelled eight attacks in the east in the hotly contested areas south of Bakhmut. Ukraines military confirmed attacks on two Russian patrol ships early on Thursday and said it destroyed a sophisticated air defence system in the west of occupied Crimea. President Volodymyr Zelensky marked a direct and rare celebration of the attacks on the Russian navy in his nightly address. The entire staff of the Security Service of Ukraine and our Navy should be specially commended for this. I thank you for todays triumph the destruction of the occupiers air defence system on the land of our Crimea. It is a very significant achievement, well done! Glory to all who fight for Ukraine! And thank you to everyone who helps! he said in his nightly address. The war-hit nation has been pushing back in the southern region and making increasing missile hits on the Crimean peninsula this week to challenge Mr Putins control in the Black Sea region. On Wednesday, Kyiv said it seriously damaged a Russian submarine and landing ship undergoing repairs in a missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The Italian city of Venice and its lagoon were not listed on UNESCOs World Heritage in Danger list during a meeting of the UN agency in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to Italys culture ministry. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee had warned earlier in July that Italy was not doing enough to protect the city from the threat of overtourism, development and climate change. It recommended that it be added to its heritage danger list. The Italian culture ministry welcomed the outcome of the UNESCO vote in Saudi Arabia, describing the attempt to register the city on the list as purely political. Great Victory at UNESCO Venice is not at risk, tweeted Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro on Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. The World Heritage Committee has decided not to add Venice to its "in danger" list. - Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images Struggles in Venice The city of Venice has made international headlines in recent years, including when a green blob discolored the Grand Canal and when a number of tourists were arrested for bad behavior. As part of its strategy to control tourism, the city of Venice recently adopted an entrance fee of 5 (about $5.35 US) for day-trippers starting next spring. The fee will apply to those who are not in rental properties or hotels and will start as a 30-day experiment. After the decision not to list the city on its in danger list, the World Heritage Committee noted that the site still faces major challenges and asked Italy to continue to protect the site. The World Heritage Committee is expected to start discussions on Saturday about which sites to add to its renowned World Heritage List. Venice was added to that list in 1987. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Three astronauts including American astronaut Loral OHara began their ascent into space on Friday after a successful launch. NASA joined with Russias space agency, Roscosmos, to launch the three astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko along with OHara assumed their voyage in a Russian spacecraft, the Soyuz MS-24, from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Over three hours, the spacecraft will move through two orbits before reaching the ISS. The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at theA BaikonurA Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan September 15, 2023. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) The scientists will participate in separate missions aboard the ISS: OHara will stay onboard for six months, and the two cosmonauts are to complete a year-long mission. They will relieve crew members of the ISS Expedition 70, who were scheduled to return to Earth six months ago, Space.com reported. The delay was a result of a leak onboard the ISS forcing OHara to wait half a year before taking her first flight into space. (bottom-top) Russian Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and US NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, members of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 70-71 main crew, board the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft ahead of the launch in the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 15, 2023. (Maxim Shipenklov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) The latest expedition is taking place as tensions between the U.S. and Russia have reached dizzying heights. The ISS was launched in 1998 through the collaboration of the U.S. and 10 other countries, including Russia. The space station would see U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations improve following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Recently, however, it was the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that soured relations with Washington. NASA chief Bill Nelson said the U.S. would continue to work with Russia on the ISS, despite condemning the Kremlins actions in Ukraine. We are completely at odds with President [Vladimir] Putin's aggression, Nelson said, according to Reuters, adding that the relationship would continue until the ISS is decommissioned. It will begin to de-orbit in January 2031, and you can read more about it from Semafor here. Days after a conspiracy theory-filled committee hearing and years of attempts among Republican officials in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Wisconsins GOP-controlled state Senate voted on party lines to remove the states top nonpartisan election official from office. A vote to oust Meagan Wolfe on 14 September marks a dramatic escalation of Republican backlash in the still-smouldering aftermath of the 2020 election, as Donald Trumps ongoing baseless narrative of widespread voter fraud and manipulation continues to animate state-level attempts to seize control of the electoral process. Ms Wolfe was nominated to serve as the nonpartisan leader of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in 2019. The state Senate unanimously confirmed her position that year. But after Mr Trumps loss in the state in 2020, Republican lawmakers began demanding her resignation. This summer, the commission deadlocked on a vote to re-nominate Ms Wolfe for a second term, with three Democratic commissioners abstaining. That stalemate allowed Ms Wolf to remain in the position, triggering Wisconsin Republicans to seek her removal. A committee hearing in the state Senate last month included testimony from election conspiracy theorists and wild claims defending the former president and demanding Ms Wolfs arrest. That committee ultimately moved on party lines to send the motion for her removal to the full state Senate. Wisconsin Republicans attempt to illegally fire Wisconsins elections administrator without cause today shows they are continuing to escalate efforts to sow distrust and disinformation about our elections, denigrate our clerks, poll workers, and election administrators, and undermine basic tenets of our democracy, including the peaceful transfer of power, Democratic Governor Tony Evers said in a statement. Wisconsins Republican Senate President Chris Kapena, right, speaks with lawmakers before a vote to fire Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe on 14 September. (AP) The vote also came as Wisconsin Republicans threatened to impeach liberal state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, whose election to the states highest court has shifted the ideological balance, poised to redraft the states gerrymandering congressional districts a process that Wisconsin Republicans want to control. Ms Protasiewicz has yet to hear a single case. Republicans today demonstrated why they cannot be trusted with that important responsibility because they will threaten, intimidate, punish, and even attempt to illegally fire anyone who stands in the way of their relentless pursuit to retain political power, Mr Evers said in his statement. Meagan Wolfe (AP) Ms Wolfe is likely to stay on as the states chief nonpartisan election official, as state officials including Attorney General Josh Kaul doubt the legitimacy of Thursdays vote. Moments after the vote to remove her, Mr Kauls office filed a lawsuit seeking an order to declare Ms Wolfes lawful position with the Wisconsin Election Commission. The story today is not what the senate has purported to do with its vote. Its that the senate has blatantly disregarded state law in order to put its full stamp of approval on the ongoing baseless attacks on our democracy, he said in a statement announcing the case. We are going to court to minimize the confusion resulting from todays stunt and to protect a pillar of our democracy the fair administration of elections, he added. Her ousting is expected to trigger a legal battle to determine who will oversee the states elections in a battleground state that could determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. The governor has demanded the states Department of Justice provide immediate representation for Ms Wolfe. Nearly three years after 2020 elections, a movement amplifying bogus conspiracy theories and false narratives supported by Mr Trump and his allies continues to edge into state legislatures. A so-called election denial movement failed to gain any new ground in crucial 2022 midterm elections, but legislation to rewrite the rules of election administration to protect GOP officials continues to surface in state legislatures actoss the county, motivated by an election integrity campaign driven by bogus claims that the 2020 election didnt have any. Since 2020, an election denier has run for at least one of the top three statewide officers that oversee elections in at least 42 states, according to a new analysis from States United Action. At least 23 candidates who have denied the elections outcome or have elected conspiracy theories about elections are serving as either governor, attorney general or secretary of state in 17 states, the report found. In this years off-year election cycle, 11 election deniers are running for those officers in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. The Ocean Explorer vessel ran aground in Alpefjord (AP) A woman who was stuck onboard a luxury cruise ship that ran aground in the Arctic says her biggest concern was running out of alcohol. Luxury liner Ocean Explorer ran aground in Greenland on Monday 11 September with 206 passengers on board. The crews attempts to free the vessel were unsuccessful, and Denmarks Joint Arctic Command (JAC) had to coordinate a rescue to the remote area of Alpefjord. According to the JACs initial statement, the nearest help was far away, resulting in cruisers, who had paid between $14,000 and $33,000 for the bucket-list polar cruise, stranded for several days. The cruise ship was finally pulled free by a fishing research vessel, Tarajoq, on Thursday (14 September) morning. While waiting for the ship to be rescued, one passenger on board, Lis, joked to Nine News that running out of alcohol was her greatest fear. That is the biggest concern I have, she said. I had swimming lessons before I came and Im a good swimmer. So look out: I could be swimming back to Iceland. Fellow cruiser Tracey Varga told CNN most people on board stayed positive for the most part and were taking it in their stride, adding that there was no panic. Today theyre offering a towel-folding workshop to learn some towel origami, she said of crews valiant attempts to keep those onboard entertained. Passenger Debbie Brown agreed that morale onboard was reasonably good. All those on board, including crew, remain safe and well, other than three people who were placed in isolation after contracting Covid-19, according to Aurora Expeditions, the cruises operator. There have not been any injuries to any person on board, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull, SunStone, the Florida-based owner of the ship, said in a statement. We would like to thank our charterer Aurora Expeditions as well as all their passengers for an excellent cooperation in this unexpected and difficult circumstance. The vessel and its passengers will now be positioned to a port where the vessels bottom damages can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a port from which they can be flown back home. A young man and woman, who were caught and filmed having sex on a flight to Spain, were welcomed by police as they landed in Ibiza on Sept. 8. The incident took place on an easyJet flight from London's Luton Airport to the Spanish island of Ibiza, according to a spokesperson of the budget airline. "We can confirm that this flight from Luton to Ibiza on 8 September was met by police on arrival due to the behaviour of two passengers on board," an easyJet spokesperson told USA TODAY in an email. Video footage from the incident, which went viral on social media, shows an easyJet cabin crew member opening the door of the plane's lavatory to find a man and a woman engaging in the act. The discovery elicited a variety of reactions from fellow passengers who were heard screaming, laughing, and clapping in the video. Seemingly embarrassed by the incident, the crew member turned his back and looked away. 'Pepper spray incident': American Airlines flight from Miami to NYC diverted to Jacksonville A mother's reaction The mother of the young man caught in the bathroom told The Sun she was "stunned" to see the video. Its not something a mum wants to see." She said that her son was going to Ibiza to celebrate his birthday and that he was just having a good time. Youre aware these things are going to happen at the holiday destination, but you dont expect it to happen on the flight," said the mother. But hes a 23-year-old single lad on his birthday, going to Ibiza. Its a party plane. You just dont think about stuff sometimes. Yes, its embarrassing but I dont think they were doing anyone any harm. She said that her son had only met the girl at the airport before boarding the easyJet flight. They were all just having a good time in the airport and then this happened," said the woman. While it is not known if action was taken against the two, there is no law in the United Kingdom that explicitly deals with sex on a plane, according to The Independent. It is an offence intentionally to engage in sexual activities in a public lavatory under section 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2004. Under this law, it is illegal to have sex in a public bathroom. The law could apply to any U.K.-registered plane and would carry a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment and a fine. Meanwhile, the police in Spain have no record of the incident, reported The Sun. 'Biohazard issue': Diarrhea all the way through the airplane forces Delta flight to return to Atlanta 'Passenger disturbance': Passenger removed from United flight to LAX after trying to open cockpit, exit doors This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sex on a plane: Couple caught, filmed in the act on flight to Ibiza Sanctions on Iran related to an international nuclear treaty will be written into UK law to prevent them from being lifted next month. Britain, along with France and Germany, said the sanctions would remain in place due to continued non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) with Tehran. The sanctions due to be kept by the three European countries, known as E3, ban Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and bar anyone from buying, selling or transferring drones and missiles to and from Iran. The measures had been due to expire on October 18 as part of the multilateral nuclear deal struck eight years ago. The accord was negotiated in 2015 between Iran, the US, the UK, France, Germany, China, Russia and the European Union to prevent Tehran from developing atomic weapons. A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: Iran continues to breach its commitments under the JCPoA and advance its nuclear programme beyond all credible civilian justification. Alongside our French and German partners, we have taken a legitimate and proportionate step in response to Irans actions. The UK and our partners remain committed to a diplomatic solution, but Iran must now take clear steps towards de-escalation. We are committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Under the terms of the accord, Tehran agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Former president Donald Trump took the US out of the Iran nuclear deal (Brian Lawless/PA) In 2018, then-president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the pact. Iran then began breaking the terms a year later and is now enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, according to a report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog. The Middle East nation has violated the sanctions by developing and testing ballistic missiles and sending drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine. FCDO officials said the decision to write the sanctions into UK law do not violate the JCPoA and was fully consistent with the procedures defined within the treaty. London said Iran has consistently breached its obligations under the JCPoA, with the regimes enriched uranium stockpiles 18 times the limit set out in the agreement. The UK Government said that in March 2022 and again last month Britain and its partners offered Iran viable deals that would have defused the nuclear issue but said Tehran turned it down on both occasions. The sanctions will remain in place until Tehran is fully compliant with the deal, the E3 said. New surveillance video appears to show officers with the Transportation Security Administration stealing items from passengers' bags at Miami International Airport. Labarrius Williams, 33, Josue Gonzalez, 20, and Elizabeth Fuster, 22 were arrested on July 6 and charged with organized schemes to defraud. Fuster's charges have since been dropped, while Gonzalez and Williams also were charged with grand theft. Court records show that Gonzalez has been accepted into a deferred prosecution program and charges against him will be dropped if he meets the conditions of the program. Williams has pleaded not guilty and is set for a trial hearing on Oct. 23. The new video, obtained by USA TODAY on Friday, appears to show just how the alleged scheme worked. TSA firearm detections are on the rise: Here's what we saw at one of the airports with the most cases Video shows sleight of hand with wallet A TSA officer slipping his hand into a purse as it goes through a checkpoint at Miami International Airport. He was charged with grand theft and organized schemes to defraud. As passenger belongings sit in bins on a conveyor belt, Gonzalez and Williams appear to pocket several items, including cash, according to the video, released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. One clip shows Gonzalez sliding his hand into a purse, grabbing something and moving it behind a larger object in the bin, apparently out of view of passengers. Gonzalez appears to remove cash from what looks like a wallet. The men took as much as $600 from a wallet, according to the arrest affidavit, which says that Gonzalez, Williams and Fuster conspired to steal on multiple other occasions. Gonzalez and Fuster admitted to stealing $1,000 per day In a formal interview at TSA Command Center, Gonzalez and Fuster waived their right to remain silent and gave written statements confessing to being involved in various thefts, according to arrest affidavits. They admitted to stealing an average of about $1,000 a day while they worked together. Williams did not waive his rights and refused to speak with investigators, the affidavits said. Still from video of TSA officers charged with grand theft released by Miami-Dade State Attorney's office. None of their attorneys immediately responded to messages seeking comment from USA TODAY on Friday. The Transportation Security Administration holds its Transportation Security Officers to the highest professional and ethical standards and has no tolerance for misconduct in the workplace, the TSA told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. We actively and aggressively investigated these allegations of misconduct and presented our findings to (the Miami-Dade Police Department), and are working closely with them. Any employee who fails to meet our fundamental ethical standards is held accountable. TSA removed the officers from their screening duties pending the conclusion of the investigation and administrative actions. A Miami International Airport spokesperson declined to comment. Just in case: 10 things to keep in your carry-on in case of flight cancellation or delay This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami TSA agents appear to take passenger items, video shows 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. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. According to a survey conducted by MPG, a full member of Gallup International Association in Armenia, 22,5% of respondents in Yerevan have said they would vote for Civil Contract party (mayoral candidate Tigran Avinyan) in the upcoming City Council elections. 13,8% of respondents said they'd vote for National Progress party (mayoral candidate Hayk Marutyan). The survey was conducted by phone on September 12-13 among 802 people. MPG LLC Director Aram Navasardyan presented the results of the survey on September 15. Asked whom theyd vote for, 22,5% of respondents said for Tigran Avinyan, the current deputy mayor, while 14,3% said for Hayk Marutyan, the former mayor. Another 7,8% said theyd vote for Andranik Tevanyan from the Mother Armenia bloc, 6,7% said Artak Galstyan from Public Voice bloc, 5,7% said Mane Tandilyan from Aprelu Yerkir party. 5,2% of the respondents said theyd vote for Artak Zeynalyan from the Republic party, 3,8% supports Davit Khajakyan from Bright Armenia party and 3,6% said theyd vote for Viktor Mnatsakanyan from the Victory Party. Other candidates garnered from 1% up to 2,3% support in the survey. Citizens of Yerevan will head to the polls on September 17 to elect a City Council, which will then elect a mayor. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Frank Pallone has thanked U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez for holding a hearing on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). Thank you Senator Menendez for holding this extremely important hearing on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. This helped shed light on Aliyev's deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing that continues with Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, Pallone said in a post on X. In his words: "I am just a professional writer, which means I don't do blogs and try and get money for whatever I write." Ironically, the ideological embrace of the powers that want to change the name of India to Bharat is called Hindutva. Hindutva is a direct derivative of the name of the land of the Indus whereas Bharat derives from respected ancient Indian epic lore. (Image: Freepik) A stitch in Time repairs the past! If Paris was all Gay it wouldnt last; Pride Marches come before the Fall A Rolling Stone gathers wrinkles Bhagwan, bless us all From The Dancing of Mansingh, by Bachchoo I was induced by Sir Vidia Naipaul to accompany him to the inaugural editorial meeting of a frightful right-wing magazine called Standpoint. There were maybe 12 people of some repute gathered round a board table, including Nigel Lawson, the sometime chancellor of the exchequer in Margaret Thatchers government and the most distinguished personage, David Hockney. Daniel Johnson, the appointed editor, opened the discussion outlining the proposed magazines ultra-right stance, the ideological gap Standpoint was going to fill. As I listened in humble silence to the contributions, I noticed that Hockney was staring steadily at me. Then, apropos of nothing, he pointed to me at the other end of the table and interrupted the proceedings by asking me if I was Indian. I said I was. So, why have you changed the name of Bombay to Mumbai? he asked, a bit aggressively. Silence. Neither Johnson nor the others felt bold enough to stop Hockney going off on this absurd tangent. I supposed I had to answer and muttered something to the effect that it was to erase the colonial legacy inherent in the name and revert to what may have been the origin of Bombay from a patron goddess of the islands, Mumba Devi. I dont think Hockney was interested in my answer as he went on to remonstrate about the change in the names of Yorkshire counties. Though very many of my friends and acquaintances, old Mumbaikars, still use the name Bombay, I have no animosity towards calling the city the city of my paternal ancestors and my present base when I am in India after Mumba Devi. Names change: Britain is no longer called Albion; Madras becomes Chennai, Calcutta reinstates the Bengali pronunciation, current bigotry rids Allahabad of its Islamic connotations authority is the instrument of christening. The latest change proposed of India to Bharat leaves a few paradoxical puzzles. It was probably the Muslim invaders of India, the early dynasties and then the Mughals, who called the country Hindustan the land of the Hindus. This was an accurate description from their point of view. And when, through the evolutionary process that all languages undergo, the old Sanskritic and Prakritic languages, having acquired some words from the invading armys vocabulary, fashioned the Urdu tongue, the popular version was still known as Hindustani. The words Hindu, Sindhu, Hindi all owe their origin to the original name of the river Indus. Obviously. Hinduism has its origins in the same historical evolution. Ironically, the ideological embrace of the powers that want to change the name of India to Bharat is called Hindutva. This philosophy will, we must assume, still retain its name and not be changed to Bharatsutra, Bharatva or something derived from or related to the proposed new name of the country. Of course, the name-changers may not have noticed or care that Hindutva is a direct derivative of the name of the land of the Indus whereas Bharat derives from respected ancient Indian epic lore. Yes, names change or co-exist. The world outside refers to Deutschland as Germany. Mohammed Reza Shah, the monarch overthrown by the Islamic revolution of Ayatollah Khomeini, had decreed that the names Iran and Persia could both be used officially. My barber happens to be from Iran, and when we first struck up a conversation, as one does when having a trim, he asked me my name and when I told him, he said: So you are Muslim? I said: No, I am a Parsi, a Zoroastrian! Ah, he said, I want to be Zoroastrian. Really? I can tell you are from Iran, I said, staring into the mirror as he paused using his scissors and comb. Dont say Iran. I am from Persia, he said. I didnt ask him what ideology led him to prefer one name rather than the other. Neither did I go into any pedantic etymology about how the name Iran originated in the ancient Avestan language and was meant to indicate that the country so named was the land of the Aryan people. The word Persia derives from the words used by the Greek enemies of the Achaemenid empire of Iran under Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes. So why my hairdresser (a barber by any other name cuts as stylishly!) chooses the Greek name is mysterious. Perhaps he associates the word Iran with the fundamentalist Islamic regime that, he assures me, will be overthrown by a revolution in favour of modern democracy. He also assures me that the majority of Persians want to revert from Islam to Zoroastrianism but dare not declare this as, in the eyes and laws of the ayatollahs, this desire or determination is a capital offence. I didnt ask if using the word Persia to describe the country is a capital offence in Iran but my stylists use of it indicated that it was part of the defiance of the regime. I must take a Tube to the Aldwych to see if the Indian high commission at India House is now the Bharat high commission at Bharat House. The buildings name is engraved in stone, so the change may well take some effort, expenditure and time. by Sumon Corraya The death toll from last weeks devastating floods in Libya is estimated at 20,000, but it could rise. At least six Bangladesh migrants are among the dead. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi cargo plane loaded with medicines, food and basic necessities left for the North African country. Bangladeshi authorities have asked their Libyan counterpart to authorise their embassy staff to search for the missing. Dhaka (AsiaNews) Bangladesh is sending humanitarian aid to Libya following devastating floods that hit the North African country last week, killing perhaps up to 20,000 people. An AC-100J cargo plane of the Bangladeshi Air Force left the capital Dhaka with food, medicine and basic necessities for survivors of Cyclone Daniel, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the public relations division of the Bangladeshi Armed Forces, in a statement. Dry food, water purification tablets and emergency life-saving medicines are being sent as relief items provided by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in the said transport aircraft, said Air Vice-Marshal Fazlul Haque, one of those responsible for the aid operations. Meanwhile, Libya is waging a desperate race against time in search of missing people and survivors, amid shortages of food, fuel, drinking water, electricity, and adequate communications. The Government of Bangladesh wants to help the people affected by the floods in Libya following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas orders and in accordance with the governments policy of integrated development. Libya is home to more than 20,000 Bangladeshis. Many have come to work in the North African country, while others want to use it as a staging point to cross the Mediterranean on their way to Europe. At least six Bangladeshis reportedly died in the heavy flooding caused by the cyclone. But more have probably died, in particular in Derna, the most affected area. Four have been identified: Shaheen and Sujan from Rajbari district and Mamun and Shihab from Narayanganj district. The Bangladeshi embassy in Libya is in constant contact with the authorities in the affected areas, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (ICRC), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to monitor the fate of its nationals. The Bangladeshi government is in touch with its Libyan counterpart and the expatriate community in order to obtain updated information on the situation and follow the progress of rescue operations, as well as conduct the necessary procedures to repatriate the bodies of those who have died. The embassy is also trying to find out the names and addresses of the two unidentified bodies. To this end, it has asked Libyan authorities to allow its staff to visit the cyclone-hit areas. About 14.9 million Bangladeshis have left their country for work in 176 countries around the world. Today's headlines: Emirates, maxi seizure of 13 tonnes of Captagon worth over a billion dollars; A 10-year-old boy in Hong Kong arrested for armed robbery, luxury watches worth nearly 650,000 euros in the loot; Tharman Shanmugaratnam sworn in as Singapore's ninth president; Border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened, but tension remains between the parties; Lavrov: 'Russia and China withdraw from UN sanctions on Pyongyang over nuclear programme'. BANGLADESH Two years in prison: this is the sentence handed down to two prominent activists in Bangladesh, which - according to critics - aims to silence dissent. In the dock are 63-year-old Adilur Rahman Khan and 57-year-old Nasiruddin Elan, leaders of the Odhikar organization, which for decades has documented thousands of extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances of activists and police brutality. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UAE police have seized 13 tonnes (86 million) of amphetamine pills hidden in a container containing furniture, worth more than a billion dollars. The drug is known as Captagon, the "poor man's cocaine", and was discovered following a tip-off. The suspicion is that it was produced in Syria, the global epicenter of the narcotic. HONG KONG A 10-year-old boy was arrested for armed robbery, along with two accomplices aged 14 and 19. Their target was a luxury watch shop in the Tsim Sha Tsui district where goods worth almost 650 thousand euros were stolen in 30 seconds. According to The Standard he was wearing his school uniform at the time of the crime and was equipped with a hammer, butcher knives and a sledgehammer. SINGAPORE Tharman Shanmugaratnam was sworn in yesterday as the ninth president of Singapore, two weeks after a landslide victory at the polls (70.41% of the votes). Two predecessors, Halimah Yacob and Tony Tan, were present, as well as members of the government. The role includes stewardship of past reserves, integrity of public service and symbol of unity in a multiracial society. PAKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN After a nine-day closure, the Torkham border crossing, the main land crossing point between Afghanistan and Pakistan, reopened today. The border was closed after a heavy firefight between the two fronts, blocking thousands of travelers and hundreds of trucks loaded with goods on both sides. Despite the agreement, the exchange of accusations between Kabul and Islamabad continues. RUSSIA - CHINA - NORTH KOREA Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the meeting at the Vostochnyj cosmodrome, underlined that Russia and China have renounced applying sanctions against North Korea. They "were decided in a completely different geopolitical context", against Pyongyang's nuclear programs by the UN Security Council, of which Moscow and Beijing are also members. ARMENIA As Prime Minister Nikol Pasinyan explained to the Yerevan Parliament, when questioned by opposition MP Agnessa Khamoyan, the National Security Service (SNB) is verifying the news spread by various media on the arrival of a significant number of members of the Wagner company. The government remains on high alert. ISRAEL - AZERBAIJAN - UZBEKISTAN Israel has signed an agreement with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to form an unprecedented regional alliance with Muslim countries, aimed at the transportation of grain. The objective is to guarantee "the satisfaction of all the needs of Tel Aviv in the context of the global crisis caused by the war in Ukraine", a "long-term" agreement with access to Israeli technologies. by Steve Suwannarat The resignation opens up room for the opposition in the House of Representatives. Thailands new government takes office today, still controlled by the establishment (military and monarchy), which Pita had tried to shake up. The young leader is included in the Time100 Next list of emerging leaders. Bangkok (AsiaNews) Pita Lamjaroenrats resignation from the leadership of the Move Forward (Phak Kao Klai) party, announced today, paves the way for changes at the top that could enable his successor to head the opposition in the Thai parliament. A decision by the Constitutional Court still hangs over Pitas eligibility to sit in parliament after his party won 151 seats out of 500 with 38 per cent of the vote in the 14 May elections. The decision by the second-largest party, For Thais Party (Pheu Thai), one of Move Forwards ally in the election, to quit the alliance is a move backward, undermining chances for political stability and changing perspectives for the country. For Thaiss defection has given the military and the monarchy greater leeway to continue exerting their traditional influence. Pita had challenged their role in the countrys political system, judging them inadequate for democratic transition and social change. His decision to resign comes on the same day the new government began to work. The latter is the product of an alliance between two archrivals that was unthinkable just a few weeks ago, i.e. the pro-military People's State Power Party (Phak Phalang Pracharat) and the For Thais party linked to former Prime Minister Thakshin Shinawatra who returned in late August from 15 years in voluntary exile and is now purging a prison sentence cut from eight years to one. Pitas decision to resign, a hard one given his passion and undisputed personal success, was reached with his partys support. Still, on Facebook, the 43-year-old reiterated his commitment to the party whose top officials will now pick a new leader to constructively lead the opposition. With the term of office of the unelected, military-appointed senate set to end next year, Move Forward might have an opportunity to affect developments in the country. Hitherto the Senate had been able to snuff out changes. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court yesterday rejected petitions calling the dissolution of Move Forward and two smaller opposition parties for alleged anti-constitutional and separatist activities. The court ruled that seeking to amend the constitution is a legitimate act; this especially relevant for any future debate over the document. The ruling also allayed fears about another possible legal coup", like in the past, against anti-establishment groups and voters' preferences. On a personal note, Pitas role and personality were recognised by Time magazine, which included him in this years Time100 Next list of emerging leaders. A dozen North Korean restaurants are operating in Laos in violation of UN sanctions imposed in 2019. With few customers, their function is unclear, except perhaps to launder the proceeds from North Koreas hacking activities. Despite South Koreas efforts, relations between North Korea and the Southeast Asian communist country have expanded. The same is true for relations with Russia, evinced by Laoss presence at a recent economic forum in Vladivostok. Vientiane (AsiaNews/Agencies) In Russia for a state visit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders seem to be forming an increasingly close relationship, developing military cooperation between the two countries. Both also have ties with a third country, Laos, a fact that appears to have slipped international attention so far. Laos is one of the few countries with North Korean restaurants in violation of the United Nations sanctions imposed in December 2019. Found in the past in many of Asias largest cities, now only 17 are left, in China, Russia, and Laos, plus one in the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. Once an expression of North Koreas soft power and a source of foreign exchange, it is unclear what role they play today, Al Jazeera reports, especially since they are almost always empty and that Pyongyang's coffers are nowadays replenished via cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft. It would be my number one guess that the restaurants are only there to launder money now, said Joshua Stanton, a lawyer in Washington, DC who helped draft the United Statess North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016. And one of the best sources of money that they could be getting is from those IT workers [in Laos]. It would make perfect sense. According to Radio Free Asia, IT workers in Laos number around a hundred. Last May, the US Treasury imposed sanctions against four North Korean entities responsible for training hackers in Russia and Laos. In theory, Laos adheres to international sanctions, but in practice the communist country is allied with China, which has an interest in trading with North Korea. At the start of this year, a report by a United Nations Panel of Experts showed that at least four restaurants and a small night market were still in operation in the Southeast Asian country. Even the COVID-19 pandemic failed to completely cut bilateral ties. But Laoss cooperation with North Korea (and Russia) goes further. When it established diplomatic relations with the two Koreas in 1974, Laos come under pressure from both. Despite a progressive rapprochement with North Korea in the following years, Laos continued to be a land of transit for North Korean defectors to South Korea, at least until 2013, when things began to change. Ten years ago, Laotian authorities arrested nine defectors and returned them to North Korea, saying that they were victims of "human trafficking". In 2016, when Laos took over the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), North Korean and Laotian security agencies signed a bilateral agreement to boost cooperation that might include a provision to repatriate North Korean refugees. That year, Laotian exports to North Korea increased. Despite South Koreas recent efforts, it seems very difficult to get Laos out of the North Korean and Chinese sphere of influence. Meanwhile, relations with also Russia expanded. Earlier this week, Laoss Deputy Prime Minister, Pany Yathotou, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Far Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. During their meeting, the moderator said that Laos was most heavily bombed country in the world after the United States dropped over 200 million bombs during the Vietnam War For his part, Putin spoke about cooperation between Russia and Africa, stressing that Africans were brought to Europe "in cages during the period of European colonialism. The talks also included discussions about humanitarian aid to Laos, Laotian students in Russia, and the development of trade in national currencies, the rouble and the kip. As part of ASEAN, Laos is an important strategic ally for Russia, experts say. Since 2021, Moscow's supply chains have shifted eastwards. In the case of Laos, this has led to greater trade and a growing influx of Russian tourists. The two countries have also boosted military cooperation since 2019, in the wake of a series of joint exercises. Next year, Laos is set to assume the ASEAN presidency from Indonesia. Myanmar was supposed to do so but was excluded after it plunged into a devastating civil war pitting the military against various resistance groups. Meanwhile, Russia, China and even North Korea will likely continue to put pressure on Laos. Jonathan Thompson is a contributor to Writers on the Range (writersontherange.org), an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. His newsletter The Land Desk covers the region. San Angelo, TX (76909) Today A clear sky. Widespread frost likely. Low 28F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Widespread frost likely. Low 28F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have met at the new Siberian Vostochny Cosmodrome to sign crucial win-win agreements. They have every reason to do so. Russia urgently needs assurances from North Korea of increased supplies of large quantities of missiles, artillery ammunition of all calibres, weapons systems, combat vehicles and logistical equipment to replenish its losses in the Ukrainian war and strengthen its army's combat capabilities. Pyongyang needs to consolidate its strategic alliance with Moscow and equip itself with new fighter aircraft and warships, is determined to overcome its recent and repeated failures in putting military satellites into orbit, and seeks to demonstrate to Washington that it is capable of being a new emerging space actor to be reckoned with on the Asian stage. With all of the above, it is confident that it has new trump cards to play with the Biden Administration. PHOTO/POOL/AFP/MIKHAIL METZEL - In this group photo distributed by the Sputnik agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin (centre left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (centre right) visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region on 13 September 2023 Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia on an official visit with the firm intention of getting Vladimir Putin to authorise the engineers of his space agency -Roscosmos- to help him make North Korea's deficient launchers, which so far have only given him displeasure, reliable. He also wants Russian technicians to help him develop high-resolution spy satellites. But above all, the beloved leader's great ambition is to send one of his own citizens into space as soon as possible, to get ahead of South Korea and try to embarrass the government of President Yoon Suk-yeol. This would be Kim Jong-un's way of removing the thorn in his side over the South Korean space probe Danuri, which Seoul's space agency (KARI) has had in orbit around the moon since 16 December 2022. Orbiting the Earth without access to the ISS The Russian president's press secretary and spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that the Russian delegation and Putin himself emphasised "opportunities for cooperation on space issues" and that "if the Pyongyang government so wishes", Russia is in a position to "train and launch a North Korean cosmonaut into space". Roscosmos would be in charge of the final selection and training of two North Korean military personnel to become cosmonauts. One of them would be chosen to travel into space and simply orbit the Earth in an autonomous round-trip flight in a manned Soyuz capsule. Of course, accompanied by two Russian cosmonauts and in just over a year's time. Under no circumstances would the Korean cosmonaut be allowed access to the International Space Station (ISS), which is absolutely vetoed by the United States and Japan. However, it is possible that, with the approval of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Russian Soyuz capsule could dock at China's Tiangong space station and the first North Korean cosmonaut and the two Russians could spend a few days with the three Chinese cosmonauts who live there. Pyongyang's interest is also in finalising the development of a new domestically manufactured space launcher and having the capabilities to produce high-resolution military reconnaissance satellites. The so-called National Aerospace Development Administration (KCST) has already tried in May and August 2023 to place a small domestically-built observation platform into orbit, which it unashamedly officially called a spy satellite. On neither occasion did it succeed. On the second occasion, the spy satellite had been christened Malligyong 1 - telescope, in English - but it failed to reach its intended orbit when a lethal anomaly occurred in the separation of the propulsion stages of the Chollima-1 launcher - winged horse, in English. The wreckage of the rocket and satellite are in the depths of the Yellow Sea but were rescued by the South Korean Navy. The next liftoff is scheduled for next October and KCST is looking forward to the supervision of the experienced Russian engineers. PHOTO/Roscosmos - Located 5,500 kilometres east of Moscow in the so-called Far East, the delegations from North Korea and Russia met on 13 September at the new Siberian Vostochny Cosmodrome Strong interest in rocket technology Kim Jong-un's interest in seeing first-hand the main facilities at the new space base in Vostochny - 5,500 kilometres east of Moscow in Russia's Far East - is understandable, the first stop on his official several-day tour of Russia, which began on 13 September and will continue until the end of this week. Together with Vladimir Putin, the beloved leader was shown the details of the huge building for the integration of the new Angara launchers, its launch ramp and also that of the Soyuz-2 rocket. In a brief meeting with the media, Putin stressed that Kim Jong-un has "a great interest in rocket technology and is trying to develop space exploration capabilities". The North Korean delegation led by Kim Jong-un is still on an official visit to the main industrial sites in Siberia. After negotiations with Putin in Vostochny, it visited Komsomolsk Amur, a major city in the Far East, where it toured several production plants of the Russian aircraft giant United Aircraft Corporation. There he saw the production process of the Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets and the assembly line of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner, which has a seating capacity of 100. He is now in Vladivostok to visit its naval shipyards. PHOTO/Kremlin - General Nikolai Nestechuk explains to Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin the characteristics of the launch ramp of the new Russian Angara family of launchers The first summit in four years between the two leaders - which is also taking place in a difficult geostrategic environment for both countries - Putin's reception of his guest has been grand. To give an idea of the importance the Kremlin attached to the visit, President Putin was surrounded by the Foreign, Defence, Transport and Natural Resources ministers, Sergei Lavrov, Sergei Shoigu, Vitali Savelyev and Alexander Kozlov, respectively. The Russian delegation was rounded out by four deputy prime ministers, including the influential Denis Manturov, the influential minister of industry and foreign trade, Roscosmos director general Yuri Borisov, and the newly appointed director general of the Centre for the Exploitation of Ground-based Space Infrastructures (TsENKI), General Nikolai Nestechuk, a veteran of Russia's military space branch and head of the Vostochny Cosmodrome facility. Pyongyang has reported that the North Korean delegation led by Kim Jong-un is made up of some fifteen senior officials, but has only announced five of them: Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui; Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, People's Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon; Defence Minister General Kang Sun Nam; and the secretaries of the Workers' Party Central Committee, O Su Yong and Pak Thae Song. SUV The Blue Oval company revealed its refreshed 2024 Ford F-150 family in a bid to make sure it will (again) capture the lead in terms of full-size pickup trucks at the end of the year after 46 years of holding on to the title of best-selling truck nameplate. Mopar aficionados, meanwhile, learned about the facelifted 2024 Jeep Gladiator soon after the 2024 Wrangler refresh.The adventure-focused mid-size pickup truck dropped the diesel engine option in a bid to make itself cleaner (a Gladiator 4xe plug-in hybrid option is coming soon, too) and also got a redesigned face, additional grades, plus an upgraded package of technology features. However, General Motors doubled down on its rivals with two significant introductions the third-gen GMC Acadia, now returning to a full-sizeslot to better compete in the three-row CUV segment, is hot on the heels of its Chevy Traverse sibling.And General Motors also demonstrated how it does not abandon the sector of passenger cars with the refreshed 2025 Cadillac CT5 a continuation of both the CTS and CT6 series with a fastback style inspired by Caddy's massive heritage. As promised, the update brought a new face that's making the CT5 even more stylish, plus heaps of new tech, from 5G Wi-Fi hotspot capability to the Driver Attention Assist system bundled with the Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance system.Interestingly, the color palette was updated with Deep Space Metallic and Typhoon Metallic, and the interior jumps in the major 9k-resolution leagues with help from the new driver-oriented 33-inch LED touchscreen display. Production will kick off next spring, hence the 2025 model year denomination and that also means we have no idea about pricing.Instead, we can dwell a little longer around it and place a call to visit the imaginative realm of digital car content creators especially if you want to see the 2025 Cadillac CT5 in a different color palette compared to what's offered off the shelf. The virtual artist better known as c_zr1 on social media, is the one who gives us CGI food for thought in the form of a color reel for the facelifted American sedan after previously imagining the potential looks well before the official release.Now, hopefully, the pixel masters inhabiting the parallel universes of car CGI won't be too late at the 2025 Cadillac CT5 party and will start churning out as fast as possible the versions we all want to see the CT5-V high-performance business sedan and the mighty CT5-V Blackwing with its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that's good for an astonishing 668-horsepower. SUV Since the beginning of the year if we only take the North American market as the use case scenario there have been numerous releases and very few facelifts. The Prius 'Hybrid Reborn,' the 2024 Grand Highlander, the N400 Tacoma, and the 2024 Land Cruiser all count as all-new models.On the other hand, the Japanese automaker also gave us lots of incremental novelties like the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid, the trio of 2024 GR special editions (GR86 Trueno, GR Corolla, GR Supra 45th Anniversary), 2023 Prius Prime, 2024 Camry, and more. So, where are the facelifts?Well, if they're absent in the real world although we are pretty sure many people are craving refreshed stuff that doesn't necessarily reflect the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. For example, the Halo oto channel on YouTube always strives to provide fresh automotive info that is corroborated with their virtual designs; now, there are some CGI ideas about a facelifted 2024 or 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross compact crossoverThe Japanese automaker invented the nameplate as a compact crossover SUV and entered production in 2020 as a more practical but only marginally larger alternative to the quirky C-HR. In time, it has grown to completely replace the latter in the US range thanks to its inherent modularity and relation to the E210-series Corolla. Built on the same TNGA-C platform, it is still positioned below the best-selling RAV4 with a starting MSRP of $23,610 for the 2023 Corolla Cross and $27,790 for the Corolla Cross Hybrid.However, the channel's host believes Toyota might prepare a mid-cycle refresh for the 2024 or 2025 model year of the compact CUV to ensure it keeps its popularity up, up, and away. Also, many have noticed the Corolla Cross is not the best-looking compact CUV out there, so the resident pixel master had the CGI work cut out for them. Ultimately, the result is quite outstanding but it also has nothing to do with Toyota's current styling for the compact Corolla series.As such, do take all these renderings with a larger-than-usual pinch of salt, as nothing is official just yet from Toyota. However, it would be interesting to see if the Japanese carmaker does come up with a refresh of the Corolla Cross sometime early next year and then also introduces the world to the Corolla Cross-based unibody pickup truck that might be the best asset in an upcoming fight with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz on the US car market. The world needs more compassion and solidarity. We've been racing one another for so long that we forget about stopping from time to time. BMW learned that pressing the competition brake pedal is necessary sometimes. It decided to give its employees a reason to do better when not at work. To make it interesting, the Bavarian automaker included a hefty price 10,000 ($10,665). BMW is keen on promoting social commitment. The luxury carmaker has been involved in various community activities from numerous countries every year. It has sponsored or donated money to multiple causes and supported multiple organizations' mobility needs.It's also actively working to reduce its carbon footprint by using green energy and overhauling the production process to use fewer materials that might harm the environment.But, as the recent UAW protests that culminated with strikes proved, companies can't achieve much without dedicated workers who do their jobs every single day.BMW is striving to maintain a connection with the world outside its factories and is not gatekeeping these initiatives for itself just to make the brand look better occasionally. It's also giving employees a great reason to start doing stuff that can impact the lives of those in need of some help.The Bavarian automaker holds an annual ceremony that picks four of its associates who had great initiatives outside of work that resulted in giving others a helping hand without asking for anything in return.This year, the "BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility" winners were two employees from Germany and two from Brazil. Each of them received the grand prize, which amounted to a total of 40,000 ($40,686).But that's not all. There were over 100 submissions for this year's event. There were 11 finalists, but only four winners, about whom you will learn more about below. The other seven also received 2,500 ($2,669) for qualifying so far. So, the total prize pool was 57,500 ($61,371). That's the MSRP of a BMW i 4 xDrive40 or M340i xDrive.Markus Entter volunteers at a hospice as a helper and spends time with those who are close to the end of life, but also cooks and brings refreshments for those admitted to the facility. If time allows, the man also works with the hospice's employees.Anke Boyse trains dogs used for aid missions and even accompanies a foundation on missions that can take place outside the country. For example, she went to Turkey to help the authorities search for survivors after the devastating earthquake.Cristiano Alano sides with young people who don't have opportunities to stay in school and learn or the necessary abilities to land a job. He also acts as a mentor and trains youngsters for free so they can better themselves.Thomas Fahnauer was probably inspired by Jimmy Carter because he spent much of his free time building low-cost houses for people that do not have a home. The materials he and his team use are recycled because they were previously used for shipping. So, he does two great things at once.Lastly, this event didn't just happen now. BMW has been at it for 12 years and will continue to select and reward employees who stand out through their social involvement.The prize is part of BMW's Social Drive program that encourages workers to do good when they're not at the office or on the production line. Upload a nonsense video and then sit, count the views, and watch the money pour in. That is some YouTubers' strategy, and apparently, it gets them rich. So here is the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat boat that broke all rules and laws. If you want to try getting rich like that, skip the law-breaking. Keep in mind that this is a parody. Well, most of it, anyway. Is it a boat? Is it a shark? Well, not really. But a HEMI-powered Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is something you would not expect to see in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Sounds like the worst thing you could do in the water together with dumping "16 quadrillion gallons of oil, car batteries, battery acid, diesel fuel," as a less-than-a-second message reads on the screen during the footage.Of course, they did not do all these (hopefully!). It is just one more way of mocking environmentalists and authorities. Actually, they found a lot of plastic thrown in the ocean before they brought the car there.Last year, Cody brought an eight-wheel monster truck to the water and got a visit from a coastguard helicopter. A helicopter shows up this time as well, but there is no word on what they are there for. It hovers around the car for a while and then flies off. Off fly the paddles from the wheels as well, once Cody pushes the throttle pedal to the floor. He eventually finds out that brakes dont really work in the water.Once the HEMI-powered 717-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat hits the water, everybody starts filming. Cody switches to the Track Mode and the car throws water 200 feet (61 meters) away. At least, that is what the WhistlingDiesel team claims. Police officers are watching their every move from the shore.He drops the anchor when he wants to "park" the car, while he wears a Coastguard cap. He wants to smash a bottle of champagne against the hood, as customary for boats. But he hits it again and again and only manages to put dent after dent on the hood and deform the upper side of the fenders.Back on land, Cody takes the Hellcat to the Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida, for some donuts with the massive aluminum wheels used as paddles on water. At the front, the car wears a wheel in black and another one in red finish.Hes gonna stop at nothing, so he keeps spinning those improvised wheels until they totally deform and start cutting into the body of the Dodge so bad that it becomes painful to watch. Dont be surprised if this car right here shows up on the used car, listed as crash-free, driven by a granny, never abused.But before that happens, the 12-minute video gathered almost six million views. And counting. Tuning a classic? Is it worth the time and the money? Well, it depends on the classic. Manhart has just swung the magic wand toward a BMW 2002 tii already modified by Alpina. And this is what came out. Photo: Manhart The BMW 2002 tii was one special car. It instantly drew attention. It was pretty potent for its time, and what mattered the most it was light. BMW built 38,703 units. And one of them is Manhart's latest project and the oldest car they have ever worked on.This 1971 BMW 2002 tii rolled off the assembly line in the model's first production year, with the fuel-injected 2.0-liter engine codenamed M10, capable of 128 horsepower (130 PS) and 131 lb-ft (178 Nm) of torque that made the car hit a top speed of 115 mph (185 kph).But this is no ordinary tii since it comes with various Alpina mods. Over that layer of upgrades, Manhart spread some in-house magic dust. So, this is how the over-a-half-a-century old BMW went straight to 197 horsepower (200 PS) and 159 lb-ft (215 Nm). It was all thanks to an Alpina manifold working in the company of the K&N airbox installed by the German tuning house.All these figures may not sound like much by today's standards. But keep in mind that we are dealing with a car that tips the scales at just 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms). That weight would now put the classic BMW in a league of its own, where maybe only models such as the Mazda's Miata MX-5 or the Lotus Elise would dare to step in.Before it drove into the Mahart workshop, the 1971 BMW 2002 tii had received new brakes with ventilated discs on the front axle and disc brakes at the rear.The owner had performed a transplant, replacing the original transmission with a five-speed manual unit borrowed from an E21 323i, which was the successor of the 2002 tii. Manhart came up with Raab coilers and a Wiechers strut brace. The list of upgrades also includes a new exhaust system lift.Decorative stripes in light green and silver show up on the car, which is painted in Agave Green. The car rides on 16-inch three-piece Alpina wheels, pushed to the edges to feel the Alpina flared arches that insiders affectionately call 'pig cheeks.' The wheels measure 215/40 R16 at the front and 225/40 R16 at the rear.There are the original Alpina-made School seats on board with stripes in light green and blue, restored by Manhart's Classic Cars department. The German tuner also fitted a Clusport roll bar in there.The 1971 BMW 2002 tii is the oldest car that the Manhart experts worked their magic on. Yet they are used to classics. They have recently modded a Lancia Delta Integrale and an E30 BMW M3. So stepping back in time seems to become a house specialty. Based on the CD6 platform that was incorrectly rumored to underpin the seventh-generation Mustang as well, the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator have been hit by a recall. Only plug-in hybrids equipped with the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 are called back, which is a little peculiar because the Explorer Plug-In Hybrid isn't sold in the United States of America. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration WLTP Manufactured at the Chicago Assembly Plant in the state of Illinois, the Explorer Plug-In Hybrid is Ford's only Explorer available in Europe. In Germany, which is the continent's largest market for new cars, the mid-size crossover slots above the Kuga Plug-In Hybrid, a.k.a. Escape Plug-In Hybrid in the USA.Stateside, the Dearborn-based automaker does offer the Explorer Hybrid in combination with a 3.3-liter V6 of the naturally-aspirated variety. As per a report published by the, 13 examples of the Explorer Plug-In Hybrid are included in recall number 23V-626.Given the small number, it's likely that we're dealing with vehicles operated by Ford Motor Company or a government agency. As noted earlier, there is no Explorer Plug-In Hybrid listed on the automaker's configurator for the US.Regarding the Lincoln Aviator , the plug-in hybrid is curiously marketed as the Grand Touring. This fellow does have the aforementioned 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6, a twin-turbo affair that's also employed in the Explorer ST and Bronco Raptor.A grand total of 2,941 units are recalled, featuring June 2019 through May 2022 production dates for the 2020 through 2022 model years. Ford became aware of the potential of a short circuit in the high-voltage battery cells on June 28. How? By means of a report describing a Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid experiencing battery thermal venting in France.The teardown analysis revealed a short in a single cell due to a folded anode tab. According to battery supplier LG Energy Solution , the folded tab was introduced during the battery cell manufacturing cell. Come August 11, the automaker learned of three additional reports of battery cells with folded anode tabs. These reports involved two 2020 model year Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring vehicles for the US market and one sold in the Canadian market.Of the two vehicles for the United States, one experienced battery thermal venting. The other didn't, yet still triggered a malfunction indicator lamp. The Canadian vehicle also showed a warning light without experiencing any thermal venting.Documents filed with the federal watchdog reveal that dealers have been instructed to perform a battery energy control module diagnostic test. In the event of an anomaly involving battery cell capacity, the entire battery pack will be replaced at no charge to the customer. The replacement batteries are equipped with cells assembled with greater attention to detail. Be that as it may, Ford didn't explain what kind of manufacturing process improvements were introduced by the Seoul-based supplier.Owners will be informed by first-class mail of this recall in the period between October 2 and October 6. The three-row Aviator Grand Touring is currently available to configure at $70,190 (excluding the destination freight charge). As for the Explorer Plug-In Hybrid, make that 86,490 or a staggering $92,290 at current exchange rates. The EPA andelectric driving range estimates for these PHEVs are 21 miles (34 kilometers) and 42 km (26 mi). Employees of the "The Big Three" have started strikes at different plants after the negotiations fell through. General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford must now deal with around 13,000 workers who won't do their jobs out of solidarity with their colleagues. But GM CEO Mary Barra received a consistent raise. Here's her take on why employees shouldn't receive the same treatment. EV Photo: General Motors on Facebook Photo: General Motors on Facebook The CEO of General Motors just went on CNN and it went like this: "You've seen a 34 percent pay increase in your salary. You make almost 30 million. Why should your workers not get the same type of pay increases that you're getting leading the company?" pic.twitter.com/wFnCZD86RR More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) September 15, 2023 This man made $21 MILLION DOLLARS last year. https://t.co/9H3wLk5Vo0 UAW (@UAW) September 14, 2023 The parts shortage, the semiconductor woes, and the supply chain troubles of last year were somewhat fixed in 2023. As such, we expected car prices to stabilize. Production was once again in full force while the demand lowered a bit. Tesla, for example, perfectly showcased what happens when you must sell cars and people aren't willing to deal with high acquisition costs any longer.But unionized workers from the automotive industry decided they had enough and kickstarted serious negotiations around six weeks ago. Their demands were simple 40% raises across the board over four years, a 32-hour workweek (four eight-hour days or five six-hour days) without reduction in pay, a limit on using temporary workers, and the restoration of retiree healthcare plus classic pensions that leave 401(k) plans in the past.After a first round of negotiations, the union representatives announced they would reduce the raise request to 36% over four years. But the "Big Three" didn't budge.Ford CEO Jim Farley even went public and said that what the unionized workers ask for would amount to an annual pay of $300,000 per employee for what could become a four-day workweek.That adds more pressure on GM, Ford, and Stellantis. The automakers were already trying to figure out how to transition to producing more affordable electric vehicles without hemorrhaging money. Now, they have to deal with a strike that cripples production of their most popular models and Tesla. The famousmaker is selling cars at a hefty discount Meanwhile, legacy automakers struggle to find any room for similar price reductions. Ford announced some, but the most generous one was for a F-150 Lightning trim that isn't in production in 2023.But it was GM CEO Mary Barra who drew the short stick and had to answer the most challenging question yet. A CNN reporter indicated that the executive received an income bump of about 34% in the last four years. "Why should your workers not get the same type of pay increase that you are getting?" added the reporter.Barra explained that her compensation of about $30 million is primarily based on the company's performance. Some could argue that includes worker performance as well. But she noted that employees also enjoy an important perk - profit sharing. So, "when the company does well, everyone does well." The executive added that GM's policy to redistribute a part of the profits resulted in "record profit sharing for represented employees." No actual numbers were shared.The CEO explained that the counteroffer GM has presented to union representatives is "very good." Still, she remains frustrated because no honest dialogue or compromise is happening.The workers' representatives argued that they had waited long enough to get back some of the perks they agreed to let go when GM was bailed out by the taxpayers and had to revamp its operations.But General Motors is proposing, among other things, a 20% pay increase and no reduction for the 40-hour workweek. Many consider it to be fair.The CEO argued that anyone involved in this movement should consider that the automotive business constantly goes through cyclical phases. Some years are good, others are bad.But this period is of utmost importance because the move to zero-tailpipe emission propulsion systems is complicated and must be done right. The company needs money for investments that would help GM survive in the next phase of the car-making story and guarantee job security, per Barra.Ford boss Jim Farley , for example, said the union's demands would bankrupt the company. The organization responded by indicating that the CEO makes over $21 million per year.Lastly, in 2022, GM reported a gross profit of nearly $21 billion. Ford announced a figure of $23.6 billion, while Stellantis accrued over $31 billion.Another interesting tidbit before we end this piece is that the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) has never organized a simultaneous strike on the "Big Three" before. It's an historic moment. As the North American car market moves further and further away from passenger cars into crossover, SUV, and truck territory, it makes sense that all sectors can and should be explored. A simple idea crossed Hyundai's expert minds some years ago what if the Americans want another try at the abandoned playing field of compact pickup trucks? They soon came with the Santa Cruz prototype at the 2015 North American International Auto Show as their pitch for the company's first four-door pickup truck sold and produced for the North American market.Years of indecision followed, and the model was only released in 2021 for the 2022 model year. But by then, the element of surprise had been lost, and the Ford Motor Company dared to pick up on the format and improve it with a slightly more rugged model that's also more affordable and electrified if you want it. Plus, it was also produced in Mexico rather than the US for higher economies of scale.And so, the story notes how the reborn Ford Maverick nameplate took command of the unibody compact pickup truck sector. Naturally, other automakers will likely follow and try to snatch a piece of the pie. We recently heard from the rumor mill that Ram's Brazilian Rampage is preparing to arrive in the United States to wage a sales war on Santa Cruz and Maverick.But the Rampage also seems more like a lifestyle vehicle rather than a workhorse that can also be used for leisure times, so the biggest threat to Maverick's supremacy might not come from one of the Big Detroit Three (GM doesn't seem prepared to bring the Chevy Montana to North America) but rather from Toyota.Ever since the Maverick proved a smashing delivery success, there have been lots of speculations about Toyota's decision to return to the field of compact trucks after their long stint (1954-1989) with the Stout light truck. More recently, the rumor mill has switched focus on a potential pickup derivative of the 2023 Corolla Cross (Hybrid), but not everyone seems confident that's precisely what will happen.Instead, some voices from across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators might think that Toyota's "new cheap truck" that's designed to fight the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz will be an all-new offering not related to the Stout lineage or anything already present in the lineup. The Halo oto channel on YouTube provides fresh automotive info that is also corroborated with their virtual designs; now, there are some CGI ideas about this new hauler's looks.Interestingly, the resident pixel master paves the way for a completely fresh approach by Toyota in terms of design they neither used DNA from the Corolla Cross family nor featured the looks of the larger N400 Tacoma and XK70 Tundra trucks. As such, do take all this with an even bigger pinch of salt than usual even though it's a sleek design that still respects the desiderates of the pickup truck sector. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen a slew of vehicles on its battlefields in the last 18 months since the invasion began. Armored war machines from as far back as World War II, often ripped right from museum display pieces, through to the present day have seen varying degrees of action on battlefields from Kyiv to Bakhmut and Kharkiv and everywhere in between. But of all of these, perhaps none is more rare or seemingly out of place than BMR VRAC. In all likelihood, it's the rarest military vehicle of any variety currently in Ukraine. Well, first things first. What the heck even is this thing? Where does it come from, and how on Earth did it wind up in the middle of the most destructive European conflict since the Second World War? Well, the VRAC (Vehiculo de Reconocimiento de Areas Contaminadas) is a modification of the Spanish Pegaso 3560 BMR armored personnel carrier (APC) designed specifically to be a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical response and reconnaissance vehicle. First manufactured in 1979 by Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A. (ENASA), the 3560 BMR was born into a brave new world for the Spanish Military, one newly separated from its long-time dictator Francisco Franco.This Spanish brute was powered at first by a Pegaso 9157/8 six-cylinder turbodiesel engine and has since upgraded to a 310-horsepower Scania DS9 diesel V6 for added reliability on the battlefield. In any number of configurations, from a tank destroyer with large-caliber cannons and guided missiles to mortar carriers and even an armored bulldozer/combat crane. The BMR is one of the most versatile armored vehicles to come out of Spain. As many as 1200 of these BMR APCs have been manufactured since its first deployment in the early 80s. In that time, it's served everywhere from Yugoslavia to Lebanon and even Afghanistan and Iraq.But it's thought that of this production run, only three were ever manufactured in the VRAC variant. It isn't known how or why this obscure, unarmed recon vehicle made its way to Ukraine . Although it's logical to assume it's made its way to Eastern Europe via surplus auctions from one of the BMR's foreign operators like Egypt, Peru, Morocco, Mexico, or Saudi Arabia. It's also possible that the vehicle was presented to Ukraine as a part of a clandestine transfer of military equipment between Spain and Ukraine, able to fly under the radar as more lucrative and exciting arms deals between Ukraine and the U.S. garnered more media coverage.Whatever the case, this ultra-rare armored vehicle is now serving alongside imported Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks, trucks carrying powerful HIMARS missiles shipped directly from NATO -aligned nations. Its contribution may be small. But in a war of attrition of this nature, every little bit counts. After months of back-and-forth negotiations between America's three preeminent automakers and United Auto Workers, the nation's largest auto-industry union, a full-on workers' strike, which experts warned could be catastrophic for the sector, appears to be going full steam ahead. After the pre-determined cutoff date of Thursday, September 14th at midnight came and went without a single agreement between both parties, automotive plants across Mo-town are due to cease production as workers and employers slug it out at the picket line with no sign of remediation in sight. In a walkout that amounts to more than 12,700 employees in Detroit, from custodians to production floor managers and every position in between, workers represented by UAW have stood in stark defiance of their corporate overseers over the last several months. Among their list of demands is unilateral worker pay raises by at least 40 percent across the range, a 32-hour work week compensated as though it were a standard 40 hours without financial penalty, and the restoration of auto worker pensions, which GM , Chrysler, and Ford employees once took for granted decades ago to be restored to their full capacity.After representatives from all three American manufacturers were met with abject rejection across the board, UAW reps have declared it old-fashioned corporate greed, not an overreaching worker populace, who ensured the biggest global automotive strike of the 2020s was nothing short of inevitable. With the American auto sector now in jeopardy of being brought to its knees, everyone from Michigan State representatives to the President of the United States himself has thrown their hat in the ring in a desperate hope to ward off the worst effects of a wide-scale worker's strike. Unfortunately, as was the case with the Writers Guild of America strike, which is still ongoing, there appears to be a great deal of bad blood between the two participating parties.The great fear among the automotive community is this bad blood creating a barrier between a fair and honest resolution to the strike, one besieged by a desire on the part of UAW and Detroit's big three automakers to exact some form of revenge or retribution on the other side. When it's all said and done, the group is guaranteed to suffer the most under the current circumstances are North American car buyers, already beset by the greatest increase in the price of new automobiles since the global health crisis of the last three years brought forth a supply chain shortage some experts argue hasn't fully subsided. This is without mentioning the obvious loss of income and financial harship inherant to the participants of UAW's sector-wide strike. It's a statistic that shouldn't be lost in the considerable emotions packed into every moment of this pivotal moment for the American auto sector.As the strike process rears its ugly head over the coming weeks and months, only time will tell if its events will lead to the dire consequences some feared could transpire or if some form of compromise could be made. Sadly, this appears like a pie-in-the-sky fantasy for the moment. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Some clouds. Low 34F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph, becoming SSW and decreasing to less than 5 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 34F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph, becoming SSW and decreasing to less than 5 mph. Blog Archive: Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) Major General Gregory Anderson, the commander of the U.S. Armys 10th Mountain Division, and Brigadier General Patrick Ellis, a deputy chief of staff of the U.S. troops in Europe, joined Armenias top military officials on Friday in visiting one of the two training grounds where 85 U.S. and 175 Armenian soldiers are holding the Eagle Partner 2023 exercise. The Armenian Defense Ministry said that Defense Minister Suren Papikian, the chief of the Armenian armys General Staff, Lieutenant-General Eduard Asrian, and the U.S. generals observed its active phase. Our ties with Armenia are multifaceted and cooperative, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan quoted Anderson as saying in a statement. The U.S. has consistently extended military assistance to Armenia, especially in bolstering the nations capabilities in crucial areas such as nonproliferation and peacekeeping. For her part, U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien described the 10-day drills as a testament to our longstanding partnership with Armenia. They will build upon decades of successful peacekeeping and security cooperation between the two countries, she said. Asrian also attended their opening ceremony held on Monday. According to the Defense Ministry in Yerevan, the participating troops are simulating a joint peacekeeping operation in an imaginary conflict zone. The ministry announced the drills last week amid Armenias unprecedented tensions with Russia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stoked the tensions with a newspaper interview in which he declared that his government is trying to diversify our security policy because Russia is unwilling or unable to protect Armenia. Russia condemned Pashinians remarks. The Russian Foreign Ministry listed them and the U.S.-Armenian drills among Yerevans unfriendly actions in a note of protest handed to the Armenian ambassador in Moscow on September 8. Pashinian essentially stood by his statement in another interview publicized late on Wednesday. Russias defense capabilities have changed as a result of the war in Ukraine, he told Politico.eu. Pashinians political allies as well as Western-funded civic groups have welcomed the apparent pro-Western shift in Armenias traditional foreign policy orientation. By contrast, Armenian opposition groups are seriously concerned about it. They say that the policy change is reckless because the United States and other Western powers will not give Armenia security guarantees or significant military aid. The U.S.-Armenian exercise has also prompted concern from neighboring Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday that it could further complicate the situation in the region. 15 September 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The illegitimate separatist regime continues to receive guests, after the unprecedented election of a "president" in the unrecognized state of "artsakh" (Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region). They resist and want to remain on the territory of Azerbaijan as a "pariah state". But it is interesting that in their imaginary "state" they can organize neither an "official meeting" nor a "ceremony" to their own pleasure. Even the so-called official of the so-called regime receives some kind of official guests in Yerevan. On the other hand, their patrons, whether Armenia or the Western forces always invent new scenarios to prevent peace in the region; and when their plans fail, they either pull their useless army or EU mission group whenever and whichever is necessary, to the border and they still shout to the world with the same tumult as usual. According to political analyst Farhad Mammadov, who gave a commentary for AZERNEWS, it is not the first time Armenians to create such imaginary, unreal structures, where they call Western Armenia. "The territory that they consider to be Western Armenia is the territory of Turkiye, so it is not the first time for Armenian society to create such imaginary, not real structures, to finance them, to speak at various platforms. For Azerbaijan, the most important thing is not public initiative, but Armenia's state policy," he said Despite the fact that the majority of countries and the Prime Minister of Armenia himself have repeatedly recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, his words at this stage remain only on a piece of paper and in the headlines, while in reality provocations from armed formations deployed to the borders with Azerbaijan continue. According to the expert, how long the unrecognized regime will be able to hold on to the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan while continuing its aggressive tactics of fighting depends on Armenia. "Today we see that the state budget finances the military dictatorship in Garabagh, the remnants of the armed forces of Armenia are deployed, and at the state level pursues an aggressive policy towards Azerbaijan, in the context of the Lachin road, in the context of the international format of dialogue between Baku and the Armenians of Garabagh. That is, it tries to interfere in the internal affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic. In this context, the activity of the RA can be characterized as an aggressive activity," the expert emphasised. It should be noted that Azerbaijan has the right to send its forces to its sovereign territory in any direction for the purpose of exercises, as well as to ensure the security of its borders, and interference in these steps is unacceptable. Pashinyan's strategy, according to the analyst, is to ensure the security of Armenia's territory and deliberately leave the issue of Garabagh Armenians in limbo, which will later give time to build up forces to counter Azerbaijan for the patrons and actors of Armenians at the world level. "Azerbaijan demonstrates by its actions both at the diplomatic level and on the ground that this will not happen, and the sovereignty of Azerbaijan will be extended to the territory of the temporary stay of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Garabagh. What Azerbaijan will come out with as a result, with or without a peace treaty, is Armenia's choice," the expert opined. To ensure peace and stability in Garabagh, Armenians have taken many steps to aggravate the conflict, even using dogs as kamikazes against Azerbaijans army positions. This is not the first time Armenians have allowed themselves and their society to be kept under psychological pressure, as a result of which they have not accepted help from Azerbaijan, where a convoy of 40 tonnes of food is still waiting on the Aghdam-Khankendi road. The Armenian side constantly commits military-political provocations, acts against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, contradicting its undertaken commitments, and conducts a slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan with unfounded claims. Armenia's "toy" status provides power centers with an opportunity to manipulate regional processes with reference to Armenia's weakness, which needs to be patronized and supported. This weakness is most vividly demonstrated by Armenia's inability to take decisive steps to put the conflict on the rails of lasting, long-term peace. Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 15:11 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more While Pashinyan is stalling time, on the one hand, to sign a peace treaty, on the other hand, to create panic about the next new conflict with Azerbaijan, subtly hinting at it at the beginning of the interview for foreign media that the Prime Minister gave on 13 September, to please his patrons. In Khankendi people spontaneously are preparing for the reunification of the town with their native Azerbaijan, and this can be traced by the publications of the Armenian press, which during the week repeatedly wrote articles as followed "by the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan", The Interior Ministry of "artsakh" asks the citizens not to rally and not to provoke the situation, in case of 9 September about the illegal "presidential elections" for the unrecognized state. Other "decrees" attributed to the issuance of bread vouchers near schools from the "Housing Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan" and the "administrative building of the Ministry of Social Development and Migration of the Republic of Azerbaijan". It seems that either journalistic ethics in Yerevan gives a misfire, or these publications contribute to the psychological preparation of the Armenian society for the return of Khankendi to native Azerbaijan. According to the program, the Armenian Prime Minister accuses Azerbaijan and then finds an illusion of an imaginary solution, that the patrons of Armenians in the person of "EU civil mission" in Armenia allegedly are watching on the border and can ensure a peace in the so-called artsakh, where again Azerbaijan is to blame for being on its lands and peacefully wants to convince Armenians to withdraw their troops as agreed. Trust in Armenians is on the red line, especially in the so-called politicians of the separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Garabagh, and even after so many casualties clashes, and tricks inflicted by Armenians, Azerbaijan still offers peace and prosperity to the Armenian minority in Garabagh. The cunning mind and poisonous tongue of the former journalist (Pashinyan) slyly said that an escalation scenario cannot be ruled out, and their option is to return the "withdrawn troops" to their permanent location. Armenia has not withdrawn its troops as agreed under the treaty. The Armenian propaganda policy regarding trade routes on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan and allegedly blocking them is false. An unrecognized regime in an unrecognized state pushing its society into the abyss of evil and dishonor, and not accepting food and medical aid from Azerbaijan is evidence that there are forces in Armenia and beyond its borders that wish to exert pressure on Azerbaijan by leading Armenian society down a false path. The Azerbaijani government has repeatedly offered to supply Armenians in Garabagh with food, and medicine, via roads that provide closer and faster access than Lachin. The land routes proposed by Azerbaijan have been recognized as viable and usable by the European Union, the US, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Many call, speak and make beautiful speeches, but in reality, we see the concentration of several forces on Armenia's border with Azerbaijan. Armenia's exercises with the United States have aggravated relations between Russia and Armenia, as Russia is at war with Ukraine, geopolitical players are taking advantage of the moment to take under their wing the puppet state, in order to pursue their policy in their personal interests, waving aside the Armenians of Garabagh. As the Armenian Prime Minister said, the countries of the conflict recognize each other's territorial integrity, and when asked by the journalist what he wanted to clarify in the minister's braided answers, whether his recognition of Garabagh within the Republic of Azerbaijan is conditioned by the signing of the peace treaty, or whether the Prime Minister recognizes it even before the signing of the peace treaty, Pashinyan replied "when after this agreement I gave a press conference in Yerevan, and the journalist asked whether the 86,600 square kilometers of Azerbaijan also include Nagorno-Karabakh, I said yes, that includes "Nagorno-Karabakh" to be more precise, Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region. Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Uzbekistan Academy of Arts has opened a personal exhibition of the director of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum, Honored Art Worker Chingiz Farzaliyev. The exhibition "The Cup of Joy" marks the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and serves to develop cultural ties between the two countries, Azernews reports. Nearly 40 art works were on display at the project, co-organized by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, Azerbaijan National Art Museum and Uzbekistan Academy of Arts in partnership with the Azerbaijan Artists' Union and the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts. The exhibition showcases Chingiz Farzaliyev's paintings created from the first years of his creative activity to the present day. Chairman of the Uzbekistan Academy of Arts, People's Artist of Uzbekistan Akmal Nuridinov, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Uzbekistan Huseyn Guliyev, Director of the Uzbekistan Fine Arts Gallery, Honored Cultural Worker of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Art History, Professor Kamola Akilova, People's Artist of Azerbaijan, Secretary of the Azerbaijan Artists' Union, Vice-Rector of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts, professor Salhab Mammadov. In his speech, Akmal Nuridinov expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani Embassy and the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Uzbekistan for their assistance in organizing the exhibition. Akmal Nuridinov invited the Uzbek audience to get acquainted with Azerbaijani painting, emphasizing the strengthening and expansion of cultural ties between the two countries. Huseyn Guliyev emphasized that the peoples of the two countries are linked by centuries-old ties of friendship. People's Artist of Azerbaijan Salhab Mammadov congratulated Chingiz Farzaliyev on the opening of the exhibition, thanking the Uzbekistan Academy of Arts for hosting this event. Salhab Mammadov outlined that Chingiz Farzaliyev's subtle instincts and bright soul are reflected through his art works. Chingiz Farzaliyev is the honorary academician of the Uzbekistan Academy of Arts. He is a holder of a number of honorary awards and medals, including the Great Badge of Honor for Meritorious Services to the Republic of Austria, the Order of Arts and Letters (France), the Gold Medal "Best research scientist, patriot" of European Publishing and Press House, TURKSOY medal for contribution to the promotion of Turkic art, the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts, etc. Chingiz Farzaliyev's beautiful landscapes, still life left no one indifferent. The exhibition left a lasting impression on all the guests. The project coordinator is the head of the National Art Museum's International Relations Department Konul Rafiyeva. The exhibition will run until September 21, 2023. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 13:37 (UTC+04:00) By News Center From September 16 to October 23, a large-scale project called "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" covering five cities of the country will be implemented under the organization of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The project, which was founded for the first time in 2021 with the "Beyoglu Culture Route Festival" in Istanbul, and held in Ankara, Canakkale, Diyarbakr, Konya and Nevsehir in 2022, was organized in a particularly large format this year on the occasion of the 100th year of the Republic of Turkiye. The aim of the project is to more fully introduce and promote Turkiye's rich cultural heritage, art, unique cuisine in each region, historical monuments - in short, colorful cultural and tourism palette to the world. This time, "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" is expanding covering five cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Canakkale, Konya and Diyarbakr, and hundreds of events are planned to be held as well. In fact, this year, the route plan of the "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" should have covered a total of 11 cities-provinces, including Gaziantep, which is known for its rich culinary culture and has been included in the UNESCO list. However, the country-wide consequences of the earthquake and disaster that occurred on February 6 and caused great loss and destruction in Gaziantep province changed the project's routes and time-space program. And events were organized within the framework of the project in several previously planned cities (including Trabzon and Nevsehir in August). The program of the "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals", which will cover five cities from September 16 to October 23, is unprecedented in the country's history. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy gave detailed information about this at the press conference dedicated to the launch of the project. Stating that festivals where culture and art meet are organized along unique routes, the minister said that this time they will present a unique cultural and artistic experience with a series of events in 5 cities and provinces. During the "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" days, from art to cinema, from literature to dance, from music to digital art, a total of 15,000 artists will participate in more than 3,000 events. Along with developing the cultural routes of our cities, we make culture and art accessible to everyone with the "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" organized to showcase the cultural heritage of our country to the world," said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. This time the route of the "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" will start from Canakkale. The Troy Culture Route Festival, which will be held in Canakkale on September 16-25, will include more than 100 events including exhibitions, concerts, talks and seminars in 40 venues. The next address of the project will be Konya, the meeting point of mystical music in the world. A series of events will be held here from September 22 to 30. The 19th International Konya Mystical Music Festival is also included in this series. This year, musicians from Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Spain, Egypt, Germany, Uzbekistan, India and Iran will perform at the festival dedicated to the 815th anniversary of the birth of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. The excitement of the festivals will continue at the same time - from October 1 to 23 in Istanbul and Ankara. More than 6,000 artists will meet art lovers at more than 1,000 events in 46 different venues at the Beyoglu Culture Route Festival in Istanbul. In the Ulus district of Ankara, more than 500 events are expected to be held in 70 different locations with the participation of about 5,000 artists. More than 2,000 artists and more than 500 events will spread the richness of Turkiye's culture and art from this region to the world at the Sur Culture Road Festival in Diyarbakir on October 8-16. Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also pointed out that these events will be attended by cultural and artistic figures from different countries, as well as members of the media. In 2021, we hosted members of the media from 29 countries, and in 2022, from 31 countries. This year, their range will be wider. This profit we got with "Turkiye Culture Route Festivals" is priceless..." The minister said that the cities of Izmir and Adana will also participate in these festivals next year: "We are determined to continue expanding the Turkish Culture Route Festivals every year and make it traditional." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 18:40 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan Film Agency extended the deadline for accepting the film projects. The Culture Ministry previously announced the film projects can be submitted until September 15, Azernews reports citing the ministry. Note that the year 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of Azerbaijani cinema and the centennial of AzerbaijanFilm Studio. The competition aims to support the development of the cinema sector by the state, promote cinematographic activities, and increase the experience of local cinematographers. For more information, please visit the following link. Azerbaijani cinema has come to be an internationally recognized modern art enjoying huge popularity and recognition at international film festivals, which frequently award national films. Over the past years, more than 300 films and 1,200 documentaries, as well as hundreds of cartoons were filmed. Set up by the Culture Ministry, the State Film Agency focuses on creating all necessary conditions in the cinematography. It will also attract investments and foreign investors to the country's film industry. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 12:00 (UTC+04:00) Canadian delegation visited the Jabrayil and Zangilan districts of the Garabagh region, Azernews reports. The program of the visit to Garabagh of the delegation, consisting of Chandra Arya, member of the Canadian House of Commons, Ron East, publishing director of the influential Canadian Jewish media platform "Thej.ca" and Nigar Aliyeva, co-founder of the "Karabakh" Azerbaijani weekend school operating in Ottawa, started from the district of Jabrayil. The Canadian delegation was very touched by the destruction they observed along the way until they reached the bridge of Khudafarin. They stressed that they realize well what kind of feelings such a scene evokes in Azerbaijanis who have been living here for 30 years and longed for their lands. They took a commemorative photo against the background of the bridge of Khudafarin. While in the Aghali village in Zangilan, the delegation was provided with detailed information about the infrastructure of this residential area which was rebuilt based on the "smart village" concept. The guests who got familiarized with the conditions created in the kindergarten and school were presented with selected literature samples for the purpose of enriching the worldview of the students. The Canadian guests sitting behind the students' desks in the classrooms assessed the operation of such a school in the village of Aghali as a remarkable event and wished the teachers who answered all their questions, good luck in the new school year. The meeting ended with taking a commemorative photo with the teaching staff. The next destination visited by the guests in Aghali was the house of one of the villagers. Welcoming the foreign guests with hospitality and stressing that they were happy to return to their homeland, the hostess asked to convey to the Canadian public the desire of Azerbaijani people to live in peace and harmony, the peaceful efforts of the Azerbaijani state towards the normalization of the region. The visit was carried out as part of a project of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora aimed at informing the international community of the facts of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 11:35 (UTC+04:00) In accordance with the instruction of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the return of former internally displaced persons to the restored city of Fuzuli continues, Azernews reports. Another group of citizens was sent from the Gobu Park 3 residential complex in the Garadagh district of Baku on September 15. At this stage, another 25 families (73 people) moved to the city of Fuzuli. The resettled families will settle in the houses where they once lived in Fuzuli, which were restored or rebuilt on the basis of instructions from the head of state after the end of the Armenian occupation. Fuzuli residents thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for their comprehensive care and expressed gratitude to the valiant Azerbaijani Army, which liberated the lands from occupation. Thus, until today, a permanent settlement in the city of Fuzuli has been provided for 144 families - 514 people. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 12:18 (UTC+04:00) On September 15, with regard to the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku a group of servicemen of the Defense Ministry visited the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery erected in honor of the Turkish soldiers fallen in 1918, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry. arnations and a wreath of roses were laid at the monument on behalf of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry and the memory of Shehids (Martyrs) was honored. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 12:48 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 33rd meeting of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Baku. The letter reads: Dear event participants! I sincerely welcome you to the 33rd meeting of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states held in the city of Baku. Being an active member of the CIS, Azerbaijan considers it important to step up efforts to further strengthen this organization. The protection of security and stability and further strengthening of cooperation within the framework of the CIS are of great importance. Dear guests, the rule of law, the protection of human rights and freedoms are the supreme goals of every law-governed state. In this regard, prosecutor's offices have an exceptional role in ensuring and strengthening the rule of law and in the fight against crime. Transnational organized crime poses a serious threat to public, economic and political stability of any country. At a time when global and regional threats are increasing in the modern world, prosecutors of the CIS member states face new and complex challenges. These threats require increasing the capacity of international law enforcement, working together to neutralize illegal networks, preventing traditional and new crimes, including terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, corruption, cybercrime, money laundering, and others. I am sure that your joint efforts will allow us the opportunity to respond to the negative tendencies of our time in a timely manner and ensure reliable protection of our states and citizens. I do believe that today's meeting of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of the CIS member states will encourage reliable protection of human rights and freedoms in our region, the unification of our efforts in the fight against all forms of crime, and lead to a more effective implementation of mutual cooperation. I wish you all the best and success in the work of the meeting. Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 14 September 2023 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 16:58 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly responded to US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim, following her statements at the Senate, Azernews reports. "The fact that the initiator and organizer of these hearings are Robert Menendez, a pro-Armenian Senator who is notable by a traditional enmity towards our country is well-known. This persons engagement with anti-Azerbaijani activities is based on false claims of radical representatives of the Armenian diaspora while the aforementioned Senator is charged with corruption and the investigation process is underway, once again proving that political morals means nothing to him at all. Coming to the allegations made by Yuri Kim, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs not reflecting the current situation and realities in the post-conflict situation in the region are just disappointing. These claims not only contradict the agreement on the simultaneous use of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads agreed during the contacts between Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State dated September 1, 2023, but also, unfortunately, contain elements of Armenia's worldwide smear campaign against Azerbaijan. Non-observance of this agreement, which is also intended to be implemented through the mediation of the US side, by Armenia and the so-called regime created by it, and groundless claims on the blockade and humanitarian situation are well-known to the US. We would like to remind Ms. Kim, who claims that the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not over, Azerbaijan has proposed peace to Armenia based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both states following the Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020. Bilateral negotiations on a peace treaty initiated by Azerbaijan and supported by international partners, including the United States, is a fundamental process of the post-war and post-conflict periods. Although the war and conflict are over, unfortunately hindering peace and stability in the region, the imitation of negotiations and the continuous military-political provocations of Armenia, as it was during the almost 30-year occupation, have not ceased. In this regard, instead of denying the historical opportunity after 30 years of the conflict, we believe that ending provocations committed by Armenia and, most importantly, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces, which have not yet left the territories of Azerbaijan is critical and fair, and we call on the US side to act based on this position. Referring to the notion of rights and security of the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh while talking about the Armenian residents living in the Garabagh region within the peace treaty, containing the terminology purposefully used by Armenia to promote separatism in our territories, is against our territorial integrity and sovereignty. At the same time, this reference is disrespectful to the rights of Azerbaijanis expelled from this region as a result of Armenia's policy and action of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We would like to remind the US side that the Armenian residents currently living in the Garabagh region do not represent all segments of the population of this region. In connection with the allegation of military attack, while noting that, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has never used force against the civilian population, on the contrary, we declared measures to be taken to reintegrate Armenian residents into our society at the national level, and despite the obstacles put by Armenia and its puppet regime, we are determined in this direction. The reintegration process is an internal affair of our country, and interference in that regard is unacceptable. We advise the international community, including the US side not to be a part of such steps that contribute to instability in the region, and not to follow baseless smear campaign of Armenia," the ministry said in a statement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 16:36 (UTC+04:00) On September 15, the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev of the National Defense University held a ceremony on the occasion of the beginning of the new training year, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry. The ceremony was attended by the leadership of the National Defense University, representatives of the Defence Ministry, personnel and teachers of the military institute, as well as other guests. First, the memory of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and Shehids (Martyrs), who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the Motherland, was honored with observing a minute of silence. The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was performed. The rector of the National Defense University, Professor, Lieutenant General Heydar Piriyev greeted the ceremony participants and on behalf of the leadership of the Defense Ministry congratulated the military personnel on the beginning of the new training year. Lieutenant General H. Piriyev highlighted the care shown to the development of the education system by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the positive results of the reforms carried out in the Azerbaijan Army in the military educational field, as well as the work on bringing the Azerbaijan Army in line with the Turkish model. At the ceremony, the relevant instructions of the Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov on improving the cadets level of training, discipline, and moral-psychological readiness were delivered. Other speakers expressed gratitude for the created conditions. Then a group of cadets who distinguished themselves during the 2022-2023 training year was awarded. In the end, the leadership of the National Defense University met with the teaching staff and gave recommendations for more qualitative conduct of classes. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 22:15 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has expressed condolences to Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed al-Menfi due to major casualties, following floods in the country. The letter reads: His Excellency, We were deeply saddened by the news of the significant loss of life and large-scale destruction caused by heavy floods in your country. Due to this tragedy, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deep condolences to you, families and loved ones of those who died, and the friendly people of Libya, and wish the injured recovery as well as the soonest elimination of the natural disasters consequences. May Allah rest their souls in peace! Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 15 September 2023 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00) An American mountaineer who fell ill and was rescued from a cave in southern Turkiye earlier this week said he wants to continue his research after regaining his health, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. Mark Dickey embarked on an exploration Sept. 3 of Morca Cave in the Anamur district of Mersin province where he was rescued at a depth of nearly 1,276 meters (1,396 feet) Tuesday after experiencing internal bleeding. "I am eager to return to Morca Cave and continue the exploration I had to abruptly halt," Dickey told reporters at a hospital where his treatment is ongoing. Dickey said he spent time in intensive care after his rescue. "The purpose of our cave expedition was to support the scientific efforts of the Turkish Speleology Federation. The primary motivation behind exploring caves is scientific research, as these underground spaces are inaccessible to most people," he said. "So, the specimens collected from these caves, as well as the unique creatures that inhabit them, hold great significance for scientific research, he said. Although I'm not a scientist myself, I can contribute to this scientific endeavor by collecting samples during my exploration. This is how my work contributes to the advancement of science," added Dickey. Efforts to evacuate Dickey began Sept. 9 under the coordination of Turkiye's State Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), following a doctor's decision. Search and rescue experts, along with medical teams, reached Dickey at the campsite located at a depth of 180 meters. After checks, the American mountaineer was transported on a stretcher and brought out of the cave, navigating through challenging narrow passages. The evacuation operation involved 196 search and rescue experts from eight countries in addition to Turkish teams, including AFAD, Turkish National Medical Rescue Team, gendarmerie, European Cave Rescue Association and the Turkiye Caving Federation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 20:20 (UTC+04:00) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the US from Sept. 16 to 20 to attend the 78th session of UN General Assembly, said the Communications Directorate on Friday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. Erdogan will deliver his address at the General Assembly in New York on Sept. 19, said the directorate on X, formerly known as Twitter. The overarching theme of this year's session is "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all". During his visit, President Erdogan is expected to engage in a series of high-level meetings and discussions, including with his counterparts, it said. The Turkish leader will also engage in events featuring representatives from the Turkish and Turkish-American communities, business leaders, officials from think tanks, and figures representing diverse segments of American society, it added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 20:50 (UTC+04:00) Turkish and Greek musicians will give a friendship and brotherhood concert on Friday on the Turkish Riviera, in the Aegean town of Bodrum, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. The concert, at the Halikarnas concert area, was co-organized by the Bodrum Municipality and the Kos Municipality, on the nearby Greek island. A team of 50 people from Kos, including Mayor Theodosis Nikitaras, arrived to attend the concert, according to a statement by the Bodrum Municipality. Bodrum Mayor Ahmet Aras said they are very happy to organize the second peace, friendship, democracy, and brotherhood event, following last months concert in Kos. Nikitaras thanked Aras and his team for their friendly welcome and warm atmosphere. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 September 2023 23:57 (UTC+04:00) At the end of July 2023, wheat imports to Kyrgyzstan increased 1.6 times compared to last year. The National Statistical Committee provided such data, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg news agency. At least 181,200 tons of wheat were imported into the country for the first seven months of this year. In the same period of 2022, the figure was 71,600 tons less. The main amount of wheat was imported from Russia 176,200 tons. In addition, there were supplies from Kazakhstan (4,900 tons) and Turkey (200 kilograms). Earlier, the Antimonopoly Regulation Service reported that it had set purchase prices for food wheat grain. The cost of food wheat grain, which is purchased by the State Material Reserves Fund from agricultural producers, was set at 23 soms per kilogram. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Contributing columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor/reporter for Telemundo Bakersfield and KGET. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. The views expressed here are his own. I am delighted that Jeff Bloechl will be serving as the Albert J. Fitzgibbons Chair in Philosophy, said Fr. Kalscheur. The terms of the Fitzgibbons gift state that the Chairholders work [will] help [to] engage contemporary philosophical and ethical issues facing society. Jeffs longstanding commitment to scholarship that addresses the relationship between claims for religious meaning and various features of human nature that place pressure on them make him a fitting holder of this endowed chair. His research has made significant contributions to a distinctively Catholic approach to philosophy, and he is deeply committed to formative Jesuit education, added Fr. Kalscheur. Jeffs way of proceeding as teacher and a colleague is distinctively characterized by cura personalis; he is a quiet and steady presence with students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. All of these qualities make him an ideal selection to succeed Arthur Madigan, S.J., as the Fitzgibbons Chair in Philosophy. It is an honor for me to receive the Fitzgibbons Chair, which has played an important role in the intellectual life of our Philosophy Department and beyond, said Bloechl. I hope to continue that tradition, doing my best to put the resources of this chair to the service of the University and its students. The Fitzgibbons Professorship was established in 2007 by Albert J. Trey Fitzgibbons III 67. At Boston College, Bloechl has taught both undergraduate and graduate students. Recent courses have included The Problem of Suffering; The Hermeneutics of Faith, Hope and Love; and Love of Learning and Desire for God. Ten years ago, he founded an annual course that includes a two-week pilgrimage in northern Spain. Long in the habit of putting his research and teaching into contact with other cultures, he has taught in Belgium, Brazil, India, Italy, and Lithuania and is an Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Australian Catholic University. Bloechl is married to Newton College Alumnae Chair of Western Culture Catherine Cornille of the Theology Department. They are the parents of three children, including two graduates of Boston College. As School Choice is beginning to take shape in North Carolina: What is your position on what it should evolve into? 3.85% School Choice is only a distraction from the promise of real public education.92.31% School Choice, as it evolves into its best model to serve the public' s education needs, this benefit will provide choices outside of the historic construct supporting the public school monopoly.3.85% School Choice - I cannot see how it serves the Education Industry. This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services . The author of this post is Patricia Earnhardt Tyndall Twelve students found their footing in research and scientific discovery and learned more about pathways to graduate studies at East Carolina University during the STEM Summer Immersion Program.The program, funded by a $1.3 million North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grant, is designed to build connections between ECU and students from the state's minority-serving institutions with a goal of establishing pathways to public health graduate education. The 2023 cohort is the first of four during the grant timeline.said Marilyn Foote-Hudson, the organization's executive director.The student interns, selected from 44 applicants, were matched with mentors in ECU labs, conducted fieldwork on various research projects, participated in professional development, shadowed mentors, and even connected on some fun by joining in a weekly lab croquet match. Their projects in the College of Health and Human Performance and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences advanced research on many topics, including heat stress exposure, the secrets of bacterial biofilms, climate impacts on fisheries, and the molecular evolution of spider venom.Provost Dr. Robin Coger visited Dr. Rebecca Ashe's lab to see firsthand how the research activities fostered growth and provided opportunities for students and mentors. Martina Van Etten, a junior biology major at UNC Pembroke, explained a sablefish study she was conducting with her mentor, postdoctoral research scholar Dr. Kat Dale. Coger eagerly quizzed Van Etten on writing R-code - common to biology and ecology - and discussed graduate school and other future opportunities.Coger said all the students' contributions to research are a substantial benefit of the collaboration between ECU and the minority-serving institutions. The positive experiences the students have through the program have the potential to inspire them to pursue graduate degrees in the future, she said.Coger said.Coger said.Program organizers from ECU and Fayetteville State University see the first summer as an unequivocal success. Based on their metrics, the summer session offered hands-on experience and collaborative learning and fostered a vibrant and inclusive learning community.said Dr. Danielle Graham, assistant professor of microbiology and interim chair of the Department of Biological and Forensic Sciences at FSU.All 12 of the 2023 cohort participated in an undergraduate research poster symposium at the end of their 10-week program. Each student prepared a poster to present their area of study, findings and outcomes of their research. The interns spent time each week in a journal club where they practiced science communication to help them prepare for their presentations.Dr. Ariane Peralta, ECU associate professor of biology, and Dr. Stephanie Richards, ECU professor of environmental health sciences, said the first summer immersion session exceeded expectations, bringingto ECU and surpassing the goals for the number of participating universities.Richards said.Graduate school scholarships are the second major component of the project. The grant provides up to two years of full-time graduate education for eligible students. The first graduate students were selected this spring.Each year, up to 10 students will be admitted into one of ECU's master's programs (public health, environmental health, health education, biology and molecular biology, and biotechnology) and will have their tuition, housing and some incidentals covered by the scholarships. ECU will also work to place students from the program into mentorship settings with public health workers in eastern North Carolina to give students real-world experience before graduation. Here are six healthcare leaders who have vacated their CEO roles, reported by Becker's since Sept. 1: 1. Jeff Bowman, CEO of Arkansas City, Kan.-based SCK Health since 2018, is leaving the role Dec. 15 for health reasons. A successor has not yet been named. 2. Brenda Wolf is retiring as president and CEO of La Rabida Children's Hospital in Chicago after 12 years at the helm. 3. Craig Leach will retire as CEO of Torrance (Calif.) Memorial Medical Center on Oct. 31. Keith Hobbs, who has served as the hospital's president since February, and will take over as CEO. 4. Matt Wille will leave his position as president and CEO of Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Mich., to pursue a new role as COO of Neenah, Wis.-based ThedaCare. 5. Peter Hahn, MD, resigned as president of the University of Michigan Health-West. The news comes two weeks after the health system announced a restructuring of its executive team, including the elimination of "CEO" from Dr. Hahn's title. 6. Rosalind "Roz" Brewer stepped down as CEO of Walgreens Boot Alliance after coming to a "mutual agreement" with the board of directors. Ginger Graham, the lead independent director of Walgreens, will serve as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent CEO. Des Moines (Iowa) Area Community College could lose accreditation of its dental assistant training program, according to a Sept. 14 report by Iowa Capital Dispatch. The main concern is due to the college's sterilization space, as it does not meet the standards of the Commission on Dental Accreditation or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. CODA also raised issues related to ensuring only one student works at each chair station, providing more information on faculty and offering clarification syllabi content. Jeanie McCarville-Kerber, dean of health and public services at the school, said that the college has fixed all the problem areas except the sterilization area. Des Moines Area Community College's dental assistant program currently has 29 students enrolled, the report said. The California Department of Health Care Services has restricted a hospital from accepting new patients at its California Children's Service program until dozens of safety concerns are addressed, the Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 15. The agency found Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital fell short of standards for the California Children's Services program, which treats people aged 21 and under with chronic conditions. State reviewers from the agency noted that the hospital was short-staffed on critical care physicians and " not a safe working environment for the physicians and thus not a safe patient care environment," according to the Times. Critical care physicians told the state there were times when they wanted to transport patients but would face "disciplinary actions" if they did so, according to a state report. The report also mentioned concerns about the pediatric intensive care unit opening outside program standards, having inadequate policies and procedures and failing to discuss problems in an organized way or acting to prevent future issues. The state also said there was no pediatric neurosurgeon who met program requirements on staff, but Miriam Parsa, MD, chief pediatric medical officer at the hospital, said they have a neurosurgeon that meets requirements. The agency is gathering more information on the neurosurgeon's credentials. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital submitted a corrective plan in late July, the details of which are still under review, according to the report. In the meantime, new admissions to the program are restricted "until the department has assurances that the corrective actions will address deficiencies, especially those that are most egregious and require immediate action." Hospital officials told the Times they were working to implement state recommendations so they can reopen the unit to new patients. Until then, the program will continue to care for patients who are not in the CCS program. "We are confident that these findings and the recommendations are just going to make us stronger," Cottage Health vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer Laura Canfield, DNP, RN, told the Times. Health systems in New York City, Colorado, Georgia and Nevada are seeking IT employees to work on their Epic EHR. Here are five hospital EHR vacancies and the salaries they pay: Editor's note: Salary and job information come from company websites. Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, Calif., is seeking an Epic trainer at its Atlanta location for a salary range of between $84,500 and $109,230 per year. NYU Langone Health, based in New York City, is seeking an Epic practice support assistant for a salary range of between $32,516.64 and $47,000 per year. UCHealth, based in Aurora, Colo., is seeking an Epic systems support spec associate for a pay range of between $23.07 and $34.60 per hour. University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, based in Las Vegas, is seeking an Epic analyst for a pay range of between $33.15 and $53.04 per hour. Shuttered Madera Community Hospital is attempting to sell off a 35.6-acre parcel of farmland to reduce some of its debt, according to a Sept. 15 Fresnoland report. The land, about 2 miles from the bankrupt hospital, is currently leased as an almond tree orchard, and the hospital claims 20 percent of crop sales as part of its agreement with the leaseholders. Tenants S&K Management made an offer in July to buy the land for $569,280, but hospital interests want a more competitive bidding process. The hospital still owes about $35 million in debt to various creditors, according to the report. A hearing is due Oct. 24 with potential land bidders expected to be present. Many large health systems are forming strategic partnerships and joint ventures for the development or management of ambulatory surgery centers as care continues to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings. Payers, patients and providers see ASCs as a low-cost, high-quality site for care, but health systems also see other advantages in expanding their outpatient footprint, including increasing market share, recruiting top-line, quality physicians and attracting new business. "Our biggest growth is in outpatient care. Some think we are only a hospital system, but only about 46 percent of our business is from our hospital sector today," New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling told Becker's. "The more you expand ambulatory and grow in the right locations, the more you increase market share, which brings more of the necessary inpatient care back to your hospitals." Here are four health systems that recently announced ASC partnerships or joint ventures: 1. Methodist Health System (Dallas) Methodist, a 12-hospital system, teamed with Surgery Partners to acquire and open ASCs in North Texas. The ASCs will offer patients more cost-effective and convenient options for surgical and procedural care closer to him, Methodist said in an Aug. 14 news release. The ASCs will provide physicians an investment opportunity as well as a path to be more directly involved in the facility where they provide care. Nashville, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners, one of the country's largest ASC chains, will manage the Methodist Mansfield (Texas) Ambulatory Surgery Center, and the two organizations will work together to acquire and develop new ASCs in the region. "ASCs add a new option to provide convenient and cost-effective care for outpatient surgery," Methodist CEO James Scoggin, Jr. said. "The collaborative efforts with Surgery Partners will not only meet market demands but will provide new job opportunities across the region. It's a win-win." 2. Bon Secours Mercy Health System (Cincinnati) Bon Secours Mercy Health, a 48-hospital Catholic system, partnered with Compass Surgical Partners to develop more than 30 ASCs across multiple states. Compass will work with Bon Secours Mercy Health of Ohio to develop the ASCs over the next few years throughout the system's footprint, which includes Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New York and Florida. The network could expand into other states, such as North Carolina. "Providing quality outpatient surgical care is an important investment for the communities we serve, enabling us to expand access to care for patients in a way that is accessible and appropriate for their individual care needs," Bon Secours Mercy Health COO Don Kline said in a news release. "Compass Surgical Partners' expertise in creating patient-centered ambulatory surgical centers, coupled with their successful track record of leadership in this important space, makes them an ideal partner for this long-term initiative." 3. OhioHealth (Columbus) OhioHealth and Surgery Partners agreed to create a company that will grow ASC joint ventures across Ohio. The partnership will use a phased approach for growth, beginning with expansion opportunities within the 50 counties OhioHealth serves, followed by an opportunity review of the remaining 38 counties. It will foster relationships with top surgeons in the state, offering them an opportunity to further invest in their practice, patients and community. OhioHealth said the joint venture will also support physician independence. Under the model, physicians can continue to have a say in day-to-day operations and strategic decisions for long-term growth while benefiting from the scale and management experience of OhioHealth and Surgery Partners, which has more than 180 outpatient facilities and 4,600 physicians 4. Intermountain Health (Salt Lake City) Intermountain signed a collaboration agreement with Surgery Partners for the management of the system's existing ASCs in Utah and Idaho and the development of surgery centers in other markets. Intermountain currently has five ASCs across Utah and plans to open more over the next year. This collaboration agreement will accelerate those efforts. "Combining [Surgery Partners'] expertise and experience with ours will add significant value for our surgery patients and caregivers and will establish an operating model upon which we can build as we continue to expand outpatient care at other locations," Mike Clark, Intermountain's executive lead of ASCs, said. You might pay $228.90 for an MRI leg scan as a Medicare patient in North Carolina, or you might pay over $3,000 at more expensive hospitals. Knee replacements can be double the median cost at some hospitals. Such is the vast difference between what health systems charge in the state for shoppable procedures, and many such differences are not made transparent to patients, according to a recent report from the state treasurer's office. While the lack of pricing transparency is a nationwide problem, the report cites a description of North Carolina being one of the "worst, most expensive states for healthcare." Only about half of the 140 hospitals analyzed in the report complied with federal rules on such transparency. Such pricing disparities also become "more extreme" when systems consolidate, the report claims. Fifty-seven hospitals in the state boasted perfect monopolies in 2018, well before recent large-profile mergers, according to the report. North Carolina legislators are currently considering the Medical Debt De-Weaponization Act, which would require much greater transparency and strengthen consumer protection against medical debt burdens. That bill has passed unanimously in the state Senate. The full report can be read here. Burlington-based the University of Vermont Medical Center has had its plans for a 10 percent increase of commercial insurance rates struck down, according to a Sept. 14 WCAX report. Instead, a 3.1 percent increase was approved in the amount of money the hospital can charge commercial insurers. Regulators making the decision have also asked the hospital, the largest facility in the state, to find savings in its budget and report back within three months, the report said. "We are beginning the process of reviewing the impact of today's decision," according to a statement from the hospital. "When the board's detailed written orders are delivered later this month, we will carefully review them to determine what they mean for our patients, employees and community." Further budget decisions are expected Sept. 15 on other hospital facilities in the state. Vermont's hospital budgets, which have been subject to state review since 1983, have been regulated by the Green Mountain Care Board since fiscal year 2013. CIOs ensure technology is both beneficial for clinical workflows and implemented appropriately. Below is a list of hospitals and health systems searching for IT executive talent: Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Job listings were compiled from job-seeker websites. Indias space-based solar observatory Aditya-L1 will be given a send off towards the Sun on September 19 when the spacecraft will be maneuvered to Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion (TL1I), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Friday. According to the ISRO, the fourth Earth-bound maneuver was performed successfully at 2.15 a.m. on Friday. ISRO's ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation, while a transportable terminal currently stationed in the Fiji islands for Aditya-L1 will support post-burn operations, the space agency said. According to ISRO, the new orbit attained is 256 km x 121973 km. ISRO said the next maneuver, Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) -- a send-off from the Earth -- is scheduled for September 19 at around 2 a.m. The Aditya-L1 is Indias space based solar observatory which was orbited in low earth orbit (LEO) September 2 by an Indian rocket called Polar Satellite Launch VehicleXL (PSLV-XL) variant. The spacecrafts orbit has been raised by ISRO four times since then. As the spacecraft travels towards Lagrange Point (L1), it will exit the earths gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI). After exit from SOI, the cruise phase will start and subsequently the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around the L1 -- the point where the gravitational pull of two large bodies - Sun and Earth - will be equal and hence the spacecraft will not gravitate towards any one of the planet. The total travel time from launch to L1 would take about four months for Aditya-L1 and the distance will be about 1.5 million km from the Earth. Members of SEIU Local 121RN held a picket Sept. 14 at HCA Healthcare's West Hills Hospital and Medical Center to raise awareness about their concerns over staffing, retention, patient safety and working conditions. Union members also plan to picket Sept. 15 at Los Robles Regional Medical Center. The union, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union, represents 400 registered nurses at West Hills Hospital and 800 registered nurses and licensed medical professionals at Los Robles, a spokesperson said. Both hospitals are in Southern California. Union members and the hospitals have been in negotiations for a new labor contract since May, according to a news release shared with Becker's. The union contends that during bargaining, the hospitals have not adequately addressed their concerns about staffing and working conditions. They say nurses are consistently stretched beyond California-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios, which creates an unsafe care environment for patients. "Patients deserve compassionate care," Corina Haney, a nurse who works in the burn unit at West Hills Hospital, said in the release. "When our hospital isn't following the ratios, we're cheating patients out of the care they need." "It hurts me personally to not be able to give them the best care I can, because I'm not being provided with the resources I need. This lack of support is driving nurses to leave the profession, our hospitals included," Ms. Haney said. The pickets come as union members' latest contract expires Sept. 15. "Our goal continues to be to reach a fair agreement as quickly as possible and we are doing everything in our power to make that happen," a Sept. 14 statement from the hospitals' says. "Unfortunately, SEIU 121RN continues to prioritize demonstrations and theatrics like today's small event at West Hills Hospital." "As the collective bargaining agreement expires tomorrow, we look forward to meeting union leaders at the table to continue efforts to come to an agreement soon for the good of our colleagues, patients and community," the statement says. A Florida osteopathic physician was ordered to pay $20 million to the family of a patient who died while being treated for acute pancreatitis, Palm Beach Post reported Sept. 14. Joshua Glauser, DO, is a physician at Baptist Health Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital. On May 27, 2020, he diagnosed Joshua Hamby with inflammation of the pancreas and prescribed Dilaudid, an opioid painkiller. Dr. Glauser did not know that Mr. Hamby suffered from sleep apnea before prescribing and increasing the doses of Dilaudid and did not monitor his vital signs, according to the report. Experts testified that part of the standard of care for prescribing that medication included asking patients whether they have any form of sleep apnea, which Dr. Glauser allegedly did not do. The next day, physicians found Mr. Hamby unresponsive. He was resuscitated, but brain damage left him in a coma for a week before life support was stopped. He died June 4. A jury found Dr. Glauser guilty of medical malpractice and awarded the family $20 million in damages. Dr. Glauser's medical license remains active, according to the report. A former Wisconsin nurse was sentenced to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release and fined $30,000 for stealing fentanyl from her hospital and replacing it with saline. Dawn Drum, RN, accepted a plea deal that stated she replaced vials of fentanyl with saline and put them back into the hospital's automated medication dispensing system, making the tampered vials available for use on other patients. Ms. Drum refused a drug test and resigned from her position when hospital management confronted her over the matter. On May 8, she pleaded guilty to one count of product tampering while employed as a registered nurse at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital in Janesville, Wis., according to a Sept. 14 Justice Department news release. At her sentencing, she expressed remorse for her actions and noted her conduct was driven by her addiction to opioids. Phone triage nurses at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia voted Sept. 14 to unionize, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The move comes after a group of 350 bedside nurses at the health system voted to unionize in June. The cancer center nurses had initially been excluded from that vote, according to the Inquirer. Nurses cited their interest in expanding their employment benefits and addressing the strain on them from caring for too many patients with too few staff. "Now we can bargain together for a contract that addresses what our patients and staff need most," phone triage nurse Rossana Caputo, RN, told the Inquirer. Richard Carvajal, MD, was drawn to oncology because of the physician-patient relationship and the significant advances in cancer care driven by a better understanding of cancer biology. Dr. Carvajal started his leadership in drug development and translational medicine clinical trials at New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In 2014, he took on a role at New York City-based Columbia University Irving Medical Center to build a phase 1 experimental therapeutics program and grow the cutaneous oncology and melanoma program. In January 2023, he joined New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health Cancer Institute as deputy physician-in-chief and director of medical oncology. In his current role, Dr. Carvajal oversees over 70 hematologists and medical oncologists across 10 cancer centers and 21 hospitals. "This move represented a significant leap in terms of leadership responsibility," he told Becker's. "I suspect in many cases, individuals do not have the full complement of skills and experiences that would be ideal for each leap, and this is true for my move to Northwell. However, I have learned a lot through prior experiences, which has served me well thus far." Here, he discusses providing the future of cancer care in today's world. Question: What cancer study, technology or innovation are you most excited about right now? Dr. Richard Carvajal: My career has focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics. When I started, there was a major focus on angiogenesis. Then we moved into the era of genomically guided precision therapy, and then to the era of immunotherapy and checkpoint blockade, where we are now. There's so much to talk about in terms of molecular diagnostics, precision medicine, cellular therapy, gene therapies, novel diagnostics, theranostics, personalized cancer models and so on. But one lesson we learned from the pandemic is one that I hope will continue to impact cancer care and healthcare in general that is the ability to care for patients remotely and increase access to specialized and subspecialized care to individuals who may not have previously had this opportunity. While the idea of telemedicine visits and decentralized care does not represent the hottest technology, it's one that I think can have a major impact on the scope and scale of care we are able to deliver if developed properly. Q: What aspect of your work or the field keeps you up at night? RC: At the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, we take care of 19,000 patients with new cancer diagnoses each year. I want to take advantage of all the resources we have in this health system to ensure that each patient has access to the very best care, regardless of where they live. I frequently tell patients and trainees that my goal is NOT to provide my patients the standard of care we have today. It's not good enough. Too many patients are dying. I want to give them the standard of care of tomorrow, the care that will be standard in five or 10 years, or beyond. I want to ensure access to patients wherever they are in the system, ensure they get compassionate subspecialized care with all the right technology and therapies regardless of where they live, and ensure that they do not have to spend time traveling for the right care that they should be able to receive in their own community. Q: What's one thing your hospital or system is doing in cancer care that you're most proud of? RC: Delivering the future standard of care through clinical trial access across 10 cancer centers. Health systems and cancer institutes are all trying to offer access to novel therapies at all centers throughout their network, but we're actually doing it. We have one central IRB for approval for all those sites, which makes it more efficient. We have research staff at all the centers; we have systemwide research meetings to coordinate the trial portfolios, translational projects and research activities for breast cancer, for GI malignancies and so on. Everything is tightly coordinated and centralized so these novel therapies can be given at all our centers, which is awesome. Q: What's the best leadership advice you've received? RC: Whenever you're making critical decisions, or frankly any decision, imagine that you've got one of your faculty members or employees in the room. Imagine there is a patient in the room or a family member. Then say your solution. If your solution serves everyone's best interests, then that might be your answer. Police are investigating the death of an infant who was found dead in a patient's room at Covenant Health Hobbs (N.M.) Hospital. Hospital staff discovered the body Sept. 13 in the bathroom of a 16-year-old patient's hospital room, according to a news release from the Hobbs Police Department. The teenage patient was accompanied by her mother at the hospital. Police have not specified whether the patient was related to the infant. Authorities sent the infant's body to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque for autopsy. "A tragic situation unfolded at Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital yesterday, and we are cooperating with the Hobbs Police Department," a hospital spokesperson told Becker's. "Covenant Health will not comment further, but additional questions can be directed to the Hobbs Police Department." The hospital is part of Lubbock, Texas-based Covenant Health. There are many places to start a business, but there are 10 metropolitan areas where there has been significant growth in people doing so, according to a new analysis. The finding is from LinkedIn, which examined metropolitan areas and growth in their Company Formation Index from June to August 2023, compared with the same period last year. CFI is the three-month average count of unique companies on LinkedIn, measured by the number of LinkedIn members who added a new founder position to their profile, indexed to the corresponding number in 2016, the social media platform said. Analysts only included LinkedIn members who added a founder position in the same month that the new job started. In the past 12 months, here are 10 metropolitan areas where there has been significant growth in people starting their own businesses, according to the analysis: 1. Atlanta 2. Austin, Texas 3. Seattle 4. San Francisco 5. Chicago 6. Boston 7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale 8. New York City 9. Los Angeles 10. Denver To read more about the analysis, click here. The California legislature has passed a bill that would establish a $25 hourly minimum wage requirement for workers in hospitals and other medical settings. The bill, proposed in February, now awaits a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom and comes after union and hospital representatives reached agreement on how such a requirement could be addressed. Under the bill, cities and counties would be blocked from increasing pay via ballot measures for 10 years. Workers at healthcare facilities with 10,000 or more full-time equivalent employees would earn $23 per hour starting in 2024, with pay increasing to $25 an hour in 2026. That affects workers including nursing assistants, medical coders, launderers and hospital gift shop workers, according to the Los Angeles Times. Workers at a hospital with a high governmental payer mix, an independent hospital with an elevated governmental payer mix, a rural independent covered healthcare facility, or a covered healthcare facility that is owned, affiliated or operated by a county with a population of less than 250,000 as of Jan. 12 would earn $18 per hour starting next year, with pay increasing to $25 an hour in 2033. Urgent care clinics, skilled nursing facilities and other smaller facilities would be required to pay workers $21 per hour in 2024, with pay increasing to $25 per hour in 2028, according to the Los Angeles Times. The bill allows some healthcare facilities to apply for a temporary pause or alternative phase-in schedule of the minimum wage requirements if they have documentation proving financial distress. Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, described the bill as a balanced approach that supports workers and protects jobs and access to care in vulnerable communities. "The bill creates a pathway to improving wages for our lower-wage healthcare workers, while also recognizing the needs of our state's most troubled hospitals," Ms. Coyle said in a statement shared with Becker's. "And, by preempting local ballot measures on minimum wage and compensation, all healthcare workers will be paid equitably regardless of where they work. SB 525 demonstrates hospitals' commitment to healthcare workers, patients, and communities." Tia Orr, executive director of Service Employees International Union California, also praised the bill. "Healthcare in California will be more accessible and equitable because workers and healthcare providers stood together and stood up for patient care," she said in a statement. She added that the bill also invests in a strong, diverse workforce. "By and large, Black and brown workers have held the lowest-paid and most overlooked jobs in healthcare, so SEIU workers are particularly proud of this landmark investment in equity," Ms. Orr said. Read more about the bill here. San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based Dignity Health French Hospital has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for advanced total hip and knee replacement certification, according to a Sept. 14 report from local news affiliate KEYT. The certification, given in partnership with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, focuses on the presurgical orthopedic consultation, the pre-op process, hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities and follow-up visits with the orthopedic surgeon. The hospital also received an unannounced review of its orthopedic department with on-site observations and interviews. The orthopedic industry is not without its flaws. Jennifer Wood, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoVirginia in Reston, connected with Becker's to discuss what she would change about the orthopedic industry. Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting orthopedic care. We invite all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses. Next question: If you weren't an orthopedic surgeon, what would you do? Please send responses to Riz Hatton at rhatton@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CDT Thursday, September 21. Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Dr. Jennifer Wood: I would remove prior authorization from insurance companies as a requirement for surgical treatment. Patients don't like it, physicians don't like it. It takes time physicians could be spending on patient care and ties us up in paperwork. Research shows it contributes to longer wait times, elevated risks, and negative health outcomes for patients. Physicians should be able to recommend and carry through with the most effective care for their patients without being bogged down by administrative checklists. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is supporting the proposed CMS interoperability and prior authorization rule, and I stand with them in their efforts to reduce the burdens created by prior authorization and improve patient care. Sean Quinn signing books at the launch of his memoir in the Slieve Russell hotel Sean Quinn at the launch of his memoir In My Own Words on Thursday night in the Slieve Russell hotel The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has described comments made by Sean Quinns solicitor about Sunday Independent journalist Maeve Sheehan as simply unacceptable. Mr Quinn's solicitor, Chris McGettigan, launched a fresh attack on Ms Sheehan at the launch of his client's new book last night. He said Mr Quinn had been subjected to "one sided vilification" and that the focus had been distracted from his client's book In My Own Words. "It may be a coincidence, but only a couple of weeks ago I heard Pope Francis praying for journalists, believe it or not. Disinformation and coprophilia set a lot of scandals and are big sins of journalism," Mr McGettigan said. Now we have a lot of great journalists and I hope they will take proper consideration to both sides of the story rather than the ongoing one-sided vilification of Sean Quinn." The comments come following an explosive interview with Ms Sheehan last weekend for which Mr Quinn later apologised and said, I lost my rag. The moment Sean Quinn abruptly ends his interview with the Sunday Independent's Maeve Sheehan During the interview Mr Quinn told the Sunday Independent journalist that she was just talking s**t and told her his family enquired as to, What in the name of God are you letting that bitch into this house for?. Mr Quinn told Sheehan that she had written lies about him in the past and that she should not have been in his home to conduct the interview, which was set up by the books publisher after they offered the first interview with Mr Quinn on the book to the newspaper. Journalist Sheehan branded Mr Quinns behaviour and insults towards her during the interview as offensive and rude and said there was nothing to be gained from reporting on the many other slights and putdowns that poured out of Quinns mouth over the two hours of interview. There is no pleasure in reporting any of it. The Cavan businessman launched his new book tonight in the Slieve Russell hotel in Co Cavan. The book details his own assessment of the fall of his business during the financial crash. Sean Quinn signing books at the launch of his memoir in the Slieve Russell hotel Speaking at the launch his solicitor, Chris McGettigan, launched a fresh attack on Ms Sheehan, which was met by roaring approval from the at least 1,000 strong crowd, who turned out for the launch. "Somehow, a journalist, Maeve has tried to make this book about herself, said Mr McGettigan. "But all I will say is don't take yourself too seriously mate, because nobody else does." The solicitor told the crowd that the lesson to take away is not to trust everyone, "salt and sugar look the same". The Irish Independent asked Sean Quinn to comment on the accusation made by his solicitor, Chris McGettigan. Mr Quinn replied: "I'm happy with tonight. I'm signing books here as well." Sean Quinn enjoys pint during packed book signing event for his memoir Mr McGettigan also declined to comment when approached after the event. Sean's book publisher and his son Sean Quinn Junior both declined to comment. Former presidential candidate and businessman Sean Gallagher was also in attendance, and when approached he declined to comment and said: "No I'm alright, welcome to Cavan," with a pat on the shoulder. Mr Quinn was once Irelands richest man, however, he filed for bankruptcy in 2011 after his empire was decimated by the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank. In an apology to Ms Sheehan this week Mr Quinn told the Fermanagh Herald: I lost my rag and I apologise for it. I suppose Im short of patience when I know that somebodys asking me questions to try and irritate me and to try and find fault. I became irritated, but I was wrong. I should have had better wit. He said he was unhappy with Sheehans reporting on the Quinn situation for more than a decade. The funnyman talks highlighting southern attitudes towards Northern Ireland, his new memoir and going viral online Patrick Kielty pictured on the red carpet at the preview screening of the film Ballywalter at the Light House Cinema, Dublin (Picture: Brian McEvoy) Comedians from outside Northern Ireland often fear dipping their toes into our politics, but the same cant be said of Cork comic Tadhg Hickey, whose Brexit sketch in which he wore a Rangers FC top went viral during lockdown. Tadhg, who was the star of RTEs The School, is returning to Belfast with his latest show, The Marxist Terrorist-Supporting Scumbag Tour, later this month. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph ahead of his Ulster Hall gig on September 21, the comedian reveals his set will be a bit of everything. I mean, I have a weird sense of humour, he explains. Ive also become a father for the second time, and theres an 18-year gap, so I talk about that as well. As part of the gig, there will be songs performed most of which will be new to audiences including a northern-specific one written specially for his NI shows. Asked if he finds a difference to performing his comedy here to elsewhere, he says, laughing: The humours much darker. The last time I performed at the Derry Playhouse and in Belfast, they were the two best gigs of the whole tour. And Im not just saying that. Tadgh Hickey (Picture by Steve Humphreys) Still, peppered throughout will be that trademark, razor-sharp satirical observations on Northern Irish politics that his Twitter (now X) followers have come to expect. Im just very interested in northern politics and that southern attitude that exists. Whats been happening down here has been farcical, but whats been happening in the north is perhaps the most farcical of all, he remarks. Conversation turns to recent headlines about prominent figures in NIs cultural scene speaking out about their experiences in the south. Derry Girls writer Lisa McGee voiced her frustration at not being seen as Irish enough in response to an article by Belfast publisher Stephen Connolly, who wrote about the criticism he found some people had for Listowel Writers Week, which he had been appointed to run, having been asked questions such as Could they not have got anyone Irish to do it? In response, McGee wrote on X: The youre not properly Irish, youre from the north brigade are in my top-three two-bottles-of-prosecco-in rants. The worst. The stupidity. I cannot deal, as I believe the wains say (they probably dont). Read more SDLP MLA calls for RTE contests to be open for NI viewers ahead of Kieltys Late Late debut That interplay between both jurisdictions on this island has been a driving force in Tadhgs comedy: Its my hobby horse, he admits, adding that in the south there is an indifference when it comes to relating to the north. I think theres a feeling of amnesia when it comes to the north from the southern establishment, he insists. I lampoon a lot of things [in my comedy]. I go for the southern establishment; I go for the Dublin establishment. Then theres the absurdity of the RTE weather map only showing the 26 counties, as if the north just floated away somewhere. He adds: I think the attitudes better with younger people, though, and I dont mean this in a political, united-Ireland sense, but in the sense of talking about sharing resources or a shared cultural space. Establishment opinion on the appointment of Co Down fellow comic Patrick Kielty as host of The Late Late Show was also split, reveals Tadhg. Im absolutely delighted hes the new host. There was a feeling from some that Isnt is great that we have someone from outside of Dublin doing it?, but there was also a moment where some were ready to criticise him about expenses. But then Kielty came out and said he was going to cover his own travel expenses and that put paid to whole thing. Patrick Kielty pictured on the red carpet at the preview screening of the film Ballywalter at the Light House Cinema, Dublin (Picture: Brian McEvoy) His interest on the issue can be found in his video sketches Brexit, but its an office party in Cork and Loyalism, but in a house share in Cork, which went viral during the pandemic. The former, in particular, was life-changing. Not to sound glib, but lockdown was good for me, Tadhg recalls. At first, when everything shut down and there was no possibility of doing comedy gigs, I just thought, Well, Ive got a camera. Ive got some lights, some wigs. Ive got a Rangers top. I can film some sketches. Playing all the roles himself, Tadhgs sketch captures a tense house meeting between a Rangers top-wearing loyalist and housemates representing England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, the EU and a nearly forgotten Wales. England explains it is time for the loyalist to move out, as he never really wanted him in the house, but Ireland would be happy to have him. The unfazed loyalist declines, stating he will be living with England forever, while a sulking Scotland sits in the corner despite announcing he was moving out years ago. Meanwhile, Ireland promises that his place is much nicer these days and that, if the loyalist lives with him, he will get access to lavish parties at the wealthy EUs house... not that England or Scotland are invited. All the while, a tiny, ignored Wales gets laughed at when suggesting he might move out himself. Having shot, edited and posted the sketch on social media, Tadhg went off to do some voice-over work and later realised it had clocked up half a million views online in his absence. It was life-changing for me. I got a phone call asking would it be OK if it was shown that night on The View [BBC NIs political programme], says the father-of-two. I ended up being interviewed by media in Scotland, Wales and India. Tadhg Hickey wearing a Rangers FC top in his viral sketch The sketch resulted in Tadhgs comedy reaching a wider audience, although he admits not everyone was a fan: There were some unionist commentators who werent happy about it, but I think Im fair in that everyone gets a ribbing. Just hours before his Belfast gig next Thursday, the writer and comedian will be in Belfasts No Alibis bookshop signing copies of his deeply personal memoir, A Portrait Of The P**s Artist As A Young Man. Quirky take on the James Joyce novel title aside, his book details his alcohol and drug issues and his journey to becoming sober. Tadhg grew up in Cork city, the youngest of five siblings in a pretty typical working-class family. As a child, he was aware of the atmosphere of drink and this strange tarry elixir breathing life into these lost souls. The allure of the pub was strong, he recalls, long before he could drink. Read more Sound of Belfast music festival to rock the city this November Tadhgs memoir is dedicated to his late mum, whom he describes as the cure and the cause. Although it was difficult returning to his past in writing, it had its benefits. It wasnt easy but it was very therapeutic for me, the comic reveals. He had been drawing on dealing with addiction as a character he had developed as part of his comedy routine when he was approached by his book publisher to talk about his experiences, warts and all, as completely himself. In A Portrait Of The P**s Artist As A Young Man, Tadhg outlines that his mother clearly had her own mental health problems, manifesting in keeping him very close forcing him to come in from playing to keep her company, for instance, or keeping him out of school for alleged illnesses all while being emotionally unavailable. But following an especially gruelling breakdown, and thoughts of ending his own life, Tadhg stopped drinking for good in 2015. Hes undergone cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy and has availed of sober mentors. I now have a sense of compassion for her [his mother]. There are half a million of us the children of alcoholics and if what I talk about in the book helps others, then great, he explains. Looking forward, Tadhg is in talks with a television production company to develop his Cork house share sketches into a comedy drama. It will still be me playing [all the roles]. Itll be just more 3D in terms of developing the characters, as well as the political allegory, explains Tadhg. Tadhg Hickey takes his The Marxist Terrorist-Supporting Scumbag Tour to the Ulster Hall, Belfast, on September 21. He will also be signing copies of his memoir at No Alibis on Botanic Avenue A Co Down pharmacist has been charged with exporting a number of drugs, including steroids and fertility-enhancing treatments, but the case has been adjourned after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said a summons for the man may not have been served to him. Although he did not appear at Newtownards Magistrates Court, William Wylie (40) was charged with four offences of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition or restriction which was in force with respect to the exportation of four class C drugs. It is alleged that Wylie, from Comber Road in Newtownards and who owns Comber Pharmacy, is charged with offences related to Sustanon (an anabolic steroid popular in bodybuilding circles) between June 22, 2021, and January 13, 2022; testosterone between October 4, 2021, and January 11, 2022; and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) between August 23, 2021, and January 13, 2022. DHEA often referred to as the anti-ageing hormone is used to treat erectile dysfunction and thinning vaginal tissue, as well as depression, muscle strength and heart disease. Read more Co Down pharmacist faces court on drugs export fraud charges Under the terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, anabolic steroids may be imported or exported in person, but it is illegal to have them posted or delivered by a courier or freight service. It is also illegal to possess, import or export anabolic steroids if it is believed they are being supplied or sold, including giving them to friends. Initially, a prosecuting lawyer said she had been told the summons had been served on Wylie and, as a result, District Judge Mark Hamill said he would adjourn the case for three weeks to allow the defendant to attend. He told the court it seemed to him that Wylie was someone who doesnt want to engage in the process; however, following a short break in the proceedings, the PPS came back and said the summons may not have actually been served. Adjourning the case generally, District Judge Hamill told the lawyer: Do not bring this case back to court before it [the summons] is served. When contacted by the Belfast Telegraph earlier this week, Wylie, who has been a member of the Comber Chamber of Commerce, said he was unaware of Fridays first-appearance summons. Thats news to me, Wylie told this publication, thats the first Ive heard of it. A Co Down businessman today admitted defrauding more than a dozen motorhome owners of more than 400,000. Ballynahinch man Lancelot Walker had previously denied the charges. At Newry Crown Court, however, defence KC Charles MacCreanor asked for each of the 16 charges to be put to the 61-year-old again. Standing in the dock of the court, Walker pleaded guilty to each of the 16 dishonesty offences, which he committed between August 2005 and August 2008. The estimated value of campervans involved ranged from 6,000 to 60,000. Walker, a former director of Motorhomes Ireland Ltd, from the Ballynahinch Road in Carryduff, admitted 14 counts of fraud by false representation, in addition to single charges of obtaining property by deception and concealing criminal property. While the facts of the case have not been opened, it is apparent from the charge sheets that Walker told 15 victims that he would sell their motorhomes and deliver the proceeds of the sale to them, or alternatively use their profits towards payment for another motorhome. While the amounts in the counts vary, the final count discloses that Walker concealed criminal property comprising motorhomes which belonged to others and the proceeds of sales of motorhomes belonging to others, amounting to a valuation of 418,495 or thereabouts. The charges include a number that state that, when performing the role of managing director of Motorhomes Ireland Ltd, Walker caused employees in the company to dishonestly make false representations to motorhome owners. Following Walkers admissions, prosecution counsel Geraldine McCullough asked for confiscation proceedings to be adjourned, to coincide with the pleas and sentence. Judge Gordon Kerr KC ordered a pre-sentence probation report and, putting the case back to October 27, freed Walker on bail. However, he warned the fraudster that his release is no indication of what I may do when you come to be sentenced. A former pastor has been extradited from Canada to Northern Ireland. Henry Clarke is due to appear in court on Saturday. He faces charges of sexual offences against children dating back to the 1970s. The 81-year-old was arrested on Friday on suspicion of non-recent sexual offences and will appear before Belfast Magistrates Court. The PSNI said: Officers from the Police Service of Northern Irelands International Policing Unit have arrested a 81-year-old man on suspicion of a number of non-recent sexual offences against children in Northern Ireland dating back to the 1970s. "The man was extradited to Belfast from Canada this morning, Friday 15th September, and arrested by virtue of an international warrant. He will be brought before Belfast Magistrates Court tomorrow, Saturday 16th September. Read more Ex-pastor to be extradited to NI over child sex abuse charges Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie said: The arrest is an another example of partnership working between Canadian authorities and the Police Service of Northern Ireland's International Policing Unit. Our message is clear that we will relentlessly pursue those who are trying to delay or deny justice to victims of crime. Clarke, who now lives in Meadow Lake in Canada, had fought extradition, citing his advancing years and that he had two disabled sons and was the sole carer for his wife. The case went all the way to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, which upheld a federal decision to surrender him for extradition to Northern Ireland. In August it determined he was to be surrendered for extradition within 45 days. At the time his lawyer Chris Veeman said he had decided to no longer challenge the appeal courts decision and would return to Northern Ireland to face the charges. Inquest findings that a British soldier was unjustified in firing a baton round which killed a Belfast school boy at the height of the Troubles should be quashed due to apparent bias, the High Court has heard. Counsel for the ex-serviceman claimed there were legal flaws in the handling of the tribunal into the death of 10-year-old Stephen Geddis. Stephen died from a head injury sustained when he was struck by the plastic bullet in the Divis area of west Belfast in August 1975. Last year an inquest found that he posed no threat to the army patrol before being shot. The coroner did not believe the soldier who fired the fatal round, referred to as SGM15, intended to kill or cause serious injury. But he concluded that the discharge was not justified or justifiable. Significant responsibility lay with the Ministry of Defence for failing to properly instruct soldiers on the lethality of plastic bullets ricocheting up off the ground, according to the coroner. SGM15 has brought judicial review proceedings in a bid to have the inquest findings quashed. Although he has not alleged actual prejudice, the challenge is based on claims there could be an appearance of bias to an informed, fair-minded observer. The former soldiers barrister suggested his witness statement may have been treated differently because it did not come through an interview with the coroners investigator. It was also claimed that SGM15s right to privilege against self-incrimination was potentially undermined. Joseph Aiken KC told the court: We are not in the habit of raising these issues lightly. But the consequences for SGM15 as a result of this inquest are extremely serious. He stressed how the inquest was about the circumstances surrounding the discharge of a plastic baton round. It was being treated more like the use of lethal force, as opposed to a non-lethal weapon that had tragic consequences, Mr Aiken added. Rejecting SGM15s allegations, counsel for the coroner insisted a number of his findings were favourable to the ex-soldier. Frank ODonoghue KC argued: Where is the apparent bias? Its nowhere to be seen. The coroner has put an enormous amount of work into this and has reached a conclusion which is determined on the evidence. These events took place 48 years ago, he has done the best with the evidence he has, determined what the broad circumstances were and has given closure. Fiona Doherty KC, for the Geddis family, also told the court there was nothing in the coroners findings to suggest he drew any adverse inference against SGM15. Based on a study of transcripts of his evidence to the inquest, she added that he had been warned more than 60 times that he could assert a privilege against self-incrimination. Reserving judgment following the two-day hearing, Mr Justice Colton stated: It is important for all participants, I want to reflect on everything that has been said. ends How the Loft Lines project will look when complete and, bottom, how the area looked before construction got under way (Photo by Aodhan Roberts for Belfast Telegraph) DUP Councillor Cheryl Brownlee has been named as the partys East Antrim MLA replacement for David Hilditch, after the veteran politician stepped down from the role due to ill-health. In a statement today, party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson praised the councillor and said he was delighted to be welcoming her as the new East Antrim MLA. I am delighted that Cheryl will be our new East Antrim MLA. Over nearly 10 years as a Councillor, Cheryl has represented the people of Carrickfergus with enthusiasm and energy. Having worked alongside David Hilditch in his constituency office she knows the issues facing people on the ground across East Antrim, he said. "I know Cheryl has always been driven by a desire to help the community she comes from and represents, whether as an elected representative or as an on-call firefighter. She is part of a new generation of DUP representatives coming through our ranks and will be a very valuable part of our Assembly team Ms Brownlee said she was honoured to take on the role and thanked Sir Jeffrey for his trust and support. I am pleased and honoured to take up a new role as MLA for East Antrim. I want to continue the tradition of hard work and delivery set down by David Hilditch over many years and to see this area grow and prosper. "I want to thank Sir Jeffrey and the wider party for their trust and support and I look forward to representing all the people of East Antrim, she added. Ms Brownlee replaces David Hilditch who last week announced his retirement from politics due to health reasons. He was first elected to Stormont in 1998 and was one of only three MLAs elected to the first assembly who still held their seat. East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson also welcomed the new MLA: Cheryl is a fantastic Councillor and a worker for the people of Carrick. She was involved in community work before she stood for election and she has never changed that focus throughout her time as a Councillor. "As an MLA Cheryl will now play an even greater role as part of a strong DUP team across East Antrim delivering on the issues that matter to people on the ground and focused on building and strengthening Northern Irelands place within the United Kingdom. While East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons added, Im delighted that Cheryl has been selected to serve as an MLA for East Antrim. She has been a fantastic councillor and her work on issues such as mental health and community development have been well recognised. "Cheryl isnt someone who just identifies a problem but gets out there and seeks solutions to help. She is a strong and articulate advocate, not just for constituents, but for the pro-Union case. I know her Council colleagues will miss her presence within Mid & East Antrim, but she will be a fantastic addition to the DUP team in the Assembly. Ms Brownlee has been involved in local politics for over a decade and previously served as Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and a policy researcher in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The mural dedicated to Lyra McKee in Orlando which was defaced A man has been arrested in connection with the vandalism of a Lyra McKee mural in Orlando, Florida. US authorities stated that 34-year-old Matthew Michael Robinson had been arrested and charged with three counts of criminal mischief on Wednesday. He was further released on bail on Thursday. Other LGBTQ+ murals alongside the artwork of deceased journalist Ms McKee were also defaced. They were outside LGBTQ+ support groups, The Center and Zebra Youth, and had been daubed with racist and homophobic graffiti. One of the murals paid tribute to the 49 victims of the devastating 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. Ms McKee visited the city in 2017 as part of an international exchange programme in the wake of that mass attack. She dedicated a TED talk at Stormont to the victims of the shooting and all LGBT people who died by suicide. A swastika, anti-LGBT and anti-trans messages were painted on Ms McKees memorial, which was erected in 2019 and bears an image of the late 29-year-old set against a rainbow-coloured heart. Ms McKee was shot dead by a New IRA gunman while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry in April 2019. Her mural was erected after the City of Orlando passed a motion to honour her in the aftermath of her murder. Zebra Youth said the graffiti was a work of a hate group. It added volunteers had since removed the message. A statement from Orlando Police Department reads: "On August 26, 2023 at approximately 3.20am , officers responded to 927 and 946 North Mills Avenue in reference to several murals that were defaced on buildings utilized for LGBTQ+ outreach. The graffiti included hateful rhetoric targeting the LGBTQ+ community. "On September 13, 2023, Matthew Michael Robinson was arrested and charged with 3 counts of Criminal Mischief. "We will be seeking enhancements for evidence of prejudice during the commission of these crimes. Florida politician Anna Eskamani said: Lyra has a very special place in the hearts of Orlandoans. Following the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, Lyra not only recognised the tragedy of what happened at Pulse, but she shared her personal experiences as a LGBTQ+ person, talking about Pulse during a 2017 TED Talk that inspired and comforted so many of us. We are proud to have a mural dedicated to her in our city, and when it was vandalised this past weekend with Nazi graffiti, our community stepped up immediately to remove the hate speech and restore the mural. Lyra serves as a reminder for us to love ourselves, care for our community and to find power in pain. Ms McKees sister Nichola Corner said she was shocked the memorial had been targeted and thanked those in Orlando for removing the Nazi graffiti from it. "In this day and age, LGBT people should not have to put up with this, she added. Lyra visited Orlando a year after the nightclub shooting, and it had a profound impact on her. She said she felt freer in Orlando than she did here and would love to live there some day. She also visited a mosque and spoke to those who helped people in the wake of the shooting. This informed a big part of Lyras TED talk. After Lyra was murdered, the people of Orlando rallied around and a resolution was passed to make Lyras birthday an annual day of celebration in the city. We were extremely honoured and touched by that. We are also touched at how people came out after the murals were targeted and restored them so quickly. It means so much. That says everything you need to know about the vast majority of the people of Orlando. Those responsible for the graffiti have nothing to offer society. They would be better spending the time having difficult conversations with those they disagree with. They would realise that we are all the same. A number of protests took place against the UK Governments legacy Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA). TWO legal challenges have been launched at the High Court over the governments controversial Legacy Bill. The families, who all had relatives killed during the Troubles, have lodged judicial review proceedings challenging the lawfulness of the legislation and its compatibility with international human rights standards. An application for Judicial Review has been lodged by Madden & Finucane Solicitors in response to legislation passing through the House of Lords earlier this month. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 is awaiting Royal Assent before it becomes law. We have lodged Judicial Review proceedings in the High Court for six families bereaved through State violence in which we are challenging the lawfulness of this legislation and its compatibility with international human rights standards, Madden & Finucane Solicitors said in a statement. The families include Billy Thompson whose mother was shot dead by a member of the Royal Green Jacket regiment in Londonderry on November 6, 1971. Last year a coroner found that a soldier, known as Soldier D, was responsible for Kathleen Thompsons death and rejected his claims that he believed he was under fire and had acted in self-defence. Soldier Ds evidence was described as contrived and self-serving before the case was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The controversial legislation includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the Troubles and would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into legacy offences. It has been opposed by the five main political parties here, the Irish Government and victims rights groups. Jonathan McKerr the son of IRA man Gervaise McKerr who was shot dead near Lurgan on November 11, 1982 by an under cover RUC unit is among the family members supporting the legal action. More than 100 rounds were fired into a car driven by Mr McKerr killing him and two passengers Eugene Toman and John Burns. An inquest into the deaths of all three unarmed men has never taken place, however back in 2001 the European Court of Human Rights found the UK to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because no effective investigation had ever been conducted. Other family members include Una Eakin, widow of IRA man Gerard Casey, who was murdered by the UDA on April 4, 1989 in Rasharkin. In 2010 Attorney General John Larkin ordered a new inquest into Mr Casey's death after a previous finding was quashed. In 2022 the Police Ombudsman published a report which found collusive behaviour between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries behind the' murder. The legal challenge has also been lodged on behalf of Linda Hewitt, the sister of Sam Marshall, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on March 7, 1990. Mr Marshall. a former republican prisoner, was ambushed as he left Lurgan RUC station after signing bail. Claims of a security force role in the killing centred on the nearby presence of a Maestro car, later found to be a military intelligence vehicle. Although the UVF killers launched the attack within yards of the armed troops and escaped, investigators said there was no evidence of state collusion. Teresa Jordan, the mother of IRA man Pearse Jordan who was shot dead on the Falls Road in Belfast on November 25, 1992, is among the relatives supporting the legal action. In 2016 a coroner formally referred two former RUC officers to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether they should be prosecuted for perjury or perverting the course of justice arising from their evidence to the dead mans inquest. No prosecutorial decision has yet been taken. The sixth relative involved in the legal challenge is Eamon Cairns, whose two sons Gerard and Rory were murdered in their home by the UVF in October 1993. The brothers, aged 18 and 22, were shot dead after gunmen broke into the property in Bleary, near Portadown. No-one has ever been convicted of the killing carried out by the notorious Mid Ulster unit headed at the time by Billy "King Rat" Wright. In 2019 a loyalist paramilitary admitted on a BBC Spotlight programme that he and others had conspired to murder every male member of the Cairns household and that intelligence had been received directly from the RUC. Earlier this year a file was submitted to the Public Prosecutions Service. Read more Troubles victims accuse Government of abandoning them with Legacy Bill Meanwhile, Harte Coyle Collins Solicitors & Advocates has confirmed it has lodged Judicial Review proceedings with the High Court in advance of the legislation being given Royal approval. The firm says it filed the paperwork on Wednesday, September 13 on behalf of three families to challenge all aspects of the legislation including the amnesty scheme. They include relatives of Annette McGavigan a 14-year-old schoolgirl shot by the British Army on September 6, 1971 in Derry and unarmed veteran Thomas Burns who was shot by the British Army on July 12, 1972 leaving the Glenpark Social Club in north Belfast. The family of Jim McCann, one of the New Lodge 6 alleged to have been shot by the British Army in February 1973, is also taking action. The shooting of Ms McGavigan is currently under investigation by the Legacy Investigation Branch of the PSNI. Solicitor for all three of families, Nichola Harte, said: We remain confident that our judges in Northern Ireland will take the opportunity to objectively and impartially review this unprecedented legislation which seeks to close down all available routes to justice in our court system for private citizens. "Our clients are compelled to challenge this law. If they do not then victims across all communities in Northern Ireland will have lost their opportunity to achieve truth, accountability, and justice through the current independent, public court mechanisms. Why NI has not grasped how restorative justice could help legal system A former Policing Board member tells Allison Morris how the practice could help alleviate the backlog in our courts Debbie Watters believes we lag behind the rest of the UK when it comes to reforms in justice Allison Morris Fri 15 Sep 2023 at 07:30 Former senior Policing Board member Debbie Watters has said Northern Ireland lags behind the rest of the UK when it comes to alternatives to the traditional judicial system. Ian Paisley has said it is unlikely that a devolved government will return to Northern Ireland this year. He said fundamental concerns still had to be addressed before the DUPs near-20-month Stormont boycott would end. I dont think well have it this year, he told BBCs Nolan Show on Friday. But, I think everyone is working hard to try and address the issues around it, and I want to frame those comments on the basis that I am pro-devolution. I think its good that people in Northern Ireland run Northern Irish affairs, but it will only happen if we address these fundamental concerns and get a devolution that works and is properly financed. Speaking in Dublin, Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill reiterated her call for a restored Stormont and said patience is now running out, meanwhile her party president Mary Lou McDonald claimed the game-playing of the DUP needs to stop and common sense must prevail. Michelle O'Neill says the DUP need to get on with it Peace, stability and economic opportunity are all connected and the onus is on the British and Irish governments, all parties, and not least the DUP to restore the Executive and other democratic institutions so that we can push on and get back to business, the First Minister Designate said. Everyday the DUP boycotts government, all of our people are suffering in terms of health, rising prices and cost of living pressures. Everyone has been more than reasonable in giving space and time, but there must be a clear limit and public patience is now running out. The democratic outcome of last Mays Assembly election must be respected. Power-sharing must be restored. Earlier this summer, the DUP MP warned that power-sharing could be an Ice Age away due to what he considers a lack of understanding by the Northern Ireland Office. Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government since February 2022 when the DUPs Paul Givan resigned as First Minister. Mr Paisley has said the seven tests put forward by his party for any UK/EU deal still havent been met and that staying out of the Assembly was the DUPs only leverage. Earlier this week, Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker accused hard line unionist opinion formers and unelected figures of holding back the DUP from getting back into an Executive. To this, Mr Paisley responded: I jump to the call of about 80,000 unelected people. Theyre called my electorate, and tens of thousands of them have supported the policies I have put forward, and those [seven] tests are part of those policies. The seven tests include no effective border in the Irish Sea and ensuring no new regulatory borders develop between NI and the rest of the UK. Mr Baker also stated that the EU will not re-enter negotiations, describing the Windsor Framework as the best we could do our compromise. Mr Paisley added that he thinks the NI Minister is wrong on this, noting: Weve seen in the past that the government said this couldnt change and the goalposts couldnt move, and it did change and we will keep moving to get better change. Things are not the same. Things have got to change. The issues that we have raised, have got to be recognised and respected, he continued. You can't have a solution or a manageable government in Northern Ireland unless both sides are working together. One side is being disrespected. The unionist side is being told to suck up and get on with it and to accept things that are against the union. That will not be tolerated and so its up to the government to recognise. The Windsor Framework was agreed by the UK Government and the EU in February in a bid to resolve issues around the Northern Ireland Protocol. The first parts of the agreement are to be implemented from October 1, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris has said. Data breaches have been in the spotlight since the major PSNI data breach in August. Up to 50 data breaches have occurred at Stormont departments over the last decade. Almost a third involved the Department of Justice, while multiple breaches by the Department for Communities were deemed to be "major incidents". The nine Stormont departments involved said that where breaches occurred the cases were referred to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and action was taken to ensure information was deleted. The figures were obtained after requests by the Belfast Telegraph and the BBC, The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and its arms-length bodies have had seven data breaches in recent years. In one case a civil servant accessed personal folders of their colleagues and was suspended, while in another someones medical information was sent to the wrong home address. The news follows a series of high-profile PSNI data breaches, including one which saw the details of more than 10,000 officers and staff mistakenly released on a public website. Read more PSNI apologises to officers and civilian staff after major security breach The first of the DfI breaches was in 2014, while there was one in 2015 and two in 2016. Another breach was detected in 2019, again in 2021 and the latest was last year. All of the incidents were reported to the Information Commissioners Office. In February last year personal data of a third party was given out in a phone call by a member of the DVA, while in September, 2021, personal details attached to MOT bookings were unprotected for several hours due to unencrypted internet cookies. Internet cookies are pieces of data from a website that are stored in web browsers that a website can retrieved at a later time. In the later case the cookies were encrypted five hours after the breach were discovered and a full system security check was carried out, according to the FOI response. Back in March of 2019 a member of DfIs digital services branch accessed personal folders of colleagues. The members of staff affected were informed and the individual responsible was suspended. An individuals medical information was sent to the wrong home address in October, 2016. The person whose personal data was breached was informed and received an apology. Mark H Durkan is the SDLPs infrastructure person, and a member of the Policing Board which grilled former Chief Constable Simon Byrne over the PSNI data breaches. Any data breach within a Stormont department must be treated with the utmost seriousness given the sensitive information that departments and their staff hold, he said. Its important that departments have robust policies in place to guard against and deal with data breaches and I would hope that when such breaches occur policies are reviewed and the fallout is dealt with in an appropriate manner. Recent events have shown us just how serious the fallout from data breaches can be, with wide-ranging effects for those involved. We need to have confidence in our departments and staff and any breach can seriously undermine their work. Alliance Party MLA Andrew Muir added said news of the breaches are a serious cause for concern, with range of highly sensitive information wrongly made available that was no doubt worrying for many. He added that it is vital DfI and other department have robust plans in place to ensure data is kept safe and not wrongly made available as a result of system or human actions. Citizens and employees have a right to expect that often highly sensitive personal data government is entrusted to hold is kept secure, he said. DfI said: All seven data breaches were reported to the Information Commissioners Office and appropriate action taken. Staff are reminded of the importance of regular data protection and Freedom of Information training following any breach of personal information and all staff are required to pass regular training courses on both. The Department of Health (DoH) published a report provided by the Muckamore Abbey Hospital (MAH) Independent Review Panel, which included some personal details of a small number of patients and staff. The department also received reports from six members of the public who experienced issues with their Northern Ireland Covid Certification Service (CCS), with accounts showing personal details and vaccine certificate information relating to other users. During an investigation it was discovered that the issue was a technical malfunction. The incidents were reported to ICO and correspondence was issued to all of the people who were affected. Sinn Fein taking the housing ministry would be a red line in any post-election governmental negotiations, Mary Lou McDonald has said. The party president said tackling the housing crisis was Sinn Feins number one priority. Ms McDonald, who is back at work after several months off recovering from hysterectomy surgery, said Sinn Fein was now on an election footing. She also insisted her party would not be repeating the mistake of the 2020 general election and running too few candidates. Asked whether the housing portfolio was a red line for Sinn Fein in any post-election government formation talks, Ms McDonald said yes. She was addressing reporters at the start of her partys think-in event in Dublin. We want to effect change across all of government, I dont have as clear-cut an answer for you in respect of other portfolios, but for us housing is absolutely core, she said. Its absolutely key. We have had a ringside seat now for government failure since the last general election. They told us that they had heard the people, that the housing crisis couldnt continue. Sinn Feins think-in is being held in Dublin (David Young/PA) What do we have? A continuing crisis. I spoke to one young mother in my own community, she has two lovely children. Shes waiting to be housed. She was told her position on the list and she was informed that it could take 10 years for her to be housed her children will be grown. Thats not acceptable. Thats absolutely not acceptable. Ms McDonald said the countdown to the election had begun. Ive heard very clearly the appeals of people urging us in Sinn Fein to be ready for the next election, urging us to have the number of candidates needed, she said. So, to them I say, make no mistake, Sinn Fein will be ready. We are now on an election footing and our focus will be on maximising our vote and electing enough Sinn Fein TDs to lead government, a truly new government. Ms McDonald added: We need a general election. I believe were now on a countdown to the day when the people will have their say and when people make that democratic decision we will talk to everyone, and we will put Sinn Feins policies for a better future firmly on the table. In my opinion, the very best outcome of that election is a new government without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael for the first time in 100 years. I hope that people back that vision. However, friends, were not presumptuous. The outcome of the next general election is far from decided and we know that we have a lot of hard work to do between now and then. Ms McDonald said housing would be the defining issue of the election. Sinn Fein in government will end the housing crisis, she said. A Sinn Fein-led government will build the homes that our people need. We will deliver the biggest affordable and social housing programme that this state has ever seen. That is the level of action needed to match the scale of the challenge we face. If the people give us the opportunity to lead, Sinn Fein will make housing the number one priority of a new government not only in words, but in actions, not only in actions, but in results. The Sinn Fein leader insisted her party would make sure it ran enough candidates in the next general election. After the last general election, I literally could not walk the length of myself without people telling me that we hadnt run enough candidates, she said. This time, we will not make that mistake, we will be prepared, we will be match fit. We will go to the people in all humility, but well-prepared looking for as big a mandate as we can take. The party president declined to put a target on the number of seats Sinn Fein was aiming for. We take nothing for granted, there are no slam dunks, there is nothing inevitable about Sinn Fein being in government, she said. However, we do believe that the appetite for political change is alive and well. On her recent surgery, Ms McDonald said she was in great health. As Mark Twain said, rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated, she said. Im back and Im sure the lads will be thrilled out of their minds to have me back. She said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin had been in touch to wish her well, with Mr Varadkar having also sent her flowers. The Taoiseach was asked about the gesture at his own party think-in event in Limerick. Asked by reporters if it could be interpreted as opening the door for a future coalition, Mr Varadkar said: No, definitely not. Look, Mary Lou McDonald is somebody Ive known down the years. We used to live only a stones throw from each other in Castleknock 20 years ago. It was just a personal gesture. The Irish Farmers Association says it has received assurances from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that he will invite the EU Environment Commissioner to Ireland following a proposed cut to the nitrates derogation limit in the country. Earlier, a number of farmers protested outside the Fine Gael parliamentary party think-in over a range of issues, including the EU cut in Irelands nitrates derogation limit and the plan to delay payments to farmers in 2023. The planned limit is to reduce to 220kg of organic nitrogen per hectare. Asked about the protest, Mr Varadkar said: I dont think the dialogue that weve had in recent times has really been working, I think that needs to change. Id like there to be a new partnership, the likes of which we have, for example, with the trade union, and the business groups where we sit down and we try and manage change in the interest of farmers, rather than trying to make out these changes arent going to happen or they can be stopped when we all know they cant. IFA president Timm Culllinan said the group then held a positive meeting with Mr Varadkar, along with Ministers Simon Coveney and Martin Heydon as well as Colm Markey MEP, on the margins of the event at the Limerick Strand Hotel. The IFA said the Taoiseach agreed to write to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius for a meeting in Ireland involving Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and a delegation from the sector or for the Commissioner to meet with sector representatives in Brussels. Mr Cullinan said: The Taoiseach was clear he understood the massive impact that any cut in the nitrates derogation limit would have on Irish farmers and the wider sector. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, said the meeting would be a useful next step. First of all, I think we had a very good meeting with the IFA leadership today, it was at least an hour and we went through a range of things, he said. Obviously the thing we spoke most about was the proposed changes to the nitrous derogation that Ireland currently has, and the impact that thats having on thousands of farmers across the country potentially, and the impact that it has outside of those farmers that are operating under derogation given the impact its having on the price of land from from a renter perspective. So the main ask of the IFA leadership was of the Taoiseach to invite the commissioner to Ireland so he can see for himself the kind of farming that we have here and the impact that the proposed changes may have, so that the IFA can put to, the kind of flexibilities that theyve been looking for and so on. And I dont think that was an unreasonable request. I think its an obvious next step. And I hope that the commissioner will respond positively to that request, when he gets it from the Taoiseach. Patrick Kielty received a surprise message from wife Cat Deeley before his first appearance at the helm of The Late Late Show. Kielty, 52, is taking over from Ryan Tubridy to host the show for the first time on Friday evening at 9:35pm on RTE One. Deeley, 46, wished her husband good luck vibes in a video posted to her and the The Late Late Shows Instagram page. In the clip, which shows Kielty watching a video message from Deeley before the show, she says: Surprise. I know today is your big day. Id love to be there, but Im holding down the fort here in London at home, but we are sending you all good luck vibes. Youll be brilliant. No doubt about it. I know its your dream job and youll be great for sure. The boys and I wanted to get you something to mark the occasion so we made this for you, hope you like it. Good luck. Kielty opens the package with a keyring in it from sons Milo and James. The comedian and presenter recently revealed that he had received a message from Tubridy before his debut. Kielty is the fourth regular host in the run of The Late Late Show, preceded by Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Tubridy. He is the first from Northern Ireland and is originally from Dundrum in Co Down. Kielty said he was not feeling any animosity being the first host from across the border, and that he had been welcomed into his new role. I think its going to be fun, he said. Its going to be a bit strange for people up the road to hear the Co Down accent on the show. I think whats interesting is sometimes we talk these things up even more, I think that if you look at all of the identities that we have on this island at the minute, and the progress that weve made, I think that I dont see it as a thing. And I think that the welcome that Ive had coming into this building, certainly not a thing down here. The Late Late Show has faced controversy in the past, with a High Court case in 1985 for billing two former nuns who were lesbians when Gay Byrne was host, and Tubridys interview with Tony Blair which took place the night before the former prime minister was pelted with eggs at a book signing in Dublin. Kielty said that in his tenure, he would not shy away from difficult discussions, adding: I think the only way you can have a difficult conversation is to be honest, and not to judge. Whenever I was doing my documentaries, and visiting the bonfires, and I think with all conversations, you go in and try to see who the human being is youre talking to, and why they feel the way theyre talking, what their position is, and I think thats at the heart of it. And I think that hopefully any conversation that Ill have on the show that Im hosting, Ill hopefully bring those skills to it. A compilation of messages from people in Kieltys home town of Dundrum was prepared for him, and he said he felt the benefit of support from his local community. That type of stuff nearly puts you over the edge, like all the other stuff you can kind of cope with, but people in the village and people you grew up with and people who went to school with, he said. I got an amazing wee message sent to me from my best friends family, and they were all sea swimming this week, and they were all in the sea jumping up going, Hey, Paddy! Its nice to know youve got so many people in your corner. TikTok has been fined 345 million euro (296 million) by Irelands data watchdog following an investigation into how the social media platform processed childrens data. The fine was imposed on TikTok Technology Limited (TTL) by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) after the probe into how certain privacy settings and features complied with obligations under the EUs General Data Protection Regulation. The DPC inquiry examined age verification as part of the registration process and the processing of the personal data of children by the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform between July 31 and December 31 2020. Tiktok said that it respectfully disagreed with the level of the fine imposed and stated that it related to features and settings which were in place three years ago. The DPC adopted its final decision regarding its inquiry into TTK on September 1. The DPC ruling described how child users progressed through the sign-up to the TikTok platform in such a manner that their accounts were set to public by default. It said this meant that videos that were posted to child users account were public-by-default and comments were enabled publicly by default. In the Family Pairing feature, the DPC said a child users accounts could be paired with an unverified non-child. It said that that the non-child user had the power to enable direct messages for child users above the age of 16, thereby making this feature less strict for the child user. As part of the inquiry, the DPC also examined some of TTLs transparency obligations, including the extent of information provided to child users in relation to default settings. The DPC has issued a reprimand as well as an order requiring TTL to bring its processing into compliance by taking specified action specified within three months and administrative fines totalling 345 million euro. A spokesperson for TikTok said: We respectfully disagree with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed. The DPCs criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default. TikTok said it respectfully disagreed with the fine imposed (Yui Mok/PA) It is the latest in a series of fines handed out by the DPC in Ireland to social media giants. Earlier this year, Facebooks parent company Meta Ireland was fined 390 million for breaches of EU data privacy rules, one of a number of fines the DPC has imposed on the company. In Januar,y WhatsApp was fined more than five million euro over data protection breaches and last year Instagram was fined 405 million euro over the way in which it handled teenagers personal data. Earlier this year in the UK, the Information Commissioners Office fined TikTok 12.7 million because it did not do enough to make sure underage children were not using its platform and ensure that their data was used correctly. Barry Gardiner is the Labour MP for Brent North (Richard Townshend/UK Parliament/PA) A disgruntled dentist has admitted making a threat to kill his local MP during a four-year campaign of harassment. Amit Kerai, 34, pleaded guilty on Friday to making the threat last August against Labours Barry Gardiner, who is MP for Brent North in London. He admitted two charges of putting other people in fear of violence by harassment in abusive and threatening emails, tweets and telephone calls between 2019 and 2022. The defendant, of Crundale Avenue, Barnet, north-west London, also admitted sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety last August 2 to call centre staff at the General Dental Council. It is understood the defendant had a grudge after being suspended by the General Dental Council. Judge Mark Lucraft KC had said: The crown case summary makes clear this is a campaign of harassment that took place over a long period of time. The prosecution accepted Kerais pleas and four other charges, which he denied, will lie on file. The defendant was remanded in custody until his provisional sentencing date on November 3. The trio were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai (Surrey Police/PA) The father of Sara Sharif is among three people charged with the 10-year-olds murder, Surrey Police has said. The force said the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Saras father Urfan Sharif, 41, Urfans partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfans brother, Faisal Malik, 28, all of Hammond Road, Woking. They have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child. The trio travelled to Pakistan a day before police discovered Saras body in Woking on August 10. A post-mortem examination found the youngster had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period of time. They were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai. All three have been remanded in custody to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on Friday. Police said Saras mother has been informed of this latest development and is being supported by specialist officers. Five of Saras siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to the South Asian country on August 9 with Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik. A person leaves flowers outside a property on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey, where Sara Sharif was found dead (Jonathan Brady/PA) Police have charged the father of Sara Sharif and two other people with her murder. The trio have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and will face Guildford Magistrates Court on Friday. Here is a timeline of the events in the case so far. August 9 Saras father Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan Sharifs brother, Faisal Malik, 28, travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, with five children aged between one and 13 years old. Urfan Sharif (left) and Beinash Batool (Surrey Police/PA) August 10 Officers from Surrey Police are called from Pakistan by Mr Sharif at about 2.50am to a semi-detached property on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey, where Sara is found dead. A murder investigation is launched. August 15 A post-mortem examination is unable to establish the cause of Saras death and further tests are carried out, but the examination shows the child had suffered multiple and extensive injuries which were likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time. August 18 Surrey Police say they would like to speak to Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik in relation to the investigation, with a search for them under way. August 19 The Associated Press news agency reports that Pakistani police in the eastern province of Punjab are seeking to arrest Mr Sharif in connection with Saras death, with his family home believed to be in the city of Jhelum. Officer Imran Ahmed said police found evidence that he had briefly returned to Jhelum, before leaving and disappearing. August 20 Surrey County Council confirms to the PA news agency Sara was known to the local authority. The search for her father continues. August 24 Rawalpindi Region police chief Khurram Ali says the force is close to locating Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik, after they had interrogated Mr Sharifs father, brother and uncle. Police in the UK issue a fresh appeal for information in the case. Sara Sharifs body was found at her home in Woking (Surrey Police/PA) August 27 Speaking to the Sunday Times, Saras grandfather Muhammad Sharif, 68, urges the three individuals to hand themselves in to police. August 29 An inquest into Saras death is opened at Surrey Coroners Court, and hears the precise cause of her death is not yet ascertained but is likely to be unnatural. September 6 In footage sent to broadcasters including the BBC and Sky, Ms Batool, accompanied by Mr Sharif, speaks publicly for the first time since Saras death and describes it as an incident, saying they are willing to co-operate with the UK authorities and fight our case in court. September 9 A police spokesman in Jhelum says Mr Sharif and Ms Batool are in hiding and 10 close relatives have been taken into custody for questioning, including Saras grandfather Muhammad Sharif. September 11 The BBC reports that five children have been taken from the home of Muhammad Sharif, with dozens of police officers raiding the property in Jhelum. Eyewitness accounts say officers broke CCTV cameras at the property, stopped traffic and prevented passers-by from filming. The children were later returned. The whereabouts of Urfan Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik are still unknown. September 12 A court rules that the five children will be sent temporarily to a government childcare facility in Pakistan. In the UK, Surrey Police say they are working to secure the safe return of the siblings from Pakistan. September 13 Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik land in the UK at Gatwick Airport on an Emirates flight from Sialkot, Pakistan, via Dubai, and are arrested on suspicion of murder immediately after leaving the plane. Sialkot police spokesman Khan Mudassir said the three individuals were handed over to the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency. September 15 Just after midnight, Surrey Police issue a statement saying the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the trio to be charged with Saras murder. They are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and scheduled to face court later the same day. Lina Botero told the Colombian radio station Caracol that her father died on Friday in Monaco of pneumonia complications. Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints, and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colourful form that was instantly recognisable. Fernando Boteros artwork had a distinctive style (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) During his lifetime the artist attained global fame and influence, despite his humble origins, and his paintings were exhibited around the world, while his imposing bronze sculptures can be found in the parks and avenues of many European and South American capital cities. His success was truly immense Boteros son Juan Carlos, wrote in a biography of his father, published in 2010. Fernando Botero has created a unique style, that is original and easy to recognise. Botero was born on April 19, 1932 in Medellin, Colombia. As a child he was enrolled by an uncle in a bullfighting school that he soon left, but it was a world captured later in his paintings. He decided at age 14 to dedicate his life to the arts. His mother supported the decision, but told him he would have to pay for his studies. As a teenager, Botero participated in a group exhibition in Bogota, and had his first individual exhibition there in 1951. In the following year, he went to Madrid to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. Later, in Florence, he learned the technique of fresco painting at the Academia San Marcos. From Europe, he travelled to Mexico to study the work of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco. Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints, and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colourful form (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File) During his travels, Botero married Gloria Zea, with whom he had three children, Fernando, Lina and Juan Carlos. Returning to Bogota in 1958, he was appointed professor at the School of Arts of the National University. He later divorced and took up residence in New York in 1960. In the 1960s Botero began experimenting with the volume of objects and people in his paintings. His original plump creations attracted the attention of art critics and, by then, the painter had created hundreds of drawings as well as some 1,000 paintings. Botero remarried in 1964 with Cecilia Zambrano and in 1970 they had a son, Pedro, who died four years later in a car accident in Spain. Botero also divorced Zambrano. He captured the pain after the death of his son in the painting Pedrito. He also donated 16 works to the Museum of Antioquia, in Medellin, to honour the boy and in turn the museum named a room in memory of Pedrito Botero. In the 1970s, Botero put aside painting and began to experiment with sculptures in bronze, marble and cast iron, which brought him great success. In 1978 Botero returned to painting, and then alternated between the two disciplines. Botero said he would paint every day from morning until night, and in absolute silence, so as not to allow anything to distract him. Botero dearly loved his home country and made three major donations to the Museum of Antioquia over the years. In the 1990s, Botero produced voluminous sculptures for display in Monte Carlo and on the Champs Elysees in Paris, becoming the first foreign artist to show his work in these spaces. In 1995, his bronze sculpture The Bird, weighing more than 1.8 tonnes and displayed in a park in Medellin, was blown up with dynamite by unknown attackers, causing the death of 22 people and injuring more than 200. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill next week as he visits the US during the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Zelenskys trip comes as Congress is debating President Joe Bidens request to provide as much as 21 billion dollars (17 billion) in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Mr Zelensky will meet with Mr Biden at the White House next Thursday. The trip to the Capitol was confirmed by two congressional aides granted anonymity to discuss the plans. The Ukrainian president made a wartime visit to Washington in December 2022 and delivered an impassioned address to a joint meeting of Congress. At the time, it was his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February of that year. In his speech to cheering lawmakers, Mr Zelensky thanked Americans for helping to fund the war effort and said that the money is not charity, but an investment in global security and democracy. Details of Mr Zelenskys visit next week were not yet being made public. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on Mr Zelenskys plans, including whether he would meet with Mr Biden at the White House. Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. Mr Biden has sought a package of 13 billion dollars in additional military aid for Ukraine and eight billion dollars for humanitarian support. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Donald Trump, the former president, are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine. Congress is working to pass its annual appropriations bills before a September 30 deadline to keep the US government running. Suspects linked to telecom frauds are brought back to China from Laos at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Sept. 11, 2023. For years, Chinese criminal organizations have been setting up shop across Southeast Asia, built on the proliferation of Chinese-dominated Special Economic Zones (SEZ) including Boten in Laos, Shwe Kokko in Myanmar, or the casinos in Cambodias Sihanoukville. Despite the fact that fugitives from Chinese law often ran these networks, Beijing saw them as a useful tool for advancing its interests. Local governments were on the take, and for the most part, Chinese authorities turned a blind eye to the problem. In Europe triads do everything from marshaling patriotic actions from overseas communities, to quelling dissent and disappearing opposition figures, to opening doors for Chinese businesses, according to a recent report by ProPublica. In Southeast Asia, Beijing similarly uses criminal gangs as instruments of statecraft. The archipelago of SEZ along Chinas southwestern flank were, in essence, splinters of Chinese sovereignty, where local law enforcement had little to no jurisdiction. Recently, however, Chinese law enforcement agencies have intensified their cooperation with Southeast Asian counterparts to address the scourge in transnational crime, money laundering, illicit drug production, human trafficking and cyber scams. The answer to the question Why is China moving now? is becoming increasingly straightforward amid a flurry of international media and think-tank reports on lawlessness and rights abuses in Chinese-controlled economic zones in Southeast Asia. Beijing is facing reputational and diplomatic costs for turning a blind eye to labor and sex trafficking, cyber scams and other crimes in the zones. International media exposes have laid bare Chinas culpability. Many of these scam centers and human trafficking rings are being run by fugitives from China. First and foremost, they are wanted for crimes committed within China. Chinese victims More importantly for Beijing, the scam centers are praying on Chinese in sufficient numbers that authorities feel they have to take action. This is all the more so as the Chinese economy slows, and people are more susceptible to scams or human trafficking, while illicit drug use is climbing. Chinas pro-active approach also reflects the fact that there are now enough Chinese citizens who are amongst the 120,000 trafficked people in Myanmars SEZ and 100,000 in Cambodian scam centers that authorities are being forced to act. Radio Free Asia reported in May about allegations of 1,000 Chinese in a single scam center in Myanmar whose families had to pay $30,000 to secure their release. The bigger questions are how selective will China be in the targets of cross-border law enforcement cooperation with its southern neighbors and how long will the proactive stance last? Recent law enforcement cooperation with Southeast Asian counterparts really got started in 2012 with the arrest of drug lord Naw Kham, wanted for the October 2011 death of 13 Chinese sailors. China compelled law enforcement in Laos and Thailand to assist in the hunt and made sure that they got the credit. Cooperation was sporadic afterward, until recently. In August 2022, Thai authorities arrested She Zhijiang, a Chinese national holding a Cambodian passport, whose Yatai International Holdings has developed Myanmars Shwe Kokko since 2017. She has been fighting extradition, but is certain to lose. In June 2023, six Chinese suspects were apprehended and returned to China from Myanmar in a joint operation, according to the South China Morning Post. Since then theres been a steady return of Chinese nationals. Just last month, news broke that Singapore authorities had arrested 10 individuals in conjunction with a Singapore $1 billion (U.S. $737 billion) money laundering scheme from Cambodian and Philippine casinos. Authorities seized 94 properties, Singapore $125 million ($91 million) in bank accounts, cash, 50 luxury vehicles and countless luxury items. Police officers pose for a photo with suspects of telecom scams as they were brought back to China from Cambodia at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, China, Aug. 24, 2017. [Wu Guangyu/Xinhua via Getty Images] The investigation and asset seizures have since expanded to Singapore $1.8 billion ($1.3 billion) and includes 24 individuals. The probe has also expanded to include $56 million in real estate the United Kingdom. Though all were born in China, nine of the 10 arrested in Singapore were naturalized Cambodian citizens. While it has gone unsaid, Chinese law enforcement provided key information on the operation to their Singapore counterparts, which fits a pattern of a much more proactive posture of Chinese law enforcement in Southeast Asia. The investigation and asset seizures have since expanded to Singapore $1.8 billion ($1.3 billion) and includes 24 individuals. The probe has also expanded to include $56 million in real estate the United Kingdom. Though all were born in China, nine of the 10 arrested in Singapore were naturalized Cambodian citizens. In late August, Myanmar handed over 24 nationals to Chinese authorities, according to Radio Free Asia reporting. In September, Chinese law enforcement, working with their client in Myanmar, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), raided 11 scam centers in Shan State accused of swindling victims out of 120 million yuan ($16.4 million). Law enforcement arrested 269 people, including 186 Chinese nationals who were immediately returned to China. Chinese state media described 21 of the returnees as golden masters or the ringleaders. Within days, the number of people returned to China reached 1,207. Footage of Chinese police escorting a column of detained scammers surfaced on social media. Selective actions In another but unrelated case, six people responsible for human trafficking were sent back to China from Myanmar. To date, Chinas actions in Myanmar have been focused in northern Shan state which raises the question why Chinese authorities are moving against some but not others on that conflict-ridden country's complicated ethnic map. The UWSA has not taken similar measures in its headquarters area of Kokang in Shan State. Likewise, the scam centers in areas controlled by Karen border guard forces that are aligned with the junta, such as Shwe Kokko and KK Park, or in Lashio or Tachileik in Shan State are still operational. In next-door Laos, the Golden Triangle SEZ continues its expansion into a city now with its own airport. On Sept. 11, Lao authorities returned 164, including 46 from the Golden Triangle SEZ, but it is unclear whether this reflects an overall crackdown on Zhao Weis criminal empire. What seems more likely is that China will act selectively. Beijing wants to garner diplomatic praise when it does take action, while bolstering its influence with regional security services. China aims to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, by sending a clear signal to the syndicates that they will be targeted if they continue to commit crimes in China. Through selective but well-publicized operations, the government will try to allay public concerns and demonstrate that it will not allow Chinese citizens to be victimized by criminal networks operating overseas. However, some SEZ and the criminal enterprises that run them remain in Beijings broad strategic interests. As such, it remains to be seen whether China will continue to put pressure on the governing authorities to shut the zones, illegal casinos and scam centers. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or BenarNews. A boat carries Filipino and Chinese workers involved in the construction of a bridge linking Davao city and Samal island in the Philippines, Nov. 6, 2022. The Philippine defense chief has said that possible covert activities by Chinese workers in the country are a security risk and the defense departments current focus was on such actions. Workers from China who are in and out of the Philippines on a regular basis are difficult to keep track of, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros had asked Teodoro about the national security implications of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) operations in critical public services, including energy and telecommunications. The SOEs and infrastructures, thats not so much a problem because we can monitor it and we have default control over it. Its the activities that we cannot see thats worrisome, Teodoro said in reply. So what I want to know and what we are currently focusing on are the covert economic activities and information activities that are not openly happening. Chinese workers, especially those that frequently come and go, are a security risk because the government cannot monitor them, Teodoro added. The State Grid Corporation of China owns 40% of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, while state-owned China Telecom partly owns one of the archipelagos telecommunications providers, DITO Telecom. During the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, there was an influx of Chinese workers in the country, particularly in the Philippine offshore gaming operations, or POGOs. These operations cater mainly to customers in mainland China, where gambling is banned. At their peak, POGOs hired more than 300,000 Chinese workers, according to officials Earlier this week, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman had alleged without offering proof that China was running a disinformation campaign supported by state actors on Manilas dispute with Beijing on the West Philippine Sea, which is the part of the South China Sea within Manilas exclusive economic zone. The Philippines in 2016 won a landmark ruling in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which threw out Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea. Beijing, however, has ignored the ruling and carried on with its military expansionism in the strategic waterway, including building artificial islands. I hope we are keeping tabs on those hostile state actors and doing what we can to minimize their ability to influence public opinion in the Philippines, Sen. Hontiveros said. Teodoro said the defense department and the Philippine military knew about the fusion of external threats through internal activities but they were still verifying reports. The best way to weaken a country, rather than an overt war-like disruption of your facilities, is really to take control of [the] internal economy, internal processes and the like, Teodoro said. He added that there was a need for intelligence and confidential funds allotment for different agencies to prevent such eventualities. Meanwhile, China has increased its presence in the South China Sea. Beijing has consistently deployed its China Coast Guard ships and maritime militia vessels to harass Philippine ships, Filipino officials said. Philippine ally the United States is seeking access to more bases in the Philippines on top of nine sites already included under an expanded pact amid heightened regional tensions with China, Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. and Adm. John C. Aquilino, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said this week. Froilan Gallardo and Richel V. Umel in Cagayan de Oro city, southern Philippines, contributed to this report. Philippine grade school students prepare for lessons in their classroom at the San Juan Elementary School in San Juan City, Aug. 22, 2022. Philippine activists have slammed the education departments attempt to change the phrase Marcos dictatorship to just dictatorship in public schools grade 6 curriculum, saying it would change the truth about martial laws brutality under the current presidents late father. The departments curriculum bureau however insisted that removing the reference to the elder Ferdinand Marcos was only a recommendation and was not ordered by anyone. The curriculum bureau issued a memorandum on Sept. 6 to an education undersecretary directing that the phrase Diktadurang Marcos (Marcos dictatorship) be changed to just Diktadura (dictatorship) in its Grade 6 social studies curriculum for public school students. The change was made after the arduous process of review and revision was done under the guidance and scrutiny of experts, the review stakeholders and the public, and the launch of the [new] curriculum, the memo said. On Sept. 21, 1972, the elder Marcos signed a proclamation placing the country under martial law. About 70,000 people were thrown in prison, 34,000 tortured and more than 3,200 killed during his term as president, according to Amnesty International. In addition, activists allege that the late president, his family and their cronies stole around $10 billion in public funds during his presidency, which lasted from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s and included 14 years of martial law. The elder Marcos reign as president ended after a peoples power revolt in 1986. He died in exile in Hawaii in 1989. Critics opposed the distortion of truth under Education Secretary Sara Duterte, who is also vice president. The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, she contested the 2022 general election as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s running mate. The department of education has no business doing that, Loretta Rosales, a prominent martial law victim, said in a Sept. 12 radio interview. You dont distort the truth that takes place in history. We must restore what is true. Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros said it was important to preserve the historical record as it could be a guide to a better future. Memory and truth-telling are the cornerstones of justice. There are things that shouldnt be allowed to be rebranded, Hontiveros said in a Sept. 12 statement. The move was a clear strategy of the current administration to rehabilitate the dark history of the Marcos family, said the group Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy. It is also a blatant example of disinformation, where the people are deliberately misled by manipulating historical facts, the group said in a Sept. 9 statement. Several groups are set to hold protests in Manila on Sept. 21 to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the declaration of martial law. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pays tribute to his late father and namesake on the 106th anniversary of his birth during a mass in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Sept. 11, 2023. [Presidential Communications Office] No one ordered this The education department said the curriculum change decision came from within the department and was not a directive from any other office or agency, No one ordered this. It was a collective decision, Jocelyn Andaya, director of the departments Bureau of Curriculum Development, said in a radio interview on Sept. 12. She said the Marcos name would still be included in the lessons. The Marcos name may not be in the title of the topic, but its in the lessons because, at the end of the day, our learners should be able to think critically about what really were the problems and challenges in the democracy at the time when martial law was declared, she said. She also clarified that the Sept. 6 memo contained only recommendations, which would undergo a vetting process during the pilot implementation of the revised curriculum. Sara Duterte said in an interview Sept. 12 that it was the education experts who decided the direction in teaching. However, veteran Rep. Edcel Lagman said the memo violated a 2013 law that recognizes the horrors of martial law and grants compensation to its victims. That law mandates the [education department] and CHED (Commission on Higher Education) include in the curriculum from primary to tertiary education the atrocities of martial law under the dictator, Marcos Sr., and the heroism of the martial law victims of human rights violations, Lagman said. In January, Marcos told the World Economic Forum (WEF) dialogue that he entered politics to cleanse his familys name after the 1986 revolt ended his fathers almost two-decade term as president. [F]or us to defend ourselves politically, somebody had to enter politics and be in the political arena, Marcos said in a dialogue with WEF President Brge Brende. [N]ot only the legacy of my father but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics. Jeoffrey Maitem in Manila contributed to this report. China believes that the Russian lack of progress in Ukraine is largely due to the failure of the Russian logistical system. The Ukrainian defenders went after Russian supply lines and that made it easier to destroy most of the Russian offensive forces. The Ukrainians did this from the beginning, attacking Russian supply convoys and leaving Russian combat forces stranded because of fuel and ammunition shortages. Russia underestimated the Ukrainian ability to take advantage of Russian efforts to remedy their logistics shortcomings, which were hampered by corruption in the military logistics bureaucracy. This was something Russian generals could only complain about because they could not fix it. Some Russian leaders realized the logistical risks but could not get needed support from senior political leaders to do anything about it. This assessment by the Chinese has them reviewing their own logistical plans for an attack on Taiwan. China can get troops onto the island but their supply arrangements are less certain to succeed if the Taiwanese forces concentrate on the Chinese supply ships. Many of these supply ships are civilian vessels, including RO/RO (roll on/roll off) ships and ferries. China has conducted some exercises testing the ability of these ships to travel the necessary distance, but did not include any Taiwanese efforts to destroy the ships. As history regularly demonstrates, the enemy has the ability to respond and the Taiwanese have missiles and satellite targeting support from their American allies to find and destroy Chinese seaborne supply efforts. The Chinese strategy is to win quickly and then declare peace. This was the Russian plan in Ukraine, where Russian supplies were moved over roads and rail lines as well as by ships in the Black Sea. The Ukrainians attacked or disrupted these supply efforts sufficiently to leave many Russian troops in Ukraine without enough food, ammunition, fuel or even food. And they still dont. Ukraine continues to concentrate on Russian logistics, using long range missiles and GPS guided aircraft bombs to destroy Russian supplies that have been stockpiled for troops to use. Russia responded by moving the stockpiled supplies farther from the front lines and, when possible, storing them in underground bunkers. Such bunkers are great in theory but in practice there are not many of these bunkers and supply stockpiles often end up out in the open, on pallets and covered by tarps. Ukraine tends to find these locations quickly and attack them. Ukrainian sabotage teams operate in Russian territory to disrupt railroad movement by damaging railroad signals and communications systems. This makes the railroads less reliable and often leads to accidents that derail supply trains and block further use of that line until the wreckage is removed and the rails repaired. Ukraine has even been able to get operatives deep inside Russia to damage the Trans-Siberian Railroad, which is currently used to move weapons and munitions from North Korea to Ukraine. These sustained attacks on Russian logistics have been a major reason for the failure of Russian forces in Ukraine. China fears Taiwan plans to do the same to Chinese invasion forces, who are even more vulnerable because they must come by sea. Move Forward Party Leader and former prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat answers questions from the media as he arrives at the Thai Parliament before the parliamentary vote for the premiership in Bangkok on July 13, 2023. Pita Limjaroenrat, whose Move Forward Party was the top vote-getter in the May 14 general election, resigned as leader on Friday to pave the way for another MP to steer Thailands opposition. The progressive Move Forward won the highest number of seats in Parliament, but Pitas bid to become Thailands first pro-democracy prime minister after nine years of army-backed rule was thwarted by conservative MPs and senators. He was suspended as an MP in July and is awaiting a Constitutional Court decision on whether he had violated election laws for owning stock in a media company. Pita said Friday he was stepping down because his suspension as an MP meant he could not fulfill the role of opposition leader in the near future. I resigned as leader of Move Forward to pave the way for selection of another MP to lead the opposition in Parliament, the 43-year-old wrote on his official Facebook page. I assure everyone that regardless of my status, I will not be going anywhere, but will continue working with Move Forward for the people to the best of my ability. Move Forwards progressive political agenda, including a promise to reform the royal insult law, drew the ire of conservative and pro-royal lawmakers in Parliament, who twice rebuffed Pitas prime ministerial nomination. After Pita was blocked a second time, he stepped aside to allow a Pheu Thai candidate for PM to take his place. Soon after, however, Pheu Thai the populist vehicle for the billionaire Shinawatra family cut ties with Move Forward and then struck its deal with pro-military and pro-royalist parties. Pheu Thais Srettha Thavisin was sworn in as Thailands prime minister earlier this month. Pita has until next week to challenge a complaint submitted to the Constitutional Court by the Electoral Commision, which alleges he knowingly applied to be an MP candidate while holding shares in defunct media company iTV, which is prohibited under electoral laws. Move Forward will select a new leader and executive panel at a party general meeting on September 23, said its secretary-general Chaitawat Tulathon. Pita told reporters on Friday afternoon the party had several members capable of taking the reins. I think there are four or five people that are fit for the job, depending on what we want a brawler or boxer, he said. Nattakorn Withitanon, a political scientist at Chiang Mai University, said Pita resigned too early and should have waited for the Constitutional Court ruling. Still, this could be a short-term decision because he can retake the party leader post, he told BenarNews. Sirikanya Tansakun, the partys current deputy leader, was the top contender to take the job, Nattakorn said, adding that Rangsiman Rome and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn were also potential successors. But if the party is to maintain its fighter-like image, the latter two have a chance, despite their young age. Kunnawut Boonreak contributed to this report. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Israel recently ordered another 25 F-35s. Israel already has fifty, organized into two squadrons. With the new aircraft there will be three squadrons. Israel was the first export customer to receive F-35s because it was the only exports customer that was regularly involved in combat, including air-strikes. Israel was also the only export customer allowed to modify and upgrade their F-35s. For this reason, the Israeli aircraft is known as the F-35I. The United States initially opposed Israeli requests to carry out modifications and upgrades, but the Israelis had a record of doing this with F-16s and F-15s obtained from the United States so F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin agreed to cooperate by making some modifications to the F-35Is before Israel received them. These included changes in command, control, communications systems, including computers, and the integration of intelligence collection, electronic warfare, and weapons integration systems. Israel agreed to not change anything inside the aircraft, but was free to add capabilities on top of the existing infrastructure. Israel Aerospace Industries, for example, was already working on such systems for the F-35I. The F-35I was designed to allow updates to Electronic Warfare and weapons integration systems. F-35I power and cooling systems were modified to allow incorporation of Israeli developed weapons. Israel has developed its own air-to-air missiles and GPS guided bombs. Since 2021 there have been a lot more joint exercises involving Israeli and foreign F-35s. Details of these exercises have not been publicized but it apparently involves testing current and new F-35 capabilities and sharing that knowledge with other F-35 users. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 a lot of European nations sought to obtain F-35s while canceling plans to buy older models of American and European combat aircraft. Ukraines ability to defeat the larger Russian air force, using Ukraines own Russian-designed aircraft, made it clear that the Ukrainian tactics carried out with F-35s would provide an enormous edge over air forces equipped with older aircraft. Even China has not yet produced a stealth aircraft as capable as the F-35 and now NATO nations with F-35s realize they have a substantial edge and have shared that knowledge with other NATO countries. Israel demonstrated what the F-35 was capable of in 2019 when Israel had only 14 F-35I fighters and some had been operational for over a year. These F-35Is flew training missions near the Syrian border and then operational missions over Lebanon and Syria. This comes after years of overcoming opposition from the United States to allowing Israel to modify the F-35A to use Israeli electronic warfare equipment and software, and also to handle Israeli-made missiles and smart bombs as well as a smart helmet, which was something Israel pioneered. This led to the Israeli aircraft being designated the F-35I, which have been in the air since 2018, often armed and within range of hostile radars and anti-aircraft missiles as well as the latest Russian electronic warfare equipment. Israeli engineers also confirmed fears that the F-35 is eminently hackable. Other foreign users who have received their first F-35s agree that the heart of the F-35's superior capabilities are its software and digital communications with other aircraft and troops on the ground. Users are pointing out all manner of potential network vulnerabilities, and all are actively seeking which of these vulnerabilities are actual (and fixable) rather than potential and unlikely. F-35 software was designed over a decade ago when much less was known about how combat aircraft software could be hacked and already some basic changes in F-35 software architecture are being planned to deal with that. This brings up another major problem. The F-35 software is more complex and omnipresent throughout the aircraft than in any previous warplane. Its a major effort to carry out and test any changes. Some major upgrades are needed in how F-35 software changes are made and how quickly. In wartime this would be essential, as otherwise vulnerable aircraft would be grounded when needed most. Foreign users have also provided useful advice on penetration (red team) testing and have become another major effort that was not anticipated. The U.S. and other foreign users of the F-35 noted Israels F-35I experience and the Israelis have increasingly been sharing it with allies. Israel got priority on deliveries because they are literally a combat zone. Initial reactions of Israeli F-35I pilots and air force commanders were positive. What the Israeli pilots and all others who have flown the F-35 agree on is that its software and degree of automation is spectacular, easy to use and very effective. The F-35 has a large number of sensors, as in receivers for electronic signals, as well as six cameras and a very capable radar. The fusion of all that data and presentation to the pilot based on the current situation is impressive and makes the F-35 much easier to fly, despite all the additional capabilities it has. Israel has become something of an unofficial member of NATO and is sharing a lot of its F-35I knowledge with NATO nations. Israel not only has to deal with Russian aircraft and electronic systems in Syria but an even more dangerous threat from Iran. Israel has established diplomatic and defense relationships with Arab countries who are also threatened by Iran. That made it possible for Israel to establish diplomatic relations with some Arab Gulf States and that led to Americans' willingness to sell F-35s to the UAE (United Arab Emirates). This is a subscriber exclusive story. Subscribe today to access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Subscribe today. Cancel anytime. Subscribe now for 99 Subscriber Sign In | Return Home You are the owner of this article. The $10.8 million renovation of Site 9, a 16.5 acre parcel that is the largest of the William Stanley Business Park's building sites, is now expected to begin in October. A civil defense worker and firemen walk through debris from an explosion at the 16th street Baptist Church, killing and injuring several people, in Birmingham, Ala. on Sept. 15, 1963. The open doorway at right is where at least four persons are believed to have died. Four girls died in the blast, that was linked to the Ku Klux Klan. Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter PITTSFIELD The salaries of paraprofessionals in the Pittsfield Federation of School Employees union will increase over the next two years thanks to a settlement between the union and district. The settlement was accepted by the Pittsfield School Committee on Wednesday night. Raises are just one part of an essentially three-part agreement between the union and district. The district has also agreed to stop use of any staffing agencies it had been using to fill para jobs in the district and to bargain with the district before contracting with a staffing agency in the future. In return, the union has promised to drop its unfair labor practice complaint with the states Department of Labor Relations. The deal comes just three months after union officials came before the City Council to disavow what it called union busting by the district. Union representatives did not return a request for comment. Paras work alongside teachers to help educate special education students in substantially separate programs and integrated classrooms. The district used a contract that dated back to 2019 with a company called BlazerWorks, a Georgia-based hiring agency, to fill open para positions in the district starting in August 2022. District officials paid BlazerWorks to advertise and hire for open paraprofessional positions. The district then paid BlazerWorks between $50 and $55 an hour to have the new BlazerWorks employee work in the open position in Pittsfield schools. BlazerWorks was in charge of dividing the hourly rate it received from PPS between the companys fee and pay for the employees. District officials previously told The Eagle that they didnt know how much each individual staffer was paid hourly. Union officials learned about the districts use of BlazerWorks for paraprofessional positions in October 2022. During this time, union employees were paid between $16.50 and $23.55 an hour depending on their place in the salary scale. In February, the union submitted a claim with the DLR claiming that the district violated state labor laws by not honoring its mandate to bargain collectively in good faith with the union before hiring BlazerWorks. As part of the complaint, the union says that the district filled 46 open para positions during its contract with BlazerWorks. Representatives for the district told the state they had only used BlazerWorks in order to provide state-mandated care for special education students and only after posting the jobs itself. Both sides said in June that attempts at mediation had stalled out. At the time, union representatives estimated that the litigation process over the state complaint could take up to a year and a half to resolve. The new settlement agreement states that both sides signed the deal in order to avoid the time and expense of litigation. New terms Paraprofessionals are paid using a step salary scale. Each paras pay is determined by their highest level of education and how long theyve been with the district. Under the settlement agreement, the base pay step of all paras will increase by $1.75 an hour for the 2023-24 school year. This increase represents anywhere from a 7 percent to 10 percent raise, depending on each paras position within the pay scale. In Pittsfield, paras that work in a substantially separate classroom with students who have been diagnosed with autism, Aspergers syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders or students with whom paras are required to use universal precautions for hygienic safety receive a monthly stipend. Under this new settlement, that stipend will be removed and instead replaced with an hourly salary rate thats $3.25 greater than the existing salaries for the school year. That means the base pay for paras who currently receive a stipend will now fall somewhere between $20.75 and $27.30 an hour. Pay for the 2024-25 school year will increase by $0.75 an hour for every step in the salary scale. We are hopeful that with these revised salary schedules we will be able to attract employees to fill these important, legally-mandated positions providing services to students with special needs, School Committee Chair William Cameron said before the committee unanimously approved the settlement agreement. MBABANE - The 900 employees of VIP Security Protection Services (PTY) Limited, who were apprehensive about losing their jobs following the liquidation of the company, can now heave a sigh of relief. VIP Security Protection Services (PTY) Limited has been purchased by one of the giant South African companies, Stallion Security Services, which will absorb all of the employees. Stallion Security was founded in 1991 and has organically grown into a multi-faceted corporate organisation. It is one of the largest companies in South Africa that provides safety and protective equipment, which keep work sites secure and help companies ensure full compliance with safety regulations. The sale of VIP Security Protection Services (PTY) Limited, which is one of the oldest and reputable security firms in the country, was confirmed by its liquidator, Senior Lawyer Jose Rodrigues. We did our utmost best to ensure that there was no job losses as that was the major concern. Absorb The company which took over the business, Stallion Security Services, will absorb all the employees, save for a few who did not take the offer, said Rodrigues. He further highlighted that during the liquidation process, the utmost concern was job losses, which they managed to avert. Rodrigues went on to state that they were still working on paying the employees their terminal benefits. He was, however, quick to mention that the winding-up process was still ongoing as they were still collecting monies from VIPs debtors and they would report back to the master of the High Court. The major cause of the companys financial difficulty relate to a dispute it had with the Eswatini Revenue Services (ERS). ERS has imposed a liability for E37 958 159.45 in respect of unpaid VAT. This was disclosed by the management of the company when it motivated the application to be placed under liquidation. A company usually applies for voluntary winding up if its liabilities are more than its assets. This essentially means that the company cannot operate its business function anymore and can apply to be winded-up (liquidated). On December 14, 2021, the security firm addressed a letter to ERS seeking to enter into a payment arrangement for the settlement of this debt and attempted to make payment thereof. However, ERS rejected that proposal and instead reportedly placed what the company described as stringent repayment terms that made it impossible for it to trade. As result of the companys failure to address the concern, it was unable to obtain tax compliance certificate, which in turn meant that it was unable to tender for any work. The company was unable to meet its financial obligations and debts as and when these arose. The artificial claim of ERS reportedly created an insolvent state of affairs. Statements for the year ended June 30, 2021, revealed inter alia that the total current and non- current assets of the security firm amounted to E11 294 192, while the liabilities amounted to E30 990 000.38. During the liquidation process, which was eventually made final by the court, the company was represented by Lindokuhle Mthupha. Its business as usual for the time being, according to the taverns local manager. Thats the typical procedure for a real estate and business seizure, said Brian A. Kyes, the U.S. Marshall for the District of Massachusetts based in Boston. When you think of deception it is normal to think about someone attempting to trick you or steer you in the wrong direction. One of the greatest stories of deception that comes to mind is Adam and Eve. As you probably know, Satan deceived Eve into eating the fruit from the tree. He promised her an outcome that he knew was not possible. From that point until now, Satan continues to try to deceive even those who are in the body of Christ. However, there is another type of deception that plagues the body of Christ that is not caused by Satan. Believe it or not, the Bible talks about a type of deception that we actually cause ourselves. In other words, we become our own deceiver. I want to show you what that deception is and see if you are falling victim to it. What Is This Deception? To find this deception, we need to turn to the book of James. Here is what it says. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22, emphasis added). There you have it in plain English. You can deceive yourself. What I want you to focus on is how this happens. So lets break this down to help you understand it better. Photo credit: Getty Images/stockce When you think of the word rejoice, what do you typically think of? You might think of rejoicing as being in a state of constant happiness and celebrating every detail of your life with unending exuberance. What about when you see the Scripture that says rejoice in the Lord always? Does that have the same sentiment as the mentioned state of happiness above? What Does It Mean to Rejoice in the Lord Always? Rejoice, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is to give you or to feel joy or great delight, while to rejoice in means to have or possess. So, the Scripture conveys that to rejoice in the Lord is to have joy or delight in the Lord; to feel joy when you think of Him always. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary puts it this way: "Worldly happiness is not the same as godly happiness. Godly happiness is called joy. In the Bible, the word joy is a celebration term. Thus, Paul is calling for celebration. The difference between joy and secular happiness is that the latter depends on what happens; it is circumstantially driven. So, if things are going in an upward direction in life, you feel up, but if things are going down, you feel down. This keeps you on an emotional rollercoaster. Biblical joy, by contrast, has to do with stability and celebration on the inside regardless of circumstances on the outside. We must choose to rejoice in order to experience the joy God promises us." How do you do that, you might ask? Well, think of God as you would someone you can see in front of you, whether a family member, friend, co-worker, or someone from your church or community. When you spend time with someone that brings you joy and happiness, you rejoice or delight in being with him or her. You celebrate it. Although you cant see God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, you come to know that they are there with you, as close as anyone can be to you. You feel their presence when you feel calm in the midst of chaos, happiness or positivity in the midst of sadness, and confidence in the midst of uncertainty. You are rejoicing in knowing that God is there with you, strengthening you when you are weak and encouraging you when you feel like giving up. Philippians 4:4 has the apostle Paul telling the church of Philippi, in a letter, to always rejoice in the Lord, always celebrate the Lord. This carries the understanding that you do it whether you want to or not, whether you are happy with the Lord or not. When you celebrate with the right thought in mind about how God works, it will be possible to find ways to rejoice in the Lord. Let us examine the following passages in Philippians 4 to see why this advice from Paul is so profound and how we can agree to this belief of Gods greatness at all times, finding the joy inside building up as we give Him thanks. What Is the Context of Philippians 4? The book of Philippians is the apostle Pauls letter to the church of Philippi to share with them wisdom and encouragement for living out their faith in Christ and standing strong when struggles and persecution might occur. Remember that when it came to suffering for your calling, Paul was definitely the expert. He endured severe persecution for his belief in Christ and call to ministry, so advice from him on rejoicing during trials seems to be a good idea. Philippians 4 centers mostly on Paul conveying to the believers what to focus on during times of uncertainty. He wants them to also know that as they go through challenges, they will be able to do more because Christ is in them (Phil. 4:13). The fourth chapter of Philippians also encourages people to not be anxious for anything, but to give their needs in prayer to God (Phil. 4:6) and gain Gods peace in return (Phil. 4:7). Paul also shared in Philippians 4:11-12 how he has learned to be content where he is because he knows what it is like to be hungry and full, to suffer and to abound. However, with Philippians 4:4, Paul only declares that we rejoice in the Lord, always. Again I will say, rejoice! What Paul is saying here is that we should rejoice at all times, whether we are sad, happy, angry, confused, or even tired: there shouldnt be a moment that goes by that we arent giving thanks to the Lord for His love and provision. Photo credit: Getty Images/Lordn What if You Dont Feel Like Rejoicing in the Lord? Especially in our present status of life, it can be hard to rejoice in the Lord when there is pain, struggle, and sadness all around us. However, it is possible to love on the Lord, to rejoice always, even when you dont feel like it or are grappling with too much pain to think of God. Philippians 4:4 is followed by the well-known verses shared in Philippians 4:6-7, where it talks about not being anxious and giving your requests to the Lord with thanksgiving in your heart. Verse 7 follows this with: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. What these verses state is that when we rejoice in the Lord, we begin to feel peace in our situations, peace in our hearts and minds, because we understand that God has our prayer requests well in hand and brings us peace until those requests are answered. Even when you have been waiting a long time for a prayer request to happen or a situation to change, you can rejoice and be thankful for the Lord in the meantime because you know your prayer request has reached the ears of God and will be answered soon. One way to rejoice when you dont feel like it is to think back on the times that you were waiting on other prayer requests or were in similar situations of distress, and how God provided when it didnt look like anything would change. When you remember what occurred and how appreciative you were to God, this feeling should fill you with joy and tell you that God can do this again and again. He is a God who loves and cares for you. So, Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to be anxious, as the world would have us be, but hopeful, thankful, and at peace in knowing your prayer requests will be taken care of. The world may be anxious in its lack of control, but you dont have to be because you know who is in control. Photo credit: Unsplash/Nghia-Le A Prayer to Rejoice in the Lord As we close, lets follow what is expressed in Philippians 4 and rejoice in the Lord always, as we give Him our prayer requests and await His peace in return. Lord God, Thank you for loving us and caring for our needs as You do. For You know the plan ahead for us and know how to guide our steps to be in line with that plan. Its not always easy to rejoice and remain hopeful in You when problems and circumstances arise, but we have to think back on the times we have been in similar positions and remember how You blessed us more than we thought possible. From big to little, we can count the blessings that You gave us before and discover they are more numerous than we ever thought possible. That is because You know our needs before we ask them, You know our heartaches before we have them, and You know what will grow us the most to be all we can be in Your eyes. So, let us rejoice and be glad as we give You our prayers, knowing when we least expect it, You will bring them into fruition. We give all of this to You in Jesuss name. Amen. God Will Provide Rejoicing in all situations, especially nowadays, can be hard to do, if not impossible, at times. However, God has called us to rejoice in Him always, knowing that we are loved and cared for by an eternal God. The apostle Paul knew well the suffering that we can endure in our day, having experienced several bouts of it throughout his ministry. But he reminds us in this chapter that we need to always be looking to God for hope and encouragement. God will provide for our needs when no one else can. As we bypass feelings of apprehension of rejoicing when we are going through difficult situations, hopefully we will let those feelings be replaced by feelings of peace and confidence that the God who began a good work in us will fulfill it in His children. Photo credit: Getty Images/torwai Blair Parke is a freelance writer for BibleStudyTools.com and freelance book editor who wrote her first book, "Empty Hands Made Full," in 2021 about her journey through infertility with her husband. She previously worked for eight years with Xulon Press as an editor. A graduate of Stetson University with a bachelor's in communications, Blair previously worked as a writer/editor for several local magazines in the Central Florida area, including Celebration Independent and Lake Magazine and currently writes for the Southwest Orlando Bulletin. She's usually found with a book in her hand or enjoying quality time with her husband Jeremy and dog Molly. You can order her book at Christian Author Bookstore - Xulon Press Publishing and visit her website at Parkeplaceediting. This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy-to-read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. We hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in your life today. Listen to our Daily Bible Verse Podcast Now! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). God is our Provider, and Jesus is the Bread of Life. John recorded Jesus promise that all who freely accept this bread will no longer hunger. The first of the I am statements of Jesus, which solidify His nature as fully God and fully man is I am the bread of life, which describes the way we find full satisfaction in and through Christ alone. God is the supplier of divine bread, explains the NIV Commentary, and whoever eats of it will live forever. Every word Jesus spoke on earth carried precise weight and meaning. This important note of Scripture defines our need to trust the Living Word to satisfy our physical bodies, heart and soul. The Meaning of "I am the Bread of Life" in John 6:35 John begins his gospel account with, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Manna was the miraculous bread given to the Israelites as they traveled through the desert. Enough was given to them to satisfy their hunger for the day. If they kept any for the next day, it would spoil with worms. Jesus overturned traditional Jewish beliefs by referring to Himself as the bread of life. Jewish leaders also referred to bread, or manna, as spiritual food. In this text, John records Jesus explaining He is the Bread of Life, the very Word of God made flesh. As the people yearned for the heavenly bread and as the rabbis reinterpreted this bread to mean the wisdom or life-sustaining presence of God, the NIV Application Commentary explains, so now Jesus is that precious gift. The day before Jesus said these things, he had fed a crowd of 5,000 people with loaves and fish, explained Jon Bloom for desiring God. Not since the days of manna had a prophet provided miracle bread like that. Jesus was now proclaiming to be Manna Himself, writes Trevin Wax. Not only is God Provider for our physical needs, but His Word made flesh satisfies the needs of our souls. The Greek word used to describe the eating of the bread uses the Greek aorist tense: It is a singular event, a decision to believe and appropriate the gift of eternal life (NIV Application Commentary). The Greek root of the word bread refers specifically to the manna in the desert, but also to food of any kind. Paul wrote about our strength coming from Christ, and Scripture echoes that the purpose of our lives is to honor and bring glory to God in all we do. Why Would Jesus Use the Analogy of Bread for Himself? Jesus spoke in terms, parables, and analogies most could understand. Especially in the light of Passover, He knew the Jewish leaders and Gods people would understand His reference to bread. Their understanding of exactly what He meant, however, was divinely appointed. Through the relation of hunger, a physical need, Jesus explained the recalculation of our every desire -not just for physical food but spiritual - to be satisfied in Him. The Israelites in the desert were required to trust God daily for manna, their literal daily bread. Jesus is imploring believers to put full confidence in Him, trusting He will provide wisdom that leads to true satisfaction. He is the only way to the Father. Jesus earthly life was dedicated to executing the will of His Father. Paul wrote to the Philippians, have the same mindset as Christ, who: being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His advantage (Philippians 2:5-7). Christ took on human skin and was crucified to eliminate the separation between God and His people. The NIV Application Commentary explains, the idea is not about Jesus welcoming people, but about Jesus welcoming people whom the Father has given into his care. Photo credit: Pexels/Mariana Kurnyk Is This Verse Found in Other Gospels or Only John? I am the bread of life (John 6:48). Found only in Johns gospel, this phrase is repeated twice more, part of a bigger text and even larger prophetic fulfillment of the seven I am statements of Jesus. John also recorded Jesus words: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (John 6:51). These statements were not easy for listeners of Jesus message to hear. It was not only the Jewish leaders who took offense at some of the things Jesus was claiming, but also His followers. He lost many followers as He spoke on this subject. What Should Christ Followers Take Away from This Verse? Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you (John 6:27). Johns prose reminds Christ followers where our strength and sustenance comes from, both physically and spiritually. In Christ and God-willing, we are able to see and understand notes of Scripture, and life around us, through godly perspective and in tune with divine purpose. The darkness of the world is so severe that God alone must penetrate it in order to free people to see Jesus clearly, writes the NIV Application Commentary. We should take this verse as a reminder to seek Him first, and trust we will be satisfied through obedience to His Word and calling on our lives. Our faith is anchored in grace, requiring no legalistic accolades or accomplishments. But from hearts seeking Christ, grace and love flow. Jesus came into the world to change your desires so that he would be your main desire, explained John Piper. Fully Satisfied When we celebrate the Last Supper through communion, we are reinstating our trust in God, and our need for Him to satisfy our souls. God must move the inner heart of a person before he or she can see the things of God. And this takes place on Gods initiative NIV Application Commentary. Christ came to eliminate the separation we all have from God before we accept Christ as our Savior. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. The Living Word, Jesus in this one statement describes our need for Him, and the hope we find in Him to be fully satisfied by our Creator - the One True God. These words recorded by the apostle John lead us forward in obedient hope. He who heals every ailment and provides for every need will be faithful. Jesus, The Bread of Life, fully satisfies our every hunger. Source NIV Application Commentary, Gary M. Burge, 2000. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. The government of Democratic Republic of Congo will closely follow the case of detained journalist Stanis Bujakera, communications minister Patrick Muyaya said on Thursday in the government's first comments since his detention last week. Bujakera, who works for international media outlets including Reuters,/i>, was detained at the airport in the capital Kinshasa on 8 September on suspicion of spreading false information about the killing of a prominent opposition politician in an article published by French news magazine Jeune Afrique, the magazine said. He is accused of "spreading false rumours" and the "dissemination of false information" about the case, the magazine said in online statements. But it said the article in question did not carry his name, and "he cannot be held responsible" for its content. Local and international rights groups including Human Rights Watch have expressed concern about his detention, calling it an attack on press freedom. Speaking to journalists in Kinshasa, Muyaya said "a journalist going to prison is not good news." He declined to comment on the merits of the case, citing the independence of the judiciary from the government, but said "we will follow the case closely until its conclusion." "We hold freedom of the press dear. It is a cardinal value of democracy, but it is also a freedom which does not give a blank check for disinformation," he said. "We hope that the case which is following a normal course ... can be resolved quickly," he said. The Most Awards' Media Owner of the Year is heed (previously Digital Turbine), and the Agency Owner of the Year is Carat Johannesburg. (Image: Danette Bretienbach). Winners of the Most Awards The inaugural Most Admired Marketing/Media Manager of the Year went to the Heineken Group's senior media manager, Avtaar Mohanlall. The award winners were announced last night at a packed Wanderers in Johannesburg, where the media industry gathered in force to celebrate their own for the first time since 2019. Passion for the people Michelle Randell Sharnock, marketing and strategy director, heed, who was also named the Media Owner Rising Star says her passion for the industry is unwavering since the day she entered it. "And this is purely because of the people I get to work with every single day. I am incredibly proud, but most importantly, most proud for my team for winning best digital agency and best media owner overall, She says winning the best media owner overall is a sign they are doing something right. We are pushing boundaries; we are trying to reshape what media sales are all about. Today, she adds, the days of selling a placement or a platform are over. We now have to be able to sell a solution and media strategy, and understand what clients need before they understand it and then deliver a solution that is meaningful that delivers results. To achieve this the onus is on agencies, clients and media owners to be up to date with what is happening in their environment and through empirical evidence and modern marketing principles have a clear understanding of what drives brand growth. All about collaboration On being named Agency owner of the year, Mlue Maguba, account director, Vodacom, Carat Johannesburg, says, We as Carat, and dentsu as a whole, really pride ourselves on the work that we do through the collaboration of our different teams in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Everyone makes it come together. This award means that everything we are doing on a daily basis is showing and is being appreciated not only by our company, but by the industry and that we are setting a great example for others, and are a place that can be a destination for others in their careers. Salute to the media industry The event also honoured Sandra Gordan for her contribution to the Awards over the year who says she is thrilled that Arena Holdings has raised the awards again, after the last one was held in 2019. We are expecting a lot of changes, and while we have seen some of the changes this evening, wait till next year. It will be a changed environment that reflects the industry. She also says she is a great believer in Fourth Estate and the role of media. If it was not for you guys [the media industry] spending money and investing in the advertising there would not be a media industry in this country. Salute. Individual winners Media Agency Legend: Bonita Bachmann, The Media Shop Cape Town Media Owner Legend: Given Mkhari, chief executive officer, MSG Afrika Group Media Agency Rising Star: Adrian Naidoo, managing partner strategy, Mindshare Media Owner Rising Star: Michelle Randell Sharnock, marketing and strategy director, heed (previously Digital Turbine) The Bell Award: Mike Leahy, Media Manager Africa Shepard Awards: Celia Collins, VP Publicis Media Publicis Groupe Africa Most Admired Marketing/Media Manager of the Year: Avtaar Mohanlal, senior media manager, Heineken Group Media Owner Awards Radio: Mediamark YFM Primedia Broadcasting TV: e.tv eNCA DStv Media Sales Cinema: SterKinekor Sales Cinevation Popcorn Out of Home (OOH) Relativ Media Epic Outdoor Primedia Outdoor Magazine Media24 Lifestyle Magazines Newspapers Spark Media AdSpend 24 Arena Holdings Digital: heed (previously Turbine) Mediamark Digital AdSpace24 Multimedia: Mediamark Primedia DStv Media Sales Media Sales consultant: Whisper Media Media Owner Lamb: Tractor Outdoor Future tech Primedia Malls Trade Marketing Service: Mediamark DStv Media Sales Media Agency Awards MBABANE Bring it on! This was the reaction of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General, Lot Vilakati, following the stance by government that it will apply the no-work, no-pay rule on teachers who will not attend school today. SNAT has invited its members to a mass meeting slated for today at the associations centre at 10am. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Sipho Tsabedze, said the no-work, no-pay rule would be effected on teachers who would absent themselves from work today. Tsabedze said if the Ministry of Education and Training had not given permission to SNAT members to attend, then it meant that educators who would not be at work would not be paid. Meeting SNAT has called an urgent general council (GC) meeting, which is the highest decision-making body of the organisation, to deliberate on how it would defend their President, Mbongwa Dlamini, who was fired by government last month. The mass meeting was announced through the SNAT Platform on social media. Subsequent to the mass meeting, SNAT conducted regional consultative meetings, whereby they were deliberating on the same issue involving the dismissal of the president. Mbongwa was dismissed after he was found guilty on all 109 charges of absenteeism preferred against him. The charges were preferred against him by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). Acting Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training, Naniki Mnisi, said today (Friday, September 15, 2023) was a school calendar day. Mnisi said all teachers were expected to be at work. She stated that government had an agreement with the union and in their view before calling a mass meeting, it would be acceptable if they had discussed their concerns first with the ministry. It is improper to put the cart before the horse, the acting PS said. Mnisi said teachers, as civil servants, were governed by the government statutes, including the Employment Act, Civil Service Act and Industrial Relations Act. According to SNAT SG Vilakati, the Recognition Agreement between SNAT and the ministry signed in 1992, stated that they were to report to the immediate supervisor. Vilakati said the immediate supervisor had no power to refuse the employee to attend to union business, including meetings. In this instance, he said they had reported to the supervisors about the mass meeting. The meeting is on today, he said. He said if government insisted that teachers should be at school, despite reporting to supervisors, then they should cancel the Recognition Agreement first or rather furnish them with the new agreement for the union to call meetings. Vilakati said currently, the only agreement was the one they signed in 1992, which stated everything regarding their operations. Beyond that, Vilakati stated that the Employment Act mentioned that the employees would be in trouble if they would be not at work for more than 55 hours without reporting. From a Public Relations (PR) perspective, technology has opened the world up to companies. Prior to this, it would be a significant undertaking for a company to establish a presence or operate in another country. Source: 123rf 123rf Lola Sinclair Lazarus, Managing Member Bullion PR and Communication gives nine tips on establishing a PR presence in the UK and SA However, with the internet, a company in South Africa can establish a presence in the UK or US through a PR campaign. But is this effective? Bullion PR & Communication firmly believes that first-hand knowledge of the market you are expanding into is invaluable, especially if you are expanding from a developed market into a developing one. While there are similarities between PR agencies in South Africa and the UK, differences in market size, cultural nuances, industry specialisation, and regional considerations make for distinct PR landscapes in each country. PR agencies must tailor their approaches to the unique characteristics of their respective markets. Many international PR agencies claim they have proficiencies in expanding into developing markets. Yet, very few of these companies have a physical presence in the country they claim to have proficiencies in. 9 tips on establishing a PR presence in another country The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and Germany's KfW Development Bank have concluded a financing agreement for the production of vaccines. Under the agreement the German government, through KfW, will provide South Africa with 20m for vaccine production over a period of five years. The grant is exclusively for financing equipment for the development, production and certification of active pharmaceutical ingredients for vaccine production in South Africa. Announcing the signing of the agreement, Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande said the grant will be used, among other things, to support the mRNA technology transfer hub that South Africa is hosting for the World Health Organisation (WHO), to build vaccine manufacturing capacity in low and middle-income countries, although it will go beyond this in providing support. The objective of the technology transfer hub is to establish or enhance sustainable mRNA vaccine-manufacturing capacity in regions with no or limited capacity, introduce new technologies in low and middle-income countries, promote regional research and development, strengthen regional bio manufacturing know-how and workforce development, and develop regulatory capabilities to support and accelerate regional approval and distribution of mRNA vaccines, Nzimande said. In response to the WHO decision made during the Covid-19 pandemic, Nzimande said the German government indicated its commitment to supporting vaccine production in South Africa. The agreement, signed on 25 July 2023, makes the DSI the recipient of the KfW financial support on behalf of the South African government, and recognises the DSI and its director-general, Phil Mjwara, as the custodian and leader of the South African vaccine manufacturing strategy. The Minister said the German decision to work with the department could be seen as a vote of confidence in its leadership's management of international funds. Strategic partnership and project execution "The German investment will build on the strategic investments by DSI and other partners, and KfW has agreed to work in alignment with the South African vaccine manufacturing strategy," Nzimande said, adding that the funding could support catalytic initiatives under this strategy. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) will be the project executing agency and will report to the DSI through a steering committee. SAMRC president and chief executive officer, Glenda Gray said, the council is delighted to be part of the programme which will provide critical support to establishing a vaccine manufacturing industry in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to complementing the activities of the mRNA hub program, this partnership will seek to provide critical support in filing gaps in the pre-clinical research domain, Gray said. KfW will appoint an implementation consultant to support the KfW and to assist the SAMRC. The consultant will be responsible for providing sector-specific support for project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation, among others. Ambassador Andreas Peschke, from the German Embassy in Pretoria, reiterated the important role played by South Africa in strengthening continental vaccine manufacturing capacities, indicating that the country is at the very forefront of continental efforts for local pharmaceutical and vaccine research and production. [South Africas] world-class research institutions and a solid industry meet the prerequisites for independent vaccine research, development, and production, Peschke said. Winning a Loeries Grand Prix requires several factors to line up to create a perfect storm. Someone who makes it look easy is Ali Rez, CCO of Impact BBDO in Dubai, and the most awarded creative in the Loeries region. Source: Campaign Brief Asia Campaign Brief Asia Ali Rez, CCO of Impact BBDO in Dubai At the 2022 Loeries Awards, the agency won three out of the eight Grand Prix awarded, and was named Agency of the Year Award and Regional Agency Group of the Year. But while it might look effortless, Rez says a campaign worthy of a Grand Prix is a result of many years of work. It starts with good leadership and a great team that is consistent and supportive. Then its about experience. Not only for the campaign but also in the packaging of the actual case study. Years of experience of doing case studies help you to know when to pivot and change, and you can only learn these along the way. Ultimately it takes time." He adds, The above are in vain if you dont have brand partners that share the same values as the agency. But when all these factors come together, you get the perfect storm. This is when you can tell by the scale of something how successful it can be, he says. Ideas cost nothing While many believe that agencies in Dubai are successful because they receive massive budgets, the opposite is in fact true. Budget can only help you so much, but when you dont have budget, ironically, thats when you can be inspired to do something big that everyone talks about. This is what our experience has been, says Rez. It is important to create strong ideas he adds. A high-budget film can win big, but ideas dont have to be expensive; just powerful and something different that people are attracted to. Of course, it is about the quality of the work. And this is embedded into everything we do and every brief we look at, he says. It not only runs through all the work but through every person at the agency. And that makes it a place that builds success for everyone. The leadership contributes to this. He adds that if you are working in an agency where leadership does not have your growth in mind, then leave. Growth is shared success and involves everyone. It also creates a lovely energy and leads to people giving more because they are valued. Awards: A measure of business success Rez does not view awards as a big pat on the back. In the past awards were just that, a pat on the back. But today it is part of measuring the effectiveness of campaigns and is a measure of business success. In a space where you are judged by your peers, you can say you are the best agency, but if a group of industry experts are looking at the work and saying that your agency is the best then it has a direct impact on the agency. As communication experts we work to make brands successful but if we are not successful at making ourselves successful then what? It is a differentiator. Awards, he adds, also allow you to learn from other agencies and brands. It points us to where we are headed. The winning work set the standard, and guides and directs the industry. But he says pick wisely. There are many awards out there, and we only pick the best, for example, the Loeries is important to us. Print: An important medium No stranger to the Loeries, Rez is part of its ecosystem as a member of the Loeries committee. This year he is also co-jury president for the Loeries Print jury. He says he is looking forward to this years Loeries. Last year the energy was fantastic. It was inspiring being at Loeries and seeing the work but also talking to people about the work. As co-jury president for print, he says print is such an important medium. It has been called the perfect medium. What makes it challenging is explaining something in just print with no other mediums to help. Plus, in print, it has all been done before. The journey of the construction of print, the story you are telling and how it connects with other platforms is what makes this category is so innovative, with work that is pushing it forward. Born in Pakistan, he grew up in China and the US, spending most of his life in San Francisco where he attended college. He has visited 139 countries. Rez moved to Dubai just when the country was starting its upward trajectory. About There were a few significant developments in Microsoft Azure in 2014. The first was the big name change from Windows Azure to Microsoft Azure, then came the Forrester report that gave the low code developer platforms its name, and finally Adam Shapiro and a small team of developers released the Autopilot Workflow Solutions to customers. Autopilot streamlines business processes that usually require a team to follow up and chase after information and, after integrating into Microsoft Teams, it quickly gained popularity with third party automation systems developers. Earlier this year Autopilot gained the highest recognition of excellence in partnering from the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners - being awarded one of two finalist positions at the 2023 IAMCP Partner-to-Partner (P2P) Awards for the EMEA region. Congratulations on the achievements this year, has it been a long journey since 2014? Thank you. Yes, we started assisting clients to handle the document management. And then the obvious, the next step was to do automation, and workflows, and so on. So, we found we were custom developing the workflows on top of SharePoint at that time, and this is in 2014 and it was costing the client a lot of money and just taking a lot of time. Back then we were having to start from scratch every time. So, we did our research and saw there weren't that many products in those days that did this sort of thing. We decided to build autopilot in 2014 and we luckily caught on with early adopters into the Microsoft Azure space. Its incredible that those timelines worked out so well. Do you think you could have been successful developing for other cloud solutions? The beauty of us and the beauty of Microsoft is that clients don't need to be on the Microsoft platform. We offer a one stop shop, so clients can be with whichever provider they want, and we can still provide the service. We are hosted in Azure, but that doesn't affect any of the clients that are not on that platform. But obviously the huge advantage has been for the Microsoft clients is that we then integrate into Outlook and, more recently, into Teams. Is Autopilot beginning to overlap with first party solutions that Microsoft is beginning to bake into its own offerings? There is some overlap, but there's obviously some advantages to Autopilot as well. But were enhancing the product by integrating directly into the Power Platform. So just to make it even more powerful for the end users. Would you have changed anything, if you had to launch Autopilot into today's automation AI landscape? From the business point of view, what we would have changed is spend a lot more money on marketing and less money on tech. We spent years building the solution to make sure that it was perfect, as opposed to letting enough people know about it. I started my first company in 2001 selling services, and then the jump between selling services and getting paid your R1,000 an hour for product has been a bigger jump than we certainly thought, and it's only just coming right now after seven years of doing it. On the automation side, I don't think we would have done much differently. People are looking for a solid solution. Remember, were often replacing email or replacing paper-based documents. It's solid and honest. There are a lot of bells and whistles, but at the end of the day we are moving tasks between people and getting approvals done, with audit trail sets. We don't like to complicate that side of things. What are your thoughts on automation replacing humans in the workplace? Like, there were people who earned a living doing those tasks We might replace job roles, but I don't think we replace actual jobs. I take the frustration out of people's jobs and allow them to concentrate on something of more value that they can be more creative with, and use their brains more with, as opposed to having to walk around with a piece of paper to get something signed or email someone 10 times to approve an application, when you just take the hassle out of that. We managed to reduce the number of days that one client took to onboard new customers from 10 days down to two days. So, we are improving their lives and making sure they can get more money in their product in those extra eight days than they would have been waiting to open an account. Was it difficult to get compliance with Microsoft as a South African company? I don't think the South Africa side makes a difference. They've been incredibly stringent. I'm laughing about it now, but we worked very hard and we had a lot of revisions when building the Teams integration. Theyre constantly doing tests, checking that our security is in place, checking that the usability is in place, checking that there's no broken links. So it definitely comes at a price, but it is worth it for the customer experience. So where to from here for Autopilot? We've never had external funding in the business. We bootstrapped the business from our previous company, Pilotfish Digital. We earned funds from there in order to build Autopilot and our first route to market was expecting clients to build the processes themselves, because that's what our market research told us. What our clients told us was that they didnt want to do it themselves. So, from that experience I think the next step is to keep refining our product and making it better for the customer. While headlines may have screamed revolution since Bitcoin and the blockchain burst into public consciousness, a mixture of distrust and fear has seen the mainstream investor remain unmoved and largely disinterested. Source: Investopedia. However, to say the winds of change are upon us is an understatement. A federal appeals court in Washington DC ruled 29 August that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US was wrong to deny asset management firm Grayscale the right to set up a Bitcoin exchange traded fund (ETF). If thats not enough, the world's largest asset manager, BlackRock which manages $10tn and whose actions can move markets, has filed for an iShares ETF that would own Bitcoin directly. It is often said that an entity with so much trust as BlackRock doesnt make a move like this unless it has good reason to believe it will benefit its investors and be safe for investment, says Connie Bloem, managing director of Mesh.trade, an end-to-end multi-sided financial markets platform powered by the blockchain, that facilitates the creation, management and trade of real-world assets such as stocks and bonds. As would be expected, Bitcoins price shot up 6% almost immediately and at the same time, shares of Coinbase were up 13%. Grayscales spokesperson Jennifer Rosenthal was quoted as saying after Grayscales court victory: This is a monumental step forward for American investors, the bitcoin ecosystem, and all those who have been advocating for bitcoin exposure through the added protections of the ETF wrapper. An exchange traded fund (ETF) is an investment vehicle that tracks an index, sector, commodity, or asset. Mainstream investors have a variety of ETFs from which to choose, but the SEC and other regulatory bodies have repeatedly rejected any attempt by organisations to list a cryptocurrency-based ETF. Capital market transformation The implications span far wider than just Bitcoin and Grayscale or BlackRock, says Bloem. This moment heralds a mainstream acceptance of the blockchain and digital financial instruments. However, this is not just about Bitcoin ETFs and investing in cryptocurrencies, this moment is also a marker for imminent change in the capital markets for more assets to be traded easier and with greater transparency. Bloem explains that the capital markets have grown into a complex and complicated web of markets, intermediaries and exchanges that have become a nearly impenetrable universe of key players, underpinned by complex and costly processes. The reason this moment is exciting for us at Mesh is because we believe that the use of blockchain technology and the utility of tokens provides a set of tools to significantly address weaknesses and waste in the legacy ecosystem, she says. It is not about creating more cryptocurrencies, but rather to create digital processes that are easier, cheaper, and more transparent. Decentralised finance revolution The future of finance is firmly migrating to the rails of decentralised technologies and the blockchain, which can deliver trust and efficiency to the market. This journey has just begun, and the latest events suggest it is about to speed up quickly, and we are excited to be playing a pivotal role in this, she says. On that pivotal role, Bloem explains that Mesh.trades ability to tokenise and distribute debt instruments such as corporate bonds has the potential to emancipate private capital in a way that wasnt possible before. Recent reports by McKinsey and BCG estimate that the market for the tokenisation of capital and real-world assets (RWA), will be between $15 and $20tn by 2030. Some of the worlds largest global banks are rolling out products which tokenise RWA. At the same time, 114 of the worlds central banks are actively trialing or at an advanced stage in rolling out their Central Bank Digital Currency projects, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently announcing an initiative to get central banks to agree on a common regulatory framework for digital currencies that will allow global interoperability. This movement is inevitable, says Bloem. One of Meshs key differentiators is the tokenisation and trade of all asset classes. This represents a step-change in the issuance, distribution, transfer and settlement of assets between market participants. Mesh is the first platform to create the next generation of markets end-to-end, she says. Envisioning a world where technology is not only powered by women, but where women power technology. Leading advocate for women in technology, the Innovator Trust is proud to announce the eighth instalment of the Women in Tech (WIT) Appreciation Experience, one of the most prestigious women in technology platforms dedicated to celebrating and empowering women ICT small business entrepreneurs. Set to take place on Thursday, 16 November 2023 at the world-class Vodacom World venue in Midrand, South Africa. WIT 2023 will recognize and award the outstanding achievements of female-owned SMMEs in the ICT sector of South Africa. This year, the unique event calls on women from all corners of the tech world to unite and join the SHEvolution movement, envisioning a world where technology is not only powered by women, but where women power technology. A brainchild of the Innovator Trust, the SHEvolution message presents a challenge to women and society at large, to harnesses the power of technology as a mechanism for driving gender equality, economic freedom and innovation for African women through entrepreneurship. Addressing the key issues of the underrepresentation of women in technology and the economy, as well as seeking to write a new narrative about the role and potential of the African woman in the modern age, the WIT event provides a unique, one-day programme of robust conversation, insightful keynotes and curated activities to celebrate the diversity of women and challenge the status quo. By creating a platform that elevates the voices of Women in Tech, we have also created an inclusive, safe and inspiring environment for the modern, African woman and youth, to forge new networks that foster expansion within the ICT sector. This year, our call to women is to join the SHEvolution! Our aim is to highlight the critical need for greater change towards gender equality, and to provide solutions, encouraging more women and young girls to participate in Stem fields by showcasing the impact and opportunities that women can unlock through technology and entrepreneurship, said Tashline Jooste, chief executive officer of the Innovator Trust. With the likes of Professor Thuli Madonsela (Law Trust chair: Social Justice, University of Stellenbosch, former Public Protector of South Africa), Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi (chancellor, Nelson Mandela Bay University, former UN chair: CEPA), Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (chancellor, University of Johannesburg, former UN Women executive director), and Basetsana Kumalo (author, media businesswoman, TV personality, former Miss South Africa) previously featured on the WIT stage, this years event seeks to once again play host to some of the most acclaimed and influential women figures of South Africa. The event will take place in hybrid format with a live audience of invited guests as well virtually, encouraging viewers from across the world to tune in via livestream. Virtual registrations are now open until 16 November 2023. Click here to register for WIT 2024 SHEvolution. Event: Women in Tech Appreciation Experience Date: 16 November 2023 Time: 9am to 4pm Find out more about WIT 2023 SHEvolution Movement. Women in Tech Appreciation Experience - the future of tech, powered by women. For more information, visit the Innovator Trust website or follow the updates on the official social media channels: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Website Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries SUBSCRIBE At a moment the war in Ukraine grows more and more unpredictable, given neither Russia nor the West have shown any signs of backing down, the FT writes that "Nato is preparing its biggest live joint command exercise since the cold war next year, assembling more than 40,000 troops to practice how the alliance would attempt to repel Russian aggression against one of its members." Image source: NATO Like with the ongoing, smaller 'Northern Coasts' war games currently being executed by NATO in Baltic waters, the Steadfast Defender 24 drills will simulate how the military alliance would respond in the face of a hypothetical Russian invasion. NATO officials were quoted in FT as saying the planned exercises are seen as a key part of "demonstrating to Moscow that the alliance is prepared to fight." Steadfast Defender is slated to run in February and March, and is likely to be seen as a provocation by Moscow given it will take place in various locales across Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states - the latter which border Russia. According to more from the FT report detailing the upcoming giant war game: "It will start in spring next year and is expected to involve between 500 and 700 air combat missions, more than 50 ships, and about 41,000 troops, Nato officials said." "It is designed to model potential maneuvers against an enemy modelled on a coalition led by Russia, named Occasus for the purposes of the drill." Crucially, the Baltic Sea coastline - where NATO has increasingly flexed its military might with more and more exercises - is very important to Russia as its strategic Kaliningrad exclave sits on it, sandwiched between two NATO members, Poland and Lithuania. Last year's Defender drills had been the largest up to that point, and they continue to get expanded year-by-year. A July Politico report explained that "NATO has steadily increased its control of the Baltic Sea a crucial maritime gateway for the Russian fleet which has bases near St. Petersburg and in the heavily militarized Kaliningrad exclave." Who would be free to roam around the "NATO Lake" without suspicion? #Nordstream The Baltic Sea Became a Nato Lake https://t.co/llOiEApK0X Gilda Mundson (@GildaMundson) September 28, 2022 The publication also noted that "During the Cold War, only Denmark and Germany at the far western edge of the Baltic were in the alliance. Poland joining NATO in 1999 and the three Baltic republics in 2004 put most of the seas southern shore under alliance control." Russia has meanwhile at times "answered" these games by staging large drills in the Black Sea. But dangerously at this moment the western Black Sea region is in a state of war, given Russian warships are launching missiles against Ukraine from there. If youre curious where this kind of insanity can wind up, read about Pol Pot. Year Zero: Year Zero is an idea put into practice by Pol Pot in Democratic Kampuchea that all culture and traditions within a society must be completely destroyed or discarded and that a new revolutionary culture must replace it starting from scratch. In this sense, all of the history of a nation or a people before Year Zero would be largely deemed irrelevant, because it would ideally be purged and replaced from the ground up Year Zero was effectually an attempt by the Khmer Rouge to erase history and reset Cambodian society to a zeroth year, removing any vestiges of the past. See: Cambodian Genocide Via: CBC: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Those are all examples of books Reina Takata says she can no longer find in her public high school library in Mississauga, Ont., which she visits on her lunch hour most days. In May, Takata says the shelves at Erindale Secondary School were full of books, but she noticed that they had gradually started to disappear. When she returned to school this fall, things were more stark. This year, I came into my school library and there are rows and rows of empty shelves with absolutely no books, said Takata, who started Grade 10 last week. She estimates more than 50 per cent of her schools library books are gone. In the spring, Takata says students were told by staff that if the shelves look emptier right now its because we have to remove all books [published] prior to 2008. Takata is one of several Peel District School Board (PDSB) students, parents and community members CBC Toronto spoke to who are concerned about a seemingly inconsistent approach to a new equity-based book weeding process implemented by the board last spring in response to a provincial directive from the Minister of Education. They say the new process, intended to ensure library books are inclusive, appears to have led some schools to remove thousands of books solely because they were published in 2008 or earlier. Parents and students are looking for answers as to why this happened, and what the board plans to do moving forward. Dianne Lawson, another member of Libraries not Landfills, told CBC Toronto weeding by publication date in some schools must have occurred in order to explain why a middle school teacher told her The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank was removed from shelves. She also says a kindergarten teacher told her The Very Hungry Caterpillar had been removed as well. MBABANE Senior Lawyer Nkosinathi Manzini says hit men have been hired to kill him and his clients as a result of a court case he is handling. Manzini is representing a Nhlangano businessman in the management and running of his businesses. He has reported the alleged threat to his life to the Law Society of Eswatini (LSE). In a letter dated September 14, 2023, Manzini wrote under the title, Report on a threat to Nkosinathi Manzini: I am writing to formally notify the law society that I have received information to the effect that my life is threatened, as hit men have been hired to kill me and my clients pursuant to a matter that I am handling... reads the letter in part. Eliminate According to Manzini, he informed his colleague, who is representing the other party, that it had come to his attention that his (colleague) client was alleged to have hired hit men to eliminate him and his clients. These threats cannot be taken lightly because a similar hit was attempted on the life of one of my clients (businessmans son), who did survive it after being shot at point blank range in the head in 2021, Manzini said. He alleged that the businessman disclosed to him that the suspect, who allegedly organised the hit men to kill his son, was a relative. Manzini alleged that the businessman informed him that this led to a fallout between him and the suspect. The attorney informed the law society that he told the suspect about this after he had discussed it with the businessman. He said the suspect denied being involved. I am, therefore, informing the law society about the threat before I also go public about it, said the attorney. Manzini said he was still to report the matter to the police. He said he took the threats seriously. The lawyer representing the other party confirmed to have been informed by Manzini about the issues. He said he did not take it seriously at the time but he enquired from his client if she knew anything about the alleged threats. He stated that his client was shocked and denied any involvement in the alleged threats. He wondered why Manzini had not yet reported the threats if he viewed them in a serious light. Affidavit In a confirmatory affidavit that Manzini filed at the High Court in a matter involving the suspected hit men organiser and his clients, he submitted that he had been representing the businessman, who operated a number of establishments in Nhlangano, since 2012. He said he also appeared for the companies as well. Manzini stated that the businessman would now and again request him to drive to Nhlangano where he was based, and where his businesses also operated from. The law society confirmed receiving the said letter from Manzini. Secretary General Charity Simelane said they were looking into the matter. If there is any truth in these allegations, the law society strongly condemns such villainous acts against an attorney whose right is to practise law independently and free of any intimidation or interference of any nature, said Simelane. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Hitachi propose les memes remedes a l'UE qu'a la GB pour son operation avec Thales-source BRUXELLES (Reuters) - Les remedes proposes par Hitachi Rail aux autorites de la concurrence europeenne concernant le rachat de l'activite de signalisation ferroviaire de Thales sont similaires a celles proposees par le groupe japonais a l'autorite britannique de la concurrence (CMA), a declare vendredi a Reuters une source au fait de la question. Hitachi Rail a dit en juin a la CMA qu'il etait pret a ceder ses activites de signalisation ferroviaire au Royaume-Uni, en France et en Allemagne et a transferer a un rival son systeme de gestion des trains basee sur la communication. Le groupe avait declare que ces actifs comprenaient tous les elements necessaires a une entreprise viable et autonome. Le projet de rachat par Hitachi Rail de Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) pour une valeur d'entreprise de 1,66 milliard d'euros a ete devoile en aout 2021. Hitachi Rail est en discussions avec la Commission europeenne afin d'obtenir l'approbation de cette transaction pour l'Union europeenne. (Reportage Foo Yun Chee; version francaise Camille Raynaud, edite par Blandine Henault) MBABANE - Beliefs around the harvesting of body parts of people with albinism for good luck is still rife. This is because the organisation of persons with albinism recorded three cases of attempted kidnappings since the beginning of the ongoing general elections in the country. This was disclosed by the President of the Persons with Albinism organisation in the country, Philemon Gama, in an interview yesterday. Eswatini has been one of the African countries where a belief that human body parts, in particular those of persons with albinism, could help people win elections, has been a concern. The concern has resulted in authorities and other sectors of society in the African continent joining hands in warning people against the unfounded belief. However, apart from navigating the threats that come with such a belief, it was found that albinism does not affect an individuals social development. Condition It is a health condition that does not get worse or aggravated over time and does not exhibit any changes to life expectancy. In the case of the organisation, which falls under the Deputy Prime Ministers Office in the country, Gama said they had since recommended to social workers that their affected members be relocated to places of safety. By places of safety, Gama said he meant that their members be relocated to other relatives, where they would be out of danger. As you know that our organisation falls under the Deputy Prime Ministers Office, we recommended to the social workers that families of the affected members be engaged so that our members could be relocated to other relatives, he said. Gama stated that even though the organisation did not have tangible evidence linking the kidnappings to the ongoing elections, they could not turn a blind eye to the fact that some people still had the notion that body parts of people with albinism could help them win the elections. He said the belief was not only in Eswatini, but in other African countries, which were also in the elections process. Gama stated that the organisation was of the idea that their affected members would remain in hiding until the end of the ongoing general elections. This, Gama said, was likely to deprive their members their constitutional right to participate in the formation of the new government. Worth noting is that when dissolving the 11th Parliament, His Majesty King Mswati III came out clear and warned the nation against the belief that human body parts could help anyone win elections. The King warned that there should be no strange disappearances of people during the course of the general elections. He emphasised on the elderly and children, stating that they should not disappear during the course of the elections. The warning from the King was spread across the country by some chiefs, bantfwabenkhosi and governors during community meetings and church services. Also, Chairperson of the Witchdoctors Association, Makhanya Makhanya, stated that ritual killings were not in any way linked to ancestral calling. Makhanya said ritual killings remained criminal as it could not help anyone win the elections. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said police had no records of attempted kidnappings yet. Also, the Principal Secretary in the Deputy Prime Ministers Office, Melusi Masuku, said they had not received an official report at the office. However, Masuku stated that it might happen that the cases were dealt with by the social workers in the areas where they occurred. Reports We meet head of departments every week for reports. I do not know how the cases were not reported. We also have principal social workers deployed in the regions, maybe they dealt with the cases without reporting to the headquarters, Masuku said. When reengaged and asked what happened in each case, Gama stated that one of the cases happened at a certain school around the Shiselweni Region and was reported to the police and social workers. He stated that the head teacher played a crucial role in exposing the would-be kidnappers. The matter is being handled by Hlatikhulu social workers and the police because it happened in the Shiselweni Region. Investigations are still ongoing, he said. He stated that with regard to the two cases, the organisation recommended to the social workers the relocation of their members without reporting to the police. He said at times, they recommended to the social workers because they considered safety first before reporting to the police. Gama stated that the cases were sometimes treated with confidentiality for the protection of their members. Eswatini has embarked on the 2023 General Elections for the election of Members of Parliament (MPs), tindvuna tetinkhundla and bucopho. It is from the elected MPs that the King will appoint Cabinet ministers to run the Executive arm of government. Emirates and Maldivian have announced an interline partnership, enabling Emirates customers to access 16 popular holiday destinations in the Maldives beyond Male. The agreement follows on from last years signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two airlines, to explore opportunities for mutual cooperation. The interline agreement will create more options for Emirates customers when travelling to the Maldivian archipelago, utilising both carriers services and networks on a single ticket while also enhancing the customer experience throughout the journey, said a statement. Customers travelling to exotic island destinations in the Maldives will now be able to reap the benefit of flying into more popular holiday spots after connecting easily and seamlessly from Velana International Airport in the North Male atoll. Emirates passengers will link to Maldivians services to reach a choice of domestic points for their island getaway, it said. From September 15, travel itineraries can be booked for flights effective immediately. Emirates customers can fly to airports in a selection of the popular atolls via Male including Dharavandhoo Island (DRV), Faresmathoda Airport (FMT), Funadhoo Airport (FND), Fuvahmulak Island Airport (FVM), Gan Island International (GAN), Kooddoo Island (GKK), Hanimaadhoo Island Airport (HAQ), Kulhudhuffushi Airport (HDK), Hoarafushi Airport (HRF), Kaadedhdhoo Island Airport (KDM), Kadhdhoo Island (KDO), Madivaru Airport (LMV), Maafaru International Airport (NMF), Maavarulu Airport (RUL), Thimarafushi Airport (TMF), and Ifuru (IFU). Furthermore, customers spending their holidays at other resort islands can also enjoy the convenience of travelling to the closest point in the interline network and are within reach of their final destination with only a short ride, by seaplane or boat. -TradeArabia News Service State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. 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Advertisement The Woman In The Wall takes a look at mysterious deaths and the wake of the Magdalene Laundries scandal, which saw women talk about being detained against their will and forced to give up their children. McCormack plays Detective Colman Akande in the series as Wilson takes on the role of Lorna Brady, a woman who has suffered from bouts of sleepwalking after being put in the Catholic institution as a teenager. Advertisement Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack star in BBC series The Woman in the Wall (BBC/Motive Pictures/Chris Barr/PA) Advertisement He said: Ive wanted to work with Ruth for a long time, actually. Ever since I saw her in Luther years back I wanted to work with her, and I think I even had her on like a mood board of mine like someone I wanted to work with. McCormack said he does not do mood boards anymore after starting them in his mid-20s, around the time he would have been playing Pierce Devlin in Fair City and before he starred in period crime drama Peaky Blinders and 2020 comedy film Pixie. He added: I think (Ruths) just an exceptional talent but, on top of that, I love how shes navigated her career, like even just to point to the show that she did in the Young Vic recently where she did a play for 24 hours. Whos doing that? Like, I just think that is astonishing. Advertisement And also just a testament to how much of an artist she is. So yeah, just to work with her, it was a full on joy. Laundries run by nuns operated across Ireland from the 18th century until the final institution in Sean McDermott Street in Dublin closed in 1996. The laundries were opened for fallen women but many survivors have since revealed that many of those who worked in the laundries had committed no sin. Advertisement Advertisement A number of former inmates have given accounts of suffering sexual, psychological and physical abuse in the laundries, where they provided free labour. Nenagh-raised McCormack said he was nervous about how the show would resonate because it carries a lot of weight and because its not been spoken about, or kind of exposed to such a wider audience. He said survivors the show spoke to were very happy for the BBC to tell the story. Advertisement Ruth Wilson. Photo: PA McCormack added: I think with that, it gives me confidence that its [reception] is a bit of a win-win either way because I think any story thats been tried to be [swept] under the rug deserves the spotlight, deserves exposure. Particularly when theres been injustice done and this is injustice to just such a high degree. This year, McCormack earned a Bafta film nomination for playing a male sex worker in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande along with a rising star award nod at the ceremony. Wilson (41) known for BBC show His Dark Materials and 2006s Jane Eyre series, said the importance of the subject matter partly informed her decision to take on the role of Lorna. She said: Theres a great character at the heart of it [the series] and when I read the script I thought, Wow, this is really swimming on something fascinating. Advertisement Not only revealing a subject matter that needs to be told but [creator] Joe [Murtagh] is doing it through a really interesting guise. I thought, Its not only this crime thriller, but its a psychological horror. What Lorna goes through is a psychological horror. The Woman In The Wall is a six-part series and the fifth episode is set to air on BBC One on Sunday at 9pm. The last part is slated for broadcast on September 24th. The 100% Redress Party has been given notice from the Registrar of Political Parties of its intention to approve its application to become a registered political party. The decision by the chief executive of the Electoral Commission, Art O'Leary, means the party will be eligible to stand candidates in Dail and local elections. Advertisement The party's registration will become effective following a 21-day appeal period, or following the outcome of any such appeal. 100% Redress Party logo. The establishment of the party follows campaigns to secure 100 per cent redress for people whose properties have been impacted by defective building materials caused by excess levels of Mica. The issue has most notably affected homes in the northwest of the country, particularly in Co Donegal. In order to register for local and national elections, a prospective party must supply the Registrar of Political Parties with proof that it has at least 300 recorded members over 18, at least half of whom must be registered to vote. Advertisement The prospective party can also meet the criteria for registration by having one TD or MEP at the time of registration. New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) BJP on Friday slammed Congress leader Safiuddin Soz and NCP Chief Farooq Abdullah for advocating talks with Pakistan and said when the last journey of our brave soldiers is going on, it is not only "inappropriate but also sad". "Amidst the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, some leaders are making anti-national statements," said BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra here. Patra's remakes came after three Army personnel, including a Colonel and a Major, and a deputy superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. "Congress leader Saifuddin Soz has said India should not only talk to Pakistan but should also try to understand what is going on in the minds of terrorists," he added. Patra said Farooq Abdullah and other leaders have also talked about talks with Pakistan. Making such statements at a time when the last journey of our brave soldiers is going on is not only inappropriate but also sad," he added. On Thursday, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said India and Pakistan will have to come to the dialogue table if they want to end bloodshed and find lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. "Such incidents will continue if there is no dialogue. We are fools if we think that violence will stop. We will keep losing lives. There is no other way but dialogue," said Abdullah. UNI JA ARN SY Four political parties are holding think-in meetings today ahead of the new Dail term. Fine Gael are meeting in Limerick, where the Irish Farmers' Association plans to protest, just as it did for Fianna Fail earlier in the week. Advertisement The Greens meet in Waterford, Sinn Fein are gathering in Dublin, and the Labour Party in Maynooth in Kildare. Mary Lou McDonald will lead her party's think in after returning to work following a hysterectomy over the summer. After several months away from the political front line she will join party colleagues at the think-in event. In an interview with Virgin Medias Ireland AM show, Ms McDonald said she underwent the procedure on June 24th. Advertisement She said: So I lost my womb, my ovaries. So it was fairly significant surgery. Advertisement Fortunately it was done by keyhole, which is great because it aids your recovery. And more fortunately, that was it for me. I had the surgery, the growths, the tumours were removed, and I didnt require any further treatments or therapies. So it was serious surgery, it knocks you off course, but I was extremely lucky. Advertisement The Taoiseach has warned of the "dangers" of Sinn Fein taking power. He claimed it would not be good for the economy. Speaking ahead of the Fine Gael think-in in Limerick this morning, Leo Varadkar claimed jobs and housing would suffer with Sinn Fein in government. He told Newstalk: "They want to change our economic policy, they want to change our policy on trade and tax, they want to change our policy on Europe. "All those policies actually are the things that have made Ireland successful in my view. If we have those fundamental changes which they are promising, I believe the economy will go south. "There will be fewer jobs, lower incomes, and by extension there will be less money for things like housing and health." Sinn Fein taking the housing ministry would be a red line in any post-election governmental negotiations, Mary Lou McDonald has said. The party president said tackling the housing crisis was Sinn Feins number one priority. Advertisement Ms McDonald, who is back at work after several months off recovering from hysterectomy surgery, said Sinn Fein was now on an election footing. She also insisted her party would not be repeating the mistake of the 2020 general election and running too few candidates. Advertisement Asked whether the housing portfolio was a red line for Sinn Fein in any post-election government formation talks, Ms McDonald said yes. She was addressing reporters at the start of her partys think-in event in Dublin. We want to effect change across all of government, I dont have as clear-cut an answer for you in respect of other portfolios, but for us housing is absolutely core, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Its absolutely key. We have had a ringside seat now for government failure since the last general election. They told us that they had heard the people, that the housing crisis couldnt continue. Sinn Feins think-in is being held in Dublin (David Young/PA) Advertisement What do we have? A continuing crisis. I spoke to one young mother in my own community, she has two lovely children. Shes waiting to be housed. She was told her position on the list and she was informed that it could take 10 years for her to be housed her children will be grown. Thats not acceptable. Thats absolutely not acceptable. Ms McDonald said the countdown to the election had begun. Ive heard very clearly the appeals of people urging us in Sinn Fein to be ready for the next election, urging us to have the number of candidates needed, she said. So, to them I say, make no mistake, Sinn Fein will be ready. Advertisement We are now on an election footing and our focus will be on maximising our vote and electing enough Sinn Fein TDs to lead government, a truly new government. Ms McDonald added: We need a general election. I believe were now on a countdown to the day when the people will have their say and when people make that democratic decision we will talk to everyone, and we will put Sinn Feins policies for a better future firmly on the table. Advertisement In my opinion, the very best outcome of that election is a new government without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael for the first time in 100 years. I hope that people back that vision. However, friends, were not presumptuous. The outcome of the next general election is far from decided and we know that we have a lot of hard work to do between now and then. Ms McDonald said housing would be the defining issue of the election. Sinn Fein in government will end the housing crisis, she said. A Sinn Fein-led government will build the homes that our people need. We will deliver the biggest affordable and social housing programme that this state has ever seen. That is the level of action needed to match the scale of the challenge we face. If the people give us the opportunity to lead, Sinn Fein will make housing the number one priority of a new government not only in words, but in actions, not only in actions, but in results. The Sinn Fein leader insisted her party would make sure it ran enough candidates in the next general election. After the last general election, I literally could not walk the length of myself without people telling me that we hadnt run enough candidates, she said. Advertisement This time, we will not make that mistake, we will be prepared, we will be match fit. We will go to the people in all humility, but well-prepared looking for as big a mandate as we can take. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald TD has said that a change of government is needed to get to grips with the crises in housing, health and the cost of living@MaryLouMcDonald https://t.co/rdkSaAmh9X pic.twitter.com/Uk9azz0vCf Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) September 15, 2023 The party president declined to put a target on the number of seats Sinn Fein was aiming for. We take nothing for granted, there are no slam dunks, there is nothing inevitable about Sinn Fein being in government, she said. However, we do believe that the appetite for political change is alive and well. On her recent surgery, Ms McDonald said she was in great health. As Mark Twain said, rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated, she said. Im back and Im sure the lads will be thrilled out of their minds to have me back. She said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin had been in touch to wish her well, with Mr Varadkar having also sent her flowers. Advertisement The Taoiseach was asked about the gesture at his own party think-in event in Limerick. Asked by reporters if it could be interpreted as opening the door for a future coalition, Mr Varadkar said: No, definitely not. Look, Mary Lou McDonald is somebody Ive known down the years. We used to live only a stones throw from each other in Castleknock 20 years ago. It was just a personal gesture. Hundreds of people gathered in Cork city centre on Thursday night to protest a decision made by the owners of a popular gay bar, Chambers, to remove LGBTQ decorations for Freshers' Week, which marks the return of students to college. Chambers Bar on Washington Street has been a firm favourite with the LGBTQI+ community for the past 18 years. Advertisement The protestors gathered on the steps of the Courthouse across the road from the venue amid heavy rain on Thursday night. Attendees held placards and chanted: "We're here to stay, you cant paint the gay away." In a statement, UCC Students' Union expressed their dissatisfaction with what they described as the "rebranding" of Chambers to Sinners for Freshers Week. "We have seen the discourse online and heard from students who are quite upset and shocked at this decision," the students' union said. Advertisement Advertisement "We're here to stay/You can't paint the gay away! " - Cork's queer community brave the rain in big numbers to protest the decision by profiteers to close the city's only queer venue. pic.twitter.com/0g7UI56YZR Mick Barry TD (@MickBarryTD) September 14, 2023 "We understand that Chambers has in the past hosted 'Sinners' nights during the big college weeks, but to go as far as to rebrand the premises and eliminate any LGBTQ+ flags from the exterior of the building is a step too far. Advertisement "Students are upset about this decision and are frustrated that the only queer bar and queer nightlife space in Cork city has taken down their LGBTQ+ decor in a clear attempt to make the premises seemingly more palatable to non-queer students." Cork Pride also issued a statement in which it expressed its disappointing in the decision. "Just a little over a month following the Cork Pride festival, they have chosen to completely erase any semblance of being an LGBT+ focused venue. "This decision blatantly disregards the talented Queens who grace their stage and the LGBT+ community they target for their business," the group wrote. Advertisement "Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this situation, it is essential for our community to recognise and support venues that genuinely stand with us, rather than commodifying our identities when convenient, only to cast us aside when it doesn't serve their interests." Safe space Advertisement Meanwhile, drag artist Krystle Queer told the Neil Prendeville Show on Corks Red FM that Chambers has always had a loyal following in the gay community. "It is the one safe place we have in the city where we can go and be absolutely ourselves. "If you go on to Chambers website it says 'Chambers is the heart of Cork drag in the city'. I know business is business, but ethics and morals need to be brought into the question. Advertisement "Yes, this is a business, but this is the one queer place in the entire city. You have morals to uphold, and you need to be taking care of this community." They added: "The theme of Chambers is gay so why are they covering it up completely, changing the venue, posters of us removed and putting us back in the closet for the sake of a few bucks off students?" Former Ms Gay Ireland Stefanie Fogarty told the show that she was heartened by the large turnout at the demonstration last night. "We did it in a peaceful manner. We were full of hope and love because of the amount of people supporting us, people were beeping, we had a couple of councillors and TDs show up. It meant a lot. Advertisement "[Chambers] is the only place I feel comfortable going clubbing and dancing. To not have access to dance and be myself is heartbreaking." Not just for Christmas It is understood that eight drag artists who regularly perform at Chambers no longer plan to work there following the controversy. Cork Labour councillor John Maher says pride flags and LGBTQI+ safe spaces are not just for Christmas or the August bank holiday. "They are not just a seasonable bauble that you can put up and take down without drawing attention. Chambers' actions are disappointing and smack of greed and profiteering to me. Now more than ever the community needs real allies and proper safe spaces." Cork Solidarity TD Mick Barry recorded a video message at the protest, stating Chambers cannot take money from the gay community for 51 weeks a year and then "turf" them out for a week in order to cash in on Freshers' Week. "Putting profit before the gay community," Mr Barry said. "On the 52nd week turf people out, take down the rainbow banners, tell the drag performers maybe come back in a few weeks because they think they can get bigger profits during Freshers' Week. What a night in Cork! More than 500 members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies put the Rearden's Group to shame over their decision to close the city's only queer venue. pic.twitter.com/XZecJQukU3 Mick Barry TD (@MickBarryTD) September 14, 2023 "We need safe spaces for the Queer community in the city," he added. The owners of Chambers have been contacted for comment. Management old Red FM the 'Sinners' student nights were introduced in Chambers a few years ago. "As has been the case since 2016, we've hosted student nights at 'Sinners' for all students during the third-level terms. "So just in case anyone is worried, nothing has changed, and Chambers will be as it has been every weekend, since the day we opened our doors 18 years ago." A man has pleaded not guilty to flying a drone which allegedly interfered with the operation of Dublin Airport and will face trial before a judge and jury. Eric Brills (50), of Holywell Dale, Swords, Dublin, was arrested in February and charged under section three of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975, as substituted by section 51 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. Advertisement It is alleged that on January 24th, at Naul Road, Cloghran, Co Dublin, he unlawfully and intentionally interfered with the operation of air navigation facilities at Dublin Airport by operating a drone in the 300-metre critical area, such act being likely to interfere with the safety of aircraft in. He was granted bail on February 10th, provided he did not use drones. He had held off entering a plea to allow his lawyers more time to examine aviation exclusion zone laws and for disclosure of evidence. Advertisement Mr Brills faced his latest appearance at Dublin District Court on Friday. Detective Garda Enda Ledwith, who had described it as a "complex case", said the DPP consented to "summary disposal on a guilty plea" at the District Court level. Advertisement Solicitor Alexander Rafter said the defence had raised a matter on the last date that the DPP's direction was not valid. But Mr Rafter added, "We are no longer pursuing that", and he said his client was pleading not guilty, meaning the accused will face trial in the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. The DPP must prepare a book of evidence before a trial order is granted. Judge Michele Finan remanded Mr Brills on continuing bail to appear again on October 27th. Advertisement Under the legislation, the offence, on conviction on indictment, can result in a mandatory sentence. At his first hearing, the court was told the accused made no reply to the charge. Detective Garda Ledwith said he had no objection to bail with conditions including one that Mr Brills must not "fly any UAS," which means unmanned aircraft systems, also known as drones. Mr Brills provided gardai with his phone number and has to be contactable at all times, reside at his current address, surrender his passport and not apply for other travel documents. Legal aid was granted after the court heard the accused was employed but earned less than 500 weekly. Advertisement Ireland New drone tech can prevent disruption, says Dublin... Read More It is illegal to fly drones within 5km of the airport; drones of certain sizes must be registered, and each device must have a unique digital fingerprint for identification. Mr Brills' case is the first of two involving alleged unlawful drone flights too close to the airport to come before the courts recently. In an unrelated prosecution, Ainis Guzauskus (41), of Ridgewood Close, Swords, Dublin, was charged under Section 43 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. The alleged offence is knowingly causing a false alarm by flying an unmanned aerial system (drone) into the critical area of Dublin Airport at Naul Road, which interfered with the operation of an aerodrome on July 2nd 2022. He has not indicated a plea and is back in court next week. A man believed by police to be the lead member of an organised crime gang which targeted the elderly is unlawfully at large. The PSNI said Ray Lee (30) failed to return to Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim last month after being granted compassionate bail to attend a funeral in Dublin. Advertisement Detectives have appealed for information in locating Lee. A PSNI statement said: Ray Lee was charged by police in May 2021 in relation to numerous fraud offences and is currently on remand pending crown court trial. Police are appealing for information to assist in locating a man who is currently unlawfully at large from prison. See here for details:https://t.co/QcgR08fwXD pic.twitter.com/hdzW6BFcqE Advertisement Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) September 15, 2023 Lee is believed to be the lead member of an organised crime gang involved in targeting the elderly and vulnerable in a series of frauds in which he purported to be a police officer in order to convince the victims to hand over cash and jewellery. Advertisement Advertisement Over 40 victims reported losses to police to the value of over 200,000. He is described as being approximately 5ft 9in tall, is of slim build and has brown eyes and brown hair. The statement continued: He was granted compassionate bail to attend a funeral in Dublin in August but failed to return as required to HMP Maghaberry on Thursday August 24. Officers would ask Lee, or anyone who knows of his whereabouts, to contact police on 101. Use of some prescription drugs could impair a motorist's driving and could lead to prosecutions under proposed legislation for drug testing drivers at the scene of road collisions, GP Dr Maire Finn has warned. People could possibly be driving without realising they are taking drugs which can impair their driving, she told RTE radios Today show. Advertisement This meant that GPs should look at how they prescribe such medicines, she added. "Generally, we try and use these for short term use only for an acute illness or for an acute anxiety issue," Dr Finn said. She added that doctors are in a constant battle to pull people back and not prescribe medication to which they could become addicted. There was also an issue that people could access drugs that had been prescribed for friends, colleagues or family members, Dr Finn warned. Such drugs may not be considered as dangerous as heroin, but benzodiazepines could have a huge impact, she added. Advertisement "They're designed to sedate you. They affect your coordination, the effect of perception, and so they have a major impact on driving." Dr Finn added that some "old-fashioned antihistamines" could sedate a person and impact on their driving. She urged people to listen to the advice of their pharmacist when they are prescribed a drug and whether it is a drug which will be looked for in random mandatory drug testing. Dr Finn added that the proposed legislation will likely make GPs look at how they prescribe such drugs, and how they talk to patients. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has described the double standards within the UK government as unhelpful. Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland, Mr Varadkar pointed out that UK prime minister Rishi Sunak had described himself as a proud unionist and had appointed himself as 'Minister for the Union'. Advertisement Mr Varadkar said the Irish Government respected this, but there appeared to be a double standard when Irish politicians spoke about a united Ireland which was in the Constitution. We were the adults in the room when we negotiated the Windsor Framework. I think we as a Government have been extremely helpful to the British government since the Brexit journey began. Under my leadership as Taoiseach, we've negotiated three agreements with the British government, the Backstop, the Protocol, when they couldn't honour that agreement. We were the adults in the room when we negotiated the Windsor Framework. Advertisement Mr Varadkar said there had been a reset when Mr Sunak became UK prime minister, relations were better than under previous iterations, but the reset had not been to the extent that he had hoped for. Advertisement "What I said to the prime minister and I do not want to be saying it again in a few weeks time, is that we understand, and we're very glad that the Windsor Framework was agreed and is being implemented. "But that's six, nine months ago now. And since then what's happened is there have been negotiations really only involving the UK and one of the parties in Northern Ireland, the DUP, the other four parties that represent nearly 70 per cent of opinion in Northern Ireland, haven't really been involved in that, nor have we. "So we hope the UK government and the DUP government are successful in their negotiations. We're willing to help in that regard because we want the Executive to be up and running. We want it to be a success." Good Friday Agreement However, he cautioned that the UK government and DUP talks could not be ongoing forever and could not exclude others forever. Advertisement We do need to sit down at some point and talk about what alternative arrangements can be put in place within the confines of the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Varadkar said he and Mr Sunak had talked about timelines. I've kind of made it clear that I'm not going to put a hard deadline in this sense, its not my position to do so. But I think everyone understands, and certainly we talk to other parties in Northern Ireland that they do understand us. This can't go on forever, and we need to make plans. People in Northern Ireland voted in this election because they want full democracy. A US tourist seriously injured in an alleged assault in Dublin city centre has set up a second GoFundMe page following a dispute with his son over the money raised in an earlier fundraiser. Stephen Termini (57), from Buffalo, New York, suffered serious injuries after allegedly being attacked on Talbot St in Dublin in July. Advertisement Three teenagers have been charged in connection with the incident are awaiting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions in their cases. Mr Termini was hospitalised for several weeks due to his injuries, with one of his sons - Michael (Mike) Rizzuto - setting up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses and travel costs to enable Mr Termini's family to come to Ireland to be with him during his recovery. Over 120,000 was raised through the GoFundMe page. Advertisement However, a dispute between Mr Termini and his son has now broken out, with Mr Termini alleging that he has not received any of the money donated. Mr Rizzuto claims the donations were not for his father's personal use, adding that there are taxes and charges which must be covered. Advertisement Mr Termini has now set up a second GoFundMe page in a bid to help him gain Irish citizenship and buy a home in Co Mayo, from where he says his great-grandmother hailed. His fundraiser, titled 'Uniting with Ireland', had raised $10 (9) of its $100,200 (93,930) target at the time of publication. Independent councillor for Dublin north inner city Christy Burke said that while he does not condone the vicious assault on Mr Termini and the serious injuries he suffered, "he shouldnt take the Irish people for granted when it comes to donating more money". "It is right that his sons have not allowed him access to the public donations. As Mr Terminis son said, it is to be used for his fathers hospital treatment and medical costs and nothing else. Advertisement "The kindness of the Irish people should not be taken as a weakness," Cllr Burke said. "The Irish are renowned for their willingness to donate to charities, but the issues around the first GoFundMe account should be dealt with first before another crowdfunding bid should be set-up," he added. A Trust and Safety team forms part of GoFundMe's operations, aiming to ensure that any public donations are spent as intended, or else they are refunded. News quiz of the week Have you been keeping up to date with the news this week? How many permanent hosts has The Late Late Show had? Flogas has announced the biggest cost reduction of the recent energy provider cuts. What percentage is the reduction the company has committed to? Four of the country's biggest political parties hold their think-ins on Friday. Which party held its think-in at the beginning of the week? Republicans have launched an impeachment inquiry into US president Joe Biden. What is it over? North Korean leader travelled to Russia for a meeting with Vladimir Putin this week. How did he travel? Members of the Garda Representative Association voted no confidence in Commissioner Drew Harris this week. What percentage of rank and file gardai voted no confidence in the commissioner? Olivia Rodrigo has announced a 3 Arena gig as part of her upcoming world tour. When is she coming to Dublin? When is Budget 2024? Hard Luck! Some of those were tricky. Keep up to date with the latest news on Breakingnews.ie Well Done! You've been keeping up to date with the latest news. Good job! Baby serial killer Lucy Letby has formally lodged a bid to challenge her conviction at the UK's Court of Appeal, officials have confirmed. Court staff said on Friday that they had received an application for permission to appeal. Advertisement Letby (33) was sentenced to a whole life order after jurors convicted her of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016. England's Department of Health has previously said that an independent inquiry will be held into Letbys case, and will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and incidents including how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with. Elena Kazamia in Nautilus: The ceremony takes place on the night of the full moon in February, which the Tibetans celebrate as the coldest of the year. Buddhist monks clad in light cotton shawls climb to a rocky ledge some 15,000 feet high and go to sleep, in childs pose, foreheads pressed against cold Himalayan rocks. In the dead of the night, temperatures plummet below freezing but the monks sleep on peacefully, without shivering. Footage of the ritual exists from the winter of 1985 when a team of medical researchers led by Herbert Benson, a Harvard cardiologist, were allowed in as observers at a monastery just outside the town of Upper Dharamsala in northern India.1 Benson had the blessing of the Dalai Lama, with whom he had developed a friendship; the physician was driven to understand the physiological mechanisms that allowed the monks to survive the night. Their bodies had entered a state that required years of meditative and physical practice that the Dalai Lama called miraculous. Had Bensons research taken place today, it is very likely he would have called it biostasis. Our bodies run a very tight ship. To keep living, we need a constant supply of oxygen, and our temperature is allowed to fluctuate within narrow limits. A fever can turn deadly, as can severe hypothermia. Healthy bodies have a steady heartbeat and a dependable oxygen consumption rate, which physicians use as a measurement of metabolism. If the life burning within us is a symphony, then metabolism is its scorethe perfect sum of all the chemical reactions that take place inside our cells, carefully orchestrated. More here. Tens of thousands of climate activists around the world are calling for an end to the burning of fossil fuels as the globe suffers dramatic weather extremes and record-breaking heat. A strike driven by several mostly youth-led, local and global climate groups and organisations, including Greta Thunbergs Fridays for Future movement will take place in dozens of countries and in hundreds of cities worldwide and continue through the weekend. Advertisement A week before the planned protest, the United Nations warned that countries are way off track to curb warming to 1.5C since pre-industrial times, as agreed in Paris in 2015. The world has warmed at least 1.1C since then. Extreme weather events have been seen around the world this year (AP) Over the past few months, Earth broke its daily average heat record several times according to one metric, July was the hottest month ever recorded, and the Northern Hemisphere summer was declared the hottest ever. Advertisement Advertisement In one strike in Quezon City in the Philippines, activists lay in front of the department of environment and natural resources in protest, and held signs demanding fossil fuels from coal to natural gas be phased out. Outside the ministry of energy and mineral resources office in Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters held signs calling for end to dirty fuels and greenwashing as police officers looked on. People take part in Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future movement in Berlin (AP) Advertisement In Sweden, climate activists gathered in front of Parliament, just next to the Royal Palace where Swedens King Carl XVI Gustaf was celebrating his 50th anniversary on the throne. Their chants about climate justice could be heard in the palace courtyard as the king watched the changing of the guard during the golden jubilee celebrations. Dozens of extreme weather events from Hurricane Idalia in the south-eastern United States to torrential flooding in Delhi in India are believed to have been made worse by human-caused climate change. Another major strike is planned to take place Sunday in New York, to coincide with the citys Climate Week and the UN climate summit. Advertisement Climate activists have organised similar worldwide strikes in recent years, where protesters from different nations join together on a single day. The man killed in an attack by two American XL bully dogs in England has been named by police as Ian Price. The 52-year-old died in hospital after being seriously injured in Stonnall, Staffordshire at about 3.15pm on Thursday. Advertisement A 30-year-old man from the Lichfield area remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of being in charge of dogs dangerously out of control and manslaughter, Staffordshire Police said on Friday. The force said: Our investigation continues at pace as we try to understand more about events leading up to this horrendous attack. Both dogs, thought to be XL bullies, are dead and tests are being carried out to determine their breed. Our deepest sympathies remain with the family and friends of Ian. Advertisement We also understand the shock and upset felt within the village of Stonnall. Weve got local officers in the area please speak to them if you need to. Advertisement One of the dogs died after being restrained and the other died after being injected by a vet, the force said. A police officer outside a property in Main Street, Stonnall, following the attack (Matthew Cooper/PA) Advertisement The attack has prompted a pledge by British prime minister Rishi Sunak to ban the breed of dog involved by the end of the year. Mr Prices death is one of a spate of incidents in Britain involving dangerous dogs in recent days. Residents in Stonnall described the attack as awful. St Peters Church of England Primary Academy, which is near the scene of the attack, said pupils and staff are being supported in the wake of the incident. American XL bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year following a series of attacks, Rishi Sunak has said. The British prime minister made the promise after it emerged a man has died after being attacked by two dogs suspected to be bully XLs in Birmingham and following a video of another attack that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries. Advertisement Mr Sunak said: I share the nations horror at the recent videos weve all seen. Yesterday we saw a another suspected XL bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality. It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, its a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on. Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ Advertisement Advertisement Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023 He said he has ordered ministers to bring together police and experts to define the breed of dog behind these attacks so they can then be outlawed. Advertisement We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year, he said. These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe. Downing Street denied the UK government has taken too long to ban American XL bully dogs. Asked whether ministers had dragged their heels on commencing work to outlaw the breed, Mr Sunaks official spokesman said: I wouldnt accept that. I think weve obviously been doing some policy work on this and you heard from the Home Secretary recently about how to take this forward. Advertisement Clearly this breed of dog isnt defined in law so its right to take the time to consider the best way to put an end to these horrendous attacks that were seeing. Ukrainian forces have recaptured a village in the countrys east after intense battles with Russian troops as part of their counter-offensive, the countrys military said. The village of Andriivka about six miles south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region is the latest gain for Kyiv in a counter-offensive that has seen slow but steady gains by Ukrainian forces. Advertisement The announcement of reclaiming Andriivka came early on Friday from the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 15 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/tKSmS6UlRk #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/NsvSVAkC60 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 15, 2023 Advertisement The 3rd Assault Brigade said it captured the village after surrounding the Russian garrison in Andriivka in what it described as a lightning operation and destroying it over two days. Advertisement It described the capture of Andriivka as a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut and key to success in all further directions. Advertisement Just hours before confirming the capture of Andriivka early on Friday, the brigade contested a statement by Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar saying the village was reclaimed. The fighting in and around Bakhmut, a salt-mining town now in complete ruins, marked the wars longest and bloodiest engagement. Today, there are reasons to praise the work of Ukraines Security Service, its personnel, and the Ukrainian Navy. I thank them for todays triumphdestroying the occupants air defense system in our Crimea. Very significant outcome! Glory to everyone who fights for Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/52o83hpmlq Advertisement Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) September 14, 2023 After Russian forces led by the Wagner Group military contractor captured Bakhmut in May, Ukrainian forces sought to envelop it from the south and the north, gaining ground yard by yard in the past three months. Advertisement In late June, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin led his fighters from eastern Ukraine into Russia as part of a short-lived mutiny that represented the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putins rule in over two decades. Advertisement Mr Prigozhin and several of his top lieutenants died in a suspicious plane crash while traveling between Moscow and St Petersburg last month. A shell-shocked Ukrainian serviceman lies on a bed at the field hospital near Bakhmut (AP) Andriivka is located between the settlements of Kurdiumivka and the heights of Klischiivka in the Donetsk region, where fighting has been especially intense. Ukraines General Staff said Ukrainian forces also inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops as part of its offensive in nearby Klishchiivka village. Ms Maliar said that Ukraine had regained 19 square miles of land around Bakhmut since the start of the counter-offensive in June. Military analysts and US officials have questioned the expenditure of forces around the city, but Ukrainian military leaders have said they were successfully exhausting Russian forces by keeping them fixed in position. The recapture of Andriivka comes weeks after an important tactical victory for Ukrainian forces in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where they punctured through Russias first line of defence and recaptured the village of Robotyne. Tatiana Burchik stands near the coffin of her son Vadym Gagarin Belov, Ukrainian soldier during the funeral at the cemetery in Polonne, Khmelnytskyi region (AP) The gains in the south are considered more strategically significant since they bring Ukraines troops closer to the shores of the Sea of Azov, where they could try to cut the land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. Advertisement Isolating Crimea would divide the Russian-occupied territory in southern Ukraine and undermine Russian supply lines. In the south, one person died and six were injured in shelling in the Kherson region, Ukraines presidential office said on Friday. It also reported air strikes on the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporishzhia region. Also on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that some 300,000 Russians have signed volunteer military contracts this year, noting that they were driven by high patriotic motives. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill next week as he visits the US during the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Zelenskys trip comes as US congress is debating President Joe Bidens request to provide as much as 24 billion dollars (19.2 billion) in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. Private developers Deicorp and Fortis have been given the green light for two separate projects worth a combined $784 million, shrugging off concerns about demand in the luxury apartment market. At Barangaroo, Lendlease has topped out its high-end One Sydney Harbour residential development. At its 55-level Hyde Metropolitan project overlooking Hyde Park, Deicorp was given final planning approval for the estimated $700 million tower, which was designed by the Sydney architectural firm Candalepas Associates. It will include 168 luxury apartments and a six-level podium comprising retail, commercial and residential communal areas. Deicorp selected Candalepas Associates as the preferred architect for a 55-level luxury residential and commercial building in Sydneys CBD. Deicorp is delighted to have been given the final go-ahead from the City of Sydneys Central Sydney Planning Committee to deliver this truly spectacular apartment building, Deicorps founder Fouad Deiri, said of the tower on the corner of Liverpool and Castlereagh streets. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As politicians and aviation industry experts fight about the level of competition in Australian airspace, Australians can be forgiven for zoning out. After all, outrage about the cost of airfares may seem out of touch when compared with the more immediate cost of living pressures facing most Australian families. But global connectivity through flight is crucial to a country as multicultural as Australia, which does not have the luxury of effective alternative transport at a local or international level. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has proclaimed Australia has the most competitive aviation market in the world, bar none, thats not always reflected in the experience of Australians when they want to fly overseas, even though the cost of international airfares is decreasing. And many industry experts, including executives from the countrys biggest airports and airlines as well as independent aviation economist Dr Tony Webber, have been quick to disagree with the PM. Total international seat capacity on flights out of Australia is now 12 per cent below 2019. Credit: Nine News This is largely because many of the regions that have so far doubled or even tripled the number of seats on services to Australia are not the places traditionally in demand for overseas holidays, and the cost of airfares differs from route to route depending on the number of options to choose from. Advertisement Webbers research indicates that just two international routes from Australia are truly competitive the US and China and the overall network was a far cry from the most competitive in the world. The governments recent Qatar Airways imbroglio shows just how closely watched Australias aviation industry has become since it emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. The government expected that decision to be a relatively stock-standard rejection of an additional bilateral air rights application. Instead, it was unwillingly thrust into a broader debate about competition, airfares and alleged undue government influence, which will come to a head in the coming Senate inquiry into the decision later this year. Regardless of what actually motivated Transport Minister Catherine King to make the Qatar Airways call, its unlikely the business will be able to double its flights and put downward pressure on fares on the Europe route any time soon. How do airlines fly in and out of Australia? Airlines can fly to and from Australia under one of two government agreements known as bilateral air service rights or open skies agreements. Those which are governed by the former, including Qatar Airways, have two chances a year to apply for more services to Australias biggest airports. Advertisement Carriers from seven nations the UK, US, China, India, Singapore, New Zealand and Japan have unrestricted rights to fly to Australia under a reciprocal arrangement that also allows Qantas and Virgin to put on as many services to those countries as they see fit. There have been repeated calls, including from Melbourne Airport boss Lorie Argus, from industry executives to increase the number of open skies agreements. Loading Airlines can increase their capacity to Australia in one of two ways; by increasing the number of flights to the country or upgauging existing services by flying bigger aircraft. The latter is often used by carriers who have met their maximum number of services under their air service agreement but want to upscale the number of seats anyway. Upgauging is often not commercially and logistically viable for major airlines when rejected for additional services, meaning they are far more likely to take their capacity to more flexible markets instead. Why do Australias departure boards look so different from boards before COVID-19? Fifty-seven airlines currently fly passengers in and out of the country. Overall, total international seat capacity remains down by about 12 per cent on before the pandemic, data provided by global aviation analytics business Cirium shows. Advertisement This is largely because there are still growth constraints on the industry at various points in the supply chain. The worlds two biggest aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, are still struggling to fulfil their plane orders on time, plus theres a global pilot shortage that has further hindered carriers such as Cathay Pacific from bouncing back quickly. Put simply, airlines have a limited number of planes and too many places to put them. United will soon overtake Qantas in carrying the most direct flights from Australias east coast to the US. RoyceComm strategy director and federal government adviser Simon Westaway says the tourism industry must look more closely at where the additional capacity is coming from or risk missing out on new revenue streams. Theres no reason why it cant be more competitive sectors such as Europe, but we need to look at where our future markets are going to come from. Australia is a very expensive place to fly, and the tourism economy is vastly different to before COVID-19, he said. Although Australia is traditionally one of the worlds highest-yield markets, it comes with other complications and some carriers emerged from COVID-19 with a less than favourable view of Australias harsh border restrictions, choosing instead to increase capacity elsewhere. Some of the capacity lag is temporary. Although China only recently reopened to Australia, the number of seats from Australia to Asia is now just 10 per cent lower than the same period in 2019, buoyed heavily by increases by Indian, South Korean and Japanese carriers, as well as the rapid return of Chinese carriers in recent months. Advertisement The rest of the capacity lag is structural, with many airlines such as Virgin Australia emerging from COVID-19 with leaner route maps, and others choosing to invest in other markets entirely. Which carriers fly more from Australia than before COVID-19 and which ones have fallen behind? Many carriers, including Xiamen Airlines, United Airlines and Air India, have increased the number of seats by more than 50 per cent since before 2019, while others including British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Etihad are flying significantly fewer services, which has resulted in higher airfares. India has increased its total number of seats on flights from Australia by more than 150 per cent when compared with the same period in 2019. This is largely due to flag carrier Air India increasing its seat capacity by 75 per cent, although Qantas has also added a new route to Southern Indian tech-hub Bengaluru. The number of seats between South Korea and Australia has also more than doubled. By the end of this year, its expected Singapore, the US, New Zealand and Japan will also surpass 2019, joining Qatar, Indonesia and Canada, which are also above 2019 levels. United Airlines has so far increased the number of seats on its flights between the US and Australia by 43 per cent as part of its broader push into the region since the pandemic. Qantas has 43 services a week to the US, but United will soon overtake it in carrying the most direct flights from Australias east coast to the US, with a seventh daily service coming next month. Advertisement Advertisement Eating outBrisbane Celebrated restaurant Gerards Bistro announces new executive chef Former Leonards Bar & Bistro chef Jimmy Richardson is returning to Gerards after it receives a major facelift from a Sushi Room and SK Steak & Oyster designer. Matt Shea September 15, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Gerards Bistro owner Johnny Moubarak and executive chef Jimmy Richardson. Lyndon Mechielsen Jimmy Richardson has been announced as the new executive chef at celebrated James Street restaurant Gerards Bistro. Richardson will launch his first menu when Gerards reopens next month after an extensive refurbishment. Richardson was most recently executive chef at Leonards Bar & Bistro in Brisbanes CBD. He has also held senior roles in Sydney at The Bridge Room, Shangri-La Sydneys Altitude Restaurant, Cafe Paci, Annata and Park Hyatt Sydney. The Gerards Bistro announcement marks a return to the restaurant for Richardson, after he previously worked as head chef under former executive chef Adam Wolfers. Advertisement He said the brief from Gerards owner Johnny Moubarak is to pursue more traditional Middle Eastern flavours. Brisbanes best restaurant openings of 2023 so far Johnny wants to explore the flavours he would experience at home, but in a restaurant, Richardson said. [The aim is] to simplify the food slightly, but at the same time keep that standard of where it was at take the classics and give them a lift without straying too far from what the cuisine is. Were going to focus mainly on the Levant region [modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and Turkey]. Because of my connection to Persian food, therell be a couple of touches of Persian. Advertisement Scottish-born Richardson was introduced to Middle Eastern cuisine via a Persian brother-in-law his mum would cook proper home-style, no fanciness, just good flavours and his first head chef role was at Embers Mezze Bar, a Lebanese restaurant in Darlinghurst. So I had a basic understanding, but working under Wolfie took it a step further. He really knew his stuff with his Jewish heritage. One of Brisbanes most celebrated restaurants is closing temporarily I think people have this narrow understanding of Middle Eastern food that its an arid desert where nothing grows but dates and spices. But the produce and flavours are incredible. Jimmys really good at reimagining a dish while staying true to its roots, Moubarak said. Advertisement You can only do that by understanding the flavour and structure of the cuisine. He understands the history of a dish, its profile and its story, and that gives him the confidence to reimagine it. Richardsons food will be served in a Gerards Bistro reimagined by in-demand designer and architect Jared Webb. Webb previously worked for Richards & Spence and had a hand in several of the acclaimed architecture firms projects, including Sushi Room, SK Steak & Oyster and Same Same. The new Gerards will be rendered in a warm minimalism intended to reference the Levant. The kitchen is also being refurbished but will retain its focus on wood fire and charcoal cooking. Advertisement Gerards Bistro is one of Brisbanes most influential modern restaurants, and has evolved with the local dining scene over the course of its 11-year existence. Agnes and Anyday chef and co-owner Ben Williamson made his mark during the restaurants early days with his progressive interpretations of Middle Eastern food. After Williamsons departure in late 2018, Moubarak hired star Sydney chef Wolfers (formerly Est, Marque, Monopole, Yellow, Etelek), who channelled his Ashkenazi and Sephardi backgrounds to push the Gerards menus in new directions. Wolfers left the restaurant in March. It closed in June for refurbishment, and was scheduled to reopen in mid-to-late October. In 1994, the NSW Healthy Canteen Association unveiled the tuck shop of the future. The concept design predicted canteens would become mini McDonalds restaurants, albeit with healthier food. Tuck shops would be slick privatised operations, employees in uniforms would replace volunteer parents and canteen revenue was predicted to surge past $1 million a day as healthy food boomed. Almost 30 years later, there are no McDonalds-style fast food restaurants and tuck shop profits are decidedly lacklustre. Health bureaucrats have won the battle on junk food, successfully stripping unhealthy snacks from sale with the introduction of a policy called the Healthy School Canteen Strategy six years ago. Where parents make food which is not highly processed. They sell about 100 lunches a day. The idea is to ask the kids what they like to eat. Credit: James Brickwood Of 1625 public school canteens, 1557 have since passed a menu check in the time the new policy has been operating, while hundreds of canteens are now leased to private companies. The health food served up and prices charged for it is a far cry from canteens in 1976 when schools like Epping West Public sold finger buns for 14 cents while slices of chocolate bread could be had for 2 cents apiece. Packets of Twisties and jelly beans were 8 cents. Another canteen menu from the same year at Telarah Public School in the Hunter shows that cakes, hot dogs, sausage rolls and meat pies could all be bought for less than 30 cents. Queensland has rejected calls to review plans to stage the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games at the Gabba, insisting the revamped stadium will host the event after a $2.7 billion makeover. A Senate committee urged the Palaszczuk government to reconsider making the Gabba the home venue before work gets under way on the stadium rebuild. At $2.7 billion, the Gabba will be the third-most expensive stadium in the world. Credit: Illustration by Matt Davidson It may also be unwise and inappropriate for the government to insist that a redeveloped Gabba host the athletics for the Games, the interim report released on Thursday found. The call came after Victoria withdrew from hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games amid claims of an estimated $7 billion cost blowout. The prolonged therapeutic use of unapproved medicinal cannabis products, especially in the vulnerable paediatric population calls into question the appropriateness of the TGA to continue to place the risk of prescribing of these products with the medical profession whilst an unregulated industry continues to grow... the document reads. There is little scrutiny on whether the risk-benefit ratio remains favourable over time for patients who use them. This concern is especially relevant when it comes to long-term use of THC-containing products, especially in children, who are more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of this cannabinoid. The leading reason for prescribing cannabis is to treat pain. Scientists and advocates had long hoped that when proper research was done, cannabis would prove to be a powerful treatment for chronic pain. Monash Universitys Rachelle Buchbinder is worried about an opioid epidemic being replaced by a medical cannabis epidemic. Credit: Mario Borg Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, a world-leading pain researcher based at Monash University who published a review of the data in 2021, said there was now enough evidence to conclude that the drug did not work for pain. Based on the trial evidence, there is small to very-small to no benefit in pain, or in function, or in sleep quality, she said. Loading Its very concerning. And Im worried about an opioid epidemic just being replaced by a medical cannabis epidemic. This is another commercially driven treatment where the harms are going to be outweighing the benefits. This is going in the wrong direction. Professor Michael Vagg, dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, said the cannabis boom was ethically more concerning than opioids because at least opioids were shown to be effective in treating pain. The cannabinoid use boom that is beginning is much more blatantly commercial than the increase in opioid prescribing. It is also ethically concerning that the vast majority of prescribing is for chronic pain, and is being done by non-specialists who have a very narrow focus on pharmaceutical management of pain. Professor Iain McGregor, academic director of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, strongly disagreed with Vagg and Buchbinder, pointing to self-reported data showing significant and sustained quality-of-life improvements. Sensory measures of pain may not change that much with cannabis. But what does seem to change is peoples ability to get on with and enjoy their lives. And thats fantastically useful. To try to equate medicinal cannabis uptake with the opioid epidemic is grotesque. Opioids kill people. Cannabinoids do not. Because medical cannabis is not an approved medicine, internal TGA documents warn it is unable to police its safety and quality, which is unpredictable. Internal TGA data tracked 521 adverse event reports linked to medical cannabis up to February this year, 77 requiring hospitalisation and 16 being life-threatening. The TGA was also notified of four deaths in children using medical cannabis, although the deaths appear related to underlying health conditions, the documents note. An analysis of prescription data to mid-2021 by a team of Australian researchers showed a sharp change in prescription patterns from 2019. Before 2019, most prescriptions were for people over the age of 45, and they were mostly prescribed cannabis oils. But after 2019, prescriptions for younger men increased, with data suggesting this group preferred either dried cannabis flower or inhalation products possibly vape cartridges. Dr Elizabeth Cairns, the University of Sydney researcher who led that analysis, said there were good medical reasons some users would prefer flower, like needing quick relief for pain or anxiety. Peter Crock, chair of Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia, said it was clear recreational users were turning to the scheme. Theres no doubt theres an element of that. However, moving users away from illegal products towards purer medical cannabis was a valuable piece of harm-minimisation, Crock said. Peter Crock, in 2017 when he headed the Cann Group. Critics of the drug were missing the point, he said. Yes, there isnt clinical evidence for cannabinoids because its been prohibited. Its a circular argument thats really frustrating. Saying theres a higher risk from cannabinoids than from opioids is an inappropriate direct comparison. In comments on online forums seen by this masthead, users swap advice on strain selection Durban Poison or Maali Sky? and marvel at the easy access to legal bud. I cannot believe this is happening, wrote one, after getting a script three hours after applying online. Holy sh-t! Loading Injured workers are also increasingly convincing government insurer WorkSafe to cover the cost of medical cannabis; 108 workers received cannabis subsidies in the last 11 months. A WorkSafe spokeswoman said the insurer does not support the use of medicinal cannabis except in exceptional circumstances. A spokesman for the TGA this month said the use of an unapproved therapeutic good for a patient is a clinical decision made at the discretion of the medical practitioner. The prescriber and their patient take full responsibility for the use of the unapproved product. Karim Sadjapour in Time Magazine: The Islamic Republic of Iran has thus far proved too ideologically rigid to reform and too ruthless to collapse. As in the late stages of the Soviet Union, however, the foundations decay in plain sight. Outside their homeland, women of Iranian origin become world-class mathematicians and astronauts; inside Iran, the ruling clerics debate whether women should be allowed to ride bicycles. One year ago this month, the regimes morality police detained and beat a 22-year-old womanMahsa Jina Aminifor allegedly showing too much hair beneath her compulsory veil. Her death in custody triggered Irans longest anti-government protests since the 1979 revolution that transformed the country from a U.S.-allied monarchy to an anti-American Islamist theocracy. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei managed these protests as he always does, by crushing dissent, dividing adversaries, and refusing to offer any concessions. Over 20,000 people were arrested and over 500 killed, including several who were executed. Compromising under pressure, Khamenei believes, only projects weakness and emboldens dissent. More here. If the referendum is lost, all Australians will be losers. However much we may enjoy the spotlight on the world stage, the danger is that on October 15 and afterward, it will be interpreted by outsiders, whether we like it or not, as the vote of an ignorant and racist populace. Alfred Deakin, one of the architects of the Constitution, was a white supremacist. Credit: What other country would frame its opposition to constitutional change with a heartfelt appeal to cluelessness: If you dont know, vote No? If you dont know, then you should have found out and might then have realised that the Voice is only a problem if you vote against it. The problem is that intelligent observers all over the world recognise that Indigenous people do have a right to address the government and the executive on matters in which they have a legitimate interest. This is entirely normal and uncontroversial and the least that should be vouchsafed to communities who have suffered genocide and displacement. Have you ever wondered why people dress up in sarongs and traditional attire on Malaysia Day? Well, its because thousands of people come together to celebrate at Keretapi Sarong. Regardless of how we feel about our country, one things for sure: we are proud of the culture we have. The idea behind Keretapi Sarong was simpleto create awareness for the Malaysian sarong and the story behind it. The event also upholds the sarong as a symbol of unity and is celebrated on Malaysia Day as a celebration for the people by the people. The journey starts at a train station of your choice and ends at a secret location. During the journey, people would sing along to traditional Malaysian songs like Rasa Sayang, Can Mali Can, and more. The celebration only gets better when they reach the final destination, where there are performances and plenty of traditional activities that they can partake in. We spoke to Adam Faizal, the Community and Activation Coordinator for Keretapi Sarong and Content Strategist for Locco to find out more about the event. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LOCCO (@locco.my) Could you tell us the history behind Keretapi Sarong? Originally, this event was organised by another group, Random Alphabets, but then they stopped. In 2017, we were interested in organising an event in conjunction with the campaign Sayangi Malaysia, so we reached out to their team and asked if we could run Keretapi Sarong and they agreed. What do you think has changed for Keretapi Sarong over the years? I think the significant change is, of course, the number of participants. It started with 1,000 people in 2017 then it doubled up to 2,000 the next year. Then in 2019, we got a crowd of 5,000 people. During the pandemic, sadly, we couldnt do the Keretapi Sarong event but we converted it to a campaign of Hari Sarong where we conducted an online activation. We didnt know how many people to expect at the time, but continued with the online campaign and it turned out that every state in Malaysia participated in the campaign. After the pandemic was over in 2022, we had a comeback and did it at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur with a crowd that was over 6,000. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@hakimimanaf_) What can participants look forward to this year? I think what makes this year different is the partnerships with our community and the people behind it. There are non-governmental organisations that we are working together with to enhance the experience. Have you met people who came down to KL to join the event? Oh, absolutely! Some people look forward to the event and they plan things out weeks before. So its a whole event for them? Yeah, people will always be asking us, Will it be happening again this year?. We always see familiar faces, and some people come from other states because the experience in KL is bigger compared to other places. Usually, the final location is kept a secret. But this year, for the first time, the final location was revealed, is there a reason why? Yes, it is. Since the number is growing, we are worried that we wont be able to cater to everyone on the train. We revealed the seven stations that are the starting points earlier, but based on past experiences, people are split into two trains. So the experience becomes less intimate than before because the crowd is bigger. Thats why we revealed it to give participants the option to go directly to the final location, Dataran Merdeka. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tun Razak Exchange (@tunrazakexchange) The Ikat Tepi experience is also a new addition to Keretapi Sarong, can you tell us about it? Ikat Tepi is a more intimate event thats an extension of Keretapi Sarong. There will be classes, workshops, sharing sessions, and performances. Its also the platform for others to have a deeper understanding of the Keretapi Sarong experience. Were not just showcasing performances but were also showing the significance of the sarong itself; the uses, the culture, and the history behind it. And how sarong is a universal piece and goes beyond ethnicities. What advice can you give to first-time goers? For first-timers and ones that are solo, we have a group called Geng Takde Geng. We invite people to join the group on Telegram. There, they can start making friends and organising their plans. In my opinion, you wont feel left out when you join Keretapi Sarong because the crowd is very welcoming. If you are joining Keretapi Sarong this year, heres what you need to know: The theme: This years theme is ethnicity, so dress in an outfit that represents your culture. Were talking gorgeous kebayas, colourful cheongsams, vibrant sarees, and more! The starting points: These are the starting points where you should gather at 8.30am: LRT Stations: KL Sentral, Subang Jaya, Ampang, and Gombak MRT stations: Bandar Utama and Kajang KLIA Transit: Putrajaya Sentral For more information on Keretapi Sarong, follow @loccomy. Ashok Leyland on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Uttar Pradesh to set up an integrated commercial vehicle bus plant focused on green mobility in Uttar Pradesh. Manoj Kumar Singh, infrastructure and industrial development commissioner, government of Uttar Pradesh and Shenu Agarwal, managing director and chief executive officer of Ashok Leyland, signed the MoU. Held in Lucknow, the event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Nand Gopal Gupta, minister for industrial development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Dheeraj Hinduja, chairman of Ashok Leyland. Under this partnership, Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group, will focus on producing electric buses, assembling other vehicles powered by available fuels, and emerging alternative fuels. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Today marks a historic milestone for the people of Uttar Pradesh as we extend a warm welcome to Ashok Leyland...This addition reinforces our rapidly growing position as a manufacturing hub of repute within India. The Government of Uttar Pradesh is eager to attract private-sector investments aligned with our net zero mission..." Minister Gopal Gupta said, "Ashok Leyland's decision to set up a factory in Uttar Pradesh will further enhance the strength of the automotive industry in our state. The Department of Industries will continue cultivating a supportive supplier network, thereby creating additional employment opportunities for our youth. In this manner we also hope to contribute to enhancing the skills of our workforce and bolstering the overall economy of the region..." Shenu Agarwal, managing director and chief executive officer of Ashok Leyland said that the company plans to invest up to Rs 1,000 crore in this new facility over the next few years. "Ashok Leyland's mission to achieve net zero by year 2048 is one of the triggers to set up this plant in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh is not only one of the largest and the most dynamic states in our country, but also very firm in its commitment towards environment and sustainability." The co-CEO of Axis Bank's investment banking unit Axis Capital, Chirag Negandhi, has resigned, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Friday. The investment bank will likely tap an outside candidate for Negandhi's role, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Axis Capital named another co-Chief Executive Salil Pitale as the interim managing director and CEO, as per the memo. Negandhi spent more than 13 years at the Axis' investment banking unit and would continue for three more months, the source added. His departure was communicated internally on Friday, the first source said. Axis Capital, one of the country's biggest investment banking firms, has been a part of some successful initial public offerings over the past year, including Cyient DLM, Mankind Pharma and Bikaji Foods. Axis Capital did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Negandhi declined to comment. The tea industry is likely to witness an 8 per cent year-on-year decline this fiscal due to decreasing export volume following the rise in supply from Sri Lanka, a report said on Friday. The operating profitability of the industry will fall for the second year in a row, shedding 100 basis points (bps) to 5 per cent due to lower realisation, Crisil Ratings said in a report. Profitability had fallen 150 bps last fiscal, primarily because of an increase in wages, the report said, adding that in FY23, wages that constitute 20 per cent of total input cost were hiked by 15 per cent. However, low leverage and negligible capital expenditure (capex) will keep credit profiles stable, the report stated. The tea industry will report 8 per cent year-on-year degrowth in revenue this fiscal, led by a decline in export volume, the agency said. "Domestic demand, which accounts for 82 per cent of sales volume, should remain steady at 1,100 million kg this fiscal. However, exports, which make up 18 per cent by volume and 30 per cent by value, may slide 12 per cent year-on-year to 200 million kg. Last fiscal, the export volume had increased 14 per cent due to lower production in Sri Lanka, a major tea exporting country," Crisil Ratings Director Nitin Kansal said. India, with a share of 11 per cent, is the fourth-largest tea exporter after China, Kenya and Sri Lanka. This fiscal, increased supply of Sri Lankan tea will impact demand for Indian produce as their production is expected to rebound following better availability of fertilisers and pesticides, said the report. Sri Lanka predominantly produces orthodox tea, which sees good demand globally because of its quality, and the country accounts for 50 per cent of the global trade. This will lower the realisation of Indian tea companies, with domestic production seen stable at 1,350 million kg this fiscal. The consequent decline in operating profitability will reduce cash accrual by 40 per cent this fiscal, the Crisil Ratings report noted. Also Read Sri Lankan Prez to call all-party meet on implementation of 13A: Minister Dy Navy Chief Mahindru on 3 days Kenya visit to oversee maritime exercise Power returns to Kenya after 14 hrs, longest in recent memory; airport shut Sri Lanka default: A bad bank would help the nation fix its finances Asia Cup 2023 Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Playing 11, toss result, live streaming PM Modi to launch PM Vishwakarma scheme for traditional artisans on Sept 17 Around 22 nations exploring bilateral trade with India in rupee: Sitharaman Banks receive GST notices for use of brand name by branches, subsidiaries Top headlines: Sitharaman says no licence raj, sees buoyancy in economy India's vegetable oil imports up 33% to 1.86 mn tonne in Aug: SEA "Low capex intensity and stable working capital cycles will keep borrowings under control. So, the capital structure of tea companies would remain stable, with gearing expected below 0.50 times as of March 31, 2024, in line with the historical trend. Healthy balance sheets will ensure comfortable debt protection metrics, lending stability to credit profiles," Crisil Ratings Associate Director Argha Chanda said. Hence, despite weak operating performance, interest coverage will remain over 3 times this fiscal, it added. Fuel pumps association in Rajasthan began an indefinite strike on Friday, demanding equal value added tax (VAT) rates on fuel, akin to the rates in Punjab. Rajasthan has one of the highest VAT on petrol, at 31.04 per cent and diesel at 19.30 per cent, in the country. Comparatively, Haryana's VAT is 18.20 per cent on petrol and 16 per cent on diesel, while Punjab and Gujarat have the lowest VAT on fuel, at 13.77 per cent and 9.92 per cent, respectively. Petrol pumps located near borders have especially been hit hard as vehicles opt to fill their tanks before entering the state. The Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers' Association (RPDYA) had initially organised a two-day strike from September 13-14 from 10 am to 6 pm. Rajendra Singh Bhati, the state president of RPDA, had warned that if the state government did not comply, an indefinite strike would commence on September 15. More than 6,700 fuel pumps across Rajasthan reportedly participated in the strike, with pump urging to align VAT rates on petrol and diesel with those in Punjab. However, late on Thursday night, pump dealers decided to escalate the strike into an indefinite one. It must be noted that oil company-operated pumps remain open for fuel dispensing. In an official statement released on Friday, Bhati declared that, starting from 6 am, all petrol pumps in the state would neither make sales nor engage in buying goods from the depot. The ongoing strike has undoubtedly led to inconvenience for the general public in Rajasthan, resulting in long queues and delays at petrol pumps, particularly in Jaipur. According to a report by the Times of India, in response to the strike, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the Centre of levying additional charges. He added that it was up to the Centre to reduce the rates, indicating that the state government would not act against the current fuel tax. Also Read Petrol, diesel prices remain largely unchanged, check prices in your city Health workers on indefinite strike in Raipur against govt over demands High-voltage campaigning for Karnataka elections to end today at 5 pm BJP releases first list of 21 candidates for Chhattisgarh, 39 for MP polls As CNG and EVs expand in cities, fuel retailers look at the rural market Rajasthan CM inaugurates Rs 120 crore park for coaching institute students Rajasthan elections: BJP suspends Kailash Meghwal over corruption claims CM Gehlot cancels Kota visit; eco-violations on riverfront construction Rajasthan fuel stations to shut on sept 13-14, protest high VAT rates Rajasthan elections 2023: State to establish medical tourism sector This news comes ahead of the Rajasthan State Assembly elections in December 2023 or early 2024. (With agency inputs) Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday stressed that the party would fight the Rajasthan assembly polls "unitedly" and said that a decision on who would lead the next government would be taken by the high command after consultations with the newly-elected MLAs. Exuding confidence that the Congress would buck the 'revolving door' trend in Rajasthan in the upcoming polls, the former deputy chief minister said the party is "absolutely united" with everyone's priority and efforts directed towards repeating the government in the desert state. In an exclusive interview with PTI ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad, Pilot said the Congress has lived up to all the election promises it made in the 2018 Rajasthan polls and that is why he believes, the state government and the party working together, will be able to defeat the BJP. Asked about his assertion earlier that the party would go to the polls with collective leadership despite an incumbent CM in Ashok Gehlot, Pilot said that has been the tradition and convention in the Congress not just in Rajasthan but all over the country. "Once we win and get a majority, the legislators and the party leadership then decide who will lead the legislature party. This is not something new. This has been the practice for decades and in the states, we are going to polls in the next few months, the same policy would be followed," he said. Asked about the CM face of the party, Pilot said, "Mr. (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji, Rahul (Gandhi) ji and Sonia ji are our leaders and in Rajasthan we have a Congress government. So we have to work effectively, unitedly to win the majority." "Once we secure the mandate, the legislators and the leadership will decide. Even last time in 2018, when I was the state party chief, we did not have a CM face, it was post elections that the legislators and the leadership, at that time it was Rahul ji as president, decided who will lead the government," he said. "Once we get a majority, MLAs will be consulted, leadership will take a considered view and decide on who will lead the government. It is nothing new and that is how it has always been done," he told PTI. Asked about Gehlot calling him names such as 'nikamma', 'nakara' and 'gaddar', in the past and whether he had put that behind him, Pilot said, "I have always shown utmost respect and restraint in all my public utterances. My values and upbringing do not permit me to use a language that would lower the dignity of our discourse. "It is important to set an example for young people to follow," he said. Also Read Sachin Pilot may launch his 'Pragatisheel Congress' on June 11: Report Explained: Why is Sachin Pilot holding a day-long protest in Rajasthan Sach was life: Tendulkar on field was raw emotion, a happiness pill From student to the God of Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar's journey to the top Will he, won't he? Sachin Pilot's silence triggers murmurs over next move Fuel pumps go on indefinite strike in Rajasthan against high VAT Rajasthan CM inaugurates Rs 120 crore park for coaching institute students Rajasthan elections: BJP suspends Kailash Meghwal over corruption claims CM Gehlot cancels Kota visit; eco-violations on riverfront construction Rajasthan fuel stations to shut on sept 13-14, protest high VAT rates Asked about no action taken till now against three Gehlot loyalists who had not allowed a legislature party meeting to take place last year and were issued a show cause notice, Pilot said, "I don't want to comment on this, it is up to AICC to decide on such issues." Pilot claimed that the BJP is in "tatters" in the state and is facing various kinds of "contradictions" within its organisation. The BJP has not been able to perform the role of the ruling party at the Centre and has let down the people, and in equal measure it has not been able to perform the role of an opposition in Rajasthan whether inside the state assembly or outside, Pilot alleged. On the BJP criticism that the state has suffered on account of maintaining law and order due to his feud with CM Gehlot, Pilot hit back, saying that instead of politicising a sensitive issue the BJP should show the same concern at the atrocities committed on tribals and Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states. "In Rajasthan whenever there has been a problem of law and order, the government has taken action, administration has responded, nabbed the culprits and imposed strict punishment on the perpetrators," he said. "The BJP is in a complete mess as far as their organisation is concernedThey are just hoping that history would repeat itself without any efforts," he said. For four-and-a-half years the BJP was missing on the ground in Rajasthan and that is the reason that people don't trust it, he claimed and alleged that the BJP has made laws against farmers, imposed a flawed GST and tinkered with so many policies. "The Congress under the leadership of Mr Kharge, Mr Gandhi will be able to win the elections in Rajasthan, MP and Chattisgarh, he said. Asked about his statement that he had been advised by party chief Kharge to forgive and forget and whether he had buried the hatchet with Gehlot, Pilot said, "The Congress party has always been united. Whatever issues we have, we are within our right to discuss, talk about it and make sure that people's voices are heard at the highest levels. The leadership has taken cognisance of the issues I raised and steps have already been taken to address them." Pilot exuded confidence that the Congress would buck the revolving door trend in the state to form a government again. "I think our performance, our unity, coupled with BJP's absence from the ground in the last four-and-a-half years and the constant pulls and pressures within the BJP among those trying to become CM, will see the Congress win," he said. "From the response and the feedback that I have gotten through my travels in the state, I am confident that we will be able to form the government," Pilot stressed. In July, Pilot made it clear that he had buried the hatchet with Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot on the advice of party president Kharge, saying collective leadership was the "only way" forward going into the assembly polls. In an interview with PTI just days after a crucial Rajasthan polls strategy meeting of the party, Pilot had said Kharge advised him to "forgive and forget" and move forward. "It was as much an advice as a directive." "If there is a little back and forth, then it is not a big issue because the party and the public are more important than any individual. I also understand this and he (Gehlot) also understands it," the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister had said back then. Gehlot and Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018. In 2020, Pilot led a revolt against Gehlot after which he lost the posts of the party's state unit president and deputy chief minister. Last year, an attempt by the high command to effect a leadership change in Rajasthan had failed after some Gehlot loyalists dug their heels in and acting contrary to the central leadership's directives did not allow a legislature party meeting to take place. The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), the first common forum of dispute resolution between the Centre and states, will have 31 Benches across the 28 states and Union Territories, the finance ministry has notified. At present, there is no such dedicated judicial forum available to taxpayers, who are required to move to high courts in case of GST-related disputes. Following this, the rules concerning appointment to the Benches and other procedural changes will be brought in to make the forum operational in the current financial year, government sources said. In March, the Parliament had cleared changes in the Finance Bill following the approval of the GST Council, paving the way for setting up much-awaited appellate tribunals. The move is expected to unlock several thousand cases pending at various levels. According to the ministry notification, large states, such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, will have multiple Benches, while most Union Territories, except Delhi, do not have an independent Bench and would have to share with other states. Goa and Maharashtra together for instance will have three Benches, while Karnataka and Rajasthan will have two Benches each. Uttar Pradesh will have three Benches. West Bengal, Sikkim, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will together have two GSTAT Benches each, while Kerala and Lakshadweep will have one. Gujarat and Union Territories Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will have two benches of the GSTAT. Besides, 7 Northeastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura will have one Bench. According to the legislation, the tribunal will have a Principal Bench in New Delhi, with a president, a judicial member, a technical member (Centre), and a technical member (state). It will also have state Benches, in accordance with the population of the states concerned. The national appellate Bench will look mainly into disputes between the tax department and assessees over the place of supply. It, however, will not take up any appeal with regard to divergent rulings by state appellate tribunals. The move assumes significance as it will help unclog appeals from taxpayers pending with central GST authorities which stood at 14,227, as of June 30 this year, according to official data. The current financial year itself showed over 9,000 matters due to the rise in compliance measures taken by the GST authorities. Even after more than 6 years of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the appellate tribunal has not been set up. As a result, unresolved legal matters under GST have accumulated. In light of the new Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, the district collector has declared a holiday for every educational foundation, including professional universities, for Thursday and Friday. The date was later extended till Saturday, September 16. In spite of this, the university exam schedule stays unchanged. Keralas Education Minister, V Sivankutty asked schools to change to online classes because of the sensitive health situation in the district. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has held a review meeting regarding the matter. The meeting resulted in the authority declaring to prohibit public gatherings until September 24. The communique said the events that are absolutely necessary, like weddings, should conclude with small gatherings now. Nipah virus in Kozhikode: Insights A sum of 58 wards in Kozhikode have been assigned as containment zones. The district administration has uncovered the travel history of the two casualties of the sickness, aged 47 and 40. Two experts from ICMR in Chennai showed up in the area recently. An additional team of experts from NIV in Pune is supposed to show up in Kozhikode on Thursday. Their goal is to lay out a BSL Level 3 lab to sample testing inside the district. As per the government's official statement, the ongoing kind of Nipah infection seen in Kerala is the Bangladesh variant that spreads from one human to another and has a high mortality rate, however, it is less infectious. Schools shut in Kozhikode The holidays of the year have been announced for every educational institution, including tuition centres, anganwadis, madrasas, and professional colleges in Kozhikode regions, as a feature of precautionary steps following the Nipah virus outbreak. The authorities had earlier declared Thursday and Friday (September 14 and 15) as holidays, later extending it to Saturday. The university and Public Service Commission (PSC) exam schedules will, however, stay the same. The government has asked educational institutions to organize online classes. What do officials have to say about the Nipah virus? The state government raised its concern after Kerala revealed the fifth instance of Nipah infection on Wednesday. A 24-year-old health worker turned into the state's fifth final Nipah case on Wednesday. The 24-hour control room was likewise set up in the neighbouring region of Wayanad after the infection outbreak in Kozhikode. Also Read Nipah virus: All you need to know about symptoms, diagnosis and prevention Nipah virus: Kerala announces number of measures to prevent contagion Nipah virus: As Kerala reports another case, here's all you need to know Nipah virus: One more confirmed case in Kerala; total tally rises to 6 Kerala confirms one more Nipah virus case; total tally stands at 6 Health ministry plans drug licensing changes to ensure drug safety Nipah virus: All you need to know about symptoms, diagnosis and prevention Kerala on alert after 2 suspected Nipah deaths in Kozhikode district New treatment: NMC regulations, albeit diluted, likely to be back soon G20 Summit 2023: India may take the lead to achieve G20 health goals To prevent further increase in cases, the Wayanad district administration additionally constituted 15 committees to lead the prevention and surveillance exercises and actually manage crisis circumstances. Monoclonal antibodies are the only antiviral treatment for Nipah virus infection that is available. Nonetheless, their utilisation in the treatment for infection has not been clinically demonstrated at this point. To treat the child, ICMR has ordered the monoclonal antibodies. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has lamented that less than 10 per cent of all Indian arbitrators on various international panels are women, terming the situation as a diversity paradox. The CJI was speaking at the inaugural session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) South Asia Conference, 2023 on Thursday. Justice Chandrachud hailed the fact that now various international arbitral institutions have curated regionally diverse panels of arbitrators. However, the gendered compositions of these panels are hard to miss. We face what is called a diversity paradox i.e. a mismatch between our stated objectives and actual appointments. Less than 10 per cent of all Indian arbitrators on various international institutional panels are women, he said. He referred to a report on Gender Diversity and said it identified unconscious bias' was contributing to this gender mismatch. It suggests using gender-neutral pronouns in our legislation and rules. It is heartening to see that some arbitration rules have taken the cue in employing gender-neutral pronouns in their texts. However, the overwhelming majority of empanelled arbitrators are men. Women, as persons of all genders, also belong in all institutions of dispute resolution, he said. The CJI said countries must learn from others and the successes and difficulties that they faced with its people, businesses, and legal systems. This is all the more possible in this conference because South Asian countries have much and more in common the many similarities in our cultural and social set up undoubtedly seep into our business practices and legal systems. Our economies are also inter-connected, especially in the digital age.... he said. Our legal frameworks must evolve in tandem with the expansion of the digital economy, he said and referred to the MoU signed between India and Singapore last week on advancing cooperation in judicial education and research. Sunshine, as they say, is the best disinfectant. Fortunately, UNCITRAL assisted countries in the simplification and uniformisation of their laws and rules, which in turn has made the justice delivery system more accessible, he said. Legislative efforts in India in ensuring clarity, as well as judicial thrust on party autonomy significantly reduced the sense of unease amongst contracting parties, he said, highlighting the importance of alternative dispute redressal (ADR) mechanism. Also Read Barriers to accessing justice biggest challenge before judiciary: CJI Greatest challenge is to eliminate barriers to accessing justice: CJI Asia Cup 2023 full schedule, match timing, venues, live streaming in India I am not a person to retire, will start new inning': SC Justice MR Shah SC's real-time data now available on National Judicial Data Grid: CJI Private jet veers off runway in Mumbai causing more than 100 flight delays Subramanian Swamy birthday: Interesting facts about this politician Hours after Cong MLA's arrest, Haryana govt suspends mobile internet in Nuh Fuel pumps go on indefinite strike in Rajasthan against high VAT PFI aiming to resurrect itself, launch new outfit through SDPI: Report With its eye on best practices, India has steadily charted a course where arbitrations are the preferred mode of dispute resolution, he said, adding, Indian courts have encouraged the use of ADR mechanisms over the years. In enforcing arbitration agreements, they have remained watchful of attempts to undercut party autonomy by artfully drafted contracts. Besides the CJI, Attorney General for India R Venkataramani and senior advocate Fali Nariman attended the function. Following the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode district in Kerala, the administration has created containment zones in nine panchayats. With six confirmed cases in Kerala, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday delivered the antibody requested by the state to combat the virus. At the same time, a mobile laboratory was also sent to ground zero to test samples. The administration has created containment zones in a 5 km radius of the homes of the two men who died of infection on August 30 and September 11. The state sent 11 more samples to Pune's National Institute of Virology for testing, showing negative results. Samples of 15 people on the high-risk contact list have also been sent for tests. To assist the state government in the management of the Nipah virus, a five-member team, comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) has been stationed in Kerala. The antiviral delivered by the ICMR is the only option available to the government to treat infections. Veena George, Kerala health minister, said, "The stability of the antiviral was discussed with a central expert committee." Mobile lab for testing A mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory was sent to ground zero to test samples for the virus in the district itself. The Kerala government has decided to take body-fluid samples of those on the "high-risk" contact list linked to the first Nipah victim. A health official said that the contact list contains 950 people, of which 213 are in the "high-risk" category. A total of 287 health workers are also in the contact list. No restrictions on travel P A Mohammed Riyas, Kerala Tourism Minister, said that the tourism sector in the state was not affected by the Nipah virus. "There is no restriction on travelling anywhere in Kerala. It is absolutely safe to travel to Kerala," he said. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has directed medical officials to remain "alert" in the wake of Nipah cases being reported from the state of Kerala. In the G20, the G7 responded to expanded BRICS by acknowledging Bharats leadership of the Global South in a multipolar world. We are witnessing an anachronistic global order dominated by former colonial powers giving way to a new order, with Bharat laying out new organising principles. In the just concluded G20 summit , the G7 accepted the non-divisive formulation on Ukraine proposed by Bharat, supported by Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and others. As a prominent G7 member confessed, holding up a consensus on this issue of concern only to them would have made the G20 irrelevant when contrasted with the expanded BRICS, which reached consensus on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of its expansion process, underlining the bloc's purpose of meeting the interests of the Global South. The expansion posed a dilemma for the G7, which had co-opted the BRICS into their own grouping as the G20, without acknowledging their voiced concerns, and have now accepted the African Union as a member on the lines of the European Union. More changes in the global architecture will follow as the Global South has shown purposeful leadership. Multipolar world First, the hegemony of the G7 has been dented. In 1975, the G7 had emerged to prevent concerted actions by developing countries like the four-fold hike in oil prices in 1973 leading to further oil price control and using the US dollars for security. In 1999, developing countries were brought in to discuss financial issues, and following the financial crisis in 2008 the G20 began annual summits, hailed as a new era of international cooperation. Just 15 years later the expanded BRICS comprises seven countries which are members of the G20 and will have nearly five times the population and more than 20 per cent greater economic output than the G7. As the Delhi Declaration shows, the Global South does not have to pick a side to advance their interests. Second, the underlying problem of the current global order is the way the G7 framed international cooperation in terms of ideology, geo-economics and geo-politics while the BRICS nations are coming together as they want a similar future. The result is the G20 is no longer dominated by the G7 in agenda-setting, defining global public goods, aid and sanctions using global institutions that caused concern in the Global South. Third, multilateral reform is no longer driven by the G7. The UN Secretary General has characterised the financial architecture as dysfunctional and called for structural reform of the Security Council. The G7 have held back in these areas that directly affect their interests, and the G20 did not endorse democratic reform of institutions as directly as the BRICS did, even as the G7 characterises the world divided between democracy and autocracy. BRICS have directly put out that the United Nations Security Council should include the BRICS core group of Brazil, Bharat and South Africa, and that cannot be ignored. Also Read Who will join India in Asia Cup final if PAK vs SL match is washed out? From FTA to FinTech: Highlights from India-UK Economic Financial Dialogue Embellished trees, floral works: New Delhi gets ready for G20 Summit Heading to India with a clear focus, says Rishi Sunak ahead of G20 Summit IPL 2023 Playoffs qualification scenario: How can the teams reach top 4? Is the economy surging or decelerating: Understanding India's growth rate The G20 tightrope India's incredible year G20 summit will boost India's travel and tourism industry Opium, history and economics Fourth, the Global South does not have to wait till it has the so-called soft power, which really suggests developing countries cannot set the rules in the manner one-fifth of the world population can. The hallmark of global leadership is to enunciate ideas that are accepted by others, as Bharat did in the G20. Fifth, collectively navigating geo-politics leading to the Delhi Declaration has given the Global South strategic relevance. Bharats agenda-setting in the G20 underlines multi-polarity, and not being for or against any country in a world of bitter strategic rivalry. Most countries are pro-South, not anti-G7 or pro-China. Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership gives the Global South a purpose and general understanding on parallel, rather than common, approaches arrived after regular face-to-face meetings. Most importantly, as the Delhi Declaration showed, change comes from putting forward sound positions rather than waiting for proposals and being driven by the negotiating tactics of the G7. New organising principles Bharat has carved a niche for itself bridging the divide between the G20 and BRICS bringing together their different purposes. PM Modi successfully called for a mindset shift to positive measures: Recognising the primacy of concerns of the Global South, like womens development and health, not abstract human rights; moving climate change away from a purely restrictive attitude of what should not be done to a more constructive attitude on what can be done by changing lifestyles; providing climate finance and developing a hydrogen economy; and, leveraging technology to narrow inequalities, rather than widen them, for example, through digital public infrastructure on open standards. The G20 Summit Declaration has defined globalisation as human-centric. This sets the template for reform of multilateralism and a new approach to global institutions. First, accepting overlapping membership of different blocs only requires not taking contradictory positions, as against the reliance of the G7 on alliances and common declared positions. Second, choosing interventions that rely on decentralised arrangements and do not require treaties and rules that need regular negotiations and arm-twisting, as in the case of climate change and debt relief, now stated as debt vulnerability. Third, stress on sharing technology as a global public good, not restricting its transfer to enable continuing private profits and with no conditionality. A new governance model that harks back to open pre-colonial exchanges has emerged, decisively moving away from the architecture set by the G7 to further their own interest. The importance of finance and trade, the very reason for setting up the G20 and earlier the G7 as well as the BRICS, has been underlined. A boost has been given to reform of multilateral development banks ensuring climate finance does not reduce development assistance, alternative financial arrangements and public digital payments system, which are all new ideas. The nature and scope of the global dialogue has changed. The common concern is international fairness and justice; PM Modi has characterised climate change as climate justice and focus of the UN on one earth, one family and one future. Analysts are already talking about Bharats bridging role as a necessary part of the future triumvirate. The writer is a former UN diplomat, and IAS officer. The India Club, a historic establishment in London with deep ties to the Indian independence movement , is set to close its doors on Sunday, September 17, following a protracted struggle to remain open, according to a report by ANI. The club, located at 143-144 Strand, London, was originally founded as a seat for the India League in 1951 by Krishna Menon, India's first High Commissioner to London. It counted among its members prominent figures like India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Lady Mountbatten, the wife of the last viceroy. It served as a gathering place for various Indian organisations in London. Also Read: Byron Allen submits $10 billion bid for ABC, other Disney networks Yadgar Marker and his daughter Phiroza, who have held the lease on the club for nearly 26 years, had launched a "Save India Club" appeal a few years back but have now announced its impending closure. According to a report by the Telegraph, Marston Properties had waged a campaign "to evict the India Club from the premises despite its historical, cultural and emotional attachment to Indians." Court documents have revealed that they intend to open a "luxury hotel," which was met with resistance and garnered significant support from preservation advocates. Despite its somewhat unassuming appearance, the India Club has been described as a time capsule that transported visitors to the vibrant atmosphere of 1960s Calcutta. Established in 1951 by Krishna Menon, India's first High Commissioner to London, the club symbolised post-independence Indo-British camaraderie. Also Read: Cheap cash to tax breaks: Here's how China subsidises its EV sector The Daily Telegraph described the club as more than a mere dining establishment; a delightful time capsule transporting visitors to the vibrant aura of Calcutta in the 1960s. The impending closure has left many, including Smita Tharoor, daughter of founding member Chandran Tharoor, disheartened as it has a special place in the hearts of Indians living in London. We grew up with the inspirational stories about Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great leader and a huge inspirational personality for the globe. Here are 5 stories from his life which will inspire you. Story 1 Mohan was terrified since the night was so black. He'd always been terrified of ghosts. He was scared that if he was alone in the dark, a ghost lurking in some dark corner might suddenly jump on him. And it was so dark tonight that you couldn't see your own hand. Mohan needed to go from one room to the next. His feet appeared to turn to lead as he stepped out of the room, and his heart began to pound like a drum. Rambha, their old maidservant, stood at the door. "What's the matter, son?" she inquired, laughing. "I'm scared, Dai," Mohan replied. "Frightened, child! "What are you afraid of?" "Look how dark it is!" "I'm terrified of ghosts!" Mohan shook his head, afraid. Rambha tenderly caressed his head and replied, "Whoever heard of someone being terrified of the dark! Think about Rama, and no ghost will dare to approach you. Nobody will ever touch a hair on your head. Rama will guard you." Rambha's remarks inspired Mohan. He exited the room while repeating Rama's name. Mohan was never lonely or terrified after that. He assumed that as long as Rama was with him, he would be safe. This faith sustained Gandhiji throughout his life, and when he died, the word Rama was on his lips. Story 2 Mohan was really shy. As soon as the school bell rang, he gathered his belongings and dashed home. Other guys talked and stopped along the route, some to play, some to eat, but Mohan always went straight home. He was scared that the youngsters would stop him and mock him. Mr. Giles, the Inspector of Schools, visited Mohan's school one day. He read five English words to the class and requested that the lads write them down. Mohan typed four words correctly, but he could not spell the fifth word 'Kettle'. When the teacher noticed Mohan's hesitancy, he signaled behind the Inspector's back that he should copy the word from his neighbor's slate. Mohan, on the other hand, rejected his warnings. The other guys accurately wrote all five words, but Mohan only wrote four. The teacher chastised him after the Inspector had left. "I told you to copy from your neighbor," he fumed. "Couldn't you even do that correctly?"Everyone in the room laughed. Mohan felt content as he returned home that evening. He knew he'd made the proper decision. His teacher should have asked him to cheat, which made him sad. Story 3 Gandhiji established an ashram in Phoenix, South Africa, where he established a school for children. Gandhiji had his own thoughts on how children should be educated. He despised the examination process. He wanted to give the lads true knowledge in his school, knowledge that would benefit both their heads and their hearts. Gandhiji has his own method of evaluating students. The same question was posed to all of the pupils in the class. However, Gandhiji frequently praised the youngster with low grades and chastised the one with great grades. This perplexed the kids. When questioned about this uncommon technique, Gandhiji once stated, "I am not attempting to demonstrate that Shyam is smarter than Ram." As a result, I do not award grades on that basis. I'd like to see how far each boy has come and how much he has learned. If a brilliant student competes with a stupid one and begins to think too much about himself, he will become dull. He'll stop working because he's confident in his own abilities. "A boy who gives his all and works hard will always do well, and I applaud him." Gandhiji maintained a careful eye on the lads who performed well. Were they still putting in long hours? What would they learn if their great grades made them arrogant? Gandhiji repeatedly emphasized this to his students. Gandhiji was full of praise for a boy who was not very bright but worked hard and performed well. Story 4 This incident occurred while Gandhiji was practicing law in the South African city of Johannesburg. His workplace was three kilometers away from his home. Mr. Polak, one of his colleagues, once requested Gandhi's thirteen-year-old son, Manilal, to fetch a book from the office. But Manilal had completely forgotten about it until Mr. Polak reminded him that evening. Gandhiji was informed and dispatched to Manilal. "Son, I know the night is dark and the road is long and lonely," he added. You'll have to go nearly six miles, but you promised Mr. Polak you'd do it. You said you'd go get his book. Go get it right now." When Ba and his family learned about Gandhi's decision, they were furious. The sentence appeared to be way too severe. Manilal was a child, the night was dark, and the journey was lonely. After all, he had only forgotten a book. It could be delivered the following day. This was how they all felt, but no one dared to say anything. They knew that once Gandhiji made up his mind, it couldn't be changed. Finally, Kalyan Bhai summoned his bravery. "I'll fetch the book," he said. Gandhiji was kind but strong. "But the promise was made by Manilal.""Very well, Manilal will go, but please let me go with him," Kalyan Bhai begged. Gandhiji consented, and Manilal headed out with Kalyan Bhai to get the book. Gandhiji, who was peaceful and loving, could be as solid as a rock at times. He observed that Manilal kept his word and accomplished what he said he would do. Story 5 One day, when discussing with Vallabhbhai Patel in the Yerwada jail, Gandhi said, "At times, even a dead snake can be of use." And to prove his point, he told the following story: A snake once entered the home of an elderly woman. The elderly lady was terrified and screamed out for assistance. When the neighbors heard her, they raced up and killed the snake. They then went back to their houses. Instead of hurling the dead snake far away, the elderly lady hurled it onto her roof. A kite flying overhead later noticed the dead snake. The kite was wearing a pearl necklace that it had picked up somewhere. It tossed the necklace to the ground and flew away with the dead snake. When the elderly lady noticed a brilliant, shining object on her roof, she used a pole to take it down. She rejoiced when she discovered it was a pearl necklace! After Gandhi completed telling his story, Vallabhbhai Patel stated that he, too, had a story to tell: Albania discovered a snake in his home one day. He couldn't find somebody to do it for him and lacked the bravery to do it himself. Besides, he detested killing any living thing. So he put a pot over the snake and left it there. As luck would have it, some burglars broke into the bania's residence that night. When they entered the kitchen, they noticed the upturned saucepan. "Ah," they reasoned, "the bania has hidden something valuable here." The snake struck them as they lifted the pot. They nearly escaped with their lives after arriving with the intention of stealing. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, is known as the Father of the Nation. Gandhi was a social reformer and the leader of the Indian Independence Movement who popularized the concept of nonviolent resistance known as Satyagrah. If you wish to write a 250-word essay about Mahatma Gandhi, continue reading. Here is a 200-250 Words Essay about Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was a lawyer, freedom activist, and politician from India. Gandhiji was born at Porbandar, Gujarat, on October 2, 1869. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was the Chief Minister (diwan) of the state of Porbandar. Putlibai, his mother, was a religious woman. At the age of 18, he moved to England to study law. After returning to India, he began working as a lawyer at the Bombay High Court. He moved to South Africa and began practicing law. He protested there against the unfairness and cruel treatment of native Africans and Indians by white people. In 1915, he returned to India and became interested in politics. To struggle against British colonial control, Mahatma Gandhi employed the concepts of truth and nonviolence as weapons. He worked to improve the lot of Harijans. He campaigned against untouchability and for Hindu-Muslim cooperation. He battled for freedom against the British imperialists through his liberation movements such as the Non-cooperation movement, the Khilafat movement, and the civil disobedience campaign. In 1942, he founded the Quit India movement to end British control in India. On his initiative, India gained independence in 1947. People refer to him as 'Bapu' and the 'Father of the Nation'. Nathuram Godse, a Hindu zealot, shot him dead in 1948. Gandhiji's life is an inspiration to us all. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian nationalist, politician, social activist, and writer. He is a well-known figure all across the world. His name is well-known throughout India, if not the entire world. His nonviolent creed has elevated him to the ranks of Buddha, Sri Chaitanya, and Jesus Christ. Education & Family On October 2, 1869, Mahatma Gandhi was born in the little village of Porbandar, Kathiwad state. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was the Rajkot State Prime Minister, while his mother, Putlibai, was a religious lady. Mahatma Gandhi's future life was affected by her influence. He was sent to school at a young age, although he was not a particularly bright student. He travelled to England to study law after passing his Matriculation Examination and returned home as a barrister. He began practising law in Bombay, but had little success. Life in South Africa Gandhiji visited South Africa in 1893 in connection with a case. The whites treated their own countrymen with contempt. Gandhiji began satyagraha against this despised colour. Despite the fact that it was a nonviolent protest, hundreds were beaten and thousands were imprisoned. But Gandhiji never wavered from his belief in truth and nonviolence, and he eventually succeeded in his purpose. He was given the title of Mahatma. Fight for India's Independence Gandhiji returned to India in 1915 after spending twenty years in South Africa. He became a member of the Indian National Congress and advocated for India's freedom fight. He urged people to band together for the sake of liberty. He fought the great British with the weapons of truth and nonviolence. The horrifying carnage at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab moved him, and he vowed to confront the British Government's brute force with moral force. In order to challenge British authority in India, he founded the Non-cooperation movement in 1920. On March 12, 1930, he led the famous Dandi March. This march was intended to violate the salt law. As a result, British power in India had already begun to tremble, and he was forced to travel to London for a Round Table Conference in 1931. However, the Conference was a flop, and the country was on the verge of overthrowing foreign rule. Gandhiji commenced his final campaign for freedom in 1942. He was the driving force behind the 'Quit India' movement. Finally, in 1947, the British government was forced to leave India, and India was declared a free country on August 15, 1947. Social Works Mahatma Gandhi was a social activist who campaigned against societal injustices. In Gujarat, he discovered the Satyagraha Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati River. He advocated for Hindu-Muslim cooperation and spoke out against untouchability. He fought tirelessly for the rights of Harijans. Conclusion The father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was a charitable, god-fearing, and peace-loving individual. Unfortunately, Nathuram Godse killed him on January 30, 1948, at the age of 78. Gandhi Jayanti is observed every year on October 2 to commemorate Gandhi's birth anniversary. Gandhi's ideals and teachings will continue to enlighten and inspire us in the future. Toyota Motor Philippines has bumped up the pricing of the Hilux range to coincide with the arrival of the Hilux GR Sport at authorized showr... Photo: Glacier Media West Vancouver police and North Shore Rescue have resumed searching for the remains of a man who disappeared on the North Shore in 2020. Edmonton resident Jarrett Shane Whitford was last seen at a Hope gas station on Sept. 19, 2020, en route to North Vancouver. Police found the 32-year-olds 2015 Nissan Micra abandoned in the Capilano Mall parking lot on Jan. 21, 2021. At the time, investigators issued a renewed plea for tips from the public on Whitfords whereabouts. Sgt. Mark McLean, West Vancouver Police Department spokesman, said months later, workers in the Metro Vancouver watershed above Capilano Lake happened upon partial human remains. In June of this year, that DNA came back and was confirmed to be his DNA, McLean said. His family is aware of all this. Weve been supporting his family the whole time. Police called in North Shore Rescue volunteers on Thursday to help scour the area, taking advantage of the low water level of the reservoir and dry search conditions, to look for any other remains or belongings. McLean said they have unanswered questions, including how Whitford died and how his remains came to be in the watershed above Capilano Lake, which is off limits to the public and fenced in with barbed wire. Theres nothing to indicate a cause of death one way or the other, and I cant stress enough, theres nothing to indicate foul play, he said. Our ultimate goal is to give some sort of closure to the family and find some evidence that would indicate how this came to be. Thats really why were up there today. Since investigators are trying to piece together what happened in Whitfords final days, they are looking for any information the public can provide, especially from witnesses who saw him on the North Shore. I understand this was quite some time ago and that peoples memories might be affected, but certainly, if anyone recalls seeing a person who doesnt look like an authorized employee in that fenced area of the watershed, we would certainly want to hear from them, he said. Photo: The Canadian Press Homicide detectives have identified the two people found dead in a home in rural Chilliwack, B.C., on Wednesday night and say an elderly suspect has been charged. John Kavaloff and Valerie Smith are seen in an undated handout photo. Kavaloff, 58, and Smith, 67, were found in the home as officers responded to reports of gunfire. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Homicide detectives have identified two people found dead in a home in rural Chilliwack, B.C., on Wednesday and say an elderly suspect has been charged. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says 58-year-old John Kavaloff and 67-year-old Valerie Smith were found in the home as officers responded to reports of gunfire. Police say 83-year-old Robert Freeman was nearby and was taken into custody a short time later. Court documents show he made a first appearance before a judge late Thursday and is due to return to provincial court in Chilliwack on Sept. 25. Homicide team spokesman Sgt. Timothy Pierotti says the shooting "appears to be an isolated incident between neighbours." He urges any witnesses to contact police, and says there are no immediate plans to release any further information about the case. Saudi Arabia's exports fall 21% YoY in August 15 September 2023 Saudi Arabia saw its cement exports decline by 21.3 per cent in August 2023 to 620,000t. This compares to 788,000t in the same month a year earlier, according to Aljazira Capital. Domestic sales in August 2023 came in at 3.96Mt, marking a contraction of 9.6 per cent from the 4.38Mt recorded in August 2022, reports Zawya. Clinker inventories stood at 39.5Mt in August, up 10.5 per cent YoY and 1.2 per cent compared to July 2023. This marks the highest inventory level since September 2020. Saudi Arabias cement industry saw a utilisation rate of 65.8 per cent in August this year with the sales-clinker production ratio reaching 96.5 per cent. Published under Pakistani cement likely to get caught up in Torkham border suspension 15 September 2023 Pakistan imports/exports in general and incoming/outgoing dispatches of containers/cargo from Pakistani ports to Afghanistan, as a transit trade facility in particular, have been suspended at the Pakistani-Afghan Torkham border (northwestern Pakistan) for the last week due to tension between Islamabad and Kabul. As a result, hundreds of trucks carrying essential goods have been stranded on both sides since the border was shut down after an exchange of fire in a dispute over an under-construction Afghan outpost on 6 September. The export of cement from northern companies in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan to Afghanistan has also been reportedly suspended due to blockage. Kabul is the main buyer of cement from the northern zones of Pakistan. Usama Rauf, the investment analyst at AKD Securities, comments that cement exports will be affected, especially if the issues persist. According to Pakistani shipping circles, the closure of a key border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Torkham in northwestern Pakistan will impact importers, exporters and ports in the long term and draw extra cost. Cement exports from the northern zones of Pakistan increased by 76.3 per cent to 286,009t during July-August 2023 (mostly sent to Kabul) compared with 162,210t exported during the same period last year. Published under Humboldt Wedag India wins Deccan Cements Ltd's grinding expansion project 15 September 2023 Deccan Cements Ltd has awarded Humboldt Wedag India (a KHD company) a contract to increase capacity at an existing Bhavinipuram clinker grinding plant in India. The upgrade will also allow the company to produce both ordinary Portland and pozzolana Portland cements (OPC and PPC) on the same mill. The plant currently comprises a single ball mill producing 155tph of OPC at 2900 Blaine. Following the upgrade, capacity will increase to 310tph of OPC at 3200 Blaine and 370tph of PPC at 3600 Blaine. Scope of supply includes a roller press, static V-separator, and SKS VC dynamic separator, as well as other associated auxiliary equipment. We are also providing design, engineering, and supply of electrical and instrumentation (automation) equipment. We are pleased to announce this contract with Deccan Cements Ltd, a major cement producer in South India. It represents another vote of confidence in our technology and expertise within the strong Indian Cement Industry. We are now looking forward to working with the group to successfully realize this project, said Ashok Kumar Dembla, managing director of Humboldt Wedag India. Published under This service is a courtesy for our print subscribers to give them access to our online edition at no additional cost - if you haven't registered on the new site, you must do it now before you do anything else. Tennessees statewide unemployment rate for August remained at the states all-time low rate of 3.1 percent according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state reached its lowest unemployment rate in July, besting the previous record of 3.2 percent.The new jobless number was 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the states rate from August 2022. Unemployment numbers for the state have been at or below 3.5 percent since January 2022.Data shows nonfarm employment decreased by 3,200 positions between July and August.The mining, logging, and construction sector saw the biggest drop in jobs. The professional and business services sector experienced the next biggest decline, followed by the information sector.The year-to-year statistics show Tennessee employers added 57,900 new positions to their payrolls. The education and health services sector recorded the largest gains over the last 12 months. The leisure and hospitality sector and government sector had the next largest increases in employment.An in-depth analysis of Tennessees August unemployment data is available here Nationally, unemployment increased in August. The new seasonally adjusted rate is 3.8 percent, which is an increase of 0.3 of a percentage point from the July unemployment rate. Tennessees virtual American Job Center is available anytime, anywhere. Individuals can access the websites Service Wizard which can match them with services and programs they may be able to use to remove barriers to employment.The state of Tennessee will release unemployment data for each county on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. CDT. A woman and her dog escaped their burning home with only seconds to spare as a grease fire in the kitchen spread very quickly Thursday afternoon in Ware Heights subdivision..On Thursday 9/14/23 at 2:12 PM,Red Shift companies responded to a residence in the 5100 block of Lantana Lane off Highway 58 in the Ware Heights subdivision at 2:12 p.m.The call originally came in as a fire alarm and then a neighbor called 911 to report that the kitchen was on fire.Engine 15 could see smoke from Highway 58 and when they arrived on the scene, Lt.Michael Battle took command. Heavy fire and smoke was showing from the front and side of the house. The garage and kitchen were fully involved.Officials said, "Firefighters established a water supply and then several crews went in for an aggressive offensive fire attack as flames broke through the roof. The garage and car parked inside the garage were on fire with gasoline from the car burning, adding to the fire fight. Several hundred feet of supply line was needed and pressure was boosted due to the extended length of the lay."Firefighters had the blaze under control in 10-15 minutes,and prevented the fire from ravaging the rest of the structure."The resident said she was home at the time cooking, when she found herself dealing with a grease fire. She said she went to call 911, and when she turned back, the flames had spread rapidly. She grabbed her dog and got out without any injuries."She will be receiving assistance from the American Red Cross as she deals with the aftermath of this fire," officials said.Responding units/agencies included: Engine 15, Quint 6, Quint 8, Ladder 7, Squad 19, Battalion 2, Battalion 3, CFD Safety Chief, HCEMS, CPD and EPB."Thank you to Red Bank FD and East Ridge FD for filling in at our fire halls to provide coverage while our crews worked this incident," officials said.Battalion Chief Brandon Schroyer praised the excellent work of firefighters on the scene and the tactics they employed to tackle the fire in a fast, safe and effective manner. The city of Chattanooga has been awarded a grant of $6 million from the United States Department of Agriculture for partnering with stakeholders in disadvantaged communities to grow and maintain urban forests, green space and waterways. Using this grant, the city will be able to fund development and maintenance of trees, parks and greenery over a five-year period and with no additional costs required from the city. The city will partner with UTCs Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technology Lab, green|spaces, and the Southeast Conservation Corps to fund new staff positions split between the city and non-profit partners and to coordinate a community-driven effort to improve urban environment, develop the green workforce, and raise public awareness of trees and their benefits. Chattanoogas outdoors and natural beauty are among our citys strongest assets, and this is a tremendous boon to the investments that the city and our local partners are already making to ensure that every neighborhood can share in the benefits of urban tree canopy cover, said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. The grant, which totals more than $1 billion nationwide, was made available through the USDA Forest Service and granted to cities with the intention of being spent in traditionally disadvantaged neighborhoods. The USDAs Urban & Community Forestry Program was created to encourage cities to promote increased equitable access to urban tree canopy, which has an inherent and direct association on the environmental quality, economy, and health of people who live in these areas. The Citys Urban Forestry team used data from a UTC tree canopy study and from the White Houses Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to identify high-priority areas. Identified neighborhoods make up about seven out of nine districts of Chattanoogas City Council. These neighborhoods will be the entire focus of this grant-funded project, meaning there will be no money required to be spent by the city. Our city staff work tirelessly to preserve the beauty that Chattanooga is known for, which we know is one of the top reasons people choose to visit the city and make it their new home, said Chattanooga City Forester Pete Stewart. This funding will allow us to continue and expand that work in a way that will make a real impact in neighborhoods that need it the most. Anna Mathis, Parks and Outdoors Natural Resources manager, adds that these efforts are designed to close disparities in tree canopy and correlated measures of ecosystem and public health, all while developing a workforce that will ensure the health of our urban ecosystem for years to come. The grant will be able to fund: An expanded tree inventory, urban forest management planning. Tree watering, young tree maintenance, and invasive removal in park areas. Enhancement of riparian zones. Remote sensing imagery acquisition and processing through UTCs IGT Lab. Graduate student funding for environmental analysis. New urban forestry staff through the city Department of Parks and Outdoors to manage grant reporting, volunteer efforts, and contract work. New staff at green|spaces for community engagement, planting logistics, and organizing the volunteer-driven efforts. A specialized team through the Southeast Conservation Corps for chainsaw training and herbicide certification. A skilled crew focused on invasive, riparian, and planting work. Support for the Southeast Conservation Corps to direct crews and facilitate the process. Once the grant period is over, green|spaces has committed to transforming the team created using this grant into a designed non-profit, where this work will continue. The city will re-evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of this grant on a yearly basis and as needed. The Tennessee RiverLine has launched new resources to help paddlers, boaters, anglers and other river users plan safe and enriching Tennessee River experiences. The Plan Your Journey trip planning tools include an interactive web map detailing the locations and additional information about boat launches, public lands, campgrounds, outfitters, marinas and more, along with suggested paddling trip itineraries in Tennessee River communities. These tools have been developed to simplify the trip planning process for river users of all experience levels. For new or beginning paddlers, the Plan Your Journey tools build confidence in planning river experiences by consolidating hard to find information into a single source, while also providing information about river safety, gear lists, resource stewardship practices and basic paddling skills. Experienced users of the Tennessee River may discover new amenities and ideas for new paddling routes or overnight experiences by exploring the interactive web map. Boaters, anglers and other river recreationists will also find useful information in the map about river access areas and marinas when planning their own river experiences. Since 2020, communities enrolled in the Tennessee RiverTowns Program, in collaboration with the University of Chattanooga Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technology Lab, Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee RiverLine planning and design team, have developed the maps expansive data inventory. The Tennessee RiverLine interactive web map provides a never-before-seen view of the distribution and quality of more than 750 existing river experience facilities along the Tennessee Rivers 652-mile reach. Collaboration with river communities and the power of partnerships has brought us to the launch of the Plan Your Journey tools that we celebrate today, said Brad Collett, director of the Tennessee RiverLine and professor in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The Tennessee RiverLine is committed to enhancing access to river spaces and experiences. Whether youre preparing for the journey of a lifetime or a lifetime of journeys, making this information about existing river amenities more readily accessible to paddlers, boaters, anglers and other recreationists is a big step toward achieving that goal. All mapped amenities are conveniently located within a 15-minute drive from the river's edge, making them easily accessible to Tennessee RiverLine users. The Plan Your Journey tools include community profiles and five suggested paddling itineraries for trips of varying lengths and experiences in river communities. More suggested itineraries will be introduced in the coming year. Each itinerary includes information about the experience such as historic points of interest or geographic features along the route, a map of the paddling route and recommendations for exploring the restaurants, attractions and other activities in the community. "The use of technology can greatly advance outdoor recreation on the Tennessee River. Outdoor enthusiasts who recreate on any of the 652 river miles between Knoxville and Paducah will want to consult the Plan Your Journey tool to easily create a safer, more enjoyable trip for everyone involved, said Rebecca Hayden, TVA director, Natural Resources. By increasing visibility of the river through increased recreational use through efforts like the Plan Your Journey tools, the Tennessee RiverLine seeks to inspire new generations of river stewards who are invested in the rivers care for future generations. Map users can contribute to its ongoing evolution by adding information about existing amenities or locations of missing amenities using the map's survey tool. The interactive web map will be updated periodically based on user feedback, and new map features will be added over time to enrich user experience, share information about the river landscape's unique stories and improve data accuracy. To explore the Plan Your Journey tools, visit https://www.tnriverline.org/ planyourjourney . The Tennessee RiverLine is an initiative of the UT Institute of Agriculture with principal partners UT Knoxville and Tennessee Valley Authority and aims to create a continuous system of paddling, hiking and biking experiences along the Tennessee Rivers 652-mile reach. Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. For more information about the Tennessee RiverLine, visit tnriverline.org. If we couldnt laugh we would all go insane. - Jimmy Buffett Its relatively easy to let the mind wander when you find yourself slumped for a few hours in a hot field of ragweed, waiting for a dove to fly by, so you can unload loud and large clouds of lead, where you think lead should intersect with the doves flight pattern. The mind wanders through the early autumn brilliance of the sun while squinting through massive banks of clouds that dont quite provide enough decent shade. Jimmy Buffett sang songs in the head that seemed to be coming from the billowing clouds. Scratch my back with a lightning bolt Thunder rolls like a bass drum note The sound of the weather is heavens ragtime band We all fell down from the Milky Way Hangin round here till the Judgement Day Heaven only knows who is in command Barefoot Children - Jimmy Buffett The distinctive aroma of ragweed in final full bloom is the sweet scent of the September afternoon. While you drip sweat, linger with what flies, and develop lumbar distress from the torturous contraption youve lugged to the field called a seat it's also easy to begin to flinch badly at butterflies, dragonflies and devious dickie birds. Doves do this on purpose. Doves have apparently signed some kind of diabolical compact with everything else with wings just so they can sit in the shade, or on some power line, and laugh out loud at your flinching in the hot ragweed. It clearly appears that this brand of dove humor is just pretty good sport among the doves. When the first doves of the afternoon finally do decide to fly by, which coincides with the time youve come close to killing every dragonfly that has made you debate your need for a new prescription for bifocals, it's also relatively easy to empty your scattergun and not scratch a feather. Maybe its the element of surprise, after what seems to be rather lengthy period of time and distractions from flittering butterflies. Maybe its the delirium building slowly from sun stroke and ragweed poisoning. The third bird you miss starts to shatter what little confidence you have left. The third miss commences a whole new set of distractions. It has to be the gun. Need a new shot gun! If, on the off chance, the gun you are lugging around this field is a new gun, then you wish you had the old tried and true shooter thats back home in the closet. The gun has to be the problem. Cheap shells are a pretty handy but somewhat decent excuse. Light weight Italian junk, made by some company you cant even pronounce, can easily get the blame. Or, theres that mysterious box of leftovers from last year containing five or six different makes and models that you have absolutely no idea what shot size, powder load or shot load they consist of. Mystery shells make a feeble but useful excuse especially when some other challenged individual shows up saying he is out of ammo. Mystery shells are kindly offered with a smile to the unsuspecting who find themselves void of ammo. Some might call giving away your mystery shells bit disadvantageous but it seems like the right thing to do. There are a few and sundry atmospheric excuses to be had. The sun was in my eyes. The wind was blowing a terrific tail wind and the bird used tropical storm force winds to dodge the pellets. That bird was too high and likely out of range. Maybe those June Bugs, or dragonflies, or what ever they were, wont come back. After you run short on excuses for you failing marksmanship, you find yourself taking note of other shooters nearby. You quickly salve yourself with the realization that youre not the only goober in the area that cant hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle. They cant all have cheap Italian shells, or feeble shotguns that are in bad need of replacement. Maybe youre not the novice you thought you were after all. Confidence recovers when youre in a field with equally inept shooting buddies. He went to Paris looking for answers To questions that bothered him so He was impressive, young and aggressive Saving the world on his own But the warm Summer breezes The French wine and cheeses Put his ambition at bay And Summers and Winters Scattered like splinters And four or five years slipped away He Went to Paris - Jimmy Buffett There is one exception across the field from me. Hes the guy that brought the pulled pork for the pre-shoot lunch. Mister Ed comes from a long family line of pork cookers and apparently a long line of excellent dove shooters as well. I was on my third extra fine pulled pork sandwich during lunch when I enquired as to how Mister Ed came by his obvious expertise at cooking pig meat. He said he was the third generation of a long line of hog meat cookers, he said he was mentored by his grandfather. He also mentioned that the old gentleman had a fondness for Old Crow while cooking a pig. I asked if the Old Crow was applied to the pork, as maybe cheap brown liquor was the secret in the family recipe? Mister Ed replied; My Grandfather taught us to build a three sided pit out of cinder blocks, rebar and a grill. We use only lump charcoal because it controls the necessary temperature better. You have to keep the heat somewhere consistent between 225 to 250 degrees for 12 hours. I like to cut my hickory the day before the cooking. That ensures the best smoke when the green wood is a day old. The pit has to be covered with sheets of tin barn roofing and you have to slather the pork every two hours with a secret family recipe. Of course I foolishly asked for the slathering ingredients. Mister Ed chuckled as he told me he would surely have to kill me after he disclosed that particular family secret. He continued; The fifth of Old Crow acted as a timing device. My Grandfather babied his pork and his Old Crow as he was cooking in an old easy chair next to the pit for twelve hours. He had both down to a science. When we saw his chin resting on his chest we knew it was time to pull the pork. Mother, mother ocean, after all the years Ive found My occupational hazard being my occupations just not around I feel like Ive drowned, gonna head uptown I feel like Ive drowned, gonna head uptown A Pirate Looks at Forty - Jimmy Buffett As the light so subtly faded and the big clouds banking to the West dropped thunder and looked like rain, we gathered the empty hulls. There were many more empties than there were doves to clean. Many claim many empties are the sign of a good day of shooting, but not necessarily shooting well. Just having an opportunity to attempt to shoot well, eat pulled pork and smell hot ragweed makes for a great day. Marksmanship must have more than one meaning to many. A good dove recipe? Never much of a cook here; but try filleting the breast, wrapping it in bacon, held in place by a toothpick. (some add a water chestnut but thats a little froo-froo for me) Roll the whole mess in Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning after a sprinkling of Dales Steak Seasoning. Then, toss all the meat on the grill. Its important to have as much fun as possible while were here. It balances out the times when the minefield of life explodes. - Jimmy Buffett ---- WOMR Notes: Spent a couple of years in the Keys working on an old Nuclear Plant down there. The fishing was good in those days and I still can hear Jimmys songs in my head. Odd how some songs rumble in memoriam for such a long while. Send your comments to whiteoakmtnranger.com Relax readers of my articles (all 101 of you) I am not going to throw any hand grenades in an attempt to place a negative slant on any of the ongoing progressive steps being taken to benefit the entire 375,129 (estimated 2023) citizens of Hamilton County, rather than just a few profit motivated and community caring citizens. The following is one reminder of some past mistakes in areas of booming economies arising out of Choo Choo Citys development as the ninth most heavily industrialized manufacturing community and the most polluted city in America (1962 - Walter Cronkite). Combustion Engineering, U.S. Pipe, DuPont, Dixie Mercerizing, Ross-Meehan, Wheland Foundry, all offered good paying jobs in the pre-OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) era. Those also developed areas laden with toxic chemicals and life-threatening substances. These were often not revealed to workers and also were often never informed to what they were exposed in their work and ingested that may have caused (or contributed to substantially) to their death or disabilities by their employers or some physicians who may have discouraged them from filing Workers Compensation claims. The projects under consideration by local governments are moving forward under private and taxpayer funds in the continuing efforts to not only reimagine Broad Street (now Chestnut Street also) but to create a new metropolis and move Chattanooga into the perceived image of the New South (when did it get old?) and to welcome new citizens from high taxes and costs jurisdictions under the overall theme of Bigger is Better. A quasi-retired politician and city planner has also jumped on the bandwagon. That train is already moving down the track (a little outdated until Amtrak arrives) and this article and any subsequent writings will attempt to discuss any errors of the past on the subject of SAFETY and protection of any visitors, employees, new residents, and workers etc. from being misled about any exposure to remaining toxic substances. Hopefully, they have been or will be sufficiently capped under the brownfield regulations of OSHA, periodically reviewed, by local, state, and federal agencies, and to insure that health considerations are adequately addressed along with the profit motivation and expansion of Choo Choo City. More stringent controls are now part of the law but many times are not regularly monitored by inadequate resources, cost cutting measures, politics, and any other factor that might not adequately protect the public. No allegation is made as to any misconduct of any entity in the present except to express the often quotation of Spanish philosopher George Santayana that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons expressed similar sentiments: Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. In a series of following articles safety concerns about the acknowledged toxic dump sites of the past in the Dynamo of Dixie manufacturing era (acknowledged by politicians for other reasons) will be presented not for the purpose of impeding or making a futile attempt to stop the perceived ongoing progress of our community but to hopefully add a single voice of caution for the future: WORLDS SAFEST PLANT IT WASNT! The E.I. Dupont Nemours nylon plant on Access Road at Hixson Pike at one point was the largest employer in Chattanooga and proudly claimed to be the Worlds Safest Plant and earned that description by establishing the world record for going the longest period of time without any employee missing a day of work from any industrial accident. On the surface it was a wonderful place to be employed: High wages with great retirement benefits; Medical staff at the plant with a resident physician; Cafeteria with excellent, reasonably priced food; Sports programs including big time fast pitch softball as well as a strong intramural agenda; A maintenance shop on call to fix your draw twist machine to correct any mechanical problem that might slow down production; Air conditioned plant that heated and cooled the workers at a comfortable temperature in all seasons. Unfortunately, there was another side to the story at both the Chattanooga and Old Hickory nylon (outside Nashville) plants in Tennessee and throughout America due to the use of asbestos (the magic mineral) for both heating and cooling purposes. In the Insulation Shop large blocks of Kaylo and other forms of asbestos were cut into smaller pieces and, unfortunately, the breathable fibers were circulated throughout the plant via the heating/cooling systems. The Chattanooga Plant started operation in 1946 and many longtime employees were exposed to the toxic substance of asbestos until they retired or the plant closed in the 1980s. Over 160 locations in our community have been identified as being a place of potential asbestos exposure and the problem has not been unique to just the North Access Road location in Chattanooga. For years employees with lung disorders and types of cancer such as mesothelioma and other health problems were informed that their health conditions were caused by smoking or some other non-work related condition. If an actual physical injury occurred it would be covered under the self insured health care plan rather than workers compensation in order to avoid having to report an incident that would destroy the companys public relations quest of The Worlds Safest Plant. Asbestos-related diseases are often slow developing and may take anywhere from 10-40 years to cause problems for the unsuspecting worker or his family after he may have died without ever knowing that the cause of their death may have other than natural cause. With time limits to bring legal action, that may have also been too late. An Illinois man has been arrested after making plans to have sex with a 15-year-old male during a visit to Chattanooga. Theodore Bello Traister, 41, of Bensenville, Il., was charged with aggravated statutory rape and five counts of solicitation of a minor. Authorities said Traister reached out to what he thought was a teen on a Facebook page, saying, "Hey HRU? I'm Ted." During continuing conversations, he said, "We gotta be careful though since you're technically not of legal age yet. I know anything would definitely be consensual with you, but we gotta be careful especially with your parents." Traister, who said he was going to be in Chattanooga Sept. 9-19, sent the youth photos of his private area and urged him to do the same. It was arranged that Traister would pick up pizza from Papa John's on Broad Street on Thursday and bring that to the youth's house. Traister was arrested at the pizza place. The Americans Creed film poster features actors Randall Franks and Butch Culpepper. It will screen at the Colonnade Theater Oct. 14. Director of Photography Eric Jackson, left, Director Randall Franks and actor Evan Jackson photo by Ashley Robillard Actor-Director Randall Franks with Maggie Suits, Tina Barbaree, right, in the Gordon Lee Mansion Children's Room photo by Ashley Robillard Actor-Director Randall Franks directs militia actors film a scene in Gordon Lee Mansion Cabin photo by Tina Barbaree Previous Next In his latest film and documentary, actor Randall Franks of Ringgold, focuses his directorial lens on the American Revolution. Our forefathers gave us an amazing republic through the sacrifices they made during the Revolutionary War, and the visions of the founders who crafted our founding documents, Mr. Franks said. I think its only fitting to remind folks about what they did to create this experiment in freedom and liberty. The Northwest Georgia premiere will be part of the 78th Anniversary Hollywood Hillbilly Jamboree on Oct. 14 at the Colonnade Theater in Ringgold, along with the documentary "The Making of The American's Creed." The event is a charity fundraiser sponsored by the Share America Foundation and the Wes and Shirley Smith Charitable Endowment helping Appalachian youth through music scholarships. Tickets are $15 at the door or $10 in advance at www.RandallFranks.com/show. Mr. Franks stars as his ancestor Robert Shields in the short film which has already screened at film festivals in South Korea, Colorado and Slovakia, becoming a finalist in their competitions. While the story I wrote is fiction, many of the characters carry the names of actual Patriots who fought from my family, Mr. Franks said. My character helps his cousin General Washington in his effort for independence. That aspect of the story is not fiction as Mr. Franks is an actual cousin of founders George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and several of his ancestors fought for Washington. According to Mr. Franks, his short film and documentary focuses on a story that aims to remind viewers about the importance of The Americans Creed written by his kinsman William Tyler Page and adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1918, placed alongside the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Franks, his director of photography Eric T. Jackson, and members of his cast and crew gathered in Chickamauga at the Gordon Lee Mansion to film the project and the accompanying documentary The Making of The Americans Creed. The film also features Wesley Crider, Tina Brewer, Butch Culpepper, Ronald K. Melton Jr., Robert E. Jones, Evan A. Jackson, Maggie Suits, Donald Benkis, Elaine Benkis, Dennis L. Jones, Ashley Robillard, John Francis, Cassandra Group, Gabriel Group and Colton Buckles. I want to express my thanks to our friends with the city of Chickamauga, our cast and crew, our sponsors, and all who gave a hand to making this project come to life, Mr. Franks said. We could not have done it without their kindnesses. The Americans Creed is also brought to you by Top of Georgia Economic Development Initiative, Smith & Wesley, Mountain View Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, William Marsh Chapter - National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, ,The Bank of LaFayette, William H.H. Clark, Marshall M. Bandy Jr. Law Office, Rhonda James, Boynton Lions Club of Ringgold, Gateway Business Center, AirPlay Direct and Stateline Electronics. Both projects will screen during the 7 p.m. hour of The Hollywood Hillbilly Jamboree with special appearances by several cast members. The event will also feature performances by Smith & Wesley, Mr. Franks and his Hollywood Hillbilly Jamboree, Ryan Stinson and Getting Off Track Improv Comedy. An earlier Sacred Sounds Matinee that day will include the Marksmen Quartet, Testimony Quartet and Wesley Crider at 1:30 p.m. Learn more about the projects at www.RandallFranks.com/The-Americans-Creed. Rodney Fisher passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, surrounded by family. Born on March 21, 1947, a United States Army veteran, Rodney had a lifelong career in law enforcement. As a graduate of the University of TN at Chattanooga with a BS degree in Criminal Justice, Rodney became a member of the Chattanooga Police Department where he served as a Major Crimes detective for several years. In 1977, Rodney continued his public service and began a 25-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice as a U.S. Marshal. Rodneys family and all who knew him, know that he is enjoying a joyful reunion with his precious daughter Valerie. The two have been separated for many years as a result of Valeries passing from a long-fought battle with cancer at the age of 11. He had no greater pride while here than that of the career of his daughter, Tracy Dockery. Ironically, Tracy would complete her 27-year career as an FBI agent a week after his passing. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Valerie JoAnn Fisher, his parents, Hubert L. Fisher and Frances Delaney Fisher, and a brother, Rick Fisher. Rodney leaves behind to cherish his memory the love of his life, his beloved and loyal wife of 40 years, Susan Silvers Fisher, his daughter and son-in-law, Tracy (Randy) Dockery, a sister Charlotte Templeton, a brother and sister-in-law, Doug (Chris) Fisher, two grandsons, and several nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Rodneys Life will be held graveside with military honors on Monday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m. at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. The family will receive friends prior to the service beginning at 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the East Chapel of the Chattanooga Funeral Home. The Fisher family would like to thank the amazing service of Hospice of Chattanooga for the comfort they provided in Rodneys last days. Arrangements are under the care of Chattanooga Funeral Home Crematory and Florist East Chapel, 404 South Moore Road, East Ridge, Tn. 37412. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaEastChapel.com. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee kicked off his statewide Conservation Tour this week, highlighting Tennessees conservation strategy and celebrating recent investments in state parks, brownfield cleanup and advancement of nuclear energy. The governor also proclaimed Sept. 23, 2023, as Tennessee Public Lands Day. From Mountain City to Memphis, our state is blessed with natural beauty and rich natural resources, said Governor Lee. Our resources will only be around for the future if we invest in them today. Thats why weve developed a conservation strategy that balances our states economic growth with a plan to protect our environment. This year, Gov. Lee worked with the General Assembly to pass key legislation and fund statewide conservation priorities in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget. State Parks & Natural Areas: $371.3 million to improve and expand three additional state natural areas, build two new park lodges, complete four more outdoor trails and create four new state parks. to improve and expand three additional state natural areas, build two new park lodges, complete four more outdoor trails and create four new state parks. Rural Brownfield Cleanup: $5.3 million for the Rural Brownfields Investment Act to begin remediation efforts for 175 known brownfield sites, including the creation of a new state-administered grant and technical support program for remediation and economic development of existing brownfields. Clean, Reliable Nuclear Energy: $50 million for a Nuclear Fund to recruit companies to the state that will establish a nuclear development and manufacturing ecosystem built for the future of Tennessee. In addition to passing this years legislative and budget priorities, Governor Lee has taken continued action to advance Tennessees conservation strategy for a brighter future: In May 2023, Goveror Lee signed Executive Order 101 to create the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, which will seek to build upon the states legacy in nuclear innovation and drive continued investment to create a nuclear energy ecosystem for the future of Tennessee. The Governor and General Assembly announced appointments to the Advisory Council in July. This Spring, Governor Lee joined industry leaders at the annual Nuclear Energy Assembly in Washington, D.C. to highlight Tennessees leading role in the future of American energy. On August 3, the administration convened the first annual Tennessee Conservation Summit, bringing together state officials, business and community leaders and conservation stakeholders from across the state to help develop strategic initiatives stewarding Tennessees natural heritage for generations to come. In the coming years, the Lee administration is committed to furthering the states conservation strategy by building on the recommendations of public and private stakeholders across Tennessee. The agendas goals include exploring opportunities to improve water infrastructure and quality, supporting natural areas, expanding safe nuclear energy production and more. First Lady Maria Lees Tennessee Serves will focus on preserving and restoring state parks in the month of September, with volunteer opportunities at nearly every park across the state. The Conservation Tour will include stops across three Grand Divisions of Tennessee, including the following initial visits in September: James P. Anderson, Jr., of Signal Mountain, a Chattanooga attorney since 1960, died on September 6, 2023 at the age of 90, due to complications from a fall. He was the son of the late Dr. James P. Anderson and Martha Anderson of Nashville. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 58 years, Barbara Tyson Anderson, whom he missed every day since her passing in 2017. Jim attended Wake Forest University and after serving in the Army in Europe, graduated from Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Law School. Moving to Chattanooga in 1960, he engaged in the practice of civil law for 55 years. He was a partner in the former law firms of Thrasher, Sherrill & Anderson and Anderson & Bridges. He was a member of many legal associations and civic groups. He was past president of the Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association and served for 36 years as Secretary of the Chattanooga Law Library. Across his career, he devoted himself tirelessly to client legal matters and business issues. Whenever his clients needed help, he was there with logical reasoning and hard work to resolve business and personal matters. His clients were his friends, and his friends were his clients. Named a Life Member of the Chattanooga Jaycees, he was active in development of the two high rise Jaycee Towers, the first non-profit housing for the elderly built in the area, and in the organization of the local Council on Alcoholism. He was subsequently involved in the organization of its successor, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Services (CADAS), of which he served as Chairman and was honored by being named a Lifetime Member of the Board of Directors. In 1987, he became a volunteer with the Chattanooga affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, working on the construction of the first house and continuing as both a construction volunteer and in various other capacities. During his work as a volunteer, Habitat built over 200 houses in Chattanooga, and he was proud to have been involved in the actual construction of many of these homes. An active member of the Signal Crest United Methodist Church since the early 1960s, he served in many capacities through the years, including Lay Leader, Chairman of the Council on Ministries, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. For 50 years, he was a member of the Interpreter Sunday School Class where he enjoyed teaching and making lifelong friends. Jim loved to debate and he could be strong willed, but he always made time to help others with a giving heart. As his grandchildren recall, he loved to regale listeners with stories from his childhood, literature, and historical events- aided by his amazing memory and knack for detail. He was full of information he wanted to share with the rest of us. He is survived by his son, James P Anderson, III (Margaret) and his daughter, Eve Anderson Currin (Don) and by five grandchildren, Sheppard Gage Anderson (Paley) of Birmingham, Helen Wallace Anderson of Nashville and Anna Tyson Currin, Eliza Chastain Currin, and Sophie Austin Currin of Hermosa Beach, California. He is also survived by his sister, Elizabeth Chastain Anderson Smith of Cary, North Carolina, nieces and nephews, as well as his cherished dog, Muffin, who has been adopted by a loving, young family. He was predeceased by one sister, Martha LeSueur Anderson Batchelor and his two brothers, John Charles Anderson and William Wyatt Anderson. The family would like to thank the staff at Alexian who cared for Jim so compassionately after his fall, and the many neighbors, church friends and pastors who were always there for him during his time of need. Their generous attention and kindness made all the difference to him. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Greater Chattanooga Habitat for Humanity, 1201 East Main Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408, to Signal Crest United Methodist Church, 1005 Ridgeway Ave, Signal Mtn., TN 37377, or to a charity or church of choice. A memorial service will be officiated by Reverend Dave Graybeal and Reverend Bill Thorton on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. at Signal Crest United Methodist Church on Signal Mountain. Visitation will follow the service. Arrangements are entrusted to Covenant Funeral & Crematory; Crox family owned and operated, www.CovenantFuneral.com. Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, in conjunction with Reflection Riding, will host a "Three Star tour", led by National Park Service Historian Jim Ogden, commemorating the 160th Anniversary of the assault on Lookout Mountain, the "Battle Above the Clouds." This tour, on property recently protected via a conservation easement by the American Battlefield Trust, will examine the Union Army's crossing of Lookout Creek as well as the assault on Lookout Mountain. The tour will cover 2.5 miles of walking over mild to moderate terrain. Appropriate walking shoes and attire recommended. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 28, beginning at 9 a.m. and will last 2-3 hours, at Reflection Riding. Priority registration will be given to members of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association and Reflection Riding. To register for the tour please visit https://www.tcwpa.org/tcwpa-three-star-tour/ and complete the registration form or http://www.reflectionriding.com. The tour is open to the public; however, pre-registration will be required as the number of participants is limited. There is no fee for this tour. Though members of the school board said they were left out of the Hamilton County school facilities working group and felt disrespected by the process, district Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson said the groups recommendation, revealed in August, is a beginning. He said school board and community involvement begins now. The plan controversially recommends closing Alpine Crest Elementary School, a neighborhood school built in the 1950s and the only elementary school within Red Bank city limits, as well as Rivermont Elementary School and Hixson Elementary School to combine them with Dupont Elementary School. It also recommends closing Daisy Elementary School to combine it with Soddy Daisy Middle and High Schools. I know that district better than anyone and I was never really asked about it, said board member Rhonda Thurman. I find that extremely disrespectful. Ms. Thurman said this process was more secretive than any building campaign in her 19 years of service on the board. Sometimes we are informed with the public, out of respect to the public, said board member Marco Perez. And now comes the work, he said. Facilities Committee Chair Karitsa Jones said, I, too, felt very disrespected in this process as a board member and as facilities committee chair. Im not rubber stamping anything, Ms. Jones said. School board member Joe Smith graduated from Alpine Crest in 1965, the first class to attend kindergarten through fifth grade. He said theres been discussion of a bigger elementary school along Hixson Pike for 25 years. At that time, he said, the YMCA property near Dupont Elementary was a major contender in the wake of a big analysis of school facilities by firm MGT. To me (this) just makes all the sense in the world, said Mr. Smith. I know change is hard. He said the common refrain that the county has too many schools is often followed by Dont close mine. Some tough decisions are going to have to be made, he said. Board member Jill Black cautioned against a blind copy of East Brainerd Elementary School, which opened in 2015 and has almost 1,200 students. Please dont make our elementary schools too big, said Ms. Black. Is it working? Is it whats best for students? She asked, What is the sweet spot number for schools to have full offerings yet remain community schools? For example, schools with more than six classes per grade will have split teaching teams, she said, sacrificing a level of consistency in planning. But small neighborhood schools are expensive. I think we have to acknowledge that we dont live in a community thats willing to pay for those, she said. Board members Ben Connor and Mr. Perez said they will continue to vote for funding for schools whose closures may be vague for years. Rivermont stands to receive $1 million in a school board vote next week. Our students are in those schools today, Mr. Perez said. In a surprise move, the county commission had cut the school facilities maintenance budget by $6 million this year in favor of $60 million later. Dr. Robertson said more specific funding information will come in December or January. The truth is, behind the scenes we dont even have the money for this, said Mr. Perez, who is chair of the finance committee. Mr. Perez conceded that the working groups proactive plan is a departure from the districts crisis-reactive modus operandi of the last decade, he said. School board Chair Tiffanie Robinson and Dr. Robertson served on the mayors working group. Dr. Robertson met one-on-one with each board member during the process. The department of education will hold community meetings in each school district through October. The school board will compile a final recommendation for Dr. Robertson, who will make changes and then a recommendation to the county commission. Dr. Robertson aims to make his recommendation by January so that it can be worked into the FY25 budget to be approved in June. FIRST REACTIONS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD: Ms. Black called it gross oversight to leave out a solution for overcrowding at Howard School, which has about 1,525 students this school year. Dr. Robertson said after years of growth Howards enrollment has leveled out this year, which may allow some reasonable planning. Im tickled that were getting a new Soddy Daisy Elementary School, said Ms. Thurman, but the location is all wrong and doesnt consider traffic and parking issues. Were going to be the next East Hamilton, Im afraid, she said. I just dont think thats wise. COMMUNITY MEETINGS: Thursday, Sept. 28, 6-7:45 p.m. - DISTRICT 11, East Lake Academy cafeteria Monday, Oct. 2, 6-7:45 p.m. - RIVERMONT meeting at Rivermont Elementary School Tuesday, Oct. 3, 6-7:45 p.m. - DISTRICTS 3 and 6, location TBD Wednesday, Oct. 4, 6-7:45 p.m. - GOLDEN GATEWAY campus on MLK Boulevard, location TBD Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6-7:45 p.m. - BRAINERD HIGH SCHOOL, location TBD Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6-7:45 p.m. - SODDY DAISY MIDDLE SCHOOL at Soddy Daisy High School Priscilla Presley wept the entire flight back from a visit with Elvis. When her parents saw her, they were shocked and outraged. Priscilla Presleys parents began reluctantly letting her fly across the Atlantic to visit Elvis. They had met in Germany, where Priscilla and her family lived, but he moved back to the United States several months into their relationship. After a lengthy visit over Priscillas summer break from school, her parents eagerly waited for her at the airport. When they saw her, though, their excitement turned to horror. Priscilla Presleys parents were not happy to see her get off the plane At the end of her visit to Los Angeles with Elvis, Priscilla did not want to leave. Elvis ultimately convinced her to get on the plane home, though she still wasnt happy about it. Priscilla said she endured the long flight in a daze, not caring who saw that she was openly weeping the entire time. When they landed, she stumbled off the plane, so distressed that she never thought to check a mirror or freshen up. Her parents, however, immediately noticed her disheveled appearance. Priscilla Presley | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images When I first saw my parents, my mother was crying with joy at seeing me and my father was wearing a big welcome-home smile, she wrote in her book Elvis and Me. But as I came nearer, their expressions changed from delight to absolute horror. My father turned away angrily. For a moment, my mother just stared. Then she reached into her purse, pulled out a mirror, and thrust it at me. Look at yourself! How could you walk off the plane like that?' She immediately understood what had shocked them. The hours of weeping had left her with messy hair and makeup streaks. Two weeks before, I had left them, a fresh-faced sixteen-year-old, wearing a suitable white cotton suit and innocent of anything but a touch of mascara, she wrote. Now, not only was I wearing the heavy makeup that Elvis liked, but my tears had smeared it all over my face. I hadnt bothered to lift a comb to my hair, which was unkempt and tangled. My parents were shocked and disappointed. Her father did not speak to her on the ride home Priscilla asked to use the bathroom to clean her face, but her parents wouldnt let her. Her father seemed to think making her leave it on her face would be a punishment. Youre going straight home, my father snapped. If you left it on this long, you might as well keep it on another hour. He hardly said another word to me until we got home and I washed my face. Priscilla Presleys parents allowed her to spend Christmas at Graceland Almost immediately, Priscilla and Elvis began plotting to get her on a plane back to the United States. He wanted her to visit for Christmas, which she knew her parents would not like. They already disapproved of the relationship she was 16 and Elvis was 26 and Christmas was important to the family. Still, Priscilla begged her mother until she finally caved. Graceland at Christmas | Greg Campbell/Getty Images My poor mother was torn between making a dream come true for her daughter and doing what was right as a parent, she wrote. When will this end? she murmured with an anguished expression. Finally, she agreed to speak to my father. Just six months after her visit to LA, Priscilla got on another plane to spend Christmas at Graceland. Janelle Brown seems to still be living in Flagstaff in 2023, despite stating that she was considering a return to Utah in an upcoming 'Sister Wives' episode. Janelle Brown has spent the last five years living in Flagstaff, Arizona. Despite growing up in Utah, the mother of six managed to make Arizona her home base after her then-husband, Kody Brown, moved the entire plural family to the state. Now that her relationship with Kody Brown has ended, she appears to be planning her next move. While she mused about a potential move back to Utah on Sister Wives, it doesnt seem like shes leaped just yet. So, where exactly is Janelle Brown living in 2023? Where is Janelle Brown originally from? Janelle Brown was introduced to Sister Wives fans as Kody Browns second wife, but she had a full life before she became a polygamist. Janelle grew up in a religious household but did not grow up in polygamy. Her father, Robert Schriever, died when she was still a young child. According to Fandom, Janelle spent most of her early life in Utah. She grew up close to Salt Lake City and graduated from Bountiful High School in Bountiful, Utah. Before marrying Kody Brown, Janelle was married to Adam Barber. The couple lived in Utah during their short-lived union. Janelle didnt initially want to leave Flagstaff, but she seems to be considering it now Hearing Janelle consider a return to Utah in a sneak peek for an upcoming Sister Wives episode caught some viewers by surprise. Janelle Brown was initially opposed to living in Utah again during season 15 when Christine Brown floated the idea to her then-husband, Kody Brown. The Flagstaff area where the Browns live | YouTube/TLC In several tense moments, Kody sat down to discuss potentially living in Utah with his wives after Christine approached him about moving again. Janelle told him that she had no intention of leaving Flagstaff and was looking forward to building a home on the land the family had purchased. The house was never built, and Janelles marriage to Kody fell apart. Now might be a perfect time to consider a change of scenery. Where does Janelle Brown live in 2023? Janelle Brown considered moving back to Utah during the 2021 holiday season. Still, it looks like shes still living in Flagstaff in 2023. The mother of six is renting an apartment with her youngest child, but she doesnt seem tied down to any particular location. Janelles kids are officially over 18, and most seem happily settled into their own lives. While Hunter, Garrison, Gabriel, and Savanah all live in Flagstaff right now, their lives could really take them anywhere. Janelle has also spent most of her free time traveling extensively. Kody and Janelle Brown | TLC/YouTube Janelle and Kodys eldest son, Logan Brown, resides in Las Vegas with his wife. Their eldest daughter, Madison Brush, lives with her husband and children in North Carolina. Janelle isnt connected to Utah by her children. Several of Christine Browns kids call the state home, though. So does Christine and her new love, David Woolley. Whether that is enough of a draw to pull her back to the Beehive State remains to be seen. Right now, in 2023, Janelle Brown is living in Flagstaff. If a move does eventually happen, it will probably be featured in a future season of Sister Wives. The series is in its 18th season and is more popular than ever. Empa researchers want to accelerate the development of urgently needed new energy storage systems with the help of the Aurora battery robot. The Aurora project is part of the European research initiative Battery2030+, which was recently awarded over 150 million euros in funding by the EU. In addition, the project is part of the ETH Board's "Open Research Data" initiative, which promotes digitization and free access to research data. The world urgently needs new types of energy storage. Developing completely new concepts for batteries and exploring their potential is currently a lengthy process, as Corsin Battaglia, head of Empa's Materials for Energy Conversion laboratory in Dubendorf and professor at ETH Zurich, emphasizes: "Our goal is to accelerate this process," he says. This acceleration is currently manifesting itself in the form of the Aurora robot platform, which is to take over the fully automated and, in the future, autonomous material selection, assembly and analysis of battery cells in the laboratory. As part of the European Materials Acceleration Platform, which is being set up within the European Battery2030+ project BIG-MAP, the aim is to achieve a roughly tenfold acceleration of current development processes. For internationally competitive battery research and development, time-consuming and error-prone steps in the innovation process are now being automated using Aurora. The robotic platform is currently being further developed in the Empa laboratories together with the company Chemspeed Technologies AG. Empa researcher Enea Svaluto-Ferro is implementing the work steps and "training" Aurora. "While the robot weighs, doses and assembles the individual cell components with constant precision, initiates and completes charging cycles precisely and performs other repetitive steps, researchers can use the generated data to drive the innovation process forward," says Svaluto-Ferro. Smart, autonomous and chemistry-agnostic In future, however, Aurora will also learn to work autonomously. Using machine learning, the Aurora AI could thus create mathematical models and decide which experiments should be carried out in the next step and which materials and components are particularly promising candidates for the desired battery application. This is because the search is currently underway worldwide for new battery materials that are inexpensive, readily available and do not entail any technical disadvantages. Since the platform can be used independently of materials, battery chemistry and generation, it could therefore be used not only to improve lithium-ion batteries, but also to develop alternative sodium-ion batteries or batteries with a self-healing mechanism in the future, Svaluto-Ferro said." "With the chemistry-agnostic Aurora, we can also bring prototypes from our labs, such as salt water batteries or solid-state batteries, to market more efficiently and quickly," says lab head Corsin Battaglia. Aurora is not alone in this effort. The robotic platform is embedded in the ETH Board's Open Research Data initiative, which aims to promote digitization in research and make data freely available to the scientific community. One of the tools used is AiiDA, an open source workflow management system developed as part of the National Center of Competence in Research MARVEL. For the communication between the Aurora AI and the AiiDA platform, Empa researchers are currently developing the appropriate software in collaboration with researchers at EPFL and PSI. This makes Aurora the first robot platform to be coupled to the existing AiiDA system. Data will finally be transferred to the data management system openBIS, which is being developed at ETH Zurich. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The Cherokee Phoenix and Cherokee Nation are continuing their partnership that provides free subscriptions of the newspaper through 2024. Citizens who are currently receiving the paper will automatically be renewed for 2024. Citizens who are not receiving the paper but wish to can visit the Gadugi Portal and opt-in for free subscriptions before the Oct. 31 deadline. Have you ever walked along a beach or a trail with a metal detector? Anyone whos tried it hopes to find something amazing along the way, but unfortunately, they end up finding mostly trash. However, every once in a while, you find a treasure. One man in Norway recently thought hed try to use a metal detector he bought earlier this year on an island called Rennesy. He ended up finding gold jewelry that dates all the way back to the sixth century. Erlend Bore, a 51-year-old Norwegian, was recently told by one of his doctors to start being more active throughout the day. So, he took advantage of his new lifestyle and purchased a metal detector, thinking he may discover a few goodies during his adventures outdoors. During one particular exploration around the island of Rennesy, Erlend decided to try walking on higher ground than usual to see if he could find anything with his detector. Little did he know that while walking around Rennesy, hed find pieces of history. When Erlends metal detector started whirring, and he began uncovering little gold trinkets, he first thought they were chocolate coins. But upon further inspection, he realized he had discovered various pieces of gold jewelry. Among this buried collection were nine engraved gold pendants, three gold rings, and ten gold pearls. Erlend gathered the gold pieces and sent pictures to local experts, and the jewelry has since been examined and collected by the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. I have a recurring argument with a friend who is a musician. In a songwriting class that he teaches, he tells students that songs should be less like sermons and more like prayers. As a preacher of sermons, I am always slightly offended, even if I understand what he means. The lesson is show, dont tell. When it comes to art, struggling with questions is more compelling than telling someone the answers. It is not for nothing that contemporary Christian music is often criticized for its rush to resolve things prematurely. My rejoinder is that there are some truths that claim us, answers that offer stable ground on which to stand. Christian faith compels us to show and to tell, not least because the gospel of Jesus is a message to be proclaimed. My friend usually grants my point. But he also reminds me that living the truth is a complicated project and that people who proclaim truth are often not as sure as they seem. The tension between the sure answer of the gospel and the sometimes-questionable character of its proclamation returned to my mind as I read Evangelism: Learning from the Past by the late Michael Green (19302019), who wrote prolifically on the subject of sharing the Good News. Published posthumously from a draft manuscript, the volume is emblematic of Greens lifelong passion. Greens legacy is evident from the first page: My purpose in life has been to pass on, as best I can, good news. It is the best news anyone could ever hear: that there is a living God, who cares enough about us to become one of us, who dealt at great personal cost with the evil in the world, who is alive to make us into a renewed community, and who invites us to share his home after death. The best news anyone could ever hear has been entrusted to every follower of Jesus, and Green tells stories of evangelism throughout the history of the church. He notes early on that he is telling a selective story, focused on the evangelical tradition and particularly its outworking in Britain. Rather than creating a composite picture of evangelism from the many streams of church history, Green is particularly interested in highlighting historical precedents of the evangelistic model that has come to characterize the evangelical movement. That is to say, Green is interested in evangelism that leads to conversion: an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ that reorients individual lives and, through them, the larger society. As he writes: The criterion for authentic evangelism is not whether it increases the numbers in church, nor whether it makes a person more moral, but whether it impacts society for good. Article continues below My fellow evangelical Protestants will resonate with many of these intuitions. But those looking for a more comprehensive account of the history of evangelism should look elsewhere. Green shows little interest in the medieval period and moves quickly from the church fathers to proto-Reformation movements, the Reformers, and 18th-century revivalists like George Whitefield and John Wesley, before finishing with the crusades of Billy Graham. Greens story thus focuses on what we might call evangelical evangelism, and two themes emerge that reveal tensions in the larger movement Green sought to serve. First, there is a tension between proclamation and embodiment. For what we preach is not ourselves, wrote Paul to the Corinthians, but Jesus Christ as Lord (2 Cor. 4:5). Jesus, Green notes, is Gods good news in person who proclaimed and embodied the kingdom of God. In the early church, the person of Christ became the message, even as the church continued to testify to Gods kingdom in communities of radical discipleship. When telling the story of evangelism in the second through fourth centuries, Green notes how often Christian lives served as evidence of the gospels power. As the Greek philosopher Athenagoras put it, They do not rehearse speeches, but exhibit good works. And yet, the struggle to contextualize the gospel amid new challenges leads to failures of cultural sensitivity. Green laments, for instance, how early evangelistic efforts failed to make credible to the Jews that they were in fact the community of the Messiah. As the story of the church continued, this pathology took tragic forms, as in the antisemitism of Martin Luther. Green recounts a similar failure in the story of Celtic evangelism (drawing from George Hunters The Celtic Way of Evangelism). For a time, The gospel was presented not as something entirely new, but as the fulfillment of all that was best in indigenous culture. But imperial (Roman) Christianity squashed the free-flowing initiative, imagination, and cultural sensitivity of the Celtic Christians. Green might have gone further and set failures of cultural capitulation alongside failures in contextualization. Whitefields evangelistic work is celebrated without reference to the slave labor at his orphanage. (The books publisher, Eerdmans, added a note that Green might have accounted for recent scholarship, including one of its own titles, Peter Y. Chois George Whitefield: Evangelist for God and Empire.) In a similar vein, Green might have said more about the compromise of racial segregation in Billy Grahams early crusades before giving Graham credit for his later work in integration. The point is not to cancel the work of these evangelists, but rather to complicate the story and to humble us as we continually seek closer alignment with the gospel. Article continues below Of course, we can also complicate the story in positive directions, and Green does so. He notes how early monasteries were quite effective in evangelism, and how Calvins Geneva generated extraordinary evangelistic activity: He and his colleagues sent no less than eighty-eight missionaries [to France alone]. It is high time that this myth about Calvins disinterest in evangelism is laid to rest. This brings us to a second tension in the story of evangelical evangelismbetween the work of lay evangelism and superstar evangelists. Green celebrates the every member ministry of the early church as the heart of its mission. At its core, he writes, evangelism is not rocket science. It comes down to one person who knows Christ relating to one person who does not. And yet, the larger narrative sometimes reads like a collection of hero stories. This feature can make us devalue unsung work of unnamed Christians, as when Green sets the work of Whitefield and Wesley against a low estimation of 18th-century clergy in general. Indeed, telling the story of great evangelists may make us think that the work of evangelism is mostly carried forward by charismatic individuals who are willing, in Greens words, to burn out for Godand who almost always do. I worry about descriptions like this one of Evan Roberts, the notable name from the Welsh revival of the early 20th century: God picked this man up, used him phenomenally for less than a year, and then laid him aside. Evangelists need to remember they are dispensable, and that is a painful lesson. Does our Lord really treat his ministers so disposably? There is undoubtedly a place for remembering the heroes of church history, as demonstrated by the hall of faith in Hebrews 11. But the great cloud of witnesses ultimately draws our gaze to Christ, faiths pioneer and perfecter (Heb. 12:12). Our problem, as Katelyn Beatys recent book Celebrities for Jesus has shown, is that we often fail to lift our eyes high enough. Article continues below Any account of evangelism in the digital age must reckon with the media-fueled phenomenon of celebrity. Evangelicalisms fervor in employing new media tools to share the message has gotten it entangled with celebrity from its earliest days. Green draws this connection as he reflects on one of Billy Grahams crusades, in which 52,253 recorded decisions for Christ only resulted in 3,802 people joining a local church. He asks, Did concentration on big, exciting crusades tend to encourage churches to pay too much attention to the special event, to the detriment of year-long local evangelism? The jury is out on these questions. Over 3,000 new members for local churches is still something to celebrate. Yet the habit of seeking ever-larger audiences through new technologies always runs the risk of trivializing the message, fueling the culture of celebrity, and losing sight of the everyday work of evangelism. Green, whose best-known books include Evangelism Through the Local Church, would undoubtedly agree. His other writings give a fuller picture of the larger project of evangelism. He wants us to look to the past, not to lionize those who have come before us but to learn from them. Indeed, this desire is evident on nearly every page. Each chapter ends by posing questions, not just about the historical figures in question, but also about the person reading the book. (Am I content, reads one example, for God to do his own work in his own way, not mine?) It reminds us that even as we examine the work of those who have gone before, we must examine ourselves as we continue that work. The last time I talked with my musician friend about writing songs and sermons, he reminded me of a quote from Flannery OConnor: People without hope not only dont write novels, but what is more to the point, they dont read them. They dont take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage. Hope is required to take a long look at anything, and thats true about the history of evangelism. As we follow Green, we see things we have forgotten as well as things we might not want to remember. And yet, the same hope that helps us squarely face this history also pushes us to keep sharingas imperfectly as everthe best news anyone could ever hear. Justin Ariel Bailey is associate professor of theology at Dordt University. He is the author of Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses for Engaging Theology and Culture. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. On Monday, we will hold a congressional briefing at the Senate offices about the worsening situation facing Christians in Myanmar, particularly the Chin people. We hope that the US government will determine the attacks on Christians in Myanmar as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that American Christians will speak out for their brothers and sisters in the country. Christian ethnic minorities in Myanmar (also known as Burma) have long faced religious persecution and ethnic discrimination due to Buddhist nationalism in the country. This has only worsened after the military overthrew Myanmars democratically elected government on February 1, 2021. Since then, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, has steadily ramped up violence against its own citizens, firing on unarmed protesters in the streets of Yangon. By the end of 2021, it was waging an all-out war against civilians in the countryside. Historically, Myanmars ethnic and religious minorities have been the targets of the most horrific military atrocities. In 2017 and 2018, the Tatmadaw committed a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people that killed thousands and forced 700,000 to flee to Bangladesh. The Biden administration rightly labeled the Tatmadaws actions as genocide and crimes against humanity. Today, the Tatmadaw specifically targets Christians from ethnic minorities such as the Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Karenni. The Baptist World Alliance, World Council of Churches, Open Doors, and other Christian leaders have called for action on the military juntas persecution of Christians. It is past time for the Biden administration to ensure accountability, protect Myanmars persecuted Christians, and provide support for the democratic resistance. A Christian people group in a heavily Buddhist nation Every year since Congress passed the Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the State Department has designated Myanmar as a Country of Particular Concern for violations of religious freedom. Buddhists make up 90 percent of the population, according to the 2014 census, while Christians make up 6 percent. Chin State, which is likely more than 85 percent Christian, has faced decades of religious persecution at the hands of the military. This includes arbitrary arrests of Christians, forced labor, rape, and the destruction of churches. In some cases, the military demolished Christian crosses erected by the Chin on mountaintops as an expression of faith and replaced them with Buddhist pagodas. Article continues below American Baptist missionaries arrived in Chinland in 1899 and succeeded in converting the first Chin Christians. The Christian faith would continue to spread throughout the community over the coming years, and in 1907, the Chin Hills Baptist Association was founded. Catholicism and other Protestant denominations also took hold, including Presbyterianism, Methodism, and Pentecostalism. In 1961, Burmese Prime Minister U Nu briefly established Buddhism as the state religion with a nationalist slogan, to be a Burmese is to be a Buddhist. Then, after the first coup the following year, the military dictator Ne Win began to discriminate against ethnic minority Christians, nationalizing religious institutions across Myanmar and treating Christianity as a foreign, malign influence. In 1966, the dictatorship deported Robert Johnson, the last American Baptist missionary to the Chin people. Other foreign missionaries were also forced to leave the country. For the past several decades, the Chin National Front (CNF) and their armed wing, the Chin National Army (CNA), have led an armed resistance to seek greater autonomy for its people. Increased violence since the coup After the 2021 coup, Chin State quickly emerged as one of Myanmars resistance strongholds, with newly formed armed groups such as the Chinland Defense Force and the Chin National Defense Force working alongside veterans of the CNF and CNA to oppose the Tatmadaw. As a result, the Tatmadaw has launched brutal attacks against the states civilian population, specifically targeting Christian leaders and places of worship. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that the violence has forced 55,000 mostly Chin refugees to flee across the border to India, while 47,200 remain internally displaced within the state. The destruction of Thantlang Town in Chin State was one of the militarys most egregious acts. From late 2021 to early 2022, the Tatmadaw conducted a campaign of mass arson in the town, displacing the entire population of 10,000. On his way to fight the fires, Pastor Cung Biak Hum of Thantlangs historic Centenary Baptist Church was killed by the military. Soldiers then cut off his finger and stole his wedding ring. In May 2022, the Tatmadaw destroyed Johnson Memorial Baptist Church, built in memory of the aforementioned Robert Johnson. Thantlang Baptist Church, with a congregation of 3,000 worshippers, was occupied and used as a base before being burned to the ground on June 9, 2022. Article continues below In total, all but one of the towns 22 churches were destroyed by the military, including a Catholic church, a Methodist Church, a Presbyterian Church of Myanmar, an Assembly of God church, a Seventh Day Adventist Church, and a United Pentecostal Church. As of 2023, only the Olive Baptist Church has escaped destruction. On July 16, soldiers based in Mindat in Chin State, the first ethnic minority town to be placed under martial law, assaulted Presbyterian pastor Htang Kay On and abducted three church deaconsChai Kay, Hon Chway, and Hon Kay. The deacons were arrested on the compound of the Presbyterian Church as they assisted internally displaced people and are presumed dead in Tatmadaw custody. With large portions of Chin State outside its control, the Tatmadaw has resorted to airstrikes against villages and civilian infrastructure. In August, the military struck Rathlo in northeast Chin State, where the village church was destroyed. In another attack in the nearby town of Hakha days later, the Tatmadaw targeted the historic Hakha Baptist Church compound built by the American missionaries, damaging the senior pastors residence. Beyond Chin States Christians The Tatmadaw has further increased its persecution of Christians across Myanmar. In Sagaing Region, which borders Chin State, the Tatmadaw targeted historic Catholic villages it accused of supporting the resistance. In November 2022, the military burned down hundreds of homes, a church, and a school in the village of Mon Hla, hometown of Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon and Archbishop Marco Tin Way of Mandalay. In January, the Tatmadaw burned down the 129-year-old Assumption Church in the village of Chan Thar. Meanwhile, the post-coup court system is overwhelmingly subservient to the military," according to the human rights group International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). This can be seen in cases of Christians being imprisoned under false charges, such as Thian Lian Sang, a Chin pastor at Falam Baptist Church in Mandalay Region. Authorities sentenced Sang to 23 years in prison on charges of rebellion against the military and providing weapons to rebels on December 7, 2022. Two days earlier at the Mandalay Airport, the Tatmadaw arrested Hkalam Samson, an ethnic Kachin Christian leader and advocate for religious freedom, on his way to Thailand for medical treatment. Samson had been part of a delegation that met with President Donald Trump at the White House in 2019. Article continues below Throughout his detention in a prison in the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina, Samsons wife reported that the military prevented him from receiving her deliveries of food and medicine. A secret military court sentenced Samson to six years in prison on April 7 on false charges of terrorism, unlawful association, and inciting opposition to the regime. Elsewhere in the Christian areas of Karen and Karenni States, similar persecution continues. While Christians face special persecution as a religious minority, the Tatmadaw has also destroyed Buddhist places of worship in its campaign of terror against civilians. The ICJ counts at least 94 Buddhist places of worship damaged in the past two years. As with Christian churches, the military has commandeered Buddhist buildings for sacrilegious purposes. In October 2022, the Tatmadaw used a Buddhist monastery in Monywa in Sagaing Region as a detention facility to arbitrarily detain and beat 100 civilians. How the US can help What can the Biden administration do to help Myanmars Christians? First, the administration should formally designate the Tatmadaws atrocities against Christians as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Last year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a similar determination of genocide regarding the Tatmadaws violent expulsion of the Rohingya in 2017 and 2018. This would be a first step toward accountability for the military junta and could mobilize the international community to take further action, such as sanctions or referral to international legal bodies. The Biden administration should also make more serious efforts to support Myanmars democratic resistance. The 2023 spending bill, which passed with bipartisan support, authorizes the United States to provide pro-democracy forces with up to $136 million in non-lethal aid and humanitarian assistance. The Burma Act of 2022 explicitly names eligible groups such as the National Unity Government (NUG); the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), made up of legislators elected in 2020; the Peoples Defense Forces; and the Ethnic Armed Organizations. Yet they have not received significant non-lethal aid. Finally, while the administration has levied sanctions against key military-controlled banks and the sale of jet fuel for Burmese warplanes, it has refrained from sanctioning other resources that help prop up the Tatmadaw. The United States should also sanction the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, which helps the junta fund its war crimes through upward of one billion dollars in annual revenue. Article continues below For Christians, the global church should advocate for the people of Myanmar. Advocacy was central to the life of the prophets and to the ministry of Jesus. The churchs prophetic and apostolic advocacy means its solidarity with suffering people and its resistance to oppressors for liberation. Zo Tum Hmung and John Indergaard are the executive director and project and advocacy coordinator, respectively, of the Chin Association of Maryland. David Thang Moe is a Henry H. Rice Postdoc Associate and lecturer of Southeast Asian Studies at Yale University. As a public theologian and a prophetic advocate for ethnic minorities, he has frequently spoken on Myanmar, Buddhist nationalism, and ethnic conflict at leading universities around the world. Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication. T his week on The Bulletin, hosts Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll, and Bob Smietana discuss the darkness of our culture in hopes of finding light. Award-winning journalist Sam Quinones joins the show to talk about the opioid crisis; and, with all thats heavy in the world, Mike, Clarissa, and Bob wonder aloud how pastors have held on as long as they have. Is it any surprise theyre quitting, and what can we do about it? Listen in for a conversation equal parts somber and spirited, weighty and winsome. Joining us this week: Clarissa Moll is an award-winning writer and podcaster who helps bereaved people find flourishing after loss. She co-hosted Christianity Todays Surprised by Grief podcast and is a frequent guest on podcasts and radio shows. Clarissas debut book, Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving After Loss, was a best-selling new release in 2022. Her three new grief books for children, teens, and adults respectively release in 2024 and 2025. She is the producer of The Bulletin and widow of former CT editor Rob Moll. Bob Smietana is an award-winning religion reporter and editor who has spent two decades producing breaking news, data journalism, investigative reporting, profiles, and features for magazines, newspapers, trade publications, and websites. Most notably, he has served as a senior writer for Facts & Trends, senior editor of Christianity Today, religion writer at The Tennessean, correspondent for Religion News Service, and contributor to OnFaith, USA TODAY, and The Washington Post. He is best known for his coverage of evangelical Christianity, end-time cat worshipers, and the human side of religion. Sam Quinones is a journalist, storyteller, former LA Times reporter, and author of four acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction. His most recent book is The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, released in 2021. Columbia Journalism School selected him as a 2008 recipient of the Maria Moors Cabot prize, for a career of excellence in covering Latin America. He is also a 1998 recipient of an Alicia Patterson Fellowship, one of the most prestigious fellowships given to print journalists. Resources Referenced: Pastors Share Top Reasons Theyve Considered Quitting Ministry in the Past Year - Barna Group Departure: Why I Left the Church by Alex Lang National Surveys | COVID-19 Religion Research by Hartford Center for Religion Research The Road by Cormac McCarthy Read More from Christianity Today about Todays Topics: With Eyes to See Addiction, Appalachian Churches Respond to the Opioids Crisis Jesus Loves Opioid Addicts | Christianity Today The Church Should Ask Two Questions About the Current Drug Crisis | Christianity Today Pastors, Theres a Ministry in Staying Put | Christianity Today Ive Reached My Breaking Point as a Pastor | Christianity Today The Bulletin is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Producer: Clarissa Moll and Matt Stevens Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Music: Dan Phelps Show Design: Bryan Todd Graphic Design: Amy Jones Social Media: Kate Lucky Local and foreign Christians have joined in relief efforts following last weeks massive earthquake in Morocco. Nearly 3,000 people have died, with more than 5,000 injured. Registering 6.8 on the Richter scale, it is the North African nations most powerful quake since 1969 and its deadliest since 1960. But far from the epicenter near the historic city of Marrakesh, gathered believers all had the same question. No one ever asks of disasters, Why did it happen to them? said Youssef Ahmed, a senior member of Tangier Northern Church, 350 miles away. But when it hits you, everyone wants to know Gods will. The house church service went much longer than usual. Although Morocco only recognizes Islam and Judaism as domestic faiths, local believers generally say the government permits them to worship quietly in their homesunder a protective but thorough surveillance. Alcohol and pork, forbidden by sharia, are also freely available in the country. About 15 percent of citizens declare themselves nonreligious, while only 25 percent express trust in clerical leadership. We are not restricted in Morocco, said Ahmed. Just dont be a nuisance. The latest US State Department report on Morocco indicates that, while undermining the Islamic religion is punishable with up to five years in prison, there are no known cases of Christians running afoul of the law. But that Sunday, the former Muslims had other concerns on their mind. Why did it happen? We cannot know. Was it because of sin? We cannot know. Was it a test, like with Job? We cannot know, said Ahmed, who led the lengthy discussion. All we know is that God allowed it to happen, and his ways are righteous. We keep our faith in him. Encouraged in their walk, they went out to serve. The congregation is a part of the 36-member Union of Christian Churches, which Ahmed founded in 2010. Congregants traveled south with supplies to see what they could do. Attempting to reach isolated villages in the Atlas Mountains, where many mud-brick homes were destroyed, they were turned back by roadblocks which permitted only relatives to enter. Continuing on to Jemaa al-Fnaa Square in Marrakesh, they encountered a mass of humanity camped out in fear of continuing aftershocks. They quickly joined in with the multitude of Moroccansand touristsdistributing water and blankets. Much of the 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage site was undamaged, including the medieval Kotoubia Mosque which overlooks the square. But a less famous minaret had collapsed, as had portions of the 12th-century city wall. Badly damaged also was the earth-and-stone Tinmel Mosque, built by the Almohad dynasty in an Atlas Mountain valley 60 miles away before the Berber caliphate conquered Marrakesh and moved onward to Spain. One Moroccan pastor estimates the church today is 80 percent Berber. Meanwhile, from the southern city of Agadir, 150 miles southwest of the epicenter, Rachid Imounan was also trying to help. As leader of a local network of about 150 Christians, he worked with his community to distribute food, clothes, and medicine, as well as visit the injured in the city hospital. Bold where appropriate, he sought to give a pleasant spiritual message about salvation. This is what the Bible teaches us, to be together in joy and sorrow, Imounan said. We do not have much, but we have spiritual power. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights estimates there are 25,000 Christian citizens in the country, according to the US State Department, while foreign leaders estimate an expat community of approximately 10,000 Protestants and 30,000 Roman Catholics. Last Sunday, Pope Francis joined in solidarity and prayed for earthquake victims. We stand with the people of Morocco, he stated, as the Vatican offered its help. In 2016, Morocco hosted hundreds of Muslim leaders to issue the Marrakesh Declaration, pledging to protect historic Christian minorities as ISIS ravaged Syria and Iraq. In 2019, Francis visited the kingdom as part of his ongoing outreach to the Muslim world. And hosting a global parliamentarian conference last June, Moroccan king Mohammed VI reiterated his nations commitment to ensure the free exercise of religious worship to all foreign Christians. Yesterday, he made a personal $100 million donation to earthquake relief. Ahmed said the international Protestant churches of Tangiers, Casablanca, and Marrakesh have joined in the overall effort. So also has People in Mission International (PMI), a Latin American agency working in Muslim nations. In fellowship with many other colleagues, they have set up a base camp to distribute emergency supplies as they raise funds to support the displaced. We are trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to incarnate his love, said the PMI field coordinator, requesting anonymity per agency policy. And in support of the church, day by day we are seeing more unity as expats and local believers work together. The latter cannot legally work alone. The church is not registered, so it is unable to do official relief, said Adam Rabati, president of the Union of Moroccan Christians, a grouping of 65 house churches. We have always been rejected by our families and the conservative society. Living 200 miles north of the epicenter in Rabat, he said his village home was also damaged in the earthquake. While his union is also seeking to help the displaced, he has long campaigned to secure official recognition of local Christians and the religious rights of marriage, burial, and childrens education. And while their situation deteriorated during the previous decade governed by Islamist politicians, Rabati stated that believers will still have to fight for their demands under the liberal government elected in 2021. Open Doors ranks Morocco No. 29 on its World Watch List of nations where it is hardest to be a Christian, while the law prohibits shaking the faith of a Muslim. A 25-year old second-generation pastors daughter, shares Rabatis opinion. As a student she chafed at having to memorize the Quran and Islamic prayer rituals, and told no one of her real faith. Moroccan Christianity is very weak, she said of the impact of nonrecognition. We live our faith secretly and worship underground. But the earthquake may be pulling some local Christians out of their shell. Living in Casablanca, her house shook but suffered no material damage. She declined to give her name and the name of her agency for security reasons, but with it and other Christians, she has distributed food, clothes, tents, and other necessities. Everywhere she goes she encounters mortality. Navigating the near-impassable mountain roads to reach isolated villages, she witnessed other drivers veer off to their death. And then, upon arrival, she is hit with a pungent realitythe stench of decomposing bodies trapped under the rubble. Relief work keeps her awake until 2 a.m., and for a very specific reason. Its so important for us as Christians to have a positive impact on our society, she said, and to show the world who Jesus is. The Al Yassamine Association exists for the same reason. Created in 2007 by Mustafa Soussi, the former Islamist activist wanted his faith in Christ to shine in the world. In application of James 2:26faith without works is deadhis organization works for sustainable development in the same Moroccan areas devastated by the earthquake. He is from Taroudant, 150 miles south of Marrakesh. Commonly known for its Christian leadership, Al Yassamine was first on the scene. Like other believers, Soussi distributed food, clothes, and medicinegoing first to the remote areas not yet reached by the government or other aid agencies. But unlike fellow Christians interviewed by CT, his group is registered with the proper authorities, and therefore official. We cannot work in earthquake relief in the name of the church, Soussi said. But as an association, we have the legal right to help the affected people. He employs Muslims side-by-side with Christians, and aids both the same. Less concerned to witness verbally than to embody Matthew 7:16by their fruit you will know themSoussi serves not as a believer in Jesus but as a proud citizen, awaiting any question about his faith. But he has a prevailing motivation. My country made me who I am today, Soussi said. I want us to understand that Morocco is not only for Muslims. Raised in a devout family, his parents and siblings refused to talk to him after his conversion to Christianity in 1994. Nine years later, he and others named their house church after the prophet Job, identifying with the Old Testament characters patience in the face of great suffering. But by 2009, Soussis family accepted him backand now even seeks his counsel. The figure of Job, of course, is a perfect prophet for times of national disaster. And as Ahmeds colleagues distributed their water to the displaced in Marrakesh, like Soussi, they announced no particular religious distinction. But they did aim to prompt reflection about Gods will. All we told them was: God loves you, said Ahmed. But it might open up conversations: If he loves me, why did this happen? Some recipients engaged; some did not. With all, the believers sought to act wisely, knowing the government could be watching. But there is no law against talking to people, he said, and actions speak louder than words. Muslims are our neighbors, Ahmed said. There may not be an impact now, but we are planting a seed. [ This article is also available in espanol and Francais. ] Wheaton College embraced racist attitudes that created an inhospitable and sometimes hostile campus environment for persons of color, according to a 122-page review of the schools history released by trustees today. Though the flagship evangelical institution was founded by abolitionists, over the next century and a half it turned away from concerns about racial equality. Even when the schools leadership knew what was right, they frequently lacked the courage to take a more vocal role in opposing widespread forms of racism and white supremacy, the report says, and too often chose to stay silent, equivocate, or do nothing about racial injustice. We cannot be healed and cannot be reconciled unless and until we repent, the task force concluded at the end of an 18-month study. These sins constituted a failure of Christian love; denied the dignity of people made in the image of God; created deep and painful barriers between Christian brothers and sisters; tarnished our witness to the gospel; and prevented us from displaying more fully the beautiful diversity of Gods kingdom. President Philip Ryken told CT he believes the report is important and hes glad the college will be making it publicly available. The record of the people of God, in so many ways, is a record of their failures as well as their successes, he said. I think we can be more effective in living for Jesus Christ today if were aware of the challenges that our brothers and sisters have faced in the past and how they have responded to the challenges and opportunities of their day. The historical review was conducted by a 15-member task force of trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Led by trustee Dale Wong and archivist Katherine Graber, they reconstructed the history of race relations from Wheatons founding in 1853 up to the year 2000. The school was started by abolitionist John Cross and then reorganized and renamed by Jonathan Blanchard, who was one of the first ministers to urge president Abraham Lincoln to let the oppressed go free. After that, though, the record was not always stellar. Wheaton leadership showed little concern for Black people in the years after the Civil War, hired no nonwhite faculty, and enrolled only a few nonwhite students, the report found. Minority students who did attend faced overt racism, including students refusing to live or eat alongside them and school-sanctioned blackface performances. By the 1920s, Wheaton had surrendered any claim to a countercultural position on race, according to the task force report. A new president, J. Oliver Buswell, stopped admitting Black students altogether in 1926. Privately, Buswell said he didnt think integration was immoral, but he was concerned about too much social contact between races. I have been trying to dodge this issue, he wrote to a friend toward the end of his presidency. I am inclined to think that it would be better in a practical way if colored people would go to their own colored schools. Thirty states had laws against interracial relationships at the time, and the US considered amending the constitution to make what was then called miscegenation a federal crime. The Wheaton task force noted, however, that Christians should not accept arguments that Buswell and others were just men of their time. Historical context is not an excuse for failing to stand up for biblical ideals of equality and human dignity, it said. Our goal, the task force wrote, is to remind our readersand ourselvesof how easily our fallen world can shape each of us into its mold. Dale Wong, one of the chairs of the task force, said the deep dive into the historical record was sobering. We are proud of our history at Wheaton, he said, and its difficult to understand how that original vision, from that founding by abolitionists, was lost, and how we fell into going along with the culture. Thats something I think we have to deal with. The task force found some positive episodes in Wheatons history of race relations as well. On several occasions, harkening back to its abolitionist founding, the school sharply broke from culturally accepted racism. During World War II, for example, Wheaton agreed to enroll Japanese and Japanese American students who were facing internment. By 1944, there were more than 20 Japanese students taking classes at the evangelical institution. President V. Raymond Edman, who took the helm in 1940, also started admitting Black students again around that time and asked the anthropology and sociology department to study race relations on campus. The faculty commission wrote a five-page report in 1960. It strongly rejected any scientific basis for racial hierarchies and called on the college and evangelicals more generally to reject racial discrimination. The anthropology and sociology professors specifically wanted the school to hire Black faculty, recruit minority students, and accept interracial marriages among students. If implemented, the proposals would have made Wheaton College a leader among Christian institutions in its rejection of racial prejudice and pursuit of kingdom diversity, the task force said. Instead, Edman and other Wheaton leaders decided to suppress the report. It was not released. The school did not hire its first Black full-time professor until the 1980s. It would not make student body diversity a priority until the 1990s. Based on the careful research in this historical review, tested against the perfect standard of the Word of God and the high moral calling of a Christ-centered community, we also see specific areas where we need to repent as an institution, the task force said. The report cites the Bibles calls to corporate repentance and lamentation over sin and injustice, including the failures of past generations, citing Isaiah 59:12, Jeremiah 14:7, and Daniel 9:16. It also recommends concrete actions. The trustees have agreed to some immediate practical steps, starting with a change to the name of the schools library, which currently honors Buswell. The trustees have instructed the administration to remove his name from all signs and set up a permanent display explaining the history of the schools discriminatory enrollment practices. The trustees have also pledged to remain alert for unjust situations from our history and to pursue relationships where a more complete reconciliation and mutual blessing through repentance may be realized. That will involve ongoing assessment of the resources provided to minority students, as well as dialogue with the Lakota Sioux over the colleges ownership of the Black Hills Science Station in South Dakota, which sits on land the Lakota say was stolen. The trustees have advised the administration to consider biblical approaches to this sensitive and complex issue and seek to understand Lakota views of a just remedy. The school will also encourage continued collaboration and reconciliation with the Potawatomi, who were forcibly removed from their homes after the federal government under Andrew Jackson declared the land that would later become Wheaton College to be terra nullius, or nobodys land. Wheatons review, which was commissioned in October 2021 and released to trustees in March of this year, follows similar self-interrogations taking place at secular and Christian schools across the country. Many older institutions have recently worked on public acknowledgements of the ways they benefitted from slavery. Brown University put out a self-critical historical study in 2006, followed by similar efforts at Emory University, the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Harvard University. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville issued a report in 2018 chronicling its historic ties to slavery and defenses of white superiority. Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey released a historical audit in 2019. Georgetown University, founded by Jesuits, established a reconciliation fund giving $400,000 annually to help the descendants of the people enslaved by the Catholic brothers in Maryland. Historian Anthea Butler, author of White Evangelical Racism, said she is always skeptical of evangelical efforts to reform themselves, but shes still encouraged by Wheatons effort. If you spend this much money and time on a report, youre serious, Butler said. I dont know if evangelicalism can be saved from its racism, but I commend them, and I really hope they are ready to face the backlash from folks who say this is woke. Wheaton previously revised the wording on a plaque honoring missionary martyrs Jim Elliot and Ed McCully, two Wheaton alumni who died attempting to reach an Indigenous people group in Ecuador. The original campus memorial called the Woarani savage indians. The revision was supported by Kathryn Long, an emerita history professor at Wheaton and the author of an acclaimed study of the missionaries. Their actions took place at a certain point in time, she said. But we dont want to leave them there. Wheaton has planned town halls for students, faculty, and staff to discuss the task force report tomorrow, followed by more conversations next week, a question-and-answer session for alumni over homecoming weekend, and a symposium in October. Ryken said he doesnt know how people will respond to the report, but Christians have to wrestle with their history and be honest about their moral failures. Sometimes you see the glory of God more clearly in his redeeming grace for fallen sinners, he said. We have lots of examples in Scripture of the people of God wrestling with their past and seeking to understand their past, in some cases celebrating, but also lamenting and repenting. There is a complexity about the past that the Scriptures do not back away from but lean into. And thats what we want to do too. George Barna: Most Christians don't know what a disciple is WASHINGTON A noted researcher is attributing societal problems in the United States to a transition from a biblical worldview to alternative philosophies. Prominent Christian researcher George Barna spoke at the Family Research Councils Pray, Vote, Stand Summit Friday, discussing his new book Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Childs Heart, Mind, and Soul. He began his speech by warning that the challenges facing American society stem from our transition from the biblical worldview to alternative philosophies, identifying our societal problems as the symptoms of that shift. The only true social crisis is a worldview crisis. The result is a paucity of Jesus' disciples. We treat the symptoms rather than the cause of the crisis, Barna asserted, outlining statistics often used to refute the idea that there is a worldview crisis in America. Specifically, Barna documented that there are 174 million self-identified Christians that constitute 68% of the country, 90 million theologically-defined born-again Christians that account for 35% of the population, 128 million Christians who believe in the existence of the God of Israel that make up 50% of the population, 84 million who go to a Christian church once a week that account for 33% of the population, and 46 million self-identified Christians that are deeply committed to their faith that add up to 18% of the population. None of these things constitute what a disciple is, he said. Barna also rejected the definition of a disciple as a good person, noting that all people are sinners. He had a similar rebuttal to the definition of a disciple as someone who believes in God, stressing that Satan and demons believe in God as well. Reacting to the definition of a disciple as someone who attends church, he emphasized that Christians have an obligation to be the church rather than just go to church. Barna also pushed back on the idea that anyone with a Christian upbringing is a disciple, insisting that discipleship is not inherited. He pointed to examples of Jesus directly defining the term disciple in the Bible, including in John 8:31, which calls on disciples to obey Jesus teachings. Additional passages cited by Barna as illustrative of what constitutes a disciple include John 13:35, which instructs disciples to love other disciples, and John 15:8, which orders disciples to produce spiritual fruit. Barna also discussed demands made on disciples in the Gospel of Luke, which include orders to love God beyond all else, submit to Gods authority and fully surrender to God. He ultimately defined a disciple as someone who lives like Jesus because they think like Jesus. The researcher concluded that most people do not act like Christ because they do not think like Him. To consistently think like Jesus, you need a biblical worldview the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual filter that enables you to consistently and confidently make the decisions that He would make, Barna added. He maintained that a lack of a biblical worldview among parents poses problems for their children, sharing statistics finding that less than 1 percent of adolescents and teens are on track to have a biblical worldview. Barna contended that the biggest mistakes parents make when it comes to instilling a worldview in their children include prioritizing academic achievement, emotional happiness, and good health over worldview development as well as failure to form a plan for their childs spiritual development or objective measurements of their childs worldview. The researcher detailed how parents want their children to be a good person as opposed to a disciple, adding that parents are not leaving their faith up to God but leaving it up to chance. In addition to lamenting the fact that just 2% of parents with children younger than 13 have a biblical worldview, Barna also discussed the impact of the absence of a biblical worldview among pastors. According to Barna, Most pastors neither have a biblical worldview nor are committed to biblical worldview development. He expressed concern that while a large majority of Protestant pastors think they are doing an excellent or very good job of developing congregants worldview, many senior pastors confuse transmitting information through preaching with discipleship founded on a strategic worldview development process. Childrens pastors confuse family satisfaction, generic Bible exposure, and habitual attendance with effective child discipleship, he warned. In addition to decrying a widespread failure of pastors to equip parents to develop their childs worldview, he explained that very few churches have a meaningful worldview assessment process to gauge how their people are doing. Throughout his remarks, Barna cited his book as an effective resource to help parents formulate a biblical worldview in their children and thereby reverse the embrace of worldviews other than a biblical worldview that have led to negative consequences for American society. Nigeria: ECWA pastor abducted from his home, 2 other Christians kidnapped ABUJA, Nigeria Gunmen early Wednesday kidnapped a pastor and two other Christians in Jos East County, Plateau state, Nigeria, sources said. The Rev. Usman Umaru of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) was kidnapped at about 5:40 a.m. when the gunmen broke into his home on the ECWA premises, said area resident Michael Madaki. Armed terrorists invaded the Maigyemu community in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau state, Madaki told Morning Star News in a text message. The terrorists broke into the premises ECWA Church, Nuku village and kidnapped the pastor, Usman Umaru. Madaki named the other two Christians kidnapped as Agwom Dauda and a woman identified only as Sarah. Alfred Alabo, spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, confirmed the kidnapping of the three Christians and said officers had been deployed to the area. There have been prior attacks on Christians in Jos East Local Government Area. In July, five Christians were killed in attacks on Zangam and Kayarda communities in Maigyemu District. Among those slain were Agada Sambo of Zangam village and Azi of Kayarda. Another Christian, Luka Izang, was kidnapped but released after his family paid a ransom. On Jan. 20, an area community leader, Isaac Wakili, was kidnapped from his house in the Shere area of Jos East Local Government Area at about 3 a.m. Security agents later rescued him. Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people. In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year. Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery, the WWL report noted. This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation. Nigerias government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians rights are carried out with impunity. Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report. They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states. Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds. Pa. state constable arrested, charged with over 700 counts of human trafficking, sex crimes A Pennsylvania constable faces over 700 charges related to human trafficking as a result of a two-year joint investigation conducted by the Chambersburg Police Department and the Franklin County District Attorney's Office. Authorities arrested Timothy Raye Heefner, 64, on Wednesday. He's being held at the Franklin County Jail with bail set at $1,250,000. The investigation is ongoing, and the Chambersburg Police Department requests that anyone who might have been a victim of Heefner to come forward. On Wednesday, the Chambersburg Police Department announced in a press release that authorities initially received information to open a case in July 2021, which was later presented to the Franklin County Investigative Grand Jury in January. Heefner was charged with hundreds of offenses, including 58 counts of trafficking individuals and patronized prostitution. Heefner also faces one count of corruption of minors, 41 counts of criminal attempt to commit trafficking of individuals, one count of rape, and a slew of other charges. The Chambersburg Police Department would like to thank the Franklin County District Attorney's Office, the Franklin County Jail, the Franklin County Drug Task Force, and all other law enforcement who assisted CPD with the investigation, the department added. Most importantly, CPD would like to thank the female victims who were brave enough to come forward to report Heefner's criminal activities. In a separate case reported by The Christian Post in August, police officers in Florida arrested two individuals suspected of trafficking minors after a concerned hotel clerk contacted them with his suspicions. The two suspects were Richard Flores, 44, and Maria Barrios Calero, 44. The hotel clerk at the Lago Motor Inn in Lake Worth Beach contacted police after he entered the room and saw two girls sitting on a bed with Flores, who had a condom package nearby. The girls' demeanor roused the clerk's suspicions and he phoned the police. Calero was charged with three counts of Human Trafficking (minor) while Flores was charged with two counts of Human Trafficking (minor). Both subjects were transported to jail without incident, police said at the time. Detectives subsequently uncovered a sex trafficking operation involving Calero, who had arranged a date at the hotel where Flores was to rape the two girls. Last month, the FBI located 200 victims of sex trafficking through an enforcement campaign called Operation Cross Country. The campaign, which the FBI conducted alongside its local and state partners, also resulted in the arrest or identification of 126 individuals suspected of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses. As part of the operation, law enforcement agencies worked to identify and arrest offenders, while specialists worked with the victims and provided them with necessary services, which consisted of housing or emergency medical care. "Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, and their crimes scar victims many of them children for life, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in an August press release. The FBI's commitment to combatting this threat will never waver, and we will continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated. "This operation would not be possible without the commitment and collaboration from our state and local law enforcement partners, and it demonstrates our continued focus on actively pursuing the criminals responsible for these heinous violations and connecting those impacted with dedicated victim services and resources." Concerns about LGBT books promoting pedophilia, grooming prompt 4 states to sever ties with American Library Association From LGBT-themed books on the shelf to the promotion of Marxism, various concerns have arisen at public libraries throughout the country, prompting some states to sever ties with the American Library Association. The organization opposes the banning of books, including those that some parents deem harmful because they promote pedophilia and sexual experimentation at a young age. The library group reported last year a rise in efforts to ban certain books, including Maia Kobabes Gender Queer and Jonathan Evisons Lawn Boy, which contain graphic sexual content and promote pedophilia. The ALA has spoken out against efforts to ban these and other books, contending that it would silence marginalized or historically underrepresented voices. As The Associated Press reported, following the associations defense of materials many parents find objectionable, several state libraries have decided to leave the ALA, and others could follow suit. Some libraries, however, have chosen to withdraw due to controversies involving ALA's leadership. While the ALA did not respond to The Christian Posts request for comment for this article, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALAs Office of Intellectual Freedom, denied that there was a mass exodus in a statement to the AP. However, she declined to disclose how many libraries are members of ALA nor how many had left the association. This effort to change what libraries are, or even just take libraries away from communities, I think, is part of a larger effort to diminish the public good, to take away those information resources from individuals and really limit their opportunity to have the kinds of resources that a community hub, like a public library, provides, Caldwell-Stone told the AP. Here's a list of four states that have cut ties with the ALA amid concerns about the types of books being promoted to school-aged children. 1 2 3 4 5 Next Christian orphanage denied permit renewal by Indian state, intensifying concerns about religious freedom A Christian orphanage in a central Indian state has been denied a renewal of its permit to receive foreign charitable funds, intensifying concerns about religious freedom and governmental oversight in the country governed by a Hindu nationalist party. The Department for Women and Child Development in Madhya Pradesh state declined to renew the license for Adharshila Sansthan, an orphanage in Damoh district managed by a Protestant couple, UCA News reported. The state is governed by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An official from the orphanage, who wished to remain anonymous, was quoted as saying that they have been operating since 2005 and have always complied with legal requirements. The orphanage has facilitated the adoption of 18 children by foreign couples and 27 by Indian couples. Currently, 11 girls and five boys are ready for adoption and will be transferred to other state-run orphanages. The states child rights panel accused the orphanage of not adhering to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act on Sept. 5. The main reason cited for the denial was that the orphanage was running boys and girls hostels under one license, which the orphanage official says is not prohibited by law. Praksha Pathak, Damoh district chairperson of the child rights panel, was quoted as saying that decisions about relocating the children are pending. She declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality. Church officials claim that the state government has been targeting Christian institutions like schools, hostels and orphanages. Madhya Pradesh has also enforced a stringent anti-conversion law since 2021. Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, filed a complaint against the orphanage and its founder, Dr. Ajay Lall, on Nov. 13, 2022. The complaint accuses the orphanage of violating the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, and the case is still under investigation. The orphanage official called the situation a planned conspiracy against their institution. Christians constitute only 0.29% of Madhya Pradeshs population of over 72 million, more than 80% of whom are Hindus. The state has been under BJP rule for nearly two decades, except for a brief period between 2018 and 2020. In 2017, Christian child sponsorship organization Compassion International was forced to leave India. The federal government blocked its funding, affecting 147,000 children. The organization was founded in 1952 and had been sending funds to over 500 local child development projects in India. Christians make up about 2.3% of Indias population and face suppression from the national government, according to the U.S. State Department. Amendments to the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act in 2020 have added more restrictions on Christian groups, including onerous oversight and certification requirements. Several Christian organizations have had their Foreign Contributions Regulation Act licenses canceled. The United Nations has criticized the act, stating that it has been used to justify intrusive measures against civil society organizations. The Department of State has noted that Christians in India are subject to surveillance, harassment, property demotion and detention under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The ReligionUnplugged online magazine reported in July that Christian ministries are specifically targeted by the government under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act. World Vision and Compassion International have also been impacted by the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act. World Vision had its license suspended in November 2022, and Compassion International was forced to shut down its operations in India in 2017 due to funding restrictions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, criticized the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act in a 2020 press statement. She said the act had been invoked to justify a range of intrusive measures, including official raids on NGO offices and the freezing of bank accounts. A report by the United Christian Forum reveals a significant increase in attacks on Christians since 2014. The first half of 2023 saw a surge in violence against Christians across 23 states in India, according to the UCF, which identified 400 incidents, up from 274 reported over the same period last year. According to UCFs findings, the number of violent incidents against Christians has been rising steadily in India since 2014, with a significant spike observed in 2021 and 2022. For Indias Christians, 2021 was the most violent year in the countrys history, with at least 486 violent incidents of Christian persecution reported that year. In almost all incidents reported across India, vigilante mobs composed of religious extremists have been seen to either barge into a prayer gathering or round up individuals that they believe are involved in forcible religious conversions, said that years report by the UCF. The UCF attributed the high incidence of Christian persecution to impunity, due to which such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault people in prayer, before handing them over to the police on allegations of forcible conversions. Jacksonville agrees to exempt Catholic bookstore from LGBT nondiscrimination law The city of Jacksonville, Florida, has agreed to exempt a Catholic bookstore from an LGBT nondiscrimination law, thereby enabling the establishment to operate in accordance with its religious beliefs about gender and sexuality. Last Thursday, the city of Jacksonville and Queen of Angels Catholic Bookstore settled a lawsuit that focused on whether or not the religious business had to abide by city law regarding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity even though doing so would violate its deeply held religious beliefs. Under the terms of the settlement, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida declared Queen of Angels a religious organization that was exempt from Jacksonvilles law requiring businesses to adhere to nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Hal Frampton, who represented the bookstore in the litigation, elaborated on its implications for the business and its owner, Christie DeTrude, in a statement. Free speech is for everyone. All Americans should be free to say what they believe without fear of government punishment, he said. Christie gladly serves everyone, but she cant speak messages that conflict with her religious beliefs. Jacksonvilles law threatened her with costly investigations, fines, and damages if she used her stores website to communicate Catholic beliefs about gender identity and human sexuality, Frampton added. Thankfully, the city has now agreed that Queen of Angels is a religious organization free to operate according to its faith. As outlined in the original complaint filed in February, the Jacksonville law in question seeks to eliminate discriminatory practices in public accommodations. The law defines a place of public accommodation as any establishment, service, place, or building which offers, sells, or otherwise makes available to the public any good, service, facility, privilege or advantage and specifies [a]ny retail establishment as a place of public accommodation. This caused Queen of Angels to conclude that it was a place of public accommodation subject to the requirements of the nondiscrimination law. Noting that Queen of Angels also operates a for-profit website where it offers and sells goods to the public, the lawsuit stressed that the website is also, according to Jacksonville law, a place of public accommodation subject to the law. The law contains three distinct clauses that threaten Queen of Angels ability to speak and operate in accordance with its faith: the Privilege, Denial, and Unwelcome Clauses, the lawsuit stated. It cited Queen of Angels practice of using only [correct and not self-declared] preferred pronouns and titles that are consistent with a customers biological sex in accordance with a written policy that it wished to implement as a violation of all three clauses. The written policy in question, as detailed in an order handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Corrigan on July 7, asserts that owners, and employed staff, while working for the bookstore, may only use pronouns and titles that align with the biologically originating sex of the person being referenced, whether the individual is a coworker, customer, or any member of the public visiting or interacting with the bookstore. The use of gender neutral pronouns or neologisms when requested by such referenced persons as noted above, to describe an individuals identity contrary to someones biologically originating sex, e.g. they, ze, or Mx., is also prohibited, the policy explains. The policy also encourages bookstore employees asked to address a trans-identified person with their self-declared chosen pronouns to respectfully and charitably decline, and instead use of a form of address that does not contradict someones biologically originating sex, such as the persons first or last name. The bookstore contended that the Jacksonville nondiscrimination law violated its First Amendment rights to free speech, association, press and assembly as well as the free exercise of religion and sought a court order forbidding the city from enforcing it against them and declaring it unconstitutional. Corrigan denied Queen of Angels requests and granted the defendants motion to dismiss while ordering the bookstore to file an amended complaint focusing solely on the religious exception issue. Queen of Angels filed the amended complaint on July 28. The Sept. 7 settlement resolves the legal dispute at the center of the complaint, which details how the bookstore meets the definition of a religious organization. Indifference is killing us: SBC Pres. Ed Litton tells pastors at racial reconciliation event President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Ed Litton, warned an audience that gathered for a racial reconciliation event at his Redemption Church in Mobile, Alabama, that indifference is killing us and in order to overcome racial prejudice, we outta go and work at it. Litton who won the SBC presidency in June amid a raging debate over the denominations stance on critical race theory and other issues with the backing of the conventions first and only black President, Fred Luter leaned into his long history of promoting racial reconciliation at the fourth annual Shrink the Divide conference to drive home his point. Shrink the divide is a project of The Pledge Group, which is a movement of leaders from different racial, denominational, and vocational backgrounds who want to shrink the racial divide in the Mobile, AL area. Ill tell you whats killing us today. Nobody in the Southern Baptist Church that I am a part of, nobody in my church, probably nobody in your church would ever want to be called a bigot, but indifference is killing us, Litton said, urging the diverse pool of participants at the conference to not look away from the suffering of people outside their communities. Racial stereotypes and hard feelings, pre-judgements dont instantly go away we outta go and work at it, he said. Critical race theory, which is an ideological framework that some legal scholars say interrogates the relationship between race, law and power, became a lightning rod for disagreement in the denomination in 2020, leading some prominent black Southern Baptist leaders to leave the denomination. The tipping point for many of the pastors who left came after the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the revised Baptist Faith & Message in 2020 when the SBCs Council of Seminary Presidents, comprised of the leaders of the denominations six seminaries, voted to reject CRT as incompatible with their faith while condemning racism in any form. The situation then led several outspoken SBC pastors to call for the denomination to rescind Resolution 9 On Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, which was adopted with much dissent in the summer of 2019. At their annual meeting in June, Southern Baptist messengers affirmed their commitment to racial reconciliation and the sufficiency of Scripture to address issues of race by adopting a resolution that avoided the contentious debate over critical race theory. On Sunday, Litton focused on the Gospel to explain that racial reconciliation requires more intentional action to achieve because time doesnt heal all wounds and prayer isnt enough by itself. Ignoring doesnt heal all wounds. Just praying and saying its going to get better doesnt heal all wounds. Believing in a God who heals, yes, thats what heals wounds, Litton said. But God also requires that we make intentional treatments of those wounds that we are persistent and consistent with one another, that we are always a source in the Body of Christ, all of our churches, to experience love and prayer and care for one another. To help him illustrate how Jesus ministry transcended racial lines, the SBC leader cited the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 and that of the woman at the well in John 4. Only Christ can change the heart. We have a sin problem, not a skin problem. The only solution is Jesus. And I know people in the name of Jesus have done some horrific things, which makes [the] responsibility [of those] who name Him today even greater, Litton said. Pastors, church members arrested over false claims of inducing religious 'conversions' Christians in Uttar Pradesh have voiced grave alarm after nearly 25 believers, including pastors, were arrested in the previous week over supposed "conversion" efforts by authorities. Pastor Jitendra Singh, the general secretary of the Pastors' Association of Uttar Pradesh, told UCA News that 20 Christians were arrested on Sept. 10 in Kanpur, three on Sept. 13 in Azamgarh, and two on Sept. 14 in Auraiya districts. Although the 20 Christians imprisoned in Kanpur were freed the same day, the three believers from Azamgarh had little chance. They were detained by the police after residents said they were giving cash inducements and had gathered a sizable group of men and women with the intention of converting them to Christianity. There is "little chance" that they would be released, even if they submit a conventional bail application, according to a Christian activist who asked to remain unnamed. Pastor Singh stated that over 100 faithful, including pastors, had been detained by the state police in the previous six months on bogus charges of conversion. It has become a "matter of great concern" for Christians in the state, he said, as there have been so many arrests in the past week of this one month alone. Not only that, various church events and prayers in Kanpur, Fatehpur, Bareilly and other districts were impacted after nearly 10 churches were locked. Uttar Pradesh recorded 211 violent occurrences against Christians, the most of any state so far this year, according to the United Christian Forum. Originally published at Christian Today India Criticism of slave memorial at Southern Seminary illustrates complexities surrounding issues of racial reconciliation A commemorative plaque placed in the lobby of the Broadus Chapel at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary that President Al Mohler says is meant to serve as a prominent acknowledgment of the contributions enslaved people made in building the Louisville, Kentucky, institution is being challenged as a disappointing celebration by two outspoken black Southern Baptist ministers. The controversy over the memorial erupted after Pastor Dwight McKissic, who founded and leads Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, visited the seminary in June and noted that he did not see a memorial erected to the slaves who built SBTS that Mohler promised in 2020. I did see buildings & memorabilia honoring the four racist/sexist founders. However, I didnt see any memorial erected honoring the slaves who funded & physically constructed the original campus, McKissic remarked in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after his visit. As [I] walked on old cobblestone bricks at one point, I couldnt help but wonder had slaves actually handled those bricks. President Mohler promised to build a memorial honoring the slaves, and I trust hell keep his word before he retires, McKissic continued. I promised to give toward helping toward that end, within my very limited financial capacity. I will keep my end of my commitment, by contributing a modest gift towards that project if he keeps his. In 2020, McKissic called for the renaming of Boyce College, the private college located at SBTS, amid a general outcry from racial justice activists across the country for the removal of statues of slaveholders from public spaces as well as their names from buildings in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, which rocked the nation that year. Prior to that call, Mohler had urged the SBTS community in 2018 to repent of the sin of racism in a 71-page document called, Report on Slavery and Racism in the History of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We must repent of our own sins; we cannot repent for the dead. We must, however, offer full lament for a legacy we inherit, and a story that is now ours, Mohler wrote to the school founded in 1859 as part of the pro-slavery SBC. It was noted in the report that James P. Boyce, the founder, and first president of the SBTS and other founding faculty John A. Broadus, Basil Manly Jr. and William Williams all owned slaves. Together, they owned more than 50 persons and invested capital in slaves who could earn for their owners an annual cash return. The seminarys early faculty and trustees also defended the righteousness of slaveholding. Despite calling for repentance for a legacy [of slavery] we inherit, and a story that is now ours], Mohler, who previously noted in June 2015 that he had no intention to remove the names of any of the founders from the schools buildings, reiterated that commitment in 2020 in response to McKissics call. He offered, however, to erect a memorial to the enslaved people who were held by the seminarys founders. On seeing McKissics post on X in June, Mohler replied with an apology and noted that the memorial was already done and is quite prominent on the schools campus. The SBTS president further offered to show the Texas pastor where the memorial is located if he would rejoin him on the campus to have a look. Pastor, glad you visited. Sorry you did not see the memorial. It is quite prominent. You had suggested it, and we followed up as promised. Your suggestion was right and timely. If you have time to come back, I will gladly show it to you this afternoon, Mohler wrote. McKissic was unable to return to the campus but Deryk Hayes, pastor of Saint Paul Baptist Church at Shively Heights in Louisville, replied in a post on X with a photo of the memorial. Im no scholar but prominent seems to be somewhat of a stretch in my estimation. Again, Im no scholar. Neither am I [a] dummy the very placement of this plaque proves at the very least that @albertmohler is either culturally insensitive or ignorant. The founders arent heroic! Hayes wrote. Hayes, who would later reveal to The Christian Post that he is also one of a few black students enrolled at the seminary, was not pleased with the inscription on the plaque nor the placement of the plaque on a building that celebrates one of the founding faculty members. Our founding faculty, James P. Boyce, John A. Broadus, Basil Manly Jr., and William Williams gave this institution its birth and devoted their lives to its cause, the inscription on the memorial began. They are also slaveholders and defenders of slavery. Together they claimed ownership over at least 50 fellow human beings, equally made in Gods image, the inscription endorsed by the unanimous action of the seminarys Board of Trustees on Oct. 12, 2020, added. We do not know their names, but God does. We now honor and express gratitude for their unrecognized contribution to this seminary and its mission. Honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:7. In a statement shared with CP on the memorial, McKissic said he harbored greater expectations of what the slavery memorial at SBTS would have looked like compared with the photo of the plaque shared by Hayes. I must admit that I was hopeful and searched for a memorial so prominent and visible that I could not have missed it. In my mind, I pictured an outdoor, highly visible memorial that could not be overlooked. No one told me that. It was simply what I had hoped for, he said. Even though he promised to donate to the erection of the memorial honoring the enslaved men and women who helped build the seminary, no one informed him that the plaque had been made and placed in the Broadus Chapel for viewing. McKissic said he only decided to check the campus of the seminary for signs of the memorial after reading a tweet from fellow Southern Baptist Pastor Alan Cross referencing the schools history of slavery. It triggered my memory to go and see if a memorial was actually there. I made a quick, hurried visit to a couple of buildings on campus, [but] did not see it. And I looked outside on the lawn and still did not see it. I assumed one had not been erected. But if I can be honest, I fulfilled my commitment to make a donation by sending Southern Seminary a $2,000 donation which was my estimate that should at least cover the cost to erect the plaque, he said. A more expansive and expensive memorial would have required a larger donation. So, the size of the memorial saved me money. When asked about the memorial, its formal announcement and placement on the campus of the seminary on Wednesday, Mohler told The Christian Post in an interview that the memorial was placed in Broadus Chapel shortly after the promise was made to add it to the campus in 2020. He said they also consulted with several black students and a black member of the seminary's board of trustees to decide on a fitting tribute. "I consulted with some African American students, and we have an African American board member who was involved in this decision," Mohler told CP, noting that they also felt the Broadus chapel was the best place to show off the marker. "We intentionally put the marker in a very strategic place which is in the main entrance to one of the most historic spots, prominent spots on the campus, which is in the foyer of the Broadus Chapel," Mohler explained. "I guess there are persons who could say it could be in a more prominent spot, but, frankly, I'd be hard pressed to find an area of wall on which a marker could be made that would be more prominent." He noted that the SBTS board of trustees also had a restricted celebration of the marker at the time it was unveiled due to COVID-19. "We invited a lot of people from the campus (to be a part of it), but let me remind you, we were doing it under the situation of COVID when we could not have large assemblies," Mohler said. "It was not in time for a public ceremony. It wasn't possible." Mohler noted that even though some people may criticize the marker as insufficient, he is also aware that everyone would not be pleased with what they have done to celebrate the slaves. "We put up that marker in good faith. We stand behind it. It is a public statement. I realize that does not please everyone as sufficient for what they would hope," he told CP. "I can say on behalf of the institution, we want to do everything that is right. But clearly, there's a level of disagreement about what that right action would be." McKissic said even though he is disappointed by the stature of the memorial on the SBTS campus, he is grateful that Dr. Mohler kept his word by acknowledging the role of the enslaved and their financial and labor contribution dedicated to the formation and founding of Southern Seminary. Though he celebrates the acknowledgment of the contributions of slaves to SBTS, McKissic made it clear that it doesnt make up for the seminary leaderships refusal to scrub the names of the slaveholding founders from the schools buildings. I still think the names of the slaveholding founders should be removed from the buildings on campus, he said, but he does not believe Mohler and the leadership team have the inner, moral wherewithal to do it. They obviously value the slave masters more than they did the enslaved, and they are not willing to admit the magnitude in which they were wrong and to deny the fruit of repentance by removing the names of these slave masters, McKissic added. Hayes argued that if visitors were to intentionally go searching for the SBTS slave memorial on a random visit, it would be difficult to find on the campus because there is no guide directing them to the plaque. You know, I walked around the campus looking for it. I asked the employees, have they seen it? The way I was able to find it is I asked the campus police, Hayes told CP. The campus police called two or three staff members, and one of the staff members was able to tell the campus police exactly where it was at. The campus police told me where it was located, and I went and looked at it and took the picture. Hayes said he found both the quality and placement of the memorial to the enslaved at SBTS disingenuous. I'm certain that a number of the faculty and staff were not aware of that plaque or what that plaque said. And I don't know how much noise has been made about the plaque. ... [The] truth is, there's nothing significant about the plaque. There's nothing prominent about where the plaque is placed, the plaque itself or what's written on the plaque, Hayes said, likening it to a mere "footnote." I think that's a perfect way to explain it. It's a footnote. And I believe that it's also Al Mohler telling black people who speak out about it, I think it's Al Mohler's way of saying hush. The National African American Fellowship, a network of more than 4,000 predominantly African American churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, boasts more than 400,000 members (slightly less than half of the over 880,000 black church members at Southern Baptist churches) but constitutes just over 3% of the denomination's 13.2 million-strong community. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission reports that, in 2020, the number of African American church members at Southern Baptist churches was 880,108. According to BaptistResearch.com, in 2021, that number grew to 885,520 African American Southern Baptists, which accounts for 6.47% of the denomination's membership. Data show that of the 4,448 students enrolled at SBTS, only 128 or approximately 3%, are recorded as black or African American. Since 2018, the seminary has designated scholarships for black students as part of the Garland Offutt Scholars Program named in honor of the seminarys first African American graduate. The seminary states that the scholarship "is designed to redress the legacy of slavery and legal segregation in the United States ..." While there have been efforts made by the SBC to better address issues of race and racism over the years including the historic SBC Resolution on Racial Reconciliation in 1995, in which the convention officially apologized for the denomination having supported slavery and segregation, and asked forgiveness from their African American brothers and sisters the SBC has struggled to engage black adherents on issues like racial reconciliation and critical race theory to better understand how racism impacts the community. A dispute over CRT in 2020 led a number of black churches to cut ties with the denomination. Hayes argues that Mohlers treatment of the memorial shows that he lacks cultural competence and that he has to be discipled in that area. He's not only insensitive but he doesn't have the capacity to even want to understand systemic oppression," Hayes said. The Louisville pastor, whose church is loosely affiliated with the SBC, said he led a predominantly white congregation before moving to his latest congregation, which was created from a merger between a predominantly black church and a predominantly white church in 2009. He admits that when he first started attending SBTS as a graduate-level student, he quit because he became uncomfortable. But God called him back. Initially, to be honest with you, when I first started, I withdrew [for a while] because I just didn't want to be a part of that climate and that content. I was so uncomfortable, he explained. He said he went back because, I am convinced that this is a part of the call that God has on my life. I felt compelled, and to be honest with you, having to repent because ultimately I felt like I disobeyed God, Hayes said. There are people right now that know that I go to Southern, and you know, in their eyes, I'm a sellout. I'm an Uncle Tom and a number of things that they call me. But the truth is, I believe that I'm operating according to God's will for my life. And I believe if I'm obedient to God, then I can make a difference in the space that God has called me to. Unlike McKissic, Hayes does not celebrate the plaque as a small win. For me, it's not it's not enough. I would rather they didn't put a plaque up at all than to put what they put up and put the plaque where they put it. I would rather the library that has been redone and it's partially open right now, particularly for students, to be named for the first African American graduate of the Southern Baptist seminary, Dr. [Garland] Offutt, rather than it being the Boyce library or whatever the library is called, he said. That would be something prominent. It would be more prominent if you had a plaque for those who were enslaved, it would be better to put it out into the open somewhere to give it a significant size to somehow make it attractive, Hayes explained. If we really want to do some of the things that I believe Al Mohler said that he wanted to do as far as reaching, particularly African American people, and doing right by African American people, I think at the very least, that's some of the things that Dr. Mohler should do, he said, noting that he would also love to see the hiring of more African American professors. He said the treatment of the slave memorial made him question Mohlers sincerity. I think, first of all, we got to ask, What's the motive behind that? Is it to silence Pastor McKissick? Is it for Pastor McKissick and other black pastors to say this is good enough? he asked. A better way to apologize and repent of systemic racism is to take the names of slaveholders [off] school buildings, Hayes said. When I go in certain buildings, I don't want to see pictures of men being portrayed as heroes who enslaved people that look like me. Cult of individualism and the loneliness epidemic People often ask me, Why do you still read The New York Times? My answer is twofold. First, it is something of an addiction, one I acquired as an 18-year-old college freshman in 1965 (Alas, the Times was a much more impressive newspaper in 1965 than it is today). Even though now it far too often editorializes in its news spaces and propagandizes in its editorial columns, it still does on occasion provide in-depth news stories on subjects other papers do not cover and provides facts in other stories that are omitted from the columns of their competitors. A classic example was provided by their columnist Nicholas Kristof on September 6th, How We Can Fix Our Loneliness Epidemic". This column is the fourth in the series How America Heals, in which Nicholas Kristof is examining the interwoven crises devastating working-class America and exploring paths to recovery. Kristof arrests the readers attention immediately with his opening lines: LONELINESS CRUSHES the soul, but researchers are finding it does far more damage than that. It is linked to strokes, heart disease, dementia, inflammation, and suicide; it breaks the heart literally as well as figuratively. This statement illustrates both the insight and limitations that The New York Times worldview can provide. Yes, loneliness crushes the soul, but the catastrophic health consequences are not linked to loneliness, but are the inevitable results or consequences of loneliness. Why is this so? Our Heavenly Father and Creator has revealed this vital information to us from the beginning. God looked upon His creation in Genesis and declared it was good. The first negative note is sounded in Genesis when God declares, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him. (Gen. 2:18) The declaration not good is the strongest usage available in the Hebrew tongue, intimating a strong adversative to good. In other words, it was not good for man to be alone before the fall into sin. After the fall, it becomes catastrophic for man (or woman) to be alone. God reveals Himself in Holy Scripture to be a God who created human beings for fellowship with Him and fellowship with each other. The history of humankind since Adam and Eves fall certainly bears witness to the eternal spiritual truth that it is not good for man to be alone. Yet, America has largely ignored this essential and elemental truth, with increasingly disastrous consequences. Kristof summarizes the fact that the corrosive and destructive impact of systemic, societal loneliness is in no way merely an American phenomenon. The United Kingdom has established a minister for loneliness. Japan and Sweden have launched similar public policy initiatives. The U.S. Surgeon General issued an 81-page report this spring entitled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. According to the Surgeon Generals report, loneliness is lethally dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than alcohol, tobacco and obesity, adding that loneliness is getting worse in America and left unaddressed we will further retreat in our cornersangry, sick and alone. None of this, sadly, should surprise American Christians as we have lived and experienced the cult of individualism and its deleterious impact on our culture. Ever-widening concentric circles of destruction have been wrought by the siren song of narcissistic self-worship and unwavering devotion to that cults unholy trinity of I, Myself, and Me. As far back as 2000, Harvard political scientist Robert David Putnam identified this increasing polarization and isolation in his influential book, Bowling Alone. Using bowling as an analogy, Putnam documented the collapse since the 1960s in our associational, civic, political, religious, and social life which he summarized as social capital. Too many Americans' headlong pursuit of individual self-fulfillment and self-actualization at the expense of their responsibilities as spouses, parents, citizens, church members and friends, has led to epidemic levels of social isolation as families have fragmented and virtually all of the mediating institutions in American life have atrophied. One heartbreaking quantification of this existential truth is summarized in another Nicholas Kristof column, The One Privilege Liberals Ignore. The United States is an outlier in family breakdown. A Pew study of 130 countries found that American children were more likely to live with a single parent than those of any other nation. This is one category where America should not be proud to declare, were number one! What does this number one rating look like in practice? Approximately 30 percent of American children are currently living with a single parent or with no parent at all. Sadly, single-mother families are five times more likely to be below the poverty level than married two-parent families. Kristof reports that a book to be published next week, Melissa S. Kearney's The Two-Parent Privilege, reports, Two-parent families are beneficial for children, and concludes, Places that have more two-parent families have higher rates of social mobility. One of the most comprehensive and disturbing studies documenting the de-socializing and atomizing of American society was a 2003 study, a report to the Nation from the Commission on Children at Risk entitled Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities. The Commission warned that one in five American children were at serious risk for emotional, psychological, and physiological problems because of a connection crisis. Its report, co-sponsored by the YMCA, Dartmouth Medical School, and the Institute for American Values, presented extensive scientific evidence that the human brain is hardwired for two fundamental kinds of connection: horizontally, in close relationships with other human beings; and vertically, in finding moral and spiritual meaning through a relationship with a transcendent divine being. The collapse of virtually all the mediating institutions in our culture is characterized by the Commission on Children at Risk as nothing less than the imposition of collective emotional, spiritual, psychological, and physiological abuse on an entire generation of our children! As Christians, we should not be surprised. Our Heavenly Father has told us, it is not good for man to be alone. In the New Testament, our Heavenly Father has commanded us, as Christians, Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is (Heb. 10:25). It is clear from Gods revelation of Himself and His timeless truth in the New Testament that even Christians, after they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, cannot become all God desires them to be alone, apart from fellowship with one another. It is only together, in fellowship in a local church, can we as individual Christians plumb the depths, scale the heights, and embrace the width of all God has prepared for each of us as we seek to discern and to do His will and fulfill His purposes for each of our lives. Insisting on being spiritual lone rangers will lead us astray and will keep us from being the fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends God intends us to be and all the people in our lives need for us to be. 4 dualistic teachings that undermine the effect of the Gospel Dualism is a theological focus that inadvertently separates the physical and spiritual realms. It also dissociates heaven from earth. Within this inappropriate viewpoint, the Gospels ability to engage and influence the earth becomes limited. In the Hebraic mindset of biblical times, the whole world is viewed as sacred and belonging to God (Psalm 24). Both Heaven (representing the spiritual realm) and earth (representing the material world) function as a cosmic temple for Yahweh. Hence, the original Gospel preached by Jesus and the Jewish Apostles was holistic and integrated both Heaven and earth. This is why Jesus taught His followers to pray for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven (Luke 11:2-4). The Gospel Jesus preached addressed both the spiritual and physical needs of individuals and their surroundings (Luke 4:18-19). Unfortunately, despite the above rooted integrative approach, the Gospel is often truncated by some believers and others as only addressing spiritual matters; this creates a dualism in which the natural or material world is viewed as insignificant. The following are four theological perspectives that cause dualism: 1. Hyper premillennial dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological system of interpreting biblical and church history by identifying ages or dispensations in which God moved differently. Some Protestant traditional denominations embrace this framework. The broad emphasis is placed on the distinct periods or ages charting Gods interaction with humanity throughout history. (This differs from historic premillennialism, which doesnt use the same time frame as dispensationalists.) Within the above framework, Hyper-Dispensationalism expounds a belief in a future 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth distinct from the current Church Age and the preceding ages. Its worth noting that this eschatological view originated in the early 19th century and is a minority view among serious biblical scholars. It is rightly criticized for potentially leading to a form of dualism and a compartmentalized understanding of Scripture, limiting church focus to only individual salvation. Adherents believe that the Gospel will only positively affect the world during the 1,000-year earthly reign of Christ. This belief includes the perspective that the world will progressively worsen and any attempts to reform it will be a waste of time similar to rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. 2. Semi-Gnosticism Gnosticism is a term used to describe a variety of religious and philosophical systems that emerged in the early centuries of the Common Era, (A.D.) around the same time as early Christianity. Gnosticism is often considered heretical from the standpoint of orthodox Christianity. It incorporates a dualistic worldview, positing a sharp division between the material and spiritual realms. In Gnostic thought, the material world is often seen as evil or corrupt, created by a lower deity or demiurge, while the spiritual world is associated with a higher, unknowable God. Many fundamentalist, Pentecostal and charismatic teachings of the 20th century fell into a form of semi-Gnosticism since they often neglected the Old Testament, and focused exclusively on spiritual gifts, faith, and power for healing without a concomitant focus on meeting the physical practical needs of communities for human flourishing. The Apostle John wrote against forms of Gnostic influence in his epistle (John 1:14; 1 John 1:1; 4:2) and the Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:8-9,18; 1 Tim. 6:20-21; 2 Tim 2:16-18). In 1 Tim 6:20-21, Paul warns against so-called science, which is false. The word science in Greek is the word gnosis, which is the root of the word Gnosticism, which was still being developed as a major heretical movement against authentic Christianity at that time. Early Christian writers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Hippolytus wrote against Gnostic ideas, arguing that they deviated from the apostolic teachings and the message of the Bible. They criticized Gnosticism for its rejection of the goodness of creation, questioning the God of the Old Testament, and its tendency to promote elitism through secret knowledge. 3. Antinomianism Antinomianism is a term used in Christian theology to describe the belief that Christians are not bound by Mosaic moral or religious laws. The term comes from the Greek words anti, meaning against, and nomos, meaning law. In this view, the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ is considered sufficient for salvation, making adherence to moral or religious laws unnecessary. This idea is considered heretical by mainstream Christian thought because it undermines the importance of ethical conduct and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles regarding how one should live. Furthermore, without the law of God, there is no guiding light in which to structure laws and public policies for cities and nations. Thus, Christianity without the law (Antinomian) became irrelevant when nurturing civic leaders capable of crafting a society based on theocentric values. Consequently, without the moral law of Moses as a societal schoolmaster, this expression of Christianity became dualistic, having effectiveness only in the spiritual realm. 4. Hyper-Pietism Extreme Pietism in Christian history refers to a form of Pietism that emphasizes personal holiness, inner devotion, and spirituality to exclude social and public responsibilities. Pietism originated as a movement within Lutheranism in the 17th century. It aimed to renew personal faith and piety, but its extreme form led people to disengage from societal issues, public ethics, and sometimes even the institutional church. In this view, the focus on personal devotion and spiritual experience was so pronounced that it led to neglect in the following areas: Public or communal expressions of faith. Social justice concerns. Civic duties and broader community involvement. The critique of extreme Pietism is that it fails to address the public square by keeping faith privatized and individualized, potentially ignoring the biblical calls for communal justice, mercy, and responsibility. This form of Pietism is criticized for offering an incomplete, dualistic expression of Christianity, emphasizing personal spirituality at the expense of broader social and ethical engagement. Why most Anglican clergy now approve gay marriage and what this means for the future of the church A recent poll conducted by The Times of London indicates that a majority of Church of England clergy now favor gay marriage. The figures (53.4% in favor, 36.5% opposed) show a significant shift from 2014. Back then, in the aftermath of the legalization of gay civil marriage in the U.K., only 39% were in favor and 51% were opposed. There are numerous lessons here. First, the old battle lines between conservative and liberal Christians have changed. In the past, it was the affirmation or denial of the supernatural claims of the Bible, supremely that of Jesuss bodily resurrection, that divided churches. Today, it is questions of morality, specifically sexual morality, that are the points of contention. And these are of more significance for the broader life of the church within society. To affirm the resurrection might have made you look like a benighted fool, but societies generally tolerate benighted fools. To oppose our current Western cultural regime, where sexual identity is key to personal value, is to deny the humanity of fellow citizens. The world sees that as a deeply immoral act, and not one that will likely be tolerated forever. Christians need to understand that. This is not an excuse for abandoning biblical teaching on kind words turning away wrath or on blessing those who curse us. But it is to say that we should expect suffering, not op-eds in the Washington Post, to be our reward. And that brings us to the second lesson. The clergys shift on this issue might well be motivated by pastoral intuitions to affirm people. It is a caring vocation and few, one hopes, enter it with a view to hurting others. Kindness is the order of the day. Ironically, however, this shift buys the immediate possibility of affirmation at huge long-term cost. One reason for this is that gay marriage does not simply involve a minor expansion of the traditional concept. There was a time when gay writers such as Andrew Sullivan argued that allowing same-sex marriages would simply permit gay people to be part of a conservative institution. It is now clear that gay marriage did not merely expand the set of those considered to be married, but fundamentally evacuated marriage of meaning or, more accurately, exposed the fact that it had already been fundamentally evacuated of meaning by the ready acceptance of no-fault divorce. It is no longer a unique relationship whose stability is important for its normative ends, but little more than a sentimental bond that only has to last for as long as it meets the emotional needs of the parties involved. As to traditional marriage, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer summarizes its purposes rather beautifully: First, It was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy Name. Secondly, It was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons as have not the gift of continency might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body. Thirdly, It was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity. Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. A majority of Anglican clergy apparently do not believe in the first purpose anymore, for gay marriages by definition produce no children. Nor do they believe in the second. They clearly do not regard the body the sexed body nor the use of its sexual organs as having any intrinsic moral status. And so marriage becomes just an intense form of friendship. Ironic that Anglican clergy are abandoning one of the best liturgical statements of what marriage actually is. Indeed, it is not that the clergy now believe in gay marriage; rather, it is that they no longer believe in marriage at all. It is neither pastoral nor caring to deny the moral significance of the sexed human body, nor to participate in the further demolition of an institution whose purpose is to provide children with a loving and stable environment. Nor does this change apply only to marriage. Once the sex differences at the heart of marriage are dismissed as irrelevant, then a basic change has taken place in what we understand human beings to be. Even though the L, the G, and the B in the LGBTQ alliance are philosophically at odds with the T and the Q in the importance they ascribe to bodily sex differences, in fact, they have already surrendered key ground by denying the significance of the distinctions between male and female physiology. It is a bait and switch: Biology is irrelevant for sexual activity but of absolute importance. There seems little reason to hope that the majority of Church of England priests, having now apparently abandoned their churchs traditional teaching on marriage, will find any compelling reason not to do the same on the question of what a woman is. The last sad irony is that the clergy's acceptance of gay marriage will ultimately achieve nothing more than the acceleration of the death of the Church of England. The world does not want the churchs approval. It has managed very well without that for many years and will continue to do so. What the world wants is the churchs capitulation. And however one cares to dress up these latest findings as pastorally sensitive, as keeping up with the times, as affirming the marginalized they represent the latest fulfillment of that desire. Originally published at First Things. Activists want age verification on Bible content Is the Bible a source of adult content? A group of internet activists believes so. In an unexpected twist, they are advocating for age verification on websites hosting the Bible, leveraging recently enacted state laws against internet pornography. The recent implementation of anti-pornography laws in the US state of Virginia, aimed at safeguarding minors from explicit content, has ignited a debate about the accessibility of specific passages within the Bible. The anti-pornography laws, intended to restrict access to explicit content, mandate websites to verify the age of their visitors, ensuring they are 18 years or older. This extends beyond video platforms to include any site with explicit material, including religious texts. Activists have leveraged this legislation, contending that websites hosting biblical content should also implement age verification measures. They contend that young readers stumbling upon graphic content in religious texts should have the same protections as those encountering explicit material. Spurred by a Reddit post that cites Ezekiel 23:20 on Bible.com, they are filing complaints with the Virginia Attorney General's office. Earlier this year, Utah parents successfully lobbied to have the Bible temporarily removed from school shelves, though the decision was later reversed. Duncan Williams is outreach director for the Christian Free Press and has worked for Son Christian Media here in the UK and Recovery Network Radio in the United States. He is an ordained minister and a long-term member of Christians in Media. He provides content and syndicated news for regional publisher www.tindlenews.co.uk Christian teenager at centre of court battle with NHS has died A teenager who was fighting doctors to continue life-preserving treatment has tragically died. The 19-year-old, who can only be identified as ST because of court-imposed reporting restrictions, died after suffering a cardiac arrest on Tuesday, the Daily Mail reports. She was locked in a legal battle with an NHS trust after the doctors treating her said that she was "actively dying" and should be transitioned to palliative care. The teen suffered from a rare genetic disorder called mitochondrial depletion syndrome (MDS). It was her wish to be given permission to travel to Canada to take part in medical trials for experimental treatment. Over 27,000 people signed a petition calling on the health secretary to intervene in the case. The petition was started by Christian Concern, which has been supporting the family. Speaking to the Daily Mail just days before her death, the teenager had expressed frustration at the court order and the stance of the doctors caring for her. "I have found myself trapped in a medical and legal system governed by a toxic paternalism which has condemned me for wanting to live," she said. Following her death, her heartbroken family have spoken of their anger at the gagging order that still prevents her name from being revealed. "Even now, in the hour of our grief, we continue to be gagged by the court order from saying her name aloud," they said. The devout Christian family has vowed to fight for the right to reveal their daughter's name and tell her story in full. "We lost our beautiful and courageous daughter, known to the world as ST. To us she has a real name," they said. "To her family she was everything and we will cherish and never forget the 19 years we had with her. "The past year, however, has been one of struggle, even torture, for ST and for her family at the hands of the hospital and the Court of Protection." Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which has supported the family, said: "We take very seriously the privilege of serving people in their hour of need and seeking justice for them. "The case of ST is not just about justice for her and her family but ensuring that justice in such cases is done with full transparency and proper scrutiny in this nation. "ST was truly courageous and beautiful soul. She died advocating for the preciousness of life and importance of justice. "As a committed Christian ST was determined to stand for life and no matter how weak and fragile she felt within the system. ST believed in the worth and dignity of every life and that such life was worth fighting for and not giving up on." The work was drawn directly onto a digital screen, then routed by a computer onto separate wooden sheets, using one block for each colour, Baskerville explains. I like the slight misregistering you get with a woodcut, and the chunky black line that is very nice to work with. I love the way the ink gets really physical and thick on these huge prints, Perry has said. A number of woodcuts are included in his 2023 retrospective Smash Hits at the Royal Scottish Academy (until 12 November 2023). One of the best-known, Sponsored by You (2019), depicts the artists childhood teddy bear, Alan Measles, as a capitalist playboy. Tapestries Perry had been experimenting with cloth since the late 1990s, using a digital sewing machine to embroider scenes of butterflies, aeroplanes, death and torture onto dresses to wear as Claire, says Baskerville. Then, in 2007, he created his first tapestry. Made by hand using traditional needlepoint, Vote Alan Measles for God depicts the artists teddy bear surrounded by a terrorists set of tools. The 2.5-metre-high image, produced in an edition of five (plus three artists proofs), was inspired by Perrys personal collection of Afghan war rugs. The following year, Perry began designing his epic, five-metre-wide work The Walthamstow Tapestry. Named after the north London neighbourhood that was home to his studio, the piece examines consumerism through the lens of William Shakespeares famous All the worlds a stage monologue in As You Like It, which expounds upon the Seven Ages of Man. Like most of Perrys subsequent tapestries, the image started as a black-and-white line drawing in this case, completed across seven sheets of A1 over the course of three months, says Baskerville. After the image was digitally scanned, colours were added using Photoshop. The files were then scaled and joined by Factum Arte, a specialist digital studio in Madrid. The tapestry was woven on a machine loom at Flanders Tapestries in Wielsbeke, Belgium, using Jacquard weaving technology. Colour-matching was completed first in Madrid, then later with Perry in London, using charts containing hundreds of small colour patches. Women leaders are switching jobs at rates far higher than their male counterparts as they demand more from their employers and show theyre willing to go elsewhere to get it. That trend is substantiated by recent research from McKinsey. Given this reality and the business worlds drive to create more diverse and inclusive leadership teams the pressure is now on companies to hold on to the few women leaders they already have. But theres a lot of work to be done. Despite a strong focus by organizations to deliver a more inclusive workplace, change is not happening as quickly or as widely as it should, says Cindy Sieberts, country director for South Africa for digital payments gateway MFS Africa. A good illustration of how slow the rate of change is can be found in executive representation at companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Africas largest stock exchange. According to a 2022 analysis by PWC, just 15% of the JSE executive population was women. While that represented a slight improvement from 2021, when women made up 13% of corporate executives, it will take another 17 years for executive parity at the current rate of improvement. Cindy Sieberts, MFS Africa MFS Africa The legacy of female versus male roles is still informed by a conscious or unconscious bias in terms of capabilities and skills, says Lytania Johnson, CEO of First National Banks personal segment. In addition, there are perceptions that because women have more responsibility at home, they have less disposable time and energy to dedicate to more complex roles. This can hinder their ability to take on leadership positions because theyre perceived to come with additional responsibilities. Akhona Qengqe, GM of KFC Africa, agrees. Traditionally, when organizations look to promote one of their team members to a position that requires them to travel, for example, the fact that a woman has children can work against her, because people assume a married woman with children may not be able to travel as frequently as they might need to. This kind of culture inadvertently discourages or excludes women from even being considered for leadership roles without even taking their competencies and skills into account. Today, I believe the biggest barrier, and contributor, to the low numbers of women in corporate leadership is a lack of opportunity, says Qengqe. Akhona Qengqe, KFC Africa KFC Africa But there are also internal factors holding women back as well, acknowledges Marlene Pappas, COO at KPMG South Africa. Unfortunately, many young women are still socialized to behave a certain way and think they can and cant do specific tasks and activities. This reinforces perceptions around what women are capable of achieving and, therefore, prevent them from applying for leadership roles. To challenge this, those already in leadership positions have a responsibility to encourage others to aspire to break the glass ceiling as well, she says. Widespread cultural change and mentorship a must For Johnson, what will significantly improve working environments and boost accessibility for women in the workplace are women-inclusive policies and practices like flexible working arrangements, lactation rooms for returning mothers, pay parity for equal work, networking and leadership development program opportunities, access to projects and teams where they can grow and thrive, and other support mechanisms. In a rapidly evolving business landscape, where innovation and cost efficiency are paramount, the launch of VMware Cross-Cloud managed services at VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas is a pivotal moment. Announced in April at VMwares Partner Leadership Summit, VMware Cross-Cloud managed services redefine the way organizations address the complexities of multi-cloud, offering unparalleled flexibility, scalability and efficiency, all with the invaluable support of specialized VMware managed services partners. VMware The Faster, Safer Path to the Cloud VMware Cross-Cloud managed services allow businesses to play offense and defense by enabling them to invest confidently in growth and innovation while simultaneously optimizing their IT spending and talent pool through an ecosystem of validated managed services offerings built on a common foundation. The Power of VMware Cross-Cloud Managed Services VMware Cross-Cloud managed services represent a step change in how VMware customers can leverage highly capable, validated and specialized managed services partners. These managed services empower businesses to seamlessly reduce the operational complexity of their workloads across diverse multi-cloud environments. Partners that have earned the VMware Cross-Cloud managed services badge help VMware customers bridge the gap between private, sovereign and public clouds, providing organizations the agility needed to navigate the complexities of the modern digital landscape. VMware VMware Cross-Cloud managed services are made up of prescriptive offerings across hybrid cloud as well as native public cloud and modern apps. These offerings power validated partner services, all built on a common, best-in-class VMware foundation. Hybrid Cloud: Private Cloud, powered by VMware Cloud editions Public Cloud, powered by VMware Cloud on AWS Native Public Cloud and Modern Apps: Centralized Governance, powered by VMware Aria for Multi-Cloud Cost Optimization, powered by VMware Aria Cost Cloud-Native App Delivery, powered by VMware Tanzu The prescriptive and validated nature of VMware Cross-Cloud managed services means more choice in how customers leverage VMware technology to create value as well as enhanced operational consistency and quality of experience with certified Cross-Cloud managed services partners. This allows customers to de-risk IT investments, expand deployment options, improve security and resiliency, and optimize cloud ROI with consistent operations and seamless interoperability. Key Features and Benefits Learn more below on some of the key features that make VMware Cross-Cloud managed services a game-changer for customers. A fast, de-risked path to cloud: Validated offerings delivered, operated and supported by VMware Cross-Cloud managed services partnerswith a standardized platform and operational model augmented by customized cloud services. Validated offerings delivered, operated and supported by VMware Cross-Cloud managed services partnerswith a standardized platform and operational model augmented by customized cloud services. Play offense and defense : With the freedom to choose the best cloud environments for their applications and workloads, organizations can innovate faster, bringing products and services to market more swiftly, while optimizing cost of ownership and operation. : With the freedom to choose the best cloud environments for their applications and workloads, organizations can innovate faster, bringing products and services to market more swiftly, while optimizing cost of ownership and operation. Flexibility: Organizations can now choose the cloud environments that best suit their specific needs. Whether its a private cloud, a public cloud or a hybrid model, VMware Cross-Cloud managed services enable seamless migration and management, without reconfiguration. Organizations can now choose the cloud environments that best suit their specific needs. Whether its a private cloud, a public cloud or a hybrid model, VMware Cross-Cloud managed services enable seamless migration and management, without reconfiguration. Full operational consistency with existing VMware investments: With VMware Cross-Cloud managed services, customers can leverage an ecosystem of partner offers built on a unified platform to manage applications, data, and infrastructure across multiple clouds. This prescriptive approach simplifies operations, reduces complexity, and improves overall efficiency. As the curtains rise on VMware Explore 2023, VMware Cross-Cloud managed service partners are ready to revolutionize the way businesses approach multi-cloud infrastructure management, operations, governance and cost optimization. These partner offers will open new doors for organizations, empowering them to harness the true potential of multi-cloud while enjoying the benefits of flexibility, scalability and optimized cost. The future of multi-cloud managed services has arrived, and it looks brighter than ever. Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate. Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Transparenta Consiliului Superior al Procurorilor, intre a fi sau a nu fi. Ce constatari se regasesc intr-un raport prezentat de CRJM? Diabetes UK has announced its next chief executive in what will be the 38m charitys first change of leadership in eight years. Colette Marshall has been promoted to CEO at the health charity and will replace Chris Askew, who is stepping down after eight years to become CEO at the Royal College of General Practitioners in October. Marshall has been Diabetes UKs director of services, volunteering and local impact since 2012, having previously held a senior operational role at Save the Children. She is also a trustee at the Bat Conservation Trust and was formerly co-chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition. Marshall will begin her new role on 21 September, and said the growing number of people in the UK living with diabetes is a crisis that must be addressed head-on. We are seeing worrying inequalities in the health and care of people living with and at risk of diabetes, depending on their income, where they live, and their ethnicity, she said. While we are in no doubt over the scale of the challenges we face, we are a charity brimming with ambition. Ambition for equality, better care and understanding of diabetes. Ambition for more breakthroughs in treatments and progress towards a cure. I am excited to take the helm at this time for Diabetes UK, and I look forward to working with the diabetes community, colleagues and partners to meet the challenges ahead. Carol Homden, chair of Diabetes UK, said: The board of trustees of Diabetes UK is delighted to announce the appointment of Colette to the role of chief executive as we start the next chapter of our momentous journey towards a world in which diabetes can do no harm. Colette is a highly strategic leader, with a wealth of experience from both the commercial and charity sector and a track record of ambitious campaigning and influencing. With her strong commitment to tackling the challenges of health inequalities and passion for the power of partnership working, we look forward to the growth and development of Diabetes UK under her leadership. Askew previously spoke in an interview with Civil Society about the charity's focus on tackling inequalities in diabetes care, the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and opportunities for collaboration. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, A mortgage lender accused of violating the False Claims Act by approving government-backed loans that did not meet federal guidelines can seek to recover the $15 million it paid to resolve the allegations from its management liability insurer, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The high court rejected arguments by Chubb Groups Ace American Insurance Co. that Guaranteed Rate Inc.s settlement with the US Justice Department was not covered because the violations involved professional services excluded from the management liability policy. In a 3-0 decision, the court affirmed a Superior Court judgment that found Ace liable, but also rejected GRIs allegations that the insurer had acted in bad faith. This case carries substantial precedential significance for policyholders across the nation, said Lilit Asadourian, a partner with the Barnes & Thornburg law firm in Los Angeles who represented Guaranteed Rate. The court made it clear that FCA claims by the government are separate from the professional services that a company provides to its customers and, as such, coverage is available for FCA claims under a management liability (D&O) policy. The court made it clear that FCA claims by the government are separate from the professional services that a company provides to its customers and, as such, coverage is available for FCA claims under a management liability (D&O) policy. GRIs troubles started in 2017, when a former employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the lender of falsely certifying to the government that the loans it endorsed were eligible for government insurance. Under the federal governments Direct Endorsement program, the Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs guaranty mortgage loans that meet government deadlines and pay a portion of the losses if the borrower defaults. The former employee alleged that GRI certified that its loans were eligible for the guaranties, even though the company paid prohibited commissions to its underwriters, pressured employees to endorse bad loans and did not verify borrowers financial information. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York notified the mortgage company that it was investigating the whistleblower lawsuit, known as qui tam action. GRI notified Ace of the investigation the next month. GRI had purchased two insurance policies from Ace: A professional liability policy and a management liability policy. The professional liability policy specifically excluded False Claims Act violations from coverage. The management liability policy excluded any damages caused by professional services, but did not define the term. The management liability policy had a $5 million limit with a $2.5 million self-insured retention. In January 2020, the US Attorneys Office demanded $24 million. GRI eventually agreed to pay $15.06 million to settle the matter. The company admitted that it did not adhere to the governments self-reporting requirements, made gifts or paid commissions to underwriters and had approved loans that were not eligible for certification. Ace denied coverage in March 2020, citing the professional services exclusion in the management liability policy. GRI filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and bad faith and seeking a declaration that coverage was owed for the settlement action and legal costs. The Superior Court ruled that the professional services exclusion did not apply because the governments complaint related to compliance with quality control standards, not GRIs business of underwriting and issuing loans. The trial court issued summary judgment in favor of GRI on the breach of contract and declaratory judgment claims, but rejected GRIs bad faith claim. The court said there was a good faith dispute about whether the insurer had grounds to deny coverage. Ace appealed. GRI filed a cross appeal, arguing that its bad faith claim should have been approved. The Supreme Court affirmed the Superior Courts decision. The opinion cites several cases that rejected broad definitions of professional services to include actions such as fraudulent billing practices and improper approval of financial aid to college students. Ace had argued that the criminal investigation of GRI arose out of the professional services it performed. Aces interpretation of arising out of effectively extends coverage of the exclusion to just about anything remotely connected to the professional service, the opinion says. Courts have often held that professional service exclusions do not apply when the act complained of is only incidental to an insureds professional services. Dominic Rupprecht, a partner and policyholder attorney at Reed Smith who was not involved with the case, said the decision shows that coverage for False Claims Act accusations may be available if there are no clear exclusions. Policyholders, with the assistance of coverage counsel, should critically examine all of their policies for potential coverage and aggressively advocate for their rights, he said in an email. The costs of a False Claims Act suit or investigation are too high to simply take an insurers no for an answer. Rupprecht said even before Thursdays decision, insurers were adding endorsements to their policies imposing sublimits or outright exclusions for liabilities arising under the False Claims Act. I would expect that trend to accelerate, he said. DERNA, Libya (AP) The Libyan city of Derna has buried thousands of people in mass graves, officials said Thursday, as search teams scoured ruins left by devastating floods and the citys mayor said the death toll could triple. The flooding, fed by two breached dams, swept away entire families on Sunday night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has been mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Health officials have confirmed 5,500 deaths and say 9,000 people are still missing. Here`s a look at the latest developments. What Happened in Libya? Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in towns across eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night, residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea. A U.N. official said Thursday that most casualties could have been avoided. If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings, World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva. The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out the evacuation. The WMO said earlier this week that the National Meteorological Center had issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all governmental authorities by email and through media. Officials in eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm and on Saturday had ordered residents to evacuate areas along the coast, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams collapsing. How Does Conflict in Libya Affect the Disaster? The startling devastation reflected the storms intensity, but also Libyas vulnerability. Oil-rich Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade one in the east, the other in the capital, Tripoli and one result has been widespread neglect of infrastructure. The two dams that collapsed outside Derna were built in the 1970s. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million euros for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. Libya`s Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah acknowledged the maintenance issues in a Cabinet meeting Thursday and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the dams` collapse. The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas. While the Tobruk-based government of east Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid. Whats Happening Today? Derna has begun burying its dead, mostly in mass graves, said eastern Libyas health minister, Othman Abduljaleel. More than 3,000 bodies were buried by Thursday morning, the minister said, while another 2,000 were still being processed. He said most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were transferred to nearby towns and cities. Abduljaleel said rescue teams were still searching wrecked buildings in the city center, and divers were combing the sea off Derna. Untold numbers could be buried under drifts of mud and debris, including overturned cars and chunks of concrete, that rise up to four meters (13 feet) high. Rescuers have struggled to bring in heavy equipment as the floods washed out or blocked roads leading to the area. How Many People Have Been Killed? Health authorities have put the death toll in Derna at 5,500 as of Thursday morning. The number of deaths is likely to climb as searches continue, and at least 9,000 people are still missing, said Ossama Ali, a spokesperson for an ambulance center in eastern Libya. Some bodies may not be found, especially those who were swept out to sea, he said. Local officials suggested that the death toll could be much higher than announced. In comments to the Saudi-owned Al Arabia television station, Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi said the tally could climb to 20,000 given the number of neighborhoods that were washed out. An official with the U.N.s World Health Organization in Libya said the fatalities could reach 7,000 because of the number of people who were still missing. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The storm also killed around 170 people in other parts of eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj, the health minister said. The dead in eastern Libya included at least 84 Egyptians, who were transferred to their home country on Wednesday. More than 70 came from one village in the southern province of Beni Suef. Libyan media also said dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster. Is Help Reaching Survivors? The floods have also displaced at least 30,000 people in Derna, according to the U.N.s International Organization for Migration, and several thousand others were forced to leave their homes in other eastern towns, it said. The floods damaged or destroyed many access roads to Derna, hampering the arrival of international rescue teams and humanitarian assistance. Local authorities were able to clear some routes, and over the past 48 hours humanitarian convoys have been able to enter the city. The U.N. humanitarian office issued an emergency appeal for $71.4 million to respond to urgent needs of 250,000 Libyans most affected. The humanitarian office, known as OCHA, estimated that approximately 884,000 people in five provinces live in areas directly affected by the rain and flooding. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday it has provided 6,000 body bags to local authorities, as well as medical, food and other supplies distributed to hard-hit communities. International aid started to arrive earlier this week in Benghazi, 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of Derna. Several countries have sent aid and rescue teams, including neighboring Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Italy dispatched a naval vessel on Thursday carrying humanitarian aid and two navy helicopters to be used for search and rescue operations. President Joe Biden said the United States would send money to relief organizations and coordinate with Libyan authorities and the United Nations to provide additional support. Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press reporter Jack Jeffery contributed to this report from London. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. CHEBOYGAN, Mich. (AP) Residents near a northern Michigan paper mill that caught fire Wednesday, prompting the closure of several roads and a lock and dam on a nearby river, have been told to shelter in place until Thursday afternoon as environmental officials continue monitoring local air quality. Plumes of thick and heavy black and gray smoke visible for miles around billowed from the Tissue Depot property along M-27 in downtown Cheboygan, about 290 miles (466 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, after the fire began about 11 a.m. Wednesday. Officials said fire crews had contained the fire to a storage building at the mill as of 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, but asked people to avoid the area as crews continue battling the fire. Cheboygan Fire Chief Don Dailey said no mill employees or firefighters have been injured. He said the fire started in a part of the mill where no employees were working at the time. Crews were alerted that there were several tons of plastic stored in the building, Dailey said. He said there wasnt enough left of the damaged structure to determine an actual cause because the roof collapsed about 10 minutes after we got here. We are tearing it down as we put the fire out, so we probably arent going to be able to determine an official cause, he said Wednesday. Cheboygan residents living with a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the Tissue Depot were told to continue to shelter in place until 1:30 p.m. Thursday out of an abundance of caution, the Cheboygan County Sheriffs Department said in a Facebook post. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was monitoring local air quality and EPA officials were expected to meet Thursday morning with city and county officials to discuss the air quality findings, the sheriff`s office said. Staff with Michigans Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy were sent to Cheboygan on Wednesday afternoon to help assess the situation, spokesman Jeff Johnston told The Associated Press in an email. The nearby Cheboygan Lock and Dam, which allows boats to navigate the different levels of the Cheboygan River, was temporarily closed. Trisha Leask, an employee at a convenience store a few blocks from the fire, said she noticed the smoke Wednesday morning. The smoke billowed for hours. It looked like black storm clouds, Leask said, adding that it`s not the first time the property has caught fire. Formerly known as Great Lakes Tissue Co., the mill once employed about 300 workers. Top photo: Firefighters work to put out a fire that started at the Tissue Depot in Cheboygan, Mich., Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. The fire at the northern Michigan paper mill closed several roads Wednesday and prompted city officials to tell residents to shelter in place, while state police warned people to stay away from the area. (Jared Greenleaf/Cheboygan Daily Tribune via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio Impaired driving: Cedar Road A vehicle crashed into the front patio of Piada Italian Street Food around 3:30 a.m. Sept. 8 and become stuck on a concrete flower planter after dislodging a small fence. Responding officers found the driver passed out in the back seat of the vehicle. It was believed that the man, who was very incoherent, had tried to push the vehicle off the planter, but went to sleep in the back of the vehicle after he was unsuccessful. The Nevada man, 21, was subsequently taken to the hospital and arrested for OVI. Criminal trespass: Victory Drive A man, 71, was charged with criminal trespassing Sept. 7 after he refused to move to a free speech area at the citys community center. He was there with political signs but was in a non-designated free speech area and refused to move with the signs to the proper area where they would have been allowed. Property damage: South Green Road The owner of Growing Youth Development Daycare reported Sept. 12 that a window had been broken out overnight on a school transit bus at the property. The passenger door had a rock thrown through the glass. It was the second occurrence that week. No suspects were identified. Property damage: Colony Road A resident reported a garage window broken out at her home Sept. 11. She believed it had been broken a few days earlier by an unknown person. Welfare fraud: Warrensville Center Road A resident said Sept. 10 that $264 worth of funds on her EBT card had been fraudulently used at a store in Illinois. A report was required at the request of Cuyahoga County Child and Family Services. Stolen vehicle: Tamalga Drive A woman reported at 2:30 a.m. Sept. 10 that her sons vehicle had been stolen from her driveway. The incident is under investigation. Theft: Genesee Road A woman reported Sept. 9 that several expensive purses and computer items were missing from the downstairs unit of her duplex home. She said maintenance workers had been inside the previous day to fix a water leak from the upstairs unit, and she found that the front door had been left unlocked. Police are investigating. Domestic violence: Greenwold Road A man said Sept. 9 that his neighbor had come to his house stating that her husband had hit her in the head with a rolling pin. The husband was not at the home when officers arrived. The incident is under investigation, with possible felony charges pending. Lost property: Langerdale Boulevard A home healthcare nurse said Aug. 9 that some of her patients morphine was missing from a kit. She said it had been delivered the previous day with the correct amount, but most of it then went missing. The incident was documented. Forgery: South Green Road The citys finance director reported Sept. 8 that a check that had been previously paid to a Cleveland business to pay an invoice had been altered and fraudulently cashed. The altered check was found to have been made out to a different payee, but for the original amount of $14,540. The incident is under investigation. Impaired driving: Cedar Road A Planet Fitness employee reported at 12:36 a.m. Sept. 8 that a vehicle had driven onto the flower beds in front of the business. The driver was found to be visiting from France and under the influence of suspected drugs. The man, 40, was taken to the hospital and cited for OVI. Theft: Warrensville Center Road Loss prevention at Walmart reported Sept. 7 that a man with a knife had left the store with stolen merchandise and entered an SUV. Responding officers stopped the suspects vehicle on Holmden Road, but did not locate a knife. The man, 68, was cited for theft and taken to the hospital after complaining of trouble standing. Get police blotters by email every weekday for free with our new Police Blotter newsletter. Sign up at cleveland.com/newsletters. Read more news from the Sun Messenger. PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Moreland Hills Elementary School fifth-graders Navah Levine, Skyler Oakley and Evelyn Milosh received an outstanding return on their investment in letter writing recently. President Joe Biden, OneRepublic musician Ryan Tedder and childrens fiction author Kate DiCamillo, respectively, not only took the time to read the letters the students had written them, but then wrote back, according to a news release from the Orange City School District. Writing teachers Kim Shapiro and Vicki Lazuka guided their students in this engaging fourth-grade project last spring. The students were asked to write a letter to someone they admired. According to Shapiro, letter writing ties in to so many of the standards the school covers, including communication, critical thinking, producing clear and coherent writing, and the use of technology. From left, brothers Teddy, Maxwell and Alex Block get in the spirit of the Morning Mingle as they enjoy bagels, breakfast and brotherhood in the Moreland Hills Elementary School Cafe. Teddy and Alex are kindergarteners and Maxwell is a fourth-grader. (Photo Courtesy of Orange City Schools) Morning Mingle Great breakfast, great company and great smiles marked the successful Orange Elementary and Middle School PTAs annual Morning Mingle the second week of September. The event at Moreland Hills Elementary School gave new kindergarten friends and parents the opportunity to gather together for a bite to eat and a moment to chat before the morning bell rang. The PTA sets aside one day each year for the kindergarteners Morning Mingle, followed by another for the first-graders and their caregivers. Puster earns contract extension Todd Puster, treasurer and chief financial officer of the Orange School District, received a three-year contract extension from the Orange Board of Education Monday (Sept. 11). Pusters new contract takes effect Aug. 1, 2024, and extends through July 31, 2027. His salary for the first year of the contract will be $145,000. It will increase to $148,000 the second year and $151,000 the third year. Puster has been the Orange Schools treasurer and CFO since 2015. He serves as vice president of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials Board of Directors. Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun. HUNTING VALLEY, Ohio Spoiled dinner: Fairmount Boulevard A resident came to the police station Sept. 7 to report the possible theft of a CookUnity chef-prepared, home-delivered meal package from their house the day before. Police checked Flock Safety cameras in the area and informed the resident that they could not locate a vehicle at that time. Noise complaint: SOM Center Road, North Deer Creek Lane A Pepper Pike resident reported loud music, lights flashing and big tents set up at a Hunting Valley home along Ohio 91 around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 9. Police responded to the wedding reception and reported back on their findings, which already included a special police detail for a signed fireworks permit. Suspicion: Nottingham Lane Residents who were out of town around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 6 called to report that the couple who were house-sitting for them said an unknown second car had pulled in behind theirs. Police spoke with the house-sitters and planned to have extra patrols through Sept. 10. Warrant served: Fairmount Boulevard An officer traveled to the Macedonia jail on the afternoon of Sept. 9 to pick up a Cleveland man, 40, with an active Hunting Valley warrant. He had been awaiting bond on an unrelated charge filed by Walton Hills police the previous night. Custody was transferred and he was given a new personal recognizance bond, with a Payment Ability Hearing scheduled in Shaker Heights Municipal Court on the Hunting Valley charges, including speeding (51 mph in a 35 mph zone) and driving under suspension-failure to reinstate. Hit confirmation, warrant served: Fairmount Boulevard Solon police reported that they were out with a Cleveland woman, 29, on a traffic stop at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 9. She had an active warrant from Hunting Valley for failure to appear in court on a stop sign violation. They transferred custody at the Moreland Hills Sunoco and she was given a new hearing date, then a courtesy ride to her home on Lee Road. Squad call: County Line Road An allergic man, 64, was taken to Ahuja Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment after being stung by a bee shortly after 7:30 a.m. Sept. 10. He had administered an EpiPen himself prior to medics arrival in an ambulance a short time later. He was found conscious and alert. Get police blotters by email every weekday for free with our new Police Blotter newsletter. Sign up at cleveland.com/newsletters Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Following former Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, Utah Senator and former GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has announced he will not seek reelection, but will serve out his term that ends in 2025. At age 76, Senator Romney said he wants to pass the torch to the next generation thats not like Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who Romney torched in book excerpts published Wednesday in The Atlantic. The excerpts come from Romney: A Reckoning by journalist McKay Coppins. Sen. Romney told Coppins he had initially been impressed with Vance after reading his autobiography Hillbilly Elegy. Romney became unimpressed when he viewed Vance as having sold out cheap to Trump MAGAism. How can you go over a line so stark as that - and for what? Its not like youre going to be famous and powerful because you became a United States senator. Its like, really? You sell yourself so cheap? I dont know that I can disrespect someone more than J.D. Vance. How do you sit next to him at lunch? Romney asked. In these toxic Trump times endangering democracy, Sen. Romney is a reminder of what a true and real respectable Republican is and is not. Vance had been endorsed by Trump when he was running in the middle of a crowded Republican field for the retiring Portmans Senate seat. That endorsement is viewed as having pushed Vance to victory with Trump also having won Ohio. Meanwhile, Sen. Romney was never onboard the Trump train and had voted for his impeachment. In 2012 then-Senator Portman had been considered a potential Romney running mate in his Presidential race against then-Sen. Barack Obama. Before that Presidential bid, and his election to the U.S Senate in 2019 from Utah, Romney had been the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. His first bid for the U.S. Senate came 1994 when he lost to Sen. Ted Kennedy. Romney has turned out to be right on his 2012 campaigns astute take and emphasis warning about the danger of Russia thats now playing out again with its invasion of Ukraine. Ironically, while Romney lost to the 2012 Obama/Biden ticket, hed now be a better Republican nominee matchup to beat Biden than 4-time indicted Trump, whos one year older and 10 times orangier. CLEVELAND, Ohio Brewnuts and Malleys Chocolates, are teaming up for a special collab aimed at those with a sweet tooth. Malleys and Brewnuts are collaborating on three limited-edition donuts that utilize Malleys signature chocolate. The release will only be available for the weekend of September 22 until they sell out. Malleys announced the collaboration on its Instagram on Friday. The donuts will be available only at Malleys stores with ice cream parlors. That includes locations in Lakewood, Mentor, Bay Village, and the 23473 Lorain Rd. location in North Olmstead. The stores will open early on Friday at 8 a.m. for the release of the donuts, and theyll be sold Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until theyre gone. The donut flavors are a play on something old, classic, and new, Malleys social media manager Amanda Nugent-Stein told Cleveland.com of the release. The collaboration also accompanies the release of a new Malleys Chocolate product. The first donut is a Bordeaux-inspired donut featuring melted-down Malleys chocolate and an almond crunch topping. Another flavor is a hot fudge sundae-inspired donut filled with hot fudge and topped with vanilla bean buttercream to mimic the flavor of ice cream. The donut that plays on something new is inspired by Malleys latest product, the Betty Lou, also being released in all Malleys stores on September 22. The Betty Lou is a counterpart to the Billy Bob. Rather than walnuts, the Betty Lou features pretzels alongside caramel and chocolate. The donut version features the same flavor profile. CLEVELAND, Ohio Its hard to beat a classic like a good cheeseburger. It sounds simple, but most people probably have a clear memory of the best burger theyve ever eaten. Some of those people might consider Doinks Burger Joint in the Waterloo Arts District of Clevelends Collinwood neighborhood to serve their favorite. Doinks opened in August 2023, but owners Bonn Rassavong and Peter Brown, who owns Six Shooter Coffee, have been serving the Collinwood neighborhood their signature sandwich since 2020. The pair, who worked for years in the restaurant and hospitality business, were looking for a new venture once the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down. We were trying to figure out our next game plan as far as staying alive, Rassavong said. The solution came to them selling burgers. The pair cleared out Rassavongs Collinwood garage and started selling burgers and fries from his house via social media. It might sound unconventional, but it was a hit they sold out for the first day and for about a year after that. A photo hangs on the wall of Doinks that shows Rassavong and Brown's garage pop-up setup. Once the restrictions of the pandemic lifted, the Doinks burgers concept (which was unnamed at the time) was in limbo. Rassavong went to work at Larder, where owner Jeremy Umansky suggested he try a burger pop-up. The pop-ups continued from there and once the opportunity arose for a brick-and-mortar in his neighborhood, Rassavong jumped on it at the end of 2022. It was never a plan for it to become a thing. It just organically became one, Rassavong explained. Doinks officially opened in August 2023 with an expanded menu. Rassavong had only offered one type of burger for his three years of pop-ups. Now with the restaurant, hes provided an expanded menu with themed burgers, sides, and house-made hard seltzer. The menu fuses a bit of classic American, like burgers and onion rings, with Asian cuisine like a Bohn Mi burger or kimchi macaroni salad. Rassavong, who is Thai-American, aimed to make the menu full of approachable comforting dishes with particular attention to detail for each element of the burger. This is kind of a mash of my two favorite things which is like hard classic American food and then southeast Asian food, Rassavong said. The restaurant also tries to use local ingredients when possible like Cleveland Kitchen sauerkraut or Raddells sausage and bacon. Doinks is Rassavongs first restaurant, which brought its own learning curve. He and his crew did the majority of the renovation work themselves on the corner building. A burger from Doinks Burger Joint in Cleveland's Waterloo Arts District. RELATED: Two Ohio restaurants named Top 100 Burger Spots in the US I was, like, YouTubing how to lay floor while I was laying floor, Rassavong explained. The driving force through everything has been the community response. Whether its people who hear about them from social media or a neighbor who happens to walk in, Rassavong said theres been nothing but love from the customers. An unexpected perk of the restaurant is the culture of casual conversation thats encouraged in Doinks. Its part of the reason why the kitchen is a focal point of the restaurant rather than hidden behind closed doors. Our window is so big so I can sit there and talk to everyone out here, Rassavong said. While Rassavong naturally hopes to see Doinks Burger Joint continue to grow and succeed, he also has big aspirations for the neighborhood he calls home. I hope the people that may have never come to the neighborhood before but heard of us through social media or friends or whatever come in get a burger and then they walk down and see all the cool things we have to offer here, he said. The inside of Doinks Burger Joint in the Waterloo Arts District of Cleveland. If You Go Location: Doinks Burger Joint, 15519 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday Contact: instagram.com/doinksburgerjoint/ CLEVELAND, Ohio - Severance Music Center will play host to a free Hispanic Heritage Month concert featuring Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 14. Tickets are required for the concert and will be available beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 16 at the clevelandorchestra.com. Tickets can also be acquired at the Severance Ticket Office or by phone at (216) 231-1111 or 800-686-114. The concert will be hosted by Lydia Esparra, a correspondent for WKYC-TV/Channel 3, and is a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month which takes place from September 15 to October 15. DeLeon, a Lorain native has led his Latin jazz Orquesta for more than a decade and is a fixture on the jazz and Latin music scene for he and his bands high-energy dance-inducing grooves. SPRINGFIELD, Missouri Lemurs are native to Madagascar. So police in Springfield likely were skeptical when there were reports that a lemur was seen on a city street. But the reports were accurate, and the small primate ended leading officers on a late-night foot chase as they attempted to catch the animal using a large towel, according to a Facebook post by the police department. The pursuit was recorded on the body-cam of one of the officers. The video shows the officer chasing the lemur as it runs on a sidewalk. Just as the officer gets close, the lemur runs into the grassy area of a park. The officer misses with his initial attempt to catch the lemur in a towel. He misses with a second attempt in a parking lot as civilians try to slow the lemur down by blocking its path. A second officer manages to get hold of the lemur as it runs by, allowing them to wrap it in a towel. The post says the owners of the lemur had called to report it missing. However, they had to turn it over to Springfield-Greene County Animal Control because a city ordinance prohibits having wild animals as pets. The lemur has been connected to a local wildlife rescue agency, where they will continue to be well-cared for and loved! the post says. Starting the evening of Sept. 15, 2023, and again the evening of Sept. 24, Jews around the world will be filing into synagogues to mark their Days of Awe the High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. For many who observe these holidays in the United States, the Days of Awe will be the only time that they visit a synagogue this year. Only 1 in 5 American Jews attend services once a month or more. What is more, Yom Kippur is among the most somber and punishing holidays of the Jewish calendar. Why, then, do so many individuals who rarely pray in a synagogue choose to do it during the dour Days of Awe, rather than on many of the joyful, celebratory feasts that the Jewish calendar has to offer? The answer lies partly in the nature of Jewish civilization itself. While today observers perceive Judaism as a religion, Jewish culture is not focused on individual belief and worship so much as on an entire community and its collective relationship with God and its history. As a scholar of Judaic studies, I believe these are core, galvanizing elements of Jewish civilization that the Days of Awe bring into relief, making the High Holy Days a focus of congregants cultural lives as Jews. While the High Holidays may seem like days of individual soul-searching and repentance alone, their focus is actually communal, taking stock of an entire peoples identity and traditions. Rosh Hashana: The Jewish New Year According to rabbinic interpretations, Rosh Hashana commemorates Gods creation of humanity. Tradition has it that Rosh Hashana is a time when God judges humans, and especially his people, Israel. Meanwhile, they affirm their acceptance of Gods sovereignty over everything and everybody. That is largely why Jews exchange New Years greetings along the lines of, May you be inscribed [in the Book of Life] folkloric shorthand for wishing someone a good fate for the year ahead. Whether they occur in traditionalist or modernist settings, Jewish New Year ceremonies are mostly held in synagogues. The services begin with attendees recitation of an ancient liturgy that underscores Gods kingship over the universe. Yet the centerpiece is the loud blowing of a shofar, a rams horn, whose powerful blasts the biblical book of Joshua describes as bringing down the walls of the city of Jericho. During the High Holidays, the sound opens the gates of heaven so that congregants acknowledgment of divine sovereignty can enter Gods abode and inform his judgment. Notably, Jewish law has it that individuals should not mark the High Holidays alone. Ideally, the services require a minyan, or quorum of 10 adults as do many Jewish rituals. Before 70 C.E., when Roman legions destroyed the Jerusalem Temple, sacrifices at its altar were an important component of Jewish social, political and ritual life. Afterward, rabbinic law radically democratized the Israelites rituals, mostly as liturgical services. These took the place of activities that the priests of the temple had performed. Thus the people, along with their history as a political community, remained the protagonists of a comprehensive cultural system not the relatively narrow, private sense of faith that the word religion can suggest. Confession as a community on Yom Kippur After Rosh Hashana, the mood darkens as Yom Kippur approaches: the Day of Atonement. On the eve of Yom Kippur, before its onset at sundown, Jews return to their synagogues. As a prelude to the first Yom Kippur service, a cantor or another skilled congregant sings the famed Kol Nidre: the Renunciation of All Vows. This poem asks God to preemptively annul any oaths Jews will make to God unknowingly or involuntarily, or ones they cannot fulfill. Notably, Kol Nidre plaintively asks, May all the people of Israel be forgiven, including all the strangers who live in their midst, for all the people are at fault. One of the Yom Kippur liturgys distinctive elements is a section called the Viddui the confession. That word may summon images of a one-on-one encounter with a priest in the privacy of a small, partitioned booth. Confession may also suggest a creed: I believe in X, Y, Z and that my belief will save my soul. Yet Jewish confession is neither an affirmation of faith nor a purely individual mea culpa. Instead, the Viddui affirms a long list of wrongdoings for which all congregants repent: Among other things, We and our fathers have sinned. We have trespassed. We have betrayed; We have stolen. We have slandered. The focus of the services, in other words, is not exclusively on personal sin and salvation. The language of the liturgy uses we, not just I. It does not matter whether individuals reciting the liturgy have erred in the specific ways the confession mentions. What matters is that they take responsibility for the entire Jewish people past, present and future in relation to their fellow humans, and in relation to the God of Israel: One for all, and all for one. As the Talmud puts it, All Israel [is] mutually responsible. The biblical Book of Deuteronomy, too, is packed with laws for the entire people of Israel as they are about to enter their promised land, so that they may prolong your days upon the land. Commandments about theft, mercy and caring for the stranger and the orphan, for example, are explicit blueprints for a functioning, socially just state not just guides to individual or universal morality. The books of the Hebrew Bible enshrine a story of the Jewish people, a collective story at the root of these awe-filled days. Indeed, the High Holidays affirm a sense of belonging that keeps even some of the least traditional Jews returning to ceremonies every year, affirming the ideal of a kinship-based society rooted in collective justice. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content. CLEVELAND, Ohio The reactions to the Catholic Diocese of Clevelands gender policy heated up this week, as a leading support group and political leaders, including Clevelands mayor, voiced opposing views on the issue. The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland started a petition to reverse the policy, which lists rules for churches and schools across Northeast Ohio for people who experience gender dysphoria and/or gender confusion. Meanwhile, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Ohio Sen. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood attacked the directive, while a conservative member of the Ohio House, Gary Click, said on social media that churches dont need clueless politicians telling them what the Bible teaches. The dioceses policy went into effect Sept. 1. It prevents students and staff from undergoing gender-affirming care and using pronouns different than those affiliated with a persons biological sex. It also requires church or school staff members to tell the parents of a child who might be transgender. The policy affects students in 80 schools in the eight-county diocese. The directive has angered many residents, who fear it will harm LGBTQ parishioners, especially children. Supporters say it further supports the churchs belief that God made man and woman for marriage and acting on same-sex attraction is a sin. The diocese declined to comment for this story. In an earlier statement, it said it has taken existing guidance and practice in matters of sex, sexuality and gender identity and developed them into a formal policy, rooted in scripture and Church teaching, to help ensure that these matters are addressed in a consistent, pastorally sound and authentically Catholic manner across our diocesan and parish institutions and schools. The LGBT center is fighting the policy. It started a petition to reverse the directive. In an online petition, it said it is gravely disappointed in the Catholic Diocese of Clevelands new anti-LGBTQ+ policy and the harmful rhetoric towards the LGBTQ+ community. The repressive culture and othering that will be fostered further by the hurtful policies documented in this statement is a massive setback in creating an affirming community in Northeast Ohio, the petition said. The center remains in solidarity with our robust Cleveland LGBTQ+ youth community and calls upon the diocese to reverse its policy. Earlier this week, Bibb released a statement in response to the policy extending solidarity to the LGBTQ community. As a Christian, the dioceses policy is a shocking betrayal of the Church teachings that have shaped who I am today, he said. For me, faith is about universal love and acceptance. Instead, the new policy forces LGBTQ kids to hide their authentic selves and attend school in fear of persecution for who they are. Rest assured that this policy, along with any expressions of hatred, doesnt go unnoticed. Antonio, a Democrat from Lakewood, is the first openly gay minority leader in the Ohio Senate. She said the dioceses directive will hurt students. I am extremely disappointed that the diocese has chosen to focus on policies of exclusion over acceptance, she said in a statement. But the voices of Bibb and Antonio were met by Click, a conservative Republican in the Ohio House from Sandusky County. This is what the separation of church and state is all about my friends, Click said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Churches dont need clueless politicians telling them what the Bible teaches. For the record, (Bibb) is clearly clueless about genuine Christianity. He is also apparently clueless about the Constitution and why the First Amendment exists. Lets talk mayor. Id be happy to help you understand. OBERLIN, Ohio Just two weeks after the Manhattan District Attorneys office ordered the seizure of an ancient Roman bronze sculpture at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the same office ordered the seizure of a drawing by the Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele from the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College. According to news reports, the Schiele drawing is one of three ordered seized as part of an investigation into works allegedly stolen from a Holocaust victim by the Nazis during World War II. The other two drawings are owned by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Schiele was a highly important artist in turn-of-the-century Vienna, known for the emotional intensity and frank eroticism of his controversial portraits, including those of prepubescent girls. The Cleveland museums ancient Roman bronze, believed to represent the philosopher and emperor Marcus Aurelius, was taken off view sometime in the spring and is being held by the museum pending shipment to New York. The Cleveland Museum of Art's "Emperor as Philosopher," thought to represent Marcus Aurelius will be on display with the reopening of the lower-level 1916 galleries at the Cleveland Museum of Art, covering art from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe. The statue is bronze, copper and stone inlay. Date shot: Thursday, June 10, 2010. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer) The Plain DealerThe Plain Dealer The work was allegedly looted from a site in Turkey in the 1960s before the museum bought it in good faith in 1986. Its seizure is part of a changing climate in the art world in which source countries are pursuing the restitution of recently looted artworks more aggressively, along with those removed during early exercises in military and colonial power. The work owned by Oberlin College is Girl With Black Hair, 1911. The district attorneys office valued it at $1.5 million. According to news reports, New York prosecutors have said the Oberlin drawing, along with the other two, rightly belong to three living heirs of Fritz Grunbaum, a Jewish art collector, cabaret artist and prominent anti-Nazi who was killed at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany in 1941. The news of the seizure was reported earlier this week by The New York Times, ARTnews and other outlets. The warrant authorizing the seizure of the Schiele was dated Sept. 12. Andrea Simakis, Oberlin Colleges director of media relations, issued a statement via email saying, We are confident that Oberlin College legally acquired Egon Schieles " Girl with Black Hair' in 1958, and that we lawfully possess it. We are cooperating with the Manhattan District Attorneys criminal investigation, she added. We believe that Oberlin is not the target of the Manhattan DAs criminal investigation into this matter. Per the search warrant, the artwork has officially been seized, and Oberlin is holding it on behalf of the New York court that issued the warrant. CLEVELAND, OHIO A state program that encourages farmers to better manage the use of fertilizers on their fields is being expanded across Ohio. Until now, only farmers in select counties in Northwest Ohio have been eligible to receive financial incentives from the state in order to better manage their nutrient applications. COLUMBUS, Ohio As a state board barrels toward a decision Monday on opening two state parks and two protected wildlife areas for fracking, its public comments are flush with nearly 150 letters under the names of people who say they did not authorize or send them. Those comments trace back to at least two different entities that wage advocacy and lobbying campaigns for the natural gas industry, an investigation from Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer has found. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer previously reported on 28 people who say they did not knowingly allow their names to be used on a form letter drafted by the nonprofit Consumer Energy Alliance. They include a 9-year-old child and an older blind woman. Not one person interviewed for that report confirmed that they agreed to put their name on the letter. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has vowed to investigate. The Consumer Energy Alliance has said it does not use names without permission and challenged the accuracy of Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealers reporting. This week, Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to roughly 1,000 people whose names appeared on the alliances form letters. In interviews and emails, 25 additional people said they didnt knowingly authorize their names to be used. Three people said they allowed their names to be used on CEAs form letter. Save Ohio Parks, a grassroots advocacy organization that formed to oppose fracking, conducted similar research. Its volunteers called 735 people, it said in a statement. Of 115 reached, 98 said they didnt submit the letter, according to the organization. (An analysis shows 14 of these people were also contacted by Cleveland.com.) In all, that means 137 people have told either Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer or Save Ohio Parks that they did not knowingly authorize the form letters submitted by the Consumer Energy Alliance, which has submitted more than 1,000 form letters in favor of fracking state parks to the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission. The Consumer Energy Alliance has said that it uses a digital trail to verify identities of those whose names appear on its form letters. It previously described hiring a vendor to place ads on websites like win.click2win4life.com or go.topcreditcardfinder.com, from which users in Ohio were filtered out for the form letters. When they reached the form letter, according to the alliance, users were asked to verify biographical details again and given a chance to personalize the letters before clicking send. However, some whose names appear on the letters rejected that explanation in interviews. So I searched the internet for a credit card, that doesnt mean I gave them permission to use my name, said Amanda Birmingham, of Cincinnati, who said her name was used without her knowing permission on a public comment. Ohios Energy Future Coalition Another organization, which registered out of a private mailbox out of a parcel store in Virginia thats shared with a pro-natural gas super PAC, organized a public comment drive as well. And about half the authors who responded to emails denied allowing anyone to use their names. The Ohios Energy Future Coalition incorporated with the state in June. Its paperwork listed only the name and law office of Columbus attorney James G. Ryan, who didnt respond to phone calls. From there it paid for a series of Facebook ads, disclosures show, with bold text calling to unleash American energy, to end dependence on foreign oil, or to lower gas prices and make road trips great again. Those ads take viewers to the coalitions website, which offers a portal to submit a pre-written comment to the state urging regulators to open Salt Fork State Park for fracking. The letters ask regulators to accept one specific application parceling Salt Fork into multiple bids to guarantee much-needed competition in the bidding process. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer emailed 135 people whose names appear on letters that exactly matched text on the coalitions website. Of 19 responses, 11 people said they never knowingly allowed anyone to use their name on such a letter. I absolutely did not give anyone [permission] to send this letter with my name and address on it, said Margie Hoover, of Shelby, Ohio, whose name appeared on one of the OEFC form letters. I never read this or even heard anything about it. This makes me very angry that someone could do this. A form letter, drafted by the Ohio's Energy Future Coalition, submitted to the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission. Margie Hoover, listed at bottom, said she never gave anyone permission to use her name. (Jake Zuckerman/Cleveland.com) Jeffrey Yates doesnt know how his name got on another. Not that I know of, he said when asked if he sent it or allowed his name to be used. Ive sent letters of this type on websites for 2nd Amendment rights in the past, but nothing like [fracking]. However, some people reached by Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer said they remembered granting permission for their name to be used on the coalitions form letter. Some specifically mentioned the Facebook ads they interacted with. Others may have forgotten that they sent it because they didnt write the letter, said Wanda Stephens, who said she remembered writing a letter to her elected representatives. I believe we should be energy independent! Screenshot from one of five separate land nominations to open Salt Fork State Park for drilling, which was referenced in form letters from the Ohio's Energy Future Coalition. (Source: Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission) Consumer Energy Alliance After Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer published its findings, the Consumer Energy Alliance defended its practices and attacked the reporting. CEA President David Holt wrote in a letter in response to Yost, who said he would issue subpoenas to investigate the situation, that the reporting falsely and potentially libelously insinuates that CEA intentionally submitted comments without knowledge of the people named. Holt said this is untrue and that the organization has a digital chain of custody to demonstrate as much. Since then, a team of reporters found another 25 people who say their names were used without their knowing permission on CEA form letters. A few examples: That was definitely not me or done under my authorization. This is alarming, Jaime Beavers said. No, Im not into tearing and destroying our land. Takes forever to recover which a lot of people do not realize. Land recovers quicker from a fire disaster. Take my name off list and you have my permission to use this paragraph to help others understand, Kevin Chadrick said. I did not write a letter. I did not ask anyone to write a letter. When I need to write a letter or make a call I do it myself, Jo-Ann Krummel said. As far as sending the letter, no, I didnt do it, Michael Lance said. CEA has previously been accused of using peoples names without permission on petitions or similar government filings in Wisconsin, Ohio, and South Carolina over the last decade. It denied wrongdoing in the first two instances. In the South Carolina case, it blamed the misattributed identities on a vendor it hired. Bryson Hull, a Consumer Energy Alliance spokesman, has previously denied that CEA uses anyones name without permission. He said CEA legitimately gathers peoples information through ad-serving websites and requires that they affirmatively agree to place their names on CEAs form letter. He acknowledged that mistakes can happen at the margins but said CEAs systems verify the authenticity of peoples identities before placing them on form letters. When told of the newly identified people who say their names were used without permission, Hull noted only that the form letters were collected at separate times but submitted in batches to the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission. Jake Zuckerman covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. CLEVELAND, Ohio The Chagrin River and its East Branch have become a world class steelhead trout fishery over the years, and thanks to a $2.2 million state grant awarded to the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, the river habitat and corridor in the Willoughby area will be protected in the years to come. Remnants of the Daniels Park Dam that was destroyed by a winter storm in 2005 have finally been removed and boulders have been placed in the river to create river habitat and a passageway for spawning fish. That includes the popular steelhead trout part of a world class fishery developed in recent years that will begin to run again to spawn in the river in good numbers starting in late October and November. When major flooding on the Chagrin River caused the Gates Mills dam upriver to fail in March 2011, the catastrophe was a major bonanza for steelhead trout fishermen. Natures violent removal of that dam gave the big trout an additional 8.4 miles of river to run during the cold weather months. About four miles of that stretch of the Chagrin River winds through the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation, ensuring public access to one of Northeast Ohios most popular game fish. Removing the last remnants of the Daniels Park Dam will remove obstructions that slowed the steelhead trout runs, and now fish will easily move through the area, said Dan Pribanic of Chagrin River Outfitters in Chagrin Falls. The improvements are going to benefit the steelhead trout fishing upstream, where there is ample fishing room. The East Branch joins the Chagrin River at Daniels Park, and then flows five miles northward to Lake Erie. The waters are healthy in that area, but sediment and nutrient pollution caused by riverbank destabilizations and habitat alterations are threats to fish and macroinvertebrates. Addressing this erosion is crucial to to reduce sediment and nutrient pollution to Lake Erie, said Deputy Director Kimberly Brewster Shefelton of Chagrin River Watershed Partners. The state H2Ohio project will stabilize eroding stream banks, realign the East Branch, and create an oxbow wetland within a portion of the old East Branch Channel. The steelhead trout fishing in Northeast Ohio, especially along the Chagrin and the Rocky rivers in the Cleveland region, lures anglers from all around the state and the country. Rick Kustich talks steelhead on Saturday: Master fly fisherman Rick Kustich, who lives in western New York and has fished all over the continent, will appear on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Chagrin River Outfitters, Stepnorth Retail Cluster Mall, 100 N. Main St., Chagrin Falls, just a few steps from the popular Chagrin River. Kustichs latest achievement is Modern Spey Fishing, a book that will appeal to local steelhead trout fishermen. It is a complete guide to tactics and techniques for single- and two-handed approaches to catching trout. The free event includes a shop cookout, new fall fishing gear, tactics for swinging flies and other fall steelhead tactics, and two-handed casting. Steelhead Expo on the Rocky River Saturday: The 29th annual OCBS Steelhead Expo will take over the Rocky River Nature Center, 24000 Valley Parkway, North Olmsted, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The free show is hosted by the Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders and the Cleveland Metroparks. The Expo will cover fly and spey fishing, fly tying, spin fishing and center pin float fishing. Conservation organizations will be on hand to educate anglers about protecting our rivers. Local tackle shops will have advice on fishing equipment. In this article STLAM-IT F GM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now DETROIT Thousands of members of the United Auto Workers went on strike at three U.S. assembly plants of General Motors , Ford Motor and Stellantis , after the union and the automakers failed to reach a deal on a new labor contract Thursday night. "The UAW Stand Up Strike begins at all three of the Big Three," the union said in a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, just after midnight Friday. The facilities are GM's midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Ford's Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis' Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator plant in Toledo, Ohio. For Ford, UAW President Shawn Fain said only workers in paint and final assembly will be on strike. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks with the media and union members outside the UAW Local 900 headquarters across the street from the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, Sept. 15, 2023. Matthew Hatcher | AFP | Getty Images "We got to do what we got to do to get our share of economic and social justice in this strike," Fain said outside the Ford facility in Wayne. "We're going to be out here until we get our share of economic justice. And it doesn't matter how long it takes." The selected plants produce highly profitable vehicles for the automakers that largely continue to be in high demand. About 12,700 workers 5,800 at Stellantis, 3,600 at GM and 3,300 at Ford will be on strike at the plants in total, the union said. The UAW represents about 146,000 workers across Ford, GM and Stellantis. UAW President Shawn Fain, center, talks to reporters as union members strike outside a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, Sept. 15, 2023. CNBC | Michael Wayland "If they come to the pump and they take care of their workers, we'll be back to work," Fain said early Friday, referring to the automakers. "But if they don't, we'll keep amping it up." The union selected the plants as part of targeted strike plans initially announced Wednesday night by Fain, who has unconventionally been negotiating with all three automakers at once and has been reluctant to compromise much on the union's demands. Read more: General Motors sweetens its offer to include 20% wage increase Targeted strikes typically focus on key plants that can then cause other plants to cease production due to a lack of parts. They are not unprecedented, but the way Fain plans to conduct the work stoppages is not typical. They include initiating targeted strikes at select plants and then potentially increasing the number of strikes based on the status of the negotiations. Selecting assembly plants for such strikes is also unique. "For the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the 'Big Three' at once," Fain said just after 10 p.m. ET Thursday in live remarks streamed on Facebook and YouTube. "We are using a new strategy, the 'stand-up' strike. We will call on select facilities, locals or units to stand up and go on strike." Fain has referred to the union's plans as a "stand-up strike," a nod to historic "sit-down" strikes by the UAW in the 1930s. Members of the UAW (United Auto Workers) picket and hold signs outside of the UAW Local 900 headquarters across the street from the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan on September 15, 2023. Matthew Hatcher | AFP | Getty Images In this article STLAM-IT F GM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Former President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker, Sept. 14, 2023. Meet the Press | NBCU WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump warned that U.S. autoworkers' jobs will move to China and accused the United Auto Workers' leadership of failing its members, thousands of whom went on strike Friday against General Motors , Ford and Stellantis . "The autoworkers will not have any jobs, Kristen, because all of these cars are going to be made in China. The electric cars, automatically, are going to be made in China," Trump told NBC News' Kristen Welker in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview set to air Sunday on "Meet the Press." "The autoworkers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump," added the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Employees work on a car assembly line at the SAIC General Motors Co. plant in Wuhan, China, May 18, 2022. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Approximately 13,000 U.S. autoworkers stopped making vehicles and went on strike following failed negotiations on a slew of issues, including higher pay. The strike marked the first time the United Auto Workers union targeted the three automaker titans simultaneously. Workers walked out at GM's midsize truck and full-size van assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Ford's Ranger pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis' Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator plant in Toledo, Ohio. Read more: Why the United Auto Workers want big raises Trump specifically criticized UAW President Shawn Fain. "I think he's not doing a good job in representing his union, because he's not going to have a union in three years from now. Those jobs are all going to be gone, because all of those electric cars are going to be made in China. That's what's happening," Trump said. Fain has previously said that a second Trump presidency would be a "disaster." But he has also withheld his endorsement of President Joe Biden. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks with the media and union members outside the UAW Local 900 headquarters across the street from the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, Sept. 15, 2023. Matthew Hatcher | AFP | Getty Images Speaking from the White House on Friday, Biden said he hopes all parties are able to strike "a win-win agreement." "The companies have made some significant offers," Biden said, adding "But I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW." Biden said he also respects the right of workers to "use their options under the collective bargaining system." Read more: Biden says record profits should ensure record contracts as UAW strikes Ford, GM and Stellantis plants Trump has sought to seize the mantle of most fervent China hawk in the U.S. presidential election. He also tried to make Biden's electric vehicle push a key part of his case against the president. The crumbling relationship between Washington and Beijing, the world's two largest economies, intensified under the Trump administration. Trump placed blame squarely on China for a wide range of grievances, including intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices and the coronavirus pandemic. Biden has sought to work consistently with allies in order to mount a more united pushback against China. Biden has also previously said that during his political career, he has spent more time with Chinese President Xi Jinping than he has with any other world leader. Analysts at Barclays have named consumer internet stocks set to do well and badly in an age of generative AI. Outlining what they called "a framework for generative AI success," the bank analyzed possible opportunities and risks as generative AI is embraced around the world. "The next few years could change the way traffic flows through the internet, and the market cap of many stocks," the analysts wrote in a Sept. 12 note. "We think it's still too early to declare the AI (artificial intelligence) 'winners' and 'losers' in the consumer internet space. Instead, we think the right thing for investors to do at pivotal times like today is to focus on previous major shifts in technology. Taking this approach, we have created a framework that can be applied today to assess potential winners and losers as the AI theme plays out." In assessing stocks that could outperform (and underperform), the bank took into account factors including the amount of data companies have access to, the ease of replicating content and audience trust. Stocks to watch Barclays named several stocks that it says screen well, including U.S. tech giants Google , Meta and Amazon . "The best companies in AI are likely to have a combination of: 1) distribution advantages, 2) strong technical AI prowess, 3) the resources to invest aggressively, and 4) a willingness to ship and execute," the analysts wrote. Both Google and Meta are already well-placed in the industry; the former has over three billion Android users and millions of users across its apps, while Meta has four "mega apps," each with over a billion daily active users, the analysts said. Similarly, Amazon stands to benefit from its web services platform which has "a unique vantage point" to offer a wide range of services to AI start-ups and enterprise customers, while its retail arm has the "largest e-commerce customer base worldwide (ex-China)," the analysts added. Outside of the U.S., the bank likes stocks including German retail platform Zalando and investment group Prosus. It said Prosus which has a 26% stake in Tencent is slated to gain from the Chinese tech company's "development of foundational models ongoing, huge troves of data, massive distribution and impressive tech capability." Stocks that 'screen poorly' The bank also identified stocks it said screen poorly, including British fashion retail giant Asos , publisher Reach , and U.S. small and mid-capi e-commerce players. Barclays warned that, for these companies, generative AI could make audience acquisition more difficult and limit opportunities for investments. Commenting specifically on the U.S. small and mid-cap e-commerce stocks, the analysts said: "names that demonstrate low customer retention, have relatively weak position in their respective end markets, have limited headroom to invest in [generation] AI projects, and lesser amounts of data from the smaller user bases. We do point out that the logistical intensity of these names could help protect the companies from disruptors." CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden said Friday that workers should be fairly compensated as auto companies make record profits, after the United Auto Workers union began a strike against General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis. "The companies have made some significant offers," Biden said in a speech at the White House. "But I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW." Biden said he is dispatching acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House senior advisor Gene Sperling to Detroit to help mediate negotiations. The pair have been involved with the talks up to now, Biden said. "Auto companies have seen record profits including the last few years because of the extraordinary skill and sacrifices of the UAW workers," Biden said. "Those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with the workers." UAW President Shawn Fain pushed back against the president in a statement released after the remarks. "We agree with Joe Biden when he says 'record profits mean record contracts,'" Fain said. "We don't agree when he says negotiations have broken down." Nearly 13,000 autoworkers went on strike after contract talks ended Thursday night without an agreement. Workers are striking at GM's midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Ford's Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis' Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator plant in Toledo, Ohio. For Ford, Fain said only workers in the paint and final assembly areas will be on strike. For the first time ever, vaccines for Covid, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus are available in the U.S. Public health officials are urging eligible Americans to take all three shots so the nation can avoid another "tripledemic" of Covid, flu and RSV, which inundated hospitals last fall and winter. But the fact that some people can now receive three shots has raised questions about whether they should take the jabs all at once or space them out. Most people only need to consider whether they should get an updated Pfizer or Moderna Covid shot and a flu vaccine at the same time, since both are broadly available to all Americans. Public health officials, physicians and recent research show that taking them during the same visit to the doctor or pharmacy is perfectly safe and effective. Meanwhile, the roughly 76.5 million adults ages 60 and older are eligible for a new RSV vaccine from Pfizer or GSK , which means they have to juggle all three shots this fall. A maternal vaccine from Pfizer protects infants against RSV, but that shot isn't available just yet. Health experts told CNBC that they don't expect any issues with taking all three shots at once. Still, other experts note that there is little research on administering an RSV shot with another vaccine, or on giving all three shots together. People can choose to take the RSV jab if they're more comfortable with that, and do the other two at another time. The choice is ultimately up to the individual and what they believe is most ideal for them, and they should feel free to consult their doctors if they're unsure, health experts said. "There hasn't been any evidence that there is any risk of getting all three at the same time," Dr. Ali Alhassani, a physician at Boston Children's Hospital, told CNBC. He noted that administering multiple vaccines isn't unusual since children often receive up to five routine immunizations at once. Similarly, Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said he doesn't "want people to think there will be any problems with taking them together because there probably isn't." But he also noted that "without data, I don't want to go completely over the top and give a really firm recommendation that everyone should get all three at the same time." Clarese Partis, a 39-year-old software designer from Los Angeles, has always wanted to work from an offbeat spot far from the crowds. So when she was offered such an opportunity, she instantly grabbed it. Last week, Partis landed in the Sardinian village of Ollolai in Italy for a free stay paid by the local municipality. It's part of a program aimed at digital nomads who want to temporarily relocate to work in the center of the island, amid farmers and grazing sheep. She's the first digital nomad to arrive and already she said it feels like a life-changer. "I have been traveling as a digital nomad since the past two years, last in Zanzibar," said Partis, but "when the opportunity for Ollolai came along I was excited to give it a try." "I felt I needed a change of place," she said, though "not a touristy one, but [instead] surrounded by nature, fresh air, mountains, beautiful beaches, where I could find more solace, peace and a slower-paced lifestyle." The small village of Ollolai Ollolai is located in the wild Barbagia area far from the Sardinia's VIP-packed coastlines a place where old traditions survive and bandits once lived in caves. Through time, locals left in search of a brighter future elsewhere, emptying the ancient district, now covered in street art depicting rural life. Clarese Partis working from her home in Ollolai, Sardinia. Source: Antonio Meloni In the past century, Ollolai's population shrank from 2,250 to 1,300, with only a handful of babies born each year. The village adopted a highly publicized measure in 2018 to revive the old district: selling crumbling homes for 1 euro. Partis and Francesco Columbu, the major of Ollolai. Source: Veronica Matta "That was a major success many foreigners bought and restyled dozens of forsaken dwellings," said Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNBC. "Now, after investing in high-speed internet, with this new project 'Work from Ollolai' we want to make our village a digital nomad hub." Free stays for remote workers Ollolai's town hall has earmarked 20,000 euros ($21,460) to host 30 remote workers from all over the world, who can stay in the village, one at a time, over the next two years. Online applications are open through December. Those who are chosen can stay for free for up to three months at a time, which is the maximum period non-Europeans can remain in Italy without a visa. For now, Partis plans to stay just one month, though she said she might consider prolonging her Sardinian experience at a later stage. Partis overlooks the view from her balcony, with Veronica Matta, who is overseeing the "Work from Ollolai" program. Source: Antonio Meloni The next teleworker is arriving from Singapore, said Veronica Matta, head of local cultural association Sa Mata, which handles the "Work from Ollolai" program with the mayor's office. "We expect a lot of Americans," she said. "Our goal is to revive Ollolai with new people of different cultures and languages that may share their experience [as] digital nomads with the residents." The budget, from the town hall's coffers, will go toward renting homes from local families for the digital nomads, at a cost of roughly 350 euros a month for a furnished two-bedroom dwelling. Utilities, bills and town hall service taxes will also be covered, said Matta, but transportation and airplane tickets are not. The homes, which used to belong to shepherd and farmer families, who in the past used to sleep on the ground floor with their animals, come with an office and high-speed internet connection. Workers will be invited to locals fairs and festivals, according to Matta. Partis said she was invited to a party on the town's piazza the night before. Partis gives her landlord 1 euro as a symbolic gesture. Source: Veronica Matta "I just had to give my landowner a symbolic one euro for the house rental," said Partis. "Locals are so warm and welcoming, and it's not because they want to sell you something, like in touristy places." "I love to mingle with the people here," she said. A reciprocal arrangement Winners can stay for free in Sardinia if, that is, they agree to give something back to the local community before they leave, said Matta. "This is not a free holiday," said Matta. "They must have a proven background as a digital nomad and leave a concrete piece of work at the end of their stay be it a conference, an essay, research paper or documentary." Partis and Matta join a welcoming party in Ollolai, Sardinia. Source: Veronica Matta Partis plans to give a lecture on what it means to be a digital nomad, in general and specifically in Ollolai, she said. Matta stressed that "professional remote workers from all fields are encouraged to apply: technology, media, finance, real estate, architecture also artists, writers, musicians, scientists and academics." But that's provided they leave behind a "knowledge jolt" that enriches the village culture, she said. More beautiful than expected Partis already loves her new home in the village's historical district. It has two bedrooms and a wonderful panoramic balcony with views of a pristine valley and woods, where she finds inspiration while working, she said. Clarese Partis with Veronica Matta, looking out from Partis' balcony. Source: Antonio Meloni For now, she said she's balancing her work and desire to sightsee across Sardinia. "I'm still settling in. There are days I spend traveling to explore the beautiful places around, and others I shut myself at home catching up on my work," she said. She said a typical day in Ollolai is similar to her life elsewhere: yoga meditation in the morning, followed by work, then a walk outside and a drive to the coast or the mountains to enjoy the silence and views. "I don't drink so the bar is not my top place to hang out," she said. "Instead, I love going to the farmers' market to pick fresh ingredients such as truffles, making pasta and gnocchi with pesto. The food is amazing." She said that Ollolai is more beautiful than she ever expected, and the friendliness of its people surprised her. "There is so much to explore in Sardinia. I'm glad I am here with enough time to immerse myself in the island and its culture." The Everton badge with flags before the Premier League match between Everton FC and AFC Bournemouth at Goodison Park on May 28, 2023 in Liverpool, England. Everton have been sold to 777 Partners, the struggling Premier League club said on Friday, with the U.S. private equity firm taking over from Farhad Moshiri in a deal reportedly worth more than 550 million pounds ($685 million). The Miami-based investment fund said it had signed an agreement with British-Iranian billionaire Moshiri to acquire his 94.1% stake in the club. "We are truly humbled by the opportunity to become part of the Everton family as custodians of the club, and consider it a privilege to be able to build on its proud heritage and values," said Josh Wander, founder and managing partner of 777 Partners. The firm 777 Partners has a number of clubs in its portfolio, including Italian side Genoa and Belgian team Standard Liege, while they also have stakes in LaLiga club Sevilla and Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory. Moshiri, a former Arsenal shareholder, first bought a 49.9% stake in Everton in 2016. By January 2022, he had increased his stake to 94.1% with a 100 million pounds capital injection. But despite investing nearly 750 million euros ($799.65 million) in transfers to build the squad since Moshiri's arrival, Everton have slipped out of the top half of the table to fight relegation battles in recent seasons. Everton narrowly avoided relegation from the top flight in each of the last two seasons and are currently 18th in the standings without a win in four games this season. The Hispanic population in the United States has been one of the fastest-growing demographics over the past two decades. Still, there are a number of financial disparities between Hispanic and Latino Americans and their white peers, especially Latina women. Hispanic women earn a median annual salary of $39,511, compared with a median of $55,330 among white women and $61,740 for white men, according to Labor Department data. Additionally, while Latino and Hispanic families have seen their wealth grow by an average of 7% each year over roughly the same time period, according to the Fed's latest Survey of Consumer Finances, they still have far less than white households. Hispanic households of any race have a median net worth of around $31,700, compared with $187,300 among white, non-Hispanic households, the most recent Census Bureau data reveals. The gap between Hispanic and non-Hispanic wealth won't close overnight. But Latina women are moving in the right direction: 52% of Hispanic and Latina investors say they feel more knowledgeable about their investments and retirement planning than they did five years ago according to J.P. Morgan Wealth Management's 2023 Diverse Investor Study. Strides in Latina investing Women broadly feel more confident in their investing decisions than they did five years ago. And what's more, they're staying consistent even through some market turbulence overall, 83% of women are investing the same amount or more in their brokerage accounts compared with last year. That number is around 81% for Hispanic and Latina investors, the survey found. The financial fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic may have inspired some women to take more steps to protect their families from financial turmoil in the future, Veronica Navarro, head of communications at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, tells CNBC Make It. Plus, a rise in resources like social media educators and educational initiatives from banks and firms like J.P. Morgan have helped increase financial literacy in historically underserved communities, she says. "We're doing better, but not good enough, not where we need to be," she says. The idea of generational wealth is about more than just passing down assets, but knowledge too. Navarro, who is Hispanic herself, says in her experience, investing in the stock market was always seen as a huge risk. Her mother, like many others, understood the importance of saving money, but not the power of investing to help grow your money and support your long-term goals. Getting more Latinas investing can help improve financial literacy in the community because not only are the individual investors learning and seeing the impact of having money invested, but they take those lessons home to their kids or older relatives to help them learn as well. Navarro highlights the fact that families especially white ones with long lines of generational wealth grow up talking about investing "around the dinner table." Since that's not the case for many Hispanic and Latino folks, financial institutions and advisors need to "know how to approach this community, how to talk to this community, what type of products you need to serve this community because they are different not all investors are the same," Navarro says. What sets Latina investors apart Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region on Sept. 13, 2023. Vladimir Smirnov | Afp | Getty Images Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has occupied an often contradictory and increasingly unsettling position on the global stage in recent years. On the one hand, Russia continues to hold onto "legacy" roles with a large degree of respectability and responsibility, such as being one of only five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and a member of the G20. On the other hand, however, it has become closely allied to countries widely seen as international "rogue states" such as North Korea, Iran, Belarus and Syria and has displayed similar character traits by crushing political opponents at home and threatening the West with nuclear weapons, although the 2022 invasion of its neighbor Ukraine has gone a step further than other "outlaws." Russia's leaning toward so-called "rogue states" loosely defined as those breaking international laws, sponsoring terrorism and posing a threat to the security of other nations and global peace has been accelerated since it invaded Ukraine in early 2022, with a raft of international sanctions on Russian industry and individuals linked to the conflict, leaving Moscow largely isolated on the global stage. This has effectively forced it to count on countries like China and India to buy its oil exports and to turn to the clutch of allied "rogue states" as a source of potential military equipment and support. Some close followers of Russia believe Moscow, operating outside international law, is increasingly acting like a "rogue state" itself, particularly in its desire to challenge and subvert the West's dominance in global affairs. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia November 20, 2017. Sputnik | Mikhail Klimentyev | Kremlin | Reuters The visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Russia this week that saw both countries pledge to deepen military and economic ties despite the concerns of nations like the U.S. and South Korea showed Moscow was increasingly looking to both fracture the world order, and to benefit from that schism. "Russia is increasingly a rogue state: Its core relations are with countries outside a rules-based global order: Belarus, Iran, Syria, and North Korea," Ian Bremmer, the president and founder of Eurasia Group, told CNBC Monday. "These are countries that can't be effectively punished with threat of further sanction from the United States and NATO. They are already fully committed enemies. That limits the amount of further support Russia can count on but also means there's not much the Americans can do to respond other than make angry statements," he added. Bremmer said the visit by Kim to Russia, and pledge to deepen bilateral ties and to exchange military technology for Pyongyang's satellite program, showed that Russia was becoming "more risk acceptant and willing to engage in asymmetric warfare against its enemies more broadly." My enemy's enemy The old adage says that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and that can be applied to "rogue states," all of whom have turbulent and deeply troubled relations with the West. Rogue states have been bound, to a large degree, by their shared status as outlaws, largely one exacerbated by international sanctions restricting trade and transactions, and a shared ideological animosity toward Western values like democracy and freedom. The relationship between rogue states is often transactional, analysts say, with Russia's relations with North Korea appearing to be no different: Western intelligence suggests that Moscow is willing to offer Pyongyang food, financial assistance and military technology in return for weaponry it can use against Ukraine, for example, although Moscow and North Korea deny arms deals have taken place. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) visit a construction site of the Angara rocket launch complex on September 13, 2023 in Tsiolkovsky, Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in Russia for talks with Russian President Putin. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images "The present global geopolitical situation is one of a polarised international order," Edward Howell, lecturer in politics at Oxford University and an expert on North Korea's domestic and foreign policy, told CNBC. "North Korea is continuing to exploit the fractured international order in particular, the UN Security Council since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year," he added. "Pyongyang knows that Moscow and Beijing will oppose any UN Security Council sanctions resolutions on the DPRK [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name], whether for human rights abuses or continued missile and nuclear development. At the same time, Russia knows it can count on its Cold War client to offer material assistance, at a time when it has few global allies," he said. Friends, with benefits Russian political analyst Anton Barbashin rejected the label of "rogue state" for Russia, however, saying Moscow continues to hold power and influence in a more global geopolitical sphere. Moscow still counts countries like China, India and Turkey as allies, for instance. "Russia can hardly be labelled a rogue state given its status with UNSC, G20, to a certain extent BRICS ability to influence energy market via OPEC+ [an alliance with fellow oil producers in OPEC] and general scale of trade and cooperation with China, India and even Turkey." "But the very fact Russia needs Kim is a marker of considerable decline of Russia's options," Barbashin told CNBC in emailed comments. OSAKA, JAPAN - JUNE 28: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a group photo prior to their trilateral meeting at the G20 Osaka Summit 2019 on June 28, 2019 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images News | Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit Washington next week during his trip to the U.S. for the United Nations General Assembly, as Congress debates a massive $24 billion aid package for Ukraine. In Russia, some lawmakers have proposed banning WhatsApp if the messaging app, which just launched its "channels" service globally, offers channels in Russian. This would be an attempt to further control the Russian information space, one U.S.-based think tank wrote. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces say they have seized the eastern village of Andriivka in the Donetsk region, which is partially occupied by Russia. They also said they shot down 17 Russian-launched drones. CNBC could not verify the information on the ground. Morgan Stanley has revealed a list of global stocks it likes, with four of them providing parts for Tesla 's supercomputer system. Called Dojo, the system has revolutionized the AI chip industry, the analysts said in a Sept. 12 note, and is said to result in "significant efficiencies and 6x cost savings." Morgan Stanley says its list of tech stocks are "well-positioned for US hyperscalers' acceleration of custom chip design," especially since custom chips are expected to outgrow the AI graphics processing units in the long term. More aggressive AI custom chip designs are supposedly being developed by big technology companies to improve the performance and efficiency of running large neural networks. Powering Tesla's Dojo In its research note, Morgan Stanley pointed out that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the wafer foundry vendor for Tesla's Dojo 1 (D1) and Dojo 2 (D2). The analysts reiterated their overweight position on TSMC at 718 Taiwanese dollars ($22.47), giving it a 32% upside from its price on Sept. 12. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on AIchip to 2,880 Taiwanese dollars, a 14% upside from its Sept. 12 price. The company "provides part of the design service [for] Dojo 1 and generates 5% of its revenue from this project," the analysts wrote. Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung received an overweight rating from the bank for "winning projects in HBM (high bandwidth memory)" and being "the key foundry supplier for Tesla's FSD (full self-driving) chip". Samsung supplies 32GB of high-bandwidth memory to work with the Dojo interface processor, the analysts said. They have priced the stock at 95,000 Korean won ($71.45), giving it a 35% upside from its Sept. 12 price. Morgan Stanley also likes Nvidia since "Tesla still expects Dojo to operate alongside NVIDIA GPUs and there are also non-hyperscalers customers needing AI GPU". The bank is overweight on the stock and has given it a price target of $630 a 39% upside from its $451.78 price on Sept. 12. New stock on the radar Taiwanese semiconductor company MediaTek was also added to Morgan Stanley's list of global technology stocks, with an upgrade to "overweight" from "neutral." The analysts pointed out that the company "should leverage sufficient and cheaper engineering resources to secure one of Google's TPU (tensor processing units projects, which should contribute 2% of its (forecast) 2025 revenue and trigger a stock re-rating as the company diversifies away from its smartphone-centric business to AI." The company was given a target price of 888 Taiwanese dollars, giving it a 21% upside from its price of 728 on Sept. 12. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and UAW President Shawn Fain (left) speak at a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike the Big Three automakers on September 15, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. Sen. Bernie Sanders addressed striking autoworkers in Detroit on Friday, calling on working people across the U.S. to stand in solidarity with the walkout. Sanders called out General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and Ford CEO Jim Farley, all of whom made over $20 million last year, about their pay. "It is time for you to end your greed," Sanders said. "It is time for you to treat your employees with the respect and dignity they deserve. It is time to sit down and negotiate a fair contract." The independent senator from Vermont has promoted the strikes as a pivotal moment in a broader campaign to raise living standards for working people across the U.S. "Let us stand together to end corporate greed, let us stand together to rebuild the disappearing middle class, let us create an economy that works for all, not just the one percent," Sanders said. "Let us all, every American, in every state in this country stand with the UAW," the senator said. Nearly 13,000 United Auto Workers members went on strike Friday after the union and the big three automobile manufacturers Ford , General Motors and Stellantis failed to reach an agreement Thursday night. Containers of Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk are seen in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 14, 2023. Sergei Gapon | Afp | Getty Images There are tentative signs of a bounce back in global trade, according to the CEO of shipping titan Maersk. "Barring any negative surprises, we would hope for a slow pickup as we get into 2024, a pickup that will not be a boom like what we have known in the past few years, but certainly ... a demand that is a bit more in line with with what we see in terms of consumption, and not so much an inventory correction," Vincent Clerc told CNBC's Silvia Amaro this week. Consumers in the U.S. and Europe have been key drivers in this demand uptick, Clerc said, and those markets have continued to "surprise on the upside." In 2022, the shipping firm warned of weak demand as warehouses filled up with unwanted goods, with consumer confidence stuttering and supply chains congested. watch now The upcoming pickup would be fueled by consumption, he said, rather than the "inventory correction" which has featured heavily during 2023. Upside potential Emerging markets are proving resilient, despite the difficult economic climate, Clerc said, particularly in the cases of India, Latin America and Africa. North America is also looking strong for the next year, despite having faltered along with many other major economies due to macroeconomic factors, including Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China. "As this starts to normalize and works itself out, we will see a rebound in demand," Clerc said. "I would say emerging markets and North America are certainly the points where we see the most upside potential," he added. But the road to bolstering global trade and growth isn't necessarily a smooth one, as highlighted by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in a recent interview with CNBC. watch now President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November. SINGAPORE The U.S. and China have been in a political tussle for years now but other countries shouldn't have to choose one over the other, Asian leaders said at the Milken Summit this week. "All the countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, are friends with both China and the US. We have close links with both countries and we want to maintain those links," said Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. In the past, "countries didn't have to be friends to do business with one another. In fact, we promoted interdependence as a way for peace and stability. But that consensus is over," Wong said Wednesday at the 10th Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore. "We reject dominance by any single power. We avoid exclusive commitments with any single party. We just want to be friends with everyone," Wong added. His views were shared by Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. "This idea where you have to be either with China or the United States? No I would want Malaysia to be closer to the United States, as much as we are very close to China," Anwar said, who spoke in a fireside chat at the summit. "We, as ASEAN, have a role to play in engaging both U.S. and China, and we appeal to them to reduce tensions." WASHINGTON Three Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services have asked the Pentagon for information about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and whether he "directed the unilateral disabling or impediment of function of Starlink satellite communications terminals used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in southern Ukraine in 2022," or ever had the authority to do so. Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois wrote a letter Friday to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to express their "serious concerns about whether Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key U.S. partner at a critical juncture." Their questions follow the publication of a biography of Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX and automaker Tesla , and owner and chief technology officer of the social network X, formerly known as Twitter. In the book, author Walter Isaacson wrote that a Ukrainian drone submarine attack on Russian warships was disrupted by a disconnect from Starlink, ordered by Musk. Excerpts from the book raised alarm bells in Washington, among NATO allies and in the Ukrainian capital. After they were published, Musk painted himself as a peacekeeper and wrote on social media that he did not disconnect Starlink over Crimea, but rather denied a request by Ukraine to provide it there. He wrote, "If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation." Isaacson has issued a correction to his biography stating that connectivity had already been disabled in the affected area, and that Musk had simply refused a request to turn it on. Musk also argued, as he has in the past, that Ukraine should strike a "truce" with Russia. Musk's "peace plan" argument was shouted down by Ukraine officials, politicians and Putin experts. On Tuesday, in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box," Isaacson discussed SpaceX developing a military-grade version of Starlink, which would help resolve concerns expressed by Musk regarding the satellite networks' use in war. CNBC asked the U.S. Department of Defense several questions pertaining to SpaceX, including whether the department would be re-evaluating any of the company's government contracts, whether Musk's calls for a truce between Ukraine and Russia reflect the U.S. government's position and whether Musk's conduct, including taking personal meetings with Putin in the past, had been in line with the terms of contracts awarded to his company. A spokesperson for the department, Jeff Jurgensen, told CNBC via email, "The Department does contract with Starlink for satellite communication services in support of our Ukrainian partners," but declined to offer further details or answer the specific questions posed. He added that the Department of Defense "continues to work closely with commercial industry to ensure we have the right capabilities the Ukrainians need to defend themselves and more broadly the kind of communication and space-related capabilities necessary to accomplish our own global missions and support our national defense strategy." Earlier in the week, Sen. Warren called for a Congressional probe of Musk and SpaceX. "Congress needs to investigate what's happened here, and whether we have adequate tools to make sure foreign policy is conducted by the government and not by one billionaire," Warren said Monday, Bloomberg first reported. The United Auto Workers labor union launched targeted strikes against the three Detroit automakers early Friday morning. The stoppages affect three plants that make popular models such as the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Colorado and Jeep Wrangler. It's the first time in history that the UAW has struck all three of the Detroit automakers at once. But while the strikes began at the same time, they may play out very differently in the days to come with Stellantis potentially facing a tougher road to a deal than its crosstown rivals Ford Motor and General Motors . Stellantis has a problem that its local rivals don't. The company, formed in early 2021 from a merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and French automaker Peugeot, has more production capacity around the world than it needs. Stellantis has signaled that it intends to close or sell 18 of its U.S. facilities, including factories and parts depots. The company has a total of about 35 factories and parts distribution centers in the U.S. now. That's a plan that the union is unlikely to accept willingly. It's possible that Stellantis has been preparing for a lengthy strike with that in mind: The company had more vehicles in its U.S. dealer inventories at the beginning of September than either of its crosstown rivals. The auto industry measures inventory in terms of "days' supply," based on the rate of sales of each model over the previous 30 days. According to data from Cox Automotive, all four of Stellantis' U.S. brands had more than 100 days' worth of vehicles on dealer lots or in transit to dealers as of the beginning of September. GM's Cadillac and Chevrolet brands had just 46 days' and 51 days' worth of vehicles, respectively; the Ford brand had 77 days' worth. The industrywide average was 58 days' supply as of the beginning of the month. Historically, the Detroit automakers have tended to have somewhat larger supplies on hand because their full-size pickups are offered in many different configurations. In contrast to the strike against Stellantis, the UAW's strike against Ford could be relatively brief. From comments made by UAW President Shawn Fain and Ford executives in recent days, it appeared that Ford was the closest of the three automakers to a deal with the union. The UAW may have recognized that when it chose to strike only part of Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant, the areas where vehicles are painted and where final assembly happens. All of the UAW-represented workers at GM's assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and Stellantis' Jeep Wrangler factory in Toledo, Ohio, walked out last night. GM workers with the UAW Local 2250 union strike outside the General Motors Wentzville Assembly Plant in Wentzville, Missouri, Sept. 15, 2023. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. General Motors , Ford , Stellantis Shares of Ford was near flat, while General Motors gained 0.9% and Stellantis was up 2.2% as a targeted strike by the United Auto Workers began. Workers walked off the job at several assembly plants belonging to the three automakers Thursday night after a key deadline to settle a new labor contract passed. Planet Fitness Shares slid 15.9% after the gym chain's board pushed out CEO Chris Rondeau. The move was shocking to employees close to Rondeau, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. Board member Craig Benson, known for his role as the former governor of New Hampshire, is the interim CEO. Nucor The steelmaker fell 6.1% after offering worse-than-expected guidance for third-quarter earnings, with the company pointing to pricing and volume challenges. Nucor said to expect earnings between $4.10 and $4.20 per share, while analysts polled by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv, forecast $4.57. PTC Therapeutics The therapeutics stock plummeted 29.8% after the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a negative opinion on a conversion of conditional to full marketing authorization for a PTC drug to treat nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Raymond James downgraded the stock to underperform from outperform following the news. Core & Main The infrastructure stock retreated 4.1% a day after it announced a secondary stock offering. The offering of 18 million Class A shares by selling shareholders will be held concurrently with the repurchase of 3.1 million Class A shares. Partnership interests in a company unit also will be bought back. Arm Holdings Shares slipped 4.5% during its second session as a public company. Investment banking firm Needham initiated coverage of the stock at hold without a price target following Arm's debut that valued the company at about $60 billion. Needham analyst Charles Shi cautioned, however, that the stock's value already "looks full." Insulet , Dexcom Shares of the diabetes-focused health-care companies fell Friday after Bloomberg News reported Thursday afternoon that Apple has selected a new leader for its team working to develop a noninvasive blood sugar monitoring device. Shares of Insulet shed 2.9%, while Dexcom sank 5.1%. Chipmakers Chip equipment stocks ASML Holding , KLA , Lam Research and Applied Materials all dropped following a report that Taiwan Semiconductor is telling vendors to delay deliveries due to demand concerns. U.S.-listed shares of Taiwan Semiconductor lost 2.4%. Adobe Shares of the Photoshop maker dropped 4.2% following Adobe's fiscal third-quarter earnings Thursday. The company reported an earnings and revenue beat and forward guidance that matched Street projections. While Goldman Sachs and Bank of America reiterated buy ratings, JPMorgan remained neutral, citing macroeconomic headwinds and a high premium for Adobe's pending acquisition of Figma for $20 billion. Apellis Pharmaceuticals The biopharmaceutical company advanced 2.6% following a Wells Fargo upgrade to overweight from equal weight. The bank said Apellis has a favorable risk/reward ahead of third-quarter earnings. DoorDash Shares of the food delivery company fell 2.5% after MoffettNathanson downgraded the stock to market perform from outperform. The Wall Street firm said the resumption of loan repayments introduce bookings risk to food delivery. The stock is still up more than 60% this year. Axis Capital The insurance stock rose 3.1% following an upgrade to buy from underperform by Bank of America. The Wall Street firm said its pessimistic outlook was changing despite recent underperformance in the reinsurance space. Estee Lauder The cosmetics stock advanced nearly 1% after Redburn Atlantic Equities turned less bearish. The firm upgrades shares to neutral from sell, saying the company was feeling technical benefits as customer ordering patterns normalize. Casella Waste Systems The waste stock traded about 1.6% higher after getting initiated by Goldman Sachs at buy. Goldman called the company a "compounder with pricing." CNBC's Yun Li, Jesse Pound, Samantha Subin, Pia Singh, Brian Evans and Lisa Kailai Han contributed reporting. Thousands of United Auto Workers members are officially on strike after three Detroit automakers failed to reach an agreement with the union, which represents about 146,000 workers at Ford, GM and Stellantis, by a Thursday night deadline, CNBC reports. One major issue on the table is worker pay. The union proposed 40% hourly pay increases over the next four years. The average U.S. autoworker on a manufacturing production line earns about $28 per hour as of August, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's up $1 from the previous year. Autoworker pay at "The Big Three" works on a tiered system, which was introduced in the aftermath of the 2008 auto industry crisis, where more recent hires start at lower rates of pay than more tenured workers. Top-tier workers (those hired in 2007 or earlier) earn an average of $33 per hour, CBS News reports, based on contract summaries for the Big Three. Lower-tier workers (hired after 2007) earn up to $17 an hour. Nationwide, autoworkers' average real hourly earnings has fallen 19.3% since 2008, according to research from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. Meanwhile, Ford CEO Jim Farley earned $21 million in total compensation last year, the Detroit News reported. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares made $24.8 million, according to the Detroit Free Press. And GM CEO Mary Barra earned nearly $29 million in 2022 pay, Automotive News reported. "Obviously, CEOs should be the highest-paid person in an enterprise, but then the question is exactly just how much higher than everyone else," Josh Bivens, chief economist at EPI, told NPR. CEO pay at the Big Three has grown 40% in the last decade, according to EPI in line with the UAW's demands for 40% pay increases for autoworkers. UAW President Shawn Fain said Wednesday Ford has offered a 20% increase over the four years of the deal, followed by GM at 18% and Stellantis at 17.5%. GM raised their offer Thursday to a 20% wage increase. "I'm extremely frustrated and disappointed," Barra told CNBC Friday morning. "We don't need to be in strike right now. We put a historic offer on the table." watch now The IPO market has lost relevance in the real economy, but there are "absolutely enormous" opportunities in the health-care sector, according to the executive chairman of global private markets firm Partners Group. "The IPO market has lost a lot of relevance for the real economy, but specifically for private markets," Steffen Meister told CNBC's Chery Kang Wednesday on the sidelines of the Milken Asia Summit in Singapore. Meister acknowledged some recovery, but pointed out that in the last few years, four out of five businesses in the IPO markets were non-profitable. According to a February report by consultancy Bain & Company, the IPO market "shut down almost completely" in 2022 amid sharp declines in public equities. Sponsor-to-sponsor deals plunged by 58% as lenders trimmed their financing for big transactions, the report said. Private markets are switching places with public markets as the stewards of the real economy. Steffen Meister Executive chairman, Partners Group "Contrast that with private markets that has very long-term funding, we're performing assets in the real economy. So there is a real role change between public and private markets as far as the financing of the real economy is concerned," he added. In recent years, public markets have shrunk, and the focus on recent listings has been on companies with "unproven profitability," Partners Group said in a separate email to CNBC. In another report released by McKinsey last year, the management consultancy said the private equity sector "[outperformed] public market equivalents" by nearly any measure in the past decade. "Private markets are switching places with public markets as the stewards of the real economy," said Partners Group. Partners' Group recorded $142 billion worth of assets under management as of the first half of 2023. Asked whether Partners Group will someday open up the window for retail investors to tap into the private equity market, Meister said it's already happening, marking a "democratization" of the private market industry. "I think that is a real change for the industry in the next 10 years, I believe," said Meister. Meister also cited big investment opportunities in the health-care sector. There will be a "complete redistribution" of profit pools away from small molecules, chemical products to large molecules, advanced therapies and biologics, he said. We are at the beginning of a real transformation of the economy triggered by AI, computation power, data service and all of that. Steffen Meister Executive chairman, Partners Group "You talk about new businesses coming up in contract research, manufacturing, development, commercialization. So there are opportunities that are absolutely enormous," he added. Meister also highlighted the advent of artificial intelligence and its role in transforming the economy. "We are at the beginning of a real transformation of the economy triggered by AI, computation power, data service and all of that," he said. People are 'too focused' on rate hikes Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a South Dakota Republican party rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, September 8, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is set to deliver a pair of headline speeches Friday night at two socially conservative Christian groups' gatherings in Washington, D.C., his first trip to the nation's capital since his criminal arraignment last month. Trump's top Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is also scheduled to speak at the two summits hosted by the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee and the Family Research Council. At the concerned women's conference, DeSantis leaned into his gubernatorial record as an eager instigator of high-profile fights against progressive social policies that he grouped under the banner of "woke ideology." The left is trying to "use our schools to indoctrinate our kids" and engage in "social experimentation, like trying to jam men into women's sports," he said, pulling a murmur of agreement from the crowd of roughly 270 group members. The women's group, which espouses staunch opposition to abortion, gay marriage and a progressive view of transgender rights, bills itself as the nation's largest public policy women's organization. The Family Research Council takes a similarly hard-line tack on social issues. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama also spoke to the women's group, among others including a "pro-life activist" and a "detransition activist." Three other GOP primary candidates former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were invited but have not been confirmed to speak, according to the group's event website. Pence and Ramaswamy were both slated to speak at the Family Research Council's "Pray Vote Stand" summit, however. Pence, an evangelical Christian who often invokes his faith in his political speech, unveiled what he called a "plan to rebuild the American family." He laid out a four-pronged strategy that aims to "encourage marriage" Pence is an opponent of same-sex marriage end "transgender ideology," give parents more options for schooling their children and further challenge abortion rights. "Save the babies and we'll save America," he said. In this article STLA GM F Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now DETROIT The United Auto Workers strike is bringing a blue-collar versus billionaire battle to the Motor City, just as UAW President Shawn Fain wanted. The outspoken union leader has weaponized striking historically a last resort for the union after less than 24 hours into a work stoppage arguably better than any UAW president has in modern times. It wasn't by accident. Fain, a quirky yet emboldened leader, has meticulously brought the UAW back into the national spotlight after decades of near irrelevance. He wants to represent not just union members but also America's embattled middle class, which UAW helped create. United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain joins UAW members who are on a strike, on the picket line at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, September 15, 2023. Rebecca Cook | Reuters To do so, he has leveraged a yearslong national labor movement and a growing disgust for wealthy individuals and corporations among many Americans starting with his first time addressing the union's more than 400,000 members during his inauguration speech in March. "We're here to come together to ready ourselves for the war against our only one and only true enemy, multibillion-dollar corporations and employers who refuse to give our members their fair share," Fain said at the time. "It's a new day in the UAW." Fain's comments Friday morning as he joined UAW members and supporters picketing outside a Ford plant in Michigan one of three facilities the company is currently striking echoed everything he said during that first speech. "We got to do what we got to do to get our share of economic and social justice in this strike," Fain said outside the Ford Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup plant. "We're going to be out here until we get our share of economic justice. And it doesn't matter how long it takes." Fain's upbringing plays into his strong unionism and religious beliefs, which he has growingly talked about with members as he emphasizes "faith" in the UAW's cause. Two of his grandparents were UAW GM retirees, and one grandfather started at Chrysler in 1937, the year the workers joined the union. Fain, who joined the UAW in 1994, even keeps one of his grandfather's pay stubs in his wallet as "a reminder" of where he came from. National media and others really started paying attention to Fain when he said the union would withhold a reelection endorsement of President Joe Biden, who has called himself the "most pro-union president in history." Fain and Biden have spoken and met, but the union leader has not shown much support for the president. In response to comments by the president Friday, Fain said: "Working people are not afraid. You know who's afraid? The corporate media is afraid. The White House is afraid. The companies are afraid." While many past union leaders have talked such talk, Fain has thus far delivered on his promises to members without batting an eye causing General Motors , Ford Motor and Stellantis to go into crisis mode this week as the UAW follows through on that promise to members. "We've never seen anything like this; it's frustrating," Ford CEO Jim Farley told CNBC's Phil LeBeau Thursday as he criticized Fain and the union for what he said was a lack of communication and counteroffers. "I don't know what Shawn Fain is doing, but he's not negotiating this contract with us, as it expires." GM CEO Mary Barra echoed Farley's feelings Friday morning on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I'm extremely frustrated and disappointed," she said. "We don't need to be on strike right now." Both CEOs said everything they could to indicate they believe Fain may not be bargaining in good faith without using those exact words, which could justify a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. The UAW in late August filed unfair labor practice charges against GM and Stellantis with the NLRB, alleging they did not bargain with the union in good faith or a timely manner. It did not file a complaint against Ford. GM and Stellantis have denied those allegations. watch now Several past union leaders and company bargainers who spoke to CNBC hailed the way Fain has been able to propel the UAW into the national spotlight, including pausing bargaining for a Friday rally and march with Sen. Bernie Sanders, the progressive lawmaker from Vermont. Sanders, whose surprise 2016 Democratic presidential primary win in Michigan helped cement his national prominence, has lent support to numerous labor movements around the country as he rails against the billionaire class. "I think they're just doing an outstanding job," said respected former UAW President Bob King, who cited growing support for the union among the public and the union's own members. "Both those measurements say that UAW communications has been outstanding." UAW members have taken notice especially after many of them disdained union leadership during and after a yearslong federal corruption investigation that landed two past UAW presidents and more than a dozen others in prison. "For all the years that I've worked here, it's never been this strong," said Anthony Dobbins, a 27-year autoworker, early Friday morning while picketing the Ford plant in Michigan. "This is going to make history right here because we are trying to get what we deserve." Dobbins, a UAW Local 600 union representative, balked at current record offers by the automakers that have included roughly 20% pay increases, thousands of dollars in bonuses, retention of the union's platinum health care and other sweetened benefits. "That's not working for us. Give us what we asked for," Dobbins said. "That's what we want. We have to work seven days, overtime, just to make ends meet." United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, center, poses with Anthony Dobbins, right, a 27-year autoworker, and others as the union pickets a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, Sept. 15, 2023. Michael Wayland / CNBC Key demands from the union have included 40% hourly pay increases; a reduced, 32-hour, workweek; a shift back to traditional pensions; the elimination of compensation tiers; and a restoration of cost-of-living adjustments. Other items on the table include enhanced retiree benefits and better vacation and family leave benefits. Automakers have argued such demands would cripple the companies. Farley even said the company would have "gone bankrupt by now" under the union's current proposals and members would not have benefited from $75,000 in average profit-sharing over the last decade. Ford sources said the automaker would have lost $14.4 billion over the last four years if the current demands had been in effect, instead of recording nearly $30 billion in profits. Such profits are exactly what Fain has said UAW members deserve to share in. But his strategy to get workers a larger piece of the pie carries great risks. "This is not going to be positive from an industry perspective or for GM," Barra said Friday. Many outside the union believe if Fain pushes too hard, it could lead to long-term job losses for the union. A former high-ranking bargainer for one of the automakers told CNBC that it's nearly guaranteed the companies cut union jobs through product allocation, plant closures or other means to offset increased labor costs. "They're going to have to pay up. The question is how much," said the longtime bargainer, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. "This ends up with fewer jobs. That's how the automakers cut costs." Fain and other union leaders have argued that meeting the companies in the middle has led to dozens of plant closures, fewer union members and a growing divide between blue-collar workers and the wealthy. So why not fight? "This is about us doing what we got to do to take care of the working class," Fain said Friday. "This isn't just about the UAW. This is about working people everywhere in this country. No matter what you do for a living, you deserve your fair share of equity." Members of the United Auto Workers went on strike early Friday morning after being unable to reach a deal on a labor contract with General Motors , Ford and Stellantis , but there is a potential silver lining for investors: There may be a chance to snap up shares, said Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas. "We think potential disruption from industrial action is likely to create buying opportunities in the D3 shares," the analyst said in a Friday note. "D3," or "the Detroit Three," refers to General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Jonas added that downside risks on shares should be limited in the early stages of the strike, given that it had been a largely expected outcome by investors. Union members went on a targeted strike at three key auto plants: GM's midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Ford's Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis' Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator plant in Toledo, Ohio. It also marked the first time in history that the UAW launched strikes at all three of the big automakers simultaneously. Citi analyst Itay Michaeli also called the strike a "tactical buying opportunity," despite the uncertainty around the situation, as well as the potential for a lengthier period of production disruption. "We maintain our prior view that if stocks were to initially gap down on the 'strike headline,' we'd consider it a tactical buying opportunity," said Michaeli in a Friday note, referring to GM and Ford. The analyst pointed to depressed valuations and the firm's prior view of "plausible labor outcomes" as drivers behind that call. Shares of the three big automakers were largely positive in midday trading Friday as investors appeared to shrug off initial headlines of the work stoppage. GM was up nearly 1%, while Stellantis added more than 2%. Ford shares were flat. What's next? How negotiations proceed from here will be key. Citi's Michaeli noted, "The weekend is key." Odds of a lengthier work stoppage grow if there's no deal by Tuesday or Wednesday, the analyst said. "Depending on how weekend negotiations go, we'll have to monitor whether the UAW decides to expand strikes to other plants, and whether these strikes possibly lead to other production disruptions," Michaeli noted. Indeed, while the union did not target the most profitable full-size truck plants, these work stoppages may spread to other plants without a speedy resolution, the analyst said. Stellantis, in particular, may face a longer strike than Ford or GM because the company has signaled that it plans to close or sell 18 of its U.S. facilities. A recent investor survey by Morgan Stanley found that 96% of the respondents anticipate the strike will last longer than a week, while more than one-third think it could last over a month, Jonas said. "Moving forward, we expect all three stocks to be sensitive to UAW newsflow especially as it relates to the potential duration of industrial action," Jonas said. "Of course, more targeted strikes could open the door to a longer period of disruption for the Detroit three, which may not be priced into the shares at this stage." CNBC's Michael Bloom, Mike Wayland and John Rosevear contributed to this report. Pedestrians walk past a Pizza Hut restaurant and a KFC restaurant, both operated by Yum China, in Beijing, China, on Sept. 5, 2020. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING Yum China is spending more on tech, an investment that's allowed it to open more stores without having to hire more staff, CEO Joey Wat told CNBC in an interview Friday. Yum China operates KFC and Pizza Hut stores in China, among other brands. Its U.S.-listed shares rose by 5.45% Thursday after the company increased its net new stores target for the year by 300 and plans to return $3 billion to shareholders over the next three years. "From 2016 to now we increased our number of stores by about 80%. However, our number of staff almost stayed flat [around] 430,000 people," Wat said via video conference. With technology, she said staff can be promoted to manage multiple stores and support the opening of new locations. Yum China said Thursday it plans to invest $3.5 billion to $5 billion over the next three years to grow its store network, improve its supply chain and boost digital capabilities. This year alone, the company plans to spend about $700 million to $900 million. watch now Wat said the company began to invest in technology during the Covid-19 pandemic to improve visibility into its supply chain and inventory levels in a period when certain stores might need to close due to lockdown controls. Companies from Alibaba to Walmart 's Sam's Club have been using software to manage warehouses and supermarket inventory in China to sell services such as one-hour grocery delivery. Yum China is building more of its own logistics centers where it can integrate more technology into its supply chain and reduce carbon emissions, Wat said, noting the company ultimately aims to own 30% of its logistics centers rather than having to rent them. AI at work As a result, store managers don't have to order inventory anymore ingredients are automatically pushed to the store with the help of artificial intelligence-based forecasting, Wat said. That tech reduces labor and operating costs, as well as food waste, she said. Wat added that current logistics center coverage also has the capacity to serve Yum China's planned store openings in the near term. The company has 33 logistics centers, and plans to increase that number to at least 45 in the next three to five years. Yum China is also considering the use of generative AI to help store managers understand and analyze store data better, Wat said, emphasizing it's still at a "very, very early stage." She said the company is still assessing what can be done in-house, and what requires external help. Generative AI uses large models to create content that can resemble what a human being might produce but in a far shorter time frame. Consumer trends A bus carrying passengers from Nepal to Dehradun got stuck in a swollen Kotwali river in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand on Friday due to the heavy rainfall. According to reports, the water level of the river, which flows on the border of Haridwar and Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh, increased suddenly and the bus was stranded. The vehicle carrying nearly 53 passengers was coming from Ruperia, Nepal, and it was heading to Dehradun. #WATCH | Haridwar: A bus got stuck in the river swollen due to rain. We have rescued the bus and saved the lives of all 53 passengers: Police pic.twitter.com/wL1GL0djAh ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 15, 2023 After the information about the bus was received, police officials from Shyampur Police Station of Haridwar reached the spot for rescue operation. Later the authorities informed that they have successfully rescued the bus and saved the lives of all 53 passengers in it, ANI reported. Due to the heavy rain in Haridwar district since late Thursday night, waterlogging and disruption in traffic have been seen in many different places in the city. After the continuous rainfall in the district, waterlogging has been seen in many parts of Haridwar, including Ranipur, Jwalapur Market and Moti Bazaar. India Meteorological Department has issued an "orange" alert in the state and warned to be prepared for heavy rainfall from September 15 to 17 along with the isolated heavy downpours of 64.5 mm to 115.6 mm. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a "yellow" alert for all the districts of the state till September 18. Director of Dehradun Meteorological Centre, Dr Vikram Singh, said that there is a possibility of heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Nainital, Champawat, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts of Uttarakhand in the coming days. Additionally, the district magistrates of the respective regions have activated the disaster control rooms and instructed the officials to be on alert mode. Apart from that, due to the heavy rainfall in the state for the last few days, several major roads in Uttarakhand have been closed as incidents of landslides are being reported frequently. Heavy rain has caused major inconvenience for the tourists stuck in isolated places. Locus, a dispatch management software as a service (SaaS) firm, released a comprehensive research report titled Decoding Asias Last-Mile Maturity on Friday, September 15, which delves deep into the last-mile logistics of countries such as India, Indonesia, and the UAE. The report also provides insights into the current state of this critical sector. According to the report, a striking 79 percent of businesses across Asia are harnessing technology to enhance their last-mile efficiency. However, 84 percent lack confidence in their processes to stimulate growth and enhance customer experiences. These findings underscore the widespread adoption of technology in the industry; nevertheless, a significant majority of businesses are not fully leveraging its potential. Mehul Kapadia, Chief Revenue Officer at Locus, emphasised the importance of understanding a business's last-mile maturity to address deep-seated challenges. To assist businesses across sectors in gauging their maturity and turbocharging their last-mile growth, Locus recently launched the last-mile maturity assessment. The data from these responses reveals that only 40 percent of businesses in Asia have scratched the surface of tech-driven last-mile prowess, highlighting an untapped opportunity for success. Kapadia expressed a desire for the report to shed light on key trends and opportunities, inspiring businesses to optimise their logistics for greater revenues and superior customer experiences. The report examines the performance of businesses across five key logistics metrics last-mile excellence, customer experience, workforce empowerment, advanced analytics, and sustainability. Here are some key findings: India leads in advanced analytics: India stands out as a leader in advanced analytics, boasting a score of 3.59 out of 5. This underscores the growing reliance of businesses on big data analytics and cutting-edge technologies to optimise and transform their last-mile operations into revenue-generating machinery. India excels in workforce empowerment: India excels in workforce empowerment in last-mile logistics, with a score of 3.42 out of 5. This indicates that businesses are investing in and leveraging robust tech solutions like advanced route planning and geocoding to enhance the lives of delivery drivers. The UAE leads in last-mile excellence: The UAE takes the lead in last-mile excellence, with an impressive score of 3 out of 5. A significant 70 percent of UAE businesses embrace multiple last-mile technologies, reshaping customer expectations in the thriving e-commerce landscape in the region. Customer experience leadership: In terms of customer experience scores, the UAE leads with an average of 3.73 out of 5, surpassing the industry average of 3.53. It is followed closely by India, Indonesia, and other countries. Sustainability at the forefront: The UAE once again leads in sustainability, with a score of 4.16 out of 5, followed by India at 3.78. However, Indonesia falls below the global average at 2.55, indicating room for improvement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 13) MoTourista Pilipinas Inc. and Toto Roy Creative Solutions are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated MoTourismo Pilipinas AdvenTour 2, set to take place on November 25 and 26, 2023, in the province of Negros Occidental. This two-day event promises an unforgettable adventure for motorcycle enthusiasts, showcasing the beauty and charm of Negros Occidental's scenic routes. MoTourismo Pilipinas AdvenTour 2 is not only a celebration of thrilling adventures but also a testament to the organizations commitment to give back to the communities they visit. The proceeds from this event will be dedicated to supporting the chosen Pedicab Driver Tour Guides of Silay City providing them with opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and empowering them to showcase the wonders of their city to the participants. Furthermore, a portion of the event's proceeds will be channeled towards MoTourismo Kalinga, a program initiated by MoTourista Pilipinas that focuses on various charitable activities aimed at making a positive impact on the lives of those in need. Through MoTourismo Kalinga, the organization aims to extend its care and support to the less privileged communities, spreading joy and hope wherever it goes. "The MoTourismo Pilipinas AdvenTour 2 is not just a motorcycle event, it's a celebration of our love for adventure and our passion for giving back to the community," said Toto Roy Rosales, the organizer of the event. "We are excited to bring together motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country to explore the breathtaking landscapes of Negros Occidental while making a meaningful difference in the lives of our beneficiaries." During the two-day event, participants will embark on an immersive journey exploring hidden gems, picturesque towns, and captivating attractions in Negros Occidental. From the majestic mountains to the pristine coastlines, this event is designed to provide riders with an experience like no other. MoTourismo Pilipinas AdvenTour 2 will also feature brand exhibits, moto shows, and guided rides along carefully selected routes that showcase Negros Occidental's natural wonders, cultural heritage, and culinary delights. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with fellow riders, experience the thrill of the open road, and immerse themselves in the unique local flavors and traditions. MoTourista Pilipinas is actively seeking partnerships with sponsors, media partners, and brand exhibitors to enhance the event experience and extend its reach. Sponsors will have the opportunity to align their brand with an exciting and dynamic event, while media partners can benefit from extensive coverage and exposure. Brand exhibitors will have the chance to showcase their products and services directly to a passionate audience of motorcycle enthusiasts. Whether you're an avid rider, a brand looking to engage with a passionate community, or a media outlet seeking an exciting story, MoTourismo Pilipinas AdvenTour 2 is an event not to be missed. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, media partnerships, and brand exhibitor inquiries, please contact info@motouristapilipinas.com or 0939-132-1242. For updates, check MoTourista Pilipinas on the following social media channels: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motouristapilipinasinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motouristapilipinas Twitter: https://twitter.com/motouristaph TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@motouristapilipinas YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@motouristapilipinas Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 14) The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) criticized the governments plan to slash tariffs on rice imports, saying lowering levies would be ill-timed since harvest season is about to begin and prices would naturally go down. Encouraging additional imports through tariff reduction will further depress palay prices and discourage farmers from expanding their future production, thereby making the country even more dependent on imports, FFF National Manager Raul Montemayor said in a statement on Wednesday. Montemayor also deplored what he called economic managers apparent game plan to disregard and bypass Congress, which will go on recess on Sept. 30. On Friday, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced in a news conference his departments proposal to temporarily slash tariffs on rice imports to zero in an effort to boost supply at affordable prices. In an interview with Reuters in Dubai on Sept. 12, Diokno was quoted as saying that in a week or two, when Congress will be out of session, will be the perfect time to cut tariffs. He added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can slash tariffs only when Congress is not in session. Section 1608 of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, gives the president the power to increase, reduce, or remove existing rates of import duty including any necessary change in classification but only when Congress is not in session. This can be done through an executive order issued by the president. Montemayor noted that shortly after the proposal by Diokno and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan was announced, the Tariff Commission scheduled a formal inquiry on Sept. 15 on the petition of advocacy group Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) to slash levies on rice imports from 35% to 10%. The FEF has proposed tariff cuts instead of imposing a price ceiling on the staple, saying the cap would only aggravate the tight rice supply situation and harm consumers and farmers. The TC hearings have lost their value as a credible consultation mechanism. No matter what we say in these hearings, the position of DOF and NEDA - which supervises the TC will prevail, Montemayor alleged. CNN Philippines is requesting comment from the government. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15)The 2.5 billion contingent fund from the Office of the President (OP) transferred to the Commissions on Elections (Comelec) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) was a "wrong" move, Senator Koko Pimentel said on Friday "Since Comelec should not and cannot be beholden to anyone or any agency then it was wrong to have funded Comelec's needs from a fund which is controlled by one person, a political person who was elected through an election conducted by the Comelec," Pimentel said in text message. He added the amount should have been properly given to the Comelec through a budget process. "Better if funded through the budget by Congress because congress is a collegial deliberative body composed of the direct representatives of the people," the senator said. "So, the funding of certain activities through the budget is the decision of the people acting thru their representatives," he added. On the other hand, Comelec Chairman George Garcia clarified that the poll body was not aware that the fund came from OP. According to Comelec Director Rex Laudiangco, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) gave the 2.5 billion personally. Garcia said the additional funding was requested from Congress and not from the Office of the President, dismissing allegations that they requested the 2.5 billion from OP's contingent fund. The receipt of the additional funds was disclosed during the 2024 proposed budget hearing on Thursday. The Comelec requested a 44 billion budget for next year, but the Budget department slashed 17.4 billion. Garcia again appealed for the restoration of at least 5.7 billion so the preparation for the national elections will not be sacrificed. Di ba po dapat nga December 5, 2022 nag registration po kami," Garcia said. "Nag-increase ang number of voters kasama SK, ngayon po 91 million kasama SK. Nag-increase din number of precincts, number of electoral board members, pati ballot boxes, saka yung overtime." READ: Waiting game as Comelec seeks to block conduct of 2 polls in 2025 CNN Philippines' correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this story. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) At least 2,500 rice retailers affected by the price ceiling on the staple grain have so far received the 15,000 worth of financial assistance, the Department of Trade and Industry said Friday. "So far, sa NCR (National Capital Region), mahigit 1,500 na ang nabigyan, at mahigit 2,500 na ang nabigyan, sa buong Pilipinas na 'yan," Trade Assitant Secretary Agaton Uvero told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Ngayon. "Maliit pa yung numero pero nagkakahalaga na rin ng mga 35 million," he added. [Translation: So far, more than 1,500 beneficiaries in the NCR received financial assistance, and more than 2,500 beneficiaries nation. The number is still few but the distributed financial assistance has amounted to 35 million.] Distribution of financial aid has begun in public markets in Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, San Juan and Zamboanga del Sur . RELATED: DSWD to begin giving 15,000 aid to small-scale rice retailers in Metro Manila DSWD ramps up cash aid distribution for micro rice retailers The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said the cash assistance will be given to retailers who are affected by the implementation of Executive Order No. 39, which put a price ceiling of 41 per kilogram for regular milled and 45/kg for well-milled rice effective on Sept. 5. Uvero also said a deadline extension for the distribution of cash aid is possible depending on the coordination of the DTI with the local government units (LGUs) and the DSWD. The distribution of financial assistance to rice retailers is set until Sept. 19. Uvero said the outdated and unconsolidated list of rice retailers poses a challenge to the agency in locating eligible beneficiaries. He urged rice retailers to coordinate with DTI's regional offices or their respective LGUs to validate their information or confirm their eligibility for cash assistance. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) The new standard map that will counter China's 10-dash-line map is crucial in terms of determining the extent of Philippine territory that is free for safe navigation and implementing environmental protection programs, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Friday. AFP Spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar said the map which abides by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) will be important in giving Filipinos pride and responsibility to preserve the territory. READ: New standard map to follow PH rights under 2016 arbitral ruling, UNCLOS - NSC It is important for all of us all Filipinos to understand the map. This gives us pride, the responsibility to make sure that this part of the world that belongs to us will be preserved, not just for the present generation but for generations to come, Aguilar told CNN Philippines The Source. Aguilar added that the map is not only about the rights but also about environmental protection programs that are implemented in the contested areas. A Senate panel will craft an updated Philippine map in response to the 10-dash-line shown on China's new standard national map which claims nearly the entire South China Sea as part of its territory. The area overlaps the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, as well as those of Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Amid a "concerning resurgence" of Chinese "militia" vessels swarming the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vowed to prioritize the governments diplomacy first policy in addressing issues in the region. "We have to put primacy on the diplomatic track so that these issues can be solved peacefully and with long term effect," AFP Spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar told CNN Philippines' The Source on Friday. Aguilar said the AFP now only performs patrols over the WPS and other contested areas to inform the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on other incidents involving advances of the East Asian giant. The AFP then supports official protests filed by the DFA over the Chinese incursions. "Through these actions, we assert sovereign rights and jurisdiction over areas that are covered by the exclusive economic zone," he added. According to Aguilar, the swarming in the WPS which began after China lifted its unilateral fishing moratorium in the South China Sea is in no way connected to fishing activities. READ: US supports PH's protest over China's fishing ban in WPS "I'm no longer using the word fishing vessel. They are not into fishing activities and what they are doing there, as part of the operation of the China coast guard is quite concerning because that's not how they should behave in an area that is not theirs, he said. In a statement, the AFP Western Command (Wescom) said its Sept. 6 and 7 patrols showed "heightened" swarming activities in three areas, where a total of 30 vessels were spotted. Meanwhile, the AFP said US patrols over resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal will not escalate tensions in the region, maintaining that China is only diverting attention from the main issue to cover up their actions in the WPS. China is just trying to bring in another issue so that they can hopefully shield their atrocious acts in the area which does not belong to them," Aguilar said. Senators earlier raised concerns about the deployment of a US Navy aircraft during the recent resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre, wondering if its presence contributed to the operation's success. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) No Filipinos have sought repatriation following the deadly flooding in Derna, Libya early this week, a Department of Foreign Affairs official said Friday. DFA Usec. Eduardo de Vega said that there were no Filipinos among the thousands of deaths recorded in the African country. The Associated Press quoted the Libyan Red Crescent as saying the death toll from the massive flooding has soared to 11,300 with over 10,000 still missing. CNN said Doctors Without Borders reported at least 5,000 have died. "Hindi po kailangan i-evacuate," said De Vega in a public briefing. "Nilipat sila sa high ground ng mga Libyan employers nila. Walang humihingi ng repatriation. Wala ring nasa shelter, lahat may natutulugan, naninirahan sila sa bahay talaga or apartment." [Translation: There's no need for evacuation. They were moved to high ground by their Libyan employers. No one is seeking repatriation. There are no Filipino in shelters, everyone is staying inside a house or apartment.] The disaster happened in the early hours of September 11 after heavy rains caused two dams to collapse, and neighborhoods in Derna are believed to have been washed away into the sea, according to a report by CNN. But the DFA said Filipinos in Libya who want to seek financial assistance or return to the Philippines can contact the Philippine Embassy. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Local authorities are now in search of two gunmen who shot dead a lawyer Thursday afternoon in Bangued, Abra. The Abra Police Provincial Office identified the victim as Maria Saniata Gonzales Alzate, who was also a Commissioner of Bar Discipline since 2015. In a CCTV footage, the gunmen were seen firing multiple gunshots at Alzate in front of her house while she was inside a car. The two assailants then fled on a motorcycle. "We call on the public to provide us any relevant information that would assist us in our investigation," Abra Police Director PCol Froiland Lopez said in a statement. Department of Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said Alzate's murder is "unacceptable." "We hope the manhunt operation will result in the murderer's capture so he or she can feel the full force of the rule of law," he said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines called on the law enforcement authorities to immediately launch an investigation into all the unresolved cases targeting lawyers. "Her brazen murder serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive threats faced by lawyers, judges, and officers of the Court across the Philippines," the IBP said. The International Association of Democratic Lawyers also condemned the crime. "Whatever the motive and whoever are the assailants and masterminds, this merciless murder of a young, principled and idealistic lawyer is enabled by impunity engendered by passive, token and ningas cogon responses from State authorities," Edre Olalia, transitional president of the group said in a statement. The National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, on the other hand, held a rally to demand justice for Alzate's death. In a Facebook post, Raphiel Alzate, the widower of the slain lawyer, appealed to the public to donate to a legal fund for the continuation of the cases his wife was handling. According to Raphiel, who is a former acting presiding judge of a Regional Trial Court in Ilocos Sur and Abra, most of his wife's cases were pro bono, in which legal services are covered by a professional fee or at a lower cost. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) The local government of Manila has issued an executive order implementing a liquor ban in the city for the upcoming Bar examinations. The exams will be held on Sept. 14, 20, and 24. The San Beda University and the University of Santo Tomas in Manila are among the 14 testing centers nationwide. Under Executive Order No. 24 signed by Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, the liquor ban covers the 500-meter radius of the two universities on the following dates and times: a. Midnight of Sept. 16 up to 10 p.m. of Sept. 17 b. Midnight of Sept. 19 up to 10 p.m. of Sept. 20 c. Midnight of Sept. 23 up to 10 p.m. of Sept. 24 The executive order also prohibits ambulant vendors near the area of the two testing sites on the following dates: a. Midnight of Sept. 16 up to midnight of Sept. 18 b. Midnight of Sept. 19 up to midnight of Sept. 21 c. Midnight of Sept. 23 up to midnight of Sept. 25 The local government unit also bans the use of loud sound systems and other disruptive activities during those dates and times. The Supreme Court said 10,816 aspiring lawyers will take the examinations. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Marine and environmental groups urged the Philippine government on Friday to implement a comprehensive national policy that would force manufacturers and companies to cut their plastic packaging production. "We call upon our companies to promptly adhere to the law. The government must also engage in meaningful dialogue with communities and corporations to swiftly implement the transition towards reducing and replacing plastic packaging with sustainable and eco-friendly solutions," Robert Ray Medrano, Campaign Coordinator of Earth Island Institute Asia Pacific, said ahead of International Coastal Clean-up Day on Saturday. A study published in 2021 by the Science Advances journal found that seven of the top ten plastic-polluted rivers in the world were in the Philippines. The Philippines is the biggest contributor of plastic waste leaking into the ocean, with 4,820 of its rivers emitting 356,371 metric tons of waste per year, it said. However, that's only 8.8% of the country's overall plastic waste contribution, it added. The groups said laws to reduce plastic use have not been properly implemented and companies have failed to follow regulations. RA 11898 "Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022" and the RA 9003 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000," both encourage waste management and plastic reduction. Disturbingly, every year, approximately 100,000 dolphins and whales suffer tragic fates due to plastic ingestion and entanglement in discarded fishing nets. Medrano added. A coastal clean-up operation was conducted at the Las Pinas - Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) inline with the theme "#SeaTheChange." They were joined by Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Kabataan Partylist-Pasay, and other groups. "The cleanup also serves as the groups protest to the governments inaction to the ongoing reclamation in Manila Bay. Fisherfolk from Cavite and Navotas reported the continuous reclamation and dredging, despite the verbal suspension order of President Marcos Jr. last month," Pamalakaya said in a separate statement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Around 250 students of San Jose National High School (SJNSH) in Talibon, Bohol were struck by a case of mass hysteria during a Holy Mass service on Friday morning, the town mayor said. Mayor Janette Aurestila-Garcia citing Dr. Miguelito S. Jayoma, the chief of Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital (GMPH) said on Facebook that of the 250 students, 135 were admitted to the hospital, with two still confined but in stable condition. Atty. Lenard Querubin, a netizen who witnessed the phenomenon and posted a video of it on his Facebook page, said the students began exhibiting unusual behavior and some even fainted. The video showed several students slumped on plastic chairs, being fanned or calmed down by adults. A girl was carried to an ambulance, while another leaned on someone as she walked. Local emergency responders were immediately called to the scene to tend to the students. SJNSH Principal Edwin Corbita canceled classes for the day and sent the students home, the mayor also shared. Garcia, in her post, asked netizens to refrain from spreading false information as it would cause fear and panic among the victims and their families. "Hysteria is defined as a constellation of symptoms suggestive of physical illness with no identifiable cause and little evidence of disease," according to the US National Institutes of Heath. "Mass hysteria is described as the appearance of these symptoms among a group of people." Mass hysteria can occur in the work place and commonly in schools, it added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) A mother and her daughter filed a lawsuit in a Makati City regional trial court against Etihad Airways for its alleged mishandling of an incident during a flight. Christine Arimas and her daughter Kristine Mikaela Arimas were passengers of Etihad Airways bound for Manila. According to their complaint, they boarded a flight from Geneva to Abu Dhabi on July 25, 2022 with a connecting flight to Manila the following day. Two hours into the flight, another passenger allegedly grabbed Christine by the shoulders and forcibly pulled her out of her seat. [T]he assailant started hurling racial invectives towards Christine. She recalls the assailant yelling at her face 'You crazy Asian people!' It was at this moment that the Plaintiff observed that the assailant's face was red and he was reeking of alcohol, the complaint said. The report added that Mikaea was awakened by the commotion and saw her mother being held by the shoulders, shaken, and yelled at by a big, tall man. A cabin attendant hurriedly wrapped his arms around the passenger and took him away from Christines seat. But Christine said she noticed that the assailant was merely reassigned to a seat not too far from her and was never restrained nor guarded. Worse, they continuously served the assailant with liquor for a good three more hours into the flight despite the aggression he had demonstrated while obviously intoxicated, she said. The complaint added that she was assured that upon landing that the incident would be properly addressed by Etihad. But she said that when they arrived in Abu Dhabi, the assailant casually walked away upon deplaning. She pointed out that there was no coordination or endorsement made with law enforcers by the cabin crew. The lead cabin crew then informed her that the incident will be reported to Etihads legal department and that they will be in touch. Receiving no updates after a week, they sent a complaint through email to the company, stating that Etihad breached the contract of carriage by failing to ensure their safety and of abusing their rights by neglecting proper protocol in handling air rage incidents. They were seeking compensation amounting to 21 million pesos for actual, moral, and exemplary damages, along with one million pesos for attorney's fees and litigation expenses. The Makati court has given Etihad 30 days to answer the complaint. "If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the complaint," the court told the airline. CNN Philippines is waiting for comments from Etihad. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has moved to formalize its bid to remove fees for small-value electronic fund transfers among banks and soon, among fintech giants GCash and PayMaya. BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said he has set a meeting with the powerful Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) this Friday for that purpose. There have been earlier efforts by the central bank to dismantle transaction fees being charged by banks and other financial institutions that range between P8 and P25 per transaction via InstaPay, a real-time electronic fund transfer facility being operated by BancNet. Were talking to the BAP on Friday about payments in general. Well have some discussions. And out of that, wed expect something more formal to come out," Remolona said on Thursday. "The discussions for now are with the BAP, but were also in touch with the GCash, with PayMaya, with digital payments providers," he also said. "That will come.That will be part of the whole payments' framework." But for the most part, Remolonas predecessors had been only using so-called moral suasion to convince lenders to waive those fees. So far yes, it is moral suasion," Remolona said. "It works to a large extent moral suasion. But were formalizing it into a whole payments' framework." Formalizing the removal of fund transfer fees would be a breakthrough and comes early into Remolonas term as BSP governor. Remolona took over the central banks helm in July and will head the BSP with a six-year term. He also said that three big banks have already waived fees on small fund transfers up to P1,000 per transfer. Were trying to shame the other major banks into following the same policy," he said. "We want to make sure that the poor dont subsidize the rich." "If you have a credit card and you spend a lot, you get rewards," he explained. "Guess who pays for those rewards? Its the small guys who only charge a small amount." Remolona made those remarks on the sidelines of the 2023 Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Global Policy Forum that the central bank hosted in Pasay City. At least 700 bankers and other delegates from 70 nations participated in the event, the BSP said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed optimism that the Philippines and Singapore would keep their "healthy" relations as he noted there were no "significant issues" between the two nations. During a meeting with business leaders and economic managers in Singapore, Marcos said people-to-people exchange has been the "bedrock" of the neighboring countries in establishing alliances. "In that time between the very beginning of that relationship, we haven't come across really any significant issues, diplomatic, political, or otherwise between Singapore and the Philippines," the Palace said in a statement Thursday, quoting Marcos. "Many of our most professional workforce have actually come to live and work in Singapore. I know many, many, many people, especially in the financial sector who have made their lives here in Singapore and continue to do so," he added. The president even said Singapore was the "largest source of foreign investments" for the country. He then solicited investments from Singaporeans, urging them to explore opportunities in the local renewable energy (RE) market, especially now that the government has allowed foreign investors to enjoy 100% ownership in RE projects. "The policy change comes as the Philippines seeks to attract foreign investments to boost the renewable energy sector and to meet our long-term climate targets," Marcos said. "With this development, I encourage our Singapore partners to consider the Philippines and take part in the country's goal of increasing renewable share in power generation and offering lower cost and cleaner energy to the general public," he added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15) Another warehouse raid resulted in the confiscation of 42 million worth of smuggled rice, this time in Zamboanga City, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said on Friday. The BOC-Port of Zamboanga seized 42,180 sacks of rice in Barangay San Jose Gusu after authorities found that the goods were not covered by the requisite sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry. It first inspected the facility on May 19 after receiving information that smuggled rice was being stored there. The BOC then issued an order of forfeiture on Sept. 1 after verification of import documents submitted by the warehouse showed that the subject goods were not covered by the import clearance and were different from what was declared. According to the bureau, the proof of payment submitted by the warehouse referred to a shipment of white rice 15% broken, but the actual seized goods were Jasmine fragrant rice. Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio earlier said they will conduct more warehouse inspections following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s instruction for them to address hoarding and illegal rice importation crimes which the government said have contributed to the spike in prices of the commodity. In late August, the bureau said it raided three warehouses in Bulacan allegedly storing smuggled rice worth a cumulative 505 million. RELATED: PH overtakes China as world's top rice importer in 2023 USDA Colorado Republican Steve Laffey is confident his Herman Cain moment is coming. Since launching the longest of longshot campaigns for the White House in February, the Fort Collins resident and former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, has neither registered in the polls nor been in danger of qualifying for the primary debates sponsored by the the Republican National Committee. Undaunted, Laffey is convinced that none of the leading GOP candidates from former President Donald Trump, who has boasted a commanding lead in polls for months, to Trump detractors like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has struggled to break out of the single digits have what it takes to win the presidency, even while acknowledging that the Republican Party he once knew is long gone. The voluble 61-year-old supervised the lucrative sale of a wealth management and capital market firm he ran before winning election 20 years ago as mayor of Cranston, a mid-sized Rhode Island city he says was headed toward ruin before he turned its finances around. After an unsuccessful run for a U.S. Senate seat in Rhode Island, Laffey moved his family to Larimer County in 2010 and ran for an open U.S. House seat in 2014 but finished last in the primary. He considered running for governor of Colorado in 2018, but when his daughter was diagnosed with cancer, he moved to Philadelphia for experimental treatment that proved successful. An unabashed anti-Trump fiscal conservative, Laffey says he's the only candidate in any party with a strategy to fix America he produced a documentary called "Fixing America," featuring interviews with "everyday Americans" and believes his campaign is on the verge of taking off. If things go according to plan, Laffey's breakthrough might echo the late Cain's unlikely rise to Republican frontrunner in 2011, though Laffey told Colorado Politics he learned from Cain how to avoid the mistakes that swiftly derailed the former Godfather's Pizza executive's candidacy. "Here's what it's going to look like," Laffey said during a recent, wide-ranging interview. "When someone like Chris Christie is known by all but polls at 2.7% in the national polls, he's going nowhere. When Ron DeSantis goes from 33% to 15% no one's ever made a comeback like that." That's where Cain comes in. "However, in 2011, go to Real Clear Politics Herman Cain was at 0," Laffey said. "And in September, due to a confluence of events and by the way, he became a friend of mine and was a really good guy. But who knows why, I mean, he was at a straw poll in Florida and all of a sudden, there he is, right? So, we don't know why. But I think it's a confluence of events, of everybody getting their chance. And Herman, clearly, God rest his soul, was not ready for the international politics of it, and so forth, when he got his chance. And he told me what he did wrong, and so forth, when I met with him about this in Atlanta." Laffey said his background is bound to turn heads once he breaks into single digits in polls. "So, I hope I get my chance, that people say, 'Hey, you know what, there's a guy he went to Harvard Business School, he is a financial expert, he's had none of his people get arrested, he's never been accused of sexual assault these are bare minimums, I'm sorry." Acknowledging that he lost consecutive races for senator and representative, Laffey said other politicians failed before they made it. "It looks like this: When or if I get to 1% in the polls, or, say, 5% in New Hampshire, let's just say all of a sudden heads turn, because I'm not supposed to be there, and it's going in the right direction. If I get to be 1% in the national polls, I'll be at 3, and when I'm 3, the whole world will change for everybody, because I'm the only person who provides any solutions to fix this country, to enlarge the middle class and get people out of poverty. It's on my website, SteveLaffey.com." It's easy to run for president Laffey is among more than three dozen Republican presidential candidates who reported raising or spending at least some money through the year's second quarter. At last count, more than 500 candidates of all stripes have filed the necessary paperwork to establish presidential campaigns, including Democrats, Libertarians, independents and write-in candidates. Laffey reported raising nearly $50,000 in contributions through June 30, on top of $110,000 he either gave or loaned his campaign. He finished the period with just over $100,000 on hand and has been campaigning heavily in early states Iowa and New Hampshire. But don't expect him to bend the knee to the RNC in order to land a spot in an upcoming debate. The national GOP's requirement that candidates promise to back the party's eventual nominee is a deal-breaker, Laffey said. "I never would have signed the pledge to endorse an unknown candidate, i.e., Donald Trump, and so the RNC has just hung itself on its own petard, whatever that phrase is," Laffey said, mocking the notion that all the Republicans who appeared on stage in Milwaukee pledged to support Trump, even though Trump skipped the debate to sit for an interview with Tucker Carlson. "Donald Trump is a narcissist, and my party better get its act together soon, because a narcissist does stuff like this," Laffey said. But Trump was far from the only candidate with issues, he said, adding that several second-tier candidates who paid premiums to attract donations in order to meet an RNC requirement might have broken federal election laws. "When these type of people succumb to pressure like this I don't want to be president that bad," he said. "That's why I actually should be the president." As the only candidate from New England, Laffey said, that's where he hopes to see his candidacy break out. "That's my plan, I stick to my plan, and that's what I'm doing," he said. "But if I don't break out because I wasn't willing to succumb to the pressure and sign a document like Chris Christie, and tell people I was lying about it, then so be it," he said. "That's not who I am," he added. Laffey said he's battling what he calls the "least-worst theory," when voters settle for the least worst alternative rather than refusing to cast a ballot for an unacceptable candidate. "They're like, well, Trump's ahead, I'm good with Trump, I want Trump to beat Biden," he said, shaking his head. "Me, I never do the least-worst theory. I never voted for Trump." Laffey said he wrote in the name of his economic advisor in 20216 and wrote in his own name in 2020. He expressed dismay that Trump appears to have gained support from Republican voters since facing multiple indictments. "We've never had someone this far ahead who's getting stronger because he's been indicted," Laffey said, adding that he doesn't know what has to happen before people start caring about the problems he's diagnosed or the solutions he's proposed. Laffey said he also drew inspiration from another past presidential candidate who emerged from far back in the field, although unlike Cain, this one went on to win. There's a chance, he said, that the country could "look for something very new, the way they did in (1975) and found Jimmy Carter, who was, by the way, thought to be at 0% in November of '75 and was never going to win, because it was right for the times. From that moment on in November, people gravitated to Jimmy Carter because he was a kind, gentle man after Watergate, and a guy with no issues, other than whatever normal issues are, right?" Laffey slowed his pace and nodded. "And that's what I hope happens here, and that's what people should get out of this, that that can happen," he said. "And if you don't step into the arena one last time, like me at least put the effort out to help save this country you'd look back and say, 'I should have done that.'" Ernest Luning has covered politics for Colorado Politics and its predecessor publication, The Colorado Statesman, since 2009. He's analyzed the exploits, foibles and history of state campaigns and politicians since 2018 in the weekly Trail Mix column. Midway between state elections, Colorado's top-ticket 2024 primary lineup takes shape | TRAIL MIX Remember the old riddle that asks how far you can run into a forest? The answer is halfway, because after that, you're running out of the woods. These days, a relatively clean and uncomplicated Windows 10 or 11 system disk might be home to more than 250,000 files and 90,000 folders. A more complex, application-heavy system disk might contain between half a million and a million files. My Windows 11 production PC has over 970K files and 275K folders, for example. Thats a lot of stuff! Indeed, all those files need not necessarily be kept around. Thats why its a good idea to practice regular disk hygiene. This is exactly what is explained and explored here, with plenty of examples and screen shots to illustrate the cleanup process. Best of all, the tools that help you tidy up wont cost you a dime. Step 1: Run built-in Windows disk cleanup tools From time immemorial, Windows has included a utility for cleaning up disk space namely, Disk Cleanup, also known as cleanmgr.exe. In Windows 10, users gained a second method to clean up disk space: the Free up space now option is part of its Settings-based Storage Sense facility aimed at optimizing storage. In Windows 11, this shows up as Cleanup recommendations. There has been speculation that Disk Cleanup might disappear as Settings takes over Windows management and controls. Even so, the Disk Cleanup utility remains ready, willing, and able to work in Windows 11 22H2 as I write this story. Either the Settings or Disk Cleanup approach provides a great way to excise extraneous and unneeded Windows files (for Windows 10 and 11 versions across the board). To launch Disk Cleanup, type disk clean or cleanmgr.exe into the Start menu search box. The Disk Cleanup desktop app should appear at the top of those search results. If you can, select Run as administrator from the resulting options menu. Why? Only then does it offer to clean up redundant or outdated OS files (such as old OS files after an upgrade, or old updates) as well as other Windows leftovers. After Disk Cleanup scans your system, Figure 1 shows a reasonable facsimile of what youll see in Windows 11. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 1: When you run Disk Cleanup as an administrator, you can remove Previous windows installation(s) and other OS files. Scroll through the checkbox items in the pane labeled Files to delete and pick stuff youd like to lose. The numbers in the right column indicate how much disk space each item occupies. Dont delete old OS versions or updates if you think you might want to roll back to an earlier version. Note also that the Downloads item represents the contents of your personal Downloads folder, so dont delete it unless youre sure you dont need anything it holds. Figure 1 includes a previous Windows 11 installation, for a total recovery of 12.7GB. Thats a sizable chunk of disk space. In Windows 10, the Settings-based cleanup option is available through Settings > System > Storage > Configure Storage Sense or run it now > Free up space now. On the Free up space now pane, click the Clean now button. This cleans up storage in much the same way as if youd run Disk Cleanup and clicked all available boxes removing temporary files, update or upgrade files, delivery optimization files (designed for sharing on your local network but seldom used), obsolete device driver packages, and more. It will also empty the recycle bin. This process can and often does take several minutes to complete. While its running, it looks like whats shown in Figure 2. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 2: In Windows 10, you have to click numerous options to get to Free up space now. After that, it works silently to clean things up. Windows 11s Cleanup recommendations feature is available through Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. On the Cleanup recommendations pane, click Advanced options. These options appear in Figure 3, with checkboxes to select (or avoid) their contents for deletion. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 3: The following items are checked for cleanup in Windows 11: recycle bin, feedback hub logs, delivery optimization files, upgrade logs, non-critical Defender files, temporary internet files, Windows error reports and diagnostics, temporary files, DirectX Shader cache files, and user file history. The total disk savings from this particular cleanup selection in Windows 11 come to just under 3.5GB, similar to what youd get from Disk Cleanup. It takes a bit of time to read through and select what you want, but its quite easy to use. Some may find it preferable to Disk Cleanup, in fact. Step 2: Run UnCleaner to catch what built-in tools miss Josh Cell is a Francophone developer in Canada whos built a peachy and free utility called UnCleaner. It can ferret out and remove temporary and obsolete log files that even Windows built-in utilities dont catch and kill. You can download the latest version of UnCleaner (1.7) from Major Geeks. Dont worry that this tool shows a 2012 date: I can attest it still works fine on Windows 10 and 11 systems in mid-2023. Running on the same production PC upon which I just ran Disk Cleanup, UnCleaner finds nearly 400MB of files to clean up despite a notionally clean status, as shown in Figure 4. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 4: UnCleaner finds 594 additional files to clean after Disk Cleanup is done. Simply click the Clean button (lower left) to excise those files. Youll never get this tool to delete everything it reports, because some of those files are locked by Windows runtime constraints. But sometimes youll see a message that says, Good. Your system is very clean. Nuff said! Step 3: Use DriverStore Explorer to dismiss obsolete device drivers DriverStore Explorer (RAPR.exe) is a free, open-source tool that you can download from GitHub. Always be sure to grab the most current release (0.11.92 as of this writing). Unless youre a real Windows driver wizard, you need only click two buttons to make RAPR do its thing: Select Old Driver(s) and Delete Driver(s). You must, however, run RAPR in administrator mode (right-click its icon and select Run as administrator). When you start it up, youll see a list of installed drivers with checkboxes. Click the Select Old Driver(s) button at the top right of the screen, and the program will automatically check the boxes for the older driver versions it finds. Theyre highlighted with blue checkmarks in Figure 5. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 5: Click Select Old Driver(s) to highlight items for deletion, then click Delete Driver(s). (Click image to enlarge it.) When you click Delete Driver(s), RAPR will attempt to remove all highlighted items. It wont actually remove any it finds in use, so this is a surprisingly safe operation. Power users and experts can find a lot more for RAPR to do (see How to reduce Windows driver bloat for details), but most regular users will simply enjoy its ability to clean up old, outmoded drivers. Notice in Figure 5 that a raft of Intel Bluetooth drivers is among the items targeted for deletion. Thats because the Intel Driver & Support Assistant keeps on installing Bluetooth drivers (monthly, if not more often). This makes for lots of duplicates. The current selections will recover 635MB of disk space. Ive seen some RAPR runs recover multiple gigabytes, but space savings are seldom larger than that. First-time users may recover 3 to 5GB when cleaning up numerous driver files. (Graphics drivers often exceed 1GB in size; those add up quickly.) Step 4: Use DISM to clean the Component Store Most Windows OS files reside in the WinSxS folder, also known as the Component Store. After you install a cumulative update, and sometimes after other updates, the Component Store may contain duplicate, obsolete, or orphaned elements. You can use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool at the command line to check the Component Store from time to time. Such checks will tell you if a cleanup is needed. To get started, youll need to open an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt window. On the Windows desktop, press the Windows key and X, then select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the resulting pop-up menu. (Alternatively, you can type powershell into the Start menu search box, then right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator from that pop-up menu.) In the Administrator: Windows PowerShell window that appears, type this string and hit Enter: dism /online /cleanup-image /analyzecomponentstore Youll see something like whats shown in Figure 6. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 6: DISM /analyzecomponentstore finds one package for cleanup (reclamation). As I wrote this story, I had just installed a Cumulative Update and other update items earlier that week. Sure enough, /analyzecomponentstore reported that there was one reclaimable package ready for cleanup. Notice that the response text reported Yes in the field labeled Component Store Cleanup Recommended. Thats your clue that DISM has something it can clean up on your behalf. To make that happen, in the Administrator: Windows PowerShell window, enter this string: dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup The results appear in Figure 7, with an extra /analyzecomponentstore to show the results of the cleanup. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 7: The cleanup operation completes. (The first 10% completion line is a known Windows bug.) When the numbers for the second /analyzecomponentstore operation get compared to the first, we see the following numbers: Size of component store: 10.26GB vs. 7.35GB (diff: 2.91GB) Actual size of component store: 9.81GB vs. 7.18GB (diff: 2.63GB) Shared with Windows: 6.10GB vs. 6.07GB (diff: 0.03GB) Backups and disabled features: 3.70GB vs 1.11GB (diff: 2.59GB) If you add the savings for Shared with Windows and Backups and disabled features, you get 2.62GB, which is nearly the savings in the actual size of the component store (2.63GB) just as it should be. Recently updated systems may recover up to 3 or even 4GB using this technique. (Actual results depend on the number and size of reclaimable packages removed.) For more incredibly useful things you can do with DISM, see Why DISM is the Swiss Army knife of Windows maintenance. Step 5: Inspect the system drive using WizTree Once all preceding cleanups are complete, its a good idea to inspect the system drive to see where the big files are. I use the free, donation-ware WizTree program, but TreeSize Free is a worthy alternative. Both programs produce treemap diagrams graphical renderings of disk contents that make it easy to spot big files and folders. Figure 8 shows the C: drive from my Lenovo X12 Hybrid tablet. Ed Tittel / IDG Figure 8: WizTree displays the disk contents in a treemap diagram, where box size shows how file (and folder) sizes compare to one another. (Click image to enlarge it.) Remember, youre looking for big files, because getting rid of them provides useful, quick wins in the disk space recovery game. Right here, I see that the largest files are the ones youd expect to see namely, the system hibernation file (hiberfile.sys) and the system page file (pagefile.sys), in green at upper right. After those behemoths (6.3 and 2.4GB, respectively), the next largest files appear in OneDrive (image folders in greenish-yellow and purple, center) and in the Windows Recovery agent ($WinREAgent, royal blue at lower right). All is as Id expect. If I needed to save space, though, Id see about pruning the images and videos in OneDrive. By clicking other big blocks in the treemap, you can quickly figure out where your biggest potential space recovery opportunities lie. You wont be able to get rid of all of them the paging and hibernation files must stay, for example but if some of them can go, big space savings can result. Practice makes perfect If you perform such cleanups periodically (I shoot for at least once a month), youll be able to keep your space consumption under much better control. Try this regimen out for yourself and youll soon see what I mean. And dont forget to slog through the Users folder (especially your account subfolder) from time to time, too, because junk too often tends to accumulate there. Then, you can blissfully enjoy your clean machine! This article was originally published in January 2019 and updated in September 2023. Microsoft released 59 updates in its September Patch Tuesday release, with critical patches for Microsoft Office and Visual Studio, and continued the trend of including non-Microsoft applications in its update cycle. (Notepad++ is a notable addition, with Autodesk returning with a revised bulletin.) We've made "Patch Now" recommendations for Microsoft development platforms (Visual Studio) and Microsoft Word. Unfortunately, updates for Microsoft Exchange Server have also returned, requiring server reboots this time, too. The team at Readiness has created this infographic outlining the risks associated with each of the September updates. Known issues Each month, Microsoft includes a list of known issues that relate to the operating system and platforms included in the latest update cycle: After installing this update on guest virtual machines (VMs) running Windows Server 2022 on some versions of VMware ESXi, Windows Server 2022 might not start up. VMWare has published an article (KB90947) on how to resolve the issue. New security enhancements in SharePoint Server (2019) might prevent custom .aspx files from being displayed under certain circumstances. Browsing to such a page generates a "92liq" event tag in SharePoint Unified Logging System (ULS) logs. Major revisions Microsoft published the following major revisions this month: CVE-2023-41303: Use-after-free vulnerability in Autodesk FBX SDK 2020. This is an information update (note that this third-party application update does not have an updated release log naughty Microsoft). No further action required. CVE-2023-20569 Return Address Predictor. The affected products table has been updated to include Azure Virtual Machines, as customers who use custom maintenance controls are affected by CVE-2023-20569 and are required to take action to protect their resources. CVE-2023-21709, CVE-2023-35368, CVE-2023-35388, CVE-2023-38185, CVE-2023-38181 and CVE-2023-38182: Microsoft Exchange Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. The known issue affecting the non-English August updates of Exchange Server has been resolved. Microsoft recommends installing the updated packages as soon as possible. And it looks as if Microsoft "missed" a CVE last month CVE-2023-36769 for OneNote, which has now been updated and included in this month's updates. Mitigations and workarounds Microsoft published the following vulnerability related mitigations for this release cycle: CVE-2023-38162, CVE-2023-38152, CVE-2023-36081: DHCP Server Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Microsoft helpfully notes that if you have not enabled DHCP on your servers, you're not exposed to this vulnerability. CVE-2023-38148: Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. Similarly, if you have not enabled this feature, you're not exposed. Testing guidance Each month, the Readiness team analyzes the latest Patch Tuesday updates and provides detailed, actionable testing guidance. This guidance is based on assessing a large application portfolio and a detailed analysis of the patches and their potential impact on Windows and on application installations. Given the large number of system-level changes in this patch cycle, I have broken down the testing scenarios into standard and high-risk profiles. High risk Microsoft made a major announcement this month about a significant change to how third-party printer drivers are handled, "With the release of Windows 10 21H2, Windows offers inbox support for Mopria compliant printer devices over network and USB interfaces via the Microsoft IPP Class Driver. This removes the need for print device manufacturers to provide their own installers, drivers, utilities." With this announcement, Microsoft also published an end to servicing legacy (V3 and V4) Windows printer drivers and offers the following support timeline. September 2023: Announce legacy third-party printer driver for Windows end of servicing plan. September 2025: No new printer drivers will be published to Windows Update. 2026: Printer driver ranking order modified to always prefer Windows IPP inbox class driver. 2027: Except for security-related fixes, third-party printer driver updates will no longer be allowed. The assumption here is that all Windows printing providers will subscribe to the Mopria (an association of printer and scanner manufacturers that produce universal standards and solutions for scan and print) standard. This makes sense and will hopefully reduce the attack surface of printer drivers that have caused so much trouble over the years. Due to this change in printer handling, the following tests are suggested: Test all your printers with your full production testing regime (sorry about this). Enable different advanced printer features (e.g., watermarking) and run printing tests. Test your printing over RDP and VPN connections. Install/update/uninstall key printing software. Standard risk The following changes have not been raised as high risk (of unexpected outcomes) and do not include functional changes. Test your security restrictions/sandbox when using Microsoft Intune and Windows Defender Application control (WDAC). Applications should install and uninstall as expected. Ensure successful "CRUD" tests complete for your Windows error logs. This should include Create, Read, Update and Delete. Actually, this should read CRUDE as we need to add Extend to this month's log testing regime. (Find the laughs where you can.) Test wireless displays on laptops; it's required by an update to the core graphics handling in Windows (GDI.DLL). There has been a major update to the Windows networking stack, too. This includes changes to how DHCP handles failover relationships. Testing should include the following: Conduct ping request/reply tests (for both inside and outside your network). Ping major search engines (try Bing?) using both IPv4 and IPv. Automated testing will help with these scenarios (especially a testing platform that offers a "delta" or comparison between builds). However, for your line of business applications, getting the application owner (doing UAT) to test and approve the results is still absolutely essential. Each month, we break down the update cycle into product families (as defined by Microsoft) with the following basic groupings: Browsers (Microsoft IE and Edge); Microsoft Windows (both desktop and server); Microsoft Office; Microsoft Exchange Server; Microsoft Development platforms (ASP.NET Core, .NET Core and Chakra Core); Adobe Reader and Others (the new home for 3rd-party applications). Browsers Microsoft did not release any updates for its browsers this month. As a sign of the times, Google Chrome has now sunsetted (deprecated in Microsoft terms) support for Windows 7/8/8.1 and Window Server 2012. For Google Chrome Enterprise users, there is now a handy release summary. My feeling is that we will be adding Google Chrome to the third-party update section found at the bottom of this report in the future. Windows Microsoft released a single critical update for the Windows platforms in this patch cycle (CVE-2023-38148). In addition, 20 patches rated important by Microsoft were released, covering the following Windows functional areas: Windows DHCP Server and the TCP/IP networking stack; Windows GDI and Kernel; Microsoft Windows Codecs Library and Windows Themes; Windows Common Log File System Driver. Though it is a relatively lightweight set of patches for Windows, we highly recommend a network stack test before general deployment. Add these Windows updates to your standard release schedule. Microsoft Office For September, Microsoft did not release any critical updates to the Office platform. Instead, we see seven updates rated important and an additional single update rated moderate (CVE-2023-41764). Unfortunately, this month's zero-day vulnerability includes Microsoft Word (CVE-2023-36761) which has been publicly disclosed and reported as exploited in the wild. Add these Office updates (really just Word) to your "Patch Now" schedule. Microsoft Exchange Server Microsoft released five updates for Microsoft Exchange Server, all rated important by Microsoft. Combining both network and adjacent attack vectors, these vulnerabilities could lead to ID spoofing and remote code execution. There have not been any reports of exploits in the wild, nor public disclosures, so please add these to your standard release schedule. Note: this month's patch cycle will require a reboot of your Exchange Server. Microsoft development platforms This is a big month for updating the developer platforms. Microsoft released three critical rated patches (CVE-2023-36796, CVE-2023-36793 and CVE-2023-36792) that could lead to serious remote code execution scenarios with the simple click of a single malicious file. Once these critical issues are added to the 12 additional patches to Visual Studio and .NET, we must make an unusual "Patch Now" recommendation for these. Adobe Reader and Others (the new home for 3rd-party applications) Following the growing trend of managing third-party application updates, I will now include key applications that require updating each month. This used to focus on Adobe Reader, but for September now includes: We expect more third-party applications to be included in the monthly update process in the future. Monthly patches, monthly application packaging and patching will become the new normal. Having a robust repackaging, testing and deployment process for your entire application portfolio will fast become a top priority. The golden-throated absurdist comedy god that is Matt Berry has blessed us with so many original and unpredictable comedy moments. It is only fair to honor his service by sharing with the public these 15 laugh-out-loud Matt Berry moments. 15 Fire the Nuclear Weapons In Toast of London, we often see Toast in the voiceover booth, with a particular favorite being his submarine announcement voiceovers. They request he says fire the nuclear weapons with a bit more fun. Its a must-see. 14 Gun Possession Garth Marenghis Dark Place is one of my top 10 favorite TV programs of all time. The premise is simple. A horror writer releases his failed show that he wrote, directed and starred in years after it was made. The show is full of cliches, continuity errors, and bad acting, all on purpose. In this scene, Matt Berry's character, Dr. Lucien Sanchez, fights a gun with a gun. 13 Jackie Daytona When Lazlo decides to leave the other vampires on What We Do In The Shadows, he starts a new life in Pennsylvania as Jackie Daytona. In this Matt Berry-centered episode, we follow the rise and fall of town hero Jackie Daytona, as he basically goes through an entire character arc. 12 Clem Fandango Any Toast of London fan knows the infamous name of Clem Fandango. Clem Fandango is in nearly every episode and he always introduces himself and asks Toast if he can hear him. There are several supercuts, but this is a great one to understand this series-long running gag. Advertisement Advertisement 11 Snuff Box Boyfriend Scenes One of the funniest running gags ever in Snuff Box was this runner of Matt Berry finding out women have boyfriends in the midst of flirting with them. Berry drops whatever he is holding immediately and gives a quick F**k you before turning to leave. The escalation never ceases to amaze. 10 Lone Wolf Matt Berrys silky smooth voice makes him perfectly suited to parody British nature documentaries. In this video, Berry narrates over a group of wolves. Best quote of the video goes to the others take this example on board and accelerate quickly to 40 miles per wolf hour! Advertisement Advertisement 9 Was That Hitler After Douglas Reynholm unexpectedly dies during a meeting, we see him awaken in a white suit in heaven. Douglas sees his father in a doorway telling him to come to join him in heaven. As Douglas approaches the door, Hitler pops his head out. This might not be heaven. 8 Rabbits Distraction In Matt Berrys period comedy Year of the Rabbit, his character Rabbit pulls the ultimate sneak attack on two women in a carriage. I wont spoil too much, but it does include 29 pieces of dog sh*t. Advertisement Advertisement 7 Electric Sex Pants The ultimate comedy gag: fellatio-related visual trickery! Douglas Reynholm needs Moss to fix his electric sex pants and the two are interrupted by an Interfaith tour group. 6 Guitar Lesson Matt Berrys sketch show Snuff Box is full of perfect absurdist comedy gold, but a favorite is definitely the guitar lesson sketch. Its weird and trippy, perfect to show your bong-ripping friend Advertisement Advertisement 5 Lazlo's Witch Skin Hat In a fantastic episode of What We Do In The Shadows, Matt Berrys Character Lazlo reveals that he owns a partially living witch skin hat. The only problem is, that its cursed and causes everything to go wrong around him. In one particular scene, his cape gets caught in a taxi door, and he is dragged all the way up the street. 4 Snuff Box Suicide Pt IV (The Empty Room) In order to honor his brother who tragically committed suicide, Matt Berry wrote this touching song on Snuff Box in his memory. Grab a tissue. Advertisement Advertisement 3 One Track Lover Dr. Lucien Sanchez breaks into one of the most beautiful 80s-style tracks youve ever heard randomly in this episode of Garth Marenghis Dark Place. It is completely unexpected and features a rapping Richard Ayoade. 2 Wow, A Gun! Richard Ayoade, Chris ODowd, and Katherine Parkinson were fantastic on IT Crowd, but Matt Berry really stole the show once he joined the cast as Douglas Reynholm. His character's fantastic introduction occurs when he searches through his dead father's desk and finds a gun. He immediately pulls the trigger while pointing it at his mouth to check if its loaded. Advertisement Advertisement In 1984, John Lithgow passed on the opportunity to play Frasier Crane in Cheers, leaving Kelsey Grammer to assume the role that would define his career for the next four decades. In some alternate timeline, Grammer got his big break in Harry and the Hendersons. The Frasier reboot series is set to premiere on October 12 with Grammer reprising his iconic role as the psychiatrist-turned-radio-host as Dr. Crane returns to Boston in order to reconnect with his adult son. The sequel show will be without Frasiers usual companions after the passing of John Mahoney and David Hyde Pierces decision to sit this one out, leaving Frasier with scant few familiar faces, save some scheduled guest appearances from Jane Leeves as Daphne and Peri Gilpin as Roz. As casting director Jeff Greenberg and writer and executive producer Joe Keenan recalled in a conversation with Metro, Grammer himself was almost absent entirely from the Cheers extended universe they wanted Lithgow to play the role and only offered Grammer an audition when the first choice passed. They said that Grammer (got) the role he was destined to play, insisting that they wouldnt have done anything differently forty years ago. Still, just imagine Lithgows oaken bass voice singing Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs if youre in need of a laugh between now and October 12. Advertisement Greenberg and Keenan also revealed other close casting calls according to them, they auditioned Cynthia Nixon from Sex in the City for the role of Daphne, though Leeves was their first (and best) choice. The late and absent Mahoney and Pierce were the only actors considered for the parts of Niles and Martin, but the role of Roz nearly went to Friends star Lisa Kudrow before Gilpin sealed the deal. (Kudrow) was fantastic, she did exactly what she did to get the role, Greenberg said. But when we had a test audience come in a couple of days before we were going to shoot the show sort of a dress rehearsal it became apparent that the scenes with Frasier and Roz werent as strong as the other scenes. There was a lot of conflict in all the other scenes, and thats what you always want. Its a shame that Kudrow and Grammer didnt have any chemistry when the Friends producers decided to give Phoebe a psychiatrist boyfriend, Frasier Crane could have saved us from the headache that was Roger. In an interesting turn of events, ransomware group ALPHV (aka BlackCat) released a statement on their leak site, thrashing both MGM Resorts International and the cybersecurity firm VX undergrounds for mishandling the ongoing cyberattack on MGM. In a long message intended "to set the record straight," ALPHV detailed what has happened in the ransomware seizure of MGM's critical assets so far, noting MGM hastily locked out key services indicating a poor response team. "MGM made the hasty decision to shut down each and every one of their Okta Sync servers after learning that we had been lurking in their Okta Agent servers sniffing passwords of people whose passwords couldn't be cracked from their domain controller hash dumps," ALPHV said in the message. "This resulted in their Okta being completely out." The message also criticized VX Underground for "falsely reporting events that never happened" with regard to the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) used. ALPHV calls MGM response hasty ALPHV claimed to have initially infiltrated MGM's network by exploiting vulnerabilities in the global casino owner's Okta Agent without deploying any ransomware. They gained super administrator privileges to MGM's Okta and Global Administrator privileges to their Azure tenant. In response to network infiltration on Friday, September 8, MGM implemented conditional restrictions on September 10 that barred all access to their Okta environment owing to what ALPHV called "inadequate administrative capabilities and weak incident response playbooks." She's the toast of Hollywood with her box-office-busting Barbie, but Margot Robbie has never forgotten where she came from. Just ask the cast of Neighbours. As they filmed what they thought would be their last-ever scene last year after the decision to axe the Australian soap, they took delivery of a large quantity of Champagne. 'It was from Margot,' says Alan Fletcher, who plays Dr Karl Kennedy. 'She sent 37 bottles of bubbly to represent the 37 years the show had been on screen and the 37 characters who were due to appear in the final scene.' Margot appeared as her character Donna Freedman in that final episode, but only on Zoom as she was busy filming Barbie. 'Like all of us, she was celebrating a show she thought was going forever,' says Alan. Pictured: the cast return to Ramsey Street It wasn't, of course, and as the revived series comes to Amazon Freevee 14 months after that extended final episode was broadcast on Channel 5, Alan is the first to acknowledge that the revival is partly down to the superstars who got their first break on Neighbours. 'The involvement of people such as Margot, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce and Jason Donovan in that final episode helped make it very special,' he says. 'There had been a public outcry when news first broke that the show was finishing and the love and affection the ex-stars clearly felt for Neighbours meant a lot. Amazon saw Neighbours was too big and too popular to die.' Filming recommenced in Melbourne in April this year. Set two years after that tear-jerking finale, which concluded with all the neighbours gathering to celebrate Jarrod 'Toadie' Rebecchi and Melanie Pearson's wedding, it will see many of the characters who were there at the end Dr Karl and his wife Susan (Jackie Woodburne), Toadie (Ryan Moloney) and Melanie (Lucinda Cowden) and the incomparable Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) resume their lives on Ramsay Street. Margot played Donna Freedman between 2008 and 2011. She is pictured in character on the show in 2009 Hollywood star Guy Pearce will also return as Mike Young, continuing a relationship with Jane Harris (Annie Jones) that can be traced back to the early days in the 1980s. 'They bought a house together on Ramsay Street when we thought the show was going to disappear, so it seems right that we find out how they're getting on,' says Guy. 'But I may be making a respectful exit fairly quickly.' Annie Jones, who says she felt at a loose end for months after the show ended, plans to stick around longer than Guy, as does Stefan Dennis, who's played businessman Paul Robinson since the first-ever episode in 1985. Stefan says his character's lost none of his ruthlessness. 'I wouldn't have it any other way,' he laughs. 'Paul reckons there's a spy in the camp, trying to infiltrate and undermine his business, and he's at his devious best in trying to root them out. He can be hard-edged, but fans don't like it when he becomes Mr Nice Guy.' Robbie was unable to travel to Australia to film scenes as she was busy filming the Barbie movie in America. However, she did show her gratitude by sending the entire cast a bottle of pricey Champagne Margot appeared as her character Donna Freedman in that final episode, but only on Zoom as she was busy filming Barbie Stefan admits to taking keepsakes, such as the cardboard cutout of Paul when he ran for mayor of Erinsborough, but the sharp suit he wore for his final scene is still on set. 'I remember hanging it up in my dressing room and thinking, "I'm never going to be Paul Robinson again." I missed the show like crazy, though I said I'd think about it when they asked if I wanted to play Paul again. 'I thought about it for 30 seconds before I said yes! Why wouldn't I? Actors who've been snobby about it would now crawl over broken glass for a role.' Before the final scene, Margot sent us 37 bottles of bubbly to represent the shows 37 years on screen New characters include Haz Devkar (Shiv Palekar), who runs Harold's Cafe, and Reece Sinclair (The OC star Mischa Barton). But it's the familiar folk, such as Toadie, who will be welcomed back the most warmly. 'We felt a lot of warmth towards us on tour in the UK earlier this year,' says Ryan Moloney, who plays him. 'It was to be The Farewell Tour, but it turned into The Celebration Tour. I'm so glad we had reason to change the title.' Parents have been left in awe of this quick and simple food hack that is guaranteed to keep the little ones happy. This easy method may help you to save you a trip down the supermarket. when the sun is shining and your children are complaining about a lack of frozen treats. Luckily for caregivers, Hayley, a mother from Northamptonshire, has shared the handy food trick which only requires two things - lollipop sticks and Milkybar yoghurts. The mother-of-two revealed to her TikTok following of around 21,700 that the simple trick is her new favourite hack for mothers. But how exactly do you do the foolproof hack? The simple method could save parents some of their hard earned cash as a pack of six Milkybar yoghurts only costs 1.39 Hayley's latest favourite #mumhack only needs two things - lollipop sticks and a pack of Milkybar Little Treats yoghurt According to Hayley's easy to follow instructions, you start out with a six pack of Milkybar Little Treats yoghurts, which can be purchased for as little as 1.39 at supermarkets. Taking the wooden lollipop sticks, you then proceed to poke them into each pot filled with white chocolate goodness. For the final step you carefully place the pack of six impaled yoghurts in the freezer for a few hours. Once solid you can pop them out of their plastic packaging, leaving you with a tasty, improvised Milkybar ice cream. Explaining why she uses the hack, Hayley said: 'They [ice lollies] always seem to run out so fast when I buy them but we do always have yoghurts in the fridge.' Many were left amazed by the delicious and uncomplicated trick, with one writing: 'Never mind the toddlers, I want one.' Another chimed in: 'I'm doing this for myself and I'm not even a mum yet.' Others went on to express their fondness of the Millkybar treat, with one commenting: 'These yoghurts are actually fire.' An individual added: 'Sending my husband to get some Milkybar yoghurts now. My new addiction.' Some viewers even revealed how the sweet treat makes them reminisce of times past, declaring: 'The Milkybar yoghurt brings back memories from my childhood eating them.' Viewers were obsessed with the TikToker's ice cream hack. Even those located in the Southern hemisphere became envious, as Milkybar Little Treats aren't sold in their countries Those from the other side of the globe were also feeling particularly hard done by, as the Nestle product is not available to them. One person wrote: 'I'm feeling ripped off! We cannot buy Milkybar yoghurt in New Zealand,' while another continued: 'Omg we need these in Australia.' However, the clever yoghurt tip is not the only time Hayley has wowed parents. The TikToker, who showcases her life at a parent, also taught her followers how to make easy savoury snacks too. But this is not the mother-of two's first rodeo, as Hayley's followers were also left enamoured by her easy-to-do pepperoni pizza pocket hack In the video which now has 337,800 views, the mother-of-two showed viewers how to make pepperoni pizza pockets with only three ingredients - pesto, cheese and pepperoni. Onlookers were left with their mouths watering once again as they flocked to the comment section. 'Done them the other day, awesome,' commented one, while another chimed in: 'They look peng.' Newborn Samuel suffered a brain bleed - and his fate was uncertain for months She was rushed into surgery for an emergency C-section after an uterine rupture The reality star, 32, offered harrowing details about her son's birth in her memoir Jill Duggar has candidly spilled how she almost died bringing son Samuel into the world after the then-infant suffered a stroke during labor. The 32-year-old revealed the harrowing tale of her second child's birth in her hotly anticipated bombshell memoir, titled Counting the Cost. She explained how she was rushed into surgery for an emergency C-section after an uterine rupture before finding out that the newborn had suffered a brain bleed as well. The book also delves into the Arkansas native's hyper-strict upbringing in the cult-like Christian sect known as IBLP - short for Institute in Basic Life Principles. Jill Duggar has revealed the harrowing tale of her second son's birth in her bombshell memoir, Counting the Cost, which is co-authored by her husband Derick Dillard The 32-year-old candidly spilled how she almost died bringing son Samuel into the world on July 17, 2017 Between Jill's uterine rupture and Samuel's suffering a 'brain bleed,' both mother and son (pictured together in 2020) had a close brush with death during the terrifying labor process Samuel (pictured second from right) narrowly escaped permanent brain damage from his stroke - his older brother, Israel, eight, is pictured at right The couple is also parents to Israel, eight, and Frederick, one Samuel, now six, was born on July 17, 2017 and, in Jill's telling, everything seemed normal at first. 'Everything was looking great,' she writes of the initial interlude after her water broke. But, she continued, 36 hours later, 'I was a long way from great.' Each contraction was making her feel too weak to keep pushing, which is when doctors first told her that the baby's heartbeat was slowing down. 'I knew what it meant. It meant the baby was potentially in distress,' Jill describes. The medical professional then made the urgent call to move forward with the delivery by way of C-section. 'Then came the pain,' Jill writes. 'And the screaming. I realized after a minute it was my own.' The TV star described the pain as 'nothing I'd ever known'- and was all the more terrified at the degree of the discomfort given that she'd already had an epidural, which should have effectively numbed her lower half. The release of Counting the Cost, as Jill's bombshell tell-all of her hyper-strict upbringing, marks the latest blow to the Duggar family's long-since-tarnished wholesome image 'If the pain was strong enough to break through drugs that strong, something was seriously wrong,' she writes. The emergency was dire enough that her doctors couldn't even wait on an anesthetist to proceed with the C-section - and began the procedure using only local anesthesia. Jill had suffered a uterine rupture that had created a hole - in husband Derick Dillard's words 'as big as my fist' - and she had lost half her total blood volume. She survived thanks to a transfusion and much to her and her family's relief was able to keep her uterus. Newborn Samuel, who had been 'unresponsive at birth,' was transferred to an NICU at a different hospital and Jill was not able to meet him for the first time until four days later. It turned out that the infant had suffered a brain bleed. Doctors initially told Jill and Derick that it was unclear to what extent - if any - Samuel had suffered permanent brain damage until the 18-month mark. However, three months after welcoming the youngster, Jill received a call from their neurologist, who informed her: 'What I've seen on the scans is a miracle. There's no lasting damage at all.' Jim Bob, 57, and Michelle Duggar, 56, and their 19 kids, starred in the TLC series 19 and Counting from 2008 to 2015 The reality series documented the family's (pictured together previously) day-to-day lives as adherents to the cult-like Christian church known as Institute in Basic Life Principles, or IBLP Needless to say, the news brought immeasurable relief to the couple, with Jill writing, 'It was like we'd been released from death row.' While Jill was initially worried she wouldn't be able to continue having children, she and Derick went on to have a third child, Frederick, in July 2022. The couple had previously welcomed their first kid, Israel, now eight, in 2015. Counting the Cost also dives into how the actions of Jill's parents, Jim Bob, 58, and Michelle, 57, strained her relationship with Derick as the young couple felt pressured to broadcast their private lives in filming 19 Kids and Counting. The TLC reality series, which aired from 2008 to 2015, rocketed the Duggar family into the national spotlight. The release of Jill's tell-all, which features Derick as a co-author, marks the latest blow to the Duggar family's long-lost squeaky-clean image as a wholesome, all-American Christian family. Back in June, an explosive expose-style documentary, Shiny Happy People, dropped on Prime Video. The documentary did a deep dive into the twisted world of IBLP, as well as oldest-child Josh Duggar's child pornography scandal. Josh, 34, is currently serving 12 years in prison on child porn charges. A cosmetic surgeon has lifted the lid on the 'dangers of high heels' and you may be hurting more than just your feet. Dr. Reza Tirgari, 54, from San Diego, California, is known as @drreza_t on TikTok, where he has more than 516,000 followers thanks to videos about health and wellness. The doctor, who is also a fitness instructor, recently detailed the physical ailments that are caused by wearing sky-high stilettos every day. 'Ladies, you look great in high heels, but at what cost?' he asked. Dr. Reza Tirgari, a cosmetic surgeon from San Diego, California, detailed the 'dangers of high heels' in a recent TikTok video The doctor explained that you are at risk for bunions, hammer toes, and ankle injuries when 'you wear super high heels' 'Bunions, hammer toes, [and] the risk of ankle injury and sprains skyrocket when you wear super high heels.' And it's not just foot deformities or injuries that you need to watch out for, according to the physician. Tirgari explained that wearing heels may also increase the risk of back pain and knee issues because of the way they alter your body's natural alignment. 'It tightens your hip flexors, and it puts your back in a really unnatural position where your back has to compensate,' he said. 'What does that also do? It also reduces the shock absorption of the natural curvature of your spine, which is changed with high heels. 'So you absorb stress differently, which can actually increase your back pain, and when you tighten those hip flexors, it gives you chronic tightness, which can lead to chronic back pain.' Tirgari added that there is also some evidence that wearing heels may 'change your knee torque and cause knee issues as well.' 'So what do you do?' he asked. Tirgari added that frequently wearing sky-high stilettos may also increase the risk of back pain and knee issues because of the way they alter your body's natural alignment Tirgari concluded that if you reduce your heel height as much as possible and shorten the amount of time you wear them, you will 'avoid a lot of these risks' The doctor acquiesced that most women will continue to wear heels, but he advised reducing the length of time you have them on. 'Don't wear them all day at the office,' he said. Tirgari also recommended getting the 'shortest heels possible' and saving your stilettos for special occasions. 'It's not that bad,' he said. 'If you're going to go out for a night on the town, then you can swap them out for higher heels.' Tirgari concluded that if you reduce your heel height as much as possible and shorten the amount of time you wear them, you will 'avoid a lot of these risks.' The video has been viewed nearly 3,000 times since it was posted on Wednesday, and a couple of people took to the comments to share their thoughts. 'I just wear them from the car to the restaurant table,' one viewer shared. 'I never wear heels,' another added. Someone else responded with emojis to show how upset she was by the news. Those without family history may have surgery to protect them against cancer Women's risk of breast cancer is 76 per cent higher if mother or sister have had it Women should be aware of unnecessary mastectomies due to the 'Jolie effect', according to experts. Females with mutations in the BRCA1 gene, such as Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, and the related BRCA2 gene, are at greater risk of breast cancer. But a study has now found their risk is 76 per cent higher if they also have a mother or sister with breast cancer. Experts are concerned women may not realise their risk of breast cancer is far higher if they have a family history, like Ms Jolie, who had a mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing cancer. Those without a family history may end up having surgery to protect against cancer, making the important decision without realising they are far less likely to get it. Females with mutations in the BRCA1 gene, such as Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie (pictured in 2021), and the related BRCA2 gene, are at greater risk of breast cancer The evidence comes from a study of 450,000 British people, aged 40 to 70, who were given genetic tests as part of the UK Biobank health study. These included 230 with a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, of whom 78 also had a mother or sister who had breast cancer. When these people were tracked up until the age of 60, almost 45 per cent with the genetic mutation and a family history developed breast cancer. But only 23 per cent of women with the mutation got breast cancer before the age of 60 if they did not also have a close family history of it. The researchers say women should pay close attention to the figures, as the rise of genetic testing kits taken at home means many can now find out they have a mutation in one of the BRCA genes. Experts are concerned about the decisions that could be made by these women, who would not have been eligible for a genetic test through the NHS unless they had breast or ovarian cancer, or a family member with either of these cancers and a known BRCA mutation. Hollywood star, Ms Jolie (pictured in 2011), had a mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing cancer The researchers say women should pay close attention to the figures, as the rise of genetic testing kits taken at home means many can now find out they have a mutation (Stock Image) Dr Leigh Jackson, who led the study from the University of Exeter, said more women were choosing breast cancer surgery, particularly since Angelina Jolie, 48, shared her experience. But he added: 'Being told you are at high genetic risk of disease can really influence levels of fear of a particular condition and the resulting action you may take. 'We'd urge that anyone communicating cancer risk does so based on a detailed family history, not just genetics alone.' The study, published in the Lancet journal eClinical Medicine, said estimates of breast cancer risk from genetic mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2 may be misleadingly high for people without a family history of the disease. That is because people with a family history probably have a higher risk from unknown mutations in genes besides the BRCA genes. Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi looked loved up as they showed off a PDA during a night out yesterday. The royal couple were joined by Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie, who stunned in a teal frock as she made her first public appearance after giving birth to her son Ernest at the end of May. Mother-of-one Beatrice sported a black floral flowing dress as she attended the Vogue World event at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in central London with Edo, who looked dapper in a white tuxedo jacket and black trousers. As they posed for photographs, Edo kissed his wife, who in turns couldn't help but giggle sweetly during her husband's PDA. The couple both appeared delighted to be at the event together, as they were snapped beaming, as they had their pictures taken. Princess Beatrice (pictured) giggled sweetly as she was kissed on the cheek by her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi The royal was joined by her sister Princess Eugenie (pictured, right) who wore a teal satin gown during the night out Princess Beatrice appeared to be waving at assembled snappers as she and her sister Princess Eugenie enjoyed a night in London's West End Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's daughters Beatrice and Eugenie appeared to have left their children at home as they enjoyed their evening in the West End. Eugenie, who donned a satin teal gown with statement shoulders for the Vogue event, also appeared to have left her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank at home. He may have been looking after the couple's oldest son August, as well as their baby Ernest, who was born on May 30. As she introduced her second child to the world via Instagram, Eugenie revealed he had been born at the private Portland Hospital in London, weighing 7lbs 1oz, his name pays tribute to his late grandfather, Jack Brooksbank's father George, who died aged 72 in 2021, and Fergie's father Major Ronald Ferguson. Eugenie also said his name was a tribute to his great great great grandfather George V, whose middle name was also Ernest. Ernest will not receive a title, however, and according to rules laid down by George V in 1917 - is not entitled to be called His Royal Highness. Eugenie's sister and brother-in-law, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Edo Mapelli Mozzi, 39, weren't far behind on the red carpet. The star-studded performance included several famous faces, including Kate Moss, Ian McKellen, Sophie Okonedo and Stomzy. The York sisters Beatrice and Eugenie were seen sharing a car during their night out together in London Princess Eugenie (pictured) made her first public appearance today since giving birth to her second child Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are pictured at the Vogue event Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are pictured together at the event on Thursday For the occasion, Eugenie opted for a turquoise satin dress, fit with pleated detailing and short sleeves. The royal accessorised the outfit with sparkly diamond earrings and a matching pair of crystal-encrusted heeled pumps. The mother-of-two opted for an elegant makeup look with a touch of nude lipstick and a classic bronzed eyeshadow look. Princess Beatrice looked summery in a floral ensemble while joining Eugenie on the red carpet. The mother-of-one opted for a floral patterned maxi dress fit with gloves for the evening in London, paired with simple black-heeled pumps. She accessorised the colourful summery outfit with a pair of glamorous drop earrings. Edoardo looked dapper in a white tuxedo, which he matched with a classic pair of suede loafers. Eugenie's sister and brother-in-law, Princess Beatrice (left), 35, and Edo Mapelli Mozzi (right), 39, weren't far behind on the red carpet For the event, Vogue World brought the esteemed magazine to life in a first-of-its-kind show. Created by BAFTA-winning director Stephen Daldry, show director Emily Burns, and creative producer Fran Miller, the evening covered a wide spectrum of performing arts. It comes shortly after Eugenie enjoyed a beach trip abroad to Kenya with her friends- apparently leaving her husband Jack and their two sons at home. The Duke of York's daughter, 33, was pictured in the African country with German model and influencer, Caroline Daur, who shared a number of snaps of the group of friends on Instagram. The British royal posed for snappers before entering Vogue's evening of fashion fantasia at the West End For the occasion, Eugenie opted for a turquoise satin dress, fit with pleated detailing and short sleeves They travelled to Lamu, a small town on Lamu Island, which has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2001. While the Princess was pictured in a number of photographs lapping up the sunshine and enjoying the scenery, it appears her husband Jack and their two sons, August and Ernie did not join the group. Eugenie and Jack, who split their time between Windsor and Portugal with her family, welcomed their second child on May 30th. They also share August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, 18 months. A monochrome selfie posted on Caroline's Instagram, a day before anniversary of the Queen's death, showed the pair seemingly dressed up to go out. In one of the photographs, Princess Eugenie donned a simple circular necklace and modest top and wore her curled tresses down. The star-studded event will include several famous faces, including Kate Moss, Ian McKellen , Sophie Okonedo and Stomzy Edoardo looked dapper in a white tuxedo, which he matched with a classic pair of suede loafers Princess Beatrice looked summery in a floral ensemble fit with gloves while joining Eugenie on the red carpet Princess Beatrice accessorised the colourful summery outfit with a pair of glamorous drop earrings Eugenie seem to make it a mum's night out this evening as she appeared to have left her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank, at home with baby Ernest and their oldest son August Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson 's daughter has been taking some much needed time out of public life since giving birth to Ernest on May 30 Eugenie introduced her second child to the world via Instagram, she revealed he had been born at the private Portland Hospital in London, weighing 7lbs 1oz Eugenie's second son, Ernest's name pays tribute to his late grandfather, Jack Brooksbank 's father George, who died aged 72 in 2021, and Fergie's father Major Ronald Ferguson Ernest will not receive a title, however, and according to rules laid down by George V in 1917 - is not entitled to be called His Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, who donned a black floral flowing dress, and her sharply-dressed husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi , looked dapper in a white tuxedo jacket and black trousers Meanwhile Caroline opted for slicked-back hair, dramatic oversized earrings and a feathered, spotty top. Another image on the Instagram carousel showed the royal on a boat with a group of friends, enjoying a meal and wine on the open water. Princess Eugenie sported a pair of round oversized black sunglasses and donned a black top. She parted her chocolate locks so half of her hair was in a bun and the other strands were down. The mother-of-two looked in high spirits as she smiled for the photograph with her pals. Princess Eugenie's close friend Julia de Boinville was also amongst the group holidaying last week. The island, located off the northern coast, is known for its snorkelling, scuba diving, coral reefs and beaches. A mother has vowed to never buy second-hand shoes again after erupting in a red itchy rash she feared was scabies from trainers she snapped up on Vinted. Becca Maddon, 29, from Watford in Hertfordshire, jumped on the 4 chunky trainers from online marketplace Vinted in March last year after the sparkly design caught her eye. The 29-year-old said when the shoes arrived at her home, she stashed them on her shoe rack and then in vacuum-sealed bags while she moved house. After attending a family birthday party on September 4th Becca wore them for the first time and erupted in a severe rash on her feet and ankles that she initially thought might be eczema. But when the rash began to spread up her legs and became itchy, the medical secretary called 111 and went to her GP. Becca Maddon, 29, from Watford in Hertfordshire, has vowed to never buy second-hand shoes again after erupting in a red itchy rash she feared was scabies from trainers she snapped up on Vinted After attending a family birthday party on September 4th Becca wore them for the first time and erupted in a severe rash on her feet and ankles that she initially thought might be eczema She jumped on the 4 chunky trainers from online marketplace Vinted in March last year after the sparkly design caught her eye There, the doctor blamed it on either scabies or an allergic reaction to the trainers and swiftly issued her medication to treat it. The mention of 'scabies' left her terrified that she would have an infestation but thankfully no one else in her home was affected and a second doctor said he thought it to be an allergy to something in the trainer. Now Becca is urging people who buy second-hand gear to wash items before wearing them to prevent this from happening to them. Vinted said they recommend sellers 'wash or disinfect' clothes in a manner appropriate for the clothing's material and any defects must be listed in the description. They say buyers may wish to wash their items 'before wearing if necessary'. Becca, from Watford in Hertfordshire, said: 'I've used Vinted for about three years and buy clothes and bags for myself off the app and clothes for my son. 'I love Vinted as there are so many sellers using it and you can always get great items on there, sometimes with the tags still on, for a much cheaper price. 'I wasn't looking for any particular kind of pair of trainers. I just needed a pair and I'm always interested in glittery or funky shoes, they always catch my eye. The doctor blamed it on either scabies or an allergic reaction to the trainers and swiftly issued her medication to treat it The mention of 'scabies' left her terrified that she would have an infestation but thankfully no one else in her home was affected and a second doctor said he thought it to be an allergy to something in the trainer 'They were chunky, glittery trainers with an iridescent design on them so when they go in the light they go a rainbow colour. 'When I woke up in the morning after wearing the shoes, I noticed a small red rash on my foot. 'Sometimes I get eczema on my face so I thought this was the same thing so I just put some of my eczema cream on my foot. 'But over the next two days the rash got worse and so I took antihistamines and then began to notice the red spots rising up my legs.' The spreading rash prompted her to get it checked out by doctors - who thought it likely an allergic reaction or scabies, a parasitic infestation caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs. Becca said: 'I was terrified [when she mentioned scabies]. I was freaking out that my house may be filled with scabies but luckily no one in my family came up with any rashes.' After receiving a diagnosis from her GP, Becca wanted a second opinion so asked her pharmacist who she says also believed the rash to be an allergic reaction to the shoes in some way. The mother-of-one said she also visited a doctor at the medical centre where she works who also believed it to be an allergy to something in or on the lining of the trainer after looking at the shoes. The spreading rash prompted her to get it checked out by doctors - who thought it likely an allergic reaction or scabies, a parasitic infestation caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs Following the 'frightening' incident Becca now vows to never buy pre-owned shoes again and encourages second-hand buyers to wash clothes and shoes before wearing them Following the 'frightening' incident Becca now vows to never buy pre-owned shoes again and encourages second-hand buyers to wash clothes and shoes before wearing them. Becca said: 'They didn't smell weird or anything so I didn't wash them before wearing them. 'This has put me off buying second-hand trainers again no matter how much I want a discount. 'I will never buy shoes second-hand again but I will continue to buy clothes and bags. 'I will just make sure I wash and disinfect them before wearing them. 'I don't want to tell people to not buy second-hand trainers. I just would urge people to wash them before wearing them as I don't want this to happen to anyone else. 'I don't want to put people off. Just wash and disinfect them and make sure you're not allergic, and if you are throw them away.' Becca said she doesn't blame Vinted or the seller for her allergic reaction to the pre-loved sneakers - and because of this hasn't contacted either to complain. A Vinted spokesman said: 'We're sorry to hear of the member's experience and hope that she is in better health now. 'In our listing rules, we ask members to check their items before listing, as any items put on sale should be clean. 'We recommend washing or disinfecting them in a way suitable to the item's material. 'Any stains that don't wash off, defects or other flaws must be indicated in the listing description. 'On receipt of an item, we also ask members to check their item thoroughly and report any issues to us, so we can assist promptly. 'Members may wish to wash their items before wearing if necessary. 'We encourage members wishing to list items to check their items first, some advice can be found [on our website]. 'And should any members wish to report an issue with an item they have received, they can contact us directly within the app - just tap the 'I have an issue' button in the transaction.' The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the second day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today. Carl Gustaf , 77, appeared to be in a merry spirit as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne. The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne. Today's celebration is the Te Deum, a Swedish religious service, based upon singing of hymns to give thanks. Among those celebrating the big occasion were Crown Princess Victoria, as well as her children Princess Estelle and Prince Daniel, Princess Madeliene and Prince Carl Phillip. King Carl Gustaf (left) , 77, looked dapper as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne alongside his wife Queen Silvia (right) Victoria of Sweden (left), the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. While her husband, Prince Daniel of Sweden (right) opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie Princess Sofia (right), 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, looked dapper while arriving alongside his wife Queen Silvia, 79. Carl donned a navy suit which he paired with a white shirt and a silver navy tie. Queen Silvia looked chic in a baby blue suit, which she paired with a classic pair of nude heels. Elsewhere, Princess Victoria of Sweden, 46, and Prince Daniel of Sweden, 50, put on a cheery display as they walked into the event. Victoria, the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. She accessorised the outfit with an elegant purple bonnet and a pair of pointed heeled shoes in a matching shade. Her husband, Prince Daniel opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie. Walking slightly in front of the heir to the Swedish throne was Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, 44, and Princess Sofia of Sweden, 38. Princess Sofia, 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes. Next to Sofia stood her husband, Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie. Princess Estelle of Sweden adorned a chic blue and white baby blue co-ord along with a big smile while walking behind Princess Sofia Next to Sofia stood Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden (right), the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie Princess Madeleine entered Te Deum with her husband Christopher O'Neill donned a stylish blue dress, while Prince Carl Phillip, Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar elegantly follow Sweden's Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle, Princess Madeleine and Prince Oscar get in position for the King Carl Gustaf of Sweden's 50th Jubilee celebration in Stockholm, Sweden on September 15, 2023 Christopher O'Neill, Princess Madeleine and Princess Sofia gracefully sat during the religious service Sweden's royal siblings, Estelle and Oscar share a conversation before they are seated for the thanksgiving service in Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm Second-in-line to the throne, Princess Estelle, 11, is all smiles as she sits between her brother Prince Oscar, who is sporting a sophisticated navy suit, and her father Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland The European royals watch the changing of the guards and choir tribute from Stockholm's royal balcony. (Pictured from right) Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Prince Oscar of Sweden, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and King Harald of Norway Also on the balcony, from right, were Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, King Harald of Norway, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark, Crown Princess Mary Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Estelle of Sweden Queen Silva and Prince Oscar of Sweden wave at onlookers from the royal balcony standing next to other Swedish royal family members It's all smiles as Crown Princess Victoria shares an adorable exchanges with her daughter Princess Estelle. (Pictured left) The Crown Princess lovingly fixes her son, Prince Oscar's hair as her husband Prince Daniel watches The military band get into position at the celebration of King Carl's 50th coronation ahead of the changing of the guards and choir tribute Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven, put on an adorable display while attending the religious service. The little royals entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel. Prince Oscar sported a sophisticated navy suit for the occasion, which featured a medal on the left breast pocket. Princess Estelle, who is second-in-line to the throne, donned a subtle, baby blue co-ord. The Te Deum is a short religious service, where the royals sing hymns to give thanks for King Gustaf's reign on the throne Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (left) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (right) arrived together at the Royal Palace Church Princess Madeleine of Sweden (left) and her husband Christopher O'Neil (right) arrived for the Te Deum in style Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary also attended the thanksgiving service in the Palace Church. The Danish royals coordinated their outfits with a popular colour for the occasion, purple. Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag. While her husband, the heir to the Danish throne, looked dapper in a navy suit with a matching purple tie. King Carl ascended to the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, three years after his accession. The royal couple share three children - Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland. Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik (left) and Crown Princess Mary (right) coordinated their outfits for the event with the colour purple Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag Carl Gustaf is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another Oscar and Estelle put on a sweet display while entering the religious service, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel (right) Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, Gustaf is the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year The Swedish royal family also put on a glittering display as they arrived for King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm yesterday. Crown Princess Victoria wowed in a voluminous orange gown while her sister Princess Madeleine donned a stunning strapless outfit in lilac. Sister-in-law Princess Sofia chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening. The royals were also joined by King Carl Gustaf, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip in Stockholm. The man of the hour! Royals from around the world gathered yesterday to mark King Carl Gustaf's 50th Jubilee The Swedish royal family put on a glittering display as they arrived for King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm yesterday Sister-in-law Princess Sofia, 39, chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening (pictured with Carl Philip) Crown Princess Victoria, 46, wowed in a voluminous orange gown while her sister Princess Madeleine, 41, donned a stunning strapless outfit in lilac (pictured) Queen Silvia opted for a glittering nude dress for the occasion, and stood arm-in-arm with her husband at the event And following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, hes the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year. The jubilee is four days of celebrations that culminate with a military parade through the capital. European royals turned out in force to celebrate the golden jubilee of King Carl Gustaf's 50th in Stockholm. Queen Margrethe of Denmark arrived for the festivities alongside her son Crown Prince Frederik, 55, and his wife Princess Mary, 51, on Thursday. Meanwhile Queen Anne-Marie of Greece was also among the dignitaries on the guest list for the jubilee events. King Carl's cousin Queen Margrethe looked chic in a navy coat and a red and white gown underneath. Prince Frederik looked smart in a sage green suit jacket and grey trousers, while his wife looked typically stylish in a beige suit. Yesterday the Monarch of Sweden appeared in great spirits during the reception at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Sweden's Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar arrived hand-in-hand at Drottningholm Palace Theatre Princess Estelle looked elegant in a bold green tulle dress as she arrived alongside her younger brother Meanwhile Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel were beaming as they arrived together for the event While the Crown Princess looked radiant in an orange gown, Prince Daniel opted for a velvety suit The couple were in high spirits as they arrived at the event in Stockholm tonight arm-in-arm Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark were also in attendance at the event in Stockholm The royal couple smiled towards crowds who had gathered for the Jubilee concert this evening at theatre Princess Madeleine opted for strapless lilac number for the outing in Stockholm this evening, arriving alongside her husband Meanwhile Princess Sofia donned an eyecatching pink dress for the occasion Others in attendance included Sweden's Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson and husband Tord Magnuson (left) and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (right) The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, received a present and balloons from Jennifer McShane and Ava Thunberg from the foundation My Special Day. Carl donned a navy suit which he paired with a white shirt and a matching navy tie. Ahead of his Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Royal Court of Sweden shared a new image of the monarch, which was taken in the Royal Palace of Stockholms Hall of State. Dressed in his admiral uniform, the father-of-three is pictured next to the silver throne, which dates back to Queen Kristinas 1650 coronation and is used in state openings of parliament. Over his uniform, the King wears a number of medals - including the Order of the Seraphim. This medal - also known as the 'Blue Ribbon' - is seen as Sweden's equivalent to the UK's Order of the Garter and is the highest honour of chivalry which can be awarded. On top of this, the monarch also wears the Royal Order of Vasa, the Order of the Sword and the 1840 Order of Dannebrog chain, which can only be given to the monarch's closest family. The King also appears to be wearing the exact same ceremonial chains he donned for his 1973 regal assurance, when he became the country's youngest ever monarch at 27 years old. The new portrait of the King, taken by Thron Ullberg, will appear on stamps being issued in Sweden in 2023. The love of two sisters came to an emotional end as they reunited for what is set to be the last time after travelling to see one another became too much for them both. After visiting each other regularly throughout the years, Barbara Carolan, 94, who lives in New Hampshire, and her sister Shirley, 90, who lives in Nevada, met in person for the final time. An emotional video posted by Barbara's granddaughter, Stephanie Shively, shows the pair sharing a teary goodbye. Their most recent visit before the reunion was three years ago, with the US siblings wanting to squeeze in one last visit. In the footage, Barbara, also known as 'Gigi', can be seen speaking to her sister and saying that this will likely be the last time they see each other. Shirley said: 'If we don't see each other on this earth, I will see you in heaven.' Barbara Carolan, 94 (left) and Shirley, 90 (right) live a three-hour flight from one another To which her older sister, Barbara, reiterated in tears: 'You bet'cha.' Shirley told Barbara not to say goodbye, saying: 'Until we meet again. That's it.' Stephanie, 47, revealed she had arranged the trip for her elderly grandmother's birthday in September. Barbara had reiterated to Stephanie that this would be her final trip to see her sister, Shirley, in person. She told viewers that she heard her elderly relatives having the emotional conversation early in the morning prior to their flight home. She revealed: 'I just decided to record it so that maybe I can show my grandma one day when we get back home, and just show her how special their last conversation in person was.' 'I pray they see each other again. We will see how that goes.' Stephanie shared the heart-warming video to encourage other people to rekindle relationships with long-lost family members. She added: 'I was inspired to film this for my kids to show them what sisterly love looks like. 'So many people who've seen it said it's encouraged them to reach out to family members and that life is so short.' Stephanie Shively captured the emotional moment between her great-aunt and grandmother early in the morning Describing the trip, Stephanie said: 'I brought Gigi to Nevada from New Hampshire because she and her sister hadn't seen each other in three years. 'They wanted to try and get one more visit together, as they are older and the trip is hard on them. They have done it back and forth many times in their life, but due to age and distance, it's the last one most likely. 'They used to see each other more often, but they haven't seen each other since 2020.' She added: 'This was so special to watch and see. I knew taking her to see her sister for what she calls "her last time" was going to be special. 'I just had no idea how special until I captured the goodbye.' Barbara (left) and Shirley (right) when they were younger It comes weeks after pen pals, Patsy Gregory and Carol-Ann Krause, fulfilled their 'lifelong wish' to meet face-to-face. Patsy, from Chorley in Lancashire, and Carol-Ann, who lives across the Atlantic in South Carolina, have been in touch for a whopping 68 years. They began their transatlantic correspondence in 1955, writing 800 letters to one another in that time. Distance was no obstacle for the two 80 year-olds as they never missed a birthday, a Christmas or even a wedding anniversary. Thanks to Patsy's daughter, Steph Calam, 57, and her family, the two were finally able to meet in the flesh. Barbara, left, can be seen waving and blowing kisses to her younger sister for what could be the last time. Right, her granddaughter Stephanie who organised the trip Patsy thought she would be getting a surprise party for her birthday but was left stunned when her family gifted her a ticket to the USA to see her lifelong pen pal. Pasty flew a staggering 4,000 miles to see the woman she had been speaking to since the age of 12. Describing their first encounter, Patsy said: 'It was quite emotional, it was lovely. I recognised her straight away, she looked just like her photograph. 'I didn't feel any nerves, I was excited. It was great to be able to meet her at last. 'It was just as though I'd seen her last week because we'd known of each other for so long.' But Carol Ann was slightly more nervous about their first encounter, describing herself as 'a bundle of nerves' before it. The pair continued to share common interests as they grew older despite the thousands of miles that separated them. The life-long friends spoke at length about their relationships whilst visiting local hotspots and enjoying some great food. A topless PETA supporter has dressed as a bloody goat outside a London Fashion Week venue to protest against the use of cashmere in the fashion industry. The female protester was 'pinned down' as another person posing as a 'worker' pretended to rip her hair from her body with a giant silver comb, leaving her with 'bloody wounds'. Taking place outside LFW's NEWGEN Venue at Old Selfridges Hotel today, the supporter wore a headpiece made to look like the animal's horns while tied up on a table which had a banner reading 'cashmere is torture for goats' stretched across it. Animals rights group PETA are calling for an end of the use of the material, which is made from the soft undercoat of goats. NEWGEN is hosting several up-and-coming designers shows during LFW - so to highlight to them that 'animal-free fashion is the future', the group constructed the display, which also included the sigh 'the future is vegan'. A topless PETA supporter has dressed as a bloody goat outside a London Fashion Week venue to protest against the use of cashmere in the fashion industry PETA Senior Campaigns Manager Kate Werner said: 'Cashmere is hair thats been ripped from live, tied-up goats who scream out in pain. 'PETA is calling on the next generation of fashion designers to reject this abusive industry and instead choose compassionate vegan textiles that are kinder to animals and the planet.' In 2019, a shocking undercover investigation revealed how workers in Asia savagely ripped hair off goats to fuel the global cashmere trade. The agonised animals are then sent to slaughterhouses to be cruelly killed, according to the study from PETA. The research was conducted between last year and early this year on 20 farms in China and Mongolia, two of the world's largest cashmere producers. Disturbing footage released by PETA showed frightened goats screaming in pain as workers forcefully tug hair off their bodies with metal combs. Once proven useless to their owners - usually after years of abuse - the goats are destined for a slow and painful death, according to the PETA report. The investigation shows workers selling the 'useless' goats to slaughterhouses for their skin and meat. In the abattoirs, the animals get bashed in the head with hammers, slit in the throat before being left to die, it is found. PETA urges consumers to stop buying cashmere products in order to stop such cruelty towards animals. Cashmere comes from goats living in dry areas in central Asia, especially in the Gobi Desert - a 500,000-square-mile area stretching from northern China to Mongolia. It comes from the goat's superfine winter undercoat and is commonly seen in jumpers, scarves, trousers, jackets and gloves in today's fashion industry. The female protester was 'pinned down' as another person posing as a 'worker' pretended to rip her hair from her body with a giant silver comb, leaving her with 'bloody wounds' Taking place outside LFW's NEWGEN Venue at Old Selfridges Hotel today, the supporter wore a headpiece made to look like the animal's horns while tied up on a table which had a banner reading 'cashmere is torture for goats' stretched across it Animals rights group PETA are calling for an end of the use of the material, which is made from the soft undercoat of goats According to PETA, one goat produces only 8.5 ounces of cashmere hair per year, and in order to make one cashmere jacket, the hair of six goats is required. Cashmere hair is usually sorted, cleaned and refined in Asia before being transported to Europe to be sold to designers for roughly 90 a pound. China and Mongolia, together with Iran and Afghanistan, are the world's largest cashmere producers and exporters. While in Europe, Italy and UK are the main consumers of cashmere due to high market demand. In 2016, the two countries consumed 97.25 per cent of the cashmere sent to Europe, according to a latest market report. Sasha Obama was spotted puffing on a cigarette after going solo for a luxury spa trip in a crop top and bright green sweatpants. The former First Daughter, 22, was photographed stepping out of the lavish Los Angeles wellness center following some R&R on Thursday. The spa describes itself as 'a sanctuary, a place of wellness and beauty, inspiration and optimism' and offers a slew of classic treatments such as messages, facials, and manicures. An onlooker told DailyMail.com that the University of Southern California graduate spent more than three hours at the self-care center. Sasha Obama was spotted puffing on a cigarette while donning a crop top and bright green sweatpants during a solo spa visit The former First Daughter, 22, was photographed stepping out of the lavish Los Angeles wellness center following some R&R on Thursday An onlooker told DailyMail.com that the University of Southern California graduate spent more than three hours at the self-care center The wellness center offers a slew of treatments like messages, facials, and manicures Afterwards, she headed to her car in a black tank top, which put her midriff on display, and a pair of neon green trousers She paired the comfortable look with some black flipflops, and carried a matching sweatshirt and a dark handbag Afterwards, Sasha headed to her car in a black tank top, which put her midriff on display, and a pair of neon green trousers. Staying hydrated! Sasha also held on to a water bottle She paired the comfortable look with some black flipflops, and carried a matching sweatshirt and a dark handbag. Sasha looked down at her phone as she walked through the parking lot to her vehicle. The 22-year-old kept it natural with minimal makeup, and she kept her long, braided, brown locks pulled back in a ponytail. Before driving off, the youngest daughter of President Barack Obama stopped to enjoy a cigarette. This is certainly not the first time that Sasha has been caught smoking - as paparazzi have snapped shots of her partaking in the act on numerous occasions. Earlier this month, she was seen lighting a cigarette in a skimpy white bikini top and a navy blue maxi skirt, while chatting with some friends at a Labor Day party. It's a habit she may have picked up from her father, who previously admitted to smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day and has been very honest about his struggle to quit. Sasha looked down at her phone as she walked through the parking lot to her vehicle The 22-year-old kept it natural with minimal makeup, and she kept her long, braided, brown locks pulled back in a ponytail Before driving off, the youngest daughter of President Barack Obama stopped to enjoy a cigarette This is certainly not the first time that Sasha has been caught smoking - as paparazzi have snapped shots of her partaking in the act on numerous occasions It's a habit she may have picked up from her father, who previously admitted to smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day and has been very honest about his struggle to quit Barack, 62, began smoking as a teenager and he famously promised his wife, Michelle, 59, that he would stop before he campaigned for president. In 2009, he admitted during a press conference, 'As a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Barack, 62, began smoking as a teenager and he famously promised his wife, Michelle , 59, that he would stop before he campaigned for president 'Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I daily smoker or a constant smoker? No. I don't do it in front of my kids. I don't do it in front of my family. 'And, you know, I would say that I am 95 per cent cured, but there are times where I mess up.' In his 2020 memoir, A Promised Land, the former President said that at one point he smoked up to 10 cigarettes a day. He credited his eldest daughter, Malia, now 25, with helping him to quit, writing that seeing her 'frown' at him after she 'smelled it on his breath' made him determined to stop. Malia has been seen puffing on a cigarette numerous times in recent years. Sasha's spa trip came just days after a convicted felon made wild gay sex claims about her father. In 2009, he admitted during a press conference, 'As a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes' Barack continued: 'I don't do it in front of my kids. And, you know, I would say that I am 95 per cent cured, but there are times where there are times where I mess up' In his 2020 memoir, A Promised Land, the former President said that he at one point smoked up to 10 cigarettes a day He credited his eldest daughter, Malia , now 25, with helping him to quit, writing that seeing her 'frown' at him after she 'smelled it on his breath' made him determined to stop Sasha's spa trip came just days after a convicted felon made wild gay sex claims about her father Last week, con man Larry Sinclair alleged that Barack performed oral sex on him twice in Chicago in 1999, and that he witnessed him buying and smoking cocaine Last week, con man Larry Sinclair alleged that Barack performed oral sex on him twice in Chicago in 1999, and that he witnessed him buying and smoking cocaine during an appearance on former Fox host Tucker Carlson's show. Larry - who has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions on forgery, fraud and larceny charges, and has served prison time in Arizona, Florida, and Colorado - first made the claims in 2008, while Barack was gearing up to run for president. At the time, his accusations were roundly condemned as an attempted political hatchet-job. He has never offered any proof of his claims against the former president. Larry's claims were given a new lease of life last month, however, after The New York Post released a letter written by Barack in 1982, when he was 21 years old, to his girlfriend Alex McNear. In it, he wrote that he 'loves making love to men daily, but in the imagination,' according to the publication. Sasha relocated to the West Coast in 2022 after she transferred to USC from the University of Michigan, and she is now living in LA with sister Malia Back in November, their mom, Michelle, gushed over how her two daughters became each other's 'best friends' after going through a period of not being able to 'stand each other' 'The thing that I love the most is that those two girls are each other's best friends,' she told Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager She added of her daughters: 'There was a period of time when they couldn't stand each other, and I said, "You are going to know that you two share something very unique [one day]"' 'To see them in that place where they're one anothers support systems and they've got each other's backs, it's the thing that a mother would want,' gushed Michelle Sasha relocated to the West Coast in 2022 after she transferred to USC from the University of Michigan, and she is now living in LA with sister Malia. Malia - who is currently on a trip to New York City - moved there in 2021 to pursue her career as a screenwriter, after she finished her studies at Harvard University. Back in November, their mom, Michelle, gushed over how her two daughters became each other's 'best friends' after going through a period of not being able to 'stand each other.' 'The thing that I love the most is that those two girls are each other's best friends,' she told Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. 'There was a period of time when they couldn't stand each other, and I said, "You wait, you are going to wake up one day and you're going to look over at that other person, and you're going to know that you two share something very unique," especially given what they've been through. 'To see them in that place where they're one anothers support systems and they've got each other's backs, it's the thing that a mother would want.' Bush Hager was appalled by Kotb's technique, but some fans defended it After giving Twix the top spot, they shared how they eat the chocolate bars Hoda Kotb horrified Jenna Bush Hager on the Today show Friday when she demonstrated the bizarre way she eats a Twix chocolate bar. The fourth-hour hosts were tasked with ranking their favorite candy bars ahead of National Choose Your Chocolate Day when they revealed how they go about eating their top choice. 'Heres the other question, how do you eat a Twix?' Kotb, 59, asked Bush Hager, 41, toward the end of the segment. 'This is how I like to do it,' the former first daughter said as she grabbed the candy bar. 'I like to break 'em, pull the caramel, [and then bite it].' Hoda Kotb, 59, stunned her Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager, 41, on Friday when she revealed the strange way she eats a Twix bar 'Heres the other question, how do you eat a Twix?' Kotb asked Bush Hager after they ranked their favorite candy bars Bush Hager said she likes to break the bar in half, pull the caramel, and then bite it But Kotb disagreed with her technique, saying, 'No, no. Thats not how you do it.' 'Please, dont eat around the corners. Please, don't eat it like corn,' Bush Hager begged her, causing her to burst into laughter. 'No, thats a Pop-Tart,' Kotb corrected her. 'Please, don't eat around it. Please, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna do?' Bush Hager continued. Kotb was laughing so hard that her co-star was concerned she was going to pee her pants live on air. 'Uh-oh. Depends on aisle three,' Bush Hager joked as her colleague tried to contain herself. Kotb was still laughing when she demonstrated how she eats a Twix. 'Okay, you bite the caramel off the top,' she said, raising the chocolate bar to her mouth while the audience groaned. Hoda and Jenna have spoken. They ranked their favorite bars and we want to know if you agree with their stances, and how *you* eat a Twix pic.twitter.com/Ag0G9LjVmN TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) September 15, 2023 But Kotb disagreed with her technique, saying, 'No, no. Thats not how you do it.' Bush Hager had her in hysterics as she begged her not to 'eat it like corn' 'Okay, you bite the caramel off the top,' Kotb said, raising the chocolate bar to her mouth while the audience groaned 'That is so gross!' Bush Hager insisted. She then shook her head in amusement, concluding, 'Wow, this show has really hit a new high' The hosts asked viewers to share their thoughts on their candy bar ranking on the Today with Hoda & Jenna Instagram page - and, surprisingly, a number of fans defended Kotb 'That is so gross!' Bush Hager insisted. 'Show me your teeth. Show me your teeth,' she playfully demanded after Kotb bit into the caramel layer. When Kotb finally composed herself, she explained that she eats the caramel first to 'get the cookie bar by itself.' Bush Hager shook her head in amusement, concluding, 'Wow, this show has really hit a new high.' The hosts asked viewers to share their thoughts on their candy bar ranking on the Today with Hoda & Jenna Instagram page and, surprisingly, a number of fans defended Kotb's way of eating a Twix bar. Poll Do you eat Twix bars like Hoda Kotb or Jenna Bush Hager? Hoda Jenna Neither Do you eat Twix bars like Hoda Kotb or Jenna Bush Hager? Hoda 60 votes Jenna 34 votes Neither 86 votes Now share your opinion 'Hoda is correct on how you eat a Twix!' one person commented. 'OMG I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO ATE A TWIX THAT WAY!' someone else shared. 'THANK U HODA FOR MAKING ME FEEL NORMAL!' 'That's exactly how I used to eat Twix as a kid!!!' another added. 'I knew exactly where you were going and it made me want a Twix really bad!' Kotb's Twix demonstration comes just weeks after Bush Hager scolded her for eating Ritz crackers in bed. The Today stars were discussing the viral trend of having a snack drawer under your bed when she shared her penchant for chowing down on her favorite snack while under the sheets. 'A lot of people like to snack in bed. I feel you, and I'm with you. I think it's a good idea,' Kotb said. 'Disagree,' Bush Hager, 41, hit back. The Hope is a Rainbow author insisted that 'a sleeve of Ritz crackers is good to have' while imitating how she eats them in bed in her New York City apartment. Bush Hager made a face in disgust, asking, 'Can you imagine what a sleeve first of all of Ritz crackers does to your sheets?' Kotb explained that she 'loves Ritz crackers,' but her co-star wasn't having it. 'Hoda, you gotta give up eating in bed,' Bush Hager told her. Prince Louis is known for his playful attitude and cheeky antics at royal events - but now one royal is giving the youngster a run for his money. Prince Oscar of Sweden, seven, joined his family to celebrate his grandfather King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today. The little royal, whose elder sister Princess Estelle is heir to the throne, could be seen waving to the crowd and covering his face with his hands as he stood on the royal balcony alongside his relatives. At one stage, his parents Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared to lean down to chat to the little boy. The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the second day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today. Prince Oscar of Sweden, seven, joined his family to celebrate his grandfather King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today At one stage, his parents Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared to lean down to chat to the little boy The little royal, whose elder sister Princess Estelle is heir to the throne, could be seen waving to the crowd and covering his face with his hands as he stood on the royal balcony alongside his relatives The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the second day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today Carl Gustaf , 77, appeared to be in a merry spirit as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne. The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne. Today's celebration is the Te Deum, a Swedish religious service, based upon singing of hymns to give thanks. Among those celebrating the big occasion were Crown Princess Victoria, as well as her children Princess Estelle and Prince Daniel, Princess Madeliene and Prince Carl Phillip. The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, looked dapper while arriving alongside his wife Queen Silvia, 79. Carl donned a navy suit which he paired with a white shirt and a silver navy tie. Queen Silvia looked chic in a baby blue suit, which she paired with a classic pair of nude heels. Elsewhere, Princess Victoria of Sweden, 46, and Prince Daniel of Sweden, 50, put on a cheery display as they walked into the event. It's all smiles as Crown Princess Victoria shares an adorable exchanges with her daughter Princess Estelle. (Pictured left) The Crown Princess lovingly fixes her son, Prince Oscar's hair as her husband Prince Daniel watches Queen Silva and Prince Oscar of Sweden wave at onlookers from the royal balcony standing next to other Swedish royal family members The European royals watch the changing of the guards and choir tribute from Stockholm's royal balcony. (Pictured from right) Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Prince Oscar of Sweden, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and King Harald of Norway Also on the balcony, from right, were Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, King Harald of Norway, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark, Crown Princess Mary Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Estelle of Sweden The military band get into position at the celebration of King Carl's 50th coronation ahead of the changing of the guards and choir tribute Victoria, the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. She accessorised the outfit with an elegant purple bonnet and a pair of pointed heeled shoes in a matching shade. Her husband, Prince Daniel opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie. Walking slightly in front of the heir to the Swedish throne was Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, 44, and Princess Sofia of Sweden, 38. Princess Sofia, 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes. Next to Sofia stood her husband, Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie. King Carl Gustaf (left) , 77, looked dapper as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne alongside his wife Queen Silvia (right) Victoria of Sweden (left), the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. While her husband, Prince Daniel of Sweden (right) opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie Princess Sofia (right), 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes Princess Estelle of Sweden adorned a chic blue and white baby blue co-ord along with a big smile while walking behind Princess Sofia Next to Sofia stood Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden (right), the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie Princess Madeleine entered Te Deum with her husband Christopher O'Neill donned a stylish blue dress, while Prince Carl Phillip, Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar elegantly follow Sweden's Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle, Princess Madeleine and Prince Oscar get in position for the King Carl Gustaf of Sweden's 50th Jubilee celebration in Stockholm, Sweden on September 15, 2023 Christopher O'Neill, Princess Madeleine and Princess Sofia gracefully sat during the religious service Sweden's royal siblings, Estelle and Oscar share a conversation before they are seated for the thanksgiving service in Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm Second-in-line to the throne, Princess Estelle, 11, is all smiles as she sits between her brother Prince Oscar, who is sporting a sophisticated navy suit, and her father Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven, put on an adorable display while attending the religious service. The little royals entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel. Prince Oscar sported a sophisticated navy suit for the occasion, which featured a medal on the left breast pocket. Princess Estelle, who is second-in-line to the throne, donned a subtle, baby blue co-ord. Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary also attended the thanksgiving service in the Palace Church. The Danish royals coordinated their outfits with a popular colour for the occasion, purple. Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag. While her husband, the heir to the Danish throne, looked dapper in a navy suit with a matching purple tie. King Carl ascended to the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, three years after his accession. The royal couple share three children - Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland. The Swedish royal family also put on a glittering display as they arrived for King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm yesterday. The Te Deum is a short religious service, where the royals sing hymns to give thanks for King Gustaf's reign on the throne Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (left) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (right) arrived together at the Royal Palace Church Princess Madeleine of Sweden (left) and her husband Christopher O'Neil (right) arrived for the Te Deum in style Crown Princess Victoria wowed in a voluminous orange gown while her sister Princess Madeleine donned a stunning strapless outfit in lilac. Sister-in-law Princess Sofia chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening. The royals were also joined by King Carl Gustaf, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip in Stockholm. And following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, hes the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year. The jubilee is four days of celebrations that culminate with a military parade through the capital. European royals turned out in force to celebrate the golden jubilee of King Carl Gustaf's 50th in Stockholm. Queen Margrethe of Denmark arrived for the festivities alongside her son Crown Prince Frederik, 55, and his wife Princess Mary, 51, on Thursday. Meanwhile Queen Anne-Marie of Greece was also among the dignitaries on the guest list for the jubilee events. King Carl's cousin Queen Margrethe looked chic in a navy coat and a red and white gown underneath. Prince Frederik looked smart in a sage green suit jacket and grey trousers, while his wife looked typically stylish in a beige suit. Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik (left) and Crown Princess Mary (right) coordinated their outfits for the event with the colour purple Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag Carl Gustaf is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another Oscar and Estelle put on a sweet display while entering the religious service, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel (right) Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, Gustaf is the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year Ahead of his Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Royal Court of Sweden shared a new image of the monarch, which was taken in the Royal Palace of Stockholms Hall of State. Dressed in his admiral uniform, the father-of-three is pictured next to the silver throne, which dates back to Queen Kristinas 1650 coronation and is used in state openings of parliament. Over his uniform, the King wears a number of medals - including the Order of the Seraphim. This medal - also known as the 'Blue Ribbon' - is seen as Sweden's equivalent to the UK's Order of the Garter and is the highest honour of chivalry which can be awarded. On top of this, the monarch also wears the Royal Order of Vasa, the Order of the Sword and the 1840 Order of Dannebrog chain, which can only be given to the monarch's closest family. The King also appears to be wearing the exact same ceremonial chains he donned for his 1973 regal assurance, when he became the country's youngest ever monarch at 27 years old. The new portrait of the King, taken by Thron Ullberg, will appear on stamps being issued in Sweden in 2023. Queen Silvia of Sweden donned a glittering golden gown as she joined her fellow European royals to mark her husband King Carl Gustaf's 50 years on the throne tonight. Royals from across Europe, including Denmark and Norway, came together this week to celebrate the Swedish monarch's Golden Jubilee. And this evening, many were seen climbing onto the royal ship Dannebrog in the harbour in Stockholm as part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary celebrations. Queen Silva opted for a stunning gold metallic gown for the outing, while her husband wore a number of medals - including the Order of the Seraphim. This medal - also known as the 'Blue Ribbon' - is seen as Sweden's equivalent to the UK's Order of the Garter and is the highest honour of chivalry which can be awarded. Queen Silvia of Sweden donned a glittering golden gown as she joined her fellow European royals to mark her husband King Carl Gustaf's 50 years on the throne tonight Crown Princess Mary was in high spirits as she arrived at the event, donning a smart floral blue dress for the outing King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden attending the Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace Meanwhile Queen Margarthe opted for a pink gown for the celebration tonight On top of this, the monarch also wears the Royal Order of Vasa, the Order of the Sword and the 1840 Order of Dannebrog chain, which can only be given to the monarch's closest family. The King also appears to be wearing the exact same ceremonial chains he donned for his 1973 regal assurance, when he became the country's youngest ever monarch at 27 years old. Crown Princess Mary was in high spirits as she arrived at the event, donning a smart floral blue dress for the outing. Meanwhile Queen Margarthe opted for a pink gown for the celebration tonight. Earlier today, Prince Oscar of Sweden, seven, stole the show as he joined his family to celebrate his grandfather King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration. The little royal, whose elder sister Princess Estelle is heir to the throne, could be seen waving to the crowd and covering his face with his hands as he stood on the royal balcony alongside his relatives. At one stage, his parents Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared to lean down to chat to the little boy. The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the second day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today. Carl Gustaf , 77, appeared to be in a merry spirit as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne. The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne. Today's celebration is the Te Deum, a Swedish religious service, based upon singing of hymns to give thanks. Crown Princess Mary swept her hair into a bun and appeared in high spirits as she arrived on the boat this evening Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway attending the Jubilee banquet The Crown Princess waved to waiting royal fans as she boarded the boat to continue the celebrations tonight Queen Margrethe walked carefully aboard the boat in Stockholm's harbour this evening Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden attending the Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace Meanwhile Crown Prince Frederick was beaming as he climbed aboard the boat this evening Queen Sonja of Norway attending the Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace as part of the Swedish king his 50th Jubilee Among those celebrating the big occasion were Crown Princess Victoria, as well as her children Princess Estelle and Prince Daniel, Princess Madeliene and Prince Carl Phillip. The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, looked dapper while arriving alongside his wife Queen Silvia, 79. Carl donned a navy suit which he paired with a white shirt and a silver navy tie. Queen Silvia looked chic in a baby blue suit, which she paired with a classic pair of nude heels. Elsewhere, Princess Victoria of Sweden, 46, and Prince Daniel of Sweden, 50, put on a cheery display as they walked into the event. Prince Oscar of Sweden, seven, joined his family to celebrate his grandfather King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and prime minister Ulf Kristersson attending the Jubilee banquet At one stage, his parents Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared to lean down to chat to the little boy The little royal, whose elder sister Princess Estelle is heir to the throne, could be seen waving to the crowd and covering his face with his hands as he stood on the royal balcony alongside his relatives The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the second day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today Prince Daniel of Sweden and Cronw Princess Mary of Denmark attending the Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace It's all smiles as Crown Princess Victoria shares an adorable exchanges with her daughter Princess Estelle. (Pictured left) The Crown Princess lovingly fixes her son, Prince Oscar's hair as her husband Prince Daniel watches Queen Silva and Prince Oscar of Sweden wave at onlookers from the royal balcony standing next to other Swedish royal family members Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and Helena NorlAn attend The European royals watch the changing of the guards and choir tribute from Stockholm's royal balcony. (Pictured from right) Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Prince Oscar of Sweden, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and King Harald of Norway Queen Sonja of Norway and President of Iceland GuAni Thorlacius JAhannesson attend the Jubilee banquet during the celebration of the 50th coronation anniversary of King Carl Gustav of Sweden Also on the balcony, from right, were Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, King Harald of Norway, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark, Crown Princess Mary Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Estelle of Sweden Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden attending the Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace The military band get into position at the celebration of King Carl's 50th coronation ahead of the changing of the guards and choir tribute Victoria, the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. She accessorised the outfit with an elegant purple bonnet and a pair of pointed heeled shoes in a matching shade. Her husband, Prince Daniel opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie. Walking slightly in front of the heir to the Swedish throne was Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, 44, and Princess Sofia of Sweden, 38. Princess Sofia, 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes. Next to Sofia stood her husband, Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie. King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden attending the Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace King Carl Gustaf (left) , 77, looked dapper as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne alongside his wife Queen Silvia (right) Victoria of Sweden (left), the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. While her husband, Prince Daniel of Sweden (right) opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie Princess Sofia (right), 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes Princess Estelle of Sweden adorned a chic blue and white baby blue co-ord along with a big smile while walking behind Princess Sofia Next to Sofia stood Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden (right), the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie Princess Madeleine entered Te Deum with her husband Christopher O'Neill donned a stylish blue dress, while Prince Carl Phillip, Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar elegantly follow Sweden's Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle, Princess Madeleine and Prince Oscar get in position for the King Carl Gustaf of Sweden's 50th Jubilee celebration in Stockholm, Sweden on September 15, 2023 Christopher O'Neill, Princess Madeleine and Princess Sofia gracefully sat during the religious service Sweden's royal siblings, Estelle and Oscar share a conversation before they are seated for the thanksgiving service in Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm Second-in-line to the throne, Princess Estelle, 11, is all smiles as she sits between her brother Prince Oscar, who is sporting a sophisticated navy suit, and her father Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven, put on an adorable display while attending the religious service. The little royals entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel. Prince Oscar sported a sophisticated navy suit for the occasion, which featured a medal on the left breast pocket. Princess Estelle, who is second-in-line to the throne, donned a subtle, baby blue co-ord. Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary also attended the thanksgiving service in the Palace Church. The Danish royals coordinated their outfits with a popular colour for the occasion, purple. Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag. While her husband, the heir to the Danish throne, looked dapper in a navy suit with a matching purple tie. King Carl ascended to the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, three years after his accession. The royal couple share three children - Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland. The Swedish royal family also put on a glittering display as they arrived for King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm yesterday. The Te Deum is a short religious service, where the royals sing hymns to give thanks for King Gustaf's reign on the throne Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (left) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (right) arrived together at the Royal Palace Church Princess Madeleine of Sweden (left) and her husband Christopher O'Neil (right) arrived for the Te Deum in style Crown Princess Victoria wowed in a voluminous orange gown while her sister Princess Madeleine donned a stunning strapless outfit in lilac. Sister-in-law Princess Sofia chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening. The royals were also joined by King Carl Gustaf, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip in Stockholm. And following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, hes the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year. The jubilee is four days of celebrations that culminate with a military parade through the capital. European royals turned out in force to celebrate the golden jubilee of King Carl Gustaf's 50th in Stockholm. Queen Margrethe of Denmark arrived for the festivities alongside her son Crown Prince Frederik, 55, and his wife Princess Mary, 51, on Thursday. Meanwhile Queen Anne-Marie of Greece was also among the dignitaries on the guest list for the jubilee events. King Carl's cousin Queen Margrethe looked chic in a navy coat and a red and white gown underneath. Prince Frederik looked smart in a sage green suit jacket and grey trousers, while his wife looked typically stylish in a beige suit. Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik (left) and Crown Princess Mary (right) coordinated their outfits for the event with the colour purple Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag Carl Gustaf is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another Oscar and Estelle put on a sweet display while entering the religious service, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel (right) Princess Mary proved once again that she's a thrifty royal by wearing a beautiful strapless floral gown to King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee in Stockholm on Thursday. The Danish Crown Princess, 51, stunned in floor-length black and white floral print dress by Danish designer Lasse Spangenberg. She arrived for the festivities alongside Crown Prince Frederik, 55, and Queen Margrethe of Denmark. The Australian-born royal has donned the gorgeous gown twice before - once on September 6, 2017 hosting a dinner celebrating the Mary Foundation's 10th anniversary and again on August 8, 2018 at a gala dinner hosted by Queen Margrethe. Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik looked elegant at King Carl Gustaf 's Golden Jubilee on Thursday Princess Mary, 51, dazzled in a black and white floral print dress by Danish designer Lasse Spangenberg This isn't the first time the Australian-born royal has worn the designer gown. Princess Mary last donned the frock on August 8, 2018 at a gala dinner hosted by Queen Margrethe (pictured) The Australian-born royal also wore the dress in 2017 (pictured) hosting a dinner celebrating the Mary Foundation's 10th anniversary. She styled the outfit with minimal silver jewellery On this occasion she refreshed the recycled look with blue and silver jewellery, dainty hair clip, black belt, black clutch bag and a thin black neck scarf that draped to the back of the dress. Her hair was waved and fingernails were painted red, while Prince Fredrick wore a navy suit and bow tie. The last time Princess Mary wore the dress in 2018 it had black piece of fabric spanning from the chest, across her right shoulder and onto her back. She and Prince Fredrik wore their blue royal sash to symbolise their role in the Danish Royal Family. On this occasion she refreshed the recycled look with blue and silver jewellery, dainty hair clip, black belt, black clutch bag and a thin black neck scarf that draped to the back of the dress Princess Mary's hair was waved and fingernails were painted red, she also opted for pink lipstick Blue and silver jewellery was also worn as well as a matching hair clip (pictured) The jubilee is four days of celebrations that culminate with a military parade through the capital. The royal family as a whole put on a glittering display as they arrived at the event. Crown Princess Victoria, 46, wowed in a voluminous orange gown while her sister Princess Madeleine, 41, donned a stunning strapless outfit in lilac. Sister-in-law Princess Sofia, 39, chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening. The royals were also joined by King Carl Gustaf, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip in Stockholm. Carl Gustaf, 77, is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne. The man of the hour! Royals from around the world gathered today to mark King Carl Gustaf's 50th Jubilee The Swedish royal family put on a glittering display as they arrived for King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today Sister-in-law Princess Sofia, 39, chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening (pictured with Carl Philip) Earlier this year the princess showed off her casual style and hardly broke a sweat while on a 14km hike just outside a small Danish town. On Friday August 18, Princess Mary made an appearance to cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the Skudestien hiking trail near the town of Tornby in North Denmark. The 51-year-old sported a laid-back look with her brunette hair pulled back into a simple ponytail and very little makeup. Mary wore hiking trousers and trainers from outdoor clothing brand Arc'teryx with a simple grey t-shirt under a stone-coloured button-up blouse. Crown Princess Mary (pictured) showed off her casual style while on a hike in Demark on August 18 She did not skip the accessories, shielding her eyes with a pair of Gucci sunglasses and strapping into a practical $AU180 hiking backpack from Osprey She did not skip the accessories, shielding her eyes with a pair of Gucci sunglasses and strapping into a practical $AU180 hiking backpack from Osprey. Layered around the princess's neck were a $AU570 beaded green MaRe GOLD necklace, a $AU3,567 personalised necklace from Julie Sandlau with the initials for her four childre, and a Halberstadt $AU720 Necklace with an 'F' pendant for her husband Crown Prince Frederick, both of which she has worn on dozens of public appearances. Another of Mary's favourite pieces of jewellery fans have seen her wear on numerous occasions is the 18K gold knot bracelet she wore from high-end brand Dulong and on the other wrist she had a MaRe GOLD $AU798 white beaded bracelet. A simple routine change when payday rolls around could be all it takes to saving more money every month. Helen Baker, a financial advisor and founder of On Your Own Two Feet, told FEMAIL you're more likely to spend money if it's sitting in one account. However, many people fall into the mistake of not separating their income into multiple accounts. 'A lot of people think they'll save the money that's left over in their account at the end of their pay cycle,' Ms Baker, from Brisbane, said. 'Even if we have the best intention of doing so, it's a behavioural trait to spend more if it's seen in one lump sum.' Helen Baker (pictured), an Australian financial advisor and founder of On Your Own Two Feet, told FEMAIL you're more likely to spend money if it's sitting in one account What should we do with our money after payday? Following payday, income should be separated into three different 'money pots' - one for commitments like debt, rent, bills or mortgage repayments, a spending account for 'fun money' and a third for savings. Ms Baker said: 'There's a saying that it's not about what you earn, it's about how you manage your money that determines what your outcome is. 'So someone who's earning less than an employee on a higher income could in fact be saving more if they manage their finances well.' While there's no limit on the number of accounts one person can have, Ms Baker recommends having a minimum of three. 'If you only have two accounts, it's very likely to become a grey area and you won't know precisely how much you're saving or spending,' she said. 'The savings could be a fixed amount towards something you're working towards or it could be an amount you're comfortable putting away. It could be invested or put away when it's needed. 'You'll be surprised how much you'll save by putting the money away every time you're paid as it accumulates over time.' How much money should be allocated towards savings each month? There's no 'magic number' when it comes to how much a person should contribute towards their savings after being paid - and is quite a personal choice. While most aim to allocate 20 per cent of their income into savings, Ms Baker recommends 'working with the numbers' rather than percentages. She recommends tracking your finances in an excel spreadsheet to determine how much money is left over after expenses, spending and liabilities are considered. 'By looking at it factually number by number, you'll be able to determine if you can save even more,' Ms Baker said. 'But someone who's earning a higher wage should dedicate more towards their savings rather than the bare minimum because otherwise they'll be missing the mark.' While most aim to allocate 20 per cent of their income into savings, Ms Baker recommends 'working with the numbers' rather than percentages (stock image) Read more: How I make an extra $1,400 a month from home on top of my regular job Advertisement What should be considered when payday arrives? In addition to creating different accounts to separate the money into, Ms Baker also recommends speaking to your employer to set the division for you. 'A lot of payroll systems allow you to put money into super or salary sacrifice, which is also a great way to save. But they should also allow you several accounts to deposit the split of your pay,' she said. 'So it's all done for you.' What else can be done to ensure money is being saved? For those who may struggle saving money, Ms Baker recommends strategies using cash - such as cash stuffing - to physically see what is being spent or saved. Decades ago employees used to only be paid in cash, but today it's a completely different world and majority of Australians use cashless systems. On Thursday it was announced that Macquarie Bank will begin phasing out all cash, cheque and phone payment services in its Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane branches from January as moves to digital-only transactions. 'Paying in cash makes you understand how much your truly spending and it can be a real eye-opener seeing the money disappear from your wallet,' Ms Baker said. 'People can form a better connection with their finances if they physically see it coming and going.' Read more: I stop myself impulse buying using a little-known 'rubbish bin' trick Financial domination: I earn $300 per 20 minutes from Australian 'pay pigs' without setting foot outside the house Four in 10 children in parts of England have not had a vaccine to protect against measles and are at risk of being put in a three-week lockdown. Councils in England have issued warnings to parents that children who aren't up to date with their measles jabs could be sent home for 21 days if there is a measles outbreak in their school. Measles is a highly contagious, and sometime fatal, disease that is capable of infecting nine in 10 unvaccinated children in a classroom if just one classmate is infectious. While two doses of a jab called the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is enough to offer 99 per cent protection, uptake across the UK is dangerously low, especially in London. In Hackney, 41 per cent of children aren't fully-jabbed the highest proportion in the country and could face being told to limit their contacts for weeks if there is a measles case at their school. The graph shows the percentage of five-year-olds in England who have had both doses of the MMR vaccine. While the national average is 85.7 per cent, the figure drops as low as 59 per cent in Hackney, north London Your browser does not support iframes. Camden and Haringey, also north London boroughs, were also among those with the lowest jab uptake, with 37 and 35 per cent not having had both jabs, respectively. In fact, the capital took the top 18 spots for most children unvaccinated against measles, with Liverpool only breaking the streak at 23.5 per cent. The low uptake for both MMR jabs, which sits at 85.7 per cent nationally and 74.2 per cent in London, prompted health chiefs to warn earlier this year that 160,000 measles cases could occur in the capital alone. Worries of an outbreak promoted the city's councils to issue letters to parents in recent months warning unvaccinated children could be excluded from school for 21 days in the event of an outbreak in their classroom. London's Barnet Council, which recorded 29 per cent of children being unvaccinated, was one. How do the MMR vaccines work? The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective combined vaccine. It protects against three illnesses: measles, mumps and rubella. The highly infectious conditions can easily spread between unvaccinated people. The conditions can lead to serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella. The NHS advises anyone who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine to ask their GP for a vaccination appointment. Two doses of the jab protects around 99 per cent of people against measles and rubella, while around 88 per cent of people are protected against mumps. Source: NHS Advertisement In a letter seen by MailOnline they wrote: 'Currently we are seeing an increase in measles cases circulating in neighbouring London boroughs, so now is a good time to check that your childs MMR vaccination which not only protects your child against measles but also mumps and rubella is up to date.' It continued: 'Any child identified as a close contact of a measles case without satisfactory vaccination status may be asked to self-isolate for up to 21 days.' Haringey Council, which had the third worst MMR uptake of any local government area in England, is also reported to have sent out a similar letter. Even councils who are 'good' performers in the capital are sending out warnings. Hertfordshire County Council, where only one in 10 children aren't up to date with their MMR jabs, also warned parents that unvaccinated children could face a 21-day exclusion period. The 21-day isolation period is based of guidance published in 2019 by the UKHSA in 2019. It states that if a measles case is detected, health teams will work with schools to advise on next steps for close contacts who haven't had both MMR jabs. This can include an offer of MMR vaccination, issuing preventative measles medication for close contacts of the child with vulnerable health conditions and potential exclusion for up to 21 days. Siblings of an unvaccinated child who has been in close contact with a measles case could also be asked to self-isolate. Such exclusions would mark the second time a virus has caused education disruption in England in recent years. Education was massively disrupted by the Covid pandemic with schools shut or children forced into isolation for being close contacts of an infected person as per measures introduced to curb the spread of the virus at the time. Given the low overall MMR uptake in London, the capital has been the focus of efforts to encourage parents to come forward and get their child vaccinated. However, NHS data shows only two areas out of England's near 150 have achieved the target 95 per cent immunisation rate which massively reduces the chances of an outbreak. NHS England data released earlier this year shows that MMR vaccine uptake is just 89.2 per cent for one dose in two year olds, and to 85.7 per cent for both jabs among five year olds These were County Durham in the North East (96 per cent) and East Riding of Yorkshire (95 per cent). The 95 per cent target allows a population to effectively have herd immunity, which prevents the diseases from taking off throughout the population. Herd immunity is critical aspect of protecting people unable to have the MMR vaccine due to an allergy. Nationally, only about 85 per cent of children have had both their MMR jabs by their fifth birthday, meaning one in six don't have full protection by the time they start school. The MMR jab, which offers life-long protection from measles, consists of two doses and is 99 per cent effective at preventing infection. In Britain, it's first given when a child turns one and then again at three years and four months. Measles, which mostly produces flu like symptoms and a rash, can cause very serious and even fatal health complications if it spreads to the lungs or the brain. One in five children who catch measles will need to go to hospital, with one in 15 developing serious complications like meningitis or sepsis. Part of what makes measles so serious is that it is highly contagious. Health officials estimate nine out of 10 unvaccinated children will catch the disease if just one child in their classroom is infectious. Medics have been increasingly concerned that measles, which has long been kept at bay because of these vaccines, could make a return due to declining uptake. Uptake of the MMR jab collapsed in the wake of study by the now discredited medic Andrew Wakefield which falsely linked the jabs to autism. MMR uptake in England was about 91 per cent prior to Wakefield's study being published but plummeted to 80 per cent in the aftermath. While rates have recovered slightly, thanks to concentrated efforts by health officials, a rise in anti-vax sentiment during the Covid pandemic is thought to have contributed to some parents opting not to get their children jabbed. The latest data shows there 141 cases of measles recorded in England this year, up to July 31. This is more than double the 54 cases recorded in the entirety of 2022. Of the 2023 cases 85 (60 per cent) were spotted in London. Only a fifth of the cases were imported by an inbound traveller to the UK, meaning the rest were result of local community transmission. Of total cases 58 per cent were in children under 10-years-of-age. University students have been told to use condoms during freshers week as gonorrhoea cases surge to a record high, health officials warn. They face a 'very real danger' of catching the STI if having condomless sex, the UK Health Security Agency warned today. Gonorrhoea cases rates skyrocketed to 82,592 in 2022 a 50.2 per cent jump from the previous year (54,961) marking the highest figure since records began in 1918. Young people aged 15 to 24 are most likely to catch the infection, also known as the clap, with 400 in this age group diagnosed every day last year. London, Liverpool and Manchester are the country's hotspots. New data from The UK Health Security Agency shows gonorrhoea diagnoses reached 82,592 in 2022, the highest number since records began in 1918 Your browser does not support iframes. Data shows the number of of gonorrhoea diagnoses (columns) have reach a record high after levels plummeted during the Covid-19 lockdown. Gonorrhoea tests (line) have closely followed a similar trend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the sharp rise in STIs 'strongly suggests' there is more transmission, although some of the increase is due to more testing Dr Katy Sinka, head of STIs at the UKHSA, said: 'Starting university can be an exciting time. But it is very important to be aware of the risks of catching STIs from condomless sex. 'STIs can have serious consequences and there are very high numbers of STIs at the moment but there are some easy steps you can take to reduce your risk of infection. Condoms are the best defence against STIs.' The UKHSA said the scale of the increase in gonorrhoea cases 'strongly suggests' that more transmission is occurring in the community, although some of the increase is due to more testing. The 82,592 cases spotted in in 2022 is 16.1 per cent higher than 2019, before Covid struck. STI testing was hugely reduced during the pandemic. Data suggests that overall Brits aged between 15 and 24-years-of-age were the most likely to test positive for an STI. Here gonorrhoea diagnoses broken down by age group are shown UKHSA data shows STIs chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis have enjoyed a post Covid boom with diagnoses sharply rising in 2022. Syphilis diagnoses (purple line) have a separate Y-axis on the right compared to other STIs For months during the Covid crisis, rules banned people from different households from mixing and forced bars and nightclubs to temporarily close. Health officials believe this was followed by a rise in people having condomless sex with new or casual partners. Gonorrhoea is caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus, which is mainly found in discharge from the penis and in vaginal fluid. It is easily transmitted through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex and sharing sex toys that have not been properly washed or covered with a condom for each use. Symptoms include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when passing urine and, in women, bleeding between periods. However, around one in 10 infected men and half of women don't experience any symptoms. Gonorrhoea can be easily diagnosed at a sexual health clinic or GP surgery by testing a sample of discharge collected using a swab. It is usually treated with a single antibiotic jab, which sees symptoms disappear within days. Health chiefs urge people to get tested as soon as possible because the STI can lead to serious long-term problems if untreated, such as pelvic inflammatory disease an infection of a woman's reproductive system and infertility. Head of Nursing at Brook, the sexual health and wellbeing charity, Laura Domegan, head of nursing at sexual health and wellbeing charity Brook, said: 'If you have unprotected sex, dont worry, get tested.' 'Anyone can get an STI, it doesnt matter how many times youve had sex or what type of sex youre having. 'STIs dont always have symptoms, so dont wait for them.' A summer resurgence in Covid cases has prompted some GP surgeries to bring back face mask rules for patients weeks after a new variant was spotted. One practice in Leicester last week reinstated the guidance, urging people to mask up as a 'precautionary measure' to protect vulnerable patients. Another in Essex said that an 'increasing number of patients and staff with Covid' had prompted the move. A spike in infections across the country has seen Covid hospitalisations in England hit a five-month high. Health officials yesterday confirmed that a total of 42 cases of the super-mutated Pirola Covid variant have now been detected in the UK, up from 36 last week. Infections of the Pirola strain have soared across the country, with the East of England seeing the largest number of cases due to a massive care home outbreak A spike in infections across the country has seen Covid hospitalisations in England hit a five-month high. Latest NHS data shows daily Covid hospital admissions have risen 87 per cent since June, with a seven-day rolling average of 469 hospitalisations per day as of September 8, compared to 251 on June 7 One practice in Leicester last week reinstated mask guidance, urging people to wear one as a 'precautionary measure' to protect vulnerable patients Mukta Modi, manager of Canon Street Medical Centre in Leicester told GP magazine Pulse: 'We are preparing for the autumn vaccination programmes and this is a precautionary measure to protect staff and our vulnerable patients. 'This has been discussed with our patient participation group who have been very supportive.' Dr Grant Ingrams, chairman of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Medical Committee, told MailOnline: 'Every practice is different with significant variation in the number of staff and patients who are at higher risk of catching Covid or having complications. 'In addition, many practices are very short of space meaning that patients have to sit or stand close together in reception and waiting areas.' He added: 'Practices are private companies and have a legal duty to protect their staff and patients under Health and Safety Legislation and this includes against infection. 'Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland LMC supports all practices to carry out a risk assessment and implement what protection they conclude is needed which may include wearing masks.' While the true prevalence of the virus is unclear, data from the ZOE Covid study, which tracks self-reported infections, suggests there were 97,904 new daily cases of symptomatic infection on September 13 almost double the 50,000 it reported at the start of August. The study, which is based on data from millions of users of the ZOE app, estimates around 1.29million in the UK are currently infected, roughly one in 52 people. The figure is the highest for five months, but it is still far lower than the estimated toll during earlier peaks, with it reporting that 3.8million people were infected in April 2022. Patients had been required to wear face masks in GP surgeries up until June last year. Updated NHS guidance at the time told practices that patients, apart from those with respiratory symptoms, are 'not required' to wear a face mask unless they wish to as a 'personal preference'. However, health and care staff were advised to continue to wear face masks as part of PPE when working with suspected or confirmed Covid patients, including those working with untriaged patients in primary care. A caller, known only as Caroline, told TalkTV on Wednesday that the unnamed GP surgery she works at in Essex had asked staff 'to mask up again'. In a message sent out to staff earlier in the week, it said: 'Due to an increasing number of patients and staff with Covid, I'm afraid we need to ask you to mask up again at work from tomorrow. 'Hopefully by wearing them again during the surge we can protect and look after each other and provide an example to patients.' The message also confirmed the practice would review 'mask wearing on a regular basis', she claimed. She told TalkTV: 'I did message back and said I wouldn't be wearing them and I would try and keep my distance if they were worried. 'They also wanted us to start testing again if we feel unwell.' Globally more than 100 cases of Pirola have been detected including in Denmark, South Africa and the US Virologists have warned it is too early to reliably pinpoint specific symptoms but signs could include a runny nose, sore throat and fatigue In recent weeks scientists have recommended a return of pandemic mitigation measures, including mask wearing, and increased ventilation because of the virus' resurgence. Some virologists have also urged ministers to re-consider vaccine eligibility criteria, after the Government ditched plans last month to offer Covid vaccines to under-65s under the autumn jab rollout which began on Monday. Despite some experts questioning whether they were ever necessary, studies have repeatedly shown mask wearing can reduce the transmission of the virus. Last month, a report by the Royal Society also found 'mask wearing and mask mandates were an effective approach to reduce infection'. Researchers said studies consistently reported the measures were an effective approach to reduce infection, despite officials issuing mixed messages about their effectiveness at the beginning of the pandemic. Other evidence from studies in healthcare settings also showed that higher-quality 'respirator' masks such as N95 masks were 'more effective than surgical-type masks', they added. However researchers noted that as the pandemic progressed and the virus became more transmissible, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) became less effective in controlling the spread of the virus. It comes after UKHSA data yesterday showed that Covid hospitalisations are at their highest level since April. Admissions among patients who tested positive for the virus stood at 4.6 per 100,000 people in the week to September 10, official figures show. This is up from 3.7 per 100,000 the previous week and the highest since the week ending April 30. This is still a fraction of the level reached last winter, when the rate stood at 11.8 per 100,000. It is also well below the figures seen during the first year of the pandemic. However the rate has been on a clear upwards trend for the past two months. Rates remain highest among people aged 85 and over, at 51.1 per 100,000, and 75 to 84-year-olds, at 21.2 per 100,000. Experts predict Covid cases will continue to rise as the UK heads into the autumn, and people mix more indoors. Britons are also no longer testing en masse like they were earlier in the pandemic with community testing ending in May 2022. Therefore, confirmed cases are an underestimate of how many Britons are infected with Covid and how many have the new variant Pirola. Yesterday UKHSA confirmed a total of 42 cases of the super-mutated strain, known scientifically as BA.2.86, have now been detected in the UK. Of the cases spotted on September 11, seven had been hospitalised, while two were detected among A&E patients. No deaths have been recorded among those infected. Some five BA.2.86 cases have been reported by Public Health Scotland. No Pirola cases have been detected in Wales and Northern Ireland. Pirola, like other recently emerged Covid variants, is a spin-off of the Omicron strain. However, its host of mutations, 35 in total, sparked alarm with some experts fearing it would be different enough to effectively dodge the protection offered by Covid vaccines and infection from previous waves. The UKHSA said it is currently analysing blood samples taken from NHS workers to test how effective the immune response generated by Covid jabs is against Pirola. Experiments to determine how effective lateral flow tests are at spotting Pirola are also still underway. A schoolgirl's brain cancer symptoms were dismissed for months as a virus that could be managed with Calpol by GPs during phone appointments. Indeg Glyn Roberts, from Rhoshirwaun in Wales, began suffering from headaches and repeated vomiting in summer 2020 the early months of the pandemic. In the following months, she had a series of phone appointments with medics at her local practice and was repeatedly told that her illness could be managed with the over-the-counter medicine. The six-year-old was eventually given an in-person appointment and referred for tests when balance problems developed. Results showed that she had a rare brain cancer. After months of treatment, she is now being monitored as part of a trial in a bid to thwart her tumour. Ceri, a mother of four, said they were told 'if it were left any longer, it would have been fatal' Indeg Roberts was refused a face-to-face appointment because of Covid-19 restrictions and was prescribed a bottle of Calpol. Two years later, she was diagnosed with cancer Indeg, who lives in Aberdaron, Wales, had a gruelling nine-hour surgery followed by two months of proton beam therapy at The Christie in Manchester Indeg began suffering from headaches and vomiting in summer 2020, as well as a sore throat and cough. Her mother Ceri Roberts, 42, said Indeg had appointments with a 'handful of different doctors on multiple occasions', all of which were over the phone due to Covid restrictions. Each medic said it was likely that she had a virus and recommended Calpol. Ms Roberts said: 'Nothing fazed our little girl. She would vomit in the morning and go off to school for the day as if nothing had happened. 'I searched online for the cause of Indeg's symptoms and saw a page about brain tumours and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was something more sinister than a virus.' It was only when Indeg became unsteady on her feet that her parents were able to secure a face-to-face appointment in November 2020. When Indeg eventually saw a doctor in-person, initial checks only showed that she was dehydrated and had low blood sugar. But a CT scan revealed that she had a brain tumour, which medics diagnosed as a grade 3 anaplastic ependymoma. Only 30 children are diagnosed with the cancer in the UK each year. Headaches, feeling or being sick and a loss of balance are among the symptoms, along with seizures, a lack of energy, irritability and neck pain. The family was taken in an ambulance to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, where Indeg had emergency surgery to drain the build-up of fluid which was causing her symptoms. Ms Roberts said: 'I dropped to my knees, sobbing at the news.' A CT scan revealed she had a grade three anaplastic ependymoma Indeg's family are desperately doing everything they can to stop the cancer from coming back after doctors warned them that there is a high chance it will return Before her diagnosis, Indeg - who was six at the time - became unfazed by her worrying symptoms and was throwing up in the morning and then going to school like nothing had happened Indeg is now part of a research trial to improve the outcome of patients with ependymoma as the family are campaigning alongside the charity Brain Tumour Research to increase research funding She added: 'We were told if it was left any longer it would have been fatal. Everything happened so quickly. From an appointment with our local GP, we were then miles away from home and Indeg was being prepared for a second surgery.' Indeg then underwent a nine-hour operation to remove the tumour, followed by two months of proton beam therapy a type of radiotherapy at cancer centre The Christie in Manchester. As a result, the family was forced to live away from their home for weeks at a time. Ms Roberts said: 'Although that was still miles away from our home in Wales, we had the option of going to Germany for the same treatment, which I understand some families are forced to do. 'Indeg had the expected side effects such as hair loss. However, she was always on the go and wanted to be active. As soon as she would wake from the anaesthetic, she would be out of the hospital bed and in the playroom.' Indeg is now part of a research trial to improve the outcome of patients with ependymoma. The family are campaigning alongside the charity Brain Tumour Research to increase research funding. You can sign the petition here. Ms Roberts said: 'If we can throw everything at the cancer, it can hopefully stop it growing back and we know from her tumour type that a grade 3 has a high chance of recurrence. 'As parents with a child living with brain cancer, we still have many unanswered questions such as: how long was Indeg's tumour growing? How did it originate? What causes it to grow again? 'I know that many other patients and families will have the same. If we are to understand this disease, we must fund the research to find the answers.' Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer and the charity wants the Government to ring-fence increased investment in brain tumour research. Health bosses are concerned about rising measles cases particularly in London Children who haven't had both doses of their measles jab could be excluded from school or childcare for 21 days due to rising concern over cases. Authorities in England have issued letters to the parents of school-aged children, urging them to check that their youngsters have had both doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. The latest data shows there have so far been 128 cases of the virus in England this year, double the entire total for 2022. Health officials are concerned that low uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine could lead to a major outbreak in the capital. Here, MailOnline explains how the 21-day isolation period works, how and why officials might take this step, and which areas could be at risk. Children who haven't had both doses of their measles jab could be excluded from school or childcare for 21 days due to rising concern over cases NHS England data released earlier this year shows that MMR vaccine uptake is just 89.2 per cent for one dose in two year olds, and to 85.7 per cent for both jabs among five year olds Why could unjabbed children be told to self-isolate for measles? Health chiefs recommend that children isolate for 21 days if they come into contact with someone infected with measles, if they have not had two MMR jabs. The aim is to stop the infection from spreading further. Two doses is 97 per cent effective at preventing measles. But those who are unjabbed can become infected after spending just 15 minutes with an infected person, who spreads measles by coughing or sneezing, can be enough to catch the infection. The unjabbed infected person is then at risk of transmitting measles to other unvaccinated people and becoming severely unwell themselves. Measles is highly contagious, health officials estimate one infected child can spread the disease to nine out of 10 unvaccinated class mates. The 21-day isolation period covers the potential incubation period for the virus, the time between infection and first symptoms. Such a long period is needed because people infected with measles can be contiguous, and potentially pass the infection to others before their first obvious symptoms. How would the isolation period work in practise? Measles is a notifiable disease in the UK. How do the MMR vaccines work? The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective combined vaccine. It protects against three illnesses: measles, mumps and rubella. The highly infectious conditions can easily spread between unvaccinated people. The conditions can lead to serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella. The NHS advises anyone who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine to ask their GP for a vaccination appointment. Two doses of the jab protects around 99 per cent of people against measles and rubella, while around 88 per cent of people are protected against mumps. Source: NHS Advertisement This means that, due to the dangers it poses to public, health authorities are alerted when a case is identified. For a case identified in a school or nursery aged child, health officials would work with the establishment to identify unvaccinated children who may have been exposed, and therefore, at greater risk of contracting and spreading the infection. They would then assess the next steps, which can include advising the child, and any unvaccinated siblings, to isolate for next 21 days. Health authorities may also offer an unjabbed close contact of a measles case an MMR vaccine, after getting parental consent. They may also offer a preventive course of medication to vulnerable contacts of the child, such as pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems. A child under a 21-day isolation period would be advised to avoid unnecessarily mingling with other children, as well as vulnerable people to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others. Who makes the decision? The decision to issue the 21-day isolation guidance is made by schools with input from teams from the UK Health Security Agency. It is understood that headteachers make the decision based on the risk a potentially infectious child could pose to the rest of school, particularly if it has a high number of unvaccinated pupils. Other factors could be if the school has the ability to teach the child separately from the class and if there are any concerns with that pupil's home environment. Is the 21-day isolation period legally binding? No. The isolation period is guidance, there are no penalties associated with not following it. However, such an isolation period helps prevent the spread of measles which can be fatal, with vulnerable people especially at risk. Officials hope anyone advised to isolate for a period due to a measles risk would follow the guidance to help protect other people. It is unclear what would happen if a parent refused to follow the guidance and tried to take their child to school after previously being asked to keep them home. How do I know if my child is at risk? All children in the UK are offered two doses of the MMR jab to offer maximum protection from a trio of childhood diseases. In the UK, the first dose is offered when a child turns one and the second dose is administered at three years and four months. If your child has had both doses of the MMR vaccine they would not be advised to self-isolate if they came into contact with a measles case. Some children are not able to have the MMR vaccine due to being allergic to the ingredients. These children could be at risk of a 21-day self-isolation period, the same as a child whose parents opted out of getting them the jabs. What is the MMR vaccine? The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective jab that has been used since the 80s. It protects against three diseases that can easily spread between unvaccinated people measles, mumps and rubella. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are enough to offer 99 per cent of people from measles and rubella and 88 per cent of people from mumps. The MMR jab is part of series of standard childhood vaccines routinely offered to children. Jabs like the MMR vaccine have been credited with largely banishing once common diseases that ripped through communities across the world. What is the measles situation at the moment? According to the latest data there were 141 cases of measles recorded in England in the first six months of 2023. The map shows the number of measles cases per region of England in the first six months of 2023. London has been the worst hit (85), followed by the South East (12) and Yorkshire and the Humber (8) Official data for October to December 2022 shows the areas most vulnerable to a potential measles outbreak with over a quarter of children in London missing out on the MMR jab This is more than double the 54 cases recorded in the entirety of 2022. Of the 2023 cases, 85 (60 per cent) were spotted in London. Only a fifth of the cases were imported by an inbound traveller to the UK, meaning the rest were result of local community transmission. Of total cases 58 per cent were in children under 10-years-of-age. The rise in cases has prompted concern, given a low uptake of the MMR jabs. At least 95 per cent of children need to get both doses of the MMR vaccine to prevent the risk of a major outbreak occurring. However, nationally the rate only sits at about 85 per cent. The figure is much lower in some areas, particularly in the capital. In England overall, 102,000 children aged four to five are believed to be at risk, with 32,000 of those in London. Older children who missed out on the jabs when they were younger are also at risk. The situation prompted health chiefs to warn that London alone is at risk of an outbreak that could hit up to 160,000 people. Why are so many parents refusing the MMR jab for their children? Uptake of the MMR jab collapsed in the wake of a study by the now discredited medic Andrew Wakefield, which falsely linked the vaccine to autism. MMR uptake in England was about 91 per cent prior to Wakefield's study being published but plummeted to 80 per cent in the aftermath. While rates have recovered slightly, thanks concentrated efforts by health officials, experts fear a rise in anti-vax sentiment during the Covid pandemic is causing a resurgence in parents refusing to get the child a host of routine vaccinations. Other factors, like the dangers of measles largely having faded from public memory thanks to public vaccination programmes, could also be a factor. How dangerous is measles? For the majority of people, a measles infection results in flu-like symptoms accompanied by the signature rash. But it can cause very serious and even fatal health complications if it spreads to the lungs or the brain. A fifth of children who catch measles will become so ill they need to go to hospital. One in 15 will develop serious complications like meningitis or sepsis, which can be fatal or lead to lifelong health complications. Despite global vaccination efforts measles still killed an estimated 128,000 people in 2021, mostly children, according to the latest data available from the World Health Organization. My child isn't up to date with their jabs. Should I get them? All official health advice urges people to take up the MMR vaccine when offered. If a child has missed a jab parents and carers can contact their GP to arrange a vaccination appointment. Individuals who didn't get a jab as a child can also talk to their GP to discuss getting a vaccine. The only people who shouldn't take the MMR vaccine are those who are at risk of an allergic reaction to some of the ingredients. MDMA is on the verge of being approved in the US after showing promise as a powerful treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in its final trial results. Researchers behind the landmark trials expect to submit a new application within months for the drug, which is popular in rave culture to dance all night long and feel more connected to the music and other ravers. In the latest trial of 53 patients with moderate to severe PTSD, 71 percent went into remission after taking the drug accompanied by therapy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will make a decision on approving the drug to treat PTSD, when paired with talking therapy, possibly as soon as six months later. The move could see MDMA offered to some of the 12 million American adults who suffer from the debilitating disorder. Patients take a dose of the drug while under supervision. Sessions with a therapist then help people to come to terms with their trauma Clinical trial participants were given 120 mg or 180 mg of MDMA the standard amount for one or two pills The CAPS-5 total score on the y axis shows the average severity of patients' PTSD symptoms Also known as ecstasy or molly, MDMA has become part of a new frontier of psychedelics that are being repurposed as drugs for trauma and depression, along with ketamine, magic mushrooms and LSD. If it gets approved, MDMA-assisted therapy would be the first new treatment for PTSD in over two decades. It has been an illegal substance since 1985 when the Drug Enforcement Administration categorized it as a Schedule 1 drug meaning the agency deemed it to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse. It is thought that prior to that, hundreds of therapists offered the drug to patients in North America and Europe to address trauma. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), a company that is developing prescription psychedelics, conducted the trials and has been advocating the legalization of MDMA-assisted therapy since 1986. In 2017, the FDA assigned 'breakthrough therapy' status to MDMA-assisted therapy as a PTSD treatment, which meant its development could be expedited. A total of 104 patients who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe PTSD were enrolled in the latest study. On average, they had been living with PTSD for 16 years. The study group included people such as victims of childhood trauma, combat veterans and survivors of sexual assault. Many of them also suffered from depression and alcohol addiction. The participants worked with two therapists and had three 90-minute preparatory talking therapy sessions followed by three treatment cycles with a month gap between each. The treatment cycle involved an eight-hour experimental session where the patient took either MDMA or a placebo alongside talk therapy and then had an additional three 90-minute talk therapy sessions. Some 53 patients were given MDMA, and 51 were given an inactive placebo. The study was double-blind, meaning neither the patients nor the therapists knew who had taken what. By the end, 87 percent of people who took MDMA had reduced symptoms, the researchers said. And roughly 71 percent of them improved so much that they no longer met the criteria for PTSD. In the placebo group, 69 percent had less intense symptoms, and 48 percent no longer met the diagnostic criteria. The study was published yesterday in the journal Nature. Critics of the study have said that the result may not be strong enough to get FDA approval. Dr Allen Frances, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University, told the New York Times. 'The benefits in the active group were really not much greater than the benefits in the placebo group,' Dr Allen Frances, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University, told the New York Times. 'MDMA treatment would add huge costs to the treatment system while providing only a small, specific benefit and thus result in a massive misallocation of already very scarce resources.' READ MORE: I swear by a BIZARRE trick to get rid of migraines in minutes However, doctors are unsure if this hack actually works for migraine symptoms A TikToker has shared a simple household stick that helped them get rid of their migraines in seconds. Cass Cavanaugh, 21, from Missouri, who is nonbinary, posted a video last month that showed them eating a whole lemon raw. They had been testing out foods to help with their migraines when they discovered lemon helped ease the pain. One night, they were 'desperate and panicked' by intense throbbing and reached for a lemon. The text on the video, which has nearly 16 million views, reads: 'fun fact i learned bc i fckd around and found out: if u eat a whole lemon raw it will stop migraines. The search term 'lemon stop migraine' now has more than 42 million views. However, doctors have said there is no evidence that tart or sour foods alleviate migraine pain. Cass Cavanaugh, 21, from Missouri, who is nonbinary, posted a video last month that showed them eating a whole lemon raw. They had been testing out foods to help with their migraines when they discovered lemon helped ease the pain 'When you get desperate enough with migraines, you'll try anything,' Cavanaugh told NeedToKnowUK. 'I have medication and other methods: sitting in the dark, cold compress, etc., but [on this occasion] none were working. 'So one night, I just bit into a lemon hoping it might help, and it did.' 'I like to call it a lemon lobotomy.' However, doctors are unsure if this fruit can actually make migraines a thing of the past. Vascular surgeon Dr Mahyar Maddahali posted a stitch to Ms Cavanaugh's video and said that lemons may actually cause headaches and migraines. 'We don't have enough evidence to confirm,' he said. 'Also, lemon is full of tyramine. Tyramine can cause nerve cells to release norepinephrine. It can suddenly increase the blood pressure and more headache.' Cavanaugh has previously used sour candy for anxiety and figured similar flavors could work for migraines. Psychologists previously told DailyMail.com that foods with intense tastes, such as sour or spicy snacks, can distract the brain from everything else happening around it. That could explain how the tart taste of lemons alleviated pain in Cavanaugh's head. Cavanaugh doesn't eat lemons for every migraine and has made it clear that this is just a temporary fix. If you're experiencing severe migraines, see a doctor,' they said. 'Lemons are a temporary fix.' 'I'm not a licensed medical professional by any means.' They also urged viewers to stay away from lemons if they have stomach issues, as they found eating lemons gives them a stomach ache. Cavanaugh doesn't eat lemons for every migraine and has made it clear that this is just a temporary fix. If you're experiencing severe migraines, see a doctor,' they said. 'Lemons are a temporary fix. I'm not a licensed medical professional by any means' A migraine is a type of headache that causes severe, throbbing pain or pulsing, usually on one side of the head. These can last for hours or even days. The American Migraine Foundation estimates that one in 10 Americans, 39 million, live with migraines. About 28 million are women and girls, as females are at least three times more likely to suffer from migraines than males. Some research suggests that decreased estrogen, which usually happens when a woman has her period, could be to blame. Symptoms vary, but migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light. There are four stages of migraine, though not everyone goes through each one: prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome. Prodrome happens one or two days before a migraine attack, and its signs are easy to overlook. Subtle symptoms include constipation, mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased urination, fluid retention, and frequent yawning, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some people with migraines have warning symptoms such as an aura, which could be visual disturbances like light flashes, tingling on one side, or trouble speaking. An aura usually happens minutes to hours before a migraine. They mostly involve visual disturbances like bright spots or flashes of light, but they can also include weakness of numbness in the face or one side of the body, as well as difficulty speaking. A migraine attack itself lasts anywhere from four hours to three days. For some, they occur occasionally, but for others, they can strike several times a month. Afterward, you may experience postdrome, which makes you feel drained or confused for up to a day. It's still unclear what causes migraines, but some triggers include menstruation, drinking alcohol or coffee, stress, not getting enough sleep, changes in weather, certain foods, and medications. More than 20,000 TikTok users commented on Cavanaugh's video, particularly those who suffer from migraines themselves. One person said: 'Us migraine sufferers come up with the weirdest at-home remedies.' A user named Nicole wrote: 'That's such a migraine thing to try.' Bronwyn commented: 'Anyone wondering why the hell you would do that to stop a migraine has never had a migraine.' 'Gonna try this next time I have a migraine,' Nebra said. US health officials are looking into reports that the iPhone 12 emits harmful levels of radiation after sales were temporarily halted in Europe due to safety fears. A spokesperson for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which is partly responsible for making sure cellphones are safe told DailyMail.com the agency was 'reviewing the available information'. It comes after a regulator in France this week asked Apple to stop selling the 2020 iPhone 12, claiming tests found the handset emits radiation levels that exceed EU restrictions. Germany, Belgium and Spain have all signaled they could follow suit. Apple has disputed the findings, but the news has reignited deep-rooted fears about health and cellphone usage. More than 81million iPhones were sold in the United States in 2021, the year after the model's release. It is unclear how many Americans still own a device that is now three years old. Apple says it will update the software in its iPhone 12 in France in order to resolve the issue. The device is shown here being held by Tim Cook, Apple CEO. Experts say that although the radiation may exceed French standards, it is not high enough to put people at risk In a statement to DailyMail.com, a spokesman said: 'In general, the FDA does not comment on specific studies or test results, but evaluates them as part of the body of evidence to further our understanding about a particular issue and assist in our mission to protect public health. 'The FDA is reviewing the available information.' The agency is responsible for regulating the safety of phones along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com. The Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR) initially raised the alarm on Tuesday, claiming that the iPhone 12 had failed its latest round of routine testing - with radiation levels 40 percent above what the regulator says is acceptable. But most experts say even if the higher radiation levels are true, they are 'not sufficient' enough to harm people. There are old fears about the effects of phones on health, having previously been linked to brain cancer and fertility issues, but these have never been proven conclusively. Dr Devra Davis, an epidemiologist who has been studying the dangers of radiofrequency released from phones since the early 2000s, told DailyMail.com the FDA should 'absolutely' investigate the iPhone 12. 'Why should French people be more protected than Americans?,' she added. Dr Joel Moskowitz, who researches the adverse effects of cellphone radiation at the University of California, Berkeley, said he hoped the reports from France prompted an investigation. He told DailyMail.com: 'I hope the French Apple 12 emissions debacle triggers an independent investigation in the US regarding SAR testing procedures for authorization for all wireless devices. 'In 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report at the request of the Congress which raised major concerns about the SAR testing protocol, but it was ignored by the FCC.' The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was reviewing available information over the iPhone 12 A chart of cell phone radiation exposure rates from the Germany's Federal Office for Radiation (Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz) compiled by the Digital Information World last year In routine testing, French regulators found the iPhone 12 emitted radiation levels that were 40 percent above permissible levels when it was next to a human. Radiation from cellphones is measured in Europe using the specific absorption rate (SAR), or the amount of power absorbed by the body from a particular source per kilogram of body-weight. More than 100million iPhone 12's have been sold worldwide, while in the US an estimated 135million people own an iPhone. In 2021, a year after the iPhone 12's release, the number of iPhone owners sat at around 116million users. French digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed the iPhone 12's radiation levels were much lower than those that scientific studies say could cause harm. He added that a software update would be able to solve the issue. Dr Rodney Croft, a neurophysiologist in Australia and chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, said: 'From a health and safety point of view, it is not as if this is putting anyone at risk.' The safety levels based on the risks of burns or heatstroke from the phone's radiation are already set ten times below the level where scientists found evidence of harm. Dr Croft added that France's findings may differ from those of other regulators because measurement methods vary between different regulators. France has previously stopped the sales of 42 smartphones in the country over radiation concerns. This is the first time Apple has been hit. Apple currently has two weeks in which to respond but has already said it will issue a software update to fix the issue. French regulators say they will need to test the software before they can put the phone back on the market. The software update will only affect phones in France, and not those in other countries, they added. Previous research has suggested exposure to radiation from phones can cause everything from cancer to fertility issues. But many researchers seek to pour cold water on these results, saying the tests were done in animals and exposure levels were very high in order to cause the issue. 'Currently there is no strong evidence that exposure to electromagnetic fields during mobile phone use is associated with adverse health effects,' Maria Feychting, a professor of epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said. 'However, there are still some uncertainties and further research is needed, especially regarding the higher frequencies that will be used by 5G.' It is worth pointing out that the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is an offshoot of the WHO, has previously claimed that certain radio frequencies at extreme levels are 'possibly carcinogenic to humans'. However, this is thought to be unlikely. Apple said in a statement that its phone complied with standards worldwide but that it would 'issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators'. They added: 'This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern.' The iPhone 12 was first released in September 2020 and is still sold worldwide, although Apple is now seeking to phase it out following the release of the iPhone 15. Apple tech support staff are being told not to volunteer any information about the phones. DailyMail.com contacted Apple for comment. Health officials urging people get jabbed to avoid a tripledemic like last year's CVS and Walgreens said updated Covid boosters should be available this week A 'tripledemic' of Covid, flu and RSV this winter could be on the horizon, health officials have warned. While the spread of the respiratory viruses is low at the moment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has started to see an uptick in positive Covid tests and Covid-related emergency department visits. Covid hospitalizations are also rising. Flu activity, although currently low, is 'likely to increase over the fall and winter,' the CDC said in an update posted yesterday. The same goes for RSV, it said. And for the first time, people can get vaccinated against all three viruses, which public health officials are urging people do to avoid another tripledemic like last year's when hospitals were inundated. Doctors hope enough people get vaccinated to help avert another 'tripledemic' like last year when hospitals were overwhelmed with an early flu season, an onslaught of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and yet another winter coronavirus surge. RSV infections cause about two million doctor visits, 80,000 hospitalizations and up to 300 deaths in children under five every year, according to the CDC Covid hospitalizations have been rising since late summer, although thanks to some lasting immunity from prior vaccinations and infections not nearly as much as this time last year Flu activity, although currently low, is 'likely to increase over the fall and winter,' the CDC said in an update posted yesterday The majority of Americans only need to think about whether they should get the updated Covid vaccine and a flu shot, as they are available to almost everyone. Around 76.5 million adults aged 60 and older are also eligible for a new RSV vaccine made by Pfizer or GSK. Last year, many pediatric and adult hospitals were completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tripledemic infections. The surge not only occurred at a higher rate but also well ahead of the typical seasonal spike. It was the worst flu season America has suffered since the swine flu pandemic of 2009. At one point in December 2022, hospitals were more full than they had ever been during the pandemic due to co-infections. One boy in Ohio was hospitalized in October 2022 after catching three respiratory viruses at once. Wilder Jackson, two, from Middletown - just 30 miles north of Cincinnati - was simultaneously battling rhinovirus, enterovirus and adenovirus. The three common cold viruses became increasingly severe for children post-lockdown, after social restrictions left many with weakened immune systems. Wilder Jackson, 2, of Middletown, Ohio, was hospitalized after simultaneously being infected with rhinovirus, enterovirus and adenovirus Experts pointed to lockdowns, mask mandates and other pandemic orders over the past two years as reasons why this year's flu season has been more brutal than those past. The flu does not present danger to a majority of Americans, but it can often strike down the elderly, young children and the immunocompromised. RSV does not pose much danger to adults but can cause severe illness or even death in young children. RSV infections cause about two million doctor visits, 80,000 hospitalizations and up to 300 deaths in children under five every year, according to the CDC. Officials report that around 300 to 500 children will die from the virus each year. Around a third of the population will get RSV in any season, but for most adults, it won't be anything more serious than cold-like symptoms. The CDC approved updated vaccines Tuesday to tackle new variants, such as Eris and BA.2.86, which are behind the uptick in US Covid cases and hospitalizations. Even Americans who have never had a Covid shot are eligible for the new booster. But appetite for more Covid vaccines is dwindling. Nearly six in 10 Americans over 65 years old failed to get last year's bivalent booster shot, and experts think even fewer will come forward once the newly formulated Covid vaccines are rolled out. Covid hospitalizations have been rising since late summer, although thanks to some lasting immunity from prior vaccinations and infections not nearly as much as this time last year. Data from the CDC showed 18,871 patients admitted to hospitals nationwide in the last week of August, up nine percent on the previous seven-day spell. Despite the rise, rates remain at historic lows. For comparison, there were 150,000 Covid admissions per week at the height of the pandemic in January 2021, and hospitalizations reached as high as 44,000 a week earlier this year. But protection wanes over time, and the coronavirus continually churns out new variants that can dodge prior immunity. In addition, testing for Covid has been largely scrapped, while flu and RSV are not regularly tested for. An Arkansas toddler has died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba he was exposed to at a Little Rock country club. The 16-month-old was playing at the country clubs splash pad when he was infected with Naegleria fowleri, a water-dwelling amoeba that causes inflammation in the brain and destroys tissue, killing nearly 100 percent of its victims. The Arkansas Department of Health confirmed through lab testing that the water playground where the young boy and likely many other children were playing contained traces of the amoeba. The club promptly shut the pool and splashpad down. The state coroner said the child, Michael Alexander Pollock III, died the evening of September 4 at Arkansas Childrens Hospital in Little Rock. He is believed to be one of five victims of the brain-eating infection this year, the most recent being a Texas resident who died after swimming in an Austin lake. Michael Alexander Pollock III died on September 4 after being exposed to the brain-eating amoeba The state health department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing confirmed the splashpad at the club contained the amoeba The little boy had been playing in the splashpad when he was exposed but the country club has also shut down its pool. The health department has not yet confirmed that pool water samples also contained the amoeba The Health Department said there is no ongoing threat to the public and the pool area remains closed to this day Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled microorganism that lives in warm freshwater, the type that spurts out of water fountains on splash pads. When the parasite gets into the nose and travels through the nasal passages, it reaches the brain where it feeds on brain tissue, leading to severe neurological damage. The infection is called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). It is not clear how much time elapsed between Michaels exposure to the brain-wasting organism and his death, though the infection typically progresses quickly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms come on between one and 12 days after swimming in contaminated water, and death typically follows about five days later. Symptoms resemble a virus at first, including headache, nausea, fever, and stiff neck. But they quickly progress to more severe neurological issues including seizures, hallucinations, coma, and often death. Just 157 cases of PAM were confirmed from 1962 to 2022, but only four people survived. The Arkansas Department of Health, which sent water samples to the CDC for testing, said: The CDC has reported one splash pad sample as confirmed to have viable Naegleria fowleri. The remaining samples are still pending. The department has been in contact with the Country Club of Little Rock, and they have been cooperative in inquiries with the ADH. While generally very rare, there are believed to have been at least five other casualties in the US this year. Last month, a man in Texas died of the infection after taking a swim in in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson near Austin. That incident came about a month after a similar death in Georgia. Just a few weeks before the Georgia case, a two-year-old in Nevada succumbed to the infection from the amoeba. Another death due to the infection was reported in Charlotte County, Florida, around 70 miles south of Tampa, back in March. The last case reported in Arkansas was in 2013 when a 12-year-old girl named Kali Hardig who contracted the infection from a water park, and survived. PICTURE THIS PAULINE BOTY: BRITISH POP ART'S SOLE SISTER by Marc Kristal (Frances Lincoln 25, 256pp) Arguably, the most effective of Pauline Botys paintings is Untitled (Sunflower Woman), writes Marc Kristal in his glorious biography of the British Pop Art icon. This forensic approach to charting her wild and pioneering life jostles with black and white photographs of the young artist and images of frequently political portraits, doused in green and red. Kristal examines Botys legacy on the whole of the art movement, decades after she died tragically aged 28 in 1966. A social history of broad and compelling appeal with a singular figure glamorous, protean and iconic at its centre. RETROS This extraordinary, 30-year-old debut is a technically innovative and deeply moving study of a family of young sisters THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by Jeffrey Eugenides (4th Estate 14.99, 256pp) This extraordinary, 30-year-old debut is a technically innovative and deeply moving study of a family of young sisters and the group of boys who tried, but failed, to understand them. The five Lisbon girls' lives are restricted by their joyless, protective mother and ineffectual father, until Cecilia, the youngest at 13, kills herself. School friends become obsessed with the remaining four sisters, who are forced to withdraw from the outside world until they, too, exert what power they have by killing themselves. We know all this from the shocking start, but what unfolds is as much about the effect it had on the growing boys as the unfathomable reasons why it happened. It's 25 years since this coming-of-age story was published, yet it still feels fresh SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume (Sphere 9.99, 370pp) It's 25 years since this coming-of-age story was published, yet it still feels fresh. It follows the unlikely friendship of Caitlin, the unconventional daughter of a wealthy, bohemian family, and Vix, a dutiful child constrained by her stressed family's lack of money. When Caitlin invites her to spend summers on Martha's Vineyard, Vix is absorbed into her world and dazzled by it. As the years progress they share secrets, make promises and meet boys one of whom will change both their lives. Blume, as ever, is superb at evoking the pain and pleasure of adolescence, the ways in which loyalty ebbs and flows, and the ending is touchingly bittersweet. It's the memoir of Humbert Humbert, who is obsessed with 'nymphets' LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov (Penguin Classics 16.99, 336pp) Would Lolita be published today? Almost certainly not, despite the fact it's a brilliantly written, memorably disturbing story of power, lust, guilt and self-deception that's also darkly funny. It's the memoir of Humbert Humbert, who is obsessed with 'nymphets' as a result of a thwarted childhood love affair. Cynically, he marries his landlady to gain access to her 12-year-old daughter, Lolita When his wife dies, he kidnaps the child and embarks on a cross-country, sexually-charged odyssey that spirals into tragedy. Humbert is both a monster and a self-deluder, but at the heart of it is Lolita, who, betrayed by everyone, shows no self-pity. With less cash in the average consumers pocket, small businesses are having to think outside of the box to get customers through the door. Many are turning to selling experiences rather than products to generate more cash and provide their customers with something a bit different. This has been particularly popular in the food and drink industry, but now one platform thinks it could do the same for crafters. Wecandoo, which launched in France in January 2017, helps artisans connect with customers by creating workshops which can earn them thousands of pounds a month. We speak to CEO Edouard Eyglunent about the UK launch and how it could help struggling small businesses. Wecandoo wants to put crafting back on the map by helping artisans host workshops What is Wecandoo? Wecandoos co-founders Edouard Eyglunent, Gregoire Hugon and Arnaud Tiret grew up in France, interested in and surrounded by craft makers. Believing that there are plenty of misconceptions around artisan work and that there could be a better way for people to make money or a living from their craft, they came up with the idea for Wecandoo six years ago. The Wecandoo platform helps to facilitate workshops on behalf of artisans and has found success in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Rather than taking a consumer-first approach as other platforms do, though, CEO Eyglunent, says he leans instead on the artisan side because we want to support them in their daily activity and change the perspective on what handmade products are. As such, the criteria for joining Wecandoo is relatively tight. Makers must have at least two years of experience in their craft or be a trained professional and have their own studio outside their home. There are certain crafts that people can learn. It shouldnt be too difficult and customers should be able to bring something home with them. We cant really work with a builder, you cant go home with a wall, he says. Making money from craft workshops While certain types of crafts are more popular than others - namely food and drink and ceramics - over 150 crafts are on offer. Makers can sign up online and have a phone call with one of the team to evaluate the types of workshop possible. Wecandoo then takes a 20 per cent cut of what the artisan makes from each workshop. Workshops arent a new phenomenon though, and for small businesses a 20 per cent commission could present a hefty chunk of their income. As more small businesses start to recognise the value of experiences over goods, whats stopping them from going out on their own? We handle all customer support which can be painful. Most of the time makers dont want to get disturbed by phone calls. Similarly, we take care of attendance meaning if the minimum number isnt reached, we replace with another slot, says Eyglunent. Its easy for them, they just have to be there on the day and thats all. Edouard Eyglunent (centre) says Wecandoo's community helps artisans The platform also offers artisans training on managing social media pages, calculating the right prices for products and even help on legal matters. It's this support that makes Wecandoo different to competitors like Class Bento and Craft Courses, says Eyglunent. He adds: Most of the time independent artisans you tend to be quite alone. When youre in a community youre going to make fewer mistakes. It also means Wecandoo look closely at how well new crafters are doing on the platform. They are placed in an incubation period for three months and the team look at traffic to their page and the conversion rate. If they havent made any sales in this period, theyre placed in the nursery and the team will rejig the format of the workshop. This artisan-first approach seems to have worked in Wecandoos favour. It has supported over 2,500 artisans across Europe and early partners saw a 40 per cent increase in activity following a workshop. Crafty profits: Some of the workshops currently on offer in London on Wecandoo Opening the door to part-time crafters One big change the platform has made in recent years, is opening the platform up to part-time crafters. Previously, the platform only accepted those who were artisans full-time and their main activity. Eyglunent says: In Covid, about 50 per cent of our makers had to take another job to make ends meet. So we opened it up - the only thing we ask is for a studio. So it could be a part-time job then you have to get a studio to host people. While the platform allows artisans to rent a studio for the workshop, that is a costly upfront cost, especially in London where Wecandoo recently launched. While the company claims artisans can make 1,000 per month through workshops, the initial outlay is hefty and its not guaranteed to convert into further sales. However, half of the artisans on the platform started out part-time, and around a fifth still use it as a side hustle. Will Wecandoo work in the UK? Eyglunent and his team now think that they can replicate their French success in the UK, having launched in London in July with aims to expand over the coming months. The platform currently has 91 workshops on offer in London, but the UK is a very different market to France. Eyglunent says that artisans in the UK are more equipped, they know how to take bookings, have a good website. We dont have to provide everything [here], because the makers tend to be more entrepreneurial. That might make it easier for Wecandoo in terms of support, but some workshops cost up to 200. Will customer demand be there? Eyglunent recognises it isnt for everyone but he thinks people are more willing to spend money on experiences in the UK. He says: At a certain level of income, you consider differently how you spend your money. Maybe youve had enough of buying stuff and want to pay for memories. Thats what we do, we create memories for people in the workshops. Even so, workshops dont tend to be repeat business. Once youve been to one cheesemaking workshop, its unlikely youll go every week from then on. So how can crafters keep up demand for their workshops? Eyglunent says: We have customers who give gifts and this doesnt tend to repeat a lot, maybe two or three times a year. Theres ones who book for themselves individually and then ones that like to organise for friends or colleagues. Theres a different type of repeat rate for different customers. Wecandoo can help their business, but tapping into the desire for experiences, working out a way to get repeat customers and pushing word of mouth referrals would seem to be vital to success for those hoping to make money from their craft. It's not an easy endeavour but for many it combines a business and their passion and the platform can help. That said, the cost of raw materials and studio rent continues to be astronomical, particularly in the capital, and there is little state support for small businesses. This is likely to filter down to the cost of workshops too. It makes it a difficult time to launch an already niche platform but it could well present Wecandoo with the opportunity to support the UKs smallest businesses. BP has been accused of turning a blind eye to Bernard Looneys toxic behaviour as it begins a search for his successor. He abruptly quit as the oil giants chief executive this week after admitting he misled the board over a probe launched last year into his personal relationships with colleagues. The company is under fire for appointing him chief executive in 2020 despite his reputation for relationships apparently being widespread. Barbara Schonhofer, a leading advocate for women in business, said: Why was he hired in such a high-profile prominent leadership role in the first place? Schonhofer, who leads ISC Group an advocacy organisation for women in the insurance industry questioned how much due diligence was done before Looneys appointment was announced in 2019, leaving the board to deal with the fall-out when the details of his private life emerged. Ousted: Bernard Looney (pictured) quit as BP's chief exec this week after admitting he misled the board over a probe launched last year into his personal relationships with colleagues How far do toxic leaders have to go before the decision is made that they must go? she said. This sort of behaviour would not be accepted or tolerated in a woman. The comments came as BP chairman Helge Lund ruled himself out as Looneys successor. BPs board was told about Looneys frolicking with colleagues by an anonymous whistleblower last year. After he admitted to a small number of relationships and made assurances about his future behaviour, it was decided that he had not breached the companys code of conduct. But further allegations surfaced last week, forcing him to admit he had not been fully transparent, and quitting his job immediately. A fresh investigation has been launched by BP into Looneys behaviour. Sir Vince Cable, the former Business Secretary, has called for him to be stripped of the 8million in bonuses he received last year. BP has appointed Murray Auchincloss, its chief financial officer, as interim boss. Auchincloss has a partner who also works at BP. The company said the relationship had been fully and appropriately disclosed including during his recruitment process. Auchincloss, a Canadian, has worked for BP since its takeover in 1998 of oil giant Amoco. He is seen as one of the leading candidates for the top job, but faces competition from others within BP. One source this week told Reuters that he was already the power behind the throne. A BP spokesman said there had been a rigorous and thorough appointment process when Looney was handed the top job. A London-based traveller has been left outraged after she was quoted up to $1,899 for a three-hour flight between two neighbouring Australian states. Hayleye was looking for return flights from Sydney to Hervey Bay in Queensland over the Christmas and New Year period on booking.com, a third-party travel agency that sells Qantas flights. She was shocked to discover flights would cost between $441 and $1,899 and slammed the cost of the more expensive fares as a 'pure money grab'. 'This is what they are charging from NSW to QLD. This makes me beyond angry! 'Going to say it again for the keyboard warriors, there is cheaper options, but they don't match my International flight arrival, and this just happened to catch my eye while searching all different websites. 'I was just pointing out the fact they think/can charge this at all. Yes, there is cheaper yes, this is the most expensive there is, but the point was that is even an option.' The same dates on the Qantas website showed direct return flights from Sydney to Hervey Bay would cost passengers between $471 and $1,005. Return flights that made a stop in Brisbane ranged between $698 to $2,081. A London-based traveller was shocked to find return Qantas flights from Sydney to Hervey Bay could cost her over $1,700 (pictured, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce) Flights that made a stop in Brisbane between Sydney and Hervey Bay cost almost $2,000 There are various factors that influence the quoted fare for flights. Aussies are advised to compare prices from different sources to find the best deal. One effective method is to use a website like Skyscanner, which searches multiple travel sites and allows you to compare offers. Being flexible with variables such as travel dates, layovers, and airlines will also maximise savings. The more flexible you are, the more options you'll have. For instance, budget carrier Jetstar offers direct flights with similar departure times at less than half the price of Qantas fares, albeit without baggage included. Travelling one day later can save approximately $85 on Qantas fares, and avoiding the peak summer period can lead to significant savings. A Qantas spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that Jetstar had return flights from Sydney to Hervey Bay for $409 and Qantas was offering return flights from $799. 'It looks like fares are more expensive on booking.com,' she said. Aussies were divided over whether the prices were unfair. 'You're flying out of a small/regional airport in the holiday season and complaining because they don't have cheap flights at the exact time you want,' one man said. Hayleye replied: 'The point I was making is that they are allowed to charge this amount at all. Just because it's regional shouldn't make it extortionate.' 'If you have family in Australia get them to book the flights, its cheaper. Qantas is picking up that you're in another country,' one woman suggested. Hayleye said the cheaper flights wouldn't leave her without enough time to travel from the international to the domestic airport, meaning she would have to spend more (stock image) Hayleye said she understood that Christmas is expensive and that she had no issue paying $700 to $800 for return flights to Hervey Bay. 'But I just think anything above that is a pure money grab!' she continued. 'Not saying there isn't cheaper options, just not options that matches what I need. I just think it's crazy they can even charge this at all.' One woman said she had lived in Hervey Bay for 25 years and that it had always been expensive to fly from regional areas. 'I regularly fly from Adelaide to Brisbane, about once or twice a month, it's always $600, return. It may have been better to book from here,' she wrote. A homeowner has issued a warning to Australians considering a house-and-land package after the company that was building his dream home went under - with his $50,000 deposit now hanging in the balance. Simone Homes Pty Ltd, based in Leppington in Sydney's south-west, went into voluntary liquidation on August 24, owing at least $1.65million to tradies, suppliers and clients, according to a creditor's report. Dozens of customers have been left in the lurch including Chris Le, who was unaware Simone Homes had even gone into liquidation until the news was reported in the media earlier this month. Mr Le bought a block of land in Eagle Vale near Campbelltown in December 2021 where he was planning to build a forever home for himself, his partner and both sets of parents. But almost two years later, the lot is still a vacant block of dirt. Chris Le bought this block of land in Eagle Vale in December 2021 to build his dream home. Almost two years later, the block remains a vacant lot of dirt An aerial shot shows one side of the street consisting of vacant land. One of those empty lots belongs to Mr Le Another builder Bordeaux homes has offered to take on the project and honour the deposit Mr Le paid to Simone Homes. But Mr Le has now lost trust with builders and land house packages. 'I'm at their mercy. It means I say goodbye to my deposit if I exit this land house package deal,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'But if I stay, what if this builder collapses too, and I lose more than $50k? 'There's nowhere else to go. We don't get a choice of making sure we have a good builder. 'We were forced to go with a builder that was appointed by whoever packaged this land and house tender.' 'The last two years have been very painful for me, my partner and our parents.' Mr Le had already felt uneasy about building a home given the number of construction businesses to go under this year. His fears grew when Simone Homes's main staff members stopped responding to his emails and he eventually noticed their website and social media pages were not working. Chris Le fears he's lost his $50,000 deposit with Simone Homes after the construction business collapsed. Pictured is his block of land which remains vacant Pictured is an artist impression of the dream home Chris, his partner and their parents had dreamed of moving into Mr Le says he's aware of at least six other impacted Simone Homes customers across Sydney's south and south-west. He has set up a Facebook page for impacted Simone Homes customers to band together to fight for adequate compensation and ensure their homes are completed. Mr Le's family chose Eagle Vale due to its proximity to the new airport at Badgerys Creek, accessibility to hospitals in Campbelltown and Camden as well as Cabramatta's Vietnamese community. 'My parents came here to Australia in 1990 and have worked very hard since,' Mr Le said. 'When I got the chance to enter the property market a few years ago, I took my parents house shopping. 'We went from home to home but found so many defects in them. So when we saw the house and land packages, I thought building a brand new home would be cheaper than buying an existing one with defects costing more than $100,000.' Mr Le is uncertain of his chances of getting his money back after lodging a claim with the liquidator this week. 'There are so many people owed money and we're low on the priority list of creditors, which I understand,' he said. The amount owed by Simone Homes has since risen as the list of creditors submitting proof of debt claims with the liquidator continues to grow. Brad Tonks from insolvency firm PKF has been appointed as the liquidator. Creditors yet to submit a proof of debt claim with the liquidator only have until next Thursday (September 21) to do so. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Simone Homes and the liquidator for comment. Established in 2014, Simone Homes' total assets are worth $816,000 but some have a realisable value of zero, according to the liquidator's report. Simone Homes Pty Ltd (display home pictured) entered voluntary liquidation on August 24 owing at least $1.65million. The figure owed to creditors has since grown Alarm bells rang for Chris Le when he realised the Simone Home website had been taken down READ MORE: Devastated couple left with unfinished house after Qattro collapses Advertisement Other past and present Simone Homes clients have also vented their frustrations. 'Horrendous company to work with. Save yourself the money and the trouble and go somewhere else,' a recent Google review states. 'You're better off letting a five-year-old build your property.' Another disgruntled former client claims their home built a few years ago now leaks. 'Tried to contact the builder multiple times just to get some advice on how to fix the issue properly, but they neither replied to my emails nor answered my phone calls,' the Google review posted a month ago states. The company's social media accounts have been taken down while its website simply states 'we're building a new client experience'. 'We are Sydney's choice for bespoke, design and build partners. We're dedicated to providing excellent quality, design and service,' its now-deleted LinkedIn page stated. The company describes itself on the Leppington Living website as a 'trusted home builder'. 'Basing our foundations on quality, design and trust, we take pride in being one of the most reliable home builders in Sydney. Having rich experience in delivering well-built homes, we are known for our exceptional and on-time services,' it states. 'With the proven track record of our workmanship, we are not just any Sydney builders but the ones who value your 'Dream Home' and strive to make it a reality.' Simone Homes joins a lengthy list of building companies which have gone into administration in the post-lockdown period, as the construction industry struggles with the soaring cost of materials and staff shortages. A National Australia Bank customer was shocked to receive a letter telling him the bank would close his account in six weeks without any reason - despite him being a client for more than 30 years. Shane Lucas, 49, received an abrupt notice on Tuesday that he had until October 14 to close all his NAB accounts. After that, the bank would wait two weeks before doing it for him. 'You will have until October 14 2023, to withdraw any remaining funds in your account(s), and to repay any funds you owe us,' the bank wrote to Mr Lucas. The letter told Mr Lucas that any remaining funds could be 'transferred to the Commonwealth government as 'unclaimed money', and amounts under $20 could be transferred to the NAB Foundation. 'If accounts and services have not been closed by the October 19 2023, we will close your accounts and services.' 'I got the letter on Monday and thought, what the f** is this?' Mr Lucas told Daily Mail Australia. Shane Lucas was shocked to receive a letter from his bank saying they would close all his accounts in six weeks time 'I called up the NAB three times and asked, 'what the hell is going on here?' 'It was a young guy, and he was pretty good. We spoke through it, and he was pretty stunned. 'He said: 'I've never seen anything like this'.' The NAB letter stated the account was being closed 'in line with section 143 of the Banking Code of Practice'. Section 143 of the Banking Code of Practice states that a bank 'may close an account of yours under its terms and conditions if that account is in credit'. This section states the bank will give reasonable notice, 'pay you the amount of the account balance' but may charge 'a reasonable amount' for closing accounts. The letter does not give any explanation why the NAB is moving to close Mr Lucas's account However, if the bank was owed money the account would stay open until the debt was cleared. At the bottom of the letter NAB states that all queries must be emailed to its accounts closures section. 'Our branches and call centres are unable to assist in this matter,' the bank advises. Mr Lucas said he is at a loss to know why his personal and business accounts are being closed. 'I am as straight as you come,' he said. 'I don't drink. I don't go to the pub. I don't gamble. 'I am just a family man who runs a small business my bank account (and I) can't get any cleaner. 'I pay my suppliers and get paid by my clients. I haven't written 'duck off' on any of my transactions.' A spokesperson for NAB told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that they do not comment on individual cases. However, they clarified that any money they sent to the Commonwealth government could be claimed 'by the rightful owner' at any time. Major banks have terms and conditions which state customers may not use their services if they engage in conduct that in 'the opinion' of the bank is offensive, harassing or threatening to other people. Mr Lucas said when he read about this in a NAB brochure he made a complaint to this local branch about why the bank should be allowed to do this but was dismissed as 'being silly'. He has since been told the account closure was not punishment for raising that objection. According to Mr Lucas the single letter is the only communication he has from the bank about looming account closure. 'There's no email, there's nothing in internet banking, there's no notifications,' he said. 'What if I was overseas and didn't get that letter?' Frustrated by the lack of communication, Mr Lucas went to see his local bank manager. 'He went through my personal and business accounts and there's nothing there,' Mr Lucas said. 'He couldn't see on his screen why they have closed my account so the branches get no information.' 'When I said 'is it because I brought Bitcoin? He said that's probably the issue.' A NAB spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that they would comment on individual customer cases NAB announced in July that it would stop 'transactions made to high-risk cryptocurrency exchanges' to save customers from 'a scam epidemic'. 'If you attempt to make a payment using your NAB Visa credit or debit card to one of these exchanges, the transaction will be declined, and you will be shown a message which says, 'Issuer Declined Transaction',' a Q&A on the announcement said. There was no mention of closing accounts. Mr Lucas said he hasn't sent any money to a Bitcoin exchange in a while. 'I am a shrimp not a Bitcoin whale,' he said. 'I am not some big multi-millionaire. I am just an average guy.' Mr Lucas says after this he is done with NAB and has been asking around, only to find some banks are refusing to do any Bitcoin transactions. 'You go and gamble. You go to the pub. You can go to a brothel with Asian sex slaves, they are fine with that but you can't buy Bitcoin?' Mr Lucas said. 'If I go buy a car and it is a lemon of a car and a bad investment that's my choice. 'If I go buy Bitcoin and I buy at the top and sell at the bottom then that's a bad investment, that's my choice. 'No one holds a gun to your head and says you've got to buy this or you've got to see this. 'It should be a free society where we have the right to purchase what we want. I am not doing anything illegal.' Residents who call some of Australia's most picturesque spots home fear a massive wind turbine offshore project will destroy their coastal communities forever. The NSW Central Coast and Hunter regions north of Sydney are rallying together to fight the Anthony Albanese government's proposed plans to build an offshore wind farm in its efforts to bring Australia towards net-zero emissions. The Hunter Offshore Renewable Energy Area is proposed to cover more than 1,800 square kilometres between Swansea and Port Stephens. It could generate up to 5GW of wind energy, enough to power an estimated 4.2m homes and power local industries. The federal government recently declared the area as suitable for future offshore wind development, along with Victoria's Gippsland region. On the Central Coast, Noah Head residents fear the offshore wind farm will not only destroy their seaside town but also the wider region in the long term. The NSW Central Coast and Hunter regions are up in arms about a proposed offshore wind farm. Pictured is an artist impression of what the turbines would look like from the coast Fears for threats to ocean wildlife have also been raised. 'The long-term suffering and the impacts are not being considered,' Love Noah Head group spokesman Nick Anderson told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'Wrecking our beaches, wrecking our coastline, wrecking our wildlife and destroying our tourism, that's not the solution.' 'Australia and especially places like Port Stephens rely on that tourism.' 'That's why it's beautiful, and that's why we go there, because it is beautiful. It's where we go to lose all the hard work we've put in during the week, we go there to relax and we become Australians again. Noah Head locals successfully lobbied for the proposed zone to be reduced from 2810 square kilometres and be moved further away from the coast during the government's community consultation process. But it means the offshore wind farm will be just 20km off the coast of Port Stephens. 'They have got to get together, and they've got to in numbers object, and they've got to go in there with good objective reasons as to why it's not viable,' Mr Anderson said. 'If they're in there in numbers, the government can't ignore them.' READ MORE: How the views at some of Australia' scenic coastal spots will be VERY different Advertisement The federal government announced in July that the NSW Hunter region has been declared as suitable for future offshore wind development. Pictured in green is the proposed zone Locals say the wind turbines will wrecking their coastline and destroy tourism, along with wildlife The turbines will soar 260 metres into the sky; double the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 'If you're looking out on an industrial complex of wind turbines, you're not going to enjoy yourself,' Mr Anderson said. 'They've been moved off the Central Coast because of what we did, so they're now 57km from Noah Head.' 'But we will still see them. Port Stephens is only 20km away so they will see then very clearly.' Several other offshore wind farms have been proposed for Bass Strait, the NSW Illawarra region and Bunbury in Western Australia. The NSW Hunter project announced in July is currently in the feasibility stage, where interested developers have until November to submit feasibility licence applications for proposed offshore wind projects. Construction can begin once the feasibility stage is complete and environmental and management plan approvals are in place. The project is expected to create up to 3,120 construction jobs and another 1,560 ongoing operational jobs in the Hunter region. 'The Hunter is undergoing significant economic change, and the prospect of creating new job opportunities for decades to come through a new offshore wind industry is a game changer,' climate change minister Chris Bowen said. This is the shocking moment a masked armed robber threatened three young women in an attempt to rob a newsagent. Dramatic footage shows the man bursting into the shop in Londonderry while a teenage shop worker was inside accompanied by two of her friends. He is seen pulling a metal tool from his pocket before trying to get to the till - only for one of the girls to bravely push him away. The thug then jumps over the counter before grabbing something and running away. Police are now investigating the attempted robbery at 8.10pm on Monday in the Moss Park area of Londonderry. Footage shows an armed robbery bursting into a shop in Londonderry on Monday night. A teenage shop assistant was inside with her two friends The tool-wielding thug tries to rush through to the till but one of the girls bravely blocks his way The suspect wore a green hoodie, black trousers and dark shoes. His face was covered by a black mask. READ MORE - Boutique boss tackles thieves AGAIN: Moment brave businesswoman catches shoplifter trying to steal 250 worth of Paco Rabanne Advertisement The suspect wore a green hooded top, with the top pulled up, black trousers and dark shoes. His face was fully covered with a black mask. Detective Sergeant Ballentine said: 'This was a brazen act that was really distressing and shocking for those impacted, in particular the female staff member who was left badly shaken. 'This was a despicable crime. Fortunately, at this time, we have no reports anyone was physically injured during the course of this despicable crime. 'We are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time who believes they saw a male matching the description of the suspect, who saw him enter the shop or run off. 'We would also ask anyone with CCTV or doorbell cameras to check footage between 8:00pm and 8.15pm.' It comes amid a renewed focus on shoplifting across the UK, with many store owners reporting an increase in offences in Covid. In footage filmed on Monday night, he then jumps over the counter before grabbing something He then runs out of the store. Police are investigating the incident, which left the girls 'shaken' Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the John Lewis Partnership, has called shoplifting an 'epidemic' and called for a comprehensive plan to stop organised gangs. Yesterday, Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said he hopes to see 'significant improvements' in the way police find and prosecute offenders. READ MORE - Now shoplifters use social media to tell fans how to steal: Youngsters share tips using codewords like 'borrow' to get around censors Advertisement He said that shoplifting was 'clearly unacceptable' and that the government would work with police forces to 'drive down crime' in the area. It comes after Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the John Lewis Partnership, described shoplifting in the UK as an 'epidemic' and called for a comprehensive plan to stop organised gangs. The boss of Primark has also called for the shoplifting crisis to be taken 'more seriously' while the chairman of Asda has warned shoplifting has effectively been 'decriminalised'. And Tesco is offering every frontline worker at the supermarket a body camera following an increase in violent attacks on staff. The Mail on Sunday is campaigning for a crackdown on shoplifting, a crime now so widespread a theft takes place every two seconds. John Lewis is among 10 of the UK's biggest retailers which have agreed to pay around 600,000 towards a police operation to crack down on shoplifting dubbed Project Pegasus. The project will utilise CCTV pictures and facial recognition technology to get a better understanding of how such operations are executed. Shop thefts have more than doubled in the past six years, reaching eight million in 2022, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) estimates. Asked whether there was recognition that shoplifting was a problem, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters in Westminster: 'Shoplifting is clearly unacceptable and then the public would expect us to work with police forces to drive down crime. 'It's worth noting that crime overall has fallen significantly, whether it's on neighbour crimes like burglary, robbery, vehicle theft, or indeed violent crime. 'Police forces in England and Wales have rightly committed to pursuing any available evidence where there's a reasonable chance it could lead them to catching a perpetrator and solving a crime, and we hope to see significant improvements in the way the police approach crimes like shoplifting to bring more offenders to justice.' The historic prison where writer Oscar Wilde was held for 'gross indecency' is finally set to be sold, according to campaigners. Reading Gaol - which closed in 2013 - was where Wilde was imprisoned after his gay relationships were exposed, at a time when homosexual activity was illegal. Wilde served two years hard labour at the prison from 1895 until 1897, an experience which inspired his last published work, The Ballad Of Reading Gaol. The author, who was left a broken man by the experience, wrote of 'narrow' cells and the 'fetid breath of living death' at the prison. A sale of the prison to a property developer collapsed in November 2020. But yesterday, campaigners looking to save the prison for the public said they had heard on 'good authority' that the Ministry of Justice has agreed a sale. When approached by MailOnline, the MoJ did not deny the claim but refused to comment on the grounds the process is 'commercially sensitive'. The historic prison where writer Oscar Wilde was held after having a gay affair is finally set to be sold. Reading Gaol - which closed in 2013 - was where Wilde was imprisoned after his gay relationship with fellow poet Lord Alfred Douglas was exposed Wilde served two years hard labour at the prison from 1895 until 1897, an experience which inspired his last published work, The Ballad Of Reading Gaol The Government previously rejected a 2.6million offer from Reading Borough Council to buy the prison and turn it into a cultural hub. The Victorian Society said they have written to the Justice Secretary urging the Government to ensure the public will be able to visit the former prison after it is sold. In 2016, when the grade-II listed prison was opened to the public for a month, Britons were able to see the top floor cell that Wilde was held in. Campaign group Save Reading Gaol said yesterday after airing the sale agreement rumour that they had heard that the 'preferred bidder' does not intend to use the site for commercial development but instead wants it for 'charitable purposes'. They added that any potential buyer has a 'weight of responsibility' to preserve the prison. In 2016, when the grade-II listed prison was opened to the public for a month, Britons were able to see the top floor cell (above) that Wilde was held in The Government previously rejected a 2.6million offer from Reading Borough Council to buy the prison and turn it into a cultural hub Save Reading Gaol was formed in 2019 and has advocated for the development of the building as a community and arts venue. In response to the news that a sale might be imminent, Connor McNeill, the Victorian Society's conservation advisor, said: 'As a significant historic building Reading Gaol has the potential to generate significant public benefits and interest which in turn will create visits to Reading providing economic stimulus in the long term.' Wilde was imprisoned after a showcase trial which saw him charged with acts of gross indecency. Following short stints in Pentonville and Wandsworth prisons he was moved to Reading, which was then home to some of the country's most dangerous men. For the sensitive, fun-loving writer, the prison experience was devastating and he left a broken man. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and William Boynthon Moffatt, the prison opened in 1844. Above: The prison when it opened to the public for a month in 2016 He was financially ruined and forced to live in exile in France, where he penned his ballad. He wrote: 'Each narrow cell in which we dwell Is foul and dark latrine, And the fetid breath of living Death Chokes up each grated screen, And all, but Lust, is turned to dust In Humanity's machine.' Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and William Boynthon Moffatt, the prison opened in 1844. It was used as an internment site in both world wars and later became a young offenders' institution until it was closed for good. Wilde was financially ruined and forced to live in exile in exile in France, where he penned his ballad A retired detective who investigated serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer has described the moment that he saw a mummified head in the sick murderer's fridge for the first tie. Michael Dubis, who worked for the Milwaukee Police Department for 34 years, was left horrified after the discovery in Dahmer's tiny one-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin. In his first ever interview for Fox Nation documentary My Son Jeffrey: The Dahmer Family Tapes, which airs on Monday, Dubis said: 'I as a 31-year-old young man with two years of experience on homicides. 'To see something like that, just understanding what it would take to do that to another person, was a shock'. Dahmer raped, murdered and cannibalized 17 young men across Wisconsin and Ohio between 1978 and 1991, and was convicted in 1992 of the crimes. Dahmer raped, murdered and cannibalized 17 young men across Wisconsin and Ohio between 1978 and 1991, and was convicted in 1992 of the crimes Milwaukee cops found five severed heads in Dahmer's kitchen, including the one in the fridge that Dubis was asked to look at The serial killer was arrested in 1991 after Tracy Edwards escaped Dahmer's clutches and flagged down two police officers. Milwaukee cops found five severed heads in Dahmer's kitchen, including the one in the fridge that Dubis was asked to look at. They found seven skulls, a tray of blood drippings, two human hearts, part of an arm, a torso and a bag of human organs and flesh at the property. Speaking on the documentary, which airs September 18, Dubis said: 'After 34 years in the police department, this is the very first time that I have spoken before cameras about Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment. 'About what I saw about what I lived through, it just seems to be the right time. As I entered the apartment, I looked up at the officer and he said, "go have a look in the refrigerator". 'I open up the door, I see a human head in a small cardboard box in the bottom of the refrigerator.' Horrifically they also discovered two skeletons, a pair of severed hands, two severed penises, a mummified scalp, as well as three more torsos dissolving in a 57-gallon drum of acid. When raiding Dahmer's apartment, cops also found 74 Polaroid pictures detailing the dismemberment of each victim. The serial killer was arrested in 1991 after Tracy Edwards escaped Dahmer's clutches and flagged down two police officers Michael Dubis, who worked for the Milwaukee Police Department for 34 years, was left horrified after the discovery in Dahmer's tiny one-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin They found seven skulls, a tray of blood drippings, two human hearts, part of an arm, a torso and a bag of human organs and flesh at the property Knives and sawblades were scattered on the floor, as well as a hypodermic needle and an electric drill which he is believed to have used on his victims. Dahmer was handed 15 consecutive life sentences in jail, but only served two before he was beaten to death by fellow inmate Charles Sarver at the age of 34. The convicted sex offender targeted victims between the ages of 14 to 33, and admitted violating the corpses after he killed them. Dahmer's twisted crimes and life were serialized in the hit Netflix documentary Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story last year. By day Dahmer worked in a chocolate factory but by night he would go out to find many of his victims at gay bars. Dahmer, who was already a convicted sex offender, was sent to prison in 1991 after he confessed to killing 17 men and boys between the ages of 14 to 33 Dahmer was found guilty of murdering (L-R) Curtis Straughter, Steven Mark Hicks, Ricahrd Guerrero, Jeremy Weinberger, Jamie Doxtator, Ricky Beeks, Oliver Lacy, Errol Lindsey, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Ernest Miller, Anthony Hughes, Joseph Bradehoft , Matt Turner, Anthony Sears, David C Thomas and Edward Smith When raiding Dahmer's apartment, cops also found 74 Polaroid pictures detailing the dismemberment of each victim He would invite them to his Milwaukee home so they could drink alcohol and he could take pictures of them naked. Dahmer would then drug his victims, strangle or stab them, before dismembering them and eating parts of their bodies and saving others in his refrigerator or other parts of his house. He was caught out in July 1991 when his 18th intended victim, 52-year-old Tracy Edwards, managed to escape after Dahmer had put him in handcuffs and tried to attack him with a knife. After Edwards brought police to the apartment, Dahmer was arrested and admitted killing 17 young men, his youngest victim - Konerak Sinthasomphone - being 14 years old, and his eldest - Eddie Smith - being 36. Spoonamore was also charged with speeding, obstruction of official business, and simple assault on an officer In body-cam video, she is seen attempting to seduce a police officer, screaming and resisting arrest, and even allegedly spitting on an officer Grace Spoonamore, 20, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in Brunswick, Ohio, on April 30, 2023 A 'drunk' stripper was caught trying to seduce an Ohio police officer during her hit-and-run traffic stop in newly released body cam footage. Grace Spoonamore, 20, was taken into custody by Brunswick police in April after she allegedly slammed into a Chevy Cruze within clear view of a uniformed officer. In footage from the arrest, Spoonamore - who appears visibly intoxicated - attempts to flirt and seduce the officer, even telling him to taser her as she 'likes it kinky.' At one point, as the officer tells her to get into the police car, Spoonamore calls him 'handsome man' and says: 'You feel some type of way cause my leg ain't in the car?' An edited version of the original one-hour bodycam video has gone viral on YouTube, amassing more than 1 million views in four days. A drunk stripper was caught trying to seduce an Ohio police officer in newly released body cam footage following her arrest for a hit-and-run in April According to a police report obtained by DailyMail.com, the 20-year-old woman was driving in a blue Buick Enclave which came back with felony warrants attached. The officer observed the woman speed off at a green light and slam into another car, prompting him to begin following her as she appeared to be fleeing from him. The cop eventually pulled her over, and the officer noted Spoonamore appeared disoriented with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. In the video, she initially denies being under the influence but then tells the officer that she had 'two doubles' of patron at 'Trick's' house. She later told a second responding officer that she had really had three doubles, which amounts to six total drinks. After being put in handcuffs, Spoonamore is asked if she has anything on her, which causes her to laugh and tell the officer, 'I don't know, you want to check me?' As she is sitting in the patrol car, Officer Dominick Demedal asks the Georgia native what her current address is, which she refuses to give. 'Don't worry bout all that,' she responds. 'I'm not giving it to you.' 'What are you going to do if I don't?' she asks. 'Charge you with obstruction,' he says. 'Construction of what?' she responds before he states 'official business.' 'Okay, that's cool, I don't care,' Spoonamore yells back. In the video, she initially denies being under the influence but then tells the officer that she had 'two doubles' of patron at 'Trick's' house As she is sitting in the patrol car, Officer Dominick Demedal asks the Georgia native what her current address is, which she refuses to give Spoonamore sobs in the back of the patrol car During another wild moment, Demedal is caught off guard as Spoonamore tells him that she is a stripper at an undisclosed club. 'Where's that,' he responds. 'What the f**k do you mean what's that?' she states. 'You know.' As Demedal is filling out the paperwork for the arrest and prior to her alcohol and drug testing, Spoonamore allegedly spat on Brunswick Officer Robert Dugan. The incident was not caught on camera but the moments after show Spoonamore kicking on the car's plexiglass divider as the officer tries to speak with her. Minutes later, she is seen crying and telling the officers she doesn't trust them and asks if she can step out of the patrol car and talk to the two male officers 'woman to woman.' Another peculiar moment during the arrest comes when one of Spoonamore's buddies approaches the officers and tells them she is looking for her friend. The unidentified woman tells officers that Spoonamore had 'left the family function and was in this area' and was concerned for her. The officers then tell her about the drunk driving, hit-and-run, and the assault on a police officer, saying: 'Yeah, she's going to jail.' Cops then ask the friend if they can give her address or tell them how long she has lived in the Northeast Ohio area but she says she doesn't know and asks 'why does that matter?' The woman is seen in the video screaming and yelling at the officers Another peculiar moment during the arrest comes when one of Spoonamore's buddies approaches the officers and tells them she is looking for her friend As the officers were carting the Georgia woman off to the police station, she threatens to 'piss on' the officer's face, but only if he 'likes it.' She ultimately does pee her pants in the backseat of the cruiser. 'I couldn't help it,' she says as they walk into the police station. While standing and waiting for her mugshot to be taken, she repeatedly attempts to take off her pants while the officer looks for a female officer to help her. Spoonamore steps out of the blue box taped on the floor as he tells her to stay there until she steps to him and says she would be okay with getting tasered. 'You want to tase me? Do it. I like it. I like it kinky,' she says. As the officers take the woman back out of the station and to a patrol car, she begins screaming and crying and claiming that they are going to rape her. 'You're going to rape me, stop trying to rape me,' she calls out. She then lays down and resists being put in the vehicle to go to the hospital, kicking and yelling that they are trying to take her 'down to Mexico.' The officers comment on the odd Mexico statement while she sits in the car screaming, asking 'where does that come into play?' to no answer. Online, some social media users have speculated and wondered if the 20-year-old from Georgia may have been sexually trafficked. 'You want to tase me? Do it. I like it. I like it kinky,' Spoonamore says at one point Spoonamore is walked out of the police station to go to the hospital As the officers take the woman back out of the station and to a patrol car, she begins screaming and crying and claiming that they are going to rape her The video ends with Spoonamore and Demedal in the patrol vehicle on the way to the hospital as she continues to weep. The woman was ultimately arrested on suspicion of speeding, operating a vehicle under the influence, obstructing official business and simple assault on an officer. Medina County court records show she has been charged with at least one count of harassment with a bodily substance, purportedly for spitting on the officer. Spoonamore will next appear before a judge on September 18 for pretrial. Her criminal trial is set to begin October 2 in Brunswick. Wife-killer Chris Dawson has had one year piled onto his already lengthy prison sentence for engaging in unlawful sexual activities with an underage student. Dawson fronted Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday to be sentenced after he was earlier this year found guilty of one count of carnal knowledge. Wearing prison greens, Dawson, 75, appeared via videolink from Long Bay Jail in Sydney's eastern suburbs. 'I can hear you, yes I can,' he told the court as he was brought on screen. The former Newtown Jets star and teacher has already been told he can expect to die in prison after he was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years for the murder of his wife Lynette in early 1982. Judge Sarah Huggett on Friday sentenced Dawson another three years in prison for his carnal knowledge conviction. He effectively had one year added onto his non-parole period meaning he won't be eligible for release until August 2041. Judge Huggett in June found Dawson guilty of engaging in sexual acts with a then 16-year-old student, who can only be known as AB, when she was in his year 11 PE class. Chris Dawson had already been sentenced to at least 18 years in prison Chris Dawson (pictured in 2018) fronted Sydney 's Downing Centre District Court on Friday to be sentenced after he was earlier this year found guilty of one count of carnal knowledge He had pleaded not guilty and argued that their first sexual contact did not occur until the following year - when she was in year 12. However, Judge Huggett accepted AB's testimony that she was 'groomed' by Dawson in the playground before they first engaged in sexual activity in his parent's Maroubra home in the latter half of 1980. 'I was told to keep it a secret,' AB said in her testimony to the court. Dawson has lodged a notice of intention to appeal his conviction. The court previously heard AB had a tumultuous home life, marked by alcohol abuse and that she at one point saw Dawson as a mentor and trusted adult. She told the court that Dawson had told her that he deliberately altered the class role so that she would be in his class in year 11. 'The Crown points to what's submitted to be steps of grooming and exploitation of the victim's vulnerability,' Crown prosecutor Emma Blizard told the court on Friday. Defence barrister Claire Wasley argued that given AB was 16, which was at the upper end of the age range for the offence, it should have a bearing on the objective seriousness of Dawson's offence. Judge Huggett found AB's allegations were backed up by a 'large amount of independent' evidence. AB testified that Dawson left 'hundreds' of love notes in her school bag and gave her cards on special occasions. One card, which was dated Christmas 1980, said 'once or twice every minute' and was signed off as 'God'. A card given to AB by Chris Dawson at Christmas in 1980. Picture: Supplied A card given to AB by Chris Dawson. Picture: Supplied. AB told the court that the reference to 'God' was an attempt to disguise himself because he knew she was 16-years-old. In another card dated 1981, Dawson wrote: 'To the most beautiful girl in the world on her 17th birthday, knowing we will share all the birthdays to follow, all my love.' The court was also read an excerpt from her year 11 report card in which Dawson wrote that she was a 'pleasure to teach'. '(AB) worked well in class and made valuable contributions in discussions. A very pleasant personality, a pleasure to teach,' Dawson wrote on the report card. During her evidence, AB claimed 'pleasure to teach' was a double entendre, which referred to their sexual activities 'He was referring to the lessons I'd learned in sexual activity that he had taught me,' AB said. Chris Dawson with wife Lynette A man who worked at the same supermarket as AB as a teenager told the court that he was threatened by Dawson in a darkened parking lot in 1980. The man told the court that at the time, he harboured a crush on her and asked her out on several occasions. He said he was working a Saturday morning shift when he was approached by Dawson while collecting trolleys from the parking lot. He said Dawson came 'out of the shadows' and backed him up against a concrete ramp and warned him with words to the effect of: 'Stay away from her, don't go near her.' Dawson was last year found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette, who disappeared from their Bayview home on Sydney's northern beaches in January 1982. Justice Ian Harrison sentenced Dawson to 24 years in jail, with an 18-year non-parole period which will expire on August 29, 2040. A certain conventional wisdom about the 2024 presidential race has dominated political discourse for much of this year: Donald Trump is unstoppable when it comes to winning the Republican nomination but cannot hope to retake the White House come the general election. What endears him to his partys base repels the independent and moderate voters he needs to win the presidency. So, Joe Biden is clear favorite to be elected for a second term. That conventional wisdom is now smashed to smithereens and not in a good way, for those who dont want to see Trump back in the Oval Office. Indeed, he is more than ever a shoo-in to win the Republican nomination: Four indictments and 91 criminal charges have only served to rally his partys base tighter around him, leaving rival candidates in the dust as also-rans. No, suddenly its Biden whos perceived to be the loser with an increasing number of Democrats now fearing that if he runs again the likely outcome is the unthinkable a Trump victory. A certain conventional wisdom has dominated political discourse for much of this year: Donald Trump is unstoppable when it comes to winning the Republican nomination but cannot hope to retake the White House come the 2024 general election. (Pictured: President Biden). That conventional wisdom is now smashed to smithereens. Suddenly its Biden whos perceived to be the loser with an increasing number of Democrats now fearing that if he runs again the likely outcome is the unthinkable a Trump victory. (Pictured: Trump and Melania). For the moment very few have the gumption to go public with such fears. But it is being whispered whenever top Dems gather behind closed doors. Take my word for it: a nascent Dump Joe movement is in the making and it will be a serious political force before the year is out. It is being propelled by two interlinked factors: Bidens age (he will be 82 next year) and his dire poll ratings, which have sapped Democratic confidence that his re-election up against Trump would be just a formality. Fresh evidence of his descent into senility is daily visible for those with eyes to see. Some left-wing commentators claim its being exaggerated by the media. The opposite is true: Americas overwhelmingly pro-Democratic mainstream media has done its best to look the other way. But it is now too omnipresent even for his media cheerleaders to ignore. At a recent ceremony to honor a military veteran, Biden simply wandered off the stage without saying anything and shuffled slowly to the exit before hed even completed the presentation. The camera zoomed in on the old war heros bewildered face. He was almost in tears as what should have been the greatest day of his life crumbled before him. It was heart-breaking to watch. More often Biden is just embarrassing and does America no favors on the world stage. At the recent G20 meeting in India he had two goes at pronouncing the name of Saudi Arabias strongman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He stumbled: Mohammed Bin Solemn... excuse me, Mohammed bin Salam. In Hanoi, he labored to make a joke about the famous song Good Morning Vietnam. Its a movie. He referred to developing nations as the Third World, a phrase that went out of use about four decades ago. He reached for a quote from an old John Wayne film to describe climate change deniers as lying dog-faced pony soldiers. That must have been fun for the translators. And he claimed that climate change was worse than nuclear war. Onlookers scratched their heads. Vietnam is now, amazingly given the horrors of the Vietnam War, one of Americas most important allies on the Pacific Rim. Its leaders were spared further embarrassment from a president whod clearly lost the plot by the intervention of his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, who has her own challenges with the English language. She cut his mic and ushered him out, no doubt for a glass of hot milk and bed. The big losers in all this will be the ad agencies who make a fortune out of slick political commercials in presidential election years. The Republicans will have no need of such expensive propaganda in 2024. They just need to recycle the countless clips showing a president of unstable gait, his speech slurred and stilted, his eyes barely visible behind narrow slits on a botoxed face. A man whose time as Leader of the Free World should clearly be behind him. It can only get worse. As Ive written before, the presidency ages you in dog years and Biden, already an old 80 (81 in November), will age even more than his years the longer he is in the job. For the moment few have the gumption to go public with such fears. But it is being whispered whenever top Dems gather behind closed doors. Take my word for it: a nascent Dump Joe movement is in the making and it will be a serious political force before the year is out. The idea, as senior Democrats continue to insist, that he can fully function in the toughest job in the world for another five years (when he will be 86) is simply incredible and insults our intelligence. The American people already know that. In a recent Wall Street Journal poll, 73 per cent thought he was too old to run again, with 60 per cent going as far as to say he was not mentally up for the job. A CNN poll shows even 67 per cent of Democrats now dont want him to run again (up from 54 per cent in March). His approval ratings are also poor at 40 per cent, and a large majority of voters are seriously concerned about his senility and doubt hell last a full term. These are not polling numbers providing a springboard to victory. Indeed, current Biden v Trump match up polls put them neck and neck on around 45 per cent each. In the swing states that will determine the election, Trump is often ahead, though not (yet) by a statistically significant amount. But this is not where Team Biden thought they would be against a rival mired in criminal proceedings. It is too close for comfort and is likely only to get worse as Biden continues his physical and cognitive decline. Who could confidently rule out the possibility that Biden will be in no shape to run at all by this time next year? Youd think Jill, supposedly a kind, caring wife, would be having a private word with him. Senior Democrats remain in denial about all of this, at least in public. Thats partly because theres no obvious alternative. True, a slew of Democratic governors from California to Illinois to Pennsylvania stand ready to throw their hats into the ring should Biden pack it in. But nobodys clear theres a winner among them come the general election. Party managers are united, however, in the view that, whatever the question, Vice President Kamala Harris is not the answer. She was chosen in 2020 to counter arguments against Bidens age. In office shes become the least popular VP in polling history, an albatross round the Biden ticket with close to zero support even among Democrats the Dan Quayle de nos jours. But the fact Harris is a plonker only complicates matters for the Dump Joe forces. After all, if Biden had a decent VP it would be all the easier to nudge him out. Even so, a few voices are at last going public. This week one of the Washington Posts phalanx of self-important Democratic thumb-suckers, David Ignatius, finally broke ranks to opine that Biden should not run again. Current Biden v Trump match up polls put them neck and neck on around 45 per cent each. In the swing states that will determine the election, Trump is often ahead, though not (yet) by a statistically significant amount. It is too close for comfort and is likely only to get worse as Biden continues his physical and cognitive decline. (Pictured: Biden with son Hunter). Others will follow. An anti-Trump liberal conservative in the New York Times already has. The dam is beginning to crack. Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi like Biden part of the gerontocracy that is incapable of giving up power (at 83 shes running again for the House!) was not exactly categorical when asked during an interview on CNN this week if Biden might drop out. She then smirked, laughed and dodged questions when quizzed about Harris. Democrats know theyre between a rock and a hard place. They just cant bring themselves to admit it yet. Of course, Trump has plenty problems of his own. The litany of charges about to be aired in various courts could reveal matters so distasteful that even a chunk of his cult-like support could desert him, opening the door for other Republicans to have a better chance of the nomination. But for now it is Trump who is sitting pretty and Biden who is assailed by troubles on all fronts, not just age and terrible polling but impeachment and the ongoing Hunter Biden scandal too. With Biden still heading the Democratic ticket, theres a new conventional wisdom in town: Not only is Trump clear favorite to win the Republican nomination, as things currently stand he should now be regarded as favorite to win back the White House in November 2024. That prospect will terrify many folks on both sides of the debate. But perhaps it might also put some backbone into those who realize its time to Dump Joe. Drew Barrymore's suspected stalker Chad Michael Busto was released from prison after being arrested for trying to break into Emma Watson's dressing room - as a hapless prosecutor said the celebrity prowler's offense was not eligible to have bail set. Busto, 43, was arrested on Friday night after he tried to bust into Watson's dressing room during New York Fashion Week, but the alleged creeper is already out on supervised release. The move comes less than a month after Busto was freed by a Southhampton judge after he was arrested and charged with fourth-degree after stalking actress Drew Barrymore. Busto turned up at the star's Hamptons home on August 23, two days after confronting her at a live event at the 92nd Street Y. Busto, who failed to show for a fitting for his GPS monitor earlier this month now has an active warrant for his arrest, a Suffolk County representative confirmed with DailyMail.com. Social media users have claimed Busto is known to target female celebrities including Amber Heard. Someone named 'C. Michael Busto' was booted from a Facebook fan group for the actress for 'sexual harassment,' 'threats' and 'stalking,' the Daily Beast reported. Chad Michael Busto, 43, who has been accused of stalking Drew Barrymore, has been arrested after an incident at New York Fashion Week where he was looking for actress Emma Watson Busto was looking for Watson in the incident Friday; he is also dealing with the legal fallout from multiple incidents involving Barrymore Busto has a long criminal history, including an arrest in California, Ohio and Texas Busto has a long criminal history, including an arrest in California, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, and Wisconsin for disorderly conduct, trespassing and other crimes, according to Santa Monica Daily Press. According to multiple police reports, Busto's criminal record dates to June of 1999 and as recently as January of 2022. On August 21, Busto confronted Barrymore at an event at New York City's 92nd Street Y during an interview with Renee Rapp. At the event, according to the New York Post, Busto shouted at Barrymore, 'You know who I am! I need to see you at some point while you're in New York!' Busto was restrained from the stage by a guard on the premises as Rapp led Barrymore off the stage. Two days later, he was taken into custody after he trespassed at the talk show host's nearby luxury $6 million property in Sagaponeck. Officials said he was seen scouring the Hamptons neighborhood looking for Barrymore's home. The 48-year-old actress was not at the residence at the time he was apprehended, sources said. In an August 25 hearing at Southampton Town Justice Court, Judge Barbara Wilson released Busto - who was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree stalking in the incident - under the condition he be fitted with a GPS tracker. In the hearing, Busto told the court he was bankrupt and looking to live at a shelter. He said he was due to appear at a September 3 hearing in Texas in a federal court. Fourth-degree stalking is not a bail-qualifying offense in New York. On Friday night, Busto was arrested again after he went looking for British star, Emma Watson, 33, at one of the fashion shows during New York Fashion week, TMZ reported. Busto reportedly entered a room at the Brooklyn Navy Yard located at 63 Flushing Avenue around 7:40pm demanding to see the Harry Potter star in a room bustling with models and makeup artists. He shouted at onlookers as he pledged his love for the A-list celebrity. 'I want to marry Emma Watson. Let me speak to Emma Watson,' he reportedly said. 'Let me take a photo with Emma Watson.' Management called police and Busto was taken into custody and charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, one counts of trespassing and one count of criminal trespass in the third degree, according to a complaint obtained by DailyMail.com. Several fashion shows were being held at the Navy Yard on Friday including, famed designer Ralph Lauren. Though it is unclear if Watson was in the dressing room or at the fashion show during the ambush, the news outlet reported. The Brooklyn DA's office said Busto was held overnight at central booking after his arrest and was arraigned this week at Brooklyn Court before his release. Busto is being represented by Jessica Kovac, an attorney with Legal Aid Brooklyn. Brooklyn Justice Initiative is handling Busto's supervised release. Kovac she did not respond to MailOnline.com requests for comment. A Suffolk County representative told DailyMail.com on Thursday they were aware of Busto's latest offense. 'Brooklyn is out of our jurisdiction and we were unable to pursue the defendant due to the bail laws on a misdemeanor,' a rep said. They did confirm the warrant for his arrest was still active. Busto's next court date is October 10 at Kings County Criminal Court in Brooklyn, for the Watson case, The New York Post reported. In an August 25 hearing at Southampton Town Justice Court, Judge Barbara Wilson released Busto - who was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree stalking - under the condition he be fitted with a GPS tracker Busto was charged with two counts of trespassing and two counts of disorderly conduct in connection with Emma Watson incident Barrymore's stunning $7 million Hamptons home is pictured Busto told DailyMail.com he had crossed paths with Barrymore around 10 years ago, and was hoping to be in a romance with her. A source close to Barrymore said that the actress was not rattled by the disturbing series of events. 'Drew feels good, feels safe, and even at the moment, it happened so fast she was OK and didn't stress about it,' the source said. 'She has moved on from the incident as she knows that people were there to protect her.' The source continued: 'The one thing she didn't want to happen was to make the incident the thing that was remembered for the night, so she forgot about it as soon as it was over, and she continued talking to Renee and revert the attention back to the conversation, that is what was important for Drew. 'She is not going to change the way she runs her life and protects herself, all those things are and have been set for her during her entire life, and she doesn't want anyone to worry about her wellb Though it is unclear what Barrymore's reaction is in wake of the latest news on Busto, a source told DailyMail.com during last month's incident that Barrymore is in good spirits and does not want to change the way she lives her life after the scary incident. When DailyMail.com reached out to Barrymore's agent and legal team on Thursday to find out how the star was doing amid the recent events on her alleged-stalker they did not hear back. A tent collapse in suburban Chicago has left at least 26 people injured after a 'freak gust of wind' sent the structure 'flying through the air'. The tent collapsed at around 10.45am local time in the car park in the Cintas parking lot, 5600 W. 73rd St., in Bedford Park, leaving five seriously injured, local police chief Tom Hansen said. The structure was being used for an event being hosted in the car park, he said. 'The Bedford Park Fire Department, along with multiple fire department agencies from surrounding jurisdictions, transported 26 patients to area hospitals for treatment,' police said in a news release. A tent collapse in suburban Chicago has left at least 26 people injured after a 'freak gust of wind' sent the structure 'flying through the air' The tent collapsed at around 10.45am local time in the car park of a business, Mr Hansen told local news outlets Police said the cause of the collapse was under investigation. According to ABC7, the tent had been set up in the parking lot of Design Collective by CINTAS for an outdoor luncheon. Witnesses told the network the collapse was triggered by a freak gust of wind and one person said they saw the tent fly in the air. Photos from the scene showed the large tent partially collapsed and partially still standing next to many tables set up with chairs. The car park was outside a Cintas Uniform Services store in Bedford Park, about 15 miles south-west of Chicago. Cintas issued a statement saying several employees were injured during the incident at an employee appreciation event. Cintas issued the following statement on the situation: 'Several of our employee-partners were injured at an incident that occurred during an employee-appreciation event earlier today at our Design Collective facility in Bedford Park, IL. 'We are grateful to the first responders who arrived within minutes of the incident and provided assistance. 'The health and safety of our employee-partners is our number one priority. We are cooperating with local officials to determine the cause of the incident. Cintas will continue to monitor the situation and do everything we can to assist our employee-partners during this time.' Cavalcante escaped from prison on August 31 days after being convicted of Brandao's brutal stabbing murder in 2021 The 34-year-old mom had fled her previous home in fear of Danelo Cavalcante and was living at what she hoped was a secret location in Schuylkill County, PA Speaking to DailyMail.com, Deborah Brandao's landlord Brian Flaxman revealed how her killer ex-boyfriend spotted her in a Walmart parking lot and followed her Captured fugitive Danelo Cavalcante stalked his murder victim ex-girlfriend from a Walmart to her new home before stabbing her 38 times in front of her two young children, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Deborah Brandao had fled her previous apartment in fear from the killer and was living at what she hoped was a secret location in Schuylkill Township, Pennsylvania, her landlord Brian Flaxman told us. But while she was shopping in a Walmart five miles from her new place, evil Cavalcante spotted her in the parking lot and followed her to the small collection of rental properties where she had sought sanctuary. The new details show the lengths the Brazilian killer was prepared to go as well as the danger residents in Chester County were in after his daring escape and before his capture on Wednesday. DailyMail.com has learned that moments after Brandao arrived in her old blue Honda Accord, on a Sunday in April 2021, he rolled up and parked his black car haphazardly in the shared driveway. Slain mom-of-two Deborah Brandao was stalked by her killer, Danelo Cavalcante from a Walmart parking lot just before he brutally stabbed her to death in April 2021, DailyMail.com can reveal Her landlord Brian Flaxman revealed Brandao had moved to the area in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to get away from Cavalcante, who managed to track her down Fifteen minutes later Deborah, 33, was lying dead on a lawn after the horrific knife frenzy near the area where renters enjoyed summer barbecues. Flaxman, 60, said: 'Deborah had come here to get away from Cavalcante. But I know he spotted her in the parking lot at the Walmart down the road. 'And he followed her here, the first time he knew where she lived. He must have been stalking her. It is not a coincidence he saw her at the store.' Deborah was in fear of her life after discovering 34-year-old Cavalcante finally snared in a rural part of Pottstown, 20 miles from Schuylkill, on Wednesday after a 14-day manhunt was accused of murdering a man in his native Brazil in 2017. They had dated for 18 months after meeting as neighbors in Chester County. But the relationship soured and 5ft. tall Cavalcante threatened to 'do the worst' to her if she ever cheated, according to her sister Sarah. Flaxman, who had left his property by the time of the horror, was there for around five minutes while Cavalcante began talking to his ex, who was also Brazilian. 'When I saw them they were just talking by Deborah's car. She had the trunk open and she had a bunch of juices and snacks for kids,' he said. 'He didn't appear aggressive at that time. 'But the little girl, who was seven, was riding her little bike around the driveway for a short time as they talked. Cavalcante spotted her in the parking lot at the Walmart down the road before following her to her home A small shrine to Deborah still sits poignantly beside a tree outside her former apartment, where she lived for just three months The young mom was found lying dead on a lawn after the horrific April 2021 knife frenzy near the area where renters enjoyed summer barbecues 'However, she must have sensed something was wrong because she then ran up some stairs at the side of one of my buildings and knocked on the door of one of my tenants. I left at that point without any clue as what was about to happen.' Deborah, who had brought her children to the United States for a better life and worked as a domestic cleaner, must have remained in fear of Cavalcante even after hiding from him, Flaxman said. Cavalcante was serving a life sentence at the Chester County Prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, when he escaped on August 31 'When the police had finished with her apartment and I was allowed in something struck me. 'She had put those cheap battery-operated alarm sensors on all the windows and most of the doors. 'She was clearly aware someone might come for her she must have been scared.' A small shrine to Deborah now forlorn and weatherworn after two years still sits poignantly beside a tree outside her former apartment, where she lived for just three months. A tenant who rushed out of his apartment to try to save her after Cavalcante fled in his car and threw away the knife told DailyMail.com he did not want to talk about the slaying. Deborah's sister is now caring for the children. Cavalcante, who lived in nearby Royersford, was sentenced to life without parole on August 17 after being found guilty of first degree murder. The homeowner said Deborah was apparently still living in fear of someone coming after her as she had installed 'cheap battery-operated alarm sensors on all the windows and most of the doors' Brandao's sister Sarah said Cavalcante seemed like a kind young man at first, but quickly turned jealous and violent against Brandao. The sisters are pictured together Brandao was murdered in front of her two children who are now in her sister's care But he first grabbed the headlines with his audacious 'crab-walk' escape from Chester County Prison on August 31 sparking the astonishing manhunt in deeply rural Pennsylvania where he evaded 500 law enforcement officers for two weeks. He was finally snared trying to slither through undergrowth behind a John Deere store after existing on melons and water from streams and covering his poop to try to avoid detection. Hero K-9 Yoda, a 4-year-old Belgian malinois, grabbed him as he tried to flee, causing extensive bleeding on his face. DailyMail.com can reveal the dog is part of a Customs and Border Patrol unit based in Detroit and the agent in charge was Travis McNaughton. Cavalcante was first pinpointed by a search plane with thermal imaging equipment at 1am on Wednesday and picked up the heat of his body again a few hours later, leading to a far narrower search focus. Moments after he was hauled out of the undergrowth behind the John Deere store, he was swamped by other jubilant police and agents who posed for celebratory photos with their trophy. Cavalcante had terrorized the largely rural Pennsylvania community for two weeks, at one point arming himself with a .22 rifle stolen from the garage of home a mile from where he was eventually captured. He also broke into homes, changed his appearance and stole a van, abandoning it only when it ran out of gas. John Deere store manager Jim Martin who witnessed the drama from a rear window inside the premises exclusively told DailyMail.com: 'He was tired, worn out raggedy. This is the moment escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante was captured by police after he was subdued by 4-year-old Belgian malinois, Yoda Cavalcante was finally captured on Wednesday morning following a two-week manhunt in Pennsylvania 'I think he was just done. He looked like he realized he had to give up. 'Didn't really seem like he was struggling, there was no struggle. At least at this point. I have no idea about earlier on. 'He knew he wasn't going anywhere. He was definitely in custody. 'He was surrounded, there had to be at least 50 officers around him, all migrating in a pack.' Martin added: 'They (law enforcement) gave him water. They had cut his shirt off so they gave him a thermal cover to get warm. Referencing the picture jubilant cops took with their captive, Martin said: 'There was a lot of photography going on and a lot of cheering. 'They were more than happy that this was over. A lot of these guys were really tired. 'There were high fives all round.' Hours after his capture, Cavalcante was perp-walked out of the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale. He was barefoot, with chains around his ankles and wrists and was wearing a flowing hospital gown. He was arraigned on the escape charge at the barracks and was whisked to SCI Phoenix, a prison in Collegeville. A preliminary hearing is set for September 27. An Ohio mom admitted to involuntary manslaughter for giving her 3-year-old son Benadryl for an allergic reaction, then leaving him in the bathtub to drown while she took a nap. Molly Krebs, 28, discovered her 3-year-old son Jayden's body in the bathtub of their Cincinnati-area home after taking a 90-minute nap on December 1, 2022. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 26, where Krebs may be handed up to 11 years behind bars, according to Ohio's sentencing guidelines. Initially, the mother pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment charges. However, she altered her plea at Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday in exchange for authorities dropping the child endangerment charge. Molly Krebs, 28, has pled guilty of involuntary manslaughter after she left her son to drown in a bath after giving him Benadryl for an allergic reaction Jayden, 3, died after drowning in a bathtub at his Cincinnati home in December 2022 Krebs was permitted to attend her child's funeral last year despite the charges, a decision that drew ire at the time. Cincinnati Police officers were called to Krebs' Ridgeway Avenue home in Avondale around midnight on December 1. Krebs explained that she was exhausted after a long day working at a contracting and decorating company, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WCPO. She gave Jayden Benadryl to treat his hives after a reaction to an unknown cause, the documents state. Krebs said she then ran a bath, put her son in the tub and accidentally fell asleep after walking away from the bathroom. When she awoke around 90 minutes later, she discovered the horror of her lifeless son partially submerged in the bath and phoned the police. Jayden was transported to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and was pronounced dead. Krebs was subsequently taken into custody by the Cincinnati Police Department's Homicide Unit. Krebs bond was set at $750,000 and she appeared visibly distressed at her bond hearing in December 2022 Her attorney Jeffrey Adams (pictured right) said 'this appears to be completely accidental' and told the judge his client was 'completely devastated' by the loss of her son Cincinnati Police officers were called to Krebs' Ridgeway Avenue home in Avondale around midnight on December 1 Her bond was initially set at $750,000 and she appeared visibly distressed at her bond hearing in December 2022. During the hearing her attorney, Jeffrey Adams, said 'this appears to be completely accidental' and told the judge his client was 'completely devastated' by the loss of her son. According to Nationwide Children's Hospital, 'one of the main side effects (of Benadryl) is sedation. This can make children very drowsy, to the point of falling asleep.' The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 6 not be given Benadryl unless specifically directed by a doctor. Nat Barr has grilled the Anthony Albanese government in the wake of a claim from Jacinta Price as to why Australia doesn't need an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Senator Price declared that Australia already has a world-class democratic structure and disagreed with claims that the history of British colonisation continues to have a harmful impact on Aboriginal Australians. 'We've got running water, we've got readily available food,' she said at a National Press Club event on Thursday. 'Many of us have the same opportunities as all other Australians in this country, and we certainly have probably one of the greatest systems running around the world in terms of the democratic structure.' 'If we keep telling Aboriginal people that they are victims, we are effectively removing their agency and then giving them the expectation that someone else is responsible for their lives,' she said. Senator Price said the campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament is underpinned by a 'lie... that Indigenous Australians do not have a Voice'. 'We have been told by the Indigenous Minister for Indigenous Australians that Indigenous people do not get a say on policies or the decisions being made on our behalf. 'I am one of 11 Indigenous voices currently in parliament... The patronising suggestion that we cannot focus our efforts on improving the lives of marginalised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders because we are looking after constituents should be rejected resolutely.' The senator's comments were still a talking point on Friday morning for Sunrise host Nat Barr when minister Jason Clare and deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley appeared on the program, sparking a fiery debate between the politicians. 'Jacinta Price says we don't need a Voice to Parliament because we have a world-class democratic structure,' Barr began. 'We have Indigenous MPs, and effectively, they are Indigenous voices in our parliament. What do you say to that?' Nat Barr has some tough questions about the Voice referendum when Jason Clare (left) and Sussan Ley (right) appeared on Sunrise on Friday Mr Clare hit back to argue there were Coalition MPs who both publicly and privately supported the Voice. 'I get that Jacinta doesn't think it's a good idea, but there are a lot of Liberal and National MPs who say they don't support it. 'But privately I know that in four weeks they will vote yes at the ballot box,' he said. 'I say that not to out them on national TV but talking to Liberal and Nationals voters who are watching right now to say that this is not a Labor idea, it's not a liberal idea, this is the idea of Indigenous Australians. 'In four weeks time, we get a chance to do what we should have done 122 years ago, and that is to recognise Indigenous people in our first document in the Constitution.' Ms Ley accused the Labor government of not distancing themselves from prominent Yes campaigner Professor Marcia Langton - who accused the No campaign of being based on 'base racism' or 'sheer stupidity' and previously said Australia was a racist country. 'I think they really needed to have removed Marcia Langton from that group in the interests of us coming together. 'But that's why this Voice is so divisive, led by a Prime Minister who has rushed the timeline, insisted everyone has to vote yes, surrounded by people he is backing in that say Australians are racist,' Ms Ley said. Australia doesn't need an Indigenous Voice to Parliament as we already have a world class democratic structure, according to Jacinta Price Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Yes campaigners have four weeks to convince Australians to support the Voice READ MORE: Jacinta Price offers Yes voters a stunning olive branch to get the referendum passed Advertisement However, Mr Clare hit back, saying The Voice is the opportunity to ensure taxpayers' money is better spent on closing the gap and improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. 'If you're an Indigenous Australian today, you're more likely to die in childbirth, more likely to die younger than the rest of us, more likely to suffer chronic illness, less likely to finish school, more likely if you're an Indigenous bloke to go to jail than uni,' he said. 'By listening, we can make better decisions and get better results, and that's what this is all about.' Barr agreed, describing the current statistics for Indigenous Australians as appalling. Ms Ley argued more needs to be done at the grassroots level rather than by a group of elitists at the top government level. 'This is the Prime Minister's divisive Voice,' she said. 'Jason describes it as recognition in the Constitution. We agree with that. But he describes it as an advisory panel as if there's really nothing to see here. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came under fire from deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley for not distancing himself from Marcia Langton's comments 'When we listen to the members who designed this Voice generate fear and loathing, this is what the Prime Minister is not stepping back from, and you know, it's talking out of both sides of your mouth, I'm afraid. Clare fired back: 'Politicians have been talking about this for decades and we've failed. 'The bottom line is the pollies have failed, and we've got to do something different. Barr agreed change needs to happen as she wrapped by the segment. Earlier in the show, Barr agreed with the panellist's calls that everyone's opinions about the Voice should be respected, regardless of their side. 'I would say if you do want to vote No, you should not be labelled as stupid and racist,' Triple M radio host Luke Bona said. Barr added: 'Everyone should have their own view, and everyone should respect that.' A pair of hero tradies have stopped a group of eshays from stealing a Porsche. Tradies Jacob and Connor were working on a home in Indooroopilly, 7km west of Brisbane, when they heard an alarm going off a few doors down. They spotted three teenagers allegedly trying to rob the home, with one man armed with a knife seen turning on the tradies in terrifying footage. One of the eshays was trying to steal the Porsche in the driveway, but the tradies managed to take the keys out before they could drive off. The eshay demands the tradie to give him the 'f***ing keys c***'. 'It's too late mate,' the tradie replied while backing away from the eshay. The eshay, who wore a white balaclava over his face, continues to demand Connor hands over the keys before finally admitting defeat and running away. The tradies' boss said the men had known something was wrong when they heard the alarms sounding and saw the Porsche backed into the driveway. 'So one of the boys, Connor, sort of reached in and pulled the keys out of the Porsche so they couldn't take off,' boss Travis Kesson told 9News. 'They were able to avoid anyone getting hurt and help people with their property, get the property back and stop them from robbing the house.' The video shows a man in a white balaclava demanding Connor give him the 'f***ing keys c***' after he was able to grab them from a Porsche in the driveway (pictured) Locals praised the quick-thinking tradies. 'Well done lads,' one wrote. 'Legend tradies,' said another. All three teenagers have been caught by police, and charged with multiple offences including attempted break-in of a dwelling and attempted armed robbery. The husband of a Byron Bay wedding planner who was responsible for organising Margot Robbie's nuptials has been charged with grooming a child. Marriage celebrant Adam Magnus, 62, from Lennox Head, near Byron Bay, was arrested in March by child exploitation police investigators and charged at Ballina police station with up to 10 offences. These include grooming an 11-year-old girl by exposing her to indecent material to 'make it easier to procure the child for unlawful sexual activity', according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Now it can be revealed his wedding planner wife, Jane, who boasts of organising 'rock star parties' through her Byron Bay Luxury weddings company, made a series of cryptic posts in the months following her husband's arrest and his first court appearance. Adam Magnus (pictured), 62, from Lennox Head, near Byron Bay, was arrested in March by child exploitation police investigators and charged at Ballina police station with up to 10 offences 'Thank you to those people who care and lift me along the way, I'm so grateful,' she wrote. 'And to those that try to bring me down you're out of my lane now.' She added: 'Just remember you never know what's going on in someone's life so be kind always.' Mrs Magnus is not accused of any wrongdoing and there is no suggestion she was aware of her husband's alleged crimes. The couple, who share four adult children together, first met when they were working on a failed restaurant project, which later led to the wedding events business. Adam Magnus, who has been in custody with bail refused since his arrest in March, has worked as a wedding celebrant for over a decade. Magnus's wife Jane (pictured, right) is a celebrity wedding planner in Byron Bay, responsible for organising Margot Robbie 2016 nuptials. There is no suggestion she was aware of her husband's alleged crimes Jane was tasked with organising the intimate 2016 wedding of Hollywood A-lister Margot Robbie and producer Tom Ackerley at the Coorabella estate (pictured). Magnus was not the celebrant He described himself as a 'real all rounder guy' in a Facebook post in June 2020 where he praised his 'beautiful wife Jane'. 'You may know her, she's a bit of a legend in the wedding industry and together I like to think we are a great team,' he wrote. The pair worked together on the 2014 wedding of designer Dan Single and his supermodel wife Stephanie 'Bambi' Northwood-Blythe, with Jane planning the big day and Adam acting as celebrant. Magnus (pictured) was refused bail and has been in custody since his arrest in March When Single and Northwood-Blythe later broke up, it was the Magnuses who broke the news to Daily Mail Australia. The high-point of Mrs Magnus's career undoubtedly came when she was given the responsibility of organising the intimate 2016 wedding of Hollywood A-lister Margot Robbie and producer Tom Ackerley at the Coorabella estate. Magnus was not the celebrant. 'It was very authentic, fun, family-friendly. They had a small marquee up for the ceremony,' Mrs Magnus told Daily Mail Australia on the couple's one-year anniversary. 'It was very simple. She's a beautiful lady so it doesn't take much.' Mrs Magnus revealed that while the wedding was understated and classy, Robbie's love of Coco Pops meant that they were served at dessert with full cream milk. In the interview, she said she works with budgets starting at $50,000. Daily Mail Australia approached Mrs Magnus for comment. Her husband's case is adjourned until October. A father has tried to sue a hospital after he claimed watching his wife deliver their baby via C-section left him with mental distress. Anil Koppula took legal action against the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, seeking $1 billion in damages after watching his wife's caesarean in 2018. He said he developed a 'psychotic illness', after he saw his wife's blood and organs, and watching the procedure had led to the 'breakdown of his marriage'. A father has tried to sue a hospital after he claimed watching his wife deliver their baby via C-section left him with mental distress. 'Mr Koppula alleges that he was encouraged, or permitted, to observe the delivery, that in the course of doing so, he saw his wife's internal organs and bloodHe says that the hospital breached a duty of care it owed to him and is liable to pay him damages,' the court papers say. Mr Koppula, who represented himself in court, claimed that the hospital should be liable for damages of $1bn. The Royal Women's Hospital acknowledged its responsibility to provide a duty of care, but denied that it breached it. Justice James Gorton on Tuesday threw out the lawsuit, calling it an 'abuse of process,' the Herald Sun reports. According to the judgement, the law does not allow someone to receive damages for non-economic loss unless their injury is a 'significant injury'. Koppula underwent a medical examination, and a panel determined 'the degree of psychiatric impairment resulting from the injury to the claimant alleged in the claim does not satisfy the threshold level'.' He didn't agree with the panel's decision, but he chose not to request a review of their ruling. Subsequently, the hospital filed a request to have the legal proceedings dismissed. 'I am therefore satisfied that the legal effect of the Medical Panel's determination is that Mr Koppula is simply unable, as a matter of law, to recover damages for non-economic loss,' Justice Gorton said. A C-section is a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through an incision made in the mother's abdominal wall and uterus. This surgical method is typically performed when a vaginal delivery is considered unsafe or not possible. C-sections are typically performed under anesthesia, and the surgeon makes an incision through the abdominal muscles and uterus to deliver the baby. The man alleged he suffered a 'psychotic illness' after watching the birth of his child and sought $1 billion in damages The hospital denied they caused the man significant mental distress but they acknowledged the correct duty of care wasn't provided When a woman is having a C-section, some dads may find watching the process uncomfortable, according to healthcare company Banner Health, which has no connection to the lawsuit. 'While rare, some dads still may get a little queasyeven when they can't see what's happening,' Karleen Lee, an RN supervisor at Banner Health, said on the company's website. 'Remember to not jump up out of your seat too quickly and let the anaesthesiologist or surgery team know if you are feeling a little faint. 'They have ways of helping dads, whether through conversation as a distraction or with an ammonia inhalant or smelling salts to prevent fainting.' Veteran Starbucks boss Howard Schultz is stepping down from the company's board after 40 years with the coffeehouse, with sources saying he realized he has become a 'distraction' for the chain. Schultz, 70, bought the company from co-founders Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker in the early 1980s, a decade after it was launched in Seattle. But on Wednesday, Starbucks unexpectedly announced that Schultz was stepping down from the board, ending his four-decade rule. Schultz's departure is in part due to concerns that his stridently anti-union stance was becoming a 'distraction', and the controversy was not helping the brand. 'The business has changed a ton since Howard's heyday,' a source told The New York Post. 'It doesn't make sense for him to be part of it anymore.' Howard Schultz is pictured in March testifying about his company's resistance to unionization Schultz is seen in 1983 in Italy, on a research trip. On his return he tried to convince the three Starbucks founders to offer traditional espresso beverages in addition to the whole bean coffee Schultz pushed the company to become the world's largest coffeehouse chain, serving three stints as chairman and CEO. He retired in 2000, then returned in 2008; stepped down in 2017, and came back as interim CEO from 2022 to March 2023. In his latest stint, Schultz has faced pressure from stores looking to unionize. At least 293 of Starbucks' 9,000 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late 2021, according to the National Labor Relations Board. Starbucks Workers United, the labor group seeking to unionize stores, has yet to reach a contract agreement with the company at any Starbucks store. The fledgling group celebrated Schultz's departure, tweeting on Tuesday: 'Howard Schultz led one of the worst union-busting campaigns in modern US history, culminating in him being forced to testify before the Senate on Starbucks' illegal actions. 'We hope this is an opportunity for Starbucks to change course and leave their union-busting behind them.' Starbucks' anti-union stance appears set to continue under the company's new CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, who was hand-picked by Schultz and took over leadership of the company in March - shortly before Schulz testified in the Senate. 'I continue to believe a direct relationship with our partners is the best way forward,' said Narasimhan. Schultz is seen in 2002, opening Starbucks in Japan Schultz - who will now become 'chairman emeritus' - has been outspoken against plans for Starbucks workers to unionize, saying the company was 'under assault from unionization.' Judges and prosecutors have accused the company of violating labor laws, and in March, Schultz appeared before Congress to defend the company's position. During an often testy, two-hour appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Schultz said a union was not necessary because the coffee company already provides good wages and benefits, and only around one percent of Starbucks' 250,000 U.S. employees have elected to join a union. 'We've done everything that we possibly can to respect the right under the law of our partners' ability to join a union,' Schultz said. 'But conversely, we have consistently laid out our preference, without breaking any law, of communicating to our people what we believe is our vision for the company.' Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, accused the company of stalling. He said multiple federal courts and administrative judges at the NLRB have found Starbucks guilty of hundreds of labor law violations, including firing labor organizers and illegally closing unionized stores. Schultz is seen in March 2019, while considering an independent run for the White House. In June 2019 he announced he would not run for the presidency 'The fundamental issue we are confronting today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all, or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity,' Sanders said. But Schultz defended the company, noting that Starbucks' average starting wage is $17.50, while the minimum wage in Vermont is $13.18. 'I think unions have served an important role in American business for many years,' Schultz told the committee. 'In the '50s and '60s, unions generally were working on behalf of people in a company where people haven't been treated fairly. 'We do not believe that we are that kind of company. We do nothing nefarious. We put our people first.' Senator Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, questioned Schultz's respect for employees, noting that the company has refused to add new benefits like credit card tipping or wage increases at stores that have unionized. 'You're a billionaire and they are your employees. The imbalance is extreme,' Smith said. Schultz angrily responded that repeatedly calling him a 'billionaire' was unfair. 'I grew up in federally subsidized housing. My parents never owned a home. Yes, I have billions of dollars. I earned it. No one gave it to me,' he said. On Wednesday, Schultz said he supported the company's new bosses. 'I look forward to supporting this next generation of leaders to steward Starbucks into the future as a customer, supporter and advocate in my role as chairman emeritus,' he said. A squatter who drives a fancy SUV took over an Army reservist's Houston home after she was called up for active duty, with the takeover costing the soldier $50,000. Mikiya Barber, who bought her three bedroom, two bathroom Houston home in May 2022, claims Natasha Timmons moved into the house as a tenant as she was called up for active duty in Florida last fall. Timmons signed a lease and paid the rent of $2,000 for the first two months of her tenancy. However, Timmons, who neighbors said drives a late model Mercedes SUV, failed to make further payments when they were due but would not move out of the property. 'She is living in the house and making it known she's not leaving my house,' Barber, who has served in the Army reserve for nine years, told ABC 13. 'I don't know why she doesn't want to let go of my home. I have even tried to do agreements with her.' Mikiya Barber bought her three bedroom, two bathroom Houston property in May 2022 Squatter Natasha Timmons took over an Army reservist's Houston home last fall During a Monday court hearing in Houston, a judge ordered Timmons to repay the backdated rent. A further hearing is set for September 18 where Timmons, who also has a theft conviction from 2003, may be slapped with an eviction notice. 'It started going downhill,' Barber told ABC 13 of when the rent went unpaid. 'I tried to make a payment plan for her. Then, she started threatening me to file bankruptcy and making sure I go through this process.' Documents show Timmons filed for bankruptcy twice after moving into the property and twice beforehand. Neighbors said she drives luxury cars and even washed them on the property's driveway. Surveillance footage obtained by ABC appears to show Timmons washing the hubcaps of a white Mercedes SUV. Surveillance footage obtained by ABC appears to show Timmons washing the hubcaps of a white Mercedes SUV 'It has taken a toll because I love my home,' Barber said after Monday's hearing Timmons may be served with an eviction notice to leave the property (pictured) during a further hearing next week 'But I'm excited for [Monday's hearing], and she'll be out soon,' she added. 'It has taken a toll because I love my home,' she told the outlet, adding 'I'm not going to let this deter me.' Timmons refused to speak to ABC 13 when approached for comment. Barber, who came home for the hearing, is set to return to active duty in Florida over the next few days. The case against the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance is close to collapsing, it has been claimed. Christian Brueckner, 45, was named last year by prosecutors as the key suspect in the disappearance and murder of the three-year-old in 2007. The police's case is largely centred around his former friend Helge Busching's testimony that Brueckner chillingly told him when they were discussing Madeleine's disappearance that 'she didn't scream'. Mr Busching gave Brueckner's name to British police in 2017, around the 10th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. Busching claims that Brueckner told him at a Spanish kite festival in 2008 that he was involved in Madeleine's abduction from Praia da Luz a year earlier. Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on Portugal's Algarve coast in May 2007 Christian Brueckner was named last year by prosecutors as the key suspect in the disappearance and murder of the three-year-old When asked in 2020 what he thought of Brueckner, Busching said: 'One word. Guilty.' Busching, who now lives on the French island of Corsica, added: 'He is in the right place at the moment and hopefully he will stay there a long time'. After German prosecutors announced they were investigating Brueckner in June, the Metropolitan Police revealed they had received a tip-off about him in 2017. 'Following the ten-year anniversary, the Met received information about a German man who was known to have been in and around Praia da Luz,' detective chief inspector Mark Cranwell said at the time. But now it's feared Mr Busching is 'wobbling' and is on the verge of withdrawing his evidence, according to The Sun. 'He was paid a huge sum to repeat his statement in a German newspaper and now he's pulling the plug,' a German source said. 'It just goes to show you what type of people you are dealing with and their credibility as witnesses.' Convicted rapist and paedophile Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year jail sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. A police search team walk on the shore of the Arade dam near Silves, Portugal, in May 2023 A map shows the movements of Brueckner around the Algarve at the time Madeleine disappeared while on a family holiday Madeleine was snatched just nine days before her fourth birthday while she was left sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings In June, Brueckner attacked the police investigation against him as groundless in a handwritten letter, seen by the MailOnline. In the letter he attacked informant Mr Busching. The two men had been pals in Portugal in the early 2000s but as Brueckner explained in his latest missive he says they fell out after a drugs deal went wrong the year Madeleine went missing and never spoke again. Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on Portugal's Algarve coast in May 2007 - where Brueckner was living at the time - and has never been seen since. In May, parents Kate and Gerry McCann gathered with friends and family in Rothley, Leicestershire, to poignantly marked the 16th anniversary of her disappearance. They hold onto a glimmer of hope that Madeleine could still be alive. She would now be aged 20. Multiple properties have been raided by police in Sydney's south-west as a part of an investigation into 'unexplained wealth' - with flashy cars, luxury jewellery and a heap of cash amongst the glitzy haul. Searches were conducted by the Organised Crime Squad following the introduction of new laws passed earlier this year that allow police to more easily claim assets reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of crime. The laws came after a joint effort by the NSW Crime Commission and police which makes an individual responsible on proving how they purchased a home, car or any asset in an effort to crack down on Sydney's ongoing gang war. Police do not need to charge suspects with a specific offence in order to seize property or freeze other assets. More than $7 million worth of property, luxury cars, gold bullions and high-end handbags were seized during raids on Thursday. NSW Police Raptor Squad conducted raids on properties across Padstow, Yagoona, Bankstown, Picnic Point, Peakhurst, and Drummoyne on Thursday (pictured) Abbas Daneshyar was the first victim of these new laws with his four properties, a $1 million Lamborghini, a selection of gold bullion and designer jewellery seized on Thursday Abbas Daneshyar was the first victim of these new laws with the NSW Police Raptor Squad seizing his four properties, a $1 million Lamborghini, a selection of gold bullion and designer jewellery by mid-afternoon. He is set to face a civil case brought by the NSW Crime Commission in the Supreme Court over more than $9million in assets and items he possesses, which they believe should be beyond the means of his income, the Daily Telegraph reported. Mr Daneshyar was not charged with any criminal offences and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting he is involved in organised crime. Multiple vehicles, including a $380,000 2018 McLaren MA3 Coupe, and over $20,000 in cash was seized from a Bankstown warehouse. Three men present at the property were searched but not charged with any offences. Multiple vehicles, including a 1971 Mazda RX2, and over $20,000 in cash was seized at Bankstown (pictured) In Yagoona, police located and seized a case of gold bullion estimated to be worth $80,000 (pictured) A 2021 Lamborghini Aventador was seized around 5.30pm from another address in Drummoyne, as well as a number of electronic devices and documents which were taken for further forensic examination. Other raids included a property in Padstow where more luxury goods were seized - including 14 luxury handbags by Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, five luxury 'man bags', Cartier jewellery, $10,000 cash, and four luxury watches by Rolex, Breitling and Cartier. In Yagoona, police located and seized a case of gold bullion estimated to be worth $80,000. 'Having these new powers and working closely with the NSWCC provides us with additional capabilities to target those that aid or facilitate the concealment of unexplained wealth,' Organised Crime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said. At one property, in Padstow, police seized more than a dozen luxury handbags from brands including Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, as well as several designer 'man bags' and high-end watches 'Those at the top end of organised criminal networks follow the money,' Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said (pictured, luxury watches seized) 'We know those at the top end of organised criminal networks follow the money so having improved powers to target that money means we're able to get to those right at the top.' 'The big players tend to enjoy the wealth whilst keeping their heads down and their hands clean, but now we have the authority to put them before a court to show us how they made their money something many of them will struggle to do,' he said. The new powers allow police to seize assets without a specific offence, NSWCC Executive Director Darren Bennett added. 'The next step is civil court, where the owner of those assets is required to justify the goods were acquired through legal income,' Mr Bennett said. A 2021 BMW S1000R motorcycle was amongst the vehicles seized at a property in Bankstown (pictured) The new powers allow police to seize assets without a specific offence before facing civil court, where the owner of those assets is required to justify the goods were acquired through legal income (pictured, police conducting search warrants on Thursday) 'If they can't do that, the assets are ultimately returned to the people of New South Wales.' 'The NSW Government has recently enhanced the Crime Commission's capabilities in this space, and this job is just the start of many more unexplained wealth investigations to come,' he added. Anyone with any information that may assist investigators are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The new St. Louis district attorney has doubled the amount of criminal prosecutions in his first three months in office, compared to the number pursued by his woke, Soros-backed predecessor over the same period last year. Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, 54, replaced Democrat Kim Gardner, 48, in May after the George Soros-backed attorney resigned amid pressure from Missouri's Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican. Gardner faced criticism for her lax enforcement of crimes that saw criminals back on the streets of St. Louis facing little punishment even as crime spiked throughout the Midwest hub. Gore was sworn in on May 31 and has already filed over 1,400 cases in the past three months, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found. Kim Gardner filed only 620 in the same three-month period during her time last year. 'I don't think there's any magic to what we're doing,' Gore told the Post-Dispatch. 'We are just charging the violations of law.' Kim Gardner filed only 620 in the same three-month period during her time in office. Gore was sworn in as St. Louis DA on May 31 and has already filed over 1,400 cases in the past three months The bar graph shows that Gabe Gore has doubled the amount of prosecutions during his three months in office that Gardner did in the same period during her stint as St. Louis DA The crime-ridden city saw a surge in charges after their new circuit attorney's office spent more time reviewing cases applied for by St. Louis police and prioritized less severe offenses that were largely unprosecuted under Gardner - which Gore called 'quality of life crimes.' 'These are things that drive people out of the city,' Gore said. 'These are things that can't be considered to be the cost of living somewhere.' Gore's goal is to clear the backlog of 2,000 cases that Gardner created during her time in office by the beginning of 2024. One tactic Gore's office is using to cut down the list is to not add to it - instead they are aiming to determine the same day as arrests if cases should be charged. The St. Louis attorney's office was drastically understaffed during Gardner's leadership. When she took office there were 60 attorneys, but when she left, there only around 30 remained. Gore hired 21 new attorneys - which means the office is still short-staffed but in a far better position to deal with the high volume of cases left over from his predecessor. 'We're still relying on attorneys basically coming to work every day and doing more than they should be asked to do,' Gore said. 'Everybody's pitching in and doing the best they can.' Gardner filed only 620 in the same three-month period during her time last year 'I don't think there's any magic to what we're doing,' Gore told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 'We are just charging the violations of law.' Gore, the former U.S. assistant attorney was chosen by Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, 67, who said: 'We believe Mr. Gore is a qualified and experienced leader our great city of St. Louis needs for this new day and this historical opportunity for change' a St. Louis Courthouse in May. Gardner's approach to crime centered around prevention including punishing low-level crimes with diversion to mental health facilities or drug abuse treatment centers. She pledged to hold police more accountable and to free inmates who were wrongfully convicted. In 2019, Gardner announced an 'exclusion list' that listed about 75 police officers in St. Louis who were no longer allowed to bring cases to her office because their 'integrity is compromised'. Gore's office has been working through a backlog of pending charges left over from Gardner's time in office. One of the final cases that Gardner oversaw was a Cinco de Mayo shooting, which the DA refused to press charges against the suspected woman for due to a 'lack of evidence' despite surveillance images of the suspect wielding a gun. According to Gardner's office the suspect - Amber Booker, 33 - wasn't charged due to a 'lack of evidence' and the victims not cooperating with the investigation. The Democrat-elected prosecutor won her seat in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020 Gardner was backed by billionaire George Soros and received about $116,000 from Soros-backed PACS his Vera Institute of Justice The Democrat-elected prosecutor won her seat in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. Gardner was backed by billionaire George Soros and received about $116,000 from Soros-backed PACS his Vera Institute of Justice. Under her watch, murder in St. Louis hit a 50-year high and the city saw less and less felonies prosecuted. She is one of several high-profile district attorneys working in liberal cities with the backing of Soros. A study found Soros spent at least $40million to install as many as 75 prosecutors who support his leftist agenda either with outright donations or fueled through political action committees. These DAs have stripped away bail laws and opted to forgo prosecuting crimes such as theft and reckless driving, effectively giving criminals a free pass and leading to the breakdown of law and order across the United States. Gardner had faced backlash just one year into office, when she indicted Gov. Eric Greitens for taking a partially nude photo of a woman without her concenst. But the charges were eventually dropped, an investigator she hired pleaded guilty in federal court to concealing documents in the case and Gardner was reprimanded by the Missouri Supreme Court and was forced to pay $750 in an ethics case over her office's mishandling of evidence, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. She later also came under fire for her decision to charge a couple for brandishing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters. Everything eventually came to a had in February, when a car speeding through the downtown crashed, pinning a teenager between two vehicles and leading to the amputation of both her legs. The car's driver, Daniel Riley, had remained free after court delays, even though he kept violating his bond. In the aftermath, many of Gardner's former allies began calling for her resignation and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a suit seeking her removal. Gardner called the suit a politically-motivated attack on her office and blamed subordinates as the spotlight turned on individual case dismissals and delays. The anger over that decision eventually led to her resignation at the start of summer. Hunter Biden is feeling 'dark, gloomy and defeated' in the wake of his gun indictment - and in 'despair' over his soaring legal fees, a source close to him has claimed. The first son faces up to 25 years in prison after being indicted on three felony charges for lying about his crack cocaine addiction when buying a gun. CNN's Paula Reid spoke about how deflated those closest to Hunter were at the announcement. 'I got the sense that it's just pretty dark and gloomy over there, they feel defeated,' Reid said. Hunter has not been discussing the case or the potential charges with his father, President Joe Biden, despite the two remaining in touch. A reporter citing sources in Hunter Biden's camp the past few days described a dark, gloomy, defeated mood after the First Son was indicted on federal gun charges Thursday 'He's actually still very close to his dad, they talk frequently but they don't talk about this. Hunter doesn't want to burden his father with it.' She claims that things have been low in the Biden camp ever since a judge refused a plea deal for the president's son. 'They really thought they were gonna be successful. Even when it first fell apart they felt the judge would ultimately approve it.' In a sensational development, the First Son will have to appear in court after a Delaware grand jury returned three charges against him, including two counts of false statements on his gun forms, and one of possessing a firearm while addicted to illicit drugs. Reid then told CNN over the 'millions and millions' of dollars of legal debt Hunter faces from this case, causing him 'quite a bit of despair.' 'It's very difficult for him to find employment right now or raise money so these charges today, they came as news to his team.' Reid made no mention of Hunter's burgeoning art career, which sees him charge up to $500,000 for a painting. That endeavor has in itself sparked cash-for-access fears. Proving that, Reid said Biden has not scheduled an appearance or a time to turn himself in. The White House is not commenting on the new felony charges for the president's son, and Biden joked he would get in 'trouble' if he answered press questions at the end of an economics speech later Thursday. CNN's Paula Reid spoke about how deflated those closest to Hunter were at the announcement Hunter has not been discussing the case or the potential charges with his father, President Joe Biden, despite the two remaining in touch It is a shattering blow for President Joe Biden who has stood by his son and is running for reelection in 2024. The move by Special Counsel Davis Weiss is a significant escalation in his investigation into the president's son for gun and tax crimes, which is still ongoing. It also comes the same week that Republicans in the House opened a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his alleged connections to Hunter's business dealings and is likely to have a long-term impact on his political career. Republicans allege that Hunter is guilty of even more felonies and that Weiss' indictment on just the gun charges is insufficient. The maximum time in prison would be 25 years total if he is convicted on all of the counts, although federal sentences are usually less than the maximum. Hunter could also be slapped with a max $250,000 fine and three years probation. According to the indictment, Hunter lied about his drug use when he purchased a gun in 2018. The First Son purchased a 0.38 Colt Cobra caliber pistol in Delaware, a state that makes any buyer answer a series of questions before they can lay their hands on a weapon. One from the 2018 application asks if the applicant uses or is addicted to drugs. The box is clearly checked 'no.' Biden joked he would get in 'trouble' if he answered press questions at the end of an economics speech later Thursday in Maryland President Biden's son Hunter was indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss on federal felony gun charges Thursday Hunter allegedly lied on a firearm report (above) required for his gun transaction. A photo of the form shows he answered 'no' when asked if he was an 'unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance' Hunter has admitted that he was addicted to crack cocaine at the time of the gun purchase. Video discovered on Hunter's laptop computer shows him naked and brandishing a handgun in a hotel room in 2018, allegedly five days after buying the gun. About two weeks later his lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it 'unlocked' in his truck and threw it in a grocery store trash can. Its discovery sparked a police investigation. In addition, now-President Biden sounded close to tears in the voicemail left on Hunter's abandoned laptop on October 15 - three days after Hunter bought the gun and lied about being a drug addict - begging him to get help. 'It's Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world pal,' Joe said in the October 15 message. 'You gotta get some help. I know you don't know what to do, I don't either.' On July 27, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out President Biden issuing a pardon for Hunter. But it remains to be seen if the White House's posture has changed now that Hunter faces the three new felony charges. Republicans are insisting that Joe's son is guilty of even more felonies and that Weiss' indictment on gun charges should just be the tip of the spear. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who is leading an investigation into the Biden family's business dealings, reacted to the indictment saying the charges are a 'very small start.' 'Unless U.S. Attorney Weiss investigates everyone involved in the fraud schemes and influence peddling, it will be clear President Biden's DOJ is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy,' he continued. 'Ironically, that's the one crime that he committed that you cannot tie Joe Biden to,' added Comer. Republican firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz said in reaction: 'Getting Hunter on the gun charge is like getting Jeffrey Dahmer on littering.' The White House is referring inquiries on the new charges to the Justice Department, saying that it is an independent investigation. Earlier this summer, the president's son had reached a deal after the five-year investigation that would have allowed him to avoid trial for the firearms charges if he abided by parole conditions over 24 months. Republicans in Washington complained that the president's son had gotten himself a 'sweetheart deal' designed to protect President Biden. However, the plea deal spectacularly fell apart in court in July, opening Hunter up to new charges. Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the 'diversion agreement' of Hunter's plea deal - a clause that gave him blanket immunity for a wide range of other potential charges, including illegal foreign lobbying - killing the deal. In August, Attorney General Merrick Garland elevated Weiss to special counsel status after increased scrutiny. Garland's decision to promote Weiss came after IRS whistleblower allegations that Hunter received 'special treatment' during the criminal probe. IRS agents Joe Ziegler and Gary Shapley testified under oath to House Republicans that their investigation into the president's son 'supported felony and misdemeanor tax charges,' which were ultimately not brought against Hunter due to political pressures. Weiss tried to bring felony charges against him in Washington, D.C., they said, but was blocked by the district's top federal prosecutor Matthew Graves, a Biden appointee. The 'special treatment' for Hunter became a pattern that kept happening, said the whistleblowers, who were told they would get in 'hot water' if they tried to speak with President Joe Biden's adult children and grandchildren over the course of their investigation. Shapley also shared handwritten notes from a meeting from October 2022 in which he quoted Weiss saying he was 'not the deciding person' on charging Hunter Biden with tax crimes, raising questions about potential improper handling of the case by DOJ. The collapse of Hunter Biden's original plea deal also presented more problems for his father, Joe Biden. The president is now facing more headlines and questions involving his drug-addict son's case as he hits the 2024 campaign trail. The White House and the president himself have maintained that he has never been involved in Hunter's business dealings. But Republicans are well into their own investigation looking into Hunter's foreign business dealings. As part of their probe, they spoke with Hunter's ex-business partner Devon Archer, who testified that President Biden was in fact aware of his son's dealings and sat in on at least 20 calls and multiple dinners with his son's business partners. Additionally, they have uncovered over a dozen shell companies that Hunter and at least 12 members of the Biden family used to funnel in foreign money. Joe Biden also used various private email addresses from which he would sometimes send, receive and forward government correspondence according to emails found on Hunter Biden's now-infamous laptop. 'Robin Ware,' 'Robert L. Peters' and 'JRB ware' were three pseudonyms used on emails that were about both official and family business. As a result, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden earlier this week over his alleged connections to Hunter's multi-million dollar foreign 'influence peddling scheme.' A picture from Hunter Biden's laptop showed the now 53-year-old first son posing nude with a firearm Hunter Biden is seen in a picture discovered on his abandoned laptop 'House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct,' McCarthy said, speaking at the Capitol on Tuesday. 'Taken together these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption. 'These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. And they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives. That's why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,' he noted. 'This logical next step will give our committees, the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public. That's exactly what we want to know the answers.' An inquiry is the first step in the impeachment process. It is when evidence is gathered for the articles, or charges, of impeachment against an official. One current benefit will be scrapped next month An annual Opal price hike delayed by three months is being implemented on October 16. Commuters will see a 3.7 per cent price hike, up from a three per cent increase 12 months ago and a 1.5 per cent rise in 2021. A one-way peak-hour train trip from Penrith to the CBD will increase from $7.24 to $7.65, while a 10 minute journey from Chatswood to North Sydney will rise from $3.79 to $4. For domestic and international travellers catching the train to the airport during the peak travel period, the fare increases by more than $1 from $19.53 to $20.68. Commuters will see their weekly fares increase no more than $1 on average, according to NSW transport minister Jo Haylen. But there is some good news to entice commuters to head into the office on Fridays. Discounted Opal fares will be extended to Fridays to encourage more workers back into the office. Pictured are commuters at Sydney's Central Station Meanwhile, the 30 per cent fare discount which is given on weekends on train, bus and light rail services, will be expanded to also apply on Fridays. It means commuters can travel all day on public transport on Fridays for no more than $8.90 or $4.45 for concession holders. However, the current Opal benefit offering half-price fares for all trips once a commuter has paid for eight journeys in a week will be abolished. The state government argued that almost 90 per cent of commuters don't reach the number of trips to benefit as Sydneysiders still split their working week between home and the office post-pandemic. An annual Opal price hike looms for commuters (pictured in Sydney) from October 16 Transport minister Jo Haylen (pictured) announced the Opal changes ahead of next Tuesday's state budget The changes announced on Friday ahead of the next Tuesday's state budget come into effect from October 16. 'Every weekend will soon be a long weekend when it comes to Opal fares as we make Friday travel cheaper for everyone,' Ms Haylen said. The weekly travel cap remains at $50 for adults, $25 concession while the $2.50 daily travel cap for seniors and pensioners remains unchanged. University of Technology Sydney researcher Matt Hounsell said the discounted fares on Fridays will be more beneficial to low income workers and those commuting longer distances. 'You will see people who are on lower incomes shifting their behaviour, but it will be a smaller incentive for everyone else,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. The father of ten-year-old Sara Sharif, whose body was found at her home in Woking last month, have appeared in court today after being arrested on suspicion of her murder. Urfan Sharif, 41, along with his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and brother Faisal Malik, 28 were each charged with murder as well as causing or allowing the death of a child, the Crown Prosecution Service announced yesterday. The trio were arrested on the evening of September 13 at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai, where they reportedly sat in 4,000 business class seats, paid for by family members. The defendants arrived at Guilford Magistrates Court today after spending a month in Pakistan before deciding to return to the UK. They appeared in the dock this morning flanked by a dock officer each. Sharif was wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, Malik wore a red t-shirt and blue jeans and Batool was dressed in black. Sara's body was discovered at her Woking home on August 10 with post-mortem tests showing she had suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries' over a 'sustained and extended' period of time. Three people have been charged with the murder of ten-year-old Sara Sharif, whose body was found at her home address in Woking on 10 August Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, (centre) and brother Faisal Malik, 28, (right) are pictured at Sialkot Airport in Dubai. All three appeared at Guildford Magistrate's Court today The defendants, who only spoke to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses, did not enter any pleas. They all gave their address as Woking. An Urdu translator translated the proceedings to both men, as Batool, wearing a black jumper, eagerly watched the hearing unfold. The charges were read out to them as the murder on or about August 8 at Woking of Sara Sharif. They were charged with causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16 2022 and August 9 2023. The charges state they each caused or were aware of a 'significant risk of serious physical harm being caused' to Sara, and that they 'failed to take full steps as could have reasonably been expected to protect her from that risk'. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded the defendants, from Hammond Road in Woking, into custody before they appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. A day before the girl's body was found, Sharif, Batool, and Malik flew to Pakistan with five children - aged between one and 13 years old. The trio had not been seen in a month. Amanda Burrows, prosecuting, told the court the three adults flew to Islamabad on August 9 along with five children. She said Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, had called authorities in the UK 52 minutes after their flight arrived in the Pakistani capital. Olga Sharif (seen middle, supported by two companions) visited the 550,000 red-brick home in Horsell, near Woking, to lay a floral tribute in memory of her daughter Sara, who suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries', pictured playing in a garden Mrs Sharif, left, described her daughter as an 'amazing child' No application for bail was made on behalf of any of the defendants, and Judge Ikram sent the case to the Central Criminal Court. He told them: 'You will remain in custody until September 9. You will appear then at the Central Criminal Court in London. 'You will be entitled then to make any bail application, if you so wish. The reason I am keeping you in custody is, this is a case of murder. Please go with the officers. Thank you.' The trio flew back on Wednesday on an Emirates A380 Airbus from Dubai and landed on the runway at London Gatwick just after 7.30pm - where they were arrested by Surrey Police. The group sat in the plane's upper deck, filled with padded, fully-reclining seats as they made their journey back to Britain. The cabin had a touchscreen entertainment system with 6,500 channels on HD television. In the rear of the cabin, the trio had access to an 'onboard lounge' containing a cocktail bar and 55-inch television screen. Relative Safeer Malik, in his mid-30s, booked the tickets four days prior to the flight on Saturday, reported The Daily Telegraph. 'He offered [to] pay in sterling but I said we only deal in Pakistani rupees so after half an hour he came with 1,500,000 RS (4,000) and I booked the tickets,' he said. He told Burhan Ali, from Bin Adam Travels, he wanted three tickets for his brothers and sister-in-law. According to their lawyers, the trio had decided to return to the UK to give their accounts to the police after hiding in Pakistan, after spending 500 each on one-way tickets to the country in August. Sara's mother, Olga Sharif, has been informed of this latest development and is being supported by specialist officers. She visited the 550,000 red-brick home in the village of Horsell five days after her daughter's death to lay flowers in her memory. The 36-year-old said her 'life will never be the same again' and described Sara as being 'happy and always laughing'. 'Sara was an amazing child,' Mrs Sharif told The Sun. 'There is nothing I can do that can bring her back to life, so I have to only remember the good times with her now. Life is really hard. It's just not fair.' The young girl was previously a pupil a St Mary's Church of England primary school in Byfleet. The school's headteacher Jacquie Chambers said the Year 5 pupil had 'the most beautiful smile'. In a statement, she said: '[Sara] was a bubbly, confident little girl who had the most beautiful smile. She was full of ideas and was very passionate about the things she believed in.' Ms Chambers added: 'Sara will be dearly missed and, as a school community, we are all deeply affected by this tragedy. 'Our thoughts, prayers and sympathy are with those affected by this heartbreaking news.' Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, previously said: 'Firstly, on behalf of Surrey Police, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences following Sara's tragic death. 'Our thoughts are with her mother at this difficult time. We also fully appreciate the impact this devastating incident will have had within the local community.' Surrey Police issued a statement, saying: 'Sara's mother has been informed of this latest update and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Sara's death at this very difficult time. 'This has been an extremely fast-moving, challenging and complex enquiry and we remain absolutely committed to conducting a thorough investigation into Sara's death.' Price said colonisation had 'positive impact' on First Nations people Peter Dutton has stopped short of endorsing a contentious remark from his Indigenous Australians spokeswoman who claimed colonisation had a positive impact. The opposition leader backed senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after her address to the National Press Club drew the ire of the government and the Yes campaign. Senator Price told reporters in Canberra on Thursday colonisation was good for Indigenous Australians and cast doubt on Mr Dutton's promise of a second referendum if the Voice failed. Mr Dutton argued Senator Price was speaking from her lived experience as a 'brave Indigenous women' who grew up and lives in Alice Springs. 'We either accept that people have views, a broad range of views, or we don't,' Mr Dutton told Nine's Today Show. Peter Dutton argued Senator Price was speaking from her lived experience as a 'brave Indigenous women' who grew up and lives in Alice Springs (pictured on the Today Show) Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price on Thursday said colonisation was good for Indigenous Australians and cast doubt on Mr Dutton's promise of a second referendum if the Voice failed 'The left just say, well, we can only listen to people like Marcia Langton but Indigenous people on the right, like Jacinta Price, we can't listen to. 'So what, do we just say that her view doesn't count? That she doesn't know what she's talking about?' Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney condemned Senator Price's comments as 'offensive' and a 'betrayal'. Speaking on Friday morning, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the remarks were part of the No campaign strategy to distract from the proposal on the ballot paper. 'She is doing what the no campaign has done for many, many months, which is to talk about anything other than this referendum,' he told ABC's RN. Voters will head to the polls on October 14 to decide on whether to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution through an enshrined Voice. The opposition leader backed senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after her address to the National Press Club drew the ire of the government and the Yes campaign Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney (pictured) condemned Senator Price's comments to the National Press Club on Thursday as 'offensive' and a 'betrayal' The Yes camp, and the government, have argued the Voice is needed to close the gaps in Indigenous disadvantage. Mr Dutton has stated his support for local and regional voices, rather than a national Voice, but only if they were legislated and not baked into the Constitution. He has previously said he wants a second referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition should the Voice to Parliament fail. Senator Price, and Nationals leader David Littleproud, have failed to back the call. But when asked about his promise on Friday, Mr Dutton claimed 'nobody wants a second referendum'. Anthony Albanese is seen addressing reporters outside Parliament House on Thursday 'What we've said is that we want reconciliation. I don't believe people if they vote no on October 14 are voting against helping Indigenous Australians,' he said. 'I don't believe they're voting against recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution. But they are voting against a Voice. 'So our argument is let's have a unifying moment instead of a dividing moment. The question should just be recognition.' Nationals leader in the Senate, Bridget McKenzie, however said Mr Dutton had been 'very clear' that 'we're going to a referendum on recognition'. 'We're going to focus on defeating the Voice, for me from my end, and hopefully winning the next election if we get that great privilege ... they're exactly the questions we'll be considering,' she told 2GB. Sydney's Lord Mayor has come under furious attack from a high-profile media commentator after she boasted in a newsletter that her city first introduced a Voice for Indigenous people 15 years ago. A recent newsletter bearing the signature of long-standing mayor Clover Moore claimed that the council's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel had acted as a 'Voice' for Indigenous people since 2008. The newsletter also announced that the council was backing the Yes case for the Voice at the referendum to be held on October 14. But social commentator and journalist Prue MacSween rubbished the 300-word letter as nothing more than virtue signaling penned by the 'queen of woke'. Ms MacSween said overflowing garbage in the streets and violence in homes will continue while distractions like the Voice take up all the air in the political debate. 'Once again Clover Moore oversteps her role as Chief Garbage Collector and (over)rated rate collector,' Ms MacSween told Daily Mail Australia. Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney Council, penned a letter to Sydneysiders (pictured) explaining why she'll be voting Yes for the Voice to Parliament Social commentator and journalist Prue MacSween rubbished the 300-word letter as nothing more than virtue signalling penned by the 'Queen of Woke' 'Shell find any cause she can attach herself to, to pump up her own tyres The YES campaign was a no-brainer for her to latch onto. 'She is the queen of woke and (it is) typical of the elites who want to extend a hand of friendship & understanding, but would rather offer sympathy than solutions.' Sydney's advisory panel, which was established by unanimous vote in 2008, gave Indigenous peoples the ability to advise local councillors on plans that affected their communities. 'Elected councillors still make decisions, but they are now better informed,' Ms Moore wrote. 'This year, council has committed to campaigning to promote a "Yes" vote. 'Our version of the Voice works for the city, and it will work for the nation.' She said that it was 'our moral duty to vote Yes on 14 October'. The mayor continued: 'In the words of Noel Pearson, "It falls to our generation to unite three stories of Australia: our ageless Heritage, our esteemed British Institutions, and our glorious Multicultural Unity." Mr Pearson was a key speaker at a recent CityTalk event focusing on the Voice to Parliament referendum. Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney, Stan Grant, and Voice architect Thomas Mayo also made appearances at the event. In response to the scathing criticism from Ms MacSween a spokesperson for the Lord Mayor told Daily Mail Australia that a Voice was the only path forward. 'Our history, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, includes events and attitudes that our current policies and initiatives need to redress,' the spokesperson said. 'The impact of colonisation is particularly poignant here in Sydney, the first site of invasion. 'By acknowledging our shared past, we are laying the groundwork for a future which embraces all Australians a future based on mutual respect and shared responsibility for this land.' Lord Mayor Clover Moore (pictured) said that Sydney has had a Voice for 15 years, since her council introduced an Indigenous advisory panel by unanimous vote in 2008 Ms MacSween claimed that Sydney's 'Voice' has done nothing more than inflate the mayor's ego while trash piles up in the streets Australia's last referendum was held 24 years ago in 1999 to decide whether the country should become a republic. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned of the consequences of a No vote in a speech he delivered in Adelaide launching the Yes campaign. 'On that day, every Australian will have a once in a generation chance to bring our country together... And to change it for the better,' Mr Albanese told the audience. On October 14 you are not being asked to vote for a political party or a person. Youre being asked to say yes to an idea whose time has come.' Mr Albanese guaranteed a Voice would save money in the long run by streamlining services and directing help exactly where it is needed in the community. Lets be very clear about the alternative. Voting no means going nowhere. It closes the door on this opportunity to move forward. Dont close the door on constitutional recognition dont close the door on the next generation of Indigenous Australians. Vote yes, he said. The question presented to Australians will be: 'A proposed law: to alter the constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?' Linda Burney has been recorded telling NSW Premier Chris Minns she was subjected to 'racism and bullying' in Parliament over the last two sitting weeks. The conversation was caught on camera during a Yes23 campaign event supporting the Indigenous Voice to Parliament on Friday morning in the premier's Sydney electorate of Kogarah. The Minister for Indigenous Australians said: 'We've just finished two weeks of gruelling parliament... to me it's just unbelievably racist and bullying. 'The way they have treated me is appalling.' Mr Minns started to say 'hey, you know what...' before adding 'yeah'. While it's unclear whether the pair knew they were being filmed, her comments couldn't come at a worse time for the 'Yes' campaign amid public anger at key Voice architect Marcia Langton previously referring to Australia a 'horrible, racist country' and referring to the No campaign as 'racist and stupid'. Ms Burney told Daily Mail Australia: 'In recent months, my office, social media and email accounts have been inundated with racist abuse. 'Racism takes its toll. 'But I will never allow racism to weaken or diminish my resolve to see Australia embrace constitutional recognition through a Voice. 'My message to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are experiencing racism is this: hold your head high, be proud of your identity and who you are.' The conversation was caught on camera during a Yes23 campaign event supporting the Indigenous Voice to Parliament on Friday morning in the duo's Sydney electorate of Kogarah Ms Burney has faced an onslaught of questions about the Voice. READ MORE: Linda Burney's hope for the Voice Advertisement This week marked the final sitting week in parliament before the referendum, and the Yes campaign are keen to shift the debate outside of Canberra and reach everyday Australians. Ms Burney was asked to reflect on comments she made about treaty several years ago, as well as to weigh in on Professor Marcia Langton's fiery unearthed Voice videos. She was repeatedly criticised by members of the Opposition for failing to answer what they argued were 'tight' questions - instead deferring back to pre-prepared notes about the proposal. Ms Burney faced 14 questions in total - some from her own party - during the course of the week. Now that parliament is over until after the referendum, Labor politicians and affiliated Yes campaigners hope to ramp up their efforts to connect with communities across Australia. Despite dwindling support in the polls, the campaign is still confident it can secure a win, relying on 'soft' No voters and Australians who are yet to engage with the debate at all. For the referendum to be successful, the majority of Australians in the majority of states must vote Yes. Support for the Yes case has fallen from more than 60 per cent to 40 per cent or even below, partly on the back of comments made by those behind the Voice to Parliament and the Uluru Statement of the Heart. She said: 'We've just finished two weeks of gruelling parliament... just unbelievably racist and bullying. The way they've treated me is appalling' Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney (pictured centre) wants the Voice to advise on health, education, employment and housing The most recent Resolve Political Monitor survey showed 43 per cent of voters supported a plan to enshrine the Voice into the Constitution, down 20 percentage points from a year ago. Speaking after the Voice event, Ms Burney also took aim at her opposition counterpart, opposition Indigenous affairs spokesperson and leading No campaigner senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, after she stated that Australia's colonisation had a positive impact on Indigenous people in an address to the National Press Club on Thursday. 'If we keep telling Aboriginal people that they are victims, we are effectively removing their agency and giving them the expectation that someone else is responsible for their lives. 'That is the worst possible thing you can do to any human being, to tell them that they are a victim without agency. And that is what I refuse to do.' Ms Burney said 'There are many people I've spoken to last night, this morning, that are very distressed and quite frankly, pretty disgusted. But I am going to focus on the goal here and that is a successful referendum.' 'It's a real betrayal to the many families that have experienced things like Stolen Generations. 'The idea that colonisation in any country ... doesn't have long and far-reaching effects is simply wrong.' Ms Burney has vowed to ask the Voice body to consider the 'main priority areas' of health, education, jobs and housing if the referendum is successful. However, the Voice will not be limited to advising only on these specific topics. Ms Burney says the advisory body would 'have a full in-tray' from day one. 'Unlike government, it won't be distracted by the three-year election cycles. It will plan for the next generation, not the next term. It will be focused on making a better future for the next generation,' she said in July. The percentage of Australians in favour of the referendum has dropped for the fifth month in a row and since the last survey Victoria has flipped to a majority No, leaving Tasmania the only state left in the Yes camp Ms Burney has vowed to work closely with the Voice body in her role as minister, and will ask that it help 'solve the most pressing issues'. 'When I meet with the Voice for the first time I will say: Bring me your ideas on how to stop our people from taking their own lives,' she said. 'Bring me your ideas on how to help our kids go to school and thrive. Bring me your ideas on how we make sure our mob live strong and healthy lives. How we ensure more people have jobs with the independence and purpose that brings. 'How we strengthen culture and language. How we support families better. How we keep alive our 65,000 years of culture and make it stronger.' Ms Burney said she hopes a Voice to Parliament will target the 'systemic and structural disadvantage' of Indigenous Australians in a speech to the National Press Club in July. She referred to Closing the Gap statistics which demonstrate how First Nations people face higher rates of incarceration and higher chances of dying younger. Half of all of Britain's XL Bully dogs could 'descend from one inbred animal from the US named Killer Kimbo', genealogy research reveals. Decades of inbreeding has created a shallow gene pool of unstable fighting beasts which are responsible for 70 per cent of dog attack in Britain, according to The Telegraph. 'Killer Kimbo', who is thought to have bred hundreds of puppies, is the product of two dogs from the same parents. Experts have warned this narrow gene pool can make dogs unstable and cause genetic diseases. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has pushed for a ban on American bully XL dogs, arguing they are a 'clear and lethal danger', particularly to children, following an incident which saw 11-year-old Ana Paun savaged in a ferocious rampage. The XL Bully breed has become one of the most fashionable in the UK with puppies selling for more than 2,500 - often sold to families who are told that they are placid and safe around children. One street in West London is 'living in fear' as the nightmare dogs besiege their community after escaping from their cages, mauling two cats, chasing children and attacking dog walkers. Half of all of Britain's XL Bully dogs could 'descend from one inbred animal from the US named Killer Kimbo' (pictured) Renowned 'Killer Kimbo', who is thought to have bred hundreds of puppies, is the product of two dogs from the same parents. [Stock Image] Kimbo is renowned for its size and strength in the XL Bully community, is responsible for half of British 'stud' dogs currently on the market. It's breeder, Gustavo Castro, is based in the Huntington Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles. He is pictured holding and playing with the beast on his social media. Campaign group BullyWatch say products of Kimbo are responsible for at least ten violent incidents across the globe - the real amount is impossible to trace. Scientist and campaigner for BullyWatch, Gloria Zsigmond, said: 'Kimbo's offspring became very, very popular and they're still so popular in the UK to this day,' she added that it was 'extremely troubling'. Following hundreds of hours of research using family trees uploaded by breeders, Ms Zsigmond found that 32 of the 50 breeding dogs were related to Kimbo. She said: 'A lot of the time, the Bully breeders are trying to hide how inbred the dogs are.' 'Kimbo bled into all those bloodlines because he was early on and he was so dominant in breeding. There are some good bloodlines where Kimbo isn't there, but there are many where he is,' she told The Telegraph. Andre Smith, owner of the Los Angeles-based Big Gemini Kennels, said that Kimbo's owner should have stopped breeding the dog once the first attacks were reported. The research comes as brave schoolgirl Ana Paun spoke exclusively to MailOnline about the moment she was savaged by a dangerous Bully XL dog. The 11-year-old told how the powerful breed of bulldog 'which was suffering from heat exhaustion' leapt up at her after lying unleashed in a Birmingham bus shelter as she walked home from buying sweets with her sister. Ana Paun was walking to the shops with her 18-year-old sister when the powerful breed of bulldog leapt up at her from a bus shelter Traumatised Ana said: 'The dog just came at me out of nowhere. I was walking to the shop with my elder sister and the dog was with its owner, who was standing by a bus shelter. 'The dog stared at me and as I got closer it suddenly jumped up and bit my arm, it didn't take its gaze off me and continued staring while it was biting. 'It sort of locked on to my arm and wouldn't let go. I was screaming as loud as I could. 'The dog knocked me to the floor and was still attacking me. A man helped me and hit the dog which released it from my arm but it then lunged at me again and bit my shoulder. 'I was in shock but another man managed to grab the dog from behind and pull it off me. The dog then chased someone else into the petrol station and attacked him on the forecourt. 'I managed to get off the floor at this point and with my sister I ran into the shop to safety. There was a lot of blood pouring from my arm. The staff called the police and the ambulance and I was taken to Heartlands Hospital.' She added: 'I thought it was going to attack my face and neck and that I was going to die. 'I kept screaming and screaming - I was petrified.' Jack Lis was attacked by the XL bully dog while playing with a friend at a house after school last year Jack suffered 'severe injuries to the head and neck' when he was set upon by the seven stone XL Bully, Beast (pictured), while playing at his friend's home The mother of 10-year-old Jack Lis who died after being mauled by a seven stone XL Bully dog has called for a change in the law, saying 'enough is enough'. Emma Whitfield's son suffered catastrophic injuries after going to a house to play in Caerphilly, South Wales. She wants to see tougher penalties on dangerous dog owners considered as well as stronger rules to stop illegal and irresponsible breeding and selling. 'It's mind-blowing how it keeps happening. It should never have happened to Jack but why has nobody learned from this? 'Innocent people are dying. The Government needs to act now. It's out of control and there are people losing their kids because of this. I want to stop this happening,' she said. Numerous online adverts for XL Bullies include references to Kimbo - his offsprings include Unstoppable Juggernaut, the Joker and Frank Sinatra Breeding American Bullies has become a multimillion-pound industry since its rapid expansion in the US which has resulted in the dominance of one dog in the ancestry of violent animals in Britain. Almost half of injuries from dog attacks were by the breed, which make up about 1 per cent of the UK's dog population making them around 270 times more deadly than the average dog. 'This is exactly what you'd expect from a fighting breed that has been inbred repeatedly for exotic styles, colours and sizes,' said Dr Lawrence Newport, a legal academic who supports a ban on the dogs. 'We found this, of course, to our terrible cost. 'It has only been a few years since we've allowed a single pitbull-cross into the country. And the effects have been very immediate and devastating.' A woman was killed after colliding with a stolen Mercedes on the Sunshine Coast on Friday morning. The crash happened at around 7.20 am on Windsor Road in Burnside, near the Sunshine Coast, in the state's south-east. The woman died after her Nissan Micra, crashed into an allegedly stolen Mercedes hatchback. The Mercedes was allegedly stolen earlier this morning in Landsborough, a town 30 kilometres south of Burnside. Queensland Police said the driver of the Mercedes allegedly ran away from the scene before he was found a short time later. He has been taken into custody and is believed to be assisting police with their enquiries. A woman has been killed after her Nissan Micra (pictured) crashed into a Mercedes hatchback in Burnside, in Queensland's south-east on Friday morning 'A man aged in his 20s is in police custody following a serious traffic crash at Burnside on the Sunshine Coast this morning,' the spokesperson said. 'A female driver was trapped in one of the vehicles while the male driver of the second vehicle allegedly fled the scene on foot'. 'Police searched the area and were able to apprehend the man at a nearby residence'. No charges have been laid. A part of Windsor Road has been closed until further notice as Queensland Police investigate the incident. The crash happened near Nambour Special School and a day care centre is located close by. The street was littered with debris from the two cars following the crash. A man in his 20s is assisting police with their enquiries, after a stolen Mercedes was involved in a horror two vehicle crash that killed a woman The Nissan Micra was seen mounted on the footpath with it's bonnet smashed in, with parts of the vehicle's front and back door's crumpled. The Mercedes was seen in the middle of the road, also with a badly damaged bonnet. Police are appealing for anyone with information or dashcam footage, to come forward. Bots such as ChatGPT may be able to outperform humans at certain creative thinking tasks, scientists believe. Researchers have found that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are capable of a skill known as divergent thinking - a spontaneous thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. When assessed with a type of divergent thinking exercise known as alternate uses tasks, which asks a person to think of as many uses as possible for a simple object, chatbots, on average, performed better than humans. However, the researchers also found that the best human ideas still matched or exceeded those that came from AI. Simone Grassini, associate professor in the department of psychosocial science at the University of Bergen, and Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Lab at the University of Stavanger, in Norway, told the PA news agency: 'Indeed, this is a remarkable type of ability that AI chatbots display. Researchers have found that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are capable of a skill known as divergent thinking - a spontaneous thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions (Pictured: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman - File Photo) 'The findings show that AI is better than most humans in creative thinking. 'But we should also remember that we used the divergent thinking task to measure creative thinking, that is, measuring a particular type of creative thinking and not creativity in general. 'Our results show that, at least for now, the best humans still outperform the AI.' For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, Prof Grassini and her colleague Mika Koivisto, of the department of psychology at the University of Turku in Finland, assigned alternate uses tasks for four objects - a rope, a box, a pencil and a candle - to 256 human volunteers and three AI chatbots - ChatGPT3, ChatGPT4, and Copy.Ai. The responses were rated on semantic distance - looking at how closely related the response was to the object's original use - and creativity. The team said that on average, chatbot-generated responses scored significantly higher than the human responses for both semantic distance and creativity. The researchers found that the best human ideas still matched or exceeded those that came from AI (Stock Image) The best human response outperformed each chatbot's best response in seven out of eight scoring categories. However, responses from people had a higher proportion of poor-quality ideas, the researchers added. Prof Grassini said: 'Playing around with ChatGPT, I noticed that some of the answers given by the chatbot displayed a good level of creativity. 'I knew that the chatbot would have performed well, but I think it performed even better than what I expected.' The researchers said that while their work highlights the potential of AI as a tool to enhance creativity, it also underscores the unique and complex nature of human creativity that may be difficult to fully replicate or surpass with AI technology. Prof Grassini said: 'It is still to be established whether these capabilities of AI will translate directly on AI systems, replacing human jobs that require creative thinking. 'I prefer to think that AI will be helping humans to improve their capacity.' New satellite footage shows the huge area being churned up across the Atlantic by Hurricane Lee, with tropical-storm-force winds extending out up to 345 miles from the eye. Lee is a Category 1 storm as of Thursday night, heading north of Bermuda up the Atlantic Coast, but what is concerning meteorologists is the size of the storm rather than the wind speed. Storm surge warnings of between one and three feet are in place for Long Island and New England. Heavy rain is expected on the Massachusetts Cape from Saturday onwards, although the Weather Channel reported huge waves could begin to strike the east coast as early as Friday. 'Coastal flooding accompanied by large and destructive waves from Hurricane #Lee is possible along the coasts of Long Island and New England,' wrote the Storm Surge Unit at the National Hurricane Center in their 5pm AST update on Thursday. Lee is now forecast to make landfall as a tropical storm on Sunday in Canada, or perhaps the far eastern reach of Maine. Dramatic new satellite imagery showed Hurricane Lee's predicted path, with winds felt across 345 miles Hurricane #Lee is currently forecast to make landfall over Nova Scotia, Canada late on Saturday. But Lee will be a large system, and tropical storm-force winds will extend far beyond the center. This map shows maximum winds on the Beaufort scale, where 0 = calm, 12 = hurricane. pic.twitter.com/vjz5pzbHWF Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) September 14, 2023 Forecasters are warning about storm surges along the New England coast The National Hurricane Center has issued warnings about going near the New England coast A hurricane watch has been issued from Stonington, Maine, to Point Lepreau, New Brunswick, and also from Digby to Medway Harbour, Nova Scotia, including Yarmouth. That watch means that hurricane conditions are possible in these areas within 48 hours, according to The Weather Channel's latest forecast. A tropical storm warning has been issued for the coast of Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. A tropical storm warning is also in effect for Bermuda. In Canada, a tropical storm watch is in effect from much of the Maritimes - the easternmost provinces. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has instructed the National Guard to deploy to parts of coastal Long Island, and residents in beach towns are hunkering down. New England is bracing for flash floods and tornados. The storm, a Category 1 Hurricane, will whip coastal Massachusetts with winds of up to 40mph, lashing Provincetown and even causing tornados in some parts of New England Hurricane Lee is on track to smash coastal Massachusetts this weekend Steve Cook, of Provincetown, fills one of three long sleeves he brought to the town's highway garage where residents were allowed to fill sandbags ahead of Hurricane Lee. Provincetown DPW's had sandbags at their Highway Garage for residents to fill to help with flooding issues with the predicted stormy weather from Hurricane Lee Jody Scheske, of Provincetown, fills sandbags at the Highway Garage Thursday morning. Provincetown DPW's had sandbags at their Highway Garage for residents to fill to help with flooding issues with the predicted stormy weather from Hurricane Lee Hurricane Lee is expected to bring storms that will wallop New England on Friday night and Saturday, after the area experienced days of extreme weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, and sinkholes. The hurricane may also unleash violent storms on the region that saw up to 10 inches of rainfall in just six hours on Wednesday, that caused major damage including uprooting trees and downing power lines in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee announced that the state's emergency operations center was activated and would be monitoring the storm over the next few days. 'The best thing you can do right now: Stay tuned for frequent updates,' McKee said. Hurricane Lee's impact is expected to extend outside forecast path. The National Hurricane Center announced a hurricane watch that stretches from Stonington, Maine to the US-Canadian border Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also issued a state of emergency late on Tuesday evening, following the 'catastrophic flash flooding and property damage' in two counties and other communities. The state's emergency management agency is watching the weather and is prepared to offer assistance, she said. The state is monitoring the conditions of dams, she said, and she urged residents to take flood warnings seriously and to stay off the roads when ordered. Satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane is predicted to wallop New England this week The flooding caused several sinkholes in Leominster, Massachusetts, including one at a dealership where several cars were swallowed up. In Providence, Rhode Island, downpours flooded a parking lot and parts of a shopping mall. Firefighters used inflatable boats to rescue more than two dozen people stranded in cars. In Danbury, Connecticut, officials said they had to rescue several people from vehicles stuck in floodwaters. The hurricane is traveling north and could make landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, possibly as a tropical storm, forecasters said. As of now, Hurricane Lee's path is not projected to make landfall in the New York area, but the storm may cause beach erosion to the shoreline. Terrifying video shows how the streets of Libya 'turned into a river' in a matter of seconds amid Storm Daniel. The footage, believed to have been taken in Derna on Monday, shows floodwater pouring down the road before roughly 20 cars and a slew of debris are swept away in the chaos. Calm conditions are seen at the beginning of the clip, but after just 25 seconds the horde of vehicles comes clattering down the road. It came as officials warned yesterday that the death toll from the floods disaster could reach 20,000. Thousands of victims have already been buried in mass graves in the port city of Derna, amid claims many could have been saved with better warning systems. New video shows how it took just seconds for a street in Libya's Derna to turn into a river. So far, more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead in Derna alone. Thousands more are still missing. pic.twitter.com/WlGvXZs6hG BNO News Live (@BNODesk) September 15, 2023 Map shows the flood damage extent in Derna, Libya. The Libyan Red Crescent last night said the death toll in the city has soared to 11,300, with hundreds more confirmed dead across eastern Libya Search and rescue operations continue in the region affected by flood due to Storm Daniel in Derna, Libya on September 14 The footage, believed to have been taken in Derna, shows floodwater pouring down the road before roughly 20 cars and a slew of debris are swept away in the chaos The Libyan Red Crescent last night said the death toll in the city has soared to 11,300, with hundreds more confirmed dead across eastern Libya. Search teams are continuing to scour the area after Storm Daniel caused devastating floods in many eastern towns on Sunday night. Derna residents said they heard loud explosions as two dams on the city's outskirts collapsed. Floodwaters then washed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crumbling buildings and washing people out to sea. Thousands of people remain missing, said Ossama Ali, a spokesman for an ambulance centre in eastern Libya. The mayor of Derna Abdel Moneim al-Ghaithi said the final tally in the city could hit 20,000, given the number of neighbourhoods that were washed away. A view of buildings damaged in the flood due to Storm Daniel in Derna, Libya on September 14 Search and rescue operations continue in the region affected by flood due to Storm Daniel in Derna, Libya on September 14 Petteri Taalas, head of the UN's World Meteorological Organization, said that with proper early warning and emergency management systems, authorities 'could have avoided most of the human casualties' A view of cars damaged in the flood due to Storm Daniel in Derna, Libya on September 14 Petteri Taalas, head of the UN's World Meteorological Organization, said that with proper early warning and emergency management systems, authorities 'could have avoided most of the human casualties'. He said institutions were 'not functioning normally', with efforts to help reform Libya's meteorological system hampered by security threats. Libya is divided by rival governments one in the east, the other in the west and one result has been neglect of infrastructure. The dams that collapsed, built in the 1970s, have not been maintained for years, local media reported. The floods have displaced at least 30,000 people in Derna, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration, with several thousand others forced to leave their homes in other eastern towns. More than 3,000 bodies were buried by yesterday morning, said eastern Libya's health minister, Othman Abduljaleel, while another 2,000 were still being processed. He said most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna. Other areas hit included the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj, killing around 170. The dead in eastern Libya included at least 84 Egyptians more than 70 of them coming from one village in the province of Beni Suef, south of Cairo. Libyan media also said dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster. A pitbull-loving fitness fanatic accused of operating a large-scale drug operation from her home complained when a competitor ripped-off her designer drug labels, a court has heard. Karlie Cook, 39, fronted the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday where she pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including trafficking a commercial quantity of ecstasy and weapons offences. The plea followed a deal with Victorian prosecutors, who agreed to withdraw a swag of other charges. Karlie Cook was busted by Victoria Police Echo Taskforce detectives, the same that are tasked with bringing down Victoria's outlaw bikies Karlie Cook's social media pages are awash with photos of herself wearing very little Daily Mail Australia was refused access to a revised summary of agreed facts Cook will be sentenced over when the matter reaches the County Court of Victoria next year. Now sporting brunette locks, Cook entered her guilty plea via video link from within her high profile barrister Philip Dunn, KC's office. She had initially been refused bail and jailed amid concerns she posed a risk to the community. During that bail hearing last year, the court heard Cook's alleged dealing of Xanax - a potent tranquilizer - had allowed her to display her creative flair for the illicit drug trade. Police allegedly seized testosterone, MDMA and 20kg of Xanax from her home, the Herald Sun reported then. Upon seizing Cook's phone following her arrest in July last year, detectives found an assortment of messages related to her alleged offending. In one message to her friend, Cook allegedly moaned that 'somebody had stolen her design of Xanax labels'. Police believe the Xanax had been manufactured and pressed inside a bedroom at her home. A treasure trove of illicit booty was allegedly confiscated by police in the raid, including 1,4 Butanediol, a stun gun, crossbow and arrow, pill press and a cash counter. Karlie Cook is accused of running an illegal drug empire from her home Karlie Cook has been striking poses behind bars young A clandestine drug lab had allegedly been set up inside Cooks home, which was littered with various liquids, tablets and pills, canisters, vials, empty bottles, labels, a label maker, cash and bottles investigators believed contained steroids. The court heard Cook's boyfriend wanted nothing to do with her alleged drug dealing, telling police she had routinely had packages delivered to his house. Cook had previously worked as an bookkeeper and ran her own beauty business before allegedly turning to crime. Police told the court Cooks sole income now came from the manufacturing of drugs. At a hearing last year, Echo Taskforce detective Senior Constable Alexandra Kapetanovski said Cook used fake IDs to mask her alleged drug activity. '(Cook) is clearly manufacturing drugs of dependence and steroids on a large scale and further trafficking the drugs in which shes created her own label designs and subsequently labelled them for sale,' she said. Karlie Cook was jailed last year after being denied bail Do you know who lives in the house? Email newsUS@dailymail.com A mysterious makeshift house has appeared on the rocky cliffs of California's bay area. The ramshackle three-story structure was first spotted on a treacherous cliff edge at Devil's Slide, Pacifica, a 30 minute drive from San Francisco, by a drone in December 2022. Devil's Slide is notorious for landslides - with a road that used to run nearby since destroyed. The property appears to have been constructed out of driftwood and has several rooms perched precariously on the rock face which offers stunning - but very dangerous - Pacific Ocean views. It is not clear if anyone inhabits the dwelling but signs of life include a punching bag, a solitary wooden chair and a fully enclosed room. No indication has been given as to who lives in the structure and it is not located on county lands. 'We were hiking along the California coast in a spot familiar to us and I noticed something odd down on the cliffs,' drone operator @ParallaxEffect said of their footage. The ramshackle three-story structure was first spotted on a treacherous cliff edge at Devil's Slide, Pacifica by a drone in December 2022 'Flying out to investigate revealed one of the most incredible human structures I've ever seen. 'We had so many questions Who made this? Why? Why here? How??!' they wrote. The drone footage shows waves lapping just meters away from the structure's base. The tarpaulin's covering its bare poles can be seen blowing in the strong coastal wind. Several road signs and buoys appear strewn around the property. Images from Google Earth also reveal a rope linking the structure to the Devil's Slide Trail offering an entry and exit point. A spokesperson from San Mateo County told SFGATE that since the structure is on the ocean bluffs it 'is not located on County lands,'. The authority said they are reviewing records to see if any more information is available. It is not clear if anyone inhabits the dwelling but signs of life include a punching bag, a solitary wooden chair and a fully enclosed room Devil's Slide, named after its deadly descent into the sea, carried Highway 1 on its cliff top until several major landslides made the route unsafe. Tunnels were instead dug through the rocks further inland and the new section of the Pacific coast Highway opened in 2013. The former highway was then developed into the Devils Slide hiking trail, which runs just above the curious house. It is not known who built the structure and when, nor who lives in or visits it. The home is about three miles from the 250-foot cliff where California doctor Dharmesh Patel is accused of purposefully driving his Tesla off with his wife and two kids inside. Patel, 42, pled not guilty to attempted murder charges and claimed his Tesla had tire issues before later applying for a mental health diversion program in the hope of having his charges fully dismissed. The doctor's wife, Neha Patel, told investigators after the crash that her husband was depressed and that he had stated his intention to plummet the group. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton appears to have walked back on his commitment to hold a second referendum on Aboriginal constitutional recognition if the Voice fails. Speaking to host Sarah Abo on the Today Show on Friday, Mr Dutton was asked whether he should 'park' his proposal for a second referendum after the Coalition's Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampjinpa Price stopped shy of endorsing it. 'Nobody wants a second referendum,' Mr Dutton said. 'We want this referendum to be unifying.' Abo, appearing slightly puzzled, pointed out that Mr Dutton himself has recently said he wants a second referendum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the referendum will be held on October 14. If it fails, Peter Dutton said the Liberal party is committed to a second referendum seeking constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians Just 12 days ago on September 3, Mr Dutton told Sky News he was committed to holding a referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution - without establishing the Voice - if the October 14 referendum fails. 'We went to the last election, and a number of elections before that, with that as our policy and that will be our policy going into the next election as well. 'I think it's right and respectful to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution, we will work with the Labor Party to find a common ground. 'I believe very strongly that that is the right thing to do,' he said at the time. 'I don't believe people if they vote no on October 14 are voting against helping Indigenous Australians. I don't believe they're voting against recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution. 'But they are voting against a Voice and what the Prime Minister has done here is tried to use the moral cover of recognition in the constitution to try and apply some sort of blanket to the Voice so that people don't look at what the Voice is. 'If people don't understand it, they won't vote for it. So our argument is let's have a unifying moment instead of the dividing moment. The question should just be recognition. I think you would get 80% support. And that's the policy that we took to the last election. And it's a policy that we will take to the next election.' Mr Dutton has repeatedly accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being 'tricky and sneaky' in withholding information until after the October 14 referendum, which will decide if the Voice is constitutionally established. 'The problem is... that the Prime Minister won't support the public in their decision-making,' Mr Dutton argued. 'He's deliberately withholding information and withholding that information until after the election, he's been very clear about that he will give you the detail after the vote has taken place, which is quite remarkable. He said Labor's proposed Voice, which they say will be a purely advisory body but others claim is a stepping stone towards creating a treaty with Indigenous Australians, is what divides Australians. 'It will not provide the practical outcomes,' he said. 'It will change the way of government very significantly, because of the broad words.' Just 12 days ago on September 3, Mr Dutton told Sky News he was committed to holding a referendum to constitutionally recognise Indigenous Australians without establishing the Voice body if the October 14 referendum fails 'And I think it would grind the process of government decision-making to a near halt.' Australia's last referendum was held 24 years ago in 1999 to decide whether the country should become a republic. The coming referendum will enshrine in the constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, aimed at giving Aboriginal Australians a direct say in the country's political decisions. Mr Albanese has long maintained confidence that the referendum would succeed despite opinion polls showing support for the Voice waning in recent months as the public debate has become more heated and divisive. 'I think people will begin to focus more. I expect that many Australians won't focus until the last few weeks,' Albanese told reporters. 'A majority of Australians will come to an answer that there's nothing to lose here, only upside.' The Yes campaign will need a majority of Australians and a majority in at least four of the six states in order to succeed. Only eight of 44 referendums have succeeded in Australia's 122 year history - all with bipartisan support. Professor Marcia Langton branded Jacinta Price's followers 'barking mad racists', claiming the Northern Territory Senator 'legitimises racist views by speaking them against her own people' in a resurfaced article. The Yes campaigner, who made the comments in a 2018 piece for The Saturday Paper, also took aim at Senator Price's politician mother, Bess, who she claimed had a 'revulsion' for her own culture. In highly incendiary comments, Professor Langton argued that both Senator Price and her mother's decision to speak at right-wing think tanks raised 'the suspicion that Bess and Jacinta have become the useful coloured help in rescuing the racist image of these conservative outfits'. It comes after Prof Langton was this week forced to deny calling No voters 'racist and stupid' at a referendum event at Edith Cowan University in Perth on Sunday. Professor Marcia Langton (pictured) branded Jacinta Price 's followers 'barking mad racists', claiming the Northern Territory Senator 'legitimises racist views by speaking them against her own people' in a resurfaced article The Indigenous academic's comments sparked a flurry of interest in her past articles and speeches where she had made similarly inflammatory claims. In piece for The Saturday Paper, Prof Langton dismissed the majority of Senator Price's followers as 'rabid racists', later branding them 'barking mad racists'. 'Jacinta Price is useful to politicians,' wrote Prof Langton. 'She legitimises racist views by speaking them against her own people. 'When she walks through Alice Springs and Tennant Creek with the prime minister, she waves a flag for the increasingly normal brand of race politics coming from Canberra. In highly-incendiary comments, Professor Langton argued that both Senator Price (pictured) and her mother's decision to speak at right-wing think tanks raised 'the suspicion that Bess and Jacinta have become the useful coloured help in rescuing the racist image of these conservative outfits' 'The damage she causes to the Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory is well known.' The paper was later forced to issue a grovelling apology after Prof Langton had wrongly claimed Senator Price was assaulted by her 'first white husband'. 'Price's first husband was not white and he did not assault her. The Saturday Paper apologies to the parties involved,' the apology read. Senator Pauline Hanson, who re-discovered the article, said: 'Anthony Albanese went on to make Langton co-chair of his Governments referendum advisory group. 'Should it surprise anyone his Voice is so divisive?' The newly-unearthed comments come after Prof Langton was exposed for calling Australia a 'horrible, racist country'. 'What fantasy world do they live in that would make them even ask the question?' she said in 2017. 'Of course Australia is racist. It's a horrible, racist country.' 2GB host Ben Fordham said she then went on to say in the recording: 'It's only racist if you're a person of colour. It's not racist if you're white.' Professor Marcia Langton (pictured) is a member of the government's advisory groups on the Voice Prof Langton claimed she had not labelled No voters 'racist and stupid' in the event on sunday, instead clarifying she 'was explaining how the No campaign is using fears and lies to frighten No voters into voting No'. 'The No campaign is claiming that this our proposition in the referendum will create apartheid and so it's very important to answer people's questions and explain exactly how this kind of the [campaign] works,' she said. 'I deny it absolutely. There is a recording of what I said at the Bunbury meeting. And what I said is very clear.' Audio from the meeting reveals Prof Langton said: 'Every time the No cases raise their arguments, if you start pulling it apart, you get down to base racism - I'm sorry to say that's where it lands - or sheer stupidity. 'If you look at any reputable fact-checker, every one of them says the No case is substantially false, they are lying to you.' On Thursday, Daily Mail Australia revealed Prof Langton sent a message to polarising politician Mark Latham telling him he 'deserved a slow, painful death' during a heated online exchange. 'You so deserve a slow, painful death and humiliating obituaries,' Professor Langton wrote about Mr Latham. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former AFL player Michael Long walk to Parliament House at the completion of a 20 day long walk for the Yes campaign, in Canberra The piece, published in The Saturday Paper in 2018, took aim at Senator Price's mother Bess who Prof Langton claimed had a 'revulsion' for her own culture The post was sent via X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 10, 2018, and Professor Langton's account has since been deleted. Footage has also emerged of Prof Langton accusing 'hard No voters' of 'spewing racism'. The video, aired on Sky News from a panel discussion at the University of Queensland in July, shows Prof Langton discussing a 'surge' in racism amid the Voice debate. She said: 'The surge of racist nonsense is confined to a minority of Australians. 'Ordinary Australians are thinking, "yes, of course I'm voting for the Voice". And that would be say 48, 49 per cent. 'Then there's the hard No voters. I'm hoping they're about 20 per cent. 'And they're the ones who are spewing the racism.' An Airbnb superhost who raped a young Japanese woman he had hired to clean his rural property has been jailed for six-and-a-half years. James Lithgow twice raped and sexually assaulted the 19-year-old, who spoke little English, in a caravan next to his home in Halls Gap, Victoria in 2018. County Court Judge Fran Dalziel said the now 46-year-old should have been aware a young woman being agreeable and friendly did not amount to an invitation to sexual activity. Lithgow was convicted by a jury of two charges each of rape and sexual assault, but acquitted of other charges including false imprisonment and attempted rape. County Court Judge Fran Dalziel told the court a woman is entitled to say no for any reason, including that she just doesn't want to (pictured, Victoria County Court) He had claimed that he believed the woman was consenting, telling police 'I'm not silly, I can tell when there's a good feeling going on'. Lithgow also described his kissing and touching of the young woman as normal drunken behaviour, prompting the judge's disagreement in a pre-sentence hearing. 'Just no. It's not normal behaviour to start kissing and having sex with someone just because you're drunk,' she said. 'If it is normal, it shouldn't be.' She noted Lithgow had only stopped his sexual advances on the woman after she told him she had a boyfriend. Judge Dalziel questioned why he had only stopped then. 'Does a boyfriend somehow make you less available to have sex?' she asked, adding that a woman is entitled to say no for any reason, including that she just doesn't want to. Lithgow had met the woman responding to an ad she posted looking for work. She and her boyfriend arrived in Australia in early September 2018 on a working holiday, and Lithgow offered her $25 an hour plus food and accommodation to clean his 11-person Airbnb property. Lithgow responded to the 19-year-old Japanese tourist's ad saying she was looking for work, and offered her $25 an hour to clean his rural 11-person Airbnb in Halls Gap (pictured, stock) She caught a train from Melbourne to Ararat and he picked her up for the 30-40 minute drive to his property, stopping at a supermarket to buy wine and dinner. At the property they drank the wine and the young woman reported feeling drunk. Lithgow pushed her into a chair outside the caravan and began groping and kissing her, before taking her into the caravan where he twice raped her. He then fell asleep. After dozing for a few hours the woman texted her boyfriend, who made his way to the property to meet her the following morning. He took her to a neighbouring caravan park and police were called. In sentencing Lithgow, Judge Dalziel noted his business had suffered as a result of his actions, and the subsequent reporting on his trial. She said it wasn't suggested he had intentionally set out to assault her, but he had showed a lack of understanding of the stark power differential between them. 'No doubt she was friendly and agreeable, but that is not an indication she was willing to engage in sexual activity with you,' she said. Lithgow must serve at least four years before he is eligible for parole. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Leading Yes case campaigner Marcia Langton's putdown of the No case as 'racist' has highlighted the major difference with the 1967 referendum that passed with 91 per cent support. Back then, Faith Bandler was the leading campaigner for the Yes case to enable the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people and to remove prohibitions on them being counted in the Census. This May 1967 referendum passed overwhelmingly with 90.77 per cent support, the strongest ever backing for Constitutional change since Federation in 1901. This victory demonstrated the need for bipartisan support, which the upcoming Voice referendum lacks, along with a unifying message of equality. Just eight out of 44 referendums to amend the Constitution have passed since the first vote in 1906, and multiple opinion polls have revealed a majority of voters opposing Labor's Voice to Parliament ahead of the October 14 referendum. Mrs Bandler, a descendant of South Sea Islanders who died in February 2015 aged 96, made the case for change in 1967 by uniting Australians and advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to be treated equally. She held a placard in that era which said: 'Count us together, make us one people.' Leading Yes case campaigner Marcia Langton's putdown of the No case as 'racist' has highlighted the major difference with the 1967 referendum that passed with 91 per cent support READ MORE: Voice to Parliament Yes campaigner Marcia Langton labels No case as 'racist, stupid' Prominent Aboriginal leader and Yes campaigner Marcia Langton has accused the No campaign of being based on 'base racism' or 'sheer stupidity' - but later denied that her comments were aimed at No voters in particular. Advertisement Her daughter Lilon Bandler, now an associate professor at the University of Melbourne, recalled standing next to her mother holding that sign in Sydney's Martin Place as a girl during the 1960s. 'The 1967 referendum had that huge majority, which is incredibly unusual in Australian referenda, that reflected that time,' she told an Oxfam video in 2013. 'It needed to reflect what our Australian community thought was important and that was to get rid of discriminatory clauses.' Lilon Bandler said her mother made the Yes case relevant to everyday Australians. 'It was about raising awareness and taking the time to explain to people why is this important, why should you care about it, what does it mean to you, and why you should actually think this is of significance,' she said. 'For Faith, she talked to anybody: she talked to people in the street, people in the train, she talked to prime ministers, but she also did that daily work of talking to anybody who would listen to her. 'If you don't have conversations about any change that you want to bring up, then you don't have the groundswell that will support change.' The successful referendum was the result of years of campaigning, which had begun in 1957. This saw churches lend their support for the 1967 referendum, a contrast to 2023 with big corporations the most prominent backers of the Yes case. 'An understanding of how long a campaign needs to be and how grassroots and daily it needs to be comes when you think about my mother's work towards that 1967 referendum and it went on for years and years before anybody had ever heard of the word referendum,' Lilon Bandler said. Faith Bandler in 1993 told an Australian Biography documentary she feared the 1967 would be lost. 'I feared the worst, I didn't want to believe what we wanted would come about,' she said. 'I was afraid of the disappointment, it would be very difficult to cope with. 'I just felt I couldn't cope with the disappointment of the referendum not being carried.' Back then, Faith Bandler (right) was the leading campaigner for the Yes case to enable the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people and to remove prohibitions on them being counted in the Census. This April 1967 referendum passed overwhelmingly with 90.77 per cent support, the strongest ever backing for Constitutional change since Federation in 1901 Faith Bandler's unifying advocacy was a stark contrast to Professor Langton who this month told a forum in Bunbury, in Western Australia, the no campaign was racist. 'Every time the No case raise their arguments, if you start pulling it apart you get down to base racism I'm sorry to say that's where it lands or sheer stupidity,' she said. Professor Langton later retracted that remark and suggested the No campaign was using racist tactics, and denying she had suggested No voters were racist. 'I am not a racist, and I dont believe that the majority of Australians are racist. I do believe that the no campaigners are using racist tactics,' she said. But in July last year, the co-author of the Indigenous Voice Co-design Process, questioned if critics of the Voice, including within the Liberal Party Opposition, 'can read and write' during an interview with ABC Radio National broadcaster Patricia Karvelas. 'I see this demand for more detail as just mischief making and sowing confusion,' she said. 'I do wonder if some of them can write and read, but anyway.' Faith Bandler, a co-founder of Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship, had quietly lobbied Liberal prime ministers Robert Menzies and Harold Holt for a referendum to bring about racial equality (she is pictured second left with Mr Holt, third from the left) along with MP Gordon Bryant, Pastor Doug Nicholls, Burnum Burnum (Harry Penrith), Win Branson and WC Wentworth Faith Bandler, a co-founder of the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship, had quietly lobbied Liberal prime ministers Robert Menzies and Harold Holt for a referendum to bring about racial equality back when the white Australia policy was still law. A decade after that referendum, Mrs Bandler recalled how she and fellow activist Kath Walker, later known as Oodgeroo Noonuccal, sat down with Sir Robert, who offered them a drink. 'The six of us, and we pounded him for about an hour or two, and then it was over and he said, "Come and have a drink",' she told This Is Your Life host Roger Climpson in 1978. 'And Kath said, "Mr Prime Minister, you could be jailed for offering me a drink in the place that I come from". 'And he become very indignant and remember he said, "I am the boss around here" and so Kath had the drink and we got the referendum.' Furious conservatives have begun boycotting Dove after the soap brand hired a Black Lives Matter activist notorious for destroying a white student's life over a remark she later admitted she may have 'misheard.' Carole Thorpe, from Charlottesville in Virginia, shared a snap of three bars of Dove soap tossed in the trash Thursday on learning the Unilever-owned brand had joined forces with Zyahna Bryant to push a 'fat liberation' campaign. Sharing her horror at news of Bryant's glitzy Dove gig, Thorpe wrote: 'After hearing that Dove Beauty chose Zyahna Bryant -who ruined Morgan Bettinger's life - for their 'fat acceptance ambassador,' THIS lifelong large lady & now former Dove customer tossed out the last three bars of Dove product she will EVER buy. I have written to Unilever too.' Scores of other angry users on X, formerly known as Twitter, also vowed to stop buying Dove products in protest at the campaign, which 22 year-old Bryant has been pushing on Instagram. X user Carole Thorpe dumped her remaining Dove bars at news of Zyahna Bryant's hiring and says she will no longer make any purchases from the brand Poll Will you be boycotting Dove products too? Yes No Will you be boycotting Dove products too? Yes 6804 votes No 675 votes Now share your opinion X owner Elon Musk himself weighed in on Dove's partnership with Bryant, which was first reported by DailyMail.com, by branding it 'messed up.' Bryant claimed that she had overheard a white student named Morgan Bettinger threaten Black Lives Matter protesters in Charlottesville in July 2020. But Bryant later admitted she may have 'misheard', after gleefully watching and joining-in as Bettinger was canceled and her life was destroyed. Bettinger was subjected to a torrent of abuse and a campaign to remove her from UVA. Staff and students ganged up against her and scuppered her future prospects. DailyMail.com has contacted Unilever for a comment. The fiasco that threatens to engulf Dove is reminiscent of Bud Light's disastrous decision to partner with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which saw the beer firm's value tank. Tycoon and anti-woke crusader Elon Musk also replied to news of Bryant's hiring by describing it as 'messed-up' One Twitter user even created a comic mocking Dove's fat liberation campaign, showing just how much traction the backlash against it has already gained 'Guess I've bought my last bar of Dove soap,' said another. Another added: 'I've stopped buying their products. Never again!' Using the hashtag 'Boycott Dove', another said: 'I'll have to toss my Dove products and never buy them again!' Bryant last week posted on Instagram a video declaring she was a Dove ambassador, and discussing 'fat liberation' - a campaign to end the stigma of being overweight. '#DovePartner Fat liberation is something we should all be talking about!' wrote Bryant. 'That's why I am partnering with Dove, to support the work of @naafaofficial, @flareforjustice in the Campaign for Size Freedom. 'Tell us what Fat Liberation means to you using the hashtag #sizefreedom and tagging @dove to share your story.' In an accompanying clip Bryant, who is proudly plus-size herself, said: 'My belief is that we should be centering the voices and experiences of the most marginalized people and communities at all times. 'So when I think about what fat liberation looks like to me, I think about centering the voices of those who live in and who maneuver through spaces and institutions in a fat body.' Bryant's 27,000 followers on Instagram responded with an outpouring of support, praising her for promoting 'fat liberation' and declaring that the campaign was long overdue. But she was roundly condemned on social media after news of her role in Bettinger's cancellation was first shared by Reason magazine - with Dove now receiving blowback over its close association with Bryant. 'This woman put another UVA student through hell, and it was all a woke lie,' said one. 'Shame on Dove for hiring her. Worse than Dylan Mulvaney. #BoycottDove' Dove has long associated itself with 'body positivity' 'Dove? I need to make my own soap,' said another. 'Down goes Dove,' said another. The soap brand has long associated itself with woke causes pushing body positivity. Parent company Unilever's other megabrands include Ben & Jerry's, Domestos, Vaseline and Hellman's. Earlier this year, transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney's tie-up with Bud Light to celebrate a year of living as a woman triggered a furious backlash and seemingly permanent slump in sales for the beer brand. Bryant has in recent years been making a name for herself as a BLM activist. Her website says that she began campaigning as a child. 'At the age of 12, she organized her first demonstration, a rally for Justice for Trayvon Martin and other unarmed black lives lost to police violence,' the website states. Bryant, 22, claimed she heard fellow University of Virginia student Morgan Bettinger threaten protesters by saying they would 'make good speed bumps,' in July 2020. She later admitted she 'misheard' Despite the controversy, Dove has chosen Bryant as one of their 'paid partners' - a loose advertising and promotional tie-up, similar to that Bud Light offered to trans activist Dylan Mulvaney She went on to organize the Black Student Union at her high school, and join the Charlottesville Youth Council. In the spring of 2016, she began petitioning Charlottesville city to remove statues of confederate leaders from the city, which the city eventually did. Conservatives were furious, and in August 2017, a Unite The Right rally was held in Charlottesville, with neo-Nazis carrying tiki torches marching through the streets chanting: 'Jews will not replace us.' A counter-protester, Heather Heyer, 32, was deliberately run over and killed by white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr: he was sentenced to life in prison for her murder. Donald Trump infamously declared that there were 'good people on both sides' at the rally. In July 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, Bettinger mistakenly drove into a street where protesters were gathered. As she tried to get away, her car was encircled. Bettinger is pictured in her car during the July 2020 protest. She insists she told a trucker blocking the road she was glad he was there to avoid a repeat of the 2017 Unite the Right rally, when a white supremacist struck and killed anti-racism protester Heather Heyer. But Bryant claimed Bettinger had suggested she wished to harm George Floyd protesters Video evidence does not show the moment Bettinger made the comment, but it does show the aftermath of protesters banging on her car, yelling obscenities at her, and making fun of her for crying as she called her mother and the police Almost immediately after the incident (pictured), Bryant took to Twitter to discuss the encounter, which gain thousands of retweets in a short period of time Bettinger was pictured on the phone while in her car in July 2020, as screaming Black Lives Matter protesters heckled her from outside Bettinger said she told a truck driver, who was in front of her and blocking the way, that: 'It's a good thing that you are here, because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps.' Bryant tweeted that Bettinger had said the protesters would have 'make good speedbumps' and implied the words had been said with malevolent intent. Bettinger was quickly identified, with the revelation that she was pro-police - and with a late father who had worked as a police officer - further outraging her critics. Bryant and others called for a severe punishment, or expulsion from UVA. Bryant then embarked on an email campaign to have Bettinger expelled, tweeting: 'EMAIL these UVA deans now to demand that Morgan face consequences for her actions and that UVA stop graduating racists.' Bettinger was subsequently shunned at college, and even stalked around her hometown, making her fear for her safety. UVA's Judiciary Committee later found Bettinger guilty of making a legitimate threat, despite being unable to prove Bryant's claim about her intentions. Its 'jurors' told her that even saying the words in a harmless manner during the anti-racism protests of summer 2020 merited punishment. Bryant also filed a complaint with the school's Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR), where the student activist claimed Bettinger had made the statement five times and had discriminated against Bryant on the basis of race. EOCR found that three of the five accusations could not be corroborated, and Bryant herself later admitted she may have misheard the 'speed bumps' claim. Most damningly, the report - which was brought forth because of Bryant's complaint - found that Bryant most likely did not hear Bettinger make the comment first hand. No eyewitnesses were able to corroborate Bryant's version of events. 'Based on Bryant's immediate and surprised tone following the second third party's reply, EOCR finds it more likely than not that it was at that moment Bryant first learned that [Bettinger] made a statement about protestors making speed bumps,' the report, obtained by Reason, stated. The Judiciary Committee's ruling is still noted on her permanent record - ruining the now-graduate's chances at law school. Bettinger is considering filing a lawsuit. A homeless man accused of pushing a grandfather onto the New York City subway tracks was perp-walked through a different station as police announced his arrest. Derrick Mills, 49, is suspected of shoving 74-year-old Trevor Crawford off a subway platform and onto the tracks because he was 'angry' that the victim 'stared in his direction.' Crawford was on his way home from his job at a parking garage on Fifth Avenue when he was allegedly attacked by the mentally ill homeless man. Mills has since been arrested for the outrageous attack after police found him Thursday afternoon. Hours later, a group of law enforcement officers escorted Derrick Mills through Union Square Station as subway commuters watched the perp-walk unfold. Derrick Mills, 49, is suspected of shoving 74-year-old Trevor Crawford off a subway platform and onto the tracks because he was 'angry' that the victim 'stared in his direction' Crawford was on his way home from his job at a parking garage on Fifth Avenue when he was allegedly attacked by the mentally ill homeless man. It's unclear why officers chose to walk Mills through the station after his arrest. Mills confessed to the crime when asked about it by law enforcement and he was charged with assault, according to the New York Post. Outside of the subway station, a handcuffed Mills was met with more police officers as the public watched his arrest. Police found the suspect thanks to a New Yorker who recognized him from surveillance footage of Mills walking on the subway platform. The suspect was described as being 5-feet 9-inches, around 200lbs and last seen wearing a black polo with brown pants and brown sneakers. Mills had since changed outfits and was pictured wearing black pants, a grey T-shirt and a flannel jacket at the time of his public arrest. The shocking assault left Crawford - who, according to his family, weighs just 118 lbs and stands at only 5-feet 7-inches tall - with five shattered ribs and pelvic injuries. The random attack took place at the 68th Street-Hunter College subway station as Crawford waited for the 6 train to arrive around 12.15am Tuesday morning. It's unclear why officers chose to walk Mills through the station after his arrest Police found the suspect thanks to a New Yorker who recognized him from surveillance footage of Mills walking on the subway platform The random attack took place at the 68th Street-Hunter College subway station as Crawford waited for the 6 train to arrive around 12.15am Tuesday morning The victim's granddaughter, Kerry-Ann Martin told PIX 11 that Crawford still has a palm print on his chest from where he was pushed. MTA workers were able to pull Crawford to safety on the platform before a train approached. Mills fled after the attack. The victim's granddaughter, Kerry-Ann Martin told PIX 11 that he still has a palm print on his chest from where he was pushed. Crawford is a father of three, with five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Martin, his granddaughter said he is a 'feisty' man who 'never looks for trouble'. 'His day is coming, that's it, you don't just go around hurting people, we're all human beings, we're all supposed to take care of each other just like the animals take care of each other,' Martin said. 'You watch the pride, the lion pride, everybody has their job, everybody is different, different race, different color, but that's what makes us special. You hurt an elder...I hope the police catch up with him, that's all I have to say,' Martin added. Colleagues at the parking garage where he works said he is the 'perfect guy'. 'It is horrible, for a man his age. Working all day long, trying to go home with his family. [sig] mind his own business and to get pushed on the train. MTA workers were able to pull Crawford to safety on the platform before a train approached. Mills fled after the attack Mills was charged with assault in connection to the incident 'Man, that is unacceptable,' said James, one of his manager's. According to police, a total of ten people have been pushed onto subway tracks this year already. It is Mills' second assault charge, as he was charged in connection to an incident that happened in 2000. It's unclear whether Mills was convicted of the charges he faced in 2000. New footage from a Denver theatre shows Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert taking selfies, dancing wildly in her seat, and vaping during a musical performance after denying doing so and claiming the vapor was stage fog. Boebert was asked by ushers and other theatergoers to behave during Sunday night's performance of Beetlejuice, but ignored their pleas. New footage shared by News9 shows Boebert inhaling a vape before blowing smoke out through her mouth and nostrils. She previously denied using an e-cigarette and claimed her accusers had gotten confused with stage smoke. Boebert, who became a grandmother earlier this year aged 36, was also seen taking a selfie during the show using a flash on her phone. She did so despite the obvious distraction it would have caused people sitting next to her at the performance, where tickets cost hundreds of dollars each. And in a further faux-pas, Boebert was seen dancing wildly in her seat and waving her arms, likely blocking the view of those behind her. She admitted singing along to the show's tunes - considered another breach of decorum in most theater shows. Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert can clearly be seen vaping during the performance A pregnant woman sitting behind her objected to her vaping, and ushers twice asked the congresswoman to stop taking photos during the show. Boebert called the pregnant woman - who did not recognize her - a 'sad and miserable person,' the woman said. The Republican firebrand was eventually told to leave - and was caught on camera giving theatre ushers the finger as she stormed out. The 36-year-old, who became a grandmother earlier this year, was at the theatre with her date, Aspen bar owner Quinn Gallagher - who was embarrassed by her behavior, and offered to buy the woman sitting behind them a drink by way of apology. Boebert, 36, denied vaping - despite doing so in full public view, and on camera. Her spokesman said there had been 'a misunderstanding from someone sitting near her' who hadn't noticed the 'heavy fog machines and electronic cigarettes used during the play' Ushers were angered by Boebert taking selfies during the performance She also danced in her seat, to the annoyance of other theatre-goers - including the pregnant woman sitting behind her, who asked her to stop, and was called a 'sad and miserable woman' Surveillance footage shows Boebert, wearing a tight, low-cut gold dress and high heels, making a considerable fuss as she and Gallagher left - taking a selfie as she leaves the auditorium and angrily baring her teeth at staff. At one point, she also flipped the bird. The Denver Post spoke to a pregnant woman who says she was sitting behind Boebert, but who was too scared to give her name for fear of MAGA-reprisals. The woman claims Boebert said 'no,' when asked to stop vaping, sang with her hands in the air, blew vape smoke at her, kissed her date and took repeated videos during the show. She claims she asked to move seats in the intermission - and that staff at the theater said theirs wasn't the only complaint about the erratic lawmaker. 'These people in front of us were outrageous,' said the woman. 'I've never seen anyone act like that before.' The woman told the Post that Boebert's lover Gallagher offered to buy them cocktails as a peace offering, which she had to decline because of her pregnancy. Boebert is seen on surveillance camera footage giving ushers the finger on Sunday night at a Denver theatre, after she was kicked out Security personnel are seen speaking to the congresswoman and Gallagher inside the theater before escorting them out Boebert is seen with Quinn Gallagher being kicked out of a touring performance of the musical 'Beetlejuice' over the weekend in Denver According to The Denver Post, the congresswoman at one point asked: 'Do you know who I am?' She also threatened to call the mayor, and said she was on the board of the theatre. An incident report noted the two received a warning at intermission about their behavior. But five minutes into the second act, security officials got another complaint about a person being loud and recording the show. 'They told me they would not leave,' an usher said, according to the report. 'I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. 'The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them.' Afterwards, Boebert and her smartly-dressed date were caught on camera walking off through the empty nighttime streets of Denver. Boebert's press office denied that she was vaping - despite being caught on camera doing so. Her spokesman said there had been 'a misunderstanding from someone sitting near her' who hadn't noticed the 'heavy fog machines and electronic cigarettes used during the play.' DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday that Boebert, 36, and Gallagher, 46, a divorced father of a 16-year-old son, have been secretly dating for several months. According to a well-placed source: 'It's very surprising. I always thought Quinn was a cool guy and a Democrat. His parents would be horrified because they are definitely blue.' DailyMail.com can reveal that Boebert and Gallagher, Colorado local and Aspen bar owner, have been dating for several months The two were spotted holding hands as the left the area and walked down the street Surveillance footage shows and angry Lauren Boebert being escorted from a Denver theater over the weekend for alleged bad behavior Once outside Boebert's indignation quickly dissipates as she holds her new lover's hand, dances coquettishly and twirls for him in the street as they make their way through the city a three-hour drive from Gallagher's home near Aspen and even further from Boebert's home in Silt, Colorado. Pictures obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Gallagher in his hometown on the outskirts of Aspen where he owns Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar with partner Pat Flannigan. Boebert's divorce from Jason, 36, her husband of 18 years and father to her four children, is ongoing after the couple's shock split in May The pair opened the bar billed as 'rustic and unpretentious,' in April 2016, and became co-owners last year. Boebert's divorce from Jason, 36, her husband of 18 years and father to her four children, is ongoing after the couple's shock split in May. At the time Boerbert insisted that she had always been faithful throughout her marriage. In her statement, the sophomore congresswoman said: 'It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband. 'I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children, all of whom deserve privacy and love as we work through this process. 'I've always been faithful in my marriage, and I believe strongly in marriage, which makes this announcement that much more difficult.' It is not clear when Gallagher and Boebert's relationship became romantic, but the bar owner originally comes from the congresswoman's hometown of Rifle, Colorado, and still has family there. It is just a stone's throw from the controversial congresswoman's home in Silt. Pictures obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Gallagher in his hometown on the outskirts of Aspen where he owns Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar Gallagher was married to Seattle woman, Aleece Alexander, 48, in 2006. Divorce records obtained by DailyMail.com show that they split in 2013 by which time they had moved back to Gallagher's native Colorado According to a well-placed source, 'I always thought Quinn was a cool guy and a Democrat. His parents would be horrified because they are definitely blue' It is not clear when Gallagher and Boebert's relationship became romantic, but the bar owner originally comes from the congresswoman's hometown of Rifle, Colorado, and still has family there Gallagher was married to Seattle woman, Aleece Alexander, 48, in 2006. They honeymooned in Puerto Vallerta and owned and ran the now defunct Mona's Bistro & Lounge in Seattle - where their first and only child was born in 2007. Divorce records obtained by DailyMail.com show that they split in 2013 by which time they had moved back to Gallagher's native Colorado. The hospitality business is something Gallagher and Boebert have in common. Boebert had a brief foray into the industry as the owner of Shooter's Grill in Rifle where customers could have their cheeseburger and onion rings served by a waitress with a 9mm on her hip. The restaurant, which encouraged patrons to come armed, was shuttered in July 2022 after the landlord declined to renew Boebert's lease. Boebert, who is at the beginning of her campaign for a third term representing Colorado's third Congressional District, made quite the scene Sunday night Boebert, who wore a tight gold dress, promptly left the theater with her man as they were escorted to the lobby The Republican admitted she was removed from the theater in a social-media post, downplaying her alleged behavior. 'It's true, I did thoroughly enjoy the AMAZING Beetlejuice at the Buell Theatre and I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud!' she wrote. 'Everyone should go see it if you get the chance this week and please let me know how it ends!' David B. Wheeler, president of American Muckrakers PAC, Inc, told DailyMail.com, 'While Coloradans and Americans are struggling to make ends meet, Lauren Boebert is out frolicking, literally dancing in the streets, and making an absolute fool of herself. 'I hope her constituents watch the video of her being escorted out of the theater with her new boyfriend where she gives the middle finger to an usher doing his job and aggressively points her finger at another usher. 'What sort of person does this? Isn't it time to fire Bobert and hire someone to get things done for Colorado?' Boebert has had several firearms-related issues with Capitol Police in Washington, DC, and last summer, her soon-to-be-ex-husband reportedly threatened the family's neighbors. She recently became a grandmother for the first time, after her teenage son impregnated a woman. Boebert was herself a teen mother and dropped out of high school during her senior year in 2004 when she got pregnant with Tyler, her oldest. She had three more sons, including the 2009 birth of Kaydon, which occurred in the front seat of her husband's pickup truck, and made local news. Kirsty Islip (pictured) has been charged with eight offences after a crash left a woman fighting for life A young mum with a one-year-old girl allegedly unrestrained in the back seat has been charged with smashing into three cars over a matter of hours - leaving another woman fighting for life Kirsty Ann Islip, 28, was allegedly driving a ute along the Great Western Highway, in the NSW Blue Mountains - despite her license being disqualified - when she struck two vehicles on Thursday. Ms Islip, from Bathurst in the state's central west, first crashed into two cars. and allegedly failed to give the other drivers her details. She continued on her journey and just before 4.30pm allegedly crashed into a third car - a Toyota Yaris - as she passed through Mount Victoria. Paramedics raced to the scene where they treated the 52-year-old female driver and airlifted her to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition. Islip and the baby girl were treated for minor injuries before being taken to Katoomba Hospital, where the 28-year-old also underwent mandatory testing. Islip was allegedly driving a ute while her license was disqualified when she hit a Toyota Yaris, leaving the 52-year-old female driver with critical injuries Detectives set up a crime scene at the crash site and searched the ute, where they allegedly found drugs. After Islip was released from hospital, she was arrested and charged with eight offences and denied bail to appear before Penrith Local Court on Friday. Islip has been charged with driving while disqualified, possessing a prohibited drug, dangerous driving occasion grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasion grievous bodily harm, and driving with a child unrestrained. Her other charges include failing to stop and assist after a serious accident and two counts of not giving her particulars to other driver. Islip appeared in court via video link on Friday, where bail was again refused. The matter was adjourned to September 29. A fed-up concreter has agreed with a millionaire property developer's controversial assertion that young tradies are lazy, claiming they are 'scared of hard work' and would rather land jobs as baristas. 'Rizzo', who has worked as a tradesman for over 30 years, unleashed an extraordinary spray on Triple M's Night Shift with Luke Bona on Friday morning where he called on his younger colleagues to 'grow some balls, harden up and be a man'. His rant came in the wake of comments made by businessman Tim Gurner, 41, who sparked fury on Tuesday when he singled out tradies for being work-shy. 'Tradies have definitely pulled back on productivity,' Mr Gurner told the Australian Financial Review's Property Summit. 'They have been paid a lot to do not too much in the last few years, and we need to see that change.' 'Rizzo', who has worked as a tradesman for over 30 years, unleashed an extraordinary spray on Triple M's Night Shift with Luke Bona earlier this week where he called on his younger colleagues to 'grow some balls, harden up and be a man' (stock image) But his claims have received unlikely backing from 'Rizzo' who lamented the 'piss-weak'' attitudes of young tradies today. I know a load of young blokes who go oh yeah, I want to be a concreter. But then within two weeks they go yeah, I cant handle that its too hard,' he told Triple M. 'I know carpenters, good mates of mine, who have had apprentices working for them, no word of a lie, they go oh yeah, Im a chippy, tell all their mates theyre a hardcore chippy and then in the second year of their apprenticeship they go Oh, I can't handle this because they don't want to jump on ladders. Tim Gurner, the 41-year-old CEO of Gurner Group, said the Covid pandemic had changed the attitude many had towards their jobs Tim Gurner is pictured with his wife Aimee, who was the co-founder and director of The Beauty Chef, a brand of organic skin health and beauty products Asked if young tradies were lazy Rizzo replied: 100 per cent. Because they're scared of reality. 'They're scared of hard work. They go oh, I can get a job as an IT person or on a computer. Look, it doesnt work like that. Whos going to build your building where youre going to work in? He added: 'I want Australian tradesmen to keep going because at the end of the day, what's going to happen is when they get people overseas doing it. 'I don't want that because they're not gonna be as good as what the Australian product is. Host Luke Bona asked Rizzo what his solution was. Grow some balls, harden up and be a man,' he replied. 'You wanna be a man and be a tradesman? Dont be half-arsed and go oh yeah, I wanna be a tradie but after two years Ill give it up because Im too piss-weak. 'Well dont start it to begin with and give someone else the chance to do it and dont waste the time. Rizzo defended his comments when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, although would not reveal his real identity. 'They're just very lazy mate, they go halfway through their apprenticeships sometimes - not that I'm saying all of them - but then some of them just want to give it away,' he said. 'They think they are really good and really tough but then they get halfway through their training and give it away because they can't handle it.' Rich lister Gurner was forced to issue a grovelling apology two days after his comments sparked widespread backlash. 'My comments were deeply insensitive to employees, tradies and families across Australia who are affected by these cost-of-living pressures and job losses,' he said. Dramatic photos showing an Australian police officer fighting for her life in an overseas hospital have been released as her family fights to get her back home. The distressing photos show Perth First Class Constable Ella Cutler, 25, incubated in a Croatian hospital bed in a critical condition after an 11-metre fall. Ms Cutler tumbled over a waist-high wall at Pile in Dubrovnik in the early hours of August 26 after drinking alcohol with a man. Nicole and Joshua Cutler, Ms Cutler's mother and brother, have already landed in the country to be by her side but they say that Ms Cutler's travel insurer, RAC, won't cover the bill since she had been drinking. Ms Cutler's family, including those back in Western Australia, are now left struggling to get the funds together to bring her home with the total cost reaching $500,000. Distressing new photos show Perth First Class Constable Ella Cutler, 25, incubated in a Croatian hospital bed after a devastating 11-metre fall in Dubrovnik on August 30 Nicole and Joshua Cutler, Ms Cutler's mother and brother, (pictured) recently landed in the country to be by Ms Cutler's side after being told that she wasn't covered by insurance The policewoman's mum told 7News that doctors had given her daughter a five per cent likelihood of survival. Then to hear that the insurance company had let us down - we just went into complete and utter shock,' she said. 'I had never anticipated that the insurance wouldn't help us bring her home and I don't understand. 'I'm really confused how an insurance company could imagine a family or someone that had taken out insurance in good faith would be able to navigate their way through that.' A spokesperson from Tokio Marine, the underwriter for Ms Cutler's travel insurance policy, said that they are currently working closely with her to resolve the issue. 'We deeply sympathise with Ms Cutler and her family during this difficult time,' the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'We have been providing a range of support to Ms Cutler and her family since the incident occurred. 'We are currently assessing an open claim and look forward to working with them towards a positive outcome. 'We are not able to provide any further information about the specific policy or claim due to privacy reasons.' Ms Cutler had been kissing a 34-year-old man during a night out when the two leant against a waist-high wall before they fell over. Ms Cutler suffered a string of serious injuries in the fall, including fractures to her skull, spine, limbs, 12 broken ribs and punctured lungs. She was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and remains in a coma. The man was treated for a broken leg and is recovering. Her colleagues from the West Australia Police Force have launched a #bringEllahome campaign to raise awareness for their injured friend. Inspector Geoff DeSanges said that although he has never met Ms Cutler personally, she was still part of the 'big blue family'.' 'I understand that her family are experiencing some difficulty in returning her home financially, so I know a lot of people in WA police have got behind that effort which is not surprising to me because were very tight-knit blue family,' he said. 'Ive not met Ella personally, but everyone says shes an outstanding police officer and completely dedicated to serving the community that she works in. And I think its really moving that both police and members of the community have got behind this effort to bring her home.' Western Australian Premier Roger Cook also extended his thoughts to her family, calling Ms Cutler a 'great police officer'. A video released by the department on Friday describes Ms Cutler as a 'dedicated young officer' who is committed to the community that she serves. Ms Cutler's colleagues at the West Australian Police Force have launched the #BringEllaHome campaign to help her family cover the expected $500,000 hospital bill The campaign's website links to a GoFundMe launched by Joshua to help foot the hefty medical bill preventing him from flying his sister home. 'Everyone who knows her will tell you about her calm and gentle energy, her love of furry creatures great and small, her selflessness in helping people, and her ability to make everyone she meets feel special,' he said. 'We can only imagine how scared she would be if she knew the full extent of her injuries, and we cannot even begin to convey how frightened we are for her, and how important it is for her to come home. 'She has too much living left to do, too many people to help, and too much love to give for this to be how this chapter ends. She has a long hard road ahead of her, and she will need all the help she can get. From doctors, family, friends, colleagues, and you. 'The world doesn't have enough Ella's, and it needs her.' Ms Cutler is now in an induced coma after suffering fractures to her skull, spine, limbs and ribs The area where the couple were out enjoying a night before the tragic accident at the seafront of the Croatian port of Dubrovnik, which is a tourist mecca in summer, especially for Australians Ms Cutler had been drinking with the 34-year-old man when the two leant against a wall (pictured) shortly before they toppled over Ms Cutler's medical expenses have already amounted to $100,000, and an air ambulance to bring her back to Australia will cost another $400,000. 'She will require many more months of care, multiple surgeries, and months of physical rehabilitation before she is able to impact the world as she once did,' her brother wrote. 'She can't do this alone, and neither can we.' The fundraiser has so far garnered more than $396,000 in donations. The wall from which the couple is believed to have fallen is a popular selfie spot, and is between two fortresses, Lovrijenac and Bokar. Andrijana Biskup, from the Dubrovnik-Neretva police, confirmed the couple had been cuddling or kissing when the fall happened and said alcohol may have played a part. The local hospital confirmed the blood alcohol tests revealed the man had a 0.2 reading - four times the legal Australian driving limit - while the woman was 0.3, or six times the legal driving limit. The couple were believed to have been on a night out in Dubrovnik's old town area at the time of the accident, which is packed with tourists every summer. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to RAC Insurance for comment. A homeowner in Sierra Madre, California, came home Tuesday after a night out to find her kitchen ransacked, and paw prints leading to the fridge A bear in California broke into a home to raid the fridge - before heading to the neighbors' property for a few laps of their pool. The animal was first spotted by Chelsea Mapanda, who returned home Tuesday after a night out to find her kitchen ransacked - and paw prints leading to the fridge. The juvenile bear had eaten mangoes, avocado and guava jam, she told KTLA - adding that she heard noises in her garage, so she called police. 'It really just tried a little bit of everything - a little bit of grain, jars of things,' she said. 'It was opening everything, sweet things. Sweet treats - something we all would do.' Footage captured on a Ring camera showed the bear doing laps of a pool, hours after raiding a nearby kitchen The bear dipped in a paw, before deciding to go for a swim on Wednesday evening Chelsea Mapanda found paw prints (pictured) in her kitchen, leading from the open fridge The bears consume around 20,000 calories a day, said Mackenzie Rich, with the wildlife department - and their noses are seven times stronger than those of a bloodhound. Rich said there had been a spike in reported sightings of bears in the area, and they were keen to tag the bear to monitor its whereabouts. The bear left Mapanda's home in the early hours of Wednesday. The same bear was spotted on Wednesday evening taking a dip in a neighbor's pool around 6:30pm. The animal can be seen dipping a toe in, then plunging into the water. Instead of climbing out, it does a lap of the pool. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials were sent to the area, and said they intend to 'resolve this matter quickly and safely to both human and animal.' Wildlife sightings in the area, which is in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, are not uncommon. One homeowner saw this bear, which may be the same one that went for the swim Bears are frequently seen roaming Sierra Madre Laura Aguilar, a spokesman for the city of Sierra Madre, said humans and animals interact frequently. 'We do experience a number of wildlife. We have bears and coyotes here,' Aguilar said. Mapanda said she hoped the story would encourage people to educate themselves about what to do if they come across a bear. 'I'm glad that people are more aware, now that there are these sightings,' she said. 'And hopefully more educated about what to do if they encounter one.' In July, DailyMail.com shared footage of a mother bear and her baby taking a dip in a Southern California pool in the middle of a heatwave. Footage was captured of the brown bears splashing around in the outdoor pool. The two are seen play-fighting on the side of the pool before the mother bear dips her front paws in. She then jumps in and causes a large body of water to splash out of pool. The two bears are then seen briefly playing in the water before the baby gets out and runs out of frame. A homeowner in southern California caught a mother bear and her baby taking a dip in her pool to try and keep cool in July Bear sightings are said to be more common as the summer months heat up as people spend more time outdoors. The National Park Service advises keeping distance from bears, avoiding sudden movements that could startle an animal, or hiding and spooking it. 'Pay attention to your surroundings and make a special effort to be noticeable if you are in an area with known bear activity or a good food source, such as berry bushes.' Bear attacks are rare, experts say. Most will only attack if they feel threatened, to defend their cubs or to protect food. Mark Drakeford's ULEZ-style war on motorists was today branded 'stupid' by locals who warned it could hurt businesses as fears grow that the plan to expand the number of 20mph roads could inflict a major economic blow. The Labour First Minister of Wales today insisted that the policy imposed from Sunday will save the NHS 92million a year by reducing the number of deaths caused by car-related crashes. He has also insisted companies must ensure their workers can do their roles without breaking the reduced limits. But the measure, comparable in scale to Sadiq Khan's own hated ULEZ expansion across Greater London, has been branded as 'absolutely insane'. Cabinet Minister Penny Mordaunt last night warned that the policy would damage the economy, while locals today warned that it would hurt their trade and cause commuter traffic from next week. And the RAC today issued an urgent warning to drivers not to rely on their sat navs for the speed limit on Welsh roads because they will not have updated by the time the measure comes into force. Speaking to MailOnline, taxi driver Keith Mcintyre who works at Courier Wales warned: 'It is going to be manic. There is going to be more congestion. It is a stupid idea. Companies are definitely going to lose money. 'Taxi drivers they are going to be hit especially on Fridays and Saturdays. What was a five-minute trip is going to take them 10 minutes, so they aren't going to be able to do as many trips. What's worse is they're are bringing the speed limits in on roads that don't already have bus lanes, so buses are going backed up traffic as well. 'I live in Barry and I expect my journey time into Cardiff which normally takes 15 20 minutes will take half an hour on Monday.' Tories have tabled a motion to scrap Mr Drakeford's plan amid warnings it will cost at least 33million to implement. Emergency services have also warned that the blanket 20mph road restrictions will slow down response times, effectively putting lives at risk. And in a sign of further chaos, an interactive map showing the locations of the 20mph zones across the country crashed this morning, apparently due to a surge in online traffic. The map, which is available on the Welsh Government's website, later came back online. Most roads in Wales that are currently 30mph will become 20mph, but councils have discretion to impose exemptions. INTERACTIVE MAP: Use the layers filter on the top left to hide 30mph roads (in red / pink) and just show 20mph roads (in blue / orange) This is a screenshot of a map showing where the Welsh Government will bring in new 20mph road restrictions. Blue shows where the Government will impose the speed limit, and orange shows where the 20mph zones will be brought in by legislation A message on the Welsh Government website today, showing that the map is unavailable A furious backlash has seen the new signs defaced across Wales in areas including Conwy, Gwynedd, Newport, Torfaen, Wrexham and Flintshire. How will the 20mph speed limit work in Wales - and will there be any exemptions? The default national speed limit in Wales will fall from 30mph to 20mph on 'restricted roads' from this Sunday. From that date, the maximum speed you can legally travel on these types of roads will be 20mph. 'Restricted roads' are classified as those with streetlights spaced no more than 200 yards apart, usually located in residential and built-up areas. However not all 30mph roads are restricted roads, and these will remain at 30mph. For restricted roads, local authorities and the two Trunk Road agencies in Wales can also make exceptions to the default speed limit in consultation with local communities. The Welsh Government says it is making the changes to reduce the number of collisions and severe injuries from them; encouraging more people to walk and cycle; helping to improve health and wellbeing; and making streets safer. Advertisement The Welsh Conservatives, who are opposed to the rollout, have also cited Welsh Government documents that estimate the cost to the country's economy could be between 2.7billion and 8.9billion. Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie for Ynys Mon told the House of Commons yesterday: 'The Labour Government in Cardiff supported by Plaid Cymru will be introducing a blanket 20mph speed restriction in built-up areas across Wales from September 17. 'In many places - outside schools, outside hospitals - 20mph is appropriate. 'Does the Leader of the House agree with many of my Ynys Mon constituents that this blanket approach will impact main roads and impact the Welsh economy? 'And will she make time for a debate on how we should be supporting the Welsh economy, not punishing it?' Ms Mordaunt replied: 'This is absolutely insane even by the standards of Labour's Welsh Government. 'They have ignored businesses and they have ignored the public. They are pushing ahead with this scheme despite huge opposition and I think the latest estimate is it will cost the Welsh economy 4.5billion. 'But, more disturbingly it is going to increase individuals' fuel bills considerably and actually be harmful to the environment.' She added: '[Ms Crosbie] is right, there are circumstances where of course 20mph speed limits are a good idea, but having them as the default for many roads is crazy. 'Instead of punishing motorists, Labour should be focusing on fixing public transport, in particular the trains. 'This situation is what the Labour Party refers to as their blueprint for governing Britain.' First Minister Mark Drakeford (pictured with King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Brecon on July 20) said the reduction will protect lives and save the NHS in Wales 92million a year Breaking down the 4.5billion figure, the Welsh Government says on its website: 'Our assessment shows that reducing speeds to 20mph can result in an average increase of one minute per journey, nine lives saved and 98 serious injuries prevented each year. Drivers warned not to rely on sat navs when Welsh roads switch Drivers are being warned not to rely on sat navs for the speed limit on Welsh roads when a cut from 30mph to 20mph is imposed from Sunday. The RAC said motorists should 'pay full attention' to signs rather than electronic devices after the change is made. Its head of policy Simon Williams said: 'It's vitally important that drivers are fully aware of the arrival of the 20mph limit in Wales, and pay full attention to all road signage. 'And, until sat nav systems have been fully updated, they shouldn't rely on them to know what the speed limit is on any particular stretch of Welsh road.' Mr Williams said compliance with 20mph limits is 'quite poor' and it would be 'more effective to target areas where they are most needed' such as on residential roads or in areas where there is high footfall. He added: 'Even if compliance with new 20mph limits is poor, it should lead to an overall reduction in speeds which will have a positive effect on road safety.' Advertisement 'Before the law was passed, we produced an impact assessment that considered all the potential costs. This was included in the explanatory memorandum. 'It included the costs of any delays to travel time. The method used is now under academic debate for its effectiveness when calculating small delays. 'So the estimated cost to the economy of 4.5billion over 30 years may not be an accurate reflection of the true cost. The slightly longer travel time was the only negative economic impact identified. 'It is estimated that the casualty prevention savings, including the reduced impact on NHS and emergency services, could be up to 92million every year.' Ms Mordaunt is the MP for Portsmouth North. Portsmouth was the 'first British city to implement a 20mph speed limit on almost all residential roads to reduce road casualties and protect pedestrians and cyclists', according to the city council's website. Natasha Asghar, the Welsh Tories' shadow transport minister, said: 'Labour's blanket 20mph speed limits will have a detrimental impact on our economy, emergency services, and the livelihoods of the people in Wales. 'That's why in the Senedd this week, the Welsh Conservatives are forcing a final vote on the issue, telling the Labour Government to not go ahead with this ludicrous and dangerous policy. 'With the Labour Government's own explanatory memorandum to their 20mph bill stating that 20mph speed limits will cost the economy up to a whopping 9billion, it's time for Labour to focus on the people's priorities, which they continue to neglect. We believe this money would be better spent on more doctors, more teachers, and more nurses. 'Now is the time for Labour to put their extreme ideology and mass confusion to one side and scrap barmy blanket 20mph speed limits.' Drivers in Wales are tying red ribbons to their cars in protest against the new 20mph limits RAC's head of policy Simon Williams said: 'It's vitally important that drivers are fully aware of the arrival of the 20mph limit in Wales, and pay full attention to all road signage. READ MORE Sadiq Khan introduces yet more restrictions on London's roads: Map reveals another 40 miles of road across eight boroughs in the capital that will become 20mph zones from this month Advertisement 'And, until satnav systems have been fully updated, they shouldn't rely on them to know what the speed limit is on any particular stretch of Welsh road.' Mr Williams said compliance with 20mph limits is 'quite poor' and that it would be 'more effective to target areas where they are most needed' such as on residential roads or in areas where there is high footfall. He added: 'Even if compliance with new 20mph limits is poor, it should lead to an overall reduction in speeds which will have a positive effect on road safety.' Today Mr Drakeford said drivers will be allowed to 'get used' to widespread 20mph limits from Sunday before enforcement begins. He told BBC Breakfast: 'I anticipate that there will be a number of weeks while people get used to a change of this sort. It is a major change. It will need time to bed in. 'It is not a change that is being introduced in order to make life difficult for people and therefore the enforcement authorities will approach it in that way. '[They are] very well used to doing it, [they] enforce speed limits of all sorts in every part of Wales. 'The approach will be a reasonable one in which we give people a chance to get used to the new regime. 'And then, as the police say, people who flagrantly and deliberately are not prepared to obey the rules that everybody else will be following, then that will be a different matter.' Many of the new signs, pictured in Cardiff, have been defaced across the country He also said employers must make sure their workers can do their roles without breaking reduced speed limits. He told BBC Breakfast: 'Responsible employers should organise the working day of their employees in a way that allows them to discharge the duties that fall on them in a way that allows them to do it within the law. 'They should be doing that now. They will need to do it in the future. 'There is no excuse for employers deliberately to set out to require their employees not to be able to live with the rules that everybody else has to live with. 'And, in this case... all this is about making sure that all those people, drivers included, are safe on the road, and that we reduce, here in Wales, the number of road traffic accidents and the number of people who lose their lives every day on the roads in Wales.' Mr Drakeford also said increasing journey times to save lives is not an 'unfair bargain'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Even if you add a minute to every journey, I say to people - and when I'm speaking to people, I think people understand this - it's going to take you a minute longer to make your journey, and we will save ten people's lives in Wales every year as a result of that one minute contribution that you are making. 'It doesn't seem a bad or unfair bargain.' Mr Drakeford said a similar speed limit cut in Spain reduced road deaths in urban areas by a fifth, with cyclist fatalities down by 34 per cent. He said: 'Driving more slowly in built up urban areas saves people's lives.' Other parts of England shown above have also seen the introduction of low speed zones He added: 'I think the evidence is incontrovertible. It's why we had this in the Labour Party manifesto at our election in 2021 and this weekend we will deliver that promise.' READ MORE Car makers accused of prioritising expensive electric SUVs for profit over small affordable cars Advertisement Earlier, Mr Drakeford said: 'Politicians are very often criticised for not keeping their promises and this is a promise that we will be keeping here in Wales.' Meanwhile Transport for London (TfL), which Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan chairs, said it will roll out another 40 miles of 20mph zones across multiple boroughs in the capital. Once completed, nearly 90 miles of TfL roads will have been turned into 20mph limits. TfL's walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman, said: 'TfL data shows that 20mph speed limits are reducing the number of collisions on London's roads, which is why I'm pleased the 20mph programme has been expanded.' The Conservatives have made comparisons to London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez) which was expanded by Mr Khan on August 29. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies told MailOnline last month: 'Labour are motivated by extreme ideology and not common sense. In London, they've implemented Ulez and in Wales they're forcing through blanket 20mph zones. 'Labour's blanket 20mph zones will cost the Welsh economy yet they're ploughing on regardless. Welsh Conservatives would scrap this extreme policy.' Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt said the 20mph limit was 'crazy' Mr Drakeford first proposed the plan in May 2019 and the Welsh Government has insisted it will reduce crashes, save lives, cut noise pollution and encourage people to leave their cars at home and walk or cycle instead. But motoring campaigner Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK and Reform UK's London mayoral candidate, told MailOnline: 'This draconian anti-driver stupidity will not save lives, but may instead cause more accidents. Drivers continually monitoring the speedometer removes their focus from what's on the road ahead. 'It also increases pollution compared to driving effectively at the sensible efficient engine speed of 30mph. 'This is yet another misguided, virtue-signalling, costly waste of time that mirrors London's own political folly, namely the cash grabbing Ulez-expansion scheme that the majority there don't want or need either.' YouTuber Tiago Eugenio has died after spending 80 days in a coma following a horror car crash. The Portuguese star suffered serious injuries following the crash on the motorway in the Algarve on 23 June, with the 28-year-old having to be extracted from the vehicle by firefighters. Eugenio was rushed to Faro hospital where he spent 80 days in intensive care in a coma - but the star died as a result of his injuries on Thursday morning. His mother confirmed the news while paying an emotional tribute to her 'great warrior' who 'fought for 80 days'. Eugenio was born in Sao Bras de Alportel, a town in the Algarve region of Portugal, and became a YouTube star after starting his channel four years ago. On his channel he would vlog about his life, from how he deals with negative comments on YouTube to going to through a surgical procedure on his teeth. Following his death, Eugenio's mother wrote on social media on Thursday: 'One of the things I always asked God for was that I would never have to go through pain like this. I want to inform you that my love, my Tiago, left this morning. YouTuber Tiago Eugenio has died after spending 80 days in a coma following a horror car crash The Portuguese star suffered serious injuries following the crash on the motorway in the Algarve at the end of June, with the 28-year-old having to be extracted from the vehicle by firefighters 'He fought for 80 days. A great warrior, but God wanted it that way. I can only accept it with enormous pain, which destroys my heart.' She added: 'To you my beautiful love, mother just wants you to leave in peace. 'You will definitely have your grandmothers waiting for you, a part of me goes with you. I will love you forever. One day we will meet.' Eugenio had 161,000 followers on Instagram and 8,600 YouTube subscribers and in one video he explained that he had needed a break from social media in 2020 due to negative comments he received. But he came back online in 2021 and said that he learned to not open any negative messages and 'move on' from it with the help of his family. Eugenio wrote on Instagram that the coronavirus lockdown was 'hard' but had allowed him to have time offline, which he described as 'regenerative and therapeutic'. He would often post selfies on Instagram, with his latest being posted on June 1, just days before he was left in a critical condition in the car crash. Emergency services rushed to the scene near the village of Boliqueime on June 23 at around 5am and found Eugenio trapped in the wreckage of the destroyed car, according to reports. Firefighters carefully removed the star, who was unconscious, before taking him to Faro Hospital. Eugenio, who had 161,000 followers on Instagram and 8,600 YouTube subscribers, had been left in a critical condition following the crash on the A22 motorway near the village of Boliqueime on June 23 Eugenio spent 80 days in an induced coma before passing away on Thursday, with his friends joining his mother to pay tribute to the YouTuber. One friend posted a picture of herself and her husband with Eugenio on their wedding day with the message: 'My dear friend you will never be forgotten, you will always be in my heart, rest in peace my friend. 'I leave here a memory of a day so important to me that you were part of, I thank you for everything you did on this day. Until one day my friend.' Another friend wrote: 'I want to send my condolences to all of Tiago's family, friends and fans! I'm still in shock. 'He was one of the first people who believed in me from the beginning. And knowing that today we lost a fantastic person leaves my heart in my hands. 'I had already thanked him several times, but I want to thank him again for how important it was for him to believe in me. I know you will always be up there supporting me and giving me strength every day. Rest in peace.' Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney has blasted incendiary claims British colonisation had no lasting negative impacts on Aboriginal people. Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price made the controversial comments during a provocative National Press Club speech outlining her opposition to an Indigenous Voice. Ms Burney said she was shocked by the remarks, describing them as 'simply wrong'. 'They are offensive and a real betrayal to the many families that have experienced things like the stolen generations,' the minister said. Historian Henry Reynolds said Senator Price's statements were far from the truth. Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney (pictured) said Senator Price's comments glossed over issues like the stolen generation Jacinta Price said Indigenous people were better off because of British colonisation He described colonisation as one of the greatest land grabs in human history and the beginning of a catastrophe. 'It clearly flies in the face of a whole generation of history that has told us a totally different story,' he said. Jason Agostino, a medical adviser for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, reflected on the impacts of colonisation during a parliamentary inquiry on Friday. 'The root of the high prevalence of type two diabetes lies in the impacts of colonisation, coupled with socio-economic disadvantage,' he said. READ MORE: Peter Dutton defends senator Price's comments Advertisement 'Too many people still do not have access to safe drinking water from the tap to affordable healthy food options or to a home with appropriate refrigeration.' Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra this week, Senator Price responded 'I'll be honest, no' when asked if Indigenous people were worse off because of British settlement. 'A positive impact? Absolutely. I mean, now we've got running water, we've got readily available food,' Senator Price said. 'Many of us have the same opportunities as all other Australians in this country. 'We certainly have probably one of the greatest systems around the world in terms of the democratic structure in comparison to other countries that is why migrants flock to Australia. 'If we keep telling Aboriginal people that they are victims, well, we are effectively removing their agency,' she said. Former champion AFL player Michael Long completed his walk to Canberra from Melbourne in support of the Yes vote on Thursday and said Indigenous people do have a disadvantage in Australia. 'The real focus is closing the gap. All those things like life expectancy to housing. I mean, we were talking about that stuff decades ago and it's still applicable today,' he said. 'I don't want to be talking about closing the gap in another 20 years or 30 years. Let's do something about it! It's unbelievable that in 2023 we haven't got this right.' Former AFL champion Michael Long said it's 'unbelievable in 2023 we still haven't got this right' referring to Indigenous disadvantage (pictured with the PM) Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has backed Senator Price, despite her failure to endorse a coalition policy of local and regional Indigenous Voices. Mr Dutton previously said he would support regional Aboriginal Voice-type bodies rather than a national model. Mr Dutton said people should listen to Ms Price and not the 'capital city views' of others, saying her comments were drawn from experience living in Alice Springs. 'She was brave, prepared to stand up for what she believes in, and believes passionately about making a better society for Indigenous Australians,' he told Nine's Today Show. During the interview, Mr Dutton backtracked on his previous calls for a second referendum on constitutional recognition for Indigenous people, should the upcoming vote fail. Cabinet minister Murray Watt said Mr Dutton was 'so addicted to saying 'no' he was now saying 'no' to his own idea'. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said a referendum on constitutional recognition had been coalition policy for more than a decade. 'I do believe it is time to recognise our first Australians as a statement of fact in our founding document,' she said. The Uluru Statement from the Heart called for a Voice to parliament rather than symbolic recognition in the constitution. More migrants were pictured arriving in Kent and Italy today as EU diplomats dismissed Keir Starmer's 'delusional' plan for a migrants return deal. Brussels sources pointed out that the bloc's internal negotiations over a burden-sharing deal had been going for seven years with 'no end in sight'. As small boats were seen being brought ashore in Dover and the island of Lampedusa, the Labour leader was warned there is no chance the EU will 'rescue' the UK. The blunt response came after Sir Keir finally set out his proposals for addressing the small boats issue during a trip to The Hague. He confirmed he was willing to discuss taking an annual quota of asylum seekers in return for a returns agreement that would allow Britain to send back some Channel migrants. But during a round of interviews to promote his blueprint, Sir Keir refused to say how many asylum seekers he would be willing to accept, insisting it would be a matter for negotiation. Rishi Sunak said the final figure could top 100,000 a year if calculated on a per capita basis. A group of Channel migrants are brought ashore by the Border Force in Kent today Migrants are brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa today, which has been struggling to cope with the numbers taking advantage of good weather to cross the Med Keir Starmer finally set out his proposals for addressing the small boats issue during a trip to The Hague yesterday However, EU diplomats told The Times that the plan would not come to fruition. 'The EU's asylum system is broken, internal negotiations have now dragged on for more than seven years without an end in sight,' one said. 'There is absolutely no question of helping the UK until we have put our own house in order. 'Starmer is deluded if he thinks that European governments, who are under much more pressure on asylum and migration than Britain, are going to come to his rescue.' Labour insists its Channel crisis plans are focused on stopping boats coming in the first place, and a returns deal is not essential. Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Sir Keir of turning the UK into a 'dumping ground' for the EU's migrants. 'He'll let Brussels decide who comes to the UK,' she said. 'He'll agree to make Britain the dumping ground for many of the millions of illegal migrants that Europe doesn't want. And none of this will stop the boats.' Speaking to reporters during a visit in Devon, the PM also condemned the idea. 'His plans seem to amount to saying we might one day accept 100,000 EU migrants every year. That doesn't seem like a credible plan to me to stop the boats,' Mr Sunak said. Migrants being brought to shore on the Italian island of Lampedusa today A Border Force vessel sen bringing people ashore in Dover, Kent today Rishi Sunak said Sir Keir's plan could mean the UK taking 100,000 asylum seekers a year from the EU Sir Keir insisted that closer co-operation with Brussels on the small boats crisis would mean 'taking back control of a situation the Government has totally lost control of'. He added: 'It ought to be the Government who decides who comes here but it is the gangs.' He pledged to smash the 'vile' people smuggling cartels and said it was nonsense to suggest Labour would let in 100,000 asylum seekers a year. 'There is a difference between the burden that is there as an EU member and the arrangements we would make as a third country,' he said. Sir Keir denied his plans were a first step towards reversing Brexit, saying there was 'no case for going back in the EU'. Iceland staff have been attacked by shoplifters with hypodermic needles, the chain's boss has told MailOnline. Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland Foods, is the latest retail leader to speak out about the increase in violent attacks on staff working at high street stores. 'Every single week I receive an average of 12 reports of ''serious incidents'' where managers and other colleagues have been attacked in our stores, almost always by shoplifters,' he told MailOnline. 'Colleagues are being slapped, punched and threatened with a range of weapons including knives, hammers, firearms and hypodermic needles. 'Assaults have resulted in injuries ranging from a broken jaw to a fractured skull.' Staff at other chains have been punched, bottled and stabbed by thieves who store security experts say are increasingly operating in organised criminal gangs. Co-op employees have also been threatened with syringes, while another was assaulted with a medieval mace, a senior executive told MailOnline. And John Lewis chairman Sharon White recently described shoplifting in Britain as an 'epidemic'. Today, MailOnline can reveal exclusive CCTV video taken inside the chain's stores showing shoplifting. As part of an investigation into the UK's shoplifting 'epidemic', MailOnline has obtained exclusive CCTV footage of shoplifters in John Lewis. In one video, a man wearing a black jumper crouches down and opens a black bin bag before stashing two Pure speakers inside In another video a man walks off with products in his hand, before turning around again and exposing his face to the CCTV camera. In both cases the shoplifters were detained before being arrested by police Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland Foods, is the latest retail executive to speak out about the increase in violent attacks on staff across the UK high street An Iceland security guard confronts a shoplifter inside a store in Ilford, London. None of the images in this article show people involved in needle attacks or any victims of them MailOnline can also reveal data that shows cases of shoplifting at Co-op stores have risen by 41 per cent in the first eight months of this year compared to the last. Paul Gerrard, the chain's campaigns and public affairs director, said the number of cases of violence being used against staff had also increased by 25 per cent. 'We are running at about a thousand incidents of shoplifting a day across our two and a half thousand stores,' he told MailOnline. The British Retail Consortium said incidents of violence and abuse against staff have nearly doubled from more than 450 per day in 2019/2020 to more than 850 last year. In the CCTV footage of John Lewis shoplifters, published by MailOnline today, one man wearing a black jumper crouches down and opens a black bin bag before stashing two Pure speakers inside. He looks up to a higher shelf and appears to select the most expensive item he can find - a Pure radio worth 369. He then grabs the price sticker for the radio and stashes it in his bin bag along with the other stolen goods and begins walking out. In a second video, a man walks up to a pile of yellow tops and grabs them. He walks off with them in his hand, before turning around again and exposing his face to the CCTV camera. Finally, he leans over and stuffs them in his bag. In both cases the shoplifters were detained by security staff before being arrested by police. Mr Walker revealed that the chain is losing 20million a year through shoplifting as he called for more powers to tackle criminals. He said security guards should be given the power to search suspects - which they currently can only do with their consent. He also complained that data protection laws had stopped his employees from sharing photos of shoplifters with nearby stores or post their faces on notice boards. 'We've had a run in in the past with the Information Commissioner's Office because sharing photos of known shoplifters with other stores on the high street via WhatsApp groups apparently breaches their human rights under GDPR,' he said, referring to General Data Protection Regulation dating back to 2018. 'When I started working in stores I used to print of faces on the board so staff could be aware but even that may not be allowed now. We are investing record amounts on security but we need legislation and government support.' Currently, security guards have no more powers than the ordinary public. They are unable to search suspects without their consent, and while they can perform a citizen's arrest this leaves them open to being sued. In the first video from John Lewis, the shoplifter can be seen looking up to a higher shelf and appears to select the most expensive item he can find - a Pure radio worth 369 In a second video, a man walks up to a pile of yellow tops and grabs them off the shelf 'The criminals know this, particularly the organised one - they know their rights,' Mr Walker said in an exclusive interview. 'We need more powers for security personnel to search suspects and detain them until police arrive. 'Unfortunately, police ignore 70 per cent of calls for help with store thefts. It's not necessarily their fault. They need to have the resources to allow them to take this crime epidemic seriously. 'We also need the courts to impose serious sentences. It's almost become seen as a crime without punishment.' Mr Walker added: 'We call them frontline colleagues because they are the first point of contact with customers but sometimes it feels like they're on the frontline of a war.' Today, an Iceland staff member at a branch in Eltham said: 'Assaults on staff are a frequent occurrence. On Monday we had one. READ MORE - CCTV catches moment masked armed robber threatens three teenage girls in attempt to rob newsagent Advertisement 'They know when we don't have a guard on staff. They're clever about it when they go and steal. 'It's always the same people. We see the same people coming in and coming out. 'We have a security guard most days of the week. When we stop them a lot of them just give it back but you do get aggressive thieves.' The failure of police forces to take shoplifting seriously is a common complaint among retailers. Data released by the Co-op in July showed police are failing to attend more than two-thirds of retail crimes. Mr Gerrard told MailOnline: 'Four or five colleagues will be physically attacked every day. 'We've seen syringes, knives and we even saw a medieval mace a couple of years ago.' The chain has invested in undercover security guards who perform citizen's arrests on thieves. 'These are highly trained expert guards - often ex-police and ex forces - who work undercover in stores where there's a particular problem,' Mr Gerrard said. 'They will intervene and make a citizen's arrest and detain the individual.' Mr Gerrard said the Co-op had invested heavily in store security but needed tougher enforcement to tackle the problem. 'Some forces are really good at coming out and some are really bad - there's no consistency at all,' he said. The John Lewis Partnership yesterday revealed it is facing a 12million jump in the cost of shoplifting as bosses at the retail giant blamed a surge in organised crime. Dame Sharon said the recent spate in shoplifting was driven by 'crime groups' rather than thefts linked to the soaring cost of living. Data released by the Co-Op in July showed police are failing to attend more than two-thirds of retail crimes. The chain has previously released footage of its staff grappling with shoplifters The boss said she met with Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, earlier this week to discuss shoplifting. She said: 'Every retailer is seeing shoplifting that is much more organised crime than the opportunistic shoplifting you may have seen in the past or linked to cost of living pressures. 'It has almost become a job. It is shoplifting to order. 'We have some situations where we have stores that are relatively approximate to each other, and a gang goes from store to store.' READ MORE - Boutique boss tackles thieves AGAIN: Moment brave businesswoman catches shoplifter trying to steal 250 worth of Paco Rabanne Advertisement She said too few incidents are being followed up by the police, adding: 'It is organised, to order, and an issue, rife across retail. 'We have raised the issue because the safety of our staff is incredibly important. We also feel this is an important issue from a societal point of view. 'That is why we have been calling for change in legislation specifically to tackle abuse of shop workers. We are wanting to work more closely with the police. 'To be frank, if we aren't dealing with low-level crime, that's a huge issue more generally for society.' The retailer called on the Government to change legislation in England and Wales to make it a criminal offence to abuse shopworkers, in line with current rules in Scotland. Last month, the group's supermarket arm Waitrose said it was offering free tea and coffee to police officers in an effort to boost their presence around stores. The company said it mainly saw a rise in the cost of crime due to theft, as well as 'related wastage'. Ms White said: 'Like other retailers, we have seen more activity linked to organised crime. Team leader Charlene Corbin was bottled by a shoplifter at the Co-Op where she works Pictured is the wound Ms Corbin sustained after being bottled by a thief at her store 'We have raised the issue because the safety of our staff is incredibly important, as a business we also feel this is an important issue from a societal point of view.' READ MORE - Video appears to show moment one-legged woman attempts to break loose from Tesco as security guard tries to keep her inside Advertisement German discount supermarket chain Lidl said separately yesterday that it was stepping up investment in store security amid increasing rates of shoplifting, by ramping up CCTV coverage and rolling out more body-worn cameras in its outlets. Ryan McDonnell, chief executive of Lidl's British business, said it was a 'social issue' that the industry is working together to address. He said: 'There's no doubt that it's affecting the whole industry and we are not immune to it. The safety and security of our workers is a priority. 'We are working with the British Retail Consortium with the rest of our competitors in the sector coming together to look at how we can tackle it. 'We welcome the engagement from the Government and the police.' Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said this week that he hopes to see 'significant improvements' in the way police find and prosecute offenders. A shoplifter has a tug of war with a Co-op worker in Liverpool He said that shoplifting was 'clearly unacceptable' and that the government would work with police forces to 'drive down crime' in the area. READ MORE - Now shoplifters use social media to tell fans how to steal: Youngsters share tips using codewords like 'borrow' to get around censors Advertisement The boss of Primark has also called for the shoplifting crisis to be taken 'more seriously' while the chairman of Asda has warned shoplifting has effectively been 'decriminalised'. And Tesco is offering every frontline worker at the supermarket a body camera following an increase in violent attacks on staff. Asked whether there was recognition that shoplifting was a problem, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters in Westminster: 'Shoplifting is clearly unacceptable and then the public would expect us to work with police forces to drive down crime. 'It's worth noting that crime overall has fallen significantly, whether it's on neighbour crimes like burglary, robbery, vehicle theft, or indeed violent crime. 'Police forces in England and Wales have rightly committed to pursuing any available evidence where there's a reasonable chance it could lead them to catching a perpetrator and solving a crime, and we hope to see significant improvements in the way the police approach crimes like shoplifting to bring more offenders to justice.' Exes Bill and Melinda Gates reunited in New York City to celebrate their daughter Phoebe's 21st birthday at celeb-haunt restaurant Carbone on Thursday night. The Microsoft co-founder, 67, and his former wife, 59, called it quits in 2021 after 27 years of marriage amid allegations of infidelity on his part with his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein also believed to have put a strain on their relationship. Bill kept it casual on Thursday wearing a wool sweater over a white t-shirt and a pair of blue chinos with some navy sneakers. Melinda meanwhile went for a white flowing dress, with a tote, as well as bright pink strappy high-heel sandals and purse. Stanford University student Phoebe, who has been turning heads all week at New York Fashion Week, wore a short pink cocktail dress, kept her hair in pony-tail, with a bare of brown heels. Earlier on Thursday, Bill shared a pictured of Phoebe on Instagram. 'Watching you do big things has never surprised me. I'm so proud of you,' he wrote in a touching tribute to her on her special day. Stanford University student Phoebe, who has been turning heads all week at New York Fashion Week , wore a short pink cocktail dress to celebrate her big day The Microsoft co-founder, 67, and his former wife, 59, called it quits in 2021 after 27 years of marriage amid allegations of infidelity on his part Phoebe is the youngest of three children from Bill and Melinda's ill-fated marriage Melinda meanwhile shared a Facetime call that she had with her daughter on her birthday telling her always keep her friends close and to know yourself 'a lot.' 'That way you're never going to go wrong in life. Happy 21st birthday. I'm so proud of you and I love you so much,' she added. Phoebe's older sister, Jennifer, 27, joined in, posting some personal photos of the siblings while saying: 'I couldnt be more proud of you as a young woman, entrepreneur, best sister, friend and auntie. Love you more than I can express, P, and will forever have your back. Now let's celebrate,' Jennifer wrote in the caption. Phoebe is the youngest of three children from Bill and Melinda's ill-fated marriage. She has a net worth of about $10million - much of it likely due to her wealthy parents. It's no surprise to see the youngest Gates child pop up at New York Fashion Week after several years in the revolving world of high fashion and fashion journalism. In years past, Phoebe has attended shows and parties at Paris and New York Fashion Weeks. She also spent a summer interning for British Vogue. Most recently, Phoebe is in the process of launching a sustainable fashion platform with her college roommate, called Phia, which she often promotes on her Instagram. She has more than 300,000 followers on the social-media platform. Though the product is yet to be precisely defined, the pair of students have already landed coveted partnerships with top-tier designers focused on sustainability, like Stella McCartney. Phoebe has previously described herself as a 'reproductive rights activist' and is studying Human Biology at school. Melinda (Left) and Phoebe (Right) Gates attend the Michael Kors NYFW show in Brooklyn This week Phoebe donned a flowing, strapless, brown dress with an enormous cut-out in the center, which left her midriff on full display for an event Bill and Melinda Gates couple are pictured with their three kids in a 2018 family photo. The kids - Jennifer (center), Rory (right) and Phoebe (left) are now aged 26, 22 and 19. Bill and Melinda announced their split in May after 27 years of marriage In 2022, Bill admitted that his meetings with Epstein were a mistake during an interview with The Times. The pair first met in 2011. 'At the time, I didn't realize that by having those meetings it would be seen as giving him credibility,' Gates told the London-based newspaper. 'You're almost saying, 'I forgive that type of behavior,' or something. So clearly the way it's seen, I made a huge mistake not understanding that.' The dinners were a point of contention between the Microsoft billionaire and his now ex-wife and business partner, Melinda, who described Epstein as 'evil personified.' In earlier interviews, Bill stated how he ultimately stopped meetings with the convicted sex offender after he realized the meetings would not be productive for his philanthropic foundation. 'I had dinners with him. I regret doing that. He had relationships he said with people he said would give to public health. Not nearly enough philanthropy goes in that direction,' Bill said in a September 2021 interview. 'Those meetings were a mistake. They didn't result in what he purported, and I cut them off. You know, that goes back a long time ago now,' he said to PBS. Bill was in New York Thursday after spending the week at Senator Chuck Schumer's AI summit this week in the nation's capital. Gates says he 'made a huge mistake' meeting with Jeffrey Epstein for fundraising dinners During the conference, Tesla founder Elon Musk reportedly made a 'beeline to shake Bill Gates' hand,' reports the New York Post. That came after rumors that there was some kind of beef between the two tech billionaires. The beef is a subject in Walter Isaacson's new book, Elon Musk, in which it's reported that the South African rejected Bill's invitation to join a group philanthropist billionaires. Since their high-stakes split, Bill and Melinda have both reportedly been dating new partners. Bill has been spotted numerous times with Paula Hurd, 60, the former wife of Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd, who passed away in October of 2019. Melinda, who called her divorce from the software billionaire 'unbelievably painful,' has reportedly been seeing former Fox reporter Jon Du Pre, 63, since last year. While they were still a couple, the Gates' famously said they would try their best to deliver normal lives to their children, despite the extraordinary circumstances. Bill previously announced that he was more interested in giving his children an education so they can make something of themselves. He vowed to give each of them a small amount of money, before passing the rest onto his eponymous foundation. Gates said: 'Our kids will receive a great education and some money, so they are never going to be poorly off, but they'll go out and have their own career. 'It's not a favor to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth. It distorts anything they might do, creating their own path.' The exes may have tried to raise their kids as modestly as possible, but their living situation was far from humble - the family grew up in a $131 million mansion in Medina, Washington, that came complete with seven bathrooms, 24 bathrooms, and six kitchens, as well as its own man-made beach, at-home movie theater, gym, and trampoline room. The property, worth an estimated $131 million, is nicknamed 'Xanadu 2.0,' a reference to the fictional estate in the movie 'Citizen Kane.' This is the chilling moment a hit-and-run driver was caught on CCTV casually chatting to a friend in a burger bar less than two hours after he killed two young brothers. Mohammed Sullaiman Khan was behind the wheel of his powerful Audi A3 when he went through a red light and ploughed into a BMW killing ten-year-old Sanjay Singh and 23-month-old brother Pawanveer. Their mother Arithi Nahar, who had been driving the BMW, had been taking the boys, dressed in their pyjamas, home for dinner, after collecting their supper from a fish and chip shop where their father worked. The brothers were killed instantly in the crash on Birmingham New Road, Wolverhampton, while their mother suffered serious injuries. Khan fled the scene and less than two hours later he was captured on a burger bar's security footage waiting for food. Footage released West Midlands Police shows Khan chatting to a friend while occasionally rubbing his chest which was hurt in the high-speed crash. Mohammed Sullaiman Khan was behind the wheel of his powerful Audi A3 when he went through a red light and ploughed into a BMW. Pictured: Chatting in a burger joint Khan fled the scene and less than two hours later he was captured on a burger bar's security footage waiting for food Arithi Nahar who was taking her two sons Sanjay Singh, 10, and Pawanveer, 23-months, home for their dinner when their car was hit. The boys died on collision Khan, 27, of Edgbaston, was also caught on CCTV driving at high speeds in a 40mph zone minutes before the crash which happened at around 8.45pm on March 14, 2019. He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court. A Bentley driver accused of taking part in a high-speed road race with the Audi, Hamza Shahid, 36, was cleared of causing deaths by dangerous driving. He denied racing the Audi, telling jurors he had been speeding to avoid the aggressive driving of Khan. One of Khan's brothers, Mohammed Asim Khan, 34, of Hall Green, was found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by lying to police about his brother's car. The court heard at 10.20pm police were called by Mohammed saying Khan's Audi had been stolen in a car-key burglary earlier that day. Another brother, lawyer Mohammed Adil Khan, 35, of Edgbaston, was found not guilty of the same charge. A fifth man, Rashane Henry, 32, of Bilston, Wolverhampton, was cleared of taking part in the conspiracy. The Khan brothers, of Birmingham, will be sentenced at a later date. In a statement, the boys' heartbroken family said: 'We as parents of Sanjay and Pawanveer miss them terribly, we will never see them grow up into teenagers and then later as adults. Khan, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving The destroyed Audi. The driver of the Audi, Mohammed Sullaiman Khan, reached speeds of 92mph before he went through a red light and hit the BMW carrying the boys, who were already in their pyjamas, and their mother 'We have been robbed of that. Our boys were taken away in a blink of an eye on the 14th March 2019. The day that our lives and our home died too. 'With the support of our family, friends, loved ones, colleagues and professionals we have developed a new way of living again with this constant pain and bleed in our hearts.' The Khan brothers will be sentenced at a later date. Detective Constable Karl Davies, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, who lead the enquiries, said: 'Our duty was to Sanjay and Pawanveer and to their family, who have been so brave throughout. 'It is awful, almost beyond words, for two young brothers to be killed in such a dreadful collision.' A sixth man Tejinder Singh, 30, of Bilston, denies conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and assisting an offender. He will be tried at a later date. Keir Starmer's 'PM-in-waiting' tour is continuing today as he heads to Montreal for a left-wing gathering with Justin Trudeau. The Labour leader is attending the Global Progress Action Summit over the weekend alongside the Canadian premier. It comes as Sir Keir tries to project a statesmanlike image, with potentially just a year until the crucial general election. Yesterday he travelled to The Hague to unveil a plan for tackling Channel boats crisis, and next week he is due to meet Emmanuel Macron for talks in Paris. Tony Blair - who appears increasingly influential in Sir Keir's circle - and former foreign secretary David Miliband are also expected at the summit in Montreal, along with former Finland PM Sanna Marin and New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern. The conference is set to discuss threats to global security such as climate change, people-smuggling and terrorism. Keir Starmer's (left) 'PM-in-waiting' tour is continuing today as he heads to Montreal for a left-wing gathering with Justin Trudeau (right) Tony Blair - who appears increasingly influential in Sir Keir's circle - and former foreign secretary David Miliband are also expected at the summit in Montreal With Labour routinely recording double-digit poll leads, Sir Keir's allies are preparing for a last push towards securing power. Former mandarin Sue Gray has been controversially poached from the civil service to look at how to drive through the leader's priorities if he forms a government. However, the first leg of Sir Keir's tour yesterday was not altogether smooth sailing, as his proposals for addressing the small boats issue were heavily criticised. He confirmed he was willing to discuss taking an annual quota of asylum seekers from the EU in return for a returns agreement that would allow Britain to send back some Channel migrants. But during a round of interviews to promote his blueprint, Sir Keir refused to say how many he would be willing to accept, insisting it would be a matter for negotiation. Rishi Sunak said the final figure could top 100,000 a year if calculated on a per capita basis. EU diplomats told The Times that the plan would not come to fruition. 'The EU's asylum system is broken, internal negotiations have now dragged on for more than seven years without an end in sight,' one said. 'There is absolutely no question of helping the UK until we have put our own house in order. 'Starmer is deluded if he thinks that European governments, who are under much more pressure on asylum and migration than Britain, are going to come to his rescue.' Former Finland PM Sanna Marin, who has just take a job with the Tony Blair Institute, is also due at the summit in Montreal The first leg of Sir Keir's tour yesterday, in The Hague, was not altogether smooth sailing, as his proposals for addressing the small boats issue were heavily criticised Labour insists its Channel crisis plans are focused on stopping boats coming in the first place, and a returns deal is not essential. Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Sir Keir of turning the UK into a 'dumping ground' for the EU's migrants. 'He'll let Brussels decide who comes to the UK,' she said. 'He'll agree to make Britain the dumping ground for many of the millions of illegal migrants that Europe doesn't want. And none of this will stop the boats.' Speaking to reporters during a visit in Devon, the PM also condemned the idea. 'His plans seem to amount to saying we might one day accept 100,000 EU migrants every year. That doesn't seem like a credible plan to me to stop the boats,' Mr Sunak said. A nine-year-old girl who died after suffering from cardiac arrest after being misdiagnosed with tonsillitis in the middle of a Strep A outbreak could have been saved, a coroner has ruled. Riya Hirani was discharged from Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow with a piece of paper advising her to use over-the-counter painkillers, despite pleas from her parents for a course of antibiotics despite news of the deadly outbreak. On December 22 2022 she was taken to the hospital by parents following advice from NHS 111 following concerns about a three-day-fever, red throat and difficulty getting her words out. But the Senior House Officer (SHO) who assessed her decided she was 'not very sick' and discharged her with a diagnosis of viral tonsillitis. The following evening on December 23, Riya's mother Geeta Hirani panicked at the site of white puss at the back of her daughter's throat and decided to return to the hospital. Nine-year-old Riya Hirani (pictured) died after suffering from cardiac arrest after being misdiagnosed with tonsillitis in the middle of a Strep A outbreak could have been saved, a coroner has ruled The young girl was discharged from Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow with a piece of paper advising her to use over-the-counter painkillers, despite pleas from her parents for a course of antibiotics despite news of the deadly outbreak As they were leaving Riya's father Mukesh thought she was choking so began to pat her on the back. But the girl collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. She suffered severe brain damage as a result and died in Great Ormond Street Hospital five days later. 'We were literally leaving and she stood up and said she could not breathe. It was so quick. I do not understand how it could happen so quick,' Ms Hirani told St Pancras Coroner's Court during an inquest into her daughter's death yesterday. Her parents recalled their delight after a ten year battle to conceive was successful by IVF. 'She was very active, loved to sing and dance, and do arts and crafts. She was a bright and smart girl,' Ms Hirani said. 'She adored Lego. She would spend hours playing with her little sister, making up characters with her Lego. She had a very mature understanding of the world.' Following Riya's death, doctors at Great Ormond Street confirmed that she had been infected with Group A Streptococcus - a bacterial infection that can be fatal in its most invasive form. Her death came after an outbreak in early December 2022, with around 30 children thought to have died from the infection between September 19 and December 30, according to UKHSA data. It meant staff at hospitals across the UK, including Northwick Park, were on alert to cases of the infection among children. During the inquest, senior consultants from Northwick Park Hospital and Great Ormond Street both questioned Riya's care after she presented at the hospital with symptoms of the infection. A day after being discharged from the hospital in Harrow, Riya suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital where she died five days later A doctor who was the Senior House Officer who assessed Riya, explained he looked for five criteria when deciding if a child might need admission for Strep A, including a fever lasting over 24 hours, an absence of cough, puss on the tonsils, attending hospital within three days of illness, and severely inflamed tonsils. Riya met two of the criteria having had the fever and attending within three days, but the doctor told the court he found no puss and her parents had reported her coughing when he took her recent medical history. However, the redness of Riya's throat, linked to the inflammation of her tonsils, became a point of contention as he was questioned by Coroner Mary Hassell. Ms Hirani took the witness stand and claimed the doctor had told her Riya's throat was 'very red', which was at odds with his patient notes which said it was just 'red'. The doctor denied he meant 'severely red' when he spoke to Ms Hirani, but admitted: 'Sometimes when you write very quickly you miss some words.' Later he admitted if he had spotted the third warning sign, he may have raised the issue with a senior doctor to look at more closely. Coroner Hassell said: 'Could it have been it was severely red?' The doctor replied: 'No it was not severely red. I usually write a positive finding very clearly.' He was also asked why he failed to note down Riya's neck pain. He replied: 'Maybe I forgot, I do not know. It's very common that nine-year-old's present with neck pain.' The doctor was quizzed over his failure to spot Riya's 'difficulty speaking', despite concerns raised by her parents. 'I cannot remember that phrase,' he told the court. 'But I was told her voice had changed, rather than she was not able to speak, as far as I can remember.' 'She was using all her breath to get her words out, that's what was happening and I explained that,' Ms Hirani contended as she was called to the witness box. 'When I examined her she did not have any difficulty breathing,' the doctor responded. Mr and Mrs Hirani also questioned heart rate readings which they were given before Riya was discharged. The doctor explained the normal range for a child that age was between 70 and 120 BPM, and that his notes said she was sent home with a reading of 119 BPM. After being confronted with a claim her final heartrate was in fact 125 BPM, the doctor suggested 'it's just five beats per minute'. In a number of tearful submissions, Ms Hirani repeatedly called the doctor's professional judgement into question. It comes after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills (pictured) from sepsis at King's College Hospital in Camberwell in 2021, and her parents' campaign to introduce the second opinion rule 'I know as a mother she was really sick as for nine years she had never been that sick,' she said. 'I remember saying this could be Strep A, I can't find a rash though. I left it for you medical professionals to find out.' Asked if he would do anything differently, the doctor said: 'I would try to keep my notes as neat as I could and try to write everything. If I was worried about anything I would go to see my senior. I would try to check the blood pressure of the patient.' He added: 'Sometimes we can't predict the future.' Senior paediatric consultant at Northwick Park Hospital Dr Ehmed Jadou detailed Riya's transfer from London Ambulance Service paramedics, who arrived at her home within two minutes, into his care, and her transfer to Great Ormond Street at 4am the next day. He then recalled the climate at the time, and said: 'At one stage we ran out of antibiotics in A&E, then we had an advisory for antibiotic stewardship..' He also claimed 100 per cent of consultants at the hospital would have discharged her six months earlier when there was not a Strep A outbreak to consider. Asked if he would have admitted Riya, he said: 'It's not clear which way I would have decided based on the information given to me.' Instead Dr Jadou said he would have 'spared a few seconds' to look at her and taken a 'holistic approach', with a focus on how the patient presented not just the numbers recorded in observations. 'If numbers are normal but the child looks weak or sick, the child would be treated with sepsis,' Dr Jadou said. He then explained this would have meant treatment with oxygen, an intravenous, and antibiotics. He added that point-of-care testing was only made available some weeks later in January 2023. Consultant in paediatric intensive care at GOSH Dr Quen Mok recalled how Riya arrived at the specialist children's hospital in Camden after 11 minutes of no cardiac output and evidence of brain swelling. Tests found Riya was Influenza B positive, but Dr Mok suspected there might be another issue. 'Having done 30 years of paediatric care I had never seen a child with influenza be so sick,' she said. Riya was sedated and put on a ventilator to prevent further brain injury, but her brain continued to swell and her pupils began to dilate. Riya sadly died in hospital on December 28 with her medical cause of death given as 1A hypoxic ischemic brain injury, 1B out of hospital cardiac arrest, and 1C Strep A and Influenza infections. Asked if Riya would have survived if granted the course of antibiotics, Dr Mok said: 'At least you would have felt it gave her a chance and treated her. I do not know if it would have prevented the cardiac arrest. I think if Dr Jadou had seen her he probably would have admitted Riya to the paediatric ward and started her on IV. And even if she had a cardiac arrest, it would have been in hospital where treatment is quicker.' Giving a narrative conclusion, Coroner Hassell said: 'I'm satisfied from all the evidence at the point [Riya] was brought into hospital she was showing signs and symptoms of a bacterial infection and should have been treated as such. 'She should have been admitted and treated with antibiotics. I'm not certain what the outcome would have been, but I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities, if Riya had been appropriately treated she would have survived..' Coroner Hassell will also make a Prevention of Future Deaths report to avoid a repeat of the circumstance which led to Riya's death, and promised to urgently send a separate report to Health Secretary Steve Barclay encouraging the development of a rule which will allow parents to get a second medical opinion if they are concerned about a misdiagnosis. It comes after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills from sepsis at King's College Hospital in Camberwell in 2021, and her parents' campaign to introduce the second opinion rule. 'I think that now of all times it would be appropriate to make such a report with evidence in the public domain,' Coroner Hassell added. 'Without a second opinion future deaths may still occur.' A spokesperson for London North West University Healthcare said: 'We offer our deep condolences to Mr and Mrs Hirani and their family. 'While diagnosing Strep A in children can be challenging, we fully accept the coroner's findings and we apologise once again to Riya's family. 'We have conducted an extensive investigation into Riya's care and have already made several changes to improve our care for the future. This includes the introduction of rapid point of care testing for Strep A in the emergency department. 'We welcome the health secretary's decision to back 'Martha's rule', which will offer parents genuine leverage to seek a second opinion, and we will be working to implement it as rapidly as possible.' In separate case, Jordan Chadwick feared to have been killed in petty argument Daniel Burke, 36, is feared to have been killed by fellow volunteer fighters Two British volunteer fighters who fought in Ukraine are feared to have been murdered by their fellow foreign legion comrades following alleged disputes over money and petty arguments, it has emerged. Daniel Burke, a former paratrooper who went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year, vanished from his flat in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11 and hasn't been seen since. There are now fears that the 36-year-old could have been killed not by Russian soldiers, but by his fellow foreign legion fighters because of reported disputes and jealousy over the amount of money he was receiving in donations. As Ukrainian police comb the fields of Komyshuvakha village on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia for any sign of Burke's body, cops further east are investigating the death of former British soldier Jordan Chadwick, 31, near Bakhmut. Chadwick, a former Scots Guard from Burnley, Lancashire, who also volunteered to fight for Ukraine, was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June. A source told the Daily Telegraph that Chadwick had been shot during a petty argument that got out of hand, raising further mystery surrounding his death. Daniel Burke (pictured), a former paratrooper who went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year, vanished from his flat in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11 and hasn't been seen since Jordan Chadwick (pictured), a former Scots Guard from Burnley who also volunteered to fight for Ukraine, was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June. The two cases involving Burke and Chadwick are not thought to be linked, but they have raised fears among fellow comrades that they may have been murdered by fellow foreign legion fighters. Ukrainian police, already struggling with a heavy caseload since the war began, are now investigating claims that Burke could have been killed following disputes over money. Burke, who had served in Afghanistan with the British army before fighting against ISIS with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, had travelled to Ukraine to fight as a volunteer last year. He had told fellow fighters that he was receiving 8,000 a month from American millionaires in donations thanks to his public profile - and there are fears this could have sparked envy among the troops. Police are also analysing CCTV footage of Burke's movements in a car that his friend, Australian volunteer Norine Abdelfetah, had lent him on the day he disappeared. Abdelfetah told police he had dropped Burke off at his apartment on August 11 and had lent the Briton his car for the weekend after he complained about having food poisoning, reports the Telegraph. The Australian said there was no sign of Burke when he came to collect the car two days later, and a day later, Adbelfetah's colleage, James Sutton, told police. While a source told the Telegraph that in Chadwick's case, there are fears he was shot during a petty argument, there is further speculation that he may have drowned in an initiation ceremony gone wrong. Chadwick's death only emerged last week when his mother, Brenda Chadwick, told the BBC she was 'devastated' by the death of her son, who served in the Scots Guards from 2011 to 2015 (pictured) Daniel Burke set up his own volunteer unit in Ukraine called the Dark Angels (pictured) A YouTube channel has claimed the ceremony was devised by a fellow volunteer who used to be in the SAS and said the water found in his lungs did not match the water where he was found according to forensic examinations. Chadwick's death only emerged last week when his mother, Brenda Chadwick, told the BBC she was 'devastated' by the death of her son, who served in the Scots Guards from 2011 to 2015. 'His passion to support freedom and assist others with his skills led him to leave the UK and travel to Ukraine in early October 2022,' Brenda said. 'Although we are extremely proud of his unwavering courage and resilience, his death has been devastating. No words can be found to describe the loss of such a short life. 'A son, brother, grandson, nephew and uncle, who was loved immensely.' The speculation that Burke and Chadwick may have been killed by their fellow foreign legion fighters exposes the dark side of the voluntary service fighting in Ukraine, with volunteers complaining there is very little vetting done. 'There are guys who shouldn't be here - some with criminal records, some with PTSD, and some with drug and alcohol problems or who use steroids,' one volunteer told the paper. The UK's Foreign Office declined to comment on the lines of inquiry currently being investigated in relation to Burke and Chadwick's cases. A British woman has been stabbed to death on Spain's Costa Blanca. The 76-year-old's Norwegian partner, 82, has been arrested on suspicion of killing her at a property in Orihuela, a spokesperson for the Civil Guard said today. 'We can confirm that today at 7:40am we were alerted to a possible domestic violence incident at a property in Orihuela Costa which resulted in the death of the victim. 'The wounds she had could correspond to an attack with a bladed weapon.' The couple are understood to have lived together at the property. It is not clear if they were married. A view of Orihuela, a city and municipality in the province of Alicante, Spain, where a woman is believed to have been stabbed to death A person described as a friend is said to have called the Civil Guard. One unconfirmed report today said the friend had gone to the property at the request of the man arrested so he could help him hand himself in to police. Sources close to the investigation said they believed the incident that led to the British woman dying occurred in the early hours of this morning. Detectives said there were no previous reports of any problems between the alleged aggressor and the victim. In March, a British woman was found dead inside her home in Orihuela Costa with stab wounds. Her 69-year-old husband, also thought to be British, was understood to have been arrested as he tried to flee the scene. Local reports said an unnamed suspect had been included on a database after being accused of domestic violence in 2019, two years after the couple moved to Spain. Also in March, it emerged a British man facing a murder charge over the frenzied stabbing of his wife at their Costa del Sol flat had died in hospital and was set to be given a paupers funeral. David Cadwallader, 80, passed away in December last year, less than a month after being remanded in custody following the brutal killing of his wife Lesley who was also from the UK. News of his death on December 2 last year was only made public four months later. Reports at the time of the killing said she had phoned the emergency services in a desperate SOS call to say she had been knifed four times before the line went dead. Her husband, who was thought to have Alzheimers, was discovered lying on a bed at their beachfront apartment in Torremolinos and arrested after police forced entry with the help of firefighters. A judge decided to send him to prison while he continued to investigate him over the November 4 2022 killing, although officials confirmed at the time he had been transferred to a specialist psychiatric wing. Although the expat had officially been placed under investigation he had yet to be formally charged with any crime at the time of his death. In December last year a 56-year-old British man was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife of the same nationality at their home near Mazarron in the south-east Spanish province of Murcia. She was found dead on the ground outside the bungalow they purchased earlier this year. It was not immediately clear today how far the criminal investigation into that incident has progressed and whether the man arrested remains in custody. A man has been mauled to death by two 'out-of-control' American XL Bully dogs outside a West Midlands primary school - the third serious dog attack in the region in less than a week. The horror attack took place in the village of Stonnall, near Walsall in Staffordshire, yesterday afternoon as children were leaving St Peter's Primary Academy. An air ambulance, paramedics and officers, including armed police, were called to Main Street shortly before 3.15pm after the man suffered 'multiple life-threatening injuries'. Courageous bystanders tried to help the man, managing to contain one of the hounds and dragging the second to its owner's flat. It came just a day after a 10-year-old boy was attacked by an out-of-control dog while playing football less than three miles away. Less than a week earlier, an XL Bully mauled an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham. Emergency services were called to a primary school in Stonnall, Staffordshire, after a man was mauled to death by two dogs Police put St Peter's Primary Academy into lockdown amid fears for the children's safety on Thursday Courageous bystanders tried to help the man outside the school (pictured) managing to contain one of the hounds and dragging the second to its owner's flat An air ambulance, paramedics and officers, including armed police, were called to Main Street shortly before 3.15pm (Pictured: a police car outside a property in Main Street on Friday) The victim of the Stonnall attack was flown to hospital by air ambulance with catastrophic injuries. Despite the best efforts of medics, the man later died. The school was placed into lockdown 'for safety reasons', with officers stopping pupils from leaving while they dealt with the incident. A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service told MailOnline: 'Upon arrival we found a man who had sustained multiple life-threatening injuries and was in a critical condition. 'Ambulance staff administered advanced life support and advanced trauma care to him at the scene. 'Treatment continued en route to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was conveyed by land ambulance for further treatment. Unfortunately, after arrival at hospital, despite the best efforts it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him he was confirmed deceased.' A 30-year-old man from Lichfield has been arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control, police said. He has since been further arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: 'He will be interviewed by detectives today. 'One of the dogs died after being restrained and the other died after an injection was given by a vet. 'It's understood that the dogs are XL Bullys, however further tests are being carried out today to determine their breed.' In an announcement this afternoon following the latest fatal XL Bully killing, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared he would seek to ban the animals in Britain. Police are supporting the victim's family. Superintendent Tracy Meir added: 'I would like to offer my condolences to the loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life in this horrendous dog attack. We are continuing to support them at this incredibly difficult time. The West Midlands Ambulance Service has confirmed that, despite the best efforts of medics, 'nothing more could be done' to save the man (pictured: police in Stonnall on Friday) 'Detectives continue to investigate and we have taken statements, viewed CCTV and carried out house-to-house enquiries in the local area but are keen to speak to anyone with information.' Local parish councillor Phil Whitehouse told MailOnline: 'People just can't believe what has happened in a village like Stonnall. Everyone is in a state of shock and sadness.' A 63 year-old dog walker, who did not want to give her name, said: 'It is just awful to think that some of the children could have witnessed it and it is all very upsetting.' The woman, who did not see the attack, said an air ambulance landed in the local park and the centre of Stonnall was shut down to traffic. She added: 'We are all a bit shook-up. The air ambulance landed on the park. The police came and the centre of the village was completely closed to cars and pedestrians. 'Obviously, after knowing that the two dogs had been caught, I did walk my two dogs but in the opposite direction. 'As dog walkers here, we all know each other. When we realised that something horrific had happened we all spoke to each other and nobody knew who it was.' Less than a day before, emergency services had rushed to Bentley Drive in Walsall following reports that a 10-year-old boy had been savaged by a dog running free in the street. The brown canine was captured on CCTV running past the youngster as he played in the street at around 7.30pm on Wednesday - before suddenly turning and pouncing on him. It came just a day after a ten-year-old boy was attacked by an out-of-control dog while playing football less than three miles away The dog pounces on the boy without warning as he plays football outside his house in Walsall For more than a minute, the animal refused to let go despite the efforts of family members who struck it several times A close-up of the boy's injuries shows he suffered deep, gouging wounds The boy's father said he was releasing the images to spread awareness of keeping pets under control In CCTV footage released by his father, the boy can be seen struggling for an agonising 30 seconds as the dog tugs at his arm and refuses to let go. Anguished family members then rush outside, trying to coax the animal away - and shooing a younger boy inside as he comes outside to see the commotion. After more than a minute of being struck with a toy by relatives, and with the help of a passing taxi driver, the vicious animal eventually loosens his grip. A grievous close-up of the boy's injuries shows horrific gouge marks in his right forearm, as he lies on a hospital bed wrapped in blood-covered sheets. Gohar Siddique, the boy's father, shared the awful clip because he wants to raise awareness. While the breed of the dog in the video is unknown, he urged owners to keep their pets locked up. The 36-year-old factory worker said: 'I just want to make sure this doesn't happen to other people. This should not be happening to young children.' Mr Siddique - who was at work when he was told what had happened - said his son was recovering in hospital and would require surgery. The anguished father-of-four added: 'If my two-year-old son was outside he would not be alive. My older son was brave. When you see the video you feel terrible.' West Midlands Police said the dog is to be 'humanely destroyed'. A 60-year-old woman was arrested and released with a caution. Ana Paun was walking to the shops with her 18-year-old sister when the powerful breed of bulldog leapt up at her from a bus shelter Two other men were left injured in the attack, involving a Bully XL on Saturday Footage of the savage dog attack in Birmingham shows the animal pouncing on a man in a nearby petrol forecourt The attacks in Walsall are the second and third major incidents involving dangerous dogs in the region in less than a week. An American XL Bully-Staffordshire bull terrier cross was seized by police after it savaged 11-year-old Ana Paun as she walked home from buying sweets with her sister in Bordesley Green, Birmingham on Saturday September 9. A 60-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a dangerously out of control dog following the incident, which also left two men injured. CCTV footage from a nearby Texaco garage shows how the sustained attack lasted for more than two minutes with the dog attacking multiple people. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline on Monday, traumatised Ana said: 'The dog just came at me out of nowhere. 'I was walking to the shop with my elder sister and the dog was with its owner, who was standing by a bus shelter. 'The dog stared at me and as I got closer it suddenly jumped up and bit my arm, it didn't take its gaze off me and continued staring while it was biting. 'It sort of locked on to my arm and wouldn't let go. I was screaming as loud as I could.' The 11-year-old added that blood had been 'pouring' from her arm following the attack, which saw her kept in hospital overnight. She added: 'I thought it was going to attack my face and neck and that I was going to die. I kept screaming and screaming - I was petrified.' Following Saturday's attack Home Secretary Suella Braverman has pushed for a ban on American bully XL dogs, arguing they are a 'clear and lethal danger', particularly to children. Braverman said she is seeking 'urgent advice' on banning 'lethal' American bully XL dogs. She tweeted: 'The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. 'We can't go on like this. I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them.' Tony Award-winning Broadway star Michael McGrath has died suddenly aged 65. The Broadway veteran passed away at his home in Bloomfield, New Jersey on Thursday. While the cause of death is yet to be confirmed, his publicist told Variety that it was 'sudden'. With more than 15 credits to his name, the actor was best known for his role as Patsy in the musical Spamalot, which was based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). In 2012 he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a musical for his work in the musical 'Nice Work If You Can Get It,' playing the role of Cookie McGee. Tony Award-winning Broadway star Michael McGrath has died suddenly aged 65 Speaking to the Boston Irish about the production in 2014, he said it was 'amazing' to star alongside Mike Nichols and Tim Curry. As well as being nominated for another Tony Award, he was also a three-time Drama Desk Award nominee, Theatre World Award nominee and an Outer Critics Circle nominee. His first Tony Award nomination was in 2005 for the Best Featured Actor in a Musical Category for his role on Spamalot - he was the first actor to play the role of Patsy, King Arthur's sidekick. Other notable works in his career include the role of Mr. Simmons in the 2009 Broadway show 'Memphis' and the role of Stan Fields in 2018's 'Tootsie'. He also appeared as Ralph Kramden in the stage adaption of the sitcom 'The Honeymooners' in 2017. Tributes have been coming in on social media since the news of his death emerged. Monty Python's Eric Idle paid tribute to the actor on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing 'Very saddened to hear that Michael McGrath our first and most beloved Patsy in Spamalot, has passed away. 'Warm hugs to all the Spamalot family and very happy memories of a lovely man.' Pictured: Michael McGrath and the rest of the original cast of Spamalot (Left to right: Sara Ramirez, Christopher Sieber, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Michael McGrath and Hank Azaria) Monty Python's Eric Idle paid tribute to the actor on X, formerly known as Twitter With more than 15 credits to his name, the actor was best known for his role as Patsy in the musical Spamalot, which was based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Condolences from the actor's fans are also pouring in, with one writing 'Going to see spamalot on Broadway in November. 'A new run where they sold out at Kennedy Center. Genius ingenuity is definitely his legacy and immortality.' Another added 'Just beyond sad. Such an immensely talented and dear man. May his memory be for a blessing'. McGrath also had roles on the small screen, including being Martin Short's sidekick announcer on the Martin Short Show. He appeared in films such as Changing Lines and The Interpreter, and also has voice credits for animated movies including Wolfwalkers and The Secret Kells. The Broadway legend's career began in Worcester, Massachusetts where he grew up. McGrath attended the Boston Conservatory to pursue performing arts, however he left three months in to begin his acting career. In 2012 he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a musical for his work in the musical 'Nice Work If You Can Get It,' playing the role of Cookie McGee Pictured: The cast of 'Nice Work If You Can Get It' at the Tony Awards in 2012 (Left to right: Kathleen Marshall, Michael McGrath, Kelli O'Hara, Judy Kaye and Joe DiPietro) After moving to Boston, he appeared in the musical comedy 'Forbidden Broadway' from 1985 to 1989, which garnered attention. It was also where he met his wife of thirty years, actress Toni Di Buono, who survives him alongside his daughter, Katie Claire McGrath. His first Broadway credit was for 'My Favorite Year' in 1992, a musical by Joseph Dougherty, based on the 1982 film of the same name. After this he appeared in a host of other shows, including 'Little Me' and 'The Goodbye Girl,' before getting his first major role on Broadway in 'Wonderful Town' from 2003 to 2005. Brianna Ghey tragically died aged 16 on Saturday, February 11, after being found with severe injuries in a Cheshire park by police. Within a week a boy and a girl, both 15, were arrested by police before being charged with murder. One of the two pled not guilty in June at a case management hearing ahead of the November trial, while the other submitted no plea. Reporting restrictions prevent the identification of which of the defendants entered the plea, with neither being able to be named because of their age. Find the timeline of the events surrounding the horrific death of the teen which sparked renewed debate about transgender rights in the UK below. Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death aged just 16 on Saturday February 11 Tributes flooded in for the young girl, with her family saying her loss left a 'massive hole' Brianna was found on a path near Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington February 11 Emergency services including Cheshire Police were called to Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire, at 3.13pm. Brianna's body was discovered on a path having been stabbed to death, and was pronounced dead at the scene, although on the day of her discovery she was not named. Detective Chief Inspector Adam Waller said: 'We are following numerous lines of enquiry to establish what led to the victim's death, and local residents will see an increased presence of police officers in the area while we investigate this incident.' February 12 Police named Brianna as the victim from the previous day, and arrested a boy and a girl, both 15, on suspicion of Briana's murder in what they believed to be a 'targeted attack.' However, they added that they did not believe it was a 'hate crime' or related to the fact Brianna was transgender. Tributes also began pouring in from her friends. 'Rest in peace, you deserved the world, this is so devastating for everyone,' one mourner wrote. 'Rest in peace darling,' another tribute said. 'Forever a beauty and forever in our hearts nothing will ever change that. 'Im just proud of you for consistently keeping on, youre so strong, thank you for being with us and thank you for being so transparent with us...' Police officers pictured at the scene in Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire after Brianna was found stabbed to death A floral tribute is placed at the entrance to Culcheth Linear Park in remembrance of the 16-year-old A group of girls leave bouquets of flowers at the entrance to the park where Brianna was found February 13 A fundraiser was set up to support funeral costs for Brianna's family, with an initial target of 4,216, but this since exceeded 100,000. Brianna's heartbroken family paid their tribute the same day. It read: 'Brianna was a much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister. 'She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind. 'The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same.' Brianna lived with her mother, who was reported to have split from the teen's father, in a modern terraced house in Warrington. Brianna's friends also continued to speak on her death alleging she had been 'bullied and gang beaten' at school for several years over the 'simple reason of being trans.' February 14 Cheshire police announced that they now were looking into the possibility of Brianna's murder being a hate crime. That evening, a series of vigils took place in Warrington - organised by the girl's friends - and Bristol in memory of the teenager. Members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community held pride and transgender flags and signs such as 'Rest in Power' and 'Rest in Love'. Crowds gathered outside St George's Hall in Liverpool to hold a vigil for the murdered teen Many attending vigils brought placards with messages such as 'Rest in Love' Members of the public attend a vigil at Belfast City Hall carrying placards with a cartoon of Brianna reading 'rest in power' A floral tribute complete with candles and signs was laid outside the door of the Department of Education February 15 The 15-year-old suspects appear at Chester Magistrates' Court for the first time, to be charged with Brianna's murder. The pair spoke only to confirm their names, not entering any pleas, with it also announced that they would later appear in Liverpool Crown Court. Warrington Town Hall flew the trans flag at half-mast, ahead of a second vigil in the town. More vigils were held across the country, including in London outside the Department of Education, as well as in Manchester, Belfast, and Brighton. Those in London were heard chanting 'f**k' Keir Starmer,' amid anger from the trans community over the Labour leader's 'silence' following Brianna's death. February 16 The boy and girl charged with murder appeared via video at Liverpool Crown Court, again to just confirm their names. The two were remanded in youth detention accommodation until a pre-trial preparation hearing on 2 May 2023. February 17 LGBTQ-themed radio station, Gaydio, collaborated with other LGBTQ stations in the UK to broadcast a minute's silence at 11.00 am. Thousands gathered at a vigil on the green where emergency services were called to the previous weekend. Many mourners wore 'rest in power Brianna Ghey' t-shirts with picture of her on the front. Crowds also sang Over The Rainbow. March 8 An inquest heard that members of the public found Brianna 'unresponsive' in the park before she was identified by her mother. March 15 Grieving friends and family paid their final respects at Brianna's funeral, hailing her as a 'true one-off.' Scores of tearful mourners arrived for the service. A horse-drawn carriage carrying the coffin arrives at Brianna's funeral, which was attended by swathes of mourners The front page of the Order of Service at Brianna's funeral on March 15 Mourners are pictured lifting the teenager's casket at her funeral in Warrington May 26 A new trial date was set for the two accused of Brianna's murder, with it pushed back from June 10 to November 27 - expected to last three weeks. July 20 One of the defendants entered a not guilty plea at a case management hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester ahead of November's trial, with the other still not entering a plea. Mrs Justice Yip told the court: 'It's a case in which I know emotions are likely to run high, that's very understandable. There has been a lot of publicity about it already. 'We're going to make sure that this case proceeds in a calm manner in court in a way that is going to be entirely fair to everybody.' An historic prep school has become embroiled in a planning row with furious neighbours over proposals to almost double the capacity of its car park. Residents living near Twyford School near Winchester, Hampshire, said the village - in the South Downs national park - is already 'blighted' and 'plagued' by traffic including SUVs. They added that the school should be discouraging - not encouraging - car use in the areas and claimed the lights planned to illuminate parking spaces will not be 'dark sky compliant'. In response to the plans, the local parish council suggested parents start 'car sharing' to reduce traffic in the old village. The co-ed private school - where annual fees can reach 29,000 per year for boarders who stay five days per week over three terms - dates back to the mid 17th century and 'can lay claim to being the oldest preparatory school in the country'. Residents living near Twyford School near Winchester, Hampshire, said the village (pictured) is already 'blighted' and 'plagued' by traffic The school claimed that increased parking would actually help reduce traffic along the high street The local parish council has suggested parents start 'car sharing' to reduce traffic in the village The prep school claimed current parking facilities (pictured) are 'inadequate' and increased parking would actually help reduce traffic along the high street The current car park is 'inadequate' for the number of cars using it, according to the school In response to the plans (pictured), the local parish council suggested parents start 'car sharing' to reduce traffic in the village, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book Old boys include poet Alexander Pope and Conservative politician Douglas Hurd. As part of plans submitted to the South Downs National Park Authority, the school said it is hoping to increase campus parking spaces from 81 to 153. The school - which has more than 400 pupils - claimed current parking facilities are 'inadequate' and increased parking would actually help reduce traffic along the high street. But they have been subject to criticism from Twyford Parish Council (TPC), which said it was only willing to support its construction if five conditions are met - which the designers have already refused. TPC said the school's intake has 'steadily increased' since 2018, leading to over 700 car movements a day during term-time. 'The school has steadily increased in pupil numbers and employees,' it wrote. 'In 2018 there were approximately 400 pupils and 100 employees. The Parish Council was informed by the leadership of the school that this would be the level at which they wished to operate and further growth was not required. 'Under a new leadership regime current numbers have risen to 436 pupils and 120 employees. Twyford School has become embroiled in a planning row with neighbours over proposals to almost double the capacity of its car park The co-ed private school (pictured) - where annual fees for boarders can top 27,000 - dates back to the mid 17th century Local woman Rosemary Harding said the proposal was 'totally unacceptable'. Pictured: The proposed area for the extended parking The area leading up to the proposed area for extended parking (pictured) is surrounded by attractive woodland 'While there are some boarding pupils and residential staff amounting to about 10 per cent of the number, the remaining 90 per cent of pupils and employees arrive and depart from the school by car. 'This amounts to between 600 and 700 car movements in a day excluding the service deliveries and visitors.' While admitting proposals would 'improve pedestrian safety and possibly the flow of traffic through the school grounds', it said said there was 'congestion' caused at pick up and drop off times. These 'significant traffic issues' have even been recognised by the school, which operates seven daily mini buses for pupils to combat this, the council said. 'Information received indicates that about 70 pupils per day are transported,' it added. 'No car sharing is promoted. 'The PC cannot stifle business development but it can suggest that mitigation is vital to reverse the adverse issues arising from the growth of the school. 'The school is unlikely to increase its boarding provision further which means a reduction in daily traffic is required. An aerial view shows the current school car park at Twyford School Philip Blencowe, the director of The Genesis Design Studio, said: 'The main purpose of these proposals is to make existing car parking areas fit for purpose and safe for staff and visitors' The architect insisted all lighting would be dark skies 'compliant' 'The school does not have a travel plan and the PC recommends a comprehensive plan is formulated and promoted actively to the school fraternity to pursue.' It was suggested 'increased bussing' and 'parental lift sharing' be 'at the heart' of the plan. In addition to the travel plan, TPC listed four other conditions that would have to be satisfied for their support of the extension, adding that all car parking lighting would have to be dark skies compliant and be off by 8.30pm. Other requirements included any tree removal must be 'absolutely necessary', new hedgerows must be planted should contain mature plants and an archaeological report be produced before work started. Local resident Steve Pullen said: 'Twyford is plagued by traffic issues, exacerbated by large SUVs entering and leaving Twyford School, mornings and evenings. 'These vehicles usually have just two occupants - the driver and a child. 'Surely as it is now acknowledged that we are experiencing very serious climate change, the school should take steps to introduce plans to actually reduce the amount of traffic accessing the school and lower the number of parking spaces not increase them. 'Maybe the pupils could be encouraged to take advantage of the 'cycle bus' scheme that operates between local villages and the city? 'Perhaps a school bus pick up scheme could be set up using the school minibuses? Every effort must be made to reduce car usage to protect future generations - this proposal will just encourage more cars.' Another local, Caron Morris-Thomas said: 'Twyford is already blighted by traffic. 'Twyford prep school needs to be encouraging its parents to use car sharing/buses or bikes to travel to school not cars.' Rosemary Harding, who lives nearby, said the proposal was 'totally unacceptable'. She said: 'I do not understand why this school seems unable to be good neighbours, in what is a residential location. 'The school was supposed to be remaining at about 400 pupils and 100 staff with no growth, but this seems to have changed to nearer 436 pupils and more staff, so even more cars. 'The traffic in Bourne Lane is terrible at certain times of the day, to the point that we, the residents, are virtually queuing from the main road to get home. This is totally unacceptable.' In response, Philip Blencowe, the director of The Genesis Design Studio, said: 'The main purpose of these proposals is to make existing car parking areas fit for purpose and safe for staff and visitors to use during winter month and dark evenings. 'Although the Parish Council note the increase in pupil numbers since 2018, this application is not to cater for any further expansion, just to provide adequate and safe car parking for current staff and parents/visitors.' He reasoned that as the plans were not designed to bring more people on site or increase car movements, the implementation of the suggested 'comprehensive' travel plan, would be an 'unnecessary expense'. The architect insisted all lighting would be dark skies 'compliant'. Responding to the 8.30pm demand, he added: 'The school are happy that these lights will be activated by light level and movement sensors and can be time restricted. 'However, staff and visitors are sometimes using the school grounds for evening events up until 9pm, so a more appropriate time restriction to allow this would be ideally required.' In a consultation response Hampshire Country Council said the proposals would have 'no direct detrimental impact on the operation or safety of the local highway network'. Ken Dudley, a consultant transport planner, said the council had no objection to plans, as long as hard surfaces used have provision for run-off water to stay within the sight and not overflow onto the public highway. South Downs National Park Authority have not yet made a decision. MailOnline has contacted Twyford School and Twyford Parish Council for comment. Everything you need to know about the latest Housing Support Fund payment Thousands of families could benefit from a 275 cost-of-living payment, which will be paid next month. The support comes from the Housing Support Fund (HSF), which is a pot worth 842million. So, what exactly is the HSF payment? Who is eligible for it and how can you apply to receive it? Read on below for everything you need to know about the upcoming HSF payment. Thousands of families could benefit from a 275 cost-of-living payment, which will be paid next month. The support comes from the Housing Support Fund (HSF), which is a pot worth 842million What is the Housing Support Fund payment? On 30 September 2021, the government announced that vulnerable households across the country would be able to access a new 500 million support fund to help them with essentials over the winter. This funding was initially scheduled to run until March 2022, but has been extended twice, meaning it will be available until March 2024. The Household Support Fund was distributed by councils in England to directly help those who needed it most. The grant was distributed through small payments to support vulnerable households meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and utilities .The money is distributed among councils across England and each council decides how to share their portion of the fund. Some local authorities are making bank transfers while others are offering to help local residents by giving them food or utility bill vouchers. Who can apply for HSF? Those who may be eligible include low-income families, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people. Each council has different eligibility criteria, but most will give priority to applicants who have not received support from the fund in the past 12 months. When applying for HSF, one thing to bear in mind is that you cannot receive payments on another person's behalf but you can help them with their claim. The Household Support Fund was distributed by councils in England to directly help those who needed it most. The grant was distributed through small payments to support vulnerable households meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and utilities .The money is distributed among councils across England and each council decides how to share their portion of the fund You can assist someone when filling in an application or fill out an application on their behalf, but only the named applicant will receive the payment. How to apply for HSF You can apply for the HSF cost of living payments by visiting your local council's website. To find your local council, enter your postcode into the government's council locator tool on its website. You will then be able to check with your local authority to see what help may available to you. Some councils are advising applicants of long waiting lists, with Croydon Council stating that you allow up to two weeks for your application to be processed. The brother of a woman who callously left her baby to die alone has been convicted of a sex attack on a 15-year-old girl. Scott Davis, 39, targeted the lone youth in the early hours - claiming he wanted to walk her home to protect her from 'sick' men. Instead, he took her to a quiet lane in Melksham, Wiltshire, where he kissed and sexually assaulted her for about two minutes. His sister Stacey Davis hit the headlines back in December 2022, when she was jailed for child cruelty after her 12-month-old son died of neglect. In June 2018, Ethan was trapped in a warm room in which all windows were closed and no fans were in use as temperatures soared, while his mother went out shopping. She is currently serving a two-year prison sentence after baby Ethan was found dead in his cot. The 35-year-old is likely to be released in December this year. Scott Davis, 39, targeted the lone youth in the early hours - claiming he wanted to walk her home to protect her from 'sick' men His sister Stacey Davis, 35, left her one-year-old son alone in his cot for two hours while she ran errands and visited a park near her home in Melksham, Wiltshire Baby Ethan (pictured) died after he was trapped in a warm room that had no opened windows or fans as temperatures soared He suffered a fractured skull, which his mother said was sustained following a fall, though a post-mortem was unable to ascertain a cause of death. Davis, who regularly smoked cannabis around her son, failed to check on him for at least half an hour after returning to the property. Instead, she began texting a friend, a court heard. At Salisbury Crown Court on Wednesday, September 13, her brother Scott was found guilty of sexual assault. Orlando Gibbons, prosecuting, said that the young victim had decided to walk home from a house party at around 5am on 1 January 2022 because she wanted her own bed. But she was accosted by Davis who claimed to be an ex-firefighter, told her it was 'dangerous' and said there were 'sick' men about. In a video-recorded interview, the girl said: 'He kept going on about other men [being a danger], I was agreeing with what he was saying; it wasn't wrong. I was feeling like reassured.' Around 20 minutes into the walk, Davis grabbed the girl's hand. She attempted to pull away, but he squeezed it tight. The girl said that she felt 'scared' and 'didn't know what was going to happen', describing how he was much bigger than her and she probably wouldn't be able to fight him off. The former rugby player took her down an unknown lane - where he grabbed her around the waist, pulled her closer and kissed her on the lips. 'You've got a good figure', he told the girl - while proceeding to put his hands down her trousers and squeezing her buttocks. 'I tried to leave, but I couldn't really move because of how tight he was holding me around my waist', she told DC Greenman. 'I was scared, I didn't know what to do.' Scott Davis outside Salisbury Law Courts, where he pleaded guilty to assaulting the teenager After the assault, Davis repeatedly told the girl his full name and asked her to add him on Instagram - giving her the username 'Scotty Bear'. The victim replied: 'Please I want to leave, there's cameras, you're on camera', and he started to walk away but as he did, he continued to ask her to find him on social media. Mr Gibbons said that when the victim eventually opened up about her ordeal on February 22 last year, photographs of a locally-known Scott Davis were shown to her by a friend who found images online. She positively identified him as her attacker. Davis - who didn't take to the stand to give evidence - claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. Mr Gibbons told the court that the defendant provided a prepared statement in police custody - outright denying the offence. He said he had been working at a public house as a glass collector and left work after midnight on 1 January, and 'went straight home'. He said he couldn't recall the route he took. Davis, of Melksham, was released on conditional bail 'to get his affairs in order' ahead of his sentencing hearing in November. Hong Kong: FS to visit Europe Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart for Paris, France, tomorrow night to begin his visit to Europe covering Paris, London, Berlin and Frankfurt. During his stay in Paris from September 17 to 19, Mr Chan will attend Think Business Think Hong Kong, a mega promotion campaign organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), and speak at its symposium and exchange dinner. A Hong Kong delegation comprising more than 130 representatives from chambers of commerce, public organisations, investors, startup entrepreneurs, professional service providers and more will be joining the campaign, marking the largest Hong Kong delegation to Europe since the pandemic. From September 20 to 23, Mr Chan will visit London, where he will attend the HKTDC's Hong Kong Dinner as well as a luncheon hosted by the Hong Kong Association. The finance chief will be in Berlin and Frankfurt from September 24 to 26, where he will meet and have lunch with local financial and business communities. While in Europe, Mr Chan will meet their respective political, business and financial communities to introduce to them Hong Kong's new advantages and the new business opportunities it provides, with a view to strengthening bilateral economic ties and mutual co-operation. He will join roundtable discussions or meetings with chambers of commerce, visit strategic enterprises engaging in healthcare, fintech and artificial intelligence as well as arts and creative industry institutions. Mr Chan said: Over the past few years, our connections with Europe had been disrupted due to the pandemic, and there have been misconceptions and misunderstanding about Hong Kong. We will make good use of the opportunity of this trip to brief the political and business communities in Europe about the latest situation and developments of Hong Kong, including the advantages of Hong Kong in the successful implementation of and long-term adherence to the 'one country, two systems' principle, as well as the unique role and status of Hong Kong's connectivity to the Mainland, Asia and Europe. He added that as an international financial centre and international innovation and technology hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Hong Kong is the most preferred gateway and a high-quality service platform for European companies to explore the immense business opportunities in the GBA and the Mainland. Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong from Frankfurt on September 27. During his absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will be Acting Financial Secretary. This story has been published on: 2023-09-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Train drivers are to stage fresh strikes, coinciding with the Conservative party's annual conference, in their long-running dispute over pay. Aslef announced its members at 16 train operators will walk out on September 30 the day before the conference and October 4, the final day of the event. The union said the strikes will force train operators to cancel all services, causing travel chaos for passengers, including those travelling to and from the Conservative conference in Manchester, which is being held from October 1 to 4. Aslef members will also ban overtime from September 29 to October 6, which the union said will 'seriously disrupt' the rail network. Aslef members will also ban overtime from September 29 to October 6, which the union said will 'seriously disrupt' the rail network A 24-hour walkout by Aslef train drivers severely affected services on September 1 (pictured), with 13 operators such as Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Thameslink and TransPennine Express shut down Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: 'While we regret having to take this action we don't want to lose a day's pay or disrupt passengers as they travel by train the Government and employers have forced us into this position' Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: 'While we regret having to take this action we don't want to lose a day's pay or disrupt passengers as they travel by train the Government and employers have forced us into this position. 'Our members have not had a pay rise for four years since 2019 and that's not right when prices have soared in that time. 'Train drivers quite reasonably want to be able to buy now what they could buy four years ago.' Mr Whelan likened Transport Secretary Mark Harper to 'Where's Wally?', saying he had made no contact with the union since last December. 'Where's Mark Harper? He holds the purse strings. The train companies have told us. They say they cannot act without his say-so.' A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: 'Further strike action by the Aslef leadership will cause more disruption to passengers. 'We want to give our staff a pay increase, but it has always been linked to implementing necessary, sensible reforms that would enhance services for our passengers. 'The union have rejected a fair and affordable offer without putting it to their members, which would take average driver base salaries for a four-day week without overtime from 60,000 to nearly 65,000. The deserted train shed at Paddington Station in London during a strike on September 1 Euston station would usually be bustling with morning commuters, but was almost completely empty in a strike on September 1 People sit on benches in an eerily quiet Euston station in central London on September 1 'We ask the Aslef leadership and executive to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a more reliable and robust railway for the future.' In January, members of Aslef's executive committee rejected a 4 per cent increase to train drivers' base pay backdated to the start of 2022 and a 4pc rise in 2023. This would have represented an average increase of 5,000. The average train driver's salary is now 60,055 up from 44,985 ten years ago with a fifth of train drivers on 70,000 or more. These amounts do not include overtime, rest-day working and other allowances for doing unsociable hours. The average UK salary is 31,876. In the beginning of September, Whelan was asked by Sky News why he had turned down the offer of a 5,000 increase. He suggested it would have involved the union agreeing to breach a number of its 'red lines'. 'They set it up to fail, and if you change the words fair and reasonable to lies and deceit I think that's a more accurate picture of the offer from the Rail Delivery Group and the government,' he said. His comments were slammed by social media users, one of whom tweeted: 'He's acting like a dictator'. A teenager on her first girls' trip abroad claims she binned half her wardrobe and is worried for her health after staying in a disgusting Jet2 package hotel that was 'infested' with black mould. Molly Mcquillan, 18, was horrified to find that her clothes and Nike trainers, which cost 120, were covered in mould less than two weeks into her holiday at the party resort of Malia, on the Greek island of Crete. Ms Mcquillan, from Rochdale, was holidaying with her twenty-one-year-old friends Paris and Morgan Mcintosh last month before going off to university in Preston, Lancashire. Their holiday bliss turned to hotel horror as they discovered what they say was black mould in their 'damp and smelly' room. Photos show the items inside the hotel room caked in a black furry substance, including the kettle, bin, shower curtain, and even the ceiling. The womens' clothes and shoes are also shown covered in what appears to be mould. The experience at the hotel put a dampener on the trip, said Ms Mcquillan, 18, from Rochdale Pringles that were dropped on the floor in the disgusting hotel room developed mould, claimed Ms Mcquillan 'Everything has mould on it,' Ms Mcquillan complained about the hotel from hell A handbag that Ms Mcquillan said was destroyed after spending time in the 'infested' room The group said that the 'infestation' had caused them to bin more than 200 of belongings, and say that they are concerned that having stayed in the 'dangerous' hotel room could affect their health. They are demanding that Jet2 provide them with a refund for the 550 holiday from hell. The student claims that she and Morgan Mcintosh have developed a cough since returning home last week. Ms Mcquillan, 18, was on holiday in Crete with Paris and Morgan Mcintosh, both 21, for her first ever girls trip abroad Molly Mcquillan encouraged other holidaymakers to carefully consider which hotel they were staying in if they wanted to avoid a similar experience The Nike Dunks, which were a Christmas gift, had to be binned after they were infected with what appeared to be black mould spores A black strappy top that Mc Mcquillan says was destroyed because of black mould in her Greek hotel room Molly Mcquillan and Paris Mcintosh, 21, had been hoping to have a fun-filled party getaway in Malia, but it turned into a disaster as mould took over their wardrobes The two-star hotel room which was 'damp and smelly' was 'caked in layers of a black furry substance,' Ms Mcquillan said Ms Mcquillan complained: 'It's disgusting. If they put a baby in there or people with health issues, it's dangerous.' 'We don't know if they'll just wipe the walls and then it'll grow back again in two weeks,' she added. 'We've probably lost about 200 of stuff. My Nike Dunks that I had to leave cost about 120 and my friend had to leave six pairs of shoes.' Jet2 said that they were only made aware of the issue the day before Ms Mcquillan's departure and they were investigating. Ms Mcquillan spoke of her disappointment. 'It's made me angry,' she said. 'My shoes I got as a Christmas present and my other clothes [are ruined] I've left a lot there.' 'Even the bed was covered in damp and mould was starting to appear on some of the bed sheets.' The ceiling in the hotel room was covered in mould spores, Ms Mcquillan said Ms Mcquillan says that the group had to bin more than 200 worth of clothes after staying in the 'infested' hotel room in Malia, Greece Shoes had to be binned because of the unsanitary conditions that Ms Mcquillan said that her group found inside the hotel 'There was stuff in the wardrobe and on our shoes, bags, and cases on the floor. Everything has mould on it.' 'When I was there, I ended up getting a bad cough. Since I've gone home, at nighttime and in the morning, I feel chesty. I've had to go to the doctors, my friend has a bad cough as well.' Ms Mcquillan said that her friends and her had been aware that the hotel was only rated two stars, but that they expected it be clean. 'We expected it not to be the best,' Ms Mcquillan explained. 'We were actually pretty happy with the room to begin with but there was a strong odour in the room.' 'We never paid attention to it, we thought it was just the room, but it was getting stronger and stronger towards the end of the holiday.' 'Then mould started to appear towards the end of our second week.' 'We were on the ground floor and couldn't open the balcony to let air in just in case anyone came in.' 'We dont know if theyll just wipe the walls and then itll grow back again in two weeks,' worried Ms Mcquillan, warning others not to stay at the hotel Ms Mcquillan and her friends slept in beds that were covered in mould and damp 'Towards the end of the holiday I noticed I had some shoes that were covered in thick mould.' 'When we came to pack, that's when we noticed mould was everywhere thick on the walls. It just isn't acceptable.' Ms Mcquillan says that she raised the mould issue with the hotel and with Jet2 on September 7. She says they were offered an 'insulting' 50 compensation to be split three ways, which they declined. They are now pursuing the complain with Jet2. 'We came to pack up and I said 'look at my top, it's covered in mould', and I thought 'I'm not having it,' she said. 'I rang Jet2 and sent the pictures over, and one of the reps was in the hotel. I asked them to come into our room, the smell was so bad in the room.' 'Her face dropped as soon as she walked through the door, she said she'd let the manager know.' 'The next day I went to the rep and asked 'what's the outcome of it?' 'She said she'd spoken to the woman above her and they're happy to offer 50, which isn't worth the damage it's caused to all our stuff so we refused it. It was an insult to us.' 'I am waiting to hear back from Jet2, they said within two weeks we would hear back. The CEO of Jet2 said he's investigating it.' 'I'd like the full money of the holiday back. I understand they might have to knock a bit off because of flights but I think we should get the accommodation refunded.' Ms Mcquillan is urging any other travellers to think carefully about their hotel choices after the 'unacceptable' experience. Paris Mcintosh, 21, left, Morgan Mcintosh, 21, centre, and Molly Mcquillan, 18, tried to make the best of their time away Ms Mcquillan said that she expected more from the hotel, despite it being only two-stars 'It upsets me, this definitely didn't live up to the 'trusted' holiday packages.' 'Jet2 shouldn't send guests to places like that. It wasn't just young ones, there were adults and children there too.' 'If kids have any illnesses and stay in that room, they'll end up getting even more ill.' 'It's made me more cautious to book with Jet2 again. With something like this they should be looking into it straight away.' 'The room put a dampener on the trip, it was our first girls' holiday away. I understand it's only a two-star hotel but you shouldn't expect big black mould in the room.' Ms Mcquillan is demanding a refund from Jet2, with whom she booked the holiday. The group refused an 'insulting' offer of 50 compensation, to be split three ways 'Angry,' is how Molly Mcquillan described herself following the experience A Jet2 spokesperson said: 'As an award-winning holiday company, we always want our customers to have the very best holiday experience when travelling with us, so we are investigating this as a matter of priority and will respond directly to Ms McQuillan once we have completed a thorough investigation. 'Although Ms McQuillan stayed in the hotel for two weeks, no issues were reported until the day before departure, so we were unaware of any dissatisfaction until then. 'We have a team of in-resort customer helpers and colleagues available on our 24/7 helpline who are always happy to assist and encourage customers to contact us as soon as possible if they wish to discuss anything to do with their holiday.' The Kremlin said today it had not signed any military deals with North Korea, or made any other formal agreements, during Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia this week. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had been no plan to sign any agreements during the visit, which saw Kim hold one-on-one talks with Putin. Putin has until now talked up the prospect of greater cooperation with North Korea and said there were 'possibilities' for military ties despite international sanctions on Pyongyang. Washington and its allies fear Kim's now extended visit to Russia could strengthen Russia's military in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyang's missile program. The North Korean leader, who is still in Russia, today inspected Russian's most advanced fighter jet at a factory that is under Western sanctions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks at a military jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant that builds fighter jets in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 3,900 miles east of Moscow, on Friday Kim has been visiting Russia this week. Pictured: the North Korean leader looks at a jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia, September 15, 2023 Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023 Were a deal to go ahead, experts have warned ammunition from Pyongyang could significantly alter the course of Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine. 'The summit signals a seismic change in the Northeast Asian geopolitics,' said Kim Jong-dae, a former MP and visiting scholar at Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies. A stronger alliance between North Korea, Russia and China could become a 'destabilising force in the region', he said. 'I think Russia has already tested the North Korean shells in battlefields and is now ready to expand its use going forward. 'And neither the US nor South Korea has come to grips with the implications of such an arms deal between Russia and the North.' Vlad Sutea, founder and lead analyst at early warning and threatcasting group T-Intelligence, told MailOnline the visit was 'a meeting of rogue states'. 'Russia is becoming an increasingly isolated and rogue state due to its actions, to which North Korea is a natural ally. Although the two countries have always had very good relations.' He said Putin was likely 'seeking a capability boost to bring the Russian army not just back on the offensive but also in a position to capture more Ukrainian territory. 'Towards this end, numbers matter - as this was has shown time and time again. 'North Korea has an estimated artillery stockpile ranging in 10-30 million shells, amassed for a war with South Korea. 'Russia likely wants some of them, along with some new equipment to gain the upper hand on the battlefield, or to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which in the south achieved artillery superiority due to a formidable counter-battery campaign that decimated Russian artillery. 'The KN-09 MLRS is one of the systems rumored to have been discussed. This system could actually outrange HIMARS and strike targets deep behind Ukrainian lines. 'In exchange Russia could offer transfer of technology for the North Korean defense industry or some form of economic and energy assistance.' The exact details of the trip have not been specified. Peskov said earlier this week that Kim's visit to Russia, which began on Tuesday, would last 'a few more days' without giving any further details. Among the results of the leaders' summit were Russian promises of help with North Korea's fledgling space programme, according to Russian news agencies. Putin also told reporters previously that he saw 'possibilities' for military cooperation. Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe, said that the fact that Putin is having to 'plead for ammunition' from Kim to help with his grinding war in Ukraine is a 'clear sign of his isolation and desperation'. James O'Brien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. State Department, said Russia was 'scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for help because it's having trouble sustaining its military.' On Friday, Russia's state media published footage showing Kim's train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Kim's convoy sweeping out of the station on the way to the city's aircraft factory. Russia's Cabinet later released video showing Kim, on an elevated platform, looking at the cockpit of the Su-57 - Russia's most sophisticated fighter jet - while listening to its pilot. Kim beamed and clapped his hands when a Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight. According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well. It said he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. 'We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of [North Korea],' Manturov said in the statement. 'We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries' task of achieving technological sovereignty.' Kim is to travel next to Vladivostok to view Russia's Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim on Wednesday. Vlad Sutea added that in response to the visit, 'the West should respond by increasing artillery ammunition production, something that should have been done since early last year. 'And finally, the US approve the transfer of ATACMS, and other long range capabilities, to Ukraine.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill next week as he visits the U.S. during the United Nations General Assembly. His trip comes as Congress is debating President Joe Biden's request, in turn, to provide as much as $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. Kim Jong Un (2nd L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Amur region on September 13, 2023 Putin (centre L) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (centre R) visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region on September 13, 2023, during an extended tour of Russia As the Russian and North Korean leaders met this week to discuss what analysts believed would materialise into a deal for an exchange of weapons, the West's leading arms companies descended on Europe's biggest arms show in London. Since the last iteration of the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in September 2021, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and dramatically increased tensions over Taiwan and North Korea have galvanised manufacturers worldwide. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, European defence spending rose 13 percent in 2022 alone, bringing total global spending to an all-time high of $2,240 billion. McKinsey reports that Russia saw its defence exports fall 21% over the first year following the Ukraine invasion, creating further openings for Western arms sales in the developing world. Overall, it expects military spending to increase globally by an average of 4% a year through to 2028, led by Japan increasing its military budget by an unprecedented 14% a year. A United Airlines flight to Rome carrying nearly 300 people plunged more than 28,000 ft in just ten minutes because of a drop in cabin pressure. Flight data revealed that UAL510, a Boeing 777 travelling from Newark Liberty International Airport to Rome-Fiumicino International Airport, went from an altitude of 37,000 ft to 8,700 ft in just ten minutes on Wednesday night. The plane circled twice over Nova Scotia, Canada, at a stable altitude at around 10:30pm before it flew back home. The plane, which was carrying 270 passengers and 14 crew members, flew back to Newark to 'address a possible loss of cabin pressure', a United Airlines spokesperson said. 'The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure,' the spokesperson said. The flight experienced 'a possible loss of cabin pressure', a United Airlines spokesperson said Flight data revealed the plane circled over Nova Scotia twice before coming back to Newark The Federal Aviation Administration, the body in charge of regulating flights in the US, also said the plane experienced a 'pressurization issue,' prompting it to reverse course. United Airlines said that the travellers on the plane were eventually flown to Italy on another airplane. The in-air chaos comes as US airlines have slammed the FAA for not employing enough staff, leading to hundreds of delayed or cancelled flights during a record-setting travel season. Airlines have faced flight woes after a record setting US summer travel season and voluntary cut flights because of air traffic shortages. They want to add more flights to address demand, and top executives at airlines have slammed the FAA for not doing enough to help them meet this demand. 'In the short to medium term we have to reduce flights in very impacted airports because the system can't cope with the number of flights today,' JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes said at an industry conference on Tuesday. 'We're selling flights that we know we won't be able to operate because of ATC challenges,' he added. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, who harshly criticized the FAA this summer, said at the conference that lagging air traffic staffing levels 'was two decades in building and it is going to take years to get it addressed.' In July, commercial airlines racked up 46 'close calls' between aircrafts according to the FAA. Some of the near misses include one on July 2 when a Southwest Airlines flight landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport came just seconds from hitting a Delta plane that was preparing to take off from the same runway. In San Francisco, two planes that were taking off nearly crashed into a Frontier Airlines plane which had just landed and was waiting to cross the runway. Another incident near Minden, Louisiana between an American Airlines and United Airlines planes caused the American pilot, flying at more than 500mph, to yank the aircraft up 700 feet to avoid collision. We've always called our Iceland store teams 'frontline colleagues' because they are our first point of contact with the public. Today, though, it often feels like they are serving on the front line of an actual war. This war is affecting every retail business in the country, as a crime wave sweeps through Britain's high streets. This impacts on the safety of our colleagues and customers, on the ability of everyone to shop conveniently, and ultimately on the price we all pay for the goods in stores. Obviously it is the issue of staff safety about which I feel most strongly. We are spending more on security in our stores than we have ever done before, yet attacks on our colleagues are running at the highest level in our 53-year history. Every single week I receive an average of 12 reports of 'serious incidents' where managers and other colleagues have been attacked in our stores, almost always by shoplifters. An Iceland security guard confronts a shoplifter inside a store in Ilford, London. None of the images in this article show people involved in needle attacks or any victims of them Colleagues are being slapped, punched and threatened with a range of weapons including knives, hammers, firearms and hypodermic needles. Assaults have resulted in injuries ranging from a broken jaw to a fractured skull. READ MORE - Co-Op, John Lewis and Waitrose tell how police 'inaction' has caused crime epidemic Advertisement We have increased the number of stores where we employ security guards to protect our staff, though to deploy them during all opening hours in every store would bankrupt our business. We are also taking other measures to protect our colleagues, including rolling out headsets that allow them to communicate about dangers more quickly, and trialling for store staff the body-worn cameras with which security guards are already equipped. Like other retailers, we are putting more valuable items in security boxes or locked cabinets in some stores. These reduce the risk of theft but also make it harder for our customers to shop. When these are combined with surveillance cameras, I am conscious that we risk creating a dystopia in which ordinary people will increasingly wonder whether a trip to the shops is worth the hassle. We thus risk turning the long-term decline of the nation's high streets into a death spiral. Richard Walker told MailOnline: 'We are spending more on security in our stores than we have ever done before, yet attacks on our colleagues are running at the highest level in our 53-year history' Something must be done and the obvious something is for government to start treating shoplifting like the serious crime it is, and to stop impeding the efforts of shopkeepers to help themselves. This isn't about hard-up mums pocketing the odd item of food because they can't afford to feed their families. It's about career criminals and organised gangs brazenly stealing as much as they can for financial gain. Yet we've had run-ins in the past with the Information Commissioner's Office because sharing photos of known shoplifters between stores on WhatsApp apparently breached the criminals' human rights to privacy under GDPR. This sort of nonsense needs to stop. We also need more powers for our security personnel to search suspects and to detain criminals and hold them until the police arrive. Above all, though, we need the police to turn up when we call them. The Crown Prosecution Service to take more cases to courts. And for the courts to impose sentences that act as a serious deterrent. Mr Walker in an Iceland store with the Princess of Wales. He was awarded an OBE in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to business and the environment Currently the police ignore 80% of calls for help to deal with store thefts, while in the last ten years the number of shoplifters taken to court has collapsed from more than 80,000 a year to 21,000. Government needs to start taking this crime epidemic seriously, and giving police the resources they need to respond appropriately. It's not, as those sharing TikTok advice on 'borrowing' seem to believe, a victimless crime against big companies that can afford to take a hit. I see real victims injured every week; high streets made less appealing by anti-crime paraphernalia; and ultimately we all pay for this in the higher prices needed to cover the costs of theft and the measures taken to prevent it. It's high time for government to get a grip and give shopworkers the protection they need and deserve from the law. Richard Walker is the executive chairman of Iceland Foods. He is on X/Twitter @icelandrichard Taxpayers are to pump up to 500million into Britain's biggest steelworks - but thousands of jobs still face being axed. Tata, the Indian conglomerate that owns the Port Talbot site, will use the funding to help switch the plant's two coal-fired blast furnaces to 'greener' electric arc versions. However, the company is also warning that the plans will lead to consultations over a 'deep potential restructuring' - with 3,000 out of the 8,000-strong workforce set to go. The 1.25billion furnaces are expected to be up and running within three years of getting regulatory and planning approvals. Tata sounded the alarm last year that its UK operations were under threat unless it secured Government support to help it move to less carbon-intensive electric arc furnaces. The existing furnaces are approaching the end of their life, but the replacements will require few people to run. Tata, the Indian conglomerate that owns the Port Talbot site, will use the funding to help switch the plant's two coal-fired blast furnaces to 'greener' electric arc versions Announcing the funding, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: 'The UK Government is backing our steel sector.' The grant is one of the largest government support packages in history, with ministers saying the switch to electric furnaces will reduce the UK's carbon emissions by 1.5 per cent. Rishi Sunak tried to reassure workers affected, saying there would be money to help them find new roles. 'The Government has been engaged in dialogue with Tata for a long time to see if there's a way for the Government to support Tata Steel to secure the future of steelmaking in South Wales and further the transition to green steelmaking, which is obviously necessary, as well,' he said. 'There were fears that around 8,000 jobs could be lost if steelmaking was lost at that plant. That clearly was a risk because those two blast furnaces there are reaching the end of their life. 'I'm pleased that the Government has managed to reach an agreement with Tata to support them in that transition, but they will also be making a very substantial capital investment into the plant to secure thousands of jobs. 'Obviously, there will still be some people affected and I know this will be an anxious time for them.' Announcing the funding, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: 'The UK Government is backing our steel sector, and this proposal will secure a sustainable future for Welsh steel and is expected to save thousands of jobs in the long term. 'This is an historic package of support from the UK Government and will not only protect skilled jobs in Wales but also grow the UK economy, boost growth and help ensure a successful UK steel industry.' Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: 'This proposal is a landmark moment for maintaining ongoing UK steel production - supporting sustainable economic growth, cutting emissions, and creating green jobs. 'It is right that we are ready to step in to protect this world class manufacturing industry and to support a green growth hub in South Wales.' Rishi Sunak tried to reassure workers affected, saying there would be money to help them find new roles But shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Only the Tories could spend 500m of taxpayers' money to make thousands of British workers redundant. 'Britain needs an Industrial Strategy that invests alongside industry delivering a return on taxpayers' investment whilst protecting our national capabilities and workforce... 'Labour have pledged 3billion for investment alongside industry to decarbonise steel in partnership with workers and industry investing in a range of technologies to ensure we have the clean steel we need to rebuild Britain.' Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'These plans are disgraceful, short sighted and lack ambition. Steel is a foundation industry and the opportunity is being missed to make the UK a world leader in steel production. 'Unite will be fighting tooth and nail not only to save these jobs but to create more jobs in steel.' The American XL Bully dog will be banned by the end of the year following a series of attacks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said. In a video announcement posted to his X - formerly Twitter - account on Friday, the PM said the breed would be banned following a 'pattern of behaviour [that] cannot go on'. Mr Sunak said he has ordered ministers to convene a panel of experts, including the police, to define the breed so it can then be outlawed. The announcement came after a man died in a suspected XL Bully attack in Stonnall, Staffordshire, the third incident involving allegedly out-of-control dogs in the West Midlands in less than a week. The fatality occurred just a day after a ten-year-old boy was attacked by an out-of-control dog while playing football less than three miles away. Less than a week earlier, an XL Bully mauled an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham. Just a day before the fatal attack in Stonnall, a ten-year-old boy was attacked outside his house as he played football in the street. The incident left the youngster with horrific arm wounds Mohammed Sami Raza was left yelling for help as the dog clamped its jaws around his forearm, eventually leaving him with injuries to his arms, legs and neck The boy at Walsall Manor Hospital, where he is still undergoing treatment for his injuries after the unprompted attack on Wednesday Pictures of Mohammed inspecting his injuries as he sits in hospital. He is awaiting surgery following the attack Horrific images released by Mohammed's father showed deep gouging wounds in his arm Mohammed with his dad, Gohar Siddique, who has called on the owners of bigger dogs to ensure they are secured and kept under control Mr Sunak said Bully XLs would be banned following a 'pattern of behaviour [that] cannot go on' Rishi Sunak's announcement came after a man was mauled to death by two dogs in Stonnall, Staffordshire on Thursday American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year 'The American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children,' Mr Sunak said. 'I share the nation's horror at the recent videos we've all seen. Yesterday we saw another suspected XL Bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality. 'It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs: it's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on. 'While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public. 'Today, I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks with a view to then outlawing it. 'It is not currently a breed defined in law so this vital first step must happen fast. 'We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.' Mr Sunak added: 'These dogs are dangerous. I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe.' The mother of a ten-year-old boy who was mauled to death by an XL Bully said she was lost for words following the announcement. Emma Whitfield's son Jack Lis died after he was savaged by the animal on 8 November 2021 in Caerphilly. Brandon Hayden, 19, and Amy Salter, 29, both of the Welsh town, were jailed for four-and-a-half years and three years respectively after being convicted of being in charge of the dangerously out of control dog. Ms Whitfield, quoting the PM's video, tweeted: 'I'm sobbing. I'm sat on my own sobbing. I don't even have words right now.' Ana Paun was walking to the shops with her 18-year-old sister when an XL Bully leapt up at her from a bus shelter in Birmingham last Saturday Footage of the savage dog attack in Birmingham that left Ana and two men injured The fatality in Stonnall is the third dog attack in less than a week in the West Midlands Ministers have been ordered to convene a panel of experts and police chiefs to define the XL Bully breed - with a view to banning it under the Dangerous Dogs Act Downing Street denied the Government has taken too long to ban American XL bully dogs. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said work had begun on outlawing the breed before the fatal attack on Thursday. He said: 'The work was already underway before yesterday certainly but clearly we have seen a spate of horrendous incidents and whilst we recognise there are a range of views on this issue, the Prime Minister is of the view that it is right to act. Firstly to define this breed, and then to ban it.' Asked whether ministers had 'dragged their heels' on outlawing the breed, the spokesman added: 'I wouldn't accept that. I think we've obviously been doing some policy work on this and you heard from the Home Secretary recently about how to take this forward. 'Clearly this breed of dog isn't defined in law so it's right to take the time to consider the best way to put an end to these horrendous attacks that we're seeing.' The PM's video alluded to the fatal attack in Stonnall on Thursday, which took place yards from a local primary school. An air ambulance, paramedics and police officers, including armed response units, were called to Main Street shortly before 3.15pm after the man suffered 'multiple life-threatening injuries'. Courageous bystanders tried to help the victim, managing to contain one of the hounds and dragging the second to its owner's home, while police locked down nearby St Peter's Primary Academy as emergency workers attended the scene. The victim was flown to hospital by air ambulance with catastrophic injuries and despite the best efforts of medics later died. Police standing guard outside a house in Stonnall, Staffordshire on Friday. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and of being in charge of dangerously out of control dogs, suspected to be XL Bullies Jack Lis, 10, died after he was savaged to death by a Bully XL in Caerphilly in November 2021. His mother, Emma Whitfield, who has campaigned for the dogs to be banned, said she was lost for words following the PM's announcement Sharing Mr Sunak's announcement video, Ms Whitfield said she was 'sobbing' at the news Metropolitan Police data shows how the American Bully has become the most seized dog in London in recent years One of the dogs involved died after it was restrained, while the other was administered with a lethal injection by a vet. Police sources say that both animals were XL Bully-type dogs. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and of being in charge of dangerously out of control dogs, and is due to be interviewed by detectives today. Superintendent Tracy Meir said: 'I would like to offer my condolences to the loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life in this horrendous dog attack. We are continuing to support them at this incredibly difficult time. 'Detectives continue to investigate and we have taken statements, viewed CCTV and carried out house-to-house enquiries in the local area but are keen to speak to anyone with information.' Less than a day before, emergency services had rushed to Bentley Drive in Walsall following reports that a ten-year-old boy had been savaged by a dog running free in the street. The brown canine was captured on CCTV running past Mohammed Sami Raza as he played in the street at around 7.30pm on Wednesday - before suddenly turning and pouncing on him. In horrific footage released by the family, the boy can be seen struggling for an agonising 30 seconds as the dog tugs at his arm and refuses to let go. Anguished family members then rush outside, trying to coax the animal away. It is only after more than a minute of being struck that the vicious animal eventually loosens its grip. A grievous close-up of the boy's injuries shows horrific gouge marks in his right forearm, as he lies on a hospital bed wrapped in blood-covered sheets. He is still at Walsall Manor Hospital awaiting surgery. Gohar Siddique, the boy's father, shared the awful clip because he wants to raise awareness, saying the phone call he received to tell him about the attack was one 'no father wants to get'. While the breed of the dog in the video is unknown, he urged owners to keep their pets locked up. The 36-year-old factory worker and dad-of-four said: 'You just never expect this to happen to your own child. He was just playing football in the street. 'He has very bad injuries and is still awaiting surgery now. He is being very brave but it has been traumatic for the family. It was terrifying. 'I just want to make sure this doesn't happen to other people. This should not be happening to young children and it's happened three times in our region this week. 'If it were my two-year-old son outside, he would not be alive. If nobody had noticed this attack when they did then maybe Mohammed would be too. 'It was just relentless. The dog would not let go. It was only when the passing taxi driver smacked it really hard that it finally stopped. 'He must have been terrified. It's hard to watch the video but I just want to make others aware. These dog attacks are happening far too often. 'People need to make sure they have big dogs locked away. These can be dangerous animals in the wrong hands.' Wayne Stevens (left), 51, was fatally attacked by an unknown breed of dog in April. His brother Gary (right), 54, has pleaded guilty to being in charge of a 'dangerously out of control' animal The number of fatal dog attacks in the UK have soared in recent years - hitting a record high in 2022 A 60-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing a dog dangerously out-of-control and causing injury. She was later released with a caution and voluntarily gave up the dog to be 'humanely destroyed', West Midlands Police said. And in the third attack in the West Midlands in less than a week, an 11-year-old girl was among three people injured after an out-of-control XL Bully-Staffordshire bull terrier cross embarked on a chaotic spree of violence in Birmingham. What is an American Bully XL and what makes it so dangerous? American bullies are a relatively new breed, having originated in the 1980s. They are mixed breed bulldogs, typically American pitbull terriers crossed American, English and Olde English bulldogs. Despite their relative popularity in the UK, they are not officially registered as a breed by the UK Kennel Club, making it difficult to know exactly how many are in the country. They are seen as 'status symbols' and are often purchased for their intimidating looks. Though the bully XL is the most common, the dogs can also be bred with mastiffs and other larger dogs to make them bigger, XXL or even XXXL. Controversial and illegal practices such as ear cropping are also carried out to make them appear more intimidating. The males can weigh between 70 and 130 pounds of muscle bone and have enormous strength. The 'status symbol' nature of the dogs has seen them become something of a weapon, purchased by people who want a thuggish and scary looking dog. Despite their lack of official certification, there is also a booming market with puppies regularly sold on Facebook and through places like Gumtree for anywhere between 500 and 3,000. However, experts are at pains to warn of their potentially dangerous nature, especially if their aggression is encouraged. They descend from bull-baiting dogs and if they aren't trained properly then their aggression could surface. This could pose a real threat to humans, particularly children, and has been seen in several shocking recent deaths involving the dog. Advertisement Ana Paun had been walking home from buying sweets with her sister when the dog leapt up at her from a bus stop on Saturday September 9, before it savaged two men in the forecourt of a nearby petrol station. Another four children were injured after being attacked by family dogs in Yorkshire. Among those injured was a 15-year-old girl who was admitted to hospital after being attacked by an XL Bully last weekend. South Yorkshire Police said it is currently receiving between 140 and 185 calls a month for out-of-control dogs causing injury or panic, reports the Mirror. Dog Legislation Officer PC Paul Jameson urged people to take greater care with their animals, and to report concerns they have about dangerous pets. Mr Jameson said: 'Nationally, and within South Yorkshire, we are seeing an increase in dangerous dog incidents and the severity of the risk they pose to members of the public. 'We are not only urging parents to think about their own dogs and their children's behaviour around them, but to also report concerns you may have around dogs in the community, especially where vulnerable people live.' On Friday morning, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it was probing a fresh attack on a four-year-old child involving a 'grey coloured pitbull type dog'. The animal is said to have bitten the child on the leg during the incident at Hermit Road Park in East London at around 6.18pm on September 11, before turning on the boy's father and attempting to bite him. Its owner is then said to have called off the animal, before fleeing the scene. The boy was taken to a hospital in East London, where his condition was described as 'not life threatening'. Anyone with information on the attack is asked to contact the Met quoting reference 6646 of September 11. Elsewhere in London, officers in Barnsbury said on Friday afternoon that they had seized three dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act after the animals were 'dangerously out of control'. Posting from the @MPSBarnsbury account, the Met tweeted: 'These dogs were dangerously out of control; two of them killed several other pets, while the third attacked and bit a man who was trying to protect his own dog.' Meanwhile, a man has admitted being in charge of a dangerous dog that killed his brother in an attack in Derby earlier this year. Gary Stevens' pet fatally attacked 51-year-old Wayne Stevens at a house in Cameron Road, Normanton, Derby, at around 5.50am on April 22. At a hearing at Derby Crown Court, Stevens, 54, pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act of being the person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death. The dog was 'destroyed at the scene' due to 'presenting a risk to officers and the public', Derbyshire Police said at the time, but its breed was not mentioned during the hearing. Dog behaviour expert Stan Rawlinson says he 'wouldn't go near' an XL Bully and says the animal's cross-breed nature makes it difficult to define Prosecutor Julia King told the court: 'I would argue that this was high culpability. 'I would argue that the behaviour witnessed by a number of witnesses can be relied upon to inform the court as to the circumstances which in fact led to the death.' Stevens, in jeans and a blue jacket, sat silently in the dock looking forward throughout. His barrister Tony Stanford said: 'Clearly this was an extremely upsetting incident for him to witness and be a part of. 'He tried to pull the dog off his brother, to save his brother. 'He bears considerable psychological guilt.' Adjourning proceedings, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: 'You have pleaded guilty to a very serious offence. 'Prison is the most likely option, it is just a question of how long. 'But I will give you bail in the meantime, so you can put your affairs in order.' Stevens, of Cameron Road, will be sentenced at the same court on November 3. Campaigners have been calling for a ban on XL Bullies amid claims that they are involved in an increasing number of attacks on people and other animals. The cross-breed has become the most seized in London, according to official Metropolitan Police data, surpassing other dogs such as German Shepherds, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and pitbulls. Concurrently, the number of fatal dog attacks in the UK has risen to record levels in recent years. The breed - a mix of American pitbull terriers crossed with bulldogs - is beloved by a number of celebrities, including rapper Drake, but in the UK are believed to be the work of poor-quality breeding. Dog behaviour expert Stan Rawlinson previously expressed concerns over whether the XL Bully could be banned because it isn't defined as a breed. He said: 'XL Bully dogs are very reactive. They're like the old Roman dogs of war that attacked Britain and helped forge an empire across the continent. 'More people are going to die unless we do something about it. 'They aren't an official breed, it's impossible to track them. The American Pitbull has been banned since 1991 but they are still coming in. That dog is the starting point for the XL Bully and more are being brought in every day.' The exact number of XL Bully dogs in the UK is unclear as the Kennel Club doesn't officially recognise the breed. Criminal defence lawyer Rhianna Tsiattalou, of Stokoe Partnership Solicitors, believes that the cross-bred nature of the dogs could make any ban difficult to enforce. She said: 'While legislation can be black and white, the cross-bred nature of these dogs means that even if this ban comes into force, it would be a challenge to enforce it in every case. 'If the data available to the government and experts is that these dogs are, in fact, inherently dangerous, then Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act (requiring owners to keep dogs under control) will not go far enough to protect the public.' Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has claimed that Scotland's shocking rate of drugs deaths is partly due to the country not having achieved independence. The 64-year-old said that poverty and a lack of 'control of our own destiny' was to blame for the country having the highest rate of deaths in Europe under the Scottish National Party. Figures last month last week showed that Scotland remains the 'drugs-death capital of Europe' despite the number of people being killed by narcotics falling for the second year in a row. The figures have soared under the SNP's time in power over the past 16 years. The Miami-based writer, who rose to fame with the publication of his book - later a cult film - about Edinburgh drug addicts in 1993, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Scottish culture about detoxification has always been unhealthy and we've dealt with all this debate with alcohol... really, it's just the menu's changed, but the behaviours are the same. 'It comes down to deprivation, it comes down to the fact that we don't really still have political institutions to have control of our own destiny in Scotland, and we are on the margins of British society... even more so, I think, now.' Mr Welsh is a noted supporter of Scottish independence, despite having lived in the United States for many years. The 64-year-old said that poverty and a lack of 'control of our own destiny' was to blame for the country having the highest rate of deaths in Europe under the Scottish National Party. Data from National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed there were a total of 1,051 deaths due to drug misuse in 2022 - a drop of 279, or 21 per cent, on the previous year. Figures reported on Tuesday showed suspected drug deaths rose in the first six months of this year. Statistics published by the Scottish Government showed there were 600 such fatalities over the period January to June - with this total 7 per cent higher than the same time in 2022. Data from National Records of Scotland (NRS) last month showed there were a total of 1,051 deaths due to drug misuse in 2022 - a drop of 279, or 21 per cent, on the previous year. While the number of deaths linked to drugs misuse is now at the lowest it has been since 2017, the NRS report made clear that the rate of deaths is still 'much higher' than it was when recording the data began in 1996. The SNP has been keen to introduce drug consumption rooms in Scotland and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has said the UK Government will not intervene to stop the plan. When asked about the Scottish plan, Welsh said: 'I think that ship has sailed ... I think (the) time to do something with that (was) about 20 or 30 years ago. 'Most of the harmful drugs, aren't illegal drugs... I mean, I do welcome it (decriminalisation), if it ever happened, but it should have happened 30 years ago - it's (going to) take a major shake-up to our lives to sort something like that.' He also spoke about how his younger self would have found him 'a bit of a w**ker' nowadays. Welsh added: 'A younger me sort of would have said that ''anybody over 25 wasn't worth talking to'', and they'd probably be right in some ways.' According to the data, Scotland had 19.8 drug misuse deaths for every 100,000 people in the country in 2022 - with this rate down from 25 in 2021. Death rates were almost 16 times higher in the most deprived parts of the country, at 52.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.3 per 100,000 in the most affluent areas. The Glasgow City Council area had the highest rate of drug misuse deaths over the period 2018 to 2022, at 44.4 deaths per 100,000 people, with this closely followed by Dundee City, where the rate was 43.1. In contrast, in East Renfrewshire, the drugs death rate was 9.5 per 100,000 people and in Aberdeenshire it was 11.1. Opiods, such as heroin and methadone, were involved in 867 (82%) of the deaths in 2022, the data showed. Meanwhile, benzodiazepines - such as diazepam - were implicated in 601 deaths, while cocaine was involved in 371 fatalities. And there were 476 drug misuse deaths where controlled, new, psychoactive substances were implicated, with some deaths having involved more than one type of drug. Jeremy Clarkson has submitted plans to extend his Diddly Squat Farm with a food kiosk and picnic tables - amid reports Amazon bosses are planning to renew his fly-on-the-wall series for a fourth season. The former Top Gear host has been at loggerhead with council planners ever since his farm shop and cafe opened last summer, as officials claimed was in breach of the site's location in a Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. But the facilities, along with a new parking area, were finally approved on appeal by West Oxfordshire district council in a rare planning victory for the star. Now, he is seeking to discharge a planning condition which requires him to submit a site development plan - instead offering planners details about how the site will work. These include its lambing shed - used to serve food and drink - as well as the number of mobile food vending units or kiosks and 'no more than' 40 picnic tables. The former Top Gear host has since apologised for comments made in the Sun newspaper Petrolheads have been warned by a council not to cause traffic chaos by parking near Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm (pictured) Queues formed outside Jeremy Clarkson's popular Diddy Farm Squat Shop. The newly laid car park becoming jammed full - with two hour waits to get a space Sharing a picture of damaged verges next to the site, Oxfordshire County Council posted: 'If you're visiting Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm Shop in Chadlington from tomorrow, please park safely and considerately' READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson films scenes for his Amazon Prime series at the Diddly Squat farm shop amid battle with council to extend car park Advertisement The applicant's agent confirmed the scheme includes one mobile food vending unit - sited next to the lambing shed. They added: 'The lambing shed itself will be used to serve food and drinks, store products to be sold, sell products from temporary stalls, consume food and drink purchased on site and accommodate picnic tables for seating for customers, and for agriculture. 'The above uses will be accommodated within the lambing shed variously and from time to time but not necessarily continuously.' The application confirmed the total number of picnic tables on site 'will not exceed 40'. The application will be determined by West Oxfordshire District Council at a later date. Yesterday, news broke that Clarkson's hit Amazon series Clarkson's Farm is set to be renewed for a fourth season by the streaming giant despite suggestions it would be axed following the fall out from the ex-Top gear presenter's comments on Meghan Markle last year, it was reported today. Clarkson's show has been a ratings phenomenon for Amazon and something of a business boom for the Grand Tour star. Since launching in 2021, the show - which also brought straight-talking Cotswold farmer Kaleb Cooper to prominence - has documented Clarkson's attempts to transform his huge 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm into a working business complete with a farm shop and organic beer brand. But the show's future has been brought into doubt after Clarkson sparked a backlash with an incendiary column about the Duchess of Sussex in which he said he 'hated' the royal. Clarkson apologised for the article, calling his language 'disgraceful'. The Sun newspaper also apologised for publishing the column and removed it online. Ipso, the press watchdog, upheld a complaint that the column was sexist towards the duchess, describing some of Clarkson's comments about her as 'pejorative and prejudicial'. Clarkson's Farm is reportedly returning for a fourth series which will film in 2024 It follows controversial comments Jeremy Clarkson made about Meghan Markle (right) which Prince Harry (left) labelled 'horrific and cruel' In a lengthy statement on his verified Instagram account, The Grand Tour presenter said he emailed the couple on Christmas Day to say his language in the column had been 'disgraceful' and he was 'profoundly sorry' It was thought that Clarkson's Farm would end with Season 3, expected in 2024, with The Grand Tour also ending after four more special episodes, the last of which is expected to be in late 2024. However, Deadline reports that the streamer is now 'preparing to renew the show', and although 'a deal is not finalised' the discussions around a comeback 'have been positive'. Amazon declined to comment when approached by MailOnline about the report. Clarkson said he emailed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Christmas Day to apologise over his column in The Sun newspaper in which he said he 'hated' Meghan. In a lengthy statement on his verified Instagram account, The Grand Tour presenter earlier said he emailed the couple on Christmas Day to say his language in the column had been 'disgraceful' and he was 'profoundly sorry'. He said: 'One of the strange things I've noticed in recent times is that whenever an MP or a well-known person is asked to apologise for something, no matter how heartfelt or profound that apology may be, it's never enough for the people who called for it in the first place. 'So I'm going to try and buck the trend this morning with an apology for the things I said in a Sun column recently about Meghan Markle. I really am sorry. All the way from the balls of my feet to the follicles on my head. This is me putting my hands up. It's a mea culpa with bells on. 'Usually, I read what I've written to someone else before filing, but I was home alone on that fateful day, and in a hurry. So when I'd finished, I just pressed send. And then, when the column appeared the next day, the landmine exploded.' Clarkson described the moment he picked up a copy of The Sun to 'see what all the fuss was about.' Jeremy Clarkson says he emailed Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Christmas Day apologising Since launching in 2021, the show has documented the pair's attempts to work Clarkson's huge 1,000-acre Cotswalds farm The show has helped the presenter turn the Diddly Squat Farm shop in Chipping Norton into a working business He continued: 'We've all been there, I guess. In that precise moment when we suddenly realise we've completely messed up. You are sweaty and cold at the same time. And your head pounds. And you feel sick. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Had I really said that? It was horrible. 'I knew what had happened straight away. I'd been thinking of a scene in Games of Thrones, but I'd forgotten to mention this. So it looked like I was actually calling for revolting violence to rain down on Meghan's head. 'I was very angry with myself because in all those controversial days on Top Gear, when I was accused of all sorts of things, it was very rarely sexism. I was mortified and so was everyone else. My phone went mad. Very close friends were furious. Even my own daughter took to Instagram to denounce me.' Clarkson's statement went on to say ITV and Amazon, which airs Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and The Grand Tour respectively, were 'incandescent'. He said: 'The Sun quickly apologised and I tried to explain myself. But still, there were calls for me to be sacked and charged with a hate crime. 'More than 60 MPs demanded action to be taken. ITV, who make Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and Amazon, who make the farm show and the Grand Tour, were incandescent. 'I therefore wrote to everyone who works with me saying how sorry I was and then on Christmas morning, I emailed Harry and Meghan in California to apologise to them too. 'I said I was baffled by what they had been saying on TV but that the language I'd used in my column was disgraceful and that I was profoundly sorry.' Clarkson said he will 'try' to be 'interesting and vigilant' at the same time in future columns. Theresa May claimed she is 'woke and proud' today and always believed immigration is 'good for the country' - despite once overseeing a campaign designed to force people to leave Britain. The former Tory prime minister lashed out at the 'polarised' debate around gender issues and called for 'calm reflection and consideration'. Mrs May, who was forced to quit after failing to agree a workable Brexit deal, made the remarks in an interview to promote her new book, The Abuse of Power. Asked if she considered herself 'happily a woke woman', she replied: 'In the terms of that definition of somebody who recognises that discrimination takes place. Sadly, that term has come to be used...as part of this absolutism and polarisation of politics.' Pushed further on Times Radio by host Ruth Davidson, she said: 'I am, yeah! It's a bit like being asked in the old days, was I a feminist? Well, I wore a T-shirt which said ''This is what a feminist looks like...''' Asked about immigration, she added: 'I've always said that immigration has been good for the country. I think the concern that people have is always around numbers and often, actually, the people who feel most about this issue are people who see least migration in their own communities.' The former Tory prime minister lashed out at the 'polarised' debate around gender issues and called for 'calm reflection and consideration'. Asked about Immigration, she added: 'I've always said that immigration has been good for the country.' Mrs May came in for criticism during her six years as Home Secretary under David Cameron for overseeing a 'hostile environment' campaign against illegal immigrants. Mrs May came in for criticism during her six years as Home Secretary under David Cameron for overseeing a 'hostile environment' campaign against illegal immigrants. It included sending vans around London boroughs telling people to 'go home or face arrest'. She was also prime minister when the Windrush Scandal broke, in which Britons were deported to the Commonwealth countries of their parents' birth. However, she has varied her position in recent years. She has hit out at Home Secretary Suella Braverman for calling the Channel boats crisis an invasion on our south coast, and opposed a new law designed to make it harder for arrivals to claim they are victims of human trafficking. She also first hit the headlines in 2002 when she warned that the Tories needed to lose their 'Nasty Party' image. Mrs May, the daughter of a priest who had a straight-laced reputation while in power, also told the radio station she had been blocked from attending a Tory 'stripper and vicars' party as a young activist. 'I wasn't a very rebellious child as the child of the vicarage... I can tell you the story that when I expressed an interest, at actually quite a young age, in joining the Young Conservatives locally, they came to say would I like to go to their first party and it was a vicars and tarts party and I wasn't allowed to go,' she said. She also revealed her husband, Sir Philip May, went down to working a four-day week when she was in No10, so he could help out more around the house. Advertisement Millions of Americans are under a storm watch as Hurricane Lee races towards New England, bringing 20ft waves, 85mph winds and triggering warnings across Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Canada amid fears of deadly storm surges and tornados. The storm tore through the Caribbean overnight, smashing the Dominican Republic and Bermuda before barreling north with New England in its sights. It is expected to make landfall in Canada on Saturday but will trigger enormous waves in much of coastal New England on its way. In an announcement this morning, the National Hurricane Center said tropical storm conditions will begin in the US this afternoon. It has been described by forecasters as 'large' and 'dangerous', with multiple coastal advisories in place across the Northeast. NYC Emergency Management building sand walls on Friday as Hurricane Lee approaches. The 'large and dangerous storm' will bring storm surges and strong winds this weekend Houses on a tiny stretch of land in the Hamptons between Shinnecock Bay and the Atlantic brace for Hurricane Lee on Friday. Workers on the narrow patch of Dune Road are working to protect the road and land before the storm hits later today and tomorrow Race against Lee: Workers rush to a house on stilts on Long Island's Dune Road in Hampton Bays September 15, 2023 Workers and life guards can be seen preparing for Hurricane Lee at Jones Beach A beachgoer braves the wind on Jones Beach, Long Island, on Friday as Hurricane Lee approaches Jones Beach on Long Island on Friday as New York prepares for potential storm surge from Hurricane Lee Smithpoint Beach on Long Island on Friday as waves grew in size In the Hamptons, waterfront homeowners are racing to secure their houses before the storm arrives. DailyMail.com captured many rushing to pad their homes with sand on Friday as the storm approached. One property on stilts on Dune Road, a notoriously expensive street, appeared to be on a particularly precarious perch. In Maine, the Governor has issued a hurricane warning for the first time in 15 years while the National Guard in Long Island are poised to sandbag homes and respond to emergencies. In New Jersey, anyone who goes swimming will be fined up to $200 while beach warnings are in place. After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee. As the Category 1 system impacted Bermuda, Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills. The water-logged region prepared for 20-foot (6-meter) waves offshore and wind gusts up to 80 mph (129 kph), along with more rain. The 'Hurricane Hunters' from the 403rd Wing Air Force Reserve fly towards Hurricane Lee on Thursday night to observe the storm Stunning videos and photos captured by the Air Force Reserve shows 'large and dangerous' storm from above The enormous storm on Thursday night. It has gathered in size as it barrels across the Atlantic Coastal houses on Long Island are among those most at risk. Workers were today trying to secure one property before the storm arrives New satellite images released this morning by the NOAA shows Hurricane Lee racing towards the East Coast For those wondering what Hurricane Lee looks like currently, below is a satellite loop of the storm as it heads northward towards the Canadian Maritimes and coastal New England. You can see Nantucket and Cape Cod at the top left of the loop.#HurricaneLee #tropical pic.twitter.com/FnZ2hOMSOM NWS Key West (@NWSKeyWest) September 15, 2023 There are fears for many of Long Island's coastal homes, which are battered during hurricane season A boat's hull is cleaned after it was pulled out of the water in advance of Hurricane Lee at York Harbor Marine, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in York, Maine Surfers and others spend a day at Rockaway Beach as impact from Hurricane Lee delvers large surf and rip tides to much of the Northeast on September 14, 2023 in New York City The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds and coastal flooding were expected to arrive Friday afternoon in southern New England and spread north. Although Lee did not contribute to the flooding that hit New England earlier in the week, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already waterlogged. The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm's way. 'Its a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day,' owner Kim Gillies said Thursday. Ousted New York governor Andrew Cuomo has blamed the Biden administration for the migrant crisis in New York City, warning it will hurt Democrats electorally. Cuomo, who resigned from office in 2021 following sexual harassment claims he denies, made a rare appearance at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club on Thursday. Speaking to a packed house, Cuomo claimed the asylum seeker crisis in the city, which is costing millions of dollars a day, is the responsibility of the federal government. 'This was a federal responsibility, period. First and foremost. Not the state, not the city. Immigration law is a federal responsibility... This is a function for the federal government to manage, and make every city, every state do its fair share.' He added that the Biden administration should 'pay the bill for the cost of the migrants and dont ask the taxpayers of any city to pick up the bill.' Ousted New York governor Andrew Cuomo has blamed the Biden administration for the migrant crisis in New York City Cuomo claimed the asylum seeker crisis in the city is the responsibility of the federal government and Biden should pick up the bill Cuomo said Biden should bare the cost of the more over 110,000 asylum seekers that have arrived in the city since the Spring of 2022 'How do we get to a place where governor Abbot of Texas is deciding where hundreds of thousands of migrants go around this nation is laughable,' Cuomo asked the crowd. He told the crowd Republicans like Trump would use the situation to score political points. 'Its going to hurt us, Cuomo said. 'Ill tell you what Donald Trump is going to say in four words: "I told you so."' The Democrat also claimed that if he were still governor he would march down to Washington D.C. to demand federal assistance and that Biden 'take hold of this.' And he supported mayor Eric Adams, who also has argued the federal government needs to step in after more over 110,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the city since the Spring of 2022, costing the city roughly $10 million every day. 'Mayor [Eric] Adams is right it is unsustainable for New York City to carry this burden,' Cuomo said. 'There is no legal, ethical, financial, practical way that you can ask New York City to do this. They dont have the financing.' Moreover, Cuomo said if he were governor he would start a work program for the asylum seekers, who currently don't have work permits. 'Let them work,' he argued. 'Let them pay their way, and once you say they can work, there are a lot of places in this state that need low-wage workers and its a totally different story than "youre going to take them and youre going to pay for them."' The former Democratic star has hardly been seen in public since he resigned from office in August 2021 after sexual harassment allegations. The Democrat also claimed that if he were still governor he would march down to Washington D.C. to demand federal assistance and that Biden 'take hold of this' 'Its going to hurt us, Cuomo said. 'Ill tell you what Donald Trump is going to say in four words: "I told you so."' He was the subject of a constant drip of complaints throughout 2021 as women complained he had harassed them sexually. He has always denied the accusations. The ex-governor clung tenaciously to power until state Attorney General Letitia James completed a five-month investigation that found he had harassed 11 different women. President Joe Biden immediately called on him to resign and within a week he announced he would leave. Two weeks later he did step down and was replaced by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. Cuomo's comments come after Adams issued a grave warning that the city would be destroyed by the migrant crisis. Adams warned that the city's services will be affected by the incredible additional expenses on the budget. He has previously stated the city is planning on cutting services such as library hours, meals for senior citizens, and free, full-day care for three-year-olds. The city has a legal obligation to give shelter to those who make their way to the metro, and Adams has desperately turned to a variety of city landmarks, makeshift shelters and temporary housing as short-term solutions. While officials have not revealed how many hotel rooms have been designated for migrants, hotel industry experts believe it's as many as 10,000, as reported by The City. The Roosevelt Hotel, Paul Hotel and Paramount Hotel are among the hotels designated for housing migrants in Manhattan. Long lines of migrants, mostly men from Africa, are now often seen outside the storied locations. When he arrived at his local station to file a complaint, he claims the receptionist referred to him as 'the shower guy' A Canadian man who walked naked from his bathroom to find police officers in his bedroom attempting to issue him with a traffic violation has sued for abuse of power. Kirk Forbes claims the officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police abused their authority in June of last year when they entered his home in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Forbes said the officers had been attempting to serve him with a traffic ticket for allegedly passing a stopped school bus seven months previously. He claims that after arriving at his home, they knocked on the front door which then swung open, prompting them to enter the premises. Forbes said a female officer entered his bedroom to find him while a male officer remained in his living room. Kirk Forbes claims the officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police abused their authority in June of last year when they entered his home 'When I open the bathroom door, bang, right there, I'm face to face with an intruder in my house,' he told CTV. 'A little bit of panic set in. Fortunately, I did see the uniform. Theres such a gross overreach an abuse of power that I believe happened with them coming into my home. 'I think Canadians need to be aware. Its an erosion of not just my rights but everybodys rights.' Forbes went to file a complaint at his local RCMP station at which point he alleges the receptionist referred to him as 'the shower guy'. 'It was pretty concerning, not to mention embarrassing, to know that this situation has become water-jug banter at the RCMP hall. 'If I get pulled over, or see some RCMP in the community, now do I have to look at them and have them know that Im that guy?' The suit claims that the two officers, who are anonymous, 'abused their authority and power' when they entered his home without consent. Forbes also claims in the suit that the officers did not announce their presence and after leaving the shower 'almost attempted to neutralize the home invader by tackling them'. According to CTV, Forbes filed a lawsuit against the two officers, the Attorney General of Canada and the B.C. minister of public safety. Coquitlam RCMP said in a statement: 'The Coquitlam RCMP is aware of the Notice of Civil Claim and mindful of the ongoing court process. 'In June of 2022, a member of the Coquitlam RCMP attended a residence to serve a violation ticket when they encountered what appeared to be an insecure premise. 'Eventually, our officers were able to make contact with the resident, who raised concerns about their presence. 'We believed that we had dealt with those concerns informally, however, the resident initiated a formal public complaint which is currently underway.' Forbes had been in his shower, pictured here, when he says the two officers entered his home The suit claims that the two officers, who are anonymous, 'abused their authority and power' when they entered his home without consent Forbes filed a complaint with the RCMP, and alleges that the receptionist referred to him as 'the shower guy' Coquitlam RCMP said the matter was still being investigated. 'This investigation will include a thorough review of the entirety of available documentation including radio transmissions and other related materials as well as the previous informal process undertaken to address any concerns,' their statement added. 'As with any civil claim against the RCMP, the Department of Justice will review the claim and prepare a statement of defence for the RCMP which will then be issued through the courts. 'It would be inappropriate for us to provide any further comment at this time.' Forbes also told the outlet that he is disputing the ticket officers gave him that day and that legal process was also ongoing. It is a delicacy as synonymous with Scotland as shortbread and whisky. But now an English butcher has made a haggis so good it has won a world title. Award-winning Simon Broadribb beat rival meat producers to claim top spot in a prestigious international competition and hailed it an 'unbelievable' win. His savoury puddings are so popular he has even been exporting the haggis over the border to Scotland for several years. The meat delicacies are so highly regarded that Scots have been known to make a staggering 850-mile round trip to collect their haggis from his Uptons of Bassett shop on the south coast of England. Award-winning: Simon Broadribb said he has spent years perfecting the recipe after a customer came in and said he was collecting the haggis and taking it to his Scottish grandfather Other customers pay nearly 50 for a 5kg haggis to be delivered from the shop in Southampton, Hants, to their home in Scotland. And now, judges at this year's World Charcuterie Awards have confirmed the butcher's status as best in the business. Over 400 products from 17 countries entered the 2023 competition and were judged by over 40 Charcuterie experts. Each sample was tested blind to ensure fairness and integrity as food was awarded marks for taste, length of flavour, mouth feel, appearance, tradition or innovation. Uptons Of Bassett's haggis, which is minced offal mixed with suet, vegetables and oatmeal packed into a sheep stomach, was awarded a Gold Medal in the Worldwide Regional Products class. Complimentary judge's feedback described their entry as 'An excellent example of a traditional haggis that delivers on taste, texture and true tradition'. Reacting to their achievement on social media, Uptons said: 'Very proud to win with our very own haggis, now officially the worlds greatest pudding makers. Not a bad start to the week.' Speaking afterwards, 55 year old Mr Broadribb said: 'It was a last minute entry but lo and behold we won it - unbelievable. Scots have been known to make a staggering 850-mile round trip to collect their haggis from his Uptons of Bassett shop on the south coast of England 'It's ironic that we won it as a butcher down on the south coast. 'I wonder if I'm going to get any backlash from anyone in Scotland. 'It was a tough competition.' Mr Broadribb, a butcher of over 40 years, started out with work experience at the age of 13. He said he has spent years perfecting the recipe after a customer came in and said he was collecting the haggis and taking it to his Scottish grandfather. He added: 'His granddad really liked it but said it needed a bit more pepper so we tweaked it from where we were. 'It was really good to have that input.' He said Scots living in Hampshire got a taste for his haggis and continued to order it, even after they had moved back up north. He suspects this may be down to how fresh his ingredients are and the fact he doesn't have to use the salty preservatives favoured by most manufacturers. Mr Broadribb admitted he was a big fan of haggis, adding: 'I love it. 'It's not something I could have everyday but it's warm, hearty and lovely in the colder winter months.' He said he expected Burns Night - which marks the life of Robert Burns on January 25 - to be particularly busy next year, given this latest victory. Mr Broadribb said: 'I think they'll be some more orders 'The boys working won't get much sleep. Looks like we'll be adding an extra date onto Burns Night. 'I can see it getting quite big next year. 'You can't get any better than the best haggis in the world.' University students in Atlanta were forced to flee their flooded dorms after torrential downpours swept through the city on Thursday with three hours' worth of rain in just 15 minutes. Video posted by Reddit user Wheresmythot captured the hectic moment one girl at Clark Atlanta University had her leg stuck between a door and a fridge. The girl could be heard screaming painfully while friends frantically tried to free her as water gushed at their feet. Thursday afternoon saw central Georgia experience flash flooding due to a powerful storm that dumped two inches of rain in less than two hours. The downtown area had three hours' worth of rain in just 15 minutes. Floodwaters had swallowed cars and turned parking lots into lakes. Georgia Aquarium located in the area was closed for the rest of the day. Video posted by Reddit user Wheresmythot captured the hectic moment one girl at Clark Atlanta University had her leg stuck between a door and a fridge Cars were swallowed up by the floodwaters and floating on the streets Atlanta police confirmed student was taken out of a flooded dorm room after becoming trapped. A student who helped save the trapped girl said in a TikTok video: 'What happened was a door collapsed on her leg, and other stuff collapsed on the door.' 'It was not just the water coming through the window. The water was coming through the walls.' Students said the college moved those who lived in the basement to another floor but did not try to relocate them from the building. While the video displays an exit sign in the basement, students said that they had to go up to another floor to exit the building. Student Ejon Woods said his car was destroyed in the wild weather. 'It's completely totaled. I got all my things out of it. This is my only means of transportation. I don't know what to do from here,' he told Atlanta New First. The girl could be heard screaming painfully while friends frantically tried to free her as water gushed at their feet Roads were still covered in mud and cars were swallowed by the floodwaters Ashley Clark posted videos on Facebook and wrote: 'the dorms are flooding, the power is out' Bernard Johnson retrieves his belongs from his flooded rental car in downtown Atlanta Heavy rain passed through downtown Atlanta flooding streets Student Cherish Turner described the flash flooding as 'scary.' 'I looked out the window and seen the large flood and more videos kept coming in of the cars floating," he told 11Alive. Videos posted by Ashly Clark shows roads were still covered in mud and cars swallowed by the floodwaters. A spokesperson for Clark Atlanta University said officials quickly responded to the incidents to support students during the flooding. The university said crews were working to assess the damage and make repairs. 'All students living in the residential areas affected by flooding are in the process of being relocated to new housing,' a statement said. We will continue to assess the impact of the severe inclement weather,' the university said in a statement.' Downtown Atlanta was under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Thursday. Although thunderstorms are typical in summer afternoons in the South, a few gust fronts, defined as 'the leading edge of the thunderstorm downdraft', created more storms and flash flooding. Hunter Biden's lawyer on Friday argued that the case against President Joe Biden's son won't make it to trial - but refused to say whether or not Hunter was on drugs when he purchased the gun that led to federal charges. Attorney Abbe Lowell told ABC's Good Morning America that the Justice Department bended to 'political pressure' from Republicans in Congress when it charged Hunter Biden on three felony charges for lying about his crack cocaine addiction when buying a gun in 2018. The president's son is now facing a maximum of 25 years in prison, but his attorney has insisted the case will be 'dismissed' before Hunter has to stand trial. 'The U.S. Attorneys office has known about this for years. No charges,' Lowell said. 'What changed? Not the facts, not the law, but all the politics that have now come into play.' 'The only thing that's changed has been the political pressure put on by the Republicans in Congress and the media that supports them,' he argued. Hunter Biden 's lawyer Abe Lowell (left) on Friday argued that the case against President Joe Biden 's son will be dismissed before it goes to trial - but refused to say whether or not Hunter was on drugs when he purchased the gun that led to federal charges. In the charges, two counts accuse Hunter Biden of having completed a form indicating he was not using illegal drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges he possessed a firearm while using a narcotic. Lowell said Hunter was not on drugs at the time he purchased the revolver. 'If you're going to be specific, then be specific. If the form asks if you are a drug user on the day you buy a gun that is an issue. If it says have you ever used drugs that's an issue. That will be played out in court,' he said. ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked him if the defense is going to argue Hunter 'was not a drug user on the day he signed the form?' 'No, our defense has multiple parts to it,' Lowell responded. He also argued 'I think the case will be dismissed before trial.' Hunter Biden, in his memoir, detailed his drug use, including smoking crack cocaine. The first son talked about how he relapsed into his addiction after his brother Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Video discovered on Hunter's laptop computer shows him naked and brandishing a handgun in a hotel room in 2018, allegedly five days after buying the gun. But when asked if Hunter Biden was on drugs the day he purchased the gun, Lowell said: 'I think that's something that, if it ever gets that far, you and everybody else will see the evidence.' He declined to be more specific. But he went on to rage against the Justice Department for the backing out an earlier plea bargin agreement, accusing the feds of caving to political pressure from Republicans in Congress, who have been investigating Hunter Biden's foreign business deals and the Biden family finances. Abbe Lowell refused to say if Hunter was on drugs the day he purchased a gun President Biden's son Hunter was indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss on federal felony gun charges Thursday - above Hunter with President Joe Biden in June 2023 Hunter allegedly lied on a firearm report (above) required for his gun transaction. A photo of the form shows he answered 'no' when asked if he was an 'unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance' U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by Donald Trump, is overseeing the prosecution and has been given special counsel status. Weiss and Hunter's lawyers reached a plea deal in July that called for the president's son to plead guilty in Delaware federal court to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes in return for prosecutors' recommending probation. A separate felony gun charge of illegally owning the Colt Cobra .38 special handgun would have been dropped in two years if Biden honored the terms of what is known as a diversion agreement. Lowell on Friday argued 'there's a deal in place that should have prevented' the federal charges. He also argued that courts are now finding the statute used in the charges as unconstitutional. 'The law changed,' Lowell said. 'But the law didn't change in favor of the prosecution. The law changed against it because a couple of federal courts have found this gun charge to be unconstitutional.' The plea deal, which Republicans blasted as a 'sweetheart deal' fell apart in a Delaware courtroom when the presiding judge started to question some of its details, including one that including would theoretically protect Hunter Biden from other tax-related crimes in the same period. Prosecutors said it would not. Hunter's lawyers said it would. The agreement fell apart. The three federal charges were announced on Thursday. Two of the counts carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Republicans are insisting that Biden's son is guilty of even more felonies and that Weiss' indictment on gun charges should just be the tip of the spear. A picture from Hunter Biden's laptop showed the now 53-year-old first son posing nude with a firearm The White House is not commenting on the new felony charges for the president's son, and Biden joked he would get in 'trouble' if he answered press questions at the end of an economics speech later Thursday. Still it's a crushing blow to the president, who is running for re-election next year. Hunter's legal issues were thought to be resolved with the plea deal and it was shocking when the agreement fell apart. The charges came the same week that Republicans in the House opened a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his alleged connections to Hunter's business dealings and is likely to have a long-term impact on his political career. The First Son purchased a 0.38 Colt Cobra caliber pistol in Delaware, a state that makes any buyer answer a series of questions before they can lay their hands on a weapon. One from the 2018 application asks if the applicant uses or is addicted to drugs. The box is clearly checked 'no.' Hunter has admitted that he was addicted to crack cocaine at the time of the gun purchase. About two weeks later his lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it 'unlocked' in his truck and threw it in a grocery store trash can. Its discovery sparked a police investigation. In addition, now-President Biden sounded close to tears in the voicemail left on Hunter's abandoned laptop on October 15 - three days after Hunter bought the gun and lied about being a drug addict - begging him to get help. 'It's Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world pal,' Joe said in the October 15 message. 'You gotta get some help. I know you don't know what to do, I don't either.' On July 27, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out President Biden issuing a pardon for Hunter. But it remains to be seen if the White House's posture has changed now that Hunter faces the three new felony charges. Russia is reportedly trying to censor media coverage of a rumoured second mass mobilisation of reserve troops to stamp out discontent in the leadup to next year's presidential elections. Pro-Kremlin media have allegedly received a memo issuing guidelines and including an 'urgent request' to downplay speculation that Russia might be getting ready to call up more reservists to funnel into its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Opposition outlet Meduza yesterday claimed to have seen the guidelines, shared by employees working for state-controlled media. One reportedly told the publication: 'Everybody knows, if the government is denying something's going to happen, it's definitely happening.' The memo allegedly told pro-Kremlin outlets to instead focus on coverage of contract recruitment for the military. Russia has upped efforts to censor dissident voices this year. Only on Thursday, State Duma Deputy Anton Gorelkin said that Russia should consider blocking WhatsApp in Russia if the app launches Russian language channels. State censor Roskomnadzor added that Russia could block WhatsApp if it disseminates prohibited information as the application prepares to launch a channel feature to feature over 150 countries, likely including Russia. A Russian reservist bids farewell to relatives before his departure for a base in the course of partial mobilisation of troops, in Gatchina, Russia, on October 1, 2022 Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi, Russia, on September 15, 2023. Putin seeks reelection in the 2024 presidential elections Rumours of a second call-up of reserves have mounted in the lead-up to the start of the six-monthly conscription cycle on October 1. Earlier this month, a fake photograph of a signed mobilisation order caused a stir on Russian social media. Media insiders reportedly told Meduza that they had been instructed to abstain from all discussion of the incident - and even to avoid refuting fake news. But anxious rumours of another looming mass mobilisation order continue to circle online. A Russian Telegram channel claiming ties to Russian security sources stated earlier this week that officials want to recruit some 170,000 - 175,000 troops in the next cycle. Officials also allegedly hope to move the start of conscription to November 1 to accommodate new mobilisation processes, while recruiting 130,000 soldiers through coercive 'contract mobilisation'. The Institute for the Study of War assessed on Tuesday that top officials are 'actively disagreeing about the necessity of and preparations for a second wave of reserve mobilisation', however. But speculation is not likely to help Putin's popularity ahead of the upcoming 2024 elections, Meduza observed. It judged: 'The Kremlin's intent... is to re-elect the incumbent president with record unanimity: the goal is to garner at least 80 percent of the vote with a turnout of 70 percent or more.' State Duma and Federation Council members went so far as to propose blocking WhatsApp in a bid to control online content and limit access to prohibited information. Following Meta's decision to launch a channel feature to over 150 countries, likely including Russia, Russian officials proposed an outright ban on the application. Politician and journalist Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram on Thursday: 'I share the position of my colleague [State Duma Deputy Anton] Gorelkin: if What's App [sic] really launches Russian-language information channels, it would be right to reconsider the attitude towards this messenger, even to the point of blocking it. 'There is no doubt about the anti-Russian nature of these channels, since [WhatsApp] belongs to the extremist company Meta with all the ensuing consequences.' Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, was designated an extremist organisation in March 2022. Its products have since been banned in Russia. Lieutenant general Serhii Naiev, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, controls a captured Russian T72B3 tank during military exercises on September 8 A Ukrainian serviceman fires a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a position in Donetsk region, Ukraine September 13, 2023 Russia's presidential elections are scheduled to be held in March 2024, with the winner inaugurated next May. Putin has not yet confirmed whether or not he will run again. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday: 'The president has not yet announced that he will nominate his candidacy. 'But if we assume that the president stands as a candidate, then it is obvious that there can be no real competition for the president at this current stage,' Peskov was quoted as saying by RBC. A homeless camp in Denver has a decked out open-air bar that also rents out tents for prostitution. The pop-up tavern has been set up on the sidewalk at 23rd and Champa streets which the city's growing homeless population has turned into an encampment. It features lounge chairs and umbrellas and one of the the tents looks to have been transformed into a streetside bar with reports of alcohol being sold. The camp has been decorated with couches, rugs and tables and dozens of liquor bottles have been proudly put on display. Denver Police are investigating it following 'numerous complaints' the encampment has been blocking the sidewalk and it is being used for prostitution. A homeless camp in Denver has a decked out open-air bar that also rents out tents for prostitution The pop-up tavern has been set up on the sidewalk at 23rd and Champa streets which the city's growing homeless population has turned into an encampment 'Were hearing there was an open bar, sales of alcohol, things like that,' Denver Police Patrol Division Chief Aaron Sanchez told CBS Colorado. 'We have officers looking into that.' He surveyed the camp on Monday alongside other officers and city officials and they saw a collection of liquor bottles on display on dressers and bookcases. A large number of complaints have been made by pedestrians who say they have been forced to walk in the road. Police chief Sanchez confirmed they are investigating reports about the open-air bar. 'We are looking into all other allegations in regards to the bar setup and along those lines,' he said. He added that there have been complaints about the couches and tents inside the encampment being rented out for prostitution and authorities are looking into that. Denver Police are investigating it following 'numerous complaints' the encampment has been blocking the sidewalk and it is being used for prostitution Denver Police Patrol Division Chief Aaron Sanchez surveyed the camp on Monday alongside other officers and city officials and they saw a collection of liquor bottles on display on dressers and bookcases Meghan Shay, an executive at homeless aid group Step Denver, has been driving past the encampment every morning on her way to work and noticed the makeshift bar. She said serving alcohol to vulnerable people would worsen the city's homeless issue and pointed to a report which shows over 80 percent of homeless people have experienced lifetime alcohol and, or drug problems. Shay added that a report on street mortality showed drugs and alcohol caused 60 percent of homeless deaths in 2022. Her organization Step Denver helps homeless men deal with mental health issues and recover from addiction. The Denver metropolitan area has seen a 32 percent rise in homelessness this year compared to 2022. It had 9,065 unhoused people in January compared to 6,884 the year before, according to data collected by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. A US federal jury has awarded $100,000 in damages to one of the gay couples who sued a former Kentucky clerk for refusing to grant them a marriage license. Kim Davis ended up spending five days in jail for turning down the couples' request in 2015. District Judge David Bunning awarded $50,000 each to David Ermold and David Moore as damages on September 13. The second couple, James Yates and Will Smith were awarded no damages. Davis, a former Rowan County clerk, believed that marriage should only be between a man and woman. Bunning last year found her guilty of violating the couples' constitutional rights. Kim Davis (pictured in mugshot) has to pay $100,000 to a gay couple after refusing to grant them a marriage license in 2015 Davis (left) was successfully sued by David Ermold (right) and his partner David Moore who were each awarded $50,000 as damages on September 13 David Ermold (right) and David Moore (left) have been awarded $100,000 as damages after Davis refused to issue them a marriage license Bunning said at the time of his ruling that Davis 'cannot use her own constitutional rights as a shield to violate the constitutional rights of others while performing her duties as an elected official.' Michael Gartland of Del Cotto Law Group, who represented Ermold and Moore, told USA TODAY: 'My clients couldn't be happier.' Davis' lawyers, Liberty Counsel, said she planned to appeal the judgement. 'We look forward to appealing this decision and taking this case to the U.S. Supreme Court,' they said in a statement. 'Kim Davis has blazed the trail in Kentucky where she has obtained religious freedom for all clerks. Now it is time to extend that freedom to everyone.' Associated Press reported that the U.S. Supreme Court had already declined to hear an appeal from Davis lawyers in the case in 2020. The case first drew national media attention after Ermold and Moore showed up at Davis' office asking for a marriage license with news cameras in tow. When she refused, Moore questioned what authority Davis had to deny them the right to marry. 'Under God's authority,' she replied. Davis was released in 2015 after her staff issued the marriage certificates without her name on them. She has been married four times previously and has had twins out of wedlock. Davis began identifying herself as a devout Christian after her fourth marriage failed. The case first drew national media attention after Ermold and Moore showed up at Davis' office asking for a marriage license with news cameras in tow Davis has been married four times previously and has had twins out of wedlock. She began identifying herself as a devout Christian after her fourth marriage failed Davis has been married four times previously and has had twins out of wedlock. She began identifying herself as a devout Christian after her fourth marriage failed She stopped issuing all marriage licenses a day after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in 2015 under Obergefell v. Hodges. The deeply devout Christian also shed some light on her religious beliefs and said she owed her life to Jesus Christ. 'Following the death of my godly mother-in-law over four years ago, I went to church to fulfill her dying wish,' she said in a statement in 2015. 'There I heard a message of grace and forgiveness and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.' Davis has been parodied on an episode of 'Saturday Night Live' but championed by conservatives in Kentucky to support her. She lost her bid for reelection as county clerk in 2018. Ermold also unsuccessfully ran for her seat. The seat was ultimately won by Democrat Elwood Caudill Jr. After nearly five hours of the fire smoldering away, it was extinguished and families who had to evacuate their homes were allowed to return New footage shows the extent of a train car explosion in a Nebraska rail yard, which caused residents to be evacuated as toxic smoke from perchloric acid burned. The explosion happened on a railroad track in the city of North Platte on Thursday, after a fire erupted inside a stationary railcar which was carrying perchloric acid. North Platte Volunteer Fire Department announced they would be ordering those living nearby to evacuate due to the toxic smoke emitting from the car. The blaze was extinguished on Thursday evening but new footage has since emerged showing the toxic smoke billowing out of the railcar. Roaring flames can be seen bursting out of the car as it sits on stationary on the track. #UPDATE: Aerial footage reveals the toxic train car that caught on fire and exploded at the North Platte Union Pacific railyard. Officials report that the burning container held a dangerous chemical called perchloric, which is used in various applications like food, drugs, pic.twitter.com/OfZS80zTQx R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) September 14, 2023 The toxic fumes can be seen spewing out of the railcar and into the surrounding area Due to the explosion, the blast also caused several other cars to catch fire. Nobody was injured in the blaze The blast from the ignition of the perchloric acid also caused several nearby cars to catch fire. After initially ordering evacuations of the area, which covered a four mile radius at one point, it was announced last night people could return to their homes. In a statement, Union Pacific, which own the rail yard, told DailyMail.com: 'As of 5:15 p.m. CDT, the fire was out and normal rail operations were beginning to resume in North Platte.' Shortly before that, North Platte Volunteer Fire Department said that the fire had been contained after burning for approximately three hours. Pictures shared online by the crew prior to the fire being extinguished show a thick plume of white smoke moving across farmland. Further images shared on social media including a video showing thick smoke engulfing an area. An emergency SMS notification was sent out to civilians in the local area, warning of evacuation from residences and road closures. The majority of the evacuation zone was mostly farm land, and has missed the rest of North Platte. Pictures have been shared on social media showing the smoke billowing into the air in the city In a statement to DailyMail.com, Union Pacific Railroad said that an explosion occurred inside a container which resulted in several railcars catching fire. The railcar did not derail, the company said, and had been in the yard for several hours. Union Pacific said that one of the containers contained a hazardous chemical called perchloric acid. Perchloric is a hazardous material used in food, drugs and biocidal products, as well as explosives. According to the company, there were no personnel injured in the initial explosion. Local man Gregg Robertson told The North Platte Telegraph: 'I just saw something and I looked and it was just a big ball of flame. 'And then it was just fire, fire, fire, constant for 10, 12 minutes maybe. And then the fire went down and smoke kind of increased, and then it was just sparks coming out.' Locomotives are stacked up with freight cars in the Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard, April 21, 2016, in North Platte According to the company , there were no personnel injured in the initial explosion According to Robertson, he saw two smoke plumes rising from the blast site: 'The east plume was like black smoke. The west plume was orange smoke, something like Ive not seen from a fire. 'Theres something was burning that I dont want no part of smelling what it was, because it was some kind of chemical over there going on.' Charlie Morland also told the outlet: '[The explosion] just shook the ground. You could feel it shake the vehicles and stuff. I knew it was a pretty violent explosion.' According to a Harvard University safety guide, perchloric acid is an incredibly strong acid that in high concentrations can be explosive. The acid is also said to be a strong oxidizer and may cause a fire to intensify when in contact with combustible materials. The guide also warns that prolonged or repeated exposure can damage the thyroid and is harmful if swallowed. Perchloric acid is also corrosive to metals and can severely corrode the skin and eyes. The guide also asks that if inhaled people should immediately move to fresh air, or call 911. The body of Sara Sharif was found in a bunk bed under a blanket with her hands on her chest and two handwritten notes under her pillow, a court heard today. Today father of the ten-year-old appeared in the dock, a month after her body was found at home near Woking, Surrey. Urfan Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik are accused of murdering her. Appearing in the dock at Guildford Magistrates' Court this afternoon, they have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child. Officers discovered the ten-year-old in the property following a phone call from Pakistan in the middle of the night, the court heard. The body of Sara Sharif was found in a bunk bed under a blanket with her hands on her chest and two handwritten notes under her pillow, a court heard today. Beinash Batool, stepmother of Sara Sharif, being driven from Guildford Magistrates Court today Batool is charged with murder along with Sara's father Urfan Sharif (left) and uncle Faisal Malik (right) The Sharif family's lawyer, Attiq Malik, outside Guildford Magistrates' Court A search led to an upstairs bedroom with bunk beds. When they pulled the blanket back they found Sara lying fully clothed with her head up and her hands lying on her chest, the hearing was told. Forensics then attended and found 'two handwritten notes tucked under the pillows under the child's head', it was said. Prosecutor Amanda Burrows said: The actual cause of death has yet to be established but what has been established is the presence of healed fractures and injuries that clearly demonstrated that this child was subjected to multiple events of violence and those incidents of violence had continued over sustained periods of time. It also concluded the child died as a result of third party involvement. Ms Burrows told the court that police were alerted when they received a call from Pakistan, which lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds, at 2.47am on August 10. The defendants left the UK for Pakistan with five children the day before Sara's body was discovered and returned to the UK on Wednesday. The flight leaving the UK had been booked on August 8, the prosecution said. Describing the moment officers found Sara, prosecutor Ms Burrows told the court: They initially searched all the downstairs rooms then went upstairs and inside one of the bedrooms were some bunk beds. On the bottom bunk was a blanket and one of the officers pulled the blanket back. The officer discovered there the deceaseds body. A young girl fully clothed inside of the bed. The child was lying with her face up and hands lying on her front. The officer immediately withdrew from the premises and called for ambulance staff to attend the property. Ambulance staff did attend the property. At 4.03am the childs death was confirmed. The little girl was identified using the DNA of her mother Olga Sharif, who lives in Somerset, and another relative, the court was told. Urfan Sharif and his partner Beinash Batool flew back to the UK in business class before their arrest Tributes outside the home of Sara Sharif, where the little girl's body was found on August 10 The three suspects were arrested on landing at Gatwick Airport two days ago and were charged with her murder last night. They appeared at Guildford Magistrates Court today, where they were remanded into custody following a 20-minute hearing. The defendants, from Hammond Road in Woking, spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses and did not enter any pleas to the two charges. Urfan Sharif had his head held down as the prosecution briefly outlined the case against the defendants. Sharif was wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, Malik wore a red t-shirt and blue jeans and Batool was dressed in black, and were each flanked by a dock officer. Two of the defendants required an Urdu interpreter. Lawyers for the defendants indicated that they deny the charges and no application for bail was made. No update was given on the condition of the five children who remain in Pakistan. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded the defendants into custody before they appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump called a charge in a federal grand jury indictment that accuses him of telling aides to destroy security footage 'fake' and insisted he is willing to testify in court to back up his claim. Trump made the statement to NBC's Meet the Press Friday, weeks after a superseding indictment in his classified documents case sketched out an alleged conspiracy where Trump and a pair of aides sought to 'corruptly' persuade another employee to destroy security footage at Mar-a-Lago. That came after the FBI had visited the club in search of classified documents and other materials being held in a storage room there. Asked about the new charge, Trump told the program's new host Kristen Welker 'that's false. Asked if he would testify to that under oath, Trump responded: Let me tell sure, I'm going to I'll testify.' Former President Donald Trump called a charge in a federal grand jury indictment that accuses him of telling aides to destroy security footage 'fake' and insisted he is willing to testify in court to back up his claim A superseding indictment in Trump's classified documents case sketched out an alleged conspiracy where Trump and a pair of aides sought to 'corruptly' persuade another employee to destroy security footage at Mar-a-Lago (pictured) Some legal experts have said it would be highly risky for him to testify in the case, after his deposition in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, where a jury found him guilty of sexual abuse and awarded her $5 million in damages. Then Trump attacked special counsel Jack Smith as a 'deranged lunatic prosecutor' and repeated his claim it was a 'fake charge.' He observed that the security in question had not, in fact, been deleted, repeatedly calling them 'my tapes.' 'But more importantly, the tapes weren't deleted. In other words, there was nothing done to them. And, they were my tapes. I could have fought them [the FBI]. I didn't even have to give them the tapes, I don't think. I think I would have won in court. When they asked for the tapes, I said, 'Sure.' They're my tapes. I could have fought them. I didn't even have to give them. Just so you understand, though, we didn't delete anything. Nothing was deleted,' Trump said. The indictment says De Oliveira told another employee that 'the boss' wanted the tapes deleted. That came after FBI agents visited the private Florida club on June 3, 2022 to collect documents marked classified. It says Trump called De Oliveira, his property manager on June 23 and they spoke for 24 minutes. On June 24, DOJ emailed a Trump lawyer with a grand jury subpoena seeking materials including CCTV footage. Trump made the comments in an interview filmed Thursday with new Meet the Press host, NBC's Kristen Welker (pictured). The clip was released Friday morning Trump's longtime body man Walt Nauta made plans to travel to Florida the following day, arriving on the 25th. The indictment cites texts between Nauta and De Oliveira, and De Oliveira texting 'Employee 4 to say Walter is 'coming down tomorrow' and 'needs you for something.' It then recounts a scene where De Oliveira took the unidentified employee to an 'audio closet' and 'told Employee 4 that 'the boss' wanted the server deleted. What Trump didn't mention in his interview is that the employee 'responded that he would not know how to do that, and that he did not believe that he would have the rights to do that.' Trump, Nauta, and De Oliveira have all pleaded not guilty to charges against them. The indictment also describes an afternoon encounter where De Oliveira 'walked through the bushes on the northern edge of The Mar-a-Lago property to meet with Nauta on the adjacent property, and that the two men met on the adjacent property. Trump phoned De Oliveira that afternoon. German police officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann were warned that they could ruin their investigation by relying on a 'flaky' witnessed who was nicknamed Helge Bulls***ter, it has been claimed. Christian Brueckner, 45, was named last year by prosecutors as the key suspect in the disappearance and murder of the three-year-old in 2007. The police's case is largely centred around his former friend Helge Busching's testimony that Brueckner chillingly told him when they were discussing Madeleine's disappearance that 'she didn't scream'. But Mr Busching is now 'wobbling' and is on the verge of withdrawing his evidence, according to sources close to the German investigation. And sources have today claimed German officers were warned of Mr Busching's 'flakiness', with one revealing he had even earned the nickname 'Helge Bulls***ter' amongst Portuguese officers, according to the Sun. Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on Portugal's Algarve coast in May 2007 Christian Brueckner was named last year by prosecutors as the key suspect in the disappearance and murder of the three-year-old The source said: 'Helge B is someone the Portuguese officers have known about for a long, long time. But he was discounted as a credible witness ages ago. 'He was always seen as a Walter Mitty character who would talk 'bulls**t' all the time hence the nickname. 'They warned the Germans he was a bit of a fantasist and that he was 'flakey' and how he'd say what you wanted to hear. But, for some reason the German detectives latched on to him. 'They've pinned pretty much their entire case on his evidence, despite being warned he wasn't to be trusted. Now, with him looking to back out, their credibility has been totally shot to bits.' Mr Busching gave Brueckner's name to British police in 2017, around the 10th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. Busching claims that Brueckner told him at a Spanish kite festival in 2008 that he was involved in Madeleine's abduction from Praia da Luz a year earlier. When asked in 2020 what he thought of Brueckner, Busching said: 'One word. Guilty.' Busching, who now lives on the French island of Corsica, added: 'He is in the right place at the moment and hopefully he will stay there a long time'. After German prosecutors announced they were investigating Brueckner in June, the Metropolitan Police revealed they had received a tip-off about him in 2017. 'Following the ten-year anniversary, the Met received information about a German man who was known to have been in and around Praia da Luz,' detective chief inspector Mark Cranwell said at the time. But now it's feared that Mr Busching is not a reliable witness, as it emerged Portuguese officers gave him the nickname 'Helge Bulls***ter'. A source told the Sun Mr Busching is 'wobbling' and is on the verge of withdrawing his evidence. 'He was paid a huge sum to repeat his statement in a German newspaper and now he's pulling the plug,' a German source said. 'It just goes to show you what type of people you are dealing with and their credibility as witnesses.' Convicted rapist and paedophile Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year jail sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. A police search team walk on the shore of the Arade dam near Silves, Portugal, in May 2023 A map shows the movements of Brueckner around the Algarve at the time Madeleine disappeared while on a family holiday Madeleine was snatched just nine days before her fourth birthday while she was left sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings Yesterday, it was claimed that Brueckner has written begging letters to his former friends asking them to talk about what a 'good guy' he is in court in a bid to clear his name. Brueckner moaned in one letter to a friend that prosecutors were making him out to be a 'monster'. Brueckner, who prosecutors say is responsible for Madeleine's 2007 kidnap and murder, begged two of his friends to support him in court if he has to stand trial on separate rape and child sex charges. 'I know of two people who got the messages from Chris,' Brueckner's former friend who is still in touch with those who knew Brueckner in the Algarve told the Mirror. 'It really freaked them out. They hadn't heard from him in years and then these letters suddenly arrived in the post from Germany.' The source added: 'He was asking them to speak in his defence, about what a good guy he is. He said the German police and prosecutors have it in for him, that they are saying he is a monster. 'It's outrageous for Chris to ask for help because now we all know about his past. Back when we were hanging with him in the early 2000s it was all a secret. We didn't know he was a paedophile. But now he doesn't stand a chance of anybody speaking up for him in court.' Brueckner is currently languishing in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American tourist in Portugal just 18 months before Madeleine was abducted. His trial heard he planned the sex attack having broken into the victim's house with a rope to tie her up. She was blindfolded and gagged before being raped and robbed. Last year, he was named as the key suspect in the disappearance and murder of Madeleine, who vanished from her family's holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007 - just a few days before her fourth birthday. But he has still not been charged regarding her abduction and he denies his involvement. In June, Brueckner attacked the police investigation against him as groundless in a handwritten letter, seen by the MailOnline. In the letter he attacked informant Mr Busching. The two men had been pals in Portugal in the early 2000s but as Brueckner explained in his latest missive he says they fell out after a drugs deal went wrong the year Madeleine went missing and never spoke again. Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on Portugal's Algarve coast in May 2007 - where Brueckner was living at the time - and has never been seen since. In May, parents Kate and Gerry McCann gathered with friends and family in Rothley, Leicestershire, to poignantly marked the 16th anniversary of her disappearance. They hold onto a glimmer of hope that Madeleine could still be alive. She would now be aged 20. Boris Johnson will today caution against a knee-jerk reaction to ban Bully XL dogs behind a wave of attacks, saying: 'Its not the dog thats the problem, its the owner.' In his latest must-read column in the Daily Mail the former PM tackles the furore over the crossbreed animals. Rishi Sunak moved to outlaw the breed by the end of the year today, following a 'pattern of behaviour' that he said 'cannot go on'. Today a man died in a suspected XL Bully attack in Stonnall, Staffordshire, the third incident involving allegedly out-of-control dogs in the West Midlands in less than a week. But Mr Johnson highlighted the misdemeanours of Dilyn, his family's Jack Russell cross, who has not always behaved perfectly. 'Dilyn is a lovely dog, a sweet dog, and normally speaking he wouldnt hurt a fly,' Mr Johnson said. 'But as we try to deal with the threat of other dangerous dogs, there is a lesson for us in Dilyn and his behaviour. And that is: its not the dog thats the problem, its the owner.' Read Mr Johnson's latest column in full on MailOnline at 5pm today. Mr Johnson highlighted the misdemeanours of Dilyn, his family's Jack Russell cross, who has not always behaved perfectly. Chicago Democratic lawmakers have traveled to New York City to 'bring back' lessons on how to deal with a migrant surge in the Windy City, which is expected to cost taxpayers $255 million by the end of the year. Democratic Socialist rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leading a tour of New York City's migrant shelters on Friday for Chicago Reps Chuy Garcia, Delia Ramirez, Mike Quigley and other House members. Like New York, Chicago has seen a surge of asylum seekers as conservative governors in southern states continue to bus migrants to northern progressive cities, arguing these governments should bare the costs of border crossings, too. 'Im visiting New York migrant shelter sites today to learn how NYC has tackled this issue and bring those lessons back to Chicago,' Rep Quigley said. 'Together with my colleagues we can ensure the federal government is providing our cities with the funds they need to support this population.' The tour was organized by Ocasio-Cortez and fellow progressive Rep. Adriano Espaillat. The lawmakers plan to visit several shelters set up in the city, which is currently dealing with more than 110,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the city since the Spring of 2022. The crisis is expected to cost NYC $billion this year. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is heckled as she leads Chicago lawmakers on a tour of NYC's migrant shelters on Friday Chicago officials have said they will build tent shelters for migrants like the ones in New York City. Camps for migrants setup at Randall's Island in New York are seen above A contractor places bags containing a pillow, towel, and bed sheets on cots inside the dormitory tent a the shelter in the parking lot of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in Queens They are also scheduled to meet with mayor Eric Adams, who has warned the surge of asylum seekers will destroy the city if it continues as is. The number of migrants who need shelter in Chicago has continued to increase in recent months, and city leaders have stated they will follow New York's lead in turning different locations around the city into shelters for migrants. New York has a legal obligation to give shelter to those who make their way to the metro, and Adams has desperately turned to a variety of city landmarks, makeshift shelters and temporary housing as short-term solutions. Emergency tent shelters have been built across NYC, including at the parking lot of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in Queens and a field in Randall's Island. Last week, Chicago's Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson said he will follow New York's move as he looks for space to house migrants. 'Weve identified multiple locations around the city that can be suitable to treat the family and individuals who are here by law, seeking asylum constitutionally and legally, to have a place that recognizes their dignity,' Johnson said. New York City's migrant crisis is expected to cost the city $4.7billion this year. Above is a list of some of the landmarks that have been turned into emergency shelters as officials struggle to house nearly 60,000 migrants in the city's care Chicago officials have yet to specify which locations they are looking at, but they will reportedly be climate-controlled military-grade tents, according to alderwoman Maria Hadden. The former Halsted Indoor Mall parking lot at 115th and Halsted Streets could be one of the locations for a planned tent camp, CBS Chicago reported. The space was supposed to be redeveloped into affordable housing but is currently sitting vacant. The Chicago lawmakers' visit was off to a rocky start, as furious New Yorkers heckled Ocasio-Cortez outside the iconic Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, which has become the center of the migrant scandal in the Big Apple. The lawmakers were forced to cut the press conference short as the crowd kept drowning out Ocasio-Cortez. 'Close the border! Close the border! Respect the constitution AOC! I am your constituent!' one man shouted over the congresswoman's speech into a megaphone. Hundreds of migrants are being hidden behind this black curtain at Chicago 's O'Hare Airport, where asylum seekers have reported inhumane living conditions with families left sleeping on the floor for up to 10 days A migrant father from Venezuela changes the diaper of his 15-month-old son in the lobby of a police station Last week, hundreds of migrants were seen hiding behind a black curtain in a makeshift shelter at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, where families have been left sleeping on the floor for up to 10 days at a time. The makeshift shelter has poor quality food such as instant ramen, lack of access to health care, showers and laundry, inadequate bedding, and no support for placing children in schools, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Migrants have also been sleeping on the floor inside Chicago police stations since June while awaiting access to proper shelters. Chicago continues to struggle to house the influx of thousands of migrants into the city. About 14,000 migrants have been transported to Chicago by bus since August. There are 15 shelters for asylum seekers operating across the city currently with another shelter expected to open next month on the South Side. The Department of Justice pulled a last-minute maneuver to block an FBI agent allegedly involved in Big Tech's suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story from testifying before Congress. The House Judiciary Committee is investigating whether Hunter Biden's laptop was downplayed by social media companies. As part of the probe, Chairman Jim Jordan uncovered that an FBI agent involved in the saga - Elvis Chan - lied about the computer. Chan had agreed to voluntarily appear Friday to provide the committee testimony and be represented by his personal counsel. Agency witnesses are allowed to bring either agency counsel or personal counsel to committee interviews, but not both. The rule is set up so agency witnesses can be more candid in testimony without fear of professional retribution, according to the committee. But two sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell DailyMail.com that DOJ derailed the testimony because agency counsel also showed up Friday morning. As a result, Chan's interview did not take place as planned. Now, an official subpoena is expected to be issued later Friday for Chan to appear for a transcribed interview next Thursday, Sept. 21. The FBI disputed the claim that DOJ blocked Chan from testifying, calling it a 'significant departure' from normal procedures. And the DOJ said the committee blocked the interview, not them. The FBI knew that the laptop obtained by The New York Post had belonged to Hunter Biden, and photos (above) of him in a drug-addled state were real, yet refused to confirm its authenticity to Facebook and Twitter, Jim Jordan has claimed Elvis Chan served as a liaison between the FBI and big tech companies 'Today, after an FBI employee traveled across the country to voluntarily participate in a scheduled interview, he was denied the right to have his chosen legal counsel accompany him,' an FBI spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 'Upon arrival at the Capitol, Committee staff directed agency counsel to leave the premises, and the interview was unable to proceed. This is a significant departure from normal procedures and an unnecessary escalation of this Committee's treatment of FBI officials. The FBI employee remains willing to take part in a voluntary interview with appropriate legal representation.' 'The FBI recognizes the importance of congressional oversight and will continue to proceed in accordance with the long established accommodations process,' the spokesperson continued. The spokesperson also noted that more than a dozen other FBI employees have participated in interviews with the committee with no incident. A Justice Department official told DailyMail.com that 'DOJ did not block the interview, the Committee did.' 'Agent Chan chose to be represented by both agency and personal counsel. He went to the Capitol this morning to testify and, instead of asking him questions, Committee staff turned him away and threatened to throw agency counsel out of the room.' Last month, Jordan published excerpts of the testimony given by Chan, who served as one of the FBI's liaisons with tech companies, and Laura Dehmlow, the current FBI section chief of the Foreign Influence Task Force. Chan testified in November 2022 as part of Missouri and Louisiana's lawsuit against the federal government and the Biden administration for colluding with social media companies to censor speech. Jordan said that Chan held a repeat meeting with Facebook about the laptop, but testified he had only had one session. He also testified that he was not aware of internal debate about the laptop, but told a colleague he was 'up to speed.' Dehmlow spoke to Jordan's committee earlier this summer without incident. Jordan said that Dehmlow revealed how the FBI knew the laptop was not a forgery or plant, but refused to confirm its authenticity to social media companies. Jordan recently publicized internal Facebook documents have resulted in bombshell revelations about Hunter Biden's laptop, arguing that it illustrated the FBI knew the laptop was authentic and belonged to him - but refused to confirm the fact to Facebook and Twitter. That decision led to the New York Post's report about the laptop being blocked by the social media companies, who labelled it as disinformation. 'Internal FB docs reveal that an FBI Special Agent made false statements in testimony about the FBI's role in the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story,' tweeted Jordan last month. Jordan explained in a Twitter thread how, on October 14, 2020, The New York Post published its first story about the laptop, which Biden had left behind in a Delaware repair shop. The laptop contained damning pictures of Hunter doing drugs and enjoying the company of prostitutes. It also contained emails and massive amounts of information about his business dealings. On the day the Post published its story, Chan and Dehmlow met with representatives of Twitter and then Facebook. Twitter's team asked whether the FBI thought Hunter Biden's laptop was real: one FBI representative replied yes, and then another quickly said: 'No comment.' Dehmlow told Jordan's committee that there was then internal deliberations, and it was decided that the answer would be 'no comment' from then on. At the next meeting, with Facebook, Dehmlow herself told Facebook 'no comment' when asked if the laptop was real. 'It was an ongoing investigation, and we generally don't comment on ongoing investigative matters when asked,' she told Jordan's committee. Jordan on Monday declared: 'Did Dehmlow know that the FBI had the laptop and it was real? Yes. 'Did other key members of the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force know? Yes. 'The FBI knew the laptop was real and yet decided it would say 'no comment.' 'We know what happened next. 'Twitter and Facebook censored the @nypost story. 'The Biden campaign secretly set in motion the events that led to the 51 former intel officials discrediting the story as Russian disinformation.' Jordan and his allies are convinced that the FBI was working to discredit the story, in a bid to downplay it and help Joe Biden's electoral chances. Jordan then singled out extracts from Chan's testimony at the end of last year. Chan was asked by the Missouri and Louisiana officials whether he had been involved in any meetings after October 14 with Facebook, where the Hunter Biden laptop was discussed. Chan replied that he did not believe so. House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan is investigating Big Tech's alleged suppression of the Hunter laptop story Chan was asked by the Missouri and Louisiana officials whether he had been involved in any meetings after October 14 with Facebook, where the Hunter Biden laptop was discussed 'I was confident that I was not a party to any meeting with social media companies where Hunter Biden was discussed outside of the one incident that I told you about,' said Chan. However, Jordan said that his committee 'recently obtained an internal Facebook document PROVING that Agent Chan had a secret 'follow up' call with Facebook about the Hunter Biden laptop story on October 15, just one day after the @nypost story and the first Facebook meeting!' Jordan noted that Chan also claimed that he had 'no internal knowledge of [the FBI's] investigation' involving Hunter Biden's laptop, but according to internal Facebook documents told a colleague he was 'up to speed on the current state of the matter within the FBI.' Jordan added: 'Is there any wonder why the Biden DOJ has so far stonewalled the Committee's efforts to interview Agent Chan?' The committee still plans to get to the bottom of the 'lie' when Chan sits down with them next week. A retired violent crimes detective pointed a shotgun at a gang of masked men who were filming themselves trying to break into his Arizona home. John Duhigg has nine cameras surrounding his property in Mesa and he received an alert about a disturbance outside at around 3am on September 2. He saw one person in the group trying to cover his camera while another started to bang on his garage and front steel doors before he walked outside with a shotgun and they ran away shouting racial slurs. Duhigg believes this is the same gang who were bullying his 20-year-old special needs son online and picking on him 'horribly'. His son, who has autism, gave them his address because he thought they were friends and earlier that day they told him 'we're gonna to come to your house'. A retired violent crimes detective pointed a shotgun at a gang of masked men who were filming themselves trying to break into his Arizona home John Duhigg has nine cameras surrounding his property in Mesa and he received an alert about a disturbance outside at around 3am on September 2 Duhigg looked back at the surveillance footage and saw the group had been circling his property on three different occasions that night. The first time was just before 1am when they arrived in a car opposite his home and footage shows four of them running out while one remained in the car. He said they threw a milkshake at his truck. The masked gang then returned at 3am which is when Duhigg came out with his shotgun and they immediately ran away. Duhigg is not sure they saw the weapon because they returned around 10 minutes later and trashed the outside of his home and left before the police turned up. 'They were risking their lives doing this,' he told AZ Family. 'So Im like, "This is really getting old". 'Nobody comes back for home invasions. Thats stupid. You just warned everybody. But theres no accounting for stupidity.' He believes one of them had a pistol due to the sound he heard. Duhigg insists this was the same group who were cyber bullying his autistic son. 'They were getting really bad because he has Autism and hes a Latino, so they were picking on him horribly,' he said. Duhigg believes the same gang were cyber bullying his 20-year-old special needs son. He gave them his address because he thought they were friends and they told him 'we're gonna to come to your house'. Pictured: His autistic son with his 18-year-old sister who has Cerebral Palsy Duhigg looked back at the surveillance footage and saw the group had been circling his property on three different occasions that night The first time was just before 1am when they arrived in a car opposite his home and footage shows four of them running out while one remained in the car. He said they threw a milkshake at his truck The masked gang then returned at 3am which is when Duhigg came out with his shotgun and they immediately ran away 'And earlier that day, they had told him "Were gonna come to your house".' He shares the property with his autistic son and 18-year-old daughter who is also special needs. 'I have two special needs. My daughter has Cerebral Palsy,' Duhigg said. 'Shes 18, nonverbal. She can call for help if she needed to. And my son has Autism. He has very High-Functioning Autism, so he can interact with you for a while before he realizes that hes a little bit different. 'I need to make sure that theyre extra safe because they cant really help themselves.' The Mesa Police Department is investigating the incident and Duhigg plans to press charges and wants the gang to hand themselves in. He is often asked why he has so many surveillance cameras on his property. He said: 'I get comments about it all the time, but Im a retired violent crimes detective, and Im not going to be a victim of anything.' A store manager shot and killed at CVS by a suspected shoplifter who was 'tired of being bullied' is the latest victim of violence plaguing retailers. Michael Jacobs, 49, was gunned down by accused thief Jared Stevey, 38, in Mesa, Arizona, at about 8pm on September 7. Stevey admitted to the police that he opened fire at Jacobs because he was 'tired of being bullied' and that an argument with him earlier in the day 'was the last straw.' He had spent four hours at CVS at the Mesa Drive and Brown Road location on the day of shooting and was suspected of shoplifting but was let go. Stevey claimed Michael had 'swung at' him but did not hit him, according to the court documents. Michael Jacobs, 49, is survived by his wife Stacy Jacobs, and two children (pictured together) after he was shot and killed at his CVS store in Mesa, Arizona on September 7 by a customer who was accused of stealing Jared Stevey, 38, (pictured) admitted to the police that he opened fire at Jacobs because he was 'tired of being bullied' and that an argument with him earlier in the day 'was the last straw' Stevey went home to retrieve his weapon before returning to the store at the Mesa Drive and Brown Road location at 8pm and demanding to see Jacobs Arresting records showed the shooter went home, grabbed his gun, and returned to the store asking a store staff to call Michael. When Michael arrived, the suspect pulled out a handgun from his waistband, loaded a round into the chamber, and pointed the firearm at manager. Witnesses said he fired four shots at Michael. 'I'm guilty,' 'I planned it,' and 'I bet he ain't talking sh** no more,' the killer told detectives after the shooting. Stevey has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder and tampering with evidence. Michael had been with the company for more than two decades and is survived by his wife Stacy Jacobs, and two children. Stacey (pictured with Jacobs and their children when they are young) said her husbadn had worked for CVS for more than two decades Gabe Jacobs, Michael's 16-year-old son, told 12News: 'He dedicated his life to us and his job.' Stacey said CVS had not reached out to the family but the retailer denied the claim in a statement to 12News. 'We have spoken to Michael's wife and are assisting her with access to various benefits,' the spokesman said. Jacobs' family has built a GoFundMe page that has collected more than $15,000 from 248 donations. His 16-year-old son, Gabe, told 12News: 'He dedicated his life to us and his job. We never celebrated Christmas on Christmas day. It would always be Christmas Eve because it was always grandfathered in that he'd be working.' The tragic death of Jacobs marks the latest occurrence in a dangerous pattern of retail theft and shootings. Blake Mohs (pictured with his fiancee Kasey Silligman) was fatally shot at Home Depot in Pleasanton, California in April The loading dock area outside Home Depot, where Mohs was shot while trying to stop an alleged thief and her boyfriend from stealing a phone charger In April, an armed Walgreens employee, Mitarius Boyd, shot at Travonsha Ferguson, 24, in the parking lot in Nashville, Tennessee after accusing the pregnant woman of shoplifting, forcing her to undergo an emergency C-section. He allegedly seen on surveillance footage shooting firing his semi-automatic pistol multiple times after he was sprayed with mace. A week later, Home Depot worker Blake Mohs, 26, was shot and killed outside his store in San Francisco, California, while trying to stop an alleged thief and her boyfriend from stealing a phone charger. Benicia Knapps, 32, and David Guillory, 31, fled the scene with their two year old in the car and were later arrested on suspicion of murder, robbery, child endangerment and conspiracy, according to police. Ta'Kiya Young, 21, was shot in her car outside a Kroger in Blendon Township, Ohio after rolling into a police officer in the parking lot The pregnant mother of two young children (pictured) had earlier been accused of theft The same month, Banko Brown, 24, was fatally shot after an altercation with security guard, Michael-Earl Wayne Anthony, 33, at a Walgreens in San Francisco on April 27. He described to the detectives how Brown said he would stab him. 'If I let her go she might just try to stab me so that's when I drew my gun out,' Anthony told the officers. The San Francisco District Attorney's Office decided that Anthony will not be charged in Brown's death because he acted in self-defense. In August, Ta'Kiya Young, 21, a pregnant mother of two young children, was shot dead inside her car outside a Kroger in Blendon Township, Ohio after being accused of theft. The young mom allegedly rolled her car into a police officer in the parking lot who then opened fire. Police in the Netherlands used water cannons in The Hague today to remove environmental activists that have been disrupting traffic for seven days. Protesters, from groups including Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace, and others, have been demanding that the Dutch government end subsidies to industries using fossil fuels. Photos on Friday showed water cannons spraying protestors as they blocked the A12 through The Hague. Protestors carried signs reading Stop Financing the Problem as police appeared to detain the activists. The demonstrations followed a report published last week by The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations that revealed that the Dutch government has been subsidising industries that use oil, coal, and gas to the tune of some 37.5billion. Police were carting protestors out of the road, while activists sat beneath umbrellas as they were showered by water cannons. Environmental protestors were blasted with water cannons on Friday as Dutch police tried to remove them from a key road in the The Hague Protests have been ongoing for seven days against subsidies for industries that use fossil fuels Activists in The Hague blocked the A12, a road that runs near to the temporary home of the Dutch parliament Thousands have been detained since the protests began a week ago. Last Saturday, some 10,000 were reported to have attended the demonstration, and over 3,000 protestors were detained over the weekend. The protests in the Netherlands on Friday coincided with others held in dozens of other countries around the world as climate groups hoped for a weekend of demonstrations intended to conclude with a March to End Fossil Fuels on Sunday in New York, where leaders are gathering at the United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations is hosting the Climate Ambition Summit on September 20. Activists in The Hague have promised to stay put and return if removed until the Dutch government alters its approach to subsidies for fossil fuel consuming industries. Environmentalists have staged several large protests in the Netherlands over the past several months. Activists also blocked the A12 which runs past the current temporary home of the Dutch parliament in May and March. Thousands have been detained since protests began seven days ago The Netherlands is preparing for elections in November 2023 and environmental activists have been calling for a quicker transition away from fossil fuels Activists from Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace, and other groups participated in the protests While the Netherlands is often seen as an environmental leader, there are calls for further green measures to be put in place as the country moves towards early general elections in November. Incumbent Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who has been in power almost thirteen years, has said that he will not stand for re-election. His coalition collapsed amid a dispute over migration policy in July. The Netherlands wants to cut emissions of pollutants by 50 per cent by 2030 in what the government has described as an unavoidable transition. The Netherlands wants to cut emissions of pollutants by 50 perc ent by 2030 in what the government has described as an unavoidable transition Protestors were carted away by police in The Hague Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff made comments about the state of San Francisco during the company's annual conference, Dreamforce The boss of Salesforce has slammed San Francisco leaders for only making the city 'safe' during the company's annual convention. Salesforce Inc. CEO Marc Benioff said he had pushed officials in the California city to clean the place up before the company's annual conference, named Dreamforce. The AI convention, which draws 40,000 people from around the world according to the company, was held in the city over the past few days. During a press event on Wednesday, Benioff said: 'We put a lot of pressure on the city this year. It looks great. Its very safe right now. Were moving in the right direction.' Benioff, 58, held the event at the Moscone Center, which is in an area that is currently facing issues including homelessness, crime and open air drug markets, according to Kron4. Salesforce Inc. CEO Marc Benioff, pictured here, said he had pushed officials in the beleaguered California city to clean the place up Benioff had previously warned that the company could pull the large scale convention from the city due to the ongoing problems it is facing Benioff also posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: 'San Francisco has been incredibly clean, beautiful, and safe for the last 3 days of Dreamforce. 'It is great that the city is able to put its best foot forward for this major event that brings in 40K people from around the world, and $80M to the economy. 'It is important to ask why the city cannot be this clean and safe every single day?' Benioff had previously warned that the company could pull the large scale convention from the city due to the ongoing problems it is facing. He told The San Francisco Chronicle: 'If this Dreamforce is impacted by the current situation with homelessness and drug use it may be the last Dreamforce.' Mayor London Breed responded to Benioff's claim that Dreamforce made the city's transformation possible. She told ABC7 News: 'It's not just because of Dreamforce. There are other conventions. This is what we do for every convention that comes to SF. 'My pushback is San Francisco changing. Things are getting better.' Mayor London Breed speaks during the celebration of the 9th Annual Chinatown Night Out in San Francisco, California, United States on September 6, 2023 The AI convention, which draws 40,000 people from around the world according to the company, was held in the city over the past few days Dreamforce attendees gather for tech host, Salesforce's 21st conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on 13 September 2023 Despite this, Mayor Breed did concede that some areas of the city, particularly the Tenderloin and South of Market, did still present challenges. 'Part of what I'm doing is not pointing the finger at anyone but rolling up my sleeves and taking responsibility and do everything we can to address those issues,' she said. 'We are seeing some impacts, especially with daytime open-air drug dealing and other issues. 'We are aggressively doing everything we can. And over time, we will see some improvements. In fact, I think they are already happening.' The city has struggled for years with rampant fentanyl use and fatal overdoses, and is on pace for its deadliest year yet. In the first five months of 2023, preliminary reports show there were 346 overdose deaths in the city - an increase of more than 40 percent from the same period in 2022. The city is currently dealing with a major opioid crisis, which is fueling a rise in crime also Drug addicts and the homeless congregate in the Tenderloin District of the California city Open drug use is now common in the city, something which the police are cracking down on Economists have warned the city is spiraling into an 'urban doom loop' - a vicious circle of interconnected trends and forces that send cities into economic and social ruin. Over the past few months, dozens of retailers announced they would be vacating the downtown area of the city. Retail stalwart Old Navy announced they would be shuttering their flagship store in the area last month, becoming the latest chain to exit the city. Nordstrom also announced they would be closing all of their locations in the city. The company said that due to the 'changing dynamics' of San Francisco it would be shuttering all remaining stores in the next few months. In April, Whole Foods announced it was closing all their locations, with Anthropologie and Office Depot having also made the same decisions. These stores joined the growing list of stores that have abandoned the coastal city, including H&M, Marshall's, Gap and Banana Republic. Whole Foods had opened a new 'flagship' location at Trinity Place in the city's Tenderloin District in March of last year. High theft has proved a problem in the area recently, with a Walgreens in the city center resolving to chaining their freezers to stop shoplifters. A map reveals the major businesses which have left, or plan to leave, San Francisco in recent months A disturbing recent report showed 95 retailers in downtown San Francisco have closed since the start of the COVID pandemic, a decline of more than 50 percent. Out of 203 retailers open in 2019 in the city's Union Square area, just 107 are still operating, a drop of 47 percent in just a few pandemic-ravaged years. One Target store in the city has been forced to lock up more of its products to stave off thieves. An employee at the location previously said it was being robbed as often as 'every ten minutes.' Video footage of another Target has been shared on social media and shows large quantities of their stock now behind barriers. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was drowned out by New Yorkers furious at the migrant crisis that has erupted in the city. Protesters shouted 'close the border' as the 'Squad' member tried to address the press outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. She was part of a group of Democratic lawmakers who had to end a press conference early because they were drowned out. The Roosevelt Hotel has become the center of the migrant scandal in the Big Apple. 'My name is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I'm here alongside Representative Adriano Espaillat, and we're incredibly thrilled and excited to be here,' the congresswoman began. 'Close the border! Close the border! Respect the constitution AOC! I am your constituent!' one man shouted over the congresswoman's speech into a megaphone. 'What we seek to do is to make sure that all the resources are necessary and that we are joining with the city and state,' she said, as the man with the megaphone shouted: 'Illegal immigration is not right! Respect the constitution, close the border!' 'As you can see this is a contentious issue,' Rep. Espalliat, D-N.Y., acknowledged. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was drowned out by New Yorkers furious at the migrant crisis that has erupted in the city Protesters shouted 'close the border' as the 'Squad' member tried to address the press outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan A barber cuts the hair of migrants in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC where they are being housed on August 23 Recently arrived migrants gather outside of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on August 14, 2023 in New York City Last week Mayor Eric Adams admitted he doesn't see a solution to the problem as he slammed the lack of help from President Joe Biden during a town hall meeting. 'Let me tell you something, New Yorkers. Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to. I don't see an ending to this,' he conceded. 'This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City.' The former top cop grew emotional as he talked about buses of migrants arriving on a near-daily basis, with over 10,000 arriving every month. Upwards of 110,000 are littered across the metro, and Adams' office has estimated the issue will cost New York City $12billion over three years. Authorities are concerned that without an exit ramp, the situation could soon reach boiling point as furious protestors have clashed on the streets of the Five Boroughs while more migrants are left homeless by the limited space. And ousted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that the migrant issue would hurt Democrats politically. 'This was a federal responsibility, period. First and foremost. Not the state, not the city. Immigration law is a federal responsibility... This is a function for the federal government to manage, and make every city, every state do its fair share,' he said during an appearance at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club on Thursday. He added that the Biden administration should 'pay the bill for the cost of the migrants and dont ask the taxpayers of any city to pick up the bill.' 'How do we get to a place where governor Abbot of Texas is deciding where hundreds of thousands of migrants go around this nation is laughable,' Cuomo asked the crowd. He told the crowd Republicans like Trump would use the situation to score political points. 'Its going to hurt us, Cuomo said. 'Ill tell you what Donald Trump is going to say in four words: "I told you so."' The Democrat also claimed that if he were still governor he would march down to Washington D.C. to demand federal assistance and that Biden 'take hold of this.' More than 110,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the city since the Spring of 2022, costing the city roughly $10 million every day. Serial baby killer Lucy Letby today launched an appeal against her convictions, infuriating the father of one of the infants she tried to murder. The 33-year-old nurse who was last month sentenced to a whole life order for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others is expected to start her bid to clear her name at a court hearing later this month. But any full consideration of her appeal is unlikely to take place for several months. Letby, originally from Hereford, was convicted of attacking the babies at Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016. She denied all the offences and refused to attend her sentencing at Manchester Crown Court. One father, whose baby Letby tried to murder, told the Mail: 'I'm disgusted and angry that Letby is appealing. Children's nurse Lucy Letby (pictured in a custody photo) was last month given 14 whole life orders Letby went on a year-long killing spree at the Countess of Chester Hospital 'As if we haven't been through enough. We are trying to rebuild our lives and now this, it's a joke of a system. I don't understand on what grounds she can appeal - there were no mitigating factors in the trial.' Letby's application comes after a scientist launched a fundraising campaign claiming the case against her was built on 'unreliable expert advice' and 'a bad grasp' of science. Californian-based Sarrita Adams, who describes herself as a scientific consultant for biotech start-up companies, is leading a group called Science on Trial. The group claims that Letby's conviction 'may represent the greatest miscarriage of justice that the UK has witnessed'. She was cleared of two counts of attempted murder. However, the jury was unable to reach verdicts on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five children. The Crown Prosecution Service will announce whether it is seeking a retrial on those counts at a hearing scheduled to take place in Manchester on September 25. Letby is now expected to use that hearing to formally launch an appeal against her convictions. Letby is seeking to appeal against all the crimes she was convicted of, the court confirmed. Anyone convicted of a crime has 28 days to ask for permission to appeal the 28-day period from the last verdicts in Letby's trial would have elapsed today. A judge will now look at Letby's application and decide whether to give permission for it to go to appeal. Should permission be given, the appeal would be heard by three senior judges. If her application for permission to appeal is rejected, Letby can still renew her application before a panel of two or three judges. In order to have an appeal heard, it is necessary to show that there are grounds for arguing that the conviction is unsafe. Should the judges agree, they can quash the conviction and order a retrial. Last month Letby's 'best friend' Janet Cox, who worked alongside her on the neonatal unit, told the Mail she still believed the nurse was innocent. An artist's impression showing a parent of one of Letby's victims reading a victim impact statement as Mr Justice Goss watches on Letby's parents, Susan, 63, and John, 77, had attended every day of her trial but were not at her sentencing The Judicial Office said it had received an application from her legal team. 'I can confirm that an application for leave to appeal against conviction has been received in the case of Lucy Letby,' a spokesman said. Letby's solicitor, Richard Thomas, declined to comment today. READ MORE - Senior doctor who tried to blow the whistle on Letby says he was 'intimidated' by bosses Advertisement The Department of Health has previously said that an independent inquiry will be held into Letby's case. It will examine 'the circumstances surrounding the deaths and incidents - including how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with'. The Criminal Appeal Office said it could not give any information about the grounds for appeal. No court hearing has yet been formally listed, the Judicial Office said. Last week it was announced that one of the country's most senior judges, Lady Justice Thirlwall, would lead the inquiry into Letby's crimes. Health Secretary Steve Barclay told MPs that Lady Justice Thirlwall, who currently sits in the Court of Appeal, was a judge and barrister 'with many years of experience'. The inquiry will have legal powers to compel witnesses, including former and current staff of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to provide evidence. Letby became only the fourth woman in UK history to receive a whole-life term. Whole-life orders are the most severe penalty available in the country's criminal justice system and are reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes. As the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, the 33-year-old was handed the sentence after prosecutor Nicholas Johnson KC told the court her offending was a 'very, very clear case' for a whole-life order to be imposed. The nurse joins a string of the country's most dangerous offenders who are likely to die behind bars, including Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, necrophiliac David Fuller and homegrown terrorist Ali Harbi Ali who murdered MP Sir David Amess. A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order, four of whom are being held in secure hospitals. They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. Only three other women have faced such a punishment: the girlfriend of Moors murderer Ian Brady, Myra Hindley - who died in 2002 - and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy. A man who showed a 'total disregard for the law' when he filmed himself driving at speeds of up to 90mph while inhaling from balloons hours before surviving a crash in which three people died has been jailed. Shane Andrew Loughlin, 32, of Rumney, Cardiff, previously admitted driving a Volkswagen Tiguan dangerously on the M4, as well as driving the vehicle while disqualified. The offences, relating to Loughlin driving at around 10pm on March 3, were not connected to a collision involving the same vehicle which happened near the St Mellons area of Cardiff at 2.03am on March 4. Loughlin was a rear seat passenger at the time of that crash, which resulted in the deaths of driver Rafel Jeanne , 24, and passengers Darcy Ross and Eve Smith, both 21, and he sustained serious injuries. Video footage played to Cardiff Crown Court on Friday afternoon showed Loughlin inhaling from balloons as he drove the Tiguan at speeds of up to 90mph along the M4, with the car crossing the lines of the road. Video footage played to Cardiff Crown Court on Friday showed Shane Andrew Loughlin, 32, inhaling from balloons as he drove the Tiguan at speeds of up to 90mph along the M4, with the car crossing the lines of the road. The offences, relating to Loughlin driving at around 10pm on March 3, were not connected to the collision involving the same vehicle on March 4 Rafel Jeanne, 24, who was driving the car, died in the crash that occurred near the St Mellons area of Cardiff at 2.03am on March 4 Loughlin was a rear seat passenger at the time of the crash, which resulted in the deaths of driver Rafel Jeanne, 24, and passengers Darcy Ross (left) and Eve Smith (right), both 21, and he sustained serious injuries The court heard Loughlin, who has three young children, at times did not have either hand on the wheel as he inhaled nitrous oxide from the balloon. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, jailed Loughlin for 17 months and told him it was 'luck, not judgment' that he had not injured or killed anyone that night. She said: 'This was a deliberate decision to drive dangerously. You ignored the rules of the road and disregarded the risks to others. 'It was prolonged driving and prolonged use of the mobile phone to record what you were doing. You had passengers in the vehicle. 'You were filming, it would appear, to be able to share that video with others.' She continued: 'That night, you showed a total disregard for the law. You know full well the consequences that can arise from a road traffic collision. 'It was luck, not judgment, that meant you didn't seriously injure or kill anyone else or yourself.' The judge said Loughlin had a 'truly appalling' record of criminal convictions, including driving offences, and was the subject of a driving ban at the time of the incident. She disqualified him from driving for two years and eight months. He will have to pass an extended driving test before regaining his licence. Sophie Russon, 20, sustained serious injuries in the crash Jason Howells, prosecuting, described how South Wales Police officers investigating the fatal crash removed items from the scene including Loughlin's iPhone and found four videos showing him driving dangerously. In one video, lasting 23 seconds, Loughlin filmed himself driving the car as he inhaled from a balloon. The car dashboard showed the speed as 80mph, with the fuel light and airbag light illuminated. Another clip showed the vehicle driving along the M4 at 90mph, with a winter tyre warning light on. CCTV footage showed Loughlin, who was disqualified from driving at the time, getting in and out of the vehicle's driver seat at a petrol station at 10.41pm on March 3. Loughlin was arrested at Cardiff Bay police station on May 17. During a police interview, he said he could not recall driving and claimed he had not inhaled nitrous oxide before. He later appeared before Cardiff Magistrates' Court, where he admitted offences of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. The court heard Loughlin was the subject of a community order, relating to an incident involving the sister of Mr Jeanne - his former partner and mother to his three children - at the time. Rafel Jeanne. An initial inquest hearing into the deaths of Mr Jeanne, Ms Ross and Ms Smith heard they were declared dead at the scene of the crash. The inquest was adjourned to await the findings of further histology and toxicology tests Andrew Taylor, representing Loughlin, said the fatal collision was a reminder that 'partying and driving motor vehicles is a cocktail that should never be mixed'. 'The driver at the time the fatal crash happened was not this defendant and he cannot be blamed for the accident that cost those lives,' Mr Taylor said. He said the car was not discovered for almost 48 hours following that collision, with Loughlin and Sophie Russon, 20, another passenger, left waiting for help for that time having sustained serious injuries. Loughlin suffered facial fractures, numerous leg fractures, a rupture to his aorta and a fractured elbow in the crash. Mr Taylor added: 'When he was taken to the University Hospital of Wales, he was advised that the only thing probably that saved his life was the cold temperatures at the time. 'The mental and physical scars will be with Shane Loughlin forever and a day. He will never get over what happened.' He said his client's heart function is between 24 and 50 per cent and it is likely he will require heart surgery in the future. Previously, Joel Lia, 28, of Rumney, Cardiff was fined for driving the Volkswagen Tiguan without a licence or insurance an hour before the crash. He had left the vehicle shortly before the fatal collision. An initial inquest hearing into the deaths of Mr Jeanne, Ms Ross and Ms Smith heard they were declared dead at the scene of the crash. The inquest was adjourned to await the findings of further histology and toxicology tests. Sadiq Khan is set to discuss his controversial ULEZ expansion at a summit in New York next week. The London Mayor is jetting off to the US on Sunday to attend the UN General Assembly and a climate ambition conference. Mr Khan, who will be accompanied by a handful of aides, said he intends to 'bang the drum for business and investment' during the trip. He is also set to appear with Prince William at an event for the Earthshot Prize - which highlights innovative ways to 'repair the planet'. But critics questioned how green it was to travel 7,000 miles to discuss environmental issues. Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall accused Mr Khan of 'swanning off to America to lecture everyone' while Londoners were being hit by the 'disastrous' ULEZ expansion. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is jetting off to the US on Sunday to attend the UN General Assembly and a climate ambition conference How the Ultra Low Emission Zone has expanded across London over the years Mr Khan said: 'I am looking forward to visiting New York where I will be banging the drum for London, showcasing our capital as the perfect destination for businesses to invest in and tourists to visit as I continue working to build a more prosperous London for everyone. 'I'll be meeting many leading businesses and investors during my stay and reminding them that there is nowhere better than London on the planet to set up, or grow your business. 'I am also honoured to have been invited to participate in this key summit taking place during the United Nations General Assembly about climate change, the biggest global threat we face today. 'I am determined for London to continue being a world leader in tackling the twin dangers of air pollution and the climate emergency. My visit to the UN is an opportunity to learn from other cities and nations and ensure London remains at the forefront of global action.' The C40 group of world cities vowing action on climate change, which Mr Khan chairs, is reportedly funding the trip. Mr Khan is said to have been invited to the climate gathering by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Tony Devenish, the Tories' City Hall environment spokesman, told the Evening Standard: 'He has declared himself to be the 'greenest mayor' yet his office has reportedly accumulated over 360,000 air miles since he became mayor. 'His latest trip, to attend a climate summit, will add even more air miles to that total, contradicting his so-called green credentials.' Brixton Academy, which closed following the deaths of two people last year, can reopen after meeting 77 'robust' safety conditions, Lambeth Council has said. The south London music venue has been closed since the deadly crush where fans without tickets tried to enter a show by Nigerian artist Asake on December 15. Met Police asked the council to remove the venue's licence after security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died and a 21-year-old woman was injured - she remains in hospital in a critical condition. The academy's licence was subsequently suspended for three months by Lambeth councillors who have now voted to restore it after a two day hearing. Following the council's licensing sub-committee's decision, the venue's owners Academy Music Group (AMG) said it is 'immensely grateful' and is 'determined to learn all appropriate lessons'. Brixton Academy, which closed following the deaths of two people last year, can reopen after meeting 77 'robust' safety conditions, Lambeth Council has said Following the deadly crush, the academy's licence was subsequently suspended for three months by Lambeth councillors- who have since decided to restore it The conditions imposed on the venue include stronger doors, new crowd management systems, more detailed risk assessments, a new ticketing system, a centralised control and command centre and new security and management. In a statement, Lambeth Council's cabinet member for safer communities, Mahamed Hashi, said the authority's licensing subcommittee would permit Brixton Academy to reopen 'only once it has met 77 extensive and robust new conditions designed to promote public safety'. Dr Hashi said: 'The investigation into whether any criminal offences have been committed is being led by the Met Police, and their work continues. 'Lambeth Council will do everything we can to support this police investigation so that there are answers and justice for the families of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gabrielle Hutchinson, who tragically lost their lives at the Academy in December.' The Metropolitan Police urged the council to remove the licence after 'large-scale disorder' at the scene, with crowds of 1,000 people trying to force their way in. When the doors were breached the crowd poured into the lobby towards the auditorium and surged over people who had fallen to the floor. A total of 165 security staff were used for the Asake show, the highest number the venue had ever used, the committee was told. Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the Met, said the force was not trying to shut down the venue, but believed AMG should no longer be the licensee. Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, who died following a crowd crush outside an Asake concert in Brixton Gaby Hutchinson who was named as the second person to have died after a crowd crush at Brixton Academy in December last year Owners AMG, which has operated the venue for 20 years, has done 'all in its power to analyse what went wrong' and has spent 1.2 million on maintenance and improvements in 2023, the barrister representing the company, Mr Philip Kolvin, said. AMG said the academy would re-open with a series of test events and the timeline for reopening would be announced in due course. Lambeth Council to ensure the public can enjoy events at O2 Brixton Academy again. Superintendent Gabriel Cameron, Lambeth neighbourhood police lead, said: 'It has never been our aim to ask for the venue itself to be permanently closed. We absolutely recognise the cultural importance of it and its place at the heart of Lambeth. 'Our investigation to establish the circumstances of what caused the tragic incident on 15 December 2022 is ongoing. We want to thank everyone who has already been in touch with information, and encourage anyone else who was present to come forward and provide any information they may hold.' AGM's statement said: 'We continue to be devastated by the events of last December. Our heartfelt condolences remain with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson. What happened was and is a tragedy and we are committed to ensuring that it can never be repeated. 'Over the past nine months, the venue's importance to the local community and the live music scene in the UK has been made clear through first-hand professional testimony, campaigns, and petitions as well as economic assessments demonstrating the financial impact to the surrounding area caused by the closure. 'Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15 2022. Working at a senior level with experts across all disciplines, AMG presented a comprehensive, multi-faceted response for the licensing authorities to support their case for the safe and secure reopening of the venue. A police investigation was launched and the Security Industry Authority opened an inquiry into corruption allegations made after the crush 'We appreciate having had the opportunity to present these detailed proposals and revised licence conditions at the hearing and we are very grateful they met with the approval of the Licensing Sub-Committee.' Marina Ahmad, London Assembly Labour economy spokesperson and member for Lambeth and Southwark, said: 'Today will be a challenging day for the friends and families of Gaby Hutchinson and Rebecca Ikumelo, along with everyone else who has been impacted by the crush at the Brixton Academy last December. 'I hope they can feel confident that the 77 extra conditions on the licence will prevent future tragedies happening. 'I will be reaching out to Brixton Academy immediately to be assured that fans can have a safe and fun night out. 'I am pleased that our community will retain this iconic venue. I would like to thank Lambeth Council and the police for their work ensuring that music lovers get to enjoy London's thriving late-night scene confident in their safety.' Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall, said: 'I know how popular the Brixton Academy is and the fondness in which it is held as a music venue. 'It plays an important role in Brixton's night-time economy and boosts trade for surrounding businesses. 'I am therefore pleased that it will reopen, but this should only happen in the full knowledge that it is safe to do so. 'Now that the decision has been made, it is now up to AMG to restore trust with the community and demonstrate their commitment to prioritising safety at all future events. 'I will be requesting a meeting with them shortly to seek further reassurances over this. It is not yet known exactly when the venue will reopen, given the significant safety enhancements that still need to be made.' Morning in America breaks with another brand boycott. Wake up and smell the pomegranate and verbena scented outrage. Dove has joined the self-congratulatory stampede of the Anheuser-Buschs of the world adopting troubled souls from the island of Misfit Pitch People. The shabby soap-maker has idiotically partnered with a professional Black Lives Matter activist named Zyahna Bryant to campaign for 'fat liberation.' That's as odd as a multi-millionaire socialist senator from Vermont, you might say. Dove is owned by one of the world's largest corporations, whose lifeblood is cut-throat capitalism, and BLM are quasi-socialists, who want to bring on a Marxist Revolution. But don't try to make any sense of it. It's a marriage headed straight for divorce court. And this time, as those light beer-drinking cream puffs learned the hard way, the smug virtue-signaling has gone too far, as furious hygiene freaks from coast-to-coast tell Dove to take their luxurious soap bars and shove it up their dirty parts. Bryant is a plus-plus-sized, far-left provocateur, who makes Michael Moore look like Dylan Mulvaney. This unholy PR union is meant to celebrate 'size freedom,' whatever the holy hell that means. 'Did you know that body size discrimination affects 34 million people in the United States?' Bryant blabbed on Instagram. Actually, no. I wasn't aware of that completely ridiculous made-up statistic. Bryant is a plus-plus-sized, far-left provocateur, who makes Michael Moore look like Dylan Mulvaney. Did you know 60 million women are living with some form of heart disease? And that one bazillion people think you're an idiot? 'Size freedom' or 'fat liberation' or any other ridiculous mashing together of words is nonsense, just like Dove's other campaign, #FreeThePits. Leave our pits alone. They're happily tucked under our arms, and no one was worried about them, until you had to invade with your pervy P.R. On one hand, the Bryant partnership is a brilliant stroke of misanthropic marketing genius. Dove gets to look brave by exalting an everywoman who would be overlooked in a culture that - we're told by corporate DEI witches is obsessed with thin white chicks. (Sure, tell that to Lizzo.) Plus, when you're selling lotiony smell-goods, it's evil scientist-smart to corner the great-big-fat-people market. They, by definition, have more skin to slather requiring even more product. Bravo, you cynical snakes! But before you rub that baby soft cream in your crannies like some zombie sucker, here's the rub - Ms. Bryant is far more than a fearless advocate for diabetes. She's also once tried to maliciously cancel and excommunicate a fellow University of Virginia student, who committed the unforgivable sin of stumbling across a 2020 BLM rally while white. Bryant is best known for her role leading a social media mob to destroy the innocent life of a then-rising UVA senior, Morgan Bettinger. By all reasonable accounts and some excellent reporting, Bettinger drove her car up to an intersection in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she found herself blocked by a dump truck. She got out to look around and saw that demonstrators had sat themselves down in the middle of the road. Bettinger admittedly told the dump truck driver something like, 'It's a good thing that you are here, because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps.' Morning in America breaks with another brand boycott. Wake up and smell the pomegranate and verbena scented outrage. The shabby soap-maker has idiotically partnered with a professional Black Lives Matter activist named Zyahna Bryant to campaign for 'fat liberation.' Whoopsie! Somehow that innocent remark was overheard by someone in the crowd and the pitch forks came flying out. Bettinger rushed back to her car, but protesters reportedly blocked her from escaping. Video shows Bryant who was there - shouting, 'It's a Karen, it's a Karen,' as she filmed the incident. 'What did she say?' a person can reportedly be heard asking. 'She said we'll make good speed bumps,' another replies. 'Oh! We'll make good speed bumps,' Bryant says. 'We'll make good speed bumps?' She took the ball and ran with it. 'The woman in this truck approached protesters in #Charlottesville, and told us that we would make 'good speedbumps,' Bryant wrote on Twitter. Nope. That wasn't true. But socialist sharks don't care when there's blood in the water. Bryant posted videos of Bettinger and her license plate, which helped anonymous social media users identify her and screenshot her Facebook page, which displayed a Blue Lives Matter frame in honor of her late cop dad. To the self-agitated, that was essentially a swastika. 'Email these UVA deans now to demand that Morgan face consequences for her actions and that UVA stop graduating racists,' Bryant posted, stoking the rage hurricane. A student-run star chamber convened by UVA found Bettinger guilty of 'threatening the health or safety' of students, humiliating her, upending her life and ruining her chances of getting into a law school. Only later did it became clear that Bryant twisted the facts to make Bettinger look like some violent monster. A student-run star chamber convened by UVA found Bettinger guilty of 'threatening the health or safety' of students, humiliating her, upending her life and ruining her chances of getting into a law school. (Above) Bettinger at 2020 Charlottesville protest Bettinger rushed back to her car, but protesters reportedly blocked her from escaping. (Above) Protesters shouting at Bettinger Bryant posted videos of Bettinger and her license plate, which helped anonymous social media users identify her and screenshot her Facebook page, which displayed a Blue Lives Matter frame in honor of her late cop dad (shown above). To the self-agitated, that was essentially a swastika. Another UVA investigation essentially reversed that verdict, concluded that no eyewitness could corroborate the story and Bryant admitted that she may have misheard the alleged threats. But there's no body wash strong enough to remove the stains on Bettinger's reputation. So, it really is appalling that Bryant would have the lady stones to take to Instagram to announce her Dove ambassadorship and say, 'let's talk about freedom...' Yes, let's. Freedom is the very thing that you tried to strip from Morgan Bettinger, because you saw an opportunity to stir up a boiling cauldron of tasty victimhood to feed your own self-interest. You're a bully, Bryant. But Dove seemingly doesn't care, as long as it allows them to tick off a box that they can brag about around the boardroom table. Maybe we should replace 'size freedom' with actual freedom and stop needlessly dividing people by weight, color, sex and gender. Frankly, I don't care if someone weighs 170 pounds or 1,700 pounds. But it truly enrages me when the faux-justice warriors push their revolting, self-destructive, self-righteousness on the rest of us. My issue is Dove's corporate sponsorship of an anti-woman campaign that encourages unhealthy lifestyles and promotes a person that tried to destroy another human being. Talk about stank pits! You guys reek. Joe Biden will not pardon his son Hunter, the White House insisted on Friday after the president ignored a question on the matter, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. But White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later clarified that the president would not make such a move - echoing the answer she gave in July when she was asked about it. 'Ive answered this question before and I was very clear. I said no,' she said in her daily press briefing. Hunter Biden faces three federal charges and 25 years in prison on charges related to his purchase of a gun. The president, after making remarks at the White House on the United Auto Workers strike, kept walking out of the Roosevelt Room and out the door as reporters asked him if he would use his presidential powers to help his son. President Joe Biden ignored a question on whether he would pardon his son Hunter Biden has not addressed the charges his son is facing. 'That's all I'm going to say,' the president said as he finished his remarks on the strike. He ignored a shouted question on 'will Hunter get a pardon,' walking straight out of the room. Jean-Pierre on Friday wouldn't answer a question on if the president has talked to his son since the charges were announced. 'I'm not going to get into the conversation that the President has with his family,' she said. Hunter Biden, meanwhile, is preparing to go to trial. His lawyer on Friday argued that the case against Hunter won't make it to trial - but refused to say whether or not Hunter was on drugs when he purchased the gun that led to federal charges. Attorney Abbe Lowell told ABC's Good Morning America that the Justice Department bended to 'political pressure' from Republicans in Congress when it charged Hunter Biden on three felony charges for lying about his crack cocaine addiction when buying a gun in 2018. The president's son is now facing a maximum of 25 years in prison, but his attorney has insisted the case will be 'dismissed' before Hunter has to stand trial. 'The U.S. Attorneys office has known about this for years. No charges,' Lowell said. 'What changed? Not the facts, not the law, but all the politics that have now come into play.' 'The only thing that's changed has been the political pressure put on by the Republicans in Congress and the media that supports them,' he argued. In the charges, two counts accuse Hunter Biden of having completed a form indicating he was not using illegal drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges he possessed a firearm while using a narcotic. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden will not pardon his son Hunter Lowell said Hunter was not on drugs at the time he purchased the revolver. 'If you're going to be specific, then be specific. If the form asks if you are a drug user on the day you buy a gun that is an issue. If it says have you ever used drugs that's an issue. That will be played out in court,' he said. ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked him if the defense is going to argue Hunter 'was not a drug user on the day he signed the form?' 'No, our defense has multiple parts to it,' Lowell responded. He also argued 'I think the case will be dismissed before trial.' Hunter Biden, in his memoir, detailed his drug use, including smoking crack cocaine. The first son talked about how he relapsed into his addiction after his brother Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Video discovered on Hunter's laptop computer shows him naked and brandishing a handgun in a hotel room in 2018, allegedly five days after buying the gun. But when asked if Hunter Biden was on drugs the day he purchased the gun, Lowell said: 'I think that's something that, if it ever gets that far, you and everybody else will see the evidence.' He declined to be more specific. But he went on to rage against the Justice Department for the backing out an earlier plea bargin agreement, accusing the feds of caving to political pressure from Republicans in Congress, who have been investigating Hunter Biden's foreign business deals and the Biden family finances. Hunter Biden 's lawyer Abe Lowell (left) on Friday argued that the case against President Joe Biden 's son will be dismissed before it goes to trial - but refused to say whether or not Hunter was on drugs when he purchased the gun that led to federal charges. Abbe Lowell refused to say if Hunter was on drugs the day he purchased a gun President Biden's son Hunter was indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss on federal felony gun charges Thursday - above Hunter with President Joe Biden in June 2023 Hunter allegedly lied on a firearm report (above) required for his gun transaction. A photo of the form shows he answered 'no' when asked if he was an 'unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance' U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by Donald Trump, is overseeing the prosecution and has been given special counsel status. Weiss and Hunter's lawyers reached a plea deal in July that called for the president's son to plead guilty in Delaware federal court to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes in return for prosecutors' recommending probation. A separate felony gun charge of illegally owning the Colt Cobra .38 special handgun would have been dropped in two years if Biden honored the terms of what is known as a diversion agreement. Lowell on Friday argued 'there's a deal in place that should have prevented' the federal charges. He also argued that courts are now finding the statute used in the charges as unconstitutional. 'The law changed,' Lowell said. 'But the law didn't change in favor of the prosecution. The law changed against it because a couple of federal courts have found this gun charge to be unconstitutional.' The plea deal, which Republicans blasted as a 'sweetheart deal' fell apart in a Delaware courtroom when the presiding judge started to question some of its details, including one that including would theoretically protect Hunter Biden from other tax-related crimes in the same period. Prosecutors said it would not. Hunter's lawyers said it would. The agreement fell apart. The three federal charges were announced on Thursday. Two of the counts carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Republicans are insisting that Biden's son is guilty of even more felonies and that Weiss' indictment on gun charges should just be the tip of the spear. On July 27, after the plea deal fell apart, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out President Biden issuing a pardon for Hunter. But it remains to be seen if the White House's posture has changed now that Hunter faces the three new felony charges. Shortly before leaving office, President Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for a 1985 cocaine and drug trafficking conviction for which he had already served time. In the last weeks of his own administration, Trump pardoned a skein of friends and associates, including daughter Ivankas father-in-law Charles Kushner. Both Ivanka and Jared Kushner were White House advisors at the time. A picture from Hunter Biden's laptop showed the now 53-year-old first son posing nude with a firearm The White House is not commenting on the new felony charges for the president's son, and Biden joked he would get in 'trouble' if he answered press questions at the end of an economics speech later Thursday. Still it's a crushing blow to the president, who is running for re-election next year. Hunter's legal issues were thought to be resolved with the plea deal and it was shocking when the agreement fell apart. The charges came the same week that Republicans in the House opened a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his alleged connections to Hunter's business dealings and is likely to have a long-term impact on his political career. The First Son purchased a 0.38 Colt Cobra caliber pistol in Delaware, a state that makes any buyer answer a series of questions before they can lay their hands on a weapon. One from the 2018 application asks if the applicant uses or is addicted to drugs. The box is clearly checked 'no.' Hunter has admitted that he was addicted to crack cocaine at the time of the gun purchase. About two weeks later his lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it 'unlocked' in his truck and threw it in a grocery store trash can. Its discovery sparked a police investigation. In addition, now-President Biden sounded close to tears in the voicemail left on Hunter's abandoned laptop on October 15 - three days after Hunter bought the gun and lied about being a drug addict - begging him to get help. 'It's Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world pal,' Joe said in the October 15 message. 'You gotta get some help. I know you don't know what to do, I don't either.' A Star Wars fan who tried to break into Windsor Castle and kill the late Queen with a crossbow has apologised to the King and the Royal Family. Jaswant Singh Chail was dressed as a 'Sith' character when he climbed into the castle grounds in December 2021 with a loaded crossbow before announcing: 'I'm here to kill the Queen'. The court heard that he had wanted to shoot the late Queen when she visited a church in Sandringham, but travelled to Windsor when he found out she would be spending Christmas Day 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. On the day he got into the castle grounds, he sent a video to 32 people, including family and friends, on WhatsApp in which he apologised for what he was about to do. In the video, he said in a distorted voice: 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I've done and what I will do. I'm going to attempt to assassinate Elizabeth Queen of the Royal Family. 'This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated, and discriminated on because of their race. 'I'm an Indian Sikh, a Sith. My name was Jaswant Singh Chail, my name is Darth Jones.' Jaswant Singh Chail was dressed as a 'Sith' character when he climbed into the castle grounds in December 2021 with a loaded crossbow before announcing: 'I'm here to kill the Queen' He had also considering shooting King Charles, the then Prince of Wales, if he could not get close to the Queen. He had previously applied to join the army, MoD police, Royal Marines and Royal Navy in bid to get close to her. He claimed he was encouraged by his AI girlfriend, a chat bot named Sarai, to break into the royal residence. He had sent over 6,000 messages to the chat bot in the month before the offence, including 1,000 overtly sexual messages. In a letter to the court, the 21-year-old apologised to the Royal Family for the effect his actions would have had in the later years of the Queen's life. Defence barrister Nadia Chbat told the court: 'He has expressed regret and sadness about the effect this offending will have had on the royal family particularly at a time when her late Majesty was in her later years. 'He was saddened at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, as was the rest of the nation, and despite his offending, because now he is being treated within a mental health institution you can see his good character re-emerging in this letter he has written to the court. 'He has expressed an apology to the court but also to the royal family and His Majesty King Charles and his family. He is embarrassed and ashamed that he brought such worrying times to their front door. The court heard that he had wanted to shoot the late Queen when she visited a church in Sandringham, but travelled to Windsor when he found out she would be spending Christmas Day 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic 'He has expressed on numerous occasions his relief that no one was in fact hurt and I know it is of significant importance to him that he did surrender- not only did he not carry out the act but no other person was hurt by his behaviour. 'We are dealing with a young man. Your lordship knows that at the time of this offending Mr Chail was 19 years old. 'Lockdown gripped the nation in March 2020- he was only 18 years old when we went into the first lockdown. Before these events this was a young man who lived in the family home which was generally a strong family unit. 'The court has references from his parents and his friend- they all say that before what we submit is his decline into ill health he was a kind, humorous and gentle young man. 'The family were close- his father works as a software consultant, his mother is a teacher of children with special needs. His elder brother moved away but lives close by working in the insurance industry and his twin sister went off to university. 'The events of December 2021 have utterly shocked and devastated this family unit and the defendant has sincere regret for how this has impacted on his family and that deep regret will be with him for the rest of his life. 'He has always regretted his behaviour. Of course we invite a sentence that enables him at some point to return to his family and at some point move into a future where he can take positive steps and move forward. 'We are dealing with someone able to reflect on how very serious these events were and how serious his mental health and decline impacted on everyone around him.' It was suggested he would have been charged with plotting the death of the sovereign, had he not lowered the crossbow Defence psychiatrists have claimed that Chail was suffering from psychosis, depression and autistic spectrum disorder when he carried out the offences, and should be kept in hospital. His treating psychiatrist Dr Christian Brown, who recommended a hospital order, suggested Chail will need around 18 months of one-to-one therapy. But Dr Nigel Blackwood, called by the prosecution, earlier told the court Chail does not have a mental health disorder and the judge should be free to send him to prison. Chail earlier admitted intending to injure or alarm the Sovereign, contrary to Section 2 of the Treason Act 1842, making a threat to kill the late monarch, and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Mr Justice Hillard asked prosecutor Alison Morgan, KC, to outline what prison sentences he would have faced before mental health is taken into consideration. The offence of threatening to injure or alarm the Sovereign has a maximum sentence of seven years. Ms Morgan told the court the degree of alarm caused could not have been higher and that Chail's intent was to do more than injure and alarm. She added that is was only because he abandoned his plans and handed himself into Windsor Castle security that he was not charged with High Treason, which carries a life sentence. The 21-year-old was dressed as a 'Sith' character when he filmed a video on the grounds of the castle She suggested he would have been charged with plotting the death of the sovereign, had he not lowered the crossbow. 'It is not mitigation that he desisted because if he'd done anything else he would have been charged with different offences,' she said. 'His stated intention was to kill rather than just cause alarm or injury- he had a loaded crossbow ready to be fired.' She added that for a person with no mental health issues, it would not be appropriate to make any reduction other than for guilty plea, due to the severity of the offence. The offence of possession of an offensive weapon has a maximum sentence of four years. Mr Justice Hillard said the writers of the guidelines for the offence, would not have envisioned them being applied to someone in possession of a loaded crossbow to kill the monarch. The court heard that the carrying of the 'highly dangerous' weapon with bolts in a public place combined with the fact it was being used to target a high profile individual would suggest the maximum sentence. The final offence, threat to kill, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Ms Morgan told the court that while she could offer no evidence of the effect on the target, the late Queen, those who received the video from Chail about his threats on the grounds of Windsor were caused distress. 'People were distressed not only at the possibility it would have been fulfilled- but also distressed by the defendant making videos of that nature and circulating them- including the defendant's sister', she said. He had also considering shooting King Charles, the then Prince of Wales, if he could not get close to the Queen 'I can't deal as my lord knows with the direct victim- that is simply not something I can do I'm afraid. This is the most serious type of threat to kill that one could imagine could be made.' She added that Chail was close to being charged under section 5 of the Terrorism Act, which would have carried a possible life sentence. 'This is a video expressing ideology which includes an act of serious violence which he has encouraged and passed on to others', she said. 'It is only because there was some doubt as to whether or not in expressing the ideology he truly intended to influence the government or a section of the public that charges were avoided- but he clearly intended others to hear and fear the threat that he was making.' 'The seriousness of this offending- putting aside credit for plea and mental health- it would be just or proportionate for each of these offences to be combined at or around the statutory maximum', she added. Mr Justice Hilliard agreed, telling the court: 'Given the gravity and separate aspects of this offending it may not be a case where looking at each individual sentence a portion is reduced for totality. 'It would be possible to say this is so serious that each component of it is separate and must be fully acknowledged. Chail is currently being held in Broadmoor maximum security hospital ahead of sentencing on October 5. Google co-founder Sergey Brin has finalized his divorce from wife Nicole Shanahan after she denied she had an affair with his friend Elon Musk. New documents show the couple's split is now official after being signed off by the court, Page Six reports. They will share joint legal and physical custody of their four-year-old daughter and she will receive child support, however the details of the payments have not been disclosed. The couple also had a prenuptial agreement in place. Brin filed for divorce from his wife of four years in January 2022, citing 'irreconcilable differences' in court papers, which stated the pair had been separated since December 2021. In July, Shanahan revealed that she was in a new relationship with vice president of Lightning Labs Jacob Strumwasser after the pair met at Burning Man. Brin, 48, quietly filed divorce papers in January 2022, citing 'irreconcilable differences' Brin and Shanahan, who began dating in 2015, made their public debut as a couple at the 2016 Met Gala, when they walked the red carpet together (pictured) Rumors swirled their separation was linked to claims that Shanahan had an affair with Musk which both denied ever happened The world's seventh richest man, who is worth $93 billion, secretly wed Shanahan in November 2018. Brin and Shanahan were intent on keeping the details of their divorce hidden from the public, saying the tech mogul's status as 'one of the wealthiest and most famous technology entrepreneurs in the world' as being behind the need for privacy. Shanahan did not contest the divorce at the time. All financial issues have been kept confidential however it was initially reported Brin did not ask Shanahan for spousal support and requested that she do not receive any from him in the future, however Shanahan did request spousal support. She has been granted 'non-guideline' child support, however the amount has been sealed. Rumors swirled their separation was linked to claims that Shanahan had an affair with Musk in December 2021 at Art Basel, a multi-day art event in Miami, however both strongly denied the accusations. 'This is total bs,' Musk tweeted in response to the claims. 'Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night. 'Ive only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around,' he continued. 'Nothing romantic.' Art Basel took place in Miami last year between December 2nd and December 4th 2021. According to the Journal's sources, Shanahan and Brin were already having marital problems because of the stress of COVID-19. Editors there have refused to retract it and say they stand by their claims which reportedly brought an abrupt end to Musk and Brin's years-long friendship. Shanahan later spoke out about how the allegations of an affair rocked her. 'My career has been based on academic and intellectual credibility, and I was being shamed internationally for being a cheater,' she said. 'To be known because of a sexual act is one of the most humiliating things . . . it was utterly debilitating.' Addressing the alleged affair, she said: 'Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No. 'Did we have a romantic relationship? No. We didnt have an affair.' Instead, she claims that her and Musk were having a deep meaningful conversation about her daughter's autism. According to Shanahan, they spoke about: 'How I might think about helping my daughter with her autism treatment, given his background with Neuralink. Google co-founder Sergey Brin - who has a net worth of $93 billion and is the seventh richest man in the world - filed for divorce from Shanahan in January 2022 (seen in 2018) News of Brin's split from Shanahan came days after it was reported that the couple purchased a $13.5 million Malibu mansion (pictured) - which was once owned by Pink - back in September 2020 All financial issues have been kept confidential however it was initially reported Brin did not ask Shanahan for spousal support 'It was a conversation that was very meaningful about life and how people show up for one another. 'To be painted with such a massive scarlet letter for it just seems so unfair.' Shanahan claimed that she knew who the 'sources' were who said she was having an affair, and added: 'I forgive you, and Im moving on.' Shanahan she started attending the University of Puget Sound in 2003, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Mandarin Chinese, according to her LinkedIn profile. She then went on to study global intellectual property trade and Chinese law at the National University of Singapore in 2013, before starting law at Santa Clara University. By the time she was in her early 20s, Modern Luxury reports, she got a job at RPX Corporation as a patent specialist, but she quit after just 10 months after she was sexually assaulted. She and Brin met at a yoga retreat in 2016, according to the Journal. She was, at the time, a patent lawyer and tech entrepreneur in her own right. She was profiled on the cover of San Francisco magazine in June 2021 where she was heralded as a 'change maker', and told the interviewer how she overcame a childhood with a 'bipolar schizophrenic father. Shanahan revealed in July she met a new man - vice president of Lightning Labs Jacob Strumwasser - at Burning Man 'My dad was diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia when I was 9, and my Chinese-born mom had only been in the US for two years when I was born. I had two unemployed parents for the majority of my childhood, so not only was there no money, there was almost no parental guidance, and as you can imagine with a mentally ill father, there was lots of chaos and fear.' She told of growing up on food stamps and bussed tables when she was 12, and how the internet changed her life. 'Without the internet I would probably still be in Oakland doing the same thing I was doing age 12'. Musk was one of the first dot.com billionaires. He created the company that went on to become PayPal. Nicole, in her interview, told of her desire to leave behind a legacy of 'ideas' and 'helping the planet'. 'I want my legacy to be one of ideas. I want it to be about evolving the human experience on this planet in an abundant way. I want it to be one of strength and love and compassion. I want it to be one of working hard, learning from one's mistakes and of personal growth.' Speaking about her early love life with Brin, she said: 'I was living in a fairy tale. It was magical. 'It seemed like we really could solve a lot of the worlds problems with tech then.' But she soon realized that they weren't a perfect fit after their marriage in 2018. They separated in December 2021, and filed for divorce in June 2022. In the wake of a series of savage attacks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today vowed to ban American Bully XLs by the end of 2023. The dog breed has been blamed for a recent spike in dog-related attacks that have seen nine British people killed over the previous year. American Bully XLs were involved in at least four of those deaths, while an American Bully XL crossbreed was responsible for a fifth person dying in December 2022. Now, the Prime Minister has ordered ministers to convene a panel of experts to define the breed, in order for American Bully XLs to be outlawed. But what will actually mean if the UK decides to ban the killer breed? Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today vowed to ban American Bully XLs following a series of attacks What does a dog ban mean? If a dog breed is listed on the UK's list of banned breeds, it means it is illegal to own dogs that match the official description of those breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The law makes it illegal to own four different types of dog in Britain, and defines those four breeds by their physical and behavioural characteristics. This means that even if a dog is not a pure bred, it may fall under the definition of a banned breed. The act also makes it illegal to sell, breed, advertise, give away or abandon dogs that match the official description of banned breeds. Which dogs are already banned in Britain? Pit Bull Terriers are already banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 READ MORE: Which dogs are banned in the UK? Illegal breeds and Dangerous Dogs Act explained Advertisement There are currently four dog breeds listed on the UK's, including the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro. All of the dog breeds that are currently banned in the UK were originally bred for fighting, and deemed to be dangerous under British law. American Bully XLs could soon be added to the UK's official list, and banned under the same legislation. What are the penalties for owning a banned dog? If you owned a dog that matches the description of a banned breed, the police or local council dog wardens are allowed to seize your dog. People who are proven to own banned dogs in a court of law then face being sent to prison for up to six months, or being issued an unlimited fine. Their dogs will also be destroyed, if proven to match the official description of a banned breed. Is it possible to appeal? If your dog is seized, your dog will be returned to you if you are able to prove it is not a banned breed. People who are able to prove their dogs are not dangerous, despite matching the description of those dogs on the list of banned breeds, may also gain exemptions. Dog owners whose pets that match the description of dogs on the dangerous dogs list are able to obtain exemptions if they are able to prove their pet is not dangerous A Certificate of Exemption is valid for the entirety of a dog's life, and means owners may keep their dogs if they follow specific conditions. Dogs with Certifcates of Exemptions must be neutered, microchipped, kept on leads and muzzled while in public places, and kept in secure places from which they are unable to escape. Owners must also be over the age of 16, take out insurance against their dogs hurting people, and inform the authorities if they change addresses or their dog dies. Police officers and local council dog wardens may also ask to see a certificate of Exemption, which an owner must provide within five days. What are American Bully XLs? American Bully XLs were first recognised as a distinct dog breed in 2004 American Bully XLs were first recognised as a distinct and separate dog breed in 2004, having been bred from American Pit Bull Terriers, which already banned in Britain. They are described as being up to 58cm (23 inches) tall and weighing up to 60kg (130lbs). In recent years, the dog breed has been linked to a number of attacks across Britain, including almost half of all fatal dog attacks across the country since 2021. Those deaths include at least two out of five American Bully XL related deaths in 2021, five out of ten deaths in 2022, and three out of seven in 2023. Furious Welsh locals have warned that drivers could get distracted by checking their speedometers instead of looking at the road ahead when Mark Drakeford's blanket ULEZ-style 20mph speed limit comes into effect. The new go-slow restrictions start on Sunday but drivers are already clogging up urban roads by 'tootling along' at under 20mph. Businesses fear it will hit their trade as badly needed tourists will stay away from Wales for fear of an unwanted souvenir - three points on their license. Some drivers believe it's a money-making exercise by the Welsh Government whose first minister Mark Drakeford is under fire by introducing the new legislation. A staggering 32.5m is being spent on the new signs, money which taxpayers say should have gone to the NHS. A glossy bi-lingual leaflet delivered to every home in Wales says: 'Most journeys will be around one minute longer'. Catering boss Jamie O'Leary, 42, said: 'I don't believe their figures - most journeys will be a lot longer' Retired bricklayer Eric Walters, 79, saw the new 20mph signs going up in his home village of Llanwrda, Carmarthenshire, where the speed limit has been 30mph in the 68 years he's lived there. He said: 'There are a lot of people unhappy about it but the Welsh Government isn't going to go back on it' The new law was blasted as 'ridiculous' by customers at the roadside West End Cafe in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, a favourite with leather-clad bikers But the Welsh Government insists that the 20mph speed limit will result in 40 per cent fewer collisions each year and up to 10 lives will be saved. A glossy bi-lingual leaflet delivered to every home in Wales says: 'Most journeys will be around one minute longer'. Catering boss Jamie O'Leary, 42, said: 'I don't believe their figures - most journeys will be a lot longer. 'You have to factor in that some drivers will go below the speed limit because they don't want to get caught. 'This will seriously affect supply chains coming into Wales. Delivery drivers aren't going to want to come here if it's going to add a third onto their journeys. 'And tourists won't come to Wales if they fear a 100 fine and three points on their licence. They will have to change their mindset every time they cross the Severn Bridge. 'Most people in Wales think Mark Drakeford's got this wrong - he doesn't even drive a car these days. 'It's hard to drive at 20mph, the car doesn't know whether to go up to third gear or labour in second.' The Welsh Government leaflet advises drivers: 'When you see streetlights assume the speed limit is 20mph unless you see signs that say otherwise.' But Rob Williams, 54, of Treherbert, Rhondda, said: 'That's going to clog up every street, every morning and evening in every town and village in Wales. 'It will lead to more crashes because drivers will be going along checking their speedos and not looking at the road in front of them. 'People on the school run on Monday should be prepared for drivers running into the back of them. 'If you ask me it's a money-making exercise and they're turning Wales into snails.' The new law was blasted as 'ridiculous' by customers at the roadside West End Cafe in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, a favourite with leather-clad bikers. Barney John, of Neath, South Wales, said: 'The A470 which connects North and South Wales is 60mph outside Newbridge-on-Wye then it goes down to 20mph for 500 yards. It's ridiculous. 'Part of their argument is emissions but my car runs more efficiently at 50mph than at 20.' Some drivers believe it's a money making exercise by the Welsh Government whose first minister Mark Drakeford is under fire by introducing the new legislation Biker Liz Treharne, 58, of Brynamman, Carmarthenshire, said: 'I've got nothing against 20mph zones outside schools and old people's homes, I don't think anyone is arguing against that. 'Drivers are getting ready for the new law by crawling along at 20mph. It's going to be dreadful when everyone is doing it from Sunday. 'The cost of the signs is over 30mph - they would have been better off giving it directly to the NHS.' Retired bricklayer Eric Walters, 79, saw the new 20mph signs going up in his home village of Llanwrda, Carmarthenshire, where the speed limit has been 30mph in the 68 years he's lived there. He said: 'There are a lot of people unhappy about it but the Welsh Government isn't going to go back on it. 'If it saves lives then that's fine but most drivers have ignored it when it was 30mph, we will have to wait and see what they do now it's gone down to 20mph.' On Friday, Mr Drakeford said drivers will be allowed to 'get used' to widespread 20mph limits from Sunday before enforcement begins. He told BBC Breakfast: 'I anticipate that there will be a number of weeks while people get used to a change of this sort. It is a major change. It will need time to bed in. 'It is not a change that is being introduced in order to make life difficult for people and therefore the enforcement authorities will approach it in that way.' Also on Friday morning, an interactive map on the Welsh Government's website to show locations of the 20mph roads crashed amid high demand, but later came back online. A screenshot of the Welsh Government's map of 20mph roads, taken from its website by MailOnline this morning before it crashed. Roads that will become 20mph by virtue of legislation are shown in orange. Roads that could become 20mph by order are shown in blue A study by Public Health Wales and Edinburgh Napier University published last year estimated that the speed limit reduction policy would spare the health service tens of millions of pounds a year, due to fewer deaths or injuries. The Welsh Government confirmed the introduction will cost 32million, but said this would be outweighed by the reduced impact on the NHS and emergency services. However, the Welsh Conservatives cited official documents warning that the policy could inflict a 9billion blow to the Welsh economy by increasing journey times. Pointing to Spain as an example, which has implemented a similar policy, Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies warned that road deaths actually increased after the scheme was rolled out. And the RAC told MailOnline today suggested it was pointless targeting main roads where there are fewer pedestrians. Asked about the data on a potential reduction in road deaths, Mr Davies declared: 'These claims are rubbish. When a similar policy was implemented in Spain, road fatalities went up. 'Labour have admitted their blanket 20mph speed limits will cost the Welsh economy up to 9billion. This economic hit will result in less cash going towards our Welsh NHS.' Facing fresh scrutiny two years on, the Pentagon has decided to interview roughly two dozen new witnesses to the Kabul bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal - but insists this does not amount to reopening its investigation. The interviews will be with service members who were at the airport at the time of the attack but not questioned previously. They are meant to see if the service members can provide any new information on the attack that the Pentagon has already deemed 'not preventable.' The new interviews, ordered by head of U.S. Central Command Gen. Erik Kurilla, were triggered in part by assertions from at least one service member injured in the blast who said he was never interviewed and that he may have been able to stop the attackers. Last year the Washington Post reported two U.S. Marines had spotted a man matching the description of the suicide bomber ahead of the attack and asked for permission to strike. They were told no - too many civilians nearby. Pentagon orders new investigation into the Kabul blast that killed 13 US service members in August 2021 The additional interviews will likely be seized on by congressional critics, mostly Republican, as proof that the administration bungled the probe into the attack, in addition to mishandling the withdrawal. And it may reopen wounds for families of those killed and injured, particularly those who have complained that the Pentagon hasn't been transparent enough about the bombing that killed 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. servicemen and women. U.S. Central Commands investigation concluded in October 2021 that given the worsening security situation at the airport's Abbey Gate as Afghans became increasingly desperate to flee, 'the attack was not preventable at the tactical level without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees.' And, the Pentagon has said that the review of the suicide attack had turned up neither any advance identification of a possible attacker nor any requests for 'an escalation to existing rules of engagement' governing use of force by U.S. troops. Central Command plans to speak with a number of service members who were severely wounded in the bombing at the Abbey Gate and had to be quickly evacuated from the country for medical care. They represent the bulk of the planned interviews, but a few others who weren't wounded are also included. Officials also did not rule out that the number of interviews could grow as a result of those initial conversations. 'The purpose of these interviews is to ensure we do our due diligence with the new information that has come to light, that the relevant voices are fully heard and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously and thoroughly so the facts are laid bare,' Central Command spokesperson Michael Lawhorn said in a statement. 'These interviews will seek to determine whether those not previously interviewed due to their immediate medical evacuation possess new information not previously considered, and whether such new information, if any, would affect the results of the investigation, and to ensure their personal accounts are captured for historical documentation,' Lawhorn said. Officials on Friday began informing family members of those killed in the bombing as well as members of Congress about the latest plan. Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, head of Army Central Command, is overseeing the team conducting the interviews, which is led by Army Brig. Gen. Lance Curtis. Gen. Kurilla has asked Frank to provide an update in 90 days. In emotional testimony during a congressional hearing in March, former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews told lawmakers that he was thwarted in an attempt to stop the suicide bombing . He said Marines and others aiding in the evacuation operation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack before it occurred. He said he and others spotted two men matching the descriptions and behaving suspiciously, and eventually had them in their rifle scopes, but never received a response about whether to take action. 'No one was held accountable,' Vargas-Andrews told Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 'No one was, and no one is, to this day.' The March hearing was set up to examine the Biden administrations handling of the withdrawal. Taliban forces seized the Afghan capital, Kabul, far more rapidly than U.S. intelligence had foreseen as American forces pulled out. Kabuls fall turned the Wests withdrawal into a frenzy, putting the airport at the center of a desperate air evacuation by U.S. troops. The new interviews have been ordered by head of U.S. Central Command Erik Kurilla In April, President Joe Biden's administration laid blame on his predecessor, President Donald Trump, for the deadly withdrawal. A 12-page summary of the results of the ' hotwash ' of U.S. policies around the ending of the nations longest war asserts that Biden was 'severely constrained' by Trumps decisions. It acknowledges that the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan should have started sooner, but blames the delays on the Afghan government and military, and on U.S. military and intelligence community assessments. The administration has refused to release detailed reviews conducted by the State Department and the Pentagon, saying they are highly classified. The White House summary says that when Biden entered office, 'the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country.' A review by U.S. Inspector-General for Afghanistan John Sopko concluded that actions taken by both the Trump and Biden administrations were key to the sudden collapse of the Afghan government and military, before U.S. forces completed their withdrawal in August 2021. That includes Trumps one-sided withdrawal deal with the Taliban, and the abruptness of Bidens pullout of both U.S. contractors and troops from Afghanistan, stranding an Afghan air force that previous administrations had failed to make self-supporting, the review concluded. A teenager is among six 'Soldiers of Christ' group members charged with murder, after the beaten and starved body of a female was found inside the trunk of a car. Officers had been called to the carpark of a Korean spa in Duluth, Georgia, on Tuesday night after the discovery of a body in the trunk. The victim, according to police, was starved and beaten for three weeks at a property in Lawrenceville before she eventually died. Following a raid on the property, detectives said they believe the basement of the home to be where the crime took place. After the discovery, detectives charged six individuals with murder, Eric Hyun, 26, Gawom Lee, 26, Joonho Lee, 26, Juoonhyum Lee, 22, Hyunji Lee, 25, and 15-year-old Junyeoug Lee. Officers had been called to the carpark of a Korean spa in Georgia on Tuesday night after the discovery of a body in the trunk Police said they believe that Eric Hyun, pictured here, was the driver of the silver car that contained the victim After the discovery of the body and a subsequent search of a property, police arrested and charged six individuals - five of whom are pictured above According to police, the group are part of a religious group known as the Soldiers of Christ. They also said they believe the victim moved to the United States from South Korea sometime back in summer of this year for the purposes of joining a religious organization. The woman's body weighed just 70 pounds when she was found, with death notifications yet to be made to her family in South Korea. As well as the murder charge, the group have also been charged with false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another. Images shared by police show the basement where they believe the beatings to have taken place, a large area has been redacted due to blood. Police said they believe that Eric Hyun was the driver of the silver car that contained the victim. After leaving it outside of the spa, he is said to have called a family member to pick him up. The family member then drove him to a Atlanta area hospital due to unrelated injuries and while at the hospital Eric asked the relative to retrieve a personal item from the car. When the family member returned, they discovered the body of the victim in the trunk of the car. The investigation resulted in a search warrant for a Lawrenceville home that police said has ties to Hyun. The group have been charged with false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another. Pictured: The basement where police say the crime happened At a press conference, Cpl. Juan Mdiedo said: 'That search warrant yielded substantial evidence to charge the individuals for the crime. 'During the course of the investigation, it is believed that the basement [of that address] is where the crime took place. 'Detectives believe that the victim was brought over from South Korea sometime in the summer under the guise of joining a religious organization. 'They called themselves Soldiers of Christ. Due to the body's decomposed state, investigators couldn't initially identify the victim's gender, police told WSB-TV. The Korean spa near the scene where the body was discovered said in a statement: 'The police have confirmed that this incident is in no way related to the sauna. 'We are sorry for the victim and her family.' All are being held without bond. It was unknown if any of them had an attorney who could speak on their behalf. Jail records do not list a lawyer's name and they were not yet listed in Gwinnett County online court records. A police spokesperson said Friday that investigators believe they have arrested everyone who is involved and are not looking into Soldiers of Christ any further. A trial date has been set in the case of Michelle Troconis, the Connecticut socialite accused of helping her boyfriend orchestrate and coverup the murder of his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos. Jennifer vanished in May 2019 while in the midst of a contentious divorce from her husband Fotis. They pair were arguing over finances and custody of their kids when she disappeared. Her body has never been found, but police charged Fotis with her murder after discovering traces of what looked like pools of blood in her kitchen and garage. He killed himself while on bail, leaving his girlfriend, Troconis, to face the case alone. Michelle Troconis (pictured in November) will go to trial next month on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering She has long denied having any involvement in Jennifer's death and presumed death, but is now due to stand trial on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit tampering-physical evidence and hindering prosecution in the second degree and she has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Troconis, who is from Venezuela, asked for the case to be moved from Stamford to Hartford, but was turned down. Jury selection for her trial will now begin on October 4. If convicted, she faces life in prison. Fotis Dulos killed himself in February 2020 while on bail for his wife Jennifer's murder Jennifer Dulos vanished in May 2019. Her remains have never been found, but police believe she was murdered When searching Jennifer's rental property, police detected large blood spills in her kitchen Dulos also denied having any role in his estranged wife's disappearance. They were locked in a bitter custody battle over their five children and had been arguing over money. The children now live with their grandmother in New York. Fotis was pronounced dead in the hospital in February 2020 days after gassing himself in his car. He had been granted bail despite being charged with murder. Venezuelan socialite Troconis (left with her daughter and right with Dulos) has always denied having any involvement in Jennifer's death He worked at the company for over 20 years, heading up Fox Nation in 2019 A top Fox News executive was fired last week for violating standards of 'business conduct' - and now it has emerged that he allegedly sexually harassed a woman and stalked her. Former exec John Finley, who worked at the network for more than 20 years, was accused of being 'relentless' in his campaign of stalking, according to Mediaite. Divorced Finely, 45, is accused of targeting the woman after she worked on several projects with Fox Nation, the streaming service he had been heading up. She was not an employee of the broadcaster, and Fox hired a prestigious outside law firm to investigate and reached an undisclosed settlement with the woman. A spokesperson for Fox said: 'FOX News Media and John Finley have parted ways after an independent investigation concluded that he had violated certain standards of business conduct.' Former exec John Finley, who worked at the network for more than 20 years, was accused of being 'relentless' in his campaign of stalking, according to Mediaite He reportedly pursued romantic relationships with various subordinates throughout his time at the company, with one source telling Mediaite that he would get the girls Tiffany pearl earrings Finley married a fellow Fox staffer before the pair split in 2021, with multiple sources claiming that he would pursue romantic relationships with subordinates. One told Mediaite that the woman claimed Finley 'stalked her relentlessly and would not stop texting her', despite her 'rebuffing him'. He also reportedly took the woman to dinners and bought her gifts, with sources claiming that is part of what left to his firing last Friday. The executive, who was promoted in 2019 to the top job at Fox Nation, is accused of 'a relentless pattern of sexual harassment and quid pro quo.' 'I can get you this job if you incredible opportunities,' they said. 'If she went into New York and didn't see him? Temper tantrums.' Finley would allegedly make promises of 'big show promotions' to young female staffers, telling them he would make them a 'Fox News star', despite 'little to no power to actually do so.' He reportedly pursued romantic relationships with various subordinates throughout his time at the company, with one source telling Mediaite that he would get the girls Tiffany pearl earrings. The source added: 'I noticed that there's a tendency that all the women tend to get giant pearl earrings from him. Finley married a fellow Fox staffer before the pair split in 2021, with multiple sources claiming that he would pursue romantic relationships with subordinates 'It was our big code like, Oh, she must be getting those same pearl earrings from John. She got promoted with no experience. She's blonde. Looks like she came out of a sorority. 'He buys all the girls the same gifts. It was like he was having a f***-off.' Others say that he breached Fox's standards of business conduct which included conflict of interest, improper use of his position to benefit someone over whom he had influence and business ethics. Erin Kormann, a lawyer for Finley, told Mediaite: 'Mr. Finley wants us to convey that he vigorously denies all of the allegations that were contained in the text that you sent, and this is an attempt to defame Mr. Finley and that he intends to pursue all of his legal remedies at this time.' Kormann did not immediately respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com. Finley worked at Fox News from its inception and was promoted to launch Fox Nation in 2019, despite Jason Klarman being named president in 2020. He was also part of a probe for misconduct in 2011, bit he was cleared of any wrongdoing at the time with the network citing a lack of evidence. The Black Lives Matters activist at the center of a furious backlash after Dove unveiled a partnership with her has previously backed defunding the police - despite calling the cops almost immediately over a polite interview request. Zyahna Bryant, 22, is accused of ruining a white student's life over a 'misheard' remark in 2020. Yet Dove recently hired her to promote 'fat liberation' in a bizarre and controversial new campaign - leading thousands to boycott the brand. When DailyMail.com visited community organizer and University of Virginia student to ask about the controversy, we spoke to a woman who said she was Bryant's sister and handed over our contact details. But Bryant's manager rang back to say the activist felt threatened, before Charlottesville chief of police himself then called echoing the manager's message. This is despite Bryant being an outspoken advocate for defunding police over the years, having previously promoted the abolition of a Minneapolis police department. 'Defund the police,' she wrote on Instagram in July 2020, adding the hashtag echoing her message. Zyahna Bryant is pictured speaking at a rally in Charlottesville in September 2020. She has been vocal about backing campaigns to defund the police - yet called the police on Friday when DailyMail.com knocked on her door In July 2020, Bryant on Instagram called for the defunding of police Mike Kochis, Charlottesville's chief of police, explained he had received a call from Bryant saying 'she was feeling uncomfortable,' and wanting to 'get ahead of any situation' A month earlier, she had told Teen Vogue she supported the abolition of police departments. 'In Minneapolis, MPD150 is a group of local grassroots organizers pushing for the abolition of the city's police department, and it also has a handy zine for frequently asked questions about abolition,' she wrote. On Friday, Bryant called the police after DailyMail.com knocked on her door. Mike Kochis, Charlottesville's chief of police, explained he had received a call from Bryant saying 'she was feeling uncomfortable,' and wanting to 'get ahead of any situation.' He acknowledged that DailyMail.com had done nothing wrong, was on a public street, and had simply asked for an interview and left. He described the family as 'good people' and stated he is not aware of any actual threats having been made to Bryant at this time. Kochis's call came shortly after one by a man who introduced himself as Sean Lawton, her manager. DailyMail.com visited community organizer and UVA student, Zyahna Bryant, 22, on Friday to request an interview in the wake of the Dove boycott X user Carole Thorpe dumped her remaining Dove bars at news of Zyahna Bryant's hiring and says she will no longer make any purchases from the brand Lawton said: 'Zyahna feels threatened right now. This is now about her security.' Dove's decision to hire the controversial Bryant as a 'fat acceptance ambassador' has seen thousands take to social media calling for a boycott of their products. Bryant sparked controversy by falsely accusing a white fellow student at the University of Virginia of saying that BLM protesters would be 'good speedbumps'. The accusation was particularly painful, given the history of Charlottesville and the August 2017 far-right rally which ended in a counter-protester being run over and killed by a neo-Nazi. Bryant later admitted she may have 'misheard' the remarks by Morgan Bettinger, but the damage was done. The boycott, which has grown this week, has been billed as their 'Bud Light moment' a reference to the beer's disastrous partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. Speaking on Friday, Bryant's manager said: 'The biggest concern right now is about her security and her safety. 'That means this has now fallen into the domain of a legal matter which means we are unable to offer any comment at this time.' When asked what he meant by a 'legal matter,' Lawton said: 'It means I am unable to offer a comment at the advice of legal.' And, revealing that his client was holed up in her Charlottesville home, Lawton added: 'Are you in a grey SUV? She can see you from her window.' Tycoon and anti-woke crusader Elon Musk also replied to news of Bryant's hiring by describing it as 'messed-up' The Unilever-owned brand partnered with a professional Black Lives Matter activist named Zyahna Bryant to campaign for 'fat liberation' Bettinger, 24, was the target of threats from an ill-informed online mob fueled by Bryant's claims that she had heard the student threaten to turn protesters in Charlottesville into 'speedbumps'. Bettinger accidentally drove into a group protesting the death of George Floyd on July 17, 2020. Bryant tweeted a photo of Bettinger and said: 'The woman in this truck approached protesters in #Charlottesville, and told us that we would make 'good speedbumps.' 'She then called the police and started crying saying we were attacking her.' Bettinger is pictured in her car during the July 2020 protest. She insists she told a trucker blocking the road she was glad he was there to avoid a repeat of the 2017 Unite the Right rally, when a white supremacist struck and killed anti-racism protester Heather Heyer. But Bryant claimed Bettinger had suggested she wished to harm George Floyd protesters Video evidence does not show the moment Bettinger made the comment, but it does show the aftermath of protesters banging on her car, yelling obscenities at her, and making fun of her for crying as she called her mother and the police The claims - which Bryant later admitted may not have been true - were retweeted 1,000 times and a torrent of hate poured down on Bettinger, the daughter of a police officer. Furious conservatives have begun boycotting Dove after the soap brand hired Bryant last week. Carole Thorpe, from Charlottesville, shared a photo of three bars of Dove soap tossed in the trash on Thursday, on learning the Unilever-owned brand had joined forces with Bryant to push a 'fat liberation' campaign. Sharing her horror at news of Bryant's glitzy Dove gig, Thorpe wrote: 'After hearing that Dove Beauty chose Zyahna Bryant who ruined Morgan Bettinger's life for their 'fat acceptance ambassador,' THIS lifelong large lady & now former Dove customer tossed out the last three bars of Dove product she will EVER buy. I have written to Unilever too.' Scores of other angry users on X, formerly known as Twitter, also vowed to stop buying Dove products in protest at the campaign, which 22 year-old Bryant has been pushing on Instagram. The cops faced criticisms for what some saw as a misallocation of police resources after the CHP's social media post A man on a horse has been arrested for DUI after California Highway Patrol officers spotted him riding through the streets of a small town with an open container of alcohol. Officer Kody Brackett noticed the boozy cowboy galloping through Merced, 70 miles north of Fresno, and bucked into action. A video shared by the CHP showed the horse walking alongside a police vehicle, which the cops described as 'a display of true compassion.' Officer Kody Brackett noticed a boozy cowboy galloping through Merced, 70 miles north of Fresno, and bucked into action Brackett was seen posing happily with the horse in photos posted to the CHP's social media account on September 10. This incident serves as a surprising reminder that the state's drunken driving laws also apply to horse riders. The California Vehicle Code 21050 reads: 'Every person riding or driving an animal upon a highway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle.' In the social media post, the CHP praised Officer Brackett's commitment to keep roads safe. 'We commend Officer Brackett's dedication to upholding safety standards in all situations.' the CHP said. The horse was seen walking alongside the police vehicle in the video posted by the CHP, who said to escort it back was 'a display of true compassion'. Officer Brackett (pictured) pulled over the rider who was evidently 'impaired by alcohol', arrested him, and posed happily with the bay horse afterwards The CHP emphasized the dangers of impaired riding, 'even on a horse'. Comments on the post are divided, with some appreciating Officer Brackett for his work, while others believe it's a misuse of police resources. 'What a waste of police time, court resources, and arrestee's money. This is completely absurd,' one wrote. Another chimed in: 'What would have happened if there had been a serious accident/incident nearby... that police officer was the only one ... to provide the assistance, but he can't because he is escorting a freaking horse home and has a guy who may have had a beer in his backseat.' Laws regarding DUIs while riding horses vary from state to state, with California being one of the states that prohibits riding horses under the influence. Minnesota, Arizona, and Texas do not consider riding a horse while intoxicated as a DUI offense. The rider arrested has not been identified and it's not clear what kind of alcohol he was drinking. DailyMail.com has reached out to CHP for more information and comments on the arrest. Do you know who lives in the house? Email newsUS@dailymail.com One local land expert has now said he believes a man lives on the property, and has done for at least ten years A hermit may be living in a mysterious house made of driftwood perched precariously on the side of rocky cliffs near California's bay area. The ramshackle three-story structure was first spotted on a treacherous cliff edge at Devil's Slide, Pacifica, a 30 minute drive from San Francisco, by a drone in December 2022 - but is alleged to have been there for at least ten years. The property appears to have been constructed out of driftwood and has several rooms perched precariously on the rock face which offers stunning - but very dangerous - Pacific Ocean views. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, one local land expert has said the structure has existed for at least ten years, and may contain a hermit. Samuel Casillas, president of the Pacifica Land Trust, told the outlet he has never met the occupant, but believes a man still lives on the site. The ramshackle three-story structure was first spotted on a treacherous cliff edge at Devil's Slide, Pacifica by a drone in December 2022 Samuel Casillas, president of the Pacifica Land Trust, said he knew someone was living on the cliff but had never seen them He said: 'We were aware there was something down there, but we didnt know whose it was or whose property it was on. Its in a dangerous location that is really not accessible.' According to Casillas, a few years ago the trust asked the State Lands Commission, to clarify who owned the site but they never responded. Since then, Casillas has said they have left the person alone, telling the outlet: 'We werent bothering a person who wants to be a hermit. 'We know someones been there but we just dont know who it is. The dude should just be left alone.' Drone operator @ParallaxEffect said of their footage: ''We were hiking along the California coast in a spot familiar to us and I noticed something odd down on the cliffs. 'Flying out to investigate revealed one of the most incredible human structures I've ever seen. The drone footage shows waves lapping just meters away from the structure's base. The tarpaulin's covering its bare poles can be seen blowing in the strong coastal wind. The dwelling shows signs of life include a punching bag, a solitary wooden chair and a fully enclosed room The drone footage shows waves lapping just meters away from the structure's base Several road signs and buoys appear strewn around the property. Devil's Slide is notorious for landslides - with a road that used to run nearby since destroyed. Images from Google Earth also reveal a rope linking the structure to the Devil's Slide Trail offering an entry and exit point. A spokesperson from San Mateo County told SFGATE that since the structure is on the ocean bluffs it 'is not located on County lands,'. The authority said they are reviewing records to see if any more information is available. Devil's Slide, named after its deadly descent into the sea, carried Highway 1 on its cliff top until several major landslides made the route unsafe. Tunnels were instead dug through the rocks further inland and the new section of the Pacific coast Highway opened in 2013. The former highway was then developed into the Devils Slide hiking trail, which runs just above the curious house. A Utah man is has been arrested after allegedly intimidating a woman on Instagram by sending her an image of a black revolver he threatened to killer her with. Kamakanakoa Fivella, 21, from Orem, of sending Victoria Rios of Greenacres, 30, a series of vile messages over social media. In late June, she received a message from an account 'kamzz_808' that said, 'you f****** ugly, I hope you die'. It was the first of many, with a slew of unsettling correspondence continuing over weeks. After posting a photo of herself in a motorcycle helmet, she was sent a message saying: 'A bullet would go through that helmet'. Utah man Kamakanakoa Fivella is accused of sending violent threats online Fivella remains in custody at Palm Beach County Jail with a bond of $30,000 When Rios later uploaded another photo with her friends on their motorcycle, the same account wrote: 'Nice gonna drive by and shoot everybody.' She was sent more twisted messages, including, 'Slitt youurrr throat and shove my gun down it [sic],' and another which read, 'Gonna send a picture of my gun that I will use to kill you.' An image of a loaded black revolver was sent with the text. On July 8, Rios filed a report with the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office (PBSO), telling deputies she feared for her life and her family's safety. An investigation was launched which led detectives to Fivella. He's been charged with written threats to kill, written threats to conduct a mass shooting and aggravated stalking. Fivella has been ordered to have no contact with the victim and not have access to any weapons. He remains in custody at Palm Beach County Jail with a bond of $30,000. It comes as three Kentucky high schoolers were arrested after they took video of themselves telling their teachers they had a bomb or gun as part of a dangerous new TikTok prank. There have been four different bomb threats at two different schools at Oldham County High School and South Oldham High School since the new school year began on August 9. Police said three of the students, whose names have not been disclosed because they are minors, are now facing charges of terroristic threats though the threats were deemed 'empty' threats designed to rack up social media views. Oldham County School Director of Student Services Eric Davis told WDRB News that 'this is what will happen - it is not an 'if' or a 'maybe' - but will happen if you make these types of threats even if it is a joke.' He added, 'it's been a huge disruption... a huge disruption. This has been a difficult start I think mainly due to this social media rage.' Oldham County Schools said that all four students have been suspended. They've also been ordered to undergo a mental health screening before returning to class. An Oregon mother arrested for waterboarding her baby and putting him in a freezer to test if the baby's father cared has been jailed for just 30 days. Sharday McDonald, 30, was found guilty of criminal mistreatment, tampering with a witness and ID theft and sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of probation on September 12. The mother was arrested by Gresham Police in October 2021 while she was putting the baby in the freezer and yelling 'You don't want him. Let me show you this little f***ing baby, I don't f***ing give a f*** about!' through the door. She was holding the baby in her arm when she opened the door for the police. The baby's father later showed police a video call he had with McDonald where she was holding the baby by his onesie and waterboarding him. Sharday McDonald, 30, was found guilty of criminal mistreatment, tampering with a witness and ID theft and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of probation on September 12 Police reports said that it looked like the baby was trying to hold his breath while water was pouring down his face and into his nose. Court documents state that the police spoke with and showed pictures of the incident to a pediatrician, who said the child would have been unable to breathe while having water poured down into his nose. The incident could have had serious and life-threatening complications. The current condition and location of the baby is not known. After officers arrested her, McDonald said she was sorry and that she did it to test the father to see if 'he gave a f*** at all.' She also told the police that she thought putting her baby under running water would make the father come back. It not yet known where the father was while the baby was being waterboarded. McDonald also told officers that she was not trying to hurt or kill her son by drowning him or putting him in the freezer but she intentionally waterboarded the baby out of spite. Tory Lanez used his final moments in court to hurl abuse at a reporter who he called a 'googly-eyed b****'. The 31-year-old rapper, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August for shooting his ex-lover, hip hop star Megan Thee Stallion. He shot Megan in the feet during a drunken argument after a pool party at Kylie Jenner's house in 2020 that also involved Megan's assistant Kelsey Harris. A judge in Los Angeles denied a request for him to be bailed on Thursday pending the appeal of his conviction. Lanez's attorneys had asked for him to live with his son and wife on bond instead of behind bars. He hit out at reporter Meghann Cuniff, who covered his trial, during his final court appearance, according to the journalist. Tory Lanez used his final moments in court to hurl abuse at a reporter who he called a 'googly-eyed b****' He hit out at reporter Meghann Cuniff, who covered his trial, during his final court appearance, according to the journalist Court sketches show Tory Lanez during his August 8 sentencing hearing. He was sentenced to a decade behind bars Cuniff posted about the interaction with Lanez in court on X with her 84,000 followers. 'I didnt hear it and Im still working to see if transcript has it, but Ive confirmed Tory Lanez chose to use his final courtroom moments to profanely insult me,' she wrote. 'Calling me ''a googly eyed bitch'' as he looked at gallery. Conflicting reports on whether he named me.' In a post on her blog, she wrote: 'Lanez used his final courtroom moments to speak with his supporters and profanely insult me. 'I couldnt hear him, but several people in the courtroom, including sheriffs deputies, heard him say ''googly eyed b****'' as he looked at me in the gallery.' She added: 'A Lanez loyalist also reported the insult on social media shortly after the hearing, writing, ''#ToryLanez looked at Meghan [sp] Cuniff and called her a googly eyed bitch with a smile on his face and walked out of court''.' 'It was a fitting way to end a criminal case so rife with vitriol.' Lanez's attorney, Jose Baez asked The Daily Beast if it was 'referring to the blogger?' when approached for comment. He said: 'The person I believe you are talking about does not work for any news outlet,' in reference to Cuniff who runs her own Substack page titled Legal Affairs and Trials with Meghann Cuniff. The lawyer is believed to be familiar with the journalist. She questioned his dedication to the case in August after he posted photos from Italy. Baez responded with a post on Instagram that did not mention her directly but instead alluded to a 'blogger', according to Complex. 'For the record I travel to Italy 2 to 4 times a year,' he wrote in his story. 'I have both business interests as well as clients who have business in Italy. It is a beautiful country and a privilege to visit. 'This blogger has had a clear bias against Tory and has attacked everyone associated with him as well as made numerous inaccurate assumptions. 'In fairness to her, she has no legal training and has never worked in the court system, so her opinions have little to no merit whatsoever.' Lanez begged the judge to not send him to jail in an LA courtroom on August 8. But he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on three felony convictions - negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm. Megan Thee Stallion had three bullet fragments surgically removed from her foot. She's pictured in court in December for Lanez's trial Baez slammed the 'incredibly harsh' sentence last month and claimed the rapper was being punished for his celebrity status. 'We're extremely disappointed,' he said outside the courthouse. 'I have seen vehicular homicide and other cases where there's death, and the defendant still gets less than 10 years.' Baez said of the sentence that he is 'really just another example of someone being punished for their celebrity status and someone being utilized to set an example. And he's not an example. He's a human being.' Lanez's lawyers attempted to have him released on bail while they appealed his verdict but this has now been denied by a judge. Court reporter Cuniff shared screen-grabs of the motion. It asked that Lanez be permitted 'to live locally in Los Angeles' rather than in prison. It comes after the rapper reportedly married Raina Chassagne, the mother of his six-year-old son Kai, while serving time for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Chassagne, who was seen weeping outside the courthouse after Lanez's sentencing, is referred to in the court filings as his 'wife.' At his sentencing, Lanez said that Megan, 28, is 'someone I still care for dearly to this day' despite the outcome. Referring to the shooting incident, he added: 'I said some very immature things that I shouldn't have said. 'I revealed some secrets I shouldn't have revealed.' The judge denied the probation that Lanez's defense had been asking for. Before being given 10 years, Lanez begged the judge not to send him to jail. In a 15-minute address, the musician said: 'Give me some sort of alternative that is not prison. I can be a much better man in my community. 'I'm not standing before you as a celebrity. I stand here as a genuine person who wants a chance. My child needs me - I want to better myself. I want a chance to show the world that the man you see here today is not the real me. Megan took to Instagram with a photo of her foot injury following the shooting Footage showing the moments after the shooting, with Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion lying on the ground as authorities arrive Tory Lanez seen in a 2017 mugshot after being arrested for a separate incident 'I'm not expecting preferential treatment. But, your honor I'm genuinely asking you with my heart to put me to the test, to give me an opportunity. 'There have been these misconceptions about me being this monster, of not having remorse. But that's just not true. 'That night, everybody was drunk, I said some very immature thingsI was wrong. If I could turn back the clock I would.I apologize. 'Everything I did that night I'm take responsibility for. I ask you for the chance to be a better father, a better mentor. I'm asking you not to judge me just on this case, but on the full scope of my life. 'I do have a habitual disorder - I want to be a better person.' Speaking about his friend and ex-girlfriend Megan Thee Stallion, Lanez told the court at his hearing that they bonded over the deaths of their mothers. But while Judge Herriford said he had taken into account Lanez's 'multiple philanthropic endeavors,' and his previous clean record, he rejected the defense arguments. He has been behind bars since his conviction in December and faced a maximum of nearly 23 years behind bars. Prosecutors asked for 13 years in custody, but the judge issued a 10 year sentenced . Megan Thee Stallion performs onstage at LA Pride in the Park held at Los Angeles State Historic Park on June 9, 2023 Father and son: Tory Lanez reportedly married Raina Chassagne, the mother of his six-year-old son Kai, while serving time; Lanez and his son are pictured this past December Prosecutors sought a tough sentence not only for the shooting, but because they say Lanez has not shown any remorse. 'Except for the jail call admission and his apology text to the victim back in July 2020, the defendant has spent nearly three years since that time waging a campaign of misinformation to re-traumatize the victim,' they wrote in a 12-page sentencing memo to the court. The defense had asked for probation and for The Take rapper to be sent to rehab for alcohol addiction and therapy for childhood trauma. Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, did not appear in the sentencing sentencing hearing last month, explaining she couldn't face being in the same room with Lanez. Lanez sensationally broke his silence following the sentencing days later in an Instagram post. He said that he maintains his innocence adding: 'I refuse to apologize for something I didn't do.' 'I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never never let no jail time eliminate me. Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will,' Lanez also said. 'This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved that's it,' he continued. 'In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I'm being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do,' the Canadian rapper went on. Could this really be one of the landmarks in the annals of civil rights? To talk to some people here in Peckham, you would think it might be one of those periodic moments when a small protest kickstarts a mighty movement. Think of Rosa Parks, the heroic shop worker who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Alabama in 1955 and helped bring down racial segregation in the U.S. Or Greta Thunberg's global eco-crusade, which started with a solitary school boycott in Sweden; or Mahatma Gandhi's 1930 protest against a law on gathering salt that led to Indian independence. To which are we now about to add the 'throttling' of the Peckham wig-snatcher? Well, sort of, according to some of those I met here on Rye Lane this week ahead of a potentially explosive street protest this afternoon. Others, meanwhile, fear that this is an absurdly overblown episode which has exposed the extent of simmering interracial tensions in one of the most diverse parts of Britain. For, in this corner of South London, everyone can claim to be part of a 'minority', since black and Asian residents outnumber the local white population. Sohail Sindho, 45, who appears to put his hands around the woman's throat during the scuffle Footage showed the 'fight' between the woman and the shopkeeper, who appears to put his hands around her throat after she allegedly tried to steal from his store The mood is certainly fractious. I hear plenty of stories and see alarming video evidence which explain why officialdom would prefer that this very awkward story of prima facie racism just disappeared. For those unfamiliar with the toxic episode which has since gone viral around the world it all started on Monday of this week. The circumstances are as follows. An unnamed black woman (race is central to this story) arrived at Peckham Hair & Cosmetics, a shop selling a wide range of hair and beauty products primarily aimed at the black community. From what we know, she requested a refund for some products she had bought earlier. The shop's owner apparently explained that the store did not do refunds but would offer an exchange. The woman then said: 'I want to get what I'm supposed to get for my money.' She grabbed three hairpieces, reportedly worth around 24, and began to leave. The man tried to stop her and a fight ensued during which, for a few seconds, he appeared to have both hands around her neck before letting go. The woman was seen to hit him several times and break a shopping basket over his head. Both could be heard calling for the police. A 31-year-old woman has since been arrested on suspicion of assault and released on bail, while a 45-year-old man has been interviewed under caution. What has elevated this from a mucky case of possible petty theft to a global human-rights debate is the fact that an eyewitness posted video footage of one part of the altercation showing the shopkeeper apparently choking the woman on social media. In next to no time, it had been seen more than one million times and would soon make international news. Video shows the scuffle between the woman and the shop's owner The video starts with Mr Sindho standing behind the woman as they grip on to each other He grabs on to her neck as she tries to free herself by hitting him with the shopping basket Protesters plastered the storefront with notes criticising the shopkeeper's actions The following day, protest groups had turned up some with megaphones claiming that the incident was proof of the systemic racism and sexism endured by black women. Some linked it to the Black Lives Matter movement. It will never be forgotten that George Floyd, the black man murdered by a U.S. policeman in 2020, was choked to death. The shop had already pulled down its grilles and has remained closed ever since. Its shutters are plastered with furious messages calling for boycotts and retribution. 'Black People Need Justice. If Not Close Down [sic] We Will Burn It Down,' says one. 'This shop cannot open in the midst of a community it does not respect,' says another. A day later, the shopkeeper in question, Sohail Sindho, 45, released more video showing the troubling extent of the scuffle. It is safe to say there is a more nuanced side to this story. Mr Sindho admitted that he had gone too far in grabbing a would-be shoplifter by the neck, but insisted he'd merely been trying to 'detain' her. 'I want them to know that I was only trying to restrain her,' he said. 'I didn't mean to put my hands around her throat, and it was only for a few seconds. 'I do agree that I should not have done that. But I was trying to protect myself as she was hitting me, as the video shows.' He has since gone into hiding. Many tell me that his shop will never re-open. Meanwhile, the online debate rages as to whether this tells us more about racist attitudes towards black women or the increasingly bleak outlook for Britain's shop owners. Shoplifting has now reached what the boss of John Lewis calls 'epidemic' proportions and, with police said to be generally unwilling to investigate shoplifting below the value of 200, this one-time 'nation of shopkeepers' might be due a name-change. That, however, is just part of the story here in Peckham. Some of the most unpleasant signs taped to the shutters of Peckham Hair & Cosmetics reveal a much darker undercurrent to this story. Take this poster scrawled by someone wholly unaware of its grotesque irony: 'Racist Asians. Woman Beaters.' Or this one: 'They don't employ us. They don't put money into our community. STOP SHOPPING IN ASIAN SHOPS.' A large crowd gathered outside the shop in Rye Lane, Peckham on September 12, blocking the road Nor is it hard to find people happy to voice these thoughts openly. 'Most of these shops are Muslim and they target you as soon as you walk in,' says Mark, 50, a (black) voluntary worker who is admiring the banners when I arrived one evening this week. 'I'm not saying that all victims are squeaky-clean and that lady probably did wrong. But you've got to have shopkeepers who know how to treat people properly. These people do not,' he adds. He says that each night the local shopkeepers tear all the signs down in the dead of night in solidarity, and black activists put them all up again the next morning. Mr Sindho has firmly denied any racist motives in his actions towards the unnamed customer. 'People have said that it might have been racial because I am Pakistani and she is a black lady,' he told MailOnline. 'That is absolutely not the truth. I want you to know that 99 per cent of my customers are people of colour. They are like my family. 'I don't know what being racist means. I live and work in a multicultural place.' A random trawl of social media yesterday showed that many members of the black community were appalled by the treatment of a shopkeeper trying to protect his own property. 'Is it equality we want or privilege?' tweets one young woman. 'We really need to start holding our own people accountable. This is not a race issue. This is a criminal issue.' However, others are keen to single this out as a 'Rubicon' moment, a line in the proverbial sand. 'We need our own ecosystem,' shouts one activist, firing up the crowd through a megaphone outside the shop this week. Lending gravitas to this argument is the Runnymede Trust, the charity which campaigns on matters of racial justice and equality. 'We're absolutely horrified by the recent incident at Peckham Hair & Cosmetics,' it said. 'We must work to root out the violence against black women, which is so normalised in our society.' Certainly, among many black men and women who actually live in this community, this view is widely held. Indeed, the majority of those I meet broadly concur with the overall thrust of these protest signs. 'I can see both sides and this woman did wrong but you don't let a big man put his hand round the neck of a small woman over a few bits of hair,' says Stella, a nurse. 'I hope this man doesn't come back because if he does, he'll have a lot of problems,' says Justine Rukwira, 53, who came to Britain as a child when her father, a former senior Ugandan politician, had to flee for his life. 'It's just another example of the way black people are treated in these Asian shops where they make up 99 per cent of the customers,' she says. There is, of course, another side to this story. 'If what that shopkeeper did was wrong, then leave it to the police to deal with it. We get on well with all our customers, black, white, everyone and we just want all this to calm down,' says Muhammad Khan, who runs a store selling phones and vapes just over the road from the shuttered hair shop. He points to the fact that shops put up with increasing violence and the police seem to do little about it. Mr Khan shows me a video of what happened immediately after the peaceful protest in the street on Tuesday. A group of black teenagers come into his shop and start asking for vapes. When he says that he cannot sell to them because they are underage, they start pushing him around while one grabs handfuls of vapes and legs it. There is a scuffle by the door and his assailants all escape but he doesn't throttle anyone. 'I called the police but nothing has happened,' he says. Without an ounce of contrition, the same gang then returned the very next night (when Mr Khan managed to lock them out). What really saddens him is that he is constantly being warned by officialdom about the punishment for retailers who sell vapes to underage children. Yet no one intervenes when he is robbed. The police have been round, however, to say that they cannot guarantee the security of his shop during today's protest. It's up to him if he opens. 'You won't see us organising protests. But I have plenty more videos like this one and they are much worse,' he says. Next door to the seemingly doomed hair shop, I meet Asad Masood, 49, who sells gifts and perfumes. He knows Mr Sindho and says that he does not expect him ever to return. 'He's been badly shaken by this and injured, too,' says Mr Masood. 'Since this happened, you get all these crazy people turning up and swearing and filming everything.' One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that the lack of leadership has been lamentable. Aside from tweeting that he is urgently seeking information on the matter, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been invisible. Ditto the local MP, Harriet Harman, who has simply asked for an 'urgent report' from police. However, I do see some saving graces. 'At least we're not in America, or there would have been a shooting by now,' says nurse Stella. 'This is Britain, the best country in the world. I want to say I am very proud to live here,' adds Ms Rukwira, the one-time child refugee, 'because we treat all people equally.' It must be said that there remain plenty of signs that all is not lost, and that Peckham can return to being a cohesive community. But it's going to take time. The area also needs outside activists to stop using it as a proxy Alabama and, above all, it requires leadership from the top among those who are usually so keen to cry 'racism' and espouse the joys of a multicultural society. The dog is only a year old - barely more than a puppy - yet his muscled head is already twice the size of his female owner's. Though his outsized jaws are clamped as he naps in her arms, their latent menace is unmistakable. Nuzzling together, tender cheek by chestnut brown jowl, this is the first photograph of dog walker Natasha Johnston with Stan - the humungous bull terrier that savaged her to death in January, after turning on her as she exercised him in the Surrey countryside with seven other pets under her care. The attack was so spontaneous and severe that it shocked the nation and brought calls for so-called 'devil dogs' to be banned by law. Until now it has been reported that Stan was an XL bully, a dangerous and relatively new breed genetically programmed to be super-strong and aggressive, and, indeed, Natasha's friends say she always presented him as such. In one of many twists to this harrowing incident, however, veterinary surgeon Dr Alison Robson, an expert court witness called in to investigate the cause of Natasha's death, says Stan was a pit bull - one of four breeds that are already illegal in Britain. Nuzzling together, tender cheek by chestnut brown jowl, this is the first photograph of dog walker Natasha Johnston with Stan - the humungous bull terrier that savaged her to death in January, after turning on her as she exercised him in the Surrey countryside with seven other pets under her care Until now it has been reported that Stan was an XL bully, but veterinary surgeon Dr Alison Robson says Natasha's (pictured) dog was a pit bull - one of the breeds already illegal in the UK As such, 28-year-old Natasha ought never to have taken him out on that fateful day. That she allowed Stan to mingle with seven other dogs on the walk and let him off the lead unmuzzled in a public place - and a friend tells me he had already bitten her twice in the days before the fatal attack - was, says Dr Robson, a 'recipe for disaster'. Eight months on, the inquest into Natasha's death has yet to be concluded. We still don't know exactly why Stan set about her. However, with the number of fatal or near-fatal dog attacks at crisis point (it emerged on Thursday that yet another man had been killed in Staffordshire) and the Home Secretary pressing for XL bullies to be added to the banned list, I have uncovered the full story. It begins, ironically, with an act of kindness. For on November 27, last year, four days before our exclusive photo was taken, Natasha had rescued Stan from allegedly neglectful owners who planned to have him destroyed - because he had bitten one of their children. When Natasha sent the picture to a friend, her affection for her youthful new companion was evident. 'Back to the sofa! I was ordered back to bed for a while!' her accompanying message read as she cuddled up to him in her fluffy onesie. 'Natasha was sure she could change Stan's temperament,' says her friend, Delia Lewis, 38, whose own dog, Shiva, a gigantic leonberger, was among the eight-strong pack that January day, and was at first assumed to have carried out the attack, by dint of her size and her misbehaviour six years ago in a BBC2 series about puppies. 'She felt Stan hadn't been trained and with the correct care and affection he'd be fine. Her boyfriend said it wasn't a good idea and, having seen how troublesome Stan could be, my response was, 'Are you sure?' But she loved dogs with a passion and she was still grieving for her black staffy, Missy, who had recently died, so she didn't take our advice.' It quickly became clear - to her friends, at least - that she had made a catastrophic mistake. The pit bull, who already weighed six-and-a-half stone, had a flashpoint temper and bit her calf and arm. A second attack, causing a wound that needed to be bandaged, occurred on January 10. Given his unpredictability, Dr Robson told me this week, it was 'foolish' to exercise him with other dogs. 'He ought to have been rehabilitated on a one-to-one basis,' she said. Yet two days later Natasha took him, with the seven others, for an hour's romp at one of her favourite haunts, Gravelly Hill - a secluded wood near Caterham, Surrey. Delia Lewis, 38, and her dog, Shiva (pictured together), a gigantic leonberger, who was among the eight-strong pack that January day Shiva was at first assumed to have carried out the attack, by dint of her size and her misbehaviour six years ago in a BBC2 series about puppies (pictured above) On that rainy afternoon, Stan suddenly snapped again, showing no mercy for the woman who had given him a loving new home. The wounds he inflicted were so extensive that many details have been redacted from the 18 witness statements gathered by Surrey Police, which I have seen. However, when Dr Robson examined her body she found numerous deep bites to the neck, skull, shoulders and right wrist. Though a local walker attempted CPR, it was futile. Since Stan's canine teeth pierced her jugular, the vet tells me, she would probably have died within a minute. About six weeks after this well-meaning woman saved his life, he had had killed her. Meanwhile, owners of the other dogs she was walking that day were plunged into a distressing and protracted ordeal. When police arrived on the scene it seemed immediately clear, from the blood dripping from his mouth, that Stan had mauled Natasha. Indeed, the panting culprit still loomed beside her body. Because no one had witnessed the fatal attack, however, officers couldn't be sure whether any of the other dogs - now wandering loose in the woods - had joined in the fray. Therefore, after rounding them up, with a lasso-like 'catch pole' that looped around their necks, they were all treated as 'suspects'. On Dr Robson's recommendation Stan was destroyed. Whisked away to kennels, the location of which was kept secret from the owners, the others were held for seven long months while the investigation was carried out. Two of the dogs, belonging to a well-known TV journalist, remain 'in custody'. 'Our dogs were really on death row,' says Ms Lewis, a professional clairvoyant, who was reunited with Shiva after a hearing to determine the conditions for their release at Guildford Magistrates' Court on July 27. 'The police said if there was any indication they had bitten Natasha, even if the bite wasn't fatal, they would be put down. 'I knew Shiva would never have hurt Natasha. She had known her since she was a puppy, and anyway she always runs away from conflict. She wasn't anywhere near the body when the police arrived. 'Still, they made us feel our dogs were murder suspects and wouldn't even let us visit them, I assume in case we tried to free them. It has been an absolute nightmare. Even humans accused of murder are permitted to have visitors.' Natasha's dog walking career began in her early 20s and she loved it. She was at her happiest among dogs and sometimes seemed to prefer their company to that of her friends. When police arrived on the scene (pictured) it seemed immediately clear, from the blood dripping from his mouth, that Stan had mauled Natasha Yet two days later Natasha took him, with the seven others, for an hour's romp at one of her favourite haunts, Gravelly Hill - a secluded wood near Caterham, Surrey Ms Lewis says she acquired Stan from a neighbouring family and described him as an XL bully. Perhaps that is how he was presented to her. While there is no suggestion that he was treated with cruelty by his first owners, Natasha told her he'd been cooped up for long periods and under stimulated. Believing firmly that a dog's character is shaped by nurture rather than nature, she vowed to change him. But Ms Lewis believes he was already 'a lost cause'. Natasha was late starting her afternoon round on January 12. Though very fit from her long country treks, she suffered from fibromyalgia, a condition that can cause excruciating pain throughout the body and she hadn't been able to sleep the previous night. It was past 1pm when, mindful of the inclement weather forecast, she donned her overcoat and woolly hat, packed some dog treats, poo bags and water bottles into her bag and set out from her terraced house in Croydon in her battered Land Rover. The dogs on her daily round were as eclectic as their owners. By far the biggest was Shiva, Ms Lewis's eye-catching, fawn and black leonberger, who weighed almost 10st. Then there was Alfie, a labrador belonging to a middle-class couple from Godstone, Surrey; Nero and Rufus, two dachshunds - one with a red coat, the other black and tan - owned by a Croydon company director and his wife; and the TV newsman's pets, Cookie, a yellow labradoodle, and Shadow, a black and white poodle cross. Making up the eight were Stan and Natasha's other dog, Benji, a gentle cream labradoodle. Ms Lewis says she was aghast to learn, after the attack, that Natasha had picked up so many dogs, for she usually walked no more than five or six at a time - and, as Stan had bitten her two days prior, she would have expected him to be exercised separately. 'Without wishing to be unkind, it was a gross error of judgment,' says Ms Lewis. As Natasha charged each owner up to 20 for an hour-long walk, internet trolls cruelly suggested after her death that she had paid the price for greed. Ms Lewis, who has also been targeted, is disgusted by these smears. Natasha always put the dogs' interests first, and didn't like to deny them their daily run, she says. Perhaps so, yet as Dr Robson makes clear in her witness statement, her rashness was undeniable. The vet says she was 5ft 6in and weighed 12st 3lbs, yet the combined weight of the pack she took into the woods was three times heavier than her. Dr Robson wrote: 'While I appreciate not all of the dogs were on a lead at the same time, all of these dogs had to be under control at all times.' Natasha's dog walking career began in her early 20s and she loved it. She was at her happiest among dogs and sometimes seemed to prefer their company to that of her friends Police at the scene in Gravelly Hill in Caterham, Surrey, where Ms Johnston was attacked For someone of Natasha's size to expect to manage them 'even for a short period of time' was, she concluded, 'foolish and irresponsible'. Ms Lewis concurs, envisaging the 101 Dalmatians-like chaos that could overwhelm even an experienced dog walker, if eight dogs bounded off in different directions or picked a fight with a passing dog, as happened in this case. The altercation believed to have lit Stan's tinderbox fuse came sometime after 2pm, when he encountered Bertie, a Norfolk terrier scampering along a path on Gravelly Hill with his owner Samantha Ogden and her friend Julie Willimont, who lives nearby. The first thing Ms Willimont noticed about Natasha, her statement says, was her 'strange coloured' bluish hair. Surrounded by her unwieldy posse - some on leads, others roving free - she also seemed 'a bit strange... distracted'. Ms Ogden recalled how 'a long-legged brown staffy sort of dog' - clearly the unleashed Stan - 'came bounding up to Bertie, whereupon they started to growl at each other'. When she protectively gathered up her Norfolk terrier, Stan began circling then bit her left buttock causing a 'searing pain'. Now Natasha was shouting and screaming at him to come back to her, but the pit bull was 'growling and barking, thrashing [his] head'. 'I wish you had told me your dog was vicious, then I would have put this one on a lead,' Ms Ogden recalls Natasha saying as she wrestled with Stan. Shocked, the two women beat a retreat. The next sighting of Natasha and the dogs came around 15 minutes later. Cantering along the muddy bridal path, horse-riders Michelle Clarke and Susan Dove saw her sitting on the ground surrounded by the dogs. By Ms Dove's recollection, 'four of them had a firm grip of her with their mouth [sic]. They were around her arms, pulling her arms and jacket. I would describe it as a frenzy. The dogs had seen red and there was no stopping them'. The riders remember how Natasha, whose feet were tangled in the leads, screamed at them: 'Go back! Go back!' Then two of the dogs ran towards them, 'spooking' their horses and Ms Dove was unseated. They managed to escape the scene and Ms Clarke called the police. Officers were then sent to investigate the unfolding incident. The courageous local man who tried to stop Natasha's life ebbing away was Ben Kershaw, a young civil servant, who was out walking on the hill with his mother. Told by police that a hunt was underway for a missing woman and some dogs, he joined the search and - by following the barking sounds - found her lying at the bottom of a slope. From skid-marks in the grass, it seemed that she had either slipped or been dragged down. Beside her, he saw 'a large, well-built dog' with blood smeared on its snout and jaw. The courageous local man who tried to stop Natasha's (pictured with one of her dogs) life ebbing away was Ben Kershaw, a young civil servant, who was out walking on the hill with his mother As he approached Natasha, the dog became 'agitated', but he managed to reach her and attempted CPR in vain. In gathering darkness and driving rain, the operation to capture the dogs was filled with tension. One sodden officer describes feeling 'incredibly vulnerable... on my own with multiple insecure dogs who have potentially mauled someone to death. I was not carrying a Taser and should one of these dogs attack me there would be very little I could do about it,' he later attested. Though firearms officers had been dispatched, he didn't know how long it might take for them to arrive. Thankfully, weapons weren't needed. Where gentle persuasion didn't work, the catch poles did their job. When Alfie the labrador was caught, he was 'friendly, wet and dirty', one officer said. However, he also had blood in his face. The two dachshunds were 'timid and yappy' but not aggressive. Tethering Cookie and Shadow also posed few problems, though Natasha's labradoodle was 'very skittish and difficult to get near to'. Shiva, whom Ms Lewis describes as 'a big, fluffy marshmallow' (an apt description, from my encounter with her this week) stood calmly away from the fray with no blood on her. Given her size, however, four dog handlers were deployed to lasso her. As for Stan, when the noose was looped over his huge head he spun crazily around, tightening it to the point where he garrotted himself and lost consciousness. After examining Natasha's body, she visited the holding kennels and measured the length of each dog's canine teeth and the distance between their upper and lower sets, hoping to match the size of their bites against that of the wounds. However, as she told me yesterday, there were so many overlaying bites that it was impossible to prove which dog, or dogs, had inflicted them. The failure to take DNA samples from Natasha during the post mortem was a further hindrance. She therefore relied on the witness statements and her experience of pit bull attacks (some of which she gained by treating animals wounded in illegal dog fights) to determine that Stan had almost certainly killed Natasha. However, as she couldn't tell whether any of the other dogs had taken part, and if so how they been involved, they were all 'tainted'. So, she recommended that they should only be released under tight controls, including compulsory muzzling and being tethered in public. When she was examining the dogs, they were all passive. However, the kennel manager showed her a heavy plastic shovel used to clean Stan's cage. In temper, he had bitten clean through it. Natasha's cries would only have fuelled the dog's frenzy and as she fell or slipped down the bank (scene pictured above) with the pack baying excitedly and the leads twisted around her feet A woman brought flowers to lay on Gravelly Hill where Natasha was killed in January Under the standard scale devised by leading animal behaviourist Dr Ian Dunbar, the severity of dog bites has six levels. Those inflicted on Natasha were at the uppermost end of the scale. Dr Robson has an informed idea of how the attack unfolded. After being chastised by Natasha for snarling at the Norfolk terrier, she surmises, the pit bull might have harboured resentment towards her and waited for an opportune moment to exact revenge. And having attacked her twice previously causing limited damage, this time his modus operandi would have been more effective. Does a dog really possess the brainpower to scheme in that way? 'Dogs can bide their time and wait until you are off guard to retaliate,' she says. 'In human terms, it's, 'Just you wait. I'll get my own back.' Natasha's cries would only have fuelled the dog's frenzy and as she fell or slipped down the bank with the pack baying excitedly and the leads twisted around her feet, there would have been no escape. 'It sounds simple, but that's all it takes,' says Dr Robson. Once the first bite had been landed, other dogs might become involved, intentionally or otherwise. They sometimes regard a prone person as 'a large toy', playing tug-of-war with their limbs, which would explain numerous injuries around Natasha's wrist and arm. That was why (excluding the two dachshunds, who had done nothing to suggest they were a danger and were first to be released) she had recommended that the magistrates impose strict blanket controls. When the case came to court in July, however, some owners challenged her judgment, among them the TV journalist, whose dogs Cookie and Shadow are said to remain in custody pending an appeal. Though Shiva was said to have jumped up at a passer-by shortly before the attack on Natasha, Ms Lewis's lawyer argued successfully that she didn't need to be muzzled. The following day, the clairvoyant collected her overgrown 'baby' from a police station. After a six-month separation the leonberger seemed momentarily confused. Mysteriously, her chest had been shaved, and she had lost almost 2st. Soon, though, she bounded into her owner's arms, to be taken home for her favourite meal: chicken and carrots topped off with a boiled egg. It was a rare moment of joy in an otherwise unrelentingly grim story. A story which those who oppose Suella Braverman's plans for a ban on the most prolific attack dog, the XL bully, would do well to heed. They would be advised to have another look at that photograph of Natasha and Stan cosying up cheek to cheek, too. For when a mollycoddled mutt can swiftly turn into a monster - savaging the only human who has shown him affection - surely every one of these lethal breeds must be expunged from our streets. News that a parliamentary researcher at Westminster has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China should surprise nobody. Only two months ago, the well-briefed Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament reported that China has been 'prolifically and aggressively' targeting Britain for quite some time. The suspect denies he's a spy and, of course, he must be regarded as innocent until proven guilty (that is our way, if not China's). But even if it turns out he's been falsely accused, there are plenty of others doing their bit for China across huge swathes of British society, not just in Parliament and Government but in business, academia, media and even local government. The goals are always the same: to dissuade important institutions and people of influence in Britain from being critical of China; to intimidate those who are not easily dissuaded so that they might then fall in line from fear; and to threaten with violence or worse any anti-Communist China dissent within our own hugely successful and patriotic Chinese community. Nor is Britain anything like alone in being targeted by China. All our major allies are enduring the same unwelcome attention. China knows what it's doing by targeting Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Together they make up the 'Five Eyes': the world's most sophisticated intelligence-gathering and sharing alliance. Get inside their systems and the world is your oyster. Only two months ago, the well-briefed Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament reported that China has been 'prolifically and aggressively' targeting Britain for quite some time China has been active in the parliaments of Australia and New Zealand. The head of Australia's Security Intelligence Organisation has revealed a 'Chinese plot' to have sympathetic candidates elected to parliament as Labour MPs. His Kiwi equivalent has spoken of China's 'growing aggression' and its 'significant interference' in New Zealand politics. Its MPs are subject to a constant barrage of Chinese propaganda. China's ambassador to Wellington, in his sixth letter to New Zealand lawmakers this year, was blunter than ever in reminding them how dependent the Kiwi economy is on China: 25 per cent of its exports go there and most of its tourists are Chinese. Canada is investigating Chinese interference in its elections in 2019 and 2021, so much so that it is thought China was instrumental in unseating a conservative Canadian MP, Kenny Chiu, who had emigrated from Hong Kong. Beijing is obsessed with suppressing dissent among ethnic Chinese living in democracies and has no hesitation intimidating human-rights activists and dissidents in the West. The FBI recently discovered China was running a secret police station in New York whose main purpose was to spy on the city's Chinese population. Chinese police are not just in Manhattan. They're everywhere. We know this thanks to the brave folks at the Spanish human rights group, Safeguard Defenders, which last year revealed there were over 100 secret Chinese police stations on five continents, including in London, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin, as well as across most of Europe, whose primary purpose was to silence critics of China. It is important to understand what's going on here. 'What we see coming from China are increasing attempts to crack down on dissent everywhere in the world, to threaten people, harass people, make sure that they are fearful enough so that they remain silent or else face being returned to China against their will,' Safeguard Defenders told CNN. 'It will start with phone calls. They might start to intimidate your relatives back in China, to threaten you, do everything really, to coax the targets abroad to come back. If that doesn't work, they will use covert agents abroad. They will send them from Beijing and use methods such as luring and entrapment.' The suspected Chinese spy in Westminster denies he's a spy and, of course, he must be regarded as innocent until proven guilty (that is our way, if not China's) China thinks it has a right to enforce this because, under Chinese law, its citizens are subject to Communist Party law wherever they live Beijing calls it, euphemistically, 'persuade to return' and thinks it legitimate because democracies will, by and large, not extradite people to dictatorships like China. Indeed, the European Court of Human Rights has effectively banned its member states (which include Britain) from extraditing to China anyone under their jurisdiction. Hence the 'persuasion'. China thinks it has a right to enforce this because, under Chinese law, its citizens are subject to Communist Party law wherever they live. And China's National Intelligence Law requires its people and companies to assist Beijing's spies whenever requested and to keep that assistance secret. It's not just ethnic Chinese being targeted. A prominent Belgian politician, Samuel Cogolati, decided to draft a resolution for the Belgian parliament condemning China's 'crimes against humanity', referring to its genocidal treatment of Uighur Muslims. His email system was immediately attacked by Beijing-sponsored hackers. When Belgian MPs scheduled hearings on the Uighurs in May 2021, parliament was shut down by a mass cyber-offensive. Australia's parliament has been similarly attacked. Given all this and more it beggars belief that British ministers are still debating whether China should be designated a 'threat' rather than just a 'systemic competitor'. How much more evidence do they need? Or perhaps, it doesn't beggar belief. The former top civil servant in the Foreign Office, Simon (now, inevitably, Lord) McDonald opined this week in response to the arrest of the suspected spy that it was a 'legitimate objective' for China to want to find out what was happening in Westminster. We can't have 'one rule for the U.S., France and Germany and another for China', he added. It's a long time since I've heard such arrant nonsense, even from a Foreign Office mandarin. Of course we should have different rules for close allies, with whom we share intelligence, versus aggressive totalitarian states trying to steal our secrets. The idea we should be 'consistent' in this regard is stupidity on stilts. But I fear it's all too common in our ruling establishment. McDonald may be gone from the FO but his attitudes still linger there, as can be determined by the milk-and-water approach to China of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The former top civil servant in the Foreign Office, Simon (now, inevitably, Lord) McDonald (pictured) opined this week in response to the arrest of the suspected spy that it was a 'legitimate objective' for China to want to find out what was happening in Westminster It's time to get serious about China. It has only been emboldened by our weak response to its depredations. We did next to nothing when thugs from the Chinese consulate in Manchester dragged a peaceful Hong Kong protester into the consular grounds to beat him up. We know, using the sinister United Front Work Department, a Chinese Communist vehicle for influence and infiltration, that Beijing is headhunting sympathisers of Chinese heritage to pursue political office and that it is actively hiring former MPs, military personnel and officials for lucrative posts in Chinese companies. The government must be far tougher in holding those who take the Chinese shilling to account. The head of MI5 says China is the 'most game-changing strategic challenge' Britain faces. Its aim is to undermine democracies like Britain to make the world safer for autocracy. As befits the Middle Kingdom, the world's oldest civilisation, it is in this for the long-term. So must we be. For a start, China needs to be placed in the 'enhanced tier' of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which requires rigorous checks on all organisations with links to China, including companies and universities. Failure to register such links is a criminal offence which carries a five-year jail sentence. That will help us get a grip on China's nefarious dealings. We need to be clear what we're up against. China is a totalitarian state with a massive annual military budget which it is using to create armed forces strong enough to dominate the Asian Pacific Rim. Yet for all it spends on defence it spends even more surveilling and suppressing its own people. We cannot allow it to get away with that in our own sovereign territory, too. China is not invincible or unstoppable, despite the many commentators who paint it as such. Its economy is stuttering, its debt mountain is the biggest the world has ever seen, its currency is falling like a stone, just like its population. Its ability to attract foreign investment has collapsed and its young are now experiencing mass unemployment. Our adversary is not 10ft tall. But unless we stand up to it on our home shores, it will be right to continue to regard us as a paper tiger. It's enough to make Paddington drop his marmalade sandwich. For the bear's favourite filling could soon be renamed, thanks to EU bureaucrats. The European Commission is revising its 'breakfast directives' and proposing that, for the first time, jam should be labelled as marmalade. Meanwhile, marmalade should be renamed 'citrus marmalade'. Ministers are now facing a sticky decision on whether to follow Brussels or dodge the reforms. The Commission's proposals reflect national practices across the EU where jam is referred to as marmellata in Italian, marmelade in German, and mermelada in Spanish. Under the Windsor Framework, agreed by Rishi Sunak and the EU in February, the reforms would apply to goods produced in Northern Ireland. The European Commission is revising its 'breakfast directives' and proposing that, for the first time, jam should be labelled as marmalade The bear's favourite filling could soon be renamed, thanks to EU bureaucrats The changes would also see the minimum fruit content of jams increased from 35 per cent to 45 per cent. Food minister Mark Spencer told the Commons European scrutiny committee that the changes would be confusing for British consumers but did not rule it out. He said: 'The Government needs to investigate further and discuss with stakeholders, particularly those businesses that will be affected. 'This will include consideration of whether it is in the best interest of the UK to consider similar changes.' Sammy Wilson, a Democratic Unionist Party MP, told the Belfast Telegraph: 'This is just a good example of the kind of madness we expected to be free from when we left the European Union.' Last financial year, Britain exported about 10.6 million kilograms of jam valued at about 32million, according to HMRC. Food minister Mark Spencer told the Commons European scrutiny committee that the changes would be confusing for British consumers The proposals also include a new 'reduced sugar fruit juice' category. This will require a minimum 30 per cent cut in sugar content compared with the regular version. Mr Spencer said he considers the new fruit juice category to be 'most significant change'. He added: 'Encouraging the production of jams with higher fruit content is broadly in line with previous UK proposed measures to reduce the sugar content of jam in line with reducing sugar intake.' David Cameron was overcome with emotion at the memorial service for his elder brother, Alexander, who died of cancer earlier this year at the age of 59. 'He was my hero,' the former prime minister, 56, tells me. Alexander was a distinguished barrister, who made Queen's Counsel at the young age of 39. But he could have swapped his silk gown for a matador's cape, his friend Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell told the congregation at St Luke's Church in Chelsea. 'Al confided he was thinking about giving it all up to pursue a career in bullfighting,' he says. 'In his twenties, Alex developed an unlikely love of bullfighting. At one time he was the only non-Spanish speaking UK subscriber to a Spanish bullfighting magazine. Former PM David Cameron leaves with family members the memorial to his Kings Council brother Alexander at St Luke's Church in Chelsea Barrister Allan Alexander Cameron QC leaves Southwark Crown Court in 2016 Luckily for us and for the world of criminal law, he saw sense. 'But a small part of me suspects he would have pulled it off as a matador.' Alexander, who died March 21, previously stepped down from the bar in 2020 after receiving his cancer diagnosis. David credited his older brother of three years with propelling him to the office of prime minister in 2010. When King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in France for their State Visit next week, it should be an uplifting showcase for the unique relationship between two neighbours who share so much rich history as both allies and rivals. Despite the establishment of the republic after the Revolution, the country is still able to put on a magnificent spectacle for grand occasions. But the atmosphere in the host nation will be tense and deeply apprehensive. Amid the stirring pomp and ceremony, it will be impossible to escape the reality of the malaise that now grips France, as social disorder mounts, political authority collapses, racial divisions grow and economic paralysis worsens. President Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017 promising to revive the country through his dynamic, reforming leadership. Instead, France's decline is accelerating dramatically. Indeed, the circumstances of the King and Queen's visit acutely illustrate the depth of the crisis. The trip was scheduled to take place in March, but had to be postponed because of widespread rioting in opposition to Macron's proposed pension reforms. Confronted by serious unrest on the streets, the French authorities feared the arrival of a regal head of state might escalate the violence. President Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017 promising to revive the country through his dynamic, reforming leadership Anxieties were reinforced when graffiti saying 'Death to the King' appeared on a wall at the Place de la Concorde the Paris square where the last French monarch was beheaded in 1793 alongside crude sketches of a guillotine and the names 'Macron' and 'Charles III'. As an Interior Ministry source told me: 'Cancelling what was meant to be King Charles's first State Visit to a foreign country was a huge humiliation for France.' The setback has made the Government all the more determined to ensure that next week's event goes smoothly, aided by a heavy police presence, tightened security and state-of-the art surveillance technology. What these measures cannot do, however, is remove the sense of turmoil that currently envelops France. Once the powerhouse of industrial development and the architect of European civilisation, the country is now badly weakened by despair, dislocation, distrust and decay. This is the theme that I address in my new book, Fixing France: How To Repair A Broken Republic. As somebody who was born and brought up in Paris, I've watched the nation's decline with mounting sadness and unease. But I also have a special insight into France's calamitous social problems especially on race relations because of my north African background. 'A social, ethnic and territorial apartheid' exists in France, as former Prime Minister Manuel Valls once put it. Like so many others in France, I was born to Algerian parents, on a sprawling, neglected housing estate one of the 'banlieues' in the suburbs where people like me are pushed into the periphery. Like numerous young French people, I went abroad to further my life chances. I moved to the USA, where I taught at the University of Michigan and cut my journalistic teeth on local radio. Britain was next. I studied at the London School of Economics, won a post at Oxford University and was welcomed into similarly prestigious institutions with the minimum of fuss. In contrast, comparable organisations in France showed no interest in recruiting me because of my background, though they hid their prejudice behind bureaucratic excuses. The experience taught me that Britain is a model example of race relations compared to France. Both countries were imperial powers but the UK has a far less savage colonial legacy and is undoubtedly a more tolerant country because of this. Algeria was viewed as a part of France, in a way that British India never was, for example. The colonisation of Algeria had started in 1830, when the French army exterminated many of the indigenous Arabs and Berbers at one point using primitive gas chambers and turned others into a reviled servant class. The largely peaceful process of decolonisation that accompanied Elizabeth II's reign is typical of British evolution there was none of the napalming, carpet-bombing of Algerian villages and torture that characterised the French conquest and, indeed, withdrawal from Algeria. More than a million Algerians were killed fighting for independence, which was achieved in 1962, and Algerians are still viewed today by extreme French nationalists as a hated enemy. What is more, France is fiercely anti-clerical and secularist, in the sense that ever since the Revolution in 1789, religion has been held to be a matter of private conscience rather than state involvement. In the spate of rioting in July caused by the fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk, a French teenager of Algerian descent, by a police officer 4,000 vehicles were torched, 1,100 buildings damaged, 270 police stations besieged and more than 800 officers injured This explains the ban on full-face coverings in public. The latest controversy involves the abaya, a robe worn by Muslim women, which is no longer allowed in state schools. Many of the estimated five million Muslims complain of being stigmatised, while Right-wing rabble rouser Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party (formerly the National Front) is well ahead in opinion polls and even has a chance of succeeding Macron. This racial friction is part of a pattern of discord corroding France's integrity. There is also angst about social breakdown, highlighted in violent crime, anarchy on the streets and loss of faith in the police. Beginning in November 2018, the Yellow Vests anti-government protest movement 'Gilets Jaunes' brought France to a standstill Saturday after Saturday. In the spate of rioting in July caused by the fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk, a French teenager of Algerian descent, by a police officer 4,000 vehicles were torched, 1,100 buildings damaged, 270 police stations besieged and more than 800 officers injured. Macron said that France 'required a return to authority at every level. The lesson I draw is order, order, order'. A strike by refuse collectors in Paris last April led to 10,000 tons of rubbish piling up in the streets But that was just empty rhetoric, as shocking crimes continue to spread, provoking waves of outrage, like this summer's knife attack on a group of toddlers in a playground in Annecy, south-east France, in which a 31-year-old Syrian refugee was arrested. Instead of tackling genuine criminality, the police and security forces regularly engage in thuggery, as Liverpool fans experienced during the European Champions League final in Paris last year, suffering indiscriminate violence from those who were meant to be maintaining order. Macron's France is becoming the land of the tear gas canister a chemical weapon banned in war zones and the water cannon. Economic failure matches social meltdown. The French political elite, led by Macron, liked to sneer that Brexit had left Britain hopelessly isolated on the global stage Macron foolishly described the decision to Leave as 'a crime'. Yet this week, the bank BNP Paribas urged investors to put money in the dynamic British market rather than the sluggish Eurozone. In the same vein, Britain has joined the ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership trading bloc and on Monday it was reported that the UK's manufacturing sector, worth 218billion, had become the eighth largest, overtaking that of France (worth 210billion), where de-industrialisation continues apace. The latest controversy involves the abaya, a robe worn by Muslim women, which is no longer allowed in state schools In a country that once pioneered aviation and nuclear power, large scale businesses are shutting down, balance sheets are turning red and skilled jobs are being lost. For example, EDF, the state-owned power utility company, racked up a record 16billion operating loss last year. As the share of industrial manufacturing in GDP has shrunk to barely 10 per cent, France's trade deficit (the amount by which the cost of imports exceeds the value of exports) grew to 141billion in 2022, compared to 87billion in the UK. The fact is that France's corporatist economic model is no longer sustainable. The public sector is too large, public spending too high, now standing at the equivalent of 59 per cent of GDP, while the Government's overall debt is above three trillion euros. Despite the slogan of 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' France has to work out how to make modern capitalism benefit all citizens. Yes, two Parisians regularly top global rich lists Bernard Arnault, head of luxury goods group LVMH, is worth around $210billion, while Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the L'Oreal heiress, is valued at more than $86billion. Liverpool fans suffered indiscriminate violence from those who were meant to be maintaining order during the European Champions League final in Paris last year The problem is neither of these multinationals do much to bolster the prosperity of ordinary people they export capitalism brilliantly, but conditions for doing business domestically are a lot more restrictive. Taxes are too burdensome, regulations too heavy. That partly explains why unemployment in France is close to double that in Britain. Moreover, the trade unions retain a huge amount of power in France, which accounts for both the continuation of outdated working practices and poor industrial relations in certain industries, adding to the crisis in the social fabric. A strike by refuse collectors in Paris last April, for instance, led to 10,000 tons of rubbish piling up in the streets. This climate of confrontation makes change difficult, as was proved by Macron's struggle to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 earlier this year, a proposal that led to those violent protests and union-led walkouts. Macron was only able to implement this law by resorting to Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, which effectively allows the President to impose a measure by decree and by-pass the National Assembly. Since the appointment in May 2022 of his latest Prime Minister, lacklustre yes-woman Elisabeth Borne, Macron has used 49.3 a frantic 11 times. All this points to a yawning democratic deficit in the French system of governance created with the establishment of the Fifth Republic under Charles de Gaulle in 1958 during the Algerian War of Independence. EDF, the state-owned power utility company, racked up a record 16billion operating loss last year Far too much power is centralised in the Head of State, who can act like a quasi-monarch in overriding Parliament and appointing anyone he likes to form a government, whether close friends or corporate cronies. It is a structure that encourages sleaze, as shown by the criminal convictions of presidents including Nicolas Sarkozy and the late Jacques Chirac. The lack of checks and balances is also disastrous when the calibre of the President does not match the scale of the post, as could be said of Macron. Prickly, arrogant and lacking in empathy, he is more of a technocratic manager than a national leader. Every time I have met him, I have been struck by his aloofness and insistence that he is right. And his inability to implement promised reforms and economic growth at home is equalled by his numerous foreign policy failures which include self-important but deluded visits to Moscow to try to appease Vladimir Putin. Even his provision of military assistance to Kyiv has been botched. Before the start of the Ukraine War, he infamously referred to the 'brain death of Nato' and said the U.S. could no longer be relied on to defend the Alliance comments welcomed by Russia as 'truthful words'. Macron traveled to Moscow in a bid to help defuse tensions amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine and try to appease Vladimir Putin King and Queen's visit was scheduled to take place in March, but had to be postponed because of widespread rioting in opposition to Macron's proposed pension reforms With typical pomposity, he used to see himself as the natural leader of the European Union, renewing the charge for integration, but his unimpressive record has massively diminished his influence. It is little wonder Macron's political opponents unite in accusing him of being someone who struts about the world stage with little talent for dealing with or even understanding realpolitik. He acts in an 'isolated, narcissistic way, impervious to French people's lives', is how MP Olivier Marleix puts it. More than that, Macron has hinted he'd like his job to be closer to the autocratic monarchs of old, as there is a void in France. 'In French politics, this absence is the presence of a King, a King whom, fundamentally, I don't think the French people wanted dead,' he said. Will he discuss such ideas when he sits down to a sumptuous banquet at Versailles next week with Charles III an actual King whose powers are firmly limited by Britain's constitutional monarchy? Who knows. One thing is for certain. He will strenuously avoid any mention of the growing number of increasingly restive French who believe their nation is failing and in need of urgent fixing. Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel on Friday to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' made against him in a letter and email - ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation. The much-anticipated programme is set to air at 9pm on Saturday night, with speculation building over who or what could be at the centre of the investigation. Sources say that the long running current affairs documentary series will feature details about a well-known celebrity, which the Mail have been told are shocking. Though there is no indication Brand will be covered in the programme, he made a video addressed to his fans. The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers late on Friday night that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'. Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper. The letters listed 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, which are untrue', Brand said. Russell Brand has taken to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers late on Friday night that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes' Brand (pictured with his wife Laura in Bath) said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper. Posting the video on X, where he has 11 million followers, he said: 'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. 'During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then and I am being transparent about it now as well. 'And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play.' Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled. The comedian and actor went on to add that 'we have seen coordinated media attacks before', referring to Joe Rogan announcing he had taken anti-parasite drug Ivermectin to treat his Covid-19 infection during the pandemic. Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his channel. He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations. 'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.' The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes' Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition' Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'. Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.' 'Stay free' is a phrase he frequently used to ends his videos on his channel. The video attracted comments from thousands of people, including tech mogul Elon Musk, who responded to Brand's two-minute long speech: 'Of course. They don't like competition.' Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today. The Channel 4 TV guide simply lists the hotly-anticipated programme as 'New: Dispatches Special. A 90-minute special Dispatches investigation'. The network confirmed on its online listings yesterday morning that they were showing it at 9pm on Saturday night. Now, a link to the programme page comes up with a message saying: 'That page cannot be found. Either the address is incorrect or the page is no longer available.' Radio Times magazine also had the programme in this week's listings, with the description: 'Dispatches - Investigation series covering issues in British society, politics, international current affairs, health, religion and the environment.' Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy posted on X, saying: 'Something's up' The Channel 4 TV guide simply lists a '90-minute special Dispatches investigation' tonight The programme is due to finish at 10.30pm, but will also be repeated on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.50pm and on Monday on its sister channel 4seven at 9pm. Among those posting an image on X, formerly Twitter, of the description on the Channel 4 TV guide was the broadcaster's news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who said: 'Something's up' before quickly deleting the message. The Channel 4 News anchor and Strictly star's post fuelled more speculation about the 90-minute special. He tweeted a picture of the schedule alongside the caption: 'Something's up' before deleting it around an hour later. Sources close to Mr Guru-Murthy, 53, who has worked for Channel 4 for 25 years, said that he was told to take it down as the nature of the programme is 'sensitive.' Dispatches has screened various big investigations in recent years. In July 2018 it revealed for the first time how Facebook decides what users can and can't see on the platform and in 2021 television presenter Davina McCall fronted a programme on the menopause. In 2005 an episode named Undercover Teacher saw a qualified science teacher, Alex Dolan, going undercover in schools in Leeds and London to expose the 'appalling teaching'. Channel 4 has not yet returned MailOnline's request for comment. Murdered mother Ellie Price (pictured) A man who slashed the throat of Melbourne mum Ellie Price in her own bedroom has been found guilty of her murder. Ricardo Barbaro had never wanted to take responsibility for his cowardly actions and cruelly attempted to blame his victim's friend throughout his Supreme Court of Victoria murder trial. In the end, the jury unanimously saw through Barbaro's lies, finding him guilty of murder not long after retiring to consider their verdict on Thursday. Ms Price was found with fatal stab wounds in her South Melbourne home on May 4 2020, but it's believed she died at his hands in the early hours of April 29. Barbaro fled Victoria, making national headlines as a manhunt was launched across Australia. It took police 10 days to catch up with Barbaro, arresting him after a tense stand-off at the Sydney the apartment of another glamorous woman. Barbaro's defence had fought hard to cause reasonable doubt among the jury that someone else had motive to kill Ms Price. That man was brothel owner Mark Gray, who was had been financing the 26-year old's lavish lifestyle up until she threatened to make a false rape allegation against him just weeks before she was killed. In his closing address, Prosecutor Damien Hannan urged the jury to ignore the 'distraction' of her brothel-owning best friend. 'Ellie Price died because of murderous blows inflicted by the accused in the early hours of April 29, 2020,' he said. 'The forensic evidence here is damning.' Ricardo Barbaro arrives at the Supreme Court of Victoria during his trial. Ellie Price had demanded $100,000 off 'best friend' Mark Gray or she would falsely report him of rape. She was killed just weeks later Ellie's mum Tracey Gangell confirmed her daughter was threatening to tell police a friend raped her unless he gave her money Mr Hannan said CCTV and phone records caught Barbaro fleeing Ms Prices apartment about 4.30am never to return. That footage revealed footage Barbaro had large 'scratches' on an arm. The jury heard Ms Price had fought for her life during the bloody frenzy that claimed her life. 'Connect that with the blood found under her fingernails,' Mr Hannan said. 'His blood 100 billion to 1 its not thats telling evidence.' The jury heard Barbaro had killed for no other reason than he was a selfish, possessive thug of a man who felt his girlfriend was his property alone. 'Motive is not something that needs be proven, and something here you might never know. I'm suggesting you won't,' Mr Hannan said. 'There was acrimony, there was unpredictability, there was aggression. There was drugs, or alcohol, or one or the other. There was this personality disorder of Ellie Price. So motive is not part of this case, it's not part of this prosecution.' Mr Hannan provided various explanations as to why Barbaro might have killed his victim. 'Maybe he was at his wit's end. Maybe he was pinging. Maybe he was vengeful. Maybe he acted out. Maybe he grabbed a knife. He did, and in that very brief time, and in a tirade of violent abuse, he plunged that knife into her with real intent, you don't do it otherwise,' he told the jury. Moments before her horrific murder, Ms Price had sent a music video titled 'Save Me' to Mr Gray. The Nicki Minaj song was played to the jury during Mr Gray's cross examination. The murder trial had focused squarely on Mr Gray being the possible killer. Ms Price met Mr Gray while worked as an exotic dancer at The Men's Gallery in 2017 and they developed a close friendship over the years, the jury of 14 was told. He agreed to provide her with a rental reference and then paid for Ms Price and her young son to live in several Melbourne apartments, including paying six months rent up front, almost $5000, for the Park Street apartment where she died. Brothel owner Mark Gray arrives at the Supreme Court during the murder trial. He was determined not to be photographed Ricardo Barbaro (pictured), then aged 34, after his arrest in Sydney Mr Gray said Ms Price looked up to him as if he was 'like her God' but denied there was ever a sexual relationship between them. 'It wasn't a sugar daddy arrangement as it wasn't a sexual relationship,' he told the jury. Asked whether he ever considered beginning a romantic relationship with Ms Price, he said 'yes but it was absolutely impossible' as she had several mental health issues. 'So it remained where it remained, as friends,' he said. Mr Gray had previously described Ms Price as suffering from a mental illness and would turn into a 'total monster' at times. 'Ellie was unfortunately quite sick,' he said during a preliminary hearing in 2021. Mr Gray claimed he bought the car for Ms Price under a verbal agreement she would pay him back. 'I trusted her ... her word was her honour,' Mr Gray said. The court heard Mr Gray cut Ms Price off from her gravy train for seven months after her demands for gifts got out of control in 2019, but reconciled with her just months before her murder. Within weeks of making up with his young friend, Mr Gray paid for $24,000 in rent for the South Melbourne apartment she would be found dead in. 'It was a life and death situation,' Mr Gray said. 'I felt something needed to be done.' Ellie Price was farewelled back in Tasmania where she originated from Ellie Price was a mother ofone. She was stabbed to death just weeks after threatening a good friend The court heard Mr Gray was told of Ms Price's relationship with Barbaro on the last occasion he ever saw her - about two weeks before she was killed. On that day, he noticed she had a 'love bite' on her neck and the pair had an argument over his alleged mistreatment of her. The pair later argued on the phone before she demanded another $100,000 to buy a beauty salon. 'Mark I could really f**k you up and tell the police that you raped me,' Ms Price told her friend on the phone. Mr Gray hung up, blocked her number and didn't talk to her again. Instead, he contacted her mother Tracey Gangell, who told Mr Gray her daughter had been on drugs. Mr Gray told Ms Gangell he no longer trusted Ms Price and made reference to the money he had blown on her, including a $1000 a week allowance and a $2000 kitten. Ms Price's mum described the fear she saw in her daughter's eyes while asking her about the extortion plot. Ms Gangell confirmed her daughter was threatening to tell police Mr Gray raped her unless he gave her money. Ellie Price's boyfriend Ricardo Barbaro, 34, was charged with murder Ellie Price had businessman Mark Gray wrapped around her finger. Ellie Price had met Mr Gray while working as a stripper in Melbourne The jury heard Mr Gray's phone records suggested he had been close to Ms Price's apartment on the morning of her murder. Mr Gray said he was in bed that morning and denied being near Kings Way, which intersects with Park Street where Ms Price's apartment was located. 'Your phone doesn't say that,' Barbaro's barrister Rishi Nathwani replied. 'I don't go out at 6.20am,' Mr Gray said. Mr Nathwani accused Mr Gray of hiring a hitman to kill Ms Price and injure Barbaro, after she had tried to extort $100,000 from Mr Gray by threatening to file the false rape report. 'As a result of the extortion you had to act so you used one of your meanest men in Melbourne to go around to Ellie Price's apartment ... to deal with Ellie Price and Ricardo Barbaro,' he said. 'No, denied,' Mr Gray replied. In closing his address to the jury, Mr Hannan dismissed any notion that it was anyone but Barbaro he murdered Ms Price. 'So apparently, according to my learned friend in his opening address, this case is a "whodunnit". Well, the answer is clear and simple, and beyond reasonable doubt the accused man there done it.' The jury agreed. A member of the public found a magazine clip still loaded with bullets near the getaway car of the shooters who murdered gangster Gavin 'Capable' Preston. Preston was brazenly executed by a hitman last Saturday while having breakfast with the son of his former mate Nabil 'Mad Lebo' Maghnie at the Sweet Lulus cafe in Keilor, in Melbourne's north-west. The clip was located by a Melbourne local in parkland between Blair Court and Solomon Drive - about 1km away from the shooting scene. It was found after police with sniffer dogs had been through the area - sparking excitement that it could be a breakthrough clue in the case. But on Friday, a Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the clip had been accidentally dropped by one of its own officers. 'The magazine has been identified as police issue and was accidentally dropped whilst a search was being conducted in this area,' the spokesperson said. 'The magazine is back in possession of Victoria Police.' It remains unclear how the magazine, which can only be accessed by a secret process, was discarded by the officer. Police did not say what if any action was being taken by force command over the dangerous blunder. A bullet clip lies in grass on a reserve near where Gavin Preston's killers dumped their getaway car Gavin 'Capable' Preston earned his nickname for being capable of anything. Last Saturday he was shot dead while sipping on an orange juice Officers had swarmed to the area where the shooters dumped the black Audi Q5 used in the shooting. The shooters had botched setting the Audi on fire only moments earlier before dashing through the parkland where the magazine was found. Reports emerged earlier this week that one of the hitmen actually set himself on fire while attempting to burn the getaway car, which was quickly extinguished by a Good Samaritan seconds after it was set ablaze. Police continue to probe claims Preston was set-up by someone he trusted. Abbas Maghnie Jr, known as AJ, copped a bullet in the stomach as he ran from Preston's executioner. An injured Abbas Maghnie Jr, known as AJ, was captured on CCTV shortly after Preston's murder. He fled as his breakfast companion was shot Preston and Maghnie Jnr had been seated directly outside Sweet Lulus (pictured) Police escort Preston's distressed partner Lauren Howe is seen in the aftermath of the shooting Chilling CCTV footage showed Preston never knew what hit him as he sat across the table from Maghnie Jnr sipping an orange juice when death greeted him. The pair were seated outside of the cafe directly by the road. Preston's burly associate, who shares a close physical resemblance to his also dead father, managed to make a break for it as Preston was peppered with bullets. Maghnie Jr remains in hospital and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest it was he who lured Preston to his death. 'It's worth remembering he almost got killed too,' a source with close criminal associates told Daily Mail Australia this week. Bullet holes were lodged in a wall behind where Preston and Maghnie Jnr were seated. Maghnie copped a bullet in the stomach. Preston got one in the head A staffer who was working near Sweet Lulus told The Australian the assassins appeared to know exactly where Preston would be. 'The black Audi they were in entered the carpark at 7am. So they have been waiting for over three hours until they made the move,' the worker said. 'They were parked down the end of this carpark. They did a loop. Then they went back out and thats when the shooting happened.' The Audi was seen racing away just seconds after the shooting and was dumped on Blair Court - a residential street about 1km from the scene. The decision to dump the getaway car in the heavily populated area on a busy Saturday morning will likely come back to haunt the cocky assassins. As will their panicked haste to flee the area after the precisioned hit on Preston just moments earlier. The black Audi Q5 was captured on CCTV racing away from the shooting. A hitmen tried to destroy it by fire, but only succeeded in burning himself Police also found a Volkswagen Polo believed to be linked to the assassins George Marrogi is doing 32 years for a public execution. Gavin Preston had threatened harm to his brother Jesse. The bungling arsonist is also likely to maintain telling injuries to his face and arms. A black Volkswagen Polo, which was abandoned in Cadiz Place, just three kilometres away, is believed to be the vehicle the men used to flee the Audi. The mistakes share similarities to that made by jailed Melbourne gangster George Marrogi, who is a person of interest in Preston's public execution. Kadir Ors, a known drug dealer, had also been lured to a location where Marrogi could shoot him on September 24, 2016. Like Preston's execution, Marrogi was caught on CCTV dressed in black as he fired repeatedly into his target. Marrogi fired so many bullets he had to reload, leaving behind an ammunition box in a red Commodore he used in the assassination. Marrogi's DNA was on the box, helping detectives put him behind bars in December 2021 for 32 years. Jesse Marrogi - George's brother - had reportedly so angered Preston he threatened to not only bash him, but rape him upon his release from jail. While the motive behind Preston's murder remains unknown, it is understood detectives are interested to know if he had anything to do with last months attempt to steal the body of Meshilin Marrogi, Georges late sister, from the family crypt at Preston General Cemetery. The investigation remains ongoing. Americans have a reputation for going big - and it seems to apply to their view on their math ability. A global study found that US teenagers are more likely to overestimate their math and problem-solving ability than their English-speaking peers. Using data from over 40,000 15-year-olds in nine countries, researchers found teens in the US were the most likely to brag about their math knowledge, while teenagers in Ireland and Scotland were the least likely to. Overall, North American teens came out on top for exaggerating math knowledge. Researchers behind the study said the overconfidence could have some advantages, such as being more willing to tackle challenges and make negotiations in the workplace, such as for a pay raise. Using data from over 40,000 15-year-olds in nine countries, researchers found teens in the US were the most likely to brag about their math knowledge The study says researchers still know little about teenagers' willingness to exaggerate their abilities and how it compares across countries. Participants were asked about their familiarity with 16 mathematical terms three fake. READ MORE: Parents slam woke Massachusetts school district for axing advanced math classes to boost 'equity' Cambridge Public Schools began phasing out advanced math courses in grades six through eight around 2017, when district officials noticed sharp racial disparities in the program. Advertisement The teens were shown a list of the terms, including exponential function, rational number, and arithmetic mean, and asked their knowledge of each term on a five-point scale ranging from 'never heard of it' to 'know it well, understand the concept.' The three fake math terms on the list were proper number, subjunctive scaling, and declarative fraction, which don't exist. The questions were part of a two-hour math test and a 30-minute background questionnaire from the OECD Program for International Study Assessment (PISA) in 2012. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Assessment in Education: Principals, Policy & Practice. The study also found that the teens who were most likely to exaggerate their math abilities were also more likely to be overconfident in their academic, problem-solving, and perseverance skills. For example, over 40 percent of the teenagers who were more likely to brag about their math skills said they would consult a manual if their mobile phone stopped sending texts, while over 50 percent of teens who were less likely to brag said they would just press all the buttons on their phone to find the problem. The exaggerating teens were also more likely to claim they could calculate a discount on television and find their destination using a map. Teens who were more likely to exaggerate their math skills were also more likely to claim popularity among their school peers, but the evidence for this was not as strong. Researchers behind the study said the overconfidence could have some advantages, such as being more willing to tackle challenges and make negotiations in the workplace, such as for a pay raise Boys were more likely to exaggerate their math abilities than girls, and teens from more advantaged backgrounds were more confident than their less advantaged peers. US Teens were followed by teens in Canada as being the most likely to exaggerate math knowledge. Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland were at the bottom of the list. Teens in Australia, New Zealand, England, and Wales were in the middle. Around 70 countries participated in PIS. Researchers focused on countries where English is the most common language to improve comparability. John Jerrim, Professor of Education and Social Statistics at the UCL Institute of Education, led the study and said it provided new insight into overconfidence in teens. 'Although 'overclaiming' may at first seem to be a negative social trait, we have previously found that overconfident individuals are more likely to land top jobs,' Jerrim said. 'The fact that young men tend to overclaim their knowledge more than young women and the rich are more likely to overclaim than the poor, could be related to the different labor market outcomes of these groups.' Among them are a wolf-shaped cloud and even a new scientific discovery Shortlisted snaps for the prestigious photography award have been unveiled Spellbinding images of our galaxies and solar system have now been revealed, as this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year was announced. Greenwich's Royal Observatory received more than 4,000 entries from over 64 countries, with photographers of all abilities competing to win the prestigious prize. Shots were shortlisted across 10 different categories and include what appears to be a question mark on the Sun and even the bizarrely named Running Chicken Nebula. But the mesmerising 'Andromeda, Unexpected' bagged first prize by capturing the surprising discovery of a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy. This galaxy is the closest 'spiral system' to our Milky Way, composed of a twisted assemblage of stars and gas. Unimaginable images of our galaxies and solar system have now been revealed as this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year was announced READ MORE: Is anyone out there? Astronomers spot a spooky looking QUESTION MARK hiding next to a pair of young stars in space The James Webb Space Telescope revealed a perfect and rather spooky question mark in the depths of space Advertisement The mysterious plasma arc is a type of an 'emission nebula' formed of ionised gas that emits its own light. But no one has ever seen this, as the phenomenon is only visible in a specific oxidized state - giving off its blue colour. Scientists across the world are now investigating this arc to better understand its relationship to the neighbouring galaxy. 'What you see is gigantic blue arc of ionised oxygen gas that has never been seen before,' amateur astronomer and astrophotographer Marcel Drechsler said. 'As a result, it could be the largest and closest such structure to us in the Universe.' Judge Laszlo Francsics added: 'This astrophoto is as spectacular as [it is] valuable. 'It not only presents Andromeda in a new way, but also raises the quality of astrophotography to a higher level.' Two 14-year-old boys from China were granted this year's Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The pair had collaborated to capture the The Running Chicken Nebula situated around 6,500 light years away - with each lightyear equating to six trillion miles on Earth. Overall winner and Galaxies winner: Andromeda, Unexpected by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty. This captures a huge never-seen-before plasma arc (blue light) next to the Andromeda Galaxy. Scientists are now investigating the newly discovered giant in a transnational collaboration. Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year winner: The Running Chicken Nebula by Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang. The Running Chicken Nebula, IC2944, is located in the constellation of Centaurus, 6,000 light years away from the Earth. Embedded in the nebula's glowing gas the star cluster Collinder 249 is visible. Sun winner: A Sun Question by Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau. A photograph of the Sun with a huge filament in the shape of a question mark. Solar filaments are arcs of plasma in the Sun's atmosphere given shape by magnetic fields Skyscapes winner: Grand Cosmic Fireworks by Angel An. Sprites are an extremely rare phenomenon of atmospheric luminescence that appear like fireworks. An took this photograph from the highest ridge of the Himalaya mountains Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation: Black Echo by John White. Taking audio source material from NASA's Chandra Sonification Project, White visually captured the sound of the black hole at the centre of the Perseus Galaxy. The audio was played through a speaker onto which White attached a petri dish, blacked out at the bottom and then filled with about 3 mm of water. Using a macro lens and halo light in a dark room, White experimented with the audio and volumes to explore the various patterns made in the liquid Sun runner-up: Dark Star by Peter Ward. This depicts the Sun turned 'inside-out'. The photographer inverted the rectangular image onto polar coordinates to highlight the smaller prominences that occur on the edge of the Sun. Highly commended: Moon at Nightfall by Haohan Sun. Moonrise over the Xinghai Bay Bridge in Dalian, China. Atmospheric extinction alters the hue and brightness of the Moon when it is low on the horizon. In this photo, you can see the Moon appears brighter and less red as it rises in the sky READ MORE: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022 The winning photograph, entitled Disconnection Event , was captured by Austrian photographer Gerald Rhemann in Namibia on Christmas Day Advertisement Its bizarre nickname comes as some say it looks like a cosmic chicken walking through the sky. 'Thank you to the Greenwich judges. We're very glad to receive this achievement as winners of the Young Competition,' said winners Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang. Another winner is Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau, who led the Sun category with his intriguing shot of our giant star. This depicted a filament that's the spitting image of a question mark on the scorching 5,600C (10,000F) surface. Peter Ward's 'Dark Star' was a runner-up for this category with his shot that turned the hot ball inside out. This put the spotlight on its uneven surface, with intense solar flares erupting in the Sun's atmosphere. On the flipside, a view of Mars and the moon took first place for the Moon category, while mesmerising brushstroke-shaped lights won for Aurorae. Vikas Chander also took home the trophy for People and Space with an eerie nighttime shot of a stranded ship off the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. Moon runner-up: Sundown on the Terminator by Tom Williams. The Plato Crater (pictured) is an almost perfectly circular crater that measures 109 km in diameter. This photograph was taken during a local lunar sunset in the last quarter, when approximately half of the Moon's face is visible from Earth Highly commended: The Dark Wolf Fenrir by James Baguley. This image shows a dark, thick molecular cloud in the form of a wolf, known as the Wolf Nebula or Fenrir Nebula. Baguley chose a starless image to emphasise the beautiful red background, which is a dense backdrop of hydrogen gas. Moon winner: Mars-Set by Ethan Chappel. An occultation of Mars that took place on 8 December 2022. During the occultation, the Moon passes in front of the planet Mars, allowing the astrophotographer to capture both objects together Highly commended: A deep-space photograph showing galaxies NGC 5078 and IC879, to the left, and NGC 5101 on the right. The detailed image captures the hazy dust of the galaxies clearly Aurorae winner: Brushstroke by Monika Deviat. An abstract aurora in the shape of a brushstroke. Unusually, the photographer decided to photograph the aurora in isolation Stars and Nebulae winner: New Class of Galactic Nebulae Around the Star YY Hya by Marcel Drechsler. A team of amateur astronomers discovered a previously unknown galactic nebula. At its centre, a pair of stars surrounded by a common envelope was found. On over 100 nights, more than 360 hours of exposure time were collected. The result shows an ultra-deep stellar remnant that the team has baptised 'the heart of the Hydra' People and Space winner: Zeila by Vikas Chander. The most northerly part of Namibia's Atlantic facing coast is one of the most treacherous coastlines in the world and has gained the name the Skeleton Coast. The ship in this photo, Zeila, was stranded on 25 August 2008 and is still in a well-preserved state. The image shows the delicate colours of different star types Planets, Comets and Asteroids winner: Suspended in a Sunbeam by Tom Williams. A unique view of Venus using infrared or ultraviolet false colour. By going beyond the visible part of the spectrum, a myriad of fine detail within the upper atmosphere of the planet is revealed Highly commended: Last Full Moon of the Year Featuring a Colourful Corona During a Close Encounter with Mars by Miguel Claro. A photograph of the last Full Moon of 2022 immersed in clouds. The colourful ring surrounding the Moon is a lunar corona, which occurs when moonlight is diffracted though water droplets in the Earth's atmosphere. Mars can just be seen to the right of the Moon, appearing as a small orange dot Best newcomer: Sh2-132: Blinded by the Light by Aaron Wilhelm. The Sh2-132 complex lies near the border of the Cepheus and Lacerta constellations and contains multiple deep sky structures. The photograph includes 70 hours of data, the rich interplay of all the gasses reveals something different each time you look at it Meanwhile, James Baguley was highly commended for capturing a molecular cloud that looks identical to a howling wolf, and Angle An snapped an incredibly rare luminescent phenomenon at the Himalayas. The Stars and Nebulae winner also made a scientific discovery of their own by snapping a previously unknown galactic nebula, now named 'the heart of the Hydra'. 'Once again, entrants to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have conspired to make things difficult for the judges, with a flood of high-quality images covering an amazing range of targets,' said Dr Ed Bloomer, astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich. 'The highlight of this year is perhaps a number of genuine discoveries being imaged, but we've had wonderful efforts in every category and I'm particularly pleased to see the continued strength of our young entrants and those eligible for The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. 'It has led to some intense debate amongst the judges as we try to choose the very best of the best, but we don't mind!' The inaugural boss of NASA's newly-created UFO research division has been named as a former meteorologist and liaison to the Pentagon. Mark McInerney will become the US space agency's director of research into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), more commonly known as unidentified flying objects. NASA officials initially refused to reveal McInerney's identity amid fears he would be harassed, before later backtracking on the decision. Speaking about the new UFO boss following the release of the agency's highly-anticipated study into more than 800 UAP sightings, NASA's associate administrator Nicola Fox told reporters: 'They have been working there a while now, during the study, to help be a point of contact.' But when directly asked whether she could name the official, Fox replied: 'We will not give his name out.' Alien hunter: The inaugural boss of NASA's newly-created UFO research division has been named as former meteorologist and liaison to the Pentagon Mark McInerney (pictured) NASA officials initially refused to reveal McInerney's identity amid fears he would be harassed All changed hours later, however, when NASA sent out a press release that included McInerney's name and revealed he previously worked as the agency's liaison to the Pentagon. There has been no explanation as to why McInerney's identity was revealed when NASA initially declined to do so. However, it emerged at last night's briefing that several members of the independent study group had received threats, hate mail and been ridiculed on social media. Some were even apparently told to stay away from researching UFOs because it could damage their scientific credibility. 'That's in part why we are not splashing the name of our new director out there, because science needs to be free,' Dan Evans, the NASA official in charge of the study, originally said. 'Some of [the incidents] rose to actual threats.' The newly-formed UFO research division will continue studying UAPs, even though the space agency yesterday ruled out that aliens were to blame for some 800 such sightings over almost three decades. These are defined as objects 'that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective'. In a landmark report commissioned by NASA last year and published on Thursday, an independent panel of 16 experts stressed that there was 'no reason to conclude' that any of the sightings they analysed were extraterrestrial in origin. The newly-formed UFO research division will continue studying UAPs, even though the space agency yesterday ruled out that aliens were to blame for some 800 such sightings over almost three decades. Above, a weather balloon careens through the air following its release from the Cape Canaveral weather station in Florida. NASA's panel included this image in their report as an example of the striking, highly unusual objects that actually have a terrestrial explanation But NASA did admit to cases that remain baffling, including this 'metallic orb' recorded by an MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Mid East, first presented to Congress by Pentagon physicist Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick. NASA's report today said, 'Due to limited data, the object remains unidentified' However, the team did warn that mysterious flying objects were a 'self-evident' threat to American airspace. Even though they poured cold water on the extraterrestrial hypothesis, NASA's experts did not deny the possibility of a 'potential unknown alien technology operating in Earth's atmosphere.' Their 33-page report called for NASA to utilise its technological might to continue studying UFOs because many cases remain unsolved and researchers still have no idea what some of these sightings are. NASA chief Bill Nelson announced that a new director for UFO research would help implement the panel's recommendations. Following a news briefing setting out the findings, he said: 'I want to thank the independent study team for providing insight on how NASA can better study and analyse UAP in the future. 'NASA's new Director of UAP Research will develop and oversee the implementation of NASA's scientific vision for UAP research, including using NASA's expertise to work with other agencies to analyse UAP and applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to search the skies for anomalies. 'NASA will do this work transparently for the benefit of humanity.' Feedback: In May, NASA's independent study team (pictured) revealed their preliminary observations that up to 98 per cent of reported UAP sightings can be explained away McInerney's new role will see him 'centralise communications, resources, and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP', NASA said. 'He also will leverage NASA's expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and space-based observation tools to support and enhance the broader government initiative on UAP,' the space agency added. Since 1996, McInerney has worked in various positions, spending time at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NASA advisory panel's new report analysed hundreds of potential UFO sightings, albeit with a budget of just $100,000 (80,500) and just nine months to conduct their work. The panel noted that, to date, most UAPs are recorded with sensors and other equipment intended for nonscientific purposes, under accidental or 'serendipitous' circumstances that are far from ideal. Evidence from nearly all UFO cases, in other words, was not collected with enough scientific rigour for experts to reach reliable conclusions in the panel's view. 'Coupled with incomplete data archiving and curation,' the NASA panel wrote, 'this means that the origin of numerous UAP [UFOs] remain uncertain.' Interesting: Earlier this year the Department of Defense released a document disclosing the 'world's UFO hotspots'. It includes a map showing where the most sightings of unidentified objects have been recorded, based on reports between 1996 and 2023 They concluded that in their scientific view, the bar for proof of extraterrestrial visitors to our planet must be kept high. 'In the search for life beyond Earth, extraterrestrial life itself must be the hypothesis of last resort,' the panel wrote, 'the answer we turn to only after ruling out all other possibilities.' 'As Sherlock Holmes said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth".' Back in May, NASA's independent study team shared their preliminary observations that up to 98 per cent of reported UAP sightings can be explained away. Just 2 to 5 percent are considered 'possibly really anomalous', the panel added, but a lack of high-quality data is hampering researchers' ability to apply 'rigorous scientific scrutiny' to the mystery-solving. NASA's study is separate from the Pentagon's investigation into UAPs, which saw US lawmakers hear first-hand accounts of UFO sightings from former members of the military earlier this year. That Pentagon study, led by the Defense Department's new All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and directed by Pentagon physicist Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, has received 350 reports of UFOs in the past two years. Almost half, or precisely 171 of those UFO cases, remain unexplained. Although their is cross-collaboration, the US space agency's panel is focused on the civilian, unclassified side of this effort, while AARO leads the charge on examining UAPs in coordination with the intelligence and military communities. NASA cannot rule out that 'potential unknown alien technology' is operating in the Earth's atmosphere, a new report has concluded. The study of flying saucers, UFOs and claims alien spaceships are visiting the earth has long been the preserve of mavericks and the unhinged. But yesterday, NASA said it wanted to dispel the 'negative perception' surrounding Unidentified Flying Objects and make it a scientifically respectable field of study. As part of the effort to put the study of UFOs onto a more scientific footing, it said it preferred to call them UAPs - 'unidentified anomalous phenomena'. A NASA panel, comprising 16 experts in scientific fields and ranging from physics to astrobiology have compiled a report into UAPs which it called 'one of our planet's greatest mysteries.' NASA cannot rule out that 'potential unknown alien technology' is operating in the Earth's atmosphere, a new report has concluded. Pictured: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaking yesterday Above, a weather balloon careens through the air following its release from the Cape Canaveral weather station in Florida. NASA's panel included this image in their report as an example of the striking, highly unusual objects that nevertheless have a terrestrial explanation The report said: 'Observations of objects in our skies that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft or natural known phenomena have been spotted worldwide, yet there are limited high-quality observations. 'The nature of science is to explore the unknown, and data is the language scientists use to discover our universe's secrets,' the report said. 'Despite numerous accounts and visuals, the absence of consistent, detailed, and curated observations means we do not presently have the body of data needed to make definitive, scientific conclusions about UAP,' it added. The report said there is 'no reason' to conclude existing UAP reports have an extraterrestrial source. But it said if it is plausible that there are extra-terrestrial life forms in the galaxy, it is also plausible that there is 'potential unknown alien technology operating in Earth's atmosphere'. The report said there is 'no reason' to conclude existing UAP reports have an extraterrestrial source. But it said if it is plausible that there are extra-terrestrial life forms in the galaxy, it is also plausible that there is 'potential unknown alien technology operating in Earth's atmosphere' NASA has previously revealed the characteristics of the typical UFO, including the colour and the shape, velocity, and flight level READ MORE The truth behind the 'aliens' in Mexico Two 'aliens' were officially unveiled at Mexico 's Congress (pictured) as politicians held their first ever hearing on UFOs, but was everything as it seemed? MailOnline takes a look Advertisement The report was not a review of previous UFO incidents but a 'road map' of how to scientifically study and evaluate UAPs in the future. It also only referred to unclassified reports - with the report's authors acknowledging that the US Military also has secret images and reports of UAPs not available to the public. NASA said it would make a 'concerted effort' to scientifically study UAPs, using its satellites, as well as commercial satellites, as well as using artificial intelligence to analyse data. The public could help too, using smartphone apps to take pictures of potential UFOs. NASA said it had appointed a new director of UAP research - who it is not naming - who will be in charge of creating a 'robust database' for evaluation of future UAP.' The director will not be named as members of the panel had received 'harassment' and 'threats' while working on the report, NASA officials said. The report added that it was important to get to the bottom of UAPs as 'the threat to U.S. airspace safety posed by UAP is self-evident.' At a news conference yesterday one of the report's authors, Dr Dan Evans, was asked why the report had to rely on unclassified material - while the US Department of Defense holds onto classified images and videos. Dr Evans said: 'One of the reasons we restricted ourselves this study to unclassified data is because we can speak openly about it,' Dr Evans said. 'And in so doing, we're aiming again to alter the discourse from sensationalism to science'. The scientists were asked by to comment on a recent claim by a UFO expert, Jaimie Maussan, that he had discovered two ancient 'non human' alien corpses in Cusco, Peru in 2017, which are 1800 years old and are claimed to have 30 per cent DNA of an 'unknown' type. Dr David Spergel, who chaired the panel, said samples from the corpses should be made available to the wider scientific community. NASA issued a watershed report in 2021 compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in conjunction with a Navy-led task force encompassing numerous observations - mostly from military personnel of UAP. The report included some UAP cases that previously came to light in the Pentagon's release of video from naval aviators showing enigmatic aircraft off the U.S. East and West Coasts. The report said defence and intelligence analysts lacked sufficient data to determine the nature of some of the objects. READ MORE: Fascinating map details the annual salary each nationality needs to be content 'I try to go out of my comfort zone and create photos that some would think are not possible,' he reveals Advertisement He's like the Indiana Jones of the photography world. Josselin Cornou describes himself as an 'adventure photographer', with his quest for capturing epic pictures leading to him 'abseiling through canyons, jumping with camera gear above waterfalls, getting up close to volcanoes, [and] capturing Australia during a snowstorm'. The French-Australian photographer tells MailOnline Travel: 'I try to go out of my comfort zone and create photos that some would think are not possible. Its about going off the beaten path - with respect to nature, always.' Cornou notes: 'Having a camera that can sustain falls and still continue to operate is key.' Aside from the physical daredevilry his photography style requires, other challenges include camping on location, withstanding sub-zero temperatures for long periods of time, and having the patience to wait for the desired weather conditions to materialise. His goal? To show 'a unique perspective of our planet' and he does so in spellbinding fashion, as you'll discover if you scroll down for a peek at some of his dramatic images. This striking shot by Cornou shows 100ft-high (30m) tabular icebergs in Antarctica that were 'once part of the Larsen Ice Shelf, an iceberg as large as a U.S state that [broke apart] due to climate change'. Recalling navigating through these icebergs by boat, he says: 'Those mesmerising structures were displaying subzero icy corridors, forming a highly photogenic gargantuan maze. The scene was magnificent, but also incredibly scary. I took my camera - I had to show the world the impact that global warming has had' LEFT: This beautiful shot shows Manarola, one of the five towns that make up Italy's Cinque Terre region. It's a place where 'solitude meets tourism', according to Cornou. He says: 'The irony of this place - people originally set up their town here to be isolated from the world... [a] few hundred years later, those old towns are now colonised by tourists.' RIGHT: In this striking shot, a sailboat can be seen 'gliding through the Arctic waters' off the coast of Greenland. In capturing the photograph, Cornou spent time on 'cold, slippery' boat decks and faced 'constantly changing conditions', but he says that 'witnessing the sunrise and sunset against a backdrop of stunning, towering icebergs made it all worth it' Cornou captured this stunning photograph on an 'insightful' trip to Antarctica, during which he lived among penguins and studied the effects of global warming LEFT: This enchanting shot was captured in the Helensburgh Glow Worm Tunnel in New South Wales, Australia. As its name suggests, the tunnel is known for its glow worm population. RIGHT: This powerful picture shows an erupting stratovolcano in Vanuatu, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Cornou reveals he was given permission to walk on the rim of this volcano and see the 'volcanic eruption up close' The rugged landscape of Australia's Blue Mountains National Park is captured in this magnificent shot by Cornou. He says: 'Heading to this place was worth the night hike. We slept a few metres away from that viewpoint.' He adds that a 'big plus' of the expedition was hearing and seeing wildlife all around him This atmospheric photo was taken from a hiking trail above the clouds on the island of Madeira. Cornou says the setting offers 'a true beauty like no other', adding: 'It literally feels like being on top of the world' LEFT: This ethereal picture shows Laurissilva Forest, a 20-million-year-old subtropical rainforest on the Portuguese island of Madeira. RIGHT: A canyon in Australia's Blue Mountains National Park is the subject of this beautifully-lit photograph by Cornou. He describes it as a 'lost world below the trees' of the national park This other-worldly shot was taken in the Stockton Beach Sand Dunes of New South Wales, Australia. They're known as the largest moving coastal dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. Writing on Instagram, Cornou reveals how he witnessed one of the most beautiful night skies he had ever seen during his trip there. However, he notes that it was 'incredibly cold', making it 'impossible to catch any minutes of sleep' It was 'freezing cold' when Cornou captured this breathtaking scene in Norway's Lofoten archipelago, the photographer reveals in an Instagram post This eye-catching image shows the historic French town of Sisteron, which sits below the 'Rocher de la Baume' rock formation on the banks of the Durance river. Writing on Instagram, Cornou notes that it's a part of France that 'few people know of' This close encounter with a whale was captured off the coast of the Vava'u islands in Tonga, the photographer reveals This alluring shot shows 'the beauty of Lake Louise' in western Canada during the last days of autumn, Cornou writes on Instagram. He says: 'This place is unique, and really special' READ MORE: I use AI bots to attend meetings for me and manage my diary You need to be very careful in how you use AI bots to help with holiday planning, Which? reveals. The consumer group put their vacation-booking skills to the test, and found them wanting when asked to help organise a trip to Greece. The watchdog put five AI systems to the test OpenAI's free ChatGPT and the premium version with a Kayak plug-in; Google's Bard; Microsoft's Bing Chat; and Expedia, which has integrated the ChatGPT software. Which? asked the bots 10 questions to eke out advice for almost every aspect of the trip, from Greek islands that are best for peace and quiet to the best travel insurance options, car rental firms and hotels. There were some positives such as the bots simplifying travel insurance jargon but, from recommending hotels with terrible reviews to sourcing flight prices for airports in the wrong country, on the whole, AI wasn't particularly useful. Here's what the investigation uncovered THE GOOD You need to be very careful in how you use AI bots to help with holiday planning, Which? reveals Which? was 'impressed' when Bing Chat suggested Kefalonia as an island to visit, as the holiday hotspot was voted Which? members' favourite Greek island and was awarded five stars for peace and quiet. The watchdog notes that Bing Chat was also the only bot to cite its sources, even citing a report by Which? in its advice. In another positive, Which? found the AI bots were handy for jargon-busting for instance, it notes that ChatGPT quickly translated a 'wordy and confusing' extract from a travel insurance policy into simpler, easier-to-understand terms. THE BAD One major negative, Which? found, was how AI bots' responses could sound like a 'backhanded sales pitch'. It explains that when it asked Bing for the best car hire companies at Kefalonia Airport, it recommended the 'obscure' CBR Car Hire Kefalonia, using language that appeared to be 'lifted almost word for word from the company's own website' as justification for picking them. 'It was a similar story for its recommendation of local rental Flydrive,' Which? says. As mentioned, 'downright dodgy' hotel recommendations were another red flag. Which? says that Erietta Studios was top of the list for ChatGPT Premium's 'best-rated hotels for under 150 a night', even though the property has a mediocre 6.7 rating on Kayak and 2.5 on Tripadvisor, with more than a third of reviewers rating it 'terrible'. Which? was 'impressed' when Bing Chat suggested Kefalonia as a Greek island to visit, as the holiday hotspot was voted Which? members' favourite Greek island. Above is the isle's Fteri Beach On top of that, Bard gave Which? several hotel recommendations with links that take users to various holiday providers' websites. One of the links led users to 'On the Beach' a company that was awarded just three stars for customer service by Which? members, the watchdog notes. Which? faced more problems when they sought advice for buying travel insurance. Bard' lost the plot' when the watchdog asked about holiday cover for a 70-year-old with pre-existing medical conditions and recommended a 'global travel insurance company' called Interpol - a firm that Which? couldn't find any trace of online. The watchdog says that following the link provided led to an Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organisation) themed notebook for sale on Amazon. The AI bots were similarly wayward when it came to sourcing flights. ChatGPT wrongly told Which? there were no direct flights from Birmingham to Kefalonia, as ChatGPT is only 'educated' up until September 2021 the same year the Birmingham to Kefalonia route was launched by Jet2.com. More and more consumers are likely to encounter artificial intelligence when booking holidays, but worryingly we've found that these services can often give travellers information and recommendations that are inaccurate, biased or even out of date Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel The watchdog then put the same question to the premium version of ChatGPT, which costs $20 (16) per month, but the bot confused Birmingham in England for Birmingham, Alabama. Financial advice from each of the AI bots varied wildly, Which? found. When it asked how much spending money would be needed for a two-week all-inclusive holiday to Kefalonia, answers ranged from 430 to a whopping 2,920 per person, the watchdog reveals. Another warning sign flashed when Which? asked if the AI bots could book the trip. All said no, except Bard, which found the watchdog a Ryanair flight and asked for its credit card details, saying: 'I will book the flight and send you a confirmation email.' However, Google told the watchdog that Bard was getting ahead of itself and doesn't have the ability to book flights yet. Google also told Which? that it continues to make improvements 'to ensure that accurate information is provided in response to queries'. Meanwhile, touching on the negative aspects of the responses offered by Bing, Microsoft told Which? that Bing includes its sources so that users can 'fact check' and research its responses. 'We are constantly looking to improve the authority and credibility of our web results,' Microsoft said. When Which? asked how much spending money would be needed for a two-week all-inclusive holiday to Kefalonia, answers ranged from 430 to a whopping 2,920 per person. Above is the pretty village of Assos on Kefalonia And OpenAI acknowledged that ChatGPT sometimes gives 'plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers' and admits that fixing this issue is 'challenging', Which? reveals. In a statement to the watchdog, Kayak added that it was 'early days' for the tech, vowing to make changes to help it 'prioritise nearby locations' in future. The upshot from Which? is that you should 'make sure to do some extra research before turning your fictional trip into a reality'. Which? senior researcher/writer Laura Sanders says: 'The chatbots were able to converse with us in a very natural way, which gives them an air of expertise but don't be fooled several [responses we received] were biased, some were out of date and others were utter nonsense. Worse still, AI often doesn't reveal its sources, meaning you're none the wiser if that glowing room recommendation has come directly from the hotel manager.' And Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: 'More and more consumers are likely to encounter artificial intelligence when booking holidays, but worryingly we've found that these services can often give travellers information and recommendations that are inaccurate, biased or even out of date. 'Because AI chatbots have learned to communicate in a natural, conversational style, it can be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, and accept their answers at face value - even though the information AI uses can often be directly lifted from marketing materials, or unreliable sources. Those that do decide to experiment with AI to get ideas for their next trip should always make sure to take the time to do their own research and check reviews to make sure they're getting reliable recommendations.' If you've been unfortunate enough to experience a flight delay or cancellation during the Gatwick Airport travel chaos, you could be entitled to compensation. Here we reveal the circumstances that trigger a cash pay out. FLIGHT DELAYS New data from the Civil Aviation Authority shows one in three trips were delayed by at least 15 minutes last year. Delayed passengers could be entitled to free meals and compensation of up to 520 - and this section helps you understand how. Travellers who are delayed for at least two hours may be entitled to assistance, Which? says ASSISTANCE Airline passengers delayed by two hours or more could be entitled to assistance such as two free phone calls or emails, free meals and refreshments, free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers, according to Which?, outlining the following: Short-haul - Passengers flying up to 932 miles (1,500km) with a delay time of at least two hours are entitled to assistance. Medium-haul - Passengers flying between 932 miles (1,500km) and 2,175 miles (3,500km) with a delay time of at least three hours are entitled to assistance. Long-haul - Passengers flying more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) with a delay time of at least four hours are entitled to assistance. Delayed passengers who meet the above criteria can contact their airline or approach staff at the airport for further information. SEVERE DELAYS Dozens of flights have been delayed at Gatwick Airport this week Passengers whose flight has been delayed by more than five hours are 'entitled to choose between being rerouted on a different flight or getting a refund', Which? says. Passengers can also request flight delay compensation, according to the watchdog, 'if the delay is not due to extraordinary circumstances'. These include bad weather, strikes unrelated to the airline, such as with baggage handlers, acts of terrorism or sabotage, drone disruption and long security queues. Claims are valid for up to six years after the flight if it flew in or out of the UK, it adds. COMPENSATION Passengers of delayed flights are protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation if their flight departs from the UK or Europe or is operated by a UK or European airline, Which? says. 'If you're travelling with a non-EU based airline flying from a non-EU destination, the airline doesn't have the same duty to look after you,' it adds. 'But you can check the airline's 'conditions of carriage' to see what compensation you are entitled to.' HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION Passengers whose flight has been delayed by more than five hours are 'entitled to choose between being rerouted on a different flight or getting a refund', Which? says 'If your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late, each affected passenger is entitled to claim flight delay compensation,' Which? says. The total value of compensation depends on the length and distance of the delayed flight as well as the reason for the delay, it adds. Passengers can make a claim under the EU Denied Boarding Regulation if they meet the criteria, listed in a table by Which?, below. HOW MUCH ARE YOU ENTITLED TO? Short-haul - Passengers flying up to 932 miles (1,500km) who are delayed for more than three hours are entitled to 220, according to Which? Medium-haul within the EU - Passengers flying more than 932 miles (1,500km) within the EU who are delayed more than three hours are entitled to 350 compensation, the watchdog says. Medium-haul outside the EU - Passengers flying between 932 miles (1,500km) and 2,175 miles (3,500km) who are delayed more than three hours are entitled to 350 compensation, Which? explains. Long-haul - Passengers flying more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) are entitled to 260 in compensation if they are delayed between three and four hours, or 520 if they are delayed longer than this, according to the site. CONNECTING FLIGHTS 'Passengers flying with a non-EU airline are entitled to compensation if a flight departing from the UK is delayed by at least three hours at the final destination,' says Which? The 'final destination' of a connecting flight refers to the last airport listed on the passenger's ticket, it adds. OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES As well as compensation, some passengers are entitled to claim 'extra out-of-pocket expenses under the Montreal Convention', Which? says. Examples are if you miss a night of pre-booked accommodation, miss a concert you have bought tickets to, or a day of car rental you have paid for, it adds. FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS Which? says passengers can claim compensation for cancelled and delayed flights unless affected by 'extraordinary circumstances' COMPENSATION Passengers travelling with a UK or EU-based airline, or flying from a UK or EU airport, should receive help from the company if their flight is cancelled, Which? says. 'This is because your flight is protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation,' it adds. Depending on the circumstances, passengers could be entitled to 'a refund or alternative flight, food, phone calls and accommodation, and flight cancellation compensation', the watchdog further explains. HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION Which? says passengers can claim compensation for cancelled flights unless it is affected by 'extraordinary circumstances', as explained earlier in this article. But even if extraordinary circumstances apply, you are 'still entitled to meals, refreshments, accommodation and hotel transfers depending on the length of your flight and delay', the consumer watchdog adds. HOW MUCH COMPENSATION ARE YOU ENTITLED TO? Short-haul - Passengers travelling less than 932 miles (1,500km) whose new flight takes off more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than two hours after it are entitled to 110 in compensation, according to Which?. If the passengers' flight arrives more than two hours after the original flight, they are entitled to 220 in compensation, it adds. Medium-haul - Passengers travelling 932 miles (1,500km) to 2,175 miles (3,500km) whose new flight departs more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than three hours after it are entitled to 175 in compensation, Which? says. If the passengers' flight arrives more than three hours after their original flight, they are entitled to 350 in compensation, it adds. Long-haul - Passengers travelling more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) whose new flight departs more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than four hours after it are entitled to 260 in compensation, Which? says. If the passengers' flight arrives more than four hours after their original flight, they are entitled to 520 in compensation, it adds. The figures above are for flights cancelled less than seven days before departure. CONNECTING FLIGHTS Passengers travelling with a UK or EU-based airline, or flying from a UK or EU airport, should receive help from the company if their flight is cancelled, Which? says 'If a connecting flight during your journey is affected by a delay and you departed from the UK or an EU country, you can still claim compensation,' Which? says. 'For example, if you were flying from Manchester to Sydney, connecting in Singapore, but your Singapore to Sydney flight was delayed, you'd still be entitled.' HOW TO APPEAL A DECISION Unresolved complaints about an airline can be escalated to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme and a list of approved providers are listed on the Civil Aviation Authority website, Which? says. Airline passengers can also gain extra peace of mind at the airport by taking out travel insurance, says Quotezone. CEO Greg Wilson said: 'Depending on the type of policy, some travel insurance providers will offer cover for a delayed flight of over 24 hours, or if an alternative travel option hasnt been offered. 'Insurance policies for missed or delayed flight departure will pay for costs incurred from delayed flights or if travellers miss the trips because of a situation out of their control - such as getting into a serious accident and being taken to hospital.' He adds: 'In the case of an airline going bust before passengers are able to get home, taking out the right travel insurance before jetting off will help give travellers protection.' MY MUM, YOUR DAD Weeknights, 9pm, ITV1 Rating: Inside a big shiny house (West Sussex, mind, not the Med) a bunch of singles are mingling, going on 'dates' and searching for that special someone with whom to share the rest of their life. Sound familiar? Well, the new mid-life dating show My Mum, Your Dad is arguably more 'love that kitchen island' than Love Island, but it's still great fun. The new mid-life dating show My Mum, Your Dad is arguably more 'love that kitchen island' than Love Island, but it's still great fun Having been nominated for the show by their kids, the twist is that it's the offspring who are in charge of proceedings, secreted in another house nearby, hanging out in the 'surveillance room' while navigating a serious outbreak of communal 'ick' as they watch their parents banter, flirt and overshare. Davina McCall is our hostess, dishing out advice, empathy and hugs to the mature Blind Daters with her customary warmth (it's official: Davina's the new Cilla). Meanwhile there's a non-stop soundtrack of cheesy 1980s hits to remind us that the contestants almost certainly know the lyrics to Kajagoogoo's Too Shy and ABC's The Look Of Love. It's cheesy, cute, touching and (thanks, Robert Palmer) yes, OK, I'm Addicted To Love. You probably will be, too. And although those looking for love are Boomers and Gen-Xers, it's not exactly Love Island for the love-handled, either; the singles are all different varieties of easy on the eye, while their (equally good-looking) kids are a revelation: far from coming across like lairy Big Brother contestants, they are emotionally intelligent and very much invested in their parents' future happiness, bless 'em. To my mind, this is equal parts sweet and a little bit weird. I appreciate that people who are happy to appear on a reality show are already a bit of a niche minority, but the (mostly) early twentysomethings here are exceptionally confident and comfortable in their role of Boss Of My Parents. I can't ever recall feeling that way at a similar age so I think it gives an interesting insight into a profound generational shift; these are parents and kids who enjoy each other's company so much they describe themselves as each other's 'best friends'. Anyway, after just three episodes I'm bursting with questions. Could widower Roger look any more terrified? Will Monique overcome her trust issues? Is Caroline wasting her time on the wrong guy? Has Paul fallen a bit too hard and fast? Any bets on Natalie being the first lady down the aisle? (And if so, will Davina wear a hat?) Is Clayton going to work his way methodically through the entire female cast? This week Kathryn Flett, pictured, enjoyed watching the heartwarming dating show from ITV1 - My Mum, Your Dad Did the men look at late arrival Martin 6ft 10in, Commonwealth Games gold medal and think, 'OK, may as well leave now'? Will Janey sing? And if so, is it going to be I Will Always Love Yooooooo-ooo-ooo? All that and just one week left to ogle Davina's perfect pins... Get in! Show that restores us all THE REPAIR SHOP Wednesdays, 8pm, BBC1 Rating: This week, Jay Blades (pictured) presented us with Debbie, reunited with stuffed-and-buffed teddy McNem Reach for your tissues The Repair Shop is back. And what a welcome return 'heart-warming' isn't a sufficiently cosy description for the feeling you get watching people's beloved objects being beautifully restored. And while the love the teddies receive is often in inverse proportion to their looks (I personally find other people's soft toys faintly revolting sorry!), simply because we've all had a Snuffly-Wuffly-Boo or a Piggly-Wiggly (other silly names are available!) in our lives, we get it. This week, Jay Blades presented us with Debbie, reunited with stuffed-and-buffed teddy McNem ('He's beautiful!' but only to you, Debbie!), and Army vet Gordon, whose service medal was re-ribboned. Ex-West Ham goalie Peter's signed programme (for the Hammers' 1970 friendly against Brazil's Santos, when he happily conceded two goals to his hero, Pele) was rescued, while Alex had the broken guitar that had seen him through a lockdown mental health crisis restored to its glory: 'The world's better again, for me.' And for all of us, Alex. 'This is the toughest time I've known in my industry,' said chef Tom Kerridge during The Hidden World Of Hospitality (Thursdays, BBC2). So it's hats off to the family-run Afro-Caribbean restaurant Harvest, which launched in Windsor in lockdown, for surviving. But turning a profit is even harder: cue tough lessons on portion control and menus. I've found this excellent series equal parts depressing and inspiring. Terrific telly with added stars Race Across The World is a favourite of mine, so could I love the Celebrity version (Wednesdays, BBC1) as much? Racing 10,000km from Morocco to Norway on a budget with a family member are F1 presenter Billy Monger, Harry Judd of McFly, ITV weatherman Alex Beresford and All Saints' Mel Blatt. As Mel hopped into yet another taxi with mum Helene saying the others 'might underestimate us, you're old and I'm like a princess' it was clear I needn't worry it's great telly. There are few true geniuses who aren't problematic by today's standards. Elvis? Priscilla was 14 when they met. Roald Dahl? Anti-Semite. Ernest Hemingway? Incorrigible boozer and womaniser. Now it's the turn of Picasso, viewed by many as the greatest artist of the 20th century, to have his reputation reappraised in an important new three-part series on BBC2, 50 years after his death. A serial seducer, he had a penchant for young and impressionable women who he would paint frantically and then leave, often after getting them pregnant. Two former partners and one of his grandsons took their own lives, and a falling-out with one of his ex-wives led to a lifelong estrangement from his youngest children. But perhaps the biggest scandal is that his first great love Fernande Olivier, who inspired his Rose Period works and early Cubism in the first years of the 20th century, felt forced to return a young girl they were planning to adopt from an orphanage when she discovered he was painting the child in the nude. No wonder some in the art world have suggested he should be cancelled. 'There's been more and more concern in trying to think through the implications of his outrageous behaviour within relationships,' says Frances Morris, Director Emerita of Tate Modern, a contributor to the show. A serial seducer, Picasso had a penchant for young and impressionable women who he would paint frantically and then leave, often after getting them pregnant 'To cancel Picasso would be to cancel the history of modern art. But it's important to look at how his behaviour affected those around him.' Picasso: The Beauty And The Beast features prominent modern artists including Jeff Koons, Julian Schnabel and Jenny Saville. It also talks to some of those who knew him best including his daughter Paloma, who was banned from his house after her mother, Francoise Gilot, wrote a book about her ten years with Picasso. 'You can't say he's a monster or a genius,' she insists of her father. 'He is just a man.' The story starts in Malaga, Spain, in 1881 when Pablo, the first child of painter Jose Ruiz Blasco and Maria Picasso Lopez, was born. He spent his early life in Barcelona, where his father taught at the school of fine art according to legend the father realised his son was more talented than him by the time Picasso was 13. After attending art school Picasso moved to Paris, living in abject poverty but convinced he was to be something special. His first love was artist's model Fernande Olivier, who he insisted pose only for him. He was so jealous he even locked her in their flat when he went out. Yet he had numerous affairs and their romance ended after seven years. His next serious romance was with ballet dancer Olga Khokhlova, who'd been part of an avant-garde troupe he was designing Cubist-style costumes for. They married in 1918 when she was 27 and he a decade older. At first the union was deeply passionate but after Olga gave birth to their son Paulo in 1921, Pablo resumed his womanising. The most important of those other women was Marie-Therese Walter, who was just 17 when she met 46-year-old Picasso. The first Olga knew that her husband was in love with another woman was when he staged a show featuring dozens of paintings of his young mistress. Olga left him soon afterwards. Marie-Therese became a mother to Pablo's daughter Maya, but soon found he had a new woman in his life, photographer Dora Maar. He happily juggled both women for some time, telling them to fight for him. And they did. Dora eventually won, but only fleetingly. Many of his most best-known paintings of Dora show her in tears. When the Tate bought one of the most famous, Weeping Woman, in 1987, Frances Morris travelled to Paris to meet Dora, who was with Picasso for seven years. 'Picasso was hugely ambitious, competitive and charismatic,' says Frances. 'He was the talk of the town and nobody else got a look in, which was a tragedy for the women caught up in his life.' Maar's relationship with Picasso ended in 1943 when he found a new muse in art student Francoise Gilot she was 21 to his 61. Le Reve, his 1932 painting of lover and muse Marie Therese Walter. She took her own life, four years after Picasso died When he moved to the South of France after the war, she moved with him and they had two children, Claude and Paloma. Francoise was, proudly, the only woman to leave him, and in the book she wrote in 1964, Life With Picasso, she revealed he was coercive, controlling and prone to jealous rages. Picasso tried to stop the release of the book but failed, and when it came out he was so upset that his latest and final love Jacqueline Roque, who was 34 when she married Picasso, aged 79, prevented the artist's children from contacting him. 'It was very difficult not seeing my father, he was so much part of my life,' says Paloma. She recalls how, once a year, she'd ring the bell of his house but was never allowed in. She found out about his death on the radio and was banned from his funeral. In fact Jacqueline tried to ban most of his family from the funeral, and Paulo's son Pablito was so unhappy he drank bleach and died three months later. Paulo died two years after that from alcoholism while Jacqueline killed herself 13 years after she lost Picasso. Marie-Therese Walter also took her own life, four years after Picasso died. Like paint on a canvas, tragedy was piled on top of tragedy. And Picasso: The Beauty And The Beast gives an important insight into the mind of the man who created some of the 20th century's greatest art, yet left a trail of broken women in his wake. He said the murder serves as a reminder of the 'dangerous criminals' he meets Inside The World's Toughest Prisons presenter Raphael Rowe has revealed an inmate who featured on the new season of his hit Netflix series has been brutally murdered - shortly after being released from jail. Rowe spent one week locked up in Finland's Kylmakoski prison as part of the latest chapter of his bleak documentary, released on the streamer on Friday, and lived alongside an eclectic bunch of convicted criminals. Ahead of the launch of the new episodes, however, the journalist told DailyMail.com that one of the inmates was killed just weeks ago, adding that the merciless murder serves as a stark reminder of the 'ruthless, dangerous criminals' he meets behind bars. He also admitted that the time he spent in the facility was 'mentally and physically draining,' with one incident leaving him fearing he was going to be attacked. Raphael Rowe told DailyMail.com that an inmate featured in his new season of his Netflix docuseries World's Toughest Prisons has been murdered The presenter, who met inmates Olli (left) and Toni (right) during his stint in a Finnish jail, kept the identity of the victim anonymous Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com about the murder, Rowe said: 'One of the guys is now dead. He's been killed. Following his release from prison, he's been murdered. 'We are dealing with very violent individuals who live in very violent environments. 'They are in an environment where their lives could be lost, or they take another life, and that's exactly what's happened.' Rowe respectfully was unable to confirm the identity of the inmate. The host also came face-to-face with inmates Toni and Olli, who committed a horrific kidnapping which saw them torture their victim over several days. The pair appear unrepentant, and rather than taking up opportunities for work and education in the prison, they spend their time bodybuilding and tattooing each other with a makeshift tattoo gun made from an Xbox controller. Toni is preparing for his release from jail at the end of the episode and reveals he hopes to run a business with Olli. 'I'm becoming a father in the summer, and I want to be a good dad for my children,' he said. 'I want to do music when I have time for it. I'm not intending to come back here.' Rowe spent one week in the Kylmakoski prison in Finland, with the episode featuring in his new four-part series Toni is gearing up for his release in the episode, and reveals he has a baby on the way Rowe admitted that he felt 'quite intimidated' during filming because the prisoners often put on 'tough guy' personas. 'There was a moment when I was handed the tattoo gun and I didn't want it because I didn't want to participate in something illegal,' he recalled. 'They want to call you a name... and these are young gangsters and wannabe rappers. 'That makes them more dangerous because they're not being themselves; they're trying to be what they think people think they shouldn't be.' Adding to the danger is the fact that there are no security cameras in certain parts of the prisons Rowe visits, such as his cell and his Finland stint is no exception. 'It could be in those moments that some prisoners decide they want their five minutes of fame, and we could become the subjects of something that we don't expect,' he said. 'We've always got to be on our guard, and that is mentally and physically draining constantly.' Fellow inmate Janni - who is halfway through his sentence - is well on his way to reforming 'There was no moment where we were pinned up against the wall or anything like that,' Rowe stressed. 'But there are moments when the cameras are down, where one of the prisoners' mood has changed and they become quite aggressive towards us [even though] we felt that we had built our relationship with those individuals. 'Then the next minute they're screaming and shouting in your face and swearing. 'That did happen in Finland... and you just know that that shouting and screaming could turn into a punch.' Rowe also met Janni, an expert at making traditional rugs on the prison's loom, who appears to be on his way to reform following his conviction for a serious violent attack. While Janni is only halfway through his four-year sentence, he is committed to planning for the future and already has a house and a job lined up. Raphael Rowe presents Netflix's Inside The World's Toughest Prisons. Season seven is available now. She revealed to DailyMail.com that she was trying to maintain a positive outlook Actress Kelly, 44, buried her husband, acting legend Bob, less than a week later Kelly Rizzo has opened up about her ongoing grief for her late husband, Bob Saget, admitting she wishes people wouldn't tell her she has been 'robbed' by his death. Full House star Bob died aged 65 on January 9, 2022, following a freak head injury in his Florida hotel room - hours after coming off stage from a stand-up show. His funeral took place less than a week later in Los Angeles, and he was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery near the graves of his parents and sister. Widowed Kelly, 44, recalled to DailyMail.com how she tried to stay positive in the face of a remark made by one of Bob's friends at his funeral. Kelly Rizzo's husband Bob Saget died aged 65 on January 9, 2022, following a freak head injury in his Florida hotel room Actress Kelly, 44, has opened up about her ongoing grief for Bob. The couple is pictured 'I had one of Bob's really good friends at his funeral, I remember looked at me and he goes, "You got robbed. It's not fair. You got robbed,"' she said. 'I'm like, even from that early on, I can't think like that. I don't want to think like that because that's just focusing on the negative and I want to focus on the positive.' Asked how she copes with the loss, she continued: 'Really being surrounded by an incredible support system as well as just being grateful, instead of being upset that I didn't get more time, just being grateful for the time that I had, and that's really what's gotten me through it since day one.' Bob - a stand-up comedian, actor, and TV host who was best known for his work on America's Funniest Home Videos and Full House - was found dead at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando hotel. According to the coroner, he died in his sleep after suffering from a subdural hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage, which likely stemmed from an accidental blow to the back of his head, most likely a fall. His funeral was attended by his Full House castmates John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweeten, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, as well as friends and colleagues including Jimmy Kimmel, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and John Mayer. Kelly met Bob in 2015, with the couple tying the knot three years later. It was the comedian's second marriage, following Sherri Kramer with whom he was married to for 15 years from 1982. Kelly, who married the comedian in 2018, buried her husband in Los Angeles on January 14 According to the coroner, the beloved Full House star died in his sleep after suffering from a subdural hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage Saget was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery near the graves of his parents and sister The couple have daughters Aubrey, 36, Lara, 33, and Jennifer, 30. In May, Kelly marked what would have been her husband's 67th birthday with a moving tribute. Taking to Instagram, she revealed she would be enjoying a cold extra dry dirty martini with blue cheese olives in his honor. 'Happy birthday,' she penned. ''This truly never gets less weird or surreal. But the gratitude grows every single day. 'I'll never stop feeling like the luckiest person on Earth to have had the privilege of spending 6 years with this amazing man. 'Life is short and we never know how long we are going to be here. 'And I still take comfort in the fact that Bob used every minute on this planet to enjoy life to the fullest and make the world a better place. Kelly is among the 14 celebrities competing in the second season of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test She is trying to 'focus on the positive' in the aftermath of suddenly losing her husband 'To celebrate Bob on his birthday, do as he would do tell all the people you love that you love them, preferably in a very long & verbose voice text dictated by Siri. 'I'll celebrate him today by having a very-cold, extra dry dirty martini with blue-cheese olives (IYKYK). And I hope he's celebrating up there with a massive cigar (his favorite thing), a martini, and a few dozen oysters while sitting on a beach. He would love that. Thank you all for still loving Bob so much.' The post included images during their relationship, which included a sweet snap of Kelly kissing her spouse and plenty of photos of him enjoying a cigar. Kelly is among the 14 celebrities - including Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa, 20, actress Tara Reid, 47, and model Blac Chyna, 35 - competing in the upcoming season of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. 'I didn't have any fear of the actual challenges,' she admitted. 'What scared me was the endurance factor and sleeping. 'How am I going to sleep in a room with this many people? Those were the two things that scared me going into it. 'What was easy was I think, was bonding with the other recruits. There was no weird, awkward situations. Everyone kind of got along really well.' Constant Companions (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough) Verdict: AA on AI Rating: Private Lives (Ambassadors Theatre, London) Verdict: A reasonable recital Rating: Can Alan Ayckbourn make it to 100? Plays that is, not years. At the rate the 84-year-old Scribbler of Scarborough is going, I wouldn't put it past him. He's now written 89 and, given that he's been knocking them out for 64 years, by my maths he needs only another eight years to reach his century. His latest is a sci-fi comedy imagining a future where we form emotional attachments with domestic androids. You may, of course, consider the notion of a relationship with a robot preposterous. But I know plenty of people sincerely in love with their cars never mind their mobile phones. The play is, therefore, very much on the money. Characters include 60-year-old lawyer Lorraine, who's divorcing her husband and falls for the sweet, hunky security bot in her office. Then there's maintenance guy Winston, who's had to turn off his housekeeper's sex drive because he can't keep up. And Winston's lonely mate Don, whose bathroom is destroyed by his own over-endowed porno model. Perhaps most interesting is Edie (Eco-Domestic), an attractive young housemaid who has fallen in love with the eldest son of a posh family who now want her reprogrammed. While ostensibly ahead of its time, Constant Companions is also a little dated on social mores (Pictured: Leigh Symonds and Naomi Petersen) But the genius of Ayckbourn's highly amusing comedy is that he's twigged that when we finally succeed in creating robots in our own image, they will be a seductive parody of ourselves While ostensibly ahead of its time, Constant Companions is also a little dated on social mores. In Ayckbourn's world, everyone is either single or married to a person of the opposite sex. The lawyer calls her assistant 'dear' without fear of prosecution. And the posh lady offers maintenance guy Winston a thing called a 'cheque' in payment for his work. Even so (and despite an ending that fizzles out) it's a well thought through scenario in which a robot's breath is 'air flow from the cooling system's extractor fan', crying is 'excess ocular lubrication fluid' and your electronic lover can join you for a candlelit dinner, thanks to 'auto-simulated mastication'. Many of us will also recognise our own relationships in these human-machine bonds. When lawyer Lorraine marries her robot totty 'JAN 60', he grows puzzled by her need to be right the whole time 'even when she isn't, and I am'. Edie, meanwhile, who's having her circuit boards reset by Winston (Leigh Symonds), has learned to simulate romantic moves raising intriguing questions about what happens when robots start lying. But the genius of Ayckbourn's highly amusing comedy is that he's twigged that when we finally succeed in creating robots in our own image, they will be a seductive parody of ourselves. A threat to our vanity, long before they're a threat to our existence. Tellingly, although the acting is flesh and blood, it's the droid characters who shine. Naomi Petersen as Edie has a fascinating repertoire of flourishes which are as cute as they are cunning. But Richard Stacey steals the show as omni-reasonable JAN 60, whose smiling face seems to waft like a nodding dog. He also sounds like an automated station announcer, while showing perfect timing with an increasingly maniacal laugh. Although absolutely deadpan, we learn that he is an 'octopus' with his hands in bed. As Lorraine remarks of their honeymoon 'it was by far the best of the three that I've had'. According to Noel Coward's acerbic and once risque 1930 comedy Private Lives, 'honeymooning is a very overrated amusement'. Now in the West End starring Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers after a national tour, Christopher Luscombe's revival is an oldies' take on the play's feuding couple who are usually cast with middle-aged alpha thesps. Now in the West End starring Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers after a national tour, Christopher Luscombe's revival is an oldies' take on the play's feuding couple who are usually cast with middle-aged alpha thesps (Pictured: Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers in Private Lives) It makes a spry start, with Hodge and Havers' elderly divorcees alarmed to re-encounter each other on separate honeymoons in the French Riviera. But then, like so much in late life, it goes a bit slack in the middle after the pair elope to a garish apartment in Paris. Unable to resuscitate the passion of their characters' youth, Coward's normally taut repartee begins to sag. Havers, though, seems thrilled to be back in the West End, and lends Coward's barbed wit a panto quality. Never less than jaunty, he deploys shifty eyes and a smirk to create a faintly creepy Elyot. Hodge's Amanda, meanwhile, glitters with charm. Her crystal blue eyes are alternately wide and playful or narrow with suspicion as she goes from smiling mischief to snorting displeasure. So yes, it's a slick enough recital, but it never quite blows off all the period dust. The Little Big Things (Soho Place Theatre, London) Verdict: There'll be tears Rating: This feelgood musical is inspired by Henry Fraser; in 2009 a diving accident left him paralysed from the shoulders down but the rugby-obsessed teen learned to live with his disability and has become an acclaimed artist by painting with his mouth. With music and lyrics by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling, and book by Joe White, The Little Big Things tells Henry's story using two actors Jonny Amies as pre-accident Henry and Ed Larkin as post-accident Henry. Larkin, incidentally, is the first wheelchair user to lead a West End musical: made possible by the fact the newly built Soho Place is fully accessible. Dual Henrys, on stage together for most of the show, is one of several directorial flourishes by Luke Sheppard, as walking Henry acts out disabled Henry's inner thoughts and frustrations and the emotional scene where they 'fly' (wheelchair and all) above the stage is a showstopper. Amies and Larkin nicely delineate Henry's stuttering path towards his new self and, among a terrific supporting cast, Amy Trigg shines as no-nonsense physio Agnes, whose own experience of being a wheelchair user helps Henry in his recovery. This feelgood musical is inspired by Henry Fraser; in 2009 a diving accident left him paralysed from the shoulders down but the rugby-obsessed teen learned to live with his disability and has become an acclaimed artist by painting with his mouth Much of this is told in hummable songs that range from rock and gospel to teen pop. And Mark Smith's choreography and the band under Laura Bangay give the show a propulsive energy. The creators allow some sentimentality, but don't sugarcoat how such an event can fracture a family, and they subtly parlay how ableist a society we are. But they also provide a large dollop of humour much of it from sharp-tongued Agnes, or when Henry's three brothers indulge in rugger banter. You would have to have a heart of stone not to find Henry's story deeply moving. Bring tissues. VERONICA LEE Addison Rae sported a cute and casual look while out on a lunch date at the All Time restaurant in Los Feliz with her boyfriend, Omer Fedi, 23. The 22-year-old TikTok superstar rocked a cheeky blue T-shirt with the saying, 'Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Hollywood,' emblazoned on the front. She matched her fun shirt with a matching blue ruffled short skirt. Keeping the rest of her ensemble simple, the toned beauty chose sensible footwear for her lunch date, opting for black ballet flats. She let her maple-hued locks flow loosely around her shoulders for the outing. Beauty in blue: Addison Rae, 22, looked cute and casual while out on a lunch date with her boyfriend Omer Fedi in Los Feliz; seen Thursday Young love: The Thanksgiving actress couldn't stop looking lovingly at her music producer boyfriend as they enjoyed a walk together after their lunch date; seen Thursday Beaming with joy, the Louisiana born beauty kept a tan purse slung over her shoulder, accessorizing her look further with a pair of brown sunglasses and dainty silver earrings. Meanwhile, the Montero co-writer kept his look simple, sporting a crisp pair of black pants, matching black boots, and a white T-shirt that showed off his arm tattoos. The couple have been together since 2021 being first linked together romantically after Addison split with her on and off again beau Bryce Hall, another popular TikToker. It was Omer who made their relationship Instagram official first in August 2021, when he shared a snap with Addison along with the cheeky caption, 'She's wearing the pants in this relationship.' In September of 2021, he dedicated a loving post comparing his number one song Stay (which he helped write for Justin Bieber) and Addison's film She's All That, which debuted initially on the Netflix top ten movies at number one. 'Me and my baby are both number 1 atm I.m so, so, so proud of her. Wonder if were the first couple to ever do that with a movie and a song? Anyway, love you babe,' Omer wrote. In true influencer fashion, the brunette beauty decided to make her new relationship TikTok official first on her milestone 21st birthday. Lip syncing to the audio, 'Stop treating me like some girl that's obsessed with you,' for her 88.4 million TikTok followers, as she kissed Omer, cementing their relationship status once and for all. The couple would go on to make their red carpet debut together at the 2022 Grammys, after the musician was nominated for his writing and proudcing work on Montero. Grinning girl: Addison couldn't stop smiling as she stood side by side with her boyfriend of two years Sealed with a kiss: The social media star shared an intimate selfie with her boyfriend in bed, with his face covered in her red lipstick Princess of PDA: The couple frequently share PDA filled snaps together Feeling cheeky: Addison's affectionate boyfriend couldn't resist posing with a hand on her derriere at the 70th annual BMI Pop Awards; seen in May 2022 Couple goals: The high profile pair made their red carpet debut at the 64th annual Grammy Awards; seen in April 2022 Career driven as ever, Addison has another film project in the works, in addition to being a full time influencer. She's set to star in the horror flick Thanksgiving alongside Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey. The film releases in theaters everywhere on November 17th, 2023. The film star also dropped lost tracks from her unreleased full studio debut record, after releasing her first s Rapper Desiigner has been ordered by a federal court to register as a sex offender after he admitted to exposing himself and masturbating on a flight this past April. The 26-year-old musical artist was also sentenced to do 120 hours of community service, pay a $5,000 fine and remain on probation the next two years in his hearing in Minneapolis U.S. District Court, the Star Tribune reported Tuesday. He had faced up to 90 days in custody in connection with his conviction. As result of his guilty plea Thursday, he will be prohibited from owning or having firearm in his possession, and must undergo drug testing. The Panda performer, whose full name is Sidney Royel Selby III, was on an April 17 Delta flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis when the incident occurred, according to the newspaper. Desiigner's lawyer Ryan Garry said in court docs that the Grammy-nominated artist was dealing with a number of stressors leading up to the incident, the paper reported. The latest: Rapper Desiigner, 26, has been ordered by a federal court to register as a sex offender after he admitted to exposing himself and masturbating on a flight this past April. Pictured in 2016 Garry told the court that the Brooklyn, New York native was dealing with 'dehydration, exhaustion from the music tour and travel, the marijuana he ingested, and the medication he received from [a] Thailand hospital.' The defense attorney said that all of the factors 'contributed in some way to the poor decisions Mr. Selby made on that airplane.' Prosecutors said that while they took into account the artist's admitted issues with substance abuse and mental health - Desiigner checked into a mental health facility following the incident - they said that punitive action in the case was essential since there were victims impacted. Desiigner's 'conduct aboard the flight caused negative real-world effects on the flight attendants who witnessed his actions in the workplace, where they should be kept safe,' prosecutors said. Prosecutors noted that the musical artist had a history of bad behavior on flights, pointing to a 2018 incident on Scandinavian Airlines while led to him being banned for a year from taking flights with the airline after he 'behaved in a threatening manner toward the crew.' Desiigner initially exposed himself about 60 to 90 minutes after takeoff while seated in first class, according to a legal complaint reviewed by the AP. He initially covered up after exposing himself, according to the complaint, but a pair of flight attendants saw him again playing with himself and told him to stop, which he did. At that point, the lead flight attendant informed the musical artist that he was going to be taken into custody over his behavior. The latest: Rapper Desiigner, 26, was charged Monday with a federal count of indecent exposure on an aircraft amid allegations he masturbated in front of flight attendants while on an international flight. Pictured in 2016 in NYC Soon thereafter, Desiigner was seen a third time with his genitals exposed, at which point he was taken to the back of the aircraft. When he was switching seats at one point, Desiigner dropped a container of lubricant - Vaseline - into the aisle, according to the complaint, TMZ previously reported. A pair of people traveling with the rapper told flight officials they would monitor him moving forward, according to the complaint. Desiigner had informed his own security guard that he was 'sorry' that he had 'messed up' and had been 'bugging' in his conduct. The musical artist told the flight crew he was sorry for his actions at the end of the flight, at which point he was detained by authorities. Amid an exchange with authorities from the FBI, Desiigner said that he 'didnt get much cootie' on his trip to Japan, and was 'brick hard' after he found himself attracted to one of the flight attendants, which compelled him to expose himself. He said that he believed showing the flight attendant his 'magic stick' would provide her with the 'encouragement' to further engage with him, the complaint read. Desiigner said that he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the flight, the complaint read, and the FBI agent who spoke with him said he didn't appear to be impaired. The musical artist was also sentenced to do 120 hours of community service, pay a $500,000 fine and remain on probation the next two years in his hearing in Minneapolis U.S. District Court He had faced up to 90 days in custody in connection with his conviction Desiigner took to Instagram Stories in April with a statement explaining the health issues that preceded what happened on the plane In the wake of the event, Desiigner said he checked into a mental health facility following the incident, sources told TMZ. Insiders told the outlet Desiigner was prescribed medication for an illness and 'believes the medication caused some sort of chemical imbalance.' Desiigner took to Instagram Stories in April with a statement explaining the health issues that preceded what happened on the plane. 'For the past few months i have not been ok, and i have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on,' he said. 'While overseas for a concert i performed at, i had to be admitted in to a hospital, i was not thinking clearly.' The rapper said he was given medication and 'had to hop on a plane home' soon thereafter. He said of exposing himself on the aircraft: 'I am ashamed of my actions that happened on that plane.' He said that after arriving back in the U.S., he is admitting himself into 'facility to help' with his problems. 'I will be cancelling all shows and any obligations until further notice,' he said. 'Mental health is real guys, please pray for me. If your not feeling like yourself please get help.' According to Billboard, the musical artist had been in Thailand April 14 to take the stage at the Rolling Loud festival. Other notable performers on the slate included Cardi B, Travis Scott and Chris Brown. Desiigner had also performed at a club in Tokyo in the days after. The performer has had hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including Panda, which hit the top spot on the chart for two weeks in 2016. He earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance for the track. He's also had standout singles including 2016's Tiimmy Turner and MIC Drop, a 2017 collaboration with BTS. Neighbours actress Rebekah Elmaloglou has revealed that the recent revival of the beloved soap overturned her life in more ways than one. The 49-year-old, who has played the character of Terese Willis on the show since 2013, headed off to a new life in country NSW after the show was axed last year. But after learning of the show's miraculous revival, Rebekah says she did not hesitate to pack up to return to Neighbours home-base in Melbourne for Amazon's reboot. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Thursday the beloved Neighbours stalwart said that was a 'bit annoyed' about the domestic upheaval. The mother of two had elected to move to the mid-north coast with her husband Kane Baker and son Kai to be closer to her mum and dad. Neighbours veteran Rebekah Elmaloglou (pictured) had to move back from NSW to Melbourne after finding out Amazon had decided to revive the beloved soap The 49-year-old, who has played the character of Terese Willis on the show since 2013, headed off to a new life in country NSW after the show was axed last year. (Rebekah pictured second from right with Tim Kano, Georgie Stone, and Annie Jones) The beloved Neighbours stalwart said that was a 'bit annoyed' about the domestic upheaval - but was happy to return Rebekah made an independent film and did a few auditions but the break from Neighbours turned out to be months of 'down time'. 'We were just grieving,' she said over show's axing. 'I was very much like "I don't care if Im not working at the moment." So I never got that far into thinking "What if theres no work out there for me?",' she added. But she was thrilled to be be back on the Ramsay Street set in Nunwading in suburban Melbourne. Rebekah also teased that viewers can look forward to a new 'bigger', glossier Neighbours than the one fans have been used to because of their backing from streaming giant Amazon. News of Neighbours' axing made world headlines in March 2022, when Channel 10 and producers Fremantle announced the show would be ending after 37 years. But heartbroken fans were given relief just four months after the last episode screened in July, when Amazon elected to reboot the famed soap. Rebekah also teased that viewers can look forward to a new 'bigger', glossier Neighbours than the one fans have been used to because of their backing from streaming giant Amazon It comes after the all-star series finale of Neighbours win the television ratings for the first time in more than a decade last July. Meanwhile, the Neighbours reboot will air on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US and will include streaming rights to thousands of episodes from previous seasons. The series will stream on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Channel 10 will debut Neighbours at 4:30pm on Monday September 18, with the Amazon Prime premiere set for September 25. Stan has dropped a fresh teaser for their new half-hour comedy series C*A*U*G*H*T, ahead of the series premiere on September 28. The hilarious new sneak peek features Hollywood star Matthew Fox - famed for his role in the TV classic Lost. The hunky star plays a macho American special forces soldier who finds himself in the middle of a major diplomatic snafu between Australia and the U.S. Produced by Oscar winner Sean Penn and Aussie actor Kick Gurry, who also stars and directs, the story begins when a small group of Aussie soldiers embark on a mission to the tiny war-torn country of Behati-Prinsloo, a fictional island state. Unfortunately, the four soldiers are mistaken for Americans by local freedom fighters, who hold them captive. The Stan Original series C*A*U*G*H*T premieres September 28 and is available only on Stan. But then the Aussie hostages become global internet stars, after their kidnap video goes viral. They quickly realise being held prisoner is their gateway to celebrity. In the new sneak peek Fox, dressed in combat gear, can be seen brandishing a very large weapon as he taunts the four Aussie soldiers about their not-so-secret mission on the island. The Aussies, meanwhile, are none too glad to meet Fox and his cohort after driving down a lonely highway in the middle of the jungle. Stan has dropped a fresh sneak for their new half-hour comedy series C*A*U*G*H*T, featuring Hollywood star Matthew Fox (pictured) ahead of the series premiere on September 28 In C*A*U*G*H*T the hunky star plays a macho American special forces soldier who finds himself in the middle of a major diplomatic snafu between Australia and the U.S (pictured: Fox) The Aussies are not too glad to meet Fox and his American cohort after driving down a lonely highway in the middle of the jungle (pictured, Kick Gurry in a scene from the new trailer at right) 'F**king Americans,' is how Kicky Gurry's character Dylan greets Fox. Following some unfriendly banter Fox's character - called Lt. Pete - waves off the Aussie solders with a rude gesture. Ben OToole (Detroit), Last King of the Cross star Lincoln Younes and Alexander England from Stan's Black Snow play alongside Kick Gurry as the Aussie soldiers who end up captured by rebels. C*A*U*G*H*T also stars Thelma and Louise Hollywood legend Susan Sarandon as U.S. Secretary of State Alaska Adams. Last King of the Cross star Lincoln Younes (pictured) plays an Aussie soldier who gets captured by rebels and becomes an internet sensation in the new Stan comedy C*A*U*G*H*T Fan favourite, Bryan Brown, meanwhile, plays the sports-mad Australian Prime Minister Warren Whistle. Also featured in the cast are Sean Penn, Nicholas Hammond, Silvia Colloca, Mel Jarnson, Fayssal Bazzi and Dorian Nkono. Travis Fimmel from Vikings, Rebecca Breeds (Clarice), Downton Abbey's Tuppence Middleton, Bella Heathcote, Erik Thomson from Black Snow and Lost's Matthew Fox also feature. C*A*U*G*H*T is created by Kick Gurry with Sean Penn as executive producer with producers John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz An Australian woman has filmed the moment a magpie took over her bedroom - and refused to let her enter. Indy Clinton, 26, captured a video of the bird refusing to let her enter the bedroom and arriving through an open window. 'Get out of there. No I will not let you [stay],' Indy said while screaming hysterically as the magpie started flying around. 'Get out. Get the f**k out,' she yelled . Indy then continued to scream hysterically as the magpie followed her into the living space. Aussie influencer Indy Clinton was left in hysterics after finding a magpie flying inside her home The post comes after Indy recently revealed her recent terrifying health scare on social media. The pregnant influencer posted a story to her Instagram last month sharing details with her followers. Over a picture of herself in an elevator, Indy wrote 'Last night I had a bleed.' 'Woke up to blood all in the bed, which was scary. I had to come in [to the hospital] and check baby.' However Indy revealed that the baby was doing well and the issue involved her placenta. 'Baby's heartbeat is good but the bleed is from my placenta previa. I could be here every week bleeding, or once a month,' she said. The 26-year-old shared a video to Instagram of the bird flying around the room after making its way into the room through a window 'Get out of there. No I will not let you [stay],' Indy said while screaming hysterically as the magpie started flying around In the same story, the Sydney-based influencer also updated her fans about how she will be delivering the baby. 'I got told on Friday I have a grade 4 placenta previa. So my placenta is covering my entire cervix, which means I'll need a C-section when the time comes. Devo about that,' she said. Clinton announced she was pregnant with husband Ben Azar earlier this year with a TikTok video. The couple share two-year-old son Navy and eight-month-old daughter Bambi. A man accused of stalking TV star Sophie Monk has been released from jail just one week after he allegedly breached a restraining order. Brian Rapley, 49, was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly turned up at Monk's manager's office in Surry Hills, Sydney . He was refused bail at Penrith Local Court charged with breaching an apprehended personal violence order - which stated he could not go within 500m of Monk or attempt to make contact with her. After just one week in jail, he was released on a 12 month community corrections order and informed the AVO would remain in place. The court heard Rapley allegedly entered the inner-city office building after announcing 'Sophie' into an intercom, the Daily Telegraph reported. Man accused of stalking Sophie Monk (pictured) is released from jail after allegedly breaching a restraining order Footage shows a man dressed in dark clothes enter the building before walking up the stairs of the office where Monk often works. Staff members then called the police after recognising the man. Police prosecutor Shin Wahr told the court Rapley continues to pose a risk to Monk and should not be given bail. 'The defendant has been served an AVO which has rather strict conditions set up for the protection of the victim in which he is not to attend any place where she works and this is exactly what he's done,' Mr Wahr told the court. Brian Rapley, 49, was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly turned up at Monk's manager's office in Surry Hills, Sydney. He was refused bail at Penrith Local Court charged with breaching an apprehended personal violence order - which stated he could not go within 500m of Monk or attempt to make contact with her NSW Police took out the apprehended violence order after Rapley arrived at the TV star's door with a red rose back in April claiming he believed he was in relationship with Monk after being 'catfished'. He showed up and lingered at her Central Coast home with the hope he would be meeting her in person after exchanging loved-up messages online. Rapley claims that a con artist posing as the Love Island host sent him romantic texts and DMs for four months before scamming him out of $7,000. Jessica Chastain showcased her chic sense of style as she enjoyed an outing in New York City on Thursday. The Oscar winner, 46, who recently stunned in a plunging beaded gown at the Toronto International Film Festival, was seen holding a conversation on the phone as she quickly made her way through the bustling streets. The star donned a plain, black T-shirt as well as a pair of classic, light blue jeans and layered her early fall ensemble with a white and black, plaid blazer. She opted to leave the outer piece unfastened and slipped into a pair of black ankle boots that contained a small heel on the back. Her reddish locks were parted to the side, and effortlessly flowed down naturally past her shoulders. Keeping it chic: Jessica Chastain, 46, showcased her chic sense of style as she enjoyed an outing in New York City on Thursday The mother of two easily slung a black, Burberry purse over her shoulder to hold a few items she needed during her busy outing in the Big Apple. Jessica - who owns a townhouse in NYC with her family - chose to not add any flashy pieces of jewelry to her look, but threw on a pair of shades for a stylish flare. The Interstellar actress was seen holding her smartphone up to her ear as she held a conversation, and was later seen waiting inside a subway station to head to her next destination. Chastain has been keeping busy and recently returned to the U.S. after attending the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her latest project titled, Memory. Alongside the actress, other stars that were cast in the movie included Peter Sarsgaard, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles, and also Jessica Harper. The film - which was directed by Michel Franco - follows Jessica's character, Sylvia, 'who leads a simple and structured life,' which is 'blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion,' per an IMDB synopsis. However, 'Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.' While attending the screening at TIFF earlier on Tuesday, Chastain wowed wearing a black, plunging gown that contained beaded material that dazzled under the bright lights. Ready for fall: The star donned a plain, black T-shirt as well as a pair of classic, light blue jeans and layered her early fall ensemble with a white and black, plaid blazer Waiting for the train: The Interstellar actress was seen holding her smartphone up to her as she held a conversation, and was later seen waiting inside a subway station to head to her next destination Latest project: Chastain has been keeping busy and recently returned to the U.S. after attending the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her latest project titled, Memory; seen on Tuesday The sides of the eye-catching ensemble contained diamond-shaped patterns that had various hues, such as blue, silver and green. Her long locks were parted to the side, and cascaded down past her shoulders that curled into very light waves. For a luxurious flare, Jessica added a rhinestone-covered, snake necklace but opted to not add any flashy earrings to the red carpet look. During an interview with IndieWire, both the actress and director opened up about Memory, with Franco revealing that he had been told that Chastain would be a 'nightmare and a diva' after winning an Oscar. 'We had the Oscars and I won for Tammy Faye. Right after that, I showed up on set to do Memory,' she recalled. 'Michel said that a lot of people told him, "Oh Jessica is going to leave your film because she just won an Oscar."' He added, 'Or that she is going to show up and be a nightmare and be a diva. I told them, you don't know half of it. She's the opposite. She's going to show up satisfied, happy and be productive.' Jessica explained, 'I'm not doing a movie to be pampered. If I want to be pampered, I'll go to a spa. I'm doing a film to work and to be creative. I don't need to sit by myself in a trailer.' The star had the chance to not only do her own hair for the film, but also was able to pick out her own wardrobe for her character as well. Making a statement! Before Memory's premiere in Toronto, the film gained positive attention at the Venice International Film Festival earlier last week; seen earlier this month in Venice Showing support: Beforehand, she attended a photo call for the film, and was seen sporting a 'SAG-AFTRA On Strike!' shirt that was tucked into the waist of a black miniskirt; actress seen with director, Michel Franco, earlier this month Before Memory's premiere in Toronto, the film gained positive attention at the Venice International Film Festival earlier last week. The project was selected to compete for the prestigious Golden Lion, and Sarsgaard won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Jessica turned heads in yet another, shimmering plunging gown that clung to her stunning frame during the movie's glamorous premiere. Beforehand, she attended a photo call for the film, and was seen sporting a 'SAG-AFTRA On Strike!' shirt that was tucked into the waist of a black miniskirt to show her support for the union. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July 14th, while the WGA (Writers Guild of America) has also been striking since May. Alex Pike flaunted her ageless complexion this week when she revealed she hasn't aged in over a decade. The 46-year-old cosmetic nurse and former AFL WAG posted a throwback photo which showed her cuddling her son Hudson when he was just a young boy. Celebrating the now 17-year-old's achievement of becoming school captain, it was clear that Alex hadn't aged a day since the sweet picture was snapped a decade ago. 'Congratulations Hudson, we are bursting with pride and joy as we congratulate you on becoming the School Captain of Geelong Grammar School 2024,' she wrote. 'This is an incredible achievement, and it reflects your dedication, leadership qualities, and the amazing person you've become.' Alex Pike, 46, (pictured) flaunted her ageless complexion this week when she revealed she hasn't aged in over a decade The mum-of-three, who split from AFL player Nathan Buckley last year, also recently shared a selfie as she went completely makeup-free, flaunting her flawless visage. She was all smiles as she sat in her office at Face by Alex Pike, looking completely wrinkle-free in the snap which she posted to Instagram. 'The better part of working in aesthetic medicine for the past 18 years has been the opportunity to help patients enhance their confidence and self-esteem even with something simple like the beginning of a new skincare routine,' she wrote. The cosmetic nurse posted a throwback photo which showed her cuddling her son Hudson when he was just a young boy The former WAG finished off the caption with the hashtag 'positive ageing'. It comes just a few weeks after Alex stripped down for a sizzling photoshoot to celebrate her 46th birthday. The brunette beauty flaunted her toned physique in a daring high-cut black bodysuit with a plunging neckline. Celebrating the now 17-year-old's (pictured) achievement of becoming school captain, it was clear that Alex hadn't aged a day since the sweet picture was snapped a decade ago 'Congratulations Hudson, we are bursting with pride and joy as we congratulate you on becoming the School Captain of Geelong Grammar School 2024,' she wrote Alex started her career as a teen model before later transitioning into cosmetic nursing in her 20s. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia from New York, Alex said that she spent time focusing on her skin in the lead up to her 46th birthday. 'I've had regular bio-remodelling treatments and fitness for me is all about walking and weights,' she explained. Alex shares her three sons Spencer, Hudson and Jim with her ex-partner Leon Siebel. A farm that was once the country getaway for Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson is now up for sale with a price range of $3million-$3.5million. Located in Gundowring, Victoria, 332kms from Melbourne, the Mad Max actor, 67, sold the sprawling property to the current owners in 2016. Situated on 21hectares of land with a main homestead boasting six-bedrooms and three-bathrooms, Gibson lived on the property with his family in the 1980s, reports the Herald Sun. Originally, the estate, known as 'Beartooth' covered 809ha, but Gibson sold off most it, while retaining the house, in 2008. Currently operating as a bed and breakfast, the gorgeous two-storey main building opens out to the beautiful Kiewa River. A farm that was once the country getaway for Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson (pictured) is now up for sale with a price range of $3million-$3.5million Located in Gundowring, Victoria, 332kms from Melbourne, the Mad Max actor, 67, sold the sprawling property to the current owners in 2016 Situated on 21hectares of land with a main homestead boasting six-bedrooms and three-bathrooms, Gibson lived on the property with his family in the 1980s reports the Herald Sun Renovated by Gibson and his then wife Robyn the massive classic brick dwelling features a cosy atmosphere with old-style fittings, wood styling and retro carpeting. Highlights include grand 'country verandahs', surrounding the house, French doors, and a shady timber 'observation' deck. There's also a formal dining room, parlour, and study. Meanwhile, the industrial size kitchen features modern appliances, an old-style wood stove and cool room. Other facilities include cattle yards and out-buildings including sheds for storage and machinery. Mel Gibson, who was born in New York, rose to fame after appearing in George Miller's Australian blockbuster Mad Max in 1979. Gibson's father was American, while his mother was Irish, but his paternal grandmother was Australian. He moved Down Under with his family at the age of 12, going on to kick-start his film career in the country with high-profile roles Gallipoli and Mad Max 2, both released in 1981. Renovated by Gibson and his then wife Robyn in the 1980s the massive classic brick dwelling features a cosy atmosphere with old-style fittings, wood styling and retro carpeting Highlights include grand 'country verandahs', surrounding the house, French doors, and a shady timber 'observation' deck The father-of-nine relocated to Los Angeles in the early 1980s before becoming one of the world's most successful actors. His 1995 epic Braveheart won the Oscar for Best Picture. But after an antisemitic rant and a well-publicised battle with alcoholism, Mel was unofficially blacklisted from Hollywood for years. However, he returned to the spotlight in 2016, directing critically-acclaimed war drama Hacksaw Ridge. NYPD Blue child star Austin Majors was at a transitional housing facility in Los Angeles when he died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, coroner's report results have revealed. Drug paraphernalia was located at the scene where Majors, 27, died as result of fentanyl toxicity more than seven months ago, TMZ reported, citing documents from by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office. Among the items recovered included a pair of rolled up dollar bills; tin foil with white powder affixed to it; pills; and a shot glass which had white powder residue on it, according to officials. Majors did not respond to a bed check at February 11 at 9:30 p.m. PST, the outlet reported, leading security guards to find him 'unresponsive in his bed.' Majors had been seen getting food at the facility, which is a temporary shelter for unhoused people, hours before he was found in his room, according to authorities. Details: NYPD Blue child star Austin Majors was at a transitional housing facility in Los Angeles when he died at 27 from an accidental fentanyl overdose this past February 11, coroner's report results have revealed. Pictured in an Instagram post last year Austin starred as Theo Sipowicz in NYPD Blue for seven seasons; he played the son of Detective Andy Sipowicz, who was played by Dennis Franz; pictured 1999 The manner of his death was categorized as accidental, and the place of his death was listed as his 'residence.' At the time of his death, TMZ reported Majors 'may have ingested a fatal amount of fentanyl.' Majors starred as Theo Sipowicz in NYPD Blue for seven seasons; he played the son of Detective Andy Sipowicz, who was played by Dennis Franz. Majors won the Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series for his work in NYPD Blue in 2002. Majors' family released a statement to TMZ at the time of his death: '[Austin] was a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being. Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. 'He was an active Eagle Scout and graduated Salutatorian in High School. He went on to graduate from USCs School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing,' the statement continued. The family said that Majors' younger sister Kali - who is an actress, and aspiring film writer, producer and director - 'says her fondest memories with Austin were growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with "Kids With A Cause," and backpacking together. 'Austin was the kid of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever,' the statement read. NYPD Blue child star Austin Majors died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, it has been revealed; pictured 2005 in LA Majors, pictured with Franz on NYPD Blue, won the Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series for his work in NYPD Blue in 2002 On September 20, 2020, Austin shared on his Instagram a picture of his SAG-AFTRA card, which said he was a member since 2000. Majors captioned it: 'Woah! Just paid dues & realized I've been a member of SAG for 2 decades (now @sagaftra). What a beautiful ride it has been. I never dreamed I'd still be alive this many years later... let alone what this would effect. 'My first union job was a commercial for @bountypapertowels , the quicker picker upper! haha) I'm proud/shocked by this seeming time-warp & somehow it still feels like the trip is just begining :) Keep it 100 fam.' Majors - who was born Austin Setmajer on November 23, 1996 in California - was also nominated for seven Young Artist Awards from 2002-2009. Majors graduated second in his class in high school in 2013, going on to attend school at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in Film and Television production with a minor in music production. Majors was a member of of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at USC. Majors' first role was in 1997 in the film Nevada. He starred as Theo in 48 episodes of the ABC police drama NYPD Blue from 1999 until 2004. He went on to star in The Price of Air in 2000, Providence in 2001, Treasure Planet in 2002 and Bananas in 2004. Austin pictured in 2002 at the world premiere of Treasure Planet in LA Majors won the Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series for his work in NYPD Blue in 2002 From there, Majors went on to star in Volare in 2004, ER for one episode in 2005, Hercules for two episodes in 2005 as well as Little Manhattan in 2005. Majors had small roles in Bye Bye Benjamin, Threshold, According to Jim, NCIS, The Ant Bully, American Dad!, Dead Silence, The Gray Man and Desperate Housewives between 2005 through 2007. Majors starred as Will Wright in the TV movie An Accidental Christmas in 2007, Hank in Night Writer in 2007 and How I Met Your Mother for one episode in 2009 - for his final roles. Alyssa Farah Griffin is not fazed by her The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg's recent blunt question about whether she was pregnant. Goldberg, 67, left her co-stars with their jaws on the floor on Thursday after she asked Alyssa, 34, point blank if she was pregnant prompting a swift denial. Griffin shared that she took the question as a 'compliment' and defended Goldberg's awkward curiosity - prompted by her noticing 'a glow' on Alyssa - on the Behind the Table podcast. 'Whoopi, she thinks out loud sometimes, and I chose to take it as a compliment that I'm glowing,' she said, adding of her co-host, 'She's so sweet.' She did, however, admit that the timing of the question was less-than-ideal, as her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law happened to be in the front row watching her that day. No bad blood: Alyssa Farah Griffin, 34, is not fazed by her The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg's, 67, recent question about whether she was pregnant; (L) Griffin seen in 2022 (R) Goldberg seen in 2023 'If there are two people in my life who want me to be pregnant today more than anyone its them, so just the most fortuitous timing,' she stated. Griffin also shared that Goldberg apologized to her: 'At the break, she was apologizing to me and giving me the heart sign,' she revealed. Meanwhile The View's producer Brian Teta revealed what Goldberg told him following the incident. 'Whoopi said to me after, shes like, "It just came over me, I dont know what happened. It was like a vision," and she felt that it just came out of her,' he stated. Griffin then said: 'That's what makes the show fun. It's completely unpredictable. I thought we were talking about Mitt Romney but then we were talking about my pregnancy plans of the future which just again, headline news, I am not pregnant at this time.' Griffin also chuckled while singing praises to her makeup artist for making her face 'look like it was glowing' that day. The former White House director of strategic communications continued laughing off the situation, as she told Teta: 'I literally was getting texts on the commercial break from reporters like, "Do you care to respond to this?"' 'I used to take questions about like, there was a missile attack in Afghanistan and now Im like, "No, I'm not going to comment on my fake pregnancy right now."' Thinking out loud: Griffin shared that she took the question as a 'compliment' and defended Goldberg's curiosity: 'Whoopi, she thinks out loud sometimes' Shocked: Goldberg point blank asked Alyssa if she was pregnant on Thursday's episode of The View. Alyssa was visibly shocked by Whoopi's question and quickly shut down speculation A glow: Whoopi said that Alyssa had a 'glow' about her and got a 'vibe' that she was pregnant Taking bets: The View's Sunny Hostin asked whether the panel could 'take bets' on a pregnancy Griffin added that when she has a pregnancy announcement, she will promptly inform Whoopi. 'I'll be sure to blurt it out, if and when I am pregnant. I will definitely interrupt Whoopi to inform her,' she said. She finished the discussion by saying that Goldberg is usually the one who warns her about revealing too much personal information away. 'I guarantee if I actually told her privately that I was pregnant, her advice would be, "Wait til youre ready to tell people." So thats the funniest thing about it,' she said. 'She would never just shout it on air. But listen, thats what makes the show interesting.' Goldberg derailed the ABC program on Thursday when she popped the daring question, which came unprompted, right in the middle of a discussion about Mitt Romney's resignation. A stunned Alyssa let out an audible gasp and looked visibly shocked before quickly shutting down the speculation. 'No! Oh my God!' she insisted. 'You can't say that in front of my mother-in-law. Why? Do I look pregnant?' 'Yes,' Whoopi responded. 'I just got a vibe.' 'Please don't say it's my tummy!' Alyssa laughed, prompting an apology from her colleague. 'I'm so sorry'. Sunny Hostin, 54, then asked the group whether they could take bets, which gave way to Alyssa admitting that she and her husband Justin Griffin are vying to start a family together. 'I'm very open to being pregnant soon,' she shared. 'I'm not blessed to be pregnant yet.' 'Forgive me,' Whoopi returned. 'I see a glow.' Happily married: Alyssa is married to Justin Griffin, a graduate of New York University Stern School of Business Cute pair: The couple tied the knot in November 2021, one year after he popped the question Not yet: Alyssa revealed that while they are hoping to start a family, she is not yet pregnant 'I'll take a test when I get home just to be sure,' Alyssa promised, before swiftly moving the conversation back to politics. Viewers were equally stunned by Whoopi's outburst, with one branding the question 'uncouth'. Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, another said: 'Why the hell did Whoopi randomly ask Alyssa if she's pregnant???' Alyssa married her husband Justin in November 2021, one year after he proposed. Members of her family, including her father and stepmother, boycotted her wedding because of her differences with Donald Trump. While Alyssa does not have any children, she revealed on the show last month that she does want to be a mom despite previously being unsure. 'For me, marriageI always knew I wanted a husband,' she told viewers. 'I never was necessarily sure I wanted kids. I always wanted companionship.' Clarifying her comments, she continued: 'I was a child of divorce [which] gave me some mixed feelings about having kids, but it was when I met my husband, I was like, "Oh I also want kids". Robert Irwin sent his followers into a frenzy on Thursday when he revealed his new look on Instagram. The Wildlife Warrior, 19, showed off his muscular arms while wearing his iconic khaki Australia Zoo shirt during a crocodile trip. He also revealed the stubble growing along his strong jawline in a close up photo as he carried a branch. Robert's followers flocked to his comment section to gush over the teen, with one person writing: 'I'M SORRY, since when did this become a thirst trap account???' 'Whoever is taking these photos knows EXACTLY what they're doing,' another person commented. Robert Irwin sent fans into a frenzy as he showed off his muscular arms during crocodile trip '[His girlfriend] Rorie is a very lucky girl,' a third said while another one commented 'Thank you lord for blessing my eyes lol.' 'You're so attractive I can't,' one person said. It comes after Robert's girlfriend Rorie Buckey made a huge 'love' declaration on Wednesday. The 19-year-old, who struck up a whirlwind romance with Robert in November, revealed she doesn't just have heart eyes for the young celebrity conservationist. Sharing a reel of happy snaps to Instagram which depicted her most recent adventures with her beau, Rorie declared her 'love' for his sister Bindi. The Wildlife Warrior, 19, showed off his muscular arms while wearing his iconic khaki Australia Zoo shirt The snaps included a sweet selfie of Robert and Rorie together, as well as a candid of him on his phone, before she showcased their latest fun activities together. It seems the pair have been tapping into their artistic creativity as the lovebirds sat down with a delicious platter of food while they painted a mountain landscape. Boyfriend Robert also jumped in on the lovefest by commenting a series of emojis which included a love heart and smiley face. Finally, the Irwin Family matriarch swooped in with the big tick of approval as she wrote simply, 'Wonderful life adventures,' next to a love heart emoji. Robert's followers flocked to his comment section to gush over the teen, with one person writing: 'I'M SORRY Since when did this become a thirst trap account???' It comes after Rorie reportedly completed an Irwin-approved 'wildlife warrior boot camp' before she and Robert went 'Instagram official' last month. Woman's Day claimed last Tuesday that Rorie had to win over the family by having a willingness to get out into nature. The happy couple recently went on crocodile research trip together, where they uncovered 'critical data' for the Wildlife Warriors' Worldwide foundation. Robert's mother Terri, 59, and sister Bindi, 25, have since been impressed by Rorie's dedication to Australian wildlife. An insider claimed Rorie was 'determined to not let Robert down and show him - and his mum and sister - that she's not just some puff piece. And she blew them away.' Josh Duhamel has nothing but love for his ex-wife Fergie, after she sent a sweet message to the actor and his wife Audra Mari, after they announced their first child. Duhamel, 49, tied the knot with Fergie (born Stacy Ann Ferguson), 48, in 2009 after more than four years of dating, and they share 10-year-old son Axl together. They both split in 2017, with the divorce finalized two years later in November 2019. Duhamel started dating Mari, 29, - a fellow North Dakota native like himself - in 2018, tying the knot in 2022, before announcing their first child earlier this week. Fergie commented on the social media post, 'I am truly happy for you guys. Axl cant wait to be a big brother,' with Duhamel reacting to her reaction on The Jess Cagle Show. Baby on the way: Josh Duhamel has nothing but love for his ex-wife Fergie, after she sent a sweet message to the actor and his wife Audra Mari, after they announced their first child Exes: Duhamel, 49, tied the knot with Fergie (born Stacy Ann Ferguson), 48, in 2009 after more than four years of dating, and they share 10-year-old son Axl together New child: Duhamel started dating Mari - a fellow North Dakota native like himself - in 2018, tying the knot in 2022, before announcing their first child earlier this week Happy: Fergie commented on the social media post, 'I am truly happy for you guys. Axl cant wait to be a big brother,' with Duhamel reacting to her reaction on The Jess Cagle Show Cagle mentioned how refreshing it was to see, 'exes who have kids being supportive of each other, acting like adults, which, oddly, I noticed it because you don't see that a lot.' 'Fergie is an amazing woman. She really is. And shes taken Audra in, you know, and it could be much worse,' Duhamel admitted. 'Thats the thing, is you never know how these things are gonna go, but because shes such a kindhearted person, she really, truly is,' he added. 'She only has love for Audra and is excited as well, I cant believe how excited she is for us. You know, its a, like I said, it could be a lot worse, and Ive seen it. Ive lived it. And, uh, thankfully we have a really civil situation,' he said. He also revealed in an interview with ET on Wednesday that his son Axl already has a name picked out for his younger sibling. 'Im very excited about it, I really am. And so is she, so is my son. Were very lucky and all we can hope for is a healthy baby,' Josh said, adding Axl wants to name the baby, 'Gary.' 'Him and Audra have this thing where they like to say the word "Gary." Its weird,' Josh admitted, though he's not sold on the name for the baby. 'Well get a dog, well name the dog Gary,' Duhamel joked during the interview. Amazing woman: 'Fergie is an amazing woman. She really is. And shes taken Audra in, you know, and it could be much worse,' Duhamel admitted Kindhearted: 'Thats the thing, is you never know how these things are gonna go, but because shes such a kindhearted person, she really, truly is,' he added Excited: 'She only has love for Audra and is excited as well, I cant believe how excited she is for us. You know, its a, like I said, it could be a lot worse, and Ive seen it. Ive lived it. And, uh, thankfully we have a really civil situation,' he said Name: He also revealed in an interview with ET on Wednesday that his son Axl already has a name picked out for his younger sibling Announced: Earlier this week, the movie star, 50, and his 29-year-old wife - the 2016 Miss World America - announced the news via their Instagram pages, with an image of her sonogram Earlier this week, the movie star and his wife - the 2016 Miss World America - announced the news via their Instagram pages, with an image of her sonogram. She captioned it: 'Baby Duhamel coming soon,' adding a white heart. She was holding up the images with her hand in the announcement post. Josh and Audra got married in late September 2022 in Fargo, North Dakota; Josh was born and raised in North Dakota. She recently become an ambassador for her favourite food store M&S. And Dame Joan Collins shopped at her favourite high-street store M&S on Wednesday with her husband Percy Gibson. The Hollywood icon, 90, even pushed her own shopping trolley after she enjoyed a wander around the food and clothing store with her spouse, 58. The fashion icon showed off her glamorous sense of style and opted for a white T-shirt under a cream blazer and donned a blue and white skirt. She added a white beach hat to accessorise and wore a pair of white pumps with a silver shoulder bag. Spot of shopping: Dame Joan Collins, 90, headed out with her husband Percy Gibson to do their weekly food shop at M&S on Wednesday Fan: The Dynasty star, who recently became an ambassador for M&S, was spotted enjoying a wander around the department store, which has been a British staple for over a century Joan appeared to be in great spirits as she stepped out of the food store pushing the trolley after a late night wander. It comes after, it was revealed that she enjoys rifling through the chain's clothing rails and cruising its food halls, according to Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Machin. He discussed that she even sends him pictures showing what she's buying and jokes that her spending is keeping the business afloat. He told The Mail on Sunday: 'She sent me a WhatsApp the other day, "Just to let you know I'm keeping you going".'She sent me her trolley of shopping.' 'Number one, I think she's an icon. Number two, I think she is so proudly British, and I love that she is vocal. I love that she is passionate about our country. 'I love her whole demeanour and style. But I love even more that she is a huge fan of M&S. She shops at M&S all the time. 'She buys everything, food and clothing. I think she is an absolute star and a legend.' Stuart's friendship with Joan became public in February when she complained she had almost been mown down by a cyclist while on her way to dinner with the M&S boss in London. Stylish: The fashion icon opted for a white T-shirt under a cream blazer and donned a blue and white printed skirt Chic: She added a white beach hat to accessorise and wore a pair of white pumps with a silver shoulder bag British fave: It comes after it was revealed that Joan loves rifling through the chain's clothing rails and cruising its food halls, according to Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Machin Favourite shop: Joan appeared to be in great spirits as she stepped out of the food store pushing the trolley after a late night wander Fond: It comes after the M&S chief executive said: 'She buys everything, food and clothing. I think she is an absolute star and a legend' Amazing! In July, M&S announced on Instagram that Joan became an ambassador for her favourite brand According to Stuart, Joan is especially fond of M&S cashmere and also relies on the chain for her pyjamas. The actress previously had a deal with M&S to sell her Timeless Beauty cosmetics range through its stores, and has also appeared in adverts for the retailer. According to Hello! Joan is worth a staggering 50million but still chooses to shop at the high-street store. She has made her fortune through her work throughout the decades including roles in films such as 1955's, in 1960, (1970) and her 1980s starring role in the soap opera. Her outing comes after she recently enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday with Percy in St Tropez last month. Sharing the Instagram snap with her followers she look positively radiant while soaking up the rays over in France in the white halter neck two piece. Relaxing in the pool beside her husband Percy the actress beamed as she shielded her face from the sun with a pair of sunglasses and white sunhat. She captioned the post 'Only place to be in this 96 heat! #hotsummer #sttropz #poollife #couplegoals #heatwave.' The stars husband showed off his toned physique in a pair of baby pink swim shorts as he floated on a lilo. Percy and Joan married in 2002 after meeting when he managed a theatre production she was in back in 2000. Icon! Dame Joan is reportedly worth a staggering 50million (pictured on set of the television soap opera Dynasty in the 1980s) She's still got it! t comes after Joan slipped into a white bikini while on holiday in St Tropez with her husband Percy in an Instagram snap At 32 years her junior, the 58-year-old is Joan's fifth husband and the pair are reportedly still madly in love. Speaking about how they met, Joan said: 'It was giddy, it was fantastic and Percy and I fell madly in love. I've finally found my true soulmate. And my husband forever.' Fans were quick to comment on the post as they rushed to send their love to the couple. One wrote: 'Good for you and enjoy your best life , absolutely beautiful and fabulous' while another penned 'A beautiful photo'. Gemma Collins got to witness a piece of soap history on Thursday as she visited the immersive Neighbours experience in London. Iconic pieces from the Australian series have gone on display in the capital ahead of its return on Amazon Freevee next week, with the highlight being the ivory that Kylie Minogue wore during her on-screen wedding. Posing for snaps next to the famous dress, Gemma, 42, beamed in a long-sleeved gold dress with a plunging front. Charlene Mitchell, played by Kylie, wore the dress to marry her sweetheart Scott Robinson, played by Jason Donovan, back in 1987. Over 20 million people tuned into watch the famous wedding, and now the dress, along with several other pieces of Neighbours memorabilia, is being showcased at Protein Studios. Big fan: Gemma Collins got to witness a piece of soap history on Thursday as she visited the immersive Neighbours experience in London Stylish: The television personality wore a long-sleeved gold maxi dress with black sandals as she visited the showcase of the soap's memorabilia Icon: Gemma's shoulder-length blonde hair was styled into loose waves and she wore matching red polish on her hands and feet The new romantic style wedding frock was designed by a local bridal shop. It will be alongside Guy Pearce's character Mike Young's leather jacket which he wore throughout his three year stint on the show. Meanwhile, Harold Bishop - played by Ian Smith - had a much talked about Salvation Army outfit which will also go on show. Also featuring will be a red jumpsuit worn by Ramsay Street favourite Jane Harris - played by Annie Jones. Fans will be able to see parts of the Neighbours set which have been recreated for an immersive experience at the Protein studios in East London, starting on Friday. As well as Harold's Cafe, it features fictional hotel Lassiters, Karl and Susan Kennedy's living room, as well as a number of unseen scripts and photographs. Scott and Charlene's wedding remains one of the most iconic in television history with millions watching in Britain as they said their vows to Angry Anderson's song, Suddenly. Ms Minogue's dress was made from ivory silk, organza, and chantilly lace and has a slightly dropped waist with a cream silk overlay on the skirt. Famous: Neighbours fans can see the famous white dress that Kylie Minogue wore for the wedding on the soap, after it was flown to London to go on show at an exhibition Throwback: More than 20 million people tuned in to watch her Neighbours character Charlene Mitchell walk down the aisle to marry Scott Robinson, portrayed by Jason Donovan (1988) It also includes apricot chiffon, and apricot and pink rosettes. The dress has a high collar that is decorated with rhinestones, which also feature on the organza puffed sleeves. Neighbours returns on Monday after it was sensationally axed last July after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes. The grand finale saw the return of Kylie, Jason, Guy, as well as Margot Robbie, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia making appearances too. The return will air on Amazon's Freevee streaming platform on Monday and it will feature characters including Susan and Karl Kennedy, Paul Robinson and there will also be a guest role for Hollywood actress Mischa Barton as the programme hopes to crack America for the first time. Executive producer Jason Herbison confirmed in May that Guy Pearce would reprise his role on the soap opera, which was rebooted in April, and is being filmed Melbourne. 'We are delighted that Guy is returning to continue Mike and Jane's reunion, it was a highlight of last year's finale and (there is) definitely more story to tell for these much-loved characters,' Herbison said in a statement to The Sun Herald. Pearce returned to Neighbours for the show's finale in July last year. His character, along with Jane Harris (portrayed by Annie Jones), was seen purchasing a home on Ramsay Street during the show's last episode. The continuation of the long-running soap series about the lives, loves, and challenges of the residents on Ramsay Street in Erinsborough, follows the finale in 2022, which was watched by millions of adoring fans. And newcomer Mischa has previously promised that her character Reece will liven up the series and bring 'drama' to the plotlines. Reunited: Mike Young (Guy Pearce) has reunited with Jane Harris (Annie Jones) in the soap, which is set to return next week Mischa also recently revealed it was Neighbours veteran Kylie Minogue who inspired her to accept a role on the iconic Australian soap. The Hills: New Beginnings star admitted while she had never watched the show prior to signing on she was well aware of its significance because she is a huge Kylie fan. 'I was familiar with it, probably the same things that most people recognise about the show, like Kylie Minogue and the fun stuff,' she told the Herald Sun. 'So when the producers approached me about the role, I thought the character of Reece Sinclair was a very good fit.' Previous seasons of Neighbours, as well as many iconic episodes, are currently available to stream on Prime Video. The great and good of the fashion world descended on London on Thursday evening for the Vogue World bash - branded the UK's Met Gala. And while the annual New York event is hailed as the most important in the fashion calendar, London's version did not seem to meet the same mark when talent was showcased at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Newspaper critics were divided in reviews of the event, which serves as a fundraiser for Britain's performing arts industry, with the magazine's Editor-in-Chief Anna overseeing and Vogue editor Edward Enninful also in attendance. The Telegraph gave the event a meagre two stars - hitting out at the 'random' nature of proceedings and branding the event 'a fever dream of a procession'. Elsewhere however, The Evening Standard gushed over Anna's star power, writing: 'It doesn't look like Wintour (who kept her sunglasses on throughout the show) is going to let go of her grasp of fashion anytime yet.' Is this the most bizarre event EVER? London's take on Met Gala divided fashionistas on Thursday evening with some critics baffled over all-star bash's 'randomness' while others lauded 'love letter to theatre' Huh? A skit from Sienna Miller, Damien Lewis, James Cordon, Cush Jumbo and James McAvoy was just one of the kooky additions to the night Rock on: Jared Leto was seen partying behind the scenes in raucous style Starring role: Stormzy gave a rendition of his hit song Crown during the show Unique: Vogue World put on a very bizarre show in the West End on Thursday night as Kate Moss did an interpretive dance Showstoper: Sienna Miller's bump-baring ensemble - her public debut of her second pregnancy - was one of the most talked about elements of the night During the evening, a slew of performances were acting to showcase the best in UK talent, including a song from Stormzy, a skit from Sienna Miller, Damien Lewis, James Cordon, Cush Jumbo and James McAvoy and an incredible close. The show was rounded out by the original supermodels Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell storming the runway. Kate Moss, 49, who was not seen in the event or at after-parties but was seen arriving, was pictured on a screen doing an interpretive dance before Cara Delevingne appeared in the crowds dressed as a punk in a bizarre twist. Victoria Moss of The Evening Standard penned: 'Lady characters, supermodels - Karen Elson! Irina Shayk! Kendall Jenner! Emily Ratajowski! streaming out, and then, the finale, Naomi, Christy, Cindy and Linda!... 'A standing ovation for the cover women, and Vogues take on the West End. It doesnt look like Wintour (who kept her sunglasses on throughout the show) is going to let go of her grasp of fashion anytime yet. The Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley wrote: 'This mood of old-school elegance was a notable departure from the rough-and-ready vibe which has tended to define London fashion week, known for draughty car park venues and stompy models... 'The night was a love letter to theatre and performance, to supermodels and to glamour and, perhaps, the start of a new age of elegance in London fashion.' The Telegraph's Anita Singh meanwhile was less that flattering, writing: 'The sheer randomness of the evening becomes increasingly apparent... 'Rather than the 2012 Opening Ceremony, this was akin to the Platinum Jubilee pageant, a fever dream of a procession in which Prue Leith, Patsy Kensit and Basil Brush went down the Mall in an assortment of vehicles.' Wild: It was a battle of the most outrageous looks at the bizarre evening - with Jodie Turner-Smith making herself a contender for the prize PDA: Alex, 39, and Tom, 37, who have sparked engagement rumours for months, looked as loved-up as they departed the afterparty at George Mayfair on Thursday Glamorous: Rita Ora, 32, stunned in a black gown as she walked the red carpet Party time: Model Ashley Graham put on a very animated display and even enjoyed a dance in the street Aside from the press' take on events, viewers, who watched via the YouTube livestream, took to social media to admit they left baffled by the 'bizarre' show, which was billed as 'multi-act celebration of the British performing arts'. Despite the star-studded line-up, fans were quick to comment on the bizarre show, taking to social media to share their confusion at Kate and Cara's quirky dances. One wrote: 'Not sure what Cara is doing but I love listening to FKA Twigs... Fka Twigs and Cara Delevingne kissing at Vogue World. Well that wasn't on my 2023 bingo card.' Anna and Edward put on a united display as they walking the red carpet together after reports of a power struggle between the two. The first Vogue World event featured a fashion show and street fair when it took place in New York's meatpacking district in 2021, but the London ceremony is expected to be a grander affair. The dress code on Thursday was Opening Night, with the invitation revealed a West End stage decorated with by blood-red velvet curtains. Masterminded by BAFTA and Olivier-winning director Stephen Daldry, show director Emily Burns, and creative producer Fran Miller, along with the Vogue team, the evening will feature a vast array of performing arts. Guests watched opera and ballet and theatre at the event which sits at the start of London Fashion Week and acts to unveil and showcase talent. United: Dame Anna Wintour arrived at Vogue World alongside British Vogue's own editor, Edward Enninful (both pictured with Baz Luhrmann) Contributing designers for the guests and performers include 16Arlington, Ahluwalia, Burberry, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, Erdem, Maison Margiela, and SS Daley, among many other fashion giants. Anna and Edward put on a united display after reports of a power struggle. The Mail On Sunday reported Edward had hoped one day to replace Wintour, but the Vogue Editor-In-Chief is determined to stay put and will 'swat any rivals off like a fly'. The bash comes just three months after the shock announcement the British-Ghanaian former model and fashion stylist is to step down as editor-in-chief of British Vogue after six years at the helm. When he leaves at the beginning of 2024, Edward will take up a 'global advisory position' at Vogue, 'with the freedom to take on broader creative projects'. Across the pond, Chanel and W Magazine collaborated for a dinner in New York, where Lily Allen, her husband David Harbour and Mark Ronson. The clash of events meant some stars were absent from the London bash. Guided: Emily Ratajkowski appeared a little worse for wear as she was guided through the crowd by a pal Posh: Victoria Beckham made a low-key arrival the Vogue party as she snubbed walking the red carpet in favour of slipping in He's set to make his long-awaited debut in Doctor Who later this year. And Ncuti Gatwa showed off his eye-catching sense of style as he took a break from filming for the BBC show to attend the Vogue World after party at George in Mayfair on Thursday. The Sex Education star, 30, donned a sheer white one-shouldered top which showed a glimpse of his toned chest underneath. The actor showcased his fit frame in the garment, which he teamed with black tailored trousers and smart shoes. Ncuti beamed in the snaps as he accessorised his outfit with a small baby pink handbag after joining a slew of stars at the glitzy Vogue event. Amazing: Ncuti Gatwa, 30, cut a stylish figure in one shoulder white see through top as he attended the Vogue World afterparty on Thursday evening Sensational: He beamed in the snaps as he kept his essentials in a small baby pink handbag and carried his phone in the other Wow: The actor showcased his muscly frame in the garment which drew attention to his toned arm and shoulder Earlier in the evening the star opted for an edgy look as he led the men on the Vogue World carpet alongside Stormzy and Jared Leto. Ncuti donned a sheer top and black trousers that featured a green satin train as he flexed his toned top half. Meanwhile rapper Stormzy, 30, displayed his polished sense of style in an asymmetric suit, with white satin detail. 30 Seconds To Mars frontman Jared, 51, went shirtless in an oversized white blazer and a dusting of electric blue eyeshadow. The event - dubbed Britain's answer to the iconic Met Gala - saw Editor-in-chief, Dame Anna Wintour arrive alongside British Vogue's own editor, Edward Enninful after reports of a power struggle between the two. The Mail on Sunday reported Enninful had hoped one day to replace Wintour, but the Vogue Editor-In-Chief is determined to stay put and will 'swat any rivals off like a fly'. The bash comes just three months after the shock announcement the British-Ghanaian former model and fashion stylist is to step down as editor-in-chief of British Vogue after six years at the helm. When he leaves at the beginning of 2024, Enninful will take up a 'global advisory position' at Vogue, 'with the freedom to take on broader creative projects'. Stylish: Ncuti looked incredible in an edgy sheer top and black trousers that featured a green satin train Incredible: The star set pulses racing as he flexed his toned top half New role: The actor was unveiled as the 15th Doctor on the popular sci-fi show in May 2022 after Jodie Whittaker confirmed her departure from the role Earlier this week Ncuti was seen getting steamy as a new trailer for the upcoming series of Sex Education saw his character getting involved with a new flame. The Doctor Who star portrays Eric Effiong in the smash hit Netflix series, and his character is set to have some more romantic developments in the final season. The trailer for the fourth series showed Eric getting steamy with a mystery new flame as in a toilet as a raunchy new storyline was hinted at. Eric is set to go on a self-discovery journey in the upcoming series after breaking things off with his boyfriend Adam Groff (Connor Swindells) in the last season. Scenes in the trailer showed him having the time of his life out clubbing and trying on an array of new colourful outfits in jovial scenes. Eric was also seen giving advice to his ex Adam as he told him: 'You have to believe that you deserve good things. You have to love yourself.' It comes after Netflix revealed the show will end after its fourth season, which will be released on September 21. It was a star-studded bash as supermodels, acting legends, royalty and some of the biggest names in showbusiness gathered at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for the Vogue World Show on Thursday. But one star was noticeably absent as Vogue cover girl Maya Jama was nowhere to be seen and her boyfriend Stormzy partied on his own. The rapper, 30, and the Love Island presenter, 29, recently rekindled their romance to the delight of their adoring fans. Yet the couple are currently spending some time apart as Maya was forced to forego an appearance at the Vogue World Show as she suns herself over in Fiji in preparation for a new ITV series. The presenter recently revealed she has landed a new job as the host of the first ever Love Island spin-off series, the Love Island Games. So where was Vogue's cover star Maya Jama at their big star-studded London bash? Presenter's whereabouts revealed as her boyfriend Stormzy went alone ro glitzy event on Thursday Showing up: Stormzy walked the red carpet solo at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, before attending the afterparty at The George Love Island Games will bring together former Islanders from the UK, US and Australian series for a second shot at love and to compete to be crowned the champion. And as Stormzy led the parade of stylish men on the red carpet, Maya was over on the other side of the world, tucking into a Fijian McDonalds. The star took to her Instagram stories at 10:45am as she admitted: 'Can confirm Fiji mcds slaps. It's also 10am the time difference has rocked me.' It was another big day for the radio host as she also woke up to the launch of her campaign with Dolce & Gabbana as she was revealed as the new face of the designer. Meanwhile Stormzy displayed his polished sense of style at the glittering one-off extravaganza as he donned an asymmetric suit, with white satin detail. After wild speculation, Maya confirmed her relationship with the grime star was back on in snaps released last month, four years after their initial separation. The couple were hand-in-hand as they ventured out on Hydra Island in Greece - their first public appearance together since rumours of a romantic reconciliation began to surface. It has also been claimed that Stormzy's mum, Abigail Owuo, was the matchmaker who 'motivated him to make amends with Maya.' Together: Last month Maya confirmed her relationship with the grime star was back on, four years after their initial separation Slick: The event which followed an Opening Night theme saw the rapper display his polished sense of style in an asymmetric suit, with white satin detail On the other side of the world: While Stormzy led the parade of stylish men on the red carpet, Maya was over on the other side of the world, tucking into a Fijian McDonalds Career highlight: It was another big day for the radio host as she also woke up to the launch of her campaign with Dolce & Gabbana as she was revealed as the new face of the designer A source told The Sun: 'Stormzy is really open about wanting to settle down and have kids one day and he knows Maya is "The One".' Speculation had been rife about whether Maya and Stormzy had reunited, after she was spotted at his All Points East show during the August bank holiday. The couple dated for four years before parting ways in 2019, with the rapper, publicly declaring he has 'never loved anyone how I've loved her'. He has always denied any infidelity in the relationship but admitted he had to learn some hard lessons about his behaviour, describing it as 'disrespectful'. Sienna Miller recently pushed maternity style boundaries as she showed off her bump in a Schiaparelli couture crop top and puff ball skirt at the Vogue World Show on Thursday. The actress, 41, is expecting a baby with boyfriend Oli Green, 26, after debuting her bump on a beach visit in Ibiza in August. This will be Sienna's' second child - her first with Oli - after her daughter Marlow was born in July 2012. The father-to-be, however, is relatively private about his life, despite working in the public eye and dating film star Sienna. So, who is Oli Green, how did he and Sienna meet and who have they dated before one another? Who is Oli Green? Loved up: Sienna, 41, is expecting a baby with boyfriend Oli Green, 26, after debuting her bump on a beach visit in Ibiza in August Glowing: Sienna Miller recently pushed maternity style boundaries as she showed off her bump in a Schiaparelli couture crop top and puff ball skirt at the Vogue World Show on Thursday Sienna's boyfriend - 15 years her junior - is a fellow actor, as well as a model, who studied at at the Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York. According to IMDb, his first role of any sort was in the 2019 music video for John Eatherly's Burnout alongside Kaia Gerber when he was 22 years old. Despite relatively few appearances on screen, Oli is building quite the contacts book, having appeared alongside Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman in 2023's A Good Person, and Elizabeth Debicki, Imelda Staunton, and Dominic West, in an episode of The Crown the same year. But Oli's modelling career took off first, and he has worked with many household names on promotions. He was the face of Gap's 2017 I Am campaign, and has also appeared alongside Cara Delavigne in a string of Burberry jobs. From that world, Oli was previously linked with Adwoa Aboah and Paige Reifler. How did Sienna and Oli meet? Debut: Sienna and Oli made their first red carpet appearance together before Vanity Fair's Oscars party While the exact date Sienna and Oli met is unknown, the pair began being romantically linked in early 2022 when they were spotted together in New York City. Soon after, in March, their romance was confirmed when they left the BAFTAs together as they headed for British Vogue's Fashion & Film afterparty. This was weeks before their red carpet debut as a couple, for the Vanity Fair Oscars party. And that was far from their last public appearance, with subsequent step-outs including at Wimbledon in July 2023. How many children do Sienna and Oli share? Cute reveal: Sienna is currently pregnant with her second child - the first with boyfriend Oli - and she debuted her baby bump while on a beach in Ibiza last month Father: Tom Sturridge (pictured with Sienna in 2013) is the father of Sienna's first child, Marlow Sienna is currently pregnant with her second child, debuting her baby bump while on a beach in Ibiza. This will be her first child with boyfriend Oli, while already a mother to daughter Marlowe, ten, with her ex Tom Sturridge, who is currently dating Alexa Chung. The news of Sienna's pregnancy comes after she revealed she froze her eggs after turning 40. Speaking to Elle, Sienna told how she often wondered, 'should I have more [children], and why haven't I, and all of that, which is a really loud noise'. She said: 'Biology is incredibly cruel on women in that decade that's the headline, or it certainly was for me. 'Then I got to 40 and I froze some eggs. Having been really focused on the need to have another baby, I'm just like, if it happens, it happens. That kind of existential threat has dissipated.' Speaking to The Sunday Times Style Magazine in 2019, Sienna told how she hoped to grow her family in the future. She said: 'I would love to have more children. I would love it for my daughter as well. I think I would be open to getting married'. Who have the pair previously dated? Fling: In 2014, Sienna admitted to having had a 'brief' affair with her Layer Cake co-star and Bond actor Daniel Craig Affair: Sienna's high-profile relationship with Jude Law was strained by his admittance to having an affair in 2005 with the nanny of his then-three children, with the couple finally splitting in November 2006 Due to Oli's private nature, it is unknown of who he has dated before Sienna, most especially any females from the industry. The Layer Cake star is familiar with high-profile partners, with her first in 2004 when she and Jude Law became engaged, essentially elevating them as a celebrity power couple. Law was already a father then, and their relationship was strained by his admittance to having an affair in 2005 with the nanny of his then-three children, with the couple finally splitting in November 2006. Sienna then became involved with another actor in 2008 - Balthazar Getty, who was married at the time. In 2014, Sienna admitted to having a 'brief' affair with Bond actor Daniel Craig. After rekindling with Law for just over a year, Sienna dated Tom Sturridge from 2011 to 2015, with whom she had her daughter Marlow. Her most recent relationship before Oli was art gallery owner Lucas Zwirner which was made public in January 2019. Zwirner became Sienna's third fiance, after Law and Sturridge, in January 2020 but their split was announced eight months later. Karlie Kloss showcased her sensational figure on Thursday night at a Chanel and W Magazine event celebrating the work of Sofia Coppola. The former Victoria's Secret model, 31, just gave birth to her second son Elijah with husband Joshua Kushner, 38, in July and yet there was no sign of any bumps or bulges on her body. The Project Runway host wore a midi-length, figure-hugging, sleeveless, v-neck dress. Karlie's dress was in a black and white pattern reminiscent of tweed as she posed for cameras at the event at Manhattan hot spot Indochine. The Chicago native wore her long, dark hair parted in the middle and straight. A diamond bracelet encircled her wrist and she carried a tiny black handbag covered in studs. Svelte: Karlie Kloss showcased her sensational figure on Thursday night at a Chanel and W Magazine event celebrating the work of Sofia Coppola She slipped her feet into a pair of beige and black pumps for the event celebrating the Lost in Translation director's career from 1999 to 2023. Karlie is also mom to two-year-old son Levi. She went public with her second pregnancy at the Met Gala in May. And the STEM advocate really loves being a mom, revealing just months after Levi was born that 'everything in my life has changed.' 'My whole world really revolves around my son now, and it's so cliche, but it's so true,' she told Paper. 'I never knew I could feel such a deep love and adoration for anything. It's so inspiring, but also humbling. I have so much respect for every woman on this planet.' Karlie, who started out as a model at the age of 15, said motherhood is 'truly the most rewarding, but also challenging, job. I'm enjoying every second of it.' Despite being a devoted mother to her two sons, her ambition hasn't slowed down at all. She is reportedly in talks to buy the I-D magazine from Vice Media. The cult-ish publications is dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. Bounced back: The former Victoria's Secret model, 31, just gave birth to her second son Elijah with husband Joshua Kushner, 38, in July and yet there was no sign of any bumps or bulges on her body; seen with Sara Moonves Met Gala: The model revealed she was pregnant for the second time on the red carpet of the Met Gala in May Boy mom: 'I never knew I could feel such a deep love and adoration for anything. It's so inspiring, but also humbling. I have so much respect for every woman on this planet,' she told Paper magazine Puck News reported that Karlie is in talks to buy the London-based, bi-monthly publication from troubled current owners Vice Media. If she succeeds in buying I-D, current editor-in-chief Alastair Mckimm is expected to continue running the magazine. And it's not an unprecedented move for the computer programmer, she was one of the major players in the group of investors who backed W Magazine and Bustle Digital Group in 2020. She's been an active investor for years with a diverse portfolio that includes stock in Lululemon's Mirror, TheraGun, Seed probiotics and more. Jeff Stewart looked worlds away from his character on The Bill as he was spotted out and about in north London on Thursday. The actor, 67, starred as PC Reg Hollis on the hit ITV drama series The Bill from its inception 1980s right up until he left in 2008 but these days looks completely different. In his TV heyday, the actor had a smart black hairdo and was clean shaven but 17 years after quitting the show - which was axed in 2010 - Jeff was seen sporting a bushy grey beard complete with a cloud of grey on top. For his stroll on Thursday afternoon, the Scottish-born star kept cool in a pair of red shorts and wore a beige coat over a white shirt. He finished off the look with a pair of white Adidas trainers and covered his blue eyes with a pair of dark glasses. Who's that?! The Bill star Jeff Stewart looked unrecognisable years after finding fame on hit ITV drama as he sported a bushy grey beard while stepping out in London on Thursday Before finding fame in the world of serial drama, Jeff had played small roles in other shows such as Doctor Who and coincidentally played a police officer on BBC comedy Hi-De-Hi just months before The Bill aired for the first time. He starred alongside Graham Cole's PC Tony Stamp and Mark Wingett's character DC Jim Carver. Though he didn't appear in the pilot episode, he featured regularly from the first regular instalment onwards and appeared in a total of 872 episodes. After almost 20 years on screen, the character was axed. Speaking in 2011 about the decision, Jeff told The Sun: 'I felt I had been badly let down.' After hearing the plans from the show's producers Jeff went back to his dressing room and still dazed by the news, attempted to take his own life. As he began to black out, he changed his mind and rang the front desk for help. Luckily he was found in time and was rushed from the studios in Merton, South West London to hospital. Different look: The former TV star, who appeared on The Bill for two decades, was spotted out for a stroll on Thursday afternoon 'I didn't see a counsellor, it was evident I was OK and I never worried how it would affect my career. 'I thought, "I have a choice, you can either stagnate or blossom"', he added. Jeff has previously told how his bearded appearance has been a way to distance himself from the clean-shaven Reg, with whom he had become synonymous. He said: 'I didn't cut my hair for three years. It was a thought-out, deliberate choice. 'I thought, "I have to look as different as possible".' The Bill ran for a total of 26 years, with the popular series ending in 2010 after being axed - much to the dismay of staunch fans. Though The Bill was his biggest role to date, Jeff has appeared in a number of other programmes including Crossroads, Doctor Who and Hi-De-Hi!. He has also starred in independent films and won a Best Actor award for his role in Under Jakob's Ladder at the Manhattan Film Festival in 2011. There was something the pretty Playboy Playmates could not wear. Former Girls Next Door star Holly Madison, 43, shared this week that there was one thing Playboy editor Hugh Hefner did not allow his ladies to have on. It was not a clothing item, she said on the Apple podcast Ahead Of The Curve with Coco Mocoe. Rather, it was red lipstick. Pink, mauve and purple were OK, but not red, said the blonde beauty who admitted she had on a scarlet shades 'a couple of times' before Hef said no more because he 'hated' it. Publishing mogul Hefner died at age 91 in 2017. Banned! There was something the pretty Playboy Playmates could not wear. Holly Madison and Hugh Hefner seen in September 2003 No thanks: Former Girls Next Door star Madison, 43, shared this week that there was one thing Playboy editor Hugh Hefner did not allow his ladies to have on. Seen on the cover of Playboy in 2009 She moved into the Playboy Mansion at the age of 21 in 2001. Madison dated Hefner for seven years, from 2001 to 2008. Holly said banning red lipstick was 'a control tactic.' And Holly shared that Hef felt that red lipstick made women look 'older.' Madison wearing red lip stick now and then became an issue 'six months' into living in the famed Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California, she said. 'He felt like he had the leeway to yell at me over it,' said Holly. 'I think it was a control tactic, but also, when I was brand new, I wore red lipstick out a couple of times, and he didn't say anything about it, because when you were the new girl in the group, you were always treated well.' Madison then explained, 'Somebody said, like, the higher up you are in a cult the worse you're treated because they want the new people to want to bond and feel into it. Pink please: It was not a clothing item, she said on the Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe podcast. Rather, it was red lipstick. Pink, mauve and purple were OK, but not red, said the blonde beauty who admitted she had on a scarlet shades 'a couple of times' before Hef said no more because he 'hated' it His harem: from left, Madison, Hugh Hefner, Bridget Marquardt, Kendra Wilkinson The Girls Next Door in 2005 'So I would wear red lipstick when I was new,' she added. 'It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't a big deal until, like, six months into it, when I was living in his bedroom, and I was the main girlfriend, then he felt like he had the leeway to yell at me over it.' Red felt dated to Hefner, she shared, even though his idol Marilyn Monroe after wore ruby red lipstick. 'I think he didn't love it, because when he invented the concept of a Playmate in the '50s, he wanted the women to look very young and fresh-faced because he felt like the look in the '50s at the time was very -- He described it as 'somebody's older sister,' Madison said. (L to R) Playboy bunny Sheila Levell, Hefner and Playboy bunny Holly in 2003 Red is out: 'To him, that was an older mature woman,' Holly concluded, 'and it wasn't, like, the barely legal thing anymore.' She is the author of Down the Rabbit Hole; seen in 2011 in Las Vegas 'It was very more sophisticated, fashion model, red lipstick,' she continued. 'It was a lot of fabric and big skirts and everything, and he hated that. He wanted skimpy and fresh-faced and very young looking.' 'So I think that's where his hatred of red lipstick came from [because] to him, that was an older mature woman,' Holly concluded, 'and it wasn't, like, the barely legal thing anymore.' She is the author of Down the Rabbit Hole. The Oregon native is a model and television personality, best known as a former girlfriend of Hefner and for her appearance in the reality television show The Girls Next Door. She also starred in her own reality series, Holly's World, which ran from 2009 to 2011. Earlier this year it was reported she is dating Zak Bagans again more than two years after they split in February 2021. Princess Mary was as classy as ever as she attended royal duties on Thursday. The Crown Princess of Denmark was joined by Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and Sweden's Princess Estelle at the the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf's accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. Also in attendance was Mary's husband, Frederik, who was dapper in a navy blue suit. The princess, 51, looked very youthful indeed in a flowing floral frock in a pastel blue tone. It featured semi-sheer sleeves and pleated skirting, with Marry adding a pair of towering black heels to the look. Princess Mary was as classy as ever as she attended royal duties on Thursday. Also in attendance was Mary's husband, Frederik. Both pictured She completed her ensemble with a feathered fascinator in a complimentary blue tone and carried a navy clutch. Mary chose a soft makeup look with a rich pink lipstick and swept her brunette locks off her face. Princess Victoria likewise turned heads in a floral gown, opting for a pastel lavender ensemble paired with a rich blue cap. The two royals chatted happily as they watched the procession from a balcony alongside 11-year-old Princess Estelle. It comes after Princess Mary's nephew Count Nikolai has revealed the advice his Australian-born aunt gave him before he arrived Down Under. The Crown Princess of Denmark was joined by Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and Sweden's Princess Estelle at the the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf's accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. All pictured The princess, 51, looked very youthful indeed in a flowing floral frock in a pastel blue tone. It featured semi-sheer sleeves and pleated skirting She completed her ensemble with a feathered fascinator in a complimentary blue tone and carried a navy clutch Mary chose a soft makeup look with a rich pink lipstick and swept her brunette locks off her face The royals chatted happily as they watched the procession from a balcony alongside 11-year-old Princess Estelle Nikolai, 24, who is studying for a semester at the University of Technology in Sydney, spoke to The Daily Telegraph on Monday. Nikolai revealed that Hobart-born Mary gave him a 'survival list' for his time abroad. 'She gave me a long list, an itinerary of what to do and what not to do, I can't remember it now but I have it at home,' Nikolai said. The Burberry model went on to say it was 'survival' stuff. 'Basic ''survival skills'', I would say clap your boots before putting them on, stuff like that, flush the toilet before you use it. I do not (want a snake or spider),' he added. Nikolai is Down Under with his girlfriend, Benedikte Thoustrup. The pair will stay in the Harbour City from August to November. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Kristin Davis made a big trip this month. The Sex And The City star visited Moldova where she met with Ukrainian refugees. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than six million refugees from Ukraine have crossed borders into neighboring countries and beyond. Davis, who is now on the series And Just Like That..., talked exclusively to DailyMail.com about her travels. 'I feel very honored to be here in Moldova, spending time with Ukrainian refugees and local communities,' the brunette told DailyMail.com 'They have both come together as one, bringing hope to what is a very sad situation.' Making a difference: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Kristin Davis made a big trip this month. The Sex And The City star visited Moldova where she met with Ukrainian refugees Davis also told DailyMail.com: 'The challenges the refugees have had to face through being forced to leave their homes is unimaginable. 'Yet because of the solidarity and generosity of the Moldovan communities, they have been able to find hope away from home and rebuild their lives,' she also shared with DailyMail.com. Kristin has supported UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, since 2014. She has travelled to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Bangladesh and Moldova to learn about UNHCRs work and the situation of refugees. Kristin also said: 'I was deeply moved by the remarkable strength displayed by refugees in Moldova. 'No one plans to become a refugee, and despite the heart-wrenching experience of leaving their homes and loved ones, many are restoring their lives in Moldova. 'This transformation would not have been possible without the kindness of the Moldovan people, who have embraced these refugees, showing them the compassion and support they deserve.' Her take: Davis, who is now on And Just Like That... talked exclusively to DailyMail.com about her travels. 'I feel very honoured to be here in Moldova, spending time with Ukrainian refugees and local communities,' the brunette told DailyMail.com She has so much heart: 'They have both come together as one, bringing hope to what is a very sad situation,' added the actress Davis visited Chisinau, in the Republic of Moldova, to meet with Ukrainian refugees and the Moldovan communities supporting them. During her visit, the star visited some of the support structures that are available to vulnerable groups, including refugees. She met with refugee women who work at a community center supporting vulnerable women and children, including refugees and unaccompanied children. In spite of being forced to flee their homes only last year, through their work, these refugee women have found hope away from home and are working together with the host community to offer support to the local Moldovan population. Busy lady: During her visit, the star visited some of the support structures that are available to vulnerable groups, including refugees. She met with refugee women who work at a community center supporting vulnerable women and children, including refugees and unaccompanied children. Seen in 2010 'Amidst the uncertainty of their situation, Ukrainian refugees serve as an inspiring example of resilience, while the Moldovan people, who opened their hearts and homes to refugees without hesitation, embody true solidarity. 'I am grateful to Kristin Davis for her visit and her role in giving voice to the refugees. With her support, more people will have the opportunity to witness the strength and spirit of unity of both Moldovans and refugees.' says Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR Representative in Moldova. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than 6 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed borders into neighboring countries and beyond. More than 905,000 refugees and third-country nationals have crossed the border into Moldova, which amounts to nearly one for every three Moldovan citizens. Her hit movie: Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin in the Sex and The City 2 movie from 2010 Her latest show: Seen in pink on the set of HBO's SATC sequel And Just Like That... UN work: Davis, meets Ukrainian refugee children at AVE Copiii. AO Association for Child and Family Empowerment 'AVE Copiii' is one of the first NGOs registered in the Republic of Moldova to promote children's rights. Seen in 2022 While most refugees continued onward, around 117,000 refugees have chosen to stay in the country, most of whom are women and children. This represents a challenge for a small country with a population of around 2.7 million and limited resources. Davis, meets Ukrainian refugee children at AVE Copiii. AO Association for Child and Family Empowerment 'AVE Copiii' is one of the first NGOs registered in the Republic of Moldova to promote children's rights, and has been UNHCR's partner for the past 20 years. The organization promotes the social protection of families and children, especially those from vulnerable groups. They work on prevention of violence in families at risk, and the social reintegration of children who are survivors of abuse and neglect. As a consequence of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the large number of refugee women and children, including unaccompanied and separated children, entering Moldova, AVE Copiii expanded their activities to directly assist refugee children and caregivers. Selling The OC's Alex Hall has been branded a 'Karen' for 'playing the victim' during a heated conversation plagued with microaggressions with her co-star Brandi Marshall in the latest season of the Netflix show and viewers are calling for her to be dropped from the cast. The 33-year-old luxury property realtor has sparked outrage among audiences after episode six, titled Rough Waters, saw her goad colleague Brandi before brazenly asking her if she was 'going to swing' punches. The uncomfortable scenes, which unfolded during a trip to Cabo, Mexico, kicked off when Brandi leapt in to defend her colleague Kayla Cardona, 34, who was on the receiving end of Alex's acid tongue during a separate frosty discussion. The tense exchange began with Alex gesticulating animatedly, which stirred up even more friction between the group. Alex Hall has been branded a 'Karen' for 'playing the victim' during a heated conversation with co-star Brandi Marshall in Selling The OC Brandi went head to head with Alex in episode six of the new series as she jumped to Kayla Cardona's defense Attempting to settle Alex's behavior, Brandi jumped in and pointed out: 'Where I come from, when you start speaking with your hands and raising your voice, it's a form of disrespect.' Fighting back, Alex slammed: 'Like you're doing right now?' She then accused of Brandi of bracing to attack her, and said: 'I talk with my hands, and you're coming at me... physically.' 'I was chill,' Brandi retorted. Alex then said: 'You literally just came at me, Brandi are you going to swing?' Stunned by the accusation, a shocked Brandi responded: 'What the f***?' Alex's allegation, which left members of the Selling The OC group stunned, has also sparked a fierce backlash among viewers, who have not held back calling her out on social media. Some have even gone as far as to demand her removal from the show. DailyMail.com has contacted Netflix for comment. 'For you to say "are you going to swing" in that tone was you making a mockery of black women and it shows that you stereotype black women into being aggressive and violent. You are part of the problem.' Another blasted: 'You KAREN you literally started it and then played victim. You have no respect for anyone.' Alex accused her colleague of 'coming at me... physically' as the pair engaged in a tense row Real estate agent Brandi walked away from the situation after Alex's allegation The Selling The OC co-stars are no longer friends following the altercation Viewers have blasted Alex's behavior and called her out for 'playing the victim' There have been calls for Alex to be kicked off the Netflix show 'It's the microaggressions for me. Black women deserve so much better. Netflix should drop this chick.' A fourth scolded: 'The epitome of a victimized white woman. The underdone of "are you gonna swing" showed your true colors Alex Hall.' Earlier this week, Brandi revealed that she is no longer on speaking terms with Alex as a result of the scenes. She told PEOPLE: 'Our friendship is... we don't have one. But I know for some of those moments, it was difficult speaking with her. 'In Cabo, I felt like Kayla was really being spoken down to, and it was almost innate for me to step in. 'I did not even realize when I was doing it, because it was just so natural for me just to protect Kayla in that moment. 'That is my nature to stand up for others in times like that.' Alex also told the publication that their friendship is at a loggerheads, adding: 'For the most part, I wouldn't really call it a friendship at this point.' Selling The OC season 1 and 2 is available to stream on Netflix. Advertisement Swimsuit-clad Sophie Turner was pictured passionately kissing her co-star Frank Dillane while filming ITV drama Joan in Spain. The actress, 27, had a big smile on her face as she frolicked in the water with Frank, just over a week after she and husband Joe Jonas confirmed their marriage of four years is over. Sporting wet hair, Sophie wore a bright patterned top over her plunging green one-piece as she was lifted up in the air by Frank while she laughed uproariously and kicked her legs. Frank could be seen almost toppling over as Sophie pushed towards him, after posing up a storm in the sea with her hands on her hips. Just over one week after announcingthey 'mutually decided' to split in a joint statement on Instagram, the English actress, best known for her starring role as Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, appeared to be focusing on work as she filmed her new drama. Frolicking: Swimsuit-clad Sophie Turner, 27, was pictured passionately kissing her co-star Frank Dillane while filming ITV drama Joan in Spain On set: Sophie had a big smile on her face as she frolicked in the water with Frank The estranged couple share daughter Willa, three, and a second daughter born in July 2022. Sophie, who portrays notorious jewel thief Joan Hannington in the upcoming ITVX show, got into character in a blonde wig. Joan, who was married to professional thief Boisie Hannington (played by Frank), was introduced to a life of crime and the pair became Britain's most successful diamond thieves. Not much is known about Frank's dating history, he was last seen walking hand-in-hand with a mystery woman in Sussex in 2018, but is currently believed to be single. Sophie and Joe stated their breakup was 'a united decision' and they 'mutually agreed' to end their marriage. 'After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually agreed to amicably end our marriage,' they said in a statement, which she uploaded to her Instagram. They pair concluded: 'There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.' Jonas officially filed for divorce from wife Sophie last Tuesday with documents stating that their relationship is 'irretrievably broken.' Over the weekend, he got emotional while shed some light on how he's been doing since news broke that they called it quits. Beach: Sporting wet hair, Sophie wore a bright patterned top over her one-piece Scene: She was lifted up in the air by Frank while she laughed uproariously and kicked her legs in the air Film: The co-stars were seen holding hands in the sea Shock split: It comes just over a week after she and husband Joe Jonas confirmed their marriage of four years is over (pictured in 2018) Transformation: The Survive star, who portrays notorious jewel thief Joan Hannington in the upcoming ITVX show, got into character as she wore a blonde wig Vintage chic: Her look was completed with a large pair of Seventies-style sunglasses In the sun: The actress splashed Frank with the water Plot: Joan, who was married to professional thief Boisie Hannington (played by Frank), was introduced to a life of crime Kicking back: They were seen relaxing on the beach with a glass of prosecco In character: Sophie sported a tattoo of what appeared to be a bird on her thigh While performing to a sold-out crowd at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, the Sucker hitmaker broke his silence over their ongoing divorce. 'It's been a tough week. I just wanna say, look, if you don't hear it from these lips, don't believe it. Okay?' the two-time Grammy nominee said during an emotional interlude. 'Thank you everyone for your love and support. Me and my family love you guys,' he continued. After his statement, Joe and his brothers sang Hesitate, which he has dedicated to Sophie in the past. Turner and Jonas initially met in 2016 after the latter sent his wife a direct message through Instagram. The hitmaker was previously linked to numerous individuals, including Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid and Ashley Greene. He eventually moved on with Sophie, and they went Instagram official with their relationship in January of 2017. The happy couple became engaged that October, and they held a pair of wedding ceremonies in Las Vegas and southern France in May and June of 2019. Turner and Jonas subsequently started a family with the birth of their daughter Willa, three, in July of 2020. The pair waited for two years before they welcomed another daughter, whose name has not been publicly revealed as of yet, in June of last year. 80s: Frank looked the part in a white polo shirt and a pair of shorts Acting: Not much is known about Frank's dating history, he was last seen walking hand-in-hand with a mystery woman in Sussex in 2018, but is currently believed to be single Concert: Over the weekend, Joe got emotional while shed some light on how he's been doing since news broke that they called it quits Sold out: The Jonas Brothers performed to a sold out crowd at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday night with Joe saying 'It's been a tough week' Emotional: After his statement, Joe and his brothers sang Hesitate, which he has dedicated to Sophie in the past Newly-single: Turner and Jonas initially met in 2016 after the latter sent his wife a direct message through Instagram Dating history: They went Instagram official with their relationship in January of 2017 Divorce: The happy couple became engaged that October, and they held a pair of wedding ceremonies in Las Vegas and southern France in May and June of 2019 Mother-of-two: Turner and Jonas subsequently started a family with the birth of their daughter Willa, three, in July of 2020 and another daughter, whose name has not been publicly revealed as of yet, in June of last year Split: In 2020, the actress spoke fondly about her relationship with Jonas during an interview with Elle , where she expressed that she felt as if she ended up with the right person In 2020, the actress spoke fondly about her relationship with Jonas during an interview with Elle, where she expressed that she felt as if she ended up with the right person. 'I love being married. I think it's wonderful. I'm sure we'll have our hiccups and our different things. But right now, it's like the security and the safety is everything,' she said. Turner also discussed exactly what made the Disney Channel alum so attractive as a partner. 'He's so handsome, talented, funny, charismatic. I'm really lucky to be with him and have someone like him want to be around me and spend time with me,' she said. Back in November, it was announced that Sophie is set to star as Joan - one of the most notorious figures in the London's criminal underworld. In a statement at the time, Sophie said she's 'so excited' to bring the 'fascinating' story of Joan - known as 'The Godmother - to life. 'I'm so excited to be bringing Joan Hannington's fascinating life story to screen in Joan,' Sophie said. 'She is one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London, earning her the nickname ''The Godmother''. 'A woman who goes between her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all whilst trying to get her daughter back from social services, we see a mother in despair swept up in the exhilarating world of crime,' she added. Millions of pounds passed through their hands and the new series has been described as a 'rags-to-riches rollercoaster'. Anna Symon is the screenwriter for the project and worked closely with Joan while working on the scripts. While a release date hasn't been set yet, it is inspired by Joan's memoir, I am What I am: The True Story of Britain's Most Notorious Jewel Thief. A Synopsis of the new show reads: 'We're first introduced to Joan in her twenties, a fiery, uncompromising, and intoxicating character, who is not without her own deep scars and vulnerability, as a doting and loving young mother to four-year-old Debbie. 'She's in a disastrous marriage to a violent thug, and when he goes on the run, Joan seizes the moment to leave her old life. 'Inspired by her desire to care for Debbie and create a secure home for her daughter, Joan makes some heart-breaking decisions as she sets her sights on a better life.' New role: Back in November, it was announced that Sophie is set to star as Joan - one of the most notorious figures in the London's criminal underworld Coming soon: In a statement at the time, Sophie said she's 'so excited' to bring the 'fascinating' story of Joan - known as 'The Godmother - to life The actress said of her latest role: 'She is one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London, earning her the nickname ''The Godmother''' Exciting: 'A woman who goes between her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all whilst trying to get her daughter back from social services, we see a mother in despair swept up in the exhilarating world of crime,' she added True story: While a release date hasn't been set yet, it is inspired by Joan's memoir, I am What I am: The True Story of Britain's Most Notorious Jewel Thief Movie: Anna Symon is the screenwriter for the project and worked closely with Joan while working on the scripts Daring: 'Joan married professional bad boy Boisie Hannington, and embarked on a journey to become one of Britain's most successful diamond thieves,' it reads In an Amazon blurb for her book, Joan is described as a 'true survivor'. 'Joan married professional bad boy Boisie Hannington, and embarked on a journey to become one of Britain's most successful diamond thieves,' it reads. 'Literally millions of pounds passed through their hands and Joan and Boisie became members of the criminal elite, but tragedy was soon to strike at the heart of their outrageous lifestyle. 'In turns funny, shocking and violent, this is a remarkable raw debut from a true survivor.' Halloween - which takes place on October 31 every year - falls on a Tuesday this year. Halloween or Hallowe'en is a celebration observed on the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints ' Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Celebrities were quick to post images from their recent celebrations, costumes and decorations. Most stars got an A in creativity as they ignored the SAG-AFTRA warning to not dress up as an film characters during the ongoing strike. There was Kourtney Kardashian as Winona Ryder's character from Beetlejuice , Hailey Bieber as Carmen Electra 's character from Scary Movie, Kim Kardashian and North were from Clueless, and Kendall and Kylie dressed up as characters from Batman Forever. Others include Mariah Carey as Jessica Rabbit, Candice Swanepoel as a pirate, Kendall Jenner as Marilyn Monroe and a Batman Forever character, Christina Aguilera as Cher, Paris Hilton as Katy Perry , Drew Barrymore as Bob Ross and Kelly Ripa as Day Of The Dead and Barbie. Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness have announced that they're ending their marriage after 27 years as husband and wife, DailyMail.com can confirm. 'We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,' the couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday. 'Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.' The former couple signed the statement as 'Deb and Hugh Jackman,' adding: 'This is the sole statement either of us will make.' The Australian couple share two children together; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18. Hugh Jackman SPLITS with wife Deborra-Lee Jackman: Couple end their marriage after three decades together as they issue statement saying they're moving forward 'with gratitude, love, and kindness' At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, 54, and they've previously stated that they have never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding. This April marked the pair's 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife. 'I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! I love you so much,' the actor gushed to his 79.1M social media followers. 'Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, and loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.' While he is undoubtedly more well known than his wife, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC TV's 10-episode series Correlli in 1995. In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot. 'I think honesty and intimacy and making time [are the secret to a long and happy marriage]. You can't just assume that things will just tick along okay. You have to make time,' Hugh told Smooth Radio in February. Deborra-Lee most recently played Jill Bailey alongside Eric Bana in Robert Connolly's sequel Force of Nature: The Dry 2, which was released in Australian and New Zealand theaters on August 24. Hugh has never been shy about speaking on his marriage, and praised Deborra-Lee when promoting his hit film The Greatest Showman in 2017. In an interview, he called Deborra-Lee his 'best friend' and main source of support in both his career, and personal life. This April marked the pair's 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife (including this recent photo of the pair) Gushing post: Hugh paid tribute to his wife in April with this message on social media Inseparable: At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, but they've never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding (pictured in 1997) 2012 family portrait: In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot Cougar vibes: In fact, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC's 10-episode series Correlli in 1995 Hugh said of his partner: 'I'm married to the greatest woman alive. Shes amazing. We're best friends, and we share everything. Shes smart.' Talking about how they never spend longer than two weeks apart, he explained that it was because they wish to 'share everything' together. He continued: 'We always said wed never spend more than 2 weeks apart. Sometimes life and work does get crazy. 'But we met on my first job when she was already a big star, I was a nobody. So we have shared everything, all the ups and downs, and always will.' In a 2021 interview with Anh Do for ABC TV's Anh's Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee revealed how it was her escape from Hollywood and her return to Australia that made it possible for her to fall in love with Hugh. She described her difficulties trying to book roles while spending time with her friends and fellow actresses Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, but a meeting with a psychic during a particularly low period convinced her to return home to look for work. 'She said, "You have to go back to Australia. Everything falls into place in Australia, and you're going to meet someone, and you have to go,"' Deborra-Lee recounted. After returning Down Under, she found more work than she had been able to get in Los Angeles, but her most pivotal role from that period was on the series Correlli. On her own: Deborra-Lee was spotted out on a solo trip on Tuesday in New York City, just three days before she and Hugh announced their separation Absent band: She was notable missing her wedding ring, though she appears to have gone without it multiple times in recent years, even when accompanied by her husband Moving fast: It was only weeks after they began dating that Hugh asked Deborra-Lee to marry him, and the couple wed in 1996 Colleagues: Deborra-Lee told People last year that she helped Hugh by running lines with him, and she joked she could have taken over as his costar in The Music Man; seen in February in Paris Once she booked the role, she got a positive heads up from producers about her costar, whom they hilariously misnamed as 'Jack Hughman.' She said she had 'never heard of him,' but she said there was 'instant attraction' as soon as they got on set together. However, she joked that her girlfriends teased her that he didn't seem like a good match for her because 'he looks like he bathes.' The two would develop a close personal and professional relationship, and Deborra-Lee revealed to People in February 2022 that she would help Hugh learn his lines while he was working on The Music Man musical. 'We do everything together,' she said, before clarifying that she left the 'tap dancing' to her entertainer husband. She even boasted that she could have taken over for his costar Sutton Foster 'in a pinch' because she knew her lines so well, though she wasn't keen about the idea. 'You'd have to push me onto the stage,' she joked. Back in November of 2020, Deborra-Lee spoke to People about the importance of her family with Hugh and their children. Signs of strife? In July this year, the pair were pictured watching Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men's final on Centre Court The odd couple: In a 2021 interview for Anh's Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee joked that her girlfriends though Hugh was an odd match for her because 'he looks like he bathes' 'Family, to me, means you feel safe,' she confessed. 'I always use the expression: "All of us need to know that were precious,"' she continued. 'So, with family, youve always got that youre important in someone elses life.' In a 2017 interview with People, Deborra-Lee spoke about what made their marriage last as long as it did while attending the National Night of Laughter and Song with Hugh. 'We meditate together,' she shared. 'And sometimes we have friends over to do it, too. It's a lovely Sunday-morning thing. Everyone comes over, and then we have breakfast.' From September 8th to 11th, 13 representative projects of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) with unique Huizhou charm gathered in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, for the 6th Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi-Anhui Intangible Cultural Heritage Joint Exhibition. The joint exhibition, co-hosted by the Departments of Culture and Tourism of the four provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui, focused on the theme of "Inheritance, Innovation, Integration and Sharing". Through various contents such as ICH traditional performance and exhibition of representative projects of traditional handicraft ICH, it showcased the new progress and achievements of the four provinces in ICH protection and inheritance in recent years both online and offline. The Department of Culture and Tourism of Anhui Province selected 13 representative ICH projects including Huizhou writing brushes, Luzhou inner painting, Zhou's noodle from Huaibei, Fuliji roast chicken, Bengbu jade processing, Fuyang embroidery, Wang's fan making, green tea making (Jinshan Shiyu), Huangmei opera, Quanjiao folk songs, Dangshan suona horn, etc., to participate in the display and performance. Over the past decade, the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi-Anhui ICH Joint Exhibition has been successfully held for five sessions, effectively promoting the prosperous development of cultural undertakings in the four provinces and becoming an important platform and a shining brand name for cultural exchange and cooperation in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Source: Anhui Daily Jeezy has filed for divorce from wife of two years Jeannie Mai Jenkins, according to People. The publication stated that the 45-year-old rapper whose face was recently plastered on a Drake shirt filed in Georgia's Fulton County Superior Court on Thursday. The couple share an 18-month-old daughter named Monaco, who was born in January 2022. Jeezy is reportedly seeking joint custody of the little girl the couple's only child. Jeannie, 44, and Jeezy have a prenuptial agreement and neither has yet spoken publicly about the alleged split. It's over: Jeezy has filed for divorce from wife of two years Jeannie Mai Jenkins, according to People Their baby: The couple share a 1-year-old daughter named Monaco, who was born in January 2022 Upon hearing the news, fans flocked to Jeannie's most recent Instagram post to leave concerned comments. One follower simply wrote, 'I hope what I read is a lie,' while someone else added, 'I really don't believe the divorce rumours.' Another person added, 'Listen, say it ain't so. I don't get in celebrity business but I'm hurt about this.' Others begged the television personality to, 'Please tell me the divorce rumors are false.' Just last month Jeannie attended a concert at Atlanta's Tabernacle venue to support her husband as he performed at Amazon's hip-hop tribute City Sessions: 50 & Forever Featuring Jeezy & Special Guests. And weeks ago she gave her husband a shoutout on social media for becoming a New York Times bestseller. 'Today I celebrate a remarkable milestone achieved by my husband, @jeezy, whose memoir Adversity For Sale has soared to the New York Times bestsellers list,' she captioned to her three million followers. 'I'm endlessly grateful for your voice in this world. Honored to walk beside you my love,' she added in the September 6 Instagram post. Disbelief: Upon hearing the news, fans flocked to Jeannie's most recent Instagram post to leave concerned comments Shock: Others begged the television personality to, 'Please tell me the divorce rumors are false' Newlyweds: The couple pictured in September 2021, six months after tying the knot Their history: The couple tied the knot on March 27, 2021, 5 years after Mai split from first husband Freddy Harteis The rap sensation replied in the comments, leaving two red heart emoji. Mai has not been mentioned on Jeezy's Instagram page since he wished her a Happy Mother's Day in May. He was, however, active on the site on the same day as his divorce filing, writing a cryptic caption to his 5.4 followers. Posing in front of a Maybach car, he wrote, 'Too focused on who Im becoming to focus on whos not coming with me.' Jennifer Garner took a break from her daily run in Santa Monica, California to take a phone call. The 51-year-old mom of three was dressed warmer than usual for the cool September morning. The Alias alum wore dark blue leggings and a matching sweatshirt as the strode purposely across a field. Jennifer - who visited her family in West Virginia last week - had her brown hair pulled back and clipped up and wore sunglasses to protect her eyes from the sun. The 13 Going on 30 actress looked all business as she went about her morning routine. Busy morning: Jennifer Garner took a break from her daily run in Santa Monica to take a phone call Jennifer shares Violet Anne, 17, Seraphina Rose, 13, and Samuel, 11, with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, 51. The Elektra star has an impressively toned and sculpted figure and looks even better at 51 than she did when she was playing Sydney Bristow on Alias in her 20s. She leads an active lifestyle and credited that as the reason for her sensational figure during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in April. 'What I do in the morning is I work out,' she told host Barrymore, who looked surprised, and replied: 'Every day?! Oh God.' Jennifer insisted that 'hard cardio' is the key to staying trim and fit. The star believes that daily body movement is also incredible for the mind and spirit. Earlier this week, The Last Thing He Told Me actress took a trip home to Charleston, West Virginia to visit her family. She also treated her father William to an early 85th birthday present - a ride in his childhood car, a 1948 Studebaker Champion. While she keeps busy with her kids, she also makes a little time for romance with her on/off relationship with John Miller, 41. The two have been linked since 2018. Garner and Miller keep their relationship low key and under the radar.He is an attorney and the CEO of CaliBurger, a burger restaurant chain with 50 locations. 'She loves how little he cares for the limelight or the whole Hollywood scenester stuff,' a source told Us Weekly last year. Out for a run: The 51-year-old mom of three was dressed warmer than usual for the cool September morning. The Alias alum wore dark blue leggings and a matching sweatshirt as the strode purposely across a field Key to staying in shape: Jennifer insists that 'hard cardio' is the key to staying trim and fit. The star believes that daily body movement is also incredible for the mind and spirit Family visit: Earlier this week, The Last Thing He Told Me actress took a trip home to Charleston, West Virginia to visit her family. She also treated her father William to an early 85th birthday present - a ride in his childhood car, a 1948 Studebaker Champion 'You'll never see them ham it up for the cameras or fixate about what events to attend together, it's just not their style. 'They're happier being a regular, under-the-radar couple and don't need anyone else's validation to know they're meant to be together,' the source explained. 'Jen brings out the best in John, and he is the happiest he has probably ever been. It's a loving, healthy relationship.' The 13 Going On 30 star was also previously married to Scott Foley, 51, from 2000 to 2004. . Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from the anti-child sex abuse organization he co-founded and is apologizing again for the ill-advised letter of support he wrote for his convicted rapist friend Danny Masterson. In a letter to the organization Thorn, Kutcher said the letters that he and wife Mila Kunis wrote were an 'error in judgement'. 'Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis in their video apologizing for supporting rapist Danny Masterson Ashton Kutcher's letter to the board of Thorn, a charity he founded to prevent child sex trafficking, that was published on Friday 'After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately. 'I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve,' he wrote. The stars were hit with a tidal wave of backlash after their letters calling Masterson an 'honest' man were made public. They did nothing to sway the judge. Masterson was jailed for 30 years. Kutcher was a vocal advocate for the organization, appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to attest to the horrors of child sex trafficking that he had been exposed to through his work with the charity. They met Masterson on That 70s Show. In an apology video posted on social media, the pair said they'd reflected on their support of Masterson and now realized it was ill-advised Kutcher testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on behalf of Thorn, the organization, in 2017 They met Masterson on That 70s Show. In an apology video posted on social media, the pair said they'd reflected on their support of Masterson and now realized it was ill-advised. Masterson, a Scientologist, long denied his victims' allegations. All three of his accusers were former members of the church. He was found guilty of raping two women. Throughout the trial, he enjoyed the support of his wife - actress Bijou Phillips. Masterson with wife Bijou Phillips in 2015. She stood by him throughout his trial Friends who spoke with People magazine this week say she has 'no plans' to divorce him. Kutcher's resignation was welcomed by the board at the charity. 'For the past decade I have worked with Ashton on child protection issues. He has been a strong champion for children and worked tirelessly to protect them from sexual abuse. Through the creation of the DNA Foundation that later became Thorn, he helped build the organization into a major global resource for law enforcement, tech companies and others in the fight against child sexual exploitation. He made a difference,' Thorn board member Ernie Allen said in an announcement on the organization's website. Another said: 'His unwavering dedication and commitment to Thorn throughout its journey have enabled the organization to become the leader that it is in the child safety ecosystem. 'It has been my privilege to join him on this mission.' In letters to the court before his sentencing, Masterson's victims described how he drugged then attacked them. 'I still dont recall what I wore out the door, [defense attorney] Mr Cohen. But I do know one thing you didnt ask me I never could find my underwear. 'I know this because when I got home, I didnt have any on. 'And I remember being upset and embarrassed about the idea that my underwear were somewhere at Dannys house,' one of the victims wrote. In his letter to the judge, Kutcher said Masterson had 'always treated people with decency'. Kunis wrote: 'I am writing this character letter on behalf of my dear friend, Danny Masterson, with whom I have had the privilege of sharing a significant part of my life. 'My name is Mila Kunis, and I am an actress, and I believe it is essential to share the remarkable influence Danny has had on my life and the lives of others. 'Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me. His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally. 'In conclusion, I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson's exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him. His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others makes him an outstanding role model and friend. 'Please feel free to reach out if you require any further information or clarification.' Tori Spelling's estranged husband Dean McDermott was seen without his wedding ring for the first time as he carried along a $1,250 Balenciaga fanny-pack amid money woes just weeks after it was revealed that he was upset that his ex is 'making everything public' amid their alleged spilt. The 56-year-old Canadian actor was seen all by his lonesome sans his marital band while out and about in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He and Spelling, 50, tied the knot in 2006 but the troubled marriage appeared to be headed for an end on June 16 after the actor claimed on Instagram that he and the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum has split after 18 years - before the post was quickly deleted. On top of the apparent marital strife, the couple have also endured their fair share of money woes as just recently Tori's ex-husband Charlie Shahnaian revealed the moment she broke down sobbing when she learned her TV mogul father Aaron Spelling was leaving his entire $600million fortune to her estranged mother Candy in the vain hope it would force them together. Hmm: Tori Spelling 's estranged husband Dean McDermott was seen without his wedding ring for the first time as he carried along a $1,250 Balenciaga fanny-pack amid money woes The outing comes just weeks after it was revealed that he was upset that his ex is 'making everything public' amid their alleged spilt; the couple are seen in June Missing bling: The 56-year-old Canadian actor was seen all by his lonesome sans his marital band while out and about in Los Angeles on Wednesday Despite the financial strain, Dean showed off a rather luxurious $1,250 fanny-pack from famed fashion house Balenciaga on the outing. Deal also sported a black graphic print T-Shirt with relaxed fit blue jeans and black leather lace-up boots. Along with his luxury bag, he accessorized with a black sweatband, gold watch, and black leather belt. Dean sported his signature tinted eyeglasses while gripping onto a stainless steel water bottle. His greying locks were cut short as he sported a grey goatee while going ringless on the outing. Just weeks ago insiders told DailyMail.com that the wary actor questions what his former wife will do next after she has made a string of headlines in recent weeks. The source revealed: 'Dean is at his wits end when it comes to Tori, even when he feels bad for her, he questions what she is doing next.' Indeed, concern for Spelling has reached new heights after the star revealed she has spent five days receiving hospital treatment for a mystery illness. Alarming: He and Spelling, 50, tied the knot in 2006 but the troubled marriage appeared to be headed for an end on June 16 after the actor claimed on Instagram that he and the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum has split after 18 years - before the post was quickly deleted Luxury life: Despite the financial strain, Dean showed off a rather luxurious $1,250 fanny-pack from famed fashion house Balenciaga on the outing Relaxed: Deal also sported a black graphic print T-Shirt with relaxed fit blue jeans and black leather lace-up boots Details: Along with his luxury bag, he accessorized with a black sweatband, gold watch, and black leather belt 'Dean is at his wits end when it comes to Tori': Just weeks ago insiders told DailyMail.com that the wary actor questions what his former wife will do next after she has made a string of headlines in recent weeks; the pair are seen in December 2005 It comes after the star and her five children - Liam, 16, Stella, 15, Hattie, 11, Finn, 10, and Beau, six - had to move out of their home after they discovered a massive mold infestation in May. The brood were soon pictured staying in a $100-a-night roadside motel, before they then appeared to be living in a trailer. Speaking about McDermott's feelings about the situation, the source explained that the actor is keeping his focus on the kids. 'Dean's main focus all along has been being a great father,' the insider explained. 'He loves his kids so much and wants the absolute best for them and will fight tooth and nail for them and wanted to do that with Tori, but living with Tori became a chore. The source continued: 'Now with Tori's living arrangements, health concerns, and drama-charged life, Dean is trying to navigate through it all and be there for her and the kids through the tough times and to steer clear when Tori is being Tori. 'It has been a bunch of hoops that there seems to be no end in sight.' The insider hinted that the pair have been clashing over how public Spelling has been about recent struggles, claiming that the estranged couple 'can't get on the same page' about how to handle things. Mortified: Tori has allegedly separated from Dean McDermott, 56, her husband of 18 years; pictured in 2019 Happier times: The pair share five children - Liam, 16, Stella, 15, Hattie, 11, Finn, 10, and Beau, six Announcement: Dean posted this message on Instagram telling fans that he split with Tori. The post was removed less than 24 hours later The source continued: 'Dean is really trying to figure it all out, but Tori is making that difficult, Dean wants to figure everything out behind closed doors and Tori is interested in making everything public and having people feel bad for her. 'They can't get on the same page, and it looks to Dean that she doesn't want the help which is very frustrating. There is going to be more of the same in the immediate future and Dean hates it because he doesn't want to be looked at as the bad guy.' Spelling confirmed that she had been hospitalized on Monday, sharing a photo of her hand hooked up to an IV on her Instagram Stories, which she captioned, 'Fourth day here and I'm missing my kiddos so much.' 'Grateful and so proud of my strong, brave, resilient and kind-to-the-core children, who remain positive no matter what comes my way,' she added. The hospital band revealed that she had been first admitted on August 17, which was the same day that she was seen filming a mystery project in Los Angeles. While it's unclear what caused her to be under medical care for half a week, Spelling previously spoke about an ongoing mold infestation inside her home that had made her kids 'so sick' for 'weeks.' Mold: The actress vacated her house in May due to problems with mold, but did not say why she was being kept in the hospital; seen in June 2022 in Hollywood RV life: Tori has spent a good part of the summer living with her kids in an RV. She shared some photos from inside the motor home last week writing, 'as long as we have each other' Hospitalized: Tori revealed she had been hospitalized for four days, but did not reveal what she was being treated for in a social media post Sunday While many symptoms of mold exposure are mild, it can cause severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks that could lead to hospitalization. Exposure can result in an infection reaction right away, or it could take some time to develop. Spelling has certainly fallen on hard times recently, with the hospitalization serving as just another devastating blow that she has faced. After being forced to leave her abode due to the mold, it was also revealed that she may have split from her husband in June. At the time, the Canadian actor revealed in a since-deleted Instagram post that he was parting ways with Tori after 18 years of marriage. He said that they 'would continue to work together as loving parents' to 'guide and love their children through this difficult time' and asked for 'privacy' as they 'take time' to 'work their way through it. It has been revealed that Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness had just purchased a $21million New York City Home last year as Dailymail.com confirmed the longtime couple announced that they're ending their marriage after 27 years as husband and wife. The 54-year-old X-Men actor and 67-year-old Correlli actress had splashed the cash for a penthouse in New York City's Chelsea district on August 2022. The 440sqm apartment is located in an ultra chic building which boasts 57 units and listed with Noble Black Real Estate. The property features a light and airy open layout with four bedrooms centred around the communal living areas. It has floor-to-ceiling windows which stand over four meters and boasts 343sqm of outdoor space with a massive rooftop terrace. Moving on: It has been revealed that Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness had just purchased a $21million New York City Home last year Sad: This comes as Dailymail.com confirmed the longtime couple announced that they're ending their marriage after 27 years as husband and wife; the pair of thespians are pictured in Normandy back in February The purchase had come just weeks after the thespian couple listed their incredible three-story condo in New York City for sale. The pair had lived in the swanky downtown Manhattan apartment since 2008 and they listed it in June 2022 for the whopping price of $38.9million. The shocking news of the longtime couple's split came on Friday. 'We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,' the couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday. 'Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.' The former couple signed the statement as 'Deb and Hugh Jackman,' adding: 'This is the sole statement either of us will make.' Wow factor: The 54-year-old X-Men actor and 67-year-old Correlli actress had splashed the cash for a penthouse in New York City's Chelsea district on August 2022 Chic: The 440sqm apartment is located in an ultra chic building which boasts 57 units and listed with Noble Black Real Estate Pretty: The property features a light and airy open layout with four bedrooms centered around the communal living areas Split: Couple end their marriage after three decades together as they issue statement saying they're moving forward 'with gratitude, love, and kindness'; as they are seen in April The Australian couple share two children together; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18. At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, 54, and they've previously stated that they have never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding. This April marked the pair's 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife. 'I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! I love you so much,' the actor gushed to his 79.1M social media followers. 'Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, and loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.' While he is undoubtedly more well known than his wife, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC TV's 10-episode series Correlli in 1995. In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot. 'I think honesty and intimacy and making time [are the secret to a long and happy marriage]. You can't just assume that things will just tick along okay. You have to make time,' Hugh told Smooth Radio in February. Deborra-Lee most recently played Jill Bailey alongside Eric Bana in Robert Connolly's sequel Force of Nature: The Dry 2, which was released in Australian and New Zealand theaters on August 24. Hugh has never been shy about speaking on his marriage, and praised Deborra-Lee when promoting his hit film The Greatest Showman in 2017. In an interview, he called Deborra-Lee his 'best friend' and main source of support in both his career, and personal life. This April marked the pair's 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife (including this recent photo of the pair) Gushing post: Hugh paid tribute to his wife in April with this message on social media Inseparable: At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, but they've never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding (pictured in 1997) 2012 family portrait: In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot Cougar vibes: In fact, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC's 10-episode series Correlli in 1995 Hugh said of his partner: 'I'm married to the greatest woman alive. Shes amazing. We're best friends, and we share everything. Shes smart.' Talking about how they never spend longer than two weeks apart, he explained that it was because they wish to 'share everything' together. He continued: 'We always said wed never spend more than 2 weeks apart. Sometimes life and work does get crazy. 'But we met on my first job when she was already a big star, I was a nobody. So we have shared everything, all the ups and downs, and always will.' In a 2021 interview with Anh Do for ABC TV's Anh's Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee revealed how it was her escape from Hollywood and her return to Australia that made it possible for her to fall in love with Hugh. She described her difficulties trying to book roles while spending time with her friends and fellow actresses Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, but a meeting with a psychic during a particularly low period convinced her to return home to look for work. 'She said, "You have to go back to Australia. Everything falls into place in Australia, and you're going to meet someone, and you have to go,"' Deborra-Lee recounted. After returning Down Under, she found more work than she had been able to get in Los Angeles, but her most pivotal role from that period was on the series Correlli. On her own: Deborra-Lee was spotted out on a solo trip on Tuesday in New York City, just three days before she and Hugh announced their separation Absent band: She was notable missing her wedding ring, though she appears to have gone without it multiple times in recent years, even when accompanied by her husband Moving fast: It was only weeks after they began dating that Hugh asked Deborra-Lee to marry him, and the couple wed in 1996 Colleagues: Deborra-Lee told People last year that she helped Hugh by running lines with him, and she joked she could have taken over as his costar in The Music Man; seen in February in Paris Once she booked the role, she got a positive heads up from producers about her costar, whom they hilariously misnamed as 'Jack Hughman.' She said she had 'never heard of him,' but she said there was 'instant attraction' as soon as they got on set together. However, she joked that her girlfriends teased her that he didn't seem like a good match for her because 'he looks like he bathes.' The two would develop a close personal and professional relationship, and Deborra-Lee revealed to People in February 2022 that she would help Hugh learn his lines while he was working on The Music Man musical. 'We do everything together,' she said, before clarifying that she left the 'tap dancing' to her entertainer husband. She even boasted that she could have taken over for his costar Sutton Foster 'in a pinch' because she knew her lines so well, though she wasn't keen about the idea. 'You'd have to push me onto the stage,' she joked. Back in November of 2020, Deborra-Lee spoke to People about the importance of her family with Hugh and their children. Signs of strife? In July this year, the pair were pictured watching Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men's final on Centre Court The odd couple: In a 2021 interview for Anh's Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee joked that her girlfriends though Hugh was an odd match for her because 'he looks like he bathes' 'Family, to me, means you feel safe,' she confessed. 'I always use the expression: "All of us need to know that were precious,"' she continued. 'So, with family, youve always got that youre important in someone elses life.' In a 2017 interview with People, Deborra-Lee spoke about what made their marriage last as long as it did while attending the National Night of Laughter and Song with Hugh. 'We meditate together,' she shared. 'And sometimes we have friends over to do it, too. It's a lovely Sunday-morning thing. Everyone comes over, and then we have breakfast.' Anne Hathaway was seen at a Shiseido event on Friday in New York City. The movie icon has been announced as the face of the brand's Vital Perfection line. The Oscar-winning star shimmered in a sleeveless gold gown that had a mermaid finish as she added strappy gold heels. With her chocolate brown hair parted on the side and worn down in soft waves, the New Yorker looked ready for her closeup. Earlier this week, the 40-year-old star was seen in the new print ads for the company where she wore a cream-colored silk camisole. Her golden day: Anne Hathaway was seen at a Shiseido event on Friday in New York City. The movie icon has been announced as the face of the brand's Vital Perfection line Stunner: The Oscar-winning star shimmered in a sleeveless gold gown She sparkles: The gown had a mermaid finish as she added strappy gold heels In the ad it says 'potential has no age.' 'I'm so excited to be a @shiseido brand ambassador and am honored to have been chosen to represent the line #VitalPerfection!' she wrote in the caption. 'Shiseido and I are aligned in our belief that your skin is one of the most important investments you can make in your life and that we should never stop exploring our own potentialat any age. 'Thank you to Shiseido for inviting me to join your wonderful family!! #ShiseidoSkincare #PotentialHasNoAge.' This comes after the Devil Wears Prada actress said she feels 'honored' to be representing Shiseido. The acclaimed star was recently named as the face of Shiseido's Vital Perfection line, and Anne is thrilled to be working with the Japanese beauty brand. The Hollywood star said she has a huge amount of admiration and respect for the brand. Tall and slim: With her chocolate brown hair parted on the side and worn down in soft waves, the New Yorker looked ready for her closeup On the hot seat: Seen in conversation with Candice Kumai Snack time: A beverage was poured for Anne as cookies were offered 'I'm so honored that they felt I was a fit. They're a brand that's been synonymous with the highest quality for so many generations; they have such integrity,' Anne, 40, told Vogue. 'I'm just really, really thrilled that they felt that I am somebody who could effectively reflect that.' What she is plugging is a cream that promises to 'lift and firm skin to reveal a dramatically revitalized and sculpted complexion with renewed fullness and bounce.' It claims to 'visibly lift skin in just 1 week and reveal a dramatically firmer, revitalized complexion with this rich sculpting anti aging cream for dry skin.' One of the ingredients is VP8 Technology which 'slows the aging process with 5 targeted ingredients, including olive root, tea, and angelica root extracts to address wrinkles and dullness,' according to the website. One jar costs $140. Anne has also praised the company's 'global' evolution. Asked what she admires most about the brand, Anne explained: 'The care, thoughtfulness, rigour, and passion. 'That passion is something that the volume can be all the way turned up, but it's also something that can be very quiet at the same time. 'And that doesn't diminish its intensity. 'I feel that my relationship with Shiseido has allowed me to see with much more clarity, depth, and appreciation. Like 30! Earlier this week, the 40-year-old star was seen in the new print ads for the company where she wore a cream-colored silk camisole 'The company has such a legacy within Japan, and it was exciting to see how [they've been] able to go global without losing any of their character, integrity, and identity.' Anne is also delighted to be the face of Shiseido's Vital Perfection line because it 'includes everybody'. The actress said: 'Because it's a product that goes on your skin, it's for everyone. It's a way of enhancing something you already possess. [It's] a way of introducing a concept of perfection that includes everybody.' The company shared: 'We are excited to announce @annehathaway as the new brand ambassador for our VITAL PERFECTION collection. We all have untapped potential withinwe just have to look for it. This is the inspiration behind VITAL PERFECTION, our skincare line that uses advanced technology to bring out your full potential. Experience the power of your own possibility. A hashtag reads, 'Potential Has No Age.' TOWIE's Ella Rae Wise and Dani Imbert are reportedly 'set to have a huge row on the show' - and it's all been caught on camera for upcoming episodes. Ella, 23, and Dani, 25, who used to be best friends, haven't seen each other in a while - and it appears that things are set to get even worse as they clash in upcoming scenes, according to The Sun. The duo had reconnected during the last episode of the ITVBe show, but peace is not on the cards for long as they are set for another rough encounter. A source revealed: 'Ella feels like Dani and Junaid ignored her and froze her out since the cast trip - she doesn't think they were very good friends when she was ill either. 'It's all turned sour between them now - they even went out partying with Ella's rival Chloe B so that didn't help.' Feud: TOWIE's Ella Rae Wise (pictured) and Dani Imbert are reportedly set to have a huge row on the show in upcoming scenes Conflict: Ella, 23, and Dani (pictured), 25, who used to be best friends, haven't seen each other in a while - and it appears as things are about to worsen between the pair The telly source also added: 'Roman's been supporting Ella behind the scenes and Dani won't like that either.' It appears as the whole situation is 'very tense' and the row was all caught on camera. MailOnline has contacted a representative for TOWIE for comment. The Only Way Is Essex returned on ITVBe screens on September 3 after 10 weeks of filming in Cyprus, Somerset and the titular county. And in the first instalment of the latest ITVBe series, fans were treated to all the juicy gossip that unfolded in the away trip to Paphos, Cyprus. One of the clips from the first episode showed Harry Derbidge and Junaid Ahmed raging at each other, for the former screaming: 'Don't f**cking talk to me like s**t!' The outspoken duo were seen at a bar discussing nevertheless than the feud between Ella and Dani. Harry's mediation tactics quickly backfired, leading to feisty expletive-filled accusations of bias from Junaid. First look: In the first episode of the new season, Harry Derbidge and Junaid Ahmed rage at each other, for the former screaming: 'Don't f**cking talk to me like s**t!' Yikes! The outspoken duo discuss the feud between Ella and Dani. Harry's mediation tactics backfire, leading to feisty expletive-filled accusations of bias from Junaid Oh dear! But it is not that easy, as a visibly emotional Ella throws claims of Junaid's influence swaying Dani's opinions Drama: Ella and Dani's friendship breakup has caused shockwaves throughout the TOWIE cast, and a bid to salvage their relationship, Dani goes to see Ella to try and make amends Ella and Dani's friendship breakup has caused shockwaves throughout the TOWIE cast, and a bid to salvage their relationship, Dani goes to see Ella to try and make amends. But it is not that easy, as a visibly emotional Ella throws claims of Junaid's influence swaying Dani's opinions. Ella's ongoing feud with Dani and Junaid is the talk of the drinks table and after seeing how distraught Ella was, Harry tries to help Junaid see the argument from a different perspective. While trying to talk through what's taken place, Harry suggests: 'I think you need to look at the bigger picture. 'She [Ella] has been going through a lot, so as a friend you should have been picking up the phone to her sometimes, because then you wouldn't have got to this point.' 'Stop backing her up. Stop backing her up!' demanded Junaid, to which Harry insisted: 'No, I'm not backing her up. I'm giving you the chance to listen. I'm giving you a chance.' Junaid contended: 'Yeh but everything I'm saying you're trying to back up: what about this, what about this, what about this?' Harry interjected: 'Do you know, none of your stuff makes sense!' to which Junaid fumed: 'Are you f**king deluded?' A furious Harry responded: 'No I'm not f**cking deluded. Don't f**cking talk to me like s**t. I'm giving you the chance. I'm giving you the chance to f**king talk. There are no facts to what you're saying.' TOWIE continues on Sunday at 9pm on ITVBe and ITVX. A third of the colleges can withhold a student's transcript to collect debt It found that despite being interest-free, most charge a host of hidden fees The CFPB investigated the tuition fee payment plans of nearly 450 schools Tuition fee installment plans offered by many colleges are putting students at risk of being lumped with fees and accumulating debt, a federal watchdog has warned. These plans, used by an estimated 3.9 million students each term, allow them to spread their payments - and are often presented as an alternative to federal student loans. Although they are ostensibly interest-free, students often encounter tacked-on enrollment fees, late fees and transaction fees, according to a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency, which investigated the plans of nearly 450 schools, found that confusing terms meant borrowers were often forced into signing away their legal rights - with some colleges even withholding transcripts as a debt collection tool. 'Colleges and universities should take a hard look at their repayment plans and avoid subjecting borrowers to high fees or coercive debt collection practices,' said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a statement. CFPB Director Rohit Chopra (pictured in June) said some colleges deploy 'coercive debt collection practices' and can withhold students' academic transcripts Although tuition fee payment plans are interest-free, they usually come with enrollment fees, late fees and transaction fees. The average fees charged by the schools investigated are shown Some 89 percent of schools charged enrollment fees - with an average of $37. The highest observed enrollment fee on a tuition payment plan offered by a college was $200 at Arizona State University. Nearly two-thirds of the colleges charged returned-payment fees when there were insufficient funds in the payee's bank account. They averaged $29. Late fees averaged $46, but the CFPB observed 19 plans that had late fees of $100 or more. The agency said that while these payment plans are not marketed as loans, the school becomes a lender, and some convert interest-free plans into interest-yielding loans if payments are missed. It claimed that payment plans are used to generate income for schools and to boost enrollment. A number of students also complained to the agency that the way in which they are paid their federal student loan money left them unable to pay college fees on time, forcing them into payment plans they did not want to be enrolled in. Some colleges had systems in place that auto-enrolled students if they were late on making payments, according to the report. The highest observed enrollment fee on a tuition payment plan offered by a college was $200 at Arizona State University A complaint submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A number of students complained that the way in which they are paid their federal student loan money forced them into enrolling into college-offered payment plans 'Because tuition payment plans are often offered to students by their schools after they have already enrolled, the circumstances might result in a captive market,' read the report. Central to the agency's warning was the claim that many colleges do not transparently disclose the details of the plans. Unlike private education loans, they are not subject to disclosure requirements by federal law. The agency cites a description of payment plan product provided by the Georgia Southwestern State University, which claims: 'This is not a loan program. You have no debt, there are no interest or finance charges and there is no credit check.' At least one in three colleges reserved the right to withhold transcripts as a debt collection practice. DailyMail.com wrote to Arizona State University for a comment regarding its $200 enrollment fee, but did not immediately hear back. The United Auto Workers union launched a strike on Friday, shutting down factories affecting Detroit's three largest automakers and rocking the American car market. The stoppage has seen almost 13,000 workers, around 10 percent of the union's membership, walk off - causing GM, Ford and Stellantis production lines to grind to a halt. Although the automakers had been running their factories around the clock ahead of the strike to build up inventory for dealerships, analysts predict supply will soon start to wane. Sam Fiorani, an analyst with consulting firm AutoForecast Solutions, told the Associated Press three weeks of strike action would start driving up prices and shifting sales away from the big three firms. 'A work stoppage of three weeks or more,' Fiorani said, 'would quickly drain the excess supply, raising vehicle prices and pushing more sales to non-union brands.' United Auto Workers members attend a solidarity rally as the UAW strikes the Big Three auto makers on Friday in Wayne, Michigan The Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, hires 3,300 workers and manufactures Ford Broncos and Rangers. Pictured is a 2024 Bronco If union leaders are unable to negotiate new contracts for its members, the strikes will continue. Union President Shawn Fain said workers could strike at more plants if the companies do not come up with better offers. MODELS IMPACTED GM - Wentzville, Ohio Chevrolet Colorado Chevrolet Express GMC Canyon GMC Savana Ford - Wayne, Michigan Ford Ranger Ford Bronco Stellantis - Toledo, Ohio Jeep Gladiator Jeep Wrangler Advertisement The auto industry accounts for about 3 percent of the country's GDP and the Detroit automakers represent about half of the total US car market. Strikers have targeted a Ford assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, a GM assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Stellantis assembly complex in Toledo, Ohio. The Ford plant employs about 3,300 workers and manufactures Ford Broncos and Rangers. The Toledo Jeep complex has about 5,800 workers and is involved in the manufacture of Gladiators and Wranglers. GM's Wentzville plant has about 3,600 workers and produces Chevrolet Colorados and Expresses, as well as GMC Canyons and Savanas. 'This is going to have an impact, especially when you look at the demand of these vehicles,' GM CEO Mary Barra told CBS News. 'We have some in the field and we're going to continue to work to meet customer needs, but this has an impact.' 'At Wentzville, the line's not moving and we build two, well actually three, very important products there,' she noted. 'We just launched the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon - these are midsize trucks that are in very, very strong demand.' The workers are seeking wage increases of 36 percent over four years. The companies have countered by offering increases ranging from 17.5 percent to 20 percent. On Friday, Tesla was one of the only major car manufacturers not to see a stock price drop. United Auto Workers members walk a picket line during a strike at the Ford Motor Company Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, on Friday The Toledo Jeep complex has about 5,800 workers and is involved in the manufacture of Gladiators and Wranglers. Pictured is a 2024 Jeep Wrangler The GM plant in Wentzville, Ohio, manufactures Chevrolet Colorados and Expresses, as well as GMC Canyons and Savanas. Pictured is 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, said that Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, was likely celebrating the news: 'If the strike lasts longer than three to four weeks, it will be moderately detrimental to GM and Ford's EV strategy in 2024.' 'While the Detroit stalwarts battle with the UAW, there's a bottle of champagne that's being iced at Tesla headquarters,' he said. Stellantis said in a statement Friday: 'We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leadership's refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers. 'We immediately put the Company in contingency mode and will take all the appropriate structural decisions to protect our North American operations and the Company.' An extended auto workers strike could have a massive impact on the economy. Anderson Economic Group estimates that a 10-day strike could result in a total economic loss of almost $6 billion. Florida is considered by many to be the quintessential retirement state but experts suggest it may not be the best place to pitch up for your later years. While its weather and access to the coast is desirable, it is especially vulnerable to natural disasters like hurricanes, meaning its home insurance premiums are more expensive than anywhere else in the country. Homeowners paid an average annual premium of $7,788 in 2022, according to insurance agency Insurify - almost five times the national average of $1,636. And even though the Sunshine State state imposes no income tax, citizens may see themselves being taxed in other ways even less friendly to retirees - including on purchases and on their homes. With good weather for much of the year and access to the coast, Florida has become known as the quintessential retirement state Florida homeowners paid an average annual premium of $7,788 in 2022, making it the country's most expensive state for home insurance. Pictured: The aftermath of Hurricane Michael in 2018 'Florida is prone to natural disasters, particularly hurricanes,' John Grace, president and founder of Investor's Advantage Corp, told GoBankingRates. 'While homeowner's insurance is essential, premiums in Florida can be substantially higher due to the increased risk of hurricane damage. Retirees should carefully consider these insurance costs in their financial planning,' he added. 'Moreover, climate change could exacerbate these risks in the future, potentially leading to even higher insurance costs and property damage concerns.' In July, former President Donald Trump called out Florida governor Ron DeSantis, his rival for the upcoming Republican presidential nomination, for failing to take action to mitigate the cost of expensive home insurance in his state. 'We want him to get home and take care of insurance, because you have the highest insurance in the nation,' Trump said at the time. Days prior, national insurer Farmers Insurance said it will no longer offer insurance plans in Florida. Not only are houses in Florida more expensive to insure, their value is notoriously volatile. That could cause problems for retirees that have more wealth tied up in property. 'Florida's real estate market can be volatile, with property values fluctuating dramatically,' finance expert Mark Smith told GoBankingRates. 'This volatility can affect your long-term financial stability, especially if you rely on real estate investments as part of your retirement strategy,' he added. While Florida has no state income tax, it relies heavily on sales tax and property taxes to generate revenue. Pictured is a Florida rental vacation home Damaged property after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, in August Part of Florida's allure to many lies in its laid back approach to taxation. But although it has no state income tax, Grace suggested it may not actually be cheaper overall. 'Some counties in Florida have high property tax rates, especially in desirable retirement communities,' he said. With an effective property tax rate of 0.91 percent, it has the 26th largest property tax as a percentage of housing value of all the states, according to Tax Foundation. 'Retirees should research property tax rates and sales tax implications in their desired Florida retirement location to ensure it aligns with their budget,' he added. Florida has an average combined state and local sales tax rate of around 7 percent, which complements its big tourism industry. Retirement experts suggest therefore that for some other states may be more desirable retirement destinations. Grace suggested retirees should consider states like Colorado, Texas or Nevada. 'Colorado offers a wide range of outdoor activities,' he said. 'It also boasts a relatively low property tax rate, and many cities provide a mix of cultural amenities and recreational opportunities.' Like Florida, Texas has no state income tax. 'Cities like Austin, Houston, and Dallas offer diverse cultural scenes, and the cost of living can be relatively lower compared to other major metropolitan areas,' he said. It comes as a study by Bankrate this year found that Florida was no longer the best state in which to spend your twilight years, with Iowa taking over the top spot. It marked a significant change from the 2022 ranking. This year, Florida plummeted from first place to eighth in the best retirement hotspots. Bankrate ranked all 50 states on affordability, overall well-being, quality and cost of healthcare, weather and crime Iowa was ranked as the best state to retire due to its reasonable cost of living, affordable but high quality healthcare, and low crime levels The annual retirement study considered affordability, overall well-being, quality and cost of healthcare, weather and crime. While the weather in Iowa is colder than in Florida, the Hawkeye State is the sixth cheapest place to live in the US, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, making it an attractive home for retirees looking to stretch their fixed income in the current economy. Lower housing costs also helped prop the state up when it came to affordability, Bankrate said, and the price of homeowners insurance is below the national average. According to data from real estate company Redfin, the average home price in Iowa is $239,000 - well below the nationwide typical home price of $388,800. While the state lands near the middle of the pack when it comes to taxes, it topped the ranking for high-quality healthcare services and low healthcare costs. Plus, nearly 20 percent of the population in Iowa is aged 65 and older, according to Census data, making it easier for retirees to meet others of a similar age. EDIT: We added a clarification on September 14, 2023 at the request of the Ministry of Culture and changed the title of this article. The denial is firm. No deprogramming of artists, of any nationality whatsoever, is requested, neither by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Culture affirmed this Thursday at Le Point. However, in a letter sent by the regional directorates of cultural affairs (Drac) to drama and choreographic centers and national stages, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this Thursday morning it was prohibiting subsidized stages from collaborating with artists from these three countries, governed by military regimes in crisis with France. Cultural establishments thus learned, according to Le Monde and France Inter, that they had to suspend, until further notice, all cooperation with the following countries: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. On instructions from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, it was decided to suspend, until further notice, all cooperation with the following countries: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso. Consequently, all cooperation projects that are carried out by your establishments or your services with institutions or nationals of these three countries must be suspended, without delay, and without any exception []. Likewise, no invitation from any national of these countries should be issued. As of today, France no longer issues visas to nationals of these three countries without any exception, until further notice. Wind rising against this unprecedented ban, the first union of public sector cultural companies Syndeac has already requested a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. No deprogramming of artists, of any nationality whatsoever, is requested, neither by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor by the Ministry of Culture. For security reasons, since August 7, France has suspended the issuance of visas from Niamey, Ouagadougou and Bamako, as well as the implementation in these countries of our cultural cooperation actions, said the Ministry of Culture at Point. This decision does not affect people who hold visas issued before this date or who reside in France or other countries. The world of culture, through the voice of several professional unions, protested Thursday after an administration directive requesting the suspension of all collaboration with artists from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. For security reasons, since August 7, France has suspended the issuance of visas from Niamey, Ouagadougou and Bamako, as well as the implementation of our cultural cooperation actions in these countries, explained the ministry. Questioned by AFP, the Ministry of Culture clarified that it had not requested "any deprogramming of artists, of any nationality whatsoever". This decision does not affect people who hold visas issued before this date or who reside in France or in other countries, he added. In a press release published Thursday, the Syndeac (National Union of Artistic and Cultural Enterprises) and its counterparts the Aac, the Accn, the A-CDCN, the ACDN and the ASN reacted strongly to the message they provide having received on Wednesday "from the DRAC", the regional cultural directorates, and "written on the instructions of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs". This message with a threatening tone asks our members to suspend, until further notice, all cooperation with the following countries: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, the unions said in a press release. All cooperation projects which are carried out by your establishments or your services with institutions or nationals of these three countries must be suspended, without delay, and without any exception, specifies the message, sent by email and that AFP was able to consult. All financial support must also be suspended, including via French structures, such as associations for example. In the same way, no invitation from any national of these countries must be launched, continues the message. It was relayed by all the DRACs, a manager from that of Occitanie told AFP, interviewed by telephone. On July 29 and August 6, France interrupted all its development aid and budget support actions with Niger and Burkina Faso. In November 2022, she had already done so for Mali. The cultural sphere is impacted like others by the closure of consular and security services, a source close to the matter told AFP. 14/09/2023 23:54:20 - Paris (AFP) - 2023 AFP Changing our nations name is an assertion of cultural continuity, affirmation of national pride and repudiation of colonial vestiges The decision to potentially rename India as Bharat has ignited a spirited discourse about identity, history and culture. This proposed alteration transcends a mere linguistic shift; it holds profound implications for the nation's collective consciousness. During his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the imperative to liberate the nation from a subservient mindset, highlighting the need to discard colonial vestiges. What may elude many is that 'Bharat' is the ancient nomenclature for India, rooted in Sanskrit antiquity, symbolising a cultural continuum and national identity antedating the colonial era. The transition from 'Bharat' to 'India' marks a profound journey of cultural, political and linguistic evolution. Historical Origins Both India and Bharat possess deep historical roots in the nations annals. The term India finds its genesis in the Indus Valley Civilisation, a sophisticated society dating back to 3300 BCE. Conversely, "Bharat" finds its roots in the legendary king, Bharata, a forefather of the esteemed Kuru Dynasty, from whom the name is believed to have emanated. His reign epitomised prosperity, unity and a fervent adherence to dharma. The characterisation of India as the "land of the Hindus" had not solely a religious connotation; it was also linked to the Indus. The term 'India' shares a similar origin story. As per research from the Pune-based Bhandarkar Oriental Institute, the earliest documented mention of the term 'Bharat' can be traced to the Rig Veda and the pivotal Dasarajna war, in which Sudas of the Bharata clan emerged victorious. The legitimacy of 'Bharat' as a descriptor is widely acknowledged, and its adoption might very well become customary in official protocols and foreign affairs communications. Colonial Influence In the epoch of Mughal dominion, 'Hindustan' was commonly employed to denote the subcontinent. Nevertheless, with the advent of British colonisation, 'India' gained ascendancy due to its derivation from the river Indus, a pivotal geographical feature of the region. The linguistic and administrative sway of the British gradually propelled the widespread adoption of 'India' in official documentation, albeit never entirely erasing 'Bharat' from the collective memory of the Indian populace. Significance of Name Change The contemplation of renaming India to Bharat transcends a mere semantic alteration. For many, it embodies a profound immersion into India's opulent cultural and historical essence. Advocates contend that this change could galvanise national unity, fostering a renewed sense of pride in India's rich heritage. It emphasises the diversity that is India, unifying under a shared, indigenous term. Bharat harmonises intimately with Hindi, projecting a more authentic representation of the nations diverse culture. Advocates posit that this renaming could potentially galvanise national unity and rekindle pride in Indian heritage. Official Recognition In 2016, an appeal was presented in the Supreme Court of India to amend Article 1 of the Constitution, officially acknowledging 'Bharat' alongside 'India'. The plea contended that employing 'Bharat' would evoke a sense of pride in the nation's culturally rich heritage. Although the plea was not granted, it ignited a nationwide discourse on the relevance of 'Bharat' in contemporary times. Advocates argue that using a term from vernacular languages preserves linguistic diversity and bolsters the nations cultural tapestry. The name 'Bharat' encapsulates a profound affinity for the land, culture and traditions of the Indian subcontinent. It serves as a poignant reminder of the age-old wisdom and philosophies that have sculpted the nation over millennia. By embracing 'Bharat' as a concurrent identity, India pays homage to its roots and exalts the diversity that defines its character. The Constituent Assembly, convened in 1946, engaged in extensive discussions regarding the country's nomenclature. The majority advocated for the original name, Bharat. Dr Ambedkar agreed that there was a long historical tradition that alluded to the entire land by the name 'Bharat'. But he also said that there was no reason to go so much into history to justify the name since the name Bharat was quite commonly used by people. Dr Ambedkar suggested that a way out could be to have the phrase 'India, that is Bharat...' in the Constitution. The National Anthem has a verse Bharat BhagyaVidhata, where again we find the mention of Bharat. The ancient Sangam Tamil literature has also mentioned the term Bharat in its verses. The Sangam literature historically is known as 'the poetry of the noble ones that connotes the ancient Tamil literature and is the earliest known literature of South India. The Modi government's recent decision to extend invitations to G20 summit delegates in the name of President of Bharat and Prime Minister of Bharat underscores a deliberate choice. While not negating 'India', the emphasis on 'Bharat' aligns with the BJP's de-colonisation endeavour, seeking to reassert Indias Hindu heritage and sever ties with a colonial past. Should "Bharat" assume a more prominent role in official parlance, it would signify a significant shift in India's self-perception and international representation. This change would resonate not only with a deep-rooted historical narrative but also evoke a sense of pride in the nation's rich heritage. Ultimately, it encapsulates India's ongoing journey of self-definition in a global context. (The writer is a political activist and an advocate; the views are personal) The Summit's success showcased India's capability to unite the world and assume leadership roles in developmental and geopolitical matters In a recent turn of events at the G20 summit, it was notably Xi Jinping's absence that caught the world's attention. Some speculate that his decision to skip the summit was a strategic move to keep India from stealing the limelight. However, the G20 Summit held in New Delhi showcased how India, alongside the United States and Europe, found effective ways to challenge China's global influence. India's accomplishment at the summit was hailed by other G20 nations. They managed to reach a consensus on a joint communique, a significant achievement given the uncertainty just days before this annual diplomatic gathering. Beyond addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the G20 also welcomed the African Union as a full member and tackled pressing issues like climate change and debt sustainability, particularly concerning emerging markets. While Ukraine expressed some dissatisfaction with the communique's language regarding the conflict, the United States and its allies considered it a worthwhile compromise. They saw it as a means to strengthen India's standing as a rising power capable of countering China's global influence. President Joe Biden took the lead in this effort, recognizing India as a key partner in isolating China and Russia while reinforcing the U.S.-led world order. This outcome reflects Washington's increasing awareness of the concerns of the "Global South," with India playing a central role as its guide. Some analysts interpreted the softened stance on Russia-Ukraine as a Western concession, but it can also be seen as a concerted effort to ensure India's success. Failing to reach an agreement would have been a significant setback for India, especially for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had staked much on this summit ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. One of the summit's defining moments was President Biden's meeting, where he discussed initiatives to provide additional funding to developing countries. In a notable photo op, Biden stood alongside World Bank President Ajay Banga (the first Indian American in this role), Prime Minister Modi, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosakey members of the BRICS group, excluding China and Russia. This bloc's expansion poses a challenge to the advanced economies of the Group of Seven (G7). The United States also announced a separate agreement with India, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other Middle Eastern nations to establish an extensive rail and maritime network in the region. President Biden praised this as a "transformative regional investment." This move could potentially reshape the dynamics of the Middle East, emphasizing economic cooperation over human rights concerns. Xi Jinping's decision to skip the G20 summit, his first absence since taking office in 2013, marked a significant departure from his previous approach. Last November, he portrayed himself as a statesman seeking positive international relations. China's negotiators, by contrast, risked appearing overly critical, even raising minor issues like Modi's use of a Sanskrit phrase and the U.S.'s bid to host the G20 in 2026. India, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to assert its global leadership position. Prime Minister Modi called it a historic moment, while his chief negotiator, Amitabh Kant, referred to India as the representative of the entire Global South. The summit's outcome showcased India's ability to unite the world and assume leadership roles in both developmental and geopolitical matters. the G20 Summit in New Delhi underscored India's growing influence on the global stage and its pivotal role in challenging China's dominance. It marked a significant shift in international dynamics, with India emerging as a key player in shaping the future of global diplomacy and development. (The writer is a researcher. The views expressed are personal) The Indian Army recalibrated its response on the ground to flush out a group of terrorists believed to be hiding inside a cave-like structure in the densely forested area of Garole near Kokernag in the South Kashmir district of Anantnag. The encounter in the area has been ongoing since late Tuesday night. According to reports from the ground, the joint team of security forces, including elite commandos of the Special Forces, employed modern weapons, including Heron drones, on Friday to conduct a series of blasts inside the jungle area in an effort to force the terrorists out of their hiding places. Surveillance drones were also utilised to closely monitor the movements of the terrorists. Despite the heavy use of firepower and other tactical measures, the terrorists remained elusive. Grenade launchers were employed by troops to target the group of terrorists, but significant progress could not be made. The joint security forces continued to maintain a tight cordon in the area to prevent the terrorists from escaping and exploiting the dense vegetation to their advantage. Senior Army and J&K Police officials visited the encounter site to boost the morale of the joint security forces. The movement of the civilian population near the encounter site has been restricted by the security forces. The entire area has been cordoned off, with additional reinforcements rushed to the area. Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, also from the same battalion, and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat were martyred in action during the gunfight on Wednesday. The last rites for both decorated Army officers were conducted with full military honours in their native villages on Friday, where their loved ones bid them a tearful farewell. Meanwhile, a Lashkar-e-Teyyiba (LeT) terror module was uncovered in Baramulla district with the arrest of two militant associates and the recovery of arms and ammunition from them, as reported by the police on Friday. The two terrorist associates of the LeT outfit were apprehended in Uri area of Baramulla in north Kashmir, according to a police spokesperson. He identified the two as Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla. During their personal search, two Glock pistols, two pistol magazines, two pistol silencers, five Chinese grenades, and 28 live pistol rounds were retrieved from their possession, the spokesperson stated. They were involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan-based terror handlers and its further distribution to LeT terrorists for carrying out terror activities, the spokesperson added. A case under the UAPA and the Arms Act has been registered, and further investigation is underway. In a major boost to indigenous manufacturing of weapons, the Government on Friday approved nine acquisition proposals totaling over Rs 45,000 crore. These deals include procurement of 12 SU-30 fighter jets, light armoured multipurpose vehicles (LAMV) and air to surface missiles. The acceptance of necessity (AoN) for these deals were given in a meeting of Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) here chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC is the apex body to approve acquisition proposals by the three Services. All the procurements cleared on Friday will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence industry towards achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Giving details of the deals, Defence Ministry officials said the AoN for procurement of 12 SU-30 MKI Aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was accorded. At present IAF has nearly 260 fourth generation SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft. To enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of Mechanised Forces, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of LAMV and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). The apex body also cleared a deal for procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of Artillery Guns and Radars. The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing Hydrographic Operations. The DAC also gave the nod for proposals of the Indian Air Force which included avionic upgradation of Dornier Aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations. The go-ahead for avionics upgrade of the Dornier fleet is considered significant as technical snags were reported in the aircraft on a number of occasions earlier this year, sources said. The procurement of Dhruvastra short range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent Indigenous Precision Guided Weapon for indigenously built ALH Mk-IV Helicopters was also cleared by the DAC. During the meeting, Rajnath stated that it is time to upgrade the ambitions towards indigenisation. Rather than a threshold of 50 per cent indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65per cent indigenous content, he said. Rajnath directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and Director General(Acquisition) to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with the Indian Industry. The Government has focused on fast development of the Indian defence industry and earmarked 75 per cent of this years defence capital procurement budget for buying weapons and systems from local manufacturers. India set aside 68 per cent of the militarys capital acquisition budget for making indigenous purchases in 2022-23, 64 per cent in 2021-22, and 58 per cent in 2020-21. In the Union Budget announced on February 1, India set aside Rs 5.94 lakh crore for defence spending in 2023-24, with the allocation almost 12 per cent higher than that in last years budget estimates, and about 2 per cent more compared to that in the revised estimates for 2022-23. India allocated Rs 5.25 lakh crore for military spending in last years budget, Rs 4.78 lakh crore in 2021-22, and Rs 4.71 lakh crore the year before. Around Rs one lakh crore has been set aside for domestic procurement this year, compared to Rs 84,598 crore, Rs 70,221 crore and Rs 51,000 crore in the three previous years. Moreover, the Government has stopped import of more than 250 weapon and allied systems including warships, artillery guns, light combat aircraft, basic trainers, a variety of helicopters, radars, and different types of ammunition. The Services will now have to procure indigenously designed and manufactured weapon systems. Ashok Leyland, Indias leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, will set up an electric bus manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between Ashok Leyland and the Government of Uttar Pradesh in a programme organised in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday. Welcoming Ashok Leyland to Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it was a historic milestone for the people of the state. He said that it was surprising that Ashok Leyland had not yet had a presence in a state like UP, which had a huge population of 25 crore and was the largest demographic capital in the country. In this sense, today is a historic day, he added. The chief minister said that the state government was committed to providing security and facilities to all its investors. He said that industrial groups that used to avoid coming to UP until six years ago were now expanding their establishments after coming here. He also mentioned that Ashok Leylands decision to invest in Uttar Pradesh was timely, and the entire Hinduja Group would benefit from it. Yogi Adityanath emphasised that this step of Ashok Leyland aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision, where the country is determined to reduce dependence on traditional fuel options. He said that the UP government was eager to attract investment from the private sector in line with the Net Zero Mission and reducing emissions through cleaner public and freight transportation was an important step in that direction. The government is working continuously on the manufacturing and operation of electric vehicles. The administration has also issued state policies in this regard, he said. Today, most of the EVs are registered in Uttar Pradesh, and efforts are underway to develop more charging stations. Electric vehicles are being incorporated into the UPSRTC (UP State Road Transport Corporation) fleet, and EVs are being operated in various cities, the chief minister said. Chairman of Ashok Leyland, Dheeraj Hinduja, mentioned that this year Ashok Leyland is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Signing this MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to set up a manufacturing plant in the state expresses our commitment to shape it, he said. He said: For the first time, discussion regarding investment with Uttar Pradesh took place just this year on August 10, and today it is September 15. Everything has been finalised within a mere 36 days. He said that if work was carried out efficiently, it would significantly transform the industrial landscape in UP. Giving information about the proposed unit, Hinduja said that this new unit in Uttar Pradesh would start in the next 18 months. He said that the work on various dimensions of e-mobility would be done in the state in a phased manner. He said that they were working on a plan to convert their entire fleet of diesel buses and commercial vehicles into electric and other alternative fuels in the coming years. Under the MoU, Ashok Leyland will set up an integrated commercial vehicle bus manufacturing plant in UP focused on e-mobility. Notably, this will be Ashok Leylands first plant in the state. Under this partnership, Ashok Leyland will primarily concentrate on the production of electric buses, while also having the facility to assemble other vehicles operated by currently available fuel alongside emerging alternative fuels. After the postponement of several meetings, the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) is expected to meet on September 20. The agenda of the meeting includes extravagant and obscure expenditure violation/circumvention of environment protection/heritage zonal plan while constructing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence. The other agenda of the meeting includes disciplinary action against the officers involved in demolition of listed heritage monument and constructing a bungalow for the then CEO, Delhi Jal Board, irregularities in the construction of Rani Jhansi flyover and Lokpal Bench Order dated September 15, 2020, among others. As per the agenda note regarding extravagant and obscure expenditure violation/circumvention of environment protection/heritage zonal plan while constructing Kejriwals residence, the original file is not provided herein having direct conflict of /interest with chairperson of the authority/the Chief Minister being a matter pertaining to his residence and as the file contains subject matter in which PWD officials recorded on files that as per requirement of the CM major changes have been made in the drawings of the interiors, resulting in deviation in total work done and sanctioned amount. It is informed that the original file will be made available during the meeting of the authority In case chairperson of the authority/Chief Minister would like to verify the authenticity of the certified copy of the file provided to him vis-a-vis the original file, reads the agenda note. Other items like follow-up on the proposal regarding transfer/posting of Grade-I (DASS) and posting and Transfer of Grade-II (DASS) officials have withdrawn from the agenda as NCCSA has jurisdiction for transfer/posting in respect of only Group-A Officers, DANICS and IAS. The chairperson of the authority/Chief Minister has asked to provide the following information regarding all IAS and DANICS officers serving in the Delhi government, on or before August 15. The information sought by the chairperson regarding officers awaiting for their postings include vacancy position of IAS and DANICS Officers in Delhi; their current charge; duration for which they have been holding the charge; their additional charges and duration for which they have been holding their additional charges. The officers who are waiting for their postings include 1989-batch IAS officer Umang Narula, 2011-batch officers Ajay Kumar Bisht, Anil Kumar Singh, 2017-batch officer Yash Chaudhary, 2019-batch officers Rishita Gupta and Lakshay Singhal, and 2013-batch officer Kirti Garg. The Congress-affiliated NSUI and BJP-affiliated ABVP on Friday announced its list of candidates for the September 22 Delhi University Students' Union polls. Hitesh Gulia, a final-year Law Centre-I student, will contest for the president's post as NSUI candidate. The 23-year-old completed his graduation from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. The CPI (M)-affiliated SFI too announced its final list of candidates and has named Arif Siddique as its candidate for the president's post, Ankit for vice-president, Aditi Tyagi for secretary and Nishtha Singh for joint secretary. Tushar Dedha, ABVP candidate for the president's post, completed his graduation from Satyawati College and currently pursuing a Masters degree in Buddhist Studies. He joined the ABVP in 2015. Sushant Dhankar, contesting for the vice-president's post, holds a BA (Honours) degree in English, having graduated from Satyawati College. The Haryana-native is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Buddhist Studies. Dhankar is also a state-level shooting champion. Aprajita, contesting for the post of secretary, hails from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. She completed her BA (Honours) degree in History from Dyal Singh College and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Buddhist Studies. Sachin Baisla, the ABVP candidate for joint secretary, graduated from Ramanujan College. He is pursuing a Masters degree in Buddhist Studies. In the last elections in 2019, the ABVP won three posts while the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) bagged the secretary's post. The students' union elections could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 while academic disruption stalld the last years DUSU polls. NSUI has fielded Abhi Dahiya for the post of vice-president while Yakshana Sharma for the post of secretary. Shubham Kumar Chaudhary is contesting for the post of joint secretary. From demands to scrap the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme to improving hostel infrastructure, introducing Delhi Metro concession passes for students and installing sanitary pad vending machines on college campuses DUSU hopefuls are pulling out all stops to woo voters to their side. The students' outfits in the fray for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections have made a plethora of promises in the lead up to the polls, hoping to clinch the support of those still undecided about their electoral choices. The ABVP on Wednesday organised a Chhatra Garjana rally on the north and south campuses of Delhi University. It said in a statement that the rally was aimed at addressing crucial issues such as provision for Delhi Metro concession passes for the students. The president of Uttarakhand Mahila Congress Jyoti Rautela has said that the Ankita Bhandari murder case maligned the image of the State. She said that capital punishment should be given to the murderers of Ankita Bhandari so that no one dares to commit such a crime in the future. Rautela was addressing a conference at the headquarters of Uttarakhand Congress on Friday. The conference was organised to mark the foundation day of the Mahila Congress. Rautela said that the law and order situation in the State is in shambles and crime against women is increasing under the rule of BJP which has given the slogan of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. Rautela said that the manner in which the evidence was destroyed in the resort of the BJP leader after murder of Bhandari shows that criminals are getting protection under BJP rule. She said that on the one hand the district administration of Pauri is denying that the order for demolishing the resort by bulldozer was given by it and on the other hand the BJP government is patting its back after destroying the evidence. Rautela added that everyone involved in crime should be brought to book and for this the Congress party is consistently demanding that the case should be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). She said that the Congress party has always made sacrifices in the freedom struggle. Remembering Annie Besant, Sarojini Naidu and Vijay Laxmi Pandit, the Congress leader said that the party will continue to move forward on their ideals. Rautela said that the manner in which the democracy in the country is being shredded by the BJP is not good for the country. She said that the Mahila Congress will continue to fight on the issues of price rise, unemployment and crime against women. The event was attended by a large number of Mahila Congress leaders and workers. | To expedite the development of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), the Uttar Pradesh government has sanctioned an allocation of Rs 350 crore from the remaining Rs 956 crore to enhance the connectivity between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. This initiative, with a total project cost of Rs 1,306 crore, is being executed within the National Capital Region. The allocation of Rs 350 crore will rejuvenate and accelerate the pending tasks within the project. Specifically, the areas in Ghaziabad and Meerut that are covered by the project will receive a significant boost. An order has been issued by the state government regarding the allocation of funds to the Managing Director of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is a semi-high-speed rail corridor currently under-construction. This corridor will connect Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. It is one of the three rapid rail corridors planned under the RAPIDX Project. Once completed, it will be the countrys first-of-its-kind rapid transit project. Currently, work is underway on phase one of this project. This project, which is 82.15 kilometres long, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8, 2019, and the train is expected to start by the year 2025. The responsibility of giving concrete shape to the project has been assigned to the Managing Director of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation. Under his guidance, the construction of structures and developments within the project will be ensured to meet high-quality standards. While this project is being implemented according to the guidelines of the Indian government by the NCRTC, the Uttar Pradesh government will periodically review the progress of the activities under the project. The Uttar Pradesh government has mentioned this in the rules and conditions issued for the states part in the project. Additionally, the sanctioned amount of state shares will not be withdrawn in lump sum and will be used as per required. The actual implementation of the mentioned activities will begin only after obtaining technical approval at a competent level to finalise the project. The Delhi Governments Vigilance Department has submitted a detailed report to the Lokayukta, highlighting irregularities and lapses on the part of various officials of Public Works Department, Education and public functionaries in construction of 12,748 classrooms for the Government-run schools. Citing a vigilance report, Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Friday demanded a CBI probe into an alleged scam in construction of classrooms in Delhi Government schools and said on the instructions of Arvind Kejriwal, 7,180 classrooms were reduced to 4,126 but the monetary budget was not reduced. Besides, a new name has come in the report, that of Tewatiya Chauhan and Sharma Architect, this is the same architect which did the scam worth crores of rupees by constructing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Sheeshmahal located at 6 Flag Staff Road without proper tendering. Not only this, the report has revealed that the role of Babbar and Babbar Associate was also found suspicious, Tiwari said. As per the report, it has to be ascertained whether the contractor who was awarded contracts of class rooms by Education Department in Priority-! project i.e. Tewatia Construction Pvt. Ltd. has any connection with M/s Tewatia Chauhan & Sharma Architects Pvt. Ltd that were awarded contract in construction of 6 Flag Staff. It further added that with regard to the allegation of 34 contractors, some of them being workers/members of Aam Aadmi Party or relatives is concerned, it is observed that proper procedure to award contract was not followed and short time was given for submission of bids and sanctions were split into smaller parts in violation of rules and regulations. Addressing a press conference alongwith party leaders Harish Khurana and Praveen Shankar Kapoor, BJP MP alleged that the report was submitted by the Vigilance Directorate to Lokayukta last month. Not only this, the project above Rs 100 crore is brought to the cabinet and then it is also sent to the Lieutenant Governor, but at the behest of Kejriwal, the entire project was divided into 16 small parts and this entire project was launched on 19 October 2015. It was approved by PWD Minister Satyendra Jain, he said. Dr Varun Malhotra, Additional Professor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, delivered an insightful talk at the "Meditation: Perception to Physiology" CME-cum-Workshop hosted by People's College of Medical Sciences & Research Centre (PCMS & RC), Bhopal. The event was a remarkable exploration of the scientific studies conducted by Dr. Varun Malhotra on yoga and meditation, shedding light on the profound impacts of various yogic and meditative techniques. His presentation was both enlightening and engaging, offering attendees valuable insights into the tangible advantages of incorporating meditation into their daily lives. During the workshop, Dr. Varun Malhotra conducted an open-house guided meditation session, providing participants with a firsthand experience of various meditative techniques, including pranayama, deep slow breathing, visualization, meditation, healing prayer chanting, and affirmations. This interactive session allowed participants to connect with the transformative power of meditation. Dr. Gaurav Singh Raghuwanshi, co-founder of the neurotech startup Turiya Innovations, added to the depth of knowledge at the event by sharing profound insights into the neurological foundations of meditation. Dr. Kirtika Shrivastava, Assistant Professor, Physiology at People's College of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, emphasized the holistic essence of mind-body medicine, emphasizing the importance of integrating meditation into medical practices for comprehensive healthcare. The event received an added dimension of significance with the presence of esteemed guests, including Vice Chancellor Dr. Harish Rao and the Dean of PCMS & RC, Gp Captain (Dr) A. K. Dixit. Dr. S. K. Sadawarte, the Head of the Physiology Department at AIIMS, Bhopal, expressed profound gratitude to the expert speakers, enthusiastic participants, and especially to the management of People's University and PCMS & RC. This workshop was a profound exploration of the science and practice of meditation, offering attendees a deeper understanding of its therapeutic potential. A high level meeting was held with senior officers of police departments of five states on Friday at Jharkhand Police Headquarters in Dhurwa, Ranchi. Every year on the instructions of the Government of India, the police of every state hold this meeting with the police officials of its neighbouring states. In this inter-state criminal issues are especially highlighted. The meeting was organized under the leadership of Jharkhand DGP Ajay Kumar Singh, in which strategies were made with in-depth discussion on interstate criminal issues. Top officers of the police departments of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and the neighbouring states of Jharkhand participated in the meeting. DGP Ajay Kumar Singh said that the Naxal issues on the borders with Jharkhand's neighbouring states Chhattisgarh and Odisha were reviewed. He said that these things came to light that there has been a significant reduction in Naxalite incidents on the borders. Along with this, the number of our operating camps at those places has also increased. He told that in the meeting, strategies were made on criminal issues like criminals committing organized crimes in the interstate. Curbing the increasing cybercrime was also discussed. The discussions were held keeping in mind the assembly elections to be held in Chhattisgarh. Issues like alcoholism and human trafficking were discussed, in which emphasis was laid on taking necessary steps to stop the transit of opium and ganja on inter-state areas and to stop smuggling of illegal liquor in the border areas of Bihar, as well as the need to take strict action against human smugglers. To create a cleaner and healthier environment by engaging citizens across the city in various cleanliness activities, the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh hosted "Jashan-e-Swachhata", a flashmob, at the plaza, Sector 17, on Friday during Swachhata Pakhwara, which is a fortnight-long awareness drive from 15th September to 2nd October. Anup Gupta, Mayor, launched the 15-day activity campaign by organizing a flashmob during which 250 students from various colleges and schools participated. Chandigarh Challenger's team leader, Rohit, led the event. Briefing about the 15-day-long activity campaign, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra expressed her enthusiasm for the Swachhata Pakhwada 2023 initiative and the upcoming Indian Swachhata League and stated that the Swachhata Pakhwada 2023 is a significant step towards creating a cleaner and healthier environment. She said that MCC is committed to motivate and inspire citizens to actively participate in cleanliness activities and promote sustainable practices to work together to make Chandigarh a shining example for the entire nation. She encouraged Citizens to work towards a Garbage Free India and invited all citizens to join hands and actively participate in Swachhata Pakhwada 2023. She exhorted Citizens to showcase their commitment towards a cleaner future and build Chandigarh's reputation as a model for cleanliness." The Commissioner said that as part of the Swachhata Pakhwada initiative, MC Chandigarh has prepared an extensive 15-day program to inspire and motivate citizens towards cleanliness and hygiene. Chandigarh- the city beautiful, known for its remarkable efforts in maintaining cleanliness, is all set to defend its title as the reigning champions of ISL 1.0 (Indian Swachhata League). Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that being the fourth pillar of democracy, the work of media is to alert every organ of governance and to provide information to the public with truth, accuracy and impartiality. He said that a free press is the backbone of a democratic nation. Along with freedom, press has to be responsible as well. It is important to give preference to positive news. This gives impetus to the positive changes taking place in the society. Vice President Dhankhar was addressing the fourth convocation of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication here today. He is also the Visitor (Ex-officio) of the University. He dedicated the new campus of the university located at Bishankhedi, Bhopal. Public Relations and Public Health Engineering Minister Rajendra Shukla and Higher Education Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav were specially present in the programme. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar wished for a bright future of the university and expressed confidence that this institute will continue its excellent contribution in the world of journalism. The Vice President said that journalism is not a business but a social service. Journalists are the sentinels of democracy. Rise above personal interest and professional benefits and work with a spirit of service. Wishing all the students conferred with degrees a bright future, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed the confidence that all the students will use the knowledge gained for public welfare. He urged everyone to make a strong contribution to Indias Vikas Yatra with the determination to build the nation by keeping national interest paramount as per the thinking of national poet, writer and journalist Pandit Makhanlal Chaturvedi. The Vice President expressed happiness towards the traditional attire and angavastra in the convocation ceremony. He said that one can see glimpses of all four directions of India - North, South, East, West. This is a very meaningful message for the country. Vice President Dhankhar said that today India is setting new records in every field economic, education and research. Its a matter of pride. Today the environment is such that every person can bring any improvement in oneself and can contribute in making India a world leader. In the convocation ceremony, the Vidvat Ytatra led by Registrar Dr. Avinash Vajpayee entered the auditorium amidst the sacred sound of Vedic chants. The Vice President dedicated the convocation programme by lighting the lamp with Swasti Vachan and Mangalacharan. As many as 23 research scholars of the University from 2018 to 2023 were awarded PhD degrees by the Vice President in the ceremony. Along with this, about 450 students of Media, Media Management, Computer and Information Technology courses were awarded Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Master of Computer Application, Master of Journalism, Master of Library and Information Science and Master of Philosophy degrees. Vice President Dhankhar awarded Vageshwari Nandini for obtaining the highest marks in film production of the university in the session 2020-22 with Late Dr Anil Choubey Memorial Medal, cheque of Rs 21,000 and a certificate, Shweta Rani was awarded for getting the highest marks in Advertising and Public Relations course with the Amba Prasad Srivastava Memorial Medal and certificate in session 2020-22, and Anjali for obtaining the highest marks in the Journalism Post Graduate course of the University in the session 2021-23 with Late Dr. Rameshwar Dayal Tiwari Memorial Medal, a cheque of Rs 11,000 and a certificate. The first of its kind National Seminar on the efficacious use of Biofuels in Steel Industry titled BIOS 2023 today began amidst a galaxy of luminaries participating at the Ispat Bhawan precincts of SAIL, RDCIS, Ranchi. With the mood of the scientific fraternity upbeat on the announcement of 2nd G20 declaration of a Global Biofuel Allowance (GBA), all stakeholders namely the steel & agriculture researchers, the biofuel producers, the technologists, the academia under one roof started the technical deliberations which could well form the bedrock of a prolific environmental journey. It was the guidance of the Ministry of Steel, Govt. of India that ensured the BIOS 2023 to see the light of the day. It was inaugurated by NN Sinha, Secretary (Steel), Govt. of India, who was the main inspiration for organizing this mammoth event. Sharing the dais with Sinha in the inaugural session were A. Bhowmick, Director I/C(BSL & RSP), B.P. Singh Director I/C (DSP & ISP), A.K. Singh, Director (TPRM), N. Banerjee, ED I/C (RDCIS), all from SAIL and Dr. S. Rakshit Director (ICAR-IIAB). The program began with lighting the lamp and the national anthem. In his keynote address in the Inaugural session Sinha at the outset congratulated the engineering fraternity and inspired the august audience by expressing that no other day would have been more auspicious for the commencing this environmental challenge than the eve of birth day of our brightest engineer Late Mokshgundam Visvesvaraya. He commended the organisers of BIOS 2023 as it was creating an opportunity for meeting the daunting challenge of carbon footprints. He quipped that sagacious technologies if adopted shall take us back to our roots & our roots in the Jharkhand state were the harbingers of Iron making several millennia as the Asur & other communities at Tanginath etc were the pioneers in such difficult metallurgical processes way back. Sinha remarked that the COP26 at Glasglow, Scotland has defined our outer framework of net carbon neutrality by 2070. Each day this large goal is being broken up into sub-milestones, so all stakeholders should act fast. With a target of doubling steel production in the country by 2030; there shall be a demand of double the coal import which is 90% today at 60 MT. Whereas, the coal investments are getting discouraged, so for sustaining steel production there is no other way than to accelerate the production of biofuels and also develop the technologies simultaneously so that their percentage in steel making can be more than the stipulated amount of 20% today. He explored the sufficiency of BioMass produce in India that out of a total produce of 770 MT of agri-biomass, only 220 MT was available for industry use as biofuel. Going for the full 20% utilization in the blast furnaces, we need 10MT of biofuel today, which necessitates 0.1 million hectares of Bamboo cultivation, which is not a big ask. However auxiliary bottlenecks in terms of transport & logistics, fire safety of a biofuel during transportation, its detrimental effect on blast furnaces may also be looked into. Intuitively, it seems decentralization will be the key, which will ensure semi-processing at farmer level for engendering rural jobs as an additional spin-off. The steel sector should be prepared for a statutory mandate just like the Power plants have been asked mandatorily for using 5 to 10% biomass pellets. Also the steel researchers should look into the augmentation of the 20% charge-mix of biofuel, the equipment builder should also chip in along with startups in this challenge. This will make us leave the planet in a better shape for posterity. He suggested developing a blueprint for the National Mission for Biofuel in Steel making, which could be part of a larger decarbonisation initiative of Steel and continuing with similar events at regular intervals/ every year. Atanu Bhowmick urged the scientific community that Biomass was no more a mere academic exercise, but it is a necessity now. He said that among the 3Ps ie People Planet & Profit, Sustainability was the key. B.P. Singh said that Climate change is the most talked about global topic today and with 8% of carbon emissions we cannot ramp up to 300MT steel production by 2030. AK Singh beckoned all the delegates and the participants to fully utilize this Seminar which has been so well led by the Ministry of Steel. He opined that brainstorming with out of box ideas was required for reaching such path-breaking technologies. N. Banerjee welcomed all dignitaries, delegates, participants and explained why this Seminar was organized. At the end Dr. Rakshit proposed the vote of thanks. He also stressed about the need to utilize rice husk else its burning as it happens shall cause significant environment damage. The Centre on Friday told the Delhi High Court it has granted political clearance to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai to travel to New York from September 15 to 21 to attend Columbia India Energy Dialogue. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed Justice Subramonium Prasad that political clearance has been granted for Rai's travel in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case but it should not be made a precedent and that the order shall be restricted to this case only. While recording the submission made by the law officer, the High Court disposed of the Aam Aadmi Party leader's petition in which he sought quashing of the Central Government's order denying him political clearance to travel abroad for the programme. The School of Excellence in Jharkhand embarked on a transformative journey today as the first day of its two-day School Leadership Orientation Programme unfolded at DPS, Ranchi. The event witnessed an assembly of distinguished speakers and education leaders who shared their insights and expertise on various aspects of education and leadership. The inaugural session commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, symbolizing the enlightenment and knowledge-sharing that was to follow throughout the day. The school's music department set a captivating tone with a mesmerizing welcome song that resonated with attendees. Dr. Ram Singh, a prominent figure in education, addressed the gathering, expressing his pleasure at welcoming all the dignitaries. He extended his special thanks to Kiran Kumari Pasi, who played a pivotal role in converting state board schools to CBSE schools. Dr. Singh emphasized the importance of nurturing global citizens and the need for teachers to serve as role models and attentive listeners. State Project Director, Jharkhand Education Project Council, Kiran Kumari Pasi, discussed the government's objective of uplifting education in the state by converting 80 schools to CBSE. She urged these schools to be role models for the entire state, equipped with the latest educational tools for 21st-century learning. PS Kalra delved into the central theme of the training, "Who AM I?" He outlined the various roles of school principals, emphasizing that they are responsible for everything, from administration to pedagogy and financial management. Kiran Dwivedi, a former principal and education advisor, spoke about the importance of effectiveness and efficiency in school leadership. She highlighted CBSE tools like Diksha, Shikha Vani, and Vidya Dan as valuable resources for educators. Amit Singh, Principal of ODM Global School, tackled the topic of leadership. He provided insights on what it takes to be a competent leader, emphasizing the importance of personal growth, health, and recommended educational resources. Dr. Manisha Tiwari, Principal of Vidya Vikas Public School, discussed transforming the learning environment through experiential and art-integrated learning. She also emphasized the significance of life skills and gender sensitivity. The day concluded with PS Kalra's session on developing professional skills for effective leadership, where he stressed the importance of professionalism in the field of education. At the end of this workshop, Badal Raj (SDO, Education Department) heartily thanked the DPS family and all the speakers. The first day of the School Leadership Orientation Programme was marked by profound insights, visionary leadership, and a commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Jharkhand. The event promised a promising future for the School of Excellence and education in the state, with attendees eagerly anticipating the second day of the program. Tension prevailed in Kaushambi after three members of a Dalit family a man, his pregnant daughter and son-in-law were brutally killed in Sandipan Ghat area. All three were murdered while they were asleep at night and their bodies were found in cots on Friday morning. The triple-murder caused tension among the locals and an infuriated mob set several houses and shops on fire and also pelted stones in which Pushpendra Gautam, the tehsildar of Chail, received head injuries. Six police personnel were also injured in stone pelting and arson. The house of the accused was also set on fire and the mob also blocked the road. On receiving information about the incident, senior officials including ADG (Prayagraj zone) Bhanu Bhaskar, IG (Prayagraj range) Chandra Prakash and Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Srivastava and Circle Officers of Chail and Sirathu immediately reached the spot and tried to take possession of the bodies, but the villagers resisted. The villagers said they would not allow the bodies to be taken away until the accused were arrested. However they were pacified. The deceased were identified as Horilal (62), his daughter Brijkali (22) and son-in-law Shivsagar (26) who were Dalits and belonged to the Pasi community. According to reports, Horilal of Harraipur in Sandipan Ghat police station area had a dispute with some people over a piece of land. Horilal had taken possession of the disputed land by building a hut on it. His son-in-law and daughter also lived in the hut. Horilals house is a short distance away from this hut. His wife and two grandchildren live there. Late Thursday evening, Horilal came to the hut with his daughter and son-in-law and they all slept there. The murders took place in the wee hours of Friday, when Horilal, Brijkali, and Shivsharan were sleeping in the hut on the disputed land. The assailants, alleged to be Subash and his henchmen, struck and brutally killed all the three. They also opened fire on them to ensure that no one remained alive and escaped from the spot. Soon after the villagers learnt of the sensational killing, they along with angry family members went on the rampage, setting several houses and even shops and two-wheelers on fire. The local police along with senior officers rushed to the spot and to control the situation. They also summoned additional forces from Chail and Sirathu police stations, including three PAC battalions. Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, who reached the spot along with his team, said that a land dispute led to the incident and added that the fire in the houses had been extinguished. Based on a complaint by Horilal's son Subhash Kumar, a case has been registered against eight persons -- Guddu Yadav, Arvind Singh, Amit Singh, Suresh, Anuj Singh, Rajendra Singh, Ajit Singh and Amar Singh all residents of Kaushambi district, the SP said. The accused have been booked under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Law Amendment Act and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he added. Two persons have been arrested and eight teams have been formed to nab the remaining six accused, the SP disclosed. Following the murder a heavy police force and PAC personnel have been deployed in the village. The SP said that the situation now was completely under control. The Uttar Pradesh government has suspended Secretary/General Manager Upendra Kumar and Deputy General Manager Shakil Ahmed of the District Cooperative Bank (DCB) in Rampur for making unauthorised payment of interests on the three accounts operated by Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan-controlled Jauhar University and Rampur Public School. The government action comes following investigation into the matter on the complaint of the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Rampur, Akash Saxena. Jauhar University and Rampur Public School operate three accounts in Jauhar University branch of DCB, Rampur. The bank treated the current accounts as savings bank accounts and paid interest of Rs 17.22 lakh to Jauhar University in July 2022 and Rs 2.18 lakh to Jauhar Trust. The DCB also paid an interest of Rs 3.67 lakh as interest to Rampur Public School treating its current account as savings bank accounts. All the three accounts were operated by SPs former MP Azam Khan. Sources in the Cooperative department said as per the Banking Regulation Act and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India, the said accounts could neither be categorised as SB account nor eligible for interest. Official sources disclosed that the DCB Rampur also operates the accounts of Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Saraswati Vidya Mandir and district panchayat, but none of them were paid interest. The state government has also set up a committee for detailed investigation into the matter. The committee comprises PK Agarwal, financial advisor, Cooperative department, RK Kulshestra, MD of UP Cooperative Bank Ltd, Avinash Chandra, Deputy General Manager of RBI regional office in Lucknow, Upma Saxena, Deputy General Manager of the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Developments regional office in Lucknow. The Uttarakhand government is planning to quantify the ecosystem services rendered to the country by the glaciers, bugyals (high altitude alpine meadows) and rivers of the State. This exercise is being done by the Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPPGG), Uttarakhand and its objective is to seek economic assistance from the Centre in lieu of the ecosystem services rendered by the natural wealth of the State. The State administration will prepare a comprehensive report on the subject which will be placed before the 16th finance commission of Government of India. According to a rough estimate, the ecosystem service rendered by the forests, glaciers, meadows and rivers of Uttarakhand have a monetary value of about Rs 2.5 lakh crore per year. In the year 2018, the State had estimated that the forests of the State provide ecosystem services of Rs 95,000 crore to the country per year. The Uttarakhand government used this data to present the case of the state before the team of the 15th finance commission. The experts believe that this exercise yielded results when the commission increased Rs 25,000 crore in central allocation to Uttarakhand. The 15th finance commission headed by NK Singh had recommended Rs 89,845 crore to Uttarakhand from the centre for a period of five years. The term of 15th commission is ending in the year 2025-26. The additional chief executive officer (ACEO) of CPPGG, Uttarakhand, Manoj Pant told The Pioneer that the ecosystem services rendered by glaciers, rivers and meadows will be quantified in both tangible and intangible mode. He said that the process of hiring an agency for the purpose has started. Pant said that an expression of interest (EOI) has already been issued and a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be floated soon. He said that apart from quantifying the ecosystem services research on climate change impact study by developmental projects will also be done. It is pertinent to mention here that Uttarakhand was the first State to calculate the monetary value of its forest resources and determine their Gross Environmental Product (GEP) in the year 2021. The State has forest cover of 24,305 square kilometres. There are 1,439 glaciers in Uttarakhand which cover an estimated area of 4060 square kilometres of the State. With the objective of augmenting the supply of clean, green and renewable energy, the state government has drawn up plans to increase the hydrogen production capacity to 5 lakh MT per annum by 2028. This move would help the state expand its clean and renewable energy portfolio. The Union government has already announced plans to make India a global hub for green hydrogen, producing 5 million metric tons annually by 2030 and becoming net zero by 2070. To meet this goal, the Indian government announced the National Green Hydrogen Mission in 2022. The Uttar Pradesh government is in the process of formulating its maiden Green Hydrogen Policy 2023 to ensure complete utilisation of domestic green hydrogen production. The sector is expected to create job opportunities for more than 60,000 people. The state will set up two centres of excellence dedicated to green hydrogen research under the UP New and Renewable Energy Development Agency. The current hydrogen demand in UP is approximately 9 lakh MT per annum, especially in the fertiliser and refinery sectors. At the UP Global Investors Summit 2023, the state received renewable energy investment proposals, including green hydrogen, of over Rs 2.70 lakh crore from 20 companies. The state would also plan on increasing hydrogen blending in regions where there is consumption of green hydrogen. The proposed plan would pave the way for setting up carbon dioxide recovery units. Since water plays a vital role in the production of green hydrogen, the state will leverage the demand from the rivers. UP has taken rapid steps towards adopting non-conventional energy optionsto encourage clean energy in view of global warming and climate change. The chief minister has asked officials to prepare a comprehensive green hydrogen policy, a government official said. Recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked officials to consult all stakeholders in the green hydrogen and renewable energy landscape before finalising the draft. He had also issued a directive for creating water reserves near small and big rivers, and using rainwater to produce green hydrogen. Yogi Adityanath said green hydrogen being a clean industrial fuel would help achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions. The department should draft the policy after examining the Government of Indias green hydrogen policy, he said. Unveiled in February 2022, the green hydrogen policy offers cheaper renewable power and a 25-year financial waiver for interstate power transmission projects commissioned before June 2025. The policy also offers cheaper land in energy parks and dedicated zones for the local industry. In the current decade, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to be the fastest growing in the global green hydrogen landscape. Green hydrogen is produced by breaking down water in an electrolyser using renewable energy, so there is no carbon emission. Later, hydrogen can be combined with nitrogen to make green ammonia, thus avoiding planet-warming hydrocarbons. Green ammonia is used to store energy and make fertilisers. According to reports, the global green hydrogen market was valued at $1.83 billion in 2021, and is estimated to hit $90 billion by 2030, posing a compound annual growth rate of 54 per cent. The Supreme Court on Friday deferred hearing for October 4 on the bail pleas of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in two Delhi excise policy cases being probed by the CBI and ED. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti adjourned the matter after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, submitted that he needs two to three hours to argue the matter. "Although I am in jail. We (both sides) have agreed. The hearing will take 2-3 hours at least on my side. This matter requires urgent attention," Singhvi said. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju agreed to his submission. Singhvi also alleged that whenever this case or Satyendar Jain's case comes up, there is a newspaper article on the merits of the case. The bench said it has not read newspapers and added, "We have to get used to that". On July 14, the top court had sought responses of the CBI and the ED on the interim bail pleas of Sisodia in the cases. Sisodia, who held the excise portfolio among the many that he handled as the deputy chief minister, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 for his alleged role in the "scam". He has been in custody since then. The ED arrested him in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail. Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28. The high court had denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a "high-profile" person who has the potential to influence the witnesses. On July 3, the high court had declined him bail in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, holding that the charges against him are "very serious in nature". In its May 30 order, the high court had said since Sisodia was at the "helm of affairs" when the alleged scam took place, he cannot say he had no role to play. The high court had said with his party still in power in the national capital, Sisodia, who once held 18 portfolios, continues to wield influence, and since the witnesses are mostly public servants, the possibility of their getting influenced cannot be ruled out. According to the two federal investigative agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders. The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corru The DMK government's flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women was rolled out here on Friday by Chief Minister M K Stalin on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon C N Annadurai. Stalin launched the scheme here saying it is a recognition of women's hard work and distributed bank debit cards to several beneficiaries and state ministers rolled out the programme in their districts. It is a matter of pride that the scheme is launched on the birth anniversary of Anna and during the centenary (2023-24) of Karunanidhi, he said. A basic income programme, it is named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the state government has christened the assistance the "right" of women. The government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer. Officially, the scheme is "Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam," Kalaignar Scheme for Right of Women. Late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi (1924-2018) is popularly known as Kalaignar, which means an artist of eminence. The state government had months ago announced that the scheme, a key feature of DMK's manifesto ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, would be launched on September 15, on the birth anniversary of Annadurai. Kancheepuram is Annadurai's home town who steered the DMK to its first ever grand victory in the assembly election in 1967 and he was Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister between 1967 and 1969. Annadurai founded the DMK in 1949. In July, Stalin inaugurated a camp in Dharmapuri to facilitate registration of applications by women to avail the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance. Stalin had described the scheme as revolutionary that would lead to a new renaissance in the lives of crores of women. The Rs 12,000 payout per annum would be great support for women, a symbol of development. It would help them improve their standards of living, lead a life of self-respect and eradicate poverty, he had said. On the 115th birth anniversary of Annadurai, Stalin garlanded a statue of the Dravidian stalwart here and paid floral tributes before he launched the scheme. (): President Joe Biden marked the anniversary Friday of the Iranian woman who died while being held by the countrys morality police by announcing the US will impose more sanctions on Iranian people and firms that will target some of Irans most egregious human rights abusers. Mahsa Amini had been detained by Irans morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely in violation of laws that require women in public to wear the Islamic headscarf. The 22-year-old died three days later in police custody.Biden said the US reaffirms its commitment to the courageous people of Iran who are carrying on her mission.They are inspiring the world with their resilience and resolve. And together with our allies and partners, we stand with them. Iranian authorities said Amini had a heart attack. Her family has disputed that, leading to the public protests that spread across the country for months. The US has already sanctioned over 70 Iranian people and entities responsible for supporting the regimes oppression of its people, Biden said. Agricultural Bank of China Limited provides banking products and services. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. It offers demand, personal call, foreign currency call, time or demand optional, foreign exchange call, foreign exchange time, savings, agreed term, and negotiated deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and loans, including housing, consumer, business, fixed asset, working capital, real estate, and entrusted syndicated loans, as well as trade finances, guarantees and commitments, and loans with custody of export rebates accounts. The company also provides credit card, debit card, payment and settlement, private banking, cash management, investment banking, custody, financial market, and financial institution services, as well as trading and wealth management services; and personal fund collection and automatic transfer services. In addition, it offers agro-related personal and corporate banking products and services; telephone, mobile, self-service, television, and SMS banking services; financial leasing services; fund management services; asset custodian services; and insurance and reinsurance related products and services. The company operates domestic branches, including specialized institutions, training institutes, tier-1 branches, tier-2 branches, tier-1 sub-branches, foundation-level branch outlets and other establishments; overseas branches in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, New York, Dubai International Financial Centre, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Sydney, Luxemburg, Dubai, London, Macao, and Hanoi; and overseas representative offices in Vancouver, Taipei, Sao Paulo, and Dushanbe. Agricultural Bank of China Limited was founded in 1951 and is based in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. operates as a multi-channel retailer of plush animals and related products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Commercial, and International Franchising. Its merchandise comprises various styles of plush products to be stuffed, pre-stuffed plush products, and sounds and scents that can be added to the stuffed animals, as well as range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and other toy and novelty items, including family sleepwear. The company operates its stores under the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand name; and sells its products through its e-commerce sites and third-party marketplace sites. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. provides various banking products and services to retail, private, and business clients in the Netherlands and internationally. It operates through three segments: Personal & Business Banking, Wealth Management, and Corporate Banking. The company provides savings and deposits products; labelled residential mortgage products under the Florius brands; and consumer loans under the Alpha Credit Nederland, Credivance, Defam, Moneyou, and ABN AMRO brands. It also issues, promotes, manages, and processes credit cards; provides revolving credit card facilities and pension schemes, as well as consumer credit and mortgages; and life and non-life insurance products. In addition, it offers asset-based solutions, including working capital solutions, equipment leases and loans, and vendor lease services; private banking and wealth-management-related services; and derivatives and equity clearing services. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. is a financial technology company that provides software, services and solutions to financial institutions, merchants and other businesses worldwide. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with operations in more than 110 countries. FIS is a Fortune 500 company and is one of the largest global providers of banking and payment technologies. FIS offers a wide range of products and services, including core banking and payment processing solutions, risk management, fraud detection, compliance services, mobile banking, digital wallets and other consumer-facing products. The company serves diverse customers, including banks, credit unions, merchants, governments and corporations. Stephanie Ferris is the CEO and President of FIS. She joined the FIS team after FIS purchased WorldPay. At WorldPay, she specialized in revenue synergies and long-range strategic planning. Other notable team members include John Durrant, the President of Banking Solutions. John has focused on enterprise payment systems, product experience and small-business banking for over a decade. Over the past few years, FIS has seen a weak financial performance. The company has been reporting losses for approximately three years. FIS's debt levels have increased in recent years due to the company's acquisition of Worldpay in 2019, which added roughly $16 billion in debt to FIS's balance sheet. Since 2019 FIS has maintained a debt level of around $35 billion. With a price-to-earnings ratio higher than the industry average and a price-to-book ratio lower than the industry average, FIS's valuation metrics suggest that the company is trading at a premium compared to its peers. FIS's stock price has performed poorly in recent years, consistently falling since Q2 of 2020. FIS operates in the financial technology industry, which is experiencing significant growth and disruption. The rise of digital banking and payments has led to increased competition, innovation in the industry and regulatory and cybersecurity challenges. FIS's primary competitors include global financial technology companies like Fiserv, Square and PayPal. In addition, FIS competes with traditional banks and payment processors investing in digital technology. FIS has several growth opportunities, including new product launches, acquisitions and expansions into new markets. In 2020, the company launched several new products, including a real-time payments solution and a digital wallet. FIS also acquired the payments technology company Worldpay for $43 billion in 2019. The acquisition has positioned FIS as one of the largest payment processors in the world and has expanded the company's global footprint. It is important to note that in 2023 FIS began discussing spinning WorldPay off into a separate entity. FIS is also exploring opportunities to expand into new markets, particularly in emerging economies such as Asia and Africa. The company has partnered with regional financial institutions to provide digital banking and payment solutions. While FIS has seen strong financial performance and growth opportunities, the company has several potential risks and challenges. One significant risk is the increasing competition in the financial technology industry, particularly from new entrants and non-traditional players such as tech companies and fintech startups. In addition, regulatory and compliance challenges could impact FIS's operations and growth. The financial technology industry is highly regulated, and changes in regulations or compliance requirements could increase costs and limit growth opportunities for FIS. Cybersecurity threats are another significant risk facing FIS and the financial technology industry. As the company processes and stores sensitive financial data, any breaches or cyber-attacks could significantly damage FIS's reputation and financial performance. Changes in consumer preferences and behavior could impact FIS's growth and profitability. As digital banking and payment solutions evolve, consumers may prefer alternative solutions, such as cryptocurrency or blockchain-based systems, which could impact FIS's traditional business model. Wells Fargo & Company is a multinational financial services company that has established itself as a prominent player in the global financial industry. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Wells Fargo operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. Its rich history and successful mergers and acquisitions have contributed to its significant global presence. As a comprehensive financial services provider, Wells Fargo offers a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer financial services. The company's mission is to satisfy its customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo aims to achieve this by providing exceptional service, acting with integrity, fostering diversity and inclusion, and contributing positively to the communities it serves. Wells Fargo's extensive product and service portfolio caters to various market segments. The company serves individual consumers, small businesses, corporations, and institutional investors. Its key customers encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from everyday banking customers to high-net-worth individuals and large corporations. Wells Fargo aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers through personalized solutions and innovative offerings. The company has achieved several notable milestones and received recognition for its contributions to the financial industry. Wells Fargo has been ranked as one of the "Big Four Banks" in the United States, alongside JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. It is also recognized as one of the largest banks in the country by total assets, deposits, and market capitalization. Wells Fargo's commitment to delivering quality financial services has earned it a position among the most valuable bank brands. Wells Fargo is led by an experienced and capable management team that guides the company's operations and strategic direction. The leadership team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and extensive finance, banking, technology, risk management, and customer service expertise. The Chief Executive Officer and President of Wells Fargo is Charles W. Scharf, who brings a wealth of experience in the financial industry. The management team also includes key executives such as Michael J. Santomassimo as the Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell as the Chief Operating Officer. Each management team member contributes their professional background, accomplishments, and expertise to ensure the company's success. Wells Fargo has demonstrated consistent financial performance over the years, driven by its diverse business segments and strategic initiatives. The company has reported steady revenue growth, reflecting its ability to attract and retain a large customer base. Wells Fargo's revenue metrics indicate its success in generating income through its various financial services and product offerings. Earnings metrics illustrate the company's profitability and stability. Wells Fargo's focus on prudent risk management practices and diversified revenue streams contributes to its ability to generate sustainable earnings. Profit margin metrics showcase the efficiency of Wells Fargo's operations. The company's ability to manage costs effectively while generating revenue is key to maintaining healthy profit margins. Debt levels play a significant role in evaluating the company's financial position. Wells Fargo's management strives to maintain a conservative approach to managing debt, ensuring a strong balance sheet and financial stability. Wells Fargo's valuation metrics are influenced by a range of factors, including its market position, financial performance, growth prospects, risk profile, and investor sentiment. Factors driving Wells Fargo's valuation include its brand recognition, customer base, diversified business segments, and ability to generate consistent earnings. Changes in investor sentiment, market conditions, and regulatory developments can also impact the company's valuation over time. Investors closely monitor Wells Fargo's stock performance, assessing its ability to deliver value over the long term. The stock has had issues in the past due to news or events that have affected the company's share price, such as regulatory actions, the global pandemic, and strategic initiatives. These factors should be considered in analyzing its market performance. Wells Fargo operates in the highly competitive financial services industry, which is subject to evolving regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Understanding the broader industry in which the company operates is crucial to assessing its competitive positioning. Wells Fargo competes with other major banks and financial institutions domestically and internationally. The company leverages its brand recognition, extensive product and service offerings, customer relationships, and technological capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. However, it also faces challenges such as regulatory compliance, changing customer preferences, and disruptive market forces. Wells Fargo has identified several growth opportunities within its diverse business segments. The company aims to deepen relationships with existing customers, attract new customers and expand its presence in key markets. In consumer banking, Wells Fargo focuses on enhancing digital capabilities, improving customer experience, and providing innovative solutions to meet evolving customer needs. The company seeks to leverage its strong brand and customer base to drive growth and increase customer loyalty. In wealth and investment management, Wells Fargo aims to capitalize on the growing demand for comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. The company's expertise in wealth management positions it well to capture opportunities in an increasingly complex investment landscape. As with any financial institution, Wells Fargo faces various risks and challenges. It is important to comprehensively analyze potential risks and challenges to understand their potential impact on the company's performance. Factors such as regulatory changes, cybersecurity threats, economic downturns, and reputational risks pose challenges to Wells Fargo's operations. The company has implemented robust risk management strategies, invested in technology and security measures, and enhanced compliance frameworks to mitigate these risks. Ongoing efforts to prioritize ethical conduct, transparency, and stakeholder trust are integral to managing risks effectively. 12 hours ago Exxon Mobil or Chevron? Which is the better buy? The answer to whether Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) or Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is a better buy is relative. Exxon was clearly the better buy for investors before the Q3 results were released, but now that those results are in, the tables have turned. While the 2 reported roughly in alignment with each other and analysts targets, there is something wrong with Chevron. Chevrons results highlight why it acquired Hess Corporation and catalyzed a buying opportunity for investors. The takeaway is that Chevron has some hurdles to Read Article Gatos Silver, Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of precious metals. It explores for silver deposits. The company explores for zinc, lead, copper, and gold ores. Its flagship asset is the Los Gatos District, including the Cerro Los Gatos mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. The company was formerly known as Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining Corporation and changed its name to Gatos Silver, Inc. in October 2020. Gatos Silver, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal, hot cereal, and peanut and nut butter. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, and drug store customers, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The Weetabix segment primarily markets and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal, hot cereals and other cereal-based food products, breakfast drinks, and muesli. This segment sells its products to grocery stores, discounters, wholesalers, and convenience stores, as well as through ecommerce. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg and potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. It serves foodservice distributors and national restaurant chains. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dishes, eggs and egg products, sausages, cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products for grocery stores and mass merchandise customers. Post Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri. The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California Inc., AHN Accountable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASC Operators-East Bay LLC, ASC Operators-San Francisco LLC, ASC Operators-San Luis Obispo LLC, ASC Operators-Santa Rosa LLC, ASC Operators-South Bay LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Cornerstone LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Florida LLC, AbleTo Behavioral Health Services P.C., AbleTo Inc., Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting LLC, Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A.S., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Center LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Allina Health Heart and Vascular Surgery Center LLC, Allina Health Surgery Center-Brooklyn Park LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Holdings Inc., AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Kentucky LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, American Physicians Inc., Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Angiografia e Hemodinamica Madre Theodora Ltda., Anne Arundel-SCA Holdings LLC, Anne Arundel-SCA Surgicenter LLC, Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arcadia JV Holdings LLC, Arcadia Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., ArchWell Health LLC, ArchWell Health MSO LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services Holding Co., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Alabama LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services of North Carolina P.C., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Oklahoma LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Arizona LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Nebraska LLC, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., Arlington Surgery Center LLC, Aspectus Inc., Associacao Lusiadas Knowledge Center Health Education and Research, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Aurora Hospitalist P.C., Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Aventura Medical Tower Surgery Center LLC, Avery Parent Holdings Inc., Aveta Inc., AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, BOSC Holdings LLC, BSC Holdings LLC, Ball Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Banmedica Colombia S.A.S., Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Barranca Surgery Center LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings II LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings LLC, Beaver Medical Group P.C., Bedford Physicians Risk Retention Group Inc., Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Beltway Surgery Centers L.L.C., Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Bergan Mercy Surgery Center LLC, Bergen-Passaic Cataract Laser and Surgery Center LLC, Bessler MD PLLC, Bind Benefits Inc., Bind LH Holdings Inc., Bind Re Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Bloomfield ASC LLC, Blue Ridge Day Surgery Center L.P., Blue Ridge GP LLC, Blue Ridge Properties LLC, Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery & Laser Center LTD., Bordeaux Barbados Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings III S.r.l., Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, CCEC Anesthesia Management LLC, CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos Ltda., COI Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill Ambulatory Centers, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardinal Holding Company LLC, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Care Logistics LLC, CareMount Dental Member LLC, CareMount Health Solutions ACO LLC, CareMount Health Solutions Employer LLC, CareMount Health Solutions LLC, CareMount Holding LLC, CareMount Medical Foundation Inc., CareMount Value Partners IPA LLC, Carr PLLC, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Castle Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran 2 Unlimited Company, Catamaran Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Cedar Park JV Partners LLC, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Center for Quality Improvement LLC, Center for Restorative Surgery at Maple Grove LLC, Center for Surgery of North Coast L.P., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, CentriHealth Corporation, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro de Entrenamiento Capacitacion en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada, Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica SpA, Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centura-SCA Holdings LLC, Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Surgery Properties LTD., Charlotte-SC LLC, Chatham Orthopaedic ASC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Claims Management Systems Inc., Cleburne Surgical Center LLC, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinton Partners LLC, Clinica Alameda SpA, Clinica Bio Bio SpA, Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.p.A., Clinica Iquique S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica Portoazul S.A., Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.p.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A.S., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Cobranzas Banmedica SpA, Cogent Healthcare IPA of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare Inc., Cogent Healthcare Management of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Arizona P.C., Cogent Healthcare of California Prof. Corp., Cogent Healthcare of Georgia P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Illinois LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Iowa P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Jackson MS LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Jacksonville LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Missouri Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Montana P.C., Cogent Healthcare of New Jersey P.C., Cogent Healthcare of North Carolina P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Oregon P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Pensacola L.L.C., Cogent Healthcare of Tennessee P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Washington P.C., Cogent Medical Care P.C., Cogent Patient Safety Organization Inc., Cogent/Endion Medical Care of New York P.C., Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada S.A., Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Comprehensive Hospital Physicians of Florida Inc., ConnectYourCare Inc., ConnectYourCare LLC, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Consorcio Regenero S.A., Constructora Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Continuum Physicians Group Inc., Continuum Physicians Group of Washington PLLC, Cornell Surgicenter LLC, Cornerstone Surgery Center LLC, Cornerstone Surgicare LLC, Corpus Christi Endoscopy Center L.L.P., Country Scan Ltda., Critical Care Physician of New York P.C., Critical Care Physicians of Illinois LLC, Critical Care Physicians of New Jersey PC, Critical Care Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Cross Timbers Surgery Center LLC, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DSP Flint Real Estate LLC, DSP-Building C LLC, DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., Dallas Inpatient Specialist PLLC, Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Denton Endoscopy Surgery Center LLC, Denton Surgery Center LLC, Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Digestive Disease Center L.P., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Blocker LLC, Diplomat Corporate Properties LLC, Diplomat Pharmacy, Diplomat Pharmacy Inc., Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Great Lakes Distribution Center LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Chicago LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Los Angeles County LLC, Distance Learning Network Inc., Divisadero Holdings LLC, DocASAP Inc., DocASAP India Technologies Private Limited, DocASAP US LLC, Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duluth Surgical Suites LLC, Durable Medical Equipment Inc., E Street Endoscopy LLC, EM Orange Tree LLC, EP Campus I LLC, EPIC Health Plan, EPIC Management Services LLC, East Bay Endoscopy Center L.P., East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Echo Locum Tenens Inc., Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Emerald Coast Surgery Center L.P., Emisar Pharma Services LLC, Emmaus Holdings LLC, Emmaus Surgical Center LLC, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Empremedica S. A., Endion Hospitalist North P.C., Endion Hospitalist of Western New York P.C., Endion Medical Healthcare P.C., Endion Medical Services P.C., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Everett MSO Inc., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center L.L.C., Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., Eye Specialists Surgery Centers LLC, FMG Holdings LLC, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice Inc., Ferrell Physician Services P.C., Fideicomiso Clinica Barranquilla Portoazul FA-517, First Coast Orthopedic Center LLC, First Family Insurance LLC, Florence Surgery Center L.P., For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fort Sutter Medical Building a California Limited Partnership, Fort Worth Endoscopy Centers LLC, Fortified Provider Network Inc., Foundation Surgery Affiliate General of Huntingdon Valley LLC, Foundation Surgery Affiliate of Huntingdon Valley L.P., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GLBESC LLC, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology Canada Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Gladiolus Surgery Center L.L.C., Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Global One Ventures LLC, Golden Gate Endoscopy Center LLC, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grandview Surgery Center LTD., Greater New Haven ASC LLC, Greensboro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Greenville Surgery Center LLC, Greenway Surgical Suites LLC, Grossmont Surgery Center L.P., Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., H&W Indemnity SPC Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HFHS-SCA Holdings LLC, HMG Holding Corporation, HMG Holdings LLC, HMP of Baltimore USH P.C., Harken Health Insurance Company, Harrison Endo Surgical Center LLC, Hawthorn Place Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hays JV Partners LLC, Hays Surgery Center LLC, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Affiliates Medical Group, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthEast Surgery Center-Maplewood LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Healthplex America LLC, Healthplex Dental Services Inc., Healthplex I.P.A. Inc., Healthplex Inc., Healthplex Insurance Company, Healthplex of CT Inc., Healthplex of DC Inc., Healthplex of MD Inc., Healthplex of ME Inc., Healthplex of NC Inc., Healthplex of NJ Inc., Healthplex of TX Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help Seguros de Vida S.A., Help Service S.A., Help SpA, Hemonefro Hemodialise e Nefrologia Ltda, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Medical S.A., Honodav SpA, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of Broome County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Binghamton P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Buffalo P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Newburgh P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Nyack P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Patchogue P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Goodyear Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Nogales Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Sierra Vista Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Buncombe County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Apple Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Bakersfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Camarillo PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Crescent City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fairfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fremont PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Grass Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Jackson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oceanside PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oxnard PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Salinas PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Leandro PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Sonoma PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Thousand Oaks PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Vacaville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Brighton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Denver PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Manchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Rockville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Wallingford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Palm Coast LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Fredericksburg LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Atlanta PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - East Point PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Lavonia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Savannah PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii - Kealakekua Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho - Nampa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Downers Grove LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Elmhurst LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Rockford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Winfield LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Clinton LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Mishawaka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Terre Haute LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Cedar Rapids PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Mason City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Topeka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - 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Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - 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Akron Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Batavia Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Canton Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati III Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Circleville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Dover Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - East Liverpool Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Fairfield Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Martins Ferry Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - 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Aiken LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina - Rock Hill LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee Columbia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee Franklin PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Amarillo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Atlanta PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Bryan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Burnet PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Cypress PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Dallas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fort Worth II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fort Worth PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fredericksburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Houston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Humble PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Kerrville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Kyle PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Livingston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Lubbock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Lufkin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Mount Pleasant PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Plainview PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Rockwall PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Round Rock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio IV PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio V PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VI PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VII PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Marcos PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Texarkana PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Tyler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Enumclaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Federal Way PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Gig Harbor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Lakewood PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Mount Vernon PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Puyallup PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Vancouver PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington County LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia Martinsburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia South Charleston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia Wheeling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wisconsin Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming - Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc.. Read More Cactus, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells a range of wellheads and pressure control equipment in the United States, Australia, China, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company's principal products include Cactus SafeDrill wellhead systems, Cactus SafeLink monobore, SafeClamp, and SafeInject systems, as well as frac stacks, zipper manifolds, and production trees. It also provides field services, such as 24-hour service crews to assist with the installation, maintenance, repair, and safe handling of the wellhead and pressure control equipment; and repair and refurbishment services. The company sells or rents its products for onshore unconventional oil and gas wells for drilling, completion, and production phases of the wells. Cactus, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The North West Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The Canadian operations comprises Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; solo market, a store in remote market; Pharmacy and Convenience stores; and North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands. The Canadian operations also provides contract tele-pharmacist services to rural hospitals and health centers; water and air-based transportation services; and produce and fresh meats to independent grocery stores. The international operations include Alaska Commercial Company stores that provides food and general merchandise to remote and rural regions; Cost-U-Less mid-size warehouse stores, which offers discount food and general merchandise; Quickstop convenience stores; Riteway food markets; and Pacific Alaska wholesale, a distributor to independent grocery stores, commercial accounts, and individual households in rural Alaska. The North West Company Inc. was founded in 1668 and is based in Winnipeg, Canada. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2023. All rights reserved. 2023 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see Barchart's disclaimer. Dollar General Corporation is a leading variety store chain in the United States. The company operates over 17,000 stores across 46 states, offering a wide range of merchandise at affordable prices. Dollar General's mission is to provide convenience and value to its customers by offering a selection of everyday essentials and household products. The company aims to serve as the customer's first choice for daily needs. Headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Dollar General serves a diverse customer base, including rural and suburban communities. The company's stores are strategically located to provide easy access to essential products for customers across different demographic segments. Dollar General offers a broad assortment of national name brands and private-label products in categories such as food, cleaning supplies, health and beauty, household items, apparel, and more. Key customers of Dollar General include value-conscious consumers who prioritize affordability and convenience. The company caters to individuals and families seeking to stretch their budgets without compromising on the quality of essential items. Dollar General's stores are designed to provide a convenient shopping experience, focusing on accessible locations, well-organized aisles, and friendly customer service. Dollar General is led by a capable, experienced management team that drives the company's strategic vision and operational excellence. Jeffery Owen has been with Dollar General since 1992 and has held various leadership positions. He brings extensive retail experience and a deep understanding of the business. Emily Taylor leads Dollar General's merchandising strategies and category management. She focuses on delivering a compelling assortment of products to meet customer needs. Dollar General has demonstrated strong financial performance over the years, showcasing its ability to navigate changing market conditions and deliver value to its stakeholders. Dollar General reported annual sales that have increased yearly, highlighting its position as a significant player in the variety store industry. The company has consistently achieved revenue growth driven by its expanding store network and comparable store sales growth. Dollar General's valuation aligns with industry peers, indicating a reasonable market perception of its future earnings potential. The company's price-to-earnings-growth suggests that investors have confidence in its ability to generate sustainable growth. Dollar General has maintained healthy profit margins, with over five percent net margin. These metrics reflect the company's efficient cost management and operational effectiveness. The company has managed its debt levels with a debt-to-equity ratio, indicating a balanced capital structure. Dollar General's current debt ratio signifies its ability to meet short-term financial obligations, while its quick ratio reflects its solid liquidity position. Dollar General operates in the variety store industry, which is highly competitive and characterized by a fragmented market. The industry encompasses various players offering similar merchandise and targeting similar customer segments. Key competitors of Dollar General include other discount retailers, dollar stores, and supermarkets. The variety store industry is influenced by changing consumer preferences, economic conditions, and regulatory policies. Dollar General has a competitive advantage in its extensive store network, strong brand recognition, and ability to offer a wide assortment of products at competitive prices. The company's focus on convenience and value positions it well in the industry. Dollar General has several growth opportunities to explore in the coming years. The company can capitalize on its existing store base by optimizing store layouts, enhancing the customer experience, and expanding its product offerings. Additionally, Dollar General can explore new markets and demographics, including urban areas and underserved communities. The company can also leverage its strong supply chain and distribution capabilities to improve operational efficiency and expand its private-label product lines. Moreover, Dollar General may consider strategic acquisitions or partnerships to enhance its market position and enter new markets. Dollar General faces certain risks and challenges that could impact its performance. Changes in consumer preferences, economic downturns, and increased competition are potential risks that could affect the company's sales and profitability. Moreover, regulatory changes, particularly in labor and environmental regulations, could impose additional costs and operational complexities. To mitigate these risks, Dollar General maintains a strong focus on understanding customer needs, adapting its product assortment, and implementing effective marketing strategies. The company also invests in employee training and development for excellent customer service. Furthermore, Dollar General monitors industry and regulatory trends to address potential challenges proactively. American Express Company is a multinational financial services company based in New York City. The company provides credit cards, charge cards, traveler's cheques and other financial services to individuals and businesses worldwide. Founded in 1850, American Express has been a pioneer in the credit card industry and has developed a reputation for offering premium products and services that cater to high-income consumers. The company operates in over 130 countries and employs over 75,000 people globally. Stephen J. Squeri has served as American Express Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2018, succeeding Kenneth I. Chenault. Squeri joined the company in 1985 and has held various leadership positions. He is credited with leading the company's digital transformation and developing new partnerships with technology companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon. Other key management team members include Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey C. Campbell and Vice Chairman Douglas E. Buckminster. American Express has consistently generated strong financial results, with revenue increasing consistently over the past few years. The company's net income has also grown during this same time frame. The company's profit margin has remained relatively stable at around 14%. American Express has maintained a strong balance sheet, with a debt-to-equity ratio and a price-to-book ratio consistent with industry averages. Over the past couple of years, American Express' stock has performed well, leading its industry peers. The credit card industry is highly competitive, with a few prominent players dominating the market. American Express competes with other major credit card companies, such as Visa and Mastercard and banks that issue private-label credit cards. The industry has been growing steadily, with global credit card transactions expected to reach $8.8 trillion by 2025. However, the industry faces several challenges, including increasing regulatory scrutiny and the threat of disruption from fintech startups. American Express has several growth opportunities, including expanding its presence in international markets and developing new partnerships with technology companies. The company has made significant progress in these areas, with global revenue growth from 2016 to 2022. American Express has also partnered with companies such as Uber, Marriott and Delta Airlines to offer unique benefits to its cardholders. Additionally, the company has been investing in its digital capabilities by launching its digital wallet and mobile app. Despite its stable financial performance and growth opportunities, American Express faces several risks and challenges. The company's high-end products and services may be vulnerable to changes in consumer preferences, and the company may need help to appeal to younger generations who prefer debit cards and mobile payments. Additionally, American Express is subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny, with regulators monitoring the company's anti-money laundering practices and compliance with consumer protection laws. The company's debt levels and dependence on the global economy also pose risks, as a recession or economic downturn could impact its profitability. Another major challenge for American Express is the increasing competition from fintech startups, disrupting the traditional credit card industry by offering innovative products and services. These startups are often more agile and adaptable than established companies like American Express and may be able to offer more attractive rewards and lower fees to customers. To stay competitive, American Express must continue to innovate and develop new products and services that cater to changing customer preferences. Polaris Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel. It also provides ORV accessories comprising winches, bumper/brushguards, plows, racks, wheels and tires, pull-behinds, cab systems, lighting and audio systems, cargo box accessories, tracks, and oil; snowmobile accessories, which include covers, traction products, reverse kits, electric starters, tracks, bags, windshields, oil, and lubricants; and motorcycle accessories, such as saddle bags, handlebars, backrests, exhausts, windshields, seats, oil, and various chrome accessories. In addition, the company offers light duty hauling and passenger vehicles; gear and apparel, such as helmets, goggles, jackets, gloves, boots, bibs, hats, pants, and leathers; and pontoon and deck boats. It provides its products through dealers and distributors, and online; and retail and e-commerce sites. The company was formerly known as Polaris Industries Inc. Polaris Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Medina, Minnesota. Zurich Insurance Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance products and related services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Property & Casualty Regions, Life Regions, Farmers, Group Functions and Operations, and Non-Core Businesses segments. It offers car, home, travel, general liability, life and critical illness, health, and other insurance products; and saving and investment, and pension and retirement planning products. The company also provides property, casualty, commercial management liability, professional indemnity, credit risk, marine, cyber risk, corporate accident and business travel, and financial institution insurance products. In addition, it offers employee benefit insurance products; reinsurance services; risk management and climate change resilience services; and non-claims and ancillary services to the farmers' exchanges. The company serves individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, as well as multinational corporations. It sells its products through agents, brokers, and bank distribution channels. Zurich Insurance Group AG was founded in 1872 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland. Snam S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of natural gas transport and storage infrastructure in Italy. The company operates through Transportation, Storage, Regasification, Energy Transition, and other segments. It provides natural gas transportation and dispatching services; and owns and manages LNG regasification plants. The company also offers natural gas storage services through an integrated group of infrastructure comprising deposits, wells, gas treatment and compression plants, and the operational dispatching systems; and operates storage concessions in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and in Abruzzo. In addition, it engages in the rental and maintenance of fibre optic telecommunications cables, as well as energy efficiency solutions for residential, industrial, tertiary, and public administration sectors; and management of biogas and biomethane plants. Further, the company offers engineering and project management services. It also operates in Albania, Saudi Arabia, Austria, China, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, Greece, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The company was formerly known as Snam Rete Gas S.p.A. and changed its name to Snam S.p.A. in January 2012. Snam S.p.A. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in San Donato Milanese, Italy. Parker-Hannifin Corporation manufactures and sells motion and control technologies and systems for various mobile, industrial, and aerospace markets worldwide. The company operates through two segments: Diversified Industrial and Aerospace Systems. The Diversified Industrial segment offers sealing, shielding, thermal products and systems, adhesives, coatings, and noise vibration and harshness solutions; filters, systems, and diagnostics solutions to ensure purity and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors used in fluid and gas handling; and hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical components and systems for builders and users of mobile and industrial machinery and equipment. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and distributors who serve the replacement markets in manufacturing, packaging, processing, transportation, construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, agricultural, and military machinery and equipment industries. The Aerospace Systems segment offers products for use in commercial and military airframe and engine programs, such as control actuation systems and components, engine build-up ducting, engine exhaust nozzles and assemblies, engine systems and components, fluid conveyance systems and components, fuel systems and components, fuel tank inerting systems, hydraulic systems and components, lubrication components, avionics, sensors, pneumatic control components, thermal management products, fire detection and suppression systems and components, and wheels and brakes, as well as fluid metering, delivery, and atomization devices. This segment markets its products directly to OEMs and end users. The company markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, and sales representatives. Parker-Hannifin Corporation was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The following companies are subsidiares of Tenet Healthcare: 45th Street MOB LLC, 601 N 30th Street I L.L.C., 601 N 30th Street II L.L.C., 601 N 30th Street III Inc., AHM Acquisition Co. Inc., AIG Holdings LLC, AIGB Global LLC, AIGB Group Inc., AIGB Holdings Inc., AIGB Management Services LLC, AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #3 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #4 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #5 L.L.C., AMI Information Systems Group Inc., AMI/HTI Tarzana Encino Joint Venture, APN, ARC Worcester Center L.P., ASC Old Co. LP, ASC of New Jersey LLC, ASJH Joint Venture LLC, Abrazo Health Network EP Clinical Services LLC, Abrazo Surgical Outpatient Center LLC, Advanced Ambulatory Surgical Care L.P., Advanced Center for Surgery Vero Beach LLC, Advanced Regional Surgery Center LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Bethesda LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Metairie LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Northern Louisiana LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Sarasota LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Tampa LLC, Advanced Surgical Care of Lutz LLC, Advanced Surgical Care of St Louis LLC, Advanced Surgical Concepts LLC, Advantage Health Care Management Company LLC, Advantage Health Network Inc., AdventHealth Surgery Center Celebration LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Mills Park LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Wellswood LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Winter Garden LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Centers Central Florida LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Centers West Florida LLC, Alabama Cardiovascular Associates L.L.C., Alabama Digestive Health Endoscopy Center L.L.C., Alabama Hand and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Alamo Heights Surgicare L.P., Alliance Surgery Birmingham LLC, Alliance Surgery Inc., Alvarado Hospital Medical Center Inc., Ambulatory Surgical Associates LLC, Ambulatory Surgical Center of Somerville LLC, American Institute of Gastric Banding Ltd., American Institute of Gastric Banding Phoenix Limited Partnership, American Medical Inc., Amisub Inc., Amisub Inc., Amisub of California Inc., Amisub of North Carolina Inc., Amisub of South Carolina Inc., Amisub of Texas Inc., Anaheim Hills Medical Imaging L.L.C., Anaheim MRI Holding Inc., Anesthesia Partners of Gallatin LLC, Arizona Care Network Next L.L.C., Arizona Health Partners LLC, Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital LLC, Ascension Saint Thomas Lebanon Surgery Center LLC, Asia Outsourcing US Inc., Aspen Healthcare, Atlanta Medical Center Inc., Atlanta Medical Center Interventional Neurology Associates L.L.C., Atlanta Medical Center Neurosurgical & Spine Specialists L.L.C., Atlanta Medical Center Physician Group L.L.C., Atlantic Coast Surgical Suites LLC, Atlantic Health-USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Avita/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., BBH BMC LLC, BBH CBMC LLC, BBH DevelopmentCo LLC, BBH NP Clinicians Inc., BBH PBMC LLC, BBH SBMC LLC, BBH WBMC LLC, BCDC EmployeeCO LLC, BHC-Talladega Pediatrics LLC, BHS Accountable Care LLC, BHS Affinity LLC, BHS Integrated Physician Partners LLC, BHS Physician Performance Network LLC, BHS Physicians Alliance for ACE LLC, BHS Physicians Network Inc., BHS Specialty Network Inc., BT East Dallas JV LLP, BW Cardiology LLC, BW Cyberknife LLC, BW Hand Practice LLC, BW Office Buildings LLC, BW Parking Decks LLC, BW Physician Practices LLC, BW Retail Pharmacy LLC, BW Sports Practice LLC, Baptist Accountable Care LLC, Baptist Diagnostics LLC, Baptist Health Centers LLC, Baptist Physician Alliance ACO LLC, Baptist Physician Alliance LLC, Baptist Plaza Surgicare L.P., Baptist Surgery Center L.P., Baptist Womens Health Center LLC, Baptist/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Bartlett ASC LLC, Beaumont Surgical Affiliates Ltd., Berkshire Eye LLC, Bloomington ASC LLC, Blue Ridge/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Bluffton Okatie Primary Care L.L.C., Bluffton Okatie Surgery Center L.L.C., Braselton Endoscopy Center LLC, Briarcliff Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Bristol Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Broad River Primary Care L.L.C., Brookwood Ancillary Holdings Inc., Brookwood Baptist Health 1 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 2 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 3 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Imaging LLC, Brookwood Center Development Corporation, Brookwood Development Inc., Brookwood Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Brookwood Garages L.L.C., Brookwood Health Services Inc., Brookwood Home Health LLC, Brookwood Occupational Health Clinic L.L.C., Brookwood Parking Associates Ltd., Brookwood Primary Care Cahaba Heights L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Hoover L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care The Narrows L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Homewood L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Inverness L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Mountain Brook L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Oak Mountain L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Vestavia L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Network Care Inc., Brookwood Specialty Care Endocrinology L.L.C., Brookwood Sports and Orthopedics L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Care L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Diagnostic Center LLC, Brookwood Maternal Fetal Medicine L.L.C., Brownsville Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, C7 Technologies LLC, CGH GP Inc., CGH Hospital Ltd., CHIC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CHN Holdings LLC, CHVI Tucson Holdings LLC, CML-Chicago Market Labs Inc., CRNAs of Michigan, CS/USP General Partner LLC, CS/USP Surgery Centers LP, Camp Creek Urgent Care L.L.C., Camp Lowell Surgery Center L.L.C., Cardiology Physicians Associates L.L.C., Cardiology Physicians Corporation L.L.C., Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Associates L.L.C., Cardiovascular Clinical Excellence at Sierra Providence LLC, CareSpot of Austin LLC, CareSpot of Memphis LLC, Carmel Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Castle Rock Surgery Center LLC, Catawba-Piedmont Cardiothoracic Surgery L.L.C., Cedar Hill Primary Care L.L.C., Cedar Park Surgery Center L.L.P., Center for Advanced Research Excellence L.L.C., Center for the Urban Child Inc., Central Carolina Physicians Sandhills L.L.C., Central Carolina-IMA L.L.C., Central Jersey Surgery Center LLC, Central Texas Corridor Hospital Company LLC, Central Valley Quality Alliance LLC, Central Virginia Surgi-Center L.P., Centura Ventures Surgery Centers LLC, Centura/USP Colorado Springs Surgery Centers L.L.C., Chalon Living Inc., Chandler Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Endoscopic Surgery Center LLC, Chattanooga Pain Management Center LLC, Chesterfield Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Chico Surgery Center L.P., Clarksville Surgery Center LLC, Coast Healthcare Management LLC, Coast Surgery Center L.P., Coastal Carolina Medical Center, Coastal Carolina Medical Center Inc., Coastal Carolina Physician Practices LLC, Coastal Carolina Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Colorado GI Centers LLC, Commonwealth Continental Health Care Inc., Community Connection Health Plan Inc., Community Hospital of Los Gatos Inc., Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of Asheville LLC, Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of Odessa LLC, Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of Raleigh LLC, Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of St. Petersburg LLC, Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of Tampa LLC, Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of Waco LLC, Compass Surgical Partners Holdings of Winston-Salem LLC, Conifer Care Continuum Solutions LLC, Conifer Ethics and Compliance Inc., Conifer Global Business Center Inc., Conifer Global Holdings Inc., Conifer Health Solutions LLC, Conifer Holdings Inc., Conifer Patient Communications LLC, Conifer Physician Services Holdings Inc., Conifer Physician Services Inc., Conifer Revenue Cycle Solutions LLC, Conifer Value-Based Care LLC, Conroe Surgery Center 2 LLC, Coral Ridge Outpatient Center LLC, Corpus Christi Surgicare Ltd., Covenant/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CreAtiv Management Company Inc., Creekwood Surgery Center L.P., Crown Point Surgery Center LLC, DH/USP SJOSC Investment Company L.L.C., DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Education & Research, DMC Harper University Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, DMC Imaging L.L.C., DeTar/USP Surgery Center LLC, Delray Beach ASC LLC, Delray Medical Center Inc., Delray Medical Physician Services L.L.C., Denville Surgery Center LLC, Des Peres Physician Network LLC, Desert Regional Medical Center Inc., Desert Ridge Outpatient Surgery LLC, Desoto Surgicare Partners Ltd., Destin Surgery Center LLC, Detroit Education & Research, DigitalMed Inc., Dignity/Abrazo Health Network LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers II LLC, Doctors Hospital of Manteca Inc., Doctors Medical Center Neurosciences Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center Orthopedics Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center of Modesto Inc., Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center of Jupiter L.L.C., EPHC Inc., EPIC ASC LLC, East Atlanta Endoscopy Centers LLC, East Cobb Urgent Care LLC, East Cooper Coastal Family Physicians L.L.C., East Cooper Community Hospital Inc., East Cooper Hyperbarics L.L.C., East Cooper OB/GYN L.L.C., East Cooper Physician Network LLC, East Cooper Primary Care Physicians L.L.C., East West Surgery Center L.P., Eastgate Building Center L.L.C., El Mirador Surgery Center L.L.C., El Paso Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy LLC, El Paso Day Surgery LLC, El Paso Urology Surgery Center Curie LLC, Emanate/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Emanuel Medical Center, Emerus BHS/SA NW Military LLC, Emerus BHS/SA Southside LLC, Emerus/BHS SA Hausman LLC, Emerus/BHS SA Kelly LLC, Emerus/BHS SA LLC, Emerus/BHS SA Overlook Parkway LLC, Emerus/BHS SA Schertz LLC, Emerus/BHS SA Thousand Oaks LLC, Emerus/BHS SA Westover Hills LLC, Encinitas Endoscopy Center LLC, Endoscopy Consultants LLC, Enterprise Research Solutions LLC, European Surgical Partners Ltd., Eye Center of Nashville UAP LLC, Eye Surgery Center of Nashville LLC, FMC Medical Inc., FMCC Network Contracting L.L.C., FREH Real Estate L.L.C., FRS Imaging Services L.L.C., First Choice Physician Partners, Flatirons Surgery Center LLC, Fort Bend Clinical Services Inc., Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate LP, Foundation Bariatric Hospital of San Antonio LLC, Foundation San Antonio Borrower Sub LLC, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, Fountain Valley Surgery Center LLC, Franklin Endo UAP LLC, Franklin Endoscopy Center LLC, Frontenac Ambulatory Surgery & Spine Care Center L.P., Frye Regional Medical Center Inc., FryeCare Boone L.L.C., FryeCare Morganton L.L.C., FryeCare Physicians L.L.C., FryeCare Valdese L.L.C., FryeCare Watauga L.L.C., FryeCare Womens Services L.L.C., GAB Endoscopy Center LLC, GCSA Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, GIA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Gainesville Endoscopy ASC LLC, Gainesville Endoscopy Center LLC, Gamma Surgery Center LLC, Gardendale Surgical Associates LLC, Gastric Health Institute L.L.C., Georgia Endoscopy Center LLC, Georgia Gifts From Grace L.L.C., Georgia Musculoskeletal Network Inc., Georgia North Fulton Healthcare Associates L.L.C., Georgia Northside Ear Nose and Throat L.L.C., Georgia Physicians of Cardiology L.L.C., Georgia Spectrum Neurosurgical Specialists L.L.C., Glen Echo Surgery Center LLC, Golden Ridge ASC LLC, Good Samaritan Medical Center Inc., Good Samaritan Surgery L.L.C., Graystone Family Healthcare Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Great Lakes Surgical Suites LLC, Greater Dallas Healthcare Enterprises, Greater Northwest Houston Enterprises, Greenville Physicians Surgery Center LLP, Greenwood ASC LLC, Greystone Internal Medicine Brookwood L.L.C., Gulf Coast Community Hospital Inc., HC Hialeah Holdings Inc., HCH Tucson Holdings LLC, HCN EP Horizon City LLC, HCN EP Lee Trevino LLC, HCN EP Northeast LLC, HCN EP Sunland Park LLC, HCN Emerus El Paso LLC, HCN Emerus Management Sub LLC, HCN Emerus Texas LLC, HCN Laboratories Inc., HCN Physicians Inc., HCN Surgery Center Holdings Inc., HDMC Holdings L.L.C., HKRI Holdings LLC, HMHP/USP Surgery Centers LLC, HNMC Inc., HNW GP Inc., HNW LP Inc., HSRM International Inc., HSS Palm Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, HSS/USP Surgery Center LLC, Hagerstown Surgery Center LLC, Harbor Heights Surgery Center LLC, Hardeeville Medical Group L.L.C., Hardeeville Primary Care L.L.C., Harlingen Physician Network Inc., Harper-Hutzel AHP Services Inc., Harvard Park Surgery Center LLC, Haymarket Surgery Center LLC, Health & Wellness Surgery Center L.P., Health Horizons of Kansas City Inc., Health Horizons of Murfreesboro Inc., Health Horizons/Piedmont Joint Venture LLC, Health Services CFMC Inc., Health Services HNMC Inc., Health Services Network Care Inc., Health Services Network Hospitals Inc., Health Services Network Texas Inc., HealthCorp Network Inc., Healthcare Compliance LLC, Healthcare Network Alabama Inc., Healthcare Network CFMC Inc., Healthcare Network DPH Inc., Healthcare Network Georgia Inc., Healthcare Network Holdings Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals Inc., Healthcare Network Louisiana Inc., Healthcare Network Missouri Inc., Healthcare Network North Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network South Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network Tennessee Inc., Healthcare Network Texas Inc., Healthcare SMG I L.L.C., Healthcare SMG II L.L.C., Healthcare SMG IV L.L.C., Healthcare UC Holdings Inc., Healthmark Partners Inc., Healthpoint of North Carolina L.L.C., Heart and Vascular Institute of Michigan, Hialeah Real Properties Inc., Hickory Family Practice Associates - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Hill Country ASC Partners LLC, Hill Country Surgery Center LLC, Hilton Head Health System L.P., Hilton Head Regional Healthcare L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional OB/GYN Partners L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional Physician Network LLC, Hilton Head Regional Physician Network Georgia L.L.C., Hitchcock State Street Real Estate Inc., Holston Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Holy Cross Hospital Inc., Home Health Partners of San Antonio LLC, Hoover Doctors Group Inc., Hoover Land LLC, Hospital Development of West Phoenix Inc., Hospital RCM Services LLC, Houston Northwest Partners Ltd., Houston PSC L.P., Houston Specialty Hospital Inc., Houston Sunrise Investors Inc., Hyde Park Surgery Center LLC, Imaging Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., InforMed Insurance Services LLC, International Health and Wellness Inc., Intracoastal Surgery Center LLC, JFK Memorial Hospital Inc., Jacksonville Endoscopy Centers LLC, Journey Home Healthcare of San Antonio LLC, KHS Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, KHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Kingsport Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Laguna Medical Systems Inc., Lake Endoscopy Center LLC, Lake Health Care Facilities Inc., LakeFront Medical Associates LLC, Lakewood Regional Medical Center Inc., Lancaster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Lebanon Endoscopy Center LLC, Legacy Warren Partners L.P., Leonardtown Surgery Center LLC, Lifemark Hospitals Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Florida Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Louisiana Inc., Longleaf Surgery Center LLC, Los Alamitos Medical Center Inc., Lubbock ASC Holding Co LLC, MASC Partners LLC, MH/USP Bay Area LLC, MH/USP Brazoria LLC, MH/USP Kingsland LLC, MH/USP Kingwood LLC, MH/USP Kirby LLC, MH/USP Main Street LLC, MH/USP North Freeway LLC, MH/USP North Houston LLC, MH/USP Richmond LLC, MH/USP Sugar Land LLC, MH/USP TMC Endoscopy LLC, MH/USP West Houston L.L.C., MH/USP Woodlands Parkway LLC, MSV Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MVH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MacNeal Management Services Inc., MacNeal Medical Records Inc., MacNeal Physicians Group LLC, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of San Luis Obispo Inc., Magnolia Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Manchester Ambulatory Surgery Center LP, Maple Lawn Surgery Center LLC, Marion Surgery Center LLC, Mason Ridge Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., McLaren ASC of Flint LLC, Meadowcrest Hospital LLC, Medical House Staffing LLC, Medplex Outpatient Medical Centers Inc., Medplex Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Memorial Hermann Bay Area Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann Endoscopy & Surgery Center North Houston L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Endoscopy Center North Freeway LLC, Memorial Hermann Specialty Hospital Kingwood L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Surgical Hospital L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Brazoria LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Cypress LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kingsland L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kirby LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Main Street LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Pinecroft LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Preston Road Ltd., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Richmond LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Woodlands Parkway LLC, Memorial Hermann Texas International Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann West Houston Surgery Center LLC, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers II L.P., Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers IV LLP, Memorial Surgery Center LLC, Memphis Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., Memphis Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., Metro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Metro Surgery Center LLC, MetroWest HomeCare & Hospice LLC, Metropolitan Medical Partners LLC, Miami Surgical Suites LLC, Michigan Pioneer ACO LLC, Michigan Regional Imaging LLC, Mid Rivers Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mid State Endo UAP LLC, Mid-State Endoscopy Center LLC, Middle Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Midland Memorial/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Midland Texas Surgical Center LLC, Midwest Digestive Health Center LLC, Midwest Pharmacies Inc., Midwest Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Millennium Surgical Center LLC, Minimally Invasive Surgicenter LLC, Minimally Invasive Surgicenter of Delray LLC, Mobile Imaging Management LLC, Mobile Technology Management LLC, Modesto Radiology Imaging Inc., Monocacy Surgery Center LLC, Mountain Empire Surgery Center L.P., Munster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Murdock Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, NICH GP Holdings LLC, NKCH/USP Briarcliff GP LLC, NKCH/USP Liberty GP LLC, NKCH/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., NMC Lessor L.P., NMC Surgery Center L.P., NME Headquarters Inc., NME Properties Corp., NME Properties Inc., NME Property Holding Co. Inc., NME Psychiatric Hospitals Inc., NME Rehabilitation Properties Inc., NS Medical Billing Center L.L.C., NSCH GP Holdings LLC, NSCH/USP Desert Surgery Centers L.L.C., NSMC Holdings Inc., NSN Revenue Resources LLC, NUCH of Georgia L.L.C., NUCH of Massachusetts LLC, NUCH of Michigan Inc., Nacogdoches ASC-LP Inc., National ASC Inc., National Ancillary Inc., National Diagnostic Imaging Centers Inc., National HHC Inc., National Home Health Holdings Inc., National ICN Inc., National Imaging Center Holdings Inc., National Medical Services II Inc., National Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., National Surgery Center Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Inc., Network Management Associates Inc., New Dimensions LLC, New England Physician Performance Network LLC, New H Acute Inc., New Horizons Surgery Center LLC, New Medical Horizons II Ltd., Newhope Imaging Center Inc., North Anaheim Surgery Center LLC, North Atlantic Surgical Suites LLC, North Campus Surgery Center LLC, North Carolina Community Family Medicine L.L.C., North Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, North Fulton Cardiovascular Medicine L.L.C., North Fulton Hospitalist Group L.L.C., North Fulton Medical Center Inc., North Fulton Primary Care - Willeo Rd. L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Windward Parkway L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Wylie Bridge L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care Associates L.L.C., North Fulton Pulmonary Specialists L.L.C., North Fulton Womens Consultants L.L.C., North Haven Surgery Center LLC, North Miami Medical Center Ltd., North Shore Same Day Surgery L.L.C., North Shore Surgical Suites LLC, NorthPointe Surgical Suites LLC, NorthShore/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Northridge Surgery Center L.P., Northwest Georgia Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Regional ASC LLC, Northwest Regional Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgery Center Ltd., Novant Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Novant/UVA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Okatie Surgical Partners L.L.C., Old Tesson Surgery Center L.P., Olive Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Olive Branch Urgent Care #1 LLC, Ophthalmology Anesthesia Services LLC, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Orlando LLC, Optimum Spine Center LLC, OrNda Healthcorp, OrNda Hospital Corporation, Orlando Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., OrthoArizona Surgery Center Gilbert LLC, OrthoLink ASC Corporation, OrthoLink Physicians Corporation, OrthoLink Radiology Services Corporation, OrthoLink/ Georgia ASC Inc., OrthoLink/New Mexico ASC Inc., Orthopedic Associates of the Lowcountry L.L.C., Oxford Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, PAHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, PDN L.L.C., PHPS Inc., PHPS-CHM Acquisition Inc., PM CyFair Land Partners LLC, PMC Physician Network L.L.C., PSS Patient Solution Services LLC, Pacific Endo-Surgical Center L.P., Pacific Endoscopy and Surgery Center LLC, Paley Institute Global LLC, Palm Beach Gardens Community Hospital Inc., Palm Beach International Surgery Center LLC, Park Plaza Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., ParkCreek ASC LLC, Parkwest Surgery Center L.P., Patient Partners LLC, Peak Gastroenterology ASC LLC, Pediatric Surgery Center Odessa LLC, Pediatric Surgery Centers LLC, Physician Performance Network L.L.C., Physician Performance Network of Arizona LLC, Physician Performance Network of South Carolina LLC, Physician Performance Network of Tucson LLC, Physicians Performance Network of Houston, Physicians Performance Network of North Texas, Physicians Surgery Center of Tempe LLC, Physicians Surgery Center of Chattanooga L.L.C., Physicians Surgery Center of Knoxville LLC, Piccard Surgery Center LLC, Piedmont ASC LLC, Piedmont Behavioral Medicine Associates LLC, Piedmont Cardiovascular Physicians L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina OB/GYN of York County L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina Vascular Surgery L.L.C., Piedmont East Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Piedmont Express Care at Sutton Road L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Rock Hill L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Tega Cay L.L.C., Piedmont General Surgery Associates L.L.C., Piedmont Internal Medicine at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Physician Network LLC, Piedmont Pulmonology L.L.C., Piedmont Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care and Industrial Health Centers Inc., Piedmont/Carolinas Radiation Therapy LLC, Placentia-Linda Hospital Inc., Pleasanton Diagnostic Imaging Inc., Point of Rocks Surgery Center LLC, Porter Musculoskeletal Surgery Center LLC, Potomac View Surgery Center LLC, Practice Partners Management L.P., Premier ACO Physicians Network LLC, Premier ASC LLC, Premier Adult and Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Premier Endoscopy ASC LLC, Premier Health Plan Services Inc., Premier Medical Specialists L.L.C., Prince William Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Professional Anesthesia Services LLC, Pros Temporary Staffing Inc., Providence/UCLA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Providence/USP Santa Clarita GP LLC, Providence/USP South Bay Surgery Centers L.L.C., Providence/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Pueblo Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, R.H.S.C. El Paso Inc., RE Plano Med Inc., RHC Parkway Inc., RLC LLC, Reading Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Reading Endoscopy Center LLC, Reagan Street Surgery Center LLC, Red Cedar Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Surgery Center LLC, Republic Health Corporation of Rockwall County, Resolute Health Physicians Network Inc., Resolute Hospital Company LLC, Resurgens Surgery Center LLC, Rheumatology Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Rio Grande Valley Indigent Health Care Corporation, Riva Road Surgery Center LLC, River North Same Day Surgery L.L.C., Riverside Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Rock Bridge Surgical Institute L.L.C., Rock Hill Surgery Center LLC, Rockville Surgical Suites LLC, Rocky Mountain Endoscopy Centers LLC, Roswell Surgery Center L.L.C., SCNRE LLC, SFMP Inc., SFMPE - Crittenden L.L.C., SL-HLC Inc., SLH Physicians L.L.C., SLH Vista Inc., SLPA ACO LLC, SLUH Anesthesia Physicians L.L.C., SMSJ Imaging Company LLC, SMSJ Tucson Holdings LLC, SRRMC Management Inc., SSI Holdings Inc., Safety Harbor ASC Company LLC, Saint Francis Cardiology Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis Cardiovascular Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Center for Surgical Weight Loss L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Medicare ACO LLC, Saint Francis Hospital Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Inc., Saint Francis Medical Partners East L.L.C., Saint Francis Medical Partners General Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis Quality Alliance LLC, Saint Francis Surgery Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Surgical Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis-Arkansas Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis-Bartlett Physician Network LLC, Saint Thomas Campus Surgicare L.P., Saint Thomas Surgery Center New Salem LLC, Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Baptist Plaza L.L.C., Saint Vincent Physician Services Inc., Salmon Surgery Center LLC, Same Day Management L.L.C., Same Day Surgery L.L.C., San Antonio Endoscopy L.P., San Fernando Valley Surgery Center L.P., San Gabriel Valley Surgical Center L.P., San Ramon ASC L. P., San Ramon Ambulatory Care LLC, San Ramon Network Joint Venture LLC, San Ramon Regional Medical Center LLC, Santa Barbara Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Santa Clarita Surgery Center L.P., Savannah Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Schertz Surgery Center LLC, Scottsdale Endoscopy ASC LLC, Scripps/USP Surgery Centers 2 LLC, Seaside Surgery Center LLC, Shelby Baptist Affinity LLC, Shelby Baptist Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Shore Outpatient Surgicenter L.L.C., Shoreline Real Estate Partnership LLP, Shoreline Surgery Center LLP, Sierra Providence Health Network Inc., Sierra Providence Healthcare Enterprises, Sierra Vista Hospital Inc., Sierra Vista Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Sinai-Grace Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, Solantic Development LLC, Solantic Holdings Corporation, South Carolina East Cooper Surgical Specialists L.L.C., South Carolina Health Services LLC, South Carolina SeWee Family Medicine L.L.C., South County Outpatient Endoscopy Services L.P., South Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, South Florida Ambulatory Surgical Center LLC, South Fulton Health Care Centers Inc., South Plains Endoscopy Associates LLC, SouthCare Physicians Group Neurology L.L.C., SouthCare Physicians Group Obstetrics & Gynecology L.L.C., Southeast Ohio Surgical Suites LLC, Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Southern States Physician Operations Inc., Southwest Childrens Hospital LLC, Southwest Endoscopy LLC, Southwestern Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Spalding Regional Medical Center Inc., Spalding Regional OB/GYN L.L.C., Spalding Regional Physician Services L.L.C., Specialty Surgicenters Inc., Springfield Service Holding Corporation, St. Augustine Endoscopy Center LLC, St. Christophers Pediatric Urgent Care Center - Allentown L.L.C, St. Josephs Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Josephs Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, St. Louis Physician Alliance LLC, St. Louis Surgical Center LC, St. Louis Urology Center LLC, St. Lukes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, St. Marys Hospital Cardiovascular Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Levee Company LLC, St. Marys Medical Center Inc., St. Vincent Health/USP LLC, St. Vincent/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Suburban Endoscopy Center LLC, Summit View Surgery Center LLC, Sun View Imaging L.L.C., SurgCenter Camelback LLC, SurgCenter Clearwater LLC, SurgCenter Development, SurgCenter Northeast LLC, SurgCenter Pinellas LLC, SurgCenter Tucson LLC, SurgCenter at Paradise Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Deer Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Glen Burnie LLC, SurgCenter of Greater Dallas LLC, SurgCenter of Greater Jacksonville LLC, SurgCenter of Northern Baltimore LLC, SurgCenter of Palm Beach Gardens LLC, SurgCenter of Pine Ridge LLC, SurgCenter of Silver Spring LLC, SurgCenter of Southern Maryland LLC, SurgCenter of St. Lucie LLC, SurgCenter of White Marsh LLC, SurgCenter of the Potomac LLC, Surgery Affiliate of El Paso LLC, Surgery Center at Mount Pleasant LLC, Surgery Center at University Park LLC, Surgery Center of Columbia L.P., Surgery Center of Coral Gables LLC, Surgery Center of Okeechobee LLC, Surgery Center of Pembroke Pines L.L.C., Surgery Center of Peoria L.L.C., Surgery Center of Santa Barbara LLC, Surgery Center of Scottsdale LLC, Surgery Centers of America II L.L.C., Surgery Centre of SW Florida LLC, Surgical & Bariatric Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Surgical Center Development #3 LLC, Surgical Center Development #4 LLC, Surgical Clinical Excellence at Desert Regional LLC, Surgical Elite of Avondale L.L.C., Surgical Health Partners LLC, Surgical Institute Management LLC, Surgical Institute of Reading LLC, Surgicare of Miramar L.L.C., Surginet Inc., Surgis Inc., Surgis Management Services Inc., Surgis of Chico Inc., Surgis of Phoenix Inc., Surgis of Redding Inc., Surgis of Victoria Inc., Sutton Road Pediatrics L.L.C., Sylvan Grove Hospital Inc., T1 Security LLC, TENN SM LLC, TFPS IV L.L.C., TH Healthcare Ltd., TH International Services Florida LLC, TLC ASC LLC, TOPS Specialty Hospital Ltd., TOSCA ASC Holdings LLC, TPR Practice Management LLC, TPS VI of PA L.L.C., TSPE LLC, Tamarac Surgery Center LLC, Tampa Bay Joint and Spine LLC, Tempe New Day Surgery Center LP, Templeton Imaging Inc., Tenet Business Services Corporation, Tenet California Inc., Tenet Central Carolina Physicians Inc., Tenet EKG Inc., Tenet El Paso Ltd., Tenet Employment Inc., Tenet Finance Corp., Tenet Florida Inc., Tenet Florida Physician Services II L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services III L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services L.L.C., Tenet Fort Mill Inc., Tenet Global Business Center Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Bucks County L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Graduate L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Hahnemann L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Medical Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Nacogdoches ASC GP Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Philadelphia Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Roxborough LLC, Tenet HealthSystem St. Christophers Hospital for Children L.L.C., Tenet Hilton Head Heart L.L.C., Tenet Hospitals Limited, Tenet Network Management Inc., Tenet Patient Safety Organization LLC, Tenet Physician Resources LLC, Tenet Physician Services - Hilton Head Inc., Tenet Rehab Piedmont Inc., Tenet Relocation Services L.L.C., Tenet SC East Cooper Hospitalists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Gastrointestinal Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Island Medical L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Lowcountry OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Mt. Pleasant OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet Unifour Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Tenet Ventures Inc., TenetCare Frisco Inc., Terre Haute Surgical Center LLC, Teton Outpatient Services LLC, Texan Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Texas Orthopedics Surgery Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical in Sunnyvale, The 6300 West Roosevelt Partnership, The Healthcare Insurance Corporation, The Healthcare Underwriting Company a Risk Retention Group, The Huron Corporation, The Old Bridge Surgery Center LLC, The Outpatient Center LLC, The Southeastern Spine Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., The Surgery Center at Jensen Beach LLC, The Tresanti Surgical Center LLC, Theda Oaks Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Springs ASC LLC, Timonium Surgery Center LLC, Titan Health Corporation, Titan Health of Chattanooga Inc., Titan Health of Hershey Inc., Titan Health of Mount Laurel LLC, Titan Health of North Haven Inc., Titan Health of Pittsburgh Inc., Titan Health of Pleasant Hills Inc., Titan Health of Princeton Inc., Titan Health of Sacramento Inc., Titan Health of Saginaw Inc., Titan Health of Titusville Inc., Titan Health of West Penn Inc., Titan Health of Westminster Inc., Titan Management Corporation, Titusville Center for Surgical Excellence LLC, Treasure Coast ASC LLC, Trinity Health of New England/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., True Medical Weight Loss L.P., True Medical Wellness LP, True Results Georgia Inc., True Results HoldCo LLC, True Results Missouri LLC, Tucson Digestive Institute LLC, Tucson Hospital Holdings Inc., Tucson Physician Group Holdings LLC, Turlock Imaging Services LLC, Turlock Land Company LLC, Twin Cities Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Twin Cities Community Hospital Inc., UAP Lebanon Endo LLC, UAP Nashville Endoscopy LLC, UAP Scopes LLC, UAP of Arizona Inc., UAP of California Inc., UAP of Missouri Inc., UAP of New Jersey Inc., UAP of Oklahoma Inc., UAP of Tennessee Inc., UAP of Texas Inc., UCC Tucson Holdings LLC, UMC Surgery Center Lubbock LLC, UMC-USP Surgery Centers LLC, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, USP 12th Ave Real Estate Inc., USP Acquisition Corporation, USP Alexandria Inc., USP Assurance Company, USP Athens Inc., USP Atlanta Inc., USP Austin Inc., USP Bariatric LLC, USP Beaumont Inc., USP Bergen Inc., USP Bloomington Inc., USP Bridgeton Inc., USP Cedar Park Inc., USP Chesterfield Inc., USP Chicago Inc., USP Cincinnati Inc., USP Coast Inc., USP Columbia Inc., USP Connecticut Inc., USP Corpus Christi Inc., USP Creve Coeur Inc., USP Denver Inc., USP Des Peres Inc., USP Destin Inc., USP Domestic Holdings Inc., USP Effingham Inc., USP Encinitas Endoscopy Inc., USP Fenton Inc., USP Festus Inc., USP Florissant Inc., USP Fort Lauderdale Inc., USP Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate Inc., USP Fredericksburg Inc., USP Fresno Inc., USP Frontenac Inc., USP Gateway Inc., USP HMH Surgery Center at Shore LLC, USP Harbour View Inc., USP Houston Inc., USP Indiana Inc., USP International Holdings Inc., USP Jacksonville Inc., USP Jersey City Inc., USP Kansas City Inc., USP Knoxville Inc., USP Little Rock Inc., USP Long Island Inc., USP Louisiana Inc., USP Lubbock Inc., USP Maryland Inc., USP Mason Ridge Inc., USP Mattis Inc., USP Michigan Inc., USP Midland Inc., USP Midland Real Estate Inc., USP Midwest Inc., USP Mission Hills Inc., USP Montana Inc., USP Morris Inc., USP Mt. 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Read More Catherine Chiasson and her family arrived in Halifax from their Cape Breton home earlier this month tugging more cargo than they usually do on trips south to the city. And this time around, the journey home would be different, too, yet for the opposite reason. Catherine was one of hundreds of first-year students who moved into residences across Dalhousie in late August and early September, ready to learn, meet new people, and begin a fresh phase of life. We come from a small town, so moving here is exciting, said Catherine, who is from Cheticamp, N.S., and plans to study medical sciences. Catherine's arrival at Howe Hall was accompanied by sunny skies and crisp, cool air, but that didn't prevent her and other first-year students and their families from working up a bit of a sweat as they carted boxes and suitcases filled with belongings, mini-appliances, personal mementos, and more to their new rooms. Catherine, centre, with her parents, who are both Dal alumni. It's all part of the ritual of building a home away from home. And residence staff, fellow Dal students, and other members of the university community turned up in a big way to lend a helping hand in the process as campus sprang to life during move-in days. For Catherine's family, it was a return to familiar turf. Michele, her father, received his undergrad and medical degrees from Dal, while her mother, Moira, completed a Bachelor of Science at the university following in the footsteps of her own mother who studied arts and education at Dal in the 1970s. The Dal blood runs thick in this family, said Moira. A younger sister and brother were along for the ride, the former suggesting she has her sights set on a different university but could possibly see herself at Dal someday. Well focus on one first," said Michele, in response. Meet more first-year students and view other scenes from move-in days below: Moving into Howe Hall was something of a no-brainer for incoming science student Amanda Anaele. Im used to staying in Howe Hall because I came for a lot of summer camps," she said. "I thought I may as well pick it as my first choice because I enjoyed staying in it. Being from Halifax, the trip to her new home took a brief 15-minute drive. And that's kind of the point, she says. Amanda slings her backpack, above, and poses with family below. Its a good university, and its in close proximity to my family and friends." Amanda's whole family, including a cousin, came along to help her get set up for the next chapter where, as she says, she'll get "to be in the centre of everything." In Amanda's eyes, you're never too close to live in residence. For some familiies, the process of moving a child to Dal turns into an excuse for a vacation as it did for Grace Heaman and her parents. Perhaps it's no surprise given they came all the way from Victoria, B.C. on Canada's west coast. The flight to Halifax took all day, but they got here ahead of time so they could visit with family in Lunenburg and do some sightseeing. Ive never been anywhere on the east coast before, said Grace, who is studying general arts this fall. Grace's mom snaps a photo of her outside Howe Hall. Flying was the more practical option for the family given driving would have taken close to 60 hours. Theres only so much Taylor Swift you can have," says her dad. The next item on the family's vacation itinerary: a visit to the beach, erm . . . IKEA. Maybe it was the long drive from Ottawa. Or maybe Corinne Park is just ready for a bit more independence. "I'm excited to meet new people and make some friends and live on my own. Sorry, mom," says the first-year computer science student. Her mom seems to understand, though: "This has been a transition since we left Ottawa, so its good. Weve had our moments." Above, Corinne and her mom share a laugh. They split the drive into parts, with stops in Edmunston, Moncton, and Hopewell Cape, N.B. As they unpack clothes and other items from a suitcase and duffel bag, including a calculator, water bottle, broom, and air freshener, Corinne seems well set up to settle into her new room and life in Risley Hall. Mia Pham's decision to move into Shirreff Hall had a lot to do with the dining hall on the first floor. "I have some friends here who say it's great," said the first-year medical sciences student. She's also keen about its proximity to Dalplex, which is just across the street. Mia, above left, with her mom. Mia, who made the move from Moncton, N.B. with her mom and sister, expressed excitement about beginning her medical sciences degree. I want to be a dentist, and so Ill try to get into denstistry after this. This page may be updated if the event is repeated Past Event - Saturday, October 14, 2023 This page may be updated if the event is repeated Dayton's Party of Parties, get ready to step into a world of myth and magic at Masquerage 2023! Dayton's Party of Parties, Masquerage is back! Get ready to step into a world of myth and magic! Introducing the theme of this year's Masquerage: A Night On Olympus! Join us on October 14 for a night that will transport you to the realm of ancient Greek myth. The only event of its kind, Masquerage is Daytons "Party of Parties for a Cause." Sip on delicious craft cocktails, eat some small bites, bid on our Silent Auction items, and dance the night away with our DJ. No official dress code - you can wear elaborate costumes, outfits to match the years theme, or anything that you feel confident in. Daytons Masquerage is an annual event which raises money for the life-saving working of Equitas Health's Dayton prevention & education programs. Since Masquerages inception in 2002, Masquerage has raised more than $1,250,000. The members of the central team arrived in Kozhikode, will visit affected areas to evaluate detection, infection control, prevention and treatment activities in the district. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One more case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kozhikode district taking the total number of active cases to four in the state. A 39-year-old man, who is under observation at a hospital, was diagnosed with the Nipah virus. He had also sought treatment at a private hospital where Nipah-positive had come for availing other medical facilities. The members of the central team that arrived in Kozhikode the other day, will visit affected areas to evaluate detection, infection control, prevention and treatment activities in the district. The team comprises two joint directors of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (ISDP, a senior consultant microbiologist, an epidemiologist, a neurologist and a wildlife officer. Contact list grows Meanwhile, the number of people on the contact list has reached 950. A high-level meeting chaired by ministers will be held today to review the situation in the district. Health Minister Veena George, PWD Minister Muhammed Riyaz, Port Minister Ahammed Devarkovil and Forest Minister A K Saseendran will assess the situation at the meeting. MPs and MLAs of the district will also participate. A review meeting will also be held with the elected representatives of affected panchayats. The samples of 30 more people have been sent for testing. The mobile team of RGCB will also reach Kozhikode today. Karnataka steps up surveillance in border areas Given the Nipah outbreak in Kerala, the Karnataka government has directed to set up of surveillance units at the Kerala-Karnataka border checkposts. The Karnataka government has directed people to travel to Kozhikode district only if necessary. Besides, it has asked the authorities to intensify fever surveillance in Chamarajanagar, Mysore, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada areas of the state. Insistence on Nipah negative certificates irks students In Bhopal, the authorities of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNT) in Madhya Pradesh have asked Malayalee students to produce Nipah negative certificates for entering the campus. The direction comes at a time when the open counselling for UG and PG admissions is to be held on Friday and Saturday. The students from Kerala were asked to produce Nipah-negative certificates for this purpose. With this, the students were in distress. The directive has evoked sharp criticism from the students as the health officials in Kerala are not providing Nipah negative certificates. Strict enforcement continues in Nipah-affected areas of the district The district collector has suspended all public functions, cultural programmes and sports events for ten days. All religious events and functions including festivals connected with temples, churches and mosques should be organised with minimal participation. All education institutions in the district will remain closed on Friday. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Image Source: Twitter) Visakhapatnam: Taking medical and health services a step forward, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday inaugurated five government medical colleges with physically inaugurating Vizianagaram government medical college in Vizianagaram town and four others-Eluru, Nandyal, Machilipatnam and Rajahmundry in a virtual mode. Addressing students after the inaugural ceremony in the presence of ministers and MLAs, the chief minister said serious efforts were being put to improve the health services so as to reach every village in the State. "I request you to work for at least one year in a government hospital supplementing the regular doctors so that more people can be benefitted," the chief minister said. He said the new medical colleges were being developed with a sole aim of providing good medical services free of cost and close to their homes. Elaborating on adding strength of doctors in the State, the chief minister said there were only 11 medical colleges from 1947 till 2019 with 966 seats and that would go up to 4,735 seats by the time all the 17 colleges were completed by the end of 2026. Similarly, the nursing seats were being increased from existing 1090 seats to 2,290 seats by constructing 18 more nursing colleges. He said the existing 11 medical colleges' infrastructure facilities were being increased by spending Rs 3,826 crore under Nadu Nedu programme. Among the services, the chief minister said 10,032 village clinics and 542 urban health centers were established for curative treatment to preventive care under the family doctors concept. All general hospitals have medicines prescribed by WHO and GMP. Mentioning the expansion of Arogyasri health insurance scheme, the chief minister said 3,255 procedures including cancer were being treated now which was earlier 1,050. Similarly the referral hospital has increased from 900 to 2,258 hospitals during the last four years. "We have 2,204 ambulances to bring patients from their homes to their nearest hospitals, which is unique in the country," Jagan Mohan Reddy said. Taking pride in filling all the vacancies in the health sector, the chief minister said the government appointed 53,126 health staff during the last one year. He said the national average of specialist doctors vacancy was 61 percent while AP recorded only 3.96 percent. In the nurses vacancy category, the national average was 27 percent while AP it was zero. The national average of lab technicians was 33 percent and in AP it was zero. "We are following a zero vacancy policy filling the vacancies at regular intervals by creating a medical recruitment board," the chief minister said. He said an innovative programme Jagananna Suraksha was being launched from September 30 which would continue for 45 days to identify diseases in all the villages in the State. This would help in mapping the health condition of the people. Before concluding his speech, the chief minister told the students "All angels have wings but some have stethoscopes." The Chief Minister stated that the government is setting up medical colleges for each district in Telangana. This year we have reached almost 24. Twitter Hyderabad: Emphasising that Telangana would produce 10,000 doctors by pursuing medical education in Telangana, the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday said that the Telangana state has been developed in different sectors such as -- Irrigation, drinking water, agriculture, industries and others. The Chief Minister on Friday inaugurated nine medical colleges participating virtually in Hyderabad. It was a milestone incident in Telangana history by inaugurating nine medical colleges in an attempt to provide medical colleges in every district. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that there were 2,850 medical seats in 2014 in the state. The number of medical seats has been increased to 8515 medical seats by 2023. "I heartily congratulate the Minister T Harish Rao and the Secretary of the Medical Department. We fought hard to ensure that 85 percent of the medical seats went to Telangana children and won a legal battle in the High Court. It was a great success. We are going to produce 10,000 doctors per year through private and government medical colleges," K Chandrasekhar Rao said. Further, the Chief Minister stated that the government is setting up medical colleges for each district in Telangana. This year we have reached almost 24. If there were five medical colleges in the past, today the number has reached 26. Eight colleges are going to start afresh for the next academic year. The approval of the cabinet has also been obtained. "White coat doctors to be produced by Telangana will protect not only the state but also the country's health system. Telangana is developing in all fields. Along with the electricity sector, we have achieved miracles in agriculture and the drinking water sector. We have grown to the level of supplying rice to the country. Agriculture is now flourishing in Palamuru district. We are going to start the Palamuru project. Five medical colleges have come up in Palamuru which did not have a single college.Three colleges have come up in Nalgonda. We are going to create miracles by establishing medical colleges in the remote districts like Asifabad, Mulugu, Bhupalpally districts and even in the areas where forest children live," Chief Minister said. Chandrasekhar Rao said that where the healthcare system is strong, there will be less deaths and losses. Taking inspiration from that, we are bringing medical colleges as well as excellent hospitals. Telangana is the only state in the country with 22 MBBS seats per lakh population. This is our achievement. By the time the state was formed, there were 17,000 beds, now we have reached 34,000 beds. Another six hospitals are under construction. A wonderful hospital is being constructed in Warangal. We are constructing hospitals with 1000 beds each in Gachibowli, LB Nagar, Alwal and Erragadda. We are expanding NIMS with another 2,000 beds. The number of beds in hospitals is going to reach 50,000. Explaining difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister said that Oxygen is very much needed during Covid pandemic. Taking it as a lesson, The government is producing 500 tonnes of oxygen under the leadership of the Health Minister T Harish Rao. "At least 50,000 beds are being converted into oxygen beds. 10 thousand super speciality beds are also being made available. Paramedical personnel are in demand both nationally and internationally. In addition to medical colleges, nursing colleges and para-medical courses should be set up in every district," the Chief Minister said. Health minister T. Harish Rao. (DC File Photo) HYDERABAD: In nine years since the formation of Telangana state, under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, there was a medical education revolution underway in the state, said health minister T. Harish Rao, a day before the BRS government was set to formally inaugurate nine medical colleges in different districts. The Chief Minister would virtually inaugurate new medical colleges in Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Rajanna Sircilla, Vikarabad and Janagama districts on Friday, all funded by the state, which will all begin operations simultaneously. Speaking exclusively to Deccan Chronicle, Harish Rao said, "as a consequence of the visionary and transformative governance of CM KCR, Telangana tops in producing both foodgrain and doctors. There were five medical colleges in 10 districts of Telangana before bifurcation. Under Dr Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy, Rayalaseema with four districts got its fourth medical college in Kadapa, besides its three existing ones in Tirupati, Chittoor and Anantapur. But they would not give one to Telangana. Today, we are set to establish nine more new medical colleges in our state." Speaking about the growth of medical education in Telangana since bifurcation, Rao said, "We used to produce 2,850 doctors each year. We started eight medical colleges last year in one go and tomorrow, we will add nine more. We will do eight more next year. We will be converting 10,000 school students into doctors each year across both public and private institutions, which is a matter of great pride, being the highest in India." Currently, Telangana stands out by offering 22 MBBS seats per lakh population and in terms of new seats being added for the academic year, the states share nationwide is 43 per cent, he said, adding that while only two government medical colleges were established in 60 years of rule by various parties. "During CM KCRs regime, 21 government medical colleges were established. Before the formation of Telangana, there were only 850 medical seats here, but now, it has increased to 3,690 seats across 26 medical colleges," he said. Discussing the excruciating standards and qualification requirements for setting up a medical college, he said, "It is not easy to set up a medical college. The National Medical Council has to be satisfied about all parameters the hospital, patients, quality of education, teaching staff and infrastructure." When asked about the rapid scale-up of medical colleges, Harish Rao said, "Previous governments did precious little. We had five medical colleges one established by the Nizam before Independence, two established by private philanthropic bodies, which the government took over subsequently. The two medical colleges in Hyderabad, Osmania (set up in 1856) and Gandhi (1954), and Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal (1959), found little support or upgradation over the years. Today, Telangana tops, in the doctors-per-one-lakh citizens (chart). We are second in the number of post-graduation students per year, but will top even that by the end of next year." On the public impact of medical colleges, Rao said, "Earlier, our students had to go either Andhra or abroad, to places like Russia, China and Philippines. Some would have to go to Karnataka or Maharashtra, but had to pay huge donations. Today, at Rs 10,000 per year for half the students, we are offering the lowest cost for producing a doctor. Look at the students profiles common people and poor families are now able to send their children to become doctors in Telangana." Each medical college has a huge impact on the area, from providing a very good tertiary hospital in each district, with nearly 150 doctors and good care, to providing opportunities for youth to become medical professionals, create employment and help in development with direct investment, he said. "Across Hyderabad, we are adding four new TIMS, besides upgrading NIMS to 2,000-beds from 800 strength. We are also focusing on primary healthcare, with over 350 basti dawakhanas, which have reduced the burden on the OPDs of big hospitals," he said. In a few years, Telangana will showcase itself to the country as a standard to match, in both healthcare and medical education, he said. Former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. (Image: Twitter) VISHAKHAPATNAM: Former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu currently in judicial remand at Rajahmundry Central Jail, has amassed a wealth of Rs 491 crore in five years of his rule of Andhra Pradesh, as per his poll affidavit. According to his self-sworn affidavit submitted to the Election Commission at the time of the 2014 elections, Naidu's declared assets were of Rs 177 crore and his liabilities Rs 16 crore. According to the Association of Democratic Reforms, which reviewed the wealth charts of senior politicians, Naidu was the richest Chief Minister in India, based on the 2014 poll affidavits. Naidu declared possession of assets worth `668 crore during the 2019 elections with a liability of Rs 15 crore. This made him the fourth richest MLA in the country. The Telugu Desam chief currently faces charges of funds misappropriation vis-a-vis the Skill Development Corporation scam. According to ADR, Karnatakas present deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar is the richest MLA. ADR prepared this report after examining the election affidavits of 4,001 MLAs in 28 states and 2 Union Territories. Among the top 10 richest MLAs, four legislators belong to the Congress, while three are from the BJP. Shivakumar (Congress) is on top of this list. According to the 2023 election affidavit, the value of his assets is Rs 1,413 crore. Karnataka MLA Puttaswamy Gowda (independent candidate) is in the second position. His property is worth Rs 1,267 crore. Priyakrishna of Karnataka Congress is in the third position. He has `1,156 crore of wealth. TD chief Chandrababu Naidu is fourth in the list. According to the affidavit submitted by him during the 2019 elections, his assets are valued at `668 crore. "There is an abnormal increase in the land prices in Hyderabad. In some places, it has gone up by 100 per cent during this period. It is no surprise Chandrababu Naidu's assets have gone up so much in five years, said former BJP MLA, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju. Congress leader KC Venugopal reviews preparations for the party's upcoming public rally titled 'Vijaya Bheri', at Tukkuguda Ground in Hyderabad. (Image: @kcvenugopalmp) Hyderabad: An unprecedented show of unity, strength and resolve by the Indian National Congress will be on display at the two-day apex body meeting here, followed by a public meeting to blow the bugle for the battle of Telangana, and a reach-out to 115 of the 119 Assembly constituencies. "The two-day Congress Working Committee (CWC), happening as an exception outside the national capital, is a rare gesture to show the national that the party is backing its Telangana state unit in its bid to defeat the BRS and form government," said AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal on the eve of the meeting. The first day of the CWC meeting, being held at a star hotel in the city, will have all its members attending it and deliberating the partys preparedness for the polls to five state Assemblies slated for later this year, and the Lok Sabha elections next year. The meeting would also try to brainstorm and prepare the five-day special session of Parliament scheduled for next week. On the second day, special invitees, all chiefs of the Pradesh Congress Committees as well as the Congress Legislative Party units, among others will attend the meeting. There would be over 150 attendees, including four Chief Ministers. Speaking at a presser after inspecting the preparations at a private ground prepared for its public meeting on Sunday, Venugopal said, "despite all joint efforts by the BJP and the BRS, we are ready for Vijaya Bheri on Sunday when lakhs of people from across Telangana will come to listen to Smt Sonia Gandhi, who will unveil the six guarantees for the citizens." "We will win in Telangana and form government based on the surging support of the people, who have decided to dethrone the BRS government, which has failed to honour any of its promises," he said. The CWC meeting "will prepare us for the fight ahead and herald the party to power. Apart from CWC members, in attendance will be permanent invitees and special invitees of the highest decision making body of the party," said Venugopal. Of the 90 who are supposed to attend the CWC meet, 84 are attending it. "We promised Telangana and delivered statehood. But Telangana has become the most corrupt state under Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. People are looking towards the I.N.D.I.A. bloc after we came together and held three meetings, he said. Addressing the media at Tukkuguda, the venue for Vijaya Bheri meeting, and responding to queries on AIMIM and womens reservation bill, Venugopal said, "Our principal enemy is the BJP. BRS chief KCR has supported the BJP on all Bills from farmer bills, demonetisation, election of President and Vice-President etc. KCR supports AIMIM for a few Muslim votes. The womens reservation bill is the child of the Congress and it was passed in the Rajya Sabha by the Manmohan Singh government. We have been asking the BJP to pass it in the Lok Sabha and enable the reservation." On leaders and workers joining the party, he said, "across states going to polls leaders, people are joining the Congress. Here also, there will leaders joining us as the mood is against the BRS. After the Vijaya Bheri on Sunday, our MPs from Telangana will attend the Parliament session, but all other leaders will visit 115 constituencies to present chargesheets against the KCR government and explain the six guarantees." The extended CWC meeting on September 17 will be attended by CWC members along with permanent invitees, in attendance will be PCC presidents, CLP leaders and Central Election Committee members. Of the 159 invited, 147 are attending it at 10.30 am. The Vijaya Bheri will start at 5 pm, Venugopal said, and added that they have implemented four of the five promises made in Karnataka. On the national mood, he said, Manipur has been burning for 130 days but PM Modi chose to speak only after 100 days, that too after he was forced to respond. "Nuh in Haryana burnt and security forces lost lives in J&K. Where is the nationalism of Modi when China is occupying our land," he asked. "Sonia Gandhi is coming to see how living standards have fallen in Telangana, the status of welfare, lack of social justice and announce the six guarantees. We will implement all guarantees within the first month of our coming to power. BRS government tried to stop us from holding meetings in collusion with BJP while political meetings happen elsewhere and MIM is allowed to hold a meeting on the same day on Idgah maidan owned by Wakf Board," said TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The CWC meet will be a transformational moment for Telangana. Despite the Modi governments effort to fail the anna bhagya scheme we launched it in Karnataka. The Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which involves a direct benefit transfer of `2,000 for women, also has been launched. BJP has so far failed to appoint their leader of opposition." Most leaders including former AICC presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, and others would arrive Saturday morning. Currently, out of 543 Lok Sabha seats, 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (approximately 15 per cent) and 47 are designated for Scheduled Tribes communities (approximately 8 per cent). (PTI File Photo) HYDERABAD: There is a huge possibility that Parliament, during its five day special session, will bring in a Bill to provide for reservations for the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) of up to 25 per cent for all seats in the Lok Sabha and all state Legislative Assemblies. This could bring up the total quota to a fraction less than half to avoid the contentious Supreme Court ruling imposing a ceiling on the quota based on caste to up to 49 per cent. Currently, out of 543 Lok Sabha seats, 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (approximately 15 per cent) and 47 are designated for Scheduled Tribes communities (approximately 8 per cent). The new move could result in 135-odd Lok Sabha seats, and a quarter of all seats in State Assemblies being reserved for OBCs henceforth. If implemented quickly, it could result in OBCs gaining one in four seats in all states, including in the five states slated for polls in the months ahead Telangana (approximately 29 to 30), Chhattisgarh (22 to 23), Madhya Pradesh (57 to 58), Mizoram (10) and Rajasthan (50). Constitutionally, and legally, the issue before the BJP-led Central government is to find a way to provide for reservations of seats without the affecting the work of the Delimitation Commission, which is the rightful body to earmark, delineate and define the boundaries of political constituencies, Central or state, said a senior BJP leader and lawyer. However, there are precedents where Parliament can overrule the last delimitation panel for specific purposes and limited uses, he said. Ever since the special Parliament session was called, there have been several speculative theories and ideas proposed as regards its purpose, including the possibility of bringing in women reservation, a Bill to enforce the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) code, a possible change of name from India to Bharat, among others. "The Modi government would rather bring in a Bill which can find political consensus. It would be hard to imagine anything would fit that requirement better than additional reservations for the OBCs in Parliament and State Assemblies. There is not one political party or leader in India who can oppose it," he explained. The Bill, if produced in Parliament, is likely to be supported by every single party and formation, which could then provide for a temporary extension of the term for the five states, without imposing Presidents rule and scheduling them with Lok Sabha elections. "If we can postpone the polls for five states, and make them coincide with Parliamentary polls, it would become nine states going to polls together. If we add Jammu & Kashmir, and pre-schedule a few BJP states, it could be a beta for the ONOE idea," he said. Another senior BJP leader said, "the truth is no one really or fully knows what will unfold during the five day special session of Parliament, except the top brass of the party and government," (referring to the top duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah). And added, "whatever they plan, they are meticulous and thorough. So every aspect has been thought through to the last detail." But one thing is certain everyone will be in for a big, big surprise, he added. "If indeed we bring in the OBC quota bill, a win far bigger than in 2019 is on the anvil." Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (PTI File Photo) HYDERABAD: Union home minister Amit Shah will arrive in the city on Saturday evening amidst the ongoing meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Hyderabad. On Sunday morning, he take part in the September 17 Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at the Parade Ground in Secunderabad. Shahs visit will be the second in a row for the celebrations. He had addressed a meeting organised by Union culture minister G. Kishan Reddy, who is now state BJP president, for the first time last year at the same venue. Shah, after receiving a guard of honour by contingents of central security forces and a march past by cultural troupes at the Parade Ground, will garland a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indias first home minister who led Operation Polo, the action by Indian armed forces in September of 1948 which led to the Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, accepting defeat, resulting in the liberation of the then Hyderabad State and its subsequent merger with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948. Though the BJP leaders are hoping for a meeting of state party leaders with Shah, party sources said no such meeting was scheduled. On reports that Shah was likely to meet with VIPs from the city including some sportspersons, a party official said it was a normal practice for Shah to meet with some personalities during his visits to various places, but no names were confirmed. Shah, who will arrive on Saturday evening, is expected to stay at the CRPF guest house in the city and arrive at Parade Ground on Sunday morning and then depart from the city in the afternoon. At the time of India's Independence, Hyderabad was the largest Indian princely state in terms of population and GNP. DC Image Once again, as it was in 1978 and 1980, the Congress road to regain the political crown in New Delhi seems to begin in Hyderabad. The party will display its recently-found vitality by holding its Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad on September 16 and 17, and topping it off with a public meeting addressed by its dowager queen, Sonia Gandhi, always a popular figure in these parts. What lends the day added interest is that the BJP/RSS will display its determination to hold on to New Delhi with a public meeting of its own on the same day at the other end of the twin cities, to be addressed by its head stormtrooper Amit Shah. The day, September 17, is significant in Hyderabad as it is the day generally celebrated as Integration Day (and which the BJP/RSS calls Liberation Day). Apart from Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh too did not accede to newly independent India. J&K did so only on October 26, 1947 when the Pakistani raiders began knocking on the gates of Srinagar. The Nawab of Junagadh actually acceded to Pakistan, but a popular upsurge forced him to flee and a referendum on September 15, 1947 ratified the accession. But the RSS never celebrates Kashmirs accession on October 26 and Junagadhs on September 15. It only wants to celebrate Hyderabads liberation" on September 17, 1948. It has a reason for this. The BJPs power base is in the old city of Hyderabad, which is the political domain of the Majlis Ithehad-ul Muslimeen, its mortal enemy. The MIM has its origins in the movement to establish an Islamic state in Hyderabad. For a full 13 months after Independence the Nizam had tested the patience of the people of Hyderabad and the newly-independent Indian Union. The Nizam of Hyderabad, like the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, too entertained notions of an independent state and sought to widen the issue by moving the United Nations. His government consulted with Pakistan and began stockpiling arms. Within the Nizams realm, militant Razakars led by Qasim Razvi had stepped up their campaign of terrorising Hindus and whipping up religious sentiments among the Muslims. At the time of Indias Independence, Hyderabad was the largest Indian princely state in terms of population and GNP. Its territory of 82,698 sq miles was more than that of England and Scotland put together. The 1941 census had estimated its population to be 16.34 million, over 85 per cent of who were Hindus and with Muslims accounting for about 12 per cent. It was also a multilingual state consisting of peoples speaking Telugu (48.2%), Marathi (26.4%), Kannada (12.3%) and Urdu (10.3%). It was a Muslim dominated state. Typically, in 1911, 70 per cent of the police, 55 per cent of the army and 26 per cent of the public administration were Muslims. In 1941 a report on the civil service revealed that of the 1,765 officers, 1,268 were Muslims, 421 were Hindus, and 121 others, presumably British, Christians, Parsis and Sikhs. Of the officials drawing pay of `600-1,200 per month, 59 were Muslims, 38 were "others", and a mere five were Hindus. The Nizam and his nobles, who were mostly Muslims, owned 40 per cent of the total land in the kingdom. Quite clearly it was too much of a good thing for so few, and the time for its end had come. As can well be imagined, there was absolutely no political activity in the kingdom for most of this period. The first stirrings began in 1927 when the Majlis-e-Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen was formed to unite various Islamic sects for "the solution of their problems within the principle of Islam"; and to protect the economic, social and educational interests of the Muslims. In 1933, an association of "mulkis", or local-born Hindus and Muslims, called the "Nizams Subjects League" was formed as a reaction to the continued domination of gair-mulkis in government, even though most of them were Muslims. This was soon to be known as the Mulki League. It was the Mulki League that first mooted the idea of a responsible government in Hyderabad. In 1937, the Mulki League split between the more radical elements that were mostly Hindus and the more status quo inclined. This led to the formation of the Hyderabad Peoples Convention in 1937, a prelude to the establishment of the Hyderabad State Congress the following year. With this the movement for political and constitutional reform picked up momentum. The Hyderabad State Congress agitation coincided with a parallel agitation led by the Arya Samaj and Hindu Mahasabha of V.D. Savarkar on Hindu civil rights. To a large extent, the interests of the Congress and the Hindu organisations coincided. This put them squarely against the Majlis, who were now led by Bahadur Yar Jung, who was also founder of the Anjuman-i-Tabligh-i-Islam, a proselytising Muslim organisation whose prime activity was the conversion of Hindus. Bahadur Yar Jung was a charismatic figure became popular among the Muslims and had the ear of the Nizam, Osman Ali. Bahadur Yar Jung summed his goal very succinctly: "The Majlis policy is to keep the sovereignty of His Exalted Highness intact and to prevent Hindus from establishing supremacy over Muslims." The leadership of the Congress took more nationalist overtones after the arrival of Swami Ramanand Tirtha on the scene. Tirtha hailed from Gulbarga and as a young man became a sadhu. He became president of the Hyderabad Congress in 1946 and attracted around him several young men who rose to prominence in Independent India. Foremost among these was P.V. Narasimha Rao. Others included former home minister and Maharashtra chief minister S.B. Chavan, former Karnataka chief minister Veerendra Patil and former Andhra CM M. Channa Reddy. While the Congress was gaining in strength, the Communists were also active in the Telugu-speaking areas. They captured the Andhra Mahasabha that was formed in 1921 to represent the interests of the Telugu-speaking people in 1942. Unlike the Hyderabad Congress, which took the cue from Mahatma Gandhi and launched a movement for democratic rights in the state to run parallel to the Quit India movement, the Communists joined hands with the Majlis to support the Nizam, who being a faithful ally of the British was fully immersed in the war effort. The two celebrations truly reflect the ideological contest between the Congress-led INDIA alliance and the BJP-dominated NDA. One is celebrating its inclusive and secular identity, the other is trying to make it a reaffirmation of its majoritarian perception of India. Its really a fight for the soul of India. Thanks to a new discovery linked to shares of Tesla, regular folks can now target gains of 100% or more in six days or less. New research shows its happened 23 different times this year. The next trade is scheduled for this Thursday. The J. M. Smucker Company manufactures and markets branded food and beverage products worldwide. It operates in three segments: U.S. Retail Pet Foods, U.S. Retail Coffee, and U.S. Retail Consumer Foods. The company offers mainstream roast, ground, single serve, and premium coffee; peanut butter and specialty spreads; fruit spreads, toppings, and syrups; jelly products; nut mix products; shortening and oils; frozen sandwiches and snacks; pet food and pet snacks; and foodservice hot beverage, foodservice portion control, and flour products, as well as dog and cat food, frozen handheld products, juices and beverages, and baking mixes and ingredients. It provides its products under the Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni, Canine Carry Outs, Folgers, Cafe Bustelo, Dunkin', Folgers, Cafe Bustelo, 1850, Jif, Smucker's, Smucker's Uncrustables, Robin Hood, and Five Roses. The company sells its products through direct sales and brokers to food retailers, club stores, discount and dollar stores, online retailers, pet specialty stores, natural foods stores and distributors, drug stores, military commissaries, and mass merchandisers. Smucker Company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Orrville, Ohio. A woman has been given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate's Court for assaulting an ambulance worker. Edel McLaughlin (43) of Drummard Close in Derry appeared in court charged with assaulting an ambulance worker on May 27 this year. The incident took place after McLaughlin was found lying in the Guildhall Square. An ambulance was called and, as they were checking on her, McLaughlin woke up and became aggressive. The court heard how McLaughlin grabbed the paramedic by the arms and tried to punch her but missed. The incident was caught on CCTV and McLaughlin was arrested while still walking around the area. Defence counsel Stephen Chapman said his client has problems with alcohol but had been trying to get help recently. The court heard that McLaughlin had 98 previous convictions for similar offences, but there had not had any issues between April 2018 and August 2020. District Judge Barney McElhom said this would have been 'a frightening experience' for the ambulance worker. He said ambulance staff worked in difficult circumstances for pay that was 'disgraceful'. He sentenced McLaughlin to four months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered her to pay the ambulance worker 500 in compensation. HIGHLIGHTS To access the PickMIup services, you need to download the Xiaomi Service+ app. You need to provide the app with the necessary information required to request the pick-up and drop-off service. The whole pick-and-drop service is available for 199 plus GST. Xiaomi has introduced a new way to provide its smartphone users with convenience. The Chinese brand has announced a service called PickMIUp for Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone users in India. Now you can get your smartphone repaired hassle-free by using the PickMIup services. As the name sounds, it is a home pickup service that you can use if you do not wish to go to Xiaomi service centres to get your smartphone repaired. How to apply for Xiaomi PickMIup service To access the PickMIup services, you need to download the Xiaomi Service+ app from Google Playstore. The Xiaomi Service+ app provides you with post-purchase services. You can access the PickMIup service from this app only. Also read: Xiaomi launches Express Delivery service in Bengaluru, promises single day deliveries After downloading the app, go to the PickMIup option within the app. Then you need to provide the necessary information required to request the pick-up and drop-off service. Additionally, the Xiaomi Service+ app provides you with post-purchase services. You can check the prices of spare parts or the warranty status of your device. Moreover, you can also schedule appointments with the app, start live chats with a bot or agent regarding your issue, and much more. Now the brand will of course charge you for the PickMIup service. The whole pick-and-drop service is available for 199 plus GST. But if you want to use any one service, either pick or drop, the company will charge you only 99 plus GST. The company has also mentioned that the PickMIup is only available in select regions. However, it didnt disclose which regions but we are expecting all the metropolitan cities might have this service. This is not the first time Xiaomi has introduced this pick-and-drop service. Back in 2015 as well, Xiaomi started the PickMi service. Also read: Xiaomi launches pickup and drop service PickMi in India The new PickMIup seems like a useful and convenient service, as most working professionals dont have the time to go to repair centres except on the weekends. So in that case, you can just schedule the pick-up and the brand will get the smartphone picked up from your place. Should all the other brands start the pick-and-drop service? Tell us in the comments. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. China denies claims of iPhone ban, but leaves vague hints The Chinese government and state-owned enterprise employees have long been "discouraged" from using foreign brand smartphones, including Apple's iPhone, during official hours. Recent reports from The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times have reignited discussions on this topic. In response, Chinese officials have officially stated that there is no explicit ban on iPhones. However, Bloomberg reports that China's stance on Apple has become increasingly confusing. While Beijing authorities refute reports of iPhone restrictions, they have also raised concerns about the data security of Apple devices. Chinese media outlet First Financial Daily reported that during a routine press conference at the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the evening of the 13th, a journalist from Japan's Asahi Television asked about media reports that some Chinese government agencies prohibit the use of Apple iPhones and inquired about the veracity of these claims. Regarding this issue that foreign media has been discussing for a week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China has no laws, regulations, or policy documents that explicitly ban the purchase and use of foreign brand smartphones like Apple's. She emphasized that foreign investment rights would be protected by law, and China remains open to foreign businesses. Indeed, after a week of heated discussions on this topic, the Chinese Foreign Ministry finally acknowledged the Japanese media's question and provided an official response. This timing might not be a coincidence and coincides with the day of Apple's new product launch. While there might not be an explicit legal ban on iPhones in China, the widespread practice is challenging for Apple to navigate. China officially does not prohibit them, but they are "discouraged," which presents a silent challenge for Apple's sales team. During the press conference, Mao clarified that apart from no explicit iPhone ban in China's laws or policies, she also left a hint by mentioning media reports of security issues related to Apple's phones. The Chinese government places a high emphasis on network and information security and expects foreign companies to strictly adhere to the People's Republic of China Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law. It's worth noting that on May 21st, Micron was informed by China's Cyberspace Administration that its products did not pass cybersecurity review and posed "significant" cybersecurity risks to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain. However, the specific Chinese regulations that Micron violated remain unclear. While Beijing welcomes multinational companies to operate in the Chinese market, it consistently emphasizes that foreign businesses must operate in compliance with Chinese regulations. However, it raises questions about whether these regulations pose challenges for Apple's operations in the country. As China's large language models (LLMs) also require approval and scrutiny by authorities before going online, with the introduction of generative AI into iPhones, how will Apple adapt to Beijing's control over data? In the past, Apple's data from Chinese users remained in data centers within China "in accordance with the law." However, in the AI era, what level of censorship will Chinese authorities impose, posing even more significant challenges for Apple than the so-called iPhone ban? Irish star Daryl McCormack said he wanted to work with British actress Ruth Wilson for a long time and even had her on a mood board as they both star in a BBC One drama. The Tipperary actor, 30, is in a new BBC psychological thriller after being in last years drama Good Luck To You, Leo Grande opposite Dame Emma Thompson and Irish black comedy Bad Sisters. The Woman In The Wall takes a look at mysterious deaths and the wake of the Magdalene Laundries scandal, which saw women talk about being detained against their will and forced to give up their children. McCormack plays Detective Colman Akande in the series as Wilson takes on the role of Lorna Brady, a woman who has suffered from bouts of sleepwalking after being put in the Catholic institution as a teenager. He said: Ive wanted to work with Ruth for a long time, actually. Ever since I saw her in Luther years back I wanted to work with her, and I think I even had her on like a mood board of mine like someone I wanted to work with. McCormack said he does not do mood boards anymore after starting them in his mid-20s, around the time he would have been playing Pierce Devlin in Fair City and before he starred in period crime drama Peaky Blinders and 2020 comedy film Pixie. He added: I think (Ruths) just an exceptional talent but, on top of that, I love how shes navigated her career, like even just to point to the show that she did in the Young Vic recently where she did a play for 24 hours. Whos doing that? Like, I just think that is astonishing. And also just a testament to how much of an artist she is. So yeah, just to work with her, it was a full on joy. Laundries run by nuns operated across Ireland from the 18th century until the final institution in Sean McDermott Street in Dublin closed in 1996. The laundries were opened for fallen women but many survivors have since revealed that many of those who worked in the laundries had committed no sin. A number of former inmates have given accounts of suffering sexual, psychological and physical abuse in the laundries, where they provided free labour. Nenagh-raised McCormack said he was nervous about how the show would resonate because it carries a lot of weight and because its not been spoken about, or kind of exposed to such a wider audience. He said survivors the show spoke to were very happy for the BBC to tell the story. McCormack added: I think with that, it gives me confidence that its (reception) is a bit of a win-win either way because I think any story thats been tried to be (swept) under the rug deserves the spotlight, deserves exposure. Particularly when theres been injustice done and this is injustice to just such a high degree. This year, McCormack earned a Bafta film nomination for playing a male sex worker in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande along with a rising star award nod at the ceremony. Wilson, 41, known for BBC show His Dark Materials and 2006s Jane Eyre series, said the importance of the subject matter partly informed her decision to take on the role of Lorna. She said: Theres a great character at the heart of it (the series) and when I read the script I thought, Wow, this is really swimming on something fascinating. Not only revealing a subject matter that needs to be told but (creator) Joe (Murtagh) is doing it through a really interesting guise. I thought, Its not only this crime thriller, but its a psychological horror. What Lorna goes through is a psychological horror. The Woman In The Wall is a six-part series and the fifth episode is set to air on BBC One on Sunday at 9pm. The last part is slated for broadcast on September 24. Town centres and built-up areas across Ireland may see speed limits drop to 30km/h in an attempt to increase road safety. The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and Minister of State Jack Chambers TD yesterday (September 14) announced the publication of the Speed Limit Review's final report, which recommends significant changes to create consistent speed limits nationwide. It's hoped this will address an inconsistency in speed limits on Irish roads. Key recommendations in the report include setting the default speed limit on national secondary roads at 80km/h (down from 100km/h), and a 20km/h reduction in speed on local and rural roads throughout the country (from 80km/h to 60km/h). The changes come on the back of what has been described as "an alarming increase" in road fatalities. In the year to date, 130 people have died on Irish roads, marking an increase of 25 compared with the same time last year. Minister Ryan said the report is being published "at a critical time". He said, "...fatalities on Irish roads are increasing at an unacceptable rate and after a particularly painful period of time when we have lost too many young people and families who all set out on their journeys expecting to arrive safely. "The devastation and loss is being felt right across the country and we have to take action to make our roads safer and more predictable for everyone who uses them." According to the report, arterial roads and radial routes around urban settings should remain at 50km/h. No proposed changes to the default speed limits on motorways, national primary roads or regional roads have been recommended. Minister Ryan continued: "We committed in the Programme for Government to review and, where appropriate, reduce speed limits to address road safety issues and ensure greater compliance. The implementation of the recommendations in this report will contribute to making Irish roads safer for all road users." Minister Chambers called this year's rise in road fatalities "a source of serious concern to all of us". He said, "There is no doubt that speeding is a significant contributing factor to many collisions. Implementing the recommendations from the Speed Limit Review will allow for a consistent approach to setting of speed limits across the country. "The recommendations in this report will help us to achieve the Governments Road Safety Strategy 20212030 goal of halving fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 and advance towards Vision Zero. "These measures need to be part of a range of initiatives to drastically improve road safety. I have met with Justice Minister Helen McEntee to discuss enforcement action on our roads. We will be ending the anomaly in our penalty points system and were expanding the GoSafe contract. I am also working with the Road Safety Authority so we effectively target the right cohort with our communications campaigns." It is thought that primary legislation needed to change the default speed limits could be passed in the first quarter of 2024. Green leader Eamon Ryan has said energy credits introduced in last years budget were proposed by his party. Speaking to reporters at his partys annual think-in which was taking place in Tramore, Co Waterford, Mr Ryan said the Greens junior role in the coalition is the front wheel rather than the mudguard. Were leading in terms of this change that needs to be delivered. We look back on our Programme for Government, we look back on our manifesto and we see the whole series of developments in our country that we promised and now were delivering in government. We said we would deliver a new form of public housing in cost-rental housing open to everyone, public, and were delivering it at scale. We said we would change the public transport system and improve it for the better and were delivering that right across the country. Really good @greenparty_ie Think-In here in #Waterford with my parliamentary colleagues. Planning for more transformative and sustainable delivery on energy, transport, childcare, forestry, the arts and many other key areas over the coming year. #greeneffect #delivering https://t.co/t7X2KnLJfp pic.twitter.com/qRhqUG6i9P Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) September 15, 2023 Asked if politicians were out of touch with the cost-of-living pressures on working families, Mr Ryan said his party was not disconnected and he sought to take credit for the energy credits introduced last year. A 600 euro energy credit was announced in last years budget for households which was to be delivered in three instalments across November, January and March. Last year, the Green Party actually laid out this idea of the energy credits, we put it together and put forward the proposal to Government and it really did work, helped people through a very difficult time. Mr Ryan also called on energy companies to further reduce prices. Asked about unfavourable polling for the Green Party ahead of elections, Mr Ryan said: Weve been around for 40 years, theres been ups and downs the tide comes in, the tide goes out. But I think well be never more needed. Because as I said, what weve been warning about for 40 years has been now unfolding before us. He said the vast majority of Irish people back a green future for our country. Mr Ryan added that he was looking forward to leading the party into the next general election. A direct descendant of Edward Bruce, the last High King of Ireland, Lord Charles Edward Bruce will officially unveil the 'Bruce Boulder' on Friday 13th of October at Faughart Graveyard. This prestigious event is being hosted by the Faughart Community Group on behalf of The Ulster Scots Agency. The boulder is one of just a few that The Ulster Scots have commissioned to commemorate important sites associated with Edward Bruce. Dr. Alison Lennon will give a brief account of the significance of Edward Bruce's Irish campaign from 1315 to his death in The Battle of Faughart on October 14th, 1318 and a piper will also perform some Scottish laments as the attendees walk into the graveyard and as Lord Bruce officially unveils the Bruce Boulder. There will be invited dignitaries from both sides of the border but all are welcome to witness this special occasion on the historical Hill of Faughart Legends Viewing Point, Chair of Faughart Community Group Alan Mc Ardle said. The Faughart Community Group said they look forward to seeing people at the unveiling at 11am on Friday 13th October and urge everyone to take a moment to appreciate the fantastic view sweeping from Dundalk across the bay to the Cooleys and the Mournes and back towards The Gap Of the North. There is no doubt that it is one of the best viewing points in the NorthEast, Alan concluded. 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. Aoife Claire Durnin, proprietor of Sculpted by Aoife Claire beauty studio on William Street, Ardee scooped the coveted Nail Technician of the Year award at the 9th Irish Hair and Beauty Awards 2023. Having recently celebrated the opening of her beauty studio, Sculpted by Aoife Claire, earlier this summer Aoife's amazing talent shone through at the awards ceremony which took placeat The Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel. This distinguished young woman is also an AIT accredited and certified trainer offering globally recognised qualifications in beauty and nail courses locally in her beauty studio in Ardee, Co. Louth and also trains students in beauty and aspiring nail technicians for NSI. Aoife,speaking about her award, said: Im still in shock. Its such a competitive industry and there are so many talented nail technicians working in this space. I would like to thank all my loyal clients and everyone who nominated and voted for me. 2023 has been an amazing year for me and I am excited for everything else I have planned for the year. Two other Ardee Businesses also won awards. Hair by Ellen was announced as Freelance Stylist of the Year, while Luxe Hair Extensions were awarded Hair Extensions Specialist of the Year. The awards are a celebration of the best hair and beauty professionals across the country. The winners of The 9th Irish Hair and Beauty Awards 2023 represent excellence in the hair and beauty industry in Ireland. They have been recognised for their exceptional skills, expertise, and creativity in their respective categories, including hair salons, beauty salons, male grooming salons, spas, cosmetic clinics, makeup artists, nail salons, and beauty training academies. A Spokesperson for The Irish Hair and Beauty Awards 2023 said: Winning an award in this prestigious competition is a significant achievement, as it acknowledges the talent and hard work of hair and beauty professionals and sets a benchmark for others to follow. The winners of these awards represent the highest standards of quality and service in the Irish hair and beauty industry. Sinn Fein taking the housing ministry would be a red line in any post-election governmental negotiations, Mary Lou McDonald has said. The party president said tackling the housing crisis was Sinn Feins number one priority. Ms McDonald, who is back at work after several months off recovering from hysterectomy surgery, said Sinn Fein was now on an election footing. She also insisted her party would not be repeating the mistake of the 2020 general election and running too few candidates. Asked whether the housing portfolio was a red line for Sinn Fein in any post-election government formation talks, Ms McDonald said yes. She was addressing reporters at the start of her partys think-in event in Dublin. We want to effect change across all of government, I dont have as clear-cut an answer for you in respect of other portfolios, but for us housing is absolutely core, she said. Its absolutely key. We have had a ringside seat now for government failure since the last general election. They told us that they had heard the people, that the housing crisis couldnt continue. What do we have? A continuing crisis. I spoke to one young mother in my own community, she has two lovely children. Shes waiting to be housed. She was told her position on the list and she was informed that it could take 10 years for her to be housed her children will be grown. Thats not acceptable. Thats absolutely not acceptable. Ms McDonald said the countdown to the election had begun. Ive heard very clearly the appeals of people urging us in Sinn Fein to be ready for the next election, urging us to have the number of candidates needed, she said. So, to them I say, make no mistake, Sinn Fein will be ready. We are now on an election footing and our focus will be on maximising our vote and electing enough Sinn Fein TDs to lead government, a truly new government. Ms McDonald added: We need a general election. I believe were now on a countdown to the day when the people will have their say and when people make that democratic decision we will talk to everyone, and we will put Sinn Feins policies for a better future firmly on the table. In my opinion, the very best outcome of that election is a new government without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael for the first time in 100 years. I hope that people back that vision. However, friends, were not presumptuous. The outcome of the next general election is far from decided and we know that we have a lot of hard work to do between now and then. Ms McDonald said housing would be the defining issue of the election. Sinn Fein in government will end the housing crisis, she said. A Sinn Fein-led government will build the homes that our people need. We will deliver the biggest affordable and social housing programme that this state has ever seen. That is the level of action needed to match the scale of the challenge we face. If the people give us the opportunity to lead, Sinn Fein will make housing the number one priority of a new government not only in words, but in actions, not only in actions, but in results. The Sinn Fein leader insisted her party would make sure it ran enough candidates in the next general election. After the last general election, I literally could not walk the length of myself without people telling me that we hadnt run enough candidates, she said. This time, we will not make that mistake, we will be prepared, we will be match fit. We will go to the people in all humility, but well-prepared looking for as big a mandate as we can take. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald TD has said that a change of government is needed to get to grips with the crises in housing, health and the cost of living@MaryLouMcDonald https://t.co/rdkSaAmh9X pic.twitter.com/Uk9azz0vCf Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) September 15, 2023 The party president declined to put a target on the number of seats Sinn Fein was aiming for. We take nothing for granted, there are no slam dunks, there is nothing inevitable about Sinn Fein being in government, she said. However, we do believe that the appetite for political change is alive and well. On her recent surgery, Ms McDonald said she was in great health. As Mark Twain said, rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated, she said. Im back and Im sure the lads will be thrilled out of their minds to have me back. She said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin had been in touch to wish her well, with Mr Varadkar having also sent her flowers. The Taoiseach was asked about the gesture at his own party think-in event in Limerick. Asked by reporters if it could be interpreted as opening the door for a future coalition, Mr Varadkar said: No, definitely not. Look, Mary Lou McDonald is somebody Ive known down the years. We used to live only a stones throw from each other in Castleknock 20 years ago. It was just a personal gesture. AFTER serving for 40 years in the defence forces, Blackrock man Dan Harvey is publishing his 16th book, this latest reflecting his involvement in Internal Security Operations in Ireland during The Troubles. Dan, whose new book is called Car Bombs And Barrack Busters, is well-travelled. I experienced years of practical on-ground experiences in Peace Support Operations overseas on UN, EU, NATO, PIP, and OSCE missions in South Lebanon, Kosovo, Chad and the South Caucasus, participating in a number of repeat tours of duty abroad, says Dan, who is the father of four grown-up children. Car Bombs And Barrack Busters, like the vast majority of my books, was written since my retirement from the Defence Forces in 2017. A Lieutenant Colonel, Dan uses his army experience to record the experiences of a professional elite. I feared the story of the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams (bomb squads) was becoming forgotten, he says. I chose to research, record and present them, not in a day-to-day chronological manner, rather by presenting a series of individual stories related first-hand by the practitioners themselves. His book tells for the first time the remarkable story of a unique group of elite soldiers who continually risked life and limb to disarm explosive devices planted by paramilitaries on the south side of the Irish border. The individual stories are captivating. One EOD Officer on duty at the time recalled: I was called out to deal with a suspect device left in the Shelbourne Hotel and, while en route, our progress was impeded when we were flagged down by a Garda in Capel Street requesting we investigate another device left in a furniture shop. In the event, restoring the situation to as normal as possible, as soon as possible, became more important than preserving forensics. The item was easily disposed of, only it took a little time, after which we proceeded without further delay to Shelbourne Hotel. As we neared it, I noticed a uniformed Garda inspector at the scene, standing with his back to the front door of the hotel. As I got out of my vehicle and began to approach him, the bomb went off, blowing out glass in the buildings windows and doors, much of the tiny glass slivers lodging themselves into the back of the great coat of the inspector, who was otherwise uninjured. The bomb, in a briefcase, had been placed on a table at the top of the first-floor stairs. It immediately occurred to me that I had not been intercepted en route, I would likely have been busy trying to defuse it when it went off. It was the nearest I came to being killed as an EOD officer. Who were the EOD Unit? They were a unit of the Irish Army established as part of the Ordnance Corps in 1969 following the spillover of the Troubles in Northern Ireland into the Republic, explains Dan. Members of the Corps had dealt with unexploded bombs and sea mines from World War II and earlier, but now even more highly trained officers were needed to deal with the growing campaign of terror that threatened the security of the State. Suspect devices were made safe using robots and remote-controlled explosions, but often it also required officers to don a bomb suit and take the Long Walk to engage manually with a device that had the potential to kill or maim. Each situation was unique, and EOD officers had to be constantly vigilant, says Dan (inset left). The bomb-making capabilities of the paramilitaries, especially the Provisional IRA, became more sophisticated and ingenious as the Troubles progressed, and there was always the fear a newly discovered bomb might contain a booby trap not met before. These developments had to be countered by upskilling and regularly retraining EOD personnel. It was an arms race in which falling behind could result in death or injury. The book provides a fascinating account of the history of the Corps, including its operation overseas in peace-keeping missions, and explains clearly for lay readers all the technical aspects of bomb-disposal. Much of the story is told by those who were there. They recount their experience without any sense of self-importance or recognition of their own bravery, they are too grounded for that, and often, with a good dose of black humour, are self-deprecating about their achievements and honest about their mistakes. Dan must be proud of his achievements? Its funny, when my kids friends come to visit, or their parents, from the U.S, the UK, or France, they seem to hold the army in great regard. Even some of them say Thank-you for your service! Then I feel like there is a new respect for the army. Dan has huge respect for the Defence Forces. This book took time and patience as it has become deeply embedded in the subculture of Defence members not to talk about themselves, ands this is particularly ingrained into this highly specialised, publicity-shy cadre, he said. The engaging book illustrates how the EOD officers performed their task in the most difficult and testing of circumstances. Dan adds: My wish is that this account will make an important contribution to knowledge, shedding light on a deeply contested period in Irish history, and also on their ever-expanding overseas role in many new peace support mission areas abroad. A plethora of well-known Irish authors will participate in this years Words By Water, Kinsale Literary Festival which will take place from Thursday, October 5 to Sunday, 8. Authors taking part in this years programme include Donal Ryan, Sophie White, Paul Howard, Booker prize nominee Elaine Feeney, Sally Hayden, Alice Taylor and Fiona Scarlett. We have many fantastic authors, writing in a variety of genres, coming to read and be interviewed at events across the weekend. We are confident that this year our programme will have something to suit all tastes, committee member Ruth McDonnell said. Ms McDonnell said the journalist Shane Coleman will be interviewing Donal Ryan on Friday, October 6. We know how much our audience loved Donals previous visit to us in 2019 and we look forward to catching up with him about his writing. "Shane will be back in the interviewers chair on Saturday when he sits down with Sophie White who has wowed critics and readers alike in recent years. On Saturday afternoon, journalist Sally Hayden will talk to acclaimed author Mary Morrissey about migration and human rights. Other events on Saturday include Fiona Scarlett and Elaine Feeney in conversation with Mairead Hearne. Sports fans are in for a treat on Saturday evening, Ms McDonnell added. Paul Howard will be joined on stage by the one and only Roddy Collins. The pair will be discussing Roddys memoir The Rodfather, which was published to acclaim last year. In addition to welcoming visiting literary figures, Words By Water also promotes Cork-based talent. Disha Bose, Mary Morrissy, and Sara ODonovan are all appearing at the Local Voices event on Sunday. Workshops this year include a book-binding class and the chance to learn about the fascinating art of Haiku poetry. Other poetry events are taking place on Thursday night and Sunday. For younger readers, there is story time in the library on Saturday morning, while Paul Howard will meet fans of his childrens books at an event in the Trident Hotel on Saturday afternoon. The full programme of events which will be held in several venues over the four days in Kinsale is available at wordsbywater.ie. County councillors in the Carrigaline district have expressed some disappointment that greater garda resources for the area do not appear likely following a meeting of the local community policing forum. Councillors had called for increased garda visibility ahead of the meeting, following concerns about rising incidents of anti-social behaviour. Speaking after a meeting of the Carrigaline community policing forum, Fianna Fail councillor Audrey Buckley, who is chairperson of the Carrigaline area municipal district, said the meeting had been told that An Garda Siochana was simply not getting enough recruits at the Templemore garda training college. Theres 77 coming out, I think, in the next month or two, and will we see any of them, with whats going on in Dublin and now Galway as well? asked Ms Buckley. Theyre also finding it very hard to retain gardai and also to get new recruits. Independent councillor Marcia DAlton said the meeting had been a good and worthwhile exercise, and her belief was the gardai in the local community were doing their best but needed greater resources. It has become obvious to us that guards on the ground are just as anxious to see more gardai as we are, Ms DAlton said. Fine Gael councillor Jack White said he was very impressed with the ongoing dedication of local gardai, describing the meeting as very engaging, as gardai had listened to concerns from citizens and representatives. We are calling on the commissioner and the minister for justice to hear our request for more gardai, he added. Mr White said there had been a sense of frustration at the meeting with the lack of garda recruits and the difficulties caused by the lack of retention on the force. I would say that is a national issue, and we are communicating our concerns to our local senior ministers, he said. A vote in favour of part 8 planning for a mix of two and three-bedroom homes in Heathfield in Ballincollig has been welcomed by political representatives. The vote was held at a meeting of Cork City Council this week. The proposed development by developer Murnane & OShea Limited will consist of 42 three-bed semi-detached, 12 three-bed townhouses, and 16 two-bed townhouses. Speaking to The Echo, Fianna Fail councillor Colm Kelleher said he was delighted to vote in favour of the development of 70 affordable houses. Once passed at council, we were told these affordable homes would be completed in about 18 to 19 months and will be targeted at [the] squeezed middle, the people that need a helping hand to secure a home. This is a brilliant scheme done in conjunction with Cork City Councils housing directorate under the stewardship of Niall O Donnabhain and developers Murnane & OShea. Mr Kelleher said there are a number of other sites identified and earmarked around Ballincollig for more affordable housing which he said will complement existing social developments and private developments in the area. Weve had a decade of undersupply. Since my party Fianna Fail has come into the housing portfolio, we have a 40% increase on housing delivery even on last years figures so it is going in the right direction, he said. There is a lot being done but there is a lot more that needs to be done due to the fact that were starting from a very low base. 'Strong demand' Fianna Fail TD Aindrias Moynihan described the news as a very positive development for locals who have been struggling to afford a home in Ballincollig. I very much welcome these homes, he said. The planning approval clears the way for quickly advancing construction in the months ahead and its expected the council could open for applications from interested people towards the end of this year. There is strong demand for housing thats affordable and I will be continuing to pursue the council on further homes. In the meantime, this affordable homes scheme by Heathfield is a very positive move for people looking to have a home locally. Road safety At this weeks Cork City Council meeting at City Hall, Green Party councillor Collette Finn welcomed the development but highlighted one of the issues that came up in relation to the public consultation concerning speeding and the general safety of children in the estate. I would just ask that those considerations be given, said Ms Finn. Fianna Fail councillor Fergal Dennehy congratulated the housing directorate on what he described as a fantastic scheme. This is 70 families that qualify for affordable housing that will now be catered for and Councillor Finn alluded to the traffic there as well and I want to thank the directorate for engaging with the public and public consultations and taking that on board, he said. Weve been assured that traffic-calming will be included in the scheme and I think that shows the gesture of goodwill towards existing residents there because its slightly complicated in terms of extending an existing estate. The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris were in Cork today where they officially reopened the newly refurbished Rathcormac Garda Station. The Office of Public Works commenced its refurbishment project on October 5th, 2022 with the aim of making it a more modern, high-spec facility for Garda personnel to operate, as well as enhance the policing service provided to victims of crime and the general public in North Cork. The Garda Station in Rathcormac first opened in November 1923 and gardai say it required an extensive upgrade in order to meet the standards required to provide a modern police service. The project took approximately five months to complete, and during that period the local Gardai were temporarily based at Watergrasshill Garda Station. As a result of the works, the station is now wheelchair accessible, and the public office now has the ability to cater for people with hearing impairments. Energy improvements were also made and the station is now fully insulated, has a new energy-efficient heating system and is lit with LED lighting. This station is now also one of the first Garda facilities in the Southern Region to have an electric vehicle charging point. Speaking at the opening of the newly refurbished building to the public, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said, "An Garda Siochana remains committed to community policing and the investment in Rathcormac Garda Station is a prime example of this. "Todays re-opening is a positive reflection of our dedication to providing a modern policing service to the people of Ireland. "I know that these facilities will further strengthen our capabilities here in Co. Cork, as an effective and efficient police service dedicated to guarding the peace and upholding the rule of law. Property crime in Cork city is up 21% this year but the Chief Superintendent of the Cork city garda division said positive trends indicate hard work by gardai is having an impact. Chief Supt Tom Myers revealed the latest crime figures for the Cork city division at the joint policing committee meeting on Monday. Theft from shops was up 39%, with 1,401 incidents reported to gardai in Cork city so far this year. Robbery from the person was up 22%; burglary was up 10%; unauthorised taking of a vehicle was down 10% and interfering with a vehicle with intention to steal item or vehicle was up 42%. Meanwhile, theft from persons was up 11%; theft from vehicle was up 13%; unauthorised taking of a bicycle down one percent; theft of other property was up six percent; and handling of stolen property was down eight percent. Speaking at the JPC, Chief Supt Myers said: Property crime is up 21%. Burglaries at the moment are something that is causing us an issue - were up from 169 (in 2022) to 186 (so far this year) - a 10% jump there. A lot of our burglaries are non-residential. Nevertheless, they are still burglaries and were putting a lot of focus into that at the moment. Our detection rate is quite good - I think its up around 28% which is way above than the national average. But certainly that [number of burglaries] is a red flag for us at the moment, he added. The latest garda info revealed that, while incidents involving interfering with a vehicle were up 73% at the last JPC, this has since reduced to 42%. Theres been a significant drop there and the trend is quite good for us at the moment, Chief Supt Myers stated. Weve prosecuted a lot of young lads in particular on both sides of the city, north and south, in relation to taking vehicles. Thefts from shops continue to be a problem for us, he added. Were up 39% but as you may recall at the last JCP, we were up 63% so the trend is quite good there as well. Were working closely with stakeholders in the city centre businesses as well, including the Cork Business Association and others of course. The trend is positive there and hopefully that will continue for the rest of the year. It was revealed on Monday that thefts from vehicles were up 13% in Cork city - a decrease on the 24% at the last JCP. Theres three good trends going our way at the moment and a lot of good work going into those areas, stated Chief Supt Myers. Once again, I think its important to stress to people the importance of not leaving property visible in cars. You wouldnt believe the amount of cars being left open - people are comfortable in their own environments, such as their driveways, but Id encourage people to lock their properties and to not leave any valuables visible in the car, he added. Overall were up 21% and theft from shops are our biggest driver with around 1,400 crimes but, as I said, the trends are positive and were working really hard with encouraging figures in that regard at the moment. Aontu will this weekend introduce its local election candidate for Midleton, and a European election candidate previously in the news for negotiating with the Russian ambassador. The political party will hold a public meeting in Midletons Park Hotel at 7.30pm on Sunday 17 September, where its candidates will be introduced and the partys leader, Peadar Toibin TD, will speak. The partys Ireland South European candidate, Ballydehob-based fisherman Patrick Murphy, and Midleton woman Mona Stromsoe, who has been selected as an Aontu candidate for next Junes local elections, are also expected to speak at the meeting. Aontu was founded by Peadar Toibin in January 2019 after he had resigned from Sinn Fein in late 2018 due to his anti-abortion views, having opposed the party whip on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. The all-Ireland party currently has one TD, Mr Toibin, and three elected local councillors in the Republic, with no elected representatives in Northern Ireland. In 2019, Aontu did not run any candidates for the European elections in the Republic or in Northern Ireland, but after Junes elections, Patrick Murphy, who made news headlines last year as one of a group of Irish fishermen who took on the Russian navy, hopes to be an MEP for the party. Mr Murphy has been involved in the production of mussels in Roaringwater Bay for the past 25 years, and he has also led the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organization (IS&WFPO) based in Castletownbere since 2016. Early last year, Mr Murphy was one of a group of fishermen who met with Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov, after which Russia announced they would move controversial naval drills further off the Irish coast, and away from Irish fishing grounds. Ms Stromsoe, who lives in Scarriff, Midleton, said after her selection that she was passionate about her local community, and believed in an Ireland where human rights and equality were respected and protected. I've also been involved with an volunteer group which offers practical support to pregnant women and young families, she said. I decided to join Aontu because its becoming clearer by the day that the current government are not listening to the voices of people in rural areas. In Cork Aontu have been involved in many campaigns to save local services, including fishing, health, fire and garda services, Ms Stromsoe said. The candidate said she is concerned about the lack of services and assessments for children with special needs in Midleton. Under the Disability Act, the HSE is supposed to complete the assessment within six months, [and] this target is not being met, she said. Without the diagnosis, they cannot access the care that they need. Early assessment and early intervention is critical to how children can progress and meet key developmental milestones. Ms Stromsoe added that there was a serious need for a school for children pre-school and primary school age with severe developmental disorders in Midleton. This is a large town with a huge catchment area, and no school suitable for children with profound learning disabilities, she said. A CLIMATE change protestor who threw soup on a painting in the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork will not be sentenced until October 12 as a psychiatrists report on him has not yet been completed. Judge Marian OLeary requested the psychiatrists report after being told of a prior history of mental health difficulties experienced by Thomas Shinnick. Defence solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said the psychiatrist confirmed that the accused was doing well, but that a report on him was not yet available. Judge OLeary put sentencing in the case back until October 12 to allow time for the psychiatrists report to be presented to Cork District Court. Inspector Brendan McKenna previously said the 27-year-old also faces sentence for another incident where he resisted arrest, refused to give his name, and engaged in threatening behaviour, where he boarded a Bus Eireann bus at Model Farm Rd, Cork, refused to pay the fare and refused to leave the bus. Insp McKenna said Shinnick narrowly missed punching the garda who responded to a call to the bus on May 3, 2022, and said to the officer: You are lucky I didnt stab you, Ill stab you the next time. Accused 'doing better' Mr Kelleher had previously said the young man was not in any kind of trouble with the courts until the age of 24 when his mental health issues arose. Mr Kelleher said this culminated in him falling out with his family in Buttevant and sleeping rough on the streets of Cork and with Cork Simon Community. However, Mr Kelleher had said the accused had been doing much better this year, and had been in accommodation in Charleville for a number of months. He said Thomas Shinnick was being supported by his parents who would repay the 450 to the gallery for the damage to the painting. And he said a scheme operated partly under the Simon Community was also offering him support. The defence solicitor said the defendant was studying and ultimately hoping to find employment. Criminal damage to painting Shinnick pleaded guilty earlier in the year to causing criminal damage and being in possession of a screwdriver. Thomas Shinnick addressed the court earlier this year and said: I did no damage to the painting which was behind glass. I would never have done it if it wasnt behind glass. I did not kill anyone, but climate change will. I recognise that it is a ridiculous action and I am not saying everyone should be throwing soup at paintings. I am not a criminal. I am a scared little kid trying to fight for their future. I would describe what I did as disruptive, non-violent direct action. Thomas Shinnick, who is originally from Kilcolman West, Buttevant, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage to the painting George Atkinsons Anatomical Study at the gallery on Emmet Place, Cork. The painting is protected by glazing. The painting was not permanently damaged, but the clean-up cost 450. Officers from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested a 70-year-old man claiming that they simply did not know who he was and alleged that he had used the name of a baby who died 11 days after his birth in 1952 to apply for a passport in Cork. Detective Garda Padraic Hanley of GNBCI objected to bail being granted to the accused man who was prosecuted in the name of Philip Morris of no fixed address, with a December 1952 date of birth. Concluding his evidence in objection to bail today at Cork District Court, Det. Garda Hanley said, In short, we dont know who this gentleman is. There are two similar charges. One refers to an unknown date between September 12 and 25 2012 at the Passport Office on South Mall, Cork and the application for the issue of a passport. The particulars of the charge state that he provided information for the issue of a passport which were false or misleading in a material respect and which he knew or believed were false or misleading or were reckless as to whether they were false or misleading. The second charge is similar but refers to a different date, June 7 2022. Det. Garda Hanley said the defendant was arrested at the passport office on the South Mall in Cork yesterday. The detective said that when questioned he said he was living in Ireland and needed the passport to leave the country but refused to assist the officers in any way. Det. Garda Hanley said of the accused, He held an Irish passport for 30 years but only recently obtained a PPS number. In relation to the two charges, a passport issued in the name of a child born in 1952 who died 11 days later. I do have the birth cert and death cert in relation to that child. Once the evidence in objection to bail was given, defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer said, My instructions are that he wishes to reserve his bail application. In the event that there is a bail application, I will put the state on notice. My client accepts there must be a remand in custody. Judge Olann Kelleher remanded the man named as Philip Morris, aged 70, in custody until September 19 at Cork District Court. HUNDREDS of members of the LGBTQI+ community in Cork gathered in the city centre last night for a peaceful demonstration following a decision by popular gay bar Chambers to remove rainbow flags and drag queen posters during Freshers' Week in the city. Chambers Bar on Washington Street has been a firm favourite with the LGBTQI+ community for the past eighteen years. The protestors gathered on the courthouse steps across the road from the venue amid heavy rain last night. Attendees held placards with the words We are hear to stay- you cant paint the gay away. The bar has been contacted for comment. Management at the venue told Red FM that the Sinners student nights were introduced in Chambers a few years ago. As has been the case since 2016 we've hosted student nights at "Sinners" for all students during the 3rd level terms. "So just in case anyone is worried, nothing has changed, and Chambers will be as it has been every weekend, since the day we opened our doors 18 years ago." Reaction from UCC In a statement, UCC Students Union expressed their dissatisfaction with what they describe as the rebranding of Chambers bar to Sinners for Freshers Week 2023. We have seen the discourse online and heard from students who are quite upset and shocked at this decision. "We understand that Chambers has in the past hosted Sinners nights during the big college weeks but to go as far as to rebrand the premises and eliminate any LGBTQ+ flags from the exterior of the building is a step too far. "Students are upset about this decision and are frustrated that the only queer bar and queer nightlife space in Cork City has taken down their LGBTQ+ decor in a clear attempt to make the premises seemingly more palatable to non-queer students. Cork Pride statement Cork Pride also issued a statement in which it expressed its disappointment at what had occurred at Chambers bar. Just a little over a month following the Cork Pride festival, they have chosen to completely erase any semblance of being an LGBT+ focused venue. This decision blatantly disregards the talented Queens who grace their stage and the LGBT+ community they target for their business. "Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this situation, it is essential for our community to recognise and support venues that genuinely stand with us, rather than commodifying our identities when convenient, only to cast us aside when it doesn't serve their interests. Meanwhile, drag artist Krystle Queer told the Neil Prendeville Show, on Corks Red FM, that Chambers bar has always had a loyal following in the gay community. It is the one safe place we have in the city where we can go and be absolutely ourselves. "If you go on to Chambers website it says Chambers is the heart of Cork drag in the city. I know business is business but ethics and morals need to be brought into the question. "Yes, this is a business but this is the one queer place in the entire city. You have morals to uphold. And you need to be taking care of this community. "The theme of Chambers is gay so why are they covering it up completely, changing the venue, posters of us removed and putting us back in the closet for the sake of a few bucks off students? Heartened by turnout Former Ms Gay Ireland Stefanie Fogarty told the show that she was heartened by the large turnout at the demonstration last night. We did it in a peaceful manner. We were full of hope and love because of the amount of people supporting us. People were beeping (in their cars). We had a couple of councillors and TDs show up. It meant a lot. "It (Chambers) is the only place I feel comfortable going clubbing and dancing. To not have access to dance and be myself is heartbreaking. "It is understood that eight drag artists who regularly perform at Chambers bar no longer plan to work there following the controversy of the last week." Cork Labour councillor John Maher says that pride flags and LGBTQI+ safe spaces are not just for Christmas or the August bank holiday. A judge had to doublecheck that he heard the evidence correctly when told that a drunken man tried to get on to a bus carrying a stolen keg of beer. Sergeant John Kelleher confirmed for Judge Olann Kelleher that Alan McCarthy had in fact attempted to get on the bus with the keg of beer in Carrigaline, County Cork. Alan McCarthy of 50 Glencurrig, South Douglas Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge at Cork District Court. He also admitted being threatening and abusive to the member of An Garda Siochana who arrived on the scene of the unusual situation. Judge Kelleher said that the accused had said terrible things to the investigating garda. Now at Cork District Court the 29-year-old has been jailed for a total of six months on charges arising out of the incident. Sergeant John Kelleher said, On March 15 a member of An Garda Siochana was on patrol in the Carrigaline patrol car when he responded to a call to Upper Kilmoney Road, Carrigaline, where it was reported there was a man attempting to climb over the boundary wall of a house. The guard saw him a short time later in a highly intoxicated condition. He was attempting to board a bus. He was holding a beer keg. He was very aggressive and threatening. He stated he would box the head off the guard. Mr McCarthy also stated he would find out where the guard lived and he would rape his mother, his wife and his daughter. At interview later he said he had gotten a bus to Carriglaline. He said he found the beer keg in Carrigaline. It was identified that the beer keg had been taken from Jacques restaurant in Cork city. When Judge Kelleher checked the sergeants evidence of McCarthy trying to carry the keg on to the bus, his solicitor Eddie Burke said this just showed the level of the young mans intoxication on the occasion. Sgt. Kelleher said the defendant had 128 previous convictions, including 16 for engaging in threatening behaviour, one for handling stolen property and five for theft. CLIMATE justice activists took to the streets of Cork city on Friday despite the downpouring of rain to take part in a youth-led Fridays For Future protest. Akshita Gupta, who became involved in Fridays for Future - a youth-led and youth-organised global climate strike movement - through her work as a member of Comhairle na nOg youth council in Cork city, described the protest as really successful. Despite the rain, the protest was well attended by young people, including primary school pupils, a climate officer from Cork City Councilor, local political representatives and representatives from University College Cork (UCC) Students Union. Speakers at the protest included Akshita Gupta, Eva Bresnihan, Sinead Kelliher, Derbhla Richardson, and Leonida Coughlan. This was a global climate strike so it was happening in Dublin as well and in other parts of the world. Particularly today [Friday] was about ending the era of fossil fuels, she said. Our demand from the strike is to end the era of fossil fuels in a way that is possible and realistic. It still remains to be the root cause of many catastrophes that humanity faces in the current world. We demand massive investment from the local and national government in renewable energy projects as well. My main message is that if you look around you, we experienced a heatwave last week and today [Friday] Cork is drenched in heavy rain. Climate Justice activists taking part in a youth-led #FridaysForFuture protest in Cork City centre on Friday. Pic: Larry Cummins In Irelands recorded history, this is the fourth time only that Ireland has ever experienced a heatwave in September and more than half of Met Eireanns weather stations have broken the temperature records for September this year. She said more than words are needed to solve the crisis and called on local TDs, Cork City Council, and the Tanaiste and Taoiseach to engage. Speaking to The Echo following the protest, Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy said: One of my priorities so far has been meeting members of Comhairle na nOg. Im trying to connect the youth council to the work of the City Council a lot more. I think theres a bridge there that needs to be built so they dont feel isolated and so they feel there is a way for their voice to be heard around policy-making in City Hall. City Hall is trying to be climate neutral by 2030 but we need partnerships with everyone and I have to say Comhairle na nOg is also very important and thats something that Ive been working on and they will be working closely with my office over the next few months on different projects. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. In this NOAA image taken by the GOES satellite, Hurricane Lee crosses the Atlantic Ocean as it moves west on Sept. 8, 2023. NOAA via Getty Images After days of churning in the Caribbean, where Hurricane Lee reached Category 5 status with maximum sustained winds of 165 miles per hour (mph), the storm is headed toward the Atlantic Coast of New England and Canada. According to the National Hurricane Center, the large and dangerous Category 1 storm is projected to make landfall this weekend. Its a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day, said Kim Gillies, owner of Maines Boothbay Harbor Marina, as The Associated Press reported. Emergency management agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard warned communities in New England to prepare for the storm, as residents removed boats from the water. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were under a hurricane watch, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda and Massachusetts including Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket north to the border of the U.S. and Canada, the National Hurricane Center said. Today is the last day to prepare, meteorologist Stephanie Abrams with The Weather Channel said on CBS Mornings, as reported by CBS News. Conditions go downhill tonight, and tomorrow, Lee will be battering parts of New England. The strongest winds are expected to be along the coast. The National Hurricane Center predicted the southern portion of New England would start seeing tropical storm conditions, including flooding along the coast, this afternoon. Lee was expected to make landfall in Canada on Saturday. Most of Maine is currently under a tropical storm warning, Portland, Maines WMTW News reported. The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, the hurricane center said. The winds will increase through the day today, and tomorrow gusting as high as 75 mph, Abrams said, as reported by CBS News. Sunday, theyre going to start to taper off from the south to the north. More than three million people were under warnings and watches, Abrams said. New England is still dealing with the aftermath of stormy weather that brought heavy rain, flooding and tornados, The Associated Press reported. Tide and storm surge from Hurricane Lee are expected to cause more flooding along the New England Coast, reported NBC News. Forecasters said Cape Cod, Boston Harbor, Long Island Sound and other coastal areas were expected to get one to three feet of flooding, with one to two feet in parts of New York. So far there have been five hurricanes and 14 named storms in 2023. Last month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said atmospheric and ocean conditions like record warm temperatures were expected to contribute to an above normal hurricane season. NOAA forecasters have increased the likelihood of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season to 60% (increased from the outlook issued in May, which predicted a 30% chance), the agency said in a press release issued last month. Philippines considers subsidising African swine fever vaccine rollout The Philippine government is exploring the possibility of subsidising the commercial rollout of African swine fever (ASF) vaccines, provided they prove effective in ongoing trials, according to a senior agriculture official, BusinessMirror reported. Deogracias Victor Savellano, the newly appointed Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock, emphasised the need for the vaccine trials to successfully complete protocols before considering additional government support. He made these remarks during the National Federation of Hog Farmers' general meeting. Savellano outlined the Department of Agriculture's (DA) three key livestock objectives: strengthening biosecurity measures, repopulating the swine industry, and reducing feed prices. He stressed the importance of biosecurity measures. Regarding biosecurity measures, Savellano mentioned the need to consolidate feedback and suggestions from various stakeholders, departments, and bureaus to establish a unified and coherent direction. He said there is a need for strict biosecurity to safeguard the local livestock industry. Savellano informed members of NatFed that the DA would develop programs to encourage agribusinesses, agri-preneurs, and rural farmer families to engage in livestock farming as a primary or secondary livelihood. The DA's focus includes increasing local livestock product volumes, maintaining a balance between production and imports to keep consumer prices competitive, and ensuring profitable opportunities for livestock farmers to generate livelihoods and jobs nationwide. Savellano acknowledged the ambition of these goals but expressed confidence in their achievability. He pledged to collaborate with swine farmers and other livestock groups to stimulate repopulation efforts, even in the ongoing ASF threat, until trial vaccines are verified as safe, effective, and meeting international standards. Despite the ASF challenges, Savellano reported that swine production increased in the first half of the year, reaching 860,712 metric tonnes (MT) compared to the previous year's 835,125 MT, as per data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) livestock and poultry database. - BusinessMirror Western Australia Agriculture Minister explores grain export opportunities with Indonesian agri-food giant Western Australia's Agriculture Minister, Jackie Jarvis, paid a visit to PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia (JAPFA), one of Indonesia's prominent agri-food companies, to explore the potential of exporting Western Australian grain, The Mirage reported. JAPFA, a major player in Indonesia's poultry feed sector with 21% market share, operates across diverse segments, including poultry, aquaculture, beef cattle, and frozen food production. Minister Jarvis engaged in discussions focused on aquaculture feed production during her visit, as JAPFA is a key producer of feeds for marine water fish and shrimp. Indonesia has witnessed remarkable growth in fish production from aquaculture since 2000, with an average annual rate exceeding 12%, far surpassing the growth rate of wild-caught fish, which stands at just under 3%. The country is projected to require an additional 8.7 million tonnes of feed grains and meals annually by 2030 to meet the escalating demand for meat and fish. Australian wheat, barley, lupins, and canola meal are considered highly compatible with the nutritional needs of Indonesia's feed systems. Last year, Indonesia ranked as Western Australia's third-largest export market for primary industries, with exports exceeding AUD 1.3 billion (~US$841 million; AUD 1 = US$0.65) Minister Jarvis expressed her appreciation to JAPFA for providing the opportunity to tour their facilities and engage in discussions regarding Western Australia's potential contributions to the feed grain sector. She attributed these significant international interactions to the Indonesia Connect Roadshow, which facilitates direct connections between Western Australian businesses and global partners. - The Mirage What is sun bingo free slot gamesan Underlying Asset Underlying asset are the financial assets upon which a derivatives price is based. Options are an example of a derivative. A derivative is a financial instrument with a price that is based on a different asset. What is an Underlying Asset? The Basics of Underlying Asset 1:35 Underlying assets give derivatives their value. For example, an option on stock XYZ gives the holder the right to buy or sell XYZ at the strike price up until expiration. The underlying asset for the option is the stock of XYZ. An underlying asset can be used to identify the item within the agreement that provides value to the contract. The underlying asset supports the security involved in the agreement, which the parties involved agree to exchange as part of the derivative contract. Understanding Derivative Contracts The price of an option or futures contract is derived from the price of an underlying asset. In an option contract, the writer must either buy or sell the underlying asset to the buyer on the specified date at the agreed-upon price. The buyer is not obligated to purchase the underlying asset, but they can exercise their right if they choose to do so. If the option is about to expire, and the underlying asset has not moved favorably enough to make exercising the option worthwhile, the buyer can let the expire and they will lose the amount they paid for the option. Futures are an obligation to the buyer and a seller. The seller of the future agrees to provide the underlying asset at expiry, and the buyer of the contract agrees to buy the underlying at expiry. The price they receive and pay, respectively, is the price they entered the futures contract at. Most futures traders close out their positions prior to expiration since retail traders and hedge funds have little need to take physical possession of barrels of oil, for example. But, they can buy or sell the contract at one price, and if it moves favorably they can exit the trade and make a profit that way. Futures are a derivative because the price of an oil futures contract is based on the price movement of oil, for example. Key Takeaways Underlying assets represent the assets from which derivatives derive their value. Knowing the value of an underlying asset helps traders determine the appropriate action (buy, sell, or hold) with their derivative. Example of an Underlying Asset In cases involving stock options, the underlying asset is the stock itself. For example, with a stock option to purchase 100 shares of Company X at a price of $100, the underlying asset is the stock of Company X. The underlying asset is used to determine the value of the option up till expiration. The value of the underlying asset may change before the expiration of the contract, affecting the value of the option. The value of the underlying asset at any given time lets traders know whether the option is worth exercising or not. The underlying asset could also be a currency or market index, such as the S&P 500. In the case of stock indexes, the underlying asset is comprised of the common stocks within the stock market index. The government of Antigua and Barbuda issued a statement to congratulate Calvin Ayre shortly after the gambling businessman saw all felony charges brought against him by the US dropped. Mr. Ayre was indicted by the District of Maryland US Attorney back in 2012 for violating US laws and providing local players with online gambling services via the Bodog iGaming brand he had found himself. Last month, Chief Judge Catherine Blake from the Maryland District Court dropped the charges against the Canada-born entrepreneur and his iGaming business. Mr. Ayre was required to pay a $500,000 fine and another $100,000for the right to reacquire the Bodog brand. The businessman has been based in Antigua and Barbuda since 2007 and is known to be a major investor there, hence todays statement from the government of the Caribbean island nation and its friendly attitude towards him. Antigua and Barbuda has had its own fare share of legal quarreling with the US. The conflict stemmed from the States crackdown on online gambling that began in the early and mid-2000s and actually continues to this day. The small island nation was actually the worlds first jurisdiction to introduce an online gambling regulatory framework back in 1994. Its laws allowed interested gambling operators to apply for licenses to run gaming websites. Antigua and Barbuda quickly became a popular destinationamong gaming companies and that had a very positive effect on its economy. As mentioned above, it was in the 2000s when the US began implementing a gradual ban on the provision of online gambling services within its borders, which culminated with the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006. The US being so unfriendly disposed towards remote gambling affected Antigua and Barbudas previously thriving iGaming industryto a terrible extent. The nation sought help from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and much-needed help was delivered. The WTO found that by obstructing Antigua and Barbuda licensees from providing iGaming services on its territory, the US was violating a 1995 treaty that aimed to scrap international trade barriers. The organization also ruled that the US pay the island nation $21 million in annual damages, a ruling the former has been refusing to accept. As a result, the States debt to Antigua and Barbuda currently exceeds $250 million. The government of the Caribbean nation has repeatedly tried to settle the issue over the past 15 years, but the US has refused to revisit its stance on the matter. Antigua and Barbuda officials have recently revealed that they will once again bring the dispute to the WTOs attention, if no agreement is reached prior to that. And it does not seem that an agreement will be reached. JAKARTA,today's horse racing abc guide Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's western province of Bengkulu on Friday evening, without causing damages or casualties, a weather agency and an official said. The country's meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency did not issue a warning for a tsunami, as the tremors of the quake did not have the potential to trigger giant waves. The earthquake happened at 20:37 Jakarta time (1337 GMT), with the epicenter located at 187 km northwest of Enggano island and a depth of 10 km under the seabed, the agency said. Head of the Emergency Unit of the Provincial Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency Kristian Hermansyah told Xinhua via phone that there were no preliminary reports of damages or casualties from the quake. "The situation is safe. The residents did not feel the jolts of the quake. The daily activities are normal here," Hermansyah said. Youve heard that breakfast is racing royale bet spinit casino ukthe most important meal of the day. But youve also probably heard that its fine to skip. A 2019 research review published in TheBMJonly adds to the debate: It analyzed 13 breakfast studies and found that eating a morning meal was not a reliable way to lose weight, and that skipping breakfast likely does not lead to weight gain. So should you say goodbye to your eggs and toast? Heres what the science says about breakfast. Does eating breakfast help you lose weight? The weight-loss question has been central to the breakfast debate for years, in part because several high-profile studies some of which were funded by cereal companies, including Quaker and Kellogg claimed that eating early in the day was necessary for controlling weight. When looking at research that isnt funded by the food industry, however, the answer is less clear. Want to eat healthier but dont know where to start? Sign up for TIMEs guide to food myths, debunked Some studies have found that breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than people who skip the meal and burn more calories throughout the day. But its possible that lifestyle and socioeconomic factors may be driving forces here, making a person more likely to eat breakfast and also have better overall health. For example, making time for breakfast is easier for people with 9-to-5 jobs than it is for night shift workers (who research has shown face a range of health risks). Other research, including the new review, has found no strong connection between breakfast and weight loss. One paper from 2017 actually found that skipping breakfast may lead to more calorie burning but also higher levels of inflammation in the body. Despite all the back and forth, Sharon Collison, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a clinical instructor in nutrition at the University of Delaware, says shes not aware of any studies that have shown that eating breakfast can make you gain weight so theres likely no harm in eating it. Anecdotally, Collison says shes seen from her clients that people who struggle with weight tend to eat more of their calories later in the day and less earlier in the day. People who dont eat enough earlier in the day may have increased hunger and increased cravings later in the day and will end up eating more. But more research is needed. Is it unhealthy to skip breakfast? Weight loss aside, Collison says shes totally pro-breakfast and encourages the vast majority of her clients to eat it, for a range of reasons. People who consume breakfast regularly often have increased physical activity. They have better dietary profiles and lower intake of snacks, Collison says. Skipping breakfast is associated with increased disease risk not only obesity but diabetes, heart disease and just lower dietary quality. One small study from 2017 suggested that breakfast-eating could improve a range of metabolic health markers, potentially improving the bodys ability to burn fat and fight chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes at least among people who were already lean. More research is needed to know how different types of people respond to fasting, the scientists say. But what if youre truly not hungry in the morning? Collison says that may be indicative of other problematic eating habits, like snacking at night. If you eliminate that snacking and then wake up hungry and eat a good breakfast, your overall dietary pattern is going to be so much better, and your health status is going to be better, Collison says. Whats the healthiest breakfast? Even if youve decided to eat breakfast, a question remains: what should you eat? A donut and coffee, Collison says, are not going to give you the same benefits as a well-balanced plate. Collison says a good morning meal incorporates four things: protein, whole grains, healthy fat and a fruit or vegetable. Research has shown that protein and fat can increase satiety and cut down on unnecessary snacking later, while whole grains and produce add nutritious fiber, vitamins and minerals. Collison recommends Greek yogurt with nuts, berries and whole-grain cereal or farro; scrambled eggs with veggies, plus toast with avocado and fruit on the side; or oatmeal made with milk, nut butter and fruit. Generally, she says she steers clients away from smoothies or juices. I do encourage people to eat their breakfast, because you just dont get the same sense of fullness with a liquid. When should you eat breakfast? The exact timing will vary depending on a persons needs and schedule, but Collison says a good rule of thumb is to eat within an hour of waking. Its kind of like putting gas in your car, Collison says. If youre going to work out in the morning, plan to eat something beforehand. The quality of your workout could be compromised if you dont fuel your body before, Collison says. The closer it is to the physical activity, the more you want carbohydrates and less fat and fiber, because that will take longer to digest. Collison recommends a banana, oatmeal or cereal. If youve done a vigorous workout, like running, for 45 minutes or more, youll likely need to eat again afterward for recovery. Something that replenishes fluid, carbs and protein like chocolate milk is a good option, as is a banana with peanut butter or cheese, crackers and fruit. A recovery meal probably isnt necessary if youve done lighter exercise, like walking, Collison says. There are no winners in the trade war, so in the largest trade war between China and the United States in human economic history, both sides inevitably have to pay the price and bear the loss. In this regard, China has already made an estimate and prepared a plan to deal with it. On the evening of the 9th, a spokesman for Chinas Ministry of Commerce announced four measures to alleviate the impact of Sino-US trade frictions, including: continuously evaluating the impact on various enterprises; The increase in tax revenue from counter-measures is mainly used to mitigate the impact on enterprises and their employees; to encourage enterprises to adjust their import structure; and to accelerate the implementation of the State Councils views on actively and effectively utilizing foreign capital and promoting high-quality economic development. We will strengthen the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and create a better investment environment. Obviously, in order to reduce the losses of the trade war, the Chinese government is playing a combination of both symptoms and causes, which embodies the strong ability of risk control, the determination and endurance of fighting the trade war, and the ruling concept of taking the people as the basis. As some analysts have pointed out, the US tariff on $34 billion of Chinese imports will have an impact on some of Chinas businesses and will have an impact on the family life of its employees and ordinary people. The Chinese Government has long been aware of these consequences, so it has always made it clear that it does not want to fight. However, this trade war, the Chinese government has to fight, have to accompany to the end. Because people of insight have long seen that the United States has been engaged in a trade war for a long time, not just to achieve the so-called trade balance. The core is to crack down on Chinas ability to innovate in high technology and fundamentally curb Chinas development. It even wants to force the Chinese economy to carry out structural reforms and change Chinas development path. Therefore, the fight against the United States trade war, for China, is related to the core interests of the country, the future interests of the nation and the interests of the people. To this end, China has to pay a certain controllable cost, to bear a certain marginal loss. Of course, any loss of interest to China as a whole is partial and small, and may have a greater impact on individual or individual enterprises. Based on the concept of people-oriented governance, the Chinese government is bound to try its best to keep the adverse effects to a minimum. The first two measures announced by the Ministry of Commerce are a direct and effective response for damaged companies and employees that can alleviate their immediate needs. The third measure is designed to encourage firms to import more from other countries and regions, which is a suggestion from the long-term development of the enterprise, where diversification of trading partners would otherwise help to spread the risk. The fourth proposal is to improve the quality of economic development and effectively protect the soft environment of enterprise development to hedge against the negative impact of the Sino-US trade war and enhance the cohesion of the Chinese market. It has been noted that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) announced on the 8th that it would further liberalize the opening of A-share accounts by foreigners, which is an orderly move by China to open its capital markets in accordance with established directions and plans. A high-quality developing capital market is naturally a strong support for the fight against the US trade war. As the Sino-US trade war has just begun and there are many uncertainties in the future, the impact caused by it is changing dynamically, and Chinas response plan must be adjusted at any time. In response, Chinas Ministry of Commerce said it would continue to improve the policy mix, and welcome more suggestions from all sectors of the community. It can be expected that as the Sino-US trade war evolves, the Chinese governments stop-loss program will continue to be adjusted and optimized to minimize losses. Is China really capable of paying a price in the fight against the US trade war? it is seen that China is the only country in the world with a total industrial category, with a huge consumer market of nearly 1.4 billion people. This means that even in the most difficult times, the Chinese economy can achieve internal circulation. At the same time, 91% of Chinas economic growth comes from domestic demand, and 60% of domestic demand is driven by consumption, which is constantly escalating and the market is vibrant. More importantly, the number of Chinese innovation enterprises ranks second in the world, and innovation-driven development has made the Chinese economy more resilient. In addition, China has constantly expanded its opening up in accordance with the established strategy, which has greatly enhanced the confidence of the outside world. According to the 2018 China Business Environment Survey released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, 74 percent of member companies plan to expand their investment in China this year, the highest percentage in recent years. Fighting the US trade war is a national war for China. China has more than five thousand years of history and culture, and the Chinese people have a heroic sentiment of worrying before the peoples worries and being happy after the peoples happiness and the common peoples spirit of leaving small families to care for everyone. In the face of this national war, the Chinese people know very well that only a country has a home and are willing to bear the temporary loss of personal life and share the difficulties with a responsible government. We will safeguard the long-term overall situation of sustained economic development and national rejuvenation. This is Chinas strongest strength in fighting the US trade war! China has the ability to pay a price against the US trade waradded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline Wind Creek Hospitality this week launched its first-ever retail sportsbook through a partnership with Betfred USA Sports, the US division of British bookmaker Betfred, that the casino operator signed early this year. The Betfred Sports betting facility had a soft opening this past Wednesday at Wind Creeks Wind Creek Bethlehem casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The sportsbook occupies the space of the former Buddy Vs Ristorante and features two state-of-the-art video walls, 31 TVs, three betting windows, and eight self-service betting kiosks. The space also has multiple viewing areas and a sports pub that serves food and beverages. Wind Creek and Betfred will hold a grand opening ceremonyto celebrate the new addition to Wind Creek Bethlehems offering. The event will take place on Saturday, November 21, and will be attended by invited guests. The opening of the retail sportsbook marks the culmination of a sports betting deal between Wind Creek and Betfredthat the two companies signed this past January. The launch of the brick-and-mortar facility will be followed by the rollout of a Betfred-powered online sportsbook in the coming weeks. The digital product will be available across Pennsylvania. Betfreds sportsbook at Wind Creek Bethlehem is the operators third retail facility in the US. It has previously opened sportsbooks at Grand Falls Casino & Gold Resort in Iowa and Saratoga Casino in Colorado as part of partnerships with the casinos owners. Expansion in a Massive Sports Betting Market Commenting on their expansion in Pennsylvania, Betfred USA Sports COO Bryan Bennett said that they are extremely excitedabout their partnership with Wind Creek and that they couldnt be happierwith the launch of our third US-based sportsbook in one year. Mr. Bennett added that Pennsylvania is a massive sports betting marketand that they are looking forward to helping Wind Creek Bethlehem become a go-to destination for sports bettors. Wind Creek Hospitality President and CEO Jay Dorris said that opening a sports betting facility at their Pennsylvania property provides yet another exciting gaming opportunity for our guestsand that their partnership with Betfred will allow them to bring a first-class sports betting experiencein a high energy environment to the property. Wind Creek secured the necessary regulatory approvalto offer retail betting experience at its Bethlehem casino as well as a digital betting product this past June. The addition to the retail facility comes as part of the propertys ongoing expansion. Wind Creek purchased its Bethlehem casino in 2019 and promised to invest $100 millioninto building a 270-room hotel that will be attached to the propertys existing 282-room hotel and another $250 millioninto building an indoor water park and entertainment complex. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories pingu live slotshows grade level based on the word's complexity. backgammon [ bak-gam-uhn, bak-gam- ]/ bkgm n, bkgm- / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ bak-gam-uhn, bak-gam- ]/ bkgm n, bkgm- /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. nouna game for two persons played on a board having two tables or parts, each marked with 12 points, and with both players having 15 pieces that are moved in accordance with throws of the dice.a victory at this game, especially one resulting in a tripled score. verb (used with object)to defeat at backgammon, especially to win a triple score over. Words nearby backgammon How to use backgammon C17: back 1 + gammon, variant of game 1 QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question backgammonFirst recorded in 163545; back+ gammonback focus, back foot, back formation, back forty, back four, backgammon, back gear, back green, background, backgrounder, background extinctionDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Gummy vitamins are increasingly popularand not just for kids. By some estimates,treasure mile casino no deposit bonus codes adults now comprise up to 80% of the gummy vitamin market. Pill fatigue is one factor driving grownups toward gummies. If you have to take multiple supplements every dayand especially if you have problems swallowing capsules or tabletsgummies can make that chore easier (and tastier), finds a 2017 report from the AARP. But do gummy vitamins work the same as ordinary supplements? Its a lot harder to make a good gummy than it is to make a tablet or capsule, says Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, a private company that conducts safety and quality testing of consumer products. In a 2017 supplement analysis, ConsumerLab.com found that four out of five gummy products contained more or less than their listed amounts of ingredients. Gummies were the most likely kind of supplement to fail testing, the analysis found. Many companies seem to have trouble controlling the amounts of ingredients in each gummy, Cooperman says. To solve this problem, he says some gummy makers spray vitamins and nutrients onto the outside of the finished candylike a coating. There are also stability problems, meaning the gummies can lose potency over time. This leads some manufacturers to put in a lot more of certain vitamins than labeled to ensure the product provides at least 100% of the labeled amounts throughout its shelf life, he explains. While that may sound like a good thingafter all, youre getting more than you paid forsome reports have linked excessive nutrient intakes to health problems, including an elevated risk for some types of cancer. Want to eat healthier but dont know where to start? Sign up for TIMEs guide to food myths, debunked The ConsumerLab.com analysis also found that few gummies contain iron, which has a metallic taste thats difficult to mask. This is especially worth highlighting for pregnant women, who are often advised to take an iron supplement to lower the risk for preterm birth and other complications. But the analysis wasnt all bad news; some gummiesincluding kids gummies made by Flintstones Vitamins, and womens gummies made by Natures Waypassed the ConsumerLab.com testing. Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. Thank you! Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later.You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Still, experts have other reservations about gummy supplements. Im concerned about kids and adults becoming accustomed to getting nutrients in sugary forms, says Dr. Mark Moyad, the Jenkins/Pomkempner Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Many gummy products for both kids and adults contain one or more grams of sugar per gummy. Thats similar to some types of candyone Sour Patch Kid, for example, has 1.8 grams of sugar, according to the USDA food products database. If someones taking multiple gummy supplements a daymany of which require you to eat two or three gummies in order to get a full dose of the included nutrientsall of that sugar can add up. Its like eating Halloween candy 365 days a year, Moyad says. In the midst of the greatest epidemic of childhood and adult obesity this country has ever seen, we should be getting our nutrients from whole unprocessed foods, not from candy. That whole-foods-first advice applies to all supplements, not just gummies. While many people assume that supplements are a safe and convenient way to get a lot of the good stuff found in food, thats often not true. [Supplements] cant replicate all of the nutrients and benefits of whole foods, according to the Mayo Clinic. Also, the vast majority of supplements are not tested for safety or efficacy, experts warn. While people with specific nutritional deficiencies can benefit from a supplementespecially one a doctor tells them to takethe evidence on daily multivitamins is lackluster. A 2012 review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound that multivitamins had no effect on mortality. And when it comes to preventing cancer or heart disease, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has found insufficient evidence that vitamin supplements do any good. In the case of beta carotene and vitamin E supplements, the Task Force has actually advised against taking them. All told, theres reason to be wary of gummy vitamins. If your doctor told you to take something and you have problems with other types of supplements, gummies may be a helpful alternative. But adding a few gummy supplements to your daily routine may not be such a sweet idea if youre looking to improve your health. Sebastian Vettel still loves Formula 1,royal poker mn national anthem bet but the fulfillment has disappeared as the wins have dried up. After 16 seasons, the last two with a struggling Aston Martin team, Vettel is retiring and relieved to be leaving, although he still does not know what he will do next. I know how much dedication goes into this, and if you do it I am convinced you have to do it the right way, Vettel said. The aim has always been to win and compete at the front, so I dont get much pleasure from being here and just being part of it. On Sunday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Vettel, 35, will start a Grand Prix for the 299th time, as he leaves a sport he entered in 2007. His career has yielded four world titles, with Red Bull, and 122 finishes on the podium, which include 53 wins. His last win came in 2019 in Singapore when he was with Ferrari, where he spent six seasons. Im very much looking forward to having nothing scheduled, no commitments, he said. What that does to me? I think it will do a lot of things to my head, but Im curious to find out what exactly that will be. Vettel said he had lots of ideas and things I would love to do. Over the past few years, he has shone a spotlight on sustainability and the environment and spoken out on behalf of the L.G.B.T.Q. community. Listening to the Radio: With the press of a button on the steering wheel, drivers communicate with their team. Its an improvement from when they used hand-held signs. With the press of a button on the steering wheel, drivers communicate with their team. Its an improvement from when they used hand-held signs. Covered From Head to Toe: Drivers are loaded with equipment, like a biometric sensor and fire-resistant overalls, to keep them safe in racecars. Please, no jewelry and lets discuss the underwear. Drivers are loaded with equipment, like a biometric sensor and fire-resistant overalls, to keep them safe in racecars. Please, no jewelry and lets discuss the underwear. Rubber Meets the Road: During a race, determining which type of tire to use and when, can turn a loser into a winner or vice versa. During a race, determining which type of tire to use and when, can turn a loser into a winner or vice versa. How Do Drivers Fight Jet Lag? It affects performance, so they use caffeine, avoid light and shoo away hotel housekeeping. And how about some golf? It affects performance, so they use caffeine, avoid light and shoo away hotel housekeeping. And how about some golf? More on Formula 1: Stories about drivers, teams and issues. My concern for the environment is one of the factors that definitely played a role in my decision to retire, seeing the world changing and seeing the future in a very threatened position for all of us, and especially for generations to come, he said. I understand that part of my passion, my job, relates to things I am not a fan of. I am traveling the world, racing cars, burning resources. It is something I cannot look away from, and once you see these things, once you are aware, I dont think you can really unsee. Image Vettel practicing last week for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.Credit...Mark Thompson/Getty Images Vettel has helped students in Austria build a bee hotel, collected rubbish from the grandstands at Silverstone after a British Grand Prix and visited a plant in Iceland that collects carbon dioxide from the air. Before last weekends Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Vettel visited the SOS Mata Atlantica organization to learn about the reforestation of a logging area of Brazil. At some point, all of us will have no choice that we are all going to be activists because we have to actively push to survive, Vettel said. It sounds really dramatic, but its something that will catch up with us very, very soon. The more I look and the more I get into all of this, its great to raise awareness, to plant a seed and make people look at whats going on and help to understand, because once you understand, you start to care, and once you care, youre happy to help. Formula 1 has provided Vettel with a platform to voice his opinion. He said his views would not be retired and abandoned because he was retiring. It would be the wrong motivation to keep doing what I have always done just to express an opinion on some topics, he said. Maybe I will lose voice and reach, but they have never been at the foreground. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes said he was sad to see Vettel leave Formula 1, as a rival, friend and fellow activist. It has been an unexpected relationship and friendship, said Hamilton, a seven-time champion. It is so difficult when you are so competitive and you are both fighting for something you are passionate about. He said Vettel was one of the very, very few drivers in racing history that has stood for much more than himself. Hes used his voice in things that Ive fought for and stood by me. Hes gone on his own journey and stood on the grid and fought for things that he believed in, and for the greater good. Hes just a really beautiful human being, and Im really grateful to have been here in a time that he was racing. Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull, where Vettel won his four titles from 2010 to 2013, said he would never forget when Vettel dominated. Vettel holds the record for being the youngest champion, at 23, after winning his first title in 2010. Image Fans greeted Vettel in his hometown, Heppenheim, Germany, in 2010 after he won his first world title in Formula 1.Credit...Daniel Roland/Agence France-Presse Getty Images He was a massive part of our team and a pleasure to work with, Horner said. He was committed and unrelenting in his pursuit of performance. Probably the hardest-working driver I have come across. Beyond that, just a really nice guy. We had so many special moments, those four world championships, there were days he was just in a league of his own. Very special memories. Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo said Vettel at his peak was pretty untouchable. Hes had a great career, hes given a lot to the sport, he said. But his values in life have changed quite a bit recently and now he has lots to give but for the world. Vettel said he was leaving Formula 1 without any real regrets. I had a lot of highlights, a lot of great races, great people that I got to know and work with, he said. He recently said that his first win, at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, stood out: It was an incredible race with incredible emotions. Vettel said he had had a good time in his career. Its been a privilege, and Im very happy to take all of this, everything I learned, everything I was able to experience, all the support that I got as well to hopefully boost me in the next chapter. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday met here a delegation of people from various sectors in Taiwan, led by former chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party Lien Chan. The pursuit of a just cause and peoples common aspirations is unstoppable, said Xi during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. We have the confidence and ability to keep a firm hold on the correct direction, work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advance the process toward the peaceful reunification of China, Xi said. Xi called on compatriots on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together to uphold the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, and to resolutely oppose and deter Taiwan independence. He also called for joint efforts by both sides to expand and deepen cross-Strait exchange and cooperation in various fields, improve the kinship among compatriots and their wellbeing, and jointly write the new chapter of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Once seeing through a long-term perspective and with a broad vision, compatriots from the two sides of the Strait would grasp the big picture of cross-Strait relations and overcome difficulties to push it forward, Xi said. We have full confidence in the future of cross-Strait relations, he said. The confidence was based on the reason that the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and joint efforts to realize national rejuvenation is the right path in line with interests of the whole nation and the tide of the times, which will benefit compatriots from the two sides and gain their support, he said. It was also because, despite ups and downs in cross-Strait relations, people from the two sides have never been separated emotionally, and in their nationality and cultural identity, and the general trend of ties is moving forward, Xi said. The two sides of the Strait belong to an inseparable community of shared future that stands together through thick and thin, he said. No one can stop the common aspiration of compatriots on the two sides for a better life and closer and more favorable cross-Strait relations, he said. Noting that the right path should be upheld, Xi urged people of the two sides to have stronger faith and show solidarity, particularly under the current situation. The 1992 Consensus should be upheld and Taiwan independence should be opposed, he said. We will never allow any attempts of Taiwan independence to succeed. Such attempts are doomed to fail, Xi said, urging people from the two sides to firmly oppose and deter activities of Taiwan independence with concrete action. Cross-Strait exchange and cooperation should be expanded and intensified, he said, adding that disagreement between people of the two sides on some issues should not hold back regular exchange and cooperation nor become an excuse to stand in the way. Compatriots across the Strait should show empathy, stand in each others shoes and understand each other better so as to forge closer bonds, he said. The welfare of people across the Strait should be promoted, he said. Now, when national rejuvenation is heading toward a brighter future, the nation has a stronger ability and better conditions to improve compatriots welfare, Xi said. Promising to provide equal treatment for Taiwanese people and businesses in the mainland, he said more policies will be issued, following the 31 measures adopted in February to promote cross-Strait economic and cultural cooperation and exchange. Compatriots across the Strait should be united to work for national rejuvenation, Xi said, stressing that Taiwanese people should not and will not be absent from the cause. People across the Strait should follow the tide of history, work together for the greater national interests, jointly promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, advance the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland, and realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, Xi said. Lien proposed upholding the one-China principle, promoting peaceful cross-Strait relations and mutually beneficial integration, and revitalizing the Chinese nation. In 2005, the two parties issued a five-point consensus on the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, endorsing the 1992 Consensus while opposing Taiwan independence, which helped get the cross-Strait relations on the right track of peaceful development, Lien said. The current situation in the Taiwan Strait has been destabilized and is causing harm to the security and wellbeing of Taiwan residents, Lien noted. People from the two sides both belong to the Chinese nation who went through both good and hard times together, Lien said, calling on them to abandon internal rifts and work together to pursue peaceful cross-Strait relations and shared prosperity across the Strait. The two sides should consolidate political mutual trust and restart dialogue on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, and address, step by step, political differences left over by history, he said. Lien called on the two sides to promote economic cooperation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, expand mutual benefits, enhance the kinship between people across the Strait, and continuously increase integration to realize rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping meets with Taiwan delegation led by Lien Chanadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline Tioga Downs, a racino based in Nichols, New York, will be redeveloped into a full-fledged casinocomplex, after all four members of the New York State Gaming Commission approved the transformation unanimously on Tuesday. The project has become the fourth upstate commercial casino venture to be given the green light by state gambling officials. Apart from horse racing events, Tioga Downs currently features 800 video-lottery terminals. Soon, these are to be replaced with 1,000 slot machines and 50 gaming tables, which will be accommodated in a 35,000-square foot casino. A 160-room hotel, a number of food and beverage facilities, an outdoor concert venue, and a spa will also be added as part of the $122-million redevelopment project. Plans about the gambling venues expansion were first announced about three years ago. Tioga Downs was among the applicants contending for a license by the New York State Gambling Commission for the operation of a full-scale casino in Upstate New York. Under original plans, four such venues were to be licensed. However, late in 2014, a specially appointed Gaming Facility Location Board suggested that three casinos in the region would be more than enoughand that the construction of more gambling facilities may affect the business in a negative manner. Following the boards recommendation, the state Gaming Commission awarded three casino licenses. Quite understandably, the decision was ill-received by Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural. Eventually, the businessman managed to convince gambling officials to reconsider their decision. A bid for a casino license for the Southern Tier region was opened last year, with Mr. Gurals property being the only applicant. The license in question was granted yesterday with the full support of New York gambling commissioners. The real estate developer/Tioga Downs owner told media that the expanded venue will prove to be a shot in the arm for a region that is in desperate need of additional revenue. Once the full-scale casino opens doors, it is projected to generate annual tax revenue of $32 million. The money will be distributed to statewide school aid initiatives, the host town, and the host county. Surrounding counties will also receive a share of the revenue provided by the gambling venue. Construction work is already under wayat Tioga Downs and some of the amenities part of the expansion project have already been completed. Lewis royal ace casino deposit bonusHamilton is far from finished with Formula 1. Its not forever, but something inside is telling me, Youre not done yet. Youve got to keep pushing. Youve got more to do, more to achieve, the seven-time champion said in an interview. He has just one year left on his contract with his team, Mercedes, but will start talks with Toto Wolff, the team principal, during the winter on a new deal. Although it is hard to imagine that either side will walk away, it does raise the question of Hamiltons future. He will be, after all, 38 years old next season. In 2021, after coming within three seconds of winning his record eighth title, he was far from challenging for the championship this year. But he has no intention of stepping away now. Its going to be hard one day, stopping racing, Hamilton said. Ive done it for 30 years, and itll be 30-plus years when I do eventually stop. Luckily for me, right this second, its not now. My dad and my brother, theyre like, Yeah, keep racing forever, because theyre racers. For my mum and my sister, I can definitely sense they want me to do whatever I want to do, he added. They can also see how tiring it is, that it weighs heavy on you. Sometimes when I go around to my sisters house I just pass out on the couch. Image The cars of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last weekend.Credit...Mark Thompson/Getty Images If Hamilton feels that way, why carry on? Because theres no doubt that I love what I do, he said. I really do love the challenge every weekend, how we, as a team, show up every weekend. Over the past few years, Hamilton has become more than just a driver. His voice has become powerful in speaking out about diversity and pushing for change. In June 2020, the Hamilton Commission was started to increase the number of Black people in motorsport. Listening to the Radio: With the press of a button on the steering wheel, drivers communicate with their team. Its an improvement from when they used hand-held signs. With the press of a button on the steering wheel, drivers communicate with their team. Its an improvement from when they used hand-held signs. Covered From Head to Toe: Drivers are loaded with equipment, like a biometric sensor and fire-resistant overalls, to keep them safe in racecars. Please, no jewelry and lets discuss the underwear. Drivers are loaded with equipment, like a biometric sensor and fire-resistant overalls, to keep them safe in racecars. Please, no jewelry and lets discuss the underwear. Rubber Meets the Road: During a race, determining which type of tire to use and when, can turn a loser into a winner or vice versa. During a race, determining which type of tire to use and when, can turn a loser into a winner or vice versa. How Do Drivers Fight Jet Lag? It affects performance, so they use caffeine, avoid light and shoo away hotel housekeeping. And how about some golf? It affects performance, so they use caffeine, avoid light and shoo away hotel housekeeping. And how about some golf? More on Formula 1: Stories about drivers, teams and issues. Hamilton helped Mercedes set up Accelerate 25, a five-year program that also commenced in 2020, aimed at ensuring that 25 percent of all new starters on the team come from underrepresented groups. Last year, Hamilton founded Mission 44, a charitable foundation seeking to transform the lives of young people from underserved backgrounds by narrowing opportunity gaps in education and employment. The fuel for Hamiltons fire was the death of George Floyd in May 2020. I really wasnt expecting that day, Hamilton said. I hadnt cried for a long, long time. Probably the last time Id cried before then was when my auntie [Diane Hamilton] died of cancer. I was with her for the last two weeks. I remember trying to be really strong for her kids. Then there was George Floyd. The whole thing was devastating. It brought up these things I experienced when I was a kid that I didnt get to really share with anybody. Formula 1 showed its support in the fight against racism and inequality by starting the #WeRaceAsOne initiative. Hamilton urged drivers to take a knee before a Grand Prix. The death of Floyd particularly resonated with Hamilton. It was when he shouted out for his mum, he said. That one breaks everybody because you can relate to that no matter what your skin color is. Then for me, there were moments I was in fear, when I was on the receiving end of the experiences I had, when I was beaten down by this man and his son, for example, and wanting to also scream out for my mum or dad, and they werent around at the time. Hamilton said that after the death of Floyd, 2020 was probably the first time I was ever really heard in speaking out against racism and a lack of diversity inside organizations. More than two years later, he said there were still many barriers. He is hoping its not going to be like this for much longer. If I dont bring up these difficult conversations with people, they wont get discussed or tackled, or energy from organizations wont be put into creating more inclusivity, he said. Spending the time having those conversations and what it means and how positive it could be for everybody, it takes time. Its a constant job to have them. Hamilton feels he is making progress, but the demands on his time conflict with his commitments to Mercedes. Image Hamilton at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix.Credit...Peter Fox/Getty Images I would say that over these last few years Ive been slowly peeling back the layers, but its not easy to do that when youre in the limelight, Hamilton said. Its really, really not easy to have so much growth in the spotlight. You make so many mistakes. Nothing prepares you for this journey. There are days where I dont feel like Im doing enough, days where I dont feel like Ive got to do more, and then there are days where I feel like Im failing people because the problem is everywhere. Its far bigger than me. I just have to keep reminding myself to stay on course, to keep doing what Im doing. Hamilton knows he has the support of his fellow drivers. That was particularly the case in July when Nelson Piquet, a three-time champion in the 1980s, used a racist term to describe Hamilton in an interview he had conducted a few months earlier. It led to widespread condemnation from inside Formula 1. Daniel Ricciardo of McLaren said Hamilton was an inspiring figure who deserved respect for what he has achieved. Currently on the grid, hes the biggest name in the sport, Ricciardo said. From that, he has grown awareness of his ability to reach out, encourage and inspire. You can have a platform but you need to want to create change, and hes very vocal, he feels strongly about it and, obviously, he can certainly relate in a lot of situations. Ricciardo said the experiences encountered by Hamilton allowed him to speak out openly. That always helps, he said. Its authentic, its genuine and if anyone has a back story, its easier to follow. Obviously, when someone sees a figure like him be open about topics that maybe arent necessarily very open, it just has a bigger impact. Kudos to him for being bold enough to go and put himself out there. Image Hamilton celebrated with his team after finishing second at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last weekend.Credit...Andre Penner/Associated Press It is why, when Hamilton and Wolff discuss a new deal, it will be about more than money. Despite a difficult season on track for Hamilton, Wolff said his driver is very good at sensing whats right for him. We have those conversations regularly, not particularly about a contract extension, but more where we are heading as human beings and what our objectives are, he said. We have that constant discussion. I was in no doubt that a down year like this would not trigger him saying goodbye to Formula 1. He is too strong, too resilient and too determined to say, The car is not good enough and thats why Im going. Hamilton knows he has so much more to achieve, on and off track. Theres a reason why I have as much energy as I do, that Im still able to train with the intensity that I do and have the dedication that I do, he said. At some stage, I will want to have a family and that will be my full focus, but right now, being in Formula 1 with Mercedes is it. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Some of the world's most well-known cave paintings are tens of thousands of years old. Despite humans who lived during these eras being thought of as "prehistoric" or "cavemen," many of these sketches show impressive creativity and skill. There are no concrete, universal theories about the purpose of these ancient paintings. Did these prehistoric people have the urge to express themselves artistically? Did they want to make an historic record for future generations to see? Or were they merely trying to communicate with others who might use the caves for shelter? Because of the protected underground environment, many cave paintings are in remarkably good shape, including Argentina's Cueva de las Manos (pictured). Unfortunately, some of the more popular caves had to be closed off to the general public because a large number of visitors had altered the conditions inside the caverns, causing paintings to fade or mold to grow. Even so, these 10 sites offer visitors the opportunity to experience these relics of ancient human life for themselves. Lascaux Cave Photo: Everett - Art/Shutterstock The paintings in Lascaux Cave in Southwest France are not the oldest examples of art in the world, but they are considered among the most stunning. The pictures, painted approximately 17,000 years ago, depict large animals, such as bulls and horses, which thrived in this part of Europe during the Paleolithic era. The images were discovered in 1940 by a group of teenagers, and the cave was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Unfortunately, Lascaux is now closed to the public because the paintings began fading and mold was discovered in the cave. Curious travelers will have to settle for a replica of the largest halls called "Lascaux II," which is located about 200 meters away from the real cavern. There is currently a major effort underway to protect the original paintings from further fading. Cave of Swimmers Photo: Roland Unger/Wikimedia Commons Tourists can see original paintings in another famous site: the Cave of Swimmers. These paintings depict people swimming, but the cave is located in one of the last places on Earth you would associate with such a water-based activity: the Sahara Desert in Egypt. Some scientists hypothesize that a large lake or river was located in the area in prehistoric times, prior to its desertification. Many people might be familiar with this cave because it was featured in the film "The English Patient." Parts of the cave have been damaged by visitors, but local authorities have made an effort to train guides so that they can keep tourists from doing further damage. Because of the remote location, relatively few people actually visit this cave, which is one of a number in the area that have ancient paintings. Altamira Cave Photo: D. Rodriguez/Wikimedia Commons Paintings have been found throughout the length of this cave in Northern Spain, approximately 20 miles away from the city of Santander. Scientists think that the paintings that line the kilometer-long passageways were created over the course of 20,000 years, with some researchers suggesting that the oldest images were made by neanderthals. The cave was apparently sealed by a rockfall, so the paintings were very well preserved until their discovery in the 1880s. It took decades to convince skeptics, who thought that ancient humans were not sophisticated enough to make such paintings, that the images really were from prehistoric times. Altamira's paintings began to fade because of the CO2 released in visitors' breath. Today, most people wander through a replica of the cave, but recently, the Altamira's trustees began allowing a limited number of visitors into the actual cave, despite fears from some experts that even limited weekly visits could ruin the paintings. The Rock Art of Kakadu National Park Photo: Pics by Nick/Shutterstock Kakadu National Park, in Australia's sparsely populated Northern Territory, contains some of the best remaining examples of rock art created by Australia's native peoples. The paintings are under rock overhangs where these people took shelter from the elements. Some of the images are thought to be 20,000 years old. These paintings tell the history of human life in Australia from prehistoric times all the way up to the first contact with non-native settlers and explorers. For many of these ancient artists, the act of painting was considered more important than the resulting image itself. For this reason, some of the older pictures in the park were actually painted over at a later date. Magura Cave Photo: Mono Collective/Shutterstock Magura Cave in Bulgaria contains paintings that were made between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. The images are thought to depict festivals, important events and deities unique to the ancient Balkans. There is also evidence of a solar calendar, one of the oldest to ever be discovered. After studying the images, scientists discovered that they were painted using bat guano. Visitors can currently view some of the paintings during a visit to the cave, though this requires booking a guided tour and paying an extra fee to see the chambers where the paintings are located. Cueva de las Manos Photo: elnavegante/Shutterstock One of the most interesting examples of prehistoric art can be found in Argentine Patagonia. The aptly named Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) features the outline of a number of human hands, which were stenciled onto a rock wall. The cave has other paintings as well, most of which depict hunting and wild animals. The handprints and other images were made more than 9,000 years ago. Most of the stencils are of left hands, which suggests that the painters made the images themselves using some sort of paint pipe held in their right hand. The paint was blown out of this device onto and around the left hand. Guided tours of the cave are available to anyone who can make it to this remote place. Bhimbetka Rock Shelters Photo: Suyash Dwivedi/Wikimedia Commons The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh contain some of South Asia's oldest cave paintings. The images have been remarkably well preserved over the years. Scientists estimate that the oldest examples were painted approximately 30,000 years ago. Some of the images are much younger, with the newest ones created during Medieval times. Having artworks from prehistoric eras all the way up to the Middle Ages in one place is quite rare. The shelters, which are part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, are open to the public daily. Pettakere Cave Photo: Cahyo Ramadhani/Wikimedia Commons This cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has drawn a lot of attention because estimates based on recent carbon dating put the pictures found here at up to 40,000 years of age. If this dating is accurate, it would mean that Pettakare's artists made their pictures before European cave dwellers made theirs. Pettakere features hand stencils like the ones found in Argentina. There are also figures of animals. People can visit the cave as part of a tour that also includes stops at the interesting rock formations found in the surrounding area. Pedra Furada Photo: Diego Rego Monteiro/Wikmedia Commons Over 1,000 pictures were discovered around Pedra Furada in Northeast Brazil. These sites are somewhat controversial among scientists because some believe that the people who lived there came to the region before the so-called Clovis tribe. Most prehistory experts believe that the Clovis were the first humans to settle in the Americas. There are hundreds of archaeological sites in the Pedra Furada area, which is part of the National Park of Serra da Capivara. More than 150, including some rock art sites, are open the public. Laas Geel Photo: Clay Gilliland/flickr These artworks, on rock walls outside of Hargeisa, the capital of the autonomous region of Somaliland, have been known to local residents for a long time. However, it wasn't until French archaeologists began to study them in the early 2000s that the world took notice. The paintings, which remain quite vivid because of the arid climate, are estimated to be between 5,000 and 11,000 years old. Both humans and animals are depicted in the images. Somaliland, to the north of unstable Somalia, is relatively safe to visit, though its tourism industry is only in the very early stages of development. Therefore is a popular word. If you have ever taken a course in formal logic, you will know that the word therefore is a staple of both deductive and inductive reasoning. Therefore signals that the argument has laid out all its premises and is now ready to conclude. Therefor, however, is much less popular than therefore. It rarely appears outside of legal or financial documents. Even some experienced writers think that it is simply a misspelling of therefore. Therefor, in fact, is its own separate word with its own meaning and usage cases. What is the Difference Between Therefor and Therefore? In this post, I will compare therefor vs. therefore. I will include example sentences for each of these words, so you can see what they look like in context. Plus, I will outline a memory tool that you can use to help you remember whether to use therefor or therefore in your own writing. When to Use Therefore What does therefore mean? Therefore is an adverb that means for that reason, consequently. It is useful when concluding an argument and is a crucial piece of syllogisms in formal logic. Here are a few ways therefore is used in a sentence. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm; let nothing move you. You have ordered four beers and two shots of vodka tonight; therefore, your bill comes to $38. The court therefore finds you guilty of 34 counts of arson, and sentences you to ten years in prison, said the judge. Second, Snaps underwriters should have greater access to Snapchats executives, and therefore, more information about the company. Fortune As mentioned above, thereforeis much more common than thereforin ordinary prose, but that doesnt mean thereforis incorrect. When to Use Therefor What does therefor mean? Therefor is also an adverb. It means for that purpose. Therefor is used only rarely, and usually in legal documents, where it is sometimes used to specify the reason for a reimbursement. Here are a few examples of therefor in sentences, My client was unaware of the regulations concerning using personal money for resident expenditures, and takes no responsibility therefor. The customer returned the dress and received compensation in the form of store credit therefor, read Madeline aloud. Ingrid submitted her application, and the email contained all supporting documents therefor. As you can see in the above examples, thereforis much more likely to appear at the endof a sentence, while thereforeis more likely to appear near the beginningof a sentence. Trick to Remember the Difference Since therefore and therefor are both adverbs, and are spelled very similarly, knowing which one to use seems confusing. Since these words can be confusing, lets go over a trick to remember therefore vs. therefor. If you are using the word as a synonym for consequently, choose therefore. If the word could easily (if less accurately) be substituted with therein, use therefor instead. Therefore is much more commonly found in everyday English. Since therefore has an extra E, the letter that begins English, you should be able to remember that therefore is an everyday word, while therefor is not. Summary Is it therefor or therefore? Therefor and therefore are adverbs. Therefore is a synonym of consequently. Therefor means for that purpose. Today, therefor chiefly appears in legal English. Since therefore is used much more often in everyday writing, and has an extra E, like everyday, you will always know when to use this word. Dont forget, you can always use this article as a refresher is you get stuck choose thereforeor therefor. Facebook Facebook Twitter Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College We've all heard the urban legend that pouring sugar into a car's gas tank will kill the engine. Does the sugar turn into a gooey sludge, gumming up the moving parts, or does it caramelize and fill your cylinders with nasty carbon deposits? Is it really the nasty, evil prank it's made out to be? Ifthe sugar got to the fuel injectors or cylinders, it would be bad business for you and your car, but that would be because any particulate will cause problems, not because of the chemical properties of sugar. That's why you have a fuel filter. A Solubility Experiment Even if sugar (sucrose) could react in an engine, it doesn't dissolve in gasoline, so it can't circulate through the machine. This isn't just a calculated solubility but rather is based on an experiment. In 1994, forensics professor John Thornton at the University of California, Berkeley, mixed gasoline with sugar marked with radioactive carbon atoms. He used a centrifuge to spin out the undissolved sugar and measured the radioactivity of the gas to see how much sugar dissolved. This turned out to be less than a teaspoon of sugar per 15 gallons of gas, which isn't enough to cause a problem. If you have less than a full tank of gas at the time it's "sugared," a smaller amount of sucrose will dissolve because there is less solvent. Sugar is heavier than gas, so it sinks to the bottom of the gas tank and decreases the amount of fuel you can add to the auto. If you hit a bump and some sugar gets suspended, the fuel filter will catch a small amount. You may need to change the fuel filter more often until the problem clears up, but it's not likely the sugar would clog the fuel line. If it's a whole bag of sugar, then you'll want to take the car in and have the gas tank removed and cleaned out, but this is not a difficult task for a mechanic. It's an expense, but significantly cheaper than replacing an engine. What Can Kill Your Engine? Water in gas willstall a car's engine because it disrupts the combustion process. Gas floats on water (and sugar does dissolve in water), so the fuel line fills water rather than gas, or a mixture of water and gasoline. This doesn't kill the engine, however, and can be cleared up by giving a fuel treatment a few hours to work its chemical magic. Inman, Keith, et al. "Concerning the Solubility of Sugar in Gasoline." JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 38 (1993): 757-757. Watch Now: These 8 Tips Will Help You Save Gas Thepulsz sister casino fun prop bets closest House race in the nation appears to be headed toward a recount. Nine days after the election, the contest in Colorados Third Congressional District, between Representative Lauren Boebert, a Republican, and her Democratic challenger, Adam Frisch, remains undecided. As of Thursday evening, according to The Associated Press, Ms. Boebert leads by a mere 0.16 percentage points or, 551 votes of nearly 327,000 counted to date. Nearly all of the votes have been counted, according to The A.P., which declared the race too close to call. The margin qualifies for an automatic recount under state law, which would further delay a call possibly for weeks. A full accounting is anticipated by Friday, which is the deadline for counties to submit their tabulations to the Colorado secretary of state. Under state law, a recount is mandatory if the margin is half a percentage point or less of the top vote-getters total. That recount must be ordered by Dec. 5 and would need to be completed by Dec. 13, according to the secretary of states office. Ms. Boebert, a far-right firebrand, heckled President Biden during his State of the Union speech, and is among a group of Republicans vocally loyal to former President Donald J. Trump. She also ignored mask rules and security checks while entering the Capitol last year. And she has boasted of carrying her gun to Washington. The total ballot count in the race remained stagnant for much of the past week because of two factors. One, mail ballots from members of the military and Americans living overseas were allowed to arrive as late as Wednesday. And also, voters whose ballots were rejected for reasons like mismatched signatures had until Wednesday to correct those problems, a process known as curing. Democrats and Republicans alike have been pleading with voters to complete that process. Advertisement Continue reading the main story M.L.S, Library Science, Indiana University Carl Andre (born September 16, 1935) is an American sculptor. He is a pioneer of minimalism in art. His placement of objects in strictly ordered lines and grids has inspired some and outraged others. The often large-scale sculptures raise the fundamental question, "What is art?" Andre was tried and acquitted for murder in 1988 in the death of his wife Ana Mendieta. Fast Facts: Carl Andre Known For: Minimalist sculptures that incorporate the placement of simple objects in pre-determined geometric patterns covering horizontal space Minimalist sculptures that incorporate the placement of simple objects in pre-determined geometric patterns covering horizontal space Born: September 16, 1935 in Quincy, Massachusetts September 16, 1935 in Quincy, Massachusetts Parents: George and Margaret Andre George and Margaret Andre Education: Phillips Academy Andover Phillips Academy Andover Art Movement: Minimalism Minimalism Mediums: Wood, stone, metals Wood, stone, metals Selected Works: "Equivalent VIII" (1966), "37th Piece of Work" (1969), "Stone Field Sculpture" (1977) "Equivalent VIII" (1966), "37th Piece of Work" (1969), "Stone Field Sculpture" (1977) Spouses: Ana Mendieta and Melissa Kretschmer Ana Mendieta and Melissa Kretschmer Notable Quote:"I mean, art for art's sake is ridiculous. Art is for the sake of one's needs." Early Life and Education Carl Andre grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. In 1951, he enrolled in the Phillips Academy Andover boarding school. While there, he studied art and met future avant-garde filmmaker Hollis Frampton. Their friendship influenced Andre's art through conversations and meeting fellow artists, including Frank Stella, another Phillips student. Andre served in the U.S. Army from 1955 through 1956, and he moved to New York City after his discharge. There, he renewed his friendship with Hollis Frampton. Through Frampton, Carl Andre became interested in the poetry and essays of Ezra Pound. The study of Pound's work led to the discovery of the work of sculptor Constantin Brancusi. From 1958 through 1960, Carl Andre shared studio space with his old schoolmate Frank Stella. "10 x 10 Alstadt Lead Square" (1976).John Kannenberg / Creative Commons 2.0 Although he produced several wood sculptures in the studio working along with Frank Stella, Carl Andre soon ceased sculpting. From 1960 through 1964, he worked as a freight brakeman for the Pennsylvania Railroad. With little money and time for three-dimensional art, Andre began writing poems. He constructed them from words and phrases borrowed from pre-existing texts. The text fragments were often arranged on pages by strict rules such as world-length, alphabetical order, or a mathematical formula. Later in his career, Carl Andre continued to dress in overalls and a work shirt, even on formal occasions. It was a reference to his formative years working for the railroad. Influences Among Carl Andre's most prominent influences are minimalism pioneers Constantin Brancusi and Frank Stella. Brancusi refined his sculpture to the use of simple shapes. Andre's late 1950s sculptures borrowed the idea of carving material blocks into geometric objects. He used mostly blocks of wood shaped with a saw. Frank Stella rebelled against abstract expressionism by insisting that his paintings were simply flat surfaces coated with paint. They were an object on their own, not a representation of something else. Carl Andre found himself drawn to Stella's manner of working. He watched as his studio mate built his "Black Paintings" series by methodically painting parallel bands of black paint. The discipline left little room for what was traditionally considered an "artistic" approach to painting. Rise to Prominence Carl Andre was nearly 30 years old when he finally took part in his first public exhibition in 1965 at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York City. In the 1966 "Primary Structures" show that introduced much of the general public to minimalism, Andre's "Lever" caused a sensation. It was a row of 137 white firebricks in a line projecting from a wall. The artist compared it to a fallen column. Many observers complained that it was something that anyone could do, and there was no art present. Having used the first half of the 1960s to think about his art and plan for the future, Andre presented his work with a solid underlying rationale. He was articulate in the presentation of his philosophy to critics and journalists. Andre stated that his early cutting and shaping of wood was "sculpture as form." That evolved to "sculpture as structure" which involved stacking identical units of materials. The endpoint for Andre's early work was "sculpture as place." Stacks were no longer important. The new pieces focused on spreading over the floor or the ground taking up horizontal space. An example of the movement from "sculpture as structure" to "sculpture as place" is the "Equivalent" series. Numbered from I through VIII, the sculptures consist of stacks of uniform white bricks. However, the stacks are not primarily vertical. They stretch and spread out horizontally in rectangular shapes. Andre likened them to the uniform leveling of water. "Equivalent VIII" (1966).Duncan C. / Creative Commons 2.0 Controversy occasionally followed Carl Andre's work. Some viewers continued to rebel against the idea of his carefully placed and stacked objects as art. In 1976, "Equivalent VIII" was defaced with blue dye in a notorious incident in the U.K. By the end of the decade, Carl Andre's use of materials became more sophisticated. He moved on from using mostly bricks and flat sheets of metal. His "37th Piece of Work," first installed in 1970 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, features 1296 plates made from the six most commonly used metals in the periodic table of elements. The metals are paired with each other to form segments of the design in thirty-six possible combinations. Viewers of the piece were invited to walk on the plates. "37th Piece of Work" (1970).Bertrand Rindoff Petroff / Getty Images Large-Scale Sculpture In the 1970s, Carl Andre began to execute large-scale sculptural installations. In 1973, he exhibited "144 Blocks & Stones, Portland, Oregon" at the Portland Center for the Visual Arts. The display consists of stones selected from a nearby river and placed on uniform concrete blocks in a 12 x 12 grid pattern. The piece took up most of the first floor of the museum. In 1977, Andre created his only permanent public sculpture outdoors in Hartford, Connecticut. For "Stone Field Sculpture," he used 36 massive boulders dug from a gravel pit in the Hartford area. The quarry owners abandoned the stones. Andre placed the rocks in a regular pattern on a triangular lot. The most massive stone sits at the apex of the triangle, and the bottom of the shape is a row of the smallest stones. "Stone Field Structure" (1977).Carol M. Highsmith / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Tragedy and Controversy The most damaging controversy in Carl Andre's career happened in the wake of personal tragedy. He first met Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta in 1979 in New York. They married in 1985. Their relationship ended in tragedy less than a year later. Mendieta fell to her death from the couple's 34th-floor apartment window following an argument. Police arrested Carl Andre and charged him with second-degree murder. There were no eyewitnesses, and a judge acquitted Andre of all charges in 1988. Despite being absolved of responsibility, the incident severely impacted his career. Supporters of Mendieta continue to protest at exhibitions of Andre's work. One of the most recent was a 2017 exhibition at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. Legacy Followers of Carl Andre see him as a vital figure in the history of sculpting. He brought out the essential elements of sculpture, shape, form, and place. Minimalism sculptor Richard Serra considered Andre's work as a critical jumping-off point for his own work. Dan Flavin's light sculptures echo the work of Carl Andre by using simple objects to build large-scale installations. "Furrow" (1981).rocor / Creative Commons 2.0 Source The Senet Group, a British independent body focused on the promotion of socially responsible gambling standards, announced the appointment of George Kidd as its new Chief Executive, effective as of August 15, 2016. Mr. Kidd has held a number of regulatory rolesover the past several years, with some of those being Chief Commissioner and Chair of UKs Direct Marketing Commission, Chair of the Preference Service Working Group, Council Member Non-Executive Director at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, etc. He has also been Chief Executive Officer of the Online Dating Association over the past three years. Over the period between April 2000 and October 2008, Mr. Kidd served as Chief Executive of PhonepayPlus. Back in the 1990s, the new Senet Group Chief Executive was with the Foreign Offices as British Consul in Chicagoand was responsible for promoting UK to US businesses across 20 Central and Southern states. Understanding the policy and philosophy of existing regulations and compliance with existing regulations are among Mr. Kidds specialties. Commenting on his appointment, Senet Group Chairwoman Wanda Goldwag said that they are delighted to welcome a person with such an extensive background in both regulation and self-regulation. Of his appointment, Mr. Kidd himself said that he is happy to be joining the independent body. The new Senet Group Chief Executive pointed out that the gambling sector seems to be taking the social responsibility issue seriouslyand that its efforts to address the problem across advertising, including its support for Senet Groups own advertising campaigns, have already shown certain results. Mr. Kidd also expressed confidence that the independent body will keep on playing an important role in the sector, one based on strong relationships with other concerned bodieswithin the gambling industry as well as other Senet Group stakeholders. As already mentioned, the Senet Group is primarily concerned with the promotion of socially responsible gambling practices and the prevention or minimization of gambling-related harm. Over the past year, the independent body has invested substantial amounts of money and efforts in the creation of TV advertising campaigns related to problem gambling and its long-term prevention. Our mothers have made many sacrifices for us, so it is important that we always speak to them with respect. The words you use to do so might be different in American and British English, though. Depending on where you live in the world, you might call your mother mom or mum for short. Continue reading to learn more about the differences between these words. What is the Difference Between Mom and Mum? In this post, I will compare mom vs. mumand outline which language community uses which word. These examples will allow you to see each word in context. Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that you can use to choose either mum or mom next time you need one of these words. When to Use Mom What does mom mean? Mom is a noun. It is a shortened form of mother, which means a female parentor matriarch. Mom is very common in spoken American English, but in most written contexts, mother is more likely to appear. For example, Mom, can I go to the mall with Jamie? asked Caroline. I play many roles every day; I am a business owner, a fitness coach, a wife, and a mom. When Brad Richards learned Thursday that the mother of Martin St. Louis, his Rangers teammate and longtime friend, had unexpectedly died, his instincts were not about hockey. The New York Times When to Use Mum What does mum mean? Mum can be a noun or an adjective. As an adjective, mumis a synonym of silent, like in the phrase mums the word. As a noun, mum has two meanings. A mum is a type of flower often grown for decorative purposes. It is also an alternative spelling of mom, where it means mother. Mom is more common in American English, while mum is more common in British English. The charts below show the relative usage of mumvs. momin both language communities. I have isolated the mother sense of mum by charting the phrases my mom and my mum. American English: British English: These charts arent scientifically accurate or completely exhaustive, however, since they only graph these words in books published in English since 1800, to the exclusion of spoken English and even other print sources. Still, they are a useful proxy for long-term usage trends that involve these words. Here are some example sentences for mum. My mum made biscuits; theyre not very good, but you can have some if you come to my house. Torquils mum is going to be our chaperone on the museum field trip. But the bank of Mum and Dads ascent is not a story to be applauded: it testifies to the UKs failures. Parents are expected to lend more than 6.5bn to help their children buy a first property this year, a 30% increase on 2016, according to new research. The Guardian Trick to Remember the Difference Since these words have the same meanings, it can be difficult to remember when to use mum or mom. Only mum is an adjective, so that is an easy choice. For the word that means mother, your choice will depend upon your intended audience. American audiences almost never use mum in this context. British audiences use both terms, but prefer mum. Since mum and United Kingdom both contain the letter U, you can use that letter as a reminder the mum is the British version of this word. Summary Is it mom or mum? Mom and mum are two spelling variants of a noun that means a female parent. What Is Evergreen Funding?cryptocurrency applications Evergreen funding (or evergreen finance) is the gradual infusion of capital into a new or recapitalized enterprise. This type of funding differs from traditional funding, in which all the capital required for a business venture is supplied up front by venture capitalists or other investors as part of a private funding round. When the money is provided up front, the company then invests in short-term, low-risk securities until it is ready to use the money for business operations. Key Takeaways Evergreen funding is a term used to describe the incremental addition of money into a business by investors; the company receives capital on an established schedule or as the need for funds arises. The idea is that, like the evergreen tree, such a firm always has the green it needs to survive; however, by spacing out the investments, the company will ideally avoid the tendency of some startups to grow too fast and then fall apart. Evergreen funding plans allow a business to renew its debt at different times, pushing back the maturity date so that the amount of time until the debt is due holds steady while the arrangement is active. How Evergreen Funding Works Evergreen funding takes its name from coniferous evergreen trees, which keep their leaves and stay green throughout the entire year. Similarly, evergreen funding provides capital throughout the seasons of a companys development. In a normal debt-financing arrangement, company-issued bonds or debentures have a maturity date and require principal repayment at some future point in time. An evergreen funding arrangement, however, allows a business to renew its debt periodically, repeatedly pushing back the maturity date so that the time until maturity remains relatively constant while the arrangement is in place. In the case of venture capital dollars, the financing is done by selling ownership stakes in the venture, but the infusions of capital are spread out over set periods. This approach is used to avoid pushing a company to grow too fast. Evergreen funding of this nature assures entrepreneurs that the money is there but, by limiting the pace of capital infusions, it prevents them from growing too rapidly. With evergreen funding, capital is provided to the management of the company either on a schedule or upon request by the investment team. Evergreen funding has also been used to describe a revolving credit arrangement in which the borrower periodically renews the debt financing rather than having the debt reach maturity. In this sense, lines of credit and overdrafts are types of evergreen funding, as the borrower applies for it once and then is not required to reapply to access the credit at a later date. Evergreen funding is distinct from an evergreen fund, which is an investment fund that has an indefinite life, meaning that investors can come and go throughout the life of the fund. Evergreen Funding for Cautious Growth The main arguments for evergreen funding for new ventures are the cautionary tales of startups that grew too fast and quickly outpaced their business model to the point that a profitable business on a small scale became a ruined venture on a larger one. Ways of business funding are multiplying, but the traditional up-front variety of venture capital remains popular. Reasons include founders and investors being eager to scale up as fast as possible in order to fill any market voids in their sector before other startups can emerge to compete. Also, venture capitalists want as much of the growth as possible to occur when the company is in the private market, so that the value of a potential initial public offering (IPO) pays the maximum return. What Is Evergreen Funding? Evergreen funding provides infusions of capital to a new or existing business at repeated intervals, instead of all of it up front. It keeps extending the maturity date of the debt. What Is the Traditional Debt-Financing Arrangement? With traditional debt financing, venture capital is raised at the beginning of a startups existence and has a set maturity date, at which time principal and interest must be repaid. What Are the Benefits of Evergreen Funding? Evergreen funding prevents a company from growing too fast and collapsing as a result of that growth. The company knows that the money is available but is prevented from spending it unwisely and hastily. What Is an Evergreen Contract?mondcasino An evergreen contract automatically renews on or after the expiry date. The parties involved in the contract agree that it rolls over automatically until one gives the notice to terminate it. Evergreen contracts are used for a number of different purposes including rental leases, purchasing contracts, and service agreements. Key Takeaways An evergreen contract is one that automatically renews after its initial term expires. The parties agree that the contract rolls over automatically and indefinitely until one gives the other notice to terminate it. Evergreen contracts are found in rental leases, service agreements, and purchasing contracts. Understanding Evergreen Contracts One of the details the parties sign off on in a contract is the term, or the length of time the contract will remain in force. The contract duration varies widely, and all parties are required to fulfill their obligations for as long as the contract outlines. If neither party terminates it on the expiry date, they are all bound to abide by the contract policy for another similar duration. Most evergreen contracts come with a 60 to 90 day renewal period before it renews. Evergreen clauses can be used in different kinds of contracts, including employee stock option schemes, dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs), rental lease agreements, guaranteed investment certificate (GIC), healthcare plans, insurance coverage policies, magazines subscriptions, and revolving loans. How to Cancel an Evergreen Contract Evergreen contracts can be canceled in several ways. They can be ended the same way they are draftedthrough the mutual agreement form of the parties involved. If the parties want to make changes to the original agreement, they can draft a new contract, which outlines the alterations. This new contract voids the original one. The other option may be for one party to default on the agreement. Although this is an undesirable choice, it still nullifies the contract. Considerations with Evergreen Contract Provisions While an evergreen clause provides convenience for either party because they dont have to renegotiate the terms of the contract on the expiry date, one party may feel stuck and unsatisfied. In a case where a dissatisfied party forgets to cancel the agreement when it expires, they may be locked in for another period of time. For example, an investor with a 2% investment vehicle may have plans to roll over the invested funds into another vehicle with a different company offering 5% on the maturity date. If they fail to give termination instructions within the timeframe stipulated in the policy, the investment may be automatically renewed with the same fund company for the lower 2% rate. Parties should do their due diligence to know how and when to dissolve an evergreen contract. Examples of an Evergreen Contract Provision Many different contracts contain evergreen clauses. These examples are by no means an exhaustive list of evergreen contracts. Some employee stock option plans provide an evergreen option where additional shares are automatically included in the plan annually. These plans are used to attract and retain quality employees who are incentivized to grow the company. Evergreen options are renewed every year and remain active unless the board of directors decides to terminate them. An evergreen rental lease term is structured to renew automatically at the end of the term. It is then rolled over to another term with a similar period or activated on a month-to-month basis. For example, a tenant who signs an evergreen lease with their landlord must live in the property for a year, after which the contract becomes an indefinite month-to-month live-in arrangement. During the monthly auto-renewal period, both parties can break the agreement. Many insurance contracts have evergreen clauses. When a policyholder takes out a car or home insurance policy, the insurer typically renews the policy for another year, unless the insured person indicates otherwise. If any terms of the policy are set to change in the new term, the provider would notify the insured. A borrower with a revolving loan can use the funds, repay it in full, and use the funds all over again. Borrowers have indefinite access to the loan amounts unless they fall out of good standing with the bank. If this occurs, the bank may opt to withdraw the loan at the end of the contract period. Latin America has been among the regions considered to be holding huge potential in terms of online gambling, and multiple international gambling companies have spotted that potential and have directed their investment interest to that part of the world. This justifies the growing debates in a number of South American countries on whether they should modernize their gambling laws in a manner that would allow international iGaming operators to operate legally within their borders. Recent reports about the possibility for the Argentinian government to establish a new federal gambling agency, which among other things will be vested with the regulation of iGaming, have stirred such debates in the country. Above-mentioned reports were fueled by a recent interview of Fabian Rodriguez Simon, who is known to be an advisor to Argentina President Mauricio Macri. Mr. Simon told local media that the creation of a federal online gaming agencywas under consideration. This further signaled that the country may be planning to take steps towards opening its market for international operations at a federal level. Gambling services are provided to local players by monopoly organizations, whose regulation, in turn, falls under the purview of each of Argentinas provinces. Earlier this week, the debate was joined by Alfredo Monaco, President of the countrys association of provincial lotteries, ALEA, who released an official statement on their stance in relation to the recent reports. Mr. Monaco said that while the association supports any modernization of Argentinas online gambling laws, the government must not forget to recognize the authority each of the provinces hasover the provision of this type of services. The gambling official further pointed out that each provinces decision to legalize or to keep iGaming outside its borders should be respected. In that relation, effective mechanisms need to be adopted that will ensure that online gambling will only be provided where this is legal. According to Mr. Monaco, any iGaming bill that is discussed by the government without taking into account the above points should be considered unconstitutional. The latest gambling developments in Argentina complement eventful past several weeks in the region, during which Colombia issued a first iGaming license under its new gambling regulations and began blocking unlicensed operators. And as reported by Casino News Daily earlier today, Uruguay may also take measures to discourage operators servicing local players without the necessary authorization from doing so. The countrys Undersecretary of Economy, Pablo Ferreri, has told local media that the government has been discussing the possibility for internationally licensed operators to be banned from the country. It can be difficult to remember the difference between awhile and a while. They are awfully close in their appearanceseparated by just one tiny space. Plus, you dont really have conversational clues to aid you because they sound indistinguishable when spoken. But despite their similar sounds and appearance, these words do have different functions within a sentence, so it is important for us to keep track of them to maintain clarity in our writing. What is the Difference Between Awhile and A While? Today I want to go over these words, their definitions, their functions in a sentence, and a few ways to remember the difference between them. After reading this post, you shouldnt have any trouble remembering awhile or a while in your future writing. When to Use Awhile What does awhile mean? Awhile means for a period of timeand functions strictly as an adverb. Adverbs modify other adverbs, verbs, and adjectives. For example, Can you stay here awhile longer? Congress delayed the vote awhile, but eventually the bill passed. Notice that since awhile is an adverb, you can replace it with other adverbs in your sentence. For example, Go play awhile. Could be changed to, Go play quietly. Go play happily. When to Use A While What does a while mean?A whileis actually two separate words. A is an article, and while is a noun meaning a period of time. When you combine the two of them, they form what is called a noun phrase, which is simply a phrase that plays the role of a noun. For example, Im going away for a while. Its been a while since Ive eaten sushi. If you notice, you can replace a while with other article-noun combinations. Im going away for a long time. Its been a year since Ive eaten sushi. This makes a while somewhat tricky because despite it being a noun phrase, it can also sometimes function as an adverb. Noun phrases that denote a period of time can be used as adverbs. For example, one day. Well move out to the suburbs one day. The same is true for a while. It can be used as an adverb, making both of the following sentences acceptable. Can we stop and rest a while? Can we stop and rest awhile? A while here in these sentences is functioning similar to phrases like for an hour. Can we stop and rest for an hour? Can Awhile and A While Be Used Interchangeably? Now, I know what youre asking yourself, if a while and awhile can both function as adverbs, can they both just be used interchangeably? The answer is no. When writing, we need to be careful when using these words with preposition phrases. Only a while (two separate words) can follow a prepositional phrase. For example, Lets stay for awhile. WRONG Lets stay for a while. CORRECT The reason only a while will work in this sentence is because prepositions take objects, and only a noun phrase can be the object of a preposition, not an adverb. If we were to remove the preposition for, thereby removing the prepositional phrase, both would be acceptable since the noun phrase a while can be used adverbially. Lets stay awhile. CORRECT Lets stay a while. CORRECT Remember the Difference If you can remember this easy rule, you wont ever misuse awhile vs. a while again. Awhile is used as an adverb, and both are one single word. A while is noun phrase and used after prepositional phrases. All of these are two words. Summary: A While vs. Awhile Is it a while or awhile? Although these words can be tough to remember, its important to use them correctly because a while vs. awhile do have different functions inside a sentence. Awhile is an adverb and cannot appear after prepositional phrases. A while is a noun phrases but can also function adverbially. Only a while can come after prepositional phrases. the gold coast las vegas auther: Chess source: Cards browse: bigmiddiosmall release time: 2023-11-01 07:33:05 Comments: China stands ready to continue cooperating with the members of the Group of 20 (G20) to jointly build a global digital economic paradigm featuring benefits for all,the gold coast las vegas balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. Xi made the remarks when attending and addressing the 17th G20 Summit in Indonesia's resort island of Bali. When discussing the issue of digital transformation, Xi said an expanding digital economy and an accelerating global digital transformation have become important factors influencing world economic paradigm. During the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, China for the first time put digital economy on the G20 agenda, vowing to innovate development patterns and tap growth potential, he noted. Multilateralism must be upheld, Xi stressed, calling for strengthened international cooperation. Noting that development should be prioritized, the Chinese president said the digital gap must be bridged and innovation should serve as the driving force for promoting post-pandemic recovery. What Is an Event Study?online slots reviews pa bet mgm An event study is an empirical analysis that examines the impact of a significant catalyst occurrence or contingent event on the value of a security, such as company stock. Event studies can reveal important information about how a security is likely to react to a given event. Examples of events that influence the value of a security include a company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the positive announcement of a merger, or a company defaulting on its debt obligations. Key Takeaways An event study, or event-history analysis, examines the impact of an event on the financial performance of a security, such as company stock. An event study employs statistical methods, using time as the dependent variable and then looking for variables that explain the duration of an eventor the time until an event occurs. If the same type of statistical analysis is used to analyze multiple events of the same type, a model can predict how stock prices typically respond to a specific event. How an Event Study Works An event study, also known as event-history analysis, employs statistical methods, using time as the dependent variable and then looking for variables that explain the duration of an eventor the time until an event occurs. Event studies that use time in this way are often employed in the insurance industry to estimate mortality and compute life tables. In business, these types of studies may instead be used to forecast how much time is left before a piece of equipment fails. Alternatively, they could be used to predict how long until a company goes out of business. An event study, whether on the micro- or macro-level, tries to determine if a specific event has, or will have, an impact on a business's or economy's financial performance. Other event studies, such as an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA), compare a trend before and after an event to explain how, and to what degree, the event changed a company or a security. This method may also be employed to see if the implementation of a particular policy measure has resulted in some statistically significant change after it has been put in place. An event study conducted on a specific company examines any changes in its stock price and how it relates to a given event. It can be used as a macroeconomic tool, as well as analyzing the influence of an event on an industry, sector, or the overall market by looking at the impact of the change in supply and demand. Event Study Methodology Theoretically, a stock price takes into account all available information and expectations about the future. According to this theory, it is possible to analyze the effect of a specific event on a company by looking at the associated impact on the company's stock. The market model is the most common analysis used for an event study. This methodology looks at the actual returns of a baseline reference market and tracks the correlation of a company's stock with the baseline. The market model monitors the abnormal returns on the specific day of an event, studying the stock's returns and comparing them to the normal or average returns. The difference is the actual impact on the company. This technique can be used over time, analyzing consecutive days to understand how an event affects a stock over time. An event study can reveal greater market trends or patterns. If the same type of model is used to analyze multiple events of the same type, it can predict how stock prices typically respond to a specific event. What Is an Event Study in Economics? In economics, as well as in finance, an event study refers to whether or not a statistical relationship exists in the financial markets between a specific event and a public company's stock price or value. What Is a Stock Event? A stock event is when a company's stock undergoes a change, such as a stock split, reclassification, dividend payment, stock combination, or any other event that impacts shareholders. What Are the Steps in Conducting an Event Study? The first step in an event study is defining the event, then picking the companies that the event will theoretically impact. From there, normal returns and abnormal returns should be determined using various models, such as the constant mean return model, the market model, various economic models, and so on. The next step would be to measure and analyze the abnormal returns. Diane Rode,joker188 main slot mr green bankid a senior director at Mount Sinai Kravis Childrens Hospital, said she remembers Keith Harings energy as he painted a mural before a crowd of patients in 1986. When children are very sick, experiencing enormous amounts of pain, anxiety, fear, to experience something like that, it creates a field of inspiration and hope, Rode said in an interview. More than 30 years later, the mural, roughly 17 feet wide and about 4 feet tall, was auctioned Thursday for $945,000 by Sothebys in New York. A portion of its proceeds is going toward programming and clinical care at the Mount Sinai childrens hospital and citywide outpatient locations. The work, Mural for the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, was estimated to sell for $500,000 to $700,000, Nicole Schloss, the Sothebys head of contemporary art day sale, said. A work like this really underscores how much he valued children, how much he wanted to bring joy to the world, Schloss said. The hospital demolished its pediatrics building, which housed the mural, in 1989, to build a new main campus. Rode said a hospital staffer preserved the five-part mural, and that it has remained out of public view. Haring created nearly 50 public works throughout the 1980s. Some like a Boys Club mural and a mural at Grace House youth center, both in New York have been rescued before building demolition. Haring had also created works along the outside of the 88-foot stairwell of Necker-Enfants Malades hospital, in Paris; the hallway walls of Schneider Childrens Hospital in New Hyde Park, N.Y.; and the interior of the Grady Hospital pediatric emergency room, in Atlanta. We are generally not in favor of these works being sold and going into private hands because thats not what they were meant to be, Gil Vazquez, the executive director of the Haring Foundation, said. But Vazquez said he was grateful the mural remained intact and that the sale would help children. This sale continues that spirit of generosity, Vazquez said, referring to Haring. Were happy about it. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Billionaire businessman Tilman Fertitta is bringing the Golden Nugget brand to Illinois as the states gambling market is in the middle of its biggest transformation in many years. Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG), an online gambling company that is part of Mr. Fetittas gaming and hospitality empire, announced Thursday that it has teamed up with Danville Development to gain access to Illinois nascent online sports betting market. The deal will also enable GNOG to offer online casino gaming, should the practice become legal in the state. Under the terms of the agreement, Golden Nugget is set to form a joint venture with Wilmot Gaming Illinois to build a new land-based casino in the east-central Illinois town of Danville. The casino will be branded Golden Nuggetand will feature a Landrys restaurant. Wilmot Gaming Illinois is a subsidiary of New York-based development firm Wilmorite Management Group. The company was selected as the preferred developer of a casino in Danvilleearlier this year. It will build the property through the Danville Development entity, which will now be a joint venture between Wilmot and GN Danville, a wholly owned Golden Nugget subsidiary. A sweeping gambling reform signed off by Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker in the summer of 2019 allowed for the development of up to six new casinosin the state, including one in Danville. The legislation also authorized retail and digital sports betting in Illinois. Golden Nuggets Illinois Expansion As part of its agreement, GNOG will offer exclusively online sports betting with Danvilles future casino. And if online gaming becomes legal in Illinois, Golden Nuggets subsidiary will offer exclusively digital casino productson behalf of the gambling venue. GNOG has additionally agreed to provide a mezzanine loan of $30 millionto Danville Development for the construction of the Danville casino. The online gambling companys Illinois market access agreement has a 20-year term and requires GNOG to share a percentage of its revenue with Danville Development. The Illinois sports betting and online gaming deal is an important milestone for GNOG as part of the companys growth strategy. Earlier this year, it became the latest US-based digital gambling company to announce a SPAC mergerin pursuit of further growth opportunities. GNOG is set to soon merge with special purpose acquisition company Landcadia Holdings II and go public on NASDAQ, avoiding the much more complex IPO journey. Commenting on their entry into the Illinois market, Golden Nugget and GNOG CEO Tilman Fertitta said that having the opportunity to grow the Golden Nugget brand in Illinoisin both the online and land-based markets is an exciting opportunity.This is Golden Nuggets first joint venture on a casino project. GNOG President Thomas Winter added that they are thrilled to have secured market access in Illinois, which is the fifth most populous US state and the largest one to have legalized mobile betting. Mr. Winter pointed out that this is a tremendous opportunityfor GNOG to further grow its US footprint and deliver on our ambitious growth plan. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories This collection of chemistry test questions is grouped according to subject. Each exam has answers supplied at the end. They provide a useful study tool for students. For instructors, they are a good resource for homework, quiz, or test questions, or practice for the AP Chemistry test. Significant Figures and Scientific Notation Measurement is an important concept in all science. Your total measurement precision is only as good as your least precise measurement. These test questions deal with the topics of significant figures and scientific notation. Unit Conversion Converting from one unit of measurement to another is a basic scientific skill. This test covers unit conversions between metric units and English units. Rember to use unit cancellation to easily figure units in any science problem. Temperature Conversion Temperature conversions are common calculations in chemistry. This is a collection of questions dealing with conversions between temperature units. This is important practice because temperature conversions are common calculations in chemistry. Reading a Meniscus in Measurement An important laboratory technique in a chemistry lab is the ability to accurately measure a liquid in a graduated cylinder. This is a collection of questions dealing with reading the meniscus of a liquid. Remember that the meniscus is the curve seen at the top of a liquid in response to its container. Density When you're asked to calculate density, ensure that your final answer is given in units of massgrams, ounces, pounds, or kilogramsper volume, such as cubic centimeters, liters, gallons, or milliliters. The other potentially tricky part is that you may be asked to give an answer in units that are different than those you are given. Review the unit conversion test questions above if you need to brush up on unit conversions. Naming Ionic Compounds Naming ionic compounds is an important skill in chemistry. This is a collection of questions dealing with naming ionic compounds and predicting the chemical formula from the compound name. Remember that an ionic compound is a compound formed by ions bonding together through electrostatic forces. The Mole The mole is a standard SI unit used primarily by chemistry. This is a collection of test questions dealing with the mole. A periodic table will be useful in helping complete these. Molar Mass The molar mass of a substance is the mass of one mole of the substance. These test questions deal with calculating and using molar masses. An example of a molar mass might be: GMM O 2 = 32.0 g or KMM O 2 = 0.032 kg. Mass Percent Determining the mass percent of the elements in a compound is useful to find the empirical formula and molecular formulas of the compound. These questions deal with calculating mass percent and finding empirical and molecular formulas. When answering the questions, remember that the molecular mass of a molecule is the total mass of all the atoms making up the molecule. Empirical Formula The empirical formula of a compound represents the simplest whole number ratio between the elements that make up the compound. This practice test deals with finding empirical formulas of chemical compounds. Keep in mind that the empirical formula of a compound is a formula that shows the ratio of elements present in the compound but not the actual numbers of atoms found in the molecule. Molecular Formula The molecular formula of a compound is a representation of the number and type of elements present in one molecular unit of the compound. This practice test deals with finding the molecular formula of chemical compounds. Note that the molecular mass or molecular weight is the total mass of a compound. Theoretical Yield and Limiting Reactant Stoichiometric ratios of the reactants and products of a reaction can be used to determine the theoretical yield of the reaction. These ratios can also be used to determine which reactant will be the first reactant to be consumed by the reaction. This reactant is known as the limiting reagent. This collection of 10 test questions deals with calculating theoretical yields and determining the limiting reagent of chemical reactions. Chemical Formulas These 10 multiple choice questions deal with the concept of chemical formulas. Covered topics include simplest and molecular formulas, mass percent composition, and naming compounds. Balancing Chemical Equations You probably won't get far in chemistry before needing to balance a chemical equation. This 10-question quiz tests your ability to balance basic chemical equations. Always start by identifying each element found in the equation. Balancing Chemical Equations No. 2 Being able to balance chemical equations is important enough to have a second test. After all, a chemical equation is a type of relation you will encounter every day in chemistry. Chemical Reaction Classification There are many different types of chemical reactions. There are single and double replacement reactions, decomposition reactions and synthesis reactions. This test contains 10 different chemical reactions to identify. Concentration and Molarity Concentration is the amount of a substance in a predefined volume of space. The basic measurement of concentration in chemistry is molarity. These questions deal with the measurement molarity. Electronic Structure It is important to understand the arrangement of electrons making up an atom. Electronic structure dictates the size, shape, and valence of atoms. It also can be used to predict how electrons will interact with other atoms to form bonds. This test covers the concepts of electronic structure, electron orbitals, and quantum numbers. Ideal Gas Law The ideal gas law can be used to predict the behavior of real gasses in situations other than low temperatures or high pressures. This collection of questions deals with the concepts introduced with the ideal gas laws. The Ideal Gas Law is the relationship described by the equation: PV = nRT where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles of an ideal gas, R is the ideal gas constant and T is the temperature. Equilibrium Constants Chemical equilibrium for a reversible chemical reaction occurs when the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction. The ratio of the forward rate to the reverse rate is called the equilibrium constant. Test your knowledge about equilibrium constants and their use with this 10-question equilibrium constant practice test. Watch Now: What Are Types of Chemical Reactions? Casino operator Caesars Entertainment, Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a $325 million renovation and expansion project for its Harrahs New Orleans casino. The casino-hotel complex will be rebranded as Caesars New Orleans and will be the companys flagship property in Louisiana. Caesars plans to add a new 340-room hotel towerabove the existing casino valet porte cochere. Harrahs New Orleans already features a 26-story hotel with 450 rooms and suites. That facility originally opened doors in 2006. The expansion project also includes new culinary and hospitality experienceswithin the gambling venue. Additional development will take place at an unoccupied area on the casinos second floor. Caesars further unveiled plans for full facade and interior architectural and design enhancements at the property. Caesars first pitched its plan for a new hotel at its New Orleans property in 2018. The project required approval from Louisiana lawmakers. The state Legislature last year granted a 30-year casino license extensionto Harrahs New Orleans in exchange for $325 million in property upgrades. The casinos operating license is now valid through 2054. Its parent company was required to build a new hotel, add new dining and entertainment options and create at least 600 construction jobs and 500 permanent job positions. Caesars expects to complete the expansion and renovation of its New Orleans property by 2024. A Testament to Continued Commitment Commenting on their recently unveiled expansion plan, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said that they are excited to introduce the Caesars brand to New Orleans and that their investment is a testament to their continued commitmentto the property and the city. City Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that they are excited that this expansion will mean hundreds of construction jobs during the project and hundreds more in sustainable and new jobs post-constructionand that the addition of Caesars-branded will strengthen the New Orleans position as the top cultural and entertainment destination cityin the nation. While Caesars is set to soon start work on renovating its New Orleans property, the company is selling most of its other casinos in Louisiana. It announced earlier this month that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Belle of Baton Rouge riverboat casinoto CQ Holding Company, Inc. (Casino Queen) for an undisclosed amount. Caesars was hit with heavy criticism by Louisiana casino regulators over the state of its Belle Rouge property which is so decrepit that company bosses even chose to stay at a different hotel during a city visit earlier this year. Caesars is also selling its Harrahs Louisiana Downs Casino, Racing & Entertainmentto Rubico Acquisition Corp. for $22 million and Eldorado Resort Casino in Shreveportto Ballys Corporation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories Facebook M.S., Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Colorado - Boulder B.S., Education, University of Colorado Volcanic activity is a fascinating, frightening, and an absolutely essential feature of our planet. Volcanoes are scattered everywhere, from a desert in Africa to the frigid climes of Antarctica, islands in the Pacific, and on all continents. Every day one erupts somewhere. Earth's volcanoes are familiar to most of us, such as the very active Mount Agung in Bali, Bararbunga in Iceland, Kilauea in Hawai'i, and Colima in Mexico. However, there are volcanoes spread on worlds across the solar system. Take Jupiter's moon Io, for example. It's highly volcanic and spews sulfurous lava from beneath its surface. It's estimated that this little world nearly turns itself inside out over millions of years due to its volcanic activity bringing material form the interior to the surface and beyond. Farther out, Saturn's moon Enceladus also has geyser features related to volcanism. Instead of erupting with molten rock as on Earth and Io, it spews out slushy ice crystals. Planetary scientists suspect that there is a lot more of this "ice volcano" activity (known as cryovolcanism) spread throughout the distant reaches of the solar system. Much closer to Earth, Venus is known to be volcanically active, and there's solid evidence of past volcanic activity on Mars. Even Mercury shows the traces of volcanic eruptions very early in its history. Volcanoes Are Part of World Building Volcanoes do major work in building up continents and islands, fashioning deep-ocean mountains, and craters. They also resurface landscapes on Earth as they spew out lava and other materials. Earth began its life as a volcanic world, covered with a molten ocean. Not all volcanoes that have flowed since the beginning of time are currently active. Some are long-dead and will never again be active. Others are dormant (meaning they could erupt again in the future). This is true on Mars, particularly, where a few volcanoes exist among the evidence of their active past. Volcanic Eruption Basics USGS Most people are familiar with volcanic explosions like the one that blew apart Mt. St. Helens in Washington State in 1980. That was a dramatic eruption that blew part of the mountain away and showered billions of tons of ash on surrounding states. However, it's not the only one in that region. Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier are also considered active, although not as much as their sister caldera. Those mountains are known as "back-arc" volcanoes and their activity is caused by plate motions deep underground. The Hawaiian island chain stems from a hot spot, a weak point in Earth's crust under the Pacific Ocean. The islands were built up over millions of years as the crust moved over the hotspot and lava vented out to the seafloor. Eventually, each island's surface broke the water's surface and kept growing. The most active Hawaiian volcanoes are on the Big Island. One of them Kilauea continues to pump out thick lava flows that have resurfaced much of the south area of the island. Recent eruptions from a vent on the side of that mountain have destroyed villages and homes on the Big Island. Volcanoes also erupt all along the Pacific Ocean basin, from Japan south to New Zealand. The most volcanic areas in the basin are along plate boundaries, and that whole region is called the "Ring of Fire". In Europe, Mt. Etna in Sicily is quite active, as is Vesuvius (the volcano that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD). These mountains continue to affect surrounding regions with earthquakes and occasional flows. Not every volcano builds up a mountain. Some vent volcanoes send pillows of lava out, particularly from undersea eruptions. Vent volcanoes are active on the planet Venus, where they pave the surface over with thick, viscous lava. On Earth, volcanoes erupt in various ways. How Do Volcanoes Work? Alberto Incrocci / Getty Images Volcanic eruptions provide routes for material deep beneath Earth's surface to escape to the surface. They also allow a world to vent its heat. Active volcanoes on Earth, Io, and Venus are fed by subsurface molten rock. On Earth, the lava comes up from the mantle (which is the layer under the surface). Once there's enough molten rock called magma and enough pressure on it, a volcanic eruption occurs. In many volcanoes, the magma rises up through a central tube or "throat," and emerges out the top of the mountain. In other places, lava, gases and ash flow out through vents. They can eventually create become cone-shaped hills and mountains. This is the style of eruption that most recently occurred on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Volcanic activity can be fairly quiet, or it can be quite explosive. In a very active flow, clouds of gas may come rolling out of the volcanic caldera. These are quite deadly because they're hot and moving fast, and the heat and gas and kill someone very quickly. Volcanoes as Part of Planetary Geology USGS Volcanoes are often (but not always) closely related to continental plate movements. Deep under the surface of our planet, huge tectonic plates are slowly moving and jostling against each other. At the boundaries between plates, where two or more come together, magma creeps up to the surface. The volcanoes of the Pacific Rim have been built up this way, where plates slide together creating friction and heat, allowing lava to flow freely. Deep-sea volcanoes also erupt with magma and gases. We don't always see the eruptions, but clouds of pumice (rock from the eruption) eventually make their way to the surface and create long rock "rivers" on the surface. As mentioned earlier, the Hawaiian islands are actually the result of what's called a volcanic "plume" underneath the Pacific Plate. Here are some more scientific details about how that works: the Pacific Plate is moving slowly to the southeast, and as it does, the plume is heating the crust and sending material to the surface. As the plate moves southward, new spots are heated, and a new island gets built from molten lava forcing its way to the surface. The Big Island is the youngest of the islands to rise above the surface of the Pacific Ocean, although there's a newer one being built as the plate slides. It's called Loihi and it's still underwater. In addition to active volcanoes, several places on Earth contain what are called "supervolcanoes." These are geologically active regions that lie atop massive hotspots. The best known is the Yellowstone Caldera in northwestern Wyoming in the U.S. It has a deep lava lake and has erupted several times throughout geologic time. A Scientific Look at Volcanic Eruptions Historical / Getty Images Volcanic eruptions are usually heralded by earthquake swarms. They indicate the motion of molten rock beneath the surface. Once an eruption is about to happen, the volcano can spew out lava in two forms, plus ash, and heated gases. Most people are familiar with the sinuous-looking ropy "pahoehoe" lava (pronounced "pah-HOY-hoy"). It has the consistency of molten peanut butter. It cools very quickly to make thick black rock layers. The other type of lava that flows from volcanoes is called "A'a" (pronounced "AH-ah"). It looks like a moving pile of coal clinkers. Both types of lava carry gases, which they release as they flow. Their temperatures can be more than 1,200 C. The hot gases released in volcanic eruptions include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen, argon, methane, and carbon monoxide, as well as water vapor. Ash, which can be as small as dust particles and large as rocks and pebbles, is made of cooled rock and is flung out from the volcano. These gases can be quite deadly, even in small amounts, even on a relatively quiet mountain. In very explosive volcanic eruptions, ash and gases are mixed together in what's called a "pyroclastic flow". Such a mixture moves very fast and can be quite deadly. During the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington, the blast from Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, and the eruptions near Pompeii in ancient Rome, most people died when they were overcome by such killer gas and ash flows. Others were buried in the ash or mud floods that followed the eruption. Volcanoes Are Necessary to Planetary Evolution RICHARD BOUHET / AFP via Getty Images Volcanoes and volcanic flows have affected our planet (and others) since the earliest history of the solar system. They have enriched the atmosphere and soils, at the same time they have posed drastic changes and threatened life. They're part of living on an active planet and have valuable lessons to teach on other worlds where the volcanic activity takes place. Geologists study volcanic eruptions and related activities and work to classify each type of volcanic land feature. What they learn gives them more insight into the interior workings of our planet and other worlds where volcanic activity takes place. Facebook Facebook Twitter Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Filtration is a process used to separate solids from liquids or gases using a filter medium that allows the fluid to pass through but not the solid. The term "filtration" applies whether the filter is mechanical, biological, or physical. The fluid that passes through the filter is called the filtrate. The filter medium may be a surface filter, which is a solid that traps solid particles, or a depth filter, which is a bed of material that traps the solid. Filtration is typically an imperfect process. Some fluid remains on the feed side of the filter or embedded in the filter media and some small solid particulates find their way through the filter. As a chemistry and engineering technique, there is always some lost product, whether it's the liquid or solid being collected. Examples of Filtration While filtration is an important separation technique in a laboratory, it's also common in everyday life. Brewing coffee involves passing hot water through the ground coffee and a filter. The liquid coffee is the filtrate. Steeping tea is much the same, whether you use a tea bag (paper filter) or tea ball (usually, a metal filter). The kidneys are an example of a biological filter. Blood is filtered by the glomerulus. Essential molecules are reabsorbed back into the blood. Air conditioners and many vacuum cleaners use HEPA filters to remove dust and pollen from the air. Many aquariums use filters containing fibers that capture particulates. Belt filters recover precious metals during mining. Water in an aquifer is relatively pure because it has been filtered through sand and permeable rock in the ground. Filtration Methods There are different types of filtration. Which method is used depends largely on whether the solid is a particulate (suspended) or dissolved in the fluid. General Filtration: The most basic form of filtration is using gravity to filter a mixture. The mixture is poured from above onto a filter medium (e.g., filter paper) and gravity pulls the liquid down. The solid is left on the filter, while the liquid flows below it. The most basic form of filtration is using gravity to filter a mixture. The mixture is poured from above onto a filter medium (e.g., filter paper) and gravity pulls the liquid down. The solid is left on the filter, while the liquid flows below it. Vacuum Filtration: A Buchner flask and hose are used to create a vacuum to suck the fluid through the filter (usually with the aid of gravity). This greatly speeds the separation and can be used to dry the solid. A related technique uses a pump to form a pressure difference on both sides of the filter. Pump filters do not need to be vertical because gravity is not the source of the pressure difference on the sides of the filter. A Buchner flask and hose are used to create a vacuum to suck the fluid through the filter (usually with the aid of gravity). This greatly speeds the separation and can be used to dry the solid. A related technique uses a pump to form a pressure difference on both sides of the filter. Pump filters do not need to be vertical because gravity is not the source of the pressure difference on the sides of the filter. Cold Filtration: Cold filtration is used to quickly cool a solution, prompting the formation of small crystals. This is a method used when the solid is initially dissolved. A common method is to place the container with the solution in an ice bath prior to filtration. Cold filtration is used to quickly cool a solution, prompting the formation of small crystals. This is a method used when the solid is initially dissolved. A common method is to place the container with the solution in an ice bath prior to filtration. Hot Filtration: In hot filtration, the solution, filter, and funnel are heated to minimize crystal formation during filtration. Stemless funnels are useful because there is less surface area for crystal growth. This method is used when crystals would clog the funnel or prevent crystallization of the second component in a mixture. Sometimes filter aids are used to improve flow through a filter. Examples of filter aids are silica, diatomaceous earth, perlite, and cellulose. Filter aids may be placed on the filter prior to filtration or mixed with the liquid. The aids can help prevent the filter from clogging and can increase the porosity of the "cake" or feed into the filter. Filtration vs. Sieving A related separation technique is sieving. Sieving refers to use of a single mesh or perforated layer to retain large particles while allowing the passage of smaller ones. In contrast, during filtration, the filter is a lattice or has multiple layers. Fluids follow channels in the medium to pass through a filter. Alternatives to Filtration There are more effective separation methods than filtration for some applications. For example, for very small samples in which it's important to collect the filtrate, the filter medium may soak up too much of the fluid. In other cases, too much of the solid can become trapped in the filter medium. Two other processes that can be used to separate solids from fluids are decantation and centrifugation. Centrifugation involves spinning a sample, which forces the heavier solid to the bottom of a container. In decantation, the fluid is siphoned or poured off of the solid after it has fallen out of solution. Decantation can be used following centrifugation or on its own. HANGZHOU,raptoreum mining cpu Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- East China's Zhejiang Province has received the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) recognition for its Qingyuan Forest-Mushroom Co-culture System (QFMCS), said local authorities. The announcement was made in Rome, Italy, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Thursday (local time), making QFMCS the world's only GIAHS that mainly concerns edible fungi, according to the agricultural and rural affairs bureau of Qingyuan County, Zhejiang. QFMCS, located in the southwestern mountainous area of Zhejiang, is an agroforestry system in the high-altitude mountainous region. It focuses on sustainable forest management and the development of the mushroom industry, as well as the cyclic utilization of resources. Qingyuan County, rich in its forest and species resources, is the birthplace of shiitake mushroom cultivation techniques. By means of forest conservation, mushroom cultivation, and agricultural production, local residents have achieved food and livelihood security while creating the forest and mushroom co-culture technique system and achieving the harmonious co-existence between man and nature, according to the bureau. Facebook Facebook Twitter Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College An aluminum alloy is a composition consisting mainly of aluminum to which other elements have been added. The alloy is made by mixing together the elements when aluminum is molten (liquid), which cools to form a homogeneous solid solution. The other elements may make up as much as 15 percent of the alloy by mass. Added elements include iron, copper, magnesium, silicon, and zinc. The addition of elements to the aluminum gives the alloy improved strength, workability, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and/or density, compared with the pure metallic element. Aluminum alloys tend to be lightweight and corrosion resistant. List of Aluminum Alloys This is a list of some important aluminum or aluminium alloys. AA-8000: used for building wire per the National Electrical Code Alclad: aluminum sheet made by bonding high-purity aluminum to a high strength core material Al-Li (lithium, sometimes mercury) Alnico (aluminum, nickel, copper) Birmabright (aluminum, magnesium) Duralumin (copper, aluminum) Hindalium (aluminum, magnesium, manganese, silicon) Magnalium (5% magnesium) Magnox (magnesium oxide, aluminum) Nambe (aluminum plus seven other unspecified metals) Silumin (aluminum, silicon) Titanal (aluminum, zinc, magnesium, copper, zirconium) Zamak (zinc, aluminum, magnesium, copper) Aluminum forms other complex alloys with magnesium, manganese, and platinum Identifying Aluminum Alloys Alloys have common names, but they may be identified using a four-digit number. The first digit of the number identifies the class or series of alloy. 1xxx- Commercially pure aluminum also has a four-digit numerical identifier. Series 1xxx alloys are made of 99 percent or higher purity aluminum. 2xxx- The principal alloying element in the 2xxx series is copper. Heat treating these alloys improves their strength. These alloys are strong and tough, but not as corrosion resistant as other aluminum alloys, so they are usually painted or coated for use. The most common aircraft alloy is 2024. Alloy 2024-T351 is among the hardest of the aluminum alloys. 3xxx- The main alloying element in this series is manganese, usually with a smaller amount of magnesium. The most popular alloy from this series is 3003, which is workable and moderately strong. 3003 is used to make cooking utensils. Alloy 3004 is one of the alloys used to make aluminum cans for beverages. 4xxx- Silicon is added to aluminum to make 4xxx alloys. This lowers the melting point of the metal without making it brittle. This series is used to make welding wire. Alloy 4043 is used to make filler alloys for welding cars and structural elements. 5xxx- The principal alloying element in the 5xxx series is magnesium. These alloys are strong, weldable, and resist marine corrosion. The 5xxx alloys are used to make pressure vessels and storage tanks and for various marine applications. Alloy 5182 is used to make the lid of aluminum beverage cans. So, aluminum cans actually consist of at least two alloys! 6xxx- Silicon and magnesium are present in 6xxx alloys. The elements combine to form magnesium silicide. These alloys are formable, weldable, and heat treatable. They have good corrosion resistance and moderate strength. The most common alloy in this series is 6061, which is used to make truck and boat frames. Extrusion products from the 6xxx series are used in architecture and to make the iPhone 6. 7xxx- Zinc is the principal alloying element in the series starting with the number 7. The resulting alloy is heat-treatable and very strong. Important alloys are 7050 and 7075, both used to construct aircraft. 8xxx- These are aluminum alloys made with other elements. Examples include 8500, 8510, and 8520. 9xxx - Presently, the series starting with the number 9 is unused. What Is the Strongest Aluminum Alloy? Manganese added to aluminum increases its strength and yields an alloy with excellent workability and corrosion resistance. The highest strength alloy in the non-heat-treatable grade is alloy 5052. Aluminum Alloy Classification In general, the two broad categories of aluminum alloys are wrought alloys and casting alloys. Both of these groups are subdivided into heat-treatable and non-heat-treatable types. Around 85% of aluminum is used in wrought alloys. Cast alloys are relatively inexpensive to produce because of their low melting point, but they tend to have lower tensile strengths than their wrought counterparts. Sources UK-headquartered provider of Virtual Sports and other solutions for the international gambling industry Inspired Gaming today announced that its full suite of Virtuals content will go live with Italian sports betting operator Isibetlater in September. Isibet is one of the few gambling companies to have been authorized by Agenzia delle dogane e dei Monopoli, the Italian agency responsible for the provision of gambling services in the country, to supply online and retail concessionaireswith various products. Through its AAMS-approved system, Isibet now services more than 25 such concessionaires that manage both sports betting outlets and gambling websites. As mentioned above, the Italian operator will launch Inspired Gamings full suit of Virtual Sports towards the end of the month, with some of those being Rush Horses, Rush Football, and Rush Cycling. Titles will be available across retail, desktop, and mobile. Inspired Gamings newly launched Rush Football 2 will also be part of the games available to Isibet and its partners. The title will provide the operator with access to between 7 and 15 different marketsacross both retail and online channels, thus offering gambling customers additional player experience. Of the latest major operator to go live with Inspired Gamings Virtuals content, Inspired Italia President Vitaliano Casalone expressed confidence that the new offering will be found enjoyable by players due to the quality and diversity they will be presented with. Mr. Casalone added that they consider Isibet a valued customer and that they are extremely happy that the operator will make their revenue-driving Virtual Sports available to Italian gambling patrons. Isibet CEO Romano Biondi added that they have long been aware of the revenue-driving potential Inspired Gamings Virtuals content has and that they are delighted to finally go live with it. Mr. Biondi further noted that Inspired Gaming is perfectly capable to provide players with cutting-edge entertainmentand that their players will certainly love the Virtual Sports products once they are launched to them. Earlier this year, Inspired Gamings Rush Football 2 product went live in Italy with the SnaiCogetech Group as part of the internationally recognized providers growth and expansion strategy. DOHA,treasure mile casino no deposit bonus codes Qatar All eyes are on this tiny Gulf nation as the soccer-obsessed start descending this month on the eight stadiums for the FIFA World Cup, but Qatars emergence as a major player in arts and culture make it one of the most vibrant places to explore, either between games for the about 1.5 million people expected to visit over the coming weeks or for the millions of tourists Qatar hopes to lure after the stadiums are emptied. With two of the most prominent museums in the Middle East, the National Museum of Qatar and the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar has dominated the cultural headlines about the Gulf region, competing mostly with Abu Dhabi, where the Louvre opened in 2017 and the long-delayed Guggenheim is scheduled to open in 2025. But the smaller arts scene in and around Doha, including the Richard Serra-designed monoliths in the desert outside the city, have attracted tourists to this country long before the World Cup. In addition to its position as a cultural destination, Qatar also offers boundless sunshine, overnight outings in the desert under a canopy of stars, beaches (however undeveloped and rocky) on three sides of its teardrop shaped peninsula and dozens of luxury resorts that rival its neighbors Dubai and Abu Dhabi in excess and elegance. But for now, Qatar is all about the festivities (for the first time, alcohol will be allowed outside of hotels and in designated areas near stadiums and at various festivals), the culture, the weather as the infamous heat abates and a sigh of relief as years of preparation are about to be unveiled to the world. A Brief Guide to the 2022 World Cup Card 1 of 8 Card 1 of 8 What is the World Cup? Weve got more answers here. World of Football 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Through April 1 This exhibition charts the origins of soccer (or football to millions of global fans) and the origins of the FIFA World Cup. Like a football match, the exhibition will be presented in two halves. Football for All, All for Football examines the global appeal of football. The Road to Doha starts with the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 and ends with this years match. Footballs, shoes, scarves, tickets, posters and other objects will be on display, including the jersey worn by the Argentine player Diego Maradona, described by many players as the greatest player of all time. Image The Museum of Islamic Art reopened in October after a refurbishments that took 18 months.Credit...Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters Baghdad: Eyes Delight Museum of Islamic Art Through Feb. 25 The museums first exhibition since reopening in October after a major overhaul, Baghdad: Eyes Delight charts the citys heritage from the Abbasid caliphs from the seventh to twelfth centuries to today. Objects are on loan from 22 institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its the kind of exhibit that reflects the museums global ambitions after a major refurbishment that took 18 months. Originally opened in 2008 and designed by I.M. Pei, the 376,740-square-foot museum sits on an artificial island off the main Doha waterfront. The minimalism of the museums original presentation has been rethought for the digital age. Monsoon Wedding, the Musical Abdul Aziz Nasser Theatre, Souq Waqif Nov. 15-27 The film director Mira Nair directs a musical version of her 2001 Indian film of the same name before it moves to St. Anns Warehouse in Brooklyn next year. The Indian composer Vishal Bhardwaj wrote the music, with songs from the film by the Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna, and orchestrations are by Jamshied Sharifi, the Tony Award-winning orchestrator of The Bands Visit. The musical started at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017 and played in Delhi in 2019. This is a reimagined version of those productions, according to production notes. Festival in Motion Various locations Starting Dec. 5 A celebration of dance, music art and architecture that draw inspiration from the public spaces and heritage sites of Qatar. One venue will be Serras East-West/West-East, an installation of four monoliths in the desert outside Doha. The festival pairs international and local artists to create site-specific works in contemporary spaces and heritage sites. Some 55 performances over 14 days and 10 locations will combine art, architecture, music and dance. Benjamin Millepied, former director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, will co-curate the event with the composer Nico Muhly. Image Richard Serras East-West/West-East installation of four monoliths.Credit...Mustafa Abumunes/Agence France-Presse Getty Images Mathaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art Three exhibitions Through January and February This far-less-flashy but still impressive museum is tucked away on a side street behind one of the stadiums, but makes its own bit of noise by highlighting some of the most important contemporary artists in the Middle East and beyond. Three exhibitions, in addition to the permanent collection, highlight that approach: Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar features work by 36 artists from an artist in residence program from 2015 to 2021. Each piece acts as a metaphor (or majaz) for the artists journey (through Feb. 25); Sophia Al-Maria: Invisible Labors Daydream Therapy is the Qatari artists first large-scale exhibition in the Middle East (through Jan. 21); Taysir Batniji: No Condition Is Permanent, a reflective exhibition of the artist and his meditations on his heritage (he was born in Gaza in 1966) through drawing, photography and video installations (through Jan. 21). Tales of a Connected World QM Gallery Al Riwaq Through March This interactive exhibition focuses on the Lusail Museum (designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron, construction begins early next year), and its planned collection of 247 objects, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, rare texts and applied arts. Tales of a Connected World is an immersive digital journey that walks visitors through the trade routes across the Indian Ocean and historic events that connect Qatar to the world and history, including the Battle of Al Wajbah in 1893 between Qatari and Ottoman forces, but also more far-flung places like Jerusalem and 10th-century Cordoba. Image The Doha Corniche will be the site of a street carnival.Credit...Jewel Samad/Agence France-Presse Getty Images Doha Corniche Daily festivities The Doha Corniche, a waterfront area and main road, will be turned into a global street carnival with food booths, a Bedouin village, concerts and a daily Welcome to Qatar water and pyrotechnic show (every 30 minutes from 3 to 5:30 p.m.) featuring recorded music from the Qatar 2022 official soundtrack, the Qatari composer Wael Binalis music and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Forever Valentino M7 creative hub Through April 1 The new M7 has been transformed into a dreamlike Rome with Forever Valentino with palazzos, squares and courtyards displaying more than 200 haute couture pieces and pret-a-porter outfits by Valentino Garavani (in honor of his 90th birthday this year) and his successor, Pierpaolo Piccioli. It includes rarely seen ensembles designed for such names as Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Onassis. Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History QM Gallery Katara Through Jan. 28 This exhibition will give viewers a glimpse into the history of tatreez embroidery and its historical importance and transformation over the centuries. The exhibition is part of Qatar Creates, a year-round cultural initiative celebrating Qatar and countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia (the MENASA Year of Culture 2022), intended to deepen the understanding between the cultures. Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History will present more than 70 dresses and accessories alongside photographs, posters, paintings, music and videos to explore how tatreez evolved from a simple practice to a national symbol for the Palestinians. Arcadia Spectacular Three stages near the Ras Bu Fontas subway station Through Dec. 19 The countrys first electronic musical festival on three stages will feature over 56 international and 40 regional artists. And the giant 50-ton electronic spider from the Glastonbury Festival in England has been rented for the festival and could upstage even the most impressive football moment. Soccer fans wont need to worry about rain, nor will the electronic music fans underneath the menacing fire-breathing spider. Welcome to the new Qatar. Advertisement Continue reading the main story M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento The terms myth, folklore, legend, and fairy taleare often used interchangeably, leading to the misconception that they mean the same thing: fanciful tales. Although it's true that these terms may refer to bodies of writing that answer some of life's basic questions or present commentary on morality, each type presents a distinct reader experience. They've all stood the test of time, which speaks volumes about their ongoing hold on our imaginations. Myth A myth is a traditional story that may answer life's overarching questions, such as the origins of the world (the creation myth) or of a people. A myth can also be an attempt to explain mysteries, supernatural events, and cultural traditions. Sometimes sacred in nature, a myth can involve gods or other creatures. It presents reality in dramatic ways. Many cultures have their own versions of common myths that contain archetypal images and themes. One common myth that spans multiple cultures is that of a great flood. Myth criticism is used to analyze these threads in literature. A prominent name in myth criticism is that of the literary critic, professor, and editor Northrop Frye. Folklore and Folktale Whereas myth has at its core the origins of a people and is often sacred, folklore is a collection of fictional tales about people or animals. Superstitions and unfounded beliefs are important elements in the folklore tradition. Both myths and folklore were originally circulated orally. Folktales describe how the main character copes with the events of everyday life, and the tale may involve crisis or conflict. These stories may teach people how to cope with life (or dying) and also have themes common among cultures worldwide. The study of folklore is called folkloristics. Legend A legend is a story that's purported to be historical in nature but that is without substantiation. Prominent examples include King Arthur, Blackbeard, and Robin Hood. Where evidence of historical figures, such as King Richard, actually exists, figures such as King Arthur are legends due in large part to the many stories that have been created about them. Legend also refers to anything that inspires a body of stories or anything of lasting importance or fame. The story is handed down orally but continues to evolve with time. Much of early literature began as legend told and retold in epic poems that were passed down orally originally, then at some point written down. These include masterpieces such as the Greek Homeric Poems ("The Iliad" and "The Odyssey"), circa 800 BCE, to the French "Chanson de Roland," circa 1100 CE. Fairy Tale A fairy tale may involve fairies, giants, dragons, elves, goblins, dwarves, and other fanciful and fantastic forces. Although originally not written for children, in the most recent century, many old fairy tales have been "Disneyfied" to be less sinister and to appeal to kids. These stories have taken on lives of their own. In fact, many classic and contemporary books, such as "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Snow White," are based on fairy tales. But read the original Grimm brothers' fairy tales, for example, and you'll be surprised at the endings and how they differ from the versions that you may have grown up with. Japan has decided not to tax the winnings of non-resident foreigners at the countrys future casinos in hopes to attract more overseas gamblers. The chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Partys Research Commission on the Tax System, Akira Amari, signaled earlier this week that nixing the so-called withhold tax on casino winnings was under consideration by lawmakers. Japan Mulls Nixing Tax on Foreigners Casino Winnings The move was confirmed earlier today by Mr. Amari. He said that Japans central government feared the implementation of the withhold tax would scare away overseas gamblerswhen the nations first Macau-style casino resorts finally open doors. Mr. Amari further elaborated that it would be meaningless if no one comes to the integrated resorts after building themand that Japans casinos must be on a par with international standards. Japan legalized casino gambling in late 2016. Under the nations gambling statutes, casinos can only operate as a part of larger integrated resortsthat also incorporate large hotels, meeting and conference facilities, and retail space, among other amenities. Japans central government plans to issue up to three licenses for three casino resorts in different parts of the country. The legalization of casino gaming in a bid for more foreign tourists to be attracted was supported by Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and by his successor Yoshihide Suga. Mr. Suga served as Mr. Abes Chief Cabinet Secretary for a long time before his rise as the countrys top official this past September. No-Tax Policy to Be Included in Tax Reform Package The plan to nix the previously proposed tax on casino winnings will be tacked onto a tax reform package for fiscal 2021. The package is set to be compiled and presented by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner by December 10. Under current arrangements, casino winnings would be taxed in the same way as winning bets on horse races. Japanese residents winnings will be taxed based on the winnings they declare, Mr. Amari explained. The withhold tax on winnings by non-resident foreigners was first proposed in December 2019. Under that plan, Japan would have levied a tax on the difference between the value of the chips purchased by overseas gamblers and the amount of chips they convert back into cash. Japanese lawmakers said last year that a tax system of this kind would facilitate any tax probes and investigations that could occur in future. Japans central government will begin accepting casino license applications on October 1, 2021. The license application window was originally scheduled to be opened on January 4, 2021 and be closed on July 30 that year, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced lawmakers to push back the original timeline by nine months. License applications will now be taken until April 28, 2022. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento Studies conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts show that Americans, in general, don't read much literature. The question is, "Why not?" There are lots of excuses people give as the reasons why they haven't picked up a good book in monthsor even years. Fortunately, for every one of them, there's often a solution. Excuse #1: I Don't Have Time Think you just don't have the time to pick up a classic? Take a book with you everywhere and instead of picking up your cell phone, open the bookor e-reader. You can read while standing line, in waiting rooms, or during a train commute. If longer works seem overwhelming, start with short stories or poetry. It's all about feeding your mindeven if it's only one bit at a time. Excuse #2: Books Are Expensive While it may be true that owning books was once considered a luxury, these days there are numerous sources for inexpensive literature. The Internet has opened a whole new arena for readers. Literature, both old and new, is available on your handheld device for free or deeply discounted prices. Of course, the most time-honored method for getting access to books of pretty much every description at little or no cost is your local public library. You can pick and choose without having to purchase. You can borrow the books and read them at home or read them on the premises, and with the exception of late fees or damages, it's usually free. The bargain section of your local brick and mortar bookstore is another place to find reasonably priced books. Some places don't mind if you read while you're sitting in the store in one of their comfortable chairs. Another great resource for inexpensive books is your local used bookstore. You buy books cheaper used than new, and you can also trade in books you've already reador books you know you'll never get around to reading. Some of the major discount retail chains have book sections that sell remaindered books on the cheap. (Remaindered books are new books. They're just the excess copies left over when a publisher orders too many for a print run.) Excuse #3: I Don't Know What to Read The best way to learn what to read is by reading everything you can get your hands on. You'll gradually learn which genres you enjoy reading, and you'll begin to make connections between books, as well as to understand how books can connect to your own life. If you don't know where to start, or you find yourself stuck for ideas along the way, find someone who enjoys reading books and ask for recommendations. Likewise, librarians, booksellers, and teachers can help point you in the right direction. Excuse #4: Reading Keeps Me Awake at Night People who love to read often find themselves so engrossed in a book that they stay up practically all night reading. While it's not the worst thing in the world, nor is falling asleep while reading, it can make for a groggy morningand some pretty strange dreams. Try to schedule reading for other times besides bedtime. Read at lunch, or for an hour when you wake up. Or, if you are going to be reading all night, make sure you limit it to those evenings when you're going to be off work the next day. Excuse #5: Can't I Just Watch the Movie? Yes and no. You can watch a movie instead of reading the book on which it's based, but quite often, they have very little in common. Case in point: "The Wizard of Oz." Almost everyone has seen 1939's classic musical starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, but it's a far cry from the original series of L. Frank Baum books on which it's based. (Hint: Major elements of plot and important characters never made it to the big screen.) That's not to say that the movie isn't anything but wonderful, but as someone in Emerald City so aptly pointed out, "It's a horse of a different color." There are countless classics that have been turned into movies including Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes," Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Jack London's "Call of the Wild," Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," and J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" trilogynot to mention that "wizardly" kid brought to you by the fertile mind of J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter. Go ahead and watch the TV series or the movie version, but if you want to know the real story, read the book on which the movie was basedbefore you watch it. Excuse #6: Reading is Too Hard Reading isn't always easy, but it doesn't have to be hard. Try not to be intimidated. People read books for many reasons, but you don't have to feel that it's an academic experience if you don't want it to be. Entertainment is one of the best reasons for reading. You can pick up a book and have an unforgettable experience: laugh, cry, or sit on the edge of your seat. A bookeven a classicdoesn't have to be difficult to be a great read. While you may find that the language in books such as "Robinson Crusoe" and "Gulliver's Travels" is a bit hard to wrap your head around because they were written so long ago, most readers have no problems with "Treasure Island." It's true that many famous authors wrote books that are tough to get through for people who haven't studied literature, however, lots of them also wrote things that are much more accessible. For instance, if you want to read something by John Steinbeck but think "The Grapes of Wrath" is a little out of your league, start out with something like "Cannery Row" or "Travels With Charley: In Search of America" instead. Ian Fleming's James Bond isn't a tough read, but did you know Fleming also authored the classic children's book "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"? (Which is nothinglike the movie!) In fact, many books written for young audiences are great places to start your reading experience. C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia," A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach," both by Roald Dahl are books beloved by kids and adults alike. I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldnt be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage. Roald Dahl Excuse #7: I Just Never Got Into the Habit No? Then make it a habit. Make a point of reading literature on a regular basis. Start with a few minutes a day and make a commitment to continue. It doesn't take much to get into the habit of reading. Once you've got a good start, try reading for longer periods or with a greater frequency. Even if you don't enjoy reading books for yourself, reading a story to your child can be very rewarding. You'll be giving them a great gift which will prepare them for school, for life, and it can also serve as an important bonding experience they will likely remember for the rest of their lives. Need more reasons to read? You can make reading a social experience. Share a poem or a short story with a friend. Join a book club. Being part of a group will give you an incentive to keep reading and the discussions may actually help you gain a better understanding of literature. It's really not that difficult to make books and literature a part of your life. Start with something manageable and work your way up. If you never read "War and Peace" or "Moby Dick," that's fine, too. Gambling software provider ORYX Gaming has sealed a multi-market online casino content distribution deal with iGaming operator Paf, news emerged this week. Under the terms of the recent agreement, ORYX will provide Pafs brands with access to exclusive RGS content across several regulated markets. Paf is based on the Aland Islands and is licensed and regulated by the government of the autonomous Finnish region. The company also holds licenses in Swede, Estonia, Spain, and Latvia. It provides its services via its flagship Paf brand as well as via a slew of other iGaming brands in some of Europes largest and fastest growing iGaming markets. As part of its deal with ORYX, Paf, its brands, and their players will soon be offered access to premium online casino content from ORYXs exclusive RGS partners, including the likes of Gamomat, Kalamba Games, CandleBets, Peter & Sons, and Arcadem. Paf will also be able to offer titles from third-party partners of ORYX via the providers ORYX Hub aggregation platform. ORYX said this week that its content will soon be made available across Paf-branded sites in Sweden, Estonia, Spain, and Latvia as well as the operators domestic market. ORYXs partnership with the gambling operator will significantly expand the providers reach across key markets. Mandalorian Technologies Will Too Gain Access to ORYX Content The content delivery deal between ORYX and Paf will also see the supplier integrate its games with gaming sites operated by Mandalorian Technologies, a company that Paf purchased earlier this year. Its portfolio of brands include No Account Casino, No Account Bet, and Prank Casino. All three are licensed to operate in Sweden. Commenting on their partnership with yet another major European operator, ORYX Managing Director Matevz Mazij said that with significant presence in several European countries, the deal with Paf will see the provider greatly expand its reachand introduce its games to a wider player base. Mr. Mazij also praised Paf for its work around social responsibility and safe and said that ORYX strongly supports and encourages the operators efforts. In 2018, Paf became the first international online gambling company to introduce a mandatory loss limitfor its customers. Kim Johansson, Chief Gaming Officer at Paf, said that through their partnership with ORYX they will gain access to a huge range of online casino games from both established suppliers and up-and-coming game makers that all bring something unique to the market.The Paf official went on that their link-up with ORYX significantly strengthens their offering in all markets their brands operate. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories Twitter M.A., Anthropology, University of Iowa B.Ed., Illinois State University Maroon refers to an African or Afro-American person who freed themself from enslavement in the Americas and lived in hidden towns outside of the plantations. Enslaved people used several forms of resistance to fight their imprisonment, everything from work slowdowns and tool damage to full-fledged revolt and flight. Some self-liberated people established permanent or semi-permanent towns for themselves in hidden places not far from the plantations, a process known as marronage(sometimes also spelled maronnage ormaroonage). Key Takeaways: Maroon Maroon is a word that refers to African or African-American people who freed themselves from enslavement and lived in communities outside of plantations. The phenomenon is known globally wherever slavery occurs. Several long-term American communities were created in Florida, Jamaica, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Suriname. Palmares in Brazil was a maroon community of people originally from Angola that lasted for nearly a century, essentially an African state. The self-liberated people in North America were predominantly young and male, who had often been sold many times. Before the 1820s, some headed west or to Florida while it was owned by the Spanish. After Florida became a U.S. territory in 1819, most headed to the North. The intermediate step for many of the freedom seekers was marronage, where they hid relatively locally to their plantation but without the intention of returning. The Process of Marronage Plantations in the Americas were organized such that the big house where the European owners lived was near the center of a large clearing. The cabins that housed enslaved workers were located far from the plantation house, at the edges of the clearing and often immediately next to a forest or swamp. Enslaved men supplemented their own food supply by hunting and foraging in those woods, at the same time exploring and learning the terrain. Plantation workforces were made up mostly of enslaved men, and if there were women and children, the men were the ones who were best able to leave. As a result, new Maroon communities were little more than camps with skewed demographics, mostly made up of men and a small number of women and very rarely children. Even after they were set up, the embryonic Maroon towns had limited opportunities for building families. The new communities maintained difficult relationships with the enslaved workers left behind on the plantations. Although the Maroons did help others to self-liberate, kept in touch with family members, and traded with the enslaved plantation workers, the Maroons sometimes resorted to raiding the cabins of these workers for food and supplies. On occasion, the enslaved plantation workers (voluntarily or not) actively assisted their enslavers to recapture freedom seekers. Some of the male-only settlements were reportedly violent and dangerous. But some of those settlements eventually gained a balanced population, and flourished and grew. Maroon Communities in the Americas The word "Maroon" typically refers to North American self-liberated enslaved people and it likely comes from the Spanish word "cimarron" or "cimarroon," meaning "wild." But marronage flared up wherever people were enslaved, and whenever the whites were too busy to be vigilant. In Cuba, villages made up of freedom seekers were known as palenques or mambises; and in Brazil, they were known as quilombo, magote, or mocambo. Long-term marronage communities were established in Brazil (Palmares, Ambrosio), Dominican Republic (Jose Leta), Florida (Pilaklikaha and Fort Mose), Jamaica (Bannytown, Accompong, and Seaman's Valley), and Suriname (Kumako). By the late 1500s, there were already Maroon villages in Panama and Brazil, and Kumako in Suriname was established at least as early as the 1680s. In the colonies that would become the United States, Maroon communities were most abundant in South Carolina, but they were also established in Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama. The largest known Maroon communities in what would become the U.S. were formed in the Great Dismal Swamp on the Savannah River, on the border between Virginia and North Carolina. In 1763, George Washington, the man who would become the first president of the United States, conducted a survey of the Great Dismal Swamp, intending to drain it and make it suitable for farming. The Washington Ditch, a canal built after the survey and opening up the swamp to traffic, was both an opportunity for Maroon communities to establish themselves in the swamp but at the same time dangerous because white men searching for formerly enslaved people could find and catch them living there. Great Dismal Swamp communities may have begun as early as 1765, but they had become numerous by 1786, after the end of the American revolution when the enslavers could pay attention to the problem. Structure The size of Maroon communities varied widely. Most were small, with between five and 100 people, but some became very large: Nannytown, Accompong, and Culpepper Island had populations in the hundreds. Estimates for Palmares in Brazil range between 5,000 and 20,000. Most were short-lived, in fact, 70% of the largest quilombos in Brazil were destroyed within two years. However, Palmares lasted a century, and Black Seminole townstowns built by Maroons who were allied with the Seminoles in Floridalasted several decades. Some of the Jamaican and Suriname Maroon communities founded in the 18th century are still occupied by their descendants today. Most Maroon communities were formed in inaccessible or marginal areas, partly because those areas were unpopulated, and partly because they were difficult to get to. The Black Seminoles in Florida found refuge in central Florida swamps; the Saramaka Maroons of Suriname settled on riverbanks in deeply forested areas. In Brazil, Cuba, and Jamaica, people escaped into the mountains and made their homes in densely vegetated hills. Maroon towns nearly always had several security measures. Primarily, the towns were hidden away, accessible only after following obscure paths that required long treks across difficult terrain. In addition, some communities built defensive ditches and forts and maintained well-armed, highly drilled and disciplined troops and sentries. Subsistence Many Maroon communities started out as nomadic, moving base often for safety's sake, but as their populations grew, they settled into fortified villages. Such groups often raided colonial settlements and plantations for commodities and new recruits. But they also traded crops and forest products with pirates and European traders for weapons and tools; many even signed treaties with different sides of competing colonies. Some Maroon communities were full-fledged farmers: In Brazil, Palmares settlers grew manioc, tobacco, cotton, bananas, maize, pineapples, and sweet potatoes; Cuban settlements depended on honeybees and game. Many communities blended ethnopharmacological knowledge from their homes in Africa with the locally available and indigenous plants. In Panama, as early as the 16th century, palenqueros threw in with pirates such as the English privateer Francis Drake. A Maroon named Diego and his men raided both overland and maritime traffic with Drake, and together they sacked the city of Santo Domingo on Hispaniola island in 1586. They exchanged vital knowledge about when the Spanish would be moving looted American gold and silver and traded that for enslaved females and other items. South Carolina Maroons By 1708, enslaved Africans formed a majority of the population in South Carolina: The largest concentrations of African people at that time were at rice plantations on the coasts where up to 80% of the total populationwhite and Blackwas made up of enslaved people. There was a constant influx of newly enslaved Africans during the 18th century, and during the 1780s, fully one-third of the 100,000 enslaved workers in South Carolina had been born in Africa. Total Maroon populations are unknown, but between 1732 and 1801, enslavers advertised for more than 2,000 self-liberated people in South Carolina newspapers. Most returned voluntarily, hungry and cold, back to friends and family, or were hunted down by parties of overseers and dogs. Although the word "Maroon" was not used in the paperwork, the South Carolina slave laws defined them clearly enough. "Short-term fugitives" would be returned to their enslavers for punishment, but "long-term fugitives" from enslavementthose who had been away for 12 months or longercould be lawfully killed by any white person. In the 18th century, a small Maroon settlement in South Carolina included four houses in a square measuring 17x14 feet. A larger one measured 700x120 yards and included 21 houses and cropland, accommodating up to 200 people. This town's people grew domesticated rice and potatoes and raised cows, pigs, turkeys, and ducks. Houses were located on the highest elevations; pens were built, fences maintained, and wells dug. An African State in Brazil The most successful Maroon settlement was Palmares in Brazil, established about 1605. It became larger than any of the North American communities, including over 200 houses, a church, four smithies, a six-foot-wide main street, a large meeting house, cultivated fields, and kingly residences. Palmares is thought to have been made up of a core of people from Angola, and they essentially created an African state in the Brazilian hinterland. An African-style system of status, birthrights, enslavement, and royalty was developed at Palmares, and adapted traditional African ceremonial rites were performed. A range of elites included a king, a military commander, and an elected council of quilombo chiefs. Palmares was a constant thorn in the side of the Portuguese and Dutch colonials in Brazil, who waged war with the community for most of the 17th century. Palmares was finally conquered and destroyed in 1694. Significance Maroon societies were a significant form of African and African American resistance to enslavement. In some regions and for some periods, the communities held treaties with other colonists and were recognized as legitimate, independent, and autonomous bodies with rights to their lands. Legally sanctioned or not, the communities were ubiquitous wherever people were enslaved. As the American anthropologist and historian Richard Price has written, the persistence of Maroon communities for decades or centuries stands out as a "heroic challenge to white authority, and the living proof of the existence of a slave consciousness that refused to be limited" by the dominant white culture. Sources Illustration: Liu Rui/GT With friends like the US,who needs enemies? To realize its own geopolitical goals, the US is never shy to sacrifice its allies.Citing sources, a Bloomberg report claimed on Monday that Washington suggested European Union (EU) "draw upon lessons from the export control regime they're using to punish Russia to target China." The Joe Biden administration is exploring using some of the same information sharing and enforcement coordination to strengthen its export controls on China, the people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.Regarding collaboration to restrict exports to Moscow, Washington has clearly benefited a lot since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. This has seemingly emboldened the US to persuade Europe to take the same approach against China. But this time, it is clearly playing the wrong game.China is not Russia. The great mutual dependence between China and Europe is much greater than their differences. And judging from the size of China's economy, its ability to resist suppression and the resilience of China-EU economic ties, it is difficult for the US to push the EU to use economic instruments irrationally against China, said Chinese observers. Obviously, the EU understands this better than the US. And that's why Europe showed no interest in applying export controls on Russia to China, as Bloomberg reported.Meanwhile, Saloni Sharma, a spokeswoman for the US National Security Council, refuted the report, stating that the US is not considering extending the Russia export controls to China, nor have they raised doing so with the Europeans.Nevertheless, with its history of abusing export controls considered, suggesting using the same tactic to deal with a rival is very much a US thing. Washington applies the means of export controls in the name of protecting its economic interests, but often, in fact, out of strategic consideration. It has long weaponized economic exchange in the geopolitical game.The EU is waking up to this reality. It is reflecting on the consequences of blindly following US' strategy. For instance, Europe is facing an unprecedented economic hardship, partly due to joining Washington's sanction endeavors. Its inflation reached 10.7 percent in October, the highest ever monthly reading since the euro zone's formation.Under such circumstances, pragmatic economic cooperation with other countries and regions is the critical solution for Europe to relieve its economic pressure, rather than full-scale extreme confrontation. What's more, such a confrontation would only benefit the US, while others serve US' interests for nothing. As a result, Europe won't easily go down the path the US wants.The ridiculous proposal of export controls on China made to Europe utterly exposes US' selfish nature and zero-sum thinking. On the one hand, the US wants to put its need to engage in strategic competition with China above the interests of its European allies. In this way, Washington will "sweep the deck" by exploiting Europe's strength to suppress Beijing, a thorn in its flesh, and subordinating Europe to its strategic needs.On the other hand, economics-wise, the US is pulling Europe away from the Chinese market to make space for its products. This has already manifested in the energy sector since the beginning of the ongoing war between Moscow and Kiev: The US is gradually taking up Russia's dominant position in the European market, and selling its energy at high prices to Europe, its so-called friend.The US will not easily give up lobbying Europe to increase its containment efforts against China. It will continue to create more crises in the Asia-Pacific region, mainly around China, and peddle a sense of anxiety over the "China threat" to Europe. It will also spare no effort to drag Europe into its confrontation with China, even though it is well aware of the painful price Europe will have to pay. In other words, Washington is still going to try its best to make Europe a victim of its selfishness. Late in the summer,new slot sites overlord nft price while Aaron Judge was swatting balls over fences and closing in on his historic 62nd home run of the season, a parallel fascination centered on the potential value of the record-setting ball. That value will soon be known because the fan from Texas who caught the ball is putting it up for auction, and he wants to set a record, too. Ken Goldin, the auctioneer in charge of selling the ball on behalf of Cory Youmans, the lucky spectator, thinks the ball will sell for more than $3 million. Depending on how much more, the sale could set a new benchmark for a game-used baseball. The ball has the potential to become the highest-priced baseball ever sold, Goldin said in a telephone interview. Three million plus would be my estimate. The current record was set with the auction of the ball from Mark McGwires 70th home run in the 1998 season, which went for $3.05 million in 1999. McGwire, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League, later admitted to using steroids. Judge, the Yankees outfielder, is currently testing free agency for the first time in his career and is expected to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday. He set the A.L.s single-season record when he clubbed his 62nd homer of the year against Jesus Tinoco of the Texas Rangers on Oct. 4 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, which pushed him past Roger Maris, who hit 61 for the Yankees in 1961. The ball sailed over the left-field wall and was caught on the fly by Youmans, who is from Dallas and is said to work for Fisher Investments. Youmans, who stood in the first row, snared the ball in his baseball glove and was then escorted by security guards to the bowels of the stadium, where the ball was checked for its secret markings and authenticated by M.L.B. officials. Youmans later approached Goldin Co. to handle the sale. The ball, which has been resting in a safe deposit box, was taken by armed guard to Goldins headquarters outside Philadelphia this week, and the online preauction process began on Thursday. It would not surprise me if the winning bidder either purchased it on behalf of Aaron Judge or possibly donates it to the Hall of Fame, Goldin said. I definitely think its one of those items that would garner that type of interest. The auction house will be paid a 20 percent buyers premium, which will be added to the highest bid. The bidding is scheduled to end Dec. 17. According to Goldin, Youmanss contract with his employer prohibits him from speaking publicly. Image An authentic M.L.B. baseball can be purchased from Rawlings for $24.95. This slightly used one, which Judge clubbed over the fence at Globe Life Field on Oct. 4, could sell for more than $3 million.Credit...Goldin Co. Judges 60th home run ball was retrieved at Yankee Stadium by Michael Kessler, 20, who is a Yankees fan from New York. He gave it to Judge after that game, on Sept. 20, in exchange for a signed bat and balls, and photographs with Judge and the fans buddies. A ball that enters the stands becomes the property of whoever catches it, and Kessler said he picked it up amid a frenzied pileup. Eight days later, Judge hit No. 61 off Tim Mayza of the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The ball was almost caught by a fan, who identified himself to reporters as Frankie Lasagna. But the ball bounced off Lasagnas glove and landed in the home teams bullpen, where it was retrieved by Matt Buschmann, a coach for the Blue Jays. Buschmann gave it to Zack Britton, a Yankees relief pitcher, who presented it to Judge in a neat chain of custody. So No. 62 will be the only one of Judges three home run balls after No. 59 to be put on sale. Before Judge reached 62, some auctioneers and memorabilia experts predicted the ball might sell for $2 million. Goldin was initially more cautious, speculating it would rake in about $500,000, then later increased that to a little over $1 million as the chase progressed and interest soared. He also had offered $250,000 to whoever caught it. After canvassing collectors when the season ended, Goldin now believes he neglected to factor in the general inflationary pressures of the booming memorabilia market over the last several years, the allure of the Yankees as an iconic franchise and Judges magnetism. Additionally, some consider Judges A.L. record more legitimate than the totals reached during the height of the so-called steroids era because he is the only player to surpass Maris without any known blemishes on his performance. Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs for the N.L.s San Francisco Giants in 2001 (that ball was auctioned off for $450,000), McGwire followed his 70-homer season with 65 in 1999, and Sammy Sosa hit 63 or more home runs three times for the Chicago Cubs. But all three had their marks tainted, for potential collectors, by their connections to performance-enhancers. There are certainly people that will make that argument and certain people who will say this is the all-time record, Goldin said. If thats what they want to believe and it causes them to bid more, Im all for it. Image In 1961, Sal Durante caught the ball from Roger Mariss record-breaking 61st home run. He tried to give it back to Maris, but Maris told him to sell it, with Durante eventually receiving $5,000.Credit...Associated Press To illustrate how the market has been elevated in recent years, Goldin pointed to a uniform jersey worn by Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 N.B.A. finals that sold for $50,000 two decades ago, and recently sold for $10 million. A bat used by Babe Ruth sold around the same time would have fetched less than $100,000, Goldin said, and is now worth over $1 million. Theres a significantly larger number of collectors out there now, and the value of sports collectibles is significantly higher than it was in 1998, he said. As of Thursday afternoon, people can see more photos of the ball on the companys website. In a week to 10 days, the prebidding is set to begin, once interested buyers pass a credit check. In the coming weeks, Goldin will exhibit the ball to a select group of interested buyers. This type of item is like baseballs version of the Powerball, he said. We dont know when its going to hit. But we know when it hits, whoever gets it is going to get rich. Advertisement Continue reading the main story M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento The definition of a classic piece of literature can be a hotly debated topic; you may receive a wide range of answers depending on the experience of the person you question on the topic. However, there are some tenets that the classics, in the context of books and literature, all have in common. Qualities of Classic Literature To be generally agreed upon as a classic, works meet some common high standards for quality, appeal, longevity, and influence. Expresses Artistic Quality Classic literature is an expression of life, truth, and beauty. It must be of high artistic quality, at least for the time in which it was written. Although different styles will come and go, a classic can be appreciated for its construction and literary art. It may not be a bestseller today due to pacing and dated language, but you can learn from it and be inspired by its prose. Stands the Test of Time In classic literature, a work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was writtenand it merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, it is not a classic; while the term "modern classic" may apply to books written after World War II, they need longevity to achieve the designation of a simple "classic." A book of recent vintage that is of high quality, acclaim, and influence needs a few generations to determine whether it deserves to be called a classic. Has Universal Appeal Great works of literature touch readers to their very core, partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith, for example, touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses. You can read classics from Jane Austen and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and relate to the characters and situations despite the difference in era. In fact, a classic can alter your view of history to see how little has changed in our basic human makeup. Makes Connections You can study a classic and discover influences from other writers and other great works of literature. Of course, this is partly related to the universal appeal of a classic. Still, classics are always informed by the history of ideas and literature, whether unconsciously or specifically worked into the text. Likewise, classics will inspire other writers who come afterward, and you can trace how they influenced works in their own time and down through the following decades and even centuries. Is Relevant to Multiple Generations By covering themes universal to the human condition and doing so in a way that stands the test of time, classics remain relevant to all. Because of the high quality of the characters, story, and writing, people can read classics in their youth and gather a basic understanding of the author's themes, and then they can read them later in life and see additional layers of truth that they missed previously. The quality enables the work to communicate to multiple age groups throughout time. Using Classic Literature These qualities of classic literature make them appropriate for study. While younger students may find them less accessible, older students and adults can be enlightened by reading them as part of a formal study, book club, or ongoing reading. To introduce younger readers to the classics, try using graphic novel versions, editions simplified for younger readers, or movie adaptations. For older literature students, classics have a wide variety of expert information available about them, giving background information like how and why they were written, analyses of the text, and comments on lasting cultural impact. Classics likely also have study guides that can assist learners in their basic understanding of the text, such as by explaining dated terms and references and providing study questions. The ballad tells of his fears as he sees Dagmar's page coming, and they proved only too true. Hero Tales of the Far North|Jacob A. Riis Behind prison walls, comforted only by Dagmar's son, sat the King, growing old and gray with anger and grief. Hero Tales of the Far North|Jacob A. Riis The King had other sons, but to Dagmar's boy the people had given their love from the first, as they had to his gentle mother. Hero Tales of the Far North|Jacob A. Riis What Is Bonus Depreciation?classic sport betting namibia Bonus depreciation is a tax incentive that allows a business to immediately deduct a large percentage of the purchase price of eligible assets, such as machinery, rather than write them off over the "useful life" of that asset. Bonus depreciation is also known as the additional first-year depreciation deduction. Key Takeaways Bonus depreciation allows businesses to deduct a large percentage of the cost of eligible purchases the year they acquire them, rather than depreciating them over a period of years. It was created as a way to encourage investment by small businesses and stimulate the economy. Businesses should use IRS Form 4562 to record bonus depreciation as well as other types of depreciation and amortization. The rules and limits for bonus depreciation have changed over the years, and the latest ones are scheduled to expire in 2023. In 2022, bonus depreciation allows for 100% upfront deductibility of depreciation; this depreciates 20% in each subsequent year until its final year in 2026. Understanding Bonus Depreciation When a business buys or develops an asset, the tax treatment for that asset is traditionally to spread the cost of the asset over its useful life. This process is known as depreciation, and depreciation expense reduces a company's net earnings. With net earnings smaller, companies often incur smaller tax liabilities. Bonus depreciation is an accelerated business tax deduction that lower's a company's taxable net income and thus reduces its tax liability. Instead of allocating the cost over the life of an asset, Congress enacted rules that allow businesses to deduct a fixed percentage of an eligible asset's cost upfront. Although a company may ultimately expense the same total amount over the asset's life, bonus depreciation is more likely to assist a company in reducing its tax liability, especially when considering potential impacts to tax brackets. For example, deducting $10,000 over 10 years may not materially impact each year's taxable income, but deducting $100,000 in a single year may reduce a company's highest marginal tax rate. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed in 2017, made major changes to the rules on bonus depreciation. Most significantly, it doubled the bonus depreciation deduction for qualified property, as defined by the IRS, from 50% to 100%. The 2017 law also extended the bonus to cover used property under certain conditions. History of Bonus Depreciation Bonus depreciation recently celebrated its 20th year in existence. Over time, the criteria for eligible property as well as the bonus depreciation rate has changed, and the legislation for the tax benefit has been extended several times. Below is a very high-level summary of the legislation associated with bonus depreciation. Bonus Depreciation, A Brief History Legislation Notes Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act (2002) - Introduced bonus depreciation - Let companies deduct 30% of the cost of eligible assets before the standard depreciation method was applied Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (2003) - Increased the bonus depreciation rate to 50% Economic Stimulus Act (2008) - Maintained the bonus depreciation rate to 50%, extended the program Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (2015) - Extended the program through 2019 - Included a phase-out of the bonus depreciation rate after 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) - Raised the bonus depreciate rate to 100% - Extended the program through 2026 Qualifying Assets for Bonus Depreciation Bonus depreciation is only applicable to certain business assets that meet qualification requirements. Property must have a maximum useful life of 20 years, and it can be used for either business or personal use. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the taxpayer revisions to the eligibility also stipulate that: The asset was not used by the taxpayer prior to acquisition. The asset was not acquired by a related party to the taxpayer. The asset was not formerly owned by a component member of a controlled group of corporations. The asset's basis is not figured in reference to the adjusted basis of the property when under ownership of the seller. The asset's basis is not figured in reference to a basis acquired from a decedent. Recent revisions also explicitly call out assets previously not eligible for bonus depreciation but now allowable. For example, the IRS explicitly calls out qualified film, television, or theater property acquired and placed in service after Sept. 27, 2017. Disqualified Assets The IRS explicitly disqualifies certain types of assets from being able to claim bonus depreciation. Under new bonus depreciation rules, assets are not eligible if they are: Primarily used in the trade of furnishing or sale of electrical energy, water, or sewage disposal services. Primarily used in the trade of furnishing or the sale of gas or steam through distributed systems. Primarily used in the trade of furnishing or the sale of gas or steam by pipeline. Used in a trade or business that has had floor-plan financing indebtedness under certain circumstances. Qualified improvement property such as leasehold improvements acquired after Dec. 31, 2017. There are specific tax consultants specialized in bonus depreciation (or other depreciation-related tax deductions). For the most up-to-date and relevant information, consult one of these advisors. How to Report Bonus Depreciation Bonus depreciation is reported on a Federal tax return through Form 4562 (Depreciation and Amortization (Including Information on Listed Property). This form is also used to report or claim other types of depreciation such as the Section 179 deduction. Taxpayers must calculate their own amount of bonus depreciation to recognize and report their "special depreciation allowance" under Part II, Line 14. To figure the depreciable base of the asset, the taxpayer should subtract any credits or deductions allocated to the property from the basis of the asset. Special treatment exists for assets acquired in a like-kind exchange or involuntary conversion. Election Out If taxpayers decide it would be more advantageous to recognize depreciation over the life of the asset instead of using an accelerated method, the taxpayer can elect not to deduct any special depreciation allowance. To make this election, the taxpayer must attach a statement to their tax return indicating which class of property they wish to not make the election for. Once the election has been made, the decision can not be revoked with the IRS's consent. Recapture If a taxpayer disposes of property in which they claimed a special depreciation deduction for, the taxpayer if often required to recognized as ordinary income a recaptured amount. Bonus Depreciation Schedule and Phase Out The new bonus depreciation rules apply to property acquired and placed in service after Sept. 27, 2017 and before Jan. 1, 2023. In January 2023, the current provision will expire. However, the current bonus depreciation phase out schedule extends to 2026. Bonus Depreciation, Phase-Out Schedule Year the Asset was Placed In Service Bonus Depreciation Rate 2022 100% 2023 80% 2024 60% 2025 40% 2026 20% 2027 0% Bonus Depreciation vs. Section 179 Two common tax benefits regarding depreciation are bonus depreciation and Section 179 deductions. Section 179 allows taxpayers to recognize depreciation expense on qualifying property when its used more than 50% of the time for business. It allows business owners to deduct a set dollar amount of new business assets that have been put in place during the current tax year. Broadly speaking, Section 179 rules are often more flexible with timing than bonus depreciation rules. Under Section 179, the taxpayer can elect to save certain assets for future tax breaks or claim only a portion of the cost and defer the other portion for a future tax year. With bonus depreciation, the amount of depreciation allowable is strictly defined. However, bonus depreciation may apply to higher spending amounts. Bonus depreciation is not capped in regards to dollars; an entire multi-million deduction for the entire cost of a single may be recognized in a single year. On the other hand, Section 179 deductions were limited to $1,080,000 for 2022 (based on $2,700,000 capital equipment spend). Each program has specific criteria that make it more or less appealing to certain taxpayers. Some real estate improvements do not qualify for bonus depreciation but do quality for Section 179 treatment. On the other hand, bonus depreciation can exceed business income, while Section 179 deductions are limited to annual business income. It is also possible to claim both bonus depreciation and Section 179 deductions in the same tax year. What Are the Benefits of Bonus Depreciation? Bonus depreciation allows a taxpayer to reduce their short-term taxable income by the cost of depreciable assets. Bonus depreciation allows a taxpayer to deduct 100% of depreciation upfront on their Federal tax return. This accelerated depreciation method means a company may pay substantially fewer taxes in the tax year in which they claim bonus depreciation. Do Vehicles Qualify for Bonus Depreciation? Yes, businesses can deduct and depreciate 100% of the cost of vehicle or truck under bonus depreciation rules. Note that this will be different than Section 179 rules; though a vehicle or truck is often a qualifying asset, it will be subject to a deduction up to a specific dollar amount. Should I Take Bonus Depreciation? Electing to take bonus depreciation is often favorable for taxpayers seeking to minimize short-term tax liabilities. Though future year liabilities may be higher due to having a lower amount of bonus depreciation to claim, this may also create a net business loss that may be rolled over and carried to future years. There may be situations that make more sense to elect out of the program; for more information, consult your advisor to see whether you qualify for bonus depreciation and whether it strategically makes sense to claim. What Assets Qualify for Bonus Depreciation? To be eligible for bonus depreciation, eligible property must be MACRS property with a useful life of 20 years or less, certain depreciable computer software, or qualifying leasehold improvement property. In addition, new criteria limits how the asset was acquired or how the basis is to be calculated. The Bottom Line Bonus depreciation is a tax incentive for taxpayers who incur capital expenditures or spend money on certain depreciable assets. These taxpayers can elect to deduct 100% of the asset's depreciation in the current tax year, although the allowable amount of depreciation is scheduled to decrease each of the next five years. Bonus depreciation allows a higher but less controllable depreciable tax strategy compared to Section 179 deductions. Beijing Stock Exchange Photo:Chi Jingyi/GT TheBeijing Stock Exchange's (BSE) benchmark index, also known as the BSE 50 Index, closed 2.55 percent higher on its debut on Monday, as the third-born of the A-share market took another major step to foster innovative small businesses in the world's second-largest economy.The index for the exchange, which is just more than one year old, opened 2 percent higher and closed 2.55 percent higher at 1,028.72 points. The base value was set as 1,000.The index also outperformed its counterparts, with China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.39 percent, while the Shenzhen Component Index fell 0.41 percent. Shanghai's tech-heavy STAR 50 Index ended flat for the day, while Shenzhen's similar ChiNext Index fell 0.1 percent."The index launch is a major event for the bourse, and it's a signal that the exchange has a certain amount of customer resources, mature trading structures, and a large number of trading categories," Chen Jia, a veteran market watcher, told the Global Times on Monday.The Beijing bourse will take the index "as the core", explore and launch various characteristic indexes in line with market development, and establish more index funds, read a statement on its website on Monday.The index has 50 stocks considered to be representative of the market, providing a tool to "monitor the overall performance of the BSE for all sides," general manager Sui Qiang said on November 18.Chen said that the index's better-than-expected debut gave the financial market strong confidence and highlighted the unique advantage of the index in the A-share market.The BSE was launched on November 15 last year to serve the innovation and development of smaller firms. It became the "third child" of China's A-share market, in addition to the Shenzhen and Shanghai bourses, both of which are now in their early 30s.The exchange now has 123 listed companies and has raised 26.8 billion yuan ($3.8 billion). Medium and small-sized firms account for 77 percent, while private enterprises take up 86 percent."The Beijing Stock Exchange has operated smoothly and seen improvements in its ability to serve the innovative development of medium and small-sized businesses one year after it began trading," said the bourse on its first anniversary.Market observers told the Global Times that launch of the index also underscored China's determination to support the large number of small, medium-sized and micro-sized private enterprises and specialized and innovative companies under the current international complexity and global economic woes.Most listed firms, including 49 "little giant" companies - small enterprises specializing in niche markets with cutting-edge technologies and great potential - are in the sectors of high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy, software, hardware technologies, and new materials.According to the Xinhua News Agency, in the first three quarters of this year, listed companies on the Beijing bourse reported steady revenue growth despite the COVID-19 resurgence and volatile international situation.Their combined operating revenue totaled 73.21 billion yuan from January to September, up 33.25 percent year-on-year, with net profits reaching 6.93 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.43 percent.The index will on the other hand promote the entry of index products into the market, which will further enrich the number and structure of investors in the Beijing bourse, and offer more ordinary investors a chance to share the growth dividends of innovative SMEs, Guo Shiliang, a financial commentator, told the Global Times on Monday.The most important thing is to improve liquidity in the market, and valuation, pricing and price discovery functions will improve, Guo said.So far this year, 50 companies raised a total of 10 billion yuan via IPOs on the Beijing bourse, according to Reuters, citing Refinitiv data. In contrast, more than 100 companies raised 203.5 billion yuan on Shanghai's tech-focused STAR Market, while 164 billion yuan was raised on Shenzhen's start-up board ChiNext via 133 IPOs.The bourse is also attracting foreign investors. Mandy Zhu, head of China global banking at Swiss bank UBS, told Reuters that the bank has little business exposure to the Beijing bourse yet but is closely monitoring its development. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dad-ee ]/ dd i /Save This Word!See daddyFirst recorded in 14901500; dad+ -y Words related to daddy daddy/ (dd) / noun plural -diesan informal word for fatherthe daddy slang, mainly US, Canadian and Australian the supreme or finest examplethe daddy of them allslang the dominant male in a group; boss; top man Other Idioms and Phrases with daddy daddy see big daddy; granddaddy of them all; sugar daddy. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. N.F.L. offenses used to be pass-happy. Thetop 10 crypto market cap 2021y later became pass-giddy and eventually pass-post-dental-surgery-loopy. After decades of ever-increasing neglect, however, the running game is finally making a comeback. Through Week 10, N.F.L. teams average 121.8 rushing yards per game, the highest figure since 1987. Teams also average 4.5 yards per rush, the highest rate in history. Teams rush 26.8 times per game, a rate that has been relatively steady for many years, but pass attempts have declined to 33.7 per game, the lowest figure since 2010. That means the leagues run-to-pass ratio has increased slightly over the last two years, from 41.9 percent in 2020 to 42.1 in 2021 to 42.7 this year. The change may not be dramatic, but teams are running more frequently and enjoying more success as a result in 2022, bucking a trend toward increased passing that began when the league adopted pass friendly rule changes in 1978. The revitalization of the running game is most noticeable at the top of the league standings. The Philadelphia Eagles (8-1), with an option-heavy offense, average 142.7 rushing yards per game. The Baltimore Ravens (6-3) average 168.1 rushing yards per game thanks to quarterback Lamar Jacksons dual-threat capabilities. The Tennessee Titans (7-2), averaging 133.4 rushing yards per game, hop into a wagon most weeks and let Derrick Henry drag them to victory. The Giants (7-2; 164.8 rushing yards per game) would practically be a volleyball team without Saquon Barkley at tailback. The Minnesota Vikings (8-1) average a modest 107 rushing yards per game, but they often line up with a halfback AND a fullback, the way the founding fathers intended. To be clear, none of the teams above division leaders save for the second-place Giants have high rushing totals simply because they are protecting late leads. Instead, they feature offenses that are balanced or establish the run in ways that coaches have paid lip service to for decades before inevitably donning their headsets and calling two passes for every handoff. There are three interrelated causes for the rushing resurgence. 1. The Rise of the Dual-Threat Quarterback Image Bears quarterback Justin Fields carried the ball 104 times on scrambles and designed options for 749 yards. Credit...Quinn Harris/Getty Images Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is almost single-handedly skewing the N.F.L. rushing data. Fields has 104 carries on scrambles and designed options for 749 yards. Removing his production from the leagues data would drop the N.F.L. per-carry average from 4.537 to 4.502: The latter figure would still be an all-time high, but its still a striking illustration of the impact one player can have. Scramblers have produced gaudy rushing figures for decades, but never has there been as many quarterbacks running as frequently and boldly as there are in 2022. Fields, Jackson and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills are all averaging more than 50 rushing yards per game this season. As recently as 2012, Washingtons Robert Griffin III was the only quarterback to average more than 50 yards per game in a season. After years of reluctance to allow their quarterbacks to run, coaches now realize that injuries on designed options are not common and defenses rarely figure out how to neutralize such tactics. As a result, Fields, Jackson and many others both rush for chunks of yardage and make their running backs more effective by giving defenders more to worry about. 2. The Return of Running Creatively During their long peaks, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning operated in offenses designed to allow them to call simple run plays at the line of scrimmage if defenses were back on their heels. Copycat coaches soon began pretending that all quarterbacks were just like them and needed little more from their running games than a rudimentary fallback plan. N.F.L. coaches later realized that not every quarterback is a human supercomputer and are now scouring the appendices of their playbooks for abandoned rushing tactics. As mentioned above, many teams dared to allow their quarterbacks to run occasionally. The Titans, Vikings and San Francisco 49ers have rescued the fullback from the brink of extinction. The Giants and Cleveland Browns have revived pulling-and-trapping tactics along the offensive line to create openings for Barkley and Nick Chubb. The Seattle Seahawks punish defenses with heavy formations with three tight ends. And so forth. These diversified rushing tactics have allowed teams with less-than-stellar quarterbacks to thrive. Meanwhile, defenses built to stop the passing game at all costs are getting a rude surprise. 3. The Decline of the Linebacker As passing rates increased steadily over the last 40 years, defensive coaches began replacing one or two of their linebackers with smaller, speedier defensive backs. At first, they swapped them in only on passing downs, but eventually extra defensive backs became prominent throughout the game plans and on rosters. A modern N.F.L. defense lines up with five defensive backs on more than 60 percent of offensive snaps and with six defensive backs on about 15 percent of snaps. That leaves just one or two linebackers to do what used to be the work of three or four in the middle of the field. Many of the remaining linebackers are smaller, quicker pass-coverage specialists. Imagine the chagrin of some lonely, undersized linebacker when Henry, Barkley or Chubb barrels straight at him, perhaps with a fullback or a 300-pound pulling guard leading the way. Defenses try to counter the rushing resurgence by dusting off forgotten tactics of their own. Unfortunately, multitalented linebackers like the Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Micah Parsons have rebranded themselves as sack specialists and replaced true defensive ends in the ecosystem. The burly linebackers hanging around on most benches generally belong there, and a defense that builds to stop Henry or Barkley just leaves itself vulnerable to Patrick Mahomes. Rushing rates are likely to increase a bit more in the years to come: An ever-increasing percentage of collegiate quarterback prospects are dual threats and offensive coordinators like the Eagles Shane Steichen and the Seahawks Shane Waldron will likely bring their run-focused systems with them to head coaching gigs next year. Teams will never be perfectly balanced passing still nets 6.1 yards per play, making it more efficient than rushing but the N.F.L. may finally achieve a tactical equilibrium after nearly a half century of swinging exclusively in one direction. That equilibrium is both overdue and welcome. Its much more fun to watch teams mix runs and passes in innovative and unpredictable ways than it was to watch Brady, Manning and 30 teams that just wished they had Brady or Manning. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Isle of Man-based provider of online gaming solutions Pariplay announced that it has entered into a gaming content partnershipwith fellow gaming developer and provider BetConstruct. Under their agreement, Pariplay is to integrate its full catalog of online games, including slots, scratch cards, and bingo titles, into its latest partners Casino Suite Software solution. Since launched in 2010, the gaming studio has developed over 100 gaming titles, with the recently launched Atari Black Widow and The Three Stooges being among those. Apart from its branded content, Pariplay also offers a wide variety of traditional slots as well as video slots. And as mentioned above, the company offers scratch card, instant win, and bingo games. Pariplays content will complement a catalog of more than 2,000 casino titlesalready featured on BetConstructs Casino Suite Software. Those belong to some of the worlds top developers, including NetEnt, NYX Gaming, Playson, and Microgaming. The solution also features games developed by its own studio. Online gambling operators that use BetConstructs Casino Suite Software are offered the opportunity to access four new titles each month. Under the terms of their partnership agreement, BetConstruct will add any new games developed by Pariplay in future. Commenting on their latest agreement, Pariplay General Manager Adrian Bailey said that they are excited to ink a partnership that represents an important step towards their goal to distribute their titles to top-tier hubs.Mr. Bailey further noted that the agreement will give his company the chance to expand its presence in both new and existing online gambling markets. Vahe Baloulian, CEO of BetConstruct, said that the addition of Pariplays unique and diverse branded and own studio games is in line with his companys strategy to provide international gambling operators with the widest variety of best games. The Pariplay partnership was not the only one BetConstruct has signed recently. The company has also partnered with provider of Live Casino solutions Evolution Gaming to integrate the latters product offering into its Spring Platform. Under the terms of their agreement, a number of Live Casino games as well as 10 native speaking dealer tables will be rolled out on the afore-mentioned platform. Passengers line up to check in at Air China's counters at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, on July 7, 2022. A direct flight from Beijing landed at Budapest's Ferenc Liszt International Airport Thursday, marking the official resumption of regular passenger flights between Hungary and China. Photo:Xinhua Chinese embassies in India, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and many other countries on Sunday and Monday adjusted and optimized pre-boarding requirements for travelers bound for China, based on the 20 optimized measures announced on Friday in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic.According to an announcement released by the Chinese Embassy in India, all travelers headed to China on flights will only be required to take one nucleic acid test within 48 hours prior to boarding and apply for a health code with a negative result.Under the previous requirement, travelers had to obtain two negative results within 48 hours.Moreover, according to the adjusted regulations, travelers do not need to take nucleic acid tests at designated spots anymore. They can take the test wherever it is convenient and apply for a health code from the embassy or consulate where the test was taken. The airline will no longer check the place where the code was issued.The Chinese embassies in Canada, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Australia issued announcements with similar travel adjustments on Sunday.The Chinese Embassy in Canada reminded travelers that nucleic acid testing must be completed at a testing facility approved by the local health department and it cannot be replaced by a rapid testing kit.Earlier, Chinese embassies in the US and the UK made similar announcements and emphasized that travelers do not need to be retested during transit.In addition, people who have been previously infected, close contacts of the infected, and those with suspected symptoms no longer need additional documentation to apply for a travel health code. Children under three years of age do not need to be tested.These embassy circulars also remove the previous requirement for a designated testing facility.On Monday afternoon, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea issued an update stating that flights from South Korea to China require only one negative nucleic acid test result within two days prior to boarding. If the traveler is in transit at a Korean airport, s/he only needs to provide the negative result that is still valid for the second flight, and does not need to be tested again.The embassies also reminded travelers to continue pre-trip self-health monitoring and personal health protection during the journey.These updated requirements are inspiring for travelers hoping to travel to China from abroad, a Chinese student surnamed Li, who is planning to return to China from the US, told the Global Times on Monday.This will make international travel to China, which has been relatively difficult for some time, substantially easier, she said, noting that she hopes the policy changes will further drive down fares on international flights.On Friday, China made its latest move in scientific and precise epidemic control and prevention work to fight COVID-19 by releasing 20 optimized measures, including shortening quarantine periods for international arrivals and close contacts of confirmed cases from 7+3 (seven days of centralized quarantine and three days of health observation at home) to 5+3.China also ended COVID-19 flight suspensions on the same day, which immediately triggered a spike in searches for international flights to their highest level in a year, reflecting massive pent-up demand.Prior to the adjustment, Chinese carriers were allowed to operate only one outbound flight per week on one route to any country, and foreign airlines to operate just one flight a week into China, and were subject to the "circuit breaker."Global Times aztec gems free playshows grade level based on the word's complexity. daddy track New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. 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Florence Preps David for the Big One|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST Florence Preps David for the Big One|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST Suddenly, however, he became aware of a small black spot far ahead in the very middle of the unencumbered track. The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke No trail was so obtuse, no thicket so dense that members of that regiment would not track them to their lair. The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn We are so many around here that you'll have to get paper and pencil and mark us down to keep track of how many. The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux The print of steel-rimmed hoofs showed in the soft loam as plainly as a moccasin-track in virgin snow. Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair Track of the count may be kept by placing a mark for each leukocyte in its appropriate column, ruled upon paper. A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question daddy trackFirst recorded in 199095; modeled on mommy trackDadd, Daddah, daddy, daddy-longlegs, daddy-o, daddy track, dad-gummed, dad-in-law, dad joke, dado, dado headDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022 A J-10CE fighter jet conducts test flight and hosts training for its pilot shortly before it is delivered to the Pakistan Air Force on March 11, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of AVIC China is displaying many advanced weapons and equipment, including drone and anti-drone systems, at an ongoing defense expo in Pakistan, a move analysts said on Wednesday indicates that the two countries' defense cooperation will continue to deepen under their ironclad friendship, with Pakistan's armed forces already operating advanced main battle equipment of Chinese origin.The 11th session of the International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) kicked off on Tuesday at the Karachi Expo Center in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, with seven Chinese defense trade companies participating under the delegation "China Defence" led by the country's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.Exhibits of the Chinese delegation include the Wing Loong series drones, CH series drones, the WJ-700 drone, a comprehensive anti-drone system, a type of multi-role drone ship, the Y-9E transport aircraft, the LY-70 air defense system, the VT4 main battle tank, the SR5 multiple launch rocket system, the YLC-2E multi-role radar, a command information system, an electronic warfare defense system and a communications navigation system, Xinhua reported.Delegates from more than 50 countries and regions are attending the four-day show, and the Chinese delegation is one of the largest national delegations at the event, the report said.China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said that the Chinese delegation's participation in international defense expos aims to display the country's advanced military equipment and technologies, promote international cooperation and communication in science, technology and industry for national defense, and build a defense security community to safeguard regional peace and stability, according to Xinhua.Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the opening ceremony of the IDEAS and visited the Chinese delegation. A Pakistani defense official was quoted as saying that China's military equipment and technologies are famous internationally, and defense cooperation between Pakistan and China is exemplary.The armed forces of Pakistan have commissioned many advanced weapons and equipment of Chinese origin, including the VT4 main battle tank, the SH-15 self-propelled howitzer, the Type 054A/P frigate, the JF-17 fighter jet, the J-10C fighter jet and the ZDK-03 early warning aircraft, according to official announcements and media reports.China and Pakistan are expected to continue to deepen their defense cooperation, as Chinese weapons and equipment have boosted Pakistan's national defense as a system, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday.With China-Pakistan defense cooperation as an example, the expo is also a chance for China to have more defense cooperation with other countries in the region, the expert said.The Russia-Ukraine crisis has highlighted the importance of drones and anti-drone systems, and Chinese defense firms have answers to that, the expert said.Pakistan has consistently held the biennial event since 2000, except in 2020, when the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. IDEAS has become a defense expo of key influence in Asia, Xinhua said. AMSTERDAM By the time her extraordinarily wealthy grandmother died last month,bandar judi 99 online Marlene Engelhorn already knew who she wanted to be the ultimate beneficiary of the enormous inheritance coming her way: the tax man. The dream scenario is I get taxed, said Ms. Engelhorn, the co-founder of a group called Tax Me Now. Ms. Engelhorn, a 30-year-old who grew up in Vienna, is part of a growing movement of young, leftist millionaires who say they want governments to take a much larger share of their inherited wealth, arguing that these unearned fortunes should be democratically allocated by the state. For more than a year, Ms. Engelhorn has been campaigning for tax policies that would redistribute her eight-figure windfall and anyone elses. I am the product of an unequal society, Ms. Engelhorn said in a speech at a Millionaires for Humanity event in late August in Amsterdam, where activists were calling for wealth taxation. Because otherwise, I couldnt be born into multimillions. Just born. Nothing else. Her family is no stranger to giving away huge sums. Her grandparents poured a chunk of their fortune into supporting young scientists. Her great-uncle gave millions to an archaeology center. His cousin pledged nearly $140 million to classical music. But in Ms. Engelhorns view, it shouldnt be the wealthy who get to decide which personal interests and passions deserve their inherited millions. Theres no need for another foundation, she said as she sat by a canal in Amsterdam and ate a loaf of bread she had brought in her backpack. Whats really needed is structural change. Image The dream scenario is I get taxed, said Ms. Engelhorn, the co-founder of a group called Tax Me Now.Credit...Mashid Mohadjerin for The New York Times Philanthropy to her only replicates the same power dynamics that have created the systemic inequalities she wants to see dismantled, with new tax policies for the super rich an essential aspect of that vision. The Engelhorn familys multibillion-dollar fortune originated with Friedrich Engelhorn, who about 150 years ago in Germany founded BASF, one of the worlds largest chemical companies. Another family company, Boehringer Mannheim, which produced pharmaceuticals and medical diagnostic equipment, was sold to Roche for $11 billion in 1997. As a partial heir to that fortune, Ms. Engelhorn grew up in a mansion in a chic part of Vienna. She attended French-language schools, describing herself as the sort of student who was correcting grammar mistakes when I heard them. She played soccer with boys and read voraciously. She said she lacked any awareness of class privilege. When she saw friends living in small apartments, she wondered why they did not choose to live in a big house with a garden, which is much nicer. Privilege really gives you a very, very narrow view of the world, she said. At university in Vienna, Ms. Engelhorns perspective began to broaden. She volunteered with gay-rights groups and grew interested in the interconnection of racial, gender and economic discrimination. In early 2020, as Ms. Engelhorn sat in a cafe in Switzerland, where she had gone to see her grandmother on her 93rd birthday, an accountant told her that upon her grandmothers death, she would inherit many millions of euros. He told her to enjoy herself. He said, This is just to be spent, Ms. Engelhorn recalled. Like, Just go play. But to her, the news was more disconcerting than a cause for joy, spurring a tormented reckoning about her place in society. I was part of the problem, she said she remembered thinking. I am very woke and all, but now: What do I do with all these pretty thoughts? As she looked for advice, she entered the orbit of groups of pro-tax millionaires, whose members meet in person or on video calls to discuss their privileges and how to get the state to strip them away. Image Preparing for the Millionaires for Humanity event in Amsterdam. The number of nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that taxed net wealth dropped from 12 in 1990, to five in 2020.Credit...Mashid Mohadjerin for The New York Times Some of the members call the groups, which include Resource Generation and Patriotic Millionaires, a safe space where they can open up about what they call the money story an honest account of the real origins of their social status. They acknowledge the crimes often at the heart of their familys wealth and analyze the sexist and racist components that might have contributed to it. Perhaps most important, the members are expected to share how they are engaged in what they typically term reparations to society. Some of these groups emerged in the past 20 years or so, but recently their memberships have expanded, driven by what Ms. Engelhorn calls next gens of wealth who have a different approach than many of their parents. Instead of trying to give away part of their inheritance, they are now asking how its possible they inherited so much to begin with. Newspapers have mocked some of the language of these groups, calling it sententious and self-reverential, and Ms. Engelhorn complained that some scornful press ridiculed them as rich kids clubs. She credits the groups for helping her realize what could be done differently about wealth redistribution. If she hadnt encountered them, she said, I might have also just settled with the status quo. Which is easy to do, she noted, when you can literally afford not to care. Some experts outside the millionaire circle have also found the work of these groups helpful. Im really grateful for their voice, said Amy Hanauer, the executive director at Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a think tank in Washington, who said that millionaires can be influential higher tax advocates. After joining several of these groups, Ms. Engelhorn last year co-founded another one for Central Europe, Tax Me Now, described on its website as an initiative of wealthy people who are actively committed to tax justice. Its policy goal is to implement or to increase inheritance and wealth taxes (Austria, where Ms. Engelhorn lives, abolished its inheritance tax in 2008). The number of nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that taxed net wealth dropped from 12 in 1990 to five in 2020. While a higher number of O.E.C.D. countries tax inheritances, the amount collected accounts for 0.5 percent of all taxes there. With less money held by the top 1 percent, Europe is less unequal than the United States. But in Europe, family fortunes and old money are more prevalent, with wealth, connections and even occupations passed down through generations. Over half of European billionaires inherited their fortunes, while in the United States one-third did, according to a study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics. To Ms. Engelhorn, the current tax laws mean that it isnt just huge amounts of wealth that are handed down; its power, too, being distributed in a dynastic way. Taxing wealth, she said, would serve the dual purpose of increasing public resources and taking away political sway from people who have not democratically earned it. I dont think that I should be in power or in charge the way that I could be if I use my wealth accordingly, she said. Image While many O.E.C.D. countries have inheritance taxes, they account for 0.5 percent of all tax collected there.Credit...Mashid Mohadjerin for The New York Times After her speech in Amsterdam, Ms. Engelhorn was given an award for her activism. Of all the rich people who had spoken at the event, Ms. Engelhorn was the one who spoke about the issue of taxation with the greatest passion and honesty, according to Djaffar Shalchi, the founder of Millionaires for Humanity. She is for me No. 1, he said. Ms. Engelhorn rejected the praise of how she speaks about tax issues. I am not even an expert, she said. I am really just rich. Whatever her speaking abilities, she has helped generate interest in the issues of wealth and inheritance taxes. This fall, she published her first book, Geld, or Money, about wealth redistribution. And ever since her first public declaration of her desire for her inheritance to be taxed away, she has attracted steady attention in German-language media. It is not the first time a member of Ms. Engelhorns family has made headlines with tax-related issues. When her great-uncle and archaeology donor Curt Engelhorn sold Boehringer Mannheim, German tax authorities didnt collect a dime because he had previously moved the companys legal seat abroad. Ms. Engelhorns multiple radio and TV appearances have resulted in dozens of people reaching out to ask her directly for financial help. She said it wrecks her to say no, but she believes it should not be on her to decide who gets her money. I would like tax justice to take this impossible decision off my hands, she said. She has committed to giving away at least 90 percent of her inheritance, and wants it to go to the state, but only in the form of a tax, not a donation. A government who wont use wealth taxes wont get a gift just like that, she said. Image Taxing wealth, Ms. Engelhorn said, would serve the dual purpose of increasing public resources and taking away political sway from people who have not democratically earned it.Credit...Mashid Mohadjerin for The New York Times Not all millionaires share her passion for taxing wealth. Ansgar John Brenninkmeijer, heir to a fashion fortune, interrupted Ms. Engelhorn when she was onstage in Amsterdam to ask her angrily if she knew what the wealth tax in the Netherlands was. We do have a wealth tax, he said. Its 1.6 percent, he added, referring to a Dutch tax on the value of a persons savings and investments. To Ms. Engelhorn, that was a ridiculously low number. But later that day, she said it shouldnt be up to people like Mr. Brenninkmeijer or herself to say whats a fair rate. Its not a rich kids place to say, she said, what the tax should be. Christopher F. Schuetze contributed reporting from Berlin. Advertisement Continue reading the main story For policymakers grappling with global energy shortages and households scrambling to pay record high utility bills,hard rock hotel and casino lake tahoe some unwelcome news: This years energy crisis is going to look mild once next years kicks in. It is winter 2023-2024 that is going to be the real crisis. Any current energy planning that fails to account for next year and beyond is jumping out of the frying pan and into the firewhere this winter is a problem, 2023s may be a catastrophe. The immediate problem is simple: There is not enough fuel, and therefore not enough electricity, so prices have skyrocketed for both. To a large extent, this is a result of decreased Russian exports of oil, natural gas, and coal, which have been hit by western sanctions and other policy efforts to curb Russian revenues funding atrocities in Ukraine. Most Russian fuel supplies are still reaching international markets, however, because countries like China and India are happy to buy discounted product from a not-quite-fully marginalized Kremlin. But Russian exports are down, too, approximately 18% in August compared to February. Notwithstanding a current drop in natural gas prices now that European storages are mostly full, prices have been so high as a consequence of tighter supplies that Russian President Vladimir Putin is enjoying record energy revenuesover 200 billion since the start of the war on February 24. In turn, markets are tight globally and countries are competing for limited supplies in what has become a zero-sum energy game. This years energy shortage is not just a Russia problem, however. Other factors keeping energy supply below demand are the unexpected surge in economic and industrial activity as countries awoke from COVID-19, refining capacity shortfalls caused by myriad fires, labor strikes, and other maintenance activities, and overall inflation that puts upward pressure on prices independent of supply constraints. The knock-on effecthigh prices and lower than normal generationon electricity are because most power plants burn oil, coal, and natural gas. Utilities can neither raise prices on consumers without regulatory approval nor buy fuel imports with unchecked debt under existing laws that prevent risky behavior by critical service providers. Many power plants around the world are struggling to continue generating electricity. Meanwhile there are not nearly enough nuclear, wind, solar, and other non-fossil fuel alternatives, and hydroelectric plants worldwide are suffering due to climate change droughts. The end result is current or forecast brown and blackouts across the developing world, in parts of Europe, and maybe in the U.S., too, according to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Developing countries are the worst off because they have less ability to absorb higher energy costs. This is the situation we are in now, which winter will exacerbate, but it is going to be a walk in the park compared to next year. To start with, this year is not as bad as it could be. Although this years winter will prove uncomfortable and expensive, Europe is nonetheless in a surprisingly good position. Bloc-wide, natural gas storages are now well over 90% of the annual target, which is actually at least 15% higher than their levels a year ago. This is not enough to heat and power the continent through a cold winter, or even a normal winter at current consumption levels. But barring any unforeseen calamities, current natural gas reserves are probably enough for one winter if the E.U. succeeds in implementing both its voluntary and mandatory cumulative 15% electricity usage reduction policies. Of course, a warm winter and a 15% consumption reduction is a best case scenario, and it is far from certain it will play out. During a cold snap in September and October, Poles were burning trash to stay warm. Europeans are hoarding firewood, and blackouts are already occurring in some countries. And, unfortunately, warm weather now coupled with energy subsidies are likely to disincentivize conservation of existing energy resources. Alexey Miller, CEO of Russias Gazprom, thus estimated in mid-October that European countries could be short about one-third, 800 million cubic meters (mcm) of natural gas per day during a cold spell this winter even with gas storages full now. Hes not wrong. An unusually cold week in Europe in September functioned something of a stress test for whether energy use was being successfully reduced. It was a failure. Amid a massive effort to lower consumption, German consumers instead used 14.5% more gas than in previous years. So much for belt tightening. What is certain is that if Europeans, and the rest of us, could see ahead to 2023 and beyond they would be doing everything in their power to save energy reserves now in preparation. The fundamental problem faced this yeara fuel and thus power shortage causing insanely high priceswill not go away by next year. It will instead expand into an energy crisis that makes this years look manageable. First, there is a high probability that China will finally come out of COVID-19 slumber. It will rock and roil energy markets when it does. Chinas ongoing lockdowns resulted in a sharp decline in fossil fuel and power consumption, a 9.14% drop for oil and 5.8% for natural gas in April 2022 over 2021. In fact, Chinese consumption has dropped so much that it was recently arbitraging energy, buying U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) on preexisting fixed long-term contracts and selling it for a huge profit at current spot market prices to Europe. This August, China, the worlds biggest consumer of energy, imported a full two million barrels of crude oil a day fewer than expected. For comparison, Russia exports an average of 10 million barrels per day, meaning that when China wakes up from COVID-19 it will rise with a voracious energy appetite equal to 20% of Russias exports. This will put tremendous additional pressure on energy markets already straining under current demand. Second, Putin is not about to turn the energy taps back on for Europe. If he is still in power next year, the Russian President will demonstrate his famous ability to hold a grudge by doing whatever he can to continue punishing Europe for backing Ukraine. He would not have sabotaged Nord Stream 1 and 2, his own gas pipelines to Germany, if he were considering starting to again send fuel to Europe. Putin is instead playing a long game, waiting for the energy crisis to cause enough inflation to bring about enough popular unrest to topple western governments opposed to Russian imperialism. He would also not be damaging Russias oil and gas industry if energy relief for the West were in his plans. The physics of natural gas and oil wells are such, to differing degrees, that they are not like a light switch that can be flicked on and off. The sanctions coupled with the loss of western expertise and reduced export volumes mean Russia will have trouble quickly getting its petroleum industry back up and running at scale after the war, if ever. Read More: Green Investment and Climate Catastrophe Rewrite Our Future If Putin is not in power next year, then possibly new Russian leadership so deftly takes the helm of the Russian economy and its petroleum industry that sanctions are lifted and oil and natural gas again flow westward freely, but probably not. Far more likely to flourish in the power vacuum Putin would leave in a situation of political and economic instability. So, either way, Russia is probably not going to be the worlds energy bank in 2023, and likely not for years after. This means that when Europe emerges from this winter in April 2023 it will have exhausted its fuel reserves and will have a much harder time finding ways to replenish them. Over 40% of Europes stored gas for this winter came from Russia, despite sanctions and conflict. In 2023 and beyond, Europe will try towill have tosource its energy imports from elsewhere, which will put it in direct competition with other countries and result in a bidding war for resources. This will, in turn, drive prices up even higher. Although natural gas prices have dropped precipitously for now, down 70% as Europe has stopped buying now that its storages are relatively full and Autumn has been mostly warm, they will spike again in 2023 as soon as demand rises. The simple reality is that there arent adequate supplies anywhere in the short to medium term6 months to 2 years. U.S. LNG cannot save the world. This years 12% increase in U.S. LNG exports is a rate of growth that cannot be sustained. Existing U.S. production is already mostly maxed out for now and there is inadequate infrastructurenot enough pipeline capacity to move gas to LNG terminals, and no new LNG terminals planned for another two years. The next one expected to come online is Exxons Golden Pass LNG facility, a joint project with QatarEnergy, hoped for in 2024. Even were there more production and export capacity in the U.S., global import capacity is limited to the fewer than 50 LNG terminals in existence. In Europe, for one, LNG terminals have had spare capacity to import less than 70 billion tons, whereas the continent imported about 170 bcm of pipeline gas, the equivalent of 118 billion tons of LNG, per year from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. Europe is looking to rent floating LNG terminals to alleviate this bottleneck, but the cost is massive and other issues persist. And, a dirty secret is that much of the LNG that has rescued Europe this winter is in fact Russian, a sanctions loophole that is almost certainly going to be closed. Russian LNG imports into Europe are up 42%, but wont be next year. Moreover, LNG is now shockingly expensive, too. LNG tanker charter prices were recently $400,000 per day and were expected to hit $1 million. Yes, Germany and other countries are now building new infrastructure, but none of it will be ready next year. Building new pipelines takes 1.5-4 years and LNG terminals need 2-5 years. It will take another 3-5 years, at a minimum, for the LNG markets to balance supply and demand. Meanwhile, few reasonable investors will pour billions into infrastructure projects with a 10-30 year breakeven timeline for fuels the world is trying to phase out in 8 years because of climate change. New fossil fuel projects may be redundant before they are even completed. In the meantime, in 2023 there will not be enough U.S. or Qatari liquified natural gas (LNG), nor Azerbaijani gas, nor Kenyan, nor Australian, nor any other to compensate for the total loss of Russian imports. Protester hold a sign that reads "People over profits" as people march to demand a continued shift to renewable energy sources and reduction in fossil fuel dependence despite the current energy crisis on October 22, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. Maja Hitij-Getty Images Nor can renewables yet save the day. Wind and solar farms can be built relatively quickly and cheaply, but they cannot be used to power heating at a large scale because most households are not equipped with electric heaters or heat pumps. Replacing an entire countrys heating systems will take longer than a year. In any case, there are supply chain bottlenecks for solar panels and wind turbines, mostly because of Chinas lockdwon policies, so this is not a viable option in the short term anyway. Nuclear power is also not a solution for the 2-5 year range because nuclear plants take 5-10 years to license and build. Biofuels and geothermal heating are promising technologies, but suffer from the same shortcomingseither they take too long to build or are not sufficiently scalable and thus unable to solve the immediate problem. While the energy crisis is proving an excellent stimulus for innovation, none of the new technologies it brings forth will be ready by 2023, or 2024, or probably even 2025. Taken together, Europe is likely to be short by as much as 20% of its needed fuel in 2023. The bulk of what it can secure will come at a price so high that recession-hit governments will have trouble buying it while simultaneously paying their populations energy bills. Without the ability to bring new energy sources online in a hurry, the single tool governments have at their immediate disposal is cutting consumption. This is the equivalent of zipping up the tent in a hurricane, but it is whats available. As the German experience in September shows, however, getting people to use less gas and electricity is very, very difficult. A mild winter in Europe this year will also make people less likely to conserve for 2023. Of course, its not the rich countries of North America and northern Europe that will suffer the most through the energy crisis, whether this year or next. This energy crisis is global. Already poorer countries are facing blackouts, protests, and worse because European and Asian demand has driven fuel prices higher than developing countries can afford. Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ecuador, and Haiti are just a few of the cash strapped countries rocked by energy inflation, fuels shortages, and the violent protests they triggered. Continued food insecurity due to lack of fertilizer and fuels will worsen, too, and unrest with them. And as scarce energy resources pit countries against each other, it is the those that were already behind that will lose on the market. These trends will accelerate when the real energy crisis hits in 2023 and 2024. For fuel-rich countries, like the U.S., the consequences of the energy crisis escalating through 2023 will be mixed. On one hand, there is a lot of money to be made. The 2022 energy crisis has brought record profits to petroleum companies, which will continue as long as fuel shortages do. The large increase in U.S. LNG exports has meant massive profits for private U.S. petroleum companies, such as Exxon. The same is true for Norway. Norwegian gas imports into the E.U. are up 8% compared to last year, making it the E.U.s top supplier since Russia mostly cut off gas exports. Equinor, the state-owned petroleum company, is expecting $82 billion more in 2022 and 2023 in energy revenues, up from $27 billion in 2021. Even embattled Venezuela could cash inthe White House was considering relaxing sanctions on Caracas to allow Chevron to bring more Venezuelan crude oil into play. Chinas LNG arbitrage made for good money, too. On the other hand, the macroeconomic and political fallout from the energy crisis will be felt everywhere, even in net energy exporting countries. Record energy prices have almost certainly pushed European and other countries into recession, which will necessarily reverberate in the U.S., Canada, OPEC countries, and elsewhere. Even in Norway, inflation has tripled, up from a 20-year average of 1.84% to almost 7% in September 2022. Economies are simply too interlinked for problems on one continent not to affect everywhere else. Illustration:Chen Xia/GT US President Joe Biden talked about the China policy of the US during a meeting with Defense Department leaders on October 26.Biden said the US has to "responsibly manage the increasingly intense competition with China," and "we have to maintain our military advantage by making clear that - that we do not seek conflict."It's a pretty gentle statement from Biden.But blocking chip exports to China, squeezing Chinese manufacturing across the board from low- to high-end products, deploying state-of-the-art weapons around China, continuing to sell weapons to Taiwan island, teaming up with chip makers to cut off China's chip supply chain, and imposing sanctions on more than 600 Chinese companies and institutionsIf Biden doesn't consider this a conflict with China, then what is?The Chinese have long been less concerned about what the US top brasses say, because they always talk a good game on the surface, but actually do the opposite.No matter how "gentlemanly" Biden's statements may sound, what Washington is actually doing is creating conflict and increasing conflict, instead of reducing conflict.Senior Pentagon officials are talking about securing military superiority over China, increasing military threat to China, and encircling China. They are not at all preparing for the prevention of war in the region, but are constantly creating tensions and excuses for their own military intervention to push East Asia and the South China Sea into war.The atmosphere in the US political arena is poisoned by the self-deceptive "China threat" narrative. When it comes to the US-China relationship, politicians compete to see who is more domineering and who can come up with more hardball tactics. Lawmakers who urge the administration to get tough on China are actually aiming to fight a war with China.It is not hard to guess where the next punch of Washington's China policy will be thrown, and more Chinese companies and institutions will be on their list of sanctions. According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, the US has even suggested the EU draw upon lessons from the export control regime the US is using to punish Russia to target China.US strategists know very well that they need to create an "enemy" and pile more pressure on and create more conflict with that "enemy" to stimulate its own development. That's how the danger is approaching step by step. How pale those expressions of "competition" and "not seeking conflict" seem now since US strategy is evolving into an irrational desire obsessed with defeating China, no matter how heavy the cost of self-inflicted injury.You may think that I have gone too far in describing the current situation between the US and China as dangerous. So tell me, what milder metaphor could be used to describe these practices when the US has begun to smash the wheels of China's development, and to position China as an "aggressive" country, so that it can deploy more offensive weapons around China for its so-called defense?Washington has lit a long fuse. If it will manage the US-China relationship responsibly, as it says it will, it cannot stop the fuse from burning simply by opening its mouth; it needs to do something to put it out.During his meeting with US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns on October 28, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China-US relations are now at a critical juncture.Perhaps, a real war will not break out tomorrow, but the step-by-step deterioration of China-US relations is becoming extremely dangerous and has reached a critical juncture.We are not seeing Washington do anything to effectively control the conflict now. Instead, it is preparing to create more conflict.History tells us that there are many times when it is difficult to control the timing of the outbreak of a war once a strategy to fight a particular adversary to death has been established, and strategic decision-makers cannot "actuarially" figure out which straw is the last one to break the camel's back.The author is a senior editor with People's Daily, and currently a senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. di [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @dinggangchina If youre in school or reading any type of academic prose, you have mostly likely seen these two words in some of your assigned readings. They usually appear as a pair but not always, and many readers find them confusing. Once you know how to use these two words, they arent confusing at all. In fact, they have near opposite meanings. In todays post, I want to go over the meanings of both of these words, the functions in a sentence, and how to best use them in your future writings. When to Use Former When formeris used in the sense of former vs. latter, it is either acting as an adjective or as a noun. Former means being the first of two persons or things mentioned. For example, I was accepted to Harvard and Yale for college. The former school had cheaper tuition. (Adjective) I was accepted to Harvard and Yale for college, but the former had cheaper tuition. (Noun) When to Use Latter Just as former can function as both an adjective and noun, so can latter. Lattermeans being the second of two persons or things mentioned. It comes from the comparative form of Old English laet: laetra, which meant slower. Lattersubsequently took on the meaning the second of two people or things. For example, We went to the beach with Steve and Susie, the latter of whom would not stop complaining. You need to replace the tie-rod or the ball joint, the latter of which being more expensive. A note to keep in mind when using the word latteris not to confuse it with the word ladder. Even though they sound somewhat similar when you say them out loud, they are very different. A ladder is a device people climb up and down. As you can see, they are very different. In order to not confuse ladderand latterwhen you write, remember that latteris related to later. Both have Ts in them. Be Careful Using These Words You might be tempted to use former and latterwith more than just two items, and although this tendency comes to the surface every now and theneven in respectable sourcesit should be avoided. There are three flavors in Neapolitan ice cream, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The former is my favorite. (WRONG) There are much cleaner and easier ways to convey the same message without confusing people. There are three flavors in Neapolitan ice cream, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The first of which is my favorite. (CORRECT) Additionally, When you use latter and former in your writing, be sure that they are in close proximity to their antecedents (the people or items to which they are referring). It is undesirable for the reader to go back and reread a passage because he forgot which one was the former and which one was the latter. Its best to keep them as close as possible. Remember the Difference These two words are easy to keep track of if you can remember this one trick. Formeris the firstword. Both former and firststart with the letter F. Latteris the lastword. Both latterand laststart with the letter L. You can also remember that lattercomes laterthan does former. Summary Formeris the first of two mentioned things. Latteris the second of two mentioned things. What Is a Board of Trustees?Monster Thieves A board of trustees is an appointed or elected group of individuals that has overall responsibility for the management of an organization. The board of trustees is typically the governing body of an organization and seeks to ensure the best interest of stakeholders in all types of management decisions. Understanding Corporate Structure How a Board of Trustees Works 1:07 The board of trustees typically includes key individuals involved with the management of an organization. Other individuals may be appointed or elected based on their expertise and experience in areas pertaining to the management of the organization. The board will often have a mix of internal and external trustees. A board of trustees is similar to a board of directors and may act as such in some organizations. A board of trustees is more commonly found in private organizations. Entities with boards of trustees include mutual savings banks, universities, university endowments, art museums, and associations. The phrase board of trustees can often be used interchangeably with the board of directors, the board of governors or board of regents. Some entities such as public corporations and mutual funds may have requirements designated by industry regulations that pertain to the oversight and obligations of the board of trustees. In some cases, the board of trustees may be a special group tasked with managing a designated portion of a comprehensive organization. The framework for a board of trustees is typically set by regulatory obligations and entity direction outlined in an organizations bylaws. A board of trustees can range from three to 30 individuals. Boards are often divided into sub-committees, which can help to manage target areas of an entity while also providing for some segregation of power. Often the board of trustees will be responsible for holding "in-trust" the funds, assets, or property that belong to others with a fiduciary duty to protect them. Two leading entities using a board of trustees structure include university endowments and mutual savings banks. Key Takeaways The board of trustees is responsible for managing an organization. The trustees ensure stakeholders' best interests. The board of trustees is similar to the board of directors, but are commonly in private organizations. University Endowments A university endowment may have a special board of trustees that is responsible for the oversight and management of a portfolio of assets known as an endowment. The board of trustees has a fiduciary responsibility to manage the funds in the best interest of all stakeholders. It may choose to invest the endowment assets across a range of investments utilizing the services of various institutional managers in managing the endowment assets. It may also choose to work with a single institutional manager in a separate account structure or take on the full duties of managing the assets itself. Regardless of the structure of an endowment portfolio, the board of trustees has fiduciary responsibility for making all of the endowments investment decisions. Mutual Savings Banks Mutual savings banks have boards of trustees who ensure that the interests of the depositors, borrowers, and members of the community in which they serve are considered and protected by bank management. The board has the duties of making sure customers' deposits are secured and invested safely, interest is paid to depositors and that the customers' principal is available to them on request. Online casino brand Flamantis Casino announced that a number of gaming titles by internationally recognized online gaming content suppliers Quickspin and IGThave gone live on its website and are now available to players. Lazar Petrov, Head of European Affiliates at the online gambling brand, commented that they are extremely excited to be adding the Quickspin and IGT gaming content to their existing catalog of product offering. Including the latest titles added, Flamantis Casino now offers more than 900 popular casino games. Although IGT is better known for the production and distribution of solutions for the needs of the international land-based gambling industry, the company also produces innovative online gaming titles. It offers more than 100 online gaming titles and a number of online brands from around the world have opted for these. Flamantis Casino is the latest to be taking advantage of IGTs portfolio and the excitement its games offer to players. The online casino has said that a selection of IGTs games have already gone liveand are now available to gambling customers. Based in Sweden, Quickspin is among the most popular developers of online slot games, ones that are known for their innovativeness and creativity. Some of the most popular casino brands have long been customers of the award-winning developer and as it has been announced, Flamantic Casino has joined the roster. A number of titles are now available to the online casinos players. These as well as IGTs games can be played both for fun or for real money. Founded in 2009, Flamantis Gaming and its online casino brand Flamantis Casino have been providing a number of gambling options to its customers. The company is based in Malta and is, therefore, licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority. It also has certificates for the provision of its online casino services from the relevant gaming regulators in the United Kingdom and Curacao. As mentioned above, Flamantis Casino features more than 900 games by some of the most popular software developers and is powered by EveryMatrix. What Is an Estate?jago 168 slot ignite online poker An estate is everything comprising the net worth of an individual, including all land and real estate, possessions, financial securities, cash, and other assets that the individual owns or has a controlling interest in. Key Takeaways An estate is the economic valuation of all the investments, assets, and interests of an individual. The estate includes a person's belongings, physical and intangible assets, land and real estate, investments, collectibles, and furnishings. Estate planning refers to the management of how assets will be transferred to beneficiaries when an individual passes away. Estate taxes may be levied on the value of one's estate at death. Understanding Estates The word estate is colloquially used to refer to all of the land and improvements on a vast property, often some farm or homestead, or the historic home of a prominent family. However, in the financial and legal sense of the term, an estate refers to everything of value that an individual ownsreal estate, art collections, antique items, investments, insurance, and any other assets and entitlementsand is also used as an overarching way to refer to a person's net worth. Legally, a person's estate refers to an individual's total assets, minus any liabilities. The value of a personal estate is of particular relevance in two cases: if the individual declares bankruptcy, and if the individual dies. When an individual debtor declares bankruptcy, their estate is assessed to determine which of their debts they can be reasonably expected to pay. Bankruptcy proceedings involve the same rigorous legal assessment of an estate that also occurs upon an individual's death. Estates are most relevant upon the death of an individual. Estate planning is the act of managing the division and inheritance of your personal estate, and arguably represents the most important financial planning of an individual's life. Generally, an individual draws up a will which explains the testator's intentions for the distribution of their estate upon their death. A person who receives assets through inheritance is called a beneficiary. How Estates Are Managed In almost all cases, estates are divided among members of the deceased's family. This passage of wealth from one generation of a family to the next has a tendency to entrench income in certain social classes or families. Inheritance accounts for a massive proportion of total wealth in the United States and around the world and is in part responsible for persistent income inequality (though there are, of course, many other factors). Partially as a response to the stagnation of wealth movement as a result of inheritance, most governments require those in line for an inheritance to pay an inheritance tax (estate tax) on the estate. This tax can be very large, sometimes requiring the beneficiary to sell some of the inherited assets to pay the tax bill. In the U.S., if the majority of an estate is left to a spouse or a charity, the estate tax is generally lifted. It is generally advisable for both the individual drafting the will and the beneficiaries of an estate to employ the services of estate attorneys. Inheritance taxes are notorious for their complexity and exorbitance, and the use of an attorney helps ensure that your inheritance taxes are paid correctly. On the drafting end, several measures can be taken to minimize the amount of tax one's beneficiaries will have to payfor example, setting up trusts. Writing a Will A will is a legal document created to provide instructions on how an individuals property and custody of minor children, if any, should be handled after death. The individual expresses their wishes through the document and names a trustee or executor that they trust to fulfill the stated intentions. The will also indicates whether a trust should be created after death. Depending on the estate owners intentions, a trust can go into effect during their lifetime (living trust) or after the death of the individual (testamentary trust). The authenticity of a will is determined through a legal process known as probate. Probate is the first step taken in administering the estate of a deceased person and distributing assets to the beneficiaries. When an individual dies, the custodian of the will must take the will to the probate court or to the executor named in the will within 30 days (in most states) of the death of the testator. However, it may vary by state, for example, Florida requires a will be filed within 10 days of being notified of the death. The probate process is a court-supervised procedure in which the authenticity of the will left behind is proven to be valid and accepted as the true last testament of the deceased. The court officially appoints the executor named in the will, which, in turn, gives the executor the legal power to act on behalf of the deceased. Supplier of products and services for the iGaming industry EveryMatrix announced that Nicolas Fleiderman has joined its team of professionals as the companys new Chief Commercial Officer. Bringing more than a decade of industry experience, Mr. Fleiderman will be charged with developing an effective commercial strategyfor EveryMatrixs further growth, supporting clients own growth, attracting new clients, and leading the companys sales, marketing, and account management teams. The official has been working as a Senior Consultant at eGaming Floor, a consulting firm he himself had found. Over the years, his activities at the firm have included product management for leading iGaming developers like NetEnt, developing niche products for the sector, launching and developing iGaming brands, and many more. As of August 2015, he has been serving as a Senior Consultant for the Nederlandse Staatsloterij, the oldest lottery operator in the Netherlands, and De Lotto, the countrys other leading lottery provider. Following the merger of the above-mentioned two organizations, Mr. Fleiderman has been consulting the newly formed operator since April 2016. With his knowledge of the ways of the industry and his experience in the field, Mr. Fleiderman is believed to be a valuable addition to EveryMatrixs growing teamat a time when the company is gearing up for a new phase of its international development and expansion strategy. Commenting on Mr. Fleidermans appointment, EveryMatrix CEO Ebbe Groes said that they will be counting on his experience and talent to manage and nurture the companys existing client base, improve connection among its commercial divisions, and boost clients success and general experience. Of his appointment, Mr. Fleiderman himself said that thier role is not just limited to attracting new operators as their clients. They also need to offer better support to their clients so as to facilitate and aid their developmentalongside EveryMatrixs own growth. Founded in 2008, EveryMatrix has been running offices across Europe and Asia and has been serving a number of international operators. Clients can opt for award-winning solutions like OddsMatrix, a sports betting product that features more than 23,000 live events per month, CasinoEngine, known to be among the largest casino content aggregators in the industry, and affiliate management system PartnerMatrix. Chaos reared its head in Week 10 and its handiwork was everywhere. Josh Allen fumbled with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter,6700 fallsview blvd leading to a Vikings win. Officials missed a face mask call during the Eagles fourth-quarter comeback try against the Commanders. The Cowboys unsuccessful decision to go for it on fourth down opened the door for the Packers. With a lot of teams bunched together in the middle of the standings, chaos may figure more heavily into the second half of the regular season, especially with the onset of winter weather. The N.F.L. on Thursday moved the Browns matchup with the Bills to Detroit ahead of forecasts of three to six feet of snow in Western New York. The Packers will host the Titans at Lambeau Field Thursday night in temperatures expected to be below freezing. Many overreact to snow when handicapping N.F.L. games and assume games will fall under the total or that teams from warmer climates will fare poorly. But the weather is not a secret! Its factored into the market price, and N.F.L. players are used to performing outdoors in extreme conditions. But extreme weather is likely to create turnovers for both teams, no matter the temperature. Turnovers create volatility. Chaos. So the best bet when facing a game where the weather is predicted to involve thundersnow might be to not bet at all. Last weeks record: 5-8-1 | Overall: 76-71-3 All times Eastern. Heres what you need to know: Thursday Nights Game Sundays Best Games Sundays Other Games Monday Nights Game How Betting Lines Work Thursday Nights Game Image The Packers rookie Christian Watson caught three touchdowns last week, providing ample opportunity to practice his Lambeau Leap.Credit...Matt Ludtke/Associated Press Tennessee Titans (6-3) at Green Bay Packers (4-6),8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Line: Packers -3 | Total: 41 The Packers turned a corner last week thanks to Aaron Rodgerss leaning on the rookie receiver Christian Watson, who caught three touchdown passes in a breakout win over the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay ended a five-game losing skid in time to host Tennessee, winner of six of its past seven games. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill gave one of his best performances of the season last week in a tight win over the Broncos 255 yards, two touchdowns and a season-high QBR of 83.3 to overcome Denvers holding Derrick Henry to only 53 yards. The Titans have covered the spread their past seven games, and with both phases of the offense pulling in the same direction, theres no reason they wont again on Thursday. Pick: Titans +3 Sundays Best Games Cleveland Browns (3-6) at Buffalo Bills (6-3), 1 p.m. CBS Line: Bills -7.5 | Total: 50 The Bills lost to the Vikings last week despite gaining more yards, converting more first downs, and having a higher success rate on offensive plays. In fact, the Bills had the game won and were covering the spread in the final seconds before a fumbled snap changed everything. The point is, thats just the way the oblong ball bounces. Despite the loss, the Bills are still probably the best team in the N.F.L. The Browns, on the other hand, are a mixed bag. Theyve played some close games, theyve had lost in spectacular beatdowns, and two of their three wins were blowouts. Their main weakness is their defense, which is the worst in the league against the run. This game has been moved to Detroit because of weather concerns. That erases Buffalos home-field advantage, but moving the game out of the thundersnow likely helps the Bills more than the Browns, since the Browns could have benefited from a bit of volatility. Pick: Bills -7.5 Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) at Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1), 1 p.m. CBS Line: Colts +6.5 | Total: 45.5 The Eagles first loss of the season was more than just an ego blow. Tight end Dallas Goedert, who trails only A.J. Brown in receiving yards for the team, injured his shoulder during a pivotal fourth-quarter play and landed on injured reserve Wednesday. Now Philadelphia travels to face the Colts, who looked revitalized in their first game under the interim coach Jeff Saturday. He reinstated Matt Ryan as the starting quarterback and called enough rollouts, screens, and run-pass options to open running lanes for Jonathan Taylor, who had just his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. If Ryan and Taylor play at their best, the Colts may still lose but could be good enough to cover at home. Pick: Colts +6.5 Dallas Cowboys (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (8-1),4:25 p.m., CBS Line: Vikings +1 | Total: 47 Make it make sense. The Cowboys were outscored by 17-0 in the fourth quarter and overtime of their loss to the Packers last week, and they are now 2-2 with Dak Prescott as the starter this season. The Vikings upset the Bills last week in what is being called the game of the year thanks in part to Justin Jefferson, who became the first N.F.L. player to top 100 yards receiving 20 times in his first three seasons. Somehow the Vikings are still getting a point from the Cowboys, but this may be the last regular-season game in which thats the case: Minnesota was favored in every remaining game after this one. Pick: Cowboys -1 Kansas City (7-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-4),8:20 p.m., NBC Line: Chargers +6.5 | Total: 50.5 When these two A.F.C. West rivals met in Week 2, the rookie cornerback Jaylen Watsons pick-6 of a Justin Hebert throw swung the game in Kansas Citys favor. Before that big play, Patrick Mahomes had been harassed behind the line of scrimmage and was struggling to adjust to the absence of Tyreek Hill. Safe to say that Kansas City has adjusted in the games since. Mahomes is now the betting favorite to win the Most Valuable Player Award and has fully integrated receiver Kadarius Toney, whom the team acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, into the offense. The Chargers, on the other hand, have seen Herberts top two targets, Mike Williams (ankle) and Keenan Allen (hamstring), go down with injuries. Both are questionable for Sunday nights game. Herbert ranks second in the N.F.L. behind Tom Brady in pass attempts, but he is 14th in completion percentage, a stat that wont improve without effective pass-catchers available. Pick: Kansas City -6.5 Sundays Other Games Image The Falcons are second in the N.F.C. South, but they have little room for error as they fight for a playoff spot.Credit...Brian Westerholt/Associated Press Chicago Bears (3-7) at Atlanta Falcons (4-6), 1 p.m., Fox Line: Falcons -3 | Total: 49.5 The Bears are the highest-scoring offense of any N.F.L. team this past month. Justin Fields has 555 rushing yards in their last five games, and Chicagos offense seems to be figuring out how to compete. The defense? Well, thats a different story. The good news is Atlantas defense may be even worse. The bad news is the Falcons have a lot to play for. While the Bears playoff chances are all but dead, the Falcons are second in the N.F.C. South, and they cant afford to lose a home game. Pick: Falcons -3 Jets (6-3) at New England Patriots (5-4), 1 p.m., CBS Line: Patriots -3 | Total: 38.5 New England has won the past 13 regular-season meetings of these teams and it handed the Jets their only loss in their past six games. The Jets havent won in Foxborough, Mass., since a playoff game in 2011, but bettors were mostly split between the teams at this point spread, with the Patriots getting a slight edge in money wagered by midweek. Both teams are coming off a bye but this is a crucial game for the Patriots playoff hopes: New England has the most difficult remaining schedule of any team. Pick: Patriots -3 Los Angeles Rams (3-6) at New Orleans Saints (3-7), 1 p.m., Fox Line: Saints -4 | Total: 38.5 Believe it or not, the Rams are the defending Super Bowl champions. They havent looked like it, and a return to the postseason looks decreasingly likely. Last week, they lost receiver Cooper Kupp, arguably their most important player, to an ankle injury that might end his season. Kupp has 35.7 percent of the Rams catches, a league-high, and has caught six of the teams nine touchdown passes. But the Saints had only 10 first downs last week in a stinker of a loss to the Steelers and are every bit as bad. The pitchforks are out in New Orleans for Andy Dalton, so its possible that Jameis Winston is back on the field again soon. Pick: Saints -4 Detroit Lions (3-6) at Giants (7-2),1 p.m., Fox Line: Giants -3 | Total: 46 The Giants continue to walk between the raindrops, most recently allowing the Texans to hang around until the fourth quarter last week. The Lions scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bears last week, the first time theyve come back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter in 29 years. The Giants and Lions are ranked 19th and 20th in Football Outsiders Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (D.V.O.A.) rankings. In a matchup between two fairly even teams, its usually the right move to take the points. Pick: Lions +3 Carolina Panthers (3-7) at Baltimore Ravens (6-3), 1 p.m., Fox Line: Ravens-13 | Total: 43 Baker Mayfield is back under center for the Panthers after P.J. Walker suffered a high ankle sprain. Hell be handing off to DOnta Foreman, who has emerged as the star of the Carolina backfield, which should be critical against Baltimore. Stopping the run is the one weak point in the Ravens impressive arsenal. This is the biggest spread on the board this week, but theres another big spread: the one between the number of bets and the amount of money wagered the underdog has attracted 75 percent of the money so far. Pick: Panthers +13 Washington Commanders (5-5) at Houston Texans (1-7-1), 1 p.m., Fox Line: Texans +3.5 | Total: 40.5 The Commanders dominated the Eagles in time of possession on Monday, 40 minutes 24 seconds to Philadelphias 19:36, en route to am upset victory. It continued a trend, as they been the best in the N.F.L. at maintaining a stranglehold on the ball, leading the league in average time of possession. Its unlikely that Houston comes away with a win, but the Texans are 4-4-1 against the spread, with all four of those covers against spreads of a touchdown or more. A 3.5-point spread doesnt seem big, but that half point over a field goal could be huge, and the Texans are at home. Pick: Texans +3.5 Image Josh McDanielss Raiders have lost three consecutive games for the second time this season.Credit...Matt York/Associated Press Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) at Denver Broncos (3-6),4:05 p.m., Fox Line: Broncos -2.5 | Total: 41 Josh McDaniels of the Raiders and Nathaniel Hackett of the Broncos have the hottest seats among N.F.L. coaches. Betting markets believe McDaniels is more likely to go first, (hes +350 to be next out the door) but not before potentially giving Hackett a momentary case for a reprieve. Entering Sunday, Denver has lost five of its last six games. Russell Wilson is throwing into coverage a lot, and his top receiving option, Jerry Jeudy, is questionable this week with an ankle injury. But the Broncos defense, which has held every opponent this season to under 18 points, should handle the Raiders. Pick: Broncos -2.5 Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6), 4:25 p.m., CBS Line: Steelers +4.5 | Total: 41.5 T.J. Watt returned to the Steelers lineup in last weeks win against the Saints, and not a moment too soon. The Steelers are now 11-1 when Watt plays. With a win this week, Pittsburgh can spoil the Bengals playoff hopes. The Upshots playoff predictor gives the Bengals, the reigning A.F.C. champs, a 50 percent chance of making the playoffs. Their schedule after Sunday gets significantly harder, with the Bills, the Buccaneers, Kansas City and the Ravens all on the horizon. Pick: Bengals -4.5 Monday Nights Game San Francisco 49ers (5-4) at Arizona Cardinals (4-6),8:15 p.m., ESPN Line: Cardinals +8.5 | Total: 44 We are still salty about 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahans decision to kick a field goal while up by 3 points with one minute left in the game, because the team ended up failing by 1 point to cover the 7-point spread. For whatever reason, the Cardinals are 11-3 on the road since last season. Kyler Murray is questionable for Monday and his replacement, Colt McCoy, went a respectable 26 of 37 for 238 yards and a touchdown last week. Tight end Zach Ertz injured his knee on the opening drive and is out for the season, placing even more of the offensive load on DeAndre Hopkins. Whether the Cardinals can cover depends on Murrays status. Pick: Cardinals +8.5 How Betting Lines Work A quick primer for those who are not familiar with betting lines: Favorites are listed next to a negative number that represents how many points they must win by to cover the spread. Buccaneers -2.5, for example, means that Tampa Bay must beat the Seahawks by at least 3 points for its backers to win their bet. Gamblers can also bet on the total score, which is whether the teams combined score in the game is over or under a preselected number of points. Betting-market data is taken from Action Networks Public Betting data, and lines are taken from Unabateds real-time-odds tracker. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Do flower children still inhabit a dying planet?time of crypto market If temperatures keep rising, will there be anything left of the garden? On an increasingly ambitious series of records released over the past decade, Natalie Mering, who makes music under the name Weyes Blood, has sought answers to these riddles. Mering is something of a Laurel Canyon revivalist, though Weyes Blood doesnt traffic in simple nostalgia. Instead, the 34-year-old singer and songwriter resurrects, uncannily, the sound of late 60s and early 70s West Coast folk-rock to address more contemporary existential crises and conflagrations, like digital-era loneliness and climate change. Californias my body, and your fire runs over me, she sings on the expansive Grapevine, a highlight from her stunning new album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow. That lyric, like many of Merings best, succinctly intertwines the personal sorrow of heartbreak with the shared tragedy of environmental catastrophe. Merings distinct alto has the opalescence of Karen Carpenters voice and the enveloping benevolence of Cass Elliots, though as a songwriter she shares a certain millennial poeticism with Lana Del Rey. (Mering was featured on Del Reys 2021 album Chemtrails Over the Country Club, lending her voice, fittingly, to a cover of Joni Mitchells For Free.) Merings perspective often zooms out and hovers over the pastoral landscapes of her songs like an elegant bird, but Grapevine a chamber-pop slow-burner that carries its brass and string sections lightly contains some cutting, down-to-earth observations about an overconfident man that feel of a piece with Del Reys Norman _____ Rockwell. Emotional cowboy, Mering croons knowingly, you stayed up all night, trying to beat up the moon. Over time, Mering has learned not only to trust her voices beauty, but to depict beauty and even softness itself as a subversive tool. Many of the listeners she won over with her last album as Weyes Blood, the mellifluous 2019 breakout Titanic Rising, probably dont know she got her start playing in experimental groups and noise bands (one of which has a name that cant be mentioned in this paper). As Weyes Blood a moniker borrowed from a famously unsettling Flannery OConnor novel Mering has found different, and perhaps even more effective, ways of conjuring destruction. On the surface, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow often sounds angelic (four of the 10 tracks feature the harpist Mary Lattimore) but theres a foreboding sense of apocalypse in the periphery, like a cinematic monster made that much more terrifying for hovering just outside of the frame. What distinguishes the new album, which Mering produced with Jonathan Rado and Rodaidh McDonald, is the addition of a whole new boogeyman: mass isolation wrought by a global pandemic. Were not meant to be our own angels all the time, Mering sings on The Worst Is Done, atop incongruously sunny guitar chords and bouncy percussion. No one coming by to see if youre alive. Elsewhere, on the stirring leadoff track Its Not Just Me, Its Everybody, she asks into an echoing void, Has there ever been a time more revealing that the people are hurting? That song, one of her best yet, begins as an AM-gold-style piano ballad and ends up, in its rapturous conclusion, becoming the sonic equivalent of a group hug. Merings music often revels in the plurality of its perspective; weis just as common a pronoun as me. Every so often, this imperative to speak big-tent truths can become strained and make her lyrics frustratingly vague, as on Children of the Empire (we tend to live long, thats why so many things go wrong), but that songs gorgeous vocal melody and Merings impassioned performance lift it beyond its limitations. (Hearts Aglow certainly contains some of the best and most soulful singing on any of Merings records.) Even Merings most on-the-nose pandemic song, The Worst Is Done, is most vivid when shes singing about her individual experience: I shouldve stayed with my family, she sings, I shouldnt have stayed in my little place in the worlds loneliest city. That grounding in personal experience, though, is what elevates a song like Grapevine or the more abstract God Turn Me Into a Flower, a minimalist, synth-driven meditation that becomes almost liturgical in its emotional power. Its good to be soft when they push you down, Mering sings, clarion-like. Lyrically, its the albums most singular and inward-focused song, but it is also a plea to transcend self-consciousness and become one with nature. In the end, Mering gets her wish: For the last minute, her voice falls away and a chorus of chirping birds and whirring insects take over the vocal duties. However temporarily, shes become a more modern kind of flower child, sunk blissfully into the fecund earth that at least for now hasnt yet been scorched beyond repair. Weyes Blood And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop) Advertisement Continue reading the main story What Is a Bond Fund?ladbrokes odds grand national A bond fund, also referred to as a debt fund, is a pooled investment vehicle that invests primarily in bonds (government, municipal, corporate, convertible) and other debt instruments, such as mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The primary goal of a bond fund is often that of generating monthly income for investors. Both bond mutual funds and bond exchange traded funds (ETF) are available to most investors. Key Takeaways A bond fund invests primarily in a portfolio of fixed-income securities. Bond funds provide instant diversification for investors for a low required minimum investment. Due to the inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices, a long-term bond has greater interest rate risk than a short-term bond. Introduction To Bond Investing Understanding Bond Funds 1:36 A bond fund is simply a mutual fund that invests solely in bonds. For many investors, a bond fund is a more efficient way of investing in bonds than buying individual bond securities. Unlike individual bond securities, bond funds do not have a maturity date for the repayment of principal, so the principal amount invested may fluctuate from time to time. Additionally, investors indirectly participate in the interest paid by the underlying bond securities held in the mutual fund. Interest payments are made monthly and reflect the mix of all the different bonds in the fund, which means that the interest income distribution will vary monthly. An investor who invests in a bond fund is putting their money into a pool managed by a portfolio manager. Typically, a bond fund manager buys and sells according to market conditions and rarely holds bonds until maturity. Types of Bond Funds Most bond funds are comprised of a certain type of bond, such as corporate or government bonds, and are further defined by time period to maturity, such as short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term. Some bond funds include only the safest of bonds, such as government bonds. Investors should note that U.S. government bonds are considered to be of the highest credit quality and are not subject to ratings. In effect, bond funds that specialize in U.S. Treasury securities, including Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), are the safest but offer the lowest potential return. Other funds invest in only the riskiest category of bondshigh-yield or junk bonds. Bond funds that invest in more volatile types of bonds tend to offer higher potential returns. There are also bond funds that have a mix of the different types of bonds in order to create multi-asset class options. For investors interested in bonds, a Morningstar bond style box can be used to sort out the investing options available for bond funds. The types of bond funds available include: US government bond funds; municipal bond funds; corporate bond funds; mortgage-backed securities (MBS) funds; high-yield bond funds; emerging market bond funds; and global bond funds. Mutual funds have been investing in bonds for many years. Some of the oldest balanced funds, which include allocations to both stock and bonds, date back to the late 1920s. Bond Fund Benefits Bond funds are attractive investment options as they are usually easier for investors to participate in than purchasing the individual bond instruments that make up the bond portfolio. By investing in a bond fund, an investor need only pay the annual expense ratio that covers marketing, administrative and professional management fees. The alternative is to purchase multiple bonds separately and deal with the transaction costs associated with each of them. Bond funds provide instant diversification for investors for a low required minimum investment. Since a fund usually has a pool of different bonds of varying maturities, the impact of any single bonds performance is lessened if that issuer should fail to pay interest or principal. Another benefit of a bond fund is that it provides access to professional portfolio managers who have the expertise to research and analyze the creditworthiness of bond issuers and market conditions before buying into or selling out of the fund. For example, a fund manager may replace bonds when the issuer's credit is downgraded or when the issuer "calls," or pays off the bond before the maturity date. Special Considerations Bond funds can be sold at any time for their current market net asset value (NAV), which may result in a capital gain or loss. Individual bonds can be harder to unload. From a tax perspective, some investors in higher tax brackets may find that they have a higher after-tax yield from a tax-free municipal bond fund investment instead of a taxable bond fund investment. Due to the inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices, a long-term bond carries greater interest rate risk than a short-term bond. Therefore, the NAV of bond funds with longer-term maturities will be impacted greatly by changes in interest rates. This, in turn, will affect how much interest income the fund can distribute to its participants monthly. Bond ETFs Bond ETFs have been around for less time than bond mutual funds, with iShares launching the first bond ETF fund in 2002. Most of these offerings seek to replicate various bond indices, although a growing number of actively managed products are also available. ETFs often have lower fees than their mutual fund counterparts, potentially making them the more attractive choice to some investors, all else being equal. Like stocks, ETFs trade throughout the day. The prices for shares can fluctuate moment by moment and may vary quite a bit over the course of trading. Bond ETFs operate much like closed-end funds, in that they are purchased through a brokerage account rather than directly from a fund company. Likewise, when an investor wishes to sell, ETFs must be traded on the open market. A buyer must be found because the fund company will not purchase the shares as they would for open-ended mutual funds. The French online gambling regulator ARJEL announced on Tuesday that first Franco-Spanish online poker tableswill be launched within the next few weeks as part of the initial phase of the shared online poker liquidity project. Online poker operators licensed in both France and Spain will be able to join the project and allow players from the two countries to play against peers from their homeland as well as from the other country. The launch of Franco-Spanish poker tables comes six months after the gambling regulators of France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy signed the shared liquidity agreement in Rome, Italy to seal their commitment to the scheme. The ambitious project is hoped to improve the state of online pokerin the four participating jurisdictions. All four markets share one particularly important feature they were ring-fenced upon regulation, which restricted players to playing against peers from their respective countries only. The results from the online poker market segregation of Spain, Italy, and France were nearly catastrophic as all three jurisdictions have seen continued drop in proceeds from cash gamesover the past several years. Portugals online poker market is still a nascent one as first licensed online poker operations began in December 2016, but it was believed that ring-fencing would bring nothing good to the countrys online poker sector. Where Are Italy and Portugal at with the Shared Liquidity Project? France was the main initiator of the shared liquidity project so it is not a surprise that it is among the first countries to be ready to realize the project. As for Spain, it too managed to produce the necessary paperwork in relation to the project quite quickly and to prepare itself for an early 2018 launch of the shared liquidity network. The Spanish online gambling regulator, Direccion General de Ordenacion del Juego (DGOJ) recently opened a bidding process for operators interested to enter its iGaming market. DGOJ expects that at least ten more operators will jointhe current group of over 50 gaming companies servicing Spanish players with a license from the regulatory body. It is believed that Portugal will join shortly after the initial launch of the Franco-Spanish tables. However, it still remains unknown when Italy will be able to go live with shared player pools. While the exact reason about the delayed launch of the project remains unknown, it can be speculated that it is due to the fact that the countrys gambling regulator is yet to open a bidding process for renewing licenses of existing operatorsand admitting new operators to the local market. With the official start of the shared liquidity project, although only in Spain and France, it can be said that PokerStars and partypokerwill be the two operators that will likely join the project upon launch as they are the only online poker operators to be holding licenses from the regulators of both countries. Rule 16(c) was a proposed change in the rules at the 1976 Republican Convention. Personal hotspots can get speeds of up to 60 Mb/s down, whereas hotel Wi-Fi can be as slow as 1.5 Mb/s, Sesar said. A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new, Harry S. Connelly Jr. says in the video, according to the Times. Gronkowski itself never manages to sound more erotic than the name of a hearty Polish stew or a D-list WWE performer. In our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we dont take the time to take stock of whats been created so far. Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face. Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various He was a bookseller, but better known as a translator of the German contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine, &c. The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell D'o l'on peut aussy veoir, quelle esperance il y a de planter une belle chrestient par tels evangelistes. The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various Ajoutez cecy, s'il vous plaist, la grande difficult qu'il y a de tirer d'eux les mots mesmes qu'ils ont. The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various What Are Escrowed Shares?warlords crystals of power Escrowed shares are shares held in an escrow account, secured by a third party, pending the completion of a corporate action or an elapse of time leading up to an event. Shares are escrowed in three common cases: Merger and acquisition transactions Bankruptcy or reorganization of a company Granting of restricted shares to an employee of a firm Key Takeaways Escrowed shares are stocks that are held in an escrow account. Escrow means that the shares are held by a third party until certain conditions have been met to reduce counterparty risk in a transaction. Companies will also issue stock in escrow, imposing limitations on when the shares can be sold, as part of an employee's compensation plan. Mergers and acquisitions often require shares of the target company to be held in escrow until the deal is finalized. Under a compensation plan, companies often hold their stock in escrow to retain executive employees. Understanding Escrowed Shares Escrow is a process whereby money or a financial asset is held by a third party on behalf of two other parties. The assets or funds that are held in escrow remain there and are not released until all of the obligations outlined in the agreement are fulfilled. Escrow reduces the risk in a transaction by having a third party hold assets, which prevents one party from having to pursue the other party for the funds or assets. The release of escrowed shares can depress investors' shares and significantly affect share price. In stock transactions, the equity shares are held in escrowessentially a holding accountuntil a transaction or other specific requirements have been satisfied. Many times, a stock issued in escrow will be owned by the shareholder. However, the shareholder may be prevented from selling the stock immediately or may have limited access to selling the shares. When Shares Are Escrowed Employee Compensation Oftentimes, companies issue shares of stock as a bonus or as part of the company's compensation program for executive employees. In these scenarios, the employees are typically required to wait a specified period of time before selling their shares. These shares are called restricted shares as the employee must wait until the vesting period has elapsed to own the shares. Between the grant date and vesting date, the shares are held in escrow. Upon the vesting date, the shares are released to the employee. The reason companies hold their stock in escrow is that it provides an extra incentive for the employees to remain with the company for the long term. Shares of stock can be held in escrow for anywhere between one to three years before an employee or executive can cash them out. Mergers and Acquisitions For example, funds for an acquisition can be held in escrow until government regulatory authorities approve the transaction. Other times, the purchase price might need to be adjusted at some point during the process, and as a result, funds are placed in escrow to cover for the variance. A targeted company may also request that a holdbackin the form of acquirer sharesbe held in escrow to protect against non-performance by the acquirer in a business combination. However, the holdback can be in the form of escrow shares, cash, or a combination of both. The practice of placing shares in escrow for a specified period is common for non-public companies as well as public ones. Bankruptcy or Reorganization A company's shares may be suspended from trading during a bankruptcy filing or a company reorganization, pending the resolution of the corporate action. In this case, a shareholder's holding will be converted to escrow shares and then converted back to their original form if any equity remains in the company after the completion of the bankruptcy or reorganization process. A merger or acquisition can result in the buyer (acquirer) requesting a portion of the deal in considerationtypically 10% to 15%to be held in escrow. Typically, shares of the seller or target company would be held. The escrowed shares protect the buyer from potential breaches in seller representation and warranties, covenants, contingencies, and working capital adjustments, among other material adverse items that may affect the valuation of deal or the closing itself. Benefits of Escrowed Shares Escrowed shares are designed to protect both parties to a transaction. The escrow agent ensures that shares are protected while the agreement is being executed and that all parties fulfill their contractual obligations. Holding shares in escrow can also prevent losses from market fluctuations. In mergers and acquisitions (M&A), if the seller breaches the agreement, the buyer may recover the escrowed shares to mitigate losses. If the buyer breaches the agreement, the seller may retain the escrowed shares. Also, if the buyer needs more money to fulfill the agreement, the escrowed shares are available to facilitate the transaction. This access prevents the buyer from disturbing operations and adversely affecting shareholders. Real-World Examples In 2009, ADVENTRIX Pharmaceuticalsseeking to gain FDA approval for its chemotherapy agentsold 5% of its Series B convertible preferred stock to an institutional investor. Twenty-five percent of the gross proceeds, or approximately $340,000, was put into an escrow account to be released over time under certain circumstances. In the same year, DAX Partners, LP entered into a share purchase agreement with Selectica, Inc. as part of its acquisition of the company. Dax Partners agreed to buy $3.22 million in shares, of which $1 million worth was held in escrow. The escrow funds were released to the seller upon the full execution of the agreement. Thekasyno darmowe gry automaty Salt Lake Resources and Environmental Science Database, completed by the Qinghai Salt Lake Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology after 6 years hard work. This is the largest data sharing system for salt lake resources and environmental science in China. Salt Lake resources are one of the characteristic resources of western China, and also the inorganic mineral resources with relatively international advantages in China. The resource components such as potassium, lithium, boron, strontium and strontium are related to the resource security and strategic security of the country, as well as the development of the national economy. They are of great strategic importance. The Qinghai Salt Lake Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences introduced that the project is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology Foundation and the 100-member plan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, covering six sub-libraries such as the Salt Lake Basic Information Database, the Salt Lake Resource Database, the Salt Lake Environmental Database, the Salt Lake Resources Development Status Database, the Salt Lake Image Database and the Salt Lake Multimedia Database. It is understood that the China Salt Lake Resources and Environmental Science Database contains basic information data of nearly 1000 salt lakes in China based on field surveys and multi-source data integration, multi-stage salt lake quantity, area, meteorology, salt lake distribution area landsat satellite image raw data. There are 12 categories of data, such as the status of the surface environment in the salt lake area, the water volume of the salt lake, the type of salt lake, the type of salt lake resources, and the high score image data set. The data volume is about 570 GB. The Qinghai Salt Lake Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that the completion of the data sharing platform provided a basic support for the sharing of scientific data in the Salt Lake. In the future, the data center will continue to build a multi-source and heterogeneous data integration and data application research in the whole field of salt lake science, and from perspectives like resource security and optimal allocation, integrated management decision-making, sustainable development, etc., it provides local governments, salt lake industries and the public with information resources integration and sharing services for salt lakes, and provides scientific evidence for scientific decision-making of rational allocation and efficient use of salt lake resources. China built up salt lake resources and environmental science databaseadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is an Escrow Agreement?vertcoin solo mining pool An escrow agreement is a contract that outlines the terms and conditions between parties involved, and the responsibility of each. Escrow agreements generally involve an independent third party, called an escrow agent, who holds an asset of value until the specified conditions of the contract are met. However, they should fully outline the conditions for all parties involved. Key Takeaways An escrow agreement is a legal document outlining terms and conditions between parties as well as the responsibility of each. Agreements usually involve an independent third party called an escrow agent, who holds an asset until the contract's conditions are met. Escrow agreements are commonly used in real estate transactions. The escrow agreement generally includes, but is not limited to, information about the escrow agent's identity, the funds in escrow, and the acceptable use of funds by the agent. How Escrow Agreements Work In an escrow agreement, one partyusually a depositordeposits funds or an asset with the escrow agent until the time that the contract is fulfilled. Once the contractual conditions are met, the escrow agent will deliver the funds or other assets to the beneficiary. Escrow agreements are commonly used in different financial transactionsespecially those that involve significant dollar amounts such as real estate or online sales. Escrow agreements must fully outline the conditions between all parties involved.Having one in place ensures all the obligations of the parties involved are met, and that the transaction is conducted in a safe and reliable manner. An escrow agreement normally includes information such as: The identity of the appointed escrow agent Definitions for any expressions pertinent to the agreement The escrow funds and detailed conditions for the release of these funds The acceptable use of funds by the escrow agent The duties and liabilities of the escrow agent The escrow agent's fees and expenses The jurisdiction and venue in the event of a legal action Most escrow agreements are put into place when one party wants to make sure the other party meets certain conditions or obligations before it moves forward with a deal. For instance, a seller may set up an escrow agreement to ensure a potential homebuyer can secure financing before the sale goes through. If the buyer cannot secure financing, the deal can be called off and the escrow agreement canceled. For certain transactions such as real estate, the escrow agent may open up an escrow account into which funds are deposited. Cash has traditionally been the go-to asset that people entrust to an escrow agent. But nowadays, any asset that holds a value can be put into escrow including stocks, bonds, deeds, mortgages, patents, or a check. Escrow agreements provide security by delegating an asset to an escrow agent for safekeeping until each party meets his or her contractual obligations. Special Considerations There may come a time during a business transaction when it is in the best interest of one party to move forward only if it knows with absolute certainty that the other party can fulfill its obligations. This is where the use of an escrow agreement comes into play. For example, a company purchasing goods internationally wants to be certain its counterpart can deliver the goods. Conversely, the seller wants to ensure it gets paid if it sends the goods to the buyer. Both parties can put an escrow agreement in place to ensure delivery and payment. They can agree the buyer will deposit the funds in escrow with an agent and give irrevocable instructions to disburse the funds to the seller once the goods arrive. The escrow agentlikely an attorneyis bound by the terms of the agreement. Types of Escrow Agreements Escrow agreements are frequently used in real estate transactions. Title agents in the United States, notaries in civil law countries, and attorneys in other parts of the world routinely act as escrow agents by holding the seller's deed to a property. Payment is typically made to the escrow agent. The buyer can perform due diligence on his potential acquisitionlike doing a home inspection or securing financingwhile assuring the seller of his capacity to close on the purchase. If the purchase goes through, the escrow agent will apply the money to the purchase price. If the conditions set forth by the agreement are not met or the deal falls through, the escrow agent can refund the money to the buyer. Stocks are often the subject of an escrow agreement in the context of an initial public offering (IPO) or when they are granted to employees under stock option plans. These stocks are usually in escrow because there is a minimum time limit that needs to pass before they can be freely traded by their owners. Representatives for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) have confirmed their intention to build a bingo hallafter the US Supreme Court refused to review a case against the tribes plan brought by the state of Massachusetts and the town of Aquinnah. Talking with The Vineyard Gazette, tribal chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais said that they want to build a modest gaming facility with Class II gaming options. In other words, the tribal gaming venue will feature bingo machines only. It also became clear that the bingo hall will not be located at the site of a community centeron the Marthas Vineyard island, as originally planned. While a site for the property is yet to be determined, it will still be located on tribal land and on Marthas Vineyard. Ms. Andrews-Maltais further revealed that the tribe also nurtures a long-term goal of being able to open a full-scale casino on the mainland. However, she pointed out that they will be slow and steady in their pursuit of that end. The US Supreme Court denied review of the legal disputebetween the tribe and Massachusetts this past Monday. The state and the town of Aquinnah have been opposing the tribes plan for the construction of the bingo hall for several years. Opponents of the project claimed that it violated a 1987 law that prohibited the tribe to conduct gambling activities. A lower court sided with the state and the town, issuing a ruling that banned the project from moving forward. An appeals court ruled last summer in favor of the Wampanoag Tribe, pointing out that the 1987 law was superseded by the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The case was thus brought to the Supreme Court. The decision of the nations highest court not to review the case means that the Court of Appeals ruling now stands as final, and the tribe can proceed with building its bingo hall. The Town of Aquinnahs Response The Vineyard Gazette reported that Aquinnah town officials met Attorney Ronald H. Rappaport on Wednesday to discuss whether they will make more moves following the Supreme Courts denial of certiorari. On behalf of the town and its officials, Mr. Rappaport then spoke to local media to congratulate the tribe and to reveal that they are not planning to file any lawsuitsfor the time being. The attorney has been contacted by the tribes attorneys with a request for a dialogue, to which he and town officials have agreed. Mr. Rappaport expressed hopes that the dialogue will help all parties find common ground. When asked if they knew where the Wampanoag Tribe is planning to build their bingo hall, town officials said that they did not have information about the preferred location of the facility yet. The tribe previously intended to open the venue at the site of a community center it was building on Marthas Vineyard. It completed the center last year and announced that it would keep its original purpose as community space. Words that sound alike, but retain different meanings, are called homophones. English has many of them. Vain, vane, and vein are all homophones. But none can be substituted for any other without altering the meaning of the sentence. Read on to discover when you should use each of these words. What is the Difference Between Vain and Vein? In this article, I will compare vain vs. vein. I will use both of these words in an example sentence to illustrate their proper meanings. Then, I will explain a useful memory trick to help you choose vein or vain for your own writing. When to Use Vain What does vain mean? Vainis an adjective and it defined as full of oneself. A person who is vain may be obsessed with his own appearance, or think very highly of his abilities. For example, Felicity is so vain; she thinks every song is about her. The king of the realm was consumed by selfish ambition and vain conceit. It can also mean producing no results; useless. Hood popped Reiter in the face and then got in a few shots to the gut while Reiter tried in vain to land a few counter-punches before teammates separated the two. The Washington Post The popular phrase in vain, as in to die in vain, is spelled accordingly. To die in vain -not- To die in vein. When to Use Vein What does vein mean? Veinis a noun. It refers to blood vessels that return blood to the heart. Your heart pumps oxygenated blood through arteries to various organs and tissues in your body. When the oxygen in the blood is spend, it returns to the heart through veins. For example, Alan became so angry that the veins in his forehead bulged and he began to sweat. The gladiator targeted his opponents jugular vein. Unlike needles and sticks, Weisman said, the TAP100 device is simple enough to use that patients could collect their own blood samples at home, and phlebotomists in medical offices would not have to fuss around finding a prominent vein. The Boston Globe Most living beings with a circulatory system have veins. Even though trees have no blood, their leaves may also contain veins. Vein is also used in other senses. A mineral deposit in the earths crust is sometimes called a vein. Likewise, veinis used in a less literal sense to mean a common theme running through something, like a conversation or series of topics. For example, The miners struck a vein of ore. Apple sought to build a self-contained software ecosystem for its products, and Microsofts strategy is now very much in the same vein. The popular phrases in that veinor in a similar veinare spelled accordingly. In a similar vein. -not- In a similar vain. When to use Vane What does vane mean? Vaneis a noun. It is short for weathervane, which is a device which spins to show the direction of the wind. Vane should not be used as an adjective, and, as a noun, it is never used in the context of blood vessels. Trick to Remember the Difference Deciding whether to use vain or vein is a simple proposition. So much so, here is a helpful trick to remember vein vs. vain. If youre using the word as an adjective, you need vain. As a noun, vein is the correct choice. Vane is also a noun. It is only used in the context of weather. Since vane and weather each lack the letter I, you can remember that these words combine to form weathervane. This is the only context where vane is appropriate. Summary Is it vein or vane?Vain, vane and vein are English homophones, but they have separate usage cases that never overlap. Vain is an adjective that means egocentric or full of oneself. Vein is a noun that refers to a blood vessel, a mineral deposit, or a common theme. Vane is short for weathervane. Furthermore, Vain is only an adjective. Vein is only a noun. Vane is also a noun, but is only ever short for weathervane. Neither weather nor vane contains and I, which makes it easy to remember that they go together. What Is an Export Trading Company?bayonetta menang sweet bonanza An export trading company is an independent company that provides support services for firms engaged in exporting. This may include warehousing, shipping, insuring, and billing on behalf of the client. Additionally, export trading companies may help manufacturers find overseas buyers and provide them with other pertinent market information. A group of producers can also form their own ETC. Key Takeaways An export trading company (ETC) handles the exportation process for clients, navigating all legal requirements and regulations that a company must follow before a country will allow its goods to be exported. Also called export management companies, ETCs can be either local or based in a foreign country, such as the country that imports the goods that the company is trying to properly export. An ETC can provide a firm with local knowledge about the laws and regulations in a foreign country, reduce training and recruitment costs, and help strategize ways to minimize exchange rate risk. Understanding Export Trading Companies (ETC) The Export Company Trading Act of 1982 allows commercial banks to operate in the export trading company arena and own ETCs. Investors can learn more about ETCs through the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Export trading companies are not as prominent as they once were due to Chinese conglomerate e-commerce companies, such as Alibaba that allow business owners to dropship products directly from their supplier to the customer. An export trading company can function like the export trading division of a company that doesn't have such a division, helping the firm fulfill any legal obligations in order to clear the way for exporting its goods. Reasons to Use an Export Trading Company Local Knowledge An ETC provides valuable information about the local laws and regulations in a foreign country. For example, an ETC may inform a company about a countrys local taxation and copyright laws. ETCs also have contacts in international markets, such as relationships with manufacturers and distributors. If a company is trying to enter a new overseas market, an ETC can facilitate communication between the parties. Reduces Training and Recruitment Costs Although ETCs charge a fee for their service, it is often cheaper than training or recruiting staff in a foreign market. ETCs allow a company to hit the ground running and talk to individuals that already have the expertise to answer complex questions. Currency Exchange ETCs also advise about currency hedging strategies to help minimize exchange rate risk. For instance, an ETC may recommend that a company that earns a significant amount of its revenue in Europe should use currency forwards and lock in an exchange rate for the purchase or sale of euros on a future date. Export trading companies charge the companies that hire them either a fee or a commission for the services that they provide. Limitations of Using an Export Trading Company Loss of Control A company may lose control of its operations if an ETC handles critical functions, such as logistics, billing, and communicating with foreign suppliers and manufacturers. If key personnel at the ETC resign or the ETC goes into receivership, the company that has hired their services may be unaware of the procedures and processes in place. If an ETC handles the marketing functions of a company operating in a foreign market, the brand that the company is trying to convey may get distorted. For example, if an ETC runs low-quality print advertisements, customers may associate the companys brand with cheap products. What Is Buy and Hold?grand sierra resort events Buy and hold is a passive investment strategy in which an investor buys stocks (or other types of securities such as ETFs) and holds them for a long period regardless of fluctuations in the market. An investor who uses a buy-and-hold strategy actively selects investments but has no concern for short-term price movements and technical indicators. Many legendary investors such as Warren Buffett and Jack Bogle praise the buy-and-hold approach as ideal for individuals seeking healthy long-term returns. Key Takeaways Buy and hold is a long-term passive strategy where investors keep a relatively stable portfolio over time, regardless of short-term fluctuations. Buy and hold investors tend to outperform active management, on average, over longer time horizons and after fees, and they can typically defer capital gains taxes. Critics, however, argue that buy-and-hold investors may not sell at optimal times. How Buy and Hold Works Conventional investing wisdom shows that with a long time horizon, equities render a higher return than other asset classes such as bonds. There is, however, some debate over whether a buy-and-hold strategy is superior to an active investing strategy. Both sides have valid arguments, but a buy-and-hold strategy has tax benefits because the investor can defer capital gains taxes on long-term investments. To purchase shares of common stock is to take ownership of a company. Ownership has its privileges, which include voting rights and a stake in corporate profits as the company grows. Shareholders function as direct decision makers with their number of votes being equal to the number of shares they hold. Shareholders vote on critical issues, such as mergers and acquisitions, and elect directors to the board. Activist investors with substantial holdings wield considerable influence over management often seeking to gain representation on the board of directors. Recognizing that change takes time, committed shareholders adopt buy-and-hold strategies. Rather than treating ownership as a short-term vehicle for profit in the mode of a day trader, buy-and-hold investors keep shares through bull and bear markets. Equity owners thus bear the ultimate risk of failure or the supreme reward of substantial appreciation. Buy and hold is often also called position trading. Active Versus Passive Management The debate over passive versus active management styles persists. A buy-and-hold investor reflects a passive management style. In the case of a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund, indexed portfolios mirror that of a common benchmark. As indices rebalance and weightings increase relative to market capitalization, turnover rates, which are often under 5% among passive funds (such as an S&P 500 Index portfolio), remain ultra-low as managers focus on issues across the broad market. Stocks are held for as long as they remain components of the indices. Even though you hold the securities you buy for the long-term, you still need to consider price fluctuations and pay attention to their performance. Real World Example of Buy and Hold An example of a buy-and-hold strategy that would have worked quite well is the purchase of Apple (AAPL) stock. If an investor had bought 100 shares at its closing price of $18 per share in January 2008 and held onto the stock until January 2019, the stock climbed to $157 per share. Thats a return of nearly 900% in just over 10 years. Those arguing against using a long-term strategy claim that investors forsake gains by riding out volatility rather than locking in gains and miss out on timing the market. There are some professionals who regularly succeed with short-term trading strategies, but the risks can be higher. Investment success is also realized by loyalty, commitment to ownership and the simple pursuit of standing pat or not moving from a chosen position. Spelling differences between American and British English cause confusion for writers on both sides of the Atlantic. Why are there different ways to spell the same words at all? Why cant everyone spell things the same way? Having a single spelling for every word would certainly make life simpler for writers, but unfortunately, that world is not the world we live in. Words like fulfil and fulfill actually mean the same thing, but are used with different audiences. What is the Difference Between Fulfil and Fulfill? In this post, I will compare fulfil vs. fulfil. I will use each of these spellings an example sentences, so that you can see them in context. Plus, I will show you a memory tool that you can use to help yourself choose fulfill or fulfil, depending on your intended audience. When to Use Fulfill What does fulfill mean? Fulfill is a verb that means to achieve, carry out, or realizesomething. People might fulfill their dreams, or a husband might fulfill his promise to a wife. Check out the example sentences below. You must fulfill your civic duty! the mayor ordered the townspeople. This vacation has fulfilled all of my wildest fantasies, said Morgan. Americans want bigger, faster and more luxurious sport utility vehicles and automakers are more than happy to fulfill the booming demand. The New York Times Fulfill is a regular verb, so it follows the same rules of conjugation as other regular verbs. It becomes fulfilled in the past tense and fulfilling as a present participle. Here are a few more conjugations, Fulfill : First person present singular and plural, second person present singular and plural, third person present plural : First person present singular and plural, second person present singular and plural, third person present plural Fulfills : Third person present plural : Third person present plural Fulfilled : Simple past : Simple past Fulfilling: Present participle Fulfill is the American English variant of this word. When to Use Fulfil What does fulfil mean? Fulfil is an alternative spelling of fulfill. Where fulfill is the American English spelling, fulfil is the British English spelling. It can be used in all the same contexts and has all the same meanings for British readers. The government is making an extra 50m in grants available to schools and nurseries as it scrambles to provide the places required to fulfil the Conservatives pre-election pledge of 30 hours a week of free childcare. The Guardian The following graphs show the relative usage of fulfill vs. fulfill in American and British English, respectively, As you can see, fulfil has been the preferred choice in British English since before 1800. Interestingly, it was also the standard term in American English until around 1930, when fulfill became more common. These graphs are not scientifically accurate; they only examine books published in English since 1800. They still easily illustrate a long-term usage trend between these two words Trick to Remember the Difference Since fulfill and fulfil are the same word, just spelled differently, one might wonder why we have to choose between them at all. Using either variant with the wrong audience would be distracting, though, and would detract from the quality of your writing as a result. Fulfil ends with a single L, which is also how the word London begins. Since London is in England, where British English is used, the single L becomes your clue for when to use fulfil. Summary Is it fulfil or fulfill? Fulfil and fulfill are spelling variants of the same verb, which means to realize, achieve, or bring something to fruition. Along with crowds, Cereal Killer has also drawn polarizing responses from the public and the media. It happened and it was a group of maybe 200 in a movement that has drawn tens of thousands in New York alone. She has had clients from all over the world, including Ireland and India, who are drawn to her via word of mouth and her website. I was drawn to The Class for different reasonschiefly, the pipe dream of achieving a tighter and tauter backside. I spoke first with Scott Ellman, a student at Wesleyan University and now the Huffington Post editor-at-large for his campus. Fraternities in a Post-UVA World|Samantha Allen|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST When she arrived she made a regular entry into the city in a coach all gold and glass, drawn by eight superb plumed horses. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay I have drawn a Line between the figures at the extream changes, that next below the Line is the extream. Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman The tattered outcast dozes on his bench while the chariot of the wealthy is drawn by. The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock The result of this mission was eminently successful; a special treaty was drawn up and Spain sold Louisiana to France. Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison Chinese students already constitute the largest single source of overseas students in the UK,best for less grenada with 155,000 students currently in the UK worth an estimated 5 billion annually. There are also now some 9,000 young British people studying and interning in China, with numbers up 60% since 2013. Visiting the Chinese city of Wuhan today, which has the largest student population of any city in the world, the Prime Minister will announce details of a new approach covering pre-school through to post-grad education. It includes: a new commitment to extend the UK-China Maths Teacher Exchange primary school programme for a further two years to 2020. This will enable an additional 140 primary teachers in England to benefit from further training in China. We will also expand the exchange programme to include up to 45 teachers in English secondary schools. The pioneering scheme involves English teachers visiting China for two weeks and Chinese teachers visiting England for two weeks, enabling schools to experience world-class maths teaching in English classrooms. The exchange programme also supports our work to take the total number of English schools benefitting from the East-Asian style maths Teaching for Mastery programme to 11,000 by 2023 an agreement to facilitate joint training of pre-school staff in the UK and China improved UK-China information-sharing on vocational education through more study exchanges the launch of a new English is GREAT campaign, promoting proficiency in English for more people in China. There are over 300 million people learning English in China. The campaign will support individuals in improving their language proficiency as a means to achieve their own professional and personal ambitions and to provide significant commercial opportunities for the UK by opening up a market worth over $2 billion a year. This will echo the UK-Mandarin Excellence Programme, launched in 2016 and which aims to have 5000 secondary school pupils in the UK fluent in Mandarin by 2020 The Prime Minister will also welcome a major new package of commercial deliverables in the education sector reinforcing the UKs position as a global leader in this field. Education deals totalling more than 550m will be announced as part of the visit, creating over 800 jobs in the UK. They include a 75m export win for the UKs biggest childcare provider Busy Bees, who will open 20 new nurseries across China along with their Chinese stakeholder, Oriental Cambridge Education Group. The Prime Minister said: The close ties between the UK and China are reflected in our relationship on education. More than 150,000 Chinese students study at the UKs world-leading institutions and make a significant contribution to our academic life. The agreements we have signed today will build on that and enable more children and more young people than ever to share their ideas about our two great nations. And by teaching children to speak our languages we will ensure that our Golden Era of co-operation will endure for generations to come. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: Standards are rising in our schools, with 1.9 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010 and nine out of ten schools given this rating at their last inspection. We want to build on this success, to ensure all pupils can access a world-class education that inspires them to make the most of their lives, no matter where they live or their background. Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world, so this partnership will play a crucial role in teaching pupils the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in an increasingly global economy. By opening up these opportunities to more young people, we can help to build a Britain that is fit for the future. UK PM to set out ambitious new approach to UK-China educationadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is a Bond Discount?las vegas most famous casino Bond discount is the amount by which the market price of a bond is lower than its principal amount due at maturity. This amount, called its par value, is often $1,000. The primary features of a bond are its coupon rate, face value, and market price. An issuer makes coupon payments to its bondholders as compensation for the money loaned over a fixed period. At maturity, the principal loan amount is repaid to the investor. This amount is equal to the par or face value of the bond. Most corporate bonds have a par value of $1,000. Some bonds are sold at par, at a premium, or at a discount. Key Takeaways Bond discount is the amount by which the market price of a bond is lower than its principal amount due at maturity. A bond issued at a discount has its market price below the face value, creating a capital appreciation upon maturity since the higher face value is paid when the bond matures. Different bonds trade at a discount for different reasonsfor example, bonds on the secondary market with fixed coupons trade at discounts when interest rates rise, while zero-coupon bonds short-term bonds are often issued at a bond discount when supply exceeds demand. Understanding Bond Discount A bond sold at par has its coupon rate equal to the prevailing interest rate in the economy. An investor who purchases this bond has a return on investment that is determined by the periodic coupon payments. A premium bond is one for which the market price of the bond is higher than the face value. If the bond's stated interest rate is greater than those expected by the current bond market, this bond will be an attractive option for investors. A bond issued at a discount has its market price below the face value, creating a capital appreciation upon maturity since the higher face value is paid when the bond matures. The bond discount is the difference by which a bond's market price is lower than its face value. For example, a bond with a par value of $1,000 that is trading at $980 has a bond discount of $20. The bond discount is also used in reference to the bond discount rate, which is the interest used to price bonds via present valuation calculations. Bonds are sold at a discount when the market interest rate exceeds the coupon rate of the bond. To understand this concept, remember that a bond sold at par has a coupon rate equal to the market interest rate. When the interest rate increases past the coupon rate, bondholders now hold a bond with lower interest payments. These existing bonds reduce in value to reflect the fact that newer issues in the markets have more attractive rates. If the bonds value falls below par, investors are more likely to purchase it since they will be repaid the par value at maturity. To calculate the bond discount, the present value of the coupon payments and principal value must be determined. Example For example, consider a bond with a par value of $1,000 set to mature in 3 years. The bond has a coupon rate of 3.5%, and interest rates in the market are a little higher at 5%. Since interest payments are made on a semi-annual basis, the total number of coupon payments is 3 years x 2 = 6, and the interest rate per period is 5%/2 = 2.5%. Using this information, the present value of the principal repayment at maturity is: PV principal = $1,000/(1.0256) = $862.30 Now we need to calculate the present value of coupon payments. The coupon rate per period is 3.5%/2 = 1.75%. Each interest payment per period is 1.75% x $1,000 = $17.50. PV coupon = (17.50/1.025) + (17.50/1.0252) + (17.50/1.0253) + (17.50/1.0254) + (17.50/1.0255) + (17.50/1.0256) PV coupon = 17.07 + 16.66 + 16.25 + 15.85 + 15.47 + 15.09 = $96.39 The sum of the present value of coupon payments and principal is the market price of the bond. Market Price = $862.30 + $96.39 = $958.69. Since the market price is below the par value, the bond is trading at a discount of $1,000 - $958.69 = $41.31. The bond discount rate is, therefore, $41.31/$1,000 = 4.13%. Bonds trade at a discount to par value for a number of reasons. Bonds on the secondary market with fixed coupons will trade at discounts when market interest rates rise. While the investor receives the same coupon, the bond is discounted to match prevailing market yields. Discounts also occur when the bond supply exceeds demand when the bond's credit rating is lowered, or when the perceived risk of default increases. Conversely, falling interest rates or an improved credit rating may cause a bond to trade at a premium. Short-term bonds are often issued at a bond discount, especially if they are zero-coupon bonds. However, bonds on the secondary market may trade at a bond discount, which occurs when supply exceeds demand. DDoS [ dee-daws,grandivy casino no deposit dos; dee-dee-oh-es ]/ dids, ds; didios / New Word List Save This Word! [ dee-daws,dos; dee-dee-oh-es ]/ dids, ds; didios /Save This Word! adjectivepertaining to or being an incident in which a network of computers floods an online resource with high levels of unwanted traffic so that it is inaccessible to legitimate service requests: a DDoS attack. Words nearby DDoS How to use DDoS DDoS abbreviation fordistributed denial of service: a method of attacking a computer system by flooding it with so many messages that it is obliged to shut down Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question DDoS19952000; D(istributed)D(enial)o(f)S(ervice)D.C.S., DCVO, dd, D-day, DDD, DDoS, DDR, DDS, D.D.Sc., DDT, deDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022 PDF Playlist Rainfall Listen online A Flock of Seagulls A Flock of SeagullsA Flock of Seag (0 fans) A Flock of Seagulls A Flock of Seagulls (also known as Flock of Seagulls) are an English New Wave band originally formed in Liverpool by brothers Michael "Mike" Score (keyboards,arcade slots near me 288 365 bet vocals) and Alister "Ali" James Score (drums), with Francis Lee (Frank) Maudsley (bass) and Paul Reynolds (guitar). more Year: 1996 5:02 113 Views Playlists: #2 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days , With EasyVideo Lessons! Since you've been gone it's been raining hard Like crystal teardrops to the floor It's even raining in my heart I'll close my eyes and let it pour Now see how the rain falls Now see how the rain falls And in the darkness of the night A trace was left by your perfume The only thing you couldn't take Are the golden memories of you Now see how the rain falls Now see how the rain falls Across an ocean wide a voice that calls your name A love that never dies like an eternal flame Across the great divide for all eternity Across all space and time the heart that beats is mine Since you've been gone it's been raining hard But now the sun shines high above And I won't miss you anymore Cause I've found another love Now see how the rain falls Now see how the rain falls What is betmgm indiana sportsbooka Bond Rating? A bond rating is a way to measure the creditworthiness of a bond, which corresponds to the cost of borrowing for an issuer. These ratings typically assign a letter grade to bonds that indicates their credit quality. Private independent rating services such as Standard & Poor's, Moodys Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings Inc. evaluate a bond issuer's financial strength, or its ability to pay a bond's principal and interest, in a timely fashion. Key Takeaways A bond rating is a letter-based credit scoring scheme used to judge the quality and creditworthiness of a bond. Investment grade bonds assigned AAA to BBB- ratings from Standard & Poor's, and Aaa to Baa3 ratings from Moodys. Junk bonds have lower ratings. The higher a bond's rating, the lower the interest rate it will carry, all else equal. Bond Rating Breaking Down Bond Rating 1:26 Most bonds carry ratings provided by at least one of the following three chief independent ratings agencies: Standard & Poor's Moody's Investors Service Fitch Ratings Inc. These agencies conduct a thorough financial analysis of a bond's issuing body, whether they are U.S. Treasuries or bonds from international corporations. Based on each agencys individual set of criteria, analysts determine the entitys ability to pay their bills and remain liquid, while also taking into consideration a bond's future expectations and outlook. The agencies then declare a bond's overall rating, based on the collection of these data points. Bond Ratings Affect Pricing, Yield, and a Reflection of Long-Term Outlook Bond ratings are vital to altering investors to the quality and stability of the bond in question. These ratings consequently greatly influence interest rates, investment appetite, and bond pricing. Higher rated bonds, known as investment grade bonds, are viewed as safer and more stable investments. Such offerings are tied to publicly-traded corporations and government entities that boast positive outlooks. Investment grade bonds contain AAA to BBB- ratings from Standard and Poor's, and "Aaa" to "Baa3" ratings from Moodys. Investment grade bonds usually see bond yields increase as ratings decrease. U.S. Treasury bonds are the most common AAA rated bond securities. Non-investment grade bonds (junk bonds) usually carry Standard and Poor's ratings of BB+ to D ("Baa1" to "C" for Moodys). In some cases, bonds of this nature are given not rated status. Although bonds carrying these ratings are deemed to be higher-risk investments, they nevertheless attract certain investors who are drawn to the high yields they offer. But some junk bonds are saddled with liquidity issues, and can feasibly default, leaving investors with nothing. A prime example of non-investment grade bond was that issued by Southwestern Energy Company, which Standard & Poor's assigned a "BB+" rating, reflecting its negative outlook. Independent Rating Agencies Get Tripped Up In 2008 Downturn Many Wall Street watchers believe that the independent bond rating agencies played a pivotal roll in contributing to the 2008 economic downturn. In fact, it came to light that during the lead-up to the crisis, rating agencies were bribed to provide falsely high bond ratings, thereby inflating their worth. One example of this fraudulent practice occurred in 2008, when Moody's downgraded 83% of $869 billion in mortgage-backed securities, which were given a rating of "AAA" just the year before. In short: long-term investors should carry the majority of their bond exposure in more reliable, income-producing bonds that carry investment grade bond ratings. Speculators and distressed investors who make a living off of high-risk, high-reward opportunities, should consider turning to non-investment grade bonds. Unmasking the superpower: Where the Ukraine crisis started Cartoon: Xu Zihe/GT Chateaubriand [ shah-toh-bree-ahn; English sha-toh-bree-ahn ]/ to bri; English to bri / New Word List Save This club player casino no deposit bonus codes 2019Word! [ shah-toh-bree-ahn; English sha-toh-bree-ahn ]/ to bri; English to bri /Save ThisWord! nounFrancois Rene [frahn-swaruh-ney], /frswa rne/, Vicomte de, 17681848, French author and statesman.(lowercase) a thick slice of tenderloin, broiled and served with potatoes and a sauce, often a bearnaise sauce. Words nearby Chateaubriand How to use Chateaubriand Chateaubriand/ (French tobrij) / nounFrancois Rene (frswa rne), Vicomte de Chateaubriand. 17681848, French writer and statesman: a precursor of the romantic movement in France; his works include Le Genie du Christianisme (1802) and Memoires d'outre-tombe (184950)a thick steak cut from the fillet of beef Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question ChateaubriandFirst recorded in 187580 for def. 2chastity belt, chasuble, chat, chatbot, chateau, Chateaubriand, chateau cardboard, chateau d'eau, Chateauguay, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, ChateaurouxDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022 Lawmakers in the state of Pennsylvania are to vote on the potential introduction of regulated online gamblingin the state this Wednesday. Last week, the possibility of passing a bill which is to introduce an online gambling service on the territory of Pennsylvania was discussed during a meeting of the states House Gaming Oversight Committee. John Payne, member of the House of Representatives, spoke in favour of passing the bill which is to regulate online gambling activities and daily fantasy sports (DFS).Payne also debated the potential benefitsfor the state of Pennsylvania the bill would bring about. In 2004, the states lawmakers enacted a gambling law which requires all gambling venues, save for those on the territory of Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Nemacolin, to pay a local share tax amounting to 2% of their overall slots revenue, or roughly $10 million. However, this past September, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled out the local share tax as unconstitutional. A certain possibility exists some gambling venues would end up generating humbler revenue while paying heavier taxes. The states lawmakers were given four months to come up with an adequate solution. Passing the local share tax resulted in a $140 million holein the annual revenue of local communities whose budgets heavily rely on gambling. This might lead to budget difficulties for a number of counties and townships in the state of Pennsylvania. The Senate is yet to decide on whether or not the new gambling bill should be passed. Although no decision has been reached yet, $100 million are already included in the states budget as revenue expected to be generated from the bills passing. A substantial portion of the money is likely to come in the form of license fees granted to web-based casinos and poker rooms. According to John Pappas, executive director of Poker Players Alliance, the introduction of the new bill will result in additional tax revenue for the statefrom licensed gambling operators. Pappas argues passing the legislature would prevent players from registering at unregulated gambling websites minimizing the risks of underage gambling. Pappas cites the state of New Jersey as an example of successful regulation of online gambling. Several Pennsylvania-based casinos, including the SugarHouse Casino, have taken their online operations to the territory of New Jersey, which Pappas deems an unfortunate outsourcing. In Pappas words, New Jersey has proven regulation works and there is no reason why it would not in Pennsylvania. The passing of the new bill will result in a safer gaming environment for players and more revenue for the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has till January 2017to come up with a fix for the issue. Yet, the states lawmakers are eager to find a solution by the end of the years legislative session on October 26. Municipal authorities of the Greek island of Mykonos have launched a process for gathering signatures for a referendum on the potential construction of a casino. The move came after it was announced that the Greek government was considering a gambling bill that, among other things, would expand the countrys casino industry. Under the bill, three new casino licenses could be issued for each of three Greek islands, with those being Mykonos, Crete, and Santorini. All three are among Greeces major tourist hubs. Local media reported that Mykonos Mayor Constantinos Koukas recently proposed the launch of a signature collection process. The move was approved by the Mykonos council without objectionand was launched shortly after. It is understood that Mykonos officials are trying to collect enough signatures for a referendum at which residents will be able to voice their opinion on the proposed casino. According to local media, the islands Mayor and council undertook the move in hopes to prevent the construction of the gambling venue. Casino Expansion in Greece Greeces casino expansion effort came as part of the governments plan to overhaul the nations gambling industry. The changes have been pushed for by the Ministry of Finance for quite some time now. The draft bill under consideration will allow for a certain amount of liberalization of the nations gambling market as well as for certain regulatory reforms in relation to the provision of a number of gambling services. If approved, the piece of legislation will permit the construction of three new casinos on the Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos islands, and the relocation of six existing casinos, including Regency Casino Mont Parnes, known to be the capital Athens single land-based Las Vegas-style casino. The hotel and casino complex is currently located nearly 40 kilometers away from downtown Athens. It operates 50 table games and 700 slot machines. Here it is important to note that the legislative piece is also concerned with the way gambling services are taxed, including gambling services provided on casino floors. At present, Greeces casinos contribute between 22% and 35% of their annual gross gambling revenue. The bill calls for the implementation of a flat rate. Said rate will be decided upon at a later stage. It is believed that the Greek government will vote on the casino expansion proposal before Christmas. And according to reports from local media, the bill has already gained quite a lot of momentum and will likely be passed. If the bill is approved, it will come into force as a law on January 1, 2020. The governments planned overhaul of the nations industry also includes its online gaming sector. The legislative piece contains provisions that will create a licensing system for foreign gambling operators to be able to participate in the countrys market. When you win an award for doing well in sports, do you receive a medal or metal? These two words are homophones, which means that they sound alike when pronounced out loud but mean different things in most contexts. One of the reasons these words are confusing is that one is usually made from the other. For instance, gold, silver, and bronze are metals. But depending on context, they can also refer to medals. If that sounds confusing, you arent alone. Continue reading to learn more about these difficult homophones. What is the Difference Between Metal and Medal? In this post, I will compare metal vs. medal. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see how they appear in context. Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that will make choosing metal or medal easier in your own writing. When to Use Medal What does medal mean? Medal is a noun. It is an award given for excellent performance, like in the Olympics. A medal is typically worn on a ribbon around the neck. In the Olympics, a gold medal is awarded for placing first in a competition, while a silver medal is awarded for placing second. The third-place winner receives a bronze medal. Here are some more examples, Jonathan received a medal for perfect attendance at his elementary school last year. When they won the tournament, each player on the soccer team received a medal. Sometimes, medal is used as a verb, where it means to receive this type of awardin a competition. For example, The star Olympic athlete medaled in her event in 2008, 2012, and 2016. When to Use Metal What does metal mean? Metal can be a noun or an adjective. As a noun, metalrefers to an elementary substance that is typically shiny and conductive. Various types of metal are common building materials, along with stone, wood, and other substances. Metal can also refer to a genre of rock music. For example, The pathway led to a metal bridge over the creek that was rusty and in dangerous disrepair. Cate loved to annoy her parents by listening to loud heavy metal on her headphones. Like medal, metal can also be used as a verb, where it means to make something out of metal or to plate something with metal. For example, The metaled cleats were given to the player who scored the most goals at the end of the season. Trick to Remember the Difference Metal and medal are homophones. They are confusing because medals are typically made from various types of metal, like gold, silver, and bronze. Medal vs. Metal Check: Remember, a medal is a type of award. Since medal and award both contain the letter D, it should be easy to remember to reserve medal for this usage. Metal refers to the substances themselves, rather than the objects made from them. Summary Is it medal or metal? Medal and metal are homophones that can both be nouns. A medal is an award given for excellent performance, such as in a sporting event. Metal is a class of elemental substances that are usually hard, shiny, and conductive. The words are confusing since medals are typically made of metals like silver, gold, and bronze. Irish iGaming operator SeanieMac today published an update on the progress of upgradesit has been implementing on its gambling website over the past several months. The company said that after the addition of the most recent such upgrade, VIP customers would be able to access directly and choose among different payment providers and gaming promotions. In order to ensure that transition would be seamless, SeanieMac also tested certain minor upgrades in live mode. Commenting on the latest upgrade, CEO Shane ODriscoll said that developing a new site includes numerous key elements and that they will continue adding those elements to their new platform in the weeks to come in order to improve their offeringand provide players with unique experience. Of their goals for the rest of the year, the executive noted that they would keep on working hard to attract a wider customer base and to enhance their VIP strategy. The operators CEO expressed confidence that it will reach its target for positive cash flow by the end of the quarter and revenue of $50 million by the end of the year. SeanieMac announced earlier this year that it would launch a brand-new gaming platform to respond to customers demands in a more adequate way. Phase 1 of the new platform was launched on September 19. Since then, the company has been conducting tests in a live environment to ensure that its offering was one that matched players concept for enjoyable gambling experience. SeanieMac has partnered with Spanish iGaming and betting software developer Optima Information Services to develop together its new gaming platform. The agreement between the two companies included the creation of a multi-channel solution that would deliver desktop and mobile front-end solutionsto gambling customers and would thus help the operator establish itself as a leader in the provision of online sports betting and gaming solutions. Reports emerged in August that SeanieMac needed $500,000 to cover operational costs, including ones related to its new website. Otherwise, it would not be able to keep on running iGaming operations. The reports were quickly denied by Mr. ODriscoll and the official confirmed that the company was in final preparations for the launch of its upgraded offering. What Is a Bond Ladder?no minimum deposit casino A bond ladder is a portfolio of fixed-income securities in which each security has a significantly different maturity date. The purpose of purchasing several smaller bonds with varying dates of maturity rather than one large bond with a single maturity date is to minimize interest-rate risk, increase liquidity, and diversify credit risk. A bond ladder is a portfolio of fixed-income securities in which each security has a significantly different maturity date. In a bond ladder, the bonds' maturity dates are evenly spaced across several months or several years so that the proceeds are reinvested at regular intervals as the bonds mature. The purpose of purchasing several smaller bonds with varying dates of maturity rather than one large bond with a single maturity date is to minimize interest-rate risk, increase liquidity, and diversify credit risk. In order to build an ETF bond ladder, an investor simply needs to put an equal amount of money in a number of different ETFs; all with a different defined maturity date. Since callable bonds can be redeemed by the issuer before maturity, they're not ideal when building a bond ladder. What Is A Municipal Bond? Understanding Bond Ladder 1:41 In a bond ladder, the bonds' maturity dates are evenly spaced across several months or several years so that the proceeds are reinvested at regular intervals as the bonds mature. The more liquidity an investor needs, the closer together their bond maturities should be. Benefits of a Bond Ladder Investors who purchase bonds usually buy them as a conservative way to produce income. However, investors looking for a higher yield, without reducing the credit quality, usually need to purchase a bond with a longer maturity. Doing so exposes the investor to three types of risk: interest rate risk, credit risk, and liquidity risk. When interest rates increase, bond prices react inversely. This especially holds true the longer the maturity date is on a bond. A bond that matures in 10 years fluctuates less in price than a bond that matures in 30 years. If the investor needs some funds before the bonds maturity, the rise in interest rates causes a lower price for the bond on the open market. When interest rates rise, the demand for lower interest-paying bonds decreases. This leaves the bond with less liquidity since bond buyers can find similar maturity bonds with higher interest payments. The only way to get a more favorable price in this scenario is to wait for interest rates to go down, which causes the bond to go back up in price. Buying a large position in one bond could also leave the investor exposed to credit risk. Similar to owning only one stock in a portfolio, a bonds price is dependent on the credit of the underlying company or institution. If anything lowers the credit quality of the bonds, the price is negatively impacted immediately. For example, Puerto Rico bonds were once very popular, but when the province had financial issues, the bond prices immediately plummeted. Using a bond ladder satisfies these issues. Since there are several bonds with a staggered maturity, bonds are constantly maturing and being reinvested in the current interest rate environment. If the investor needs liquidity, selling the shorter maturity bonds offers the most favorable pricing. Since there are several different bond issues, the credit risk is spread across the portfolio and properly diversified. If one of the bonds has a downgrade in credit quality, only a portion of the entire ladder is affected. Generally speaking, you should aim to have at least 10 "rungs" in your bond ladder. All things equal, the more rungs in the ladder, the higher the diversification, liquidity, and yield stability. Example of a Bond Ladder Here's an example of a simple bond ladder that retail investors can create. In order to construct a 10-year Treasury bond ladder, an investor would simply buy the following 10 ETFs in equal amounts: The iShares iBonds Dec 2021 Term Treasury ETF (IBTA) The iShares iBonds Dec 2022 Term Treasury ETF (IBTB) The iShares iBonds Dec 2023 Term Treasury ETF (IBTD) The iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Treasury ETF (IBTE) The iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF (IBTF) The iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Treasury ETF (IBTG) The iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Treasury ETF (IBTH) The iShares iBonds Dec 2028 Term Treasury ETF (IBTI) The iShares iBonds Dec 2029 Term Treasury ETF (IBTJ) The iShares iBonds Dec 2030 Term Treasury ETF (IBTK) Bond Ladder FAQs Should You Build a Bond Ladder With Callable Bonds? No. Since callable bonds can be redeemed by the issuer before maturity, they're not ideal when building a bond ladder. How Do You Build an ETF Bond Ladder? In order to build an ETF bond ladder, an investor simply needs to put an equal amount of money in a number of different ETFs; all with a different defined maturity date. For example, to build a 10-year corporate bond ladder, an investor could purchase the following ETFs in equal amounts: The Invesco BulletShares 2021 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCL) The Invesco BulletShares 2022 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCM) The Invesco BulletShares 2023 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCN) The Invesco BulletShares 2024 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCO) The Invesco BulletShares 2025 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCP) The Invesco BulletShares 2026 Corporate Bond ETF (BSJQ) The Invesco BulletShares 2027 Corporate Bond ETF (BSJR) The Invesco BulletShares 2028 Corporate Bond ETF (BSJS) The Invesco BulletShares 2029 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCT) The Invesco BulletShares 2030 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCU) What Are Alternatives to a Bond Ladder? Instead of building a bond ladder, an investor can purchase an ETF that holds a diversified portfolio of bonds of varying durations. Popular all-duration ETFs include the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (ASG), the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND), the Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX), and the iShares TIPS Bond ETF. What Is a Board of Governors?what is ido crypto The term board of governors refers to a group of people that oversees or manages the running of an institution. The U.S. Postal Service, the BBC, the World Bank, numerous colleges and universities, as well as professional organizations (such as the CFA Institute), and regulatory bodies (such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)) all have boards of governors. In the financial world, the best-known board of governors is that of the Federal Reserve, the United States' central bank. Key Takeaways A board of governors is a group of people appointed to oversee an organization's operations, including financial matters. The most well-known board of governors is the Federal Reserve, whose responsibilities include analyzing domestic and international economic developments and overseeing operations of the Federal Reserve Banks. A board of directors is an appointed group that oversees a corporation's business. The Federal Reserve's board of governors is nominated by the President and is confirmed by the Senate. A competent and well-organized board of governors is seen as a key component of the success of an organization. Understanding a Board of Governors The U.S. central bank's board of governors is composed of seven individuals who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Members of the board of governors serve 14-year terms, running on a staggered basis to ensure continuity. Legally, appointments to the board are to consist of a "fair representation of the financial, agricultural, industrial, and commercial interests and geographical divisions of the country. In practice, appointments have predominantly been of academics and former banking professionals. Only one governor can represent a Federal Reserve District. Duties of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors The board of governors has seven of the 12 seats on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the body responsible for setting U.S. monetary policy. The current Federal Reserve Board has six members, with one vacancy as of May 2022. The presidents of five of the 12 regional Reserve Banks make up the remaining members of the FOMC. The chair of the Feds board of governors is responsible for chairing the FOMC. Responsibilities The Federal Reserve Board: Analyzes domestic and international economic developments Supervises and regulates the operations of the Federal Reserve Banks Has responsibility for America's payments system Oversees and administers most consumer credit protection laws The board has authority over changes in reserve requirements, and it must approve any change in the discount rate initiated by a Federal Reserve Bank. Members of the board frequently testify before congressional committees on the economy, monetary policy, banking supervision and regulation, consumer credit protection, and financial markets. They are also responsible for supervising the work of the regional Fed banks, including approving budgets and appointing directors. Chairs of the Board of Governors The current Federal Reserve Chair is Jerome Powell. Recent, notable chairs of the Feds Board of Governors include: Janet Yellen, the first female chair to be appointed and served from 2014 to 2018 Ben Bernanke, who led the Fed from 2006 to 2014 and oversaw a range of unconventional monetary policy actions to address the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the recession that followed Alan Greenspan, whose time as chair spanned nearly 20 years and four presidential administrations There have been a total of 16 Chairs of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve of the United States. Board of Governors vs. Board of Directors Non-profit organizations, government divisions, and higher academic institutions typically have a board of governors as their governing body rather than a board of directors. Corporations, as required by law, have a board of directors appointed to oversee financial decisions and business operations. When two or more boards exist within an entity, the board of governors often reigns supreme as the decision-making authority. Who Are the Current Board of Governors? A maximum of seven governors can serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. The members of the current Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve are Jerome H. Powell, Lael Brainard, Michelle W. Bowman, Lisa D. Cook, Philip N. Jefferson, and Christopher J. Waller. One seat remains vacant as of May 2022. Who Nominates and Confirms the Fed Board of Governors? The governors of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve are nominated by the President of the United States of America and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Why Are the Fed Governors Appointed for Staggered 14-Year Terms? The purpose of the staggered terms is to ensure stability and continuity over time. Who Is the Current Chair of the Federal Reserve? The current chair of the Federal Reserve is Jerome H. Powell. He was sworn in for a second four-year term on May 23, 2022. He assumed the role following his confirmation in February 2018. What Are the 12 Banks of the Federal Reserve? The 12 banks of the Federal Reserve are the Federal Reserve Banks of San Francisco, Minneapolis, Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Richmond, and Philadelphia. The Bottom Line A board of governors is a group of highly qualified individuals that are responsible for overseeing and managing an institution. Most institutions, from corporations to nonprofit organizations to media outlets to government bodies have a board of governors. The most well-known board of governors is that of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. Residents of Nichols, New York as well as other members of the public will be given their chance to express their support or state their oppositionto Tioga Downs Casino & Racings application for the fourth casino license in the state of New York. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled to take place today at Baldwin Gymnasiumat SUNY Broome Community College, located in Binghamton, New York. It is to start from 10 am local timeand attendees will have up to 2 pm to state their opinions in the presence of members of the state Gaming Facility Location Board. Tioga Downs representatives will also attend the event but they will not be allowed to address the board members or to be addressed by the other participants. On the other hand, the public will be given that chance as everyone who wants to express what he or she thinks about Tioga Downs bid will have no more than five minutes to do so. A similar public hearing was held in Ithaca in 2014. The New York Gaming Facility Location Board specifically stated that speakers from last years meeting will not be guaranteed an opportunity to participate today. Yet, their comments may eventually be included to this years opinions. Todays public hearing is expected to be attended by hundreds of Nichols residents and members of the general public. Tioga Downs is the only applicant for the Southern Tier casino license. In fact, the venue, which is owned by local real estate developer Jeff Gural, last year failed to win the approval of the Gaming Facility Location Board. Last December, the gambling regulator backed three other proposalsfor fully-fledged casinos across the state and pointed out that a fourth license is not likely to be awarded. However, Nichols officials together with Mr. Gural noted that they will do their best to eventually win a license for the Southern Tier region. After a recommendation from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Gaming Commission decided to re-launch the bid for another casino. However, regulators pointed out that a fourth license may not be granted eventually. If approved, Tioga Downs will be turned into a full-scale casino with table games and slot machinesand will also offer a number of other leisure and entertainment options as well as a 161-room hotel. Regulators are expected to announce whether the plan would be materialized by the end of the year. You might not enjoy it very much, but it is probably possible for you to stay up all night should you have a lot of work to do and a deadline is approaching. Is this an ability, or a capability? These words are so similar that an argument could be made for either. In this particular example, most writers would agree that capability is a better fit. Ill show you why. What is the Difference Between Capability and Ability? In this article, I will compare ability vs. capability. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see how they appear in their proper contexts. I will also show you a mnemonic device that makes choosing ability or capability a little easier. When to Use Ability What does ability mean? Ability is a noun. It refers to possession of the means or skill to do something. Someone with superior athletic abilities is very good at sports or other physical games. A writer of great ability is considered to be an excellent writer. In both cases, abilityis used to refer to the qualitativenature of the person. Here are a few more examples, My ability to mow the lawn is dependent on my access to my neighbors lawn mower. Research shows that, on average, men are likely to have stronger spatial reasoning abilities than women, although psychologists disagree on the cause and degree of this difference. Snap Inc., in its first quarterly report as a public company, showed it struggled to maintain strong user growth at its Snapchat vanishing-messaging app, sending shares tumbling and sparking worries about its ability to challenge social-media titan Facebook Inc. The Wall Street Journal As I mentioned above, ability is considered a qualitativemarker, not a quantitativemarker. To again take our above example, if someone were a writer of great ability, this would mean that he or she could write well. It makes no comment on the amount to which he or she can write, only to the quality of the writing. This is important to note: abilityis a qualitative marker. When to Use Capability What does capability mean? Capability is also a noun, and it also refers to the ability to do something. The difference between capability and ability is usually one of pragmatics. Capability usually refers to either/or propositions in a potential scenario: a corrupt regime may have nuclear capabilities. It can either launch nuclear missiles, or it cannot. A fighter jet may also have stealth capability. It either has this capability, or it does not. In this sense, capability is a quantitativemarker. For example, Our long-range missile network gives us first strike capability around the world. People who are telekinetic have the capability to kill you with their minds. Computer researchers reported artificial-intelligence advances on Thursday that surpassed human capabilities for a narrow set of vision-related tasks. The New York Times Ability, meanwhile, usually refers to skills, which can have degrees. Your ability to learn new languages might be stronger than mine because I have not fully developed this skill. Capability, on the other hand, usually refers to either/or scenarios. My car either has the capability to go 200 miles per hour or not. There is no degree or continuum involved. Either it has that capability, or it does not. Another similar word, capacity, usually refers to an innate potential for something. Humans are born with the capacityto understand and use social language, for instance. While some of us may develop this skill to a higher degree than others, all of us are born with the capacityfor it. Capabilityand capacityare much more related than capabilityand ability. Trick to Remember the Difference These words are similar enough that a casual reader might accept either of them in most contexts. Indeed, in sports journalism, military strategy, and other situations, many writers have standardized on one or the other even when its counterpart would technically be more appropriate. Still, there are certain constraints that make remembering when to use each a little easier. Capability usually refers to either/or scenarios, while ability is usually a question of degree. Capability vs. Ability Check: Since capability and potential each contain the letter P, it should be easy to remember that capability usually refers to the potential to do something in a yes or no context. Summary Is it capability or ability? Both words refer to having the power to do something. Even subtle differences between words and phrases can mean the difference between precise writing and embarrassing spelling mistakes. Sometimes, these differences boil down to the placement of a simple space. While ahold is a familiar word, some writers separate this adverb into two words. Likewise, the word hold has many uses besides as an adverb. If you find these differences confusing, continue reading for an explanation of the appropriate contexts for each. What is the Difference Between Ahold and A Hold? In this post, I will compare ahold vs. a hold. I will use each of these terms in an example sentence, so that you can see what they look like in context. Plus, I will demonstrate the use of a mnemonic device that will help you choose either ahold or a hold when you write. When to Use Ahold What does ahold mean? Ahold functions as an adverb. It means roughly the same as hold in this sense; namely, it modifies a verb like get to imply possession,ownership, or contact. Here are some examples, Camilla, will you get ahold of Susan and ask her why on earth our supply order hasnt been delivered yet? asked Jermaine. Asher got ahold of some drugs, and used them all without sharing with Amanda. Morels are difficult to get ahold of, but they are so delicious that procuring them is worth almost any amount of effort. Aholdis used primarily in America, and it is done so in informal contexts. You will want to avoid its use in professional and formal writing, as it is sometimes considered a spelling error. Most British dictionaries will not list the word; some American dictionaries will list it, others wont. When to Use A Hold What does a hold mean? A hold is a phrase, consisting of the indefinite article aand the noun hold, with hold meaning a method of restraint or blockage. Here are some examples, The skilled martial artist employed a hold to keep her opponent from escaping while she punched him. Callies bank placed a hold on her money, which she found annoying. Gregorius found a hold on the face of the cliff and swung himself up over the edge. A Thai crocodile trainer has amazingly escaped serious injury after a three metre man-eater grabbed a hold of his arm and performed a death roll. Daily Mail When to Use Hold The construction used more frequently than both of the above constructions is to get hold of. This construction is simpler and is used much more frequently than either of the above constructions. For example, If you cant get hold of me, send Jason a text message. I tried calling three times, but I cant get hold of him. Climbing the mountain, I found it hard to get a firm hold. Trick to Remember the Difference Both get aholdand get a hold ofare rarely used when compared to the simpler get hold of. A general rule of writing is to keep things simple rather than complex. In this case, that general rule seems to be on display. Aholdis an informal world that is rarely used and shunned in professional writing. In his book Garners Modern English Usage,Bryan Garner put the ratio of get hold vs. get aholdat 18:1, respectively. In other words, you should probably avoid that construction. To get a hold ofis used at a similarly low level (see below). As this chart shows, the simple word holdis used much more frequently and should be your preferred choice, which makes it easy to remember a holdvs. ahold. In constructions like get hold, you can easily avoid a holdand aholdin favor of the simpler hold. Sometimes, however, a holdis necessary. For example, in our example from above, Callies bank placed a hold on her money, which she found annoying. You would not be able to say Callies bank placed hold on her money Summary Is it a hold or ahold? As the above distinctions prove, the subtleties that are a hallmark of English usage can be confusing. Ahold is an informal adverb that modifies a verb to show possession or contact. A hold is a phrase consisting of an indefinite article and a noun. Both should be avoided when hold is easily used instead. You can always check this site any time you have questions about word use or other writing topics. Online gambling operator 32Red announced that it has extended its existing sportsbook contractwith provider of solutions for the gaming industry Kambi Group. Under the terms of the new agreement, Kambi would keep on delivering its sports betting solution across the gambling companys channels. The two businesses first announced their collaboration in April 2014. Following their initial partnership, 32Red introduced its 32Red Sports offering, with the company pointing out that it was determined to gain quick traction within the UK sports betting market. Commenting on the extended partnership, 32Red CEO Ed Ware said in a statement that they are pleased to continue their work with Kambi on the creation of exciting sports betting experience for their gambling customers. Mr. Ware further noted that the supplier has played an important role in his companys growthin the sports betting sector by contributing knowledge and experience and by creating premium sports betting offering. Kambi Group CEO Kristian Nylen said that it has been great pleasure to be working with 32Red and that they are really happy with the operators decision to extend their partnership. Mr. Nylen also pointed out that among other things, the extension is indicative of the strength of his companys sportsbookand of the power it offers gambling operators to provide customers with unique gambling experience. The official added that 32Red is to invest more in promoting its sports betting product offering and that they are seeing quite a lot of potential as they are looking forward to further contribute to the operators success. No further details concerning the contract extension were revealed but both companies said that it was a long-term one. Most recently, 32Red announced that it has become the official shirt sponsor of Leeds United FC. Under the three-year sponsorship agreement, the gambling operator would be provided with brand visibility and shirt sponsorshipon Elland Road stadium. The company has also recently announced that like-for-like revenue for the first 19 weeks of the year was up 39%. Net revenue increased 71% year-on-year during the reported period. Officials for the operator have said that they were confident that it would deliver on the expectationsfor the current calendar year. Northampton County, Pennsylvania prosecutor has threatened that he may not prosecute bad checks or chip theft casesfiled by Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, if the gambling venue refuses to pay a previously negotiated $10-million fee to host communities. Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a host community fee and slot tax imposed to state casinos years ago. The decision was said to have been based on the fact that gambling venues had to pay different rates, those depending on the size of each of said venues. The court ruling was stayed until the end of January 2017, giving Pennsylvania legislators several months to find an effective solution to the issue. A quick fix bill was filed to the Legislature but failed to gain the necessary support. Although the states twelve casinos now have no legal obligations to pay the host fee, most of them have confirmed that they will make due payments, thus honoring their agreements with host communities. However, Sands Bethlehem has avoided making any promises to pay its $10-million fee. Representatives for the gambling venue have previously pointed out that they would wait until any legislative solution to the problem is presentedand that once such a solution is made public, they would act according to the Legislatures will. On Tuesday, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli published a letter to Sands Bethlehem officials in which he has informed them that if they refuse to pay the above-mentioned fee, he will no longer feel obliged to pursue theft and fraud complaints filed by the casino. Mr. Morganelli further noted that Sands Bethlehem agreeing to make certain contributions to host communities was instrumental to Bethlehem and Northampton and Lehigh Counties decision to agree to host the gambling venue. Due to this, the Bethlehem-based property should not hesitate to honor its agreement and to act as a good partner to its hosts, in the prosecutors opinion. Pennsylvania legislators have been summoned to a January 3 meetingat which they will probably discuss the host fee issue. Members of the state Legislature have expressed hopes that said issue will be tackled by the end of March. It is also believed that lawmakers will engage in talks over the proposed legalization and regulation of online gambling services, a topic that was left open during the 2016 legislative session. What Is Business Ethics?cloudbet apk the sun vegas login Business ethics studies appropriate business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial subjects, including corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility, fiduciary responsibilities, and much more. The law often guides business ethics, but at other times business ethics provide a basic guideline that businesses can follow to gain public approval. Key Takeaways Business ethics refers to implementing appropriate business policies and practices with regard to arguably controversial subjects. Some issues that come up in a discussion of ethics include corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, social responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities. The law usually sets the tone for business ethics, providing a basic guideline that businesses can choose to follow to gain public approval. Business Ethics Understanding Business Ethics 1:29 Business ethics ensure that a certain basic level of trust exists between consumers and various forms of market participants with businesses. For example, a portfolio manager must give the same consideration to the portfolios of family members and small individual investors as they do to wealthier clients. These kinds of practices ensure the public receives fair treatment. The concept of business ethics began in the 1960s as corporations became more aware of a rising consumer-based society that showed concerns regarding the environment, social causes, and corporate responsibility. The increased focus on "social issues" was a hallmark of the decade. Since that time, the concept of business ethics has evolved. Business ethics goes beyond just a moral code of right and wrong; it attempts to reconcile what companies must do legally vs. maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses. Firms display business ethics in several ways. Business ethics ensure a certain level of trust between consumers and corporations, guaranteeing the public fair and equal treatment. Principles of Business Ethics It's essential to understand the underlying principles that drive desired ethical behavior and how a lack of these moral principles contributes to the downfall of many otherwise intelligent, talented people and the businesses they represent. There are generally 12 business ethics principles: Leadership : The conscious effort to adopt, integrate, and emulate the other 11 principles to guide decisions and behavior in all aspects of professional and personal life. : The conscious effort to adopt, integrate, and emulate the other 11 principles to guide decisions and behavior in all aspects of professional and personal life. Accountability : Holding yourself and others responsible for their actions. Commitment to following ethical practices and ensuring others follow ethics guidelines. : Holding yourself and others responsible for their actions. Commitment to following ethical practices and ensuring others follow ethics guidelines. Integrity : Incorporates other principleshonesty, trustworthiness, and reliability. Someone with integrity consistently does the right thing and strives to hold themselves to a higher standard. : Incorporates other principleshonesty, trustworthiness, and reliability. Someone with integrity consistently does the right thing and strives to hold themselves to a higher standard. Respect for others : To foster ethical behavior and environments in the workplace, respecting others is a critical component. Everyone deserves dignity, privacy, equality, opportunity, compassion, and empathy. : To foster ethical behavior and environments in the workplace, respecting others is a critical component. Everyone deserves dignity, privacy, equality, opportunity, compassion, and empathy. Honesty : Truth in all matters is key to fostering an ethical climate. Partial truths, omissions, and under or overstating don't help a business improve its performance. Bad news should be communicated and received in the same manner as good news so that solutions can be developed. : Truth in all matters is key to fostering an ethical climate. Partial truths, omissions, and under or overstating don't help a business improve its performance. Bad news should be communicated and received in the same manner as good news so that solutions can be developed. Respect for laws : Ethical leadership should include enforcing all local, state, and federal laws. If there is a legal grey area, leaders should err on the side of legality rather than exploiting a gap. : Ethical leadership should include enforcing all local, state, and federal laws. If there is a legal grey area, leaders should err on the side of legality rather than exploiting a gap. Responsibility : Promote ownership within an organization, allow employees to be responsible for their work, and be accountable for yours. : Promote ownership within an organization, allow employees to be responsible for their work, and be accountable for yours. Transparency : Stakeholders are people with an interest in a business, such as shareholders, employees, the community a firm operates in, and the family members of the employees. Without divulging trade secrets, companies should ensure information about their financials, price changes, hiring and firing practices, wages and salaries, and promotions are available to those interested in the business's success. : Stakeholders are people with an interest in a business, such as shareholders, employees, the community a firm operates in, and the family members of the employees. Without divulging trade secrets, companies should ensure information about their financials, price changes, hiring and firing practices, wages and salaries, and promotions are available to those interested in the business's success. Compassion : Employees, the community surrounding a business, business partners, and customers should all be treated with concern for their well-being. : Employees, the community surrounding a business, business partners, and customers should all be treated with concern for their well-being. Fairness : Everyone should have the same opportunities and be treated the same. If a practice or behavior would make you feel uncomfortable or place personal or corporate benefit in front of equality, common courtesy, and respect, it is likely not fair. : Everyone should have the same opportunities and be treated the same. If a practice or behavior would make you feel uncomfortable or place personal or corporate benefit in front of equality, common courtesy, and respect, it is likely not fair. Loyalty : Leadership should demonstrate confidentially and commitment to their employees and the company. Inspiring loyalty in employees and management ensures that they are committed to best practices. : Leadership should demonstrate confidentially and commitment to their employees and the company. Inspiring loyalty in employees and management ensures that they are committed to best practices. Environmental concern: In a world where resources are limited, ecosystems have been damaged by past practices, and the climate is changing, it is of utmost importance to be aware of and concerned about the environmental impacts a business has. All employees should be encouraged to discover and report solutions for practices that can add to damages already done. Why Is Business Ethics Important? There are several reasons business ethics are essential for success in modern business. Most importantly, defined ethics programs establish a code of conduct that drives employee behaviorfrom executives to middle management to the newest and youngest employees. When all employees make ethical decisions, the company establishes a reputation for ethical behavior. Its reputation grows, and it begins to experience the benefits a moral establishment reaps: Brand recognition and growth Increased ability to negotiate Increased trust in products and services Customer retention and growth Attracts talent Attracts investors When combined, all these factors affect a business' revenues. Those that fail set ethical standards and enforce them are doomed to eventually find themselves alongside Enron, Arthur Andersen, Wells Fargo, Lehman Brothers, Bernie Maddoff, and many others. Types of Business Ethics There are several theories regarding business ethics, and many different types can be found, but what makes a business stand out are its corporate social responsibility practices, transparency and trustworthiness, fairness, and technological practices. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the concept of meeting the needs of stakeholders while accounting for the impact meeting those needs has on employees, the environment, society, and the community in which the business operates. Of course, finances and profits are important, but they should be secondary to the welfare of society, customers, and employeesbecause studies have concluded that corporate governance and ethical practices increase financial performance. Businesses should hold themselves accountable and responsible for their environmental, philanthropic, ethical, and economic impacts. Transparency and Trustworthiness It's essential for companies to ensure they are reporting their financial performance in a way that is transparent. This not only applies to required financial reports but all reports in general. For example, many corporations publish annual reports to their shareholders. Most of these reports outline not only the submitted reports to regulators, but how and why decisions were made, if goals were met, and factors that influenced performance. CEOs write summaries of the company's annual performance and give their outlooks. Press releases are another way companies can be transparent. Events important to investors and customers should be published, regardless of whether it is good or bad news. Technological Practices and Ethics The growing use of technology of all forms in business operations inherently comes with a need for a business to ensure the technology and information it gathers is being used ethically. Additionally, it should ensure that the technology is secured to the utmost of its ability, especially as many businesses store customer information and collect data that those with nefarious intentions can use. Fairness A workplace should be inclusive, diverse, and fair for all employees regardless of race, religion, beliefs, age, or identity. A fair work environment is where everyone can grow, be promoted, and become successful in their own way. How to Implement Good Business Ethics Fostering an environment of ethical behavior and decision-making takes time and effortit always starts at the top. Most companies need to create a code of conduct/ethics, guiding principles, reporting procedures, and training programs to enforce ethical behavior. Once conduct is defined and programs implemented, continuous communication with employees becomes vital. Leaders should constantly encourage employees to report concern behavioradditionally, there should be assurances that if whistle-blowers will not face adversarial actions. A pipeline for anonymous reporting can help businesses identify questionable practices and reassure employees that they will not face any consequences for reporting an issue. Monitoring and Reporting Unethical Behavior When preventing unethical behavior and repairing its adverse side effects, companies often look to managers and employees to report any incidences they observe or experience. However, barriers within the company culture (such as fear of retaliation for reporting misconduct) can prevent this from happening. Published by the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI), the Global Business Ethics Survey of 2021 surveyed over 14,000 employees in 10 countries about different types of misconduct they observed in the workplace. 49% of the employees surveyed said they had observed misconduct and 22% said they had observed behavior they would categorize as abusive. 86% of employees said they reported the misconduct they observed. When questioned if they had experienced retaliation for reporting, 79% said they had been retaliated against. Indeed, fear of retaliation is one of the primary reasons employees cite for not reporting unethical behavior in the workplace. ECI says companies should work toward improving their corporate culture by reinforcing the idea that reporting suspected misconduct is beneficial to the company. Additionally, they should acknowledge and reward the employee's courage in making the report. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Business Ethics? Business ethics concerns ethical dilemmas or controversial issues faced by a company. Often, business ethics involve a system of practices and procedures that help build trust with the consumer. On one level, some business ethics are embedded in the law, such as minimum wages, insider trading restrictions, and environmental regulations. On another, business ethics can be influenced by management behavior, with wide-ranging effects across the company. What Are Business Ethics and Example? Business ethics guide executives, managers, and employees in their daily actions and decision-making. For example, consider a company that has decided to dump chemical waste that it cannot afford to dispose of properly on a vacant lot it has purchased in the local community. This action has legal, environmental, and social repercussions that can damage a company beyond repair. What Are the 7 Business Ethics? Business ethics is an evolving topic. Generally, there are about 12 ethical principles: honesty, fairness, leadership, integrity, compassion, respect, responsibility, loyalty, law-abiding, transparency, and environmental concerns. The Bottom Line Business ethics concerns employees, customers, society, the environment, shareholders, and stakeholders. Therefore, every business should develop ethical models and practices that guide employees in their actions and ensure they prioritize the interests and welfare of those the company serves. Doing so not only increases revenues and profits, it creates a positive work environment and builds trust with consumers and business partners. Cruise ship and resort operator Genting Hong Kong, subsidiary of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Group, won a key approval from the New South Wales government to increase its stake in Australian gambling company Echo Entertainment. Genting Hong Kong was permitted to raise its current stake to no more than 23%. At present, the company owns 6.6%of the casino operators shares and is the second largest shareholder in it. Under the New South Wales gambling regulations, no shareholder can hold bigger than a 10% stake in a given gambling operator without this first being approved by the local authorities. Genting Hong Kong submitted its application for an increase in its shares in Echo Entertainment back in 2012. The company has waited for an approval from the state Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority since then. At first, Genting Hong Kong requested to be permitted to own a 25% stake in the Australian casino company. However, the above-mentioned regulator settled on the 23% cap. The same was granted to Crown Resorts, owned by business James Packer, back in 2012, when the operator was looking to assume greater control over its rival. Subsequently, Crown Resorts sold its stake in Echo Entertainment in 2013. The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority said that it gave its nod to Genting Hong Kongs application as it is to become close associates with Echo Entertainments The Star casinoin Sydney. Furthermore, the regulator said it is satisfied with the fact that the said casinos ownership, funds, operation and management would remain stable even after the Asian company increases its stake in it. Commenting on the New South Wales governments decision, Genting Hong Kong said in a Friday statement that it was pleased with it but is yet to determine whether it would indeed increase its stakein Echo Entertainment. Here it is important to note that the cruise ship and resort operator needs to receive one more approval in order to be able to do so. Given the fact that Echo Entertainment operates two gambling venues in Queensland Jupiters located on the Gold Coast and Treasury in Brisbane, Genting Hong Kong needs an approval from Yvette DAth, state Attorney General and Justice Minister. According to local media, Ms. DAth is to give her nod to the move within a fortnight. the mgm grand hotel in las vegasshows grade level based on the word's complexity. daemonology [ dee-muh-nol-uh-jee ]/ di mnl di / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dee-muh-nol-uh-jee ]/ di mnl di /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. nouna variant of demonology. Words nearby daemonology How to use in a sentence King James says in his Daemonology, 'Magicians command the devils: witches are their servants. Life of Johnson|James Boswell QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDaedala, Daedalid, Daedalion, Daedalus, daemon, daemonology, Daesh, daff, daffadilly, daffadowndilly, daffingDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022 What Is Exponential Growth?how does spread betting work on sport Exponential growth is a pattern of data that shows greater increases with passing time, creating the curve of an exponential function. For example, suppose a population of mice rises exponentially by a factor of two every year starting with 2 in the first year, then 4 in the second year, 8 in the third year, 16 in the fourth year, and so on. The population is growing by a factor of 2 each year in this case. If mice instead give birth to four pups, you would have 4, then 16, then 64, then 256. Exponential growth (which is multiplicative) can be contrasted with linear growth (which is additive) and with geometric growth (which is raised to a power). Key Takeaways: Exponential growth is a pattern of data that shows sharper increases over time. In finance, compounding creates exponential returns. Savings accounts with a compounding interest rate can show exponential growth. Understanding Exponential Growth In finance, compound returns cause exponential growth. The power of compounding is one of the most powerful forces in finance. This concept allows investors to create large sums with little initial capital. Savings accounts that carry a compound interest rate are common examples of exponential growth. Applications of Exponential Growth Assume you deposit $1,000 in an account that earns a guaranteed 10% rate of interest. If the account carries a simple interest rate, you will earn $100 per year. The amount of interest paid will not change as long as no additional deposits are made. If the account carries a compound interest rate, however, you will earn interest on the cumulative account total. Each year, the lender will apply the interest rate to the sum of the initial deposit, along with any interest previously paid. In the first year, the interest earned is still 10% or $100. In the second year, however, the 10% rate is applied to the new total of $1,100, yielding $110. With each subsequent year, the amount of interest paid grows, creating rapidly accelerating, or exponential, growth. After 30 years, with no other deposits required, your account would be worth $17,449.40. The Formula for Exponential Growth On a chart, this curve starts slowly, remains nearly flat for a time before increasing swiftly to appear almost vertical. It follows the formula: V = S ( 1 + R ) T V=S\times(1+R)^T V=S(1+R)T The current value, V, of an initial starting point subject to exponential growth, can be determined by multiplying the starting value, S, by the sum of one plus the rate of interest, R, raised to the power of T, or the number of periods that have elapsed. Special Considerations While exponential growth is often used in financial modeling, the reality is often more complicated. The application of exponential growth works well in the example of a savings account because the rate of interest is guaranteed and does not change over time. In most investments, this is not the case. For instance, stock market returns do not smoothly follow long-term averages each year. Other methods of predicting long-term returnssuch as the Monte Carlo simulation, which uses probability distributions to determine the likelihood of different potential outcomeshave seen increasing popularity. Exponential growth models are more useful to predict investment returns when the rate of growth is steady. Online casino and sports betting brand OlyBet announced the relaunch of its affiliate program OEG Partners, which is to be managed in partnership with digital gaming and marketing company Income Access. OlyBet is a subsidiary of Estonian gambling operator Olympic Entertainment Group. The relaunched program will be managed by Income Access team of affiliate managers and will take advantage of its new partners particularly popular Ad Serving tool. Founded in 2010, OlyBet has since then been offering customers a wide selection of casino gaming titles and sports betting options. Gambling customers are offered the opportunity to choose among more than 500 slot games as well as a wide variety of traditional table games, with baccarat, blackjack, and roulette being few of these. OlyBets online gambling offering is powered by world-renowned providers such as Playtech, Microgaming, NetEnt, NextGen, etc. Online poker is also among the options offered by the OlyBet brand. Players can participate in online poker tournaments via the MPN Network. The digital gaming brand also features sports betting options, with a great part of those served in a live-streaming mode. Commenting on their partnership with Income Access, Olympic Entertainment Group Managing Director of Online Operations Veiko Krunberg noted that it is their main goal to attract a vast number of affiliates with personalized approach and diverse offering for gambling customers. Mr. Krunberg further pointed out that they have redesigned and relaunched their program with the intention to leverage their strongest side, namely their online casino operations. The official expressed confidence that the refocus would help affiliates grow and succeed. As mentioned above, the OEG Partners affiliate program would be managed by Income Access affiliate managers who have all years of experience in managing online casino and sports betting operations. The team will use the digital marketing companys Ad Serving tool for the purpose, with it being best known for offering brands the chance to effectively target affiliate marketing strategies. Income Access CEO and founder Nicky Senyard commented that they are extremely happy to be partnering with one of the largest European gambling operators. Ms. Senyard also said that their affiliate managers are looking forward to helping OlyBet and its relaunched affiliate program grow its online operations, which have already proved to be quite successful. What Is Exploration & Production (E&P)?best nft games to earn money Exploration & production (E&P) is a specific sector within the oil and gas industry linked to the early stage of energy production, which generally involves searching for and extracting oil and gas. An E&P company finds and extracts the raw materials used in the energy business. Typically they do not refine or produce energy but merely find and extract raw materials to be shipped to other oil companies within the production process. Key Takeaways Exploration and production (E&P) is the early stage of energy production, which includes searching for and extracting oil and natural gas. After identifying potentially viable fields, a well is drilled to test the findings by collecting samples. If there are both the quality and quantity needed to produce and sell commercially, the production of oil wells begins. The oil and gas deposits are extracted from the wells, stored temporarily, and eventually shipped via a pipeline to a refinery. Understanding Exploration & Production (E&P) E&P is known as the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry, which consists of the search, exploration, drilling, and extraction phases. The E&P segment is the earliest portion of the oil and gas production process. Companies within this segment are primarily focused on locating and extracting commodities from the Earth. The resource owners and operators of E&P work with a variety of contractors, such as engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, joint-venture partners, and oil field service companies. In the process of locating and extracting oil and gas, E&P companies also build infrastructure and collect massive amounts of analytical data. Exploration & Production (E&P) Phases The process of oil and gas exploration and production typically consists of four stages, which are outlined below: Search and Exploration The search and exploration stage involves the search for hydrocarbons, which are the primary components of petroleum and natural gas. Land surveys are performed to help identify the areas that are the most promising. The goal is to locate specific minerals underground in order to estimate the amount of oil and gas reserves before drilling. Geologists study rock formations and layers of sediment within the soil to identify if oil or natural gas is present. The process can involve seismology, which uses substantial vibrations as a result of machinery or explosives to create seismic waves. How the seismic waves interact with a reservoir containing oil and gas helps to pinpoint the reservoir's location. Once it has been determined that there appear to be reserves beneath the ground, the test drilling process can begin. Well Construction After identifying potentially viable fields, a well is drilled to test the findings and determine whether there are enough reserves to be commercially viable for sale. The process involves making a hole by drilling or grinding through the rock beneath the surface. A steel pipe is inserted into the hole so that the drill can be inserted into the pipe, allowing for exploration at a deeper level. Core samples are taken and studied by geologists, engineers, and paleontologists to determine if there is the proper quality of natural gas or petroleum in the underground reserve. If the process shows that there are both the quality and quantity needed to produce and sell commercially, the production of oil wells begins. Engineers will typically estimate how many wells will be needed and the best method of extraction. The estimated cost of the number of wells is determined. Next, the construction of the platform begins, which could be on land or offshore. The necessary environmental protections are also implemented at this stage. There have been significant advances in drilling technologies over the years. Companies can drill horizontally tapping into vertical wells to search for natural gas pockets, which can produce far more natural gas than a typical vertical well. Extraction The oil and gas deposits are extracted from the wells. Sometimes, natural gas can be processed at the same site as the well. However, petroleum is usually extracted on-site, stored temporarily, and eventually shipped via a pipeline to a refinery. Abandonment of Wells Once a site is no longer productive, meaning all reserves have been extracted and all opportunities have been exhausted, the wells are plugged or sealed. Attempts are made to restore the area in an effort to help the environment. The Midstream and Downstream Phases Once the crude oil and natural gas reserves have been extracted, the midstream oil and gas production process begins. Midstream companies focus on the storage and transportation of oil and natural gas through pipelines. They deliver the reserves to companies involved in the final stage of production called downstream. The downstream process involves refineries that process the oil into usable products, such as gasoline. Once finished products are created from the crude oil and natural gas, they are sent to distributors and retail outlets, such as energy providers and gas stations. What Does E&P Stand for in Oil and Gas? E&P is short for exploration and production, which is the early stage of energy production that consists of looking for oil and gas and then extracting it. What Is the Difference Between Exploration and Production? Exploration is the process of examining places where abundant oil and natural gas resources potentially exist under the earths surface. Once these places have been identified, production commences to collect and extract. What Are the 3 Stages of Oil and Gas? The oil and gas industry is generally broken down into three segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream. The first phase is upstream, which is when companies initially explore and then start drilling and extracting oil and natural gas. It is then followed by midstream, which refers to the transportation of crude or refined petroleum products, and finally downstream, which is the final stage and consists of processing the oil into usable products and marketing them. Is Exploration and Production (E&P) Upstream? Yes, exploration and production (E&P) is considered part of the upstream phase, which is the initial part of the oil and gas process that consists of exploration, drilling, and extraction. The Bottom Line Finding and extracting oil and natural gas from the earths surface is a deeply controversial and complex process that requires lots of money, patience, and hard work. Its necessary, though, as without these resources, which are used to power vehicles, heat buildings, produce electricity, and even to make products such as deodorant, MRI machines, and pacemakers, the economy and life as we know it would grind to a standstill. US online casino and sports betting operator Rush Street Interactive is set to go public via a merger with a blank check company, according to recent reports. The deal, which will value Rush Street Interactive at around $1.8 billion, is expected to be confirmed by the involved parties as early as today. A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), dMY is managed by former EMC Corp. executive Harry You and former Glu Mobile Inc. CEO Niccolo de Masi. As part of its planned takeover of Rush Street Interactive, the company seeks to raise additional equity. It has reportedly engaged with potential investors to raise more than $150 million. dMY went public this past February to raise $230 million in its initial public offering. Rush Street Interactive was founded in 2012 as the digital gambling arm of Chicago-based major regional casino operator Rush Street Gaming. Rush Street Interactive operates casino and sports betting websites and apps in multiple US states and Latin America. According to people familiar with the ongoing merger talks, a deal could be announced in the coming days. However, sources said that as with any deal that has not been closed, it is possible that talks could collapseand a transaction could not occur. Representatives for the two companies have not commented on the matter. Latest in a Host of Similar Deals A merger between Rush Street Interactive and dMY could be the latest in flurry of similar dealssince the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing market volatility and global economic uncertainty. Merging with a SPAC has quickly became a popular way for closely held companies operating in different industries to go public in the past several months. At a time of economic tumult, SPACs can offer liquidity. In addition, traditional IPOs can take much longer from several months up to a year while there have been SPAC deals to have taken only a couple of weeks to close and have offered much better price support. Businesses from electric car ventures Nikola Corp. and Fisker Inc. to potato chip maker Utz Quality Foods have announced similar deals with blank check companies in a bid to offset some of the losses caused by the worst global health panic in many years. And it should be noted that a similar merger occurred within the online gambling space not long ago. In April, daily fantasy sports and sports betting operator DraftKings closed a $3.3 billion three-way mergerwith special purpose acquisition company Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp. and betting technology provider SBTech to go public on NASDAQ and form the only vertically integrated pure-play sports betting and online gaming company based in the United States. News also emerged in June that blank check company Landcadia II would acquire Tilman Fertitta-owned Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc.in a deal that would see the online casino operator go public on NASDAQ and become only the second pure publicly traded online casino company in the US.The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of the year. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories What Is Explicit Cost?bar bar black sheep slot Explicit costs are normal business costs that appear in a companys general ledger and directly affect its profitability. They have clearly defined dollar amounts that flow through to the income statement. Examples of explicit costs include wages, lease payments, utilities, raw materials, and other direct costs. Key Takeaways In accounting, explicit costs are normal business expenses that are tangible and easy to track; they appear in the general ledger. Explicit costs are the only costs used to calculate a profit, as they demonstrably affect a companys bottom line. Though the depreciation of an asset cannot be tangibly traced, it is nevertheless an explicit cost, as it is linked to the cost of the underlying company asset. Understanding Explicit Costs Explicit costsalso known as accounting costsare easy to identify and link to a companys business activities to which the expenses are attributed. They are recorded in a companys general ledger and flow through to the expenses listed on the income statement. The net income (NI) of a business reflects the residual income that remains after all explicit costs have been paid. Explicit costs are the only accounting costs that are necessary to calculate a profit, as they have a clear impact on a companys bottom line. The explicit-cost metric is especially helpful for companies' long-term strategic planning. Explicit Cost Explicit Costs vs. Implicit Costs 1:14 Explicit costs involve tangible assets and monetary transactions and result in real business opportunities. Explicit costs are easy to identify, record, and audit because of their paper trail. Expenses relating to advertising, supplies, utilities, inventory, and purchased equipment are examples of explicit costs. Although the depreciation of an asset is not an activity that can be tangibly traced, depreciation expense is an explicit cost, because it relates to the cost of the underlying asset owned by the company. In contrast, implicit costs are not clearly defined, identified, or reported as expenses. They often deal with intangibles and are described as opportunity coststhe value of the best alternative not accepted. An example of an implicit cost is time spent on one activity of a business that could better be spent on a different pursuit. Management will utilize explicit costs when reviewing a business operations, including profits, but will calculate implicit costs only for decision-making or choosing among a variety of alternatives. An explicit cost is a defined dollar amount that appears in the general ledger, while an implicit cost is not initially shown or reported as a separate cost. Companies use both explicit and implicit costs when calculating a companys economic profit, which is defined as the total return a company receives based on all costs incurred to attain that revenue, as opposed to accounting profit, which is the amount of money left over after costs and expenses are deducted from total revenue. Specifically, economic profit shows whether a company is earning more than the competitive norm. It can be used to determine if a business should enter or exit a market or an industry. In a perfectly competitive market, economic profit is zero. What Are Explicit Costs? Explicit costs are tangible expenses that appear in a companys general ledger and are used to determine profitability. Examples include wages, lease payments, utilities, and raw materials. What Are Implicit Costs? Implicit costs are not clearly defined and dont get reported as expenses. When a company allocates its resources, it forgoes the ability to earn money off the use of those resources elsewhere. It is the cost of the use of an asset. What Is Accounting Profit? Accounting profit is the money left over in a business after deducting explicit costs from total revenue. What Is Economic Profit? Economic profit measures how a company is faring compared with its competition. It uses both explicit and implicit costs. A company can have a positive accounting profit while maintaining a zero economic profit. If you have just entered into high school or college, are you are freshman or a freshmen? Are you a part of the freshman class or the freshmen class? In todays post, I want to talk about the differences between freshman and freshmen. What is the Difference Between Freshman and Freshmen? The difference between these two words, freshman vs. freshmen, is pretty straightforward. One word freshmanis singular; the other word freshmenis plural, but there are a few other considerations that trip people up, namely, what is the correct choice when the word functions as an adjective. Should you use freshman or freshmen? Lets find out. When to Use Freshman What does freshman mean? Freshman is the singular noun and is defined as a student in the first year of high school, college, or university. My roommate this year is a freshman. When I was a Harvard freshman, he generously held forth at an evening weekly seminar where I was one of a dozen or so fortunate enough to be invited to join his class. The Wall Street Journal When to Use Freshmen What does freshmen mean? Freshmen is the plural form of freshman. Jack and Jill are freshmen at Yale. There were hundreds of new freshmen at the student orientation this weekend. Freshman Class or Freshmen Class? Now that we have the singular freshman vs. the plural freshmen out of the way, which word should you use to function as an adjective? Freshmen or freshman? The freshman class has 1,600 students. (Correct) The freshmen class has 1,600 students. (Wrong) The adjective freshmanis always singular. We had over 5,000 freshman applicants this year alone. -not- We had over 5,000 freshmen applications this year alone. Here are a few outside examples from popular American newspapers. The couple, both 32, met at Harvard, from which they both graduated. After dating during freshman year, they reconnected in 2013. The New York Times Michigan State got in the College Football Playoff after freshman running back L.J. Scott twisted, turned, lunged and reached for a game-winning touchdown. The Washington Post Trick to Remember the Difference Here are a few quick and easy tricks to remember freshmen vs. freshman. The singular vs. plural difference is just the same as it is for manand men. Man is singular. Men is plural. Freshman is singular. Freshmen is plural. This makes that easy to remember. The adjective use of freshman is also easy to remember. Just think of the a in freshman as standing for adjective. This will prevent you from ever using freshmenas an adjective. Summary Is it freshmen of freshman? One is singular and one is plural. Freshman is a singular noun. It can also be used as an adjective. Freshmenis a plural noun. It cannot be used as an adjective. If you are ever stumped on the difference between any other confusing English words, check out our main confusing words page. We have hundreds of the most confusing English words detailed in full with explanations, examples, and quizzes. 02:37 Colombia's first left-wing president,poker wpt online bovada casino app Gustavo Petro, is marking 100 days in office this Tuesday. Demonstrators marked the occasion with a show of support. For more, check out our exclusive content on cgtn now and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the china report. Ph.D., Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin M.A., Philosophy, McGill University B.A., Philosophy, University of Sheffield One of the most famous passages in all of Plato's worksindeed, in all of philosophyoccurs in the middle of the Meno. Meno asks Socrates if he can prove the truth of his strange claim that "all learning is recollection" (a claim that Socrates connects to the idea of reincarnation). Socrates responds by calling over an enslaved boy and, after establishing that he has had no mathematical training, gives him a geometry problem. The Geometry Problem The boy is asked how to double the area of a square. His confident first answer is that you achieve this by doubling the length of the sides. Socrates shows him that this, in fact, creates a square four times larger than the original. The boy then suggests extending the sides by half their length. Socrates points out that this would turn a 2x2 square (area = 4) into a 3x3 square (area = 9). At this point, the boy gives up and declares himself at a loss. Socrates then guides him by means of simple step-by-step questions to the correct answer, which is to use the diagonal of the original square as the base for the new square. The Soul Immortal According to Socrates, the boy's ability to reach the truth and recognize it as such proves that he already had this knowledge within him; the questions he was asked simply "stirred it up," making it easier for him to recollect it. He argues, further, that since the boy didn't acquire such knowledge in this life, he must have acquired it at some earlier time; in fact, Socrates says, he must have always known it, which indicates that the soul is immortal. Moreover, what has been shown for geometry also holds for every other branch of knowledge: the soul, in some sense, already possesses the truth about all things. Some of Socrates' inferences here are clearly a bit of a stretch. Why should we believe that an innate ability to reason mathematically implies that the soul is immortal? Or that we already possess within us empirical knowledge about such things as the theory of evolution, or the history of Greece? Socrates himself, in fact, acknowledges that he can't be certain about some of his conclusions. Nevertheless, he evidently believes that the demonstration with the enslaved boy proves something. But does it? And if so, what? One view is that the passage proves that we have innate ideasa kind of knowledge we are quite literally born with. This doctrine is one of the most disputed in the history of philosophy. Descartes, who was clearly influenced by Plato, defended it. He argues, for instance, that God imprints an idea of Himself on each mind that he creates. Since every human being possesses this idea, faith in God is available to all. And because the idea of God is the idea of an infinitely perfect being, it makes possible other knowledge which depends on the notions of infinity and perfection, notions that we could never arrive at from experience. The doctrine of innate ideas is closely associated with the rationalist philosophies of thinkers like Descartes and Leibniz. It was fiercely attacked by John Locke, the first of the major British empiricists. Book One of Locke's Essay on Human Understanding is a famous polemic against the whole doctrine. According to Locke, the mind at birth is a "tabula rasa," a blank slate. Everything we eventually know is learned from experience. Since the 17th century (when Descartes and Locke produced their works), the empiricist skepticism regarding innate ideas has generally had the upper hand. Nevertheless, a version of the doctrine was revived by the linguist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky was struck by the remarkable achievement of every child in learning language. Within three years, most children have mastered their native language to such an extent that they can produce an unlimited number of original sentences. This ability goes far beyond what they can have learned simply by listening to what others say: the output exceeds the input. Chomsky argues that what makes this possible is an innate capacity for learning language, a capacity that involves intuitively recognizing what he calls the "universal grammar"the deep structurethat all human languages share. A Priori Although the specific doctrine of innate knowledge presented in the Meno finds few takers today, the more general view that we know some things a priorii.e. prior to experienceis still widely held. Mathematics, in particular, is thought to exemplify this sort of knowledge. We don't arrive at theorems in geometry or arithmetic by conducting empirical research; we establish truths of this sort simply by reasoning. Socrates may prove his theorem using a diagram drawn with a stick in the dirt but we understand immediately that the theorem is necessarily and universally true. It applies to all squares, regardless of how big they are, what they are made of, when they exist, or where they exist. Many readers complain that the boy does not really discover how to double the area of a square himself: Socrates guides him to the answer with leading questions. This is true. The boy would probably not have arrived at the answer by himself. But this objection misses the deeper point of the demonstration: the boy is not simply learning a formula that he then repeats without real understanding (the way most of us are doing when we say something like, "e = mc squared"). When he agrees that a certain proposition is true or an inference is valid, he does so because he grasps the truth of the matter for himself. In principle, therefore, he could discover the theorem in question, and many others, just by thinking very hard. And so could we all. A total of 17 million gambling-related adsfell victim to Googles crackdown on non-compliant advertisers last year. According to a Wednesday report, the search engine took down 1.7 billion adsthat failed to conform to its advertising policies in 2016. The figure posted was twice as large as the number of ads blocked in 2015. Google explained that it has taken certain measures to purge its network from bad ads. In the first place, it has increased the number of ad categoriesthat would not be allowed in the search engine. It has also upgraded the technology that spots such bad ads in order to be able to block violators more quickly and effectively. In its report, Google noted that the number of ads that attempted at promoting gambling-related initiatives without the proper authorization to do soincreased in 2016. By proper authorization the search behemoth meant ads that did not comply with the regulations in the countries they were intended for. Such ads accounted for 1% of all blocked ads over the course of 2016. Aside from gambling-related advertisements, Google also removed 5 million ads that promoted payday loans, more than 68 million bad ads for pharmaceuticals, almost 80 million ads that featured misleading content, and over 23,000 self-clicking ads. In addition, nearly 7 million ads were blocked for trying to intentionally trick Googles detection systems. The search engine extended its clampdown to the so-called fake news publishers or websites in its AdSense ad network that deceived visitors into thinking they were actual news outlets. A total of 550 such publishers were reviewed in December 2016 and almost 200 of them were removed from the networkfor good. Gambling-related ads, no matter in what form they are presented to the public, have always been the subject of bitter controversy, mainly due to the nature of the products they promote. Apart from the Internet, where gambling ads can pop-up from here and there, television is the other popular channel to be regularly opted for by gambling advertisers. While it is a bit more challenging to block online gambling-related advertising content, television as a channel can be more easily monitored and regulated. For instance, it has become clear late last year that the UK may impose a daytime ban on TV gambling adsas a result from growing concerns over the availability of such ads to minors and other vulnerable people. M.A., Geography, California State University - East Bay B.A., English and Geography, California State University - Sacramento The Tropic of Cancer is a line of latitude circling the Earth at approximately 23.5 north of the equator. It is the northernmost point on Earth where the sun's rays can appear directly overhead at local noon. It is also one of the five major degree measures or circles of latitude dividing the Earth (the others are the Tropic of Capricorn, the equator, the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle). The Tropic of Cancer is significant to Earth's geography because, in addition to being the northernmost point where the sun's rays are directly overhead, it also marks the northern boundary of tropics, which is the region that extends from the equator north to the Tropic of Cancer and south to the Tropic of Capricorn. Some of the Earth's largest countries and/or cities are at or near the Tropic of Cancer. For example, the line passes through United States' state of Hawaii, portions of Central America, northern Africa, and the Sahara Desert and is near Kolkata, India. It should also be noted that because of the greater amount of land in the Northern Hemisphere, the Tropic of Cancer passes through more cities than the equivalent Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. Naming of the Tropic of Cancer At the June or summer solstice (around June 21) when the Tropic of Cancer was named, the sun was pointed in the direction of the constellation Cancer, thus giving the new line of latitude the name the Tropic of Cancer. However, because this name was assigned over 2,000 years ago, the sun is no longer in the constellation Cancer. It is instead located in the constellation Taurus today. For most references though, it is easiest to understand the Tropic of Cancer with its latitudinal location of 23.5N. Significance of the Tropic of Cancer In addition to being used to divide the Earth into different parts for navigation and marking the northern boundary of the tropics, the Tropic of Cancer is also significant to the Earth's amount of solar insolation and the creation of seasons. Solar insolation is the amount of incoming solar radiation on the Earth. It varies over the Earth's surface based on the amount of direct sunlight hitting the equator and tropics and spreads north or south from there. Solar insolation is most at the subsolar point (the point on Earth that is directly beneath the Sun and where the rays hit at 90 degrees to the surface) which migrates annually between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn because of the Earth's axial tilt. When the subsolar point is at the Tropic of Cancer, it is during the June solstice and this is when the northern hemisphere receives the most solar insolation. During the June solstice, because the amount of solar insolation is greatest at the Tropic of Cancer, the areas north of the tropic in the northern hemisphere also receive the most solar energy which keeps it warmest and creates summer. In addition, this is also when the areas at latitudes higher than the Arctic Circle receive 24 hours of daylight and no darkness. By contrast, the Antarctic Circle receives 24 hours of darkness and lower latitudes have their winter season because of low solar insolation, less solar energy and lower temperatures. Click here to see a simple map showing the location of the Tropic of Cancer. Reference Wikipedia. (13 June 2010). Tropic of Cancer - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancer GENEVA,happy88 slot lv casino promo code Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Health Organization (WHO) announced Thursday a joint program aiming to increase physical activity. The three-year program targets on those adolescents and adults that are not undertaking sufficient physical activity, according to a recent report from WHO. The program has three objectives, including supporting more people, particularly women and girls to be more active; enhancing knowledge of the multiple benefits of regular physical activity, and strengthening and investment in community sports, the IOC announced in a press release. "(The program) strengthens the role of sport in contributing to the global target of a 15 percent reduction in physical inactivity by 2030 and fostering healthy and active lives," the release said. What Is a Bureaucracy?what is crypto.com app The term bureaucracy refers to a complex organization that has multilayered systems and processes. The systems and processes that are put in place effectively make decision-making slow. They are designed to maintain uniformity and control within the organization. A bureaucracy describes the methods that are commonly established in governments and large organizations, such as corporations. A bureaucracy is pivotal in the administration of the entity's rules and regulations. Key Takeaways The word bureaucracy implies a complex structure with multiple layers and procedures. The systems that are put in place under a bureaucracy make decision-making slow. Bureaucracies can render systems formal and rigid, which is needed when following safety procedures is critical. The term bureaucracy is often criticized and deemed negative because of the implication that procedures are more important than efficiency. The Glass-Steagall Act is a good example of effective bureaucracy in place in the United States. How a Bureaucracy Works The bureaucratic process lends itself to criticism and is synonymous with redundancy, arbitrariness, and inefficiency. People often use terms like bureaucrat, bureaucratic, and bureaucracy in a negative context. For instance, calling someone a bureaucrat implies they're a government official while the term bureaucratic implies that procedures are more important than efficiency. One common use of the word bureaucracy is the ability to make impossibilities a reality. But there is a more balanced way to look at a bureaucracy. From a structural standpoint, it stems from the effort to lead organizations through closed systems. These systems are meant to be formal and rigid in order to maintain order. Perhaps the single most identifiable characteristic of a bureaucracy is the use of hierarchical procedures to simplify or replace autonomous decisions. A bureaucrat makes implicit assumptions about an organization and how it operates. One assumption is that the entity cannot rely on an open system of operations, which is either too complex or too uncertain to survive. Instead, a closed and rationally reviewed system should be implemented and followed. Procedural correctness is paramount within a bureaucracy. Bureaucracy vs. Governance vs. Administration Bureaucracy is not the same as governance or administration. Some administrative structures are not bureaucratic, and many bureaucracies are not part of administrative structures. So what's the difference? The distinction lies in the objectives of each system. Bureaucracies ensure procedural correctness irrespective of the circumstances or goals. Governance includes processes, procedures, and systems that are implemented by an organization to: Make decisions Assign individuals who make those decisions Provide oversight Collect data and report performance results An administration, on the other hand, directs organizational resources toward an objective goal such as generating profits or administering a service. In modern industrial societies, dual bureaucracies often exist between private companies and government regulatory agencies. Whenever a regulatory bureaucracy exists to impose rules on business activity, the private company may create a bureaucracy to avoid violating such regulations. Bureaucracies are all around us. For instance, an oil company may establish a bureaucracy to compel its employees to complete safety checks when operating on an oil rig. Criticisms of a Bureaucracy Bureaucratic structures tend to be backward-looking, identifying procedures that worked well in the past. This backward perspective creates a conflict with entrepreneurs and innovators who prefer forward-looking concepts and attempt to identify ways in which processes could be improved. For example, agile processes that make improvements through an iterative process characterized by self-organization and accountability. Over time, a rigid bureaucracy reduces operational efficiency, particularly compared to rival organizations without large bureaucracies. Losses in efficiency are most pronounced in circumstances where bureaucracy is also used to insulate established power structures from the competition. Classic bureaucratic rigidity and protectionism are prevalent in the U.S. government. For example, firing poor performers is difficult because there is an arduous termination process that has been put in place. Examples of Bureaucracy Examples of bureaucracy are all around us. Workplaces, schools, governments, all typically have hierarchical structures with individuals filling positions based on skill or merit (real or perceived). In a Harvard Business Review article, James L. Heskett questioned whether bureaucracy is a good thing in government or private businesses. The article describes bureaucracies as entities that focus on decision rights rather than decision making and states that "they are not created to deliberate or think. According to comments from contributors to the article, "Bureaucracies are far too often about themselves and expanding the power and influence of the people who head them. Some of the article's contributors who served in government agencies defend the role of bureaucracy while recognizing that reforming bureaucracies could provide greater autonomy to decision-makers. Another comment noted that the bureaucracy of the U.S. government was effective in its creation of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which established the provisions for separating commercial and investment banking, and the social programs created through the New Deal. The New Deal was an initiative of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also in 1933, whereby many social programs helped the United States to recover from the Great Depression. Origins of Bureaucracy The concept of bureaucracy is fairly old, going back to the Han dynasty in China. But the modern interpretation of the idea dates back to 18th century France. The term bureaucracy is a hybrid word whose roots go back to French and Greek. It's made up of the French word bureau, which means desk or office, and the Greek term kratein, which means to rule. The use of these two words together combine to loosely mean ruling by or from a desk or office. The word was first officially in France used after the French Revolution. From there, the word and concept spread throughout the rest of the world. 19th-century German sociologist Max Weber was one of the first scholars to use the term and expand its influence. He described the concept of bureaucracy in a positive (idealized) sense and considered the ideal bureaucracy to be both efficient and rational. He believed that bureaucracy clearly defined the roles of the individuals involved and helped narrow the focus of administrative goals. For Weber, bureaucracy was key to capitalism, since it allowed organizations to persist even as individuals come and go. What Is a Bureaucrat? The term bureaucrat refers to someone who is a member of a bureaucracy. This can allude to someone who is a government official or someone in a position of power, such as a chief executive officer or board member of a company or another organization. Whats Good About a Bureaucracy? Bureaucracies can help organizations run smoothly and efficiently. This allows large organizations to streamline processes and bring order to systems and procedures. Management becomes easier and processes become less chaotic. Bureaucracies tend to include a division of labor with clearly defined roles. They also ensure that everyone is treated equally and fairly, which means there is no bias toward any one entity. For instance, the government makes everyone fill out the same (often cumbersome) paperwork for benefits like student loans. Whats Bad About a Bureaucracy? Bureaucracies are often looked down upon because people view them as valuing procedures over efficiency. Many people feel that rules and paperwork can pile up under bureaucracies. This is often referred to as the red tape people and companies need to overcome in order to achieve certain goals like establishing a business. Rules and regulations can often be difficult to navigate and may even favor some people over others, such as the wealthy. What Are the Most Common Characteristics of a Bureaucracy? Some of the most common characteristics of a bureaucracy include a hierarchy, rules and regulations, and specialization. The hierarchy establishes scales of powerthose with the most power are at the top while individuals who have the least fall at the bottom. Rules and regulations are typically formal and indicate how processes and functions are to be conducted. Specialization entails the use of training to allow people to do their jobs properly under the structure. The Bottom Line Bureaucracies are all around us from the companies for which we work to the governments that rule our world's countries. They are in place to ensure that things run efficiently and by the bookthat is, that people follow the rules, whether that's to conduct health and safety checks while on the job, to get a permit for a building project, or to access government benefits. As much as they're supposed to help keep everyone on track, bureaucracies are often criticized for being cumbersome and for putting the emphasis on procedure and policy rather than efficiency. Regardless of how you feel about themwhether it's positive or negativebureaucracies aren't going away. They are, in fact, a part of the structure of many organizations. Playtech revealed the name of the new Chief Policy Officer. This isFrancesco Rodano who left the Italian gaming regulator Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (AAMS) to join the online gambling giant. Rodano will be responsible for providing Playtech with accurate information about the legislative hurdles they are likely to encounter in the different countries. He will also be in charge of developing and maintaining ongoing relationships with the legislative bodies in these countries, finding new customers and strengthening the relations with the existing stakeholders. Rodano, who will work from the London-based office, will report directly to Mor Weizer, Playtechs CEO. The latter commented on Rodanos appointment and said that his vast experience, as well as his personal qualities, give Rodano all chances of becoming an important figure on the online gambling scene. Mr. Weizer remained hopeful that the Italian will become an invaluable asset for Playtech and did not hide his excitement that namely Rodano was appointed to the key post. Last year, Rodano was offered a Senior Director of Market Strategies and Development position with yet another prominent developer of online gambling products IGT. At that time, he worked for Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli. Instead of leaving the agency, he decided to see out the remainder of his contract with AAMS before taking up another career journey. At the time Rodano was working for the regulator, he put a lot of efforts towards the liberalisation of the Italian gambling market. He was in charge of overseeing the activities of the sports betting operators, granted the right to operate on the territory of Italy. He was also responsible for monitoring the addition of regulated slots to the casino vertical. Back in 2008 and 2011, he was also overseeing the introduction of the online gambling options. The online gambling legalization attracted a great number of licensees and made the Italian gambling sector the second largest in Europe, generating annual revenues of more than 800 million. Rodano himself commented on his appointment as a Chief Policy Officer at Playtech and shared that he was happy to be on the other side of the fence after spending the last nine years working as a regulator. He also added that currently, the regulated markets were of paramount priority and he was impatient to join the talented management team of Playtech and provide his support as far as public policy matters were concerned. FRANKFURT,jackpot party casino will not load Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde on Friday reiterated the central bank's determination to fight record high inflation, but promised to reduce its balance sheet "moderately." The ECB will raise rates to a level that is expected to bring the euro area's inflation back to its two percent medium-term target in time, Lagarde said Friday at the "Frankfurt European Banking Congress," one of Europe's most important gatherings in banking and finance sectors. Lagarde also warned of rising risk of recession in the bloc, even if "the latest data on gross domestic product growth had surprised on the upside." In December, Lagarde said the governing council will set the main principles for reducing bond holdings. "In parallel, policy instruments to preserve the orderly transmission of monetary policy will be maintained," Lagarde noted, referring to the pandemic emergency purchase program (PEPP) and the transmission protection instrument (TPI). The ECB's balance sheet, swollen over the years by billions in securities purchases, must be normalized in a "measured and predictable" way, she said. What Is the Expedited Funds Availability Act?tips 180 best free spin for money The Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFAA) was implemented to regulate the hold periods on deposits made to commercial banks. Enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1987, the EFAA also standardized financial institutions' use of the deposit holds. The EFAA specifies the types of holds that banks can utilize on a check deposit, depending on the type of account and the amount of the deposit. Key Takeaways The Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFAA) regulates the hold periods that commercial banks can make on deposits. The four main types of deposit hold types are statutory, large deposit, new account, and exception holds. In addition, the EFAA specifies that checks from insurance drawn on in-state banks must be made available five business days after deposit. Understanding the Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFAA) The Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFAA) intends to standardize the handling of deposit holds. Banks and other financial institutions must inform customers of their policies regarding deposit holds, as well as any changes to the policies. The Federal Reserve has implemented the EFAA as Regulation CC. Hold Types Allowed Under EFAA The EFAA, or Regulation CC, allows banks to place four types of holds on deposited funds. These are: Statutory Large deposit New account Exception Specific requirements must be met for each type of hold, and some banks will require, as a matter of policy, that funds be held under the hold type that allows the largest amount to be held for the longest period, legally. Statutory Holds Statutory holds can be placed on almost any deposit; under this type of hold, the bank must make the first $200 of the deposit available on the next business day after the deposit is made, the second $600 available on the second business day after the deposit is made, and the rest on the third business day. Large Deposit Holds Large deposit holds are placed when the total of deposits made in one business day is more than $5,000. The availability rules for the first and second business day after the deposit are the same as for a statutory hold, but on the third business day, the bank must make $4,800 of the deposit available, with any remaining amount made available on the seventh business day after the deposit. New Account Holds New account holds are placed on deposits made to accounts that are less than 30 days old. These holds are lifted on the ninth business day after the deposit. Exception Holds Exception holds are used for accounts that have been frequently overdrawn, or when banks have reason to suspect that a deposit is legitimate. In rarer cases, they may be used if the bank branch suffers a power outage or a computer system failure. In most cases, however, exception holds are used when an account has been overdrawn for at least six business days out of the six months prior to the deposit, or at least two business days if the account has been overdrawn in an amount more than $5,000. An exception hold may be placed if the bank suspects that the check is fraudulent or wont clear. It may also be placed on an instrument that has been previously returned for insufficient funds. Exception holds are lifted on the seventh business day after the deposit is made. Insurance Checks Funds from insurance checks drawn on in-state banks must be made available on the fifth business day after deposit. If the bank is out of state, the funds must be available by the seventh business day after the deposit. It seems the state of Michigan is one step closer to online poker legalization. Yet another major hurdle was cleared yesterday when the Senate committee members approved SB 889 bill 8-1. The next step is the bill to receive a Senate approval. For the time being, there is no information about an online casino bill, awaiting approval at the Michigan House. If approved, bill SB 889 would legalize only pokergames via the Internet. The legislative session concludes at the end of June, so it is difficult to handicap whether the bill would pass or not. Yet, the Michigan Senator Mike Kowall is the sponsor of the online casino bill which boosts the chances the matter to be resolved in a timely manner. According to the clauses, the piece of legislation contains, operators willing to provide their services on the territory of the Wolverine state will be required to pay an application fee amounting to $100,000. The fee for an Internet gambling license is set at $5 million. The internet wagering services operators provide will be subject to a 10% tax. The piece of legislation also enables only land-based casinos on the territory of Michigan to apply for an online gambling license. In addition, the online poker and casino legalization will bring about the necessity of establishment ofDivision of Internet Gaming in the Michigan Gaming Control Boardto oversee the gambling activities taking place within the state borders. Michigan residents have more than 20 tribal gambling facilities available as well as three commercial casinos in Detroit. They reached their peak in 2010-2012 when they collected record revenues. After that, a slight decline was noticed. Nevertheless, the accumulated revenue for 2015 was $1.37 billion. The idea for online gambling legislation has been on the agenda for quite some time. The state has a long history related to gambling, though. The year 1933 saw the legalization of pari-mutuel horse racing. The increasing demand for gambling services in the 1980s led to the establishment of casino venues in Detroit. Back then, the lottery games were also allowed. Michigan legalized online lottery in 2014. If online casinos get the nod, Michigan would be the first state to legalize online gambling since 2013. Online casinos legislation also remains a hot topic in Pennsylvania, California, and New York. Currently, there are three jurisdictions that have already implemented the iGaming options Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. Visiting Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter ONeill said Monday that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting,four winds online casino which will be held in Papua New Guinea in November, provides an enormous opportunity for many economies in the region. ONeill, who arrived here Sunday for a two-day visit to Fiji since being elected as prime minister in 2012, made the remarks while addressing the Fijian parliament on the progress of preparations by his country in hosting the event. APEC is a 21-member forum that includes China, Japan, Russia, the United States and many large global economies promoting free trade throughout the Asia Pacific region, he said, adding that the meeting will be attended by nearly 9,000 delegates from all over the world and his country continues to provide the highest level of security. He also invited his Fijian counterpart Voreqe Bainimarama to address the APEC meeting in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea in November. Meanwhile, ONeill also called for working together in achieving common goals. We as Melanesian and Pacific Island Nations must work together simply by getting on and doing what is best for our own countries and also for the region. It is therefore important that we continue to build a strong bond in our two countries and of course in our regional and sub-regional organizations, he said. ONeill also expressed PNGs interest in furthering trade and investment relations with Fiji. He added that businesses from both countries are investing in tourism, banks and agriculture, and PNG wishes to strengthen this. ONeill will leave Fiji on Tuesday afternoon after finishing his visit. APEC meeting provides enormous opportunity for regional economiesadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is a Business Cycle?blackjack game set cashmanfreebies Business cycles are a type of fluctuation found in the aggregate economic activity of a nation -- a cycle that consists of expansions occurring at about the same time in many economic activities, followed by similarly general contractions (recessions). This sequence of changes is recurrent but not periodic. The business cycle is an example of an economic cycle. Key Takeaways Business cycles are comprised of concerted cyclical upswings and downswings in the broad measures of economic activityoutput, employment, income, and sales. The alternating phases of the business cycle are expansions and contractions (also called recessions). Recessions often start at the peak of the business cyclewhen an expansion endsand end at the trough of the business cycle, when the next expansion begins. The severity of a recession is measured by the three Ds: depth, diffusion, and duration, and the strength of an expansion by how pronounced, pervasive, and persistent it is. Business Cycle Understanding the Business Cycle 2:18 In essence, business cycles are marked by the alternation of the phases of expansion and contraction in aggregate economic activity, and the comovement among economic variables in each phase of the cycle. Aggregate economic activity is represented by not only real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) GDPa measure of aggregate outputbut also the aggregate measures of industrial production, employment, income, and sales, which are the key coincident economic indicators used for the official determination of U.S. business cycle peak and trough dates. A popular misconception is that a recession is defined simply as two consecutive quarters of decline in real GDP. Notably, the 196061 and 2001 recessions did not include two successive quarterly declines in real GDP. A recession is actually a specific sort of vicious cycle, with cascading declines in output, employment, income, and sales that feed back into a further drop in output, spreading rapidly from industry to industry and region to region. This domino effect is key to the diffusion of recessionary weakness across the economy, driving the comovement among these coincident economic indicators and the persistence of the recession. On the flip side, a business cycle recovery begins when that recessionary vicious cycle reverses and becomes a virtuous cycle, with rising output triggering job gains, rising incomes, and increasing sales that feed back into a further rise in output. The recovery can persist and result in a sustained economic expansion only if it becomes self-feeding, which is ensured by this domino effect driving the diffusion of the revival across the economy. Of course, the stock market is not the economy. Therefore, the business cycle should not be confused with market cycles, which are measured using broad stock price indices. Measuring and Dating Business Cycles The severity of a recession is measured by the three D's: depth, diffusion, and duration. A recession's depth is determined by the magnitude of the peak-to-trough decline in the broad measures of output, employment, income, and sales. Its diffusion is measured by the extent of its spread across economic activities, industries, and geographical regions. Its duration is determined by the time interval between the peak and the trough. In analogous fashion, the strength of an expansion is determined by how pronounced, pervasive, and persistent it turns out to be. These three P's correspond to the three D's of recession. An expansion begins at the trough (or bottom) of a business cycle and continues until the next peak, while a recession starts at that peak and continues until the following trough. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) determines the business cycle chronologythe start and end dates of recessions and expansions for the United States. Accordingly, its Business Cycle Dating Committee considers a recession to be "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales." The Dating Committee typically determines recession start and end dates long after the fact. For instance, after the end of the 200709 recession, it "waited to make its decision until revisions in the National Income and Product Accounts [were] released on July 30 and Aug. 27, 2010," and announced the June 2009 recession end date on Sept. 20, 2010. Since the Committee's formation in 1979, the average lags in the announcement of recession start and end dates have been eight months for peaks and 15 months for troughs. Prior to the formation of the Committee, from 1949 to 1978, recession start and end dates were determined on behalf of the NBER by Dr. Geoffrey H. Moore. He then served as the Committee's senior member from 1979 until his death in 2000. In 1996, Moore co-founded the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI) which, based on the same approach used to determine the official U.S. business cycle chronology, determines business cycle chronologies for 21 other economies, including the G7 and the BRICS. In analyses requiring international recession dates as benchmarks, the most widely used procedure is to reference NBER dates for the U.S. and the ECRI dates for other economies. 11 months The average length of recessions in the U.S. since World War II has been just around 11 months. The Great Recession was the longest one during this period, reaching 18 months. U.S. expansions have typically lasted longer than U.S. recessions. From 18541899, they were almost equal in length, with recessions lasting 24 months and expansions lasting 27 months, on average. The average recession duration then fell to 18 months in the 19001945 period and to 11 months in the post-World War II period. Meanwhile, the average duration of expansions increased progressively, from 27 months in 18541899, to 32 months in 19001945, to 45 months in 19451982, and to 103 months in the 19822009 period. The depth of recessions has changed over time. They were typically very deep in the pre-World War II (WWII) period, going back to the 19th century. With cyclical volatility drastically downshifting after WWII, the depth of recessions decreased greatly. From the mid-1980s to the eve of the 200709 Great Recessiona period sometimes dubbed the great moderationthere was a further reduction in cyclical volatility. Also, since about the start of the great moderation, the average longevity of expansions appears to have roughly doubled. Business Cycle Graph.Image by Julie Bang Investopedia 2019 The Varieties of Cyclical Experience The pre-WWII experience of most market-oriented economies included deep recessions and strong recoveries. However, the post-WWII recoveries from the devastation wreaked on many major economies by the war resulted in strong trend growth spanning decades. When trend growth is strongas China has demonstrated in recent decadesit is difficult for cyclical downswings to take economic growth below zero, and into recession. For the same reason, Germany and Italy did not see their first post-WII recession until the mid-1960s, and thus experienced two-decade expansions. From the 1950s to the 1970s, France experienced a 15-year expansion, the U.K. saw a 22-year expansion, and Japan enjoyed a 19-year expansion. Canada saw a 23-year expansion from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. Even the U.S. enjoyed its longest expansion until that time in its history, spanning nearly nine years from early 1961 to the end of 1969. With business cycle recessions having apparently become less frequent, economists focused on growth cycles, which consist of alternating periods of above-trend and below-trend growth. But monitoring growth cycles requires a determination of the current trend, which is problematic for real-time economic cycle forecasting. As a result, Geoffrey H. Moore, at the ECRI, went on to a different cyclical conceptthe growth rate cycle. Growth rate cyclesalso called acceleration-deceleration cyclesare comprised of alternating periods of cyclical upswings and downswings in the growth rate of an economy, as measured by the growth rates of the same key coincident economic indicators used to determine business cycle peak and trough dates. In that sense, the growth rate cycle (GRC) is the first derivative of the classical business cycle (BC). But importantly, GRC analysis does not require trend estimation. Using an approach analogous to that used to determine business cycle chronologies, the ECRI also determines GRC chronologies for 22 economies, including the U.S. Because GRCs are based on the inflection points in economic cycles, they are especially useful for investors, who are sensitive to the linkages between equity markets and economic cycles. The researchers who pioneered classical business cycle analysis and growth cycle analysis turned to the growth rate cycle (GRC), which is comprised of alternating periods of cyclical upswings and downswings in economic growth, as measured by the growth rates of the same key coincident economic indicators used to determine business cycle peak and trough dates. Stock Prices and the Business Cycle In the post-WWII period, the biggest stock price downturns usuallybut not alwaysoccurred around business cycle downturns (i.e., recessions). Exceptions include the crash of 1987, which was part of a 35%-plus plunge in the S&P 500 that year, its 23%-plus pullback in 1966, and its 28%-plus drop in the first half of 1962. However, each of those major stock price declines occurred during GRC downturns. Indeed, while stock prices generally see major downturns around business cycle recessions and upturns around business cycle recoveries, a better one-to-one relationship existed between stock price downturns and GRC downturnsand between stock price upturns and GRC upturnsin the post-WWII period, in the decades leading up to the Great Recession. Following the Great Recession of 200709while full-fledged stock price downturns, featuring over-20% declines in the major averages, did not occur until the 2020 COVID-19 pandemicsmaller 10%20% "corrections" clustered around the four intervening GRC downturns, from May 2010 to May 2011, March 2012 to Jan. 2013, March to Aug. 2014, and April 2014 to May 2016. The 20% plunge in the S&P 500 in late 2018 also occurred within the fifth GRC downturn that began in April 2017 and culminated in the 2020 recession. In essence, the prospect of recession usually, but not always, brings about a major stock price downturn. But the prospect of an economic slowdownand specifically, a GRC downturncan also trigger smaller corrections and, on occasion, much larger downdrafts in stock prices. For investors, therefore, it is vital to be on the lookout for not only business cycle recessions, but also the economic slowdowns designated as GRC downturns. Those interested in learning more about business cycles, stock prices, and other financial concepts may want to consider enrolling in one of the best investing courses currently available. What Are the Stages of the Business Cycle? In general, the business cycle consists of four distinct phases: expansion; peak; contraction; and trough. How Long Does the Business Cycle Last? According to U.S. government research, the business cycle in America takes, on average, around 5 1/2 years (since WWII). What Was the Longest Economic Expansion? The 2009-2020 expansion was the longest on record at 128 months. Good news has come for New Jerseys effort to legalize sports betting within its borders after the US Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it would ask the new Solicitor General for an opinionon the matter. New Jersey has appealed a lower courts decision that its attempt to bring sports betting to state gambling venues was in violation of federal laws. The fact that the Supreme Court did not reject immediately the appealmay bode well for the effort. The highest US court denied to hear more than 130 other cases on Tuesday. State Gov. Chris Christie and his administration have been trying to legalize sports betting for years now. In 2014, a law that allowed for the provision of this type of gambling serviceswas signed by New Jerseys top official. However, little progress has been made in that direction since then as the legislative measure was said to be breaching the 1992 PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) federal law. Generally speaking, under PASPA, all but very few US states are prohibited from authorizing, operating, and promoting any betting activities on sports played by both amateur and professional athletes. At present, Nevada is the only place in the US where single-game betting is legal. New Jersey has continually argued that PASPA was unconstitutional as, under the US Constitution, it was in each states domain to decide on matters of this kind. In addition, New Jersey officials have pointed out over the years that the Act treated states unevenlyas Nevada was allowed to benefit from a thriving sports betting industry while others were denied that. It is believed that if sports betting is legalized in New Jersey, the amount of $1 billion will be generated in betting turnover during the first year. This will significantly boost the states struggling casino industry. No Solicitor General has been namedby President-Elect Donald Trump yet, so it is still unknown who will be in place to brief the Supreme Court on New Jerseys case. It seems that Gov. Christies administration will not give up on its effort to legalize sports betting even if its appeal is eventually rejected. A new bill on the matter was introduced last year and may progress in the state Legislature, if the Supreme Court denies ruling. New Jersey has not been the only US state to be eying sports betting as a means to bolster its gambling industry. New York lawmakers have also revealed that they may challenge PASPAat a time when the state is in the process of expanding its casino industry with three Upstate Las Vegas-style casino resorts. What Is Unemployment Insurance (UI)?pa parx online casino Unemployment insurance (UI), also called unemployment benefits, is a type of state-provided insurance that pays money to individuals on a weekly basis when they lose their job and meet certain eligibility requirements. Those who either voluntarily quit or were fired for a just cause are usually not eligible for UI. In other words, someone separated from their job due to a lack of available work and at no fault of their own usually qualifies for unemployment benefits. Each state administers its own unemployment insurance program, despite it being federal law. Workers must meet their state's work and wage requirements, including time worked. The benefits are primarily paid out by state governments and funded by specific payroll taxes collected for that purpose. Key Takeaways Benefits under unemployment insurance, also called unemployment compensation, typically last up to 26 weeks, depending on the state in which you live and have worked. You do not qualify for unemployment insurance if you quit your job or are fired for cause. The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the unemployment insurance program. Three programs established by the 2020 CARES Act were designed to help out-of-work Americans, including those who ordinarily would be ineligible to access unemployment funds, though those programs expired Sept. 6, 2021. Understanding Unemployment Insurance (UI) The unemployment initiative is a joint program between individual state governments and the federal government. Unemployment insurance provides cash stipends to unemployed workers who actively seek employment. Compensation to eligible, unemployed workers is made through the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) along with state employment agencies. Each state has an unemployment insurance program, but all states must follow specific guidelines outlined by federal law. Federal law makes unemployment benefits relatively ubiquitous across state lines. The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the program and ensures compliance within each state. Workers who meet specific eligibility requirements may receive up to 26 weeks of benefits a year. The weekly cash stipend is designed to replace a percentage of the employee's regular wage, on average. States fund unemployment insurance using taxes levied on employers. The majority of employers will pay both federal and state unemployment FUTA tax. Companies that have 501(c)3 status do not pay FUTA tax. Three states also require minimal employee contributions to the state unemployment fund. Reportable income includes freelance work or jobs for which unemployment insurance recipients were paid in cash. Out-of-work persons who do not find employment after a 26-week period may be eligible for an extended benefits program. Extended benefits give unemployed workers an additional number of weeks of unemployment benefits. The availability of extended benefits will depend on a state's overall unemployment situation. The federal government established provisions designed to help unemployed Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. These additional benefits were put in place after former President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020. They were extended after the passing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and were extended again when President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 on March 11, 2021. The additional benefits expired on Sept. 6, 2021. Requirements for Unemployment Insurance (UI) An unemployed person must meet two primary requirements to qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. An unemployed individual must meet state-mandated thresholds for either earned wages or time worked in a stated base period. The state must also determine that the eligible person is unemployed through no fault of their own. A person may file an unemployment insurance claim when fulfilling these two requirements. Individuals file claims in the state where they worked. A participant may file claims by phone or on the state unemployment insurance agency's website. After the first application, it generally takes two to three weeks for the processing and approval of a claim. After approval of a claim, the participant must either file weekly or biweekly reports that test or confirm their employment situation. Reports must be submitted to remain eligible for benefit payments. An unemployed worker cannot refuse work during a week, and on each weekly or biweekly claim, they must report any income that they earned from freelance or consulting gigs. How Is Unemployment Insurance (UI) Funded? Unemployment insurance is funded by taxes on employers, such as the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) and various state taxes. FUTA charges 6% of the first $7,000 of each employee's wages, although this is offset by a 5.4% credit for on-time tax payments. Some states pay for unemployment benefits by debiting the former employer's UI account, or by raising the employer's UI taxes in future years. Since employees are usually not eligible for UI if they quit voluntarily, some employers may pressure their employees to resign rather than fire them. Unemployment Insurance (UI) During the Pandemic On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19, the illness caused by a novel coronavirus, to be a pandemic. States and businesses across the U.S. closed down, causing massive unemployment. Lawmakers agreed on the passage of the CARES Act, a landmark piece of legislation that, in part, expanded states' ability to provide UI to millions of workers affected by COVID-19, including people who aren't ordinarily eligible for unemployment benefits. The bill was passed and signed into law in March 2020. Three specific programs were designed to help Americans who were out of work because of the coronavirus. A fourth program was established through an Aug. 8, 2020, memorandum issued by President Trump in response to the expiration of the Federal Pandemic Employment Compensation program. While people who voluntarily quit their jobs do not normally qualify for UI, you may qualify for benefits if you quit due to unpaid wages, unsafe working conditions, a sudden decrease in your hours, or certain other factors. The legal term for this is constructive dismissal. Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) provided an extra weekly benefit on top of regular unemployment insurance (UI). The original benefit provided an additional $600 weekly under the CARES Act, but that benefit expired on July 31, 2020. The FPUC was modified and extended as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2020. Another extension of the FPUC was approved after President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 on March 11, 2021. Under the plan, FPUC benefits expired on Sept. 6, 2021. 3.5% The U.S. unemployment rate as of September 2022, which was a decrease from 3.7% in August 2022. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) expanded UI eligibility to self-employed workers, freelancers, independent contractors, and part-time workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Self-employed workers generally may not qualify for UI, and the PUA helps to provide them with financial assistance. As per the American Rescue Plan Act, the PUA expired on Sept. 6, 2021, after a total of 79 weeks. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) extended UI benefits under the CARES Act after regular unemployment compensation benefits were exhausted. The expiration dThe PEUC program officially expired in September 2021. Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program The Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program was a federal-state unemployment benefit that provided $300 to $400 in weekly compensation to eligible claimants. LWA came into existence in response to the expiration of FPUC on July 31, 2020. What Are the 4 Types of Unemployment? The four types of unemployment are cyclical, frictional, institutional, and structural unemployment. Cyclical unemployment is caused by changes in the business cycle, such as recessions. Frictional unemployment occurs when workers leave their jobs and take some time to find a new employer. Institutional unemployment occurs as a result of policies that alter the features of the labor market, such as minimum wage laws and unemployment insurance. Structural employment is long-term unemployment caused by deep changes in the economy, such as new technologies or changing business needs. How Is Unemployment Calculated? In the United States, the unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed people who are actively looking for work by the total number of people who are employed or actively seeking employment. This does not include unemployed people who are unable to work or have given up seeking employment. Who Is Counted As Unemployed? The unemployed include anyone that doesn't have a job, is available for work, and has been actively looking for work in the previous four years. Actively looking for work includes having job interviews or contacting employers. What Is the Meaning of UI? UI, or unemployment insurance, is a government benefit for those who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. UI provides a temporary safety net so that people can continue searching for jobs after they are fired or laid off. Notably, employees who voluntarily quit or are fired for absenteeism or insubordination do not normally qualify for UI, and those who leave due to intolerable working conditions may qualify even if they did quit. The Bottom Line Unemployment insurance is a form of state-provided insurance that provides weekly payments to people who have recently been fired or laid off. Although it only provides a fraction of a full paycheck, UI payments can help workers make ends meet as they search for a new job. What Is Expected Value (EV)?jackpot world free vegas casino slots The expected value (EV) is an anticipated average value for an investment at some point in the future. Investors use expected value to estimate the worthiness of investments, often in relation to their relative riskiness. Modern portfolio theory (MPT), for instance, attempts to solve for the optimal portfolio allocation based on investments' expected values and standard deviations (i.e., risk). In statistics and probability analysis, the expected value is calculated by multiplying each of the possible outcomes by the likelihood each outcome will occur and then summing all of those values. By calculating expected values, investors can choose the scenario most likely to give the desired outcome. Key Takeaways Expected value (EV) describes the long-term average level of a random variable based on its probability distribution. In investing, the expected value of a stock or other investment is an important consideration and is used in scenario analyses. Modern portfolio theory uses expected value in conjunction with an investment's risk (standard deviation) to come up with optimized portfolios. The Formula for Expected Value (EV) Is: E V = P ( X i ) X i \begin{ aligned} EV=\sum P(X_i)\times X_i\end{ aligned} EV=P(Xi)Xi where: X is a random variable P(X) is the probability of the random variable Thus, the EV of a random variable X is taken as each value of the random variable multiplied by its probability, and each of those products is summed. Understanding the Expected Value Scenario analysis is one technique for calculating the expected value (EV) of an investment opportunity. It uses estimated probabilities with multivariate models to examine possible outcomes for a proposed investment. Scenario analysis also helps investors determine whether they are taking on an appropriate level of risk given the likely outcome of the investment. The EV of a random variable gives a measure of the center of the distribution of the variable. Essentially, the EV is the long-term average value of the variable. Because of the law of large numbers, the average value of the variable converges to the EV as the number of repetitions approaches infinity. The EV is also known as expectation, the mean or the first moment. EV can be calculated for single discrete variables, single continuous variables, multiple discrete variables, and multiple continuous variables. For continuous variable situations, integrals must be used. Example of Expected Value To calculate the EV for a single discrete random variable, you must multiply the value of the variable by the probability of that value occurring. Take, for example, a normal six-sided die. Once you roll the die, it has an equal one-sixth chance of landing on one, two, three, four, five, or six. Given this information, the calculation is straightforward: ( 1 6 1 ) + ( 1 6 2 ) + ( 1 6 3 ) \begin{ aligned}\left(\frac{ 1}{ 6}\times1\right)&+\left(\frac{ 1}{ 6}\times2\right)+\left(\frac{ 1}{ 6}\times3\right)\\&+\left(\frac{ 1}{ 6}\times4\right)+\left(\frac{ 1}{ 6}\times5\right)+\left(\frac{ 1}{ 6}\times6\right)=3.5\end{ aligned} (611)+(612)+(613) If you were to roll a six-sided die an infinite amount of times, you see the average value equals 3.5. What Is a Dividend Stock's Expected Value? The expected value of a stock is estimated as the net present value (NPV) of all future dividends that the stock pays. If you can estimate the growth rate of the dividends, you can predict how much investors should willingly pay for the stock using a dividend discount model such as the Gordon growth model (GGM). How Do I Find the Expected Value of a Stock that Doesn't Pay Dividends? For non-dividend stocks, analysts often use a multiples approach to come up with expected value. For example. the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is often used and compared to industry peers. So, if the tech industry has an average P/E of 25x, a tech stock's EV would be 25 times its earnings per share. How Is the Expected Value of a Stock Used in Portfolio Theory? Modern portfolio theory (MPT) and related models use mean-variance optimization to come up with the best portfolio allocation on a risk-adjusted basis. Risk is measured as the portfolio's standard deviation, and the mean is the expected value (expected return) of the portfolio. By then, Ray had made his directorial debut with Pather Panchali, the first Apu film, and was searching for a compelling young actor who could star in Aparajito, the sequel. You can build a whole movie around that, as Regina King does with her directorial debut One Night in Miami, its screenplay adapted by Kemp Powers from his play of the same name. His directorial debut in 2013, Fruitvale Station, was his lauded industry breakthrough. Stream it on HuluSaoirse Ronan plays Lady Bird, known as Christine McPherson to her parents, in Greta Gerwigs critically acclaimed 2017 solo directorial debut. Actor and producer David Oyelowo opened the festival by celebrating his directorial debut The Water Man and closed it with a screening of his upcoming Disney movie Come Away. The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Takes Home Top Prize At Virtual Urbanworld Film Festival|cmurray|September 29, 2020|Essence.com Was it challenging to film these interviews and scenes and maintain some kind of directorial objectivity? The Dishonor of Honor Killings|Sara Stewart|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST Watching The Knick I noticed a more pronounced directorial sensibility than I usually see on TV. The Director Isnt Done Yet: An Interview With Steven Soderbergh|Andrew Romano|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST But to stop thinking that way and to see the show through a directorial lens is, I think, a good thing for the piece. The Director Isnt Done Yet: An Interview With Steven Soderbergh|Andrew Romano|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST It was a labor of love, but also a thrilling directorial experience. Jonathan Demme on Gaza, Transphobia in The Silence of the Lambs, and Meryl Streep as a Rock Star|Marlow Stern|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST After the roles dried up, Petty turned to directing and, in 2008, helmed her feature directorial debut, The Poker House. Lori Petty on Orange Is the New Black, the Halcyon 90s, and Discovering Jennifer Lawrence|Marlow Stern|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST But directorial decisions sometimes, so I have heard it whispered, have hidden motives which it is vain to try and discover. Autobiographical Reminiscences with Family Letters and Notes on Music|Charles Gounod It is difficult even to estimate the total annual profits of the directorial syndicate. The Railroad Question|William Larrabee This was the real blow; that the vigorous trunk, the Legislature, was struck down along with the withering Directorial branch. The Life of Napoleon I (Volumes, 1 and 2)|John Holland Rose As to Genoa, her still existing directorial constitution would now be as impracticable to work as those of Cisalpina and Batavia. The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane Share Share Flipboard Flipboard Email Linda Henderson / Getty Images LinkedIn Temple University EnglishByAmanda GalianoAmanda GalianoAmanda is a freelance writer and lifelong Little Rock resident who has written more than 200 articles on her hometownLearn about ourEditorial ProcessUpdated on April 06, 2020Fact checked byPatrice WilliamsFact checked byPatrice Williams Patrice is a writer specializing in lifestylehacks, home decor, and product recommendations. She provides thrift shopping tips in her book "Looking Fly on a Dime." Learn about ourFact-Checking Process This Southern slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion if you are planning to visit the South. These are some of the most common (and not so common) Southern slang terms heard in Arkansas and throughout the South. Ain't Pronunciation: 'Ant Etymology: Contraction of are not Date: 1778 Am not: are not: is not Have not: has not Do not: does not; did not (used in some varieties of Black English) Air-Up Function: Verb To pressurize or inflate. Example: "Air-up your car tires before you go on a long trip." A Larking Function: Verbal phrase Originates from the word "lark," which means to engage in harmless fun or mischief. To go a larking means to play a prank or joke on someone. All Y'all Etymology: Intensive form of y'all This usage states, "you all" more emphatically. For example, saying "I know y'all," would mean that one knows a group of people, saying, "I know all y'all" would mean that one knows the members of the group individually. Arkansas Toothpick Function: Noun A large knife. Arkansawyer, Arkansan, Arkie Function: Adjective or noun A resident or native of Arkansas. Referring to a resident or native of Arkansas. Residents who refer to themselves as Arkansawyers commonly proclaim, "There is no Kansas in Arkansas." when you call them Arkansans. Bowed Up Function: Colloquialism Marked by impatience or ill humor. This refers to the way a snake bows up his head before he strikes. Bread Basket Function: Colloquialism Stomach. Cattywampus Function: Adjective Askew. Example: "The storm knocked the boat cattywampus, and it started to take on water." Chief Cook and Bottle Washer Function: Colloquialism A person capable of doing many things. Darn Tootin' Function: Colloquialism For sure. Correct. "You're darn tootin', that is oil." Egg On Function: Verbal phrase To urge to do something. Example: "He only did it because the crowd egged him on." Figure Function: Verb To calculate, consider, conclude, or decide. Example: "He hadn't figured on winning the lottery." Fit as a Fiddle Function: Colloquialism In good shape, healthy. Fit to Be Tied Function: Colloquialism Angry. Fixin' Function: Verb To get set: Be on the verge. Example: "We're fixin' to leave soon." Function: Noun Customary accompaniments. Example: "We had a turkey dinner with all the fixins." Frog Gig Function: Noun A pole used to spear frogs for cooking. Function: Verb The act of hunting frogs for meat. Often called "frog gigging." Goobers Function: Noun Peanuts. Grab a Root Function: Colloquialism Have dinner. "Root" refers to potatoes. Hankering Etymology: probably from Flemish hankeren, frequentative of hangen to hang; akin to Old English hangian Function: Noun A strong or persistent desire or yearning often used with for or after. Example: "I have a hankering for fried okra. I've really been craving it." Heap Function: Noun A large quantity. Example: "Billy got into a heap of trouble when he stole his dad's car." Hear Tell Function: Verbal phrase A form of "hear it told." Often conveys that the information was passed second hand. Example: "I hear tell that the new mini-mall is going up next month." Horse Sense Function: Colloquialism Smart. Example: "She has horse sense. She'll make it in business." Howdy Pronunciation: 'hau-dE Function: Interjection Etymology: alteration of how do ye Date: 1712 Used to express greeting. Hunkey Dorey Function: Adjective Everything is great. June Bug Function: Noun Date: 1829 Any of numerous rather large leaf-eating scarab beetles (subfamily Melolonthinae) that fly chiefly in late spring and have larvae that are white grubs which live in soil and feed chiefly on the roots of grasses and other plants. Also called June beetles. Laying Out [All Night] Function: Verbal phrase Staying out all night, often drinking or doing something illicit. Example: "I was laying out at the bar last night, so I have a hangover." Lazy Man's Load Function: Colloquialism A lazy man's load is an unmanageably large load carried to avoid making more than one trip. This colloquial phrase is often used to indicate that someone is too lazy to think properly. Example: "Sam took a lazy man's load of groceries out of the car and ended up spilling them all over the sidewalk." Lickety-Split Function: Colloquialism Very quick. Like To Function: Adverbial phrase Almost. Example: "I like to pee my pants when that car hit me." Nearabout Function: Adverb Almost. Example: "I nearabout ran over that squirrel in the road." No 'Count Function: Contraction Of no account; good for nothing. Nuss Function: Verb To nurse. Example: "She nussed the sick dog to bring it back to health." Okie or Sooner Function: Noun A resident or native of Oklahoma. Ornery Pronunciation: 'or-n&-rE, 'ar-; 'orn-rE, 'arn- Function: Adjective Inflected Form(s): ornerier; -est Etymology: alteration of ordinary Date: 1816 Having an irritable disposition. Out of Kilter Function: Colloquialism Not right. Out of sorts. Example: "John was out of kilter for a while when he was relocated to New York." Pack or Tote Function: Verb To carry. Particular Function: Adjective Concerned over or attentive to details: Meticulous. People Function: Noun Relatives, kinfolk. Example: "Shelly went to see her people on vacation." Piddlin' Function: Adjective Small or inferior. Example: "His work only gave him a piddlin' 1 percent raise. Function: Adverb Poorly. Example: "She felt piddlin', so she didn't go to school." Function: Verb To waste time. Example: "He spent all his time piddlin' and never got anything done." Possum-Pie Function: Noun A meat pie made from a possum. Purdy Function: Adjective Pretty. Rag-Baby Function: Noun A doll. Reckon Function: Verb Etymology: Middle English rekenen, from Old English -recenian (as in gerecenian to narrate, akin to Old English reccan Date: 13th century Count Example: "To reckon the days till Christmas." To regard or think of asConsider Think, suppose Example: "I reckon I've outlived my timeEllen Glasgow." Redneck Caviar Function: Noun Potted meat. Right Function: Adjective Very. Example: "You're right near the street you want to be on." Rile Function: Transitive verb Inflected Form(s): riled; riling Etymology: var. of roil Date: 1825 To make agitated and angry; Upset. Ruther Function: Verb A form of rather. Scarce as Hen's Teeth Function: Colloquialism Rare or scarce. Sho 'Nuff Function: Contraction Sure enough. Show Function: Noun A movie. Shuck Function: Verb To remove the outer covering of a nut, corn, or shellfish. Skedaddle Function: Verb Run, scatter. Slap Your Pappy Function: Colloquialism To pat your stomach. Snug as a Bug Function: Colloquialism Comfortable, cozy. Tarnation Function: Noun Etymology: alteration of darnation, a euphemism for damnation Date: 1790 Used to indicate surprise, shock, displeasure, or censure. Tarred and Feathered This refers to the practice of tarring and feathering people who committed small crimes such as distilling in colonial America (and in England). Today, it is often used to denote great surprise. Example: "I'll be tarred and feathered, that dog just flew!" That Dog Won't Hunt Function: Colloquialism The idea or argument won't work. Tore Up Function: Adjectival phrase Broken. Upset. Example: "He was tore about wrecking his new Corvette." Tote Pronunciation: 'tOt Function: Transitive verb Inflected Form(s): toted; toting Etymology: perhaps from an English-based creole; akin to Gullah & Krio tot to carry Date: 1677 To carry by hand; bear on the person. Trotline Function: Noun A long line on which short lines are attached, each with a hook, for catching catfish. Sometimes mispronounced as trout line. Tump Function: Verb Etymology: perhaps akin to British dialect tumpoke to fall head over heels Date: 1967 To tip or turn over, especially accidentally. Uppity Function: Adjective Conceited. Varmint Function: Noun Etymology: alteration of vermin Date: 1539 An animal considered a pest; specifically, one classed as vermin and unprotected by game law. Walking on a Slant Function: Colloquialism Drunk. War Between the States; War for Southern Independence; War of Northern Aggression Function: Noun The Civil War. Washateria Variant(s): also washeteria /wa-sh&-'tir-E-&, wo- Function: Noun Etymology: wash + -ateria or -eteria (as in cafeteria) Date: 1937 Chiefly Southern: A self-service laundry. Whup or Whoop Pronunciation: 'hup, 'hup, 'hwup, 'hwup, 'wup, 'wup Function: Verb The variant of "to whip." To hit or spank. Y'all Pronunciation: 'yol Function: Contraction Ye all or you all. Yaller Dog Function: Colloquialism A coward. Yankee Function: Noun Someone from the North. Yeens Function: Contraction Ye ones. Example: "Yeens better go before you're late." Yonder Function: adverb Etymology: Middle English, from yond + -er (as in hither) Date: 14th century At or in that indicated more or less distant place usually within sight. Your Druthers Is My Ruthers Function: Colloquialism "Your preferences are mine," "We agree." FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationGaliano, Amanda. "Southern Slang Dictionary." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/southern-slang-dictionary-2211844.Galiano, Amanda. (2021, December 6). Southern Slang Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/southern-slang-dictionary-2211844Galiano, Amanda. "Southern Slang Dictionary." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/southern-slang-dictionary-2211844 (accessed November 20, 2022). What Is a Bullet Repayment?22bet bonus friday A bullet repayment is a lump sum payment made for the entirety of an outstanding loan amount, usually at maturity. It can also be a single payment of principal on a bond. In terms of banking and real estate, loans with bullet repayments are also referred to as balloon loans. These types of loans are commonly used in mortgage and business loans to reduce monthly payments during the term of the loans. A bullet repayment due at a loans maturity often necessitates advanced planning to have a refinancing facility in place, unless borrowers have the cash to pay off the large lump sum. How Bullet Repayments Work Bullet repayments and balloon loans are not normally amortized over the duration of the loan. The final balloon payment is often the only principal payment made, but the balance might occasionally be amortized through other smaller, incremental payments before the balloon payment comes due. The final payment is nonetheless significantly larger than the others, and it retires the loan. The deferral of principal payments until the loan matures results in lower monthly payments during the life of the loan because these payments usually represent only interest. But this presents a significant risk to borrowers who aren't prepared to make the large lump sum payment or who don't have other arrangements in place to deal with the bullet repayment. Bullet repayments have also been integrated with fixed-income based exchange-traded-funds (ETFs), giving them bond-like predictability for investors. Bullet Repayment vs. Amortization The difference between interest-only payments on a loan with a bullet repayment and amortizing mortgage payments can be quite significant. For example, the yearly interest would be $9,600 and monthly payments would be $800 on a 15-year interest-only mortgage of $320,000 with a 3% interest rate. That same loan with amortization would have a monthly payment of $2,210. The monthly payment schedule clearly favors the interest-only loan, but the interest-only borrower faces a bullet repayment of $320,000. Key Takeaways Loans with bullet repayments are commonly used to reduce monthly payments to interest-only payments during the term of the loans, but a large, final payment of principal eventually comes due. Balloon lenders sometimes offer borrowers an option to convert loans to traditional amortizing loans rather than face a huge one-time payment. Bullet repayments have also been integrated with fixed-income based exchange-traded-funds (ETFs), giving them bond-like predictability for investors. Example of ETF Bullet Payments The investors assume the role of lenders in ETFs with bullet repayment dates, while the funds act as the borrowers. Funds with bullet repayments are usually composed of bonds, notes, and fixed-income vehicles with maturities preceding the bullet repayment date. Investors receive regular interest payments on their shares during the term of the fund, and they're repaid the principal from the matured portfolio holdings on the bullet repayment date. The key benefit of the bullet repayment for investors is the predictability of the return of principal on a specified date, much like the maturity of a bond. Special Considerations A borrower basically has two options if money is not available to pay a loan in full as the bullet repayment date approaches. The property can be sold, with the proceeds used to pay the loan principal, or the loan can be refinanced, taking out a new loan to cover the bullet repayment. Under certain circumstances, balloon lenders might offer borrowers the option to convert loans to traditional amortizing loans rather than face a huge one-time payment. UNITE HERE Local 54 members who are employed at Atlantic Citys Trump Taj Mahal are to walk out at 6 am on Friday, July 1, after they could not agree upon new health insurance and pension benefits contract with the casinos management. Last month, it was announced that casino workers have voted in favor of a proposal to go out on strike against five of Atlantic Citys eight surviving casinos. They have threatened that they would walk out during the July 4 holiday weekend, known to be among the busiest times of the year, if no fair contracts were reached. Once a popular gambling hub, Atlantic City was severely hit by the Great Recession in late 2000s and has experienced a serious downfall in casino revenueover the past several years. In 2011, casino workers gave up a portion of their pension and insurance packages in a bid to help the citys struggling gambling venues. Now that Atlantic City has showed first signs of stabilization, employees have been trying to negotiate fairer contracts with their employers. Latest talks took place on Thursday and UNITE HERE Local 54 members struck deals with Ballys, Harrahs and Caesars, with all three being owned by Caesars Entertainment, as well as with Tropicana, which is owned by billionaire businessman Carl Icahn. Last year, Mr. Icahn bought Trump Taj Mahal and has since been in a constant conflict with casino workers denying them any chance for reaching what they consider a fair agreement. The businessman has repeatedly pointed out that he might eventually withdraw his financial support for the struggling casino and have it close down if he was kept being urged and extortedto restore the pension and health insurance benefits. Although employees at the once-popular venue were offered a certain cash stipend to purchase private market health care or to obtain it through the Affordable Care Act, many have commented that the money paid was not even closeto what actually cost to acquire health insurance. Local media reported late on Thursday that the walkout is set to start at 6 am local time on Fridayand would involve 1,000 Trump Taj Mahal employees. Mr. Icahn could not be reached for comment at the time first news about the upcoming strike spread. Union members have not targeted Borgata, Resorts, and Golden Nugget, the other three casinos to be operating in Atlantic City, and these will not be affected by the walkout. What Is a Bull Trap?nghien game online la gi A bull trap is a false signal, referring to a declining trend in a stock, index, or other security that reverses after a convincing rally and breaks a prior support level. The move "traps" traders or investors that acted on the buy signal and generates losses on resulting long positions. A bull trap may also refer to a whipsaw pattern. The opposite of a bull trap is a bear trap, which occurs when sellers fail to press a decline below a breakdown level. Key Takeaways A bull trap denotes a reversal that forces market participants on the wrong side of price action to exit positions with unexpected losses. Bull traps occur when buyers fail to support a rally above a breakout level. Traders and investors can lower the frequency of bull traps by seeking confirmation following a breakout through technical indicators and/or pattern divergences. Understanding a Bull Trap A bull trap occurs when a trader or investor buys a security that breaks out above a resistance levela common technical analysis-based strategy. While many breakouts are followed by strong moves higher, the security may quickly reverse direction. These are known as "bull traps" because traders and investors who bought the breakout are "trapped" in the trade. Traders and investors can avoid bull traps by looking for confirmations following a breakout. For example, a trader may look for higher than average volume and bullish candlesticks following a breakout to confirm that price is likely to move higher. A breakout that generates low volume and indecisive candlestickssuch as a doji starcould be a sign of a bull trap. From a psychological standpoint, bull traps occur when bulls fail to support a rally above a breakout level, which could be due to a lack of momentum and/or profit-taking. Bears may jump on the opportunity to sell the security if they see divergences, dropping prices below resistance levels, which can then trigger stop-loss orders. The best way to handle bull traps is to recognize warning signs ahead of time, such as low volume breakouts, and exit the trade as quickly as possible if a bull trap is suspected. Stop-loss orders can be helpful in these circumstances, especially if the market is moving quickly, to avoid letting emotion drive decision-making. Example of a Bull Trap In this example, the security sells off and hits a new 52-week low before rebounding sharply on high volume and lifting into trendline resistance. Many traders and investors jump on to the move, anticipating a breakout above trendline resistance but the security reverses at resistance and turns sharply lower from these levels. New bulls get trapped in long trades and incur rapid losses, unless aggressive risk management techniques are undertaken. The trader or investor could have avoided the bull trap by waiting for a breakout to unfold before purchasing the security, or at least mitigated losses by setting a tight stop-loss order just below the breakout level. What Is an Exempt Employee?starbound mick fitzgerald tips The term exempt employee refers to a category of employees set out in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Exempt employees do not receive overtime pay, nor do they qualify for minimum wage. When an employee is exempt, it primarily means that they are exempt from receiving overtime pay. Exempt employees stand in contrast to nonexempt employees. Key Takeaways An exempt employee is an employee who does not receive overtime pay or qualify for minimum wage. Exempt employees are paid a salary rather than by the hour, and their work is executive or professional in nature. Exempt employees stand in contrast to nonexempt employees, who must be paid at least the minimum wage, and overtime when they work more than the standard 40-hour workweek. The details and rules governing exempt and nonexempt employees are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA includes these job categories as exempt: professional, administrative, executive, outside sales, and computer-related. The details vary by state, but if an employee falls in the above categories, is salaried, and earns a minimum of $684 per week or $35,568 annually, then they are considered exempt. Understanding an Exempt Employee In any workplace, there are two types of employees: exempt and nonexempt. Exempt employees are those who are exempt from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. This is because exempt employees are paid a salary rather than an hourly wage, and they work in what are considered executive or professional jobs. Exempt employees often receive year-end bonuses to compensate for the type of work they do, as well as for any overtime work. Requirements differ from state to state, but the FLSA classifies exempt employees as any job that falls into these categories: Professional Administrative Executive Outside sales Computer-related These classifications are quite broadwhich they are intended to be, as they encompass a variety of jobs in many different industries. As of Jan. 1, 2022, the FLSA stipulates that employees in the above categories are exempt if they are paid by salary as opposed to hourly, and if they earn a minimum of $684 per week or $35,568 annually. In 2022, 26 U.S. states will be increasing the minimum wage, therefore, this threshold is likely to change in certain regions. In addition to the main categories of exempt employees, other categories of employees may possibly be considered exempt from receiving overtime pay. These include farmworkers; motion picture theater employees; certain employees of nonmetropolitan broadcast stations; taxi drivers; employees of railroads, motor carriers, and American vessels; and commissioned sales employees of retail or service entities. Exempt Employees, Nonexempt Employees, and the Fair Labor Standards Act The exempt employee category was created by the FLSA, passed in 1938. The watershed labor law protects workers against unfair pay practices and work regulations. The law has been greatly changed over the last 80 years, but it is still one of the most important labor laws in the history of the United States, setting regulations for a wide array of employee- and employer-related issues. The FLSA specifies the conditions when workers are to be paid and not expected to be paid. For instance, when working excess hours, an exempt employee does not receive overtime or time and a half. Time and a half is 1.5 times the hourly rate of the employeethe minimum an employer has to pay for overtime. The act marks overtime as any hours that exceed 40 hours in a seven-day workweek. Advantages and Disadvantages of Exempt Employee Status The pros of being an exempt employee start with the security of knowing that you have a steady paycheck. Also, exempt employees tend to earn more than hourly ones and have access to such extras as retirement benefits, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) plans, and pensions; bonuses; employer-sponsored healthcare plans; and paid vacation time and sick days. The downside comes largely in not being eligible for overtime. Depending on the mindset of your employer, you could find yourself working long hours to fulfill an overloaded work portfolio without any recourse for additional reimbursement or reducing the stress brought on by the long hours. In short, you are at the mercy of your boss. What Are the Requirements to Being an Exempt Employee? Requirements differ from state to state, but the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) classifies exempt employees as anyone doing jobs that fall into these categories: professional, administrative, executive, outside sales, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)-related, and computer-related. As of Jan. 1, 2022, the FLSA stipulates that employees in the above categories are exempt if they are paid by salary as opposed to hourly and if they earn a minimum of $684 per week or $35,568 annually. In 2022, 26 U.S. states will be increasing their minimum wages, therefore, this threshold will change in certain regions. What Are the Advantages of Being an Exempt Employee? The advantages of being an exempt employee start with the security of knowing that you have a steady paycheck. Also, exempt employees tend to earn more than hourly ones and have access to such extras as retirement benefits, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) plans, and pensions; bonuses; employer-sponsored healthcare plans; and paid vacation time and sick days. What Are the Disadvantages of Being an Exempt Employee? The main disadvantages lie in not being eligible for overtime or qualifying for minimum wage. Depending on the mindset of your employer, you could find yourself working long hours to fulfill an overloaded work portfolio without any recourse for additional reimbursement or reducing the stress brought on by the long hours. In short, you are at the mercy of your boss. Spelling out numbers is no easy task. The good news is that most of the time, there is little reason to do so. Many style guides recommend that numbers greater than ten be represented numerically. Thus, you would want to use 90 instead of the word ninety. Still, writers should be well-versed in spelling. Is it ninety, or ninty? Numbers in English do not follow a universal set of spelling conventions, so it can be difficult to know how to spell larger numbers. What is the Difference Between Ninety and Ninty? In this post, I will compare ninty vs. ninety. I will outline which spelling is correct and demonstrate how to use it in sentence examples. Plus, at the end, I will show you a helpful mnemonic device that you can use to decide whether you should use ninty or ninety to describe quantities more than eighty-nine but less than ninety-one. When to Use Ninety Spelling of ninety: Ninety is a number, being defined as one more than eighty-nine. It is, therefore, also one less than ninety-one. Ninetyis represented numerically as 90. This number is important in geometry and scienceright angles have 90 degrees, and 90 is the atomic number of the element thorium. An isotope of the metal strontium has an atomic weight of 90 and is a radioactive product of nuclear fallout. It can sometimes be found in milk in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster. Most of the time, you should represent numbers larger than ten numerically, e.g., 90 instead of ninety. Still, here are three examples of ninety in a sentence, There are ninety feet between the bases of a full-size baseball diamond. You have exactly ninety seconds to apologize to me for what you just said, Jamie threatened vaguely. The latest employment report from the Labor Department, which came out a couple of weeks ago, showed that payrolls rose by just ninety-eight thousand in March, the lowest figure since last May. The New Yorker Also, if your sentence begins with the number itself, you should always spell it out. Ninety percent of workers want a tax cut. When to Use Ninty Ninty is a misspelling of ninety. You should not use it. It is easy to understand why people make this mistakethere is not a universal rule for spelling numbers in English. The product of the math problem 410, for instance, is forty instead of fourty, and 510 is fifty instead of fivety. It might make sense for 910 to be ninty, but the correct spelling is actually is ninety. English isnt the only language with strange words for numbers. The French write out the number 90 as quatre-vingt-dix, which translates to four-twenty-ten. Ninety-nine in French is quatre-vingt-dix-neuf, or four-twenty-ten-nine. Trick to Remember the Difference Since nintyis never the correct spelling, remember ninetyvs. nintyis easy. Ninety is always the correct way to spell the written form of the number 90. Many style guides recommend using figures instead of words for numbers greater than ten. The AP Stylebook, for instance, requires all numbers 10 andabove to be written as figures. Since ninetyis much greater than ten, it would be good practice to represent ninety as 90 in most cases. If, for some reason, you need to write out the entire word, remember that ninety and nineteen both contain the complete word nine. Summary Is it ninety or ninty? Ninety is the written form of the number 90, such that it is one more than 89 and one less than 91. Facebook Facebook Twitter Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Cryogenics is defined as the scientific study of materials and their behavior at extremely low temperatures. The word comes from the Greek cryo, which means "cold", and genic, which means "producing". The term is usually encountered in the context of physics, materials science, and medicine. A scientists who studies cryogenics is called a cryogenicist. A cryogenic material may be termed a cryogen. Although cold temperatures may be reported using any temperature scale, the Kelvin and Rankine scales are most common because they are absolute scales that have positive numbers. Exactly how cold a substance has to be to be considered "cryogenic" is a matter of some debate by the scientific community. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) considers cryogenics to include temperatures below 180 C (93.15 K; 292.00 F), which is a temperature above which common refrigerants (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, freon) are gases and below which "permanent gases" (e.g., air, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, hydrogen, helium) are liquids. There is also a field of study called "high temperature cryogenics", which involves temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen at ordinary pressure (195.79 C (77.36 K; 320.42 F), up to 50 C (223.15 K; 58.00 F). Measuring the temperature of cryogens requires special sensors. Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are used to take temperature measurements as low as 30 K. Below 30 K, silicon diodes are often used. Cryogenic particle detectors are sensors that operate a few degrees above absolute zero and are used to detect photons and elementary particles. Cryogenic liquids are typically stored in devices called Dewar flasks. These are double-walled containers that have a vacuum between the walls for insulation. Dewar flasks intended for use with extremely cold liquids (e.g., liquid helium) have an additional insulating container filled with liquid nitrogen. Dewar flasks are named for their inventor, James Dewar. The flasks allow gas to escape the container to prevent pressure buildup from boiling that could lead to an explosion. Cryogenic Fluids The following fluids are most often used in cryogenics: Fluid Boiling Point (K) Helium-3 3.19 Helium-4 4.214 Hydrogen 20.27 Neon 27.09 Nitrogen 77.36 Air 78.8 Fluorine 85.24 Argon 87.24 Oxygen 90.18 Methane 111.7 Uses of Cryogenics There are several applications of cryogenics. It is used to produce cryogenic fuels for rockets, including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX). The strong electromagnetic fields needed for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are usually produced by supercooling electromagnets with cryogens. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an application of NMR that uses liquid helium. Infrared cameras frequently require cryogenic cooling. Cryogenic freezing of food is used to transport or store large quantities of food. Liquid nitrogen is used to produce fog for special effects and even specialty cocktails and food. Freezing materials using cryogens can make them brittle enough to be broken into small pieces for recycling. Cryogenic temperatures are used to store tissue and blood specimens and to preserve experimental samples. Cryogenic cooling of superconductors may be used to increase electric power transmission for big cities. Cryogenic processing is used as part of some alloy treatments and to facilitate low temperature chemical reactions (e.g., to make statin drugs). Cryomilling is used to mill materials that may be too soft or elastic to be milled at ordinary temperatures. Cooling of molecules (down to hundreds of nano Kelvins) may be used to form exotic states of matter. The Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is an instrument designed for use in microgravity to form Bose Einstein condensates (around 1 pico Kelvin temperature) and test laws of quantum mechanics and other physics principles. Cryogenic Disciplines Cryogenics is a broad field that encompasses several disciplines, including: Cryonics- Cryonics is the cryopreservation of animals and humans with the goal of reviving them in the future. Cryosurgery- This is a branch of surgery in which cryogenic temperatures are used to kill unwanted or malignant tissues, such as cancer cells or moles. Cryoelectronics - This is the study of superconductivity, variable-range hopping, and other electronic phenomena at low temperature. The practical application of cryoelectronics is called cryotronics. Cryobiology- This is the study of the effects of low temperatures on organisms, including the preservation of organisms, tissue, and genetic material using cryopreservation. Cryogenics Fun Fact While cryogenics usually involves temperature below the freezing point of liquid nitrogen yet above that of absolute zero, researchers have achieved temperatures below absolute zero (so-called negative Kelvin temperatures). In 2013 Ulrich Schneider at the University of Munich (Germany) cooled gas below absolute zero, which reportedly made it hotter instead of colder! Sources Clovis 888 poker web play winbig21 casinoI [ kloh-vis; French klaw-vees ]/ klo vs; French klvis / New Word List Save This Word! [ kloh-vis; French klaw-vees ]/ klo vs; French klvis /Save This Word! nouna.d. c465511, king of the Franks 481511. German Chlodwig. Words nearby Clovis I How to use Clovis I Clovis I/ (klvs) / nounGerman name Chlodwig. ?466511 ad, king of the Franks (481511), who extended the Merovingian kingdom to include most of Gaul and SW Germany Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questionclove pink, clover, cloverleaf, cloverleaf aerial, Clovis, Clovis I, clovis point, clowder, clown, clown anemone, clown carDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022 Never mind (nevermind?) is a popular phrase in speech and writing, but there is some confusion on how the word ought to be written. Is nevermind one word or should it be spelled never mind? What is the Difference Between Nevermind and Never Mind? Aside from the obvious space, is there any difference between these two words? And which one is correct to use? In this post, I want to outline the current landscape of these spellings and advise the writer on how to proceed. After reading this post, you shouldnt ever again wonder, Is it nevermind or never mind? When to Use Nevermind A humorous way to describe the difference between nevermindand never mind is that nevermindis a Nirvana album, and never mindis the phrase you are thinking of. Yes, the popularity of the one-word nevermindcould have been enhanced by the American rock bands 1991 album, but this spelling is still rarely seen in print. You can find occasional examples of it in newspapers, but it is rarely, if ever, used in book publication (see below). Unless you are referring to a specific album or song title that uses nevermindas a single word, avoid the one-word spelling in your writing. When to Use Never Mind What does never mind mean? Never mind(two words) is the correct spelling of the phrase. Never mindis used to tell someone not to be concerned or worried. Never mind that commodity prices are plummeting all over the world and we are on the edge of a deflationary spiral. Why let reality get in the way of politics? The New York Times Never mind that Ericksons neighbor is Osweilers de facto boss. And never mind that Ericksons neighbor, former Denver legend John Elway, was the man that ostensibly drafted Osweiler to someday replace another legendary Denver quarterback in Peyton Manning. The Washington Post This two-word spellingis the traditional spelling of the phrase, and it is used much more frequently than the one-word. The above graph charts nevermind vs. never mind over the past 200 years of printed English books. The contrast is pretty stark. Even if the use of nevermindwere underestimated in the ngram by 10 times, never mindwould still be 10 times as popular in writing. The preference is clear, and the traditional one-word spelling never mindpredominates. Trick to Remember the Difference Heres a good trick to remember never mindvs. nevermind. When youre writing never mindin your sentences, just think about what the word means and you will be all set. Never mind means dont bother or dont worry. If you can associate never mind with other two-word phrases like dont botherand dont worry, you will be all set. Summary Is it never mind or nevermind? The correct phrase is spelled out into two separate words, and it is important that the writer use it accordingly, especially in formal writing. Never mindis the correct spelling of the phrase. Nevermindis a misspelling. BEIJING,captain spins review Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- With the world finding itself in a time of many challenges, China has pledged to promote peace and development and to build a human community with a shared future. This message was conveyed to the world when the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its 20th National Congress in October. The commitment was reaffirmed this week by Chinese President Xi Jinping at two important platforms that gathered leaders from around the globe. It was Xi's first foreign trip after the conclusion of the Party congress last month. Xi attended the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Indonesia and is now in Thailand to attend the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. He called for enhancing solidarity and cooperation to jointly boost global development, demonstrating China's sense of responsibility as a major country in the world. "All countries should replace division with unity, confrontation with cooperation, and exclusion with inclusiveness," Xi said. All countries should join hands together to answer the question of our times -- "what is wrong with this world; what we should do about it," Xi said. FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT The world faces challenges posed by a lingering pandemic, fragile economy, geopolitical tensions, and food and energy crises. The IMF has downgraded its global growth forecast for 2023 to 2.7 percent. Xi said it is "imperative" to place development at the center of the international agenda. Promoting development is a mission for the G20 as the grouping is composed of the world's major industrial and emerging economies and represents more than 80 percent of the world's gross domestic product. Xi mentioned "development" and "cooperation" scores of times in his speech delivered at the first session of the G20 summit, as he called for global development to be "more inclusive," "beneficial to all," and "more resilient." These keywords point to the prominent and imminent problems facing global development. Xi identified food and energy security as the most pressing challenge in global development, and highlighted global trade, digital economy, green transition and fighting corruption as key factors driving global development. Observers said the focus on development is in line with what Xi has been emphasizing over the years. When China hosted the G20 summit in 2016, development was made a priority on the global macro policy agenda. Last year, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic overlapping with changes unseen in a century. China is now working with 100-plus countries and international organizations on the initiative. Keith Bennett, a long-term China specialist and vice chair of Britain's 48 Group Club, said Xi's ideas of putting people first, making global development fairer and more inclusive, and striving to leave no country behind, are not only practical but also a vital necessity. Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Turkish Center of Asia Pacific Studies, said high inflation, rising food and energy prices and disrupted supply chains all posed threats to global development, with developing countries bearing the brunt. Xi's remarks provided China's solutions for resolving the tough issues in global development and boosting common development, according to Colakoglu. FROM WORDS TO ACTIONS At the G20 summit, Xi said no one should engage in beggar-thy-neighbor practices, building "a small yard with high fences," or creating closed and exclusive clubs. "Only solidarity and common development is the right choice to make," he said. And it was more than just words. Cooperation delivered progress during Xi's trip to Indonesia. Via video link, he and Indonesian President Joko Widodo jointly witnessed the trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. The railway, a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, is the first high-speed line in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. When in full operation, it will cut travel time between Jakarta and Bandung to 40 minutes from more than three hours. The railway is also expected to facilitate transportation and logistics, and boost trade, tourism and many other spheres of the economy. During its construction, the project already produced notable benefits for locals with thousands of jobs created and local specialists and technicians trained. "Cooperation, innovation and mutual benefits are the essence of the successful practice and spirit of the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway," said Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, president director of the joint venture consortium that runs the line. The railway is just part of the action. This year, China has proposed, together with six partners including Indonesia and Serbia, the Initiative of International Cooperation on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, joined other countries in calling for the establishment of the Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership, and put forward the International Cooperation Initiative on Global Food Security in the G20. China is also implementing the G20's Debt Service Suspension Initiative in all respects, and has suspended the largest amount of debt service payment among all G20 members. On the sidelines of the G20 and APEC events, Xi engaged in a flurry of face-to-face bilateral meetings, in which cooperation was a keyword. Xi told Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that China welcomes Italy to be the guest of honor of the 2023 China International Consumer Products Expo. Meeting Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, Xi said China is ready to import more quality products from Argentina. "When it comes to helping developing countries realize common development, China's efforts have been unmatched," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, hailing China's endeavor to strengthen global cooperation. NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORLD In both Bali and Bangkok, Xi elaborated on the concept of Chinese modernization and its significance to the world. A China marching toward modernization will bring more opportunities to the world, inject stronger momentum for international cooperation, and make a greater contribution to human progress, Xi said. Such an understanding of China's relations with the world is an echo of Xi's speech when he led the new CPC leadership to meet the press last month. "Just as China cannot develop in isolation from the world, the world needs China for its development," Xi said. In a written speech at the APEC CEO Summit, Xi said in pursuing Chinese modernization on all fronts, China will promote the sustained growth of its super-sized market. China stands ready to provide more resources for global development cooperation and calls upon all countries to hold dear humanity's common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. China will also follow a new path of maintaining harmony between humanity and nature, which Xi said is a responsibility "not only for ourselves, but for the world as well." "We will make greater contribution to world peace and development through our own development," he added. In his meeting with Guterres in Bali, the Chinese president said as the world is undergoing momentous changes, it is imperative to put the future of humanity front and center and work in solidarity to tide over the difficulties. "Major countries, in particular, need to set a good example and play a leading role so as to bring more confidence and strength to the world," Xi underlined. It is barely news to anyone with any involvement in the gambling industry that Hard Rock International and Melco Crown Entertainment are interested in investing in the newly legalized Japanese casino market. Yet, the two companies confirmed today that they would build integrated resorts in the Pacific Ocean island country, if they obtain the necessary licenses to do so. During a conference organized by brokerage and investment firm CLSA Ltd. in Tokyo, executives from the two casino developers said that the companies they represent are ready to put significant investment and efforts into establishing multi-purpose casino resorts with luxury and high-end offering. Hard Rock International, which operates a chain of music-themed cafes and restaurants in addition to a number of gambling venues, last month opened a Japanese subsidiaryto keep itself informed about the casino regulatory developments in the country and to negotiate partnerships with local developers. As confirmed by the companys Chairman, James Allen, it will be looking at a 40%-60% ownership of an integrated resort development in the country. The official pointed out that they consider it particularly important that their local partners participate in the resorts operations and that they are not treated as mere blind investors. Hard Rock International has set its eyes on around 30 potential partners in the endeavor, including landowners, manufacturers, and financial enterprises. It was only yesterday when Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson said in Tokyo that his company would invest up to $10 billion into a Japanese casino resort. Today, casino tycoon Lawrence Ho, CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment, upped the stakes by saying that the operator is ready to pay as much for an integrated resort in Japan as necessary. A legislation that is currently in the making would determine the regulatory principles under which up to two casino complexes would be built and regulated. The bill is expected to be drafted and hopefully voted on by the end of the year. It will also determine the preferred locations that would host the resorts. Mr. Ho said during the CLSA conference that Osaka is their their top choice for home to their casino resort. With population of more than 2.5 million people and status of an important commercial center, the city will certainly be one of the most broadly discussed possible locations for one of the two gambling resorts. Even though Japan has a long legislative way to go before seeing first casino businesses commence operations, it all shows that there will be a fierce war for the two licenses to be put for grabs. As Casino News Daily has reported on numerous occasions, the countrys newly legalized casino industry is expected to generate revenue of between $10-$20 billion, thus placing itself among the worlds most profitable gambling destinations. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed that Crown Resorts Sydney casino resort will not feature slot machines at its premises, once it opens doors in the early 2020s. It was in 2014 when the major casino developer and operator received a license for the construction and operation of an integrated resort with a casino facility in Sydneys Barangaroo precinct. Since announced, the project has been heavily promoted as one intended to attract Chinese high roller players. In other words, it would feature table games only, known to be a favorite pastime of VIP casino patrons from Mainland China. However, a gambling crackdown, initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has already affected negatively Crown Resorts operations and is expected to have further negative effects on the companys VIP gambling business. Last fall, eighteen Crown Resorts employees, including Jason OConnor, Head of the operators overseas VIP programs, were arrested in China for illegal promotion of casino services. Casino gambling is strictly prohibited in China and so is its advertising and promotion. However, it has become a common practice for representatives of major casino operators to send teams in the country to seemingly promote their non-gambling services and thus attract potential casino customers. Crown Resorts shares tumbled down after last years arrests and it is believed that more negative effects could be brought upon the company, if the arrested staff members are convicted. The former NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority Chair, Chris Sidoti, has recently told local media that the operator may have its Australian licenses reviewed, if its detained employees are declared guilty of criminal offense. Even though Crown Resorts would probably experience difficulties in alluring the massive Chinese VIP clientele it had previously hoped for, the operator would not be allowed to add slot machines(or pokies as the devices are called Down Under) at its Sydney property. As stated by Premier Berejiklian, the casino would by no means be turned into a regular one. The New South Wales top official also responded to Mr. Sidotis comments in relation to the Crown Resorts licenses around the nation. She pointed out that the operator had received its Sydney license after a thorough licensure process and that the state was not likely to revise its decision. bagna cauda / (bnj kad) / New Word List Save This 1xbet download sur pcWord! / (bnj kad) /Save ThisWord! nouna dip made from garlic, anchovies, butter, and olive oil, usually served hot over a spirit burner, with raw vegetables Words nearby bagna cauda How to use in a sentence Et praecepto legis cauda hostiae in sacrificio iubetur offerri. Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes|Various Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes|Various M. angulatus, tuberculis conicis, cauda flexuosa, labio interno rugoso. The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 4|Various The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 4|Various M. angulatus tuberculis nodosis, cauda flexuosa, labio interiore lvi. The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 4|Various The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 4|Various The reference to Seba, the name, and the "Cauda subulata, longitudine test" were not present. The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 4|Various Jumentum in nominis mei contemptum, tanquam in diminutione bestiae dehonestari possim, cauda truncatum est. In Byways of Scottish History|Louis A. Barb QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question bagna caudafrom Italian bagno caldo, literally: hot bathbag lady, bagless, Bagley, bagman, bag moth, bagna cauda, bagnette, bagnio, Bagnold, Bago, bag of tricksCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Florida developer Glenn Straub, who purchased Atlantic Citys Revel Casino earlier this year, told media that the shuttered hotel and casino venue could be used for housing Syrian refugees. Revel Casino opened doors in 2012 but never turned a profit and was closed after two years of operation. A number of buyers expressed interest in acquiring the property but it was Mr. Straubs Polo North Country Club that bought the venue for the amount of $82 million. The Florida-based developer proposed to turn the property into an indoor theme water park, an equestrian facility, or a genius academy for the nations brightest minds. All of Mr. Straubs plans, however, were prevented due to his legal battles with the venues power supplier and former tenants. Almost immediately after Mr. Straub bought the shuttered property in April, ACR Electricity, the company that supplied it with electricity, cut off service. Since then, the two parties have been trying to negotiate an agreement for the future provision of electricity. Mr. Straub was even imposed fines by Atlantic City as the lack of electricity at the building creates potential risk of fire. The conflict between Revels owners and ACR imminently was brought to court. Stuart Moskovitz, an attorney for Mr. Straub, told media that ACR is probably using electricity to power its central plant and is trying to bill Polo North Country Club and Revel for power transformers the casino is not using. Mr. Moskovitz also noted that ACR is preventing Mr. Straub from finding another power supplier and thus, creating fire hazard at the closed casino. As mentioned above, the Florida businessman told media on Tuesday that the former gambling venue could be used for housing people displaced by Syrias civil war. Mr. Straub said that he would only ask to be reimbursed for the costs related to the buildings operationswhile there are refugees there. According to official statistics, about 1,500 Syrian citizens have been resettled to the United States of all 4 million who have left their country in search for asylum in other jurisdictions around the world. The U.S. State Department has not provided an immediate comment on Mr. Straubs idea. Revels owner also told media that the property is to remain shuttered for nowas he is currently facing a number of lawsuits and regulatory battles related to taxes, utilities, and former tenants of the venue. OulalaGames has become the first B2B daily fantasy sports providerto be granted a Skill Games license by the Malta Gaming Authority. The Malta-headquartered company is known for the provision of a fantasy football platform. Founded in 2013, the company has promoted its services broadly as ones that require skill and therefore need to be licensed separately from regular online gambling products. The newly obtained license from the Maltese gambling regulator will make it easier for OulalaGames to expand its presence across Europeand provide its offering to a wider gaming audience. Benjamin Carlotti, Managing Director and co-founder of the daily fantasy sports provider, commented on the announcement, saying that they are happy to be taking part in the development of a regulatory framework for skill-based games. Mr. Carlotti also expressed hopes that more European iGaming regulators would create a licensing categoryfor skill-based games, following MGAs example. The Maltese gambling regulator introduced its new Skill Games regulatory regime last summer. The regulatory body became the first to designate daily fantasy sports as games that required skill and should be licensed under a specific category. Although this type of products is treated as being different from traditional gambling, the MGA said upon the introduction of the new licensing category that it still poses a certain level of riskto players and thus requires alertness and intervention from the regulator. Daily fantasy sports in Europe are still far from reaching the popularity they enjoy in the US, but Maltas regulatory framework is believed to help this type of offering gain a wider audience across the continent. Earlier this year, major fantasy sports company DraftKings received a Skill Games license from the MGA. The Boston-headquartered company will thus be able to extend its European footprint. It said that it would first use its new license to expand into Germany. It is also set to target other EU jurisdictions in near future. DraftKings also holds a license from the UK Gambling Commission that allowed it to enter the local market. However, here it is important to note that its UK license is one that is given to traditional gambling operators, as there is no specific regulatory category for daily fantasy sports under UKs existing regulations. After shareholders of Australian slot machine manufacturer Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd. approved the sale of majority stake to Austrian gambling giant NOVOMATIC AG, the latter will be able to move forward with the proposed acquisition, a Monday statement to the Australian Securities Exchange read. In February, the Austrian gaming technology company announced that it had penned a purchase agreement with Ainsworth Game Technology founder Len Ainsworth to acquire his 53% stake in the Australian slot machine maker. Following the announcement about the proposed transaction, hedge fund Fortress Investment Group filed a complaint to block it as NOVOMATIC had revealed that the offer would not be extended to minority shareholders. The complaint was backed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and resulted in an investigation being carried out by the Australian Takeovers Panel. Eventually, vote on the sale was greenlighted and took place earlier today with 61% of all eligible Ainsworth Game Technology shareholders voting in the deals favor. NOVOMATIC is to pay almost A$500 million for the 53% majority stake in the Australian gaming technology company. NOVOMATIC CEO Harald Neumann commented in a statement from earlier today that the deal would benefit Ainsworth Game Technology in various ways and will support the establishment of a stronger company with better opportunities in the highly competitive international market. The official further noted that the Australian company will also expand its international presence, which will imminently help in the creation of long-term shareholder wealth. Following the positive shareholder vote, the transaction will now have to be granted the necessary regulatory approval and related gaming licenses in order to be completed. Commenting on todays announcement, Ainsworth Game Technology CEO Danny Gladstone said that they are really happy about being supported by shareholders and are now looking forward to closing the deal and delivering the benefits promisedto the companys shareholders. Ainsworth Game Technology was founded in 1995 by Mr. Ainsworth himself. The company has gradually turned into one of the leaders in the production and distribution of gaming machines for the international gambling industry. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company also has offices in the United States and South America. The misuse of either one of these words is nauseating for some, but many dont know the differenceor if there is one at all. Today, I want to clear up any confusion between nauseous and nauseated. What is the Difference Between Nauseous and Nauseated? If you are nauseated, you are sick to your stomach. You dont feel well; your head is spinning; and you might throw up at any minute. If you are nauseous, on the other hand, you make other people want to throw up. What do I mean by this? Ill outline everything below by going over the traditional distinction between these two words. Lets compare nauseous vs. nauseated. When to Use Nauseous What does nauseous mean? Nauseous is defined as causing nausea; sickening. In this sense, nauseous is an adjective and something that is nauseous will cause you to feel sick or experience nausea. This is a nauseous roller coaster full of twists and turns. His nauseous jokes were inappropriate for the workplace. The medications they took could make them choke on their food, and when they overdosed on pills, they were fed a nauseous black slime of activated charcoal that bound the pills so they could not be digested. The New York Times When to Use Nauseated What does nauseated mean? Nauseated is defined as to experience or feel nausea.In this sense, nauseated is a verb and to feel sick is to be nauseated. After the marathon, I felt nauseated from a lack of fluids. I was nauseated after hearing the story. There are many reasons we might feel nauseated, and drinking liquids is often the fastest way to fight back. Many people have their pet remedies, such as cola, ginger ale and coconut water. The Wall Street Journal What is the Rule for Nauseated vs. Nauseous? Here is the traditional rule for nauseated vs. nauseous, Nauseated means to experience nausea. Nauseous meanscausing or inducing nausea. In other words, to feel sick is to be nauseated, and anything that is nauseous induces a feeling of nausea. If I just rode a twirling roller coaster and I want to throw up, I am feeling nauseated because of the nauseous coaster. Are Nauseated and Nauseous Interchangeable? The answer to this question depends on whom you ask, of course. Many traditionalists hold that the distinction must be preserved. The problem is, however, nauseoushas all but replaced nauseatedto mean experiencing nausea. Publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, etc., rarely, if ever, make the distinction these days. Garners Modern American Usage says that using nauseouswhen nauseatedis meant (Example: I feel nauseous) is becoming so common that to call it an error is to exaggerate. Still, The Chicago Manual of Stylecalls this slipup poor usage. Clearly the tides are shifting on the usage of these words. There is even some evidence to show that nauseatingis now the preferred word for causing nausea, e.g., a nauseating ride, a nauseating smell, a nauseating odor, etc. In other words, nauseousmay have supplanted nauseatedto mean experiencing nausea, with nauseatingreplacing nauseousto mean to cause nausea. What is the bottom line? If you are doing a bit of formal or professional writing, you might want to observe the traditional distinction. If you are writing casually and choose not to observe it (or are unaware of its existence), its likely that no one will even notice. Summary If this post hasnt yet made you nauseated, here is a quick summary. Should I use nauseous or nauseated? The traditional rule goes like this, Nauseousis used to describe something that causes nausea. Nauseatedis used when someone is experiencing nausea. In Justin Verlanders long and celebrated career,keeneland horse racing betting odds it has never been enough to pitch better than his peers. A flame-throwing, right-handed starter, he also needed to pitch more than anyone else. That determination has led to 12 seasons of at least 200 innings pitched, 251 regular-season games in which he went at least seven innings, and five seasons in which he led his league in starts. Throwback is used to describe him so often that he might as well work for the Mitchell & Ness apparel company. I do often wonder how I would have been back then, Verlander said in 2017 when asked about the days in which pitchers were expected to finish nearly every game they started. I think it would be a pretty cool time to play baseball. In 2022, a slightly different Verlander emerged. Returning to the Houston Astros from nearly two seasons lost to injuries one six-inning start was his total output for 2020 and 2021 he led the American League in wins (18), E.R.A. (1.75) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.0), but he was limited by his standards to 175 innings, tied for 34th in the majors. The quality was enough to overcome any concerns about the quantity, as Verlander, 39, won the American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, holding off younger starters who pitched more innings but couldnt quite match his shockingly good comeback season. It is the third Cy Young of Verlanders career, after also winning in 2011 and 2019, and the ninth season in which he placed in the top five in voting by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He proved that his talk during spring training about potentially hanging around long enough to win 300 games he leads active starters with 244 was not all bluster. And the award was a fitting end to a season in which Verlander, a likely Hall of Famer, won a World Series game for the first time after struggling in eight previous starts. The carrot in front of me that I keep striving for is to be great, Verlander told Tyler Kepner of The New York Times before the season. And so I wouldnt do it otherwise. Image Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins led the majors in innings pitched and had a career-best E.R.A. of 2.28.Credit...Jim Rassol/USA Today Sports, via Reuters In the National League, the Cy Young Award went to Miamis Sandy Alcantara, a hard-throwing right-hander who has fashioned himself as a successor of sorts to Verlander: Alcantaras 228 innings led the majors in 2022, and his 434 innings over the last two seasons are 36 more than any other pitcher (and the equivalent of just under seven average starts). Alcantara, 27, was an All-Star in 2019, and his career E.R.A. of 3.49 coming into the year was solid. But his success was obscured by his 20-34 career record with the perpetually rebuilding Marlins. His team struggled again in 2022, losing 93 games, but Alcantara thrived, going 14-9 with a 2.28 E.R.A. and 207 strikeouts. He completed six of his 32 starts, while the rest of Major League Baseballs pitchers combined to complete only 30 of 4,828. Asked in an interview on MLB Network about completing so many games he had more than any other team in 2022 Alcantara said that is his goal in every start. Always, he said. Thats why I get so mad when they take me in the eighth. Despite his success, Alcantara said he has room to improve, with opportunities to get better from my foot to my hat. Everything that I want to do, I want to do perfect, he said. I dont feel happy when I do something really good today because I know tomorrow I could do bad. Verlander, who is a free agent after opting out of his $25 million player option for 2023, was a unanimous winner with all 30 first-place votes, topping his fellow finalists, Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox (14 second-place votes) and Alek Manoah of the Toronto Blue Jays (seven second-place votes). Alcantara, who signed a five-year, $56 million extension with the Marlins in November 2021, was also a unanimous pick, putting him far ahead of the other finalists, Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves (10 second-place votes) and Julio Urias of the Los Angeles Dodgers (seven second-place votes). The only other season in which both Cy Young votes were unanimous was 1968 when Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals, with a 1.12 E.R.A., won the N.L. award and Denny McClain of the Detroit Tigers, with 31 wins, won the A.L. award. What do you want me to say? Alcantara said immediately after Pedro Martinez, one of the two other pitchers from the Dominican Republic to win a Cy Young (Bartolo Colon, in 2005, was the third), announced his win. I made it. Awards season will conclude Thursday with the presentation of the Most Valuable Player Awards. Advertisement Continue reading the main story President Xi Jinping has stressed improving innovation capabilities for key and core technologies to offer a strong technological guarantee for Chinas development. Key and core technologies are crucial to a country and bear major significance for promoting Chinas high-quality economic development and maintaining national security,casino extreme no deposit bonus code 2021 Xi, also head of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said at a meeting of the committee on Friday. China must improve innovation capabilities for key and core technologies and keep a firm hold on the initiative in the development of science and technology to offer a strong technological guarantee for Chinas development, Xi pointed out. Xi stresses improving innovation capabilities for key, core technologiesadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline I think he has one of the best backhands I have seen from an American in a long time. Wilson beat Ullmark with a slick backhand shot, and his shorthanded goal in the second period held up as the eventual game-winner in the Capitals 3-1 victory. Aim and release from your hand the way you might backhand a frisbee, but put some spin on it with your forefinger and watch your stone skippity-skip, once, twice or thrice across the water! He unleashed a 129-miles-per-hour rocket that could only backhand into the net. Tsitsipas closed the victory on his third match point, with a backhand winner down the line. Rafael Nadal toppled by Stefanos Tsitsipas at Australian Open|Liz Clarke|February 17, 2021|Washington Post There are three full-time tennis aces on site who are more than happy to improve your backhand or perfect that serve. Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|February 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST From the moment he caught sight of her, he did not turn or take his eyes and face from her, defending himself with backhand blows. Four Arthurian Romances|Chretien DeTroyes I would suggest that we go through the forehand and backhand strokes to make certain that we are right. The Meadow-Brook Girls on the Tennis Courts|Janet Aldridge One of the detectives took the woman by the arm; she jerked it loose and aimed a backhand slap at him. Time Crime|H. Beam Piper In forehand play the bowl as it courses to the jack describes its segment of a circle on the right, in backhand play on the left. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3|Various zar casino free spins 2021 todayshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dead [ ded ]/ dd / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: dead / deads on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ ded ]/ dd /Save This Word!See synonyms for: dead / deads on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. adjective, deader, deadest. In addition to the idioms beginning with dead dead ahead dead and buried dead as a doornail dead beat dead drunk dead duck dead end dead from the neck up dead heat dead horse dead in one's tracks dead in the water dead letter dead loss dead man dead of dead on one's feet dead ringer dead set against dead soldier dead tired dead to rights dead to the world dead weight also see: beat a dead horse caught dead cut someone dead drop dead knock dead more dead than alive over my dead body quick and the dead stop cold (dead) to wake the dead Also see underdeath. The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. People in Beijing's Chaoyang district are getting nucleic acid tests in their neighborhood. The citys numerous nucleic acid testing sites for large-scale testing that had been set up along the roadsides and around commercial and office areas were temporarily closed in Chaoyang district starting from Monday, which is to prevent people from cross infection during nucleic acid testing. Photo: ifeng Beijing health authorities stated on Monday to further strengthen epidemic preventionand control measures and reminded residents not to go out unless necessary. Nucleic acid testing sites for large-scale testing that have been set up along the roadsides and around commercial and office areas in Chaoyang district are temporarily closed starting from Monday. The measures are seen as a response to the mounting pressure of soaring COVID-19 cases in the city.The capital city reported 237 confirmed cases and 170 asymptomatic infections on Monday, 48 infections were found during nucleic acid testing at the community level, according to local health authorities.Relevant departments have been asked to fulfill their management duties to strengthen and implement epidemic prevention and control measures. These measures include code scanning, temperature measurement and checking negative nucleic acid certificates for people entering public places, as well as doing the sanitation of the places.Residents are reminded not to go out unless necessary, including not go to crowded places, and not go out to meals and parties. People need to wear a mask properly, keep a safe distance and maintain good personal hygiene if go out, read the reminder.In addition, the city's numerous nucleic acid testing sites for large-scale testing that had been set up along the roadsides and around commercial and office areas were temporarily closed in Chaoyang district starting from Monday. Citizens will be tested in their neighborhood instead. This is considered to be one of the measures taken to prevent people from cross infection during nucleic acid testing.The current round of cluster infections appeared in the capital city is not only due to the reason of strong infectiousness, fast transmission and short incubation period of the Omicron variant BF.7, a subvariant of BA.5., but also affected by an increased risk of transmission of other respiratory diseases such as influenza, local health authorities noted.Global Times What Is an Executor?vegas super bowl bets 2021 An executor of an estate is an individual appointed to administer the last will and testament of a deceased person. The executor's main duty is to carry out the instructions to manage the affairs and wishes of the deceased. The executor is appointed either by the testator of the will (the individual who makes the will) or by a court, in cases wherein there was no prior appointment. Key Takeaways An executor is the person who administers a person's estate upon their death. An executor is often named by the testator before their death, or else by a court. The primary duty is to carry out the wishes of the deceased person based on instructions spelled out in their will or trust documents. This means ensuring that assets are distributed to the intended beneficiaries. Being an executor is a large responsibility where potential hazards and complications may arise. How Executors Work The executor is responsible for making sure all assets in the will are accounted for, along with transferring these assets to the correct party (parties). Assets can include financial holdings, such as stocks, bonds, or money market investments; real estate; direct investments; or even collectibles like art. The executor has to estimate the value of the estate by using either the date of death value or the alternative valuation date, as provided in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The executor also needs to ensure that all the debts of the deceased are paid off, including any taxes. The executor is legally obligated to meet the wishes of the deceased and act in the interest of the deceased. The executor can be almost anyone but is usually a lawyer, accountant, or family member, with the only restriction being that they must be over the age of 18 and have no prior felony convictions. Some people agree to be an executor thinking that it will be years before they have to do any work. However, doing the job properly means going to work immediately. In the words of Jim Morrison, "The future's uncertain, and the end is always near," so agreeing to be an executor means that your legal responsibility could be called upon at any time. Being an Executor To be prepared to act as executor, you should: Make sure the testator is keeping a list of assets and debts, including bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance policies, real estate, and so on. Know where the original will and the asset list are being held and how to access them. Know the names and contact details of attorneys or agents named by the testator, and what their function is. Discuss the testator's wishes as far as a funeral or memorial service, including instructions for burial or cremation. Discuss the will with the testator and, if possible, with the beneficiaries in order to minimize problems in the future. Have a copy of all these documents. Again, it is important that you have the time to gather this information as soon as possible after you've agreed to be the executor. Executors and Estate Planning Executors are key in estate planning for individuals and their families and beneficiaries. Estate planning is an all-encompassing term that covers how an individuals assets will be preserved, managed, and distributed after death. It also takes into account the management of this individuals properties and financial obligations (i.e. debts) in the event that s/he becomes incapacitated. Individuals have various reasons for planning an estate, including preserving family wealth, providing for surviving spouses and children, funding children and/or grandchildrens education, or leaving their legacy behind to a charitable cause. The most basic step in estate planning involves writing a will. Other major estate planning tasks include: Limiting estate taxes by setting up trust accounts in the name of beneficiaries Establishing a guardian for living dependents Naming an executor of the estate to oversee the terms of the will Creating/updating beneficiaries on plans such as life insurance, IRAs, and 401(k)s Setting up funeral arrangements Establishing annual gifting to qualified charitable and non-profit organizations to reduce the taxable estate Setting up a durable power of attorney (POA) to direct other assets and investments While it is an honor to be selected as an executor, executing a will takes more work than you might think. Before you agree to act as an executor, understand some of the hazards that can result. And know how you can address some of these potential hazards so that being an executor can run smoothly. The feminine form of the word executor is "executrix." It refers specifically to a woman who has been assigned responsibility for administering a deceased person's estate and executing the provisions set forth in a last will and testament. "Executrix" is pretty obsolete now, in favor of the gender-neutral "executor," but the term may still be found in older wills and other documents. Disputes With Co-Executors Often when a parent has more than one adult child, all children are named as co-executors so as not to show favoritism. For those who are named, however, this arrangement may not work smoothly. Some children may be out-of-state, or even out-of-country, making it difficult to handle the hands-on activities, such as securing assets and selling a home. Some lack the financial ability to deal with creditors, understand estate tax matters and do an accounting audit to satisfy beneficiaries that things have been properly handled. Also, having multiple executors adds greatly to the amount of paperwork. For example, forms that need to be signed by all executors must be sent around to all (in some cases, scanned documents that have been signed are acceptable, but in others only originals are acceptable). How to Solve These Disputes See if co-executors can agree to allow only one individual to serve; the others simply waive their appointment. This waiver works well when co-executors trust the person who will serve as the sole executor. Another alternative is for all of the children to decline and instead let a banks trust department handle the job (the will may name the bank as a successor executor). This costs money and is best suited for large estates. However, using an entity rather than an individual as executor can alleviate conflicts among the children and relieves them from what could be an onerous job. Disputes With Heirs An executors job is to secure the assets of the estate and then distribute them according to the deceased persons wishes. In some families, heirs descend on a decedents home even before the funeral, cherry-picking heirlooms, and other valuables. Also, the will may give latitude to an executor in making disbursements to heirs (e.g., distributing property or selling property and distributing cash). An executor may create family disharmony for simply doing their job. How to Solve These Disputes Secure the home and other assets as quickly as possible. Inform heirs that this is the law. Also share information about the decedents wishes, which may be described in a will or listed in a separate document (the separate document isnt binding on the executor but can be a good roadmap for asset disbursements). Time Drain One of the biggest drawbacks to being an executor is the great amount of time it takes to properly handle responsibilities. For example, think of the time involved in contacting various government agencies (e.g., Social Security Administration to stop Social Security benefits and, in the case of a surviving spouse, claim the $255 death benefit; IRS and state tax authorities for income tax and death tax matters; states unclaimed property departments to recoup utility deposits and other outstanding amounts that belonged to the decedent). Streamline the Process With Outside Help An executor can allow an estate attorney to handle many of these matters. However, the attorney will bill for their time and cost the estate money. Even if an attorney uses a paralegal for various actions, it can still be expensive. Also, a CPA or other tax preparers can work on the decedents final income tax return as well as income tax returns for the estate. Where estates are modest, these fees can mean little or no inheritances for some heirs. An executor in this situation should use the services of professionals sparingly and understand the time commitment they will need to make instead. Being organized (e.g., using a checklist like this one from Jonathan Pond) can help an executor use time most efficiently. Personal Liability Exposure As an executor, you must pay taxes owed before disbursing inheritances to heirs. If you pay heirs first and do not have sufficient funds in the estates checking account to pay taxes, you are personally liable for the taxes. While many estates no longer are concerned about federal income taxes because of the high exemption amount ($11.58 million in 2021), many states continue to impose death taxes on smaller estates. The value of the estate for death tax purposes is greater than the probate estate (the assets that do not pass automatically to named beneficiaries); it includes all assets in which the decedent had an interest (e.g., IRAs, annuities, life insurance owned by the decedent). Explain to heirs who are eager to receive their inheritances that you are not permitted to give them their share until you have settled with creditors, the IRS, and others with a claim against the estate. (Creditors cannot go after the proceeds of a life insurance policy that has a specific beneficiary, however.) Make sure to understand the extent of the funds needed to pay whats owed. Out-of-Pocket Costs An executor is allowed to receive compensation for their efforts. Usually, the amount of compensation is determined by the size of the estate (e.g., a percentage of assets). However, in many cases, particularly with smaller estates, an executor is asked to waive any payment. Try to pay the expenses of the estate from an estate checking account. Keep track of out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. postal fees). Some of these expenses may be reimbursable by the estate. What Is Another Word for Executor? An executor is one who handles the wishes and instructions set out in a will. Other terms for this role may include the will's administrator, enforcer, or steward; or the testator's personal representative, agent, or fiduciary. A female executor is referred to as an executrix. Is an Executor the Same as a Trustee? The two roles are similar, but an executor carries out one's will, often under the supervision of a probate court; while a trustee is responsible for one's trust. In some cases, the two may be the same individual, although they don't have to be. Can an Executor Also Be a Beneficiary? Yes, and it is not uncommon for a will's executor to also be a named beneficiary. However, this can create accusations of perceived unfairness or conflicts of interest. Do Executors Get Paid? Executors are often entitled to payment for their time and effort, either through the terms of the will, or under state law pertaining to reasonable compensation. This can come in the form of a percentage of the estate's value, a commission on the transactions involved in settling the estate, as an hourly rate, or a flat fee. An executor may choose to decline compensation. What Is a Gift Left in a Will Called? A gift left in a will is known as a bequest or a legacy. The Bottom Line An executor is the individual who carries out one's last will and testament, ensuring that the stipulations and wishes of the deceased are carried out properly. Subject to probate court oversight, this will often include disbursing the estate's assets, paying any taxes due, and covering outstanding debts. People often name the executor to their estate in their will prior to death. In the absence of a named executor, a probate court will assign one instead. What Is a Bull Put Spread?gala slots A bull put spread is an options strategy that an investor uses when they expect a moderate rise in the price of the underlying asset. The strategy employs two put options to form a range, consisting of a high strike price and a low strike price. The investor receives a net credit from the difference between the premiums of the two options. Key Takeaways A bull put spread is an options strategy that is used when the investor expects a moderate rise in the price of the underlying asset. An investor executes a bull put spread by buying a put option on a security and selling another put option for the same date but a higher strike price. The maximum loss is equal to the difference between the strike prices and the net credit received. The maximum profit is the difference in the premium costs of the two put options. This only occurs if the stock's price closes above the higher strike price at expiry. Which Vertical Option Spread Should You Use? Understanding a Bull Put Spread 1:26 Investors typically use put options to profit from declines in a stock's price, since a put option gives them the abilitythough not the obligationto sell a stock at or before the expiration date of the contract. Each put option has a strike price, which is the price at which the option converts to the underlying stock. Investors pay a premium to purchase a put option. Profits and Loss from Put Options Investors typically buy put options when they are bearish on a stock, meaning they hope the stock will fall below the option's strike price. However, the bull put spread is designed to benefit from a stock's rise. If the stock trades above the strike at expiry, the put option expires worthless, because no one would sell the stock at a strike lower than the market price. As a result, the investor who bought the put loses the value of the premium they paid. On the other hand, an investor who sells a put option is hoping the stock doesn't decrease but instead rises above the strike so the put option expires worthless. A put option sellerthe option writerreceives the premium for selling the option initially and wants to keep that sum. However, if the stock declines below the strike, the put seller is on the hook. The option holder has a profit and will exercise their rights, selling their shares at the higher strike price. In other words, the put option is exercised against the seller. The premium received by the seller would be reduced depending on how far the stock price falls below the put option's strike. The bull put spread is designed to allow the seller to keep the premium earned from selling the put option even if the stock's price declines. Construction of the Bull Put Spread A bull put spread consists of two put options. First, an investor buys one put option and pays a premium. At the same time, the investor sells a second put option with a strike price that is higher than the one they purchased, receiving a premium for that sale. Note that both options will have the same expiration date. Since puts lose value as the underlying increases, both options would expire worthless if the underlying price finishes higher than the highest strike. Therefore, the maximum profit would be the premium received from writing the spread. Those who are bullish on an underlying stock could thus use a bull put spread to generate income with limited downside. However, there is a risk of loss with this strategy. Credit Spread, using Puts.Google Images Bull Put Profit and Loss The maximum profit for a bull put spread is equal to the difference between the amount received from the sold put and the amount paid for the purchased put. In other words, the net credit received initially is the maximum profit, which only happens if the stock's price closes above the higher strike price at expiry. The goal of the bull put spread strategy is realized when the price of the underlying moves or stays above the higher strike price. The result is the sold option expires worthless. The reason it expires worthless is that no one would want to exercise it and sell their shares at the strike price if it's lower than the market price. A drawback to the strategy is that it limits the profit earned if the stock rises well above the upper strike price of the sold put option. The investor would pocket the initial credit but miss out on any future gains. If the stock is below the upper strike in the strategy, the investor will begin to lose money since the put option will likely be exercised. Someone in the market would want to sell their shares at this, more attractive, strike price. However, the investor received a net credit for the strategy at the outset. This credit provides some cushion for the losses. Once the stock declines far enough to wipe out the credit received, the investor begins losing money on the trade. If the stock price falls below the lower strike put optionthe purchased putboth put options would have lost money, and maximum loss for the strategy is realized. The maximum loss is equal to the difference between the strike prices and the net credit received. Investors can earn income from the net credit paid at the onset of the strategy. The maximum loss on the strategy is capped and known upfront. The risk of loss, at its maximum, is the difference between the strike prices and the net credit paid. The strategy has limited profit potential and misses out on future gains if the stock price rises above the upper strike price. Example of a Bull Put Spread ProsCons Let's say an investor is bullish on Apple (AAPL) over the next month. Imagine the stock currently trades at $275 per share. To implement a bull put spread, the investor: Sells for $8.50 one put option with a strike of $280 expiring in one month Buys for $2 one put option with a strike of $270 expiring in one month The investor earns a net credit of $6.50 for the two options, or $8.50 credit - $2 premium paid. Because one options contract equals 100 shares of the underlying asset, the total credit received is $650. Scenario 1 Maximum Profit Let's say Apple rises and trades at $300 at expiry. The maximum profit is achieved and equals $650, or $8.50 - $2 = $6.50 x 100 shares = $650. Once the stock rises above the upper strike price, the strategy ceases to earn any additional profit. Scenario 2 Maximum Loss If Apple trades at $200 per share or below the low strike, the maximum loss is realized. However, the loss is capped at $350, or $280 put - $270 put - ($8.50 - $2) x 100 shares. Ideally, the investor is looking for the stock to close above $280 per share on expiration, which would be the point at which maximum profit is achieved. CorrectionDec. 24, 2021.A video in this article incorrectly labeled the graphs for Bull Put Spreads and Bear Put Spreads. Zumba was born in Colombia in the 1990s,blackjack 21 game online quite by accident. A fitness instructor forgot to bring his usual workout music to class, so he grabbed some Latin albums from his car, ditched the constraints of a traditional workout and danced just like he would at a club. His class followed along, sweating to the salsa and rumba beats, and loving it. Since then, Zumba has pitched itself as more of a party than a workout. Indeed, some research suggests it may be the very best workout for people who hate to exercise. Find your best indoor workout with TIMEs new guide to exercise. A Zumba class is like any other instructor-led workout, but with simple dance moves heavy on the hips and step counts. Those moves add up to a decent sweat, says John Porcari, a professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He and his colleagues analyzed a group of women who were Zumba regulars and found that a 40-minute class burns about 370 calories, a little more than nine calories per minute. Thats roughly the same amount youd work off if you ran at a slow-ish pace or biked at 15 miles per hour for the same amount of time. People worked hard in the class, too. We found that they exercised at about 80% of maximum heart rate, and 60% V02 max, which is a measure of oxygen used during exercise, he says. We found its a pretty good workoutsimilar to moderately intense exercises like step aerobics or cardio kickboxing. Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. Thank you! Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later.You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. But the most impressive part of Zumba is how much it appeals to people who stay away from exercise. A study in the American Journal of Health Behaviorshowed that when women with type 2 diabetes and obesity did Zumba three times a week for 16 weeks, they lost an average of 2.5 pounds and lowered their percentage of body fat by 1%. More importantly, the women enjoyed the class so much that they made it a habitvery unusual for an aerobic exercise program. After the study had ended, most the participants continued going, says study coauthor Jamie Cooper, an associate professor at the University of Georgia. It seems like most of them had fun, made friends and didnt see Zumba as hard work. The workout-in-disguise has unique physical and mental health benefits. Another study linked Zumbas hip-swinging, stomach-gyrating movements to increased core and trunk strength and better balance in older overweight women. After just eight weeks, the womens quality-of-life scores jumped 9% and their self-esteem increased 16%. A related study on Zumbas psychological benefits found that people who practice it feel more independent and said that their lives seemed more purposeful. Its not hard to see why the activity would be invigorating and freeing. You have to let go and have fun during Zumba, Cooper says. Just as some people with anxiety take improv classes to relieve their social skittishness, dancing around other people may help Zumba-goers feel less shy or self-conscious about their bodies. The workout may be especially helpful for older adults who cant run or do more intense workouts (or for those who dont want to). One 2015 study found that even scaled-back versions of Zumba can help older adults keep up their cardiovascular fitness. More broadly, plenty of evidence suggests that dancing can help seniors maintain balance and coordination, lowering their risk for falls. Zumba is never going to compete with workouts like CrossFit or high-intensity interval training when it comes to physical fitness gains. But not everyone is the type to sign up for CrossFit, Cooper says. Theres still a place for Zumba, because people really enjoy it. What Is an Execution?play governor of poker game free online Execution is the completion of a buy or sell order for a security. The execution of an order occurs when it gets filled, not when the investor places it. When the investor submits the trade, it is sent to a broker, who then determines the best way for it to be executed. Key Takeaways Execution refers to filling a buy or sell order in the market, subject to conditions placed on the order by the end client. There are several ways to execute a trade and they encompass manual as well as automated methods. Brokers are required by law to find the best possible means to execute a client's trade. Understanding Execution Brokers are required by law to give investors the best execution possible. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires brokers to report the quality of their executions on a stock by stock basis as well as to notify customers who did not have their orders routed for best execution. The cost of executing trades has been significantly reduced due to the growth of online brokers. Many brokers offer their customers a commission rebate if they execute a certain amount of trades or dollar value per month. This is particularly important for short-term traders where execution costs need to be kept as low as possible. If the order placed is a market order or an order which can be converted into a market order relatively quickly, then the chances that it will be settled at the desired price are high. But there might be instances, especially in the case of a large order that is broken down into several small orders, when it might be difficult to execute at the best possible price range. In such cases, an execution risk is introduced into the system. The risk refers to the lag between the placement of an order and its settlement. How Orders Get Executed Order to the Floor: This can be time-consuming because a human trader processes the transaction. The floor broker needs to receive the order and fill it. This can be time-consuming because a human trader processes the transaction. The floor broker needs to receive the order and fill it. Order to Market Maker: On exchanges such as the Nasdaq, market makers are responsible for providing liquidity. The investor's broker may direct the trade to one of these market makers for execution. On exchanges such as the Nasdaq, market makers are responsible for providing liquidity. The investor's broker may direct the trade to one of these market makers for execution. Electronic Communications Network (ECN): An efficient method, whereby computer systems electronically match up buy and sell orders. An efficient method, whereby computer systems electronically match up buy and sell orders. Internalization:If the broker holds an inventory of the stock in question, it may decide to execute the order in-house. Brokers refer to this as an internal crossing. Best Execution and Broker Obligations By law, brokers are obligated to give each of their investors the best possible order execution. There is, however, the debate over whether this happens, or if brokers are routing the orders for other reasons, like the additional revenue streams we outlined above. Let's say, for example, you want to buy 1,000 shares of the TSJ Sports Conglomerate, which is selling at the current price of $40. You place the market order, and it gets filled at $40.10. That means the order costs you an additional $100. Some brokers state that they always "fight for an extra one-sixteenth," but in reality, the opportunity for price improvement is simply an opportunity and not a guarantee. Also, when the broker tries for a better price (for a limit order), the speed and the likelihood of execution diminishes. However, the market itself, and not the broker, may be the culprit of an order not being executed at the quoted price, especially in fast-moving markets. It is somewhat of a high-wire act that brokers walk in trying to execute trades in the best interest of their clients as well as their own. But as we will learn, the SEC has put measures in place to tilt the scale toward the client's best interests. The SEC has taken steps to ensure that investors get the best execution, with rules forcing brokers to report the quality of executions on a stock-by-stock basis, including how market orders are executed and what the execution price is compared to the public quote's effective spreads. In addition, when a broker, while executing an order from an investor using a limit order, provides the execution at a better price than the public quotes, that broker must report the details of these better prices. With these rules in place, it is much easier to determine which brokers get the best prices and which ones use them only as a marketing pitch. Additionally, the SEC requires broker/dealers to notify their customers if their orders are not routed for best execution. Typically, this disclosure is on the trade confirmation slip you receive after placing your order. Unfortunately, this disclaimer almost always goes unnoticed. Execution and Dark Pools Dark pools are private exchanges or forums that are designed to help institutional investors execute their large orders by not disclosing their quantity. Because dark pools are primarily used by institutions, it is often easier to find liquidity to execute a block trade at a better price than if it was executed on a public exchange, such as the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange. If an institutional trader places a sizable order on a public exchange, it is visible in the order book and other investors may discover that there is a large buy or sell order getting executed which could push the price of the stock lower. Most dark pools also offer execution at the mid-point of the bid and ask price which helps brokers achieve the best possible execution for their customers. For example, if a stocks bid price was $100 and the asking price was $101, a market order could get executed at $100.50 if there was a seller at that price in the dark pool. Main Street is generally skeptical of dark pools due to their lack of transparency and lack of access to retail investors. Example of Execution Suppose Olga enters an order to sell 500 shares of stock ABC for $25. Her broker is under obligation to find the best possible execution price for the stock. He investigates the stock's prices across markets and finds that he can get a price of $25.50 for the stock internally versus the $25.25 price at which it is trading in the markets. The broker executes the order internally and nets a profit of $125 for Olga. GambleAware, an independent organization which aims at promoting responsible gambling, released information on the strategy it is to follow for the next five years. The objective of the new strategyis to minimise the number of people each year who require treatment to rehabilitate from gambling-related harm. The organization, which formerly went by the name of the Responsible Gambling Trustor RGT, has reinforced its commitment to assisting compulsive gamblers through funding research, various treatment services and education. According to the official press statement released by the charity, GambleAware is seeking to boost its funding to 10 million per year. The organization urges license-holders, advertisers, lotteries and professional sports clubs to contribute voluntarily to research, education and treatment services. GambleAwares press statement revealed the overall number of adult problem gamblers in the United Kingdom alone is estimated to be around 250,000with a further 470,000 who are believed to be at risk of problem gambling. At the present moment, only 3% of those people benefit from the services offered by the national network of treatment providers. With this change in strategy, GambleAware aims to triple the number of the problem gamblers who reap the benefits from the treatment servicesthe organization funds. By implementing the new strategy, GambleAware also renews its commitment to evidence-based research. The charitys new plan of action involves identifying the causes for gambling-related harm as well as recognizing and implementing the forms of treatment which have proven to be the most effective. This is to be achieved through a 50% increase in GambleAwares research budgetby the year 2018. The aim is to boost the annual research budget so that it reaches 1.5 million per year. Additionally, GambleAware is planning adjustments to its internal structure, which include introducing a new Audit and Risk Committee. Katie Lampard, who assumed the position of Chair of GambleAware in June, commented the organizations number-one priority is protecting the vulnerable. Lampard went on to say GambleAware is looking forward to working in conjunction with the gambling industry. Lampard concluded by saying the organization is well-prepared to challenge the industry, if necessary, in order to achieve its objectives. At the present moment, GambleAware collects over 7 million per year in voluntary donations from license-holders operating on the territory of Great Britain. This donation system was first introduced under the Gambling Act of 2005. The organizations programme of harm prevention, research, treatment and education is endorsed by the UK Gambling Commission. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent who sold highly classified material to Russian intelligence agents for decades before he was finally arrested in 2001. His case is considered one of America's greatest intelligence failures, as Hanssen operated as a mole within the bureau's counterintelligence division, the highly sensitive part of the FBI tasked with tracking foreign spies. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. At work, he often spoke of his religious faith and conservative values, traits which helped him avoid any suspicion during the years that he was in secret communication with Russian spies. Fast Facts: Robert Hanssen Full Name: Robert Phillip Hanssen Robert Phillip Hanssen Known For: Worked as a mole for Russian spy agencies while serving as an FBI counterintelligence agent. He was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to life without parole in federal prison in 2002 Worked as a mole for Russian spy agencies while serving as an FBI counterintelligence agent. He was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to life without parole in federal prison in 2002 Born: April 14, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois April 14, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois Education: Knox College and Northwestern University, where he received an MBA Knox College and Northwestern University, where he received an MBA Spouse:Bernadette Wauck Early Life and Career Robert Phillip Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 18, 1944. His father served on the police force in Chicago and was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II when Hanssen was born. As Hanssen grew up, his father was reportedly verbally abusive to him, often ranting that he would never succeed in life. After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. For a time he planned to become a dentist, but eventually wound up obtaining an MBA and becoming an accountant. He married Bernadette Wauck in 1968 and, influenced by his devout Catholic wife, he converted to Catholicism. After a few years working as an accountant, he decided to enter law enforcement. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. Initial Betrayal In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. His job was to help assemble a database of foreign officials posted in New York who, while posing as diplomats, were actually intelligence officers spying on the United States. Many of them were agents of the Soviet intelligence agency, the KGB, or its military counterpart, the GRU. At some point in 1979, Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the Soviets. He visited an office of the Russian government's trading company and offered to spy. Hanssen would later claim that his goal was simply to make some extra money, as living in New York City was putting a financial squeeze on his growing family. He began providing the Soviets with highly valuable material. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. Polyakov was carefully watched by the Russians from that point on, and was eventually arrested as a spy and executed in 1988. Robert Hanssen's business cards, chalk and thumb tacks, which he used to communicate with his Russian contacts, according to the FBI.FBI.gov In 1980, after his first interactions with the Soviets, Hanssen told his wife what he had done, and she suggested they meet with a Catholic priest. The priest told Hanssen to stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from the Russians to charity. Hanssen made the donation to a charity affiliated with Mother Teresa, and cut off contact with the Soviets for the next few years. Return to Spying In the early 1980s, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. To his colleagues in the bureau he seemed to be a model agent. He often steered conversations to talk of religion and his very conservative values, which were aligned with the very conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. After working in the FBI division that developed secret listening devices, Hanssen was again placed in a position to track Russian agents operating in the United States. In 1985 he approached the Soviets again and offered valuable secrets. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. He wrote to them anonymously. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. Hanssen refused. In his communications with the Russians (some of which were eventually made public after his arrest) he insisted on setting the terms of how he would communicate, pass information, and pick up money. His Russian contacts and Hanssen were highly trained in espionage techniques and were able to work together without ever meeting. At one point Hanssen spoke to a Russian agent over a pay phone, but they generally relied on placing signals in public places. For instance, a piece of adhesive tape placed on a sign in a park in Virginia would indicate that a package had been placed in a "dead drop" location, which was usually under a small footbridge in the park. Undated file photo released by the FBI February 20, 2001 shows a package recovered at the 'Lewis' drop site containing $50,000 cash allegedly left by Russians for FBI Agent Robert Philip Hanssen.FBI / Getty Images A Third Stint of Betrayal When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. During the early 1990s, KGB veterans began to approach western intelligence agencies and provide information. Hanssen became alarmed that a Russian with knowledge of his activities would tip off the Americans that a highly placed mole was operating within the FBI and the resultant investigation would lead to him. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. Hanssen was finally discovered when a former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents. The Russian had obtained Hanssen's KGB file. Realizing the importance of the material, the United States paid $7 million for it. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and to avoid the death penalty, Hanssen confessed and agreed to be debriefed by American intelligence officials. During his sessions with investigators, Hanssen claimed his motivation had always been financial. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. News reports at the time of his sentencing said American intelligence agencies were not entirely satisfied with the extent of his cooperation and believed he was holding back information. But the government could not prove he had lied, and wishing to avoid a public trial, the government chose not to void his plea agreement. He was sentenced to life in prison. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested.Getty Images Impact of Hanssen Case The Hanssen case was regarded as a low point for the FBI, especially as Hanssen had been so trusted and had committed such betrayals for so many years. In court proceedings the government stated that Hanssen had been paid more than $1.4 million during his spying career, most of which he never actually received, as it was held for him in a Russian bank. The damage Hanssen did was considerable. At least three Russian agents he identified had been executed, and it was suspected that he compromised dozens of intelligence operations. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. Hanssen was incarcerated in a "supermax" federal prison in Colorado which also houses other notorious inmates, including the Unabomber, one of the Boston Marathon bombers, and a number of organized crime figures. Sources: Officials for the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians announced on Monday that Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino will reopen doors for visitors on December 31at 10 am local time. The venue was closed in October 2014 after a violent dispute between rivaling tribal factions erupted in the casinos offices. Earlier this month, it became clear that tribal officials and the National Indian Gaming Commission had reached an agreement for the resorts reopening. Under its terms, the tribe would have to pay the total amount of $19.8 million. Part of the fine, however, may be suspended provided that the hotel and casino venue manages to stick to the settlement agreement in the years to come. In addition, officials for Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino will have to make sure that nothing that threatens the health and safety of both employees and customerswould occur. Last but not least, the complex will have to provide all the necessary financial information about its operations in a timely manner. As mentioned above, the resort would open doors on December 31. And an official reopening ceremony will be held on January 15. At first, the casino at the complex will reopen with a 56,000-square-foot gaming space and will feature 1,700 slot machines and 22 table games. In addition to this, the hotel will offer 220 rooms and suites and visitors will also have the chance to enjoy numerous food and beverage and entertainment options. In 2016, the complex is expected to relaunch another 200 rooms and suites, more food and beverage options, a 200-seat entertainment venue with live music and sports entertainment options, a 13,000-square-foot spa, and many more. Commenting on the resorts reopening, Christian Goode, COO of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino said that their team has been working very hard to prepare the property for its relaunch. Mr. Goode added that they are looking forward to providing both new and returning customers with the best possible gaming and entertainment experience. Swedish online casino provider NetEnt announced today that it will launch table games in Spainto celebrate its second anniversary in the regulated market. Going live in Spain in June 2015, the company has been working with some of the leading operators to be servicing local gambling customers, with some of those being PokerStars, 888, bet365, and bwin. The table games package will include desktop and mobile versions of roulette and blackjack. Commenting on the latest announcement, NetEnt Malta Ltd. Managing Director Enrico Bradamante said in a press release from earlier today that online gaming is growing positively in Spainand that the market with its great future potential is particularly important to NetEnt and its own development as a leading online casino supplier. The announcement about NetEnt expanding its operations in Spain comes mere days after the company announced that it was entering the Serbian online gambling market. The Swedish provider went live with its online casino games after successfully completing their integration with local gambling operator Mozzart. Evolution of the Spanish Online Gambling Market NetEnt together with other leading international gambling companies have participated actively in the formation and development of the Spanish iGaming market. Spain opened its market for regulated operations in June 2012, when first iGaming licenses were granted to interested applicants. At first, Spain-facing gambling companies were only allowed to provide table games, online poker, and sports betting. In 2014, the countrys government amended existing gambling laws to allow online slots and exchange betting. The new regulations took effect in June 2015 and over 20 licensed operators went live with slot titles. Spain hoped that online slots would give the local market a much-needed boost, just as they had previously done in Italy. The games quickly turned into an important part of the market and delivered on growth expectations. As seen in reports compiled by the Spanish gambling regulator Direccion General de Ordenacion del Juego (DGOJ) online slots quickly turned into one of the leading online casino verticals in the local market. Figures showed that revenue from slots in the second quarter of 2015, when they were launched in Spain, totaled 1.2 million. It increased 292.75% in the third quarter of that year to 5.85 million. What is more, revenue from slot games represented the second biggest share of the countrys online casino market, trailing only behind roulette, revenue from which totaled 8.58 millionin the three months ended September 30, 2015. Online slots have remained the second largest segment for the past two years as figures from DGOJ have shown. During the first quarter of 2017, this type of offering generated 13.68 million. In comparison, revenue from online roulette offering totaled 13.69 million. Overall, Spains gambling market was worth 122.66 millionin the first quarter of the year, up 19.89% year-on-year. Revenue from online poker totaled 15.14 million. The countrys online casino segment generated the amount 32.53 million, slots an roulette included. Sports betting claimed the local markets largest share, with revenue totaling 71.61 million. Online bingo games contributed 2.36 millionto the iGaming and betting bulk. Every once in a while writers come across a set of words that are so similar to each other that they arent sure what the difference is. Either that or they use the words so infrequently that they forgot (or never knew to begin with) the difference between them. Such is the case with amend vs. emend. One of these two words we use quite frequently; the other word is one some writers arent aware exists. What is the Difference Between Amend and Emend? Today, I want to talk about the definitions of these two words, their histories, how to use them in a sentence, and what sets them apart from each other. After reading this post you shouldnt have any difficulty choosing amend or emend in your next written work. When to Use Amend Amend (pronounced uh-mend), which is the older of the two English words, is a verb, meaning to change for the better or add to; to alter the working to make more suitable, accurate, acceptable, up-to-date, etc. Have you amended your will to reflect these changes? I will amend the contracts once I get back to the office. Congress amended the bill before it became law. Toamendsomething is to try to make it better by changing the way it currently is. The most common use of it is in government where politicians will amend laws. They do this oftentimes by proposing amendments. Amendment is the noun form of the verb amend. Amendis also commonly used in contexts of personal behavior. If you can amend his mindset, he will become successful. As I said above, amendis the older of the two words, making its way into English in the 13th century from the French word amender. The French spelling had gone from an e to an a several centuries before entering English. Emend, on the other hand, came into English a few centuries after amendand retains a more Latin spelling. Both words originate from the same Latin word emendare,which means to remove fault. When to Use Emend The word emend(pronounced ih-mend) is also a verb, meaning to correct text; to improve by critical editing. After proofing the text, I emended several typos. I looked over your data set and emended two of the entries. Based on these new discoveries, the date of his death may need to be emended. If you are an author, your editor might do a lot of emending to your work before publication. As you can clearly see by their definitions and uses, emend and amend emphasize different things. They both center on change of some kind, but their emphasis is different. To amend something is to change it for the better. To emend something is to fix an error. Remember the Difference Knowing whether to use emend or amend can be tough, but I have a few easy tricks to keep them separated. Amendhas to do with making changesto documents or laws. Amend, changes, and laws all contain the letter A. Emendhas to do with correcting errors in text, something an editor might do. Emend, error, and editor all start with the letter E. Summary The two words emend vs. amend cannot be used interchangeably in all contexts, so its important we know when to use which word. Amendis to change something, usually a document or personal behavior, to make it better. Emendis to correct something, usually in a text, to fix an error. What Is Excess Cash Flow?free spin house of fun Excess cash flow is a term used in loan agreements or bond indentures and refers to the portion of cash flows of a company that are required to be repaid to a lender. Excess cash flow is typically cash received or generated by a company in the form of revenues or investments that triggers a payment to the lender as stipulated in their credit agreement. Since the company has an outstanding loan with one or more creditors, certain cash flows are subject to various earmarks or restrictions for usage by the company. Key Takeaways Excess cash flow is cash received or generated by a company that triggers a repayment to a lender, as stipulated in their bond debenture or credit agreement. Lenders impose restrictions on how excess cash can be spent in an effort to maintain control of the company's debt repayments. However, the lender does not want to create so many restrictions that it hurts the financial viability of the company. If excess cash flow is generated, a lender might require a repayment that is all or some portion of the excess cash flow amount. Understanding Excess Cash Flows Excess cash flows conditions are written into loan agreements or bond indentures as restrictive covenants to provide additional cover for credit risk for lenders or bond investors. If an event occurs that results in excess cash flows as defined in the credit agreement, the company must make a payment to the lender. The payment could be made a percentage of the excess flow, which is usually dependent on what event generated the excess cash flow. Lenders thus impose restrictions on how excess cash can be spent in an effort to maintain control of the company's cash flow. But the lender must also be careful that these restrictions and limitations are not so strict that they impede the company's financial standing or ability to grow, which could end up causing self-inflicted harm to the lender. Lenders define what is considered an excess cash flow usually by a formula that consists of a percentage or amount above and beyond expected net income or profit over some time period. However, that formula will vary from lender to lender, and it is up to the borrower to negotiate these terms with the lender. Events Triggering Mandatory Payments If a company raises additional capital through some funding measure such as a stock issuance, the company would likely be required to pay the lender the amount generated minus any expenses that occurred to generate the capital. For example, if a company issues new equity in a secondary offering, the money raised would trigger a payment to the lender. Also, if a company-issued debt through a bond offering, the proceeds would likely trigger a payment to the lender. Asset sales could also trigger a payment. A company might have investments or hold shares such as a minority interest in other companies. If the company sold those investments for a profit, the lender would likely require payment for those funds. Proceeds earned from a spin-off, acquisition, or windfall income from winning a lawsuit may also trigger the clause. Exceptions to Excess Cash Flow Certain asset sales might be excluded from triggering a payment such as the sale of inventory. A company in its normal course of operation might need to buy and sell inventory to generate its operating income. As a result, it's likely that an asset sale, which comprises of inventory would be exempt from a prepayment obligation. Other operating expenses or capital expenditures (CAPEX) might be exempt from triggering a payment such as cash used as deposits to land new business or cash held at a bank that's used to help pay for a financial product that hedges market risk for the company. Calculating Excess Cash Flows There is no set formula for calculating excess cash flows since each credit agreement will tend to have somewhat different requirements that will result in a payment to the lender. An approximation of a calculation of excess cash flow could begin with taking the company's profit or net income, adding back depreciation and amortization, and deducting capital expenditures that are necessary to sustain business operations, and dividends, if any. In other words, a credit agreement might outline an amount of excess cash flow that triggers a payment, but also how cash is used or spent. A lender might allow cash to be used for business operations, possibly dividends, and certain capital expenditures. The terms defining excess cash flow and any payments are typically negotiated between the borrower and the lender. If excess cash flow is generated, a lender might require a payment that is 100%, 75%, or 50% of the excess cash flow amount. Excess Cash vs. Free Cash Flows Free cash flow i(FCF) s the cash a company produces through its operations, less the cost of expenditures on assets. In other words, free cash flow is the cash left over after a company pays for its operating expenses and capital expenditures. FCF shows how efficient a company is at generating cash. Investors use free cash flow to measure whether a company might have enough cash, after funding operations and capital expenditures, to pay investors through dividends and share buybacks. The excess cash flow amount for a company is different than a company's free cash flow figure. Excess cash flow is defined in the credit agreement, which might stipulate for certain expenditures to be excluded in the calculation of excess cash flow. Exceptions to excess cash flow might be taxes paid, cash used to generate new business, but these cash outlays would be included in the free cash flow calculation. Conceptual Example of Excess Cash Flow In 2010, Dunkin' Brands, Inc. entered into a credit agreement with Barclays Bank PLC and a number of other lenders party to the agreement for a US$1.25 billion term B loan and $100 million revolver lines of credit. Below are the legal terms used in the credit agreement defining excess cash flow. Under "Defined Terms" of the agreement, excess cash flow is spelled out in a verbal formula as "an amount equal to the excess of": (a) the sum, without duplication, of: Consolidated net income of the borrower for such period An amount equal to the amount of all non-cash charges (including depreciation and amortization) The consolidated working capital adjustment for such period Over: (b) the sum, without duplication, of: An amount of all non-cash gains, income, and credits included in arriving at such Consolidated Net Income The [dollar] amount of capital expenditures, capitalized software expenditures, and acquisitions Consolidated Scheduled Funded Debt Payments The [dollar] amount of Investments made in cash ... made during such period to the extent that such Investments were financed with Internally Generated Cash Flow, plus any Returns of such Investment The aggregate consideration to be paid in cash...relating to permitted acquisitions All the capitalized terms in the above excerpt are "Defined Terms" in the agreement. The excess of "(a)" items over "(b)" items are carefully laid out as the definition of excess cash flow. The highlighted items in the above example are by no means exhaustive; instead, they illustrate the fine details of a definition of excess cash flow. As with any financial metric, there are limitations to using excess cash flow as a measure of a company's performance. The amount that's considered excess is determined by the lender and doesn't represent the true cash flow of the company since items are excluded from its calculation to help the business improve its performance to ensure repayment of the debt. A Numerical Example Say that hypothetical Company A has the following financial results at the end of the year: Net income: $1,000,000 Capital expenditures for operations: $500,000 Interest paid on debt with cash: $100,000 Assume that both Capex and the interest paid are allowed under the credit agreement meaning the company can use cash for those expenses. However, any cash left over after deducting the expenses from net income would be considered excess and trigger a payment to the lender. Las Vegas gambling operator MGM Resorts International suffered another blow in its continued effort to be allowed to bid for the right to build a casino in Connecticut. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court turned down the companys claim that state officials had violated the US Constitution by limiting the call for casino bids to the federally recognized Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes. The two tribes currently operate Connecticuts two existing casinos on tribal land. In 2015, the state approved the construction of what would be its first commercial casino. The two tribes emerged with a joint project for building a gambling venue in Connecticuts northern part. MGM has been trying to convince state legislators that a casino in its southern end would be a better optionas it would be able to compete with New Yorks growing casino market. Earlier this month, the state Legislature gave the nod to a bill that allows for the two tribes to build their casino in the town of East Windsor. If and when eventually launched, the venue will compete directly the $950-million MGM Springfield resort, currently being under construction in neighboring Massachusetts and slated for a fall 2018 opening. Connecticuts two federally recognized tribes have repeatedly pointed out that MGMs casino would have a detrimental impact on their two existing gambling venues. According to initial estimates, more than 9,000 casino employees could lose their jobsand the state could lose much-needed revenue as a result from competition from neighboring Massachusetts. Gov. Dannel Malloy is yet to put his signature to authorize the recently approved piece of legislation. The states top official has previously indicated that he would not oppose the bill. The Wednesday ruling of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit came after a lower court had too dismissed MGMs argument that Connecticut had breached Constitution principles by limiting the casino bidding process to just the two tribes. However, here it is important to note that the federal appeals court pointed out on Wednesday that its decision may be a temporary one given the rapidly changing gambling environment. Although the two tribes joint project has been approved in the Legislature, there still are lawmakers that argue the bidding process should be reopened and more interested parties should be allowed to submit their proposals. The appeals court wrote in its ruling that it is not ruling out the future possibility for MGM to endure any harm as a result from the construction of a commercial casino by Connecticuts two federally recognized tribes. However, the court pointed out that the possibility is now (and for now) only hypothetical. What Is Excess Capacity?upper deck series 2 odds Excess capacity is a condition that occurs when demand for a product is less than the amount of product that a business could potentially supply to the market. When a firm is producing at a lower scale of output than it has been designed for, it creates excess capacity. The term excess capacity is generally used in manufacturing. If you see idle workers at a production plant, it could imply that the facility has excess capacity. However, excess capacity can also apply to the service sector. In the restaurant industry, for example, there are establishments that chronically have empty tables, along with a staff that appears unproductive. This inefficiency indicates that the venue can accommodate more guests, but that the demand for that restaurant is not equal to its capacity. Key Takeaways Excess capacity exists when the market demand for a product is less than the volume of product that a company could potentially supply. The term excess capacity pertains mainly to manufacturing, but it's also used in the services sector. Excess capacity can indicate healthy growth, but too much excess capacity can hurt an economy. What Causes Excess Capacity? Some factors that can cause excess capacity are overinvestment, repressed demand, technological improvement, and external shockssuch as a financial crisisamong other components. Excess capacity can also arise from mispredicting the market or by allocating resources inefficiently. To remain healthy and financially balanced, a company's management needs to stay attuned to the realities of supply and demand. Why Does Excess Capacity Matter? Although excess capacity can indicate healthy growth, too much excess capacity can hurt an economy. If a company cannot sell a product for an amount at or above its production cost, then the company could lose money by selling the product for less than it paid to make the product, or the product could just go to waste by just sitting on the shelf. If a company needs to close a plant because of having too much capacity, then jobs are lost and resources are wasted. A company with a lot of excess capacity can lose sizable amounts of money if the business cannot pay for the high fixed costs that are associated with production. On the other hand, excess capacity can benefit consumers, as a company can utilize its excess capacity to offer customers special discounted prices. Companies also may choose to maintain excess capacity deliberately as part of a competitive strategy to deter or prevent new firms from entering their market. Example of Excess Capacity: China Since 2009, the Chinese economy has been engulfed in its third round of excessive capacity. Earlier periods of excess capacity ran between 1998 and 2001 and again between 2003 and 2006. Even though China became the worlds second-largest economy in 2010, it continues to face both internal and external economic challenges. Excess capacity in China's manufacturing industriesincluding steel, cement, aluminum, flat glass, and especially automobilesis one of its biggest challenges. Excess capacity= potential output - actual output Rampant Excess Capacity Persists in China The Chinese government has taken numerous steps to address this problem, but it continues still. In industrial economies, excess capacity is generally a short-term condition that is self-correcting. However, the severity and persistence of excess capacity in Chinas manufacturing sectors suggest that there are deeper, more fundamental issues within the Chinese economy. These problems also have significant implications for international trade, given the growing influence of China in the global marketplace. Excess Capacity in China's Automobile Market Typically, auto assembly plants have a lot of fixed costs to cover. Also, most new factories in China depend on economic incentives from local governments, so there is pressure to keep the factories open and people employedwhether they can sell the excess output or not. Moreover, all of those extra cars need to find a home, which could mean price wars and lower profits in China's domestic market, along with a flood of exports to the U.S. and elsewhere. For companies like General Motors (GM), who now derive significant sales and earnings from China, that cannot be good news. How Long Could It Last? One issue is that there is little incentive to remove excess capacity from the Chinese market. Nobody wants to close a relatively new factory in China and risk the acrimony of a local government. Also, after almost two decades, it seems improbable that the excess-capacity trend in China would abate any time soon. Then Came COVID-19 Coronavirus (COVID-19) slammed the auto industry. Amid the outbreak, in February 2020 China experienced a greater than 80% decline in auto sales. But because more than 80% of the worlds auto supply chain is connected to China, production shortfalls resulting from disruptions to the auto industry in China affected automakers across the globe. Most of the world's automotive and related companies believe that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a direct impact on their 2020 revenues. Because COVID-19 originated in China, China also likely would begin its recovery from the pandemic earlier than Europe and North America. Yet it is still too soon to know for certain, not only what the long-term economic effects of COVID-19 will be, but also the degree to which this newest setback would affect China's historically troubled relationship with the phenomenon of excess capacity. Merger and acquisition deals barely surprise anyone within the gambling industry these days as so many of them have taken place lately. According to the latest reports from Australia, gambling operator Tatts Group Ltd. has been in talks to acquire INTRALOT Australia, or the the Australian arm of Greek gambling giant INTRALOT. The operator itself confirmed today that it has been in discussions with the above-mentioned business for some time now and they have progressed to a confirmatory due diligence phase. Tatts Group, however, pointed out that no official proposal has been made yet and that the discussions may not result in a transaction taking place. The amount the gambling company would pay to buy INTRALOT has also remained undisclosed. People with industry knowledge valued the acquisition deal at an approximate of A$90-100 million. INTRALOT Australia is basically in charge of monitoring hotel and club gaming devices across the state of Victoria. The company also provides regulators and tax authorities with important information regarding the performance of the said gaming machines. Up until late 2014, INTRALOT Australia was in charge of the sale of lotto and keno tickets in the state. However, the company sold its Category 2 lottery license assets to Tatts Group, thus focusing its attention solely on monitoring gaming machine operations. Last year, INTRALOT Australia generated revenue of A$26 million, up from the amount of A$14 million reported for 2014. With Tatts Group confirming its interest in INTRALOTs Australian business, analysts suggested that the gambling operator would probably renew its merger talks with rival Australian company Tabcorp. The two gambling giants first indicated that they were mulling consolidation of their operations late in 2015. Talks eventually broke down and merger did not occur. Last week, Tabcorp announced that it would purchase gaming technology company INTECQ for A$128 millionin a bid to boost its gambling services business. INTECQs board (formerly known as eBET) backed Tabcorps offer. The company is known for providing loyalty programs and overlooking gaming machines in 1,200 venues across Australia. It is believed that with Tatts and Tabcoprs latest acquisitions, the two companies will once again try to agree on a consolidation so as to secure their competitivenessin the rapidly growing domestic and global gambling market. discover it welcome bonusshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dabber [ dab-er ]/ db r / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dab-er ]/ db r /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. nouna person or thing that dabs. a cushionlike article used for applying ink, as by printers and engravers. Words nearby dabber How to use dabber dabber/ (db) / nouna pad used by printers for applying ink by handa felt-tip pen with a very broad writing point, used especially by bingo players to cancel numbers on their cards Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dabberFirst recorded in 178090; dab+ -erCzestochowa, 'd, da, dab, dabba, dabber, dabbing, dabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab handDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022 It was announced that the gaming consortium, consisting of 888 and Rank Group has submitted a bid for the acquisition of the gaming giant William Hill. According to reliable sources, the value of the proposal was set at 408p per share and the bid price amounts to 3.6 billion. If the plans for a tie-up between William Hill, Rank Group and 888 are materialized, the end result will be a gaming company, generating revenues of more than 2.5 billion per year and posting earnings of at least 500 million. In other words, the joint efforts of the three companies are likely to lead to the establishment of the third largest online betting companyin terms of revenues. Representatives of the three companies were reluctant to share more information about the bid and remained tight-lipped as to what their further actions would be. Last month, representatives of 888 announced that companys officials were considering the option of submitting a bid for William Hills takeover. People familiar with the matter did not miss to remind that last year William Hill made an unsuccessful attempt to acquire 888for the amount of 700 million. The deal was not inked as the 888 owners considered the proposed price too low. The main reason why 888 and Rank are interested in acquiring William Hill is that they are willing to minimize the costs they would otherwise spend on taxes and license fee applications. As for William Hill, it is also likely to benefit from the eventual merger as it will gain access to the online platform of 888 and take advantage of the innovative technologies the operator is popular for. It is also worthy of mentioning that William Hill will benefit from the merger in terms of geography. Despite being popular on a global scale, as much as 85% of William Hills revenue is generated in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, 888 is not primarily focused on the UK market and half of its revenue comes from players based outside the UK. After the pending Betfair-Coral merger, the formal bid submission is the latest major change the gambling industry might have to adjust to. It is the expected result caused by the increased tax rates, intensified competition and the clampdown on the fixed-odds betting terminals. Representatives of the Premier League Club Aston Villa announced that Bodog will be included in the list of Official Partners for the next season. The bookmaker is currently not granted marketing rights outside Asia, but nevertheless, it will be a part of Aston Villas roster of partners during the 2016/2017 season. Bodog is known as one of the leading bookmakersthat have been in the sports betting industry for a long time. These were the two reasons that made Aston Villa consider it a good fit for becoming their Official Asian Betting Partner. Peter Wright, the Head of Partnerships at Aston Villa, commented on the new partnership and said that the club is actively seeking ways for expanding its Asian fans database by introducing various innovations. He also added that their aim was to popularize the Villa brand worldwideand the partnership with Bodog seemed the perfect tool for achieving this goal. Mr. Wright went on to say that Aston Villa has already inked a couple of partnership agreements with the aim of popularizing its brand on a local, national and continental level. As their goal was to become a household name in the sports betting industryon a global scale, the club was excited to have the opportunity to fulfil that aim alongside Bodog. The Marketing Director for Bodog Asia, Michael Bartinson, also commented on the partnership with the Villains. He did not miss to mention that the English Football League was undoubtedly one of the most competitive, exciting and difficult to predict leagues. He said that there was a great difference between the EFL Championship and some other leagues dominated by two or three teams. In conclusion, he said that Villa was a club with rich history and a clear vision for the future and now was the best time for establishing a long-lasting relationshipwith the English club. Bodog is the latest addition to the list of sports betting partners, but as mentioned above, the club also has inked agreements with other established names in the sports betting industry. A couple of days ago, Villa signed a partnership agreement with EnergyBet, which is an official betting partner of the club in the UK and Europe in general. Aston Villa fans reminded that last year, their favourite club came with a bit of an unusual decision and named both bet365 and Betfair as their co-betting partners. The Villains also partnered with William Hill and Dafabet in previous seasons. What Is Exchange of Futures for Physical?casinos with bonuses big win slot An exchange of futures for physical (EFP) is a private agreement between two parties to trade a futures position for the basket of underlying actuals. An exchange of futures for physicals can be used to open a futures position, close a futures position, or switch a futures position for the underlying asset. Key Takeaways An exchange of futures for physical (EFP) allows for one party to swap a futures contract for the actual underlying asset. EFPs are traded over-the-counter (OTC) and are often used by commodities producers to hedge positions or regulate production. EFPs are especially useful when a large transaction takes place so the market price is not artificially altered by a non-speculative trade. Understanding Exchange of Futures for Physical (EFP) Exchange of futures for physical (EFP) is one of a few types of privately negotiated agreements that can then be registered with the exchange. The volume involved in the transaction is shown in the days trading when the transaction is registered, but the price at which the transaction was completed (the privately agreed upon price between the parties) is not revealed. When two parties have agreed to an exchange of futures for physicals, they then register the transaction with the relevant exchange. Exchange of futures for physical is also referred to as exchange of futures for product and exchange of futures for cash (as in cash commodity). The term exchange of futures for physical is generally used to describe transactions of this nature even when the underlying are financial products rather than cash commodities. Exchange of futures for swap (EFS) can be used if the futures position is being traded for a swap contract. Example of Exchange of Futures for Physical The most common examples of the exchange of futures for physical is in the oil and gas sector. This makes sense, as these types of transactions are not done by small traders and speculators. EFPs will usually involve large commercial and non-commercial traders. Imagine an oil and gas producer is sitting on an inventory of one million barrels on the assumption that prices are trending up. A refiner who is worried about prices going up wants to secure barrels of oil in the future, so they buy 1,000 contracts representing a contract unit of 1,000 barrels, each for a total of one million barrels. The refiner and the producer get to talking and they realize that a) they are both bullish on the price of oil and b) they can switch positions to fulfill each others needs. They agree to a price and delivery date in the future where the producer hands over the physical oil to the refinerlocking in the refiners supplyand receives the futures in return, allowing the producer to continue the bullish position on oil prices. This large transaction is registered with the exchange, but it doesn't impact the price of oil because pricing information is not disclosed. So the refiner has closed out a futures position and the producer has opened one. Advantages of Exchange of Futures for Physical The obvious question is why not just do the transaction through the market? The answer is simply for the sake of efficiency. Large transactions impact the market as they are executed. This is why large traders sometimes break up transactions over time to reduce the impact of slippage. Doing the exchange for futures outside the market pricing mechanism allows large, offsetting transactions to take place at a decided price. EFP is also used when the market depth is not able to absorb the transactionfor example, a transaction involving thousands of contracts. northernlightscasinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dabble [ dab-uhl ]/ db l / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: dabble / dabbling / dabbler on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dab-uhl ]/ db l /Save This Word!See synonyms for: dabble / dabbling / dabbler on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. verb (used without object), dabbled, dabbling.to play and splash in or as if in water, especially with the hands.to work at anything in an irregular or superficial manner: to dabble in literature.(of a duck) to feed on shallow-water vegetation with rapid, splashing movements of the bill. verb (used with object), dabbled, dabbling.to wet slightly in or with a liquid; splash; spatter.Chiefly South Midland U.S. to wash or rinse off lightly. OTHER WORDS FOR dabble OTHER WORDS FROM dabble Words nearby dabble Words related to dabble C16: probably from Dutch dabbelen; see dab 1 155060; probably dab+ -le; compare Dutch dabbelen, dabbendabbler, noundabblingly, adverbundabbled, adjectiveda, dab, dabba, dabber, dabbing, dabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab hand, Dabrowa Gornicza, dabsterDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 What Does Underwater Mean?cryptocurrency pi price "Underwater" is the term for a financial contract or asset that is worth less than its notional value. More commonly though, the term is used in relation to a house, or another substantial asset, which has an outstanding mortgage or loan on the asset that is a larger amount than what the asset is worth. In either case, the holder has an asset without intrinsic value. In the case of the mortgage or loan, the holder of the asset actually owes more than the asset is worth. Underwater is sometimes also referred to as "upside-down." Key Takeaways Underwater means an asset is worth less than it was paid for. It commonly refers to having a loan on an asset that is larger than what the asset is worth. A homeowner is underwater if their mortgage is larger than what the home is worth. Underwater situations can often, but not always, be avoided by looking for good deals and creating a margin of safety between the asset's value and the loan amount. Explaining Underwater Loans Understanding Underwater 1:42 An asset is underwater if the price paid for it is more than its current market valuation. Broadly speaking any paper (unrealized) loss relates to an underwater asset. More commonly, underwater relates to leverage or borrowing, where it means owning an asset that is worth less than an outstanding loan on that asset. In securities trading, this could happen in a margin account, where a trader owns a stock on leverage, but the company (stock) declares bankruptcy, and the stock holdings no longer cover the margin or loan the broker provided to buy the stock initially. The account is underwater, and the investor will need to find funds somewhere else to pay back the money (loan) they lost in the stock market. This is known as a margin call. Such a situation can also occur with a non-financial asset. If a new car is purchased with a loan, the purchase almost immediately results in the buyer being underwater because the car will depreciate immediately once it is driven off the lot while the loan will be paid down slowly over years. Eventually, as more payments are made, and the car depreciates at a slower rate, the car will be back above water. For example, in 10 years the loan is paid off but the owner can probably sell the car for a few thousand dollars, depending on the make and condition of the vehicle. Special Considerations Being underwater on a loan isn't always a horrible thing. As long as payments are made, the loan is paid down and the underwater situation may end up being temporary. That said, underwater situations can be mostly avoided by looking for a margin of safety in regards to the asset being purchased and the loan amount. Getting a good deal on a house or car, where the value of the asset could be sold for more than what is paid (given some time) will mean the loan amount is smaller and there is a larger buffer between the asset's value and the loan amount. This means the asset would need to fall in value more in order to be underwater. Compare that to a couple that overpays for a house, paying $300,000 in a bidding war for a house that is really only worth $280,000. Depending on how much they put down, they could be underwater immediately, or if housing prices fall they could be underwater substantially in a short amount of time. Missing payments or incurring additional fees for violating the terms of the loan can increase the loan amount owing quickly. This can cause a loan to move underwater, or deeper underwater. Lenders are often willing to work out solutions with borrowers if the financial struggles are short-term, as the lender doesn't want to have to go through the struggle of selling an underwater asset to only partially pay back a loan at a loss. If dealing with financial problems, talk to a financial planner, debt counselor, and/or the lender to help find a solution before the problem gets worse. Underwater Mortgages In real estate, underwater refers to the situation where a house or other property is worth less than the money owed on the loan. An underwater mortgage is thus a home loan with a higher principal than the free-market value of the home. This situation can occur when property values are falling. In an underwater mortgage, the homeowner may not have any equity available for credit. An underwater mortgage can potentially prevent a borrower from refinancing or selling the home unless they have the cash to pay the loss out of pocket. This negative value presents problems for both the homeowner and the holder of the mortgage. If the homeowner needs to move, the sale of the home will not produce sufficient monies to pay the mortgage holder, even before any transaction fees. In this case, the homeowner must find additional funds or enter into a short sale with a third party. These types of problems, in turn, lead to legal battles and possible difficulties down the road for both the original homeowner and the third-party lender. While a short sale does complicate the process by which the original lender recovers their money, a more significant problem with underwater mortgages emerged after the housing bubble in 2006-07 and bust in 2008-09. Homeowners owing more than their home's value quietly walked away from their investments. This resulted in mortgage defaults, leaving the lending banks with losses and the added expenses of liquidating their acquired homes. Underwater mortgages were a common problem among homeowners around the height of the 2008 financial crisis, which among other things, involved a substantial deflation in housing prices. Example of Being Underwater on a Mortgage Assume a person sees a house they like listed at $400,000. They have $40,000 for a downpayment, or 10%. Not including other fees and mortgage insurance, which will mean some of the downpayment won't be going to the principal, for simplicity assume that the buyer gets a loan for $360,000. Using the mortgage and downpayment the buyer pays for the house. Several months after the purchase they notice similar houses in their area are selling for substantially less than $400,000. Similar homes, called comparables, are selling for $350,000. The loan value of $360,000 has only dropped incrementally to $359,000 as much of the initial payments go to interest and not principal, yet the house is only worth $350,000. If the house was sold, it could not pay off the loan. This is referred to as being underwater or upside down. If the housing market stabilizes, eventually the loan will be paid down and the property loan will no longer be underwater. Being underwater a small amount, or for a short period of time, isn't a major issue. Being underwater for a long time and by a large amount indicates a poor purchase, poor timing, or poor market conditions. Possibly all three. The house could be underwater for a number of reasons. Possibly the homebuyer overpaid in the first place. The house may have only been worth $350,000 all along, but the seller asked more and the buyer was willing to pay it. Alternatively, the property value may have dropped. $400,000 may have been a good price at the time, but a recent downturn in the economy means fewer jobs and not as many people being able to afford their homes. Forced to sell, property values are driven down. Property values often deteriorate slowly but can move quickly in certain areas. For example, a small town may see property values plummet very quickly if the main source of employment, say a plant or mine, closes. What Are Excess Returns?fruity king no deposit bonus Excess returns are returns achieved above and beyond the return of a proxy. Excess returns will depend on a designated investment return comparison for analysis. Some of the most basic return comparisons include a riskless rate and benchmarks with similar levels of risk to the investment being analyzed. Key Takeaways Excess returns are returns achieved above and beyond the return of a proxy. Excess returns will depend on a designated investment return comparison for analysis. The riskless rate and benchmarks with similar levels of risk to the investment being analyzed are commonly used in calculating excess return. Alpha is a type of excess return metric that focuses on performance return in excess of a closely comparable benchmark. Excess return is an important consideration when using modern portfolio theory which seeks to invest with an optimized portfolio. Excess Returns Understanding Excess Returns 1:18 Excess returns are an important metric that helps an investor to gauge performance in comparison to other investment alternatives. In general, all investors hope for positive excess return because it provides an investor with more money than they could have achieved by investing elsewhere. Excess return is identified by subtracting the return of one investment from the total return percentage achieved in another investment. When calculating excess return, multiple return measures can be used. Some investors may wish to see excess return as the difference in their investment over a risk-free rate. Other times, excess return may be calculated in comparison to a closely comparable benchmark with similar risk and return characteristics. Using closely comparable benchmarks is a return calculation that results in an excess return measure known as alpha. In general, return comparisons may be either positive or negative. Positive excess return shows that an investment outperformed its comparison, while a negative difference in returns occurs when an investment underperforms. Investors should keep in mind that purely comparing investment returns to a benchmark provides an excess return that does not necessarily take into consideration all of the potential trading costs of a comparable proxy. For example, using the S&P 500 as a benchmark provides an excess return calculation that does not typically take into consideration the actual costs required to invest in all 500 stocks in the Index or management fees for investing in an S&P 500 managed fund. Excess Return vs. Riskless Rates Riskless and low risk investments are often used by investors seeking to preserve capital for various goals. U.S. Treasuries are typically considered the most basic form of riskless securities. Investors can buy U.S. Treasuries with maturities of one month, two months, three months, six months, one year, two years, three years, five years, seven years, 10-years, 20-years, and 30-years. Each maturity will have a different expected return found along the U.S. Treasury yield curve. Other types of low risk investments include certificates of deposits, money market accounts, and municipal bonds. Investors can determine excess return levels based on comparisons to risk free securities. For example, if the one year Treasury has returned 2.0% and the technology stock Meta (formerly Facebook) has returned 15%, then the excess return achieved for investing in Meta is 13%. Alpha Oftentimes, an investor will want to look at a more closely comparable investment when determining excess return. Thats where alpha comes in. Alpha is the result of a more narrowly focused calculation that includes only a benchmark with comparable risk and return characteristics to an investment. Alpha is commonly calculated in investment fund management as the excess return a fund manager achieves over a funds stated benchmark. Broad stock return analysis may look at alpha calculations in comparison to the S&P 500 or other broad market indexes like the Russell 3000. When analyzing specific sectors, investors will use benchmark indexes that include stocks in that sector. The Nasdaq 100 for example can be a good alpha comparison for large cap technology. In general, active fund managers seek to generate some alpha for their clients in excess of a funds stated benchmark. Passive fund managers will seek to match the holdings and return of an index. Consider a large-cap U.S. mutual fund that has the same level of risk as the S&P 500 index. If the fund generates a return of 12% in a year when the S&P 500 has only advanced 7%, the difference of 5% would be considered as the alpha generated by the fund manager. Excess Return vs. Risk Concepts As discussed, an investor has the opportunity to achieve excess returns beyond a comparable proxy. However the amount of excess return is usually associated with risk. Investment theory has determined that the more risk an investor is willing to take the greater their opportunity for higher returns. As such, there are several market metrics that help an investor to understand if the returns and excess returns they achieve are worthwhile. Beta Beta is a risk metric quantified as a coefficient in regression analysis that provides the correlation of an individual investment to the market (usually the S&P 500). A beta of one means that an investment will experience the same level of return volatility from systematic market moves as a market index. A beta above one indicates that an investment will have higher return volatility and therefore higher potential for gains or losses. A beta below one means an investment will have less return volatility and therefore less movement from systematic market effects with less potential for gain but also less potential for loss. Beta is an important metric used when generating an Efficient Frontier graph for the purposes of developing a Capital Allocation Line which defines an optimal portfolio. Asset returns on an Efficient Frontier are calculated using the following Capital Asset Pricing Model: R a = R r f + ( R m R r f ) where: R a = Expected return on a security R r f = Risk-free rate R m = Expected return of the market = Beta of the security R m R r f = Equity market premium \begin{ aligned} &R_a = R_{ rf} + \beta \times (R_m - R_{ rf}) \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &R_a = \text{ Expected return on a security} \\ &R_{ rf} = \text{ Risk-free rate} \\ &R_m = \text{ Expected return of the market} \\ &\beta = \text{ Beta of the security} \\ &R_m - R_{ rf} = \text{ Equity market premium} \\ \end{ aligned} Ra=Rrf+(RmRrf)where:Ra=Expected return on a securityRrf=Risk-free rateRm=Expected return of the market=Beta of the securityRmRrf=Equity market premium Beta can be a helpful indicator for investors when understanding their excess return levels. Treasury securities have a beta of approximately zero. This means that market changes will have no effect on the return of a Treasury and the 2.0% earned from the one year Treasury in the example above is riskless. Meta on the other hand has a beta of approximately 1.29 so systematic market moves that are positive will lead to a higher return for Meta than the S&P 500 Index overall and vice versa. Jensens Alpha In active management, fund manager alpha can be used as a metric for evaluating the performance of a manager overall. Some funds provide their managers a performance fee which offers extra incentive for fund managers to exceed their benchmarks. In investments there is also a metric known as Jensens Alpha. Jensens Alpha seeks to provide transparency around how much of a managers excess return was related to risks beyond a funds benchmark. Jensens Alpha is calculated by: Jensens Alpha = R i ( R f + ( R m R f ) ) where: R i = Realized return of the portfolio or investment R f = Risk-free rate of return for the time period = Beta of the portfolio of investment with respect to the chosen market index R m = Realized return of the appropriate market index \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Jensen's Alpha} = R_i - (R_f + \beta (R_m - R_f)) \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &R_i = \text{ Realized return of the portfolio or investment} \\ &R_f = \text{ Risk-free rate of return for the time period} \\ &\beta = \text{ Beta of the portfolio of investment} \\ &\text{ with respect to the chosen market index} \\ &R_m = \text{ Realized return of the appropriate market index} \\ \end{ aligned} Jensens Alpha=Ri(Rf+(RmRf))where:Ri=Realized return of the portfolio or investmentRf=Risk-free rate of return for the time period=Beta of the portfolio of investmentwith respect to the chosen market indexRm=Realized return of the appropriate market index A Jensens Alpha of zero means that the alpha achieved exactly compensated the investor for the additional risk taken on in the portfolio. A positive Jensens Alpha means the fund manager overcompensated its investors for the risk and a negative Jensens Alpha would be the opposite. Sharpe Ratio In fund management, the Sharpe Ratio is another metric that helps an investor understand their excess return in terms of risk. The Sharpe Ratio is calculated by: Sharpe Ratio = R p R f Portfolio Standard Deviation where: R p = Portfolio return R f = Riskless rate \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Sharpe Ratio} = \frac{ R_p - R_f }{ \text{ Portfolio Standard Deviation} } \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &R_p = \text{ Portfolio return} \\ &R_f = \text{ Riskless rate} \\ \end{ aligned} Sharpe Ratio=Portfolio Standard DeviationRpRfwhere:Rp=Portfolio returnRf=Riskless rate The higher the Sharpe Ratio of an investment the more an investor is being compensated per unit of risk. Investors can compare Sharpe Ratios of investments with equal returns to understand where excess return is more prudently being achieved. For example, two funds have a one year return of 15% with a Sharpe Ratio of 2 vs. 1. The fund with a Sharpe Ratio of 2 is producing more return per one unit of risk. Special Considerations Critics of mutual funds and other actively managed portfolios contend that it is next to impossible to generate alpha on a consistent basis over the long term, as a result investors are then theoretically better off investing in stock indexes or optimized portfolios that provide them with a level of expected return and a level of excess return over the risk free rate. This helps to make the case for investing in a diversified portfolio that is risk optimized to achieve the most efficient level of excess return over the risk free rate based on risk tolerance. This is where the Efficient Frontier and Capital Market Line can come in. The Efficient Frontier plots a frontier of returns and risk levels for a combination of asset points generated by the Capital Asset Pricing Model. An Efficient Frontier considers data points for every available investment an investor may wish to consider investing in. Once an efficient frontier is graphed, the capital market line is drawn to touch the efficient frontier at its most optimal point. Image by Sabrina Jiang Investopedia 2021 With this portfolio optimization model developed by financial academics, an investor can choose a point along the capital allocation line for which to invest based on their risk preference. An investor with zero risk preference would invest 100% in risk free securities. The highest level of risk would invest 100% in the combination of assets suggested at the intersect point. Investing 100% in the market portfolio would provide a designated level of expected return with excess return serving as the difference from the risk-free rate. As illustrated from the Capital Asset Pricing Model, Efficient Frontier, and Capital Allocation Line, an investor can choose the level of excess return they wish to achieve above the risk free rate based on the amount of risk they wish to take on. PDF Playlist (It's Not Me) Talking Listen online A Flock of Seagulls A Flock of SeagullsA Flock of Seag (0 fans) A Flock of Seagulls A Flock of Seagulls (also known as Flock of Seagulls) are an English New Wave band originally formed in Liverpool by brothers Michael "Mike" Score (keyboards,aztec pragmatic shiba inu exchange vocals) and Alister "Ali" James Score (drums), with Francis Lee (Frank) Maudsley (bass) and Paul Reynolds (guitar). more Year: 1995 4:58 77 Views Playlists: #1 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com I hear voices but there's no one there,You speak to me in another language.Computer says it's a binary code,It's such a pity I can't understand it.It's not me talking,It's not me talking.I see a ship from a golden sky,I sent a message. Will they understand it?Computer's ready but to overload,This isn't happening the way I planned it.It's not me talking,It's not me talking,It's not me talking,It's not me talking.(sending messages)It's not me talking,It's not me talking.I made a contact with another world,Another being from another planet.Another time and another place,Another galaxy, another planet.It's not me talking,It's not me talking,It's not me talking,It's not me talking.(sending messages)It's not me talking,It's not me talking,It's not me talking,It's not me talking.You got me talking, talking,Talking, talking.You got me talking, talking,Talking, talking.You got me talking,You got me talking, talking,Talking, talking. Illustration: Xia Qing/GT It's no secret that almost everyone wants to look attractive. As an ancient Chinese saying goes,"Loving beauty is part of human nature." Indeed, it seems like the only thing that has changed from the ancient past up to now is how people make themselves look more appealing. Nowadays, more and more people choose to "beautify" themselves with the help of modern medical technologies. As a result, the medical beauty market started to grow rapidly. But for many people, beauty comes with a price, and sometimes it is too high to pay. Problems that occurred in the industry of aesthetic medicine, including seemingly endless surgery failures and deaths from surgery, have worried many. According to a report from last year, only 14 percent of all medical beauty clinics in China are completely legal. Therefore, the Chinese government is urged to take more serious measures to regulate the industry. Apart from that, people also have to change their minds. They need to understand how to choose clinics with caution, and most importantly, that it is unhealthy to pursue beauty excessively. After all, in many cases, beauty is only skin deep. William Hills sportsbook at Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada will be the first such venue to legally accept wagers on eSports, thus marking historic industry first for the state and the US, as a whole. The bookmakers US division announced on Friday that it would be taking bets on the IEM Oakland eSports eventset to take place this weekend at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California and to feature popular video game League of Legends. The move comes in the wake of a Wednesday hearing of the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee, during which lawmakers heard opinions and discussed the matter to eventually provide William Hill with a regulatory green light. Here it is important to note that the committee is led by state Governor Brian Sandoval. eSports and betting on this type of competitions have been widely discussed topics over the past several months. With William Hill US and its partner Downtown Grand Casino now accepting wagers on eSports, Nevada has come an important step closer towards the completion of the states objective to establish itself as the worlds eSports capital. Wagering on eSports competitions could be classified as betting on athletic sports events, as A.G. Burnett, Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, had previously noted. Bearing this in mind, the provision of this type of betting options would not require the current state gambling laws to be amended. Only small regulatory adjustmentswould be made instead. Commenting on the Friday announcement, Gov. Sandoval described it as an expansion of the potential of one of Nevadas oldest industries, referring to the states long-time reputation as a popular gambling destination. Seth Schorr, Chairman of Downtown Grand Casino, expressed his gratitude towards the states gambling regulators and said that they were really happy that their venue, together with William Hill US, will accept the first legal eSports betto be ever placed in the United States. William Hill US Chief Executive Joe Asher said that the Friday announcement came as another manifestation to their commitment to provide gambling customers with innovative portfolio. As of Saturday, November 19, bettors at William Hills sportsbook at Downtown Grand Casino will be able to place their bets on which one of all six participating teams will triumphin the Oakland-hosted League of Legends tournament. William Hill US currently manages more than a hundred race and sportsbooks across Nevada. Apart from the brick-and-mortar venues, gambling customers can also wager via the bookmakers mobile application as long as they are in the state. September spider surge Charlie Morrey reports: If you, like I, cannot cope with spiders it may be worth noting that experts at British Pest Control Association (BPCA) say spiders are more likely to be seen indoors in September as they seek out dry places to breed. Mating season for spiders begins in early autumn and lasts for less than two months. For us terrified bunch, the BPCA advises using a glass and stiff piece of card to capture spiders and release them outside. To be honest shouting for help from anyone thatll listen works just as well. John Horsley, Technical Officer at BPCA said: UK spider species are not considered dangerous or harmful, but in some circumstances if you seem to have an unusually large infestation of spiders for example we recommend seeking advice from a pest management professional. I did hear a rumour that conkers keep spiders away, although Ive got multiple conkers in my room and have so far had to get my mum to capture four spiders this week. - Charlie Manx Care staff forced to wear masks again Manx Care has reinstated masks for staff after an increase in covid cases. The public will not be mandated to wear a mask and this will remain the individual's right to choose, except in residential care homes operated by Manx Care. See the full statement by Manx Care below. Statement: Manx Care is re-introducing mask wearing in patient-facing clinical areas at both Nobles Hospital and Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital as a precautionary measure given a recent rise in the admission of Covid-positive patients. For clarity, this is for Manx Care employees working in patient-facing settings and members of the public visiting people in hospital. People attending appointments may choose to wear a facemask if they wish, and these will be supplied at the entrance to each hospital, as well as on wards and other clinical areas. Manx Care employees who are either District Nurses or those who work in the community will be wearing masks when in direct contact with patients. Again, people attending appointments may choose to wear a facemask themselves although this is not mandatory. Members of the public visiting a friend or relative in a residential care home operated by Manx Care will also be asked to wear facemasks, although this will not be mandatory for residents. The new Covid-19 variant that is currently circulating is more transmissible than previous variants, and for most people is a very mild infection. Manx Care is taking this step as a precautionary measure given the recent increase in Covid-positive patients alongside an increase in employee absence as a result of the virus. In recent days, Manx Care has seen an increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital requiring treatment specifically for Covid-19 infection, as well as some admitted for other reasons but who also happen to be Covid-positive. Paul Moore, Manx Cares Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Nursing and Governance, commented: I appreciate that we are in the very early stages of a potential new wave and we expect to see an increase in Covid-19 infection levels as a result of children having gone back to school and recent poor weather. This is a precautionary step given the recent increase in hospital admissions as a result of Covid, current levels of demand for care as well as an increase in colleague sickness due to Covid. We want to minimise risk and protect our organisational resilience as far as possible. These are tried and tested infection prevention and control procedures. I appreciate wearing a mask is difficult for some people, but it is important we act quickly and proactively. We will continue to monitor this over the coming days and revise our guidance accordingly in line with further developments. I want to take this opportunity to encourage people to have their Covid-19 booster vaccination when they are invited to do so following the launch earlier this week of the Autumn programme. By Stephen Beech via SWNS Flower power allowed many plants to survive the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, reveals new research. Scientists say that flowering plants - including mint and orchids - escaped "relatively unscathed" due to their ability to adapt. And, while they suffered some species loss, the cataclysmic event helped them become the dominant type of plant today. The research team from the University of Bath and Universidad Nacional Autonoma in Mexico explained that there have been several mass extinctions in Earths history, the most famous caused by an asteroid impact 66 million years ago. They believe the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event eradicated at least 75 percent of all species on Earth including the dinosaurs, but until now its been unclear what impact it had on flowering plants. Plants don't have skeletons or exoskeletons like most animals, meaning fossils are relatively rare, making it hard to understand the timeline of evolution from fossil evidence alone. Dr. Jamie Thompson, of Bath's Milner Centre for Evolution, and Mexico's Dr. Santiago Ramirez-Barahona analyzed evolutionary trees constructed from mutations in the DNA sequences of up to 73,000 living species of flowering plants. Using advanced statistical methods, they fitted birth-death models to estimate the rates of extinction throughout geological time. Dr. Thompson said that whilst the fossil record shows that many species did disappear, the lineages to which they belong, such as families and orders, survived enough to flourish and then dominate. The findings, published in the journal Biology Letters, show that out of around 400,000 plant species living today, around 300,000 are flowering plants. Dr. Thompson says molecular clock evidence suggests that the vast majority of flowering plant families around today existed before the K-Pg event: species including the ancestors of orchids, magnolia and mint all shared Earth with the dinosaurs. He said: After most of Earths species became extinct at K-Pg, angiosperms took the advantage, similar to the way in which mammals took over after the dinosaurs, and now pretty much all life on Earth depends on flowering plants ecologically. Dr. Ramirez-Barahona added: Flowering plants have a remarkable ability to adapt: they use a variety of seed-dispersal and pollination mechanisms, some have duplicated their entire genomes and others have evolved new ways to photosynthesize. This flower power is what makes them natures true survivors. Danielle Pearson-Reier was a talented individual, who tried to find magic in this life. She left this world suddenly on September 12, 2023, at the age of 52. She was born in Choteau, MT to Walter & Marilyn Pearson, on February 10, 1971. She joined 2 older brothers, followed by her 3 younger siblings. Her childhood was an adventure playing countless hours with cousins on the family farm. Blessed with so many cousins, provided life-long, loyal friendships. Her cousins were always willing to offer a hand up. Because of this, her heart always resided in Fairfield, no matter where her wild quests took her. She attended Greenfield Grade School and graduated from Fairfield High in 1989. While in school she was involved in cheerleading, which allowed her to cheer on some of her best friends, including her brother and sisters. Her cheer squad created a comradery that has endured the decades. She was the strong arm of the team; their formations and routines created a cheer legacy. After high school, she continued to expand her talents and interests for sewing, fashion design, dance, scrapbooking, and photography. She loved to write and strived to be published someday. She loved books and spent endless hours reading. In the mid 90s, she was swooned by Chris Reier and married him in May of 1995. Tessa Kathryn joined the family in July 1997 and Emmett Roger in March 2003. They established their family home on the Greenfield Bench. Danielle was a freelance photographer, she worked at the Fairfield bank, several retail stores, as a flight attendant, a scrapbook page designer, and a connoisseur of all things creative. Danielle competed in pageants and Make It with Wool contests. She was a very skilled seamstress; she even sewed and designed her own clothes. Danielles quilts will be forever treasured, as they were works of heart. Yes, heart. She put so much time and energy into each quilt making it meaningful and unique. On top of that, many of her quilts have details that were hand stitched just so her vision could be brought to life. Her creative mind was obvious in her scrapbook layouts as well, which will be cherished always. Chris and Danielle went separate ways in 2018. Shortly after, she moved to Utah to pursue unfulfilled dreams. Her dreams brought magic and joy to this life for her. Recently she relocated to Rigby, Idaho to be closer to family. Her dreams were still pulling at her, even after her recent move. She quickly got a job and moved up as the top sales-woman at Ashley furniture in the short amount of time she was there. She also was able use her creative skills as a costume designer for the play Sister Act, which is debuting in Idaho Falls next weekend. Over the years, she has had to cope with mental illness. Danielle struggled with depression and was an advocate for mental health awareness. She believed strongly in exposing the harsh reality of its effects. She hoped to help whomever she could, adding purpose to her struggles. Often, she would try to highlight that a simple compliment could fix someones entire day; a small act of kindness can go a long way. She is survived by her children Tessa (Matt Patterson, Lenci) and Emmett, both of Fairfield. Her Mother, Marilyn Pearson. Her Siblings, R. Shane Pearson, Grant Pearson, Diana Giles (Keith), Tara Lytle (Johnny) and Kaare (Heidi); 6 nephews and 3 nieces, numerous aunts and uncles and countless cousins. Danielle is preceded in death by her dad, Walter Pearson. Her Paternal grandparents, Louis and Elva Pearson and Maternal grandparents, Ray and Leone Hanson. We know the reunion will be wonderful. Graveside Services will be held Saturday, September 16, at 10am at the Sunset Hills Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider her childrens humble request for donations towards funeral expenses at https://gofund.me/f00941fa INDUSTRY, Pa. Independence Conservancy is hosting a fall lineup of community tire collections, including a new site this year in Mount Pleasant Township in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The collection dates and locations are: Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at Mount Pleasant Township Municipal Building, 31 McCarrell Road, Hickory, Pennsylvania. Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon at Brighton Township Public Works, 1250 Brighton Road, Beaver, Pennsylvania. Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at Hookstown Fairgrounds, 1198 State Route 168, Hookstown, Pennsylvania. Proof of residency is not required. Individuals and small businesses are welcome. Theres no limit to the number of tires participants may bring. Checks will be accepted with ID. Independence Conservancy requests that participants dont arrive early. The disposal cost for the following sizes are as follows: up to 18 inches off the rim are $4 each; up to 18 inches on the rim are $5 each, over 18 inches off the rim are $5 each; and over 18 inches on the rim are $10 each. Tractor trailer tires will be accepted up to 22.5 inches. Independence Conservancy requests no rims for these tires. The cost of disposal is $20 each. Farm tractor rear tires will also be accepted with various disposal costs based on size. Farm tractor rear tires up to 75 pounds cost $20 each. Farm tractor rear tires from 75 to 150 pounds are $40 each. Farm tractor rear tires over 150 pounds are $75 each. For more information, visit independenceconservancy.org. OAK HARBOR, Ohio Lake Erie anglers who rely on charter guides for fishing will soon have a richer experience out on the water thanks to a new certification program from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Sea Grant. The program, Erie PrOH, launched Aug. 1 as a voluntary course, ensures fishing guides and crew members have detailed knowledge of fishery topics and can act as responsible stewards of the lake. As of Aug. 29, 59 guides had enrolled in the course and 47 had completed it. The online, self-paced course includes eight separate lessons on topics such as sportfish ecology, release and harvest, harmful algal blooms, aquatic invasive species, and guiding responsibility and safety. The course is not a substitute for the annual Lake Erie Fishing Guide license required by the ODOW to guide fishing trips on Lake Erie. Fishing guides who complete the course are recognized as Erie PrOH Certified for five years and listed for anglers to find in a registry on Ohio Sea Grants website. They will receive a digital and print certificate, an onboard resource guide, and a vessel sticker. Through this certification, anglers can find guides that are environmental stewards, while guides can distinguish their business and enhance market visibility. The program, modeled after a successful Florida Sea Grant program, was developed through a partnership between the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Sea Grant. A working team of experts from both institutions compiled information on lake issues that Angela Greene, OHSG education specialist, then translated into modules for the course. For more information on the program, including a full list of contributors, visit go.osu.edu/EriePrOH. For questions about the course, contact Greene at greene.792@osu.edu. WASHINGTON The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list the salamander mussel (Simpsonaias ambigua) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and is seeking public comment. The salamander mussel is a species of freshwater mussel currently found in scattered populations across 14 states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The proposal to list the salamander mussels opens a 60-day comment period, after which the fish and wildlife service will evaluate available information and determine whether the species should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The comment period ends Oct. 23. Info The salamander mussel is a small, thin-shelled mussel that inhabits swift-flowing rivers and streams with areas of shelter under rocks or in crevices. The mussel is found in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it worked with species experts to conduct a species status assessment for the salamander mussel. Based on the report and other information, the service determined that the species faces extinction and meets the definition of endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal to list the salamander mussel and associated critical habitat proposal appeared in the Federal Register on Aug. 22, opening a 60-day public comment period. The proposed rule and supporting documents are available for comment online at https://www.regulations.gov under docket number FWS-R3-ES-2023-0058. Hard copy comments may be mailed to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R3-ES-2023-0058, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 220413803. Assessment The species status assessment found that of the 66 known existing populations across the salamander mussels range, more than 80% are at high risk from one or more primary threats, and about 14% of the populations are at moderate risk. None of the populations across the range is experiencing low risk. The wildlife services review of the salamander mussels status identified several primary threats including contaminants, changes in water flow, landscape alteration, invasive species and risks to the salamander mussels host species, the mudpuppy, which plays a vital role in the mussels life cycle. Freshwater mussels are among the most sensitive of aquatic species, so changes in water quality can have a range of negative impacts. Habitat The service is also proposing to designate 2,012 river miles as critical habitat for the salamander mussel. The proposed units include the river channel up to the ordinary high water mark. Riparian lands adjacent to the river channels are not included. About 500 river miles of the proposed designation overlaps with critical habitat already designated for other threatened mussel species. Similar to other freshwater mussels, the salamander mussel has a unique life cycle that relies on a host for successful reproduction, but the salamander mussel is the only freshwater mussel in North America to use a non-fish host. The mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus), the only host for salamander mussel, is a fully aquatic salamander species that is present within the same habitat preferred by the salamander mussel during the summer and fall when female mudpuppies are guarding their nests under large flat rocks. The salamander mussels larvae (called glochidia) develop on the gills of the mudpuppy before falling off into the stream substrate. Like other freshwater mussels, the salamander mussel feeds on particles, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, rotifers, protozoans, detritus and dissolved organic matter, in sediments or suspended in the water. The salamander mussel lives for approximately 10 years. Freshwater mussels are considered silent sentinels of rivers and streams. Where mussels thrive, water quality tends to be good. Where mussels are declining, its an indication that rivers and streams they inhabit may be unhealthy. In addition to being indicators of stream health, mussels can keep the water clean by filtering their food from the water, and with it, sediment and other pollutants. There are more than 900 species worldwide, with North America being a global center of mussel diversity, with about 300 species. Despite the high amount of diversity, 65% of North American freshwater mussel species are imperiled. Defra has announced plans for the appointment of five new agri-food attaches who will work to boost the UKs agri-food exports. The UK now has 16 dedicated UK agri-food attaches who work to broaden market access, break down barriers and drive export growth in priority export markets. The new attaches cover Northern and Southern Europe, Africa, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, with existing ones covering the Americas, China, Japan and the Gulf states. The announcement of two attache's in Europe comes at a time where more than 69% of the UK's food and live animal trade remains with the EU. Meanwhile, it is hoped that the appointment of an attache in South Korea will support the development of a more ambitious trade agreement. The agri-food attaches will have a key role in building and maintaining the right operating environment for UK exporter interests in overseas markets. They will work closely with Department for International Trade officials based overseas, including reporting into the governments Regional Trade Commissioners. They will also have the support of Defras Export Team, based in the UK, and will be working closely with other UK-based market access and policy teams. Responding to the news, the NFU said it had long called for government investment to expand the number of dedicated agri-food representatives overseas. The union's president, Minette Batters said: We have campaigned for a number of years to increase the number of agri-food attaches representing the interests of British farmers internationally and we are delighted that they are now in post. We have an ambition to increase our high-quality, climate-friendly British food exports by 30% by 2030. "The new attaches will be beneficial in growing these markets and ensuring that consumers across the world can enjoy British food. The discovery of African swine fever (ASF) in Sweden has prompted calls for producers and the public to do all they can to prevent the disease reaching the UK. The arrival of the virus in Sweden is believed to be the first time the country has ever seen the devastating pig disease. Given the significant distance between the case in Sweden and other cases in Europe, it is thought that humans were responsible for transporting the virus. This can be done via food, clothing or vehicles rather than being spread by wild boar. The sector has warned that the disease would have a devastating impact on the UK's pig herd if it were ever to arrive. NFU Scotlands pigs committee chair, Jamie Wyllie, said the growing threat of ASF on mainland Europe continued to loom over all pig producers in the UK. "The impact and severity on our pig herd, were ASF to reach these shores, cannot be underestimated," he warned. At farm level, biosecurity remains our first line of defence and producers need to consider who and what they allow on their farm. "For the public, we urge them to comply with the requirement that no pork products should be brought into the UK for personal consumption. And for the UK government, it needs to understand the potential consequences of its lax approach to introducing proper post-Brexit border controls." News of Sweden's first ever ASF case follows soon after the virus was detected on farms in northern Italy for the first time. After initially being suspected on 17 August, ASF was confirmed on a small farm in the Pavia province in the pig-dense Lombardy region, where it had already been found in hundreds of wild boar. It was then confirmed on two more farms close to each other, near Zinasco, in the same province, by the end of August. There has also been a marked increase in ASF outbreaks in the Balkans, as well as Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine during the months of July and August. Commenting before the latest outbreaks in Italy and Sweden, APHA said it was "a considerable increase in the range of ASF". "Initial outbreaks in both countries were reported in domestic pigs, mostly in smallholdings close to borders with known ASF affected countries," the agency said. "Since then, long distance spread to domestic pigs across Bosnia and Herzegovina has occurred, and ASF-infected wild boar have been detected in Croatia in regions distant to the initial detected infected area." Mr Wyllie said that without proper Border checks and enforcement, "we have little chance of stopping this disease". "The UK government still insists ASF is a medium risk when reporting disease but without Border controls and the disease still spreading in Europe, NFU Scotland believes this should be moved to high. The house from horror classic Halloween is for sale for $1.8 million. The house from horror classic Halloween is for sale for $1.8 million Hitting the market just in time for the upcoming spooky season, the large four-bedroom property in South Pasadena, Los Angeles, was made famous in the 1978 film about murderous escaped mental patient Michael Myers starring Jamie Lee Curtis in the role that led to her being dubbed the scream queen. The home is seen in scenes from John Carpenters classic slasher flick including one of Jamie Lee Curtis sitting on the front porch holding a pumpkin. Despite its spine-tingling backstory, the estate agent handling the sale says it is in an area considered a walkers paradise. Heidi Babcock told Sky News: Yes, this was a filming location for the 1978 film Halloween, as the house of Laurie Strode. If you watch the film you'll recognise the infamous stoop that Jamie Lee Curtis sat on, holding a pumpkin. In the 2021 sequel Halloween Kills firefighters are murdered at the house. Ms Babcock added: This exceptional property is a wonderful place to live, work, and play in one of the most desirable communities in greater LA. In Halloween, the property sat in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. According to the homes listing, it is a triplex home containing three separate units for a total of four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. The property includes a two-car garage that could be converted into an accessory dwelling unit or casita, the listing states. Each unit has picturesque windows and lovely views of the surrounding trees and neighbourhood according to the listing and the property has a separate laundry room, a shared back patio, and an avocado tree that was planted by the sellers grandfather in the 1940s. The home was built in 1906 and interested buyers can view the property through a virtual or in-person tour. Professor Brian Cox says the alien bodies displayed at Mexicos Congress are unlikely to be lifeforms from outer space. Professor Brian Cox says the alien bodies displayed at Mexicos Congress are unlikely to be lifeforms from outer space The physicist, 55, hit out at rumours two alleged non-human bodies had been found after they were put on show in glass cases during a hearing earlier this week. He said on X: They are way too humanoid. Its very unlikely that an intelligent species that evolved on another planet would look like us. Secondly send a sample off to 23andme let alone the university down the road - and theyll tell you within 10 minutes. The Mexican congressional hearing where the aliens were displayed has also been blasted as an unsubstantiated stunt. Ryan Graves, a former US Navy pilot who in July claimed the number of UFOs or UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) was being grossly underreported, was at the meeting where the mummified remains were put on show. But he blasted on X: Unfortunately, yesterday's demonstration was a huge step backwards for this issue. My testimony centred on sharing my experience and the UAP reports I hear from commercial and military aircrew through ASA's witness program. I will continue to raise awareness of UAP as an urgent matter of aerospace safety, national security, and science, but I am deeply disappointed by this unsubstantiated stunt. The Mexican politicians were told the specimens were found in the city of Cusco, Peru, and were estimated to be 1,000 years old. UFO researcher Jaime Maussan testified under oath almost a third of their DNA is unknown and the specimens were not part of "our terrestrial evolution. Last year marked the 75th anniversary of the Roswell UFO incident. An extra-terrestrial spacecraft is said to have crashed in the desert of New Mexico in 1947, sparking ongoing conspiracy theories alien bodies were recovered which some believe has been covered up by the US government. Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness have split after nearly 30 years of marriage. Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness have split after nearly 30 years of marriage The Wolverine actor, 54, and his 67-year-old partner, who wed in 1996 and have two adoptive kids Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 23, and 18-year-old Ava Eliot Jackman announced on Friday (15.09.23) in a joint statement they were breaking up, and told fans they felt blessed for the time they had together. They told People: We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth. Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives. The pair signed off as Deb and Hugh Jackman and concluded: This is the sole statement either of us will make. They met on the set of TV series Correlli in their native Australia in 1995 and their marriage was thought to be one of the strongest in showbiz. The former couple were regularly spotted out together, including on rides around New York City in scooters and swimming in the Hamptons. One of The Greatest Showman star Hughs last Instagram posts with his now-estranged wife was when they attended the Met Gala together in May. It is unclear at the moment why they decided to split so soon after the getaway. But they often faced trolling over their 13-year age-difference. In 2014, Deborra said she felt it was an insult to tell her that she was lucky to be married to the younger actor. She told Womans Weekly: That to me is a putdown. (Its) like you suggesting I won (a) raffle. I think we create our own destiny. When people look at my life, they dont know the challenges (I face), just like I dont know someone elses (challenges.) Hunter Biden has been indicted on federal gun charges months after the collapse of his plea deal with prosecutors. Hunter Biden has been indicted on federal gun charges months after the collapse of his plea deal with prosecutors The 53-year-old son of US President Joe Biden, 80, was charged in a federal courtroom in Delaware on Thursday (14.09.23) with one count of false statement in the purchase of a firearm, a count of false statement to information required to be kept by federal firearms licensed dealer and another of possession of a firearm by an active drug user. He was said to have committed the three counts of owning a firearm while being a drug user in 2018. The two counts of making false statements carry sentences of up to 10 years and five years, respectively, while the gun charge possession also carries a sentence of up to a decade. Hunter could go on trial next year during the 2024 presidential election. Joe Bidens indicted predecessor Donald Trump, 77, mocked the US leader over the charges. He ranted on X: Now that Hunter Biden has been indicted how many mins till Bidens corrupt DOJ (Department of Justice) drops another Trump indictment to change the narrative? Its nice to see something happen, though this is likely the excuse DOJ will use to pretend they're fair when they give him a slap on the wrist! House Oversight Committee Chairman Republican Senator James Comer called the indictment a very small start unless prosecutors investigate everyone involved in the fraud schemes. Hunters indictment comes months after his deal with federal prosecutors fell apart during a court hearing in July. In June, the two sides reached an agreement in regard to two misdemeanour crimes and a gun charge against the Presidents son which would have meant federal officials would not charge Hunter with the more serious gun charge in exchange for a guilty plea to the two misdemeanour crimes. The parties were set to resolve the matter during a court hearing in July before Judge Maryellen Noreika raised concerns about the terms. She asked federal prosecutors if the agreement meant Hunter would be immune from prosecution for other possible crimes. The judge also questioned the plea deal's constitutionality, specifically the diversion clause, and the immunity Hunter would have received. Hunter has previously admitted openly about his addiction to cocaine during the years in which the tax and gun crimes allegedly occurred. A previously lost sweater worn by Princess Diana has sold for just shy of 1 million. Princess Diana's sweater no doubt had bidders breaking out in a sweat The famous 'black sheep' jumper, which is made of red wool jumper and is emblazoned with white sheep and one black animal, went under the hammer at Sothebys Fashion Icons auction in New York and online, and fetched 885,000 ($1.1 million). That's 10 times more than its estimate of between 40,227 to 64,363. What's more, according to Sotheby's, it's the most anyone has paid for a sweater and the biggest sale of an item belonging to the late royal. Sothebys global head of fashion and accessories Cynthia Houlton said: This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Dianas grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion. The piece, which had gone missing for years, was first worn by Lady Diana Spencer at a polo match in 1981 when she was engaged to Prince Charles, who is now King Charles. It was made by the label Warm and Wonderful, and due to Diana's fashion influence, the then-new brand was overwhelmed with demand after she was seen in the garment. The company said: Much to our amazement, the first we knew of Lady Diana Spencer wearing the sweater was when we saw her on the front page of one of the Sunday newspapers. Her influence was impactful almost immediately thereafter, leading to a surge in sales and public awareness of our small label, for which we will be forever grateful. The jumper was sent back to the label for repairs upon the request of Buckingham Palace and they sent a new one. The original got lost and was found gathering dust in an attic. The design was discontinued in 1994, but a new version was released in 2020 in collaboration with Rowing Blazer. Emma Corrin, who played Diana in 'The Crown' in Season Four, wore a replica. The 80th Venice International Film Festival La Biennale di Venezia reached its climax on Saturday with the traditional presentation of awards, including the coveted Golden Lion for best picture. Lexus was proud to have completed its duties as Official Car provider for a seventh consecutive year a role that allowed it to present its own new star, the LBX. Carla Bruni-Photo Pascal Le Segretain Lexus This brand-new electrified breakthrough crossover shared the red carpet spotlight with some well-known names in world cinema. The famous faces included actors Bar Refaeli, Adam Driver, Caterina Murino the godmother of this years festival Patrick Dempsey, Charlotte Rampling and Carla Bruni and directors Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola and Liliana Cavani. Bar Refaeli Credit Pascal Le Segretain The LBX luxury compact SUV is designed for the European market and presents a casually elegant style that will resonate with a younger customer base. It was joined in Venice by a fleet of Lexus electrified models, including the RX turbocharged hybrid, NX plug-in hybrid and all-electric RZ, to carry VIP guests to and from screenings and events on the Venice Lido. These vehicles were joined by the all-new LM, Lexuss new luxury mover people carrier that will be joining the European range later this year. Paolo Moroni, Director of Lexus Italy, said: We were honoured to have attended the festival for a seventh year. To make this unique occasion even more memorable, we provided our own star, the new LBX, a car thats designed for a new audience that values luxury, design and sustainability. Since making her acting debut in 2000's Refugee, Kareena Kapoor Khan has come a long way. With the crime drama Jaane Jaan, which also stars Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat, she is ready to dip her toes in OTT. After dominating Bollywood, Kareena has recently been asked if she has any Hollywood projects in the works and if having two children has aided in her portrayal of a protective mother in Jaane Jaan. Due to her busy schedule, Kareena Kapoor Khan stated in an interview that she faces "no incentives" to pursue a career in Hollywood. There are no temptations as I am very busy doing stuff here. Also, I am a mother of two, therefore, I have to give them time. They are too young now, she said. The actress was questioned about how being a devoted mother to her sons Jeh and Taimur would have influenced how she will act as a mother in her upcoming series Jaane Jaan. She responded,I am sure. I have played a mother before, even in Ra One. I dont really connect my personal life to my work, it's very different. Yes, maybe picking on some real motherly act happens; there is no conscious effort to pick up anything that I do as a real mom. Subconsciously it may come into play. The actress stated she is "glad as everything has fallen in place" and that she always wanted to collaborate with filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh on a thriller project. She also said that the film is a "perfect thriller." Kareena Kapoor Khan must be at the height of her excitement because the film is scheduled for release on September 21, 2023, which also happens to be the day before her 43rd birthday. She stated, This film has been with Sujoy for ten years but when he couldnt put the cast together, he put this film to the back burner. I am happy that everything has fallen in place. I always wanted to do a thriller with Sujoy as he did a good job in Kahani. This was a perfect thriller with the right mood for us. The mystery thriller is an Hindi adaptation of Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X which was released in 2005. Sukhee: When it comes to playing comic roles with perfection, few can beat Sandeep Kapoor. Give him any character and he will portray it on screen with ease. Whether it TV serials or films, the talented actor has left a long-lasting impression on the audience with his impressive performance. Sandeep Kapoor, who is a proud father of Seerat Kapoor (Imlie fame) and Viraj Kapoor (Romil from Anupamaa), is eagerly awaiting the release of his next project- Sukhee. The Patiala Babes star will be seen sharing screen space with Shilpa Shetty in the much-awaited flick. Ahead of the release of Sukhee, Sandeep interacted with Filmibeat, spilling the beans about his role and sharing his experience while working on the flick. Talking to Mr. Kapoor is always a pleasure. He's full of life and loves sharing details about his character. He fondly spoke about his role, revealing that he is playing a man named Joginder for the third time in his career. Yes, he has a special connection with the name. "I play the role of Joginder, who is seen as Sukhee's husband's (Chaitanya Choudhary) friend. I will be adding the humour ka tadka in the film. I am very excited as the audience will get to see me in a different avatar. I hope they like my work. I am a Punjabi and my character is also a Punjabi, so it's like a double bonus for me," the Bhagyalakshmi actor told us. Sandeep, who hails from Chandigarh, had a blast while shooting for Sukhee in Punjab. "We shot in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Patiala. I used to come directly from my home in Chandigarh to the set. The entire cast and crew had a gala time shooting in the state. I have to mention our director Sonal for binding us together and delivering such a fine product." The actor, who has seen his own share of struggles in the industry, said that he went according to the vision of his director for the role. "We had a lot of workshops where he rehearsed together so that we all can play the role perfectly. Kudos to our director for bringing the best out of us." When asked if there was any similarity between him and Joginder, he stated, "No. We both are Punjabis but different than each other. Aapne dekha hoga na vo log jo apne dosto ko chedte hai and bolte hai- 'Aare biwi ko under control rakho, ye mat karne do'. Joginder is like that man in any household. I am not like that." Sandeep was all praise for Shilpa Shetty as he talked about his experience shooting with her. "She's a gem of a person. She made me feel so comfortable on the set. Kabhi laga hi nahi itni badi star hai vo. Maja agaya maam ke saath kaam karke," he fondly said. Sukhee will hit the silver screens on September 22, 2023. Around the globe, when concepts like culture, tradition, and personal freedoms intertwine in various contexts, it can lead to circumstances that provoke intense emotions and stimulate crucial discussions, ultimately molding our social structures. It can spark national debates, induce societal change, or prompt a reevaluation of longstanding norms. It can also sometimes lead to public outrage, demands for accountability, legal proceedings, and occasionally, a transformation in public opinion or established rules. A striking example of this phenomenon was observed in India when a 2007 incident involving Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty took center stage. The Incident That Made Headlines In the year 2007, two renowned actors from different corners of the globe, Shilpa Shetty from India and Richard Gere from Hollywood, found themselves engulfed in a storm of controversy that surpassed borders and stirred discussions worldwide. The controversial incident took place during an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign that was held in India's capital city, New Delhi. This event took an unexpected turn when Richard Gere, in a seemingly spontaneous move, bent down and bestowed a peck on Shilpa Shetty's cheek. It was a simple, innocent act of camaraderie and affection that however ignited an enormous debate in India, drawing polarized views from different quarters. In the context of India's deep-rooted cultures and traditions, public display of affection is often regarded as inappropriate and frowned upon. A vast majority of the society in India, especially the older generations, still cling tightly to their traditional norms and cultural beliefs where such acts of affection are restricted to private spaces. So, this action performed by a foreigner on an Indian icon in public view, was perceived as disrespectful and inappropriate by many. The incident ignited debates on cultural sensitivity, public decency and evoked diverse views, throwing the Indian society into an intellectual turmoil. The Cultural Contrast and National Response Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty later voiced her opinion on the spontaneous act carried out by Hollywood actor, Richard Gere. According to Shetty, she found nothing offensive with Gere's actions. Nevertheless, the surprise public display of affection set off a tide of protests across the nation. Citizens, whose sensibilities were visibly upset by what they deemed was a breach of public decorum, took to the streets to express their vehement disapproval. This took the form of burning effigies of the two stars, Gere and Shetty, as a means of public protest. The whole episode underscored the apparent discord between Western liberal ideologies and Indian cultural traditions. Hollywood, known for its more open display of love and affection, starkly contrasts with the more conservative cultural norms prevalent in India, which prefers discretion in such matters. What was most noteworthy, was that this incident served as a mirror to India's evolving societal norms. As the country is growing more global, increasing its interaction and engagement with countries and cultures around the world, the societal norms are increasingly coming under the scanner. While a majority voiced their disapproval by way of protest, a considerable section of society was of the opinion that such acts could potentially become regular occurrences in the future. The implication here was that, as India continues to broaden its global footprint and normalize its interactions with the Western world, societal norms could very well start reflecting this engagement. This incidence thus sparked a much larger debate on the evolving societal norms versus the well-established cultural traditions. The Legal Implications Consequences of the controversy extended to Indian courts, with charges filed against Gere and Shetty for "public obscenity". While the charges were later dismissed, the incident left an indelible mark on the collective cultural consciousness of the nation. This affair underlined, yet again, the ongoing discourse about balancing societal norms, personal freedom and cultural sensitivity in the face of increasing globalization. Ultimately, the Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty episode is a telling example of cultural clashes in our increasingly interconnected world. This incident, though initially viewed as a controversy, has evolved into a catalyst, fueling the discussion about Indian societal norms in the global context. Bigg Boss OTT 2 reunion party: The set is stage, and the countdown has begun. The celebrities, who created ripples during their stint in Salman Khan's reality show, will grace the party to celebrate the success and spend quality time together. From Abhishek Malhan to Jiya Shankar, all the BB OTT 2 stars will come together to enjoy a night of fun, food and party. ABHISHEK MALHAN-JIYA SHANKAR MUSIC VIDEO Abhishek Malhan and Jiya Shankar have been hogging all the limelight ever since they worked together in Judaiyaan. The music video emerged as a massive hit, garnering a positive reaction from all corners. While AbhiYa are basking in the success of Judaiyaan, gossip mills have been churning out stories about a fallout between the two celebrities. After some Twitter users pointed out that Fukra Insaan and Jiya Shankar have not been commenting on each other's posts, rumour mongers suggested that things are not well between the duo. While Jiya has not reacted to the conjecture, Abhishek Malhan has confirmed that there's no issue between him and the actress. In fact, the two celebrities have been busy expressing their gratitude towards their fans for the constant love and support. #AbhiYa is officially over! #AbhishekMalhan #JiyaShankar have already stopped commenting on each other's posts. They are not meeting for so long. #JiyaShankar last night also Gave hints She is not going to meet Him even when he is in MUMBAI The Khabri (@TheKhabriTweets) September 14, 2023 ABHISHEK MALHAN-JIYA SHANKAR REUNION Several Bigg Boss OTT 2 contestants including Bebika Dhurve, Abhishek Malhan, Manisha Rani, Elvish Yadav, Avinash Sachdev are expected to attend the party. Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav, who celebrated his birthday in Dubai, has arrived in India. He is also expected to take a flight to Mumbai for the celebrations at a popular club in the Maximum City. "Bigg Boss OTT 2 turned out to be a massive hit on JioCinema. What better way than to celebrate by gathering together and partying hard? Elvish Yadav will be taking a flight to Mumbai after arriving in India from the UAE. He celebrated his birthday in a grand manner with his friends in Dubai. The Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner will be joining his friends and FAME group at the star-studded bash in Mumbai," a source exclusively told Filmibeat. Another reliable source exclusively told Filmibeat, "Abhishek Malhan, Jiya Shankar and other celebrities will attend the Bigg Boss OTT 2 reunion party in Mumbai. The makers and the contestants will celebrate the grand success of their second season of the digital version of the reality show by partying hard. AbhiYa fans will get a special surprise as Abhishek and Jiya will reunite a few days after the success of Judaiyaan." Bigg Boss OTT 2 reunion party: It's difficult to keep calm as BB OTT 2 stars are finally reuniting after a month. The reality show, which was hosted by Salman Khan, ended on August 14 with a blockbuster finale. Elvish Yadav lifted the winner's trophy by defeating Abhishek Malhan in the final episode. WHO IS ATTENDING BIGG BOSS OTT 2 PARTY? Elvish Yadav created history as he became the first wildcard contestant to win any season of Bigg Boss. While Elvish and Abhishek's friendship grabbed eyeballs, Jiya Shankar's cute nok-jhok with the duo also hogged the limelight in the show. All eyes are on the reunion party that will be held in Mumbai on Friday (September 15). Earlier in the day, we informed our readers about the reunion bash. "Bigg Boss OTT 2 turned out to be a massive hit on JioCinema. What better way than to celebrate by gathering together and partying hard? Elvish Yadav will be taking a flight to Mumbai after arriving in India from the UAE. He celebrated his birthday in a grand manner with his friends in Dubai. The Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner will be joining his friends and FAME group at the star-studded bash in Mumbai," a source exclusively told Filmibeat. The likes of Aashika Bhatia, Bebika Dhurve, Avinash Sachdev, Falaq Naaz are expected to attend the party at a pub in Mumbai. WILL JIYA SHANKAR NOT ATTEND BIGG BOSS OTT 2 REUNION BASH? Gossip mills suggested that AbhiYa's reunion might not happen at Bigg Boss OTT 2 party. A tweet from a handle sparked rumours about Jiya Shankar's absence from the party. Fans wondered if there is any truth to the speculations about Jiya skipping the bash Breaking !!#SalmanKhan will also Joining the reunion party along with all ex BB ott2 contestants !!#JiyaShankar & #ManishaRani is still not coming in party !#ElvishYadav & #FukraInsaan entered with #PoojaBhatt & #BebikaDhurve !! Endemol Team not allowing paps to captured The Khabri (@thekhbri_) September 15, 2023 What's the truth behind the rumours? Filmibeat is here to debunk the rumours. "Abhishek Malhan, Jiya Shankar and other celebrities will attend the Bigg Boss OTT 2 reunion party in Mumbai. The makers and the contestants will celebrate the grand success of their second season of the digital version of the reality show by partying hard. AbhiYa fans will get a special surprise as Abhishek and Jiya will reunite a few days after the success of Judaiyaan," a source told Filmibeat. Keep watching this space for more updates. https://www.instagram.com/subhashree.rayaguru/?hl=en&img_index=1 Photo Credit: Gallery In the upcoming episode of the Bigg Boss Telugu 7 reality show, an interesting discussion between the housemates ensued as Gautham Krishna and Yawar hurled insults after engaging in a heated argument. Prince Yawar & Gautham Krishna Quarrel The latest promo of the Bigg Boss Telugu 7 showcased a shocking altercation over an 'undeserving' issue between Gautham Krishna and Prince Yawar. They went overboard and attacked each other verbally and personally. Yawar and Gautham Krishna engaged in a heated argument astonishingly. It all began when Gautham decided to take the key from Yawar and give it to another contestant. https://www.instagram.com/subhashree.rayaguru/?hl=en&img_index=1 Photo Credit: Gallery Yawar interrupted Gautham and asked him to give a proper reason after the latter said that he felt Yawar was implementing Sivaji's game plan. A visibly upset Yawar asked, "What is the reason, bro? It is a wrong reason. Give a proper reason. Bigg Boss this is incorrect. I want justice." A heated discussion ran between the duo and Yawar tried to intimidate Gautham by flaunting his body. An equally enraged Gautham then gestured in a way that hurt Yawar even more. They both quarreled and exchanged insults in Hindi. Meanwhile, Amardeep tried to console Yawar and seconded him on this. He even said, "What will you gain from causing hurt to so many?" Yawar then said, "I don't want to be in this house. It is a bad game. I want to go home, and open the door. Intiki vellali anthe." Watch the promo here. Tensions are high in house as the contestants compete to secure their spot. It's a showdown you won't want to miss! Tune in to Star Maa for all the drama and action. #BiggBossClash #BiggBossTelugu7 @iamnagarjuna @DisneyPlusHSTel pic.twitter.com/8lpHvcVYy9 Starmaa (@StarMaa) September 15, 2023 The Bigg Boss Telugu 7 contestants are Priyanka Jain, Sivaji, Yawar, Shakeela, Damini, Subhashree Rayaguru, Aata Sandeep, Shobha Shetty, Tasty Teja, Dr Gautham Krishna, Kiran Rathore, Pallavi Prashanth, Amardeep Chowdary, and Rathika. Stay tuned to Star Maa on weekends at 9 p.m. and at 9.30 p.m. on weekdays to catch the episodes of the Bigg Boss 7 Telugu show. The contestant elimination program will happen on weekends. All the episodes of the show are available on digital OTT Disney+ Hotstar to stream online. SIIMA 2023 FAQ 1. When is the South Indian International Movie Awards 2023? SIIMA Awards 2023 will be held on the 15th and 16th of September. 2. What is the venue for the South Indian International Movie Awards 2023? SIIMA Awards 2023 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. 3. From where to book tickets for the South Indian International Movie Awards 2023? Tickets for the South Indian International Movie Awards will be available on siima.in. 4. Which actor has won the most SIIMA Awards? Mahesh Babu has won the most SIIMA Awards. 5. Who is the founder of the SIIMA Awards? Vishnu Vardhan Induri is the founder of the SIIMA Awards. 6. What is the official website of the SIIMA Awards? siima.in is the official website for SIIMA Awards, you can vote for your favorite. 7. Who won the SIIMA award for Best Actor in 2023? Stay tuned for the final word from SIIMA 2023, when this answer will be updated with the latest winners. 8. Who won the SIIMA award for Best Actress in 2023? Stay tuned for the final word from SIIMA 2023, when this answer will be updated with the latest winners. 9. Which film won the SIIMA award for Best Film in 2023? Stay tuned for the final word from SIIMA 2023, when this answer will be updated with the latest winners. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Nucor Corp. (NUE) expects third quarter earnings to be in the range of $4.10 to $4.20 per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $4.65 per share for the third quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Nucor reported net earnings of $6.50 per share in the third quarter of 2022. NUE closed Thursday regular trading at $165.53 up $4.40 or 2.73%. But in the after-hours trading, the stock dropped $5.53 or 3.34%. The company expect earnings for the steel mills segment to decline in the third quarter of 2023 as compared to the second quarter of 2023 primarily due to lower pricing, and to a lesser extent, volumes. The largest impact on earnings is expected to occur at sheet mills. The earnings of the steel products segment are expected to decrease in the third quarter of 2023 as compared to the second quarter of 2023 also due to lower realized prices and volumes. Earnings for the raw materials segment are expected to decrease in the third quarter of 2023 as compared to the second quarter of 2023 due to margin compression at DRI facilities and scrap processing operations. Nucor said it will release its earnings before the markets open on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Open Group champion of the 40th Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition: Scroll Bar. HONG KONG, Sept 15, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - Nearly 15,000 buyers from 95 countries and regions attended the physical exhibitions of the 42nd HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and 11th Salon de TE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd. The physical exhibitions ended on 9 September but under the hybrid EXHIBITION+ format the online exhibitions continue until 16 September. During the fairs, the results of the 40th Hong Kong Watch Design Competition, also organised by the three organisers, were announced. Winning and finalist entries were prominently displayed to global visitors.To provide industry professionals with the latest market trends and insights from the global watch and clock industry, the HKTDC organised the Hong Kong International Watch Forum on the first day of the fairs (5 September). Representatives from watch associations in Mainland China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea and Switzerland were invited to discuss the industry's regional trade performance and global outlook. On 6 September, the annual Asian Watch Conference was held with the theme, Shaping the Future of Watch: The Next Design Trends. Speakers delved into sustainability in watchmaking as well as the latest trends and future directions of watch design to inspire new ideas.Hong Kong Watch Design Competition - uncovering talentThe Hong Kong Watch Design Competition has been striving to elevate the design and quality of Hong Kong watches and clocks and encourage creative ideas, while also identifying local design talent and injecting a new impetus into the industry. The competition's 40th edition featured an Open Group and a Student Group, with the themes The Beauty of Perspective and Game Code, respectively. The competition was enthusiastically received, with 84 high-quality entries submitted. Winners were selected by a judging panel comprising nine industry leaders and celebrity judge Jessica Hsuan.In the Open Group, Tam Kwok Tung emerged as champion with Scroll Bar. By ingeniously manipulating perspective, the design creates a sense of depth within the confined space of the wrist, revealing the aesthetic allure of traditional mechanical watches. The first runner-up was Chan Kar Him with TRAVERSE, which features an entirely transparent case and employs a horizontal assembly method to fully highlight the exquisite craftsmanship of watch movement. Second runner-up was Heromex Watch Company Limited for its design, Mondrian. Inspired by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, the watch uses basic shapes and primary colours to create an abstract composition. The radiating black lines on the dial are complemented by scattered colour blocks and a skeleton movement, expressing the aesthetics of perspective.Within the Student Group, Wong Yin Yeung of the Youth College International clinched the champion title for his design, TANZZLE. The designer believed the distance between people brought by the pandemic could be bridged by games in the post-pandemic era. His watch features a foldable design and incorporates a Tangram on the watch face. Wearers can engage in exciting matches with friends anytime and anywhere by racing to form various shapes and graphics with the Tangram. The versatile game play and minimalistic design of the watch inspire limitless creativity.The first runner-up of the Student Group was Pui Hong Yiu of the School for Higher and Professional Education (DILWL) with Over Game, which features a yellow and black square case that resembles a mini arcade game machine. The face of the watch showcases a scene from the classic game Pac-Man. Meanwhile on the back, a maze game with two steel balls represents the Pac-Man characters giving chase and eluding capture. This playful design embodies a work hard, play hard attitude towards life. The second runner-up was Kwong Wai Yin of the Hong Kong Design Institute for Target. Inspired by the ever-challenging claw machines, she created a watch case in the shape of a coin, symbolising a chance to play, as well as a catch-type clasp. The design conveys the idea of seizing every opportunity.All the winning and finalist entries were displayed during the Watch & Clock Fair, where the Award Presentation Ceremony of the 40th Watch Design Competition cum Fashion x Watch Parade was also held.Hong Kong International Watch Forum - profitability trends up in Mainland ChinaThe HKTDC hosted the Hong Kong International Watch Forum on 5 September, inviting representatives from watch associations to discuss the industry's most recent regional trade performance and global outlook.Zhang Hong-guang, Director General of the China Horologe Association, cited statistics on 297 watch and clock enterprises in Mainland China. He pointed out that the industry's cumulative revenue in the first half of this year reached RMB12.491 billion (US$137.5 million), down 11.3% from the previous year, while clock production was 33.6132 million pieces, a year-on-year decline of 9.05% and watch production fell 23.64% to 45.6928 million pieces .Mr Zhang said: "In the first half of 2023, despite Mainland China's economic development remaining generally steady, the watch and clock industry's revenue fell 11% year-on-year. Cumulative exports rose 2.28% year on year to US$2.252 billion. Among this, exports of watch movements reached US$678 million, up 9.79% over the previous year. Cumulative imports totalled US$2.33 billion, an increase of 11.48% year-on-year. These figures suggest that market demand is recovering. With consumption momentum picking up, the watch and clock industry's production, sales and profitability are all improving, and the market is trending upwards."Overseas makers' prices and volumes growMari Yamazaki, General Manager of the Japan Clock and Watch Association, reported that there were positive signs of recovery in the Japanese watch and clock markets after travel restrictions were lifted following a prolonged downturn caused by COVID-19. The momentum of recovery had decelerated but Japanese watch exports in the first half of the year still exceeded 42.4 billion yen (US$288 million), marking a 12% year on year rise. Notably mechanical watch sales experienced the most significant growth, surging 26% to reach 11.7 billion yen. This trend underscored the enduring popularity of mechanical watches among consumers over the past decade, with high-end watch prices aligning with global trends.According to Dr Guido Grohmann, Managing Director of the German Association of Jewellery, Watches, Clocks & Supplying Industry, German watch and clock exports recorded a 10% year on year increase last year, rising from EUR1.5 billion (USD1.61 billion) to EUR1.702 billion. Imports also rebounded, escalating from EUR1.865 billion in 2020 to EUR2.195 billion in 2021. Furthermore, the import volume in the previous year reached a new high of EUR2.524 billion, up 15.1% on the year.Dr Jean Daniel Pasche, President of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH, highlighted that Switzerland exported watches worth 13 billion Swiss francs (US$14.58 billion) in the first half of this year. Exports of electronic watches surged 18.8% year on year while mechanical watch exports showed an 11% growth. The global appeal of Swiss watches led to increased exports to several countries and regions during the first half of this year, including the United States (+9.9%), Mainland China (+25.4%), Hong Kong (+28.8%), Japan (+5.9%), and the United Kingdom (+7.8%).Guillaume Adam, General Secretary of the France Horlogerie, said that in 2021 France emerged as the world's fifth-largest exporter of watches and the fourth-largest exporter of watch components and straps. Based on the most recent export data, watch exports from France rose 17% between June last year and May this year, with a 21% increase in watch exports and a 4% rise in the exports of components and straps.Dae-Boong Kim, Executive Director of the Korea Watch & Clock Industry Cooperative, observed that the consumption of watches and clocks in Korea displayed divergent trends. Consumption of high-end and luxury brand watches continued to rise as the local economy and living standards improved. In 2022, Korea's affluent population spent more than US$16.8 billion on high-end, branded watches, highlighting the country's market and demand for these products.Industry experts examine industry trends and market outlookThe Asian Watch Conference on 6 September was themed Shaping the Future of Watch: The Next Design Trends. The event featured Anna Dai, Research Analyst of Euromonitor International (Hong Kong), who shared insights on how sustainability was shaping the future of watchmaking. She elaborated on how global brands were integrating ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles into every facet of their watch manufacturing processes, starting from design to the sourcing of materials. The event also welcomed Zhang Jianmin, Founder & President of Shenzhen CIGA Design Co., Ltd., who provided an account of the success achieved by his domestically established watch brand. He highlighted the journey of Mainland Chinese watches advancing from their origins in Shenzhen to gaining global recognition and prominent in Geneva. His discussion emphasised how Mainland watches had improved in various aspects, including design, production and sales. Independent Swiss watchmaker Ollivier Savelli discussed innovative design concepts and development directions embraced by independent Swiss wristwatches, introducing fresh inspiration and ideas to the world of watch design.Websites- Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair: https://hkwatchfair.hktdc.com- Salon de TE: https://hkwatchfair.hktdc.com/te- Intelligence Hub: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkwatchfair/en/intelligence-hub- Photo download: https://bit.ly/3EwMJZkMedia enquiriesPlease contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:Frankie Leung, Tel:+852 2584 4298, Email: frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.orgAgnes Wat, Tel: +852 2584 4554, Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.orgAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInSource: HKTDCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. HONG KONG, Sept 15, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited ("CITIC Telecom", SEHK: 1883) is pleased to announce the launch of new points of presence (PoP) in Brazil following the deployment of a PoP in India early this year to keep pace with customer business development. The new PoPs boost the company's full service coverage and resource deployment in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to deliver faster and seamless global connectivity, provide a full spectrum of integrated "Cloud, Network, Intelligence, Security" services globally, helping enterprises accelerate international operations and high-quality digitization development.This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's "Belt and Road Initiative", accompanied by the expansion of BRICS with the addition of new member countries, emerging markets and developing countries in BRICS create vast market, trading and investment opportunities, and also strengthen technological innovation and business collaboration across different industries. As a leading Global-local DICT service provider, CITIC Telecom is fully committed to joining hands with CITIC Group and its subsidiaries, leveraging synergies, to actively respond to the "Belt and Road Initiative" to accelerate global resource deployment, strengthen digital infrastructure and provide robust support for the strategic development of a digital China.Mr. Brook Wong, Chief Executive Officer of CITIC Telecom CPC, said, "CITIC Telecom CPC keeps pace with the digital era and demonstrated unwavering dedication in implementing national strategies. We have not only taken a lead in forming a unique international collaboration network in the "Belt and Road" region, along RCEP countries, the Greater Bay Area and other regions, but have also leveraged our extensive global resources and full spectrum of intelligent ICT products and services to enhance service coverage in BRICS, seamlessly connect China-Asia-Africa Economic Corridor for multinational companies, and accelerate the digital transformation of diverse industries. The addition of two new PoPs in India and Brazil this year delivers elevated levels of security, efficiency and exceptional services to global customers. This demonstrates our dedication to the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" strategy while fueling new growth for the digital economy in countries along the Belt & Road, and driving the digital transformation of customers across the regions."Implementing Globalization Core Value and Fostering High-quality "Belt and Road" DevelopmentCITIC Telecom CPC puts customers first, keeps pace with customer business development in expanding network coverage, deepens information security framework, and supports customers to remain competitive in both international markets and local operations. With "Innovation Never Stops" motto, world-class ICT infrastructure and Global-Local capabilities, CITIC Telecom CPC's global network resources have covered five continents around the world, seamlessly connecting over 165 points POPs in which more than 100 PoPs are located in over 80 major business cities in China to address multinational enterprise demands across the globe.CITIC Telecom CPC's network coverage in BRICS is further strengthened with the new PoPs in India and Brazil. They have completed its global service deployment, enhanced network security and reliability, scalability, cost effectiveness and provided exceptional user experience. CITIC Telecom CPC's "Cloud, Network, Intelligence, Security" integrated platform includes MPLS private network, SDWAN network connectivity, SASE and security suites, and comprehensive cloud solutions, addressing the infrastructure needs of multinational companies for local operations, fully supporting enterprise innovations, developing a digital and intelligent landscape, and further expanding global business.Mr Brook Wong added, "Anchored by our motto "Innovation Never Stops", we consistently adhere to our core value and commitment of providing customers with superior services. As a Global-local DICT service provider, CITIC Telecom CPC will continue to enhance global network deployment while fostering innovative service resources, enabling us to deliver more customized and localized ICT solutions to our valued customers. We empower enterprises in seizing opportunities brought forward by the "Belt and Road Initiative" and swiftly adapting to the ever-changing business environment. We remain steadfast in our commitment to be the trusted DICT service partner for customers."About CITIC Telecom CPCWe are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT private network solutions, TrustCSI information security solutions, DataHOUSE cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD cloud computing solutions.With the motto "Innovation Never Stops," we leverage innovative technologies, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into business value for our customers. As an enterprise digital transformation partner, we strive to help our customers achieve industry-leading positions, high agility, and cost-efficiency through digitalization.With our Global-Local capabilities, we are committed to providing our customers with one-stop-shop ICT solutions with superior quality. Having a worldwide footprint across nearly 160 countries and regions, including Asia, Europe and America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, our global network resources connect over 165 points of presence (POPs), 60+ SDWAN gateways, 21 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and three dedicated 24x7 Security Operations Centers (SOCs). We are certified with a series of international certifications, including SD-WAN Ready, ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017, to ensure our services compliance with international standards and resources for enterprises. We offer local professional services, superior delivery capabilities as well as exceptional customer experience and best practices through our global presence and extensive industry know-how, becoming a leading integrated intelligent ICT service provider to enterprise customers.For more information, please visit www.citictel-cpc.comMedia Contacts:Catherine YuenCITIC Telecom CPC(852) 2170 7536Email: catherine.yuen@citictel-cpc.comSource: CITIC Telecom CPCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Regulatory News: Europcar Mobility Group (Paris:EUCAR) and EURO-Leasing GmbH a fully owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Financial Services AG announce today that they have signed an agreement according to which Europcar Mobility Group will take subject to antitrust clearance a controlling stake of 51% in Euromobil GmbH, the rent-a-car and car subscription business of EURO-Leasing which operates across Volkswagen Group's brands and dealerships in Germany. The other 49% will remain with EURO-Leasing GmbH. Alain Favey, CEO of Europcar Mobility Group, declares: "Europcar Mobility Group is well positioned to play an active role in the definition of further offers to make mobility services more flexible, sustainable and accessible to all. Joining forces with Euromobil makes a lot of sense, and has great value creation potential. We look forward to working closely with our new colleagues, and to identifying joint new business opportunities, drawing on our respective areas of expertise and capabilities." Christian Dahlheim, CEO of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, adds: "This transaction is a key milestone in the cooperation roadmap between the Volkswagen Group and Europcar Mobility Group. With it, we are combining the Volkswagen Group related car rental businesses to create meaningful synergies to further develop Europcar Mobility Group as an important cornerstone of our mobility platform with its expertise and capabilities in large-scale fleet management, as well as its solid mobility services culture." Euromobil GmbH will operate independently from Europcar Mobility Group's existing German business. It will be placed under the leadership of Olivier Baldassari, Group COO and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Europcar Mobility Group Germany, leveraging the knowledge and experience of the teams who have contributed to Euromobil's strong performance over the past years. Europcar Mobility Group is a major player in the mobility market, with a particular focus on vehicle rental services in Europe. In the coming years, the Group's ambition is to become a leader in sustainable mobility services, driven by data, technology and people. Europcar Mobility Group offers to individuals and businesses a wide range of car and van rental services, be it for a few hours, a few days, a week, a month or more, on-demand or on subscription, relying on a fleet of more than 250.000 vehicles. Its brands address differentiated needs, use cases and expectations: Europcar a European leader of car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, Goldcar a frontrunner at providing lowcost car rental services in Europe, Fox-Rent-A-Car, one of the main players in the car rental market in the US, with a "value for money" positioning, Buchbinder, one of most important players in car and light commercial vehicle rental in Germany, and Ubeeqo one of the European leaders of roundtrip car-sharing (BtoB, BtoC). Europcar Mobility Group delivers its mobility solutions via a strong network in 140 countries (including 16 fully owned subsidiaries and franchisees as well as alliance partners). More info: www.europcar-mobility-group.com EURO-Leasing GmbH, based in Sittensen, Germany, is a provider for services within the Volkswagen Group. Together with its clients, the company is shaping the future of handling automotive services for the Group, such as used vehicle handling, logistics, contract processing and accounting services, as well as parking space and real estate rentals. EURO-Leasing has its origins in the truck rental business and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, Europe's largest automotive financial services provider, since 2014. Through the merger with Euromobil Autovermietung GmbH in 2019, the portfolio expanded to include passenger car rental solutions. Since September 2023, the new focus of EURO-Leasing GmbH has been on the automotive services sector. The passenger car rental business was spun off into a separate subsidiary, Euromobil GmbH. This separation creates a focus on core competencies that supports the Group in its mobility strategy. Euromobil GmbH is the rental specialist for high-quality vehicles of the Volkswagen Group brands. The company employs around 400 people across Germany. Euromobil acts as a mobility service provider within the Volkswagen Group and supports sister companies and the dealership with forward-looking mobility solutions. Together with its franchise partners, Euromobil GmbH is represented with over 45,000 vehicles at more than 2,000 locations in Germany. It is also the only car rental company to offer vehicles exclusively from the Volkswagen brand world. These include the brands Volkswagen passenger cars, Audi, SKODA, SEAT, CUPRA, Porsche and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The vehicle portfolio ranges from compact cars to station wagons, sedans and SUVs to convertibles and the latest electric vehicles. The various models can be booked online and at rental stations throughout Germany. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914645374/en/ Contacts: Media contacts: Valerie Sauteret Valerie.sauteret@europcar.com Vincent Vevaud Vincent.vevaud@europcar.com L'OREAL GROUPEANNOUNCES ENDOWMENT FUND, THE L'OREALCLIMATEEMERGENCY FUND EUR15 million endowment fund aimed at communities facing greatest disaster risk presented at Climate Week NYC Clichy, 15thSeptember 2023 - L'Oreal announced a new EUR15 million endowment fund to support vulnerable communities to develop greater resilience in the face of climate disasters. The L'Oreal Climate Emergency Fund will support communities in the most exposed areas by enabling expert partner organizations to help them prepare for and recover from climate disasters. It is estimated that climate-driven disasters have increased five-fold over the past 50 years1. Today, up to three billion people live in disaster-exposed areas, with the number predicted to increase by one billion by the year 20502. The L'Oreal Climate Emergency Fund will reach vulnerable communities through partnerships with both local disaster relief organizations and international NGOs. The new fund builds on L'Oreal Groupe's longstanding commitment to address growing humanitarian and environmental challenges, bringing the Groupe's total investments to more than EUR200 million across several funds, such as the L'Oreal Fund for Nature Regeneration, the Circular Innovation Fund and the L'Oreal Fund for Women. "As an industry leader, L'Oreal has a responsibility to address the world's most urgent environmental and social needs," said Alexandra Palt, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, L'Oreal GroupeandCEO of the FondationL'Oreal. "The urgent climate crisis we are facing necessitates action on all fronts and calls for global collaborationat every level.With the new Climate Emergency Fund, we are expanding on our commitments to help build resilience for vulnerable communities, togetherwith organizationsdeploying innovative solutions on the ground." The funds will be directed towards two types of actions: 'Prepare,' to help minimize the impact of climate disasters before they occur, through disaster planning and early warning systems; and 'Repair,' to restore essential infrastructures and vital services such as healthcare, housing and access to food and water when disaster strikes. The first two L'Oreal Climate Emergency Fund recipients are The Solutions Project, a US-based non-profit organization and Start Network, a global alliance of more than 80 local, national and international NGOs, that both work with people on the frontline to provide early and effective responses when and before humanitarian crises strike. "Whilst the climate crisisis global in nature, it is clear thatsome communities are atfar greater risk of near-term climate disastersand mustmitigate for these climate-related events to prevent them from becoming human disasters," saidChristina Bennett, CEO of Start Network. "In partnership withL'Oreal and local organizations rooted in their communities, wewillsupportpeople atrisk of crisisto prepare andprotect themselves, with the assistance delivered by local teams familiar with their circumstances and best placed to ensure affected populations rebound more quickly." To learn more about the L'Oreal Climate Emergency Fund, please watch our v i deo . About L'Oreal For over 110 years, L'Oreal, the world's leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 36 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L'Oreal for the Future programme, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality. With 87400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2022 theGroup generated sales amounting to 38.26 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team of over 4000 scientists and 5500 tech and digital professionals, L'Oreal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse. More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom About Start Network Start Network:www.startnetwork.org | @StartNetwork | Start Network is a global network of non-governmental organisations, made up of more than 80 national and international humanitarian agencies from six continents. Its mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action that will protect even more lives through innovation, fast funding, early action, and localisation. Start Network believes that pre-emptive climate risk financing could revolutionise the aid sector and catalyse a new way of preparing for crises, helping to create more resilient communities. Visit our website to see afull list of members. "This press release does not constitute an offer of sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our website www.loreal-finance.com. This press release may contain forecast information. While the Company believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of publication of this press release, they are by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which may lead to a discrepancy between the actual figures and those indicated or suggested in these statements." CONTACTS L'OREAL Switchboard +33 (0)1 47 56 70 00 Individual shareholders and market regulators Pascale GUERIN +33 (0)1 49 64 18 89 Pascale.guerin@loreal.com (mailto:Pascale.guerin@loreal.com) Financial analysts and institutional investors Francoise LAUVIN +33 (0)1 47 56 86 82 Francoise.lauvin@loreal.com (mailto:Francoise.lauvin@loreal.com) Eva QUIROGA +33 (0)7 88 14 22 65 Eva.quiroga@loreal.com (mailto:Eva.quiroga@loreal.com) Media Brune DIRICQ +33 (0)6 63 85 29 87 Brune.diricq@loreal.com (mailto:Brune.diricq@loreal.com) Christine BURKE +33 (0)6 75 54 38 15 Christine.burke@loreal.com (mailto:Christine.burke@loreal.com) For further information, please contact your bank, stockbroker of financial institution, the L'Oreal Finance app or call the toll-free number from France: 0 800 66 66 66. 0 800 66 66 66 Follow us on LinkedIn @L'Oreal Follow us on Instagram @lorealgroupe www.loreal.com [1] World Meteorological Organization Attachment Global sustainable development consultancy Arup announced a strategic partnership and investment in Re:Co, a leading software and advisory company supporting the private equity market, to develop market-leading digital sustainability services. Together, Arup and Re:Co will co-create a suite of tools and solutions aimed at improving performance across sustainability metrics while also achieving a high return-on-investment for funds and portfolio companies, encouraging increased green financing within the private equity sector. Climate change demands swift action, and the way businesses operate today will undergo significant transformation in the coming decades. As the effects of climate change continue to intensify, the need to understand and manage exposure to related risks will grow. Businesses that do not anticipate and adapt to this changing landscape are likely to face increased business uncertainty and value erosion. The private equity sector represents a significant component of the global economy, with an estimated $11.7 trillion USD in assets under management in 2022. Private equity firms, which focus on business transformation and unlocking the value in companies, are placing an increasing priority on sustainability yet often miss opportunities to align these efforts with value creation objectives. They also face a fragmented sustainability service provider landscape where vendors struggle to offer a one-stop-shop with depth of service across strategy, technical and implementation capabilities. Re:Co has worked with leading private portfolios to deepen their ESG strategy, collect sustainability data on the Re:Co platform and improve portfolio performance over time. Arup is a digital leader in the built environment and is known for its innovative research and commitment to addressing the challenge of climate change. Building on this deep technical know-how and broad real-world experience in decarbonisation, Re:Co and Arup are providing a new suite of scalable, full-spectrum sustainability software and advisory solutions for private equity firms and portfolio companies that support them from initial strategy through to implementation. These solutions will link sustainability outcomes with value creation and provide best-in-class insights that enable clients to make smarter strategic decisions, underpinned by market-leading expertise, that lead to stronger businesses over time. Tom Wilcock, Digital Services Leader for Arup UKIMEA, said: "Arup is 100% committed to sustainability and deploying the power of our digital expertise to galvanise the transition to a low carbon and sustainable future. Our partnership with Re:Co will provide investors with the robust and science-based data and indicators they need to invest with confidence in a market where we expect significant disruption. This will increase both the size and quality of investments being made in sustainability, to the benefit of people and the planet." Jennifer Wilson, CEO Founder, Re:Co, said: "Our private equity clients are experts in transforming businesses to unlock value. When it comes to ESG or sustainability strategy, many investors and portfolio companies have been able to begin their journey with compliance or reporting, but don't have access to the tools or expertise they need to achieve higher-value performance improvements. Working with a world-leading engineering firm like Arup, we'll enable clients to treat sustainability as a dimension of value-creating business transformation." About Arup Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of designers, consultants and experts working globally. Founded to be humane and excellent, we collaborate with our clients and partners using imagination, technology, and rigour to shape a better world. www.arup.com About Re:Co Re:Co is a provider of SaaS-based sustainability solutions and expert advisory focused on private equity markets. We bring expertise on value creation strategy and ESG together to help make businesses stronger while improving their impact on people and planet. Based in London, the company works with the key decision-makers at the fund and portfolio company level to tailor strategies that meet clients where they are and place them on a path toward long-term improvement. www.re.co.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915822873/en/ Contacts: For more information, contact: Lucy Chakaodza PR Manager Energy, Water, Resources Digital Press Office, UKIMEA Arup m +44 (0)7773 124306 arup.com Eric Bloom Re:Co m +44 (0)7360 270 974 ebloom@recoinsights.com Library-free and machine learning-augmented data analysis with Spectronaut 18 yields industry-leading protein quantification and throughput for DIA proteomics 18 yields industry-leading protein quantification and throughput for DIA proteomics Novel collaborative research using the TrueDiscovery and TrueTarget CRO services platforms demonstrates the quantitative precision and wide applicability of mass spectrometry proteomics for biomarker discovery and drug development and TrueTarget CRO services platforms demonstrates the quantitative precision and wide applicability of mass spectrometry proteomics for biomarker discovery and drug development Biognosys' iRT Kit is cornerstone of Bruker's novel real-time performance monitoring within ProteoScape analytics for timsTOF instruments ZUERICH, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Sept. 15, 2023from September 17 to September 21 in Busan, South Korea. During the Technological Advancements session on Tuesday, September 19, Biognosys' Chief Technology Officer Dr. Lukas Reiter will give a Keynote presentation "Bottom-up Proteomics using DIA" on the evolution, recent developments, and future of data-independent acquisition (DIA) in MS-based proteomics. Biognosys also will present ten posters showcasing technological innovations and novel scientific data with its proprietary proteomics research services, software, and kits. Biognosys' team of scientific experts will be exhibiting and offering software demos at booth #408. Biognosys' strategic partner Bruker will introduce novel concepts for the timsTOF platform and Bruker ProteoScape software suite, forging synergies with Biognosys' Spectronaut software and iRT Kit to offer customers enhanced capabilities for high-fidelity, high-throughput proteomics. "I am thrilled to present significant advances with Biognosys' MS proteomics technology and solutions that bring us again closer to making the proteome truly actionable for research, drug development, and clinical decision-making," commentedDr.Lukas Reiter. "Our continuously improving software and well-established kits empower users of major MS instruments to perform cutting-edge, hassle-free workflows for deep, high-throughput, reproducible proteomics research in-house. Our CRO services provide biopharma and diagnostics customers with unparalleled precision and insights to expedite biomarker discovery and drug development." Spectronaut 18: Industry-leading depth, throughput, and efficiency for DIA data analysis Spectronaut 18, the latest version of Biognosys' flagship software, offers a significantly further improved identification rate and quantification quality, as well as various new features that make DIA proteomics more efficient and scalable. At HUPO, Biognosys will present three posters highlighting powerful applications of Spectronaut 18 for comprehensive proteome quantification. Remarkable innovations include the utilization of directDIA+ for faster, library-free analysis, and deep learning with DeepQuant to enhance the quantification of low-abundant proteins through a neural network for interference correction of precursor quantities. TrueDiscovery: Proven precision forbiomarker discovery in oncology and neuroscience Biognosys will present three posters showcasing biomarker discovery and drug development research conducted with esteemed collaborators, including Genmab, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University, and University of Zuerich. The studies utilized Biognosys' TrueDiscovery platform for unbiased proteomics and collectively demonstrate the quantitative precision, robustness, and wide applicability of MS proteomics for oncology and neuroscience research. A fourth poster evaluates the technological and biological complementarity of TrueDiscovery and the Olink Explore affinity-based platform of Olink Proteomics AB for plasma proteomics. TrueTarget: Efficient target deconvolution and binding sites mapping in drug discovery Biognosys' TrueTarget platform leverages limited proteolysis mass spectrometry (LiP-MS) to facilitate drug target identification and validation. A first poster, in collaboration with InterAx, demonstrates TrueTarget's unique capabilities in deconvoluting the target of a G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) antagonist, mapping its binding sites, and providing structural insights on the mechanism of action. A second poster, in collaboration with Samsara Therapeutics, illustrates how target deconvolution with TrueTarget, followed by unbiased proteome profiling with TrueDiscovery, enabled the efficient identification and validation of target proteins and enhanced understanding of biological systems in novel therapeutic development. Biognosys and Bruker: Seamless workflows for dia-PASEF and QC on timsTOF To ensure optimal MS performance, Bruker introduces TwinScape, a digital twin for the timsTOF platform, interlinked with ProteoScape software to support real-time quality control (QC) with the Biognosys iRT Kit. The peptides in the iRT Kit have been carefully optimized for stability, sensitivity and retention time spacing, and this iRT Kit can now be used for system QC in Bruker's proteomics software ProteoScape. Biognosys' Head of Business Development - Products, Dr. Sira Echevarria, will present how Spectronaut offers improved library-free proteomics analysis for dia-PASEF using directDIA+ during Bruker's HUPO lunch seminar on Tuesday, September 19. Visit biognosys.com/hupo-2023for a complete overview of Biognosys' presence at HUPO. Posters will be available for download from Friday, September 22. About Spectronaut Spectronaut is Biognosys' flagship data analysis software for data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics. The software employs advanced Search and Artificial Intelligence. About TrueDiscovery The Biognosys TrueDiscovery platform offers integrated proteomics solutions across the entire drug development pipeline. TrueDiscovery is powered by Hyper Reaction Monitoring (HRM) mass spectrometry, an advanced Data Independent Acquisition (DIA)-based protein quantification technology co-invented and patented by Biognosys. TrueDiscovery is the only platform that searches the complete proteome to quantify thousands of the most relevant proteins, including an unlimited number of proteoforms. The platform enables the deepest unbiased profiling of tissue and biofluids proteomes with unbeatable specificity on a large scale. The generated data are highly reproducible and easily transferrable to clinical assays. Studies can be performed in a GLP certified and GCP compliant environment. For more information, visit truediscovery.bio . About TrueTarget The Biognosys TrueTarget proteomics platform uniquely addresses the most pressing challenges in early drug discovery by identifying on- and off-targets to accelerate and de-risk drug development throughout the pipeline. TrueTarget is powered by Limited Proteolysis Mass Spectrometry (LiP-MS), a proprietary, patented chemoproteomics technology co-developed by Biognosys. TrueTarget is the only tool to probe structural changes across the complete proteome with peptide-level resolution, providing unique insights into compound binding and target identification. The platform enables elucidating mechanisms of action and revealing unanticipated toxicities. For more information, visit truetarget.bio About Biognosys At Biognosys, we believe that deep proteome insights hold the key to breakthrough discoveries that transform science for better lives. With our versatile portfolio of next-generation proteomics solutions, including the TrueDiscovery, TrueTarget, and TrueSignature research service platforms, our flagship software Spectronaut, and the PQ500 kit, we make the proteome actionable to empower research, drug development, and clinical decision-making. Our solutions provide a multi-dimensional view of protein expression, function, and structure in all biological species and sample types. Our unique, patented technologies utilize high-resolution mass spectrometry to quantify thousands of proteins with industry-leading precision, depth, and throughput. Through our strategic partnership with Bruker. DEARBORN (dpa-AFX) - United Auto Workers or UAW members have started their Stand Up Strike at three key plants of Detroit's Big Three as the deadline passed for automakers to reach deals with the workers. Just after midnight Friday, the union said in a post on X, 'The UAW Stand Up Strike begins at all three of the Big Three,' that is, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. The Strike started as talks between the union and companies' management failed to agree on contract terms and pay before the expiration of the four-year collective bargain agreement on Thursday midnight. One each plant of Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, have been affected with the strike that started after the Thursday night deadline. These selected plants reportedly produce highly profitable vehicles that continue to be in high demand. Meanwhile, Ford said on Thursday said the UAW presented its first substantive counterproposal a few hours from the expiration of the previous agreement that showed little movement from the union's initial demands submitted on August 3. Ford said, 'If implemented, the proposal would more than double Ford's current UAW-related labor costs, which are already significantly higher than the labor costs of Tesla, Toyota and other foreign-owned automakers in the United States that utilize non-union-represented labor.' Meanwhile, The White House reportedly said President Joe Biden got involved in the matter by late Thursday, and talked with UAW President Shawn Fain and the leaders of the automakers. UAW said its about 12,700 workers are on walkout at GM Wentzville Assembly, Local 2250 in Region 4, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex, Local 12 in Region 2B, as well as Ford Michigan Assembly Plant - Final Assembly and Paint, Local 900 in Region 1A. Among the total striking employees, 3,300 are at Ford, 3,600 at GM and 5,800 at Stellantis. On a combined basis, the union represents about 146,000 workers across the at Big Three. In a statement, UAW said, 'This fight is our generation's defining moment. Not just at the Big Three, but across the entire working class.' Fain said the new strategy of 'stand-up' strike is for getting their share of economic and social justice, and will be out until they get it no matter how long it takes. The union's major demands to the automakers include an immediate 20 percent wage increase followed by four annual 5 percent wage hikes, defined-benefit pensions, a reduced 32-hour workweek, and cost-of-living adjustments. Ford last week announced that it has raised the pay of 8,000 US hourly workers represented by the UAW union just a week before its union contract expires. In a last minute attempt to avoid the strike, GM reportedly had offered the UAW members a sweetened deal on Thursday that includes 20% wage increases, more vacation days and better benefits for retirees, among others. GM CEO Mary Barra called their proposal as compelling and unprecedented that reflects the significance of then critical moment. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX QUVIVIQ (daridorexant) is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use in England and Wales for treating insomnia in adults with symptoms lasting for three nights or more per week for at least three months, and whose daytime functioning is considerably affected, only if cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) has been tried but not worked, or CBTi is not available or is unsuitable 1 Today's decision will make daridorexant the first dual orexin receptor antagonist (a treatment that decreases the brain's overactive wakefulness) 2,3 to be available on the NHS to be available on the NHS Daridorexant has been shown to improve patients' sleep quality and quantity as well as their self-reported daytime functioning, with clinical trial data available for up to 12 months of continuous treatment 3,4 Chronic insomnia affects around 7% of the UK adult population and can negatively impact physical health, daytime functioning and overall wellbeing5,6 LONDON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Idorsia UK Ltd today announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued Final Draft Guidance (FDG) recommending QUVIVIQ? (daridorexant) for treating insomnia in adults with symptoms lasting for three nights or more per week for at least three months, and whose daytime functioning is considerably affected, only if cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) has been tried but not worked, or CBTi is not available or is unsuitable.1 NICE recommends that the length of treatment with daridorexant should be as short as possible.1 Treatment should be assessed within three months of starting and should be stopped in people whose chronic insomnia has not responded adequately. If treatment with daridorexant is continued, it should be assessed at regular intervals to determine whether it is still working.1 Following the anticipated publication of NICE's final technology appraisal, daridorexant will become the first dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) available for prescription on the NHS in England and Wales. Dr David O'Regan, Consultant in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, London, commented: "Today's announcement by NICE represents a significant breakthrough for chronic insomnia patients. While other treatment options for insomnia are available, these may not be suitable for long-term use, effective for all patients or specifically licensed for the treatment of chronic insomnia. It's very encouraging that NICE has made this recommendation, and in doing so recognise the importance of new innovations to help patients manage this life-changing condition." Chronic insomnia occurs when the impact on sleep quantity or quality is present for at least three nights per week, lasts for at least three months, and occurs despite an adequate opportunity to sleep.6,7 Idorsia estimates that chronic insomnia affects around 7% of the UK adult population.5 A key symptom of chronic insomnia is the impairment of daytime functioning,6,7 which is linked to significant reductions in health status, such as fatigue, reduced energy, mood alteration and cognitive difficulties.8 Furthermore, suboptimal management of this condition is associated with decreased workplace productivity,9 and increased risk of workplace accidents, falls, and costly workplace errors.10,11,12 Wake and sleep signaling is regulated by intricate neural activity in the brain.13 One key component of this process is the orexin system, which helps promote wakefulness.14 Currently, the most commonly prescribed medications for insomnia induce sleep through broad inhibition of brain activity, and can be associated with patients developing dependency, or experiencing next-morning residual effects (grogginess).3,15 Daridorexant works differently by selectively blocking only the activation of orexin receptors, thereby directly targeting the mechanism that controls overactive wakefulness.2,3 In clinical studies, after 12 months of treatment, daridorexant was not associated with physical signs of dependency, tolerance or rebound insomnia after it's discontinuation.4,16 Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO, The Sleep Charity UK, commented: "While we all may experience short periods of sleeplessness, people living with chronic insomnia are persistently deprived of the restorative sleep they need, which can have a major impact on their overall health and wellbeing. Today's announcement from NICE will come as welcome news for patients by making available a suitable new treatment option." Robert Moore, General Manager of Idorsia UK, commented: "Today's positive NICE recommendation of daridorexant is a landmark moment for both patients and clinicians. We are delighted that NICE has acknowledged the clinical benefits and value that this new treatment can offer to the eligible patient population with chronic insomnia. The improvement of daytime functioning should be a priority for patients with chronic insomnia as the disorder has a significant impact on workplace productivity and overall wellbeing. Daridorexant is the result of over 20 years of research, and we are incredibly proud that NHS patients in England and Wales will soon be able to access this innovative new treatment." Daridorexant received marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Great Britain in August 2022 under the European Commission Decision Reliance Procedure, for the treatment of adult patients with insomnia characterised by symptoms present for at least three months and considerable impact on daytime functioning.4 This decision was based on evidence from two pivotal Phase 3 studies that evaluated the efficacy and safety of daridorexant in patients with insomnia disorder.3 These studies demonstrated that at the recommended dose, daridorexant improved sleep onset, sleep maintenance, sTST and daytime sleepiness in adults with insomnia disorder at months one and three compared to placebo.3,4 The MHRA also considered the results of a long-term follow-up extension study, which together with the pivotal trials, provided clinical data for up to 12 months of continuous treatment.4,16 Notes to the editor About chronic insomnia Insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, causing clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of daytime functioning.7 Chronic insomnia occurs when the impact on sleep quantity or quality is present for at least three nights per week, lasts for at least three months, and occurs despite an adequate opportunity to sleep.7 Insomnia is a condition of overactive wake signaling and studies have shown that areas of the brain associated with wakefulness remain more active during sleep in patients with insomnia.17,18 Insomnia as a disorder is quite different from a brief period of poor sleep, and it can take its toll on both physical and mental health.19 It is a persistent condition with a negative impact on daytime functioning.7 Poor quality sleep can affect many aspects of daily life, including the ability to concentrate, mood, and energy levels.8 The goal of treatments for insomnia is to improve sleep quality and quantity, as well as daytime functioning, while avoiding adverse events and next-morning residual effects.3 Current recommended treatment of insomnia includes sleep hygiene therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and pharmacotherapy.20 About the orexin system Wake and sleep signaling is regulated by intricate neural circuitry in the brain. One key component of this process is the orexin system, which helps promote wakefulness.3,14,21 There are two forms of orexin neuropeptides - small protein-like molecules used by nerve cells (neurons) to communicate with each other in the brain - orexin A and orexin B.20 Orexin promotes wakefulness through its receptors OX1R and OX2R.20 Together, these neuropeptides and receptors make up the orexin system. The orexin system stimulates targeted neurons in the wake system - leading to the release of several chemicals (serotonin, histamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine) - to promote wakefulness.22 Under normal circumstances, orexin levels rise throughout the day as wakefulness is promoted and then fall at night.23 Overactivity of the wake system is an important driver of insomnia.3,17 Daridorexant dosing information The recommended dose of daridorexant is one tablet of 50 mg once per night, taken orally in the evening within 30 minutes before going to bed.4 In certain circumstances, such as patients with moderate hepatic impairment or who are taking moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors, the recommended dose is 25 mg once per night.4 Additional monitoring for QUVIVIQ? (daridorexant) For more information on the marketing authorisation of QUVIVIQ in Great Britain, please review the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) which can be found on https://products.mhra.gov.uk ? As a new medicinal product containing a new active substance, this medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring, and it is therefore important to report any suspected adverse events related to this medicinal product. Adverse events should be reported. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ . Contraindications Hypersensitivity to daridorexant or any of the excipients Narcolepsy Concomitant use with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors Warnings and precautions for use Use with caution in elderly patients because of the general risk of falls. Efficacy and safety data in patients >75 are limited. Patients should be cautioned about drinking alcohol during treatment. Sleep paralysis and hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations can occur, mainly during the first weeks of treatment. Symptoms similar to mild cataplexy have been reported with dual orexin receptor antagonists. Prescribers should explain this to patients and should consider discontinuing in case events occur. Use with caution in patients exhibiting symptoms of depression. Use with caution in patients with psychiatric co-morbidities due to limited efficacy and safety data. Daridorexant did not have significant respiratory effects in patients with mild or moderate OSA or moderate COPD. In the absence of data, use with caution in patients with severe OSA and severe COPD. There was no evidence of abuse or withdrawal symptoms indicative of physical dependence upon treatment discontinuation in clinical studies with daridorexant in subjects with insomnia. Because individuals with a history of abuse or addiction to alcohol or other substances may be at increased risk for abuse of daridorexant, these patients should be followed carefully. Use is not recommended in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Effects on availability to drive and use machines Patients should be cautioned about engaging in potentially hazardous activities, driving, or operating heavy machinery unless they feel fully alert, especially in the first few days of treatment. In order to minimise this risk, a period of approximately 9 hours is recommended between taking daridorexant and driving or using machines. Further information on the warnings and precautions for use can be found in the SmPC on https://products.mhra.gov.uk or in the Patient Information Leaflet. References 1 NICE. Final Draft Guidance. Daridorexant for treating long-term insomnia. 2023. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-ta10888/documents/674. 2 Roch, C, et al. Psychopharmacology. 2021;238(10):2693-2708. 3 Mignot, E, et al. Lancet Neurol. 2022;21:125-39. 4 QUVIVIQTM Summary of Product Characteristics. 2022. Available at: https://products.mhra.gov.uk. 5 Data on file, Idorsia UK Ltd. 6 The International Classification of Sleep Disorders (3rd ed.; ICSD-3; American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2014). 7 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). 8 Morin, CM, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15026. 9 Hafner M., et al. The Societal and Economic Burden of Insomnia in Adults: An International Study. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023. 10 Erickson, E.A., et al. MSMR. 2017;24(12):2-11. 11 Chen, T-Y., et al. Sleep. 2017;40(11): zsx142. 12 Shahly, V., et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012;69(10):1054-63. 13 Schwartz, J, et al. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2008;6(4):367-378 14 Muehlan, C, et al. J Psychopharmacol. 2020;34(3):326-335. 15 Everitt H, et al. Br J Gen Pract. 2014;64(619):e112-e119. 16 Kunz, D., et al. CNS Drugs. 2023;37(1):93-106. 17 Buysse, DJ, et al. Drug Discov Today Dis Models. 2011;8(4):129-137. 18 Levenson, JC, et al. Chest. 2015;147(4):1179-1192. 19 Wardle-Pinkston, S, et al. Sleep Med Rev. 2019;48. 20 Muehlan, C, et al. Expert Opin. Drug Metab. Toxicol. 2020;16(11):1063-1078. 21 Boof, ML, et al. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2019;75(2):195-205. 22 Saper, CB, et al. Trends Neurosci. 2001;24(12).726-31. 23 Gotter, AL, et al. BMC Neuroscience. 2013;14(1):14-19. About Idorsia Idorsia UK, an affiliate of Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more - We have more ideas, we see more opportunities and we want to help more patients. In order to achieve this, we will develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core. With commercial operations based in London, we are helping to realise the company's ambition of bringing innovative medicines from bench to bedside. Our goal is to build a commercial footprint that will deliver Idorsia's deep pipeline of products from its R&D engine to the UK market - with the potential to change the lives of many patients. Headquartered in Switzerland, Idorsia Ltd was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017 and has over 1,200 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realising our ambitious targets. The above information contains certain "forward-looking statements", relating to the company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "are expected to", "will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seeks", "pending" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Such statements include descriptions of the company's investment and research and development programs and anticipated expenditures in connection therewith, descriptions of new products expected to be introduced by the company and anticipated customer demand for such products and products in the company's existing portfolio. Such statements reflect the current views of the company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nice-recommends-idorsias-quviviq-daridorexant-for-adults-with-chronic-insomnia-301929006.html What does it mean to be Ainu today? Contemporary perspectives of an indigenous people of Japan revealed in UK-first exhibition Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River is the first survey in the UK of the contemporary culture of this indigenous people of Japan. is the first survey in the UK of the contemporary culture of this indigenous people of Japan. Personal stories of members of the community of Nibutani, in Biratori, offer visitors the chance to experience Ainu culture from the inside through language, song, dance, society and craft. The exhibition uncovers little-known historical links between the UK and the remote region of Biratori, telling the story of 19 th -century British explorers whose legacies live on in the region today. -century British explorers whose legacies live on in the region today. An extensive events programme, led by guests visiting the UK from Nibutani, includes workshops, demonstrations and performances of song, dance, cookery, crafts and language. The exhibition is free to enter. Exhibition dates : 16 November 2023 - 21 April 2024. : 16 November 2023 - 21 April 2024. Press preview and curator tours : 9am - 12pm 15 November 2023. Space is limited, please book in advance: press.office@japanhouselondon.co.uk : 9am - 12pm 15 November 2023. Space is limited, please book in advance: press.office@japanhouselondon.co.uk Link to images:https://images.japanhouselondon.uk/assetbank-japanhouse/action/browseItems?categoryId=1019&categoryTypeId=2&cachedCriteria=1 LONDON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Japan House London is set to reveal the rich cultural diversity of Japan in this UK-first exploration of contemporary Ainu culture, opening on 16 November 2023. The Ainu are an indigenous people who have been living in northern Japan, especially Hokkaido and the surrounding islands. In the past, members of this community were not able to fully express their distinct culture - a situation which caused many to fear for its long-term survival. During the 1960s and 1970s Kayano Shigeru, who was born in 1926 in the small village of Nibutani in Hokkaido's Biratori area and was the first Ainu to sit in Japan's parliament, inspired a movement to celebrate, sustain and develop this distinct and lesser known of the Japanese cultures. This movement continues to gather momentum today, in particular among younger members of the Ainu community in Nibutani. Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River has been curated in collaboration with the people of Biratori, an area located in Saru River basin in the south of Hokkaido. The exhibition explores the significance of Ainu culture for this community and the relationships between its people and their surroundings, as well as revealing some interesting historical links between the UK and Biratori. It offers UK audiences the chance to experience first-hand, examples of Ainu culture as it exists today, highlighting its importance in the wider contemporary cultural fabric of Japan. Twelve in-depth video interviews provide an intimate visual and oral backdrop to the exhibition's four central themes, which are further brought to life with displays of contemporary Ainu works and film: Ainu Language - Members of the community in Nibutani are particularly dedicated to ensuring the continued life of this largely oral language, named as critically endangered by UNESCO. Visitors to the exhibition can discover examples of the Ainu language in use. - Members of the community in Nibutani are particularly dedicated to ensuring the continued life of this largely oral language, named as critically endangered by UNESCO. Visitors to the exhibition can discover examples of the Ainu language in use. Society and the Environment - This section touches on topics of environmental conservation, contemporary agricultural practices, the largely unknown world of Ainu cuisine and the consultation with members of the Ainu community on major land construction projects such as the recently completed Biratori Dam. - This section touches on topics of environmental conservation, contemporary agricultural practices, the largely unknown world of Ainu cuisine and the consultation with members of the Ainu community on major land construction projects such as the recently completed Biratori Dam. Ainu Textiles, Song and Dance -Through displays, film and hands-on workshops, visitors to the exhibition can discover the importance of song and dance in Ainu culture - not performed for the benefit of others but taking place as part of community life. Richly embroidered robes worn for certain ceremonies tell the story of Ainu textiles and crafts. -Through displays, film and hands-on workshops, visitors to the exhibition can discover the importance of song and dance in Ainu culture - not performed for the benefit of others but taking place as part of community life. Richly embroidered robes worn for certain ceremonies tell the story of Ainu textiles and crafts. Woodcarving and Tourism - Japanese domestic tourism in the 1960s and 1970s inspired the growth of the Ainu woodcarving industry in Nibutani, an area which was already famed for its delicately carved wooden trays, household utensils and hunting weapons. Today, Nibutani ita (carved trays), together with Nibutani attus (woven bark textiles), are the only officially designated 'Traditional Crafts' of Hokkaido. Visitors will find a range of these objects on display, including a specially commissioned piece by Kaizawa Toru whose work can also be seen in the British Museum. Visitors to the exhibition can also discover historically significant connections between the UK and Biratori. Key figures who forged lasting relationships with the Ainu in the region include missionary John Batchelor from East Sussex, who lived and worked with the Ainu community for many years during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fiercely advocating their culture and way of life. He published the first texts about Ainu language in English, including the first Ainu-English dictionary in 1905. The exhibition also explores travelogues of 19th-century explorer and first female member of the Royal Geographical Society, Isabella Bird, whose northernmost point of travel within Japan was Biratori, where she stayed with the local community leader's family. Lastly the exhibition uncovers the story of Scotsman Dr Neil Gordon Munro, the local physician in Nibutani during the 1930s, whose work there earned him the love and respect of the Ainu population. Simon Wright, Director of Programming for Japan House London, said: "This exhibition and the accompanying visits from members of the Ainu community in Biratori is the first time such a major collaborative undertaking with an Ainu community has taken place in the UK. Many, if not all, exhibitions of Ainu culture in museums have focused on the past. Displays are often made up of old ethnographic collections. This exhibition, with a range of materials made especially for this project, aims to be different. For this venture, at Japan House London we want to show how Ainu culture in the rural district of Biratori is expressed today.' The exhibition is complemented by a rich programme of events covering Ainu dance, language, cuisine, policy and craft and ranging in format from talks and demonstrations to workshops and storytelling. Taking place in November, January, February and March, each event period will feature visitors from Biratori itself, including from the Nibutani Ainu Language School, the Biratori Ainu Cultural Preservation Society and Biratori Folk Arts Association. Notes to Editors About Japan House London Japan House London is a cultural destination offering guests the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London's Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor's appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. This year, Japan House London marks five years of bringing the best of Japan to the UK and beyond. Part of a global initiative, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in Sao Paulo. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212016/Japan_House_London.jpg Photo Caption: The Cipsanke boat festival in Nibutani; (c) Japan House London, Ogawa Masaki View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/japan-house-london-contemporary-perspectives-of-an-indigenous-people-of-japan-revealed-in-uk-first-exhibition-301929050.html KUALA LAMPUR, MALAYSIA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / AsiaFIN Holdings Corp. (OTCQB:ASFH), a financial ecosystem enabler, is pleased to announce that it has successfully uplisted from the OTC Pink Sheets to the OTCQB Venture Market. The uplisting application has been approved by OTC Markets Group Inc., and the stock commenced trading on the OTCQB starting on September 13, 2023. The stock will continue to be traded under the symbol "ASFH". The OTCQB offers investors transparent, high-quality trading in entrepreneurial and development stage companies. AsiaFIN will also be investing in investor relations and public relations (IR/PR) to promote the AsiaFIN brand, create greater market visibility and enhance trading liquidity. AsiaFIN Executive Director, Dr Sean Seah said, "This is in line with our plans to improve visibility of our shares to a broader investor base, particularly the US investors. We thank the OTC Market team, especially Catherine Shang, the Head of Asia Pacific Business Development for the guidance to complete the OTCQB up-listing." AsiaFIN CEO, KC Wong said, "We are very proud of our business growth since we started trading on OTC Market in August 2022. With the up-listing to the OTCQB Venture Market, we shall continue to grow and expand our business across Asia and beyond, organically and via strategic mergers and acquisitions." Enquiries: AsiaFIN Holdings Corp. (OTCQB:ASFH) Wong Kai Cheong, Chief Executive Officer Email: kcwong@asiafingroup.com Dr. Seah Kok Wah, Executive Director Email: seanseah@asiafingroup.com About AsiaFIN Holdings Corp. AsiaFIN Holdings Corp., a Nevada Corporation operates through its wholly owned Malaysia, Hong Kong and the newly acquired StarFIN Holdings Ltd BVI subsidiaries, is currently providing market research studies and consultancy services pertaining to system solutions and integration of payment processes and robotic automation. AsiaFIN provides services to over 100 clients in Asia that include Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand and Singapore. The company's mission is to become the "financial ecosystem enabler" through its solutions in Payment Processing, Regulatory Technology (REGTECH), Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Unattended Payment Kiosks that help to facilitate the business operations, and assist with system integration, for merchants and entrepreneurs in Asia. For further information regarding the company, please visit https://asiafingroup.com Forward Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties involving the use of words such as "plans," "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "may result," "are expected to," "will continue," "anticipates," "expects," "estimate," "project," "indicate," "could," "potentially," "should," "believe," "think," "considers" or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements". Investors should be aware that all forward-looking statements contained within this press release are good faith estimates of management as of the date that this press release is prepared based on current expectations that involve known and unknown risks. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for numerous reasons as described in the company website. SOURCE: ASIAFIN HOLDINGS CORP View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784431/asiafin-holdings-corp-asfh-up-listed-to-otcqb-venture-market An initial study of the STOXX 600's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) published by impak Analytics impak analyzed the positive and negative contributions, as well as the mitigation of negative contributions to the SDGs at the index, sector, and corporate levels. At the halfway point to 2030, the study reveals that only 4% of the index's revenue positively contributes to achieving the SDGs. The analysis shows a total absence of positive contributions towards the SDGs on biodiversity and reducing inequalities. MONTREAL, PARIS and LONDON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the halfway point towards achieving the SDGs, impak Analytics, a fintech using artificial intelligence to support its impact analysts, has published a study on the contribution of the STOXX 600, Europe's flagship index, to the United Nations' SDGs. A portrait of business progress ? Firstly, positive contributions to the SDGs were established using the percentage of group revenues. In total, positive contributions were only retained across 15% of companies . As almost all companies contribute negatively to the SDGs, an analysis of the presence or absence of mitigation measures, particularly from a sectoral point of view, was carried out. The study also looks at major issues for STOXX 600 companies such as water-related risks, which have been partly ignored until now, or the lack of consideration for stakeholders. Fundamental data for the pursuit of the SDGs "We are proud to offer the first study of its kind. In the context of the 2023 SDG Summit, it is an essential analysis that questions the real effectiveness of corporate commitment. It also explores the factors behind the mostly disappointing but predictable results," explains Marion Bitoune, Senior Impact Analyst at impak Analytics and lead author of the study. About impak Analytics impak is a fintech that develops impact rating and ranking solutions with the help of AI, which it also uses to perfect its data and impact intelligence platform. It has also created a family of impact indices, based on the impak Score and the impak database, both used notably in the development of index funds and ETFs. Media KIT Link to the study Contact Robin Placet robin.placet@impakanalytics.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212022/impak_Analytics.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2014430/4276658/impak_analytics_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/are-companies-contributing-to-the-sustainable-development-goals-301929071.html ZORIX, a licensed European crypto exchange, secures significant angel investment from broadcast media, a Malaysian listed company, and Coresky launch pad. On September 13, ZORIX and Coresky announce a strategic partnership during the Token 2049 event, focusing on mentoring and incubating promising projects. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / ZORIX, the licensed crypto exchange and digital wallet operator in Slovakia and Lithuania, has made a resounding entrance onto the cryptocurrency stage, raising an impressive sum in its recent angel investment round. The round saw participation from a diverse group of investors hailing from broadcast media, listed company in Malaysia, and launchpad platform Coresky, reflecting robust trust in ZORIX's vision. Founded by David Pan, a visionary who previously established the successful exchange Ace in Taiwan five years ago, ZORIX has assembled a formidable team with extensive experience in both traditional banking and cryptocurrency exchanges. Led by Dilys Cheng, a seasoned professional in the financial sector, as CEO, the company's mission is clear: to build ZORIX into a compliance-focused crypto exchange that addresses industry gaps. ZORIX with an active community of 100k community is dedicated to driving widespread crypto adoption by offering fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat services in USD, EUR, and British Pound, with plans for further expansion. Additionally, the platform enhances user convenience with the option of digital or physical debit cards. Traders seeking alternative options can utilize the convenient C2C feature. With a current daily trading volume of 13.9M USDT, ZORIX offers spot trading while gearing up for the launch of its Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) and Staking features in Q4 2023. ZORIX joined forces with BLOC BASH to commemorate its official launch on September 13th in Singapore, uder the inspiring theme "Embrace the Dare to Dream," the event celebrated ZORIX's vision for the future of crypto. "In today's crypto landscape, we see legitimacy and compliance as crucial. Like traditional financial markets evolved towards greater regulation and security, ZORIX is poised to make a big impact in this new era." said Founder of ZORIX, David Pan during the speech During this momentous occasion, ZORIX inked a strategic MOU with Coresky, an investor turned partner, marking the beginning of a collaboration focused on mentoring and incubating promising blockchain projects. CEO of Coresky spoke during the event, "Coresky's groundbreaking Launchpad empowers private investors with access to primary market transactions, enriching NFT trading liquidity. Moreover, Coresky and Zorix are set to forge a robust strategic alliance, promoting collaboration and resource sharing within the blockchain sphere, ultimately fostering a mutually beneficial synergy between primary and secondary markets." In the same event, ZORIX reaffirmed its community partnership with SFBX. This partnership will extend access to ZORIX's forthcoming debit card, set to launch in Q4, to the vibrant Japanese and Korean communities served by Safebox Wallet, SFBX. About ZORIXchange.io ZORIX bridges compliance gaps in the crypto space. With licenses in Slovakia and Lithuania, our cutting-edge AI ensures top-level transaction authentication. Secure cluster storage enables traceable actions for stringent security. Regular audits and third-party defense reinforce our commitment. User fund security is paramount, utilizing third-party custodial wallets. Our platform embodies transparency and fairness, making crypto accessible for all. Established in 2022 by David Pan and Dilys Cheng, ZORIX offers spot trading, IEO, Earn, CTC, Dual Investments, and derivatives. We expand our ecosystem, fostering collaboration and growth. Through our Inner Circle Program, partners connect with venture capitalists, media, legal expertise, KOLs, and IT talents, facilitating resource exchange. ZORIX embraces regulations, leading the journey to a widely adopted crypto space. ZORIX Official Global Telegram https://t.me/zorixchange ZORIX Official Twitter https://twitter.com/ZORIXchange ZORIX Official Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/zorixchange/ ZORIX Official Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ZORIXchange ZORIX Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zorixchange/ ZORIX Official Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@ZORIXchange Media Contact Organization: ZORIX Contact Person: Song Yuchen Website: https://www.zorixchange.io Email: yuchen.song@zorixchange.io Contact Number: +6590665367 City: Dubai Country: United Arab Emirates SOURCE: ZORIX View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784433/zorix-licensed-european-crypto-exchange-forged-partnership-with-coresky Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bellwether Investment Management Inc. ("Bellwether"), made a capital contribution into a partnership, and also announced the issuance of shares pursuant to its Employee Share Savings Plan ("ESSP"). Partnership Investment Bellwether contributed $181,000 to Impact Asset Management LP ("Impact"), an Ontario limited partnership, governed pursuant to a limited partnership agreement dated May 13, 2022. Impact has $16 million in assets under management, all of which are being managed by Bellwether. As consideration for the contribution, Bellwether was granted admission as a limited partner to the partnership and granted certain strategic rights and privileges under the limited partnership agreement, including the right for Bellwether to remain the investment manager over the assets of the partnership, and the right of first refusal in the event the partnership receives a third party offer for the assets. Issuance of Shares Pursuant to ESSP LPCP announced that pursuant to its ESSP, the Company has issued a total of 91,708 common shares of LPCP to eligible employees at a price of $1.25, for aggregate proceeds of $114,635. Of these common shares, 29,847 shares were issued to certain directors and officers of the Company. About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost-effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth. About Bellwether Investment Management Inc. Bellwether is a boutique investment manager that offers tailored investment solutions for affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts utilizing its proprietary "Disciplined Dividend Growth" Investment Process. Bellwether provides discretionary investment management focused on North American Dividend Growth investing and is dedicated to serving the distinct needs of affluent families. Bellwether's suite of investment solutions includes Canadian, US and global equity and fixed income strategies. Bellwether is a subsidiary of LPCP, and is registered as a portfolio manager in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, an exempt market dealer in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and an investment fund manager in Ontario and Quebec. For further information, please contact: Robert Sewell Chief Executive Officer Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. investor.relations@lpcp.ca (905) 337-2227 Cautionary Notes Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180699 TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Shift Commodities Ltd. (TSXV: GCOM and OTCQB: GRCMF), ("Green Shift", "GCOM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the previously announced acquisition (the "Transaction") of an existing option (the "Option") to purchase a 100% interest in the Armstrong Lithium Project (the "Armstrong Project" or the "Project"). The Project consists of 90 contiguous claims totaling ~1,800 ha, located in the Seymour-Crescent-Falcon lithium belt, ~55 km northeast of the town of Armstrong and ~245 km from Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada (see press release dated August 16, 2023 for detailed information on the Project). Terms of the Armstrong Project Acquisition Pursuant to the option acquisition agreement (the "Agreement") dated August 15, 2023, GCOM has acquired an existing Option to purchase a 100% interest in the Armstrong Project for consideration comprised of (i) 1,500,000 common shares of GCOM (the "Common Shares") at a deemed price of $0.095 per Common Share; and (ii) CAD$60,000 in cash, payable within five business days after the date upon which GCOM has first completed one or more equity offerings for gross proceeds of a minimum of CAD$5,000,000 in the aggregate. In addition, in the event that GCOM has exercised the Option and publicly files a technical report in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Mineral Disclosure containing a current mineral resource, then the Company will pay to the vendors of the Option a bonus payment equal to CAD$300,000. In order to exercise the Option, GCOM has agreed to assume the remaining obligations under the original option agreement, including: (i) the issuance of 100,000 Common Shares immediately upon closing of the Transaction; (ii) payment of CAD$15,000 in cash on or before November 21, 2023; (iii) payment of CAD$20,000 in cash payable on or before November 21, 2024; and (iv) the grant of a 1.0% net smelter returns royalty on the Project (the "Royalty"). The Royalty may be repurchased by the Company for a cash payment of CAD$200,000. In addition, in respect of the first financing that the Company completes following the exercise of the Option, the Company has agreed to grant the optionor the right to participate in such financing and subscribe for a maximum of 100,000 Common Shares upon the same terms as the financing. The Common Shares issued in connection with the Transaction are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance. There are no finders' fees payable in connection with the Transaction and each of the vendors of the Option and the optionor is an arms-length party with respect to the Company. Corporate Update GCOM is providing an update on activities at its Rio Negro Project in Argentina. Community consultations for Phase 1 exploration have been completed, and the Company has garnered positive support for the project. The project's timeline, however, is currently experiencing slower-than-anticipated initiation due to the ongoing elections in Argentina, which are consequently influencing the timing of permit approvals. The Company anticipates mobilizing its field crews upon receipt of permits in due course and will provide an update as details become available. Trumbull Fisher, CEO and Director of GCOM commented, "We have built a robust pipeline of projects at varying stages across the Americas. With the successful close of this transaction, we are excited to have commenced groundwork in the mining-friendly region of Ontario. Additionally, we are eager to begin work in Argentina, and though it has taken longer than anticipated, we remain confident in our plans to advance the Rio Negro project and unlock its potential." About Green Shift Commodities Ltd. Green Shift Commodities Ltd. is focused on the exploration and development of commodities needed to help decarbonize and meet net-zero goals. The Company is advancing a portfolio of lithium prospects which includes the recently acquired Rio Negro Project in Argentina, a district-scale project in an area known to contain hard rock lithium pegmatite occurrences that were first discovered in the 1960s with little exploration since, and the Armstrong Project, located in the Seymour-Crescent-Falcon lithium belt in northern Ontario, known to host spodumene-bearing lithium pegmatites and significant discoveries. The Company is developing the Berlin Deposit in Colombia. Apart from uranium, for clean nuclear energy, the Berlin Deposit contains battery commodities including nickel, phosphate, and vanadium. Phosphate is a key component of lithium-ion ferro-phosphate ("LFP") batteries that are being used by a growing list of electric vehicle manufacturers. Nickel is a component of various lithium-ion batteries, while vanadium is the element used in vanadium redox flow batteries. Neodymium, one of the rare earth elements contained within the Berlin Deposit, is a key component of powerful magnets that are used to increase the efficiency of electric motors and in generators in wind turbines. For further information, please contact: Green Shift Commodities Ltd. Trumbull Fisher Director and CEO Email: tfisher@greenshiftcommodities.com Tel: (416) 917-5847 Website: www.greenshiftcommodities.com Twitter: @greenshiftcom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenshiftcommodities/ Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intensions for the future, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect to: planned exploration work at the Company's Rio Negro Project in Argentina and the expected timing thereof; the future direction of the Company's strategy; and other activities, events or developments that are expected, anticipated or may occur in the future. These statements are based on assumptions, including that: (i) the ability to achieve positive outcomes from test work; (ii) actual results of exploration, resource goals, metallurgical testing, economic studies and development activities will continue to be positive and proceed as planned, (iii) requisite regulatory and governmental approvals will be received on a timely basis on terms acceptable to Green Shift (iv) economic, political and industry market conditions will be favourable, and (v) financial markets and the market for uranium, battery commodities and rare earth elements will continue to strengthen. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such statements, including, but not limited to: (1) changes in general economic and financial market conditions, (2) changes in demand and prices for minerals, (3) the Company's ability to source commercially viable reactivation transactions and / or establish appropriate joint venture partnerships, (4) litigation, regulatory, and legislative developments, dependence on regulatory approvals, and changes in environmental compliance requirements, community support and the political and economic climate, (5) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with exploration results, resource estimates, potential resource growth, future metallurgical test results, changes in project parameters as plans evolve, (6) competitive developments, (7) availability of future financing, (8) the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including, without limitation, effects of COVID-19 on capital markets, commodity prices, labour regulations, supply chain disruptions and domestic and international travel restrictions, (9) exploration risks, and other factors beyond the control of Green Shift including those factors set out in the "Risk Factors" in our Management Discussion and Analysis dated May 1, 2023 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and other public documents available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Green Shift assumes no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LITB) ("LightInTheBox" or the "Company"), an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023 . Second Quarter and First Half 2023 Financial Highlights Three Months Ended Year-over- Six Months Ended Year-over- In millions, June 30, June 30, Year % June 30, June 30, Year % except percentages 2022 2023 Change 2022 2023 Change Total revenues $ 132.4 $ 191.8 44.9 % $ 226.1 $ 339.5 50.2 % - Apparel sales $ 108.7 $ 163.2 50.1 % $ 175.9 $ 282.5 60.5 % Apparel sales/total revenues 82.1 % 85.1 % 3.0 % 77.8 % 83.2 % 5.4 % Gross margin 55.3 % 57.5 % 2.2 % 53.4 % 56.7 % 3.3 % Net loss $ (2.4) $ (1.5) $ (7.9) $ (5.4) Adjusted EBITDA $ (1.5) $ (0.7) $ (6.1) $ (3.8) As of June 30, As of June 30, In millions 2022 2023 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 65.7 $ 94.6 Mr. Jian He, Chairman and CEO of LightInTheBox, commented, "We're pleased to deliver a strong operational and financial performance in the second quarter of 2023. Amid a complex macro environment, we achieved the highest quarterly revenue in our history, primarily driven by apparel sales growth of 50% over one year ago. Meanwhile, our efforts to enhance operating efficiency paid off, evidenced by improved profitability with fulfillment and G&A expenses as a percentage of revenue at an all-time low. Furthermore, our cash balance was $95 million as of the end of this quarter, illustrating our robust free cash flow generation ability. "These solid results once again demonstrate our effective business strategy, as well as our core competitive advantages across our value-for-money offerings, quality customer cohorts, and innovative technologies. As we move into the third quarter 2023, we are seeing that macroeconomic turbulence, together with normal seasonality in the apparel sector, is impacting on our top-line performance. Nevertheless, we will continue to execute our proven business strategy and refine our operations to navigate the evolving market dynamics as we strive to deliver sustainable value to all of our stakeholders in the long run," Mr. He concluded. Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results Total revenues increased by 44.9% year-over-year to $191.8 million from $132.4 million in the same quarter of 2022. Sales from apparel increased by 50.1% to $163.2 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $108.7 million in the same quarter of 2022. Revenues from apparel represented 85.1% of total revenues in the second quarter of 2023 and 82.1% in the same quarter of 2022. Total cost of revenues was $81.6 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $59.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. Gross profit in the second quarter of 2023 was $110.2 million, compared with $73.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. Gross margin was 57.5% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 55.3% in the same quarter of 2022. The increase in gross margin was a result of the increase in the percentage of sales represented by apparel, which grew from 82.1% to 85.1%. Apparel typically has higher margins than other product types. Total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $111.8 million, compared with $75.6 million in the same quarter of 2022. Fulfillment expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $9.9 million, compared with $7.8 million in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, fulfillment expenses were 5.2% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 5.9% in the same quarter of 2022 and 5.8% in the first quarter of 2023. Selling and marketing expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $94.0 million, compared with $58.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, selling and marketing expenses were 49.0% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 44.0% in the same quarter of 2022 and 46.8% in the first quarter of 2023. G&A expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $8.2 million, compared with $9.7 million in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, G&A expenses were 4.3% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 7.3% in the same quarter of 2022 and 6.1% in the first quarter of 2023. As part of G&A expenses, R&D expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $5.1 million, compared with $4.7 million in the same quarter of 2022 and $5.2 million in the first quarter of 2023. Loss from operations was $1.6 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $2.5 million in the same quarter of 2022. Net loss was $1.5 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $2.4 million in the same quarter of 2022. Net loss per American Depository Share ("ADS") was $0.01 in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $0.02 in the same quarter of 2022. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares. The diluted net loss per ADS in the second quarter of 2023 was $0.01, compared with $0.02 in the same quarter of 2022. In the second quarter of 2023, the Company's basic weighted average number of ADSs used in computing the net loss per ADS was 113,369,462. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $0.7 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with negative $1.5 million in the same quarter of 2022. As of June 30, 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of $94.6 million, compared with $65.7 million as of June 30, 2022 . First Half 2023 Financial Results Total revenues increased by 50.2% year-over-year to $339.5 million from $226.1 million in the same period of 2022. Sales from apparel increased by 60.5% to $282.5 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $175.9 million in the same period of 2022. Revenues from apparel represented 83.2% of total revenues in the first half of 2023 and 77.8% in the same period of 2022. Total cost of revenues was $146.9 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $105.5 million in the same period of 2022. Gross profit in the first half of 2023 was $192.7 million, compared with $120.7 million in the same period of 2022. Gross margin was 56.7% in the first half of 2023, compared with 53.4% in the same period of 2022. The increase in gross margin was a result of the increase in the percentage of sales represented by apparel, which grew from 77.8% to 83.2%. Apparel typically has higher margins than other product types. Total operating expenses in the first half of 2023 were $198.2 million, compared with $129.5 million in the same period of 2022. Fulfillment expenses in the first half of 2023 were $18.5 million, compared with $14.6 million in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, fulfillment expenses were 5.5% in the first half of 2023, compared with 6.5% in the same period of 2022. Selling and marketing expenses in the first half of 2023 were $163.2 million, compared with $97.3 million in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, selling and marketing expenses were 48.0% for the first half of 2023, compared with 43.0% in the same period of 2022. G&A expenses in the first half of 2023 were $17.2 million, compared with $17.7 million in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, G&A expenses were 5.1% for the first half of 2023, compared with 7.8% in the same period of 2022. Included in G&A expenses, R&D expenses in the first half of 2023 were $10.3 million, compared with $9.3 million in the same period of 2022. Loss from operations was $5.6 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $8.9 million in the same period of 2022. Net loss was $5.4 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $7.9 million in the same period of 2022. Net loss per American Depository Share ("ADS") was $0.05 in the first half of 2023, compared with $0.07 in the same period of 2022. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares. The diluted net loss per ADS for the first half of 2023 was $0.05, compared with $0.07 in the same period of 2022. In the first half of 2023, the Company's basic weighted average number of ADSs used in computing the net loss per ADS was 113,349,914. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $3.8 million in the first half of 2023, compared with negative $6.1 million in the same period of 2022. Share Repurchase Program On June 27, 2023, the Company's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $10 million of its ordinary shares in the form of ADSs no later than December 31, 2023. As of September 12, 2023, the Company has repurchased 517,240 ADSs with a total aggregate value of approximately $0.7 million . Business Outlook For the third quarter of 2023, based on current information available to the Company and business seasonality, the Company expects net revenues to be between $145 million and $160 million . Non-GAAP Financial Measure In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses a non-GAAP measure, Adjusted EBITDA, as a supplemental measure to review and assess operating performance. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The Company's non-GAAP financial measure excludes share-based compensation expenses, depreciation and amortization expenses, interest income, interest expenses and income tax expense. The Company presents this non-GAAP financial measure because it is used by management to evaluate operating performance and formulate business plans. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measure helps identify underlying trends in its business. The Company also believes that the non-GAAP financial measure could provide further information about the Company's results of operations and enhance the overall understanding of the Company's past performance and future prospects. The non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measure has limitations as an analytical tool. The Company's non-GAAP financial measure does not reflect all items of income and expenses that affect the Company's operations and does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Further, the non-GAAP measure may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited. The Company compensates for the limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating performance. The Company encourages you to review the Company's financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measure, please see the table captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Result" set forth at the end of this press release. Conference Call The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on September 15, 2023 ( 8:00 p.m. Hong Kong /Singapore Time on the same day). Preregistration Information Participants can register for the conference call by going to https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10033153-fue64r.html . Upon registration, participants will receive dial-in numbers, an event passcode, and a unique registrant ID. To join the conference, simply dial the number in the calendar invite you receive after preregistering, enter the event passcode followed by your unique registrant ID, and you will be connected to the conference instantly. A telephone replay will be available two hours after the conclusion of the conference call through September 22, 2023 . The dial-in details are: US/Canada: +1-855-883-1031 Singapore: 800-101-3223 Hong Kong, China: 800-930-639 Replay PIN: 10033153 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.lightinthebox.com . About LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. LightInTheBox is an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide. With a focus on serving its middle-aged and senior customers, LightInTheBox leverages its global supply chain and logistics networks, along with its in-house R&D and design capabilities to offer a wide selection of comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and visually interesting apparels that bring fresh joy to customers. LightInTheBox operates its business through www.lightinthebox.com , www.miniinthebox.com , www.ezbuy.sg and other websites as well as mobile applications, which are available in over 20 major languages and over 140 countries and regions. The Company is headquartered in Singapore, with additional offices in California, Shanghai and Beijing . For more information, please visit www.lightinthebox.com . Investor Relations Contact Investor Relations LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Email: [email protected] Jenny Cai Piacente Financial Communications Email: [email protected] Brandi Piacente Piacente Financial Communications Tel: +1-212-481-2050 Email: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "targets" and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about LightInTheBox's beliefs and expectations, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as LightInTheBox's strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements. LightInTheBox may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: LightInTheBox's goals and strategies; LightInTheBox's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the global online retail market; LightInTheBox's ability to attract customers and further enhance customer experience and product offerings; LightInTheBox's ability to strengthen its supply chain efficiency and optimize its logistics network; LightInTheBox's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products; competition; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in LightInTheBox's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and LightInTheBox does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (U.S. dollars in thousands, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of Jun 30, 2022 2023 ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents 88,575 88,157 Restricted cash 5,993 6,451 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses 695 1,424 Inventories 14,260 9,427 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 6,452 18,120 Total current assets 115,975 123,579 Property and equipment, net 2,946 2,794 Intangible assets, net 5,630 4,404 Goodwill 28,177 26,835 Operating lease right-of-use assets 10,874 8,728 Long-term rental deposits 1,211 1,259 TOTAL ASSETS 164,813 167,599 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY / (DEFICIT) Current Liabilities Accounts payable 26,518 38,981 Advance from customers 32,241 27,559 Operating lease liabilities 4,993 5,184 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 90,357 94,671 Total current liabilities 154,109 166,395 Operating lease liabilities 6,576 4,103 Long-term payable 34 10 Deferred tax liabilities 111 150 Unrecognized tax benefits 107 107 TOTAL LIABILITIES 160,937 170,765 EQUITY / (DEFICIT) Ordinary shares 17 17 Additional paid-in capital 282,722 282,805 Treasury shares (28,615) (28,105) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,024) (2,754) Accumulated deficit (249,224) (255,129) TOTAL EQUITY / (DEFICIT) 3,876 (3,166) TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY / (DEFICIT) 164,813 167,599 LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (U.S. dollars in thousands, except per share data, or otherwise noted) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, June 30, June 30, 2022 2023 2022 2023 Revenues Product sales 129,828 189,730 221,171 334,331 Services and others 2,527 2,037 4,952 5,217 Total revenues 132,355 191,767 226,123 339,548 Cost of revenues Product sales (58,214) (81,142) (103,284) (145,318) Services and others (983) (435) (2,167) (1,538) Total Cost of revenues (59,197) (81,577) (105,451) (146,856) Gross profit 73,158 110,190 120,672 192,692 Operating expenses Fulfillment (7,774) (9,906) (14,638) (18,542) Selling and marketing (58,225) (94,038) (97,257) (163,150) General and administrative (9,661) (8,176) (17,727) (17,233) Other operating income 26 332 92 677 Total operating expenses (75,634) (111,788) (129,530) (198,248) Loss from operations (2,476) (1,598) (8,858) (5,556) Interest income 7 143 17 173 Interest expense (1) (1) (3) (2) Other income, net 83 (1) 945 20 Total other income 89 141 959 191 Loss before income taxes (2,387) (1,457) (7,899) (5,365) Income tax expense (9) - (9) (48) Net loss (2,396) (1,457) (7,908) (5,413) Net loss attributable to LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (2,396) (1,457) (7,908) (5,413) Weighted average numbers of shares used in calculating loss per ordinary share -Basic 226,140,929 226,738,924 226,124,192 226,699,828 -Diluted 226,140,929 226,738,924 226,124,192 226,699,828 Net loss per ordinary share -Basic (0.01) (0.01) (0.03) (0.02) -Diluted (0.01) (0.01) (0.03) (0.02) Net loss per ADS ( 2 ordinary shares equal to 1 ADS ) -Basic (0.02) (0.01) (0.07) (0.05) -Diluted (0.02) (0.01) (0.07) (0.05) LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results (U.S. dollars in thousands, or otherwise noted) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, June 30, June 30, 2022 2023 2022 2023 Net loss (2,396) (1,457) (7,908) (5,413) Less: Interest income 7 143 17 173 Interest expense (1) (1) (3) (2) Income tax expense (9) - (9) (48) Depreciation and amortization (861) (826) (1,719) (1,655) EBITDA (1,532) (773) (6,194) (3,881) Less: Share-based compensation (30) (78) (66) (83) Adjusted EBITDA* (1,502) (695) (6,128) (3,798) * Adjusted EBITDA represents loss from operations before impairment loss on investment, share-based compensation expense, interest income, interest expense, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization expenses. SOURCE LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. - PBS NewsHour Crew Films Safe Pro's Team Utilizing Drones and AI to Address the Massive Humanitarian and Economic Crisis in Ukraine Caused by Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War - AVENTURA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Safe Pro Group Inc. ("Safe Pro" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based developer of safety and security solutions for people and infrastructure, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Safe Pro AI's next-generation Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning demining technology, Spotlight, was featured on a nationally-broadcast TV segment of PBS News Hour on September 14, 2023. Filmed in Ukraine, Safe Pro team members including Fred Polk, Jasper Baur and Gabriel Steinberg provided a PBS NewsHour crew, an inside look at how drones and Artificial Intelligence ("AI") can reshape the approach to the demining crisis in the country where an estimated 67,000 sq. mi.1, an area greater than the State of Florida, may be contaminated by land mines and Unexploded Ordnance ("UXO"). Enabled by Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, the Spotlight software harnesses AI and Machine Learning ("ML") to process enormous amounts of centimeter-level aerial imagery collected by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) drones, rapidly identifying surface level mines as well as over 70 types of UXO including cluster munitions. The AI instantly detects, labels and GPS-tags the mines then plots the results on centimeter level, high resolution maps to provide a bird's-eye view for enhanced situational awareness during clearing and land release efforts conducted by local governments and humanitarian aid organizations. Dan Erdberg, Chairman and CEO of Safe Pro Group, said, "The scale of the UXO and hazardous remnants of war crisis in Ukraine is unprecedented, exposing millions of civilians to the risks of serious injury or death every day and devastating the country's economy. Historically, landmine surveying methods are dangerous, slow, and expensive, but with the power of AI and drones, our modernized approach to demining can immediately impact efforts in Ukraine and the world." Currently demining operations are underway in over 60 global conflict zones including in Ukraine where an estimated $37+ billion2 will be required to clear explosive remnants from the countryside over the next decade3. Safe Pro's AI-powered Spotlight demining solution has completed capability testing in Ukraine in collaboration with local stakeholders to survey large areas of land to detect, identify and map UXO. Operational testing confirmed Spotlight's ability to dramatically increase the survey speed by a factor of 1,000+% and reduce costs by nearly 90% versus existing human-based, non-robotic methodologies, significantly reducing costs versus existing methodologies, exponentially improving the potential of future remediation efforts. Mr. Erdberg added, "The accuracy, efficiency and scalability of Spotlight illustrates the tremendous value of our revolutionary patent-pending invention which coupled with the AWS cloud, can help make the world a safer place to roam and farm." Safe Pro's award-winning artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision capabilities enable the rapid, automated processing of drone-based imagery scaling through a model of crowd-sourced pilots with readily available drones. Following a multi-year development program, the patent-pending technology is currently being applied to identify, classify, and locate landmines and UXO. Built with an extensive proprietary landmine and UXO dataset, Safe Pro's Spotlight can rapidly detect ground-based threats in aerial imagery, reporting precise GPS location and actionable information to decision makers and ground personnel, greatly increasing the scale and efficacy of remediation efforts versus existing human and dog-based identification methods. Through the combination of AI, ML, and drone technologies, Safe Pro's novel demining solution disrupts current mine/UXO clearance methodologies. To view the PBS NewsHour video segment, please click here. To learn more about Safe Pro AI's capabilities please visit www.safeproai.com. For more information about Safe Pro Group, its subsidiaries, and technologies, please visit https://safeprogroup.com/ and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. About Safe Pro Group Inc. Safe Pro Group has strategically acquired and assembled best-of-breed Drone services, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and ballistic protection manufacturing companies enabling it to provide the industry's first turnkey solution for next generation demining. Safe Pro is led by a team of Executives and Subject Matter Experts (SME) drawn from the Government and Commercial sectors dedicated to assembling unique safety and security technologies and solutions. Through a layered approach to the development and integration of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning, drone-based remote sensing technologies and services, and personal protective gear, Safe Pro Group can provide Governments, Enterprises and NGOs with innovative solutions designed to respond to evolving threats. For more information on Safe Pro Group Inc., please visit https://safeprogroup.com/. About PBS NewsHour PBS NewsHour is an American evening television news program known for its in-depth coverage of issues and current events. The PBS NewsHour is broadcast on more than 350 PBS member stations and member networks, making it available to 99% of the viewing public, additionally audio from the program is broadcast by some NPR radio stations. The Program is also broadcast around the world for the members of the United States Armed Forces on the American Forces Network as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and internationally though the Voice of America. Media Relations for Safe Pro Group Inc.: Michael Glickman MWGCO, Inc. 917-397-2272 mglickman@safeprogroup.com 1 Source: GLOBSEC 2 Source: The World Bank, The Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (March 2023) 3 Source: Ukraine's State Emergency Service SOURCE: Safe Pro Group Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784349/pbs-newshour-tv-broadcast-highlights-safe-pros-spotlight-artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-drone-based-demining-technology Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a British Columbia copper explorer, is pleased to announce today the appointment of Mr. Chris Tucker to the Board of Directors effective immediately. Mr. Tucker holds a Bachelor of Science (Environment) from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Applied Science (Mining Engineering) from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Tucker brings over 10 years' experience working in the mining industry in project finance, risk management, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy and reporting. Pacific Empire's President and CEO, Brad Peters: "We are delighted Chris has joined the Pacific Empire board. Chris brings a passion and skill for corporate growth which fits with Pacific Empire's focus on advancing its Trident copper-gold-silver porphyry project towards discovery in 2024." About the Trident Property Located approximately 50 km to the southeast of Northwest Copper's Kwanika Deposit and 50 km to the northwest of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Mine, the Trident property covers 6,618 hectares and is accessible by vehicle using well established logging roads. Copper mineralization on the property was first discovered in 1969, while following up on anomalous stream sediment samples. The following year Falconbridge Ltd. optioned the property and over the next two years completed IP and magnetic surveys, geological mapping, soil sampling and diamond drilling. This work identified the A Zone with intersections in drilling up to 0.84% copper over 45.7 metres (DDH-1971-13) and 0.70% copper over 51.8 metres (DDH-1971-20). Additional exploration programs were completed by Kookaburra Gold Corp. from 1988 through 1991, Solomon Resources Ltd. From 2006 through 2008 and PEMC/Oz Minerals Ltd. From 2014 to 2015. All of these programs completed diamond drilling, geophysical surveys and geochemical sampling. Diamond drilling by Solomon Resources Ltd. at the A Zone in 2007 confirmed the presence of intriguing gold grades and demonstrated that mineralization extended at depth. Selected Highlights from Historical Drilling at Trident Year Hole ID Interval (m) Copper % Gold g/t 1971 DDH-1971-9 33.6 0.85 not assayed 1971 DDH-1971-13 45.7 0.84 not assayed 1971 DDH-1971-21 51.8 0.7 not assayed 2007 DDH 2007-1 42 0.67 0.14 incl. 10 1.18 0.34 2007 DDH 2007-2 100 0.59 0.18 incl. 2 0.8 1.05 incl. 2 2.73 0.36 2007 DDH 2007-3 32 0.61 0.317 incl. 2 1.22 1.02 2007 DDH 2007-4 46 0.60 0.28 Work by Pacific Empire from 2013-2015 was successful in identifying the source of copper-gold mineralization encountered in drilling as being directly related to porphyry intrusions encountered at the A Zone. Mineralization on the property is most significant in three areas, 1) the A Zone, 2) the Slide Zone and 3) Campbell Trench. Further information and details including updated maps can be found on the Company's website at www.pemcorp.ca and in the Corporate Presentation. Qualified Person Kristian Whitehead, P.Geo., serves as a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein. About Pacific Empire Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company's portfolio of gold-enriched copper projects in British Columbia are located in the highly prospective Hogem Copper-Gold District. British Columbia is a "Green" copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, "Brad Peters" President and Chief Executive Officer Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Tel: +1-604-356-6246 brad@pemcorp.ca www.pemcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180715 North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. (TSXV: ACU) (the "Company") wishes to update shareholders on the prospects of the Company following the filings of the Company's financial statements and corresponding MD&A commentaries. Market Growth The global photovoltaic ("PV") solar energy product manufacturing market continues to exhibit impressive year-on-year growth, with significant investments in wafer, cell, and module plant expansions. According to Clean Energy Associates, module capacity is expected to exceed 1TW in 2024, with China leading at 930GW, followed by Southeast Asia and the Americas. Considerable PV manufacturing planning is underway in Europe and the United States to deliver renewable energy solutions. Module demand drives wafer and cell production with the global PV industry having plans to diversify supply chains to markets outside of China. Successful Business Acquisition The Company is capitalizing in this expanding market, with the integration of BT Imaging. Realizing synergies and improving operations has been demonstrated financially in the first quarter results, based upon a solid balance sheet and a consolidated adjusted operating EBITDA improvement from a $(860,000) loss in the prior period to a near breakeven $(34,000) deficit for the June 2023 quarter. BT Imaging sales for 2023 and the first five months of fiscal year 2024 are ahead of budget and is generating sufficient cash flow to support an expanded product and market roadmap. The Company has increased engineering headcount to develop these new diversification opportunities, including inline photoluminescence systems within solar wafer, cell and module production lines. Positioning for Growth The Company is positioned to take advantage of key industry technology transitions, leveraging machine learning and smart factory solutions based on our core PL imaging platforms. Our products, the R, W, and M series tools, are gaining traction with firms looking to integrate advanced PL tools and fault detection recognition systems into their manufacturing facilities. Based on findings from our ongoing product and market evaluations with suppliers and solar wafer, cell and module manufacturers, the Company has validated its first-mover strategy in the next generation of solar cell manufacturing, focusing on high-volume yield efficiencies related to critical materials, metallization, and automation. Value Enhancing Collaborations As the industry diversifies its supply chains and technology base, we are pursuing collaborations and partnerships to bring our expertise, products, and systems to the evolving supply chains. This will be the subject of further updates as part of our product and market roadmap, along with Company branding and capital markets strategies. Strengthening Leadership We are pleased to welcome Brett Freeman as Managing Director of the BT Imaging business. Please refer to the corresponding press release dated July 10, 2023 relating to Brett's background and capabilities. Brett is a hands-on experienced executive based in Sydney, Australia who will be focused on operational and technical execution so that the Company is in the best position possible to realize near term growth opportunities as outlined above. As part of Brett's long-term incentive package, the Company announces a stock option grant of 8,500,000 options exercisable at $0.05 for a five-year term, vesting over three years, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. As Company navigates these opportunities in the solar manufacturing market it would like to extend its appreciation to all shareholders and their ongoing support. About Aurora Solar Technologies and BT Imaging: BT Imaging Pty Ltd. is a global leader in photoluminescence measurement products for solar wafer, cell, and module quality control. The Company acquired BT Imaging to enhance our smart factory solutions, capitalizing on emerging trends in materials, automation, and process control. BT Imaging Pty Ltd. is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company is a leading provider of inline measurement and control technology for the photovoltaic manufacturing industry. We are dedicated to delivering superior solutions that improve our customers' cell and module production yield and efficiency. Through our commitment to ongoing innovation, we bring reliable, integrated, and cost-effective quality management systems to solar cell manufacturers around the world. Our products are used by some of the world's most advanced and respected solar cell manufacturers. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, the Company has operations in Sydney, Australia, Shanghai, China, and partners in all major solar manufacturing markets. The Company is a public company, traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (ACU) and is a two-time TSX-V Top 50 winner. For more information about our products and operations, please visit our websites at www.aurorasolartech.com and www.btimaging.com. For media inquiries or further information contact: Jake Bouma Corporate Development Phone: +1 (604) 317-3936 corpcomm@aurorasolartech.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180740 LONDON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UK residents have been researching their favourite multi-country holiday destinations, and Google data from the past 12 months shows that Vietnam paired with Cambodia is the most popular combination. This is followed by Sri Lanka and the Maldives, joint second with New Zealand and Australia. Why did Vietnam & Cambodia top the list? "Both Vietnam and Cambodia are home to centuries-old temples, an array of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and an abundance of ultra-fresh cuisine that make combining the two countries ideal for history and culture lovers alike," says Audley Travel Southeast Asia specialist Mark Robinson. And yet, despite being right next to each other, they have very different landscapes. A great way to travel between the two is via a cruise along the Mekong River, where you can get a glimpse into the lives of local people as you pass by riverside villages and fishing communities." Why did New Zealand & Australia and Sri Lanka & Maldives come joint second? Australasia specialist Lee Felton explains why New Zealand and Australia are often paired by travelers, saying: "Australia and New Zealand's tapestry of climates, wildlife, and cultures complement each other very well. The long journey over means many people don't have the luxury of making two separate trips, so combining them is the best way to ensure you experience both. "Australia has dense tropical rainforests, vast deserts, and turquoise waters teeming with animals. One day, you could be swimming with whale sharks and another soaking in Aboriginal rock. Then it's on to New Zealand with its rugged mountain scenery, wineries aplenty, and a free-camping policy that means you can sleep under the stars wherever you want." Commenting on multi-destination holidays to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Audley Travel Indian subcontinent specialist Joe Parks says: "For being such a tiny island, Sri Lanka boasts an extraordinary variety of action-packed experiences, from spotting elusive elephants in the wild to strolling around sprawling cave temples. "In contrast, the Maldives is all about relaxation with luxurious resorts nestled on powder-soft sand, a host of fine-dining experiences, some of the best snorkelling and diving in the world - and even an underwater spa. Full top 5 list of most popular multi-country destinations: 1. Vietnam and Cambodia 2. New Zealand and Australia (joint second) 2. Sri Lanka and Maldives (joint second) 4. Singapore and Malaysia 5. Thailand and Vietnam Note to editors: Audley Travel provide award winning tailor-made holidays and private tours for discerning travellers seeking authentic experiences around the world. Their experts listen to your interests, share their advice, and then handcraft a personalised itinerary based on what you want and nothing more. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212080/Fisherman_in_Hoi.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vietnam--cambodia-revealed-as-the-most-popular-multi-country-holiday-destination-for-brits-by-audley-301929111.html ATLANTA, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Xebia, a pioneer and leader in the low-code software development space, has been honored with the Cross-Industry Value Award at the 2023 AppMarket Solution Awards. This recognition underscores Xebia's commitment to innovation, excellence, and its relentless pursuit of being the best value provider to global clients across industries on their low-code journeys. It also marks Xebia's sixth consecutive year winning this award. The Appian AppMarket Solution Awards recognize and celebrate Appian partners for their exceptional innovation, impact, and execution. The Cross-Industry Value Award highlights Xebia's Procurement 360 solution that provides an end-to-end transparent procurement process. It brings together people, data, AI, and processes to remove silos and provide a unified and integrated "procure to pay" solution. As Appian describes, "The applicability of Procurement 360 across industries, combined with a strong resonance among target audiences, delivers strong cross-industry value." "Xebia has consistently proven to be a prolific and successful partner, as evidenced most recently by their latest achievement: the Procurement 360 solution," said Ben Dudley, Director of Community Experience, Appian. "P360 redefines procurement processes seamlessly while integrating data from various sources to deliver an exceptional procurement experience across industries. We are proud of their work to create a feature-rich, agile, scalable and seamlessly integrable Procurement Management Solution on the Appian platform." Appian explains that the winners of its AppMarket Solution Awards were judged by a panel of industry experts on their "innovative use of the latest Appian data fabric, process automation, total experience, and demonstrated success." Xebia's achievement reaffirms its position as a leader in the low-code technology landscape and further exemplifies its dedication to propelling industries into the future of automation. "We want to sincerely thank Appian for recognizing Procurement 360 with the prestigious Appian App Market award for the sixth year in a row," said Tarun Khatri, Managing Director of Xebia's Appian Practice. "This achievement truly highlights our expertise in the Appian ecosystem and our unwavering commitment to providing innovative solutions that bring value to our customers right from the start." For more information about Xebia and its revolutionary low-code solutions, please visit Xebia.com. About Xebia Xebia is a digital transformation leader, serving the top-250 global companies with comprehensive IT solutions. Operating in 16 countries with development centers across the US, Latin America, Western Europe, Poland, Nordics, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, Xebia's experts specialize in Technology Consulting, Software Engineering, Product Development, Data & AI, Cloud, Low Code, Agile Transformation & DevSecOps, and Quality Assurance. Alongside top-notch IT Consulting & Software development, Xebia offers time-efficient Standardized Solutions and education through its Academy. With a 100% YoY growth rate for two years, Xebia is a driving force in the expanding digital transformation market. Xebia was recently recognized by Everest Group as a Leader in the "Low-code Application Development Services PEAK Matrix Assessment 2023" for Appian services. About Appian Appian is a software company providing automation solutions that accelerate the creation of high-impact business applications and workflows. Many of the world's largest organizations use Appian applications to improve customer experience, achieve operational excellence, and simplify global risk management and compliance. Learn more at appian.com. Contact: Maureen Elsberry Global VP of Communications & Editorial Xebia Maureen.elsberry@xebia.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1883841/Xebia_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xebia-receives-2023-appmarket-solution-awards-from-appian-301928982.html RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Sky Lighting, a leading California-based lighting manufacturer, has named Daly Middle East as its strategic partner for the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman. Under this partnership, Daly Middle East will distribute all lighting products of Red Sky Lighting in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Products include lighting products with IEC, ATEX or UL standards for explosive atmospheres caused by gases, flammable fibers, filings and dust particles, and temperature ratings suitable for hazardous and harsh industrial environments. From its headquarters and service center strategically located in Dubai Investment Park, Daly Middle East is ideally positioned to serve the rapidly expanding industrial and oil and gas sectors in the region. The company also has an office in Abu Dhabi, allowing them to cater to customers in both the business capital and the port city of Jebel Ali. Daly Middle East is supported by its parent company Bin Moosa & Daly, which has served the region since 1967 and built a reputation for customer-focused service, a vast product portfolio, engineering expertise and customized solutions. Naren Pillai, Managing Director of Red Sky Lighting, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, "Daly is a company that values designing solutions with longevity and exceptional customer service in mind. These priorities strongly align with Red Sky's focus on creating reliable, long-lasting products and outstanding support. Daly's experienced engineering, service and logistics teams ensure that they are well-equipped to deliver genuine value to customers in the region." David Sheate, General Manager of Daly Middle East remarked: "We are excited to partner with Red Sky Lighting, a highly regarded manufacturer known for first-class hazardous area and industrial LED products. Their reliable and durable lights will strongly complement Daly's comprehensive hazardous area product portfolio." Red Sky Lighting is known for its reliable lighting products and solutions for industrial applications. Assembled in the USA, their premium harsh and hazardous LED lighting fixtures are ideal for the challenging environments encountered in industries such as marine transport, oil and gas, metal processing, wastewater treatment, and more. Their focus on quality and exceptional customer support has earned them the trust of customers worldwide, including North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. This partnership with Daly Middle East is a significant step for Red Sky Lighting as it expands its reach and strengthens its position in the Middle East market. With Daly Middle East's expertise and Red Sky Lighting's quality products, customers in the region can expect innovative and reliable lighting solutions for their industrial applications. Contact contact@redskylighting.com Red Sky Lighting LLC 9370 Pittsburgh Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730, USA www.redskylighting.com About Red Sky Red Sky Lighting is a California-based lighting manufacturer that provides reliable lighting products and solutions for industrial applications. Assembled in the USA, our premium harsh and hazardous LED lighting fixtures are ideal for the challenging environments encountered in industries such as marine transport, oil and gas, metal processing, wastewater treatment, and more. We back our winning products with speedy delivery and exceptional customer support. With years of proven service, we have earned the trust of global customers in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Making Seriously Safe Lights is at the heart of everything we do, as is our unwavering golden standard of quality. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/10d87d08-379c-43f4-bf46-2cf5fb0da9f8 LEE'S SUMMIT, MO / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / During the recent ARMA Canada Conference, ARMA International's CEO Nate Hughes, announced exciting plans for the launch of the InfoNext Conference, an MER and ARMA Partnership. InfoNext, formerly the MER Conference, will be held April 2024 in Palm Springs, CA and will be an integral part of ARMA annual event lineup. With decades of experience between ARMA and MER, this new event will draw on the heritage of both organizations to field a richer, more coordinated, and collaborative approach to education and IG program development. "The InfoNext Conference will be just a piece of the puzzle of the integrated offerings we plan to roll out over the next year," said Nathan Hughes, CEO of ARMA International. "Given ARMA's focus on records and information management, InfoNext will focus more heavily on thought leadership, future trends, and new technology in the information governance landscape. The partnership between the two organizations to collaborate will provide information governance professionals additional educational opportunities." Mike Salvarezzi who has joined ARMA International from MER said, "There is a great benefit to the industry of ARMA coming together with MER to create InfoNext. We have collaborated on a lot of things over the years, and I think bringing these two organizations together is an absolute win for the community. The future of Information Governance starts at InfoNext Conference." The benefits of this partnership for the IG community will be accelerated with this collaboration and will include online webinars through the year and three leading conferences: ARMA InfoCon 2023 scheduled for October 9-11, 2023, at the Huntington Place Convention Center, Detroit, MI. At InfoCon attendees have access to top-notch education, industry titans from around the globe, certification CEUs, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The education program offers tracks for beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels, and industry round tables, with sessions focused on emerging trends, legal, and Microsoft. At InfoCon attendees have access to top-notch education, industry titans from around the globe, certification CEUs, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The education program offers tracks for beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels, and industry round tables, with sessions focused on emerging trends, legal, and Microsoft. InfoNext, an MER and ARMA Partnership will be held April 8-10, 2024, the with plans to host the conference in Palm Springs, CA in April 2024. This new location will expand its reach and appeal to a larger audience from around the country. The conference will feature forward-looking education sessions and networking events for change-oriented, senior level professionals equipping them to better impact their organization's business objectives. Participants can connect with industry thought-leaders, solution providers, and other professionals with thought-provoking, interactive, and solution-oriented engagement events. ARMA Canada Information Conference 2024 scheduled for May 12-14, 2024 at the Westin Calgary, Canada. The education program offers expert presenters who provide up-to-date strategies, best practices, and actionable insights to take back to an organization. The education program will be focused on Advanced Information Concepts, Creating Structure and Improving Process, DEI, Ethics, Information Forward (Advanced Technology), Information Fundamentals, Legal and E-Discovery, Professional Advancement, and Reducing Organizational Information Risk. "We believe that strategy and implementation are both essential to an effective IG program. With this partnership, we are striving to focus more attention on strategy at InfoNext while enhancing the implementation focus at ARMA InfoCon and our other events," added Hughes. "The benefits of such a close partnership are the fact we now can develop coordinated incentives or discounts for conference attendees and Solution Providers. As we co-develop the conference agendas and experiences, they will be tailored for specific target audiences. This will better equip our Solution Provider community to select and participate in either, both or all our events in the future." In 2018 the MER Conference expanded to include a robust series of year-round webinars under the brand MER Sapient. They announced a further expansion in 2020 scheduling day-long deep dive events focused on a singular pressing issue with accompanying solutions under the brand MER Immerse. Recently, MER Conference introduced MER Merlin: industry-defining market research reports and custom thought-leadership content. IG professionals and solution providers alike trust the MER brand for its integrity, highly relevant, non-commercial content. The MER community includes the best, brightest and most change-oriented leaders in the industry. ARMA International (www.arma.org), formed in 1955, is the world's leading membership organization serving almost 5,000 professionals who manage and govern information in 52 countries. Members represent the community of records management, information management, and information governance professionals who harness the benefits and reduce the risks of information. ARMA provides information professionals with the resources, tools, and training they need to effectively manage records and information within an established information governance framework. Works that are associated with the framework include the Principles, the Information Governance Implementation Model, and the Information Governance Body of Knowledge (IGBOK). ARMA recognizes professionals who have mastered these concepts through the Information Governance Professional (IGP) Certification. For further information, contact: Amy Riemer, Media Relations Representative 978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell) amy@riemercommunications.com SOURCE: ARMA International View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784296/infonext-conference-an-mer-and-arma-partnership-for-records-and-information-management-practitioners-to-be-held-april-2024-in-palm-springs-california SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BingX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, recently announced its sponsorship of Hackathon events in Vietnam and Taiwan, aimed at fostering talent development in the rapidly evolving Web3 space. With a strong commitment to supporting technological advancements and blockchain innovations, BingX has partnered with NEO and Taiwan Builder House to sponsor these Hackathon events, and attended as judges and advisory panels. Hackathon, also known as codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to collaboratively work on software or hardware projects. They are usually centered around a specific theme, problem, or challenge. Participants form teams to create innovative solutions, often within a limited timeframe, and present their projects to judges or a panel of experts at the end of the event. In Vietnam, BingX joins forces with Neo APAC Hackathon, an open-source, community-driven blockchain platform, to organize a Hackathon event, aiming to harness the immense potential of the Vietnamese developer community and encourage them to explore and contribute to the Web3 landscape. This programming competition is hosted in Ho Chi Minh City as the second stop in the 2023 APAC Hackathon series. By doing so, BingX helps promote the growth of Web3 talent in Vietnam's emerging crypto market, as well as contribute to the prosperity of the local Web3 community. As a diamond sponsor, BingX recently wrapped up its participation in the Taiwan Builder House blockchain event. This Hackathon event gathered the region's brightest minds to brainstorm and develop innovative solutions in the Web3. The competition encompassed themes of Trading, DeFi, GameFi, SocialFi, and NFT, offering participants an opportunity to engage closely with top-notch projects and fulfill conference-related tasks. Additionally, Josh, BingX's Director of Business for the Asia-Pacific region, served as a judge for this hackathon. Megan Nyvold, Head of Branding at BingX, stated: "We are proud to sponsor these meaningful events in Vietnam and Taiwan, where we believe future experts of the blockchain industry will emerge. We believe in nurturing talent in the Web3 space and driving innovation within the blockchain industry. These hackathons exemplify our commitment to fostering creativity and problem-solving among developers and entrepreneurs in the APAC region. We are excited to see the incredible projects and ideas that emerge from these events and to continue supporting the growth of blockchain technology." BingX's support of these Hackathon events marks the beginning of an exciting journey towards talent development in the Web3 landscape. As it witnesses the incredible potential and innovation that these events inspire, BingX is committed to extending its support beyond APAC and promoting blockchain advancements on a global scale. About BingX BingX is a leading crypto exchange that offers spot, derivatives, copy, and grid trading services to over 100 countries and regions worldwide with over 5 million users. BingX continues to connect users with expert traders and the platform in a safe and innovative way. Please visit https://bingx.com to learn about BingX. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211860/1920_1.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2095392/4276434/BingX_New_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bingx-sponsored-hackathons-in-apac-for-web3-talent-development-301929000.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Reserve released a report on Friday showing U.S. industrial production increased by much more than expected in the month of August. The report said industrial production climbed by 0.4 percent in August following a downwardly revised 0.7 percent advance in July. Economists had expected industrial production to inch up by 0.1 percent compared to the 1.0 percent jump originally reported for the previous month. The bigger than expected increase in industrial production came as mining output surged by 1.4 percent in August after dipping by 0.2 percent in July, while utilities output grew by 0.9 percent in August after spiking by 4.4 percent in July. Meanwhile, the report said manufacturing output inched up by just 0.1 percent in August after rising by 0.4 percent in July, held back by a 5.0 percent plunge in the output of motor vehicles and parts. 'The small increase in industrial production in August does not change the picture that the factory sector has been broadly stagnant over the past twelve months, and the outlook remains similarly subdued, even before the United Auto Workers strike began last night,' said Michael Pearce, Lead U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics. He added, 'The strong dollar, subdued global demand, and continued rotation away from goods spending to services mean the outlook for production more broadly over the next six to twelve months remains downbeat.' The Fed also capacity utilization in the industrial sector edged up to 79.7 percent in August from an upwardly revised 79.5 percent in July. Economists had expected capacity utilization to come in unchanged compared to the 79.3 percent originally reported for the previous month. Capacity utilization in the manufacturing sector was unchanged at 77.9 percent, while capacity utilization in the mining and utilities sectors rose to 94.3 percent and 73.0 percent, respectively. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSX-V:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") announces a clarification to the previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will consist of the sale of units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.03 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.05 for a period of five years from the initial closing date of the Offering. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds for working capital, including up to 10% for settling non-arm's length payables, as well as general corporate purposes including land maintenance costs. The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX-V. The closing of the Offering may occur in one or more tranches, with the initial closing date of the Offering expected to occur on or around September 25th, 2023 and is not subject to receipt of a minimum amount of gross proceeds. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and TSX-V policies. The Offering is open to participation by insiders. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Pelangio Pelangio acquires and explores prospective land packages located in world-class gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is focused on its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of eight near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the newly optioned Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario at its newly acquired gold, silver, zinc polymetallic Kenogaming project, located 63 km southwest of Timmins, its Dome West property, situated some 800 meters from the Dome Mine in Timmins; and at its Gowan polymetallic project, located 16 km east of the Kidd Creek Mine. See www.pelangio.com for further detail on all Pelangio's properties. For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, or contact: Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@pelangio.com Forward Looking Statements Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Offering generally, the proceeds that may be raised in connection with the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds and the Company's exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about our ability to close additional tranches of the Offering in a timely manner, if at all, and the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the ability of the Company to meet the conditions of closing, our ability to conduct our exploration programs as planned, changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784529/pelangio-exploration-announces-clarification-to-previously-announced-private-placement-for-gross-proceeds-up-to-500000 MetLife NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / MetLife Foundation announced that it has reached over $1 billion in giving. The Foundation was established in 1976 as an independent charitable arm of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), and since its founding, has made significant contributions to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence. Today, MetLife Foundation focuses on driving inclusive economic mobility and addressing the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities around the world. The work of MetLife Foundation continues to improve the financial health and well-being of individuals and families, creating positive impacts for society and communities. "Supporting and protecting families, businesses and communities has always been core to our strategy, and the work MetLife Foundation does helps us deliver on our purpose," said MetLife President and CEO, Michel Khalaf. "As we celebrate this milestone, we renew our commitment to continue to help all our stakeholders build a more confident future." Since its inception, MetLife Foundation has established commitments and partnered with nonprofits to provide grants and create programs in support of its mission, notable among them being: In 2005, MetLife Foundation expanded its grantmaking outside of the U.S., and committed $200 million to a global campaign to bring financial inclusion to low-income communities around the world. MetLife Foundation's giving has focused on responding to crises globally including the September 11 attacks, the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, COVID-19, among others. Over the years, MetLife Foundation has provided grants to support access to affordable housing and has partnered with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, which the Foundation works with in 13 countries - including the U.S., Korea, India and Bangladesh. MetLife and MetLife Foundation have proudly partnered with UNCF (United Negro College Fund) for nearly 80 years to support students attending HBCUs. MetLife's 2030 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitments include a pledge from MetLife Foundation to award $150 million in funding to support underserved and underrepresented communities. Since 2021, $60.9 million has been awarded to help close the income and wealth gap. MetLife Foundation has awarded over $18 million for Alzheimer's Disease research through MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research, leading to a greater understanding of the disease. To mark the milestone, MetLife Foundation and Food Bank For New York City are hosting a food packing event on September 14, 2023, in Vanderbilt Hall located in Grand Central Terminal, with MetLife volunteers. MetLife Foundation and Food Bank For New York City have been partners for 15 years, and this event coincides with Hunger Action Month and MetLife's annual initiative - Volunteering with Purpose - where MetLife colleagues lend their time, talent and passions to benefit their communities. "We are honored to have our longstanding partner, Food Bank For New York City, join us to recognize this achievement," said Mike Zarcone, Head of Corporate Affairs for MetLife and Chairman of MetLife Foundation. "Our partners and MetLife colleagues amplify the efforts of the Foundation, and this event will help fight back against food insecurity for our neighbors in New York City and communities around the world." Additionally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Representative Brandon Williams issued proclamations recognizing MetLife Foundation achieving $1 billion in giving and its work in New York City and New York more broadly. In Mayor Adams' proclamation, he declared September 14, 2023, as MetLife Foundation Day in New York City. To learn more about the work of MetLife Foundation, visit www.MetLife.org. About MetLife Foundation? At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to driving inclusive economic mobility for underserved and underrepresented communities around the world. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations and provide grants aligned to three strategic focus areas - economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities - while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its inception, MetLife Foundation has contributed over $1 billion to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.MetLife.org. Media Contacts: MetLife Olivia Janicelli (212) 578-3547 olivia.janicelli@metlife.com View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from MetLife, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: MetLife, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/metlife-inc Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: MetLife, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784553/metlife-foundation-reaches-new-milestone-over-1-billion-in-giving First IPO on Trading Market is a $810 million Market Cap Company Up to $80 Billion Capital Available for New York Business NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / State Stox NY Trading Market (SSNY) has initiated trading with the IPO of a New York internet technology company, boasting a $810 million market cap. Trading commenced on Tuesday, September 12 at SSNY, an innovative platform that empowers New Yorkers to invest in companies located within their hometown and home state. M&T Bank is custodian for SSNY. SSNY embraces the "invest local" trend, building upon the "buy local" movement. Exclusively listing New York-based companies and limiting investment account access to New Yorkers, SSNY is proudly referred to as "New Yorkers investing in New Yorkers," aligning with the growing trend towards supporting locally produced goods and services as a countermeasure to the increasing concentration of production within giant multinational corporations. Local Investing Unleashes Up To $80 Billion Capital for NY Business Over 200,000 accounts of New York residents have already been approved for trading accounts, representing $16.5 billion of potential investment capital, based on SSNY's recommendation that every investor devote 8% to 10% of their portfolios to investing in local companies. SSNY believes it may eventually have as many as 1 million accounts and up to $80 billion of New Yorker's capital may be available to invest in New York. SSNY has struck a chord with New Yorkers. Said Jeff Young, "I love New York, and I love the idea of investing in local New York companies and supporting my community." State Stox can be a powerful engine for economic development in New York. In fact, State Stox can be a key factor in restoring the estimated $23 billion of equity depleted from New York businesses in the last 30 months due to the Covid pandemic. SSNY has received applications to quote securities of four more New York companies: two IPOs and two secondaries. SSNY expects those companies to be quoted on SSNY by September 2023. Furthermore, SSNY anticipates that over 30 more New York companies will list in 2024. First Day of Trading OWN Inc. (SSNY: OWNZC) is a New York Company that started trading on Thursday, September 14. OWN, the parent company of Ownet.com, a social network, sold convertible securities in an IPO. Salomon Brothers Securities was the Sole Manager. The Units quoted on SSNY resulting in a market cap of $810 million. Each OWN security is convertible to three shares of common stock and one warrant to buy a share of class A stock. Former Governor of New York, David Paterson, rang the opening bell on the historic first day of trading and spoke about the potential impact of the SSNY platform for New York, saying: "They say 'if you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere.' SSNY helps New Yorkers make it here." "State Stox has achieved some significant innovations and firsts," according to Chip Daniels, founder and executive chairman. He continued, "it is the first and only platform dedicated to investors in a single state - filling a role that used to be occupied by regional stock exchanges. Additionally, it is the first U.S. trading platform to exclusively trade securities in the form of digital tokens that employ blockchain technology. State Stox plans to expand to other states in 2024." About State Stox Group State Stox Group is a fintech company that provides core financial infrastructure crucial to community investing. Its trading platform is a fully-digital and utilizes blockchain technology based on the Ethereum protocol. The company's subsidiary, State Stox (NY), operates a dealer trading market that provides liquidity exclusively to investors in securities issued by New York businesses. State Stox. For more information, go to statestox.com For More Information Contact: Name: Dan Vider Email: media@firstlede.com SOURCE: State Stox View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784519/correction-state-stox-ny-rings-opening-bell-on-a-new-era-in-stock-trading-enabling-local-investing NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Comcast Corporation Coded by Kids students at the Universal Sphere in the Comcast Technology Center In July, as part of their Tech and Innovation Internship, 25 high school and college students from our digital equity partner Coded by Kids (CBK) visited Comcast Headquarters for a full day of connecting and learning with Comcast employees about the future of tech. With back-to-school season in full swing, these students will have much to reflect on as they start a new year and continue to develop their interests in coding. Students started the day with a campus tour and product experience demo, followed by a panel discussion at LIFT Labs, our hub for entrepreneurship and innovation inside the Comcast Technology Center. Featured speakers included members of BENgineers and TECHWomen, our technology resource groups supporting Black and women technologists and engineers. As part of our national volunteerism program Team UP, the panelists volunteered to share their career journeys and advice for developing product management and engineering skills. They spoke thoughtfully about the importance of passing the torch to the younger generation and what most excites them about tech. Comcast is a company that allows us to pay it forward, especially to those who are young. These kids are the future and will eventually be the ones passing the torch. QUINCY IHEME Manager, Software Development & Engineering, BENgineer To close the day, the CBK students presented their tech projects and asked for feedback from BENgineers and TECHWomen volunteers. In small groups, they addressed potential solutions to issues across several industries including connecting consumers with local farmers to reduce food waste, using AI to combat loneliness and sleep quality issues in Generation Z, providing parents of young students access to affordable and safe after-school programming, and more. Our volunteers eagerly listened and provided notes to each team to further develop these ideas. "This experience has really shown [them] a new light, that there are people out there that support you, ready to give insight and mentorship. Seeing their excitement about the opportunity to talk through their ideas with people in Comcast, it's really cool," said Lennin Antunish, Coded by Kids Team Lead. Coded by Kids is an organization that prepares underrepresented young people to succeed as tech and innovation leaders through project-based learning and mentorship. Their programs are designed to provide young people of all backgrounds with beginner to advanced level tech skills in areas where the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion are the greatest. This day of learning and exploration is just one part of CBK's Tech and Innovation Internship, a robust 8-week program designed to build technical and professional skills that will prepare high school and college students for opportunities in the workforce and entrepreneurship. As part of the CBK-led 1Philadelphia initiative, the internship program serves as a partnership model for how local organizations can work together to create meaningful pathways for young people interested in the tech industry. We are proud to support CBK's vision to create equity in the world through technology and innovation as part of Project UP, our $1 billion commitment to connect tens of millions of people to the internet and tech opportunities that advance economic mobility. Through our partnership with Coded by Kids, we are helping to create unlimited possibilities for generations to come. As a CBK chaperone said during the event, "This is a unique exposure for these kids it's a reminder of what's possible." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Comcast Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Comcast Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/comcast-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Comcast Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784556/passing-the-torch-to-future-tech-leaders Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, September 15 For immediate release 15 September 2023 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 47,993 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 880.39 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 19,658,379; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 205,332,924. The figure of 205,332,924 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Oculus VisionTech Inc. (TSXV: OVT) (OTCQB: OVTZ) (FSE: USF1) is pleased to announce the results of its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders ("Meeting"). The Meeting was held on September 15, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia. All resolutions put forward at the meeting were approved by shareholders. A total of 48,594,284 common shares (53.15% of the 91,422,569 issued and outstanding shares of the Company entitled to vote as of the July 19, 2023 record date for the Meeting) were present in person or by proxy, constituted a quorum for the transaction of business and were voted at the Meeting. The agenda items submitted at the Meeting were passed as described below. Percentages indicated below reflect the percentage of the total number of shares voted at the Meeting with respect to that agenda item. Agenda Item 1 The detailed results of voting by ballot in respect of the election of directors were as follows: Nominee Votes For Votes Withheld Anton J. Drescher 40,670,498 (97.33%) 1,115,866 (2.67%) Fabrice Helliker 40,641,952 (97.26%) 1,144,412 (2.74%) Maurice Loverso 40,664,896 (97.32%) 1,121,468 (2.68%) Rowland Perkins 40,658,318 (97.30%) 1,128,046 (2.70%) Tom Perovic 40,672,470 (97.33%) 1,113,89 (2.67%) Ron Wages 40,663,659 (97.31%) 1,122,705 (2.69%) There were 6,807,920 broker non-votes with respect to the election of directors. Votes that were withheld and broker non-votes were counted for the purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum but had not other effect on the election of directors. Agenda Item 2 To ratify the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company's independent public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The votes cast for or against this agenda item, and the numbers of abstentions, were as follows: For Against Abstain 47,492,331 (97.73%) 342,719 (0.71%) 759,234 (1.56%) There were no broker non-votes with respect to this agenda item. Abstentions were counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum, and abstentions were deemed to be "votes cast" and had the same effect as a vote against this agenda item. Agenda Item 3 To approve the continuation of the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. The votes cast for or against this agenda item, and the number of abstentions, were as follows: For Against Abstain 40,618,952 (97.21%) 1,025,307 (2.45%) 142,105 (0.34%) There were 6,807,920 broker non-votes with respect to this agenda item. Broker non-votes and abstentions were counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum. Abstentions were deemed to be "votes cast" and had the same effect as a vote against this agenda item. Broker non-votes were not deemed to be "votes cast", and therefore had no effect on the vote with respect to this proposal. The detailed "Report of Voting Results" on all resolutions for the Company's Meeting is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR, on the Company's website, in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission available under the Company's profile on EDGAR or upon request by contacting the Company's Corporate Secretary at (604) 685-1017. About Oculus VisionTech Oculus VisionTech Inc. (OVT), www.ovtz.com, is a cloud-native development-stage technology company focused on data compliance and digital privacy solutions for business customers worldwide. With offices in San Diego, California and Vancouver, British Columbia, the Company is currently expanding its' new ComplyTrust www.complytrust.com, product suite which includes the ComplyScan cloud data protection and compliance tool and Forget-Me-Yes B2B data privacy Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, optimizing CCPA, GDPR, LGPD and other regulatory compliance legislation for Salesforce organizations worldwide that provide businesses with secure data privacy tools enabling sustained and continuous global regulatory compliance of data subject rights. OVTZ's legacy Cloud-DPS digital content protection solution implements invisible forensic watermarking technology that seamlessly embeds imperceptible tracking components into documents and video-frame content that enables tamper-proof legal auditability for intellectual property protection. Learn more about Oculus at www.ovtz.com or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/OculusVT) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OculusVisionTech/ ) . About ComplyTrust ComplyTrust Inc. https://complytrust.com/, a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Oculus VisionTech, is specifically focused on providing enterprise organizations and individuals with secure data privacy tools that provide sustained and continuous global regulatory compliance of data subject rights. Headquartered in San Diego, California, ComplyTrust was founded by industry veteran storage technology experts and is operated by an experienced management team. Learn more about ComplyTrust at https://complytrust.com/. For further information, contact: Anton Drescher Telephone: (604) 685-1017 Fax: (604) 685-5777 Website: http://ovtz.com/ TSXV: https://money.tmx.com/en/quote/OVT/companyprofile-section-company-spoke US OTC Markets (OTCQB): https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OVTZ/security Berlin Borse: https://www.boerse-berlin.com/index.php/Shares?isin=US67575Y1091 Frankfurt Borse: https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/equity/oculus-visiontech Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements as to the intended uses of the proceeds received from the Offering. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "schedules", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including risks and uncertainties relating to, among others, the change of business focus of the management of Oculus, the inability of Oculus to pursue its current business objectives, the ability of the Company to obtain any required governmental, regulatory or stock exchange approvals, permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV final acceptance of the Offering and any planned future activities, and obtain the financing required to carry out its planned future activities. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the Company's industry, may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Oculus assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Although Oculus believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in Oculus' periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the United States Securities Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulators. These reports and Oculus' public filings are available at www.sec.gov in the United States and www.sedarplus.ca in Canada. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180827 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Irish regulators have fined TikTok 345 million euros or nearly $367 million for violating children's privacy. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) adopted its final decision regarding its inquiry into TikTok Technology Limited on September 1 2023. The fine stems from a privacy investigation announced in 2021 about whether the video platform had violated EU privacy laws. The complaint was related to how the social media app processed personal data related to child users including public-by-default settings as well as the settings associated with the 'Family Pairing' feature; and age verification as part of the registration process. It is the biggest fine to date TikTok has received from regulators. The firm has been given three months to makes its data processing completely comply with EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy law. 'The decision further details that non-child users had the power to enable direct messages for child users above the age of 16, thereby making this feature less strict for the child user,' said the office of Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Digital Space Marketing , which provides the personal touch of an in-house marketing team and the expertise of an agency, has unveiled its new headquarters in the heart of Central Florida. Digital Space Marketing: One small step for you. One giant step for your business. The company is joined by The Finity Law Firm, Best Cataract Surgeons in America, and Best Lasik Surgeons in America and will leverage the strategic location to foster innovation, attract top-tier talent, and scale its operations. Digital Space Marketing is owned by author Clayton Patterson and for seven years has been helping its clients "Blast Off." Its suite of services include paid digital advertising, website design and development, social media marketing, search engine optimization, video production, website hosting, and content marketing. Patterson explains that his team has been so successful at guiding clients through the sales funnel that Digital Space Marketing has achieved rapid growth in a short time, leading to the expansion. "Our new headquarters is large enough that we will be able to triple in size. It is a strategic pivot towards the future, where we will continue to meet challenges head-on and provide a nurturing environment for our team," says Patterson. "We're not just growing- we're elevating our vision, setting the gold standard for businesses in Florida and beyond." The expansive two-story space includes offices for Digital Space Marketing, The Finity Law Firm, Best Cataract Surgeons in America, and Best Lasik Surgeons in America, all owned by Patterson or his partners. In keeping with the company's commitment to supporting its employees, the facility provides a meditation and breakroom, a vibration platform, a professional massage chair, an inversion table, yoga mats, and more. One of the six offices has been turned into a professional video and podcast studio, all of which companies will be able to utilize. "We are very excited about our headquarters, as it is a great place to work and will attract the best people for our team, enabling us to make our footprint in the business world," Patterson states. "It will also serve as an excellent base for the law firm as it expands across the state of Florida." The public is invited to stop by the new facilities during business hours, where the team at Digital Space Marketing will be happy to introduce themselves and answer their questions about internet marketing for businesses. About Digital Space Marketing Digital Space Marketing is a remote, "in-house" marketing team that provides all the solutions a company needs under one roof, enabling them to say goodbye to multiple vendors. All of its decisions are informed by analytics, and its team members are early adopters, obsessed with the latest tech and the exciting possibilities it unlocks. For more information about how Digital Space Marketing delivers stratospheric results, please see its website or contact: Clayton Patterson 1-855-611-0577 info@digitalspacemarketing.com SOURCE: Digital Space Marketing View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784303/digital-space-marketing-launches-national-headquarters-in-state-of-the-art-5212-ft2-facility MANCHESTER, England, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 10,000 people are missing after Storm Daniel tore through Libya on September 10th, triggering deadly flooding. More than 11,000 people have been confirmed dead, with the number expected to rise. International charity, Human Appeal, has launched emergency aid relief via its partner to support the Libyan population hardest hit with food, water, medical aid and basic essentials. The aid is needed to help avert hunger and disease after severe flooding destroyed local infrastructure bringing with it the risk of cholera spreading. Many of Libya's eastern towns have been affected but in Bayda and Derna the devastation is cataclysmic. In the port city of Derna, home to 100,000 people, entire communities have been washed away after two dams collapsed. The humanitarian situation on the ground is tragic with 25 percent of Derna has been destroyed, with buildings razed to the ground and entire neighbourhoods inaccessible. Survivors, desperate to hear news of their missing loved ones, are traumatised and in desperate need of relief aid. Human Appeal via its partner is supporting aid relief efforts in the eastern cities of Derna and Bayda working tirelessly to deliver lifesaving emergency aid to shattered families. We are also supporting the provision of nutritious milk to thousands of children affected by the devastating floods. Drawing on Human Appeal's 31 years of experience in delivering humanitarian relief globally to areas affected by climatic disaster, initial assessments indicate families with children are in vital need of emergency relief, including food, clean water and medical aid. For more information please visit: www.humanappeal.org.uk Or UK Tel: 0161 225 0225 For media requests please contact press@humanappeal.org.uk About Human Appeal Human Appeal (registered charity 1154288) is a fully independent British development and relief NGO based in Manchester, UK. It was established in 1991 and runs targeted poverty relief programmes in collaboration with recognised global organisations like the United Nations. Its purpose is to save lives through emergency response and sustainable development programmes, across over 25 countries worldwide. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/human-appeal-sends-aid-to-libya-to-avert-hunger-and-disease-from-deadly-flooding-301929595.html Senior Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Thane Stenner was recently highlighted in the 2023 Wealth Professional Awards for his innovative approach to alternative investment. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Thane Stenner of Stenner Wealth Partners+ at CG Wealth Management has received the Excellence Awardee in the ICM Asset Management Award for Advisor of the Year - Alternative Investments category at the 2023 Wealth Professional Awards. "In an increasingly complex and dynamic market, alternative investments offer flexibility and diversification that can be crucial for wealth preservation and growth," said Stenner. "Receiving this award underscores the success we've had in leveraging these investment vehicles for our clients." The Wealth Professional Awards is a prestigious annual event that spotlights exceptional talent and achievement within the wealth management industry. The Advisor of the Year - Alternative Investments category, sponsored by ICM Asset Management, acknowledges those who excel in providing insightful and profitable alternative investment advisory services. Thane Stenner was selected from a highly competitive field, based on his profound understanding of the alternative investment landscape, impressive client results, and innovation in employing various investment tools. His forward-thinking approaches to navigating market complexities have made him an industry leader in alternative investments. Thane Stenner is cross-border licensed in USA and Canada via FINRA and IIROC. Previously, he acted as a Managing Director, International Client Advisor, Institutional Consulting Director, and Alternative Investments Director at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management where he led his team in managing portfolios for ultra-high net worth clients. He graduated cum laude from Arizona State University and attended Harvard Business School's Executive Program. Stenner's unique knowledge has been featured across several business news outlets including, The Globe & Mail, Canadian Family Offices Magazine, Financial Post, CNBC & BNN Bloomberg. ### For more news and information about Stenner Wealth Partners, please visit https://stennerwealthpartners.com/. To learn more about Thane Stenner, you can find him on LinkedIn. XXX Contact Information Media Relations Media Relations mediarelations.dept@gmail.com (415) 326-4475? SOURCE: Stenner Wealth Partners+ View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/784571/thane-stenner-recognized-as-the-icm-asset-management-excellence-awardee-for-advisor-of-the-year--alternative-investments-by-wealth-professional-magazine Generate:Biomedics, a Somerville, MA-based clinical-stage biotherapeutics company, raised $273M in Series C funding. Backers included Amgen, NVentures, MAPS Capital (Mirae Asset Group), and Pictet Alternative Advisors. Additionally, company founder, Flagship Pioneering, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Fidelity Management & Research Company, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., ARCH Venture Partners, and March Capital. The company intends to use the funds to further advance its pipeline, including filing multiple INDs in 2024, and initiating multiple clinical trials annually thereafter, as well as to validate its platform capabilities and establish its leadership in de novo therapeutic development. Led by CEO Mike Nally, Generate:Biomedicines is a drug generation company pioneering a machine learning-powered generative biology platform with the ability to create new drugs on demand across a wide range of biologic modalities. The Generate Platform can increase the speed at which targets and therapeutics are identified and validated. This will improve the specificity of target engagement by generated proteins and reduce the time and cost of identifying and developing clinical candidates. Generate:Biomedicines has a pipeline of 17 programs in preclinical and clinical development across oncology, immunology, and infectious disease. Since the companys Series B financing round in 2021, Generate:Biomedicines has made notable progress as a leader in the field of generative biology. Specific achievements include: Initiated its first-in-human trial for GB-0669, a monoclonal antibody targeting a highly conserved region of the spike protein, in SARS-CoV2. Positioned to file a Clinical Trial Application by early Q4 2023 for its anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody, in asthma, which is expected to enter clinical trials shortly thereafter. Entered into collaboration agreements with Amgen and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Expanded The Generate Platform into new modalities, including into bi-specifics, enzymes, Tcell engagers, and cell therapy, as well as achieved the structural confirmation of its first de novo generated binders. Built a team of more than 280 employees. FinSMEs 15/09/2023 Simple, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based provider of a knowledge platform for family offices, raised an undisclosed amount in funding. California-based family office Pardon joined global family office North-East, who have reinvested further, as part of an investor group that aside from an increase in capital bring new advisory representatives on both the US East and West Coast as well as Zurich and Mexico City. The company intends to use the funds to evolve its offering and bring in strategic partners with a focus on the US market. Led by Founder and CEO Francois Botha, Simple is an independent provider of knowledge, data, and access to empower family offices, private investment offices, and UHNWIs for professionalization and future readiness. Its platform offers access to a wealth of ready-to-use content, empowering +5,000 active users. Additional advisory services are available to enhance the capabilities of family offices. Simple has plans to launch its first new data-driven product addition by early 2024, along with new subscription offerings that aim to make industry knowledge and insight more accessible across the family office ecosystem. FinSMEs 15/09/2023 Serving is a journey of an inspired home cook, who understood how to make the daily chore of cooking into a gratifying and joyous experience. Roopali Mohantis new cookbook helps us discover the spark that creates vibrant food ever-lasting memories. Edited excerpts from the interview: How did the idea of Serving come to you? Servings gave birth during a simple exchange of recipes between friends and family on Whatsapp during the pandemic. From single recipes we went onto complete meals and little write ups that either described the origin or a memory that accompanied the meal. Your childhood memories on food Growing up I always saw my mother cooking and we were lucky to be treated to delectable curries, fabulous pies and cakes and a variety of food from various parts of the country since my father was in the armed forces. She encouraged me to start baking when I was around 14 years old and thats when my affair with food began in earnest. I remember all the treats in my tiffin to the envy of classmates I always had a home-made pastry or slice of cake. On a lighter note, I can still vividly recall the arguments over being forced to eat a boiled egg and a cup of milk before heading to school. What are your favourite recipes from your moms kitchen? Since we are from Odisha, the Odiya food that my mom cooked has always been among my personal favourites. In particular, the recipe which was passed to her by her mother Kakara Pitha a deep fried coconut and jaggery stuffed whole wheat dumpling. Our travels around the country also helped me develop a varied palate and the Appam and Stew which she learnt from our local house help while my dad was posted in Kochi is definitely one of my favourites too! Why do you believe that good food doesnt need fancy ingredients? Food is all about flavours. The fanciest of ingredients will not necessarily create the best dish but using basic ingredients in the right proportions and using the correct cooking techniques can. All through the pages of my book, Servings one can see that most recipes just need what is easily available at hand. Food can be made fancy by just interesting plating or adding a certain ingredient to make it sparkle, an example would be a dish Baingan in a baingan (Eggplant) a basic North Indian style bharta cooked in the right proportions is placed back in a cored brinjal shell topped with cheese and grilled to perfection creating a dish which is quite like an Indian version of the Eggplant Parmigiana. Cooking as an art and science. What are your views on it? It has to be both. I have always seen cooking as art on a plate, the of level imagination and the ability to create magic that one can actually taste is phenomenal in my eyes which is why I am in absolute awe of Chefs. Cooking is chemistry too, especially baking, where its all about your accuracy, timing, measurement and methods. Deepika Padukone, who is being widely praised for her cameo in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan, recently opened up about her relationship with actor-husband Ranveer Singh. In a recent interview with The Week, on being tagged as the number one power couple of Bollywood, the Pathaan actress replied that the duo charge premium while working on a project. Not just this, the 37-year-old also added that they hold an identical balance of power between them, unlike other celebrity couples. Deepika on charging more for working together Deepika Padukone further told the magazine, Yes, we charge a premium when we come together. I think we are positioned uniquely. There is usually an imbalance in a power couple, but not with us. Plus, both of us started from scratch and are very proud of ourselves. To succeed on merit and on ones own terms makes us special. Based on a Duff & Phelps annual report, part of a risk and financial advisory called Kroll, both Deepika and Ranveer have consistently occupied a spot in the Top 10 of Indias most valued celebrities. Deepika Padukones brand value The Week reported that Deepika Padukone, who has been the brand ambassador for Indian brands Tanishq, Asian Paints and Axis Bank as well as international designer labels Louis Vuitton and Cartier, charges Rs 12-15 crore per film. While, on the other hand, there are barely any female stars who have crossed the Rs 10 crore-mark. Not counting Priyanka Chopra, who moved to Hollywood, the Om Shanti Om actress is among Indias top-paid female actors. On not charging for cameos While both Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh charge exorbitant fees for collaborations, the Chennai Express actress also revealed that she didnt charge a penny for her special appearances in her husbands films 83 and Cirkus. Deepika was a co-producer in 83 and had an extended cameo as Kapil Devs wife Romi. In Rohit Shettys Cirkus, she was featured in a special dance number alongside her husband. Deepika and Ranveers relationship and professional commitments Bollywood lovebirds Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh married in 2018 in Italy. The two dated for six years before tying the knot. Apart from commercials for Jio Mart and Lloyd AC, the actors have featured together in films such as 2013s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani and 83 among others. Next up, Deepika will be seen in two high profile projects after Jawans historic success. She will star in the action film Fighter, directed by Siddharth Anand, alongside Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor. She will also be seen in the Prabhas-starrer Kalki 2898-AD. Ranveer Singh last appeared in Karan Johars Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani opposite Alia Bhatt. Royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, also called the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hogged headlines for marking the formers pre-birthday celebrations at a German brewery in Dusseldorf on Thursday. Prince Harry, who turns 39 today, 15 September, was accompanied by his bosom friends, making it a close-knit affair as the duo commemorated the occasion with locally brewed beer and traditional cuisine. As per a Daily Mail report, Harry was also presented with a white chocolate cake by the restaurant as his friends sang happy birthday along. Prince Harrys pre-birthday plans On Thursday, as part of Prince Harrys birthday eve, the Duke of Sussex chose Schumacher Brewery in Dusseldorf, Germany called Im Goldenen Kessel, as an ideal spot for the occasion. Based on reports, Harry alongside Meghan Markle and their companions, reserved two tables at the iconic establishment, savouring the atmosphere and relishing in the festivities. Hello! magazine while quoting a staff member said that the Duke and Duchess were very welcoming guests and added that the Prince was very generous, and tipped very well. Not just this, restaurant owner Thea Ungermann further told the magazine that the couple looked very relaxed and savoured their beer, Schumacher Alt. Ungermann was also quoted as saying that the prince graciously settled the bill, leaving the staff a generous tip. Head waiter Frank Wackers said that Prince Harry downed six small beers and Meghan Markle opted for a more moderate approach, sipping on one. Some of the dishes relished by the couple, along with their party friends included wiener schnitzel, pork knuckle, sausage, roast, and mashed potatoes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brauerei Schumacher (@brauereischumacher) Decoding outfits While Meghan Markle looked beautiful in skinny white trousers paired with a striped shirt and nude flats, the Duke, on the other hand, wore a smart shirt and jeans for the occasion. The outing comes amidst a busy day for the royal couple who were spotted engaging with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) representatives earlier. Work front Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were last spotted together in a six-part Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, which aired in December. The intimate family series saw Harry making several accusations against his royal family, including a claim that his brothers communications aides planted negative stories about his wife, Meghan Markle, in the London tabloids. The Spare author and Suits actress are currently in Dusseldorf for the Invictus Games, an annual international multi-sport event dedicated to wounded, injured, and sick soldiers and veterans. In their first sporting event of the day, the couple watched Ukraine play Nigeria in sitting volleyball. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha, who got engaged to actress Parineeti Chopra in an intimate ceremony on 13 May at Delhis Kapurthala House, was all smiles when asked about their marriage date. As the couples wedding and reception invite has been making rounds on the internet, people are leaving no stone unturned to know fresh details about the power couples marriage. In a latest press conference, when inquired about the approaching date, the groom who is a former vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board smiled and said, Aapko bohot jaldi bataunga shaadi ke baare mei (will tell you very soon about the wedding). Check out the clip: Based on the wedding card making rounds online, Raghav Chadha will tie the knot to the Ishaqzaade star on 24 September, with several media reports pointing the destination to be Leela Palace in Udaipur followed by a 90s Bollywood-themed party. The pre-wedding festivities will however begin on 23 September, as per the wedding card. As part of the festivities, a reception will take place at Taj Chandigarh on 30 September. Magical and organic In a recent interview with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, Raghav Chadha described his meeting with Parineeti Chopra as nothing short of magic. The 34-year-old politician while calling it magical and organic, asserted, It is something that I thank God every day for, for giving me Parineeti in my life. When told that the entire nation was rejoicing at their union, Raghav Chadha stated, Main desh se zyada khush hoon (I am happier than the country). Work front Professionally, Parineeti Chopra has wrapped shooting for Imtiaz Alis Chamkila, opposite Diljit Dosanjh. The actress is currently awaiting the release of Mission Raniganj, where she will be seen opposite Akshay Kumar. The 34-year-old Uunchai actress is also working on The Great Indian Rescue, a survival-thriller alongside Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Ravi Kishan in pivotal roles. The film is set for release on 6 October. On the other hand, Raghav Chadha who is the youngest Member of Parliaments Rajya Sabha from Punjab previously served as the vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. He was also an MLA from the Rajendra Nagar assembly constituency in Delhi till 2022. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. NASA administrator Bill Nelson claimed on Thursday that he thinks aliens are out there as the space agency unveiled the preliminary results of its probe into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), also known as UFOs. However, according to the 36-page research, there arent enough high-quality observations of UAP to make conclusive scientific inferences regarding their nature. It also described how the American space agency would use updated technology and artificial intelligence to look into UFOs. Here are the key takeaways of the report. Also read: Are there aliens in Mexico? Why scientists have called fraud on extraterrestrial corpses UFOs pose threat to US airspace The panel said in the report, The threat to US airspace safety posed by UAP is self-evident, adding that there is a particularly promising avenue for deeper integration involving the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). It added: Although not initially designed for UAP collection, better harnessing it for commercial pilot UAP reporting would provide a critical database that would be valuable for the whole-of-government effort (to understand UFOs). No proof that aliens exist According to the reports last page, there is no reason to conclude that the hundreds of UAP sightings NASA has looked at are the result of extraterrestrial origins. However, to get here, those things had to pass through our solar system, it said. The investigation did not reach the desired conclusion, the space agency said it could not rule out the possibility of potential unknown alien technology operating in Earths atmosphere. The mission of NASA is to find out the unknown, Ive said several times in my comments today that we deal openly, and we will be transparent on this, Nelson said. Limited amount of UAP data The new report called UAPs one of our planets greatest mysteries, because there is limited high-quality data. Observations of objects in our skies that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft or natural known phenomena have been spotted worldwide, yet there are limited high-quality observations. The nature of science is to explore the unknown, and data is the language scientists use to discover our universes secrets, the report stated. Despite numerous accounts and visuals, the absence of consistent, detailed, and curated observations means we do not presently have the body of data needed to make definitive, scientific conclusions about UAP, it added. It announced it is appointing a director of UAP research to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future data. This is in response to one of the recommendations by the independent study team, which is counsel of 16 community experts across diverse areas. The director role will centralise communications, resources, and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP. The director also will leverage NASAs expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and space-based observation tools to support and enhance the broader government initiative on UAP, NASA said. Also read: Has a Harvard professor found the first-ever alien objects on Earth? Importance of unclassified data The independent study group was formed outside of NASA and used unclassified data from civilian government organisations, commercial data, as well as data from other sources. David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation and chair of the UAP independent study team said, Using unclassified data was essential for our teams fact-finding, open-communication collaboration, and for upholding scientific rigour to produce this report for NASA. He added, The team wrote the report in conjunction with NASAs pillars of transparency, openness and scientific integrity to help the agency shed light on the nature of future UAP incidents. We found that NASA can help the whole-of-government UAP effort through systematic data calibration, multiple measurements and ensuring thorough sensor metadata to create a data set that is both reliable and extensive for future UAP study. The name UAP has replaced the term UFO in official dictionary after the US space agency said last year that it was studying the evidence about UAP. However, mainstream science avoided the topic, despite the publics long-standing fascination with it. In May, the independent study team revealed its initial findings, concluding that there is not enough information in the current body of knowledge and in eyewitness accounts to make certain judgements, and urging for further systematic gathering of high-quality evidence. While NASAs astronomers search for indications of intelligent civilisations on other worlds and its robots and rovers comb the solar system for any fossils of ancient bacteria, its historical stance has been to debunk discoveries on Earth. The reports authors stated during the May meeting that more than 800 events gathered over 27 years are believed to be two to five per cent abnormal. Also read: Are UFOs and aliens real? What is the US hiding? Recommendations It issued a watershed report in 2021 compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in conjunction with a Navy-led task force encompassing numerous observations mostly from military personnel of UAP. The report included some UAP cases that previously came to light in the Pentagons release of video from naval aviators showing enigmatic aircraft off the US East and West Coasts exhibiting speed and maneuverability exceeding known aviation technologies and lacking any visible means of propulsion or flight-control surfaces. The report said defense and intelligence analysts lacked sufficient data to determine the nature of some of the objects. The US commercial remote-sensing sector provides an effective combination of Earth-observing sensors with the capacity to directly address UAP incidents. NASAs substantial experience should be paired with AI and ML to better understand the nature and genesis of UAP. Future air traffic management systems to collect UAP data will be designed with the help of NASAs close collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In order to create a larger, more trustworthy UAP dataset that can be used to both identify future UAP incidents and destigmatise the study of UAP, NASA will improve citizen reporting by working with the general public and commercial pilots. Mexicos viral alien photos While responding to a BBC reporter about purported extra-terrestrials presented by Mexican authorities, NASA scientist Dr David Spergel said, Make samples available to the world scientific community and well see whats there. The remains of alleged non-human beings were presented on Tuesday at Mexicos first public congressional hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), also known as UFOs. The two stuffed bodies recovered in 2017 in Peru were 700 and 1,800 years old, with only three fingers on each hand and elongated heads. Mexican journalist and researcher on the topic Jaime Maussan said it was a clear demonstration that the presented bodies were non-human specimens. Researchers could prove that the DNA of the two mummies did not belong to human beings. The hearing aimed to rule on the phenomenon in the Aerial Space Protection Law, which would turn Mexico into the first country in the world to acknowledge the presence of aliens on the planet, local media reported. With inputs from agencies The troubles for the Biden family are never ending. Two days after it was announced that the United States president, Joe Biden, will face an impeachment inquiry, now his son Hunter has been indicted on gun charges on Thursday after a plea deal fell apart in July. This is the first time that a child of a sitting US president has been indicted on federal criminal charges. The indictment against 53-year-old Hunter have been brought by US Special Counsel David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee as US attorney for Delaware. While the White House has remained mum on the indictment so far, Hunters attorney Abbe Lowell said special counsel David Weiss was bending to political pressure. We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr Biden, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court, Lowell was quoted as saying. Former US president and likely contender for Biden in the 2024 polls, Donald Trump, surprisingly described Hunter Bidens indictment as a sad situation. Its a sad situation, I mean, nobody should be happy about this, Trump told NBC News in his first public comments on the development. But what exactly is the case that Hunter Biden has been charged in? Moreover, how will the troubled sons case hurt Joe Bidens 2024 re-election campaign? Gun matters Hunter Biden has been indicted in federal court in Delaware on three counts tied to possession of a gun while using narcotics. Two of the counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, while the third is of five years. Each of the three counts also carries a fine of $250,000 (Rs 2.07 crore). The charges are pertaining to the purchase of a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The US presidents son, whose life has been riddled with personal tragedies, lied on the form required to be filled out when buying the firearm from a Delaware store. Hunter swore that he was not using, and was not addicted to, any illegal drugs even though he was struggling with crack cocaine addiction at the time of the purchase. Hunter has revealed earlier that he took to drinking and drugs heavily following the death of his brother, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015. According to the indictment, Hunter provided a written statement on Form 4473 certifying he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious. For the unaware, it is a federal crime to lie on the form required to possess a firearm or to possess a firearm as a drug user. Bidens gun, which he possessed only for 11 days, was found by Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother, Beau, soon after its purchase. Hallie Biden, with whom Hunter Biden was having a romantic relationship at the time, threw the gun in a dumpster, claiming she was concerned that he might use it to take his own life. It is unlikely that Hunter will receive the maximum punishment as in the past nonviolent first-time offenders who have not been accused of using the weapon in another crime have rarely got serious prison time for the charges. In addition to the gun case, Weiss is also weighing whether to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes. Hunters many troubles Hunter, who has never held a position in Joe Bidens campaign or Cabinet, has had his share of personal and legal woes. He had an acrimonious divorce from his first wife Kathleen Buhle in 2017. During the divorce hearings, Buhle accused Hunter of spending extravagantly on his own interests (including drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, strip clubs, and gifts for women with whom he has sexual relations) while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills. In his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things, Hunter concedes that his infidelity was the final straw in their marriage. A DNA test in 2019 found he was the biological and legal father of a child born to Lunden Alexis Roberts, an exotic dancer from Arkansas. And his woes extend to his professional life. His connections to a scandal-plagued, now-bankrupt Chinese energy giant, CEFC China Energy has also drawn media scrutiny. His dealings in Ukraine have also drawn attention, with many accusing Hunter of using his fathers position as vice president to gain favours. In fact, the impeachment inquiry against US president Joe Biden stems from allegations that the American leader was involved in his sons business dealings, with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy saying that after uncovering a culture of corruption, it demands deeper review. These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, McCarthy said. Also read: Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax offences: The many scandals of the US presidents son Poor Joe Hunters legal woes arent just a blow to him and his family on a personal level. The ramifications go much further. Political pundits are of the opinion that the indictment will help the Republicans in the 2024 presidential elections. It will cast a shadow of doubt on senior Bidens credibility as he potentially goes up against Donald Trump. In fact, a recent survey revealed that one in three Americans were highly concerned about whether President Joe Biden may have committed wrongdoing related to his sons business dealings despite the fact that theres been no evidence to substantiate these claims. The indictment piled on top of the impeachment inquiry will also take away from the criminal cases that Donald Trump faces; the former US president faces a total of 91 criminal charges at the moment with trials scheduled to begin next year. As the Los Angeles Times wrote, The indictment will give radical Republicans in Congress the talking point they need to muddy the waters with respect to Trumps multiple criminal indictments. Weiss has given them just what they wanted. However, some believe that its not Hunter Biden that is the real concern for the US president. It would be his age. Only a quarter of Americans, according to a CNN poll, believe that Biden has the stamina and sharpness to serve as commander-in-chief, which was further compounded when he appeared confused and bewildered during a press conference in Vietnam last week. With inputs from agencies Kerala is battling its fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus since 2018. A 39-year-old man in the Kozhikode district tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of cases in the state to six. While two infected people have died, the rest are currently being treated. The Kerala government is taking several measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including setting up containment zones, ramping up testing and shutting educational institutions in Kozhikode. The Rajasthan health department has also issued an advisory to its officials to remain alert following the outbreak of the zoonotic disease in Kerala. Lets take a look at previous outbreaks of the Nipah virus and why the virus keeps emerging in Kerala. But first, what is the Nipah virus? Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic disease, meaning it is transmitted from animals to humans when they come in contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats and pigs. The virus can also spread through contaminated food or directly between humans, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). The initial symptoms that infected humans show are fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress, says the WHO website. However, patients can also be asymptomatic. Currently, there is no cure or vaccine for the Nipah virus infection. The primary treatment for humans involves supportive care, as per the WHO. The Nipah virus has a high fatality rate of 40 per cent to 75 per cent. Role of fruit bats Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are natural hosts of the virus. They are known to pass on the virus to other animals like pigs, and also dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep. According to India Today, WHOs factsheet on the Nipah virus states: There is strong evidence that emergence of bat-related viral infection communicable to humans and animals has been attributed to the loss of natural habitats of bats. Although flying foxes are migratory, they do not leave forests when they have enough food. As the flying fox habitat is destroyed by human activity the bats get stressed and hungry, their immune system gets weaker, their virus load goes up and a lot of virus spills out in their urine and saliva. Humans get infected when they consume fruits or fruit products contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats. Previous outbreaks The Nipah virus was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia. The disease spread to Singapore the next year. The outbreak in these two countries infected roughly 300 people and killed more than 100. In 2001, Bangladesh reported cases of the Nipah virus. It is believed the virus reached people who drank raw palm sap, usually contaminated with bat urine and saliva. The infection was then transmitted among humans through respiratory droplets, as per The Hindu. The same year, India witnessed its first cases of the virus in West Bengals Siliguri. Out of the 65 infected people, 45 died, reported India Today. All five infected people in the states Nadia district in 2007 also lost their lives. Kerala saw its first outbreak of the brain-damaging Nipah virus in 2018. The disease reported in the district of Kozhikode killed 17 out of the total 18 infected people. The virus took Kerala by surprise and was identified only after it claimed a few lives. In 2019, one case was reported in Ernakulam district. No case came to light in 2020 in Kerala. The next year, a 12-year-old boy died in Kozhikode due to the zoonotic disease. Kerala started implementing social distancing, contact tracing and isolation after the deadly Nipah virus outbreak in 2018. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala has also upgraded government labs for the detection of viruses, reported Indian Express. Former Kerala health minister KK Shailaja, who effectively contained the Nipah infection in 2018, said that this years situation is not as bad as it was then. In 2018, it was a new virus to us, and we did not have any experience battling such an infection. Now, we have everything in place to contain it effectively, Shailaja told news agency PTI. Why does Kerala see repeated outbreaks? According to a Reuters news agency investigation published in May, Kerala witnessed rapid urbanisation and deforestation in recent decades, which created ideal conditions for a virus like Nipah to emerge. Pragya Yadav, the lead scientist on Nipah research at Punes National Institute of Virology (NIV), said that due to their habitat loss, animals have come closer to humans, which eventually helps the virus to jump from bats to humans, the news agency reported. Meanwhile, a study by the NIV in Pune has revealed the presence of the Nipah virus in bats in 10 of the 16 surveyed states and Union Territories. The Nipah viral antibodies were found in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Puducherry, reported Onmanorama.com citing the ongoing study. No antibodies in bats were found in Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Chandigarh. Dr Yadav told the online portal that there are two reasons for Nipahs reemergence in Kerala the proximity of human settlements to forests and increased surveillance in the state. Not just Kerala, in states along the Western Ghats, human habitations are either close to the forest or within the forests, leading to high chances of exposure to infected animals. Whereas, in the North, forested regions are far from human habitation. She said that cases can go undetected without proper monitoring. We dont know if it is causing infection in other states. A certain level of monitoring and surveillance is required to pick up every case, Dr Yadav told Onmanorama.com. Hospital-based surveillance should be increased in other states as well. According to Hindustan Times (HT), Nipah has three genotypes Malaysia M, Bangladesh B, and India I. In India, Bangladesh B and India I are the commonly found genotypes. According to Dr Yadav, the I genotype has been found in Kerala. However, Kerala health minister Veena George recently said that the Nipah virus strain in Kerala was the less-infectious Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, reported PTI. With inputs from agencies Over 11,000 are dead in Libyas coastal city of Derna and another 10,000 missing as rescue operations continue. The massive flood was caused by the collapse of two dams built back in the 1970s outside the Mediterranean city. Now, questions are being raised about whether the warnings about the dangerous state of the dams were ignored. The flooding, which swept away entire families in Derna on Sunday night, has exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has been mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Lets take a closer look: What happened? Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night, residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea. A UN official on Thursday that most casualties could have been avoided. If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings, World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva. The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out the evacuation. The WMO said earlier this week that the National Meteorological Center issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all governmental authorities by email and through media. Officials in eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm, and on Saturday, they ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams collapsing. Why did dams collapse? As per The National News, the first damn was constructed by a Yugoslavian company in the 1970s. It was built alongside the river bed in order to control seasonal flooding. The website of the company, Hidrotehnika-Hidroenergetika, describes it as an embankment dam. The website says the dam was built with rocks and clay and work on it was finished in 1977. As per CNN, the first dam, known as the Derna dam, is 75 metres tall and holds 18 million cubic meters of water. The second dam, known as Mansour, is 45 metres tall and holds 1.5 million cubic meters of water. As per Al Jazeera, the collapse of the first one resulted in the collapse of the second. The second dam had to face both the heavy rain and the water released from the first dam. The combined force was made even worse by the difference in height between the two dams. The outlet quoted experts as saying that around 30 million cubic metres of water were released as a result of the collapse. That works out to 12,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Al Jazeera quoted Dernas deputy mayor Ahmed Madroud as claiming that the two dams had not been serviced since 2002. The dams have not been maintained since 2002, and they are not big, Madroud said. When the river overflowed its banks, then it just took all the buildings with it, and the families that were in it. As per The Guardian, Turkish firm Arsel was given the task of working on the dams in 2007 but fled the country after war broke out in 2011. Part of the funds set aside for maintenance work in 2003 around 39 million dinars were taken back from the countrys water resources ministry. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 noted that more than two million euros had been allocated for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. What do experts say? Some, like Malak Altaeb, a fellow at the Centre for Climate and Security, point to the lack of maintenance. Altaeb told The National News, Dams in Libya and especially in the east of the country, havent received maintenance in years and management bodies havent provided adequate financial support and means to support the dams, which has led to adverse effects. Instead of protecting from flooding, the dams ended up flooding the city, Altaeb, who studied at the University of Tripoli, added. France24 quoted a November 2022 research paper by Omar al-Mukhtar University hydrologist Abdelwanees A R Ashoor as warning that the dams required urgent attention. The results that were obtained demonstrate that the studied area is at risk of flooding, he wrote. Therefore, immediate measures must be taken for routine maintenance of the dams, because in the event of a big flood, the consequences will be disastrous for the residents of the valley and the city. CNN quoted a 2022 Sebha University paper as saying both dams had a high potential for flood risk and calling for periodic maintenance to avert catastrophic flooding. The current situation in the Wadi Derna reservoir requires officials to take immediate measures to carry out periodic maintenance of existing dams, the paper recommended last year. Because in the event of a huge flood, the result will be catastrophic on the residents of the valley and the city. But others say it is too early to determine exactly why the dams failed. Liz Stephens, a professor in climate risks and resilience at the University of Readings Department of Meteorology, told France24 the dams failure was catastrophic She added that keeping a close watch on the damns could have potentially made a difference. It is too early to determine whether the failure of the dam was caused by a lack of maintenance or whether it was not designed to be resilient to the exceptional amount of rainfall that fell, she said. Monitoring of the condition of the dam could have perhaps supported early warning of potential failure, and precautionary evacuations of the people in harms way. Tilman Roschinski, an expert on hydrology and geology at the Plan4Risk consultancy, told the outlet, If you look at the video of the destroyed dam, you can see a reinforced concrete wall, part of which is still standing but most of it has been shorn off. We dont know at this stage what the wall was designed to withstand, but it raises questions, especially on the maintenance issue, such as the quality of the concrete which can seriously deteriorate over years when exposed to water. Hold everyone accountable Libyas Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged the maintenance issues during a Cabinet meeting Thursday and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the dams collapse. The Guardian quoted Libyas presidential council chair, Mohamed al-Menfi, as saying the inquiry should hold accountable everyone who made a mistake or neglected by abstaining or taking actions that resulted in the collapse of the citys dams. The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas. While the Tobruk-based government of eastern Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid. Hichem Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation and member of the emergency committee of the eastern administration of Libya, said a quarter of Derna has been completely destroyed. I returned from Derna. It is very disastrous. Bodies are lying everywhere in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings. I am not exaggerating when I say 25 percent of the city has disappeared, Chkiouat told told Reuters. With inputs from agencies US president Joe Biden was speaking to a gathering in Largo, Maryland, following the indictment of his son, Hunter Biden, and he seems to be more concerned with arguing for Bidenomics. Biden spent much of his speech criticising Republicans economic programme, which he mockingly dubbed MAGAnomics, after former President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign slogan: Make America Great Again. This is not your fathers Republican Party. This is a different deal, Biden said, before arguing that the Old Guard cared more about Democratic institutions than MAGA Republicans. The president made no mention of his sons legal problems in his speech. Does that means that Bidenomics is hurting the US Presidents re-election chances more than his sons indictment? Lets take a closer look. Political distraction Jogging to the podium, US president Joe Biden didnt betray any concern that his son Hunter Biden had just been indicted on gun charges and nor did the audience. The crowd cheered and whooped as he arrived at a college in Largo, Maryland to give a speech aimed at wrestling the narrative away from his recent troubles and back to his Bidenomics agenda. Afterwards they crowded round to try to shake the 80-year-olds hand or take selfies, the worries about polling, impeachment inquiries, age and criminal charges briefly forgotten. Thats a distraction, thats political distraction, said Susanna Anderson, 49, when asked about the issues facing the president. Wearing a blue T-shirt made by her own small business saying The VP Looks Like Me a reference to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black the mother of two showed a picture she took with Biden. When they have an election coming up they have to throw something and see if it sticks. Im not focused on that, she added. Biden focuses on MAGAnomics agenda The night before, Biden used the exact same words not focused as he brushed aside the impeachment probe launched by Republican lawmakers over Hunter Bidens business dealings. He made no mention on Thursday of the fact that his son had been indicted for buying a gun when he was using drugs, casting a new shadow over Bidens 2024 re-election campaign. Also Read: Trouble keeps finding him: The many legal and personal problems of Hunter Biden What about his age, a frequent lightning rod for criticism by Republicans against Americas oldest president? Did you see him run up the stage? Im not worried about that, said Enicia Porter, 34. He has a firm handshake He reminds me of my grandfather. The White House has been keen to get Biden out on the campaign trail again, amid a sense that his stewardship of Americas economic recovery is not registering in the polls. For his speech at Prince Georges Community College in Largo, given against a backdrop of American flags and Bidenomics signs, Biden introduced a new line of attack: MAGAnomics. The idea is to portray all Republicans as followers of former president Donald Trump known for his Make America Great Again (MAGA) slogan and highlight Trumps economic failures. Biden also sought to blame them for the threat of a looming government shutdown at the end of this month. Mixed voter reactions But was the message getting through here, to the audience of around 200 local people and college students in a dormitory town half an hours drive from the White House, let alone to millions of voters? I think this was a good tip of the iceberg, said Porter, a local chapter treasurer of Student Veterans of America. But Im going to need more concrete follow up. Porter said she had asked Biden about housing in particular and he nodded and said we have a whole plan. Also Read: Biden Impeachment Inquiry: What are the allegations against the US president? Biden still had work to do to convince the electorate, agreed Don Pruett, 68, director of planning at the college. The presidents speech is going to plant the seeds and over the course of time it needs to be nurtured, he said. We need to see the fruits. Susanna Anderson, the blue T-shirt wearer, however said Biden was getting the message through to the people who need to hear including her sister, whom she said had just had her student loans forgiven by the Biden administration, a policy opposed by Republicans. Biden hammered that message home repeatedly, slamming the lectern at one point as he reeled off what he said were Republican plans to cut spending. He also lashed out at the record of Trump who faces a string of criminal charges including over election interference, and whom he will likely face in a rematch in 2024 and warning darkly that democracys under attack. With a gruelling campaign ahead, Pruett reckoned Biden faced a tough road for re-election. But he added: Theres so much chaos on the other side if he continues to be stable, Papa Joe will be there. With inputs from AFP The shocking case of Sara Sharif the 10-year-old girl found dead at her UK home in August got another twist on Friday. Sharifs father Urfan, stepmother Beinash Batool and uncle Faisal Malik, were nabbed after an extensive police hunt and then deported from Pakistan. They are now facing murder charges in the United Kingdom. But what happened exactly? And what do we know about the shocking case? Lets take a closer look: One-way ticket As per The Times UK, Urfan on 8 August called businessman Nadeem Riaz. The 41-year-old needed eight tickets to Islamabad pronto. He said he needed to book as soon as possible, Riaz told the newspaper. I asked why and he said his cousin had passed away in Pakistan. He sounded normal. No different to his usual self. When Riaz asked what kind of tickets he wanted, he got a terse answer one-way. Urfan, Beinash and Faisal then travelled to Islamabad the next day. They were accompanied by Sharifs five minor siblings. As per The Guardian, Urfan, after landing in Pakistan dialled 999 emergency services in the UK. He told them that his daughter was dead at their Woking home. The police then found Sharifs body at the Woking home. While an autopsy did not establish a cause of death, it showed Sharif had suffered multiple and extensive injuries, which are likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time. Manhunt is launched As per BBC, police alerted Interpol and launched a manhunt for the adults. The Pakistan police on 10 August announced that they were looking to arrest Urfan. The Sharif family home is in Jhelum, Punjab around 135 kilometers from the capital. Officer Imran Ahmed said police found evidence that Sharif briefly returned to Jhelum, before leaving and going into hiding. Another officer in Jhelum, Nisar Ahmed, said he and his men went to Sharifs native village of Kari but learned the family left around 20 years ago and never returned. By now, two weeks had passed since Sharifs death. The Mirror quoted Rawalpindi Region police chief Khurram Ali on 24 August as saying that the police was doing its level best and was close to locating them. The Surrey Police, meanwhile, issued a fresh call for information. The Evening Times quoted Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman of the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team as saying, It is now two weeks since Saras body was found and the impact of her tragic death continues to be felt deeply by the local and wider community, including our officers and staff. We would like to thank those people who have already come forward and reported information to us. However, we know that there will be lots of people in the Woking community and beyond who will have had contact with Sara who may not already have come forward, and we would encourage them to do so. Any information is better than no information although you might think its insignificant, it might be vital to the investigation and in helping us to bring justice for Sara. On 29 August, Sharifs grandfather Muhammad Sharif in an interview with the Sunday Times called on the trio to turn themselves in to the authorities. We want them to present themselves, Muhammad added. We want them to resolve the matter as the privacy of our house is affected due to frequent police raids. Detectives told Sky News they are blind in the search for trio and called reports of Pakistan police being close to finding them were fake news. As per Sky News, an inquest was then opened into Sharifs death on 29 August. The outlet quoted the coroner Simon Wickens as saying the inquest would be adjourned until February to allow the police to investigate. Wickens also offered sincere condolences to all those touched by Saras short life. Twist in tale, arrest Then, on 6 September, a twist in the tale emerged. Urfan and Batool released a video to various media outlets. As per BBC, while Urfan remained silent, Baitool called Sharifs death as an incident. Batool, reading from a notebook, also claimed they feared being tortured or killed by the Pakistan police. She accused the authorities of harassing their family and claimed they were willing to cooperate with the UK in the matter. The groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear for safety, Batool said, as per Sky News. Muhammad then told the BBC that Sharifs siblings had been living at his home since 10 August. On Monday, Sharifs siblings, ranging in age from 1 to 13, were recovered by Pakistani police from Urfans family home in central Pakistan. A court ordered the children to be placed in the custody of the Child Protection Bureau in Rawalpindi city, close to Islamabad. On Wednesday, the three suspects were arrested by police in Pakistan. Sharifs mother speaks The BBC quoted Surrey Police as saying Sharifs mother Olga has been apprised of the latest developments and has the support of the force Olga, speaking to The Sun newspaper, said, It is a huge relief and something I didnt think would happen this quickly. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders but there is still a long way to go before I feel closure. As per The National News, Olga separated from Urfan in 2015. Sharif and her elder brother had been staying with her till 2019 until the family court in a verdict said they should stay with their father. Olga said that while she had visitation rights, she found it incredibly difficult to maintain those as time went on. Olga, earlier speaking to Polish TV programme Uwaga!, said of seeing her daughters body, One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised. Even now, when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like. Meanwhile, the trio were put on a flight to Gatwick Airport where they were arrested as soon as they got off the plane. However, some reports stated that Urfan, Batool and Malik had themselves purchased tickets to the UK and flown in vi Dubai. Two men, aged 41 years and 28 years, and a woman, aged 29 years, were arrested on suspicion of murder, Surrey Police said in a statement. They are currently in custody and will be interviewed in due course. Saras mother has been informed of this latest update and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Saras death at this very difficult time. This has been an extremely fast-moving, challenging and complex enquiry and we remain absolutely committed to conducting a thorough investigation into Saras death. We will not be commenting any further at this point and will provide further updates as and when we are able to. Speaking to BBC, a lawyer claiming to represent the trio said he was contacted by Batool while she was in Pakistan. We got in touch with the police here, we got in touch with various travel agents and long story short theyve arrived, Attiq Malik from Liberty Law Solicitors told BBC. The next step really is to resolve matters using the rule of law and see what happens next. Early Friday, the trio were charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. They appeared for a brief hearing at Guildford Magistrates Court near Woking, speaking only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses. They were not asked to enter pleas and were ordered detained until their next court hearing on Tuesday. A Jhelum police official told The Guardian they were relieved to have concluded a really complicated case. With inputs from agencies US president Joe Bidens son, Hunter, has been accused of lying about his drug usage when he purchased a handgun in 2018 and of illegally carrying the firearm, raising the possibility of a trial at the time when his father is campaigning for the re-elections. Prosecutors claim Hunter checked a box on a federal form declaring that he did not use or was addicted to drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra Special in Delaware in 2018. The indictment suggests that Hunter was using drugs during the general time he made the purchase, and that he deceived the company selling him the gun by making false statements, as per PBS News. Federal gun charges are just the latest blow in a litany of legal and personal setbacks for Hunter Biden, whose status as son of the US president masks a tragic and troubled life. The accusations Thursday that he broke the law in purchasing a firearm in 2018 while addicted to crack cocaine reinforces Hunter Bidens reputation as a magnet for lurid activities now haunting President Joe Biden as he seeks re-election. Hunter Biden, 53, has written movingly of his attempts to put his past behind him, but the gun charges and a separate, highly politicised push by Republicans to impeach his father make that nearly impossible. Todays charges against Hunter Biden are a very small start, Republican Representative James Comer wrote on the X social media site, demanding that authorities probe what he called everyone involved in the fraud schemes and influence peddling. If some see Hunter as the family black sheep, his father has stuck by him, publicly praising his battle against addiction. Tragedy and addiction Hunters early childhood was shadowed by terrible tragedy the 1972 car crash that killed his mother and infant sister. Hunter, who was three at the time, and his older brother Beau were pulled from the wreckage alive but injured. Growing up, Hunter the son of an ambitious senator would find easy access to the American elite. A graduate of Yale Law School, Hunter shuffled between jobs in government, banking and lobbying before landing in a family-controlled hedge fund and starting his own international business consultancy in the late 2000s. But his life was marred by alcoholism, drug addiction, and stints in rehabilitation. And then in 2015, Beaus death at age 46 pushed him over the edge. Beau had built a sterling reputation in the military and was a rising political force in his home state of Delaware when felled by brain cancer. Joe Biden frequently opens up about the devastating impact of losing a son whom many saw as a natural heir to the familys political capital. The blow to Hunter was, if anything, more severe. Hunter wrote in his memoir that after Beaus death his drug use spiralled, reaching a nadir in 2017 near the end of his fathers second term as vice president to Barack Obama. Also Read: Biden Impeachment Inquiry: What are the allegations against the US president? His marriage fell apart and he lost custody of his three daughters. He became romantically entangled with Beaus widow, fathered a daughter with a woman in Arkansas who later sued for child support, and then saw his files, emails and tawdry personal photos from his laptop computer made public by his fathers enemies. He came under investigation by the Justice Department over millions of dollars he earned from overseas investments. But if Joe Biden continues to talk of Beau as the favoured son, he has also frequently come to Hunters defence. He responded to taunts from Donald Trump during their 2020 election battle, saying: My son, like a lot people had a drug problem. Hes overtaken it, hes fixed it, hes worked on it. And Im proud of him. Im proud of my son, he said. Never judged me In his 2020 memoir Beautiful Things, Hunter Biden recounted his days chugging vodka from the bottle, wandering around seedy neighbourhoods at night searching for crack, and multiple failed attempts to get clean. He said that in 2019 he was able to pick himself up after an intervention by his father and his second wife Melissa. The one thing that helped him, he wrote, was his fathers unconditional love. He never abandoned me, never shunned me, never judged me, no matter how bad things got, Hunter wrote. There were times when his persistence infuriated me Id attempt to fade to black through alcoholism or drug addiction, and then there he was, barging in again with his lantern, shining a light, disrupting my plans to disappear, he said. Today Hunter says he is clean. He had a son with Melissa, whom he named Beau. He has taken up painting, though that brought fresh controversy when unnamed collectors bought his works for prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. With inputs from AFP Venice was removed from UNESCOs list of vulnerable world heritage sites on Thursday. The mayor earns applause, but environmentalists and scientists are concerned about the impact of increased tourism and climate change on the renowned lagoon city. At a summit in Saudi Arabia, member nations ignored the advice of experts that Venices outstanding universal value was under a growing and increasingly urgent threat. Instead, they praised the citys conservation initiatives, particularly a last-minute pilot scheme approved two days ago that will make Venice the first city to charge entry, reports AP. Venice similarly avoided being added to the list of endangered sites two years ago after the Rome government approved a restriction on large cruise ships passing through St. Marks Square and the Giudecca waterway. The threats remain The UNs cultural organisation said on Thursday it had stopped short of placing Venice, one of the worlds top tourist destinations, on its world heritage in danger list. The Italian city has been in UNESCOs sights because of risk stemming from mass tourism and rising water levels, but at its annual meeting in Riyadh the agency decided against a downgrade. UNESCO, the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organisation, keeps the world heritage list, which it says is a reflection of the planets cultural and natural diversity. The agencys World Heritage Committee meets once a year to update it, and many countries consider inclusion on the list is crucial for tourism and the ability to get funding to preserve the sites. Conversely, countries are eager to avoid being dropped from the list. Several delegates remarked on Thursday afternoon at a World Heritage Committee conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that Italy should host a new advisory mission in Venice in the coming months to assess the efficacy of the measures Italy has done so far and give proposals, as per a New York Times report. Despite prohibiting large cruise ships from entering Venetian waters, massive barriers at the mouths of the lagoon to keep seawaters at bay and prevent high tides from flooding the city, and officials tracking tourists movements via mobile data, Italian counter-measures were deemed insufficient. Venice officials agreed Tuesday to test a fee on day tourists to the overcrowded historic centre. The Venice city council voted in favour of a limited test, to begin next spring, of a long-debated ticketing system. Critics, however, say it will do little to stem the hordes of tourists who descend each year. Mayor celebrates, critics voice concerns Mayor Luigi Brugnaro hailed the decision as proof that Venice is not in danger, calling the experts advice misleading. Civic groups, on the other hand, continue to highlight the threat that mass tourism poses to Venice, claiming that it is changing the city into a mere destination, depriving it of lifeblood as a thriving centre that would attract both residents and new businesses. The much-touted experimental scheme, which will charge day-trippers five euros (Rs 442) on 30 high-traffic days next year, they claim, will only strengthen Venices low-brow reputation. When you see how beautiful Venice is, what an incredible lifestyle the city can offer, when mass tourism isnt killing it, you realise that Venice is to some extent wasted on short-term visitors, said Jane Da Mosto, executive director of the NGO We Are Here Venice, to the Associated Press. Venice is a place where more people should be able to live and create more lives and families and jobs and exciting work opportunities, she added. Da Mosto expressed dismay with UNESCOs decision, saying that some of the delegates statements made me think they might be using material provided by Italian diplomatic channels. I really hope UNESCO will do something courageous to restore our hope in the convention governing world heritage sites, she said. The decision, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, signals an alarming trend of nations not being held accountable for protecting some of the most iconic and irreplaceable natural and historic sites around the world. Venice, it said, is increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding and water damage, reports AP. Authorities have debated for years without taking concrete action over how best to regulate the millions of visitors to the famous watery city. They flock there to see sights including St. Marks Square, the Rialto Bridge and its picturesque canals. With inputs from agencies Mamman Khan was arrested early Friday by Haryana police, a day after the state government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had named the Congress MLA as an accused in an FIR in a case connected to Nuh violence, which took place on 31 July. Mamman, who was detained by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Haryana police, will appear in court in Nuh later today. For a thorough interrogation, the police will ask the court to grant them custody of him, reported India Today. He claimed that he was being wrongly accused in the case because he was not present in the district on the day the violence broke out. However, Haryana Police informed the court that the grand-old party leader was named as an accused after a proper evaluation of the evidence. They added that there is ample evidence to support their case. Also read: Haryana: How Nuh violence spread to Gurugram, where mosque was attacked Who is Mamman Khan? According to Election Commission data, Mamman Khan is a 56-year-old Congress legislator from Ferozepur Jhirka in Nuh district. The first-time MLA defeated the BJPs Naseem Ahmad by a margin of over 37,004 votes in the 2019 Haryana elections. He also ran for office in 2014 as an Independent but lost to Ahmed, who ran on the INLD platform. He lost by a margin of 3,245 votes. He claims in his affidavit that he graduated from Bangalore University with a bachelors in civil engineering in 1994 and that he owns assets worth Rs. 5.44 crore. He identified himself as working in business, according to ThePrint. In the southern Haryana region, the Congress MLA is also known as Engineer Mamman Khan and is well known for his social activities. Additionally, he served as the District Congress Committees Working President in the past. Also read: Burn them alive: What FIR reveals about harrowing violence in Nuh What actually happened? Mamman made headlines earlier this year during the state assemblys budget session with his comments on cow vigilante Monu Manesar. He identified Monu Manesar as one of those responsible for the killings of Junaid and Nasir during the Haryana Assemblys Budget Session following their claimed murder by cow vigilantes. The bodies of the two, who were from Rajasthan, were discovered discarded in Haryanas Bhiwani. Manesar was never detained even though Rajasthan Police had made a FIR. Mamman dared Manesar to visit the Mewat region in February while speaking in front of the Assembly, threatening to teach him a lesson if he did. He also presented pictures of purported violent crimes committed by Manesar. The Congress MLA had said, Yeh Monu Manesar kahin Amit Shah ke saath phot khichva raha hai, kahin Arun Jaitley ke saath photo khichva raha hai. Kya darana chahta hai hamein yeh Mewatiyon ko ke main itna bada aadmi hoon? Abke yeh Mewat mein gaya toh isko pyaaz ki tarah phod denge (This Monu Manesar got his pictures clicked with Amit Shah at one place, with Arun Jaitley at another. Does he want to scare the Mewatis by showing that he is a big man? If he dares visit Mewat again, he will be crushed like an onion). Mamman displayed certain images in which Manesar and other cow vigilantes can be seen armed. The MLA questioned why the government had given them permission to own the firearms. He further claimed that Monu Manesar was responsible for the murder of three Muslim men in Mewat and had caused widespread destruction in the area. His charges prompted Dushyant Chautala to declare the creation of a commission to look into Khans allegations. According to Financial Express, the Deputy Chief Minister had said that the state government is probing the matter and whether its Mamman Khan or Monu Manesar, whoever is found responsible shall not be spared at any cost. Also read: How Nuh violence has put spotlight on rising cybercrime in the Haryana district What are the charges against him? The Haryana government was represented by Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal, who said that Khan had been named as a suspect in one of the FIRs because he had communicated with an arrested suspect. According to Indian Express, he said, In FIR No. 149 date 1 August 2023 registered under Sections 148, 149, 153-A, 379-Q, 436, 506 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 at Police Station Nagina, District Nuh, Haryana. 42 of the 52 accused individuals included in the FIR have already been arrested. One Taufiq, who is also listed as a defendant in the FIR, was taken into custody on 9 September. After that, a proper investigation was carried out, and Taufiq and Mamman Khans tower position and call records from their mobile phones were examined. The calls allegedly took place on 29 and 30 July, the day before the Nuh violence on 31 July. Mamman was within 1.5 kilometres of the location of the incident on 29 and 30, according to the location of the tower, so the averments to the effect that he was not close to the place of the occurrence in the petition are not correct. Statements of Security Officers of the petitioner i.e., Constable Jai Prakash and Constable Pradeep were also recorded under Section 161 CrPC, confirming the fact, according to the report. Mamman said in his appeal that he was not in Nuh from 26 July to 1 August but instead was at his residence in Gurugram, as per NDTV. Also on 30 July, Mamman wrote on Facebook and WhatsApp that Nobody needs to worry as the petitioner had fought for them in the Vidhan Sabha and will fight for them in Mewat also. Additionally, the FIR claims that one Abdulla Khan is also an accused who has not yet been arrested despite the fact that he had stated in one of his tweets, Engineer Mamman Khan MLA Mission complete. The MLA had previously been asked twice by Nuh Police to join in the investigation, but he did not show up. He claimed he could not appear for interrogation on 31 August due to viral fever, reported NDTV. The fact that Mammans name was mentioned in one of the FIRs came to light on Thursday when his petition was heard urgently by a high court bench presided over by Justice Vikas Bahl. In his petition, the Congress MLA requested that an officer with the rank of inspector general be appointed to lead the SITs for a fair investigation and that he must not be arrested. According to the government, the team has already been formed. Hindustan Times quoted Mammans counsel Ashrdeep Singh Cheema as saying, The bench directed us to move the lower court for anticipatory bail. On the prayer to appoint an IG to head the SITs, the Haryana government was served notice, adding that the court has fixed 19 October as the next date for hearing in the matter. Also read: Haryana violence: How social media posts fuelled communal hate before the clashes Nuh violence At least six people were killed as a result of the violence that broke out in Haryanas Nuh district on Monday, 31 July, and quickly spread to other areas of the state. Among those killed were a mosque cleric, two home guards, and three civilians. As the violence progressed, people began attacking both public and private automobiles. By evening, rioting on the Gurugram-Sohna highway was reported, with cars being burned and stones being thrown at the police. Nuh is a southern Haryana district that shares a border with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. With inputs from agencies With an aim to enhance the protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of mechanised forces, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals of approximately Rs 45,000 crore. In a meeting that was held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under the buy Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM) which will give a substantial boost to the Indian defence industry towards achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The DAC cleared AoN for procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV), gun-towing vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of artillery guns and radars. It approved the procurement of next-generation survey vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing hydrographic operations. The DAC also accorded AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force which included avionic upgradation of Dornier Aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability of operations. The procurement of Dhruvastra short-range air-to-surface missile as a potent indigenous precision-guided weapon for indigenously built ALH Mk-IV Helicopters has been cleared by the DAC. The AoN for procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI Aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also accorded, it said. During the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said It is time to upgrade the ambitions towards indigenisation. Rather than a threshold of 50 per cent indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum of 60-65 per cent indigenous content. Singh directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and DG (Acquisition) to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with the Indian industry. After one more case of the Nipah virus was reported in Kerelas Kozhikode on Friday, the neighbouring state of Karnataka has issued a circular to intensify surveillance in the districts bordering Kerala to prevent the transmission of the infection. The total number of active cases of the Nipah virus has gone up to six in Kerala with two deaths recorded in the southern state. In the circular, the Karnataka Health Department advised district authorities to Set up check posts for fever surveillance at points of entry from Karnataka to Kerala. Intensify fever surveillance in bordering districts such as Chamarajanagar, Mysore, Kodagu, and Dakshin Kannada. In addition to this, the Karnataka Health Department has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel from Karnataka to affected areas in Kerala. Schools, colleges to remain shut The Kerala government has ordered the closure of all schools, colleges and educational institutions in Kozhikode on Friday. #WATCH | Restrictions still continue in Nipah containment zones in Keralas Kozhikode. Secretary of Kuttiady Juma Masjid Mahallu Committee Zubair P says, In the wake of the outbreak of Nipah virus in our areaThe district collector and police authorities have directed us to pic.twitter.com/SxjYo3yu8W ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 Amid concerns over the Nipah virus in Kerala, the government on Thursday took 15 body-fluid samples of those in the high-risk contact list linked to the first Nipah victim for testing. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, reviewed steps taken for containment of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, from the Indian Council of Medical Research National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), in Pune. With inputs from ANI A man in Bihars Buxar has been found guilty of repeatedly raping his own daughters for several years. This horrific act was carried out on the advice of a self-proclaimed tantrik, with the misguided goal of having a son. On Tuesday, a local court specialising in cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Buxar district handed down a life sentence to the accused father, Binod Kumar Singh, and the mystic, Ajay Kumar. Simultaneously, the court sentenced the mother and aunt of the survivors to 20 years in prison for their role in instigating the accused individuals to commit these heinous acts. As per reports, the young girls had endured sexual abuse for over a decade before they mustered the courage to report the matter to the police, prompting a swift response from law enforcement. According to the police, the accused father, who initially had only two daughters, consulted a local mystic in 2012 to fulfill his desire for a son. Shockingly, the mystic advised him to commit unspeakable acts against his own children. Although the accused eventually had a son, the mystic continued to threaten the boys life, forcing the father to persist in his horrifying actions. To compound the tragedy, the mystic himself began to assault the girls. In a courageous move, the sisters managed to escape from their home in May of last year and reported their ordeal to the local police. Law enforcement promptly initiated a rapid trial, leading to the incarceration of all those involved in this horrifying case. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday attacked the I.N.D.I alliance leaders who have been giving anti-India statements and are batting for talks with Pakistan even as the encounter with terrorists backed by the neighbouring country rages in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag. Addressing a press conference on Friday, BJP leader Sambit Patra condemned the statement by Congress leader Saifuddin Soz who said that India must not only hold talks with Pakistan but PM Modi should also try to understand what is going on in the minds of terrorists. #WATCH | BJP leader Sambit Patra says, I am surprised that even when such a situation (Anantnag encounter) is unfolding in the country, a few leaders give statements that are against the country. Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said that India must not only hold talks with pic.twitter.com/5qqFHhBJHy ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 I am surprised that even when such a situation (Anantnag encounter) is unfolding in the country, a few leaders give statements that are against the country. Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said that India must not only hold talks with Pakistan but PM Modi should also try to understand what is going on in the minds of terroristsWe condemn this statement, he said. He said that as far as NCP chief Farooq Abdullah and other leaders statement backing talks with Pakistan are concerned, India has said a thousand times that talks and terror can never move together. Still, when soldiers are sacrificing their lives and when their last rites are being performed, such statements are being given this is not only inappropriate but also sad. India will give an answer, said Patra. Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Army, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed in the encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of Anantnag on Wednesday morning. The operation to flush out the ultras entered the third day today Drones have been pressed into service to pinpoint the location of the terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area on a hilly terrain in the Anantnag district, officials said. The forces fired mortar shells on the terrain where they believe the terrorists are hiding, based on drone surveillance, the officials said. The security forces have maintained a tight cordon in the area, they added. On Bihar Education Minister Chandra Shekhars Ramcharitmanas Potassium Cyanide remark, Patra said,All the people of I.N.D.I alliance are full of venom for Hinduism and it is reflected in all of their statementsHe says that Ramcharitmanas is Potassium Cyanide. Crores of people have their devotion placed in it #WATCH | On Bihar Education Minister Chandra Shekhars Ramcharitmanas Potassium Cyanide remark, BJP leader Sambit Patra says, All the people of INDI Alliance are full of venom for Hinduism and it is reflected in all of their statementsHe says that Ramcharitmanas is pic.twitter.com/hzx1q2GbFc ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 He added, Those who have the audacity to call Ram a venom are questioning the basic belief of this country and hurting it. Public will boycott them. With inputs from agencies Analysing data obtained from Indias Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission, scientists have made a significant discovery claiming that high-energy electrons from the Earth may be forming water on the Moon. The research team led by experts from the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa in the United States, discovered that these electrons in Earths plasma sheet are contributing to weathering processes breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the Moons surface. The research, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, found that the electrons may have aided the formation of water on the lunar body. Knowing the concentrations and distributions of water on the Moon is critical to understanding its formation and evolution, and to providing water resources for future human exploration, the researchers said. The new finding may also help explain the origin of the water ice previously discovered in the permanently shaded regions of the Moon, they said. Chandrayaan-1 played a crucial role in the discovery of water molecules on the Moon. The mission, launched in 2008, was the first Indian lunar probe under the Chandrayaan programme. Solar wind, which is composed of high energy particles such as protons, bombards the lunar surface and is thought to be one of the primary ways in which water has been formed on the Moon. The team investigated the changes in surface weathering as the Moon passes through Earths magnetotail, an area that almost completely shields the lunar body from solar wind but not the Suns light photons. This provides a natural laboratory for studying the formation processes of lunar surface water, said Shuai Li, an assistant researcher at the UH Manoa School of Ocean. When the Moon is outside of the magnetotail, the lunar surface is bombarded with solar wind. Inside the magnetotail, there are almost no solar wind protons and water formation was expected to drop to nearly zero, Li said. Li and co-authors analysed the remote sensing data that were collected by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument, an imaging spectrometer, onboard Indias Chandrayaan 1 mission between 2008 and 2009. They, specifically, assessed the changes in water formation as the Moon traversed through Earths magnetotail, which includes the plasma sheet. To my surprise, the remote sensing observations showed that the water formation in Earths magnetotail is almost identical to the time when the Moon was outside of the Earths magnetotail, said Li. This indicates that, in the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons. In particular, radiation by high energy electrons exhibits similar effects as the solar wind protons, he explained. This finding and the teams previous study of rusty lunar poles indicate that the Earth is strongly tied with its Moon in many unrecognised aspects, the researchers added. Chandrayaan 1 was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The mission included an orbiter and an impactor. India successfully landed the Chandrayaan-3 mission, with a rover and a lander, near the Moons enigmatic south pole last month, becoming the first country to do so. Congress MLA Mamman Khan, who has been named an accused in an FIR lodged after the 31 July Nuh violence, was arrested on Thursday, said police. Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan has been arrested by the state police in connection with Nuh violence case, said ADGP Mamta Singh Security has been heightened outside Nuh District Court, where Khan will be produced today. According to an India Today report, citing Haryana Police, police have the phone call records and other evidence to back the move. Haryanas Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Khan was named an accused on 4 September after the evidence against him was properly evaluated. There was ample evidence against him, he later told reporters. The Ferozepur Jhirka MLA had moved the court on Tuesday, seeking protection from arrest while claiming that he was being framed in the case when he wasnt even in Nuh the day the violence broke out. The MLAs counsel told reporters after the hearing that Khan has only now come to know that he has been named in the FIR. The court said Khan can seek appropriate remedy for protection of liberty in accordance with law, according to the counsel. Justice Vikas Bahl will next hear the case on 19 October. A Vishva Hindu Parishad-led procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh on 31 July. Six people were killed, most of them during the attack. A cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram. The Haryana MLA pleaded that all cases related to the violence in Nuh should be transferred to a special investigation team. An SIT has already been formed, the court was told by the government counsel. Earlier, the MLA was asked twice by Nuh Police to join the investigation but he failed to appear before it. He did not comply with the police summons for 31 August, saying he had viral fever. In his petition, Khan was at his Gurugram home from 26 July to 1 August, and not in Nuh. But the governments counsel said after the hearing that the evidence went against Khans claim. Sabharwal said there were call detail records, his location tracked through a phone tower, a statement by the MLAs personal security officer and other evidence that falsified Khans claim. The court was told that the investigation is going on in a fair manner. Out of the 52 accused in the FIR, 42 have been arrested and one accused is on regular bail. The court was apprised of all evidence gathered against him by the investigating agency, he said. The state counsel told the court that a co-accused, Taufiq, who was arrested on 9 September has also named Khan. The counsel said call details from the mobile phones and tower locations related to Taufiq and the petitioner were examined. It was found that calls were exchanged between them on 29 and 30 July, ahead of 31 July violence, he said. With inputs from agencies The mortality rate among people infected with the Nipah virus is extremely high between 40 to 70 per cent compared to COVID-19, said ICMR DG Rajiv Bahl as cases in Kerala mount to six, with one more person testing positive on Friday. If COVID was 2-3 per cent, mortality in Nipah virus is 40-70 per cent. Mortality is extremely high, Bahl said. #WATCH | Nipah virus | DG ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl says, If COVID had a mortality of 2-3%, here the mortality is 40-70%. So, the mortality is extremely high pic.twitter.com/O60erWop9v ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 'All infected came in contact of one index patient' Bhal further said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) "do not know why Nipah cases keep surfacing in Kerala." "In 2018, we found the outbreak in Kerala was related to bats. We are not sure how the infection passed from Bats to humans. The link couldn't be established. Again we are trying to find out this time. It always happens in the rainy season," Bahl said. "Efforts are on to contain Nipah outbreak... To my understanding, most of the cases of Nipah virus in Kerala and contacts of one index patient so far," the ICMR DG said. #WATCH | Nipah virus | DG ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl says, "...To my understanding, most of the cases have been contacts of one index patient so far..." pic.twitter.com/LbGTAwowZ4 ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 How to prevent spread of Nipah virus? Speaking to the media, Bahl said there are four to five measures, some of them exactly the same as those taken against COVID to restrict the spread of Nipah virus. These also include repeated hand washing, masks. Nipah virus can also spread through droplets from an infected person, he said. "In this case, the most important is the contact with the human patient because most of the times the first patient gets it from somewhere and the others are contacts of that patient...The third most important thing is staying away or not getting exposed to body fluids, blood. So safety - biosafety, hospital safety, isolation." #WATCH | DG ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl lists out precautionary measures against the prevention and spread of the Nipah virus. "There are 4-5 measures, some of them are exactly the same as that taken against COVID - repeated hand washing, mask. In this case, most important is the pic.twitter.com/3SP4hLl9s1 ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 'Sought 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody' The ICMR head said there are monoclonal antibody doses for only 10 patients at present. "No one so far has been administered," he added. Bahl further stated that India will procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia for the treatment of Nipah virus infection. "We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently, the doses are available for only 10 patients," he said. "Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection," he said. Bahl also informed that monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived. "Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only be given as compassionate use medicine," he added. Representatives of COCOMI, an umbrella body of Imphal valley-based civil society organisations, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded the withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the state, alleging that the force was acting in a biased way. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which represents Meitei groups, said in a statement that their representatives met Singh on Thursday at his residence in Delhi and submitted a memorandum. In the memorandum, they claimed that the Kuki groups caused embarrassment to the government by approaching the United Nations for a resolution to the Manipur crisis. They also raised with Singh the issues of narco-terrorism, illegal immigrants and their identification as well as suspension of operations agreement, the statement said. On the other side, the Kuki groups have been accusing the state police of bias. Last month, 10 Kuki MLAs of the state appealed to PM Narendra Modi to not withdraw Assam Rifles from the state, maintaining that this could jeopardise the security of the tribals. Around 175 people have been killed and 1,100 injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe status. IRS officer Rahul Navin was appointed as in-charge director of the Enforcement Directorate on Friday on the completion of tenure of the incumbent Sanjay Kumar Mishra, officials said. According to an official order, Navin, a 1993-batch IRS officer, will hold the charge till the appointment of a regular director or until further orders. Navin is currently the EDs special director. The order stated that the President is pleased to order the cessation of tenure of Sanjay Kumar Mishraas Director of Enforcement in the Enforcement Directorate on 15.09.2023. In July, the Supreme Court granted an extension of tenure to ED chief Mishra till September 15 but made it clear there will be no further extension The Supreme Court order came days after it had held as illegal two notifications by the Centre granting extension of service, for one year each time, Mishra as the chief of the Enforcement Directorate. At least 175 people were killed and 1,108 others injured while 32 are missing in the ethnic clashes that have erupted in Manipur, the north-eastern state of India since early May. According to official figures, as many as 4,786 houses were set on fire and 386 religious structures vandalised. Addressing the media, IGP (Operations) I K Muivah said, In this challenging time that Manipur is in, we can reassure the public that the police, central forces and the civil administration are trying round-the-clock to bring normalcy back. Of the weapons that have been lost, 1,359 firearms and 15,050 ammunition were recovered, Muivah said on Thursday. A large number of arms and ammunition of the police have allegedly been looted by the rioters during the violence. As many as 5,172 arson cases were reported, Muivah said, adding, 386 religious structures 254 churches and 132 temples were vandalised. Security barricades from Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district to Kangvai in Churachandpur district have been removed, while security has been provided on national highways, he said. IGP (Administration) K Jayanta said of the 175 people who died, nine are still unidentified. Seventy-nine of the bodies have been claimed while 96 remain unclaimed. At RIMS and JNIMS (hospitals in Imphal), 28 and 26 bodies have been kept respectively, while 42 are at Churachandpur hospital, he informed. Jayanta said that 9,332 cases have been registered and 325 people were arrested. Meanwhile, IGP (Zone-3) Nishit Ujjwal said NH-32 and NH-2 are functioning normally. Ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, when a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Thursday launched the DMK governments flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon C N Annadurai. Stalin said that the monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to women heads of families, the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam, is a groundbreaking initiative that will reshape womens welfare in India. The state will take a historic leap with the launch of the scheme on September 15, and the initiative will inspire other states in the country to roll out schemes to empower women, he said. A basic income programme, it is named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the state government has christened the assistance the right of women. The government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer. Tamil Nadu takes a historic leap with the Kalaignar Magali Urimai scheme, offering Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to 1,06,50,000 women family heads, the CM said in the social media post X. A groundbreaking initiative reshaping womens welfare in India, which is set to inspire many other states, he said ahead of the launch. He further said that the visionary finance minister Thangam Thennarasu had shed light on the pioneering KMUT scheme and the governments commitment to improving the finances in the state. With inputs from PTI. At least three people were killed and one injured after a gunfight erupted between two groups over a petty issue in Bihars Patna on Thursday night. According to reports, the incident took place in Surgapar and Niajipur areas, which fall under the jurisdiction of Fatuha police station, over an outstanding amount of Rs 400 for milk between two groups belonging to the same community. During the firing, three people lost their lives on the spot, while the fourth person suffered severe injury, reported India TV. The deceased have been identified as Jay Singh (50), Shailesh Kumar (35) and Pradeep Kumar (30). The injured youth has been identified as Mintoos (22) who is undergoing treatment at PMCH. The police have taken the bodies of the three deceased in their custody and sent them to Nalanda Medical College Hospital, Patna for post-mortem. #WATCH | Patna, Bihar: Three people shot dead in a clash between two groups. DSP Fatuha, Siya Ram Yadav says, All the corpses are being brought in the hospital for postmortem. Police forces have camped at the place of the incident. The situation is normal now. One other person pic.twitter.com/ZPdFAahDPO ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 All the corpses are being brought to the hospital for postmortem. Police forces have camped at the place of the incident. The situation is normal now. One other person got injured and is being treated at the hospitalThe possible reason for the clash is a personal dispute, said Siya Ram Yadav, DSP Fatuha. The police are continuously patrolling and keeping an eye on the entire incident. The police said the matter is being thoroughly investigated and a hunt has been launched to nab the culprits. With inputs from agencies The mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who lost his life in an anti-terror operation in Jammus Anantnag were taken to Haryanas Panipat for last rites. Chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai by school students and locals reverberated in the street that was used to carry the mortal remains. A resident of Panipat, Major Dhonchak is survived by his wife Jyoti and a five-year-old daughter named Vamika. VIDEO | Mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who lost his life in anti-terror operation in Anantnag, being taken for last rites in Panipat, Haryana. (n/1) pic.twitter.com/hb6j8V3ADL Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 Before he was posted in Kashmir, Major Dhonchak was posted in Punjabs Bathinda. He was also honoured with the Sena Medal last month. Along with Major Dhonchak, Colonel Manpreet Singh and DSP Humayun Bhat also died during the ambush. Yesterday, BJPs youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) held an anti-Pakistan protest in Jammu over the deaths of the soldiers. On the eve of the Delhi G20 summit which was held on 9-10 September, Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch began her weekly media briefing on 8 September by seeking to turn the attention of G20 leaders to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. She referred to the staple and stale Pakistani charge of grave and systematic violations of human rights there. This was an attempt to shift the attention of G20 leaders who had gathered in Delhi from the summits agenda and their desire to upgrade their ties with India. The summits success showed its pathetic and miserable failure. Indeed, Pakistans most respected daily Dawn indirectly noted this in its editorial on the G20 summit on 12 September. It wrote, inter alia, Pakistan must also realise that despite Indias atrocious record on human rights in held Kashmir, the West, as well as out Muslim brothers, seem least concerned and are eager to do business with India. The sad reality is that in the international arena economic heft overshadows morality. The term held Kashmir used by Dawn is, of course, wrong and untrue; what is true is that parts of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and of Ladakh are under Pakistans illegal and forcible control. The charge of human rights violations too is not accepted by the international community which is fully aware of Pakistans continuous involvement in promoting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. This stated, what is significant is that Dawn focused on Pakistans general lament: that even staunchly Islamic states have really abandoned what it terms as the Kashmir cause. Yes, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) routinely issues statements on Jammu and Kashmir but in practice these have become indeed they more or less always were ritualistic. They have not impacted the desire of Muslim countries to improve their ties with India either in the past or now. Baloch advised this country As India hosts the G20 summit and presents itself as an important player on the global stage, it should honour its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian laws. This was particularly rich coming from a country which is in the midst of multiple crises which include the conduct of its military in its national life. Also, the Pakistans militarys record of genocide in what was then East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh and its current brutalities in Balochistan is despicable. What the Pakistan Foreign Ministry would not have missed is that India had invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as one of the honoured guests for the summit. The fact is that perceptive Pakistanis have noted that while Indias stature has risen in the world and its voice is being heard with respect Pakistan is being looked upon with increasing impatience. Its economy has been driven into the dust because of the cumulative and decades long impact of its obsession and inimical approaches towards India. These approaches have led to continuous enhanced expenditure on defense instead of development. While India was hosting a successful G20 summit Pakistan remains under a caretaker government and in a state of flux. Worse still, Pakistans great strategic success of 2021 when the Afghan Taliban militarily retook Afghanistan with Pakistans assistance, is turning sour. Kabul is determined to pursue independent foreign policies, including towards India and also continues to assist the anti-Pakistan Army Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP). Writing in the Pakistani newspaper The News its columnist S Qaiser Shareef perceptively noted that the G20 Summit has placed India as a global leader in an important relationship with the US and the West but without compromising its ties with Russia. Shareef also wrote that India had compelled the US to accept watered down language on Ukraine even as it continued to do business with Russia, including purchasing hydrocarbons. He also wrote that the West had avoided commenting on the Indian governments approach to human rights. These comments once again show that thinking Pakistanis, whether in the country or abroad, are noting the vast gap that has developed between India and their own country. The G20 Summit and Indias success in bringing about a successful summit declaration despite the great differences on the Ukraine issue has further underlined the enormous chasm that now exists between India and Pakistan in global perceptions. It is impossible though this will bring about any introspection in the approaches of the generals who control generally the destiny of the country and specifically its India policy. They will continue to be wedded to the two-nation theory and the narrative that India is a perpetual threat and therefore an eternal enemy. This also serves the armys corporate interests and allows it to fatten on the back of the countrys poor. The announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor attracted attention in Pakistan. This was natural because of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is a priority for China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In the context of the corridor which aims at linking India with West Asia and Europe the Dawn stated Geo-economics and geopolitics are also at play for this route is now going to compete with the BRI and Russias North-South corridor. This is true. Connectivity links that are being developed are an inherent aspect of the over-arching issue of the present times: the rise of China and Western attempts to contain it. What is significant for Pakistan in all this is that by turning its economic back on India (as yet) it is denying itself the advantages of a large and growing market in a neighbouring country. Its economy can ill afford this policy but economic factors do not Impact the generals even though former army chief General Qamar Bajwa had stressed the importance of geo-economics for Pakistan. The Delhi G20 summit has further brought home to many Pakistanis that its India policy is counterproductive. This fact was also underlined by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman who stayed back in India after the summit for a state visit on 11 September. He flew back to the Kingdom directly without stopping in Pakistan even for a few hours. This does not mean that Saudi Arabia does not value its ties with Pakistan but it does show that it is conscious of Indian sensitivities and is aware of the economic, political and diplomatic importance of this country. Mohammad bin Salmans decision, even though Pakistan is in flux and has only a caretaker government would have tremendously hurt Pakistani sentiments. The writer is a former Indian diplomat who served as Indias Ambassador to Afghanistan and Myanmar, and as secretary, the Ministry of External Affairs. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In the quiet corners of history, there exists a chilling narrative of how the seeds of Khalistan, a violent separatist movement, were sown and nurtured by those close to the political establishment. It is a tale of power, ambition, and treacherous alliances that led to the recruitment of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a charismatic preacher turned militant leader, for political gains. As the nation watched, the top echelons of the Congress party, Indias political behemoth, inadvertently nurtured the very monster that would ultimately lead to Operation Blue Star in 1984 and the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The scars of those turbulent times still haunt the collective memory of a nation. But, as historys dark shadows linger, the world often remained oblivious to the extent of the Khalistani menace, dismissing it as an India-centric problem. This illusion was shattered in a fiery explosion that ripped apart an Air India flight in 1985, en route from Toronto to London, claiming 329 innocent lives. It was a chilling reminder that Khalistani terrorism knew no boundaries. Yet, the West, for the most part, failed to grasp the gravity of the threat. And now, in the present day, the specter of Khalistani extremism has once again reared its head in Canada, where the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organized a controversial Khalistan referendum, reigniting a smoldering issue that has haunted nations and claimed thousands of innocent lives. It is a tale of terror that deserves the worlds undivided attention. Through the annals of time, a chilling timeline emerges, tracing Indias persistent efforts to make the Western world acutely aware of the looming spectre of Khalistani extremism. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood before his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, articulating Indias deep-seated apprehensions about the burgeoning anti-India activities on Canadian soil. It was a plea for attention, delivered with a sense of urgency that had been brewing for years. And as the echoes of their diplomatic discourse reverberated, a Khalistan referendum took place at a Gurudwara in the town of Surrey, the same gurudwara that was headed by SFJs Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down on 18 June. Indias repeated expressions of concern to the Canadian government echoed like a warning bell, a desperate plea for vigilance against the misuse of Canadian territory for separatist activities. But as time marched on, it became increasingly clear that immediate action was an elusive dream. Prime Minister Trudeau, during his visit to New Delhi, attending the G20 leaders summit and engaging in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi, painted a picture of reluctance in responding to Indias pleas. The spectre of Khalistani extremism remained, a haunting presence that continued to test the bonds of diplomacy and the resolve of nations. Even on 20 March 2023, the world witnessed a brazen spectacle of chaos and destruction as a mob of Khalistani radicals unleashed their fury upon the Indian High Commission in London. Barely a day later, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco fell victim to a similar assault. The spectre of terror then loomed ominously over the Indian embassy in Washington, but our vigilant secret services thwarted this nefarious plot. These shocking events serve as stark reminders that the resurgent Khalistan movement is no longer a distant, India-centric concernit is a venomous serpent that has coiled itself around the heart of Canada. The epicenter of this radicalism, this potential tinderbox of separatism, is not Punjab; it is Canada. The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this perilous reality. Prime Minister Trudeau, the time for belief in us is now, for if you do not, the flames of Khalistani extremism may engulf Canada, not India. The threat is real, and it is knocking at your doorstep. Canadas stance on pro-Khalistan elements has raised eyebrows and ignited frustration on the international stage. While Prime Minister Trudeau eloquently reiterates his commitment to defending freedom of expression, his governments soft approach towards those who openly issue threats to India and the Indian community stands in stark contrast to the brutal reality faced by victims of violence. It is a stance that, at times, appears to prioritise abstract notions of freedom of speech over the safety and security of individuals and communities. In the face of vandalised Hindu temples and the ghost of extremism, the world watches with a mixture of bewilderment and disappointment, as the Canadian governments words of reassurance do little to address the very real and pressing concerns of those affected by the menace of Khalistani extremism. The actions of a few individuals may not represent an entire community or country, but inaction in the face of such threats can certainly tarnish the reputation of a nation on the global stage. Khalistani extremists are fringe groups constituting a very small section of the Sikh diaspora; however, they are extremely vocal, violent, and aggressive which gives the impression that they form a sizable majority of the population with an intimidating presence in social, cultural, religious, and political spaces. In the heart of Canada, where diversity is celebrated as a cornerstone of the nations identity, a shadowy underbelly festers. Its a place where the echoes of Khalistani extremism resound, where the memory of terror looms large. In the hallowed halls of Dashmesh Sahib Gurudwara in Surrey, a firebrand Khalistani activist, Pravakar Singh Dulai, holds sway, while a chilling image of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind behind the horrific Air India-182 flight bombing that claimed 329 innocent lives, is honored as a martyr. The very gurudwaras that should be temples of peace are tainted with the images of Khalistani icons like Bhindranwale, casting a long shadow over the sanctity of these sacred spaces. Yet, the menace doesnt stop there. In a brazen act of hatred, a Hindu temple in Brampton was defaced with anti-India graffiti, sending shockwaves of outrage through the Indian community. In February, the Ram Mandir in Mississauga faced a similar fate, vandalised with anti-India messages. The Consulate General of India in Toronto cried out for justice, pleading with Canadian authorities to swiftly investigate these vile acts and bring the perpetrators to justice. And just when hope was scarce, in April, the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Windsor, Ontario, fell prey to the same venomous hatred, its walls marred by anti-India graffiti. These incidents serve as stark reminders that within the vibrant mosaic of Canadas multicultural landscape, there lurks a disturbing undercurrent of intolerance and extremism. It is a call to action for a nation that prides itself on inclusivity and harmony, to confront the growing threat that threatens to shatter the very ideals upon which Canada was built. In light of the recent event where Pannun, a prominent figure associated with Khalistani separatism, made a public appearance and delivered an incendiary speech at a Khalistan referendum event in Canada, it raises serious concerns about the state of affairs in the country. Canada has increasingly become a focal point for anti-India and anti-Hindu activities, as well as a sanctuary for individuals with extremist ideologies. India has repeatedly appealed to the Canadian government, led by Justin Trudeau, to take decisive action against these extremist activities. However, political considerations seem to have hindered substantive action. The question we must ponder is this: What are the potential consequences if Khalistani elements continue to receive significant attention and support in Canada? The international community should carefully consider the implications of allowing such ideologies to flourish, as it can undermine efforts towards peace and stability in the region. Striking a balance between freedom of expression and addressing extremist elements is a complex challenge, and finding the right approach is crucial in preventing further radicalisation and violence. The world must contemplate the potential repercussions of fostering an environment that allows extremism to thrive, not only for the affected nations but for global peace and stability as well. The path forward requires a careful balance between addressing legitimate concerns and safeguarding against radicalism and violence. The author is a final year LL.B student at O.P Jindal Global University and is a Bachelors in Global Affairs from the same university. She writes articles on womens rights, technology and law. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Perceptions of anti-state mechanismas they address themselves to the myriad forms of armed conflicthave seldom been restricted to the cellular confines of fine distinction. Most anti-state actors attempt to base their characters on theoretical elegance. Therefore, when an anti-state organisation essays its birth it will invariably take into account the sartorial nature of its exterior. Indeed, most such organisationsat least in the Indian sub-continenthave sought to decorate their cloaks with embellishments, which might have nothing to do with their inherent character. And, to that end, most such mechanismswhether they possess the cut and thrust of a revolutionary organization or notintroduce themselves to their audience with a period of demonstration. Such periods are invariably followed up with phases of confrontation, retribution and consolidation. But showcasing apart, every anti-state actor distinguishes itself by the methodology it adopts. Even its goal orientation may be so geared that ends (however ideologically suited) justify the means. It is only during the phase, which follows the period of consolidation, that the true character of a campaign can achieve proper registration. Most anti-state groups in the North East came to the fore with avowed objectives that were revolutionary in character. Indeed, even the motivationsin most caseshad a modicum of validity. Therefore, whether it is ULFA in 1979 or MULFA in 1994, the inspiration that drove such groups had legitimacy in the eyes of their respective parishes. While ULFA steamrolled into Assams firmament with the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh as one of its main aims, MULFA sought to catch the imagination of the Muslim population of Assams Morigaon and Nagaon districts demanding among other aspects, 30 per cent reservation for Muslims in government services and educational institutions. However, as aforesaid, the period following consolidation (especially when anti-state groups come into contact with outside forces) more often than not results in the disappearance of the revolutionary character. The anti-state groups careen out of control with the leadership taking on the roles of warlords. John Mackinlay, author of Defining Warlords [Published in Monograph 46, Building Stability in Africa, Challenges for the New Millennium, February 2000] defines warlord as a leader of an armed band who can act financially and politically in the international system without interference from the state in which he is basedHe confronts national governments, plunders their resources, moves and exterminates uncooperative population, interdicts international relief and development, and derails peace processes. With only a few exceptions, the modern warlord lives successfully beyond the reach and jurisdiction of civil society. His ability to seek refuge in the crisis zone and the lack of international commitment to take effective action together ensure his survival. The definition aptly describes a number of anti-state organisation leaders of the North East. The continued belligerence of Paresh Baruah and his role in the present international system makes him, for instance, a claimant of the warlord character, a position from which it would be very difficult for him to return. His strong links with ISI and the Chinese intelligence has ascertained that. Indeed, it is reported that he alone controls the finances of ULFA. It is little wonder, therefore, that recent reports not only connect him to Chinese ordnance factories such as Norinco, but influential business conglomerates of Bangladesh. It is interesting that ULFAs Bangladesh connection seems to be in play despite the fact that a friendly dispensation has actively aided the apprehension of important North East Indian insurgent leaders. The case of Paresh Baruah is curious and deserves special examination. The involvement of the ULFA chief of staff in the Chittagong arms haul case is now well known. Indeed, a Bangladeshi court is all set to frame formal charges against 52 suspects, including Baruah and JeI leader and former minister, Motiur Rahman Nizami. The complicity of former officials of Bangladeshs NSI (its director general, Rezaqul Haider Chowdhury) and senior officials of the Bangladesh army and DGFI have also come to the fore. The probe is reported to be extended to Chinas Norinco, where the 2 April 2004 arms consignment is said to have originated. But the disclosure about Paresh Baruahs properties in Bangladesh has cast a spell over what was expected to be a fair trial of the enigmatic ULFA leader. Questions are still being asked about the continued degree of influence that Baruah wields in the erstwhile East Pakistan, especially among influential members of the former BNP regime. But to be fair to Sheikh Hasinas dispensation, forces loyal to her in Dhaka (primarily from the Detective Branch of the Bangladesh Police) had begun an investigation into what could turn out to be a major controversy. However, a news report has stated that the NSI has issued a statement denying the alleged business involvement of Paresh Baruah, stating that when National Security Intelligence is continuing to uphold the national interest of Bangladesh by strengthening the professional skills within the organisation, publishing a report by the local newspapers and news sites, quoting an unknown foreign news source, without verification, goes against the national interest and is a heinous attempt. The report is totally imaginary and is created to serve interest of any vested interest group. Publication of such report, quoting an important intelligence agency of the country, without verifying the content of the news catered by an unknown foreign news source is part of international conspiracy, which can create instability in Bangladesh. But the fact of the matter is that certain agencies of Bangladesh are known to be close to Pakistan and even China. This is an important challenge for Sheikh Hasina. It could also be the reason why she seeks to (occasionally) balance China and India. The ULFA, too, denied the reports, which linked Baruah to two large business conglomerates of Bangladesh that have reportedly received money from ULFA. The two business houses, Bashundhara Group and Jamuna Group in question are huge business conglomerates of Bangladesh, but are reported to be business rivals. While only unbiased investigation would unravel the veracity of the allegation, one aspect that security observers in Assam are unanimous about is Paresh Baruahs almost decade long investments in Bangladesh. After all where were the huge sums of monies that were extorted from Assam and business houses that have interest in Assam kept? It seems to be well known fact that Baruahin the alias of Kamruddin Zaman Khanhad important stakes in shipping, shrimp farming and garment industry in Bangladesh, returns from which he subscribes to the international gun-running industry. The fact that he has been named as a conspirator and primary recipient of the 2 April 2004 Chittagong arms consignmentalongside important Bangladeshi officialsis reason enough to question the source of his funds and the sort of nexus he has with both Bangladesh officialdom the and business class. Another disturbing report about illegal finance transaction and trade that had surfaced is the news that more than 70 terror actors from Bangladesh have invested huge sums of money in Indian stock markets and real estate business, especially in Kolkata and Mumbai. Names of criminals like Rafiqul Islam Kajol, terror suspect Mollah Masud and Prakash Biswas have surfaced in this regard. These are serious allegations, especially in light of the realignment of Islamist terror regime in the sub-continent. The Indian connection with the dual epicentre of terror that constitutes Bangladesh and Pakistans Islamist network must be probed in its entirety, as should be the allegation of ULFAs businesses in Bangladesh. Both India and Bangladeshespecially with the new resolve to jointly fight terrorcannot afford to hide behind denials and diplomacy. Prudence lies in unravelling the truth before it becomes too unwieldy too handle. This must be taken up, even if it leads to temporary embarrassment in what must turn out to be a permanent alliance. The author is a conflict theorist and author. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. India currently ranks as the fifth largest economy and is projected to become the third largest economy by 2030. It is therefore crucial to emphasise on the continuous improvement of Indias ease of doing business ranking. The significance of Indias rise holds both geopolitical and business significance, exemplified by its successful tenure at the G-20 presidency. Essentially, this trajectory sets the stage for a robust economy with a strong nationalistic undertone. In the near future, a surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is expected, potentially reaching record levels. Indian corporate houses have been the main drivers of M&A and the landmark economic legislation namely the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has been a catalyst in the same. Breakthrough deals, like ArcelorMittals acquisition of Essar Steel, have certainly boosted foreign investor confidence. Given the pace of progress that India wants to achieve, corporate activity will be a key factor and M&A would be a part of it. Further to ensure the success of M&A via the IBC, the government should prioritise clarity, promptly address any uncertainties, align the IBC with other laws, and make necessary adjustments to expedite the M&A process through this route. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are one of the quickest ways for firms to enter new markets and add new capabilities to existing organisations. With ongoing reforms being implemented under relevant corporate and allied regulations, the investor community has consistently accessed the potential of this inorganic growth. The adoption of the IBC is one such attractive reform. In fact the introduction of this law has created a favourable environment for an absolutely new market and ecosystem of M&As in the distressed companies which wasnt so prevalent earlier. It is a matter of record that IBC is one of the most important measures adopted by the government to address the problem of stressed assets. As of March 2023, there were a total of 6,571 Corporate Insolvency Resolution Processes (CIRPs) in India. Out of these, 4,515, which is about 69 per cent, have been completed and/or closed in one way or the other including settlements, withdrawals, etc. according to the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). The data also reveals that 678 companies facing financial difficulties have been saved through this process. Additionally, 117 of these companies have acknowledged claims exceeding Rs 1,000 crore as of December 2022, and 102 of them have successfully implemented resolution plans. While the ratio of successful resolutions to liquidations is not promising, there has been a flurry of activity, with many seeing this as an opportunity to acquire valuable assets at discounted prices. A careful examination of the cases filed under the IBC reveals a significant increase in M&A transactions in India. In the last couple of years, there have been several corporate entities, HNIs, offshore entities and others showing interest in acquiring Indian companies for the first time. This process of M&A, though relatively new, has garnered considerable investor attention. Some argue that it is still in its early stages and has not delivered on its promises effectively. The IBC in India has witnessed numerous successful resolution plans since its inception, some notable examples of successful resolution plans: Name of the Corporate Debtor Successful Resolution Applicant 1. Bhushan Steel Tata Steel 2. Essar Steel ArcelorMittal 3. Binani Cement Ultratech Cement 4. Alok Industries Reliance Industries and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Company 5. Ruchi Soya Patanjali Group led consortium Some of the recent (2023) successful Resolution Applications: Name of the Corporate Debtor Successful Resolution Applicant 1. Karaikal Port Adani Port and SEZ 2. Lanco Mandakini Hydro Energy Pvt Statkraft IH Holding AS 3. JBF Petrochemicals GAIL (India) Ltd. 4. Jaypee Infratech Suraksha Realty and Lakshdeep Investments & Finance The Indian Bankruptcy Code (IBC) provides a comprehensive legal framework but does not eliminate the need for approvals from regulators and government bodies like CCI, RBI, SEBI, and others when resolution plans include their jurisdiction. Due to the early stages of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and its associated uncertainties, caution is advised when analysing potential risks and liabilities and developing a resolution plan. On the one hand, distressed M&A offers advantages, such as acquiring assets at a lower cost. These transactions are in their early stages under the IBC but are expected to grow as the framework matures. However, on the other hand, when foreign (on Indian) investors and acquirers are buying companies in India through the IBC route, there should not be unknown skeletons in the form of litigations and proceedings coming in from different corners. While the IBC promotes the idea of a clean slate, as emphasised by the Honble Supreme Court judgement in the Essar Steel case, the reality on the ground is that challenges can persist even after acquisitions. These challenges may come from private stakeholders or statutory authorities. This situation is a concern that needs to be addressed to facilitate smoother and more successful M&A activity through the IBC route. At the end of the day, companies are looking for business-friendly governments, policies, legal frameworks and hence improvements on this aspect would go a long way in helping India achieve its well deserved and ambitious global economic position. The writer is a practicing commercial litigation and disputes resolution lawyer. He is the author of Defaulters Paradise Lost: Demystifying the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A came up with a list 14 of television anchors it will boycott, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the alliance will soon get blacklisted by the people of the country. Those who have black hearts only they do such deeds of blacklisting. You should see the role of the I.N.D.I.A alliance all over the country from North to SouthThe people are going to blacklist this alliance, Scindia said. #WATCH | Indore, MP: On INDIA bloc blacklisting several TV news anchors, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia says, Those who have black hearts only they do such deeds of blacklisting. You should see the role of the INDIA alliance all over the country from North to SouthThe pic.twitter.com/AJvTzqNatU ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) September 15, 2023 I.N.D.I.A decided to boycott certain TV news anchors who they deem biased and think communalise news debates. These are: Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan, and Anand Narasimhan of News18; Chitra Tripathi and Sudhir Chaudhary of Aaj Tak; Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today; Prachi Parashar of India TV; Arnab Goswami of Republic Bharat; Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat 24; Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat; Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express; and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News. The decision was taken during the first meeting of the I.N.D.I.A Coordination Committee on Wednesday, where it authorised the Sub-Group on Media will draw up the names of anchors. Sub group of media to decide upon the names of the anchors in whose shows none of the INDIA parties will send their representatives, said Congress leader KC Venugopal. BJP releases statement Soon after the Opposition bloc announced the names of the news anchors to be boycotted, the Bharatiya Janata Party released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying, I.N.D.I Alliance giving direct threat to the media is like gagging the media for speaking the truth. It added, This also shows that the ghamandiya alliance has no courage to face the truth. The Bharatiya Janata Party severely criticises the unfortunate step of the I.N.D.I Alliance. I.N.D.I Alliance giving direct threat to the media is like gagging the media for speaking the truth. This also shows that the ghamandiya alliance has no courage to face the truth. The Bharatiya Janata Party severely criticises the unfortunate step of the I.N.D.I Alliance. pic.twitter.com/pfijp5Nlf0 BJP (@BJP4India) September 14, 2023 Meanwhile, BJP National President JP Nadda said, The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views. Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticised him. The history of Congress has many instances of bullying the media and silencing those with differing views. Pandit Nehru curtailed free speech and arrested those who criticised him. Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it- called for committed judiciary, Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 14, 2023 Indira Ji remains the Gold Medal winner of how to do it- called for committed judiciary, committed bureaucracy and imposed the horrific Emergency, he added. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said he would attend as a journalist Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shindes press conference scheduled to be held here on September 16 following a meeting of the state cabinet, if police allow him to remain present there. The state cabinet is scheduled to be held in Aurangabad on Saturday to mark the Marathwada Liberation Day, also known as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, celebrated on 17 September annually. Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din marks the integration of Marathwada with India after security forces invaded Hyderabad and defeated the Nizam and his Razakar units on September 17, 1948. Talking to a Marathi news channel, Raut said, The Maharashtra cabinets meeting will take place in Aurangabad on Saturday. If the police allow and dont stop me, I will attend the press conference of CM Eknath Shinde as a journalist after the cabinet meeting. I just want to see how much CM Shinde lies, the Rajya Sabha member, who is the executive editor of Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana, said. When asked about the purpose of his Aurangabad visit around the time of the state cabinets meeting, Raut said, We came to know that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is going to visit Aurangabad. He does not meet us in Delhi. So we Shiv Sainiks planned to meet him here as this is our own land. But his tour has been cancelled. Targeting the state government over the expenses for the cabinet meeting in Aurangabad, he said, They have a habit of grandeur. They have booked hotels in Aurangabad. This will take the state backwards. Booking hotels and taking cars on rent is a waste of public money. Raut accused the state government of not fulfilling the announcements made previously for the Marathwada region. A package of Rs 49,000 crore was announced in 2016 for the development of Marathwada region. How many promises have been fulfilled so far? Now it is being said that the government will announce another package of Rs 40,000 crore. The government must tell how many promises done earlier are fulfilled, he said. Several European countries, including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, are raising concerns about the level of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the iPhone 12. France recently ordered Apple to halt sales of the iPhone 12 due to radiation levels exceeding permissible limits. The French regulator, ANFR, has given Apple two weeks to respond to its investigation, and German authorities suggest that this could lead to broader measures across Europe. Belgium has initiated a review by instructing its regulator to assess whether the iPhone 12 poses health risks. The Dutch Digital Infrastructure Agency (RDI) also noted that radiation levels, based on French tests, appeared to be exceeded but stated there was no immediate safety risk. Germanys BNetzA network agency indicated that the French investigation might result in measures applicable to all EU member states. Apple has contested the French findings, stating that it provided lab results from both the company itself and third parties, demonstrating the devices compliance with regulations. Frances digital economy minister expressed hope that Apple could resolve the issue through a software update. However, if unsuccessful, Apple might need to recall all iPhone 12 units sold in France, according to ANFR. The French regulator conducts two radiation tests: one simulating close contact with the body, such as when the phone is held or placed in a pocket, and the other at a slightly greater distance, like a phone in a jacket pocket or bag. The iPhone 12 passed the second test but exceeded EU regulatory limits in the first. While smartphones have faced removal from the market in France due to radiation concerns in the past, this marks the first instance of an iPhone model being affected. The World Health Organization has stated that, based on numerous studies, there is no established link between mobile phone use and adverse health effects due to radiation. Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi Corp, two of Chinas biggest smartphone players, have decided to put their intellectual property dispute on the back burner and instead inked a global patent cross-licensing deal. This agreement covers various communication technologies, including the ever-important 5G, and its poised to boost the expansion efforts of both companies. Alan Fan, who heads up Huaweis intellectual property department, summed it up well in a joint statement released on Wednesday, saying, This licensing agreement once again shows how the industry recognizes Huaweis contributions to communication standards and will help us invest more in researching future mobile tech. Before this deal, Huawei, based in Shenzhen and holding the worlds most 5G patents as of April 2022, was tangled up in a patent infringement lawsuit with Xiaomi. The lawsuit spanned everything from the 4G standard to smartphone photography and a screen-lock method. Xiaomi, headquartered in Beijing, tried to challenge one of these patents in April, but Chinas National Intellectual Property Administration shot down that attempt in early September. Xu Ran, the general manager of corporate business development and IP strategy at Xiaomi, summed up the new agreement as a sign of mutual recognition and respect for each others intellectual property. This agreement highlights Huawei and Xiaomis determination to challenge Apple in the high-end smartphone market segment, where Apples iPhone has long held sway both in China and globally. Huaweis new Mate 60 Pro and Mate 60 Pro+ 5G phones have garnered patriotic fervour among Chinese consumers, thanks to their breakthrough made-in-China processor, the Kirin 9000s. This has also turned Huaweis latest 5G smartphone range into a symbol of Chinas defiance in the face of harsh US tech sanctions. Xiaomi, on the other hand, has made it clear that theyre gunning for Apple. Lei Jun, the companys founder, chairman, and CEO, reiterated this goal and pledged to compete more aggressively against other Chinese smartphone rivals at home. He emphasized the need to aim for the high-end market to drive technological innovation and secure their future in the industry. Xiaomi is putting its money where its mouth is with plans to invest heavily in various areas, including hardware, software, tech infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. Theyve committed a substantial 100 billion yuan or $13.7 billion to research and innovation projects over the next five years. Theres also speculation that Xiaomi is venturing into developing its own smartphone system-on-a-chip (SoC) based on their recent job postings. Meanwhile, Huawei, despite being on the US blacklist, has poured over 977.3 billion yuan into tech research and development over the past decade, with more than half of its workforce engaged in research roles. As of 2022, they held more than 120,000 valid licensed patents, making them Chinas largest patent holder. This patent portfolio generated $560 million in royalty revenue last year. This deal with Xiaomi comes on the heels of Huaweis recent global patent cross-licensing agreement with Swedens Ericsson, covering 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile technologies. Huawei has also forged similar patent-licensing agreements with Oppo, Samsung Electronics, and Nokia. In the end, these deals are not just about the companies involved but also about pushing innovation in the industry, ultimately benefiting consumers. Chinese consumers, in particular, are increasingly favouring cutting-edge smartphone models, and this trend motivates vendors to invest in more product innovations to stay ahead in the tech race, as highlighted by Amber Liu, an analyst at market research firm Canalys. Artificial intelligence (AI) is causing a revolution across various fields, spanning from the corporate world to the medical arena. AI is becoming a valuable assistant to humans, aiding in tasks and providing in-depth analytical insights. In a recent groundbreaking development in the realm of AI, scientists have introduced an AI tool capable of diagnosing and predicting the risk of several health conditions, including heart failure. This remarkable AI tool is known as RETFound, and it leverages the power of AI to diagnose and predict the likelihood of developing a range of health issues, spanning from eye diseases to heart failure and Parkinsons disease. It achieves this by analyzing retinal images of individuals. What sets RETFound apart is its innovative use of self-supervised learning, eliminating the need for researchers to manually label the 1.6 million retinal images used for training. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also reduces the costs associated with developing AI tools for medical diagnosis. Much like ChatGPT and other large-language models learn to predict the next word in a sentence based on context, RETFound combs through an extensive dataset of retinal images to accurately predict missing portions of these images. In simpler terms, it learns what a retina should look like and comprehends its features over millions of images. This foundational knowledge allows it to serve as a versatile base model, adaptable for various applications. Pearse Keane, an ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London and co-author of the paper, elaborated on RETFound, stating that Over the course of millions of images, the model somehow learns what a retina looks like and what all the features of a retina are. This understanding forms the core of the model, making it versatile and customizable for a wide array of applications. The paper delves deeper into how RETFound utilizes retinal scans to provide insights into an individuals cardiovascular health. It emphasizes the unique aspect of retinas, as they offer a direct view of the bodys smallest blood vessels, forming an intricate capillary network. Consequently, conditions impacting the entire circulatory system, like hypertension, can be directly observed through retinal images. Moreover, retinas share some similarities with the central nervous system, resembling the brain in certain aspects. This resemblance enables retinal images to be employed in assessing neural tissue. However, the interpretation of these scans often necessitates specialized expertise, making AI a valuable asset in this context. RETFound, the AI-powered tool, has already learned what a normal retina should look like from unlabeled data. Using this knowledge, it can analyze retinal scans to detect any abnormalities, which can then lead to disease diagnoses. Scientists acknowledge that while the AI tools performance is impressive, particularly in detecting eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, its accuracy in predicting systemic diseases such as heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, and Parkinsons may not be flawless. Nevertheless, it outperforms many other AI models in this regard. As more data and time come into play, it is expected that its accuracy will continue to improve. Foxconn Technology Group, a major supplier for Apple, is reportedly offering higher wages to workers producing Huawei Technologies smartphones in the tech hub of Shenzhen, southern China, compared to those manufacturing iPhones. The FIH unit, primarily focused on assembling handsets and consumer electronics for Huawei and other smartphone companies, now predominantly serves Huawei, as reported by the local newspaper China Business News. Apple production staff is getting paid less than Huawei According to recruitment posts and information from labour agencies, Foxconns FIH unit, responsible for producing Huawei smartphones, is offering an hourly wage of 26 yuan (approximately $3.60) to new workers at its Shenzhen factory. This wage is higher than the 21 yuan hourly rate offered by Foxconns integrated Digital Product Business Group (iDPBG), which manufactures iPhones. Workers hired by Foxconn may be assigned to different teams based on current demand, but in recent times, there is a higher likelihood of them being involved in the production of Huawei devices. The increased hiring activity is occurring amidst a competitive race in production, with both Apple and Huawei recently unveiling new 5G smartphones in the worlds largest smartphone market. Is Huawei riding on nationalistic pride? Apple introduced its iPhone 15 series earlier this week, with the official launch set for September 22. The reception for the iPhone 15 has been mixed among Chinese users. Meanwhile, Huawei, despite being blacklisted by the US government, has been generating significant patriotic enthusiasm for its new Mate 60 Pro and Mate 60 Pro+ smartphones, thanks to their advanced made-in-China chips. There are several factors influencing the varying hourly rates within different units under Foxconn, the worlds largest electronics contract manufacturer. According to Xu, the recruitment agent, the hourly rates offered by the FIH unit tend to be higher than those at iDPBG because the iPhone production unit typically provides better welfare programs for its workers compared to other units. In Zhengzhou, the capital of central Henan province and home to the worlds largest iPhone factory, Foxconn is offering peak season signing bonuses of 6,480 yuan per person at the Product Enclosure Business Group, responsible for producing mechanical parts for the iPhone, as indicated in a recent job posting. While China remains Apples most crucial production centre, the company has been diversifying its supply chain due to escalating geopolitical tensions. Is Apples India push being punished? According to reports citing anonymous sources, Apple has made India-built iPhone 15s available for global sales on the debut day for the first time. Although Apple started iPhone 15s production at Foxconns Indian factory last month, the majority of the latest iPhone 15 series will still be manufactured in China. Apple is currently facing one of its most challenging sales seasons in China, partly due to the resurgence of Huawei in the smartphone market and the Chinese governments restrictions on iPhones. Huawei, headquartered in Shenzhen, has scheduled a product launch event for September 25, leading to speculation about the unveiling of the mysterious chip inside the Mate 60 Pro. The company has raised its smartphone shipment target for the second half of 2023 by 20 per cent, driven by strong presales of the Mate 60 Pro, according to a report from the Chinese newspaper Securities Daily. US Senator Chuck Schumer hosted an AI Insight Forum to discuss potential AI regulation, which drew attention due to its prominent guest list. However, as opposed to what was advertised earlier, the forum was attended mainly by politicians and tech CEOs Notable attendees included Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman from OpenAI, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia. However, the overwhelmingly corporate presence, with 14 out of 22 being CEOs, raised concerns about the forums objectives. Nothing more than a photo op? Some viewed the event as a photo opportunity for staffers to meet tech industry celebrities rather than a genuine effort to understand AIs functioning and its implications. Critics questioned the technical expertise of the CEOs, suggesting that they may not be best suited to explain the intricacies of AI. Dr. Margaret Mitchell from Hugging Face also highlighted the lack of technically skilled women at the meeting, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping AI regulation. Senator Josh Hawley criticized the monopolistic nature of the meeting, accusing industry leaders of influencing regulatory frameworks to maximize their profits. Despite the controversy, the event garnered bipartisan interest, with over 60 senators participating. Schumer and Senator Todd Young expressed optimism about the Senates readiness to consider legislative proposals, although Senator Mike Rounds cautioned that drafting appropriate legislation would take time. Profitability over everything else The call for AI regulation has gained momentum globally, with countries addressing issues like facial recognition, deepfakes, and training data sets. US Senators Blumenthal and Hawley proposed a bipartisan framework requiring government licenses for companies working on high-risk AI applications. Companies like Adobe, IBM, and Nvidia have joined President Joe Bidens voluntary AI commitments, focusing on measures like watermarking AI-generated content to identify its artificial origins. However, experts like Dr. Margaret Mitchell are concerned that the technical intricacies of AI may be overshadowed by the hype and profit motives. They suggest that engaging technically skilled individuals and prioritizing long-term societal benefits should be the foundation for AI regulation, rather than short-term profit maximization. Overwhelming Consensus on AI regulation, says Musk Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has expressed that there was a strong consensus among tech leaders for the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) following a gathering of prominent figures in Washington to discuss AIs implications. Musk emphasized the potential risks associated with AI, stating that if the technology goes awry, it could have severe consequences. He highlighted the importance of being proactive in addressing these concerns and working collaboratively with the government to prevent AI-related issues from arising. One of the primary concerns surrounding AI is the potential for mass job displacement, increased fraud, and the amplification of misinformation. Additionally, there have been criticisms of AI companies using data scraped from the internet without proper authorization or compensation to content creators. In the recent meeting, he reiterated his desire for a regulatory framework, likening it to having a referee for AI. While the exact timeline and form of such regulation remain uncertain, Musk expressed confidence that steps would be taken to address AIs challenges and risks. Elon Musk is probably the biggest tech mogul on the planet right now. However, he also happens to hold immense influence on a number of world affairs. The most recent example would be how he influenced the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The Senate Armed Services Committee is initiating an investigation into national security concerns stemming from Musks influence over the Russia-Ukraine war. Musks influence on the Russia-Ukraine war This is coming on the back of Musks decision to withhold his Starlink satellite network from aiding a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships near the Crimean coast. According to Pentagon officials quoted in The New Yorker article, several high-ranking officials see Elon Musk as almost like an unelected official, or an unelected senator Theyre also concerned about his views on Vladimir Putin. The report also highlighted the critical role played by SpaceXs Starlink satellites in the Ukraine situation. It was because of the revelations of this report that Musks father Errol Musk has said that there is a good chance of Elon getting assassinated. Chairman Jack Reed announced the investigation, citing serious national security liability issues raised by the reports regarding Starlinks non-availability for the Ukrainian operation. Reed emphasized that the committee is actively examining the situation from various angles. Musks control of SpaceX is causing issues SpaceX, headed by Elon Musk, has become a major US contractor, handling the launch of spy satellites for the Defense Department and operating the Starlink network. As of now, SpaceX has not provided a response to requests for comments on the matter. Reed clarified that the committees investigation will encompass a broader examination of the satellite market, government contracts, and the substantial role played by Musk and his company in these areas. Questions have been raised by Reed and other senators about why the decision regarding Starlinks use was made by a private individual rather than a government official. Reed stressed that when it comes to US national security, no private citizen, including Elon Musk, should have the final say. A messy situation Democratic senators on the committee, including Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, have been seeking answers from the Defense Department regarding Musks involvement in deciding when Ukraine can access the satellite network. They plan to send a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, requesting details about Starlink and Musks activities in Ukraine. Shaheen expressed her frustration, noting that she has asked for information during classified briefings but has yet to receive satisfactory answers. Its worth noting that at the time of Ukraines initial request, Elon Musks Starlink project did not receive any US funding for operations in Ukraine, although it is currently supported with Pentagon funds. According to a Reuters/Ipsos survey released on Thursday, the United States is divided over the Republican impeachment investigation of Democratic President Joe Biden, with a plurality of Americans backing the idea. Some 41 per cent of respondents supported Congress initiating an impeachment probe into Biden over claims involving his son Hunter Biden, while 35 per cent were opposed and 24 per cent were unsure. The online survey of 4,413 Americans was conducted from September 8 to September 14, which means that some respondents responded before Republicans in the House of Representatives announced on Tuesday that they would begin the probe. Republicans claim to have discovered a culture of corruption around Bidens son Hunter Bidens business operations, which merits a probe. They have not provided proof of the presidents malfeasance, and the White House claims the investigation is a political spectacle that is not supported by facts. The survey findings revealed a clear party division. Only 18 per cent of Democrats supported the investigation, while 71 per cent of Republicans did. Similarly, 63 per cent of Democrats and 14 per cent of Republicans indicated they opposed it. Independents were more equally divided, with 38 per cent supporting the inquiry, 30 per cent opposing it, and 32 per cent undecided. The investigation could lead to an impeachment vote by the Republican-controlled House. Biden would not be removed from office unless two-thirds of the Democratic-controlled Senate votes to convict an unlikely prospect. Bidens son Hunter pursued a wide range of foreign business ventures and has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. He was criminally charged on Thursday with deceiving a gun dealer into selling him a firearm, in the first-ever indictment of a sitting presidents child. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 46 per cent of respondents believed that criminal charges were politically motivated, while 40 per cent thought they were not. Previous polls have found that many Americans believe Hunter Biden has received special treatment. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of plus or minus 2 percentage points. US President Joe Biden told top American rabbis on Friday that he felt anti-Semitism has risen to record levels and was a big challenge for the entire country, while also taking a dig at Republican former President Donald Trump over the matter. Anti-Semitism has risen to record levels, Biden said in a call with US rabbis to commemorate the Jewish High Holidays. In the past several years, it has been given too much oxygen, Biden added. The US president said in the call that the 2017 Unite the Right white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, made him decide that he should run for president. The rally followed months of protests over the citys plan to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Hundreds of white nationalists travelled to Charlottesville in August 2017, with some marching on the University of Virginia campus carrying torches and chanting Jews will not replace us! Trump, who was president at the time, was criticized for initially saying there were fine people on both sides after the rally devolved into violent clashes. That is when I decided I had to stay engaged instead of walking away, Biden said in the call, quoting Trumps remarks from then. The president added: Silence is complicity. Trump, in his turn has denied all allegations of anti-Semitism. The social and political climate in the United States has become fertile ground for anti-Semitism in recent years, according to a report released in April by advocacy group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Tel Aviv University. Expressions of hatred against Jews have become mainstreamed and normalized, and incidents of violence, vandalism, and harassment of Jews have increased, the report had said. More than 3,600 anti-Semitism incidents were recorded in the United States in 2022, more than in any year since ADL began tracking the issue in 1979. Brazils Supreme Court sentenced two defendants to long prison sentences Thursday in the first judgements for rioting by followers of Brazils far-right ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. The charges included an attempted coup. Aecio Pereira, 51, and Thiago Mathar, 43, were sentenced to 17 and 14 years in jail, respectively, for their roles in the disturbances that overran the seat of authority in Brasilia on 8 January. Despite heavy security, hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters attacked the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court that day, wrecking the three institutions and calling on the military to depose leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This was no walk in the park. It was a Sunday of devastation, a day of infamy, said Chief Justice Rosa Weber. The riots rattled a nation still split by Lulas close victory over Bolsonaro in Brazils presidential election in October 2022 and drew inescapable comparisons to the January 6, 2021 takeover of the US Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump Bolsonaros political role model. Both defendants maintained their innocence. Pereira, a former employee of the municipal sanitation company in Sao Paulo, reportedly made an obscenity-laced cell phone video of himself at the Senate presidents table during the invasion, wearing a Military Intervention T-shirt and urging fellow Bolsonaro supporters to take to the streets. According to the police investigation, Mathar was recorded on security camera footage accessing the presidential office suite, according to the cases main judge, Alexandre de Moraes. In both cases, eight of the courts 11 judges ruled to convict on all five charges the defendants faced: violent uprising against the rule of law, attempted coup, armed criminal conspiracy, damaging a national heritage site and aggravated property destruction. Three ruled to convict on only some of the charges, with lighter jail terms than those the pair were ultimately sentenced to. The defendants had faced a maximum of 30 years in prison. The court also imposed a collective fine of 30 million reais (around $6 million) on all those eventually convicted over the damages caused by the riots. Overthrow the government Lawyers for Pereira told the court their client was unarmed and committed no acts of violence. Defence attorney Sebastiao Coelho da Silva called the trial politically motivated. Mathars lawyer told the court his client had only entered the presidential palace seeking shelter when clashes broke out between protesters and police. He wanted a better country, he wasnt there to cause trouble, he said. The court ruled otherwise. The defendant came here to participate in a coup, to overthrow a democratically elected government, Moraes said in his ruling. First of hundreds In all, the Supreme Court plans to hear 232 cases involving the most serious alleged crimes committed during the riots. The first trial, which opened Wednesday, is part of an initial batch of four cases before the high court. Justices began hearing the third Thursday afternoon. Prosecutors are also investigating more than 1,000 others over the attacks, mostly on lesser charges that could be settled in plea bargains. Investigators are meanwhile working to trace the financial backers behind the protests and establish whether police and army officers played a role. Seven Brasilia police commanders were arrested last month for dereliction of duty in connection with the riots. Bolsonaro, who was in the United States at the time, faces investigation over accusations of inciting the riots. The 68-year-old ex-army captain is also under investigation over various allegations of corruption and abuse of office. In June, electoral authorities barred him from running for office for eight years over his unproven allegations that Brazils electronic voting system was vulnerable to large-scale fraud. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing. Some people are obsessed with trying to link me to the events of January 8, he told newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo on Monday. On Friday, President Xi Jinping stated that China supports Zambias national sovereignty, security, and development interests, while also promoting greater imports from the southern African country. Xi met Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in Beijing, and the two nations ties were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Xi pledged to collaborate with Zambia to boost infrastructure, agricultural, mining, and sustainable energy cooperation. Zambia is attempting to renegotiate its external debt with China and expand commerce with the worlds second-largest economy. According to Xinhua, Hichilema hailed China for supporting the African Unions admittance to the Group of 20 major economies at its September 9-10 summit in New Delhi, as well as for its beneficial involvement in settling Zambias debt situation. It was unclear if China and Zambia had signed any loan arrangements. According to statistics gathered by the American Enterprise Institute think tank, China has major business interests in Zambia, having invested in over 30 projects under its Belt and Road Initiative between 2014 and 2023. It reveals that the projects totalled $11.3 billion and ranged from the energy sector to agriculture and aviation. China also consumes almost one-fifth of Zambian exports, primarily copper. Zambia abides by the one-China principle, highly appreciates the guiding concepts and principles of Chinese-style modernisation, and hopes to learn from Chinas development experience, Hichilema said at the meeting with Xi. Xi said China was encouraging the entry of more Zambian high-quality products into the Chinese market and supporting more Chinese-funded enterprises to invest in Zambia. Hichilema will be in China until Saturday. The nationalist Chinese publication Global Times called Europes investigation into cheaper Chinese electric cars (EVs) excessive, and stated Chinas better offering is the envy of European manufacturers. The investigation was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, a week after executives at Munichs IAA mobility show said European carmakers faced a battle to produce lower-cost EVs and close the gap on Chinas lead in making cheaper, more consumer-friendly models. Beijing has already slammed the inquiry as a protectionist move aimed at protecting Europes own sector in the name of fair competition, and warned that economic ties may be jeopardised. To tell the truth, when Chinese new energy vehicles shone brightly at the recent 2023 International Motor Show in Germany, we heard some envious and even jealous remarks but we didnt expect Europes response to be so excessive, the Global Times said in an editorial. Analysts have warned that should the EU levy duties against Chinese EVs after the probe, which could take up to 13 months, China would likely impose countermeasures, hitting European industries. If Europe lacks the confidence and courage to win the market through fair competition, it will be impossible to establish competitiveness in the EV industry, the newspaper wrote. The investigation is expected to be a focus of talks when EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis visits China later this month, where he is expected to renew calls for fair competition. There are 745 million more moderately to severely hungry people in the world today than in 2015, and the world is far off track in its efforts to meet an ambitious United Nations goal to end hunger by 2030, the UN said in a report on Friday. At the halfway point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is seeing little to no improvement in most of the food and agriculture-related goals, said the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, released ahead of a UN sustainable development summit next week in New York. The lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with other crises such as climate change and armed conflicts, are having widespread impacts, the report said. Progress made in the past two decades has stagnated, and in some cases even reversed. Global food insecurity spiked sharply in 2020 as the pandemic disrupted food markets and drove up unemployment, but hunger has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. About 29.6% of the global population 2.4 billion people was moderately or severely food insecure in 2022, up from 1.75 billion in 2015, the report said. Undernourishment is worst in the Global South, with hunger rising most in Sub-Saharan Africa. The world has also seen no improvement towards a goal to halve food waste, which has remained at about 13% since 2016. Countries should craft policy to reduce food loss, the report said. Reuters reported last November that the lack of global progress on food waste is due to low public investment and clear policy, and wasteful consumer habits. The world is also far from achieving goals to protect fish stocks, conserve forests, and reverse land degradation. Some progress has been made on water use efficiency and curbing illegal fishing. Two well-known activists of human rights in Bangladesh have been sentenced to two years in prison by a Bangladeshi court for their 2013 report in which they documented killings by security forces. Law enforcement contends that the report had a negative impact on Bangladeshs reputation. Critics, however, argue that this move is part of a broader crackdown on opposition leading up to the upcoming elections. Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, who are associated with the human rights organization Odhikar, have consistently denied accusations dating back a decade that they published a report containing false information. After a ten-year legal process, the pair was found guilty in Dhaka on Thursday. Numerous international human rights organizations have called for their immediate release, claiming that the two men were not given a fair trial. Both activists have spent many years compiling evidence of alleged extrajudicial killings, disappearances of opposition members, and instances of police brutality in Bangladesh. The charges against them are related to a 2013 Odhikar report about a protest staged by an Islamist group seeking to impose a stricter interpretation of religion in Bangladeshi society. The report detailed that security forces had killed at least 61 individuals, including children, during an overnight operation in Dhaka to disperse the protesters. Khan and Elan were arrested shortly after the reports release but were later released on bail. The charges were resurrected by prosecutors only recently. Prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim told the AFP news agency, They were sentenced to two years in jail for publishing and circulating false information, hurting religious sentiments and undermining the image of the state. Human Rights Watch has pointed out that legal action against them did not progress until 2021, following US sanctions against Bangladeshs elite paramilitary force for their alleged involvement in numerous enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings since 2009. Just last week, the United Nations highlighted that both men had faced harassment and intimidation while out on bail. Rights groups have insisted on the immediate release of the two men, citing due process violations during their trial, including the failure to provide the defense with crucial information until one day before the hearing. A statement signed by 39 international rights groups mentioned, In addition to targeting Odhikars leaders, the Government interfered with the organizations ability to conduct its human rights work by blocking their access to funds and leaving its registration renewal application pending since 2014. Since taking office in 2009, Sheikh Hasinas government has been accused of targeting activists and political opponents, a charge she denies. Last year, the government revoked Odhikars operating license, accusing the organization of tarnishing the countrys reputation. Under Khans and Elans leadership, Odhikar had collaborated closely with the United Nations and international human rights groups. Their reports were also cited in the US State Departments country reports. This sentencing of the activists comes just four months before Bangladeshs next general election and at a time when there are increasing demands for ensuring free and fair polls. (With inputs from agencies) The Northeastern University in Washington has announced that it will award Jaahnavi Kandula, the 23-year-old Indian student who died in a car accident in Seattle in January, her degree posthumously. In the days following this tragedy, our Seattle campus community joined together in a vigil of remembrance and solidarityHer loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and facultyThe university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family, Chancellor Kenneth W Henderson said. Kandula was studying Information Systems at the institution. She would have graduated with a masters degree in December. The Seattle Police have initiated a detailed probe against several leaders of the police union after a video of an officer went viral. He was heard making fun of the 23-year-old student who lost her life after being hit by an overspeeding police vehicle. In a bodycam video, Officer Daniel Auderer discusses the investigation into the accident involving Kandula who was fatally struck by his colleague, Officer Kevin Dave, on January 23. Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value, Auderer can be heard saying. On Wednesday, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco demanded a probe into the case, saying, Recent reports including in media of the handling Jaahnavi Kandulas death are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC .. for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case. The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities, the Indian Consulate wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandulas death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023 Meanwhile, the Joe Biden administration has assured the Indian government to carry out a swift investigation into the incident. An official in Indonesia said Friday that hundreds of riot police have been dispatched to a small island after protests erupted against a China-backed project that would evict thousands of locals. On Monday, over 1,000 people demonstrated in Batam City against a plan to turn Rempang Island into a Chinese-funded industrial zone, which would include the building of a multibillion-dollar glass plant, displacing approximately 7,500 people. Protesters holding machetes, Molotov cocktails, and stones battled with security personnel outside a government institution, authorities claimed, adding that scores were arrested. Beijing has poured money into infrastructure and resource projects in Southeast Asias largest economy, causing societal turmoil in the past, including a deadly January riot at a nickel smelting factory on Sulawesi Island. Police in Riau Islands province, near Singapore, said that 200 officers from the mobile brigade riot police unit known as Brimob, notorious for its heavy-handed tactics, were dispatched to the scene on Thursday. They are from Riau provinces mobile brigade (unit). The deployment is to create security, spokesman Zahwani Pandra Arsyad told AFP. This is a precautionary step to maintain security as Batam, Riau Islands is strategic (for) people to do business and invest. Arsyad said the length of deployment depends on the situation. Mondays unrest took place outside BP Batams building, the agency that oversees the regions development. Jakarta secured a reported $11.5 billion investment pledge from Xinyi Glass Holdings, the worlds biggest glass producer, to build the factory during a visit by President Joko Widodo to the Chinese city of Chengdu in July. Widodo responded to the unrest on Thursday, saying anger against the project was caused by miscommunication that could have been prevented if relocation package details were properly explained. BP Batam has said the packages will include rent and meal compensation. The government says the development will create tens of thousands of jobs for Indonesians. It aims to attract more than 300,000 jobs by 2080, according to officials, who have not said when the project is expected to be finished. In an apparent case of hate crime, a 17-year-old Sikh high school student was assaulted at a bus stop after an altercation with another teenager in Canadas British Columbia province, according to a media report on Thursday. The incident took place on Monday in Kelowna at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East where the high school student was allegedly kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed, CTV news reported. Officers determined a 17-year-old Sikh student was either beer or pepper sprayed by another teenage male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home, a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. Before the assault, there was an altercation aboard a bus, which resulted in those involved being kicked off, police said. While police have not released more details, the World Sikh Organisation of Canada has alleged that the student was also assaulted while aboard the vehicle. Two individuals approached the student and first barred his entry onto the bus and then, once allowing him to board, began to threaten him with a lighter and photograph and record him from a close distance with their phones, the CTV news report quoted the organisations statement. Mondays attack on a Sikh high school student in Kelowna is shocking and unacceptable, Guntaas Kaur, WSO vice president for British Columbia was quoted as saying. This is the second such instance of violence against a Sikh youth riding public transit in the city this year. Earlier in March, a 21-year-old Sikh student from India, Gagandeep Singh, was attacked in British Columbia province by a group of unknown men who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair. In Florida, a man has been arrested for hanging extremist hate symbols, including swastikas, on a bridge. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced on Wednesday that they have arrested 48-year-old Jason Brown from Cape Canaveral. He is accused of hanging swastikas and other anti-Semitic banners on the Daryl Carter Parkway overpass in Orlando and has been charged with criminal mischief. Authorities mentioned that there are three arrest warrants outstanding for suspects living out of state. These suspects are said to have violated a newly enacted state law that prohibits individuals from displaying or projecting images onto buildings, structures, or property without permission. The suspects allegedly placed these banners on a fence back in June without obtaining written permission. These banners, which contained various racist messages, were hung directly over the I-4 highway. Jason Brown claims to be a member of the Order of the Black Sun, an anti-Semitic extremist hate group that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has described as a small neo-Nazi network mainly based in Florida. This group was formed earlier this year by individuals with long-standing affiliations with Floridas overlapping white supremacist network. FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass expressed gratitude to Governor DeSantis for supporting law enforcement and for signing HB 269, which provides law enforcement with the necessary tools to arrest such hate-driven individuals. Glass stated, This kind of activity will not be tolerated in Florida, the greatest state in the country. Dave Kerner, the Executive Director of the states Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, emphasized that Florida is a law-and-order state. He highlighted that Browns arrest reflects Floridas dedication to protecting its residents from extremists who seek attention. Kerner also thanked Governor DeSantis for his efforts to eliminate intimidation, vitriol, and hate directed towards people of faith, while empowering law enforcement to do the same. Earlier this month, a small group of neo-Nazis, along with supporters from extremist hate groups like the Blood Tribe and the Goyim Defense League, marched through the Orlando area. They shouted racial slurs and waved flags bearing swastikas and other white supremacy symbols. The ADL strongly condemned these rallies. Sarah Emmons, the Florida regional director of ADL, said, We are deeply outraged by the two extremist demonstrations in the Orlando area. This type of hateful activity has no place in our community. Emmons called on public officials at the federal, state, and local levels to unequivocally denounce such hateful activity. She emphasized that allowing hate and extremist beliefs to become normalized in society is unacceptable. These rallies occurred just a week after a 21-year-old gunman left hate-filled messages before killing three Black individuals at a dollar store in Jacksonville, Florida. Authorities stated that this incident was racially motivated. According to a report released by the ADL in March, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States reached a record high in 2022. The organization recorded 3,697 anti-Semitic incidents throughout the country, marking a 36% increase from the 2,717 incidents reported in 2021. This is the highest number of incidents recorded since the ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured a Russian fighter aircraft factory sanctioned by the West, as part of a visit that Washington and its allies believe would reinforce Russias military in Ukraine and enhance Pyongyangs missile programme. When Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim met for a summit on Wednesday, they discussed military problems and strengthening cooperation. South Korea and the United States warned on Friday that North Koreas military cooperation with Russia violated UN sanctions and that the allies will guarantee a price was paid. Kim, 39, paid a visit to the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant and the Yakovlev Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, both parts of United Aircraft Corporation, which is sanctioned by the West due to the conflict in Ukraine. Kim saw the assembly workshops where the Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter and the Su-57 fighter are built at the Gagarin facility, which is also specially sanctioned by the US, escorted by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, according to the government. On Russian state television, Kim, dressed in a suit and accompanied by North Korean military officials in uniform, was seen meticulously inspecting the cockpit of a fighter plane as Russian authorities discussed its capabilities through a translator. He then inspected workshops where the fuselage compartments and wing assemblies of Russias Sukhoi Superjet 100 were made before watching a demonstration flight of the Su35. He nodded with approval as the fighter performed. Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union. For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war. Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the worlds biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made. US warning Putin and Kim called each other comrades when they met at Russias most advanced space rocket launch cosmodrome on Wednesday, with Kim toasting to Putins health and victory for Russia in Ukraine. The United States and South Korea appear worried by the revival of Moscows friendship with Pyongyang which they fear could give Kim access to some of Russias sensitive missile and other technology. US and South Korean officials called on Moscow to show responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We agreed to work together to ensure there is a price to pay for the grave violation of Security Council resolutions, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin told a press conference in Seoul. There was no comment from either Kim or Putin on the US warnings, though Russian diplomats pushed back against the criticism. They said that Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July. The US State Department said on Wednesday the Biden administration would not hesitate to impose additional sanctions on Russia and North Korea if they conclude new arms deals. The Kremlin says it abides by UN sanctions but that it has a right to develop neighbourly relations, including on sensitive topics. Kim arrived in Russia on his special train on Tuesday, held a summit with Putin on Wednesday in Vostochny and appeared to have spent most of Thursday travelling before appearing in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 6,000 km east of Moscow, on Friday. His Maybach limousine was filmed being driven onto his train on Friday in Komsomolsk-on-Amur with the help of a special platform. Following his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled to a Russian industrial city on Friday to tour a military aviation facility, according to Russian media. Historic allies Russia and North Korea are both subject to a slew of global sanctions, Moscow for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis and Pyongyang for its nuclear tests, with Kims visit raising concerns among Kyivs friends about future military deals. Kims bullet-proof train arrived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russias far east, two days after visiting Putin at a spaceport, where he was greeted with flowers, music, a dance ensemble, and ceremonial loaves of bread, according to the Interfax news agency. Kim, who seldom leaves the nation, is in the vital Russian industrial city to visit a military and civil aircraft enterprise. While Pyongyang wants Moscows assistance in developing its missile programme, US officials and analysts say Russia is interested in purchasing North Korean munitions for use in Ukraine. According to the TASS news agency, Kim visited an aircraft facility named after Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. According to TASS, the factory manufactures Russias Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 fighter aircraft. When Kims train arrived in Russia on Tuesday after leaving Pyongyang on Sunday, he was given an autographed portrait of Gagarin at the border. Exchange of rifles Kim held talks with Putin at the Vostochny cosmodrome on Wednesday. Afterwards, Putin said on television that Kim will visit factories where civilian and combat aviation equipment is produced in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. He added that Kim would also visit the far east port of Vladivostok to oversee a display of Russian warships. There is also a military component in Vladivostok to demonstrate the capabilities of the Pacific Fleet, Putin told state media. Kim will visit the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, as well as the Russian Academy of Sciences, including laboratories researching marine biology, Putin added. Kims far east visit will last a few more days, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. The Kremlin also confirmed that Putin, who has sought to strengthen alliances with other leaders ostracised by the West, had accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea. At their summit, Putin gave (Kim) a rifle from our production of the highest quality. In return, he also received a North Korean-made rifle, Peskov said. Putin also gifted the North Korean leader a glove from a space suit that has been to space several times. US consults Tokyo, Seoul Peskov said Moscow will quickly prepare to send Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Pyongyang with his trip expected in October before arranging a Putin visit. It would be Putins second trip to North Korea. He met Kims father Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in July 2000, shortly after becoming president. More than two decades later, Russia is facing unprecedented isolation from the West over Moscows Ukraine offensive, with Putin seeking to boost Soviet-era alliances. Kims visit to Russia is his first official trip abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Both countries are under a raft of sanctions, and Kims visit has sparked widespread concern over illicit arms agreements. Kim is accompanied by a military-heavy entourage, while top Russian military officials were also involved in the Putin talks. After the summit, Putin told reporters that he saw possibilities for military cooperation. Western countries warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making an arms deal as the conflict in Ukraine grinds on. The White House said Thursday that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had spoken with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts to discuss the Putin-Kim meeting. They noted that any arms exports from North Korea to Russia would directly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt, a White House statement said. Despite reeling under severe economic crisis and people of the country barely able to afford food to survive, Pakistan has not just managed to maintain its nuclear capacity, but has also doubled its arsenal than what the US estimated in the 90s. The Bulletin on Atomic Scientists in its latest report has revealed that Pakistan may now be possessing over 170 warheads, besides expanding its capacity to produce more fissile material. The report contradicts the 1999 estimates by the US intelligence that Pakistani nuclear arsenal would be somewhere between 60 to 80 warheads in 2020. We estimate that Pakistan now has a nuclear weapons stockpile of approximately 170 warheads. The US Defence Intelligence Agency projected in 1999 that Pakistan would have 60 to 80 warheads by 2020, the report says. Pakistan is estimated to be producing enough fissile material to build 14 to 27 new warheads per year. We estimate that the actual warhead increase in the stockpile probably averages around 5 to 10 warheads per year, the report read. Expanding fissile material production capacity Fissile materials, which undergo fission reactions, are the key component of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Pakistan had a uranium enrichment plant in Punjabs Kahuta and now it sees an expansion as it adds one more plant. Apart from this, there is another uranium enrichment plant in Gadwal. Four heavy-water plutonium production reactors have come up in the Khushab district of the province. A facility east of the capital Islamabad called the New Labs Reprocessing Plant which reprocesses spent fuel to extract plutonium is expanding. Another similar facility called Chashma complex in northwestern Punjab became operational in 2015 and expanded in 2018-2020. In June this year, China and Pakistan signed a $4.8 billion deal to construct a new 1,200-megawatt reactor at Chashma. Nuclear-capable missiles and mobile launchers Pakistan develops its nuclear missiles and launchers at a facility called the National Development Complex (NDC) in the Kala-Chitta Dahr Mountain range west of Islamabad. The facility is divided into two parts the western half south of Attock, and the eastern half north of Fateh Jung. The western section is used for development, production, and test-launching of missiles and rocket engines. The eastern section produces and assembles mobile transporter erector launchers (TELs), which are designed to transport and fire missiles. In this section, new launcher assembly buildings have come up in the last decade. Pakistan Ordnance Factories near Wah, northwest of Islamabad, have bunkers in a multi-layered security perimeter. Little is out in the public domain about warhead production, but the ordnance factories, experts believe have a role. Nuclear-capable aircrafts Mirage III and V are the fighter-bombers most likely to have a nuclear delivery role. These planes are positioned at two bases: Masroor Air Base outside Karachi with three Mirage squadrons, and Rafiqui Air Base near Shorkot in Punjab with two Mirage squadrons. A possible nuclear weapons storage site is located five kilometres northwest of the base and, since 2004, highly guarded underground facilities have been constructed at Masroor that could potentially be designed to support a nuclear strike mission. This includes a possible alert hangar with underground weapons-handling capability, While Mirage V is believed to have been given a strike role with Pakistans small arsenal of nuclear gravity bombs, the Mirage III has been used for test launches of Pakistans Raad air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM), as well as the follow-on Raad-II. Although there is no evidence to suggest that either of the Raad systems were deployed as of July 2023, one potential deployment site could eventually be Masroor Air Base in Karachi. Pakistan plans to replace the Mirages with JF-17s from China. They have acquired 100 of these already and plan on getting another 188 in the future. It has been reported that Pakistan may incorporate the dual-capable Raad ALCM onto the JF-17 so that these can eventually take over the nuclear strike role from the Mirages. In March 2023, during rehearsals for the 2023 Pakistan Day Parade (which was subsequently cancelled), images surfaced of a JF-17 Thunder Block II carrying what resembled a Raad-I ALCM, the report said. Although Pakistan is under obligation to the US to not equip its F-16s to carry nuclear weapons, the aircrafts are most likely equipped to each carry a single nuclear bomb on the centerline pylon. And these jets are stationed just 10 km away from the bomb storage in Sargodha. Land-based ballistic missiles Pakistan presently operates six functional ballistic missile systems with nuclear capabilities. These missiles employ solid-fuel technology and are mobile on roads. The inventory comprises the following: the short-range Abdali (Hatf-2), Ghaznavi (Hatf-3), Shaheen-I/A (Hatf-4), and Nasr (Hatf-9), along with the medium-range Ghauri (Hatf-5) and Shaheen-II (Hatf-6). Furthermore, Pakistan is actively pursuing the development of two other nuclear-capable ballistic missile systems, namely the medium-range Shaheen-III and the Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRVed) Ababeel. The analysis of satellite imagery suggests that Pakistan maintains at least five missile bases that could serve a role in Pakistans nuclear forces: Arko Garrison, Gujranwala Garrison, Khuzdar Garrison, Pano Aqil Garrison, Sargodha Garrison. A visa-free travel agreement between Israel and the United States has boosted hopes for Palestinian-Americans, but many continue to complain of discrimination by Israeli officials. According to the US State Department, the goal of the July reciprocal agreement was for all Americans to be recognised by Israel as US citizens and receive equal treatment regardless of their origins. It eased the door for some Palestinian Americans to finally fly into Israels Ben Gurion International Airport, which had been closed to most of them for years, rather than crossing Jordan by land. Despite this, Palestinian-Americans have complained of unfair treatment in a series of interviews conducted by AFP in the US and the Palestinian territories. Hanna Hanania, a board member of the US Palestinian Council advocacy group, described the change at arrivals in Ben Gurion airport as an improvement for everybody. But, as he headed back to the US state of Virginia, he said he faced total profiling by Israeli officials who searched his car and insisted on seeing his Palestinian passport. Jerusalem-born Hanania said he was also directed to a queue for additional security checks where he charged that discrimination (was) very clear. Almost everybody in line one was speaking Arabic, he told AFP. You can very clearly tell that its mainly Palestinians or Arabs. Israels immigration authority did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the complaints. Not fair More than 5,400 Palestinian-Americans have arrived in Israel since July 20, according to the Population and Immigration Authority. Washington is now contemplating whether to admit Israel into its coveted visa waiver programme, with a decision due by September 30. New York police officer Haidar Darwish, 38, landed in mid-August and said he was denied a three-month visa without a reason, instead being granted a month-long stay. This is not fair, Darwish said from the West Bank city of Ramallah. If they want to proceed with this visa (waiver programme), they need to treat us exactly the way they get treated when they get to the US. Several Palestinian-Americans said they had complained about mistreatment to the US embassy in Jerusalem, which declined an AFP interview request. In the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya, known for its sizeable American population, Abed Ijbar has sought advice from his neighbours before he returns to Tennessee later this month. (Its) the checkpoints from the West Bank to the airport that are driving them crazy, the 50-year-old said. Neighbours warned Ijbar to leave hours early, recounting that they had been directed through multiple checkpoints before being searched and finally allowed to cross. COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the occupied West Bank, said security checks are conducted at crossings and anyone with a tourist visa can pass. A normal life The visa waiver programme has so far focused on those with ties to the West Bank but was on Monday extended to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip. Palestinian Americans travelling to Gaza face more restrictions than those in the West Bank, under the rules announced by the US embassy. There has been disappointment among Gazans living in the United States, who from Monday can fly to Tel Aviv but not travel onwards to the coastal territory. Lara Abu Hamda, 18, tried unsuccessfully in July to cross from Jordan to Israel for the onward land journey to Gaza. I dont get it, she said. I am American. Even though I was born in Gaza and I have a Gaza ID, why would it matter? Israels immigration authority said entry has been denied to 10 Gazan-Americans, who were not yet included in the scheme, as well as three US citizens from the West Bank. A Gazan artist living in Chicago, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, said he was held at a detention facility outside Tel Aviv airport. He ultimately underwent thorough security checks, before being escorted to a flight without any belongings except his credit cards. In his 30s, the artist said he was still trying to detox from all the stress and anxiety that Ive gathered in those 48 hours, being treated like a suspect. For those living in Gaza, obtaining permission to leave through Israel is incredibly difficult. As a result, most make the arduous and costly journey across Egypts Sinai Peninsula. Now, another way has potentially opened for those with US citizenship. In Gaza City, Saeed Araf Shaath said his family is very, very excited at the prospect of finally being able to enter Israel through the Erez crossing as Palestinian-Americans and fly out from Ben Gurion airport. Americans living in Gaza must still apply for a travel permit, which COGAT said allows them to travel onwards through any international border crossing. Shaaths 23-year-old daughter Zainah described why she wants to be able to cross through Erez and board a plane in Ben Gurion: We need our own freedom, and to have a normal life. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was acutely aware of the threat China posed to the countrys open and democratic way of life. This came after a scathing report on the UKs China strategy was released by Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee. The Prime Minister underscored that the government would take all necessary measures to protect the nation from foreign state activities, even as some members of the Conservative Party called for the official classification of China as a threat. Sunak, however, resisted such categorization, instead characterizing China as an epoch-defining and systemic challenge. He acknowledged the importance of engaging with this global superpower. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer referenced the Intelligence and Security Committees report in his criticism of the Prime Ministers handling of China, asserting that the UK was lagging behind in terms of security preparedness. He called for a comprehensive review of UK-China relations. Earlier in the week, news emerged of the arrest of a parliamentary researcher under the Official Secrets Act, amidst allegations of espionage for China. The detained researcher, who remains unnamed, vehemently denied these allegations through legal representation. He was one of two individuals arrested under the Official Secrets Act. Responding to the committees report, Sunak expressed a heightened awareness of the necessity for a robust approach to counteract any state-driven threats. The report had warned that Chinas Communist Party had effectively infiltrated various sectors of the UKs economy, citing its use of size, ambition, and capability to do so. The committee raised concerns about Chinas actions, stating that it often crossed the line from influence into interference. Specifically, China was noted for its successful attempts to influence academia and suppress criticism. The governments response, released alongside Sunaks statement, concurred with these findings, acknowledging that certain Chinese actions exceeded the boundaries of influence and amounted to interference. The government recognised that China had targeted British and allied nationals in key positions, including those with sensitive knowledge and experience in government, military, industry, and society. Additionally, it mentioned that UK intelligence agencies were vigilant against the targeting of current and former civil servants. The government pointed out a significant increase in resources allocated to addressing the China challenge within the UK intelligence community in recent years. Notably, the government had blocked eight investment deals involving Chinese-linked buyers using its powers to scrutinize foreign investments. It also highlighted the exclusion of Huawei from the UKs 5G telecoms network and the governments acquisition of a stake in the Sizewell C nuclear power project previously owned by the Chinese state-owned company CGN. The statement acknowledged the need for further investment in responding to this challenge and outlined plans to enhance Mandarin language training and expertise programs. Sunak noted that the National Security Act passed in July, introduced new offences related to foreign interference, assisting foreign intelligence services, sabotage, and theft of trade secrets, making the UK a more challenging target. Steps have also been taken to protect freedom of speech in universities through the Higher Education Act. Julian Lewis, Conservative MP and ISC chair rejected Sunaks assertion that the report was outdated. He highlighted the committees continuous monitoring of relevant developments until shortly before publication. The government emphasized that its approach to China was guided by the imperative of protecting the UKs prosperity and security. This approach involved aligning with allies to address Beijings challenges and engaging with China for constructive and stable relations. Cooperation was deemed vital in various areas, including mutual economic interests and the global effort to combat climate change. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had defended his meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing, emphasizing that disengagement with China would not be a credible strategy. This meeting marked the first visit by a foreign secretary to China in five years. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday vowed to ban a dangerous breed of dog known as American XL Bully believed to be behind a number of attacks, most recently the cause of a mans death this week in Staffordshire. The British Indian leader issued a video message to say he shared the publics horror over the spate of attacks and that he had ordered urgent work to define and ban the American XL Bully dog breed. The issue has been in the headlines since last week when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries after being attacked in Birmingham by a similar breed. The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children, said Sunak in his message recorded at 10 Downing Street. I share the nations horror at the recent videos weve all seen. Yesterday, we saw another suspected XL bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality. It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, its a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on, he said. Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023 Sunak pointed out that under current laws, owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, but he wanted to reassure people that he is urgently working on ways to stop these attacks. Today I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts, to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks, with the view to then outlawing it. It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast. We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year, said Sunak. These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe, he added. Members of the public tried to help as the latest victim was attacked by two dogs outside a property in Stonnall, Staffordshire in the West Midlands region, on Thursday afternoon, while police said they stopped some children leaving a nearby primary school for safety reasons. The critically injured man was taken to hospital where he was later declared dead. Ambulance staff administered advanced life support and advanced trauma care to him at the scene, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said. Treatment continued en route to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was conveyed by land ambulance for further treatment. Unfortunately, after arrival at the hospital, despite the best efforts it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him and he was confirmed deceased, the spokesperson said. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control after the incident and an investigation is underway, including to establish the dogs breed. On Thursday, Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi requested Seattle Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the untimely murder of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula. Krishnamoorthi responded to a video of a Seattle police officer laughing about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian graduate student killed by a police car travelling at 74 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone. The recording of a Seattle Police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable. I urge the Seattle Police Department to pursue its investigation into this matter with the seriousness it demands, Krishnamoorthi said. Jaahnavi, a youth student at Washingtons Northeastern University was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of 23 January 2023. In the video, Daniel Auderer, who is captured on body camera while discussing the fatal collision, can be heard saying, Yeah, just write a check. $11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value. The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) called on all relevant authorities to prioritise inquiry, community participation, and respect for the rights and dignity of all persons, victims, and the community in pain and loss in a unanimous resolution. Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandulas death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023 NFIA commended India's Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, for pushing the issue at the highest level in Washington. In a statement, Indian American Impact said it was outraged to watch the horrific film of a Seattle police officer dismissing the killing of an Indian lady by another cop, stating her life had no worth. We hope the officer is held accountable and Jaahnavi Kandula's family receives justice, it said. Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal strongly condemned the incident. Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by a speeding police car. Then, police officers joked about her death and devalued her life. I'm sick to my stomach. This is exactly what happens when we normalise xenophobia and racism. It needs to stop, she said. Axios reported that public outrage is mounting after a Seattle police officer was recorded on camera laughing and saying that a pedestrian struck and killed by another officer in January had "limited value". According to Axios, a coalition that includes family members of people killed by police released statements Wednesday objecting to Auderer's comments. "It's no joke when police reveal their true feelings of contempt for the people they are sworn to protect," Annalisa Thomas, whose son was killed by Lakewood police in 2013, said in a news release, the news site reported. Russia announced the expulsion of two US diplomats on Thursday, accusing them of coordinating with a Russian person charged with collaborating with a foreign state. According to the Foreign Ministry, it summoned US envoy Lynne Tracy and informed her that embassy First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein must leave Russia within seven days. The named people conducted illegal activity, maintaining contact with Russian citizen R. Shonov, accused of confidential cooperation with a foreign state, the Russian statement said. The US State Department said the expulsion of the two diplomats was unprovoked and warned that Washington would respond appropriately. This unprovoked expulsion of our diplomatic personnel is wholly without merit, as is the case against a former Russian contractor of our embassy, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. Yet again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. We regret that Russia has taken this path and you can certainly expect that we will respond appropriately to their actions. Robert Shonov worked for the US Consulate General in Vladivostok, Russia, for more than 25 years before Russia ordered the firing of the US missions local employees in 2021. In August, Russias FSB security service released a video purportedly showing Shonov confessing that Sillin and Bernstein had asked him to gather information about Russias war effort in Ukraine, the annexation of new territories, military mobilisation, and the 2024 presidential election. Shonov stated in the film that he was instructed to acquire negative material on these issues, to hunt for evidence of public dissent, and to include these in his reports. After Russian state media revealed the allegations against Shonov and stated the FSB sought to interview embassy staff who had been in contact with him, Washington accused Moscow of seeking to intimidate and harass US officials. When he was detained in May, the State Department emphasised Russias blatant use of increasingly repressive laws against its own nationals. It said that the claims levelled against Shonov were wholly without merit. According to the Russian Foreign Ministrys statement, Shonov was paid to execute duties that harmed Russias national security. It was also emphasised (to Tracy) that illegal activities of the US diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country, are unacceptable and will be resolutely suppressed, it said. The Russian side expects Washington to draw the right conclusions and refrain from confrontational steps. Relations between Moscow and Washington have plunged to their worst point in more than 60 years because of the war in Ukraine. The US is providing advanced weaponry to Ukraine and has hit Russia with sanctions in response to its invasion in February 2022. Russia has increased imports of the aluminium feedstock alumina from India in recent months to fuel its massive Siberian facilities, diversifying the sanctions-hit countrys supply, reducing reliance on China, and lowering prices. Following its invasion of Ukraine, the worlds second-largest producer of aluminium lost two critical sources of alumina, which is required to manufacture aluminium metal, when a refinery in Ukraine ceased output and Australia prohibited supply to Russia. While Russia and China are cordial, Chinas aluminium production is increasing, leaving Russia with less price flexibility when purchasing alumina. Russias Rusal, the worlds largest aluminium producer outside of China, must fill the void created by stopped shipments in order to maintain domestic output while protecting its margins against a lower aluminium pricing backdrop. 70 per cent of the companys alumina demands, or 5.5 million metric tonnes, are fulfilled by its own alumina assets in Russia, Ireland, Jamaica, and Guinea. After deliveries from Ukraine and Australia were lost, Rusal replaced it with increased alumina imports from China and other refineries in Asia, but it came at a considerable cost, Ami Shivkar at WoodMac said. Russia became the largest buyer of alumina from China last year. Rusals cost of purchasing alumina jumped by $1.1 billion to $1.8 billion in 2022 as it had to pay more for the raw material and for delivery. Rusal has since diversified by securing alumina supplies from India and Kazakhstan. We can already say that the companys total alumina costs will decrease in 2023 compared to 2022, Rusal told Reuters. Russia was the second largest buyer of Indian alumina in the first half of this year, Indian customs data show, with India exporting 189,379 metric tons to Russia. There were no exports in the same period of 2022. Russia encountered difficulties in securing alumina from developed nations and forced it to switch to India, an Indian industry official, who declined to be named, told Reuters. Indias state-run National Aluminium Co is the primary supplier of alumina to Russia, the official said. Nalco did not respond to Reuters request for comment. Russia is expected to buy more than 350,000 tonnes of alumina from India in 2023, the official said. The estimate is broadly in line with Rusals own calculations, it told Reuters. China remains the largest third-party supplier of alumina to Russia with shipments of 485,160 tons in January-June, but it has less alumina to offer this year due to rising domestic aluminium production. Aluminium of Kazakhstan, which produces 1.3 million tons of alumina a year, plans to reduce supplies to Russia by 5 per cent in 2023 as it also needs more product for itself, its owner Eurasian Resources Group told Reuters. The company did not say how much alumina it sends to Russia, however, CRU consultancy estimates Kazakh deliveries to Russia at around 40,000-70,000 tons per month. Rusal needs to buy about 2.5 million tons of alumina a year from outside its own system. Its Aughinish refinery in Ireland which produces 1.6 million tonnes a year, sends only 40 per cent of its production to Russia. The remainder goes to Europe. Jamaica supplied 190,070 tons of alumina to Russia in the first half of 2023, the Jamaica Bauxite Institute told Reuters. Russian alumina purchases have been too small to affect the global market, estimated at 60 million tonnes outside China and dominated by Australia. However, the need to import alumina means Rusal will rely on the price and the supply-demand balance of the global alumina market for at least five years. Despite the fact that we were able to restructure our raw material supply chains in time, we still feel significant dependence on imported alumina, Rusal said. To mitigate the risks , we have decided to consider a project to build a plant in Russia. Rusal said in June it would build a $4.8 billion plant to make alumina in a Russian Baltic Sea port. The first phase of production with an annual capacity of up to 2.4 million tons will be commissioned by the end of 2028. The Taliban have detained 18 staff, including a foreigner, from a non-governmental organization based in Afghanistan, the non-profit group said on Friday. NGOs have come under greater scrutiny since the Taliban seized control of the country two years ago. Following the takeover, the Taliban introduced harsh measures and barred Afghan women from education beyond the sixth grade, as well as from public life and work, including from working for NGOs. A US watchdog reported earlier this year that the Taliban are harassing NGOs operating in the country. The International Assistance Mission said 18 of its staff were taken away by the Taliban on two separate occasions this month from the NGOs office in central Ghor province. The 18 detained have been taken to Kabul, the mission said. We are unaware of the circumstances that led to these incidents and have not been advised of the reason for the detention of our staff members, it said in a statement. The well-being and security of our colleagues are paramount to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and secure their swift release. Afghan officials were not immediately available for comment. Local media, quoting the provincial governors spokesperson, Abdul Wahid Hamas, said the foreigner is a US national and that the staff were detained for propagating and promoting Christianity. The reports did not identify the alleged American staffer and there was no immediate comment from Washington. The NGO did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press about the reports. The non-profit organisation, which is registered in Switzerland, says it only works in Afghanistan. For the first time, Turkeys energy minister has openly questioned the necessity for a new natural gas hub suggested by Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. On Thursday, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar informed a gathering of reporters that Turkey already had a working gas trading platform. Putin first raised the idea of creating a gas hub in Turkey for supplies to other countries during talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Kazakh capital Astana last October. Erdogan then instructed his government to start immediate preparations for an international distribution centre in Turkey. The plan sparked instant concern in the European Union, which is now attempting to reduce its reliance on Russian energy in reaction to Putins assault on Ukraine. It also reinforced Washingtons concerns that NATO member Turkey was cosying up to Russia, despite its supposedly neutral posture in the conflict and sale of weaponry to Ukraine. However, the idea appears to have made little progress in the months thereafter. Putin has subsequently stated that he is more interested in building an electronic trading platform in Turkey than in storing real gas. On Thursday, Bayraktar questioned the need for such an exchange. Everybody is missing an important point, he said. We have a very well-functioning power exchange as well as a gas exchange, he said. Do we need an additional trading platform? We can have that, no problem. But what we suggest to our Russian colleagues is that they analyse the power exchange (that exists) today. Kind of a pause He said there was kind of a pause in discussions when Turkey was hit by a devastating February earthquake, and then while the country held two rounds of presidential elections in May. But we are in talks, he said. Russia currently ships gas to Turkey via two pipelines running under the Black Sea. Turkey sends some of that gas to southeastern European countries, such as Hungary and Greece. But it also depends heavily on Russian imports because of Turkeys limited domestic energy sources. Moscow is currently constructing a nuclear power plant on Turkeys Mediterranean coast that could eventually reduce the countrys dependence on foreign gas imports. Bayraktar said the main construction work had finished on the first of the Russian plants four reactors. It is moving well, he said. Turkey has been talking to Russias Rosatom state nuclear energy company about building a second power plant in the Black Sea city of Sinop. But he stressed that Turkey was also open to offers from South Korean firms as well as those in China looking to build small modular reactors. We are discussing (Sinop) with all the interested countries, Bayraktar said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit the White House and Capitol Hill next week as part of his tour to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly. Zelenskyys visit comes as Congress debates President Joe Bidens proposal for up to $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it faces Russia. According to an administration source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, Zelenskyy will meet with Biden at the White House on Thursday. Two congressional officials who requested anonymity to discuss the arrangements confirmed the trip to the Capitol. In December 2022, the Ukrainian president paid a wartime visit to Washington and delivered an emotional address to a joint session of Congress. It was his first known journey outside his nation since Russia invaded the country in February of that year. In his speech to cheering lawmakers, Zelenskyy praised Americans for their contributions to the war effort, saying that the money is not charity, but an investment in world security and democracy. Details on Zelenskyys visit next week have yet to be released. Punchbowl News broke the story first. The White House National Security Council did not respond to questions about Zelenskyys intentions, including whether he will meet with Biden at the White House. Meanwhile, the Treasury and State departments announced they were imposing new sanctions on more than 150 individuals and entities connected with Russias invasion of Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US was continuing our relentless work to target Russias military supply chains and deprive (Russian President Vladimir) Putin of the equipment, technology, and services he needs to wage his barbaric war on Ukraine. Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. It also includes $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors through the World Bank. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Donald Trump, the former president, are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine. Congress is working to pass its annual appropriations bills before a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the U.S. government running. The US government believes Chinas Defence Minister Li Shangfu is the subject of an investigation by Beijing and has been relieved of his duties, The Financial Times reported Thursday citing American officials. The report came shortly before high-ranking diplomat Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, stated on social media late Thursday Washington time that Li hasnt been seen or heard from in 3 weeks, and that the minister might have been placed under house arrest. It is the latest sign of potential turmoil in Beijing after Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang inexplicably disappeared and was ousted from his post in July. China also replaced the leadership of its Rocket Force, the army unit that oversees its nuclear arsenal, in July, with its former commander Li Yuchao not seen in public for weeks before the change and official media Xinhua giving no explanation for his removal. The Times reported that three US officials as well as two people briefed on intelligence said the United States determined Li Shangfu had been stripped of his duties as minister. It was not clear what made President Joe Bidens administration conclude that Li was under investigation. The White House has not publicly addressed the matter. Li traveled to Russia in August to attend a security conference near Moscow on August 15. Two days later, the government of Belarus released handout photographs of Li meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. Li has refused to hold meetings with US counterparts until Washington lifts sanctions on him, imposed by then-president Donald Trump in 2018 for his procurement of Russian military technology. The latest apparent removal of an elite Chinese official from public view led Ambassador Emanuel, who has been openly critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to fuel speculation about the issue on September 7 and again one week later. President Xis cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christies novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen in public for two weeks, Emanuel posted last week on X, the former Twitter, using the hashtag #MysteryInBeijingBuilding. On Thursday he openly questioned whether Beijing authorities have restricted Lis movements. 1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam, he posted on his official ambassador account. Now: Hes absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest??? Might be getting crowded in there. Hunter Biden, the son of US Vice President Joe Biden, was arrested Thursday for unlawfully purchasing a pistol while under the influence of narcotics, casting a new cloud over his fathers reelection campaign next year. Hunter Biden, 53, was charged with two counts of making false statements on paperwork necessary for a 2018 gun purchase, claiming that he was not unlawfully utilising narcotics at the time. A third accusation stated that he illegally had the pistol for 11 days in October of that year based on false assertions. If convicted on all three felony counts, Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, but they are rarely penalised by jail time in practice. In attesting that he was not an unlawful user of drugs when he bought the Colt Cobra revolver, Biden knew that statement was false, the Justice Department said. The charge comes only two days after Republicans in Congress launched an impeachment investigation into Democrat Joe Biden, saying that while vice president, he profited financially from his sons international business transactions. Hunter Bidens legal problems have made him a target for political opponents of his father, who is running for re-election to a second term in the White House. Hunter is a Yale-educated lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been tainted by alcoholism and crack addiction. Republicans have accused Bidens Justice Department of sheltering his son and Weiss, a Republican appointment, of being too soft on Hunter without providing any proof. Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky who will be leading the impeachment inquiry, welcomed the filing of the gun charges, calling it a very small start. Mountains of evidence reveals that Hunter Biden likely committed several felonies and Americans expect the Justice Department to apply the law equally, Comer said. Twice-impeached former president Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform. This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden, he said. Plea deal collapsed But a leading Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, ex-mayor of Atlanta and a former senior adviser to Joe Biden, questioned why Hunter had been charged. Can anyone tell me how many people have been federally indicted for purchasing a gun while dealing with substance abuse issues? Bottoms said on X, formerly known as Twitter. I dont know the answer, but in my over 29 years as an attorney, I have never heard of it. The gun charges were filed by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018 over various allegations, mostly related to his overseas business deals. Two months ago a plea deal between Biden and Weiss, covering the gun charge as well as alleged tax violations, went sour. Biden agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Delaware to two minor tax charges. In exchange, he was offered probation, as he had already paid what he owed the government along with penalties. Weiss agreed to suspend the felony gun charge if Biden completed pretrial diversion, which often involves counselling or rehabilitation. But in a dramatic July 26 hearing, the deal collapsed over whether Biden would have been immune from any other charges also investigated by Weiss, including possible crimes related to his business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere. The judge mentioned the possibility that Biden could be charged as having acted as a lobbyist for foreign governments without registering with the Justice Department. Three weeks later, after the deal collapsed, Weiss dropped the tax charges and said an indictment on the gun charge would come by the end of September. As the 2024 election race swings into gear, Republicans in the House of Representatives on Tuesday formally opened an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. They alleged, without offering hard evidence, that while vice president in 2015-2016, Biden intervened to protect an allegedly corrupt Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, where Hunter Biden sat on the board. Republicans allege Joe Biden and his family reaped large sums for helping Burisma. The United States and Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on Iran ahead of the one-year anniversary of the death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini whilst in Irans morality police custody, which sparked months of anti-government protests that faced an often violent crackdown. Amini, 22, died on September 16 last year after being arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republics mandatory dress code. Her death sparked months of anti-government protests that marked the biggest show of opposition to Iranian authorities in years. Iranian security forces have been deployed in her hometown in anticipation of unrest this weekend. The US and Britain, along with the European Union, have announced multiple rounds of sanctions against Iran, citing the widespread and often violent crackdown on protests after the death of Amini. Mahsas tragic and senseless death in the custody of Irans so-called Morality Police sparked demonstrations across Iran that were met with unspeakable violence, mass arrests, systemic internet disruptions and censorship by the Iranian regime, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. We will continue to take appropriate action, alongside our international partners, to hold accountable those who suppress Iranians exercise of human rights, he said, adding that Canada, Australia, and other partners were also imposing sanctions this week. The US Treasury Department in a separate statement said it imposed sanctions on more than two dozen people and entities it said were connected to Irans violent suppression of protests in the wake of Aminis death its crack down on dissenting voices and restrictions to internet. The action targets 29 people and groups, including 18 key members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Irans Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), as well as the head of Irans Prisons Organizations, the department said. They also target officials linked to Irans internet blockade and several media outlets. The sanctions target LEF spokesperson Saeed Montazerolmehdi, multiple LEF and IRGC commanders, and Irans Prisons Organization chief Gholamali Mohammadi. Douran Software Technologies CEO Alireza Abedinejad as well as state-controlled media organizations Press TV, Tasnim News Agency and Fars News were also among those sanctioned. The United States will continue to take collective action against those who suppress Iranians exercise of their human rights, the Treasurys Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement. Britain separately announced its sanctions targeting senior Iranian decision makers enforcing Tehrans mandatory hijab law, including Irans minister for culture and Islamic guidance, his deputy, the mayor of Tehran and an Iranian police spokesman. US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has announced it will hold a hearing on religious freedom in India next week. Coming on the heels of two successful bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden the Official State Visit of the Indian leader in June and a bilateral meeting in New Delhi in September USCIRF in its announcement of the meeting said the Congressional hearing is on how the US government can work with the Indian government to address violations. Fernand de Varennes, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, has been invited to testify before the Commission along with Tariq Ahmed, Foreign Law Specialist, Law Library of Congress; Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch; Sunita Viswanath, executive director, Hindus for Human Rights and Irfan Nooruddin, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University. Modis state visit to Washington, DC, reflects the close bilateral relationship between the United States and India. However, over the last decade, the Indian government has enacted and enforced discriminatory policies targeting religious minorities, including anti-conversion laws, cow slaughter laws, legislation granting citizenship preferences based on religion, and restrictions on foreign funding for civil society organisations, USCIRF said. Recent trends include the eruption of violence between Hindus and Muslims in Haryana in July and targeted attacks against Christian and Jewish minorities in Manipur, highlighting the need for new strategies to mitigate violence against religious minorities in India, it said. Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that the US Department of State-designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, it said. Witnesses will discuss the Indian governments legal framework and enforcement of discriminatory policies, explain current religious freedom conditions, and offer policy options for the United States to work with India to combat abuses of religious freedom and related human rights in the country, USCIRF said. Chinas foreign ministry has clarified that there is no ban on the purchase and use of foreign phone brands, including Apple, despite media reports suggesting otherwise. This clarification comes in response to reports from government agencies and firms instructing their employees to stop using Apple iPhones at work, as reported by Reuters. The supposed ban coincides with increasing tensions between Beijing and Washington. It also poses challenges for Apple, which heavily relies on China for revenue growth and manufacturing. China has been emphasizing the use of locally-made tech products due to growing concerns about national security. Chinas Emphasis on Information Security Chinas Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning, stated that there are no laws, regulations, or policies in place that prohibit the purchase and use of foreign brand phones like Apples. However, there has been heightened media coverage of security incidents related to Apple phones in China. The Chinese government prioritizes information and cybersecurity, treating both domestic and foreign companies equally. China hopes that all mobile phone companies will adhere to its laws, regulations, and strengthen information security management. White House Expresses Concern The White House has expressed concern over the apparent restrictions on some Chinese government officials use of Apple iPhones. White House national security spokesman John Kirby called on China to be more transparent about these restrictions, labeling them as aggressive and inappropriate retaliation. Source 1, 2 Google will now provide regular automatic updates for Chromebooks for a full 10 years, enhancing security and features. Starting in 2024, if you have a Chromebook released from 2021 onwards, youll automatically receive updates for a decade. For older Chromebooks, users and IT admins can opt to extend updates to 10 years from the platforms release. Strong Built-in Security Even if a Chromebook no longer receives automatic updates, it still maintains robust built-in security. The Verified Boot feature checks for any tampering or corruption during startup and repairs the system if needed. Faster Repairs Many schools extend the lifespan of their Chromebooks by conducting in-school repair programs. Googles Chromebook Repair Program helps schools find parts and provides repair guides. Google is also introducing updates that make repairs faster, reducing the need for physical USB keys. Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Chromebooks Being committed to sustainability, Google is now rolling out energy-efficient features, adaptive charging, and battery-saving features to compatible Chromebooks. Additionally, theyve partnered with leading manufacturers like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to create more sustainable Chromebooks using recycled materials and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Recyclable Devices When Chromebooks reach the end of their usefulness, they can be sold or recycled through resellers. Schools should remove devices from management before handing them over. Resellers can offer monetary or service credits in exchange. Cost-Effective Chromebooks reduce costs for school districts, allowing them to allocate more resources to teachers and students. They have lower upfront and operational costs compared to other devices, saving over $800 per device over three years. You can check out update policy for Chromebooks from several brands here. Announcing the updates, Prajakta Gudadhe and Ashwini Varma, Senior Director of Engineering, ChromeOS, said: Meta recently expanded WhatsApp Channels globally to 150 countries. There were reports suggesting that Meta was considering placing ads on WhatsApp to increase revenue. However, Meta denied these reports and stated that discussions about ads were still in the early stages. Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, dismissed the Financial Times report about ads as false on a social media platform, X.com, previously known as Twitter. The report mentioned that Metas teams were discussing the idea of displaying ads in the list of WhatsApp chats, but no final decisions had been made. Some employees within the company expressed their opposition to this idea. Furthermore, the report indicated that Meta was contemplating charging users a fee to use WhatsApp without ads. However, WhatsApp clarified that they were not actively working on such a plan. Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion and has been seeking ways to generate more revenue from it. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has emphasized the importance of WhatsApp and Messenger for Metas business. WhatsApp Business, with over 200 million users as of June, has introduced new features like ads and paid messaging. WhatsApp boasts 2.23 billion monthly users, surpassing Instagram and Facebook Messenger in popularity. However, the potential introduction of ads may impact user sentiments and behavior. Well have to wait and see if Meta goes ahead with this idea. Source Apple will update the software on iPhone 12 in France to resolve radiation concerns, according to Reuters. Previously, Belgium and other European nations had expressed interest in examining potential health risks linked to Apples iPhone 12. France had already stopped selling the model due to radiation exposure limits violations. In response, Apple announced plans to release a software update for iPhone 12 users in France, addressing the regulatory suspension. The French government welcomed this move, expressing confidence that it would allow sales of the 2020 model to resume. Studies over the past 20 years have found no confirmed health risks associated with mobile phones, according to the World Health Organization. Apple clarified that the update aims to align with French regulatory protocols, not due to safety concerns. Apple reiterated that the iPhone met global standards as certified by multiple international bodies. French Digital Affairs Minister Jean Noel Barrot also endorsed the software update. The French regulator, Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR), plans to promptly test the update, bringing it in line with European standards and lifting the sales suspension in France. ANFR had identified a higher Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for iPhone 12, a measure of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body. However, experts have stated that this doesnt pose safety risks, as the regulatory limits are set well below levels where harm has been proven. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, believes the incident will likely be forgotten quickly, especially since the iPhone 12 is an older model. A more significant issue would have been a potential recall if Apple had not initiated the software update. Apple, having unveiled the iPhone 15 series this week, achieved European revenues surpassing $95 billion last year, establishing it as its second-largest market after the U.S. Approximately 50 million iPhones were sold in Europe during that period. Notably, Apple keeps its sales data confidential regarding specific countries and models. Source Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. Which ancient people are believed to have been be the first to establish a permanent settlement in what is now Zagreb? Answer: Urnfield The Urnfield people are believed to have originally settled on what is now Demeter Street in Zagreb around the 12th century BC. Even before then, the Zagreb area was a long-time home to nomadic people. The nearby site of Krapina is the largest known burial site of Neanderthal people, indicating Zagreb had already been established as a popular living place, at least temporarily. 2. Zagreb was officially founded in 1094 by which person, who established a Roman Catholic diocese there? Answer: King Ladislaus I of Hungary King Ladislaus I established the Zagreb Diocese in what is know called the Kaptol neighborhood. Today, Ladislaus is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and is the patron saint of Hungary. Kaptol, which was home to a number of religious buildings, was an easy target for invaders over the next few centuries because it was left mostly unfortified. 3. Which location in Zagreb was frequented by guilds beginning in the 1400s? St. Mark's Square St. Mark's Square was the historic location for the gathering of guilds in the region with St. Mark's Church being the primary meeting house. St. Mark's quickly became the center of life in what is now Zagreb. Even today, the many important buildings in the Croatian government are located there, and it is traditionally (though not always) the place where presidential inaugurations take place. Answer:St. Mark's Square was the historic location for the gathering of guilds in the region with St. Mark's Church being the primary meeting house. St. Mark's quickly became the center of life in what is now Zagreb. Even today, the many important buildings in the Croatian government are located there, and it is traditionally (though not always) the place where presidential inaugurations take place. 4. What is the name of the revolutionary who was executed in Zagreb on 15 February 1573? Answer: Matija Gubec Matija Gubec led the Croatian-Slovene Peasant Revolt of 1573. He was a serf who the others elected to lead them in the revolution. However, the peasants were ill-prepared to fight against the nobility, and the rebellion was quickly put down. Gubec was executed by the orders of the bishop. He was paraded around Zagreb and forced to wear a crown made of red-hot irons. He was also poked with irons and quartered. Today, Matija Gubec is considered a hero and has become the subject of many legends. 5. What natural disaster was responsible for killing 52 people in Zagreb in 1651? Answer: Flood In 1651, the Medvescak stream flooded. The Medvescak was the center of industry in Zagreb for centuries and was heavily populated. Fifty-two people died in 1651 when the river flooded their homes. Although the stream flooded frequently, this incident was, by far, the most dangerous. The stream continued to flood frequently until infrastructure changes were made in 1898. The Medvescak is nicknamed the Bloody Creek. 6. A July 29, 1845, protest that turned violent was initially started to protest what situation? Answer: A fraudulent election There had been an election for a local office in Zagreb which was won, under fraudulent pretenses, by the preferred candidate of the ruling Hungarian majority. Members of the People's Party went to St. Mark's Square to protest when a protest swung at an officer with a sword. The incident led to the mistaken belief that the army was ordered to fire on the protestors. In total, nineteen people were killed and dozens of other injured. Today, the victims of this event are called the July Victims and are memorialized with a lion statue in St. Mark's. 7. The 1918 Zagreb Protest was a brief rebellion in support of which of the following? Answer: Forming a republic In the aftermath of World War I, Austria-Hungary broke up and the question what would happen to these new areas was widely discussed. Croatia and several nearby countries were put under the control of Peter I, King of Serbia who was now the King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. This did not sit well with Croatians, particularly those in the military who supported Stjepan Radic of the Peasant's People Party. Soldiers marched for Rudolph Barracks to Ban Jelacic Square in Zagreb in protest. The rebellion was quickly suppressed with eighteen soldiers dying. They are referred to as the December Victims. 8. On September 14, 1941, which building in Zagreb was bombed during World War II? General Post Office The event was called the Sabotage at the General Post Office and was perpetrated by members of the local Communist Party. Croatia had become a puppet state of Nazi Germany during the War and the bombing was a coordinated effort to disrupt the lines of communication between Zagreb and its Nazi allies. Inside the post office was the mainline for the telephone facilities which, because of the destruction, were out for over seven months. The bombing was partially an inside job as members of the Communist Party involved in the plot also worked inside the post office. Answer:The event was called the Sabotage at the General Post Office and was perpetrated by members of the local Communist Party. Croatia had become a puppet state of Nazi Germany during the War and the bombing was a coordinated effort to disrupt the lines of communication between Zagreb and its Nazi allies.Inside the post office was the mainline for the telephone facilities which, because of the destruction, were out for over seven months. The bombing was partially an inside job as members of the Communist Party involved in the plot also worked inside the post office. 9. Who is Mihajlo Zec? Answer: A butcher who was murdered in 1991 Mihajlo Zec, his wife, and daughter were all murdered by members of a paramilitary troop in Zagreb on December 7, 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence. Zec was accused of being part of a group of rebel Serbs. Zec was shot as he ran from his home into the street. His wife and three children were bound and transported to a secluded area in the mountains. Two of the children escaped , but his wife, Marija, and 12-year old daughter, Aleksandra, were murdered and dumped in a garbage pit. Controversy followed as perpetrators were never tried for the crime and the government refused to acknowledge the incident even happened until 2004 when compensation was paid out. 10. What was the occupation of Ivo Pukanic, who was assassinated by a car bomb on October 23, 2008? Answer: Reporter Ivo Pukanic was a reporter, photographer, and editor who owned the Nacional newspaper. He was murdered by organized crime groups in Zagreb in October 2008 after years of reporting on their activities. In the past Pukanic had previously been the target of unknown assassins whose bullets missed him. The blast that killed Pukanic also killed Niko Franjic, the newspaper's marketing manager. Pukanic's assassination led to further discussions of the freedom of the press and speech within Croatia. Source: Author Joepetz This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. sursa foto: ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP Ciolacu: In acest moment, fara exceptie, toti liderii social-democrati considera ca Romania si Bulgaria sunt indreptatite sa faca parte din Schengen / Am avut o discutie cu Pedro Sanchez, este pe agenda presedintiei Spaniei aderarea Romaniei Motorola Edge 40 Neo Launched In The EMEA: Will India Variant Be Different From Chinese And European Models? News oi -Alap Naik Desai The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is a global Android smartphone that has been officially launched outside China. It is the third device in the Edge 40 series, which includes the entry-level Edge 40 and the top-end Edge 40 Pro. Motorola has confirmed the Motorola Edge 40 Neo will arrive in India on September 21, 2023. Let's look at the specifications, features, launch price, offers, and availability of the latest upper midrange Android smartphone from Motorola. Motorola Edge 40 Neo Launch Price And Availability Motorola has launched the Motorola Edge 40 Neo in Europe, the Middle East, And Africa (EMEA). The smartphone is available in Black Beauty, Caneel Bay, and Soothing Sea color options with vegan leather back panels. The Motorola Edge 40 Neo will be available with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. There are no other variants, at least in these regions. The sole 12GB + 256GB model of the Edge 40 Neo has been priced at EURO 399 (approx. 35,000). A colorful world is waiting for you . Dive into colors with the new motorola edge 40 neo. #findyouredge pic.twitter.com/eizBsfMMer motorola (@Moto) September 14, 2023 The Edge 40 Neo variant launching in India next week, should be nearly identical to the one that has been launched in Europe. However, Motorola may offer an additional 8GB + 128GB model of the smartphone. Moreover, both variants should have a significantly lower price tag. Some reports suggest the Edge 40 Neo will be priced lower than 25,000 in India. [Exclusive] Motorola Edge 40 Neo (launching on September 21st) will be priced less than Rs 25000 in India. The device will launch in three colors in India - Soothing Sea, Canal Bay, Black Beauty.#motorola #motorolaedge40Neo pic.twitter.com/wzHsqzoUWH Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) September 14, 2023 Motorola Edge 40 Neo Specifications, Features The Motorola Edge 40 Neo features a 6.55-inch Full HD+ P-OLED display with a 2400 1080 pixels resolution. The 1080p display supports a 144 Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits of peak brightness, and HDR10+. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and hides an under-display fingerprint scanner. Motorola has embedded the octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7030 SoC inside the Edge 40 Neo, which is paired with Mali-G610 MC1 GPU. Buyers get 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of uMCP internal storage. The Motorola Edge 40 Neo features a dual rear camera setup, headlined by an OIS-enabled 50MP primary camera. It is accompanied by a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens and an LED flash. There's a 32MP front-facing camera for selfies, video calls, and face unlock. Motorola Edge 40 Neo India Launching 21st September, 2023. - 10Bit Curved OLED 144Hz Display - MediaTek Dimensity 7030 - 12GB LPDDR4x RAM - 256GB uMCP Storage - 50MP OIS+13MP+2MP - 32MP Front - 5000mAh+68W - In-Display FPS - WiFi 6E - IP68#MotorolaEdge40Neo #MotoEdge40Neo pic.twitter.com/KR4MJRtUyA Rajwinder Singh (@Rajwinders8285) September 14, 2023 Motorola has embedded a 5000mAh battery inside the Edge 40 Neo, which supports 68W wired fast charging. The smartphone runs Android 13 with a custom layer of MyUX. The device has secured an IP68 rating for protection from dust and water splashes. The Motorola Edge 40 Neo weighs just 172 grams, which is surprisingly light. Some of its notable connectivity features include dual-SIM cards, 5G, 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ax, USB Type-C port, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and NFC. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications KONSTRUKTA - Defence's 155mm BIA 6x6 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) makes its international debut at DSEI 2023 London Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic 13.09.2023 A Slovak MOD Delegation, led by Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer, is visiting DSEI London 2023 these days. Stated-owned KONSTRUKTA - Defence's 155mm BIA 6x6 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) is making its international debut at the DSEI exhibition in London. The BIA howitzer project combines the strengths of KONSTRUKTA - Defence's 155mm ZUZANA 2 and EVA howitzers into one compact artillery system. Furthermore, this new howitzer gun system integrates the lessons learned from the ZUZANA 2's operational deployment to Ukraine and the learnings from international military exercises as part of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Latvia. Speaking from DSEI London 2023, Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer said: "Making progress in sales and advances in development and innovation is great news for the Slovak defence industry. At this international trade show, we have confirmed that Slovakia has a lot to offer to the world as the Ministry of Defence remains committed to setting positive conditions for the expansion of our companies, including to promoting their products abroad." As Director General of KONSTRUKTA - Defence Alexander Gursky explained, compared to the 155mm ZUZANA 2 SPH, the BIA comes lighter and more mobile with raised suspension for greater ground clearance, whilst maintaining the same firepower and other parameters. In contrast to the 155mm EVA SPH, the BIA carries a larger supply of ammunition, offers enhanced crew protection, and features upgraded automated reloading and fire control systems. The 155mm BIA 6x6 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) prototype will be showcased at the International Defence Exhibition Bratislava (IDEB) 2023 on 3-5 October 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After meeting UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey in London, Deputy Defence Minister Majer said: The United Kingdom is an important partner for us Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic 13.09.2023 Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer met UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey for bilateral talks during the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023, the premier UK defence event, at the ExCel Exhibition and Conference Centre in London on Tuesday 12 September 2023. Among the talking points were the SVK-UK bilateral defence relationship with high levels of commitment and engagement in the long term, a range of Defence & Security issues, and joint NATO activities. In a statement, Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer said: "For us, the United Kingdom is not only an important ally in the North Atlantic Alliance, but also an important bilateral partner with whom we want to deepen our relationship and take forward our work across several areas of Defence & Security." Deputy Defence Minister Majer praised the UK Armed Forces for deploying on international military exercises hosted by the Slovak Armed Forces, for example, on Ex Toxic Valley, as well as for delivering military training and education programmes to SVK service personnel. The Deputy Defence Minister expressed his appreciation for the UK-SVK Joint Declaration to promote bilateral strategic cooperation, signed recently by the SVK Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in London, and for the UK's contribution to the NATO Force Integration Unit Slovakia (NFIU SVK). Also discussed were the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, especially NATO's new defence plans. On this note, Mr Majer praised the adoption by the Alliance of an unprecedented package of military measures and the decision to strengthen NATO's eastern flank. On the war in Ukraine, Marian Majer updated James Heappey on Slovakia's military support for the defence of Ukraine so far, including both military equipment and the training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), reaffirmed Slovakia's intention to continue supporting its eastern neighbour over longer term horizons, and confirmed that Slovakia and Ukraine are currently identifying a new area of industrial cooperation on demining unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). As far as the production of ammunition for Ukraine is concerned, the Deputy Defence Minister raised the issue of extending the service life of artillery ammunition stockpiles as part of the EU's broader ambition to help Ukraine, and pointed to the ongoing efforts to shore up the Slovak defence firms' production capacity of 155mm artillery ammunition that Ukraine needs so urgently. At the conclusion of the meeting, Marian Majer extended a reciprocal invitation to UK Defence partners to come and visit the International Defence Exhibition Bratislava (IDEB), taking place on 3-5 October 2023 in Bratislava. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 14, 2023 Release Joint Statement on the U.S.-Romanian Bilateral Defense Relationship U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, met with her Romanian counterpart, Romanian State Secretary for Defense Simona Cojocaru, at the Pentagon today to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues during the annual High-Level Defense Group. The two leaders condemned Putin's brutal war of choice in Ukraine and affirmed their unyielding support for the Ukrainian people. They also stressed the importance of allied unity in assuring the security and defense of each and every inch of NATO territory. Secretary Wallander thanked Romania for hosting thousands of U.S. and Allied forces to bolster NATO's Eastern Flank and praised Romania's leadership role in the Black Sea region. These forces serve as a potent deterrent against malign forces that threaten NATO's territorial integrity. State Secretary Cojocaru thanked the United States for the sustained and continued support provided to the Romanian armed forces, which is of paramount importance to the national security architecture. Additionally, the Romanian official emphasized the nation's longstanding commitment to building an ever-stronger partnership for the future. Assistant Secretary Wallander and State Secretary Cojocaru reviewed the 2020 Roadmap of Defense Cooperation, a 10-year document that aligns U.S. and Romanian strategic priorities, including strong bilateral cooperation, strengthening Black Sea security, and military readiness, among others. The leaders agreed that both nations have made significant progress toward the objectives outlined in the Roadmap and pledged to build upon those successes in the future. The two leaders also marked the 30-year anniversary of Romania's State Partnership Program with the Alabama National Guard a proud emblem of the robust and enduring bilateral defense relationship. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3526387/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 14, 2023 Transcript Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks Welcoming Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the Pentagon SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Your Royal Highness, it's a real pleasure to host you and your delegation to the Pentagon again. We're delighted to have you back, sir. Let me start by congratulating you on signing the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement yesterday with Secretary Blinken. That was a big day, we have both been looking forward to this. This important bilateral agreement will deepen our already strong relationship, and it underscores America's commitment not only to Bahrain but to the entire region. It gives us a framework for cooperation in areas from security and trade to technology and information-sharing. And together we will demonstrate that integration and inclusion are the path to security, stability and prosperity. The United States remains committed to Bahrain and to the region. And we will continue to work with you to push back against all threats to regional stability, both from states and non-state actors. I also want to congratulate you on the three-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords, including the recent visit from Israel's foreign minister to inaugurate the Israeli Embassy in Manama just this month. Expanding this relationship will bring security and prosperity to the people of Bahrain and Israel. And, sir, your presence here underscores Bahrain's commitment to and leadership in the rules-based international order that keeps us all safe. And we appreciate that your foreign minister visited Ukraine earlier this year to see firsthand the devastation from Russia's aggression. We stand firmly with the people of Ukraine, and we will continue to provide them with the security assistance that they need to defend themselves and their country. Bahrain is also an active participant in coalition operations and a leader in maritime security. In fact, Bahrain was the first country to join the International Maritime Security Construct. And as always, we are grateful for your generous support for the service members and families of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and our Fifth Fleet, which is stationed in Bahrain. So we have a lot to talk about today. Your Royal Highness, thanks for making the trip. And I look forward to the discussion. And over to you, sir. PRIME MINISTER SALMAN BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA: Mr. Secretary, it gives me great pleasure to be here, back at the Pentagon, a building that I have visited and had the honor to visit many times. And the level of cooperation, the level of planning, the level of effort that it takes to secure the work or the region that we work towards securing, speaking about my region in the world, starts here, travels thousands of miles and gets executed very far from home. So my thanks, first, to the servicemen and women of the U.S. armed forces to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude and who we are proud to serve alongside. I would also, on the eve, or on the day after signing the C-SIPA agreement, like to thank everybody who was involved, from the president on down, here in the United States, people at State, here at Department of Defense and at the National Security Agency. Because, outside of well, I think this is the first public defense agreement that has been announced with any state in the Middle East, certainly of this level that is publicly available. So it gives me great pride that this construct is a platform and a foundation for many others to join, not just regionally. You know, I have a vision that is even global in nature. Because only by working together can nation-states, both very large and small, each in their own realm of responsibility, provide for a more stable and productive world. There are moments in history when the geopolitical sands shift, and we are living through one such moment today. And I think it is important that friends, especially long-term friends, gather around and recommit to building upon the strong foundations that already exist. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been part of what I like to call the international rules-based order since 1816, since we signed the Trucial States Agreement with the then United Kingdom well, the now United Kingdom and the Royal Navy. And we launched on a long, long process and historical journey that has brought us to this point. So, Mr. Secretary, on behalf of my team and (inaudible) Sheikh Nasser, Foreign Minister, Minister of Finance chief of staff and all of you here today, I am deeply honored to be back at the Pentagon and to do some important work. SEC. AUSTIN: Again, Your Royal Highness, we're delighted to have you here, and a special welcome to Sheikh Nasser as well. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3526312/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 14, 2023 Release Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Kingdom of Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout: The Secretary met today with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the Pentagon. Secretary Austin congratulated the Crown Prince on signing the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA), which deepens security and defense cooperation, expands trade and mutual investments in global supply chain infrastructure, and promotes the development and deployment of trusted technologies. Both leaders highlighted C-SIPA's potential to serve as a vehicle for regional integration and cooperation in the areas of security, trade, and emerging technology. Secretary Austin recognized Bahrain's role as a leader in regional integration and maritime security. He reaffirmed the enduring U.S. commitment to Middle East security and the strength of the U.S. bilateral defense partnership with Bahrain, a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States. Secretary Austin thanked His Royal Highness for Bahrain's continued hosting of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) - including its recent decision to allow U.S. dependents to work in the local economy. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3526296/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 14, 2023 By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News U.S. Resumes ISR Flight Operations in Niger In Niger, the United States has resumed the flying of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions as part of its force protection efforts. "We can confirm that the U.S. forces in Niger commenced ISR flight ops to monitor for threats and for force protection," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing at the Pentagon today. "The U.S. ... always reserves the right to conduct operations to protect our forces and personnel if required." The U.S. has more than 1,000 troops in Niger who had been, at least up until July of this year, participating alongside Nigerien troops in counterterrorism operations and security force assistance training. Those efforts were paused and continue to be paused, following a coup that overthrew Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. "The United States has not restarted counterterrorism operations, or any security force assistance training with Niger," Singh said. The U.S. has also been moving personnel in the country from Air Base 101 near the capital of Niamey, to Air Base 201 in Agadez, Singh said. "During that process, of course, we are wanting to make sure that our troops and our equipment is safe," she said. Ukraine Defense Contact Group Next week, Singh said, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley will again participate in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The meeting commences Sept. 18. "This will be the 15th meeting of the UDCG since Secretary Austin formed the international group in April 2022," she said. "The secretary and chairman will join ministers of defense and senior military officials from nearly 50 nations to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the continued close coordination by the international community to provide the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to defend their sovereign territory." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 14, 2023 By Joseph Clark , DOD News Austin Welcomes Increased Cooperation With Bahrain Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed increased security ties with Bahrain today in a meeting with the country's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The two leaders met at the Pentagon one day after the U.S. and Bahrain signed the Comprehensive Security Integration Agreement to enhance cooperation on issues ranging from defense and security to emerging technologies and trade. "This important bilateral agreement will deepen our already strong relationship and underscores America's commitment not only to Bahrain but to the entire region," Austin said. "It gives us a framework for cooperation in areas from security and trade to technology and information sharing. And together we will demonstrate that integration and inclusion are the paths to security, stability and prosperity." Bahrain, a major non-NATO ally that hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, remains as one of the United States' longest-standing partners in the Middle East. Austin extended his appreciation for Bahrain's support of U.S. service members and their families stationed abroad and praised the country for its active participation in coalition operations. The newly signed agreement further strengthens coordination between the two countries' armed forces and intelligence capacities. The agreement also advances scientific and technical cooperation between the two countries through information sharing and exchanges and promotes the deployment of trusted technologies with the aim of protecting critical systems and privacy. "The United States remains committed to Bahrain and the region," Austin said. "And we will continue to work with you to push back against all threats to regional stability both from states and non-state actors." In addition to highlighting the new agreement, Austin u expressed appreciation for the Bahraini foreign minister's visit to Ukraine earlier this year. The crown prince, who also serves as Bahrain's prime minister, praised the close ties between Bahrain and the United States and extended his gratitude for U.S. service members' work alongside Bahraini armed forces to secure the region. "Only by working together can nation states both very large and small, each in their own realm of responsibility, provide for a more stable and productive world," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 14, 2023 By Beth Reece , Defense Logistics Agency Innovation Will Help Shape Future of Military Logistics Innovation in logistics is key to the nation's ability to deter aggression as it meets new and growing threats, a leader from the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment said on the anniversary of 9/11. One way to avoid war is being so prepared to prevail on the logistics front that the enemy understands the folly of aggression, Army Brig. Gen. Stephanie Q. Howard, executive director of operational contract support for OUSD A&S, said at the Defense Logistics Agency's 4th annual Industry Collider Day. The event connected industry and academia with research and development opportunities in areas like additive manufacturing, strategic materials, and green and sustainable technologies. "We want our enemy to know that the logistics will be there, that when our warfighter turns to the shelf, those supply parts are there. The uniforms they need are there. The bullets they need are there," she said, adding that logistics also underpins the National Defense Strategy's fourth priority of building a resilient joint force and ecosystem. Processes that worked in the past are no longer fast enough, Howard said, and only through partnerships with small businesses and other partners can organizations like DLA and the Army Materiel Command be successful. "When our military needs the next weapons system, aircraft, ship, delivery system, unmanned platform, predictive modeling or whatever it is, we cannot create another [Plan of Action and Milestones] and have an arrow going up to the right showing that two years from now we can get that capability into the hands of the warfighter," she said. "It will be two years too late." Wars Won or Lost on Logistics An Army logistician of nearly 30 years, Howard said warfighters assume the fuel, food and supplies they need are sitting ready on a shelf. But providing military logistics is extremely challenging, she added, citing a quote from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower: You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics. Images of a Russian convoy at a standstill early in the invasion of Ukraine proved that the battle stops without foresight and planned distribution of supplies as simple as a spare tire. Some might argue that military logistics should mirror models by giants like Amazon and FedEx, she said, but the dynamics are different. "Let's imagine Cyber Monday, Black Friday, the holiday rush, all of that happening simultaneously without warning. It happens on some unexpected date like March 10. That's what the military is often having to respond to," Howard said. The services have an enormous demand and a combination of old and new technology that calls for innovative concepts, she continued. "Some of you in this room might be amazed to hear about some of those innovative concepts that are already further forward than you would have expected. Some of you I'm sure have been involved in developing some of those innovative concepts," she said, encouraging participants to connect with DLA to discover how their capabilities fit warfighter needs. More of Everything Howard recalled Americans' shock 22 years ago when terrorists attacked the nation and redirected the military's focus away from peacekeeping operations. A new enemy quickly became clear, and commanders started asking for more trucks, ships, uniforms and supply parts. "Something new was happening, and we needed to get our industrial base ramped up again," she said. Howard was then an ammunition officer at Army Materiel Command, and AMC Commander Gen. Paul Kern and other leaders questioned how fast new Patriot missiles could be produced. She and the rest of the team did an analysis that revealed two years would be the soonest. "We did not have the innovation in place to speed that up," she said. "No amount of money, no amount of additional workers, was going to change that." As the troops shifted into counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, military logisticians began introducing more commercial off-the-shelf equipment and grew more agile because that's what troops needed, she said. Rather than carry supplies into the area of operations with them, warfighters pared down and depended more on commercial transportation to move supplies. "And we could buy stuff in [country]. We could pay DHL to get the equipment where it needed to be," she said. The National Defense Strategies of 2018 and 2022 challenge logisticians to prepare for new conflicts that could become force-to-force fights unlike those of the past. New technologies like additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence will be key but still have far to go, Howard said. "We must get the technology we need more quickly into the hands of the warfighter," she added. "We cannot be complacent. We cannot depend on the processes and the ways that we have always done stuff because it is not fast enough." More information on DLA's research and development program is available at DLA's Research and Development page. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell after the High-Level meeting with Prime Minister Kurti and President Vucic European External Action Service (EEAS) 14.09.2023 EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good afternoon. Today, we hosted the leaders of Kosovo [Prime Minister, Albin Kurti] and Serbia [President Aleksandar Vucic] for another High-level Dialogue meeting. Our last meeting here in Brussels was in June, and it was occupied by the crisis in the north of Kosovo. And this time we focused on [the] implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation - which is key. It is key for taking the normalisation process forward. In our meeting in May, I had to call on the parties to move from negotiations to implementation. And this message is now even more important, because it has been a year - a full year - since we started discussions on the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and six months since we met in Ohrid to finalise it. In Ohrid, the Parties agreed to implement all their respective obligations - their commitments - stemming from the Agreement and its Annex. They agreed to implement it expediently and in good faith, and without any obstructions. Six months later, only three elements have been addressed: the Declaration of Missing Persons, the presentation of the Management Team statute for the Association/Community and the announcement of the Joint Monitoring Committee. But the implementation of the most important and substantial points has not yet started. And this is very regrettable, and it speaks volumes about the Parties' true commitment to normalisation of relations - or rather the absence of it. The absence of commitment. Allow me to say that each Party is being judged by its own merits. Lack of action by either Party means that both Kosovo and Serbia are in direct and serious violation of their Dialogue obligations and in breach of their promises. Back in May, the Management Team presented the proposal on the statute of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities. More than four months later, nothing else has happened. Instead, we are again in a cycle of tensions and daily escalations. We came back from agreements to escalation. The establishment of the Association/Community is an old obligation for the Parties and it has always been a key element in the normalisation process. Therefore, it is crucial that the negotiations on the statute finally starts with no further delay, in the context of the implementation of the Agreement. From our side, I, as the Facilitator [of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue] with the extraordinary support of Special Representative of the European Union, Miroslav Lajcak, we have applied repeated efforts to facilitate a compromise on how the implementation process would look like. The two Parties started from opposite ends. Prime Minister Kurti wanted political aspects of normalisation first, while Serbia wants to start with the establishment of the Association/Community before engaging on its obligations. This is why, we proposed what we see as the only possible compromise today - a process that would allow these two to run in parallel. [Instead of working on] one first, [or] the other first, let's work in parallel. This is the best compromise that we could offer. Moving [on] implementation in parallel would ensure that the core principles - namely that you have to do something in order to get something - are fulfilled. The European Union and the wider international community, including our American partners, see this as the only realistic way [that] the implementation can work. Both need to have the guarantees that their actions are rewarded with counter-actions by the other Party. This is the way we look for a balance point in a negotiation. And today, I tried with Prime Minister Kurti and President Vucic to find solutions and a way forward based on our proposal. Unfortunately, after quite a long meeting, Prime Minister Kurti was not ready to move forward and start a credible process towards establishing the Association/Community. He insisted instead on formalising de facto recognition as the first step. I have to say, President Vucic accepted the European Union's proposal for the implementation of the Agreement. He came with another proposal, but finally he accepted our proposal. We tried hard, but unfortunately, it was not possible to bridge the differences today. I also have to inform [you] that there was no progress on de-escalation of tensions in the north of Kosovo. As a reminder, all 27 European Union Member States - all of them together - have asked in no uncertain terms, for concrete steps to resolve the current crisis. Some steps were taken by Kosovo and we welcome them - some - but they fall short of meeting the requests made for full de-escalation. Today, we again urged both Parties to take immediate action in the north of Kosovo to de-escalate the situation, to avoid any further destabilisation and to enable new early local elections to take place immediately. We cannot sit and wait for the next crisis. This has to take place immediately, in line with the requests made by the European Union and the broader international community. Let's talk about the path to early elections. The early elections can go either through resignation of the mayors in the four Kosovo Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo, or through the collection of signatures of the Kosovo-Serbs to recall the mayors. Either they resign, either there is a collection of signatures to recall them. Let me also clarify in this respect that the European Union sees resignation of the mayors, who have been elected by only 3% of the population, as the fastest and best way to enable early elections. The other procedure, looking for signatures, is lengthy and uncertain. Kosovo Serbs are expected to show constructiveness and engage unconditionally in the electoral process. They have to participate, otherwise the whole exercise will be unmeaningful. I welcome the assurances I got today from President Vucic in this regard. If there is no progress on the elections, the risk of new escalation will continue to loom over the implementation of the Agreement and through the broader normalisation process. Since March, we have a very good Agreement. A very good Agreement that provides a clear framework on the way forward on normalisation of relations and brings tangible benefits for their citizens if the Agreement is being implemented. I am sorry to say: we are running out of time. At the end of the day, those who suffer most from the inability of their leaders to stay true to their words are the citizens. This is particularly worrying at a time when the European Union is so clearly moving forward on enlargement. Both President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti declared that they want to be members of the European Union - a Union that is built on partnership, on compromise, on good relations between neighbours and the vision of a better future for all citizens. I have to remind them that the path for both Kosovo and Serbia go through the Dialogue. There is no way around it. There is not another solution. Without normalisation, there will not be a European future for either Kosovo or Serbia. Kosovo and Serbia are risking to be left behind when others regional partners are moving quicker towards Europe. I think it is now finally time to take the process forward, and to show that Kosovo and Serbia can live together in peace and be part of the European family. A family that overcame so many confrontations in the past and learned to live together in peace. I want to thank my Special Representative, Miroslav Lajcak, and all of his team for their excellent work in such difficult circumstances. After this meeting, Miroslav and I, we will inform the Member States and we will decide together on the way forward. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in his political statement to parliament: We must continue to stand together for Estonia's foreign policy and security Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14.09.2023 Today 14 September, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna made a political statement at the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu), emphasising that the main task of Estonia's foreign policy is to make sure with our Allies and partners that Russia ends its aggression in Ukraine and compensates the damage it has caused. To meet this objective, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concentrating on three major policies: raising the cost of the aggression, supporting Ukraine and fighting impunity. "Estonia's message is unequivocal: our aim is to cause maximum damage to the aggressor state by using sanctions and comprehensive isolation," the minister said. For this purpose, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is putting together a proposal for additional sanctions in the coming weeks, and will then seek the support of the European Union. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will introduce a pioneering bill for Europe to the government, giving Estonia and, setting a precedent, Europe, a legal mechanism for using Russia's frozen assets for reconstruction in Ukraine. Speaking to all entrepreneurs, the minister stressed that any business with Russia helped the aggressor in its war and was therefore unreservedly unacceptable. "Stop this business," Tsahkna urged. Full support to Ukraine remains an important policy for Estonia and it is calling on all the nations of the world to provide Ukraine with the equipment they need in battle, and do it much faster than has been the case so far. Estonia is also convinced that those who have committed evil acts must receive a just punishment. This is why Estonia fully supports the investigation of war crimes and holding perpetrators to account, as well as the creation of a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression. Touching on European Union and NATO enlargement, the minister underlined that Estonia clearly and firmly supported Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic ambitions. The minister thanked the parliament for its unity and unanimity when making foreign policy decisions and said he hoped that in the future, too, domestic political conflicts would be put aside when dealing with foreign policy matters. "When it comes to existential security issues, we speak confidently in one voice in the world, leaving the domestic competition between political parties at home," Tsahkna said in recognition of the parliament. He reiterated that Russia's aggression in Ukraine has put so much more than just Ukraine's future at stake. "If the international norm by the end of the war is that an aggressive major power can use weapons to destroy its smaller neighbours, change their borders and cancel entire nations, the order based on international law is unreservedly over and brutal power politics with all it entails have returned," Tsahkna noted. "Therefore, for Estonia, nothing less that our existential security interests are at stake in this war," he added. The full statement is available here: Statement on foreign policy by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna | Valisministeerium (vm.ee) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maduro hails China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership: 'a new world has arrived' Global Times By Yang Sheng and Liu Yang Published: Sep 14, 2023 09:42 PM Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros held a press conference at the Venezuelan Embassy in China Thursday before concluding his visit and returning to his country, where he outlined his trip, which covered multiple cities in China, and hailed the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership, saying that the 21st century is the end of hegemonism and imperialism and "a new world" of multi-polarization and fairness has arrived. Maduro and his cabinet members arrived at the embassy in Beijing at 11:35 am, and the press conference started at around 12:30 pm at the embassy's Hugo Chavez Hall. He shared his experiences in China during the past few days, saying he was impressed by the development of the international metropolises like Shanghai and Shenzhen, and he also recalled his trip to Mountain Tai in E. China's Shandong Province, saying the China-Venezuela friendship is as rock-solid as the mountain. Maduro highly valued the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the three Global Initiatives of Civilization, Security and Development proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and thanked China for its investment and support for Latin America, which has greatly improved the development of the continent. He also condemned the US sanctions against his country, as Washington blocked other nations from supplying Venezuela vaccines and other materials during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying this was a crime against humanity, and thanked China for its firm support that helped his country during that difficult time. While answering questions from the Global Times about the significance of the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership and Venezuela's plan to promote the partnership, the Venezuelan president said, "For the centenary of the relations between Venezuela and China, I am confident that Venezuela will have risen as an emerging power in South America, in the Global South, and there we will be hand-in-hand, China and Venezuela." "We have a relationship of friendship, of trust, and we reaffirm this path, the elevation of Venezuela-China relations to a powerful strategic partnership," affirmed the President. In this sense, he explained that the strategic partnership between both nations addresses qualitative and quantitative aspects, which will aim for the consolidation of important areas for the development of the South American country. "The qualitative aspect is unquestionable because there will be nothing that stops us on the path of development, expansion, growth, and the construction of a powerful economic foundation for the social happiness of our people, and every moment is quantitative in the times to come," Maduro said at the press conference. Before answering a question from the Global Times, Maduro received a copy of the newspaper with the front page story about his visit to China from the Global Times reporter, and asked, "Can I keep it?" The Global Times reporter said, "This is our gift for you." Maduro said at the press conference that "the economic presence and investments of China in Latin America and the Caribbean are the greatest force for development that the region has today." "China has become a financial economic superpower, but not an imperialist superpower, not a colonialist superpower, but a superpower based on the principles of peace, cooperation, and shared development," he emphasized. The Venezuelan president stressed that everything achieved, thanks to China, "has been a positive force for the economies of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, and that cannot be countered," emphasizing that negative opinions will be overcome by the reality that marks the end of imperialism. "We are in the 21st century, the century of the end of hegemonism, of imperialism; it is the century in which a different world has been born, a multi-polar world, a pluricentric world for peace and cooperation," he said. He also reiterated that these partnerships are not meant to go against other countries, but rather the purpose is "to develop industry, agriculture, technology, job creation capacity, to meet the needs of the people; that is what we do when we sit down to talk," he emphasized. "A new world has arrived," he emphasized, urging those who believe with their pettiness and envy that they can still dominate countries of the Global South to realize that it is over. At the end of the press conference, Maduro showed a Huawei Mate X3 mobile phone, which he praised as an advanced and secure device, and he recommended that young people buy it, as not only can it make satellite calls, but can also prevent interruptions, interception and wiretaps from anyone. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hun Manet arrives in Beijing on first official trip abroad since taking office, to further boost ironclad ties Global Times By Xu Keyue Published: Sep 14, 2023 09:25 PM The new Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as the first foreign country to visit after taking office, showing his great determination to push forward the ironclad bilateral relationship with China, said Chinese observers as Hun Manet arrived on Thursday for a three-day visit. According to Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hun Manet is paying an official visit to China from September 14 to 16 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang of the State Council. During the visit, Hun Manet will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, have talks with Premier Li Qiang, and meet with Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Mao said on Monday. Hun Manet laid a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes Thursday afternoon after arriving in Beijing. Chinese observers had high expectations for further deepened mutual trust and expanding cooperation through the remarkable visit by Hun Manet, eldest son and successor of Hun Sen, who took office in August. The new Cambodian leader's visit to China on his first trip abroad is equivalent to proclaiming to China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the world that he is determined to continue his father's foreign policy, Zhuang Guotu, head of Xiamen University's Southeast Asian Studies Center, told the Global Times on Thursday. Some observers noted that Hun Manet is expected to maintain an arms-length relationship with Washington. Promoting high-tech industries such as the information industry and semiconductor industry is what Cambodia needs, Zhuang said, noting that during the trip, Hun Manet wants to seek the Chinese side's help to improve the quality of the industrial parks in Cambodia that China has invested in. At present, Cambodia has insufficient infrastructure and development momentum, and its industrial level needs significant improvement, the expert said. In addition, Hun Manet might want to secure China's support for his country's first high-speed rail project, Zhuang noted. China has been a major donor and investor in Cambodia's infrastructure projects, which include roads, bridges, expressways, ports and airports, which have significantly improved Cambodia's trade and connectivity, according to the Xinhua News Agency China also attaches great significance to maintaining and strengthening its ties with Cambodia, one of the most important members of ASEAN, said Zhuang, who believes deepening relations with Cambodia is also conducive for China to push forward ties with ASEAN. Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Cambodia diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship, Mao Ning said Monday that China looks forward to making a comprehensive plan for China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic cooperation in the coming years through this visit. In particular, China will push forward the implementation of cooperation initiatives such as the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor" as soon as possible, and will build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future for the new era, Mao added. Coinciding with Hun Manet's China visit, a medical team of the Chinese People's Liberation Army arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport in Cambodia on Thursday morning to organize the 13-day "Peace Angel 2023" joint medical exercise with the medical service detachment of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and provide free medical services for Cambodian soldiers and civilians, according to a post by the CCTV military channel on the Sina Weibo on Thursday. This activity, which involves more than 700 soldiers from the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, is the first joint exercise of the medical service detachments of the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, CCTV reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Norwegian statements in the interactive dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights oral update on Sudan Government of Norway Press release | Date: 14/09/2023 Norway in Geneva partook in two statements in the interactive dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights oral update on Sudan. Both as part of the Core Group (Germany, Norway, the United States, and the United Kingdom), and as part of the Nordic-Baltic countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Iceland). Core Group, delivered by the UK: Mr President Let me begin by expressing my heartfelt condolences to the people of Libya for the tragic loss of life. This statement is on behalf of the Sudan Core Group: Germany, Norway, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The conflict in Sudan, entering its sixth month, is undeniably one of the most serious in the world. The human rights implications are catastrophic and worsening every day. In Khartoum and elsewhere, aerial bombardments and shelling of civilian neighbourhoods and structures by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces and fighting across the city has left over a million people in a dire humanitarian situation, with little access to food, water, and medicine. In Darfur, there are growing indications that the RSF and their allies are waging a campaign of indescribable horror, including acts of sexual and gender-based violence, along ethnic lines - with parallels to the atrocities committed by the Janjaweed nearly 20 years ago. Mr. President, The people of Sudan are living in fear. Their lives, livelihoods, rights and access to basic necessities, have been devastated. We stand in solidarity with them and echo the call from civil society for an end to the fighting, unhindered humanitarian access, a lasting peace, and accountability for violations and abuses to end the cycle of impunity in Sudan which has persisted for decades. Thank you. Nordic-Baltic countries, delivered by Iceland: Mr President, I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries [Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and my own country Iceland]. We thank the High Commissioner for his update. The human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan has deteriorated even further since your last update to the HRC in June. Every week there are new allegations of grave human rights violations and abuses, as well as violations of international humanitarian law, by both parties to the conflict. We are alarmed by reports of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. Humanitarian needs are enormous. We once again call on all parties to the conflict to respect and ensure respect for International Humanitarian Law and to facilitate full, safe and unhindered (humanitarian) access. 19 aid workers have been killed in Sudan this year alone. The violence has to stop now. All parties to the conflict must agree and adhere to an immediate ceasefire and civilians need to be protected. High Commissioner, Given the dire situation and the lack of access to Sudan, what tools do we have at our disposal to best protect the human rights of people in Sudan? I thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Nordic and Baltic security policy directors meet in Riga Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14.09.2023 On 14 September 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a meeting of the directors of security policy departments from the Nordic countries and Baltic States (Nordic-Baltic Eight, NB8), who had gathered to discuss topical issues of regional security, NATO and the European Union. Raimonds Oskalns, director of the Security Policy Department at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized: "Nordic and Baltic countries are linked not only by their geographic location and shared values, but also a common understanding of current security challenges. Finland's NATO membership as well as Sweden's upcoming accession to the Alliance offer an opportunity to significantly expand the Nordic-Baltic defence cooperation potential." At the meeting, special attention was paid to cooperation within NATO in preparations for next summer's summit in Washington, as well as to the growing role of the EU in the field of security. Another topic on the agenda was the need to strengthen support for Ukraine in the long term. The Nordic countries and Baltic States are among the most active supporters of Ukraine, making an invaluable contribution to the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces. All NB8 countries have joined the G7 joint declaration on long-term support for Ukraine, pledging to provide it with long-term political, military, economic and financial support. Background information The NB8 (Nordic-Baltic Eight) cooperation format comprises Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. This past January, Latvia took over coordination in the NB8 format. Latvia's priorities in the NB8 coordination effort are related to the strengthening of a rules-based international order, military security and deterrence capabilities, as well as resilience. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 15th MEU Completes Exercise Across Southwestern United States US Marine Corps News 14 Sep 2023 | 1st Lt. Robert Nanna 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, AZ, UNITED STATES -- The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted its first exercise as a composited Marine Air-Ground Task Force across the Southwestern U.S., Aug. 17-28, 2023. Known as Realistic Urban Training, RUT is a land-based predeployment exercise that brings together the elements of the 15th MEU to integrate the unique individual and unit skills and develop the MEU's collective proficiency to operate as a MAGTF and respond rapidly to crises. The 15th MEU is comprised of a Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 1/5; a Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 15; and an Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 (Reinforced). Also supporting the 15th MEU during RUT was Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 225, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, bringing a squadron of F-35B Lightning II aircraft to conduct missions such as electronic attack and expeditionary strike. VMFA-225 has since composited as part of the 15th MEU on Sept. 8. RUT was conducted over 11 days in seven locations across Arizona, California, and Nevada. The various and often concurrent missions that were planned and executed during the exercise included amphibious raids, expeditionary strikes, tactical recoveries of aircraft and personnel, and a military assisted departure from a simulated U.S. consulate. "RUT is the first 'prime-time training' event where we bring the full MAGTF together to plan and execute as a team," In addition to the scenario-driven exercise ran by Expeditionary Operations Training Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, the elements of the 15th MEU conducted unit-level sustainment training at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona. The sustainment training allowed the units to refine core skills, from individual fast rope and weapons employment, up to live-fire maneuver at the squad level, all while operating in an unfamiliar environment at YPG. Adding real-world complexity to the exercise were extreme heat as well as the threats of flash flooding and destructive winds caused by Tropical Storm Hilary. In response to the tropical storm, the 15th MEU planned and executed a destructive weather mitigation plan. This required detailed planning and synchronized actions of the MAGTF as an additional problem set to the scenario training. The 15th MEU moved personnel, aircraft, and equipment from expeditionary sites to hardened structures to protect them. Since MCAS Yuma and YPG are both located in open desert areas, the winds of Hilary gusted up to 65 mph at times, whipping sand and shaking buildings. Once given the "all clear," the entire 15th MEU quickly redeployed units to resume normal operations, without a loss of training or capability. "No plan survives first contact, and that held true for our original exercise timeline," said Maj. Peter Shelton, 15th MEU air operations officer and the action officer for the destructive weather mitigation plan. "What the MEU was able to do in about 48 hours - plan, move people and aircraft, wait, and then resume - is remarkable. Though not a training objective, it showed what immense tasks the MEU can undertake, and was a great repetition for us by simulating what could happen in the real world." The added friction spurred the need for the approximately 2,500 Marines and Sailors to integrate, collaborate, and overcome obstacles they could face throughout the upcoming deployment. While RUT is the final land-based exercise for the 15th MEU, it is the first of four MEU-level predeployment training exercises that will be completed over the coming months. The 15th MEU is a flexible, sea-based MAGTF capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations to support the requirements of geographic combatant commanders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy Secretary General welcomes NATO's deepening partnership with Moldova NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 14 Sep. 2023 - 15 Sep. 2023 Last updated: 14 Sep. 2023 From 14 to 15 September 2023, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana is visiting Chisinau to discuss NATO's deepening partnership with the Republic of Moldova. During his visit, the Deputy Secretary General met the Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and President of the Parliament Igor Grosu. Mr Geoana also met with senior military officials and will engage with students and civil society representatives. In his meeting with President Sandu, Mr Geoana reaffirmed NATO's commitment to continue strengthening political and practical support to Moldova. Moldova's cooperation with NATO enhances its resilience and security, and will help Moldova on its path to EU membership, Mr Geoana said. In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Recean, the Deputy Secretary General highlighted the long-standing cooperation between NATO and Moldova, in full respect for its constitutional neutrality. He thanked Moldova for its continued support to regional stability through its contribution to NATO's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, and for the assistance it has provided to the Ukrainian people since the beginning of Russia's illegal war. Mr Geoana also praised Moldova for its efforts towards European Union integration. Mr Geoana welcomed Prime Minister Recean's goal to enhance the interoperability of the Moldovan armed forces with NATO. He reiterated NATO's full support for Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling on Russia to withdraw its forces stationed in the Transnistrian region without Moldova's consent. At the Vilnius Summit, NATO Allies reconfirmed their commitment to stepping up political and practical support to Moldova. This includes a substantial package of support to help strengthen Moldova's cyber defences, strategic communications, and training and logistics. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OPEC rejects IEA's forecasts about fossil fuels use Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 7:21 PM The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has rejected projections by the International Energy Agency's (IEA) suggesting that the global consumption of fossil fuels will peak in 2030 before dropping to record lows because of an increase in the use of the renewables. OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said in a statement issued on Thursday that IEA's recent forecast about the decline in the use of fossil fuels in the next decade would only worsen the situation in international energy markets. "It would lead to energy chaos on a potentially unprecedented scale, with dire consequences for economies and billions of people across the world," said the statement. In an article in the Financial Times published on Tuesday, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said estimates by the Agency shows that the age of growth in use of fossil fuels "is set to come to an end this decade." "This is the first time that a peak in demand is visible for each fuel this decade earlier than many people anticipated," Birol said in the opinion piece, adding that demand for the three fossil fuels, namely coal, oil and natural gas, is set to hit a peak in the coming years. However, OPEC statement called the forecasted decline "so dangerous", saying such statements normally lead to calls to stop new oil and gas investments. "Such narratives only set the global energy system up to fail spectacularly," said Al Ghais, adding that some 80% of the world's energy mix still comes from fossil fuels, the same as three decades ago. The OPEC chief said that IEA's estimates had failed to consider the technological progress that has taken place in the oil and gas industry to cut emissions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Report: Ansarullah officials head to Riyadh for ceasefire talks with Saudis Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 4:30 PM Representatives of Yemen's Ansarullah movement and members of a meditation team from Oman have left for Riyadh to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Saudi officials, news agencies say. "The Omani plane took off towards Riyadh carrying the Houthi [Ansarullah] delegation," French news agency AFP reported, citing an aviation official in the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Thursday. The talks between Saudi officials and Ansarullah envoys will reportedly focus on a full reopening of Yemeni ports and Sana'a International Airport, payment of wages for public servants from oil revenues, reconstruction efforts, and a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Yemen. Ali al-Qahoum, a member of Ansarullah's political bureau, said the Omani delegation and representatives from the National Salvation Government will try to complete the previous rounds of ceasefire talks. He expressed his optimism over mediation efforts, and Oman's efforts to restore peace and stability in Yemen. Oman, which borders Yemen, has been trying for years to bridge differences between the warring parties. The first round of the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sana'a, which are running in parallel to UN peace efforts, was held in April when Saudi envoys visited the Yemeni capital. The peace initiatives have gained momentum since Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume diplomatic ties back in March following a Chinese-brokered deal after a seven-year estrangement. Saudi Arabia launched the war of aggression against Yemen in March 2015, enlisting the assistance of some of its regional allies, including the United Arab Emirates, as well as massive shipments of advanced weaponry from the US and Western Europe. The Western governments further extended their political and logistical support to Riyadh in their failed bid to restore power in Yemen to the country's former Saudi-installed government. The former Yemeni government's president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, resigned from the presidency in late 2014 and later fled to Riyadh amid a political conflict with Ansarullah. The movement has been running Yemen's affairs in the absence of a functioning administration. The war further led to the killing of tens of thousands of Yemenis and turned the entire nation into the scene of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Seven killed in gun battles in Indian-controlled Kashmir Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 3:04 PM At least seven people have been killed in two separate gunfights between the Indian security forces and gunmen in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Three Indian security officers died in a gunfight during a search operation in the Anantnag district of South Kashmir on Wednesday. In another encounter, two gunmen along with an Indian army soldier and a police officer were killed in the border district of Rajouri. A joint party of police and army launched a search operation on September 12 evening after getting inputs about the presence of suspected gunmen in the forests of the Kokernag area of Anantnag in South Kashmir. Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat were critically injured by gunshots while crossing a stream during the search operation. The security officers died on Wednesday, officials said in Srinagar, The Hindu reported. On its X handle, the Jammu and Kashmir Police posted that the region's police chief Dilbagh Singh while condoling the demise of the officers said that "the perpetrators of the criminal act would be brought to justice soon." Army helicopters and drones have been pressed into service to track the gunmen. In a separate gunfight in the mountainous region of Rajouri, the Indian troops killed two gunmen while an army soldier and police officer also died during the battle. Earlier this year, at least 10 Indian army soldiers were killed in two separate encounters in Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Pir Panjal region. The gunfights lay bare the Indian right-wing BJP government's claim that its muscular policies have brought normalcy to the Himalayan region In 2019, New Delhi revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution stripping the disputed region of its limited autonomy. The Modi-led BJP government had said that the step would integrate Kashmir with the rest of India and would eliminate terrorism bringing peace to the region. However, intermittent gunfights in the region continue to take place also claiming innocent lives. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. The disputed region is claimed by both countries. India and Pakistan have also fought three wars over the disputed territory. Kashmir's mostly Muslim population has been demanding that the region be given independence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran frowns on US-Armenia 'Eagle Partner' war games Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 1:00 AM Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian considers war games currently underway between the US and Armenia to be counterproductive to solving current tensions in the region. The presence of foreign forces in the region serves to further complicate the regional situation, the top diplomat told his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in a phone call on Wednesday. Amir-Abdollahian was referring to the so-called "Eagle Partner" military exercises that kick-started between the US and Armenia on Monday. The 10-day drills involve 85 US and 175 Armenian troops. It is taking place at two training grounds near the Armenian capital of Yerevan. The drills come at a time of high tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Karabakh, while acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan by the international community, has a predominantly Armenian population that has persistently opposed Azerbaijani governance since a separatist war in 1994. Tensions over the region took a turn for the worse earlier this week when the two sides accused each other of amassing troops close to their joint border. The Iranian foreign minister urged that such disputes be tackled at their roots towards the realization of sustainable peace in the region. He considered the most effective means of achievement of comprehensive regional peace to be lying in recourse to regional negotiations and mechanisms as the 3+3 format that features Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran. For his part, the Armenian official deemed taking the place of whatever change to the South Caucasus region's borders to be unacceptable. The top diplomats, meanwhile, addressed the available means of expansion of bilateral relations between Tehran and Yerevan, expressing satisfaction with the underway trend of the ties' development. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indo-Pacific commander: US military to seek access to more Philippine bases Under the EDCA pact, U.S. forces already have access to nine bases in the Southeast Asian country. By Camille Elemia for BenarNews 2023.09.14 -- The United States is seeking access to more bases in the Philippines on top of nine sites already included under an expanded pact, military chiefs said Thursday, amid heightened regional tensions with China. During annual bilateral talks in Metro Manila, he and Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. recommended giving American forces greater access to bases here, but their governments would need to approve this, said Adm. John C. Aquilino, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. "Gen. Brawner and I made recommendations to our senior leaders for the consideration of additional sites, but there is still work to do there before we get to that answer," Aquilino told reporters at the Philippine military's headquarters in Quezon City. Aquilino and Brawner did not give a number for how many more bases might be added under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), but the addition of four bases this past February caused some controversy in the Philippines and it angered China. "We are in discussions, but everyone has a boss and we both have bosses, we'll have those conversations - I think in private, and give our bosses some decision space on how they'd like to go forward," Aquilino said. Filipino and U.S. officials have denied that giving American forces rotational access to more Philippine bases is connected to tensions with China over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea and Taiwan. China reacted to the move earlier this year, saying it was provocative and aimed at helping the U.S. contain the People's Republic and its military. Aquilino was in the Philippines this week to visit three of the EDCA sites and meet with Brawner to discuss ways to deepen defense ties between the longstanding allies. The U.S. military chief for the region spoke to reporters after the annual meeting of the Mutual Defense and Security Engagement Boards, which are responsible for coordinating cooperation between the two militaries under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. In February, Manila added four sites that the U.S. could access under EDCA, increasing the total number of bases to nine. The decision by the Marcos administration to allow U.S. forces greater access to local bases has angered some Filipinos, who worry that their country, as a consequence, would be in the line of fire should war break out between the U.S. and China over Taiwan. In May, hundreds of people protested against the EDCA pact outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, on the same day that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington. Three of these new sites are in the northern Philippines facing Taiwan, while one is in the island of Palawan facing the South China Sea. Meanwhile in Taiwan on Thursday, the defense ministry reported that 68 Chinese warplanes and 10 navy ships had been "detected near the island," starting on Wednesday morning, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported. The U.S. has added 63 projects for the EDCA sites on top of the previously approved 32, Aquilino said, adding that these projects include multipurpose storage facilities, road networks and fuel storage, among others. "The United States has identified investments of almost $110 million [6.2 billion pesos] to those sites to build capability capacity for the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] to use every day and for the United States to fall in when invited," the admiral said. For his part, Brawner said that the nine bases in total were meant for joint training as well as humanitarian and disaster-response operations, and were not related to regional security threats. "All of these joint operations, even the selection of our EDCA sites, have nothing to do with the other countries in the Indo-Pacific region, meaning the threats that could come out from these countries," Brawner said. "We believe that doing certain things together would bring more value, for instance training together," he said. Meanwhile, China has ramped up its presence in the South China Sea. Beijing has deployed its China Coast Guard ships and maritime militia ships in the West Philippine Sea - the part of the South China Sea within Manila's jurisdiction - to harass Philippine ships, Filipino officials said. U.S. Navy reconnaissance planes were seen flying over the disputed waters during recent Philippine resupply missions to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, where the World War II-era BRP Sierra Madre serves as Manila's military outpost in the disputed atoll. Tour of three sites On Wednesday, Brawner, Aquilino, and MaryKay Carlson, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, inspected three EDCA sites - Lal-lo airport and Camilo Osias Naval Base, both in Cagayan in northern Philippines, and Basa Air Base in Pampanga, near Manila. Manila has called on Washington to construct a pier and refurbish the airstrip at the naval base along with a fuel storage facility and command center in Lal-lo airport. "We are not just looking at how we can operate together more efficiently, but also we are looking at the future operations that we are going to conduct," Brawner told reporters on Wednesday. "All of these factors should come in as we decide on which projects we're really going to pursue." When the expanded EDCA was announced seven months ago, China immediately stated its opposition to the widened pact. "Such moves contradict the common aspiration of regional countries to seek peace, cooperation and development, and run counter to the common aspiration of the Filipino people to pursue sound economic recovery and a better life in cooperation with China," said Huang Xilian, Chinese ambassador to Manila in a statement issued in February. "It is hoped that the Philippine side stays vigilant and resists from being taken advantage of and dragged into troubled waters." BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news source. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China bars Tibetans from attending Buddhist Kalachakra sermon More than 100,000 devotees have gathered for the teaching by a prominent lama. By Lhuboom Tash for RFA Tibetan 2023.09.14 -- Chinese authorities have barred Tibetans from attending a key Buddhist event called the Kalachakra out of fear that the gathering of more than 100,000 people could pose a threat to the government, according to Tibetans in the region. The move to control access to the Sept. 15-17 sermon by prominent lama Gungthang Rinpoche Lobsang Jamyang Geleg Tenpe Khenchen in Gansu province's Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture comes amid growing criticism of China's policies in Tibet, where authorities restrict Tibetans' political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity. In a Sept. 10 directive obtained by RFA Tibetan, authorities in Dzoege county - a part of Tibet's historical eastern region of Amdo - said the sermon "is only arranged for residents of [the city of] Tsoe (in Chinese, Hezuo)" and that there "are no arrangements made for Tibetan devotees coming to attend from other parts of Tibet." "To maintain the religious activities pertaining to Kalakchakra in order, and to keep everything in control including crowd and traffic, non-resident Tibetans will not be allowed to go near the teaching site," the directive said. "Those [non-residents] who have already arrived are instructed to leave the premises." The Kalachakra, which means "infinite wheel of time" in Sanskrit, is a sacred event where key Buddhist teachings are passed on to devotees. Only a very few qualified Tibetan Buddhist masters, including exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, can deliver such sermons. A Tibetan in the region said that the sheer size of the audience for the Kalachakra had prompted authorities to restrict access to the event. "The Chinese authorities have barred Tibetans coming from other parts of Tibet from attending the teaching because they are fearful of such huge gatherings and are being cautious of possible demonstrations against the Chinese government, said the Tibetan who, like others RFA interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. "More than 100,000 Tibetan devotees have gathered for this Kalachakra but, besides residents, Tibetans coming from Qinghai, Sichuan and other parts of the region are not allowed to attend." Directive removed from website The Gungthang Rinpoche is an influential religious figure from the Labrang Tashikyil Monastery in Gansu's Xiahe county. In 2004, he was recognized as the seventh reincarnation of the Gungthang Rinpoche by the sixth one, Jamyang Zhepa. The directive follows the earlier canceling of the Kalachakra in July when, despite obtaining permission from authorities, organizers were told they could not hold the event because it conflicted with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Gannan prefecture. Tibetans frequently complain of discrimination and human rights abuses by Chinese authorities and policies they say are aimed at eradicating their national and cultural identity. Barring non-residents from Friday's teaching due to security concerns has also made authorities the target of their anger, sources said. On Thursday, the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of Hezuo City, which had originally posted the directive, appeared to have removed it from their website, with no explanation given. Another Tibetan source told RFA that authorities may have felt helpless in the face of devotees "pouring" into the region for the Kalachakra. "The authorities have not been able to control and restrict them as per their directive," he said. "There are more than 100,000 devotees ... who have come to attend the teaching and, in order to avoid any sort of conflict and commotion, I think that the government is now giving up on it." Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibet. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 6 Khmer opposition leaders charged with incitement The charges came as they refused to defect to the ruling party while under arrest for political activities. By RFA Khmer 2023.09.14 -- Cambodia has charged six members of the opposition Candlelight Party with incitement for attempting to form a new political party - and after they refused to defect to the ruling party, a senior party official told Radio Free Asia. Earlier this month, police in the northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey arrested 23 Candlelight Party activists for hosting a rally to collect fingerprints, a necessary step to register new parties. Rights groups lambasted the arrests as the latest bid by Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party to eliminate its political rivals by using tactics that include bureaucratic obfuscation, legal technicalities and intimidation. Though 17 of the Candlelight members were released after 30 hours in custody, the six leaders - Sin Vatha, Tep Sambath Vathano, Long Lavi, Tuot Veasna, Chhum Sinath Van Siw- remained in detention for "further questioning," former Candlelight Party secretary Suon Khemrin, who was among the 17, told RFA Khmer on Tuesday, two days after his release. Ly Meng Keang, a member of the board for the Banteay Meanchey branch of the party, told RFA Thursday that the six leaders were charged with incitement and remain in detention because they refused to take the local government's offer to defect to the ruling party. "They were pressured and threatened," he said. "This is an awful act of the court and the authorities to try to convince members of another party to defect to their party. ... .This shows that Cambodia has no freedom or democracy." The Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court has sent the six activists to pretrial detention. RFA was not able to reach court spokesperson Roeun Lyna for comment Thursday. Seung Senkaruna, the spokesperson for the local Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association NGO, said authorities can't legally force people to defect to the ruling party. He said it is yet another example of Cambodia's government walking away from democracy. "This is a violation of political rights which is guaranteed by the constitution that allows people to freely engage in politics," he said. "Please stop [intimidation] and allow freedom and opportunities for people to participate in politics without intimidation and restrictions." Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Central Asians Fight Lack Of Schools, Textbooks, And Teachers. Except For Turkmenistan, Which Struggles To Find Pupils. By Baktygul Chynybaeva September 14, 2023 In Turkmenistan, some teachers in the Mary and Balkan provinces have been going door-to-door looking for kids to fill their classes, many of which are half-empty. Education officials in those impoverished regions are now contemplating merging classes due to a shortage of children born in 2017, a move aimed at optimizing resources in the face of the unexpected low enrollment, seen as a result of the country's yearslong economic downturn and corresponding population decrease as people seek jobs and better lives abroad. An RFE/RL Turkmen Service correspondent in the western Balkan region reported a drop in first-graders in some schools of 40-50 percent compared to last year. "Secondary schools...in Turkmenbashi, designed for 1,300 pupils, but for the last five years, they have enrolled no more than 950 pupils. There are four first-grade classes in this school. Last year, there were 27-29 pupils in each class, but this year there are 12 kids in each first-grade class," a school source in the Balkan region told RFE/RL. Research in Turkmenistan in 2021 by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) found that education wasn't provided equally in remote areas of Turkmenistan. While more than 70 percent of second- and third-graders have basic reading skills in the capital, Ashgabat, only 34 percent of the schoolchildren in Balkan Province possess the same reading ability. While teachers in Turkmenistan are searching for students, other countries in Central Asia face a shortage of teachers, schools, and textbooks. Kazakhstan Kazakh officials revealed that in the new academic year, more than 382,000 6-year-olds had enrolled in first grades across the country. But there is a significant lack of space in schools, with an estimated shortfall of 270,000 desks. That has led to tens of thousands of students having to study by splitting their time between morning and night shifts due to a lack of school space, even in the capital, Astana. Parents residing in newly constructed neighborhoods in Astana are grappling with the challenge of finding available schools close to home. Astana officials say there are no school places for more than 26,000 children in the city, forcing many children to travel many kilometers away to attend school. In eight city schools, students study in three shifts and, in more than 20 schools, the number of pupils exceeds the accepted class average, as classrooms are overcrowded. Most of Astana's newly built areas need more state-funded schools and kindergartens. Due to this schooling problem, some people have contemplated moving away from the capital in search of more accessible and affordable educational options. Erzhan Akhmetzhanuly, an education expert, told RFE/RL that merely building new schools will not fully solve the problem. Instead, addressing the issue of internal migration -- a major reason for the school shortages -- requires improving the quality of education in the regions. "If 20,000 children are born in Astana annually, 20,000 come from other regions. Astana will never be able to find school places for 40,000 children [every year]. Therefore, this problem can only be solved by developing the regions," he said. Kyrgyzstan The new academic year in Kyrgyzstan was quickly followed by the dismissal of Education Minister Kanybek Imanaliev, who was relieved of his duties by President Sadyr Japarov on September 7. The decision was made in response to the pressing issue and huge public criticism of schoolbook shortages. The shortage of textbooks in Kyrgyzstan and Imanaliev's firing heated up debates on the quality of public education. Officials say that to supply every student with state-funded textbooks, Kyrgyzstan needs at least 5 billion soms ($56.7 million) per year, but the state budget only provides a fraction of that, 324 million soms ($3.6 million) per year, and half of that money comes from a rental fee that is being charged to parents for use of the books. In Kyrgyzstan, every student needs to pay 25 soms ($0.28) for each textbook provided by the school. The country has more than 2,350 secondary schools, and almost all of them operate with a morning and an evening shift. School shortages are the main problem in the capital, Bishkek, and in nearby villages there are cases where children study in classrooms with 40-45 other students. During a parliament session on September 6, deputy Sarapatkan Mazhitova said more than 150,000 6-year-olds began the new academic year, with some schools having 60 students per class, and situations where three children are sharing one desk. "What quality [of education] can we talk about under such circumstances? There is a shortage of textbooks and schools. This creates a big problem for parents, who must buy textbooks with their own money. We allocated 152 million soms ($1.2 million) from the public budget for textbooks. However, the shortage of new textbooks is the main problem," Mazhitova said. To help address the school shortage, Kyrgyzstan receives assistance from various foreign countries. Last year, Azerbaijan helped build a school in Bishkek and Russia started construction of nine schools. Experts say this assistance cannot fully resolve the issues facing public education in the country. On top of everything else, some 250 school buildings in Kyrgyzstan are reportedly in critical condition. Uzbekistan While Tashkent recently built a new school in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on behalf of the state, the lack of educational resources inside Uzbekistan is a major challenge for its growing population: in the last few years more than 1 million kids are starting first grade due to the rapid growth of the population. At the start of this school year, Saida Mirziyoeva, the head of the presidential administration and daughter of President Shavkat Mirziyoev, said the construction of schools in the country was not keeping up with the number of new children. "If more than 1 million babies are born a year, approximately 1.2 million children will go to first grade in this new school year, and Uzbekistan doesn't have school places for 1.2 million students," Mirziyoeva said. According to official data, there are 10,522 public schools in Uzbekistan, and enrollment for the new school year is 6.5 million students, resulting in overcrowded classrooms, with some teachers trying to teach 40-50 students per class. Even in the capital, Tashkent, schoolchildren do not have enough places and they must study alternately in various shifts, as in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Komil Jalilov, a Tashkent-based education expert, says there are other more complex and acute problems in the public school system, such as access to water and proper toilets, in addition to the overcrowded classrooms. "There's a shortage of qualified teachers due to low salaries. Many teachers prefer to work elsewhere, such as tutoring or private centers, to earn more money. Those who remain in school must take on more hours to increase their salary, which affects their work quality. Moreover, schools have insufficient funding, and the financing [across the country] is unequal," Jalilov told RFE/RL. Commenting on attempts to modernize the Uzbek school system, Jalilov said the authorities often change their minds, shifting from one system to another. "The problem, as I see it, is that the government does not have a clear idea of what school education is about and is experimenting too much," he said. "For example, there was too much talk about introducing Finnish standards, but now the buzz about Finland is gone and the government is saying that school graduates should know at least two foreign languages and master at least one profession. So, there are no clear mid- or long-term strategies, the government's vision on school education changes too often. This is dangerous -- we are always experimenting...with no research behind those experiments." Similar Woes In Tajikistan Tajikistan's population has skyrocketed to more than 10 million people in recent years and 2.2 million schoolchildren reported for school on September 1. Officials claimed the government constructed 312 new schools and nurseries in preparation for the new year. But the education system is reportedly some 4,000 teachers short of the total needed. Muhammedsadiq Abdurazzakov, an expert on education in Tajikistan, is unhappy with new schools. "Magnificent schools are being opened, but there are no worthy teachers in them," he said. Abdurazzakov also expressed concern about recruiting young graduates to teach in schools. "When a university graduate comes to school to complete an internship and does not even understand the curriculum of an elementary school, then what can he or she teach to schoolchildren as a teacher?" Some experts warn that the shortage of teachers in Tajikistan is largely influenced by emigration. Due to economic stagnation in the country, the number of Tajik labor migrants in Russia has reportedly reached about 3 million. Written by Baktygul Chynybaeva based on reporting by RFE/RL's Central Asian services Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-education- struggles/32593277.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Norway's Armed Forces Chief Says NATO Running Short of Ammunition Sputnik News 20230914 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - NATO's ammunition stockpiles are running dangerously low, with demand outstripping supply, head of the Norwegian armed forces Eirik Kristoffersen said on Thursday. "[Procurement] is still going slow. All the defense chiefs that I have spoken to say that the demand for new weapons surpasses production," Kristoffersen told a Norwegian newspaper ahead of a top-level meeting of the bloc's top brass. NATO chiefs of defense will gather in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Saturday for their annual Military Committee Conference, the newspaper said, adding that 31 commanders-in-chief from NATO countries, plus current candidate Sweden, will participate in the meeting. Western allies began pouring weapons and ammunition into Ukraine shortly after Russia launched its military operation in the country in February 2022. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further escalation leading to NATO's direct involvement in the conflict. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK reiterates support for integrity of Bosnian state during meeting of defence ministers The UK has underlined its support for the integrity of the Bosnian state during a meeting today between defence ministers from both countries. 14 September 2023 The UK has underlined its support for the integrity of the Bosnian state during a meeting today between defence ministers from both countries. UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, hosted the Minister of Defence for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Zukan Helez and Deputy Minister Slaven Galic in London to discuss bilateral defence relations and the current security situation in country. Minister Heappey made clear the UK is committed to supporting the defence reforms and the continued development of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as backing BiH's ambition for Euro-Atlantic accession. Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said: It was a pleasure to welcome Minister Helez to London today following our meeting in Sarajevo in May, building on our combined work to strengthen our bilateral defence relations. I shared my concerns regarding the developing situation in Bosnia, making clear the UK fully supports the unity and integrity of the Bosnia and Herzegovina state The ministers discussed a range of issues including the UK and BiH's bilateral defence relationship, with both ministers expressing an interest to further deepen defence engagement. During his visit to the UK, Minister Helez attended the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition and was also hosted by Lord Peach, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, in Parliament's House of Lords. The UK will continue to work closely with international partners to secure the European Union Force's (EUFOR) mandate renewal in the UN and our Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Lord Peach, recently issued a statement confirming the UK's support for the High Representative. That came after the Prime Minister hosted BiH Presidency member, Dr Denis Becirovic, in July to underline the UK's support. The UK also supports Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), including through joint training, and the provision of military equipment including live fire targets, urban training facilities, search and rescue gear; as well as the exchange of expertise. Personnel from 1 Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment of the British Army will also be deploying to BiH in October to train alongside AFBiH personnel . This will help to build the overall capability of the AFBiH and their ability to operate alongside other international forces. More than ever in the wake of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, these kinds of defence and security partnerships help to underpin the stability and security of a sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Shoups' Congressional Visit US Navy 14 September 2023 From Petty Officer 2nd Class Riley Black YOKOSUKA, Japan -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) had six Congressman tour the ship and meet with the sailors on August 06, 2023. The representatives included: Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), House Armed Services Committee, Chairman of SeaPower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), House Ways and Means Committee. It was a wonderful opportunity for the congressman and sailors to sit down and discuss a variety of topics ranging from national security to the food served onboard. Matthew Heimer, the Weapons Officer, onboard states, "It was really eye opening to meet with Representatives from a variety of districts throughout the United States. SHOUP crew members enjoyed interacting with our nation's leaders and were proud to show them the capabilities of a patrol ready Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) destroyer. " The visit consisted of lunch with the crew and a tour of the ship featuring the pilot house, combat information center, engineering spaces and much more. Command Master Chief, Sean Baney says, "The SHOUP crew had an excellent opportunity to highlight their efforts as part of Seventh Fleet to our elected representatives. It is important for elected officials to see first-hand the challenges and opportunities our Sailors have here in Japan. Hosting the delegation visit gave our shipmates the chance to share their experiences with the decision makers from the highest level of government. I couldn't be more proud of the way our crew represented their professionalism and the fighting spirit of the Navy." The crew of mighty warship Shoup effectively displays their warfighting attitude in every aspect of shipboard life and were extremely grateful for the opportunity to welcome these elected representatives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saildrones Set Sail in Support of U.S. 4th Fleet's Operation Windward Stack US Navy 14 September 2023 From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs KEY WEST, Florida -- Commercial operators began deploying 10 Saildrone Voyager Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) out to sea today, a critical first step in U.S. 4th Fleet's Operation Windward Stack. Launched from Naval Air Station Key West's Mole Pier and Truman Harbor, the Saildrones' mission once on station is to improve maritime domain awareness, or MDA, by detecting and quantifying targets that pass within range of the Saildrones' sensors. Operation Windward Stack is a long-term operation of unmanned and manned forces working together, also known as a hybrid fleet, as envisioned by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. Windward Stack is part of 4th Fleet's unmanned integration campaign, which provides the Navy a region to experiment with and operate unmanned systems in a permissive environment, develop Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) against near-peer competitors, and refine manned and unmanned Command and Control (C2) infrastructure, all designed to move the Navy to the hybrid fleet. First, operators and watchstanders at U.S. 4th Fleet will conduct tests and coordinate information flow as the solar-powered Saildrones sail into the Caribbean. "Operation Windward Stack begins with testing as we integrate the information we receive from the Saildrones into our fleet command center to further increase maritime domain awareness in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility (AOR)," said Lt. Cmdr. John Clark, U.S. 4th Fleet's Current Operations (COPS) Director. "We will eventually have the opportunity to work through the command and control of both manned and unmanned forces operating throughout our region." The 10 Saildrones will serve as the initial unmanned vessels in the operation. Plans are to add additional USVs, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned maritime forces over the next few months to further challenge C2 integration and to expand the MDA coverage. "We were able to demonstrate coordinated operations of manned and unmanned forces during UNITAS LXIV, a multinational maritime exercise, but that was for a relatively short time," said Capt. David Fowler, U.S. 4th Fleet Maritime Operations Center (MOC) Director. "With Windward Stack, we're going to coordinate these operations for many months. That is how we will truly learn what these unmanned vessels can do for us on a day-to-day basis." U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports USSOUTHCOM's joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Florida arrives in Troms US Navy 14 September 2023 From U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa / U.S. Sixth Fleet Troms, Norway -- The Ohio-class guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) arrived in Troms, Norway for a regularly scheduled visit September 14, 2023. While in Troms, USS Florida will host distinguished visitors for a tour, further strengthening the U.S. and Norwegian partnership. This marks the first visit made by a SSGN submarine to Norway. "We are grateful to Norway for allowing USS Florida to conduct a port visit to Troms. Stops like these ensure that the submarine and her crew are able to continue their mission of promoting security and stability in the region," said Rear Adm. Stephen Mack, director of Maritime Operations, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa. "We are excited to welcome distinguished visitors aboard while in Troms, as a visible demonstration of the strength of the U.S.-Norway partnership, and we look forward to continuing to operate with our long-standing NATO Ally as we work together towards our shared goals." Prior to Troms, Florida conducted a regularly scheduled visit to Naples, Italy in August 2023. While in port, Florida's crew will have the opportunity to experience the rich culture of Troms, and build relationships with the local population. For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Gave 'Remote' Help to Somali Military Operation That Killed Civilians By Harun Maruf, Falastine Iman September 14, 2023 The U.S. military acknowledged providing assistance to a Somali government operation against al-Shabab leaders last week in which five civilians died. A spokesperson for the U.S. military's Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, said the U.S. forces didn't accompany Somali forces during the operation but assisted them remotely. The U.S. "did not conduct airstrikes during or in support of this operation, nor were there U.S. personnel accompanying Somali forces during this counterterrorism operation against high-level al-Shabab combatants on September 6, 2023, in the vicinity of El Lahelay, Somalia," Major Jessica Tait said in an email. "U.S. forces were advising and assisting the Somali forces' mission from a remote location." Tait confirmed that Somali children were among those killed in the incident. "The command's initial assessment is that one woman and three children were killed at the site," she said. "At the request of the government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command medically evacuated two injured children, with one surviving." The al-Shabab militant group in a statement on September 7 blamed the U.S. military for the killing of the civilians. Al-Shabab alleged the U.S. forces took away the bodies to "conceal" the truth of the incident. The U.S. denied al-Shabab's accusation. "The claim being spread by al- Shabab that U.S. forces caused the unfortunate harm to civilians is false," AFRICOM said in the September 8 statement. Tait said that U.S. forces "did not fire at any time while conducting the medical evacuation." The Somali government said it was investigating the incident. "The government has received reports that civilians were hurt. An investigation is ongoing to verify that," Minister of Information Daud Aweis told VOA Somali on Thursday. "We can't confirm yet until the investigation is done." The Somali government declared in a statement on September 7 that three al-Shabab operatives had been killed in the operation. It identified the three as Olol Ali Guled, head of mobilization for al-Shabab's Jabhat [military] in the area; Isse Barre and Shuuke Ali Dheeg. All were described as "wanted criminals." A Somali security commander who did not want to be identified told VOA that Guled was involved in an attack on a Somali base used by U.S. forces to train Somali forces in September 2019. Barre was one of the commanders of al-Shabab's police in the Bay and Bakool regions but was recently sent back to his clan base to mobilize fighters in light of the government offensive, while Dheeg was a weapons storage keeper, according to the commander. Grandfather speaks out The grandfather of the children, Ahmed Mohamud Shuuke, told VOA Somali that the children - four boys by his son and a girl from his daughter - were staying with his wife on the night of the operation. He said he was away from home that night along with the parents of the children and didn't hear about what had happened until dawn. "This disaster came upon them, and we don't know where it came from," he told VOA Somalia in a telephone interview. Shuuke said he thought there had been an airstrike. He also said the family saw the tracks of vehicles at the site of the incident on the morning after the operation. He said the bodies of his wife and grandchildren were unaccounted for. "Their bodies have been taken away," he said. "Up to now we don't know their whereabouts." He said he had not had any contact from the government. He appealed for the return of any surviving relative. During the interview, he did not single out any side or group for the killing, although when he spoke to al-Shabab media he appeared to have blamed "U.S. planes." "The people who killed [the children] know themselves, and the world sees it," he said. "I want any surviving ones given back," plus compsenation for the deaths, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden, Harris Visits Highlight Rising Global South, Increasingly Pragmatic Washington By Patsy Widakuswara September 14, 2023 September engagements by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in India, Vietnam and Indonesia underscored a trend in international affairs that countries in the Global South are seeking a more multipolar world in which they can chart their own courses independent of great powers agendas. This trend is a backdrop to the Biden administration's view of the power and purpose of American diplomacy at what it sees as a "historic inflection point" the end of the post-Cold War era and the early days of fierce competition to define what comes next. The result is a policy that is increasingly less ideological and more pragmatic. Biden attended the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9-10 and continued with a historic visit to Hanoi to upgrade bilateral ties with Vietnam. On Sept. 6-7, Harris attended the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, with leaders of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations and the East Asia Summit that brings together ASEAN and its partners. The themes outlined in these engagements are expected to re-emerge in the Biden administration's approach in this month's U.N. General Assembly session in New York. Global South pushing back In Jakarta, leaders attending the East Asia Summit saw strong pushback against the geopolitical rivalry among the U.S., China and Russia, summed up in Indonesian President Joko Widodo's forceful call to ease tensions and avoid conflict. Widodo's calls were echoed by leaders of other Southeast Asian countries, from Singapore, which is closely aligned with the U.S., to Vietnam, a communist country seeking diplomatic diversity by upgrading ties with Washington amid Beijing's increased aggression in the South China Sea. The region saw much bloodshed during the Cold War. And states such as South Vietnam failed because they chose a side and lost, Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center's Southeast Asia Program, told VOA. In New Delhi, G20 leaders unanimously welcomed the African Union, the second regional grouping to be part of the bloc after the European Union. The AU's inclusion bolsters the push to give the Global South a bigger voice on global platforms. The Global South is getting stronger, and will get stronger in the coming years, said Aparna Pande, director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia, at the Hudson Institute. It remains to be seen whether the group will have hard power potential, Pande told VOA. But in a world where both the U.S. and China are willing to allow more countries to stay in the middle rather than join the other side, the Global South will have increased diplomatic leverage. Compromise on Ukraine The tricky dance of the great power rivalry was on display as leaders of the 20 largest economies came to a compromise on Ukraine in New Delhi, brokered by summit host India and last year's chair, Indonesia, both of whom have good relations with Moscow and the West. This year's softer G20 communique language avoided direct criticism of Russia, a member of the group, only reiterating that states must refrain from "the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition." In last year's Bali summit declaration, by contrast, "most members" condemned "aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine." The breakthrough was only possible because the Biden administration sees India as an important counterweight to China and did not want the summit to end without consensus. That would have been a first in the group's history, embarrassing the Narendra Modi government. Countering China The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summits allowed the Biden administration to project the U.S. as a Pacific power that will counter Chinese aggression, including by bolstering alliances in the region. Harris quietly did that by inviting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to chat as leaders were enjoying a gala dinner in Jakarta. She then released a statement underscoring U.S. "opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo in the South China Sea and East China Sea." In New Delhi, Biden, Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a new initiative, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a transnational rail and shipping route spread across two continents to bolster economic integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf countries, Israel and Europe. The corridor is funded under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the administration's alternative to Beijing's infrastructure investment juggernaut, the Belt and Road Initiative. More pragmatic foreign policy Biden campaigned to turn Saudi Arabia into the "pariah that they are" over its human rights abuses and began his administration with a foreign policy that pits "autocracies versus democracies." But the IMEC deal with Salman, Biden's growing partnership with an Indian leader criticized for his treatment of minorities, and his meeting with Vietnamese Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong are more proof that his foreign doctrine has evolved. "It's not that the United States is going to Vietnam and opposing communist parties globally," said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow focusing on U.S. strategy in Asia at the American Enterprise Institute. "We're dealing with the Communist Party there, where we think our interests are aligned," he told VOA. The approach is characterized by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as "diplomatic variable geometry." "We start with the problem that we need to solve, and we work back from there assembling the group of partners that's the right size and the right shape to address it," Blinken said in a Wednesday speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. "We're intentional about determining the combination that's truly fit for purpose," Blinken added. Activists have questioned this approach, especially when they believe human rights are treated as an afterthought. "The White House statement afterwards was pathetic, flagging an ongoing U.S.- Vietnam human rights 'dialogue' that conveniently sequesters human rights issues to a symbolic, once-a-year meeting with midlevel officials who talk but don't get anything concrete done," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Phil told VOA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cameroon, CAR Blame Rebels for Kidnappings By Moki Edwin Kindzeka September 14, 2023 Government officials in Cameroon and the Central African Republic say the number of civilian kidnappings has spiked along their borders, with armed gangs and rebels demanding as much as $50,000 in ransom. In addition to the abductions, the rebels and armed gangs loot markets and ranches and send villagers fleeing for safety, said officials in Cameroon's eastern border with the Central African Republic, or CAR. Abdoulahi Bobo, a cattle rancher, said his two wives, three children and elder brother have yet to be found a week after they were taken to the bush by armed men. He said the abductors called him and demanded payment of about $10,000 to secure his family's freedom. Bobo spoke to VOA by messaging app on Thursday from Cameroon's eastern district of Ngaoui, which borders Mont Ngaoui, the highest point in the Central African Republic. He said his family may have been taken to the mountain or neighboring forests. Cameroon and CAR said rebel attacks are reported on both sides of the border almost daily. Oumarou Abbo, mayor of Nyambaka, the capital of Cameroon's Nyambaka district, said the rebels and armed gangs also attack remote communities throughout the district, so he has created militias in all the villages of his district to help government troops fight hostage takers. The militias are expected to report strangers as well as places where rebels and armed gangs hide, he said. Cameroon and CAR officials said that some armed rebels disguise themselves as people displaced by the ongoing armed conflicts in CAR. The U.N. peacekeeping mission to CAR, known as MINUSCA, which has troops from Cameroon, this week said forces were deployed to border regions to fight the rebels and seize weapons the rebels abandon when attacked. Cameroon and CAR officials said armed gangs often collect weapons abandoned by rebels and use them in either abducting civilians or stealing. Cameroonian Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo said President Paul Biya dispatched him to Motcheboum about halfway between the capital, Yaounde, and the border with CAR to mobilize troops for civilian protection. Kildadi Taguieke Boukar, governor of Cameroon's Adamawa region, said rebel attacks on civilians have also been reported along Cameroon's northern border with Chad. He said that government troops were deployed to the Adamawa region immediately to protect civilians after Assomo's visit. Boukar said military posts in all districts where the kidnappings are happening have been equipped with enough troops, weapons, artillery, vehicles and tracking devices. Troops with special training to investigate, arrest or eliminate armed gangs and rebels have also been deployed to protect civilians on both sides of the porous and permeable border between Cameroon and the CAR, he said. In December, defense ministers from Cameroon and the CAR agreed to deploy a joint force along the 900-kilometer (560-mile) border to protect civilians. The ministers said the joint force would also seize weapons that rebels hid in border towns and villages. Civilians said that after those troops retreated in March, rebels relaunched kidnappings and increased the ransoms from $20,000 to $50,000. Abductees whom rebels suspect of collaborating with government troops are tortured and ordered to pay more, according to border villagers. Cameroonian military officials said the majority of abductees are merchants and cattle ranchers. Cameroon officials said the nation is intensifying collaboration with neighboring countries to safeguard civilians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with the National Security Advisors of Japan and the Republic of Korea September 14, 2023 National Security Advisor Sullivan held a trilateral call with National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo of Japan and National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong of the Republic of Korea to exchange views on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the recent summit meeting between Russian President Putin and DPRK leader Kim. The three NSAs reaffirmed the importance of trilateral coordination consistent with their commitment to consult. They noted that any arms exports from the DPRK to Russia would directly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt. They reiterated their cooperation toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DHS Continues to See High Risk of Foreign and Domestic Terrorism in 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment Release Date: September 14, 2023 Annual Threat Assessment to Replace Regular NTAS Bulletins and Provide the Public and our Partners with More Comprehensive Analysis of Most Pressing Threats and Challenges WASHINGTON -- Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA), which continues to identify a high risk of foreign and domestic terrorism in 2024. The HTA provides the public and the Department's partners with a detailed report on the most pressing threats to the United States as part of the Biden Administration's continuing effort to assist them in preparing for, preventing, and responding to the diverse and dynamic threat environment. Going forward, the annual HTA will serve as the primary mechanism for sharing the terrorism threat level, which has previously been done through the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). The issuance of NTAS advisories will be reserved for situations where DHS needs to alert the public about a specific or imminent terrorist threat or about a change in the terrorism threat level. This shift will provide the public and DHS partners both in-depth annual reports and urgent updates, as needed. "Sharing information with the public on the threats we face is a vital part of protecting our homeland from today's evolving security challenges," said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. "The annual Homeland Threat Assessment is a publicly available resource on the most pressing challenges facing the nation. By sharing our analysis of the threat landscape, we will enable our partners across state, local, tribal, and territorial government, along with the private and non-profit sectors, to make better-informed decisions that account for these security challenges." Assessments from the 2024 HTA: Foreign and Domestic Terrorism: The Department expects the threat of violence from individuals radicalized in the United States to remain high, but largely unchanged, mainly seen through lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning. While sustained counterterrorism pressure has significantly degraded the ability of foreign terrorist organizations to target U.S. interests, foreign terrorist groups like al-Qa'ida and ISIS are seeking to rebuild overseas, and they maintain worldwide networks of supporters that could seek to target the homeland. The Department expects the threat of violence from individuals radicalized in the United States to remain high, but largely unchanged, mainly seen through lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning. While sustained counterterrorism pressure has significantly degraded the ability of foreign terrorist organizations to target U.S. interests, foreign terrorist groups like al-Qa'ida and ISIS are seeking to rebuild overseas, and they maintain worldwide networks of supporters that could seek to target the homeland. Border and Immigration Security: The complex border and immigration security challenges we have faced over the last year are likely to continue. In addition to the immigration challenges, the trend of an increased supply of fentanyl and variations in its production during the last year that have increased the lethality of these drugs is expected to continue. The complex border and immigration security challenges we have faced over the last year are likely to continue. In addition to the immigration challenges, the trend of an increased supply of fentanyl and variations in its production during the last year that have increased the lethality of these drugs is expected to continue. Foreign Misinformation: The spread of mis-, dis-, and malinformation aimed at undermining trust in government institutions, social cohesion, and democratic processes will remain a likely strategy for adverse nation-states. Foreign actors leverage cyber and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to bolster their malign influence campaigns by improving the translation quality of their content. The spread of mis-, dis-, and malinformation aimed at undermining trust in government institutions, social cohesion, and democratic processes will remain a likely strategy for adverse nation-states. Foreign actors leverage cyber and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to bolster their malign influence campaigns by improving the translation quality of their content. Economic Security: We expect adverse nation states to continue using predatory economic practices, espionage, and cyber-attacks to try harm the U.S. economy, gain advantage for foreign companies, and steal U.S. intellectual property and trade secrets. Examples of DHS Efforts to Combat Threats Identified in the 2024 HTA: The complete Homeland Threat Assessment can be found and shared HERE. The public should report any suspicious activity or threats of violence to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or a local Fusion Center. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Sees 'High Risk' from Foreign, Domestic Terrorists By Jeff Seldin September 14, 2023 U.S. officials are warning of a "high risk" from domestic and foreign terrorists for the coming year, part of a new threat assessment released Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security. The report points to the prevalence of conspiracy theories, personal grievances and what it describes as "enduring racial, ethnic, religious, and anti-government ideologies," often shared in online forums, all serving to motivate small groups and individuals within the U.S. It also warns that prominent foreign terror groups, like al-Qaida and the Islamic State, are actively seeking to rebuild their brands and will be looking to inspire followers to carry out acts of violence. "Foreign terrorists continue to engage with supporters online to solicit funds, create and share media, and encourage attacks," according to the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment, calling out the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, also known as IS-Khorasan or ISIS-K. IS-Khorasan "has garnered more prominence through a spate of high-casualty attacks overseas and Englishlanguage media releases that aim to globalize the group's local grievances among Western audiences," the report says. Additionally, the new assessment warns that foreign terrorists appear to be probing the U.S. for soft spots. "Individuals with terrorism connections are interested in using established travel routes and permissive environments to facilitate access to the United States," it says. The latest assessment is largely consistent with a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin that DHS issued in May, when it warned the U.S. was stuck in a "heightened threat environment." But the warnings about IS-Khorasan and potential attempts by foreign terrorists to infiltrate the U.S. stand out in the wake of recent statements by DHS officials and those from other U.S. agencies that seemingly sought to reassure Americans about their safety. In March, for example, DHS counterterrorism coordinator Nicholas Rasmussen said the possibility of an attack resembling the one on Sept. 11, 2001, when al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four aircraft and killed nearly 3,000 people, was "almost inconceivable." "We have achieved what I would call [a] suppressive effect on the ability of groups like ISIS and al-Qaida to carry out large-scale attacks here in the homeland," Rasmussen said at the time, using an acronym for Islamic State. And Monday, on the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack, National Counterterrorism Center Director Christy Abizaid said al-Qaida in Afghanistan is practically dead. "Its revival is unlikely," she said. "It has lost target access, leadership talent, group cohesion, rank-and-file commitment, and an accommodating local environment." Other U.S. officials have cautioned that while groups like al-Qaida are unlikely to be capable of carrying out what they describe as spectacular attacks, it is difficult to eliminate the threat of attacks from followers inspired by their propaganda or attacks carried out with minimal direction from a terrorist operative working online. The biggest danger, according to the new report, is "marked by lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning." Homeland Security officials also argue that while the number of encounters with individuals on the department's Terrorist Screening Data Set trying to cross into the U.S. has been increasing, it is still rare, and comes as the overall number of encounters at the border has been rising. "These encounters represent significantly less than 0.01% of total encounters per fiscal year in recent years," a DHS official told VOA, agreeing to share the data only on the condition of anonymity. "These encounters may include individuals who are not known or suspected terrorists, such as encounters with family members of a [known and suspected terrorist]," the official added. "We work closely with our interagency and international partners to detect and prevent people who pose national security or public safety risks from entering the United States, often receiving intelligence before they attempt to enter the United States." Some U.S. lawmakers have voiced growing concern, especially after an August report by CNN that more than a dozen migrants from Uzbekistan traveled to the U.S. southern border to seek asylum with the help of a smuggler connected to IS. "Just when it seems President Biden's border crisis can't get any worse, it does," said Republican Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a statement last month. "The federal government is now scrambling to find individuals who traveled and entered the U.S. with help from an ISIS-linked smuggler," McCaul added. "It is way past time for this administration to secure the border and protect Americans from criminals and terrorists seeking to do us harm." Iran In addition to the threat from domestic and foreign terrorists, the latest DHS assessment renews the department's warning about Iran. "Among state actors, we expect Iran to remain the primary sponsor of terrorism and continue its efforts to advance plots against individuals in the United States," the DHS assessment said. "Iran relies on individuals with pre-existing access to the United States for surveillance and lethal plotting using dual nationals, members of criminal networks, and private investigators and has attempted plots that do not require international travel for operatives," the report added. FBI officials warned in April that Iran, along with China, has been ramping up operations to target individuals on U.S. soil. Some of Iran's attempts have made headlines, including multiple plots targeting Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American human rights activist and VOA Persian TV host. In a separate plot last year, U.S. prosecutors charged a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a murder-for-hire plot targeting former U.S. national security adviser Ambassador John Bolton. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia's Defence Force leads multinational team to support Nauru Issued by Defence Media 14 September 2023 As part of Operation Render Safe, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) led a multinational team to safely dispose of dangerous explosive remnants of war on the Pacific island of Nauru. A team of explosive ordnance disposal experts was deployed to Nauru to do a survey of reported World War II explosive remnants of war (ERW) for future disposal. ERWs are explosive munitions left behind after a conflict, such as unexploded artillery shells, grenades and mortars, that still pose a risk of detonation. Invited by the Government of Nauru, the ADF specialists were joined by teams from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, New Zealand Army and United States Marine Corps and worked closely with the local government and police force. Observers from the United States Army, Republic of Korea Armed Forces and French Armed Forces in New Caledonia were also part of the mission. The ADF-led contingent also ran education seminars about the hazards of ERW for Nauru government members along with the local police force, fire and emergency services and high school. Commander of ADF Operations in the South West Pacific, Major General Scott Winter, said the successful event reflected the close cooperation of everyone involved. "The operation identified 10 explosive remnants of war including six projectiles, one bomb and three fuse systems which will enable us to conduct further planning with Nauru for their safe disposal," MAJGEN Winter said. "This has been a valuable opportunity to work together with Nauruan authorities and our friends from New Zealand, Solomon Islands, the United States, Republic of Korea and New Caledonia, and for our teams to share knowledge while working in support of our Pacific family. "Explosive remnants of war continue to impact the lives of our Pacific family on a daily basis. I am proud to see our friends in the region coming together for this operation. It is meaningful work which will make a positive impact on families and communities in the region." This latest deployment follows the ADF's support to Nauru in July this year, when Australian Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians successfully disarmed a World War II 500lb Mark 12 bomb. The ADF will continue to work with the Government of Nauru and key stakeholders to plan for the future disposal of the unexploded ordnance. Operation Render Safe is the ADF-led enduring commitment to removing the danger posed by explosive remnants from the Second World War from Pacific nations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ADF successfully completes interoperability training in Indonesia Issued by Defence Media 14 September 2023 The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has successfully concluded its role as a key participating nation on Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023 in Indonesia. This was the largest ever Super Garuda Shield exercise since the training activity began in 2009. This year, more than 5,000 troops from seven participating nations trained in and around East Java. Host nations Indonesia and the United States were joined by Australia, France, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, with a further 12 nations also sending observers. Commander of the Australian Army's 1st (Australian) Division, Major General Scott Winter, AM, said Australia's participation on this exercise was significant. "Super Garuda Shield is what success looks like in terms of regional engagement and overseas training for our Army," Major General Winter said. "It also demonstrated our ability to meet the most demanding land challenges in the future and to effectively deploy significant land forces, including armour, across the Indo Pacific region." The contingent included 125 Australian Army personnel, a troop of M1A1 Abrams tanks and support vehicles from the 1st Armoured Regiment, a platoon of infantry from the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment, a team from the Special Air Service Regiment, and medical and other specialists. "I've had a lot of good days in the Army, probably none so proud as seeing Australian tanks alongside their Indonesian counterparts here in East Java," Major General Winter said. The exercise comprised of several training phases including a subject matter expert exchange, combined arms field training, amphibious operations, and a special operations military free fall jump. The exercise culminated in live-fire training by multinational forces, including strikes by F-16, AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-1 Super Cobra aircraft, 105mm artillery and HIMARS rocket systems, and by tanks, infantry and other weapons systems. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Labeled An 'Accomplice' To Russian Crimes In Ukraine, Lukashenka To Meet Putin By RFE/RL's Belarus Service September 14, 2023 Authoritarian Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka will meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on September 15 in the resort city of Sochi for talks on closer economic cooperation, as the two countries become further isolated internationally over the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lukashenka arrived in Sochi on September 14, according to Belarusian state media. In announcing the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "Belarus is our closest ally, the heads of state meet regularly." It will mark the seventh time Putin and Lukashanka have met this year alone. The meeting was confirmed on September 14, a day after the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling Lukashenka an "accomplice" in Russia's crimes in Ukraine. While Belarus has not sent forces to join Russia's war in Ukraine, it has allowed Moscow to use its territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion it launched in February 2022. The two allies signed documents allowing for the placement of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus -- the first relocation of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union -- in May. The announcement sparked immediate criticism from governments around the world, while NATO called it "dangerous and irresponsible." On September 13, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Belarus's involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine and called Lukashenka regime "an accomplice in the crimes committed by Russia." The resolution expressed concern about "the rampant political, economic, military, and cultural subordination of Belarus to Moscow," calling Belarus "a satellite state of Russia." Adopted with 453 votes in favor, it also denounced the "illegal transfer of more than 2,150 children, including orphans" from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to Belarus and called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to consider issuing a warrant for Lukashenka's arrest. The ICC in March issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of being responsible for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, which constitutes a war crime. The resolution also condemned the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, calling it a "blatant violation of Belarus's nuclear-free status." Belarus has welcomed closer relations with Moscow since a wave of crushing sanctions were imposed on it by the West after a deadly government crackdown on massive protests following a disputed 2020 presidential election that handed Lukashenka a sixth term. More sanctions have followed over Minsk's role in the Ukraine war. Lukashenka showed his loyalty in late June when he took part in talks to end a mutiny by the private Wagner Group, claiming he helped halt the revolt by agreeing with the mercenary group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and Putin to host Wagner troops in Belarus. With reporting by Reuters and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-lukzshenka- accomplice-russia-crimes/32592942.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Upcoming G77+China Summit to enhance voice of Global South Global Times US-led West squeeze development space of developing countries amid intensifying geopolitical wrestling: observers By Chen Qingqing Published: Sep 14, 2023 09:02 PM Updated: Sep 14, 2023 11:00 PM The upcoming Group of 77 plus China (G77+China) Summit in Havana, which aims to tackle some of the core development challenges that the Global South countries are facing, is set to issue a final declaration that will include the purposes and principles of the bloc and address the needs of developing countries, while the unity of the Global South countries in facing major challenges is of great importance, diplomats and experts said. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will attend the summit as the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. China looks forward to positive contribution of the summit to greater solidarity, closer cooperation and joint response to challenges among developing countries. China stands ready to work with Cuba and other members of the Group of 77 to better safeguard the common rights and interests of developing countries, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference on Thursday. Established in 1964, the G77 now has over 130 members, with rotating chairmanship alternated among member countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America based on regional principles. The chairmanship is held by Cuba this year, and the summit will bring together delegations from over 100 countries, including about 30 heads of state or government, according to media reports. Although China is not a member of the G77, it consistently supports its just positions and legitimate demands, maintaining a positive cooperative relationship under the "G77 and China" framework, according to media reports. Themed "current development challenges: the role of science, technology and innovation," the summit this year will tackle "core" development issues, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez was quoted as saying in media reports on Wednesday. More than 30 heads of state and government will attend the summit, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro as well as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, the AFP reported. "From the Havana Summit, we will reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, cooperation and development," Miguel DAaz-Canel, the president of Cuba, was quoted as saying in the media report. "A main challenge that the Global South countries are facing is striving for more development space amid intensifying geopolitical wrestling," Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Currently, we see that Western countries represented by the US treat some developing countries, for example, Cuba, which do not share their political stance or meet the standards of the US, unfairly, by frequently implementing the "big stick" of sanctions, which is highly detrimental to the development of developing countries, Song said. In a press conference with some Chinese media on Wednesday, Cuban Ambassador to China Alberto J. Blanco Silva said the G77 is the "most extensive and diverse" multilateral coordination organization, with its members collectively representing 80 percent of the world's population and over two-thirds of the member states of the UN, including some of the world's largest economies, Chinese media outlet Caixin reported. As the host country, Cuba hopes to use this conference to strengthen the voice of G77 nations in the current international situation, according to Caixin. The consistent position of "G77 plus China" is to build a world that is more just, more inclusive, and advocates international solidarity and cooperation, the Cuban diplomat said. Commenting on the theme of the summit concerning the role of science, technology and innovation, the ambassador said scientific and technological progress is also key to achieving sustainable development. However, the current unjust international economic order has exacerbated the marginalization of many developing countries in socio-economic and scientific and technological advancement, leading to severe consequences, he noted. A few countries globally monopolize the majority of patents, technologies and research centers, accelerating the brain drain from various nations. This means there's a pressing need to change this profoundly inequitable and undemocratic system, the diplomat was quoted as saying in the media report. "Compared to previous years, this year's summit has attracted more attendees, and besides the G77 countries, those from the Non-Aligned Movement and BRICS are also expected to make the voice for developing countries heard," Jiang Shixue, a professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University, told the Global Times on Thursday. "The Global South needs to enhance solidarity in order to tackle global issues and some ulterior moves by developed countries," Jiang said. Raising the profile of the Global South also reflects the dissatisfaction felt by many developing countries toward the current global governance and economic governance, as they also pay much more attention to their own development needs, Song said. China is not only one of the world's primary economies, but also possesses valuable experience in promoting sustainable development through technological innovation. It has played a proactive role in the development agenda of the Global South countries, the Cuban ambassador said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on September 14, 2023 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will attend the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit to be held in Nanning, Guangxi on September 17 and deliver remarks.a Foreign leaders and senior officials including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, and Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn will attend the opening ceremony of the Expo. CCTV: Could you share China's expectation for the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit? Mao Ning: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future and the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, and the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation has been growing steadily. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, and both sides have been each other's largest trading partners for three years in a row. In 2022, China-ASEAN trade exceeded USD 970 billion, up by 11.2 percent year-on-year. By July this year, the accumulated two-way investment between China and ASEAN countries has exceeded USD 380 billion. At the recent leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation, Premier Li Qiang and leaders of ASEAN countries reached important common understandings on deepening China-ASEAN cooperation on all fronts and jointly building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home. The China-ASEAN Expo is a key platform for deepening China-ASEAN cooperation and promoting regional economic integration. As we mark its 20th anniversary, this year's Expo is themed "Work Together for a Harmonious Home and a Shared FutureaPromoting High-Quality Development of the Belt and Road and Building an Epicentrum of Growth". China hopes that this event will be an opportunity for all sides to explore opportunities, meet challenges and pursue cooperation. We will work for the high-quality implementation of RCEP, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation between China and ASEAN, improve regional connectivity, build an open regional economy, and promote the building of an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. China News Service: According to reports, Indonesian President Joko Widodo took a ride on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway on September 13 and spoke highly of China's rich experience and advanced technology in high-speed railway construction. He described the ride as fast, quiet and smooth and expressed the hope that the high-speed railway will reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Jakarta and encourage the Indonesian people to embrace a new mode of transportation. What's China's comment? Mao Ning: The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, a flagship project under Belt and Road cooperation between China and Indonesia, has all along received the personal attention of the two presidents. This high-speed railway, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, is the first overseas Chinese high-speed railway project with its entire system, production factors and industrial chain supplied by China. It also stands as a stellar example of China and regional countries jointly pursuing modernization by following the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It will surely give a strong boost to regional connectivity. We have noted President Joko Widodo's test ride and positive comments. We hope and believe that the high-speed railway, once in operation, will help ease transportation for the Indonesian people and unleash local potential for economic development. Global Times: Recently, we have seen some media coverage of online data leaks involving a large amount of personal information. A World Economic Forum report released at the beginning of this year named widespread cybercrime and cyber insecurity among the 10 most severe global risks over the next decade. Do you have any comment? Mao Ning: The Chinese government attaches great importance to cyber and data security. A series of laws and regulations have been rolled out to reinforce protection of personal information. We are now in the 2023 China Cybersecurity Week. Having this week in itself demonstrates the emphasis the Chinese government places on strengthening cybersecurity and enhancing public awareness on this issue.a Cybersecurity is a global issue that calls for a concerted response. Safeguarding cybersecurity is the common responsibility of all countries. China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity. We put forward the Global Initiative on Data Security, contributing China's ideas to global digital governance. We stand ready to continue working with the international community to foster a cyberspace featuring peace, security, openness, cooperation and order. Prensa Latina: Tomorrow begins in Cuba the summit of the G77 and China. What expectation do you have about this? What points will China promote at the summit? Mao Ning: The Group of 77 and China is a mechanism for cooperation among developing countries. It upholds international fairness and justice and safeguards the common rights and interests of developing countries. China appreciates the work of Cuba as the rotating chair for 2023, and supports Cuba in hosting the Group of 77 and China Havana Summit. We look forward to positive contribution of the summit to greater solidarity, closer cooperation and joint response to challenges among developing countries. China stands ready to work with Cuba and other members of the Group of 77 to better safeguard the common rights and interests of developing countries. AFP: The EU announced yesterday that it's launching an investigation into subsidies that China provides to electric vehicle makers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that this will help protect European industries from unfair competition. What's your response? Mao Ning: The spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce has responded to this and you may refer to it. CRI: We have noted that an awarding ceremony was held in Beijing yesterday for the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth. Do you have more information on the event? Mao Ning: The beautiful encounter between African youth and China's space program adds another episode of friendly exchanges between China and Africa. In March this year, the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the China Manned Space Engineering Office, and Chinese embassies and consulates in Africa co-hosted a painting competition on the theme of "My Dream" for African youth. More than 2,000 African youth submitted their paintings. In May, 10 awarded entries were brought to China's Tiangong space station by the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft. At last night's awarding ceremony, precious footage of the Tiangong exhibition featuring paintings by African youth was released for the first time.aShenzhou-16 astronauts encouraged African youth to chase their dream, work hard and enjoy the wonders of life. To explore the mysteries of the vast universe and develop space technologies is a mission for all mankind. Going forward, we look forward to working together with more like-minded partners to build the Tiangong space station into a "home in space" for all mankind. Bloomberg: Russian media has reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with China's Wang Yi on September 18. Could the foreign ministry confirm this? In addition, Russian media has also reported that the two will discuss in detail the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Asia-Pacific. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? Mao Ning: China and Russia have been in close communication on bilateral ties and international and regional issues. Please stay tuned for updates. AFP: Can you offer more information about Venezuelan President Maduro's visit to China? Mao Ning: The visit by Venezuelan President Maduro has yielded fruitful results. The two sides issued the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the Establishment of the All-Weather Strategic Partnership, signed dozens of cooperation agreements, and reached consensus on Belt and Road cooperation and closer partnership in such areas as economy and trade, education, tourism, space, civil aviation, sci-tech and media. China will, as always, support Venezuela's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and social stability, as well as its just cause of opposing foreign interference. We believe this visit will provide strong impetus for the development of bilateral ties and cooperation at a higher level and in more areas, and bring more benefits to the two peoples.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Among Uyghurs, China aims to 'meld Islam with Confucianism' Chinese officials meet to further plan to 'Sinicize Islam' and bind Muslims in China even closer to the state. By Eziz 2023.09.14 -- In late July, a group of Chinese government officials and academics met in Urumqi to discuss how Xinjiang was implementing a national plan to "Sinicize" Islam. The officials did not bring up the religious sites China has demolished, or the Islamic books it has burned, or the Uyghurs it has "re-educated" in concentration camps for any suggestion of Islamic belief, according to a Xinhua News agency summary of the event. Those actions proceeded under separate Chinese Communist Party plans. But the plan they were responsible for, a five-year work outline launched in 2018, had not been fully executed: Islam itself needed more engineering, they said. Specifically, China needed to do more to "meld Islam with Confucianism." To achieve this, it needed to release a new translated and annotated Chinese Qur'an aligned with the "spirit of the times." "Sinicizing Islam in Xinjiang should reflect the historical rules of how society develops, through the consolidation of political power, the pacification of society, and the construction of culture," said Wang Zhen, a professor at China's Central Institute of Socialism, the event's sponsor The institute is part of Communist Party's United Front Work Group, which controls Chinese religious affairs. It produced the Sinicization plans. Religion viewed as threat The Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, has long viewed religion - and its suggestion of any power above - as a threat to its primacy. Over the decades, it has tended to persecute Uyghur Muslims in similar ways, under different propaganda slogans, with increasing intensity. But today, following a campaign the United States has labeled genocide, the party has practically eliminated any public practice of Islam in Xinjiang that it does not directly supervise. It is now working out the kinks in a new version of Islam which it hopes will bind Chinese Muslims, including Uyghur Muslims, even closer to the state. "The ultimate goal of Sinicization is to allow for that greater kind of supervision," said David Stroup, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Manchester. "They want to bring everything under their umbrella of control." 32-point plan Communist Party Secretary Xi Jinping first mentioned "Sinicizing" religion in China in a 2015 speech. He mentioned Sinicizing Islam specifically in 2017. By 2018, the party had drawn up national plans for "Sinicizing" each of the country's three major monotheistic religions: Protestantism, Catholicism and Islam, to be implemented over the next five years. The 32-point plan for Islam highlighted "issues in some areas that cannot be ignored," according to an English translation hosted by China Law Translate. Some places had been "permeated with religious extremist ideology." Mosques emulated foreign architecture, Muslims wore foreign clothing and the halal food label was overapplied. "[S]ome negate the traditional ideology of Chinese Islam," the plan noted. In response, among other measures, the party would beef up its religious personnel, "correctly explain" the Quran and Hadith in a new annotated version, and promote "using Confucianism to interpret scripture." "Using Confucianism to interpret scripture" references a Qing Dynasty collection of Islamic translations and writings in Chinese, known in Western scholarship as the Han Kitab, which use Confucian concepts to expound on Islamic theology. The texts were produced in eastern China, never circulated in the Uyghur region, and are not recognized in Uyghur Islamic tradition. "The CCP is identifying this as the only correct religious practice in China," said Stroup. "Using this kind of framing, to align Islam with Confucianism, align Islam with Chinese tradition, is a very selective reading of history." In addition to the Chinese translation, the party is considering a new, Sinicized Uyghur translation of the Qur'an. Many Uyghur Muslims cherish a 1980s Arabic-to-Uyghur translation by the religious scholar Muhemmed Salih. But book stores stopped stocking it around 2010. They replaced it with a widely criticized group translation, which sold for 1,000 yuan. Salih died in police custody in 2018, at age 82. "The times are always changing, society is always improving, and so our understanding of classics like the Qur'an should change as well," said Peking University Professor Xue Qingguo, according to the Xinhua report on the Urumqi conference. Translated and edited by Nadir, edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Italy Mulls Quitting China's 'Belt and Road' but Fears Offending Beijing By Henry Ridgwell September 14, 2023 Italy is considering whether to leave the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing's multibillion-dollar global trade and infrastructure program, by the end of the year. The dilemma comes amid geopolitical pressures from Western allies and domestic disappointment that the program has not delivered the economic benefits that the country hoped for. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke to reporters after meeting the Chinese delegation at last week's G20 summit in New Delhi. "There are European nations which in recent years haven't been part of the Belt and Road but have been able to forge more favorable relations [with China] than we have sometimes managed," Meloni said. "The issue is how to guarantee a partnership that is beneficial for both sides, leaving aside the decision that we will take on the BRI." BRI benefits? Italy signed on to China's BRI in 2019, the only member of the Group of 7 most advanced economies a including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States a to do so. But Italy has not received the expected economic benefits, Filippo Boni, a lecturer in politics and international studies at the Open University in England, told VOA. "From the Italian side, the idea was to both try and boost its exports but also to make a political move towards Brussels, as a signal that Italy was able to sign successful deals with third countries independently from the European Union," Boni said, adding that Meloni is seeking to make a clear break with previous [Italian] governments by forging new relationships with China and the EU. "There is a growing realization that the memorandum of understanding that was signed with China in March 2019 did not really bring the benefits that were expected," he said. "Trade balance is still heavily tilted in China's favor, and Italian exports to China did not pick up, did not see the increase that those who wanted [the BRI] were envisaging and hoping for." Geopolitics There are also geopolitical reasons for Italy rethinking its membership in China's BRI, said Luigi Scazzieri, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. "There's come to be a certain diplomatic stigma attached to it, partly because the whole of the West is rethinking its relationship with China," Scazzieri told VOA. "And Italy being the only G7 country having signed up to the Belt and Road makes it, on the other hand, look like it's trying to get closer to Beijing." Italy's Western allies are reducing their reliance on some Chinese imports and restricting the sale of technologies such as advanced semiconductors to Beijing. In recent years, Italy's government has blocked the sale of some of its biggest companies to Chinese firms, such as the tire maker Pirelli, under its so-called Golden Power rules. "It's really a clear signal the government in Rome is sending to its partners in the European Union, and Washington most importantly, about Italy's position on the international chess board," Boni said. China's response Questioned about Italy's potential departure from the BRI this week, China's Foreign Ministry insisted the program brings benefits to its members. "The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted more than 150 countries and a wide range of partners in various fields over the past 10 years and has brought tangible benefits to the people of all countries," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. "It is in the interests of all participating countries to further tap the potential of cooperation." Italy is choosing its language carefully and said it wants to boost trade with Beijing outside the BRI, Scazzieri said. "The fear of Beijing reacting in a negative way has been precisely why Meloni has been quite careful about how to go about extracting Italy from BRI," he said. Italy already has a strategic partnership with China, an agreement Beijing has signed with many countries aimed at fostering economic and cultural ties. It's likely Rome will seek to amend that document in the hope of replacing its BRI membership with a looser relationship. "Given the centrality that 'strategic partnerships' have in China's foreign policy a as of the end of last year, there were 110 strategic partnerships that China signed with countries globally a I think it might be a good way out of the Belt and Road Initiative for both countries to say, 'We're still engaged in bilateral cooperation,' " Boni said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin may visit North Korea, as Kim boasts of 'unbreakable' bilateral ties 'Russian army and people will be victorious against the evils,' Kim says. By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA 2023.09.14 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin may pay a reciprocal visit to North Korea to crow about the "unbreakable strategic partnership" between Moscow and Pyongyang, on the back of the united front that both had pledged against democracies spanning from Asia to Europe. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that Putin was set to visit the North. The report came as Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that an official visit was not yet "on the agenda," according to Russia's official news agency, Tass, on Thursday. Russian state media first reported on Kim Jong Un's invitation to Putin at the banquet that was held after the landmark summit between the two leaders in the Russian Far East late Wednesday. The reports did not indicate Putin's response. But the Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday: "Putin accepted the invitation with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history and tradition of the Russia-DPRK friendship." The agency said Kim "courteously invited Putin to visit the DPRK at a convenient time", referring to North Korea by its formal name. Seoul on Thursday slammed both Pyongyang and Moscow, warning the authoritarian leaders of "consequences" over their possible military cooperation and potential ammunition deal. "We state that any actions by North Korea and Russia that threaten our security, and violating Security Council resolutions, will result in clear consequences," South Korea's presidential National Security Council said in a statement. South Korea assesses the recent development as a "very serious," situation, especially the purported bilateral military cooperation including the transfer of intercontinental ballistic missile technology. The statement referred to Putin's offer on Wednesday to aid Kim in perfecting his satellite technology. Enhanced cooperation in the aerospace industry may risk international security as it would most likely advance Pyongyang's intercontinental ballistic missile technology. Rocket technology can be used for both launching satellites and missiles. For that reason, the UN bans North Korea from launching a ballistic rocket, even if it claims to be a satellite launch. Earlier on Thursday, South Korea's Unification Minister, Kim Yong-ho, told reporters that Seoul had assessed that Moscow and Pyongyang were pursuing a form of military agreement. "Russia and North Korea must stop their self-imposed decline into further isolation and regression, and comply with international norms, including those set by the Security Council resolutions," Kim Yong-ho said. Regardless of Seoul's fury, Kim had described his ties with Putin as "an unbreakable strategic partnership" during the banquet, saying that his visit to Russia "will be an important step in transforming the DPRK-Russia relationship", according to South Korean media, including Yonhap. Kim added that the two discussed the political situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as Europe, sending a fresh warning to democracies both in Asia and Europe. The cementing of ties between the two nations may disrupt the U.S.'s efforts in curbing Russia's aggression on Ukraine, potentially prolonging the war, and containing North Korea's nuclear pursuits to enhance nuclear capabilities. Kim and Putin held a rare summit at the symbol of Russia's space prowess Wednesday, where both sides vowed to boost their comprehensive cooperation, from covering the economy to military. While the two leaders did not publicly comment on any ammunition deal, the Kremlin said that it would cooperate with North Korea in "sensitive areas that can't be disclosed," raising suspicions that Pyongyang may provide ammunition to Russia. "As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said last week. "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia." Remarks from Kim in Russia also lent weight to such concerns, which may be interpreted as targeting Ukraine, as well as allies which support the country amid Russia's aggression. "I am confident that the Russian army and people will be victorious against the evils," Kim said. The Russian army would "punish the evil aggressors that seek hegemony and nurture expansionist fantasies." No joint statement was released after the summit, but a possible arms deal between the two is still posing concerns to allies. Putin's pledge to help Kim advance the North's satellite technology was a sign of a potential bilateral deal, according to experts. The diplomatic rhetoric publicized throughout the summit shows that "any deal is possible between North Korea and Russia," said Cha Du-hyeogn, South Korea's former presidential secretary for crisis information who is now a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "The message being conveyed is clear: it is communicating externally that if the allies persist to press North Korea and Russia, then they're capable of inking dangerous deals," Cha pointed out "This serves as a warning for the international community to acknowledge North Korea's status as a nuclear state, and Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine. "Concurrently, it's also aimed at ensuring their internal solidarity, to show that they're not isolated. And essentially, the ultimate goal is to send a message to their domestic audience of the importance of endurance and unity during challenging times." Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn. Updated with comments from South Korea's National Security Council. Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Following North Korea's ballistic missile launches on 13 September 2023, an FCDO spokesperson made the following statement. 14 September 2023 An FCDO spokesperson said: North Korea's ballistic missile launches on 13 September are yet another breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Illegal ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. The UK will continue to call out violations of UNSCRs. We strongly urge North Korea to return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation. The launches come alongside reports that DPRK and Russia are negotiating a possible arms deal. We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments Pyongyang has made not to sell arms to Russia. We also call on Russia to uphold UN Security Council resolutions. The Other Side of Putin-Kim Summit: Looking Beyond Arms Deal By Kim Hyungjin September 14, 2023 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to be using this week's much-heralded summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to tighten his control over a country struggling with international sanctions and a pandemic-stricken economy, analysts said. Putin and Kim met on Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a rocket launch facility in the Russian Far East, for their first summit in more than four years. North Kores's official Korean Central News Agency said Putin and Kim vowed to strengthen "strategic and tactical cooperation" without providing details. Concern over arms deal Washington suspects Pyongyang may supply Moscow with munitions for its war in Ukraine in return for help from Moscow in overcoming critical barriers to building intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-propelled submarines, and military reconnaissance satellites. After the meeting, the U.S. warned North Korea against supplying arms to Russia. "No nation on the planet, nobody should be helping Mr. Putin kill innocent Ukrainians. And if they decide to move forward with some sort of arms deals, well, obviously we'll take a measure of that, and we'll deal with it appropriately," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. Analysts, however, say Kim might be looking for more than technical assistance in his weapons programs. Seong Ok Yoo, a former South Korean intelligence official who extensively dealt with North Korea, said Kim is trying to use the summit as a propaganda tool to elevate his image globally while seeking greater internal unity. "Kim seeks international recognition. He believes he can push the U.S. to soften its attitude toward him by touting his presence," said Yoo, who played a key role in an inter-Korean summit in 2007. "He wants to ensure the U.S. takes him seriously," Yoo added. Dog-eared strategy Jong Dae Shin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said using an international event as a tool to rule a country is a long-established practice for members of North Korea's ruling Kim dynasty. For a country like North Korea, which has been isolated for many decades by heavy sanctions, the dog-eared ruling strategy has served the regime by re-enforcing loyalty and devotion among the citizens, according to Shin. Shin said Kim seems to follow the path of his predecessors. For Kim, a serious opportunity to enhance his standing came in 2018, when he started rapprochement with a series of summits with the leaders of China, South Korea, and the U.S. Kim's summit diplomacy culminated in the historic meeting with former President Donald Trump in June 2018 in Singapore, at the time hailed as a possible path to peace on the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders met in February 2019 in Hanoi for their second summit, but they failed to reach an agreement. Analysts say recent geopolitical developments, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the U.S.-China strategic competition, give Kim another chance to elevate his image. Accoridng to them, Kim sees a golden opportunity to advance his country's weapons programs with few repercussions and increase its leverage with Russia and China, which are at odds with the U.S. In 2022, North Korea conducted a record number of missile tests in violation of multiple U.N. sanctions. The U.N. Security Council, however, failed to act because of objections by Russia and China, which have veto power. In December 2017, the council passed tough sanctions against North Korea in response to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by Pyongyang with the support of Russia and China. Increased leverage Yoo believes North Korea's leverage with Russia has increased because of Moscow's confrontation with Washington over the war in Ukraine. "There is a reversal of position from the previous summit," said Yoo, referring to the summit between Russia and North Korea in April 2019. Then, Kim turned to Putin for diplomatic support following the failed summit with Trump but now Russia, hungry for ammunitions, is reaching out to Kim, according to Yoo. "In 2019, Kim had no choice but to rely on Putin to break out of diplomatic isolation. Now, Kim is in the driver's seat," said Cho Han-Bum, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. International news coverage of the latest summit between Putin and Kim underscored the lavish welcome Putin prepared for the North Korean leader. Some South Korean news outlets reported that Putin, who is known for showing up late for meetings with foreign leaders, waited for Kim for 30 minutes at the meeting venue. The Associated Press reported that Putin greeted Kim with a handshake of about 40 seconds. North Korea state media hailed the summit as a "new milestone" for the development of relations between Pyongyang and Moscow. Internal pressure This week's summit took place as North Korea appears to be facing severe food shortages. Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights, told a Security Council meeting last month some people are dying "due to a combination of malnutrition, diseases and lack of access to health care." In March, South Korean lawmakers briefed by the country's main intelligence agency told reporters there was a surge of deaths from starvation and suicide due to acute food shortages. Intae Kim, a former North Korean defector who is now the chief research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), a think tank run by South Korea's National Intelligence Service, said Kim has pursued a policy of pushing economic growth and expanding nuclear development simultaneously since he took power in December 2011. While the North Korean leader has advanced the country's nuclear program, his economic plan has completely failed, according to Kim. Cha Du Hyeogn, principal fellow at South Korea's Asan Institute, said Kim is trying to send a message to his people with the latest summit that he is working hard to salvage the country's economy crippled by sanctions, the pandemic and natural disasters. Kim's decision to ride a slow train for his journey instead of a short flight might be an attempt to send the message, according to Cha. "The train ride reminded me of his journey to Hanoi," said Cha, referring to Kim's second summit with Trump. At the time, Kim took a 60-hour train trip for the summit. "Kim might have intended to promote an image of a leader who would be willing to take a long journey for his people," said Cha. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address JCPoA: Statement by the High Representative as Coordinator of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action European External Action Service (EEAS) 14.09.2023 EEAS Press Team Today I have received a letter by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom related to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). They recall that they had registered their concerns that Iran was not meeting its commitments under the JCPoA and had referred this matter to the Joint Commission under the JCPoA Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM), as acknowledged in my statement of 14 January 2020. The Foreign Ministers state that Iran is in non-compliance since 2019 and consider that this has not been resolved through the JCPoA's Dispute Resolution Mechanism. They express their intention not to take the steps regarding the lifting of further sanctions on JCPoA Transition Day on 18 October 2023. As requested, I have circulated the letter to the other JCPoA participants, namely, China, Iran and the Russian Federation. As Coordinator, I will consult with all JCPoA participants on the way forward. I remain fully committed and I will spare no effort working towards the restoration of the JCPoA and the resumption of the full implementation of the deal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran warns European states against imposing new arms sanctions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 14, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's foreign ministry in a statement warned the European countries against their alleged intention to impose new arms embargo against the Islamic Republic. "The adoption of tension-creating measures will definitely complicate the management of relations between them and have a negative effect on the process of cooperation, including in negotiations to lift sanctions," the Iranian foreign ministry said in its statement. It added that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the decision of the European Union and 3 European countries not to fulfill their commitments by the eighth year of the JCPOA to be illegal and contrary to their commitments under the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, and an act that creates tension and is accompanied by malicious intent. In response to the illegal withdrawal of the United States and the re-imposition of brutal sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran took compensatory steps in accordance with its rights under Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, and these steps are fully in accordance with the procedures contained in the JCPOA. The decision not to fulfill obligations by the European Union and three European countries in response to Iran's nuclear actions is completely devoid of legal logic, because Iran gave the European parties a whole year to compensate for the illegal action of the United States in withdrawing from the JCPOA. After that, Iran gradually started his compensatory steps in order to provide the opportunity for compensation to the European parties and maintain the window of diplomacy. It is not acceptable that the European Union and the three European countries document this illegal action as a reaction to Iran's actions, which were completely legal and in response to the withdrawal of the United States and the inaction of the European Union and the three European countries. Iran's actions are completely legal from a legal point of view, and the Europeans themselves have acknowledged it. "The actions of the European parties will definitely have negative effects on the efforts to manage the tension and create a suitable environment for more cooperation between the JCPOA parties," it said. The standards of the Islamic Republic of Iran have always been the actions and not the words of the countries. This action of the European parties is inconsistent with their claim of trying to create the necessary space to revive the JCPOA. There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately and within the framework of its own rights to this illegal, provocative action and a clear violation of the obligations of the European Union, France, Germany and England according to the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. "We warn the European parties against carrying out and adopting tension-causing measures, which will definitely complicate the management of relations between them and have a negative effect on the process of cooperation, including in negotiations to lift sanctions." Britain, France and Germany said on Thursday they would retain ballistic missile and nuclear proliferation-related sanctions on Iran that were set to expire in October under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a step that could provoke Iranian retaliation. Reuters first reported in June that European diplomats had told Iran they planned to keep the measures. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to transfer Iran's unfrozen assets to bank accounts in Qatar IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 14, 2023 New York, IRNA -- Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, has said the US administration expects Iran's released funds in South Korea to be transferred to bank accounts in Qatar in the coming days. Miller addressed a news conference on Wednesday, claiming that given the mechanisms available, the US has full oversight over those accounts and if Iran tries to violate the agreement and sanctions, Washington can block the money. On September 12, the spokesperson for the US Department of State confirmed the issuance of exemptions by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for the transfer of Iranian funds from South Korea to bank accounts in Qatar, noting that the exemptions that the secretary of state signed on Friday are to enable the transfer of Iranian assets from South Korean bank accounts to European accounts and then to bank accounts in Qatar. John Kirby, Coordinator of Strategic Communications for the US National Security Council, earlier Wednesday pointed to the prisoner swap agreement and the release of $6 billion of Iran's blocked assets in South Korea, claiming that the US will take action and block it once more if Iran tries to divert the released assets. The reports of the release of Iran's frozen assets and the prisoner swap between Iran and the US after two years of indirect talks were announced on August 10. 4208**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wiring Iran's unfrozen funds to Qatar to finish next week: Qatari FM Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 5:42 PM Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, has said that the process of wiring Iran's unfrozen funds in South Korea to bank accounts in Qatar under a prisoner exchange deal with the US will compete next week. Al-Thani made the remarks in a phone conversation on Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, according to Iran's official news agency the IRNA. Qatar has been a mediator in talks that led to a prisoner exchange deal between Iran and the United States that was made public on August 10. The deal involves the release of five prisoners from each side as well as the unfreezing of some $6 billion worth of Iranian funds that had remained inaccessible since 2018 in two banks in South Korea because of US sanctions. The process for transferring the funds took more than a month mainly because there was a daily cap on the amount of exchange possible for Iranian funds that were in South Korean won. Under the deal, the Swiss National Bank carried out exchange transactions and Qatar paid for banking fees, according to unconfirmed details of the deal published in media reports earlier this week. During his phone calls with Al-Thani on Thursday, Amirabdollahian hailed Qatar for efforts that led to the release of Iranian prisoners in the US and the unfreezing of funds in South Korea. It was reiterated in the phone call that both side of the prisoner exchange deal are ready to swap prisoners on the day agreed in the deal mediated by Qatar. Iran has already released five US prisoners subject to the deal to house arrest while the country's mission in the United Nations has also revealed the names of five Iranians planned to be released from US jails. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran summons Australian chargA d'affaires to protest sanctions, interference in internal affairs Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 10:39 AM Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Australian chargA d'affaires to Tehran to protest meddlesome remarks by the country's Foreign Minister Penny Wong and the fresh round of sanctions against Tehran. The Australian diplomat was summoned to the ministry on Wednesday in the absence of the country's ambassador to Tehran to receive Iran's strong protest. The Australian diplomat said that Canberra's principled policy is based on cooperation with Iran and added that he would inform his respective country of Iran's protest as soon as possible. In an interview with the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) news service in Australia published on Wednesday, Wong made meddlesome remarks under the pretext of supporting the Iranian nation and leveled accusations against the government ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman of Kurdish descent, which sparked angry protests across the country. The 22-year-old died in a hospital in Tehran days after she was detained by police on September 15. In her meddling remarks, the top Australian diplomat called on the Iranian government to take responsibility and ensure that those who are responsible for Amini's death are held to account. She also pledged that Canberra would continue to say very clearly and publicly that it stands with the people of Iran. Meanwhile, in yet another attack spearheaded by the West against freedom of speech in Iran, the Australian government on Wednesday imposed a fresh round of sanctions on a number of Iranian individuals and entities, including the English-language Press TV news network. The Australian Foreign Ministry announced in a media release that the restrictive measures, including financial sanctions and travel bans, targeted four individuals and three entities over what it claimed to be "human rights violations" in Iran. According to international human rights bodies, Australia has an "embarrassing" human rights record. The inhumane attitude towards asylum seekers and the prevention of international inspectors from traveling to Australia to investigate possible torture in refugee detention centers are among the country's systematic violation of human rights. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US expects Iran's released assets to move to Qatar 'in coming days': State Department spokesperson Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 8:20 AM US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Iran's frozen assets will expectedly be transferred to the "final destination" in Qatar in the "coming days or so." Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Miller did not give the exact details of the transactions and just said that "they move from South Korea, through banks in Europe, ultimately to these end accounts in Qatar." In response to a question about the amount of the assets that Iran had now access to and could spend, which had been held in India, Turkey, Japan and South Korea, he said the US does not have "perfect" visibility into the accounts and how they were being used. The spokesman, however, explained that Washington does have information to conclude that they were "spent down by billions of dollars, in some cases all the way to zero." Meanwhile, he said Washington has complete visibility into the accounts in Qatar and is able to "lock them down" if it sees that Iran is attempting to take actions that are in violation of the agreement between the two sides and breach the US sanctions. "I'm not going to get into what the exact technical details are, but we have the full agreement to stop their access to this account going forward," he added. On Monday, President Joe Biden's administration issued a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets from South Korea to Qatar with no concern about Washington's sanctions. The report released early Tuesday said the Biden administration has also agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States. The five Iranian detainees were identified as Mehrdad Moein Ansari, Kambiz Attar Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour Kofrani, Amin Hassanzadeh, and Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi. It added that Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the sanctions waivers late last week, a month after US and Iranian officials said an agreement in principle was in place on the issue. In an exclusive interview with the American broadcast television network NBC on Tuesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi underscored Tehran's full authority on its recently-released assets, saying it is the Islamic Republic that decides how to spend the funds and that the money will be spent "wherever we need it." He added, "This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money." Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations also on Tuesday confirmed that five Iranians detained illegally in the United States on charges of circumventing US sanctions will soon be released as part a prisoner swap deal between Tehran and Washington. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC chief to Tel Aviv: Threats against Iran will only shorten Israel's life Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 7:14 AM The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned Israel that threats against the Islamic Republic will only shorten the Israeli regime's life. Major General Hossein Salami made the remarks in a meeting with a group of individuals active in the field of cyberspace on Wednesday, three days after David Barnea, director of Israel's Mossad spy agency, threatened to hit Iran's "highest echelon ... in the heart of Tehran." "The Zionists are grappling with many problems, and signs of their decline are evident. Thus, they have resorted to empty rhetoric and threats to assassinate our commanders," he said. "Go ahead if your previous assassination operations have increased your security. However, you should know that if you make threats against [Iran's] security, we will have more options and your life will be cut short," he said, addressing the Israeli officials. The IRGC chief commander also noted that the Islamic Republic has managed to thwart almost all of the enemy's destructive and dangerous strategies over the past 45 years while the US has failed to even support its allies. "The wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq showed that the military option is no longer a viable solution for them (the Americans) and that their plots to install puppet governments have failed in this region," he added. "They cannot even provide full support for the Zionist regime, and this inability has turned into an unwillingness to some extent," he said, adding that the Israelis are gradually losing hope of continued US support. After months of being snubbed by US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will finally meet him next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, not at the White House. Washington has frequently expressed unease with several of Tel Aviv's policies, including its plan to radically overhaul the regime's judicial system and surging atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Elsewhere in his remarks, Salami said that the enemies can no longer intimidate Iran with military aggression and sanctions as the decade-long embargo imposed on Iran has, in fact, propelled the nation's advancements in technology, innovation, and societal management. Iran, he asserted, has launched satellites into space, constructed power plants, dams, roads and railways, and unveiled large petrochemical projects despite the sanctions. "These facts show that Iran is a real power that cannot be forced to ... submit to any superpower," Salami said. He also emphasized that the enemies' strategies to isolate Iran and destabilize the country have all failed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raeisi: Iran cannot tolerate presence of terrorist groups on its border with Iraq Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 1:56 AM President Ebrahim Raeisi has asserted that Iran cannot tolerate the presence of terrorist groups on the country's common border with Iraq. The chief executive made the remarks in Tehran on Wednesday to Iraq's visiting Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, urging Baghdad to honor its relevant security commitments towards Tehran. "During the days that Iraq was besieged by the Daesh terrorist group, the Islamic Republic did not withhold any assistance from Iraq, proving itself to be Iraq's friend during its (the Arab country's) tough days," Raeisi said. The president was referring to the military advisory support that the Islamic Republic began providing for Iraq after the latter found itself in the grip of the Takfiri group's campaign of bloodshed and destruction in 2014. The remarks came two days after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said the ultimatum given to Iraq to disarm anti-Iran separatist groups based in the Arab country's Kurdistan region would not be extended. "Iran's stance is completely clear. According to the agreement reached with the Iraqi government, the final deadline for the disarmament of the terrorist and separatist forces in Iraq's Kurdistan region ends on September 19 and that deadline will not be extended in any way," Kan'ani said at a weekly press briefing in Tehran on Monday. The spokesperson noted that the Iraqi government had taken measures in this regard and had stressed that it would honor its commitments. Hussein, for his part, considered the constant meetings that have been taking place between the countries' diplomatic delegations and ranking officials to be an indication of their strong and developing relations. "Today, the countries' relations have gone beyond [simple] political, cultural, and economic ties," he said, stressing that "we should preserve these unparalleled relations." The Iraqi top diplomat laid emphasis on Baghdad's complete commitment to the implementation of standing security agreements between the countries. "The Iraqi government will, under no circumstances, allow any movement or group to use the country's soil to pose a threat or perpetrate an incursion against the borders of Iraq's neighbors, especially the Islamic Republic, or let them (such groups) deploy themselves on the Iraqi soil," he emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK to bring UN sanctions on Iran into UK law The UK, France and Germany (E3) announce they will transfer UN sanctions on Iran into domestic regimes and maintain EU/UK sanctions beyond October deadline. 14 September 2023 UK, France and Germany (E3) to transfer UN sanctions on Iran into domestic regimes and maintain existing EU/UK sanctions beyond October deadline included in nuclear deal. E3 taking 'legitimate and proportionate' action in response to Iranian regime breaching commitments under the nuclear deal and advancing its nuclear programme beyond all credible civilian justification. UK and partners remain committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The UK has today committed to bringing UN sanctions on Iran due to lift in October into UK law. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), a range of UN, EU and UK sanctions were due to be lifted on October 18th. These include sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran's missile, nuclear, and other weapons programs. In response to continued Iranian non-compliance with their JCPoA commitments and ongoing nuclear escalation, the E3 have confirmed today that the UN sanctions will be transferred into domestic sanctions regimes and the EU and UK sanctions will be maintained. FCDO spokesperson said: Iran continues to breach its commitments under the JCPoA and advance its nuclear programme beyond all credible civilian justification. Alongside our French and German partners, we have taken a legitimate and proportionate step in response to Iran's actions. The UK and our partners remain committed to a diplomatic solution but Iran must now take clear steps towards de-escalation. We are committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Today's actions do not violate the JCPoA and are fully consistent with the procedures defined within it. Iran has consistently breached its obligations under the JCPoA. The regime's enriched uranium stockpiles are more than 18 times the JCPoA limit and it has built and deployed thousands of advanced centrifuges. In March last year and again in August, the UK and our partners offered Iran viable deals that would have defused the nuclear issue. On both occasions Iran declined. The UK and our partners remain committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, including through the snapback process if necessary. Further information The E3 triggered the JCPoA's Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) in January 2020 in response to Iranian non-compliance to try to find a solution. The DRM process is supposed to allow 30 days to resolve outstanding issues; it has been over three and a half years and Iran remains out of compliance. According to Paragraph 36 of the JCPoA, these unresolved issues are grounds to cease performing part of our commitments. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The UK, France and Germany have issued a joint statement ahead of JCPoA Transition Day on 18 October 2023. 14 September 2023 A spokesperson for the E3 said: In direct response to Iran's consistent and severe non-compliance with its JCPoA commitments since 2019, the governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom intend to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, after JCPoA Transition Day on 18 October 2023. We have jointly notified the JCPoA Coordinator in that regard. This decision is fully compliant with the JCPoA. It follows our attempts to resolve Iran's non-compliance through the JCPoA's Dispute Resolution Mechanism which we triggered in January 2020. Iran has refused opportunities to return to the JCPoA twice and has continued to expand its programme beyond JCPoA limitations and without any credible civilian justification. Its enriched uranium stockpile stands at more than 18 times the amount permitted under the JCPoA. Our commitment to finding a diplomatic solution remains. This decision does not amount to imposing additional sanctions nor to triggering the snapback mechanism. We stand ready to reverse our decision, should Iran fully implement its JCPoA commitments. International Joint Statement at IAEA Board of Governors on NPT Safeguards Agreement with Iran 63 Countries sign a joint statement expressing concern at Iran's lack of cooperation on NPT Safeguards Agreement 14 September 2023 Thank you Chair. I am delivering this statement on behalf of a group of 63 member states from all regional groups including all EU member states. These 63 states are: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, TArkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, and Yemen. We express our sincere appreciation for the continued professional and impartial efforts of the Agency to implement Iran's Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. We commend the Director General for his extensive efforts to engage Iran regarding the outstanding safeguards issues and implementation of further verification and monitoring activities by the Agency. We note that the Director General has further reiterated that the outstanding safeguards issues stem from Iran's obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and need to be resolved for the Agency to be in a position to provide credible assurance regarding the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. We echo the Director General's request that Iran work with the Agency in earnest and in a sustained way towards the fulfilment of the commitments contained in the March 4 Joint Statement. Recalling this Board's resolution contained in GOV/2022/70, which was adopted on 17 November 2022, we collectively highlight the contents of the Director General's latest report contained in GOV/2023/43. This report concludes once again that the safeguards issues related to possible undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran remain outstanding due to insufficient cooperation by Iran, and moreover that new issues related to Iran's implementation of its NPT required safeguards agreement have arisen. In addition, despite signs in June that Iran was making limited progress towards implementation of the Joint Statement with the IAEA, we share the Director General's regret that no progress has been made since. Iran's de-designation of experienced Agency inspectors and denials of visas for Agency officials run counter to the Joint Statement and undermine the Agency's ability to carry out its safeguards mandate. We reiterate that the Board has adopted three resolutions on safeguards issues over four years as a result of the Agency's calls for better co-operation by Iran. We recall that the resolution adopted last November by the Board of Governors decided it was and it is essential and urgent that Iran act to fulfill its legal obligations and, with a view to clarifying all outstanding safeguards issues, take the following actions without delay: Provide technically credible explanations for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at three undeclared locations in Iran; Inform the Agency of the current location(s) of the nuclear material and/or of the contaminated equipment; Provide all information, documentation, and answers the Agency requires for that purpose; and Provide access to locations and material the Agency requires for that purpose, as well as for the taking of samples as deemed appropriate by the Agency. We note that over the past ten months Iran still has not provided technically credible explanations for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin found by the Agency at undeclared locations in Iran. We underline that the Director General has reported once again that "the outstanding safeguards issues[...] need to be resolved for the Agency to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful". Collectively, we underscore the urgent need for Iran to clarify and resolve these issues in a manner satisfactory to the IAEA. Iran must provide technically credible answers to the IAEA, as required by its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, in order to address the Agency's legitimate questions on the outstanding locations, and to resolve the nuclear material discrepancy relating to its Uranium Conversion Facility. As noted in the Board's November Resolution, when the Secretariat is in a position to report the safeguards issues as no longer outstanding as a result of Iran's provision of technically credible information, it would remove the need for the Board's consideration and action on these issues. In addition, like all other states with a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, and as the Director General's report notes, Iran's implementation of modified Code 3.1 is a legal obligation for Iran under the Subsidiary Arrangements to its Safeguards Agreement. Iran therefore is obligated to provide design information as soon as the decision is made to construct, or authorize construction of, a nuclear facility. Iran must provide the required information regarding new nuclear facilities without further delay. This is essential to ensure not only the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme, but also the effectiveness and efficiency of the Agency's safeguards system on which we all rely for the nonproliferation assurance that is key to international security. We call upon Iran to act immediately to fulfil its legal obligations to address the following issues identified by the Director General: The outstanding safeguards issues in relation to nuclear material detected at undeclared locations in Iran, including informing the Agency of the current location(s) of nuclear material and/or contaminated equipment; The discrepancy in the amount of nuclear material verified by the Agency at the Esfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (originating from the Jabr Ibn Hayan Laboratories), compared to the amount declared by Iran; and Iran's implementation of modified Code 3.1 of the Subsidiary Arrangements to its Safeguards Agreement, including the provision of the required early design information. We would like to thank the IAEA for its impartial and professional work on this issue. We request the Director General to continue to report to the Board of Governors on this issue. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Quad statement at IAEA Board of Governors on the Safeguards Agreement with Iran - September 2023 Germany, France, the US and the UK (the Quad) gave a joint statement to the IAEA Board of Governors on 13 September. 14 September 2023 Chair, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States thank DirectorGeneral Grossi for his report on the implementation of safeguards in Iran contained in GOV/2023/43. We welcome the statement made by Denmark on behalf of a group of 63 States, to which I will add separate remarks on behalf of our four countries. We fully support and commend the DG and the Secretariat for their professional, independent and impartial verification of Iran's safeguards obligations. We commend their repeated efforts to engage Iran to clarify information concerning the correctness and completeness of its declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. The IAEA should continue to evaluate all safeguards-relevant information available, in line with its mandate and standard practice. Chair, It has been more than four years since the IAEA raised questions regarding possible undeclared nuclear material at a number of undeclared locations in Iran. The Board has adopted three resolutions in reaction to Iran's persistent lack of substantive cooperation, most recently in November 2022, when the Board decided that it is "essential and urgent", that Iran act to fulfil its legal obligations and clarify all outstanding safeguards issues without delay. On March 4 2023, Iran made commitments to the Agency regarding the outstanding safeguards issues and Agency verification and monitoring activities. We recall that this Joint Statement was agreed in the context of Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear program, as demonstrated by the detection of uranium enriched at 83.7%. This constituted an extremely grave development, and further strengthened the view that there is no credible civilian justification for Iran's nuclear programme. As the DG has reported in the clearest terms, there has been no progress whatsoever both on outstanding safeguards issues and on verification and monitoring activities since the last Board. Instead, Iran persists in its deliberate refusal to engage earnestly with the Agency. Chair, On outstanding safeguards issues, we note that Iran has still not addressed the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin found by the Agency in Turquzabad and Varamin. As clearly requested by the Agency, Iran needs to provide, without further delay, technically credible information on the current location(s) of nuclear material and contaminated equipment in relation to Turquzabad and Varamin. We note that the Agency's assessment of the activities undertaken in Marivan remains as set out previously: that Iran conducted explosive experiments in preparation for the use of neutron detectors at this site. This is a stark reminder of why we need to continue to demand full transparency from Iran on all outstanding safeguards issues. Unless and until Iran provides technically credible explanations in response to the Agency's outstanding questions, as reiterated in the November 2022 Resolution, the Agency will not be able to confirm the correctness and completeness of Iran's declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement or provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Such assurances are critical for the international community and the international non-proliferation regime. In addition, we note that the Agency still awaits resolution of the discrepancy, detected more than a year ago, between the amount of natural uranium from Jaber Ibn Hayan Laboratory declared by Iran and the amount verified by the Agency. The Agency considers Iran's accountancy "not to be based on scientific grounds, and therefore, not acceptable". We call upon Iran to engage the Agency to explain the shortfall of nuclear material and demonstrate 'valid and technically sound measurement results'. It is worth recalling that this material is related to a previous safeguards site of concern - LavisanShian. Finally, we once again recall that implementation of modified Code 3.1 of the Subsidiary Arrangements General Part to Iran's Safeguards Agreement is a legal obligation for Iran which cannot be modified or stopped unilaterally. Iran has announced the locations of new nuclear facilities and the Agency has asked Iran to provide required preliminary design information. Iran must respond to these requests imminently. Iran is the only state with significant nuclear activities implementing a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement but not modified Code 3.1. Chair, We note with regret that there has been no progress in implementing the 4th March Joint Statement, despite the Agency's request to install additional cameras and for access to data on cameras previously installed. We urge Iran to allow the Agency to install all cameras it deems necessary, provide the Agency with access to all existing recorded data, and agree specific arrangements to fill the gaps in the Agency's knowledge for the periods during which recorded data does not exist. Furthermore, we note the de-designation of experienced Agency inspectors and denial of visas for Agency officials dealing with Iran during this period - which runs counter to the co-operative relationship that should prevail between Iran and the Agency. These actions undermine the Agency's ability to carry out its safeguards mandate. We urge Iran to fully facilitate the implementation of the Agency's safeguards verification activities. The Board will monitor this closely. Furthermore, the recent attempts at intimidation by Iran, aimed at discouraging Board members from raising their concerns at Board meetings are unacceptable. It is the legitimate right of Board members to participate in the debate on all agenda items as they see fit as set out by the Board of Governors' Rules of procedure. Chair, Iran cannot continue to fail to meet its legal safeguards obligations. We urge Iran to act without delay to clarify and resolve all outstanding issues. The Director General has made clear asks in his report and requested engagement from Iran. The November 2022 Resolution makes clear the Board's requirements of Iran. Iran must urgently deliver both sets of requirements. If Iran fails to implement the essential and urgent actions contained in the November 2022 Resolution and the 4th March Joint Statement in full, the Board will have to be prepared to take further action in support of the Secretariat to hold Iran accountable in the future, including the possibility of a resolution. We reiterate that, should Iran clarify all outstanding issues and enable the IAEA Director General to confirm that these issues have been duly addressed, we will not deem further reports on developments necessary. We would like to thank the IAEA for their impartial and professional work on this issue. We encourage the Director General to continue reporting to the Board of Governors and welcome making the report contained in GOV/2023/43 public, in line with long-standing practice. Thank you, Chair. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: On one-year anniversary of Jina Mahsa Amini's death in custody, heightened repression of women and girls and reprisals against protesters and victims' families is deeply troubling, UN Fact-Finding Mission says United Nations Human Rights Council GENEVA (14 September 2023) -- One year after nationwide protests began in Iran following the death in custody of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini, State harassment of women and girls is on the rise. Authorities are exacerbating punitive measures against those exercising their fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran warned today. Jina Mahsa was arrested and forced into a van by Iran's "morality police" in Tehran on 13 September 2022 for alleged non-observance of Iran's law on mandatory veiling. She died in custody on 16 September. Her death sparked a wave of protests throughout the country. According to information received, which is under investigation by the Fact-Finding Mission, the State responded to the protests with unnecessary and disproportionate force, arbitrary arrests and detentions, unfair trials, extra-judicial executions and harassment of family members of victims, which continues until today. "Jina Mahsa should never have been arrested in the first place," said Sara Hossain, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. "Since Jina Mahsa's death in custody, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to ensure truth, justice and reparations to her family, or to families of other victims, women, girls and all protesters who have been subjected to violations of fundamental human rights," Hossain said. "Instead, the Islamic Republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and seeking to introduce new and more draconian laws that severely restrict further the rights of women and girls." A draft bill now under consideration before the Iranian Parliament, would - if passed - expose women and girls to increased risks of violence, harassment and arbitrary detention. The legislation proposes increased fines and prison terms for women and girls found in breach of mandatory veiling provisions. It also proposes harsher punishments including travel bans, vehicle confiscations, the denial of education and public services, including medical facilities, and sanctions against businesses. Iranian authorities have stated that they have concluded investigations into Jina Mahsa's death, finding it was not caused by an injury to the head or the body, but by underlying medical conditions. However, the Fact-Finding Mission said Government probes have fallen far short of international human rights norms and standards, including the requirements of independence and transparency. "We are appalled that over the past year several protesters have died in custody following reports of torture, including Javad Rouhi, a young protester who was reportedly subjected to torture and remained detained even after his death sentence had been overturned," said Shaheen Sardar Ali, Member of the Fact-Finding Mission. "The onus remains on the State to clarify the circumstances and cause(s) of Jina Mahsa's death in custody as well as that of other protesters, including Javad Rouhi, with full transparency and accountability," said Sardar Ali. The Fact-Finding Mission notes that under international human rights law, there is a general presumption of State responsibility where a person dies in that custody. In the run up to the one-year anniversary of Jina Mahsa's death, authorities have also escalated the harassment and intimidation of protesters' family members, including children. Dozens of family members, including those who have been publicly mourning and seeking truth and justice for their loved ones killed in the protests, have reportedly been arrested or summoned for questioning in recent weeks. In a deeply disturbing development, there are reports that authorities have reportedly intimidated and harassed Jina Mahsa's family, including Ahmjad Amini, her father, to prevent the family from mourning her death. Jina Mahsa's uncle, Safa Aeli, was arrested on 5 September 2023 by security forces in Saqqez, and his fate and whereabouts remain unknown. Meanwhile, Jina Mahsa's gravesite has been damaged on at least two occasions, according to media reports. Furthermore, according to official sources, Jina Mahsa's family's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, has been summoned for questioning and is standing trial on charges of "propaganda activity." Two journalists who covered her case, Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammedi, remain detained and are undergoing trials on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government," "gathering and colluding with intent to commit crimes against national security," and "propaganda activity against the system." Another journalist, Nazila Maroofian, has reportedly been convicted of "propaganda against the system" and "spreading lies in order to disturb the public opinion" and is now facing charges of "promoting vice." "Victims' families have a right to mourn and commemorate their loved ones according to their cultural and religious beliefs, including through the holding of public ceremonies. Under international human rights law, the State must respect and ensure the right to seek truth, justice and reparations of victims and their families and refrain from intimidation, harassment, and reprisals," Viviana Krsticevic, Member of the Fact-Finding Mission, said. The information received by the Fact-Finding Mission preliminarily suggests that, rather than upholding human rights, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has refined and reinforced its capacity and actions to quell dissent, including with the use of surveillance technology. Anyone who participates in the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, including through protesting or sharing their support publicly for instance on social media, is at risk of arrest, detention, torture and ill-treatment and prosecution for serious crimes that may lead to the imposition of the death penalty. The Fact-Finding Mission urges the Government's "Special Committee," established on 7 May 2023, to investigate the protests to examine these allegations of harassment and intimidation, and of alleged violations of the human rights of protesters, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders and to make their findings public, in accordance with international human rights standards. The Fact-Finding Mission also reiterates its call to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully cooperate with its investigations and ensure that all those affected have unhindered and safe access to providing evidence, including referral of their cases to the Fact-Finding Mission. The Government has until now not responded to repeated requests for information by the Fact-Finding Mission, which will present a comprehensive report on its findings to the Human Rights Council during an interactive dialogue at its 55th session in March 2024. ENDS Background: The UN Human Rights Council mandated the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran on 24 November 2022 to investigate alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began there on 16 September 2022, especially with respect to women and children. On 20 December 2022, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Sara Hossain (Bangladesh), Shaheen Sardar Ali (Pakistan) and Viviana Krsticevic (Argentina) to serve as the three independent members of the Mission and appointed Sara Hossain as its Chair. The Fact-Finding Mission takes this opportunity to thank all those, in particular victims and witnesses, who have already provided it with information. It renews its call to individuals who have information on human rights violations in the context of the protests that began on 16 September 2022, as well as the root causes of the alleged human rights violations, to make submissions (in English or Persian) at submissions-ffmiran@un.org. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Activists in Iran Prepare to Protest on Amini Anniversary in Defiance of Crackdown By Michael Lipin September 14, 2023 International rights activists tell VOA that their counterparts in Iran are preparing to mark Saturday's first anniversary of the death in police custody of women's rights icon Mahsa Amini with new protests in defiance of Tehran's preemptive crackdown on peaceful dissent. Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was arrested by the Islamist nation's morality police in Tehran last September for allegedly not wearing her hijab in accordance with Islamist rules. She died in custody three days later. Her death, following what witnesses said was a physical assault perpetrated by authorities, triggered months of mostly peaceful nationwide protests that posed the greatest challenge yet to the 44-year rule of Iran's ruling Shiite clerics. "Iranian women have told us that they will continue the fight despite the government's futile attempts to silence them," said Skylar Thompson, global advocacy director for U.S.-based nonprofit group Human Rights Activists in Iran. "I don't believe the Iranian government's preemptive arrests, fueled by a fear of Iranians returning to the street, are going to preempt renewed protests," added Thompson while speaking on VOA's Flashpoint Iran podcast this week. Iran's Islamist rulers suppressed the protests that began in September 2022 with a violent crackdown that the U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran said killed at least 520 people including 71 children. Authorities acknowledged incarcerating 22,000 others. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told U.S. network NBC in an interview that aired Tuesday that Iranians would pay another "big cost" if they tried to revive nationwide protests in the coming days. Masih Alinejad, TV host of VOA Persian's Tablet program, told last week's Flashpoint Iran podcast that she has received videos from audience members in Iran showing women distributing pamphlets that urge people to gather publicly for the Mahsa Amini anniversary. "I see that Iranians are ready and telling each other: 'Let's get back to the street. We have to end this regime, otherwise the regime will end each of us,'" Alinejad said. Amini's father, Amjad, who lives in her hometown of Saqqez in northwestern Iran's Kurdistan province, told VOA Persian in an interview published September 6 that his family was organizing a ceremony to honor his daughter's memory. Three days later, Amjad Amini posted a photo of her on Instagram and said there would be a traditional religious ceremony at her grave in Saqqez. He also urged people to eschew violence. Several news sources deemed credible by VOA Persian reported Tuesday that intelligence agents in Saqqez summoned Amjad Amini for questioning and were pressuring his family to keep quiet. Asked by a VOA Persian journalist to respond to those reports, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a Thursday briefing that U.S. officials have information indicating Amjad Amini has been summoned for questioning four times in the past two weeks. "The regime cannot intimidate the people of Iran into silence," Miller said. "The world is watching its treatment of these families and the ongoing intimidation of journalists and abuse of peaceful protesters, and we will continue to watch it closely and take whatever steps are appropriate to respond to it." Relatives of other people killed in last year's protests have told VOA Persian that intelligence agencies have warned them to avoid public places on Saturday's anniversary. An Independent International Fact-Finding Mission authorized by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate Iran's suppression of the protests that began last September issued a statement Thursday saying that one year later, Iranian government harassment of women and girls is on the rise. "Authorities are exacerbating punitive measures against those exercising their fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," the fact-finding mission said. One protester wounded in last year's crackdown made a bold prediction to VOA Persian about the ability of Iranians to overcome authorities' latest efforts to deter new protests. Kian Derakhshan was chanting protest slogans on the first day of last year's protests in Saqqez when security forces opened fire and peppered him with bullets, leaving him needing multiple surgeries. In a September 7 interview from exile in Iraq, he said: "I am sure we will win and establish freedom and democracy in Iran." U.S.-based exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi told VOA Persian while attending a Wednesday event in Washington that he sees Iranians coming together around a national goal that is not specific to one ethnic group or region of the country. "If you look carefully, you will see that everyone in Iran welcomed the 'Woman Life Freedom' movement," Pahlavi said. "Men in universities chanted, 'Woman Life Freedom,' and female students chanted, 'Man Homeland Prosperity.' That means they have unity." This story was a collaboration with VOA's Persian Service. Guita Aryan, Manouchehr Pordel, Rozita Irandoost contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cash-Starved Iraqi Kurds See Iran's Hand in Budget Crisis By Rikar Hussein September 14, 2023 Unable to pay its employees for two months and grappling with the threat of a cross-border attack from Iran, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq is facing what its leaders acknowledge is one of the most challenging periods since its establishment in 1991. Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, in a symbolic gesture, rang the bell at a high school in the regional capital, Irbil, on Wednesday to mark the first day of the school year in the Kurdistan region. While the government footage of the ceremony showed smiling faces and energetic students, the scenes outside spoke otherwise as many schools in the region remained closed because of a widespread strike called by the teachers' union to protest unpaid salaries for July and August. Doctors and nurses have taken the same action at many hospitals. "I thank our teachers for their perseverance," Barzani said at the school courtyard, where he announced an imminent visit to Baghdad. "We want to visit Baghdad so that we can resolve our issues peacefully. Our perseverance is not a sign of our weakness, but it's our commitment to prevent the problems taking another turn." The visit is part of a prolonged negotiation between the Kurdish and Iraqi governments regarding Kurdish rights and responsibilities and the distribution of revenue under Iraq's budget. The two governments seemed to have opened a new chapter in their relations on April 4 when Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced a deal to resume Kurdish oil exports via Turkey. The exports had been halted in late March when an international arbitration panel ruled in favor of Iraq in a dispute over independent oil exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government, or KRG. Under the deal, Iraq's state-run SOMO company was given the authority to export Kurdish oil. The KRG, in return, was allocated 12.6% of Iraqi revenues. However, the agreement has not been implemented. While the Iraqi government says the obstacles are merely technical, the Kurds say that they are political, and that Iran is to blame. "The problem is [the] Iraqi budget was approved in Baghdad, but its implementation is in Tehran," said Soran Omar, a Kurdish member of the Iraqi parliament, speaking to local news outlet Rudaw. Omar said that Iran was seeing the Kurdish desperate need for revenue as a rare opportunity to reduce the KRG's autonomy. Home to large Kurdish populations, both Iran and Turkey have for years been troubled by the growing power of Kurds in Iraq. The two countries supported Baghdad in 2017 when the KRG held a controversial referendum on independence. In an interview with VOA last week, KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawrami spoke of "an intent to punish and downplay" the KRG. "The Iraqi government treats the Kurdistan region [as] less than a province," Hawrami said. Haval Abubakir, the governor of Kurdish Sulaymaniyah province, similarly warned of an effort "to end the Kurdistan region entity." Kurds say that Iran is using the perceived weakness of the KRG to push deeper into Kurdish territory in northern Iraq a justifying its actions as a response to the presence in the area of Iranian Kurdish militants. "I think the target here is the Kurdistan region itself. ... The budget issue, stopping oil exports and not paying the Kurdish salaries are all Iranian and Turkish policies," said Hassan Rahman Pana, the deputy secretary of the Kurdish political group Komala, in an interview with VOA. Iranian officials in recent weeks have escalated their threats of military action should Iraq fail to implement a mutual security agreement signed in March. The deal calls for Iraq to disarm and relocate Iranian Kurdish exiled groups located in Iraqi Kurdistan. The exiled groups, believed to include thousands of fighters and their families, have for decades campaigned for Kurdish independence in western Iran, where more than 10 million Kurds are believed to reside. Iran says the groups pose a threat to its security and has demanded that they be disarmed and relocated by September 19. On Wednesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein visited Tehran and met with high-ranking officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi. Hussein announced ahead of the visit that Baghdad has started to disarm and transfer the Iranian Kurdish opposition to refugee camps far from the Iran-Iraq border. Meanwhile, according to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, a Norway-based Kurdish rights group, Iran has begun a military deployment to its borders with Iraqi Kurdistan. "Iran has moved a large number of troops from Hamadan, Zanjan and Tabriz to the border areas of the Kurdistan region," Arsalan Yar Ahmadi, a member of the organization, told VOA. Pana, the Komala deputy secretary, said he does not expect Iran will begin a cross-border operation anytime soon. He suggested the deployment is intended to prevent instability ahead of the September 16 anniversary of the death of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, which sparked widespread protests last year. Amini died in police custody days after she was arrested for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code. "The atmosphere in the cities is militaristic and some activists have been arrested," Pana told VOA. "The internet has been turned very slow, and the electricity is weakened in some Kurdish cities. They are afraid that the revolution will resume on the anniversary. They want to mislead the Iranian people." Fabrice Balanche is an associate professor and research director at the University of Lyon 2 and a fellow at the Washington Institute. He suggested in an interview that the Kurds are facing increased pressure from regional powers because they are no longer considered strategically important for the West in the fight against Islamic State. "What you see in the Middle East today is that the West is weak. I don't think that the U.S. wants to reinvest in Syria and Iraq. My opinion is that for the U.S., this is lost vis-a-vis the Iranian axes," Balanche said. "Unfortunately, the Kurds are not anymore useful in the fight," Balanche said. "They don't want to support them again. That is why you see Turkey and Iran using this weakness to destroy the Kurdish autonomy or independence." This story originated in VOA's Kurdish Service with contributions from Snur Karim, Diyar Jamal and Dilshad Anwar. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libyan authorities say floods may have killed 20,000 people Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 5:54 PM Libyan authorities have demanded an investigation to see if the catastrophe that recently unfolded amid floods in the country killing thousands was caused by a human blunder. Libyan officials on Thursday sought to dig deep into the reasons that led to the huge devastation, trying to see if the disaster could have been avoided. Mohamed al-Menfi, president of the Libyan Presidential Council, said on X that the council had asked the attorney general to investigate the disaster. "Those whose actions or failure to act were responsible for the failure of the dam should be held accountable, along with anyone who held up aid," he said. A torrent unleashed by a powerful Mediterranean storm Daniel burst dams on Sunday night in the port city of Derna, sending waves as high as 20 feet, washing multi-story buildings with sleeping residents inside. Up to 20,000 people are feared dead. The figures have been confirmed by the Mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi who said deaths in the city could have reached 18,000-20,000, based on the extent of the damage. Al-Ghaithi told Reuters he was afraid the city would now be infected with an epidemic, "due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water". According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the huge loss of life could have been avoided if Libya had a functioning weather agency in place. "If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued warnings," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalashe said in Geneva. Other commentators drew attention to warnings given in advance, including an academic paper last year by a hydrologist outlining the city's vulnerability to floods and the urgent need to maintain the dams that protected it. "The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out evacuation of the people. And we could have avoided most of the human casualties," Taalashe added. The agency said that it had issued warnings 72 hours before the dams collapsed, including contacting the Libyan authorities and making statements to the media. A day before the storm hit Libya, the city mayor had addressed a press conference saying that some areas surrounding the dam should be evacuated. But an emergency committee formed by the eastern government's Interior Ministry ordered curfews instead. A spokesperson at the mayor's office said that the city's dam had not been maintained since 2008 due to Libya's fractious politics. While the investigations start, the survivors will have to battle the aftermath of the catastrophe. Ghaithi said he was afraid the city would now be infected with an epidemic, "due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water". According to the International Organization for Migration, around 30,000 people from Derna are displaced. A government official estimated Wednesday that 25% of the city was completely destroyed or washed away. Experts say the enormous task of providing immediate aid and then rebuilding Derna is complicated because of a decade of civil war, which has left two rival governments ruling eastern and western Libya. Derna is controlled by the Libyan National Army, run by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter and based in the eastern city of Tobruk. The rest of the country is run by the Government of National Unity based in the capital, Tripoli, in the west. The North African country with a population of about 7 million people is divided with no government holding nationwide reach since a NATO-backed uprising toppled the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi's government in 2011. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nearly 300,000 children affected in Libya after Storm Daniel devastates entire communities - UNICEF UNICEF Beyond the immediate risks of death and injury, the severe floods in Libya put children at increased risk of waterborne diseases, displacement and loss of essential services 14 September 2023 NEW YORK/AMMAN/TRIPOLI, 14 September 2023 -- Nearly 300,000 children are estimated to have been exposed to the powerful Storm Daniel across eastern Libya and a growing number of children and families are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, following significant damage to numerous homes, hospitals, schools, and other essential infrastructure. Storm Daniel unleashed havoc across eastern Libya on Sunday, bursting dams and destroying buildings in many towns, but particularly in Al Bayda, Al Marj and in the coastal city of Derna. Derna, a town of about 90,000 people, was already severely affected by conflict and its path to recovery is now set back years given the immense devastation. Storm Daniel has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people, with several hundreds more still missing. At least 30,000 internally displaced persons, sheltered in schools and many areas, remain cut off and inaccessible. At least three hospitals are currently out of service, and at least ten primary health care centers are flooded. "The children of Libya are facing yet again another tragedy after over a decade of conflict. Our priority is to scale up life-saving assistance, in particular providing health and water and sanitation supplies, psychosocial support, family tracing and preventing water borne diseases. To prevent a catastrophe, we can't afford to lose any time", said Michele Servadei, UNICEF Representative in Libya, who is currently visiting the areas affected by the floods. "We know from previous disasters across the globe that the aftermath of floods is often more deadly for children than the extreme weather event itself. Children are among the most vulnerable and are at high risk of disease outbreaks, lack of safe drinking water, malnutrition, disruption in learning, and violence." Beyond the immediate risks of death and injury, the floods in Libya pose a severe risk to children's health and safety. With compromised safe water supplies, the chance of diarrhoea and cholera outbreaks, as well as dehydration and malnutrition, increase significantly. Meanwhile, children who lose their parents or become separated from their families are more exposed to protection risks, including violence and exploitation. UNICEF has been actively supporting the children in Libya since 1957 and has mobilized vital supplies to support the immediate humanitarian response. These include essential medical supplies for 10,000 people, 1,100 hygiene kits, water treatment materials, as well as clothing kits for 500 children. UNICEF requires at least US$6.5 million for urgent lifesaving interventions and stands ready to support children and families in need of humanitarian aid in Al Bayda, Al Marj, Benghazi, Derna and other affected areas. The immediate priorities are safe drinking water, medical supplies and mobile health teams, psychosocial support and family tracing. The full extent of humanitarian assistance will become clearer in the coming days as assessments on the ground continue and UNICEF stands ready to engage with authorities on the recovery and reconstruction phase, in particular for health, water and education facilities. ##### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World Food Programme rolls out food assistance to families affected by Storm Daniel in Libya World Food Programme 14 September 2023 CAIRO -- The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun providing desperately needed food assistance to more than 5,000 families displaced by massive flooding in Libya. Entire neighbourhoods in the city of Derna have disappeared, along with many of their residents, after flood waters from Storm Daniel caused two ageing dams to collapse. On Tuesday, food distributions through WFP's partner LibAid had already reached 2,000 people who had fled Derna and arrived in the city of Benghazi. On Wednesday, WFP was distributing food to about 700 flood-affected families in four locations of Derna city. "These devastating floods have struck in a country where a profound political crisis has already left so many in a desperate situation. Alongside the tragic loss of life, thousands of families in Derna are now without food or shelter. WFP is on the ground, supporting local efforts and providing assistance to the most vulnerable people as they try to get back on their feet," said WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain. The flood waters in the east of the country have damaged critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and water supply systems, exacerbating the humanitarian situation. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the storm and subsequent flooding. WFP is part of the Libya Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which brings together local partners and UN agencies, and ensures the quick access needed to provide assistance within 72 hours of a disaster. WFP is working closely with local authorities and United Nations partners. WFP's planned emergency operation will aim to provide monthly food assistance to 100,000 people in flood-affected areas for three months. WFP is grateful to donors like Japan and Switzerland who provided the funds which allowed WFP to preposition the food stocks which were immediately mobilized for the initial crisis response. WFP's work in Libya is not limited to the current crisis. The organization already supports over 52,000 people - internally displaced people, returnees, and migrants in urban areas - through food assistance and cash grants. Additionally, WFP collaborates with the government on resilience-building activities such as school feeding. By providing ongoing assistance and implementing long-term measures, WFP strives to address the multifaceted challenges faced by vulnerable communities in Libya. # # # The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Increasingly isolated, Myanmar reestablishes ties with North Korea Move is act of 'desperation' for regime, anti-junta activists say. By Khet Mar and Aung Thain Kha for RFA Burmese 2023.09.14 -- Increasingly isolated on the world stage, Myanmar's junta re-established ties with North Korea this week, renewing ties that were cut five years ago by the former civilian government in line with U.N. sanctions over the North's nuclear weapons program. Activists and analysts said the decision was an act of "desperation" for the junta, widely condemned for its 2021 coup and subsequent repression of its own people. "They are desperately looking for someone who will treat them as friends," said an anti-junta activist, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Rebuilding the ties is also "troubling" because of the potential for North Korea to sell the junta weapons it will use to suppress its population, he said. The Sept. 11 appointment of Tin Maung Swe, who is also Myanmar's ambassador to China, as envoy to Pyongyang came as Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia to meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two sides are believed to have laid plans for military cooperation, including the transfer of intercontinental ballistic missile technology, and a potential ammunition deal. "The appointment [coming] while the North Korean and Russian leaders are meeting could be because the junta hopes that doing so will make North Korea help Myanmar as well," the activist said. Moe Zaw Oo, deputy foreign minister ofthe shadow National Unity Government - made up of former civilian leaders and anti-junta activists - said the move will weaken regional stability and threaten the global order. "That's why the international community needs to take this seriously and provide support for the [anti-junta] resistance [in Myanmar]," he said. "They should also be more supportive of our work against the junta and assist our efforts to remove it." Assassination attempt The activist called the move "a huge insult" to the country's late independence leader General Aung San, citing North Korea's Oct. 9, 1983, failed assassination attempt of then-South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan, when agents set off a bomb at Aung San's mausoleum in Yangon, killing 21 people and wounding nearly 50 others. General Ne Win, Myanmar's president at the time, cut diplomatic relations with the North over the attack. While relations were restored in 2007 by then-junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe, they were cut again in 2018 by the civilian government whose de facto leader was Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now jailed. Lawyer Kyee Myint told RFA he was not surprised by the decision, given what he said was junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing's outspoken support for the North since the coup. He noted that, not long after seizing power, Min Aung Hlaing threatened the people by warning that Myanmar could "become like North Korea," a repressive police state. "[His statement] implied that if [the junta] runs the country like North Korea, the people would have it really bad," he said. "I consider Myanmar's resumption of diplomatic relations with a country that has committed terrorism on its soil as a collaboration of two terrorist countries." The reestablishment of relations could also be part of a bid by the junta to buy weapons and jet fuel from the North using Chinese yuan, said the analyst, who also declined to be named citing security concerns, as sanctions have made it difficult to do so otherwise. "If that happens, they will reuse those weapons inside the country," he said. The analyst noted that the military is increasingly losing troops in ground battles as the resistance becomes better supplied and experienced. "It looks as if [Min Aung Hlaing] isn't confident with the weapons he already has," the analyst said. "That's why I think he appointed an ambassador to North Korea, so that maybe he can buy something from it through China." Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 80 Myanmar junta troops stranded on Thai side of border A Thai lawmaker presses his government for an explanation why they were allowed into the country. By RFA Burmese and BenarNews 2023.09.14 -- Between 80 and 100 heavily armed Myanmar junta soldiers have been stranded on Thai soil for over a week after they crossed the border, prompting a Thai lawmaker to demand an explanation from his government for why they were allowed into the country - and why the Thai public hasn't been informed. "That kind of violation of Thailand's state sovereignty by close to 100 Myanmar soldiers is a national issue, not a border matter," lawmaker Kannavee Suebsang, from the opposition Fair Party, told the Bangkok Post. There were conflicting accounts and explanations given for the unusual situation. Kannavee told Radio Free Asia that the Myanmar troops had crossed the border on Sept. 3 after they were repulsed by an attack by Karen National Liberation Army, or KNLA, troops on their Htee Kalae Pae camp in Kyainseikgyi township of Kawkareik district in Kayin state. Rebel fighters on the border have prevented the Myanmar soldiers from returning to their base, he said. Kannavee said residents informed nearby Thai soldiers about the presence of Myanmar soldiers in Le Tong Khu village, though no action was taken, the Post reported. After social media posts about the presence of Burmese soldiers, a Thai army team engaged in negotiations between the soldiers from Myanmar army and the ethnic armed group to stop preventing the Burmese troops from returning to Myanmar, the Post reported. The Burmese soldiers are from battalions 561, 339 and 559 of the Southeast Region Command, and they have been in Thai territory since Sept. 3, a KNLA official said. Conflicting accounts A spokeswoman for the Royal Thai Army dismissed Kannavee's claim that Thai soldiers allowed Burmese troops to enter the country. The Thai army's Naresuan Task Force, which patrols border areas in Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces, "keeps vigilant of the border with civilian government agencies," said Maj. Gen. Sirichan Ngathong. "We did not find them," she said. "In reality, people commute along the borderlines and natural trails, so the Naresuan Task Force follows the traffic attentively with the border command centers in Tak and Mae Hong Son province to ensure sovereignty is not violated," she said. The displaced Burmese soldiers are in a temporary safe zone and will return to Myanmar voluntarily when the situation there is safe, she said. But officers with the Karen National Union, the KNLA's political wing, said the junta soldiers did not flee from fighting, and instead had intentionally crossed the border to attack rebel positions from the Thai side. "They sneakily entered by using routes from Thailand in the past," said Maj. Saw Win Myint of the Venom Commando Army, a special unit under the Karen National Defense Organization, one of two military branches of the KNU. "It will be the same now," he said. "They will do it to prepare offensives or defensives or not to lose their base. It is impossible to cross into Thailand while fighting." RFA could not reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment. The Tak district administration department did not respond to email inquiries. By mistake? In yet another take, pro-junta experts said Burmese soldiers may have entered Thailand by mistake. "If they entered officially for joint military operations or exercises, then it would be official," said Thein Tun Oo, executive director of Myanmar's pro-military Thayninga Institute of Strategic Studies. "If not, [then] the crossing was an accident." A Myanmar activist in Thailand told RFA that if Myanmar troops crossed the border and fled into Thai territory due to the fighting in Kayin state, it was because Thai military personnel allowed them to do so. "They are on good terms, so they were allowed to do so," he said. "But it may be difficult for Burmese troops to enter Thailand because the parliament has raised questions, and the opposition has criticized it." When fighting raged along the Thai-Myanmar border in 2022, a helicopter from a Burmese warship intruded into Thai airspace, prompting discussion in the Thai Parliament, he added. Although the Thai opposition MP said in the parliament that the border crossing was a violation of Thailand's state sovereignty, the Thai military will not take any effective action since it has a good relationship with Myanmar, said Than Soe Naing, a political analyst. Kannavee "pointed out that Myanmar is violating their sovereignty," he said. "It may be uncomfortable for the Thai army, but I don't think the Thai army will step up to tighten security." Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at a joint news conference following talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Than Swe, Moscow, September 14 14 September 2023 15:24 1768-14-09-2023 Ladies and gentlemen, We have held talks with my colleague, Than Swe, as part of regular contacts between our diplomatic offices. We maintain an intensive political dialogue. On September 7, 2022, President of Russia Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Chairman of the State Administration Council and Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing, during which they discussed the entire range of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the regional situation and international affairs. As a follow-up to that meeting between our leaders, today we talked about all spheres of our cooperation, focusing on issues that needed to be given additional attention. We held an in-depth discussion of all current questions. We welcomed the intensive exchange of delegations between our ministries and agencies, prosecutor general's offices, parliaments and central election commissions, as well as growing ties between many Russian regions and Myanmar. We emphasised trade and economic issues, where business has somewhat declined for objective reasons. We discussed ways to reverse this trend and to resume positive growth. The Intergovernmental Russia-Myanmar Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation is scheduled to hold a regular meeting in 2023. We agreed that both sides would prepare specific proposals to help us pick up the pace. We pointed out special cooperation prospects in energy, civilian nuclear projects, civil aviation, telecommunications and information technology, as well as space exploration, notably remote earth sensing, agriculture, the food industry, and transport infrastructure. We had a separate discussion on the financial and banking sector, including our central banks. Our Myanmar friends attend events like the annual Moscow Conference on International Security, which Myanmar participates in regularly. In 2023, Chairman of the State Administration Council and Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing addressed the participants via videoconference. Our friends also take part in the International Military-Technical Forum Army-2023 organised by the Defence Ministry and the regular events of the Security Council, which were held in Russia in May 2023. We are increasing our humanitarian exchanges, organising cultural projects, and holding anniversary celebrations related to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which is being marked this year. We assist Myanmar in educating professionals, with more than 7,000 citizens of Myanmar receiving an education in the Soviet Union or the Russian Federation. They work pro-actively for the benefit of their homeland. Tourism is of interest to Russian citizens who want to know more about Myanmar. Direct air service between Myanmar and, at this point, Novosibirsk, that was resumed the other day after a long time, will help to develop these relations. In any event, this is an important step forward. We discussed international and regional affairs. Our positions align on most key global issues and matters related to international contacts in Southeast Asia. We cooperate closely at the UN. As for regional matters, trends in the Asia Pacific region are not quite favourable. We reaffirmed jointly with Myanmar the need to create an inclusive, effective and reliable security infrastructure in the region, an infrastructure capable of ensuring sustainable development among all states, without exception, in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region as a whole on an equitable and non-discriminatory basis. These opportunities are provided by the mechanisms, created over many decades, with ASEAN. Regrettably, they are being tested in the context of the West's "Indo-Pacific strategies." The West is trying to introduce in the Asia Pacific certain bloc elements and mechanisms aimed at containing other countries, which compete and want to strip ASEAN of its traditional leading role in security and cooperation in this region. NATO's openly declared plans to establish a foothold and its own rules there are particularly dangerous. We noted that all of the countries at the recent East Asia Summit in Jakarta (one of the most important ASEAN events) called for preserving ASEAN-centric architecture. We will continue to support them in this respect. We confirmed our appreciation of the balanced, objective position of our Myanmar friends in connection with what is happening in Ukraine. The West, through the hands of the Kiev regime, has unleashed a war against the Russian Federation and created a direct threat to Russia's security. They are encouraging the destruction of all things Russian on the territories that our ancestors developed over centuries, where they lived and built cities, ports, schools and churches. We have explained the steps we are taking in this connection. We have also evaluated the proposals sent to us by most countries from the Global Majority and the Global South with what we see as sincere consideration. We have set out our attitude in detail on many occasions. We are ready to consider any serious proposals that will take into account the realities on the ground and the Russian Federation's basic, legitimate interests. On the whole, we had a good and useful conversation. I would like to thank my colleague once again. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Officials: Pakistan Gets Taliban Security Assurances, Will Reopen Afghan Border Gate By Ayaz Gul September 14, 2023 Pakistan is set to reopen the main Torkham border crossing with landlocked Afghanistan on Friday following a nine-day closure because of terrorism and other security concerns, according to officials in both countries. The development came after the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, promised during a meeting Thursday with Islamabad's acting ambassador in Kabul that the group would not permit the use of Afghan soil to carry out acts of terrorism against Pakistan, a Pakistani official told VOA on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to interact with the media publicly. Muttaqi's office said that in the meeting with the Pakistani envoy, Ubaid Nizamani, they discussed the border closure and problems facing Afghan refugees and traders in Pakistan. The statement said both sides emphasized the need for addressing these issues, but it gave no other details. Late Thursday, the Taliban state news agency quoted a senior border official, Esmatullah Yaqoob, as announcing to Afghan travelers, including patients seeking medical treatment in Pakistani hospitals, that the Torkham gate "will open for passengers and transit on Friday morning." A Pakistani border security official confirmed that all immigration and security personnel have been instructed to return to duties early Friday to facilitate pedestrian and vehicular traffic through the Torkham gate. Pakistan temporarily closed the busy transit point for trade and travelers on September 6 after security forces from the two countries exchanged fire. The clashes killed two Afghans, including a Taliban guard. The incident occurred shortly after militants had staged a deadly cross-border assault on Pakistani outposts elsewhere along the 2,600-kilometer frontier separating the two countries. The Torkham closure has stranded hundreds of trucks carrying commercial goods, mostly fresh Afghan fruits and vegetables, and thousands of travelers on both sides of the border. Earlier Thursday, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson indicated at a weekly news conference that Islamabad could soon open the Torkham crossing. "I must underline that the closure of the border is temporary. And we will make the decision regarding its opening in view of the developments that take place in the coming hours and days," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said without elaborating. Islamabad defended its decision to shut the Torkham transit point, saying Taliban authorities were trying to build "unlawful structures" on its territory and opened fire when challenged by Pakistani security forces. Pakistani officials said the attack on the same day against two outposts in the northern Chitral border district was carried out by hundreds of heavily armed militants from bases on the Afghan side. The Pakistani military said four soldiers and 12 assailants died in the raid. "Pakistan is concerned about the security threat emanating from Afghanistan ... and that is why it is important for the Afghan interim authorities to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to threaten Pakistan," Baloch said Thursday. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the Chitral attack. The banned militant group has for years been plotting bombings and other terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad says TTP leaders and fighters have increased cross-border raids from Afghan soil since the Taliban seized power in Kabul two years ago. Taliban authorities reject the charges. Pakistani security sources asserted that scores of Afghan Taliban fighters had joined TTP in the Chitral raid, saying Islamabad shared the evidence with Kabul to substantiate its claims. TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, is listed as a global terrorist organization by the United States. It is an offshoot and close ally of the Afghan Taliban. Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, said Tuesday that TTP "is posing the greatest threat" to regional stability. "We see a very significant increase in [TTP] attacks directed at Pakistan," he told a seminar in Washington. West said the militant group had helped the Taliban mount insurgent attacks against American and NATO troops, which left the country in August 2021 after nearly 20 years of involvement in the Afghan war. "They became allies of the Taliban during the war. They were financial supporters, logistical supporters and operational allies, as well. I think the ties between them are quite tight," the U.S. envoy noted. The United Nations estimated in its latest assessment that at least 4,000 TTP operatives are based in Afghanistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US approves $5bn sale of top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to South Korea Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 8:39 AM The United States has approved the $5 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to its key regional ally, South Korea. The US State Department informed Congress on Wednesday that it had approved the sale of 25 of the all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft made by Lockheed Martin as well as engines and related equipment to the South. The sale "will improve the Republic of Korea's capability to meet current and future threats by providing credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with US forces," a State Department statement said. "The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," it claimed. Washington's major weapons offer to Seoul came after a summit aimed at expressing unity in the face of what both allies called China's purported growing assertiveness. The fresh package, which is worth as much as $5.06 billion, requires congressional approval and could take years to complete. Under the arms deal, Seoul would receive top-of-the-line F-35 warplanes along with engines, communications gear and support. Washington's peninsular ally has operated Lockheed Martin Corp.'s premier fighter aircraft since 2018. The US only approves sale of the top warplanes to its closest partners, with Turkey booted from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased the Russian S-400 missile defense systems despite Washington's repeated warnings. Washington claims the activation of the S-400s would compromise NATO's defenses and could give Russia access to intelligence about the American F-35 fighter jets and other military equipment. The major arms deal between the US and South Korea comes as tensions keep mounting with North Korea, which carried out its latest missile tests just as its leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia to discuss greater cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is deeply engaged in a full-scale war with Ukraine since February last year. The US has boosted three-way cooperation with Japan and South Korea, both home to American troops. Over 28,500 American troops are based in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Back in August, US President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a meeting at the Camp David presidential resort near Washington, promising to work more closely together on North Korea and other challenges. North Korea, which has been under harsh sanctions by the United States and the United Nations Security Council for years over its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs, launched an unprecedented number of missiles in 2022, including its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever. Seoul, which has been rattled by increased North's test launches, is now trying to boost its military alliance with the US and deepen cooperation with Japan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korea Concerned About Russia-North Korea Military Cooperation By Nike Ching September 14, 2023 South Korea has expressed regret that Russia and North Korea discussed military cooperation during their leaders' meeting, as Seoul is closely monitoring the possibility of joint military drills between Pyongyang and Moscow. Officials said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will use his address next week at the United Nations General Assembly to stress grave concern over the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. "Despite repeated warnings from the international community, I am deeply concerned and regretful that the North Korea-Russia summit has discussed the issue of military cooperation, including satellite development," South Korea's foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told reporters on Thursday. Seoul is seeking a meeting with Russian diplomats, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks at Russia's most modern spaceport, the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Putin has accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea, according to Pyongyang's state media. "We continue to communicate necessarily between South Korea and Russia," said Lim, who warned a Russia-North Korea military cooperation would bring a "negative impact" to bilateral ties between Moscow and Seoul. As President Yoon heads to New York next week for the U.N. General Assembly, South Korean officials have renewed warnings. They said Russia's science and technology cooperation with North Korea that contributes to its development of nuclear weapons and missiles, including satellites using ballistic missile technology, is prohibited by UNSC resolutions. South Korea's National Security Council members met Thursday afternoon to discuss North Korean leader Kim's visit to Russia. South Korea is "taking the situation very seriously," regarding "the fact that various military cooperation, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, was discussed" during Kim's meeting with Putin, according to South Korea's National Security Council. "We will discuss the issue of North Korea-Russia military cooperation in consultation with the U.S., Japan and the international community." Thursday, Kim is expected to visit military and civilian aviation factories in the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, according to Russia's state media. South Korea's defense ministry said it continues to closely monitor Kim's schedule in Russia's Far East, and potential joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea said to be proposed during Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang in July. "The two sides did not issue a joint statement, but the personnel Kim brought to Russia, and where he and Putin met, were quite telling. The composition of Kim's delegation suggests North Korea may send munitions to Russia in exchange for military technology," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. "If Putin and Kim just wanted to do an arms deal, they didn't need to meet in person and could have tried to keep their additional sanctions violations secret while continuing to deny them," Easley said. "In addition to supporting each other's illegal trade, Moscow and Pyongyang are showcasing their cooperation to score points in domestic politics." North Korea did not name the members of its delegation, but several top military commanders, arms industry officials and diplomats appear to be accompanying Kim in photos released by North Korean state media, including North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam and Marshal Pak Jong Chon, new head of the party's military political leadership. Lee Juhyun contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsahkna to representatives of border states: we should implement the ban on Russian vehicles together Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14.09.2023 Today Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna had a video meeting with representatives of Finland, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to discuss additional sanctions on Russia and the entry ban on Russian vehicles. The meeting covered the entry ban for cars with Russian licence plates, which entered into force this morning. Latvia and Lithuania have imposed a similar restriction. Tsahkna called for a joint implementation of the entry ban because this would add to the impact of the restriction and make it possible to further raise the cost of the aggression for Russia. "We also discussed what to do about vehicles with Russian licence plates that are already in the European Union, so that our approach would be uniform," Tsahkna said, adding he would also raise the topic in the government tomorrow. They also spoke about additional sanctions on Russia. "In the European Union, we are working on the 12th package of sanctions against Russia, which is continuing its inhuman war in Ukraine," Tsahkna said. "Our message remains the same. We will continue restricting Russia's cash flow for as long as necessary." Tsahkna also raised the issue of improving the prevention of sanctions circumvention, including the transit of sensitive goods through Russia to third countries. "I do not think there are grounds for continuing the transit of those goods through Russia which the aggressor needs for continuing its inhuman war in Ukraine," Tsahkna said. "We must limit the possibility that we are contributing to Russia's aggression with the transit." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, DPRK to strengthen good-neighborly relations, promote regional peace: Putin People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:28, September 14, 2023 MOSCOW, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Moscow and Pyongyang will strive to strengthen good-neighborly relations and promote regional peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday during his meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). At the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast of Russia's Far East, both sides had a meeting in an expanded format, which was attended by the two delegations and lasted about an hour and a half. After the meeting, the leaders met one-on-one, and the two sides had lunch together. "Our meeting is taking place at a special time," said the Kremlin, citing Putin at the talks. The DPRK "has recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding, and we established diplomatic relations 75 years ago," noted the Russian leader. Putin recalled that the Soviet Union was the first to recognize the sovereignty and independence of the DPRK. "We are committed to strengthening our ties of camaraderie and good neighborliness," Putin said during the lunch between the two leaders, adding that both countries would act in the name of peace, stability and prosperity. For his part, Kim noted that his visit is taking place at a time of fierce confrontation in the international arena, confrontation between progress and reaction, justice and injustice, and amid an emerging new multipolar world. Kim said he discussed the military-political situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe with his Russian counterpart, adding that both sides have agreed on the importance of strengthening strategic and tactical cooperation. The DPRK leader said he is ready to work with Putin on establishing long-term, stable and future-oriented relations between the two countries, which would further strengthen both nations, and help safeguard international justice. Kim arrived in the Russian border city of Khasan early on Tuesday on a special train from Pyongyang. After meeting officials at the Khasan railway station, Kim headed to the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Kim previously visited Russia in April 2019, when he held talks with Putin in Vladivostok. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kim Jong Un, Putin hold talks People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:21, September 14, 2023 SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had a historic meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in the Russian Far East, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday. Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, met with his Russian counterpart at the Vostochny spaceport in the Amur region, the report said. The two leaders had a one-on-one session after an extended talk which also involved senior officials from the two countries. According to the KCNA, the extended talk addressed the issues of further consolidating the friendship, solidarity and cooperative relations and boosting mutual trust by deepening the exchanges and cooperation in various fields including high-level visits between the two countries, and steadily expanding the bilateral ties. The two sides also had a wide-ranging and in-depth exchange of views on important issues of mutual concern. During the one-on-one meeting, Kim and Putin reached an agreement and consensus on further strengthening strategic and tactical cooperation between the two countries and extending strong support to and solidarity with each other on the common front of frustrating military threats. At the invitation of Putin, Kim left the DPRK capital Pyongyang on Sunday to visit Russia by a special train and arrived in the Russian border city of Khasan early Tuesday. According to the KCNA, Kim also visited the Vostochny spaceport with Putin on Wednesday. The Russian president hosted on the same day a welcoming reception for Kim and accepted Kim's invitation to visit his country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia expels two US diplomats, summons American ambassador Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 2:38 PM Russia has summoned the US ambassador to Moscow and expelled two American embassy diplomats accused of working with a Russian spy. In a statement on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Ambassador Lynne Tracy, telling her that first secretary Jeffrey Sillin and second secretary David Bernstein must leave Russia within a week. Declaring the two diplomats "persona non grata," the ministry said the pair had allegedly worked with a Russian national accused of collaborating for a foreign state. "The named people conducted illegal activity, maintaining contact with Russian citizen R. Shonov, accused of 'confidential cooperation' with a foreign state," the ministry said. Robert Shonov, according to Reuters, was employed by the US Consulate General in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok for more than 25 years up 2021, when Moscow prevented the local staff from working for the US mission. "The US ambassador was told that Sillin and Bernstein must leave the territory of Russia within seven days under the status of persona non grata," the ministry added. Back in May, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested Shonov, accusing him of passing information about the war in Ukraine to the two American diplomats. Washington slammed Moscow for the move, accusing Russia of using "increasingly repressive laws against its own citizens." Last month, the US also rejected the allegation against its embassy staff, accusing Moscow of attempting to intimidate and harass US employees. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, however, said Shonov had been paid to complete tasks aimed at harming Russia's national security, vowing that any US embassy interference in Russia's domestic affairs would be suppressed. Tensions between Russia and the US have been worsening for years and both sides have expelled diplomatic staff in retaliatory moves. In February, the US expelled 12 diplomats from Russia's New York-based mission to the UN, accusing the staff of engaging in espionage activities. Moscow condemned the move as hostile and a gross violation of the commitments by the US. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Putin agrees to visit North Korea on formal invitation by North's leader Kim Jong-un Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 11:03 AM Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted a formal invitation by Kim Jung-un to visit North Korea for more talks on their "far-reaching plan" to promote a deeper partnership, as the North Korean leader continues his tour of eastern Russia following his summit with Putin. Kim, who came to Russia by his armored train on Tuesday, attended a face-to-face summit with Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in Russia's far-eastern Amur region on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest. At the end of their four-hour summit, the first in four years, Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at "a convenient time." However, no timeline for their next meeting has been set. "Putin accepted the invitation with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history and tradition of the Russia-DPRK friendship," North Korean state news agency KCNA said on Thursday, using the acronym for the country's official name. According to KCNA, Kim said that bilateral ties between North Korea and Russia have reached a new level with their meeting, expressing his willingness to foster stable, future-oriented relations for the next 100 years. "We are confident that the Russian army and people will inevitably attain victory in the sacred struggle to punish the evil crowd, which claims the right to hegemony based on the illusion of expansionism, a struggle to create the stability needed for development," Kim said, without naming Ukraine. The rare summit has raised concern in the United States and particularly Ukraine that Kim might reach a deal with Putin to sell weapons to Russia and in return acquire needed military technology for the North. North Korea has made space technology a priority. Kim in the past had stressed the role of military satellites as a means to protect national safety and territorial stability. Washington claims that it had intelligence data that the talks between Putin and Kim on a weapons deal were "actively advancing," while the Kremlin says Kim's visit will cover "bilateral relations, the situation in the region and in the global arena." The US State Department has already warned that the US "will not hesitate" to impose additional sanctions on Moscow and Pyongyang in case of such a deal. "We have taken a number of actions already to sanction entities that brokered arms sales between North Korea and Russia and we won't hesitate to impose additional actions if appropriate," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. "When you see what looks to be increased cooperation and probably military transfers, that is quite troubling and would potentially be in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions," he added. Both Russia and North Korea are already under harsh sanctions by the US, the former for its war on Ukraine and the latter for its years-long ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The North Korean leader's previous trip abroad was to Russia to meet Putin after the collapse of bilateral denuclearization talks with the then-US president, Donald Trump. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Images Show Wagner Camp In Belarus Continues To Shrink By RFE/RL's Belarus Service September 14, 2023 The first images since the confirmation of the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin show that a suspected tent camp thought to be occupied by troops from Russia's Wagner mercenary group near the Belarusian village of Tsel, has been further dismantled. The images, taken by Planet Labs on September 9 and obtained by RFE/RL, show that since late August, 60 more tents with the capacity to house more than 1,000 personnel had been dismantled. That means that since early August, of 273 specialized military tents -- each of which houses up to 20 people -- for personnel, at least 160 had been dismantled, eliminating space for over 3,000 Wagner fighters. Some 5,000 troops were thought to have been settled at the site. Previous images from Planet Labs appear to show that the process of dismantling the camp most likely started on August 1. It remains unclear where the tents and the Wagner fighters are being moved to amid broader questions about the ultimate fate of the mercenary group after Prigozhin died in a plane crash in late August. Telegram channels linked to Wagner said earlier that some of the group's fighters in Belarus left for Russia for vacation, while some were transferred to operations in Africa. On August 23, Russian aviation officials said Prigozhin, Wagner's founder and leader, was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed in Russia's western Tver region, some 270 kilometers north of Moscow. They later confirmed his death in the crash, adding that nine other people, including crew members, died along with Prigozhin. Wagner troops moved to Belarus after Prigozhin led a mutiny against Russia's top military officials in late June in what was the biggest threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin's 23 years in power. Wagner troops played a key role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, helping take main parts of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after nearly 10 months of intense fighting that killed reportedly killed thousands of mercenaries contracted to fight with the group. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/images-show-wagner-camp- belarus-shrinking/32592824.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on declaring employees of the US Embassy in Moscow persona non grata 14 September 2023 15:09 1767-14-09-2023 On September 14, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where she was handed an official note on the incompatibility of the activities of First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein with their diplomatic status. These embassy employees conducted illegal activities by liaising with Russian citizen Robert Shonov, who has been accused of "confidential collaboration" with a foreign state. He accepted money for the fulfilment of missions aimed at undermining the national security of the Russian Federation. The Ambassador was notified that Sillin and Bernstein had been declared persona non grata and must leave the territory of Russia within seven days. It was pointed out that the illegal activities of the US Embassy, namely, interference in the internal affairs of the host country, were unacceptable and would be firmly prevented. Russia hopes that Washington will draw correct conclusions from this and will refrain from taking confrontational steps. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Declares Two US Embassy Employees Personae Non Gratae Sputnik News 20230914 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia declared two employees of the Embassy of the United States in Moscow personae non gratae on Thursday, and they have to leave the country within seven days, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to the statement, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was summoned to the ministry on Thursday to receive a strong demarche over the actions of Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, the first and the second secretaries of the Embassy, which are "incompatible with the diplomatic status." "These persons [Sillin and Berstein] carried out illegal activities by maintaining contact with Russian citizen [Robert] Shonov, accused of 'confidential cooperation' with a foreign state. [Shonov] was given tasks with the goal of harming the national security of the Russian Federation for financial compensation. The US ambassador was informed that J. Sillin and D. Bernstein must leave Russian territory within 7 days in the status of persona non grata," the ministry said. The ministry added that the actions of the US diplomatic mission, including interference in Russia's internal affairs, were "unacceptable." "The Russian side expects Washington to draw the right conclusions and refrain from confrontational steps," the ministry emphasized. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Requests Moldova Stop Political Persecution of Russian-Language Media Sputnik News 20230914 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow has demanded that Kishinev cease politically motivated persecution of Russian-language media resources and observe international obligations in the field of freedom of speech and media after Moldova expelled the head of the Sputnik desk in Moldova, Vitaly Denisov, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. "The Russian side regarded this step as part of the anti-Russian campaign officially launched by Kishinev. They demanded that the Moldovan side stop the politically motivated persecution of Russian-language media resources and comply with international obligations in the field of freedom of speech and media and ensuring the rights of journalists," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The foreign ministry also said that such an "unfriendly" step by Kishinev would be addressed by Moscow, including by lodging a protest to Moldova's Charge d'Affaires Sergiu Goncharenko following Denisov's expulsion from the country. On Wednesday, Denisov was forcibly taken to the airport in the Moldovan capital and put on the first flight to Russia after being handed a deportation order dated September 8. "They did not let me pack my things, pick up my pets, and so on. They issued an order for a 10-year ban on entry into Moldova. The ambassador was notified," Denisov said. Moldova accused the journalist of being a national security threat. Denisov told Sputnik he was considering appealing his expulsion with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The journalist has also been barred from entering Moldova for 10 years. He said the Moldovan migration service did not explain why he was deemed a national security risk. Kishinev also cited national security concerns as the reason for blocking Sputnik Moldova's radio broadcasting and websites after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Moldovan Party of Socialists (PSRM) slammed this move stressing that the expulsion of the head of Sputnik Moldova, Vitaly Denisov, from the country is a curtsy towards the West, violating human rights and democratic principles. "The PSRM categorically denounces the unlawful deportation of the head of the Sputnik Moldova agency, Vitaly Denisov. The criminal regime of [Moldovan President Maia] Sandu has violated all possible notions of democracy, human rights and freedom of the press. Trying to please [its] Western masters in everything, the current regime disgraces and humiliates Moldova in the international arena," the party said in a statement. The party pointed out that Denisov had all the necessary work permits. "To expel someone without letting them know the reason, without letting them gather their belongings is a gesture worthy only of a criminal, sadist and inhumane regime. The PSRM expresses solidarity with the agency's journalists as well as with all media workers, human rights activists and ordinary people hurt by the criminal regime of Sandu," the statement read. Earlier Director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group, Dmitry Kiselev criticized the expulsion of Sputnik Moldova Chief and stressed that destructive policy of Kishinev crosses all adequate boundaries of the state relations. In August, a law on the creation of a center for strategic communications and the fight against disinformation entered into force in Moldova. The law was allegedly aimed at protecting Moldovan citizens from disinformation and manipulation at the national level. In the same month, 45 employees of the Russian embassy, together with their families, left Moldova in accordance with the decision of the Moldovan Foreign Ministry to reduce the staff of the Russian diplomatic mission. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Expects That Regular Dialog, Contacts With Gabon Be Maintained Sputnik News 20230914 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The military takeover in Gabon should not affect multifaceted ties between Moscow and Libreville, the Russian Foreign Ministry has told Sputnik, adding that Moscow expects that regular dialog and contacts with Gabon be maintained. "The coup in Gabon that took place on August 30 should not affect the constructive content of the multifaceted ties between Moscow and Libreville. We expect that regular political and diplomatic dialogue and contacts be maintained, and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation with this friendly African country be developed," the ministry said. The Russian ministry is interested in the "strengthening of coordination with the new Gabonese leadership on join steps within the United Nations and other multilateral structures." "We are ready to continue our work to identify projects that could give impetus to further development of fruitful cooperation in trade, economy, investments and other areas," the ministry said. The ministry noted that it considers "the Gabonese Republic to be one of our important partners on the African continent" while recalling that "Russia-Gabon relations are traditionally friendly." On August 30, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been in power since 2009, was reelected for a third term after securing 64.2% of the vote. The Gabonese military then ousted him in a coup, declaring the election results canceled and all institutions dissolved. The military has promised it would gradually build transitional institutions, with Gabon fulfilling all its domestic and international obligations. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Imposing Further Sanctions in Response to Russia's Illegal War Against Ukraine US Department of State Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson September 14, 2023 Today the Department of State is designating individuals and entities to impose further costs in response to Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine. All targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, which authorizes sanctions with respect to specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation. CONSTRAINING RUSSIA'S FUTURE ENERGY REVENUE The Department of State is designating 37 entities involved in expanding Russia's energy production and future export capacity and identifying two related vessels as blocked property. These designations include entities and individuals involved in the development of key energy projects and associated infrastructure, including Russia's Arctic LNG 2 liquified natural gas project, as well as entities involved in the procurement of materials and advanced technology for future energy projects for which Russia has historically relied on foreign service companies' expertise and technology. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the architecture sector of the Russian Federation economy: JSC ENERGIES is a Russian architecture company providing architecture services to support the development of the Arctic LNG 2 project. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the engineering sector of the Russian Federation economy: NOVA ENERGIES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY is a Russian engineering company providing engineering services to support the development of the Arctic LNG 2 project. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the construction sector of the Russian Federation economy: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ARCTIC ENERGIES is a Russian construction company providing construction services to support the development of the Arctic LNG 2 project. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the engineering sector of the Russian Federation economy: GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP LLC (GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS) is a newly established engineering company based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS provides engineering services and technology, which were previously provided by European service companies, to Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the marine sector of the Russian Federation economy: ARCTIC TRANSSHIPMENT LIMITED LIABILTY COMPANY (ARCTIC TRANSSHIPMENT) is a Russian ship construction company that will operate two LNG floating storage units to create strategic Northern Sea Route transshipment points for Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project. Pursuant to section 1(a)(iii)(C), the following individual is being designated for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of ARCTIC TRANSSHIPMENT: YURI PAVLOVICH SAFYANOV (SAFYANOV) is the Director General of ARCTIC TRANSSHIPMENT. The following vessels are being identified as blocked property in which ARCTIC TRANSSHIPMENT, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024, has an interest: KORYAK FSU SAAM FSU The Department is designating the following entity pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY CARBON (CARBON) is the parent company of a network of entities involved in the development of an Arctic coking coal deposit. Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following two entities are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, CARBON, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. They are both Russia-based subsidiaries of CARBON: UNITED ARCTIC COMPANY LLC (UNITED ARCTIC COMPANY) LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY RAZREZ POLYARNIY (RAZREZ POLYARNIY) Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following entities are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, UNITED ARCTIC COMPANY, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. They are all Russia-based subsidiaries of UNITED ARCTIC COMPANY: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY RAZREZ LEMBEROVSKIY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY POLYARNAYA GORNO RUDNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ENERGOPROM LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY PYASINSKAYA GORNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DALNEVOSTOCHNAYA GORNO RUDNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY PROMBIZNES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY KRASNOYARSKAYA ENERGETICHESKAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY PUTORANSKAYA GORNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY OZERNAYA ENERGETICHESKAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY SIBIRSKAYA UGOLNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY TAYMYRSKAYA GORNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AMURSKAYA GORNO RUDNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY SEVERNAYA ENERGETICHESKAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY YANSKAYA GORNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY PROMRESHENIE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY POLYARNAYA ENERGETICHESKAYA KOMPANIYA LLC VU DIKSON LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY POLYARNAYA ENERGETICHESKAYA KOMPANIYA Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following two entities are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, VU DIKSON, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. They are both Russia-based subsidiaries of VU DIKSON: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ARKTIK LOGISTIK LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY TAYMYRSKIE RESURSY The Department is designating the following entity pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy: LLC RUSSIAN ENERGY GROUP (RUSSIAN ENERGY GROUP) manages a network of entities providing coking coal primarily for PUBLIC JOINT STOCK COMPANY SEVERSTAL, a U.S.-designated company. Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following two entities are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, RUSSIAN ENERGY GROUP, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. They are both Russia-based subsidiaries of RUSSIAN ENERGY GROUP: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY VORKUTA MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ARCTICGEO The Department is designating the following entity pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy: JSC VORKUTAUGOL (VORKUTAUGOL) is the parent company of a network of entities providing coking coal primarily for PUBLIC JOINT STOCK COMPANY SEVERSTAL, a U.S.-designated company. Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following five entities are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, VORKUTAUGOL, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. They are all Russia-based subsidiaries of VORKUTAUGOL: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY SEVERNAYA ALMAZNAYA KOMPANIYA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY UPTS VORKUTA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY MV LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ENTRAR LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ZHEMCHUZHINA ARKTIKI TARGETING RUSSIA'S METALS AND MINING SECTOR The Department is designating the following entities pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy: JOINT STOCK COMPANY RUSSIAN COPPER COMPANY (RCC) is the third largest copper producer in Russia. RCC has also been previously designated by the UK. is the third largest copper producer in Russia. RCC has also been previously designated by the UK. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY REDMETKONTSENTRAT is a Moscow-based company that focuses on the wholesale trade of metals and specializes in the processing of concentrates of titanium-zirconium sands. is a Moscow-based company that focuses on the wholesale trade of metals and specializes in the processing of concentrates of titanium-zirconium sands. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY NERUDNAYA KOMPANIYA is a Belgorod, Russia-based company that focuses on the wholesale trade of metals. is a Belgorod, Russia-based company that focuses on the wholesale trade of metals. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY TREIDKOM is a Belgorod, Russia-based company that focuses on the wholesale trade of metals. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following individual is being designated for operating or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy: IGOR ALEKSEEVICH ALTUSHKIN is the founder and a member of the board of the directors of RCC. Altushkin has also been previously designated by the UK. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the financial services sector the Russian Federation economy: INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY RUSSIAN COPPER COMPANY LIMITED is a holding company of RCC. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector the Russian Federation economy: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY RCC TRADING is a metals trading subsidiary of RCC. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy: LLC ARMZ MINING MACHINES manufactures high-tech underground mining equipment used within the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation. ADDRESSING RUSSIA'S MALIGN INFLUENCE IN GEORGIA The Department is also designating a Georgian-Russian oligarch and a Russian Intelligence Services officer to further address the Russian Federation's malign influence abroad. OTAR ANZOROVICH PARTSKHALADZE (PARTSKHALADZE) is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. PARTSKHALADZE is a Georgian-Russian oligarch. is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. PARTSKHALADZE is a Georgian-Russian oligarch. ALEKSANDR VLADIMIROVICH ONISHCHENKO (ONISHCHENKO) is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(iii)(A) for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation. ONISHCHENKO is an officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). FSB Officer ONISHCHENKO likely assisted his associate PARTSKHALADZE in obtaining a Russian passport and possibly Russian citizenship. PARTSKHALADZE has fully taken on a Russian identity and routinely travels to Russia. ONISHCHENKO and the FSB have leveraged PARTSKHALADZE to influence Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia. PARTSKHALADZE has reportedly personally profited from his FSB connection. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following two entities are being designated for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. They are both Russia-based management consulting companies owned 50 percent by PARTSKHALADZE: LLC MOSCOW BUSINESS BROKERAGE LLC INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CORPORATION TURKIYE-BASED COMPANIES PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT AND SUPPORTING RUSSIAN SANCTIONS EVASION The Department is designating two Turkiye-based entities pursuant to section 1(a)(vi)(B) for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. Services included the provision of dry dock, ship repair, and ship agency services to vessels that have been blocked as property of entities operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. As part of this action, the Department is also designating one Turkish national pursuant to section 1(a)(iii)(C). Pursuant to section 1(a)(vi)(B), the following entity is being designated for being an entity that has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, JOINT STOCK COMPANY NORTHERN SHIPPING COMPANY (JSC NORTHERN SHIPPING COMPANY), an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024: DENKAR SHIP CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED COMPANY is a Turkiye-based ship repair company that has materially assisted JSC NORTHERN SHIPPING COMPANY by providing ship repair services to three of its blocked vessels: INZHENER TRUBIN, INZHENER VESHNYAKOV, and KAPTAN KOKOVIN. JSC NORTHERN SHIPPING COMPANY is a Russian Ministry of Defense-affiliated company that was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. Pursuant to section 1(a)(vi)(B), the following entity is being designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, NORD PROJECT LLC TRANSPORT COMPANY, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024: ID SHIP AGENCY TRADE LIMITED COMPANY (ID SHIPPING) is a Turkiye-based shipyard agency that has materially assisted NORD PROJECT LLC TRANSPORT COMPANY by arranging ship repair services for one of its blocked vessels, ENISEY. NORD PROJECT LLC TRANSPORT COMPANY was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. Pursuant to section 1(a)(iii)(C), the following individual is being designated for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of ID SHIPPING: ILKER DOGRUYOL, a Turkish national, is the founder, director, and owner of ID SHIPPING. Additionally, the Department is designating four entities, including one Turkiye-based company, involved in the procurement of Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)-identified high priority electronic components of U.S.- and European-origin for end-users based in Russia. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the transportation sector the Russian Federation economy: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY LOGISTIC INTERNATIONAL SERVIS (LIS LLC) is a Russian customs and logistics company that procures Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)-identified high priority electronic components of U.S.- and European-origin from CTL LIMITED, an intermediary company based in Turkiye. Pursuant to section 1(a)(vi)(B), the following entity is being designated for being an entity that has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, LIS LLC, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024: CTL DIS TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI (CTL LIMITED) is a Turkiye-based intermediary that ships BIS-identified high priority electronic components of U.S.- and European-origin to affiliate companies located in Russia. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following two entities are being designated for operating or having operated in the transportation sector the Russian Federation economy: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY SKAY17 is a Russian customs and logistics company involved in the CTL LIMITED procurement network. is a Russian customs and logistics company involved in the CTL LIMITED procurement network. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY LIS GRUPP is a Russian customs and logistics company involved in the CTL LIMITED procurement network. EXPOSING RUSSIA-DPRK ARMS TRANSFER VIA WAGNER GROUP The Department is designating Pavel Pavlovich Shevelin, an individual affiliated with the paramilitary Wagner Group who has been involved in facilitating the shipment of munitions from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the Russian Federation. This designation follows the Department's July 20, 2023 designation of two other individuals, Valeriy Yevgenyevich Chekalov and Yong Hyok Rim, involved in transferring munitions from the DPRK to the Russian Federation for use by the Wagner Group. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), PAVEL PAVLOVICH SHEVELIN is being designated for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. DEGRADING RUSSIA'S WEAPONS REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE FACILITIES The Department is designating numerous defense entities that provide repair and maintenance services to the Russian defense sector to support its unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine. These designations reaffirm our efforts to degrade Russia's ability to replenish its sustained battlefield losses of aircraft, tanks, armored vehicles, munitions, and other weapons systems. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following eleven entities are being designated for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy: JOINT STOCK COMPANY RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION ASSOCIATION NOVATOR develops and produces cruise missiles, including the Kalibr cruise missile used by Russian forces against cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. develops and produces cruise missiles, including the Kalibr cruise missile used by Russian forces against cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. JOINT STOCK COMPANY 419 AIRCRAFT REPAIR PLANT provides repair and maintenance services for Mi-8/17 military-transport helicopters, Mi-24 combat helicopters, and other naval helicopters. provides repair and maintenance services for Mi-8/17 military-transport helicopters, Mi-24 combat helicopters, and other naval helicopters. JOINT STOCK COMPANY DUBNENSKY MACHINE BUILDING PLANT NAMED AFTER NP FEDOROV develops and maintains Orion reconnaissance and strike drones, as well as maritime drones for the Russian armed forces. develops and maintains Orion reconnaissance and strike drones, as well as maritime drones for the Russian armed forces. LLC CHELYABINSK TRACTOR PLANT URALTRAK manufactures engines and weapons for heavy armored vehicles. manufactures engines and weapons for heavy armored vehicles. OPEN JOINT STOCK COMPANY MUROMTEPLOVOZ produces and repairs armored vehicles. produces and repairs armored vehicles. 61ST ARMORED VEHICLE REPAIR PLANT JOINT STOCK COMPANY repairs tanks and armored vehicles. repairs tanks and armored vehicles. 71st AUTOMOTIVE AND ARMORED VEHICLE REPAIR PLANT FEDERAL STATE OWNED INSTITUTION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION MINISTRY OF DEFENSE repairs tanks and armored vehicles. repairs tanks and armored vehicles. 72nd AUTOMOTIVE AND ARMORED VEHICLE REPAIR PLANT FEDERAL STATE OWNED INSTITUTION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION MINISTRY OF DEFENSE repairs tanks and armored vehicles. repairs tanks and armored vehicles. JOINT STOCK COMPANY 144 ARMORED REPAIR PLANT repairs tanks and armored vehicles. repairs tanks and armored vehicles. JSC 560 ARMORED REPAIR PLANT repairs tanks and armored vehicles. repairs tanks and armored vehicles. JSC OMSK TRANSPORT MACHINE FACTORY OMSKTRANSMASH produces and repairs tanks and armored vehicles. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following two entities are being designated for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy: PUBLIC JOINT STOCK COMPANY ODK SATURN is a major producer of gas-turbine engines for civilian and military aircraft. is a major producer of gas-turbine engines for civilian and military aircraft. JOINT STOCK COMPANY OMSK PLANT OF CIVIL AVIATION provides repair and maintenance services for civilian and military helicopters, including the Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters used by Russian forces in Ukraine. UNDERMINING RUSSIA'S DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE AND TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT The Department is designating a defense entity and procurement company working to acquire goods in support of Russia's war effort and one individual who leads a major arms producer. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i), the following entity is being designated for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy: SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL COMPANY DIPAUL PRIVATE JOINT STOCK COMPANY supports advanced technology used by the Russian defense industry and supplied to the Russian armed forces. Pursuant to section 1(a)(iii)(A), the following individual is being designated for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation; section 1(a)(iii)(C) for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of NPK TEKHMASH OAO, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024; and section 1(a)(vii) for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation and having acted or purported to act on for or behalf of, directly or indirectly, NPK TEKHMASH OAO, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. ALEKSANDER VIKTOROVICH KOCHKIN is the CEO of the state-owned firm NPK TEKHMASH OAO, a major producer of arms and ammunition for the Russian armed forces. Sanctions Implications As a result of today's action, and in accordance with E.O. 14024, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, all individuals or entities that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. For more information on E.O. 14024, see full text. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With Wide-Ranging New Sanctions, Treasury Targets Russian Military-Linked Elites and Industrial Base U.S. Department of the Treasury September 14, 2023 WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing nearly 100 sanctions on Russian elites and Russia's industrial base, financial institutions, and technology suppliers as the United States continues to leverage sanctions and economic restrictions to undermine Russia's capacity to wage its war against Ukraine. The Department of State also designated more than 70 persons. Today's sanctions focus on persons benefiting from, supporting, and sustaining Russia's brutal war of choice against Ukraine. "With today's sanctions, the United States is continuing our relentless work to target Russia's military supply chains and deprive Putin of the equipment, technology, and services he needs to wage his barbaric war on Ukraine," said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen. "We have also made clear that those individuals and entities who profit from invasion and their proximity to the Kremlin will be held accountable, and today's actions show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putin's oligarchs." IMPOSING COSTS ON RUSSIA'S WAR PROFITEERS On August 11, 2023, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo said that "wealthy Russian elites should disabuse themselves of the notion that they can operate business as usual while the Kremlin wages war against the Ukrainian people." Today, OFAC continues its efforts to target Russian elites and firms that benefit from their ties to Russia's defense sector, military-industrial complex, and affiliation with the Kremlin. Today, OFAC designated Russian oligarch Andrei Removich Bokarev (Bokarev), Bokarev's wife Olga Vladimirovna Syrovatskaya (Syrovatskaya), and major Russian rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding JSC (Transmash). Bokarev served as President of Transmash and owns or serves on the board of other Russia-based rail-related manufacturing firms. Bokarev is also a board member of the U.S.-designated Russian Association of Employers the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP). In addition, Bokarev has personal ties to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior Kremlin officials and their families. Bokarev is also linked to organized crime and since 2022 has sought to evade sanctions. Since 2022, Bokarev has worked with assorted Trust and Corporate Service Providers to create shell companies, behavior that can be associated with money laundering. Bokarev has also been sanctioned by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (UK). In 2022, Russian officials engaged Transmash to produce parts for infantry combat vehicles. The U.S. Department of State designated Transmash subsidiary Metrovagonmash Joint Stock Company on May 19, 2023 pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 and noted its involvement in the production of military equipment, including chassis affixed to Russian surface-to-air radar, weapons systems, and multiple variants of armored tracked vehicles. Bokarev and Transmash were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the manufacturing sector of the Russian Federation economy. Bokarev was also designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the RSPP, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. Syrovatskaya was designated pursuant to E.O 14024 for being a spouse or adult child of Bokarev. OFAC also designated Bokarev's business partner and fellow tycoon Iskandar Kakhramonovich Makhmudov (Makhmudov) and Makhmudov's son Dzhakhangir Iskandarovich Makhmudov (Dzhakhangir). Makhmudov, who founded and owned U.S.-designated Joint Stock Company Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC), owns or sits on the board of other Russia-based metals and mining companies, and owns several Russia-based financial services entities. Makhmudov also has links to Russian organized crime. Dzhakhangir is a UMMC official and previously worked for a zinc plant in Russia. Makhmudov has also been sanctioned by New Zealand and the UK. Makhmudov and Dzhakhangir were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy. Makhmudov was also designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. Open Joint Stock Company Aero Engine Scientific and Technical Complex Soyuz (Soyuz) is a Russia-based business involved in Russia's military aerospace industry, including building engines for cruise missiles and military transport aircraft. Open Joint Stock Company Balashikhinskiy Liteyno Mekhanicheskiy Zavod (Balashikha) is a Russia-based company involved in the manufacture, development, production, testing, and repair of aviation equipment. Russia's Ministry of Defense is a main consumer of Balashikha's products. Soyuz and Balashikha were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. Russian national Mkrtich Okroevich Okroyan (Mkrtich) is the Soyuz chief designer and a member of Balashikha's board of directors. Mkrtich's wife is Alla Fedorovna Baban (Baban). Mkrtich's children, Anna Mkrtichevna Okroyan (Anna) and Andranik Mkrtichovich Okroyan (Andranik), are members of the Soyuz board of directors, along with Mkrtich's brother, Arutyun Okroevich Okroyan (Arutyun). Mkrtich was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Soyuz and Balashikha as well as for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. Baban was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being a spouse or adult child of Mkrtich. Anna and Andranik were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being spouses or adult children of Mkrtich as well as for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. Arutyun was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. Aleksei Yurievich Krivoruchko (Krivoruchko) has served as a Russian Deputy Defense Minister since 2018. Krivoruchko, a former CEO of U.S.-designated Joint Stock Company Concern Kalashnikov, was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13661 for being an official of the Government of the Russian Federation and pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. Krivoruchko is also sanctioned by Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), Japan, New Zealand, and the UK. Krivoruchko was designated today pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation. OFAC also designated Krivoruchko's wife, Ekaterina Vladimirovna Krivoruchko (Ekaterina). Ekaterina was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being a spouse or adult child of Krivoruchko. OFAC also designated additional Russia-based entities that directly contribute to Russia's war against Ukraine by virtue of their production of military materiel: Joint Stock Company Gavrilov Yam Machine Building Plant Agat (Agat) manufactures aircraft engines, including engines for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Joint Stock Company Star (JSC Star), which is part of U.S.-designated, Russian state-owned defense conglomerate State Corporation Rostec (Rostec), develops and manufactures aircraft engines. Rostec was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 and is subject to Directive 3 under E.O. 13662. Joint Stock Company Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (NIMI) is a producer of weapons and ammunition for government weapons programs. Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Ulyanovskii Patronnyi Zavod (Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works) is an ammunition manufacturer. Agat and JSC Star were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the manufacturing sector of the Russian Federation economy. NIMI and Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. DISRUPTING RUSSIA'S TECHNOLOGY SUPPLY CHAINS The combined efforts of the United States, alongside our Allies and partners, continue to limit Russia's ability to acquire, develop, and maintain technology needed by its war machine. Today's actions continue OFAC's sustained efforts to target individuals and entities that enableaor attempt to enableaRussia's ability to procure high-tech and dual-use goods. Siberica and Luminor Network Today, OFAC is designating a Finland-based network that specializes in shipping foreign electronics to Russia-based end-users. Finland-based logistics firms Siberica Oy (Siberica) and Luminor Oy (Luminor) have sent a wide variety of electronics into Russia, including UAV cameras, high-performance optical filters, and lithium batteries. French national Gabriel Temin is Siberica's owner, managing director, and a member of Siberica's board of directors and Estonian national Catherine Esther Temin is a deputy board member of Siberica. OFAC's action was the result of close and ongoing collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Atlanta Field Division. Siberica, Luminor, and Gabriel Temin were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy. Luminor was also designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Gabriel Temin. Gabriel Temin and Catherine Esther Temin were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been leaders, officials, senior executive officers, or members of the board of directors of Siberica. The following Russia-based entities were importing directly from Luminor: Flytechgroup Limited Liability Company (Flytechgroup) is a Russia-based supplier of products and materials for aviation, technical, and industrial purposes for airlines, railway transport, and enterprises of Russia's military-industrial complex. Flytechgroup was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. (Flytechgroup) is a Russia-based supplier of products and materials for aviation, technical, and industrial purposes for airlines, railway transport, and enterprises of Russia's military-industrial complex. Flytechgroup was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. OOO NPK Fotonika Limited Liability Company (NPK Fotonika)is a Russia-based company specializing in development of digital optical systems, with clients in the defense, mining, and railway sectors. NPK Fotonika was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy. (NPK Fotonika)is a Russia-based company specializing in development of digital optical systems, with clients in the defense, mining, and railway sectors. NPK Fotonika was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy. Globaltrans Limited (Globaltrans) and Limited Liability Company Aservice (Aservice) are Russia-based companies offering freight transportation services. Globaltrans and Aservice were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy. (Globaltrans) and (Aservice) are Russia-based companies offering freight transportation services. Globaltrans and Aservice were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy. OOO Mayak (Mayak) is a Russia-based wholesaler of computers, software, machinery, and industrial equipment. Mayak was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy. TArkiye-based Companies Russia continues to rely on third-country entities to keep importing much-needed dual-use goods to enable its unprovoked war of aggression on Ukraine. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has repeatedly raised the issue of the shipment or transshipment of dual-use goods to Russia with the Government of TArkiye and the Turkish private sector. Today, OFAC is targeting two entities based in TArkiye. Margiana Insaat Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Margiana) has made hundreds of shipments to Russia-based entities Limited Liability Company SMT-iLogic (SMT-iLogic) and Saturn EK OOO (Saturn EK), which were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 on May 19, 2023 and July 20, 2023, respectively. SMT-iLogic is known to be involved in the supply chain for producing Russian military UAVs used in Russia's war against Ukraine. Margiana's shipments to SMT-iLogic and Saturn EK have included High Priority Items of the kind recovered in multiple Russian weapons systems used against Ukraine, including the Kalibr cruise missile, the Kh-101 cruise missile, and the Orlan-10 UAV. Margiana was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, SMT-iLogic and Saturn EK, persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. Demirci Bilisim Ticaret Sanayi Limited Sirketi (Demirci), founded in March 2022, has sent sensors and measuring tools into Russia. Demirci was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy. AK Microtech-Related Persons On July 20, 2023, OFAC designated Russia-based entity Limited Liability Company AK Microtech (AKM) pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy. AKM specializes in transferring foreign semiconductor technology to Russian microelectronics production companies, including entities that provide microelectronics to the Russian defense industry. Today, OFAC designated AKM's owner and director, Russian national Andrei Rostislavovich Khokhlun (Khokhlun), as well as two companies owned by Khokhlun: Russia-based Limited Liability Company Keko R (Keko R) and Slovenia-based Arktec Tehnologije na Podrocju Elektronike doo (Arktec). Khokhlun was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy. Keko R and Arktec were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Khokhlun. Russian Electronics and Technology Companies The following Russia-based entities were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy: OOO Enkor Grupp is a manufacturer of diodes, transistors, and other semiconductor devices. is a manufacturer of diodes, transistors, and other semiconductor devices. Nauchno Proizvodstvennoe Predpiyatie Itelma is a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of electronic solutions for vehicles as well as a prolific importer of dual-use microchips. is a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of electronic solutions for vehicles as well as a prolific importer of dual-use microchips. OOO Makro Grupp is a provider of electronic components to Russia's aerospace and aviation sectors. is a provider of electronic components to Russia's aerospace and aviation sectors. Limited Liability Company Streloi is a wholesaler of electronic equipment and parts. is a wholesaler of electronic equipment and parts. Vertikal Limited (Vertikal) is a wholesaler of electronic equipment, computers, software, and measuring instruments. Ilya Andreevich Buzin (Buzin) is the General Director of Vertikal. Buzin was also designated pursuant E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Vertikal. (Vertikal) is a wholesaler of electronic equipment, computers, software, and measuring instruments. (Buzin) is the General Director of Vertikal. Buzin was also designated pursuant E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Vertikal. OOO VMK (VMK) is a supplier of electronic products, including circuit boards, wires, connectors, and microchips. VMK, one of the largest Russian importers of dual-use microchips, supplies electronics to U.S.-designated Joint Stock Company Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies, a subsidiary of Rostec that develops electronic warfare systems for the Russian military. The following Russia-based entities were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy: OOO Aiti Tsentr is a wholesaler of electronics, computers, and software. is a wholesaler of electronics, computers, and software. Limited Liability Company Baltinfokom manufactures computer equipment, cloud storage processing systems, and specialized software. manufactures computer equipment, cloud storage processing systems, and specialized software. OOO Bitteriya supplies IT equipment and software. supplies IT equipment and software. Eastern Trade Limited Liability Company manufactures computers, data storage device, and information security equipment. manufactures computers, data storage device, and information security equipment. Joint Stock Company Echelon Union for Science and Development is a systems integrator in the field of information security and is licensed by the U.S.-designated Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) as well as the Federal Service on Technical and Export Control of Russia and the Russian Ministry of Defense. is a systems integrator in the field of information security and is licensed by the U.S.-designated Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) as well as the Federal Service on Technical and Export Control of Russia and the Russian Ministry of Defense. Limited Liability Company Inforion is a systems integrator that provides services and solutions in the areas of information security, import substitution, research and design of microelectronics, IT and management consulting, big data, and reverse engineering of software and hardware. is a systems integrator that provides services and solutions in the areas of information security, import substitution, research and design of microelectronics, IT and management consulting, big data, and reverse engineering of software and hardware. Obshchestvos Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Inforser Inzhiniring is an information technology company that provides digital transformation services and that designs and constructs specialized facilities. is an information technology company that provides digital transformation services and that designs and constructs specialized facilities. Intech Engineering LTD is a wholesaler of computers and software. is a wholesaler of computers and software. Joint Stock Company Kraftway Corporation PLS (Kraftway) develops information security software and hardware systems. On December 8, 2022, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security added Kraftway to the Entity List for Kraftway's significant contributions to or their involvement in the Russian military and/or the defense industrial base. (Kraftway) develops information security software and hardware systems. On December 8, 2022, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security added Kraftway to the Entity List for Kraftway's significant contributions to or their involvement in the Russian military and/or the defense industrial base. Limited Liability Company Kvarta VK is an information technology systems integration company that provides custom computer programming services. is an information technology systems integration company that provides custom computer programming services. OOO Lanprint is an IT company specializing in the wholesale of computers, office equipment, processors, servers, network equipment, and microelectronics. is an IT company specializing in the wholesale of computers, office equipment, processors, servers, network equipment, and microelectronics. OOO Novyi Ai Ti Proekt is a manufacturer of computers, memory devices, and information security equipment. is a manufacturer of computers, memory devices, and information security equipment. Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Pluton is a research and production complex engaged in the development and production of modern electrovacuum devices, including with military applications. is a research and production complex engaged in the development and production of modern electrovacuum devices, including with military applications. Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rostov on Don Research Institute of Radio Communications 's (RNIIRS) business includes security and IT systems and hardware and software solutions. RNIIRS is also involved in the production of military UAVs. 's (RNIIRS) business includes security and IT systems and hardware and software solutions. RNIIRS is also involved in the production of military UAVs. Joint Stock Company Signaltek produces network security and satellite equipment. produces network security and satellite equipment. Silkway Limited Liability Company is wholesaler of computers, software, machinery, and IT equipment. is wholesaler of computers, software, machinery, and IT equipment. OOO Solar Sekyuriti (Solar Security) provides threat analysis and intrusion prevention and builds and operates cybersecurity systems. Solar Security holds a license from the FSB for the development, production, and distribution of encryption services. (Solar Security) provides threat analysis and intrusion prevention and builds and operates cybersecurity systems. Solar Security holds a license from the FSB for the development, production, and distribution of encryption services. Limited Liability Company Status Complains provides computer system design services. provides computer system design services. Svetlana Rost Joint Stock Company (Svetlana Rost) is a full-cycle semiconductor enterprise. Svetlana Rost has a Russia-based subsidiary, Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Rost Progress (Rost Progress). Rost Progress was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Svetlana Rost. (Svetlana Rost) is a full-cycle semiconductor enterprise. Svetlana Rost has a Russia-based subsidiary, (Rost Progress). Rost Progress was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Svetlana Rost. Joint Stock Company Special Economic Zone Technopolis Moscow (Technopolis Moscow) manages a special economic zone that fosters the development of high-tech companies and specializes in micro- and nanoelectronics and robotics. Technopolis Moscow is home to an industrial park that will host companies producing UAVs. (Technopolis Moscow) manages a special economic zone that fosters the development of high-tech companies and specializes in micro- and nanoelectronics and robotics. Technopolis Moscow is home to an industrial park that will host companies producing UAVs. OOO Trialkom is a wholesaler of electronics, computers, and software. is a wholesaler of electronics, computers, and software. Limited Liability Company Tribit provides digital hardware design, consulting, and software development services. provides digital hardware design, consulting, and software development services. OOO Vneshekostil is one of the largest importers of dual-use chips into Russia. Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Taskom is a Russia-based company involved in freight transport by road and transportation services, and the storage of goods. Taskom was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy. TARGETING RUSSIA'S INDUSTRIAL BASE AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR On May 19, 2023, G7 Leaders committed to target those operating in Russia's manufacturing and construction sectors. Today, OFAC underscores that commitment by sanctioning a number of leading Russian manufacturing and construction firms. The following Russia-based entities were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the manufacturing sector of the Russian Federation economy: Joint Stock Company Avtovaz is an automotive manufacturer. is an automotive manufacturer. Gaz Group is an automotive manufacturer. Gaz Group was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13661 and E.O. 13662 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska and Russian Machines, persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13661 and E.O. 13662. Gaz Group is also sanctioned by Japan. is an automotive manufacturer. Gaz Group was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13661 and E.O. 13662 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska and Russian Machines, persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13661 and E.O. 13662. Gaz Group is also sanctioned by Japan. Joint Stock Company HMS Group manufactures industrial pumps and compressors. manufactures industrial pumps and compressors. Kirovsky Zavod Public Joint Stock Company produces machinery and steel products for a variety of industries. produces machinery and steel products for a variety of industries. Kriogenmash OAO (Kriogenmash) manufactures equipment for producing, processing, transporting, and storing industrial gases. Kriogenmash is also subject to Directive 1 under E.O. 13662. (Kriogenmash) manufactures equipment for producing, processing, transporting, and storing industrial gases. Kriogenmash is also subject to Directive 1 under E.O. 13662. Joint Stock Company Moscow Automotive Factory Moskvich is an automotive manufacturer. is an automotive manufacturer. JSC Power Machines (PowerMachines) is a manufacturer of turbines and electrical equipment for power plants and industry. Power Machines was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13685 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to OAO Technopromexport and Technopromexport LLC, persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13685. Power Machines is also sanctioned by Canada. (PowerMachines) is a manufacturer of turbines and electrical equipment for power plants and industry. Power Machines was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13685 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to OAO Technopromexport and Technopromexport LLC, persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13685. Power Machines is also sanctioned by Canada. Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Sollers is an automotive manufacturer. is an automotive manufacturer. Limited Liability Company Machine Building Plant Tonar is an automotive manufacturer. is an automotive manufacturer. Joint Stock Company United Metallurgical Company (OMK) is a manufacturer of steel pipes and other steel products. OMK is also sanctioned by the UK. (OMK) is a manufacturer of steel pipes and other steel products. OMK is also sanctioned by the UK. Open Joint Stock Company Tikhoretsk Machine Construction Plant V.V. Vorovsky manufactures railway machinery. The following Russia-based entities were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the construction sector of the Russian Federation economy: Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Mosinzhproekt is a civil engineering and construction company active in construction projects located in Moscow. is a civil engineering and construction company active in construction projects located in Moscow. Russian Highways State Company is a construction and engineering company primarily involved in the construction of motorways and related infrastructure. is a construction and engineering company primarily involved in the construction of motorways and related infrastructure. Transstroimekhanizatsiya Limited Liability Company is a construction company involved in industrial and transportation construction projects. FURTHER LIMITING RUSSIA'S REVENUE FROM EXTRACTIVES AND FUTURE EXTRACTIVES CAPABILITIES Today's action also cuts into Russia's revenue streams from extractive industries, including targeting entities that will contribute to Russia's future energy revenues. Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo BashVzryvTekhnologii (BVT) is a Russia-based company that manufactures perforation systems and detonation equipment for oil and gas exploration. BVT was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the manufacturing sector of the Russian Federation economy. Limited Liability Company Gazprom Nedra (Gazprom Nedra) is a Russia-based company that provides engineering services for oil and gas exploration. Gazprom Nedra was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the engineering sector of the Russian Federation economy. Joint Stock Company Gazstroyprom (Gazstroyprom) and Velesstroi Limited Liability Company (Velesstroi) are Russia-based construction companies involved in energy-related construction projects. Gazstroyprom and Velesstroi were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the construction sector of the Russian Federation economy. JSC AGD Diamonds (AGD Diamonds) is a Russia-based company involved in the prospecting, exploration, production, mining, and the processing of minerals. Grib Diamonds is AGD Diamonds' Belgium-based subsidiary. AGD Diamonds was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating in or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy. Grib Diamonds was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, AGD Diamonds. On June 27, 2023, six agencies of the U.S. government issued a business risk advisory related to the sub-Saharan African gold sector, which discussed, among other things, concerns related to Wagner's exploitation and profiteering from gold in Mali and other countries. Vitalij Victorovich Perfilev (Perfilev), a Russian national, is a Wagner Group official in CAR serving as the national security advisor to the CAR President. Perfilev has been responsible for drafting communiques to the CAR armed forces senior leadership regarding rebel forces' activities. The European Union also sanctioned Perfilev in June 2023. OFAC designated Perfilev pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Wagner Group, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked under E.O.14024. CURTAILING RUSSIA'S ACCESS TO THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM To continue restricting Russia's ability to benefit from connections to the international financial system, OFAC is designating two more Russia-based banks as well as several Russia-based wealth management consulting, auditing, and investment firms. Joint Stock Commercial Bank Ak Bars Public Joint Stock Company (Ak Bars Bank) is a commercial financial institution located in Kazan, Russia. Obshchestvo s Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Kommercheski Bank Sinko Bank (Sinko Bank)is a regional bank located in Moscow, Russia. Ak Bars Bank and Sinko Bank were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. Katarzyna Ewa Pawlowska Hanafin (Pawlowska), a Polish national, is the chief operating officer of Huriya Private FZE LLE (Huriya) and the wife of U.S.-designated John Desmond Hanafin (Hanafin), the chief executive officer of Huriya. Huriya and Hanafin were designated on May 19, 2023 pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russinn Federation economy. Hanafin was also designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Huriya. Huriya is a private equity and corporate structuring entity heavily involved in moving Russian finance into and through the UAE financial sector, and money laundering. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Huriya began working quickly to move Russian assets into structures protecting them from sanctions. Huriya also helped high-net-worth Russian nationals procure non-Russian passports under assumed names to avoid financial scrutiny and sanctions. Pawlowska was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy; for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Huriya, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024; and for being a spouse or adult child of Hanafin. Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu A1 (A1) isa Russia-based investment company involved in asset management, debt collection, and bankruptcy services, and Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Investitsionnaya Kompaniya A1 (Investment Company A1) is a Russia-based investment company involved in asset management and credit provisioning. A1 and Investment Company A1 are investment businesses of Alfa Group, a Russia-based entity connected to U.S.-designated individuals Petr Olegovich Aven, Mikhail Maratovich Fridman, German Borisovich Khan, and Alexey Viktorovich Kuzmichev. A1 and Investment Company A1 were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. KSK Group (KSK)is a Russia-based business consulting company that provides clients a variety of financial services. OOO KSK Audit is a Russia-based company offering consulting services for financial audits, accounting, taxes, and commercial management. Russian national Aleksey Sergeyevich Chubarov (Chubarov)is the Head of International Structuring at KSK. KSK and Chubarov were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. OOO KSK Audit was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the accounting sector of the Russian Federation economy. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the persons above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here. For identifying information on the individuals and entities sanctioned today, click here. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Targets 150 Entities With New Russia Sanctions By VOA News September 14, 2023 The U.S. on Thursday sanctioned more than 150 businesses and individuals in Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to try to crack down on evasion of trade restrictions aimed at blocking funding for Russia's 19-month war against Ukraine. The newest sanctions package is one of the biggest imposed by the State Department and the U.S. Treasury. It targets those who are selling Western technology to Moscow to aid its war effort, particularly businesses and people in Turkey, a member of the Western military pact that is allied in support of Ukraine. The sanctions, which block any assets the businesses and individuals might have in the U.S., are also aimed at hobbling the development of Russia's energy sector that provides war funding, including Arctic natural gas projects, along with mining and factories producing and repairing Russian weapons. In addition, the U.S. package targets several Turkish and Russian companies that the State Department says help Moscow source U.S. and European electronic components a such as computer chips and processors a that can be used in civilian and military equipment. The State Department also is targeting Turkish companies that have provided ship repair services to a company affiliated with Russia's Defense Ministry. Before the war, James O'Brien of the State Department's sanctions coordination office said that Russia imported up to 90% of its electronics from countries that are part of the Group of 7 wealthy democracies, but sanctions have dropped that figure closer to 30%. On the battlefield, Ukraine's military said it shot down 17 of the 22 drones that Russia used to target multiple areas of Ukraine in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian military said Russia launched several waves of attacks directed at the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said wreckage from one of three drones downed over the region damaged buildings and cars and started a grass fire. Lysak said Russian shelling also struck the region, but that there were no casualties reported. Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down multiple Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia early Thursday. Russia also said it repelled an attack on a patrol ship in the Black Sea, with Russian forces destroying five unmanned boats. Over Russian-controlled Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram it destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones. That came a day after a Ukrainian missile hit a strategic shipyard in Crimea, wounding 24 people and damaging two ships that were undergoing repairs. Some information in this article came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi king, crown prince receive separate letters from Iran's president Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 2:34 PM Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have separately received letters from Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, which underscored the development of bilateral relations between Tehran and Riyadh in various sectors. According to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the letters were received on behalf of Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan by his deputy Walid bin Abdul Karim al-Khereij during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to the king Ali Reza Enayati. The report said Khereij wished success for Enayati in his mission. The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that their meeting addressed the means to enhance bilateral ties in a way that serves common interests. The statement said Director of the General Department of Asian Countries at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammed al-Matrafi attended the meeting. Back in March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed under a Chinese-brokered deal to revive diplomatic relations severed in 2016. Iran officially reopened its embassy in Riyadh in June, followed by its consulate in Jeddah and its representative office with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad have also resumed operations. Earlier this week, Iran's ambassador to Riyadh said the Islamic Republic is determined to boost its bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia. Speaking in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Enayati said "I want to put emphasis on what President Ebrahim Raeisi assigned to me when I met him, which is to employ all efforts" to strengthen the friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Riyadh. The diplomat said Iran views Saudi Arabia as a "strategic partner of great importance within the framework of its good neighborliness policy." Enayati said "a promising future" is looming as the two countries are keen to expand bilateral ties. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli airstrike on Syria's west coast kills two soldiers, Syria air defense systems intercept most of missiles Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 6:26 AM Israel has launched new airstrikes against Syria's west coast, near the ancestral home region of President Bashar al-Assad, killing two Syrian soldiers and leaving six others injured. Syria's official news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military source as saying that the Israeli strike hit air defense units in the coastal city of Tartous on Wednesday. "At exactly 17:22 [1422 GMT] this afternoon, the Israeli enemy carried out strikes ... from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea targeting some of our air defense sites in Tartous," the news agency reported. "The aggression led to the death of two soldiers, and wounded six others," it added. A security official told the Arabic-language Sputnik network that this was an "Israeli attack against several targets in the Tartous region. Several fighter jets fired missiles. Syrian air defense systems managed to intercept some of them." Syrian air defense systems were activated in response to the alleged attack, and most of the missiles launched in the attack were intercepted, Israeli media reported, according to the Jerusalem Post. The strikes were close to the Russian Navy's only Mediterranean base in Tartous where Russian warships are docked, while Moscow's major Hmeimim Air Base is also in nearby Latakia province. Meanwhile, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that later in the evening, Israeli aircraft again targeted Syria, targeting the scientific research center in the mountains of the village of Taqsis, in the province of Hama, where explosions were heard. The UK-based group reported no casualties. Israel has frequently attacked the positions of Syria's military and its allies since 2011, when the Arab country found itself in the grip of rampant foreign-backed violence and terrorism. The regime's attacks mostly target the positions of Syria's allies that have been aiding the country in its battle against foreign-sponsored terror groups. Damascus has repeatedly complained to the United Nations over the Israeli assaults, urging the world body's Security Council to take action against Tel Aviv's crimes. Its demands, however, have fallen on deaf ears. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ko Wen-je reiterates China policy based on 'deterrence & communication' ROC Central News Agency 09/14/2023 09:13 PM Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (Ya) said Taiwan has no choice but to maintain the cross-strait status quo, and as such, must prioritize "deterrence and communication" in its approach to Beijing. In a Bloomberg TV interview that aired on Thursday, Ko said that for the time being, maintaining the cross-strait status quo is "the only choice we have," since "the U.S. won't let Taiwan unify with China and China won't let Taiwan become independent." "There's no point in even talking about unification or independence right now because you can't achieve either," he said. Asked how he would try to defuse Taiwan's currently tense relations with China, the former Taipei mayor said he would be guided by the principles of "deterrence and communication." Credible deterrence, he explained, is necessary for Taiwan to be able to effectively negotiate with China, while communication is needed to reduce hostility and lower the risk of miscommunications that can lead to war. National defense Elaborating on his national defense views, Ko said he supported increasing Taiwan's defense budget to 3 percent of GDP -- higher than the record 2.5 percent the government has requested in its 2024 budget proposal. He argued that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), despite its habit of "opposing China every day," has failed to adequately equip Taiwan's military and has spent defense funds in a "reckless" manner. For the defense of an island nation like Taiwan, the priorities should be cybersecurity, air force, navy and then the army, in that order, Ko said. "To be honest, I don't know why Taiwan is buying M1 Abrams tanks. Those tanks can't even be driven across a lot of our bridges. The defense budget needs to be increased, but the way it is distributed needs to be rational," Ko said. 1992 consensus and China Ko was also asked for his view on the "1992 consensus" -- an understanding reached in a 1992 meeting between Taiwan's then-ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and Beijing that both sides recognize there is only "one China," which includes Taiwan, but that both can interpret "one China" in their own way. In response, Ko said the consensus had been "stigmatized" in Taiwan and that he would deal with the issue "pragmatically" and not get stuck in disputes over terms. "When China asks if we accept the '92 consensus, the DPP government directly says 'no.' My answer would be: 'There doesn't seem to be a market for this in Taiwan. Should we change the name of the term?'" On the issue of China more broadly, Ko said he believed its leader Xi Jinping (cea) was busy dealing with internal problems like high unemployment and an economic bubble, and that Taiwan was not "near the top of his list." In such circumstances, Taiwan should focus on avoiding confrontation and not "stick [its] neck out," he said, adding "you don't want to be your enemy's No. 1 goal." (By Matthew Mazzetta) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KMT's Hou departs for U.S., to meet with AIT chair, lawmakers ROC Central News Agency 09/14/2023 06:50 PM Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih () embarked on a week-long trip to the United States Thursday for what his campaign office characterized as a journey to boost dialogue and friendship. The U.S. is a "firm and long-term ally" of the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name), Hou, who is also New Taipei Mayor, told reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport prior to his departure. The goal of the trip, according to Hou, is to demonstrate to the U.S. his will to defend Taiwan's democracy and freedom and his determination to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. At the same time, Hou said, he hoped the U.S. will continue to "pay great attention to" the stability of the region and lend a helping hand to Taiwan as it seeks a greater role in the Indo-Pacific in the areas of economics and trade. Hou's campaign office has said the mayor's trip from Sept. 14-22, during which he will meet with Laura Rosenberger, chairwoman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C., is "a journey of engaging in dialogue and deepening friendship." In response to a CNA request for a comment, an AIT spokesperson said earlier Thursday that the U.S. "warmly welcome[s] Mayor Hou's upcoming travel," but also noted Washington's commitment to "impartiality" in Taiwan's presidential race. According to the campaign office, Hou will first touch down in New York on Thursday evening (all local times) and stay in the city for less than two days before setting out for New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. While in New York, Hou is scheduled to take part in two symposiums, one hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and the other by the Council on Foreign Relations, the office said. In addition, he will meet with Joseph Kahn, executive editor of The New York Times, the paper's editors, and be interviewed by Bloomberg News, according to the office. The mayor will also meet with Taiwanese expatriates in New York and during his brief visit to New Jersey, the office said. After wrapping up his itinerary on the East Coast, Hou will travel to Washington, D.C. in the early hours of Sept. 17 and spend approximately three days there before heading to San Francisco next Wednesday. Other than meeting with Rosenberger and U.S. lawmakers from both the upper and lower chambers of Congress, Hou has been invited to deliver a speech at the Washington-based think thank, the Brookings Institution, and will meet with representatives from another think tank, The Heritage Foundation, the office said. He will also meet with more Taiwanese expatriates by holding a lunch with a group that includes Taiwanese tech professionals and attend a dinner in San Francisco, according to the office. Joining Hou's delegation to the U.S. are KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (), KMT envoy to the U.S. Alexander Huang () and party lawmakers Johnny Chiang ( ) and Wu I-ding (). (By Novia Huang, Bernadette Hsiao and Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan defense expo returns after 4-year hiatus; U.S. joins for first time ROC Central News Agency 09/14/2023 01:37 PM Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) The biennial Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Expo (TADTE) opened Thursday in Taipei, after a four-year break, and for the first time included a United States pavilion. The 16th edition of the show, being staged at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1, is the largest ever, featuring some 280 exhibitors at 970 booths, as well as company representatives from 10 different countries, according to James Huang (eaeS), chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which organizes the TADTE. At the opening ceremony, Sandra Oudkirk, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), congratulated the organizers on the historic participation in the biennial expo, which had not been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The strong turnout reflects the rapid development and growth of Taiwan's aerospace and defense industry, as well as the growing international attention to trade and investment opportunities in the Taiwan market," Oudkirk said in her opening remarks. She said the AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official ties, is hosting a pavilion at the show for the first time, in light of the two sides' "long and robust history of partnership in the aerospace and defense sectors." The USA Pavilion features some of the biggest American names in those industries, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, Raytheon and BAE Systems, Oudkirk said, adding that 41 small to medium-sized companies are also showcasing their products at the pavilion. After the opening ceremony, Oudkirk toured the U.S. pavilion and chatted with some of the American company representatives. According to the TAITRA, the Czech-Taiwanese Business Chamber, which is based in Prague, is also hosting a Czech pavilion at the three-day show for the first time. The main focus of this year's TADTE, however, is the display by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, which highlights more than 50 advanced weapon systems, including a new attack drone, a domestically developed jet trainer simulator, and an exoskeleton suit, according to the organizers. The expo will be open only to professional buyers on the first two days, and the general public will be admitted free of charge on Saturday, the organizers said. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China ratchets up 'carrot and stick' pressure on Taiwan New 'blueprint' for integration announced as warships threaten from the east. By Chris Taylor for RFA 2023.09.14 -- The Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee this week issued a planning document on turning Fujian Province - the Chinese province closest to Taiwan - into a demonstration zone for "integrated development" with Taiwan. State-owned nationalist tabloid the Global Times called the plan a "blueprint" for Taiwan's development as China's aircraft carrier Shandong led the largest number of warships seen in years into the waters to the east of the island. Large numbers of warplanes have been probing at Taiwan's median line of defense, a tactic that, while familiar to Taiwan, seldom occurs in tandem with the collaborative deployment of an aircraft carrier group. On Monday, Japan's Ministry of Defense reported that a further eight People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships were transiting the Miyako Strait to enter the Philippine Sea, apparently to join forces with the carrier group, according to USNI News. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense issued a release saying it would dispatch "mission aircraft, ships and shore-based missile systems to respond appropriately." China watchers reacted with some alarm to the simultaneous release of "integration" plans and the implementation of threatening military maneuvers. Patricia M Thornton, associate professor at the Oxford China Centre called the news "chilling," adding that China has unveiled a Taiwan "economic 'integration' as warships conduct maneuvers off coast." "Beijing is brandishing the stick of naval and air power in the South China Sea, and has now unveiled a new carrot: a plan for closely integrating Taiwan's economy with that of Fujian Province. So far, the Taiwanese are unimpressed," wrote the China Project on X, formerly known as Twitter. In Taiwan a senior military official, General Huang Wen-chi, told media on Tuesday the Shandong "undoubtedly poses a new threat," even though it is not the first time the Shandong has sailed in waters east of Taiwan. The last time it did so was in reaction to a meeting between Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this year. It's suspected that the activities this week are a response to recent joint exercises between the U.S. and its allies, as well as recent transits of the Taiwan Strait. 'Historic mission' China's planning statement on Fujian Province's potential to integrate Taiwan says in its preamble that "resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is, for the Party, a historic mission and an unshakable commitment," and is "inevitable." In 21 points that are unlikely to win over many Taiwanese investors - who are deeply suspicious of promises made by Beijing - the document outlines how the province of Fujian, which does share linguistic and cultural qualities with the majority Hokkien-speaking population of Taiwan, will play a leading role in the "peaceful unification of the motherland." Support for unification - or as the People's Republic of China calls it, "reunification," even though it has never governed Taiwan - in Taiwan is very low. Estimates vary depending on the poll and the perceived threat of China or the perceived benefits of business first, but on average in recent years only 8% to 12% of Taiwanese have a positive outlook on Chinese politics and want to see unification take place. China's new integration plan nevertheless optimistically calls on Taiwanese to "apply for a Taiwan resident residency permit" and buy homes in Fujian. "Our take: There won't be many takers," wrote Trivium in its daily China analysis newsletter on Wednesday. Unification theme park Parts of the latest announced plan date back to China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), which pointed to two platforms for "integrated cross-Straits development." At least one of them - the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone in Fujian - seems to still be on the agenda. Pingtan, an island off the coast of Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian now has a completed bridge and "68 Nautical Mile Scenic Spot" - its distance from Taiwan - in keeping with plans to make the island a "bring Taiwan home to the motherland" theme park. According to a translation of the new document, China appears to have plans for Pingtan that extend beyond unification-themed tourism, stating that the island will be used "to build a more convenient cross-Strait traffic channel." For Taiwanese voters, who have become accustomed to a steady beat of threats and promises by China ever since the island held its first direct presidential elections in 1996 there is nothing new about developments this week. As one commentator put it, "Measures include making it easier for Taiwanese people to live and work in China, but the plan comes amid major military exercises." New carrot, old stick, quipped at least one social media user. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senate finance committee approves Taiwan tax bill The bill will end the practice of 'double taxation' for people and companies working in both the US and Taiwan. By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2023.09.14 -- The Senate Finance Committee voted 27-0 on Thursday to approve legislation that would allow people and businesses operating in both Taiwan and the United States to only be taxed in one jurisdiction. A key part of efforts to normalize ties between the United States and the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as a renegade province but enjoys close military ties with Washington, the bill now heads to the full Senate, where it is expected to receive similar support. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon who serves as committee chair, said he expected the legislation to be encoded into the tax code "within months not years" given its broad support. "The momentum behind the proposal comes from the fact that the Senate, on a bipartisan basis, fully supports strengthening America's economic partnership with Taiwan," Wyden said at the hearing. Taiwan is the United States' 9th largest trade partner, according to the Census Bureau, with a similar volume of trade as with India. The island makes more than two-thirds of the world's microchips, with one company, TSMC, responsible for 90% of the most advanced chips. Wyden said the bill would simplify cross-border investment by making life easier for business people and companies operating in both the United States and Taiwan, and reduce the tax burden. "Let's say somebody from Portland needs to go to Taipei for three weeks as part of their job training," he said. "Right now, they may have to fill out a Taiwanese tax return and deal with all kinds of U.S. tax filing headaches. Once we get this done, they go to Taiwan for a short business trip, they do their job, come home and not worry." No treaty Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho and his party's ranking member on the committee, said that the bill includes a clause that will prevent it from taking effect without reciprocal laws in Taiwan. He noted that Taiwan was the "second-largest export destination for Idaho products," with large exports of electrical goods and machinery, and that the island's extensive trade ties with the United States meant the reform would also receive widespread support in Taiwan. "Deepening ties with Taiwan and its vibrant democracy is in our nation's best interest," Crapo said. "Taiwan is our largest trading partner with whom we do not have an income tax treaty." "For Taiwanese workers performing services in the U.S., this bill provides that they can spend up to half a year in the U.S. before subjecting their wages to U.S. income tax, encouraging those workers to invest more time in U.S. operations," he said. But Crapo added that Taiwan's unique status in Sino-American diplomacy, with the U.S. eschewing formal ties with the democratic island, meant the changes were not coming from a formal tax treaty. "Taiwan's unique status precludes it from dealing with double tax issues through a traditional tax treaty," he said, noting that the Foreign Affairs Committee usually takes charge of treaty negotiations. Instead, he said, the Finance Committee was enacting the changes directly into the U.S. tax code, awaiting a reciprocal Taiwanese bill. "The process we're considering today should not be viewed as a new template to short-cut or get around tax treaties," the lawmaker said. "Taiwan's very unique status requires a very unique solution." Security aspect Wyden said there was a national security element to the bill, with Beijing trying "to intimidate and isolate Taiwan through diplomatic and economic coercion" to force it to "reunite" with the mainland. As the global leader in the manufacture of "the chips used in TVs and iPhones, but also in advanced weapons and military equipment," he said, "Taiwan plays a key role in the security of democratic nations." But Wyden said the economic impact for the United States would also be significant, and build off the CHIPS Act's $52.7 billion of subsidies for chipmaking on domestic soil, which he said has already led Taiwanese chipmakers to shift some operations to America. "$45 billion was invested in the United States from Taiwan in the semiconductor sector," Wyden said. "We anticipate billions of dollars more translating into good paying jobs across the country to ensure that our country continues to grow these investments in America." "We don't want these investments to fall through," he said, "or go to other countries because we're not providing double-tax relief." Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US hits five Turkish firms with sanctions over trade with Russia Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 September 2023 7:17 PM The administration of US President Joe Biden has blacklisted five Turkish companies and a Turkish national as part of new sanctions aiming to hamstring the Russian economy over the Ukraine war. The sanctions issued on Thursday target shipping and trade companies accused of helping repair sanctioned vessels tied to Russia's defense ministry and helping the transfer of "dual-use goods." Three Turkish firms were placed under sanctions for supplying Russian defense-related manufacturers. Another two Turkish firms, and the owner of one of them, were hit for providing ship repair services to vessels involved with the Russian defense sector. They were among more than 150 individuals, companies and institutions added to the US Treasury and State Department blacklists for their alleged roles in supporting Russia during the war. "The US government is targeting individuals and entities engaged in sanctions evasion and circumvention, those complicit in furthering Russia's ability to wage its war against Ukraine, and those responsible for bolstering Russia's future energy production," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement. Multiple senior US officials, including Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, have traveled to Turkey in recent months as part of a pressure campaign to prevent any Turkish companies from helping Russia circumvent US curbs. "For the past 18 months, we've shared our concerns with the Turkish government and private sector and informed them of the significant risks of doing business with those we've sanctioned who are tied to Russia's war," a senior US Treasury official was quoted as saying. "These designations reflect our ongoing commitment to target individuals and entities who provide material support to sanctioned entities," the official added. The action was taken at a delicate moment for US-Turkey relations. Ties with the US have been strained over Turkey's reluctance to support the bids of Sweden and Finland to join NATO following the Ukraine war. While Finnish membership was sealed in April, Sweden's application remains held up by Turkey and Hungary. Ankara has accused Sweden of harboring militants hostile to the Turkish state. After months of objections, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed at a NATO summit in July to forward Sweden's NATO bid to the Turkish parliament for ratification, but the exact timing of the approval remains unclear. The United States has repeatedly said Sweden has done enough to alleviate Turkey's concerns and that its membership should be approved now. Russia is already under harsh sanctions by the US. Ever since the war began, Kiev's allies, led by the United States and Britain, have been supplying Ukraine with weapons, a step that Russia says would prolong the conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on the UN Security Council meeting concerning arms supplies to the Kiev regime 13 September 2023 23:18 1765-13-09-2023 On September 12, at Russia's request, the UN Security Council held a meeting on arms supplies to Kiev. The Russian side invited Hungarian journalist George Szamuely, as a reporter from civil society. He made a detailed analysis of the causes that generated the crisis in and around Ukraine, with a focus on the role of the United States and the EU in organising and supporting the anti-constitutional coup in 2014. Based on facts and remarks by members of the Western elites, he exposed their hypocrisy with regard to the Minsk agreements, which were used as a smokescreen to hide Kiev's preparations for the conflict. He came to the conclusion that continued military operations benefitted the West, which sought to weaken the Russian Federation. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya pointed to the desperate steps taken by the Kiev regime and its allies against the background of their clearly failed counteroffensive. He mentioned the Ukrainian provocation involving a missile attack on the marketplace in Konstantinovka, which was soon exposed based on surveillance camera footage confirming that the missiles had arrived from where Ukrainian army units were deployed. He described US and UK supplies of cluster bomb units and depleted-uranium shells to the Zelensky regime as a gesture of desperation in disregard of the fact that these munitions posed a threat to civilians and the environment for decades to come. "Black transplantology," which has become widespread in Ukraine thanks, among other things, to the local legislature passing relevant laws, was yet another topic discussed at the meeting. An outrageous situation was cited as an example, where a charity employee, caught red-handed while selling Ukrainian children, among other things for organ transplants abroad, was released from custody and jumped bail. The Russian representative reminded his audience that there had been a surge in the number of these crimes after NATO forces were deployed in Kosovo, with their command echelon seeking to hush up these crimes. Following the meeting, the Permanent Mission posted on its web resource a video about victims of "black transplantology" at the time of NATO's aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Announced by Mr Nebenzya at the meeting, the video was contributed by Goran Petronijevic, formerly a judge in the city of Pec, Metohija District, a Serbia Supreme Court judge, a lawyer, and now Chairman of the Centre for the Revival of International Law. Russia will continue to draw the international community's attention to these important topics, including at the UN Security Council. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary General Vseviov in Rome: our message to Russia remains the same, we will support Ukraine to its victory Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14.09.2023 Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jonatan Vseviov was on a visit to Rome on 13 and 14 September, meeting with his Italian counterpart Riccardo Guariglia, and giving a presentation at a meeting with Senate members chaired by the President of the Committee for European Union Policies Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata and President of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee Stefania Craxi, and meeting with Head of the Department of Information for Security Elisabetta Belloni. The meetings focused on bilateral relations, security and defence cooperation, and Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Secretary General Vseviov said that the war in Ukraine could only end on Ukraine's terms, in respect of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Just as is stated in the 10-point peace plan of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "The goal of Europe is clear and it is to help Ukraine win, and support it for as long as necessary," Vseviov said. "We will not stop, or tire of sending a clear message to Russia that its cruelty and inhuman aggression will not subjugate Europe nor Ukraine, which stands at the heart of Europe." The meetings also covered the new, 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia, including more efficient prevention of the circumvention of sanctions. Speaking about holding Russia and its leadership accountable for its crime of aggression and war crimes, Vseviov underlined we were at a decisive point in time. "We are living in a historic moment when the world and its leaders have a chance to take a bold step, and bring accountability to the troika that has committed genocide and continues to bomb civilians. We can set a precedent and restore international morale and order," he said, adding that this can only be achieved with an internationally mandated special tribunal. Continued support to Ukraine on its path to the European Union and NATO was also on the agenda. Vseviov said he hoped that Ukraine, which has made great progress in meeting the seven conditions set by the EU, would be invited to accession negotiations before the end of the year. He said that Russia's aggression has demonstrated that grey areas in Europe would only increase instability. "NATO membership is the only long-term security guarantee for Ukraine," Vseviov said. "Let us respect that." Vseviov said that Estonia highly appreciated Italy's leading role in engaging with global partners, including its cooperation with Tunisia, and asked about ways in which Estonia could increase its contribution. Vseviov also spoke at a round table on the future of European security, hosted by the Istituto Affari Internazionali think tank. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NOK 1 billion for civilian infrastructure and reconstruction in Ukraine Government of Norway Press release | Date: 14/09/2023 Norway is providing NOK 1 billion to support the World Bank's efforts to maintain civilian infrastructure and to start reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. 'Norway stands ready to provide long-term support to Ukraine,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StAre. This funding is being provided under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, which was approved by a broad majority in the Storting (Norwegian parliament) in March. Support from Norway via the World Bank has been used among other things to provide Ukrainian homes with access to electricity, to keep schools open and to ensure that Ukrainian men, women and children can get the health care that they need. 'Ukraine has an enormous and growing need for economic support. Our funding will help to alleviate the economic and social crisis the Ukrainian people are currently facing,' said Mr StAre. Mr StAre emphasised that the World Bank has rapidly mobilised substantial funding to help Ukraine and has a proven ability to deliver. Prime Minister StAre had a meeting today with World Bank President Ajay Banga. Topics for discussion included support to Ukraine, climate finance and the need to increase investments in renewable energy. Support in line with Ukraine's priorities Norway's support is based on Ukraine's own priorities. The Ukrainian authorities are seeking to ensure that the government administration can continue to function and deliver essential services. This requires public-sector investment in the repair of critical infrastructure. 'Russia's war of aggression and targeted attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure are leading to wide-scale destruction and causing inconceivable suffering every single day. Providing funding to the Ukrainian authorities to repair and maintain civilian infrastructure is a means of supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight to defend their country,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt. Ms Huitfeldt also emphasised the need for ongoing close cooperation with the EU and other donor countries and organisations in order to ensure the best possible assistance to Ukraine. The funds are being channelled through a new World Bank financing mechanism and will supplement the NOK 2 billion in support for the Ukrainian government administration that Norway announced in March. The World Bank mobilises up to 3 dollars in funding for every dollar provided by donor countries. Substantial support to respond to enormous needs in Ukraine Norway has previously provided NOK 300 million in budget support to Ukraine via the World Bank, in addition to NOK 1 billion in funding for repairs of critical infrastructure such as the power grid, roads and railways. The World Bank was quick to provide substantial support to the Ukrainian authorities following Russia's attack on Ukraine. So far, the World Bank has mobilised over USD 37.5 billion in funding for Ukraine. The Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine was approved by the Storting on 14 March. The multi-year support programme will provide a total of NOK 75 billion over a period of five years (2023-2027). In 2022, Norway provided approximately NOK 10.7 billion in civilian and military support to Ukraine. Roughly NOK 18.5 billion has been set aside for 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's Zelenskiy Hails Destruction Of Russian Air-Defense System In Occupied Crimea By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Current Time September 14, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked Ukraine's Security Service and naval forces for their role in what he called the destruction of a Russian air-defense system in occupied Crimea. "I thank you for today's triumph," he said during his nightly video address on September 14, referring to the destruction of Russia's Triumf air-defense system. "Very significant, well done!" Ukraine's military again heavily targeted the Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and is a key objective in Kyiv's ongoing counteroffensive against Russian forces in Ukraine's south and east. The reported destruction of the air-defense system came a day after Ukraine heavily damaged two Russian warships in Crimea. A Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters that the air-defense system near Yevpatoria was destroyed in what he said was an overnight drone and missile attack conducted by Ukraine's Security Service and navy. Commenting on the explosions in and around Yevpatoria, Ukrainian military spokeswoman Natalia Humenyuk told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that all sites struck in Crimea were linked to "Russia's aggression." Videos and photos posted on social media showed what was claimed to be explosions in and around Yevpatoria in western Crimea. The Russian Defense Ministry had said earlier that it had thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea, destroying 11 drones. It also said it had halted an attack by five underwater drones on the patrol ship Sergei Kotov in the Black Sea. In Russia's Kursk region, alleged Ukrainian shelling killed one man and damaged power supply lines, regional Governor Roman Starovoit said in a post on Telegram. Earlier, the Russian military and news agencies reported that Russian antiaircraft units had downed alleged Ukrainian drones over Bryansk and Belgorod, two regions in southern Russia that border Ukraine. No casualties or damages were reported in those incidents. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a child was killed in Russian shelling in the south of the country. The regional prosecutor's office said a 6-year-old boy was killed and four other people, including his 13-year-old brother, were wounded by Russian shelling in the village of Novodmytrivka in the Kherson region. "Enemy shells hit a private house and its territory," it said in a statement on Telegram. The Ukrainian Air Force Command said on September 14 that it downed 17 out of 22 Russian drones overnight in the Mykolayiv, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions of the country's south and north. Earlier, explosions were reported in Russian-occupied Crimea and traffic across the bridge connecting the Ukrainian peninsula to Russia was temporarily halted as Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack. Russian air defenses destroyed 11 hostile drones over Crimea early on September 14, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. The latest attacks come a day after two Russian military vessels were seriously damaged in a large-scale Ukrainian military strike on a ship repair base in Crimea's Sevastopol, the main base for Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Reuters quoted a Ukrainian intelligence official as saying one large vessel and a submarine were struck in the attack and were likely damaged beyond repair. "Those are significant damages. We can now say that with a high probability they are not subject to restoration," Andriy Yusov confirmed to Reuters without specifying the weapons used for the strike. Britain's Sky News reported that Kyiv used U.K.-provided Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles in the attack, citing unnamed Western and Ukrainian sources. Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, reported that at least seven blasts were heard at the site, with shock waves breaking windows and bright flashes and smoke visible in the sky. The strategic shipyard on the peninsula builds and repairs ships and submarines of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The fleet has launched numerous drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/crimea-ukraine-explosions- russia-attack/32592217.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Thanks Bulgaria After Parliament Lifts Food-Export Restrictions By RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service September 14, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he is grateful to Bulgaria for not extending restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports from September 15. "I thank [Prime Minister] Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity," Zelenskiy said on X, formerly Twitter. Bulgaria's parliament approved on September 14 a decision to lift the ban on Ukrainian grain imports. Bulgaria was among five EU countries that imposed a ban on grain imports from Ukraine, citing the need to protect local agricultural sectors. The European Commission approved the temporary restrictions, which are due to expire on September 15. Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia insist that the current ban be extended by the commission and threaten to unilaterally take action if their demands are not met. The restrictions imposed in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-thanks-bulgaria-grain- export/32592900.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Military Casualties Amount to 440 Soldiers in Donetsk, Zaporozhye Areas Sputnik News 20230914 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian forces have lost approximately 440 servicemen in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that the Russian forces have repelled 11 attacks in these areas. "Enemy losses [in the Donetsk direction] per day amounted to up to 350 Ukrainian military personnel killed and wounded, three armored combat vehicles, five vehicles, three M777 artillery systems and a US-made M109 howitzer, as well as one D-30 gun," the ministry said, adding that eight attacks have been repelled in the Donetsk direction. The Russian military also repelled three attacks in the Zaporozhye direction near the Verbovoye settlement, where Kiev lost up to 95 troops and one tank, the ministry said. "Enemy losses [in the South Donetsk direction] amounted to up to 140 Ukrainian military personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles and three cars," the ministry said, adding that the Russian military repelled one attack in this direction. The ministry also said that another attack has been repelled in the Kharkov Region [the Kupyansk direction], where Kiev lost up to 130 soldiers. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Announcing the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery US Department of State Press Statement Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State September 14, 2023 President Biden today announced the appointment of Penny Pritzker as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery. In this role, she will work with the Ukrainian government, the G7, the EU, international financial institutions, international partners, and one of our great assets - the American private sector - to help forge Ukraine's future as a prosperous, secure, European democracy. Special Representative Pritzker will drive efforts to shape donor priorities through the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform to align them with Ukraine's needs and to galvanize international partners to increase their support for Ukraine. She will also work closely with the government of Ukraine as it intensifies reforms needed to win the future, open export markets, mobilize foreign direct investment, and catalyze economic recovery. Special Representative Pritzker's extensive private sector experience, service as Secretary of Commerce, and deep personal connection to Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora make her uniquely qualified for this task. Tracing their roots to the village of Velyki Pritsky outside of Kyiv, her family owned a grain store before emigrating the United States more than 100 years ago. Special Representative Pritzker is a deeply committed leader trusted across the political spectrum for her proven track record of delivering positive outcomes and results. Special Representative Pritzker's appointment demonstrates our commitment to strengthen Ukraine's European future and follows new economic and security commitments announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London and in Vilnius by the G7+ and NATO. Her role will build on the steadfast work of the State Department, USAID, the Commerce Department, and other agencies to accelerate Ukraine's economic transformation. She will be key to our determination to see to it that Ukraine not only survives but thrives, standing on its own. I welcome Special Representative Pritzker to the role and extend my deep gratitude for her renewed public service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We need a powerful system of the warriors' rights protection in the defense sector itself - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 14 September 2023 - 22:11 I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians! A few highlights from the day. Our country celebrated the Day of Tank Forces today for the first time. Previously, there was a Soviet date for the professional day of tank forces. And now there is not just a motive to give a Ukrainian meaning to all such days, not just the desire of our people, but also the specific result of the Ukrainian warriors that should be honored at the level of the entire state. I honored our tank crewmen with state awards. Soldiers, sergeants, officers. Our bravest warriors! With the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the Order "For Courage", and the medal "For Military Service to Ukraine". Two warriors - Sergeant Vladyslav Simak and Senior Sergeant Oleh Palamarchuk - received the Crosses of Combat Merit for their bravery and efficiency. I thank you guys! I thank all Ukrainian tank crewmen! It is very important that our tank forces are constantly progressing - training and using more advanced and modern tanks in combat. There will also be Abrams tanks under Ukrainian flags - we are constantly reinforcing our warriors. I held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and discussed some key issues. The decisions that our society in general and Ukrainian warriors in particular expect from the Ministry of Defense. The Minister will present them upon finalization of all the details. Today, I would like to emphasize the joint work of Rustem Umerov and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets on such a new institution as a military ombudsman. This is truly necessary. We need a powerful system of the warriors' rights protection in the defense sector itself. Today I met with representatives of the Ukrainian Jewish community - rabbis from different cities of Ukraine, and our warriors. It was a very warm meeting on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. It is important that all communities in Ukraine are united in the goal of defending Ukraine and ensuring a normal life for all our people. I awarded the warriors with state awards - the Orders "For Courage". I thanked the representatives of religious organizations for supporting people here in Ukraine, supporting the state, and telling the whole world - the entire Jewish community of the world - the truth about Russia's aggression and terror. Today we have a good result in our cooperation with the International Criminal Court. A result that brings accountability for Russian war crimes closer. The International Criminal Court has opened a field office in Ukraine, and it is the largest ICC office outside of The Hague. And it is great that there is full and coordinated cooperation between the Prosecutor General's Office, all Ukrainian law enforcement institutions and the International Criminal Court. It is this cooperation that helps us bring the moment of justice for Ukraine and all our people who have suffered from this war closer - the moment of lawful and deserved sentences for Russian criminals. One more thing. The entire staff of the Security Service of Ukraine and our Navy should be specially commended for this. I thank you for today's triumph - the destruction of the occupiers' air defense system on the land of our Crimea. It is a very significant achievement, well done! Glory to all who fight for Ukraine! And thank you to everyone who helps! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine had a meeting with Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Republic of Korea President of Ukraine 14 September 2023 - 18:29 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Republic of Korea Won Hee-ryong who heads the delegation of the Korean government and business visiting Ukraine. The President highly appreciated fruitful development of the bilateral dialogue after visits of First Lady Olena Zelenska to Korea in May and of President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol to Ukraine in July. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Korean delegation for the support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for adoption of the decisions to provide significant practical assistance to our country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed out: "I am grateful for the decision of the government of the Republic of Korea to allocate financial support in the amount of USD 2.3 billion to Ukraine for reconstruction and recovery. This will give a significant boost to the development of the Ukrainian infrastructure". The President encouraged representatives of the Korean business to work actively in the Ukrainian market and take part in the implementation of projects in such spheres as development of nuclear and renewable energy, machine building, motor industry, lithium mining, oil refining, "green" metallurgical industry, railway transport, water resources, and local infrastructure. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated: "We are very interested in implementing projects in the sphere of power generation, development and strengthening of transit capacities, in particular, railway transport, development of the rapid railway network for connections with European countries". Won Hee-ryong assured of unwavering support of Ukraine by the Republic of Korea in defense of its freedom and sovereignty and pointed out that his visit to Kyiv together with the Korean business was a sign of this support. The Minister voiced his belief that bilateral cooperation might be expanded in different spheres that would be of mutual interest. He pointed out: "It is heartbreaking for me to witness the Ukrainian people going through these hardships. We support peace and defense of Ukraine's sovereignty. We also have to counter Russia's illegal invasion". The Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Korea on loans from the Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF) was signed in the presence of the President of Ukraine and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Republic of Korea. The Agreement envisions opportunities for the provision of subsidized loans for the implementation of projects in Ukraine with the participation of Korean companies. First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko signed the Agreement on behalf of Ukraine, while Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Ukraine Kim Hyung-tae signed it on behalf of Korea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President on the Day of Tank Forces: Our tankmen return freedom to Ukraine, faith in victory and make us stronger President of Ukraine 14 September 2023 - 17:09 On the Day of Tank Forces, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with tankmen and presented them with state awards. He emphasized that today, for the first time, our country celebrates the Day of Tank Forces, founded on the Ukrainian victory. "Last year, the Kharkiv offensive ended on these very days. On September 14, after stabilization measures, our blue and yellow flag was raised in Izyum. Tank forces were one of the foundations of this offensive operation, of our might," the Head of State said. The President noted that during this operation, it was the tank forces that ensured the speed and power of the Ukrainian strike, overcame the superior forces of the Russian occupation troops and captured 77 Russian tanks that served our warriors as trophies. "When we greet our heroic tank forces and thank them, we thank them precisely for returning freedom, life, and our people's faith in victory to Ukraine and making our forces stronger," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. The Head of State wished the warriors and their families health, strength and victory. The participants also observed a minute of silence in memory of all the heroes who gave their lives for Ukraine. On the occasion of the Day of Tank Forces, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to the servicemen. The "Cross of Combat Merit" Presidential decoration was awarded to Senior Sergeant Oleh Palamarchuk, who showed personal courage and heroism in a defensive battle, skillfully led the tank crew, which prevented the enemy sabotage group from breaking through. In the battle, an enemy tank was damaged and at least two invaders were killed. Sergeant Vladyslav Simak was also awarded the Cross of Combat Merit by the Head of State. The tank platoon under his command repeatedly conducted operations to destroy enemy equipment and manpower in Donetsk region. During the awarding ceremony, Vladyslav Simak handed over a combat chevron to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In addition, the warriors were awarded the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree, "For Courage", II and III degrees, and "For Military Service to Ukraine" medal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskyy to Visit Washington as Congress Debates More Ukraine Aid By VOA News September 14, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Washington next week as Congress continues to debate $21 billion more in aid to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia. U.S. lawmakers are increasingly divided over whether to provide Ukraine with more aid as its battle against the Russian invasion continues. President Joe Biden is seeking $13 billion in military aid and $8 billion in humanitarian aid. But some Republican lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine. Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Biden next week at the White House after the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. Although Ukraine's counteroffensive push against the Russian invasion has been slower than expected, Zelenskyy on Thursday celebrated what he described as Ukraine's destruction of a Russian air defense system on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. "A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message. "The invaders' air defense system was destroyed. Very significant, well done!" New sanctions Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. sanctioned more than 150 businesses and individuals in Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to crack down on evasion of trade restrictions aimed at blocking funding for Russia's war against Ukraine, now in its 19th month. The newest sanctions package is one of the biggest imposed by the State Department and the U.S. Treasury. It targets those who are selling Western technology to Moscow to aid its war effort, particularly businesses and people in Turkey, a member of the Western military alliance that supports Ukraine. The sanctions, which block any assets the businesses and individuals might have in the U.S., are also aimed at hobbling the development of Russia's energy sector, which provides war funding, including Arctic natural gas projects, along with mining and factories producing and repairing Russian weapons. In addition, the U.S. sanctions target several Turkish and Russian companies that the State Department says help Moscow source U.S. and European electronic components a such as computer chips and processors a that can be used in civilian and military equipment. The State Department also is targeting Turkish companies that have provided ship repair services to a company affiliated with Russia's Defense Ministry. Before the war, James O'Brien of the State Department's sanctions coordination office said, Russia imported up to 90% of its electronics from countries that are part of the Group of 7 wealthy democracies. Sanctions have since dropped that figure closer to 30%, he said. Fighting continues On the battlefield, Ukraine's military said it shot down 17 of the 22 drones that Russia used to target multiple areas of Ukraine in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian military said Russia launched several waves of attacks directed at the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said wreckage from one of three drones downed over the region damaged buildings and cars and started a grass fire. Lysak said that Russian shelling also struck the region, but that no casualties were reported. Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down multiple Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia early Thursday. Russia also said it repelled an attack on a patrol ship in the Black Sea, with Russian forces destroying five unmanned boats. Over Russian-controlled Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that it had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones. That came a day after a Ukrainian missile hit a strategic shipyard in Crimea, wounding 24 people and damaging two ships that were undergoing repairs. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New York, U.S.A., Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The vast majority (94%) of business leaders still view the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a unifying global vision but achieving them requires the private sector to focus on the areas where they can have the most impact, according to new research from the UN Global Compact and Accenture (NYSE: ACN). Released at the midpoint to 2030, the United Nations Global Compact-Accenture Global Private Sector Stocktake report surveyed over 2,800 business leaders from around the world and shows that the private sector is a critical stakeholder in achieving the SDGs. Currently, only fifteen per cent of the SDG targets are on track, progress on forty-eight per cent is weak and insufficient and progress has stalled or gone into reverse on thirty-seven per cent of the SDGs. The report presents ten pathways for businesses to take action on the 17 SDGs and have an outsized impact. The ten pathways identified in the report have examples applicable to each of the SDGs and offer a blueprint to help the private sector build a more sustainable market. "Private sector investment and innovation are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact. While not a one-size-fits-all approach, businesses should focus their actions where they can have an outsized impact on people and the planet, and on their businesses. This will enable them to effectively communicate performance, set targets and actions, engage with stakeholders, including investors, and gain access to new market opportunities. Forty-four per cent of business leaders surveyed are looking to government to put in place policy incentives to help them integrate the SDGs into business strategy and operations to ensure an even playing field across all businesses. They also want clear guidance on where to concentrate their efforts and clear measurement criteria and calculation methods so that they can not only properly report progress, but also make informed decisions based on these insights. To help the private sector achieve these pathways they want policymakers to: Scale up new incentive models to redefine success in terms of risk, return, and impact: The top ask from business leaders is consistent sustainability reporting and disclosure mandates (76%). This helps ensure all businesses are held to the same standard both nationally and globally. Expand the benefits of market to achieve responsible business: The second ask is adjusting the national minimum wage to equal living wage levels (71%) a change to the cost structure of businesses, but of value and worth pursuing if borne fairly. In addition, the majority support policies that would help promote gender equality, namely mandatory disclosure and action of gender pay gaps (65%), and mandatory minimum company paid shared-parental leave (58%). Transform the bases of business to achieve environmental sustainability: Finally, businesses support a range of stronger policies to strengthen environmental protection, primarily ensuring that incentives are aligned for a clean energy transition. Secondary policies are around ensuring mandatory disclosures so that all companies are assessed equally, encouraging equal action across sectors. In addition to insufficient policy support, leaders pointed to structural limitations as inconsistent sustainability metrics and data skills shortfall in particular as key reasons for preventing greater action towards further SDG headway: 84% of business leaders say unclear measurement resources to calculate impact towards the SDGs prohibits their companys ability to make progress. 82% of business leaders say limited access and/or poor quality of data limits their ability to measure contribution to the SDGs. 77% of business leaders expressed concern about a skills shortage or mismatch in the workforce to realize SDG-related impact across industries. Businesses around the world understand more and more their potential to take meaningful action on sustainable development," said Stephanie Jamison, Global Sustainability Services lead at Accenture. Advances in technology and data analytics over the past five years means we can now use multiple large data sets to measure private sector impacts on the SDGs far more accurately and consistently than ever before. This in turn allows leaders to manage those impacts sooner and with better outcomes, bringing a clarity that will help fulfil the private sectors critical role in achieving the SDGs. The report is the latest in a long-standing partnership between UN Global Compact and Accenture, which leverages a survey of over 2,800 business leaders globally along with a proprietary analysis of financial and non-financial data to generate insights on SDG impacts at the aggregate private sector level. The variety of the data utilized for private sector insights and sentiment makes this report one of the most current, comprehensive, and evidence-based analyses of the private sectors contribution to the SDGs. Notes to Editors About Private Sector SDG Stocktake This report pulls together unique data sources to produce complementary insights about the private sectors impact on the SDGs. Leveraging three distinct quantitative data providers, this report represents the first attempt to generate insights on SDG impacts at the aggregate private sector level, breaking new ground in the worlds effort to evaluate progress on the SDGs. While methodologies exist to evaluate individual company contributions, this report focuses on aggregate sector-wide impact. In addition, the triangulation of data sources provides the opportunity to explore thematic insights across sectors, products, processes, and ESG reporting for the first time. Finally, this analysis is complemented by traditional tools. The first is a survey of over 2,800 business leaders to gauge sentiment on the private sectors role and contributions in progressing the SDGs. The second is an analysis of earnings call transcripts using CB Insights. The report was developed in partnership with the International Organization of Employers, International Chamber of Commerce, and World Business Council for Sustainable Development. With the support of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. About the UN Global Compact As a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies worldwide to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 18,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 101 countries, and 62 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the worlds leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with 732,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the worlds leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners, and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Contacts: Alex Gee United Nations Global Compact +447887 804594 gee@unglobalcompact.org media@unglobalcompact.org - Alexander Aizenberg Accenture +1 917 452 9878 alexander.aizenberg@accenture.com KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With studies revealing alarming statistics around children's screen time, Carrots&Cake unveils a science-based approach that makes kids screen time healthier. The platform maximizes the benefits of screens by allowing parents to set the order that kids interact with apps. This balanced approach avoids dopamine feedback loops and allows kids to develop self-regulation. Recent screen time studies point toward a growing crisis: In May 2023, the US Surgeon General issued an official advisory warning of the dangers associated with the overuse of social media and the mental health of kids. This call of urgent action urged policymakers, tech companies, and families to create healthier online environments to help children. Kids aged 9-12 average five hours and 33 minutes on screens daily. Kids aged 5-8 average just 5 minutes a day on learning apps.1 Carrots&Cake aims to change kids online behavior and help them develop healthy screen habits. With Carrots&Cake, parents can select any educational apps from the App Store what the startup refers to as Carrots. When kids turn on their iPhone or iPad these are the only apps they can access. When learning time finishes, the rest of the apps on the device unblock and kids can express their agency during free screen time Cake. The approach developed with parents, teachers, and doctors benefits the developing prefrontal cortex of kids. It balances dopamine levels, introduces delayed gratification, and leads to the development of self control, resilience, and grit. At the same time, it counters the persuasive design of apps that keep kids hooked. Kids have fewer screen time tantrums, and parents can hand over devices guilt-free. Early users report their kids' time on learning apps tripled, while overall screen time was cut in half. As a result, the science-based app was selected from a review of thousands of applicants to pitch in front of investors and press at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 as part of Startup Battlefield 200, the industrys preeminent startup competition. Meredith DePaolo, a Yale-educated mom of two, and Co-founder of Carrots&Cake, said: What kids do first matters. Just like a parent would never serve a child a plate of broccoli along with a big slice of cake, you cant hand kids an iPad with Duolingo and Tiktok and expect them to have the self-discipline to do any learning. With Carrots&Cake kids do their learning distraction free before streaming videos and playing games. They are no longer digital zombies. Co-founder Hamel Shah, a Cambridge graduate, INSEAD MBA, and dad of two, shared: While other screen time controls simply set a time limit on how long kids use their devices, Carrots&Cake takes a kid-friendly approach to screen time that accounts for childrens developing brains and lack of self-regulation skills. We combine learning and fun to make devices more beneficial and less addictive. Existing parental controls fall short. They cause stress in the parent-child relationship because they are one-sided, monitor kids private behavior, and use GPS to track kids. Screen use is controlled with simple time limits that fail to consider how the device is used impacts kids behavior. Often these controls get bypassed by tech-savvy kids. Carrots&Cake is committed to transforming the digital parenting landscape, ensuring children's screen time is safe, balanced, and healthy. It's not about limiting screen time; it's about elevating screen time and empowering families. Media Contact: Meredith DePaolo meredith@carrotsandcake.com +60 10 907 4578 _____________________ 1 Common Sense Media A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/031fd9dd-567a-40c5-b05c-deb467d11192 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e97b3c08-757d-4cf3-8555-cd55b1e4e789 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/759ee598-4760-476d-b9eb-ba626fd58bb6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/02b705ee-6866-4d31-942a-c1cc296cc67c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b35338d3-159f-43ec-8ad3-739a9c556935 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e22a193-4a21-4977-bd05-4e7ac3408153 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c92ee6b-2590-404e-ae82-6b7bc33b8644 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/136cdb0d-0264-42bc-b9c1-ddd8084713f3 SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Finisar Australia today introduced the worlds first twin 16x40 wavelength-selective switch (WSS) for use in next-generation reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) communication networks. An extension of Finisar Australias popular twin liquid-crystal on silicon (LCoS) platform, the Flexgrid 2x16x40 WSS features significantly more ports than previously available from Finisar or any other WSS supplier. This latest addition to the Finisar WSS portfolio offers expanded flexibility for next-generation ROADM deployments through colorless and directionless add-drop ports in a compact, high-performance WSS. The Flexgrid 2x16x40 WSS is the newest in Finisars extensive collection of WSS innovations, comprising the worlds first LCoS WSS in 2006, the worlds first flexible-grid WSS in 2010, the worlds first 1x20 WSS in 2011, the worlds first 6 THz WSS in 2019, the worlds first quad WSS in 2020, the worlds first C+L WSS in 2020, and the worlds first twin 1x48 WSS in 2021. Upon request, customized variants of the Flexgrid 2x16x40 WSS can support a wide variety of port configurations, including 2x30x30, and a wide variety of spectrum configurations, including the advanced C+L-band operating range that Finisar is already featuring in other products. As with all of Finisars Flexgrid WSS products, all variants of the Flexgrid 2x16x40 WSS support any channel width, from legacy fixed 50/100 GHz to arbitrary customer-controllable channels, using ITU-compliant Flexgrid technology. Samples of the Flexgrid 2x16x40 WSS are available now. Please contact Finisar Australia for more details at finisarwss.com. Building on the extensive LCoS WSS experience gained from over 10 billion operating hours in the field, Finisar Australia continues to innovate with exciting new LCoS WSS platforms and products that enable new applications for our customers worldwide. About Finisar Australia Finisar Australia provides world-class wavelength-selective switch (WSS) products to leading networking equipment manufacturers. For more information, visit finisarwss.com. Denver, Colorado, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TextUs , the leading text messaging platform that allows businesses to have engaging two-way conversations at scale, welcomes Nick Madison, CRO, to its executive leadership team. Nick brings more than 20 years of solution selling and leadership experience, having most recently led the sales efforts at Payscale, the industry leader in compensation data and technology. While at Payscale, Nick oversaw net new and customer sales globally as well as customer growth, managing a team of both individual contributors and sales leads. He successfully launched an international sales organization and helped Payscale exceed target revenue plans while serving as VP of Sales. Prior to joining Payscale, Nick spent more than 15 years in progressive sales leadership roles at ServiceSource, the global leader in outsourced inside sales and customer success solutions, trusted by global market leaders like Cisco, Microsoft, and Google. Nicks expertise in enterprise selling and leading global sales teams will serve TextUs well as the company expands its foothold in larger organizations looking to optimize the motions of their recruiting, selling, marketing and workforce management efforts. Im thrilled to be joining such a great team, notes Nick. TextUs is a leader in a critical and emerging space around how we better communicate with prospects, customers, and recruits. The platform drives significant incremental value by improving the ways organizations can engage with their target audiences and I look forward to continuing to define this space and deliver additional ways to help our customers, he adds. We are excited to have such an accomplished sales leader join the TextUs team. Nicks experience scaling and leading high performing sales organizations will be a great fit for our company said Martin Payne, CEO of TextUs. His knowledge of sales strategy, deal management, and people development will allow us to accelerate revenue growth and extend our position in the market. TextUs has established a leadership position by delivering a texting platform that allows companies to maximize engagement, thus accelerating pipeline creation and driving improved conversion rates along the buyer and candidate journey. As more companies seek solutions to effectively connect with customers, candidates, and employees, text messaging has become the most effective communication channel. Garnering a 98% read rate and response rate up to 10x higher than email or phone, textings higher engagement rate leads to higher productivity and, ultimately, more revenue and profitability for companies. About TextUs TextUs is the leading business text messaging software that enables organizations to have engaging real-time conversations with customers, candidates, and employees. TextUs integrates with several customer relationship management (CRM) and applicant tracking system (ATS) platforms, making texting an easy and seamless extension of current business systems. With a 98% read rate and up to 45% response rates, TextUs delivers engaging two-way text messaging combined with automated campaign features to connect businesses with their contacts in real time. To learn more, visit www.textus.com . Attachment SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WIN SOURCE is proud to announce that Source Todays recently published supply chain listings for 2023 placed the company in its Top 50 electronic component distributors for 2023. Indeed, positioned at number 18 in the list, WIN SOURCE ranked within the top 20 electronic component distributors worldwide. The annual listings highlight and recognise the industrys most successful and best performing companies for the year, but for WIN SOURCE the high ranking means more than just marketplace recognition. To be ranked amongst and above some of the biggest and recognised names in component distribution companies elevated due to continued pursuit of excellence, quality and customer satisfaction signals a time of celebration for WIN SOURCE but also a moment from which to move forward and progress further. The Top 20 placement singles WIN SOURCE out amongst its competitors but more importantly for the company, the international ranking is a testament to its success, hard won through its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. The ranking distinguishes WIN SOURCE as a market leader and an influential player, shaping the global electronics components distribution landscape. WIN SOURCE has positioned itself for this moment since its inception in 1999. The company has established itself through consistent innovation and its deep commitment to quality with an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction. The ethos of WIN SOURCE from the very beginning has been to provide a comprehensive and accessible inventory of over one million components for its customers to ensure parts can be found when needed. At the core of its approach sits WIN SOURCEs supplier management system which facilitates an efficient operation built on robust quality control. The company has distinguished itself in the eyes of manufacturers through its emphasis on quality assurance measures. Aligning itself with accreditations such as ISO9001 and ISO14001, WIN SOURCE signals the platforms commitment to quality and environmental management, whilst significantly reducing procurement risks. Furthermore, WIN SOURCE stands above the crowd with services including 24-hour delivery and 3 years standard warranty. It is the offering of such services that has marked out WIN SOURCE as a company committed to improving the efficiency of manufacturers. As an entity focussed on reducing its customers maintenance and operational costs, the company has earned recognition beyond customers alone but also amongst the leaders of the industry. WIN SOURCEs placement at number 18 in Source Todays Top 50 Electronics Distributors of 2023 is embraced by the company as both an achievement and a challenge. Buoyed by the accolade, the high placement also acts as a springboard from which to project beyond the existing boundaries of excellence in the electronics components industry. Transforming the recognition, bestowed by the Source Today ranking, into motivation, WIN SOURCE means to maintain its momentum to strive for even higher levels of performance. The companys intention is to focus on innovative solutions, further reducing production costs and improving efficiencies for customers, whilst all the while underpinning these with an unwavering commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Aware of the rapidly evolving landscape of the electronics industry, WIN SOURCEs commitment is to stay at the forefront of these changes. The company will continue to adapt its business model and operations to suit the latest trends and consumer needs, just as it has done up until this point. At this exciting time for the company, WIN SOURCE extends its sincere gratitude to its dedicated team, trusted suppliers and loyal customers, without whom this recognition would not have been possible. The company looks forward with animation to more years of growth, innovation and customer service excellence in the electronics components distribution industry. About WIN SOURCE Founded in 1999, WIN SOURCE provides comprehensive electronic component procurement services to manufacturers worldwide. In addition to 24-hour delivery, 3-year warranty, the company also combines extensive inventory, competitive pricing and robust digital tools to deliver tailored solutions through its B2B platform. Contact E-mail: service@win-source.net Phone: +86-755 -83957316 Website: www.win-source.net A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aa143f8a-9cd9-49b4-a59e-6d6edc41658d Pune, India., Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Within the Asia Pacific, dramatic changes in the wealth management landscape are driving wealth managers and private banks to re-evaluate and modernize their existing operating models. As technology companies increasingly become critical distribution platforms for wealth management products and services, robo-advisors are gaining huge traction. Strong consumer appeal, a rapidly rising middle class, and a shift towards investment products are some factors driving the Robo-Advisory market growth in China. According to PrivateBanker International, Chinese investors are more likely to use automated investment services. In contrast, only 4.2% of Chinese consumers use a robo-advisor as their primary investment provider, almost double the global average of 2.3%. And the proportion of individuals who have at least tried a robo-advisor stands at 31.8% in China, compared to 13.7% on a global scale. In addition, new entrants face competition from Chinas big tech giants, such as Ant Financial and Ping An-backed Lufax, and start-ups like WaCai. And the countrys big banks, such as China Merchants Bank, have developed their robot platforms. All such factors contribute to the Robo-Advisory market growth in China. Robo-Advisory Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $6.88 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach $61.51 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 44.1% from 2022 to 2030 according to a new report published by The Insight Partners. The growth of the Robo-Advisory market is driven by the increase in penetration of smartphones and the increase in request for automated investment solutions. However, increased security concerns are expected to hinder the Robo-Advisory market growth. Download Sample Pages: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00009316/ Browse Comprehensive TOC on "Robo-Advisory Market Size and Forecasts (2020 - 2030), Global and Regional Share, Trends, and Growth Opportunity Analysis by Type (Automated Robo-Advisors, Hybrid Robo-Advisors); Application (Automated Financial Planning, Financial Advice, Brokerage, Fund Platforms, Others) and Geography" Global Robo-Advisory Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in USD 6.88 Billion in 2022 Market Size Value by USD 61.51 Billion by 2030 Growth rate CAGR of 44.1% from 2022 to 2030 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Base Year 2022 Segments covered Type, Application, and Geography Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South & Central America. Country scope Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States Report coverage Revenue forecast, Company Analysis, Industry landscape, Growth factors, and Trends Robo-Advisory platforms provide various choices for fast, clear & scientific investment advice. The rise of the investor class of technology-savvy professionals who prefer digital & automated advice for managing their investments is increasing in India. In recent years, quite a few companies have started operations in the Robo-Advisory space. According to Tracxn, at present, there are 39 Robo-Advisory companies in India. Approximately ten of 39 fintech companies have announced receiving funding in the Robo-Advisory domain. The very early entrant was FundsIndia.com. FundsIndia is one of the largest Robo-Advisory firms in India. The company has received US$15.41 million from Foundation Capital, Inventus Capital Partners & Faering Capital. The other Robo-Advisory companies that have received substantial funding include MyUniverse and Scripbox. Automated financial advisory services are kicking up the action in India. All such factors provide lucrative growth opportunities for the Robo-Advisory market growth in India. A robo-advisor a technology-heavy alternative to trade stocks and commodities yourself in Germany. The main robo-advisors in Germany are Scalable Capital, Whitebox, Quirion, Liqid, fintego, and Growney, among others. According to BankingHub, there are currently around 30 robo-advisors. From an international perspective, the number of German robo-advisors is thus quite large. Despite their large number, providers in Germany currently only manage relatively limited asset volumes compared to international standards. The German Robo-Advisory market is increasingly becoming concentrated and competitive as Robos assets under management have been growing quickly in Germany. Furthermore, financial technology (FinTech) advances have enabled full automation in various asset management services, from client onboarding to portfolio management and the rebalancing of these portfolios. The combination of these automated services provided by robo-advisors is often regarded as an innovation in asset management with significant growth potential for the Robo-Advisory market in Germany. In addition, there is growing interest in providing robo-advisory services from start-up German FinTech firms to traditional banks and established asset management companies. Germans are also increasingly using financial technology. For instance, 20% of Germans have a financial app on their smartphone. All such factors contribute to the Robo-Advisory market growth in Germany. The number of robo-advisors is steadily increasing as these robo-advisory services are becoming more popular worldwide. Robo-advisors facilitate investing by minimizing research time, removing emotions when selecting investments, and automating the portfolio management process. The number of robo-advisors in the UK is increasing at a rapid pace. Some of the best robo-advisors in the UK are Moneyfarm, Nutmeg, InvestEngine, Clim8, Wealthify, IG Smart Portfolio, and eToro. All such factors contribute to the Robo-Advisory market growth in the UK. Rapid Digitalization In Financial Services Provides Lucrative Opportunities for Global Robo-Advisory Market: The financial services industry is currently in the midst of a transformation as industry players prepare to embrace the next major phase of digital transformation. Customers nowadays expect the same level of convenience and accessibility from financial services compared to other online services. To meet these requests and stay competitive, banking institutions are facing the need for digital transformation. The financial sector can boost innovation and entrepreneurship through digitalization and support transition. Digital transformation enables businesses to create more and more new opportunities, increase efficiency, and improve the customer experience. Furthermore, countries' financial services sector promotes economic growth and pro-employment macroeconomic conditions. Digital finance also creates opportunities to develop better banking and financial products and services for consumers and creates new ways of channeling funding to businesses, thus improving the financial sector. For instance, since the lockdown, there has been a 72% rise in the use of fintech apps in Europe. Digital transformation has caused organizations to invest more in platforms, further providing lucrative opportunities for Robo-Advisory market growth. Furthermore, increasing digitization promotes the adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data analytics. Through artificial intelligence and data, robo-advisors seek more in-depth information. They analyze financial activities such as investment, bank, and credit card transactions to determine the investor's true financial behavior. Moreover, integrating AI technologies into hybrid robo-advisory platforms can further enhance portfolio management, risk assessment, and personalized financial advice. Many enterprises have started leveraging use AI in the robo-advisory field. Betterment is one of these robo-advisor enterprises that uses AI to reduce taxes on transactions where machine learning algorithms select the specific tax consequences of the transactions. Similar to Betterment, SigFig also uses its AI engine automatically to allocate assets and determines which investments will result in minimum taxes. Order a Copy of this report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00009316/ Global Robo-Advisory Market: Segmental Overview Based on application, the Robo-Advisory market is segmented into automated financial planning, financial advice, brokerage, fund platforms, and others. Robo-advisors provide financial planning services through automated algorithms with no human intervention. The larger an organization, the greater the need for better financial planning and analysis. Any delays or mistakes in financial planning could lead to severe consequences. Many organizations are struggling to meet these expectations in the financial planning process. Thus, Robo-Advisory services are increasingly used for automated financial planning, contributing to the segments growth in the Robo-Advisory market. Global Robo-Advisory Market: Competitive Landscape AXOS INVEST, INC.; BETTERMENT LLC; CHARLES SCHWAB AND CO., INC.; FUTUREADVISOR; HEDGEABLE, INC.; NUTMEG SAVING AND INVESTMENT LIMITED; PERSONAL CAPITAL CORPORATION; SIGFIG WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC; THE VANGUARD GROUP, INC.; WEALTHFRONT CORPORATION are a few of the key companies operating in the Robo-Advisory market. The robo-advisory market leaders focus on new product launches, expansion and diversification, and acquisition strategies, which allow them to access prevailing business opportunities. Global Robo-Advisory Market - Key Industry Dynamics: Drivers: Increased request for personalized investment solutions Surge in adoption of digital platforms and mobile devices Restraints: Increase in security concerns Opportunities: Rapid digitalization in financial services Future Trends: Rising adoption of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Data Analytics Recent Developments: In January 2023 : M&G Wealth announced the launch of a hybrid robo-advisor. This new platform uses an algorithm to determine each customer's risk appetite, financial knowledge and financial situation. Available as an app on Android and iOS and a web application, the platform provides investors with access to a choice of 'classic' and 'targeted' portfolios. Such product launches are anticipated to support the Robo-Advisory market growth. : M&G Wealth announced the launch of a hybrid robo-advisor. This new platform uses an algorithm to determine each customer's risk appetite, financial knowledge and financial situation. Available as an app on Android and iOS and a web application, the platform provides investors with access to a choice of 'classic' and 'targeted' portfolios. Such product launches are anticipated to support the Robo-Advisory market growth. In March 2022 : flatexDEGIRO AG, Europe's largest and fastest-growing online broker for retail investors, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to extend its long-standing B2B partnership with digital wealth manager Whitebox, one of the independent robo-advisors for retail investors. Together, flatexDEGIRO and Whitebox offer a fully digital investment solution to flatexDEGIRO's customers. Such partnerships are anticipated to flourish the Robo-Advisory market growth. Go through further research published by The Insight Partners: (Purchase with 10% Instant Discount): Robo-Advisory Software Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2030 Wealth Management Platform Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2028 WealthTech Solution Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2028 About Us: The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials. Contact Us: If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us: Dublin, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "ASEAN Home Improvement Market (Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia): Insights & Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2023-2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The ASEAN home improvement market is on a growth trajectory, with a forecasted value of $13.00 billion by 2027, experiencing a robust CAGR of 9.33% during the period from 2023 to 2027. Key Growth Factors: Population Growth: The increasing population in ASEAN countries is driving the demand for home improvement products. As more families expand and urbanize, the need for enhancing living spaces becomes a top priority. The increasing population in ASEAN countries is driving the demand for home improvement products. As more families expand and urbanize, the need for enhancing living spaces becomes a top priority. Urbanization: Rapid urbanization is a key factor contributing to the market's expansion. As more people move to urban areas, they seek to improve their living conditions, resulting in a surge in demand for home improvement products. Rapid urbanization is a key factor contributing to the market's expansion. As more people move to urban areas, they seek to improve their living conditions, resulting in a surge in demand for home improvement products. E-commerce Penetration: Rising e-commerce penetration is positively impacting the market. Consumers now have easier access to a wide range of home improvement products online, which has fueled market growth. Rising e-commerce penetration is positively impacting the market. Consumers now have easier access to a wide range of home improvement products online, which has fueled market growth. Work from Home Trend: The increase in work-from-home and freelancing jobs is contributing to the market's growth. With more individuals working remotely, there is a growing emphasis on creating comfortable and efficient home office spaces. Challenges: Labor Shortage: A shortage of labor in some ASEAN countries could pose challenges to the market. The construction and home improvement industries heavily rely on skilled labor, and shortages can lead to project delays and increased costs. A shortage of labor in some ASEAN countries could pose challenges to the market. The construction and home improvement industries heavily rely on skilled labor, and shortages can lead to project delays and increased costs. Economic Slowdown: Economic slowdowns may impact consumer spending on home improvement. During periods of economic uncertainty, individuals and households may delay or scale down renovation projects. Market Segmentation: The ASEAN home improvement market includes key regions such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. Within these regions, the market is segmented into various categories: Bathroom and Sanitaryware Home Paint Hardware Kitchen Sinks Power Tools Wall Coverings Hand Tools Retail Space Per Capita: Malaysia holds the dominant share of home improvement retail space per capita in 2022, followed by Thailand. Factors such as unaffordable home loans and rising disposable income have contributed to this growth. The availability of retail space enables consumers to explore a wide range of products and make informed choices. Key Players: Leading players in the ASEAN home improvement market include Ace Hardware Indonesia, Dairy Farm International Holding Limited, Siam Global House Public Company Limited, Home Product Center Public Company Limited, Mr D.I.Y. Group, and AllHome Corp. These companies play a pivotal role in shaping the market's competitive landscape. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 82 Forecast Period 2023 - 2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $9.1 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $13 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.3% Regions Covered Asia Pacific For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ii4z0b About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Pune, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The SNS Insider report indicates that the Retail Point-Of-Sale Terminals Market reached a value of USD 20.44 billion in 2022, with projections suggesting it will expand to USD 58.71 billion by 2030, experiencing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.1% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2030. Download Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/3561 Market Overview In the fast-paced world of retail, efficiency and accuracy are paramount. This is where Retail Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals come into play, transforming the way businesses handle transactions and interact with customers. Retail POS terminals are sophisticated, multifunctional devices that serve as the epicenter of a retail establishment's operations, combining hardware and software to streamline the entire sales process. Retail Point-Of-Sale Terminals Market Overview & Scope: Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2022 USD 20.44 billion Market Size by 2030 USD 58.71 billion CAGR CAGR of 14.1% From 2023-2030 Key Segments By Product (Fixed, Mobile) By Component (Hardware, Software, Services) By End User (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Grocery Stores, Specialty Stores, Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, Discount Stores, Other End Users) Key Market Players Acrelec, AURES Group, HM Electronics, Hewlett Packard Development LP, NCR Corp., Oracle, Presto Group, Quail Digital, Revel Systems, Toast, Inc., Toshiba Corp., TouchBistro, Xenial, Inc. and other players 20% free customization scope (equivalent to 50 analyst working hours) If you need specific information as per your business requirement, which is not currently within the scope of the report, we will provide it to you as a part of customization. Pricing & Purchase Options Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options. Market Analysis The retail point-of-sale terminals market is a dynamic and ever-evolving industry that plays a critical role in the retail sector. The ongoing digital transformation in the retail industry is a significant driver for the POS terminals market. Retailers are increasingly adopting advanced POS solutions to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and collect valuable data for better decision-making. With consumers demanding seamless shopping experiences both in-store and online, retailers are investing in versatile POS systems that can handle orders, inventory management, and customer data across various channels. This trend has driven the demand for integrated and cloud-based POS solutions. The rise of e-commerce has pushed brick-and-mortar retailers to integrate their online and offline operations. Modern POS terminals play a crucial role in facilitating this integration by allowing retailers to synchronize inventory, manage orders, and offer click-and-collect services. Key Takeaway from Retail Point-Of-Sale Terminals Market Study In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, supermarkets and hypermarkets have consistently held a dominant position, and this trend is set to extend its reach into the market. Supermarkets and hypermarkets typically offer a wide array of products spanning various categories, including groceries, electronics, clothing, and household items. As a result, they require versatile POS systems capable of accommodating diverse product types and handling complex inventory management. The software segment is poised to dominate the market due to several compelling reasons. Retailers increasingly demand POS software that can be tailored to their specific needs. Software solutions offer the flexibility to customize the user interface, workflows, and reporting capabilities, ensuring a seamless fit with a retailer's unique requirements. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/3561 Recent Developments Pine Labs, a leading provider of payment and merchant commerce solutions, has joined forces with ICICI Bank, one of India's largest private sector banks, to introduce a groundbreaking innovation in the world of digital payments - the Digital Rupee on Point of Sale (PoS) terminals. PopID, a leader in facial recognition technology, has joined forces with Toshiba to pioneer innovative Point-of-Sale (POS) systems that promise to revolutionize the way businesses interact with customers. This partnership brings together PopID's cutting-edge facial recognition software and Toshiba's expertise in hardware solutions to create a seamless and secure payment experience for customers and businesses alike. Market Dynamics Analysis The dynamics of the retail point-of-sale terminals market are characterized by a multifaceted interplay of drivers, restraints, challenges, and threats. On the driver's side, the market is propelled by the relentless push for digitalization within the retail sector, as businesses seek to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences. Additionally, the growing demand for contactless payment options and the integration of advanced technologies like NFC and QR codes have significantly boosted the adoption of POS terminals. However, this surge in demand is not without its restraints and challenges. High initial costs for implementing advanced POS systems can act as a barrier for small businesses, and the ongoing need for software updates and cybersecurity measures adds to the overall cost of ownership. Furthermore, the increasing threat of cyberattacks on retail systems poses a significant risk to both businesses and consumers, necessitating constant vigilance and investment in cybersecurity measures. Buy This Exclusive Report: https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/3561 Key Regional Developments North America remains a dominant force in the global retail point-of-sale terminals market due to its large retail sector and technological advancements. The region is characterized by a high adoption rate of EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) chip-based cards, which has driven the demand for EMV-compliant POS terminals. Europe is a mature market for retail POS terminals, with a strong emphasis on data security and compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). The region is witnessing a shift towards cloud-based POS systems, offering scalability and flexibility to retailers. The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing robust growth in the retail POS terminal market, primarily driven by the rapid expansion of the retail industry in countries like China and India. Impact of Recession During a recession, consumers tend to tighten their belts and reduce discretionary spending. This directly affects the retail industry, as consumers become more cautious with their purchases. As a result, retailers may delay or scale back investments in new POS terminals or related technology upgrades to cut costs. Retailers may prioritize efficiency and cost savings during a recession. This can lead to a greater emphasis on data analytics and inventory management capabilities within POS systems to reduce wastage, optimize stocking levels, and identify sales trends. Government stimulus packages and economic recovery initiatives can also influence the retail point-of-sale terminals market. Subsidies or incentives for technology investments may stimulate demand among retailers. Browse Adjacent Markets: Semiconductor Industry Research or Information & Communication Technology Industry Research Reports & Consulting About SNS Insider At SNS Insider, we believe that businesses should have access to the best market intelligence and insights, regardless of their size or industry. That's why we offer a range of solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, from startups to big corporations. With a passion for our work and an unwavering commitment to delivering value, we are dedicated to helping our clients achieve their full potential. Dublin, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Magnetic Materials Market 2023-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Magnetic Materials Market is poised for significant expansion, with an expected growth of USD 12,910.29 million during the period 2022-2027. The market's growth is projected to accelerate at a CAGR of 6.56% over the forecast period. The comprehensive report on the magnetic materials market provides a thorough analysis, including market size, trends, growth drivers, challenges, and vendor analysis. Driving Factors and Market Segmentation The magnetic materials market's growth is propelled by various factors, including the increased applicability of magnetic materials in the computer application industry, rising investment in magnetic materials, and a surge in iron ore production volume. The market is segmented by application (automotive and transportation, electronics and instrumentation, industrial, and others), by product (hard magnetic materials and soft magnetic materials), and by geographical landscape (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, Middle East, and Africa). Advancements in AI Simulations and Nanocrystalline Magnetic Particles The market's growth is also being driven by advancements in AI simulations for magnetic material geometry designs. This trend aligns with the growing demand for sophisticated design techniques. Additionally, the increasing use of nanocrystalline magnetic particles in the biomedical industry and the emphasis on semi-hard magnets are contributing to the market's growth. Leading Players and Industry Insights The report offers a robust vendor analysis to help companies enhance their market positioning. Key magnetic materials market vendors include Alliance LLC, Arnold Magnetic Technologies Corp., Carpenter Technology Corp., Daido Steel Co. Ltd., DEXTER MAGNETIC TECHNOLOGIES, Dura Magnetics Inc., Electron Energy Corp., Grundfos Holding AS, Hengdian Group Holdings Ltd., Lynas Rare Earths Ltd., Magna Tronix Pvt. Ltd., Magnaworks Technology Inc., Magnet Expert Ltd., Merck KGaA, Nippon Steel Corp., TDK Corp., The InterTech Group Inc., Toshiba Corp., TyTek Group, and Hitachi Ltd. Trends and Analyst Commentary An analyst from the research team highlighted the trend of AI simulations for magnetic material geometry designs as a key driver. This trend signifies the growing integration of advanced technologies in the market. Conclusion and Future Growth The magnetic materials market is on track for substantial growth, driven by factors such as increased applicability in various industries, technological advancements, and growing investments. The comprehensive report offers insights into market dynamics, vendor analysis, and growth projections, aiming to assist companies in strategic decision-making. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/adyra8 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Cost per reach estimated at $0.0063 for the more than 10,000 paid posts made on the Thumzup Platform since inception Los Angeles, CA, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thumzup Media Corporation ("Thumzup" or the "Company") (OTCQB: TZUP) is pleased to announce that it is has estimated its cost per reach to be $0.0063 for the more than 10,000 paid posts* on its platform since inception. Thumzup recently announcing its userbase has grown by more than 786 percent this year. The Thumzup mobile app, which is available for download in the App Store and Google Play, enables advertisers to garner user generated content from customers and fans, incentivizing them to become social media advocates for the brands they enjoy by paying them cash for approved posts. On account of 11,695 posts made through the Thumzup Platform from November 6, 2021 to August 23, 2023, the Instagram followers of all accounts total 24,994,178 followers in the aggregate. Had the listed Thumzup advertisers paid full price for these campaigns, the total cost would be approximately $157,158 which if it were divided by the total followers would result in an estimated Cost Per Reach of $0.0063, well below the Cost Per Reach of other major social media advertising platforms** stated Robert Steele, Chief Executive Officer of Thumzup Media Corporation. Thumzup demonstrates one of the most compelling values in advertising: it can reach a very large audience at a low cost per person. Further, we believe these posts are more valuable than traditional digital ads because they are real people telling their friends about brands and businesses that they love. For our physical retail businesses, these posts are largely made by people who live in the neighborhood near the advertiser. This is referred to as hyper-local within the industry. We believe that Thumzup is a powerful hyper local advertising tool for retail businesses. Its also important to note that (i) these posts were made for 163 different advertisers, (ii) the Thumzup users who made posts had between 50 and 640,000 followers, and (iii) the average Thumzup user during this period had 3,408 followers giving each post a weighted average potential reach of 2,137 followers. As we continue to collect and refine this important data, we believe that the value add of Thumzups platform will continue to resonate with small businesses and users alike. *Defined as Thumzup paying a user of its platform for a post on the users social media account on behalf of a listed business **https://dashthis.com/kpi-examples/cost-per-reach-cpr/ About Thumzup Thumzup Media Corporation (Thumzup) is democratizing the multi-billion dollar social media branding and marketing industry. Its flagship product, the Thumzup platform, utilizes a robust programmatic advertiser dashboard coupled with a consumer-facing App to enable individuals to get paid cash for posting about participating advertisers on major social media outlets through the Thumzup App. The easy-to-use dashboard allows advertisers to programmatically customize their campaigns. Cash payments are made to App users/creators through PayPal and other digital payment systems. Thumzup was recently featured on CBS News Los Angeles and is a publicly traded company (OTCQB stock ticker: TZUP). For more information, please visit https://www.thumzupmedia.com . Legal Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, statements about its potential growth, impacts on the advertising industry, plans for potential uplisting, and planned expansion. These statements are identified by the use of the words "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. AN OFFERING STATEMENT REGARDING THIS OFFERING HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SEC. THE SEC HAS QUALIFIED THAT OFFERING STATEMENT, WHICH ONLY MEANS THAT THE COMPANY MAY MAKE SALES OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED BY THE OFFERING STATEMENT. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SEC HAS APPROVED, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION IN THE OFFERING STATEMENT. YOU MAY OBTAIN A COPY OF THE OFFERING CIRCULAR THAT IS PART OF THAT OFFERING STATEMENT FROM: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1853825/000149315222036476/partiiandiii.htm YOU SHOULD READ THE OFFERING CIRCULAR TO UNDERSTAND THE TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RISK FACTORS PRIOR TO CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT INTO THE COMPANY. Contact Info: investors@thumzupmedia.com 800-403-6150 Attachment Shanghai, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DongCheng, a leading manufacturer of power tools and accessories, is thrilled to announce that its Cordless Grinder - Driver Tool has been awarded the 2023 French Design Gold Award. The innovative Grinder and Screwdriver 2-in-1 work tool has set a new standard in convenience and versatility, while also meeting the highest standards of aesthetics, innovation, ergonomics, and design impact. "We are absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award and to be recognized for our commitment to innovation and design," said the product's designer. This rotary tool is a game-changer for the industry and we are proud to offer a product that not only improves safety and usability, but also contributes to a more sustainable future. The patented internal structural layout of one motor and two output components at opposite ends to ensure non-interference during operation and the clever placement of the anti-disoperation switch lock make the tool easier to operate, enhancing its safety and usability. Additionally, the tool is made from recycled flame-retardant materials, ensuring it remains useful even after its useful life is over. DongCheng 2-in-1 Cordless Grinder - Driver Tool (Rotary Tool) can now proudly wear the French Design Gold Award logo for life, proving its excellence in design and impact on society. DongCheng is always committed to providing customers with innovative and sustainable solutions, and looks forward to continuing to push the boundaries of design and functionality in the industry. "We dedicate this achievement to all our colleagues involved in the creative design and realization of this product, who made all our innovation efforts worthwhile, said the designer. "We will continue to innovate and apply it to more new products, while adhering to the concepts of safety, reliability and environmental protection to give back all users' trust in DongCheng products." About DongCheng DongCheng is a leading manufacturer of professional power tools, equipment and accessories, committed to providing customers with innovative, reliable, safe and sustainable solutions. DongCheng focuses on design, quality and performance, offering a wide range of products to meet the needs of professionals and tool product enthusiasts. Attachments Dublin, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Laptop Carry Case Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Backpack, Messenger Bags, Sleeves, Briefcase, Rollers), By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global laptop carry case market is on a growth trajectory and is projected to reach a substantial USD 2.78 billion by 2030, fueled by a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.5% from 2022 to 2030. This surge is attributed to the increasing adoption of carry cases as essential accessories to safeguard laptops and tablets during travel, coupled with a growing sense of fashion consciousness and tech-savviness among consumers. Companies are driving innovation with features like multi-storage solutions, GPS tracking, anti-theft protection, built-in power supply, and device status notifications to accelerate market expansion. The rising consumer demand for lightweight laptop carry cases is compelling companies to invest in the development of new products, targeting both corporate and student segments. Furthermore, the proliferation of online stores, driven by the expanding smartphone user base, is facilitating convenient product access, transcending geographical boundaries. Laptop backpacks, in particular, have emerged as a dominant product segment, claiming the largest revenue share in 2021. Their functional design, capable of accommodating laptops, tablets, phones, water bottles, and other essentials for office, cafe, or park visits, has made them a preferred choice among students and corporate professionals. These backpacks, equipped with padded edges and pockets, ensure the safety of gadgets while distributing the weight across both shoulders, enhancing comfort during travel. In the distribution channel landscape, offline channels took the lead in 2021, securing the largest revenue share. As consumer purchase behavior has evolved dynamically, well-established laptop carry case companies are leveraging supermarkets and hypermarkets as effective platforms to showcase their brands, attracting consumers willing to invest in premium products. Simultaneously, small retailers are actively seeking opportunities to establish and maintain efficient retail chains. The Asia Pacific region is poised for significant growth during the forecast period, driven by rising disposable incomes and increased spending on technological gadgets. The mounting use of computers for personal and commercial purposes in the region is fueling the demand for laptop carry cases. Developing nations like India and China are witnessing a surge in laptop adoption among their youth populations, directly contributing to the demand for laptop carry cases. Notably, the market is characterized by the presence of a few dominant players. Companies Mentioned in the Report: Samsonite International S.A. Targus ACCO Brands SWISSGEAR ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Fabrique LTD. Thule Group Sanwa Supply Inc. Lenovo Belkin International, Inc. Key Highlights from the Laptop Carry Case Market Report: Asia Pacific is projected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period, driven by the increasing demand for laptop backpacks among students and employees, as well as the proliferation of schools, colleges, and offices in the region. The backpack product segment is anticipated to achieve the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2030, owing to their versatile design and ability to carry multiple items, including laptops, tablets, phones, and more, making them indispensable for daily routines. The offline distribution channel segment accounted for over 60.0% of the revenue share in 2021, as established laptop carry case companies find supermarkets and hypermarkets as effective platforms to market their brands to consumers willing to invest in quality products. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 80 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $1.68 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $2.78 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.5% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope Chapter 2. Executive Summary Chapter 3. Laptop Carry Case Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.2. Industry Value Chain Analysis 3.2.1. Profit Margin Analysis 3.3. Market Dynamics 3.3.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.3.2. Market Restraint Analysis 3.3.3. Market Opportunities 3.3.4. Market Challenges 3.4. Industry Analysis - Porter's Five Forces Analysis 3.5. Market Entry Strategies Chapter 4. Consumer Behavior Analysis Chapter 5. Laptop Carry Case Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis Chapter 6. Laptop Carry Case Market: Distribution Channel Range Estimates & Trend Analysis Chapter 7. Laptop Carry Case Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis Chapter 8. Competitive Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/id6ux About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Washington, D.C., Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Prevent Cancer Foundations Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program held its 30th Annual Action for Cancer Awareness Awards luncheon on Thursday, September 14 on Capitol Hill. The group honored TODAYs beloved Al Roker for Distinguished Service in Journalism; accomplished congressional spouses Patricia Garamendi (married to Rep. John Garamendi of California) and Martha McKenzie Hill (married to Rep. French Hill of Arkansas) for Congressional Families Leadership; Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland was honored with a Special Recognition Award presented by former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who publicly battled cancer shortly after his election in 2015. The Congressional Families Programs signature event is widely attended by members of Congress and their spouses, as well as leaders in the cancer prevention community and Program supporters, to recognize the contributions of those using their platforms to educate the public about cancer prevention and early detection. The theme of this years event was Early Detection = Better Outcomes, in recognition of the Prevent Cancer Foundations rallying cry on the importance of routine cancer screenings to detect cancer early. Fox News Chief National Correspondent and Prevent Cancer Foundation board member Jennifer Griffin served as the master of ceremonies. For 30 years, the Congressional Families luncheon has gathered a bipartisan community of members of Congress and their spouses to renew our commitment to cancer prevention and early detection and honor outstanding individuals for their contributions to this work, said Lisa McGovern, executive director of the Congressional Families Program. Each year, it is very moving for our honorees to receive their awards from a colleague from the other partyas we saw with Congressman Raskin and Governor Hogan today. When it comes to cancer prevention, we must all be on the same team. More about the 2023 honorees: Al Roker, Weather and Feature Anchor, TODAY and Co-Host, 3rd Hour of TODAY Distinguished Service in Journalism Award In November 2020, Al Roker revealed on TODAY that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The cancer was discovered after bloodwork taken during a routine physical showed his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were elevated, which can indicate cancer or other issues. By sharing his journey, Mr. Roker has brought attention to the increased risk of prostate cancer for Black men and the importance of early detection. Years before his diagnosis, in 2017 and 2019, he participated in public service announcements about the importance of prostate cancer checks. Congressman Jamie Raskin (8th District, Maryland) Special Recognition Award Congressman Jamie Raskin is a legislative cancer champion and shares his personal experience to raise awareness about the importance of cancer prevention and early detection. Prior to serving in Congress, he was diagnosed and successfully treated for stage III colon cancer. Since his election in 2017, Congressman Raskin has utilized his platform to educate the public. In 2022, Congressman Raskin was diagnosed with a serious but curable form of lymphoma. With characteristic humor and grace, he publicly shared about his diagnosis and treatment, which he concluded in April; his cancer is now in remission. Patricia Garamendi (married to Congressman John Garamendi, California) Congressional Families Leadership Award Patricia Garamendi is a longtime member and leader of the Congressional Families Program Advisory Committee. As the current president of The Congressional Club (which in 1991 was the founding partner of the Congressional Families Program), Mrs. Garamendi has continued the clubs commitment to raising awareness about cancer prevention and early detection as a top service priority. The Garamendis attend Congressional Families educational events and share vital information and personal stories through social media posts, op-eds, newsletter articles and videos. Martha McKenzie Hill (married to Congressman French Hill, Arkansas) Congressional Families Leadership Award Martha McKenzie Hill is a leader who raises awareness about cancer prevention and early detection both as a member of the Congressional Families Program Executive Council and as a powerful voice in her home state. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciencesthe states only academic medical centerwhich is seeking a National Cancer Institute designation. Mrs. Hill is a fierce advocate for providing access to cutting-edge care to all Arkansans, particularly in rural and medically underserved communities; her work raises awareness of the needs of these communities and how to effectively address them. ### About the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program is a nonpartisan initiative to increase the publics understanding of cancer prevention and early detection. Families of Senate, House, Cabinet and Supreme Court members are invited to work within their respective constituenciesand nationwideto raise awareness and reduce risk for these diseases. When the Congressional Families Program launched in 1991 as a partnership between the Prevent Cancer Foundation and The Congressional Club, initial efforts focused on breast cancer. The success of the Programs first five years led to the expansion of its scope to include colorectal, liver, lung, oral, prostate, skin, testicular and cervical cancers, as well as HPV-related cancers. The Program offers participants video opportunities, ready-to-use social media posts, talking points, op-eds, speeches, educational resources for events and materials to share in their districts and beyond. With these tools, the Congressional Families Program takes the message of cancer prevention and early detection into communities across the United States. For more information, please visit www.congressionalfamilies.org. About the Prevent Cancer Foundation The Prevent Cancer Foundation is the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection. Through research, education, outreach and advocacy, we have helped countless people avoid a cancer diagnosis or detect their cancer early enough to be successfully treated. We are driven by a vision of a world where cancer is preventable, detectable and beatable for all. The Foundation is rising to meet the challenge of reducing cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. To achieve this, we are committed to investing $20 million for innovative technologies to detect cancer early and advance multi-cancer screening, $10 million to expand cancer screening and vaccination access to medically underserved communities, and $10 million to educate the public about screening and vaccination options. For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org. Attachments Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Empathy educator and researcher, Kristen Donnelly, PhD, in collaboration with history and anthropology expert, Erin Hinson, PhD, announce the upcoming release of their book titled The Culture of Burnout. Set to launch in October, the book delves deep into the complicated aspects of burnout culture in the workplace, exposing the potential for burnout in individuals and societies' glorification of these concerns. As co-founders of Abbey Research, Kristen and Erin bring together their diverse expertise to shed light on the prevalent issue of burnout across various sectors, ranging from manufacturing to education, and offer invaluable insights into employee engagement and retention. The book presents a compelling argument that the country has become entrenched in a burnout culture, where individuals face an inherent risk of succumbing to the detrimental effects of exhaustion. Celebrating burnout has become an unfortunate norm, leading to negative consequences for individuals and society at large. The genesis of this profound exploration in the book came from Kristen Donnelly's personal experiences as an expatriate. Upon returning home after a significant period abroad, she realized she missed the person she had become during her stay overseas, a person unburdened by the constant pressure of burnout. Driven by her curiosity, she embarked on a quest to understand why this shift occurred and why exhaustion seemed so inherent to American culture. Kristen and Erins research led to the realization that Puritanical theology played a significant role in shaping the cultural attitude toward work, emphasizing the virtues of hard work, individualism, and the disregard for rest and sleep. These beliefs seamlessly aligned with the capitalist framework that took root in America, shaping the American dream and perpetuating the burnout culture. The book meticulously examines the historical trajectory of these ideas, tracing how individualism superseded communal values and how this hyper-individualistic mindset continues to impact society to this day. By shedding light on these historical nuances, Donnelly and Hinson seek to foster a deeper understanding of the roots of burnout and its pervasive effects on both individuals and communities. The authors disagree with the notion that burnout is solely the individuals responsibility to address. They challenge conventional burnout solutions that place the burden on individuals to implement self-care practices like yoga and boundary setting. Instead, they propose a collective and cultural approach to tackle burnout. The authors offer a ray of hope by sharing practical steps to reformat personal and professional cultures for balance, rather than perpetuating the burnout cycle. By implementing small but impactful changes in daily life, individuals can cultivate environments that prioritize well-being and meaningful connections. Kristen Donnelly and Erin Hinson aspire to liberate readers from the shackles of burnout, prompting a paradigm shift in how individuals navigate life and work. Their vision is to see their work resonate widely, empowering people to break free from the burden of burnout and embrace lives filled with fulfillment and genuine connections. The Culture of Burnout will be available soon for preorder on Amazon. Media Contact: Contact:Kristen Donnelly Email:info@abbey-research.com With five decades of experience in Pennsylvanias oil industry, Scott Motter is the latest addition to Zefiro's operations team based in the Appalachian region. As Zefiro's Field Operations Supervisor, Mr. Motter will be providing expert oversight of the Company's well-plugging operations as Zefiro continues to decommission inactive and harmful wells in the United States. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZEFIRO METHANE CORP. (the Company, Zefiro, or ZEFI) which reduces methane emissions by plugging orphaned oil and gas wells across the U.S., today announced the appointment of Scott Motter as the Companys first Field Operations Supervisor. In this role, Motter will oversee Zefiros diverse portfolio of methane detection and measuring projects at an expanding number of active job sites throughout the Appalachian Basin. This announcement is the latest in a series of investments by the Company to bolster its operational capacity throughout the nation, highlighted by its recent acquisition of a leading oil and gas well plugging business in the Appalachian region. In a September 2023 video recently released by Zefiro, Scott Motter discusses the orphaned and abandoned well crisis in the United States, which he will work towards addressing in his role as Field Operations Supervisor for Zefiro. The video can be watched by clicking on the thumbnail above or by clicking here . Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access the Investors section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. For the past 14 years, Motter served as an Oil and Gas Inspector for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (an agency commonly known as the Pennsylvania DEP). As a state regulatory official, he aided in forming both public and private sector partnerships to help the agency better regulate plugging and drilling operations and ensure that the commonwealths energy needs were being met in a manner that properly protected natural resources. In addition to this critical front-line public sector experience, Motter has also held various field operations roles within the Pennsylvania oil industry over the past five decades. Whether it is working directly with well owners or efficiently marshalling the resources needed to measure the amount of gas leaking from a site, it is critical for a Field Operations Supervisor to be a seasoned expert that is trusted by key stakeholders and our on-site teams, said Curt Hopkins, Zefiros Chief Executive Officer. Scotts unique industry experiences, upstanding professionalism, and ability to connect with folks from a variety of backgrounds seamlessly fit the exacting needs of this role, and we are incredibly proud to have him join our team. Scott Motter is pictured with one of the vehicles in Zefiros fleet, which is used to carry out field operations including methane measurement and plugging of wells. Mr. Motter became Zefiros first Field Operations Supervisor this month, and is expected to be instrumental to the Companys Ground Game as a player in the oil and gas industry with an established presence throughout the Appalachian region. Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access the Investors section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. From the first day I spent pumping oil rod lines with my grandfather in Seneca, Pennsylvania, I have always felt that this profession was in my blood, said Scott Motter, Field Operations Supervisor for Zefiro. The countless men and women that I have been lucky enough to work alongside helped build America, and our countrys expanding orphaned well issue cannot be addressed without investing in their ability to find and cap these sites. I believe that Zefiro can best position more hardworking crews across the United States to get the job done, and I am excited to play my small part in helping protect our communities. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, ZEFIRO METHANE CORP. Curt Hopkins Curt Hopkins, CEO For further information, please contact: Zefiro Investor Relations 1-800-274-ZEFI (1-800-274-9334) investor@zefiromethane.com About Zefiro Methane Corp. Zefiro develops methodologies to reduce methane emissions by plugging orphaned and abandoned oil/gas wells, while originating carbon offsets. Under executive leadership to include the former carbon market team at J.P. Morgan, Zefiro actively deploys crews to decommission wells throughout the United States. With unprecedented global demand for carbon offsets as corporations and institutions work towards net-zero targets, Zefiro is strategically aligning with industry leaders for a greener future. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seeks, believes, plans, expects, intends, estimates, anticipates and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking information in this press release includes statements regarding the Company, the Companys business, the industry in which the Company operates, the Companys opportunities, strategies, competition, expected activities and expenditures as the Company pursues its business plan, the adequacy of the Companys available cash resources and other statements about future events or results. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse general market and economic conditions; (ii) changes to and price and volume volatility in the carbon market; (iii) changes to the regulatory landscape and global policies applicable to the Company's business; and (iv) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment where technologies are in the early stage of adoption. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions, including assumptions regarding general market conditions, the availability of financing for proposed transactions and programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of outside service providers to deliver services in a satisfactory and timely manner. The forward-looking information included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e99d1b23-7e42-4704-a007-4d8c2e838ac6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06df9e9b-252e-4a9e-8e2c-af65b569ef60 Clichy, France, September 15, 2023 BICs 3rd Quarter & 9 Months 2023 Results will be released on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, after the market close Gonzalve Bich, Chief Executive Officer Chad Spooner, Chief Financial Officer will host a webcast and conference call on Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. Paris (CET) time To participate to this conference call / webcast, either: c onnect to our website: https://investors.bic.com/en-us/agenda/2023 https://investors.bic.com/en-us/agenda/2023 join the webcast via the following link: https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/bic/20231026_1/ or dial-in via telephone: France: +33 (0) 1 70 37 71 66 U.K: +44 (0) 33 0551 0200 U.S.A: +1 786 697 3501 Vocal access code: BIC To ensure your participation, please dial-in 10 minutes before the start of the call. A replay of the webcast will be available via the same link as above. ABOUT BIC A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday Life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC Kids, BIC FlexTM, BodyMark by BICTM, Cello, Djeep, Lucky Stationery, Rocketbook, Soleil, Tipp-Ex, US. TM, Wite-Out, Inkbox and more. In 2022, BIC Net Sales were 2,233.9 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris"," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit www.bic.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. CONTACTS Investor Relations team investors.info@bicworld.com Kimberly Stewart Head of Investor Relations kimberly.stewart@bicworld.com Isabelle de Segonzac Image 7, Press Relations contact + 33 6 89 87 61 39 isegonzac@image7.fr Attachment ATLANTA, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GMT Capital Corp. ("GMT") today announces that it intends to oppose and vote against the proposed acquisition of Pipestone Energy Corp. ("Pipestone") by Strathcona Resources Ltd. ("Strathcona"). GMT opposes the acquisition of Pipestone by Strathcona for a number of reasons including that GMT believes the consideration offered by Strathcona undervalues the common shares of Pipestone (the "Pipestone Shares"). Full details of the reasons for GMT's position are set forth in an early warning report (the "Early Warning Report") and dissident proxy circular (the "Dissident Circular") filed by GMT on Pipestone's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The acquisition was initially announced by Pipestone and Strathcona on August 1, 2023 and involves the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Pipestone (the "Pipestone Shares") in exchange for common shares of Strathcona ("Strathcona Shares") by way of amalgamation pursuant to a plan of arrangement under Section 193 of the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) (the "Arrangement"). Pursuant to the Arrangement, each Pipestone Shareholder will receive 0.067967 Strathcona Shares for each Pipestone Share held. Pipestone shareholders will be asked to approve the Arrangement at a special meeting of the Pipestone shareholders scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time) on September 27, 2023 (the "Pipestone Meeting"). GMT is a significant shareholder of Pipestone as it, together with certain entities that may be considered joint actors of GMT, currently have control or direction of, directly or indirectly, 53,238,135 Pipestone Shares representing 19.03% of the issued and outstanding Pipestone Shares. This press release is being issued in accordance with GMT's early warning obligations under National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues ("NI 62-103"). As an eligible institutional investor under NI 62-103, GMT was previously qualified to file alternative monthly reports in respect of its shareholdings of Pipestone under Part 4 of NI 62-103; however, as a result of GMT's filing of the Dissident Circular and intent to oppose the Arrangement, GMT is now disqualified from the alternative monthly reporting system under NI 62-103 and as such is required to issue this press release and the corresponding Early Warning Report. The last alternative monthly report filed by GMT in respect of Pipestone was filed on February 10, 2023 (the "Alternative Monthly Report"). GMT's hedge fund and private client managed accounts (the "managed accounts") currently hold 37,675,762 Pipestone Shares ("Pipestone Shares") representing 13.47% of the issued and outstanding Pipestone Shares. Since the last Alternative Monthly Report, the number of Pipestone Shares held by managed accounts of GMT has increased by 533,600 Pipestone Shares and the percentage of the issued and outstanding Pipestone Shares held by managed accounts of GMT has increased by 0.14%. The managed accounts of GMT paid an aggregate price of CAD$1,568,980.83 for the Pipestone Shares acquired since the date of the last Alternative Monthly Report or an average price per Pipestone Share of CAD$2.94. The additional Pipestone Shares acquired since the last Alternative Monthly Report were acquired through the Toronto Stock Exchange or alternative exchanges and trading systems. In addition to the Pipestone Shares held by managed accounts of GMT, GMT Exploration Company LLC ("GMT Exploration"), a privately held independent oil and natural gas company that may be considered a joint actor under applicable securities laws, also holds Pipestone Shares. GMT Exploration currently holds 15,562,373 Pipestone Shares representing 5.56% of the issued and outstanding Pipestone Shares. There has been no change in the holdings of Pipestone Shares by GMT Exploration since the last Alternative Monthly Report. The Pipestone Shares were initially acquired in the ordinary course of business, for investment purposes only and not for the purpose of exercising control or direction over Pipestone. However, GMT now intends to oppose the acquisition of Pipestone by Strathcona pursuant to the Arrangement. In addition, upon delivery of the Dissident Circular to other shareholders of Pipestone, GMT intends to encourage such other Pipestone shareholders to vote against the Arrangement. Subject to any restrictions on the acquisition or disposition of Pipestone Shares by GMT under applicable securities laws, GMT and its managed accounts may from time to time acquire additional Pipestone Shares, dispose of some or all of the Pipestone Shares held by them, or may continue to hold Pipestone Shares currently held. As indicated above, Pipestone intends to hold the Pipestone Meeting for Pipestone shareholders to vote on the Arrangement at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time) on September 27, 2023, which will be held virtually. Details of the Pipestone Meeting can be found in Pipestone's management information circular dated August 25, 2023, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. For further information or to receive a copy of the Early Warning Report or Dissident Circular please contact: GMT Capital Corp. 2300 Windy Ridge Parkway Suite 550 South Atlanta, GA 30339 Note: Any reference to percentages of the issued and outstanding Pipestone Shares held by various entities as set out in this press release are based on there being 279,708,061 Pipestone Shares issued and outstanding, as represented in Pipestone's management information circular dated August 25, 2023. Visiongain has published a new report entitled Military Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) Technologies Market Report 2023-2033: Forecasts by End-user (Defence, Homeland Security), by Platform (Military Aircraft, Military Helicopters, Unmanned Systems), by Sensor Type (Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensors, Radar Sensors, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Sensors, Electronic Warfare (EW) Sensors), by Technology (Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Integration, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Technology, Network-Centric ISR Systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Integration, Other), by Application (Battlefield Surveillance, Border & Maritime Surveillance, Target Tracking & Identification, Search and Rescue Operations, Communication Intelligence (COMINT), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT)) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis. The global military airborne intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) technologies market was valued at US$18.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period 2023-2033. Growing Integrity Between Cyber Warfare and Electronic Warfare In the modern battlefield, electronic and cyber warfare are prevalent. ISR technologies have evolved to include electronic intelligence (ELINT) and cyber intelligence capabilities. Military airborne platforms equipped with ELINT sensors can detect and analyze enemy electronic signals, providing insights into their communications and radar systems. Additionally, ISR technologies support offensive and defensive cyber operations by identifying and countering cyber threats, ensuring dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum. Download Exclusive Sample of Report https://www.visiongain.com/report/isr-market-2023/#download_sampe_div How has COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the Military Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) Technologies Market? The COVID-19 pandemic had a notable impact on the Military Airborne ISR Technologies Market, introducing challenges and opportunities for the industry. The pandemic disrupted global supply chains, manufacturing operations, and international trade, leading to delays in the production and delivery of critical components for airborne ISR systems. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures further hampered collaboration and field-testing activities. The defence budgets of many countries were redirected towards healthcare and pandemic response efforts, resulting in reduced defence spending and potential budgetary constraints on military modernization projects, including airborne ISR technology acquisitions. Additionally, the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic prompted some defence agencies to reconsider their procurement priorities and timelines. However, the pandemic also underscored the importance of airborne ISR technologies in maintaining national security and responding to crises. The need for real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities became even more pronounced during the pandemic as governments sought to monitor and manage the spread of the virus, enforce lockdowns, and ensure public safety. This heightened demand highlighted the essential role of airborne ISR systems in addressing evolving security challenges. How will this Report Benefit you? Visiongains 450-page report provides 130 tables and 200 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the global military airborne intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) technologies market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for Military Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) Technologies. Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including end-user, platform, sensor type, technology, application and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing military airborne intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) technologies market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company. What are the Current Market Drivers? Rising Defence Spending in New Technologies Driving the Market Growth The growth of the market is being significantly driven by the rising defence spending on new technologies. A nation's military serves as a fundamental pillar for enforcing policies, safeguarding citizens, and upholding national security across domestic and international realms. As a paramount governmental responsibility, substantial budgets are allocated to military endeavors, commonly referred to as defence spending. In 2020, the global military expenditure reached approximately $1.981 trillion, reflecting the magnitude of resources dedicated to ensuring a country's security. The scale of military spending varies markedly among nations, often aligning with their size and specific security requirements. Predominantly, countries like China, India, and the United States boast the largest military establishments, commensurate with their global roles. While the majority of nations maintain armed forces, a few, only 36 to be precise, do not possess a military. Compulsory military service is a practice in numerous countries, further highlighting the prominence of defence capabilities in shaping national security. Growing Focus on International Peacekeeping and Alliances International peacekeeping efforts and alliances require coordination and intelligence-sharing among member nations. Military airborne ISR technologies play a pivotal role in these endeavors by providing surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor peacekeeping zones and respond to emerging threats. Collaborative efforts among nations to bolster security and maintain peace further fuel the demand for ISR technologies as nations pool resources and expertise to enhance global stability. Get Detailed ToC https://www.visiongain.com/report/isr-market-2023/ Where are the Market Opportunities? The Low Cost and Long Endurance of Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USVs) is Driving the ISR Technology Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are increasingly being deployed for a variety of missions, with the majority of assignments being non-lethal in nature. A poll conducted by Verdict revealed that the most urgent mission for USVs is intelligence surveillance and recognition (ISR), as indicated by 40% of respondents. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) garnered 29% of votes, while mine countermeasures (MCM) received 25% of votes. A smaller 7% of respondents favoured hydrographic surveys as the most pressing mission for USVs. The poll, based on 220 responses from readers of Airforce Technology, Army Technology, and Naval Technology. Unmanned surface vehicles are gaining prominence in the military unmanned vehicles sector due to their cost-effectiveness and reliability for a range of missions. These vehicles excel in ISR, transport, ASW, MCM, and area denial operations. Their versatility extends to collecting data above and below water, and they also serve as platforms for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Demand for Military Equipment is on the Rise as Governments Around the Globe are Concentrating on Military Modernization The global landscape is witnessing a surge in demand for military equipment, driven by a strategic focus on military modernization by governments across the world. As geopolitical dynamics evolve and security challenges become increasingly complex, nations are prioritizing the enhancement of their military capabilities to ensure national security and geopolitical influence. This heightened emphasis on modernization spans a wide spectrum of defence equipment, ranging from advanced weaponry and communication systems to sophisticated surveillance technologies and combat platforms. Governments recognize that maintaining a technologically advanced and well-equipped military is essential to deter potential threats, respond effectively to evolving security scenarios, and safeguard their interests. Competitive Landscape The major players operating in the military airborne intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) technologies market are BAE Systems PLC, Collins Aerospace, Elbit Systems Ltd, General Dynamics Corporation, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leonardo S.p.A, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Saab AB, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Thales Group. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch. Recent Developments 26 May 2023, Lockheed Martin Corporation has launched its new P-8A Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with advanced sensors and weapons systems that will enable it to perform a variety of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. 28 March 2023, The U.S. Army has selected Shield AI and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) to compete in Increment 2 of the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) competition to replace the venerable RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aerial system (UAS). To access the data contained in this document please email contactus@visiongain.com Avoid missing out by staying informed order our report now. To find more Visiongain research reports on the defence sector, click on the following links: Do you have any custom requirements we can help you with? Any need for a specific country, geo region, market segment or specific company information? Contact us today, we can discuss your needs and see how we can help: contactus@visiongain.com About Visiongain Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent market intelligence providers around, the company publishes hundreds of market research reports which it adds to its extensive portfolio each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis across 18 industries worldwide. The reports, which cover 10-year forecasts, are hundreds of pages long, with in-depth market analysis and valuable competitive intelligence data. Visiongain works across a range of vertical markets with a lot of synergies. These markets include automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors. Our customised and syndicated market research reports offer a bespoke piece of market intelligence customised to your very own business needs. Contact Visiongain Reports Limited Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100 Email: contactus@visiongain.com Web: www.visiongain.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Humane has awarded Prof. Theo B. Pagel, CEO of the Cologne Zoo in Germany, with the 2023 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation. This award was created in honor of Wolfgang F. Kiessling, the founder of Loro Parque and a global leader in conservation. Global Humanes Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation seeks to recognize those leading conservation scientists who are making positive and meaningful changes in the fields of conservation and species preservation. With the future of up to one million species under pressure, it is important that we recognize and celebrate animal conservationists who are racing against the clock to save them. Theo Pagel has led a global charge to push back the effects of what scientists call a Sixth Mass Extinction, with up to one million species at risk of disappearing forever. His ability to bring people together to make positive change for nature is inspiring, said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of Global Humane. We are so pleased to honor him with the Kiessling Prize as a hero for our planet and its animals. Pagel is the CEO of the Cologne Zoo and has led significant global change for animals. He was inspired at an early age by his father, also an animal lover, and started a breeding program in 1988 to save the endangered Bali Starling. His extraordinary breeding success both in zoos and in the wild includes the Bali Starling, the first German breeding of Little Penguin and the worlds first breeding of Elegant Pitta. What a great honour it is to receive the Kiessling Prize for Conservation. I am truly humbled, said Prof. Theo Pagel, CEO Cologne Zoo. I have always felt inspired to lead teams of enthusiastic animal experts and guide one of the most progressive and conservation-oriented zoos in Europe. Together, weve discovered new species and supported dozens of impactful conservation projects worldwide. Pagel was the former president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and currently co-chairs the international Reverse the Red (RtR) initiative of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The RtR is a global movement that ignites strategic cooperation and action to ensure the survival of wild species. There is simply no higher purpose than that to protect and preserve our worlds most precious asset animal life. It brings me great honor and pleasure to bestow this award on those who are leading the way in the field of conservation, said Wolfgang Kiessling, president, and founder of Loro Parque and Loro Parque Foundation. Media kit including photos, videos and soundbites can be found here for free use. About the Award : The Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation was created to shine an international light on those who achieve signicant positive change in the eld of conservation practice, theory, and research. The Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize committee is led by Wolfgang Kiessling, Christoph Kiessling, Cybell Kiessling, Dr. Javier Almunia, Dr. Robin Ganzert and Brad Andrews. The committee screens and votes on the applicants, ultimately choosing the top conservationist who receives the Kiessling Prize and a grant of $80,000 (U.S. currency) to help further their work to make signicant contributions to the practical application, research, and theory of species protection. The first winner of the award was Dr. Jon Paul Rodriguez, the Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. The Kiessling Prize is awarded annually. Applications for the 2024 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation will be open spring of 2024. Applicants can learn more about the prize and submit their credentials by visiting https://humaneconservation.org/kiessling/. About Wolfgang Kiessling and Loro Parque : Wolfgang Kiessling is a world-renowned conservationist and founder of Loro Parque, one of the most well-respected zoological institutions in the world, named twice #1 Zoo of the World by TripAdvisor, and known for the excellence of its facilities and its incredible work to save species on the brink of extinction. Up until today, Loro Parque Fundacion has saved 12 parrot species from extinction. Kiessling was awarded the Gold Medal of the bird journal Gefiederte Welt for the first breeding of the blue-throated macaw and was honored with the Gold Medal from the Government of the Canary Islands, the Gold Medal from the Government of Spain, named Adoptive Son of Tenerife by the Island Council as well as the Town of Puerto de la Cruz, and was also honored with Spains highest distinction: the Principe Felipe Award for Business Excellence. Founded in 1972 by Kiessling, Loro Parque was initially created as a paradise for parrots and began its journey with only 150 parrots. The park, located on the island of Tenerife in Spains Canary Islands, now has more than 4,000 specimens of 350 different species and subspecies of parrots, demonstrating its outstanding success in boosting the parrot population. Loro Parque is also home to flamingos, cranes, penguins, and swans, as well as many species of mammals and marine life. As billions of human beings exhaust the worlds resources, Loro Parque plays a critical role in education, science, and conservation. In 2017, Loro Parque become the first zoo in Europe to receive Global Humane Certification, reinforcing its recognition as a global leader in animal welfare. About Global Humane Global Humane is the international brand of American Humane, which is the United States first national humane organization and the worlds largest certifier of animal welfare, helping to verify the humane treatment of more than one billion animals across the globe each year. Founded in 1877, American Humane has been First to Serve the cause of animals and for 145 years has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in the humane movement. For more information or to support our lifesaving work, please visit www.AmericanHumane.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our channel on YouTube for the latest breaking news and features about the animals with whom we share our Earth. Media Contact: Judy Palermo judyp@americanhumane.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95200b90-dc13-4111-9cb3-260cab5eb499 Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the 2023 September cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute monthly (Funds). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on September 25, 2023, will receive per-unit cash distribution payable on or about September 29, 2023. Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follow: Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution per Unit PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PMIF $0.05347 PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) US$ PMIF.U US $0.05831 PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Fund (Canada) IGCF $0.05005 PIMCO Global Short Maturity Fund (Canada) PMNT $0.07965 PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PLDI $0.08807 The Manager, PIMCO Canada administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO), to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds. About PIMCO PIMCO was founded in 1971 in Newport Beach, California and is one of the worlds premier fixed income investment managers. Today we have offices across the globe and 3,000+ professionals united by a single purpose: creating opportunities for investors in every environment. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds, PIMCO Canadas and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law. No offering is being made by this material. Interested investors should obtain a copy of the prospectus, which is available from your Financial Advisor. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. All investments contain risk and can lose value. For a summary of the risks of an investment in a specific fund, please see the risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus. Investments made by a Fund and the results achieved by a Fund are not expected to be the same as those made by any other PIMCO-advised Fund, including those with a similar name, investment objective or policies. A new or smaller Funds performance may not represent how the Fund is expected to or may perform in the long-term. New Funds have limited operating histories for investors to evaluate and new and smaller Funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment and trading efficiencies. A Fund may be forced to sell a comparatively large portion of its portfolio to meet significant shareholder redemptions for cash, or hold a comparatively large portion of its portfolio in cash due to significant share purchases for cash, in each case when the Fund otherwise would not seek to do so, which may adversely affect performance. Funds can offer different series, which are subject to different fees and expenses (which may affect performance), having different minimum investment requirements and are entitled to different services. The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose. PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser. PIMCO as a general matter provides services to qualified institutions, financial intermediaries and institutional investors. Individual investors should contact their own financial professional to determine the most appropriate investment options for their financial situation. This material contains the current opinions of the manager and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America L.P. in the United States and throughout the world. 2023, PIMCO PIMCO Canada Corp. 199 Bay Street, Suite 2050, Commerce Court Station, P.O. Box 363, Toronto, ON, M5L 1G2, 416-368-3350 Contact: Agnes Crane PIMCO Media Relations Phone: +212 597.1054 TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: PFIA, PFSS, PFCB, PFAA) Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the September 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0457 per unit for the ETF units (ETF Units) of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Income Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the September 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0480 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Special Situations Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the September 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0401 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Core Bond Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the September 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0144 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Alpha Alternative Fund. Unitholders of record of the ETF Units, at the close of business on September 22, 2023, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on September 29, 2023. About Picton Mahoney Asset Management Picton Mahoney Asset Management specializes in differentiated investment solutions and rules-based volatility management. Picton Mahoney helps its clients fortify their portfolios based on experience honed over the years through different market cycles and investing environments. Founded in 2004 and 100% employee-owned, Picton Mahoney is a portfolio management boutique entrusted with over $9.5 billion (as at July 31, 2023) in assets under management. Pioneers of Authentic Hedge investment principles and practices in Canada, the firm offers a full suite of investment solutions, including mutual and alternative funds, to institutional and retail investors across the country. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, performance fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Alternative funds can only be purchased through a registered dealer and are available only in those jurisdictions where they may be lawfully offered for sale. For further information please contact: Arthur Galloway Picton Mahoney Asset Management Tel: (416) 955-4108 Web site: www.pictonmahoney.com Email: service@pictonmahoney.com WASHINGTON, DC, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace announced today that Penny Pritzker, former U.S. secretary of commerce, will be stepping down as chair of its Board of Trustees to serve as U.S. special representative for Ukraines economic recovery, and announces that Catherine James Paglia has been elected as chair to complete Pritzkers term. Pritzker stated, The Carnegie Endowment is among the worlds leading sources of independent research and ideas to help policymakers reduce conflict and build a more prosperous world. It has been an honor to serve this dynamic organization, which has achieved so many great things in its first 110 years and is well-positioned to take on the key global challenges of the next century and beyond. A prominent business leader, entrepreneur, public servant, and philanthropist, Pritzker is the founder and chairman of the investment firm PSP Partners and Pritzker Realty Group. Previously, Pritzker served as the secretary of commerce from 2013 to 2017 under then president Barack Obama. She was a key member of Obamas economic team and led the administrations trade and investment promotion efforts. President Joe Biden announced Pritzkers appointment yesterday. A year after joining Carnegies board, Pritzker was elected in 2018 to serve as chair. During her tenure, she has been instrumental in reaching numerous milestones at Carnegieincluding launching a successful $80 million capital campaign, the first in the organizations history, to secure Carnegies financial footing well into its next century. Pritzker played a critical role in establishing new leadership for Carnegie; she led the cultivation of a strong and diverse international board and, in 2021, welcomed Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuellar as Carnegies tenth president. Under her steady guidance, Carnegie also created several new streams of policy research, including the Africa Program and the Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program. Most recently, Pritzker oversaw the launch of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin. Pennys astute insights, deep knowledge, and innovative leadership have been invaluable to Carnegie at a time when our mission is enormously important to the world, said Cuellar. We look forward to working with her in her new capacity. Her generosity, wisdom, and dedication to Carnegie will leave a lasting legacyand I am grateful that our long-term board member Cathy Paglia will build on these achievements by completing Pennys term as chair at a critical time. Steven A. Denning, vice chair of Carnegies board and chairman emeritus of General Atlantic, is managing the board transition and said, It has been an honor to work alongside Penny. She has been a visionary leader for Carnegie, and we as an institution have benefited from her wisdom and guidance. Her expertise and dedication to public service, economic growth, and foreign affairs make her the ideal person to take on the new role of special representative for Ukraines economic recovery. We are fortunate to have a deep bench of expertise on the Carnegie board, and I am delighted to welcome Cathy Paglia into the role of chair. Paglia has an extensive Wall Street background, combined with operating experience as chief financial officer of two publicly held companies and investment experience as a principal in a successful buyout firm. Paglia currently is a director of Enterprise Asset Management, Inc., a privately held real estate and asset management company, where she is responsible for investments in real estate, oil and gas, and public and private equities. She is also responsible for the operation of the Robert and Ardis James Foundation, a family charitable foundation. Paglias Wall Street career spanned fourteen years, including eight years at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., where she was the first female managing director in the firms fifty-three-year history. She has a wide variety of transactional experience, including mergers and acquisitions, project finance and leasing, and general corporate finance. She cofounded Morgan Stanleys Insurance Group and built it into one of the largest in the industry. At Interlaken Capital, Inc., a principal investment firm located in Greenwich, Connecticut, Paglia was a managing director for ten years, with responsibilities including initiating transactions and overseeing portfolio investments in a wide variety of service businesses. Paglia serves on the Board of Trustees of Columbia Funds, a large mutual fund company, and is the lead director on the Board of Directors of Valmont Industries, Inc. She is on the Board of Trustees of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. She also serves as an appointee to the Investment Advisory Committee to the New York State Common Retirement Fund. She has a BA from Carleton College and an MBA from Harvard University. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a nonpartisan global think tank with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In a complex, changing, and increasingly contested world, the Carnegie Endowment generates strategic ideas and independent analysis, supports diplomacy, and trains the next generation of international scholar-practitioners to help countries and institutions take on the most difficult global problems and advance international peace. Vancouver, September 14, 2023 - Prospector Metals Corp. (TSXV: PPP) (OTCQB: PMCOF) (FSE: 1ET0) ("Prospector" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Dr. Rob Carpenter, Ph.D., P.Geo, to the position of President and CEO, with Alex Heath remaining as CFO and Director. Stated Rob Carpenter, "I would like to thank Alex Heath for his stewardship of the company and look forward to continuing to work together as we build Prospector. I strongly believe in our team's ability to make a significant discovery as we pursue our focus on Ni-Cu-PGE projects in under-explored regions." About Prospector Metals Corp. Prospector Metals Corp. is a Discovery Group Company with a business model focussed on district scale, early-stage exploration of gold and base metal prospects and create shareholder value through new discoveries. The Company's focus is to identify underexplored or overlooked mineral districts which display important structural and mineralogical similarities with well-endowed mining camps. The majority of the projects acquired by Prospector occur in Ontario, Canada, which is a tier-1 mining jurisdiction with abundant overlooked geological regions with high mineral potential. Prospector engages proactively with local and Indigenous rightsholders and seeks to develop relationships and agreements that are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Prospector Metals Corp. Dr. Rob Carpenter, P.Geo. President & CEO For further information about Prospector Metals Corp. or this news release, please visit our website at prospectormetalscorp.com or contact Alex Heath at 604-354-2491 or by email at alexh@prospectormetalscorp.com. Prospector Metals Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: discoverygroup.ca. Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to the Company's projects and the timing related thereto, the merits of the Company's projects, the Company's objectives, plans and strategies, and other project opportunities. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective,", "strategy", "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other agency or governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180644 Toronto, September 14, 2023 - Pedro Resources Ltd. (CSE: VBN) ("Pedro" or the "Company") reports that it continues to work towards closing the proposed $725,000 convertible debenture private placement financing (the "Offering") announced by the Company on July 14, 2023. The Company expects to close the Offering in or around early October. About Pedro Resources Ltd. Pedro Resources Ltd. is a Canadian exploration company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange focused on mineral exploration and development. For further information, contact: On behalf of the Board Brian Stecyk Chief Executive Officer and Director Tel: 780-953-0111 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements or information. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forwardlooking statements and information relating, the filing of the Company's financial statements. The forwardlooking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forwardlooking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forwardlooking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forwardlooking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forwardlooking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forwardlooking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180651 Vancouver, September 14, 2023 - Starcore International Mines Ltd. (TSX: SAM) ("Starcore" or the "Company") reports the results for the first quarter ended July 31, 2023, for the Company and its mining operations in Queretaro, Mexico. The full version of the Company's Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis can be viewed on the Company's website at www.starcore.com, or SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. All financial information is prepared in accordance with IFRS and all dollar amounts are expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. "Our quarterly production reflects our recent difficulties in reaching our higher-grade ore bodies or stopes," stated Robert Eadie, Chief Executive Officer. "We expect to achieve our targets over the remainder of the year as we are currently completing the development to the high-grade zones." Financial Highlights for the three-month period ended July 31, 2023 (unaudited): Cash on hand is $5.7 million and working capital of $6.2 million at July 31, 2023; Gold and silver sales of $6.23 million; Loss from mining operations of $0.75 million; Loss of $1.7 million, or $0.03 per share; EBITDA1 loss of ($0.8) million; The following table contains selected highlights from the Company's unaudited consolidated statement of operations for the quarters ended July 31, 2023 and 2022: (in thousands of Canadian dollars) (unaudited) Quarter ended July 31, 2023 2022 Revenues $ 6,233 $ 6,750 Cost of Sales (6,984 ) (5,703 ) Earnings from mining operations (751 ) 1,047 Administrative Expenses, interest and foreign exchange (835 ) (1,435 ) Loss on investment (213 ) (103 ) Deferred Income tax (expense) recovery 91 (166 ) Net income $ (1,708 ) $ (657 ) (i) Income (loss) per share - basic $ (0.03 ) $ (0.01 ) (ii) Income (loss) per share - diluted $ (0.03 ) $ (0.01 ) Reconciliation of Net income to EBITDA1 For the three months ended July 31, 2023 2022 Net Income (Loss) $ (1,708 ) $ (657 ) Unrealized loss on investment 213 103 Income tax expense (91 ) 166 Depreciation and depletion 775 987 EBITDA (811 ) $ 599 EBITDA MARGIN2 (13.0% ) 8.9% 1EBITDA ("Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization") is a non-GAAP financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS. It is therefore possible that this measure could not be comparable with a similar measure of another Corporation. The Corporation uses this non-GAAP measure which can also be helpful to investors as it provides a result which can be compared with the Corporation's market share price. 2EBITDA MARGIN is a measurement of a company's operating profitability calculated as EBITDA divided by total revenue. EBITDA MARGIN is a non-GAAP financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS. It is therefore possible that this measure could not be comparable with a similar measure of another Corporation. The Corporation uses this non-GAAP measure which can also be helpful to investors as it provides a result which can be compared with the Corporation's market share price. Production Highlights for the three-month period ended July 31, 2023: Equivalent gold production of 1,918 ounces; Mine operating cash cost of US$2,158/EqOz; All-in sustaining costs of US$2,234/EqOz; The following table is a summary of mine production statistics for the San Martin mine for the periods ended July 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the previous year ended April 30, 2023: Actual Results for Unit of measure 3 months ended July 31, 2023 3 months ended July 31, 2022 12 months ended April 30, 2023 Mine Production of Gold in Dore thousand ounces 1.8 2.7 9.4 Mine Production of Silver in Dore thousand ounces 12.3 18.6 48.1 Gold equivalent ounces thousand ounces 1.9 2.9 10.0 Silver to Gold equivalency ratio 82.0 86.0 84.8 Mine Gold grade grams/tonne 1.14 1.70 1.47 Mine Silver grade grams/tonne 14.4 21.3 13.5 Mine Gold recovery percent 84.0% 89.4% 87.1% Mine Silver recovery percent 45.8% 49.1% 48.6% Milled thousands of tonnes 57.7 55.3 227.8 Mine operating cash cost per tonne milled US dollars 72 67 67 Mine operating cash cost per equivalent ounce US dollars 2,158 1,272 1,535 Salvador Garcia, B. Eng., a director of the Company and Chief Operating Officer, is the Company's qualified person on the project as required under NI 43-101and has prepared the technical information contained in this press release. About Starcore Starcore International Mines is engaged in precious metals production with focus and experience in Mexico. While this base of producing assets is complemented by exploration and development projects throughout North America, Starcore is driven to expand its reach internationally. The Company is a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility and advocates value driven decisions that will increase long term shareholder value. You can find more information on the investor friendly website here: www.starcore.com. ON BEHALF OF STARCORE INTERNATIONAL MINES LTD. Signed "Gary Arca" Gary Arca, Chief Financial Officer and Director FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: GARY ARCA Telephone: (604) 602-4935 ROBERT EADIE Investor Relations Telephone: (604) 602-4935 Indeed Twitter Facebook The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed nor does it accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release contains "forward-looking" statements and information ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Company management and reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forwardlooking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections or other factors, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180705 Rupert Resources Ltd. ("Rupert Resources" or the "Company") announces Mr. Mike Sutton's retirement as of today from the Board of the Company. Eventual replacement of Mr. Sutton as a non-Executive Director is under consideration. James Withall, CEO of Rupert Resources, said "I would like to recognise Mike's many years of service as a Director and his valuable contribution to the Rupert Resources team in the development and success of the Company." Gunnar Nilsson, the Company's Chairman, said "Mike has been with the Company as a Director throughout the transformative period since 2016, from the original acquisition of Pahtavaara through to the discovery of the Ikkari deposit in 2020 and the continuing exploration and development which has followed. With his extensive professional experience, his guidance especially in technical matters has been of key importance. On behalf of the Company, I wish to thank him for his contribution over this time and wish him all the best for the future." About Rupert Resources Rupert Resources is a gold exploration and development company listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "RUP." The Company is focused on making and advancing discoveries of scale and quality with high margin and low environmental impact potential. The Company's principal focus is Ikkari, a new high quality gold discovery in Northern Finland. Ikkari is part of the Company's "Rupert Lapland Project," which also includes the Pahtavaara gold mine, mill, and exploration permits ("Pahtavaara"). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914688627/en/ Contact For further information: James Withall Chief Executive Officer jwithall@rupertresources.com Thomas Credland Head of Corporate Development tcredland@rupertresources.com Rupert Resources Ltd. 82 Richmond Street East, Suite 203, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1 Tel: +1 416-304-9004 Web: http://rupertresources.com/ info@rupertresources.com Vancouver, September 15, 2023 - South Atlantic Gold Inc. (TSXV:SAO) ("South Atlantic" or the "Company") wishes to advise that the terms and conditions demonstrated in the Mina Tucano Ltda. bankruptcy process were not chosen by the creditors. Although the Company had successful negotiations with certain creditors, some of which issued letters of priority and support, and although the Company also offered and negotiated better financial terms for many major creditors than a competing proposal, the conditions precedent set out in South Atlantic's proposal (primarily subject to financing and TSX Venture Exchange approval) were not viewed as being favourable, in comparison to the debtor's financial reorganization plan to the creditors in general. South Atlantic will continue to monitor other potential developments of the judicial recovery of Tucano however it does not expect to have any favorable outcome to South Atlantic during the next steps of the process. South Atlantic will continue to look for options to enable the continuation of the exploration program of its flagship asset Pedra Branca. And will remain open to other potential opportunities. About South Atlantic Gold Inc. South Atlantic is an exploration company engaged in acquiring and advancing mineral properties located in the Americas. Our flagship asset is the 100%-owned Pedra Branca project, located 280 km southwest of Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil. South Atlantic is focused on creating value for its shareholders by engaging in the development and acquisition of high-quality mineral assets located in stable and mining-friendly jurisdictions. South Atlantic is based in Kelowna, British Columbia, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol "SAO". ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Douglas Meirelles, President and CEO For more information regarding this news release, please contact: Douglas Meirelles, President and CEO T: 250-762-5777 Email: ir@southatlanticgold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking Information", as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals; that the Company maintains good relationships with the communities in which it operates or proposes to operate, future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the risk that any of the assumptions prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as other assumptions risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company, including as set forth in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Zaggle Prepaid IPO: Retail Investors Show Strong Demand; Latest Subscription Status, GMP Business oi-Pooja Jaiswar Fintech, Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services witnessed a 19% subscription on Day 1 against the total size of its initial public offering (IPO) to the tune of Rs 563.4 crore. Retail investors were major bidders on the first day of the IPO. The proposed equity shares in the IPO will be listed on BSE and NSE. The company is a prominent player in the business-to-business-to-customer (B2B2C) segment. As per the data on NSE, the IPO received cumulative bids of 36,84,060 equity shares, subscribing 19% of the offered size of 1,93,26,761 equity shares. The retail portion is subcribed by 87% of the allocated shares to the category, while non-institutional investors subscribed 11% of the reserved portion. However, qualified institutional buyers showed no response to the IPO. Of the total IPO size, 75% of the shares are reserved for QIBs, while 15% is for NIIs, and the rest of the 10% is kept for RIIs. Friday (September 15th) will be the second day of the IPO. Currently, the grey market premium of the IPO is at Rs 33 per share. As per TopShareBrokers, with a price band of 164.00, Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services IPO's estimated listing price is 197 (cap price + today's GMP). The expected percentage gain/loss per share is 20.12%. The company's 100% book-building IPO opened on September 14, and will be available for subscription till September 18. Subscriptions will not be allowed on September 16th and 17th due to the weekend holidays. The IPO comprised Rs 392 crore worth of fresh issue of equity shares and offer for sale (OFS) aggregating to Rs 171.4 crore. The price band of the IPO is fixed at Rs 156 apiece to Rs 164 having a face value of Re 1 each. The bid lot size is 90 Equity Shares and in multiples thereof. Book-running lead managers for the IPO were -- ICICI Securities, Equirus Capital, IIFL Securities, and JM Financial. While KFin Technologies is the registrar. Ahead of the IPO, on September 13, the company raised Rs 253.52 Crore from 23 anchor investors at the upper price band of Rs 164 per equity share. Prominent Institutional investors included domestic mutual funds like LIC MF, ICICI MF, Kotak MF and international funds like Morgan Stanley Asia(Singapore), Societe Generale, Goldman Sachs (Singapore) Pte. In addition, marquee investors such as East Spring, Abakkus, MK ventures (Madhu Kela), Ashish Kacholia, IIFL, Valuequest, Loomis and Mathews Asia participated in the anchor book process. The company plans to utilise the proceeds of the fresh issue for customer acquisition and retention, technology and product development (40cr) from FY24 to FY26, and debt repayment (17.1cr). The remaining funds will be allocated for general corporate purposes. Should you subscribe to the IPO? As per Geojit's note, at the upper price band of 164, ZPOSL is available at an Adj. P/E of 54.3x (FY23), which appears to be aggressively priced. However, several factors contribute to its appeal, including a diverse client base spanning various industries, consistent revenue growth over the years, the company's expansion strategies, a diversified revenue model, and the flourishing digital payments sector. It said, "Given these considerations, we recommend a "Subscribe" rating for the issue on a short- to medium-term basis." Founded in 2011, the company is among a small number of uniquely positioned players with a diversified offering of fintech products and services, having one of the largest number of issued prepaid cards in India in partnership with certain of our banking partners (which constituted approximately 16.0% of India's total prepaid transaction volume, as of March 31, 2023), a diversified portfolio of SaaS, including tax and payroll software, and a wide touchpoint reach. Also, the company is a leading player in spend management, with more than 50 million prepaid cards issued in partnership with banking partners and more than 2.27 million users serving, as of March 31, 2023. Disclaimer The recommendations made above are by market analysts and are not advised by either the author or Greynium Information Technologies. The author, nor the brokerage firm nor Greynium would be liable for any losses caused as a result of decisions based on this write-up. Goodreturns.in advises users to consult with certified experts before making any investment decision. For investment related articles, business news and mutual fund advise Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 8:07 [IST] The Antrim Problem The Cause Fail-Safes Rochester Reversal 'The System Worked Lingering Doubt (TNS) Michigans election software systems should be better at catching human error, experts say after at least two cases of flawed early results reporting on Election Day.Some Republican leaders point to the errors among several reasons they believe the 2020 election results lack integrity. Meanwhile, state officials assure the public there is nothing to worry about.These mistakes were exceptions, the result of user error and fail-safes are in place that would have caught the inaccuracies before they were certified anyway, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Bensons office said.The erroneous reporting of unofficial results from Antrim county was a result of accidental error on the part of the Antrim County clerk," Bensons office said. The equipment and software did not malfunction and all ballots were properly tabulated. However, the clerk accidentally did not update the software used to collect voting machine data and report unofficial results. Iowa University Professor Douglas W. Jones has worked with election software for a quarter century. He said silly clerical errors" should always be expected, but voting software could do much more to protect the integrity of election results.Just after midnight on Wednesday, Nov. 4, Randy Bishop was at the TCF Center in Detroit working as an election challenger when he first noticed something seemed off.My phone started blowing up with what the hecks going on in Antrim County, said Bishop, who lives there. Your county went blue for Biden.President Donald Trump won Antrim County convincingly in 2016, receiving 62.4 percent, or 8,469 votes, compared to Hillary Clinton, who received 32.8 percent, or 4,448 votes.I know this county forward and backwards, and I knew immediately as soon as I looked at the numbers that they were completely inverted, said Bishop, whose a conservative talk-show host and chair of the Antrim County Conservative Union. It didnt take a mental giant to figure out that it was screwed up and honestly I dont know how the clerk could have gone home and gone to bed with those numbers on a report.Bishop said he couldnt reach the Clerks Office until the following morning, at which time he notified staff of the suspected error. County election results were removed from the website, recounted and corrected.Antim County is among 65 Michigan counties that use Dominion Voting Systems Equipment, which runs software created by a company named Election Source.The equipment and software did not malfunction and all ballots were properly tabulated, the SOS Office said. However, the clerk accidentally did not update the software used to collect voting machine data and report unofficial results.Jones, whos worked extensively with Dominion machines and software, said two clerical errors actually contributed to the problem.There was an error earlier in the election process when some candidates (or proposals) were left off some ballots in some precincts in the county," he said. Of course, thats a big mistake and they caught it."The next step was to alter the configuration files" on the precinct tabulators so they could read ballots and produce the results properly and communicate the results to the computer that compiles unofficial results at the county level.But not all precinct ballots changed.They figured: the ballots in those precincts were OK, so we can leave those scanners without reloading the (new configuration files) because its so much work. Well, it turned out that was the mistake."Jones said each candidate or proposal receives a numerical code that the votes are attached to. When you add a candidate or proposal question, it can shift the code attached to the various candidates. Even though the print-out at the precinct level appeared accurate, the unseen digital data was incorrect, and when it was compiled, the computer couldnt properly read the results, resulting in jumbled totals.Once it was realized the totals generated by the county-level software didnt match the precinct results, Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy said she and her staff manually reentered results from about 30 feet of printout tapes from each of her 16 precincts and 15 townships.Jones believes this error could have been avoided with better programming by the election software companies.Any software thats used in a clerical environment should have provisions to check its own integrity, Jones said. If its important that the software receive data from a sources that is configured the same way, its something the program could check and flag to make sure theyre not reading nonsense."Jones said election software often lacks simple integrity checks. For instance, theyre rarely programmed to alert the user if the total number of votes exceeds the precinct turnout or the jurisdictions total number of registered voters.The software ought to know something about the turnout, independent of the vote totals," Jones said. If that sum exceeds the turnout for that precinct, then it should be flagged immediately. You shouldnt wait for somebody to be checking that by eyeball."Software without simple safety valves to catch expected human errors, shouldnt have come to market," according to Jones.Guy, Antrim Countys clerk, agrees with the SOS that even without the keen eye of people like Bishop or software designed to catch anomalies, there are enough procedural checks and balances to ensure accurate vote totals.Heres the process as relayed by several clerksspoke with from various counties:A voter fills out their ballot and its fed into a tabulator machine.When the polls close, the machine prints off all the collected results, which includes the number of votes for each candidate and proposal.The tabulator also creates a digital version of the results that is kept on digital tape or something similar to a thumb drive used for digital storage.The precinct chair matches the total number of ballots recorded by the tabulator machine to the number tallied by poll workers.The results printout is placed in an envelope, the digital recording is sealed in a bag and both are sent to the county clerk.The county creates a report of unofficial results using the digital data, not the printouts. In the case of Antrim County, some of the printout and digital data did not match.Before a county certifies results, its Board of Canvassers are required to match the computer-generated totals to the totals reflected on the paper printouts.The state Board of Canvassers then reviews the work performed at the county level.The state in 2018 began conducting post-election risk-limiting" audits that look closely at the accuracy of local elections. These audits, which were expanded statewide in August using a random sampling of ballots from that election, are designed to catch any errors in the tabulation process and the software process because they essentially confirm that ballots that are voted into machines are accurately counted, SOS Benson said.Guy, who is a Republican, insists there was no outside manipulation or fraud that impacted the results in her county.While Jones sees deficiencies with election software, he recognizes its being used in a human context.""We have election administrators who are looking at the results and saying, hey, wait a minute, somethings wrong, Jones said. So as a whole, the system is working, but it could work better.Its just the software isnt checking its own sanity well.When a sleep-deprived and anxious Adam Kochenderfer woke up the morning following his county commission election in Oakland County, he pulled up the county results online.Nothing to be alarmed about, said Kochenderfer, an incumbent Republican representing Rochester and Rochester Hills for the last five years.There were still six precincts that needed to be reported and I was ahead at the time, Kochenderfer said. So I was waiting. At maybe 11 a.m. the countys website showed that all the precincts had reported and that I had lost by 104 votes.Kochenderfer expected a close race all along. He then called to congratulate challenger Melanie Hartman, a Democrat.I received a call the next day, about 3 p.m., from the Oakland County Elections Division," Kochenderfer said. They told me there was an error in the reporting and that Id actually won by over 1,100 votes, and that was a surprise to say the least.Rochester Hills Clerk Tina Barton said the error arose because some absentee votes were accidentally submitted to the county twice.The first time the file was sent, it was sent in error under the title of precinct and they should have been sent under title of absentee," Barton said. So it sent, but we didnt see it populate (under the county results) in absentees, so the file was sent later, again, and it populated absentees as it was supposed to.So in essence, the (absentee votes) were counted twice.Barton said the error was initially caught because voter turnout on the county website reflected greater than 100 percent, an impossibility.Whats really important for people to recognize ... is that weve always had a canvassing process which always has unofficial results, Barton said. Michigan has a lot of great gatekeepers to the process where we can catch things like this before the results are certified.Kochenderfer agrees that the system worked.The error was caught, he said. "I wasnt the one who caught it. Tina Barton caught it, and the county did as well, and so Im a little heartened by that.Im confident that it was simple human error and there was no voter fraud in this instance."Regarding claims of voter fraud made by Trump and other Republican leaders, Kochenderfer said hes not heard any evidence of widespread voter fraud."That being said, the Trump campaign has a right to look at the results, to look at the facts, he said. If they believe there is evidence of voter fraud, theres a process for viewing that evidence. I think everybody needs to take a deep breath and let that process play out.Barton noted that Michigan has a paper ballot backup system, so if questions ever arise with vote totals, they can be double-checked. A U.S. District Judge ordered a manual recount in Michigan following the 2016 presidential election in response to a lawsuit filed by Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein. Before it was completed, an Appeals Court intervened and halted the process.Stein filed similar recount requests in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In each state, President Donald Trumps campaign fought recount attempts.Laura Cox, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, has indicated on several occasions since Michigans unofficial results were posted, that her party isnt ready to concede software issues didnt impact the outcome of Michigans election.On Friday, during both a press conference in Bloomfield Hills and a radio interview with Republican Fox News host Sean Hannity, Cox cast doubt on results in more than 45 other Michigan Counties where Dominion voting machines are used."We are obviously really concerned with that software being used ... " Cox told Hannity. We are now checking with all these different counties to make sure there werent any other irregularities.Were just concerned about making sure that we are hearing all the information about possible fraud, incompetence or issues with the software that is being used."Following concerns arising from recounts in 2016, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania produced a report looking at the election machine and software business.The seller side of the election technology industry has come to be characterized by a consolidated, highly concentrated market dominated by a few major vendors, where industry growth and competition are constrained, the report said. " For vendors, the process entails substantial investments in direct marketing to election administrators, engagement in lobbying and other political activity, and even the initiation of litigation proceedings over unsuccessful bids."Other major election technology companies include Hart Intercivic, which is used in Oakland County, and Election Systems and Software.The industry is loosely regulated and secretive with its software.Ive always been a little suspicious of the way the election software industry works, Jones said. "Vendors all sell their software with these non-disclosure agreements and you cant look at the code at all.They are protecting intellectual property but are there really any secrets in this software, he asked. "What its doing is counting one plus one, plus one, plus one.Ive always wondered whether the nondisclosure agreements and intellectual property constraints of the voting system vendors are really serving to protect the public from learning the shoddy quality of the software. Details of Vettel's plan bee emerge Sebastian Vettel will be trackside at Suzuka next weekend as the retired quadruple world champion considers a 'plan bee' for his future. Sebastian Vettel, Azerbaijan GP 2022 Aston Martin Racing The 36-year-old is back in the headlines this week amid rumours he might consider a return to the Formula 1 grid. It's up to him, obviously, if he's thinking about it, said Fernando Alonso, who launched his own successful return to F1 last year following a sabbatical. But I think we saw when Daniel (Ricciardo) came back, it is a challenge, added the 42-year-old Spaniard, referring to the Australian who promptly broke his hand in seven places following his recent comeback. Coming back to F1 cannot be underestimated, Alonso insisted. It is believed F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is very open to the idea of Vettel coming back to the sport, but potentially as a figurehead to push F1's environmental credentials. Indeed, Vettel's visit to the Japanese GP next weekend is to launch an initiative for 1.7 metre wooden 'bee hotels' that will be trackside at the fabled Suzuka track. Bild newspaper reports that there will be 11 bee hotels at Suzuka - one representing each F1 team, with drivers and bosses personally invited to Vettel's launch event. Still, the German hasn't ruled out a driving return to F1. Right now I'm just trying out a few things, he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper. Small things like in Japan, and then I'll be surprised by what comes next. But something will definitely come. Dr Helmut Marko told the same newspaper that Vettel would make a good motor racing executive. His character, training and type make him a perfect fit for the role of a leader, the 80-year-old Austrian said. Vettel has even been linked with 80-year-old Marko's own team advisory role at Red Bull. He has to first be clear about what he wants, Marko said when asked about that. "With a job like that he would be travelling a lot again and that involves a lot of air travel, which would be difficult due to his environmental commitments. Perez moves on amid South American affair Sergio Perez says he was "not at all" offended by Red Bull boss Dr Helmut Marko's allegedly "discriminatory" comments about him recently. Sergio Perez, Belgian GP 2023 Red Bull Organisers of the Mexican GP were among those who hit out at Marko having linked Perez's South American characteristics with his lack of focus in comparison to Dutchman Max Verstappen or German Sebastian Vettel. Austrian Marko, 80, subsequently apologised, but he said he would not be making further comment this weekend in Singapore. When asked about the saga, world champion Verstappen said in Singapore: "I don't think I'm the right person to educate Helmut, but for me, when people realise they made a mistake and they correct it, you move on. That's what we do in our team. Red Bull nemesis and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, however, said Marko's apology is not enough. There are people in the background working really hard to fight discrimination in this sport, but it's really difficult when you have people at the very top with a mentally that stops that progression, he said. It's not something you can just apologise for and be ok. I think something more needs to be done. But while Hamilton, 38, is a known anti-racism campaigner, it's just the latest needle between Mercedes and Red Bull - with Toto Wolff having downplayed Verstappen's new ten-race winning-streak record as a mere Wikipedia footnote. Marko had responded by reminding the Mercedes boss that Wikipedia is one of the world's most read mediums. When asked about that retort, Wolff told Osterreich newspaper in Singapore: "The doctor hasn't exactly shone with his statements in the past few days, has he? I don't really want to say anything more about it, but maybe Wikipedia is part of his daily reading. For me it was always about learning from the best - people like Frank Williams or Niki Lauda. As for Mexican Perez, who was already feeling the heat of rumours linking him with Red Bull's exit door, he said he accepted Marko's South American jibe. I had a private conversation with Helmut, he said. "He apologised to me. And basically, we move on. I think knowing someone personally helps a lot, because I know he doesn't mean it like that with that intention. When asked if he was offended, the 33-year-old insisted: "Not at all, if I'm completely honest. I think we all make mistakes. Afrimuda celebrates 10th anniversary: Calls for investment in nation's music and dance industry Francisca Eshun Showbiz News Sep - 14 - 2023 , 17:12 The Chief Executive Officer of Afrimuda Foundation, John Kuubeterzie, has urged the government to pay attention to the development of the country's dance and music to optimize the sectors' potential to generate revenue for the country. He stated that it was important to resource and open up avenues for the nation's performing artists and groups to push them further unto the international stage and further advertise the country. He was speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of Afrimuda in Cape Coast. Mr Kuubeterzie said the sector held great potential to attract tourists and revenue to the country if given the needed attention and resources required for it's growth. He observed that traditional music and dance had not received much attention in the past leaving the sector a pale shadow itself. Touching on the foundation, he explained that his foundation was an acronym of African music and dance (Afrimuda) foundation and was basically to bring hope and leverage among numerous vulnerable youths of Cape Coast and environs using aspect of their culture as a means of attraction. He added that apart from helping the vulnerable youth to develop their artistic talents, the foundation has strategically put in place a program for them to acquire training in some marketable skills areas to upgrade their status and be able to earn a better living. Furthermore, the foundation has also nurtured dozens of its members and given exposure not only within the country but also outside the boundaries of Ghana adding that some of them were now professional artistes and were living their lives borad. Mr Kuubeterzie, noted that in 2021, Afrimuda was nominated and adjudged the best Dance Group of the year by the Ghana Arts and Culture Awards organizers and they as well went on to win the best music group of the year award during it's 2022 edition of the awards program. He urged the youth and the government to channel their attention to their cultural practices since it can help create employment for the youth. However, he indicated the foundation still faces numerous challenges in finances, lack of donors and motivation and called for support to make them achieve their goals The Chairman for the occasion, Rev Anthony Ato Hills added that most Christians had perception that playing drums and other cultural displays was a sin and saw it as a traditional and fetish. He stated that it was important that children were made to love and appreciate our culture as a people. He said the teaching of cultural dances and music in some of our tertiary institutions was commendable and called for more support for such courses. "We cannot do away with our culture since it identifies us as Ghanaians and we should prioritize this culture," he added. I want to make an international mark Fadu Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Sep - 14 - 2023 , 17:40 FAST rising Ghanaian-Dutch-born artiste, Fadus dream is to set a global mark with her music. Hence, she will stop at nothing until she achieves this ambition The 22-year-old musician, who is of Ghanaian/Nigerian parentage disclosed her ambition on the heels of the release of her new single, Yah Luv. She acknowledged it would not be an easy task but was upbeat that determination and perseverance will make it a possibility. Yah Luv, produced by Linkin Beats is a Reggae tune which talks about true love between two love birds whose love can only be replaced by Jah. Fadus is a law student at The Hague University of Applied Science in the Netherlands. She told Graphic Showbiz that her studies will not in any way impede her efforts to make huge impact with her music career. I sacrificed my vacation when I visited Ghana in December 2022, to work on my new single in the studio with Ghanaian beat maker Linkin Beatz, just to get the best for my fans in Ghana. So far, the response has been great and has been a great motivation to further pursue my big music dreams," she said. Fadu, is managed by movie producer/director Ato Yanney Jnr of Gatlink Music and has three singles Go Away, Feelings and Number One which are already out on all digital platforms. She is very positive about a bright future in music business and working on possible collaborations with some of the renowned artistes in Ghana and Nigeria to further boost her brand and relevance back home. Poor mental health can push creatives into drugs Psychologist Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Sep - 15 - 2023 , 08:38 A CLINICAL psychologist, Dr Isaac Newman Arthur, is calling on entertainers to seek professional care for the well-being of their mental health to avoid drug abuse in solving the pressures of their work. According to him, many creatives were at the mercy of the tormenting effects of drug abuse due to poor knowledge of what good mental health provided to their overall well-being and creative performance. In a conversation with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, September 12, Dr Newman Arthur, who is also the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Psychological Association, said entertainers/celebrities were always at risk of suicidal thoughts when satisfying the high demands placed on them to perform became difficult. To keep up with the expectations, he said they were forced to adopt what he described as dysfunctional coping strategies by getting involved in addictive behaviours such as drugs and alcohol abuse and illicit sex, among other disreputable acts. People use dysfunctional coping strategies to handle life stresses so if our entertainers are not careful, instead of them seeking professional help, they may use substances, alcohol and others, including illicit sex to cope with life stresses and that can create more problems for them. Our celebrities are in the public domain, the stress, anxieties, pressure on them, and expectations to maintain a certain performance are greater than that of an ordinary person who is not under that pressure. And it was difficult to detect mental health challenges in celebrities because of the nature of their jobs. They entertain their followers, even when they are not mentally sound. The fact that someone is performing does not mean they are okay. It is just that they are part of the few people who have some special abilities which are desirable, he revealed. Dr Newman Arthur, who is the Acting Director of University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Clinic, also encouraged celebrities to include mental health screening in their routine health checkups. Mental health is part of a persons health so if we recommend that every year, people should do health screening, it should be included. Mental health is not about someone lying naked on the streets. Unfortunately, the moment you mention mental care, that is how people see it. In this era of social media and its attendant trolling, the mental health of celebrities is threatened particularly with insults among others rained on them onlineall these have a psychological impact on them. So I expect them to even pay more attention to their mental health than the ordinary person, he added. Between Blyden and Bagbin - Case for an African personality (2) Harold Wilson Hubert Opinion Sep - 15 - 2023 , 06:47 Within the parliamentary environment, a lot more radical cultural changes could be undertaken. How about operationalising Standing Order 47, which allows members Parliament to use seven indigenous languages: Akan, Nzema, Ga, Ewe, Hausa, Dagbani and Dagare in their debates? Thirty years into our experiment with parliamentary democracy, there is no reason our members of Parliament should be denied this right. Indeed, per standards set by the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), it is a fundamental requirement for deepening representation for parliaments to encourage the use of minority languages in deliberations in plenary and in committee. Ghana is not unable to acquire interpretation and translation equipment as stipulated by the standing order to facilitate this development. There are so many values that the use of Ghanaian languages in Parliament build for Parliament and the nation. It would give members who find it more comfortable to speak in their local languages the opportunity to do so. Many more citizens would also be encouraged to take interest in the Legislature as a result. It would also be source of national pride. The Parliamentary Service Board (PSB) and the leadership of the House should consider giving our Parliament the multilingual character envisaged by Standing Order 47. Beyond Parliament Mr Bagbins black revolution should certainly resonate in other state institutions that have prescribed uniforms and other colonial norms and practices. It would be Ghanaian and welcomed if our new Chief Justice follows Mr Speaker by also dropping the colonial gown worn by the Judiciary. Members of the Superior courts would follow, showing the way for the entire corps of barristers. The Military and the Police could also follow by replacing their rank insignia, badges and words of command with local materials and local languages. India and South Africa are examples worth emulating. At the greater national level, a lot of radical Afro-centric changes are necessary. How about formulating a national language policy for this country as article 18 of the AU Charter for African Cultural Renaissance? Can the policy name the seven dominant Ghanaian languages cited in Standing Order 47 of the Parliament of Ghana as alternative national languages? How about the President and his ministers addressing communities in these languages, depending on which part of the country they find themselves at any particular time? How about revisiting the proposal of the Anamuah Mensah Committee on Educational Reforms (2002) that teachers at Basics I and Basic II levels teach our children in Ghanaian languages to give them good grounding in their local languages? Indeed,article 19 of the AU Charter encourages African States to prepare and implement reforms for the introduction of African languages into their education curriculum. The African need people to fight off this linguistic encirclement, to quote Ngugi. How about gradually replacing our national anthem with the local alternative such as Yen Ara Assase Ni? How about giving some of our important state institutions Ghanaian names? Can we name our Parliament for instance as Badwam or Nhyiaye or Takpekpe? How about having a national dress or dresses? Beyond institutions and affairs of state, our pastors and bishops could join the black revolution. How about dropping the suits that they jealously wear even under the scorching sun? Gods glory can be made radiant in typical African wear such as the fugus, the batakaris, the kabas and the joromis. Black is indeed beautiful! Continental Level At the continental level, member states of the AU should take affirmative action to endure the implementation of the AU Charter. Among the numerous ones, the proposal on the promotion of African languages stands tall (articles 18 and 19). Language conveys identity. What has happened to the proposals of scholars, such as, Wole Soyinka for languages such Kiswahili and Hausa to be developed into the official languages in Africa? The use of African languages even at international fora definitely identifies Africans as unique people. Among the numerous proposals in the charter, another one that should be considered is article 33, which calls on the AU to take steps to establish institutions of African knowledge. Ghana, in particular, stands to gain from such ventures. In line with this proposal, the establishment of Ghanaian language and cultural centres in the Caribbean for instance stands to yield dividend. The people in countries such as Surinam and Jamaica where a form of the Akan language is spoken may be excited by the opportunity to learn the mother tongue. These centres may strengthen the existing bonds between African people in the diaspora and even boost tourism. Black is beautiful and between the philosophical perspectives of Blyden and Bagbins latter- day acts of defiance, it is hoped that this latter -day call for a concrete demonstration of our culture will provoke the African spirit. The writer is the Editor of Debates, Parliament of Ghana. The Ghana Police Service saga: a citizens view Yaw Appiah Opinion Sep - 15 - 2023 , 11:43 Ghanaians woke up a few weeks ago to a leaked tape featuring the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman of the Northern Region, Daniel Bugri Naabu, in a conversation with some serving police officers including Commissioner of Police (COP), Mr George Alex Mensah. The tape, which has now become a subject of parliamentary inquiry, has opened a can of worms within the service. At his appearance before the Parliamentary Committee, COP Mensah accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare of being the worst in recent times. A claim, I stand to differ, given all the positive reforms that we see. As a concerned citizen, I believe the IGPs commitment to weeding out corruption and ensuring officers adhere to a strict code of conduct has rather ruffled feathers among those accustomed to old practices. Change is a different thing to embrace in every human institution, with the current IGP at the helm of sweeping changes, which have undeniably improved the image and effectiveness of the police force in the eyes of the public. This will undoubtedly create friction among a few elements within the Service. It is, therefore, not surprising the internal rift Dr Dampare is facing within certain elements of the police force due to his elevation to the high office of IGP at a time when some Commissioners felt they were more deserving and also the changes he has introduced. Against all odds, IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, transformative leadership has progressively reformed the Service and improving its public image. Reforms in the Ghana Police Service Under the stewardship of the IGP, the Ghana Police Service has experienced a wave of reforms aimed at modernizing the force and enhancing its effectiveness. These reforms have touched upon various aspects of policing, ranging from improving training and equipment to implementing community-oriented policing strategies. Perhaps, the most significant shift has been the emphasis on police visibility and the use of technology to drive safety. The IGP has also brought accountability and transparency within the force. The successful implementation of technology-driven initiatives to streamline police operations including, body cameras, and a revamped emergency hotline system has not only increased efficiency but also enhanced public trust. These are visible for any member of the public to attest to. He also introduced the body cameras, digital record-keeping, and a revamped emergency hotline system has improved the efficiency of the force and fostered public trust. The IGP has emphasized community-oriented policing strategies, fostering stronger ties between the police and the communities they serve. Police visibility is one of his hallmarks. This approach has led to a decline in crime rates and improved public perception of the Police. Some accuse the IGP of being an NDC plant in the Service, having served as aide-de-camp (ADC) to late President John Evans Atta Mills when he was Vice President. The role of the ADC is a professional and non-partisan position. As a member of the security detail for the Vice President, his primary duty was to ensure the safety and security of the Vice President and his official engagements. This role did not involve any political affiliations or activities. COP George Mensah and former IGP David Asante Appeatu have all also once served as ADCs during the NDC era in the 1990s. In recent times, Peter Toobu was Secretary to Akufo-Addo-appointed IGP Mr David Asante Apeatu, but he went to contest an NDC parliamentary seat. Attempts to politicize Dampares previous ADC role and use it to cast aspersions or insinuate that it reflects on his performance is therefore unfounded. As the parliamentary inquiry unravels a lot of the issues, it remains to be seen how the IGP will weave the complex narrative of overwhelming public confidence in him and the dissent of a few within the serving officers. Three areas that points to Dampares legacies include a renewed commitment to professionalism, accountability, and transparency within the force. Commissioner of Police George Mensah, a prominent figure within the Ghana Police Service, has emerged as a notable opponent of Dr. Dampares reforms. While Commissioner Mensahs specific grievances may vary, they are emblematic of the broader challenges within the Service which Dampare inherited. The clash between Commissioner Mensah and IGP Dampare represents a fundamental clash in leadership styles and philosophies. Whilst both may have their support networks, definitely, the IGP might have made efforts to reach out to several factions within the service to unify the Police Service under a common vision. While Dampares reforms have undoubtedly improved the Services image and effectiveness, they have also triggered resistance from within. Political actors have jumped into the fray. I will continue to monitor this unravelling story. The writer is Yaw Appiah, a concerned citizen TVET has potential to drive socio-economic transformation President Akufo-Addo Emmanuel Baah Education Sep - 15 - 2023 , 06:28 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated the governments determination to strengthen the countrys technical and vocational education and training (TVET) since it has the potential to drive socio-economic transformation and accelerate national development. He said the past few years had positioned TVET to be responsive to the demands of the changing world of work. These include the review of the current curriculum, provision of state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, strengthening industry collaboration, quality assurance and shaping the public perception and mindset about TVET, he emphasised. Through these policy initiatives, the existential challenges of TVET are gradually becoming a thing of the past with the focus shifting to emerging technologies, current industry practices and market demands, he noted. MAMTECH @ 100 This was contained in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, during the centenary anniversary of the Mampong Technical College of Education (MAMTECH) at Mampong in the Ashanti Region, last Saturday. He spoke on the theme: The role of technical and vocational education and training in the national development agenda. The Chief of Mampong, Daasebre Osei Bonsu, and the Member of Parliament (MP) of Mampong, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, as well as some old students of the college, were present. According to the President, global pieces of evidence were clear, citing Germany, Singapore and the Asian Tigers as examples, that TVET equipped trainees with the practical hands-on training to establish their own businesses, thereby creating employment opportunities for job seekers. The principal of the school, Doris Boakye Ansah, said 10 decades of relevance and commitment to producing top-notch teachers had been extremely astonishing and satisfying. Hundred years of nurturing great minds, talents and results-oriented graduates, who are breaking frontiers and making significant contributions to the development of our nation Ghana, and the world at large, is no mean achievement, she noted. Challenges Mrs Ansah, while hammering on some of the challenges of the college, reminded President Akufo-Addo of his promise at the 83rd birthday of Nana Mamponghene, to build an ultra-modern auditorium for the college. Again, she said the college required financial clearance to recruit critical staff, adding that the lack of accommodation for teachers remained a huge task for the college. She said in commemoration of their centenary anniversary, the college intended to build a 3,500-capacity auditorium and appealed to old students and benevolent individuals and organisations to support the initiative. Accra-Tema Motorway tollbooths decommissioning underway Della Russel Ocloo Sep - 15 - 2023 , 07:00 The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) has partially decommissioned the tollbooths on the Accra-Tema Motorway. The decommissioning involved the pulling down of the original booths that sit on the motorway to pave the way for easy flow of traffic. Officials have since opened some of the decommissioned lanes to traffic, with the metal canopies that cover the tollbooths expected to be removed in subsequent days. The decommissioning forms part of an enhanced road safety programme by the authority. The tollbooths became a hazard when the toll system was shelved in November 2021. The area, which was usually unlit had contributed to a few crashes, some recording fatalities. As of 4 p.m. yesterday, officials of the GHA and a third party agent had excavated concretes at the affected areas. The removal of the metal canopies of the affected areas, the Daily Graphic understands, is to allow for the traffic to be rechannelled onto the main two-lane concrete way. It is expected that the entire decommissioning works will be completed by next week. A Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Development at the GHA, Collins Donkor, attributed lack of responsibility on the part of some drivers that had led to crashes at the tollbooths. The GHA, he said, was being pragmatic to ensure safety concerns were addressed on the stretch. "We want everybody to drive as safely as possible, and while it is our duty to ensure safety issues are addressed, it is also important for people to take control of their own lives when driving, not only on the motorway, but on all roads," Mr Donkor said. He advised motorists to slow down and be aware of their surroundings when driving through the decommissioned areas. Mr Donkor expressed the hope that the removal of the tollbooths would reduce the risk of crashes. Motorists Some motorists who spoke to the Daily Graphic, welcomed the new development, which also saw solar lighting installed at both the Tema and Accra ends of the tollbooths. "I am a daily user of the stretch, and I am particularly happy about the decision to remove the booths, which is a significant step to protecting motorists that ply the stretch," Moses Daitey, a motorist, said. He expressed the hope that officials would also turn their attention to the damaged portions of the main motorway. Asikam to get children's cancer research centre Haruna Yussif Wunpini Sep - 15 - 2023 , 06:22 A sod-cutting ceremony has been performed for the construction of a multi-purpose 100-bed international children's cancer research centre at Asikam, near Kyebi, in the Abuakwa South Municipality in the Eastern Region. The $250-million project, being spearheaded by the Wish4life Foundation for childhood cancer, is expected to be completed within two years to improve patient access to beds and quality care at the centre. The project, which is expected to bring together qualified doctors from abroad and Ghana, is to boost the treatment and care for childhood cancer patients in the various communities in the country and the West Africa sub-region. The three-storey building will include consulting rooms, wards, a cafeteria, a playroom, meeting rooms, laboratory, places of convenience, washrooms, among others. It will also come with special wards, private wards, counselling rooms and treatment rooms. The facility will be constructed with support from donors, including financial institutions, Siemens Healthcare, Elekta, Milliman, Novartis, Bontobox and Ofori Panin Fie. Increase in cases At the ceremony at the proposed site at Asikam last Thursday, the Founder of Wish4life, Dr Tanya Maria Trippett, said the objective of the foundation was to overcome the existing healthcare disparity by addressing the needs of children with cancer. She said through access to essential medical expertise, medicines, supplies, resources and infrastructure support it would be possible to achieve their ultimate goal. She said the foundation would provide capacity building in partnership with pediatric cancer programmes around the globe. Dr Trippett, who is also a Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist, indicated that each year, a total of 160,000 children worldwide were diagnosed with cancer, and that these children were the future doctors, nurses, lawyers, architects and global citizens. She said that each year, a total of 90,000 children died as a result of cancer, especially children in limited resourced nations. The number of childhood cancer cases hospitals received on a daily basis, Dr Trippett said, increased from 50 to 250 cases, thereby causing a lot of stress on hospital facilities. She indicated that the centre would be better positioned to help treat childhood cancers in the area and the country as a whole. "Early detection of cancer in children can guarantee their treatment. "For children with cancer, you need a certain kind of environment to treat them because they are very vulnerable to infection and other issues, she stated. Dr Trippett expressed appreciation to the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, thanked the chiefs and people of Asikam for the warm reception given to the foundation for the cancer facility, and encouraged others to support to help children with childhood cancer in the country. National attention The Project Manager of the ICCRC, Rob Fleming, said the organisation was committed to advocating that childhood cancers should receive the national attention that it deserved. He said the facility would provide specialised medical services as well as improve the quality of care of patients at the centre, explaining the foundation would continue to make health care more accessible and efficient to all, especially children". Children to benefit The Okyenhene, who was highly elated about the establishment of a new international children's cancer research centre, said children in his traditional area would be largely the beneficiaries. He said buildings, state of the art equipment, laboratory equipment and computers could not treat human beings, especially children suffering from cancer, but rather qualified doctors and nurses committed to doing the work. Educate govt officials on your role in corruption fight - Osafo-Maafo urges auditors Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Sep - 15 - 2023 , 05:45 A senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has urged the Internal Audit Agency to extend their training programmes to include Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers and Ambassadors for them to appreciate their work in the fight against corruption. He said oftentimes some government officials did not understand the significance of the work of internal auditors and, therefore, ended up frustrating them in their duties and that hampered the fight against corruption in the public sector. Speaking at the 2023 annual Internal Audit Conference in Accra yesterday, Mr Osafo-Maafo said the IAA as part of its mandate, had been building the capacity of public servants on corporate governance, risk management and internal control processes, as well as educating them on their work in protecting the public purse. He said many people with various backgrounds who were appointed to ministerial positions saw auditors as fault finders and opponents. Top government officials need to know that they and auditors are partners with the common goal of protecting the public purse. We need to remove the bias and antagonistic stance when people take up top positions, the presidential advisor added. Conference The two-day conference is on the theme: 20 Years internal audit practice in Ghana: Achievements, challenges and way forward. The event which is being held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), is being attended by more than 1,400 internal auditors across the country. Mr Osafo-Maafo, who is also a former Minister of Finance and was instrumental in the passage of the Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003 (Act 658), said the conditions of service of staff of the IAA must be reviewed to motivate and encourage them to diligently undertake their mandate. For instance, he said it was necessary for their salaries and conditions of service to be pegged with their colleague accountants and those working in the revenue mobilisation sector. I will entreat the Minister of Finance and all relevant stakeholders to consider aligning the conditions of service of staff of the agency with that of the accounting and revenue class to ensure fairness and equity. They are sworn brothers in art; the moment one section is more attractive than the other, you are creating problems in terms of recruitment, the senior advisor said. He further called for a review of Act 658 to enable the IAA charge certain fees to make them more resourceful to function effectively. Mr Osafo-Maafo, however, urged the auditors and staff of the service to eschew any professional misconduct, work diligently, and make integrity and professionalism their hallmark. Progress The Director-General of the IAA, Dr Eric Oduro Osae, said the agency over the years had made tremendous progress by working to reduce financial infractions in the public sector. For instance, he said due to the work of the agency and audit committees, there was significant reduction in financial malfeasance in many public institutions as captured in the 2021-2022 Auditor Generals Report. It included 30.6 per cent for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs); 58.6 per cent for pre-tertiary educational institutions; 39.9 per cent for technical universities and 13.8 per cent for public corporations and statutory agencies. Though the infractions of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) increased by 48 per cent within the same period, steps have been put in place to address them, he said. Dr Osae called for the amendment of Act 658 to reposition the agency to be able to deliver effectively on its mandate. I wish we pass the Internal Audit Amendment Act into law before the end of 2023, so that we can improve our mechanisms to stop malfeasance, especially in 2024 which is an election year where expenditure in various sectors is expected to go up, he added. Grant distressed local companies tax holidays - Employers to GRA Mary Anane-Amponsah Sep - 15 - 2023 , 06:40 The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been urged to design and implement an innovative tax policy that will stimulate employment creation and support business expansion in the country. The Ghana Employers Association (GEA), which made the call, recommended the provision of realistic incentives in the form of Job Creation Tax Credit (JCTC) to businesses that consistently maintained or increased their work force above a certain threshold. The President of the GEA, Daniel Acheampong, said at the 63rd annual general meeting of the GEA that the approach would not only help enterprises to thrive, but also propel economic development and higher tax revenues. The fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertain economic environment, he said, continued to impact business operations and, therefore, urged the GRA to consider granting tax holidays, flexible payment plans and extension of filing deadlines to distressed local businesses as a measure to reducing their financial burdens. Forceful closure of businesses These relief measures, Mr Acheampong said, would serve both the immediate needs of businesses and the long-term interests of the economy. We have noticed a trend where officials of the authority close down enterprises for reasons of various tax irregularities during sessions of their inspection exercises, the president said. He said the GEA held the view that the approach did not aid business progress and sustainability, since in the business community, each minute lost without operation was revenue lost to the enterprise and the government. Such a novel approach, Mr Acheampong emphasised, should be adopted to handle officials of enterprises who faced issues of non-compliance and allow the affected enterprises to operate at their optimum capacity. Dialogue is a tried and tested tool with the integrity to promote win-win outcomes for the stakeholders involved, he added. He said the outlook of the economy was critical in shaping business and investment decisions. GEA initiatives Talking about some of the initiatives of the association, the GEA president said its office building was at the final stages of completion and called for support to complete the project and bring it to the standard of high-profile employer organisations in other parts of Africa and beyond. The GEA president said the completion of the project would not only put the association on the high pedestal that it deserved but also enhance its influence, image and visibility on many fronts. Private sector The Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wireko-Brobby, said the GEA over the years had played an important role in the countrys stability as it supported the government to offer employment to the citizenry. The government, the deputy minister said, would continue to create the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive because out of the 12 million workers in the country, the private sector employed 10 million, while the government absorbed only two million. He commended the GEA for its contribution to the countrys development and gave an assurance that the government would not introduce outrageous taxes that would collapse their businesses. In a speech read on his behalf, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, indicated that the task of nation-building was an arduous one and, therefore, without collective support, the tax authority would struggle to mobilise the needed revenue for economic growth. Business owners, he advised, should take advantage of the digital solutions provided by the GRA to increase tax compliance and support the authority to improve its services. Also, the GRA boss urged taxpayers to cooperate with the authority in the challenging economy to expose other eligible persons who were not tax compliant. Jospong Group signs agreement with Nigerian company to support rice production Maclean Kwofi Sep - 15 - 2023 , 05:50 The Jospong Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with EGTA Investment Limited of Nigeria to identify relevant experts, rice farmers and value chain players to support the Jospong Rice Project in the country which is being spearheaded by the Asian African Consortium (AAC). The MoU also sets out a general framework which would serve as the foundation upon which a binding agreement shall subsequently be signed. Economic vision The Lead Coordinator of the Jospong Rice Project, Rev. George Blavo Tsidi, said at the event in Abuja, Nigeria, that the economic vision of Ghana hinged on shifting from import dependency to becoming a manufacturing and value-added economy. He said the AAC was committed to contributing significantly to the transformative journey by partnering countries and institutions with the necessary expertise. Given Ghanas geographical proximity and similar economic characteristics, it is prudent for us to draw from Nigerias experiences and insights to achieve our goal of ensuring food security. It is against this backdrop that we have chosen to pursue this MoU with EGTA of Nigeria, with the primary objective of promoting the growth and development of various agricultural sectors, including the production of rice, soya beans, wheat, yellow corn, sunflower, milling, storage, marketing, export, research and training, Rev. Tsidi added. Collaboration The Managing Director of EGTA Investment, Bashiru Ibrahim, also said that the future of Africa depended on the concept of cooperation, financial, investment, technical, social, economic and political cooperations between African nations. He explained that under the technical, financial and investment cooperation component of the MoU, EGTA was expected to share technical know-how. We are confident that at the end, this cooperation will create wealth and employment and the private sector in both counties would set an example for others to follow, Mr Ibrahim added. Appreciation Ghanas acting High Commissioner to Nigeria, Edison M. Agbenyega, expressed appreciation that one of the cardinal foreign policies of Ghana, which was economic diplomacy, was uniting the two countries. "This signing ceremony is a step towards achieving such goal, he said, adding that Nigeria had the potential to develop its agricultural sector to feed Africa and the rest of the world. Mr Agbenyega also said the enduring brotherly relations between Ghana and Nigeria were a source of pride and that the agreement would further strengthen the ties for their mutual benefit. He said over the years, the two nations had collaborated in diverse sectors such as trade, investment, technology, security and agriculture. New fishing canoes banned Mary Anane-Amponsah & Linda Sah Sep - 15 - 2023 , 12:00 A ban has been placed on the registration of new canoes for artisanal fishing for the next three years. This follows the implementation of a three-year moratorium on new artisanal canoe entry to take effect from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2026, for the artisanal sector. The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), Mavis Hawa Koomson, who announced this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said no canoes were expected to be constructed and brought into the system for the next three years. With the slogan Pause, No New Canoes Now, the moratorium is to enable the government to regulate the increasing canoe fleet to control fishing effort. It is ultimately to aid in the sustainable management and rebuilding of the countrys small pelagic stocks. It is also to help the government to make informed management decisions concerning the welfare of small-scale fishermen while safeguarding their future. To ensure smooth implementation of the moratorium, Ms Koomson said all existing and newly constructed canoes were to be registered and embossed with numbers in compliance before the implementation period. In Ghana, the fisheries sector is made up of the artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial, with the marine artisanal fisheries sub-sector contributing up to about 80 per cent of total annual pelagic catch. However, due to activities of artisanal fishermen which had contributed to overcapacity, overfishing, low productivity and low profitability in the marine fisheries sector, the small pelagic stocks are on the verge of collapse. To save the situation, the government has introduced certain measures, including a closed season for all fleet, ban on Saiko, introduction of new trawl gear directive, reduction in fishing days for trawlers, improved licensing regime for semi-industrial vessels, piloting of electronic monitoring system on trawlers, and establishment of co-management structures such as small pelagic co-management committees. But the minister said those measures were not enough. The current situation With the current open access regime, the canoe fleet, Ms Koomson disclosed, had increased from 8,000 in 1990 to over 12,000 in 2023, although the small pelagic fish landings, considered the backbone of the artisanal sub-sector, had decreased from 119,000 metric tonnes in 1990 to 20,000 metric tonnes 2022. For instance, annual landings of the Sardinella Aurita declined from 119,515 tonnes in 1992 to 11,834 tonnes in 2019, representing 9.9 per cent of its largest recorded landings. Indeed, our scientists have informed us that a stock is considered collapsed when it reaches 10 per cent of its highest yields, and have, therefore, concluded that the Sardinella Aurita has collapsed, she said. The decline in landings of the small pelagic fishes, the minister said, was affecting the livelihoods of over three million people along the value chain. Can you imagine our staple meals without, abobi, eban and saman? Not only are these fishes relatively cheaper and affordable, but they are also highly nutritious, and the collapse of these valuable fishes will have socio-economic impact on the country, Ms Koomson stated. Extensive engagement She said the introduction of a moratorium on new entrants for canoes was, therefore, a new measure that the government was pursuing, and that this is simply a pause on new entrants of canoes in the sector. The moratorium, the minister said, would be reviewed annually. The ministry and the Fisheries Commission, over the past two years, she said, had extensively engaged all stakeholders, including boat builders and carvers, traditional authorities, relevant government ministries and agencies, at community, district, regional and national levels on the policy. Ms Koomson called for maximum support from fishermen and stakeholders, saying the effort would contribute to rebuilding of stock to the benefit of the fishermen through good catches, and to save the sector from collapse. The Fisheries Minister said although no new canoes would be allowed into the system, fishermen could replace their broken canoes following certain guidelines. You need to send a formal notice through your chief fisherman to the Fisheries Commission before you can replace it, she said, assuring that such replacement would be done in an expeditious manner to prevent fishermen from losing their livelihoods. Fishermen pleased with directive Welcoming the directive of the ministry, the acting President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Nana Joojo Solomon, indicated that the fishermen were faced with the issue of overfishing because there was overcapacity in the industry. We havent said no canoes will come again, but for now, it is a break; no more canoes. The canoes are becoming plenty, Mr Solomon said. He urged all to adhere to measures put in place by the government to improve their livelihoods, and further commended the ministry for the construction of more landing sites. The President of the Ghana Inshore Fishermen Association, Joseph Nii Armah Quaye, appealed to the ministry to continue educating fishermen on the effects of the moratorium, saying that would make the implementation easier. Mr Armah commended the minister for the closed season, saying they were impressed with the bumper fish harvests, and urged all to desist from illegal fishing practices. Police apprehend two suspects in foiled robbery attempt GraphicOnline Sep - 15 - 2023 , 08:38 In a swift operation, the Ghana Police Service has apprehended two suspects, identified as Adams Kwame and Abubakari Sharif, for their involvement in a preparation to commit robbery. The Police in a Facebook post said this successful intervention took place on September 14, 2023, at the Tweapease Police checkpoint, as the suspects attempted to evade authorities during a routine stop-and-search procedure. Upon closer inspection, law enforcement officials recovered several items from the apprehended individuals, including a pump-action gun, two live BB cartridges, two machetes, and a catapult. Preliminary investigations have indicated that the suspects were in possession of these items with the intent of carrying out a robbery. Currently in police custody, both suspects will be presented before the court as part of due legal process. Additionally, efforts are underway to track down the remaining two individuals who are currently evading capture. The Ghana Police Service in a Facebook post commended the vigilance and prompt action of its officers in preventing a potential criminal act and ensuring the safety of the public. It said further updates on the case will be provided as the investigation progresses. Rebecca Foundation, ASR Africa build library for Osenase Rebecca Quaicoe Duho Sep - 15 - 2023 , 06:03 The Osenase Community in the Lower West Akyem Municipality in the Eastern Region now has a library. This has been made possible by the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, with support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa). It is a part of the Rebecca Foundations Learning to Read, Reading to Learn initiative. The fourth library so far, the Osenase Library project is part of a collaborative endeavour by the Rebecca Foundation and the ASR Africa initiative to construct eight of 12 libraries in various communities across the country as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June 2021 for a grant of $500,000 to support the foundations educational initiatives. The foundation is hoping to construct 12 libraries with the support of various partners to inculcate the reading habit among schoolchildren by providing them with the appropriate ambience, interesting and relevant reading materials to enrich their knowledge. ASR Africa is an initiative of Nigerian industrialist and philanthropist, Abdul Samad Rabiu, to give back to the African continent through the promotion of sustainable health care, education and social development. Make proper use Inaugurating the new edifice, Mrs Akufo-Addo, who is also the Executive Director of the Rebecca Foundation, urged traditional leaders and elders in the area to encourage their children to make proper use of the facility. "I am very excited to see the completion of this ultra-modern library facility here at Osenase in the Eastern Region. This is indeed a dream come true. I advise the children in this community and its environs to make good use of this facility since it will go a long way to help their future", she said. Mrs Akufo-Addo stated that the Learning to Read, Reading to Learn initiative was to support the government to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which aims to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." She expressed her appreciation to the chief, elders and people of Osenase, the Member of Parliament for Lower West Akyem, Charles Acheampong, and the municipal assembly for their tremendous support for the project to be successfully completed. She announced that the next libraries to be completed would be at Akropong and the Achimota School. The Managing Director of ASR Africa, Ubon Udoh, expressed the organisations gratitude to the Rebecca Foundation for such a wonderful partnership. He said ASR Africa would do anything humanly possible to see to the completion of the other four libraries. " We at ASR Africa, are happy to partner the Rebecca Foundation in the construction of the four other libraries, and we would surely do more with the foundation, " he said. Also, the MP, Mr Acheampong, commended the First Lady for her initiative for the benefit of the health and educational sectors. "On behalf of my people, chiefs and elders of Osenase, I say a very big thank you to Rebecca Akufo-Addo for the kind heart you have for women and children in the country. We have seen all the works you and your partners are doing to help our various communities, and we are grateful. I want to also take the opportunity to thank ASR Africa for the financial support towards the completion of the ultra-modern library in my constituency, Mr Acheampong said. Special task force deployed - To protect mining companies Timothy Ngnenbe Sep - 15 - 2023 , 12:00 The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has deployed a special task force of police officers to protect large-scale mining companies from invasion by illegal miners. The ministry has also contacted the ministries of National Security and Defence to deploy the military "on special occasions" to tackle illegal mining activities at legal mining concessions when the need arises. The special task force will patrol large-scale mining concessions to prevent illegal miners from trespassing. It will also crack down on persons who are currently threatening the operations of the large-scale companies. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, made this known to the Daily Graphic in an interview last Wednesday. "I have constituted a committee chaired by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, George Mireku Duker, to lead the process of protecting the legal mining concessions," he added. According to figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service this year, the mining sector was the country's second largest economic sector after retail trade at the end of 2022. The sector's share of gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 4.5 per cent in 2021 to 7.6 per cent in 2022. Also, in 2022, the producing mines returned $1.41 billion through the central bank and $2.73 billion through commercial banks. The overall repatriated gross mineral revenue was $4.14 billion. Yet, for some time now, mining companies in the country have expressed concern over the encroachment on their concessions by some armed thugs believed to be illegal miners. AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi, Newmont Ghana, Golden Star Wassa, Perseus Mining and Gold Fields Ghana have all complained about the rising encroachment on their concessions by illegal miners. The Ghana Chamber of Mines has raised similar concerns, with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the chamber, Dr Sulemanu Koney, calling on the government to intervene. Delivering the keynote address at the Mining for Development Forum in Accra last Tuesday, Mr Jinapor assured the chamber that the government would go all out to protect their concessions. He spoke on the theme: Ensuring the security of operations in Ghana the role of stakeholders". Sustainable interventions In the interview with the Daily Graphic, the minister stressed that while the use of brute force to flush out recalcitrant illegal miners was non-negotiable, the large-scale mining companies needed to work with the government "to carry the mining communities along". Explaining further, he said, the chamber needed to work with the government to implement sustainable interventions in mining areas to reduce the incidence of illegal mining. For instance, he said, the Community Mining Scheme currently being implemented by the government was a viable solution to illegal mining, which the chamber must support for successful implementation. Mr Jinapor stressed the need for large-scale mining companies to prioritise the retention of the mining value chain in communities to benefit the local people. He also urged the mining companies to be more purposeful with their corporate social responsibility programmes in mining communities. Commitment The minister assured the chamber that given the crucial role that the large-scale mining sector played in economic growth and overall national development, the government would go all out to address hindrances to their operations. Mr Jinapor said in dealing with the illegalities in the legal mining concessions, the government would use both the enforcement and sustainable livelihood approaches. "Any group which suggests that just by deploying law enforcement agencies will resolve issues of encroachment of large-scale enforcement is making a mistake. The enforcement is absolutely important, and the principle of carrying the community along is also important, he said. Collaboration The CEO of the chamber, Dr Koney, said the mining forum would afford the various stakeholders the opportunity to deliberate on the various means of ensuring the protection of concessions and contributing to the community and country's development. Dr Koney called on all stakeholders in the large-scale mining sector to collaborate to deal with the challenges facing the sector. He commended the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for its consistent efforts in seeking to address the teething challenges of the large-scale mining firms. Well partner stakeholders to facilitate good governance Speaker Emmanuel Bonney Sep - 15 - 2023 , 05:57 Parliament will continue to partner stakeholders, including the Institute of Directors-Ghana (IoD-Ghana), to enact laws to facilitate good governance practices for accelerated development of the country, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has said. The Speaker also said that there was the need to create more innovative approaches and systems that would position the industry in a manner that it would drive growth. Mr Bagbin said this in an address read on his behalf at the IoD-Ghana stakeholders' engagement in Accra yesterday, where 22 new members, (16 full and six associate members) were inducted into the institute. The Sixth IoD-Ghana Excellence Awards was also launched to reward excellence in corporate governance. Conducive environment Mr Bagbin said more efforts were needed to create the right environment to promote good corporate governance for industries to thrive. Having cut my umbilical cord in industry and spending a great deal of my working life seeking to promote the development of the country through the making and implementation of laws, I cannot help but underscore the important role industry plays in the production of goods and services to sustain life and also help grow the economies of nations, he said. Directors, the Speaker added, were a fulcrum in the crafting of vision, mission and goals of every organisation, and that the launch of the corporate governance code project was, therefore, an initiative that needed the support of all citizens. Mr Bagbin further said that while the code was a necessary condition to foster a climate of ethical and quality leadership to guide sound business decisions, the launch of the excellence awards provided another boost to adopt best corporate practices to promote good governance and industrial excellence in the country. The Chairman of the technical committee of the corporate governance code, Prof. Collins Ntim, also said that the code which would guide the operations of businesses and organisations would be updated every three years to reflect changing trends. He said it would also be amended as and when it became necessary, adding that the institute would engage with the Ministry of Education on how the code could be made part of the school curriculum. We want to reach out right from the primary school all the way to tertiary institutions because it is not going to be limited to just rules and regulations, but also about behaviours, the chairman said. The President of IoD-Ghana, Rev. Angela Carmen Appiah, said the organisation had made significant inroads in the governance landscape of the country over the years. Established in 1999, she said the institute had journeyed through changing times, adding we have metamorphosed from a seemingly elitist group to a very open fraternity of directors. As a governance institute, we play a very critical role in shaping the national economy and also influencing policy towards development and sustainable goals, the president said. Adwoa Safo's apology is a sign of maturity - NPP Secretary Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Sep - 15 - 2023 , 13:56 The Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has described the public apology of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, as a sign of maturity. To him, it was an indication that the action will impact positively on the image of the NPP. He has, therefore, urged all party members to accept Adowa Safo's apology in good faith. Adwoa Safo on Thursday, September 14, 2023, rendered an unqualified apology to the leadership of the NPP, particularly President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Majority Leader and other party bigwigs over her actions in the recent past. Related: Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo apologises to NPP leadership, members The Dome-Kwabenya MP in a video explained that her long absence in Parliament was due to some challenges she faced in her life, including family issues. Adwoa Safo in her long absence in Parliament was dragged to the Privileges Committee of Parliament in 2022. Some NPP members even wanted her seat to be declared vacant. In what appeared to be a banter between the Dome-Kwabenya MP and her party, the MP occasionally came online through live videos to defend her actions. However, in her apology video, Adwoa Safo urged the party's leadership, including the party members, particularly those in her constituency to forgive her actions. I would like to use this opportunity to apologise to my New Patriotic Party members, the leadership. Firstly to the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, our mother, the Chief of Staff Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Majority Leader Osei Kyei- Mensah Bonsu and the entire leadership of Parliament, my colleague MPs, Majority caucus. I would like to apologise to all of you for my behaviour sometime back. I would like to say that it wasnt intended or planned to disrespect you all. I was faced with so many personal and family issues. I would like to plead with you in the name of the Lord, my regional executives, Greater Accra, constituency executives, the headquarters of NPP, the General Secretary and National Chairman and all your workers. I beg all of you, supporters, and sympathisers, who love the party and loved me and have faith in the constituency, please forgive me for all that has happened. I would like to use this opportunity to apologise to my New Patriotic Party members, the leadership. Firstly to the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, our mother, the Chief of Staff Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Majority Leader Osei Kyei- Mensah Bonsu and the entire leadership of Parliament, my colleague MPs, Majority caucus. The NPP Deputy General Secretary in his reaction to the MP's apology in a radio interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Friday, September 15, 2023, welcomed the apology and urged everyone to forgive her. Improve overall value chain for cocoa farmers - PPP to govt Daily Graphic Politics Sep - 15 - 2023 , 07:29 The Progressive People's Party (PPP) has called on the government to focus on improving the overall value chain for cocoa farmers to ensure industry growth. This, the party said, should be done by providing access to resources, training, infrastructure, finance and empowering farmers through cooperative associations. The National Chairman of the PPP, Nana Ofori Owusu, who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic lauded the government for the recent increases in the purchasing price for cocoa. The cocoa industry in Ghana plays a vital role in the countrys economy, providing employment and income for numerous farmers. While recent increases in the purchasing price for cocoa have been welcomed, it is essential to explore ways to improve the overall value chain for cocoa farmers, he said. Value addition/training Nana Owusu said the country could enhance the livelihoods of cocoa farmers beyond relying solely on international price increases. Additionally, he said promoting diversification, value addition and sustainable farming practices would contribute to the long-term. By focusing on enhancing their lives beyond waiting for international price increases, Ghana can ensure sustainable growth and development for its cocoa industry, he noted. He further explained that to improve the lives of cocoa farmers, it was crucial to provide them with adequate resources and training. This includes access to high-quality seeds, fertilisers and modern farming techniques. By equipping farmers with the necessary tools and knowledge, they can increase their productivity and yield, leading to improved incomes, he observed. Investment He also added that investing in infrastructure development is essential to support cocoa farmers. This, she said, included improving transportation networks, storage facilities and processing centres. By reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring efficient supply chain management, farmers can maximise their profits and reduce waste, he emphasised. Investing in infrastructure development is essential to support cocoa farmers. This includes improving transportation networks, storage facilities and processing centres. By reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring efficient supply chain management, farmers can maximise their profits and reduce waste, Nana Owusu stated. NPP endorses parliamentary candidates in Upper East, Tema East Daily Graphic Politics Sep - 15 - 2023 , 07:17 The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), last Sunday, held separate constituency delegates conferences in the Upper East Region and Tema East in the Greater Accra Region to endorse the sole parliamentary candidates for those constituencies. The candidates for the Upper East Region are the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Food Buffer Stock Company, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, for the Pusiga constituency; Mathew Silas Amoah for Bolgatanga East and the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Thomas Kofi Alonsi, for Builsa North. Meanwhile, that of Tema East is the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Tema, Yohanne Amarh Ashitey. Officials of the Electoral Commission at the separate extraordinary delegates conference to acclaim the aspirants introduced them as the duly elected parliamentary candidates for those constituencies. Upper East From the Upper East Region, Gilbert Mawuli Agbey reports that the three candidates, Messrs Amoah, Abdul-Wahab and Alonsi, in separate speeches, thanked the delegates for endorsing them and pledged to work assiduously to win their respective seats for the party in the 2024 general election. The Upper East Regional NPP Chairman, Anthony Namoo, in his addresses at the separate delegates conferences commended the party members for arriving at a consensus to allow the three to go unopposed. Yohane Amarh Ashitey acknowledging cheers from the delegates after the acclamation He urged the party members in all constituencies to remain united and work harder after the primaries to enable the party to snatch some seats held by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region. Tema East From Tema in the Greater Accra Region, Benjamin Xornam Glover reports that the Mr Amarh Ashitey was acclaimed as the NPP Parliamentary candidate for Tema East. A former Member of Parliament of the Tema East Constituency, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, who addressed the partys delegates at the conference, urged them to vote massively for the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to become the party's flag bearer. Mr Titus-Glover, who is also the Managing Director of the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO), also pledged his support for Mr Ashitey, describing him as a true son of the soil who is most qualified to lead the NPP in the constituency to recapture the seat from the National Democratic Congress. Confidence Mr Ashitey, for his part, commended the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work with the party to win the seat. Queenmothers launch campaign to promote decent language in politics Justice Agbenorsi Politics Sep - 15 - 2023 , 07:23 A national campaign to promote decent and temperate language ahead of the 2024 general election has been launched. The campaign will include activities such as training workshops and fora with political parties, communities, youth groups and all stakeholders on the topic, with engagements with the National Peace Council, National Commission for Civic Education and National Media Commission, among others. It is an initiative of the Queen Mothers Foundation, a non-profit organisation made up of queenmothers from the 16 regions. At a news conference in Accra last Wednesday, September 13, 2023, President of the foundation, Nana Ama Serwaa Bonsu, explained that as mothers and custodians of cultural and traditional values they were concerned about the rising spate of the use of intemperate language on media platforms such as social media, radio and television, hence the campaign. Consequently, she said the group would be calling out and rebuking groups, political parties and pressure groups which exhibited indecent conduct on any platform as part of the campaign. From now to the next elections in 2024, we know the political temperature will be high and may give rise to some of these unaccepted language and behaviour, she said. The Foundation established 16 years ago seeks to champion the empowerment of women, pursue human rights, justice and create social and environmental change. It also seeks to promote growth through the projection of cultural and traditional values and generally run programmes to alleviate the plight of the underprivileged in society. Decent language Nana Bonsu assured citizens, development partners and the global community that the foundation would be the regular and consistent moderating voice. We will encourage, praise and commend decent and good conduct in the same way we will condemn, discourage and recommend for sanction erring persons, groups and political parties. When we say decency or decent language in politics it should evoke respect, kindness, courage, integrity, reason and tolerance. It is an unquestionable duty and belief for all of us to promote and protect the dignity of all people irrespective of social status, political persuasion, gender and religion, the president said. Elections As part of efforts to ensure a violence-free elections, Nana Bonsu urged the public to uphold the principles of fairness, tolerance and decency. She also called on politicians to engage in acts that sought to unite, and not polarise and tear down the very country they sought to govern. Finally, we call on the fourth estate of the realm, the media, in their pursuit of higher listenership, readership and viewership not to allow themselves to become a destabilising medium or factor, she said. Per the latest rumor allegedly originating from a sales rep, Sony will look to release its next flagship earlier in 2024 - at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. This would make the announcement a good three months earlier than the Xperia 1 V's (and that phone launched even later at the end of July). So if true, that means that the Xperia 1 VI will be on time to contend with the major Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 pioneer phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Xiaomi 14 Pro. The other part of the rumor claims that the Xperia 1 VI will have a 6x zoom camera with a large sensor. That would approximate the zoom to around 140mm - a notch above the current crop of 125mm-slash-5x zooms out there. The camera will also have Sony's Clear Image Zoom capabilities. Finally, the Xperia 1 VI will continue in Sony's tradition to ship in a sustainable package, which is to say recycled materials and no accessories. Source | Via Federal safety officials cited a Tamuning construction company for exposing workers to potentially deadly trench hazards during the installation of a sewer line at Paradise Court subdivision in Mangilao in May, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The citation came two weeks after inspectors warned Superman Corp. of hazardous conditions facing employees working in an excavation, the release stated. The company faces $73,219 in proposed penalties for the violations. The inspection found two serious violations related to the companys failures to provide adequate means to enter and exit the trench within 25 feet of the workers and test oxygen levels in the trench before employees entered. OSHA also cited the company with a willful violation after the agency determined Allen Kim, president of Superman Corp., failed to provide required protection from cave-ins for employees working in an excavation, the release stated. Investigators learned Kim was trained previously on trenching and trench safety and had been warned repeatedly of related hazards by peers and engineers who visited the site before OSHAs inspection. In addition, Kim told safety officers that he was aware that motorized equipment operating near the trench was causing debris to fall in the trench and that the equipments vibrations increased the risk of collapse. Working in a trench is demanding and dangerous work that requires specific precautions and protections to keep workers safe, OSHA Area Office Director Roger Forstner in Honolulu stated in the release. By running soil compactors and excavators within 20 feet of workers in the trench and failing to provide accessible ladders, Superman Corp. chose to put production before safety, endangering the lives of its employees. Trench collapses are among the serious dangers in the construction industry. Excavations can collapse in seconds and can potentially bury workers under cubic yards of soil, each weighing as much as 3,000 lbs. In 2022, OSHA reported that at least 39 industry workers died. From 2011 to 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 166 workers died in trench collapses. Based in Tamuning, Superman Corp. is a general contractor that specializes in multi-family residential construction projects. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the release stated. Haiti - FLASH : DR closes its land, sea and air borders with Haiti (goods and passengers) Thursday September 14, 2023, the 2nd day of meeting between the Dominican and Haitian authorities to discuss (behind closed doors) the conflict arising from the construction of an irrigation canal in Haiti with a water intake on the Massacre River, considered as illegal by the Dominicans, but legally for the Haitians, ended after several hours of intense exchanges. Representatives from both countries left the Foreign Ministry without any comments. The Dominican President, Luis Abinader, at the end of the ultimatum granted to Haiti, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40478-haiti-flash-the-dominican-government-announces-measures-and-issues-an-ultimatum-to-haiti-canal-river-massacre.html announced that the border of the Dominican Republic with Haiti will be completely closed from Friday September 15, 2023, 6:00 a.m. "[...] The borders of the Dominican Republic, whether land, sea or air, will be closed [...] as long as necessary [...]" adding "In any case, we are continuing discussions with the Haitian government Abinader stressed that "if there are (elements) that are uncontrollable, for the Haitian Government, they will not be uncontrollable for the Government of the Dominican Republic [...]" However, the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies that the Dominican Government will return to the negotiating table only when construction work on the canal is stopped. The Civil Aviation Council (JAC) of the Dominican Republic, by virtue of the powers granted to it by law, issued Resolution 191-2023, in which it suspends all air operations of cargo and passengers to and coming from Haiti, Jose confirmed. Marte Piantini, President of the JAC. It recalls that Article 9 of the International Civil Aviation Convention (Chicago Convention), establishes that each State reserves the right, in exceptional circumstances, in times of emergency or in the interest of public security , to temporarily restrict or prohibit flights throughout its territory with immediate effect. For its part, the Port Authority informs that transit operations for goods stored or received in Dominican ports and whose final destination is Haiti are suspended. The bus company Caribe Tours, which transports 4 to 5 passenger buses every day, complied with the presidential provision and to date no longer makes any trips to Haiti. In the case of Pedernales, where there is informal maritime fishing activity, Haitian fishermen no longer have access to Dominican territorial waters, because the Dominican navy monitors the area. Joel Santos Echavarria, the Minister of the Dominican Presidency announced that given the closure of the border, the Dominican Government in order to support local vegetable production, will purchase perishable products which are exported to Haiti during binational markets such as eggs, chickens, peppers, eggplants, beans and onions, which will be used in the Government's social plans through economic canteens. Read also on the Haiti Irrigation Canal affair : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40497-haiti-flash-conflict-canal-a-haitian-delegation-discusses-with-the-dominicans.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40492-haiti-canal-conflict-a-haitian-delegation-in-the-dominican-republic-today.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40478-haiti-flashthe-dominican-government-announces-measures-and-issues-an-ultimatum-to-haiti-canal-river-massacre.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40476-icihaiti-diversion-canal-tension-rises-in-the-dominican-republic.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40463-haiti-flash-4th-day-of-border-closure-in-dajabon-the-standoff-continues.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40450-haiti-flash-diversion-channel-the-dominican-republic-sends-armored-vehicles-to-the-northern-border-with-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40406-haiti-politic-the-dr-asks-haiti-to-stop-the-resumption-of-work-on-the-diversion-channel-of-the-massacre-river.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36174-haiti-politic-claude-joseph-deplores-the-stoppage-of-the-construction-of-the-irrigation-canal-of-the-massacre-river.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34875-icihaiti-rd-resumption-of-works-of-the-massacre-river-irrigation-canal.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34389-icihaiti-dr-stop-in-haiti-of-the-construction-of-the-canal-to-collect-water-from-the-massacre-river.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33974-haiti-dr-the-construction-of-the-haitian-canal-on-the-massacre-river-on-the-way-to-becoming-an-international-affair.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33953-haiti-flash-dominican-geologist-osiris-de-leon-denies-haiti-s-assertions.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33945-haiti-flash-canal-on-the-massacre-river-in-haiti-dominican-president-abinader-raises-the-tone.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33854-haiti-flash-president-abinader-announces-the-construction-of-a-dam-on-the-artibonite-river-in-dominican-soil.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33823-haiti-agriculture-diversion-of-the-massacre-river-in-search-of-a-solution-with-the-dr.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33596-haiti-flash-conflict-with-the-dr-over-a-canal-diverting-the-massacre-river-to-haiti.html SL/ TB/ HaItiLibre Haiti - Politic : The Government of Haiti takes note of the closure of borders "The Government of the Republic of Haiti takes note of the decision of the Dominican Republic to close its borders with the Republic of Haiti from Friday, September 15, 2023, 6:00 a.m. The Republic of Haiti can sovereignly decide on the exploitation of its natural resources. It has, like the Dominican Republic, with which it shares the Massacre River, the full right to take catches there, in accordance with the 1929 agreement. The Government of the Republic of Haiti will take all necessary measures to protect the interests of the Haitian people. The Republic of Haiti will always favor dialogue; dialogue which was underway and on a good track between the Haitian delegation, duly mandated, with their Dominican counterparts of the Binational Commission, at the Dominican Chancellery, in the Dominican Republic, when the announcement of the Dominican President to close its borders was made. The Government of the Republic of Haiti calls for the protection of lives and property, on both sides of the border, and respect for international conventions governing the matter. He invites the Haitian population to have serenity and will take all measures so that the irrigation of the Maribahoux plain is carried out within standards, under the supervision in particular of the Ministries of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development and Environment." Creole version : Nan jwisans souverente l, Repiblik Dayiti ka deside eksplwate tout resous natirel li yo. Menm jan ak Repiblik diminiken, ki se vwazen ki pataje Rivye Masak la ak li, Ayiti gen dwa total pou l pan priz dlo selon sa Ako 1929, ki siyen ant de pyi yo, prevwa. Gouvenman repiblik Dayiti ap pran tout dispozisyon dwa pemet pou l pwoteje entere Pep Ayisyen. Repiblik Dayiti chwazi prefere dyalog. Dyalog sa a te byen komanse ant delagasyon ayisyen, ki te resevwa manda Gouvenman an, ak omolog Dominiken yo nan Komisyon binasyonal la. Rankont yo t ap kontinye nan Ministe Zafe etranje Repiblik Domoniken, le prezidan dominiken an pran desizyon, pou kont li, pou l anonse fwontye a pral femen. Gouvenman Repiblik Dayiti lanse yon apel pou vi ak byen popilasyon yo ka pwoteje sou tout fwontye a, nan chak peyi ; epi li mande pou tout konvansyon entenasyonal, sou kesyon sa a, respekte . Gouvenman Repiblik Dayiti envite popilasyon an pou fe prev metriz ak kalm epi li vle tout moun konnen l ap pran dispozizyon pou Plen Mawibawou rive wouze komsadwa anba sipevizyon Ministe Lagrikilti, Resous natirel ak Devlopman riral nan tet kole ak Ministe Lanviwonnman. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Petit Goave : The residence of the Government Commissioner attacked Thursday September 14, 2023, unidentified armed individuals attacked, early in the morning, the residence of the Government Commissioner of Petit-Goave, Me Pierre Eliot Paul. This attack follows an operation carried out the day before by the police in the locality of Percin during which a 31-year-old man was killed and four other individuals injured by bullets. A hacker arrested The National Police of Haiti (PNH) informs that it has arrested Claudyson Macenat in Delmas for computer hacking. According to the Police, this individual had been wanted since 2015 for his alleged involvement in the hacking of the accounts and bank cards of several companies and individuals. Companies such as Digicel, KOTELAM, Caisse Populaire Avenir de Cayes-Jacmel, Caisse Populaire Sainte-Anne de Camp-Perrin are among its victims. From 2015 to 2023, Claudyson Macenat would have collected more than 11 million gourdes and nearly 104,000 US dollars from his hacking activities. Lynching of an alleged cattle thief Thursday September 14, 2023, members of the population of Beaudin, in Port-de-Paix lynched James Ralph Nader (20 years old) and burned his remains, whom they accused of cattle theft. Nader's mother claims her son was innocent and sick. INAGHEI : Investiture of members of the new Commission Thursday, September 14, 2023, the Executive Council of the State University of Haiti of Haiti (UEH) at the Rectorate at the inauguration of the members of the new Interim Commission of the National Institute of Administration, Management and Hautes Etudes Internationales (INAGHEI) which is made up of teachers : Thadal Etienne, Coordinator; Jacques Nelson and James Boyard, members. CARD alongside the displaced The Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH) recommends the establishment of a coordination structure for displaced people, housed in around thirty sites with a clear and effective action plan. HL/ HaitiFree 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 Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Having been sharp especially since 2010, the plummeting birth rate is expected to start having an impact in the education system in the coming years, with the number of primary school-aged children forecast to fall by over 80,000 by the end of the decade. POPULATION GROWTH will fairly surely be negative in most regions of Finland, forecasts MDI, a regional development consultancy that is part of Finnish Consulting Group (FCG). Every fifth desk in a primary school will be empty in the average municipality, Rasmus Aro, a specialist at MDI, summed up to YLE on Wednesday. The number of primary school-aged children will not recover to the current level without a substantial increase in the birth rate. Statistics Finland in July reported that in the first half of the year the number of live births decreased by 1,082 year-on-year to 21,180, the lowest on record dating back to 1900. The Finnish population will become increasingly concentrated in the largest urban regions as non-university cities and especially smaller and rural cities will experience weak or very weak demographic development, according to the forecast by MDI. The consultancy expects population decline to be rapid particularly in Southern Savonia (16.3%), Kainuu (15.1%), Kymenlaakso (11.6%), Satakunta (10.9%) and South Ostrobothnia (9.3%). The regional population will contrastively grow strongly in Uusimaa (16.9%), Aland (10.3%), Pirkanmaa (8.7%) and Southwest Finland (7.0%). The only other regions to experience growth will be Ostrobothnia (0.9%) and North Ostrobothnia (0.7%). Aro reminded the public broadcasting company that the development has followed the same general pattern since the 1990s, if not the 1970s. Although immigration has been perceived as a means to compensate for the low birth rate, it is presently expected to contribute chiefly to the development of large urban regions, whereas around three-quarters of municipalities are not to be affected notably. The number of deaths being higher than births, immigration would have to be tremendously high to compensate for the population decline, said Aro. Central Ostrobothnia, he said, is a microcosm of Finland. The regional population is forecast to fall by 15,00020,000 by 2040 as what has traditionally been a high birth rate continues to decrease rapidly and as the lack of universities will spur young residents to move especially to Pirkanmaa and Uusimaa. Seinajoki, the largest city in Central Ostrobothnia, is nonetheless a positive example. Seinajoki is possibly the best developing non-university city in the whole country. It has been very attractive in terms of internal migration and the development has been strong relative to the cards [it has been dealt], Aro stated to YLE. This year, immigration will contribute notably to the growth of the city for the first time ever thanks to international students and refugees from Ukraine. The growth of the immigrant population will bring not only tax revenue but also challenges to the regional hub, Erkki Valimaki, the business development director at Seinajoki, said in an interview with YLE. A shortage of housing is presently the topmost concern. Its been tough to organise services like early-childhood education and basic education because wed need more groups and teachers. The equation is nevertheless positive as were getting more people, including people who are working. Aleksi Teivainen HT This measure comes as a direct response to the sanctions imposed due to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine. Finland is tightening its borders as new regulations regarding the entry of Russian-registered vehicles come into force. Beginning at midnight between September 15 and 16, only EU citizens permanently residing in Russia, their family members, diplomats and those entering for humanitarian reasons will be allowed to bring Russian-registered personal vehicles into Finland. Finland is committed to fully implementing these sanctions, emphasizing effectiveness in their enforcement and the prevention of sanctions circumvention. With border states being particularly vulnerable to attempts at avoiding these sanctions, Finland underscores the importance of a unified interpretation of the sanction regulations among EU member states, especially those at the border. On September 8, the European Commission issued a guideline related to the prohibition of importing personal cars into the European Union, making it clear that the import of cars registered in Russia, even temporarily for tourism purposes, is unequivocally prohibited under Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014. This directive was updated on September 12, emphasizing the significant risk of sanctions circumvention associated with vehicle imports. Finland's Customs will begin applying this national directive at the stroke of midnight, meaning any personal vehicles bearing Russian registration plates will be denied entry into Finland. Exceptions to this rule include vehicles belonging to EU/EEA citizens permanently residing in Russia (including dual citizens) and their family members. Additionally, diplomatic vehicles and those entering for humanitarian reasons are exempt from the ban. For vehicles already in Finland prior to the ban, owners are given until March 16, 2024, to ensure these vehicles exit the country. While these guidelines focus on vehicular entry, they do not change the criteria for personal entry into the country. Furthermore, the directive is not just limited to private vehicles but also extends to those used for commercial purposes. The restrictions cover all vehicles primarily intended for passenger transport, which includes cars, tourist vehicles, and minibuses with a capacity of fewer than 10 passengers. Collaboration between Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Customs has been crucial in the preparation of this directive. In Finland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds the authority, with Customs serving as the enforcing body regarding the EU-imposed sanctions on Russia. Sami Rakshit, the head of the Control Department, emphasized the importance of collaboration among EU border states in ensuring effective sanctions enforcement. Notably, neighboring countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are adopting similar regulations for Russian-registered vehicles. Rakshit also highlighted that apart from the eastern border, Finland's Customs is monitoring the entry of Russian vehicles on the Norwegian border since Norway is not an EU member and the sanctions prohibit car imports into the EU territory. Finland's latest move is a clear testament to its commitment to uphold EU sanctions, ensuring robust measures to curtail any potential bypassing attempts. HT More than 20,000 Finnish citizens have endorsed a supporter card to nominate Dr. Olli Rehn , the Governor of the Bank of Finland, as a presidential candidate through an electoral association. Establishing an electoral association for the presidential elections requires the endorsement of at least 20,000 eligible voters. Rehn's campaign officially commenced on Friday with an open public event at Sofia Helsinki. The extensive collection of supporter cards was orchestrated by thousands of volunteers from across Finland since Rehn announced his bid for the presidency in June. This significant milestone paves the way for the next phase of Rehn's campaign as he seeks to become the president of Finland. "I am genuinely delighted and grateful that the required number of supporter cards has been gathered, allowing us to kickstart our campaign in earnest. I want to extend my warmest thanks to each person who endorsed the card and all the volunteers participating in the campaign. Finland's president must represent all Finns. They should stand as a guardian of republican values, freedom, equality, democracy, and the rule of law," Rehn stated. On Friday, Rehn's campaign office opened to the public in Helsinki's City Passage, and the campaign was officially launched with an open public event at Sofia Helsinki. During his inaugural address, Rehn emphasized Finland's resilience during times of crisis and its alignment with Western security communities. "While geography hasn't changed, our position has. Together with our allies, we are now actively countering Russia's power politics. The next president's crucial role is to successfully anchor Finland within Western security communities." "I have no illusions about Russia's development. It is incomprehensible that some political forces in Finland would want to reverse Finland's integration into the West and Europe. The outcome of this illusion would be a solitary Finland," Rehn warned. Rehn also stressed the significance of a sound economy in ensuring Finland's security. "The president must advocate for a healthy economy. If the public finances are in disarray, unemployment rises, and spirits darken, we become more vulnerable to hostile external influence. It's about how we keep our country united and internally robust." On Friday, a wide array of Rehn's supporters was announced, along with the release of the second edition of Rehn's book, "The Republic of the Happy." Rehn's campaign kick-off event can be followed on Friday, September 15, 2023, starting at 6:00 PM at www.ollirehn2024.fi. HT The autumn joint application period for higher education institutions, which concluded on September 14, 2023, has seen remarkable interest in the offerings of Diak, with its Oulu campus's Social Work programs garnering significant attention. Among Diak's 340 available study places, 55 were dedicated to Social Work programs in Oulu, including the Bachelor of Social Services and the Bachelor of Social Services in Diaconal Work. A total of 4,114 applicants applied to Diak through the joint application, with 1,182 designating Diak as their first choice. Among these applicants, 400 expressed interest in the programs offered at the Oulu campus, and 112 of them made Oulu their top choice. Particularly noteworthy is the popularity of the Bachelor of Social Services program in Oulu, with 268 applicants vying for spots, including 78 first-choice applicants. Notably, Diak's fully online Bachelor of Social Services program emerged as the most attractive option for all applicants. The joint application for the autumn saw a nearly 20% increase in the number of applicants compared to the previous year, with a striking 33% surge in first-choice applicants compared to 2022. Elina Juntunen, CEO and Rector of Diak, expressed her delight at the surge in applicants, stating, "The growth in the number of applicants delights us immensely. There is a genuine need in Finland for professionals graduating from Diak who are equipped to make a difference. It is wonderful to see that our fields of study are perceived as meaningful and appealing." Selection of Students The second round of the joint application process will continue with the selection of students. For programs leading to a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree, students are primarily selected based on the AMK entrance examination and certificate selection. Diak's programs in social and health care, as well as those in the church sector, employ the common AMK entrance examination used by universities of applied sciences across Finland. More information about the AMK entrance examination can be found on the Ammattikorkeakouluun.fi website. Diak's AMK entrance exams are conducted at its campuses in Helsinki, Oulu, and Pori. Applicants select the location and time for the examination from the options provided on the joint application form. Prospective test-takers who choose to take the exam at Diak can find further details on the AMK entrance examination page. The Nursing program tailored for those with a background in practical nursing does not participate in the AMK entrance examination. Instead, it employs a two-part selection course, and more information about this process can be found here. In Finnish-language social and health care programs leading to a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree, 40% of students are selected based on certificate selection. This criterion does not apply to Diak's Nursing program for those with a practical nursing background. Announcement of Results The results of the certificate selection will be communicated to applicants no later than October 18, 2023. The results for other selection methods will be announced to applicants no later than November 24, 2023. Diak will publish information on its website when the selection results are ready. However, the names of selected students will not be published online. Applicants will be able to view their final status through the Oma Opintopolku (My Study Path) service. All applicants will also receive notification of the results via email. Applicants who are offered a study place through the joint application will be able to accept only one study place, namely the highest-priority study option for which they meet the admission requirements. Accepted students must confirm their study place by December 1, 2023, at 3 pm. It is possible to receive a study place from the waiting list until December 12, 2023. HT Deputy Secretary Palm Highlighted the Biden-Harris Administrations Efforts to Improve Access to Mental Health Services and Increase Support for Substance Use Disorder On Monday, September 11th, 2023, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm traveled to San Diego, California to highlight the Biden-Harris Administrations efforts to address access to mental health services and increase support for substance use disorder. During her trip she visited health facilities dedicated to incorporating mental health care into primary care and participated in a roundtable on youth mental health with Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) and local students from Bernardo Heights Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School. During the roundtable at Bernardo Heights, the Deputy Secretary listened to the needs and priorities of students and shared information about existing federal mental health resources including those available through the STANDUP Act. The STANDUP Act was signed into law by President Biden in March 2022. The students emphasized the importance of ending the stigma surrounding mental health and discussed the range of struggles they deal with from not knowing where to turn in a crisis to the stress and fear brought on by gun violence. Later in the day, Deputy Secretary Palm toured San Ysidro Health, a certified community behavioral health clinic which provides high quality, compassionate, accessible and affordable health care services. During her visit, the Deputy Secretary met with San Ysidro Health leadership and reiterated HHS commitment to support organizations providing treatment for those seeking support for substance use disorders or in recovery. San Ysidro shared about their patient-centered approach to care and their goal of reducing health disparities by addressing social determinants of health. The Deputy Secretary then toured one of their facilities where she saw the beginnings of their employee wellness center, a space made possible with funding by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Addressing the mental health and substance use crises is a top priority of the Biden-Harris Administration, and part of President Bidens Unity Agenda. The Administration has invested $3.6 billion through the American Rescue Plan and more than $800 million through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in SAMHSA grant programs as part of President Bidens comprehensive efforts to improve access to mental health care, prevent overdoses, and save lives. These investments enabled the expansion of lifesaving prevention, treatment, and recovery support services in communities throughout the country, including the transition to 988 Lifeline in July 2022. For her third event of the day, Deputy Secretary Palm traveled to Family Health Centers San Diego (FHCSD), one of the nations ten largest federal qualified health clinics. At FHCSD, the Deputy Secretary participated in a roundtable discussion about efforts to improve the nations healthcare workforce. FHCSD spoke on their innovative approaches to addressing the workforce shortage and the ways they are using HHS grants to implement their residency and family medicine programs. In July 2023, HHS announced the launch of the HHS Health Workforce Initiative. The goal of this historic program is to support, strengthen, and grow the health workforce by leveraging programs across the Department, including through the $2.7 billion workforce investment proposed in the Presidents Fiscal Year 2024 Budget for HRSA workforce training, scholarship, loan repayment and well-being programs. Memoir of a concerned social scientist On the reading list this week is a book on the Indian village, another on Indian women wildlife biologists and their journeys across the countrys wild spaces, and the memoir of an academic and activist. (HT Team) 250pp, Rs995; Tulika Books (A memoir that draws upon the authors life as an academic and activist.) I believe that we should have a sense of history. In a sense, an autobiography is history. It has in it traces of geography as well. Each new place, the sights they offer, the people we meet and the moments we spend with them, do not leave us that easily or completely. They influence our thoughts and actions thereafter, even if unconsciously. K Saradamoni K Saradamoni (1928-2021) who retired as an economist from the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, spent her childhood and young adulthood in Kollam. Spinning khadi or taking Hindi lessons were all small efforts to contribute to the growing national movement around her. Deciding to study economics also arose from this desire to make a difference. This book takes us through her journey both in the world of economics, her disenchantment with its obsession with model-building and the process through which she becomes a concerned social- scientist. Using simple language, her student days in Kerala, Madras and later Paris are described along with her academic work on caste, class, land, labour, gender and agriculture. Her travels both for work and leisure in India, the United States, Africa, parts of Asia and Latin America make for fascinating reading. Saradamoni draws upon her life as an academic and activist to narrate a gripping story told with keen observation and insight.* Indias Most Brilliant Women Wildlife Biologists 280 pages, 499; Juggernaut (The story of Indian women wildlife biologists and their journeys across the nations wild spaces.) How many Indian wildlife biologists can you name?How many Indian women wildlife biologists can you name?There are several, and their lives and work have been extraordinary.This is the story of these women and their journeys across the length and breadth of Indias wild spaces forests, rivers, oceans, mountains and, more importantly, through the glass ceiling. Among them are Turtle Girl J Vijaya, one of Indias first female herpetologists whose research into the killing of olive ridley turtles led to Indira Gandhi banning the turtle trade; Jamal Ara, Indias mysterious Birdwoman; Divya Mudappa, a biologist rewilding fragments of the shola grasslands of the Western Ghats; and Uma Ramakrishnan, whose work is helping us understand the science behind tiger populations.* Rural Lives in the 21st Century 279pp, 799; Aleph (The idea of the Indian village has undergone myriad shifts over the course of the nations history.) India lives in its villages. This statement popularized by Mahatma Gandhi is often referred to in discussions about the country, its past, and its possible future. But what exactly is the Indian village? In the most basic sense, the village is a kind of human settlement, always standing in contrast to the town or city. Yet, it is also an idea, one which has undergone myriad shifts over the course of our nations history. In The Indian Village: Rural Lives in the 21st Century, award-winning sociologist Surinder S Jodhka critically examines the changing nature of the village in India, both as an idea and as a lived reality. Reflecting on the colonial construction of India as a land of village republics, a representation that was turned on its head in different ways by Indian nationalists in the early twentieth century, and the post-liberalization nation, this book provides a detailed account of how rural lives have been transformed in India through the decades. The book also looks at Indias modern villages to showcase the current diversity within agrarian and rural realities with specific focus on the processes of development and democracy in rural areas.* *All copy from book flap. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India, September 15, 2023: In a heartwarming reunion, Archon Solutions, a global leader in IT solutions, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KMEA Engineering College, marking a significant step toward nurturing talent and bridging the gap between academic studies and the real industry via Archon Launchpad program. Under this MOU, Archon will provide comprehensive Full Stack Java training to the college's final-year students in corporate standards, offering them a unique opportunity to gain practical industry knowledge. This collaboration is not just another business venture for Archon; it holds a personal significance too. Archon's CEO, Mohamed Aslam, is an alumnus of KMEA Engineering College, having graduated in the field of Information Technology back in 2006. For Aslam, this partnership is not merely a professional undertaking; it's a chance to give back to the institution that played a pivotal role in shaping his career. Archon Launchpad One of the most significant challenges faced by graduating students is the transition from the theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom to the practical skills required in the professional world. Archon's Launchpad program aims to address this issue head-on. By providing students with hands-on experience in developing Java applications using industry-standard practices and tools, the program equips them with the skills and confidence needed to excel in their future careers. This initiative comes at a crucial time when the demand for IT professionals with expertise in Java and Full Stack development is at an all-time high. Archon recognizes the need for industry-ready graduates and is committed to helping students bridge this gap. A Personal Commitment to Excellence "Returning to KMEA Engineering College with this partnership is a deeply emotional and proud moment for me. This institution provided me with a strong foundation, and it's an honor to contribute to its legacy," said Aslam. "Archon's commitment to providing top-notch training is not just about business; it's about fostering talent, empowering students, and ensuring they are well-prepared for the competitive IT landscape." The Archon Advantage Under the MOU, Archon Solutions will provide a structured training program that covers a wide range of Java technologies, various front-end and back-end frameworks. The training will follow corporate standards and best practices, giving students a real taste of what to expect in the industry. Additionally, Archon will offer internship opportunities to select students, allowing them to work on live projects and gain practical experience. This hands-on exposure is invaluable, as it helps students apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios and build a strong portfolio for future job prospects. KMEA is hopeful Dr. Amar Nishad, Principal of KMEA Engineering College, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, saying, "We are delighted to collaborate with Archon Solutions, and we believe that this association will provide our students with a unique advantage in their careers. Our aim is to produce industry-ready professionals, and Archon's expertise will undoubtedly enhance our efforts in achieving this goal." As Archon Solutions and KMEA Engineering College embark on this collaborative journey, the future looks promising for both the institution and its students. With Archon's commitment to excellence and KMEA's dedication to nurturing talent, the partnership aims to create a brighter, more skilled workforce that can contribute significantly to the IT industry's growth. The first batch of students will begin their Full Stack Java training shortly, and both Archon Solutions and KMEA Engineering College are excited about the positive impact this initiative will have on their educational journey and future careers. In an era where industry-academia collaborations are crucial, this partnership between Archon Solutions and KMEA Engineering College stands out as a shining example of how organizations and educational institutions can work together to empower the next generation of professionals. As Archon Solutions takes a step closer to its roots and KMEA Engineering College prepares to equip its students with industry-ready skills, the message is clear: together, they are building a brighter future for the world of IT. Running a business in a gold city like Dubai in the UAE is already a superb thing but winning customers on a global scale is no easy job. If you still practice traditional marketing approaches irrespective of the business type, you are already giving up the throne. Why? Because everything is becoming digital in Dubai and other cities in the UAE. If you are not targeting customers digitally, you may not be able to make your business thrive. The digital marketing field is flourishing in the dynamic environment of UAE, driven by the advancement of technology and a tech-savvy population. Statistics say that nearly 98% of UAE residents use the internet. The digital advertising market in the United Arab Emirates is expected to experience a growth rate of 6.90% between 2023 and 2027. This growth trajectory is expected to lead to a market volume of US$1374.00 million by the year 2027. In this blog, we present to you the list of thetop 10 leading digital marketing agencies in Dubai, UAE. Before you partner with an agency, its essential you understand the most important things about digital marketing and how it can benefit your business. What is Digital Marketing? Digital marketing is all about marketing digitally, meaning you are targeting your customers through various digital mediums such as search engines, social media platforms, emails, and various online channels. Why is Digital Marketing Important in the UAE? The UAE boasts one of the world's highest rates of internet users, with a significant portion of the population actively online. The smartphone penetration rate is set to exceed approximately 96 % by the end of 2023, according to the latest statistics. Another study shows that social media users in the UAE have shown remarkable growth, surging from 4.40 million to an impressive 10.73 million over the past decade. This trend clearly shows a promising picture for the digital marketing industry, highlighting ample opportunities for further growth and innovation. On the other hand, the e-commerce sector's revenue in UAE is set to soar, with expectations of reaching US$10.21 billion in 2023. And, here is the BIG REVELATION- currently the e-commerce user penetration is around 79.2% which is expected to climb even higher, reaching 82.0% by 2027. So, whats more you want to hear? If you have an e-commerce site, its high time you tie up hands with a leading digital marketing company in Dubai. But remember, UAE is a highly competitive landscape, and digital marketing can be a cost-effective ally that will allow you to not only stand out but also establish a competitive edge. What are the Benefits of Digital Marketing Services? Rapid Results- With digital marketing, you can swiftly connect with your target audience, broaden your reach, and achieve meaningful outcomes. Diverse Channels- You have a spectrum of digital medium channels from SEO and social media to PPC and web development. Cost-Efficiency- Unlike traditional advertising like print or TV, digital marketing is a budget-friendly choice. Top digital marketing companies in the UAE offer cost-effective packages, helping you allocate resources wisely while consistently monitoring performance. Data-Driven Insights- Digital marketing grants access to valuable data and analytics. This information empowers you to comprehend your audience's behavior, preferences, and demographics, enabling informed decisions that boost sales. Which Services are Included In Digital Marketing? Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO helps to rank your website in search engines. Here, the SEO experts choose the relevant keywords, implement all necessary on-page, off-page SEO stuff, develop unique and useful content, follow white-hat SEO protocols, and so many other things to boost organic traffic and search rankings. Pay-Per-Click (PPC): PPC is a paid advertisement that drives fast sales through targeted campaigns. You can opt for Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads management, LinkedIn Ads, Twitter Ads, or YouTube Ads. When it comes to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, there are several things experienced PPC experts need to keep in mind, including fraud prevention, A/B split testing, etc. Click fraud is a significant concern in PPC advertising, because it can lead to wasted ad spend and reduced ROI. For that, PPC experts identify and block IP addresses that repeatedly click on your ads without converting. They also utilize third-party ad fraud detection tools to monitor and prevent fraudulent clicks. A/B split testing is equally important for improving ad performance. When it comes to deciding between options for ad copy, an A/B test would allow PPC experts to compare the performance of two different ads in an ad group. The PPC experts use some of the top-rated PPC paid tools like SEMrush, SpyFu, etc worth up to $200 per year to conduct A/B testing and split URL testing. Social Media Marketing (SMO): Given a social media penetration rate exceeding 99%, it is pretty much clear why businesses are increasingly embracing social media as a means to connect with their desired audience. Businesses can leverage various advertising management tools such as Facebook Ads Manager, Instagram Ads, Twitter Ads, LinkedIn Advertising, YouTube Ads, WhatsApp Business API etc. They can choose various social media platforms for advertising such as - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, WhatsApp and more! E-commerce Platform Optimization- E-commerce product marketing can be specifically tailored for the UAE market. It involves optimizing the product listings and promotional strategies on popular e-commerce platforms such as Amazon UAE and other local platforms. Here the marketing experts need to keep an eye on various factors - optimizing keywords, emphasizing localized content, monitoring competitor's pricing and adjusting the client's pricing strategy, utilizing high-quality images or videos to showcase the products, planning and executing sponsored ad campaigns, efficiently managing inventory levels to prevent overstocks and many more. Email Newsletter Marketing- Email newsletter marketing is a powerful tool for engaging with your audience, nurturing leads, and driving conversions. The marketing experts will segment your email list based on customer demographics, behavior, and purchase history. They can graft compelling email content that includes product highlights, special offers, valuable information, and engaging visuals. Moreover, they will also ensure that your email newsletters are mobile-responsive and visually appealing. Website Design and Development: Having a user-friendly and responsive website leaves a great impression on the visitors. Leveraging professional website design and development services offers a competitive advantage of grabbing the attention of visitors and making them curious to learn more about your brand, of products or services. How Much Do Marketing Agencies Charge in Dubai? The average cost of digital marketing per month may range anywhere between AED 5000 to AED 15000/month in 2023. Any reliably decent agency in Dubai may ask for AED 1000 to AED 2000/month for only SEO service. But, there are a few top-rated affordable digital marketing companies that charge 125$/month(which is 459.13 AED) for SEO. If you consider companies that have a presence in both the Dubai and Indian markets, you can save a significant amount of money in costs. Many companies from the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada outsource digital marketing services from India. Additionally, numerous Dubai-based digital marketing firms outsource services from India and resell them to local customers, allowing them to take advantage of this directly. Presenting you the comprehensive list of top 10 Digital Marketing Companies in Dubai, UAE Explore the top ten digital marketing companies No 1. Zebra Techies Solution Zebra Techies Solution is the leading digital marketing company in Dubai. They offer affordable pricing for SEO packages which start only from 125USD/Month. Their PPC package starts from 100 USD/month. If you want a compact digital marketing package, their pricing starts from 599 USD/month(2,200.16 AED). Whether you run a small b2b, b2c or e-commerce or any type of business and are eagerly looking for an affordable digital marketing company, Zebra Techies Solution can be your right partner. They have a highly-experienced team of SEOs, content managers, social media managers, website designers, developers and marketing experts who know what will go well for your business. The best part is that they guarantee 1000 Leads/Yr through their Digital Marketing services. Their years of expertise and access to top-rated digital marketing tools help them offer high-quality and result-oriented services to clients. They also offer weekly and monthly reports to help clients understand the performance of the digital marketing effort. They Have 3 Offices in Kolkata, India & one Sales office in Houston Texas, America. Highlights SEO, PPC, SMO, CRO, PPC, web design and development Have worked for all types of industries Most affordable packages Experienced team Accolades from top review platforms 24/7 customer support Weekly/monthly reports to track results Clients: ABP Group, Sports.com , sport.com , Decathlon India , Vedantu , Jaquar ,Al Reyami Group UAE & many more 2. React Digital This is an Ad Age A-List Independent Agency. This agency teams up with some of the talented and most experienced digital experts who understand how to grow a business digitally. They offer affordable packages for creating some of the most effective and cutting-edge digital work for many well-known brands in the country for years. Highlights Their wide range of services SEO maintenance and SERP App development SEO backend development Content development Speed testing Analytics review Social engagement Clients: Mention couple of clients of their 3. Traffic Digital Traffic Digital is MEA's one of the largest digital agencies. This company has offices in Dubai, Jeddah, Cairo, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh Karachi. They have more than 100+ full-time staff who specialize in offering result-driven digital marketing and digital transformation solutions for various brands. They have already worked with top-rated clients. Highlights Digital marketing services digital transformation assistance Team strength- 100+ staff Already worked with top-rated clients 4. Eminence Eminence Technology works with a team of experienced developers and designers dedicated to offering sophisticated digital marketing and web solutions to a wide range of clients. They provide clients with an unparalleled experience, with their technical expertise, product-oriented approach, and extensive experience gained over the years. They have worked for many industries like travel, healthcare, education, fintech, hospitality, e-commerce, wellness and fitness and logistics. Highlights Services- Blockchain solution, AI/ML solution, Digital marketing, Cloud computing UI/UX service, Mobile app solution Experienced team ZTS Infotech Pvt Ltd is a full-service web solution company. Their chief focus is not only on providing affordable digital marketing services but also on the development of a user-friendly website from scratch till the end. They have a team of experienced professionals who can help your business with developing, and designing of the user-friendly web pages, building relevant and keyword-enriched content, competitor research and strategic SEO, SMO, PPC and other necessary digital marketing services and also increasing the user experience and getting expected results. Their package starts only at (299USD/Month). They have already built a strong reputation for their expertise in creating websites for widely-used E-commerce platforms, like WooCommerce, Shopify, custom PHP solutions, Wix, Magento, and more. ZTS Infotech Pvt Ltd has successfully delivered 2000+ projects and they have an impressive 100% job success rate. Highlights Full-service web solution company 100% job success rate Affordable packages Experienced team Clients : ITC hotel Group , Shoppers Stop, Lottery.com , Layover.com , Almeda University and many more 6. Blue Beetle This is a top-rated digital marketing company based out of Dubai. They have been in this industry for over a decade. They specialize in areas like SEO, web design and development, user experience and digital marketing. They have already worked with some of the top-rated brands in the Middle East. Highlights SEO, web design and development, user experience and digital marketing Affordable packages Years of experience 7. Doforttech This is a technology and consulting company, offering high-quality services to clients for many years. They have the main developmental center in India and headquarters at Bangalore and a branch in the Middle East. They have highly experienced experts with a great wealth of knowledge in IT and digital marketing solutions. Highlights Services- Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, Application, It consulting, Business Process and Business Intelligence, etc Industries they have worked for- Automotive, manufacturing, real estate, transportation, oil and gag, healthcare, construction, etc Have an experienced team 8. Tropadesign.com This is an innovative web and graphic company, dedicated to design iconic and memorable brands that add value to their business. They specialize in social media services, web design and development, brand identity and packaging design, and more. They have experienced graphic designers, web developers and digital marketing experts on their team. Highlights Brand identity and packaging design Social media management Web design and development Already worked for many brands 9. EPAM Systems EPAM Systems, Inc. is one of the foremost global digital transformation services providers. They work with a team of experienced digital marketing experts, data engineers and more! They offer- innovative strategy, integrated advisory, consulting, and extraordinary design and more to power varied types of enterprises, education and health platforms that connect people, optimize experiences, and improve people's lives. Highlights Experienced team Foremost digital transformation services Already worked for many industries 10. SoftServe This is a top-rated digital solution provider. They have the best advisors, engineers, and designers on their team. Their motto is to solve business challenges with innovative technology solutions. They have been in this industry for many years. Highlights Services they offer- Digital Strategy and Innovation, Cybersecurity, Cloud & DevOps, Big Data & Analytics, AI & ML, etc Industries they have worked for- Healthcare & Life Sciences, Financial Services, Retail, High Tech, Energy, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Automotive and Education Have an experienced team FAQ Is digital marketing in demand in the UAE? Yes, absolutely. Cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc. have a wide number of customers who are looking for services and products online. Whether you run a product-based or service-based company, if you do not reach customers digitally, you will never make big revenue. Thats why most of the businesses in Dubai and through UAE are using digital marketing services. Do I need to hire a digital marketing agency? What is the average price that companies in the UAE charge for digital marketing services? A Digital Marketing Agency will be the need of the hour for growing businesses online. If you have a strong online presence, you can build a great brand impression. Whether you run a large-scale, mid-size or small-scale business, you must consider digital marketing. You will find an affordable digital marketing company to suit your budget. If you outsource from well reputed Indian Digital Marketing companies then you can save a significant amount of your hard-earned money.Companies based in the UAE charge approximately 5,000 AED per month to 25,000 AED per month. If you choose Indian companies like Zebra Techies Solution or IMT, they will charge approximately 500 AED per month and onwards. What are the factors to consider when you're hiring a digital marketing agency? Company portfolio Their reputation, online reviews List of services Package rates when you have budget constraints Expertise of the team Access to top-rated tools Seamless communication Performance tracking facility Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Traders Union published a detailed XM Trading review, telling basic facts about the company that may be of interest to users. The experts used a unique methodology based on 100+ criteria and shared their personal experience about the personal cabinet of XM broker. The company was included in the ranking of the best ones, taking ninth place out of 349 financial partners. The majority of reviews speak in favor of XM Group; clients are satisfied with trading on this platform. Feedback can be found on the TU website. Key information about XM Trading XM Trading was founded in 2009 and specialized in providing brokerage services in the foreign exchange market. During its work, the financial partner has proven its reliability and honesty; its services are used by traders from 190+ countries. Now XM Trading is chosen by more than 5 million users. The company is recognized as one of the fastest growing. In addition, it is called the best service provider in the international foreign exchange market. In a comprehensive review, Traders Union analysts described in detail what achievements and awards the XM Group has. XM Group Profile Traders Union experts write that XM Trading can be recommended to those who are interested in loyal commissions, high order processing speed and reliable financial discipline. The broker values its reputation, it works officially and has received the approval of four authoritative regulators: CySEC (120/10); ASIC (164,367,113); DFSA (F003484); FSC (000261/397). By opening a personal cabinet of XM broker, users receive a conscientious attitude towards the fulfillment of their obligations. Key benefits of XM trading: 100% order execution, minimum requotes; tight market spreads; no commissions when depositing and withdrawing money; multilingual support 24/5; access to trading 1,000+ instruments (currency pairs, CFDs, stocks, commodities). Among the cons, Traders Union experts noted: lack of social trading, PAMM investing to generate passive income; no competitions or bonuses. Analysis of trading parameters of XM Group TU allocated the following ratings according to the parameters of the XM Group broker: Tools of the Trade - 8.5/10 Investing tools - 9.1/10 Variety of trading platforms - 8.9/10 Order execution speed 8.7/10 The speed of withdrawing funds is 8.4/10 The speed of the support service is 9.2/10 Review of the company's sales offers XM Trading offers more than 1000 different trading instruments, these are: currency pairs (55 pieces); precious metals; raw materials; shares and stock indices. The reliability and speed of order execution are among the highest available to individual traders. There are also several different deposit accounts, including a cent account. It allows you to test a variety of strategies without risking a lot of money. There are no hidden fees, as well as commissions for withdrawing and replenishing a deposit account. There are 16 trading platforms, but all of them are modifications of MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. On the latter, you can trade several assets at once, as well as CFDs. The spread depends on the type of deposit account that the trader has decided to open. This is a fixed or floating spread from 0.6 points. In fact, this is a tool for long-term investment. Broker programs and products The company offers a large number of trading instruments, an affiliate program, various trading platforms and deposit accounts. Here you have the opportunity to engage in trading in the most comfortable manner. Auto trading in MQL5 XM also provides access to MQL5 signals. To do this, you need to register on MQL5.com and follow all the instructions on the XM broker website. Please remember that the subscription is for a period of one month, and you can only subscribe to one provider. Advantages of working with MQL5 signals from XM TU analyzed the advantages of robots with the following signals: No installation required as the service is built into the program Large selection of signal providers Easy to set up and use No trader intervention is required - trades are copied automatically You can use signals together with advisors New generation of cloud architecture reduces latency in trade execution, regardless of your location XM broker affiliate program The company offers one affiliate program with simple conditions. The commission is paid to the client through whose link another trader registered, made a deposit and began trading. The XM Group affiliate program is two-level: for trading with first-level referrals, the partner receives up to $25 for each closed lot; for transactions of second-level referrals, 10% of the sub-partners commission is awarded. In addition, the company offers a Refer a Friend program. How it works: an existing XM Group client shares a referral link with interested traders; they use it to open an account and then make a deposit; the partner receives a one-time reward when the referral reaches a trading turnover of 3 standard lots. Comparison of trading parameters of XM Group with other brokers Traders Union analysts studied XM Trading and other brokers and compared their parameters. FOREX BROKER: SCORE REGULATION: SPREADS RESOURCES: ADVANTAGES FREE ACCOUNT: XM Trading 5/5 IFSC, CySEC, ASIC Initial 0.0 pips + $3.5 commission per 1 lot (55+ currency pairs) + Huge variety + Micro accounts + Daily webinars + Personal service Live account from $5 RoboForex 5/5 IFS Initial 0.0 pips + commission $4.0 per 1 traded lot 9,000+ (40+ currency pairs) + Huge variety + Micro accounts + Bonus program + Leverage 1:2000 + ECN accounts Live account from $10 Pepperstone 5/5 FCA, ASIC Initial 0.0 pips + $3.5 commission per 1 lot 1,000+ (40+ currency pairs) + Fast execution + Large Forex Broker + Good service + MT4/MT5 Live account from $200 FxPro 4,9/5 FCA, CySEC, FSCA, DFSA, SCB Initial variable 0.0 pips 250+ (50+ currency pairs) + High liquidity + AIT broker + No requotes + No commissions Live account from $100 Account types offered by XM XM Group offers its clients 4 types of accounts: MICRO, STANDARD, ZERO and ULTRA LOW with low spreads. The MICRO account allows you to work with micro lots, with a lower level of risk and has a minimum initial deposit of $5. The STANDARD account allows you to work with standard lots and a minimum deposit of $5. The XM ZERO account offers lower spreads from 0 pips and minimum deposits from $100. The XM ZERO account has a fee of $3.50 per trade volume of $100,000. The XM ULTRA LOW account allows you to trade micro or standard lots with low spreads as low as 0.6 pips and a minimum initial deposit of $50. XM has a simple pricing model: there are no monthly or annual subscription fees, and no fees for routine activities like executing trades, creating advanced charts, or depositing or withdrawing funds from your account in the personal cabinet of XM broker. Beginner traders should only pay attention to the minimum deposit, which starts at just $5 for standard and micro accounts, but is $100 for XM Zero account users (with low spreads and low leverage). Detailed review of XM Broker XM is characterized by a highly reliable platform and execution. TU experts noted that more than 99% of transactions are executed in less than a second and in full accordance with quotes and orders. Therefore, XM is highly trusted among professional and individual traders, for whom even small errors or delays can be costly. Another advantage of XM is the security of customer funds, which are stored in segregated bank accounts separate from company money. In addition, XM is regulated by several financial authorities, which ensures compliance with the law in the interests of users. XM is a highly reliable trading platform XM Group is a proven and reliable broker that was definitely not created by scammers. The company has licenses from international regulators, so the nature of the interaction between the trader and the broker is strictly regulated. The set of educational materials on the site will be useful for traders with any experience. In addition, the XM team is responsive, providing support in multiple languages 7 days a week (24/7 for an EU company). Finally, XM boasts the trader-critical attributes of accuracy and low costs. When collaborating with XM Group, traders can count on the following benefits: classic trading platforms MT4 and MT5, which can be used both on a PC and on a smartphone; a large number of trading instruments; pleasant trading conditions. How does XM Group offer to earn money? Choosing XM Trading, you can count on the same quality of execution for all tariff plans presented on the platform. The broker guarantees a minimum of slippages, requotes, and instant execution of transactions. XM complies with international laws, so leverage is limited to 1:30 (according to the standards of European regulators). There is an opportunity to practice without risks on a demo account, as well as undergo free training - guides, webinars, etc. Main features of the commercial offer: minimum deposit $5 for all tariff plans; spreads from zero for XM Zero (however, there is a fixed commission for a standard lot), from 0.6 points for XM Ultra Low Standard, XM Ultra Low Micro; leverage up to 1:30; a wide list of instruments: currency pairs: commodities, stocks, precious metals, indices, energy; stop-out 50%; margin call 100%; affiliate program with a one-time reward for each invited user (from 450 to 650 dollars); trading platforms MT4, MT5 in desktop, browser and mobile versions, as well as the XM application for mobile devices. Traders Union analysts explained in detail how to register a personal cabinet of XM broker and start making money on the platform. Useful resources of XM Trading By registering a personal cabinet of XM broker, you will receive not only comfortable conditions, but useful tools that will make trading more efficient. On the platform you can find: universal calculator for calculating margin, swaps, point value; technical indicators; economic calendar with key upcoming events that may affect the asset price; MQL5 trading signals and online investment education. To find out more information about XM Trading, read the full review on the Traders Union site. Experienced analytics have collected all the basic facts that may be of interest to potential clients of the company. Security and Protection XM Group received licenses from three international regulators at once: ASIC (Australia); FSC (Belize); CySEC (Cyprus). These organizations put forward strict requirements for licensed companies. Therefore, traders can count on the fact that their cooperation with the broker will be clearly regulated. When working with XM Group, you can count on the following security benefits: Availability of segregated accounts. The company's finances are separate from those of its customers. Traders' deposit accounts are protected from negative balances. XM Group uses reliable security technologies that prevent unauthorized logins to platform user accounts. However, traders who trade small amounts should note that claims against the broker will be ineffective. XM trading educational services XM's educational services are worth praising, such as free weekly webinars on popular topics - evidence that the broker is invested in user education. And during Live Education sessions, clients of all skill levels can ask qualified instructors questions in real time and discuss strategies, market changes and news in their native language. XM Trading also provides training materials and information on basic strategies. A series of videos and articles on various topics introduces beginners to the basics of trading, and a section with real-time market analytics allows traders to keep abreast of current trends.You can look for it on your personal cabinet of XM broker. Deposit and withdrawal XM offers the following options for deposits and withdrawals: credit cards, electronic payments (Skrill, NETELLER), local bank transfers, etc., and this broker does not charge any processing fees for deposits or withdrawals. payment methods: credit card (Visa, MasterCard), electronic wallets (Skrill), bank transfer minimum deposit 5$ withdrawal within 24 hours no withdrawal fees (except bank transfer up to $200) Support In terms of customer support and service, we see that XM covers the needs of trades around the world, while the customer service team is available in different countries and speaks more than 25 languages, including Russian, Hindi, Arabic, Portuguese, Thai, Tagalog and other languages. You can contact customer support 24/5, which is available via email, phone or live chat. We also found that the service was high quality with quick response to customer questions, which once again confirms XM's customer-centric policy. Contacts Registration address 12 Richard & Verengaria Street, Araouzos Castle Court, 3rd Floor, 3042 , Regulation ASIC, FSC, CySEC, DFSA Official site https://www.xm.com Contacts Email: support@xm.com , phones: +357 25029933 (CY), +612 8607 8385 (AU) +501 223-6696 (BZ) Special account of XM Broker On the website you can open a demo account or a live account directly. Please use a valid email address and other personal information. The email address must be verified after opening an account. A demo account is a virtual balance account. You can use it to try out all the features of XM Broker and trade without risk. It simulates trading real money with play money. It is also a great way for new and experienced traders to develop their own strategies or test new markets. XM offers a free demo account worth over $10,000 virtual credits. If desired, you can take a currency other than the US dollar. This account can be used indefinitely and is an ideal way to practice using the broker. FAQs Is it possible to lose more funds than you have in your account? No, negative balance protection will not allow you to lose more money than you have in your account, and if a risk arises, you will receive a notification in advance about the need to top up your account. Can I open multiple XM trading accounts? Yes, XM allows one trader to open up to eight accounts; this can be done in the user section. Is there a fee for an inactive account? An account is considered dormant if you do not make any trades, make deposits or withdrawals, or log into your trading account for 90 days. In this case, you will be charged the equivalent of $5 monthly. How long does it take for funds to be credited to the account? Instantly, except for bank transfers. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Bengaluru News: The Karnataka Government on Thursday issued a circular in view of the Nipah virus outbreak in neighbouring Kerala, and advised the general public to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas of the state. Karnataka government makes Preamble to Constitution compulsory in schools and colleges. Meanwhile, political leaders continued to navigate the Cauvery river water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu, after the Karnataka government filed a plea with the Supreme Court, maintaining that they don't have enough water to release to the southern state. The South Western Railway announced special festival trains between Yesvantpur and Murudeshwar in view of the fast approaching Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The Karnataka health ministry on Thursday issued a circular in view of the Nipah virus outbreak in neighbouring Kerala, and advised the general public to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas of the southern state. The health department also instructed officials to intensify surveillance in the districts that share a border with Kerala, which are namely, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Chamrajanagara and Mysuru. Nipah is a bat-borne, zoonotic virus with a high mortality rate.(File photo) ALSO READ | Nipah virus LIVE updates: Karnataka govt issues circular, intensifies surveillance at border areas with Kerala In view of reporting of 4 confirmed Nipah cases with 2 deaths in Kozhikode district of Kerala state, the surveillance activities in the districts bordering Kerala State need to be intensified to prevent the transmission of the infection, the ministry said in the circular. The department issued guidelines to healthcare officials across the state to prevent spread of infection and undertake surveillance activities. ALSO READ | Alarming rise in Dengue-like illness in Bengaluru; Here's how to prevent it Some of these include setting up of check posts for fever surveillance at point of entries from Karnataka to Kerala, especially in border districts, raising awareness among the public regarding the disease and avoiding unnecessary panic, training health staff right up to Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) level, reserving at least two beds in district hospitals for quarantining patients suspected to have Nipah, and identifying negative pressure ICUs, among others. The health department also advised the public as well as health staff to avoid unnecessary travel to Kerala. Dakshina Kannada district sounds Nipah alert The Dakshina Kannada district sounded an alert on Wednesday after confirmation of Nipah cases in Kerala, with health officials instructing local police to open check posts at border points. The district prepared itself with isolation wards at key healthcare facilities and took other precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should concentrate on more "pressing issues" than saving "Sanatana Dharma". Congress leader Priyank Kharge.(File) "Prime Minister is free to say whatever he wants. He is the Prime Minister of India. But there are more pressing issues that he should concentrate on. People are accusing him of rigging the economic growth of the country, China is building villages, those are the things on which he should concentrate on," the Karnataka Minister said on Thursday, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru. Assuring that 'Sanatana Dharma' will survive for another 3,500 years, Priyank Kharge said, "Sanatana Dharma has survived for more than 3,500 years and will survive for another 3,500 years. It does not require anybody to support it. People who believe in it will ensure that it survives for another 3,500 years. Let the Prime Minister concentrate on more pressing issues." READ | Karnataka govt shares details of fact checking unit to curb misinformation The Karnataka Minister also added that the state government is setting up a disinformation bureau to counter fake information. "Karnataka government is setting up a disinformation bureau to combat fake Information. We will take action according to IPC section," he said. Speaking on Hindi imposition, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Priyank Kharge said, "Hindi imposition has always been the agenda of the BJP. Kannada is also a classical language. People here know multiple languages. Unfortunately, this regime is high on Hindi imposition." READ | Karnataka moves SC for stay on order to release water to Tamil Nadu Earlier in the day, addressing a massive gathering at Bina in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the INDIA bloc of having an agenda to end the country's Santan culture. At a time when Bharat is emerging as a world leader at global forums, some parties are trying to divide the country and its people. These people came together to form an INDI alliance. Some people are calling it a ghamndiya (arrogant) alliance. They dont have a leader yet and there is a lot of suspense on who would lead them going into the Lok Sabha elections next year. They are working with a hidden agenda, which is to attack India's culture, PM Modi said. This INDI alliance adopted a resolution to end our 'Sanatan' culture. They are bent on destroying the ideologies, cultures and traditions that have kept the country and our people together for centuries, the PM added. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Fresh firing and blasts were heard as the counter-terrorist operation in the Gadole forest of Kokernag in south Kashmirs Anantnag district entered its third day on Friday. Two army officers and a Jammu and Kashmir Police DSP made the supreme sacrifice when they came under attack by hiding terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba early on Wednesday. Soldiers near the encounter site at Gadole village in Kokernag district of Anantnag, 95 km from Srinagar,on Thursday. (Waseem Andrabi/HT) Also read: Anantnag encounter: Scores pay tributes to army officers in Mohali, Panipat Since Friday morning, sources said army and police teams have been firing towards the place where they believe the two to three terrorists could be hiding. Locals confirmed hearing blasts in the morning near the encounter spot. Since morning, the firing has been taking place at intervals near the spot that has been encircled by the security forces, comprising army, police and CRPF personnel. Throughout the night, the security forces had kept a close cordon around the forest, said a resident of Gadol, requesting anonymity. Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, also from the same battalion, and deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Humayun Muzamil Bhat suffered fatal injuries during the operation on Wednesday. Police on Thursday said two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, including local commander Uzair Khan, have been encircled by the forces. Khan, who had joined militant ranks last year, was acting as the Lashkar commander in the area as he is well-versed about the forest topography and its adjoining localities. On Wednesday evening, Jammu and Kashmir director general of police Dilbag Singh had said that perpetrators of the criminal act would be brought to justice soon. The falcon squad of The Resistance Front (TRF) had claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, claiming that it was carried out to avenge the killing of Mohammad Riyaz, who belonged to Poonch, in Rawalkote in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir recently. Members of civil society in different parts of Kashmir Valley held candle-light marches on Thursday evening to pay homage to the martyrs. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chemical-free fresh natural produce will now be available to the consumers in the state secretariat complex in Chotta Shimla, Himachal Pradesh University campus in Summerhill and Krishi Bhawan in Boileauganj in a mobile van every Friday, beginning September 15. A woman with a cauliflower grown organically without chemicals. (HT Photo) In Natural produce on wheels, the state project implementing unit (SPIU) of Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y) of the state government is facilitating the farmers in three blocks, Mashobra, Basantpur and Totu, to sell their fresh chemical-free vegetables, fruits and other products like ghee and pickles, to the consumers at reasonable price. The mobile van will be parked at the state secretariat on every Friday from 1 pm to 2.30 pm and then on HPU campus from 3 pm to 4 pm. It will then be at Krishi Bhawan from 4.15 pm to 5.30 pm. We will do this on pilot basis in the state capital as the consumers want to buy the chemical-free vegetables and fruits. Based on the outcome, we will have more sale spots in Shimla and then we can then replicate it in other districts, said state project director, PK3Y, Hemis Negi. Around 200 farmers are being involved for maintaining the regular supply chain from different farmer clusters identified in the three blocks. All these farmers are certified for natural produce under a self-assessed certification process , Certified Evaluation Tool for Agricultural Resource Analysis- Natural Farming, devised by PK3Y. The SPIU has worked out modalities to run the mobile van. It will provide a Farmer Producer Company (FPC) fellow, working with PK3Y, to facilitate sale of natural produce at the specified spots. The PK3Y was launched five years ago in the state to promote the natural farming technique propounded by Padma Shri awardee Subhash Palekar. It reduces the dependence of farmers on the market as the farmers can prepare all the farm inputs with the indigenous cows dung, urine, jaggery, gram flour and locally sourced leaves. . Around 1.70 lakh farmers in the state are practicing chemical-free, low-cost and environment friendly farming techniques on their fields, involving an area of over 24,000 hectares. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Patiala Police, on Friday, booked 13 students of Punjabi University for allegedly thrashing a senior professor on the campus on Thursday. An FIR has been registered under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restrain), 148 (rioting with a deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly with common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The university has ordered a probe against the professor after receiving written complaints from the students against him. Students of Punjabi University protesting on campus on Thursday. (HT File) Notably, a first-year student of a five-year integrated programme of the Languages Department died at her residence during the wee hours of Thursday. The protesting students are alleging that Professor Surjit Singh used to mentally harass her by not granting her medical leave and scolding her for being absent on medical grounds. Of 13, three students have already been identified while 10 students are yet to be identified. We cannot disclose the names of the students at this point, said Amandeep Singh Brar, Station House Officer, at Urban Estate Police station Meanwhile, some students on Friday made a written complaint to the vice-chancellor against the professor. In their complaints, the students alleged that the professor used foul and derogatory language against the students in the classroom. Vice-chancellor professor Arvind said an inquiry has been marked. I have received the written complaints from the students. A retired judge will look into the complaints, he said. Deceased father files police complaint Father of the deceased girl has also given a written complaint to the police against the professor. In his complaint, the deceased girls father claimed that the professor used to mentally harass his daughter. Faculty members raise concern about safety On Friday, the university suspended teaching activities on the campus. Faculty members expressed concern over the incident and raised questions about their safety on the campus. Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA) also gave a representation to the V-C. We (faculty members) are deeply concerned about safety at the campus. Yesterdays incident has already instilled a sense of fear among the faculty members. We strongly condemn the incident, said Nishan Singh Deol, president, PUTA. I have assured the faculty members that a safe working environment will be provided at the university, the V-C said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Haryana has recorded over 100 million searches on the inter-operable criminal justice system (ICJS) platform since March 2022 with 14 lakh searches conducted in August 2023 alone. These searches have led to the tracing of 51 stolen vehicles and 143 fugitives, said Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Friday. Haryana has recorded over 100 million searches on the inter-operable criminal justice system (ICJS) platform since March 2022 with 14 lakh searches conducted in August 2023 alone. These searches have led to the tracing of 51 stolen vehicles and 143 fugitives, said Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Friday. (HT File Photo) The success rate of these searches is expected to improve with enhanced data entry and better integration among the various components of the ICJS. The ICJS is an initiative of the Supreme Courts e-committee to enable seamless transfer of data and information among different pillars of the criminal justice system - courts, police, jails and forensic science laboratories - from one platform. The metadata of FIR and chargesheet can be accessed by all the high courts and subordinate courts using the ICJS platform. The chief secretary on Friday directed the state prosecution department to ensure timely submission of court disposal and result of appeal data in ICJS via virtual private network. During a review of the status of implementation of ICJS-CCTNS, the CS said that the timely submission of accurate data in the ICJS is essential for effective monitoring and tracking of cases. Deputy commissioners will provide manpower to the district attorneys office. The chief secretary emphasised the importance of expediting action on requests for login credentials through the National Crime Records Bureaus (NCRB) assistance. The expedited action on login credentials will allow various pillars of the ICJS to gain faster and smoother access to critical data. This streamlined access will facilitate quicker decision-making and enhance the efficiency of the justice system. An official spokesperson said that Haryana Police has achieved an impressive Real-Time Score (RTS) of 10 on the eSaral/HarSamay portal. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hours after Congress MLA Mamman Khan was arrested in connection with the July 31 communal violence in Nuh, the Haryana government on Friday ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in the district for two days to prevent the spread of misinformation and rumours. A government order in this regard does not mention anything about Khans arrest though. Police personnel standing guard outside a court where arrested Congress MLA Mamman Khan will be produced in connection with the July 31 communal violence case, in Nuh on Friday. (PTI Photo) This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of Nuh district and shall be in force with effect from September 15 (10am) to September 16 midnight, says the order issued by the home department additional chief secretary TVSN Prasad. Also read: Bhiwani killings: Monu Manesar sent to 15-day judicial custody Prasad said the decision was taken after the Nuh deputy commissioner wrote to him on Thursday expressing apprehension there could be tension, agitation, damage of public and private property, and disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the district. The additional chief secretary agreed there is a clear potential of disruption of public utilities, damage to assets and amenities and disturbance of law and order in Nuh on account of misuse of internet services. He said inflammatory material and rumours are being or could be circulated through social media and messaging services through internet, SMS and dongle services. In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for the facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities, the mobile internet has been suspended, he said. ...I do hereby order the suspension of the mobile internet services(2G/3G/4G/5G/CDMA/GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the jurisdiction of Nuh district, Prasads order reads. He emphasised the order was being issued after taking utmost care of public convenience by exempting individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and domestic households. This ensures commercial and financial interest of the state and basic domestic needs of individuals are not affected, the order said. Security stepped up after Mamman Khans arrest Mamman Khan, the Ferozepur Jhirka Congress legislator, was named an accused in an FIR lodged after the communal clashes. He was arrested late on Thursday night, the Haryana Police said. On Thursday the state government had informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that Khan has been named in one of the FIRs registered to probe Nuh violence. The Congress MLA had moved the court, seeking protection from false implication and his arrest in connection with the July 31 violence. The MLA had petitioned the high court after police had issued notice to him to join investigation. However, the Congress MLA didnt join probe on health grounds. When the case came up for hearing on Thursday, the state government submitted that during investigation it was found that according to the tower location, the MLA was within 1.5 km from the place of the occurrence of violence on July 29 and 30, contrary to his claims. Adequate police forces have been deployed in Nuh district following Khans arrest. Tight security arrangements have been made in and around the court complex where Khan is expected to be produced by the police later in the day. The Haryana government had last month too suspended mobile Internet services in the district for several days after the July 31 violence. A Vishva Hindu Parishad-led procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh on July 31. Six people were killed, most of them during the attack. A cleric died in a related attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram. Haryana unit of Bajrang Dal quits in protest The entire unit of the Bajrang Dal in Haryana on Thursday resigned from their posts to register their protest against the arrest of their activists Mohit Yadav, alias Monu Manesar, and Raj Kumar, alias Bittu Bajrangi. The unit accused chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar of not helping right-wing activists in connection with the Nuh violence. The activists were miffed after Khattar denied government job to a Panipat Bajrang Dal worker, who died during the Nuh violence, and the arrest of Monu, who was handed over to the Rajasthan Police in connection with the death of two Muslim men in Bhiwani. Manesar, a cow vigilante, was booked by the Rajasthan Police in connection with the murder of Nasir and Junaid and accused of inciting the violence in Nuh. He was arrested by Haryana Police on Tuesday, ending an eight-month-long hunt. Bittu Bajrangi was granted bail by a Nuh sessions court on August 30 after two weeks in police custody. Bajrangi, who had released a provocative video a day before the Jal Abhishek Yatra, was arrested for allegedly brandishing weapons during the rally, police said. The violence soon spiralled and spread to Sohna, Palwal and Gurugram over two days. Bajrangi was also booked for obstructing the police from performing their duty, assaulting them and fleeing after snatching weapons seized by the police from the spot. He was arrested on August 15 after a chase in Faridabad. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A division bench of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high court on Friday sought details of 48 politicians, who despite having personal houses, continue to occupy ministerial bungalows in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. The estates department, in its status report, had given a list of 48 politicians who were allowed to utilise government accommodation in Jammu and Srinagar . While 23 of these were in Jammu, 25 were in Srinagar (HT Photo) In the order, the division bench comprising chief justice N Kotiswar Singh and justice Rajesh Sekhri directed the petitioners counsel Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed and senior additional advocate general (AAG) SS Nanda appearing for the estates department to furnish a list of the politicians who own houses in Jammu or Kashmir as mentioned in a status report filed on March 28. The estates department, in its status report, had given a list of 48 politicians who were allowed to utilise government accommodation in Jammu and Srinagar . While 23 of these were in Jammu, 25 were in Srinagar. These directions were passed in the public interest litigation filed by activist SK Bhalla, who flagged unauthorised retention of bungalows by former legislators. The PIL also seeks appropriate directions to the estates department to ensure the eviction of illegal occupants from the government accommodation in view of the dissolution of the then state assembly in June 2018. Despite dissolution of the state assembly, the politicians, mostly from the Bharatiya Janata Party, continue to occupy government accommodation. Sheikh Ahmed, appearing for the petitioner, drew the benchs attention towards the laws pertaining to the occupancy of government accommodation, particularly the provisions about persons not eligible for allotment of residential accommodation, such as those who own or possess a house in the concerned city or are in default of payment of license fee etc. On a specific query, advocate SS Ahmed submitted that there are several politicians who have their own houses in Jammu and Srinagar cities and have been allowed to retain the government accommodation. From the compliance report dated March 28, advocate Ahmed read the names of 48 politicians which included Ghulam Nabi Azad (former CM), Shamsher Singh Manhas (ex-MP), Muzzaffar Hussain Beigh (ex-MP), Chander Mohan Gupta (ex-mayor), Kavinder Gupta (ex-deputy CM), Sunil Sharma (former minister), Ravinder Raina (BJP state president), GM Saroori (ex-MLA), Neelam Langeh (ex-MLA), Daleep Singh Parihar (ex-MLA), Bali Bhagat (former minister), Sat Sharma (former minister), Ravinder Sharma (ex-MLC), Shilpy Verma, Sajjad Gani Lone (ex-MLA), Hakim Mohammad Yaseen (ex-MLA), Sofi Yousaf (ex-MLC), Abdul Majid Paddar (ex-MLA), Vikram Randhawa (ex-MLC), Mohammad Amin Bhat (ex-MLA) and Zafar Iqbal Manhas (ex-MLC). Advocate SS Ahmed argued that the estates department is adopting dual standards as 200 leaders, including two former CMs, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, were evicted in a similar situation. Advocate SS Ahmed submitted that the bench, vide its judgment on December 26, 2022, held that security assessment and entitlement to government accommodation are two different issues and cannot be intermingled to defeat the process of law. The division bench while dismissing the application filed by Lal Singh had relied upon a judgment passed by Delhi HC. The bench after considering the submissions and directed that, To have a clear picture, the counsel for the petitioner may furnish a list of those politicians, who possess houses in as mentioned in the status report filed on March 28. The Division Bench also directed senior AAG SS Nanda to furnish as to whether any of the persons in the aforesaid list has an alternative accommodation in Jammu or in Kashmir. Advocate SS Ahmed further submitted that many of these persons ex-legislators who have been given accommodation are otherwise not entitled even if they are deemed to be holding the offices. The next hearing is scheduled for September 25. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Terming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwals Punjab visit a flop show, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday said the AAP leaders in the state had delivered mere sugar-coated speeches to try and convince industrialists and entrepreneurs of the state. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday said the AAP leaders in the state had delivered mere sugar-coated speeches to try and convince industrialists and entrepreneurs of the state. (HT File) The AAP government failed to mitigate the long-pending issues of industrialists and entrepreneurs in Punjab. The industrialists were expecting a special package and a reduction in power tariff that the AAP government hiked following its Jalandhar MP bypoll victory. However, what the AAP supremo delivered was just lip service, he claimed in a statement. Bajwa said that in its Sarkar Sanatkar Milni event in Amritsar, the AAP promised to issue Unique ID for industrialists in Punjabs border districts to facilitate a special economic package and compensation to them. How would this unique ID serve the purpose? The AAP government talked about special economic packages and compensation yet nothing has been announced, he argued, pointing out that in the previous Congress regime, Punjab industrialists got a power subsidy of around 5,000 crore. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced to spruce up the focal points and industrial zones in the state to attract more investment. CM Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal at the Sarkar Sanatkar Milni event on Friday. (SOURCED) The CM, who along with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, announced Sarkar Sanatkar Milni events in Ludhiana and Mohali, also said his government is committed to providing more employment opportunities to youths so as to reverse the trend of brain drain. Speaking to the gathering in Ludhiana, he said the industrial zones and focal points in the state are in a dilapidated condition due to which development is being hampered. We know how you feel when you bring your clients from abroad. You take them to your factories, located in focal points, in your Mercedes and BMWs but the potholed roads leave a bad impression, said Mann while promising a complete overhaul of the road infrastructure of all focal points in the state in the next two years. The CM also announced to provide power meters and other basic amenities to people residing in Ludhianas colonies who form most of the labour force in the factories. Promising speedy clearance of permits, he said, If any industrialist aspires to construct a building by excavating a basement, then he has to apply for it on the Invest Punjab portal. The permission will be given within 72 hours, if not, it will be deemed approved. Mann also announced three years exemption for shifting industry units situated in residential areas. He said the state government will constitute a committee to decide the status of such areas. Punjabis can break Chinas monopoly: Kejriwal Delhi CM Kejriwal said that pan India, only Punjabis can break the monopoly of China in the industrial sector. He said the Punjab industries do not have to compete with the industry of any other state but instead look at defeating China in industrial growth. Kejriwal said the Mann government will extend all sorts of logistic support to the industry. Mohali has potential to become industrial hub Later in the evening, while addressing the Sarkar Sanatkar Milni in Mohali, he promised to equip the city with ultra-modern facilities while stating that Mohali has a huge potential to become an industrial hub of the state. The Punjab CM said that once Mohali is developed, other parts of the state too will be developed on similar lines. He also announced a one-year extension to entrepreneurs for construction on their industrial plots. Mann said the idea behind Sarkar Sanatkar Milni is to have a direct dialogue with the captains of the industry so as to understand their needs and act accordingly. The CM also said his government had turned the red-tape prevalent during the previous governments into a red carpet for industrialists. He said the government has already introduced a single window to facilitate the industrialists. The CM said his government is open to give maximum permissions to industrial units, provided they promise to give jobs to the youths of the state. He said his government is committed to reversing the trend of the brain drain. The Punjab CM also cited an example of a youngster who had returned to India from Australia and started a restaurant here. On the occasion, Mann and Kejriwal also unveiled a book of PHD Chambers. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that the restrictions on exports of basmati rice imposed by the Union government are against the interests of the farmers and demanded its immediate rollback. Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann addressing the farmers during Kisan Mela in Ludhiana on Thursday. (HT photo) Addressing the gathering during Kisan Mela organised here at the Punjab Agricultural University, the CM said, This decision will do considerable damage to the economic situation of the farmers as well as the traders. He said that the Union government has fixed the Minimum Export Price of the Basmati at $1200 ( 99,000 approx) per tonne, which adversely hits the domestic price of the crop. Mann said that the union government must remove all these restrictions to safeguard the interests of the farmers from the state. He said on the one hand the state government is making concerted efforts for crop diversification by encouraging the farmers to produce moong, basmati and other alternative crops, but on the other, these steps of the Union government are giving major setback to it,. The CM said that this decision is anti-farmer and anti-state adding that the state government will vehemently oppose this move. He said that in the wake of these restrictions, the state government is contemplating selling the basmati crop to states like Kerala, West Bengal and others. The CM further slammed the Union government for stalling the Rural Development Fund (RDF). He said that even though the state government has removed all the ambiguities, the Centre has not released the funds yet. Mann said to cope with the problem of paddy straw burning, the state government had mooted the idea of compensating the farmers by giving them 2,500 per acre. Out of this 1,500 was to be given by the central government, and 1,000 was to be shared by the state government. However, instead of agreeing to this demand, the Union government rejected it without any logic, he said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! As the world adapts to digital payments, it seems the corrupt too dont want to be left behind. The Punjab vigilance bureau is seeing a growing trend of government officials taking bribes through digital payment apps, including Google Pay, Phone Pe, and Paytm etc, something that ends up being a self-incriminating move. Punjab Vigilance Bureaus chief director Varinder Kumar said that at least a dozen such cases have come to the fore off late (Shutterstock) Vigilance sleuths had recently caught a power corporation sub-divisional officer, identified as Mohan Lal, and a lineman for taking bribe of 34,000 through Google-Pay in lieu of not disconnecting the electricity connection of a Ludhiana resident. While they were caught red-handed with 5,000 bribe money, investigations revealed that the duo had taken 34,000 via the digital mode. Punjab Vigilance Bureaus chief director Varinder Kumar said that at least a dozen such cases have come to the fore off late. But this only makes our job easier. It is easier to prove their guilt in a court of law when there is a clear digital trail of the money exchange, said Kumar. In a similar case, the vigilance, on May 23, had nabbed head constable Raghunath Singh, posted at Bhargo camp in Jalandhar city, for taking a bribe of 2,100 in two instalments through digital payment app, PhonePay. He was demanding bribe from an Uttarakhand resident for sending viscera of a deceased for chemical examination. The bribery complaint was posted on the CMs anti-corruption helpline following which the sleuths got into action. Jalandhar, with five cases, tops the state in terms of digital bribery cases in recent times. Patwari Ranjodh Singh of Pahuwind Circle of Amritsar had also landed in the vigilance net for taking 4,000 bribe through Google Pay. Abhay Kumar Patwari of Tibbi Khurd, Ferozepur, was caught accepting 5,000 while another patwari, Amritpal, of Barnala was caught taking 5,000 through Google Pay. Sukhwinder Singh, a clerk of Fazilka education officer, was also one such offender. While some government officials walk themselves into trouble by leaving a clear digital trail, others are smarter. An official, requesting anonymity, said, We recently came across a case where an official was carrying a Digital QR code scanner, linked to a shop in his area, for payments. He got away scot-free as the bribe money went to the shopkeeper, who showed it as a payment for some goods he sold. Our trap fell flat. A vigilance spokesperson said many such complaints have come in on the CMs anti-corruption helpline and each case is being looked into one by one. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishal Rambani A special correspondent, Vishal Rambani is the bureau chief at Patiala. He covers politics, crime, power sector, environment and socio-economic issues, with several investigative stories to his credit. ...view detail The Punjab intelligence wing arrested three persons with 1.6 kg heroin, allegedly airdropped by a drone from Pakistan, from a naka near Bhikhiwind village of Tarn Taran. The accused have been identified as Gurmeet Singh and Angrej Singh of Wan Tara Singh village, and Balwinder Singh alias Billa of Balehar village in Tarn Taran. (REUTERS) The accused have been identified as Gurmeet Singh and Angrej Singh of Wan Tara Singh village, and Balwinder Singh alias Billa of Balehar village in Tarn Taran. A police spokesperson said the trio was nabbed from a naka following a tip-off. He said the heroin packets recovered from the accused had three rings attached to it, clearly indicating that it was carried by drone and dropped by unhook mechanism. The spokesperson further said that preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with smugglers in Pakistan. They had planned to receive heroin in small quantities, for instance 500gm in one sortie and sell it to their regular customers once a considerable payload was received, said the spokesperson. A case under Sections 21, 23-C, 25 and 29 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered at the state special operation cell of Amritsar police station against the accused. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi weather: Delhi residents were caught by surprise as moderate rainfall and strong gusts of wind swept through the national capital region on Friday morning. In the wake of the rainy weather conditions, complaints regarding highlighting congestion issues during the rush hour also made their way on the social media feeds of Delhi and Noida traffic police. Heavy traffic congestion reported in Noida's Gaur City 2 locality on Friday.(X/@ritesh14887) On X (formerly Twitter), local residents shared unverified videos and photos, complaining about the traffic congestion experienced by commuters amid rain as they navigated through the morning rush hour, striving to reach schools and offices. The India Meteorological Department earlier issued warnings, urging residents to exercise caution and brace themselves for adverse weather conditions in the morning. It also forecast generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall in Delhi over the next five days. Complaints poured in from different parts of the city. One user reported heavy traffic from Chhattarpur to Qutub Minar in South Delhi. Another mentioned congestion at the Dwarka underpass heading towards Kapashera junction, however, the user reiterated that the traffic issue here was a frequent problem. In Delhi's Mausam Vihar near DAV school, a user complained about "heavy traffic congestion" and called for intervention from Delhi's traffic authorities. Standstill traffic near Noida's Amity International School sector 44, a user tweeted, sharing a video clip of the purported site. A person also highlighted the heavy traffic congestion witnessed on Sector 50 roundabout in Noida, sharing a video. Traffic woes in Noida extension continues. No traffic cops at the spot. Wrong lane driving is a major cause, another person posted, sharing a video of slow-moving cars amid the rainy conditions. Heavy traffic in Gaur City 2, Noida Traffic issues persisted in Noida Extension, with complaints of absent traffic police and wrong lane driving causing delays in rainy conditions. "Just need an excuse for the jam in Gaur City-2, Noida Extension, to make something permanent," a person complained tagging Noida traffic authorities. Huge traffic jam inside Gaur City 2. Please help Noida police, an X user @abhishekanandji said. Another user also complained about traffic in Gaur City 2, however, he added that the congestion was due to "traffic coming from the wrong side." Amid a rise in complaints, both Delhi and Noida traffic police acknowledged the situation and assured residents that the relevant authorities were actively addressing it. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi residents woke up to a surprise as moderate rainfall and gusty winds hit the national capital region, with warnings from the India Meteorological Department. The weather forecasting agency urged them to exercise caution and be prepared for adverse conditions during the morning hours. Pedestrians cross the road on Delhi-Gurugram Expressway amid heavy rainfall.(ANI / File) The IMD said the Delhi-NCR is likely to experience gusty winds of speed 50-70 kmph, along with moderate rainfall, followed by occasional intense spells. The inclement weather is attributed to an approaching weather system from northwest Uttar Pradesh. The Met department said the rainfall activity is expected to persist until around 09:30 am today before gradually subsiding. Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain with heavy intensity rain over few places and gusty winds with speed of 50-70 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR ( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Manesar, Ballabhgarh) Gannaur, Sonipat, Kharkhoda (Haryana) Sakoti Tanda, Hastinapur, Baraut, Meerut, Modinagar, Pilakhua, Hapur, Daurala, Bagpat, Khekra (U.P.), the IMD said in a bulletin. Light to moderate intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Kandhla, Khatauli, Chandpur, Kithor, Garhmukteshwar, Gulaoti, Sikandrabad (U.P.) during next 2 hours, it added. Expected Impact: The heavy rainfall is expected to lead to traffic congestion and create slippery road conditions. Commuters are advised to exercise caution while driving and consider alternative routes if necessary. Occasional reductions in visibility due to heavy rain may pose challenges for drivers. Using headlights and maintaining a safe following distance is essential to ensure road safety. Routine outdoor activities and business operations are likely to be affected due to adverse weather conditions. It is advisable to stay indoors whenever possible. Plantations, horticulture, and standing crops may suffer damage as a result of the heavy rainfall. Farmers are encouraged to take preventive measures to protect their crops. Vulnerable structures may experience partial damage, including kutcha houses, walls, and huts. Residents should be cautious and seek safe shelter if needed. The heavy rainfall could lead to localized flooding of roads, making them impassable. Residents should avoid driving through flooded areas and find alternative routes. With heavy rainfall lashing Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas, the IMD has suggested actions to help residents stay safe. It has urged commuters to stay updated on traffic advisories issued by local authorities. Road conditions can change rapidly during heavy rainfall, and avoiding unnecessary travel can prevent accidents and traffic jams. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ashok Leyland, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles, has decided to set up its electric bus manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh. If all goes well, then the company may set up the unit in Lucknow. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between the company and the state government at a programme organised in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the latters official residence in Lucknow on Friday (Sourced) A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between the company and the state government at a programme organised in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath here on Friday. This new unit is likely to be operationalised in 18 months. The MoU, however, keeps the option of the units location open, those aware of the development said. Meanwhile, Ashok Leyland has selected the land of Scooters India Limited (SIL) in Lucknow to set up its electric buses manufacturing unit, said infrastructure and industrial development commissioner Manoj Kumar Singh. Ashok Leyland is setting up its electric vehicles manufacturing unit in the state. We gave them four to five choices. It has narrowed down the choice to the land of Scooters India Limited in Lucknow. About 70-acre land of SIL will be given to the company for the purpose. An investment of 200 to 500 crore will be made in the first phase. It will invest 1,000 crore later. The company also proposes to manufacture batteries later, said Singh, who signed the MoU on behalf of the government with the companys managing director and CEO Shenu Agarwal. Chairman Ashok Leyland Dheeraj Hinduja said the new unit in Uttar Pradesh would be launched in the next 18 months. The MoU signed today by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Ashok Leyland to establish a manufacturing plant in the state reaffirms our commitment to shaping the future of the commercial vehicle industry. We are excited to venture into the vibrant state of Uttar Pradesh, and confident that this new facility will contribute positively to our shared objectives of generating employment opportunities and promoting sustainable mobility in India, Hinduja wrote on X. Those aware of the development said the company would initially manufacture 2,500 buses annually. The capacity would be ramped up to 5,000 later. The CM has asked the company to start manufacturing at the unit before Kumbh Mela-2025 as the state government would be buying new electric vehicles for the grand event. Adityanath, meanwhile, said the companys decision to invest in Uttar Pradesh was well in time and the whole Hinduja Group would benefit from this. He said the state government was committed to providing security and other facilities to all investors. He said industrial groups that avoided U.P. six years ago were now expanding their units in the state. He said the Uttar Pradesh government was keen to attract investment from the private sector, which was in line with the Net Zero mission. He said the state government was working continuously to promote the manufacturing and operation of electric vehicles, for which it has even issued policies. Hinduja lauded the state government for taking early decision on the issue saying the discussions regarding investment in Uttar Pradesh were held on August 10, and the MoU was signed with the government within 36 days on September 15. He said if work was carried out efficiently in the same manner in other states too, then it would significantly transform the industrial landscape. He thanked the chief minister and his entire team for making quick decisions. UP minister for industrial development, export promotion, NRI, and Investment Promotion Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi said Ashok Leylands decision to establish a unit in Uttar Pradesh would further enhance the strength of the company. He said this initiative would create additional employment opportunities for the youth, improve their skills and strengthen the overall economy of the region. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The arrest of 19-year-old Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) student Faizan Ansari alias Faiz, a resident of Lohardaga district of Jharkhand, from Aligarh on July 18 earlier this year had apparently blew the lid off pan-India network of global terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The NIA officials said the searches were conducted on the premises of suspects. (For Representation) While probing Faizans network, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided nine locations in a multi-state crackdown on the ISIS Jharkhand module case. These places included three east U.P. districts too. During the raids, the NIA arrested one person from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh for his alleged role in the conspiracy to spread terror in the region while two others were detained in U.P. for questioning. The NIA officials said the raids were conducted in Maharajganj, Azamgarh and Jaunpur districts of Uttar Pradesh, Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Ludhiana in Punjab, South Goa in Goa, Yadgir in Karnataka and Mumbai in Maharashtra. In a press note shared with media, the NIA officials said the case related to the ISIS module that was exposed with the arrest of Faizan Ansari. They said he had come in contact with radicalised individuals connected with the ISIS during his stay near the AMU campus. The NIA officials said the searches were conducted on the premises of suspects at nine locations across six states as part of the crackdown during which one Rahul Sen alias Omar alias Omar Bahadur (23) was arrested from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and a host of incriminating material, including electronic and digital devices, one knife, a veil and several ISIS related documents were seized. The officials said Omar was arrested for his active role in the terror conspiracy, including dissemination of ISIS propaganda through social media platforms for radicalisation and recruitment of gullible youth for carrying out various terror related activities. They said the investigation had revealed that Faizan along with his associates and other unknown people had hatched the Jharkhand terror module conspiracy through social media platforms with an intention to aid and abet terror activities by providing active support to the ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and disseminate the outfits propaganda. They said the conspiracy was aimed at unleashing violent terror attacks in India on behalf of the ISIS and recruiting youngsters to work for the banned outfit. They said Faizan, a B.A. Hons (economics) student of AMU, used to stay at a lodge near the university campus. While studying at the AMU, he met some radicalised individuals who were in contact with ISIS operatives. They formed a closed group which was trying to influence others to join ISIS. In U.P.s Maharajganj, the NIA carried out a search at the house of Unani doctor in Vikas Nagar locality of Anand Nagar area under Farenda police station limits of Maharajganj. A local cop said the doctors son-in-law, a native of Bihars Siwan district, was suspected to be associated with the same network. He said the NIA team stayed there for around six hours and searched the entire house and took the doctors son-in-law to its Lucknow office for further questioning after seizing his laptop and mobile as well as some documents. He said the NIA was investigating links of the doctors son-in-law with Faizan Ansari during his stay in Aligarh. He said the doctors son-in-law, who also studied at AMU, reportedly stayed with Faizan at his rented room in Aligarh. Meanwhile, the NIA carried out a search at the house of a local lawyer at Friends Colony of Badrakha locality in Azamgarh district and stayed there for three hours. As per a senior police official, the lawyers son and other family members were staying in Lucknow and the lawyers son was suspected of having links with the ISIS operatives. He said the lawyers son and daughter were also questioned and further probe was under way. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Power engineers of Uttar Pradesh on Friday reiterated their demand for the re-establishment of the UP State Electricity Board (UPSEB) by integrating all the energy corporations that were carved out of it when the board was unbundled in January 2000. A function was organised by UP power men to celebrate the birth anniversary of Indias pioneering civil engineer M Visvesvaraya in Lucknow on September 15. (Sourced) They raised the demand in a function organised by them to celebrate the 162nd birth anniversary of Indias pioneering civil engineer M Visvesvaraya (1861-1962) here. His birthday is observed as the Engineers Day in India every year on September 15 to honour engineers contribution to the nation building. Addressing the function, All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) chairman Shailendra Dubey said the government must take a lesson from the failure of the experiments of corporatisation and privatisation of the energy sector and take steps to re-establish the UPSEB for better results. Re-establishment of the UPSEB and elimination of dependence on private houses will enable the government to achieve its goal of providing 24X 7 power to all, he said. UP Rajya Vidyut Abhiyanta Sangh general secretary Jitendra Singh Gurjar demanded the government to enact a special law to provide security to power engineers. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lucknow: It is now nearly 36 hours since about 19 teams of income tax officials began search operations on around 30 premises spread across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, including the Rampur home of Samajwadi Party (SP) co-founder and its most visible Muslim face Azam Khan and his associates. PREMIUM SP leader Azam Khan. (HT file) The income tax authorities are tightlipped about the exercise but the members of Maulana Ali Jauhar Trust that Azam heads or his aides have mostly been searched. The ruling BJP has justified the raids while the opposition alleged political vendetta. Khan turned 75 on August 14 and his age is less than the 80-odd cases filed against him soon after the BJP government came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. Yet, battling cases, medical issues and dwindling political fortunes, Azam Khan continues to be in demand. He has consistently featured on the Samajwadi Party list of star campaigners for all polls, including by-elections. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has allowed the leader to select his candidates in Rampur, where a series of by-polls have been held since June 2022, despite all the results going against Azams picks. And for the first time in over four decades, Azams family has no political representation in the Muslim-majority Rampur in western Uttar Pradesh. Nevertheless, Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadavs vigorous defence of Azam makes it apparent that he continues to be important in the SPs scheme of things for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Never before have I seen politics of such nature. He (Azam) is a man of value and has shown great character and composure in the face of extreme hardship inflicted on him by the present regime. He leads a spartan life and as for the university, its funds and property are all in the public domain and they cant be treated as his property, Yadav said. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls too, SP will use Azam and his son to campaign for the party, SP leaders indicated. However, the BJP has been chipping away at Azams political base. Some of Azams closest aides in Rampur, like Fasahat Khan, who had earlier accused the SP leadership of ignoring Muslims and not doing enough for Azam Khan in his hour of crisis, have since joined the BJP. There is no way to ignore the politically influential but ailing Khan whose son Abdullah claims he was ill-treated during his days in prison and miraculously survived. Providence saved him, said Abdullah, while accusing the BJP of vendetta politics against the veteran politician. He feels that most cases against his father were politically motivated. Azam is now in the eye of the storm over donations made for the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University set up by the Trust in the same name in 2006. BJP lawmaker Akash Saxena, who won the Rampur (Sadar) assembly seat in December 2022 after Azam Khans disqualification from the state assembly, claims that the Khans carefully crafted image of a messiah of the poor and a faqeer (simpleton) is coming unstuck now. Earlier none dared to inquire into the ill-doings. There was a time when police would be used to search for his buffaloes. Now, donations made to the Ali Jauhar Trust that runs Jauhar University are being probed. We had filed a complaint with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in 2021 that donations were mostly fake and requested a probe. Azam should be taxed based on new and fresh evaluation of his property, said Saxena who has been responsible for a majority of the cases registered against the SP veteran. To show solidarity with Azam, Samajwadi Party ally and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary had paid a visit to Azams family in April 2022 and now, the RLD is openly siding with the veteran. Whatever the outcome of the income tax probe, even Azams critics maintain that if he remains fit, he will influence electoral politics of the west UP region, especially in and around Rampur. Azams appeal cuts across party lines. This was apparent when during his period in jail. Back then, amid a buzz about the SP not doing enough for Azam, BJP MP from Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had spoken in his favour. He (Azam) is a 10-term MLA, a former MP of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I think the party (SP) shouldnt discard him, the BJP MP had said. The whole exercise is to break Azam sahib. Imagine he isnt a voter in his own constituency, an Azam supporter said on the phone from Rampur. Will he campaign in the 2024 polls? Insha Allah, he will contest and win, he said. Much will, however, depend on the outcome of the cases against him. As of now, despite a Rampur court acquitting Azam in a 2019 hate speech case, which led to him being disqualified as an MLA from Rampur (Sadar), the UP government has moved the high court against the acquittal. In July this year, Azam was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment in another hate speech case before income tax officials began search operations against him. Three members of a family were allegedly shot and killed over a land dispute in the Mohiuddinpur village area of Uttar Pradeshs Kaushambi district late Thursday night, police said. (HT Photo) Police said that following the shooting incident, an enraged kin of those killed, along with a few locals of the village, torched two houses belonging to the family of those accused. The deceased have been identified identified as Horilal, 62, his daughter Brijkali, 22, and her husband Shivsagar, 26. Kaushambi superintendent of police (SP) Brajesh Kumar Srivastava said they received the information around 6am on Friday, and a team reached the spot to take control of the situation. The fire has been doused, and the situation is now under control, he added. Police force has been deployed in the area, said Srivastava, adding that primary investigations indicate that the triple murders were a result of a property dispute between the two families. Police said the bodies have been sent for autopsy, and teams have been constituted to arrest the four accused whose names have surfaced during questioning. The kin of the deceased informed police that Horilal owned a piece of land at Panda Crossing in the area. However, some others were also claiming the property. Horilal constructed a shanty on the disputed land and was living there with his daughter and son-in-law, who used to run a Jan Sewa Kendra nearby. Late Thursday night, the trio were shot dead by the persons with whom Horilal was locked in a property dispute, informed the kin, according to the police. Villagers informed that after the alleged murder, the relatives of Horilal and a few locals torched the houses of the accused. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BHIWANDI: A 40 year old woman and an eight month old girl were killed and five others injured after a building partially collapsed at Gauri Pada in Bhiwandi,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on,Sunday, September, 03, 2023. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo) The Bhoiwada police in Bhiwandi on Tuesday booked a case against a 70-year-old woman in connection to the deaths of a woman and an eight-month-old baby girl in a partial building collapse. Five other family members had suffered injuries when a part of a one-storied residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi on September 3 at Gauri Pada near Dhobi Talao, Dargah Road. The police said that the accused has been identified as Kaneej Fatima Abdul Bari Momin, 70, who lived with her family in Bhiwandi. The accuseds husband Abdul Bari, who passed away a few years ago, had bought leased the land from Abdul Aziz Faki Chhunawala in 1984 and constructed the ground plus two storey building on the front side, while ground plus one storied building at the back. Five rooms were built by Bari in the one storey structure, which increased the load on the building and it was not maintained adequately for the safety of the residents, said the police The legal heir of Abdul Bari is his wife Kaneej Fatima, who did not care for the buildings maintenance which led to the building collapse, concluded the police investigation. 40-year-old Ujhama Atif Momim, and eight-month old Tasnim Mousar Momin were killed in the incident, while Abdul Latif Momin, 65, Farzana Abdul Latif Momin, 50, Bushra Atif Momin, 32, Adima Atif Momin, 7, and Urusha Atif Momin were injured. According to police officials, the road-facing facade of the building has a ground floor and two storeys, with power loom units located on the ground floor, while the rear side had a ground-plus-one-storeyed structure. While the front portion and power loom units were safe, the rear portion collapsed shortly after midnight, trapping people under the debris for over an hour. Ankur Bangar, Senior Police Inspector, Bhoiwada Police Station said, We booked a case under section 304(2), 337,338,427 of the Indian Penal Code, and no arrest has been made yet. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! In February 2022, prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth and sixth railway lines between Thane and Diva stations on the Central Railway (CR) network. These two lines were laid for seamless movement of long-distance trains from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus till Kalyan, thereby sparing the other four lines for local trains. Thane, India - September,13, 2023: Diva Railway crossing ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, Wednesday, September, 13, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo ) Though CR had said there was scope to run up to 100 more local trains, it announced the operation of only 36 new services. Eighteen months later, rail passenger associations said the new infrastructure had not eased the travel for suburban rail commuters because not a single local train had been introduced since then. We had been told that the two new rail lines on the Thane-Diva route would open up the possibility of running an additional 100 local trains on the older tracks. However, CR authorities operate long-distance trains, holiday specials, and freight trains on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth lines instead of completely switching over to tracks five and six, Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, said and added that CR ignored the plight of common Mumbaikars travelling from farther regions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The associations also said they had been repeatedly demanding that CR make the utmost utilisation of the two new rail lines. Nandkumar Deshmukh, president of Federation of Suburban Passenger Association, said during peak hours, it is painful to see commuters from Diva, Kalwa and Mumbra struggle to board local trains. Untoward incidents keep occurring time and again and railway authorities do not bother despite protests. Now that the fifth and sixth lines are operational, CR can very well run more Thane-Karjat/Kasara trains. But thats not happening. We tried to explain all this to CR officials earlier this month, Deshmukh, a resident of Thane, said. Work on the fifth and sixth lines began in 2008 under Mumbai Urban Transport Project-2 by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC). The delays resulted in the project cost escalating from 133 crore to 440 crore within a decade. Finally, 620 crore had been spent when it was ready and opened in 2022. An official from MRVC said when they planned the two lines, they were confident after examining the railway timetable that another 100 services could be operated on the older tracks. CR officials had told us that the maximum which could be added was 86 services. We have no idea why only 36 trains have been introduced. Afterall, the train operations are with CR, and we have little say in that matter. At present, CR is operating 1,810 services with 136 rakes. Sources said CR has around 150 rakes and the balance either undergoes maintenance or is kept as spares. Prior to opening the Thane-Diva fifth and sixth lines, it used to operate 1,774 services with 134 rakes. We have no plan to add suburban trains for now, clarified Shivraj Manaspure, chief public relations officer, CR. Commuters have alleged that CR is focusing more on the long-distance and goods trains than on local services. Siddesh Desai, a resident of Diva and member of Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, said a letter would soon be sent to the ministry of railways about the misuse of fifth and sixth lines. Since services are inadequate, people especially in Diva and Kalwa are forced to board crowded trains and even use level-crossing gates. CR claims to have reduced accidents at Diva by constructing escalators on the foot overbridge but until the road overbridge is complete, people will still use the level-crossing gate. CR officials agreed that they are accommodating long-distance and freight trains on suburban lines. We have diverted more than 20 long-distance trains on the two new lines. We are also running holiday and festival special trains on these tracks. The citys demand for cement, coal, perishable and non-perishable goods are catered by these two new rail lines. We are taking steps to curb train delays at Diva owing to various reasons, a senior CR official, who refused to be named, said. The official further said they have started escalators on the foot overbridge at Diva and shut the level-crossing gate. Due to this, according to CR officials, there has just been a single trespass since August 1. The road overbridge at the 146-year-old Diva station is incomplete as approach roads are yet to be constructed. Earlier, on an average, the level-crossing gate at Diva used to open at least 39 times that led to train delays of 5 to 7 minutes. Now this has become negligible. The railway has also installed girders above rail tracks at Diva, the official said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Mumbai rain: Several districts in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Palghar, Raigad among others are on a 'yellow' alert and will continue to receive 'very heavy' rainfall on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted. The weather body said that active monsoon conditions have resulted in enhanced rainfall activity in the region, bringing heavy rains to Mumbai and other places. People crossing a Road in a Heavy Monsoon Rain at Andheri, in Mumbai, India, Thursday. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) The rainfall activity is likely to continue through the weekend, it said. Mumbai will very likely receive "heavy rainfall at isolated places" on Friday, with a similar situation prevailing till Monday. Due to active monsoon conditions, enhanced rainfall activity is expected over parts of Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during September 15-18, the MeT office said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Theres a well-marked low-pressure system right now over the coast of Odisha. Its likely to move inside over Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the next two days, said Sushma Nair, scientist at IMD Mumbai, explaining the system behind the showers. Its going to be a wet weekend. 'Orange alert in some districts' Other districts on 'yellow' alert today are Palghar, Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim, and Yavatmal. While the IMD also said that Gondia, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Bhandara will remain on an orange alert, anticipating heavy to very heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, Nashik, Sangli, Sholapur, Latur, Osmanabad are not predicted to face any major rainfall activity and were put on a 'green' alert by the IMD. The IMD said most of these regions will continue to experience heavy rainfall till Sunday, following which conditions will improve in several districts. However, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Pune, and Satara will continue to see heavy rainfall conditions till Monday. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer at HT Digital. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail A 50-year-old man and an elderly citizen were killed after a three-storey residential building in Dombivlis Aayare village partially collapsed on Friday evening. Kalyan India - September 15 2023 Pics. A three storey building which got cracks yesterday was asked to vacate the building by KDMC which collapsed on Friday evening. Two persons a woman and a man is stuck under the debris., September 15 2023.Pramod Tambe /HT . in India 15 2023 (Photo by Pramod Tambe HT) According to the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), the building, Adinarayan Krupa, is 50 years old and it is in a very dangerous condition. Two families were believed to be in the building when a portion of it collapsed around 5 pm, officials said. Teams from KDMC and fire brigade along with police reached the spot and rescue operations began. Sunil Lodiya and Dipti Lodiya, 45, who lived on the second floor, were pulled out from the debris around 8.45 pm. The husband was found dead, the officials said. Later, rescue teams found 70-year-old Arvind Bhatkar, a retired bank employee, dead. Bhatkar lived on the first floor with his wife and son. Bhausaheb Dangde, municipal commissioner, said, We had in 2018 issued a notice to the residents. There was a total of 30 families who had vacated but some of them later returned to live here. Following complaints that chunks of plaster were falling off, ward officer Sonal Deshmukh and her team again visited the building on Friday and asked the residents to move out, Dangde said. But Dipti Lodiya refused to vacate and locked herself in. Bhatkar was bedridden while two of his family members were away. The collapse occurred five minutes after our team left the building, the commissioner said. Siddhesh, 35, son of Bhatkar, said, My mother and I had left home 30 minutes before the incident to look for a rented room so that we could shift there immediately. I rushed here on learning about the collapse. My mother is in a state of shock. Mayuri Dande, sister of Dipti Lodiya, said, I recently shifted to Dombivli from Malkapur. One of my relatives told me about the collapse and I came here. Soeb Malik, 20, shares a rented room with five others in an adjacent chawl. In the morning, a KDMC official appealed to the building residents to vacate their homes. About 10 minutes after we went out of our room, we came to know that the building had collapsed. We immediately returned and found that the debris had fallen all over our room, Malik, who works as a labourer, said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! PRAYAGRAJ People will witness an impressive air display of its power by the Indian Air Force on October 8. To commemorate Air Force Day, marking IAFs 91st anniversary, dozens of different aircraft will take part in an air display over the holy confluence of Sangam in Prayagraj, during which they will put up a dazzling show of some vivid and varying formations, informed district administration officials. IAF fighter aircraft (Indian Air Force) Governor Anandi Ben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the event. The district administration has received consent from the Governors House and the CMs Office in this regard, officials added. However, consent is still awaited from the office of President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who are also expected to grace the occasion, they said. The Indian Air Force will be celebrating its 91st anniversary on October 8, 2023. Keeping with the new tradition of hosting the Air Force Day celebrations in different parts of the country, this years Air Force Day parade and Air Display will be held in Prayagraj, said Gp Capt Samir Gangakhedkar, Public Relations Officer (Defence), Prayagraj. The ceremonial parade would be conducted at Air Force Station-Bamrauli, and the Air Display would be conducted over the Sangam area, in the vicinity of Ordnance Depot Fort in Prayagraj. The scenic surroundings would add to the appeal of the stream of aircraft displaying various close formations and exhilarating manoeuvres, he added. The Air Force Day celebrations will actually commence more than a week before this with an Air Display near Bhojtal Lake at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on September 30, 2023, he shared. IAF is looking forward to greeting and enthralling the local populace with its exciting range of aerobatic performances, both at Prayagraj and Bhopal, the PRO (Defence) added. For the preparation of the program, Prayagraj District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal held a review meeting in the Sangam auditorium on Thursday. During this, senior IAF officers were also present. IAF officers have urged the district administration to send 1000 school students for the full dress rehearsal to be held on October 6, set to take place in the morning. A list of students for this has been submitted by the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS)-Prayagraj already. Whereas a request has been made to send 20,000 school students for the main program to be held on October 8, district officials said. President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh besides Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are expected to be present at the Allahabad Fort for the program on October 8. Besides, invited VIPs, children, and the general public of the Prayagraj division and district will be present on the Parade ground. DM has ordered arrangements for VVIP seating, PA system, commentary box, parking arrangements, and cleanliness arrangements in the confluence area besides toilets, drinking water, water police, medical arrangements, installation of wireless systems in boat ambulances, ambulances, etc. Instructions have also been given to make arrangements for emergency treatment, blood bank, control room, referral hospital, etc., in light of the event. Last year on IAFs 90th anniversary in Chandigarh, nearly 80 military aircraft and helicopters including Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi, MIG-29, C-103 besides Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Chinook, Apache, and Mi 17 participated in the Air Force Day fly-past. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A 30-year-old woman in Assams Jagiroad area has been arrested for allegedly drugging and murdering her husband with help from her paramour. Representational image. Police recovered the dead body of local businessman Asadur Rahman from an abandoned car near a forest, but they unearthed more chilling details during the court of the probe. In the initial investigation, this looked like a murder and we detained some suspects, including his wife Feroza Khatun, the investigating police officer said, adding that they also arrested her friend Safiqul Islam after the initial probe. They confessed their crime during the initial interrogation and we have registered case against them under 302 (murder) and other sections of Indian Penal Code, police said. The officials informed the media that the woman drugged her husband before killing him and she and her lover tried to show the death as accident by dumping the car. They kept the body abandoned in a car so that it looks like an accident. But they left some important clues which helped us find the truth, officials said. According to Rahmans family members, tensions were high in the family after they came to know that Feroza was involved in an extramarital affair with Safiqul. The issue was discussed a few times in the family and she promised to leave that relationship. Now she has killed her husband and we believe that extramarital relationship is behind this, family members said. Rahmans body has been sent for postmortem and the arrested persons will be produced before a court on Friday. The police said they have also detained Ferozas driver Rantu Bordoloi and one more person for their involvement in the murder. They helped in abandoning the dead body and we are interrogating them to get more information, the police said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Goa cabinet has approved a policy to allow the sale of mining dumps, materials that were once considered as waste, bringing huge relief for leaseholders in the natural resource rich southern state of India. Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant. (PTI File Photo) Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the policy was approved at a recent meeting of the state cabinet, but it is yet to be notified. With this, the policy to begin mining from dumps can begin. The state will also earn some revenue, Sawant said. According to the policy, only erstwhile leaseholders who have claims to inventoried dumps situated on private properties falling outside the lease area, and depicted on the mining plan will be allowed to remove the dump, only if they have paid conversion fees in terms of the policy for regulating the dumps on government and private lands; if they can do so only after receiving prior permission and within a period of five years. All other categories of dumps, those which were depicted on mining plans but whose conversion fees have not been paid, dumps on government land, dumps not indicated in the approved mining plan, have been either declared illegal or belonging to the government and will be auctioned, according to the policy. The Goa government had in 2013, through an amendment in the Land Revenue Code, allowed those who had illegally dumped rejects outside the leases to regularise their dumps by paying a penalty referred to as conversion fees. A total of 200 crore was collected back then. The issue of whether dumps can be handled was pending before the Supreme Court, which had prohibited handling the dump materials until the top court decides the issue. However, in December 2022, the SC permitted the Goa government to handle iron ore dumps after it allowed an application filed by the state government to modify its earlier orders that banned extracting valuable ore from dumps. Goa has several mining dumps scattered around the countryside, made of topsoil and other low-grade mud, that were rejected by miners who were only interested in the higher-grade ore found deeper underneath the opencast pits. Tonnes of this material were dumped often outside the notified lease on government, community and private lands without any permissions. With the price of iron ore rising substantially since then, and even lower grade ore now being of value, the industry has been demanding that they be allowed to dig through the old dumps and export what they can. It has been estimated that a total quantity of these dumps is around 700 million tonnes, but the exact location of dumps with respect to lease area, the Fe content, revegetation status, etc., are not known. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The ubiquitous shacks along Goas beaches will have to now compulsorily serve Goan cuisine, state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte told media persons after a joint meeting with shack owners, coastal legislators and representatives. A beach in Goa. (File Photo) Khaunte said that he has been receiving complaints from tourists that they walk into a shack hoping to try some local cuisine only to be told that the shack serves only Chinese and fast food. People come to these shacks to eat Goan cuisine, and many times we receive complaints from tourists that they go to shacks and cannot get Goan food. So, we have made it compulsory that every shack should offer Goan cuisine, Khaunte said. Shack operators, being our main ambassadors and being the most traditional operators from the time the shacks have started, have assured us that they will implement it, he added. A total of 359 shacks are set up along Goas beaches, nearly two thirds of which are along the more popular stretches of north Goa. The first beach shacks in Goa were set up using eco-friendly material, usually coconut tree trunks, bamboo material and wooden planks for flooring and catered to foreign tourists and those wishing to laze by the sea. According to the currently effective shack policy, applications are invited from Goan youths, preferably unemployed, who are then allotted space along the states beaches to set up shacks based on a draw of lots. Around 90% of the shacks are allocated to traditional operators, while 10% of the slots are reserved for newcomers. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! LUCKNOW: A Gomti Nagar resident has accused a woman, allegedly of foreign nationality, her uncle, and a digital trading professor of duping him out of 11 lakh in the name of investment, promising lucrative returns. Representative pic (HT File) Exercising prudence after investing 11 lakh, the victim refused to take the bait further and was spared from further loss. He has since filed a case with the Cyber Police. The victim, Awanish Kumar Awasthi of Vineet Khand, revealed that one Clarissa Luis Bhagat contacted him on Facebook, sending him a friend request, and subsequently messaged him on WhatsApp, enticing him to invest in her coffee business. The woman informed the victim that she hailed from London and was presently in Mumbai exploring opportunities in the coffee business. She was seeking investors who could anticipate substantial profits with their invested sum being multiplied. Awasthi was also informed that her uncle, George L, and a digital trading professor named Fred were actively involved in the venture. Shortly thereafter, Fred sent a contract to the victim, requesting him to review the terms before signing. According to the contract, the victim was obligated to perform 15 trades (digital trading tasks) within five days and transfer 30% of the earned profits to a designated bank account. They coerced me into conducting 31 trades between July 9 and 14 and extorted 11 lakh from me. They displayed an apparent earning of 36 lakh in their account and insisted that I deposit 36 lakh to have the money credited to my bank account, along with instructing me to open a high-capacity channel account, he lamented. The victim stated that he was only allowed to withdraw 36,000 by the time he complied with their demands and initiated the large channel account. I was warned that the funds would be redirected to a charity if I failed to deposit the specified amount, he added. The police have filed a case and initiated an investigation into the matter. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Friday took the first step to re-count the states tigers by starting the training of 20 master trainers at Chandaka Godibari in Bhubaneswar. The camp is being attended by divisional forest officers. Odishas chief wildlife warden SK Popli said the latest national estimate may not be a true reflection of the presence, habitat occupancy and numbers of tigers in Odisha (X/rameshpandeyifs) Odisha announced its decision to carry out its own headcount after the All India Tiger Estimation report in released in July this year put the number of tigers in the state at 20, down from the 45 estimated in 2006. Odishas chief wildlife warden SK Popli said the latest figure may not be a true reflection of the presence, habitat occupancy and numbers of tigers in Odisha as the sampling intensity was relatively low. Though the All India Tiger Estimation protocol mandates that Phase I have to be carried out in all tiger reserves, protected areas, reserve forests, protected forests, revenue forests in all wildlife and territorial divisions and Phase III in all potential tiger bearing forest blocks, in Odisha it has been carried out only in limited areas in the last cycle of the estimation. Though the forests of Odisha account for 39.31% of the states total geographic area, only 733 camera traps were also deployed, which is relatively low compared to 6,894 and 4,872 in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively, all from the same Central Indian landscape, said Popli. No tigers were reported in the Satkosia tiger reserve, where the countrys first interstate tiger translocation exercise was attempted in June 2018 with the transfer of a tiger and tigress from Madhya Pradesh. Popli said the latest tiger estimation by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) did not take into account large inviolate areas and suitable habitats in south Odisha districts such as Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri as well as areas adjoining Chhattisgarh such as the forests of Khariar. Though the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha is the only known source of tiger population, there have been recent instances of movement of tigers in various areas such as Hirakud wildlife division, Keonjhar wildlife division and Sundargarh. Most of such tigers are possibly dispersing individuals, mostly immature males moving in a transient fashion across the landscape either in search of mates or a disturbance-free habitat with a good prey base. It is important that these tigers are detected, identified and tracked. Our estimation would also take note of sub-adult tigers which the All India estimation missed. The need of the hour is to have a more realistic estimation of the number of tigers in the state as well as the forest blocks/habitats occupied by them so that tigers and their habitats can be more closely monitored and protected, he said. Officials said after the training programme of the forest staff is completed, the laying of pugmark impression pads and survey of tiger signs will continue between October 15 and October 31. Between November 1 and January 15, camera traps would be deployed for intensive camera trapping across forest divisions. By January 31 next year, the results would be compiled for an announcement on the total number of tigers. Officials said both, the Pugmark Impression Pads/Pressure Impression Pad method as well as camera trap would be used apart from scats, spray and scratch marks on trees, rake marks, animal kills and the alarm call by prey animals and birds. Once beats having tiger presence have been identified from the confirmed presence of tigers (as validated by indirect evidence during sign survey), it would be followed up by deployment of camera traps. The unit of camera trap deployment shall be an area of 25 square km. NTCA officials did not respond to queries about the Odisha governments move. Former NTCA member secretary Anup Nayak said deploying more camera traps will not lead to any dramatic increase in the number of tigers. I fail to understand why the state forest department officials failed to raise objection to NTCAs tiger estimation procedures in 2021 when they themselves were involved. One just cant put up a pair of camera traps anywhere in the forest as they have to be deployed in grids. The grids are chosen based on the probability of the presence of tigers based on scats, rake marks and other such signs. In MP and Maharashtra, more camera traps were used because there was a likelihood of more tigers being present in the tiger reserves there as compared to Odisha. In Odisha, except Similipal there is no other area which has a good prey base for tigers, said Nayak Wildlife conservationist Biswajit Mohanty also supported Nayak. Satkosia has been finished with poachers running amok there. Similipal is also on the same path. How will tigers survive without prey? By the next tiger census, there would be no tiger left in the state, he said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha police may interrogate Bollywood actor Govinda in connection with a 1,000 crore fake cryptocurrency scam. The EOW had last month busted the fake cryptocurrency scheme arresting the mastermind. (PTI file photo) Officials of Economic Offences Wing of Odisha police said the actor, who had attended a promotional event of Solar Techno Alliance (STA-Token), a multi-level marketing scheme which advertised itself as a cryptocurrency, in Goa on July 30 may be summoned. We may summon him to Bhubaneswar for interrogation or a team may visit him in Mumbai to question him about this association STAs grand function in Goa. Govinda had released a promo in July and promoted the company in some videos, said EOW deputy superintendent of police Sasmita Sahoo. His exact role in the case can be ascertained only after investigation. He may be made a witness in the case, she added. Also Read: Police unearth 30-crore crypto scam The EOW had last month busted the fake cryptocurrency scheme STA and arrested the 40-year-old mastermind Gurtej Singh Sidhu, a 40-year-old man from Punjab. Unlike the popular cryptocurrencies, STA actually worked like a multi level marketing scheme where new investors were supposed to get new investors to keep it running. Investors were promised that they would earn between $20 to $3,000 per day if they joined the scheme and get STA Crypto Tokens which they can hold for five years and get more money in return. Sidhu has been charged with cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under sections of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Banning Act. EOW officials said they are now looking for the STA heads of states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab and Rajasthan. More and more people who were cheated of their hard-earned money are coming forward to lodge complaint against their topline members. Once we establish the money trail between gullible investors and the STA, we would submit chargesheet, said an EOW official. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! ?En la ceremonia por el 94. aniversario del Regimiento de Caballeria Mariscal Domingo Nieto, la presidenta Boluarte anuncio que participara de la 78. Asamblea General de @UN. "Peru estara de vuelta en el escenario mundial. Reafirmare mi trabajo incansable por el pais", dijo. pic.twitter.com/dfzkeREJxl One more person has tested positive for the Nipah virus in Kerala, taking the total number of cases reported so far to six, the office of the state health minister said on Friday. Health workers shift people who have been in contact with a person infected with the Nipah virus to an isolation centre at a government hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala. (AFP Photo) A 39-year-old who was under observation in a hospital is the latest to test positive for the zoonotic virus. He had sought treatment at the same hospital where other Nipah patients were admitted. Two people have succumbed to the deadly virus after the latest outbreak, while four are under treatment. (Nipah Virus LIVE updates) On Thursday, 11 samples of suspected cases and their contacts returned as negative from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, bringing a slight relief to the Kerala health department. Subsequently, 15 other samples were collected and sent for testing. Restrictions have been tightened in Kozhikode district where all the cases have been reported. Schools and other educational institutions are shut, while entry to parks and beaches has also been banned. Prayer gatherings at religious institutions and other public programmes are also prohibited. Tapping and sale of toddy has been banned until further orders, while containment zones continue to be in place across 53 wards in nine panchayats of the district. A team of central health officials who have arrived in Kerala will visit the Maruthonkara and Ayancheri panchayats on Friday where the two Nipah deaths have been reported from. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW Shivpyari, 68, found herself in a predicament when she arrived at the Combined TB Hospital in Thakurganj, accompanied by her son in a wheelchair, seeking a crucial x-ray examination. However, their quest for medical assistance hit an unexpected hurdle when the attending staff member directed them elsewhere, saying, Visit Balrampur hospital for the x-ray if you want it now. The issue with the x-ray machine has persisted for three days. (Representative pic) The reason behind this inconvenience was a malfunctioning digital x-ray machine, while the conventional X-ray equipment was overwhelmed with its workload. Shivpyaris son, struggling to comprehend the situation, implored, I have come from Sitapur with my mother and have to return as well. Where should I go now? Going to Balrampur hospital will only exacerbate my mothers suffering, as she is not well enough even to stand on her own. Shivpyari was left with no choice but to leave the digital x-ray room and explore alternatives at other government hospitals or private centres, if they could manage the costs. Dr Vasudha Singh, the chief medical superintendent of the hospital, did not respond to inquiries regarding the hospitals services despite repeated attempts. The issue with the x-ray machine has persisted for three days, with the staff citing the need to import certain components, which could potentially delay its repair by a month. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to address minor repair issues with the conventional x-ray machine. This situation is particularly concerning as x-ray and pathology services are fundamental diagnostic tools used by doctors at this hospital, which is exclusively dedicated to TB care. It serves not only Lucknow but also patients from neighbouring districts, making the timely availability of these services vital. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW A pharmacist faced serious consequences for dancing outside a labour room and recording a video of the act. In the wake of this, he has been removed from his position, and an investigation has been initiated. Brajesh Pathak has demanded the probe report to be completed within five days (HT File) The pharmacist had been stationed at the Karchauna Community Health Centre in the Hardoi district. A video of him dancing outside the labour room recently went viral. In response to this, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who also serves as the states health minister, ordered his immediate removal from the post and initiated an inquiry into the incident. Pathak has demanded the probe report to be completed within five days. In another decision, Pathak ordered the termination of two teaching faculty members at Firozabad Medical College who had been absent from duty for an extended period. These two teachers had taken sabbaticals without obtaining the required permission to leave the station for higher studies. Pathak stated, Such laxity will not be tolerated, in a released statement. Additionally, Pathak ordered an investigation into a private hospital following the death of a woman during delivery. The family had filed a complaint, prompting the deputy CM to order the sealing of the hospital and the transfer of admitted patients to a government health facility. The probe report concerning the hospitals conduct is expected to be submitted within five days. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW The tragic incident in which four workers died and five others suffered injuries on Friday morning when a service lift had a free fall at an under-construction high-rise group housing society in Greater Noida has brought the lift safety issue back into focus, yet again. Uttar Pradesh has been sitting on the proposal to enact a law to regulate lift installation, operation, and maintenance. (HT Photo) Incidentally, only a week ago, Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority, Lokesh M, wrote a letter to the state authorities here, suggesting an early enactment of a lift law on the lines of ones enacted by several other states to ensure the safety of lift users in high-rise buildings. We did receive a letter from the Noida CEO, and we informed him that the draft law was ready, and further action would be taken in due course of time, an energy department official said, requesting anonymity. Even as lift accidents continue to occur in various cities across the state, Uttar Pradesh has been sitting on the proposal to enact a law to regulate lift installation, operation, maintenance, and fix accountability in the event of a mishap. According to officials aware of the issue, the draft of the law has been revised and sent and resent to the government several times over the last five years, but the final action is still awaited. The final draft of the proposed Uttar Pradesh Lift and Escalator Act was sent to the energy department on October 7, 2021, for clearance after several rounds of meetings and amendments since the proposal was first mooted in 2018 in view of an increasing number of lift malfunctions, said an official from the electricity safety department. The draft, he said, was revised again recently in active consultation with the government and sent to the energy department before the commencement of the State Legislature session convened in August with a view to tabling a bill in the Vidhan Sabha to enact the law. However, this did not happen. Director of Electricity Safety, GK Singh, said that he forwarded the draft law to the government immediately after he took over the charge around a month and a half ago due to the seriousness and urgency of the matter related directly to public safety. We have drafted the proposal after studying lift laws of some other states, primarily of Maharashtra and Gujarat, incorporating all possible aspects needed to ensure safe lift operations, he added. The government, Singh pointed out, might make suitable changes in the proposal before the same took the shape of a bill and passed in the Legislature. States like Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Jharkhand are said to have already enacted laws for the safe installation and operation of lifts. A Ghaziabad resident and office bearer of the Association of Apartment Owners, Alok Kumar, filed a PIL in 2015, seeking directions from the state government to formulate and implement comprehensive regulations for the safe installation, maintenance, and licensing of lifts and escalators in private and government buildings. The PIL is still active, another official of the energy department said. While additional chief secretary of energy, Mahesh Kumar Gupta, was not available for comment on the status of the proposed law and reasons for the delay in its enactment, energy minister AK Sharma did inform the state assembly here on August 11 that the promulgation of the Lift and Escalators Act in Uttar Pradesh was underway. He was responding to a question asked by two Gautam Buddha Nagar MLAs - Dhirendra Singh and Pankaj Singh. Both MLAs from the BJP raised the issue in the House, citing several incidents of lift malfunctions and accidents in high-rise buildings in Noida and other parts of the state. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar visited the Paras-HMRI hospital on Friday to enquire about chief secretary (CS) Amir Subhani, who had suffered a brain stroke after a fall on Thursday, said hospital officials. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar visited the Paras-HMRI hospital on Friday (Agency Photo) Subhani was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the neurosurgery department of the Paras-HMRI Hospital late Thursday evening due to a minor brain haemorrhage. The chief secretary has suffered a minor brain haemorrhage. We are managing him conservatively through medicines. His condition is stable, said Dr Ambuj Kumar, director and head of the department of neurosurgery. He complained of uneasiness and headache last evening after a fall in the bathroom at his residence in the morning. A CT scan has revealed a minor brain haemorrhage. We have put him under observation and he may require a three-day stay at the hospital. added Dr Kumar. The hospital also did a cardiac evaluation on Subhani while the physicians examined him for fever. We have sent his samples for confirmatory test after he tested positive for typhoid initially. We suspect he could be suffering from viral fever, said another doctor, attending to the chief secretary. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said the concept of democracy is not a new phenomenon for Bharat, as it is sometimes projected to be, and traces its roots to thousands of years ago in the Vedic period, which throws ample evidences about the existence of democratic system of governance through institutions like Sabha and samiti, Sabhapati and Sabhashad. BJP national secretary Rituraj Sinha welcomes Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma on his visit to Bihar, where he attended the function at Nalanda University. (Santosh Kumar/HT) He was speaking as the chief guest at the Vaishali Festival of Democracy, which coincided with the International Day of Democracy, organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Nalanda University. Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister of state for culture Meenakshi Lekhi, ICCR president Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and ambassadors/ high commissioners from several countries also spoke on the occasion. Former and acting VCs, Sunaina Singh and Abhay Kumar Singh, also dwelt on subject during panel discussions. It was at Vaishali that Lord Buddha delivered his last sermon, emphasising the importance of unity, equality and compassion. Vaishali, often referred to as the first republic, set a remarkable precedence of democratic principles that is cherished in our nationhood. The chief architect of our Constitution, BR Ambedkar, also made it clear that many of the procedures followed in the ancient Buddhist societies had been adopted in our Parliamentary democracy. The democratic spirit has been an integral part of our civilisation and it is not a new import. In our country, it is a way of life and there have always been a concept of checks and balances in its democratic system since ancient times, Kovind said, recalling his days as the Bihar governor and his third visit to Nalanda University. India, that is Bharat, has preserved its ancient civilisation and heritage, with all the religions flourishing together. In a world where nations are fragmenting into micro entities, Bharat stands as a shining example of resilience and unity in diversity. Our culture has made us a vibrant democracy and the way elections are held across the length and breadth of the country covering mountains, forests, deserts, villages and mega cities to ensure equal opportunity of participation to all tells all about its strength, he said. Arlekar, in his address, said he was felt proud when he got to know from Prime Minister Narendra Modis address that Bharat is the mother of democracy and in the country, it is Bihar where Vaishali is the worlds first republic. I visited Vaishali to see for myself. Vaishali Mahotsav is celebrated since Independence. We need to spread the message of Vaishali throughout the country and the globe. We do mention about democracy in the West, but we forget about our own heritage. The debate of Adi Shankaracharya and Mandan Mishra in Mahishi in Bihar, which reflected the difference of opinion between the two and still respect for each others point of view, also underlines the democratic ethos of Bharat. We need to respect our own rich culture and not accept the theory that we are here to be slaved. We have a lot to feel proud of, especially when it comes to democratic values, he said. The Assam CM said that it was time to change the ecosystem that gives credit for everything positive to outside and the textbooks also need to give a clear picture about countrys rich democratic legacy. Lekhi, at the outset, gave examples from the Rig Ved and Atharva Ved to underline ancient historical evidences through references of institutions pointed to the deep roots of democracy in Bharat. It is n our DNA. It was also reflected at the G20 summit which came out with a joint declaration, as all got together for the right cause. Plurality and tolerance have been part of our civilisation. Sanatan has always existed and we drew strength from it. All these combine to make democracy the national spirit of India, she said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Kumar Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues. ...view detail Pune: Fed up with skin rashes and dry skin issues, digital creator Akshata Kadam (21) tried unsuccessfully many conventional cosmetic brand soaps and shampoos. Post-consultation with a dermatologist, she realised how chemicals and other ingredients used in production of soaps and shampoos was harming her skin. Akshata is just one of the many people who face skin-related problems, and are switching to green cosmetics. Bootstrapped green cosmetic venture started by first-time entrepreneur Soniya Gaikwad has plant-based and scientifically-developed offerings. (HT) The beauty industry is undergoing a major shift towards more sustainable and ethical practices. Consumers are increasingly demanding products that are good for skin, and the planet, driving a surge in the popularity of green and eco-friendly cosmetics. Sensing the market opportunity, Soniya Gaikwad, a first-time entrepreneur, founded a bootstrapped green cosmetic startup Pratha Naturals and Handmade and launched a product range of plant-based and scientifically-developed bath and beauty products. The first step A small-town girl from Buldhana district of Maharashtra, Soniya is now part of startup ecosystem. Daughter of parents in the teaching profession, Soniyas schooling was done in a Marathi medium school and her interests in science secured her many scholarships. After completing her Bachelor in Technology (BTech) in chemical engineering from UDCT (university department of chemical technology) Amravati in 2012, Soniya worked for several companies in the US, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, Saudi Arabia as a process and control engineer till 2015. While working jobs in foreign locations, I was also keen on pursuing something of my own interest, especially in the skincare industry. In fact, in my school as an eighth-grade student, we had made a soap from scratch using oil, caustic soda and other ingredients causing my hands to burn. Although it was a failed attempt, it taught me a lot of things while experimenting. I registered my company in 2015 and named it Pratha Naturals meaning elegantly traditional, Soniya said. I wanted to provide skincare without using any harmful cosmetic products. During my basic research, I realised the gravity of chemical-based products and the absence of natural and safe options. I also believed that stopping the use of soaps or shampoos by people was not the best solution to these problems. The process to develop natural products took almost three years and we launched a few products for trials, she said. Cold processed soaps Soniya started manufacturing cold-processed soaps from a small unit. It took 21 days for the initial process to complete. I included ingredients used 200 years ago. We designed the product to look artistic and used herbs. We sent the samples for lab-testing, before distributing it among friends and family. Our first customers gave us good reviews. All the products, labels, packaging, and printing were done inhouse at a rented unit with zero outside funds. It was a bootstrapped company. My philosophy behind the endeavour was to bring our old wisdom back to ready-to-use products while ensuring that we validate it using modern science. Hence, we have dermatologists, beauticians, Ayurvedacharyas; and Dinesh Pakade, who is founder of Ensim Solutions, a chemical-tech company, on our advisory panel. Looking back at history, the word shampoo has its root in Sanskrit and India, and means cleansing hair or body. Our ancestors used soda ash, which also finds mention in the Ayurveda, and later the shampoo word and its usage spread across the world, Soniya said. Factory set-up As a consultant, Soniya had to stay in Saudi Arabia along with her husband, while her pilot project was launched in India. She trained a small team for three months and handled the operations remotely. The husband-wife duo returned to India in January 2020, just before the Covid pandemic struck the world. Soniya said, Just before the Covid pandemic hit us, we had finalised a site for our factory. It was an open shed of around 3,000 square feet at Gujarwadi area near Katraj. The agreement was registered, and we modified the space as per our requirement. It took us nearly one year to build the entire set-up with product development requirements, flooring, etc as per FDA (Food and Drug Administration) standards. The FDA officials granted us the licence in January 2021. Challenges The pilot project since 2015 came to full fruition in 2021 with commencement of bulk production of products. Soniya said, Initially, we were accepting only few orders that came through social media marketing. We created logo which has copper look and indicates handmade and elegant tradition, website and listed our products on online marketplaces. Our stock keeping units (SKUs) increased from 25 in 2015 to 78 in 2023. This was the real start we were aiming at. There were a lot of challenges right from product development, team building, talent retention, packaging, and marketing. It is not easy to obtain a satisfying formula for product development and it may take several days to achieve results. We had also employed a digital marketing agency, but they lacked the product understanding. Hence, we decided to have the photography and digital marketing agency inhouse. We faced logistics issues regarding order picking and updating etc. As a policy, we encourage hiring women staff. We have grown as a team from 5 to 12 employees withing a year, Soniya said. Lab testing Pratha Naturals has its own lab at their factory to test the products. These products are sent to authorised cosmetic labs in Pune or FDA-approved labs in Aurangabad for certifications. Soniya said, FDA-approved labs have the expertise and resources to conduct the necessary tests like microbiological testing to detect the presence of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms; physical and chemical testing to measure the properties of the product, such as its pH, viscosity, and stability; toxicological testing to assess the safety of the product for human health; and compliance testing to ensure that the product meets the requirements of FDA regulations, to assess the safety of cosmetic products. They also have strict quality control standards. The authorised labs take around 20 days to 30 days to share results after the samples are submitted. Our inhouse lab ensures to fulfil the FDA criteria. Several small businesses and new brands that do not have their own manufacturing facilities, approach us for testing their products. We have done labelling for 23 brands so far, but the problem in the cosmetic industry is that several small players do not survive long as they cannot sustain these initial costs, she said. Go-to-market While the first year went into setting up the production unit, second year saw product being developed and launched and now Pratha Naturals has about 78 SKUs in the market. On how she plans to capture the market, Soniya said, At present, we are listed on online marketplaces to drive our revenue. However, with a basket of products ready, we plan to ramp up our market presence starting with small stores, malls, and marts in offline mode. We intend to start our own factory outlet as well as popup stores in high footfall areas. We have observed that although online marketplaces have good number of hits, serious buyers are not there. The conversion ratio for online marketplaces is just 3 per cent, while offline store increases visibility and can give 80 per cent customer retention and conversion. We are yet to cover the offline market and are looking to tie-up with supermarkets, stores, and malls. We are also looking to export our products as there are lot of opportunities in Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asian countries, she said. Pratha Naturals has worked with the Bank of India in 2021 for corporate gifting and is now empanelled with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). We also plan to apply for government tenders for Grade 1 soaps dedicated for handmade or cold processed soaps which has minimum 70 to 80 per cent total fatty material (TFM). Higher TFM ensure better moisturising properties and a soap that deeply cleans your skin yet leaving it soft and supple. Another challenge is the expensive packaging of handmade products. We must put in packaging value equal to the product value, which makes sustaining in the market difficult. A few brands have experimented with doing away with packaging, but in my opinion, Indian customers are not yet ready for this kind of bold initiative. CornelMaha60 Soniya has been chosen as a participant in the Cornell Maha60 Accelerator Program sponsored by the department of industries, Government of Maharashtra. Soniya said, The opportunity to learn from the Cornell University faculty, engage in discussions, and collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs is truly a badge of honour for me. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The Adivasi Kurmi Samaj (AKS) has once again called for an indefinite Rail Teka-Dagar Chheka (rail blockade movement) at eight railway stations across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha from September 20 to push their demand of getting the Kurmi community included in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST), leaders said on Friday. The AKS has called for an indefinite Rail Teka-Dagar Chheka to push their demand of getting the Kurmi community included in ST. (HT File) We will organise indefinite sit-in dharnas at Gomoh in Giridih district, Muri in Ranchi district, Manoharpur in West Singhbhum district, and Nimdih in Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand; Amlajuri in Rairangpur and Baripada in Odisha; and Kustaur in Purulia district and Khemasuli in West Midnapore district of West Bengal from September 20, Harmohan Mahato, AKS central spokesperson, told HT on Friday. Harmohan further said that they would not be fooled by the sending of the Cultural Research Institute (CRI) report by the West Bengal government or the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) report by Jharkhand. Our rail roko will continue until the Centre includes the Kurmi community in the ST list and our language Kurmali, in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, and a separate religion code for us. We appeal to railway passengers to bear with us since we have been left with no other option. We have been agitating for the past 73 years, said AKS central secretary Jairam Mahato. We dont want to hit the tracks if Centre initiates talks beforehand. We want direct intervention by home minister Amit Shah in initiating talks with Adivasi Kurmi Samaj leaders, the tribal ministry, and representatives of the three states where 2.5-3 crore Kurmis live. We want the formation of a special committee to study our demand and find a solution based on historical documents, said Harmohan. Former Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda recommended the inclusion of Kurmis in the ST list in 2004. Now that he is the Union tribal affairs minister, he is seeking the TRI report. He included Tamaria, Pan, Bhokta, etc., in the ST list, but why play games with Kurmis? Kurmis were listed among the aboriginal tribes vide notification no-550 in 1913 during the British era, but when the Centre notified ST and ST lists on September 6, 1950, Kurmis were put in the list of other backward castes (OBC) in Bihar, Bengal, and Odisha, said Harmohan. During the chairmanship of Som Munda and P. Oraon, TRI reported against including Kurmis in the ST list in 2004. Earlier, the Lokur Commission recommended against the inclusion of the Kurmis in the ST list in 1965. Former Jamshedpur MP and senior Kurmi leader Shailendra Mahato expressed his moral support for the AKS movement and said that this historical and cultural mistake must be corrected now. A delegation of 50 MPs met Nehruji. The Arjun Munda government had sent a recommendation, and 45 MLAs sent a signed memorandum, to which incumbent CM Hemant Soren is also a signatory. Why is the Jharkhand government silent now? Mamata Banerjee has sent an amended CRI report. So, the focus this time is on Jharkhand, said Shailendra. The rail blockade movement by the AKS between September 20 and 25, 2022, and between April 5 and 10, 2023, disrupted railway traffic. More than 500 mail, express, and passenger trains had to be cancelled, numerous trains were diverted or terminated short, leaving 400,000-500,000 passengers stranded. Loading of over 300 goods trains could not be done, while as many goods trains were stranded midway, causing a loss of over 2000 crore in 10 days of rail blockade, twice under the South Eastern (SE) Railway, officials said. Meanwhile, SE Railways has written to the chief secretaries of the three states, apprising them about the movement. We are negotiating with the state governments of the three states involved to settle the matter with AKS and ensure adequate deployment of state police, magistrates, and GRP so that this issue is defused in advance. We have requested measures to ensure that the agitators are not able to reach the railway tracks. We have written to the chief secretaries of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha already. In September last year and April this year, over 500 trains had to be cancelled, causing huge revenue loss and passenger harassment, said Aditya Choudhary, South Eastern Railway chief public relations officer (CPRO), to HT on Friday. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rajasthan Public Service Commission has started the registration process for Statistical officer posts on September 15, 2023. Candidates who want to apply for 72 posts can do it through the official site of RPSC at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in. RPSC Statistical Officer Recruitment 2023: Registration begins for 72 posts at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in(File Photo) The last date to apply is October 14, 2023. The educational qualification includes at least second class master's degree in Economics or Statistics or Mathematics with paper in Statistics or in Commerce with paper in Statistics or at least second class MSc (Agriculture) Statistics and a certificate (RS-CIT course conducted by Rajasthan Knowledge Corporation Limited). The age limit of the candidate should be between 21 to 40 years as on January 1, 2024. Complete details of RPSC Statistical Officer recruitment here RPSC Statistical Officer Recruitment 2023: How to apply To apply online, candidates can follow the steps given below. Visit the official site of RPSC at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in. Click on Apply online link available on the home page. A new page will open where candidates will have to register themselves. Once registration is done, login to the account. Fill in the application form and make the payment of application fees. Click on submit and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. For more related details candidates can check the official site of RPSC. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Get latest news on Education along with updates on Board Exams and Competitive Exams at Hindustan Times. Also get latest Job updates on Employment News SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Junaid Khan is making his acting debut with a Yash Raj Film project. Junaid, who is the eldest son of superstar Aamir Khan, will be seen in Maharaj, which will release on Netflix. (Also read: Aamir Khan says son Junaid Khan gave screen-test for Laal Singh Chaddha: 'But they said a new actor can't pull it off') Junaid Khan is all set to make his acting debut soon.(PTI) Maharaj also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari Wagh and Shalini Pandey. The film has been directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, whose last film was Hichki with Rani Mukerjee. A source also told Pinkvilla about the film, Maharaj marks the beginning of a deep collaboration between YRF and Netflix. The two companies previously worked together on 'The Romantics,' a widely acclaimed docu-series delving into the history of Hindi cinema in India through the lens of Yash Raj Films. With Maharaj, they are cementing their partnership for a long-term association. Inspired by true events, Maharaj, is a David vs Goliath story set in the 1800s, about how a regular man, journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role for the society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses. 'The fearless reporter uncovers a series of incidents that shake the very foundation of society', a presser from Netflix reads. Junaid is Aamir's son from his first marriage to Reena Datta. Aamir had another child with Reena, daughter Ira Khan. Aamir later married Kiran Rao, with whom he has son Azad Rao Khan. Aamir and Kiran are now divorced as well. YRF shared a post on Friday morning, teasing new projects. Netflix and Yash Raj Films join forces to bring a new era of blockbusters! Coming soon, they wrote with the post. The second project announced by them is character-driven thriller, The Railway Men, a four-part series starring R. Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma and Babil Khan, which is directed by debutant director Shiv Rawail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON #SanBorja ministro @JChavezCresta sostiene reunion bilateral con la comandante del @Southcom, Gral. Laura Jane Richardson. Acompanan el jefe del @CCFFAA_PERU, los comandantes generales de @EjercitoPeru, @fapperu y @naval_peru, asi como los viceministros del @MindefPeru. pic.twitter.com/IIWjXUL3xd Proud mom Twinkle Khanna spoke about her son Aarav's 'unfailing kindness' as she wished him on his birthday. Her actor husband Akshay Kumar also wrote a sweet note for Aarav. Aarav Bhatia turned 21 on Friday. Akshay's post Hi mere angrez puttarthe candles on your cake count to 21 today, but for me youd always be the lil one whod jump into my lap and make a tough day worth carrying on. Enjoy your day my son, you can now legally do everything I suspect youve been doing already ;) Love you, Aarav. Forever your proud dad, wrote Akshay. Twinkle Khanna's birthday post for Aarav Twinkle wrote in her caption, All of 21 and technically a grown man! Raising a child is a bit like building a house and designing each room. You do the best you can, and finally, it's time to hand over the house to its rightful owner who will rearrange the furniture the way they like and pay the bills as well:) Happy birthday my son, and may your unfailing kindness continue bringing a smile to everyone who knows you. Twinkle says she funded kids' education Last year, Twinkle had said that she had funded her and actor Akshay Kumar's children's education. Apart from son Aarav, they share a daughter, Nitara. On her channel Tweak India, Twinkle had said that she took a Masters course from her own savings. Twinkle had said, So Im using, what would have been my daughters college fund, to fund myself. Ive always made sure that Im the one paying for their education. I want them to say that my mother paid for my education, and not just fed me aloo parathas." She had added, "I live way below my means. I dont spend money on anything. My family teases me and asks why am I working, if I am not spending on anything. More about Twinkle Twinkle made her acting debut with Barsaat in 1995; after her 2001 film Love Ke Liya Kuch Bhi Karega she quit her acting career. In 2015, Twinkle made her debut as a writer with Mrs Funnybones. She followed it up with an anthology of stories titled The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad, which was released in 2017, and the fiction novel Pyjamas Are Forgiving, which came out the following year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The DC Universe is about to end one chapter and begin another, but not before giving fans one more adventure with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Jason Momoa in a still from Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom.(YouTube/DC) The sequel to the 2018 blockbuster directed by James Wan will be the last film in the original DC Extended Universe, before James Gunn and Peter Safran take over and reboot the continuity with Superman: Legacy. According to recent comments from Wan and Jason Momoa, who plays the titular hero, Aquaman may survive the transition and join the new DC Universe. But before that happens, Aquaman will have to face a familiar threat in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. He will have to face Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) again, the vengeful human villain who has been plotting his revenge against the King of the Seven Seas since the first movie. ALSO READ| Warner Bros. Japan announces a reboot of Fist of the North Star anime series for the 40th anniversary of the manga Arthur Curry will also have to deal with new challenges, as he has married and started a family, raising the stakes even higher. Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios teased a short clip of the upcoming sequel and promised a full trailer soon. They delivered on that promise with a thrilling trailer that gives a glimpse of what to expect from the final film in the DCEU. The trailer reveals some intriguing details and hints at some exciting developments. Here is a detailed analysis of the latest trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom- Arthur Curry, from Aquaman to King and father The first Aquaman movie ended with Arthur embracing his destiny as the rightful King of Atlantis. He was born from the union of a human lighthouse keeper and an Atlantean queen, and he was rejected by both worlds. But he managed to unite the Seven Seas under his rule and reunite his parents Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) and Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). Arthur now has his own family(DC Studios) In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, we see that Arthur has a new addition to his family. He is not only the King of Atlantis, but also a husband and a father to a baby boy. He seems to have married Mera (Amber Heard), his love interest from the previous film. Arthur and his family are happy, but their happiness is threatened by the return of Black Manta, who wants revenge against Arthur and his loved ones. Black Manta harnesses the power of Black Trident Black Manta is a ruthless mercenary who hates Aquaman for killing his father, and was a pirate. He uses a specially crafted suit and weapons that he got from King Orm, Aquamans half-brother and enemy. He fought Aquaman in the first movie, but he lost and fell into the ocean. He survived and started to plan his revenge. Black Manta wields the Black Trident(DC Studios) In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Black Manta becomes more powerful and ferocious than before. He has an army of hybrids that look like hammerhead sharks and humans. He also weilds a powerful weapon called the Black Trident, which is very old and mysterious. It belonged to King Atlan, who was the ancestor of Aquaman and Orm. The Black Trident has many abilities that no one knows, and it might be too strong for Aquaman and his friends to handle. Amber Heard appeared in new Aquaman trailer for just 3 seconds The controversy surrounding Amber Heard and Johnny Depp has not affected Heards role as Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The first trailer for the sequel confirms that Heard will be back as the Atlantean warrior and love interest of Aquaman. Heard and Depp have been involved in a legal battle over allegations of domestic violence and abuse, with both sides accusing each other. A jury found Heard guilty of defamation, but the public opinion is still split on the issue. Amber Heard plays Princess Mera in Aquaman 2(DC STudios) Because of the scandal, there were rumours that Heards part in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was being reduced or replaced. The trailer shows that this is not true. Heard appears to be fighting alongside Aquaman against Black Manta, and also spending time with Aquamans family in some scenes. Likely a team-up with Ocean Master Arthur needs Orms help to fight the Black Manta, who has a powerful weapon and an army of shark-men. Orm is Arthurs half-brother and former enemy, who wants to destroy the surface world. He has been in a desert prison for four years, but Arthur frees him with a cloaking suit. Orm agrees to help Arthur, because Black Manta is also his enemy and a threat to Atlantis. Her face lights up once she sets foot in one of the biggest Ganpati idol workshops in Mumbai. Sharvari, a Maharashtrian, has always had a soft corner for Bappa and Ganeshotsav, which is just round the corner. Actor Sharvari poses exclusively for HT City ahead of Ganeshotsav 2023. Photo: Satish Bate/ HT Ganpati period is non negotiable when it comes to taking a break from everything else. I can work every day in the year, but for this festival I have to go back to my village Moregaon. I would ideally like to be there for all the days, but sometimes I have work and cant remove those dates. I definitely go for the main days which are Chaturthi, says the 26-year-old, who started her film career with Bunty Aur Babli 2, and is currently working on her next with John Abraham. You will be as fascinated to read about the celebrations in her village, as we were when she told us, The year begins and ends for me during the Ganpati time. I have an ancestral house in my village, which is almost a 100 years old old, and we have maintained it like that, its called wada in Marathi. Its a completely different world. Every year, I come back to Mumbai with more positive and reinforced energies. Sharvari also adds that there has been a Bappa idol in her family-- since the Panipat war! We do pooja of that Ganpati. We also make an idol out of cow dung, stones and sindoor, thats symbolic. Then after the celebrations, we put it back into the river so the things it is made out of go back to nature, she says. No one else in her village brings Bappa to their house in the form of an idol- they all come to Waghs ancestral house for prasad every day and do the pooja. There is a very big temple, there is no Ganpati at any individuals house. We have it because its been there for hundreds of years, so every year the entire village comes to our house for all kinds of pooja and lunch every day, explains Wagh, who leaves for Moregaon today incidentally to kickstart the celebrations in her village. Kochi: In May 2018, Changaroth, a sleepy village on the eastern border of Keralas Kozhikode district, first hit national headlines when it reported the first case of the deadly Nipah virus in the state. Four members of a family died in quick succession, reiterating what came to be common knowledge later that the virus was deadly. The roads to the village were shut, and as fear spread, most residents stayed indoors for a week, wary of stepping out. Health workers collect clinical samples and investigate the home of a Nipah virus victim, in Kozhikode on Friday. (PTI) Five years later, Nipah has returned to Kozhikode, and while fear persists, there is now a greater sense of familiarity, with some fatalism. This year, Changaroth itself has reported no infections, but three of 19 wards have been turned into containment zones. Today, it seems people are no longer afraid. They are forced to stay indoors because of government restrictions. Whatever happens, we have to live on, Shihab Kannatt, a school teacher who stays in the panchayat, said. In 2018, we used to even fear the wind when it blew. Anxiety levels were so high back then. It was all new to us and we had never heard of this virus. Moreover, I personally knew Muhammad Sabith, the first person to succumb to Nipah, and his family very well. I taught him in school. It was a very traumatic time, Kannatt added. Abhijith KM, a panchayat ward member, said restrictions to curb the spread of the virus were re-imposed in tune with the health departments guidelines. Two of the wards have been declared as containment zones as they fall within the five-kilometre radius of a Nipah victims residence in neighbouring Maruthonkara. In the third ward, there are about 22 people who had visited the home of a 47-year-old (MAN/WOMAN?) on August 30 who succumbed to the virus. But they dont have any symptoms right now and they are in isolation, he said. Though normal life has come to a halt within the containment zones, ward-level rapid response teams (RRTs) are actively ensuring distribution of essential food and medicines to the residents, Abhijith said. On Friday, a team of dozens of ASHA workers, Kudumbashree workers and RRT members scoured the panchayat, visiting door-to-door as part of a fever survey. If residents exhibit symptoms, their names and phone numbers are jotted down, bringing them under the surveillance network. Ashokan, a retired schoolteacher whose ward is under lockdown, said: Compared to 2018, we are much more aware of Nipah now, how it spreads, and what precautions we should take. That year, the deaths took place in our neighbourhood and Changaroth was the centre of attention. Today, I would say people are less fearful but they are alert. Sareesh ET, another ward member in Changaroth, said a majority of people are cooperating with the restrictions. We have a family health centre whose outpatient department usually sees about 500 people a day. Today, that number has come down to less than 100. There are fewer people on the buses as well. So I think people understand that Nipah is much more dangerous than Covid and its not to be taken lightly, he said. At the same time, no one is panicking like in 2018. That year, we had nearly 40-50 families who had left their homes to move to relatives places during the outbreak because they were so afraid. This year, all of them are at home, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The final rites of Colonel Manpreet Singh, who sacrificed his life during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, were performed in Mullanpur, Punjab, as the nation mourns his loss. Son of Colonel Manpreet Singh salutes as family members and relatives mourn near his mortal remains before his last rites, at his native place in Mohali.(PTI) Colonel Manpreet left behind a two-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son. Despite being too young to possibly understand the gravity of the situation, his children paid their tributes to Colonel Manpreet's supreme sacrifice for the nation. Emotion ran high as his son Kabir, dressed in camouflage, saluted the mortal remains. Colonel Manpreet, who served as the commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Indian Army, along with Major Ashish Dhonchak and deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat succumbed to the injuries received in an encounter with terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of South Kashmir. A soldier, part of the counter-terrorism operation, who was reported missing earlier, also lost his life. Colonel Manpreet's mortal remains, draped in the national flag, received a sombre homecoming in his native village of Mullanpur, with full military honours. Former Army chief general (retd) VP Malik was also among the thousands of mourners, including family members and fellow officers, who came together to bid their final farewell to this third-generation Indian Army personnel. Major Dhonchak was laid to rest with full military honours in his hometown in Panipat. Patriotic slogans -- "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Ashish tera naam rahega" -- rent the air. A large number of women had also turned up along the route and paid their tributes to the soldier. Meanwhile, DSP Humayun Bhat's last rites took place in Budgam on Wednesday evening. Security forces continue to combat terrorists in the Narla area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri. As the operation enters its third day, drones have been deployed to pinpoint their locations in the forested, hilly terrain of Anantnag district. Several Congress leaders spoke against BJP celebrating India's G-20 success in New Delhi on the same day the four bravehearts -- one cop and two Army officers, one rifleman -- were martyred during the operation in Anantnag on Wednesday. Congress leader P Chidambaram upped the ante as he added this with the government's policy in Kashmir as he said it seems that the government expects people to die in the "defence of its muddle-headed policy in Kashmir". "On Wednesday, 13th September, a Colonel, a Major, a DSP and a Rifleman were killed in Kashmir. The ruling establishment -- the BJP-- does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs. It is as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its muddle-headed policy in Kashmir. As long as the people of Kashmir feel alienated and betrayed, peace will not return to Kashmir," Chidambaram tweeted. Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were martyred on Wednesday in Anantnag. War of words over Anantnag operations: 'Farooq Abdullah's family, politics responbile' Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat, rifleman Ravi Kumar were martyred during the operation on Wednesday. As National conference leader Farooq Abdullah went to visit Humayun Bhat's residence, he said he did not see any end to it while the government was claiming that terror incidents in the Valley came down. Reacting to Farooq Abdullah's statement, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Farooq Abdullah and his family ruled the Valley for years and they are responsible. "Farooq Abdullah and his family have ruled, misruled and misgoverned Jammu and Kashmir for many many years. Their politics have primarily been responsible for decades of deprivation and J&K people's suffering from lack of rights, economic opportunities and the scourge of terrorism," Rajeev Chandrasekhar said. Anantnag operation going on: Two terrorists encircled, one soldier missing. Who is Uzair Khan? The operation in Anantnag continued for the third day on Friday as two LeT terrorists including Uzair Khan were encircled by the security forces. Uzair Khan is a resident of Nagam villahe on Kokernag who joined the terrorists in June 2022. One soldier involved in the operation went missing. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail On Tuesday, three unarmed tribal villagers, all Kukis were travelling from Kanchup Ponlen village in Manipurs Senapati district to the headquarters of the neighbouring Kangpokpi district for medical treatment. At 6:30 am, on a dirt road between Ireng and Kharam villages, they were shot dead. The three deaths were not unusual in a state in the throes of ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis that has lasted more than five months, with around 175 people having been killed. But hours after the killings, one photograph from the site of the killing shone light on a pattern that has complicated the situation even further -- assailants using Manipur police commando fatigues. At least 175 people have been killed in ethnic clashes so far (AP) Read here: Manipur violence: Meitei group meets Rajnath Singh over removal of Assam Rifles The photo has a timestamp of 6:54 am, prior to the local police being aware of the incident, police officials confirmed to HT. Except one man in the photograph with a rifle in hand, is in black Manipur police commando fatigues. Witnesses later told security agencies that several assailants were dressed in the attire that carried out the attack. A senior Kangpokpi police official said that preliminary investigations suggest that there were nine miscreants that were dressed in the commando outfits. Even we were surprised when we saw that photo. It was clearly taken by someone who was present at the scene of the crime when it took place or immediately after it. The person in the photo with the rifle was clearly wearing a police commando outfit, added this person, who asked not to be named. The incident reiterated a growing problem for security agencies in the volatile state. The assailants in this case snuck into designated buffer zones between Meitei and Kuki dominated areas, and were undetected because of the uniforms they were wearing. Earlier, on September 8, dozens of armed miscreants wearing black commando outfits were among those in a large mob that fired at villagers in Pallel in Tenugoupal district bordering Kakching, officials said. Three people were killed and over 50 others including an Indian Army Major were injured. An Indian Army official aware of developments in Manipur said, It is true that assailants have started misusing uniforms of police and security forces. The incidents at Pallel and Kangpokpi this month are examples of that. Senior security officials said that one of the key motifs of the violence that have plagued Manipur for the pastfive months is attacks on state armories and police stations by large mobs that have seen the large scale looting of arms and ammunition. Government data shows that at least 5668 arms have gone missing, of which 1329 have been recovered thus far. What is less spoken about, and difficult to quantify, security officials said, is the number of police uniforms that have gone missing. There have been instances when mobs took away police uniforms from police stations along with arms and ammunition. Such cases are few. We dont have details of how many uniforms were taken away from our area, said a senior police officer based in Imphal. Army officials added that procuring these uniforms is not difficult. It is possible that they may have been purchased as well, the army official cited above said. In July, the Manipur police circulated instructions to all its units to ensure that the black Manipur Police Commando uniform was not misused, after reports suggested that armed rioters were wearing them to create mistrust, official said. Its a very worrying trend for us. When we see someone in uniform, even we tend to assume that they are either from the police or the security forces. It appears that the miscreants are using these uniforms to avoid scrutiny by security forces and police and carry out attacks on civilians, said police officer cited in the first instance. Even this, like everything else in Manipur, has become a fracture between the Meiteis and the tribal Kukis. Earlier Meiteis used to come in mobs and the attacks didnt appear professional. But now, the attacks on Kukis are being carried out by people using sophisticated weapons like AK-series assault rifles, said Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson of Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a Kuki organisation. Read here: Manipur violence: Witnesses in 27 cases to be examined physically, says Supreme Court Videos of pictures of the attacks, circulating on social media, show they are wearing army and police uniforms used to camouflage themselves. Its very difficult to identify the real commando from someone pretending to be one, he added. Meitei groups, however, dismiss the allegations. Theres no way for us to confirm the claims Kuki groups are making. If they think militants based in Imphal Valley are wearing police and army outfits and attacking them, they should provide proof of that and approach the authorities with their complaints, said Khuraijam Athouba, spokesperson of Coordination Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal Valley organisation of Meitei groups. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail She was already scared. The school principal had summoned her over some unpaid dues and told the little girl to follow her. The principal walked right into the library till they reached a door. You go inside, the principal told the 12-year-old girl. As soon as she walked into the room, the principal switched off the lights and locked the door from outside. While she didn't share the incident with her parents fearing dire consequences, it left the girl in a state of prolonged suffering. (Pic for representational purpose only) This was in 2017. I screamed, said the girl, now a 17-year-old, recalling the horrifying moments that changed her life in a room of the private school in Bihars Saharsa district. She wasnt alone in the room. The school directors son had been waiting for her. He came close to me, pulled my hair, hurt me, raped me and filmed the entire incident. As he was raping me, the buttons of my shirt broke off, she said. Once he was done and loosened his grip, she just wanted to run away. But the principal was guarding the door. The principal caught hold of me and slapped me before proceeding to fix my hair, clothes. She told me to return to class and not speak of the incident to anyone, the girl said. She didnt dare to. But now she avoided school and would come up with new excuses to miss school. But they didnt work for too long and she had to be back at school. He raped her again, and again for the next two years, mostly in the same room inside the library. There was one time when the traumatised girl mustered the courage to confront her rapist and the principal, and threatened to complain about them. But they were too confident. "They told me, What will you tell?.... Your parents wont believe you and the society you live in will boycott you', she said. He also held out the threat of leaking the videos of the rape to destroy her life. She backed down but convinced her parents to get her shifted to an all-girls school in 2018. That ended the cycle of rape, not the trauma. Her mother noticed changes in her daughter but couldnt put a finger. She would come back home from school and go directly to her room. She didnt mix up much. Since her school was a little far away from home, we presumed she was fatigued, her mother said. In 2022, she moved out of Saharsa to Patna about 180km away. Her parents wanted her to focus on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) - they wanted her to be a doctor - and thought that the opportunities in the state capital will help. She wasnt so sure but went along. But deep inside, she continued to be haunted by the abuse; her rapist's touch, his voice and his laughter that would constantly play out in her head. At her hostel in Patna, she started having anxiety attacks. Her roommate comforted her but she always held back. One day, she finally ended up talking about the abuse with her roommate. But this was going to be their secret. Talking about it seemed to have helped. One day, she got a call from an acquaintance from her previous school who, in the course of the conversation, mentioned that the school directors son was in Patna. That phone call triggered a series of panic attacks that eventually landed her in Patnas Nobel Emergency Hospital. Her parents were informed of her condition. We booked a cab and rushed to Patna from Saharsa the next day. She was discharged by then and was in her hostel. My wife and I met the doctor who kept her under his observation overnight. The doctor advised us to take her to a psychiatrist, the girls father, a lawyer, said. Her parents wanted her to return to their hometown, Saharsa. But she would have none of it. So her father stayed back in Patna to be at hand if his daughter needed him. She had another panic attack during the night. I told my wife to come back again, and the following day, we all went to the psychiatrist. It was August 23. She told the psychiatrist about the horrifying events that started in the room in her school library in 2017. Everyone agreed that she needed to be with her family who would support her. She suffered another panic attack during the journey. This time, she was taking names as she repeatedly kept on saying, Please dont touch me, dont pull my hair, dont touch me. We tried to comfort her the best we could, recalled the father. At home, her brother couldnt believe that his kid sister had gone through so much. She hadnt been keeping well for a few years but we didnt know that she was raped and abused. It was only after the psychiatrists intervention that we came to know about the trauma, he said. It was the brother who filed a first information report (FIR) at the Saharsa police station against the school directors son and the school principal. A case was registered under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (Punishment for rape) and Sections 4/8 of the Pocso Act (sexual and penetrative sexual assault of a minor). The two were arrested and are in jail. Deputy inspector general (Kosi range) Shivdeep Wamanrao Lande later mentioned the heart-wrenching case in an emotional post on Facebook and encouraged others to come forward. He said two to three girls had contacted him with similar experiences of abuse. Sub inspector Rupam Kumar, who is investigating the case, told HT that electronic devices used by the accused have been confiscated and sent for forensic examination. The girls father said the panic attacks havent stopped. Neither have her attempts to hurt herself. Her recent self-harm attempts resulted in her admission to the ICU at a hospital, he said, hoping the police investigation and the trial are completed expeditiously. On Friday, Swati Maliwal of the Delhi Commission for Women wrote to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar raising concerns in connection with the case. In Saharsa, Bihar, the school directors son kept raping a girl for 2 years. The school principal also helped the accused, Maliwal wrote on X (formally Twitter). The DCW chairperson added, The girls family has sent us a complaint. No compensation or even legal aid has been received yet. A letter has been sent to Nitish Kumar ji regarding this very serious matter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday reacted to Bihar education minister Chandra Shekhar's comments on the ancient Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas. Union Minister Nityanand Rai(HT File Photo) Reacting to Shekhar's comments, BJP media panelist Neeraj Kumar said, The education minister has insulted the great Sanatana Dharma which includes within its fold progressive figures like Sant Ravidas and Swami Vivekananda. We want to know why chief minister Nitish Kumar is silent on the diatribe." READ | Bihar minister defiant after remarks on Ramcharitmanas Meanwhile, Union minister Nityanand Rai said one should read each line of Ramayan and understand the essence of each word before commenting on ancient scriptures such as these. " I would suggest to keep one Guru, read each line of Ramayan and understand the essence of each word and then comment on Ramayan-Mahabharat...They should not say such things...This represents their sick mentality...This represents an appeasement mentality...Mahabharat and Ramayan are not cyanide...Appeasement, corruption and governments giving refuge to criminals are cyanide..." he said. Shekhar stirred a fresh controversy on Thursday by claiming that ancient scriptures such as the Ramcharitmanas had elements pernicious enough to be likened to potassium cyanide. It is not just my view but even great Hindi writer Nagarjuna and socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia have said that the Ramcharitmanas contains many regressive thoughts, said the minister, whose similar comments had led to a controversy earlier this year. READ | Amid Ramcharitmanas row, Akhilesh meets Maurya, breaks silence The RJD leader's remarks went viral on social media. Reacting to the leader's remarks Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said, "...This is a personal, a question related to religious beliefs. We are believers of the Constitution and we feel that he should not speak on such things and ignore them." Spokesperson of the Bihar chief minister Abhishek Jha said, The Constitution entails that all faiths are to be accorded equal respect. Some people say things with no apparent purpose other than getting some limelight, which we disapprove of. Earlier this year, the education minister made similar statements claiming that the scripture Ramcharitmanas "spread hatred in the society. Lower caste people were not allowed to access education and it is said in the Ramcharitmanas that lower caste people become poisonous by getting an education as a snake becomes after drinking milk. Manusmriti, Ramcharitmanas, Bunch of Thoughts by Guru Golwalkar these books are books that spread hatred, he had said. The Bihar minister's remarks didnt go down well with the BJP which accused the former of trying to influence the vote bank with the controversial statement. Bihar Education Minister from RJD (said) Ramcharit Manas spreads hatred. A few days ago Jagdanand Singh said Ram Janmbhoomi is nafrat ki zameen. This is not Sanyog but Votebank ka Udyog Will action be taken? BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). (With inputs from agencies) The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee to be held in Hyderabad on Saturday has generated a euphoria among the party leaders and cadre in Telangana, which is going to polls in another three months. Congress leader KC Venugopal reviews preparations for the party's upcoming public rally, named 'Vijaya Bheri', at Tukkuguda Ground in Hyderabad on Friday. (PTI) The party leaders and cadre are in an upbeat mood with several top leaders of the party including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Kharge landing in the city to work out the party strategy for the upcoming elections to the state assembly as well as 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The CWC meeting would set the tone for a revolutionary change in Telangana politics. The people are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to pull down the corrupt regime of Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on Friday. He said the CWC meeting under AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge would begin at 2 pm on Saturday, which would be attended by 90 members, including chief ministers of four Congress-ruled states. On Sunday, there would be an extended CWC meeting which would be attended by over 180 members including PCC presidents and Congress Legislature Party leaders of various states and AICC executive members, he said. Sonia Gandhi promised to grant separate statehood to Telangana and fulfilled her promise in 2014. Unfortunately, our party could not come to power. But now, the people of Telangana have realised their folly of electing the BRS government, which has turned out to be the most corrupt government in the country, Venugopal said. On September 17, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a mega rally, named as Vijaya Bheri at Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Sonia Gandhi will unveil the partys election agenda and announce six guarantees for Telangana for coming assembly election, PCC president A Revanth Reddy said. Nalgonda MP and Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) member Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the CWC meeting and the Vijaya Bheri public meeting would be the starting point for the Congress partys return to power in Telangana and at the Centre. He said the CWC meeting in Hyderabad had a huge political significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the merger of the erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948. Describing Sonia Gandhi as the real mother of Telangana, Reddy said she had granted statehood to Telangana despite knowing that the party would suffer huge political losses in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. However, Sonia Gandhi never regretted deciding statehood for Telangana, as she fulfilled the 60-year-old dream of the people of Telangana, he said. Stating that the trend and undercurrent were very clear that there was a silent wave sweeping across Telangana in favour of Congress, Uttam said that the Congress would win more than 70 seats in the upcoming Telangana assembly elections. Soon after the Vijayabheri rally, the party leaders and cadre would begin a state-wide campaign to take the Congress party guarantees to the every door step. All the rank and file of the party will take the six guarantee cards to the people of the state and explain to the people what the party is going to do if it is voted to power, AICC general secretary in-charge of Telangana Manik Rao Thakre said. The party is likely to finalise the first list of candidates soon after the CWC meeting and straightway go into the people with the campaign, Thakre said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police on Friday warned software professionals in Hyderabad against taking up any rallies in coordination with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to express solidarity with party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore skill development corporation scam last week. In Hyderabad, TDP leaders organised rallies of software professionals to express solidarity with party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore skill development corporation scam last week. (ANI) Naidu is presently lodged in Rajahmundry central jail in East Godavari district on two-week judicial remand after he was denied bail in the case by an Anti-Corruption Bureau special court on Sunday. The TDP has been holding protest rallies across Andhra Pradesh since Naidu was sent to the jail on judicial remand on Monday. In Hyderabad, too, the party leaders organised a couple of protest rallies of software professionals for the last two days at Nanakramguda and Madhapur, which have been popular information technology hubs. A huge protest was organised at Wipro Circle on Wednesday with participants carrying placards reading I am with CBN. The TDP chief is credited with the formation of Cyberabad by establishing several IT companies during his regime as the chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh between 1995 and 2004. However, on Thursday, the Cyberabad police foiled the protest at Cyber Tower in Madhapur. Several youngsters, who were gathering for lunch-hour protest, were taken into custody and let off later after warning. On Friday, too, the TDP leaders, along with the techies of various IT firms in Hyderabad, planned a protest programme at Marrichettu junction at Manikonda from 6 pm to 7 pm. On Saturday, too, the TDP leaders are planning a protest car rally along with IT employees from Nanakramguda tollgate entry, go on the ORR at 60 kmph speed and return again to Nanakramguda toll between 1 pm and 5 pm. Later in the evening at around 6 pm, the TDP leaders proposed to hold a protest demonstration at IIIT junction at Gachibowli. In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Madhapur zone of Cyberabad, Gone Sundeep Rao said no police permission was given for any of these protest rallies by software professionals in association with the TDP leaders. If there are any violations, and if any one circulates the above message on social media platforms, stern legal action will be taken on participants and those circulating it, he warned. The Cyberabad police took the agitations by the IT employees seriously, as they felt it would spoil the brand image of Hyderabad. We do not allow any political protests in the software hubs, as a matter of policy, a senior police official said. Senior TDP leader and former minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy said it was unfortunate that the Telangana government was curtailing the fundamental rights of the IT employees to register their protest against the alleged illegal arrest of Naidu in the skill development corporation scam. It is not correct on the part of the Telangana police to threaten the IT professionals, Reddy said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday reacted to Bihar education minister Chandra Shekhar's comments on the ancient Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas. Reacting to Shekhar's comments, BJP media panelist Neeraj Kumar said, The education minister has insulted the great Sanatana Dharma which includes within its fold progressive figures like Sant Ravidas and Swami Vivekananda. We want to know why chief minister Nitish Kumar is silent on the diatribe." Meanwhile, Union minister Nityanand Rai said one should read each line of Ramayan and understand the essence of each word before commenting on ancient scriptures such as these. " I would suggest to keep one Guru, read each line of Ramayan and understand the essence of each word and then comment on Ramayan-Mahabharat...They should not say such things...This represents their sick mentality...This represents an appeasement mentality...Mahabharat and Ramayan are not cyanide...Appeasement, corruption and governments giving refuge to criminals are cyanide..." he said. Dig Deeper Union Minister Nityanand Rai (HT File) The Centre on Friday repatriated four Indian nationals from flood-hit Libya where over 3,000 people have died in the calamity. Reports claimed that the four citizens - Parvesh Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Rohit and Sukhwinder Singh - were sold to the mafia and were engaged in labour work at construction sites. The four citizens went to Libya early this year in February after fake travel agents promised them jobs in Italy. However, they were sold and kept in Zuwara City in Libya, reported news agency ANI. Calling the repatriation process extra challenging, the Indian Consulate in Tunisia wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: The repatriation 04 Indians, stranded in different parts of Libya was extra challenging- Stay, arrangements for exit permits through efficient and timely efforts of Mrs. Tabassum. The Mission issued emergency certificates and air tickets under the GOI's ICWF provision. Dig Deeper The Latest News Priyanka Gandhi writes to PM, calls for declaring Himachal calamity as 'national disaster'. Dig Deeper Nagpur: Complaint against Udhayanidhi Stalin, Raja, Kharge over Sanatan remarks. Dig Deeper Bihar minor, raped by school director's son for two years, recalls horror: He filmed entire incident. Dig Deeper India News Wont press for K Kavithas questioning in Delhi excise policy case: ED tells SC. Dig Deeper Heavy rainfall likely in these states; IMD issues red alert for Maharashtra, MP. Dig Deeper INDIA is anti-alliance, suppressing press freedom in Congress DNA: Thakur. Dig Deeper Global Matters Rishi Sunak orders ban on American XL bully dogs after man dies in latest dog attack. Dig Deeper UK officially proscribes Russia's Wagner as terrorist organisation. Dig Deeper Alleged Neo-Nazi demonstrator arrested for hanging racist messages, swastikas, from Orlando bridge. Dig Deeper Sports Goings India made a strong start in their final Asia Cup Super 4 match against Bangladesh, dismissing their openers early in the innings after opting to bowl in Colombo. Rohit Sharma's men have already qualified for the final of the tournament and the team management rested a number of key players including Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and first-choice pace attack Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for the clash. It didn't hamper India's start with the ball, though, as Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur shared the spoils to send both openers back in hut. Dig Deeper Lifestyle and Health Excitement is in the air for the 10-day long Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, with several people making clay idols of Ganesha and painting them while food offerings which are known to be loved by Ganesha are placed in front of the idol and these include modak, shrikhand, payasam, coconut rice, motichoor laddoo and other sweets. Make this Ganesh Chaturthi a truly delicious and spiritually enriching festival by trying the 8 recipes below that will not only tantalise your taste buds but also symbolise the love and devotion that devotees pour into their celebrations. Dig Deeper Thats all we have at this hour in our Evening briefing. Catch you tomorrow morning Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday directed the Karnataka police to proactively initiate legal proceedings by registering voluntary First Information Reports (FIRs) against those indulging in misinformation, hate speech, and moral policing, adding that police should not wait for complaints to be filed in such instances. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah meets with senior police officers during the Senior Police Officers Conference at DG & IG office, in Benglauru on Friday. (ANI) Siddaramaiah pointed out that the people had voted for a change in leadership and that the government must respond accordingly. People have voted for change and brought us to power. We expect the state police to also deliver the change the people need. Law and order is directly related to the development of the state and we will not tolerate anyone who disturbs peace in the state, he said. These directives were conveyed to police officers during a meeting of senior police officials held at the state director general of polices office on Friday. We have zero tolerance towards anybody who takes the law into their hands. Whoever that is, whatever their religion or party affiliation is, we want to ensure there is no communal violence in the state. Action should be taken by registering a suo-motu FIR against those who disturb the peace of the society, the chief minister added. The statement comes a day after, Karnataka police filed an FIR against a prominent Hindi news channel and its Consulting Editor over allegations of disseminating misleading information concerning a government subsidy program. On Friday, in connection with the case, the Karnataka high court directed the police not to take precipitative action against the channels editor. However, the court said that there was a prima facie case against him, and it should be investigated. The court also said that it would dispose of the petition filed by the channels editor challenging the FIR and that there was no need for custodial interrogation till then. Meanwhile, at the senior officers meeting, home minister G Parameshwara expressed concerns during the meeting about instances where police officials appeared to align with right-wing Hindutva ideologies. He warned officials that the government would not tolerate such affiliations. Siddaramaiah also made it clear that the government would hold deputy commissioner of police (DCP) and superintendent of police (SP) level officials accountable for unlawful activities and organised crimes within their respective jurisdictions. He insisted that disciplinary actions would not be limited to junior officials but would extend to senior officials as well. Disciplinary action is usually taken only against junior officials and not against senior officials. Letting go of this practice, we have decided to hold deputy commissioners of police [DCP] and superintendents of police [SP] responsible for unchecked crime and organised illegal activities in their jurisdictions and take action against them, he said. From my experience, I know that no crime could happen without the knowledge of the jurisdictional officers. I have also instructed senior officials to not only visit police stations but also be on the ground and patrol the streets regularly, he added. The chief minister reminded the police force of the constitutional principles that reject social darwinism and uphold equal rights for all. The police are often accused of high-handedness when interacting with common people. We wont tolerate that. We expect the police to create a people-friendly police system, and give confidence and solace to someone who comes to the police station seeking help and justice. Any instances of high-handedness will be dealt with severely, the chief minister said. It would be impractical to create a crime-free society but want to control crime. But we want to definitely root out the drug menace completely. I have asked officials to launch a special drive against narcotics in the state, particularly Bengaluru. We are also thinking of forming a special team for the same, Siddaramaiah said Siddaramaiah also announced the approval of 230 new personnel to bolster the Central Crime Branch (CCB), which handles high-profile cases. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Dev Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics. ...view detail As many as five people were killed and eleven others were injured in a collision involving a jeep and a lorry in Andhra Pradesh Annamaya district on Friday morning, police said. Police said the exact cause of the incident had not been ascertained as yet.(ANI) Seven of the injured persons were said to be in serious condition, police informed further, adding that among the deceased were two men and three Women. "A total of five people perished in the accident. Of the injured persons, seven are said to be in serious condition. They are admitted at the Tirupati Rua Hospital," Nagababu, circle inspector, Methampally, told ANI. With seven of the injured in serious condition, the toll is likely to increase. "The toll is likely to go up," an official said. Police said the exact cause of the incident had not been ascertained as yet. Visuals accessed by ANI showed the front portion of the lorry damaged from the impact of the collision while the jeep was in a mangled state. The lorry was on its way to Chittor from Kadapa while the jeep was carrying 16 pilgirms, who were returning from a visit to Tirumala to Belagavi, Karnataka when the two vehicles met with the accident. Further details are awaited. Free speech is all about taking a viewpoint without the fear of prosecution, the Supreme Court observed on Friday, adding that journalists cannot be prosecuted for promoting enmity between different communities or groups over articles they write. The bench also took a grim view of the Manipur high court admitting a PIL seeking to quash the EGI report, alleging a nexus between the body and narco-terrorist groups (ANI) Read here: Supreme Court trashes allegation against it, says it heard voice of the nation on Article 370 As it set about to examine why a first information report (FIR) against the president and fact-finding team members of Editors Guild of India (EGI) for publishing an allegedly inflammatory report on ethnic clashes between the Meiti and Kuki communities in Manipur should not be quashed, the top court underscored the importance of free speech and press freedom, saying even a factually incorrect report may not attract a penal offence under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 153A penalises promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, and is punishable with a jail term up to three years. They are entitled to put forth a viewpoint. Where is this going? It is just a report. How can an offence under Section 153 be made out? They may be right; they may be wrong. But thats what free speech is all about, said a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud. The bench, which included justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, added that there are hundreds of articles published on a daily basis that may not be factually correct. Will you prosecute all journalists under Section 153A? Making a false statement in an article is not an offence under Section 153A, it said. Pointing out that it was the army that requested EGI to visit the northeastern state rocked by ethnic clashes since the first week of May since there was partisan reporting of the violence, the bench doubted if the complaint against the body was able to prima facie make out any offence under Section 153A. Where are the ingredients of Section 153A? It is just a report and there can always be counter views to it. The FIR must substantiate the charges it seeks to level. You submit your response within two weeks to show how is an offence under section 153A made out and why this FIR should not be quashed, as prayed by them, the bench told senior counsel S Gurukrishna Kumar, who appeared for the Manipur resident who had lodged the FIR against the EGI and the members of its fact-finding committee. Kumar, on his part, maintained that the EGI report was not a fact-finding report but an endeavour to set the tone of an adverse narrative against one of the communities in Manipur. Calling it a Kuki-perspective report, he claimed that the report should be withdrawn , as its purpose was to instigate more violence. The bench, however, asked Kumar to file an affidavit to persuade the court why the FIR under Section 153A should not be nixed. Apart from Section 153A, the FIR invoked charges under sections 200 (false declaration), 298 (uttering any word with deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings), 505 (statement to incite violence against any class or community of persons), 499 (criminal defamation) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. During the proceedings, the bench also took a grim view of the Manipur high court admitting a PIL seeking to quash the EGI report, alleging a nexus between the body and narco-terrorist groups. On Thursday, a high court bench led by acting chief justice MV Muralidaran admitted the PIL, posting the matter for the next hearing on October 12. The manner in which the PIL has been entertained by the high court, let me not say anything more as the head of the family. Surely, there are more important matters before the acting chief justice than this to be taken up, CJI Chandrachud commented. The bench continued the interim protection from arrest against the EGI journalists and put on hold all the proceedings in connection with the FIR against them. On his part, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for EGI and the journalists, maintained that no criminal offence was made out by publishing the report and that the responses and counterviews to the EGI report have also been uploaded on the website. Citing apprehensions of personal safety and vendetta in Manipur, Divan urged the bench to transfer the case to the Delhi high court where they could press for quashing of the FIR. Opposing the transfer of the case, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur government, submitted that the high court at Manipur is very much functioning and that allowing a particular set of journalists to be heard by a different high court would set a wrong precedent. Let there be no impression that the high court of Manipur is not functioning...this court may get flooded with petitions to be directly heard by this court or be sent to some other high court if this is allowed, the S-G said. However, as the hearing drew to a close and the court expressed its inclination to examine why the FIR in the case should not be quashed, Mehta agreed to the suggestion that the case may be transferred to the Delhi high court. They had not even asked for quashing of the FIR but after all these observations coming from the bench, I am sure they will want the quashing. Let them go to the Delhi high court instead, said the S-G. But the bench proceeded to seek a response from the complainant, setting about to examine the correctness of the FIR. The EGI journalists booked by the Manipur police are Seema Mustafa, EGI president, and three members, Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor. The three members visited Manipur last month to study media reportage of the ethnic clashes. Read here: Supreme Court seeks Centre, high courts' view on hybrid hearing On September 4, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh accused the body of instigating more clashes in the state through its biased fact-finding report on the violence. The EGI released a report of its Fact-Finding Mission on Medias Reportage of the Ethnic Violence in Manipur on September 2, claiming that the medias reports on the ethnic violence in Manipur were one-sided and accused the state leadership of being partisan. The EGI team found clear indications to show how the leadership of the state became partisan during the conflict which witnessed the executive, bureaucracy, police and other security forces divided along ethnic lines. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mother Teresa, apostle of love and peace, who lived each moment of her life to wipe away the tears of the deprived and the destitute, is no more. Mother Teresas funeral was held in Calcutta on September 13, 1997. (Girish Srivastava/HT Archive) The 87-year-old Nobel laureate breathed her last at 9.30pm on September 5, 1997, at her home at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity after suffering a cardiac arrest. News of the death of Mother Teresa, widely hailed as the embodiment of love and compassion, plunged the nation into sorrow and grief. People came out in large numbers and gathered at the Missionaries of Charity in central Calcutta to mourn the living saints death. According to an announcement, she complained of chest pain, and several doctors were called in but she breathed her last a few minutes later. The Mother, who was hospitalised twice last year, underwent a bypass surgery and had a pacemaker implanted. She was due to attend an all-faith prayer meeting in the city to pay respects to Princess Diana. The Mother, who stepped down as the head of the Order on March 13 earlier this year, after repeated health problems paved the way for election of Sister Nirmala as the new head of the organisation. Baptised in 1929, the Albania born nun stepped out of the confines of a convent 50 years ago to serve God among the poorest of the poor and had been a guardian angel for the sick and dying the world over since then. She chose to make Calcutta her home where she set up the Missionaries of Charity in 1949 to serve the ailing. Her Order has 4,000 nuns running orphanages, homes for the poor and other charity centres worldwide. Though bent with age and a host of ailments, her spirit and faith remained unbroken as she brought succour to the sick and dying of Kalighat, the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the flood-stricken in Bangladesh, the starving in Ethiopia and the earthquake victims of Armenia. After being named for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, the living saint said, I accept in the name of the poor because I believe that by giving me this prize, they are recognising the presence of the poor in the world. Mother Teresa rarely talked about herself. Her visitors to the Missionaries of Charity headquarters in Calcutta which included Presidents and Prime Ministers, millionaires, kings and kingmakers were baffled by her reticence. Her humility was illustrated in a published interview, asked if she had taken her name after St Teresa of Avila who also left her convent and founded an order she laughed, Oh no, I have not called myself after the big Teresa but the little one - Teresa of Lisieux. President KR Narayanan and Prime Minister IK Gujral led the nation in mourning her death. Describing her as an angel of mercy, Narayanan said: Such a one as her but rarely walks upon the earth. Mother Teresa, he said, spread love and compassion throughout the world and brought succour and relief to the sick, the needy and the poorest of the poor. Though she was a world citizen, she was particularly Indian in the true spirit of our culture and her passing away is an immense loss to millions of our people, the President said. The Prime Minister, in his condolence message, said: Words fail me to express my sorrow. An apostle of peace and love, Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa is no more with us. The world, especially India, is poorer with her passing. The PM said, Hers was a life devoted to bringing love, peace and joy to the people whom the world generally shuns. Pope John Paul II, who had met Mother Teresa on several occasions, was greatly moved after he was informed at his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome of her death, Vatican officials said. The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court on Friday dismissed a Muslim body Anjuman-i-Islams plea seeking stay on permission granted by Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the Idgah Maidan in Hubballi. The petition was heard on Friday by justice Sachin Shankar Magadum at the Dharwad bench of the high court. (Shutterstock) The Municipal Corporation had passed a resolution on August 31, permitting the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi at the venue, by installing a Ganesh idol. Anjuman-i-Islam had challenged the Corporations resolution allowing Hindu groups to organise the festival on Thursday. The petition was heard on Friday by justice Sachin Shankar Magadum at the Dharwad bench of the high court. The Anjuman trust, which claims a 999-year lease over the 1-acre ground, stated in its petition that the Corporations resolution which has been forwarded to the state government for approval is totally illegal, arbitrary and perverse. It claimed the permission granted was in violation of the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act and the Places of Worship Act. The leader of the opposition in the HDMC, Suvarna Manikuntla had also approached the court against the resolution on the grounds that three resolutions were allegedly added to the additional list of resolutions without the knowledge of the opposition. One of these resolutions was about the permission for private organisations to celebrate the Ganesha festival at the Maidan. Meanwhile, pro-Hindu organisations and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had staged protests in front of the corporation, seeking permission to install Ganeshas idol at the Idgah Maidan ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, after Anjuman-i-Islam moved high court seeking stay on the permission. On Thursday, BJP council members, leaders and workers led by Hubballi-Dharwad West MLA Arvind Bellad sat on a day and night dharna, alleging the authorities of delaying permission for holding festivities under pressure from the Congress government in the state. Following the order, it is clear that complete authority with regard to the Idgah Maidan is now with the city corporation and now, the Commissioner of the City Corporation must provide permission for the celebration of Ganesh festival at the Idgah Maidan, Bellad said. Meanwhile, Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik distributed sweets to the people after the high court bench rejected the petition. Anjuman-i-Islam going to court to stop Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations is not right. We need permission from the Hubballi Dharwad Mahanagara Palike to celebrate the festival for 11 days, Muthalik said. (With inputs from agencies) PANAJI: The Bombay high court at Goa on Friday stayed a Goa governments decision to build a two-kilometre road to a property of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON that plans to set up a vedic village atop a south Goa hill, observing that doling out of such a largesse to a private party may not pass the constitutional muster. The Goa government told the high court that ISKCON intended to build a vedic village, temple and a cow shed, which constitute a public purpose A two-judge bench comprising justices MS Sonak and Bharat Deshpande barred the government from going ahead with constructing the road for now on a petition filed by two residents, Deelip Babal Naik and Abhijit Prabhudesai, who challenged the states decision to build the road at public expense. Goas advocate general Devidas Pangam defended the decision, arguing that ISKCON intended to build a vedic village, temple and a goshala (cow shed), all of which constitute a public purpose. There was thus no bar on the state government to agree to provide an approach road to ISKCONs property. In a letter requesting the state governments assistance, ISKCON had sought the states help to construct a road to their land-locked property spread across 32,000 square metres that was gifted to them atop a hill at the Borim village in south Goa. ISKCON reasoned that their project would be of public welfare and tourist attraction and requested support in construction of the road through the PWD department on priority. The high court, which has posted the matter for further hearing in the first week of January 2024, as an interim measure granted an interim stay. It is imperative that if the government awards a contract or leases out or otherwise deals with its property or grants any other largesse, it would be liable to be tested for its validity on the touchstone of reasonableness and public interest and if it fails to satisfy either test, it would be unconstitutional and invalid the State cannot act arbitrarily, capriciously or in an unprincipled manner. It is well settled that the government is not free, like an ordinary individual, in selecting the recipients for its largess, and it cannot choose to deal with any person it pleases in its absolute and unfettered discretion, the high court observed. The governmental action must not be arbitrary or capricious but must be based on some principle which meets the test of reason and relevance, the order said. All powers vested in the State are meant to be exercised for the public good and in the public interest. A public authority is ordained, therefore, to act reasonably and in good faith and upon lawful and relevant grounds of public interest, the bench added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: When Mallikarjun Kharge marks the first anniversary as Congress chief next month, he would have two assembly election wins under his belt - Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. The 81-year-old is feeling quietly confident about the upcoming five state assembly polls, but coordination for the INDIA bloc could prove trickier. In an interview with Sunetra Choudhury and Saubhadra Chatterji, Kharge talks about how he resolved the differences between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan and what he makes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other things. Edited excerpts. PREMIUM Mallikarjun Kharge (PTI)(HT_PRINT) What has been your biggest learning? The biggest learning is that nothing is new for me. I started as an ordinary Congress member, then became block Congress president, then district unit chief, then state unit chief, then all India general secretary, and again, now, I am president. So, I dont think it is anything new for me. And since I came into contact with various people for a long time, I feel it is routine work. I have been given some great responsibility that I have to fulfil. We have to take everyone into confidence Read here: INDIA group will edge BJP out in 24: Kharge Your style, it is always said, is to build consensus. In a democracy its needed. Like if Modi ji takes a decision without discussing with his own people or party seniors, that will be called an autocratic decision and nobody will oppose it as long as his personal charisma is there. Or whenever he claims that main akela hi sab pe bhari padta hoon, that means the entire Opposition is on one side and Modi is sufficient to deal with them. This is his argument always and this will not go on forever. You have brokered some kind of peace in Rajasthan. How did you achieve it? If you are in one party, you must also learn how to come together and win elections. If you dont come together, there will definitely be damage. We tried our best, and even Rahul ji [Rahul Gandhi] came along with me, and we discussed for 3-4 hours with Sachin Pilot and chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Rahul ji convinced them and I also said that whatever Rahul ji is saying, you must agree with. Because you people have a future, because Pilots age is on his side. We said that you cant decide for yourself who will be CM, and unless you work together and bring the party back to power, these questions wont arise. And were you able to convince them? We were able to, and they agreed. They gave a statement outside and even when Priyanka ji [Priyanka Gandhi Vadra] went there, they were together. So, we solved it and now we are hoping we will win. The other thing commented upon was how you kept your challenger Shashi Tharoor as part of your team See, just because he fought an election against me does not mean he is my enemy. I have to run the party and will not destroy it by removing people one by one. Even the people who earlier signed a petition (members of the so-called G23 group), we accommodated everybody, including him (Tharoor). So, our aim is to collect different people as much as possible -- those who can contribute in different ways, some may be at a ground level, some in writing, some intellectuals and some lawyers. So, I thought that he should be given an opportunity and when he came earlier, I told him dont worry, we will not leave anybody. But did it irritate you that people called you a figurehead president, handpicked by the Gandhis? I think our opponents may say anything but my performance in the state everybody knows about. My performance as a minister -- at that time many people did not know about my performance -- but I worked as labour minister and travelled across the entire world for G20 meetings. It is not a new thing that G20 is here, and now it has moved to Brazil. But did the Congress seem petty for criticising G20? They (the ruling side) expect that we should praise everything, When you make it political and take advantage of that, its not acceptable. It is a programme and it goes to the countries one by one, so dont create much hype about that. I dont want to discuss much about it, and they did not give me an invitation to attend the G20. But they are saying that they did not even invite BJP chief JP Nadda. You cant compare Nadda to me. Is Nadda an Opposition leader? Nadda is a party leader and I am a leader of Opposition (LoP) with cabinet rank. When your state ministers are there, I am a cabinet minister. And this has never happened before, So Nadda is different from Kharge because Kharge is LoP. People have given me this position. I am not asking as Congress president but they could have considered this. Then, the same people, during the Saudi Arabian visit, they invited. Then how did I not get invited for this (G20)? But do you have a good dynamic with the PM? We are not enemies. And if you dont respect your PM and your own colleagues, it is not a good culture. In a democracy, yes we will fight in the House. We are fighting on ideological grounds but the ideology that he (PM) is fighting for is wrong and more so for Dalits, weaker sections, tribals, and so many things. I dont want to explain such things and if the time comes, I will speak out. Sometimes they forget that the feeling of superiority and such things should not be there in politics. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi used to directly speak to Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji; earlier it was a good tradition, and nowadays, they dont. Is there no back channel with the Opposition at all? No, that is because they are egoists; they think that they have got 303 people with them, so they dont need anybody. Thats why they are passing bills, and you cant help it. When they got a huge majority, they started working as dictators in a democracy. So that is the ego in them (BJP) Sanatana dharma has become the big issue these days. Your thoughts? I dont want to talk on religion as I am in politics and I will tackle these issues politically. Religious matters I dont want to mix with politics as they are both separate. What do you make of the upcoming special session? The two-line agenda has recently come and why he wanted it so short I dont know. You could have done 15 days or one months agenda or so. But this may be a publicity stunt against the backdrop of the G20 and administration issues, how they handled these things. The PM wants a prachar-madhyam. So it is a self-praising session more or less, without giving prior information Ahead of 2024, are you feeling confident? What will be the biggest factors? When we have joined, naturally the figures and the voting pattern show if we fight together, we are going to succeed. And, in a democracy, we cant keep quiet, we have to highlight their shortcomings, we are fighting together, and I hope, this time, we will have an edge over NDA. Whats the plan for the next five months? I cant tell everything now. We have got a working committee meeting and there is an election committee meeting also in Hyderabad on September 16-17 and there we will decide some things. But we are fighting together so that is why we are going to conduct public meetings in eight to nine places. Tentatively, we have said Bhopal, but let us see what the arrangement there is. So we are fighting together and when we fight together, definitely we will have good results. We have called several times all the leaders one by one; first everything was prepared, when Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav and TR Baalu, who are all political heads, came here. They were here twice and ultimately, we thought that together we can go to each state and then the first meeting was fixed in Patna, then Bengaluru, and then Mumbai. So full unity and confidence is there, but our exercise and survey is going on, and different parties are conducting surveys. Read here: PM Modi should concentrate on more pressing issues: Priyank Kharge Will seat sharing be done easily? Everything is not that simple, and we will tackle however it is. We cant succeed 100%, even if it is 99%, it is good because something is better than nothing. So it will happen. What do you think of Bharat versus India? When Congress members say Bharat Mata ki Jai, do we not mean it? We took out the Bharat Jodo Yatra, did we do it on someones instructions? We promoted Bharat Jodo Yatra as a foot march for 4,500 kilometres from village to village. Now someone tries to do some things for votes such as Startup India, Stand up India, Skill India, and Make in India. They mention Indias name and do publicity, and then they say that they hate the name India. Will the Congress support a resolution to change the name of India to Bharat if it came up in the special session? No I dont know that; let it come, let us see The India Meteorological Department or IMD on Friday issued a yellow alert in Mumbai and its suburbs over the next two days stating that isolated areas are very likely to receive heavy rainfall. The weather department has also issued an orange alert for Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Dhule for the next two days predicting heavy to heavy rainfall. People crossing a road in a heavy monsoon rain at Andheri, in Mumbai, India. Maharashtra's Pune and Satara have also received an orange alert for Saturday and Sunday from the weather office, which forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in hilly regions. Other regions including Nasik, Nandurbar, Kolhapur and Aurangabad have also been issued warnings of heavy rainfall. On Thursday, the weather department said, Due to the active monsoon conditions, enhanced rainfall activity is expected over parts of Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra & Marathwada during 15-18." According to the IMD, several regions in Maharashtra are likely to witness waterlogging due to the heavy rainfall and it may lead to disruption to road, rail, air, and ferry transport. Private jet skids off at Mumbai airport amid heavy rainfall On Thursday around 5:02pm, a private jet with eight people, including crew members, onboard skidded off the runway at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport amid heavy rainfall. The Learjet 45 aircraft VT-DBL - belonging to VSR Ventures - had flown from Visakhapatnam. According to the airport authorities, everyone onboard suffered injuries and were taken to the nearest hospital. The eight people onboard were identified as Dhruv Kotak, Lars Sorensen, KK Krishnadas, Aakarsh Sethi, Arul Sali, and Kamakshi. Meanwhile, the flight was operated by pilots Sunil and Neil - who sustained major injuries and had to go an urgent surgery. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the incident took place due to poor visibility following heavy rain. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has again falsely accused Armenia of firing at its outposts, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan as if on September 14, at around 7:35 p.m., the Armed Forces units of the Republic of Armenia opened fire on the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the eastern part of the frontier zone, does not correspond to reality, the defense ministry said. Kochi: A 39-year-old man in Kerala tested positive for the Nipah virus on Friday, pushing the overall number of infections to six, as the central and state governments stepped up their efforts to evaluate preventive measures to tackle the deadly pathogen that attacks the brain and is often fatal. Health workers and security personnel control entry at an emergency ward at the medical college amid an outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala in Kozhikode on Friday. (PTI) Of the six cases, two patients died on August 30 and September 11, and the remaining four are undergoing treatment, officials aware of the matter said. Dr KK Rajaram, the district medical officer (DMO) of Kozhikode which has recorded all the cases, said the man from Cheruvannur, an area within the Kozhikode Corporation limits, contracted the virus after coming in contact at a private hospital with the 47-year-old man who was infected and succumbed during treatment on August 30. We have been able to establish the point of contact of the latest person who was infected. The 39-year-old was at the same private hospital where the first Nipah victim had sought treatment before he died, Rajaram said. We will soon publish a route map with the details of the places he visited during the course of infection. The contact list will also be altered to include all those who came in contact with him, he added. The 39-year-old is stable and currently in hospital isolation, officials said. The Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic virus that causes fatal encephalitis swelling of the brain and acute respiratory distress in humans. The virus is transmitted to humans by direct contact with the respiratory secretions or body fluids of infected animals, such as bats and pigs, or by consumption of contaminated fruits or palm sap. Both animal-to-human and human-to-human transmission have been documented in several research papers. The virus at present has no cure or vaccine, India has witnessed at least five outbreaks since 2001, from West Bengal, and Kerala, with the latest being the fifth. The first was in Siliguri in Bengal; the other four have been in Kerala. On Tuesday, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya told reporters in Delhi that an expert team was sent to Kerala to assist the state government in managing the outbreak. There are now 1,080 people on the contact list, out of which 297 are in the high-risk category, officials said. There are 72 people in the contact list of the person who tested positive on Friday. Kerala health minister Veena George on Friday chaired a meeting with all department heads in Kozhikode to review ongoing measures to curtail the virus spread, Rajaram said. Containment zones, prohibitory measures in the district as well as updating the contact list were discussed in the meeting, he said. George said the 47-year-old man who died in August was earlier suspected to have died of Nipah, as his sample was never sent for testing. But a swab sample collected from a private hospital where he had sought treatment confirmed he died due to the virus. Earlier, we were saying five confirmed cases and one suspected case. But now we can say that the first victim also died of Nipah and there are six confirmed cases in all, she said. Additionally, 30 samples sent for testing have returned negative, includinghealth workers at a private hospital, the minister said. Earlier in the day, George also convened a meeting of ministers from Kozhikode district and local MPs, MLAs and heads of political parties to discuss the situation. Besides, officials from a central team visited Kozhikode Medical College hospital where facilities to isolate victims or those suspected of contracting the virus were arranged. The team also visited panchayats in Kuttiady area which is affected by the virus, the DMO said. The four-member central team visited the house and farms of THE 47-year-old man in Maruthonkara panchayat who succumbed to the virus on August 30, in an attempt to gather more details about the outbreak. The team, led by Dr Balasubramaniam, a scientist at the Kerala unit of National Institute of Virology, also inquired about the work and activities the deceased was doing in the days before his death, an official who is part of the team said, seeking anonymity. Experts also conducted a survey on the presence of bats in different areas of the district. They captured the bats, took samples from them, and freed them later, the official added. Kozhikode district collector A Geetha, in a Facebook post, said those residing in containment zones must approach the Nipah control cell or local health officials if they experience symptoms such as fever, tiredness, cough, irritation in throat, loss of breath and disorientation. Meanwhile, a native of Koyilandy in Kozhikode district was booked by police for allegedly sharing fake news about the Nipah virus on Facebook. The accused, Anil Kumar, was charged under section 118 (E) of the Kerala Police Act for knowingly causing danger to public or failure in public safety. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday accused the opposition of working against Sanatan Dharma and said the 2024 Lok Sabha election will be a fight for civilization. Sarma alleged that the motive of the newly formed opposition front INDIA was to destroy the country's civilization and culture. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The motive of the alliance made by the opposition is to work against 'Sanatan'...The upcoming Lok Sabha election will be the fight for civilization. People of India will keep Sanatan protected, Sarma told reporters after arriving in Bihar to attend the Vaishali Festival of Democracy at the Nalanda University on Friday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized on the controversy after DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the eradication of Sanatan, terming it divisive and discriminatory. In poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on INDIA, saying it wants to destroy Sanatan Dharma and erase Bharat as well as its culture of thousands of years. Addressing a 'Vijay Sankhnad' rally at Kondatarai village in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Modi asked people to remain vigilant of them. "I want to make you aware about a conspiracy that is being hatched against our faith and the country. Those whom you kept away from the power for the last nine years (at the Centre) and those who are continuously losing elections are now filled with so much hatred against you that they are now targeting your "identity and your culture," he said. "In greed for power, these people now want to break the culture which has existed in India for thousands of years. Sanatan culture is the one in which Lord Ram calls Shabari as his mother and enjoys eating her half-eaten ber (juthe ber)," said Modi, the BJP's star campaigner. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India is a key stakeholder for regional stability and prosperity and Singapore will take forward cooperation in emerging areas that tap the countrys expertise in public health, cybersecurity and digital finance, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said. PREMIUM PM Narendra Modi, right, shakes hand with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (HT Photo)(Hindustan Times) In an interview with HT, Lee said digitalisation has the potential to be a driver of growth for both countries and pointed to new initiatives such as the linking of UPI and PayNow and the success of the India Stack. Read here: Singapore PM's praise for country's new Indian-origin president Edited excerpts: Q. How have stepped up engagements between the two countries, including through the new India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), helped advance bilateral relations and what are the focus areas? A: Singapore and India share historical ties that go back centuries. Since the 19th century, Singapore has been a maritime hub for India and the region. It facilitated the exchange of goods, people, ideas, and cultures between India and the wider Southeast Asian region, as it still does today. We share close people-to-people ties too Singaporeans of Indian or South Asian ancestry form the third largest ethnic group in Singapore, about 10% of the population. This interconnected mosaic of trade, shared cultures, and people-to-people bonds provides a firm foundation upon which Singapore and India have built a strong partnership. In a troubled international environment, our two countries must continue to work hand-in-hand to strengthen our partnership and find new future-oriented areas of growth. That was why we launched the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR). The inaugural ISMR meeting of our foreign, finance and trade ministers was held last year. The ministers exchanged views on the strategic direction of bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments and explored new areas of cooperation. The key pillars under the ISMR reflect new growth areas and priorities in our bilateral cooperation, which include digitalisation, skills development and green energy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I fully support the ISMR. Singapore looks forward to hosting our Indian friends in Singapore for the second ISMR this year. Singapore and India continue to seek new frontiers for collaboration and growth. 2023 has been a busy yet fruitful year. I am confident our ties will continue to deepen and grow in the bilateral, regional, and multilateral realms alike. I look forward to this partnership achieving greater heights. Q. What can be new growth drivers for bilateral trade? In the digital and fintech spheres, how has the linking of Indias UPI and Singapores PayNow paid off? A: Digitalisation has the potential to be a major driver of growth and innovation for both our countries. We share a commitment to a digitalised future, harnessing technology to improve peoples lives. For example, the India Stack, a unified software platform, has enabled the Indian government to provide every citizen with a unique digital identity. This has facilitated secure verification in a wide variety of transactions and boosted digital and social inclusion. In the same spirit, Singapores government-issued digital identity for its citizens and residents, Singpass, has become an essential authentication tool for conducting digital transactions. We have made good progress cooperating in digitalisation. In February, Prime Minister Modi and I witnessed the launch of the linkage between Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapores PayNow. Many individuals and small businesses will benefit from this real-time, seamless, secure and low-cost mode of payment. In 2022 alone, payments and remittances between Singapore and India amounted to US$1 billion. Recently, at the G20 trade and investment ministerial meeting, Singapore and India announced the first live cross-border trade using an interoperable electronic bill of lading (eBL) for a letter of credit transaction, under the TradeTrust framework. However, to fully reap the benefits of digitalisation, we need a skilled workforce. Workers must have the right skills to take on jobs in new industries. This way, our economies can grow more competitive in the digital age, our workers can participate in new areas of growth, and we can uphold a social compact where no one gets left behind. Q. What is the scope for cooperation in skill development, especially using the Singapore model to train Indias workforce? A: Skill development is another important area of bilateral cooperation. India seeks to tap on its demographic dividend and fulfil the aspirations of its young and growing population. Singapore has long supported Indias skills development journey. Singapores Institute of Technical Education (ITE) has established skills centres in several Indian states, including New Delhi, Rajasthan and Assam. ITE is currently partnering the Odisha state government and the Asian Development Bank to offer graduates of the World Skills Centre in Odisha internships with companies in Singapore to round off their education with on-the-job, industry-relevant training. We will continue to work with India to develop a skilled and adaptable workforce that can meet the changing needs of industries in India, Singapore, and around the world. Q. How can India help Singapore meet its requirements for green energy as part of its climate mitigation efforts? A: Cooperation in green energy will help us meet our climate mitigation goals and secure a more sustainable future for our peoples. Singapore aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and India by 2070. India is an important player in international climate talks and should play a leading role in global climate mitigation efforts. Prime Minister Modis One Sun, One World, One Grid plan to connect 140 countries through a common solar power grid is one example. Singapore has recently become an observer in the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), one of Indias initiatives as G20 president, and ratified the International Solar Alliance (ISA) led by India and France. We will continue to work with India on problems of the global commons. Q. How does Singapore view Indias role in the region? A: In todays complex and volatile world, like-minded countries must find common ground to work together and overcome challenges. We should not let differences over individual issues and tensions between major powers stymie cooperation. At the regional level, Singapore and India cooperate closely through Asean. India is a key stakeholder for regional stability and prosperity. Singapore has consistently taken this view ever since we pushed for India to become a dialogue partner of Asean in 1995. As the country coordinator for Asean-India dialogue relations, Singapore was happy to see Asean-India ties upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year. The Asean-India Summit last week adopted joint statements on maritime cooperation and food security. We will continue to advance emerging areas of cooperation, tapping Indias expertise in public health, cybersecurity, and digital finance and payments connectivity. Q. Can Singapore and Asean do more with India to address the current situation in Myanmar and to ensure a return to democracy? A: Indias support is crucial in addressing regional challenges. On the situation in Myanmar, Asean looks forward to working with India to push for the Five Point Consensus and facilitate inclusive dialogue and national reconciliation, particularly as India is a neighbour of Myanmar. Read here: Indian-origin Singapore man jailed for obtaining colleagues' salary information Q. What were Singapores priorities as a guest country in this years G20, and how does Singapore see Indias push for the concerns of the Global South? A: Singapore and India are close partners at multilateral and international fora. An open, inclusive, robust and rules-based multilateral architecture benefits both countries. The G20 agenda that India put forth was ambitious, action-oriented and decisive, reminding us that we are One Earth and One Family, sharing One Future. India took an inclusive approach, putting the voice of developing countries at its centre. Singapore supported Indias G20 presidency as a guest country, contributing to all the G20 workstreams and Indias G20 priorities, and participating as the convenor of the Global Governance Group (3G) which comprises 30 small- and medium-sized members of the UN. I congratulate India on the success of the New Delhi G20 Leaders Summit. The outcomes include accelerating progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and finding innovative ways to finance global public goods. The admission of the African Union into the G20 was also an achievement for Indias presidency. India has suspended free-trade talks with Canada as Ottawa is encouraging subversive elements who are carrying out anti-India activities on its soil, two officials said on Friday, adding that the talks will resume only after the impasse is resolved. PM Modi and Justin Trudeau.(File) Read here: Significant progress made in FTA negotiations with four countries New Delhi will not engage in trade talks with any country that allows subversive activities against India or its people, one of the officials quoted above said. The other official said India has raised objections to certain political developments in Canada and paused negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) until the matter is resolved. Both requested anonymity. The development came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to his counterpart Justin Trudeau strong concerns about anti-India elements promoting secessionism from Canadian soil and inciting violence against diplomats, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. India was negotiating an interim Indo-Canada Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), which would have finally culminated into a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) or a wide-ranging FTA. After the relaunch of FTA negotiations between India and Canada in March 2022, nine rounds of negotiations were already held till July this year. This is new India with a vibrant democracy, a robust economy and a strong leadership. It has proven it at the G20 summit earlier in this month. It was amply made clear to Canada, and for that matter any other country that trade talks and extremism will not go together, the second official said referring to the unanimous Delhi Declaration at the G20 Leaders Summit on September 9-10. Trudeau also attended the event. Modi registered New Delhis concerns in the strongest words to Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 10, the official said. According to a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office after the meeting, PM Modi conveyed New Delhis strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities by extremist elements in Canada. They [referring to the subversive elements] are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship. The nexus of such forces with organised crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well, the statement had said. Read here: UK PM Rishi Sunak faces questions over wife Akshata's Infosys shares in FTA with India: Report The PM also mentioned that a relationship based on mutual respect and trust is essential for the progress of India-Canada relationship, the statement had added. India-Canada FTA negotiations were progressing well before the pause. The ninth round was held from July 12 to July 21 in a virtual format. The two countries had, so far, discussed trade matters related to goods, trade remedies, rules of origin, origin procedures, services, institutional and core provisions. The previous and the sixth ministerial dialogue on trade and investment (MDTI) was held on May 8 in Canada. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $8.16 billion in 2022-23. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Centre on Friday repatriated four Indian nationals from flood-hit Libya where over 3,000 people have died in the calamity. Reports claimed that the four citizens - Parvesh Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Rohit and Sukhwinder Singh - were sold to the mafia and were engaged in labour work at construction sites. The four citizens went to Libya early this year in February after fake travel agents promised them jobs in Italy. The four citizens went to Libya early this year in February after fake travel agents promised them jobs in Italy. However, they were sold and kept in Zuwara City in Libya, reported news agency ANI. Calling the repatriation process extra challenging, the Indian Consulate in Tunisia wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: The repatriation 04 Indians, stranded in different parts of Libya was extra challenging- Stay, arrangements for exit permits through efficient and timely efforts of Mrs. Tabassum. The Mission issued emergency certificates and air tickets under the GOI's ICWF provision. One of the workers, identified as Manpreet Singh, said, The Indian Embassy and MEA have helped us a lot...I went there on January 14. For two months we had contact with our family but after that, we were sold to the mafia, as quoted by ANI. Another evacuee Sukwinder Singh's sister told ANI that they did not have any contact with him for months. We tried contacting everyone. It was an extremely difficult time for us. I am happy my brother is here, she said. Currently, Libya is witnessing one of the worst floods. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya, over 5,000 people are presumed dead, and over 38,640 individuals have been displaced. Meanwhile, 3,922 deaths have been registered in hospitals. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that the death toll is huge and might even reach thousands. Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA on Thursday said that an estimated 884,000 people have been directly impacted by the storm and flash floods in five provinces that need assistance. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hindu activist Chaitra Kundapur, who was arrested for allegedly cheating a businessman of 5 crore by promising him a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket to contest the assembly elections in May, collapsed during interrogation at the City Crime Branch (CCB) office in Bengaluru on Friday, officials familiar with the matter said. HT Image On Friday morning, Kundapur was brought to the CCB office from a womens rehabilitation centre for interrogation. After an hour into the interrogation, Kundapur collapsed with froth allegedly oozing out of her mouth, and was rushed to Victoria Hospital in the city, the officials said. However, Dr Asima Banu, Nodal Officer, Victoria Hospital, said Kundapurs condition is stable, adding that she arrived at the hospital in a semi-conscious state. She is stable. Everything is normal. We are conducting all the tests. She was admitted with a suspicion of fits, but that is not the case, Dr Banu said. Kundapur and six other suspects were arrested on Tuesday by the CCB police based on a complaint by Govind Babu Pujari (44), a businessman, at the Bandepalya police station in Bengaluru. Pujari, had filed a complaint on September 8 against eight people, including Kundapur. On Wednesday, a city court had sent the activist and five others to CCB custody for 10 days. Another accused, Channa Naik, was arrested from Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru on Thursday. Meanwhile, accused number 3 in the case, Abhinava Halashree of Halaswamy Mutt in Vijayanagara district, is still absconding, officials said, adding that they launched a manhunt to nab him at the earliest. Reacting to the arrest of Kundapur, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Member of Parliament and Union minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje on Friday, distanced herself from Kundapur, and urged for transparent investigation into the case. I didnt have any personal connection with Chaitra [Kundapur]. Hundreds of people have taken photos with me. Similarly, Chaitra might have taken photos with me. She has never called me and I have never made any phone call to her, Karandlaje said. Let it be transparent. I urge for a high-level investigation. None of us are supporting Chaitra. We are not protecting her. All those who have done wrong should be punished. BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai said, We take the matter of taking cash for ticket seriously. It is clear that BJP has nothing to do with this. Let there be investigation into the case. Those who are in the guilty position claim big names are involved. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday inaugurated nine new government medical colleges across the state. Addressing the event via video conference, Rao, better known as KCR, said the number of government medical colleges in Telangana has gone up to 26 from five in 2014 when the state was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. (PTI) Telangana's medical education is reaching a significant milestone, the chief minister's office said in a social media post. No other State in the country has started as many medical colleges in a single year, with its own funds, as Telangana is doing. The State has created a new record in the history of medical education in the country. Kumrambhim Asifabad, Kamareddy, Khammam, Vikarabad, Jangaon, Rajanna Sirsilla, Nirmal, Jaishankar Bhopalpalli, and Karimnagar Medical Colleges were inaugurated by the chief minister. KCR underlined that the number of medical seats has increased from 2,850 in 2014 to 8,516 now. He said another eight new government medical colleges will be opened next year. With this, Telangana is on track to become the first Indian state to have a government medical college in each of its districts, Telangana CMO said. Telangana health minister T Harish Rao claimed that the inauguration of nine new government medical colleges in a single day was the first in the history of the medical education field in the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chennai: Madras high court judge N Anand Venkatesh on Thursday refused to rescue himself from the revision he initiated on his own accord against the discharge of senior Tamil Nadu politicians in corruption cases and against the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) which probed all the cases. Justice N Anand Venkatesh said that by taking up the cases suo moto after special courts for MPs/MLAs had acquitted the six politicians, the Madras high court is acting as per the power of superintendence over the courts subordinate to it. (HT Archives) Higher education minister K Ponmudy, the first of the six politicians whose case the justice took up for revision in August, wanted the hearing to move to another bench on the grounds that justice Venkatesh had made observations already and that it would lead to bias. In an order, the justice rejected the plea for recusal and the preliminary contentions raised on behalf of the state government and the accused. At this juncture, this Court observes that the suo motu revisions initiated over the past few weeks have been looked upon in some quarters as a sort of witch-hunt spearheaded by one judge of the High Court, Justice Venkatesh said. The DMK accused the judge of having malafide intentions and said they would move the Supreme Court on the matter. After Ponmudy, the justice issued notices to DMK ministers Thangam Thennarasu (finance), KKSSR Ramachandran (revenue and disaster), I Periyasamy (rural development) -- former chief minister and expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, and AIADMKs former social welfare minister B Valarmathi. Justice Venkatesh sought to remind those concerned that this has been exercised by the high court as an institution and not by one judge to ensure that the streams of criminal justice are not subverted and remain pure and unsullied. By taking up these cases suo moto after various special courts for MPs/MLAs had discharged and acquitted the six politicians over the last decade, the high court is acting as per the power vested with the superintendence over the courts subordinate to it, he said. The orders of the High Court resonate the voice of not any individual judge but one institution, the justice said. The justice had said that the DVAC functioned like puppets in a Muppets show and changed like a chameleon probing opposition leaders which does not result in prosecution once they come back to power. He observed that Panneerselvams discharge in 2012 was the starting point of this pattern. The court questioned whether a mere expression of a strong view at a preliminary stage is enough to engage a plea of bias and concluded that there is no substance in the plea that this Court is disqualified to hear the matter in view of the observations made by it in earlier orders. Consequently, the plea of bias fails, and with it the prayer for recusal also stands rejected, justice Venkatesh said. The DVAC, represented by senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, said that the suo moto revisions were initiated before the expiry of the period within which they could appeal the discharges and acquittals. ...since it appears that the State is still contemplating whether it is aggrieved against the order of the Special Court, any discussion is clearly academic and this Court finds it unnecessary to pursue the discussion on this point any further, the justice said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Divya Chandrababu Divya Chandrababu is an award-winning political and human rights journalist based in Chennai, India. Divya is presently Assistant Editor of the Hindustan Times where she covers Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. She started her career as a broadcast journalist at NDTV-Hindu where she anchored and wrote prime time news bulletins. Later, she covered politics, development, mental health, child and disability rights for The Times of India. Divya has been a journalism fellow for several programs including the Asia Journalism Fellowship at Singapore and the KAS Media Asia- The Caravan for narrative journalism. Divya has a master's in politics and international studies from the University of Warwick, UK. As an independent journalist Divya has written for Indian and foreign publications on domestic and international affairs. ...view detail West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a visit to Spain, played Rabindra Sangeet tune on a piano in Madrid on Friday. Banerjee, who is known to be an avid instrument player, is seen, in a video shared by the Trinamool Congress on X (formally Twitter), playing a famous Tagore song 'phule phule, dhole dhole' on the piano. Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee plays Phule Phule Dhole Dhole on Piano.(X/All India Trinamool Congress) Banerjee is on a 12-day trip to Dubai and Spain to attract investments for West Bengal. The trip commenced on Tuesday and will conclude on September 23. It was a delight to witness Hon'ble CM @MamataOfficial playing the melodious notes of 'Phule Phule Dhole Dhole' on a Piano in Spain. Truly mesmerizing! Few glimpses, the Trinamool Congress wrote. The song 'phule phule, dhole dhole' was originally written by renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore. In other videos that went viral on social media earlier, the chief minister was seen jogging in the morning and playing tunes on a harmonium. In a post on Instagram, Banerjee wrote, A nice jog can energise you for the day ahead. Stay fit, stay healthy everyone! She also showcased her musical skills by playing the song hum honge kaamiyaab on a musical instrument. Banerjee also met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Dubai International Airport as she commenced her trip to Spain. In a video posted by news agency PTI on X, Wickremesinghe was seen asking Banerjee whether she would lead the Opposition alliance. To this, she responded with an Oh my god! reaction. She then said, "It depends on the people. Before boarding her flight to Spain on Tuesday, Banerjee said, We are going to Spain after five years. Spain was a partner during the Kolkata Book Fair. Spain has a prosperous manufacturing industry. We are going at their invitation. Let us see what progress can be made.'Bengal Business Summit is scheduled to be held on November 21-23'. "Spain officials have visited Bengal many times but we have not reciprocated in the same way. So I am leaving for Spain. In Dubai also we have a business summit," she added. (With inputs from agencies) Representatives of a Meitei group met defence minister Rajnath Singh late on Thursday to press for the demand for the removal of Assam Rifles from ethnic violence-hit Manipur. Ethnic violence in Manipur has left at least 175 dead and around 50,000 displaced. (REUTERS) In a statement released around midnight, a collective of dominant Meitei groups said the Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) met Singh at his residence and demanded another security force should replace Assam Rifles. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the collective, has sought Assam Rifless removal saying the force was biased. Meitei women groups have held a series of protests against the force. COCOMI representatives have met Union home minister Amit Shah at least thrice since ethnic violence was triggered in May. The violence has left at least 175 dead and around 50,000 displaced. COCOMI spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba said DMCC submitted a memorandum citing the threat from Kuki militant groups and the alleged bias of the Assam Rifles. Kuki groups have blamed Meitei militant groups for the violence. Athouba said the DMCC delegation apprised Singh about the embarrassment Kuki groups caused by approaching the United Nations for a resolution to the Manipur crisis. DMCC reiterated that Meitei insurgency groups have been already banned by [Union] MHA [ministry of home affairs] before the year 2000, so necessary legal actions have been taken against them...no action has been taken under the pretext of Suspension of Operations and Kukis militants are firing from hills and farmers are being killed, Athouba said. Athouba said the delegation told Singh that Assam Rifles was biased when dealing with Meitei and Kuki protesters. The spokesperson added they raised the issues of narco-terrorism, illegal immigrants and their identification as well as suspension of operations agreement. Kuki groups have accused Manipur Police of bias and urged the Union government to retain Assam Rifles to restore peace in the state. Assam Rifles reports to the Union government and Manipur Police to chief minister Biren Singh, a Meitei. Last month, Assam Rifles sent a legal notice to a Manipuri leader for his alleged remarks accusing the force of siding with Kuki militants during the clashes with Meiteis. The Manipur Police filed a first information report accusing the Assam Rifles of stopping them from pursuing Kuki militants across a buffer zone. Assam Rifles has maintained its troops were only following the buffer zone guidelines in place to restore normalcy. It filed a sedition case against COCOMI for allegedly discouraging the return of weapons stolen from police armouries. The Kukis and other tribal groups live in hill districts while the Meiteis in the Imphal valley and plains. The central forces are posted in the buffer zones or areas adjoining the foothills to ensure that armed people from both the Kukis and Meitei sides do not cross them to launch attacks. Central forces have been directed against allowing even state police to cross the buffer zones without taking them along. The directive was issued against the backdrop of allegations of bias against the state police. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces on Friday opened fire at Armenian military outposts near the border in the Gegharkunik Province, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The Azerbaijani military used small arms fire in the shooting. On September 14, at around 10:30 p.m., units of the Azerbaijani armed forces discharged fire from small arms at the Armenian military outposts in the vicinity of Verin Shorzha (Gegharkunik Province), the ministry of defense said. Other details were not reported. Krishnaveni, S Ramya, and N Ranjitha are the three women priests of Tamil Nadu, certified by the government. They have completed their training to become temple priests under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the state government. They will be soon designated as assistant priests at temples in the state. The department runs six priest training schools where people from all communities can take the training to be priests. This is the first time that women enrolled in the course. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said the Dravidian model government made it possible at a time when women are deemed impure and are not even allowed in the temples of female deities. Krishnaveni, S Ramya, and N Ranjitha became the first women priests in Tamil Nadu. "Despite women's achievements as pilots and astronauts, they were barred from the sacred role of temple priests, deemed impure, even in the temples for female deities. But change is finally here! In Tamil Nadu, as our #DravidianModel Government has removed the thorn from Thanthai Periyar's heart by appointing people of all castes as priests, women are also now stepping into the sanctums, bringing a new era of inclusivity and equality," Stalin tweeted. According to reports, S Ramya is an MSc graduate from Cuddalore. For her, the training was initially difficult as she said in interviews. Krishnaveni, an undergraduate in mathematics, said she wanted to serve God and thus the people and hence chose the training. Ramya and Krishnaveni are relatives and both of them were encouraged by their family members to pursue the one-year course in which they got 3,000 stipend. Ranjitha is a BSc graduate who joined the course out of interest. The development comes amid the Sanatan row which put the DMK in a tight spot after Tamil Nadu minister and CM's son Udhayanidhi Stalin compared Sanatan Dharma with dengue and malaria. While Udhayanidhi defended his statement and said his attack was against the caste-based society, the BJP made it an issue to corner the opposition alliance INDIA. PM Modi castigated INDIA for trying to destroy 'Sanatan'. The controversy found INDIA parties divided with Stalin asking his party members to not speak on the issue further. Its revolutionary step forward.. hope Union government brings a special scheme in the 75 years of independence #Amritkal and announce in the special parliament session..will they? Congress leader Manickam Tagore tweeted. Let us all come together and applaud this step. Sanatani-s must be thrilled because this is real sanatana dharma right? musician TM Krishna wrote. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mobile internet has been suspended in Haryana's Nuh district from Friday 10am to Saturday 11.59pm apprehending tension in the district. The district administration imposed Section 144 in Nuh and requested people to offer their Friday prayers at their homes. The suspension of the mobile internet comes because of the emergent situation, the order said. Hours before, Congress MLA Mamman Khan was arrested by the Haryana police for his alleged involvement in Nuh violence that took place on July 31. Mobile internet is suspended in Haryana's Nuh till Saturday 11.59pm. (PTI) The internet suspension order said there is an apprehension of tension, annoyance, agitation, damage of public and private property and disturbance of public peace and tranquillity in the district. Misusing the internet services, there could be a disruption of public utilities and law and order, the order said. "In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter etc, on mobile phones and SMA, for facilation and mobilisation of mobs or agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson, vandalism and other type of violent activities," the order read. "It is emphasized that this order is being issued after taking utmost care of public convenience by exempting individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and domestic households, thus not affecting the commercial/financial interest of the State and basic domestic needs of individuals...this order is being passed ex-parte in view of the emergent situation...," the order read. Mamman Khan's arrest in connection with Nuh violence Late on Thursday night, the SIT of Nuh Police arrested Mamman Kgan in connection with the July 31 violence that affected several districts of Haryana including Gurugram, after a VHP procession was attacked by Muslims. Six people, including two policemen, were killed in the violence and 88 others were injured. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode district has prompted the administration to introduce Covid era-like containment zones in nine panchayats. The authorities are scrambling to identify high-risk contacts after the state reported two deaths from the brain-damaging virus, which causes respiratory distress and encephalitis. Five more patients infected with the Nipah virus are undergoing treatment at the hospitals. This is the fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala since 2018 when the state first reported the disease. Health workers wearing protective gear shift people who have been in contact with a person infected with the Nipah virus to an isolation centre at a goverment hospital in Kozikode. (AFP) In wake of the rising cases of Nipah virus in Kerala, the state government has extended the school and college holidays till September 24 in Kozhikode district, according to a report by India Today. Kozhikode: Health workers wait to admit patients at a Nipah isolation ward at the Medical College, in Kozhikode, (PTI) Read here: In Kerala, 1 more tests positive for Nipah, tally at 6 The announcement was made after one more case of Nipah virus was confirmed on Friday, taking the total case tally to six. Two people died due to the infection in the latest outbreak. Earlier, Kozhikode District Collector, A Geetha directed to close all the educational institutions in the district on Thursday and Friday amid the rising cases of the virus. In a Facebook post, the official had said that the schools can arrange online classes for students amid the outbreak. Meanwhile, India has reached out to Australia for procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Nipah virus patients, ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl said on Friday. "We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently the doses are available for only 10 patients," Bahl said, adding globally monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived. The state government raised its guards after Kerala reported its sixth case of thr infection. Meanwhile, a 24-hour control room is being set up in the neighbouring district of Wayanad after the virus outbreak in Kozhikode. The virus strain seen in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious, the government said. At present, the contact list of confirmed Nipah patients includes 1,080 people, with 130 new additions on Friday. Out of this, 327 people are health workers. Read here: A familiar fear in Kozhikode as Nipah resurfaces A five-member Central team comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital and NIMHANS has been stationed in Kerala to take stock of the situation and assist the state government in the management of the Nipah infection. This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state. It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and in Ernakulam in 2019. (With inputs from agencies) Director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Rajeev Bahl on Friday said the mortality rate among those infected with the Nipah virus is much higher compared to that of Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing a press conference, Bahl said while Covid had a mortality rate of two to three percent, Nipah has a death rate of 40 to 70 percent. Health workers shift people who have been in contact with a person infected with the Nipah virus to an isolation center at a government hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala. (AFP Photo) Asserting that they are making all efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the southern state, the ICMR DG said, We do not know why the cases keep surfacing. In 2018, we found the outbreak in Kerala was related to bats. We are not sure how the infection passed from bats to humans. The link could not be established. Again we are trying to find out this time. It always happens in the rainy season." India to procure doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia According to the ICMR DG, India will be procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia for the treatment of Nipah virus infection. We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently, the doses are available for only 10 patients," he said. Also read: Genotype I strain of Nipah virus variant likely present in Kerala 20 more doses are being procured. However, the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection. Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only given as compassionate use medicine, Bahl said. While globally the antibody has been successfully given to 14 patients, no one in India has been administered with the doses so far. Nipah outbreak in Kerala A total of six people have tested positive for the deadly Nipah virus, out of which two died due to the infection. In view of this, restrictions have been tightened in the Kozhikode district with the administration shutting all educational institutions, parks, and beaches. Prayer gatherings at religious institutions and other public programs have also been banned. Meanwhile, on Thursday, 11 samples of suspected cases and their contacts returned as negative from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Subsequently, 15 other samples were collected and sent for testing. What is Nipah virus? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted via animals to humans, and can also be transmitted via contaminated food or directly between people and is caused by fruit bats. The virus is not only fatal for humans, but for animals as well. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers, WHO said. The symptoms of the Nipah virus are similar to Covid-19 - cough, sore throat, dizziness, drowsiness, muscle pain, tiredness, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, mental confusion, and seizures. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) announced on Thursday that it will boycott 14 journalists and news anchors across nine channels over allegations of bias against the Opposition in their coverage, sparking sharp reactions from BJP president JP Nadda and news broadcasters association. HT Image The decision taken by the 28-party blocs media sub-group effectively means that INDIA will neither send representatives to these shows nor invite them to any political events of the coalition. We have issued this list with a very heavy heart... We hope in the coming days, the situation will get better and the anchors will understand this when one day the young generation will question them. What will they answer then? Congresss chief spokesperson Pawan Khera said. The list of journalists include Arnab Goswami of Republic TV, Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Sudhir Chaudhary and Chitra Tripathi of Aaj Tak, Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan and Anand Narasimhan of News18, Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat24, Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today, Prachi Parashar of India TV, Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express, and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News. This came a day after the coordination committee of the India bloc authorised the media sub-group to boycott some TV journalists and anchors. The BJP strongly criticised the decision. Nadda termed the list nazi style and drew a parallel between INDIAs decision and the Emergency. These days, INDIA is ONLY doing 2 things: BASHING SANATANA SANSKRITI - each party is competing to outdo the other in hurling the choicest abuses towards Sanatana Sanskriti. BULLYING THE MEDIA- filing FIRs, threatening individual journalists, making lists in true Nazi style of who to target. The Emergency era Mindset is alive among these parties, he said. The News Broadcasters & Digital Association said the move imperils press freedom. Khera defended the decision and said the journalists named spread fake news. We are ready to bear that but if they spread this hate... it further takes a violent turn, he said. The Congress clarified that it was not boycotting any news channels. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Press Information Bureau, a Union government body, on Friday described the Congress's allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi misled the public by stating that a G20 meeting was held in Chhattisgarh as baseless claims. BJP workers partcipating a Sarva Dharam Sadbhav Tiranga Yatra to celebrate the "grand success" of G20 Summit under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, near Jama Masjid, in New Delhi.(Hindustan Times) According to the PIB Fact Check, a G20-related programme was indeed conducted in the state. A two-day Youth-20 (Y20) mentoring program was successfully organized in the Indian Institute of Management, Raipur on February 25-26. Y20 is the official participation group of G20, the PIB said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). The Congress had accused Modi of misinformation, alleging that he falsely claimed a G20 meeting in Chattisgarh during a rally in the state. The Chhattisgarh Congress's social media handle wrote, The Prime Minister of the country came to Chhattisgarh and lied and went away, along with a clip from Modi's address. PIB Fact Check, If you have courage then tell me when the G20 meeting was held in Chhattisgarh? the post read further. In response, the central ministry of information and broadcasting agency pointed out that the two-day Y20 consultation event took place at the Indian Institute of Management, Raipur, on February 25 where Union minister Anurag Singh Thakur was also present. Various events under G20 The G20 hosts various events, with the annual summit being the most significant. There are two parallel tracks: the Finance Track, led by Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, and the Sherpa Track, led by Sherpas after the Finance Track. Along with these, there are several Engagement Groups comprising civil societies, parliamentarians, think tanks, women, youth, labour, businesses, and researchers of G20 countries also have their meetings. These groups include Business 20 (B20), Civil20 (C20), Labour20 (L20), Parliament20 (P20), Science20, Supreme Audit Institutions 20 (SAI20), Startup 20, Urban 20, Youth20 (Y20), Women20 (W20), and Think20 (T20). What is Youth20? Youth20 (Y20) provides a platform for young people to express their ideas on G20 priorities and submit recommendations to G20 Leaders. According to the official figures, Y20 India conducted 883 outreach events in collaboration with universities, think tanks, and organizations from January 12 to August 16. Additionally, they organized 370 Y20 Gujarat Yuva Samvads in 33 districts of the state and 119 Y20 Chaupals in 52 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Of one such outreach programme, a Y20 Consultation session titled "Youth Dialogue with Youth Minister" was held with Anurag Thakur in the IIM Raipur in the last week of February. The Y20 Summit took place in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on August 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi retained his position at the top of an approval ratings list of global leaders, with 76 per cent, according to a survey by Morning Consult. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during laying the foundation stone of projects worth more than 50,700 crore in Bhopal on Thursday. (ANI) The US-based consultancy firm's 'Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker claimed that 76 per cent of people approve of PM Narendra Modis leadership, while 18 per cent disapprove of it and six per cent did not give any opinion. Modi, who is being lauded for the successfully hosting G20 Summit in New Delhi earlier this month, is followed by Switzerland President Alain Berset with 64 per cent approval rating and Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador with 61 per cent approval rating. Union home minister Amit Shah also shared the rating on X (formally Twitter) and wrote, The latest Morning Consult survey shows that PM @narendramodi Ji's popularity remains unrivalled among global leaders. This is not only a testament to the success of the Modi doctrine in foreign policy but also a global recognition of Modi Ji's undeterred achievements in lifting millions out of poverty, selfless efforts to improve their living standards and people's unyielding trust in him. In earlier ratings as well, Modi had topped the ranking. US President Joe Biden has a 40 per cent approval, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has 37 per cent, his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak's rating stood at 27 per cent, and France President Emmanuel Macron at just 24 per cent. Morning Consult said the latest approval ratings are based on data collected from September 6 to 12. It said the ratings are based on a seven-day moving average of adult residents in each country, with varying sample sizes. In the United States, the average sample size is around 45,000. In the other countries, the sample size ranges from roughly 500-5,000. At the G20 Leaders Summit, the New Delhi Declaration was adopted unanimously with full consensus. A major standout of the declaration was bringing all global powers on the same page and forging consensus on an issue as divisive as the Russia-Ukraine war. At the conclusion of the summit, Modi handed over the gavel to Brazilian President Lula da Silva and also proposed to hold a virtual G20 session in November to review the suggestions and proposals made at the premier forum for international economic cooperation. Methodology According to Morning Consult, Political Intelligence is its a proprietary platform, and it provides real-time polling data on political elections, elected officials and voting issues. Morning Consult conducts more than 20,000 global interviews daily. All interviews are conducted online among nationally representative samples of adults. In India, the sample is representative of the literate population, it said on its website. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to declare the destruction caused by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh a "national disaster", just like the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013. AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inspects damage caused by rain-triggered landslide at Krishna Nagar in Shimla on Wednesday.(PTI) In a letter to Modi, Gandhi also sought financial assistance for providing relief to the victims and their families as well as for rebuilding the state. Flash floods and landslides triggered by the rains wreaked havoc in Kullu and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh on July 14 and 15. Gandhi, who visited the affected areas earlier this week, said apart from being the land of gods, Himachal Pradesh is also a state of true, simple and hardworking people. READ | Priyanka visits flood-hit Himachal districts to review relief, restoration "The women, farmers, employees, businesspersons and youth of Himachal are very hardworking and self-respecting. Today, the same people are facing an unprecedented crisis. Floods and landslides have caused massive destruction in the state," the Congress general secretary said in her letter to the prime minister. "Recently, I met disaster victims in Shimla, Kullu, Manali and Mandi. It was very sad to see the devastation everywhere. So far, 428 people have lost their lives in this disaster. There are many people who lost all their family members in this disaster. The dead also include small children, who along with their mothers had gone to a Shiva temple early in the morning on the last Monday of 'Sawan'," she said. READ | Congress to raise Himachal flood fury in Parliament: Priyanka Gandhi said more than 16,000 animals and birds have died in the state, including 10,000 poultry birds and more than 6,000 cows, buffaloes and other domestic animals. More than 13,000 houses and buildings have been completely or partially damaged, she added. "Large parts of the Shimla to Parwanoo National Highway and the Kullu-Manali-Leh highway have been completely damaged. Many roads in the state have been completely or partially damaged. The state has suffered a loss worth thousands of crores," Gandhi said in her letter in Hindi. The Congress government in the hill state is making every possible effort at its level to deal with the devastation, she noted. "I saw the people of Himachal Pradesh standing shoulder to shoulder with the state government in facing the crisis. At some places, some people are engaged in 'shramdaan' for the repair of roads, while at other places, disaster-affected people, school children and farmers are helping in the relief programmes by collecting donations," Gandhi said. "I was very impressed by this feeling of solidarity. It is with this feeling that I am writing this letter to you," she added. During this tragedy, when the people of Himachal Pradesh are looking for help, the reduction in import duty on foreign apples by the Centre will be a double economic blow to the apple farmers and orchardists of the state, she said. "In my understanding, farmers should not be dealt such a blow in this difficult time, rather if the farmers of Himachal get some kind of financial help from the central government, they will get relief," Gandhi said. "I appeal to you that this disaster should be declared a national disaster like the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013 and financial assistance should be provided to the victims and the state so that the brothers and sisters of Himachal get relief and the state can be properly rebuilt," she said in her letter to Modi. "Today, the whole country is coming forward and standing with Himachal. I have full hope that you will take appropriate steps to help while being sensitive towards the people of Himachal," she added. Since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till September 12, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses to the tune of 8,679 crore. As many as 165 landslides and 72 flash floods were reported during monsoon. Of the 111 deaths in landslides, 94 were reported from Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Solan districts, while 18 of the 19 deaths due to flash floods were also witnessed in these districts. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has pegged the losses at 12,000 crore and urged Modi to declare the calamity a national disaster. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has asked all its affiliated universities and institutes to raise awareness about the impact of population explosion, and how increasing population could lead to food insecurity, loss of biodiversity and social and political instability. In its communique on Friday, the AICTE stressed on the need for balance between population growth and the capacity of Earths ecosystems (HT) As all the resources like land, food, water and energy are limited, rapidly increasing population may lead to food insecurity, water and land scarcity, loss of biodiversity, increased pollution levels and social and political instability, the technical education regulator said in a communication sent to vice chancellors of universities and heads of institutes on Friday. Indias population is expected to have surpassed Chinas by July 1 this year. While Indias population is estimated to be 1,428.6 million as of July 1, Chinas population is estimated to be 1,425.7 million, according to the 2022 update to the World Population Prospects (WPP) data of the United Nations. To be sure, actual population data is usually generated from census exercises, which are conducted at longer time periods than a yearly basis in most countries. The July 2023 figures for both India and China are survey-based estimates that rely on fertility and mortality indicators. Indias official fertility survey does not suggest that India runs the risk of population explosion. The 2019 Sample Registration System (SRS) report estimated Indias Total Fertility Rate (TFR) -- or the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime -- as 2.1. A sustained TFR of 2.1 stabilises the population. This is reflected in WPP estimates. Indias population growth rate has slowed down and is expected to peak in 2063 at 1,697 million. It is expected to decline from 2064. In its communique on Friday, the AICTE stressed on the need for balance between population growth and the capacity of Earths ecosystems, saying that it is the responsibility of citizens to support human life and maintain a healthy environment. In this regard, all AICTE approved Institution and Universities are requested to create awareness about the negative impact of population explosion and to organize seminars/symposiums/workshops/quizzes on bad effects of population growth, the letter said. According to a senior AICTE official, who didnt want to be named, the communication has been sent following a directive from the government. The Council had received a directive from the government to encourage its affiliated students to create awareness about the implications of the rapidly increasing population in the country. It is not mandatory in nature and the AICTE-approved institutes can voluntarily organise such activities, said the official, who wished not to be named. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The Azeri withdrawal from occupied territories of Armenia could be a serious step towards building trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has said. Precisely one year ago, Azerbaijan carried out a military aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, as a result of which we had more than 200 victims and many wounded. Until today, around 150 square kilometers of the sovereign territory of Armenia are occupied, and despite the demands of the international community, the Azerbaijani armed forces have not been withdrawn from the occupied territories. Two days ago, assessing the results of the peace process, I spoke about the confidence building steps. The withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the occupied territories of Armenia can be a serious step towards building trust between the parties. The armed forces of Azerbaijan must leave the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and all prisoners of war and other detainees must be released from the prisons of Azerbaijan, Marukyan said in a post on X. One soldier is unaccounted for in the counterterror operation underway in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district where two army officers and a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) were killed in a gunfight on Wednesday, officials aware of the matter said on Friday. The army and the police launched a joint operation on Tuesday night. (HT file photo) A manhunt is currently on for the group the terrorists responsible for the ambush-style killings of the three men, the officials said. The security forces have cast a wide net for the elusive terrorists holed up in the Garol forest in Anantnag, with elite counter-terrorist squads (including men from the Special Forces) hunting for the perpetrators. Also Read:Anantnag encounter casts shadow over J&K civic elections Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, also from the same battalion, and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat were killed in the gunfight. The security forces managed to close in on two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists on Thursday after reinforcements were brought in. Assault teams had zeroed in on what they believed to be a terrorist hideout (a cave-like structure) and brought the fury of their automatic weapons on it to neutralise the occupants. The army and the police launched a joint operation on Tuesday night after receiving intelligence about terrorist movement and their likely hideout in the forested area. The Anantnag encounter has brought into focus how young commanding officers of specialist counterterrorism units are filling four crucial roles --- leading from the front, conducting operations on the ground, providing motivation on the battlefield and keeping the men under their command out of harms way. The encounter also offers a grim reminder of the everyday perils of a soldiers life, unpredictable combat outcomes and the vulnerability of commanders supervising operations, the officials said. It has shaken the relative calm in the Kashmir Valley where terror attacks had declined significantly and were at a five-year low (according to terrorism-related data tabled by the government in Parliament). Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin on Friday rolled out his governments flagship welfare scheme to provide financial assistance of 1,000 every month to women. The government received 10.63 million applications and has identified 10.06 million women as beneficiaries. With this scheme we have alleviated struggles faced by our hard-working women, Stalin said, adding that the state is setting an example for the country. Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin with a beneficiary during the launch of the 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam' (Kalaignar Women's Rights Assistance Scheme), offering 1,000 monthly assistance to women, in Kancheepuram district on Friday. (PTI) The money will be credited to womens bank accounts. The government handed over debit cards to 13 women on Friday while the remaining will be given in a phased manner. This rights-based financial assistance is the first in the country, Stalin said. He called household chores done by wives and mothers as intensive labour. There is a lot of invisible labour that goes on inside the house, the chief minister said. But stay-at-home mothers labour is often dismissed by societyI believe that this scheme is one step towards compensating this labour. After the DMK formed the government in 2021, this is the third scheme launched exclusively for Tamil Nadus women. The government has been providing 1,000 monthly to girl students (who studied in government schools from Class 6 to 12) to help them complete their higher education. Previously, the government also launched free bus travel for women in specific white board town buses. Stalin launched the scheme in Kancheepuram district, the birthplace of DMK founder and first chief minister of Tamil Nadu, C N Annadurai, whose birth anniversary was also on Friday. When Madras Presidency was renamed as Tamil Nadu, Anna (Annadurai) said that as long as the state is known as Tamil Nadu, it is his reign. And like that, as long as women in Tamil Nadu receive their rightful money, it would mean that it is Stalins administration, the CM said. It is not an assistance. It is your rightful money. The scheme is named after his father and former chief minister M Karunanidhis moniker as Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thitam (womens rights scheme). After announcing the scheme in the manifesto ahead of the 2021 assembly elections, the government could not implement the scheme immediately, he said, due to the Covid-19 situation and the state finances they inherited. The opposition had also criticised the DMK government for changing the intent of the scheme to benefit all women heading households in Tamil Nadu to only targeted beneficiaries. The eligibility included that women should be above the age of 21 with an annual family income of less than 2.5 lakh, annual household electricity consumption below 3,600 units, land holding not exceeding 5 acres (wetland) and 10 acres (dryland). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Divya Chandrababu Divya Chandrababu is an award-winning political and human rights journalist based in Chennai, India. Divya is presently Assistant Editor of the Hindustan Times where she covers Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. She started her career as a broadcast journalist at NDTV-Hindu where she anchored and wrote prime time news bulletins. Later, she covered politics, development, mental health, child and disability rights for The Times of India. Divya has been a journalism fellow for several programs including the Asia Journalism Fellowship at Singapore and the KAS Media Asia- The Caravan for narrative journalism. Divya has a master's in politics and international studies from the University of Warwick, UK. As an independent journalist Divya has written for Indian and foreign publications on domestic and international affairs. ...view detail Chennai: The Union government has informed the Madras high court that it has taken steps to deport all the four Sri Lankans, convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to Sri Lanka. The Centre informed the Madras high court that it has been communicated to the minister of external affairs to issue travel documents to the four Sri Lankan convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, who were released by the Supreme Court. (HT Archives) Four of the 6 convicts in the case, who were released by the Supreme Court last November are Sri Lankan nationals. Since all the four Sri Lankan nationals Santan, Sriharan alias Murugan, Jayakumar and Rober Payas -- arrived in India illegally by boat and do not possess valid Sri Lankan travel documents, passport, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Chennai said in his affidavit that they have been lodged in the foreigners detention camp in Tamil Nadus Trichy until their deportation. It has been communicated to the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) to issue travel documents to the four Sri Lankans, the department submitted to the single bench of justice N Seshasayee on Thursday. The submissions were made based on the plea of one of the released convicts S Nalini, seeking for her husband and fellow convict Sriharan alias Murugan to be released from the camp so they can apply for a passport to live with their daughter in Europe. Since the communication from MEA (Consular division) is awaited, her representation was kept pending at our end, stated the governments affidavit. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to put off hearing Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Sorens petition against the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate to September 18 on a request by the chief ministers legal team on Monday. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren after the first coordination committee meeting of opposition bloc INDIA at Sharad Pawar's residence in New Delhi on September 13. (HT File Photo/Raj K Raj) Sorens petition came up on Friday before a bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, which accepted a request to adjourn the case to Monday as senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who is to appear for Soren, was not available. Hemant Sorens petition linked the ED move to issue summons to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief to the national elections next year, asserting that the ED notice for the chief ministers appearance was designed to threaten, humiliate and intimidate political leaders at a time when opposition parties have united to form the INDIA coalition. The summons, he added, were meant to destabilise an elected democratic government ahead of the general elections. With the general elections approaching soon in next 7-8 months, the political atmosphere in country has been vitiated by the ruling regime. All efforts have been made to threaten, humiliate and intimidate the political leaders, and particularly, when the opposition has united to form INDIA alliance in which the petitioner and his party are vocal participant and integral part of alliance and who are not aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Soren and the JMM are part of the opposition bloc of 28 political parties, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Soren said he was unaware of the alleged offence or criminal case in connection with which ED seeks to question him. Non-disclosure of the ECIR (that corresponds to FIR) or the remit of investigation of the ED would enable a roving and fishing inquiry, which is impermissible in law, the plea said. The petition also sought to challenge the constitutional validity of section 50 of PMLA, under which summons is issued and section 63, which arms the ED with vast powers to secure statement or confession of persons during interrogation, use it against them during trial, and even launch criminal proceedings for false information. Lawyer Zoheb Hossain, appearing for ED, told the top court on Friday that the issues raised in Sorens petition were covered by the Vijay Madanlal judgment, a reference to the July 27, 2022 verdict in which EDs powers to search, seize and arrest were upheld. In August last year, the top court, however, agreed to revisit its judgment in open court on a review petition filed by Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram among others. Karti is facing ED probe in the INX Media case. Another bench of the top court earlier this year admitted a petition by Congress leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Govind Singh that squarely challenges the validity of Sections 50 and 63, the same provisions which Soren has also spotlighted. A similar challenge has also been raised by some accused in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case and the same is pending for consideration. Hyderabad The police seized a revolver with six live rounds, a laptop and other articles along 47,250 in cash from Raos possession. (File photo) Telangana police arrested the most-wanted member of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its central committee member Sanjoy Deepak Rao in Hyderabad on Friday, state director general of police Anjani Kumar said. The DGP told reporters that Rao, who has been the special zonal committee of south regional bureau of the Maoist party operating from western ghats in the tri-junction of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, was apprehended by the Cyberabad police near Malaysian Township at Kukatpally. The Telangana special intelligence bureau (SIB) has been tracking the movements of this high profile target, a native of Shivagandha Nagar, Ambernath East police station of Thane district in Maharashtra, for a long time, Kumar said. The police seized a revolver with six live rounds, a laptop and other articles along 47,250 in cash from Raos possession. Rao, who has several pseudonyms such as Anil and Vikas in Kerala, was an electrical engineering graduate from the then Regional Engineering Collage (REC), now NIIT, Jammu and Kashmir in early 1980s. He was attracted towards left-wing extremist ideology under the influence of his father who was a strong Communist Trade Union leader. While he was studying B Tech at J & K, he and some of his friends supported the separatist movement of Kashmir people. In 1999, he along with Konath Muralidharan alias Ajith formed CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Naxalbari group and was made in-charge of Maharashtra. He was arrested twice in 2000 and 2005 and was released on bail. In 2014, when the CPI (ML) merged with the CPI (Maoist), Rao became an active leader of the party and was deputed to Maad in Chhattisgarh. He was then taken into the central committee. He carries a reward of 25 lakh on his head. He came to Hyderabad four days back and was proceeding to Maad, Chhattisgarh for attending a meeting. On specific inputs, the police arrested him this morning, the DGP said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail People gathered in large numbers in Panipat's Binjhol on Friday to pay their last respects to Major Aashish Dhonchak, who lost his life in the line of duty while fighting terrorists in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. Panipat: Massive gathering at Major Aashish Dhonchak's Panipat village to pay last respect to the army officer. Three security forces personnel -- Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were killed in the encounter with terrorists in the Gadole forests of Kokernag in Anantnag district on Wednesday morning. Major Aashish's family has been residing in a rented accommodation in Panipat, and he had been anticipating the move to his new house in the city, scheduled for his birthday on October 23. He had joined the Army as a lieutenant in 2012 and he got promotion in 2018 to the rank of Major. He was married to Jyoti of Jind in November 2015 and they have a four-year-old daughter. He had returned home to his family just a month and a half ago. The family members said that they got a call from his unit and they said that Aashish has sustained an injury, and they came to know by the evening that he has succumbed to his injuries. His mother Kamla said that she will welcome her son with a brave heart and will not shed tears as her son has made the supreme sacrifice for the country. The mortal remains of the martyr will be cremated at his native village Binjhol, with hundreds of people, politicians and officials present to honour his sacrifice. Meanwhile, a manhunt was underway on Thursday for the group the terrorists responsible for the ambush-style killings. To apprehend them, special forces and counterterrorism experts from the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been deployed. Additionally, dog squads, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, jammers, and drones are being utilised in the effort to track them down. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar announced on Friday that the state government has formally requested a central team to visit the region and assess the water scarcity issue affecting the Cauvery basin. While providing an update on the ongoing legal dispute regarding the sharing of river water, Shivakumar said, the government is diligently preparing for the upcoming Supreme Court hearing. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (PTI) We have presented a compelling case, highlighting the challenges of releasing water. Our preparations extend to both the Supreme Court and the monitoring authority, and we are hopeful that the prevailing circumstances will lead to a just resolution, the deputy chief minister said. Shivakumar reiterated that Karnataka is currently unable to allocate additional water resources to Tamil Nadu. We have firmly presented our argument that it is highly challenging for Karnataka to release water. Furthermore, we have made a formal request for a team to visit the Cauvery river basin to evaluate the on-ground situation, he added. Meanwhile, the Karnataka state Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC) released a report on Friday, indicating a 54% shortage in water levels across reservoirs within the Cauvery river basin. The Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam, for instance, currently holds 20.83 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of water against its maximum capacity of 49.45 tmc feet, with an inflow of 3,661 cusecs and an outflow of 4,738 cusecs. The Hemavathi, Harangi, and Kabini reservoirs have water storage levels at around 49%, 97%, and 77%, respectively, the report stated. Former Karnataka chief minister, BS Yediyurappa, however, criticised the Congress-led government, alleging that they have been releasing water despite the shortage to appease their political allies in Tamil Nadu. Yediyurappa argued, The government is politicising the Cauvery water issue and has failed to effectively present its case to the Supreme Court. This indirectly aids the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Opposing the proposal to form an all-party delegation to approach the central government, former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Bommai said, There is no need for an all-party delegation to engage with the central government. Instead of writing letters to the Centre, the government should correspond with Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. The BJP leader pledged support to the government if they stop releasing the Cauvery water and expressed suspicions regarding the discussions with the legal team. The BJP has already convened a meeting, led by Yediyurappa, to plan the Cauvery Rakshana Yatra in the Cauvery basin districts, with the participation of MLAs and MPs from these areas, a BJP media group said. Meanwhile, following the Karnataka governments announcement that it cannot release more water and its decision to approach the Supreme Court, various farmer associations, including the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah, have suspended their protests. Continuing the protest makes no sense since the government has halted water releases. Tamil Nadu receives two monsoons, whereas we only receive one, which has also been insufficient. They are demanding water for a third crop, while we are advocating for the first crop, Puttannaiah explained. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced that the state government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) directions that mandated Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for an additional 15 days, starting from Thursday. He also, wrote a letter to Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, saying that practical implementation of the directive would endanger the interests of farmers for irrigation, as well as the well-being of humans and livestock depending on the Cauvery river system for drinking water. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Friday said that the proceedings in the 27 Manipur violence cases being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be conducted physically in the presence of a local magistrate. The 27 cases are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) (AFP) Read here: Manipur, inflation and INDIA bloc in focus of CWC meet The top court said that the statement of witnesses will be recorded and test identification parade of accused will be conducted in the physical presence of a local magistrate who will digitally transmit the documents to Assam court where the trial in these cases is pending. The order by the bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, came after the top court received a letter on September 13 from the registrar general of Manipur seeking clarification on the courts August 25 order according to which the 27 CBI cases were shifted to Assam in the interest of fair trial. Passing directions on the letter, the bench also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that the statement of witnesses under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be recorded by the local magistrate in Manipur or elsewhere, where the witness is temporarily residing. After recording the statement, the same shall be sent along with the digital records of the case to the concerned court in Assam. Similarly, the court ordered the local magistrate in Manipur to conduct the test identification parade considered mandatory in sexual crimes where the victim has to identify the accused of the accused lodged in Manipur jail and digitally transmit the information to the Assam district court. Earlier the Manipur high court had wished to know if the magistrate in Manipur was required to conduct this exercise or the same would be virtually done by the magistrate sitting in Assam. The petitioners appearing for the victims supported physical recording of statement of witnesses suggesting that the same is effective when the victim is physically before the magistrate. The SC also received a letter from the Gauhati high court informing that pursuant to the August 25 order, all necessary directions have been issued for constituting the courts and assigning cases to the respective judicial officers in the state. Read here: Manipur violence: Meitei group meets Rajnath Singh over removal of Assam Rifles The SC had transferred these cases to the neighbouring state on a suggestion made by the Manipur government in view of the prevailing situation in the state and to avoid possibility of any aspersions being cast on the trial court judges in Manipur who may invariably belong to one community or the other involved in the ethnic strife. The SC in its order issued last month had said, This is in the interest of the victims and the survivors...We are making it clear neither the victims nor the witnesses will be made to travel. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday told the Supreme Court it will not press for the appearance of K Kavitha, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter, for questioning over the alleged scam related to now-scrapped Delhi excise policy until the court considers her petition against the summons and the agencys proceedings. Kavitha was summoned for questioning in New Delhi on Friday. Bharat Rashtra Samithi legislator K Kavitha. (PTI) Read here: ED summons KCR's daughter K Kavitha in Delhi excise policy case Additional solicitor-general SV Raju, who appeared for the ED, told a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia that Kavitha appeared before the agency on previous occasions, including in March this year. He added therefore no protective order is required. Kavithas lawyer, Vikram Choudhury, objected to the submission citing similar protection the court has granted in the past to others including Nalini Chidambaram. In 2018, the court restrained the ED from summoning Nalini Chidambaram, a senior advocate and former Union minister P Chidambarams wife, in a ponzi scam case. Choudhury urged the bench to grant similar protection to Kavitha, arguing there is no reason why his client is treated differently. The senior counsel added Kavitha cannot be subjected to repeated summons. Choudhury noted Kavithas plea against the summons and for protection from arrest in the money laundering case arising out of the alleged scam remained pending. The bench asked Raju if the agency was willing to defer the summons on its own or if it would take a court order. Raju told the bench that ED will not press for Kavithas appearance before the agency for 10 days or until the court hears her petition. Kavitha, 44, approached the court in March, challenging the ED summons and demanding protection from any possible coercive measure. Her petition questioned whether a woman could be summoned to the ED office for questioning under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It referred to the pendency of similar pleas of Nalini Chidambaram and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on the applicability of Section 50. The ED has said that Section 50 of PMLA proceedings is an inquiry, governed under the procedure of the anti-money laundering law, and therefore, the requirement of the Criminal Procedure Code does not come in until a person is arrested. A detailed hearing of the matter is yet to take place. The ED, the federal anti-money laundering probe agency, is probing Kavithas alleged role in influencing the now-scrapped excise policy and alleged bribery, said officials. It alleged that Kavitha was in touch with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)s communication in-charge Vijay Nair, who met liquor businessmen and politicians at the time of policy formulation and implementation. The ED alleged that Pillai represented the South Group, an alleged liquor cartel linked to Kavitha and others, which paid kickbacks amounting to about 100 crore to the AAP to gain a larger share of the market in the national Capital under the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2020-21. Read here: Kavitha urges parties to support womens quota bill The South group, according to the ED, comprised Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Pharma), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (YSR Congress Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh), his son Raghav Magunta, Kavitha, and others. The agency has claimed a part of the 100 crore kickbacks generated from the policy was used in the AAP campaign in the 2022 Goa assembly election. The agency has pegged the loss due to irregularities in the case at 2,873 crore. Kavitha has rubbished the allegations against her. She has maintained that these tactics of intimidation against the fight of my father and chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and the BRS will not deter us. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The EG.5.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 can escape neutralising antibodies better than other currently circulating strains, giving it an advantage in infecting vaccinated or previously infected people, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. (Also read:New Covid variant Eris symptoms appear a week before positive test? Know all about this 'pre-Covid' phenomenon) EG.5.1 can escape immunity better than other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages, giving it an advantage in infecting individuals whose immune systems have produced neutraliSing antibodies after vaccination or infection, the researchers said.(Pixabay) However, the researchers found that the increase in the ability to escape antibodies is rather moderate and by no means sufficient to completely undermine our immunity that has been established through hybrid immunity. The team including researchers from the German Primate Center in Gottingen, Germany examined the characteristics of the Eris sublineage EG.5.1. They found that EG.5.1 is not more infectious than its predecessors, meaning it cannot infect host cells more effectively. However, EG.5.1 can escape immunity better than other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages, giving it an advantage in infecting individuals whose immune systems have produced neutraliSing antibodies after vaccination or infection, the researchers said. A part of our immune protection relies on neutralising antibodies that are produced by the cells of our immune system after vaccination or infection. These antibodies attach to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from entering into our cells. This mechanism is also referred to as neutralisation. Since May this year, EG.5, including its descendant EG.5.1, has been on the rise in many countries. The lineage, classified as a "Variant of Interest" by the World Health Organization (WHO), is also referred to as Eris. The study found evidence that an increased ability to escape from antibodies is the likely cause for the enhanced spread of Eris. "We found that, in comparison to other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages, EG.5.1 does not possess an advantage in infecting host cells," said Lu Zhang, the lead author of the study. "However, further investigations revealed that EG.5.1 is less effectively neutralised by antibodies present in the blood of vaccinated individuals or vaccinated and infected individuals," Zhang said. The experiments were conducted using viruses produced in the laboratory, known as pseudoviruses, for safety reason. "In summary, our results suggest that the spread of EG.5 and its sublineages primarily relies on antibody escape rather than an enhanced ability to infect host cells," said Markus Hoffmann, lead scientist in the study. "However, the increase in the ability to escape antibodies is rather moderate and by no means sufficient to completely undermine our immunity that has been established through vaccination or prior infection," Hoffmann added. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS/BTA.Nessebar remains on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Ministry of Culture told BTA. The decision was taken at the 45th extended session of UNESCO, taking place in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. Bulgaria was represented by Culture Minister Krastyu Krastev, his deputy Chavdar Georgiev and adviser Amelia Gesheva were present. The delegation, which presented the Bulgarian position on the Nessebar file on September 14, was led by Deputy Culture Minister Georgiev. Bulgaria participated as a member for the first time in 30 years, the Ministry said. The decision on Nessebar was adopted by full consensus, with 15 countries speaking in favour of changes proposed by Japan to back the maintaining of Nessebar's UNESCO status. "The countries that spoke congratulated Bulgaria for its long-standing efforts in the conservation of Nessebar, for developing the first such Nessebar Heritage Strategy, and for including the offshore area within the site's boundaries," the Ministry also said. "Our country has gained valuable time in which a plan for the conservation and management of the Ancient City of Nessebar will be developed, as well as other strategic documents that will ensure the preservation of the cultural, historical and archaeological heritage of the peninsula, the Culture Ministry said. During his visit to Riyadh, Minister Krastev met with Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Tawq, Saudi Deputy Minister of Culture for International Cultural Relations. A number of issues related to cultural cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the talks. During the session, Bulgaria also presented its submarine heritage, its preservation and research. The documentary highlighted the work and achievements of the Bulgarian Centre for Underwater Archaeology. (This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.) This weeks column will succumb to the temptation of beginning with a personal anecdote. When Jyoti Basu passed away in 2010, a condolence meeting was organised the same day at Jawaharlal Nehru University this author was a student of the university then by the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student organisation affiliated with the Basus Communist Party of India (Marxist). PREMIUM Can the Congress or the Opposition hope to win elections with bipartisan solidarity alone? (PTI) One of the speakers in the meeting recounted his personal experience to explain what made Jyoti Basu not just a politician but also a statesman. The speaker had gone to interview Basu for SFIs magazine in the 1990s. After the interview was done, Basu paused for a second and asked the young comrade to edit out his remarks which were critical of the prime minister, who was on a foreign trip at the time. We should not be criticising him when he is representing the country outside, Basu told him. This seemingly innocuous act from the leader of a communist party, which had sharp ideological differences with the ruling party and the Indian State, underlines the importance of maintaining bipartisanship on foreign policy issues despite domestic political differences in Indian politics. Cut forward to September 9, 2023, when the New Delhi G20 summit managed to achieve a consensus on a joint declaration. Analysts across the board agree that building a consensus on the declaration signifies an important diplomatic victory for India, at least in the realm of optics, which is not an insignificant game in the realm of diplomacy. My colleague Prashant Jha has explained the challenges and therefore the importance of achieving this consensus with great clarity. That day, however, the Congress partys official X (formerly Twitter) handle had what can only be described as a political meltdown. It reached its nadir when the Congresss handle posted a mocking video of the prime minister at around the same time the external affairs ministry put out the official text of the G20 declaration. The purpose of this column is not just to bemoan the trollification a word that should be added to the English dictionary soon of Indias primary opposition party. The behaviour is also symptomatic of the ideological disarming of the Opposition, which has given Narendra Modi and the BJP a walkover on its claims of preserving and strengthening Indias national interest. The current world order is increasingly moving from what commentators such as Francis Fukuyama termed as (US-dominated) end of history to one where advanced capitalist countries, and their undisputed leader, the US, are worried about an economic and possibly even a geopolitical conflict with China. The end of Chinas honeymoon with the West has made India an attractive ally for the Western block. India has fought a war with China, and continues to have a border dispute with it which has seen active hostilities in the last few years, and is trying to resist Chinas growing economic clout to preserve its own soft power in the Global South. Implications of India-US alliance To be sure, these developments are not exactly new and the Indian State has been inching closer towards a strategic alliance with the US for quite some time now. This bonhomie could have been disrupted when Russia, an old strategic ally of India, invaded Ukraine last year. Things such as Indias refusal to condemn Russia on the lines of Western countries and continuing to buy discounted crude oil from Russia generated a lot of critical commentary in the West. It is against this backdrop that the dilution (in terms of Russia not being named) of the Ukraine war issue in the G20 New Delhi declaration must be seen as a significant concession by the US-led block to let its newest strategic ally (India) have its place under the sun. To be sure, there is genuine scepticism, not just among analysts but even within US and Indian establishments, about what exactly the strategic relationship between India and the US will offer in tangible terms in case there is an actual geopolitical conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. There is also good reason to be sceptical vis-a-vis the amount of gains the Indian economy can make from its growing proximity with the US-based businesses. To put it in crude terms, one can always ask how many jobs would India create even if Apple were to start making all its iPhones in India. Having said this, a logical case can be made that a strategic embrace of the US to counter China is not the only geopolitical option for India. One can always argue that India should confront rather than cooperate with the US and the Global North on their contradictions vis-a-vis the Global South (they are far from insignificant) and this can be a tool for building rather than burning bridges with China. To be sure, Chinas financial relationships with a lot of countries in the Global South are increasingly becoming exploitative with opaque and predatory lending becoming its characteristic feature. Also, the wider Global South solidarity is no guarantee that China and Indias regional aspirations will not come into conflict. This debate need not detain us here, because the Indian National Congresss own historical track record has been more towards the pro-US position. The Indo-US nuclear deal, which was signed under the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, even at the cost of breaking ranks with the Left, was one of the defining moments in Indias strategic alliance with the US. So far, there is nothing to suggest that the Congresss larger foreign policy understanding is very different from the current governments line. In fact, the Congresss polemics have been critical of the government for not being aggressive enough vis-a-vis China on the latters incursions along the LAC. Seen in this perspective, one can only say that the Congresss shrill posturing in the midst of an important diplomatic event for India was aimed at just being shrill rather than making a substantive political-ideological critique. There is no point in predicting future electoral outcomes, but the Congresss previous experience with shrill rhetoric against the BJP and especially Narendra Modi has not been very good. In fact, one can say that such personal attacks against Modi have helped the BJP to counter polarising opinions against the Opposition. Where the Congresss shrill rhetoric during G20 is particularly damaging for the party is that it allows the BJP to usurp a long-term ideological realignment project in the realm of geopolitics which has seen as much if not more contribution by the Congress. It is almost a given that the BJP will leave no stone unturned to exploit the G20s success to improve its political fortunes in the upcoming elections. One can expect to see the beginning of this exercise during next weeks special session of the parliament. To be sure, one could always turn back and ask whether the Congress adopting a sober attitude would have helped the party given the BJPs sectarian political narrative which claims that all things good with India have been achieved under the Modi government and the period till 2014 was an abject failure. It is on this count that the Congresss propaganda and tactical department seems to have fallen for the BJPs trick. While the BJPs narrative of India becoming immensely powerful under the Modi government does have some domestic traction if the results of a recently released Pew Survey are to be believed, a shrill rather than sober counter to such propaganda actually helps the BJPs cause rather than the Congress. The biggest reason for this is that the prime ministers personal popularity and therefore his ability to put out and establish a narrative is much bigger than that of any other Opposition leader. A bipartisan solidarity, at least, among those who follow such debates carefully, would have made the BJP look petty for its sectarianism. Can the Congress or the Opposition hope to win elections with such bipartisan solidarity alone? Of course not. But they must realise that these claims are not the only thing which has won the BJP two consecutive parliamentary victories. A Hindu consolidation and the image of a wide and well-functioning welfare net, not necessarily in the same order, are the two key pillars of the BJPs current political dominance in India. The opposition has no other option but to keep working on challenging the BJP on these two fronts if it wants to win. This will require ideological commitment, organisational perseverance and tactical clarity rather than just shrill rhetoric in social media echo chambers. A note from history Winston Churchill was immensely popular for having successfully led the war effort during the Second World War in Britain. Yet he lost the elections to a significantly less charismatic Clement Attlee, his Labour Party deputy in the wartime cabinet in 1945 within weeks of the end of the wartime coalition government. Historical scholarship suggests that Labours 1945 victory was a result of organisational gains and a growing political consensus for a left-leaning realignment of economic policies in post-war Britain while being respectful rather than shrill about Churchills war-time effort. When I listened to the Prime Ministers (Churchill) speech . . . I realised at once what was his object. He wanted the electors to understand how great was the difference between Winston Churchill the great leader in war and Mr Churchill the Party leader of the Conservatives... I thank him for having disillusioned them so thoroughly, Atlee said while responding to Churchills first of four radio broadcasts before the elections according to Geoffrey G. Fields book Blood, Sweat, and Toil: Remaking the British Working Class, 1939-1945. India is not fighting a World War and Narendra Modi is not Winston Churchill running a wartime cabinet, but the Opposition, especially the Congress, would do well to keep underlining the contradiction between Narendra Modis foreign policy prowess (at least going by the Congresss larger ideological framework) and his domestic economic and social fault lines, rather than appear as a bunch of social media trolls. The latter is the worst thing which can happen to a political party which has been the biggest contributor to Indias national movement and nation-building project. Every Friday, HTs data and political economy editor, Roshan Kishore, combines his commitment to data and passion for qualitative analysis in a column for HT Premium, Terms of Trade. With a focus on one big number and one big issue, he will go behind the headlines to ask a question and address political economy issues and social puzzles facing contemporary India. The views expressed are personal In today's fast-paced world, where time is of the essence and convenience is highly valued, household chores can often feel daunting. One chore that has long been synonymous with hours of scrubbing and cleaning is washing dishes. However, in this modern age, technology has come to the rescue in the form of dishwashers - a true game-changer in the realm of kitchen convenience. Say goodbye to the laborious routine of scrubbing and ushering in a new era of efficiency and cleanliness with the marvel of the best dishwasher 2023 technology. In this exploration, we delve into the incredible convenience that the best dishwasher brands bring to our lives, making daily chores a breeze and giving us precious moments to savour with loved ones. Join us as we uncover the many benefits and advantages these machines offer, transforming how we approach dish cleaning and granting us more time to enjoy the things that truly matter. Dishwashers are more user-friendly in terms of saving both time and effort. 1. Bosch 13 Place Settings Dishwasher The Bosch Dishwasher in Silver Inox presents a remarkable solution to streamline your kitchen routine. With a spacious capacity of 13 place settings, this dishwasher combines style and functionality to enhance your culinary space. Its sleek Silver Inox finish seamlessly integrates into any kitchen decor, adding a touch of modern elegance. The thoughtful design of the e15 Bosch dishwasher extends to its flexible interior layout. The VarioSpeed option further accelerates the washing process, providing sparkling clean dishes in a fraction of the usual time. Operating at a low noise level ensures a peaceful ambience in your kitchen and home. Specifications: Brand: Bosch Installation Type: Free Standing Dimension: 23.6d X 23.6w X 33.3h Centimeters Capacity: 13 Place Settings Control Console: Fully Electronic Special Features: Dosage Assist, Half Load Option, Save Water, Extra Dry and Hygienic Wash, Glass Care System EcoSilence Drive, Dosage Assist, Half Load Option, Save Water, Extra Dry and Hygienic Wash, Glass Care System. Pros Cons Eco Silence Drive The lower tray could have been designed better. Water Softening Device B07JW58P2C 2. Amazon Basics 6 Place Setting Dishwasher The Amazon Basics dishwasher filters take the challenge out of dealing with tough Indian masala and oil stains. Engineered to tackle the toughest challenges, including stubborn Indian masala and oil stains, this dishwasher is your partner in maintaining spotless dishes without the hassle. With a compact size and a generous capacity of 6 place settings, this dishwasher effortlessly fits into various kitchen layouts, making it an ideal choice for small households and apartments. Its sleek silver design adds a touch of modernity to your space. Its specialized cleaning cycles and high-pressure jets ensure your dishes emerge sparkling clean, free from even the most stubborn residues. Say goodbye to hand washing and scrubbing and welcome a new era of convenience. Specifications: Brand: Amazon basics Water Consumption: 6.5 L per cycle Energy Consumption: 0.61 Kilowatt Hours Colour: Silver Control Type: Push Buttons Material: Stainless Steel 6 Wash Programs: Intensive Special features: Delay Timer for scheduling washes as convenient; high on energy and water savings. Pros Cons Suitable for all Not suitable for heavy solids 6 Place Setting B08J8F436R 3. Voltas Beko 8 Place Settings Table Top Dishwasher Crafted to perfection, the silver design of the Voltas Beko DT8S adds a touch of elegance to your kitchen countertop. But it's not just about aesthetics - this dishwasher boasts an inbuilt heater, ensuring your dishes are impeccably clean and sanitized, free from harmful germs and bacteria. Say goodbye to the monotony of handwashing as the Voltas Beko dishwasher not draining takes centre stage. From delicate glassware to greasy pans, its adaptable cleaning cycles cater to a wide range of load types, leaving no room for residues. Whether you're a busy professional, a small family, or anyone who values their time, this dishwasher cleaning offers a hassle-free solution. Specifications: Brand: Voltas Beko Installation Type: Free Standing Capacity: 8 Place Settings Special Feature: Touch Panel, Compact. Pros Cons Compact Size No Faucet Tap to Inlet Pipe Adapter Suitable for Heavily Soiled Crockery B07NF7NHSN 4. Kaff DW VETRA 60 With the capacity to accommodate 12 standard place settings, this dishwasher is a powerhouse designed to streamline your daily routine. Bid farewell to the time-consuming dishwashing chore as the Kaff 60 takes centre stage. Its advanced cleaning technology ensures that even the most stubborn residues are effortlessly removed. From delicate glassware to heavily soiled pots and pans, this cheap dishwasher handles it all with precision. With an array of wash programs and user-friendly controls, the Kaff 60 adapts to your specific needs. Whether you are looking for a quick wash or a thorough clean, you can tailor the cycle to suit your load. The spacious interior layout accommodates various dish sizes and types, providing flexibility and ease of use. Make your kitchen a hub of efficiency, cleanliness, and style as you say hello to a new era of hassle-free dish cleaning. Specifications: Brand: Kaff Installation Type: Free Standing Capacity: 12 liters Special Features: Best Dishwasher to buy, Dishwasher for Indian Kitchen, 12-place setting Functions: Half Load, Delay Function Child Lock, Memory Function, Warning Indicator, Free Installation. Pros Cons SS Finish Door Panel and Interior Product Service can be better. Salt Container with Water Softener B084ZGYLTH 5. Moda Germany The Moda Germany offers a generous capacity, accommodating multiple place settings for your convenience. Its fully integrated built-in design seamlessly merges with your kitchen cabinetry, creating a streamlined and sophisticated look. Power through the toughest stains with the Power 3D Wash feature, a testament to the dishwasher's exceptional cleaning prowess. The digital display and intuitive controls provide effortless command over the dishwasher's functions, allowing you to customize each cycle to suit your load. The dishwasher's 3-stage filtration system effectively removes debris and particles, maintaining optimal cleaning performance over time. The water softener prevents the buildup of mineral deposits, safeguarding your dishes and the dishwasher. Stay on top of maintenance with the salt indicator, which alerts you when to replenish the water softener salt. Specification: Brand: MODA GERMANY Installation Type: Under Counter Capacity: 14 Kilograms Special Feature: Digital Display, Lower rack and adjustable upper rack, Easy Controls, Delay Function (allow the user to set a time), Three Stage Filtration System. Pros Cons 4 Place Setting Built-In Dishwasher Noise needs to improve. 11 Functions with Digital Display Panel B08YJ85NF5 6. Carysil 14 Place Setting Fully Built-in Dishwasher Designed to integrate into your kitchen cabinetry seamlessly, the Carysil dishwasher offers a fully built-in design that combines functionality with aesthetics. Say goodbye to the clutter of dishes and hello to a sleek and organized space. With its spacious interior, this dishwasher can accommodate a diverse range of dish sizes and types, making it an excellent choice for daily and larger gatherings. The 14-place setting capacity ensures you can clean more dishes in a single cycle, saving time and effort. Equipped with advanced cleaning technology, the Carysil dishwasher delivers outstanding results. From delicate glassware to tough, baked-on stains, its powerful cleaning cycles leave your dishes sparkling clean and hygienic. The dishwasher's user-friendly controls and display make selecting the appropriate wash program a breeze. Whether you need a quick rinse or an intensive clean, the Carysil dishwasher offers customisable options to suit your load. Specifications: Brand: Carysil Special Feature: Self-Cleaning Filter, Adjustable Rack Colour: White Controls Type: Touch Material: steel 3 Basket Levels, 7 Washing Programs & 5 Cleaning Temperatures. Pros Cons Fully Built-in Slightly Expensive Lower Rack and Adjustable Upper Rack B00QC10Y4I 7. LG 14 Place Settings Wi-Fi Dishwasher Designed in a sleek silver finish, the LG adds sophistication to your kitchen while maintaining a low profile with its silent operation. You can enjoy a tranquil environment while the dishwasher efficiently handles the task. Experience the magic of tricky stain removal as the LG dishwasher employs advanced cleaning technology to tackle even the most stubborn residues effortlessly. No more pre-washing or soaking -load your dishes, select the appropriate cycle, and let the dishwasher work magic. The adjustable racks provide versatility, accommodating various dish sizes and types. Whether you're washing delicate glassware or large pots and pans, the dishwasher easily adapts to your needs. Specifications: Installation Type: Free Standing Capacity: 14 Place Settings Special Features: Multi-directional rotation, Foldable tines, Easy height adjustment, Smooth Operation, Turbo cycle, Dual zone wash 9 Wash programs: True Steam, Quad Wash, Dual Wash, Quiet, Turbo, Auto, Eco, Gentle, Quick Half load, Machine Clean Reminder, Smart Diagnosis, Personalized settings, Minimalist Exterior Design, Elegant interior design. Pros Cons Steam Wash Usage Needs to be Simple. Four Washing Arms B07Q2PFV8D 8. IFB 16 Place Settings Hot water wash Free Standing Dishwasher Crafted with a sleek silver exterior and sturdy Stainless-Steel interior, the IFB brings a touch of modern elegance to your kitchen while ensuring durability and longevity. Say goodbye to stubborn residues as the dishwasher's advanced technology easily tackles tough stains. Get your dishes cleaned and ready for use in a fraction of the usual cycle duration without compromising results. The IFB dishwasher's spacious interior with adjustable racks accommodates dishes of various sizes and shapes, providing flexibility and convenience. Load up delicate glassware, pots, pans, and more, and let the dishwasher take care of the rest. Whether hosting a gathering or simply keeping up with daily demands, this dishwasher promises impeccable cleaning performance, time-saving solutions, and a sleek aesthetic that seamlessly integrates into your home. Specifications: Brand: IFB Installation Type: Free Standing Capacity: 16 Place Settings Colour: Inox Grey Key Features: Hot Water Wash, Adjustable Basket, Smart Sensor, Turbodry, Built-In Water Softener. Pros Cons Half Load function Installation could be hard. Standard Dishwashers B09GJQLKML 9. Faber 12 Place Settings Dishwasher With a capacity to hold 12 place settings, this dishwasher offers a seamless blend of convenience and functionality. The Faber dishwasher has a striking Neo-Black design and adds contemporary elegance to your kitchen. Specifically engineered with the Indian kitchen in mind, it's well-equipped to handle the challenges of Indian cuisine, ensuring thorough cleaning and stain removal. The Faber 12S Dishwasher's advanced technology ensures your dishes are clean and sanitized, providing you and your family peace of mind. The dishwasher's spacious interior is designed to accommodate dishes of various sizes, making it suitable for multiple culinary needs. Load up your delicate glassware, heavy pots, and everything in between, and let the dishwasher handle the rest. Simplify your daily routine with the Faber 12S Dishwasher. Specifications: Installation Type: Free Standing Capacity: 12 liters Special Features: Portable Dishwasher; 12 Place settings; Color: Neo Black 6 wash programs. Water consumption: 10-17 L depending upon the programs; energy consumption: 1-1.6 kW/hr. Pros Cons Removable Rack Performance Could be Better Salt and Rinse Aid Indicators B08HW2LQXP 10. Crompton Voila 13 Place Setting with 3rd Rack Freestanding Dishwasher Featuring a sleek silver Inox body, the Crompton Voila Dishwasher enhances your kitchen's aesthetics and provides a durable and elegant finish. Including a 3rd rack adds versatility and space, allowing you to optimize your load configuration. Powered by an Inverter Motor, this dishwasher operates with exceptional efficiency and minimal noise. The Stainless-Steel Inner tube adds durability and hygiene to the equation, providing a reliable and lasting solution. Crompton goes the extra mile by offering free installation, making your transition to a hassle-free dishwashing experience even smoother. Whether hosting a gathering or managing daily meals, this dishwasher takes the load off your hands, leaving you more time to enjoy the things you love. Specifications: Brand: CROMPTON Installation Type: Free Standing Capacity: 13 Place Settings Special Features: Adjustable Rack DualPro Wash technology Pros Cons Extra Fast and Extra Dry Dishwasher powder could be better. Perfect Silent function B0B65S2NV9 Top 3 features for you Product Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3 Bosch 13 Spacious Capacity Multiple Wash Programs Good Style and Functionality Amazon Basics Efficiency And Sophistication Top-Notch Cleaning Stubborn Residues Voltas Beko Compact Dishwashing Elegance Adaptable Size Kaff DW VETRA User-Friendly Powerful Washing Modern Dishwashing Moda Germany Embrace Efficiency Elegance 3D Wash Feature Carysil Fully Built-In Design Time And Effort Saving Glassware To Tough LG Cutting-Edge Technology Adjustable Racks Versatility IFB Stylish Design Inbuilt Heater Advanced Technology Faber Sanitised Cleaning Hygiene Wash Feature Culinary Needs Crompton Voila Flex Basket & Flexi Racks Sleek Silver Inox Body Inverter Motor Best overall product The LG 14 Place Settings Wi-Fi Dishwasher is a standout choice as the best overall product for numerous reasons. With a generous capacity of 14 place settings, this dishwasher is suitable for small families and larger gatherings. The adjustable racks allow you to customize the interior to accommodate various dish sizes and types, providing flexibility and convenience. The Wi-Fi feature sets this dishwasher apart by enabling remote monitoring and control via your smartphone. The silent operation of the LG ensures that your kitchen remains peaceful even while the dishwasher is running. This is especially important in open-concept living spaces. The Silver finish adds elegance to your kitchen, seamlessly integrating with various kitchen decors. Considering its combination of features, including Wi-Fi connectivity, efficient cleaning performance, adjustable racks, and elegant design, the LG 14 Place Settings Wi-Fi Dishwasher emerges as a strong contender for the best overall dishwasher. Best value for money The Bosch 13 Place Settings Dishwasher in Silver Inox is often considered a great value-for-money option due to its reputable Bosch dishwasher brand. Bosch is well-known for producing high-quality appliances with reliable performance and innovative features. This dishwasher offers multiple wash programs to cater to different load types and cleaning needs. This versatility ensures that you can adapt the cycle to suit various dishes and levels of soiling. The adjustable racks accommodate dishes of different sizes and shapes, enhancing the dishwasher's versatility. The Silver Inox finish adds a touch of elegance to your kitchen and complements various decor styles. Considering these factors, the Bosch 13 Place Settings Dishwasher offers a combination of brand reliability, efficient cleaning performance, user-friendly features, and an elegant design - all at a price point often seen as providing excellent value for money. How to find the best Dishwasher for Convenience? Finding the best dishwasher for your needs involves considering several factors to ensure it aligns with your preferences, lifestyle, and budget. Set a budget range for your dishwasher purchase. Consider the initial cost and potential long-term savings regarding water and energy efficiency. Choose a capacity that suits your household's needs. Look for a variety of wash cycles to handle different types of dishes. Consider if the silent operation is essential to you, especially if you have an open-concept kitchen. Helpful for accommodating larger items. Some models offer different drying methods, such as heated or air drying-and Wi-Fi connectivity for remote control and monitoring. Measure the space where you intend to place the dishwasher to ensure a proper fit. Consider installation requirements - some models might need professional installation. Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A dramatic rescue video of a bullock from a sinkhole has gone viral on social media. The cattle's rescue shows it being tied from its hind legs and being lifted out of the hole. The incident occurred at Witton Castle Country Park in Bishop Auckland, where the sinkhole had formed. Snapshot of the farmer rescuing the bullock. "Witton Castle comes to the rescue with a local farmer! The Bullock fell into some sort of sinkhole which nobody knew about but is now absolutely fine in the field with his pals," wrote Witton Castle Country Park on Facebook. They also shared a video of the rescue. (Also Read: Biker stops in rain to rescue cow stuck in mud) The clip shows a sinkhole in which the bullock is trapped. The farmers tied the animal's legs to a rope and pulled it out with the help of a tractor. As they carefully take out the bullock, farmers lay it down on the ground and cut the rope to free it. Watch the video of the dramatic bullock rescue here: This post was shared on September 7. Since being posted, it has been viewed close to three million times. The share also has several likes and comments. Here's what people are saying about this video: An individual wrote, "WOW. Great job, I'm surprised that the rope didn't hurt the cow." A second said, "That was an awesome job." "Well done great job," expressed a third. A fourth commented, "Amazing. Great job boys! Teamwork." A fifth posted, "Brilliant job. So pleased, good outcome." Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Elon Musk recently posted a throwback photo of his ex, Amber Heard, related to a detail from his biography. He shared a photo of Amber dressed in cosplay.In the book, Elon Musk, author Walter Isaacson revealed that Elon asked his then-girlfriend Amber to cosplay as Mercy for him. The book talks about Elons love for video games, and hislove for Overwatch character Mercy in particular. In the book, Walter revealed that Amber once spenttwo months designing and commissioning a head-to-toe costume so she could role-play after Elon told her she reminded him of Mercy. Lucie Pohl (L), the voice behind the Swiss medic of Overwatch, has responded to Elon Musk's (R) post (ulovelucie/Instagram, AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Lucie Pohl, the voice behind the Swiss medic of Overwatch, has now responded to Elons post on X. As the real #Mercy I can see the manufacturing defects in this cosplay like its a Tesla @elonmusk, Lucy wrote, resharing Elons post. Lucie also flaunted herown Mercy costume on X, but not the regular one. It was thespooky season Witch skin. I am often a fool, but especially for love In the biography, Elons brother Kimbal Musk said Amber is"toxic" and "a nightmare. He added that his brother tends to fall in love with people who are "beautiful, no question, but they have a very dark side." "Because I'm just a fool for love," Elon told his biographer. "I am often a fool, but especially for love." After Elon and Amber split in 2017, the billionaire mogul recalled going through "18 months of unrelenting insanity" that was "mind-bogglingly painful." However, the pair is still on good terms. "I love him very much," Amber said in the biography. "Elon loves fire, and sometimes it burns him." Elon has also spoken kindly of Amber in the past. "Although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close and love one another," he shared on Instagram August 2017. "Long distance relationships when both partners have intense work obligations are always difficult, but who knows what the future holds." Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! PM Rishi Sunak took to X to share a video about banning American XL bully dogs in the UK. In his video, the prime minister said that this breed of dogs are dangerous. He also added that the government will ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year. It didn't take long for netizens to react to his video, many of whom expressed their unhappiness at this announcement. UK PM Rishi Sunak took to X to share a video to share his plans about banning American XL bully dogs. (X/@RishiSunak) Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe, Rishi Sunak wrote while sharing the video on X. In the video he talks about banning the breed in light of the recent attacks in the community. It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, its a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on, he also added. Take a look at this video of the UK PM talking about the ban: Since being shared a few hours ago, the video has gone viral with over 1.2 million views. While some condemned the PM's decision, others spoke in favour of the breed. Many argued that the problem lies with the owners and not the breed. Heres how X users reacted: Presently, four dog breeds are banned in the UP, reports the BBC. Theyre Japanese Tosas, Fila Brasileiros, Dogo Argentinos, and pit bull terriers. Anyone found owning a banned dog breed can be given a prison sentence of up to six months besides unlimited fine. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Disney is exploring the possibility of selling its ABC network, which includes a national TV network and eight local stations, to Nexstar Media, a local TV station owner with a market value of $5.25 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. FILE PHOTO: Disney wants to focus on streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo(REUTERS) The talks are still in the early stages and no deal is imminent according to the New York Post. Disney is also in contact with other potential buyers, as well as investment banks and private equity firms, to gauge the interest and value of its ABC assets. The media mogul, whose stock has been trading at its lowest level since 2014, has indicated that it wants to exit the traditional TV business and focus on its streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. In July, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the company could divest some of its legacy TV assets that have been losing viewers and advertisers to online platforms. However, Iger later backtracked on his remarks and reassured the senior executives of Disneys TV group that he valued their business and ABC News, The New York Post reported. Disney considers selling ABC Network to Nexstar media(Christopher Sadowski) The media giant is now reviewing its portfolio and considering whether it could bundle some of its other TV channels with ABC to make it more attractive to potential buyers. For instance, ABC could be packaged with the Disney Network and FX, which would increase the sale price and offer more diversity for buyers who are looking for TV properties. ABC is one of the oldest and largest TV networks in the US, with shows like Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelorette. It also has affiliation agreements with about 240 local TV stations reaching almost all US television households. Disney acquired ABC in 1995 for $19 billion from Capital Cities/ABC. Nexstar is the largest owner of local TV stations in the US, with 200 owned or partner stations in 116 markets reaching over two-thirds of the US population. It also operates national TV networks such as CW and NewsNation. A deal with Disney would expand its reach and content portfolio. ALSO READ| Hes an idiot, Mitt Romney reveals Mitch McConnells private criticism of Donald Trump in new biography However, a deal would also face some regulatory challenges for Disney, the sources said. The Federal Communications Commission has strict rules on media ownership and market concentration. For example, it recently blocked a deal between Standard General and Tegna, two media companies, due to antitrust concerns. The last thing Iger needs is a deal that gets blocked, one insider stated. The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, an Indian student who was killed by a police cruiser being driven by a Seattle cop, has released a statement days after body camera footage revealed insensitive comments made by a Seattle PD union leader after her death. Seattle Police Department union leader Daniel Auderer was heard laughing and saying Jaahnavis life had limited value and the city should just write a check. Jaahnavi Kandula was killed on January 23 by a speeding car being driven by a cop (GoFundMe) "It is truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments on the bodycam video from an SPD officer regarding Jaahnavi's death. Jaahnavi is a beloved daughter and beyond any dollar value for her mother and family. We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and should not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss, Jaahnavis family said in a statement, according to NDTV. Jaahnavis 69-year-old grandfather said that the family has been left "deeply distressed" by the video. He added that the incident added to the trauma and depression her mother has been going through. "This makes it worse. How can anyone speak like that after a tragic accident?" he said. "Why wasn't this information revealed earlier? We have lost our child... but this is beyond shocking... and how can they say the car was not over-speeding?" he continued, adding that the family is "not in a state to even react to this (the bodycam footage). Of Jaahnavis mother, the grandfather said, My daughter brought Jaahnavi up with great difficulty! She is not stepping out of the house...unable to come to terms with her eldest daughter's loss. People have been calling us non-stop. "... not just media, but people who mean well. But my daughter is just not able to come to terms and is crying and has stopped eating since yesterday, It is as though all the pain has come alive once again, he added. What did the body camera footage reveal? Jaahnavi, 23, was hit at the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street within moments of the car reaching the top speed on January 23, according to Fox13 Seattle. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries. Behind the wheel of the vehicle that caused the tragedy was Seattle officer Kevin Dave. Daniel Auderer, a drug recognition expert, was asked to examine whether Kevin was impaired, according to The Seattle Times. Daniel later called guild President Mike Solan to report what happened, following which he made the remarks. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway, Daniel can be heard saying in a recently-released body camera footage, stating Jaahnavi's age inaccurately. She had limited value. Mikes remarks were not captured in the recording. Jason Rantz, a talk radio host on KTTH-AM, later said that he had obtained a written statement that Daniel provided to the citys Office of Police Accountability. Daniel reportedly said in the statement that his remarks were intended to mimic how the citys attorneys might react to the death. Jaahnavi arrived in Seattle from Bengaluru, India, in 2021 to receive a masters degree, and was pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems at the College of Engineering. She was set to graduate this December. Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, enjoyed a free slice of cheese pizza at a party celebrating the opening of two new restaurants near his home in Malibu, California on Wednesday night. He was accompanied by his wife Melissa Cohen and son Beau, and waited in line for about half an hour to get his pizza. (FILES) US President Joe Biden's son Hunter was indicted on September 14, 2023, for illegally buying a gun five years ago at a time when he admitted he was using drugs heavily. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP)(AFP) However, the first sons appetite for pizza was soon overshadowed by his appetite for trouble, as federal prosecutors in Delaware announced his indictment on charges related to lying about his crack cocaine addiction when he bought a gun in 2018. Hunter, 53, who has admitted to struggling with drug abuse in his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things, is accused by special counsel David Weiss of making false statements on a gun purchase form and to a federal firearms licensed dealer when he acquired a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018. He also faces a charge of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. ALSO READ| Disney explores selling ABC Network to Nexstar media for $5.25B The gun was thrown away in a trash can behind a food store on Oct. 23, 2018, by Hallie Biden, who was married to Hunters brother, Beau, until he died in 2015 and then had a relationship with Hunter. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and Hunter could also be prosecuted in DC and Los Angeles for tax fraud and illegal foreign lobbying, among other possible offenses. On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) formally requested three congressional committees to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, citing Hunter and other family members activities. What are the charges against Hunter Biden? Hunters Charges COUNT 1: False Statement in Purchase of a Firearm He could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison; fined $250,000; supervised for 3 years; and pay a special assessment of $100. COUNT 2: False Statement Related to Information Required to be Kept by Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer He could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison; fined $250,000; supervised for 3 years; and pay a special assessment of $100. COUNT 3: Possession of a Firearm by a Person who is an Unlawful User of or Addicted to a Controlled Substance He could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison; fined $250,000; supervised for 3 years; and pay a special assessment of $100. The White House has strongly denied any wrongdoing on Bidens part and called the GOP investigations baseless.. On Tuesday, out of control brawls broke out in Zephyrhills High School where the high school corridors turned into fight club grounds as students shoved and wrestled each other, leading to the arrest of 13 of them. A page on X (formerly X) posted a video of the brawl, captioning 'Another Day Another Brawl." Many now-viral videos on social media show the sight from different angles, where classmates can be seen encouraging brawlers with let's get to class, among other things. The safety officers and teachers tried to break out the fights which included 14 students. A video allegedly shows school principal Christina Stanley being thrown to the ground as she helped separate two students with the help of a school staffer. The footage from the videos is horrifying as one scene shows a couple of female students throwing punches at a fellow student who is on the ground. A page on X (formerly X) posted a video of the brawl, captioning 'Another Day Another Brawl." According to Fox13, the Pasco County School District issued a statement saying, The sheer number of students involved and the intensity of the situation made intervention challenging, as students continued to engage in the altercation despite efforts to de-escalate, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning made a statement saying, Let me be perfectly clear: behavior of this nature will not be tolerated in Pasco County Schools. Every student has the right to a safe and conducive learning environment, and we will take every necessary measure to ensure that this remains the case. The school was briefly put under a controlled campus, out of an abundance of caution. Apparently, the high school has had a history of violent incidents. Danielle Marie, who transferred her son to another school because of the regularity of such incidents at Zephyrhills stated, Staff got hurt, children got hurt, and it was completely out of control and they could not control it. And that is a very scary thing, I just decided that he was not going to attend that school anymore because it had gotten too out of control, she added. Earlier in 2017, a 14-year-old student from the school was arrested when he threatened to bring a machete to the school and kill two students. Later, he claimed the statement to be a joke, he was taken to a juvenile facility. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Today, the official launch event of Impact Hub (candidate) Gyumri and the Creative Centre (CRELAB) in Shirak region was held. Impact Hub (candidate) Gyumri and the CRELAB have been established as part of an initiative by the Impact Hub Armenia Social Innovation Development Foundation, within the framework of the "Labs for Change: Empowering Women for Social Innovation & Creativity in Regions project. This project is a collaborative effort involving Impact Hub, Fashion and Design Chamber of Armenia (FDC) and the Dilijan-based craft platform Made-vel-e, funded with UK aid from the British People. The launch of Impact Hub Candidate Gyumri signifies a remarkable achievement for Impact Hub Armenia. As a part of the globally recognised Impact Hub network, the organisation has been at the forefront of driving entrepreneurial growth and fostering a dynamic ecosystem for startups, creators, and changemakers. The expansion to Gyumri underscores the commitment to not only enriching the local entrepreneurial landscape but also fostering connections that transcend geographical boundaries. The CRELAB in Shirak focuses on a specific niche, digital production and related fields. This initiative is geared towards nurturing a creative entrepreneurial ecosystem and promoting women's empowerment within the Shirak region. The centre's primary objective is to equip women and young individuals with valuable professional and entrepreneurial skills. Through participation in the initiatives of the centre, women and young people will have the opportunity to develop marketable products, opening doors to fresh employment prospects and expanding market access for individuals. At the opening event, John Gallagher, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia, delivered a welcoming speech, stating:Supporting women to access economic opportunities is not just a matter of gender equality. It is a catalyst for social progress, economic growth and sustainable development. Promoting and protecting womens rights remains a priority for the UK government both within the UK and across the world. Im pleased that the UKs Good Governance Fund supports the establishment of three Creative Labs in the Tavush, Shirak and Kotayk regions. These facilities will provide support tailored to the needs of the local communities and create an environment where women are encouraged and empowered to realise their full potential Gevorg Poghosyan, the Executive Director of "Impact Hub Armenia" Social Innovation Development Fund, also delivered a welcome speech during which he emphasized: "Gyumri's startup scene has always piqued our interest, and we're excited that Impact Hub will soon be operating here. Additionally, Shirak Marz boasts a wealth of creative minds, and through our CRELAB initiative, we aim to revitalize and empower this creative community." Welcome addresses were also delivered by Ruben Sargsyan from Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs; and Vardges Samsonyan the Mayor of Gyumri. Furthermore, parallel workshops were arranged as a part of the event, during which the guests had an opportunity to test their skills in the digital world. President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France's envoy to Niger is living like a hostage in the French embassy and accused military rulers of blocking food deliveries to the mission. French president Emmanuel Macron (AP) The ambassador is living off "military rations", Macron told reporters in the French town of Semur-en-Auxois. "As we speak, we have an ambassador and diplomatic staff who are literally being held hostage in the French embassy," he said. "They are preventing food deliveries," he said, in an apparent reference to Niger's new military rulers. "He is eating military rations." Niger's military leaders told French ambassador Sylvain Itte he had to leave the country after they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. But a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognise the military regime as legitimate. The coup has been condemned by France and most of Niger's neighbours. Macron said the envoy "cannot go out, he is persona non grata and he is being refused food". Asked whether France would consider bringing him home, Macron said: "I will do whatever we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day." Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna later said the ambassador "is working" and would stay at his post for as long as Paris wished. "He is very useful for us with his contacts and those of his team," Colonna told LCI television, adding the ambassador still had a small team with him. France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger, and said earlier this month that any redeployment could only be negotiated with Bazoum. The country's new leaders have torn up military cooperation agreements with France and asked the troops to leave quickly. Macron has for weeks rejected the call to remove the French ambassador, a stance backed by the EU which has described the demand as "a provocation". Like France, the EU "does not recognise" the authorities that seized power in Niger, said EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali last month. The impoverished Sahel region south of the Sahara has suffered what Macron has called an "epidemic" of coups in recent years, with military regimes replacing elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea as well as Niger. A 35-year-old Indian origin officer with Singapores Ministry of Manpower was jailed for five weeks on Thursday for having asked an ex-colleague from DBS Bank to access the salary information of his colleagues, according to a media report. The accused is an officer with Singapores Ministry of Manpower. (Representative Image) Dinath Silvamany Muthaliyar, a Singapore citizen, who asked his former colleague Liong Yan Sin at DBS bank to access the profiles in the database containing information about customers, pleaded guilty to four counts under the Computer Misuse Act, Channel News Asia reported. Liong had access to the details due to his job as a collections officer, where he attended to queries by bank customers, and spoke to them about outstanding payments and payment plans. However, Liong was not supposed to disclose or access information outside of the parameters of his duties. Dinath, too, was a collections officer before joining the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), where he was a levy administration manager. In June 2018, Dinath asked Liong to help him find out the salary details of colleagues at MOM so that he could compare them with his own. "The accused wanted to find out his colleagues' salaries to ascertain his standing in respect of his salary and the difference between his salary and his colleagues' salaries," the prosecution said. Liong agreed and accessed the DBS database to conduct searches between June 2018 and November 2018. He then disclosed the information to Dinath via WhatsApp. Across all the charges, at least seven colleagues were affected. The prosecution sought six to seven weeks in jail for Dinath, stating that the culpability of the accused was lower than Liong, as the latter had been in a position of trust when he committed the offence. Dinath pleaded guilty to four counts under the Computer Misuse Act for abetting Liong to conduct the unauthorised searches and four counts under the Banking Act for abetting Liong to disclose information that he was not authorised to. Another 14 charges of a similar nature were considered for his sentencing, the report said. The court heard that both Liong and Dinath had been aware of the rules prohibiting collections officers from disclosing customer information to third parties in an unauthorised manner and that they were not allowed to access customer information outside of their job scope. Liong had earlier pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail. Another man, Ang Kok How, who had also asked Liong to illegally obtain an acquaintance's address, was sentenced to two weeks in jail. Following the tragic death of Jaahnavi Kandula, the 23-year-old Indian student, Northeastern University in Washington made the decision to grant her a posthumous degree. This announcement was made on Thursday. Protesters march through downtown Seattle after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula.(AP) Kandula, a graduate student, lost her life in January when she was struck by a police car travelling at an excessive speed of 74 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone while she was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing. In the days following this tragedy, our Seattle campus community joined together in a vigil of remembrance and solidarityHer loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and facultyThe university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family, chancellor Kenneth W. Henderson said, via a Facebook post from the university's official handle. Kandula was working toward graduating in December with a masters degree in information systems. The incident gained traction again after the bodycam footage of a police officer surfaced, in which another officer was seen making insensitive comments about the student's death. Kandula was killed when police officer Kevin Dave was over speeding while on the way to a report of an overdose, the Seattle Times newspaper reported on Monday. In the video, Daniel Auderer, the officer who responded to the crash scene and is captured on body camera while dismissing the fatal collision, can be heard saying, Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value. The incident has sparked massive outrage and allegations of brutality. People took to social media to express their concerns about the culture within the police department and demanded accountability and justice for the young student. US lawmakers and Indian-Americans have expressed outrage over the death of Kandula while the Joe Biden administration responded by assuring the Indian government of a swift and thorough investigation into the incident. The Seattle Office of Police Accountability said that it has opened an investigation into the incident and they need to complete it before January 29. Kandula hailed from Andhra Pradesh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Joe Biden on Thursday, September 14, said that he used to teach political theory at the University of Pennsylvania but he never really did. Our democracy is under attack, and we got to fight for it, 80-year-old Joe said during a speech at Marylands Prince Georges Community College. I taught at the University of Pennsylvania for four years and I used to teach political theory. And folks, you always hear, every generation has to fight for democracy. President Joe Biden holds a copy of the Republican Study Committee's FY2024 budget proposal as he speaks about his administration's economic agenda during an event at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md., Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. AP/PTI(AP09_15_2023_000010A)(AP) In the past, Joe was an honorary professor at the Philadelphia school. From February 2017 to April 2019, the president served as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of the Practice. This was between his term as vice president and the beginning of his presidential campaign. However, Joe never carried out the tasks of typical professors, like teaching semester-long classes, conducting independent research, and handling administrative responsibilities. The Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed that although Joe appeared on the campus several times, he never taught regular classes. In November 2017, for instance, he visited the campus to promote his book, Promise Me, Dad, Daily Pennsylvanian reported. Joe once appeared for Q&As with UPenn administrators, and another time for a lecture to Wharton business school graduate students. He was also seen at public events with former Mexican President Felipe Calderon and former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. While holding the honorary position at the school, he gathered about $900,000 in income. On September 11, Joe was accused of falsely claiming that he was present at the World Trade Center site in New York City a day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, his own autobiography places him in DC at the time. Joe went on to claim he saw a fireball caused by the plane that crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers revolted. His own book, however, claims he only saw a brown haze of smoke. He has lied about everything hes ever done X users slammed Joe for lying about his position at UPenn, with one user commenting on the viral video, To bad we cant impeach him for chronic lying! Well, you must admit that lying is part of political theory, one user said, while another wrote, Business as usual from one of the all-time biggest pathological liars. Biden was always a loud mouthed liar. Now the check valve has been completely removed, one user wrote, while one said, He has lied about everything hes ever done. One said, National embarrassment. He must be removed. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was visiting an aeronautics factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur city on Friday as part of his trip to Russia's far east, Russian news agencies reported. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during his meeting with Russian President at the Vostochny Cosmodrome(AFP) Kim is visiting an aviation firm producing military and civil equipment, Russian agencies said, two days after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a spaceport, amid speculation they would agree an arms deal. A Long island teen who was fighting for his life after being hit by a police cruiser has died. The police car that struck Anthony Stinson, 13, was on its way to an emergency call. Anthonys family has now planned to donate his organs to help other children. Anthony Stinson was hit by the car while he was riding his bike across the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Adobe Drive in Shirley (GoFundMe) Anthony was hit by the car while he was riding his bike across the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Adobe Drive in Shirley. The incident took place late last week, and he was put on life support shortly after. Anthonys family decided to take him off life support, that was preserving his organs, after four days, Newsday reported. The procedure was performed on Wednesday, September 13, by doctors from LiveOnNY, a Long Island City-based nonprofit that matches donors with people on the organ transplant list. I told my son I was so proud of him and his legacy Children will get healthier and improve their living and life span, thanks to Anthony, Claudia Stinson, Anthonys mother, told Newsday. I want this to be an inspiration for the community to think of in the event of the loss of lives. I told my son I was so proud of him and his legacy, Claudia added. I said, Anthony, Im so proud of you helping other kids, your legacy is leaving this earth. I have to let you go free, go fly and watch over all your friends. A severe head injury caused by the accident left Anthony braindead, doctors said. The driver of the cruiser was a Seventh Precinct patrol officer who was heading south on William Floyd Parkway. Her lights and sirens were blaring when the boy was struck. To avoid hitting Anthony, the cop apparently swerved, hitting a car stopped in traffic, a tree and two parked cars on Margin Drive West, WCBS reported. According to authorities, the cop was on her way to respond to a 911 call about an unwell woman. The New York Attorney General Letitia James Office said the incident is going to be investigated, but did not specify the reason. It noted that the AG can look into every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission, as per a statement. End of a journey for Anthony and the beginning of a new one for others Claudia apparently heard the crash, and ran outside only to find her son injured. He was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition, where the cop who hit him was also taken and treated for minor injuries, before being released. Claudia stayed by Anthony throughout the time he lay on the hospital bed. Before letting go, she said, I said, Youre a wonderful boy and youve got to go fly to help other kids, she told Newsday. Some of you is staying here and Im so proud of you. This is the end of a journey for Anthony and the beginning of a new one for others. "Anthony was bright, eager to learn, competitive, persistently negotiating extra ice pops, and endlessly making us smile. Whether it was surprising us with his big ole St. Bernard he knew we loved so much, or the many, many funny questions and statements about pretty much anything, he was so determined to master something new, and more importantly, he was appreciative, kind, and radiated a unique kind of curiosity and positivity," a GoFundMe set up for Anthony reads. The fundraiser was set up to "allow Anthony and his family to be taken care of during this time, so they can focus on Anthony without any financial stress or funeral arrangement worry." South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem had an alleged affair with Donald Trump's advisor Corey Lewandowski, according to a report by Daily Mail. Interestingly, Kristi was already married to husband Bryon Noem during the alleged affair. Notably, Kristi is known for her stance on upholding traditional marriage and family values. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)(REUTERS) The report says that Kristi and Corey have been on dozens of trips that mixed business with pleasure, private flights and luxury resort stays during their year-long affair. Recently, Trump held a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, as part of his 2024 Presidential election campaign. The rally was attended by both Krisiti and Lewandowski. As per the report by Daily Mail, Kristi and Corey deliberately had no public interaction despite their alleged affair in the past. This is so predictable that you would attack Governor Noem less than a week after she endorsed Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States, said Kristis spokesman, Ian Fury. ALSO READ| Newark to Rome horror flight: United Airlines plane dropped 28,000 feet in 10 minutes before reversing course Earlier, speculations about affair between Kristi and Corey were published in the past but the former had shut down those reports via a tweet in September 2021. These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie. These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we cant achieve anything without a mans help, Kristi had tweeted at the time. In the tweet, Kristi had emphasised how she loves her husband Bryon Noem. Notably, Kristi has been married to Bryon since 1992. "I love Bryon. I'm proud of the God-fearing family we've raised together. Now I'm getting back to work," her tweet read further. The latest report of the affair may be a big blow to Kristi whom Trump was considering as his 2024 running mate. Kristi was being seen as a rising star in the political landscape of the United States. A man who appears to be a neo-Nazi demonstrator has been arrested for hanging antisemitic banners, including swastikas and racist messages, along a bridge on Interstate-4 in Orlando, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said on Wednesday, September 13. Jason Brown, 48, from Cape Canaveral, has been charged with criminal mischief. Jason Brown claims to be a member of antisemitic and extremist group Order of the Black Sun' (Orange County Sheriff's Office) Officials said Jason claims to be a member of antisemitic and extremist group Order of the Black Sun. He allegedly hung the banners across a fence on June 10 without written permission, which is a violation of state law. According to Anti-Defamation League, Order of the Black Sun (OBS) is a small neo-Nazi network primarily based in the state of Florida. The group distributes propaganda and holds in-person demonstrations to spread their white supremacist ideology. OBS was formed in early 2023 by long time affiliates of Florida's overlapping white supremacist network. We are committed to upholding the laws of our state "Florida is a law-and-order state. Todays arrest demonstrates Floridas commitment to protecting residents from attention-seeking extremists," said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner, according to Fox 35 Orlando. "On behalf of Colonel Gary L. Howze, II, and the nearly 2,000 FHP State Troopers who enforce our state law 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, thank you, Governor DeSantis, for working to rid this state of intimidation, vitriol and hate directed towards people of faith, and for empowering law enforcement to do the same." In a statement, State Attorney Andrew Bain said, We are committed to upholding the laws of our state, including those designed to protect our travelers on roadways. These supposed demonstrators obstructed state roadways and tried to intimidate our community with hate symbols. The actions taken were reprehensible, and we will prosecute these Neo-Nazi demonstrators and pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law." At present, Jason is reportedly being held at the Brevard County Jail on a $500 bond. Jail records revealed that he was previously arrested on charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault. A United Airlines flight from Newark to Rome didn't reach its destination and landed back at the New Jersey airport on Wednesday. According to a report by the New York Post, it was horrible experience for the passengers as the plane faced technical issues while in the air. During the flight, the plane rapidly dropped more than 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes. Representational Picture(REUTERS) United Airlines Flight 510 never made it to Rome after the Boeing 777 experienced an issue with its cabin pressurization, forcing the plane to rapidly drop and the pilot to turn the aircraft carrying 270 passengers and 14 crew members around, a spokesperson told the New York Post. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Flight 510 reversed course due to cabin pressurization issue. As per the details on flight tracker FlightAware, the plane had taken off from Newark Liberty International Airport at 8:37 p.m. and landed back at the airport at 12:27 a.m. Originally, the plane's planned destination was RomeFiumicino International Airport. ALSO READ| Prince Harry pre-birthday bash: Here's how the Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle enjoyed in Germany FlightAware data shows that the the plane plunged nearly 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes before reversing course. Meanwhile, the passengers had to deboard Flight 510 after it landed back at the New Jersey airport. They were flown to Rome in another aircraft. There have been similar incidents in the United States in recent times. In December 2022, a United Airlines flight had dropped 775 feet in 21 seconds. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prince Harry was seen in birthday party mode in Dusseldorf, Germany on Thursday. The Duke of Sussex who turns 39 on Friday, went to a German brewery called Schumacher, with wife Meghan Markle and drank beer and relished traditional food in a pre-birthday bash. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a picture as they visit a pub in Dusseldorf, Germany, September 14, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Schumacher Altbier-Manufaktur, Dusseldorf/via REUTERS (via REUTERS) According to a report by DailyMail.com, Harry enjoyed with his group at two tables in the brewery and was served by head waiter Frank Wackers. They were very happy.He is a lovely man, and they were so nice, said Wackers. Wackers informed that the Duke of Sussex drank six small beers while Meghan had one. Harry also relished dishes of wiener schnitzel, pork knuckle, sausage, roast and mashed potatoes. During the party, the brewery staff presented Harry with a white chocolate birthday cake. The owner of the restaurant, Thea Ungermann, revealed that Harry tipped the staff with a big amount. ALSO READ| Meet the man who unveiled alien corpses at Mexico Congress: Who is UFOlogist Jaime Maussan? Harry and Meghan are currently in Dusseldorf, Germany where the 2023 Invictus Games are taking place between September 9 and 16. The event was founded by Prince Harry in 2014 to celebrate the great contribution by the veterans and help them enjoy community life and have good mental health through sports. Invictus translates to unconquered. Recently, Harry was in the United Kingdom where he commemorated his grandmother and former monarch Queen Elizabeth II on the first anniversary of her death. University Education Offering a Future for Iraq's Assyrians A Scholarship programme at an Iraqi Catholic university -- which is now entering its second year -- is helping the country's beleaguered Christian community stay in their ancient homeland. The Catholic University in Erbil (CUE), based in the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, is providing a scholarship scheme to help Christians and members of other vulnerable groups with support from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, the founder of the university, said: "The CUE model encourages the whole family to stay and not to emigrate -- their children will have an excellent education to obtain work and therefore a future in Iraq to support themselves and their parents." Basma Adwar, who was one of the first students to be given financial support to pursue her studies, told ACN "Because I have a scholarship to study, I can stay in Iraq. I want to stay in Iraq. I want my future to be in Iraq, and I want to help build the future of Iraq." The 25-year-old Chaldean Catholic student added: "I am currently in the third stage of my course in international relations. Without the scholarship I would not have been able to attend the CUE." Ms Adwar's family moved from the capital Baghdad to Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2003, as Christians were increasingly targeted in the south of the country following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. They were living in northern Iraq in 2013 when hundreds of thousands of Christians were forced to flee to Erbil from their homes in the Nineveh Plains. Ms Adwar was one of 128 students to be chosen to receive the first Pope Francis Scholarships in the academic year 2022-23. The majority of the recipients were Christian, but a small number were given to vulnerable members of other religious and ethnic groups, including 12 Yazidis. Ms Adwar is grateful to ACN for helping to fund her studies but added that many more students need assistance to enable them to receive a university education. When she met Marco Mencaglia, ACN project director, at the 2023 ROACO conference in Rome this June she told him about the pressing needs. She said: "In Rome I also met Marco Mencaglia, from ACN, and I thanked him for the grants they provided. "I asked him for more scholarships because there are many students who need them, especially in Iraq." Over the next three years ACN has committed to providing at least 70 new scholarships. Archbishop Warda said: "I thank all the very hardworking ACN offices worldwide and all of their donors in supporting the young Christians of Iraq to have not only a right, but the actual opportunity, to obtain a higher education. "It gives them and their families hope for the future." Founded in 2015, CUE is ranked 41 out of 250 higher education institutions in Iraq. Russia is systematically discussing with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides various solutions for the Lachin corridor, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. September 15, 2023, 14:24 Moscow works with Baku, Yerevan on Lachin corridor solutions. Peskov STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The Russian side is systematically pushing ahead with its work both with Baku and Yerevan. We will continue to do so. Quite recently the first batch of humanitarian aid arrived [in Karabakh]. The delivery was organized, by the way, thanks to efforts by the Russian side. We will continue this work. Various options are being discussed and worked out with the parties concerned," he said, when asked for a comment on the US Department State's statements on the need for immediately opening the Lachin corridor because of the humanitarian situation in Artsakh, Tass informs. Speculation is mounting on the whereabouts of Chinas US-sanctioned defence minister, General Li Shangfu, last seen in public on August 29, in the latest sign of intrigue in Chinas elite politics, considered among the most opaque in the world. Chinas defence minister Li Shangfu attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 2, 2023. (REUTERS) Several news reports have pointed to 65-year-old Lis absence from public events for over two weeks including his withdrawal from a meeting with Vietnamese defence leadership last week as a sign of his being placed under investigation. A Reuters report on Friday evening said Li has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, quoting 10 people familiar with the matter. The investigation relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Lis unexplained disappearance comes less than two months after foreign minister Qin Gang was sacked by President Xi Jinping after, similarly, not being seen in public for nearly a month amid rumours about his personal life. Qins sudden removal surprised many as he was considered close to Xi. Beijing is yet to give a reason for his ouster. Li, like Qin, is a state councillor -- a position that the latter continues to hold -- an elevated ministerial rank in Chinas government hierarchy. And, like in Qins case, speculation over Lis absence has been censored on Chinas closely-monitored social media. The defence ministers absence has triggered intense conjecture among diplomats, journalists and China watchers about his whereabouts and what led to his absence. Lis disappearance as well as Qis removal in July has surprised experts. Its difficult to put a finger on the reason but something seems to be amiss given that both were handpicked by Xi, said former Indian diplomat who did not wish to be named. They were his people, the person said, adding even if Li is corrupt, it surprising that it was not known before he was vetted as state councillor and defence minister. Given the way Xi has centralised power and the fact these decisions (to appoint both Li and Qin) were taken after the last (after the October, 2022 Communist party congress) makes it surprising, Gautam Bambawale, former Indian ambassador to China, said. The Chinese government is yet to comment on Lis whereabouts or the reason why he withdrew from the Vietnam meeting. The meeting with Vietnams defence leaders, scheduled for September 7 and 8, was postponed after Beijing told Hanoi days before the event that the minister had a health condition, Reuters quoted two Vietnamese officials as saying on Thursday. On Friday, the Financial Times, quoting multiple unnamed US officials, reported defence minister Li was under investigation, and stripped of his responsibilities as defence minister. Last week, the US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, fuelled speculation on Lis status after posting on X (formerly Twitter) about his recent absence. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defence Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen in public for two weeks, US ambassador Rham pointed out on X. In the absence of any official comment on Lis status, China watchers are looking at recent patterns of turmoil that have emerged from within the Chinese government to join the dots. Besides the case of the sacked former foreign minister, Qin, Xis recent decision to replace two top generals of the PLAs Rocket Force, a strategic arm of Chinas armed forces thats in-charge of the countrys nuclear arsenal in early August indicated a round of corruption-related purge. Wang Houbin, the Navys former deputy commander, was named the head of the Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force, replacing Li Yuchao. Meanwhile, Xu Xisheng, the political commissar of Southern Theatre Command, became the new political commissar of the rocket force, replacing Xu Zhongbo, Caixin, a business and political news website, reported on August 1. The PLA Rocket Force, which is believed to be one of the worlds largest missile forces, is responsible for Chinas ballistic and cruise missiles and is a key part of the countrys nuclear deterrence strategy, the Caixin report said. Beijing hasnt explained the ouster of Li and Xu and why two outsiders were appointed as part of the rocket force. Defence minister Lis last reported public event was at the third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing on August 29 where he also met several counterparts from the continent. Delivering the keynote address at the forum, he talked about humanity facing unprecedented challenges as global development enters a new phase of instability and transformation. Li was sanctioned in 2018 by Washington for violating US sanctions against Russia when, as in charge of Chinas Equipment Development Department of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), headed by Xi, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) purchased Russian weapons including Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from the state-run Rosoboronexport. Li visited New Delhi in late April to attend a meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) states. During his meeting with defence minister Rajnath Singh, Li said the situation on the China-India border is currently generally stable and the two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management. In brief, Li, at least outwardly, was making all the right comments in his interactions with foreign counterparts. In Chinas heavily centralised system, real power lies with the CPCs elite Standing Committee, which is headed by Xi, and the Politburo, and much less with ministers. But given the international job profile Li has as Chinas defence minister and Qin had as foreign minister -- his abrupt disappearance is bound to raise questions if all is well in Beijing. A man has died after a dog attack in central England, emergency services said Friday, the latest in a spate of attacks that prompted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to vow action. A 30-year-old man was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control, said Staffordshire Police.(REUTERS) Emergency services were called on Thursday to reports that a man had been left seriously injured after being bitten by two dogs near Birmingham. "Upon arrival we found a man who had sustained multiple life-threatening injuries and was in a critical condition," said the West Midlands Ambulance Service. "Unfortunately, after arrival at hospital, despite the best efforts it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him (and) he was confirmed deceased." A 30-year-old man was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control, said Staffordshire Police. Police are now determining the breeds of the dogs involved but Sunak said an American bully XL, known for its stocky and muscular appearance, was suspected. The issue of dangerous dogs has reached the top level of UK politics following a series of attacks. An 11-year-old girl was left seriously injured after she was attacked on Saturday by an American bully XL and Staffordshire bull terrier crossbreed puppy. The incident led interior minister Suella Braverman to seek "urgent advice" on whether the American bully XL breed should be banned. "This is appalling," she tweeted after the attack. "The American XL Bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. We can't go on like this. I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them." Sunak added on Friday: "It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs. It's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on. "While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public. "Today I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dogs behind these attacks with a view to then outlawing it." The pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro are currently banned in the UK. The American bully XL is related to the pit bull terrier, though larger, but is not subject to any legal restrictions itself. It is not recognised as a breed by the country's Kennel Club, complicating efforts to legislate them. Sunak said defining the breed was vital. "We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year," he added. These dogs are dangerous. I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe. Russia said on Thursday it was expelling two U.S. diplomats whom it accused of working with a Russian national charged with collaborating with a foreign state. US embassy in Moscow(File) The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had summoned U.S. envoy Lynne Tracy and told her that embassy First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein must leave Russia within seven days. "The named people conducted illegal activity, maintaining contact with Russian citizen R. Shonov, accused of 'confidential cooperation' with a foreign state," the Russian statement said. The U.S. State Department said the expulsion of the two diplomats was unprovoked and warned that Washington would respond appropriately. "This unprovoked expulsion of our diplomatic personnel is wholly without merit, as is the case against a former Russian contractor of our embassy," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. "Yet again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. We regret that Russia has taken this path and you can certainly expect that we will respond appropriately to their actions." Robert Shonov was employed by the U.S. Consulate General in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok for more than 25 years until Russia in 2021 ordered the dismissal of the U.S. mission's local staff. Russia's FSB security service published a video in August showing a purported confession by Shonov in which he said Sillin and Bernstein had asked him to collect information about Russia's war effort in Ukraine, its annexation of "new territories", its military mobilisation and the 2024 presidential election. In the video, Shonov said he was told to gather "negative" information on these topics, to look for signs of popular protest and to reflect these in his reports. Washington accused Moscow of attempting to intimidate and harass U.S. employees after Russian state media reported the charges against Shonov and said the FSB planned to question embassy employees who had been in touch with him. When he was arrested in May, the State Department said the case highlighted Russia's "blatant use of increasingly repressive laws" against its own citizens. It said the allegations against Shonov were "wholly without merit". In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Shonov had been paid to complete tasks aimed at damaging Russia's national security. "It was also emphasised (to Tracy) that illegal activities of the U.S. diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country, are unacceptable and will be resolutely suppressed," it said. "The Russian side expects Washington to draw the right conclusions and refrain from confrontational steps." Relations between Moscow and Washington have plunged to their worst point for more than 60 years because of the war in Ukraine. The U.S. is providing advanced weaponry to Ukraine and has hit Russia with sanctions in response to its invasion in February 2022. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON One side of American citizens are furious and shocked that former president Donald Trump is facing 91 criminal charges at the federal and state level, which they believe are part of a conspiracy by the Biden administration and the deep state. FILE - President Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden arrive at Fort McNair, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Washington. Hunter Biden has been charged with felony gun possession. A federal indictment filed in Delaware says Biden lied about his drug use when he bought a firearm in 2018 while struggling with addiction to crack cocaine. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)(AP) The other side thinks that the justice department has been unfairly targeting President Bidens son, Hunter, for his tax issues and his past drug addiction. Both citizen camps think that the department in charge of enforcing the law has been corrupted by the other side and is biased. Hunter Bidens lawyer reacted to the news that his client had been indicted on three federal gun charges by saying that the prosecutor had succumbed to improper and partisan interference from Republicans who support Trump. On the other hand, Andy Biggs, one of those conservative lawmakers, claimed that the charges were just a way to make the justice department look impartial. Dont fall for it. Theyre trying to protect him from way more serious charges coming his way! he wrote on X. The first sons legal troubles will obviously hurt his father and his family on a personal level. But they also have wider implications. ALSO READ| Federal gun charges haunt Hunter Biden, pizza outing with son Beau raises eyebrows Republicans have long known that the presidents son is a weak spot. They can use that to not only anger Joe Biden, but also to divert attention from their own problems with Trumps legal troubles. Moreover, many Democrats are not happy that Biden is running for re-election in 2024. Hunter seems like another reason for some to push for the 80-year-old president to make way for the next generation. All this means that the outcome of Hunter Bidens case will have a big impact. It will be a turbulent election year But Republicans have a dilemma. Its true that the three gun-related charges are serious crimes; and its true that more charges could follow related to Hunter Bidens tax affairs and foreign dealings. But none of it matches the scale and number of Trumps alleged crimes. So any attempt to use Hunters problems as a weapon could backfire and invite the American people to compare them. Also, as Democrats will surely keep reminding them, Hunter Biden is not running for any office, let alone for president. One interesting aspect of Hunter Bidens case is that his lawyers think that they can still negotiate a plea deal that collapsed in July - and that they can use the recent expansion of gun rights by some courts as part of his defense. After all, the Constitution does not say anything about drug addicts being unable to own guns. ALSO READ| Donald Trump's last-minute legal challenge threatens to disrupt New York fraud trial against him That would be a remarkable irony given where most Democrats stand on gun control. On Thursday, Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, announced an impeachment inquiry into President Biden - a move that the White House dismissed as a political stunt. Mr McCarthy said there were serious and credible allegations about the familys business dealings and President Bidens conduct. And Republicans hope this new inquiry will implicate the president in abuse of power and corruption. However, so far, seven months of existing investigations into Hunter Biden have only produced bits of evidence from former business partners, an FBI informant, and some IRS agents, but nothing that proves any wrongdoing. That may change when they start issuing subpoenas, but the Republican majority in the House is so thin, that it is not certain that they would win an impeachment vote on the House floor, if it ever got there. What is undeniable is the growing erosion of the once-well-defined boundary between the realms of politics and the legal system. Britain on Friday officially proscribed the Russian mercenary Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation, after announcing the move last week, which will make it illegal to be a member or to support it. Members of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.(AP) The U.N.'s World Heritage Committee on Friday placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger. A view of the bell tower of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in the centre of Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP) The iconic St. Sophia Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv, and the medieval center of the western city of Lviv, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites central to Ukraine's culture and history. The decision Friday to put those two on the body's list of sites in danger has no enforcement mechanism, but could help deter Russian attacks. Neither site has been directly targeted since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Lviv has largely been spared from the fighting. But Russia has unleashed waves of strikes on Kyiv and other cities, hitting residential areas and critical infrastructure with Iranian-made attack drones. The decision was made at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. The committee maintains UNESCO's World Heritage List and oversees conservation of the sites. The gold-domed St. Sophia Cathedral, located in the heart of Kyiv, was built in the 11th century and designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The monument to Byzantine art contains the biggest collection of mosaics and frescoes from that period, and is surrounded by monastic buildings dating back to the 17th century. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a sprawling complex of monasteries and churches some underground that were built from the 11th to the 19th century. Some of the churches are connected by a labyrinthine complex of caves spanning more than 600 meters (2,000 feet). The two sites on the Dnipro River, a 15-minute drive from one another, are a masterpiece of human creative genius," according to UNESCO. The other site is the historic center of Lviv, near the Polish border. A fifth-century castle overlooks streets and squares built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The site includes a synagogue as well as Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic religious buildings, reflecting the city's diversity. In its urban fabric and its architecture, Lviv is an outstanding example of the fusion of the architectural and artistic traditions of Eastern Europe with those of Italy and Germany, UNESCO said. The political and commercial role of Lviv attracted to it a number of ethnic groups with different cultural and religious traditions. Lviv is more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Kyiv and even further from any front lines, but it hasn't been spared. Russian cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city in July, killing at least six people and wounding dozens. UNESCO added Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa to its list of endangered heritage sites in January. Russian forces have launched multiple attacks on the city, a cultural hub known for its 19th-century architecture. Russia says that it only strikes military targets. Under the 1972 UNESCO convention, ratified by both Ukraine and Russia, signatories undertake to assist in the protection of the listed sites and are obliged to refrain from taking any deliberate measures which might damage World Heritage sites. Inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger is meant to rally urgent international support for conservation efforts. The list includes more than 50 sites around the world.s SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will pay his second wartime visit to Washington next week, the White House announced Friday, in a bid to solidify the support of his country's crucial backer which has shipped billions of dollars in aid to fight Russian invaders. Volodymyr Zelensky and Joe Biden(File) Zelensky will travel to the White House on Thursday for talks with President Joe Biden and also hold meetings at the US Congress, where elements of the rival Republican Party are hesitant as Biden seeks to push through a major new package for Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader's trip to Washington will come after meetings with other world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, said that the trip came at a "critical time" as Ukraine wages a counteroffensive against Russia. Biden will reaffirm "his commitment to continuing to lead the world in supporting Ukraine as it defends its independence, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity," Sullivan told reporters. He contrasted Zelensky's trip to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent summit with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, one of the world's most isolated and sanctioned countries, from which Moscow is seeking weapons. But doubts have also grown over the future of US assistance as Congress approaches a September 30 deadline to approve funding just as the election season approaches. Former president Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden next year, has lashed out at US assistance, saying the money would be better spent at home and predicting an eventual triumph for Putin, for whom he has shown admiration. - Building 'momentum' for aid - But traditional Republicans including Senator Mitch McConnell, the party's Senate leader, support assistance to Ukraine. "We have confidence that there will be bipartisan support for this. I think President Zelensky does as well, and he wants to build momentum towards that as we head to the end of the month," Sullivan said. "Frankly, Republicans and Democrats both recognize that the United States cannot -- in its own naked self-interest, let alone the moral obligations we have -- walk away from Ukraine at this critical moment," Sullivan said. Ukraine launched a counter-offensive against entrenched Russian positions in June but progress has been limited, spurring the political debate in the West over support for Kyiv. The United States has provided $43 billion in security assistance as Ukraine holds off Russian incursions. Biden last month asked Congress for another $40 billion for Ukraine, both in emergency defense aid and economic and humanitarian assistance. It will be Zelensky's second visit to Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In December, he secretly flew to the US capital on his first international trip during the war, entering the White House in the military fatigues that have become his trademark. Zelensky has felt increasingly confident in traveling overseas, from European allies to Saudi Arabia to Japan, where he met leaders at the Group of Seven summit in May. Biden paid his own surprise visit to Kyiv in February, a highly unusual trip to a zone of active combat for the security-conscious White House. Biden, who has sought to rebut criticism he is too old for the job, has started to air the campaign advertisements of his Kyiv visit, with the 80-year-old president strutting confidently in his sunglasses alongside Zelensky. US Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Moscow prison on Friday, the embassy said, as he prepares for a new appeal next week against his pre-trial detention on spying charges that he denies. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy speaks to the media outside a court building after a hearing to consider an appeal against the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.(REUTERS) "He remains strong and is keeping up with the news - including his parents' appearance at the UN this week," the embassy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up 20 years in prison. He, his newspaper and the U.S. government all strongly deny the accusation. His father Mikhail said at the United Nations on Wednesday, ahead of its annual general assembly: "We urge all world leaders to stand with Evan and what he represents: the basic right to a free press and freedom of expression." Gershkovich is the first U.S. reporter to be accused of spying in Russia since the Cold War. Washington has accused Moscow of using him for "hostage diplomacy", at a time when relations between the two countries are at their worst point for more than 60 years because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. No date has been set for Gershkovich's trial. His latest appeal against his detention is due to be heard next Tuesday, but previous ones have been rejected. Tracy had visited him three times before. This week she also visited Paul Whelan, an American convicted of espionage in 2020 and serving 16 years in a Russian penal colony on spying charges that he too denies. The United States has designated both men as "wrongfully detained", meaning it considers the charges against them to be bogus and politically motivated. The US government believes China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu is the subject of an investigation by Beijing and has been relieved of his duties, The Financial Times reported Thursday citing American officials. China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu addresses a speech during the Moscow Conference on International Security in Kubinka, in the outskirts of Moscow, on August 15.(AFP) The report came shortly before high-ranking diplomat Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, stated on social media late Thursday Washington time that Li "hasn't been seen or heard from in 3 weeks," and that the minister might have been placed under house arrest. It is the latest sign of potential turmoil in Beijing after Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang inexplicably disappeared and was ousted from his post in July. China also replaced the leadership of its Rocket Force, the army unit that oversees its nuclear arsenal, in July, with its former commander Li Yuchao not seen in public for weeks before the change and official media Xinhua giving no explanation for his removal. The Times reported that three US officials as well as two people briefed on intelligence said the United States determined Li Shangfu had been stripped of his duties as minister. It was not clear what made President Joe Biden's administration conclude that Li was under investigation. The White House has not publicly addressed the matter. Li traveled to Russia in August to attend a security conference near Moscow on August 15. Two days later, the government of Belarus released handout photographs of Li meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. Li has refused to hold meetings with US counterparts until Washington lifts sanctions on him, imposed by then-president Donald Trump in 2018 for his procurement of Russian military technology. The latest apparent removal of an elite Chinese official from public view led Ambassador Emanuel, who has been openly critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to fuel speculation about the issue on September 7 and again one week later. "President Xi's cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen in public for two weeks," Emanuel posted last week on X, the former Twitter, using the hashtag #MysteryInBeijingBuilding. On Thursday he openly questioned whether Beijing authorities have restricted Li's movements. "1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam," he posted on his official ambassador account. Now: He's absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest???... Might be getting crowded in there. Cluster munitions are used in the widest possible way in the zone of the special military operation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said while answering journalists' questions during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Tass informs. September 15, 2023, 15:52 Ukrainians widely use cluster munitions on battlefield Putin STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: Asked whether the Ukrainian side was now using cluster munitions on the battlefield, Putin replied: "They are being used, and in the widest possible way." "But I have already commented on this. I have nothing to add," he said. The cluster munitions issue, he believes, "reflects perfectly what is happening in the world as a whole." "What I mean is this: there is one country that thinks it is exceptional - the United States," Putin explained. "Even what it considers to be a crime, it takes the liberty of doing itself. In fact, the US is using cluster munitions in this case, with the Ukrainians hands," he pointed out. Putin noted that Washington considered the use of such munitions as a crime, but at the same time "it feels free to do it, and this is the main problem of today's international relations." He is certain that for this reason a vast majority of participants in international communication were working together with Russia for the creation of a multipolar world, because almost no one is satisfied with such a state of affairs. "I say 'almost' because even those countries which are allies of the United States, I assure you, do not like this situation, either. They dont like being treated as backstage extras," Putin said. "Yes, they [the US - TASS) use [cluster munitions], unfortunately. They themselves call it a crime and keep doing it," Putin concluded. Most of the fatalities in the flash floods that tore across Libya could have been avoided, according to the United Nations. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Thursday, September 14, that 8,000 people in Libya had died, as reported by CNN. Buildings were wiped out by the seven-meter tsunami that smashed the northern coastal city of Derna, with many more remaining missing, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. Last week, towns in the North African country were flooded by record-breaking rains, which broke two dams in the country's northeast and flooded the city of Derna. Relief workers are struggling to deliver critical help amid political divides and debris from the tragedy. Would've Prevented Many Deaths Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said in a news conference in Geneva on Thursday: "If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they would have issued the warnings ... The emergency management of this would have been able to carry out evacuations of the people, and we would have avoided most of the human casualties," Reuters reported. Although economic losses are inevitable, she argued that they may have been mitigated with adequate services. Talaas said the WMO has attempted to communicate with Libyan authorities to improve these systems, but due to the country's precarious security situation, this has been challenging. Since civil conflict broke out in 2014, Libya has been torn apart politically. The country is now divided between the internationally recognized government in Tripoli and the eastern parliament-backed administration in Benghazi. After the devastating floods, each has given different estimates of the number of victims. The number of fatalities and missing persons has not been independently confirmed, though. Also Read: Oil Price Hits 10-Month High After Libya's Catastrophic Flooding Disaster In Need of More Grave Diggers After a seven-meter wave slammed the northern coastal city of Derna this week, ICRC's Libya Delegation Director Yann Fridez warned it would take many months, if not years, for residents to recover from the amount of destruction. "This disaster was violent and brutal. A wave 7 meters high wiped-out buildings and washed infrastructure into the sea. Now family members are missing, dead bodies are washing back up on shore, and homes are destroyed," Fridez said. As floods engulfed Derna, the ICRC sent aid workers to the city to help families with micro-economic activities. They also announced that they would be sending 6,000 body bags to forensic teams in the eastern city of Benghazi to "ensure dignified treatment of the dead." The ICRC has noted that the destruction of roadways in flood-affected regions presents a major challenge to relief efforts. Human rights groups have expressed a dire need for more grave diggers in Derna as they have been unable to keep up with the influx of remains. According to Abu Bakr Al-Rifadi, a local official, "The torrent waters caused the city of Derna to be divided into western and eastern halves," as reported by the Libyan state news agency LANA. Also Read: Libyan Authorities Deploy Personnel to Battered Regions as Many Reported Dead @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Johannes EISELE / AFP) (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned that Mexican-made drugs, such as fentanyl, will cause more deaths than any other threat in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warns that Mexican-produced drugs, including fentanyl, will cause more fatalities than any other threat in the United States as overdose cases continue to rise. In the agency's Homeland Threat Assessment for 2024, officials noted that on top of the enduring terrorism threat, they expect illegal drugs produced in Mexico and sold within the US to continue taking the lives of more Americans than any other threat the agency has identified. DHS Warns of Mexican-Produced Drugs The assessment added that in the past year, U.S.-based traffickers have become even more involved in the mixing and pressing of fentanyl, contributing to more lethal mixes of what is already considered to be a deadly drug. The situation comes as there were more than 100,000 overdose deaths last year, with roughly three-quarters being tied to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. This drug is produced in Mexico using Chinese precursors and transported across the southern land border. As per Fox News, the drug is considered fatal in small doses and is often pressed into fake pills, so the user is unaware of what they are ingesting. The agency's assessment also said that seizures of fentanyl at the border continue to rise through 2023. Additionally, Customs and Border Protection is on track to seize a record amount of the drug, even after seizures of other drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, remain steady or are on the decline. Officials also said that these other drugs are continuously mixed with fentanyl, and the agency's report warned that drug traffickers in the US have gained much more influence over the composition of the pills and have already distributed more deadly mixtures into various communities. The DHS noted that fentanyl has appeared more frequently in counterfeit prescription pills, including Adderall and Xanax, combinations that raise the risk of overdose, particularly among unwitting users. Read Also: Leading Nasal Decongestant Is Essentially Ineffective, FDA Consultants Claim Rising Number of Overdose Cases The assessment comes as the US is in the throes of what researchers call a "fourth wave" of the opioid crisis. This is a phase that is characterized by overdose deaths caused by the combination of stimulants and powerful synthetic opioids, according to NBC News. From 2010 to 2021, the proportion of overdoses involving fentanyl and a stimulant has increased more than fiftyfold. The numbers were released by a study published on Thursday in the journal Addiction. The lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles' David Geffen School of Medicine, Joseph Friedman, said that the US is seeing the use of fentanyl together with stimulants become the dominant force in the overdose crisis. The study's senior author, Chelsea Shover, said that understanding how people use drugs is crucial in stopping the overdose crisis and helping people get the treatment they need. Over the years, awareness of effective medical treatments for opioid addiction, including drugs like suboxone and methadone, said NPR. Related Article: FDA Approves New Vaccines From Pfizer, Moderna @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : PAUL RATJE / AFP) (PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images) New York City officials warned of the far-reaching implications of the migrant crisis in the area if Democrats win in the ballot. New York City officials warn of far-reaching implications of the current migrant crisis if Democratic lawmakers get their way if they win in the ballot. Authorities leading the legal fight against a closed Catholic school on Staten Island being turned into a migrant shelter sounded the alarm. They were concerned about the possibility of Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul getting power to implement policies regarding granting asylum seekers work authorization. NYC's Migrant Crisis During a press conference outside of a courthouse on Thursday, Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella issued the warning. It was made before a hearing regarding a lawsuit that he brought himself and others objecting to the placement of migrants at the former St. John Villa Academy. His remarks noted that the city council passed a law to allow non-citizens the right to vote two years ago. One of the conditions for this was that they could vote in municipal elections if they had work permits. This means that if work permits are granted to migrants, they could then be allowed to vote in municipal elections if the appellate division reverses the trial court, as per Fox News. Fossella noted that giving tens of thousands of migrants the right to vote in municipal elections is a bad idea and policy. The legislation passed by the New York City Council in December 2021 sought to allow non-citizens who had been lawful permanent residents of the city for at least 30 days. It would include those authorized to work in the U.S., including so-called "Dreamers," to vote in municipal elections to help choose the city's mayor, council members, borough presidents, comptroller, and public advocate. However, the law, which was supposed to go into effect in January 2023, was struck down by a state Supreme Court justice on Staten Island. He said that it violated the State Constitution. Justice Ralph J. Porzio also ruled in June 2022 that giving non-citizens the right to vote would require a referendum. Read Also: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders Seeks Overhaul of State's Records Law Amid Lawsuit Work Permits for Asylum Seekers The situation comes as the White House is sending a team of federal staffers as interpreters and support staff starting on Wednesday to help asylum seekers obtain the work permits they would need to be able to look for jobs, according to NBC New York. The United States faces a rising number of migrants seeking asylum, with roughly 59,000 people currently in New York City shelters. Gov. Hochul's administration has also been looking for ways to get around the long wait for work permits at the federal level, including a state-level worker permit program. On the other hand, Adams claimed starkly that New York City is ravaged by an influx of 110,000 asylum seekers from the southern border. He said that he could not see a solution to address the issue. The Democrat has clashed with leading members of his party as he struggled to provide housing and services to the migrants traveling to the U.S. For several months, the mayor has criticized United States President Joe Biden and Hochul for allegedly failing to help the city handle the surge of migrants, said the New York Times. Related Article: GOP Senator Mitt Romney Stands Down on Senate Reelection Bid @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he is not ruling out the possibility of using missile attacks on Mexican drug cartels. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was not ruling out the use of missile attacks on Mexican drug cartels, citing that such a decision would depend on the situation. The Republican lawmaker made the remarks during a Wednesday interview that "deadly force is authorized." DeSantis' statement parallels the 2024 Republican presidential candidate's previous hardline stances on the U.S.-Mexico border. Missile Strikes on Mexican Drug Cartels CBS host Norah O'Donnell asked if the Florida governor would commit US troops to removing the Mexican cartels. The Republican said that they would work on defending the county and later described cartel members who cross the border with backpacks full of fentanyl, a drug that is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths per year. DeSantis said that in those situations, they would authorize the use of deadly force against the Mexican drug cartels. O'Donnell asked the governor if he would launch missiles into Mexico, to which the lawmaker responded by saying that they would use all available tactics, as per Fox News. The Republican added that the reality is that the cartels are overrunning the United States border. He noted that they conduct sex trafficking and human trafficking and are bringing in massive quantities of drugs. Previously, in August, DeSantis affirmed the use of military force at the border at the Iowa State Fair. At the time, a voter also asked the Florida governor whether or not he would be willing to use drones against the Mexican drug cartels. Answering the question, the Florida governor said that they would, adding that they reserve the right to defend the country if the cartels are invading and killing the nation's people. On the other hand, Mexican authorities have strongly pushed back against calls for further US military action. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said roughly six months ago that the former administration made the mistake of not launching a military offensive in Mexico. Since then, various GOP senators, including Tom Cotton, Lindsey Graham, John Kennedy, and J.D. Vance, voiced their support for US military operations in the neighboring nation, according to MSNBC. Read Also: US Troops to Stay at Southern Border Until Sept. 30 Military Forces on the Border DeSantis' stance on the matter is shared by GOP presidential candidates trying to one-up their rivals in the race and impress a rabid voter base. Former Ambassador Nikki Haley also pushed the same line as the Florida governor, which is sending US special forces into Mexico. But during the recent interview, O'Donnell challenged the Florida governor's remarks, saying that sending missiles and troops into Mexico would cause a significant policy change compared to only deploying the military to the southern border. But the Republican dodged the remark, asserting that Mexican cartels are taking over the border and that President Joe Biden needs to take lethal action to stop them immediately. DeSantis was also asked if troops could shoot migrants illegally crossing the border. The governor clarified who the military personnel would be authorized to target, citing an example of a mother holding a baby as not being one of them. However, he said that if someone were wearing a backpack and trying to break through the wall, it would be considered hostile intent, said Politico. Related Article: Federal Judge Orders Texas To Move Buoy Barriers @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has ordered the closure of all the borders with Haiti over a river dispute on the Haitian side that would use water from a river along the former's frontier. Abinader said air, sea, and land borders would close starting at 6:00 a.m. local time on Friday and remain shut "until necessary." The announcement signaled that last-minute talks between the countries had failed to finalize. Dominican Republic Closes Borders With Haiti Closing the borders is a rare decision for the Dominican Republic and could potentially hit both economies, though it would affect Haiti more. The move was in response to the excavation of a canal by a farming group on the Haitian side that targeted waters from the Massacre River, which runs along the border shared by the two nations on the island of Hispaniola. In a statement, the International Crisis Group said that work on the canal had already been suspended since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. It added that work resumed based on inaction by the Haitian government, which it argued had failed to respond to the problems created by the drought in the agricultural area of the Maribaroux Plain, as per the Associated Press. The organization also said that it had seen no evidence suggesting that any major politicians or powerful business people were behind the effort, which is what the Dominican government has claimed. In recent days, President Abinader suspended the issuance of visas to Haitians and closed the border near the northern town of Dajabon. The move paralyzed a key economic lifeline for Haitian residents who buy and sell goods in the area several times a week. People living in Haiti but working in the Dominican Republic also cross the border daily. In a statement, Haitian businessman Pichelo Petijon said that these people are also suffering a lot in Dajabon and Haiti. He added that there were millions of dollars in losses caused by the border closure between the two regions. Read Also: Cruise Ship Ocean Explorer Freed After Running Aground in Greenland River Dispute On Wednesday, a Haitian delegation met with the Dominicans in Santo Domingo, the capital, amid the rising tensions. According to the New York Times, they conducted 11th-hour negotiations but failed to make any apparent resolution on the issue. In announcing the closure of the borders, Abinader said that the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force will be prepared to comply with his decision to close the borders. On Thursday, the Haitian government released a statement responding to Abinader's decision, saying it can "sovereignly decide on the exploitation of its natural resources." The Dominican Republic president also said that even if the Haitian government, which is struggling to address a surge in deadly gang violence, cannot control the canal's construction, his country would be capable enough. He noted that they have been prepared for several weeks for this situation and the potential peace force in Haiti. Abinader's decision came after initially threatening such a move earlier this week before construction began, said Aljazeera. Related Article: Libya Floods Kill Thousands, but UN Claims Majority Could Have Been Avoided @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP) (KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images) A new study concluded that MDMA-assisted treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder patients is effective and could help in getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A new study is bringing MDMA closer to approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA, commonly referred to as "ecstasy" or "molly," is set to become the first psychedelic to receive FDA approval after the study found that the drug effectively treats people with moderate and severe PTSD among a racially diverse set of patients. MDMA-Assisted PTSD Treatment After the researchers successfully carried out an 18-week Phase 3 clinical trial, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) announced that nearly 90% of participants treated using MDMA-AT achieved a "clinically meaningful benefit." MDMA-AT, also known as methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy, also helped nearly half of the participants meet remission criteria by the end of the study. The research results were then compared with those recorded among a placebo group of 42 patients, only nine of whom met remission criteria at the conclusion of the trial, as per The Hill. The study included more than a third of the patients in the trial who were non-white, while nearly 27% were either Hispanic or Latino. While people of color are often excluded from clinical studies, these groups are more likely to develop PTSD than others. A study in 2019 found that African Americans have the highest lifetime prevalence of PTSD compared to other racial groups at 8.7%. The co-founder and CEO of Numinus Wellness Inc., a mental health care company championing progressive, research-backed, and safe psychedelic-assisted therapies, Payton Nyquvest, celebrated the results of the recent study. During a press release, he said that millions of people who have PTSD are hoping to get access to MDMA-assisted therapy because it is seen as a safe and effective healing modality. Nyquvest noted that the positive Phase 3 clinical trial results represent a genuine and promising leap toward formally acknowledging this type of treatment and providing universal access. Read Also: Leading Nasal Decongestant Is Essentially Ineffective, FDA Consultants Claim Getting the FDA's Approval A senior author of the recent study, Berra Yazar-Klosinski, said that if approved, MDMA-assisted therapy would be the first novel treatment for PTSD in more than two decades. He added that PTSD patients can finally feel some hope for their conditions, according to the New York Times. Scientists say that PTSD affects roughly 5% of the adult population in the United States every year. However, at best, conventional therapies and medications only help roughly 50% of patients, said psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Xenakis, the executive director of the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association. A lead researcher in the study, Jennifer Mitchell, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, cautioned that the treatment is not a panacea. She noted that despite the successful results of the study, not everyone responded to the approach. Mitchell said that a big, unanswered question amid the situation is how long the benefits of the therapy last after the end of the process, said Medical Xpress. Related Article: Medical Researchers Develop Gold Particles Designed to Kill Tumors @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Brazilian authorities have sentenced a rioter to 17 years in prison over the storming of the capital earlier this year in an attempt to topple the left-wing government. The suspect, 51-year-old Aecio Lucio Costa Pereira, worked as a sanitation personnel from Sao Paulo. He was the first rioter to face trial for the Jan. 8, 2023, dramatic assault on Latin America's largest democracy. Brazil Sentences Rioter to 17 Years in Prison There are hundreds of others who will find themselves in the dock in the next few months to face charges over what the country's Supreme Court president, Rosa Weber, called Brazil's "day of disgrace." A majority of the court's 11 members on Thursday ruled that Pereira, a hardcore supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, deliberately sought to overthrow the current leader, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, when he and several thousands of fellow radicals rioted in Brasilia eight days after Lula da Silva took the presidential seat. The Supreme Court's Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, called for a 17-year sentence for Pereira and said that the "enemies of freedom" deserve exemplary punishment for their "dastardly putschist attack," as per The Guardian. Additionally, six of Moraes' Supreme Court colleagues confirmed his judgment, which was praised by members of the Lula administration. In a statement, the president of Lula's Worker's Party (PT), Gleisi Hoffmann, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Long live Brazilian democracy!" He added that the sentence should become a lesson to the putschists because he argued that all of the perpetrators of the incident would be discovered and held accountable for their actions. Weber added that the evidence that was presented to the court showed that the defendant and his fellow rioters stormed the Supreme Court, presidential palace, and Congress. They were allegedly hoping to trigger a military intervention to unseat Lula da Silva from the presidential seat. When announcing the verdict on Thursday, Weber noted that he viewed the mob as trying to abolish the democratic rule of law to depose a legitimately elected government in Brazil. Read Also: Tharman Shanmugaratnam Sworn In as Singapore's 9th President Challenging Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Election Win Video footage at the Senate showed Pereira wearing a shirt calling for a military coup and recording a video of himself praising others who had also broken into the building during the coup attempt. That day, Brazilian authorities arrested nearly 1,500 people, but most of them have already been released, according to Yahoo News. Eight out of the 11 justices of the Brazilian court ruled that the defendant committed five crimes; namely criminal association, staging a coup, violent attack on the rule of law, qualified damage, and destruction of public assets. The mob that Pereira was a part of claimed that the election results that showed Lula da Silva winning were rigged. They smashed windows, threw furniture into fountains, and vandalized artwork as part of the riot. Justice Cristiano Zanin on Thursday said that the objective of the rioters that day was to violently seize Brasilia and spread a criminal attack against the rule of law across the nation. The Supreme Court plans to hear 232 cases involving the most serious alleged crimes committed during the riot, said BBC. Related Article: Dominican Republic President Orders Closure of Borders With Haiti Over River Dispute @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - The MSC Magnifica cruise ship is seen from San Maggiore's bell tower leaving in the Venice Lagoon on June 9, 2019. Thousands of people took to the streets in Venice on June 8, 2019, calling for a ban on large cruise ships in the city following last week's collision between a massive vessel and a tourist boat. As global tourism continues to overwhelm the old city of Venice, there is a real possibility that the city may be added to the endangered list maintained by UNESCO. "We are trying to avoid this,'' Michele Zuin, Venice's top budget official, told The Associated Press. "But it is not as if we are slaves of UNESCO," as per to Fox News Venice Grapples with Tourism Pressure Amid UNESCO Endangered List Concerns The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued a warning over the summer that Venice had not done enough to protect the cultural monuments as tourists following the closure surges across Europe. The behavior has been dubbed revenge travel by social media, and it refers to people trying to make up for the lack of freedom they experienced during the height of the pandemic when both local and national restrictions were in place. As a result, tourism has significantly increased, reaching and sometimes surpassing levels seen before the pandemic. According to Euronews's findings, the number of passengers traveling in the first half of 2022 increased by approximately 250% compared to the same period in 2021, when travel restrictions were relaxed for the first time. Before the post-lockdown boom, Venice already labored under the burden of its substantial tourist population. There are approximately 50,000 individuals that make their home in the old district of the city, which draws in millions of visitors each year, particularly during February when the Carnival is held. The city was added to the list of World Heritage sites in 1987; however, if the quality of the historical sites is not maintained, the city may be moved to the endangered list and ultimately lose its status as a World Heritage Site. According to AFAR's reporting, UNESCO had previously threatened to demote Venice in 2021. Still, the city responded by prohibiting cruise ships from passing through its canals, which appeared to satisfy the World Heritage Committee. Officials from UNESCO have highlighted that a downgrade is not intended as a form of punishment but rather as a notice to the global community that additional steps are required to solve issues afflicting a World Heritage site. According to the city's most recent data, the number of beds available to tourists in the town is now greater than the number of permanent residents, according to ABC News. Read Also: Libya Floods Kill Thousands, but UN Claims Majority Could Have Been Avoided Venice to Introduce Day-Tripper Entrance Fee to Manage Tourism Surge The city plans to begin charging a five euro ($5.40) entrance fee for all day-trippers on thirty high-traffic days in spring 2024 in an effort to combat the spike in visitor numbers. The dates for these high-traffic days have yet to be chosen. Because the cost is low enough to discourage most visitors from entering, those who fail to produce evidence of entrance when they are questioned may be subject to more severe penalties. These critics are concerned that the city will become Disneyland, or transformed into a cultural theme park, as a result of the move. The management of mass tourism and the effects of climate change are cited as justifications for the recommendation to reduce Venice's status. It mentions, for instance, that the underwater barriers that are supposed to safeguard Venice are not yet functioning to their full capacity. The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine; the historic center of Lviv, in western Ukraine; the ancient city of Nessebar in Bulgaria; the Diyarbakir Fortress in Turkey; and the Kamchatka Volcanoes in Russia's Far East will all be on the list of five additional sites that UNESCO will consider placing on the endangered list, NDTV reported. Related Article: US Cities to Receive $1 Billion in Federal Funding for Tree Planting @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - In this photograph taken on September 12, 2023, health workers wearing protective gear shift the body of a person who died of a Nipah virus infection at a private hospital in Kozikode, in India's Kerala state. India has curbed public gatherings and shut some schools in the southern state of Kerala after two people died of Nipah, a virus from bats or pigs that causes deadly fever, officials said on September 14. After two people died from the uncommon and frequently fatal disease, a state in southern India is taking action to control the outbreak of the Nipah virus, closing schools and conducting hundreds of tests to stop its spread. The virus has been found in Kerala's Kozhikode district, according to the state's chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, who urged locals to take precautions and abide by the health department's safety regulations, as per Fox News. Southern India Takes Swift Measures to Contain Nipah Virus In a statement he released on Wednesday, he stated that two people have lost their lives as a result of the illness, which is the state's fourth pandemic since 2018. Nipah is a zoonotic virus, which means that it can be transmitted from animals to humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). On the other hand, it is also possible for it to spread from person to person or through contaminated food. Morover, the source of the virus is often fruit bats, also known as flying foxes. People can contract an infection if they come into contact with bat saliva or urine, contaminated fruits, or other bat-contaminated items. This makes it crucial to investigate the source of the outbreak and implement measures to minimize interactions between humans and potentially infected animals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the virus has the potential to cause illness of varying degrees of severity. Based to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms typically begin with a headache and exhaustion but rapidly progress into coma within a few days. In addition to this, it can cause potentially fatal cases of encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain, as well as acute respiratory syndrome, a condition in which the lungs are unable to supply the body with a enough amount of oxygen. There is currently no immunization available, and the only therapies available are supportive care. More than 700 people who have been identified as close contacts are currently being tested for the virus, according to Veena George, the minister of health for the state of Kerala, who spoke with media on Wednesday, CNN reported. Read Also: New Study Brings MDMA Closer to FDA Approval for Use in PTSD Treatment Understanding the Symptoms and Potential Severity Nipah virus (NiV) infection can result in mild to severe illness, including brain swelling (encephalitis), and even death. Typically, 4-14 days after a virus exposure, symptoms start to manifest. The illness usually includes symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as coughing, sore throat, and difficulty breathing, and typically begins with 3-14 days of fever and headache. Drowsiness, disorientation, and mental confusion are common symptoms of the ensuing phase of brain swelling (encephalitis), which can quickly develop to coma within 24-48 hours. Initial symptoms could involve one or more of the following: Fever Headache Cough Sore throat Difficulty breathing Vomiting Severe symptoms may follow, such as: Disorientation, drowsiness, or confusion Seizures Coma Brain swelling (encephalitis) In 40-75% of instances, death may occur. Survivors of Nipah virus infection have reported long-term negative effects such as chronic convulsions and behavioral abnormalities. Dormant or latent infections, which manifest symptoms and can result in death much later after exposure, have also been documented months or even years later, according to the CDC. Related Article: Golden Cancer Killers: Medical Researchers Develop Gold Particles Designed to Kill Tumors @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Miguel Villagran/Getty Images) MUNICH, GERMANY - AUGUST 24: Sebastian L. (R), one of the two teenagers charged with killing 50 year old Dominik Brunner at the train station in Solln in September 2009, arrives at a court room on August 24, 2010 in Munich, Germany. Brunner died after he tried to protect four pupils attacked by the two young men who beat him to death afterwards. Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced legal scion who is presently serving two life terms for the murder of his wife and kid, was brought before a South Carolina court to establish a date for the future trial linked to suspected fraud charges amounting to $8.8 million. The purpose of Alex Murdaugh's appearance in court was to determine the date for his upcoming trial, according to New York Post. Alex Murdaugh Faces Court Hearing to Set Trial Date Murdaugh, 65 years old, arrived in the courtroom wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffs. To everyone's surprise, he was also brought in on a leash that was held by three deputies. The fact that this event was captured on livestreaming video highlights how serious his legal problems are. Murdaugh appeared to have lost weight while he was incarcerated, and he exhibited signs of pain as his attorneys attempted to delay the trial until the following fall and obtain a change of venue. They were successful in doing both of these things. Given the tremendous coverage the issue has received in the media and the attention it has garnered from the general public, his counsel, South Carolina state Senator Dick Harpootlian, contended that it would be impossible to have a fair trial in the state. Despite the fact that the broadcast trial had already finished and come to a conclusion six months prior, Harpootlian claimed that the court clerk had unlawfully interfered with the jury's decision. In spite of this, Judge Clifton Newman denied the defense's motion for a change of venue, reiterating that a jury must first be selected, and he scheduled the beginning of the trial for November 27. The trial will begin with the alleged theft of around $3.5 million from Gloria Satterfield's estate. At the residence of the Murdaughs in 2018, Gloria Satterfield, a family maid who had worked there for a number of years, passed away under mysterious circumstances. It is alleged that Murdaugh fabricated her children in order to get her death settlement checks and redirected them to his own account, as per Independent. Read Also: NYC Officials Warn of Far-Reaching Implications of Migrant Crisis if Democrats Win in the Ballot Alex Murdaugh Faces Dual Charges in Ongoing Legal Saga In addition to the allegations brought against him at the state level, federal authorities have also brought charges against Murdaugh in connection with the alleged fraud. It is anticipated that he would enter a guilty plea to a variety of counts in a courtroom in Charleston the following week. This will be the first time that he will acknowledge any wrongdoing. All of these federal allegations come from the alleged misappropriation of customers' settlements over the course of several decades and include money laundering, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. These charges were brought against him by the federal government. In addition to this, there are allegations that Murdaugh stole $7 million from the law practice that his family owns and laundered $2.4 million through a narcotics network in which he was reportedly involved. He is also suspected of using a hitman in order to manufacture his own murder for the purpose of obtaining a life insurance payout of ten million dollars for his son, who is still alive. However, the effort to kill him via assassination was unsuccessful, and he only received a bullet wound to the head that was not deadly. During the hearings that took place on Thursday, Murdaugh was observed speaking with members of his legal team, but he did not address the court directly. The court also held hearings for his co-defendants, including the personal injury lawyer Cory Fleming, who is currently awaiting sentencing in the Satterfield case, and the former banker Russell Laffitte, who has already received a conviction from federal authorities and is awaiting trial at the state level for his involvement in Murdaugh's alleged fraud schemes. The court also held hearings for his co-defendants in the Satterfield case. The court battles that Alex Murdaugh is engaged in continue to unravel, and each new chapter sheds light on more layers of intricacy and intrigue that surround the once-prominent legal figure, Daily News reported. Related Article: Danelo Cavalcante Jailbreak: Escaped Killer Says Searchers Nearly Walked On Him, Hiding Beneath Leaves @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. UK House of Lords member Baroness Caroline Cox, who is currently on a visit in Armenia, has visited the entrance to the blockaded Lachin Corridor and witnessed the stranded humanitarian aid convoy which is unable to deliver essential supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh due to the Azeri blockade. September 15, 2023, 16:19 Baroness Caroline Cox to present special report on Lachin Corridor, Artsakh in House of Lords STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 15, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Speaking at a press conference on September 15, Cox said she also visited Armenian troops in Syunik Province and observed the areas where the Azerbaijani military has been deployed since its invasion into the territory of Armenia. Speaking about the dire humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade, Baroness Cox said that the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) is facing the threat of ethnic and religious cleansing. International President of Christian Solidarity International (CSI) John Eibner was also delivering a press briefing. Cox and Eibner said they were disappointed with the efforts of the international community, including the UK, to prevent the possible devastating developments in Nagorno-Karabakh. They called for sanctions to be imposed against the political leadership of Azerbaijan. Cox said she will organize a discussion and deliver a special report on the situation in Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh in the House of Lords upon her return to the UK. The Wall That Heals, a three-quarters-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, honors the more than 3 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam War and lists the names of the 58,281 men and women who died during it. The traveling wall will be at Casey Park in Auburn through Sunday, Sept. 17. It's open 24 hours a day and is free to the public. JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai and Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites have appointed Gerrit Graf as the new multi-property general manager. Graf, with over two decades of Marriott experience replaces the much-respected Bill Keffer, who retired earlier in 2023. Graf's Marriott journey began in 1996 as director of food & beverage at the Renaissance Cologne Hotel in Germany. He moved to the UAE in 2000, taking on the role of director of F&B at JW Marriott Hotel, later becoming general manager in three years. After his success in Dubai, Graf managed the Renaissance, Courtyard, and Marriott Executive Apartments complex in Doha. He also served as regional director of operations for South Asia, Malaysia, Australia, and the Maldives. In 2014, Graf led the opening of the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit & Marriott Executive Apartments Sukhumvit Thonglor as multi-property general manager. He returned to the Middle East in 2015 as hotel manager for the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Jeddah and later became general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh. In 2019, Graf was appointed area vice president for Marriott's Premium Select Brands for the UAE, overseeing 32 brands. His most recent role was multi-property general manager at several luxury properties in Doha. After a weeks-long recess, the House returned for votes this week. The first bill considered after the break was the Fight and Combat Rampant Iranian Missile Exports Act. The legislation would impose sanctions on Iran's missile program. The House passed the bill by a 403-8 vote. Central New York's members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Claudia Tenney and Brandon Williams, voted for the legislation. Another measure dealt with imposing sanctions on Iranian leaders. The legislation was named for Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman who died in police custody. Amini's death led to widespread protests in Iran. The bill passed 410-3. Tenney, R-Canandaigua, voted in favor of the legislation. Williams did not vote. The House also voted 413-2 to approve a resolution condemning Iran for persecuting the Baha'i minority. Tenney and Williams supported the resolution. After a few Iran-themed measures, the House acted on an agriculture bill. Legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior to submit reports on reducing hazardous fuels passed by 406-4 vote. Tenney and Williams voted for the bill's passage. Tenney and Williams also supported a bill that allows the USDA to continue collecting and spending fees for a marina in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California. The final vote tally was 415-0. While much of the House's work involved bipartisan bills, it concluded the week with a vote on legislation that split mostly along party lines. The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act passed by a 222-190 vote. According to the bill's summary, there is a waiver process under the Clean Air Act for state emission controls that cover new motor vehicles. States can't impose emission control standards for new vehicles unless they receive a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If this bill is approved, it would block states from receiving waivers if the emission control standards "directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines." Tenney and Williams were among 214 Republicans who voted for the bill. Eight Democrats joined them in supporting its passage. No Republicans opposed the measure, while 190 Democrats voted against it. Jack Benton is the director of sales and marketing at the soon-to-open 188-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown, which is tentatively scheduled to open fall 2023. Mr. Benton leads all strategic sales and marketing endeavors while supporting the hotel's mission to provide outstanding service to guests. Located at 192 Haywood St., the hotel is owned and managed by Parks Hospitality Group. Additionally, Mr. Benton is the director of sales and marketing for DoubleTree Asheville Downtown. He has also held positions at three additional Hilton properties with Parks Hospitality Group and two additional sales positions at in Raleigh with PM Hotel Group. Here's the rewrite: Are you a visionary leader ready to take on the world of business and leave your mark? Do you dream of taking on big responsibilities and making a difference? With the right degree program, you can gain the skills and expertise required to make your dreams a reality. Wondering which path to choose between business management and hospitality management? EHL Insights has got you covered. Discover the advantages and disadvantages of both programs and make an informed decision to pave the way for a successful career. First things first: What is the difference between Business Management and Hospitality Management degree courses? To answer this question, we shall address each subject in turn, taking a closer look at potential career outcomes. What is a Business Management degree? A Business Management degree, studied at the Bachelors level, is a broad course of education that conveys insights into the way companies and organizations are run. Business operations are considered from a financial and administrative perspective, among others. A feel for efficiency, a grasp of systems, and an understanding of organizational behavior and structure is cultivated, as well as of cause and effect with regard to external influences, particularly economic changes. In addition, subject matter is dealt with on topics such as business policy and strategy, markets, customers, communication, and information technology. Business Management degree courses tend to address business issues at the European and international levels, incorporating case-based learning and real-world examples. They teach skills that are applicable in several industries, such as time management, analytical and critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making, numeracy, presentation and research skills. They equip students to properly interpret business and financial data as a solid foundation for wise business transactions. What can you do with a Business Management degree? The content covered in Business Management degrees is typically fairly general in its application, which is why the course is often studied in combination with another subject, such as accounting or marketing. It also acts as a stepping stone to other specializations, a basis for an MBA or other graduate degree course, or even a bridge to some legal professions by way of a graduate diploma in law. Those looking to focus on a specific commercial role might like to consider a graduate training scheme. Usual career paths for Business Management graduates may lead into consultancy, human resource management, marketing, sales or insurance. Employment may be found in seemingly endless different industries, from utilities and construction to chemicals, health and even fashion. The private, public and voluntary sectors can all put graduates skills to good use. Relevant job titles include: Business analyst Corporate adviser Business development manager Project manager Risk manager Supply chain manager Management accountant Data analyst What is a Hospitality Management degree? Much like a degree in Business Management, a Hospitality Management degree offers comprehensive insights into the structure and functioning of companies and organizations. Students are taught the respective management skills, such as leadership and delegation, teamwork and communication, IT, analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving. The Hospitality Management syllabus, however, is tailored to the hospitality sector, which epitomizes customer service. This adds flavor to the course by aiming to truly understand customer requirements and how to meet them, drawing upon an attractive set of hard and soft skills and in the case of high-ranking hospitality management schools insights from affective hospitality. This trains students to fully immerse themselves in the guest perspective in the pursuit of service excellence. A high degree of hands-on experience demands from students that they rise to the challenge of an extremely demanding, fast-paced industry. The ensuing resilience makes graduates an asset to many a sector, far beyond the realms of hospitality. What can you do with a Hospitality Management degree? A Hospitality Management degree is a highly versatile qualification that opens doors in the private, public and voluntary sectors. Career opportunities may be found among employers such as hotel chains, conference and exhibition centers, events venues, bars and pubs, restaurants or even airlines, railways, hospitals, universities or the armed forces. Typical job titles include: Hotel manager Resort manager Conference center manager Public house manager Restaurant manager Catering manager Event coordinator Chef Thanks to the adaptable and sought-after skills, not to mention the admirable work ethic developed on a course of this kind, a hospitality management career trajectory can take graduates in any manner of direction. Marketing, sales, public relations, human resources, customer services, and tourism along with finance and accounting are all possible areas of employment. As is the case with Business Management, a Bachelors degree in Hospitality Management can be an excellent starting point for further education or professional training. Students may choose hospitality management for the practical experience and to hone their ability to tune into what customers want before specializing or transitioning to a related area. Business Management vs Hospitality Management degrees: the pros and cons For ease of comparison, the main advantages and disadvantages in a nutshell: PROS: Source: EHL CONS: Source: EHL As you can see, both Business Management and Hospitality Management degree courses constitute an excellent arena in which to develop crucial managerial skills. Irrespective of which type of course you choose, attending a well-reputed institution will work wonders for your career both in terms of tuition quality and business connections made along the way. If hospitality management is the avenue for you, consider completing your studies at EHL, ranked 2023s number one by QS World University rankings. This particular degree course allows you to choose between an academic or a professional pathway and provides the best of both worlds: an international outlook and a strong sense of Swiss hospitality heritage. About EHL Group EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector. With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the continued strategic growth of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands throughout 2023. This growth includes expanding the brands footprint in the U.S. in new markets where there are no Hyatt hotels and the thoughtful expansion of airport locations in key markets. Todays news comes on the heels of Hyatt announcing significant progress in the development of the Hyatt Studios brand, the latest select service brand in the Hyatt portfolio, including executed franchise agreements for the first locations in Mobile, Ala. and Marysville, Calif., emphasizing Hyatts strategy of adding hotels in untapped markets where its brand presence is yet to be established; groundbreaking for the Mobile, Ala. location is slated for Q4 2023. As part of Hyatts commitment to listen to our owners and take action on their feedback, Hyatt continues to identify white space in sought-after markets. Based on our intentional growth strategy, we focus on growing in new markets and expanding our base with new developers and owners without creating intra-brand competition. Jim Tierney, senior vice president, development and owner relations, Hyatt Hyatts pipeline of select service brands is the fastest growing segment of Hyatts portfolio in the U.S., as Hyatt continues to lead the industry on a global scale with six years of industry leading net rooms growth. In 2023, as part of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands expansion in the U.S., Hyatt will welcome 14 new owners to the Hyatt family and expand existing Hyatt portfolios for five owners. This underscores Hyatts focus on delivering value and ensuring a strong return on investment across all Hyatt hotels. By the end of 2023, Hyatt expects to have an established hotel presence in U.S. markets that currently do not have a Hyatt hotel located within five miles, including: Additional growth for the company includes the entry of the Hyatt House brand in the following markets: Airport Locations are a Brand Strength for Hyatt When Jay Pritzker founded Hyatt in 1957 with the purchase of the Hyatt House motel adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, Hyatt established its reputation as a trusted, sought-after brand for travelers. Throughout 2023, Hyatt has continued to expand on its origin story by increasing its brand footprint at airports across the U.S. with elevated experiences including free breakfast for guests and delivering enhanced in-room amenities that are attractive to both leisure and business travelers, at the following locations in addition to the above: Ongoing Commitment to Brand Excellence and Guest Satisfaction All Hyatt hotels aim to provide the highest standard of quality to guests, customers and World of Hyatt members, which includes brand-specific renovation cycles and brand refreshes. One of the many examples of upcoming property renovations includes 17 Hyatt Place hotels under Service Properties Trust (SVC) ownership group, slated to begin later this year. A sampling of SVC properties that will undergo renovations include Hyatt Place Atlanta/Cobb Galleria (Ga.), Hyatt Place Charlotte Airport/Lake Pointe (N.C.) and Hyatt Place Tempe/Phoenix Airport (Ariz.) each aligned to deliver an elevated, spacious, and perfectly self-sufficient stay experience. At Hyatt, we work with owners and franchise operators who share our dedication to operational excellence and our purpose of care. Were privileged to have SVC as part of the Hyatt family and look forward to supporting their upcoming renovations that will bring enhanced experiences for our guests and World of Hyatt members. Paul Devitt, senior vice president of operations, Hyatt As a key component of the Hyatt House brand refresh, which launched in late 2022 with an updated brand identity and media campaign, Home is Where, the next generation of Hyatt House guestrooms will feature residential-inspired room elements such as a modern media console, hard surface flooring, rounded-edge well-lit vanity mirror, vinyl task chairs, updated kitchen island for dining as well as working, oversized ottoman and more. The new design is intended to help guests maintain their routine and enjoy the comforts of home when they are away from theirs. Stemming from guest feedback, the new room design aims to meet and exceed guests evolving lifestyles and hybrid work models, while upholding the living accommodations travelers have enjoyed in the past, including a cozy living room, a well-equipped kitchen, spacious bedroom, a full closet and a well-appointed bathroom. Introducing Hyatt Studios at The Lodging Conference Hyatt recently announced the first two locations for the Hyatt Studios brand, Hyatts new upper-midscale, extended-stay brand, in Mobile, Ala., and Marysville, Calif. The Hyatt Studios brand is expected to be a key accelerator for Hyatt. The Mobile, Ala. location is slated to have its groundbreaking in Q4 2023 and welcome guests and World of Hyatt members in 2024. On September 19, 2023, owners, developers and industry media can experience an exclusive introduction to the Hyatt Studios brand in Phoenix, Ariz. at The Lodging Conference. Attendees will enjoy an evening of branded activations and regionally inspired cocktails and bites, while experiencing a look at the latest design concepts and meeting the team behind the Hyatt Studios brand. The term Hyatt is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. About Hyatt Hotels Corporation Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose to care for people so they can be their best. As of June 30, 2022, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,150 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 72 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Residence Club, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval, Alila, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Hyatt Centric, and Caption by Hyatt; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, and JdV by Hyatt; and the Inclusive Collection, including Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable when made, are inherently uncertain, and are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Kiraku, Inc. or Hyatt's control, which could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made only as of the date of their initial publication and neither party undertakes an obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements as actual events unfold, except to the extent required by applicable law. If one or more forward-looking statements is updated, no inference should be drawn that any additional updates will be made with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Dana Fioravanti Hyatt Adam was featured in an interview in eHoteliers recent Hospitality Technology Innovations Report. Read the full digital version (Issuu) here. Coming in at 166 pages, the first 20 include some remarkable interviews that were conducted at this past HITEC in June in Toronto, with Frank Wolfe CAE of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), Michael Levie of KUBE Ventures and Matt Schwartz of Sage Hospitality Group all of them concise, actionable and visionary. The remainder of the booklet is a Solutions Index containing a multitude of different #hoteltech providers thats worth flipping through because: It may inspire you to consider something new that can help grow your hotels performance (these days, I gravitate towards #TRevPAR enhancement solutions) It will give you a clue about emerging technology categories and how to budget for them in 2024 (consider the importance nowadays of infrastructure and energy management to meet #hotelsustainability goals) There may be a few providers in there that you are unfamiliar with and will want to investigate further (in advance of the gamut of conventions and conferences next year where you can meet them face to face) About Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited works exclusively with investors/owners/operators to help solve critical investment, management and marketing issues in the luxury segment. We also undertake public speaking at corporate and association events, where an independent point of view is desired. Larry Mogelonsky Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited View source Hyatt Adds Hotels in New Markets with Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Openings Across the U.S. Strategic growth highlighted by airport hotel expansion, investments in portfolio-wide Hyatt Place renovations by Service Properties Trust, and preview of the Hyatt Studios brand at The Lodging Conference Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the continued strategic growth of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands throughout 2023. This growth includes expanding the brands footprint in the U.S. in new markets where there are no Hyatt hotels and the thoughtful expansion of airport locations in key markets. Todays news comes on the heels of Hyatt announcing significant progress in the development of the Hyatt Studios brand, the latest select service brand in the Hyatt portfolio, including executed franchise agreements for the first locations in Mobile, Ala. and Marysville, Calif., emphasizing Hyatts strategy of adding hotels in untapped markets where its brand presence is yet to be established; groundbreaking for the Mobile, Ala. location is slated for Q4 2023. As part of Hyatts commitment to listen to our owners and take action on their feedback, Hyatt continues to identify white space in sought-after markets, said Jim Tierney, senior vice president, development and owner relations, Hyatt. Based on our intentional growth strategy, we focus on growing in new markets and expanding our base with new developers and owners without creating intra-brand competition. Hyatts pipeline of select service brands is the fastest growing segment of Hyatts portfolio in the U.S., as Hyatt continues to lead the industry on a global scale with six years of industry leading net rooms growth. In 2023, as part of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands expansion in the U.S., Hyatt will welcome 14 new owners to the Hyatt family and expand existing Hyatt portfolios for five owners. This underscores Hyatts focus on delivering value and ensuring a strong return on investment across all Hyatt hotels. By the end of 2023, Hyatt expects to have an established hotel presence in U.S. markets that currently do not have a Hyatt hotel located within five miles, including: Hyatt Place Albany (N.Y.) Hyatt Place Flagstaff (Ariz.) Hyatt Place Munster (Ind.) Hyatt Place Newark / Main Street (Del.) Hyatt Place St. Augustine / Vilano Beach (Fla.) Additional growth for the company includes the entry of the Hyatt House brand in the following markets: Hyatt House Bentonville / Rogers (Ark.) Hyatt House Colorado Springs Airport (Colo.) Hyatt House Lansing / University Area Lansing (Mich.) Hyatt House Mall of America / MSP Airport (Minn.) Hyatt House Vacaville (Calif.) Airport Locations are a Brand Strength for Hyatt When Jay Pritzker founded Hyatt in 1957 with the purchase of the Hyatt House motel adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, Hyatt established its reputation as a trusted, sought-after brand for travelers. Throughout 2023, Hyatt has continued to expand on its origin story by increasing its brand footprint at airports across the U.S. with elevated experiences including free breakfast for guests and delivering enhanced in-room amenities that are attractive to both leisure and business travelers, at the following locations in addition to the above: Hyatt House Orlando Airport (Fla.) Hyatt House Sacramento Airport / Natomas (Calif.) Hyatt Place Melbourne Airport (Fla.) Hyatt Place Sacramento International Airport (Calif.) Advertisement All Hyatt hotels aim to provide the highest standard of quality to guests, customers and World of Hyatt members, which includes brand-specific renovation cycles and brand refreshes. One of the many examples of upcoming property renovations includes 17 Hyatt Place hotels under Service Properties Trust (SVC) ownership group, slated to begin later this year. A sampling of SVC properties that will undergo renovations include Hyatt Place Atlanta/Cobb Galleria (Ga.), Hyatt Place Charlotte Airport/Lake Pointe (N.C.) and Hyatt Place Tempe/Phoenix Airport (Ariz.) each aligned to deliver an elevated, spacious, and perfectly self-sufficient stay experience. At Hyatt, we work with owners and franchise operators who share our dedication to operational excellence and our purpose of care, said Paul Devitt, senior vice president of operations, Hyatt. Were privileged to have SVC as part of the Hyatt family and look forward to supporting their upcoming renovations that will bring enhanced experiences for our guests and World of Hyatt members. As a key component of the Hyatt House brand refresh, which launched in late 2022 with an updated brand identity and media campaign, Home is Where, the next generation of Hyatt House guestrooms will feature residential-inspired room elements such as a modern media console, hard surface flooring, rounded-edge well-lit vanity mirror, vinyl task chairs, updated kitchen island for dining as well as working, oversized ottoman and more. The new design is intended to help guests maintain their routine and enjoy the comforts of home when they are away from theirs. Stemming from guest feedback, the new room design aims to meet and exceed guests evolving lifestyles and hybrid work models, while upholding the living accommodations travelers have enjoyed in the past, including a cozy living room, a well-equipped kitchen, spacious bedroom, a full closet and a well-appointed bathroom. Introducing Hyatt Studios at The Lodging Conference Hyatt recently announced the first two locations for the Hyatt Studios brand, Hyatts new upper-midscale, extended-stay brand, in Mobile, Ala., and Marysville, Calif. The Hyatt Studios brand is expected to be a key accelerator for Hyatt. The Mobile, Ala. location is slated to have its groundbreaking in Q4 2023 and welcome guests and World of Hyatt members in 2024. On September 19, 2023, owners, developers and industry media can experience an exclusive introduction to the Hyatt Studios brand in Phoenix, Ariz. at The Lodging Conference. Attendees will enjoy an evening of branded activations and regionally inspired cocktails and bites, while experiencing a look at the latest design concepts and meeting the team behind the Hyatt Studios brand. Vietnam & Cambodia Revealed As the Most Popular Multi-Country Holiday Destination for Brits by Audley Travel UK residents have been researching their favourite multi-country holiday destinations, and Google data from the past 12 months shows that Vietnam paired with Cambodia is the most popular combination. This is followed by Sri Lanka and the Maldives, joint second with New Zealand and Australia. Why did Vietnam & Cambodia top the list? "Both Vietnam and Cambodia are home to centuries-old temples, an array of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and an abundance of ultra-fresh cuisine that make combining the two countries ideal for history and culture lovers alike," says Audley Travel Southeast Asia specialist Mark Robinson. And yet, despite being right next to each other, they have very different landscapes. A great way to travel between the two is via a cruise along the Mekong River, where you can get a glimpse into the lives of local people as you pass by riverside villages and fishing communities." Why did New Zealand & Australia and Sri Lanka & Maldives come joint second? Australasia specialist Lee Felton explains why New Zealand and Australia are often paired by travelers, saying: "Australia and New Zealand's tapestry of climates, wildlife, and cultures complement each other very well. The long journey over means many people don't have the luxury of making two separate trips, so combining them is the best way to ensure you experience both. "Australia has dense tropical rainforests, vast deserts, and turquoise waters teeming with animals. One day, you could be swimming with whale sharks and another soaking in Aboriginal rock. Then it's on to New Zealand with its rugged mountain scenery, wineries aplenty, and a free-camping policy that means you can sleep under the stars wherever you want." Commenting on multi-destination holidays to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Audley Travel Indian subcontinent specialist Joe Parks says: "For being such a tiny island, Sri Lanka boasts an extraordinary variety of action-packed experiences, from spotting elusive elephants in the wild to strolling around sprawling cave temples. "In contrast, the Maldives is all about relaxation with luxurious resorts nestled on powder-soft sand, a host of fine-dining experiences, some of the best snorkelling and diving in the world and even an underwater spa. Full top 5 list of most popular multi-country destinations: 1. Vietnam and Cambodia 2. New Zealand and Australia (joint second) 2. Sri Lanka and Maldives (joint second) 4. Singapore and Malaysia 5. Thailand and Vietnam Chicago, IL (60637) Today Snow this evening will give way to some clearing late. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Snow this evening will give way to some clearing late. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360. If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email. Beijing (Gasgoo)- VOYAH, the premium new energy vehicle brand under Dongfeng Motor, recently unveiled the VOYAH Zhuiguang PHEV model, as the vehicle was included in a catalogue released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Zhuiguang PHEV; photo credit: VOYAH This new addition, maintaining its position as a mid-sized sedan, is equipped with a 1.5T plug-in hybrid system that boasts an impressive combined range of over 1,000 kilometers on a full tank of gasoline and full electric charge. The VOYAH Zhuiguang PHEV version is expected to be formally launched in the third quarter of this year. In terms of exterior design, compared to the electric version of the Zhuiguang model, the Zhuiguang PHEV adopts a large grid-style front grille, retaining the distinctive continuous front LED headlight assembly. Additionally, to enhance the front's sense of style and dynamism, the new vehicle incorporates design elements such as a smoked black air intake, L-shaped chrome decorations, and a trapezoidal smoked black air inlet at the base of the front bumper. The vehicle's dimensions measure 5,088mm in length, 1,970mm in width, and 1,515mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000mm. The side profile of the new vehicle remains largely unchanged compared to the electric version, featuring a sleek sloping design. Furthermore, chrome decorations are added along the window edges and the lower part of the doors, complemented by concealed door handles. Moreover, the Zhuiguang PHEV version will come equipped with an air suspension system featuring a magic carpet function and supporting CDC continuous damping control, enabling intelligent suspension damping adjustments based on road conditions. Community members gathered on Friday morning to honor fallen veterans with the opening of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. The wall will be on display at the Dalton American Legion from Friday, Sept. 15 through the 17th. Photos by Sabrina Damms Pittsfield Homeless Committee Details Accomplishments, Goals PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Homelessness Advisory Committee over the last year has worked to understand the many layers of homelessness and how to address service gaps. To connect housing-insecure community members with services, the panel launched housing resource fairs and plans to continue them on a quarterly basis. Last week, the HAC approved a 2023 annual report to be sent to Mayor Linda Tyer. Five priority actions have been identified for fiscal 2024: a flow chart for housing services, quarterly housing resource fairs, supportive services paired with housing, increased winter shelter capacity, and future planning for housing development. Established in 2020 when homelessness was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, its purpose is to advise the mayor and City Council on the topic with efforts focusing on advocacy and education. The 15-member panel works with community leaders, city residents, and service providers. "Over the past year, the committee discussed many issues surrounding homelessness, housing insecurity, and how these issues affect our community. The committee heard from providers of programs and services that work with city residents who are housing insecure in order to understand the assets and resources available to Pittsfield residents," the report reads. "In addition to bringing awareness and understanding for providers and human service professionals about these resources currently at work in our community and how they can be accessed, this process also helped identify limitations and gaps in services, whether it be underfunding or the need for increased capacity." The HAC looked at ways that homelessness and housing insecurity intersected with different populations who have specialized needs such as the elderly, youth and young adults, homiest violence survivors, veterans, and justice-involved individuals. This included presentations from: Berkshire Dream Center Department of Mental Health Berkshire Housing Services Pittsfield Public Schools Elizabeth Freeman Center Three County Continuum of Care The Alternate Living Center The Brien Center Pittsfield Housing Authority ? Communications were also made with the city's social worker and community health worker who began their work last year. The first housing resource fair was held in April with 11 participating agencies and another was held last week. Last year, the city allocated $8.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for these efforts. A housing resource center provides a safe place to access showers, restrooms, laundry, mail, food, and support services and was recommended by the committee last year. "The HAC is grateful that this suggestion has become a reality," the report reads. "These critical projects address both the supply of affordable housing units and provide support for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Pittsfield." The committee said housing models do exist in Pittsfield but the funding is not robust enough or stable enough to deliver supportive services that meet the needs of the population. Because of this, many who transition from a shelter or other temporary living situation into permanent housing often don't succeed and the cycle is repeated, the HAC reported. It called for increased advocacy for these supports, which includes proper funding and the recognition that supports are a vital part of affordable housing and must be linked. The HAC also feels that efforts need to be focused on preserving and increasing the utilization of the existing housing stock through rehabilitation and other incentives to address the housing crisis. "The Community Development Office, in partnership with MassHousing's Neighborhood Hub program, is currently working on an inventory of properties on the Westside," the report reads. "The inventory will include the current condition of the property, ownership, tax title status, and title status. This work will also include strategies for redevelopment and potential financing sources. The HAC is fully supportive of these efforts and will continue to advocate for the rescue of vacant and underutilized property as the most effective tool to increasing the supply of housing units." A new 40-bed shelter operated by ServiceNet is set to be opened later this month in the First United Methodist Church. This was reported by Director of Shelter and Housing Erin Forbush during last week's meeting along with the announcement that it will be called the Pearl Street Shelter. The 6,000-square-foot emergency shelter has been in the planning process since 2020 when its location was approved. It will replace the shelter at the former St. Joseph's High School that opened soon after the pandemic began. Annual Report HAC September... by Brittany Polito Work is expected to start this winter of breaking up and hauling away concrete left from the demolished GE buildings at Site 9. PEDA indicated there is interest in developing the site. Pittsfield's Site 9 Work Going to Bid This Season PITTSFIELD, Mass. Work is expected to begin on Site 9 this winter, depending on weather. Edward Weagle, principal geologist at Roux Associates reported on Wednesday to PEDA plans to award the $10 million redevelopment to a successful bidder in October. The concrete slab and foundations left from the former buildings can begin to be cracked up and crushed during the winter if there is not too much snow, he said. The Pittsfield Economic Development Authority also went into executive session to discuss a real estate opportunity on the site. "We're very excited. This is a huge milestone for us," member Michael Matthews said, adding that it will create a lot of positive energy around the park. Site 9 has been called a "scar" and described as looking like the surface of the moon by Mayor Linda Tyer. The 16-acre parcel at the corner of Woodlawn Avenue and Tyler Street Extension previously housed a General Electric factory and is the largest and most prominent section of the William Stanley Business Park. Earlier this year, it was announced that the gap in funding for the $10.8 million redevelopment has been closed. The last of the funding includes $400,000 of PEDA foundation funds, $1.3 million in GE landscaping funds, and $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. A drilling assessment to accommodate streets and utilities within the redevelopment proposal still needs to be completed. As part of the work being done on Site 9, about 25,000 cubic yards will be hauled from Site 7 as fill for the property, which will open the other parcel that sits across from the former PEDA office. "These are the remnants of the buildings that were on Site 7 and 8," Weagle explained. "These buildings were characterized and the worst parts of the buildings will be hauled off-site." The material is expected to be moved in the late winter or early spring. "There is a lingering agreement between PEDA and GE that PEDA is going to move this pile," Weagle reported. "When we ask, they're gonna move it on their nickel so right now we're trying to work out an arrangement where we get this stuff moved over, sort of as we need it. That way, we're not sort of pushing it around us while we're trying to deal with Site 9." Pittsfield Council Says 'No' to Water Treatment Plant Presentation PITTSFIELD, Mass. Craig Gaetani's talk about saving the city millions of dollars on its water treatment plan will remain at open microphone. On Tuesday, the City Council shot down a petition from Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick requesting that a public hearing be held to provide Gaetani the opportunity to explain the technology of the plant. Kronick was the lone vote in favor and Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi abstained. "I believe that the people of Pittsfield and this body, the City Council, should give him this opportunity," he said. "What are we afraid of?" Councilors believed that allowing the public hearing would set a dangerous precedent for anyone proclaiming themselves an expert on a subject and that the information was just not useful at the time. It was pointed out that the resident is welcome to rent space at the library and hold his own public hearing. Gaetani has a testy history with city officials and has been a regular at open microphone for several years. He is a former marketing director of Krofta Engineering and has said the city could save upward of $150 million by using that technology on its water treatment plant. He is currently vying for the Ward 6 seat. "I've come here for seven years. I've seen nobody else come up to talk to about flotation technology and what can be saved if we go with flotation technology," Gaetani said, adding that six of the incumbent "rubber stamp" councilors are responsible for the high costs of the water and sewer plants and should have listened to him because he is an expert on the matter. In 2018, Gaetani and a representative from Prescott Clean Water presented to the public works subcommittee on new technology that they said was better for the environment, smaller in footprint, easily adaptable over time if newer standards are issued, and less costly. Adams Community Bank Appoints Vice President of Commercial Lending ADAMS, Mass Adams Community Bank (ACB) announced that Brad Felix has joined its team as the new Vice President of Commercial Lending. In this role, Brad will be instrumental in continuing to grow the commercial lending portfolio by working closely with businesses of all sizes to provide tailored financial solutions that drive growth and prosperity in the Berkshire County community. "We are excited to welcome Brad to our team," noted ACB President and CEO Charlie O'Brien. "Brad's deep understanding of commercial lending and his proven expertise and dedication to excellence align perfectly with our goal to provide the best financial solutions to our commercial clients." He brings over 17 years of experience in commercial lending, credit analysis, and relationship management to our team. His in-depth knowledge of financial markets and his track record of successfully managing commercial lending operations make him a valuable addition to Adams Community Bank. Brad holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He is currently a Pittsfield Rotary member and served on the Rotary Foundation Board and Benevolence Committee. He also currently serves as a Corporator for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Foundation, Inc. Brad has been a past member of the following committees: Berkshire Leadership Program, Northern Berkshire Relay for Life, and Berkshire Young Professionals, among others. He is a past graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program and a past recipient of the Berkshire Trendsetter Award as a young professional making a difference. Pittsfield Police Arrest Man Allegedly Involved in Fatal Stabbing Update: Josiah Helmer, age 27, was arraigned for murder on Friday in Central Berkshire District Court and held without the right of bail. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 10. PITTSFILED, Mass. A 27-year-old city man has been arrested in Tuesday's fatal stabbing. Multiple law enforcement officers arrested Josiah Helmer on Thursday at a residence on Dalton Avenue on an outstanding warrant charging him with murder. The charge stemmed from the stabbing that occurred on Melville Street on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 12. Police responded at about 10:45 p.m. to the report of a stabbing on Melville Street, near the intersection with First Street. A 42-year-old man, whose identity was not disclosed, was found at the scene. Officers, firefighters and Action Ambulance Personnel provided the victim with emergency medical care and he was transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where he later died. Helmer was booked and is expected to be arraigned in Pittsfield District Court later Friday. The collaborative investigation after the homicide led to the suspect's apprehension less than 48 hours after his violent crime. The investigation and arrest were effectuated by the following agencies and departments: PPD Detective Bureau PPD Drug Unit PPD Anti-Crime Unit PPD Patrol Division Berkshire County Special Response Team Berkshire County Sheriff's Department Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit Assigned to the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office Anyone who wishes to provide information on this case is asked to contact Detective Neil Goodrich at 413-448-9700 x554. Information can also be provided anonymously via the Detective Bureau Tip Line at 413-448-9706, or by texting PITTIP and your message to TIP411 (847411). Beijing (Gasgoo)- CassTime, a leading B2B platform company in China dedicated to serve the automotive aftermarket, recently announced the successful completion of two funding rounds, D2 and D3, which raised for the company 200 million yuan. Photo credit: CassTime Notable investors in this funding round include Mangrove Capital, VLight Capital, Shenzhen High-Tech Investment, and others. Prior to this, CassTime had secured strategic investments from prominent institutions such as Sequoia Capital, Shunwei Capital, Source Code Capital, Fosun RZ Capital, Hua Capital, H Capital, and Bosch, among others. In May of this year, the Anhui Provincial Government included CassTime in its strategic development plan for the new energy and intelligent connected vehicle industry. CassTime, in collaboration with Wuhu Jiangbei New Area, signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing the intelligent connected vehicle industry ecosystem and providing vital support for the construction of a world-class automotive industry cluster in Anhui Province. CassTime has long been committed to establishing digital infrastructure for the automotive aftermarket, setting industry service standards and credit systems. The companys services encompass the all-in-one auto parts trading platform "CassTime Auto Parts," the digital auto parts procurement platform "CassTime Procurement," the intelligent workshop management system "Workshop No.1," and supply chain finance solutions. Starting from connecting auto parts suppliers and repair shops with CassTime Auto Parts (B2B), and expanding last year to transactions from automakers, brand owners, factories, to large enterprises through CassTime Procurement (F2B) procurement and transaction platform, CassTime has now completed the B2B and F2B transaction loops, constructing a comprehensive digital foundation. This foundation connects manufacturers, auto parts suppliers, repair shops, and vehicles, forming a national digital expressway. On this digital foundation, CassTime integrates core functions such as big data, AI, and financial risk control. At present, CassTime's platform boasts more than 7,000 high-quality suppliers and extends its services to 376 cities across China, serving over 3 million vehicles each month. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. NIO launches 1,800th battery swap station On September 15, NIO officially inaugurated its 1,800th battery swap station in Beihai city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, marking a significant milestone in its network expansion. As of now, NIO has boasted a total of 1,805 battery swap stations nationwide, further enhancing its comprehensive service coverage. Photo credit: NIO BYD DOLPHINE hits market in Nepal On September 11, BYD, in collaboration with its distributor Cimex Inc., officially introduced the BYD DOLPHIN to the Nepalese market. Following the successful launch of the BYD ATTO 3, the BYD DOLPHIN represents another addition to BYD's pure electric vehicle lineup in Nepal. Photo credit: BYD Li Auto's L-series models to receives OTA 4.6 upgrade On September 15, Li Auto announced the plan to ship the OTA 4.6 update for its L-series vehicles, introducing 25 new features and optimizing 10 aspects of the user experience. The official rollout of OTA 4.6 is set to commence this week and is expected to be completed within one week. JD Technology, FinDreams Battery to team up on multiple fields including battery swapping On July 13, 2023, JD Technology, a business group under JD.com, and FinDreams Battery Co., Ltd., which is wholly-owned by BYD, signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing, setting the stage for a deep and fruitful collaboration in various sectors such as battery swapping, micro vehicles, electric drive, consumer 3C products, civil batteries, and energy storage, according to a post on FinDreams Batterys WeChat account. NIO puts All-New EC6 onto market On September 15, NIO officially revealed the prices for its midsize SUV, the All-New EC6. The vehicle is available in two trim levels, priced at 358,000 yuan and 416,000 yuan, respectively. For those interested in battery leasing, both variants are priced at 288,000 yuan. Battery rental options are available at 980 yuan per month and 1,680 yuan per month, respectively. 500,000th BYD Yuan PLUS rolls off line On September 15, BYD saw the 500,000th unit of its popular compact SUV model, the BYD Yuan PLUS, roll off the assembly line at the manufacturing base in Hefei city. As BYD's inaugural globally oriented passenger vehicle, the Yuan PLUS achieved the impressive production milestone in just 19 months after its market debut. Currently, the model has made its mark in 55 countries worldwide (named ATTO 3 in overseas market). Chinese automotive aftermarket service provider CassTime closes D2, D3 funding round CassTime, the Chinese automotive aftermarket industry internet company, recently announced the successful completion of two funding rounds, D2 and D3, which raised for the company 200 million yuan. Desay SV, SAIC Motor, AutoChips join forces to create global cockpit platform On September 14, Desay SV, SAIC Motor Overseas Intelligent Mobility Technology, and AutoChips signed a strategic cooperation agreement to leverage their respective leading technologies and develop a global cockpit platform. JAC Motor puts QX PHEV on sale, starting at 129,900 yuan On September 15, JAC Motor officially launched its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the QX PHEV, positioning it as a compact SUV. The new vehicle comes in three variants, with prices ranging from 129,900 yuan to 149,900 yuan. VOYAH Zhuiguang PHEV included in MIIT's catalogue VOYAH, the premium new energy vehicle brand under Dongfeng Motor, has recently unveiled the VOYAH Zhuiguang PHEV model, as the vehicle was included in a catalogue released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). NavInfo teams up with Hubei United Investment Digital Industry Group for spatial data infrastructure development On September 13, NavInfo, the prominent Chinese automotive intelligence solution provider, joined hands with Hubei United Investment Digital Industry Group for spatial data infrastructure related business. PLDT Enterprise signs an agreement with Batanes State College for the first iGate internet service in the province. From left-right: Dh H. Duran, Relationship Manager at PLDT Enterprise of Luzon LGU CRB; Dr. Djovi Durante, BSC President; (Behind Dr. Durante) Engr. Romina Katrina C. Bayaras, Director for Administration and Finance Services at Batanes State College; Vincent R. Rodriguez, Business Head of Luzon and GMM LGU at PLDT Enterprise PLDT Enterprise signs an agreement with Batanes State College for the first iGate internet service in the province. From left-right: Dh H. Duran, Relationship Manager at PLDT Enterprise of Luzon LGU CRB; Dr. Djovi Durante, BSC President; (Behind Dr. Durante) Engr. Romina Katrina C. Bayaras, Director for Administration and Finance Services at Batanes State College; Vincent R. Rodriguez, Business Head of Luzon and GMM LGU at PLDT Enterprise For some academic institutions, the pivot to distance learning has only highlighted the challenges they face with regards to geography and limited wireless broadband infrastructure. Batanes State College (BSC), a public school located in a remote island at the northernmost tip of Luzon, is one example that faced these lingering disadvantages. But that is no longer the case. PLDT Enterprise, the corporate business arm of PLDT, signs an agreement to provide BSC with its cutting-edge iGate Premium Internet Access, a dedicated internet access service that ensures seamless connectivity. Committed to taking businesses further, the signing is a major milestone for the region, as the school becomes the first institution in Batanes to be empowered with high-performance online services from PLDT Enterprise solutions. iGate can reliably facilitate virtual attendance, says BSC President Dr. Djovi Regala Durante, a key point he emphasized particularly for isolated provinces such as Batanes. Sending employees and students to trainings and seminars on the mainland can be logistically challenging and costly. With iGate, attendees can participate more efficiently through the internet, revolutionizing the way BSC conducts its academic and administrative operations, he adds. For years, PLDT Enterprise has been at the forefront of bridging the gaps in digitalization by playing a leading role in guiding organizations nationwide in its quest towards digital maturity. But the gravity of this role has become more evident with the advent of off-site work settings for businesses and distance learning modules for schools. The collaboration between PLDT Enterprise and Batanes State College marks a significant impact on the academe sector in the region. Staff, educators, and students will benefit from enhanced connectivity and the ability to access a wealth of educational resources seamlessly. Vincent R. Rodriguez, Business Head of Luzon and GMM LGU at PLDT Enterprise, says, "With iGate, Batanes State College can leverage the power of reliable and high-speed internet connectivity to deliver an enhanced learning experience. We ensure seamless and managed connectivity as well as guaranteed bandwidth allowing the institution to focus on education while we take care of their digital needs." "PLDT Enterprise understands the complexities and requirements of the academe industry, and our iGate service is designed to meet the ever-growing demands of modern education, adds Dennis G. Magbatoc, AVP and CRM Head of Luzon CRM at PLDT Enterprise. We are dedicated to creating a positive impact in the community by empowering educational institutions like Batanes State College with cutting-edge technology. To those still facing challenges in connectivity, Magbatoc offers an invitation to join the league of forward-thinking educational institutions that have already embraced iGate and provide your students and educators with the tools they need to succeed in a digital world. Batanes State Colleges goal is to enhance communication within the institution by establishing a centralized network for voice and data, leaning towards smart campus and digitalization. Apart from iGate, the institution also elevated their mobile solutions with Smart Bizload providing faculty and staff with prepaid loads systematically and more conveniently. Additionally, they are exploring the acquisition of the Smart Messaging Suite to efficiently disseminate information to students, integrating it into their enrollment system to provide timely prompts to enrolled students. The installation of iGate demonstrates BSC's commitment to digital transformation and with PLDT Enterprise at the helm in bringing their goals a reality, both organizations are ensuring that the academe sector in the region remains competitive in the fast-paced digital world. With online scams becoming more and more sophisticated by the minute, GCash and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) are taking this issue seriously. The newest on the block is called spoofing scam. Spoofing scam is a scam where perpetrators use illegal software to make their text scams look like they came from legitimate sources like banks, e-commerce companies, and other big, trusted companies. Since they appear legit, unsuspecting targets may fall victim and unknowingly click the link and leak sensitive personal and financial information to fraudsters. To prevent this from happening to its customers, GCash, the Philippines number 1 fintech app, warns its users that all of their Send Money Confirmations are now sent to the GCash App inbox. They also remind the public that if any individual messages them that they have mistakenly sent money to their GCash account and are asking to send it back, they should be vigilant and check their transaction history first to know if this is correct or a ploy to steal from them. GCash is also in close communication with the PNP-ACG on how they can better serve their customers in cases where they get scammed. For individuals who believe that a fraudulent transaction has occurred in their accounts, they are encouraged to contact the GCash customer care hotline at 2882 or send a ticket to their GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com or message Gigi on the website and type I want to report a scam. Learn more about how to protect yourself and your family and dont hesitate to contact the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group if you need help. Contact them at hotline (02) 8414-1560, 09985988116 or via email at acg@pnp.gov.ph. From the outside, walking away from Yellowstone after winning a Golden Globe looks like a crazy decision. But this is what Kevin Costner has done. The role as Montana rancher John Dutton in Taylor Sheridans hit TV series didnt exactly rescue his career, but it put him back on the A-list. Now, he is quitting the show and fans are up in arms. The Oscar-winner was being offered a reported $12m (9.61m) fee for season five (part of which he had already shot) and an equal amount for two further seasons. When he recently broke his silence about his shock departure from the show despite its rave reviews his answers, given in court during his divorce case, earlier this month, werent especially illuminating. He referred obliquely to issues about creative and talked about a logjam but he didnt seem in any mood to overturn his decision. The ornery actor, now a major powerbroker in Hollywood, has certainly travelled a long way since that toe-curling moment in 1990 when, as a shuffling, awkward and callow figure, he went backstage to meet pop star Madonna during her Blond Ambition world tour. Costner was wearing spectacles and had a Chris Waddle-style mullet, presumably because he had just been starring in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). He told Madonna, then at the zenith of her fame, that her performance was neatreally neat. The second he turned his back, she made a vomiting gesture. Neat, anybody who says my show is neat has to go, she murmured in contempt as the cowboy star retreated. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Actor Miriam Margolyes has hit out at her former co-star Steve Martin, calling him horrid. The star of stage and screen, who has become increasingly known for her unfiltered views on celebrities she has met, targeted the Hollywood comedian and Only Murders in the Building star in her new memoir. In the book, which was published on Thursday, Margolyes reflected on the uncomfortable experience of working with Martin, 78, on Frank Ozs cult hit Little Shop of Horrors, which was released in 1986. Margolyes, 82, played the secretary to Martins psychopathic dentist Orin Scrivello in the film and, in their musical number Dentist!, Margolyes is punched by Martins character, who also slams a door into her face, In her memoir, Margolyes suggested she was hurt for real while filming the scenes, writing: "I was hit all day by doors opening in my face; repeatedly punched, slapped and knocked down by an unlovely and unapologetic Steve Martin perhaps he was method acting and came home grumpy with a splitting headache. Margolyes added: Let it not be said that I have never suffered in the name of art, concluding that the actor was undeniably brilliant, but horrid to me. She went onto praise her former co-star Steve Buscemi saying that the actor was unerringly sweet and knocked spots off Steve Martin. Martin has since refuted Margolyes version of events, while categorically objecting to the claim he punched her. The actor, whose film credits include The Man with Two Brains and Parenthood, currently stars in Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, which he co-created. Martin stars in the show alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Steve Martin and Miriam Margolyes in Little Shop of Horrors (The Geffen Company) Elsewhere in Margolyess memoir, the actor recalled flashing an exhausted Martin Scorsese while working with him on the 1993 film The Age of Innocence. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Margolyes, in a recent interview, called John Cleese poisonous, and branded him a puny tadpole of a person. In recent years Cleese, who is set to debut a new show on GB News this month, has become am increasingly divisive figure. In 2019, he appeared to denounce multi-culturalism, saying: London is not an English city any more. After he was criticised, the 83-year-old responded: I suspect I should apologise for my affection for the Englishness of my upbringing, but in some ways, I found it calmer, more polite, more humorous, less tabloid and less money-oriented than the one that is replacing it. Oh Miriam: Stories from an Extraordinary Life is out now. Find 11 of the books biggest revelations here from Margolyess most-despised people to her encounter with a smug Mick Jagger. Chinas wide appeal for multinational corporations will continue due to its robust domestic market and its unwavering dedication to opening up its economy, despite a globally subdued investment sentiment, say analysts and heads of foreign chambers of commerce in China. Participating in various events during the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services, which concluded on 6 September in Beijing, they noted that there has been a quantity-to-quality shift in the inflow of foreign investment into the country. This transformation, they said, is aligned with Chinas pursuit of high-quality development that aims to generate more growth opportunities in sectors such as trade in services and high-end manufacturing. Jens Hildebrandt, executive director of the German Chamber of Commerce in China (North China), said that despite the impact of geopolitical tensions on global business confidence, foreign investors will continue to have confidence in Chinas economic growth in the long run. The British exhibition pavilion attracts a throng of journalists prior to the opening of the 2023 CIFTIS (WANG JING / CHINA DAILY) The previous cooperation model is changing, he said, referring to the fact that German companies provided technology to China in the past and tremendously benefited from the Chinese market. But now, China has strong brands and high-end technologies, which are successfully penetrating both the German and European markets, especially in the decarbonisation and healthcare sectors. Highlighting that German investment in China is currently concentrated in the industrial sector, Hildebrandt said that with China gradually opening up its services industry, German companies will have more access to the Chinese market in the coming years. As the global economy is dealing with a sluggish recovery and cross-border investment remains lacklustre, China has intensified efforts to boost its foreign investment inflow, unveiling 24 targeted policy measures in mid-August. The authorities pledged to ensure that foreign businesses receive the same treatment as their Chinese counterparts and enjoy the nations stronger fiscal support and tax incentives. The policy rollout will boost the confidence of multinational corporations in conducting long-term operations in China and, therefore, play a pivotal role in revitalising global cross-border investment, said Loh Wee Keng, chairman of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China. Even though foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland in terms of actual use dropped 4 per cent year-on-year to 766.71 billion yuan (84.2 billion) in the first seven months of this year, China saw the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in its market reach 28,406 during the period, up 34 per cent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. FDI in the high-tech industry grew 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while in high-end manufacturing, it soared 25.3 per cent. Roberta Lipson, vice-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said she believes the recent high-level interactions between senior government officials from China and the United States will instil greater confidence among US companies in China. For a majority of AmCham China members, China remains the most critical investment destination, and they will continue conducting business here, as they are enthusiastic about Chinas growth, Lipson said. She added that Chinas recent 24-point policy to support the growth of foreign companies, the reforms in its pilot free-trade zones and other opening-up measures are practical moves to shore up the nations economy. Geraldine McCafferty, deputy head of mission at the British embassy in Beijing, said the United Kingdom does not believe in the decoupling narrative. We think that international trade is a good thing. The more we reform and open up our economies, the better it is for global prosperity. McCafferty said that with closer business ties, the Chinese and British economies will further benefit from the services sector. Chongqing is one of the cities in China with the least sunshine, so perhaps its one of the last places you would expect innovation with solar energy to be going on, and yet thats exactly whats happening. Large spaces on the roofs of local factories are providing green solutions for the sustainable development of the city, an industrial powerhouse in south-western China. In April Changan Auto, one of the countrys big carmakers, began operating the largest rooftop photovoltaic (PV) project in the city, with a total installed capacity of 37 megawatts. The project, covering 74 acres, makes use of spare roofs and carports to house PV modules in the factory area. A crane is used to lift solar panels onto the roof of a building at the No 1 Middle School in Shuangfeng county, Hunan province, on 18 August, 2023 (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY) Over 25 years the project is forecast to generate 667 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, reducing the use of standard coal by 240,000 metric tons and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 670,000 tons, Changan Auto says. In recent years China has gone all out to achieve the goals of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. In September 2020 the country pledged to realise the goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. As such, the authorities have adopted measures to significantly move Chinas installed capacity of wind and solar power towards a low-carbon, secure and efficient energy mix. In a national action plan the government pledged to accelerate construction of large wind-power and PV bases in deserts. It will also encourage distributed PV power generation in villages and industrial parks, and on the roofs of buildings. By 2025 half of all new public buildings will have solar power facilities on their roofs, it said. In January Chongqing Longwen Industrial, a steel company that uses a lot of energy, installed a PV system on its factory roof. Our rooftop-distributed PV power generation project has already generated more than 160,000 kWh of electricity in less than three months, said Chen Hao, the companys deputy property manager. Thats expected to save us 600,000 yuan (65,400) a year. During public holidays the power generated by the PV system can be sold to the local power grid to bolster the companys revenue, he said. The environmental benefits are more significant. Over 25 years, Longwens PV project could lower carbon dioxide emissions by about 16,000 tons and see dust emissions decline by about 4,370 tons. It could also lower the companys electricity consumption and carbon emissions for more than 35 years. By the end of last year, Chinas annual power generation from wind and solar energy accounted for 13.8 per cent of total electricity consumption, the National Energy Administration says. Newly installed capacity of clean energy in the country rose in the first four months of the year, with wind and photovoltaic power capacity totaling 62.51 million kilowatts. By the end of April, Chinas total installed capacity of wind power was 380 million kW, while the total installed capacity of photovoltaic power was 440 million kW. The two combined accounted for 30.9 per cent of the countrys installed power generation capacity. CHATSWORTH, Calif.Free Speech Coalition Industry Relations Advocate Lotus Lain and award-winning adult performer April Flores led a workshop on intimacy coordination and consent last month at the 2023 National Sexual Assault Conference. In the workshop, Concepts of Consent From Intimacy Coordination and Sex Work, Lain and Flores brought the experiences of and strategies developed by sex workers to an audience of police sexual assault investigators, youth sex educators, traffiking survivor intake counselors and many more harm reductionists to the fight against sexual assault and violence. Sex workers know the complexities of consent better than anyone, and we need to own our expertise, Lain said. This isnt a theoretical issue for us, and it doesnt happen in a vacuum. As trained intimacy coordinators and sex workers, were constantly thinking about boundaries, safety and consent. This was a chance to share that knowledge with a mainstream audience. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A South Korean woman who stalked her own adult daughter has been convicted and sentenced to six months in jail apart from being handed a two-year probation sentence. The harassment, from the woman in her 50s, took place between December 2021 and May 2022. The mother sent her daughter 306 text messages and called her 111 times, according to a district court in South Koreas Daejeon. At the outset, the messages contained commonplace requests, such as suggesting Bible readings or inquiring about staying at her daughters residence, reported The Korean Herald newspaper. But as the daughter refrained from responding, the messages soon turned into verbal abuse, including derogatory remarks concerning the daughters sexual behaviour. It was unclear why the daughter refrained from responding to her mothers texts. Neither the mother nor the daughter have been identified by local media. The court heard that the mother engaged in physical stalking as well. She reportedly made eight unauthorised visits to her daughters residence during the specified period. At times, she even surreptitiously peered into her daughters house, said Daejeon district court documents. Even after a police injunction was issued last June, the woman trespassed six more times. Despite the mothers claim that her actions were neither deliberate nor premeditated, the court dismissed her defence. In addition to jail time, the court also mandated 40 hours of anti-stalking education for her. According to South Korean law, individuals found guilty of stalking can face fines of up to 30 million won ($22,602) or imprisonment for a maximum of three years. If it is determined that the offender was in possession of a weapon, the maximum penalty rises to a 50 million won ($37,670) fine and a five-year prison sentence. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Its official, Bella Hadid can pull off any look. In Marc Jacobs new jaw-dropping photos for its Heaven fall 2023 collection, the 26-year-old supermodel was pictured bare - shaved head and all. Her skin appeared smooth without a single hair in sight, as she posed in the futuristic universe crafted by the mind of Jacobs and photographer Carlijn Jacobs. Rather than formatting her sleek long locks to fit the concept of the collection, the team started with a clean slate, swiping Hadids hair and eyebrows. While her head remained bald, the brands muse could be seen with reconfigured dark brows angled upward. In the campaign, Hadid was placed on an entirely different planet with armour inspired by Marc Jacobs iconic Kiki Boots. The fall 2023 collection pays homage to the cult favourite Kiki Boot with the introduction of the Kiki Group, an assortment of ready-to-wear and accessories, the fashion brand said in an official statement. With a long, spiraling silver tube seemingly coming out of her spine, the Dutch-Palestinian runway star celebrates the dominatrix essence of the platform boot. The campaign image also paid special attention to Hadids oversized wired ear cuff, which retails for $150, as she sat nude in front of the camera. Just five months ago, Hadid candidly spoke about her 15-year struggle with Lyme disease after taking five-month break to seek treatment at a wellness center in California. On 6 August, she posted a carousel of photos of herself in a doctors chair with an IV in her arm. The little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself, Hadid wrote on Instagram. Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me, proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I cant really explain. To be that sad and sick with the most blessings/privilege/opportunity/love around me was quite possibly the most confusing thing ever. One thing I want to express to you all is that one: I am OK and you do not have to worry, and two: I wouldnt change anything for the world, Hadid continued. I have so much gratitude for and perspective on life. In addition to Lyme disease, Hadid has also endured chronic disease and co-infection treatment. Almost 15 years of invisible suffering was all worth it if Im able to, God willing, have a lifetime of spreading love from a full cup and being able to truly be myself, for the first time ever, she said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby has formally lodged a Court of Appeal bid to challenge her conviction for murdering babies. Letby, 33, was sentenced to a whole life order after jurors convicted her of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016. Court staff said on Friday that they had received an application for permission to appeal. The Department of Health has previously said that an independent inquiry will be held into Letbys case, and will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and incidents including how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with. Lucy Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others (PA Media) Letby, from Hereford, denied all the offences and refused to attend her sentencing. She was cleared of two counts of attempted murder. The jury of seven women and four men could not reach verdicts on allegations that Letby attempted to murder three baby girls, Child H, Child J and Child K. They also could not reach verdicts over two counts of attempted murder against Child N, a baby boy, and an allegation she tried to murder another male infant, Child Q. Prosecutors will announce later this month whether they intend to seek a retrial for child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby on a number of outstanding allegations. A hearing is scheduled to take place at Manchester Crown Court on Monday 25 September when the Crown Prosecution Service will state its intentions. The moment Letby was taken away by police from her home (Cheshire Constabulary/AFP via Ge) Last week it was also confirmed that inquiry into the killings will be led by Lady Justice Thirlwall - one of the UKs most senior judges. Health secretary Steven Barclay previously told the House of Commons: On the day of conviction, I ordered an independent inquiry into the events at the Countess of Chester Hospital. This inquiry will examine the cases wider circumstances, including the Trusts response to clinicians who raised the alarm and the conduct of the wider NHS and its regulators. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The case against the prime suspect in Madeleine McCanns disappearance is said to be at risk as a key witness threatens to pull the plug on his statement. Helge Busching, 48, a former friend of key suspect Christian Brueckner, 45, cooperated with police to provide evidence against his former friend - who he claims made a chilling confession to him a year after McCann was abducted. Previously, Busching has spoken out about the convicted rapist claiming he spoke about taking Madeleine McCaan when he saw him at a music festival in Spain in 2008. Busching alleges Brueckner made a disturbing confession about the abduction, and said the three-year-old didnt scream when she was kidnapped. Christian Brueckner is the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case and is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for rape (Reuters) He told the Police it was clear Brueckner had taken the child. Now, as reported in The Sun, sources close to the case claim Busching might withdraw his evidence and refuse to uphold his claims in the courtroom. A German source was quoted in The Sun: Word is that Helge B is about to withdraw his evidence. He was paid a huge sum to repeat his statement in a German newspaper and now hes pulling the plug. It just goes to show you what type of people you are dealing with and their credibility as witnesses. The prosecutor in the case, Hans Christian Wolters told The Sun his statement would still hold significance, but he was unaware of his alleged change of mind. Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007 at the age of three whilst holidaying in Praia da Luz, Algarve, with parents Kate and Gerry McCann, both now 55. Parents Kate and Gerry McCann still dont know what happened to their daughter (Getty Images) The unresolved investigation has spanned 16 years and authorities conducted a major search of a remote Algarve reservoir in May, as it was believed Brueckner had visited the remote location. Brueckner has previous convictions for child sexual abuse, drug trafficking and is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old pensioner. This article was amended on 18 September 2023. It originally stated that Madeleine had been abducted, but that has never been proved. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The father, stepmother and uncle of Sara Sharif have been charged in the murder of the 10-year-old, Surrey Police said. Sara was found dead in her family home in Woking on 10 August. A post-mortem examination revealed that she had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period of time. Her father Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, all of Hammond Road, Woking, have been charged in the case. The trio have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of the child. All three have been remanded in custody to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on Friday. All three flew to Pakistan a day before Sara was found dead at a home in Woking. They were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport after they disembarked from an Emirates flight from Sialkot, in eastern Punjab province in Pakistan, via Dubai. The police said at the time that they were being taken into custody for questioning and that Saras birth mother, Olga Sharif, was informed of their arrest. Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Saras death at this very difficult time, Surrey Police said after their arrest. Five of Saras siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to Pakistan on 9 August with Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik. They were found by police in Pakistan on Monday at the home of Mr Sharifs father, and have since been taken into care. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Pragues High Court cancelled a lower court ruling that acquitted former Prime Minister Andrej Babis of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies. The court returned the case for retrial to Pragues Municipal Court, according information published in a database of court documents on Friday. The High Court issued the verdict a day earlier but didnt make it immediately public. The Babis case involved a farm known as the Storks Nest, which received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babis-owned Agrofert conglomerate of around 250 companies to Babis family members. Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm. The subsidies were meant for medium- and small-sized businesses, and Agrofert wouldnt have been eligible for them. Agrofert later returned the subsidy. Pragues Municipal Court also acquitted in January his former associate, Jana Nagyova, who signed the subsidy request. Babis pleaded not guilty and repeatedly said the charges against him were politically motivated. It is not immediately clear when the retrial might take place. Babis, a billionaire, is currently in the opposition after his populist ANO centrist movement lost the 2021 parliamentary election. He was running to become the Czech president in the election for the largely ceremonial post in January but lost to Petr Pavel, a retired army general. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The father of Sara Sharif is among three people charged with the 10-year-olds murder, Surrey Police has said. The force said the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Saras father Urfan Sharif, 41, Urfans partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfans brother, Faisal Malik, 28, all of Hammond Road, Woking. They have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child. The trio travelled to Pakistan a day before police discovered Saras body in Woking on August 10. A post-mortem examination found the youngster had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period of time. They were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai. All three have been remanded in custody to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on Friday. Police said Saras mother has been informed of this latest development and is being supported by specialist officers. Five of Saras siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to the South Asian country on August 9 with Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A suspect identified by a large red swastika tattoo on his chest was arrested for allegedly taping a razor blade to a handrail at a Salvation Army Church in Pennsylvania, police say. Benjamin Burton Brower Jr, 30, attached a three-inch blade to a handrail on steps leading to the front door of the church in Altoona, Blair County, on Sunday afternoon, the Altoona Police Department said in a statement. APD officers were dispatched to the Salvation Army Church, 1813 6th Ave, after Brower was seen on surveillance cameras taping razor blades to the hand railing at the church entrance, the Altoona police said. Brower was shirtless during the incident and identified by a large red swastika tattoo on his chest. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WTAJ, Mr Brower was seen walking onto church grounds at around 3pm on Sunday wearing red shorts and an open vest exposing his swastika tattoo with a green camouflage backpack. He then retrieved several items from the bag and taped the blade, with the sharp side up, to a metal handrail. Benjamin Burton Brower Jr, 30, was arrested for taping a razor blade to a hand railing at the Salvation Army Church in Blair County, Pennsylvania (Altoona Police Department) The church holds public services at 10.30am, Sunday school at 11.30am and provides free meals to the community at a 4.30pm soup kitchen. The razor was removed by the church pastor at around 5.15pm, and no one was injured. Swastikas are widely recognised as symbols of hate, antisemitism and white supremacy. Mr Brower was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, institutional vandalism at a place of worship, recklessly endangering another person, and other offences on Wednesday, police said. He is being held at Blair County Jail on $10,000 bail. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother has been arrested after allegedly abandoning her young child on the side of a California street. Early Tuesday morning in the middle of the night at 2.50am a person walking in Larchmont Village in Central Los Angeles found a 3-year-old girl alone inside a stroller. The youngster, found on the 100 block of North Larchmont Boulevard, was taken to hospital to be examined. She was found to be in good health. The police searched the stroller and found an identification card belonging to Targie Alexandre, 24. After this, police were able to locate the father of the child, but Ms Alexandres location was unknown. "Weve had a lot of resources devoted to this over the past day, from officers, detectives, weve had our bloodhounds out there," said Lt. Brian Churchill of the Los Angeles Police Department. "Weve had no luck finding the mother so were asking for the publics help right now." However, Ms Alexandre was arrested on Wednesday night after police were waiting for her at her workplace, police said. She has been charged with a felony of child endangerment and is being held on $105,000 bail. Los Angeles Police Department (Tagie Alexandre was arrested when she arrived at her workplace) The felony punishment for child endangerment is up to six years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Earlier this year, a Georgia woman was arrested for the 2019 abandonment of her newborn baby after it was found alive in a plastic bag. The mother, Karima Jiwani, was charged with criminal intent to commit murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated assault and reckless abandonment. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A pack of dogs attacked a boy while he was riding his bike in North Carolina, sending him to hospital with serious injuries. Amber Barnes told the Tryon Daily Bulletin that her 12-year-old son Hunter was biking to a friends house in Rutherford County, North Carolina, on 26 August when a pack of about ten loose dogs suddenly circled him. She said that she went looking for Hunter, finding him in a nearby ditch as the dogs were still attacking him. They looked like they were starving, the way I looked at it, they were eating my son, said Ms Barnes, who has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses. Two people managed to pull the dogs off the boy, allowing enough time for his mother to lift her son to safety. Ms Barnes then loaded Hunter into her car and took him to hospital. The 12-year-old was then airlifted to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, where he underwent four surgeries, the Daily Bulletin reported. The Rutherford County Sheriffs Office confirmed the attack, saying that it took place 35 miles outside Asheville on Grassy Knob Road and that three of the dogs are currently in quarantine. Ms Barnes said that Hunter, who is in seventh grade and loves to play sports, is expected to spend weeks in hospital and does not know when he will be able to go back to school, WHNS reported. The severity of his wounds means he might need to undergo further surgeries. Hunter suffered serious injuries in the dog attack (GoFundMe) Its unreal that hes still alive, said Ms Barnes. She added: Putting some dogs into custody is not going to get justice for my son. Theyre going to be out in ten days and somebody else is going to get hurt. If you cant take care of dogs, give them to someone who can make them, let them be raised right. No charges have yet been brought against the dogs owners as the investigation continues. What to advertise and what not to advertise? That was the question for Flagstaff City Council this week as members debated whether the city should allow advertisements for firearms and related services at city facilities such as the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport and Jay Lively Activity Center, the location of the ice rink. The discussion came after an advertising video to be played at the airport by Timberline Firearms and Training was rejected earlier this year. City staff rejected the video for not complying with the citys policy on violence within advertisements shown at the airport. That policy restricts advertisements that represent, by language or graphics, violence or antisocial behavior. City staff are now asking Council to clarify that policy. Language was suggested that would ban advertising that restricts the advertisement of firearms, ammunition, or related goods or services. The regulations also ban the advertising of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco and related products. Throughout Tuesdays discussion, several members of the public accused Council and the city of attempting to restrict free speech in violation of the First Amendment. Rob Wilson, the owner of Timberline Firearms, was among several members of the public who told Council he believed the city was taking a dangerous step toward restricting free speech. Wilson, whose ad was rejected earlier this year, said he has paid for the same advertisement to run at the airport every summer since 2020. In years past, I have run an ad on the monitor at the baggage claim. I asked to do the same ad this year. So its run thousands and thousands of times because its on a loop and its a 10-second clip, Wilson said. According to Wilson, in the past the city had contracted out the management of advertising at the airport and he never had a problem. But now that the city is running the management of advertising at the airport in-house, city staff rejected the ad. Wilson also said the ad depicts the logo for Timberline Firearms and Training. The video shows four people standing holding guns, and the ad ends with a video clip of an instructor and a student at their indoor firing range. The student fires an assault-style weapon in full automatic at a paper target downrange with the silhouette of a person on it. In my opinion, no violence, Wilson told the Arizona Daily Sun. What they're doing is they're letting their personal emotional beliefs drive their professional decisions, in contrary to what their obligation is with respect to their oath, which is to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of Arizona. That was not the feeling of city staff. City Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hanson said staff believed the video violated the citys clause on violence depicted in advertisements and may make many who would see it uncomfortable. I will tell you that, Timberline Firearms, in that one video, one of the issues was that it was firing quite rapidly at the silhouette of a person. And we felt like that might make someone uncomfortable, Hanson said. That feeling was shared. Councilmember Miranda Sweet said she was made uncomfortable when she saw the video advertisement. I am a small business owner, I know the value of advertising and I understand where you're coming from. Sweet said, addressing Wilson. I want you to be able to advertise, but we're Flagstaff and we're trying to welcome people into the community when they come in the airport and for me, the video didnt portray that. After rejecting the video, staff asked Wilson if they could make changes to it. Wilson said he would not make changes to the video and appealed the denial decision. That appeal first moved to the city manager and city attorneys office before coming to Council for a clarification of policy. It's free speech. And that's mostly why I'm here. Because to be honest, if I couldn't advertise there, it's not the end of the world. Its a hit [to the business] but its not the end of the world, Wilson said. They're not here to legislate morality, or ban what we can and cannot say. That's what the First [Amendment] is all about. But while many on the council thought the city could strike a middle road, most expressed approval for tighter restrictions on the kinds of advertisements that the city would allow within its facilities. Councilmember Lori Matthews wondered if the city could still allow firearms to be advertised, but now allow advertisements for assault-style weapons, or depictions of guns being fired. Our focus at the airport is create a friendly, welcoming environment for everyone. And not everyone looks at an AR-15 as [creating] a friendly environment, Matthews said. But I think we can still allow businesses to advertise and attract consumers to their shop. Councilmembers Austin Aslan and Khara House both suggested the city simply restrict the depiction of any weapon, be it related to a firearm shop or an ax throwing business, to advertise within city facilities. Tuesdays discussion will not be the end of the issue. Should the city continue to move forward to changes to the policy, Council will again discuss and then vote on the measure in the coming months. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A jury has found three men not guilty of a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Twin brothers William and Michael Null and a third man, Eric Molitor, were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapons charge on Friday, according to the Associated Press. They were the last of 14 men charged over the militia kidnapping plot on the eve of the 2020 presidential election. Nine others have been convicted. Prosecutors had alleged that the Null brothers and Mr Molitor had participated in the scheme by taking part in military drills and travelling to governors lakeside vacation home in Elk Rapids, in northern Michigan. The trio were portrayed as anti-government extremists who were angry with Ms Whitmers decision to close down schools and businesses during the Covid pandemic. The plotters were being secretly monitored by the FBI for months, and were arrested in October 2020 before they could carry out the plan. Eric Molitor, 39, was acquitted of taking part in a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer on Friday (Antrim County Sheriffs Office/AP) Mr Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, testified that they had taken part in drills and admitted going to Ms Whitmers home, but said they backed out of the group when members discussed obtaining explosives, according to the Associated Press. Michael Null, also 41, refused to give evidence and his lawyer declined to answer questions of any of the trial witnesses. Plot ringleaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr were convicted of federal kidnapping conspiracy at a trial last year. A booking photo of William Null, who was found not guilty nearly three years after his arrest (Antrim County Sheriffs Office/AP) Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Croft received a sentence of 19 years after being found guilty on charges of kidnapping conspiracy, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and possessing an unregistered destructive device. Two other men, Brian Higgins and Shawn Fix, pleaded guilty earlier this year in exchange for reduced charges and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. After the kidnapping plot was foiled by the FBI, Ms Whitmer placed the blame for the failed scheme squarely on the shoulders of then-President Donald Trump. Michael Null, one of two twin brothers on trial, was also cleared (Antrim County Sheriffs Office/AP) Hate groups heard the presidents words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, Ms Whitmer said at the time. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet, encourage or fraternise with domestic terrorists, they legitimise their actions and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A stargazer who thought hed made the discovery of a lifetime was brought down to Earth with a bump when a crater apparently left by a meteorite was revealed to be nothing more than a hole dug by beach-goers. Astrophysics enthusiast Dave Kennedy was over the moon when the hole, several feet wide and deep, appeared in north Dublin. He felt sure that a small, black, heavy rock found at the bottom of the hole was an asteroid from outer space, and contacted various astronomy experts in an effort to confirm his theory. Still from footage of men digging hole ( ) He said a scorch mark on one side of the rock showed the angle at which it had fallen. Only a month ago, I was watching a documentary from Nasa on exactly what were looking at so when I looked at it and saw how uniform it is, and the vast crater, I knew immediately I was looking at an impact site, he said. Visitors to the Portmarnock beach gathered to inspect the crater. One said: Were down here quite a lot and never seen anything like this before, so its pretty spectacular. However, Mr Kennedys optimism was short-lived. Within a day of his appearance on Virgin Media News, a context note on X (formerly Twitter) compiled from user information read: It is in fact not a cosmic event - instead it was dug out the day before by 2 lads with a beach spade. Footage on social media posted by friends of the young men showed them sitting in the hole, digging it out with childrens spades, and was captioned: The hole we dug on Saturday. Although the astronomy enthusiast was widely mocked, he said he would still have the rock analysed in the hope it wasnt a completely fruitless discovery, Virgin Media News reported. Research on the chances of asteroids hitting Earth has focused on much larger rocks. Astronomers say Earth probably will not be struck by an object 1km wide (0.6 miles) for at least 1,000 years but they have not ruled out smaller meteorites landing before then. Close Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Geolocated footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut), it said. Ukrainian forces have also marginally advanced west of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to geolocated footage seen by the think tank. It comes as Kyiv said it had successfully hit a strategic object of the air defence system in western Crimea. Russian sources said the attack was carried out using combined long-range weapons like ATACMS, storm shadow missiles and sea drones. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed its air defence systems destroyed eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the peninsula. If confirmed, this would be the first time Ukraine has used the top-tier missile system provided by the US to hit targets on the Crimean coast. Meanwhile, Russia has bulked up its forces around the devastated city of Bakhmut in the east and has switched its troops from a defensive posture to taking active actions, a Ukrainian military commander said. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Apple will update the iPhone 12 in France after fears it was emitting too much radiation. The company will issue an update to users in the country that it said would address regulators concerns. It comes after officials ordered Apple to stop selling the phone, saying that testing showed that its radiation was over European Union Standards. Apple says that the iPhone 12 is safe and that it has successfully passed a range of tests in countries around the world. It has blamed the specific testing used by the French agency in charge, saying that the problems were related to a specific testing protocol. The French agency said the iPhone 12 recently failed one of two types of tests for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body. On Tuesday, Frances government ordered a halt to sales of the iPhone 12 and told Apple to issue a software update to address the problem or face a recall. Apple said in a statement Friday that it will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. It did not elaborate. The French ban could have extended to all 27 EU countries after three months if Apple had refused to issue updates and if no other government objected, European Commission spokesperson Sonya Gospodinova said Thursday. Frances digital affairs minister said the iPhone 12s radiation levels are still much lower than what scientific studies consider potentially harmful to users, and the radiation agency acknowledged that its tests dont reflect typical phone use. Cellphones have been labeled as possible carcinogens by the World Health Organizations cancer research arm, putting them in the same category as coffee, diesel fumes and the pesticide DDT. The radiation produced by cellphones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light. Experts have recommended that people concerned about their cellphone radiation exposure use earphones or switch to texting. Additional reporting by agencies Policing Minister Chris Philp has pledged every shoplifting offence will be investigated by officers following a surge in offences across the country. His comments come as the John Lewis Partnership said it is facing a 12 million jump in the cost of shoplifting and Lidl announced it was stepping up investment in-store security by ramping up CCTV coverage and rolling out more body-worn cameras. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Mr Philp said: I am asking police to take a much tougher approach. always investigating where there is evidence that can be followed up and in shoplifting they almost always have CCTV. I would like every incident to be investigated. EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has issued a plea for people to help after her husband Yassine Al-Jermoni returned to Morocco to help his family following the deadly earthquake. Taking to Instagram, Cheryl said: "I'm married to Yassine who is Moroccan and my family are Moroccan. And over the last few days, it's been, let's say, very challenging in their country. And I said, 'What's the matter?'. "He said, 'Actually, I didn't want to alarm you. But you know, we all had to get out of the house' and he made sure that people were safe where he was. Fergison is now urging companies to donate sleeping equipment, tents, or things for people to live in temporary shelters. Protestors have gathered outside Tata Steels Port Talbot plant as it was revealed around 3,000 workers face the prospect of losing their jobs as part of a government-backed package to make the plant greener. The Government is to pump up to 500 million into Britains biggest steelworks as part of plans to produce greener steel which could also hit thousands of jobs, sources have said. Tata, the Indian conglomerate that owns the Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales, will use the funding to help switch the plants two coal-fired blast furnaces to electric arc versions that can run on zero-carbon electricity. Government to simplify tax for multinational code as new 15pc rate looms The sharp drop in the corporation tax paid in August has not pushed the total off course with the Government forecast for 24bn to be collected in 2023 unchanged, according to Finance Minister Michael McGrath. He also said corporation tax receipts for this year should hold up, despite a 36pc dip in August. That drop is understood to be down to timing of when tax was paid, rather than the total due. Despite the drop in August the total of corporate tax paid so far this year is 12.7bn which is up 7pc on last year and in line with the Budget forecast. The Budget forecast for the full year in 2023 was that corporation tax collected would increase by 7pc to 24bn setting a new record. While October is the most important month for collecting the tax, indications suggest it is coming in as anticipated, the minister said. At this point I see no reason to believe we will dramatically undershorts or overshoot our forecast for the current year, he said. He was speaking as the Government unveiled plans to exempt foreign-earned dividends from Irish corporation tax by 2025 to support Irelands competitiveness. The change will not reduce or increase the amount of tax paid here or abroad but will simplify a complex process, he said. In a corporation tax roadmap the Government said an opt-out for foreign profits may follow in future. Finance Minister Michael McGrath said he wants to simplify the Irish tax code in the wake of a series of changes agreed at global level, to keep Ireland competitive and attractive to business investment. The minister said it was his intention to include an exemption for foreign dividends in the finance bill accompanying next years Budget. A technical consultation to gather more evidence on the move is being launched today. An exemption for foreign profits may follow in future, the roadmap says. At the moment, Ireland taxes most foreign income earned by firms, issuing tax credits in case the income has already incurred charges, such as withholding taxes, abroad. The tax and credit system usually results in no Irish tax being paid, so the changes are unlikely to result in a gain or loss to the Exchequer. But the system is complicated, say economists and accountants, who have been clamouring for a change to the rules ahead of a new global 15pc corporate tax rate that is due to take effect next January. Ireland is committed to ensuring that our corporation tax code is competitive and attractive to business investment, while maintaining consistency with international best practices, Mr McGrath said. The corporation tax landscape globally has been undergoing a concentrated period of change in recent years. These reforms have resulted in the introduction of a range of new measures to the corporation tax code. In this context, the introduction of a participation exemption for foreign dividends to Irelands tax regime will provide much-needed administrative simplification and greater certainty for businesses, while continuing to ensure a robust and effective tax system. It will be a significant change to Irish corporation tax; a change which, I believe, will support Irelands competitiveness in the years to come. The technical consultation runs until December 13, with a first feedback statement to be published next March, and a second feedback statement if needed to follow in July 2024. The exemption would form part of Finance Bill 2024, to come into effect in 2025. Meanwhile, the EU is introducing its own changes to how corporation tax is calculated, reviving an old proposal known as the common corporate tax base (CCTB). While it doesnt award Irish taxing rights to other EU countries as in previous proposals, it does harmonise rules on things like dividends and foreign income. Ireland could lose taxing rights on some of the biggest US companies under a 2021 deal brokered by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is still being fine-tuned. Mr McGrath said Ireland remains deeply sceptical of the EUs proposal, which has failed twice before: in 2011 and in 2016, and said the OECD deal is the best way forward. There is only so much change the system can handle, he told reporters today. A company claims its technology has been boycotted as part of an alleged air carrier cartel conspiracy to restrain trade An Aer Lingus plane lands at San Francisco International Airport, California in June. Slots are permissions granted for an airline to land or take off on a particular day and within a specific time frame. Photo: Getty Images Aer Lingus has been caught up in a multi-billion dollar legal dispute relating to the method used to allocate airport slots at major US airports. The national flag carrier is named as one of more than 80 defendants in a civil action which centres on alleged anti-competitive practices in the allocation of lucrative slots to airlines. Slots are permissions granted for an airline to land or take off on a particular day and within a specific time frame. They are allocated by airport operators under guidelines set down by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of the worlds airlines. The action has been filed by the chief executive of Exhaustless Inc, a US company which has developed an algorithm-based product designed to reduce flight delays and congestion at commercial airports. The company claims its technology has been boycotted as part of an alleged air carrier cartel conspiracy to restrain trade. Among other things, the lawsuit seeks to restrict dozens of airlines, including Aer Lingus, from participating in alliance agreements. The case was filed last week in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The IATA holds two conferences a year, the most recent of which was in Dublin, for airline operators to obtain slots. Under a use it or lose it system, slots may have to be returned and given to other operators if an airline does not use 80pc of its slots in a given season. There is also secondary trading of slots between airlines. But the Exhaustless lawsuit effectively seeks to break up this system and open it up to private operators to enter the market with other slot allocation solutions. In a 153-page complaint, Exhaustless chief executive Steve Endres said his company had patented solutions to increase flight capacity at constrained airports, while at the same time decreasing noise, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. He claimed, however, that his business has been unable to enter the slot allocation market as carrier members of the IATA had unanimously voted to continue with the present system, which he alleged involved grandfathering slots for free rather than through a competitive bidding process. Aer Lingus is one of more than 60 airlines using US airport slots named in the lawsuit. The carrier was contacted for comment but did not respond. Other defendants include the owners and operators of several major US airports and the attorney generals for Florida and Texas. The lawsuit was filed last week and answers to the complaint have yet to be lodged in court. Mr Endres is seeking declarations the IATA guidelines amount to a price fixing agreement to restrain trade, that airport operators be restrained from continuing to use them, and that air carriers be adjudged to have engaged in racketeering. He is also seeking damages arising from the alleged boycott of his companys system. Ryanair CEO Michael OLeary said he has no problem being deposed by lawyers for Booking.com in a major lawsuit launched by the airline against the online travel agent giant in the US for alleged screen-scraping of its fares. In recent weeks, lawyers for Ryanair have resisted efforts by Booking Holdings to force Mr OLeary to answer questions by way of a deposition. But following Ryanairs annual general meeting in Dublin yesterday, Mr OLeary insisted he would be willing to make himself available. Ive no problem. I think weve agreed that I am to be deposed, but were just asking that the chief executive of Booking.com will be deposed as well, he said. Ryanair has sued Booking.com and its subsidiaries including Kayak, Agoda and Priceline in the United States for alleged screen-scraping of its fares. Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airlines website and often offering that airlines fares to its own customers via its own website. Mr OLeary said whether the case against Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries goes all the way to trial depends on Booking.com. If they agree to stop mis-selling our seats, if they agree to give us the actual factual passenger details and the payment details, wed be content to let them sell our fares, but not on the basis that they inflate our fares and charge our passengers inflated fees for services that are available on Ryanair.com at the lowest prices, he said. We have a great case. What Booking.com and the other OTAs (online travel agents) does is unconscionable. If they agree to give us the actual factual passenger details and the payment details, wed be content to let them sell our fares They mislead customers. Theyre internet pirates for a start. They scrape our websites and our availability without our permission. They knowingly mis-sell to consumers. They overcharge them for airfares, they overcharge them for bags, they overcharge them for allocating seats and they basically are, I think, a bunch of scam artists. According to Booking.com, Ryanair was refused permission this week by the judge hearing the case in Delaware from deposing the chief executive of Booking Holdings, Glenn Fogel, as well as the CEOs of its subsidiaries, Kayak.com and Agoda. The airline has insisted it has evidence executives at Booking Holdings at the highest level have discussed that certain airlines, including Ryanair do not want online travel agents selling their flights and discussed the potential risks of continuing to sell those airlines flights. In various cases against so-called screen-scrapers, Ryanair has alleged that fares sold by OTAs to customers are often priced far in excess of what they are available for directly from Ryanairs own website. It says tickets sold this way also makes it difficult for the carrier to contact passengers booked on its flights in this manner when there are flight delays or cancellations, for instance. At Ryanairs annual general meeting, shareholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of a previously announced deal by the airline to buy up to 300 aircraft from Boeing. That will help the airline grow its fleet to about 800 aircraft by 2034. Mr OLeary also said that he is hopeful the airline could start paying dividends before 2025. He also insisted that passenger charges at Dublin Airport should not increase. The DAA is seeking a judicial review of the current regulated charge, which is set at a maximum nominal rate of 8.50 per passenger this year. DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs said he wants the figure raised to 10 or 11. Press Release September 15, 2023 Zubiri, Legarda remember Malolos Congress As the country observes the 125th anniversary of the Malolos Congress, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri enjoins colleagues to keep the spirit of Malolos alive. "On this day in 1898, the Malolos Congress, the first legislature of our own government, was established," Zubiri said. The Senate President took pride that the secretary of the Malolos Congress, Pablo Ocampo Sr. was his grandmother's grandfather. "And I am very proud to carry on his legacy as a public servant," he said. "Here in the Senate, we will continue to uphold the principles of independence and sovereignty that have been the foundation of the Malolos Congress," he added. On September 15, 1898, the revolutionary Congress was convened in Malolos, Bulacan. It was the country's first legislature and it was tasked to draft the country's first Constitution. Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda is the Guest of Honor during the program at the Barasoain Church today, September 15, 2023. In her manifestation at the Senate plenary last Thursday, September 13, 2023, Legarda recalled that representatives from various parts of the country gathered in the church of Barasoain, Malolos, Bulacan "to create laws that would govern the newly-born Filipino nation." "The whole archipelago was represented, from as far north as Cagayan, as far south as Siasi and Jolo, as far west as Palawan, and as far east as Palau which our forebears considered as part of our family," she said. The senator said the Constitution drafted by the Malolos Congress had enshrined "civil liberties such as the freedom of religion, the right to privacy, and right to due process, the separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers, and the autonomy and empowerment of local governments." "The Malolos Congress, alongside the revolutionary government led by President Emilio Aguinaldo, showed to the whole world our capability for self-governance. Aside from writing our own laws, we were able to establish local governments, a literary-scientific university and public schools, a military academy, and newspapers with wide circulation. We sent representatives to various major cities in the world, who brought with them copies of our Constitution and news of our victories," Legarda said. "Today, we remain committed to the ideals of representative democracy that our forebears enshrined in the Constitution they wrote," she said. Legarda urged colleagues and their staff to visit the Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Barasoain Chuch during the opening of an exhibit by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to be led by Chairman Emmanuel Franco Calairo. "The NHCP leads us in sustaining the memory of our nascent republic by maintaining the Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Barasoain, and by marking the places connected with our rich republican story," Legarda said. WASHINGTON -- The largest political party in Arizona is no longer a party. The latest voter registration numbers from the Arizona Secretary of States office show that independent voters edged out Republicans in July to become the largest single group of voters in the state. Independents - officially unaffiliated or other voters who do not align with a party -- added 35,677 new voters from January to July to reach 1.45 million, or 34.55% of all registered voters in the state. Republicans added 1,985 voters in the same period to reach 1.44 million, or 34.42%, while Democrats lost 10,014 voters. The 1.26 million registered Democrats in the state accounted for 30.02% of the total. Recently statewide, the catch-all category of other party, not declared, independent, has become the plurality party so to speak, even though its not a party, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said. Experts say there are several reasons voters end up in the other category: Some are simply tired of the major parties, others dont want to be labeled and younger voters seem to prefer to be unaffiliated. Its not the first time unaffiliated voters have had the upper hand in Arizona, where political independence is woven into the culture. This is, in my opinion, the default mechanism of what voter registration looks like in the state of Arizona. Where most people choose to not be of one of the parties, said Paul Bentz, senior vice president for research and strategy at HighGround Inc. Bentz noted that independents were the largest group of registered voters for around two years leading up to the 2016 elections. Voters who do not like the major political parties have options in Arizona. There were 33,378 registered Libertarians in July, or 0.8% of the total, while the new No Labels party -- created specifically for those disenchanted with the current hyperpartisan politics -- jumped from 17 voters in January to 8,505 in July, or 0.2% of the total. But Bentz said there is a difference between the minor-party voters and unaffiliated voters. They (independents) do not want to be of a party, thats the biggest take-away, he said. While independents have always had a place in Arizona politics, experts cautioned against reading too much into the shifting numbers. Kyle Kondik, managing editor for Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, believes that party registration trends can often be a lagging indicator of political reality. The fact that independents now are a bigger share of the electorate than Republicans, I think its sort of symbolically telling, but I dont think it tells us necessarily anything new about where Arizona is politically, Kondik said. It is important to note that voter registration is not the same thing as voter turnout, Bentz said, pointing to the fact that unaffiliated voters tend to underperform at the polls. When it comes to actual voters who show up, what we see is theyre closer to about 28% in a presidential election, and in a midterm election theyre closer to 25%, Bentz said of unaffiliated voters. He said that underperformance can be attributed to the fact that there is not an actual Independent party in Arizona. If they want to vote in a primary election, unaffiliated voters must choose a Republican or Democratic ballot to do so. Paul Smith-Leonard, a spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, said its likely that enrollment in the major parties will inch back up as the presidential primary approaches next year. Richer believes that the reluctance to be associated with a specific party has also led to a push for change in how elections are run, leading to the creation of groups like Save Democracy Arizona, which is pushing for an open primary election. That would put candidates from all parties on one primary ballot which any registered voter could use, whether affiliated with a party or not. But being able to choose which party to vote for is also why Bentz says that independent voters are the largest swing group in the state. Theyre certainly the group that delivered Arizona to Donald Trump in 2016, and delivered Arizona to Joe Biden in 2020, and then voted overwhelmingly Democratically and rejected the Republican candidates in 2022, Bentz said. One thing is certain, experts say: The persistence of independents in Arizona is a wake-up call for the major parties if they want to win elections statewide in Arizona. Whether youre Republican or a Democrat, you need to appeal to a large portion of the unaffiliated voters in order to be successful, Bentz said. Reduction means the average standard rate electricity bill will come down by 895 a year. Photo: Getty Energy provider Flogas has put it up to its larger rivals by announcing the biggest cut in electricity and natural gas prices so far. It has announced a 30pc reduction in its electricity and natural gas unit rates and it is also reducing its standing charges. The reductions take effect from November 6 and will mean costs coming down by 895 a year on the average standard rate electricity bill. For gas customers, annual standard rate costs will fall by 778, it said. The supplier has around 70,000 residential customers for electricity and gas. For dual-fuel customers, those who use both gas and electricity from the company, there will be reductions of 1,673 annually. Flogas said it continues to offer competitive fixed-rate electricity and gas prices to new and existing customers. Charlie Weston: Flogas puts it up to its rivals The reductions apply to all variable rate customers, including smart variable rate customers. Flogas became the sixth energy provider to cut its prices after PrepayPower said it was reducing its electricity and gas prices by around 13pc. Up to now most suppliers have cut prices by between 10 and 20pc. Flogas general manager Sean OLoughlin said: While wholesale energy markets remain unpredictable, we have seen a calming of volatility of late and this allows us to make these reductions. The countrys largest pay-as-you-go energy provider PrepayPower is reducing the price of its electricity by 12.8pc, with gas going down by 13.5pc, but not until November 1. The company said that based on typical usage patterns, the reduction will mean a saving of approximately 435 a year for a typical dual-fuel customer . A typical electricity customer will save 223 a year in electricity costs due to the latest cut, it added. PrepayPower said it has over 180,000 customers and is the largest provider of pay-as-you-go energy in the market in Ireland. A spokesman for PrepayPower said: We are delighted to announce these price reductions for our customers today. Our customers will continue to benefit from standard rates that are amongst the lowest in the market, significantly cheaper than the standard rates from many bill pay suppliers. There is still no word from larger player Bord Gais Energy on cutting its prices. Last week SSE Airtricity, one of the big four suppliers in the market, said it is reducing electricity unit rates for its household customers by 12pc from November 1. The price reduction will see a typical electricity customer save 233 (including Vat) a year, it said. Gas customers will see standard unit rates come down by 10pc. There is no reduction in its standing charge. It comes after the largest electricity supplier in the State, Electric Ireland, this week said it was reducing electricity and gas unit prices and the standing charges from the start of November. The Electric Ireland reduction in residential electricity unit rates and standing charges works out at 10pc and equates to an annual saving of 212 on the average electricity bill. Energia announced price reductions of up to 20pc last week, with Pinergy giving its customers two price cuts so far this year. PrepayPower recently set up a separate bill-pay energy provider, Yuno Energy. It is promising it can save customers more than 500 a year on their electricity bills by closely monitoring their energy usage at home. Earlier this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he has told energy companies that they must go further to reduce prices in future billing cycles. Mr Varadkar and Environment and Climate Minister Eamon Ryan met with Irelands four largest energy retailers SSE Electricity, Bord Gais Energy, Energia and Electric Ireland on Tuesday to express concern at persistently high energy prices. The telecoms operator has notified the Data Protection Commissioner about a potential breach after its main Twitter accounts were temporarily taken over by third parties. Vodafone has temporarily disabled its main Twitter customer care account, as well as that of its subsidiary Clear Mobile, after a third party gained access. The telecoms firm has notified the Data Protection Commissioner and is investigating the issue. The two Twitter accounts have almost 80,000 followers between them. "We are investigating the misuse of a third party application used to manage the Vodafone Ireland X [Twitter] social media channel," a spokesperson told the Irish Independent. "As a precaution, we have shut down this application while we are investigating and we have reported the incident to the Data Protection Commissioner. We are sorry for the inconvenience and we will respond to all customer queries as soon as possible." A number of unauthorised tweets, seen by the Irish Independent, were posted under the Vodafone Ireland and Clear Mobile accounts, directing users toward Discord servers. Following the incident, Vodafone suspended the accounts activity. Our teams have quickly responded and are working hard to resolve this as soon as possible, the spokesperson said. The Twitter accounts have not tweeted in over a week while Vodafone tries to resolve the issue. The Irish Independent understands that the telecoms firm is waiting for interaction from X, the company formerly Twitter, which laid off most of its staff in the last year. Companies with customer care accounts on social media platforms such as Twitter often use third party applications and software to manage the accounts. We are sorry for the inconvenience and we will respond to all customer queries as soon as possible, the spokespersons for Vodafone said, adding that customers can contact its customer care through its website, https://n.vodafone.ie/support.html, by calling 1907 or by visiting one of its retail stores. Niall runs a suckler enterprise along with his father Kevin where they keep Charolais cross cattle. Niall Hurson on his home farm in Co Monaghan where he runs a suckler enterprise along with his father Kevin. Niall Hurson on his home farm in Co Monaghan where he runs a suckler enterprise along with his father Kevin. Farming Independent journalist and Co Monaghan suckler farmer, Niall Hurson, has been awarded a Nuffield Ireland Scholarship. Nuffield Ireland Chairperson, Joe Leonard, announced the five Scholars selected to begin their two-year programme in 2024. We are thrilled to announce that Molly Garvey, food communications consultant from Wicklow; Niall Hurson, rural affairs journalist and suckler farmer from Monaghan; John Keane, dairy farmer from Laois and Michael Martin, beef and tillage Farmer and teacher from Wexford, were selected following this years interview process, Mr Leonard said. In addition, they will be joined by Nick Cotter, sheep farmer and agtech entrepreneur from Limerick, who was selected in 2022 but deferred his Scholarship to finish his formal studies, he added. The scholarships encourage the development of future industry leaders and promote international networking. The two-year programme is a combination of intense leadership and personal development training with support from the extensive international Nuffield network, up to nine weeks of mandated group and personal research travels, and the writing of an academic quality report. Niall Hurson said: Im delighted to have been selected for a 2024 Nuffield Ireland Scholarship and Im looking forward to the opportunity to travel and learn with fellow scholars. It will be a fantastic opportunity to develop connections and draw upon the knowledge and support of the Nuffield community. Niall Hurson on his home farm in Co Monaghan where he runs a suckler enterprise along with his father Kevin. The Scholars and their proposed research topics will be presented to the public at the Nuffield Ireland Annual Conference, to be held this year on Friday 10 November in the Mount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow, Co Carlow. The internationally acclaimed scholarship is a leadership programme for people with a passion for advancing agriculture and rural communities. In 1943, William Morris established the Nuffield Foundation for the advancement of health and social well-being and the care and comfort of the aged poor. William Morris, who later became Lord Nuffield, was an industrialist and philanthropist in the United Kingdom, and made his fortune building bicycles and later launching Morris Motor Company. By 1947, encouraged by Jack Maclean, Vice President of the NFU, these objectives had been widened to include agricultural advancement. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is set to invite EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius to Ireland as the Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue continues to face backlash from farmers over new nitrates rules. The move is seen as an overruling of the Minister, who had a heated session with politicians at the Agriculture Committee today. "The Taoiseach agreed to write to EU Commissioner Sinkevicius inviting him to Ireland to meet with him, Minister Charlie McConalogue and a delegation from the sector or for the Commissioner to meet with sector representatives in Brussels," said a spokesperson for the Taoiseach. It is the latest development following outrage from the IFA over stricter nitrate derogation rules, confirmed last week. McConalogue had clashed with Fine Gael Agriculture spokesperson Tim Lombard in a heated exchange this morning at the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, accusing him of misleading the public on the timing of the meeting. Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard had publicly been critical of the Minister's indication that he would not meet with the Committee until October 4. At the meeting Minister McConalogue said a two-tiered Nitrates Derogation could be created, where the 250kg N/ha limit can be retained on some farms. The Minister said his Department is currently corresponding with the European Commission to see what flexibilities can be applied, and will conclude this work by the end of September. The EPA identified the majority of the country in so-called nitrates 'red zones', however, some key dairy-producing regions were not included, particularly in Cork. The Commissioner was clear that there could be some small capacity based on data and robust scientific evidence for minor amendments to the map, Minister McConalogue said. So it is possible to have some of the country at 250kg. What was clear from the meeting I had with the Commissioner was that there might be some minor adjustments. Its been clear to me that it may be very minor adjustments to what that map is. Coming from that meeting Ive been engaging with my team in relation to assessing that data. My team has particularly been engaging with the Commission around clarifying what minor adjustments might be possible. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government will not put pressure on RTE to sell its Montrose campus in Dublin. Photo: Liam McBurney RTE correspondent Emma OKelly says the focus on recruitment freezes at the broadcaster is misdirected RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst, arrives at Leinster House in Dublin, to appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee over governance issues at the broadcaster. Picture date: Wednesday September 13, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story IRISH RTE. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Staff at RTE are yet to see the culture shift that was promised for the organisation in the wake of the payments controversy. A hiring freeze and reductions in spending at RTE were announced this week by director general Kevin Bakhurst. RTE Education Correspondent and chair of the NUJ Dublin Broadcasting Branch Emma OKelly said these measures are misdirected and do not address the issues at the root of the problem at the national broadcaster. There is no sign of the openness and transparency we want. There is no sign of a culture shift in the organisation and thats what we want to see. We dont see any evidence of that at all yet. Ms OKelly acknowledged it is early days but that staff want a different RTE. RTE correspondent Emma OKelly says the focus on recruitment freezes at the broadcaster is misdirected Everybody recognises the need for a different RTE, but what needs to change is the culture the culture of secrecy and lack of transparency, the them and us culture where some people at the top are treated with kid gloves and paid exorbitant salaries and other people are treated very, very differently. They are the things that need to change and thats where we want the focus to be. But suddenly, we see the focus on recruitment freezes, cutting our output its misdirected. Ms OKelly said staff are very concerned and fearful for the future. Were very much in the dark, we dont know how its going to impact on us and we dont know how long its going to last. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government will not put pressure on RTE to sell its Montrose campus in Dublin. Mr Varadkar said any plan to sell off large chunks of Montrose should be considered plans and not knee-jerk reactions to the payments scandal. Speaking in Co Limerick, he added that the Government will be engaging with RTE about additional funding for this year and future years. No, were not going to make any demands of that nature. "What we want to hear from the DG and the board is what their plans are to improve the financial position of RTE as a company but also a vision for a successful RTE into the future, which is just as important because it is our public service broadcaster; we want it to be successful into the future, he said. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government will not put pressure on RTE to sell its Montrose campus in Dublin. Photo: Liam McBurney I think the DG has made some very tough decisions in recent days around the recruitment freeze and cutting back on some of the allowances. In relation to the site, some of the site has already been sold, as people will know. But I think for any more of the sites (to be) sold, it needs to be worked out. It might make sense to sell part of it, it might make sense to sell all of it. But, of course, if RTE is relocated, therell be costs associated with that too. This comes as Tanaiste Micheal Martin criticised RTEs handling of the Ryan Tubridy payments scandal and cast doubt over whether the station should sell any of its Donnybrook site. Mr Martin criticised the lack of authority in RTE as he declined to be drawn on whether Ryan Tubridy should repay the 150,000 Renault money to RTE after director general Kevin Bakhurst said on Wednesday there was a moral case for the former Late Late Show host to do so. I am not going to get into the personalities anymore on this. "Im not entirely comfortable with how all of that has been dealt with by RTE, Mr Martin said in Dublin yesterday. 'We are just as angry as the public' Orla O'Donnell shows frustration in response to RTE payment scandal I think the Grant Thornton report laid it out. "I think theres a more fundamental issue apart from personalities all together, which is about the governance of RTE, the lack of authority from RTE in response to all of the issues that arose during the summer, and the lack of coherence. I think the more fundamental point in society is that we have proper public service content, that we have proper public service media and in my view, the more essential question is not about personalities, its about how we develop a robust, resilient, fair and balanced public media provision in the country. That means a national broadcaster, but it also means that in line with the Media Commissions report, that local radio, all media platforms print media, digital that contribute to public service content should get funding in respect of that public service content, Mr Martin said. A crowd of climate activists gathered in Dublin today, despite the lashing rain, to protest against climate change. The march, made up of mostly students, was part of the international Fridays for Future movement, which saw those in attendance walking to Leinster House to demand more action against the current crisis. Chants of system change not climate change rang out as the protesters made their way up Kildare Street. Protesters carried soaking wet signs that included Keep Ireland LNG Free and Ireland may be small, but we care about climate change. The Fridays for Future movement was originally started by climate activist Greta Thunberg back in 2018 The movement was originally started by climate activist Greta Thunberg back in 2018 to protest what the group says is the lack of action against climate change. The protest came as An Bord Pleanala today refused permission for the Shannon Liquefied Natural Gas project to go ahead. Shannon LNG has been stopped for now but that has happened multiple times in the past years so we will keep fighting against all new fossil fuels forever, the crowd heard from one of the speakers. Among the speakers at the gathering outside Leinster House was student Bel Nabulele, originally from Nigeria who said she felt both privileged and guilty to be living in Ireland because of climate change. I'm not from here. I'm from Nigeria... a developing country and I feel very privileged. But I also feel very guilty that I live here in Ireland, and my family back home is struggling to put food on the table because of the climate crisis, Ms Nabulele said. I'm very fortunate to be here. But at the same time, I feel like the Irish government is not doing enough, she added. Shari Irfan, president of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union who was also in attendance at todays march, echoed what Ms Nabulele said. The protest came as An Bord Pleanala today refused permission for the Shannon Liquefied Natural Gas project to go ahead. We are the generation that are going to face some of the most existential crisis out there. We want more action, Mr Irfan said. I was born in Pakistan and I know speaking to my family from back there, how much they're struggling...It's something that students are very concerned about. It's an issue of equality, but as well, it's an issue of concern to all students, he said. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Ellen Curran, a sustainability student from UCD, has been attending climate change protests since she was 13 and doesnt feel that the government is listening to those who are demanding more action. We are being listened to on a very tokenistic level so I hope we can have some true and real genuine action in the coming months, weeks, years, Ms Curran said. "This is something I am dedicating my whole education and hopefully my future career to. So, I want to get on the ground, strike with everybody and get out on the streets and demand justice from the government. "Strikes are getting bigger, people are coming out in the rain more often. People see it as less of a weird thing, it's less of a taboo subject. It's more of a normalised thing. People want to get out, they want to strike, they want to help. "People are releasing the issues and they're realising the power behind their voice," she added. Mum of three spared jail after driving to get Calpol for her child while banned A Dublin man accused of the historical indecent assault of his sister has been sent for jury trial. The man, who is in his 60s, was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Swords District Court. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan at his partys annual think-in in Tramore, Co Waterford (Brownes Photography/PA) Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is aiming to double the partys seats on city and councils to 100 in next years local elections and is eyeing a similar increase in Dail seats in 2025. The Environment Minister set out his aspirations at the partys think-in in Tramore ahead of the start of the new Dail term next week. They were madly ambitious, he conceded but said he could not ask the Irish public to be ambitious for the future of the country if he was not. The junior partner in the three-party coalition currently has 12 Dail seats, three ministers and four ministers of state. Mr Ryan said he was not dwelling on recent opinion polls that showed the party struggling to hold voters as he believed the electorate would recognise their achievements in government when it came to casting their ballot. You hear that line that such parties are like a mudguard for the bigger parties. Well, I think at the moment were like the front wheel, he said. Were leading in terms of this change that needs to be delivered. Weve never been more needed because what weve been warning about for 40 years [in relation to climate change] is now unfolding before us. He said the policies the coalition was pursuing in relation to the clean energy transition were Green policies. He insisted the first offshore wind farms were on track to be providing power by 2027 or 2028 and said a solar revolution was underway thanks to Green initiatives such as cutting VAT and relaxing planning requirements. On the transformation of public transport, he said new infrastructure and expanded and improved services were being delivered and much more would come. Our party like no other has the experience and determination and the leadership capability to make that change, he said. Mr Ryan said the influence of the party in Government became clear during the recent rows over the EUs far-reaching Nature Restoration Law when the initially reluctant larger came round to accepting it. At that moment when nature restoration was at risk, when Sinn Fein and Fine Gael were voting against it and Fianna Fail were talking against it, you started to hear the silent majority. That's why the parties changed and came in behind our position. He agreed there were major challenges ahead, including the achievement of sufficient reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to meet the legally binding requirements of the Climate Act. The first carbon budget period ends in 2025 and emissions are running far ahead of the limits set out in law. That puts it up to the other political parties because we know where we stand in terms of scale of ambition and sense of urgency, he said. Difficult relations with farmers representative groups is hindering the partys appeal to rural voters but Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett said their stance was understandable. They have a job to do. They want to represent their members, she said. I do think though we do need to enter a more diplomatic relationship with all farm organisations because ultimately we want to move agriculture on to a more sustainable footing. The guidelines also urge colleges to resist the temptation to switch back to traditional formal exams. Photo: Stock image Radical changes in how students are assessed are on the way in a move to combat the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT. The initial focus is on third level, but the Department of Education is keeping abreast of developments. It is early days, but new guidelines are intended to lead to a complete reimagining of how students knowledge and skills are measured. Already, higher education colleges are being told to abandon certain forms of assessment because they are no longer be considered to be sufficiently robust to award scores which count towards official grades. These include do-at-home essays or similar assignments focused on subject knowledge, with a submission by a single deadline and where marks are based on structure, style, and information. Third-level colleges are also advised to avoid unsupervised online assessments, such as multiple choice question (MCQ) exams, which count toward grades. There will be a greater reliance on oral assessments to check students understanding of a topic and to identify if they have cheated by using AI in an assignment without declaring it. As third-level colleges return, guidelines have issued on how to tackle the threat posed by Generative AI (GenAI) platforms, which can mimic the work of humans and may encourage difficult-to-detect cheating by some students. The same principles will also apply to the further education sector. The guidelines have been drawn up under the auspices of the academic standards watchdog, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), and have recommendations for both educators and students. Crucially, QQI has also been sharing its expertise with Department of Education officials in the recent months. While the QQI remit does not extend to second level, the agency is leading the way in Ireland in dealing with the AI challenge to education, leading to these discussions. As post-primary school leaders consider the implications for their pupil assessments, a QQI representative briefed the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) annual education conference yesterday. The new GenAI guidelines take on a particular relevance as detailed work gets under way on reform of the Leaving Certificate, including plans to change the way school-leavers are assessed. The guidelines set out what students and lecturers need to know and do in a world where GenAI can produce plausible written texts, images and graphics, computer code and mathematical solutions, and more on demand. AI can have a legitimate educational use and students may even be encouraged to use such tools in their work, once they declare that they have done so. But the way GenAI platforms such as ChatGPT and Bard are trained runs the risk of increasing intentional and unintentional academic misconduct by students. The guidelines called Generative Artificial Intelligence: Guidelines for Educators have been drafted by QQIs National Academic Integrity Network (NAIN) as a response to the swiftly evolving and developing field of GenAI. Colleges are advised to act quickly and take short-term measures while also working toward a reimagination of student assessment in the longer term. NAIN has advised an early review of all assessments at the level of individual programmes, the range of assessment types and the overall volume of assessment, to identify vulnerabilities. Then, any assessment that may be completed satisfactorily by someone using AI without an appropriate level of understanding of the subject, or which is vulnerable to breaches of integrity, should be replaced or modified, the guidelines state. However, colleges are told to resist any temptation to switch back to traditional end-of semester formal exams as the easiest way to ensure the integrity of assessment. The guidelines say that this would run counter to the strength of more authentic assessment, which aims to develop skills, knowledge in context and other professional and graduate attributes Instead, they suggest a short term reweighting of assessments may be necessary to respond quickly, with a longer-term goal of a more holistic approach with a range of assessment types. Colleges are also urged to be alert to the danger of over-assessment, including overlapping assessments, which can cause undue stress and pressure for students and can lead to cheating. NAIN suggests lecturers agree a schedule of assessments and deadlines to address workload issues. Rather than switching one assessment type for another, NAIN is urging some fresh approaches, such as focussing on the process rather than the product and giving credit for the stages that a student goes through in completing an assessment. Other suggestions include in-class writing assignments or problem-solving tasks, or the inclusion of an oral component in which the students are asked to answer questions around a topic. The guidelines will be fully aired at the Academic and research Integrity Conference Ireland 2023 , jointly hosted by NAIN and the University of Galway next month. Photo: VCG (Global Times) The biggest destroyer of the global economic and trade order is being paranoid. This is perhaps the most incisive and vivid explanation of why the US government and media outlets have seen a rumored ban on iPhones as China's retaliation against the US. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that the US believes China's reported move to institute and expand a government ban on iPhones "seems to be of a piece - of the kinds of aggressive and inappropriate retaliation to US companies ... That's what this appears to be," according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday. Not only did the US official say it's retaliation, but US media outlets have hyped the rumored government ban and misinterpreted it as China's retaliation against Apple for the sake of Huawei. But there are no laws, regulations or policy documents in China that prohibit the purchase and use of mobile phones of overseas brands, such as Apple. And compared to the situation faced by Apple in China, Huawei is far from receiving fair treatment in the US. With no specific and detailed facts to verify the existence of such a ban, we have no idea why the US government and media outlets are so eager to escalate an unverified rumor as being China's retaliation. They could have communicated with the Chinese authorities first to clear up any misunderstandings. If they insist on making a political interpretation of a rumor, then the only reason is because they know they have done too many unconscionable things to suppress Chinese companies with unilateral sanctions, and they are too anxious and concerned about retaliation now. The concern in Washington is not toward Apple, but rather toward the sustainability of their unethical business practices. There is no denying that after a series of security incidents involving Apple's iPhones, it is possible that some consumers, and not just in China, may be concerned about whether or not iPhones have higher security risks. It will take time and facts for global consumers to find out whether iPhones have security risks. But one thing is certain - as long as Apple abides by Chinese laws and regulations and operates based on the rules of the international order, protecting consumers' data stored in their mobile phones to ensure information security, it would not face any policy barrier in China. Despite some potential consumer concerns, US tech companies are doing pretty well in China. For instance, China overtook the US to become Apple's largest market in the second quarter of this year for the first time, according to research firm TechInsights. Also, Tesla's revenue in China reached $5.73 billion in the second quarter, up 51.33 percent year-on-year. The growth rate apparently outpaced the increase of its revenue in other global markets. If anything, US sensitivity to a rumored ban only lays bare its anxiety about losing the market. Deep down, the root cause is that it knows what it has done to Chinese companies would arouse retaliation if it happened to US companies. Indeed, US media outlets may not even be able to tell which American move the rumored Chinese ban on iPhones is in retaliation for, because there are too many cases of the US suppressing Chinese companies and products in the name of "national security." Why didn't US media outlets question their own government's behavior, which sabotaged the international trade order in the first place? How brazen are they to label China as the party that retaliated without mentioning what the US did first? To name a few issues, the US did not just impose strict sanctions on Huawei but also asked its allies to do the same. It exerted pressure on TikTok to force a sale of shares to American companies with hooligan means. Washington has also used so-called human rights issues as an excuse to sanction Chinese manufacturing sector and Chinese companies. If Washington is really worried about Chinese retaliation and US companies' interests, why not reflect on what the US has done to China and its companies? Putting aside political calculations, which are not in the interest of bilateral economic relations, and returning to the path of seeking the right solution, is the most effective therapy for Washington's paranoia and anxiety. The Ringfort estate which is under construction in Rathmolyon Co Meath. Photo: Frank McGrath The Government is being urged to help families and young couples left in limbo after the developer behind their new homes ceased work due to financial issues. More than a dozen people entered into contracts to buy houses in the Ringfort estate in Rathmolyon, Co Meath three years ago. However, they fear their dream of becoming homeowners may now be over after the developer, Meathamatic Ltd, asked for an extra 60,000 on top of the agreed sale prices because it claimed construction costs were underestimated. The company said yesterdays 0.25 per cent increase in the rate of borrowing by the European Central Bank will exacerbate the issues for yet more developments and homebuyers. Local Aontu councillor Emer Toibin, who met with Michael Joseph Elias, a director of Meathamatic Ltd, in recent weeks, said Mr Elias told her that Meathamatic does not have enough money left to complete the new builds. It has previously had to seek funds from elsewhere to try salvage the company. Documents uploaded to the Companies Registration Office (CRO) show Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI), a State-owned company which provides funding to residential developments, issued loans to Meathamatic in 2021 and 2022. Last June, the company registered another loan from Spudmuckers Ltd, based in Ferns, Co Wexford, a company which Mr Elias is also director of. Ms Toibin said she has contacted the Department of Housing in relation to the issue, but has not received a satisfactory response. "This is extremely disappointing to hear, because the Government-run Help to Buy scheme was availed of in this deal and the HBFI, a government lending agency, provided financing, she said. "These young couples and families have endured terrible hardship over the last 18 months or more. Some of the couples told me that every Sunday afternoon, they drive over to the development site in Rathmolyon, look at their almost completed home and hope and pray they get in soon. It is hugely disappointing to see it all locked up and nothing happening. Unfinished homes in the Ringfort estate in Rathmolyon, Co Meath. Photo: Frank McGrath "They are not going to pay the 60k and they do not want to pull out. Their lives have been on hold for so long. This developer and his team cannot renege on their contractual promises to these buyers and the Government must step in and apply pressure, Cllr Toibin added. Sixteen houses in the estate, a mixture of three-bed and four-bed properties, are at different stages of development. Overall site completion works still have to be carried out. The development is being built by MDS Construction, a company headed by RTE Home Rescue star Peter Finn. In response to queries from the Irish Independent, the Department of Housing said: As this is a private and commercial matter it is not appropriate for us to comment. We understand from reports that legal representatives for the parties concerned are in contact. Meathamatic Ltd told the buyers that the initial budgets were well off the mark. A series of meetings between solicitors acting for the buyers and the developer have taken place this week at a hotel in Dublin to explore all options'' regarding the situation. Its understood each buyer is now being asked to consider contributing a ballpark figure of 60,000 on top of the agreed sale price in order to get the works complete. The estate consists of 16 three-bed and four-bed houses. Fifteen families entered into contracts, while one house is under offer. Some went sale agreed in 2020, while others entered into contracts at the beginning of 2021. Its understood two families have since pulled out of their contracts due to the delays. The four-bed properties were being advertised at around 300,000. They were initially told the first phase of the construction would be completed in quarter one of 2022, with the second phase due to be finished in quarter two. Fitzgerald Solicitors in Dublin, which is acting for Meathamatic Limited, said the company is suffering significant financial difficulty due to matters well beyond its control". Chief among these are 30 to 40pc increases in construction materials, dramatic increases in the cost of funds from the primary (institutional) lender during construction, new requirements being imposed and significant delays in granting requisite permissions, the statement said. The directors and this office are working proactively with all parties to find best possible outcomes for each. MDS has been (and still is) an excellent contractor and has managed the above matters (and many more) along with the directors of Meathamatic Ltd in a professional and responsible manner. Matters relating to the company and its customers are private and the company will not provide any comment. Mary Lou McDonald has said having a Sinn Fein housing minister is a red line for her party in any talks to form a government after the next general election. Ms McDonald said the housing and homelessness crisis would be the central focus of the next election and confirmed that taking the housing portfolio would be the key issue for the party in coalition talks. We have had a ringside seat now for government failure since the last general election. They told us that they had heard the people that the housing crisis couldn't continue. What do we have? The continuing crisis, she said. She was speaking at the Sinn Fein think-in Dublin on Friday on the week she marked her return to the public eye after spending the summer recess recovering from a hysterectomy. Ms McDonald said she was now fully recovered and back at it and revealed she got messages of goodwill from the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, including a bouquet of flowers from Mr Varadkar. I am in great health, I went through a procedure that is a serious procedure but I mean lots and lots of women have gone through this, some of them in far more traumatic circumstances than I, she said. She later added: As Mark Twain said, rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated, Im back and I am sure the lads will be thrilled out of their minds to have me back. Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein would not repeat the mistake of not running enough candidates in the next general election, but declined to be drawn on any seat target. She said that if Sinn Fein was the largest party after the next election it ought to by logic be given the opportunity to form a government but said there was no presumption that her party would be the biggest. She said the housing crisis was looming large and touching every facet of Irish life, citing the case of a young mother to whom she had spoken who was told it would be 10 years before she could be eligible for social housing. She said that housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin and his team were preparing to get stuck into the crisis immediately. Our ambition is to see a drop in homeless figures very very quickly upon taking office, she said. She said there was nothing inevitable about a Sinn Fein government but argued that the appetite for political change had grown since the last general election three years ago. On the future funding of public service broadcasting, Ms McDonald said she saw merit in the recommendation of the Future of Media Commission for exchequer funding that would go towards media that was independent of any political not just interference but bias. Ms McDonald said that Mr Varadkar has correctly said that we are on the path to Irish unity but that the challenge for the Government was to create processes and preparations for such a scenario. We will work with everybody, of all shades of opinion, including those with whom we have profound disagreements on the issue of building a new Ireland, because that is our ambition, and we welcome him into the Republican tent failte isteach, Leo, she said. Later, in her speech to party colleagues, Ms McDonald said that housing would be a defining issue of the coming election and declared: Sinn Fein in government will solve the housing crisis. A Sinn Fein-led government will build the homes that our people need. Friends, we will deliver the biggest affordable and social housing programme this state has ever seen. That is the level of action needed to match the scale of the challenge we face. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has hit back at double standards over his comments on a united Ireland, pointing out that British prime minister Rishi Sunak has the title Minister for the Union. On Monday, the UKs Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris criticised remarks made by the Taoiseach around Irish unity and the collapse of Stormont. Mr Varadkar had expressed his belief that he would see unification within his lifetime. He also raised the possibility of a "plan B" if devolved government in Northern Ireland was not restored by the autumn. Read more Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tells energy companies he wants to see further cuts to prices Mr Heaton-Harris said "unhelpful comments down in Dublin resonate up here amongst the unionist community" during his efforts to get the Stormont Assembly restored. Leo Varadkar welcome 1.14 billion peace funding settlement for Northern Ireland But speaking on RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland, Mr Varadkar said: Why is there a double standard applied to Irish politicians when we say whats in our Constitution that wed like to see United Ireland and work towards it? While speaking about British politicians who previously said they were committed to the union, Mr Varadkar said that not only do we accept that, we respect it and said there was a double standard applied to Irish politicians. He said the Irish Government had been extremely helpful to the British government since the Brexit journey began. We've negotiated three agreements with the British government the Backstop, the Protocol when they couldn't honour that agreement, he said. We negotiated the Windsor Framework. On the difficulty in returning to power sharing in Northern Ireland, Mr Varadkar said the parties needed to sit down at some point and talk about what alternative arrangements can be put in place within the confines of the Good Friday Agreement. Moving on to the RTE crisis, the Taoiseach said there was no pressure on RTE to sell land at Montrose, despite calls from some Government TDs. The Taoiseach also said he wouldnt accept mandatory redundancies at RTE. When asked about funding, he said RTE would need additional money for this year to keep going and that the new director general Kevin Bakhurst had had a good start. He added that other longer-term issues would need to be discussed, such as how we fund public service broadcasting, not just RTE. Earlier on the programme, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he was in favour of a Household Media Charge to replace the TV licence fee being collected by Revenue, and Mr Varadkar said this decision could be made in the next few months. A long-term news correspondent with RTE has said the national broadcaster should relocate some staff to a disused site in Athlone that has been left rusting. Ciaran Mullooly spoke outside the Moydrum House site in Westmeath which he says has been left unused and rusting while the organisation looks for ways to boost cashflow amid a financing crisis. Mullooly said the site has historical significance and should be rejuvenated and used by staff who do not need to be in the Montrose headquarters. He said it was a disgrace that it had been left as it was under RTEs ownership. RTEs land has been the centre of a lot of attention the last few days. This is a portion of that land belonging to the national broadcaster here in Moydrum House in Athlone. Although, it is not any portion of land, it is the site of the original RTE Marconi transmitter, turned on by [Eamon] De Valera in 1932. "RTE still owns a portion of land here, Im not saying that RTE should move all of its staff from Donnybrook down to this site, but I am saying that RTE should respect the heritage of the organisation and properly restore this site as a heritage site and a national science museum with the transmitter, which is rusting inside in that building. "Indeed, there could be a space for some staff here, smaller numbers of people who are not required [in Donnybrook] and want to decentralise to the country. This is a disgrace that it has been left like this and the sooner RTE do something with it, the better, Mr Mullooly said in a video posted to X/Twitter. This comes as RTEs Director General Kevin Bakhurst said a valuation is under way as RTE consider the possible sale of its Montrose headquarters in a bid to tackle the financing crisis at the broadcaster. The national broadcaster is already looking for 35m and projecting a further 21m shortfall from people not paying their television licence. He said all options were on the table, whether that meant the sale of another plot of land or the entire Dublin 4 headquarters. I dont think doing nothing is really an option, he said. The Irish Independent contacted RTE who did not wish to comment on the matter. New Fortress Energy has been vying to build Irelands first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal as well as a 600MW power plant at the siteThe Green Party had opposed the construction of an LNG terminal in Ireland Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has rejected claims that An Bord Pleanalas refusal today of permission for the Shannon Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project will cost jobs in the West and jeopardise national energy security. Mr Ryan said energy security would come from deploying greater renewables and with greater efficiency in energy use, arguing it was over-dependency on gas had caused the spike in prices and concerns over supply. He also said Kerry, Clare and Limerick would receive a huge jobs boost from focusing on offshore wind. The jobs will come to where the power Is. The power is in the Atlantic and were going to bring that ashore in the Shannon Estuary more than anywhere else, he said. We will bring huge investment to the Kerry, Clare and Limerick shores to tap into that offshore wind and were going to develop and build the industries to use it. The Shannon Estuary is going to be at the centre of it. North Kerry is going to be revived and thrive. LNG will form part of the countrys future energy portfolio, however. Mr Ryan is to publish the final version of the long-awaited energy security review in the next few weeks and it is expected to contain plans for a state-owned LNG storage facility for use if emergencies arise. We do need security of supply in the event of an interruption of supply during the transition to renewables, he said. He said the facility would not be a commercial venture [unlike the Shannon LNG project] but he did not disclose what form it would take. A new onshore terminal could be built or existing storage space such as the emptied Kinsale gas field could be adapted. That will be decided in a very short period of time, he said. But it will be strategic, not commercial; not for ever and a day but time-lined. Mr Ryan added that a memorandum of understanding he signed with the UK government earlier this week would also protect Irelands energy security. Ireland already has interconnection with the UK and the new memorandum commits both countries to cooperating if any sudden disruption to gas supply was to occur in the future. An Irish unit of US firm New Fortress Energy has been vying to build Irelands first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, on the Shannon estuary in Co Kerry, as well as a 600MW power plant at the site. Earlier this year, the Irish unit, Shannon LNG, was successful in securing capacity contracts with EirGrid for the supply of 353MW of electricity from the planned gas-fired power plant to the national grid. The Irish subsidiary must have the plants completed by October 2026 in order to fulfil the contract. An Bord Pleanala had to decide whether or not the controversial, 650m LNG plant and power stations will be permitted. A 120MW battery storage facility is also planned on the site, which is on the Shannon Estuary, directly opposite Moneypoint and close to Tarbert power station. But it has now been turned down on the basis that it was at odds with Irelands climate goals and that a review of Irelands energy needs was not yet complete. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the importance of security of energy supply has become more acute. However, the Green Party, led by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, has opposed the construction of an LNG terminal in Ireland. Opponents say the building such a project would only lock Ireland into more fossil fuel use for decades to come, while they also oppose the use of imported fracked gas. Fracking involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to release gas, but it is very environmentally destructive and polluting. Mr Ryans department is currently finalising its review of security of energy supply of Irelands electricity and natural gas systems. A report published last year by Cambridge Economic Policy Associates recommended that LNG storage facilities be considered in Ireland to provide additional energy security. Last winter, there were fears that Ireland could face rolling power blackouts as Irelands energy grids capacity remains stretched. While there are plans for a number of major offshore wind energy farms around Ireland, it will be a number of years before they start to come on stream. The head of policy at environmental organisation Friends of the Earth said this planning refusal is welcome and hard-fought". Jerry Mac Evilly said Shannon LNG would have posed unacceptable risks to our climate and communities in Kerry and the US. It has been clear from the get-go that a long-lasting commercial LNG terminal would mean polluting gas for decades to come. We are finally seeing the decision-making of state bodies line up with our climate obligations, he said. The decision vindicates the tenacity of grassroots campaigners that have opposed LNG from the beginning. Activists on both sides of the Atlantic have been tireless in their opposition, particularly given the risk that the terminal would allow for importation of polluting fracked gas, a form of fossil fuel that has devastated large parts of the US. Mr Mac Evilly said the Government must be clear in its opposition to fossil fuel infrastructure which risks locking Ireland into using polluting methane gas for decades to come. This decision is also just one step in getting Ireland off polluting fossil fuels. As the head of the International Energy Agency said just this week, we are witnessing the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era, and we have to prepare ourselves for the next era. We need to ensure government departments and state agencies assess fossil fuel projects in accordance with the States climate policy. Fine Gael mayor of Kerry Jim Finucane called on his party to reconsider being in Government with the Green Party. Mr Finucane said the decision has angered people in North Kerry where he said 98 per cent of people support the LNG project as a means of creating economic investment and securing the countrys energy supply. Mr Finucane said the decision was a farce as it comes without publication and knowledge of the Governments energy security review, that is even more a priority in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, and Europes overreliance on Russian fuel. As a party [Fine Gael], we have nothing in common with these types of antics, he said. My party should reconsider staying in Government with people like this [Greens] who are destructive to rural Ireland and holding up significant projects. They dont accept that people must live in rural Ireland, and have jobs, and have a future, he said. Minister Eamon Ryans intervention is unacceptable, and he should resign. We have a report [energy security review] that has taken four years when it should have taken six months. This is causing reputational damage to Ireland, he said. Friends of the Earth said the decision after 15 years of campaigning against it by civil society groups showed that the project was dead in the water. This planning refusal is welcome, right, far-reaching and hard-fought. It has been clear from the get-go that a long-lasting commercial LNG terminal would mean polluting gas for decades to come. We are finally seeing the decision-making of state bodies line up with our climate obligations, said head of policy Jerry Mac Evilly. The decision vindicates the tenacity of grassroots campaigners that have opposed LNG from the beginning. Shannon LNG would have posed unacceptable risks to our climate and communities in Kerry and the US. Activists on both sides of the Atlantic have been tireless in their opposition, particularly given the risk that the terminal would allow for importation of polluting fracked gas, a form of fossil fuel that has devastated large parts of the US. Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher said the decision was a major blow to Irelands future energy security. It beggars belief that such an important project is once again being refused permission, Mr Kelleher said. There is a mountain of evidence to suggest the critical need for an LNG terminal and storage in Ireland. "Irelands objective is to have the maximal amount of renewable energy possible. However, there will be days when the wind doesnt blow and when we will need to burn gas if we are to keep our homes and businesses lit. He claimed that in future LNG infrastructure could be repurposed for use with hydrogen gas which will be a major component of the worlds energy mix. This is an extremely short sighted decision. I hope the company stays the course and continues the fight to secure permission, Mr Kelleher said. Garda Commissioner is expected to seek meeting with GRA The escalating dispute between the Garda Representative Association and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris could seriously impact the high-profile crime crackdown in central Dublin, with the threat of an overtime freeze looming. An additional 10m was allocated by the Government last month to pay the overtime bill for an additional 20,000 garda shifts as part of Operation Citizen which was set up to tackle street crime in the capital between now and Christmas. But sources close to the dispute have revealed that officers refusing to volunteer for overtime, or implementing an unofficial overtime freeze, is one of the actions being contemplated as garda representatives prepare to intensify their dispute in the weeks ahead. On Wednesday, an overwhelming majority of GRA members voted no confidence in the garda commissioner. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has her and the Taoiseach's "full support" and calls for the industrial relations matter to be "resolved" Out of a total of 9,129 members who participated in the unprecedented ballot, only 116 said they had confidence in their boss. That means 98.7pc of members who voted expressed no confidence in Mr Harris. At the launch of the ballot result, GRA president Brendan OConnor said that the association leadership was shocked at the scale of the vote and it demonstrated how gardai have also lost confidence in the direction they are being led. At the heart of the dispute is a new roster which Mr Harris said he is determined to implement. However, Mr OConnor told reporters that the decision to ballot members was not prompted by a single issue but by an exhaustive list of concerns within the ranks. Mr Harris described the no confidence vote as a kick in the teeth and expressed the belief that the ballot had been deliberately personalised. He said he has no intention of resigning and has received the full backing of the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Justice Minister and the Policing Authority. In a bid to prevent the crisis running out of control Justice Minister Helen McEntee has invited the GRA executive to meet her next Wednesday. She had previously refused to meet the rank and file representatives because she said the association had personalised the confidence vote in the commissioner. I felt it was not possible for me to meet with them while there was this ballot ongoing, she said after the vote was announced. It is understood that the commissioner is also expected to seek a meeting with the GRA which is due to hold a special delegate conference in Kilkenny on September 27 to formulate the next steps in their plan of action. Sources close to the association revealed that one of the more extreme measures on the table for discussion will be the nuclear option whereby gardai may decide to organise a day of action by refusing to turn up for work. In the meantime, GRA members in the greater Dublin area are understood to be considering what one source described as an overtime freeze, which would involve refusing to work extra hours as part of the 10m Operation Citizen set up following attacks on tourists in July. As the whole country now knows, there is no doubt that relations are at an all-time low between the rank-and-file and management, and the members are completely disillusioned by a long list of serious concerns which have been ignored by management, the source said. Over the coming weeks the members around the country will be meeting to discuss the course of action that should be taken next and those views will be aired at the special conference where everything will be on the table. There is a nuclear option, similar to the blue flu, where labour could be withdrawn and members refuse to volunteer for any extra duties which none of our members want to happen, but it will be up to the Government and commissioner to prevent that. Members are already withdrawing their goodwill which will include refusing to volunteer for overtime as part of Operation Citizen. Apart from the dispute, the gardai in the inner-city stations are already overworked and facing burnout because we just dont have the numbers we need. Although there are plenty of moments I miss of our time spent living in Los Angeles, as each year passes since our move home, I find myself more and more appreciative of Irelands food offering. Whether its the increasingly diverse restaurant options or the inspiring new Irish-produced condiments, its a good time for Irish food. September itself is a great month to eat our islands best ingredients. This weeks recipes celebrate them. In September, Irish tomatoes should be savoured. Slow-roasting them intensifies their flavour, making them perfect for soups, salads, or as a star ingredient in a tart. Its a delicious reminder that the best ingredients require minimal fuss to shine. The recipe here creates a rich, butter-laden rough puff pastry that can be used for any savoury galette but is ideal with tomatoes. As for the filling, Ive used ricotta, but often replace this with mascarpone, depending on what I have to hand. Serve this as the star of a weekend lunch with a side salad. The Tarbetts were able to use their newly constructed art studio as an emergency venue to host their wedding reception when Covid restrictions were eased The property is very private and not overlooked Antoinette Sinclair Tarbett and Kieran Tarbett in their home in Rathmichael. Photo: Bryan Meade The studio could be rented out for extra income Antoinette Sinclair Tarbett in her art studio, which was the venue for her wedding reception. Photo: Bryan Meade Asking price: 1.555m Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01) 2894386 When graphic designer Antionette Sinclair Tarbett moved into Caladh House, a five-bedroom detached home in Rathmichael, she and her partner got going on the revamp which would ultimately rescue their wedding. The resulting studio, built for her work as part of the home upgrade, was so substantial that she and hubby Kieran were able to fall back on it to host their wedding reception after a planned smaller ceremony unexpectedly sprouted into a much bigger affair. Circumstances had suddenly called for an emergency last-minute venue change. Kieran and Antionette met through sailing and are both members of Dun Laoghaire Yacht Club, which is a 10 minute drive away, and they got married two years ago. The studio could be rented out for extra income We planned to keep the wedding very small at first due to then Covid restrictions, says Antionette. But then suddenly it was announced the number of people permitted to attend had gone up to 100, so we invited everyone to the house and had a reception in the studio with a bar and a band. It was all very last minute, but it was a wonderful day! The new studio also gave her the space to rescue four greyhounds, three of whom are named after Star Wars characters (shes a big fan). Theres Princess Leia, Solo, Luke and former racing dog Jet. Youve got to use the force! she says. Princess Leia was in a very bad state when I first rescued her but, little by little, came back to life. "Then, a few months later, I got a call from MADRA, the dog rescue centre in Galway and was asked to take another. When I popped into the vet with him, they persuaded me to take another and then another. The result is four rescue greyhounds who are her pride and joy. Antoinette Sinclair Tarbett and Kieran Tarbett in their home in Rathmichael. Photo: Bryan Meade Jet is an ex-racer who is seven years old. She was in a lot of pain when we first got her and wasnt used to being indoors, she says. It took a whole year for Jet to be nursed back to life, but shes finally come out of her shell. Being in a pack has worked wonders for her. Antoinette with her dogs. Photo: Bryan Meade The couple now have six dogs, including Kierans two golden retrievers, Buddy and Snow. The dogs have the run of the 3,000 sq ft home, first built in 1996 and bought by Kieran. The entrepreneur from Blackrock owns Revamped Al Fresco, a company that specialises in outdoor commercial and private areas with awnings. He hired architect Ross Cahill OBrien to renovate it. The property is very private and not overlooked Caladh was originally in perfect condition, but I wanted to open up some of the rooms and add detail, says Kieran. The kitchen/dining/living area had been three small rooms, with glass partition doors in between each. It was made into one large open-plan room. This was also done with the split-level lounge/dining room, which was originally two rooms. In addition, wooden flooring was laid throughout and white maple panelling added to some of the walls. Ross has a particular style as an architect. He uses curves a lot. For example, where the ceiling meets the wall, says Kieran. Then Antionette, who grew up in south London, brought her creative flair to the interior. Having studied ceramics and fine art, shed worked in galleries, selling other peoples art, and now works as a graphic designer. The entrance hall to Caladh House She and Kieran spent the guts of a year repainting every wall in the house, sanding down and repolishing the floors, and renovating the panelling. We painted most of the rooms white to keep it as clean as possible, but we added feature walls in some of the rooms, like the guest bathroom and in the kitchen, she says. Initially, we were going to get new kitchen units, but we decided to just funky them up instead by creating pops of colour. Here, the window frames and some of the cupboards are now dark turquoise blue, whilst other cupboards have been left white, and she painted the side of the counter orange. The pops of colour are continued throughout the house, effectively giving each room a different character. The kitchen has pops of colour The house has windows at every turn and as a result, its full of light. Antoinette has recently returned to her own art, and the house with its 215 x 86 sq ft fully plumbed and heated steel-tech design studio has helped with the inspiration. Im finding my feet at the moment with my own art work and its been wonderful to have the studio, she says. Its where I work if Im doing any form of art, be it graphic design or painting or ceramics. The dogs usually pile in and sit on the floor together as I work. The dining room The size of the studio and the fact it has a bathroom, plumbing and gas heating, as well as wood-burning stove, means it could be easily repurposed as another living space and offers potential for additional income if rented out. Situated down a long driveway and surrounded by greenery, the house is not overlooked. Theres so much wildlife surrounding us, says Antionette. Its also near amenities with easy access to Shankhill, Dalkey, Killiney, Bray and Cabinteely. Art in the hallway The couple are aiming to downsize, with plans to start a new ceramic installation together called Fenrir Studio. Caladh House is beautiful, but its really too big for us, says Antionette. It would make a wonderful spacious, light-filled home in a beautiful setting for another family. Sherry FitzGerald hopes the force will get them 1.555m. Todays students will be going into workplaces where artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), will be part of the processes with which they engage. They will need to understand how and why it can and should be used, and also be able to keep pace as its capabilities grow, as they are already doing very rapidly. Big Give Gage donations totaled $362,272.86 from 1,913 donors on Thursday during the fifth annual event. An additional $20,775.57 in matching funds brought the total for the year to $383,048.43. The one-day fundraising event was a coordinated effort with the Gage County Foundation and the Beatrice Community Hospital Foundation. Funds raised benefit 72 non-profit organizations in Gage County that had registered with specific projects and monetary goals. The total surpassed last years giving with $301,128.17 given by 1,606 donors and 61 organizations registered in 2022. BCH Foundation Director Shelby Watson said she was speechless. We started meeting in May in preparation for the day, she said. At points it was a little overwhelming, but so important for me to work together with everyone. It was so worth it. Co-coordinator Verdella Vetrovsky said what she enjoyed most was the learning that was occurring in the community. I heard people say, I didnt know that non-profit existed or I learned I could benefit from their services, she said. I knew more today that I did yesterday. I think thats the main goal to not only raise funds, but to raise awareness. If we didnt have these services in our community, we would be in a world of hurt. Watson said she had stopped in Wymore to celebrate and encourage with one of the non-profits involved in the Big Give Gage earlier in the day. There was a donor that had commented that they were thankful for a day they could give and know where it was going, Watson said. It just dawned on me that everything we were doing was helping our community grow and thrive. Its all full circle. Several organizations set up informational tables and greeted donors if they came into Vintage Venue to give. Were celebrating our milestones together throughout the day, Watson said. The intent is to keep this going every year. What would some of these non-profits do without donations and the awareness? GCF President Don Vetrovsky said he is always so proud to be a part of the community. Its been an exciting day, he said. We have reached milestones throughout the day. People are helping. Im so proud at how the community supports each other. Its just fun to be a part of it. Terry Doyle worked at the event taking donations throughout the day. I feel really good about the day, he said. Just sitting here, I received checks from 26 different cities and 11 different states. Im surprised by how broad based this is. If you tie that with the number of donors, you can see how well received its been. Im proud to be a part of this and proud to be a part of the community. Watson said other organizations do the same type of event in their communities. Ive seen different events like this throughout the country and they are not nearly as successful as we are in Gage County. Checks will be distributed at an Oct. 12 event at Vintage Venue. Mitchelstown event will highlight the challenges faced by Irish society after the Civil War. Dr Any Bielenberg and Dr John Borgonovo of the School of History at University College Cork will be among the conference guest speakers. Dr Ida Milne, lecturer in European History at Carlow College will be among the conference guest speakers. St Georges Arts and Heritage Centre in Mitchelstown (above) will host its second annual history conference on Saturday, September 30. (Photo: Bill Power) THE challenges faced by the country in the wake of one of the most turbulent periods in modern Irish history will come under the spotlight during a fascinating conference taking place in Mitchelstown later on this month. After the Revolution The End of the Civil War and its Aftermath will take place at the St Georges Arts and Heritage Centre on Saturday, September 30. Drawing together many of the countrys leading historians, writers and academics, the event will discuss some of the consequences and challenges of the revolutionary period and how towns, villages and society coped with life in Independent Ireland after the Civil War. Drawing on the unprecedented success of last years inaugural conference Doomed Inheritance, which coincided with the centenary of the looting and destruction of Mitchelstown Castle, this years events will shine a light on the experiences of people and places as the country attempted to emerge from the ashes of the vicious and divisive civil war. Andrew Dineen, secretary of the St Georges board of directors, said the event will draw on the success of last years inaugural conference Doomed Inheritance, which coincided with the centenary of the looting and destruction of Mitchelstown Castle. This years conference will shine a light on the experiences of people and places as the country attempted to emerge from the ashes of the vicious civil war, said Mr Dineen. He said topics and themes covered by speakers across the day will include - the Civil War in Cork, division and reconciliation as the country rebuilds itself; how this re-genesis was organised and engineered; how religious minorities fared in Independent Ireland and what became of the RIC members after the war. The event, which will run from 10am-5pm, will provide history buffs and those interested in this period in Cork and the wider country ample opportunity to engage with and discuss events, themes and theories with the expert panel and their fellow attendees, he added. The conference will also incorporate the opening of an associated photographic exhibition and the launch of a new book Saint Georges in Time written and compiled by local historian and chair of the St Georges board of directors, Bill Power. A reduced conference fee of 25 has been set for the early birds booking up to September 25, the set fee of 30 will be due after that date. An additional 12 will include a delicious lunch catered at Saint Georges using the best of local produce, which must be pre-booked. Registration for the conference is at www.eventbrite.ie. For more information on the conference and to see the full list of guest speakers visit www.saintgeorgesmitown.com. South Dubliners have been warned of a fake dog warden issuing on the spot fines in a popular park. Users of Tymon Park, a suburban area in South Dublin, between Tallaght, Templeogue, and Walkinstown, are being told not to give over any money to anyone posing as a dog warden. Labour Councillor Pamela Kearns highlighted the issue affecting dog owners. "I have spoken to the Park Ranger in Tymon Park, and he has asked me to let people know that there is a man going around Tymon Park pretending to be the dog warden and issuing 20 on the spot fines for dogs off leads, she said. "If you are approached by someone in the park, please remember that if they are not in a council vehicle or cannot present evidence of their credentials do not engage with them. A local Facebook group, Friends of Tymon Park, also issued a warning. This man is not affiliated with South Dublin County Council. They have confirmed that their Dog Warden will not issue an on-the-spot fine under any circumstances, a statement read. South Dublin County Council Dog Wardens will always carry official identification and will more than likely be in a council vehicle. Do not hand over any money to this man, and if you are approached by him, do seek help from other park users and report the incident to the garda. SDCC have advice on their website regarding dog fines, it said: You are liable to an on-the-spot fine of 100 for non-muzzling, non-leashing, or allowing these dogs to be lead by a person not over the age of 16 years. "Failure to pay this fine can result in prosecution with a maximum fine of 2,500 and/ or up to 3 months imprisonment if convicted. SDCC added: South Dublin County Council is aware of the reports and advises members of the public, including park users, that should a South Dublin County Council Dog Warden or any other staff member approach them, please remember that if they are not in a council vehicle, council uniform or cannot present evidence of their credentials, do no engage with them and please report any unusual activity to the Park Rangers, South Dublin County Council and An Garda Siochana. The Irish Independent has contacted An Garda Siochana for comment. Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has been refused planning permission for an extension to a guesthouse he owns in Tralee. The Kilgarvan TD has sought planning permission in April of this year to extend Rosemont guesthouse on Oakpark Road in Tralee, which is being used to house Ukrainian refugees. Roughty Properties Ltd, which Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is a director of, applied for permission for the extension to include eight additional guest rooms, new dining and lounge areas, an extended kitchen area, a laundry room and a caretakers office. 19 car parking spaces and ground works were also included. Further information was sought by the council in May of this year and the planning authority has now refused permission for the development. A group of local residents objected on a number of grounds including density and size, inadequate parking provision in the plan, traffic congestion and environmental issues. Their submission says that a proposed property overdeveloped to this size in a residential area is very likely to result in noise, disturbance, and nuisance to the detriment of established and particularly elderly residents in neighbouring properties. 18 signatures are attached to a lengthy submission to the local authority in April 2023. Several other submissions were also lodged also citing concerns about the proposed development The local authority said they had 'serious reservations with regard to the scale of the development and sought revised proposals for the building and also for parking plans. Further information from Roughty properties was provided in July 2023 and reduced the scale of the project. However, a final decision from the council refusing planning said that the size and scale and proximity to adjoining properties would depreciate other properties in the area and would set an undesirable precedent for the area. Deputy Healy-Rae can appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala within four weeks. The Kerry TD owns several properties in Tralee according to his register of interests including 14 and 15 Ballymullen and a property on Rock Street and Castle Street. Tralee Green Party Representative Anluan Dunne has said Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, and the Green Party all agreed the Programme for Government regarding Shannon LNG and the Greens delivered on that commitment. Responding to Mayor of Kerry Jim Finucanes criticism of the Green Party over An Bord Pleanalas decision to refuse the LNG project - and for suggesting Fine Gael should reconsider its Government coalition with the Greens - Mr Dunne said his party delivered by putting in place a policy which An Bord Pleanala acknowledged and acted upon. The Programme for Government states that as Ireland moves towards carbon neutrality, it questions a need to develop LNG gas import terminals importing fracked gas. This was agreed on by all three Government parties. Following An Bord Pleanalas decision on Friday, Mayor Finucane stated his party had nothing in common with the Greens, accusing them of being against rural Ireland. The comments from Mr Finucane, who has decided to step back from politics, are a demonstration of the impact and importance of having Green policies at the heart of government, said Mr Dunne. We in the Green Party are not afraid of being unpopular. We follow the science, and we follow the facts. North Kerry deserves better than a short-lifespan facility, with a poor business case, that is fuelled by filthy fracked gas that is destroying communities in Pennsylvania, he added. Mr Dunne explained that no one in Kerry wants to be associated with such destruction as the people of the county care for nature and demand action in that regard. This project [LNG] was out of step with the needs of the country in 2023 and the needs of our county, who can proudly stand knowing it is one of the largest contributors of renewable energy in Ireland, he said. The future is Green policies driving investment into Kerry for renewable and sustainable offshore wind energy, solar farms, and other green energy technologies. It's a great day for the county, and a great day for the people of Ireland, Mr Dunne said. A short film featuring the views of local communities from Donegal and Sligo who depend on the sea to make a living is set to receive its online premiere next week. Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest has been selected as part of the Northern Ireland Inheritance Film Festival which gets underway on Monday, September 18. Fair Seas created the 14-minute documentary which explores the coastline from North Donegal to Sligo through the eyes of its coastal communities. It features the stories, hopes and fears of local seafood producers, an angler, dive instructor and walking guide. The film delves into how Marine Protected Areas might offer a new way to conserve the incredible marine life that has supported these communities for generations. The Northwest is an important marine site and is home to rare and endangered species of sharks, skates and rays, over 25 species of whales and dolphins and 38 species of seabirds. However, the impact of climate change, pollution, a loss of biodiversity and reduced fish stocks can clearly be seen. Fair Seas is campaigning for strong and ambitious Marine Protected Areas (MPA) legislation to be published as soon as possible to protect this vital resource and the coastal communities of Donegal and Sligo that rely on it. The group wants to see mandatory targets committing to effectively protecting 30% of the seas around Ireland by 2030 with 10% strictly protected. Fair Seas is calling for stakeholder engagement at every stage of the MPA designation with clear delivery timeframes as well as a robust management framework which clearly defines the varying degrees of site protection to ensure MPAs deliver for nature. Aoife OMahony, Campaign Manager with Fair Seas said: The Northwest coastline is breath-taking and our latest film explores some of the wildlife and biodiversity hidden beneath the waves. "It is really important for us to hear the views of the people who make a living from the sea and to hear their concerns about the health of the ocean. "There is also plenty of reason for hope and we all can act to make a difference. Donegal is famous for the large number of basking sharks that can be seen in its waters. "This gentle giant was hunted nearly to extinction, now it is a protected species in Irish waters and making a comeback thanks to widespread public support. Time is running out for Ireland to meet its targets to protect 30% of our seas and ocean by 2030. "The Marine Protected Area Bill was promised in June 2023 and we are still waiting to see this crucial legislation. "Were asking the voters of Irelands Atlantic Northwest and across the country to add their voice to the calls to safeguard our seas, tell your elected representatives you want strong and ambitious marine protected area legislation. "We must all act with ambition and urgency so that the full benefits of nature restored can reveal themselves in generations to come. Inheritance is an environmental festival which takes place three times a year. It aims to educate, inspire and raise awareness of contemporary environmental issues, and to showcase the work of independent filmmakers from all over the globe. The festival is live-streamed on the Inheritance website and screened on regional TV channels including Latest TV in Brighton, Northern Visions in Belfast, Sheffield Live! in Sheffield and KMTV in Kent. The Fair Seas film will be shown on Belfasts NVTV on Sunday, September 23rd from 9pm. The channel is available on Freeview 7 and Virgin Media 159, in Belfast, and nvtv.co.uk/livestream. Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest was part funded by the Networking and Marine Research Communications Awards, funded by the Marine Institute under the Marine Research Programme with the support of the Irish Government. It was produced by Swimming Head Productions, an award-winning team specialising in quick-fire documentaries with a focus on heritage, science and the natural world. Fair Seas has also produced a new postcard for Irelands Northwest Coast which features a basking shark swimming over a bed of seagrass. This postcard will be shared with ocean conservation organisations in this local area to highlight the beauty of this area of Irelands Coast. For more information about Fair Seas visit https://fairseas.ie/ New Ross Municipal chairman, Cllr Anthony Connick is calling on gardai to increase their patrols of the towns award winning park saying pure thuggery leading to tens of thousands of euros in damage being caused. Cllr Connick said it is not good enough that the towns public toilets are closed from 5 p.m. and had to be closed for three days recently due to vandalism. "We need them open. Its costing thousands upon thousands that could be used somewhere else, he said. "If someone is caught they should be made pay for it and if they cant afford it, their parents should be made pay for it. The damage they are doing, its pure thuggery. They are non stop kicking yokes in the toilet and breaking them. It so stupid. Someone, somewhere must know who they are. Calling for the full rigours of the law to be enacted against them, Cllr Connick said nothing will change until gardai intervene and those responsible are brought to court or made to pay for the damage. If they dirty the park they should be brought down and made clean it up. I have people on to me non stop looking to go to the toilet and they are closed. Its just mind boggling. "Its the whole anti social aspect of it too. We are trying to get the town park to be the best it can be. We spent over 300,000 on a playground. Weve put massive money into the town park. Its for people to use, not to be abused." Cllr Connick said those responsible for causing damage to the park should stay at home if they are going to behave like that. Would they carry on like that at home in front of their parents? They are contributing nothing to the town park. Its the jewel in the crown and then the low-lifes come out and do this damage, which is absolutely disgusting. I am urging them to stop. Supt Jarlath Duffy said evidence is needed to prosecute those responsible for the damage. Criminal damage is a crime. The balance of proof that is required is high in the courts. We need witnesses. We need evidence to put to these people to prosecute them. Once we have that well have no hesitation to bring people before the courts. Supt Duffy said gardai have increased their patrols in New Ross seven fold in one year, adding that beat gardai walk the town daily, including spending time patrolling the park most days. We strive to have a beat patrol in the town which incorporates the town park. When the guards are in the park its crime prevention but once they leave the park the crime will happen. Supt Duffy said gardai and Youth New Ross had an initiative in August in the town park where they engaged with youths. We thought we had addressed the issue and there was a period of time when it stopped but unfortunately we had an incident three weeks ago. Its about parents taking responsibility for their children. Supt Duffy said gardai had a drug seizure in the park when members on the beat proactively engaged with someone sitting at a park table. He said gardai have not been made aware of heroin being used in the park, adding that the drug is in every town in Ireland and leads to crimes like burglary. "Thankfully our burglary crime figures are very low. There is anti social behaviour in the park and drinking which can be dealt with by fixed charge notice fines and if the fine is not paid through the courts. Chris Daly and Myrtle McElwee of Beating Hearts Wicklow with Cllr Gail Dunne, Georgina Franey and Cllr Paul O'Brien at last week's launch of the Wicklow Town Difibrillator Initiative in the Pastoral Centre in Wicklow town. HAVING just launched a joint initiative with Wicklow Municipal District to distribute 14 defibrillators to local housing estates, the voluntary group Beating Hearts have sent a motion to Government to call for public access defibrillators to be available in every residential setting across every village, town and city in Ireland. Beating Hearts was set up in September 2020 by local community first responders from Wicklow town, who recognised the need for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be closer to where people lived. 2,906 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) incidents were recorded in 2021 with 74 per cent occurring in the home. Their mission is to strengthen the link in the chain of survival for OHCA by increasing rapid access to defibrillators close to where people live; create awareness of the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest; teach communities how to use defibrillators; encourage more people to participate; and crucially to help save more lives every day, across every county in Ireland. Beating Hearts were delighted to realise the outcome of collaboration with Wicklow Municipal District who recently distributed 14 AEDs to 14 residents associations across the district. Myrtle McElwee of Beating Hearts said: We would especially like to thank Cllr Paul OBrien who brought our initial concept to fellow councillors, who voted for the funding of the defibrillators and cabinets and who also supported the motion to oblige all property developers to install AEDs in new housing developments across Ireland. This motion was sent by Wicklow County Council to the Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien, and we are hoping for a positive outcome. Beating Hearts are calling on every local authority in Ireland to follow Wicklows lead in retrofitting defibrillators in residential areas in their own counties. We are also calling on all property developers to follow the example set by Redmond Construction who installed the first public access defibrillator in a new property development in Marlton Gate in 2022. A cardiac arrest is a catastrophic event. It can happen to anyone, infant, child, teenager, adult, anytime, anywhere. Every minute counts as every minute delayed acting, reduces the persons chance of survival by 10 per cent. Supplying the basic emergency equipment to help people help each other in their own communities is a necessary, overdue and logical step. "Dont sit back and think it wont happen to you or to someone you love it could. Beating Hearts encourage everyone to learn how to do CPR and how to use a defibrillator. You contact Wicklow Town Community First Responders on their Facebook page to arrange demonstrations and training for your area. If you are considering becoming a community first responder then you will be trained to support and assist people who are experiencing chest pain or who go into cardiac arrest. Libyan authorities demanded an investigation yesterday into whether human failings were to blame for thousands of deaths in the worst natural disaster in the countrys modern history, as survivors searched for loved ones washed away by floods. Vladimir Putin is so paranoid about being assassinated that he employs one of his bodyguards as a washing machine operator at his dacha in Crimea, according to a Russian security officer who has defected. One person died in a crash involving two vehicles southwest of Waterloo Wednesday morning. At 8:04 a.m., Douglas County sheriffs deputies went to the crash that occurred along West Center Road just west of 264th Street. Along with members of the Valley Fire Department, the deputies found that a gray Jeep and a white Chevrolet Impala were involved in a head-on collision. A preliminary investigation determined the Jeep was traveling east on West Center Road when it crossed the center line and struck the westbound Impala. The Jeep rolled and the driver was ejected from the vehicle. The Impala went into the north ditch. First responders found the driver of the Impala pinned inside the vehicle and dead at the scene. The driver of the Jeep was airlifted to the Nebraska Medical Center. The Sheriffs Office is withholding the deceased drivers identity until family has been notified. The investigation is ongoing. West Center Road was closed at 264th Street and Campanile Road. New Delhi: Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of the Hinduja Group, announced on Friday that it will invest Rs 1,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh to establish a bus manufacturing facility dedicated to clean mobility, media reports said. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uttar Pradesh government for the establishment of this plant, which will be the company's first in the state, as stated by the commercial vehicle major. Upon commencement of operations, the manufacturing facility will have an initial capacity to produce 2,500 buses annually, according to the company. It also stated that it plans to incrementally expand this capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 vehicles per year in the next decade, anticipating a substantial increase in demand for electric and other types of buses. Once operational, this facility will become the seventh vehicle plant for Ashok Leyland in the country. Ashok Leyland is currently the second-largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India, following Tata Motors. Justin Trudeau leaving India following G20 Summit after 36-hour delay following his aircraft snag/ courtesy: Rajeev Chandrasekhar X page New Delhi/IBNS: India had offered Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the services of aircraft IAF One after his special aircraft developed a technical glitch shortly before his departure from New Delhi after the G20 Summit, media reports said. According to Canada's National Defence, the snag involved a part that must be replaced. The Canadian side, however, declined the offer and chose to wait for the backup aircraft, reports said. Canadian PM Trudeau and his delegation departed from the national capital on Tuesday afternoon after being stranded here for two days. Trudeau, who arrived in India on September 8 for the G20 Summit, was scheduled to leave New Delhi two days later. This is not the first time that the 34-year-old aircraft, which is nicknamed Flying Taj Mahal, suffered a mechanical defect in its history of transporting Trudeau across the globe. The CC 150 Polaris aircraft, an Airbus 310-300, was christened the Flying Taj Mahal by the then opposition leader of Canada Jean Chretien in the early 1990s. Chretien named it so after a lavish upgrade of the aircrafts interiors, which was done by the then Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Chretien subsequently became the PM himself and he also used the aircraft on official trips but chose to tone down the interiors. Before donning the VIP role, the Flying Taj Mahal was part of a batch of five aircraft, which was inducted into commercial service for an airline company in 1987-88. It started having maintenance issues only recently and incidentally all of them have occurred during the prime ministership of Trudeau, media reports said. In 2016, the aircraft developed a snag in the flaps which forced Trudeau to return to Ottawa, just 30 minutes after take off. At the time, he was headed to Brussels to sign a free trade deal with the European Union. Two years later, Trudeau was on his way to India when the aircraft developed a snag in Rome during a refuelling stop. Nirmala Sitharaman | Photo courtesy: PIB DMK is against Sanatan Dharma and it has been doing this for 70 years, said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slamming Tamil Nadu's ruling party over its top leader Udhayanidhi Stalin 's controversial remark. Speaking to NDTV, Sitharaman said, "The people in Tamil Nadu suffered. The rest of the country did not understand it because of a language barrier. It has always been like that. "Now because of social media, you don't even need a translator to know what a minister is saying. It is not surprising. DMK has been doing it for 70 years. It's hypocrisy." What did Stalin Jr. say about Sanatan Dharma? In an address, Udhayanidhi, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, said as quoted by The Indian Express, "Some things cannot be opposed, they should be eradicated. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, and Corona cannot be opposed. They should be eradicated. So should Sanatan (Dharma)." Udhayanidhi Stalin | Photo courtesy: Twitter/Udhayanidhi Stalin The DMK minister said, "What did Sanatanam do to women? It prevented them from stepping out of the house, made them commit sati (self-immolation on their husbands pyre), and shave their head and wear a white saree post their husbands death. It also led to child marriages." "While we think of introducing schemes to benefit our students education, fascists are coming up with schemes to stop them from achieving that because the principle of Sanatanam is that we shouldnt study at all, and NEET is one fine example of that," he added. Modi attacks INDIA alliance over 'Sanatan Dharma' remark Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the opposition bloc, INDIA, accusing it of attempting to destroy the Sanatan Dharma. PM Modi | Photo courtesy: PIB Addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, "A few groups are working to divide the country and society... They have come together to form an INDI alliance. They have also decided on a hidden agenda to attack India's culture. In image Aaj Tak anchor Sudhir Chaudhary/ courtesy: Facebook Bengaluru/IBNS: The Karnataka High Court Friday agreed to hear a plea filed by Aaj Tak TV news anchor Sudhir Chaudhary seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him and asked Bengaluru police to not take any precipitative action against him. The case refers to the alleged misinformation spread regarding a government scheme by the anchor in a programme aired on Aaj Tak on September 11. "I am going to hear the matter. This matter is to be disposed of. I cannot keep it pending. I need time to hear the matter till Tuesday," the High Court bench said. The matter has been posted to September 19. The allegations were first made by Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge. He alleged that the anchor implied that the scheme was meant only for minorities. Kharge had warned of legal action against the anchor. Reacting to Kharge's comments, Chaudhary had said he was ready for the legal fight. An FIR was filed against Chaudhary and Aaj Tak for offences under Sections 153A and 505 of the India Penal Code. Image: FAO/Genya Savilov New York: A string of Russian attacks on port and grain facilities in Ukraine which began over a month ago, have intensified in recent days, drawing condemnation from the UNs top humanitarian official there. "There has been almost one attack every other day hitting vital port and grain facilities in Ukraine," said Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown, in a statement on Wednesday. Assault on grain exports A Russian drone attack early on Wednesday damaged infrastructure at Ukrainian grain-exporting facilities on the Danube River. Ukrainian officials say buildings including grain warehouses, oil storage tanks and administrative buildings, were destroyed. The UN, citing port authorities, noted the tragic event had left at least six people injured. No deaths were immediately reported. Hugely alarming "It is hugely alarming to hear that the two Ukrainian ports in the Danube River were once again struck during overnight Russian attacks on the Odesa Region," Ms. Brown added. It was the latest attack by Russia on Ukrainian port and grain facilities since Moscow quit the UN-brokered deal that had enabled Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea. "Todays strike on Ukrainian ports was the 21st of such attacks since Russias decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative less than two months ago, said Ms. Brown. It is shocking but since 17 July there has been almost one attack every other day hitting vital port and grain facilities in Ukraine." Withdrawal from grain deal The grain initiative was struck in July 2022, between Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the UN. It enabled the export of more than 32 million tonnes of grain. But, in mid-July, Russia withdrew from the Initiative, arguing that agricultural exporters were not benefiting as the deal and separate Memorandum of Understanding had laid out. Since then, only a handful of vessels, none of them carrying grain, have been allowed to sail from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, according to news reports. Ukraine is a major global supplier of grain such as sunflower oil, bailey, maize and wheat. The war has caused global food prices to surge and is creating shortages food in Africa and the Middle East. Both import large amounts of food from Ukraine. Pattern of attacks "The consequences of this brutal and relentless pattern of Russian attacks are catastrophic for the people of Ukraine and the 345 million people facing hunger worldwide," Ms. Brown warned. According to news reports, the Governor of the Odesa region that includes the Danube River ports, has said 105 port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine had been damaged and partially destroyed since July 18, the day after Russia quit the Black Sea Initiative. "International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks on civilian infrastructure. This must stop, the Humanitarian Coordinator said. Both Sudanese Government forces (SAF) and their rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are responsible for abhorrent rights violations as they battle for supremacy, the UN envoy to the country said on Wednesday. But he stressed the UN will never stay neutral when it comes to demanding accountability for war crimes and other human rights abuses. Final briefing Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, was addressing the Security Council for the final time. He announced he will step down from the role, more than six months since the start of a brutal conflict between the rival militaries inside the country. The resignation will be accepted, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in response to a journalists question at a press conference, after Mr. Perthes made his announcement. He has very strong reasons to resign and I have to respect his will and accept his resignation, the UN chief said. Abhorrent violations Mr. Perthes told ambassadors that while the SAF conducted indiscriminate aerial bombing, most of the sexual violence, lootings and killings were conducted or tolerated by the RSF. Both sides are arbitrarily arresting, detaining, and even torturing civilians and there are reports of extrajudicial killings, he said. He called for the 15-member Council to impress on the warring parties that they cannot operate with impunity, and there will be accountability for the crimes committed. Full-blown civil war The conflict, which started between SAF and RSF military formations, could be morphing into a full-blown civil war, Mr. Perthes said. He recalled the situation in April, where both sides did not heed calls for de-escalation and dialogue, instead building up their forces in the capital, Khartoum. Let me be clear, for the benefit of history, that regardless of who fired the first shot, both sides were clearly setting the stage for war. The warring parties chose to settle their conflict through fighting, and it is their duty to the Sudanese people to end it. The UN envoy informed the Security Council that until the last moment, he and other partners warned that it would only take a spark to ignite armed confrontation. This is sadly what happened. Stepping down Mr. Perthes stepping down comes amid fierce criticism from the Government, according to media reports. Calls for his removal reportedly included a letter, in May, to the Secretary-General from military ruler General Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereign Council of Sudan. The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative, Mr. Guterres spokesperson said in a tweet at the time. Image: UNICEF/Khuzaie With tens of millions of children heading back to school in recent weeks, for some, the return to class has them fearing for their lives. Growing concern over safety and security prompted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to address the global phenomenon on Wednesday - during his remarks at an event commemorating the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. "Childrens education is being snatched away by threats, violence and attacks." Mr. Guterres said, during his remarks to a group of world leaders and education advocates. Under fire According to a new report from the non-profit Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, there were more than 3,000 reported attacks on education in 2022 - a 17 per cent increase from the previous year. The report found more than 6,700 students and educators were killed, injured, abducted or arrested - a 20 per cent increase. Echoing some of the facts outlined in the report, The Secretary General noted the attacks on education span "from direct assaults on places of learning to schools and universities being used for military purposes - to students and educators abducted, arbitrarily arrested, injured, killed - and even recruited to the fighting." Many students attend school under dire circumstances, especially in countries like Ukraine; still suffering through Russias full-scale invasion. According to news reports some children in war-torn Ukraine began the new school year attending class underground for security reasons. "We cannot always stop conflicts. But we can ensure that the children and young people living through these crises receive the educational support they need," Mr. Guterres said. The UN has laid out ways countries around the world can work together to protect education. Safe schools "That begins with all countries endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration which details concrete measures and practices to ensure that places of learning - and the people inside them - are protected at all times during armed conflict, the UN chief noted. Attacks on the education system are not the only factor keeping children out of school. Others are out of class because of social, economic or cultural challenges. According to UN education, science and culture agency UNESCO, an estimated 244 million young people do not attend school. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the most children and youths out of school an astonishing 98 million. In second place with the second highest population is Central and Southern Asia, with 85 million, UNESCO added. We must do more The UN reiterated the importance of education in creating a pathway to a brighter future for every person and promotes a peaceful world for all. Mr. Guterres urged world leaders to take immediate action for quality education. "We can - and must - protect education from attack," he concluded. Umid Shadiev,Chairman of the Tourism Committee under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan The 25th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is scheduled to be held in Samarkand from October 16- October 20. For the first time in history, Uzbekistan will host the General Assembly, the most important biennial event in the UN family system. The event will bring together heads of government agencies, representatives of the industry, and international business corporations engaged in the tourism sector from about 160 countries. Heads of travel agencies from countries like Saudi Arabia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Cote d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Monaco, Niger, Panama, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Uruguay and Yemen are expected to attend the event in Samarkand. It should be noted that Uzbekistan has been admitted as a member of the Committee on Credentials of the UNWTO Executive Council for 2023-2027. This means that Uzbekistan is entrusted with the authority to monitor the authenticity and compliance with the principles of important decisions and documents adopted by the UNWTO Executive Council. Holding of the General Assembly in Uzbekistan opens up new opportunities for raising the status of the country in the international arena further expanding relations with international organisations, and promote cultural and tourism potential. The issues of international cooperation in the field of tourism will be discussed at panel sessions and a number of other large-scale conferences within the framework of the sessions of the General Assembly. In particular, the Investment Forum to be held within the framework of the UNWTO will present the facilities, regions, and projects with high investment potential in all regions of our country to major foreign investors. It is expected to sign a number of important business agreements to attract targeted investments to our country. The Forum brings together global stakeholders, industry leaders and investors to explore opportunities in tourism and is aimed at demonstrating the favorable investment environment created in our country and a solid legal framework for attracting foreign investment, as well as developing cooperation between participants. During the main sessions at the Investment Forum, the goal is to form a positive opinion of the world community about the investment environment of our country, and increase the interest of large foreign investors in investing in Uzbekistan. As an outcome of the event, it is expected to promote sustainable development by increasing the volume of investments in our country, further increasing the investment potential of our country and strengthening cooperation across sectors on a global scale. Along with this, while preserving the rich cultural heritage and natural resources of Uzbekistan, it is planned to attract investments that will contribute to the economic growth of our country. The Education Forum, which is expected to take place within the General Assembly, will demonstrate the importance of investing in tourism education today, improving skills and creating inclusive opportunities for all. The event will showcase the latest developments in each field, including complementary initiatives developed by UNWTO with leading academic partners in secondary, higher and management education, a set of innovative educational tools and the teaching of new disciplines in the field of international sustainable tourism. The Forum's integrated programme aims to inspire and mobilize stakeholders, policymakers, professors and industry leaders for collective action. During the event, UNWTO will also announce the Best Tourism Villages of the Year. For this purpose, tourism villages from around the world will be selected that have a developed tourism sector. "Holding the 25th Session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in the ancient city of Samarkand will acquaint the world with the cultural, tourism, investment and intellectual potential of our country and serve to further strengthen international ties with the world community in the field of trade, economy, tourism and culture," the Uzbekistan government said in a statement. photo courtesy: Photo Courtesy: UNI Cairo/UNI: A minimum of 55 children living in the northeastern Libyan city of Derna were poisoned because of water contamination caused by recent floods, said Haider al-Sayeh, the leader of the Libyan National Disease Control Center, on Friday. Delayed discovery of the bodies of those killed by the floods in Derna might lead to epidemics and infections, stated Abderrahim Mazyek, head of Al-Bayda health center in eastern Libya. "There have already been 55 reported cases of children getting poisoned by the contaminated water in the city of Derna," al-Sayeh told Libyan news portal Abaad, stating it was vital to evacuate people from Derna's flooded areas. The death toll from the flooding in eastern Libya has exceeded 11,000, with about 20,000 people missing, Al-Arabiya reported on Thursday, citing the local Red Crescent Movement. The latest official situation update on Wednesday afternoon put the death toll from the floods at over 7,000. Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi, mayor of Derna Wednesday, stated that the death toll may reach from 18,000 to 20,000. This week, torrential rains brought by Storm Daniel caused high water and floods in multiple cities and towns in eastern Libya, including Al-Bayda and Derna. Air and seaports in the region were closed due to heavy downpours. The cities of Susah and Derna were declared natural disaster zones along with curfews imposed in the flood-affected cities. Image Source: wikipedia.org London: A man in Britain's Staffordshire died after he was reportedly attacked by a dog. Following the incident British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has decided to ban a dangerous breed American XL Bully, which has been found to be linked to a string of dog attacks In a video message, Sunak expressed his deep concern and dismay regarding the recent series of attacks. He stated that he has taken immediate action to initiate the process of identifying and prohibiting the American XL Bully dog breed. This matter drew significant attention last week when an 11-year-old girl sustained severe injuries from an attack by a similar breed in Birmingham. "The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children," said Sunak in his message recorded at 10 Downing Street. "I share the nation's horror at the recent videos we've all seen. Yesterday we saw another suspected XL bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality. It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on," he said. Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023 Sunak emphasized that existing laws already place the onus on dog owners to maintain control over their pets. However, he wanted to convey his commitment to promptly finding solutions to prevent such attacks from occurring. "Today I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts, to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks, with the view to then outlawing it. It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast. We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year," said Sunak. "These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe," he added. On Thursday afternoon, in Stonnall, Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region, a man was assaulted by two dogs outside a property. People intervened to save him and rushed him to hospital but he succumbed to the gruesome injuries. Meanwhile, the police took precautionary measures by detaining some children attempting to leave a nearby primary school for their safety. When surveyed, members of the Billings Chamber of Commerce said the chamber and community should focus on two areas workforce development and public safety. While crime is down in Billings, thanks partly to the recent passage of a public safety mill levy, homelessness has increased as housing has become more expensive. The homeless problem is a business issue, Chamber board Chairman Jeremy Vannatta said during the organizations annual meeting Thursday. The Chamber is helping downtown businesses ensure customers feel safe with programs like free environmental design evaluations that can improve lighting, access, visibility and other features. The Chamber is also supporting a study that will examine factors like enlarging the countys overcrowded jail. The Chamber is also fully in support of a proposed $147 million bond that would build a new recreation center on the South Side and improve parks and trails. The rec center could have an economic impact in Billings of $25 million in its first year alone, said Vannatta. Last year, more than 2.6 million people visited Billings and spent more than $65 million. The Chamber wants to attract more of both, partly by increasing airline traffic to the area. The Billings airport served 830,000 passengers last year, a decrease from years past. Billings is now the 4th largest airport in the state, far behind Bozeman which saw 2.2 million passengers. Chambers officials are working with partners to increase the number of airlines serving Billings and the destinations. The most popular non-direct destinations for people flying out of Billings are Los Angeles and San Francisco, said Vannatta. Were working to service those destinations, he said. Mike Nelson was awarded the Chambers 2023 legacy Award. Nelson purchased and restored the landmark Northern Hotel downtown, turning it into the citys first four-star hotel. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash Facing severe cash flow problems, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has cancelled several domestic and international flights, media reports said. A top official of Pakistan's national flag carrier earlier told Geo News that flight operations are feared to be suspended by September 15 if emergency funds are not provided. On August 12, a number of domestic flights to and from Karachi were cancelled due to a shortage of funds and the failure to pay Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for fuel supply. According to the Jinnah International Airport schedule today, PIA flights from Karachi to Bahawalpur (PK588 and PK589) and Karachi to Lahore (PK302 and PK303) have been called off. Karachi to Islamabad flight (PK368) has been delayed for three hours while Karachi to Lahore (PK304) is delayed by eight-and-a-half hours. PIA flights to and from Karachi and Rahim Yar Khan (PK582 and PK583) were cancelled while Karachi to Multan (PK330) and Dubai (PK213) were delayed by two hours, reports Geo News. Other than that, the flight from Islamabad to Karachi (PK301) is cancelled, Islamabad to Riyadh (PK753) is delayed by three hours and Lahore to Karachi (PK305) is delayed by two-and-a-half hours. The PIA on September 7 announced it was grounding five out of its 13 leased aircraft with further prospect of grounding four additional planes due to the prevailing financial crunch. The PIA had asked for an emergency bailout of Rs22.9 billion which was rejected by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). The ECC also rejected the request for deferment of the payments of Rs1.3 billion per month, which PIA pays to FBR against FED and Rs0.7 billion per month which PIA pays to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) against embarking charges, reports Geo News. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons After remaining closed for ten days following a clash between Afghanistan and Pakistani security forces, creating trouble for people from both sides, the Torkham border reopened on Friday. Pedestrian movement has begun following the resumption of traffic at the border with hundreds of travellers flocking to its immigration section for entry into Afghanistan, reports Geo News. According to reports, the clash between the two sides occurred after a dispute arose over the "illegal construction" of a bunker by the interim Afghanistan government on the Pakistani side of the border. The Pakistani Foreign Office on September 11 said Islamabad cannot accept the construction of any structures by the interim Afghan government inside its territory since these violate its sovereignty. The crossing is considered to be crucial for trade and people movement between the two neighbouring nations. Traders from both nations complained that their perishable goods were damaged since borders remained closed for 10 days. Some Afghanistani nationals said they missed hospital appointments for the same reason. The decision to open the border came after Acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met the Head of the Pakistan Mission in Kabul, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani. In the meeting, the Afghan authorities assured Pakistan that Afghan soil would not be used against Pakistan. Sources, privy to the decision, said the decision to reopen the border came after this meeting, reports Geo News. Photo Courtesy: ISPR website At least three Pakistani terrorists and a Pakistani Army personnel were killed during an exchange of fire between them in the country's Quetta region on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), militants had attacked a security forces post near Wali Tangi on Thursday evening, reports Dawn News. During fire exchange, three terrorists were sent to hell, the statement said. It said that Subedar Qaiser Raheem died while fighting valiantly in the line of duty, adding that one other soldier had been seriously injured. Security forces of Pakistan will continue to thwart the efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country, the statement said. Pakistan has been witnessing a spike in terror activities in recent months after the Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP) terror group ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year. An uptick in terror activities has been witnessed in the KP and Balochistan regions. RCMP X page Police have arrested a person for allegedly assaulting a Sikh teen at a bus stop after an altercation with another teenager in Canada's British Columbia province recently. Kelowna Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they arrested a young man Wednesday who was involved in Monday's assault, reports CTV News Vancouver. Police said the incident happened on Monday (September 11, 2023) at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East in Kelowna city. "Officers determined a 17-year old Sikh student was either bear or pepper sprayed by another teenaged male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home," read a statement issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Just prior to the bear spray incident, there was an altercation on the bus resulting in those involved being directed off of the bus, police said. "After exiting the bus, a second incident occurred where the suspect male deployed bear spray on the victim," the police said. Police said the motive behind the crime is still unknown. Meanwhile, the World Sikh Organisation of Canada has expressed concern over the incident. In its statement, the organisation said: "The grade eleven student was attacked while riding a BC Transit Bus back from school. This is the second attack on a Sikh student in Kelowna this year. In March, Gagandeep Singh was also violently attacked while riding a bus." "Two individuals approached the student and first barred his entry onto the bus and then, once allowing him to board, began to threaten him with a lighter and photograph and record him from a close distance with their phones," the statement said. "When the Sikh student turned away, the attackers phone fell from their hands and they began to kick and punch the Sikh student in front of the bus driver. The bus driver did not intervene and in fact, ordered the Sikh student and his attackers off the bus at the Rutland and Robson stop," read the statement. "After deboarding the bus, the Sikh student was pepper sprayed by his attackers and they continued to attack him, until bystanders intervened," the statement said. WSO said the Sikh student came to Canada recently and could not understand the reason behind the attack. WSO Vice President for British Columbia Guntaas Kaur said: "Mondays attack on a Sikh high school student in Kelowna is shocking and unacceptable. What is incredibly disappointing is that the BC Transit bus driver did not intervene and in fact removed both the attackers and the victim from the bus, leaving the Sikh student to fend for himself." NASA unveils independent report on UAP research. Photo Courtesy: NASA website In response to a recommendation by an independent study team for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to play a more prominent role in understanding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), or what is popularly known as unidentified flying objects (UFO), the agency has announced it is appointing a director of UAP research. NASA commissioned the independent study to better understand how the agency can contribute to ongoing government efforts to further the study of observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft, or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective. The report was released at a time when two 'non-human' corpses were publicly unveiled in Mexico's Congress, an episode that triggered excitement among UFO enthusiasts and scientists. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said NASAs new Director of UAP Research will develop and oversee the implementation of NASAs scientific vision for UAP research. At NASA, it's in our DNA to explore and to ask why things are the way they are. I want to thank the Independent Study Team for providing insight on how NASA can better study and analyse UAP in the future, said Nelson. He said NASAs new Director will look into working with other agencies to analyse UAP and applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to search the skies for anomalies. "NASA will do this work transparently for the benefit of humanity," he said. The report contains the external study teams findings and recommendations which aim to inform NASA on what possible data is available to be collected and how the agency can help shed light on the origin and nature of future UAP. The report is not a review or assessment of previous UAP incidents. While NASA still is evaluating the report and assessing the independent study teams findings and recommendations, the agency is committed to contributing to the federal governments unified UAP effort by appointing Mark McInerney director of UAP research. McInerney previously served as NASAs liaison to the Department of Defence covering limited UAP activities for the agency. In the director role, he will centralise communications, resources, and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP. He also will leverage NASAs expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and space-based observation tools to support and enhance the broader government initiative on UAP. Since 1996, he has served various positions at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the National Hurricane Centre. The independent study teams overall recommendation for NASA from its report is that the agency can play a prominent role in the governments effort to understand UAP by furthering the study and data collection of UAP. The external study recommends that NASA use its open-source resources, extensive technological expertise, data analysis techniques, federal and commercial partnerships, and Earth-observing assets to curate a better and robust dataset for understanding future UAP. NASA also will advance citizen reporting by engaging with the public and commercial pilots to build a broader, more reliable UAP dataset to use to identify future UAP incidents as well as destigmatize the study of UAP. Data is the critical lifeblood needed to advance scientific exploration, and we thank the independent study team members for lending NASA their expertise towards identifying what available data is possible to understand the nature and origin of future UAP, said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The director of UAP Research is a pivotal addition to NASAs team and will provide leadership, guidance and operational coordination for the agency and the federal government to use as a pipeline to help identify the seemingly unidentifiable. The independent study team, set up outside of NASA, used unclassified data from civilian government entities, commercial data, and data from other sources to inform their findings and recommendations in the report. There are currently a limited number of high-quality observations of UAP, which currently makes it impossible to draw firm scientific conclusions about their nature. Using unclassified data was essential for our teams fact-finding, open-communication collaboration, and for upholding scientific rigour to produce this report for NASA, said David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation and chair of the UAP independent study team. The team wrote the report in conjunction with NASAs pillars of transparency, openness and scientific integrity to help the agency shed light on the nature of future UAP incidents. We found that NASA can help the whole-of-government UAP effort through systematic data calibration, multiple measurements and ensuring thorough sensor metadata to create a data set that is both reliable and extensive for future UAP study. The UAP independent study team is a counsel of 16 community experts across diverse areas on matters relevant to potential methods of study for unidentified anomalous phenomena. NASA commissioned the study to examine UAP from a scientific perspective and create a roadmap for how to use data and the tools of science to move our understanding of UAP forward. Mexican Congress episode: Triggering debate over the existence of extraterrestrial beings, the Mexico Congress recently hosted an unusual event in the country's capital city. During the event, alleged Alleged non-human alien corpses were displayed to the politicians of the country at the countrys Congress. The two small alleged alien corpses, retrieved from Cusco, Peru, were presented in windowed boxes in Mexico City on Wednesday, stirring excitement within the UFO conspiracy theorist community, reports Independent. The video of the event has gone viral over the social media platforms. Jaime Maussan, who has led investigations into alien phenomena for decades, stood with scientists to unveil two corpses in what he called a 'watershed' event in front of Mexican Congress on Tuesday, Daily Mail reported. Carbon dating by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) found the bodies, pictured with three-fingered hands, no teeth and stereoscopic vision, were more than 1,000 years old, Maussan claimed as quoted by the newspaper. What did NASA say on the issue? When NASA officials were asked about the incident by BBC, they said they were not entertaining conjecture and need to learn more about these corpses before they can say any more. Photo Courtesy: POTUS X Page Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the US next week and meet president Joe Biden, American media reports said. Biden plans to host Zelenskyy at the White House. The two are both slated to be in New York to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and Wednesday, making Thursday the most likely target for their meeting in Washington, D.C, reports CBS News. According to media reports, the Ukrainian top leader is scheduled to visit the country at a time when Congress is debating President Joe Bidens request to provide $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it continues its fight against Russian invasion. Joe Biden, last month, had called on Congress to send another $ 24 billion to war-ravaged Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine recently when he announced the newest aid package amounting to more than $1 billion. The aid includes depleted uranium tank shells, which the US had previously said would not be sent to Ukraine, reports BBC. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing nearly 100 sanctions on Russian elites and Russias industrial base, financial institutions, and technology suppliers as the United States continues to leverage sanctions and economic restrictions to undermine Russias capacity to wage its war against Ukraine. The Department of State also designated more than 70 persons. The sanctions focus on persons benefiting from, supporting, and sustaining Russias brutal war of choice against Ukraine. With todays sanctions, the United States is continuing our relentless work to target Russias military supply chains and deprive Putin of the equipment, technology, and services he needs to wage his barbaric war on Ukraine, said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen. We have also made clear that those individuals and entities who profit from invasion and their proximity to the Kremlin will be held accountable, and todays actions show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putins oligarchs. 1. Deepika Padukone On Why She Charges A Premium For Ads With Ranveer But Worked For Free In Jawan Deepika Padukone is one of the most successful actors in the Indian film industry right now. Paired up with husband and superstar Ranveer Singh, the two A-listers make an outstanding power couple. Indiatimes 2. Priyamani Reveals How Atlee 'Tricked' Her Into Believing That Vijay Will Make A Cameo In Jawan Priyamani, who portrays the role of Lakshmi, told News18 that the film's director Atlee had told her about Vijay's cameo in the film. Vijay is not to be confused with Vijay Sethupati, who plays the role of Kaalie Gaikwad in Jawan. Indiatimes 3. A Dig At Priyanka? Deepika Padukone's Comment On Not Wanting To Moving Abroad Goes Viral Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra stand as beloved actresses in the Bollywood industry. These divas consistently captivate their fans with their exceptional acting prowess and captivating personalities. For those who may not be aware, Deepika and Priyanka are contemporaries, both commanding enormous followings. While both have secured their positions in Bollywood, it's worth noting that Priyanka has also ventured into Hollywood, attaining global recognition for her talents. Indiatimes 4. Govinda To Be Questioned In Connection With Rs 1000 Crore Online Ponzi Scam On September 13, the Odisha Economic Offences Wing (EOW) announced its intention to interrogate Bollywood actor Govinda as part of an ongoing investigation into a nationwide online Ponzi scheme worth Rs 1,000 crore. According to authorities, the Solar Techno Alliance (STA-Token), which had an online presence in multiple countries, was illicitly running a pyramid-style scheme under the guise of cryptocurrency investments. Instagram 5. Anurag Kashyap Was 'Ghosted' From Tere Naam After He Asked Salman Khan To Grow Chest Hair Have you ever been ghosted? If you have, you know the pain that comes with that provides us with no closure. Something similar happened with Indian film director Anurag Kashyap. During a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, the Gangs of Wasseypur revealed that he was supposed to direct Salman Khan in 'Tere Naam'. Indiatimes For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Engineers Day 2023 wishes, quotes, and cards: Happy National Engineers Day is a special occasion to honor and appreciate the incredible contributions of engineers in our lives. In India National Engineers' Day is celebrated annually on September 15th. The day is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of legendary engineer and statesman of India, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya who was born on September 15, 1861. Whether you have an engineer in your family or among your friends, sending them heartfelt wishes, meaningful messages, inspiring quotes, and delightful images on their special day can brighten their day and make them feel truly cherished. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 image | Photo: Freepik As National Engineers Day 2023 is just around the corner here in this article, we'll provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to celebrate Happy National Engineers Day with your loved ones who are proud engineers. National Engineers Day 2023 Theme: Year Theme National Engineers Day 2023 Theme 'Engineering for a Sustainable Future' National Engineers Day 2022 Theme 'Engineering for A Healthy Planet Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report' National Engineers Day 2021 Theme 'Engineering for A Healthy Planet- Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report' National Engineers Day 2020 Theme 'Engineers for a Self-Reliant India' National Engineers Day 2019 Theme 'Engineering for change' The theme for National Engineers Day 2023 is 'Engineering for a Sustainable Future. The theme for National Engineers' Day 2023 is typically chosen by various engineering organisations, educational institutions, and government bodies. These themes often revolve around technological advancements, innovation, and the role of engineers in addressing societal challenges. Also Read: Engineers Day 2023 Speech Ideas For Students Also Read: 100+ Top Engineers Day 2023 Wishes and quotes We have listed the best collection of National Engineers Day wishes, messages, quotes, and images that are sure to make their day extra special. So, let's dive in and celebrate the engineers who make the world a better place: Happy National Engineers' Day 2023 Best Wishes, Quotes, Messages and images to send loved ones who are proud engineers: Let's celebrate Happy National Engineers Day 2023 with heartfelt wishes, messages, quotes, and images for your engineer loved ones. Explore creative ways to express your pride and appreciation. Happy National Engineers Day Wishes Expressing your best wishes is a great way to show your appreciation. Here are some heartfelt Happy National Engineers Day wishes for your loved ones: 1. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 to all the engineers! Your innovation and dedication continue to amaze us. Keep building a better world! 2. Wishing the happiest Engineers Day to the genius who knows how to turn dreams into reality. We're proud of you! 3. To the engineer who always finds solutions to every problem, here's to you on Engineers Day. May your path be filled with success! 4. Happy National Engineers Day to the one who adds precision to our lives. Your work is truly remarkable. 5. Engineers like you make the world a marvel. May your Engineers Day be as outstanding as your creations! Happy National Engineers Day Heartwarming Messages Sending a thoughtful message can touch the hearts of your engineer loved ones. Here are some messages to consider: 1. On Engineers Day, I want to thank you for making our lives easier and more exciting with your inventions. 2. Your dedication to engineering inspires us all. Happy National Engineers Day! 3. May your Engineers Day be filled with joy, success, and endless opportunities. 4. Keep shining with your innovative spirit. Engineers Day is your day! 5. Sending warm wishes to the engineer who lights up our lives. Happy National Engineers Day! Happy National Engineers Day Inspiring Quotes Inspirational quotes can motivate and uplift engineers. Here are some quotes to share: 1. "Engineering is not about making things. It's about making things better." - Henry Petroski 2. "The engineer has been, and is, a maker of history." - James Kip Finch 3. "Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems." - Scott Adams 4. "The world cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein 5. "Engineering is the closest thing to magic that exists in the world." - Elon Musk Happy Engineers Day Wishes and Messages To Friends 1. Happy Engineer's Day, my brilliant engineer! Your ability to solve complex problems and innovate never ceases to amaze me. May your career continue to soar to new heights! 2. To the engineer who's always up for a challenge, here's to you on Engineer's Day 2023! Keep building the future with your incredible skills. Cheers to your success! 3. Happy Engineer's Day to the friend who turns dreams into reality through engineering magic. Your dedication is an inspiration to us all. Keep shining! 4. Wishing you a day filled with joy, accomplishments, and exciting engineering adventures, my friend. Happy Engineer's Day 2023! Your hard work deserves all the recognition. 5. On this special day, let's celebrate your achievements, my engineer friend. Happy Engineer's Day 2023! Your passion for innovation is making the world a better place. Happy National Engineers Day Wishes and Messages To your Husband 1. To the most brilliant engineer and the most loving husband, Happy National Engineers Day! Your dedication to your work and our family amazes me every day. 2. On this special day, I want to celebrate not only your achievements in engineering but also the incredible husband that you are. Happy National Engineers Day, my love! 3. Happy National Engineers Day to the man who can fix anything and everything, both in the world of engineering and in our home. You're my hero! 4. To my favorite engineer and the love of my life, may your day be filled with the same precision and excellence that you bring to everything you do. Happy National Engineers Day! 5. On National Engineers Day, I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication you put into your engineering projects and into our relationship. You truly are a remarkable husband. Happy National Engineers Day Wishes and Messages To Brother 1. Happy National Engineers Day, bhai! Your engineering prowess amazes us all. May your journey be filled with endless success and groundbreaking achievements. 2. On this special day, I want to salute my brother, the engineering genius! Your determination and hard work are changing the world. Happy Engineers Day 2023! 3. Wishing my brother a fantastic National Engineers Day 2023! Your ability to turn dreams into reality is nothing short of extraordinary. Keep shining! 4. Happy Engineers Day to the best brother in the world! Your engineering feats leave us in awe, and we couldn't be prouder of you. May your future endeavors be as remarkable as you are! Happy National Engineers Day Wishes and Messages To Father 1. To the world's best engineer and my beloved father, Happy National Engineers Day! Your dedication to your work and your family is truly inspiring. May this day bring you joy and recognition for all that you do. 2. Dad, on National Engineers Day, I want to celebrate not only your professional achievements but also the amazing father you are. Your guidance and wisdom have shaped my life. Wishing you a day filled with pride and happiness. 3. Happy National Engineers Day, Dad! Your problem-solving skills and innovative thinking have always amazed me. May your career continue to flourish, and may you keep inspiring us with your engineering prowess. 4. On this special day, I salute my dad, the engineer extraordinaire! Your ability to turn complex challenges into solutions is nothing short of remarkable. May you keep engineering success in every aspect of your life. 5. Dad, as we celebrate National Engineers Day in 2023, I want you to know that your dedication to your profession has not only made you a great engineer but also a role model for me. Here's to your continued success and happiness. Happy Engineer's Day! Happy National Happy Engineers Day and Messages Wishes To Employees 1. On National Engineers Day 2023, we salute the innovative minds that drive our success. Thank you for engineering a brighter future for us all! 2. Happy Engineers Day to our brilliant team! Your dedication and expertise are the building blocks of our success. Keep engineering greatness! 3. Wishing all our engineers a fantastic National Engineers Day! Your creativity and problem-solving skills are the driving force behind our achievements. 4. May National Engineers Day 2023 bring you well-deserved recognition and appreciation for your outstanding contributions to our organization. We're proud to have you on our team! 5. Happy National Engineers Day to the dreamers, thinkers, and doers who make the impossible possible. Your efforts inspire us all to reach new heights! National Engineers Day 2023 quotes to send loved ones 1. Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems. - Scott Adams 2. Math is my Passion. Engineering is my Profession. - Wilfred James Dolor 3. Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. - Sir Henry Royce 4. Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. Its coming up with ideas, testing principles and perfecting the engineering as well as final assembly. - James Dyson 5. I dont spend my time pontificating about high-concept things; I spend my time solving engineering and manufacturing problems. - Elon Musk Happy National Engineers Day Delightful Images Images can convey emotions and appreciation effectively. Consider sending images like: #1. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 Images | Photo: Canva #2. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 Images | Photo: Canva #3. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 Images | Photo: Canva #4. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 Images | Photo: Canva #5. Happy National Engineers Day 2023 Images | Photo: Canva Happy National Engineers Day 2023 to all the engineers! For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Kendall said the U.S. must be ready for a kind of war we have no modern experience with, though he stressed war is not inevitable A social media post that showed a West High student with guns prompted a visit by Billings police to the school late Friday morning and ended with the student's arrest. Police wanted to talk to the student about the social media post, said SD2 Superintendent Erwin Garcia. But when the student was pulled out of class, the student "resisted and was subsequently arrested." West had been placed on lockdown while police were there. The district has since communicated with parents and community members to say students at the school are not in danger. As a precaution, students at the Career Center, two miles west of West High, were kept on campus during their lunch hour. District officials were tipped off about the photo Thursday night; Garcia praised the action, even if the social media post ends up being a joke or made in jest. "We want our parents, our guardians, to reach out," he said. "We cannot ignore these jokes." This year in the United States six schools have had active shooters on campus and 12 students have been killed seven students in March at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, and five students in June at Huguenot High School in Richmond, Virginia. Earlier in the day a bomb threat forced Rose Park Elementary School into lockdown. After a brief investigation by Billings police found the threat not to be credible. It is noted that Kaili's request to return to the proceedings of the European Parliament was approved at the beginning of June. Siemens has received two major orders to set up the charging infrastructure for electric buses (e-buses) in two cities in Germany. In Hamburg, Siemens will again support Hamburger Hochbahn AG, one of Germanys largest public transport companies, in reaching its goal of operating a completely emission-free bus fleet by 2030. In Saarlouis, Siemens will enable the smooth transition to electric buses for Kreisverkehrsbetriebe Saarlouis (KVS GmbH). The projects include planning, installing the charging infrastructure and integrating it into the medium-voltage grid. This is complemented by multi-year maintenance contracts. In Hamburg alone, eliminating all diesel-powered buses will save approximately 66,000 tons of CO2 per year. Electromobility is one of the most important levers for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are pleased to provide state-of-the-art charging technology and efficient software solutions to make this transition easy and economically attractive for bus fleet operators, said Markus Mildner, CEO of eMobility at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. According to the German Federal Environment Agency, the transport sector accounted for 19.4 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Germany in 2021. In the amendment to the Climate Protection Act, the German government reaffirms its goal to make Germany greenhouse gas neutral by 2045. Against this backdrop, the transformation of local public transport in favor of climate-friendly systems is gaining significant momentum. Follow-on order from Hamburger Hochbahn AG Hamburger Hochbahn AG is one of Germanys largest public transport companies, carrying over 1.2 million passengers a day on four subway and 119 bus lines. Following a resolution of the Senate of Hamburg, Hamburger Hochbahn AG has exclusively been purchasing e-buses since 2020 and has set a goal of operating a completely emission-free bus fleet by 2030. From 2021 to 2023, Siemens successfully equipped two carports at the Alsterdorf bus depot with a total of 141 SICHARGE UC charging points as well as medium- and low-voltage technology, including SIVACON S8 low-voltage switchgear. This is complemented by the implementation of an energy-efficient ventilation concept with separate air ducting for the cold and warm air volumes, which significantly boosts energy savings during charging. In March 2023, Siemens received an order from Hamburger Hochbahn AG to equip the Harburg II bus depot for DC charging of its growing e-bus fleet. To this end, a total of 20 SICHARGE UC charging points of the latest generation, each with a nominal power of 150 kW, will be installed on five lanes. Siemens will create working and implementation planning based on the customers planning specifications. The chargers will be mounted outdoors in conjunction with a truss system spanning the bus lanes with standard CCS connector technology. The project scope also includes delivery, installation and commissioning of a transformer station for integration into the medium-voltage grid, as well as the necessary communications technology for integration into the charging and depot management system of Hamburger Hochbahn AG. A five-year maintenance and service contract ensures the required availability of the charging infrastructure. The extension and conversion of the depot will take place during ongoing operations. Commissioning is scheduled for early 2024. In addition, Siemens is working with Hamburger Hochbahn AG to implement advanced requirements to optimize network and charging infrastructure management for the depots. Also, there are already considerations to enable bidirectional power flows in the long term. Currently, Hamburger Hochbahn AG has more than 250 battery-electric buses, including articulated buses with a length of 18 meters, space for more than 130 passengers, and a minimum range of approximately 250 kilometers without stopping for charging. New project in Saarlouis In Saarlouis, a city in the west of Germany, Siemens will enable the smooth transition to electric buses for Kreisverkehrsbetriebe Saarlouis (KVS GmbH). This entails the gradual conversion of the bus depot of KVS GmbH. In the first stage, Siemens will install the charging infrastructure for 20 vehicles. For this purpose, 20 SICHARGE UC charging points of the latest generation, each with 150kW nominal power, and 20 dispensers, will be installed. The charging infrastructure will be connected to the power grid infrastructure via a 12 kV grid transfer station, 12 kV medium-voltage distribution equipment, transformer stations, and low-voltage distribution equipment. Siemens will handle delivery, installation, including civil engineering work, and commissioning. This is complemented by a maintenance contract for a term of five years. The first conversion phase is scheduled to be completed by spring 2024. In a subsequent step, it will offer the potential for expansion to 70 buses. The service area of KVS GmbH covers the district of Saarlouis, a transport area with a population of around 200,000. Other lines lead to neighboring cities and districts, and in some cases cross the border into France. (Siemens) Siemens supports expansion of e-bus charging infrastructure in Germany Metaforespress. No fewer than five persons have been confirmed dead while others sustained injuries in a tragic road accident that happened at the Odumodu Junction by Nteje, along the Onitsha-Awka Expressway, Anambra State, on Friday morning. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the accident involved two vehicles, a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus with registration number: XE245AWK and a commercial Daf/Leyland truck with registration number: T-19094LA. It was gathered that ten people comprising three male adults and seven female adults, were involved in the accident, which happened around 7:30 a.m. However, the container of the truck fell on the commercial bus while the driver was trying to navigate through the failed portion of the road. READ MORE: Police Storm Kidnappers Hideout In Anambra, Arrest One, Rescue Victim According to PUNCH, quoted an eyewitness as saying that, the two vehicles were en route to different locations one was said to be going to Awka while the other was going to Onitsha. Five persons, all female, were killed, while two male adults and two female adults sustained various degrees of injuries and one male adult was rescued unhurt. The two vehicles got to the spot at the same time and due to the weight of the truck, the container fell on the bus and crashed, the eyewitness reportedly said. Confirming the accident, the acting Sector Public Education Officer for Federal Road Safety Corps, Margaret Onabe, told journalists that the probable cause of the fatal crash was attributed to the failed portion of the road. She said, 10 people comprising three male adults, seven female adults were involved in the crash. Five female adults were killed while male adults and two female adults sustained varying degrees of injuries and one male adult was rescued unhurt. The immediate past executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami, has reacted to his dismissal saying hes leaving the agency a fulfilled man. Information Nigeria reports that on Thursday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sacked Nami and his Special Adviser on Revenue, Zacchaeus Adedeji, was subsequently appointed as the acting chairman of the tax commission. However, Nami, in a statement, expressed appreciation to former President Muhamnmadu Buhari and Tinubu for allowing him to serve the country for almost four years. He also extended his appreciation to the staff of FIRS, taxpayers and Nigerians for the cooperation throughout his tenure while listing the achievements in the commission. With utmost gratitude to the Almighty God, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the erstwhile President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, and the incumbent president, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, or the opportunity given to me to serve the country and humanity as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for almost four years. I want to extend my deep appreciation to the entire staff of the Service, our esteemed taxpayers, and Nigerians for believing in me and for the support and cooperation extended to me throughout my tenure. READ ALSO: You Bought Underwear From Govt Purse Garba Shehu Slams Ex-Military Gov. Umar I want to record that the support and cooperation I received enabled my team to meet our target and set new records for tax collection in Nigeria. Even as I take my bow, we have so far collected more than N8 Trillion in eight months and would have set a new record of a minimum of N13 trillion at the end of this tax year. During the inauguration of the erstwhile Board Members of the Service, I promised to raise the countrys Tax-To-GDP ratio from 6% to 10% in 4-years. We already have achieved a Tax-to-GDP ratio of 10.86% within two years (i.e. as at December 31 2021.) I can, therefore, say that I am leaving as a fulfilled man knowing that I have served diligently. I am equally leaving a Service that is built on world-class best practices. Indeed, it couldnt have been more fulfilling. I implore the staff, taxpayers, and Nigerians to extend the same measure of cooperation to the incoming Executive Chairman, Mr. Zacchaeus Adedeji, to enable him to succeed. Tax collection is a sensitive matter that requires all hands on deck to achieve, the statement read. Kayode Egbetokun, the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), on Thursday, gave an order for the dismantling of all illegal Police checkpoints across States of the Federation. While speaking during a strategic meeting with police managers he posited that those who mount illegal checkpoints have become a nuisance on the nations highways. He however instructed the Commissioners of Police (CP) in the 36 States and Federal Capital Territory to immediately commence dismantling of all non-security checkpoints within their areas of responsibilities, and arrest violators for prompt prosecution. CPs yet to establish the Complaints Response Units (CRU), were also given a three-week ultimatum to do so in their command headquarters to combat corruption. We are aware of the challenge posed by the continued presence of unauthorized persons on the various highways around the country, in the guise of revenue collection, who constantly constitute nuisance on the highways by obstructing the flow of traffic, and engaging in mischievous activities, such as the seizure of vehicles, collection of fines and other unlawful activities. READ ALSO: Police Storm Kidnappers Hideout In Anambra, Arrest One, Rescue Victim All state Commissioners of Police are hereby directed to immediately commence the dismantling of all such non-security checkpoints within their areas of responsibilities, and arrest all violators for prompt prosecution. To bolster accountability and transparency within the force, we have taken steps, such as reinforcing the IGP monitoring unit and the complaint response unit, CRU, based at the Force Headquarters, and efforts are ongoing to establish CRU offices in all states. Directive have earlier been given to all state commissioners of police to establish CRU offices in their respective state command headquarters, as part of our commitment to combatting corruption and improve professionalism in the Nigeria Police Force. Those command commissioners of police who are yet to comply are, hereby, given a deadline of three weeks from today to do so, he said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, assured that he will work to ensure Nigerians are taken out of poverty. Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, disclosed via a statement that Tinubu spoke while receiving a 62-person delegation from Rivers State, at the State House, Abuja. The delegation comprised leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of which Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers Governor, were part of the delegation. The President posited that neither Rivers nor Nigeria has any business being associated with poverty, insecurity or under-development. He assured that under his leadership, the narrative would be permanently and positively changed. We are not meant to be in a position to be poor. We will turn the tide. Somewhere, somehow in this storm, theres a quiet and peaceful place for us. We will locate it. We are not lazy people. We are richly endowed. We just need to be our brothers keeper, and good neighbours to one another. READ ALSO: Tribunal: Only God Is Error-free SAN Begs Nigerians To Stop Intimidating Judiciary I am not a President that will give excuses. I will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will run aggressively forward. Today, we may be swimming against the tide. But the waves will soon propel us forward from behind. We will achieve the goals and dreams of our forefathers. I am inspired by the nation of people I now lead, the statement quoted Tinubu as saying. Tinubu further pleaded with the younger generation to be more patient with the processes of government while pledging to work hard for the country. I am the captain and chief salesman of the country. We have to reverse the trend and achieve possibilities within a short period of time. Our people have high expectations for us, he said. Fubara, on his part, told the President that the people of Rivers voted for him in the last elections based on their belief in fairness, equity and justice. This is the first time that Rivers State is truly feeling the impact of the federal government since the inception of democracy in 1999, he said. He also commended Tinubu for the appointments of Wike and Ngelale as the FCT minister and presidential spokesperson, respectively, as well as other sons and daughters of Rivers state into the boards and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other institutions. A 20-year-old man, Aondoaseer Agbadu, has been arraigned before a Magistrates Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State for allegedly harvesting and selling the kidney of a 17-year-old boy, Terungwa Swati, in Abuja. The state Police Command arraigned the suspect on Thursday, September 14, 2023, over conspiracy on organ harvesting. Agbadu and his accomplices allegedly deceived Terungwa to Abuja, where one of his kidneys was harvested without his consent or that of his parents. READ ALSO: Organ Harvesting: Ohanaeze Meets British Envoy, Pleads Leniency For Ekweremadus Other accused were said to have fled when the father of the victim reported the case at Aliade police station in the Gwer East Local Government Area of the state. When the case was mentioned in court on Thursday, September 14, the police prosecutor, Inspector Godwin Ato, told the court that one Alexander Swati of the opposite Benue Internal Revenue Service office, Aliade, reported a case at the police station on August 27. Ato said that the case was later transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Aliade, to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi, via letter No. AR: 3100/BNS/AL/VOL.4/258, dated August 30. The prosecutor added that sometime in April 2023, one Aondoaseer Agbadu of opposite Union Bank, Aliade, criminally conspired with others now at large, deceived, and took his 17-year-old son, Terungwa Swati, to Abuja. He explained that while in Abuja, they operated on Terungwa, harvested one of his kidneys, and sold it to another person without consent. Ato said during the police investigation, Agbadu was arrested for committing the crime, while others are still at large. He said the accused contravened Sections 27 and 20 (1), (2), and (3) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. He said the investigation into the matter was still ongoing and requested additional time to complete it. However, no plea was taken for want of jurisdiction. The Magistrate, Mr. Taribo Atta, remanded the accused at the Federal Maximum Correctional Centre, Makurdi, and adjourned the case to October 23 for further mention. The Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) says it is confident that the Supreme Court will rectify the errors in the judgment delivered by the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC). Recall that, the five-man presidential election petitions tribunal struck out the various petitions filed by the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against President Bola Ahmed Tinubus victory in the February 25 election. In a unanimous decision, the tribunal led by Haruna Tsammani, held that Abubakar was unable to prove claims of vote rigging and irregularities in the election. However, the PDP and Abubakar rejected the verdict of the tribunal, vowing to appeal the ruling at the supreme court. The BoTs position was contained in a communique issued at the end of a meeting in Abuja on Thursday. Adolphus Wabara, a former Senate President and Chairman of the PDP BoT, read the communique. READ ALSO: Councillors Impeach Ogun LG Chairman Who Accused Gov Abiodun Of Fund Diversion According to the communique, the PDP BoT said it has confidence in the capacity and courage of the Supreme Court to ultimately and decisively right the wrongs and correct the manifest errors contained in the Judgment of the PEPC in the interest of the unity, stability and corporate existence of our Country. The party said Nigerians are facing excruciating hardship, worsening insecurity and a general sense of apprehension and despondency across the country caused by the policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The BoT laments that the APC is pushing Nigerians to the wall and worry that the level of poverty and anger in the polity over the suppressive rule of the APC is capable of snowballing into a serious crisis if not urgently addressed, the communique reads. The opposition partys BoT posited that the nation is at the moment in a precarious situation under the APC, noting that Nigerians look to the PDP for a solution and direction. The advisory body added that the Party is determined to continue to lead the charge to rescue the nations democracy and return it to cohesion and economic prosperity. The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed an attack on Giyawa village of Goronyo local government area in the eastern senatorial district by gunmen suspected to be bandits, leading to the death of four persons. According to the states Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ahmed Rufai, confirming the horrible incident to newsmen on Thursday, disclosed that: four persons were confirmed dead, 18 persons abducted by the assailants who carted away other valuables including livestock. READ MORE: Troops Neutralize Bandits Attack, Destroy Camps In Zamfara, Sokoto However, seven of the abducted victims later escaped and returned to their community where many residents have fled for safety. Mr Rufai noted that men of the command are currently on the trail of the assailants and are making efforts to ensure normalcy is restored to the affected community and environs. Police is on the trail of the assailants and are making efforts to ensure normalcy is restored in the affected community and environment. The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), on Friday, announced the reduction of its fees after meeting the representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). The institution via a statement revealed that the university held a meeting with the executives of the NANS and other faculty members on Thursday evening. The statement read, Authorities of the University of Lagos led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, on Thursday, September 14, 2023, had a meeting with the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Comrade Usman Umar Barambu accompanied by top officers of the Association and UNILAG Faculty leaders drawn from nine faculties of the University and College of Medicine. The statement also disclosed that, at the commencement of the meeting, Barambu highlighted the demands put forth by the students which include reversal of obligatory fees, reversal of hostel fees, and reinstatement of Students Union Government in UNILAG. After careful evaluation of the issues raised by the students and management, the following consensus was reached at the meeting: Utility Charges for all categories of students was reduced to N15,000:00 from N20,000:00. The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students was reviewed from N126,325:00 to N116,325:00 for Courses without Lab/Studio and N176,325:00 to N166,325:00 for Courses with Lab/Studio. READ ALSO: Two Nigerians Arrested For Drug Peddling In The Philippines The obligatory fees for returning undergraduate students was reviewed from N100,750:00 to N80,750:00 for Courses without Lab/Studio; N140,250:00 to N120,250:00 for Courses with Lab/Studio; and from N190,250:00 to N170, 250:00 for Medical / Pharmacy students and students in Health Professions. The Convocation Fee to be paid by all final year students was reduced to N27,000:00 from N 30,000:00. Hostels fees were reviewed as follows: For undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba campuses, the fees was reduced to N43, 000:00 from N90,000:00. For hostels in Idi-Araba campus, the fees was reduced to N65,000:00 from N120,000:00. The fees for Sodeinde Hall was reduced to N135,000:00 from N250,000:00. Ogunsola, however stressed that the aim of the University was to deliver quality education to its students regardless of class, tribe or creed. Recall that some students of the University of Lagos, on Wednesday, took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the raised tuition fees announced by the school management. In July, the UNILAG authorities announced a rise in tuition fees for both new and returning undergraduate students, citing the current economic conditions as the reason behind the decision. The federal government shutdown at the end of September is becoming increasingly more likely as a minority of House Republicans, including Montanas Matt Rosendale, object to short-term funding proposals. The remainder of Montanas congressional delegation say they will support a continuing resolution to keep the government running as the House and Senate reconcile budget differences. At issue is the end of the federal fiscal year, Sept. 30, after which Congress has budgeted no money to keep several government services operating. House Republican leadership is scrambling to pass the 12 appropriations bills comprising the budget by months end, but even then theres no time to reconcile the bills with those of the Senate. The scenario Congress faces isnt uncommon. The tool for keeping the government open is a continuing resolution, which rolls forward the spending of the current budget for several months, usually until Christmas, so the funding can be decided for the remainder of the new fiscal year. Congress has passed one or more continuing resolutions to keep the government running in all but three of the last 47 years, the Congressional Research Service reported in May. But a minority of Republicans are refusing to extend government funding by way of a resolution. Rosendale, who didnt respond to questions for this story, has busily tweeted his opposition to the continuing resolution for the last several days, insisting that the House pass its 12 appropriations bills by months end, while at the same time offering appropriations amendments that were sure to fail, such as preventing Ukraine security assistance being issued until a wall is competed across the U.S. border with Mexico. Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, announced there would be impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden, a red meat offering for the far right members of his caucus. But Montana's Eastern District representative indicated he saw the hook on the California Republicans line. This is simply a ploy to coerce Members into falsely choosing to either fund Nancy Pelosis failed policies and budget with a continuing resolution or proceed with the impeachment inquiry, Rosendale tweeted. This is reckless government, and I will not be pressured by such tactics. The American people deserve better! Alternatively, McCarthy could easily muster support from Democrats to pass a continuing resolution. Other members of the House Freedom Caucus, to which Rosendale belongs, threatened to oust McCarthy from the speakers chair for doing so. The rest of Montanas delegation was more measured. Rep. Ryan Zinke, Montanas Western District Republican, said Monday he would vote for a very short continuing resolution only if the House passed its appropriations bill and proceeded after Sept. 30 to craft a budget based on appropriations work. Zinke is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He cautioned that most government funding was on autopilot and wouldnt be affected. The power of the House is the power of the purse, and Zinke said representatives surrender that power to post-September funding maneuvers. Im both senior enough, and a constitutionalist that fully supports Article I, Section VI, that no money be withdrawn from the Treasury, unless by appropriations, Zinke said. I think appropriations are incredibly important, for two reasons. One, is the House, I'd say, has been negligent for years on inventing these, what I call tricks. And these tricks and conveniences are the continuing resolutions, the omnibuses, mandated spending, and non-discretionary, discretionary spending. All these vehicles had the effect that Congress can punt and take the easy way out, and they have. But appropriations is hard. And I think Congress should do the hard work and appropriate everything. About 75% of federal spending is on autopilot and doesnt get hashed out in appropriations, Zinke said. Whats left to review is the annually appropriated 25%, half of which is defense spending. Its the remaining 11% thats still being worked on. Zinke lands on the same square as several Freedom Caucus member on things like defense spending. He opposes providing gender-affirming care for members of the military. He said he needs to see a plan for ending the Russian war against Ukraine before supporting more funding for Ukraine. He disagreed with the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine earlier this year as other ordinance ran out. Both Republican and Democratic leadership in the Senate support a continuing resolution. Senator Daines believes Washington, D.C. has a major spending problem and broken budget process. He believes we need to rein in wasteful spending and pass appropriations bills on time. But shutting down the government would ultimately fail to bring fiscal sanity to Washington and would only hurt Montana veterans, seniors and our national parks, said Rachel Dumke, spokeswoman for Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines. Daines has voted against short-term funding measures in the past, but in January he cosponsored a bipartisan bill to avoid future government shutdowns, by requiring Congress to remain in session until a budget is crafted. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, said a government shutdown would weaken the United States. In three terms, Tester has never risked a government shutdown by blocking a short-term funding measure. A government shutdown would undermine our national security, hurt our veterans, and only benefit our foreign adversaries like the Chinese government who want to take Americas place as the worlds leading military and economic superpower, Tester said in an email. As a farmer, I dont sit back and expect someone else to get the job done for me when Im out on the farm. Thats why Im committed to working with Republicans and Democrats to reach a bipartisan solution that provides certainty for our government and for Montanans. There is a farm hook to the latest government standoff. The 2018 farm bill expires Sept. 30 and a replacement bill isnt ready. Several farm programs will expire without an extension. The Ross Dress for Less currently at 701 Market St. in the Lits Building will move to 1044 Market St. Read more Ross Dress for Less, the discount department store, is moving a few blocks west on Market Street, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Ross Dress for Less is currently located in the historic Lits Building. The new lot at 1044 Market St. is over 25,000 square feet and owned by New York-based Jenel Real Estate. The property also includes a CVS and the Freire Charter School. The space was previously occupied by Marshalls but has been vacant since the retailer closed in January. Center City has struggled to attract shoppers and recover from the pandemic with fewer employees working from offices in the area. In addition to the Marshalls closure, Wawa has been reducing its store count in Center City, citing continued safety and security challenges. Target closed its location at 12th and Chestnut Street earlier this year. A representative for Ross Dress for Less confirmed a new lease had been signed. . Brickstone Realty Co., which owns the Lits building, and Jenel Real Estate, which owns the 1044 Market St. lot, did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Ross Dress for Less, one of the major discount department chains in the country, was founded in 1982. It is part of Ross Stores Inc., headquartered in Dublin, Calif., and had a fiscal revenue of $18.7 billion last year. The move to the new Center City location comes as Ross Stores Inc. has been expanding its footprint with a goal to open 100 new stores during the 2023 fiscal year, which ends this month. As of July, Ross Stores had 2,061 locations in 41 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam, including its Ross Dress for Less brand and its discount line dds DISCOUNTS. The company opened 27 new stores in the months of June and July. These recent openings reflect our ongoing plans to continue building our presence in both existing and newer markets, Gregg McGillis, executive vice president for property development, said in a statement in July. As of Friday, Ross Stores Inc. did not have any job openings listed on its website for the new Market Street location, although the company is hiring for at least 92 positions throughout stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ross Dress for Less already has several locations in the Philadelphia region. There are two locations in South Philly (Whitman Plaza and the South Philadelphia Shopping Center); two in North Philadelphia (Imperial Plaza and in Bakers Center), and a Northeast location at the Roosevelt Mall. Rafiq Thompson was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in Montgomery County and is facing the death penalty. Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 Read more Rafiq Thompson, the man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and their unborn child at a gas station in King of Prussia last year, will not be sentenced to death after a jury told the judge they were deadlocked on the capital case Friday. Thompson, 40, was found guilty on Wednesday of two counts of first-degree murder and related crimes in the deaths of Tamara Cornelius, 31, and their unborn child. Thompson shot Cornelius four times at close range at an Exxon station in King of Prussia in April 2022, killing herwhile she was four months pregnant. The jury took less than two hours to reach a verdict on Thompsons guilt for the murders. On Friday afternoon, after nearly six hours of deliberation, the jury could not reach an unanimous verdict on a potential death sentence. Montgomery County Judge William Carpenter dismissed the jury and Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday. Advertisement Thompson will, at minimum, receive life in prison without parole, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office said. Prosecutors will be pursuing two life sentences, plus additional time for other charges, the spokesperson said. Cornelius younger sister TaNaya Dunlap said that at first, she felt almost disappointed that Thompson would not be sentenced to the death penalty. But, as she thought more about it, she thought maybe life in prison, where his sisters killer would spend his life thinking about the murders, would be the harsher sentence. I think were just grateful that at the end of the day, we are getting justice for our sister, she said. Niels Eriksen, Thompsons attorney in the death penalty phase, said he and Thompson were happy that a death sentence would be avoided, saying the murders were an emotional reaction to a difficult set of circumstances. We are absolutely thrilled that the sentence will be life, said Eriksen. Montgomery County Kevin Steele said that justice was moving in the right direction, as the sentence would still mean that Thompson would never walk the streets again. A loved one ripped away In his opening statements Wednesday afternoon, Eriksen said that his job was not to question the jurys verdict, but rather to argue for Thompsons life. Thompsons life had been taken over by a rough neighborhood and had a difficult upbringing and wasnt a person of evil that warranted execution, he said. Hes not somebody thats the worst of the worst, Eriksen said to the jury. But, Steele argued that Thompsons cloak of innocence had been stripped away with the guilty verdict, as he told the jury of the five aggravating factors prosecutors would present to justify the death penalty. Among the aggravating factors was a 2018 aggravated-assault conviction in which Thompson hit a different former girlfriend with his van and charged at her with a knife after she ended their relationship. According to police records, Thompson had been harassing the woman, who had obtained a protectionfrom abuse order against him before the attack. Thompson was in prison for three years for the assault and paroled in June 2019. When Thompson was arrested for the fatal shooting of Cornelius, he was on probation for the 2018 conviction. The woman testified Wednesday, fighting back tears as she recounted the day Thompson assaulted her, telling the court that she still lives with fear and anxiety. She said she has lasting injuries, depression, and PTSD, and takes medication to help. Every time I go out, everyone to me looks just like him, the woman said. Prosecutors had multiple members of Cornelius family give impact statements, which, the judge said, the jury could consider, but could not use as aggravating factors. Among Cornelius relatives who spoke was Dunlap, who described her sister as loving and caring and said Thompson had ripped away a loved one from the family. She was the glue that held the family together, Dunlap said Wednesday. What is the status of the death penalty in Pa.? If a death sentence was handed down, it would have been unlikely Thompson would be put to death. Gov. Josh Shapiro has called on the state legislature to abolish the death penalty and has said he will refuse to sign any death warrants. The last execution in Pennsylvania was in 1999, when Gary Heidnik was put to death by lethal injection. Heidnick raped and tortured six women he kept chained in the basement of his Philadelphia home, then killed and dismembered two of them. Ninety-nine people are on death row in Pennsylvania, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections list. Three were convicted in Montgomery County, a spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office said. The Deptford School district is cracking down on parents who rack up hundreds of dollars in students unpaid meal fees by adopting a new policy to serve peanut butter or cheese sandwiches to their children until bills are paid. READ MORE: Free breakfast returns for Pa. school students this year, Gov. Wolf announces The South Jersey district enacted the policy for the new school year after some parents accrued thousands of dollars in debt, said spokesman Salvatore Randazzo. Already this year, 783 student accounts are $68,000 in arrears from past years dues, he said. Deptford enrolls about 4,100 students. You never want to get that far behind that you cant catch up on a bill, Randazzo said Friday. Advertisement The district notified parents this week about the new policy, which triggered a social media firestorm: Critics said the policy publicly embarrasses students in an attempt to force their parents to pay their bill, while others said the district cant endlessly foot their bills. The district said it provides meals to students who forget to bring money for breakfast or lunch, with the expectation that payment would be made the next school day. Full price for lunch is $3.25 for elementary students, $3.50 for middle school and $3.75 for high school. A single mother of three, Candice Elsesser said she struggled to pay off a balance of $400 for her two school-age children left over from the 2022-23 year. A human resources manager, she didnt qualify for reduced or free meals. I dont feel that its fair that youre going to punish my children, said Elsesser. All of us parents are struggling in this economy right now. Randazzo said the unpaid meals policy has been in place for years but was loosely enforced. With the changes, a parent now will be contacted to make a payment when the debt reaches $50, discuss the outstanding balance, or share any financial concerns, Randazzo said. Until the bill is paid, the policy calls for restrictions, based on grade level: Pre-K and kindergarten students will continue to get breakfast and a basic lunch a peanut butter or cheese sandwich along with a fruit, vegetable and milk while first through fifth graders will get the basic lunch but no longer get breakfast. Students in sixth through twelfth grade will not get breakfast or lunch. Students accounts will be charged for any alternative meal, and the balance could be reported to a collection agency if it remains delinquent, Superintendent Kevin Kanauss wrote in the note to parents. Our district is committed to providing these meals for students daily, Kanauss said. However, the district has encumbered a huge financial burden from families failing to pay their meal balances for their scholars. Such financial losses impact our programs, staff, and supplies for students. READ MORE: This South Jersey program hands out thousands of free kosher meals for kids each week: Were just here to feed you Elsesser and other parents weighed in on the Deptford Town Talk Facebook page. Several people offered to donate snacks and meals or pay unpaid accounts. Sometimes the only meal some children get is school lunch, it is not the childs fault, wrote Patricia Mitchell. Wrote Danny Kamp: It should be simple, if they dont pay they dont eat. Rebecca Vanhoof noted that the district is owed a lot of money. They need to do something. Randazzo said the restrictions are a very last resort. Thats not something were looking to do. No one is turning away a kid who needs to eat. All students with delinquent meal accounts can be barred from participating in extracurricular activities, field trips, dances, prom, and graduation, according to the policy. Report cards may also be withheld. After receiving a second notice about an unpaid meal account, a parent must meet with school officials if the full payment is not made within a week, the policy says. The district said it may consult with the state Department of Children and Families, Division of Child Protection and Permanency, as appropriate. READ MORE: Cherry Hill School Board approves changes to lunch policy tuna sandwiches are out and so is prom for students with unpaid meal fees A similar practice adopted several years ago by the Cherry Hill school district of serving tuna sandwiches to students with delinquent accounts made national headlines. The district later revised the policy, allowing students with overdue accounts to get a hot meal. Districts across the region have grappled with how to handle student meal accounts that fall into arrears. Many districts have given students alternative meals, but eventually refuse to serve them at all until the debt is paid. During the first two years of the pandemic, the federal government provided free breakfast and lunch to all schools. It declined to continue the program. Several states, including Pennsylvania, have enacted universal free breakfast or lunch programs. Students in Philadelphia schools have received free breakfast and lunch since 2014. Tanya Edmonds, a longtime Philadelphia food service worker, believes school district cafeteria workers and climate staff deserve to be paid more and have better training. Read more Tanya Edmonds has prepared and served students thousands of meals over 20 years working in Philadelphia schools. She makes $17.79 an hour. Im definitely feeding breakfast and lunch to children and cannot feed my own children at home, said Edmonds, a food services manager at Henry Houston Elementary in West Mount Airy. Edmonds is one of 1,900 members of Unite Here Local 634, the union that represents Philadelphia School District cafeteria workers as well as climate staffers workers who monitor and support student behavior in hallways and playgrounds. The unions contract expires Sept. 30; workers recently authorized a strike, and leaders say they are prepared to call one if the district does not do better at the bargaining table. Advertisement Most 634 members are paid $15.50 an hour, among the lowest in the district, and many do not reach the five-hour minimum workday that provides them health insurance. And unlike other school system unions, 634 workers have no steps, meaning they are not credited for years of experience. Local 634 wants $1.50 an hour raises for members, but was told that this was not feasible, union officials said. They also asked for training, including de-escalation instruction for climate staff, and for those employees to be equipped with walkie-talkies. Most climate workers are now expected to use their own cell phones to call for help and communicate with other school staff. Local 634 wants $1.50 an hour raises for members, but was told that this was not feasible, union officials said. They also asked for training, including de-escalation instruction for climate staff, and for those employees to be equipped with walkie-talkies. Most climate workers are now expected to use their own cell phones to call for help and communicate with other school staff. District leaders say they believe a strike can be avoided. We continue to work diligently to reach an agreement on a successor collective bargaining agreement and we are optimistic that we will do so with our union partners before the current agreement expires on September 30, school district spokesperson Monique Braxton has said in a statement. Edmonds runs a full-service kitchen, meaning she prepares fresh food, rather than serving meals made elsewhere. One day this week, she learned she had to start making 60 meals for an after-school program in addition to the 200 breakfasts and lunches she makes daily. A food delivery had to be handled during meal service. She and her two food service coworkers handled trash and ensured that students with allergies werent served foods that could make them sick. Im doing what I have to do for these kids, but theyre asking us for a lot, said Edmonds. When they get the food, the kids dont know what Ms. Tanyas dealing with. What she serves to her students matters a great deal to Edmonds, who put her kids through Philadelphia schools and now has grandchildren in the district. She puts her heart into making appetizing salads and sandwiches children will gobble up. Even if shes serving frozen pizza, I dont just throw it in, half burn it. When it comes out, I throw a little oregano on it. You do a little extra the children make me want to do more. It shows. Just two weeks into the school year, a first grader approached Edmonds with a white ceramic pumpkin and a card: Thank you for giving me breakfast. Love, Grace. Edmonds keeps the card in her purse. Her students love is meaningful, but Edmonds needs more, she said. Shes tired of bringing in her own knives because the district doesnt sharpen the ones it gives her. Shes tired of bringing home a too-small check. Im at the point I just need my money now, said Edmonds. I need to be paid what Im worth. The majority of 634 workers are female and Black and live in Philadelphia, unlike many other district workers. Most have to hold two or three jobs to make ends meet, and some cant even pay for stable places to live, said Nicole Hunt, the union president. Such workers are often appointed for three- or four-hour shifts, which keep them from getting health care, but their hours are split up in the day, making it tough to get another job. Some workers are told they cant stay in the building when theyre off the clock. For years, schools employed non-teaching assistants, who belonged to the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, to handle climate work. But over the years, the district stopped hiring NTAs, who were full-time, 10-month employees, and instead shifted to using cheaper 634 members under the school climate staff job classification. Hunt said climate staff receives little to no training and are sometimes asked by principals to perform work not in their job description: Shes received calls from members being told they have to serve as one-on-one aides for students with special needs, perform office work, or even change diapers of medically fragile students. Theres no training, theres no explanation of what your jobs going to be, said Hunt. Under 634s current contract, food service workers have a six-month probationary period and climate staff have a three-month period in which theyre paid 93% of their salary; the union wants to reduce that time. The district wants to lengthen it. For years, Edmonds has remained at her job because she loves cooking, loves being Ms. Tanya to her students. But when a colleague showed her a story about California fast-food workers winning a $20 minimum wage, Edmonds paused. I said, Look, Im getting ready to flip some burgers at McDonalds, said Edmonds. I never thought about leaving the district. But I want to really talk the talk, rock with them babies. Ive got to stick with them. Negotiations between 634 and the district are scheduled to resume Friday. The Red Lion Diner in Southampton on Sept. 14, 2023. A diner for 50 years, it has closed to make way for a Wawa. Read more Diners in the Philadelphia region continue to drop like plates in the kitchen. The latest iconic eatery to close is the Red Lion Diner, a staple on the Route 70/206 circle in Southampton, Burlington County, for 50 years. Its bittersweet for us as all, co-owner Paul Tsiknakis told The Inquirer on Thursday. A lot of blood and sweat went into that place. The Red Lion Diners abrupt closure was announced on Facebook on Sept. 9. Advertisement With a heavy heart we must inform you that the Red Lion Diner has sold. We will not be opening again. We appreciate all the support and patronage throughout the years. It was a difficult decision however we chose what was best for our families, the statement read. Tsiknakis said a developer purchased the property to build a convenience store and gas station, a.k.a., a Wawa. He said the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated food shortages and rise in costs, walloped the business. The diner, he said, mastered takeout, but that created problems of its own. When you have a 300-seat diner, youre built for those tables to be filled, he said. In April, the Cherry Hill Diner, on Route 38, served its last meal after 55 years. Its set to become a car wash. The former Marlton Diner, on Route 70, is becoming a marijuana dispensary. In South Philly, the Melrose Diner will be reborn as an apartment complex with a new eatery on the ground floor. Tsiknakis said COVID-19 changed the diner business, everything from finding employees to eating habits. Few, if any diners are open 24 hours anymore, he said. In general, people that come to diners typically dont come at night, after 9 p.m., anymore, he said. Leo, the Red Lion Diners famous 12,000-pound marble lion, was sold to a local business, Red Lion Metal, Tsiknakis said, transported recently with a tow truck. Proceeds from the sale were donated to the New Jersey State Police Troopers United Fund. Antoinette Parnell, an Achieving the Dream scholarship recipient, speaks at the Community College of Philadelphia, where she studies nursing, on Sept 14, 2023. Read more A grieving daughter of immigrants, a single mother of four, a Philadelphia native with aspirations for higher education: All three sought careers in nursing as a way to change their lives and the lives of others. They are among 50 nursing students at the Community College of Philadelphia who received scholarships intended to support aspiring nurses from racial groups underrepresented in medicine, who often face more barriers to enrolling in and completing nursing school. Ten of the students are participating in the Independence Blue Cross Foundation health-care scholar program, which pays the school tuition of local high school graduates who enroll in area nursing programs. An additional 42 students received scholarships from Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit working to support community college students. As part of the program students get a small stipend, plus tutoring, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Advertisement READ MORE: We want to hear your thoughts about this and other health-related articles. Please fill out our Eds and Meds survey. At a Thursday event honoring the scholarship recipients, each read a personal statement about why they wanted to pursue nursing. Both my dad and my mom immigrated to the United States to give my sister and me a better life, said Amelia Hernandez, whose father died a month before she took the nursing program entrance exam. She was grieving and overwhelmed, and thought about giving up. Instead, she resolved to become the first in her family to graduate from college. I strive to work hard for my parents to see the fruits of their labor, she said. READ MORE: 35 Philly-area high school students from underrepresented backgrounds get full-ride to nursing school Antoinette Parnell is a single mother of four who has been working as a certified nursing assistant in nursing homes. Now she wants to become a registered nurse, and eventually own her own nursing home. I fell in love with the older generation, Parnell said. Kayla Hayes, a Philadelphia native, has younger siblings who she helps support. After completing her associates degree in nursing at the Community College of Philadelphia, she hopes to continue her studies by pursuing a bachelors and maybe a masters. I hope to get a lot of clinical experience and work in the city, Hayes said. Bolstering Philadelphias nursing workforce Both scholarship programs focus on awards for students of color, first-generation students, and those from other underrepresented backgrounds. Only 7% of registered nurses in the United States are Black, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, while 14% of the population identifies as Black. Men account for less than 10% of the RN workforce. People want to be cared for by people who understand them, said Laureen Tavolaro-Ryley, a professor of nursing at the community college who oversees the Achieving the Dream scholarship. READ MORE: Philly-area schools showcase diversity challenges in medical school leadership Nursing graduates from the Community College of Philadelphia tend to stay in the area, Tavolaro-Ryley said. The school has graduated more than 5,500 nurses over the last 50 years. At Thursdays event, Vishal Shah, the dean of math, science and health careers, told the scholarship recipients he hopes they will continue the schools tradition of staying in the area when they seek jobs. You all will play a key role in the health of the city, Shah said. Two people who received lung transplants from the same donor at Temple University Hospital last year later developed the serious respiratory infection Legionnaires disease likely from the donated lungs themselves, which came from a man who drowned in fresh water. Its the first time that transplanted organs have been identified as the likely source of a case of Legionnaires disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report, adding that doctors and public health officials should be aware of the potential of a Legionnaires infection in organs taken from drowning victims. Legionella, the class of bacteria that cause Legionnaires disease, live in bodies of fresh water. Legionnaires disease, a form of pneumonia, is typically spread by inhaling water droplets that contain the bacteria. It was first identified in Philadelphia in 1976, when an outbreak among attendees of an American Legion convention at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Center City left 182 people sickened and 29 dead. It was later discovered that Legionella had been living in the hotels air-conditioning system. Advertisement Cases of Legionnaires disease have been rising substantially in the last 10 years, the CDC said. While its difficult to trace the source of most cases, about 18% are associated with a health care facility. READ MORE: We want to hear your thoughts about this and other health-related articles. Please fill out our Eds and Meds survey. Two lung recipients, two Legionnaires cases In the CDCs report, researchers said that the lungs linked to the two recent cases were donated from a man in his 30s who fell into a river and was underwater for more than five minutes. Seven days later, his organs were removed for donation. No one suspected that the man had been exposed to Legionella, and the organs were not tested for the bacteria. In May 2022, a woman in her 70s received a right-lung transplant at Temple. The CDC did not name the hospital in its report, but a Temple spokesperson later confirmed that the transplant had taken place there. Nine days later, the woman had developed anemia and a high white blood cell count. In early June 2022, a biopsy of her transplanted lung tested positive for Legionella bacteria. She was treated with antibiotics and made a full recovery. After the womans case was identified, doctors tested the recipient of the donors left lung, a man in his 60s who received the transplant at the same day at the same hospital. He tested positive for a different strain of Legionella. The man recovered from his infection, but he had suffered several complications after his transplant surgery, and died six months later from respiratory failure, the CDC reported. Searching for an infection source The city and state health departments looked at testing records for water systems and cooling towers at Temple. Though the hospital did not regularly test for Legionella in its water supply, the CDC said, the records showed the hospital had a well-functioning water management system, and health officials could find no other cases of Legionnaires disease at the hospital within the previous six months. In the following six months, no one else at the hospital was infected, either. In a statement, a Temple spokesperson said that the hospital strictly follows all protocols to protect immunocompromised transplant patients. The hospital had a one-year survival rate of 92% for lung transplant patients in 2022, the best in the region, and above national averages, the hospital said. The lack of other Legionnaires cases at Temple led authorities to conclude that the source of the infection was likely the transplanted lungs. A few cases of Legionnaires disease have been traced to incidents where people who nearly drowned had aspirated Legionella bacteria. Transplant patients are also at a higher risk for contracting Legionnaires because of drugs they take to suppress their immune systems and encourage their bodies to accept the transplant. But, until now, the CDC had not found a case of Legionella spreading through a lung transplant. Researchers said that they were able to point to the transplanted lungs as the infection source because the patients were infected with different Legionella strains which could indicate that the infection came from river water, which can harbor a number of different types of bacteria. The hospitals well-maintained water system and lack of any other cases also pointed to an infection source outside the facility. The CDC acknowledged they couldnt fully rule out other sources of infection. The hospitals water supply wasnt tested before or directly after the transplant operations. Neither were the lungs before their donation, and researchers couldnt obtain specimens from the transplant patients for follow-up testing. And, while no recipients of the donors other organs, including the heart and kidneys, developed Legionnaires disease, they were also not tested for the bacteria. Still, the agency said, the finding presents new challenges for public health officials hoping to limit the spread of Legionella. Transplant doctors should be more wary of the possibility of a Legionnaires infection in patients who received organs from donors who drowned in fresh water, and could consider prescribing medications to combat microbes that live in water, the agency said. Temple representatives said they were glad that the CDC was informing transplant centers of the new risk. High quality, safe care for all of our patients is our top priority, the hospital said in its statement. This provides important guidance for all transplant teams, including here at Temple. Editors note: This story has been updated to include a comment from Temple University Hospital. The Milky Way is a dramatic presence at Cherry Springs State Park, with a jet crossing this view. The International Dark-Sky Association certifies the park as an "international dark sky park." Read more I have a huge affinity for all things made of star stuff. Galaxies, planets, constellations... really, the vast universe, or as Carl Sagan calls the cosmos, the greatest of mysteries. Id chalk it up to my astrological sign, but Ive been intrigued by supermassive black holes long before I knew Mercury is in retrograde (that just ended, by the way). I shared it here before, but you only have to watch the first five minutes of Sagans epic TV series to get it. Its also fun to keep up with NASAs Instagram and see what the James Webb telescope catches in the distance. Today, we follow a beginners guide to stargazing in and near Philadelphia, then well tour a self-sustaining Hobbit-like home, catch our breath at a creek, and end the day in Valley Forge. What are you doing outdoors these days? Tell me about your experience by emailing me back. Advertisement Your weekend weather outlook: Enjoy the breeze and mostly clear and sunny skies, with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the 60s. Sunday will approach 80 and an afternoon shower may materialize. Risky surf conditions and rip currents are expected along the coast as Hurricane Lee moves away from us and toward New England and Nova Scotia. Hurricane season still has more than 10 weeks left. Paola Perez If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Looking beyond our atmosphere can be as impressive as it is ominous at times. Were so far away, some of the sparkly specks we see right now may have already faded away and out of existence. You could call it a glimpse into a past life. What is out there? If youve always been curious about the night sky and want to take up stargazing, heres your sign. In this guide, youll find: The best places to stargaze near (and far) from here All the necessary equipment Tips to understand light pollution Our pick of the top apps to help identify whats in the sky Keep reading for our recommendations to get the most out of stargazing in our area. Now were passing the microphone to Jason Nark. Youll always find his work here. At first glance, the long glass building on a sun-soaked hillside in this rural Schuylkill County town is obviously a greenhouse. Its a home too, though, in the vein of The Hobbit, or will be in a few more years, builder Will Vogler said. Its also a natural heating and cooling system and a water filtration plant off the grid, in the woods. Vogler calls his 80-foot-by-50-foot building the Tamaqua Sustainability Project, inspired by a decades-old architecture developed in the high desert of New Mexico. When I look at it, I see an engine, " the Ambler resident said beside his project. Thats what Mike Reynolds, a 78-year-old architect, intended when he created the first Earthship with old beer cans and used tires in Taos in 1979. People made fun of his dream for decades. I was the crazy hippie in the desert building houses out of garbage, Reynolds told The Inquirer. I was ridiculed and abused. I even lost my architecture license in one state. A combination of climate change, catastrophic weather events, water scarcity, and power grid failures have cast the Earthship biotecture in a new light, however. Reynolds said theres about 3,000 already built, globally, some as far as New Zealand and Australia. Hes still building more in a 630-acre subdivision in Taos and said theyre all sold before theyre finished. The world went to hell in a handbag and people began to look to us for an alternative, he said. Today, Reynolds thinks theres no structure better designed to combat climate change and survive in it than the Earthship. Jason Nark Keep reading to learn more about this unique structure and The Tamaqua Sustainability Project. News worth knowing Pennsylvania has reached a $100 million settlement with former agrochemical company Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, for contaminating 1,300 miles of streams and 3,600 acres of lakes with hazardous waste over five decades. A portion of the Schuylkill River Trail temporarily will closed to pedestrians and bikers through the end of the year for a project that aims to reconnect the Manayunk Canal with the Schuylkill River and improve the water conditions in the area. Farms across the region are going against the grain this fall by shucking off traditional corn maze shapes like pumpkins and spiderwebs for mazes shaped like Reba McEntires head. Its true: spotted lanternflies are showing up on Jersey Shore beaches. But whats an invasive species that loves trees and vegetation doing in such a sandy place? Some stubborn breezes that have been plauging beach-goers the last few weeks maybe to blame. This is not their typical environment, so they will likely not fare well there. This might explain why most of them were dead or dying along the tide line. Keep reading to catch up with my colleague Amy S. Rosenberg on whats going on down the Shore. A few seconds of calm from somewhere in Pennsylvania Jason says: I took this at Clear Creek State Park on a road trip to Western Pennsylvania. Crystal clear and grounded. Your outdoorsy experience Thanks to Outdoorsy reader Carol Neilson for sharing this breathtaking photo taken Valley Forge National Historic Park. My camera roll is full of sunrises and sunsets. Every single time, the colors painted above and all around captivate me. I exchange pictures with family and friends and it feels like a warm embrace, and subtle reminder that were under the same sky. Ill share some of my favorites in a future edition. Send me a review of your outdoors experience for a chance to be featured in this newsletter by emailing me back. Heres a song for all you dizzy stargazers out there: New Constellations by Ryn Weaver. Nature calls. Take care, and see you for next weeks adventure. Law enforcement officials pose with Danelo Cavalcante, the convicted murderer who was caught after a two-week manhunt. Cavalcante escaped Chester County Prison on Aug. 31. He was convicted of killing his girlfriend Deborah Brandao. Read more After a two-week search through the thick brush of Chester County that drew national media attention, law enforcement finally captured escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante on Wednesday morning and almost immediately drew backlash. His escape had put the county on edge, prompting business and school closures. Cavalcante had been convicted of first-degree murder for stabbing his ex-girlfriend dozens of times in front of her two young children in 2021. READ MORE: Danelo Cavalcante survived on watermelon and creek water and stole clothing during his two-week run from police News of his capture brought a collective sigh of relief. Then came the aerial footage of more than 20 Pennsylvania State Police troopers and U.S. Border Patrol agents posing with Cavalcante in the middle before they took him away for questioning. Advertisement Almost immediately, people bristled at the viral photo-op. One journalist and community organizer called it reminiscent of the notorious photos to come out of Abu Ghraib where soldiers posed with Iraqi detainees being tortured or placed in humiliating positions. Maria Maki Haberfeld, a professor of police science and department chair at John Jay College in New York City, said it was understandable that the officers might have felt a sense of pride having arrested a very dangerous suspect. I will still say that the optics create more of an inappropriate feeling than it actually is, she said. Laurie Levenson, professor at Loyola Law School of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, went further, saying the image looked like a trophy photo hunters take after theyve captured their prey. Like others, Levenson said law enforcement had every reason to be proud, but a group photo among themselves without Cavalcante would have been a better alternative. Instead, the posing of Cavalcante, so close to weapons and a dog, risks giving him notoriety. Levenson said the photo is much different from the already troubling practice that is the perp walk; it was a photo shoot of their capture. A century-old practice Parading criminals, convicted and alleged, can be traced back to the 1920s, when Edgar Hoover led the FBI, according to a 2011 Reuters report on the practice. Hoover would tip off journalists to the walks so they could obtain photos. In 1949, Camden police got their own group photo with Howard Unruh, one of the worst mass murderers of his time, responsible for the shooting deaths of 13 people, including three children. And in the 1980s, then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani made the walk an art form, according to Levenson. Levenson said the perp walk was meant to serve as a deterrent to criminals, letting them know they could not evade justice, while also offering a form of kudos to law enforcement. In Cavalcantes case, authorities did a more traditional perp walk after theyd cleaned him up and given him a hospital gown to wear. Experts like Levenson say these images sear their way into the public memory and in cases where someone awaits trial, a staged photo could inadvertently prejudice future jury pools. Cavalcante is already set to serve a life sentence, though he faces new charges for his escape. Giving criminals celebrityhood Most people were actively rooting for Cavalcantes capture. Still, the way he escaped climbing the space between two walls like some sort of human spider then managed to breach police perimeters and steal a van, turned him into a meme, with some finding the humor in how he could evade authorities. Cavalcante even became a sort of cult hero in Brazil, according to the Washington Post. By posing him in a photo with authorities, Levenson said, police risked giving him the sort of attention that can be damaging to victims and their families, and increases the risk of copycats. It wouldnt surprise me if the victims or others sympathetic to them are saying, Why are you giving this guy the limelight? she said. What are authorities saying? A U.S. Marshals spokesperson told The Inquirer none of its agents were in the photo. A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent in charge told the Associated Press none of its officers were in the picture either. When asked about the photos Wednesday, State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens didnt make much of them. Those men and women worked amazingly hard, through some very trying circumstances, he said. Theyre proud of their work. Im not bothered at all by the fact they took a photograph with him in custody. A state police spokesperson could not immediately say whether the photo met the agencys conduct policy and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment. People like Levenson said the photo shoot boils down to professionalism and avoiding the risk of portraying someone in a sympathetic light. At the end of it, the prize is not a picture with what you captured, but just the satisfaction of knowing youve done your job, she said. A 20-year-old woman has been charged with causing the death if a 31-year-old man in a multi-vehicle crash while allegedly street racing in a rainstorm in Norristown in June, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced Friday. Ashley Jones, of Norristown, surrendered to police on Thursday and was charged with homicide by vehicle and related offenses in connection with the death of Francisco Salgado-Hernandez, of Norristown, on June 26. Around 10:30 that night, Norristown police responded to West Main and Chain Streets for a multi-vehicle crash and found Salgado-Hernandez in cardiac arrest inside a black Honda Civic. Police performed CPR on Salgado-Hernandez and then he was transported to Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:12 p.m. An autopsy found that Salgado-Hernandez, who was a passenger in the Honda Civic, died from blunt impact injuries sustained in the crash. Advertisement The crash investigation determined a blue 2014 Toyota Highlander driven by Jones, with an 11-year-old girl in the front passenger seat, was traveling east on West Main Street when it pulled alongside a gray Toyota Camry at a stoplight. The two cars allegedly raced each other in heavy rain, with Joness vehicle exceeding 80 mph in a 25-mph zone. Jones allegedly failed to navigate a right curve, lost control of her Toyota Highlander and crossed into oncoming traffic. The resulting crash that led to Salgado-Hernandezs death involved five vehicles and injured six other people, including the 11-year-old girl. Jones was not injured. Its hard to imagine anything more dangerous and reckless than racing in bad weather, in a busy business district, at more than three times the posted speed limit. And because of this defendants actions, a person is dead and others were injured, Steele said in a statement. Jones was arraigned before District Judge Denise Ashe, who set Joness bail at $50,000 unsecured. Joness next court appearance is set for Oct. 5. An attorney for Jones could not be reached Friday. A 73-year-old Rawlins man allegedly shot two of his relatives, who have power of attorney over his finances, because he believed they were stealing his money. Melvin Leon Bagley is facing two counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and battery, reckless endangerment and reckless driving, a charging document shows. Bagley is facing up to life in prison, if found guilty. On Sept. 3, a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper was dispatched to U.S. Route 287 in Carbon County for a report of a man with a gun, the affidavit in his case states. It was reported that two people were shot and were being chased by the suspect, the affidavit states. It was reported the suspect was ramming the victims truck with his own truck as they tried to get away, [and] it was reported the suspect was still firing at them. The victims were traveling in a silver pickup truck, and the suspect was reported to be driving a blue Ford pickup, the affidavit states. After locating the victims vehicle, the trooper saw a male driver waiving his arm out of the window, the affidavit states. It appeared to be covered in blood. The victims drove down the road towards an EMS staging area. One person was taken by helicopter to Banner Wyoming Medical Center in Casper. The other was admitted to Memorial Hospital of Carbon County. The trooper then located the suspects vehicle, which was parked on the shoulder of the road, the affidavit states. Bagley was allegedly sitting in the drivers seat with his hands hanging out of the window. He was taken into custody without incident. Bagley allegedly told authorities that the victims had been stealing money out of his bank account, and he told them to stop, the affidavit states. He believed they hadnt stopped, so he went to confront them. Defendant stated that they laughed at him and did not take him seriously, the affidavit states. That is when he started to shoot at them. Bagley allegedly stated that he was trying to kill them, the affidavit states. He was booked into Carbon County Jail. Then, the trooper went to speak with one of the injured individuals, who was at Memorial Hospital of Carbon County, the affidavit states. She allegedly told authorities they were feeding animals at a ranch before getting ready to head out from the property, the affidavit states. Bagley allegedly pulled up next to them and started to yell, stop stealing my money, she told authorities, the affidavit states. She told authorities that Bagley pulled a gun and open fired on the vehicle, so male victim returned fire. They pulled away while Bagley continued to shoot at them, the affidavit states. He allegedly followed them, ramming their vehicle repeatedly. Bagley was not shot. She was shot in the left shoulder and in the chest. He was shot in the head and in the left hand, the affidavit states. He took a turn for the word and had to be intubated, so he was not immediately interviewed, the affidavit states. Bagley allegedly struggled with dementia, so he moved in with his two relatives, she told officials, the affidavit states. They were given power of attorney over his finances. Earlier this year, Bagley started accusing them of stealing his money, the affidavit states. He wanted to move to Rawlins, so they helped him move. The three of them hadnt seen or spoken to each other for about a month until Bagley allegedly showed up on the day of the shooting, she told authorities, the affidavit states. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in Wyoming, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Star-Tribune app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can now text Gov. Josh Shapiro at 717-788-8990 as part of a new initiative from his office for direct communication. Read more The next time you have a question for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, he says you should just text him yourself and ask. On Friday, Shapiro announced a new phone line for Pennsylvania residents to text back and forth with him and his office. The number is 717-788-8990. To best serve the people of Pennsylvania, we have to meet people where they are and do it effectively and efficiently, Shapiro said. Advertisement The two-way communication line is powered by Community an SMS platform used by public figures, celebrities, and brands to connect with their audiences through a 10-digit phone number. Two weeks ago, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined the service, making him the first U.S. governor to launch a text line through the platform. President Joe Biden launched his account last summer. The service works by having a host, the governor in this case, advertising a phone number for users to text and sign up for updates from. As noted by The New York Times, the service lets brands segment their audiences by location. Whether Im visiting small businesses in Scranton, making a major announcement in Erie, or coming to your area to meet with you and your neighbors I want to share it with you directly, Shapiro said. While Community doesnt publicly release sign-up or client numbers, on the political side, its promotional list of clients includes Barack and Michelle Obama, New York Mayor Eric Adams, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. The platform was cofounded by actor Ashton Kutcher in 2019 and has raised $110 million in investor fundraising, according to the Times. Shapiros office says the platform does not sell user data. Corporations migrating to and putting financial backing behind Community marks a shift in the social media landscape as groups try to find ways to directly reach their audiences. I started out with Twitter and built a fairly large following on Twitter, Kutcher told The Times. But Twitter today is very different than what Twitter was when I originally started playing around it. The click-through rates are massively degraded the number of people that actually see the post is massively degraded. Shapiros new public phone number is his teams latest effort to reach audiences on new and non-traditional media platforms. His digital team hosted background calls with local influencers and experts about situations including the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and U.S. Supreme Court rulings. In March, Shapiro hosted a TikTok Live session with a Pittsburgh public schools teacher. On Earth Day, his office invited TikTok creators to the governors mansion to discuss agriculture and clean air and water. In April, Shapiro signed an executive order establishing the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience, a commitment to streamline and modernize online services for Pennsylvanians. READ MORE: Gov. Josh Shapiros administration has slashed wait times and backlogs for state approvals and licenses Most recently, Shapiros office worked with Alex Pearlman the local comedian who goes by @Pearlmania500 on TikTok to help disperse updates on the I-95 repairs. A livestream of the bridge rebuild became a viral sensation with thousands of viewers a day and an unofficial Twitch stream. No matter how you choose to access government, you need to know youre going to get help, whether youre walking into a building or sending me a text, Shapiro said. More importantly, I want to hear what you think, what my Administration and I can help with, and your stories. Shoot us a text. The National Touring Company of Wicked Read more Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter Happy Friday. We should have beautiful weather today with a high of 75. Im ready for changing leaves, hot apple cider, and, of course, Halloween. Fall is by far my favorite season. In honor of the changing season, The Inquirer released its annual Fall Arts Guide. The collection features dance shows, exhibits, concerts, and so much more. Our main story helps you navigate it all. Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) Advertisement If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. If you wanted to go out to see a show every week in town until the holiday season, you could make it happen. If you need a good laugh, John Oliver, Jerry Seinfeld, and Deon Cole, among others, have stand-up shows you wont want to miss. Our pop critic Dan DeLuca ranked 30 Philly gigs this season which includes big names like Janelle Monae, Lil Yachty, and Pink. Dance companies are coming back from summer break. Let our dance critic Ellen Dunkel tell you her top picks and explain why Philadelphia Ballets Carmen is the most anticipated show on the calendar. My pick: If youre interested in fashion history, The Winterthurs new exhibit Anne Lowe: An American Courturier honors the Black designer who made Jacqueline Kennedys wedding dress. Theres so much more to explore, so be sure to see the full guide. What you should know today A few weeks ago, The Inquirer introduced you to a group of self-described mostly queer, gutter-pagan South Philadelphia dirtbags who were on a mission to erase $1 million in local medical debt this summer. Well, the count is in. The final tally exceeded $2 million. The group raised enough to buy all of Philadelphias medical debt that was available. And with some money left over, they were able to buy some debt from Bucks and Delaware Counties. The breakdown by county: $1,765,033.84 of debt for 1,935 families in Philadelphia $163,632.70 of debt for 119 families in Delaware County $91,083.70 of debt for 160 families in Bucks County Read more to understand how they did it. Trivia time The John Cusack film Money for Nothing was inspired by an Inquirer journalists three-part series that centered on an out-of-work longshoreman named Joey Coyle after he found a large sum of money in a bag on a South Philly street after it fell off a truck. How much money was in the bag? A) $5 million B) $4.2 million C) $3 million D) $1.2 million Think you know? Check your answer. What were... Watching: Janelle Stelson, a TV anchor at WGAL in Lancaster, is leaving her job and might run against U.S. Rep. Scott Perry. Welcoming: Eagles growing fan base in Germany. Unscramble the anagram Hint: This 12-foot puppet is in Philly this week MALLET TAIL Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Michael Bloom, who correctly guessed Thursdays answer: Graff House. Email us if you know the answer. GIF of the day Thanks for waking up with The Inquirer. I hope you have an easy work day and a beautiful weekend. Paola will bring you the latest news on Sunday. Diane LoGiudice, the longtime former secretary at Science Leadership Academy, has died. Read more Diane LoGuidice, 67, of South Philadelphia, who helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere at Science Leadership Academy as the Philadelphia magnet schools founding secretary, died Aug. 28 of pancreatic cancer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The daughter of Concetta and Raymond LoGiudice, Ms. LoGiudice grew up in a house at 13th and Tasker, close to St. Maria Goretti High School, her alma mater. She stayed in South Philadelphia her whole life. After graduation, Ms. LoGiudice went to work for an insurance company, then spent time doing office work for a local auto body shop. Eventually, she became an aide in the Philadelphia School District, working with children with special needs, then took the test to become a school secretary. Ms. LoGiudice spent a short time working at Kirkbride Elementary, in South Philadelphia, before she took a job as the secretary of a brand-new school Science Leadership Academy, a magnet high school that opened in Center City in 2006. Ms. Diane became a fixture at the school, where she worked until her retirement in 2021, said Chris Lehmann, SLAs founding principal. Advertisement There is no way to fully communicate all that she meant to the SLA community, Lehmann said in a tribute posted on the schools website She was everyones School Mom, making sure that the Main Office was a warm and welcoming place for all who entered students, staff, parents and visitors. Ms. LoGiudice managed the busy schools office with love and skill and sometimes treats shed make herself and distribute to everyone who walked in. She was efficient, a caretaker, a friend, and a diligent worker who helped build a school that has earned national acclaim. Diane embodied SLAs ethic of care, said Lehmann. We are all so deeply indebted to all that she did to help build SLA we would not be the school we are today without her tireless efforts and belief in both our mission and in all of the people who walked through our doors. Working at SLA was a joy to Ms. LoGiudice, said her daughter, Briana Kilmartin, a 2010 graduate of the school. She always said, If you love what you do, its not work, said Kilmartin. As much as Ms. LoGiudice loved her job, she loved her family more. She was endlessly proud of her children, Kilmartin and Stephen Alcaro, and when her granddaughter was born four years ago, Juliette became the center of her world. After I had my daughter, that was it for her, said Kilmartin. She was over the moon, and always wanted to be around her. After Ms. LoGiudices diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, she fought fiercely to hang on until the birth of her second grandchild, due Monday. But her illness moved too swiftly. She loved travel and the beach, horror movies and photography. Besides her children and grandchildren, Ms. LoGiudice is survived by her mother, sister, and former husband. Services took place earlier. Donations in her name may be made to St. Judes Childrens Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. David McCormick on the 2022 campaign trail at the Wallenpaupack Sportsmans Associations 50th Annual Spring Fishing Party in the Poconos. Read more The Pennsylvania Republican Party appears to be getting its wish this week former hedge fund manager David McCormick will announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Thursday in Pittsburgh. That lines up McCormick for a challenge against a potent Pennsylvania political brand, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Scranton Democrat seeking a fourth six-year term. McCormick, a West Point graduate and former hedge fund CEO who owns a home in Pittsburgh, has been identified by establishment Republicans in the state as their best option against Casey as their party attempts to win back control of the Senate in 2024. Pennsylvanias Senate race is expected to be among the most hotly contested in the nation next year, and could determine which party holds a majority in the chamber. Advertisement A person familiar with McCormicks planning, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss this weeks rollout, confirmed McCormick will announce his candidacy Thursday. That was news was first reported by The Associated Press and Politico. McCormick lost a close Republican Senate primary last year to Mehmet Oz, after spending $14.4 million of his own money on the race. Sources close to him have said hes been cautious about a decision to run again in the wake of that tough primary loss. No other Republican candidates have announced plans to run for the seat next year. Caseys campaign capitalized on the news that McCormick would jump into the race in a fundraising pitch to supporters Friday, citing a potential GOP opponent who could self-fund and who has been promised super PAC support by Mitch McConnell. McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, is the Senates minority leader. A super PAC linked to McConnell, the Senate Leadership Fund, is expected to back McCormick. GOP hopes to avoid a repeat of loss to Fetterman Republicans hope to avoid a repeat of the 2022 crowded primary, which Oz, a doctor well-known for his television show, won. Both McCormick and Oz were tagged by Republican competitors, and later by Democratic nominee John Fetterman, as carpetbaggers who moved to Pennsylvania to run for the Senate. Oz lived in New Jersey, while his wife had family ties to the Philadelphia area, where they said they rented a home from his in-laws and bought property. McCormick grew up in Pennsylvania but had been living in Connecticut prior to his Senate run. Fetterman defeated Oz in the general election by five percentage points. Residency became an issue again for McCormick in August when The Associated Press reported that he was living in a rented $16 million mansion in Westport, Conn. McCormick in late March listed that address while making a $5,000 donation to the Great American Pennsylvania Fund, a political action committee chaired by former Pennsylvania Republican Party chair Rob Gleason. A spokesperson for McCormick said last month he had spent the majority of his life in Pennsylvania and called attacks on his residency disgraceful. Republicans in the state have also been concerned about fielding a candidate who can win both a primary and general election. Former President Donald Trump in 2022 endorsed Oz for Senate and State Sen. Doug Mastriano for governor. Mastriano lost to Democrat Josh Shapiro by nearly 15 percentage points. Mastriano, who echoed and amplified Trumps lies about the 2020 presidential election, flirted earlier this year with a run for Senate but then declared in May that he would not seek that office. Democrats have already started attacking McCormick The Pennsylvania Democratic Party has been eagerly mining McCormicks statements made on the campaign trail and during primary debates in 2022, especially on the issue of abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a ruling one month after that primary, overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights case, allowing states to decide if the procedure should be legal and how it can be regulated. Democrats since then have employed that ruling against Republican candidates. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party, on the platform previously known as Twitter, in June posted video of McCormick saying during a 2022 debate that he supported abortions in the very rare case when the life of the pregnant person was in danger. He did not respond when asked about cases of rape or incest. McCormick has been acting in every way like a candidate for public office while not officially declaring it. He showed what was seen as interest as a 2024 run shortly after the 2022 general election, meeting with consultants and mingling with party officials at the annual political gathering in New York known as Pennsylvania Society. He hit the road to promote his new book, Superpower in Peril, and launched a super PAC to support Republicans running for state and local offices. Casey provides a significant political challenge. The son of a former governor, Casey easily won reelection in 2018, defeating former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, a Hazleton Republican who had Trumps backing. The company is set to initiate a book building process both domestically and internationally from October 13 to 19, with a subscription period for retail investors slated for October 25 and 26. Given this timeline, SGI is expected to debut on the KOSPI, the primary benchmark of the Korean stock market, in November. Insurance Business is proud to partner with One Tree Planted and have reforestation as an integral part of our business model. For every response to the survey, a tree will be planted as part of our commitment to sustainability. The 2023 legislative session wrapped up less than five months ago. Many bills dont go into effect until Oct. 1 of this year, Jan. 1 of next year, or later. But several of the bills that became law this spring and summer are already having a noticeable impact in Montana. Perhaps the most stark example of this is prosecuting human trafficking. Before the 2023 Legislature, no one had ever been convicted under Montanas old laws against human trafficking, with the outdated laws not providing law enforcement the tools they needed. That changed in July when prosecutors in Gallatin County charged 18 people on prostitution and human trafficking counts. What was the reason for the sudden change? House Bill 112 by Billings Republican Rep. Jodee Etchart, which strengthened Montanas laws against human trafficking and went into effect on April 19. Also on the matter of public safety, the vacancy rate of prison guard and correctional officer positions at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge has been reduced by about half since the Legislature enacted pay increases and made a major investment in the prisons infrastructure. Housing is another area of concern thats beginning to see positive impacts from work done in the recent legislative session. Cities are updating their zoning codes to be more friendly toward building affordable starter homes, with some, like Whitefish, explicitly saying they wouldnt have done so without a mandate from the Legislature. One new law passed by Republicans is already being credited with the creation of 162 new housing units in Missoula. Senate Bill 295 from Ethridge Republican Sen. Butch Gillespie set the stage for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to begin taking steps for Montana to assume management of grizzly bears. Thanks to that legislation, the state should be ready to conserve and manage grizzly populations when the federal government relinquishes its control over the bears. And perhaps most obviously, hundreds of thousands of Montanans now have more money in their pocket thanks to tax relief passed by Republicans. Families have received thousands of dollars in property tax and income tax rebates in the few short months since legislators left Helena. Whether its public safety, housing, wildlife conservation, tax relief, or any of a whole host of other issues, the Legislature has a real, tangible impact on the lives and wellbeing of Montanans. Even more good results will be on the way as additional legislation goes into effect. A recent ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court changed the way damages are calculated in BIPA claims and extended the statute of limitations for such claims from one to five years. Instead of damages accruing the first time biometric data is collected from an individual they now accrue each time data is collected from that individual. So, you could be entering an office, say, 10 times, or accessing a cash register 50 times each day. Each of those will now count individually as damages says Gupta. Kenneth Gregg, CEO and founder of Orion180, said that this expansion is the latest in a series of steps that the insurer is taking to bring insurance capacity for homeowners in the Southwest. Coastal communities from Cape Cod to Canada are expecting Hurricane Lee to arrive tonight and Saturday, bringing coastal flooding, damaging winds and heavy rains. The National Hurricane Center placed Maine under a hurricane watch. Governor Janet Mills has declared a state of emergency and urged residents to prepare for Lees potential landfall. Mills also requested that President Joe Biden issue a federal disaster declaration to preemptively give the state access to federal resources. The Category 1 storm is forecast to approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada today and Saturday. Lee is moving toward the north near 16 mph today with a faster forward speed expected through Saturday. Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected through tonight. Lee is forecast to become post-tropical and begin weakening by Saturday, but meteorologists say it is still expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches eastern New England and Atlantic Canada. The weather service warned that hurricane conditions are possible in the Downeast Maine counties of Washington and Hancock beginning in Ellsworth and stretching to the east all the way to the Maritime Provinces, and in Atlantic Canada on Saturday. Tropical storm warnings are in effect from the southern Massachusetts coast including Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in southern New England late this afternoon and spread northward through Saturday. These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages, the weather service warned. From tonight through Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches across portions of eastern New England into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This may produce localized urban and small stream flooding. A combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach 1 to 3 feet from Flushing, New York to the Canadian border, Long Island Sound, Cape Cod and the Islands, and Boston Harbor., the National Hurricane Center warned. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city is concentrating its mitigation efforts in flood-prone neighborhoods including East Boston and the North End. Wu compared the coming hurricane to a winter Noreaster. Across the region, state and local emergency crews have been preparing for the storm for days. Utility firms across the region have positioned personnel and equipment to respond to downed trees and power outages. They have cited concerns over the weakened roots and health of trees due to the heavy rains this summer. Boaters and beachgoers have been advised to stay out of the waters. Photo: Storm activity off New England Sept. 15. NOAA satellite image. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane Maine A plaintiff seeking compensation for damages is entitled to submit the full amount on medical bills related to his injuries as evidence even though he did not pay the full amount of those bills. The U.S. district court for New Hampshire was asked to rule on the matter before the start of a trial on the allegations of excessive force brought by Warren Picard against the Nashua police department and officer James Ciulla. Picard alleges that Ciulla violated his Fourth and First Amendment rights by twice smashing his head against the police cruiser while Picard was handcuffed and asking why he was being arrested. Picard claims the actions caused him severe injury. Picards complaint says that he suffers from the disease of alcoholism and can get mouthy as he was on the evening in question. Nonetheless, whatever misdemeanors he committed while walking and drinking did not justify the use of force that resulted in injuries to his head, the complaint maintains. The medical bills total approximately $8,117.43, and Picard seeks compensatory damages for the total. Officer Ciulla, however, maintains the complete bills are misleading as to damages because Picard did not pay them in full. Rather, the medical providers accepted a partial payment from the state in satisfaction of the bills. Thus, Ciulla argues, Picard should not be permitted to introduce the bills as relevant evidence of his compensatory damages. Ciulla wants evidence of medical bills beyond those actually paid by or on behalf of Picard excluded from trial. Noting that in New Hampshire a plaintiff is entitled to recover as compensatory damages the reasonable value of past and future medical services caused by a defendants wrongful acts, U.S District Judge Landya McCafferty denied Ciullas request because she found that the risk of unfair prejudice or of misleading the jury about the issues does not substantially outweigh the probative value of Picards medical bills in assessing damages. The judge said the difference between the amount paid by the government and the amount billed does not deprive the bills of their relevance as to the reasonable value of the medical services provided, nor does it demonstrate as Ciulla claims that the bill amounts are fictional numbers. Someone still paid for the provision of these services. That economic truth does not change merely because the provider was unable to secure full compensation for its services in the context of the transaction. Rather, the providers act of forgiveness (whether legally mandated or altruistic) only shifts the person or entity who is responsible for paying the cost, the judge wrote. The judge acknowledged that permitting Picard to recover more than he paid will likely result in a windfall for him if he prevails, thus violating an underlying principle of compensatory damages which is to make the plaintiff whole, no more and no less. However, the court said it is important to remember that if he is found liable, Ciullas actions were still the cause of Picards use of those medical services, whether the cost was paid for by Picard, an insurer, the taxpayers, or a medical provider. While Picard may not deserve it under the general principles of compensatory damages, the collateral source doctrine dictates that such windfall should not fall to the tortfeasor, which means it would instead fall to Picard. It would not be unfair to Ciulla to require him to pay such damages since he is the one who allegedly caused them, the court reasoned. In short, Picards medical providers forgave the medical bills, which was a collateral benefit to which the law assigns Picard priority over Ciulla. Moreover, according to the judge, the alternate approach advocated by Ciulla would obfuscate the full cost of his alleged wrongdoing behind the screen of insurance contracts and taxpayer-funded benefits. The judge opined that the legislature could enable a third party such as the medical provider or the state to recover the value of the services from Picard if he prevails. But as of now, the states policy is to permit the plaintiff to retain the recovery. The court must follow that choice in this case, the judge concluded. The judge also noted that during trial Ciulla is free to introduce evidence about how the bills were calculated in order to undermine their presumptive value as evidence of the reasonable value of the medical services received by Picard. Topics Law Enforcement Shell said on Friday that it had identified a cybersecurity incident involving some employees at BG Group in Australia, the latest company to be hit by the MOVEit hack. Several businesses globally have reported cybersecurity breaches involving the MOVEit software tool, which is typically used to transfer large amounts of often sensitive data, including pension information and social security numbers. The oil and gas major said it had identified some personal information related to affected individuals that was accessed without authorization and had made attempts to notify them. Shell completed its $70 billion takeover of BG Group in 2016, bringing into its portfolio oil and gas projects across countries including Australia and Brazil. The data is from 2013 and although it is historic and some of it may be out of date, there is a risk to impacted individuals of identity theft and being targeted by phishing campaigns, Shell said in a statement. Shell did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment to clarify the exact number of individuals impacted. The company began informing affected staff members in early July, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The incident is the latest among a string of security breaches in corporate Australia since late last year, which led the government to reform its cybersecurity rules and even set up an agency to oversee government investment in the field. Hebe Chen, an analyst with IG Markets, told Reuters that the incident again highlighted one of the weakest spots in Australias corporate ecosystem. Not only does it expose the fragile protection measures that were in place, but it also raises questions about the effectiveness of the Australian governments national cybersecurity strategy, Chen added. (Reporting by Roushni Nair and Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Florence Tan; editing by Shailesh Kuber and Alexander Smith) Topics Cyber Australia From dangerously warm temperatures to vast species extinctions, humans are living on a planet that is becoming inhospitable with only three key health markers considered safe, according to a new scientific study. Researchers have run a full fitness examination on Earth by analyzing nine boundaries that define a safe operating space for humanity. Six out of these have been crossed so far and pressure on all of them is increasing, according to a research paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. This does not mean that we are pushing the planet across an irreversible collapse, said Johan Rockstrom, the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and a co-author of the paper. But it means were losing resilience we are putting the stability of the Earth system at risk, and the buffering capacity of the Earth system to buffer stress and shocks at risk. Scientists have spent decades analyzing how climate change, driven by human-made greenhouse gas emissions, impacts every aspect of life on Earth. But understanding how different indicators interact with each other, and the planets climate and ecosystem as a whole, requires deploying comprehensive computer models and simulations. The framework of planetary boundaries dates to 2009, and researchers at the Stockholm Resilience Center in Sweden have spent almost 15 years studying them and refining their calculations. This is the first major update published since 2015. This is a real scientific breakthrough, Rockstrom told reporters on Tuesday. Its the first time we have a scientific health check for the whole planet and we are able to provide quantification for all the nine boundaries. Among the boundaries that have been breached are freshwater availability, land system changes from activities such as deforestation, biodiversity loss and extinctions and concentrations of carbon dioxide. Earth is currently operating safely in only three areas: the depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, the loading of aerosol in the atmosphere and ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is rapidly moving into the wrong direction, what we call the yellow zone, Rockstrom said. But there are reasons for hope, said Katherine Richardson, a professor in biological oceanography in Denmark and the lead author of the research. The ozone depletion limit was exceeded in the 1990s, but a global commitment to phase out ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol reversed that trend. Richardson cautioned against some solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: For example, replacing fossil fuels with biomass for energy should not come at the cost of depleting forests. For 3.5 billion years the environmental conditions on Earth have been determined by the interaction between life and climate, she said. Were not going to fix the climate problem if we dont respect the boundary for how much biomass we can take out. Photograph: Solar panels surrounded by floodwater following Storm Daniel in the village of Piniada, in Trikala region, Greece, on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. Photo credit: Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. Topics Climate Change CHEBOYGAN, Mich. (AP) A fire at a northern Michigan paper mill Wednesday has closed several roads and prompted state police to warn people to stay away from the area. Plumes of thick and heavy black and gray smoke billowed from the Tissue Depot property along M-27 in downtown Cheboygan, about 290 miles (466 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. The nearby Cheboygan Lock and Dam also was temporarily closed. Staff with Michigan`s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy were sent to Cheboygan Wednesday afternoon to help assess the situation, spokesman Jeff Johnston told The Associated Press in an email. Authorities said they believe the fire was in a warehouse on the property. The smoke billowed for hours, said Trisha Leask, an employee at a convenience store a few blocks from the fire. It looked like black storm clouds. Leask said she noticed the smoke Wednesday morning. It`s not the first time the property has caught fire, she added. Kaiden Miller said he could see the flames from from the nearby eatery where he works as a cook. There was a bunch of smoke going up, he said, noting that by 2:30 p.m. Wednesday the amount of smoke had subsided as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. Miller also said the property has had a history of fires. Lots, at least once a year, he said. That place is always on fire. Formerly known as Great Lakes Tissue Co., the mill once employed about 300 workers. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Michigan Kapnick Insurance, an insurance provider with over 75 years of experience, announced the acquisition of Michigan Group Benefits. This transaction represents a significant milestone in Kapnick Insurances growth plans, expanding their capabilities and solidifying their position as a trusted partner in the group benefits industry. The acquisition will also expand their geographical footprint, as they will retain Michigan Group Benefits East Lansing office. We are thrilled to officially welcome Michigan Group Benefits to the Kapnick Insurance family, said Jim Kapnick, CEO of Kapnick Insurance. This acquisition represents a strategic step forward for both companies and aligns perfectly with our broader vision of delivering exceptional service and comprehensive solutions while remaining independent. This strategic move allows Michigan Group Benefits to leverage Kapnicks existing reputation, reach, and expertise to further enhance the offerings to their valued clients. To ensure a smooth transition, key personnel from both Kapnick Insurance and Michigan Group Benefits will work closely together. Angela Dean, Kapnick Partner and President of the employee benefits division is thrilled to welcome the Michigan Group Benefits team to Kapnick. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Michigan Walmart, Inc. and Walmart Stores Arkansas, LLC, a multinational retailer, violated federal law when it subjected a nationwide class of employees with disabilities to unlawful testing, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit. According to the EEOCs lawsuit, in 2015, Walmart collaborated with a third-party entity to create the Pathways Training Program, including a test called the Pathways Graduation Assessment. By January 2017, Walmart required its newly hired hourly associates at its Supercenters and Neighborhood Market Stores across the U.S. to complete the program. The EEOCs suit alleges Walmart terminated employees with disabilities across the U.S., including two in Arkansas, who failed the test after three attempts even though the employees satisfactorily performed their jobs. One former Arkansas employee worked at a Supercenter store in North Little Rock, and another former Arkansas employee worked at a Neighborhood Market Store in Fayetteville. Because of their disabilities, neither Arkansas employee passed the Pathways Graduation Assessment, and Walmart dismissed both employees despite their satisfactory job performance. The EEOCs suit said the test was not related to the employees job duties or job performance. Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division, Civil Action No. 5:23-cv-05149, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The suit seeks monetary relief in the form of back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, compensation for lost benefits, and an injunction against future discrimination. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits Arkansas A US Treasury Department unit that investigates financial crimes has directed banks to send alerts when they come across suspicious activity that indicates a business is using check cashing companies to avoid payroll taxes and reduce workers compensation premiums. Such check-cashing schemes by construction companies have long been a target for state insurance fraud investigators. The Aug. 15 notice by the Financial Crime Enforcement Network signals that the federal government is preparing to add its resources to the fight. The agency, known as FinCEN, said it has observed a concerning increase in payroll tax evasion and workers compensation insurance fraud by residential and commercial construction contractors. FinCEN said it is collaborating with the Internal Revenue Services criminal investigations unit to crack down on construction companies that use shell companies with few employees to purchase workers compensation policies and then pay workers in cash to avoid payroll taxes and insurance premiums. By enlisting the help of financial institutions, we hope to crack down on fraudsters and level the playing field for legitimate business owners, IRS Criminal Investigations Chief Jim Lee said in a press release. The federal government has required financial institutions to report suspicious financial activities since 1992. The FinCEN notice adds the use of check cashing companies to commit payroll tax and workers compensation fraud to a list of red flags that financial institutions should be alert for and directs them to send suspicious activity reports if they detect key indicators. Related: Florida Contractor Charged with Underreporting Payroll by $5.9 Million FinCen said fraudsters typically register what appears to be a legitimate construction company and then purchase a workers compensation policy that covers a minimal number of workers. A contractor makes payments to the shell company, which deposits the funds or takes the checks to a check casher. The shell company deducts a fee, generally 4 to 10%, and returns the money to the contractor, who uses the cash to pay his workers without withholding payroll taxes or paying appropriate workers compensation premiums. The notice says typically the shell company will be dissolved before a full year passes in order to avoid a premium audit by the insurer. The owners will then create a new shell company to continue the scheme. The notice lists 11 red flags that financial institutions should look for. Among them: A customer who opens an account has no known prior involvement in the construction industry, or uses a passport from a foreign country as identification. A companys recently acquired workers compensation insurance policy, which can usually be verified through an official state website, was issued within the past year and covers only a small number of employees. The customer receives weekly deposits that exceed normal account activity from several construction contractors involved in multiple trades. A construction company makes large cash withdrawals or negotiates checks for cash when accompanied by another person, or uses an armored car service to deliver bulk cash. According to the Bank Policy Institute, financial institutions submitted 640,000 suspicious activity reports (SARs) in 2017 and received feedback from law enforcement on only 4% of those referrals. But that doesnt mean the reports are being ignored. The institute said law enforcement mines the SARs database for leads and uses the data to gather evidence or find other suspects. Dominic Dugo, a retired San Diego County insurance fraud prosecutor who now acts as outreach coordinator for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, said he is not aware of any previous involvement by federal law enforcement in investigating workers compensation premium fraud. He said federal agents have assisted the District Attorneys Office in investigations of fraud by medical providers, but premium fraud up to now had generally been left to local law enforcement. Dugo said the federal governments involvement will help the fraud fight. In general, the more government agencies that are interested in premium fraud and tax evasion and the more partners that we have in this battle, the more successful we will be, he said. Florida Crackdown on Undocumented Workers Could Mean Higher Property Insurance Costs Dugo said the FinCEN notice by itself may help prevent fraud. He said in his experience, people are far less likely to attempt premium fraud if they are reminded that it is a crime. Dugo said when he was in charge of insurance fraud investigations for San Diego County, he oversaw a successful fraud-prevention campaign that used billboards and radio and television advertisements that spread the word that workers compensation fraud is a serious crime. Some are skeptical, however. In a blog post, Ballard Spahr attorneys Siana Danch and Peter Hardy said banks will find it difficult to assess the red flags listed in the FinCEN notice. For one thing, the red flags repeated use the term shell company, a pejorative term that reflects a value judgment, they said. The lawyers said the fact remains that tens of millions of shell LLCs and other entities in the United States exist for entirely legitimate purposes. They said financial institutions, unlike federal law enforcement, do not have grand jury subpoena and search warrant powers and do not enjoy the luxury of conducting multi-year investigations. Having said that, the bottom line import of the notice appears to be that (financial institutions) should be wary of construction companies and, perhaps, should subject many of them to enhanced due diligence simply because of their status as construction companies, the blog post says. This may not have been the intent of the notice, but it may be the practical consequence. Topics Fraud Workers' Compensation The State Historical Society of North Dakota is hosting Explorer Day on Sept. 25 at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. The event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. features hands-on activities about animal tracks and nature journaling, participating in a Red River Rendezvous experiencing what it was like to be a fur trader, basic orienteering skills including reading maps and using a compass. Other activities include identifying furs of North Dakota animals, making sun prints, building paper boats and trivia. It is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Laura Forde at 701-328-2792. Orion180, one of the latest entrants into the Florida market, has also begun writing homeowners policies in noncoastal areas of Mississippi and Alabama. The policies will be written through admitted insurer Orion180 Select Insurance Co., the Melbourne, Florida-based firm said in a news release this week. Ken Gregg is CEO. The company will market its products through independent distribution partners in Alabama and Mississippi. Its surplus lines carrier is Orion180 Insurance. The company plans to continue its expansion in 2023 and 2024, including into Indiana and Georgia, and independent agents are invited to inquire at the firms website, Gregg said. Topics Mississippi Alabama The trial in a liability lawsuit against a Florida hospital, a story featured in a Netflix documentary, began this week, bringing new attention to health care providers responsibilities in complex cases involving minors. The long-delayed trial in Venice, Florida, will examine the question of whether a hospital, which reported suspected medical abuse by the family of a 10-year-girl, can be held liable for the mothers suicide in 2016. Multiple news outlets have followed the case since it was made famous by the 2023 Netflix show, Take Care of Maya, that began streaming in June. The documentary examines the case of Maya Kowalski, who was brought to Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital in St. Petersburg in 2016, with reports of severe abdominal pain. She was also underweight and in a wheelchair. Mayas mom, a registered nurse named Beata Kowalski, asked doctors to administer ketamine to the girl, saying that she believed she was suffering from complex regional pain syndrome, according to news reports. Ketamine has seen limited success in treating CRPS in adults, and is covered by workers compensation insurance and other insurance plans in some cases in a number of states. Staff at the hospital raised concerns, though, and reported their concerns to child protection authorities. A county official suspected Mayas mom suffered from Munchausen by Proxy, a mental condition in which the caregiver makes up symptoms or creates them, Dexerto.com news site and others have reported. After reviewing the case, a judge ordered that the girl be sheltered, at least temporarily, at the hospital. She was interviewed and videotaped, the Tampa Bay Times and others have reported. After 87 days without physical contact with her daughter, Beata committed suicide. The family filed suit in 2018, seeking millions of dollars in damages. A company that Floridas child protective services had contracted with settled with the family for $2.5 million, The Times and The Cut news site have reported. An All Childrens Hospital attorney has said that the hospital stands by its concerns about Maya, and that hospital employees are required by law to report suspected abuse. Jury selection continued Friday. The trial is expected to take about eight weeks. Photo: All Childrens Hospital in St. Petersburg in 2014. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush) This article has been updated to show that a judge reviewed the case before Maya was sheltered at the hospital, and that ketamine has not been widely endorsed for treating children. Topics Lawsuits Florida BP Plc is looking both internally and externally for a new chief executive officer to replace Bernard Looney, who left his post abruptly after failing to fully disclose relationships with colleagues. Chairman Helge Lund, who heads BPs nomination committee, told staff in a webcast Wednesday that the CEO-search process has started, in comments that were confirmed by BPs press office. Lund, who joined the board in 2018 after a brief stint as BG Groups CEO, headed that same committee in 2019 when Looney was selected as BPs new boss. The panel could look very different this time around. Of the seven members in 2019, only three remain on the board. The current committee is made up of Helge Lund, Paula Reynolds, John Sawers and Amanda Blanc, the last of whom joined this year. BP wasnt able to give a timetable of how long the nomination process would take. Reynolds and Blanc, along with board members Pamela Daley, Melody Meyer and Tushar Morzaria, also sit on the remuneration committee that will decide how much compensation Looney is due after his resignation. BP said earlier this week that no decisions had been made yet regarding the former CEOs remuneration. Pay details are typically made public in the companys annual report published in the spring with any disclosures before that to be made as appropriate, a BP spokesperson said. Unlike the orderly process in 2019 that ended in Looneys nomination, the CEOs sudden departure after less than four years in the job means there was no succession plan in place. Chief Financial Officer, Murray Auchincloss was named as interim CEO and immediately sought to reassure BP employees that our strategy hasnt changed. The company also engaged external headhunters before the appointment of Looney as CEO, but he was already the prime candidate for the role. He had been leading BPs upstream division, a frequent conduit to the top job, and was one the so-called turtles top executives closely associated with visionary former CEO John Browne. Among the possible candidates to become the new CEO now, none are in quite so dominant a position. Lund has ruled himself out as the companys next chief executive, a BP spokesperson said. The Financial Times reported earlier that the chairman had no plans to replace Looney. Bloomberg. An Bord Pleanalas decision to refuse permission to build an Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal on the Shannon Estuary near Ballylongford in Kerry has been described is a major blow to Irelands future energy security. The board said its majority 8:2 decision was based on government policy on the importation of fracked gas, that it would be inappropriate to permit or proceed with the development of any LNG terminals in Ireland pending the review of energy supply. It said initial analysis in the, as yet unpublished review by the Department of the Environment, "does not support the development of a commercially operated floating LNG terminal". The use of LNG as a primary fuel source for a power station is contrary to current government policy, the board said. Fianna Fail MEP Billy Kelleher said the decision is a blow to Ireland's energy security. It beggars belief that such an important project is once again being refused permission. There is a mountain of evidence to suggest the critical need for an LNG terminal and storage in Ireland. Irelands objective is to have the maximal amount of renewable energy possible. However, there will be days when the wind doesnt blow and when we will need to burn gas if we are to keep our homes and businesses lit." Mayor of Kerry, Jim Finucane said the boards decision is "incomprehensible" and will impact on the economy of the whole country. He also slammed the decision not to publish the review on security of energy supply, before the An Bord Pleanala decision. In 2021, Shannon LNG a subsidiary of New Fortress Energy, sought 10-year permission for a 650 million development on 52ha on the southern shores of the Shannon Estuary, Ballylongford, around 5km west of Tarbert Co. Kerry. Some 14ha would be taken up with a gas-powered power plant capable of 600 MW of electricity generation; a 120 MWh battery energy storage system; and an LNG terminal capable of offering up to 180,000m3 of LNG storage capacity and regasification capacity of up to 22.6 million standard cubic metres per day ) of natural gas, it was proposed. A floating storage and regasification unit would be moored at the proposed terminal/jetty on a long-term basis and LNG would be transported to the terminal on LNG Carrier ships. The liquid would be converted back into gas by a regasification process for transmission either to the national gas transmission network, or to the power plant. Attempts to construct an LNG terminal at the deepwater site go back almost two decades. The Ballylongford landbank was originally identified for industrial development as far back as the 1960s. In 2007, permission was granted for an LNG regasification terminal but there have been legal challenges and extension of permission was quashed by the High Court in 2020. Permission was also granted in 2009 for a 26km gas pipeline to connect Shannon LNG Terminal to the existing natural gas network west of Foynes, Co. Limerick to link up with the national gas networks. Electricity connections also received permission. In a note to its decision on Friday, the board said it also had concerns about an absence of precise detail in relation to piling and a 'full clear assessment of all potential acoustic impacts on the natural condition of critical bottlenose dolphin habitat and how the terminal would impact their behaviour. Industry must prioritise "securing a renewal of our current derogation from 2026 onwards", as Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue ruled out further renegotiations with Brussels on the retention of the 250kg/ha nitrates limit for all farmers in derogation. Mr McConalogue said that there is "the need for a clear focus on actions that will deliver improvements in water quality from now on so that Ireland has a strong hand to play in an application to renew the derogation, a process which must commence again in 2025". Attending Friday morning's meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr McConalogue told TDs and senators that the European Commission is "adamant and [has] given absolute certainty that there will be no amendment to our current derogation until it comes up for renegotiation in 2025". Asked if he will go back to Brussels to fight further against the drop to 220kg of organic nitrogen per hectare from 2024, he said that the commission has been clear in its position. However, on Friday, despite the Agriculture Minister's apparent bleak outlook, following a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and a Fine Gael delegation on the margins of the party think-in in Limerick, the Taoiseach has now confirmed to farmers that he has agreed to write to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius. FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply He said he is inviting him to Ireland to meet with him, Mr McConalogue, and a delegation from the sector, or for the commissioner to meet with sector representatives in Brussels. 'Difficult' negotiations' Mr McConalogue told the committee that negotiations on the derogation in 2021 were "particularly difficult", with a backdrop of increasing dairy cow numbers over the previous period, increasing use of chemical nitrogen, and an increasing trend in nitrates levels in Irish waters. "The context of any negotiation is also increasingly difficult as fewer member states have a derogation and those with a derogation seeing reduced limits, given the approaching 2027 deadlines under the Water Framework Directive," he told the committee. "Securing a renewal of the derogation at all was extraordinarily challenging. As a condition of the renewal decision, the commission insisted on a mid-term water quality review and a step-down in the limits of the derogation in areas that would fail any one of four identified water quality criteria. The water quality review required a report to be completed by the Environmental Protection Agency and this exercise resulted in a map showing the areas that failed the criteria as set out. This map was submitted to the commission on June 30. It showed vast areas in the 'red' zone where a reduction to 220kg may be introduced due to poor water quality. However, confirmation by the minister at Friday's meeting that the areas in 'white' in the EPA's map will most likely retain the 250kg level will be welcomed. Mr McConaloue said that the commission has "identified some very limited scope, within the strict confines of the existing commission decision, to interpret elements of the mapping", which could allow some farmers in the 'red' zone to continue farming at the 250kg limit. "The impacts of this exercise will be marginal. It would be misleading and wrong to suggest otherwise. My department has committed to concluding it by the end of this month so that derogation farmers will have the definitive information necessary to make their plans," he said. Support With over 130,000 farms nationally, Mr McConalogue said there are 7,000 of those currently in derogation, and somewhere over 3,000 of those are farming between 220kg and 250kg. Those 3,000 are therefore "particularly impacted by this change and to the limit in the derogation", Mr McConalogue. The minister said he is committed to farmers being supported through this period of a reduced derogation along with the uncertainty of the derogation's existence at all from 2026. "My department has engaged directly with Teagasc and the private consultants this week to provide farmers with the necessary assistance to manage their way through this period," the minister said. He added there is an "absolute need for all stakeholders to work together on the shared objective of securing a renewal of our current derogation from 2026 onwards". "Irelands derogation is an exception to EU rules provided for in the Nitrates Directive. It cannot be taken for granted and it must be recognised that water quality improvement must be at the heart of Irelands robust defence of our derogation facility," he said. "It will never have been more critical that Government, industry, and farmers all work together over the next two years to deliver water quality improvements and facilitate maintaining the derogation at the maximum limit possible." Mr McConalogue did indicate to the committee that from 2026, if there were to be significant improvements in water quality before negotiations in 2025, the argument could be made for a 250kg derogation to be reinstated in areas. The rush of warm weather this September has had me back at barbecue duties and when I think of cooking meat over fire I always think of Argentina. The preference in Argentina is for low and slow cooking over or near flames and I remember seeing famed Argentinian Chef Francis Mallman setting up his wood fire in the early hours of the morning at the much missed Ballymaloe Litfest he was starting work just as the rest of us were going to bed after the party in the big shed. Dont expect rare steak in Argentina, the meat is often lovingly and slowly cooked over cool wood charcoal it should still have some pinkness, however. I visited Argentina a few years ago thanks to the kindness of Dona Paula and I ate in two of Mallmanns restaurants and generally feasted on meat during my stay. During the day I was mostly down holes looking at the soil structure with the Andes mountains glistening on the horizon. It was a magical trip. I realise that Dona Paula is rather supermarket-focused here in Ireland but dont let that faze you as quality is high at all levels and I recommend their Los Cardos this week which is at a crazy low price in SuperValu. For a bit more character look for the 1100 Malbec, the Black Edition or best of all the Seleccion de Bodega which is packed with dark cherry fruits. Recommendations this week are all from Argentina and most were tasted at the recent Argentinian Wine Fair all punch above their price point. I recommend my first Torrontes in a long while, as well as a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Franc, and of course some Malbecs. Standards were high at the fair and my only complaint was the shortage of Bonardas on show (the second grape of Argentina). I have my first mention of Curious Wines in a while with their entry-level Malbec Finca Amadeo which is on special offer along with a bunch of other Malbecs this month. Details on their website or visit their warehouse shop in Tramore Commercial Park in Cork. Among the wines they have on offer are the Quarisa Q Malbec for 10.88, Finca Amadeo Gran Reserva 2018 reduced from 29 to 22 and the Bleasdale Generations at 21, down from 28. Go on, put the barbecue on one last time. Wines Under 17 Dona Paula Los Cardos Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina 8-10 Dona Paula Los Cardos Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina 8-10 Stockists: SuperValu; Dunnes; Tesco; widely available From vines planted in 1998 on the Dona Paula estate at an altitude of around 1000m using sustainable agriculture where possible. This is on offer at 8 in Dunnes and 10 in the other big supermarket chains. Ripe blackcurrant aromas with black pepper and a touch of graphite solidly fruity and fresh. Serve cool. Finca Amadeo Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 10.50-14.50 Finca Amadeo Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 10.50-14.50 Stockists: Curious Wines; JJ ODriscolls; Curiouswines.ie On special offer at just 10.50 from Curious Wines who have a selection of Malbecs on offer at the moment. This is the entry-level wine from this producer but still has some classic Malbec character. Dark cherry fruit aromas mixed with darker plums and with some pleasing floral notes, serve a little cool to bring out the freshness. Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina - 16.75 Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina - 16.75 Stockists: Wines Direct Athlone & Mullingar; WinesDirect.ie. Torrontes should be as popular as Viognier I believe - I adore the floral tropical fruits this grape exhibits and in the hands of the Torrontes Queen Susana Balbo you get plenty of balancing freshness. This has fragrant and vibrant aromas of tropical fruits and flowers, rounded and full flavoured on the palate but with dried lime and kiwi freshness. Wines Over 20 Bodegas Atamisque Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina - 32 Bodegas Atamisque Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina - 32 Stockists: Mitchells; Mitchellandson.com; Deveneys; Redmonds; D-6 Off-Licence; Winehouse; Nectar Wines; Corkscrew.ie From vineyards at 1300 metres above sea level with whole bunch pressing at controlled temperatures and fermented and aged in new French oak barriques. Lemon cream and ripe melon aromas mixed with honeysuckle and vanilla, luscious and full-flavoured but with a delightful zesty freshness, beautifully balanced and elegant. Catena San Carlos Cabernet Franc, Argentina - 23.99 Catena San Carlos Cabernet Franc, Argentina - 23.99 Stockists: 1601 Kinsale; Higgins; Kellys; Avoca; Criadowines.ie; Independents. Catena Malbecs have often appeared here but not their Cab Franc which is sourced from sandy loam soil vineyards at 1090m in the Andes. Red fruits with cherry and strawberry to the fore, opening out on the mid-palate with soft berry fruits, expressive and fleshy on the palate with spice and pink peppercorn notes, juicy but remaining fresh on the finish. Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C Malbec 2021, Argentina 19.95 Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C Malbec 2021, Argentina 19.95 Stockists: JJ ODriscolls, Martins, Next Door Limerick, Castle Tralee, www.winesoftheworld.ie Luigi Bosca is an old favourite and the 2021 vintage as good as ever. The La Linda entry-level range is also worth seeking out as is the Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich bright purple hue, red and black fruit aromas with a touch of chocolate and pepper - lingering, juicy and concentrated. Beer of the Week 9 white deer Stag Kolsch, 4.2% ABV, 500ml - 4.25 9 white deer Stag Kolsch, 4.2% ABV, 500ml - 4.25 Stockists: Bradleys; Matsons; OBriens; Castle; Martins; McHughs; SuperValu; 9WhiteDeer.ie/shop 9 White Deer (Fia Ban) have been brewing in Ballyvourney in the Muscrai Gaeltacht since 2014 and I should mention them more often. Sustainability is a major focus as is using Irish ingredients, and they make a full range of gluten-free beers (from lagers to ales to stouts) that in no way compromise on flavour. Delivery within Ireland is 10. Kolsch originates in Cologne and is an ale treated like a lager. Pouring a dark gold with noble hop and malt aromas, fresh and malty with citrus and herbal notes crisp on the mid palate with a zingy tang of hops and citrus on the finish. Warmly recommended. Im engaged to be married to a terrific man. A few months ago, an old friend came to visit and, after a few drinks, started teasing me about my past boyfriends. There was no stopping her, mainly as my fiance kept asking her questions. At the time, he joked about me getting around and seemed to take it all in his stride. But hes been distant with me since. Whenever I ask him whats wrong, he says a lot is going on at work. Im not convinced and worry hes changed his mind about getting married. Monday will mark the third anniversary of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. Referred to as RBG, she offered some sage relationship advice, In every good marriage, it helps sometimes to be a little deaf. It is unfortunate your friend took it upon herself to be flaithiulach with your history without being mindful of the potential repercussions. It is possible that your fiance was particularly sensitive to these stories. Our life experience can inform the degree to which we are alert to information. Your fiance may have been hurt by someone in his past, and stories of your past may have caused him to recall painful emotions. We can store memories in our bodies long after an event, and situations not directly linked can reactivate old sensations of pain or loss. Sometimes, we can have difficulty understanding where these feelings stem from. Your fiance may not be making the emotional connection, which could explain the shift in his behaviour on demands at work. Alternatively, he may make the connection and choose not to share these old memories with you for fear of your judgement or indeed curiosity. A 2019 study reported that men tend to have more positive attitudes about their ex-girlfriends than women have about their ex-boyfriends. He may fear that you still harbour affection for these boyfriends. An evolutionary perspective on relationships will tell us that men are designed to have many partners, while women are designed to be more invested in a parental role. While this may jar with contemporary views on equality, its possible the discrepancy between societal attitudes regarding mens sexual behaviours compared to women still exists. While this sexual double standard is not for you to solve, it may shine a light on your and your partners attitude toward your respective histories. Consider whether traditional gender norms and expectations might influence your or your fiances reaction. Is it possible you have pulled away from him, feeling some sense of shame? Caroline Martin, psychologist. Photograph Moya Nolan Start by reflecting on your feelings and concerns. Be as specific as possible about what you are experiencing. You may find it helpful to use a feelings wheel, which you can easily find on the internet, or look up the meaning of the feelings that come to mind. Drilling down into the meanings or etymology of the language of our feelings helps us to gain clarity about what we are truly experiencing. You might explore your underlying fears and anxieties related to the situation. Consider what you fear might happen if you discuss this event and its aftermath with your fiance. Are there deeper insecurities that this situation has triggered for you? How do you view your past relationships and your current commitment? The resulting self-awareness can help you express your concerns more clearly and with greater confidence. Open and honest communication is critical to tackling hidden biases. Approach your fiance in a non-confrontational manner, expressing your feelings and fears. Use I statements to express how youve been feeling since the evening of your friends visit and how it has impacted you emotionally. You might say, I felt uncomfortable and hurt when our friend teased me about my past relationships, and Ive been feeling distant from you since. Im concerned about what this might mean for our relationship. Let your fiance know youve noticed a change in his behaviour and want to understand what is going on. Ask him directly if your friends comments made him uneasy or if there are any other concerns he would like to discuss. Encourage him to share his perspective, giving him space to express any issues he might be facing, whether related to work or personal matters. Avoid jumping to conclusions and truly listen to his thoughts. Be prepared for the possibility that your past may have activated some insecurities in your fiance. Instead of becoming defensive or apologetic, acknowledge his feelings and reassure him of your commitment to your relationship. Let him know you are looking forward to your future together. Ambiguity is part of life tolerating uncertainty within marriage is crucial. It is normal to have doubts and concerns at times but as psychotherapist Esther Perel reminds us, The more we trust, the farther we are able to venture. Within marriage, you dont need to hear everything, and certitude is an illusion. As you work through this challenging time together, you are strengthening your bond. Take care. If you have a question for psychologist Caroline Martin, please send it to feelgood@examiner.ie Netflix Love at First Sight (PG) isnt actually a film about love, its narrator (Jameela Jamil) informs us early on its a film about fate, and the statistical likelihood of meeting the perfect person. Spoiler alert: the narrator is talking guff. When Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) misses her flight from New York to London by four minutes, she ends up chatting with Oliver (Ben Hardy), who offers to help recharge her phone. One thing leads to another, and soon courtesy of a broken seatbelt buckle in economy Hadley and Oliver are getting on famously up in business class. Seems like a pretty straightforward set-up for a rom-com, but writers Katie Lovejoy and Jennifer E Smith, and director Vanessa Caswill, revel in subverting the conventions and the audiences expectations. Mind you, theyre also aware that every successful rom-com thrives on the unscientific notion that opposites attract: Hadley is disorganised, reflective and nursing a badly bruised faith in men in the wake of her father jaunting off to London to remarry, while the ostensibly easy-going Oliver is actually obsessed with breaking everything down love included via statistical analysis. Ultimately, of course, every rom-com depends heavily on its leading pair, and theres a plausible, quietly fizzing chemistry between Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy, with the former brilliantly natural as the heartbroken Hadley, and they both get strong support (with Rob Delaney, Tessa Jones and Dexter Fletcher to the fore) in what is unlikely to be your favourite rom-com of the year, but is nevertheless a charming and sweet-natured affair. CHRONIC pain is more common in women, whom studies suggest may have higher pain sensitivity, due to lower pain thresholds and lower tolerance of induced pain. Despite this, women frequently report that doctors take their pain less seriously than that of their male counterparts a phenomenon which has become commonly known as the gender pain gap. When Wioletta Misterkiewicz broke her foot, a hospital consultant in Ireland gave her a rehabilitative boot and crutches. The Polish woman who has lived in Co Meath since 2007, has experienced chronic neuropathic pain in her arms, her legs, and her neck for two decades. Sorry, I cant use crutches. I have terrible pain in my arms, she explained to the physician, whom she says interrupted her efforts to share her medical history. He told me, Just go! I started to cry. As I tried to leave, I began to feel dizzy and couldnt find my way out. No one helped me, she says. Misterkiewicz is a member of Chronic Pain Irelandtarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">, the national organisation providing information and support for people living with chronic pain (between 13 and 36 percent of the Irish population) since 1992. She describes the recurring experience of medical professionals minimising and dismissing her physical symptoms. Wioletta Misterkiewicz, a member of Chronic Pain Ireland. Sven Vanneste, professor in global brain health at Trinity College Dublin, says that one of the challenges for chronic pain patients is that there is no validated diagnostic test for chronic pain. Its challenging for specialists because, without a physical measurement, their options are often limited to prescribing medication, he explains. One of the Holy Grails in chronic pain research is developing an objective marker for pain. When relying solely on patients subjective self-reports, studies show that people, including medical professionals, are more prone to resorting to gender stereotypes. According to a study published in the Journal of Pain in 2021, Miami-based researchers found that lay people tended to underestimate the pain experienced by female patients in accordance with such gender stereotypes. Lay people also judged womens pain to be psychologically rooted and therefore more likely to benefit from psychotherapy, while mens pain was perceived to have a biological origin, leading to the assumption that they would derive greater benefit from medication. Misterkiewicz says that, in the last few years, the frequency of her public pain clinic consultations has been reduced from every three months to every six months, and now down to just once a year. Although not informed of the reason for the reduced frequency of her visits, her pain has steadily increased. Last year, when she approached her doctor on three separate occasions, seeking a change in her pain medication due to persistent dizziness, she says her requests were refused. When her pain escalated to the point where she could no longer work, her plea for a pain-relieving injection was met with a six-month wait for a consultant appointment. 'Told there's nothing there The experience of being repeatedly dismissed is one which is echoed by Eileen Hopkins, who developed chronic back pain following surgery for degenerative disc disease in 2012 while working as a nurse. I was going into hospitals, I would have a scan done, I would have an X-ray done, and again, Id be told theres nothing there, says Hopkins, who now practises as a psychotherapist in Swords. So many times, I would have gone to see people and come away thinking, They all think Im imagining this. I didnt have a suicide plan, but there were occasions where I found myself thinking, Whats the point? I cant go anywhere. I cant do anything. Im in this pain and nobody believes me. Jackie Bonass, who saw more than a half a dozen doctors in the US and Britain before receiving a diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) five years ago, has similar memories of not being listened to. For Bonass, who moved with her Dublin-born husband from Edinburgh to Dublin in December 2018, one of her primary symptoms is chronic pain so severe that it has left her bedridden for months or years at a time. When I started seeing GPs in Dublin, I wasnt able to walk into the doctors surgery, Bonass says. My husband was wheeling me in a wheelchair. And even when I couldnt make it from the wheelchair to the chair by their desk to sit down, they still didnt take my pain seriously. Jackie Bonass, ME patient Chronic pain, affecting an estimated 13-36% of the Irish population, is an umbrella term for a range of conditions that cause pain for more than three months. Despite being a pressing global health issue, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of chronic pain remains a challenge even for the experts. There is a group of people for whom acute pain the kind you get when you burn yourself on a stove transitions into chronic pain, Vanneste says. We know that with neuropathic pain, for example that is, pain which is caused by nerve damage chronic pain can develop after the injury has healed at a local level. This suggests that [chronic pain] is a brain issue, where pain becomes the default condition, even when there is no sensory input [from damaged tissue]. From Vannestes perspective, part of the stigma faced by chronic pain patients arises from outdated, artificial divisions between concepts like mind versus brain and psychological versus physical, as well as between the strongly interconnected disciples of psychiatry and neurology. These divisions reinforce the misconception that chronic pain is less legitimate than purely physical illnesses when all illness has a complex mixture of psychological and physical components. Turning point In 2015, Hopkins reached what she describes as a significant turning point. She began working with a physiotherapist, who tentatively brought up the concept of the mind-body connection. I was very resistant to this idea of the mind-body connection until I realised that it was not about making up the pain, she says. The pain is a real physical symptom, which is not all in your mind, but it does have an emotional aspect. I discovered that, for me, the emotional aspects like the frustration, isolation, and loneliness, actually aggravated my physical pain. For Hopkins, the greatest benefits came from adopting a holistic approach, blending physiotherapy to address the structural damage to her back with psychotherapy to manage the emotional triggers that in her case intensify the physical symptoms. She also stopped trying to justify her pain to those who would not listen. While she reserved a tactful one-liner for the relentless sceptics, she chose to confide in the one or two friends who validated her experience, including supportive communities like Chronic Pain Ireland. Regardless of gender, Vanneste says there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for chronic pain; instead, approaches must be tailored to the individual, often involving trial and error. For some patients, effective management of their symptoms depends on a combination of pain medication and psychological therapies or pain medications alone, which can be difficult to acquire. Eileen Hopkins, degenerative disc disease patient When Bonass first arrived in Ireland, her GP refused to prescribe her the pain medications which she had been taking in Britain, despite a lengthy letter from her former NHS doctor. When I asked if I could see another doctor, he told me that if I did that, I could be listed as a drug seeker, she says. Slowly rocking back and forth, Bonass tells me, Without [this prescription], this movement something so simple that people take for granted is extremely painful. Without the pain medication, I am totally bed-bound and it feels like I have an ice pick at the base of my spine 24/7. Ultimately, a private medical specialist who prescribed Bonass her pain medication. Under the specialists guidance, the prescription was transferred onto her medical card by a different GP. Bonass found she was treated more seriously by doctors when her husband was present. I feel for women who are not in a position to self-advocate, women who do not have the financial ability to see a specialist, women who do not have a husband or a brother to go with them into appointments. What are they supposed to do? Hopkins encourages female patients to remember they are receiving a service and have the right to advocate for their individual needs. We need to be in control. The experiences of female patients with chronic pain may reflect deeper gender biases within healthcare, where male subjects have been historically prioritised. This is something which, according to Vanneste, is beginning to shift. For a long time, people were not aware that a lot of pain medication was originally tested in male animals. Now, researchers are becoming more aware of this sex bias, and realise it is something that needs to be taken into account. Change, if slow, is on the agenda. Voices of Irish women are beginning to inform practices, thanks to the establishment of the Womens Health Taskforce by the Department of Health in 2019. The taskforce aims to improve womens health outcomes and experiences by embedding practices like radical listening within Irish healthcare. Emergency powers including compulsory purchase of land should be used to deliver six new reception and integration centres for asylum seekers, an advisory body has recommended. A review published in July by the External Advisory Group on Ending Direct Provision is calling for exceptional measures to deliver State-owned centres which would accommodate between 500 and 750 people each, by the end of 2024. The report, prepared for Minister Roderic O'Gorman's Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which is responsible for direct provision, cites the speedy manner in which modular homes were provided for Ukrainian refugees, some of which are already in use. The State could, and should, use emergency powers to prepare suitable State-owned land for rapid-build accommodation. It already used such powers to provide modular homes for Ukrainian refugees. If no suitable sites are available the State should procure them, including if necessary through compulsory purchase, prepare them for rapid build, and ensure that contracts for rapid-build accommodation are launched, the report reads. The different steps involved should be shortened as far as possible and operated together instead of consecutively. The urgency is now even greater and requires rapid mobilisation to deliver the necessary accommodation by the end of 2024. According to the report, the programme board to end direct provision calculated that 4,667 beds would be required to accommodate new international protection applicants for four months. A previous report from November 2022, published on the same day, recommends that the Government deliver two of these centres before the end of May 2023. However, these were not completed. The advisory body, led by Dr Catherine Day, recommends that stronger cross-departmental co-operation is needed, saying that some Government departments had not risen to the challenge in supporting international protection applicants. In the case of international protection, some, but not all, departments have risen to the challenge and found ways of integrating applicants, despite significant challenges in their own policy areas. Inter-departmental co-operation should not be optional; it is an essential component of delivering Government policy, the report reads. The Government sought to end direct provision by the end of 2024, but this is being pushed back due to the war in Ukraine and a large influx of international protection applicants. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie In particular, the body recommends that Taoiseach Leo Varadkars department takes up a coordinating role to deliver promised reforms set out in the white paper to end direct provision. A new white paper on ending the controversial system is set to come before Cabinet next month, only two years after the initial plan was launched. The Government initially sought to end direct provision by the end of 2024, but this is being pushed back due to the war in Ukraine and a large influx of international protection applicants. Figures recently released show that the State is spending more than 42.1m each month on rental, management and the maintenance of accommodation for asylum seekers. This money is going to private accommodation providers across the State for the use of 180 centres of different types each month, paid out by the Department of Integration. In 2022, 13,651 international protection applicants arrived in Ireland, up from just 4,781 in 2019. Direct provision The advisory group is also critical of the high number of people who have received permission to remain in Ireland that are still living in direct provision. It reports that just 525 people left direct provision centres in the first four months of 2023, citing the shortage of affordable accommodation. While those with leave to remain have rights to housing supports, they are not included within housing needs assessments at present. The housing needs of people with leave to remain in Ireland should be integrated into the Housing Need and Demand Assessment of each local authority without delay, the report recommends. On medium-term reforms, the body is calling for resources to be set aside in the budget to establish a new State accommodation agency under the remit of the Department of Housing. This agency will focus on liaising with local authorities and integrating housing needs of international protection applicants with councils' housing plans. It calls for funding to be provided to establish this agency in Octobers budget. Irakli Gharibashvili, the Prime Minister of Georgia, led the 68th session of the European Union Integration Commission of Georgia.According to the press service of the Prime Minister, a meeting was held in the government administration where members of the commission discussed the prevention of excessive influence of interests in the political, economic, and public life of Georgia. They adopted the so-called 'de-oligarchization action plan,' which was developed based on the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the European Union."The document comprises a 'Systematic Approach' package of changes with specified deadlines for adopting relevant legislative amendments.The document addresses seven different directions, including anti-corruption, anti-monopoly, money laundering, media pluralism, and justice-related measures.After receiving the document, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia was advised to engage in further consultations with European partners.When the government receives the document, the work process will be transferred to the Parliament of Georgia," the press service of the Prime Minister stated.Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, emphasized the significance of Georgia maintaining stability, strong governance, and robust institutions. He refrained from commenting on the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the President, emphasizing that, as a foreign diplomat, he should not interfere in Georgia's internal affairs."If you ask me about the ongoing impeachment of the President, I'm a foreign diplomat. I need to be really careful because I don't want to interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia. What we want - we want Georgia to be a stable, strong country with very strong institutions. So, of course, the impeachment procedure is not what is helping Georgia to become a stable, strong, solid country with strong state institutions. But again, it's not for me to comment," the ambassador stated.Herczynski also highlighted that the primary focus of his recent meeting with the President Salome Zourabichvili revolved around Georgia's European integration."We were invited together with all other EU ambassadors by the president yesterday. And the main topic of our meeting was Georgia's European integration," he added. A motorcycle crash on a deserted road. A cardiac arrest at a far-flung farm in a rural county. A farming equipment accident. A pregnant woman goes into unexpected labor at a small hamlet away from population centers. When these emergency medical scenarios happen in rural communities across North Dakota, local volunteer first responders are often the first on the scene, the first to provide medical attention, and the first to get patients to a hospital. Many of these services are in trouble, however. A lack of volunteers and younger staff willing to commit the time and energy needed to the profession, the challenge of recruiting and retaining paramedics, and a constant uncertainty about funding at a time of increasing costs threatens the sustainability of many services. Legislation was recently approved for mandating and funding ambulance districts, but it is too early to understand how much of an impact the rules will have. Andrew Berkey, operations manager of Jamestown Area Ambulance Ringdahl EMS, said hes been short-staffed for at least the past six months. Costs have also continued to skyrocket. Thats led to increased workload both for himself and his remaining staff and threatens the operability of the service. Were in a really scary place, Berkey said. Staffing plus equipment costs for a service of two people operating an ambulance available 24 hours a day, seven days a week ranges from between $700,000 to around $1 million annually, according to a study led by Yvonne Jonk at the University of Southern Maine. Its very hard to pay paramedics and EMTs what theyre worth and keep your doors open, Berkey said. Costs for a new ambulance have also doubled in the past several years from around $100,000 to over $200,000, Berkey said. Ambulance deserts Jonk, who also recently released a study looking at what are called ambulance deserts -- or areas where it takes 25 minutes or longer for an ambulance to arrive on scene -- said North Dakota has one of the lowest rates for ambulances per square mile, but one of the highest rates of ambulances per 100,000 residents. The problem is that theyre so danged spread out that its hard to provide adequate coverage in a state thats so sparsely populated, Jonk said. All counties across the state have at least one area that would be considered an ambulance desert, according to the study. North Dakota also joins other Western states of Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming as states where there are fewer than three ambulances per 1,000 square miles. Jonk said the low volume, high cost operations predominately in rural areas are under threat due to increasing costs. She said her study found the breakeven amount for a response can range from $1,000 to $41,000. You know, it's like, there's no way they're going to be reimbursed $41,000 to bring somebody to the hospital and they're only reimbursed if they bring somebody to the hospital, Jonk said. Jonk is working on another study that looks at the numbers of paramedics available in rural areas and survival rates related to cardiac arrest, and expects those numbers are also going to show a widespread shortage. If youre having a heart attack you want a paramedic, as opposed to an EMT, because they all know what to do, Jonk said. Survival rates will definitely be higher amongst those services that have a paramedic on board. Chasity Dixon, who works as a paramedic with the Community Ambulance Service Rolla, said that rural services that dont have paramedics lose out on revenue generated from transferring patients between hospitals. It helps fix staffing problems and helps with revenue so you can pay people to be available, Dixon said of the need of having a paramedic on staff. Essential services While most would consider ambulance services as essential for community health, they are not staffed and funded like other services -- police, many fire departments, garbage collection, road plowing and maintenance. They can sometimes go a week without a call. Other weeks theyll have calls daily. Ambulance services are not considered essential services, Dixon said. Even when its the cops that are down, it is us that are coming to take care of them so youd think that wed be essential services, but were not. James Owen, president and an EMT at Gackle Ambulance Service, said the service has been running with a skeleton crew for years and is in constant need for EMTs and drivers, but accessing that workforce has been problematic. Long term we need to recruit and get younger individuals involved in serving and volunteering, Owen said. Cory Schwarz, vice president of the Gackle service, said there appears to be an erosion of values and community service among the younger generation that remains in the area. I think the biggest issue with trying to get younger people is they're just not interested, Schwarz said. They think, well, somebody else will take care of it. Somebody else will do it. So I don't have to worry about it. Lindsey Narloch, a project manager at the North Dakota Emergency Medical Services Association (NDEMSA), said that while rural ambulance services have long been built on the backs of volunteers, this has been changing as society changes. Now most households have two people working. Farms have become bigger, leaving fewer people. Many work in other cities and live in rural or frontier cities so there may be no one to cover during the work week hours, where before an employer in town would let the EMT leave, she said. Other ambulance crew members also mentioned challenges from their regular employers not allowing as much flexibility as they had in the past as well as petty local politics that disrupts continuity of services. Promise of 1365 Potential exists, however, for beefing up rural ambulance services and making them more essential in the state. Rural ambulance services are compensated through medical insurance claims, some mill levy proceeds and by fundraising and donations. House Bill 1365, passed by legislators earlier this year, will require areas to form rural ambulance districts and give them the ability to levy a local tax after approval from voters to help support that service, practitioners say. Adam Parker, advocacy chair for NDEMSA, said the measure could dramatically change the landscape for rural emergency medical services by mandating the formation of ambulance districts. These districts will be able to levy taxes to support the districts, if approved by the local voters, to support a sustainable EMS program for the district, Parker said. There is a lot of work to be done over the next two years to establish districts across the state and solidify an infrastructure that will serve North Dakotans long into the future. Sean Roed, a paramedic and director of operations at the Lake Region Ambulance Service, said his team has already started working on formulating a tax district board. He said he hopes the bill can make ambulance services in the state more of a profession and an essential service. So by June of next year well be on the ballot, and then, if things are voted right and in our favor, by January 2025 well have additional funding. Filling training gaps Another aspect of rural ambulance services that often takes additional time and energy from volunteers and essential workers is the need to constantly refresh skills and meet certification requirements. This was something that didnt exist a few decades ago when most ambulance services were tasked simply with transferring people to a medical facility without rendering life-saving aid. Not only is some of the training time consuming, rural ambulance workers often have to travel distances to attend classes if theyre not available online. One service that has helped fill this gap is Simulation in Motion or SIM-ND mobile labs, administered through a project at the University of North Dakota. Mobile labs provide free certification training on lifelike mannequins transported throughout the state to critical access hospitals, rural ambulance services and others such as law enforcement. These mobile labs provide crying, breathing, talking mannequins ranging from adults, to children and infants, as well as soon-to-be mothers on the verge of labor. This was based on work that we did that showed needs such as taking care of heart attack patients, precipitous deliveries when they usually dont do many deliveries, farm accidents and that kind of thing, said Jon Allen, director of the UND SMHS Sim Center & SIM-ND Mobile Simulation. Jessi Nicola, administrator of the program, said a primary goal of the program is to provide free training to medical personnel where they are due to a variety of challenges faced in rural areas. A lot of those places dont have a lot of people, so you cant really give up your only ambulance driver or your only EMT in that area just to go to training, Nicola said. So we try to come to them and give them up to date training with staff who are experienced. A Judge overseeing Dublin's TV licence prosecutions has said a "contagion" of defendants dodging court forced him to adopt a "draconian" approach by ordering gardai to arrest the "no-shows". In his opening remarks at Dublin District Court on Friday, Judge Anthony Halpin added that he wanted Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to prioritise the warrants he issues for those who deliberately evade their cases. "So if An Garda Siochana turns up at your door and arrests you and brings you to the earliest possible sitting of the District Court, you have only yourself to blame," Judge Halpin warned. The prosecutions are brought by An Post against TV owners who have not paid their 160 annual television licence fees; a special weekly list hears the capital's cases where the judge has noticed a "dramatic and exceptional" drop and commented that "the patience of the court can be exhausted". During the summer, Judge Halpin also criticised RTE for what he described as elitism, "Godlike personalities", and "freeloaders" while defendants were "crippled with the cost of living". However, at Friday's TV licence prosecutions list of 150 defendants, about 35 failed to show up, resulting in bench warrants being issued for them. Until then, the judge usually imposed a 150 fine plus an order for 100 toward prosecution costs to be paid within three months. On Friday, four people got adjournments to allow them a chance to pay, and the rest had paid their fees ahead of the court appearance and got strike-outs. But before hearing the cases, the judge said he had to make some important remarks. "I have on many occasions emphasised the legal fact that all citizens who have a TV or a device capable of capturing terrestrial broadcasts or programmes have a legal obligation to be in possession of an up-to-date and current TV licence." That is the law, and the law is the law, and one must have respect for the law, and one must obey the law. He said Irish courts were firm but invariably courts of "understanding and compassion exhibiting an appreciation of the predicament and plight of those who appear before them." "Thus," he said, "in exercising their jurisdiction, the courts act in a measured manner, finely balancing the rights of the prosecutor, the offender and the victim in seeking to achieve a fair and just outcome." He said people demonstrating a genuine and honest intention to buy the licence or who have taken steps like buying TV licence stamps, even if they were somewhat short of the quota or have set up a direct debit with An Post, would get a little more time to be fully compliant. "But the patience of the court can be exhausted by those who refuse to buy the licence and seemingly try to justify same so as to ease their conscience," he said. Those who come before his court and wilfully and deliberately remain in violation of the law and continue to use a TV without having a licence "shall be convicted and fined". Little consideration or credence will be paid to these habitual defaulters, for they have been cautioned. "The dramatic and exceptional fall off in renewal subscriptions has not escaped anyone's attention." He said that in the past, anyone who failed to turn up usually received a fine in their absence, "but given the contagion and the septicity of the present state of play, I am obligated to depart from that routine and adopt a rather draconian process." "In respect of all 'No shows,' ie those who fail to turn up without a valid excuse, I will issue a bench warrant for the arrest of that person." Judge Halpin said he was directing the Courts Service to contact the Garda Commissioner and request him to prioritise executing these bench warrants "as a matter of urgency". "So if An Garda Siochana turns up at your door and arrests you and brings you to the earliest possible sitting of the District Court, you have only yourself to blame. It is not my preferred choice in proceeding in this manner, but the sudden and unprecedented surge in renewal defaulters is so profound that I have little option to do otherwise." Mayor of Kerry Jim Finucane is calling for the resignation of Environment Minister and Green TD Eamon Ryan ahead of a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Limerick on Saturday. Mr Finucane made the call in the wake of An Bord Pleanala refusing permission for the development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and power station on the Shannon estuary in Kerry. Shannon LNG had been seeking permission for the 650m development, including a 600MW power plant and LNG terminal at the site near Tarbert. The decision was based on Government policy on the importation of fracked gas, said An Bord Pleanala, adding that it would be inappropriate to permit or proceed with the development of any LNG terminals in Ireland pending the review of energy supply. 'Flawed' process Mr Finucane, a Fine Gael councillor, said the process that led to the decision by An Bord Pleanala was flawed in that the review of energy security was not published in advance of the decision. He said the Taoiseach had been informed the review was to be published on August 25. He also said it was "inappropriate" for Mr Ryan to make a submission on the application. "I am calling on Eamon Ryan to resign, and I will be saying this to the Taoiseach at the Fine Gael think-in," said the veteran Tralee councillor. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has intervened in a dispute between farmers and the Government over the recent announcement by the European Commission to cut Irelands nitrates derogation. Mr Varadkar informed farmers that he will write to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkeviciu, inviting him to Ireland to meet with him and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue as well as a delegation from the sector, or for the Commissioner to meet with sector representatives in Brussels. It comes just hours after Mr McConalogue told the Oireachtas agriculture committee that he is not going back to Brussels to reopen discussions on the nitrates derogation limits cut. However, the door appears to now have reopened following a meeting between the Taoiseach, Trade Minister Simon Coveney, junior agriculture minister Martin Heydon, and farming representative groups in Limerick where the Fine Gael parliamentary party is holding its think-in. Members of the IFA delegation Sean Lavery, Paul O'Brien, Kevin Commiskey, Michael Biggins, Brendan Golden, and Damien McDonald who met Leo Varadkar and ministers during the Fine Gael think-in in Limerick. Picture: Brendan Gleeson Farmers had been protesting all morning outside the Strand Hotel in Limerick where the think-in is being held. Its understood a female farmer told the Taoiseach how the cut in derogation could have a financial impact of thousands of euros a year. Following the meeting, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) said Mr Varadkar was clear that he understood the massive impact that any cut in the nitrates derogation would have on farmers and the wider sector. They said Mr Varadkar also acknowledged the real challenges that payment delays would cause for farmers and Mr Heydon said if there is any possibility to get the payments out sooner than the delayed dates, it would be done. He also committed to reverting back to the original payment dates for 2024, the IFA said. The delegation also raised the conditions of the recently-announced beef welfare scheme, which have annoyed farmers, and the need to increase supports for sheep and livestock farmers. Mr McConalogue said the European Commission was clear there is no possibility to reopen and renegotiate the derogation and that Ireland must work within the existing terms. Irelands current derogation is due to expire on January 1, 2026, with the derogation limit due to reduce to 220kg/ha from 250kg/ha on January 1, 2024, in certain areas. Thousands of dairy farmers will be forced to reduce their herd sizes within the next four months or spend hundreds of thousands scrambling to secure additional land to comply with the new rules, which are set to change on January 1. Green party leader Eamon Ryan has said energy credits introduced in last years budget were proposed by his party. Speaking to reporters at his partys annual think-in which was taking place in Tramore, Co Waterford, Mr Ryan said the Green party's junior role in the coalition is the front wheel rather than the mudguard. Were leading in terms of this change that needs to be delivered. We look back on our Programme for Government, we look back on our manifesto and we see the whole series of developments in our country that we promised and now were delivering in government. We said we would deliver a new form of public housing in cost-rental housing open to everyone, public, and were delivering it at scale," the Minister for Transport said. We said we would change the public transport system and improve it for the better and were delivering that right across the country. Asked if politicians were out of touch with the cost-of-living pressures on working families, Mr Ryan said his party was not disconnected and he sought to take credit for the energy credits introduced last year. A 600 energy credit was announced in last years budget for households which was delivered in three instalments across November, January and March. Last year, the Green Party actually laid out this idea of the energy credits, we put it together and put forward the proposal to Government and it really did work, helped people through a very difficult time," Mr Ryan said. Mr Ryan also called on energy companies to further reduce prices. Asked about unfavourable polling for the Green Party ahead of elections, Mr Ryan said: Weve been around for 40 years, theres been ups and downs the tide comes in, the tide goes out. But I think well be never more needed. Because as I said, what weve been warning about for 40 years has been now unfolding before us. He said the vast majority of Irish people back a green future for our country. Mr Ryan added that he was looking forward to leading the party into the next general election. For years now, Ive wondered why Ireland is so obsessed with the Leaving. Its possible that we view it as a starting point, a giant milestone that calms our national nerves, prompts a massive societal exhale. All is well. The future is in safe hands. The kids are alright. But if we really want to know or predict societys future, we need to go back further, way back before a child is anywhere near school-going age. Ideally, we need to follow that first ribboning cry down a hospital corridor Seriously, its less about secondary school teachers like me. The older a child, the harder it is for anyone to turn things around for them. Early intervention is key in their development support, kindness, and security in their early years are nothing short of vital. During these initial months, the architecture of the brain is constructed and those individual constructions eventually become society, become our world. So why, as a country, have we allowed our Government to short-change toddlers and small children by short-changing their nurturers, educators, carers and care-providers? Whatever our reasons, it looks like were not going to allow it for much longer. Yes, Ireland as a society is beginning to listen. Its beginning to fight back in order to protect childrens early years. Three-day protest On September 26, childcare providers, parents, and employees will march in Dublin on the first day of a three-day protest. I visited Eithne Scally in her Montessori school in Cork this week to find out why she and her staff will be making that Tuesday trip to the Dail. The situation she describes is truly shocking for anyone interested in children or our countrys future. Eithne Scally, second left, with staff members Rachel Corkery, Julie Murphy and Carrah Dennehy. Picture: Larry Cummins Last September, childcare providers like Eithne Scally were invited to join a core funding scheme that promised improved conditions in the sector. Once providers joined however, their fees were frozen, meaning highly experienced, educated and skilled staff members could not be paid appropriately. This is having a devastating effect, says Scally, who reports that while the Government may be well-intentioned, its programme is failing, and the biggest losers are families and their children. A key question needs to be asked: Is the funding supporting the set-up of bureaucratic administrations or the education of young children? This September, the same core funding gave facilities an increase of three cent per child per hour. What can honestly be achieved with this level of investment will it improve facilities, standards of education, pay for staff? No, it will not; its an insult, says the clearly frustrated business owner. The minister can talk about funding, but how much of it is actually arriving at facilities? Eithne Scally reminds me hers is a private business. Like any business, it needs to be sustainable there are financial commitments in terms of delivering services; there are salaries to pay alongside all of the other day-to-day bills such as utilities, bank charges, commercial rates, maintenance, and upgrade costs. She often feels like the Government is using her premises for free. She also feels she has lost control of the business she has run successfully for 25 years. She is struggling to run it the way she believes it needs to be run, in a way that prioritises the children in her care, the families in her community, and the teachers she values. Regulation, administration, and bureaucracy are also key messages that come up throughout our discussion. Inspections are carried out by three different bodies with no coherency or cohesion all with their their own demands. This over-complication is placing a huge administrative and mental burden on all providers and staff all the while taking focus away from what they are really good at formative years of education. Staffing crisis The crisis is especially acute when it comes to staffing, says Scally. Working in the sector can be extremely rewarding but staff need to be rewarded too there is a staff shortage in the sector. People have spent four years attaining professional qualifications but they cant afford to live on the wages. The question we have to ask ourselves as a society is why this is happening? Gardai, nurses, teachers, we could go on We have amazing, passionate people with degrees in early years care and they simply cant afford to stay. "Regardless of their education or experience, they are being offered a minimum of 13 an hour. Providers cant offer them more because they have inadequate funding and no option to raise fees. And any request for money from parents is seen as a breach of the core funding contract. Eithne Scally: 'For a long time, I dont think parents really understood. They saw us smiling at the door but we needed to stay upbeat for their children. We had to smile through it all for their sakes.' Picture: Larry Cummins Eithne Scally feels parents are finally beginning to understand the pressures. "For a long time, I dont think parents really understood. They saw us smiling at the door but we needed to stay upbeat for their children. We had to smile through it all for their sakes. "But I think parents are realising the truth of it now, that its just unsustainable. Its not complicated and good communication from the minister would make this evident. Is he a partner in the core funding programme or not? If he is, then he needs to communicate. 97 closures According to Elaine Dunne, chairperson of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers, the largest union in the sector, 97 childcare providers have closed countrywide since March of this year. Like Eithne Scally, she is confident a lot of parents will turn up on the day of the strike. More and more women, she suggests, are beginning to figure out that theyre the ones bearing the brunt of poor Government policy and funding. "Mothers in particular know that if we are forced to close our doors because we cant afford to keep them open, they will be the ones forced out of the workforce. The fathers will carry on working. Our employees, also women, will be forced back on the dole if we close. Dunne also has a huge issue with the way the sector is being treated. We do crucial work in supporting and identifying needs in children, but even if we identify a need the Government will only cover three hours of attention and care for that child a day. At the moment, I am privately funding the other five hours of care for these children. The money is coming out of my own pocket. Elaine Dunnes last comment blows me away. Her business is becoming a charity to make up for the deficits of the State. The sector is being so badly treated, so desperately taken advantage of, that they have been left with no choice but to pay for the care of other peoples children themselves. Sadly, the total number of early childcare providers in Ireland has dropped from 4,483 in 2017 to 4,062 as of March of this year. Heres hoping September 26 brings our collective attention back to the very beginning, to those minutes, hours, days, and months that matter most. Back to those very important people who do so much to aid the healthy development of our nations children. In August, the Government published a consultation document on Private Wires. Given the time of year and the boring title, it is no surprise that it received little attention beyond a few interested groups. However, as identified in the document, the introduction of Private Wires represents a fundamental shift in national energy policy. This is not just a technical matter it relates to climate justice and the growing privatisation of our energy system by big tech. In 1927, the ESB was established as the worlds first national energy utility. While energy generation and retail have been open to private competition for some time, the grid infrastructure, including substations, pylons, and cables, remains under the control of the ESB. Private Wires would allow a company to bypass the public grid by building its own private network for the generation and supply of electricity. SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE Check out our Sustainability and Climate Change Hub where you will find the latest news, features, opinions and analysis on this topic from across the various Irish Examiner topic desks and their team of specialist writers and columnists. The Government is keenly aware of some of the risks entailed in opening the door to privately-owned power networks. These include potential increases in household bills and insecure energy supply. But there are wider concerns at stake, especially in the context of climate action and decarbonisation. Private solutions Private Wires is the latest in a series of moves that have shifted the ownership, control, and use of energy from the public to the private sector. This process stretches back at least to the 1990s, with the liberalisation of the sector coming into force across the then-European Community. The rationale was that competition in a regulated market would deliver policy goals better than direct state intervention. This rationale holds strong today: Private Wires is presented as a way of facilitating the private sector to build grid infrastructure and generation that the State is unable or unwilling to provide. What has changed is the driving force behind further privatisation: Big tech, a shorthand for the major US tech multinationals including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The data-driven business models of these companies are not possible without the vast computing power provided by data centres. There are 82 operational data centres in Ireland, 77% of which are the big tech hyperscalers, and they demand 18% of Irelands grid supply on a daily basis (as compared to the European-wide 2.7%). Due to the potential of blackouts, in 2021, Eirgrid imposed a curb on data centre grid connections in Dublin. Nonetheless, the Government signalled in 2022 that digitalisation and decarbonisation are twinned processes, essential to one another, thus reaffirming the centrality of data centres to Irelands green tech economy. Industry advocates have argued that data centres are essential rather than parasitic to a decarbonised energy system. One strategy taken by lobby groups is to pose data centres as energy refineries, able to process intermittent renewable electricity into the profitable resource of data. Ireland is poised to produce exceptional amounts of wind and other renewable electricity moving forward, and as cloud advocacy groups have promoted, Ireland can either export these growing renewable energy resources or they can refine them domestically through data centres and export them as more profitable computer services such as social media, cloud, and AI. Big tech companies want to protect their supply chains and recognise that energy is an essential part of that. What weve seen is that they are getting more directly involved in energy generation and grid management to ensure the resource of data is able to be refined effectively and securely. They do this with support from an Irish State facing pressures to decarbonise an underfunded, already-privatised, and poorly managed energy system. Data centres are already (private) utilities Between corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs), district heating schemes, and battery storage solutions, data centre companies have been proactive in positing technical solutions to problems of grid strain and decarbonisation. The data-driven business models of companies such as Meta are not possible without the vast computing power provided by data centres. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire These projects are both PR and material changes, for example, while AWS is providing heat to the Tallaght District Heating Scheme, this should be seen as a stopgap supplement to the development of more sustainable district heating powered directly by renewable electricity. Microsofts data centre battery project, an experiment in grid flexibility piloted in Ireland, was so successful that the company will be applying it as a blueprint elsewhere in its global fleet. This allows it to promote an essential function of its data centres backup battery storage as a public service to renewable electricity grids. In each of these scenarios, tech companies become mediators and solutions-providers between renewable energy and its delivery to the grid. But why are we adding the extra step of data centres? We need district heating schemes, flexible grids, and more renewable energy but these developments do not require the mediation of big tech companies. The energy parks model promoted by semi-states such as Bord na Mona (BnM) offers a vision of what a future Private Wires scenario might look like. Energy park plans propose private networks" wherein renewable energy infrastructures are built on-site and in tandem with data centres, closing the energy/data supply chain within huge swathes of post-industrial land. In the case of BnM, these would be built on former cutaway bog under the public remit of a commercial semi-state, bypassing the messy particularities of the public grid. Energy park plans propose 'private networks' with renewable energy infrastructures built on-site and in tandem with data centres, in the case of Bord na Mona, on former cutaway bog. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie At first glance, energy parks and Private Wires appear sensible responses to current energy challenges: Get these companies off the grid and eliminate these problems. However, allowing private, multinational companies to source energy directly raises a number of fundamental questions relating to climate justice and democratic decision-making during decarbonisation. Why this matters Advocates of data centres are quick to point out that all our online activities are sustained by these infrastructures emails, streaming, cloud storage, AI technologies. However, the rapid growth in data-intensive activity is not driven by social need or benefit. Especially with the growth of machine-learning and AI and the current grab by big tech for these innovations, monopolistic companies are seeking to secure the means of data-driven production. The ongoing growth in data centres, and the energy needed to sustain them, is for the benefit of for-profit big tech, not the public good. When tied into these global market dynamics, driven by competition and innovation, energy infrastructures that are designed around the data-driven services of DCs are vulnerable just look at the recent wave of tech layoffs. Decarbonised systems need to be made accountable to more than short-term, commercial decision-making. They need to be based on democratic consideration and long-term planning. Ultimately, State interventions such as Private Wires are about facilitating, not limiting, the expansion of data centres. Consider a scenario where an entire section of the grid is blacked out, while a big tech data centre remains operational, adding to GDP via exported data services but providing minimal benefit to ordinary Irish residents, whose role as beneficiaries in the energy transition is sacrificed to the newly data-driven imperatives of green growth". This is what big tech-driven decarbonisation looks like in the long-term without major public intervention. This is a clear question of climate justice: Who climate action is for, who benefits from it, and who carries the burden. Public energy and climate justice Private Wires appears as a potentially innovative solution to contemporary problems, but it can also be seen as regressive. Before the ESB, Irelands energy system was developed in a piecemeal fashion, was dominated by private and commercial actors, and provided uneven access and reliability. In the transition to an electrified society, ESB was developed through (however imperfect) principles of national development. Rather than further erode the public values that underpinned the construction of our public grid, we should foreground them within any vision for an equitable renewable energy system. September 15 is a Global Day of Action for Climate Justice. Many participants will be seeking to hold powerful interests to account in the transitions that are already emerging. The profound influence big tech companies are having over Irish public energy policy should be enough to cause alarm, especially in the expectation that they will be responsible for delivering public benefits beyond their often ruthlessly profit-driven business models. In Ireland, the consultation on Private Wires takes a positive step towards ensuring that these processes do not occur without adequate oversight and accountability. But given the climate emergency, we need a a more transformative approach, one that overtly aligns energy transitions and decarbonisation not with private digitalisation, but with climate justice. This would mean halting the expansion of data centres while also expanding democratic, public control over a decarbonised energy system. Dr. Patrick Bresnihan is Lecturer in the Geography Department, Maynooth University Dr. Patrick Brodie is Lecturer (Ad Astra Fellow) in the School of Information and Communication Studies, UCD. Before he took the stand, the evidence of Michael Kavanagh before the jury at the Stardust inquests was seen as potentially crucial. He was a junior doorman at the Stardust venue in Artane, north Dublin, on February 13, 1981, when disaster struck. He was just 20 years old at the time. The fresh inquests for the 48 young people who perished following the fire at the Stardust has already heard from doormen who worked there on the night. It was a big place after all, there were loads of them. What made Mr Kavanaghs testimony so noteworthy was the lie. As Bernard Condon SC, for the families, put it, this lie caused an enormous shadow or fog to fall on the investigation. I dont think [the fog] was ever lifted, Mr Condon said. And what was this lie? Having tried and failed to battle the flames first spotted in the west alcove of the venue with a fire extinguisher, Mr Kavanagh had escaped the building. He had then gone around the hospitals searching for his girlfriend Paula whod been there that night. It would later emerge shed died in the fire. In the early hours of the morning of February 14 he found himself in the kitchen of his friend Michael OToole, and Mr OTooles father James. According to James OToole, Mr Kavanagh told him: The poor bastards in there must have died like rats. They couldnt get out. The doors were chained. Michael OToole said Mr Kavanagh made similar comments about the doors, saying they were padlocked and we were told to keep the doors locked. If Michael and his father Jimmy said it, I must have said it, Mr Kavanagh said this week. Roughly an hour later, at around 5am, Mr Kavanagh returned to the Stardust. Faced with journalists, he made a startling admission. He told them he had unlocked the doors in the Stardust. He said they were open. Two days later, on Monday morning, he got in a taxi to RTE and was interviewed for the Today Tonight programme. Again, he said hed unlocked the doors. In an interview with the gardai later that day, he repeated this again. James OToole, watching Today Tonight on the Monday evening, was described as shocked to hear Mr Kavanagh say what he said. It prompted him to make a statement to gardai the following day. After a visit from two of the more senior doormen to the Kavanagh household on the Wednesday, Michael Kavanaghs father sat him down. In Mr Kavanaghs words, he asked him a simple yes or no question. The following day, he went back to the gardai and retracted his earlier statement. So, why on earth had he said he unlocked the emergency exits when he hadnt? After three full days before Dublin District Coroners Court in the Pillar Rooms of the Rotunda Hospital this week, a definitive explanation was not forthcoming. Stardust practice around emergency exits To take it back a little bit, weve heard at length about the practices at the Stardust on disco nights. In Mr Kavanaghs words this week, hed heard Stardust manager Eamon Butterly was basically pissed off at people getting in without paying. The policy became to keep emergency exits locked until after midnight on disco nights, to prevent people getting in these side doors. Another policy had been to drape the chains around the bars of the doors to give the impression they were locked. Previously, Mr Kavanaghs job had been to open the emergency exits at the beginning of the night. When the policy changed to open them later, he said he didnt know who opened the doors then. On the night of the 13th, he said he was going to unlock the doors out of habit but was told not to by deputy head doorman Leo Doyle. Again, the question kept reappearing. If he didnt unlock the doors, why did he tell the media and the gardai he had? I can only say now that the reason I told lies was that I was in a state of shock after the fire, he said, adding that he was also trying to protect the other doormen. Mr Kavanagh also said it was through stupidity he did what he did. Again, my head was not in a proper place at that time. Ive no explanation as to why I did what I did. When Mr Doyle and another doorman PJ Murphy visited his home the following Wednesday and told members of his family that he must retract the statement, Mr Kavanagh said he felt he was being made a scapegoat and that he was the one they were trying to pin the whole exit door thing on. In any case, after Mr Kavanagh retracted his original garda statement, head doorman Tom Kennan made a statement to the gardai saying he had unlocked the doors on the night of the fire. Antoinette Keegan (centre) arrives at the Rotunda for Thursday's sitting of the Stardust Inquest. Photo: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie It was put to Mr Kavanagh that once it appeared that his story of unlocking the doors would not hold up, he had to clear the way for someone else to say theyd opened the doors. Mr Kavanagh said he didnt clear the way for anything. When asked if he was put up to it to tell the lie to advance the interest of other parties, he said no. Finishing his questioning of Mr Kavanagh, Mr Condon put it to him that he had led people on a merry dance. He said Mr Kavanagh had one last chance to answer the question of why he came up with a dishonest account that was very helpful to the Butterlys and the doormen. He said he didnt know why hed done it. To use Mr Condons words, its now up to the jury to navigate through the fog when it eventually retires to consider its verdicts. If Mr Kavanaghs evidence was potentially vital, then what the jury will hear next week may be absolutely crucial. Eamon Butterly is due to take the stand. The man whose family owned the building and the man who ran the Stardust. Everything from the renovation of the building itself, the inspections by Dublin Corporation and the policy of keeping the doors locked will likely be put to him. And more. At length. Years, even decades, in the making, next week will see these fresh inquests into the deaths of the 48 young people at the Stardust reach a critical point. A new Local Enterprise Office campaign is encouraging small businesses across the country to avail of supports that will help them save time, money and energy. The All In A Days Work campaign is focused on highlighting those supports that will enable small businesses to make significant changes to the way they work that will help them now and in the future. These supports include the Lean, Green and Digital programmes, all of which enable small businesses to become more competitive and productive in how they work. As the number one source for SMEs accessing support to maintain and improve their competitiveness and productivity, the new campaign provides important free benefits specifically designed for hard-pressed businesses. Its been a challenging few years for small businesses and those challenges will continue, said John Magee, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices. That is why any business should be looking to make themselves more efficient, more productive, and more sustainable for now and in the future. The figures speak for themselves on the impact these supports can have, and we hope that this campaign will emphasise those benefits and encourage more small businesses to look at how their businesses can save time, money and energy by becoming more efficient and more sustainable. These are choices that will impact them positively both now and in the future, he added. The All In A Days Work campaign aims to encourage small businesses to link in with their Local Enterprise Office to find out what support is best suited to them at their stage of business and how it can benefit them. Chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, John Magee. Figures from the Local Enterprise Offices show that the Lean for Business programme, running since 2015 with Enterprise Ireland, has helped save businesses an average of 34,000 by helping them work more efficiently and improving their processes. The programme has saved Irish companies over 28million since it began and is free to all small businesses through their Local Enterprise Office, which are based in the local authorities across the country. The figures also highlighted that the businesses that did avail of these programmes had an average 31% increase in their output or production. Right now businesses have never been busier with the economy having gone beyond full employment, and in that context were finding that businesses really need to focus on their productivity and being as lean and efficient as they can be, Mr Magee points out. Businesses need to find ways to protect their margins, to be mindful of money saving initiatives and reviews that they can carry out. It is often the case owners are working in the business as opposed to working on the business and right now many of the firms we work with are focused on working in the business, because they are short staffed. Due to that labour market tightness we are constantly working with business owners to focus their minds to take some time to work on the business to leverage that competitive advantage to save money. Supporting companies in making the transition to the low-carbon, resource-efficient economy of the future is a key aspect of the All in a Days Work campaign, and aims to place a spotlight on the number of small business supports available to enable them to take the next step on their sustainability journey. With sustainability increasingly seen as a core driver of future small business growth and aligning to changing consumer demands, the business supports offered by the Local Enterprise Offices are a key enabler for business. This is why our Lean for Business, Green for Business and Digital for Business initiatives and supports are hugely important at this time, and we encourage businesses to have that conversation with their Local Enterprise Office so we can help them save time, energy and money. John Magee stresses that these supports are entirely free, with each LEO office assigning mentors and consultants to the businesses to focus on the Lean, Green and Digital initiatives. Each local authority 31 in total has a dedicated team ready to help anyone seeking information and support on starting or growing a business in Ireland. Their mandate covers businesses with fewer than 10 employees and a turnover less than 2 million. Last year over 7,800 new jobs were created by Local Enterprise Office client companies. This was a 10% employment increase on 2021. A key goal for Enterprise Ireland is to support companies to make the transition to the low-carbon, resource-efficient economy of the future and the All in a Days Work campaign is a key part of supporting this critical agenda, said Carol Gibbons, Head of Regions and Local Enterprise, at Enterprise Ireland. The campaign aims to place a firm spotlight on the numerous supports available to small businesses to enable them to take the next step on their sustainability journey. Increasingly, sustainability is seen as a core driver of future growth for small businesses, aligning them to changing consumer demands. The business supports offered by the Local Enterprise offices from Digital to Green for Business are a key enabler for business, and I would encourage all small businesses to reach out to their LEO and start this journey together. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 25,000 jobs across the country. The campaigns dedicated website www.allinadayswork.ie is where businesses can hear from Local Enterprise Office clients who have availed of these supports and the impacts that they have had for them. The All In A Days Work' website will be massively valuable by way of being a powerful communicator and encouraging businesses to engage with us, concludes John Magee. There has never been a better time to start thinking about margins or productivity, whether a business is moving off a busy shoulder season or moving into the Autumn and thinking about Christmas. The best time to do this was last week, last month, last year but the second best time to do it is today or tomorrow. www.allinadayswork.ie Ukrainian forces have recaptured a village in the countrys east after intense battles with Russian troops as part of their counter-offensive, the countrys military said. The village of Andriivka about six miles south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region is the latest gain for Kyiv in a counter-offensive that has seen slow but steady gains by Ukrainian forces. The announcement of reclaiming Andriivka came early on Friday from the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 15 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/tKSmS6UlRk #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/NsvSVAkC60 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 15, 2023 The 3rd Assault Brigade said it captured the village after surrounding the Russian garrison in Andriivka in what it described as a lightning operation and destroying it over two days. It described the capture of Andriivka as a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut and key to success in all further directions. Just hours before confirming the capture of Andriivka early on Friday, the brigade contested a statement by Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar saying the village was reclaimed. The fighting in and around Bakhmut, a salt-mining town now in complete ruins, marked the wars longest and bloodiest engagement. Today, there are reasons to praise the work of Ukraines Security Service, its personnel, and the Ukrainian Navy. I thank them for todays triumphdestroying the occupants air defense system in our Crimea. Very significant outcome! Glory to everyone who fights for Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/52o83hpmlq Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) September 14, 2023 After Russian forces led by the Wagner Group military contractor captured Bakhmut in May, Ukrainian forces sought to envelop it from the south and the north, gaining ground yard by yard in the past three months. In late June, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin led his fighters from eastern Ukraine into Russia as part of a short-lived mutiny that represented the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putins rule in over two decades. Mr Prigozhin and several of his top lieutenants died in a suspicious plane crash while traveling between Moscow and St Petersburg last month. A shell-shocked Ukrainian serviceman lies on a bed at the field hospital near Bakhmut (AP) Andriivka is located between the settlements of Kurdiumivka and the heights of Klischiivka in the Donetsk region, where fighting has been especially intense. Ukraines General Staff said Ukrainian forces also inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops as part of its offensive in nearby Klishchiivka village. Ms Maliar said that Ukraine had regained 19 square miles of land around Bakhmut since the start of the counter-offensive in June. Military analysts and US officials have questioned the expenditure of forces around the city, but Ukrainian military leaders have said they were successfully exhausting Russian forces by keeping them fixed in position. The recapture of Andriivka comes weeks after an important tactical victory for Ukrainian forces in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where they punctured through Russias first line of defence and recaptured the village of Robotyne. Tatiana Burchik stands near the coffin of her son Vadym Gagarin Belov, Ukrainian soldier during the funeral at the cemetery in Polonne, Khmelnytskyi region (AP) The gains in the south are considered more strategically significant since they bring Ukraines troops closer to the shores of the Sea of Azov, where they could try to cut the land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. Isolating Crimea would divide the Russian-occupied territory in southern Ukraine and undermine Russian supply lines. In the south, one person died and six were injured in shelling in the Kherson region, Ukraines presidential office said on Friday. It also reported air strikes on the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporishzhia region. Also on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that some 300,000 Russians have signed volunteer military contracts this year, noting that they were driven by high patriotic motives. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill next week as he visits the US during the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Zelenskys trip comes as US congress is debating President Joe Bidens request to provide as much as 24 billion dollars (19.2 billion) in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. The leaders of China and Zambia have announced an upgrading of their relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as the worlds second-largest economy forges deeper ties with the Global South. The development followed Chinese President Xi Jinpings meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet earlier in the day. It also came two days after China and Venezuela elevated their ties to an all-weather partnership during a state visit by President Nicolas Maduro. The trio of visiting leaders from Africa, south-east Asia and Latin America speak to Chinas growing role in those parts of the world. State banks have financed roads and other infrastructure projects and Chinese companies have built factories, mines, hotels and casinos. Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro has also visited China recently (AP) China has in turn won access to natural resources and diplomatic support from many Global South countries on contentious votes at the UN and from Cambodia in Chinas territorial disputes with other south-east Asian nations in the South China Sea. Mr Xi told Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema that the collective rise of developing countries has become an irreversible trend of the times, state broadcaster CCTV said. Chinas outreach to the Global South has taken on greater geopolitical import as China seeks allies to push back against growing pressure from the United States and its partners on multiple fronts. We appreciate your role in positively altering the global order so that the Global South can take our rightful place in the league of nations, Mr Hichilema told Mr Xi. The all-weather partnership with Venezuela is an even closer relationship that China has granted to only a handful countries. It signals they will maintain close relations no matter what changes occur in the international situation. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet lays a wreath at the Monument to the Peoples Heroes on the Tiananmen Square (Xinhua via AP) Development loans from China and others have saddled some countries, including Zambia, with unsustainable debt levels, sparking debt crises that threaten to stymie economic development. More than 40% of Cambodias 10 billion dollars (8 billion) in foreign debt is owed to Chinese institutions. Hun Manet made China his first official foreign visit after succeeding his father, Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for 40 years and cultivated his countrys close relationship with China. Mr Xi told Hun Manet that his father had made historic contributions to bilateral ties. Hun Manet said he would further develop the friendship between their countries. The US had shown disapproval of Hun Sens undemocratic moves and is uneasy over the expansion of a Cambodian naval facility with Chinese assistance. Hun Sen consistently denied that Cambodia had granted China the right to set up its own military base at Ream Naval Base. After his meetings in Beijing, Hun Manet plans to join other south-east Asian leaders this weekend in southern China at the 20th Asean-China Expo, which promotes cooperation in trade, investment and tourism. The judge in a lawsuit that could restrict North Dakota mail-in voting requested more information Friday about whether a local election official has the legal authority to file the suit. U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor called into question whether Burleigh County Auditor Mark Splonskowski can file the lawsuit, which hinges on his status as a county official, without the support of Burleigh County. Splonskowski filed the suit, in partnership with the Public Interest Legal Foundation, against state Election Director Erika White in July, claiming that he is harmed by an alleged conflict between state and federal mail-in voting laws. In the wake of the filing, he has said he brought the suit in his individual capacity, and Burleigh County officials have said no county funding or staff time is being put toward the suit. However, Traynor raised concerns with that claim, pointing out that Splonskowskis initial filing clearly contemplates the suit in his official capacity as Burleigh County Auditor. Splonskowskis suit is not backed by Burleigh County, but the case hinges on his role for the county, with not a single fact Splonskowski has brought leading the court to conclude the case was brought on an individual capacity, Traynor said. As a result, Splonskowski and the foundation must submit an additional brief about his legal authority in the suit by Sept. 29. If the court finds that he doesnt have standing, the case could be dismissed. Splonskowski, who was elected last fall, argues in the lawsuit filed July 5 that he faces an impossibility in enforcing election law. The suit argues there is a conflict between federal law, which assigns one day as Election Day, and state law, which allows for ballots to be counted up to 13 days after Election Day if they are postmarked by the day prior. As a result, the suit claims Splonskowski has to decide which law to follow, and is potentially opened up to criminal consequences based on the law he follows. However, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigleys office argues that such a conflict is nonexistent, and claims Splonskowski would not face criminal penalties for enforcing state law. Instead, the state says Splonskowskis true aim in this lawsuit is not adjudication of a true conflict, but the improper overthrow of North Dakota law. That skepticism of a conflict between state and federal law is also the stance taken by the Department of Justice, which weighed in on the suit Monday in a statement of interest to address legal questions regarding the post-election counting of ballots cast on or before Election Day. In the filing, the Department of Justice argues that counting and casting a ballot are two different processes, and ballots that are mailed ahead of or on Election Day constitute as being cast according to North Dakota law. As a result, the department argues, there is no conflict between state and federal laws, as state law does not allow for ballots to be cast after Election Day. Additionally, the department points out that voters living overseas or serving in the armed forces benefit from post-Election Day ballot receipt deadlines given the challenges associated with international voting, and protecting these Americans right to vote has been repeatedly recognized as serving the public interest. The North Dakota League of Women Voters also made the same argument in late August when it filed a motion to intervene in the case in collaboration with the Campaign Legal Center. The League claims its interests arent adequately represented by the states defense, as its goal as a voter education organization differs from Whites objectives as election director. However, both the state and Splonskowski have filed oppositions to the motion to intervene. Wrigleys office argued in a Sept. 5 filing that the state does represent the Leagues interests, as it is responsible for representing all North Dakota voters. And Splonskowski and his lawyers pushed back on the intervention in a filing Friday where they also called for its dismissal. In the Friday response, the plaintiffs argued that many of the Leagues complaints are speculative and generalized, rather than clearly outlined points of direct impact. The League has also failed to prove that the state will not adequately protect its interests, Splonskowski claims. Additionally, Splonskowski raises concerns about the impact of the intervention on the duration case, arguing that it will create redundancy in the case and lead to undue delay. Instead, the plaintiffs argue, the League could file an amicus curiae brief to ensure its input without slowing down the proceedings. The key question Traynor is looking to answer is whether Splonskowski can initiate the suit in a way that hinges on his role as Burleigh County auditor, but is filed in his capacity as an individual. Splonskowskis initial brief is due on Sept. 29, with Whites response due by Oct. 6 and Splonskowskis reply due by Oct. 13. American XL bully dogs will be banned by the end of the year following a series of attacks, the British prime minister Rishi Sunak has said. He made the promise after it emerged a man has died after being attacked by two dogs suspected to be bully XLs in Birmingham and following a video of another attack that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries. Matt Jackson was riding an electric bike through Bordeaux wine country when he started feeling strange. Nine days later, hes on a breathing machine in a French intensive care unit, unable to open his eyes, communicating only via notes on a whiteboard - and infected with botulism. Mr Jackson was among the first of a dozen people who ate preserved sardines in a Bordeaux wine bar last week to be hospitalized with what French authorities believe is the rare and potentially fatal illness. An Irishman remains in intensive care in France after his wife died of complications of botulism contracted during the rugby World Cup in Bordeaux. The couple, who married last May, had travelled to Bordeaux for the Irish game against Romania where they ate in the Tchin Tchin wine bar which has been linked to a deadly outbreak of botulism. The man, who is from Mayo, had been living in Paris with his wife, 32, who is understood to be from Athens. Officials issued an appeal around France and beyond to find others who might have eaten the suspicious sardines and might be at risk. Among those sickened have been visitors from the US, Ireland, Canada, Germany and Spain, according to the regional health authority ARS. Tchin Tchin Wine Bar Picture: AP Mr Jackson and his partner Kristy Benner, who were on vacation from Hermosa Beach, California, stopped by the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar on Sept. 4, and sampled wine with small plates of sardines and charcuterie. The next morning, they took a wine-tasting trip to nearby Saint-Emilion. Were on e-bikes riding to the vineyards, and around 10 a.m. Matt just said he didnt feel very well,' she said. At first thought she thought Matt was dehydrated, or having a stroke. His abilities were going down quickly, Ms Benner told The Associated Press on Thursday from Bordeaux. As he spoke, it was very hard to understand. And his mouth was so unbelievably dry, to the point where he couldnt swallow water. After two days at his side in the hospital, she started feeling parched herself, and having trouble swallowing. She alerted friends and family to seek help, and Jacksons sister Hillary jumped on a plane from New York. Ms Benner suspected botulism but doctors were at first skeptical. It took days to confirm a link to the sardines, and to get them both access to anti-toxins for a disease that French hospitals encounter infrequently. France records only 10 to 20 cases of botulism nationwide per year. Foodborne botulism is a rare illness from eating foods contaminated with botulinum toxin and can cause paralysis, breathing difficulty and sometimes death. Homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved, or fermented are common sources. Pictured here are Hilary Jackson (right) and Kristy Benner (left) Picture: AP At least 12 people who ate the preserves between Sept. 4 and Sept. 10 have been hospitalized, according to an ARS official. Some have been released but most remain in intensive care or critical condition, the official said. All exhibited symptoms typical of botulism, which can include severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing or speaking and neurological problems. The family is frustrated with the slow initial response, but says the overall reception has been positive. People have been so open arms and welcoming to us and trying to to help, Hillary Jackson said. Its just that wine bar. The restaurant was closed pending further investigation. The regional agency for consumer protection carried out inspections and confiscated all its preserved food for analysis. The restaurant personnel could not be reached for comment. As of Thursday, Ms Benner was still fatigued and having trouble swallowing. She said Matt cant open his eyes and hes on the ventilator ... hes totally not like himself. Hillary Jackson said French doctors met with counterparts from around the EU earlier this week to discuss response times to botulism. So hopefully if nothing else comes out of this, its an acknowledgement that this is out there, and the key to it is treating it early. Risk Taker, Spy Maker: Tales of a CIA Case Officer by Barry M. Broman, Casemate Publishers, US$34.95. Back in the late 1980s, the General Accounting Office (GAO), a US government agency that monitors whether federal funds are being spent efficiently and effectively, carried out a thorough investigation of Washingtons assistance to Myanmars drug suppression program. GAO, now known as the General Accountability Office, concluded in a report dated September 1989 and titled Drug Control: Enforcement Efforts in Burma Are Not Effective that eradication and enforcement are unlikely to significantly reduce Burmas opium production unless they are combined with economic development in the growing regions and the political settlement of Burmas ethnic insurgencies. Barry Broman, who served as the Yangon station chief of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 1990s, presents in his book Risk Taker, Spy Maker: Tales of a CIA Case Officer an entirely different version of the Myanmar militarys alleged anti-narcotics program: In the 1980s, the State Department ran a very successful counter-narcotics program in Burma, considered by many to be the best of its type in the world. In addition to training in the US and assistance on the ground sharing intelligence, the US provided helicopters to assist operations against the druglords in the north. Broman, a supposedly experienced intelligence officer, is either ignorant of the realities on the ground, or he isfor whatever reasondeliberately covering up the Myanmar militarys involvement in the drug trade. Active Myanmar army cooperation with the drug lords began in the 1960s, when the then dictator General Ne Win authorized the formation of local militia units called Ka Kwe Ye (literally defense), or KKY, which would fight against ethnic and political rebels in areas which the governments forces had difficulty in reaching. But the military government did not have enough money in its coffers to support such a sustained counterinsurgency program, so in order to be self-supporting the various KKY units were allowed to use all government-controlled towns and roads for opium trading. It is often forgotten that notorious Golden Triangle drug lords such as Lo Hsing-han and Zhang Qifu (alias Khun Sa) began their respective careers and amassed their initial wealth as government-allied militia commanders. Lo commanded the local KKY force in his home area Kokang, and Zhang was the head of the KKY in Loi Maw, an opium mountain in northeastern Shan State. Los Kokang KKY fought actively together with government forces in the battle against the then powerful Communist Party of Burma (CPB) at the Kunlong bridge on the Salween River. That fight lasted from the end of November 1971 to January 1972 and the governments forces would not have been able to win that fight without the assistance of Los men, who were familiar with the local terrain. When the battle was over, grateful Myanmar army units even helped protect Los mule convoys, which carried opium down to the Thai border. Zhang had several prominent Shan rebel leaders assassinatedand decided to go underground and proclaim himself a Shan freedom fighter. In January 1996, he struck a deal with the military government in Yangon, disbanded his 15,000-strong private army and moved with his familyand moneyto Yangon. Lo was arrested in 1973, not for narcotics trafficking, which he had been permitted to engage in, but for rebellion against the state. He had in 1973 formed a brief alliance with the rebel Shan State Army (SSA), and on that charge he was sentenced to death. But he was pardoned and released during a general amnesty in 1980 and was allowed to form a new armed force, now under a new counterinsurgency program called Pyi Thu Sit, or peoples militias. He and his family also set up a company called Asia World, which became one of Myanmars wealthiest and most influential conglomerates. The Myanmar drug trade has always been carried out locally by such militia forces, and still is today. As Broman says in his book, the US did provide the Myanmar military with helicoptersbut those were never used in operations against the druglords in the north. They were deployed in general counterinsurgency campaigns and, in one instance in late 1985, to chase me when I, my family and our ethnic Kachin escorts trekked through rebel-held areas in northern Myanmar. Broman makes the remarkable claim that after US assistance ended in 1988, drug production rose tenfold. But the benevolent Myanmar military nevertheless continued to cooperate with the DEA [the US Drug Enforcement Administration] and CIA. Broman writes that he directed the American team on one of those operations in 1995. Broman should have checked his figures before putting anything as misleading as that in print. It is correct that Myanmars opium production did increase in the 1980s, but it was certainly not tenfoldand that had nothing to do with the US ending its support for the Myanmar Armys campaigns in the frontier areas. When I first wrote about the Golden Triangle drug trade in the early 1980s, general estimates of Myanmars opium production were in the order of 350-400 tons annually. It began to rise in the mid-1980s, mainly because narcotics became a valuable commodity following a near-collapse of the Myanmar economy. The 1987 harvest yielded 836 tons of raw opium and, by 1995, production had increased to 2,340 tons. Satellite imagery showed that the area under poppy cultivation increased from 92,300 hectares in 1987 to 142,700 in 1989 and 154,000 in 1995. The potential heroin output soared from 54 tons in 1987 to 166 tons in 1995, making drugs the impoverished and mismanaged countrys only growth industry. At the same time, a string of new refineries was set up in Kokang and the Wa hills, conveniently located near the main growing areas in northern Myanmar and, equally important, close to the then new and rapidly growing Chinese drug market and seemingly easier routes through Yunnan to the outside world. And all that was made possible because of a mutiny among the hilltribe rank-and-file of the CPBs army in 1989. The mutineers entered into ceasefire agreements with the Myanmar military, and in exchange, were allowed to engage in any kind of business. Broman also fails to mention that a US-financed program actually contributed to the increase in opium production in the 1980s. The US had decided to pay for the chemical 2,4-D to be sprayed over opium fields otherwise inaccessible to the government in Yangon. But instead of curbing production, the program only encouraged poppy farmers to increase their planting in the hope of compensating for expected spraying losses. We sprayed them into overproduction, a narcotics expert in Bangkok told me after the program and all other US assistance to Myanmar was suspended following massacres of pro-democracy demonstrators in August and September 1988. Bromans version of events is that the State Department considered Burma to be a pariah state after the regime put down pro-democracy protests in 1988. Relations between Myanmar and the United States became poor over human rights and democracy issues. Full stop. Put down pro-democracy protests? Admittedly, Broman mentions, but only in passing, that the crackdown was bloody, but fails to write that the very same military clique he cooperated with as CIA station chief was responsible for gunning down about 3,000yes, 3,000protesters in 1988. Troops sprayed automatic rifle fire into crowds of unarmed demonstrators, and thousands more were arrested and badly tortured in the Myanmar militarys detention centers. Bromans appalling account of events in Myanmar in the 1980s and 1990s becomes easier to understand when taking into account that he returned to the scene after his retirement from the CIAnow to help improve the then ruling juntas abysmal image in the international press. The Irrawaddy reported in June 2003: In June 2002, Broman took a position with the Washington-based lobbying firm DCI Associates, which inked a US$450,000 annual contract with the Burmese regime last April. However, the firm failed to sway policymakers regarding the juntas sincerity on narcotics matters, and in January 2003 the US refused to certify Burma as a nation in compliance with drug control efforts. The DCI contract was canceled by the regime after the decision, but Broman has continued to lobby the international media on behalf of military leaders in [Yangon]. Broman never refuted The Irrawaddys report. But Broman is not alone. The DEA has also had local agents in Yangon who seem to have operated on their own authority. As I wrote in The Irrawaddy on May 5, 2022, it had been discovered that a Yangon-based DEA officer, Angelo Saladino, had authored a secret memorandum dated March 15, 1991 and addressed to Myanmars then intelligence chief, Major General Khin Nyunt. The memorandum, which had an official DEA letterhead, was leaked and made public. Saladino listed various ways that the military might try to impress the US government as well as United Nations agencies. He also provided specific suggestions on ways to deprive many of Myanmars most vocal critics of some of their shopworn, yet effective weapons in the campaign to discredit [Myanmars] narcotics program. Finally, Saladino recommended several options to the junta for silencing its most biased critics. Saladino flew back to the DEAs headquarters in the US when the scandal broke and managed to convince his superiors that he had not, after all, sent the memorandum to Khin Nyunt. A compromise was reached with the State Department: Saladino had his tour of duty in Myanmar officially curtailed but was allowed to serve out his term, which only had a few more months to run. On the other hand, a DEA analyst who blew the whistle and said that they were actually cooperating with the very people who were behind the Golden Triangle drug trade was transferred out of Myanmar and given a post somewhere in the United States. A Southeast Asian source, not this analyst, commented way back in the 1980s: The DEA earns its budget by making poor [hilltribe] farmers seem guilty, and otherwise doing nothing except occasionally bust some careless scavenger. In this way, the DEA ironically ends up serving only to police the narcotics trade for the greater benefit of the drug kingpins. Official US policy towards Myanmar has always been abundantly clear. Since 1988, successive governments in Washington have expressed their support for the struggle for democracy in Myanmar and issued statements condemning human rights abuses perpetrated by the Myanmar military. But it is evident that official policy time and again has been undermined by some rogue agents in the field. Bromans book is testament to that fact, and it should therefore be read by everyone who wants to understand why American approaches to the situation in Myanmarbe it drugs or human rightssometimes may seem confusing and contradictory. For Thida Win, the trip home from her farm has been a daily torture since September last year: she knows the boy who used to welcome her will not be there. She can no longer bear the sound of children reciting their lessons at the village school as she misses her seven-year-old son, Phone Tayza, terribly. She is not alone. Whenever it rains, especially in September, tears well in Daw Nus eyes when she thinks of her youngest son, Zin Ko Oo. Phone Tayza and Zin Ko Oo were aamong the seven children the youngest aged just seven killed by a Myanmar regime airstrike on Let Yet Kone village school on September 16 a year ago. The attack killed 13 people in total. It began when two Mi-35 helicopter gunships swooped down and opened fire on the school, where about 200 young students were attending classes. Infantry troops then attacked on the ground. The junta said its troops raided the village because resistance forces were planning to transport weapons via Leyt Yet Kone. Villagers denied that claim. The regimes massacre at the school shocked the nation and the world. The UN Secretary General strongly condemned the attack, calling the deaths an example of one of the six grave violations against children in times of armed conflict strongly condemned by the UN Security Council. As the anniversary of the attack looms on Saturday, villagers are still haunted by the events of that fateful day. Although it has been a year, we the residents of Let Yet Kone can never forget this most cruel act of the military, said Daw Moe Moe, the village schoolteacher. Our traumas will never disappear as long as we are alive, she added. Mothers tears and trauma Whenever it rains heavily, Daw Nu thinks about her youngest son, Zin Ko Oo,14, who lost his life in the airstrike. Among her five children, Zin Ko Oo was the youngest and the clever one. The 55-year-old mother said her son studied hard and won prizes at school. I ask myself every time it rains: Where is my son? said Daw Nu, her voice cracking and trembling with emotion. Like Daw Nu, Thida Win sobs every time she returns home from her fields, knowing her younger son wont be there to welcome her. He always waited and welcomed me when I returned home from the farm. As the days go by, I miss my son more and more, Thida Win told The Irrawaddy through her tears. Phone Tayza, 7, was in class when the junta helicopters leveled their guns on the school and opened fire. After they killed her son, she moved from her house by the school because it broke her heart to hear the sound of children studying. She has avoided the school since the airstrike. Maimed schoolkids Like the mothers who lost children, those injured in the attack are also trying hard to recover and resume their normal lives. Seven children were wounded in the massacre. Chaw Chaw, 13, has trouble walking after her leg was shattered by regime weaponry a year ago. One of her legs will never recover, said Aye Chan Moe, an 11-year-old student and eyewitness to the deadly airstrike. Aye Chan Moe recalled watching as the blood seeped from Chaw Chaws leg wound and stained her body. Eight-year-old Phyo Maung Maung was hit in the eye during the attack. Despite undergoing long treatment costing hundreds of thousands of kyats, he never fully recovered his vision. Likewise, the hand of his schoolmate, 10-year-old Su Su, remains deformed after being shredded by junta weaponry. Aye Chan Moe said she sometimes cries when she sees her injured friends. I am angry with them [soldiers]. I want to kill, she told The Irrawaddy. The massacre has also left the schoolkids with deep mental scars that will not heal. I am afraid whenever planes fly over, nine-year-old Lin Lin told The Irrawaddy. Indiscriminate campaign against civilians The Let Yet Kone airstrike is among the worst aerial massacres perpetrated around the country by the regime since the coup in 2021. Myanmar Witness, an NGO reporting human rights violations in Myanmar, was able to geolocate footage and images showing extensive damage to the school in Let Yet Kone. Its report said that video, images and reports by villagers were proof of a bloody attack on the school and monastery. The report said the regime used S-5 rockets during the attack, citing evidence of casings and debris at the scene. The S-5 rocket can only be fired by compatible fighter helicopters and jets which are used mainly for ground area targets, Myanmar Witness said, adding that the regimes air force is the only known entity in Myanmar with aircraft suitable for S-5 rocket use. In October 2022, three regime warplanes launched a strike on a music concert being held to mark the Kachin Independence Organizations 62nd anniversary at a village near Hpakant, Kachin State, killing nearly at least 75 people. Five months later, 157 civilians including 30 children were killed by a regime aerial bombardment in Kantbalu Townships Pazigyi village on April 11 this year. It marked the worst massacre perpetrated so far by the regime. The attacks were condemned internationally and domestically as part and parcel of the regimes indiscriminate campaign against civilians in response to the nationwide armed resistance. The junta had carried out 1,427 airstrikes across the country as of April this year, killing 634 civilians since April 2021, according to a report by Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, a non-profit political research organization. Children account for a high proportion of the fatalities in the regimes attacks, including airstrikes. According to the civilian National Unity Government (NUG)s Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs, a total of 414 children across the country had been killed by regime airstrikes and artillery as of May 24 this year. Areas under attack include anti-regime strongholds like Kachin, Kayah, and Karen states and Magwe and Sagaing regions. Villagers still living in fear Although there have been no more airstrikes on Let Yet Kone since late last September, regime forces continue to conduct frequent shelling and infantry raids to terrorize villagers across the township. Since the massacre, the village has been torched twice by regime soldiers, in December and January. The arson attacks incinerated around 230 of the 300 houses in Let Yet Kone. Meanwhile, the villagers live under constant threat of shelling by regime troops stationed in neighboring Ye-U and Depayin townships. Our village exists between the two townships, so we just live in fear, Daw Nu muttered. The villagers say they have fled their homes more than 20 times over the past year due to regime raids in the township. There has not been even one month when we could live free of anxiety, Thida Win told The Irrawaddy. The displaced villagers currently live in huts built on donations from home and abroad but are constantly ready to flee amid the frequent junta raids, said Daw Moe Moe. Following the massacre, Let Yet Kone residents worked to reopen the school in a show of defiance against junta brutality and because they wanted education for their children. The school was reopened just a month after the airstrike and is currently attended by 232 students. The education and learning festival was held on September 6. Parents and teachers cried at the event because they missed the victims of the attack last September, said Daw Moe Moe. Not leaving Despite the ongoing terror campaign being conducted by regime troops in the region, Let Yet Kones remaining residents insist they wont quit their village. It is not safe anywhere in our country. So, we refuse to consider leaving the village where we were born, Daw Moe Moe explained. She also called on the civilian National Unity Government to increase efforts to root out the military regime. For generations, we will never forgive military dictator Min Aung Hlaing, she told The Irrawaddy. Thida Win said she doesnt want to see any more mothers suffer the same fate as her by losing their children. I dont want to hear any more news about children being killed, she said. She wants the revolution to succeed as soon as possible so she can return to living a peaceful life. Daw Nu wants to see children attend the village school free from the fear of regime raids, airstrikes and shelling. If Min Aung Hlaing dies quickly, we will be freed from all this trouble, she said. Nearly 100 religious buildings, mostly churches, were destroyed or damaged in Myanmar junta attacks in Chin State since the 2021 coup, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO). So far an estimated 200 religious buildings, including churches and Buddhist monasteries, have been destroyed in junta bombardments and arson attacks across the country since the coup. Chin State has suffered the most with 95 religious buildings destroyed by last week, according to the rights group. Five Chin hospitals and clinics and four schools have also been destroyed by the junta since the coup, it said. Salai Mang Hre Lian, CHROs program manager, told the Khonuthung, a Chin media group, that the junta intentionally targeted churches where displaced people were sheltering. On August 12, junta fighter jets bombarded Ramthlo village on the Falam-Hakha highway, about 35km south of Falam town, destroying houses and a church. Those attacks were in retaliation for a resistance raid on the Light Infantry Battalion 268 headquarters in Falam town on August 12, inflicting many junta casualties and seizing an arsenal of weapons. Junta aircraft bombed Khuafo village in Thantlang Township on August 14, destroying three houses and a church shortly after Chin resistance groups seized a junta base in Thantlang town. On March 30, junta warplanes bombed Khuafo village, killing at least 10 residents, including children. Churches, other religious buildings, hospitals and schools are the main places for community gatherings, which are protected under the Geneva Convention and international law. The junta attacks are war crimes, the CHRO said. Another rights group, the Progressive Karenni Peoples Force, said on September 1 that 42 religious buildings had been destroyed by the junta in Kayah State since the coup. Junta troops torched the 129-year-old Assumption Church along with houses during a raid on Chan Thar village in Ye U Township, Sagaing Region, on January 15. By July 31, approximately 74,874 homes had been burned by the junta and its allies across the country since the coup, said Data for Myanmar, an independence research group that monitors junta arson attacks. The relationship between Myanmars junta and Russia has peaked, the regimes foreign minister Than Swe told a press conference in Moscow on Thursday during a visit that saw him and his Russian counterpart praise cooperation between the two pariah states. Than Swe was visiting Russia at the invitation of his Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. On Thursday, the pair discussed cooperation in 12 sectors, including defense, security, tourism and people-to-people connectivity, economy and trade, banking, energy, industry, education, and information. They also discussed establishing Myanmar Consulates General in St Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Than Swe, a former military official who was part of the 16th intake of Defense Services Academy, thanked Russia for its principled position, understanding and consistent support of Myanmar in both bilateral and multilateral contexts, the United Nations in particular, according to junta media. Lavrov told the press conference: We particularly focused on cooperation through financial and banking structures, including our countries central banks, The US sanctioned the Russian central bank in 2022, freezing its assets held in US financial institutions. The sanctions also apply to financial institutions outside the US that hold US dollars for Russias central bank. Than Swe told the press conference that the relationship between the two pariah nations had peaked, and that he understands the current situation in Russia. Lavrov said: We confirmed our appreciation of the balanced, objective position of our Myanmar friends in connection with what is happening in Ukraine. Than Swe departed Moscow for Minsk, Belarus on Thursday evening, according to junta media. He is visiting Belarus, another key arms supplier of the junta, at the invitation of his counterpart there. Before Than Swe visited Moscow, five junta ministers and two Union-level officials also arrived in Russia. They reached agreements with their counterparts on cooperation in finance and banking, tourism development and electoral cooperation. Direct flights between the two countries were launched for the first time in 30 years on September 5. Ties between the pariah states have increased by leaps and bounds since junta boss Min Aung Hlaing met Putin in September last year. Than Swes visit also coincided with the arrival of North Koreas dictator in Russias east. Kim was personally invited to Russia by President Vladimir Putin. The junta recently appointed a new ambassador to North Korea. Tin Maung Swe, its ambassador to China, will concurrently serve as ambassador to North Korea. This, along with Kims arrival in Russia, has prompted speculation that the military cooperation between Myanmar, Russia and China may expand to include North Korea. Three police chiefs have reportedly been fired and are being interrogated for alleged leaking and corruption in Naypyitaw. Mandalay Region chief Brigadier General Sein Lwin, transnational crime department commander Brigadier General Aung Htay Myint and Colonel Nyan Myint Kyaw, a highway and Kachin State police chief. Brigadier General Aung Htay Myint and Nyan Myint Kyaw have been placed under house arrest, said a police officer, who asked for anonymity. Brigadier General Thet Naing, who was Mon State police chief, is likely to replace Sein Lwin, according to sources. Two police major generals have been forced to step down since the 2021 coup. Last month, home affairs minister Lieutenant General Soe Htut, who is ex-army, was moved to the Union Government Office. Soe Htut is reportedly in bad health and is resting at home. He is also purportedly being interrogated for leaking about secret regime meetings and corruption. At least 14 Myanmar junta forces as well as two resistance fighters were killed in the last four days as Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to attack regime targets across the country. Incidents were reported in Sagaing, Magwe, Mandalay and Bago regions and Mon and Kachin states. The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs. Some military casualties could not be independently verified. Regime forces bombed in Sagaing The resistance group Ghost Team Ranger (Myinmu) said it and other resistance groups used drones to drop 10 bombs on regime forces from the militarys Division 33 based in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday. The regime forces were attacked with drone bombs as they were returning to Nyaung Pin Wun police station after raiding villages. Military casualties were unknown. Military checkpoint attacked in Sagaing At least six regime forces were killed or injured in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region on Monday when Monywa Lightning PDF of the National Unity Government (NUG) used 40-mm bombs to attack the Ma Au military checkpoint at the entrance of Monywa town, the resistance group said. After being attacked, the regime forces blocked the road and killed a civilian. Junta flotilla ambushed in Sagaing Joint resistance forces take part in an ambush of a military flotilla in Kani Township on Tuesday. / KLG PDF Kyauk Lone Gyi PDF said it and other resistance groups jointly ambushed a military flotilla of seven vessels in Kani Township, Sagaing Region on Tuesday as it was traveling between Kani and Mingin townships along the Chindwin River. Three soldiers were killed by resistance snipers. Military flotilla attacked in Mandalay Combined resistance groups engage in a clash with a military flotilla in Thabeikkyin Township on Monday. / Bo Linn Yone Some regime forces are believed to have been killed or injured in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region on Monday when three local resistance groups used firearms and heavy explosives to attack a military logistics flotilla of six vessels traveling to Kachin State along the Irrawaddy River, said Bo Linn Yone group, which joined the attack. One of the explosives hit a vessel. Two ambulances were used to transport injured or killed soldiers after the flotilla arrived at the port in Thabeikkyin town, the resistance group said. Military unit ambushed in Magwe Four regime troops were seriously injured in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday when Yesagyo PDF used land mines and drone bombs to ambush a military unit of 50 troops between two villages in the township. The PDF group said it lost a drone in the mission but there were no resistance casualties. Clash erupts in Bago A clash broke out in Okpho Township, Bago Region on Thursday when a military unit attempted to raid the base of Okpho Underground Guerilla Force, a unit of Thayawady District PDF Battalion 3802 under the command of the civilian NUG, the resistance group said. After learning of the juntas plan in advance, the resistance group triggered eight land mines to ambush a military unit of 30 troops as they were on their way to the resistance base. Regime forces fled the area after a 20-minute shootout. A junta soldier was killed and another injured but there were no resistance casualties, the PDF group said. Two military headquarters shelled in Mon Several resistance groups jointly shell the headquarters of two military battalions in Ye Township on Tuesday. / Daw Na Column Daw Na Column said it and seven other resistance groups including the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), used mortar rounds to bombard the headquarters of military Light Infantry Battalions 538 and 591 based in Ye Township, Mon State on Tuesday. In the attacks, four regime forces and associated people including the wife of a soldier were killed and seven others injured. In retaliation, the junta bases shelled nearby villages with 81-mm and 60-mm mortar rounds, injuring six villagers, said Daw Na Column. That night, the military bases continued to indiscriminately shell nearby areas. Clash breaks out in Kachin Two resistance fighters were reportedly killed in a clash in Hpakant Township, Kachin State when regime forces raided a joint camp of ethnic armed group the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Kachin Regional PDF forces in Haung Par Village, according to local Kachin media. After the clash, both sides urged residents to evacuate to safe places. An Indiana man blamed a two-year-old child for shooting him in the back after he decided to leave a loaded gun on the bed. "He shot me!" the 31-year-old gentleman, who faces felony charges, allegedly shouted to a woman who was out of the room. Meanwhile, the toddler, lucky to be alive, suffered "injuries to his gunpowder-marked right pointer finger" that was blistered and swelling, according to ABC News, and continued to say "Owie" while staring at his finger. Needless to say, the man, who wasn't even supposed to have a gun "because of prior felony convictions," was arrested. From ABC: 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Joaquin Beltran, who in 2022 ran for election to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 42nd Congressional District, and, since losing the primary, has worked tirelessly in the interest of public health on issues of COVID-19 safety, focusing specifically on trying to keep masks in healthcare settings, was harassed today after testifying at the LA County Public Health Commission Meeting. Beltran shared on social media that he was "followed and harassed for about half a mile by two individuals who attended public comment" and waited for him to go downstairs and outside. While he was asking them to stop harassing him, and trying to walk away from them, he was hit by a person driving a car, who ended up leaving the scene of the accident. Beltran ended up going to the hospital to for x-rays and was told he will need a follow-up MRI. In true Beltran fashion, he passed out masks for folks in the waiting room who wanted them. On Thursday evening, he posted an update: Finally discharged with a knee brace, crutches, anti-inflammatory shot, and a recommendation for an MRI next. One good thing that came out of me being in the hospital: more people were provided with masks. Thank you for all the thoughtful messages. Beltran has been working as part of the Action-Care-Equity coalition (ACE), which they describe on their website: ACE is a community-led coalition that's building collective power to protect every member of our communities. We are taking action and demanding health care that is equitable now. For more information about the work of the Action-Care-Equity coalition or to join their activism in Los Angeles, check out their website. And for more information about Joaquin Beltran and his public health activism, follow him on X. On X, Beltran posted that he had never seen nor met the two people who were harassing him, but X users quickly identified at least one of the pair. The person in the Bernie t-shirt is "medical freedom"-loving Ian Jameson, who has been an anti-vaccine and anti-vaccine mandate activist for the duration of the pandemic. Downtown Los Angeles News featured him in an article about anti-vaccine and anti-vaccine mandates back in December 2021: Ian Jameson, founder of Los Angeles Leftists for Choice and Unity, is an activist who attends the weekly CEMF [California Educators for Medical Freedom] rallies and is an active supporter of bodily autonomy when it comes to a right to choose being vaccinated. Jameson, who can be seen wearing a Bernie Sanders shirt at every anti-vaccine mandate protest he attends, said his apparel decision is intentional and coincides with the message of his newly founded group. "The pharma-owned and so-called liberal media have made (vaccines and anything dealing with vaccines) a political issue, and it is not. It's a nonpartisan issue," he said. "Anyone who objects to the vaccines or points to vaccine adverse reporting are dismissed as right-wing conspiracy theorists. I am not right wing." Jameson's intention of combatting the narrative that skepticism for COVID-19 vaccines is a political issue, but more so a right-wing issue, also stems from a belief that "this is a lethally and tragic instance where liberals are doing a 180 on responsible skepticism of corporate America," he said. Jameson said his reasons for continuing to protest vaccines and mandates has to do with entities like LAUSD authorizing mandates requiring vaccination but ultimately being against COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general. "When all of this COVID stuff ends, I do not want to go back to what was normal prior to COVID, because what was normal was not medical freedom. Medical freedom means that the government has no right to interfere with your private medical decisions," he said. These are the two individuals who followed and harassed me for almost half an hour after the LA County Public Health Commission and the car driver that hit me and wildly rationalized their actions of hitting me with their car and fled. pic.twitter.com/wVJSrrmfyp Joaquin Beltran (@joaquinlife) September 14, 2023 The taxpayer-funded travel of Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now officially none of your business, exempted from the state's 50-year-old public records acta new law she had the pleasure of signing herself. The law, which took effect immediately, allows the state to wall off details about the security provided the GOP governor and other constitutional officers, including who travels on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips Sanders and Republicans in the Legislature had initially pushed for more widespread exemptions to the open-records law, but backed off after facing growing criticism that it would erode government transparency. Some of the opponents of the broader exemptions for other state agencies that had been proposed initially endorsed the legislation after it was pared down to the security measures. But it still faces criticism that it will keep the public in the dark about how taxpayer dollars are being spent. 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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 Convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes is making friends in Federal prison. Fellow financial fraudster and former reality television hack Jen Shah has reportedly become her "bestie." This news comes from Shah's attorney talking to the press in an apparent attempt to color public perception of both. Holmes's career has amounted to nothing beyond attempting to fool people into thinking she's up to something positive, so this is not new. Celebrity ab training courses in Federal prisons sound like a real service, however, I wonder how parole boards consider these demonstrations of "positive change." Jezebel: The GOP proves once again that its moralistic outrage is just for show, this time in Louisiana with the endorsement of John Raymond, a candidate who has been charged with "criminal cruelty" to children. No matter that, as a school headmaster, he was arrested a couple of times for whipping and physically abusing a four-year-old, or that he also admitted to taping children's mouths shut as a form of punishment. He's a Christian MAGA man, after all, and "tape isn't a crime," as he put it. Now the so-called minister and founder of Lakeside Christian Academy in a suburb of New Orleans is running for a state House seat with the blessing of his party. Meanwhile, his opponent, businessman Jay Galle, is surprisingly stunned. "As a lifelong Republican it's an embarrassment," he said, via Shreveport Times. "[The party] puts itself out there as a protector of children," continued the gullible candidate. "I can't express how disappointed I am that the Louisiana Republican Party has chosen to endorse a candidate with not one, not two, not three, but four criminal charges of cruelty to children." Well Sir, welcome to the party of "family values." From Shreveport Times: Raymond, lead minister of New Horizon Church in Slidell and founder of Lakeside Christian Academy, was arrested twice in 2022 on juvenile cruelty charges related to discipline he is accused of carrying out in his role as headmaster at the school. Raymond is accused of holding a 4-year-old boy upside down by his ankles and "whipping his buttocks" and taping three 13-year-old boys' mouths shut with packing tape for talking too much in class. He is also accused of covering the 4-year-old's mouth and nose with his hand to stop the child's "tantrum" in a separate incident. In a news release, police said witnesses reported Raymond's actions prevented the child from breathing "to the point of him going limp." The witness, a staff member, said the child was "out of it and lethargic" and "unable to stand." The children whose mouths were taped said they had trouble breathing and suffered pain when the tape was removed. He is a familiar figure in the Capitol who testified in multiple hearings last spring supporting bills like requiring schools to post "In God We Trust" in classrooms, officially allowing historical Bible courses to be taught in public schools and in favor of LGBTQ restrictions. Among his written campaign promises: "Reject the woke trans-agenda." Raymond's case is "pending in state court." The Hard Times is a gift to this world. Or at least, a gift for me, the target audience for their Onion-esque satires of music and music fandoms, particularly of the underground variety. For example: the site recently published a delightful package highlighting the Best Ska Bands in every US state, which really went above and beyond to embrace the worst cliche jokes about ska while also highlighting some fantastic bands at varying levels of success across the country. There are the obvious ones the Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, plus some rad nu-tone groups like Catbite, Kill Lincoln, and Bad Operation. And of course, The Hard Times demonstrates a fond appreciation for wacky ska pun band names, including both The Skashank Redemption and The Ska-Skank Redemption, which are indeed different bands from different states. But then there's South Dakota. Fucking South Dakota. The Hard Times' writers searched far and wide to find a ska band in every state even Alaska has one (and their name isn't even the obvious pun!). But South Dakota is apparently a black hole of upstrokes and trombones and "pickitups" and dancy post-punk racial justice funtimes. But maybe we shouldn't be that surprised. It is South Dakota after all. From AlaSKA to NebraSKA (And Also Further East, but There Are No Good Puns): We Ranked the Best Ska Band in Every State [Eric Navarro / The Hard Times] Reddit Email 32 Shares ( Middle East Monitor ) The death toll in Derna as a result of the catastrophic flooding in Libya may reach 20,000, the citys mayor has said. Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi based his estimate on the number of districts destroyed by the floodwater. The interior ministry of the government in eastern Libya said yesterday that the army had evacuated all residents and journalists from Derna to facilitate search and rescue operations. Storm Daniel swept through several areas in eastern Libya on Sunday, most notably Benghazi, Al-Bayda, and Al-Marj, as well as Sousse and Derna, leaving thousands dead and missing, most of them in Derna. On Wednesday, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in the Libyan Government of National Unity, Saad Al-Din Abdel Wakil, confirmed that the number of deaths from the floods exceeded 6,000, and the missing were numbered in the thousands. The death toll is a preliminary figure for all the areas affected by the floods, with the city of Derna recording the largest number. He predicted that the death toll will rise. According to Abdel Wakil, the work of government hospitals in the affected areas has been almost completely disrupted. Work is ongoing to have at least ten hospitals functioning and staffed as fully as possible, along with 20 local centres providing healthcare. Article continues after bonus IC video France 24 English: A global problem: Libya floods a wake-up call to dangers of climate change and old infrastructure The National Centre for Disease Control is evaluating the situation in Derna because of the human and animal corpses that are already decomposing, he added. The spokesman for the interior ministry in the government of eastern Libya, Tariq Al-Kharaz, said that burials have already taken place in Derna. Almost 2,100 bodies have been buried in the city, of which 1,100 were unidentified. At least 2,000 official reports of missing persons have been received by the authorities, added Al-Kharaz. When asked about the nationalities of non-Libyans reported missing, he explained that 35 missing persons are Egyptians, and 151 Sudanese were buried in Derna. It is known that at least 12 Palestinians are among the dead, with scores more still missing. The head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Menfi, said in a televised speech on Tuesday evening that the disaster is greater than Libya can bear alone. We call on friendly countries for urgent assistance. He thanked the countries which have already provided aid, referring to Algeria, Egypt, Turkey and France. WHITEHORSE, YT, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Victoria Gold Corp. (TSX-VGCX) (Victoria or the Company) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Sabre Gold Mines Corp.s (TSX-SGLD) (Sabre) Yukon assets (the Transaction, or the Acquisition), via the acquisition of Sabres wholly owned Yukon subsidiary, Golden Predator Mining Corp. (Golden Predator). All currency amounts listed in Canadian dollars. Victoria has acquired Sabres 100% interest in the Brewery Creek property, as well as the 100%-owned Gold Dome and Grew Creek exploration properties. Mr. John McConnell, President and CEO of Victoria commented: With the acquisition of Sabres Yukon assets, we are pleased to be expanding our footprint and asset base in our own backyard. With our track record of exploration, permitting, development and operations in Yukon, we believe we can add value to this portfolio of assets. Brewery Creek is a formerly producing heap leach project, covering 181 square kilometers, located in northwestern Yukon, approximately 55 kilometers east of Dawson City, Yukon and approximately 120 kilometers west of Victorias Eagle Gold Mine. The property is the subject of a NI 43-101 Technical Report which sets out a Mineral Resource Estimate1 of 34.5 million tonnes of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources grading 1.03g/t Au, containing 1.14 million ounces of gold and 36.0 million tonnes of Inferred Mineral Resources grading 0.88g/t Au, containing 1.02 million ounces of gold (effective date of Mineral Resource Estimate: May 31, 2020). Brewery Creek is also the subject of a Preliminary Economic Assessment1 with an effective date of January 18, 2022. The Gold Dome property is road accessible and covers 95 square kilometres and is located approximately 25 kilometres west of the village of Mayo, Yukon. The Grew Creek property covers approximately 135 square kilometres and is located on the Robert Campbell highway, approximately 6 kilometres west of Ross River, Yukon. Golden Predator has reported non-capital losses of $44 million. Victoria expects certain tax-related synergies to be associated with the Transaction. Transaction Details The Acquisition was completed pursuant to the terms of a share purchase agreement between Victoria and Sabre, whereby Victoria acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Golden Predator, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre, which indirectly holds a 100% interest in the Brewery Creek property, as well as certain other mineral assets that include the Gold Dome and Grew Creek exploration properties. After giving effect to the Acquisition, Golden Predator is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Victoria. Victoria will pay aggregate consideration of $13.5 million for Golden Predator, payable as follows: initial consideration of $1.5 million in cash and an additional $7.0 million in cash or Victoria shares at Victorias election (elective portion), payable on closing; $0.5 million in cash and an additional $2.5 million in cash or Victoria Shares at Victorias election, payable on the 12-month anniversary of the closing date; and $0.5 million in cash and an additional $1.5 million in cash or Victoria Shares at Victorias election, payable on the 24-month anniversary of the closing date. Victoria has satisfied the elective portion of the initial consideration in cash from its treasury. All required approvals for the Transaction have been obtained and the Transaction closed on September 14, 2023. Advisors and Counsel Desjardins Capital Markets acted as financial advisor to Victoria. Bennett Jones LLP acted as Victorias legal counsel. 1 Technical Report is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.com) under Sabre's issuer profile. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., as the Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About the Dublin Gulch Property Victoria Gold's 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property (the Property) is situated in central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The Property is accessible by road year round, and is located within Yukon Energy's electrical grid. The Property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the Company's Eagle and Olive Gold Deposits. The Company issued a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine dated April 10, 2023 (the 2023 Eagle Technical Report). As at December 31, 2022, the Eagle and Olive deposits include Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.6 million ounces of gold from 124 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 0.65 grams of gold per tonne. As at December 31, 2022, the Mineral Resource for the Eagle and Olive deposits set forth in the 2023 Eagle Technical Report has been estimated to host 245 million tonnes averaging 0.59 grams of gold per tonne, containing 4.7 million ounces of gold in the Measured and Indicated category, inclusive of Proven and Probable Reserves, and a further 35 million tonnes averaging 0.62 grams of gold per tonne, containing 0.7 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category. Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Except for statements of historical fact relating to Victoria, information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information, including any information related to Victoria's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as plan, expect, budget, target, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may, will, could or should occur, and includes any guidance and forecasts set out herein (including, but not limited to, production and operational guidance of the Corporation). In order to give such forward-looking information, the Corporation has made certain assumptions about its business, operations, the economy and the mineral exploration industry in general. In this respect, the Corporation has assumed that production levels will remain consistent with managements expectations, contracted parties provide goods and services on agreed timeframes, equipment works as anticipated, required regulatory approvals are received, no unusual geological or technical problems occur, no material adverse change in the price of gold occurs and no significant events occur outside of the Corporation's normal course of business. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information. These factors include the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, anticipated metal production, fluctuating metal prices, currency exchange rates, estimated ore grades, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in Victoria's corporate resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in development and production time frames, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainty of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, final pricing for metal sales, unanticipated results of future studies, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, requirements for additional capital, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage and timing and possible outcomes of pending litigation and labour disputes, risks related to remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure, fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations. Although Victoria has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding Victoria's expected financial and operational performance and Victoria's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. All forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof, as the case may be, and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management of the Corporation as at the date hereof. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information contained herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. For Further Information Contact: John McConnell President & CEO Victoria Gold Corp Tel: 604-696-6605 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 15, 2023 /CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Metals Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) (OTC: NVSGF) announced today the closing of a first tranche of the previously-reported non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") (see Nevada Sunrise news release dated August 16, 2023) consisting of 3,562,500 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $285,000 (the "First Tranche"). Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company. One Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Share of the Company at a price of $0.12 for a period expiring 24 months following the closing date of the Offering. Finder's fees consisting of a total of $5,320 cash and 66,500 finder's units were paid to: (1) Haywood Securities Inc. - $2,520 cash and 31,500 finder's units, and (2) Glores Securities Inc. - $2,800 cash and 35,000 finder's units. Finder's units are exercisable at the price of a Unit placed ($0.08) for one Share of the Company and one Warrant, with each Warrant entitling the finder to purchase one Share of the Company at a price of $0.12 for a period expiring 24 months following the closing date of the Offering. All the securities issued in the First Tranche of the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day from the closing date, expiring January 16, 2024. Proceeds of the Offering will be used for: Completion of a National Instrument 43-101-compliant mineral resource estimate for the Gemini Lithium Project located in Esmeralda County, Nevada ("Gemini"); ("Gemini"); Completion of a preliminary economic assessment (or "PEA") in conjunction with the release of a maiden mineral resource estimate for Gemini; Exploration work on the Company's mineral properties; Other lithium property investigations, and general working capital. The Company anticipates closing additional tranches of the private placement in the coming weeks. Closing of additional tranches of the Offering are subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Participation of Insiders in the Offering Three insiders of the Company subscribed for a total of 230,180 Units in the First Tranche of the Offering. Participation by the insiders constitutes a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation by insiders in the First Tranche of the Offering does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. Marketing Agreements Nevada Sunrise has entered into advertising and marketing agreements to raise awareness of the Company's Nevada exploration and development activities with (1) CEO.ca Technologies Ltd. ("CEO.ca") for a period of 12 months effective September 8, 2023 at a cost of $90,000 before taxes, and (2) Investing News Network ("INN") for a period of 12 months effective August 24, 2023 at a cost of $20,000 before taxes. Each of CEO.ca and INN participated as subscribers in the First Tranche of the Offering. About Nevada Sunrise Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a strong technical team based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, that holds interests in lithium, gold, and copper exploration projects located in the State of Nevada, USA. Nevada Sunrise owns 100% interests in the Gemini, Jackson Wash and Badlands lithium projects, with no applicable royalties, all of which are located in the Lida Valley basin in Esmeralda County, NV, located just east of the Clayton Valley basin, which hosts the only producing lithium mine in the United States operated by Albemarle Corp. at Silver Peak, NV. The Company owns Nevada water right Permit 86863, also located in the Lida Valley basin, near Lida, NV. The Company's key gold asset is a 20.01% interest in a joint venture at the Kinsley Mountain Gold Project near Wendover, NV with CopAur Minerals Inc. Kinsley Mountain is a Carlin-style gold project hosting a National Instrument 43-101 compliant gold resource consisting of 418,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 2.63 g/t Au (4.95 million tonnes), and 117,000 inferred ounces of gold averaging 1.51 g/t Au (2.44 million tonnes), at cut-off grades ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 g/t Au 1. The Company has elected not to contribute to the 2023 exploration program at Kinsley Mountain and expects to incur dilution of its participating interest in the joint venture to an approximate 19.0% interest. 1 Technical Report on the Kinsley Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated June 21, 2021 with an effective date of May 5, 2021 and prepared by Michael M. Gustin, Ph.D., and Gary L. Simmons, MMSA and filed under New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Nevada Sunrise has the right to earn a 100% interest in the Coronado VMS Project, located approximately 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Winnemucca, NV. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This release may contain forwardlooking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur and include disclosure of anticipated exploration activities. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forwardlooking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forwardlooking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date such statements were made. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Such factors include, among others, risks related to future plans for the calculation of a mineral resource estimate and a PEA at the Gemini Lithium Project; reliance on technical information provided by third parties on any of our exploration properties; changes in mineral project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or metallurgical recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays due to pandemic; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ending June 30, 2023, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Amhersts former zombie hotel has come back to life as apartments. New York City developer DMG Investments has completed its $27 million project to turn the partially constructed but abandoned hotel project on Sweet Home Road into Air Buffalo, a multicolored apartment building with 154 residential units adjacent to University at Buffalos North Campus. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. The six-story building features a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. And its already fully leased. The project received $3.5 million in tax breaks from the Amherst Industrial Development Agency. Were so proud of the finished product at Air Buffalo, said DMG Investments founder and CEO Jacky He. We have remained committed to providing an excellent community for our residents. Amherst officials are relieved as well. Its wonderful to have outside investors come into the area, recognize that, and make substantial investments in our area, especially on a property that was an eyesore for a very long time in this town, said A.J. Baynes, president and CEO of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce. We are so excited to not have to refer to it by its former name, that I will not say, agreed Deputy Town Supervisor Jacqueline Berger. Located at 1265 Sweet Home, just north of Maple Road, the building features 44 studio, 87 one-bedroom and 23 two-bedroom units. Rents range from $1,349 for studios, to $1,479 to $1,579 for one-bedroom units, to as much as $1,999 to $2,129 for two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments. The units can be either furnished or unfurnished. The building also offers amenities that include an indoor pool, jacuzzi, saunas, fitness center, fire pits, a resident lounge, private onsite parking with 13 electric-vehicle charging stations and a smart package room. A lot of those amenities were originally envisioned as being part of the hotel. So when we pivoted to multifamily residential, we were able to keep those amenities available, said Cian R. Hamill, DMGs vice president of acquisitions and development. So if you like the idea of living in a hotel, youll love living in Air Buffalo. Air Buffalo is the second project DMG has completed in Amherst, after it built and opened its Auden Buffalo student housing complex on North Forest Road. Auden is DMGs student-housing brand. Both properties are operated and managed by Austin, Texas-based Campus Life & Style or its affiliate, CLS Residential, which handles DMGs properties. Were very happy to be part of the community, said Jessica Nix, chief marketing officer for Campus Life and CLS Residential. We have found weve been very successful with our lease-up with young professionals and we are seeing a lot of students from the University at Buffalo. Its also the first project to be completed under DMGs new Air brand for multifamily apartment housing, although the real estate developer has completed other student and multifamily housing projects up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest. It now has $1.2 billion in finished or pending buildings in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee, Wisconsin and South Carolina, with potential projects in Florida and Massachusetts. This is our second completed asset in the Town of Amherst, so we feel very strongly about our investments in the town, Hamill said. The town has been a great partner with us from the beginning. With its windows and exterior panels of white, blue-gray and red faux wood, the finished product is a far cry from the building shell that stood on the site four years ago, essentially abandoned and surrounded by fencing. After a dozen years trying to open a hotel on a site they had purchased in 2007, two brothers from Ontario had again come up short on financing. Originally envisioned as a Hyatt Summerfield Suites, and later revived as a planned Maplewood Suites Extended-Stay hotel with 127 rooms, it had become known instead as the zombie hotel after work had been halted for a third time amid unpaid bills. Thats when DMG officials who were already at work on Auden Buffalo discovered it while driving down Sweet Home. We were intrigued by the backstory there. We started to ask around for information about the status of the project and what was happening there, Hamill said. We figured this was a zombie that could definitely be brought back to life. The company saw the potential for a multifamily conversion, with the hotel room layouts fitting well for studio apartments, he said. We tried to make as few structural changes to the building as possible, Hamill said. Based on our market research, we saw there was strong demand for that type of unit. Indeed, Hamill noted that while Air Buffalo is multifamily in nature, its getting a lot of strong interest from students, given its proximity to the university. And in some cases, students have even expressed interest in moving from the smaller, shared spaces of Auden Buffalo on North Forest to the separate apartments at Air Buffalo. So DMG has even extended its university shuttle from Auden to now include the new property as well. Kang Dong Won talked about the aftereffects of filming the 2006 movie "Maundy Thursday." During his recent guest appearance on the tvN variety show "You Quiz on the Block," the award-winning star mentioned one of his most memorable films and recalled his experience filming it. Kang Dong Won Dishes on Aftermath of Filming 'Maundy Thursday' Making his debut in 2004, one of his initial projects on the big screen was the psychological movie "Maundy Thursday," a novel-based film directed by Song Hae Sung of "The Good Man." Joining him as the lead star is Lee Na Young, who played as a suicidal woman named Moon Yu Jung. As for Kang Dong Won, he took on the role of Jung Yoon Soo, a murderer who was imprisoned because of his crimes. According to the actor, he experienced intense nightmares after filming the movie. "Nightmares began," Kang Dong Won told host Yoo Jae Sook, adding, "Every day, I had a dream that I was being taken to be executed. I'd wake up crying, thinking what I should have done better when acting for the movie." READ MORE: Lee Joon Hyuk Recalls Feeling 'Pressured' Because of Won Bin, Kang Dong Won - Here's Why The 42-year-old star also recalled experiencing heavy feelings as if he was "down the path of those emotions." Kang Dong Won shared his realizations and said that he should consider seeking "psychiatric counseling at that time" to help him deal with emotions that he had while doing the movie. "Maundy Thursday" is more than just a psychological-romance film since the movie's premise is all about depression and suicide. Moreover, Kang Dong Won's character is a convicted murderer waiting for his execution. How Kang Dong Won Chooses His Next Project Apart from being recognized as one of Hallyu's most versatile stars, Kang Dong Won has a slew of hit K-dramas and movies under his belt. In addition, he also has an interesting filmography. Host Yoo Jae Sook even joked about how Kang Dong Won doesn't have haters. "They say no one dislikes Kang Dong Won," he said, to which the actor responded, "There are, on the internet," but Jo Se Ho chimed in and said, "Intermittently, one or two." On the other hand, when it comes to choosing his next project, the 42-year-old star explained that he would pay attention to the "completeness" of the story. "Whether the storyline is well-structured, if the material is fresh, and if we can meet the break-even point," Kang Dong Won furthered. That is mainly the reason why he has several recognitions and achievements as an actor. He is a three-time Best Actor nominee at the Baeksang Arts Awards, as well as the Blue Dragon Film Awards and more. Among his first acting award was at the 22nd MBC Drama Awards for Best New Actor for his role in "Something About 1%." IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kang Dong Won Net Worth 2023: How Rich Is The 'Broker' Actor? For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Jo In Sung is making headlines not just because of his hit K-drama "Moving" but also due to his alleged romance with former SBS announcer Park Sun Young. Rumors sparked that the award-winning star is gearing for a wedding soon. Jo In Sung's Agency Denies Wedding Rumors Shortly after the news broke, Jo In Sung's agency released a statement shutting down rumors involving the top star. In a report cited by a news outlet, the label spoke about the real score between the two, calling the news "groundless." "We have confirmed with the actor himself that the rumors are completely untrue," the agency said, adding, "Jo In Sung has no plans to marry announcer Park Sun Young, nor has he ever dated this person." Over social media, fans were stunned to hear Jo In Sung being embroiled in wedding rumors. Jo In Sung has no plans to marry announcer Park Sun Young, nor has he ever dated THIS person." So hes dating someone else? Charot! #JoInSung https://t.co/dCYMBTFuHQ yourordinaryfangirl18 (@itsmeEna18) September 15, 2023 Others even speculated that this might be a propaganda to "ruin" the ratings of "Moving." please tell me it just a fake new. Is it another business war to ruin viewership and rating? otherwise i won't be able to watch the final ep anymore ... Oh my #JoJoo ship #ZoInSung #JoInSung YOO is Moving with JoJoo (@PattsYoo) September 15, 2023 On the other hand, Jo In Sung's agency said that the actor is currently overseas filming his upcoming movie "Hope," directed by Na Hong Jin. He will star alongside the equally talented Hwang Jung Min and "Squid Game" star Jung Ho Yeon in the soon-to-be-released film. Meanwhile, Jo In Sung is currently starring in the hit webtoon series "Moving." 'Moving' Director Says He Had Hard Time Making Jo In Sung 'Ugly' Based on the webtoon written by Kang Full, who also penned the 20-episode K-drama, "Moving," depicts the story of individuals with superpowers. However, they are being exploited and chased by the government and the North Korean army. In the series, Jo In Sung takes on the role of top-tier agent Kim Doo Shik, whose special abilities include flying and combat skills. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Moving' Season 2: Writer Kang Full Responds To Questions About Possibility of Sequel However, things changed when he met Lee Mi Hyun, played by Han Hyo Joo. From being top black ops agents, they became fugitive and moved to a remote place to raise their son, Kim Bong Seok, played by Lee Jung Ha. During the interview with director Park In Je, he revealed that Jo In Sung's visuals made it hard for them to project his character. As someone who is a fugitive and lives in the province, he is "too handsome" to play the character. The director and crew saw this as "an unexpected obstacle" during the shoot. "Basically, In Sung was too handsome for a poor guy, doing rough work in the sun," the director said. To address this, what they did was "make him look ugly" by making his "clothes dirtier and his hair really messy." Director Park In Je joked about the "limit to how 'ugly'" they could transform Jo In Sung because, in the end, his visuals still stood out. READ MORE: 'Moving' Stars Go Yoon Jung, Ryu Seung Ryong, More Reign the Popularity List For Drama Actors For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills The United Auto Workers launched a long-threatened, but limited, strike against Detroit's three automakers on Friday but not at any of the auto plants in the Buffalo Niagara region. However, the reprieve for Western New York may be only brief, if the two sides can't reach a deal. About 13,000 U.S. auto workers stopped making vehicles and went on strike at three Midwest production plants Friday after their leaders couldnt bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroits three automakers are willing to pay. Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General Motors Co. assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford Motor Co. factory in Wayne, Mich., near Detroit, and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. It was the first time in the unions 88-year history that it walked out on all three companies simultaneously as four-year contracts with the companies expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. "Tonight, for the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the Big Three at once," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a Facebook Live address Thursday night, just before the deadline. "And if we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table." But even with the strike underway, it's not clear whether the walkout will involve workers at any of the automakers' plants in the Buffalo Niagara region. That's because the UAW isn't planning a blanket strike at any of the automakers. Instead, it's strategy is to stage selective strikes at targeted plants. GM has an engine plant in the Town of Tonawanda and a components plant in Lockport. Ford has a stamped parts plant in Hamburg. The UAW represents about 3,000 workers across the three facilities. There was no indication that the rest of the union would walk off the job yet including those at the GM engine plant in Tonawanda, the GM components plant in Lockport, or the Ford Stamping Plant in Hamburg. The union said its strategy called a "Stand Up" strike will keep the automakers guessing and add pressure to negotiations. That's a big change from the union's approach during previous negotiations. Instead of going after one company, led by its pugnacious new president, Shawn Fain, the union is striking at all three at once in order to strengthen its bargaining position as it seeks to bolster worker pay and benefits, and restore years of lost pay raises and other concessions. But not all of the 146,000 UAW members at company plants are walking picket lines, at least not yet. Instead, the UAW targeted a handful of factories to prod company negotiators to raise their offers, which were far lower than union demands of 36% wage increases over four years. GM and Ford offered 20% and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, offered 17.5%. "As time goes on, more locals may be called on to 'Stand Up' and join the strike. This gives us maximum leverage and maximum flexibility in our fight to win a fair contract at each of the Big Three automakers," Fain said. "This strategy will keep the companies guessing. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining," he said. Unionized workers at plants not selected to be part of a strike would continue working under the terms of the expired agreements on Friday, the UAW said. Fain said "most of the contract is still in effect," so "management cannot change the terms in the workplace" and "you cannot be fired or disciplined for no reason." Non-striking locals "will be ready to walk out at a moments notice, pending direction from national leadership," the union said. . Industry observers say striking selected plants, rather than all of them at once, also helps the UAW preserve its $825 million strike fund. The UAW will pay striking workers $500 a week, with those payments becoming available on the eighth day of a walkout. The fund would also cover certain benefits, such as medical and prescription drugs. The UAW has about 146,000 members at the Detroit Three automakers. It also limits the economic hardship on a significant number of UAW members, who will be able to continue working and collecting their regular paychecks as the targeted walkouts at other facilities continue. Even Fain has called the unions demands audacious, but he maintains the automakers are raking in billions and can afford them. He scoffed at company statements that costly settlements would force them to raise vehicle prices, saying labor accounts for only 4% to 5% of vehicle costs. They could double our raises and not raise car prices and still make millions of dollars in profits, Fain said. Were not the problem. Corporate greed is the problem. The strikes capped a day of both sides griping that the other had not budged enough from their initial positions. In addition to general wage increases, the union is seeking restoration of cost-of-living pay raises, an end to varying tiers of wages for factory jobs, a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, the restoration of traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires who now receive only 401(k)-style retirement plans, pension increases and medical benefits for retirees, and other items. Starting in 2007, workers gave up cost-of-living raises and defined benefit pensions for new hires. Wage tiers were created as the UAW tried to help the companies avoid financial trouble ahead of and during the Great Recession. Even so, only Ford avoided government-funded bankruptcy protection. By contrast, the UAW argues that the companies are now well in the black, with $21 billion of combined profits for just the first half of this year. And their CEO salaries reflect that. "Weve been working hard, trying to reach a deal for economic and social justice for our members," Fain said. "We have been firm. We are committed to winning an agreement with the Big Three that reflects the incredible sacrifice and contributions that UAW members have made to these companies." The union is also seeking the right to strike over plant closings, noting that the three companies have shuttered 65 plants in the last two decades. It wants companies to have to pay UAW members to do community-service work if they shut down a plant. And it wants more paid time off for workers. "Weve been open. The companies, the members and the public know what weve been fighting for. And weve been clear," Fain said. "We must show the world that our fight is a righteous fight." The Ford plant that's on strike employs about 3,300 workers, and it makes Bronco SUVs and Ranger midsize pickup trucks. The Toledo Jeep complex has about 5,800 workers and manufactures the Jeep Wrangler SUV and Gladiator pickup. GMs Wentzville plant has about 3,600 workers and makes the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickups, as well as the GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express full-size vans. The union didnt go after the companies big cash cows, which are full-size pickup trucks and big SUVs, and went more for plants that make vehicles with lower profit margins, said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. They want to give the companies some space without putting them up against the wall, Masters said. Theyre not putting them right into the corner. You put an animal in the corner and its dangerous. GM CEO Mary Barra told workers in a letter Thursday that the company is offering historic wage increases and new vehicle commitments at U.S. factories. GMs offer, she wrote, addresses what youve told us is most important to you, in spite of the heated rhetoric from UAW leadership. On CNBC Thursday, Ford CEO Jim Farley said if Ford had agreed to the unions demands, it would have lost $15 billion during the last decade and gone bankrupt. Fresh cut lumber is pictured stacked at a mill in Maple Ridge, B.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Vancouver-based Canfor has announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Houston, B.C., about eight months after the forestry company shut down its sawmill in the northwestern community. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward B.C. Premier David Eby looks out at Scotch Creek, B.C., while viewing areas of the Shuswap affected by the Bush Creek East wildfire on a helicopter flight from Kamloops to Salmon Arm, on Monday, September 11, 2023. SHORT TERM PAIN: Communities the world over are grappling with the impact of the likes of AirBnB and VRBO. Kelowna is no exception. The Alberta Children's Hospital is shown in Calgary, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The numbers of E. coli cases linked to an outbreak at several Calgary daycares continue to rise, but doctors say there are fewer patients in hospital with serious complications. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Two members of Congress want to invite Latin American countries to join Canadas trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right to left, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, President of the United States Donald Trump, Mexico's Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, and President of Mexico Enrique Pena Nieto participate in a signing ceremony for the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The United Auto Workers landmark strike against all three Detroit automakers has spared Buffalo Niagaras three auto plants for now. But the reprieve may not last long. Its going to hit Western New York fairly quickly, said Arthur Wheaton, director of Western New York labor and environmental programs for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. Its got everybody on edge. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. About 13,000 U.S. autoworkers stopped making vehicles and went on strike at three Midwest production plants Friday after their leaders couldnt bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroits three automakers are willing to pay. Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General Motors Co. assembly plant in Wentzville, Mo., a Ford Motor Co. factory in Wayne, Mich., near Detroit, and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. It was the first time in the unions 88-year history that it walked out on all three companies simultaneously as four-year contracts with the companies expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Tonight, for the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the Big Three at once, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a Facebook Live address Thursday night, just before the deadline. And if we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table. As of Friday, 3,000 local autoworkers represented by the UAW are still on the job in Western New York, at the General Motors Co. engine plant in the Town of Tonawanda, GMs components plant in Lockport, and the Ford Stamping Plant in Hamburg. Theyre working under an expired contract that remains in force while talks between GM, Ford and Stellantis continue. However, union leaders have made clear that the national strike that began at midnight Friday morning can and will be extended to other plants at any time, if the contract negotiations dont progress. The two sides are still far apart on many issues, including wages and benefits, although the gaps have narrowed in recent weeks and days. Even more, though, the strike at the three final-assembly plants could start to have a downstream impact on parts production facilities, as the Tonawanda plant which used to make five-cylinder engines could supply engines for the Wentzville assembly facility that makes GMC and Chevrolet pickup trucks and vans. And Ford faces a separate Sept. 18 deadline for its labor talks with the Canadian autoworkers union as well. The two unions deliberately timed the contracts to maximize pressure on the automaker. But if they go on strike across Canada, that would include the Oakville, Ont., assembly plant that the Hamburg operation serves. If Ford in Canada goes out on strike, that has an almost immediate impact on the Ford Stamping Plant. Their parts go right to Oakville, Wheaton said. That would have an almost instantaneous impact on Buffalo. Innovative strategy There was no indication that the rest of the unions 146,000 autoworkers would walk off the job yet, or even when the walk-off might expand. Thats because the UAW is trying an innovative strategy with this years negotiation, staging selective strikes at targeted plants instead of a blanket action at any single automaker. Thats a big change from the unions approach during previous negotiations. Led by Fain, its pugnacious new president, the union is striking at all three at once in order to strengthen its bargaining position as it seeks to bolster worker pay and benefits, and restore years of lost pay raises and other concessions. Using its Stand Up strike, the UAW targeted a handful of factories to prod company negotiators to raise their offers, which were far lower than union demands of 36% wage increases over four years. GM and Ford offered 20% and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, offered 17.5%. This strategy will keep the companies guessing. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining, Fain said. Unionized workers at plants not selected to be part of a strike would continue working under the terms of the expired agreements, the UAW said. Fain said most of the contract is still in effect, so management cannot change the terms in the workplace and you cannot be fired or disciplined for no reason. However, non-striking locals will be ready to walk out at a moments notice, pending direction from national leadership, the union said. Multiple benefits The strategy has multiple benefits, Wheaton said. First, by starting out slow, the limited strike wont have an immediate damaging impact to communities that rely on auto factories for their local economies. It also limits the economic hardship on a significant number of UAW members, who will be able to continue working and collecting their regular paychecks as the targeted walkouts at other facilities continue. At the same time, he said, while the unions action signals the seriousness of their demands at the bargaining table, the impact on the companies of picketing final-assembly plants doesnt do a lot of damage to their bottom line, at least not at first. Thats because the downstream facilities that make the various parts for multiple assembly plants are still operating, and those parts can just be stored up until theyre needed. They can make it up on overtime, Wheaton said. It doesnt hit the ability to pick up production later. If they have to put the extra engines in the hallway and then move them out, they can do that, but at least theyre built. He added, Its the end of the supply chain, which means its less disruptive to restart. By contrast, he said, if you close down the Lockport plant and you dont have parts to ship to the next level, or you dont have parts from Rochester, then youre screwing up the assembly plant. Selective strikes The union was also thoughtful in its choice of plants. Not only did it pick one from each company, but it chose large plants with impact products, Wheaton said. They didnt pick tiny ones. Its 13,000 people, so its 10% of all members. The Ford plant thats on strike employs about 3,300 workers, and it makes Bronco SUVs and Ranger midsize pickup trucks. The Toledo Jeep complex has about 5,800 workers and manufactures the Jeep Wrangler SUV and Gladiator pickup. GMs Wentzville plant has about 3,600 workers and makes the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickups, as well as the GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express full-size vans. The UAW also didnt go after the companies big cash cows, which are full-size pickup trucks and big SUVs. If they had hit the F150 plant, Ford would have a cow, Wheaton said. They dont need any disruptions for their big-money products, but they can absorb a hit for some of their other products. Instead, they targeted plants that make vehicles with lower profit margins, said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. They want to give the companies some space without putting them up against the wall, Masters said. Theyre not putting them right into the corner. You put an animal in the corner and its dangerous. Industry observers say striking only selected plants also helps the UAW preserve its $825 million strike fund. The UAW will pay striking workers $500 a week, with those payments becoming available on the eighth day of a walkout. The fund would also cover certain benefits, such as medical and prescription drugs. Even so, for the automakers, it puts more pressure at the table, Wheaton added. It puts them on notice. It pushes them to get a deal at the table before it creates too much chaos for them. Bold demands Fain has acknowledged that the unions demands are audacious, but he maintains the automakers are raking in billions and can afford them. He scoffed at company statements that costly settlements would force them to raise vehicle prices, saying labor accounts for only 4% to 5% of vehicle costs. They could double our raises and not raise car prices and still make millions of dollars in profits, Fain said. Were not the problem. Corporate greed is the problem. In addition to general wage increases, the union is seeking restoration of cost-of-living pay raises, an end to varying tiers of wages for factory jobs, a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, the restoration of traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires who now receive only 401(k)-style retirement plans, pension increases and medical benefits for retirees, and other items. Starting in 2007, workers gave up cost-of-living raises and defined benefit pensions for new hires. Wage tiers were created as the UAW tried to help the companies avoid financial trouble ahead of and during the Great Recession. Even so, only Ford avoided government-funded bankruptcy protection. The UAW argues that the companies are well in the black, with $21 billion of combined profits for just the first half of this year. Weve been working hard, trying to reach a deal for economic and social justice for our members, Fain said. We have been firm. We are committed to winning an agreement with the Big Three that reflects the incredible sacrifice and contributions that UAW members have made to these companies. The union is also seeking the right to strike over plant closings, noting that the three companies have shuttered 65 plants in the last two decades. It wants companies to have to pay UAW members to do community-service work if they shut down a plant. And it wants more paid time off for workers. Weve been open. The companies, the members and the public know what weve been fighting for. And weve been clear, Fain said. We must show the world that our fight is a righteous fight. Not budging The strikes capped a day of both sides griping that the other had not budged enough from their initial positions. GM CEO Mary Barra told workers in a letter Thursday that the company is offering historic wage increases and new vehicle commitments at U.S. factories. GMs offer, she wrote, addresses what youve told us is most important to you, in spite of the heated rhetoric from UAW leadership. Ford CEO Jim Farley said if Ford had agreed to the unions demands, it would have lost $15 billion during the last decade and gone bankrupt. Still, the companies reportedly had come back with new offers in the last few days. Ford even said it had given four different proposals but was waiting for a counteroffer. Wheaton said Fain was frustrated they didnt get closer to a deal sooner, but sometimes the bargaining process is all about deadline behavior. We dont get serious until the clock gets closer to midnight, and thats not the way the UAW wanted to bargain, he added. But said thats all going to change now, on both sides, Wheaton said. He said he expects the companies to raise their offers further, but he also anticipates the union will come down in its demands, especially from the 36% pay hike. And it will also depend on what else the companies offer on tiers, pensions or cost-of-living raises. They will start narrowing down what they really need, he said. Its all about the package. There is room for improvement there. Even then, though, Fain has an even bigger challenge ahead: any agreement he gets must be ratified by his membership. Theres a lot of politics. Getting 150,000 people to agree on something is not an easy task, Wheaton said. Just like divided politics in Washington, DC, you have divided politics in the auto industry. And you have to get more than 50% of them to vote yes. Its almost as easy as getting 50 senators to vote yes on something. Kennesaw State student presents undergraduate research at international conference KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 15, 2023 Kennesaw State University student Edwin Trejo-Rivera said that having opportunities to conduct research is an experience he never expected to have at an undergraduate level. The junior psychology major from Marietta not only had that opportunity but also, over the summer, presented his research on a global scale at the Interamerican Congress of Psychology in Paraguay. Trejo-Riveras research titled Examining differences in psychological capital, burnout, and work engagement among women in leadership positions, focuses on factors affecting the mental health of women leaders. The conference organized by the Interamerican Society of Psychology took place in June in Asuncion, Paraguay. My research is part of a larger project working with other researchers, Trejo-Rivera said. We analyzed how the gender identity of women in leadership positions and the stereotyped characteristics of the position affect their psychosocial well-being. Trejo-Rivera collaborated with Israel Sanchez-Cardona, KSU associate professor of psychology and associate director of the AMES Research Center, and Maria Vera, a professor at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Sevilla, Spain. It was Dr. Veras and Dr. Sanchez-Cardonas idea to collect and analyze data from the U.S. and Spain. The project is ultimately trying to investigate more about women in leadership positions and the associated stereotypes that interfere with their mental health, Trejo-Rivera said. The results demonstrated that women in leadership positions who identify with a complete range of human traits masculine and feminine showed higher work-related well-being. Trejo-Rivera said the most rewarding part of the conference was the opportunity to interact with colleagues from various Latin American countries. When studying psychology, you are studying the needs of people. The needs of the people can be different in Western societies than in Latin America, Trejo-Rivera said. It was a nice experience to witness and to consider different perspectives. Trejo-Rivera, who refers to Sanchez-Cardona as his mentor, began working with the professor in 2021 in conjunction with the First-Year Scholars Program. In two years of rigorous research collaboration, it has been a privilege to witness exponential growth in Edwins proficiency and acumen as a researcher, Sanchez-Cardona said. His commitment to academic excellence and relentless drive make me confident in his ability to continue making strides in his future endeavors. Trejo-Rivera said he is grateful for the resources Kennesaw State University provided for his experience, specifically, the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences Student Grant Program in assisting with travel funding to present his research. Trejo-Rivera also serves as an intern for KSUs Center for the Advancement of Military and Emergency Services Research (AMES Research). He just finished collaborating in developing training for suicide prevention among military veterans, analyzing survey results, and generally supporting the staff. The research experience Ive gained through KSU has given me the opportunity to expand my network, and I know it will help me in the future. Trejo-Rivera said. By Ana Johnson Photos submitted Related Stories A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 43,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu. Uganda has witnessed three music battles; Chameleone against Bobi Wine at Kati Kati, Bebe Cool vs Bobi Wine and Goodlyfe against Bebe Cool. However, until today, the winner has never been announced. It was left for the audience to judge who took the day. This evening, Uganda will witness the first female battle between Sheebah and Cindy at Kololo Airstrip. Efforts to have this battle earlier hit a dead end when it was revealed that Sheebah and her team at the time had asked for Shslb to battle Cindy. At the beginning of this year, this same deal was brought back on the table, this time spearheaded by Swangz Avenue and the label engaged both parties, who all agreed to the terms and conditions of the contract which had an offer of Shs100m for each but before it could happen, Sheebah announced her Yolo Festival, followed by Cindy. Before we knew it, there was a music battle. Isaac Ssejjombwe takes a look at the history of both artistes as they warm up for the show. Read more Calling all polka dancers and anyone who likes to dance. The General Pulaski Association is looking for dancers to help set a new world record for the Worlds Largest Polka Dance as part of the annual Pulaski Day Festival on Sept. 23 in Niagara Square. The current record of 802 polka dancers was set in Germany in 2013. If you dont know how to polka, dont worry about it. You will learn within seconds," said Joseph Mikolaj Rej Jr., president of the General Pulaski Association. "Plenty of happy people will be on hand to help you follow their lead. You will have lots of fun, make memories, and put your name in the history books. To participate, you need to officially be counted by registering by Sept. 20 at eventbrite.com. The $10 fee includes an individually numbered World's Largest Polka Dance badge and a Buffalo Polonia reusable bag filled with gifts. Participants must check in at the registration tent no later than 3 p.m. Sept. 23 and be ready to polka at 3:25 p.m. The first dance is set for 3:30 p.m. The day starts at noon with the 85th Pulaski Day Parade on Delaware Avenue and Edward Street, heading along Delaware Avenue to Niagara Square where the festival will run from 1 to 9 p.m. The dance starts at 3:30 p.m. with the four-time Grammy-nominated Polka Family Band playing from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The free festival includes two stages with five bands, dance groups plus food, drink, a cultural tent, vendors, braid Babes, raffles and Western New York's largest dessert tent. The Attorney General Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka has asked the Anti-Corruption Court to dismiss an application in which the former Executive Director of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) David Ebiru is seeking to halt his trial on bribery charges until investigations are completed. Prosecution alleges that between October and December 2022, Ebiru offered a gratification of Shs100 million to Charles Masekuura, the Chairperson of the UNBS board, in an attempt to secure his position as the Executive Director, UNBS. Ebiru filed a case against the Attorney General, challenging the trial and an application seeking to halt the trial. He claims that there is a pending warrant of arrest in the Anti-Corruption Court, and there is an imminent threat of its enforcement, rendering his application useless. In the main substantive case, Ebiru seeks to have the criminal summons, warrant of arrest, and trial declared illegal. When the matter came up for hearing today before Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, the Attorney General through Principal State Attorney Wanyama Kodoli asked the court to dismiss the application for a temporary injunction on grounds that the Anti Corruption Court Division has no jurisdiction to hear human rights enforcement matters which have been brought before it. The National Physical Planning Board (NFPD) has launched the first-ever development plan for Arua City with a call to the City leadership to work together towards the implementation, compliance, and enforcement of the citys Plan. The Board Chairperson, Amanda Ngabirano while speaking to different stakeholders in Arua City said working together will ensure effective land usage. She adds that a well-organised urban setting will be a big opportunity that will in the long run also generate revenue for orderly and real growth. She also wants leaders to speak out about the physical development plan an initiative that she believes will make people responsible. This is the second physical development plan to be launched in a space of one day, with Gulus launched first on Wednesday. The Electoral Commission is concerned about the low voter turnout registered in recent by-elections. The Commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama was speaking in reference to Omoro, Bukedea and the just concluded Hoima LC5 by-election where the EC registered a turnout of just 34% of the registered 94,532 voters. Meanwhile, the leader of opposition in parliament Mr. Mathias Mpuuga blames this apparent lack of interest in the electoral processes by the population on widespread and recurrent irregularities. Yesterdays by-election saw the NRM candidate Uthman Mugisha emerge winner of with over 18,300 votes, against his closest challenger Savana Muhumuzas 12,000 (independent) and NUPs Moses Aguuda who had 3,900 votes. The Hoima LCV chairperson seat fell vacant following the death of Kadiri Kirungi in a road crash that occurred in Kiboga along the Kampala-Hoima highway in March this year. Government plans to completely phase out school fees under the free education initiative after President Musevenis move to allow the education ministry meet the needs of government-aided schools. The president has been concerned about the exorbitant charges he says have contributed to high school dropout rates. The assistant commissioner in charge of secondary education at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr. Moses Musingo says they discussed the matter with the president He was speaking at the 10th annual national conference on economic, social, and cultural rights held at Makerere University under the theme Human capital development: The cost of education in the era of the third National Development Plan. The president asked why schools are still charging learners yet they are getting capitation grants. He said instead of telling him how much schools charge, we should tell him the budget figure so that he can find the money. We have given him the budget that Cabinet has passed. Beginning 2025, we can actually have the money to ensure that parents in primary schools are not charged. By 2027, we shall have the money to ensure that parents in USE schools are not charged because government will be able to cater for the costs that they have been paying for, Musingo said. Angela Kalule Nabwohe, the executive director at the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights has underscored the need to regulate current school charges. Relatedly; The National Planning Authority says there will be need to drastically increase capitation grants for all levels of education in order to ensure quality education Currently, government provides Shs20,000 for each learner studying in government-aided primary schools annually and Shs255,000 per student in lower secondary schools. The senior planner in charge of economic governance and management at the Authority, Mr. Samuel Kasule says the current capitation grant is too low to enable delivery of quality education Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have asked government to increase awareness on HIV/AIDS among adolescent girls and young women in the country. According to recent (2022) data from the Uganda AIDS Commission, the average HIV prevalence stands at 5.1 percent, but when broken down, women had high rates of 6.5 percent with men at 3.9 percent. According to Bridget Amutwongire, the communications and media officer at Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Uganda Care, adolescents and young women lack sensitization and knowledge about HIV prevention and treatment, especially in rural areas. Meanwhile, the Head of Advocacy and Strategic Litigation at Uganda Network of Law, Ethics and HIV AIDS (UGANET), Ms Immaculate Owomugisha says there is need for change in the way HIV and sexual reproductive messages are communicated in the country. She further pointed out the need to fix the information gaps at the family level, asking parents to create time for their children especially those born with HIV. A Buffalo woman has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with the vandalism of a sign outside an anti-abortion medical clinic in Amherst in March. Hannah E. Kamke, 40, agreed to pay $2,580 in restitution as part of the plea arrangement. Kamke originally was charged with third-degree criminal mischief following the March 15 spray painting of a business sign outside of CompassCare on Eggert Road in Amherst. Disorderly conduct is a violation. Amherst Town Justice Geoffrey K. Klein also sentenced Kamke to a one-year conditional discharge and ordered her to stay away from CompassCare, which provides pregnancy health care services and counsels against abortions. Kamke admitted she spray painted LIARS in bright red paint across the white business sign outside the facility at around 11:30 p.m. on March 15. CompassCare officials could not be reached for comment Friday. CompassCare CEO James Harden told The Buffalo News after Kamkes arrest that he believed the graffiti might be a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act. He also said he believes the vandalism was related to a 2022 firebombing of the facility that caused an estimated $150,000 in damages. The arson in June of 2022 was accompanied by the words Jane was here being written on the side of the building. Janes Revenge is a militant pro-choice group that claimed to be behind a fire set last year at an anti-abortion office in Madison, Wis. Police have not made any arrests in the firebombing. The FBI last November released images of the suspects and their vehicle and offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest. It will soon be time for the New Ross Piano Festival, which runs from September 20-24 in St Marys Church of Ireland in New Ross. There is something to please everyone. Some of the concerts are free. Some are in the morning and some late at night. Some are short and others quite long. There is classical music, some well known and some rarely heard. Theres even completely newly commissioned music inspired by the Dunbrody Famine Ship no less, having its Irish premiere. There is jazz piano of the highest standard. It When it comes to the classical aspect of the piano repertoire, this year there is a lot of Rachmaninov, on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Lucy Parham is bringing the actor Tim McInnerny to perform Elegie, a musical journey through Rachmaninovs life and compositions. Readers may know Tim from his appearances in Blackadder and Game of thrones amongst numerous other TV and film roles. One of Britains finest pianists, Lucy Parham applies her sensitivity and imagination not only to concertos and recitals, but also to portraits in words and music of such composers as Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and now Rachmaninov. Cellist Alexander Chaushian is renowned for his Rachmaninov interpretations and performs regularly at venues such as the Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Konzerthaus Vienna, Suntory Hall Japan, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York, and Symphony Hall in Boston. He will join with Yevgeny Sudbin to perform Rachmaninovs Sonata for cello and piano. Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin has been hailed by The Telegraph as potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century. All of Yevgenys recordings have met with critical acclaim and are regularly featured as CD of the Month by BBC Music Magazine or Editors Choice by Gramophone. In the opening main concert on Friday evening there will be two lovely Rachmaninov works. Cellist Alexander Chaushian will play the Vocalise with Finghin Collins, the Festival Artistic Director. Yumeka Nakagawa, the young winner of the Clara Haskil piano competition, will be joined by Alexander and the violinist Mirijam Contzen to play the Trio Elegiaque, a piece that is said to be influenced by his admiration of Tchaikovsky. The last item played at the Festival will be Rachmaninov too, his Preludes, Op. 23, No. 4 and the familiar No 5. Of course there are lots more composers featured, and some wonderful pianists. Someone to look forward to is Kit Downes, who is a BBC Jazz Award winning, Mercury Music Award nominated solo recording artist for ECM Records. He will perform on Thursday evening. Earlier that day Belfast man, Scott Flanagan will give a lunchtime gig in the church. He will be joined by familiar faces, Dave Redmond on bass and Kevin Brady on drums. Scott will also be playing solo in the Dunbrody at 11 and 3, for two free sessions. Ellen Jansson is no stranger to New Ross and is one of Irelands foremost pianists. She was the solo pianist who marked the 2020 Festival with a very touching concert that was organised to mark the Festival, which was cancelled that year. Ellen will be speaking and playing to second level music students and also giving a free public recital on Friday, the 22nd at noon. Canadian Meagan Milatz is coming over to play the Canadian composition about the Dunbrody. She will also play a solo recital on Saturday at noon as well as taking part in each evening concert. Mirijam Contzen on the violin will join Alexander Chaushian for the usual chamber music element of the Piano Festival. She is an enthusiastic chamber player who has performed with such luminaries as Emanuel Ax, Janine Jansen, and Joshua Bell. One of features of the festival is this mixture of the familiar and the lesser known. During the Festival Yumeka will play Chopins 24 Preludes Op.28, and Finghin will perform the beautiful Schubert piano Trio in E flat, as well as Chopins Nocturnes Op 9, nos 1 and 2. There will be Schumann, both Robert and Clara, Liszt, Berg and Scriabin, Mozart and Martin and other composers something to satisfy everyone. Although this is primarily a classical music festival, there are other strands to explore. The Thursday is all about Jazz. Kitt Downes has toured the world playing piano, church organ and harmonium. He will give the evening concert. Scott Flanigan recently featured on the All about Jazz website, and performs regularly across the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe, and has recently collaborated with Van Morrison, the Ulster Orchestra, Rob Luft, Jim Mullen and Linley Hamilton. His trio will perform at lunchtime and he himself will give two free solo recitals during the day at the Dunbrody Visitor Centre. The festival has always encouraged a youth element, in several ways. There is one whole evening concert given by 20 young piano students from the South East on Wednesday at 7.30, there are sessions in the library with primary school children, and the Friday talk and recital to second level students in the church, as well as a public master-class with one of the guest pianists, Lucy Parham, and two advanced students on the Saturday afternoon in the Parish Centre. For more, see www.newrosspianofestival.com LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Chile's Codelco is ending long-term contracts to sell copper concentrate to Chinese clients from 2025, bidding to broaden its product offering to them after evaluating its production outlook, five sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The sources said Codelco is aiming to replace exclusively copper concentrate deals with others that include concentrate and value-added intermediate products such as blister and anode which are derived from concentrate and can be turned into copper metal or cathode. Some Chinese customers have protested against the changes, but will have to accept new contract negotiations that include intermediates because they will need Codelco's concentrates at a time when deficits are expected, the sources said. The Chilean miner wants to restructure its sales strategy and agreements because of uncertainty about whether it can meet its contractual obligations, the sources said. "Some measures adopted are due to the normal management of Codelco's commercial product portfolio and not to availability adjustments and/or lower production," Codelco said in response to a request for a comment. "Codelco continually updates its contracts according to the prevailing dynamics in the market." Operational problems at the state-owned miner saw its production slip last year to about 1.46 million metric tons, the lowest in around a quarter of a century and output has slipped further this year. Codelco is expected to produce between 1.31 million to 1.35 million metric tons of copper a key material for the power and construction industries. Output at the world's largest copper producer has been dropping despite $15 billion invested in flagship mines including El Teniente and Chuquicamata where costs have overrun significantly, according to an influential industry body. The sources, all of whom have long-term contracts with Codelco, said they had been receiving termination notices from Codelco from July to August and that the company wanted to start new agreements with different terms. Two of the sources said Codelco was ending their evergreen supply contracts from 2025. Evergreen contracts introduced by Codelco in 2018 are two-year and three-year deals which roll over annually, in which customers can be assured of certain amounts a year. Codelco accounts for 29% of Chile's copper production. Chile's congressional committee in late August launched an investigation to review Codelco's corporate structure and project delays. China is the world's biggest buyer of mined copper with its import volume accounting for over 60% of the world's total. The world's largest consumer of industrial metals bought 25.3 million tonnes of copper concentrates last year, according to International Copper Study Group. The global copper concentrate market is expected to see a steep deficit during 2025-2027 as Asian and African smelters ramp up capacity, outpacing mine supply. (Reporting by Julian Luk; additional reporting by Fabian Cambero; writing by Pratima Desai; editing by Veronica Brown and David Evans) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Chile's Codelco was the world's largest copper mining company in Q2 2023 (based on attributable copper tonnes), followed by BHP and Freeport-McMoRan. The top 10 copper producers mined 2,294 ktonnes of copper in Q2 2023, down 2% compared to Q2 2022. Kitco ranked the top 10 largest copper mining companies worldwide based on their reported attributable copper production in Q2 2023. 1. Codelco, 332 ktonnes. Production at the Chilean mining giant Codelco, the world's largest copper mining company, declined 16% year-on-year to 332 thousand tonnes (incl. Codelco's stake in El Abra and Anglo American Sur) in Q2 2023. The company said the decline in production was mainly driven by operational difficulties due to "adverse weather conditions" in June, as well as maintenance activities, primarily in central southern operations. Additionally, lower ore grades at Ministro Hales and Gabriela Mistral operations, along with reduced mineral processing at the Chuquicamata open pit, significantly affected production. 2. BHP, 328 ktonnes. BHP is second with 328 thousand tonnes of copper (attributable) mined in Q2 2023, up 5% compared to Q2 2022. The company said that its Q2 2023 copper production increased primarily due to inclusion of two months of production from Prominent Hill, Carrapateena and Carajas (BHP completed the acquisition of OZ Minerals on 2 May 2023). 3. Freeport-McMoRan, 324 ktonnes. Freeport-McMoRan landed third as the company's attributable ("less noncontrolling interests") copper production amounted to 324 thousand tonnes in Q2 2023, which is a decline of 17% compared to Q2 2022, primarily due to lower ore grades at the company's operations in North America. 4. Zijin Mining, 248 ktonnes. China's Zijin Mining, which controls the largest volumes of copper and gold resources overseas among Chinese companies, ranked fourth, with its mine-produced copper of 248 thousand tonnes reported for Q2 2023, up 15% from Q2 2022. 5. Glencore, 244 ktonnes. Glencore sits fifth. The company's Q2 2023 own sourced copper production of 244 thousand tonnes was 3% lower than in Q2 2022 primarily due to expected mining sequences at Collahuasi and Antamina, as well as lower copper by-products outside the company's copper department. 6. Southern Copper, 228 ktonnes. Southern Copper (part of Grupo Mexico) is sixth. The company's mined copper production in Q2 2023 registered an increase of 9.6% year-over-year and amounted to 228 ktonnes. The company said that its quarterly production results reflect higher output at all of its operations. 7. First Quantum, 187 ktonnes. First Quantum sits seventh. The company's copper production in Q2 2023 was 187 thousand tonnes, down 3% compared to Q2 2022. 8. Anglo American, 141 ktonnes. Anglo American moved up in the ranking as its attributable copper production increased by 44% y-o-y to 141 thousand tonnes in Q2 2023, primarily due to the ramp-up of production from its new Quellaveco mine in Peru. 9. Rio Tinto, 131 ktonnes. Rio Tinto is ninth as its Q2 2023 attributable mined copper production of 131 thousand tonnes was 4% higher than in Q2 2022. 10. KGHM, 131 ktonnes. Polish mining giant KGHM landed tenth in Q2 2023. The company's production of payable copper was 5% lower compared to Q2 2022 and amounted to 131 thousand tonnes. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The December blizzard made clear that regular rescue cars and trucks have serious drawbacks in a major winter storm. So Erie County is ramping up training efforts to get more first responders trained on all-terrain vehicles and utility task vehicles ATVs and UTVs. It has also been renewing focus on the countys capacity to mobilize non-traditional vehicle fleets, both public and private, when future storm emergencies occur. With blizzard behind him, Sheriff Garcia plans to be better prepared for next catastrophic storm Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said some early decisions have already been made about ways the Sheriff's Office can improve the county's response. About $25,000 has been allocated this year for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for that purpose. That money will go to an outside company to provide training to more first responders and other agencies, such as utility companies, on safe ATV and UTV use. Unlike regular trainings, these intensive, week-long sessions are meant to develop a new crop of trainers, who can then conduct more local training sessions for regular users. Meanwhile, Erie County legislators say they want a more comprehensive update from county departments on future winter emergency preparedness, in light of the shortfalls seen in December. Public Safety Committee Chairman Howard Johnson, D-Buffalo, said he plans to convene such a meeting in October or November to make sure everyone is reading off the same sheet of music. He also said that asking how departments have improved upon weaknesses cited in the countys post-blizzard reports may be part of that process. Minority Leader John Mills, R-Orchard Park, said October would be the best time to get an update on where emergency preparedness efforts stand. Theres got to be benchmarks, he said. Erie County blizzard reports released, raising concerns about 'overwhelmed' 858-SNOW help line The analysis reports, created by department heads, recount how administrators struggled to meet public needs in the face of overwhelming demands during the Christmas week blizzard. Daniel Neaverth, commissioner of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said more than 150 first responders have received ATV/UTV training through the county. UTVs are larger than regular ATVs, have enclosed cabin space, and are better equipped to handle passengers or haul heavy loads. The county UTV vehicles purchased are also more likely to have track capabilities, like the kinds seen on tanks. While the county has been offering ATV and UTV training for some time, he said, the need for more training sessions to meet increased demand is the result of December blizzard that resulted in 47 deaths. Since then, many local government agencies, including Erie County, have purchased non-traditional vehicles better equipped to deal with heavy snowfalls. The county and the Erie County Snowmobile Federation, which represents 10 snowmobile clubs and about 3,000 members, have reached an agreement to coordinate so that major pieces of snow-grooming and snow-moving equipment used by the private clubs can be strategically placed and ready to go into action prior to the next major snow emergency. The agreement is also designed to protect the county against liability. Erie County, snowmobile clubs working on formal blizzard response agreement Erie County has reached an agreement in principle with the Erie County Snowmobile Federation to help in snow emergencies after start-and-stop talks going back nearly a decade. An official, legal agreement has not been signed, resulting in some criticism about foot dragging, but Neaverth said he is sure that one will be signed soon. Developing a roster of private snowmobile owners, who would volunteer to assist with rescue efforts, is a much taller order, Neaverth said. That is Phase Two, but we have to figure out what is the best way of doing that, he said. On Thursday, the Public Safety Committee approved spending $8,000 to contract with the ATV Safety Institute to offer a weeklong training for prospective future trainers. That training requires participants to pass an initial written test, participate in a week of hands-on boot camp, then pass a challenging post-course test to be certified as instructors. So far, the training has been extended to members of the Erie County Sheriffs Office; other city and town fire and police agencies; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority; and utility agencies such as National Fuel, Neaverth said. Mills said he thinks legislators deserve a more comprehensive understanding of what work the county has undertaken to prevent future loss of life in winter weather-related disasters. He noted that severe, life-threatening winter storms are coming closer together and are no longer once-in-a-generation. Neaverth said he looks forward to the county having the opportunity share what has been done. Theres not a day thats gone by, since last winter, that we havent worked on new programs or tried to improve the programs we have, he said. Theres certainly nothing to hide here. Theres a lot of great that work that deserves to be highlighted. Buffalo police charged two men with illegally possessing guns following a raid on Sussex Street Wednesday morning, the department announced Friday. Buffalo SWAT executed a search warrant at a home on Sussex, between Deerfield and Humber avenues, in the citys Delavan-Grider neighborhood, Buffalo police said in a news release. Police found two loaded AR-style pistols, a loaded .25-caliber pistol, ammunition and three large bags of marijuana. Edward Vance, 38, and Demetrious Dixon, 36, both were charged with three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to police. Both have prior convictions for gun possession and are legally prohibited from possessing firearms, police said. The raid followed an investigation by the Buffalo Police Departments Intelligence Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Aaron Besecker After three and a half years of trying, the FBI finally cracked the passcode for the iPhone police seized from accused killer and drug trafficker Lavon Parks. The 71,000 pages of downloaded information, said a prosecutor, delivered a cornucopia of drug evidence. But a federal judge will not allow prosecutors to use any of it not even the deleted internet searches asking about what it takes to be convicted of murder. When we got into the phone, we found other evidence, including multiple searches on the search history about what is needed to convict (someone of) murder in New York before he was charged with murder four times, Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Higgins told the judge in July. At first, the timing seemed good for prosecutors, getting the new evidence in January, months ahead of the scheduled July trial. But the timing bothered U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo, who said the new evidence arrived after prosecutorial missteps months earlier had delayed the trial that was originally scheduled for last fall. Without that delay, the trial would have been held before the FBI unlocked the passcode. So Vilardo disallowed all of the iPhone evidence, dealing a blow to the prosecutors case. The U.S. Attorneys Office has appealed his decision to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Parks, 32, and his father, James C. Parks, 59, face narcotics and firearms charges. The most serious one discharge of a firearm causing death would imprison them for at least 10 years and possibly life, if convicted. Vilardo postponed the autumn trial over concerns the government did not promptly turn over evidence to the defense. The judge described it as a Brady violation, referring to a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires prosecutors to provide defendants with evidence that could aid the defense. If not for the prosecutions mistakes, Vilardo said, the trial would have proceeded last autumn before the FBI cracked the passcode and prosecutors gained the new evidence. The trial got adjourned due to no fault of the defense, and so now the government has evidence that they wish to introduce, and you shouldnt let them do it, said attorney Cheryl Meyers Buth, who represents Lavon Parks, at the July hearing. Its just patently unfair. The judge agreed. It wasnt the first time Vilardo had concerns about evidence disclosure by prosecutors. It is a pattern that Ive seen from the U.S. Attorneys Office in cases in front of me, and that Ive read about in other cases in this district, that the government seems to take its obligations to provide materials to the defense in criminal cases as aspirational and not a requirement, Vilardo said at a hearing for Lavon and James Parks in December. And that concerns me. I dont think that this is a case in which the government intentionally hid stuff from the defense to gain a tactical advantage, Vilardo said. I dont think this is a case where there were intentional decisions to deny the defense material. On the other hand, I think there were mistakes made by the government. The U.S. Attorneys Office declined to comment. Its not entirely clear what evidence is at issue because most court filings in the case are sealed, even the judges written decision suppressing the iPhone evidence. Six shots On Nov. 30, 2017, police in Tennessee stopped the Niagara Falls father and son for traffic infractions. A search of their rental vehicle revealed four packages of cocaine wrapped with plastic and duct tape concealed in the spare tire area, according to court records. In May of that year, a postal inspector identified a suspicious postal parcel mailed by Lavon Parks from a San Juan post office to a Niagara Falls address. A search of the parcel revealed a kilogram of cocaine wrapped into a brick and concealed within a toaster oven. According to an indictment, between May 2017 and March 2019, the father and son, along with five other defendants, engaged in a conspiracy to sell cocaine in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo. The U.S. Attorneys Office said the investigation included a series of controlled buys and payments involving Lavon Parks, described as the leader of the major drug-dealing operation. Police seized nearly 19 pounds of cocaine and $52,000 from parcels shipped from Puerto Rico to locations in New York, Florida, Alaska, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Prosecutors also say Lavon Parks shot and killed 21-year-old Kevin Turner on the afternoon of Jan. 21, 2018, as Turner exited a residence on Niagara Street in Niagara Falls. The father and son have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors believe Lavon Parks was concerned about his drug territory and targeted the rival drug dealer. Prosecutors say they have evidence of Lavon and James Parks driving around the Niagara Falls neighborhood in James Parks truck shortly before Turner was killed. Two crack users, who sold heroin for Lavon Parks, texted him when Turner was at their apartment building, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors called it a setup, letting Lavon Parks know when and where to find Turner. Six shots were fired as Turner walked out of the house. This was not an exchange of gunshots, said Laura A. Higgins, a federal prosecutor at the time of Lavon Parks detention hearing in May 2019. This was one, two, three, four, five, six. Im going to make sure youre dead. Completely proper Caitlin Higgins, the prosecutor currently on the case, called it happenstance the prosecution gained the new evidence against Lavon Parks after the trial delay. The government was completely proper in everything we did with respect to this phone, she told the judge. We sought a warrant. It was under the software trying to get into it, because the defendant he had a right to do this didnt provide the passcode. We were permissibly allowed to be in that phone, she said. But Vilardo concluded it would simply be fundamentally unfair to allow the government to put the cellphone evidence in. Allowing the iPhone evidence would give the government an advantage from what he found to be a Brady violation, Vilardo said, noting that is a coincidental happenstance advantage, even though its simply because of the dumb luck of the situation that the trial was put off. Prosecutors worry the judges reasoning could mean the same fate for any new evidence ahead of the trial. The judges decision carved out some of our case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti said at the July hearing. My question to the court ... when does it stop? Violanti asked the judge. By precluding it from trial, that court is essentially saying we cant have any other evidence. U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi attends a press conference during the International Atomic Energy Agency 's (IAEA) 35-nation Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 11. Reuters-Yonhap The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday he cannot conceive Russia engaging in trade of nuclear weapons technology with North Korea, amid growing concerns over their military cooperation following a recent bilateral summit. In an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he doesn't believe that a nuclear weapons state, such as Russia, recognized in the Nonproliferation Treaty "would engage in trade or transfer of any nuclear weapons technology to a country which is by de facto outside the regime." "I cannot conceive that countries would engage in trade or in exchanges (of nuclear weapons technology) with a country that has such a problematic relation with the nonproliferation regime like the DPRK," Grossi told Yonhap in the video interview held online. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. Grossi also insisted Russia, in its dealings with North Korea, was aware of its obligations as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. "I pretty much hope that this will continue to be the case," he added. The summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin was held Wednesday at the Vostochny space center in eastern Russia in their first meeting in more than four years. Their meeting comes as Pyongyang has recently been seeking to bolster military ties with Moscow and doubling down on its weapons development amid growing security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan. Grossi stressed Russia "can help" North Korea engage with the IAEA or create "confidence building avenues" that have been severed between the North and other countries, including South Korea. In response to North Korea's partial opening of its border after more than three years of COVID-19 curbs, Grossi said the IAEA has not had discussions with Pyongyang over the agency's nuclear inspectors, who were expelled in 2009, reentering the country. Regarding activities at the North's nuclear complex, the director general said there has been a continuation of "very concerning elements." Grossi said in a statement to the IAEA board of governors Monday that North Korea's nuclear test site at Punggye-ri remains prepared to support a nuclear test, and that the agency continues to see indications of nearby activities. "What we have is a program that is completely out of any supervisory control, any interaction with any independent monitoring authority or expertise in nuclear safety," he said, and stressed that his agency was following related developments with "enormous interest." "We are available, we are engaged and we want, of course, for North Korea to engage with us." (Yonhap) Angola, IN (46703) Today Snow showers around this evening. Clearing skies later. Low 23F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%.. Tonight Snow showers around this evening. Clearing skies later. Low 23F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Snow ending this evening followed by clearing late. Low 24F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Snow ending this evening followed by clearing late. Low 24F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 23F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 23F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%. The affidavit says the student's mother said her child was in trouble at school and the elected consequence was corporal punishment and the mother consented. Around 1 a.m. on a hot night early in the Covid-19 pandemic, Joseph A. Marasco stood across Morgan Street yelling every vulgarity in the book at a man he didnt know who just confronted him. About 15 minutes later, a neighbor says he saw the man who was being yelled at, Matthew R. Gerwitz, get into his silver Lexus sedan. Gerwitz drove up to within a few feet of Marasco, who was still standing across the street. At that point, I heard the loud bang and I saw the flash, said Mark Pitcher, who lived next door to Gerwitz. Pitcher testified Friday as Gerwitzs murder and attempted murder trial began in Erie County Court. Gerwitz, 31, has been accused of killing Marasco and trying to kill six City of Tonawanda police officers in two shootings described by prosecutors as senseless, deliberate chaos. They happened within a few hours of each other in the early morning of May 26, 2020. Gerwitz faces a murder charge and six counts of attempted murder of a police officer, as well as five weapons possession counts. Six City of Tonawanda cops cited for valor after shooting Six City of Tonawanda police officers who apprehended an armed suspect last year during an ambush that left a veteran detective wounded will receive Commendation of Valor awards Tuesday. Now-retired City of Tonawanda Police Detective David Ljiljanich was injured in the shooting, taking two shots to his bulletproof vest and more to his groin and hip. Prosecutors say the gun Gerwitz used to kill Marasco, 32, was a ghost gun, one of several he assembled himself. The AR-style-rifle used to fire at police was illegally modified, according to prosecutors. Gerwitz shot Marasco without any plausible explanation, Assistant Erie County District Attorney Nicholas Bussi told jurors in his opening statement. Prosecutors played for the jury video footage from a doorbell security camera that included the sound of a gunshot, immediately followed by a person yelling, Call 911! Gerwitz left the area after the first shooting, but his car was low on gas and he had nowhere to go, Bussi said. A couple hours later he came back to the scene, which was surrounded by police tape and lit up by lights from a fire truck. AG's lawsuit against ghost gun parts dealers cites Tonawanda murder case An affidavit sheds new light on how Matthew Gerwitz allegedly obtained his weapons. The document was filed as part of the states lawsuit to stop six out-of-state firearms distributors from illegally selling untraceable easy to assemble ghost gun parts to New York residents without conducting background checks. Gerwitz got back into his apartment and then got into a shootout with police as they tried to get him to exit his home, the prosecutor said. He fired at a detective on the porch, two officers near the porch and toward a police cruiser in the street. Down Morgan Street, he also fired at two officers who were responding to the scene of an officer shot. He unleashed pure mayhem, chaos and terror upon an innocent victim and six police officers, Bussi said. Marasco, a friend and the friends fiancee had been hanging out a Marascos house on Morgan that night. After midnight, they decided to go to a 7-Eleven a couple blocks away at Seymour and Broad streets. The friend, Michael Kosztowniak, and his fiancee drove to the store, but Marasco insisted on walking because he wanted to play the video game Pokemon Go on his phone, Kosztowniak testified. He walked past Gerwitzs apartment on Morgan on the way to the store. When Marasco got to the store, he told his friend that while on the walk a man told him to get away from his car, Kosztowniak said. The man also added or something bad will happen to you, Kostowniak testified his friend told him. DA: Suspect in police shooting accused of using 'homemade' guns in attacks The City of Tonawanda man accused of shooting an acquaintance in a drive-by early Tuesday and then wounding a police detective used two homemade guns in the attacks, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn Jr. said Wednesday. Matthew Gerwitz, 28, was arraigned Wednesday on two counts of first-degree attempted murder of police officers, one count of second-degree attempted Marasco was angry and wanted to go back to the scene of the confrontation, near Morgan and Clinton streets, Kosztowniak told the jury. The three drove back and Marasco yelled an expletive at the man and told him to come out here and talk to me like a man, Kosztowniak said. That is when a car pulled up to Marasco and there was the sound of a large pop, he said. In his opening statement, Frank M. Bogulski, Gerwitzs defense attorney, told jurors the case was not as simple as prosecutors wanted them to think. Bogulski said his client never intended to hurt anyone that night, which he said is shown in his clients demeanor in video of his interview with police. Gerwitz told police he was abandoned at a young age by his mother, Bogulski said, adding that his client has issues with trust. Like for many others, the pandemic was a stressful time for Gerwitz, Bogulski said. Gerwitz did not have any supporters in the courtroom for the start of the trial Friday morning. Gerwitzs trial is expect to last at least until late next week. SHREVEPORT, La. -- If you knew you were going to go somewhere, but would never return, would Commission closes the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism Why is the Commission putting an end to the CVM? The CVM is brought to an end when all the benchmarks are satisfactorily met, as set out in the CVM Decisions. Bulgaria and Romania have now met all the benchmarks and fulfilled all the recommendations under the CVM. Already in our last reports for both Member States, [BG 2019, RO 2022] we concluded that they have made sufficient progress in meeting their commitments at the time of their accession to the EU and that all CVM benchmarks have been satisfactorily fulfilled. Both countries needed to continue working to implement specific commitments listed in the conclusions of the reports. This work was completed in June 2023. The sustainability and irreversibility of reforms, as well as all other relevant rule of law issues, will continue to be monitored in the Rule of Law reports, as for all Member States. With the CVM closed, how will remaining shortcomings and possible new emerging issues be monitored and addressed? As for all Member States, monitoring continues within the Rule of Law Cycle. The annual Rule of Law Report examines several issues explored previously under the CVM, as well as many other topics, and serves as a preventive measure helping to address remaining shortcomings and possible new emerging issues. Bulgaria and Romania have shown commitment to this process, and it has proven to be a relevant tool for the Commission to pursue work with both countries on necessary reforms. The Commission has also strengthened its Rule of Law toolbox since the CVM was established. It includes both preventive tools with the Rule of Law cycle and annual reports with recommendations, as well as reactive tools such as infringement procedures or the conditionality regulation. In addition, the Bulgarian and Romanian Recovery and Resilience Plans include concrete milestones on rule of law issues, such as judicial reform and anti-corruption frameworks. Do Member States have to agree and reach conclusions before the Commission can put an end to the mechanism? Revoking the CVM is a Commission Decision, which does not require prior Council approval. Under the 2nd subparagraph of Articles 37 and 38 of the Act of Accession, which constitute the legal basis for the two CVM Decisions, the Commission shall inform the Council in good time before revoking the safeguard measures [the Mechanism], and it shall duly take into account any observations of the Council in this respect'. On 5 July 2023, the Commission informed both the Council and the European Parliament of its intention to formally close the CVM for Bulgaria and Romania. The Commission has taken account of the Council's observations as provided in the Act of Accession and has now taken the decision to definitively close the CVM. Are all issues covered previously under the CVM also covered under the Rule of Law Cycle? The Commission's annual Rule of Law Report has a broader scope than the reports under the CVM, which were limited to the benchmarks set out in the Decision establishing the CVM. Besides judicial independence and anti-corruption, the Rule of Law report covers also aspects on media freedom and pluralism and on other institutional checks and balances. What about Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania? The Commission has always been very clear that we need to open the Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania. For 12 years Bulgaria and Romania have continuously met all the necessary conditions to join the Schengen area, as set out in the Schengen Regulation. Schengen enlargement remains a political priority for the Commission. Bulgaria and Romania should be allowed to fully participate in the Schengen area without further delay. The Commission has never made a link between Schengen accession and the CVM, as these are separate strands of work, each with its own requirements. For More Information Press release All CVM Reports Rule of Law Reports Zarazeno pa 15.09.2023 10:09:00 Zdroj Evropska komise en Original ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=QANDA/23/4458&language=en lang en guid /QANDA/23/4458/ An Allegany County man who last month woke up next to a dead government witness in the Pharaohs strip club case is now the target of a witness tampering investigation, federal prosecutors said Thursday. FBI raids house while investigating death of witness against strip club owner FBI agents executed a search warrant at an Allegany County home last week while investigating the death of a former exotic dancer who was going to testify as a prosecution witness at the trial of strip club owner Peter Gerace Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Cooper told a judge that his office intends to file witness tampering charges against Simon P. Gogolack 39, of Wellsville. Gogolack already faces felony charges of conspiring to sell narcotics, maintaining a drug-involved premises and three firearms offenses. In an indictment that was unsealed Thursday, prosecutors said the deadly narcotic fentanyl is one of the drugs allegedly sold by Gogolack. A previously convicted drug dealer, Gogolack has been been under federal investigation since Aug. 1, when former exotic dancer Crystal Quinn, 37, died in Gogolacks home of what authorities suspect was a drug overdose. Her family and her attorney said Quinn was scheduled to become a reluctant prosecution witness in the case against Peter Gerace Jr., owner of Pharaohs strip club in Cheektowaga. Gerace faces an upcoming trial on charges of drug-trafficking, sex-trafficking and bribing a federal drug agent. On Thursday, Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy ordered Gogolack to remain in jail after Cooper told him prosecutors have evidence of violent and dangerous behavior by the Wellsville man. Gogolack has been in the Niagara County Jail for several weeks. FBI agents believe Gogolack made threats against at least two government witnesses, Cooper said, also alleging that Gogolack sometimes uses a shotgun with spikes on it to beat people. But you havent charged him with witness tampering at this point, McCarthy said. The witness-tampering probe is ongoing, Cooper said. Its not a matter of if we are going to charge him with witness tampering, but when, Cooper said. This case is as serious as it gets, Cooper told the judge. He added that the charges filed against Gogolack so far are only the tip of the iceberg. The prosecutor did not identify any of the witnesses who were allegedly threatened by Gogolack and did not specify in which criminal investigation the witnesses were involved. He did not say whether Quinn was among those threatened. Gogolacks attorney, Jeffrey Bagley of the federal defenders office, said Gogolack denies most or all of the allegations made against him by Cooper. Cooper did describe a bizarre incident that, in his view, illustrates how dangerous Gogolack can be. The prosecutor said a drug customer who went to Gogolacks Wellsville home was directed by Gogolack to the basement. There, the customer was told to sit in a white chair that was surrounded on three sides, ceiling to floor, with sheets of plastic, Cooper said. Gogolack made the customer sit there for three hours while he pointed a shotgun at him. Cooper said federal agents also turned up evidence that Gogolack often solicits people who go to methadone clinics to become his drug customers. He makes a profit, makes a living, selling drugs to people who are trying to get well by going to methadone clinics, Cooper said. He also alleged that Gogolack offered firearms for sale to drug dealers, possessed body armor and used fake identification at times. Bagley said Gogolack suffers from a serious drug addiction and asked McCarthy to order him to be sent to a drug treatment center, rather than jail. Law enforcement officials said the FBI is continuing to investigate the death of Quinn, who was a close friend and former employee of Gerace. Geraces defense also planned to call Quinn as a witness. Quinn was scared to death about testifying in the case, her mother told The Buffalo News earlier this month. The Allegany County Coroners office has not determined the cause of Quinns death, Coroner Dylan Foust said Thursday afternoon. The witness died in Gogolacks home, which was raided nine days after her death by FBI agents. Robert Bolm, a former attorney for Gogolack, told The News he believes federal authorities are trying unfairly to blame Gogolack, and perhaps Gerace for causing Quinns death. He said Gogolack found Quinn dead after waking up next to her in his home. Bagley said Gogolack called 911 about Quinns death rather than trying to cover it up. He said his client was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A two-month investigation into allegations of drug sales on Seneca Street on the border of Buffalo and West Seneca led to a raid Thursday that resulted in an arrest and the discovery of a fully automatic ghost gun, the Erie County Sheriffs Office said. The raid took place at 115 Edson St. in West Seneca. After obtaining a search warrant, detectives with the sheriffs Narcotics and Intelligence Unit entered the property and recovered a loaded Polymer 80 9mm handgun, also known as a ghost gun, which was assembled from parts and does not have serial numbers, the Sheriffs Office said. The gun was outfitted with a switch that makes it fully automatic. Antonio Pace, 29, was taken into custody at the scene, according to the Sheriffs Office. Four children were at the residence and were in close proximity to the firearm. Detectives contacted Erie County Child Protective Services regarding the children, who were turned over to a responsible adult. Pace was charged with felony counts of second-degree criminal possession of a loaded weapon and second-degree criminal possession of a machine gun, sheriffs officials said. He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a rapid-fire modification device and endangering the welfare of a child. Pace was remanded to the Erie County Holding Center pending an arraignment. Maki Becker Escaped Brazilian murderer Danelo Cavalcante's capture ended a 2-week long manhunt that has been talked about by many. However, it looked like he was trying to flee to Canada, according to US Marshals. Cavalcante was found by an aircraft after he tripped an anti-burglar alarm. He then hid in the woods of South Coventry Township, Pennsylvania on Wednesday morning before authorities surrounded him and let loose a search dog. He was captured after the dog bit him in the nether regions. Robert Clark, supervisory deputy US marshal for Pennsylvania's eastern district, spoke with CNN and stated, "His endgame was to carjack somebody and to head north up to Canada and he intended to do that in the next 24 hours." Clark noted that this was revealed in an interview with law enforcement officials just after his capture. "He said the law enforcement presence where he was, was immense and he felt that he needed to leave," the US Mashal stated. Danelo Cavalcante is now being held at the State Correctional Institution - Phoenix in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He will continue to serve a life sentence for his murder conviction there, but now, he is facing additional charges, including felony escape. He is set to appear in court again on September 27. The Brazilian was previously convicted and sentenced for murdering his ex-girlfriend in front of her children. He is also wanted in his native Brazil for a 2017 murder case. His then-girlfriend found out, so he killed her. He escaped by crab-walking up a wall of the prison that was previously holding him. The guard who missed his escape was suspended before being subsequently fired. A Belgian Malinois Named Yoda Was Responsible for Brazilian Murderer Danelo Cavalcante's Capture While the Pennsylvania neighborhood where he escaped to can now breathe a sigh of relief, many are also praising the goodest boy who finally took Danelo Cavalcante down, a Belgian Malinois named Yoda. Cavalcante was taken in without any shots being fired, and this was all thanks to Yoda, who is now getting national praise for his actions. The 4-year-old Belgian Malinois prevented the escaped convict from using a .22 caliber rifle he had previously stolen from a home that he tied to hide in. READ MORE: Danelo Cavalcante, Escaped Brazilian Murderer, Finally Arrested After 2-Week Manhunt "He was just essential as far as the tracking and searching, as were numerous other K-9s that were here," Clark said. "All these K-9 resources were utilized by different tactical teams from the area, and they were just incredible resources." Yoda reportedly bit Cavalcante twice as he was trying to escape. Clark explained that he is a "bite and hold" police dog and is trained to only release on command. Yoda first bit Cavalcante in the scalp and then again in the "lower extremity area" to keep him down. Pennsylvania Police Under Fire for Group Photo With Danelo Cavalcante After His Capture Soon after he was arrested, a group of law enforcement officers posed for a group photo with Danelo Cavalcante. Soon enough, the photo generated backlash, with critics saying it was taken in "bad taste." "I find it interesting that law enforcement is posing with smiles for the capture of Cavalcante," said one user in X before reminding the officers that the Brazilan "embarrassed them for two weeks." READ MORE: Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro Tried To Hack the 2022 Election, Says Hacker This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Police K-9 named Yoda helped authorities catch escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante - ABC 7 Chicago Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is facing serious legal troubles as he has been indicted by special counsel David Weiss on gun-related felony charges, ABC News reports. This development increases the legal scrutiny of Hunter Biden, especially following the breakdown of a previous plea agreement with prosecutors. The charges against Hunter Biden include two counts related to providing false information while purchasing the firearm and a third count of illegally acquiring a gun while being addicted to drugs. If convicted, he could face significant penalties, with the false statement charges carrying potential sentences of up to 10 years and five years, respectively, while the possession charge could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years. The gun shop where Hunter Biden purchased the firearm, identified as "Company 1" in the indictment and known as StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington, Delaware, has chosen not to comment on the charges filed against Hunter Biden at this time. READ NEXT: Hunter Biden Gets Crucial Update on Federal Gun Charges Donald Trump Claims Hunter Biden Charges Are the Only Ones That Don't Implicate Joe Biden In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, former President Donald Trump commented on the charges filed against President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, per NBC News. Trump stated that these charges are the only alleged wrongdoing by Hunter Biden that does not directly implicate his father, Joe Biden. Trump expressed concern about what he perceives as a pattern of "horrible" and "unfair" actions by Democrats, including what he believes are primarily illegal investigations or "Witch Hunts." He suggested that these actions have opened a figurative Pandora's Box, potentially leading to significant and lasting consequences for the United States, a sentiment he described as "SO SAD!!!" It is essential to clarify that there is no substantiated evidence implicating President Joe Biden in any of his son's legal issues, and the White House has consistently denied any wrongdoing on the part of the president. Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, expressed his view on the indictment against Hunter Biden, considering it a starting point for pursuing justice. He raised questions about potential investigations into money laundering and bribery and the lack of a follow-up on a Republican-asserted claim that Biden was involved in a bribery scheme, but this allegation has not been substantiated. Grassley emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating all facts, expressing reservations about Special Counsel David Weiss, who negotiated the initial plea deal, potentially impacting the case outcome. Hunter Biden Indictment: How Will It Affect President Joe Biden? The charges against Hunter Biden are set to play a significant role in the 2024 US presidential campaign, as 80-year-old Joe Biden seeks re-election, likely facing his 77-year-old Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who is dealing with his four upcoming criminal trials. Notably, the new charges against Hunter Biden, brought by Weiss, do not pertain to US tax law violations, Reuters noted. An earlier agreement in which Hunter Biden, 53, would have pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enrolled in a program to avoid prosecution on the gun-related charge fell apart during a July hearing. The tax investigation into Hunter Biden is still ongoing, with the possibility of charges being filed in either the District of Columbia or the Central District of California, as previously indicated by Weiss. Prosecutors allege that Hunter Biden provided false information about his drug use when purchasing a Colt Cobra handgun in October 2018. These developments follow the House of Representatives Republicans launching an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden related to Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. The White House has criticized this move as unfounded and politically motivated, as it was initiated without a full House vote. READ MORE: Hunter Biden Net Worth This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: BREAKING: Hunter Biden indicted on three criminal counts - From Fox Business A Riverside County school district in California has agreed to pay $27 million to the family of the late 13-year-old middle school student Diego Stolz after he died from bullying. Stolz was reportedly sucker punched by one of his bullies, leading to his death. Stolz was just in eighth grade in 2019 when he died from the sucker punch. He was allegedly attacked by two classmates and was bullied by fellow students at Landmark Middle School. The incident was captured on video, with the sucker punch leading to a traumatic brain injury, which then led to the 13-year-old's death nine days later. As the video showed, two teenage boys confronted Stolz in the lunchroom of the school. One of them then sucker punches the victim, leading him to bang his head on the concrete pillar. One of the bullies then continued to punch the California teen as he was lying on the ground, as seen by the video footage. Diego Stolz's relatives noted that he was a regular victim of bullying. This then led to the lawsuit, which they won against the school district. The family claims that the boy's death was preventable if Landmark Middle School had an anti-bullying policy in place, according to People Magazine. One day before the attack, the boy's family revealed that Diego sought the help of his Science teacher after being sucker punched in the head. Officials promised to review video footage of that initial attack, but that never happened as he was sucker punched again, and this time it was fatal. On the day of the fatal attack, his family even accompanied the boy to meet with the assistant principal, who reportedly knew who the bullies were. The assistant principal promised them that the bullies would be suspended and have their classes switched so that "they would not have any classes with Diego." However, this was all too late, as the fatal attack happened that same day. READ MORE: Donald Trump Disqualified for 2024 Candidacy? Democratic Senator Makes Case California School District Reaches Record $27 Million Settlement With Diego Stolz's Family Four years after Juana and Felipe Salcedo, the guardians of Diego Stolz, sued the Moreno Valley Unified School District over the teen's death, they were given a $27 million settlement from the district and agreed to the settlement. According to NBC News, the family's lawyers noted that this is now "the largest school bullying settlement in US history." "This lawsuit has put schools on notice to find ways to effectively deal with bullying and to enact real anti-bullying policies," said family lawyer Neil Gehlawat. "Although his family's grief can never be taken away, we believe real change will come and there will be a renewed focus on anti-bullying programs across the nation." What Happened to California Teen Diego Stolz's Bullies? Because they are still minors, the bullies who tormented Diego Stolz were never known to the public. However, The Daily Mail reported that they did plead guilty to manslaughter but still managed to walk away with no prison sentences. The boys entered guilty pleas to charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury in 2020 in juvenile court. However, a Riverside County Superior Court judge ruled in 2021 that the teenage boys would not stay behind bars. The two California bullies were instead ordered to undergo anger management therapy as a condition of probation. They spent 47 days in juvenile custody before being released to the custody of their parents. Juana Salcedo, Diego's aunt and guardian, delivered an impact statement through a translator and stated that she believed school administrators had let Diego down. READ NEXT: FTX Collapse: Why Is Sam Bankman-Fried Going to Jail Now? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Moreno valley teen killed by bullies, Diego Stolz family reaches landmark settlement in lawsuit - Fox 11 Los Angeles Disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh made his first public appearance since his murder trial during a state court hearing on Thursday, AP reports. This appearance is in connection with a series of financial crimes he is alleged to have committed. Alex Murdaugh, convicted in March for the fatal shooting of his wife and youngest son in June 2021, briefly left the maximum-security prison where he is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. During the hearing, both the prosecution and the defense agreed that some of the 101 total charges against Murdaugh would be addressed in a trial scheduled for November 27. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Murdaugh sat in court and occasionally conferred with his legal counsel as he learned about his schedule for the week following Thanksgiving. However, this respite will be short-lived, as Murdaugh is set to appear in another courtroom soon. A federal hearing concerning similar charges is slated for the following Thursday in Charleston. Murdaugh is expected to plead guilty to theft and wire fraud during this hearing. This could mark the first time he legally takes responsibility for any of the criminal charges that have accumulated since he initially reported the deaths of his family members over two years ago. READ NEXT: Alex Murdaugh Loses Phone Privileges Alex Murdaugh Financial Crimes The allegations against Alex Murdaugh are deeply troubling and encompass many criminal activities. It is claimed that he conspired with personal injury attorney Cory Fleming to arrange settlements for his children while directing the settlement checks to be deposited into his bank account, the NY Post noted. Moreover, it is alleged that he falsely informed her family that no settlement had been reached. In addition to the state charges, Murdaugh faces federal charges related to these alleged fraudulent activities. He was expected to plead guilty to multiple charges in a Charleston courtroom, marking the first time he would admit wrongdoing. The charges against him include money laundering, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and bank fraud, all related to the purported embezzlement of clients' settlement funds over a period spanning decades. Further complicating matters, Murdaugh is accused of embezzling $7 million from his family's law firm and laundering $2.4 million through a drug operation he was involved in. Additionally, there are allegations that he hired his drug dealer to stage his murder to secure a $10 million life insurance payout for his surviving son, Buster. However, this attempt failed, resulting in a non-fatal gunshot wound to his head. Murdaugh is also alleged to have evaded approximately half a million dollars in state taxes. Alex Murdaugh Associate Pleads Guilty to Helping Him Steal Millions, Faces 20 Years in Prison Former South Carolina attorney and longtime friend of Alex Murdaugh, Cory Fleming, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday, according to CNN. He had pleaded guilty to state charges related to assisting Murdaugh in stealing millions of dollars from his clients. Fleming's sentencing occurred in a Beaufort County courtroom, and his guilty plea last month implicated his involvement in conspiring with Murdaugh to defraud two clients referred by Murdaugh. Fleming is also accused of embezzling from the family of Hakeem Pinckney, who was seriously injured in a car accident in 2009 and passed away in 2011. Prosecutors allege that settlement funds meant for the Pinckney and Satterfield families were diverted to a fake bank account and used by Murdaugh and, in some instances, by Fleming. Judge Clifton Newman, who pronounced the sentence, emphasized that the disbarred attorney must face the consequences of his actions. He acknowledged that Fleming's victims were vulnerable individuals who had trusted him as their attorney. READ MORE: Hunter Biden Indicted on Gun Charges This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Alex Murdaugh led on a leash as he appears in court for first time since double murder trial - From New York Post Laurel, MS (39440) Today Clear skies. Scattered frost possible. Low 34F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Scattered frost possible. Low 34F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Sept. 14, 2023 NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2023 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Bill Donohue, President, Catholic League: On September 12, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), ripped Americans who are in favor of school choice and parental rights, comparing them to segregationists. Even worse, she lashed out at Christians who support these initiatives. She made her remarks to Seth D. Harris, a senior fellow at the Burnes Center for Social Change at Northeastern University. Weingarten said she got the idea that there is little difference between the segregationists of old and today's promoters of school choice and parental rights from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the seriously disgraced far left-wing organization. She concluded that these Americans want to "divide parents versus teachers." Now it is well known that Catholics have long been the mainstay of the school choice movement; they are also among the most vociferous supporters of parental rights. Let's be clear: this does not mean that anyone who opposes both of these causes is necessarily a bigot. But in Weingarten's case, she took the next step: she engaged in Christian bashing. After speaking at length, with utter contempt and derision, about those who are pro-school choice and pro-parental rights, Weingarten let her guard down and went right for the jugular. "They want to have, basically, a Christian ideology, their particular Christian ideology to dominate the country as opposed to those that was born on the freedom of the exercise of religion." The subject under discussion had nothing to do with religion, so it tells us volumes about Weingarten that she would indict Christians, without cause. What she said just prior to her bigoted remark puts her animus against Christians in perspective. She had just commented that some parents want school choice because they want universal vouchers, and "others want it because they hate knowledge." So who is it that "hates knowledge?" Those Americans who are bent on shoving their "Christian ideology" down our throats. The context says it all. In other words, taxpaying parents who believe that they should have the right to send their child to the school of their choicewhich includes most African Americansand insist that their rights as parents be respected by the state, are somehow seeking to impose a Christian ideology on the nation. To top it off, these same religious zealots "hate knowledge." Weingarten should resign. The hatred that she has for millions of school choice and parental rights advocatesespecially those who are Christiandisqualifies her from serving in any public role. Contact Andrew Crook, National Press Secretary at AFT: acrook@aft.org Authorities responded to a building fire Thursday afternoon in the first block of Broadway in Bangor. Bangor Fire Department and several neighboring departments were called to the scene around 1 p.m., Northampton County Dispatch said. The building did have to be evacuated, authorities said, but the coroner has not notified. The coroner only responds to incidents in which someone needs to be pronounced dead. Authorities said they could not confirm any injuries. The fires still not under control, the dispatcher told lehighvalleylive.com Employees at businesses near the site said they couldnt confirm the current occupants of the building. The building at 24 Broadway could be occupied by several businesses including Essential Therapeutic Healing and Dukes Sporting Goods, a Google search of possible tenants showed. A video shared to the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter, shows smoke billowing out of the structure as flames poured from the back of the building. The Bangor Fire Department can be seen preparing to tackle the blaze. Liberty Fire Department and North Bangor Fire Department could not immediately be reached for comment. This story is still developing. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter. The resolution of a nearly two weekslong manhunt for an escaped prisoner in southeastern Pennsylvania brought attention to the searcher who finally subdued Danelo Cavalcante: a tactically trained K-9 named Yoda. The 4-year-old Belgian Malinois is credited for bringing Cavalcante, 34, into custody as he attempted to crawl through underbrush, still armed with a rifle he stole from a garage. When Cavalcante refused to respond to officers verbal commands, a Border Patrol team released Yoda to pursue him, officers said. Cavalcante was first bitten on the forehead, then the dog clenched his thigh and held on, said Robert Clark, supervisor of the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force in Philadelphia. Thats when Cavalcante submitted and officers got him in handcuffs. Yoda is part of the U.S. Border Patrol BORTAC K9. A full-time team is headquartered in El Paso, Texas, and agents can be deployed throughout the United States when needed for specialized missions, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Dogs like Yoda undergo specialized training, teaching them from puppyhood to trace human odor and follow it. The difficulty of the exercise increases over time, with the handler tasked with reading the dogs behavior. The process is pretty intricate, and it takes a lot of time, said Bob Dougherty, the law enforcement training director at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. Once its a complete process, it works very well; its very reliable. It takes a specific kind of dog to work in that scenario. Dougherty said a dog in a tactical role, like Yoda, would have to be social, calm, strong, adept at learning, not easily distractable and able to work with more than one handler, depending on the job and agency. Not every dog is going to be able to work with a tactical team, he said. Not all dogs will end up being a Yoda. He noted some of the photos of Yoda on the job show him laying at Cavalcantes legs. If not highly trained, the dog could have easily made wrong decisions, he said. But Yoda was able to function with the team, take direction, find, locate and apprehend Cavalcante, and, after that, be controlled. Law enforcement dogs work an average of eight to nine years before retiring, said Cynthia Otto, director of Penn Vet Working Dog Center. Some retire earlier due to high stress environments; others, if theyre high energy, may not retire at all. Though some dogs are kenneled, many live with their handlers and eventually retire with them. Using a dog in a situation like this reduced the need for lethal force, Otto said. How police dogs, particularly those who bite, are deployed has been a source of criticism. Dougherty said that officers must consider when and how dogs are used. When used properly, when used lawfully, I think that its definitely an asset, Dougherty said. Border Patrol agents also assisted in the Pennsylvania State Police search for another escaped prisoner, Michael Burham, in Warren County in July. Dogs were also central in that apprehension. A couple encountered Burham when they went out to see why their dog was barking in the rear of their property. Searchers tracked Burham through the woods afterward with the help of two dogs; he was eventually taken into custody. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Sign up for Reckons latest weekly newsletter covering the three topics never to be discussed at the dinner table. Enter your email to subscribe to Matter of Faith. Millennial billionaire presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy wowed pundits during the first Republican debate last month, as he was declared the winner of the debate and internet search data showed he was the most searched GOP candidate during the debate. Ramaswamy outshined the Republican frontrunner (besides Trumpwho didnt attend the Fox News-hosted debate) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as far as far-right stances and policy proposals. His policy proposals target progressive policies. His policy pitches include raising the voting age to 25, supporting a 6-week abortion ban and scrapping major federal offices like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the FBI. Hes been labeled as the anti-woke candidate and has even written a book called Woke Inc.: Inside Corporate Americas Social Justice Scam. His anti-woke stances include believing in reverse racism, supporting the fossil fuel industry and a rigid view of the gender binary. [Ramaswamys] unlikely rise has revealed the remarkable degree to which the former president has remade the party, the New York Times reported in August. The ultra-conservative candidate is running on a platform to Revive American National Identity, according to his campaign website. Many argue that his stances contribute to the existing polarization in U.S. politics, while those on the right are finding resonance with his emphasis on traditional American values. With his daring declarations, Ramaswamy has emerged as a frontrunner among Republicans and one to watch in the US presidential race. As onlookers continue to see how the race unfolds, here are 5 of his boldest statements about American identity and why it matters. 1. The absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country. What he said: In a speech, Ramaswamy denounced what he called the new secular religions of racial woke-ism, gender ideology, climate religion, COVID-ism and transgenderism, saying those things have replaced concepts like patriotism, hard work and faith. What does it mean? To address this, he wants to raise the voting age to 25 unless Americans serve in the military or as a first responder for six months or pass the civics test required for all immigrants to pass before receiving their citizenship. Why it matters: In a statement he said the absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country and argued his proposal can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens. Cutting people under the age of 25 out of the voting bloc would essentially keep Gen Z from voting, if Ramaswamy had his way in 2024. Young people of color would also lose a voice, with Gen Z being the most diverse generation to date. 2. The Department of Education, the FBI, the IRSshould not exist. What he said: Ramaswamy has proposed eliminating various government regulatory agencies, arguing they should not exist. The Department of Education, the FBI, the ATF, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the IRS, the Department of Commerce, he told Fox News Digital in a July interview. What does it mean? Ramaswamy wants to eliminate these regulatory agencies in hopes of stimulating the economy. Hes called these regulations a wet blanket on businesses across this country, and believes removing these regulations will be good for business and good for consumers. Why it matters: Eliminating these organizations would accomplish Ramaswamys goal of removing what he views as burdensome regulations, but it would also remove those regulations put in place to protect residents. His proposals for what he wants to replace the FBI with still sounds a lot like the FBI, Katie Balevic wrote in a piece for Business Insider in April. Ramaswamy explained his stance further, basically saying that he basically wants to rebuild it from scratch and have something new take its place to root out corruption. His plan to downsize the government could result in layoffs of more than three-quarters of the federal workforce, or more than 1 million people. 3. I want the truth about 9/11. What he said: Weve talked about Christian Nationalism and 9/11, but this isnt what Ramaswamy is getting at. Hes made several statements about 9/11, especially the 9/11 Commission, and some questions he believed the commission didnt answer. The comments were made during an interview with The Atlantic, where he said he was misquoted. The Atlantic released a full transcript and audio recording of the conversation. I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Maybe the answer is zero. It probably is zero for all I know, right? I have no reason to think it was anything other than zero. But if were doing a comprehensive assessment of what happened on 9/11, we have a 9/11 commission, absolutely that should be an answer the public knows the answer to, Ramaswamy told The Atlantic. What does it mean? In the conversation, Ramaswamy compares the Jan. 6 Commission with the 9/11 Commission. He suggested federal agents may have been on planes involved in the attacks. Why it matters: Ramaswamy has made other statements about the government and 9/11, including a lengthy tweet where he implied that U.S. officials covered up Saudi intelligence officials involvement in planning the attacks. The U.S. government has said Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda were behind the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 Commission said in its report that it didnt find evidence that Saudi leaders were complicit in the attacks, but it did say Saudi nationals played key roles in funding Al Qaeda. The Saudi question is majorone that divided the FBI, as ProPublica described, in their 2021 report detailing the experiences of some of the agents who worked the 9/11 case. Aside from the whodunnit of it all, the questions around the governments involvement and what they did or did not cover up speak to a plethora of 9/11 conspiracy theories. The range of the types of people who adhere to these theories are as diverse as the theories themselves. People who believe the government had something worth covering up when it comes to questions about 9/11 dont fit a particular political ideology. While 45% of Americans polled in 2019 said they strongly disbelieve the conspiracy that 9/11 was an inside job, nearly a quarter said they either somewhat or strongly believe the conspiracy theory could be the truth. 4. We are one nation under God. What he said: Im a person of faith. Evangelical Christians across the state are also people of faith, he told NBC News in July. We found commonality in our need to defend religious liberty, to stand for faith and patriotism and stand unapologetically for the fact that we are one nation under God. What does it mean? Various scholars and pundits have had a lot to say about Vivek Ramaswamys connections to Hindu Nationalism. Hes been open about his Hindu faith on the campaign trail, and listed God is real as the first of the 10 truths he lists for his campaign. Hes trying to pander to Christians, and hes using a lot of things to try to signal their base. Why it matters: This whole conversation about the GOP hopeful and religion is important because white evangelicals are a powerful voting bloc, as former President (and 2024 candidate) Donald Trump discovered. While Ramaswamy seems open and ready to embrace evangelicals, the potential voting bloc remains curious and cautious about his Hindu faith. Some constituents on the campaign trail have asked him to define which God hes talking about in his 10 things. Ramaswamy knows that stating his belief in God and belief in morals is important to evangelical voters, but its still early to know how the evangelical vote will swing, especially with Trump currently leading polls at 55%, DeSantis comes in second with 14.2% and Ramaswamy in third with 7% of the vote, according to Five Thirty-Eight polls. 5. Parents know what is best for their kids. What he said: This statement was another one of his 10 truths for his campaign. This statement also came with a vow to remove the Department of Education and use its $80+ billion budget on school safety, school choice and vocational programs instead of foisting toxic ideologies onto kids. What does it mean? This jab at toxic ideologies and criticism is akin to the ideas pushed by the controversial parents rights group Moms for Liberty, which consists of conservative, mostly white women. is growing in political influence in Florida, where the group started. Why it matters: Ramaswamy spoke at the Moms for Liberty convention in July, so hes not a stranger to the groups efforts to shake up school districts. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State called them a Christian Nationalist Front Group earlier this year. His association with parents rights groups like Moms for Liberty and the groups characterization as a Christian Nationalist Front Group matters because it provides insights into his educational policy priorities, his alignment with a particular faction of the conservative movement, and his stance on the separation of church and state. The group is also gaining ground in GOP circles, with more women associated with the group being elected to political offices. Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich to the Florida Ethics Commission, which has power to interpret the states political ethics laws and implement the states financial disclosure laws. Laois Volunteer Centre CLG is seeking a Development Officer for their office based in Bloom HQ, Patrick Street, Mountrath. Laois Volunteer Centre is the primary resource for both volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) in Co Laois, and aims to promote the value of volunteering and increase the range and quality of volunteering in the county. This position will focus on promoting volunteering and civic participation across the whole community of Laois - urban and rural. In order to fulfill this objective, this position will focus on building relationships. The primary focus will be relationship building with members of the public who register to volunteer with charitable/not for profit organisations through Laois Volunteer Centre. By managing volunteer registrations, that is, through communicating regularly with volunteers by phone and email etc, conducting in person meetings with volunteers to help identify volunteering roles, matching skills and experience to volunteering roles, Laois Volunteer Centres services will be promoted and civic participation enhanced. Liaising with the Manager and Outreach Officer to build relationships with the not for profit/charitable organisations will also required. The Development Officer will report directly to the VC Manager and as outlined above is people centred and therefore, will involve liaising with volunteers, not for profit/charitable organisations and the general public. Key Responsibilities: Making and logging calls with volunteers (the customers of Laois Volunteer Centre) and conducting follow ups with customers are central to ensuring the service maintains an excellent customer service record. Supporting the Manager and Outreach Officer in their work around relationship building with not for profit organisations. Develop and maintain the customer service aspect of Laois Volunteer Centre by building and maintaining relationships primarily with volunteers and not for profit/charitable organisations. Assist and support the VC Manager in the development of services as per the Laois Volunteer Centres Annual Work Plans, Annual Report and Strategic Plans. Contribution and participation in the creation of both Plans and the Annual Report is essential as is ensuring that the objectives and targets set out in all are achieved. Telephone and email new volunteer registrations within 3-5 working days of their registration. Arrange in person or online meetings with ALL new volunteers - introducing them to the service, providing information about volunteering and how to participate in volunteering activities. Logging and recording details taken during calls etc. All records must be logged and maintained/updated on Salesforce/I-VOL. Keeping accurate and methodical records is crucial. Monitoring the progress of placed volunteers by contacting them to assess their volunteering experience. Logging and updating these records on Salesforce/I-VOL. Evaluation forms/surveys to be sent on a regular basis and the results assessed so that high customer (the volunteers and organisations) satisfaction levels are maintained. Handle queries about volunteering from members of the public. Assist people to register on I-VOL, provide advice on suitable volunteering roles taking into consideration their interests, skills and support needs and match them to the appropriate volunteering role (s). Work the Manager and Outreach Officer to help support the volunteering needs of the not for profit/charitable organisations in the county. Assist in building relationships with these organisations so that they can continue to carry out their day-to-day operations more efficiently by engaging more effectively with volunteers. Assisting not for profit/charitable organisations with registration to Laois Volunteer Centres service providing clear instructions or working with a key contact to register the organisation on their behalf. Assisting not for profit/charitable organisations to identify and create volunteering roles and promote roles on social media, print etc. The ability to use Canva or similar is important for the creation and publication of high quality role advertisements. Evaluation forms/surveys assessing customer satisfaction to be sent on a regular basis and the results assessed so that a high customer (the volunteers and organisations) satisfaction levels are maintained. Following up with organisations on volunteer placement and management of volunteers and recording the outcomes of placement and management of volunteers. Provide monthly reports on activities, project/events/meetings etc. and statistics from Salesforce/I-VOL to the Manager and submit these reports at the set time. Develop representational role appropriately and strategically, particularly within Volunteer Centres of Ireland structures by attending and participating in Volunteer Centre Network events, Placement Officer/Development Officer meetings, National Volunteer Conferences and other relevant events. Promote volunteering and a culture of volunteerism across the whole community through the development and maintenance of excellent customer service and by attending and participating in events hosted by key stakeholders and other relevant organisations. Ascertain barriers to volunteering for certain groups and seek solutions- working with the Manager and Outreach officer to identify the obstacles, develop solutions and facilitate volunteering. Keep up to date with volunteering issues regionally and nationally by attending and contributing at Laois Volunteer Centre Team Meetings, Development Officer/Placement Officer Meetings and other relevant meetings and events. Develop innovative programmes to encourage volunteering especially focusing on evgarents for the annual National Volunteer Week and other relevant events celebrating and promoting volunteering such as the local Community and Voluntary Awards etc. Collaborate with the Manager to develop and run the day to day operation of the Community Volunteers Programme; identifying suitable volunteers, supporting volunteers in Community Volunteer led events led events such as Parades, Festivals, emergencies - to support the work of the blue light services etc., liaising with VIOs engaging the support of Community Volunteers. Collecting and recording feedback from both volunteers and VIOs on events. Work with the Manager and Outreach Officer to assist voluntary and community organisations in developing sustainable volunteer management practices and creating an inclusive environment. Keep accurate and methodical records relating to volunteers and volunteering opportunities. Referring to and adhering to the Employee Handbook and other relevant documentation (policies and procedures) and seeking the advice of the Manager if unsure about how to proceed with a task/tasks. Any other duties relevant to the role as assigned by the Manager. Person Specification: Excellent Customer Service Skills/People Skills Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal Ability to give and receive feedback in a constructive manner Ability to inform, motivate and support individuals and organisations Ability to work on own initiative/self-starter Ability to prioritise tasks Ability to schedule and diarise tasks Ability to work with a very wide range of individuals and organisations Ability to network effectively between different organisations Good general administration skills and computer skills including MS Word, MS Excel, and Internet database packages such as Salesforce Willingness to learn new skills relevant to the position A clean driving licence and access to a car for work purposes Knowledge/Experience Possess a relevant qualification and/or relevant experience in the community/voluntary sector Understanding of volunteerism Awareness of equal opportunities and integration Hours of Work: 30 hours per week with flexibility to carry out work out of office hours and at weekends where necessary. Days and hours of work to be agreed in advance with the Laois VC Manager in line with service needs. Place of Work: Laois Volunteer Centre, Unit 7, Bloom HQ, Mountrath, Co. Laois, R32DT9F with some travel included to meet needs of service For further information or to submit your CV, please email the Manager at info@volunteerlaois.ie. Two graduates from Co Kildare have commenced ESBs prestigious Graduate Development programme. They join 78 other graduates from Irish and international third-level institutions, spanning the fields of engineering, IT, HR, commercial and finance, who have commenced the two-and-a-half-year development programme with ESB. Pictured at their induction at ESBs head office, Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2 alongside Paddy Hayes, ESB Chief Executive, is (Back L to R) Joel Abraham (Celbridge, Co Kildare), Antoine Murphy (Greystones, Co Wicklow) and Mark Barrett (Bishopsland, Co Kildare), (Front L to R) Jack Geraghty (Beamore, Co Meath), Cara Sheridan (Kells, Co Meath), Arpit Lahoti (Dundalk, Co Louth) and Samuel Freeman (Oldcastle, Co Meath). This years graduates will be placed across five business units ESB Networks, Generation and Trading, Engineering and Major Projects, Customer Solutions and Enterprise Services. The tailored programme offers each graduate the opportunity to gain experience by working on challenging assignments and major projects that offer exposure to the varied businesses of the organisation. ESBs Graduate Development Programme aims to recruit talent to drive innovation and support the delivery of ESBs Net Zero by 2040 strategy. This years intake is the largest number of graduates ESB has recruited in over five years. Each graduate will receive a range of supports including being partnered with individual mentors from within their business units, IT equipment and access to allow hybrid working as part of ESBs smart working offering. Sinead Kilkelly, ESBs Executive Director, People & Organisation Development, said: We are delighted to welcome the largest cohort of graduates to ESB in over five years. Nurturing professional and personal development is at the heart of our programme, and we see great potential for what our graduates, individually and together, can achieve during their time with ESB. We wish each graduate every success and are confident that they will make a difference to the achievement of our Net Zero by 2040 strategy. ESB is due to announce that recruitment for our 2024 Graduate Development Programme next week. The search is officially underway to find the An Post Bookshop of the Year for 2023. After a hugely successful inaugural year in 2021, the category is now back for the third year running in the An Post Irish Book Awards, the annual literary event that celebrates and promotes Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible. The An Post Bookshop of the Year category is designed to acknowledge the significant role played by independent bookshops and local branches of bookshop chains in helping their local communities to find and savour the titles of their choice. Previous winners include Kennys Bookshop and Art Gallery, Galway in 2021 and Bridge Street Books, Wicklow in 2022. Customers simply have to click onto https://www.anpost.com/bookshopoftheyear to submit their nomination for their favourite bookshop. They will also have the option to explain the reason for their choice. Readers can also enter by scanning the QR code in their preferred bookshop and following the instructions. Everyone who votes will be entered into a draw to win a 100 book voucher. Nominations for the An Post Bookshop of the Year will close on September 17 at midnight. The 12 bookshops around Ireland with the most votes will then be longlisted and invited by the judges to enter a written submission. Mystery shoppers will visit the 12 shops as part of the judging process. Following this, a shortlist of six shops will be finalised for the An Post Bookshop of the Year and they will be officially announced on October 19. The overall winner will be presented with their trophy at the An Post Irish Book Awards event on November 22. The winner will receive a trophy along with a prize worth 15,000 from An Post Commerce. Each year, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community passionate about books readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2023 will be no different. Other categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Childrens (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language. Brendan Corbett, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards and Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels Brendan Corbett, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says: Bookshops are at the core of communities throughout Ireland and offer a cultural and social hub for many. We introduced this category to acknowledge the important contribution bookshops and their booksellers make to not only to their communities and readers, but the significant role they play in the Irish book trade. We are delighted to see the category returning for the third year running and encourage everyone to support and vote for their local bookshop in the An Post Bookshop of the Year category. Dawn Behan, Chair of Bookselling Ireland, says: Our local bookshops are truly at the cornerstone of every Irish village and town and work every day to connect readers with titles they will truly love. Booksellers have an important role in fostering a love of literature among children and those who are new to the wonderful world of reading. This category brings together readers and booksellers and I look forward to seeing local bookshops celebrated once again at the An Post Irish Book Awards this year. Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels said: Irish bookshops are thriving because they know how to look after their customers and they offer seamless in-store and delivery options. In addition to providing reduced parcel and stamp rates for booksellers through the An Post Advantage Card, we are delighted to once again sponsor this very special award category which means so much to both bookshops and their customers across the country. The shortlist for all categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2023 will be announced on Thursday October 19, while the winners will be announced on Wednesday November 22. A television programme will be broadcast on RTE One television in December and will culminate in one of the 2023 winning titles being announced as the An Post Irish Book of the Year 2023. The Gables guesthouse in Newbridge could soon be used to house people seeking refuge in Ireland including those fleeing Ukraine. In response to a query from the Leinster Leader, the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) said it was responding to an offer of accommodation made in respect of this property. It added; A full assessment of the property is underway at present, and, if a contract is agreed, it is hoped that this property can be brought into use. The 25 bed guesthouse on the Athgarvan road was sold at auction last June. It was put on the market with a guide price of 1.3m. This substantial 22,000 sq.ft. property has a leisure centre and is situated on the banks of the River Liffey, only a short walk from the town centre. Set on 1.3 acres, it also comes with a 20 metre swimming pool, sauna, spinning studio, gym, changing rooms, two jacuzzi and a steam room. It was previously a family run business for the last 25 years. IPAS is responsible for the provision of accommodation and related services to people in the international protection (asylum) process. As of September 6 2023, IPAS is providing accommodation to 23,185 people seeking refuge in Ireland and since January 2022 have brought 170 properties into use to ensure that all those who arrive in Ireland seeking shelter can be accommodated, it said. Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. An asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn't yet been legally recognised as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Into Kildare, the County Kildare Tourism Board hosted an exclusive members event in partnership with Kildare Village last week. This important event was a great success and met with exceptional feedback with over 65 attendees on the day. This key business event gave members the opportunity to network and build valuable connections across the county with other leading retail, tourism, and dining outlets. Members of Into Kildare were greeted on the day by Victor Biffi Rosano, Kildare Villages Business Director, who has been a senior member of The Bicester Collection for a number of years. The Bicester Collection has 11 shopping destinations across Europe and China which were created and operated by Value Retail. Kildare Village is known as one of Irelands leading five-star shopping destination with over 100 boutiques to choose from driving tourism to the County of Kildare. Speaking on the day Victor said, It was a pleasure to partner with Into Kildare for their Members Event, we received great feedback showing us the importance of regular face to face interactions. We can see the benefit of members meeting and networking to build on future cross collaboration across Kildare. Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, Chief Executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) attended the Into Kildare Members Event as guest speaker. Speaking on the day he said, Kildare has such a super tourism product offering a wonderful, rich and good quality product. The latest figures released for Q2 by ITIC revealed tourism figures in Ireland were at 1.6 million generating 1.9 million in revenue for the Irish economy. The most valuable market in Q2 for Irish tourism was North America which accounted for a spend of 827 million. Aine Mangan, CEO of Into Kildare addressed all members of the tourism board in attendance with an update of the year to date as well as future plans and collaborations. Speaking after the event, she said We were delighted to be able to host our members event with Eoghan OMara Walsh as guest speaker giving valuable industry insight at Kildare Village. We have noted the importance of regular engagements amongst members and seen the benefits of how members can cross collaborate in the industry. Leading travel journalist, commentator and Kildare native Eoghan Corry was also in attendance at the Into Kildare Members Event to gain a deeper insight to current Kildare tourism and trade and meet with local members. For more information of how to become an Into Kildare partner visit https://intokildare.ie or email info@intokildare.ie. Recent federal court cases involving shady Western New York debt collectors are a reminder that Erie and Niagara counties are home to more than 150 debt collection companies some of them legitimate. It is the bad actors that spread fear through scare tactics with some extreme examples: One company contacted a high school girl and threatened that shed be visiting her parents in jail if they didnt pay up. Down and dirty tactics are unwelcome in any industry, but debt collection seems to have a particular attraction for unscrupulous practices. Author Jake Halpern, who grew up here, brilliantly outlined Buffalos role in this criminal underbelly with his book, Bad Paper: Chasing debt from Wall Street to the Underworld. That this activity continues at all makes it imperative for lawmakers in Albany to enact legislation requiring licensing of debt collectors, as in other states. While some municipalities, such as Buffalo, Yonkers and New York City, have their own regulations, that just means illegal debt collectors just go elsewhere. In one of the most recent cases, a banned debt collector wants to reenter his former business. Andrew Fanelli of Kenmore needed a court to clarify one thing and that is whether the New York State Attorney Generals Office can reach out across the state line to, well, just about anywhere in the world. The short and justifiable answer from prosecutors: Yes. Fanellis 2021 settlement with the State Attorney Generals Office banned him from several types of businesses, but did not specify geographic boundaries. Now Fanelli is attempting to crawl through what he sees as an opening, claiming the ban applies only to the State of New York. Not so fast, says the State Attorney Generals Office, making the strong case that allowing his return would put consumers in New York and across the country at risk of being defrauded. Justice Mario A. Giacobbe granted the states motion to dismiss Fanellis lawsuit, ruling the statute of limitations ran out on his legal bid to return to the business. The state had accused Fanellis companies of falsely threatening to garnish wages; falsely threatening to suspend drivers licenses; and implying criminal action would be taken against consumers for nonpayment. Fanelli did not admit or deny the Attorney General Offices findings. Another case involves an Amherst company challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus claims against it. Last year, the bureau sued United Holding Group and its owners. The suit said the company placed and sold consumer debt with collection companies that made false threats to consumers in arrears on payday loans, sub-prime credit cards, online installment loans and auto loans. These were the companies that threatened the high school student as well as held the prospect of arrest over another victim, who was on social security, and rushed to obtain another loan to satisfy the collectors demands. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo, in ruling on Aug. 22 against the Amherst companys request to dismiss the lawsuit, cited these incidents. The defendants asked Vilardo for a stay to the litigation until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on another case involving the CFPB. The judge had it exactly right when he said: Why arent those two pretty good examples of concrete harm? adding that one was scared stiff of going to jail. Didnt one of them say their child took the call? Holy cow, that seems to me to be a pretty serious injury. Yes, it does, judge. Albany needs to attend to it by licensing debt collectors and putting strong legal checks on these abuses for once and for all.Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. Anti fracking community group Love Leitrim has welcomed the breaking news this morning that An Bord Pleanala have rejected the proposed LNG terminal in the Shannon Estuary. US firm New Fortress Energy has been vying to build Irelands first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, on the Shannon estuary in Co Kerry, as well as a 600MW power plant at the site. Community campaigners for years have campaigned against the terminal over fears it would see Ireland become a hub for fracked gas imports. Ireland banned fracking in 2017 and it was felt that to consider the importation of fracked gas from other impacted communities would be hypocritical and go against Irelands climate change obligations. Love Leitrim chairperson, Jamie Murphy. Love Leitrim chairperson, Jamie Murphy said, This is wonderful news, for the communities in Kerry, across Ireland and internationally who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue. Its a victory also for the global climate movement. We have to fight against the development of these projects whether they are in Ireland, Europe or the rest of the world. Fracked gas or fracked gas imports have absolutely no role to play in building a sustainable or liveable future. Special mention should also be given to the Safety Before LNG group in Kerry who have sacrificed so much and worked to hard to achieve this." Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has revealed that she underwent a hysterectomy over the summer. Mrs McDonald said that her womb and ovaries were removed and added that she was speaking out about the procedure because there was a need for open conversations about womens health. The Sinn Fein president has returned to work after several months away from the political front line and will join party colleagues at a think-in event in Dublin on Friday. I am fully recovered, back at work and more determined than ever to lead the change that I know you so desperately want to see.#sinnfein #timeforchange #readytolead pic.twitter.com/mOi6GmvACu Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) September 13, 2023 In an interview with Virgin Medias Ireland AM show, Mrs McDonald said she underwent the procedure on June 24. She said: So I lost my womb, my ovaries. So it was fairly significant surgery. Fortunately it was done by keyhole, which is great because it aids your recovery. And more fortunately, that was it for me. I had the surgery, the growths, the tumours were removed and I didnt require any further treatments or therapies. So it was serious surgery, it knocks you off course, but I was extremely lucky. Mrs McDonald praised the care she received at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. She also said she believed it was important to be able to talk openly about such issues. She added: I dont think you can have that procedure and not reflect on that, your sense of yourself as a woman, as a mother, also the fact of getting a bit older, although I am very young, Im in the first flush of my youth. You are at an age, you are confronted by the fact that you are not superhuman and that you are at another stage in your life. It is very important that we can talk about this issue, it is very important for womens health that we can actually have these conversations and actually understand what women and girls are going through. Everything from menstruation, menopause, we need to be able to have these conversations and men need to be part, and boys need to be part of the conversation. Energy provider Flogas is the latest energy company to cuts charges to customers with an announcement of a 30% reduction today. They are the sixth energy provider in the Irish market to announce a reduction recently, but their reduction is by far the largest announced so far. According to Flogas, the reductions equate to a saving of 74.58 a month on an average electricity bill for customers, or 895 a year. Dual fuel customers of Flogas will see a reduction of 1,673 a year on their bills Flogas said the cuts apply to all variable rate customers including smart variable rate customers. It is estimated that Flogas has about 70,000 residential customers for electricity and gas. The price reduction are due to come into effect on November 6. Sean O'Loughlin, general manager of Flogas Energy said: "While wholesale energy markets remain unpredictable, we have seen a calming of volatility of late and this allows us to make these reductions". "While these reductions will be welcomed by our customers, we are conscious that many remain vulnerable to continuing cost of living increases," he said. "Our customer service teams are ready to talk with any customer who is having difficulty in paying their energy bill or are looking for other options to help save money," he added. Yesterday, PrepayPower announced that its gas unit prices will reduce by 13.5% with its electricity unit prices falling by 12.8% from November 1. The moves come after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met with energy companies and urged them to do more to reduce charges for domestic customers. Colombian artist Fernando Botero poses on November 22, 2017 in front of one of his painting displayed at the Hotel de Caumont, in Aix en Provence, southern Franc BORIS HORVAT / AFP Colombia's most famous artist, Fernando Botero, who was known for his voluptuous depictions of people and animals, has died aged 91, President Gustavo Petro announced on Friday, September 15. Botero's works of plump and slightly surreal forms became enormously popular and were on display in museums and public spaces in cities around the world, including Bogota, Madrid, Paris, Singapore and Venice. "Fernando Botero, the painter of our traditions and defects, the painter of our virtues, has died," the president posted on social media. Botero's hometown, Medellin, declared a week of mourning, with Mayor Daniel Quintero saying his works on display in that city "will live forever." Local media hailed Botero as the greatest Colombian artist of all time, reporting his health had deteriorated in recent days as he suffered pneumonia. Botero who had been dubbed the "Picasso of Latin America" was a passionate and tireless artist, his oeuvre of more than 3,000 paintings and 300 sculptures proof of an insatiable appetite to create. Even in his later years, he said he was working 10 hours a day. "I work more now perhaps because I know that there is so little time left," he said an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 2012, the year of his 80th birthday. "I often think about death and it saddens me to leave this world and not be able to paint more. I love it so much." World travels Botero was drawn to art at a young age and by 15 was selling his paintings of bulls and matadors at the La Macarena bullfighting ring in Colombia's second-largest city, Medellin, where he was born on April 19, 1932, the son of a modest travelling salesman. After a first solo exhibition in the capital Bogota in the 1950s, Botero left for Europe, travelling to Spain, France and Italy, where he discovered classical art. He moved on to Mexico, becoming influenced by its muralists, and then to New York in 1960, arriving with "$200 in my pocket", he said in the 2012 interview. It was there that he met a German art curator who organized triumphant exhibitions in Germany in the 1970s, launching his name. "I went from being a complete unknown without even a New York gallery to being contacted by the biggest merchants in the world," he said. Volume, not 'fat' The trademark oversized dimensions of his work emerged in 1957 in his painting "Still Life with Mandolin". He discovered "a new dimension that was more voluminous, more monumental, more extravagant, more extreme." An admirer of Italian Renaissance art, he did not accept the interpretation that his subjects are fat. "If I paint a woman, a man, a dog or a horse, I always do with this idea of the volume. It is not that I have an obsession with fat women," he said in an interview with daily Spanish newspaper El Mundo in 2014. Sculpture became a major component of his work, developed at a renowned Italian center of sculpture, Pietrasanta. Botero said he was inspired by beauty but also the troubles of his native country, gripped by armed conflict for more than 50 years. In 1995 a powerful bomb placed at his sculpture "The Bird" in Medellin killed around 30 people and wounded scores. Botero in 2000 donated a replica to stand beside the exploded sculpture and called "Bird of Peace". Some of his work portrays scenes of Colombian guerrilla fighters, earthquakes and brothels. In a departure, he produced in the 2000s a series depicting abuse and torture at the US-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, saying afterward he was driven by shock and anger. "Themes of power and excess are not entirely new to Mr. Botero's seemingly sunny art," The New York Times said in a 2006 review. "His evocations of obesity itself imply a sinister cluelessness." Married three times, his last bride being Greek artist Sophia Vari, Botero had four children, one of whom died in an accident aged four. Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero poses in front of one of his works on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris on October 16, 1992. BERTRAND GUAY / AFP Gertrude Stein photographed by Man Ray alongside her portrait by Pablo Picasso, in 1922. CENTRE POMPIDOU/RMN-GRAND PALAIS/MAN RAY 2015/ADAGP PARIS 2023/SUCCESSION PICASSO 2023 To say that the "Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso" exhibition at the Musee du Luxembourg is surprising would be an understatement. It is surprising because, in a place generally devoted to the broadly appealing celebration of the Renaissance and Impressionism, it brings together contemporary artists who operate in conceptual art, and whose work is seen by others as a means of criticizing North American society and the stereotypes and inequalities to which women and African Americans are subjected. It is also surprising because of its construction in two very distinct parts, whose coherence is ensured solely by the figure of writer and collector Gertrude Stein (1874-1946). It's even more so because, while Picasso is present, it's not for the umpteenth conventional homage but to show how much he introduced a decisive revolution to the arts in the 20th century. The subtitle, "The Invention of Language," rather elliptically suggests this. It's an ambitious and demanding exhibition. Its success is all the more remarkable given that the two curators, Cecile Debray, director of the Musee Picasso, and art historian Assia Quesnel, had little time to organize it. When it was decided that the 50th anniversary of the Spanish artist's death would be celebrated in 2023, the Musee du Luxembourg was supposed to devote itself to his relationship with Russia, which has remarkable collections of pre-1917 works in its museums. After the attack on Ukraine, it was urgent to come up with another theme. Since the East was no longer accessible, a turn to the West was inevitable. Two-thirds of the exhibition therefore examines the artistic consequences, in the United States, of the experiments conducted by Picasso and Stein in Paris at the turn of the century. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Picasso and Gauguin, controversial subjects for museum curators Creator-to-creator relationship The historical argument is as follows: Stein, a young woman from a Jewish family that had emigrated from Germany to the US, came to Paris in 1903 to join her brother Leo. Both collected Matisse and Picasso, whom French art lovers were rejecting, and met frequently with both artists. But with Picasso, who painted her in 1906, Stein's relationship was not one of patron or model to the artist but of creator to creator. From her earliest writings, she tested the capacity of words to convey meaning in relation to things, beings and emotions. At the same time, Picasso was working on the representational and suggestive capacities of the drawn and painted form in relation to these same things, beings and emotions. You have 50% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Members of Qatar's International Search and Rescue Group fly to Morocco, following the earthquake that struck the country on the night of September 8, 2023. LEKHWIYA VIA REUTERS Three British Chinook helicopters arrived in Morocco on Wednesday, September 13, from Gibraltar. They will be assisting the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces mobilized in the villages of the High Atlas, south of Marrakech, which were hit by the earthquake on the night of September 8, which has left an estimated 3,000 dead and 5,600 injured. This aid is in addition to the official assistance already provided by three other countries Spain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. These are the only four countries whose offer of services has been accepted by Rabat, publicly, with Israeli organizations also working unofficially. Subscribers to the X account (ex-Twitter) of the British Embassy in Rabat will not miss a thing of the efforts of British rescue workers on the ground. They'll even know that "Vespa," "Dave," "Corie" and "Collin" are the names of the sniffer dogs at work in the rubble. Officially, simple technical reasons the quality of expertise that can be deployed quickly and meets Moroccan needs have been put forward to explain such a selection. In reality, geopolitics the map of friendships and enmities, suspicions and misunderstandings is not completely absent from the picture, even if it does not explain everything. Be that as it may, Morocco has decided on "sovereignty," as the key word that keeps coming back to dismiss out of hand any speculation about Morocco's ulterior motives. "Sovereignty means not appearing to be a failed state," emphasized Abdelmalek Alaoui, president of the Moroccan Institute of Economic Intelligence and a communications expert. "Morocco has institutions, civil protection and an army. Sovereignty means that the state is on hand." Bitterness The French government, whose offer has not been accepted for the time being has also resorted to the "sovereignty" argument to defuse what French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna has described as a "bad quarrel." A sense of slightly annoyed bitterness has filtered through some French TV channels about the alleged "rejection" by an ungrateful Morocco of the generous help offered by Paris. "It is obviously up to His Majesty the King and the government of Morocco, in a fully sovereign manner, to organize international aid," French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Wednesday, calling for "an end to divisive polemics." These"polemics" have a root in the bitterness that has characterized relations between Paris and Rabat for the past two years. But beyond "sovereignty," what criteria governed the choice of the four countries? Quality of supply in an emergency context? Or the degree of political friendship? You have 60% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. The violent earthquake that struck the mountainous regions of southern Morocco on Friday, September 8, killing nearly 3,000 people, injuring thousands more and destroying entire villages, has not escaped controversy over emergency aid and its geopolitics. Indeed, this health crisis, which has weakened the Moroccan authorities position on the domestic political scene, took on a new dimension when they failed to respond favorably to offers of assistance from several countries, including France. Should we see in this, as some suggest, symptoms of contempt for its former protectorate, to which it owes so much? While such catastrophes can transcend the most exacerbated diplomatic tensions, as witnessed by the American intervention during the 2003 Iranian earthquake, the same cannot be said of a historic French-Moroccan friendship at a standstill, of which we would be the victims. In reality, this susceptibility reflects less a diplomatic reality than the difficulty we have in abandoning a neo-colonial vision of aid and considering Morocco, in the same way as all the countries of the Global South, capable of managing a major health crisis on its territory without the West having a say. From the very first hours of the tragedy, Africa's fifth-largest economy was able to assess the need for rescue teams, taking into account the size of the territory concerned, its low population density and the type of precarious housing in these rural areas. The Moroccan army and civil security forces were sent in to clear the roads and distribute food, water and blankets by helicopter, where necessary, in the most remote villages of this High Atlas region. The wounded and survivors who emerged from the rubble in need of trauma care and dialysis, among others, were directed to advanced medical posts, field hospitals set up on an emergency basis, and then transferred to those in Marrakech, which were never so overcrowded that patients had to be neglected, if needed. Medical care was proportionate and efficient in a country where healthcare professionals benefit from high-quality training, and where people come from all over Africa to specialize. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Moroccan novelist Abdellah Taia: 'The little people will once again pay the highest price' Choice of partners In fact, it's the local players neighbors and families supported by national institutions, who have the greatest impact on deaths in these phases of ultimate emergency, breaking with the heroic fantasies of exclusive, life-saving outside help. Even if the catastrophe is real, we're a long way from earthquakes such as those earlier this year in Turkey and Syria, with over 50,000 deaths, and in Haiti in 2010, with over 280,000 victims. In these conditions, the Moroccan authorities have not appealed for international aid, whose massive, spontaneous and often anarchic influx can aggravate an already complex situation. As a sovereign state, Morocco has therefore chosen the relief partners it needs in this crisis, primarily Spain, Great Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, without altering the chances of rescue for its citizens. At the same time, international NGOs, including French ones, were able to carry out exploratory missions in the affected areas. You have 30% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. DEVELOPERS have signalled their intention to build a new housing estate on the outskirts of a Limerick town. Ballygrennan Homes, a consortium of investors, are set to seek planning permission from Limerick City and County Council for 74 new units on what is currently a green site off Kilmallock Road, just outside Bruff. According to a notice published in the Limerick Leader, these homes will be split into four-bedroom, three-bedroom, and two-bedroom homes. Nine four-bed detached units are planned, and three three-bed detached houses are on the planning application. These would be joined by 42 three-bed semi-detached units, six three-bed terraced units and six two-bed terraced homes. On top of this, eight three-bed semi-detached units are being projected for elderly and senior living. A significant open space area is planned to incorporate a childrens playground, while a new pedestrian crossing will be provided along the R512. At present, the land is a green field, and its understood to be the final piece of land which is zoned for residential in Bruff. The developer will be hoping its a case of third time lucky, after two previous applications on the same land did not proceed. In 2008, an application to build never saw progress due to the economic recession. And in 2016, a further planning application also went the same way, with the time allowed for it expiring. This has paved the way for a third planning application on the land. Joe OShaughnessy, the director of architectural consultant Gilleece McDonnell O'Shaughnessy which is working with Ballygrennan Homes on the scheme, believes if permission is granted, construction will take place in four phases, dependent on the market. Its anticipated this would be in three blocks of 20 units, then the final 14, extending westwards from the town. The developer has been contacted for comment, but had not responded to the request as the Leader went to press. Sinn Fein councillor PJ Carey, who represents Bruff on the local authority, gave a cautious welcome to the proposals. Housing is definitely needed, I hope they are all affordable homes though, he said. The councillor acknowledged there may be an issue with amenities within Bruff, which could impact any new residents. Bruff has had a bit of a doing in the last 10 or 15 years. The secondary school is no more, they don't have any great services when it comes to healthcare, he said. But we need houses for our young people, so this is to be welcomed. It's what we need. There needs to be some infrastructure with it too. We are building 18 social houses in Bruff next year. This is fine, but most people aren't on the housing list. So you need private affordable housing, he told the Limerick Leader. Having published a notice of their intention to apply for planning permission, the developers now have a fortnight to furnish Limerick City and County Council with the actual application and supporting documents. Separately, 28 new homes are planned to be built in the village of Adare. Dwellings Developments are seeking to build at Rathkeale Road. The homes planned are in a mix of one, two and three-bed apartments, plus semi-detached and detached homes of varying bedroom size. This is according to a planning notice. BUS Eireann has introduced improved services between Limerick city and a number of towns and villages in the county. Route 329, which connects the city and Kilfinane, has been significantly enhanced as part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan - a major national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority as part of the Transport for Ireland Network. There are now eight daily return services between Kilfinane and Limerick with an enhanced timetable which includes earlier and later departures. The first services will now depart Limerick at 6am and Kilfinane at 6.15am, while later departures will be from Limerick at 8pm and Kilfinane at 7.15pm. The improved service will also offer five daily services on Sundays and Public Holidays for the first time. Bus Eireann Route 329 serves Kilfinane, Kilmallock, Bruff, Grange, Ballyneety, Drombana, Killmallock Road, Roxboro Road, Limerick City and Colbert Station. Bus Eireann is delighted to introduce these improved services between Kilfinane and Limerick, significantly improving Route 329, particularly for those passengers travelling at the weekend or connecting with regional or rail services, said Brian Connolly, Bus Eireann, Senior Operations Manager, West. Thanks to the National Transport Authority, through the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan we have added over 2 million kilometres to our network and have created over 65 new jobs. Demand for our services in the West is higher now than pre-pandemic, passenger numbers nationally are 20-30% higher than they were in 2019. This enhanced service will enable us to connect our growing number of customers with who and what matters to them," he added. Maura Quane, Corporate Manager at Ballyhoura Development has welcomed the enhancement of Route 329. Ballyhoura Development are delighted with the announcement of enhancement of services to the Bus Eireann Kilfinane to Limerick route. These additional services will further support residents with employment and educational opportunities and will add to the vibrancy of Kilfinane, which has so much to offer visitors and residents alike. For more information on the updated service and timetables, see buseireann.ie. FIVE Limerick students have been awarded an All Ireland Scholarship which will cover the full duration of their undergraduate studies. 2022 leaving certificate students Pablo Morrissey-Fernandez and Seamus Murphy of Colaiste Ide agus Iosaef, Julieta Brennan Vacas and Tamara Orosz of Castletroy College, as well as Rachel Walsh of Scoil Pol Kilfinane, will be honoured at the All Ireland Scholarships Award Ceremony 2023 on September 16 in UL's University Concert Hall. In attendance at the ceremony will be guest of honour and Limerick Senior Hurling Team Manager John Kiely, Minister for Further and Higher Education Niall Collins TD as well as the family, friends and school principals of the scholarship recipients. Commenting on the scheme, Scholarship Sponsor JP McManus said: 1,348 successful graduates have emerged with primary degrees and are now either embarking on further studies or in the case of the majority, pursuing successful careers. This figure demonstrates that the key objective to provide financial support to many gifted young students so they may succeed during their third-level education has worked. Their drive and determination is admirable, and they should be very proud. We look forward to celebrating the most recent recipients achievements at the upcoming ceremony. The All Ireland Scholarships were established in 2008 by JP McManus and this year marks its 15th anniversary. The third level educational scholarship is awarded to 125 of the highest achieving students per year, with a minimum of two students from each of the 32 counties. The recipients must meet a further set of criteria, including attending a non-fee-paying school and be in receipt of a third level education maintenance grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) or be in receipt of an Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland. The scholarship offers full academic financial support for the duration of the students' third level studies. To date, 1,674 scholarships have been awarded across the island of Ireland, of which 1,348 winners have already graduated from university and have embarked on successful careers. The most popular courses chosen by the 2022 cohort of scholarship recipients include science, engineering, pharmacy, finance and medicine. SHANNON Foynes Port and ESB have announced a new funding collaboration for research that is seen as the latest step towards helping Ireland to deliver floating offshore wind (FLOW) projects. The 250k study at MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine at University College Cork (UCC), will help progress FLOW projects. The focus of the research will be to examine the requirements and identify potential sites for wet storage, which is the temporary offshore storage of floating offshore wind turbines in suitable areas prior to installation. This is a key requirement for facilitating floating offshore wind, which will be a fundamental technology in Ireland reaching its offshore renewable targets. The research will take place over two phases. The first phase will consist of understanding the key conditions and constraints associated with the development and identification of suitable wet storage sites, while phase two will focus on the technical challenges of designing sites in terms of the optimum layout and mooring configuration. The aim of the study is to identify and inform considerations for the future FLOW industry that are required at an economic, environmental, societal and policy level in Ireland and also, to set a benchmark for best international practice through close academic and industry collaboration. Pat Keating, CEO at Shannon Foynes Port, said: Our partnership with the ESB on funding this research will help underpin understanding in the key area of wet storage, in which Shannon Estuary will be a major provider of as we go about harvesting the unprecedented opportunity for not just our region and state arising from floating offshore wind. Because of the estuarys existing deepwater ports at Foynes and Moneypoint, wet storage space and available land for large-scale industrial development, we are one of few locations in Europe that can manufacture floating turbines at the scale necessary for commercialisation. Ronan OFlynn, ESB Programme Director for Green Atlantic at Moneypoint, said: We understand the importance that floating offshore wind projects are going to play in both Ireland achieving its ambitious renewable energy targets and ESB delivering on our commitment to reach net zero by 2040. Research such as this, carried out by our partners MaREI and supported by Shannon Foynes Port, will help the entire industry to better understand what is required for crucial wet storage facilities that will allow floating offshore wind projects to be delivered at scale. Dr Jimmy Murphy, Funded Investigator in MaREI and Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering in UCC, said: This project will be an important enabler for the emerging floating wind energy sector in Ireland and will allow strategic planning decisions to be made related to the efficient deployment of floating windfarms. MaREI has a track record of research and development in floating wind and welcomes this collaboration with ESB and Shannon Foynes Port to address the challenge of identifying potential wet storage locations and optimising design layout. Police have been accused of engaging in a determined effort to ensure that the inquest into the murder of a GAA official in 1997 cannot be completed. A lawyer for the family of Sean Brown told a review hearing in his inquest that there was now a pattern of non-compliance with court directions by the PSNI. The coroner in the case, Justice Patrick Kinney, also expressed his frustration as the hearing was told of further delays in the disclosure of police material about the shooting. Mr Brown, 61, was abducted and killed by loyalists as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in May 1997. No-one has been convicted of his murder. His inquest began in March and is scheduled to resume next January. However, one of the provisions of the Governments legacy bill, which is awaiting royal assent, is that any legacy inquests which have not reached the point of verdict by May 1 2024 will be discontinued. Members of Mr Browns family attended the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast. Opening the hearing, counsel for the coroner Joseph Aiken KC, said that the coroners representatives had been doing everything possible to have the PSNI sensitive material disclosed. He said: Everybody has the timetables that you set in January, which were not complied with; in February, which were not complied with; and the timetable you set in micro-detail on June 12, and the sensitive material is still not in the hands of the legal representatives of the next of kin. The issue for you is how this state of affairs can be allowed to continue. PSNI barrister Mark Robinson said that the process of gathering relevant material for the public immunity interest (PII) process continues. He said: The process involves the gathering of all the potentially relevant material so that the decision maker looks at each redaction and considers the balancing exercise between the protection of national security and open and transparent justice. He said that the examination of closed notes in the case had led to further documents being collated. Mr Robinson said: We are working strenuously to get this matter moving and will continue to do so. There has been no attempt to frustrate the court. This is the way PII can unfold. Mr Justice Kinney described the lack of progress as a lamentable position. He added: The fact that it is the way historically it has been dealt with does not make it satisfactory or acceptable, and particularly in the context that we all are aware of where legislation which is anticipated will be on the statute books in the very near future, has a significant impact. If we do not have this inquest completed before that deadline, it will not be completed. That places pressure and responsibility on all parties to find ways in which to make this happen. Mr Robinson then told the court that another issue had arisen over sensitive materials from the Police Ombudsmans office which would need to be considered by police. Mr Justice Kinney said: There is another matter which the PSNI is now raising on September 15 against the hearing which I have set up for January of next year. Now I am being told there are fresh matters that are being raised for the first time along with documents which are being found for the first time, three folders of documents which appear to have been generated in recent weeks with a fourth folder not yet generated and an open question mark over how many other folders may be generated before this matter completes. That does cause me, and I think anybody listening to this would be greatly concerned that the PSNI seems to have so little control over its documentation that it keeps finding things at this late stage, 25 years later. His counsel Mr Aiken said: It appears that whatever directions you give the PSNI are not going to comply with them in this case. You will have to take a view whether a point has been reached when what has been occurring is so unsatisfactory that something else must be done. Barrister for the Brown family Des Fahy KC said he had been listening to the proceedings with a sense of disbelief. He added: It is clear to us and the next of kin that there is now a culture and a pattern of non-compliance with court directions. This is not good enough and the explanations that you have heard are simply not good enough. The time may now have come to take some radical steps to ensure that what was promised to these families over decades takes place, that is an Article 2 compliant inquest. If the state parties have not been able to comply with the deadline for the PII application then the court should consider proceeding with this inquest without that in place and they would have to accept what flows from that position. He continued: Our concern is that what is going on here is a determined effort to ensure that this inquest is not heard by the May 1 cut-off date. That is the inescapable conclusion of what is going on here. Mr Fahy said the January date for the resumption of the inquest should remain fixed in stone. Mr Justice Kinney said he would hold another review hearing on October 2. He said that if by then he was not receiving the cooperation and assistance that I require he would look at what powers were open to him to move the matter forward. He added: It is highly probable at that stage if I am being told simply of difficulties, I will require witnesses to come down and explain to me in detail what I have directed is not being complied with. The President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has accused the Government of selling out family dairy farms and rolling over for the EU Commission on the question of maintaining Irelands current derogation on the Nitrates Directive. Pat McCormack said that what he called the Governments abject surrender on the issue meant that Irelands multi-billion Euro dairy sector was now in a very dangerous place due to failing farm prices and production restrictions. He said that effective control of the most sustainable and profitable part of our farming and agri-sector had been handed over to the Commission without so much as a murmur of protest by those charged with defending it and one would have to ask the question of whether the Government had ever intended defending the Derogation or whether their public statements had been a charade. Against most of the evidence ICMSA has wanted to believe that the more realistic elements of this Government understood that the continuation of Irelands 250kgs derogation from the Nitrates Directive was both absolutely necessary and eminently possible if we were willing to mount a skilful campaign based on the evidence that is already emerging, said Mr McCormack. "No such campaign was ever mounted by this Government and this Minister and consequently we have had our N limits reduced to 220 kgs in defiance of all the evidence economic and environmental that the existing 250kgs is perfectly compatible with improving water quality while maintaining the production capacity so indispensable when prices are falling to the extent that farmer revenue will be down by in excess of 2 billion this year." Mr McCormack said that with this one decision, this Government has put a nail in the coffin of many family dairy farms that have been worked for generations. Theres no point in being polite here; the Governments defence of our position was just downright unacceptable and amounted to an abject surrender of what was and is a vital national sector. Our grass-based dairy sector is the jewel in our agri-crown and the Government without a murmur of complaint from Minister McConalogue - just handed over an absolutely key component to the EU Commission with nothing coming back to us. "Fiddling around with the maps and trying to localise the impact just compounds the concession and fools no one. Even today, even after this surrender, farmers cannot check their nitrates figures online and theres no firm date for this online check facility to be put in place. "The degree of real commitment shown by our Government can be gauged by the fact that they didnt even travel over to Brussels to make the case. They were happy to be told off via a video call and thats just about all they deserved. Everyone connected with this disaster and Im specifically including the Governments backbench TDs - should be ashamed of this whole episode and will have to own the consequences, concluded Mr McCormack. *Sponsored Content According to Traders Union, XM Group is in the list of the best brokers providing services in the financial markets. The company's conditions were assessed by 100+ criteria. Based on the XM trading review published on the TU website, the broker is ranked 9th out of 349 companies (overall score 9.22 points out of 10). On the information portal you will find not only material with basic facts about the financial partner, but also be able to read reviews from real clients. XM trading review XM trading has certain technical advantages that distinguish this company from its competitors. At the same time, the terms of trade themselves correspond to the market average. First of all, Traders Union experts recommend this broker for those who want to look for professional trading. XM Broker has been providing services since 2009. Initially, the company focused exclusively on forex trading, but later diversified and was able to expand its client base. Now there are 5,000,000 accounts open here, and residents of 190 countries use the organizations services. The company has received a lot of prestigious awards, proving its reliability, honesty and customer-oriented policy. In a comprehensive review, Traders Union analysts write that XM is constantly working to improve the service to provide better services to its clients. XM is an international brokerage company that complies with the requirements of reputable regulators. The financial partner has several licenses: Australia (ASIC: 164 367 113); Cyprus (CySEC: 120/10); UAE (DFSA: F003484); Belize (FSC: 000261/397). 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Basic conditions: several tariff plans: XM Ultra Low Micro, XM Zero, XM Ultra Low Standard with a minimum deposit of $5 for any account; spreads from 0.6 points for trading accounts Ultra Low Standard and Ultra Low Micro (for trading account XM Zero there is a fixed commission for a standard lot, but spreads start from zero); access to trading currency pairs, indices, energies, commodities, stocks, precious metals (1000+ assets); leverage up to 1:30, which meets the requirements of international regulators; 24/7 support on weekdays (support provides consultations in 30+ languages); opportunities for receiving passive income (there are no PAMM, copy trading on the platform); affiliate program with a one-time payment of up to $650 for each newbie invited. The size of the payment depends on the country of registration of the referral. The broker provides marketing and information support for effective promotion of the offer. Experts opinion Traders Union experts think that XM is a good choice. Trading on this platform is suitable for those seeking a professional trading experience characterized by swift order processing and favorable commission structures. The comprehensive review states that the company has received licenses from reputable regulators, confirming its reliability and integrity. The list of regulatory bodies that have approved the companys activities includes ASIC (Australia), DFSA (UAE), CySEC (Cyprus), FSC (Belize). One standout feature is the variety of account types offered by XM. Regardless of the chosen account, traders can expect consistent execution quality, minimal quotes, negligible slippages, and near-instant order matching with counterparties. The broker's leverage levels adhere to European standards, aligning with the MiFID directive. Additionally, XM maintains competitive market spreads, enhancing its appeal to traders. For clients registered under the EU-regulated entity of the XM Group, the maximum leverage is 30:1. XM Broker also caters to novice traders by offering attractive trading conditions. With a minimum deposit requirement (only $5), traders can get started without significant upfront capital. Furthermore, the availability of cent (micro) accounts, featuring lot sizes of 1,000 units, provides a suitable entry point for newcomers. Thanks to its comprehensive services and cutting-edge trading platforms, XM has earned its place among the top-rated companies by TU, delivering a seamless trading experience. What the broker offers: investment and referral program, useful resources XM guarantees to provide professional brokerage services. Traders Union experts note that the company does not provide opportunities for passive income. However, the broker has provided a wide list of useful resources and services for traders, which Traders Union experts described in a comprehensive review. MQL5 trading signals MetaQuotes developed not only Metatrader, but also a community of MQL5 traders. From the article by Traders Union experts you can find out that XM also provides access to MQL5 trading signals from experienced users with effective trading for 1 month or more. In addition, users can directly access the programming environment from XM trading terminals. The main advantages of using MQL5 signals: automatic copying of signals in the MQL5 community (you can also copy signals manually); the ability to combine signals and algorithmic trading (thanks to the program code, you can create advisors based on MQL5). The main disadvantages of using MQL5 signals: signals are available for one month, after which the subscription must be paid; you can only subscribe to one signal provider from one account. Traders Union experts invite large investors to contact them via the feedback form or email to consult on all questions regarding trading with XM (professional support from registration on the platform to withdrawal of profit). Features of affiliate program The XM platform offers an affiliate program with the following conditions: the reward is paid for each invited trader once (the reward amount ranges from 450 to 650 USD); high-quality marketing support - ready-made landing pages and sites for promoting the offer, more than 20 options for multilingual banners; weekly payments; ability to track statistics and conversions in your personal account. Traders Union analysts note that to obtain more detailed information, you need to contact XM support. XM Group Commission Policy Traders Union experts analyzed XM's commission policy for each individual account. Additional commissions are provided only in XM Zero. Here users must pay a conversion fee. Account Spread (min) Commission XM Ultra Low Micro From $6 No XM Ultra Low Standard From $6 No XM Zero $3,5 No Experienced analysts note that users can count on the absence of hidden commissions, as well as commissions for replenishing the balance and withdrawing profit. However, you need to take into account that the broker has provided a floating swap; its size depends on the market situation. Traders Union experts also conducted a comparative analysis of the commissions of XM and its competitors. They prepared a comparative assessment. The comparison was made for EUR/USD on standard accounts (1 full lot). name commission level XM 6 USD High Pocket Option 2.5 USD Medium RoboForex 1 USD Low Detailed review XM is a well-known European company providing brokerage services for 10+ years. The broker has an innovative technological base, which is its main advantage over its competitors. In particular, this ensures minimal slippage, virtually complete absence of requotes and high speed of order execution. XM is a universal broker that works through ECN or executes trades through liquidity providers. According to Traders Union experts, more than 90% of transactions are carried out in less than 1 second. At the same time, users can count on tight market spreads from 0.6 to 1 point and no hidden commissions. XM Group is a company with which it is profitable to trade in financial markets. The broker focuses on active traders, constantly improves the quality of service, uses advanced technologies and has been able to achieve significant results. Traders Union experts note that XM provides comfortable access to trading 1,000+ assets. In addition to classic instruments, on the platform you can make transactions with palladium, cotton, and CFDs on shares of large companies. Users can use correlation trading systems and diversify risks by creating an individual investment portfolio. The company is trying to expand the range of available instruments; in the future, digital currencies may also appear on the XM platform. Benefits of XM Broker: From the XM trading review, Traders Union users can learn not only the features of cooperation with XM, but also the main pros/cons of this broker. Over 10+ years of work in financial markets, this company has gained a good reputation. Among the main advantages of cooperation, financial analysts note: licensed activity; positive customer reviews (feedback can be found on the TU website); innovative technological base, which allows the broker to outperform competitors in various indicators; sending client orders to the ECN network or directly to liquidity providers, which ensures high speed of order execution; opportunities to create a diversified investment portfolio and comfortable trading in financial markets; there are standard accounts and micro accounts for beginner traders; free training in webinar format and trading signals, analysis of financial markets; free signals, daily webinars on Forex trading; protection against negative balance; trading platforms in various modifications. XM is aimed at traders, it does not have its own platform for copy trading, PAMM and MAM, but users can use MQL5 signals, discuss trading with others and participate in algorithmic developments. To find out more information, read the XM trading review on the Traders Union website. Experts have collected basic facts about this company and made comparisons between the broker and its competitors. How to start making money with XM - user guide from TU XM offers several trading accounts to choose from: Trading account Features XM Zero Minimum trade volume - 0.01 lot. In the standard ECN account 1 lot is 100,000 units. Spreads from zero. Fixed fee is $3.5 per 1lot. XM Ultra Low Standard Minimum trade volume in this standard account type is 0.01 lot. Spread - from 0.6 pips XM Ultra Low Micro Minimum trade volume in this cent micro lot account type is 0.1 lot. Spread - from 0.6 pips The comprehensive review from Traders Union also states that XM allows you to start cooperation without risks. The platform provides a demo trading account. Useful resources In addition to the products, core services and platforms, the broker has provided several useful resources for traders that should help in making trading decisions. This includes: profit and loss calculator. Using this tool, users can calculate the possible profit, loss when take profit or stop loss orders are triggered; universal calculator. Using this tool, investors can calculate margin, pip cost, short or long swaps (based on the chosen tariff plan, leverage and trading volume); technical indicators for trading platforms MT5/MT4; economic calendar. Here traders can see the main events that can affect the rate of a particular trading instrument. Also you can use filters: by country, news importance, etc. Education from XM Broker The XM platform provides online investment education. Traders Union experts note that users can watch a training video in a separate section. The main functions of trading platforms are described here. The brokerage organization also regularly conducts training seminars and webinars. Investors will be able to learn the basics of technical and fundamental analysis, features of the development of trading systems and much more. For more information, visit the Analysis & Education section of the XM website. Traders Union experts noted what information is available on the brokers platform: Available information No information Overview of financial markets Text description of indicators Investment Strategies Glossary Trading Strategies Training webinars, videos Trading signals Instructions for working with trading platforms Using educational materials from XM, users will be able to increase not only their skill level, but also their chances of making a profit. Security of personal data and assets The XM trading review states that the brokerage organization is authorized by authoritative regulators. For example, a CySEC license guarantees that the company operates in accordance with European legislation and its activities are regulated by the MiFID directives. Funds are stored in segregated accounts in the best banks in the world, separate from brokerage accounts. Pros: segregated accounts; protection of your personal account from unauthorized access; negative balance protection. Cons: it makes no sense for small investors to apply to the regulator for dispute resolution, since the time and financial costs will be unreasonable. Payment methods and fees Available payment methods include bank transfer, electronic payment systems (Skrill, Neteller), bank cards (MasterCard and Visa). More details about the available payment methods can be found in the corresponding section of your personal account. It takes 24 hours to process your request. As for the withdrawal period, it depends on the chosen payment system (up to 5 working days). Traders Union experts in XM trading review recommend paying attention to the fact that the withdrawal currency must correspond to the currency of the balance replenishment. Otherwise, the brokerage organization will automatically convert the amount at the average rate. The company does not charge fees for replenishing the balance and withdrawing funds. However, you need to take into account that banks may charge fees for depositing/withdrawing money over $200. Customer Service The XM trading review states that the broker provides 24/5 customer support. Support does not work on holidays. Pros: multilingual support (30 languages); telephone support, social networks, online chat. Cons: lack of support on weekends and holidays. Before consulting support, read the information in the FAQs. Frequently asked questions are answered there. Contacts Office address: 12 Richard & Verengaria Street, Araouzos Castle Court, 3rd Floor, 3042 Limassol, Cyprus Licenses: ASIC, FSC, CySEC, DFSA Web resource: www.xm.com Contacts: Phones: +501 22-366-96 (BZ), +612 86-078-385 (AU), +357 25-029-933 (CY) Email: support@xm.com. XM Personal Account Overview The XM trading review states that you can start cooperation with a broker with a demo or real trading account. You can choose the appropriate option on the main page of the brokers official website. The company provides 100,000 virtual dollars for risk-free training. If you trade on a demo account, you will only get access to the trading platform. In order to open a personal account, you must register. To register, fill out the form provided, indicating your first and last name, phone number, email. You also need to select the account type and trading platform. Traders Union experts note that when filling out the registration form, you must enter information in latin. After registration, a login will be sent to the specified email address (this is your account number). You also need to download the trading software and link your account to it. Registration takes about 10 minutes and allows you to open your trading account and familiarize yourself with its functionality. To trade, you must undergo a personal data verification. The following functions are available in your personal account: replenishment of balance and withdrawal of profit; changing account data (you can change the leverage, view the history of transactions, deposits and withdrawals. Users can also use the following options: passing two-factor authentication; change password; use of VPS (this option is available only after completing the verification process); access to customer service, trading signals, affiliate program. Read more about the broker in the XM trading review on the official Traders Union website. FAQs Can XM be trusted? Yes, XM can be trusted. The broker has been in operation since 2009 with a strong reputation and minimal complaints. It is also regulated by reputable authorities such as CySEC (Cyprus), FSC (Belize), DFSA (UAE), and ASIC (Australia), which adds to its credibility and trustworthiness. How much is XM commission fee? The commission fee at XM varies depending on the asset type, account, and market conditions. Spreads start as low as 0.6 pips. In terms of monetary value, the average spread for the popular EUR/USD currency pair ranges from $6 to $10 per standard lot. How long does XM withdrawal take? Withdrawal requests at XM are typically processed within 24 hours. However, the actual withdrawal time may vary depending on the chosen payment method, and it can take up to five days to receive your funds. Is XM good for beginners? Yes, XM is suitable for beginners. It offers a low minimum deposit requirement of just $5 and provides leverage of up to 1:30, allowing novice traders to start with a small initial capital and manage their risk effectively. Additionally, XM offers cent (micro) accounts with lot sizes of 1,000 units, which are ideal for beginners to gain experience and test their trading strategies in real market conditions Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! RIYADH, Saudi ArabiaAmerican defense giant RTX and a Saudi weapons firm were heading toward a multibillion-dollar deal when it was abruptly called off early this year. The reason, say people familiar with the talks, was RTXs concerns that its Saudi partners companies were pursuing business with sanctioned Chinese and Russian entities. That unease was a deciding factor for an advisory board of retired American military officers to resign from the Saudi company, Scopa Defense, the people said. Scopa fired its American chief executive who had raised the sanctions concerns with his companys owner and U.S. officials. And now other major Western defense companies are reconsidering early-stage agreements primarily because of the concerns around engagement with Russian and Chinese entities, the people said. The failed talks with RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, demonstrate a challenge Saudi Arabia faces in pursuing diplomatic and business relationships with China and Russia that Washington says jeopardize U.S. national security. Doing business with sanctioned companies could undermine U.S. efforts to squeeze Russia and China financially and heighten the risks that Western companies would face sanctions themselves. It also raises the specter of Moscow and Beijing obtaining secret U.S. military technology. The breakdown of RTX-Scopa talks also shows the challenges for countries that want to maintain relationships with both the U.S. and its top global rivals when Washington prefers its partners and allies to take sides. Saudi Arabia was once firmly in the Western camp, but since Russias invasion of Ukraine, it has expanded ties with other powers, managing the oil market in alignment with Moscow and entering discussions with Chinese companies to help build its nascent nuclear program. The Biden administration has said it doesnt want Saudi links with those countries to stray into military cooperation. The oil-rich kingdoms courtship of Russia and China also threatens ambitious plans to build its own military industry after decades as a top global-arms importer. Saudi Arabias strategy so far has been to join with defense firms from the U.S. and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, which have sold the Saudis most of their current arsenal of defense systems. Scopas owner, Mohamed Alajlan, chairs the Saudi-Chinese Business Council and is the scion of a prominent Saudi family that has imported Chinese textiles for decades and now operates in many sectors. Scopa, founded in 2021, is the highest-profile private Saudi company set up to support Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans vision for a local arms sector, as the 38-year-old ruler tries to diversify the economy away from oil. Alajlan denies dealing with Russian companies and says any transactions with Chinese firms are limited to securing raw materials such as copper or rubber for use in producing ammunition and armored vehicles. We dont work with any companies that have international sanctions," Alajlan said in an interview. Suggestions to the contrary are all rumors, inaccurate and illogical and unrealistic," he added. In a subsequent statement, he said none of his companies are involved in any negotiations or dealings with any sanctioned companies. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on any ongoing or potential investigations. We expect all U.S. companies and individuals to do their necessary due diligence and operate in full compliance with all U.S. export control regulations and any applicable sanctions," the person said. A U.S. official said the Treasury Department is aware of concerns that Alajlans companies had dealings with sanctioned Russian and Chinese entities. RTX and Scopa signed a memorandum of understanding in 2022 to set up a factory in Saudi Arabia for sophisticated air-defense systems to protect the country from drone and missile attacks. The companies plan was to stitch together radars and multiple air-defense systems that could intercept drones and missiles of various sizes that fly at different speeds and altitudes, said Nasr Alghrairi, who was Scopa CEO until he was fired this year. Called a multi-mission battery, the system was supposed to be able to protect an eight-square-mile area, he said. If information about current U.S. weapons systems that would be used in Scopas new weaponry were to fall into Russian or Chinese hands, it could risk being reverse engineered, undermining U.S. defenses. The proposed joint venture between RTX and Scopa was expected to invest $25 billion in the kingdom and generate $17 billion of sales, said Alghrairi. RTXs decision to end talks with Scopa was rushed, illogical and even irrational," Alajlan said. He brought in a Saudi executive to succeed Alghrairi, whose contract wasnt renewed after he failed to achieve performance targets, Alajlan said. Alghrairi denied that and said he had expanded the business rapidly. He said he was fired for raising concerns about the Russia and China business. RTX and the Saudi government didnt respond to requests for comment. Other Western companies, including Italys Beretta Defense Technologies and shipbuilder Fincantieri SpA, have backed away from working with Scopa. Some of the people familiar with the matter said concerns about Russian and Chinese business were a factor. In his drive to create a local arms-manufacturing industry, the Saudi crown prince set up a defense company under the Saudi sovereign-wealth fund to do weapons and aerospace deals with Western manufacturers and encouraged the private sector to get involved. Scopa and Alajlans other companies arent state-owned but are generally expected to fall in line with the kingdoms foreign policy. Alajlan said the government is their only customer. To run Scopa, Alajlan hired Alghrairi, a U.S. Navy veteran who set up a small government-service contractor in Florida with his wife but had never worked for a major defense manufacturer. The company splashed onto the scene in March 2022 at an arms expo in the Saudi desert. American executives in attendance grumbled privately about Scopa erecting billboards featuring NATO weapons systems and the company logo before it had even begun negotiations with their manufacturers. Alghrairi used his military connections to establish an advisory board for Scopa led by retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero and other U.S. military veterans. They began lining up partnerships with RTX and dozens of other arms manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe. Scopa envisioned manufacturing significant portions of NATO weaponry inside Saudi Arabia, which meant gaining access to technology that is tightly guarded by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, a set of Cold War-era American rules that control the export of U.S. defense equipment. Interviews with people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal indicate that two of his other companies made efforts to engage with sanctioned Chinese, Russian and Belarusian entities. It was those contacts that spooked Scopas board and potential Western partners such as RTX, some of the people said. Barbero said Scopas U.S. advisers had worked in good faith and delivered potential partnerships with Western defense firms. However, the situation on the ground made it untenable for us to continue to work with Scopa and left us with no choice other than to resign," he said. Alongside Scopa, Alajlan said, he set up Tal Military Industries and Sepha Military Industries. To run Sepha, he hired an executive from Concern Granit-Electron, a Russian company that supplies the Moscow government with communications technology and was sanctioned by the U.S. for supporting Russias military-industrial base. He hired a Chinese national to run Tal, which he said does deals in Asia. For months, Tal engaged in discussions about deals with Chinese companies sanctioned by the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union, while Sepha held deal talks with Russian and Belarusian companies that also face Western sanctions, according to company records reviewed by the Journal and the people familiar with the matter. Tal and Sepha also shared corporate functions, including computer servers, with Scopa employees, according to one of the people familiar with the matter, even as Scopa was moving toward getting access to sensitive data from companies including RTX. One document dated September 2022 indicates that Sepha had a preliminary agreement with Belarusian state arms exporter BelTechExport to acquire mobile air defense and counterdrone systems it proposed to sell to the Saudi Defense Ministry. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned BelTechExport as part of restrictions put on the Belarusian defense industry in 2021. Another preliminary agreement with Granit and Russian state-arms exporter Rosoboronexport aimed to acquire communications interception technology that Sepha proposed to sell to the Saudi intelligence services. The document also shows that Sepha looked at marketing Russian ammunition, body armor and surveillance equipment in Saudi Arabia, assembling Russian attack helicopters there, and manufacturing armored vehicles with Russias Military Industrial Co. A complaint lodged with the U.S. Treasury and reviewed by the Journal alleges Tal was in touch with at least half a dozen sanctioned Chinese companies. For example, it sought to produce land systems with Norinco Group, which has faced U.S. sanctions for years for links to the Chinese military and allegedly supplying missile technology to Iran, according to a Tal company record from January 2023. The Russian, Belarusian and Chinese companies didnt respond to requests for comment or couldnt be reached. Scopa, Tal and Sepha were planning to display Chinese drones and radars from BelTechExport alongside RTX air-defense systems and Beretta firearms at the next Riyadh defense show, scheduled for February 2024, according to another document and the people familiar with the matter. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh knew about the talks that Tal and Sepha were having with Chinese and Russian companies as early as August 2022, when it told Scopa in an email reviewed by the Journal that those activities could seriously hinder the ability of Scopa to enter into contractual agreements with U.S. defense firms." Alajlan said that Sepha works with Eastern European companies and that Tals engagement with China is limited to securing supply chains for manufacturing military and civilian equipment in Saudi Arabia. He continues inviting U.S. companies to work with Scopa and said some still talk to him. There is a huge opportunity to cooperate together," he said. Ian Talley and Victoria Simanovskaya contributed to this article. Write to Stephen Kalin at stephen.kalin@wsj.com View Full Image A Saudi Defense Contractor Courted Russia and China. Then, Its U.S. Business Partners Fled View Full Image A Saudi Defense Contractor Courted Russia and China. Then, Its U.S. Business Partners Fled "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The next hearing of the Adani-Hindemburg case will take place in the Supreme Court on 13 October, according to a report by Business Today. The apex court is scheduled to take up the fresh status report filed by market regulator Sebi next month. This week a PIL in the Adani-Hindenburg row accused SEBI of suppressing important facts from the Supreme Court and hiding the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence's (DRI) letter on alleged stock manipulation by the Adani firms. Also read: Hindenburg Case: SEBI concealed 2014 DRI alert on Adani Group manipulations, says petitioner On 25 August, market regulator Sebi informed the Supreme Court that it had completed the probe in all but two allegations against the Adani Group, and is still awaiting information from five tax havens on the actual owners behind the foreign entities that have invested in the conglomerate. However, Anamika Jaiswal, one of the four petitioners said while the investigation against the Adani group was going on in the over-invoicing case, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sent a letter to the then SEBI chairperson in 2014 alerting him that the group may be committing stock market manipulation using the money allegedly siphoned off using the modus operandi of over-valuation in the import of power equipment. Also read: Adani in talks with global banks for $3.5 billion loan in one of top Asia loans in 2023: Report The petitioner accused Sebi of suppressing important facts from the court and sleeping over DRI alerts. "Mr Cyril Shroff Managing Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas has been a member of SEBI's Committee on Corporate Governance, which looks at offences like insider trading," the affidavit said, adding his daughter is married to Gautam Adani's son. The petitioner submitted that five out of the 24 SEBI investigation reports are on insider trading allegations against the Adani group companies. Further, the petitioner cited documents, unearthed by a a journalist consortium 'Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project'. The affidavit said two Mauritius-based companies- Emerging India Focus Fund (EIFF) and the EM Resurgent Fund (EMRF)- had invested and traded in a large volume of shares of four Adani companies between 2013 and 2018. "The names of these two companies figure in SEBI's list of 13 suspected Foreign Portfolio Investments /overseas entities but SEBI has been unable to trace their ultimate beneficial owners or economic interest shareholders," the petitioner said in the affidavit. The petitioner said frequent amendments brought in by SEBI to the regulations and definitions have benefitted Adani Group. This year in January, US-based short seller Hindenburg Research alleged that Adani Group is involved in accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and improper use of tax havens. The report triggered a stock market rout of the Adani group shares that erased close to $150 billion in market value at its lowest point. Following this, the Supreme Court asked SEBI to look into the allegations and submit its findings. In March, a separate six-member expert panel was formed which included a retired judge and veteran bankers, to go into regulatory aspects of the allegations. That panel said in May the SEBI has so far drawn a blank in its investigations and its ongoing pursuit of the case is a "journey without a destination". The apex court set August 14 as the deadline for SEBI to conclude its probe and submit the report. The regulator sought a 15-day extension to conclude the investigation. It has now submitted a status report on its probe. On its part, the Adani group has rejected all allegations. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children's privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe's strict data privacy rules. Ireland's Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, said it was fining TikTok 345 million euros and reprimanding the platform for the violations dating to the second half of 2020. The investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos. Those default settings also posed a risk to children under 13 who gained access to the platform even though they're not allowed. Also, a family pairing" feature designed for parents to manage settings wasn't strict enough, allowing adults to turn on direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent. And it nudged teen users into more privacy intrusive" options when signing up and posting videos, the watchdog said. TikTok said in a statement that it disagrees with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed." The company pointed out that the regulator's criticisms focused on features and settings dating back three years. TikTok said it had made changes well before the investigation began in September 2021, including making all accounts for teens under 16 private by default and disabling direct messaging for 13- to 15-year-olds. Most of the decision's criticisms are no longer relevant as a result of measures we introduced at the start of 2021 several months before the investigation began," TikTok's head of privacy for Europe, Elaine Fox, wrote in a blog post. The Irish regulator has been criticized for not moving fast enough in its investigations into Big Tech companies since EU privacy laws took effect in 2018. For TikTok, German and Italian regulators disagreed with parts of a draft decision issued a year ago, delaying it further. To avoid new bottlenecks, the Brussels headquarters of the 27-nation bloc has been given the job of enforcing new regulations to foster digital competition and clean up social media content rules aimed at maintaining its position as a global leader in tech regulation. The Irish watchdog also examined TikTok's measures to verify whether users are at least 13 but found they didn't break any rules. The regulator is still carrying out a second investigation into whether TikTok complied with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation when it transferred users' personal information to China, where its owner, ByteDance, is based. TikTok has faced accusations it poses a security risk over fears that users' sensitive information could end up in China. It has embarked on a project to localise European user data to address those concerns: opening a data centre in Dublin this month, which will be the first of three in on the continent. Instagram, WhatsApp and their owner Meta are among other tech giants that have been hit with big fines by the Irish regulator over the past year. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! MUMBAIThe financial capital of India has become a colossal construction site. The barriers that try to keep daily life on track in the metropolis on the countrys west coast proclaim: Mumbai is upgrading." A new road being built along the Arabian Sea is aimed at easing congestion in a city where three-lane roads are frequently occupied by five lanes of honking traffic. A rapid-transit metro system is being extended to ease pressure on suburban trains overflowing with people. A rail freight corridor stretching all the way to New Delhi is expected to cut the time it takes to ship goods along the 870 miles to 14 hoursfrom 14 days. The construction in Mumbai reflects a national push in India to transform a country where economic growth has long been snarled by crumbling and inefficient infrastructure. In recent years, the government has poured money onto the problem, an effort that has only accelerated as Western governments and multinationals have grown uneasy over relying on China for manufactured goods. Some signs suggest the changes are bearing fruit. The enormous outlays are helping to power Indias economy, with the International Monetary Fund saying capital spending and productivity growth will be the biggest drivers of Indias expansion in the years ahead. Foreign investment, from companies including Apple and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn, has more than doubled in the past 10 years, to around $50 billion in 2022. Economists say India remains a long way from having the kind of infrastructure it needs to foster a higher-income economy. A deadly train crash in June highlighted the need for further improvements in railway maintenance and safety. The country especially lags behind China, which has spent decades investing enormous sums in infrastructure that undergirds its status as the worlds factory floor. Is Indias infrastructure tangibly better? The answer is yes. Is it good enough for the kind of aspirations India has? Then the answer is no. It is still a work in progress," said Arup Raha, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics. India has budgeted more than 10 trillion rupees, or about $120 billion, for capital expenditure in the fiscal year ended March 2024, according to Indias finance ministry. That is 37% higher than the previous fiscal year, and more than twice the amount spent in 2019. In all, Indias government has published a pipeline of infrastructure projects covering the years 2019 through 2025 totaling just shy of $2 trillion. Most of the funding is expected to come from central and state governments, though the government is hoping the private sector will finance about 22% of that sum, according to Invest India, the countrys investment promotion agency. Sectors include roads, railways, urban development and housing, energy and irrigation. The scale of construction in recent years has been staggering. India had about 90,000 miles of national highways at the close of the fiscal year in March, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, almost double the more than 49,000 miles it had a decade earlier. Hundreds of miles of new roads are being added every month. India now has more miles of electrified railway than the U.K. or France, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Ambitious megaprojects in the works include a string of new or refurbished ports garlanding Indias coastline. Bridges and tunnels are connecting remote provinces and solar-energy parks are sprouting to power homes and factories. Mass transit systems are popping up in dozens of cities. New railway lines are linking major cities with high-speed trains. We are extremely sensitive to how well supply chains work," said Zarir N. Langrana, executive director of Tata Chemicals, a global chemicals business and unit of Indias giant Tata Group conglomerate. The improvements in infrastructure arent confined to smoother roads, Langrana said. They also include better facilities for storage as well as digital infrastructure that allows trucks to speed through checkpoints at state lines, where previously they would have faced paperwork checks and cargo inspections. Though he said Indias smaller ports need improvement, the overall result is an economy better equipped to handle growing volumes of international trade. I dont think the infrastructure of seven or five or three years ago could have handled it," Langrana said. Wes Burgess, chief product officer of Cocona, a U.S. firm that makes temperature-regulating materials used in apparel and bedding, first visited India in 2020 to scope out investment opportunities as part of the Boulder, Colo., companys effort to diversify its supply chain away from China. The company found manufacturing partners throughout India and big customers in Delhi and Bengaluru, and sees big opportunities in Indias huge consumer market to sell its products as well as reduce its exposure to China. He has been back a few times since that first visit and said that each time he is struck by how much construction activity is happening. Everywhere there is new infrastructure being built," he said. An express train hes taken from Mumbai to Ahmedabad just flies," he said, and he said India now has some of the best airports hes visited worldwide. Still, India is climbing out of a giant pothole. The geyser of spending follows decades of underinvestment. Ancient railways, shoddy roads and spotty electricity meant India was for years left on the sidelines of global supply chains that require hyper-efficient logistics networks to assemble products and ship them to far-flung markets. Average monthly electricity generation in the 12 months through August was up 42% compared with a decade earlier, according to official statistics, but at times demand can still outstrip supply. A dry August, for instance, meant India burned more coal than forecast as the grid strained to meet a surge in demand to power irrigation systems. The upswing in construction is also the result of a sea change in how projects are developed, financed and delivered, say economists, infrastructure specialists and corporate executives. A decade ago, Indias sprawling conglomerates initiated many big road and power projects themselves, fueled by cheap loans from state-owned banks. Often projects would never get finished, ensnared in legal battles over acquiring land from farmers and political wrangling between states and central government. The system was plagued by graft. Some developers ran out of money. Souring loans piled up at Indias banks. It was all pretty patchy," said Saugata Bhattacharya, chief economist at Indias Axis Bank. These days, the central government in New Delhi and state and municipal administrations are more in tune about the need to remake Indias infrastructure, say economists and infrastructure specialists. Road, rail and power developments are mostly financed or underwritten by the central government, part of a master plan of almost 10,000 projects slated to nudge Indias economy closer to the $5 trillion mark by 2025. Construction usually doesnt start until most of the necessary land has been acquired. Infrastructure firms handle the design, engineering and construction, and in the case of a major road, for instance, receive a concession to operate a toll and collect the revenue. More often than not they sell those rights upon completion to domestic or, increasingly, international investors seeking steady returns, allowing them to collect a profit, pay off their loans and recycle the capital into new projects. Mumbais stop-start efforts to refashion its crumbling facade encapsulate the shift. The city, home to 21 million people where skyscrapers tower over slums, is built on top of seven islands. Much of its infrastructure dates from colonial times, when British rulers laid roads and railways running north to south to reach the harbor but next to nothing connecting the citys east and westa legacy that makes navigating the city difficult even today. Projects stalled during a period when the state government was hostile to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The freight corridor was first proposed a decade ago and construction has been beset by delays. The final section completing the route between Delhi and the port at Mumbai is scheduled to open in March. The first stretch of the new road hugging the coastline is due to open early next year. Planners hope it will dramatically ease congestion and speed journey times from the suburbs to the commercial district. A new metro line is slated to open in December. In terms of the quality of its infrastructure, Mumbai will soon be able to match foreign cities," said Deepak Thackley, 30, who runs a shop selling sweet delicacies beside a famous temple on one of the citys crowded thoroughfares. Already, his business is benefiting from improvements to the fabric of the city, Thackley said. Bordering his shop is a new lane with better drainage that prevents flooding during the monsoon, making it easier for devotees to visit the temple. A two-hour commute by rail from home has been cut in half by the nearby metro station, one of a handful already up and running. Now I can reach home early after work and spend more time with my family. Its a nice feeling," Thackley said. Write to Jason Douglas at jason.douglas@wsj.com and Vibhuti Agarwal at vibhuti.agarwal@wsj.com View Full Image India Spends Big on What It Needs Most to Catch Up to China View Full Image India Spends Big on What It Needs Most to Catch Up to China View Full Image India Spends Big on What It Needs Most to Catch Up to China View Full Image India Spends Big on What It Needs Most to Catch Up to China "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! When the National Bureau of Statistics announced that in April workers across China toiled an average of 48.8 hours a week, the agency was ridiculed. That number includes government workers, wrote a commenter on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform. Try counting only in private companies." There is no need to count, wrote another, just look at the lights of office buildings at night." View Full Image (Graphic: The Economist) Low as it may seem to netizens, the average weekly number of hours worked is the highest it has been since the statistics bureau began including the data in its annual round-up more than 20 years ago. In 2018 it started including the number in its monthly round-up, too. There was a big dip at the start of the pandemic. But for most of the past five years, the number has been increasing (see chart ). Comparing working hours across countries is difficult, as they are often counted in different ways (for example, part-time workers may or may not be included in an average). Even so, the Chinese appear to be labouring longer than most. When the UNs International Labour Organisation updated its ranking of countries by weekly working hours, China was in the top decile. Young Chinese workers have long complained of the 996" regime, which refers to a work schedule of 9am to 9pm, six days a week, usually without extra pay. They have adopted an academic term, neijuan or involution", that is used to describe a situation when greater input does not yield more output. Many feel pressure to work ever harder, while experiencing no improvement in quality of life. Unlike their parents, who enjoyed rising material prosperity, they feel like they are stagnating. Chinas labour laws stipulate that people should work no more than eight hours a day or 44 hours a week. But lots of overtime work has become the norm. Legal Daily, a state-owned newspaper, suggests two reasons: a lack of government enforcement and corporate ignorance of the law. Trade unions wield little clout in China. They are required to be affiliated with the state-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions, which typically sides with bosses and officials, rather than workers. Lately, workers have been given some cause for hope. Last year a court in Beijing ruled that checking and replying to work-related messages on WeChat, a messaging app, outside normal working hours counted as invisible overtime". The court ordered the employer to pay the plaintiff 30,000 yuan ($4,160). Last month, an article in China Daily, the Communist Partys English-language mouthpiece, called for invisible overtime to be regulated, saying that it encroached on workers right to rest. But a shrinking labour force means China must figure out how to squeeze even more from the workers it has. Xi Jinping, the supreme leader, could try to increase productivity by putting more faith in the private sector and giving his people more freedom of movement. There is little sign of that happening, though. Subscribers can sign up to Drum Tower, our new weekly newsletter, to understand what the world makes of Chinaand what China makes of the world. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com There was little hint in the speech that Xi Jinping gave on September 7th 2013 in Kazakhstan that he was thinking of a concrete-pouring binge across the world, spurred by hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investment. No one predicted that the project would become a defining feature of his foreign policy and dramatic symbol of Chinas rise as a global power. Mr Xi talked of building an economic belt" along the ancient silk road" linking China with Europe. He called for better infrastructure and reduced barriers to trade. If he had a grand plan, the lede was buried amid musings on history and Kazakh poetry. The West was in for a shock. China is about to celebrate the projects tenth anniversary with fanfare. It will tout the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the schemes official name in English, as a gift to the world that has created huge economic benefits. China claims that 420,000 jobs have been created in BRI countries and 40m people lifted out of poverty thanks to BRI-generated growth. America, and many of its allies, see the BRI as far less benign: a political tool aimed at stifling foreign criticism of Mr Xis iron-fisted rule and providing a leg-up for his countrys firms that has saddled countries with crippling debt. Among rich countries, Chinas BRI festivities will do nothing to allay anxieties. The highlight will be a Belt and Road Forum, which is due to take place in Beijing in October. World leaders have been invited, but none from the West is expected to attend. The most prominent guest will be Russias Vladimir Putin. His presence, alongside Mr Xi, will highlight what many in the West see behind the BRI veil: an attempt by China to sell an alternative model of development that eschews democracy and creates a world safe for dictators. In the build-up to the event, China has been struggling to keep on board the one G7 member that has signed up to the schemeItaly. Its deputy prime minister, Antonio Tajani, has just visited Beijing with a message: his country may pull out. More resistance is expected at a meeting of the G20 in Delhi on September 9th and 10th. President Joe Biden will offer an alternative vision of helping poorer countries by beefing up the role of the World Bank and the IMFinstitutions that his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said were founded on and continue to embody US leadership". These, he added, would provide the most bang for our buck" in countering Chinas coercive and unsustainable lending". For unclear reasons, Mr Xi plans to skip the gathering. When the BRI was launched, there was little sense of an impending struggle between China and the West over something so innocent-sounding as building roads and railways, ports and pipelines. Mr Xis speech in Kazakhstan barely raised eyebrows. Neither did another one he gave in Indonesia, nearly a month later, in which he called for a maritime silk road". It was not until the following year that Mr Xi began using a shorthand for these two ideasone belt, one road". Some Western officials did wince at that: the term sounded too China-centric and simplistic for what was beginning to emerge as a complex scheme involving scores of countries. So China tweaked the name for foreigners (not in Chinese). In 2015 it became the BRI. View Full Image (Graphic: The Economist) That was before relations between China and the West, already prickly and mistrustful, began to spiral downwards. Donald Trump would not become Americas president until 2017, unleashing a trade war with China that would become part of a broader campaign by America against Chinas norm-changing global behaviour. It was four years before the European Union began calling China a systemic rival". The mass internment of Xinjiangs Muslims and the sweeping clampdown on dissent in Hong Kong were still well in the future. Even in the West, China found open doors. Eighteen of the EUs 27 members have signed up to the BRI. One of them is Greece, which suffered an economic meltdown in 2009. China was already in place. In 2008 COSCO, a Chinese state-owned shipping giant, had reached an agreement to lease two container piers at Piraeus, the countrys main port, in the south of Athens. In 2016 Greece, then under pressure from its financial rescuers in the EU and the IMF to generate funds by privatising state assets, took a step further. It agreed to sell a 51% stake to COSCO in the entire facility. For the first time, a European port would be controlled by a Chinese firm. In 2021 it bought another 16%. China was triumphant. Its officials called Piraeus the dragon head" of the BRI in Europe. After a visit in 2019, Mr Xi said the port was proof that the BRI was not a slogan or tale, but a successful practice and brilliant reality". It is certainly impressive. At the beginning of COSCOs involvement, Piraeus ranked 93rd among container ports worldwide. Now it is in the top 40. Colossal blue cranes, made in China, unload containers from ships that, pre-COSCO, would have been too big for the port to handle. Since the firm arrived and began a massive upgrade, container-handling capacity at Piraeus has grown more than four-fold. But if China had hoped that gaining control of a vital port would give it enduring political clout in a country that is a member both of the EU and NATO, it may be disappointed. After granting COSCO control, Greece blocked EU statements attacking Chinas behaviour in the South China Sea and its human-rights record. However, a more pro-American government took over in 2019. Greeks no longer see China as a saviour for their economy. In fact, polls show an increasingly defiant Greek public," said a report in 2021 by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think-tank in Washington. In recent years, attitudes towards China have changed considerably across Europe. The EU has tightened the screening of foreign investments for possible security risks. There are only a few big BRI projects in Europe. One is a high-speed rail line being built between Hungary and Serbia, funded by Chinese loans. Chinas eventual hope is to link it with Piraeus, but North Macedonia and Greece are still mulling how to proceed with their sections. Chinas presence is far more extensive in Africa, where it had been a big player long before the BRI was proposed. The scheme boosted Chinas involvement in big infrastructure projects, from railway lines to ports. Sub-Saharan Africa has soaked up a large share of BRI lending. But as countries have become laden with debt, many loans have turned sour. For China, Africa has become a financial quagmire. A trap for whom? Chinas banks were willing lenders, but hard-nosed. Much of the credit was granted on commercial terms. The banks have been resisting Western calls to help African states by writing off some loans. But in June China joined other foreign government creditors in reaching a deal with Zambia over how to restructure billions of dollars in debt, much of it owed to China. That was a shift. China normally prefers to resolve such problems in secretive bilateral talks. Still, it did not agree to a haircut. Some Western officials complain that China has been setting debt traps" to ensnare unwary recipients of BRI lending: the idea being that when a borrower defaults, China can extract concessions, such as ownership of vital infrastructure. One alleged example involves a Chinese firms takeover in 2017 of Hambantota, a Chinese-built port in Sri Lanka, after the countrys government struggled with debt. But there is little proof of any deliberate trap having been laid, there or elsewhere. Rather, Chinas banks have been ensnaring themselves by lending without proper assessments of risk. Now they prefer to keep borrowers afloat rather than let them sink. Between 2016 and 2021 they extended $185bn in bail-out loans, according to a report by AidData, an American research group. It says that in 2010 less than 5% of Chinese lending abroad supported borrower countries in distress. By 2022 that figure had risen to 60%. Chinas banks have been relatively tough-minded about this kind of lending, too. AidDatawriting in Marchsaid interest on a rescue loan from the IMF was typically 2%. The average rate on a Chinese one was 5%. China may be learning lessons. Having reached a peak in 2016, its outbound lending has fallen, according to the Rhodium Group, another research firm. Chinas big banks are re-evaluating their lending practices after high-profile stumbles," it says. In 2020 Chinas new lending to African governments was less than $2bn. This was the lowest amount since 2004. It has been a similar story in Pakistan, a close ally, where a flagship BRI enterprise has involved talk of as much as $60bn of spending (though only about half has materialised) on megaprojects such as road upgrades and power plants. Known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it aims to stimulate trade across their mountainous border and down to the port of Gwadar more than 1,500km to the south-west. China has managed Gwadar since 2013, but the ports development has involved nothing like the success of Piraeus. It has been beset by militant violence and Pakistans political strife. The countrys binge of CPEC-related borrowing has helped to foment a debt crisis. It has been turning to the IMF, and China, for help. View Full Image (Graphic: The Economist) But China remains wedded to the CPEC idea. In countries around its borders, the BRI has an added layer of importance. China sees its help with infrastructure-building as a security guarantee as well as a commercial opportunity, in some cases providing alternative land routes for its energy imports that would bypass the Malacca Strait, a choke point that America could throttle. In Pakistans case, China hopes for multiple dividends. A prosperous Pakistan, it reckons, could act as a counterweight to India, Chinas rival. It would be less likely to foment violent extremism that could spill over into neighbouring Xinjiang. Western security experts speculate that Gwadar could become a base for Chinas navy (despite rumours, there is no firm evidence that it is building one there). In parts of the world, the BRI will become less bold and brash. But for security and economic reasons, China will keep pursuing the idea in its own backyard. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a think-tank in London, says that South-East Asia will be a particular focus. No region is more strategically important" to China, it says. Amid growing tensions with the West, China is becoming more concerned about its economic security. It wants to use the BRI to create alternative markets for its goods and alternative links in its supply chains," the IISS says, particularly for Chinas high-tech products. South-East Asian countries are critical to those chains. Progress is being made. In 2021 China finished building a new rail line, costing nearly $6bn, connecting the Chinese city of Kunming with Vientiane, the capital of Laos, one of Asias poorest countries. The 422km section in Laos cuts through mountains still dotted with unexploded American bombs from the Vietnam war. Nearly half the track is in tunnels. In April passengers began using the line to cross the border. The journey from Vientiane to the Chinese frontier, once a bumpy day-long drive, is now a smooth 3.5-hour ride. Lao farmers have begun to plant high-value crops such as durians to sell to China by train. US dropped bombs in Laos, China builds railways" said a recent headline in Global Times, a tabloid in Beijing. This is a recurring feature of the BRIs message: China is benevolent and America is a bully. Among some people in Laos, it strikes a chord. China is the big brother that we can learn from", says Phouphet Kyophilavong of the National University of Laos. But polls suggest that in countries near to China, publics are more wary of Chinese influence, which they see as growing. In conversations in Vientiane, Lao analysts often criticise their government for failing to extract more benefits from Chinese projects. They say Laos spends so much on debt servicing that it has neglected critical needs such as education. Laos is up to its neck in debt. At the end of 2022 it owed $10.5bn to foreign lenders, the equivalent of 84% of its GDP. About half of the money had been borrowed from China. Last year Laoss foreign-currency reserves fell so low that it struggled to buy fuel. Credit-rating agencies warned that it was close to defaulting. China has allowed Laos to defer debt repayments. China sees the China-Laos railway as one leg of a much longer rail network that it hopes will eventually connect Kunming with Singapore. For China, the lines success will depend not on how it is used by Laoss population of 7.5m. Far more important is laying track through richer Thailand, which has ten times as many people. Work on that is under way, though completing the project region-wide will be dogged by messy politics in Thailand and Malaysia, tough negotiations over project terms (Laos was relatively easy-going) and wariness among some local lawmakers about being drawn too close to China. It can be difficult to discern what the BRI really is about. It is often compared to the Marshall Plan, Americas funding for rebuilding Europe after the second world war. But it is not that. Very little BRI activity involves aid. Indeed, many BRI countries are relatively wealthy. Globally more than 150 have signed up to the scheme. About half of them are labelled as upper-middle or high-income by the World Bank. The silk-road language is misleading. There is no geographic bar to joining. But it is becoming clearer how it might morph. In 2015 China said the BRI would also create a digital silk road", a fancy way of describing the pursuit of business abroad by Chinese companiesstate and privatein industries such as telecommunications and cloud computing. The West, especially America, worries that China aims to capture markets with its low-priced, cutting-edge technologies in ways that could threaten Western security and intrude on personal freedoms. Americas tech battle against China is, in part, a response to such fears. As countries deal with debt shocks and China struggles with weaker growth at home, BRI language is becoming more cautious. In 2021 Mr Xi called for a new phase emphasising small but beautiful" projects. These would have higher standards and better returns, and involve industries like green energy and digital infrastructure. China would stop building coal-fired power plants abroad, he said. Even during the pandemic, Chinas greenfield investments in digital technology abroad steadily increased, says the IISS. In state media, new ideas proposed by Mr Xi have begun to vie with the BRI for attention. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative are concepts rather than action plans, but with strong implicit messages: that Chinas development model is better for poorer countries than Western templates stressing human rights, that Western military alliances threaten world peace and that criticism of Chinese communism amounts to a racist attack on Chinas ancient culture. But the BRI is far from being abandoned. In the build-up to next months summit in Beijing, a message is being promoted by Chinas official media. It is that the scheme is Mr Xis cherished project. As an obvious tribute to him, the Communist Party agreed in 2017 to enshrine the task of pursuing the BRI into its charter, thus making it a heresy to doubt it. Reports on state television show Mr Xi visiting projects around the world, as if delivering Chinas wealth in person. An article in August praised him for opening up a happy road that benefits all countries". The BRI, in other words, has plenty of life left in it. Subscribers can sign up to Drum Tower, our new weekly newsletter, to understand what the world makes of Chinaand what China makes of the world. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com More private-equity firms are recruiting data-science experts as they incorporate machine learning and data analytics into their investment processes and to support their portfolio companies. The evolution of artificial intelligence has whetted the industrys appetite for data-science expertise, investors and executive recruiters say. If you are a person who knows data science and dealspeak, you are a special person, and your market value has increased," said Joseph Healey, private markets practice leader at executive recruiter Korn Ferry. Small and midmarket firms, such as Access Holdings Management and Frazier Healthcare Partners, have been adding data-science experts to their ranks, while larger firms and early movers, such as EQT, Partners Group and Two Sigma Investments, have built sizable teams. Since it launched its Motherbrain data-analysis and machine-learning platform in 2016, EQT has built a team of more than 40 people at Motherbrain and expanded the units focus from supporting the firms venture platform to include other strategies, such as private capital, infrastructure and its recently acquired Asia investment unit, BPEA EQT, according to the firm. These firms and others say they want to find data-science professionals with the ability to interpret and translate data for those who arent experts, making communication skills as valuable as technical expertise. Ultimately deals get done by private-equity investors," said Drew Conway, managing director and head of data science for private investments at Two Sigma Investments. They dont get done by data scientists. You have to be able to stand in front of the senior partner of a private-equity business and explain to them what you didand how you think the results may be used." Since Conway joined Two Sigma in 2019, the private investments data-science team has expanded to more than 30 professionals, and focuses on strategies that span real estate, venture capital and impact investing. Before joining the firm, Conway founded and led a data-computing technology startup that was acquired in 2019. Many firms poach talent from consulting firms with established data consulting practices such as McKinsey & Co., as well as from large consumer product or technology companies or even from academic institutions, recruiters say. Before joining Boston-based Berkshire Partners as a vice president of data and analytics in 2020, Adam Nahari worked as a research scientist in the predictive medicine group at Harvard Medical School. Variety is a big thing," Nahari said, about what he found attractive about a career in private equity. The ability to work with many different companies across different industries, help them grow and improve. Youre working on different companies, tackling different types of problems and questions that youre trying to answer. The variety isnt only in the type of research youre doing or the type of questions youre trying to answer. Its also in the type of data youre working with." Ryan Bulkoski, a partner at executive recruiter Heidrick & Struggles International, said that variety of experience, along with the potential to one day share in portfolio profits, can help private-equity firms woo top data-science talent. Private equity usually represents an unopened door that almost all chief analytics officers would love to walk [through] at some point," Bulkoski said. Although not many firms offer their data professionals a share of profits, often referred to as carried interest, it can be a powerful recruiting tool to win over senior talent, particularly for smaller firms, according to Bulkoski. Private-equity firms will likely have to pay up to secure top talent. Median total cash compensation, including base salary and bonus, for data, analytics and artificial intelligence roles in the U.S. financial-services sector was $551,000 in 2021, above the $526,000 median compensation for all industries, but lagging behind pay for similar roles in the healthcare and consumer sectors, according to a report issued last year by Heidrick & Struggles. Some companies, such as Netflix, are offering much higher compensation for certain artificial intelligence roles, as demand for such skills continues to intensify, The Wall Street Journal previously reported. Over time the supply of people and demand will come into balance, but at the moment theres still a people deficit in relation to how important this function is to the future of private equity," said Korn Ferrys Healey. The challenge is particularly acute for smaller firms that often lack the resources of their larger buyout peers, although some have still managed to build expertise. Access Holdings Management, a lower midmarket firm that manages some $2.7 billion in assets, has added at least four full-time data professionals to its team, including Matt Johl, chief data officer on its valuation creation team who joined in 2021, George Shipley, a managing director on the value creation team who joined that same year, and Nik Kapauan, a principal on the value creation team who joined last year. We do invest outsized to our [assets under management], because we believe in the power of it," Kapauan said. Access also augments the teams capabilities partly by partnering on specific data-science projects with graduate students and research interns from academic institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Chicago, according to Kapauan. Raahil Reddy, a quantitative analyst on the firms value creation team, joined Access last year after working with the firm on one such project while he was earning his masters degree at Carnegie Mellon. The pressure for talent at both large and small firms isnt likely to abate any time soon, as more firms use data-science and artificial intelligence technologies to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Firms over time are going to have to have these capabilities," said Berkshires Nahari. In five or 10 years, this is just going to be table stakes." Write to Laura Kreutzer at laura.kreutzer@wsj.com Engineers' Day is observed annually on September 15 in India, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. Also read: Nipah Virus: Karnataka heightens border vigilance as virus outbreak hits Kerala Prime Minister Modi conveyed his greetings to all engineers on Engineers' Day. He praised their innovative thinking, unwavering commitment and their integral role in the nation's advancement. He highlighted their contributions, which span from infrastructure projects to technological advancements, impacting various facets of our daily lives. Why is Engineers' Day celebrated? In 1968, the Government of India decided to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of India's greatest minds. Since then, National Engineers' Day is celebrated in India on September 15th each year. National Engineers' Day serves as a tribute to Visvesvaraya's legacy and acknowledges the contributions made by engineers to India's growth and development. Theme The theme for National Engineers' Day in 2023 is 'Engineering for a Sustainable Future.' History Sir Visvesvaraya was a pioneering figure in the field of engineering and had a profound impact on the development of India's infrastructure. His contributions include the design and construction of dams, irrigation networks, and various other projects that played a crucial role in India's progress and modernization. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his outstanding contributions in the field of engineering science. One of his remarkable achievements was the design of automatic weir water floodgates, which allowed for an increase in the storage capacity of the Khadakwasla Reservoir near Pune. He also projected an extensive irrigation system in the Deccan Plateau. Visvesvaraya is credited as the architect of the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam in Mysuru, and his gate design was successfully implemented at this dam as well. He designed a flood protection system for the Visakhapatnam port. As Diwan of Mysore, he contributed to the development of armoured, bullet-proof vehicles for World War II during his tenure as a board member of Tata Steels. Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was honoured with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. Significance Engineers' Day is celebrated to honour the remarkable contributions of those individuals who bring scientific concepts into everyday life. This day serves as a poignant reminder of the pivotal role that engineers fulfil in addressing intricate challenges, propelling technological advancements, and elevating the quality of life for individuals worldwide. Engineers' Day acknowledges the contributions of past engineers and also inspires present and future generations to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and progress. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! New Delhi: All smartphones will have to support NavIC by the end of 2025, minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said after Apple successfully supported the indigenous navigation system in some of the new iPhone 15 models. 5G smartphones would have to support NavIC, short for Navigation with Indian Constellation, by 1 January 2025, and other phones by December 2025, the minister said. NavIC was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). The minister said the government could also consider giving incentives for using Indian-made or -designed NavIC-supporting chips in system designs in the next round of production-linked incentives or PLI scheme. In line with the incentives that we have announced under the IT hardware PLI (production-linked incentive), where cashback to companies can significantly go up if they use India-designed or -manufactured chips in their systems, we will extend the same idea to the smartphone PLI as well for using domestic chips that support NavIC," Chandrasekhar told reporters on Thursday. We want to create an incentive structure that will encourage companies under the PLI schemes to use NavIC-supporting chips designed or made in India," Chandrasekhar said. Incentives similar to those under the IT hardware PLI could be offered to smartphone makers in the revised scheme. He did not specify the timeline for when the revised scheme will be brought out. Under the IT hardware PLI scheme, companies that manufacture laptops, computers and servers and source locally made components, including chips, will get additional incentives. When we have a mobile phone grid chip, which is performance-competitive, cost-competitive, we will certainly incentivize mobile phone devices to incorporate that as well." He added that the government has already made it mandatory in the automobile segment to use GPS that uses the NavIC chipsets. Chandrasekhar clarified that the requirement would be for incorporating NavIC in addition to other GPS systems that are already in use. These include the USs Global Positioning System (GPS), Russias Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the European Unions Galileo, Chinas BeiDou, and Japans Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). NavIC uses seven satellites which cover India and neighbouring areas, including the Indian Ocean region. The independent navigation satellite system will improve further when more satellites are added to the existing network, which will enable NavIC to be available in other countries as well. Apple is the latest adopter of NavIC, while some Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Poco, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus use the system in some of their models. Most smartphones enable the use of all navigation systems for developers, and with NavIC getting adopted by Apple, among other systems, the doors for the Indian systems global development will also open up. Chandrayaan 3, ISROs successful launch of the Aditya L1, its maiden solar mission, and the mainstream acceptance of the NavIC technology shows Indias growing power as a space nation," Chandrasekhar said. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Indian Defence Force's continue their operation in the forest area on a hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmir 's Anantnag district for the third day on Friday to flush out the ultras. According to reports, one soldier still remains missing. Here are the top points to the Ananatnag encounter incident -The Indian Armed Forces have employed drones and quadcopters to pinpoint the location of the terrorists who have taken positions in the forest in Anantnag. -The terrorists killed four security personnel on Wednesday. -The forces fired mortar shells on the terrain where they believe the terrorists are hiding, based on drone surveillance, officials have said. The security forces have maintained a tight cordon in the area, they added. -On Thursday police claimed to have "encircled" two Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in the higher reaches of Anantnag district of south Kashmir. -Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Army, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday morning -In Jammu, anti-Pakistan protests were held on Thursday in various parts of the city against the killing of four security personnel by terrorists. -Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, expressed grief over the deaths of the officers in the encounter while also paying tributes to the slain DSP at Budgam on Wednesday -In a separate encounter, two terrorists were gunned down by security forces in the Narla area of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri on Tuesday -Security forces said they recovered warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that carried over into Wednesday evening, according to officials -It is the misfortune of Jammu and Kashmir that youngsters here continue to get killed when they should be enjoying and planning their lives, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said on Friday. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Gunfire and explosions echoed through the Gadole forest in Kokernag, located in South Kashmir's Anantnag district, as the anti-terrorism operation entered its third day on Friday. Tragically, two army officers and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from Jammu and Kashmir Police lost their lives in an attack by Lashkar-e-Toiba militants on Wednesday. Since the morning of Friday, military and police units have been engaged in firing in the direction they suspect two to three terrorists may be concealed. Locals confirmed hearing blasts in the morning near the encounter spot. Since morning, the firing has been taking place at intervals near the spot that has been encircled by the security forces, comprising army, police and CRPF personnel. Throughout the night, the security forces had kept a close cordon around the forest," a resident of Gadol told Hindustan Times requesting anonymity. Also Read: Two LeT terrorists 'encircled' by security forces in J&K's Anantnag During the operation on Wednesday, Colonel Manpreet Singh, who served as the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, also part of the same battalion, and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Humayun Muzamil Bhat sustained critical injuries and tragically lost their lives. On Thursday, the police reported that the security forces had managed to surround two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, one of whom was identified as the local commander Uzair Khan. Uzair Khan, who had joined the militant ranks in the previous year, was serving as the Lashkar commander in the region due to his extensive knowledge of the forest terrain and the surrounding areas. Also Read: Two Army officers, cop killed in gunfight with terrorists in J&K's Anantnag; encounter underway On Wednesday evening, Dilbag Singh, the Director General of Police for Jammu and Kashmir, assured that those responsible for this criminal act would be swiftly brought to justice. The Falcon Squad of The Resistance Front (TRF) took credit for the attack on social media, stating that it was executed in retaliation for the recent killing of Mohammad Riyaz, a resident of Poonch, in Rawalkote, which is in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In various regions of the Kashmir Valley, members of the civil society organized candlelight vigils on Thursday evening as a tribute to the fallen heroes. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Emergency alert on your phone: Here's how netizens reacted, A virus!, system malfunction?' to message from government 1 min read Join us Telecom providers in India are testing a Cell Broadcasting Alert System in partnership with the government Premium NDMA trials emergency alert system for nationwide emergencies, (Twitter) A number of Telecom Service providers have been sending alerts to Indian citizens as per directive of Department of Telecommunications to test the effectiveness of Cell Broadcasting based Emergency Alert System. The Department of Telecommunications on July 20 made an announcement regarding its partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority. They said that together, they will carry out testing of the Cell Broadcast Alert System. This initiative aims to improve emergency communication capabilities during disasters and prioritise the safety and welfare of the populace. The Ministry of Communications, in a statement, mentioned that comprehensive tests for the Cell Broadcast Alert System are underway and are being conducted on each Telecom Service Provider. Also read: Emergency Alert on your phone? Telcom department clarifies, Please ignore. Here's what it means In response to the Alert messages received on phones of various citizens of India, a number of users on social media expressed worry over system malfunction or virus in their phone and enquired about the cause of such a message. The Indian Department of Telecommunication said it recently tested its Cell Broadcasting System (CBS) to evaluate how effectively it can broadcast emergency warnings through mobile operators and cell broadcast systems. The government is collaborating with the National Disaster Management Authority on this project, aiming to use the system during disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. The tests will continue periodically in different regions to ensure the system's efficiency and effectiveness While some initially suspected spam or viruses, these tests are part of a government initiative to improve disaster management. A user on social media platform X expressed concerns about potential malware on their phone. He inquired about possible solutions and pondered whether a factory reset might be necessary. He stated," Shall I factory reset it?" India's defence ministry had cleared nine procurement proposals of around 45,000 crore, including ones to acquire 12 Su-30 MKI fighter jets, maufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The 11,000 crores project would include the aircraft and related ground systems, defence officials have said. The aircraft would include more than 60 per cent indigenous content as per the requirement. These would be the most modern Su-30 MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force equipped with multiple Indian weapons and sensors", officials said. The proposals also include procuring Dhruvastra air-to-surface missiles, and an upgrade of Dornier aircraft. The approval to the procurement proposals under the framework of the 'Make in India' initiative came amid the lingering border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. The go ahead to the Indian Air Force's (IAF) proposal to carry out the avionics upgrade of the Dornier fleet to improve its accuracy and reliability is considered significant as technical snags on a were reported in the aircraft on a number of occasions earlier this year. "The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals of approx. 45,000 crore," the defence ministry said in a statement. The AoN refers to the initial approval to any defence acquisition project. The meeting of the DAC that approved the nine proposals was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. "All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence Industry towards achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," the defence ministry said. Union Minister VK Singh called for the international community to isolate Pakistan on Thursday amid an ongoing encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. Four security personnel were killed on Wednesday during the clash in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The incident has since sparked widespread protests in the Valley, with many raising slogans against Pakistan and burning posters of the country's flag. We have to think (about cross-border terrorism). Unless we isolate Pakistan globally, they will think it is business as usual (to send gunmen across the border to unleash terror). If we have to bring them under pressure, we have to impress on the international community to isolate them. They need to be told that normal ties cannot be restored unless they start behaving themselves," General (retd.) VK Singh said. A Rashtriya Rifles Colonel, an army Major and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) were killed on Wednesday while battling terrorists in the Kokernag area of the Anantnag. A jawan also died in the encounter, officials have said while adding that the whereabouts of another soldier was not immediately known and it is feared he might have been seriously wounded. It is strongly suspected that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were responsible for the attack. ALSO READ: Two Army officers, cop killed in gunfight with terrorists in J&K's Anantnag Anti-Pakistan protests were witnessed in various areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday as the encounter continued. Panun Kashmir and Eik Sanatam Bharat Dal (ESBD) led tributes to the officers and called for a robust operation against the terrorist network in the northern union territory. BJP youth activists also staged a massive demonstration under the leadership of Jammu and Kashmir unit president Arun Prabhat, lashing out at Pakistan for its role in encouraging terrorism. They raised slogans against the other country and burnt posters of its flag. Pakistan is rattled by the popularity of Bharat after the success of G20 Summit. That is why they are trying to disturb peace in J&K. They want to create trouble in the region," PTI quoted Prabhat as telling reporters. Also Read: J&K: Heightened security in Rajouri as ongoing encounter enters second day Workers from the Dogra Front Shiv Sena staged a protest march in Jammu in support of their demand for additional attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). They too set fire to Pakistani flags and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans. DFSS President Ashok Gupta voiced concern about the situation, noting that this was the fourth significant episode in J&K this year alone. He called for quick activity against psychological oppressor bases in PoJK. The Yuva Rajut Sabha likewise organized an enormous dissent rally in Jammu, venting their rage over the killings. ALSO READ: J&K govt revokes suspension of lecturer who appeared before SC in Art 370 case Members of the Opposition INDIA bloc meanwhile slammed the BJP on Thursday for holding "celebrations" to mark the success of the G20 Summit. The the Congress dubbed the prime minister "insensitive" and shared videos of mourning family members of a deceased soldier juxtaposed against visuals of the PM being welcomed at the BJP headquarters. Others including AAP's Senior Chief Sanjay Singh have asked the administration to offer significant help to the deprived families. The AAP leader emphasized the significance of a determined response to terrorists sponsored by Pakistan and warned that these issues would be brought up in Parliament if they were not adequately addressed. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Shortly after the arrest of Congress MLA Mamman Khan in connection with the Nuh violence that occurred on July 31, the Haryana government took the decision to suspend mobile internet and bulk SMS services in the district for a duration of two days. Notably, the government order issued for this action does not explicitly mention Khan's arrest as the reason behind this suspension. "This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh in the state of Haryana and shall be in force with effect from September 15 (10:00hrs) to September 16 (2359hrs)," says the order issued by Home Department Additional Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad, as reported by PTI. "It has been brought to my notice by Deputy Commissioner, Nuh, vide his request dated September 14 that there is an apprehension of causing tension, annoyance, agitation, damage of public & private property and disturbance of public peace & tranquillity in the district," Prasad said. Ferozepur Jhirka legislator Mamman Khan was identified as a suspect in an FIR filed subsequent to the communal clashes, and he was taken into custody by the Haryana Police late last night, PTI reported. Also Read: Nuh Violence: Congress MLA Mamman Khan arrested; to be produced before court today In response to Khan's arrest, sufficient police personnel have been deployed across the entire Nuh district to maintain law and order. Additionally, stringent security measures have been implemented in the vicinity of the court complex where Khan is scheduled to be presented by the police later in the day. As reported by ANI, security measures have been intensified outside the Nuh District Court, where Mamman Khan is scheduled to appear today for legal proceedings. In the wake of the Nuh violence, Khan had been identified as a suspect in an FIR, as disclosed by the Haryana government in a statement to the High Court last Thursday. The government further asserted that they possessed phone call records and other substantiating evidence to support the allegations against him. According to Haryana's Additional Advocate General, Deepak Sabharwal, Khan's inclusion as an accused was officially made on September 4, following a thorough examination of the available evidence. Sabharwal also emphasized to reporters that there was substantial and compelling evidence linking Khan to the case. Also Read: Haryana Nuh Violence: Monu Manesar denies involvement in communal clashes, says Maman Khan is The Haryana government had previously taken a similar step in the previous month by suspending mobile internet services in the Nuh district. This action followed the violent incident that occurred on July 31, when a Vishva Hindu Parishad-led procession was targeted by mobs in Nuh. This incident resulted in the loss of six lives, with most casualties occurring during the attack on the procession. Additionally, a cleric lost his life in a separate attack on a mosque in the adjacent Gurugram area. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Amid concerns over the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, the Karnataka government has taken action to enhance surveillance in its border districts. As of now, Kerala has reported five cases of Nipah virus, with two of them resulting in fatalities, all of which have occurred in Kozhikode. As reported by ANI, in a circular issued by the Karnataka government, it has been stated that due to the presence of four confirmed Nipah cases and two deaths in Kozhikode, there is a need to intensify surveillance activities in the districts that share a border with Kerala. This measure is aimed at preventing the spread of the infection into Karnataka, stating, Avoid unnecessary travel of the general public from Karnataka to the affected area of Kerala." Setting up check posts for fever surveillance at the point of entry from Karnataka to Kerala. Intensify fever surveillance in the bordering districts such as Chamarajanagar, Mysore, Kodaga, and Dakshin Kannada," it added. Also Read: Nipah virus in Kerala: Former Health Minister K K Shailaja shares updates says Situation not as scary as in 2018 Meanwhile, as reported by PTI, the ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune sent its mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory to Kozhikode to test samples for the virus in the district itself after five cases, including two deaths, were recorded. In a relief to the state government, the 11 samples sent for testing returned negative results for the virus. A government source confirmed the negative results, PTI noted. Kerala's Health Minister, Veena George, has reported that discussions were held with a central expert committee regarding the stability of the antiviral medication. This discussion likely pertains to the use and effectiveness of antiviral drugs in treating Nipah virus cases in the state. Also Read: Nipah virus: Kerala records 5th confirmed case in 24 year-old health worker In February 2022, a mobile laboratory was established to investigate newly emerging and reemerging viral infections that pose a high risk to humans due to their contagious and potentially deadly nature. Furthermore, to enhance virus testing and detection capabilities, a fully-equipped mobile virology testing laboratory from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) was dispatched to a district in northern Kerala. Notably, this marks the fourth occurrence of Nipah virus infection in the state, with previous cases being identified in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021, as well as in Ernakulam in 2019. These instances highlight the recurring nature of the viral infection in Kerala. During the Nipah outbreak in 2018, an experimental therapeutic called the m102.4 monoclonal antibody was brought into the affected region for potential use in treating infected patients under compassionate grounds. However, it was ultimately not utilized during that outbreak because the outbreak had already subsided by the time the treatment arrived. Also Read: Mint Explainer: Nipah virus returns to Kerala. What you need to know? At that time, protocols and standard operating procedures for the administration of this experimental therapy were established with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). These protocols were prepared to ensure that if needed, the treatment could be used effectively and safely for Nipah virus-infected individuals. The virus strain identified in the state is the Bangladesh variant, which has the capacity to transmit among humans and is associated with a relatively high mortality rate, even though it is less contagious, the government said. Studies conducted by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have indicated that the entire state, and not just Kozhikode, is susceptible to such infections. It has been emphasized that people residing in forested areas should exercise the utmost caution. Furthermore, it has been noted that the latest virus outbreak originated within a five-kilometer radius of a jungle area. As a precautionary measure, approximately 11 wards in the Kozhikode district have been designated as containment zones until Wednesday evening, likely as part of efforts to control the spread of the virus within specific areas. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! In the wake of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, nine panchayats in Kozhikode district have turned into containment zones. Additionally, hundreds of Asha (accredited social health activist) workers visit the homes of residents every day, conducting medical check-ups, monitoring people, and collecting data. The panchayats are holding daily meetings, coordinating with the police, and officials from the states animal husbandry and health departments. Also read: Nipah virus top 10 updates: From closed schools, colleges to tests, antibody launch; here's how Kerala is prepared The containment zones were created after two deaths related to the Nipah virus reported this year. The containment zones have been created within a five-kilometre radius of the homes in Kozhikode district. Shops selling essential items and medical shops can operate from 7 am to 5 pm. On Friday, one more person got infected by the Nipah virus in Kozhikode district. A 39-year-old man has been confirmed with the Nipah virus after his samples turned positive. With this, the total number of Nipah cases has gone up to six in Kozhikode. Also read: Nipah virus in Kerala: One more confirmed case pushes infection tally to 6 Centre sends Nipah virus antibody: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) delivered the antibody to combat the Nipah virus outbreak yesterday. The antiviral is the only option available to the government to treat infections, although its efficacy has not been clinically proven yet. Also read: Nipah outbreak: Centre sends teams to Kerala with lab units This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state. It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and in Ernakulam in 2019. About the Nipah virus: It was first identified in 1998-99 among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore. In humans, the outbreak occurred in Bangladesh in 2001. The virus spread to humans through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats and pigs, with some documented cases of transmission among humans. Also read: Nipah outbreak: Schools, colleges shut in Kerala's Kozhikode for two days The symptoms of the Nipah virus are fever, respiratory distress, headaches, and vomiting, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Encephalitis and seizures can also occur in severe cases, leading to coma. The virus has a mortality rate of about 70%. There is no vaccine to treat the Nipah virus yet. A cocktail of anti-vitriolic drugs is usually administered. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Nipah virus strain in Kerala is the Bangladesh variant that spreads from humans is characterised by high mortality despite lower infectivity. The virus, for which there is no vaccine, spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or humans and has a mortality rate of up to 75% among those infected. The virus recently caused two deaths, there are three individuals under treatment for the virus, with a nine-year-old boy in critical condition. On September 13, a 24-year old health worker became Kerala's fifth confirmed Nipah case of the latest outbreak. One more case, that is sixth, of Nipah virus was confirmed by Health Minister's Office in which a 39-year-old man who is under observation in a hospital in Kozhikode. In response to the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala's Kozhikode district, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) provided the state with the requested monoclonal antibody to combat the virus. The monoclonal antibody, although not clinically proven, is the government's sole option for treating infections. The ICMR also dispatched a mobile laboratory to Kozhikode for on-site testing of virus samples, following the recording of five cases, including two fatalities. A central team of experts from institutions like the National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital, and NIMHANS has been stationed in Kerala to assist the state government in managing the Nipah infection. Furthermore, samples will be collected from bats to check for the presence of the virus. The mobile BSL-3 , the first Biosafety Level-3 containment mobile laboratory in south Asia will enable early testing and detection of infections at the district level. A fully-equipped mobile virology testing laboratory from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) was sent to northern Kerala to enhance virus testing and detection. Suspected 15 samples from individuals in the high-risk category on the contact list have been sent for testing. Among the high-risk individuals, four are in a private hospital, and 17 are under surveillance at Kozhikode Medical College. Contact list includes 950 people, among which 213 categorised as high-risk individuals while 287 health workers are also on the contact list. Various measures, including a 19-member core committee, the establishment of call centres, a control centre have been set up in Kozhikode, along with isolation, ventilator and ICU facilities in the medical college there to address the outbreak. Psychosocial support teams and improved treatment protocols are also part of the response. Around 11 wards in Kozhikode district were designated as containment zones as of Wednesday evening. The District Collector has declared holidays for all educational institutions, including Anganwadis, Madrasas, tuition centres, and professional colleges, on September 16. This is in addition to the two-day holiday already declared for September 14 and September 15. Kozhikode collector urged educational institutions to conduct online classes and advised citizens to refrain from unnecessary travel and gatherings during this period. Studies by the World Health Organization and ICMR have highlighted the susceptibility of the entire state to such infections, particularly in forested areas, and have emphasised the need for heightened precautions. Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas reassured the public on September 14 that the state's tourism sector remains unaffected by the Nipah virus concerns. He stated that there are no travel restrictions within Kerala, and it is entirely safe to travel to the state. Riyas mentioned that even in containment zones, there have been minimal issues, and there are no restrictions on travel to the affected district either. Kerala Health Minister Veena George advised the public to wear masks, maintain social distance, and seek medical assistance if experiencing symptoms such as cold, fever, headache or cough. The Karnataka government issued a circular advising the general public to refrain from unnecessary travel to the Nipah-affected areas in Kerala. They recommended heightened surveillance in the bordering districts of Karnataka, including Kodagu, Dakshin Kannada, Chamrajanagara, and Mysore, as well as at entry points to the state. Odisha is reeling from two disease outbreaks --Scrub Typhus and Leptospirosis--which have killed six people in the state so far. The latest scrub typhus death has been reported from Sundergarh district. Earlier, five people from Bargarh district had succumbed to the disease. Since January, 132 scrub typhus-positive cases have been detected in Sundergarh district, of which almost all people have been cured, according to Charan Nayak, chief district medical and public health officer of Sundergarh. The Odisha Government has asked district health authorities to increase the surveillance for seasonal upsurge of Scrub Typhus and Leptospirosis in the state. The Odisha Health Department has asked the district health authorities to ensure the availability of tests in DPHL by procurement and supply of required test kits, sensitize doctors to advise the tests in case of PUO, increase public awareness and early diagnosis along with Increased surveillance. Besides, the health department also has asked the authorities to use appropriate antibiotics and an adequate stock of drugs. What is Scrub typhus? Scrub typhus, also known as bush typhus, is a disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi. Scrub typhus is spread to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). People who frequently visit farmlands or forests are vulnerable to the infection. Some of the common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash, according to the CDC website. Symptoms of scrub typhus usually begin within 10 days of being bitten. No vaccine is available to prevent scrub typhus. What is Leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. Common symptoms of Leptospirosis are- high fever, headache, chills, vomiting, red eyes, abdominal pain, rashes, and diarrhea. Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. The illness lasts from a few days to 3 weeks or longer. Without treatment, recovery may take several months. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! NASA released the findings of its extensive study on unexplained aerial phenomena (UAPs), previously known as UFOs. This research marks a significant shift in NASA's approach, moving away from mere debunking of sightings toward a more serious consideration of these events. Earlier two "non-human" corpses in Mexico were publicly unveiled at Mexico's Congress, sparking immense excitement among UFO enthusiasts and the scientific community. At the event when questioned about two "non-human" corpses in Mexico, a panel of experts led by study chair David Spergel admitted that their understanding of these specimens is limited, as their knowledge is primarily derived from reports on social media platform Twitter (X). He said, We don't know the nature of those samples." Spergel emphasised the importance of making these samples available to the global scientific community, urging the Mexican government to take this crucial step. "One of the main things we're trying to do here today is to move conjecture and conspiracy towards science and sanity and you do that with data," said Dan Evans, an assistant deputy associate administrator for research. Data and evidence play a pivotal role in this transition. The event at the Mexican Congress was spearheaded by journalist and UFO researcher Jaime Maussan, who presented fascinating claims. Maussan testified under oath that nearly one-third of the DNA in these specimens is "unknown." Europe, Ukraine and the U.S. have successfully orchestrated several United Nations votes condemning Russias invasion. In recent months they have started talks with dozens of other countries on what a fair peace settlement for Ukraine might look like. However, many of the biggest emerging economiesincluding India, Brazil and South Africaremain neutral on the war. At next weeks gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, developing countries appear eager to shift the global focus onto their priorities: global inequality and debt relief. Russia hasnt benefited significantly from the Wests difficulties. Moscow remains marginalized from many international forums and its declared annexations of Ukraine have been recognized by only a few countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stayed away from this months Group of 20 meeting and a Brics summit last month for fear of being arrested on war-crimes charges, hasnt left his country this year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in contrast, will be in New York and will participate in a Security Council debate on the war next Wednesday, his latest trip abroad. Yet, with the war threatening to descend into a bloody stalemate and the economic spillovers of the conflict still afflicting developing countries, Western efforts to craft an international consensus on peace terms that would benefit Ukraine have made only incremental progress. I dont think this is a situation where you have easy wins and easy losses," said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at Crisis Group, an international conflict-prevention organization. A lot of non-Western countries continue to try to triangulate between Ukraine and Russia." U.S. and European diplomats argue that they have chalked up some significant successes in global diplomacy on Ukraine. They point to big wins in U.N. votes condemning Russias invasion, calling for the withdrawal of Russian forces and condemning Russias annexation claims to swaths of Ukraine last October. One hundred forty-three countries out of 193 is nothing to sniff at," said U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, referring to the October 2022 vote. But in recent months, diplomats and observers say, the international willingness to call out Russia publicly has diminished. A number of emerging countries have come out against calls from Ukraine and its backers to seek reparations from Russia over war damage and create an international tribunal targeting Russias leadership. The big focus for developing countries at the U.N. gathering will be pressing Western countries to meet their 2030 commitments to sustainable development for the worlds poorer countries. Few developing countries joined Western sanctions against Russia, while many global capitals were susceptible in the first months of the war to Moscows argument that it was those measures, not the war itself, that was pushing up energy and food prices. Russian circumvention of Western sanctions through trade via neutral third countries remains a big challenge for Washington and its allies. In a reshuffle of international politics that will have consequences over many years, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were among six countries invited last month to join the Brics grouping, led by Russia and China. Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has become among the most outspoken leaders of a neutral country to criticize the Wests approach to the war. Washington bristled after he accused the U.S. of encouraging the war" by sending arms to Ukraine. Jan Techau, a former German defense official who is now German director at the consulting firm Eurasia Group, said that some Western officials had underestimated the degree of animosity toward the U.S. and Europe in parts of the world and the desire of leading players like Brazil and South Africa to assert their independence and interests on the international stage Its clear that the West overall has been surprised by the pretty widespread reluctance by many of the countries in the so-called Global Southto come on board," he said. Yet from a slow start, Ukraine and its Western backers have adapted to setbacks. Zelensky has courted African, Gulf and Asian countries, like India. Meanwhile, Kyiv has worked with European allies on a separate diplomatic track which is seeking to find common ground between Western countries and big emerging countries on what a just peace for Ukraine would entail. The closed-door discussions have allowed participants to start cooperating on specific aspects of the war without being forced into public condemnations of Moscow. At a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last month, more than 40 countries participated, including China for the first time. Discussions among senior officials might continue in New York next week. Kyiv hopes the discussions will lead to a peace summit before year-end. While the outcome of the war will be largely decided on the battlefield, said Crisis Groups Gowan, the Jeddah track could prove significant. The U.S. and its allies have accepted that they are not going to win over some of the big non-Western powers completely," he said. But the international view of how the war should endmay help frame whatever solution is eventually available." At the G-20 leaders meeting in New Delhi last week, all of the Wests diplomatic setbacks and tentative successes of recent months coalesced. With India insisting any statement must have unanimous backing, attention focused on the Wests failure to convince others that blame for the war should be pinned on Russias invasionor even language to assert that the conflict was a war against Ukraine." Western countries decided it was more important to show the G-20 could survive as a serious multilateral forum and to give a victory to their host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an important partner for Washington in its Asia and China strategy. Yet with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping staying away from Delhi, the outcome showed success for the West too. Backed by Europe and the U.S., the G-20 brought the African Union into the club, an expansion that could prove significant if Beijing and Moscow edge further away from the G-20. Russian attempts to introduce language criticizing Western economic penalties failed, participants said, while Moscow was pressed to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative and leaders demanded an end to military attacks on Ukraines grain infrastructure. Factually, Russia is much more isolated than before," said a senior European official. And the language on Ukraine, to which all G-20 participants committed, was a virtual blueprint of the principles Ukraines backers hope to see applied to any peace process. In line with the U.N. Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state," the G-20 leaders said. William Mauldin contributed to this article. Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com View Full Image U.S. and Europe Struggle to Win Support for Ukraine From Wary Developing Countries View Full Image U.S. and Europe Struggle to Win Support for Ukraine From Wary Developing Countries View Full Image U.S. and Europe Struggle to Win Support for Ukraine From Wary Developing Countries "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Democracy, derived from the Greek words 'demos,' meaning citizens of a city-state, and 'kratos,' signifying 'power' or 'rule' in the form of government, stands as a fundamental value upheld by the United Nations. Within this framework, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the practice of holding periodic and genuine elections through universal suffrage constitute pivotal components of democracy. It represents a system where a nation's citizens possess the authority to elect their leaders and actively engage in decision-making processes that impact their lives. In an effort to promote and uphold these democratic principles on a global scale, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Democracy in 2007. Date The International Day of Democracy, observed on September 15th, was officially designated in 2007 via a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The establishment of the International Day of Democracy can be traced back to the Universal Declaration on Democracy, which was formally adopted on September 15, 1997, by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The IPU is an international organization that comprises national parliaments from various countries. Also Read: What democratic majority means In the subsequent years, Qatar took a leading role in advocating for the recognition and promotion of an International Day of Democracy. Ultimately, on November 8, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a resolution to officially designate this day titled, Support by United Nations system of efforts of governments to promote and consolidate a new or restored democracies." The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) proposed that the International Day of Democracy be observed on September 15, marking the ten-year anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Democracy. The inaugural celebration of this day occurred in 2008. Significance According to the United Nations, the International Day of Democracy serves as a valuable occasion to assess the global status of democracy. Also Read: G20 Summit: AI-generated avatar to greet world leaders at Mother of Democracy exhibit Democracy is not only a destination but also an ongoing process, and it is only through the active engagement and involvement of the international community that the aspiration of democracy can be transformed into a tangible reality. Festivity Each year, activities are organized around a specific theme, but the fundamental objective remains consistent: to advocate for and maintain democracy as an essential human right and a pivotal element of effective governance and global peace. The United Nations, alongside numerous international organizations, orchestrate a variety of events, conferences, and dialogues on this day to commemorate it and advance the principles of democracy. Quotes Here are some famous quotes on democracy from notable individuals throughout history: "Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people." - Abraham Lincoln "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill "Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity." - Naomi Klein "Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people." - Oscar Wilde "The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all." - John F. Kennedy "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Libya flood updates: The Libyan Red Crescent said that the death toll in Libya's coastal city of Derna has soared to 11,300 as the search efforts continue. However, local officials suggested that the death toll could be much higher than announced, The Associated Press has reported. Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast on Sunday night, two dams outside the city collapsed causing floodwaters to gush down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea. More than 3,000 bodies were buried by Thursday morning, eastern Libyas health minister, Othman Abduljaleel said, adding that while another 2,000 were still being processed. He also added that most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were transferred to nearby towns and cities. Abduljaleel said rescue teams were still searching wrecked buildings in the city center, and divers were combing the sea off Derna. Untold numbers could be buried under drifts of mud and debris, including overturned cars and chunks of concrete, that rise up to four meters (13 feet) high. Rescuers have struggled to bring in heavy equipment as the floods washed out or blocked roads leading to the area. Here are Top 10 points you need 1. Marie el-Drese, the aid group's secretary-general, told The Associated Press on phone that 10,100 people are reported missing in the Mediterranean city. 2. A UN official said Thursday that most casualties could have been avoided if there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings," World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva as quoted by AP. "The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out the evacuation." It however, said that that the National Meteorological Center issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all governmental authorities by email and through media. 3. Officials in eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm, and on Saturday, they ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams collapsing. 4. Libyans from across the fragmented country have driven through old front lines regardless of bitter enmities to deliver aid to flood-stricken Derna this week, putting aside years of conflict between their divided leaders. 5. Biltrees activist group hired buses and vans to bring more than 100 volunteers from western parts of Libya to the far eastern city of Derna early on Monday, embarking on a 15-hour drive even before the full scale of the disaster was clear. 6. Conflict since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising has ripped apart many communities in Libya, pitted cities against each other and divided the entire country after 2014 between rival governments in the east and west. Despite a 2020 ceasefire that ended most major warfare, allowing roads and flights to reopen between the main opposing areas, territory remains controlled by rival armed factions and there is no unified authority governing the whole country. 7. Oil-rich Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade one in the east, the other in the capital, Tripoli and one result has been the widespread neglect of infrastructure. 8. The two dams that collapsed outside Derna were built in the 1970s. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million euros for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. 9. Libya's Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged the maintenance issues during a Cabinet meeting held on Thursday and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the dams' collapse. The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas, AP reported. 10. While the Tobruk-based government of eastern Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, The UN humanitarian office issued an emergency appeal for $71.4 million to respond to urgent needs of 250,000 Libyans most affected. The office, known as OCHA, estimated that approximately 884,000 people in five provinces live in areas directly affected by the rain and flooding. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it has provided 6,000 body bags to local authorities, as well as medical, food and other supplies distributed to hard-hit communities. International aid started to arrive earlier this week in Benghazi, 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of Derna. Several countries have sent aid and rescue teams, including neighboring Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Italy dispatched a naval vessel on Thursday carrying humanitarian aid and two navy helicopters to be used for search and rescue operations. President Joe Biden also said the United States would send money to relief organizations and coordinate with Libyan authorities and the United Nations to provide additional support. (With inputs from Associated Press) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The historic London curry house known as the India Club, which has historical ties to India's fight for independence, is sadly closing its doors permanently this Sunday. Despite their efforts, they were unable to prevent a hotel redevelopment project. As reported by Reuters, located inconspicuously up a steep staircase on the bustling thoroughfare of The Strand in central London, the restaurant was established just four years after India gained independence in 1947. It was founded by members of the India League, a British-based advocacy group that campaigned for India's freedom from colonial rule under British dominion. The India Club has been a cherished destination for decades, attracting not only its regular patrons seeking delightful dishes like masala dosa or bhuna lamb paired with a refreshing pint of Cobra or Kingfisher beer but also serving as a welcoming hub for Londoners with Indian heritage. "For many students, journalists and travellers, it was a home away from home, offering simple and good quality Indian food at affordable prices as well as a convivial atmosphere to meet and maintain friendships," Indian lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, whose late father Chandran helped set up the India Club, said. Also Read: Home-away-from-home: London's India club to shut down next month. Details here Manager Phiroza Marker told Reuters the India Club had experienced its busiest days this week and that she was looking for an alternative space nearby for the restaurant, whose formica tables and mustard yellow walls give it the atmosphere of a colonial-era Indian coffee house. Ian Angell, a retired civil servant who has frequented the India Club for nearly ten years, expressed his deep sorrow upon hearing about the restaurant's closure. "There's a sense of history about the place and it's very difficult, if you have to move somewhere else, to replace it like it still feels the same," he said at the Club's bar. "It's such a great shame," he added, sitting below portraits of Indian independence heroes Gandhi and Nehru. (With inputs from Reuters) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The head of the United Nations food agency has warned of a severe global hunger crisis affecting over 700 million people who are uncertain about when or if they will have their next meal. As reported by AP, the demand for food is continuously increasing while humanitarian funding is diminishing. According to WFP estimates from 79 countries where the Rome-based agency operates, up to 783 million people one in 10 of the worlds population still go to bed hungry every night. More than 345 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity this year, an increase of almost 200 million people from early 2021 before the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said. We are now living with a series of concurrent and long-term crises that will continue to fuel global humanitarian needs," she said. This is the humanitarian communitys new reality our new normal and we will be dealing with the fallout for years to come." Also Read: Russia exits UN-brokered deal for export of Ukrainian grain - What does this mean for global food economy? The head of the World Food Programme (WFP), who is also the widow of the late US senator John McCain, has revealed that the agency's estimates indicate that nearly 47 million individuals in more than 50 countries are on the brink of famine. Alarmingly, this includes approximately 45 million children under the age of five who are currently experiencing acute malnutrition. Our collective challenge is to ramp up the ambitious, multi-sectoral partnerships that will enable us to tackle hunger and poverty effectively, and reduce humanitarian needs over the long-term," McCain urged business leaders at the council meeting focusing on humanitarian public-private partnerships. The aim is not just financing, but also finding innovative solutions to help the worlds neediest. Also Read: India ditches Pakistan route, to send food supply to Afghanistan through Iran As reported by AP, Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, told the council that humanitarian relief has long been the domain of government" and development institutions, and the private sector was seen as a source of financial donations for supplies. Money is still important, but companies can offer so much more," he said. The private sector stands ready to tackle the challenges at hand in partnership with the public sector." Miebach stressed, business cannot succeed in a failing world" and humanitarian crises impact fellow citizens of the world. A business can use its expertise, he said, to strengthen infrastructure, innovate new approaches and deliver solutions at scale" to improve humanitarian operations. Also Read: WFP taps India for 200,000 tonnes of rice as global hunger worsens Jared Cohen, president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs, told the council that the revenue of many multinational companies rivals the GDP of some of the Group of 20 countries with the largest economies, AP noted. He said five American companies and many of their global counterparts have over 500,000 workers more than the population of up to 20 UN member nations. (With inputs from AP) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Top American nuclear scientists have estimated that Pakistan currently possesses roughly 170 nuclear warheads, and this number could potentially increase to approximately 200 by the year 2025, based on the current rate of expansion. As reported by PTI citing the Nuclear Notebook column published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on September 11, We estimate that Pakistan now has a nuclear weapons stockpile of approximately 170 warheads. The US Defense Intelligence Agency projected in 1999 that Pakistan would have 60 to 80 warheads by 2020, but several new weapon systems have been fielded and developed since then, which leads us to a higher estimate." The Nuclear Notebook is a feature produced by the team at the Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project. It is authored by Project Director Hans M. Kristensen, Senior Research Fellow Matt Korda, and Research Associate Eliana Johns. Notably, the Nuclear Notebook column has been a regular publication in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since the year 1987. "Our estimate comes with considerable uncertainty because neither Pakistan nor other countries publish much information about the Pakistani nuclear arsenal," the scientists said. Also Read: India prioritising longer-range nuclear weapons that can reach China; Pakistan remains primary focus: Report Due to the lack of dependable data from sources within Pakistan, the Nuclear Notebook employed a methodology that relied on a blend of open-source materials for their estimates and analytical work, PTI reported. Their information sources encompassed both state-originating data, such as government pronouncements, declassified documents, budgetary details, military demonstrations, and treaty disclosure data, as well as non-state-originating data, including media reports, think tank assessments, and industry publications. Notably, they also made extensive use of commercial satellite imagery as part of their data sources. "Each one of these sources provides different and limited information that is subject to varying degrees of uncertainty. We cross-checked each data point by using multiple sources and supplementing them with private conversations with officials whenever possible," the trio said. The Nuclear Notebook further noted that with several new delivery systems in development, four plutonium production reactors, and an expanding uranium enrichment infrastructure, Pakistans stockpile has the potential to increase further over the next several years. Also Read: India, Pakistan share list of nuclear installations through diplomatic channels "The size of this projected increase will depend on several factors, including how many nuclear-capable launchers Pakistan plans to deploy, how its nuclear strategy evolves, and how much the Indian nuclear arsenal grows. We estimate that the country's stockpile could potentially grow to around 200 warheads by the late 2020s, at the current growth rate," the scientists said. "But unless India significantly expands its arsenal or further builds up its conventional forces, it seems reasonable to expect that Pakistans nuclear arsenal will not continue to grow indefinitely but might begin to level off as its current weapons programmes are completed," they added. Even when the document listed fissile materials production and inventory from available sources in the public domain, the scientists put out a disclaimer: Calculating stockpile size based solely on fissile material inventory is an incomplete methodology that tends to overestimate the likely number of nuclear warheads." We estimate that Pakistan currently is producing sufficient fissile material to build 14 to 27 new warheads per year, although we estimate that the actual warhead increase in the stockpile probably averages around 5 to 10 warheads per year," they further said. In a comprehensive exploration of nuclear-capable aircraft and air-delivered weapons, the Nuclear Notebook provided information on a total of 36 aircraft, including Mirage III/IV and JF17s. Likewise, it offered insights into six presently operational solid-fuel, road-mobile ballistic missile systems in the category of land-based ballistic missiles. These included the short-range Abdali (Hatf-2), Ghaznavi (Hatf-3), Shaheen-I/A (Hatf-4), and Nasr (Hatf-9), as well as the medium-range Ghauri (Hatf-5) and Shaheen-II (Hatf-6). Also Read: India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear facilities, prisoners Commenting on the 2017s medium-range ballistic missile called Ababeel that Pakistan said is capable of carrying multiple warheads, using multiple independent reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology," the Nuclear Notebook observed, Development of multiple-warhead capability appears to be intended as a countermeasure against Indias planned ballistic missile defense system. Its status remains unclear as of July 2023." Pointing out that the total number and location of Pakistans nuclear-capable missile bases and facilities remains unknown, the document said, Analysis of commercial satellite imagery suggests that Pakistan maintains at least five missile bases that could serve a role in Pakistans nuclear forces." It then went on to list the bases with its coordinates and other details, including satellite images: Akro Garrison, Gujranwala Garrison, Khuzdar Garrison, Pano Aqil Garrison and Sargodha Garrison, PTI said. Stating how Pakistan's family of ground- and sea-launched cruise missiles is undergoing significant development with work on several types and modifications," the Nuclear Notebook listed details of Babur (Hatf-7) with Babur 1 and Babur 1A, Babur 2 or Babur 1B GLCM, Babur 3 and an under-development variant known as the Harbah. Admitting that little is publicly known about warhead production, the scientists said: But experts have suspected for many years that the Pakistan Ordnance Factories near Wah, northwest of Islamabad, serve a role. One of the Wah factories is located near a unique facility with six earth-covered bunkers (igloos) inside a multi-layered safety perimeter with armed guards." (With inputs from PTI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! The US government believes that China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu is under investigation by Beijing and has subsequently been removed from his responsibilities, as reported by The Financial Times citing American officials. The report came shortly before high-ranking diplomat Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, stated on social media that Li "hasn't been seen or heard from in 3 weeks," and that the minister might have been placed under house arrest, as reported by AFP. These recent events contribute to the mounting signs of possible instability within the Beijing leadership. In July, the unexplained disappearance and subsequent removal of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang raised questions. AFP noted, China underwent a leadership transition within its Rocket Force, the division responsible for managing its nuclear weaponry, within the same month. The former commander, Li Yuchao, had been absent from public view for an extended period leading up to his removal, and official explanations for his dismissal were notably absent. Also Read: Chinas defence minister Li Shangfu to visit India for SCO meet Before his removal from office, the former commander Li Yuchao had not made public appearances for a substantial period, spanning several weeks. Interestingly, the official media outlet Xinhua did not offer any official explanation for his dismissal. The Times reported that three US officials as well as two people briefed on intelligence said the United States determined Li Shangfu had been stripped of his duties as minister. The basis on which President Joe Biden's administration reached the conclusion that Li was the subject of an investigation remains unclear. The White House has not made any public statements regarding this issue. In August, Li traveled to Russia and participated in a security conference near Moscow on August 15. Just two days later, the Belarusian government released official photographs of Li meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. Also Read: India, China agree to 'speed up' resolution of Ladakh standoff: Chinese Defence Ministry Li has made it clear that he will not engage in meetings with US counterparts until Washington lifts the sanctions imposed on him by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. These sanctions were imposed due to Li's involvement in the procurement of Russian military technology. The weapon Beijing launched over the South China Sea traveled at speeds of more than 15,000 miles an hour as it circled the globe. Flying at least 20 times the speed of sound, it could reach anywhere on earth in less than an hour. The summer 2021 test flight ended with the missile striking near a target in China, but it sent shock waves through Washington. National security officials concluded Beijing had launched a hypersonic weapona projectile capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound. The weapons can attack with extreme speed, be launched from great distances and evade most air defenses. They can carry conventional explosives or nuclear warheads. China and Russia have them ready to use. The U.S. doesnt. For more than 60 years, the U.S. has invested billions of dollars in dozens of programs to develop its own version of the technology. Those efforts have either ended in failure or been canceled before having a chance to succeed. Washington, having spent recent decades focusing on fights with terrorists and insurgencies, is once again pouring resources into hypersonics. The Pentagons 2023 budget includes more than $5 billion for the weapons. The U.S. is also tapping the private sectorincluding Silicon Valley venture capitaliststo help develop them to a degree rarely attempted in the past. The spending is part of Americas struggle to re-establish dominance in key military technologies as it enters a new era of great-power competition. The U.S. is straining to keep up with China in an array of military technologies, ranging from artificial intelligence to biotechnology. Moscows work on hypersonics is also a concern for the Pentagon, even if Russias weapons are mostly based on Cold War research and not as sophisticated as those China is now developing. Moscow has developed weapons that can threaten NATO forces in Europe, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted Avangard, a hypersonic weapon that can reach the U.S. The Pentagons problems with developing hypersonics run up and down the decision chain, from failed flight tests and inadequate testing infrastructure to the lack of a clear, overarching plan for fielding the weapons. The situation is raising alarms among some former officials. My concern about the lack of progress on hypersonics is only increasing," said John Hyten, who was vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Chinese test flight. Now retired, Hyten said: We need to move faster in multiple directions." U.S. defense at risk Hypersonics, in the hands of powers such as China or Russia, have the potential to alter the strategic balance that has long undergirded U.S. defense policy. While the U.S. military may still be the most powerful in the world, hypersonic missiles could help an adversary challenge that superiority by evading U.S. early warning systems designed to detect attacks on North America, or striking U.S. naval assets, including aircraft carriers, as well as key bases abroad. Even the most advanced U.S. warship in the South China Sea could be defenseless against a hypersonic attack. Ballistic missiles can travel at hypersonic speeds, but they follow a predictable flight path, making them easier to intercept before hitting a target. Cruise missiles, like the U.S. Tomahawk, can maneuver, but most travel more slowly, under the speed of sound. Hypersonic missiles combine speed with the ability to fly at low altitude and maneuver in flight, making them more difficult to spot by radar or satellite. That makes them almost impossible to intercept with current systems. In a battle in the South China Sea, Beijing could use hypersonic missiles to more than double its reach, leaving U.S. ships in the region nearly defenseless, and even strike Guam, home to thousands of U.S. troops and key military installations. The U.S. has begun investing in missile defense systems that are designed to take out hypersonic missiles, including a new effort that will be developed jointly with Japan. Such systems are still nascent, however, and arent expected to enter service for at least another 10 years. Over the past decade, China has conducted hundreds of flight tests of this new generation of weapons. Beijing already has hypersonic weapons ready to deploy in its arsenal, as does Moscow, which has used them against Ukraine. Pentagon and intelligence officials havent released estimates of how many they think China and Russia have. The U.S., which has conducted just a fraction of the number of Chinas flight tests, has yet to deploy any actual hypersonic missiles. American engineers were for years at the forefront of research on hypersonics, working on missiles and aircraft. Research in the field dates back to the late 1950s, when the U.S. military flew the X-15, a manned hypersonic test aircraft. The program, though successful, was canceled in 1968 as the U.S. got involved in the Vietnam War. Hypersonic aircraft didnt seem relevant to fighting insurgents in the jungle. President Ronald Reagan reignited interest in hypersonics in the 1980s when he announced plans for a hypersonic aircraft that could fly from Washington to Tokyo in two hours. The U.S. spent at least $1.7 billion on developing a prototype of the aircraft, which never flew and was canceled after the end of the Cold War. No country today flies a manned hypersonic aircraft. U.S. and other militaries operate supersonic jets, meaning they can fly greater than the speed of sound, or Mach 1, but none can reach Mach 5. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. attention was diverted to a different type of warfare. For the next two decades, Washington funded technologies such as armed drones, bomb detection and sensors that could track terrorists and insurgents. Though some argued the usefulness of a superfast missile in striking a terrorist leader, others said hypersonic weapons offered little advantage in these fights. Our nation has chosen not to create an operational capability, and a lot of people ask why," said L. Neil Thurgood, a retired lieutenant general who previously headed the Armys hypersonics work. One of the reasons is for the last 20 years, weve been spending our national treasure of blood and resources on the global war on terror." China, meanwhile, accelerated its efforts to develop hypersonic weapons with frequent flight tests, and Russia, which had long invested in the field, also moved ahead. Beijing often used American research on hypersonicspublished openly in scientific journalsthat the U.S. government funded for decades. Among other things, American researchers published on computational fluid dynamics, which helps model hypersonic flight, only to see China develop codes that clearly used those developed in the U.S. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said the U.S. had preceded Beijing in hypersonics work and accused Washington of spreading hypersonic technology. We will never be engaged in an arms race with any country," he wrote in a statement. In the meantime, Russia, which also followed American developments closely, restarted work on hypersonic programs it pursued during the Cold War. We basically trained the world in hypersonics," said Richard Hallion, an aerospace analyst who has followed hypersonics closely for more than 50 years. Ramped up testing In 2016, a high-level panel of the National Academies, an independent scientific group that provides advice to the federal government, warned that foreign adversaries, including China, were readying a new generation of hypersonic weapons. While the details of the study are classified, its conclusions set off alarm bells inside the Defense Department. My joke was, if I briefed it to any more people in the Pentagon, I wouldve been briefing the janitors down on the mezzanine level," said Mark Lewis, a former senior Pentagon official who was involved in managing the militarys hypersonic portfolio and who participated in the 2016 study. Everyone and their brother wanted to see it." Concerned by the growing threat, the Pentagon ramped up testing and development. The Army, Navy and Air Force are developing hypersonic weapons, sometimes in cooperation, as is the Pentagons research agency Darpa. We are in a race," said Lewis, who is now president and chief executive officer of the Purdue Applied Research Institute. Pentagon officials are now debating how best to respond to this buildup. Some argue the U.S. should focus more on defensive systems, rather than missiles. Others say that even if U.S. adversaries have more hypersonic missiles, the state of American hypersonic weaponryeven if not yet deployedwill ultimately be more advanced. And not everyone agrees that a hypersonics arms race comes down to numbers of missiles. If you have 10, should I have 11?" asked Heidi Shyu, the Pentagon top technologist. Last year, the Air Force awarded Raytheon Technologies, now known as RTX, a nearly billion-dollar contract to develop a hypersonic cruise missile that would be launched from an aircraft and is designed to strike enemy ships. The Army hoped to have ready this year the U.S. militarys first hypersonic weaponmissiles that would be launched from trucks. Progress has been halting, in part, because hypersonic weapons are notoriously difficult to develop. Traveling at faster than a mile a second generates heat exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, beyond the limit of most materials. The biggest challenge with hypersonics has always been the thermal management," said Wes Kremer, the president of Raytheon. Cost is also an issue. Hypersonic missiles, which are complex to develop and require specialized materials, are pricier than conventional missilesabout one-third more than ballistic missiles with comparable capabilities, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Kremer said that hypersonic missiles would be a niche capability" to go after moving targets, where speed is essential. Obviously you dont need it to go against the bridge, the bridge isnt moving," he said. The bigger challenge may be for the Pentagon to decide, after so many years and so much money spent, what sort of hypersonic capabilities it wants in its arsenal. The U.S. military is currently pursuing two different types of hypersonic weapons: cruise missiles that use an air-breathing jet engine known as a scramjet, and glide vehicles that are launched from the air, and then glide to their targets at high speeds. The Pentagon is funding about a half dozen different hypersonic weaponsthough the exact number is secretand some former officials suggest there is no clear plan for deciding which of these to field and how. There wasnt a strategy during my time at the Pentagon," said William Roper, the former head of Air Force acquisition. And from what I can see from the outside, there doesnt appear to be one now." One of the biggest stumbling blocks is a lack of infrastructure needed for testing. Developing the weapons requires testing in wind tunnels that can replicate the unique aerodynamic pressures of hypersonic flight. The U.S. has about 26 wind tunnels capable of testing hypersonic weapons, owned by the government, industry and academic organizations, but many are decades old, according to the Government Accountability Office. Almost all of them are booked more than a year in advance, slowing the pace of weapons development. Were forecasting a fivefold demand increase in our use of our ground test capabilities," said George Rumford, director of the Defense Departments Test Resource Management Center. The Pentagon is now building more facilities, but those wont be ready until at least 2027, he said. The lack of testing infrastructure caught the attention of Steve Feinberg, founder of the private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. Feinberg, whom President Donald Trump appointed to head a key intelligence panel in 2018, had been receiving high-level briefings on hypersonic weapons. The briefings prompted Cerberus to buy a California-based company called Stratolaunch, according to those familiar with the purchase. First established by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Stratolaunch had built the worlds largest aircraft to launch a manned space vehicle into orbit. The aircraft will soon be used to launch hypersonic test vehicles to help develop weapons, operating akin to what company officials like to call a wind tunnel in the sky." At the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, Stratolaunchs engineers are constructing a reusable hypersonic test vehicle, called Talon, that will be launched from the companys massive aircraftbuilt using composite material and components from two jumbo jets, connected by a giant single wing. Feinberg saw that the government wasnt stepping up," said Lewis, who now also sits on Stratolaunchs technical advisory board, and he decided that he was going to fill this gap." Feinberg, through a spokesman for Cerberus, declined to comment. Cerberuss goal is to make Stratolaunch commercially successful while also contributing to the Defense Department, said Zachary Krevor, the CEO of Stratolaunch. Stratolaunch is one of a growing number of firms riding a wave of enthusiasm among some in the Pentagon to link private capital with the defense market. New hypersonics-focused companies are popping up to provide test services, rocket motors and even aircraft. Unlike a defense contractor, which typically uses government funds to develop new technologies, companies such as Stratolaunch are relying almost entirely on private capital to fund development, similar to the path Elon Musk took with SpaceX, which launches satellites for the Pentagon and has a space-based internet critical to the Ukrainian military. Proponents say the new firms are needed, in part, because some of the Pentagons highest-profile hypersonics efforts have failed. The Armys plan for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon this year was thrown into doubt after an early March test flight was canceled at the last minute. The service scrubbed the flight after pretest checks showed that a battery failed to activate. Another test was canceled earlier this month. The Army now says it wont deploy the weapon until after a successful test. Also in March, the Air Force nixed its most advanced hypersonic program, developed by Lockheed Martin, after several test failures. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers the service would instead concentrate on Raytheons hypersonic cruise missile, a prototype of which isnt expected to be ready until at least 2027. Use by China and Russia Beijing in late February flew its DF-27 missile, a hypersonic glide vehicle, for 12 minutes across more than 1,300 miles, according to a highly classified U.S. intelligence document leaked on the Discord platform. The missile is designed to reach the so-called Second Island Chain, which includes Guam. The document said the missile likely would have penetrated U.S. defense systems, and that China had ready a small number of DF-27 missiles last year. Moscow has touted its powerful Kinzhal hypersonic missile, which has been used to strike targets in Ukraine. Because the Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile, critics have questioned whether it is a true hypersonic weapon and say it is vulnerable to interception. Russia also claims to have ready the Avangard missile, a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that can travel at up to 27 times the speed of sound. Roper, the former Air Force acquisition head, said developing missiles just to keep up with an adversary is misdirected. When youre behind an opponent and youve made a big deal about it, it creates a blinders effect in the government where your entire focus is just pouring effort to catch up," he said. He argues that the U.S. should develop hypersonic aircraft rather than missiles. Roper now sits on the board of Hermeus, a Silicon Valley-backed startup that has raised more than $100 million in private funding to build hypersonic aircraft. A hypersonic strike aircraft, like the one Hermeus is hoping to build, could hit potential Chinese targets in the South China Sea, which would be more effective than expensive, single-use hypersonic missiles, he said. Last year, the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded a contract worth $334 million to Leidos, a major defense contractor, to work on technology for a hypersonic aircraft project dubbed Mayhem. Lockheed Martin has also over the years worked on a hypersonic successor to the iconic SR-71 Blackbird, a now-retired spy plane that traveled at more than three times the speed of sound. The status of that effort is unknown. Shyu, the Pentagons top technologist, declined to speak about any Pentagon effort to develop a hypersonic aircraft, saying it was classified. Diagrams are approximate and may not be to scale. Some details have been simplified. Design by Andrew Levinson. Graphics by Peter Champelli. Development by Juanje Gomez. Write to Sharon Weinberger at sharon.weinberger@wsj.com SEOULAs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia, he likely did so in the preferred manner of Pyongyangs ruling family: cloaked in secrecy, self-protection and style. Kim, the third-generation dictator, plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media from both countries said on Mondaythe first official confirmation of the summit between the two leaders. The reports didnt specify when or where specifically the exchange will take place. Kim will meet and have a talk with Comrade Putin," North Koreas state media said. The trip will mark the North Korean dictators first overseas trip in more than four years. Earlier on Monday, Kims personal, bulletproof train had left Pyongyang and been spotted en route toward Russia, according to a South Korean government official. U.S. officials had said they expected Kim to soon meet with Putin, where the two could advance talks about a sale of Pyongyangs munitions to help Moscow replenish its supplies for its war in Ukraine. Putin on Monday and Tuesday is scheduled to travel to Vladivostok, about 750 miles from Pyongyang, and take part in the Eastern Economic Forum, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a report carried by Russias state-run TASS news agency. Kim and Putin met in Vladivostok in 2019, their only in-person exchange to date. Peskov told a Russian media outlet on Monday that there were no plans for talks between Putin and Kim at the economic forum, which ends Wednesday. Vladivostok, on Russias east coast, is close enough for Kim to reach by train in a day. Traveling by rail vs. air not only gives the North Korean dictator increased security but also some global spotlight, with his trip itself drawing international attention, said Kim Young-soo, head of the North Korea Research Institute in Seoul. The train ride allows Kim to appear as a mysterious but important figure who meets world leaders in locations that are convenient for him," he said. Kim appears to be using his go-to mode of transport for foreign trips, an armed fortress on wheels that is believed to contain a karaoke room, satellite communication and an emergency-medical facility. His personal carin the past a Mercedes-Benz limousineis towed along as part of the caravan. So, too, is a helicopter brought along just in case Kim needs a swift exit, according to South Korean media reports based on declassified information and former North Korean officials. As seen on prior trips, the train is painted olive green with white roofing, and the windows are darkened. Strips of yellow steel platingmeant to fortify against bomb attackswrap around the trains body. Kim is known to travel with more than 20 carriages, with security traveling in front and in back. A Pyongyang-Vladivostok flight, clocking in around an hour, is one of the few routes offered by North Koreas state-run Air Koryo airline. But in April 2019, Kim opted for a roughly 20-hour journey by train. Kim used a chartered Air China plane when he traveled to Singapore in 2018 to meet with former President Donald Trump. North Koreas own fleet of planes arent considered reliable enough for longer distances. But Kim did take his personal jet for a pair of visits to China the same year. North Koreas railwaysits main form of transport above cars, buses or planesare plagued by electricity shortages and outdated tracks. The fastest North Korea train, from Pyongyang to Beijing, travels at about 28 miles an hour, while ordinary trains travel at just 9 miles per hour due to infrastructure issues, said Ahn Byung-min, a South Korean researcher who traveled to North Korea several times for railway research. By comparison, South Koreas conventional trains travel at about 90 miles an hour while its high-speed railway trains can reach up to 186 miles an hour. The railway tracks are barely able to withstand Kims heavy bulletproof train and we havent seen any signs of improvements in recent years for safety and speed," said Ahn, who last inspected North Korea railways in 2018. Kim Il Sung, North Koreas founder and the current leaders grandfather, took occasional flights with planes lent by China, though often traveled abroad by train. Kim Jong Il, the current leaders father, had a purported fear of flying and preferred rail travel for the roughly dozen foreign trips made during his 17 years in power. He died from a heart attack aboard his personal train in 2011 while traveling to a North Korean city for an on-site inspection. A mock-up of the train sits inside the mausoleum containing the two deceased North Korean leaders. Russia and North Korea have vowed tighter military coordination, an element of which could include tech transfers that could bolster Pyongyangs weapons arsenal. The Kim regime will face repercussions from the U.S. and others should it provide Russia with lethal aid, said John Kirby, a spokesman for the White Houses National Security Council. Pyongyang hasnt provided major munitions to Moscow, though months ago supplied some rockets and artillery ammunition to the Wagner Group, Russias paramilitary force, he added. North Korea has reopened to the outside world in recent weeks, after hunkering down for years over Covid-19 fears. Flights between Pyongyang, Beijing and Vladivostok have resumed. North Korea sent athletes to international competitions and allowed the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang to replenish staff. A visiting Chinese delegation left Pyongyang on Sunday, after attending celebrations tied to the 75-year anniversary of North Koreas founding. But a foreign trip made by the North Korean leader would be the clearest indication yet that the cloistered regime has returned to prepandemic behavior. In recent years, Kim centralized power and tightened his grip across the information-repressed society. Before the pandemic, Kim took overseas trips to China, Russia, Vietnam and Singaporeincluding two summits with Trump. The two met a third time in June 2019 at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, where Kim sat down with the U.S. leader on the South Korean side of the heavily fortified border. Kims travels are often shrouded in mystery. His first two trips to China werent confirmed until they were over. It didnt become known Kim had chosen rail travel to the 2019 Vietnam summit with the U.S. until his train was spotted crossing the Yalu River at the Chinese border. Matthew Luxmoore and Alastair Gale contributed to this article. Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com and Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Chinas defence minister General Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for some weeks now. Reports in the US media, citing sources in the Chinese leadership, say General Li is being investigated for corruption and is set to lose his position. This comes just months after Chinas foreign minister Qin Gang disappeared mysteriously from public view. Mint takes a closer look at the developments. Li Shangfu and his role in the Chinese government A career military officer, Li Shangfu trained as an engineer and joined the Peoples Liberation Army in 1982. Prior to his appointment as Chinas defence minister in 2023, he served as deputy head of the Strategic Support Force, which focused on building up the countrys space and cyber capabilities. In that capacity, Li likely played a key role in realigning Chinas space and missile research, development, and acquisition (RD&A) processes and standards," writes The Diplomat on General Li. He was also made a member of Chinas State Council, an important political position, and serves on the Central Military Commission, which is the countrys top military decision making body. However, Li is not the senior most soldier in the country. Li Shangfu's whereabouts According to reports, General Li was last seen in public on August 29. Since then, he has missed key meetings, notably with his counterparts in Vietnam. A subsequent report in the Wall Street Journal citing US officials stated that General Li is being investigated for corruption and is set to lose his job. Has this happened before? This comes just months after Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared in June. Then, as now, the disappearance was explained as a health-related incident. Minister Qin was subsequently stripped of his position as foreign minister although he retains some of his political positions. Li Shangfu's disappearance and Chinese politics General Lis reported disappearance spells further instability for Chinas military. In August, President Xi Jinping removed two senior commanders in charge of the PLAs Rocket Force, which is tasked with managing the countrys missile and nuclear weapons arsenal. However, some experts believe this will not have a broader impact on Chinese politics. If the removal of the defence minister and the Rocket Force leaders was because of corruption, it indicates that Xis vetting process for selecting top officials is deeply flawed and suggests corruption is commonplace within the system despite Xis decade-long campaign against it," said Dennis Wilder, a former intelligence official, to the Financial Times. The Opposition INDIA bloc, following a joint meeting, had released a list of Television News anchors' shows that the alliance's leader would actively avoid and boycott attending. The INDIA bloc listed out 14 such TV news anchors who would be boycotted by their leaders. On Friday, INDIA bloc member and Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi told reporters that the decision to boycott certain TV news anchors and their shows were taken because Congress party wishes not to extend support to some journalists who are in the WhatsApp group of the BJP Media cell. "The motive of Congress party behind this decision is to not extend support to some journalists who are in the WhatsApp group of the BJP Media cell and spread hatred in the country, which is a crime as per the law." Gogoi said. The decision on listing anchors and shows was taken at the first meeting of the INDIA coordination committee held at the home of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. "There are some anchors who conduct provocative debates. We'll make a list of them and INDIA alliance partners will stop going to their shows" AAP MP Raghav Chadha said earlier. The list, shared by several member parties of INDIA coalition, contains the names of Republic Network's Arnab Goswami, Aaj Tak's Sudhir Chaudhary, News18 Hindi's Amish Devgan, TimesNow's Navika Kumar, IndiaToday Group's Gaurav Sawant among 14 news anchors. Rajya Sabha MP and veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday slammed PM Modi and said that Sanatani doesn't celebrate when soldiers are being martyred. This comes after PM Modi while addressing a public gathering in Madhya Pradesh's Bina on Thursday said, that the opposition plans to destroy sanatana dharma and attack the centuries-old tradition of the country. Taking to X, Sibal said, "Sanatan Dharma means : eternal religion Sanatanis virtues include : Honesty Not injuring living beings Purity Charity Generosity Patience Asceticism Goodwill Qualities that Hindutva and its Bhakts lack A Sanatani does not celebrate when soldiers are being martyred !" Earlier on Wednesday, four security personnel were killed during the clash in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The incident has since sparked widespread protests in the Valley, with many raising slogans against Pakistan and burning posters of the country's flag. Furthermore, Sibal slammed Modi on remarks on Sanatana and said that Sanatanis virtues include, honesty and not injuring living beings. The controversy originated on September 3 when Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is the son of Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister MK Stalin, made a comparison between Sanatana Dharma and diseases like dengue and malaria. Also Read: 'Fake preacher': BJP leader joins Sanatan Dharma row as Ayodhya seer puts 10 crore bounty on Stalin's head He called for the eradication of these practices while addressing a conference of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers in Chennai. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) interpreted his statements as advocating for the "genocide" of Hindus, while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rejected these allegations, asserting that Udhayanidhi was actually speaking out against caste practices deeply entrenched in centuries-old orthodox beliefs. Subsequently, the First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against Udhayanidhi and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, who had defended him, in Rampur. Furthermore, certain factions even issued threats of physical violence in response to the controversy. Also Read: Sanatan Dharma Remark Row: Dont mix religion, politics', says Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge Earlier on Wednesday, Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said that Governor RN Ravi is taking forward their political agenda. "First I want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah whether they know what Governor RN Ravi is doing there? I know that you know. Because there hasn't been a dispute on religion ever before in Tamil Nadu. The backward community is ruling there, running the government. The goal of sending RN Ravi is to create a dispute on the basis of religion. You are the culprits that you raise these types of issues. The Governor is taking forward their political agenda," Sibal told ANI. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Venice just narrowly avoided being added to UNESCOs list of endangered world heritage areas, but three other sites joined the hefty index this year. Heres what you need to know. What is the list of endangered world heritage sites? The UNs cultural agency, UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation decides which areas are in danger each year. The list is designed to inform the international community of conditions which threaten the very characteristics which makes up a World Heritage site. UNESCO explains that sites can earn a place on the endangered list through armed conflict and war, earthquake and other natural disasters, pollution and unchecked tourism development. Putting an area on the endangered list is meant to encourage corrective action and marshal international support. There are 1,157 world heritage sites across 167 countries. As of this year, 54 of these are in danger, including sites in the US, Austria and Mexico. So why wasnt Venice added? The famous Italian city, divided by canals rather than roads, just avoided being added to the list of world heritage areas in danger this year. A UNESCO committee said in a statement on Thursday: The World Heritage Committee ... has made the decision not to inscribe Venice and its Lagoon on the world heritage list in danger. But, it noted that more work to be done for the proper conservation of the site amid threats from climate change, development projects, and mass tourism in the popular holiday destination. In response, Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said putting Venice on the list would have been an undue move not backed up by facts. He suggested UNESCO had reviewed his governments implementation of an anti-flooding system and a new entry fee for tourists for 2024 positively. Venice has been threatened by floods and overwhelming tourism for years now a single day during the 2019 Carnival saw 193,000 people squeeze into the historic centre. Story continues Interestingly, some UNESCO experts suggested Venice should be added to the list only in July, claiming the measures in place at the time were insufficient. Which sites were added this year? Lebanon: Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli Ukraine: The Historic Centre of Odesa Yemen: Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib What sites were already on the list? Afghanistan: Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (2003), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (2002) Austria: Historic Centre of Vienna (2017) Bolivia: City of Potosi (2014) Central African Republic: Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (1997) Cote dIvoire: Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (1992) Democratic Republic of the Congo: Garamba National Park (1996), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (1997), Okapi Wildlife Reserve (1997), Virunga National Park (1994) Egypt: Abu Mena (2001) Guinea: Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (1992) Honduras: Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (2011) Indonesia: Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (2011) Iraq: Ashur (Qalat Sherqat) (2003), Hatra (2015), Samarra Archaeological City (2007) Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan): Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (1982) Kenya: Lake Turkana National Parks (2018) Libya: Archaeological Site of Cyrene (2016), Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (2016), Archaeological Site of Sabratha (2016), Old Town of Ghadames (2016), Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (2016) Madagascar: Rainforests of the Atsinanana (2010) Mali: Old Towns of Djenne (2016), Timbuktu (2012), Tomb of Askia (2012) Mexico: Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (2019) Micronesia (Federated States of): Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (2016) Niger: Air and Tenere Natural Reserves (1992) Panama: Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (2012) Peru: Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (1986) Romania: Rosia Montana Mining Landscape (2021) Senegal: Niokolo-Koba National Park (2007) Serbia: Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (2006) Solomon Islands: East Rennell (2013) State of Palestine: Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (2017), Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (2014) Syrian Arab Republic: Ancient City of Aleppo (2013), Ancient City of Bosra (2013), Ancient City of Damascus (2013), Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (2013), Crac des Chevaliers and Qalat Salah El-Din (2013), Site of Palmyra (2013) United Republic of Tanzania: Selous Game Reserve (2014) United States of America: Everglades National Park (2010) Uzbekistan: Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (2016) Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of): Coro and its Port (2005) Yemen: Historic Town of Zabid (2000), Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (2023), Old City of Sanaa (2015), Old Walled City of Shibam (2015) Related... Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan has been arrested by the state police in connection with the Nuh violence case, as confirmed by ADGP Mamta Singh. As reported by ANI, security measures have been intensified outside the Nuh District Court, where Mamman Khan is scheduled to appear today for legal proceedings. The Ferozepur Jhirka legislator, who was named as an accused in an FIR lodged after the communal clashes, was arrested late last night. As reported by PTI, the legislator from Ferozepur Jhirka, who had been identified as one of the accused in an FIR filed in the aftermath of the communal clashes, was taken into custody late last night. Satish Kumar, the Deputy Superintendent of Police for Ferozepur Jhirkha and the leader of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) responsible for probing the case, has verified the arrest. "Yes," he said, when asked if the legislator has been arrested. Senior Congress MLA from Nuh Aftab Ahmed also confirmed Khan's arrest. "The police have given information to us that he has been arrested," said the Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the Haryana Assembly. Also Read: Haryana Nuh Violence: Monu Manesar denies involvement in communal clashes, says Maman Khan is In the wake of the Nuh violence, Khan had been identified as a suspect in an FIR, as disclosed by the Haryana government in a statement to the High Court last Thursday. The government further asserted that they possessed phone call records and other substantiating evidence to support the allegations against him. According to Haryana's Additional Advocate General, Deepak Sabharwal, Khan's inclusion as an accused was officially made on September 4, following a thorough examination of the available evidence. Sabharwal also emphasized to reporters that there was substantial and compelling evidence linking Khan to the case. Also Read: Cow vigilante Monu Manesar, accused of inciting riots in Haryana's Nuh and double murder arrested | Watch On July 31, a procession led by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Nuh was attacked by unruly mobs. This resulted in the loss of six lives, with the majority of the fatalities occurring during the attack on the procession. Additionally, a cleric lost his life in a separate attack on a mosque in the neighbouring Gurugram area. Justice Vikas Bahl is scheduled to hear the case on October 19 for further proceedings. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! As the U.S. and Russia vie for greater influence in Africa, Moscow is seeking access for its warships to a Mediterranean port in Libya that could expand its naval footprint in the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations backyard. Senior Russian officials, including Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, met with Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar in recent weeks to discuss long-term docking rights in areas he controls in the war-torn countrys east, according to Libyan officials and advisers. The Russians have requested access to the ports of either Benghazi or Tobruk, the Libyan officials and advisers said, both of which are located less than 400 miles from Greece and Italy. The talks with Haftar over port access come as the Kremlin seeks to deepen its influence in Africa and outmaneuver the U.S., which has been pressing African states to join the Western alliance in isolating Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Russian military and security groups loyal to the Kremlin are also moving to take control of the Africa-based military units and assets belonging to the Wagner paramilitary group in the wake of the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, last month. Prigozhin built a presence in a half-dozen countries in the Middle East and Africa, counting some 6,000 fighters who have often provided security to local political leaders, sometimes in return for access to valuable resources. A joint U.S. diplomatic and military mission is expected to visit Libya later this month to press Haftar to expel Wagners mercenaries and encourage him to unify his forces with those controlled by rival factions. The U.S. hopes that would create a buffer zone to rising turmoil in the Sahel, the swath of land that has seen a surge in jihadist activities and a series of coups toppling governments there, say people familiar with the planned trip. Michael Langley, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command, and Richard Norland, the U.S. special envoy for Libya, are expected to separately meet with Haftar and Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who heads the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli in the countrys west. A spokesperson for the State Department declined to comment. The U.S. Africa Command didnt return a request for comment. Russias outreach in Africa appears to have put the West on the defensive in parts of the continent. Over the summer, the U.S. unsuccessfully tried to engineer an end to a deadlock in Niger, where a pro-Russian junta has taken over. The military coup has spurred fears that the U.S. strategy for taking on Islamic militants in the region had been upended, but a U.S. Air Force commander said the U.S. has resumed flying drones for its Niger counterterrorism mission. The Russians are in an aggressive expansion mode and the U.S. is just trying to maintain" its footprint in Africa, said Cameron Hudson, a former chief of staff to the U.S. special envoy for Sudan. Analysts say the Russian advance would allow Moscow to control key energy corridors that could have served as alternatives to its own supplies to Europe. It would also enable the Kremlin to expand its global confrontation with the West. Libya was Wagners first foray into Africa, and Haftar had been a key regional partner for the group. About 1,200 Wagner fighters are stationed in Haftars facilities, including at an air base used as a transit hub to other African countries. Russian officials have told Haftar, whose Libyan National Army controls war-torn Libyas east, that access to the ports in Benghazi or Tobruk would allow them to refuel, resupply and repair their naval vessels, the Libyan officials and advisers said. The two ports already have the infrastructure that would support Russias requirements. It remains unclear if Moscow wants to further develop the facilities to station personnel, warehouse ammunition or store other supplies there. While Russias request for docking rights in eastern Libya doesnt immediately pose a threat to NATO members, the concern is that Moscow could eventually scale up its presence there, analysts say. NATO follows Russian naval movements closely, according to the alliances spokesman, Dylan White. NATO has substantially increased its presence in the Mediterranean, including with the persistent deployment of a U.S. carrier strike group" since Moscows invasion of Ukraine, he said. While commercial ships can mostly access ports globally without any long-term contracts, access for naval vessels usually requires bilateral agreements. Permanent docking rights are different from full-fledged bases, which usually entail sovereign jurisdiction. A spokesman for the LNA said he didnt have any information on Haftars discussions with Russian officials over port access. Libyas Gadhafi regime in 2008 offered Russia access to the ports, but Moscow declined at the time. It wasnt immediately clear if Haftar, who has been under pressure from the U.S. to sever ties with the Russians, would accept Moscows proposal to dock its naval vessels in either of the ports. The Kremlin didnt respond to a request for comment. Russia, which already controls Syrias eastern Mediterranean port of Tartus, deployed Slava guided-missile cruisers there immediately after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the time, the deployment was interpreted by European nations as an attempt to intimidate NATO. Libya has been racked with violence since a 2011 uprising ousted longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Armed groups and foreign powers have vied for power since, with a civil war breaking out in 2019. The country remains split between factions in the east and west. Russia has influence over Haftar, as it offers the warlord protection from Turkish-backed factions based in western Libya. During the meeting with Haftar, Yevkurov agreed to assist Haftar with spare parts, repairs and training for his aging Russian aircraft fleet, people briefed on the meeting said. Eastern Libya is a vital transit point for Russian aircraft flying from Russia or Syria to sub-Saharan Africa. Current and former African, Russian and Western officials say the deployment of Wagners mercenaries in Mali and the Central African Republic wouldnt have been possible without access to Haftars air base. Moscow is also in discussions to set up an air hub in the Central African Republic, according to that countrys security adviser, Fidele Gouandjika. The chaos in the Sahel is fast turning to Russias advantage. In Niger, Wagner has offered help to coup leaders. In Chad, the groups mercenaries continue to back rebels against the regime of Mahamat Deby. And in Sudan, Wagner started working with militia commander Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is waging a civil war with the military. Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com Food experts broadly agree that the expiration dates on every box of crackers, can of beans and bag of apples waste money, squander perfectly good food, needlessly clog landfills, spew methane and contribute to climate change. Ah, but these food-safety regulations keep us safe, you might say. Yet in almost all cases, there is no regulation and the dates do nothing to keep us safe. Contrary to a common perception, those dates are not about safety, thats not why theyre there, thats not what theyre doing" says Martin Wiedmann, a professor of food safety and food science at Cornell University. For many foods, we could completely do away with it." Absolutely Hate These Labels Although we call them expiration dates, most dont actually claim anything is expiring or unsafe. Instead, the labels say fresh until," display until," best when used by," better if used by," sell by," best by," enjoy by," best before" orperhaps worstprovide a date with no explanation at all. The dates originated as a coded system for manufacturers to communicate to retailers when to rotate stock. Consumers clamored for information on the freshness of food, and in the 1970s and 1980s consumer-facing dates became widespread, though never standardized. Food manufacturers have tried, largely in vain, to explain that these are mostly general indicators of when food is at its peak quality. Most foods, properly stored, remain edible and safe long after their peak. Its intended as a sort of consumer guide to be helpful," said Andrew Harig, vice president at FMIthe Food Industry Association (formerly the Food Marketing Institute), a Washington trade group that represents food retailers and producers. Its just that it morphed into less of a guide and more of a rule, and thats one of the challengesFood technologists and food-safety people, they absolutely hate these labels." Since 2017, FMI has encouraged members to coalesce around just two labels: Best if used by," which indicates the product might not taste quite as good after that date but is still safe, and Use by" for those cases where the food might actually be unsafe, such as meat from the deli counter. U.S. consumers are wildly confused about the labels intent. In a 2019 paper, researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University found 84% of consumers threw out food at the package date at least occasionally" while 37% did so always or usually, though that wasnt what most labels recommended. Over half thought date labeling was federally regulated, or were unsure. An earlier study found that 54% of people thought eating food past a sell-by date was unsafe. In fact, with the exception of infant formula, the labels arent federally mandated and the food isnt unsafe. Safety concerns usually arise from food that is contaminated or improperly stored. If you care about food safety, Wiedmann advises you to ignore best by" dates and just set your refrigerator no higher than 37 degrees. Keeping food too warm is a real safety risk that has nothing to do with an expiration date. While old food eventually tastes bad, its unlikely to be dangerous, especially if cooked. But date labels that sometimes conflate quality and safety leave many consumers with no idea how to assess whether food is safe. Dumpster Diving This misunderstanding is one reason Americans waste a colossal amount of perfectly good food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that 31% of the available food supply goes uneaten: Retailers discard 43 billion pounds of food, consumers a further 90 billion. Thats 387 billion calories of lost food, which the USDA says works out to 1,249 calories per American per day. (The Food and Drug Administration uses 2,000 calories a day as a general guideline for nutrition advice.) View Full Image ... Its hard to determine exactly how much of that waste owes to labels, but probably more than most people think. ReFED, a nonprofit that works to reduce food waste, has used data from kitchen diaries to estimate annual U.S. food waste because of labeling concerns as nearly 7 billion pounds. Theres reason to think this is an undercount. In a grotesquely amusing study, households that such diaries reported tossing 8.7 pounds of food a week, usually saying it was inedible or spoiled. Then researchers literally dug through their trash, and determined that 68% of the food was probably edible. Consumers might not even realize that theyre junking perfectly good food not because its bad, but because theyre putting too much faith in expiration dates. U.K. Ditches Expiration Dates Haters of the expiration date take hope from the U.K., where theres been a concerted effort to cut back on food waste dating back to 2007. This has involved standardizing date labels, as well as consumer-education campaigns around the meaning of the date labels. This culminated in the U.K.s largest supermarket chainsTesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisonsdumping expiration dates entirely on hundreds of items, especially produce. Theres some evidence the push has paid off. The Waste & Resources Action Programme, or WRAP, a U.K. charity funded in part by the countrys Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, looked at the composition of U.K. landfills, and found that household food waste was 18% lower in 2018 than in 2007. Caroline Conroy, a specialist at WRAP, has a favorite studya simple consumer test WRAP conductedthat illustrates why food labels can matter so much. Consumers were shown a slightly less-than-perfect apple that was perfectly safe to eat and asked whether they would toss it. Only 7% said they would. Except for those also shown an expiration date, of which 46% said they would toss it. An astonishing number of people will throw away a perfectly good apple," Conroy said, as they blindly follow dates rather than their own eyes and nose. Write to Josh Zumbrun at josh.zumbrun@wsj.com Apple Inc found itself running into controversy as the French Government has claimed radiotion emission from their Apple iPhone 12 is beyond permissable limits. Latest reports have cited a directive by the tech giant instructing its tech support staff to avoid talking on the radiation claim enquiries. Apple Inc. has advised tech-support staff to not voluntarily provide any information when consumers ask about the Radiation claim issue. If customers inquire about the French governments claim that the model exceeds standards for electromagnetic radiation, workers should say they dont have anything to share, Apple employees have been told, according to a Bloomberg report. Staff should also reject customers requests to return or exchange the phone unless it was purchased in the past two weeks Apples normal return policy. Customers asking if the phone is safe should answer be told that all Apple products go through rigorous testing to ensure that theyre safe, according to the guidance, reported by Bloomberg. The French government asked Apple earlier this week to cease sales of the iPhone 12 because tests showed that the device emits electromagnetic waves that are too strong. The countrys digital minister told Apple it has two weeks to fix the issue via a software update. Apple rebutted the claims and said it would engage with France to show that the iPhone 12 is compliant. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant said it provided officials with in-house and third-party lab testing to demonstrate that the product is within the legal range. Apple was already phasing out the iPhone 12 just as the issue flared up. The model debuted in 2020, and Apple stopped selling it Tuesday with the announcement of the iPhone 15 line. But Frances stance threatens to spark concern among the millions of existing iPhone 12 users. Apple sold more than 100 million units of the device within its first seven months on sale, according to Counterpoint Research. In the days since Frances initial statement, other countries in the European Union, including Belgium and Germany, have started to assess the iPhone 12s radiation levels. (With inputs from Bloomberg) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Apple has agreed to update the iPhone 12 in France in response to concerns raised by regulators about excessive electromagnetic radiation emissions. France had temporarily halted sales of the device due to it emitting more electromagnetic waves than allowed, reported AFP. "Apple has assured me that it will implement an update for the iPhone 12 in the next few days," stated Jean-Noel Barrot, digital minister, France, in a statement to AFP. As per the report, both Apple and Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that there was no risk to public health from the emitted radiation. "This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern," Apple stated in a statement, mentioning that the device complied with rules on emissions all around the world. "We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators," added the California based tech giant. Barrot granted the global company a two-week timeframe on Tuesday to release an update for its phone, which was approaching the end of its tenure as a flagship Apple product. He stated that the ANFR, the testing agency in charge, would promptly evaluate the update, and he would subsequently determine whether to lift the sales ban. The report further added that the World Health Organization has stated that numerous studies in the field have found "no established adverse health effects attributed to mobile phone use." To recall, the technology giant Apple on Tuesday officially unveiled its new high-end iPhones: the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The frame on the Pro models has a brushed look, as opposed to the shiny, stainless steel frame on last years models. Not only is titanium cool looking, it is also more durable while making the phones slightly lighter. The displays are the same size: 6.1 and 6.7 inches. (Witn inputs from AFP) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Toward the end of the Atlantic hurricane season, the International Space Station orbits about 259 miles (417 kilometers) above Trinidad and Tobago as Hurricane Sam churns in the Atlantic Ocean in the fall of 2021. Hurricane season in the Atlantic brings a host of dramatic and dangerous weather, from whipping winds, torrential downpours, power outages and flash floods. And as climate change has been tied to an increase in hurricane intensity, these impacts could continue to worsen. But when exactly does the Atlantic hurricane season of 2023 start, and how long does it last? And how do hurricanes form? What can people do to prepare in the face of the most dangerous storms on Earth? From hurricane formation science to naming conventions to storm safety tips, this Live Science guide will run down all you need to know about this year's hurricane season. The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to bring higher-than-average activity, meaning more ferocious storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had initially predicted a "near-normal" season, but this was updated to "above normal" as a result of record-warm sea surface temperatures related to El Nino. Arlene, the first Tropical Storm of 2023, hit on June 1 the very first day of the Atlantic hurricane season. What are hurricanes? Hurricanes are tropical cyclones. When a tropical cyclone's sustained winds reach 39 to 73 mph (63 to 118 km/h), it is considered a tropical storm and it gets a name from a list put out by the World Meteorological Organization. Once those sustained winds reach 74 to 95 mph (119 to 153 km/h), that storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane. According to the Saffir-Simpson scale, here are the sustained winds linked to categories 2 through 5 hurricanes: Category 2: 96 to 110 mph (154 to 177 km/h) Category 3: 111 to 129 mph (178 to 208 km/h) Category 4: 130 to 156 mph (209 to 251 km/h) Category 5: 157 mph or higher (252 km/h or higher) Named storms of 2023 Tropical Storm Arlene June 1-3 Tropical Storm Bret June 19-24, Lesser Antilles and Caribbean Islands Tropical Storm Cindy June 22-26 Hurricane Don July 14-24 Tropical Storm Emily Aug. 20-21 Tropical Storm Gert Aug. 19 to Sept. 4 Major Hurricane Franklin Aug. 20 to Sept. 1, Greater Antilles and Bermuda Tropical Storm Harold Aug. 21-23, Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Texas Major Hurricane Idalia Aug. 26-31, formed Eastern Pacific basin and crossed Central America, making landfall in Florida and moving into Georgia and the Carolinas. Tropical Storm Jose Aug. 29-31 Tropical Storm Katia Sept. 1-4 Hurricane Lee Sept. 5 How do hurricanes form? Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth, according to NASA. At heart, hurricanes are fueled by just two ingredients: heat and water. Hurricanes are seeded over the warm waters above the equator, where the air above the ocean's surface takes in heat and moisture. As the hot air rises, it leaves a lower pressure region below it. This process repeats as air from higher pressure areas moves into the lower pressure area, heats up, and rises, in turn, producing swirls in the air, according to NASA. Once this hot air gets high enough into the atmosphere, it cools off and condenses into clouds. Now, the growing, swirling vortex of air and clouds grows and grows and can become a thunderstorm. So, the first condition needed for hurricanes is warmer waters in the Atlantic Ocean, which cause a number of other conditions favorable to hurricanes. "When the waters are warmer, it tends to mean you have lower pressures. It means a more unstable atmosphere, which is conducive to hurricanes intensifying," said Phil Klotzbach, an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University. "These thunderstorms, which are the building blocks of hurricanes, are better able to organize and get going." Another key factor: wind shear, or the change in wind direction with height into the atmosphere, Klotzbach said. "When you have a warm tropical Atlantic, you have reduced levels of wind shear," Klotzbach told Live Science. "When you have a lot of wind shear it basically tears apart the hurricane." (Storms that form on different sides of the equator have different spin orientations, thanks to Earth's slight tilt on its axis, according to NASA.) NASA's Terra satellite captured this thermal (heat) image of Category 5 Hurricane Maria in 2017. Yellow and orange are the warm ocean waters, and blue and white are the hurricane's tall, cool cloud tops. (Image credit: NASA) How climate patterns affect hurricanes The individual ingredients for hurricanes, however, don't pop up at random; they are guided by larger weather systems. "There are two dominant climate patterns that really control the wind and pressure patterns across the Atlantic," said Gerry Bell, the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster for NOAA's Climate Prediction Center in Washington, D.C. The first is the El Nino/La Nina cycle. During an El Nino, in which ocean water around the northwestern coast of South America becomes warmer than usual, Atlantic hurricanes are suppressed, while La Nina creates more favorable conditions for hurricanes, Bell said. The second climate pattern is the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), which is, as the name implies, a trend that lasts anywhere from 25 to 40 years and is associated with warmer waters in the Atlantic and stronger African monsoons, Bell said. "When this pattern is in its warm phase, or a warmer tropical Atlantic Ocean, we tend to see stronger hurricane patterns for decades at a time," Bell told Live Science. A warm-phase AMO conducive to hurricanes prevailed between 1950 and 1970 and since 1995, Bell said. El Nino is associated with above-average equatorial sea-surface temperatures. El Nino's signature warmth is apparent in the November 2015 map. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory maps by Joshua Stevens, using data from Coral Reef Watch.) Hurricane outlook: 2023 The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season officially started on June 1 and will run until Nov. 30. In the Eastern Pacific Ocean, hurricane season begins May 15 and ends Nov. 30, according to the National Weather Service. However, most of these storms hit during peak hurricane season between August and October, on both coasts, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. The Climate Prediction Center classifies hurricane seasons as above-normal (between 12 and 28 tropical storms and between seven and 15 hurricanes); near-normal (between 10 and 15 tropical storms and between four and nine hurricanes) and below-normal (between four and nine tropical storms and two to four hurricanes). The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was predicted to be above-average, but ended up being near-average, with 14 named storms, eight hurricanes and two major hurricanes. This broke a six-year streak of above-average seasons. On Aug. 10, the NOAA said there was a 60% chance of an above-average season. It predicts 14 to 21 named storms, with winds of 39 mph (63 km/h) or higher. Of those, six to 11 are expected to become reach hurricane status, with winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) or above. Two to five of these could become major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph (179 km/h) or higher. To make their predictions, scientists analyze a host of factors, from wind speed to sea-surface temperatures. Because the El Nino/La Nina cycle typically materializes in summer or early fall, forecasts done too early have limited meaning, Bell said. Are hurricanes getting stronger? Potential tropical storm Paulette captured on Sept. 23, 2020, after it returned from the dead. (Image credit: NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East Band 13) Yes. On average, the world is seeing stronger tropical cyclones (a term that encompasses fast-rotating storms such as hurricanes and typhoons) more often than in decades past. According to an analysis of 4,000 tropical cyclones from 1979 to 2017, researchers concluded in 2020 that due to global warming these storms are not only getting stronger , but we are experiencing the strongest of the pack more frequently, Live Science reported. In another study, scientists discovered that compared with six decades ago, hurricanes that blast Bermuda are twice as strong, they reported online March 2, 2021 in the journal Environmental Research Letters . We can thank climate change for another hurricane downer: Global warming is leading to so-called zombie storms, or those that peter out and then get refueled to sort of rise from the dead, Live Science reported. For instance, in September 2020, the Category 1 hurricane Paulette made landfall in Bermuda, strengthened into a Category 2 and then weakened and died out some 5.5 days later. That wasn't the end of her story, though, because she regained strength and reached tropical storm strength about 300 miles (480 kilometers) off the Azores Islands. And according to scientists, such zombie storms could become more frequent, as waters warm up and give once-dead storms new life, according to Live Science. Which cities have the most hurricanes? A flooded park is seen in Rodanthe as Hurricane Dorian hits Cape Hatteras in North Carolina on Sept. 6, 2019. (Image credit: JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AFP via Getty Images) According to HurricaneCity, a hurricane-tracking website, here are the top 10 cities most frequently hit or affected by hurricanes since record-keeping began in 1871: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina: Every 1.30 years (116 named tropical storms since 1871) Morehead City, North Carolina: Every 1.48 years (102 named storms) Grand Bahamas Island, Bahamas: Every 1.61 years (94 named storms) Wilmington, North Carolina: Every 1.66 years (91 named storms) Cayman Islands (most affected area in the Caribbean Sea): Every 1.68 years (90 named storms) Bermuda: Every 1.74 years (87 named storms) Great Abaco Island, Bahamas: Every 1.76 years (86 named storms) Andros Island, Bahamas: Every 1.86 years (81 named storms) Savannah, Georgia: Every 1.86 years (81 named storms) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Every 1.89 years (80 named storms) The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Once a storm has wind speeds of 38 mph (58 km/h), it is officially a tropical storm. At 74 mph (119 km/h), the storm has reached hurricane levels. At that point, scientists use a 1 to 5 scale known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to classify hurricane strength, with Category 1 being the least severe hurricanes and Category 5 being the strongest. Some scientists have also proposed adding a Category 6 to account for storms that are well beyond the highest sustained wind speed for a Category 5 hurricane. Swipe to scroll horizontally Category Sustained wind speed (mph) Potential damage 1 74-95 Minimal, with some roof leakage, gutter damage, snapped tree branches and toppled trees with shallow roots 2 96-110 Moderate, with major roof and siding damage; uprooted trees could block roads; power loss possible for days to weeks 3 111-129 Devastating damage, with gable and decking damage, many more uprooted trees and extended power outages 4 130-156 Catastrophic damage; roofs and exterior walls will be destroyed; trees will snap; power outages for weeks to months. Large area uninhabitable for weeks or months 5 157 or higher High fraction of framed houses will be destroyed; power outages for weeks to months; and huge swaths uninhabitable for same period Source: NOAA's National Hurricane Center Scientists know that the scale has its limitations. "This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding and tornadoes," according to the National Hurricane Center. How are hurricanes named? Hurricanes initially were named in honor of the feast day for a Catholic saint. For instance, Hurricane San Felipe occurred on Sept. 13, 1876, or the feast day of Saint Phillip, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricanes that struck on the same day would be distinguished by a suffix placed on the later one, Live Science previously reported. For example, a storm that struck on Sept. 13, 1928, was dubbed Hurricane San Felipe II, to distinguish it from the 1876 storm. However, by the 1950s, the naming convention changed and in the U.S., hurricanes were given female names based on the international alphabet, according to the NHC. The practice of calling storms by female names only was abandoned in 1978. Despite the seemingly open-ended possibilities, meteorologists do not have free reign in deciding names. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has a long list of alphabetical storm names that repeats on a six-year cycle. The organization aims for clear and simple names. Names are in English, Spanish, Dutch and French, to account for the many languages spoken by people potentially affected by hurricanes. "Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the older, more cumbersome, latitude-longitude identification methods. These advantages are especially important in exchanging detailed storm information between hundreds of widely scattered stations, coastal bases and ships at sea," the WMO said. If a storm was so devastating that using the name again would be insensitive, the group meets and agrees to strike the name from the list. For instance, people don't have to worry about facing the wrath of a Hurricane Katrina, Ike, Hattie or Opal again, because those names have been retired, according to the NHC. For the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, meteorologists prepared the following list of names for storms in the North Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center: Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert Harold Idalia Jose Katia Lee Margot Nigel Ophelia Philippe Rina Sean Tammy Vince Whitney How to prepare for a hurricane Staying safe during the hurricane season starts with a simple step: Have a plan. People can plan for hurricanes using a simple guide at Ready.gov. Plans need to be worked out for all family members. And for those animal lovers out there, Fido and Mr. Whiskers also need an escape plan. This plan includes figuring out how to determine whether it's safe to hunker down at home during a storm or whether you are in an evacuation zone. If so, there is likely a specific route you should take in the event of an evacuation, as many roads may be closed, Live Science previously reported. If you are in an evacuation zone, you also need to figure out accommodations during the storm this could be anything from staying with family and friends to renting a motel to staying in a shelter. Family members often have trouble reaching each other during hurricanes, so determining a preset meeting place and protocol can be helpful. Sometimes, local cellphone lines are overloaded during a storm, so consider texting. Another alternative is to have a central out-of-state contact who can relay messages between separated family members. During a storm, pets should be leashed or placed in a carrier, and their emergency supplies should include a list of their vaccinations as well as a photo in case they get lost, according to the Humane Society for the United States. Also important is finding someone who can care for them, in the event that a hotel or shelter does not accept pets. During an emergency, they should also be wearing a collar with the information of an out-of-state contact in case they get separated from you, according to the HSUS. How to storm-proof your home Anyone who lives in a hurricane-prone area would do well to protect their property in advance of a flood. Because hurricanes often cause their damage when trees fall on property, homeowners can reduce the risk of damage by trimming trees or removing damaged trees and limbs, according to Ready.gov. Another easy step is to make sure rain gutters are fixed in place and free of debris. Reinforcing the roof, doors and windows, including a garage door, is also important, according to Ready.gov. Power generators can also be an important tool if the power is cut off for long periods of time. A power generator needs to be kept outside, as they produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. People who are very serious about prevention may even consider building a "safe room" a fortified room designed to withstand the punishing winds of a tornado or hurricane, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency pamphlet . List of emergency supplies People living in hurricane country also need to have a stash of emergency supplies, ideally placed in multiple locations throughout a dwelling. According to Ready.gov, a basic disaster kit should include: 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. Clonguish Gaels captain Stephen Gregg reflected on his sides 2-14 to 1-14 victory over Longford Slashers when we caught up with him after the county senior hurling championship final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday last. The No. 11 played his part, scoring 1-2 and setting up the other Clonguish Gaels goal. He admits that his side were happy to hold on and retain their title in the end. It was a hard fought battle. We did well in the first half and got a bit of a lead. But we knew Slashers would come back, he stated. Clonguish certainly meant business from the off in this final. They attacked early and often and Gregg said this was part of the plan. Our gameplan was to attack in the first 10 minutes. We were then trying to stay on top and keep a gap between ourselves and Slashers, he explained. Slashers did come back in the third quarter, with Reuben Murray leading the revival, sending over three frees in that period. How Clonguish handled this was crucial. There was also rain to contend with. Cometh the hour, cometh two vastly experienced players in the Green and White. One, Bart Hanley, is a native of Co. Limerick, but he is now very much part of Clonguish. The other, Joe OBrien, has been the clubs leading player for two decades. Joe and Bart both put over points. The lads have been around the block. They owe Clonguish nothing. When you have players of that calibre, it brings everyone else up a notch, Gregg stated. They are not finished yet! Gregg added. Another big presence on the day was dual player and club secretary Gerry Moore, who received the Man of the Match award. Gregg was full of praise for Moores contribution to Clonguish hurling. Gerry is phenomenal. He is a warrior. He is the beating heart of this team and a Clonguish man through and through. Another vastly experienced Clonguish player unfortunately could not line out, due to injury. Paul Barden jnr has been another stalwart of the Green and White. Paul is another real leader, like Gerry. He contributes a lot both on and off the field. We were all disappointed when he got injured. We had to do it for him, because he would do it for us, Gregg stated. The two youngest players, Dan Crossan and Matthew Flynn, also contributed to this Clonguish success. Stephen sees them and other young players making for a bright future. There is a resurgence in Clonguish hurling. There has been an investment in the future and there is lots going on. The Duignan Cup stays in Clonguish for another year. That will do us for now, concluded the proud Clonguish Gaels captain. There were a number of eminent guests among those who gathered in Longford last weekend to mark a pivotal moment in European history. The defeat of a combined army of Irish and French troops at The Battle of Ballinamuck by the British forces under the guidance of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Charles Cornwallis, effectively ended the 1798 rebellion. The battle and its outcome set in train a sequence of events that would shape not only Ireland, but the future of Europe. Among the visitors to Ballinamuck to commemorate the 225 anniversary of the historic moment was H.E. Vincent Guerend, the French Ambassador to Ireland. Monsieur Guerend has a familiarity with military matters. He spent one year in the French Army as second lieutenant during his military service. Tweeting about the visit he said in advance of the day: On my way to Ballinamuck, Longford to commemorate the last battle of the Franco-Irish troops led by General Humbert. 1798 -2023: 225th anniversary of The Year Of The French. The French Ambassador was impressed with the programme the organisers put together: Congratulations to the people of Ballinamuck for this fantastic commemoration of the battle of 8th Sept. 1798 which saw once again France and Ireland fight side by side. Thanks for your warm welcome! Vive l'amitie franco-irlandaise! Another social media post commented: Fier et honore d'assister a la commemoration du 225e anniversaire de la bataille de Ballinamuck qui a oppose une armee franco-irlandaise aux troupes britanniques. "Vive la France" proclame le monument aux morts. That translates as: Proud and honoured to attend the commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Ballinamuck which pitted a Franco-Irish army against British troops. Long live France proclaims the war memorial. After the Ballinamuck visit Monsieur Guerend made his way to the Maria Edgeworth Centre in Edgeworthstown. On his social media feed he said: Thanks to the Maria Edgeworth Centre for their warm welcome. Congratulations for the promotion of the extraordinary and rich legacy of Maria Edgeworth and this family who had so many links with France! A must see for all tourists interested in French history. Speaking at the official opening of the Commemoration Weekend, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys described it as a great honour to mark the 225th anniversary of a battle that decided the fate of Ireland in the short term, but inspired a greater destiny in the years ahead. Minister Humphreys said: Over the course of this weekend, this community in the heart of Rural Ireland - will play host to a unique set of events and activities to commemorate one of the defining moments in our history. Its a great honour to be joined here by the French Ambassador, Mr Vincent Guerand, who has been a true friend to Ireland for many years. The Minister commended the voluntary work of the local community: I want to pay tribute to the organisers of these commemorations for your fantastic work and efforts. For a small community like Ballinamuck, you sum up all that is good and vibrant about rural life. Minister Humphreys concluded: This week, too, you will showcase the very best of both Irish and French culture and heritage all under the encompassing theme of the Battle of Ballinamuck. These commemorations are a reminder for us all of the strength of the bond that exists between our two nations. During her visit to the county the Minister opened the Aughnacliffe Heritage Trail and also turned on the Monaduff to Ballinamuck Trail, which will be part of the North Longford Rebel Trail. Longford based charity Cians Kennels is set to get a massive boost as part of a community fund award by AIB Bank. The charitable organisation set up in March 2020 in memory of Cian Neary is one of over 70 charities to receive funding as part of the 2023 AIB Community 1 Million Fund. Cians Kennels received the award of 28,000 from the second annual AIB Community Fund helping it to provide ongoing support to groups and charities making a difference in their communities. We plan to use the funding to purchase an Events Logistics Vehicle. This would both free up our current second van to solely act as a Pet Transport Van, based in the midlands, working alongside our Dublin based van. That in itself is a huge benefit, but having an Events Logistics Vehicle, easily transporting all of the necessary components of Cians Kennels attending an event leaves us in a position where we can attend more events throughout our community, Michaela Cox a lead Volunteer with the charity said. Earlier this year, AIB asked its customers, the wider public, and colleagues to nominate charities which connect with causes that matter most to them and their communities, for the AIB Community 1 Million Fund. Over 16,000 nominations were received highlighting the immediate support needed for charities across Ireland. Following the inaugural launch in 2022, the AIB Community 1 Million Fund has already donated to over 70 national and local charities including Dogs for the Disabled, Irish Cancer Society, Aoibheanns Pink Tie and Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Michaela said the funds will assist the charity in their work: We are absolutely delighted to receive this donation, from the AIB Community 1 Million Fund. This will allow us to be more present at events throughout Ireland, therefore both supporting our community through these events, and raising awareness of the work we do and reaching more families who could avail of our services. The fact that the public voted for us in such numbers is particularly special and we are so grateful for the constant support we receive from our followers. There are so many people to thank for making this happen firstly, to everyone who nominated us and voted for us, we truly appreciate it. To all the team at Cians Kennels who work so hard bringing pets closer to sick children and their families and a particular thank you to AIB for establishing this hugely beneficial fund. Speaking about the Fund, AIB Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Mary Whitelaw said: Along with our core community partners and programmes the AIB Community 1 Million Fund enables us to further deepen our contribution to society. The nominations were made by our colleagues, customers and the public based on the causes and charities they connect with and that matter most to them. Our hope is that this funding will help make a real difference to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to those who are working tirelessly for their benefit. For more information on Cians Kennels visit www.cianskennels.ie. For more information on AIBs work in the community visit www.aib.ie/community. Eight students who achieved 500 points or more in their Leaving Cert were honoured at Cnoc Mhuire Granard. Cnoc Mhuire were delighted to hold their annual High Achievers Awards ceremony recently where they invited back students who achieved outstanding Leaving Cert grades. This year the school had eight students who fit the criteria of achieving 500 points and above, each student was invited to attend with their family, who had supported them so much during their time in Cnoc Mhuire. At the same ceremony, the Jubilee Cup was presented to the student with the best overall results. This year Eimear Scanlon was the recipient of this prestigious award, following in the footsteps of her brother Ciaran who jointly won the award in 2021. Not surprisingly all of these students were delighted to accept their CAO offers and all are now looking forward to starting the next chapter of their lives in 3rd level. The eight students who received awards (and the 3rd level course they accepted) are as follows: Adam Szurlej; Computer Science (NUIG), Enya Higgins; Pharmacy (Trinity), Joanne Rabbitt; Biological Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences (UCD), Maeve Brady; Computer Science (UCD), Eimear Scanlon; Engineering (UCD), Rachel Mulligan; Spanish and Politics (DCU), Ana Maria Mihai; Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science (DCU), Brendan O Reilly; Bachelor of Science with concurrent Teacher Education (University of Limerick). Everyone at Cnoc Mhuire wishes these students and indeed all of their class of 2023 the very best in their future endeavours. Local News, Crime By Long Island Published: September 15 2023 The business owner, Ying Gu Lynch, 52, of Flushing was issued numerous citations by the Town of Hempstead. The Major Case Bureau reports an Unusual Incident that occurred at 5:10pm on Thursday, September 14, 2023 in Wantagh. Narcotics Vice Squad Detectives conducted an investigation at 2091S Wantagh Avenue after determining the location was used for illegal massages and prostitution and executed a Nassau County Search Warrant. The Town of Hempstead Buildings Department responded to the scene and determined numerous code violations were present. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: September 15 2023 Indictment is the result of an extensive nine-month investigation with DEA Long Island District Office Task Force; search warrants uncovered narcotics trafficking operation involving cocaine, crack and fentanyl. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the indictment of 12 individuals, including a Valley Stream man charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker, after an extensive investigation uncovered a narcotics trafficking operation on the South Shore of Nassau County, and multiple search warrants returned large quantities of drugs and firearms. As alleged in the indictment, this trafficking ring sold poison in the form of crack, cocaine and fentanyl, all along the South Shore of Long Island, DA Donnelly said. Thanks to an outstanding partnership with the DEA, we recovered more than eight pounds of cocaine and nearly half a kilogram of fentanyl, as well as an assault weapon, a ghost gun, and multiple high-capacity magazines. I am grateful for the work of my prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, who have helped stem the flow of these dangerous drugs into Nassau County. The evidence speaks volumes in this case, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. Since their insurgence, fentanyl and other synthetic and poisonous drugs are often mixed with traditional drugs, endangering the most vulnerable. DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to making our communities safer and healthier. The indictment of twelve defendants in this drug trafficking operation along the South Shore of Nassau County is a clear example of numerous law enforcement agencies working together to bring these individuals to justice, said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. Our communities are safer today with these individuals removed from our neighborhoods, as numerous firearms and large quantities of drugs have been seized. I would like to thank all of the law enforcement professionals and their agencies for a job well done. Christopher Corley, 47, was arraigned before Judge Meryl Berkowitz Wednesday on charges of Operating as a Major Trafficker (an A-I felony); Conspiracy in the Second Degree (a B felony); Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (a A-I felony); six counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony); Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (an A-II felony); and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (an A-I felony). The defendant pleaded not guilty and was remanded. If convicted, Corley faces up to 25 years to life in prison. James Anthony Alexander, 48, of Baldwin and Lithonia, Georgia, and Janeathea Nealy, 36, of Baldwin, were arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on charges of Conspiracy in the Second Degree; three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree; and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree. The defendants both pleaded not guilty. Alexanders bail was set at $500,000 cash, $1 million bond, and $2 million partially secured bond. Janeathea Nealys bail was set at $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond, and $100,000 partially secured bond. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. Thomas Keyes, 36, of Long Beach, was arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on charges of Conspiracy in the Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Keyes pleaded not guilty and was released to pre-trial services. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison. Clifford Nealy, 47, of West Hempstead, was arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on charges of Conspiracy in the Second Degree; four counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony), and nine counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a D felony). Clifford Nealy pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond, and $100,000 partially secured bond. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison. The defendants are all due back in court on October 26, 2023. DA Donnelly said that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Long Island District Office Task Force and the Nassau County District Attorneys Office began an extensive nine-month investigation after receiving information in October 2022 about a narcotic trafficking operation allegedly being run by defendant Christopher Corley. After conducting months of surveillance across several locations in Nassau County allegedly used to support the narcotics operation, in March 2023 the NCDA applied for electronic eavesdropping warrants to identify the alleged conspirators. Recordings of wiretapped phone calls and other surveillance revealed Corley, Alexander, and Clifford Nealy allegedly discussed making crack/cocaine, chopping up drugs, packaging the narcotics, and making multiple deliveries of drugs, including fentanyl in Nassau County. The investigation led to several addresses, including 25 North Montgomery Street in Valley Stream, 945 Derrick Adkins Lane in West Hempstead, 780 Adams Street in Baldwin, and 14 Azalea Court in Long Beach. During the execution of search warrants on June 13, 2023, at Corleys home at 25 North Montgomery Street, a narcotics kilogram press used to make bricks of cocaine was allegedly recovered with powder still in the machine along with various stamps with symbols including a Yinyang and a Transformers head. A trap disguised as an older model microwave was also recovered and contained nearly three kilograms of cocaine and 430 grams nearly half a kilogram of fentanyl. It is alleged that the narcotics were being sold in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In total, search warrants executed on June 13, 2023, recovered: More than 3.9 kilograms of cocaine approximately 8.5 pounds Nearly half a kilogram of fentanyl More than 24 grams of crack/cocaine Seven firearms, including a so-called ghost gun and an assault weapon Four large-capacity magazines More than 23 grams of alprazolam Approximately 4.2 grams of oxycodone Two kilogram presses Additional defendants charged in the indictment, but not in the conspiracy are: Tatiana Lopez, 35, of West Hempstead, who was arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on charges of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree; five counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree; and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm (an E felony). Lopez pleaded not guilty and was released to pre-trial services. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison. John Nealy, 22, of West Hempstead, and Kito Lockwood, 49, of West Hempstead, who were each arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on three counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. The defendants pleaded not guilty and were released to pre-trial services. If convicted, the defendants face up to 7 years in prison. Christopher Lasane, Sr., 50, of Long Beach, and Christopher Lasane, Jr., 27, of Long Beach, who were each arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree; two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree; five counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree; and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree (a D felony). The defendants pleaded not guilty. Christopher Lasane, Sr. was released to pre-trial services. Christopher Lasane, Jr.s bail was set at $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond, and $20,000 partially secured bond. If convicted, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison. Noelle Dean, 27, of Uniondale, and Keya Evans, 48, of Long Beach, who were arraigned before Judge Berkowitz Wednesday on charges of Criminal Possession of a Firearm; five counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree; and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree. Dean and Evans pleaded not guilty and were released to pre-trial services. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 9 years in prison. The defendants are all due back in court on October 26, 2023. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Long Island District Office Task Force is comprised of officers from several partner agencies, including the Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County District Attorney Detective Investigators, the Suffolk County Police Department, New York State Police, Nassau County Sheriffs Department, New York City Police Department, and the Freeport Police Department. DA Donnelly thanks the DEA and this coalition of agencies for their partnership in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Paula Cajdler of the Narcotics, Firearms & Gangs Bureau. Corley is represented by Maureen McBride, Esq. Alexander is represented by David Haber, Esq. Janeathea Nealy is represented by Nipun Marwaha, Esq. Clifford Nealy is represented by Melvin Roth, Esq. Thomas Keyes is represented by Robert Schalk, Esq. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 15 2023 Legislation (A1025/S50) Bans the Sale of Tobacco Products at Vending Stands and in Vending Machines in New York State Buildings. Governor Kathy Hochul today signed public health legislation (A1025/S50) to crack down on tobacco sales in New York. This legislation will make tobacco products less accessible by prohibiting the sale of these products at vending stands and in vending machines in New York State buildings. For decades, tobacco companies have hooked generations of New Yorkers on nicotine, Governor Hochul said. Were cracking down on Big Tobacco by banning the sale of their harmful products in New York State buildings. Protecting public health is a top priority for me, and I will continue to discourage the sale and use of these dangerous, addictive products in New York. Legislation (A1025/S50) amends the public buildings law to prohibit the sale of tobacco products in vending machines and at vending stands leasing space in New York State buildings. The prohibition will apply to new leases and contracts with vendors. This legislation makes the public buildings law consistent with other state laws and policies regarding tobacco sales. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, resulting in more than 480,000 deaths each year. Given the proven link between the use of tobacco products and serious disease and health risks, this legislation aims to protect public health in New York State by curbing the sale of these products on State property. According to the 2013 Independent Evaluation Report of the New York Tobacco Control Program, reductions in tobacco use are achieved by creating a social environment and legal climate in which tobacco becomes less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible. State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, New York is taking an important stand today against Big Tobacco by outlawing the sale of tobacco products in state buildings. This new statute represents the all-hands-on-deck approach that's required to curb smoking, which is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and responsible for the deaths of nearly 14,000 New Yorkers between 2015 and 2019. I'm extremely grateful to Governor Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for their support of our legislation, along with my colleague, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn, the American Cancer Society, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids." Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said, "New York State is a national leader in tobacco control policy, with strong laws and regulations aiming to prevent Big Tobacco from sickening and killing our communities for profit. Our state's public buildings need to be consistent with our vital fight, and we are now finally setting an example by prohibiting the sale of tobacco in public buildings with my sponsored bill (A1025/S50) becoming law. I thank NYS Senate bill sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal, my colleagues in the Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul for passing this pivotal law that discourages smoking throughout the extensive public buildings across New York State and aligns them with our tobacco control efforts. The fight against Big Tobacco isn't over, but this is a significant victory as we continue to protect our communities from deadly nicotine addiction and save more lives." Rosh Hashanah, one of the most important holidays for Jewish people around the world, is here. Rosh Hashanah, which translates from Hebrew to mean the head of the year, is one of Judaism's holiest days. The two-day celebration marks the start of the Jewish New Year and is filled with traditions, like eating a round challah and saying prayers near a body of water. But why is Rosh Hashanah important for Jewish communities? And what do traditions, including special prayers, foods, gatherings and more, mean? Heres what you need to know about Rosh Hashanah ahead of 2023 celebrations: When is Rosh Hashanah 2023? Since it is based on the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of the seventh month, so this years celebration will begin at sunset on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 and continue through sundown on Sunday, Sept. 17. The exact date varies every year but is almost always in September or October. Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday that is two days long both inside and outside Israel. Its called yoma arichta, translated as a long day because the 48-hour celebration may be thought of as one extended day. Rosh Hashanah is often treated as a time to reflect on the previous year and focus on hopes for the coming year, Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told USA TODAY last year. Joel Friedman and his family observe Tashlich beside the seafront at dusk on Sept. 24, 2020, in Canvey Island, England. The atonement ritual of Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word meaning 'to cast', and refers to the idea of casting away one's sins. What is Rosh Hashanah? Why is it important? Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, which are 10 days of introspection and repentance that lead into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and most sacred holiday for Jewish people. Samira Mehta, the director of undergraduate studies in the program for Jewish studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, previously told USA TODAY that the Book of Life, which symbolizes how Jewish people will be judged for the coming year, "opens" on Rosh Hashanah and is sealed on Yom Kippur. Story continues "These are moments where we come together as a community, where we take time to think about ourselves as individuals, but also think about the ways that we can help others," Rabbi Rob Gleisser, the Peter J. Rubinstein reform senior Jewish educator at Penn State Hillel, told USA TODAY. "Think about the ways that we want to create a safe community, a welcoming community, a warm community and then be able to enrich the world around us after having those moments of introspection." Two Ethiopian Jews perform Tashlich, a Jewish atonement ritual, at a lake formed by the Umanka River on the first day of Rosh Hashanah on September 10, 2018 in Uman, Ukraine. WORCESTER - Chani Fogelman, whose husband is Rabbi Fogelman, peers through a partition on the women's side of the synagogue during a Rosh Hashanah service at Chabad Lubavitch of Central Massachusetts, marking the beginning of the Jewish New Year and High Holy Days leading to Yom Kippur, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Rosh Hashanah is also important for some Jewish people as a celebration of the creation of humanity. It may be referred to as the "birthday of the world," marking the time when God created or when the breath of life entered Adam and Eve. How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated? Traditions, explained Jewish people might take time away from work to attend services with special prayers and songs to mark the new year, although celebrations dont just take place within the walls of a synagogue. Many Jewish communities will blow a Shofar, a curved rams horn, during service. Marley Finch, 11, left, assists Rabbi Shmuly Gutnick in making a shofar during the Palm Beach Synagogue Rosh Hashanah Royal Extravaganza Sunday September 10, 2023 in Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Synagogue hosted the Rosh Hashanah Royal Extravaganza Sunday September 10, 2023 in Palm Beach for families. Its meant to kind of stir you, awaken you to the idea of thinking of new year, taking stock, preparing to atone, and in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah it begins to be used as a kind of wake up, Rosenblum said. It really kind of pierces the air, and you can't ignore it. Some Jews may also pray near a body of water in a Tashlich ceremony, in addition to tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize sending off sins. What are some traditional Rosh Hashanah foods? Many Jews will gather with friends and family to eat special foods and hold commemorations: Some Jewish people eat apples and honey together to represent a sweet new year. People may also eat challah, a braided bread, in a round loaf to represent a cycle of the year. Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that are cited in the Torah, the Jewish holy book. Bee Barf Apiaries displays honeycomb during the Palm Beach Synagogue Rosh Hashanah Royal Extravaganza Sunday September 10, 2023 in Palm Beach. It is traditional to eat apples and honey on the holiday for a sweet new year. "For Rosh Hashanah, in particular, there's just a lot of emphasis on sweetness so that you are stepping into the year with good tastes and good feelings, and with this idea that you want to have a sweet and bountiful year ahead," Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, senior educator and campus support director for Hillel International, told USA TODAY. Rosh Hashanah greeting: Is it OK to say 'happy Rosh Hashanah'? Happy Rosh Hashanah or happy new year are both appropriate greetings if you are talking to Jewish friends, family, co-workers, or classmates around the holiday. You can also say shanah tovah, which means good year in Hebrew. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Rosh Hashanah? When is it? Jewish New Year greeting, food Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 15 2023 On the evening of September 9, an on-duty SCPD officer was driving her patrol car with the lights and sirens on when she struck Stinson, who was riding his bicycle. The New York Attorney Generals Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of Anthony Stinson , who died on September 13, 2023 following a motor vehicle incident involving a member of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) on September 9, 2023. On the evening of September 9, an on-duty SCPD officer was driving her patrol car with the lights and sirens on when she struck Anthony Stinson, who was riding his bicycle, at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Adobe Drive in Shirley, Suffolk County. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died a few days later. Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSIs assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: September 15 2023 Each defendant is charged with Prohibited Sale of Alcoholic Beverage: Under Age of 21, and the violation was forwarded to the NYS Liquor Authority. The Public Information Office report multiple arrests for Underage Alcohol Sale that were made on Wednesday evening, September 13, 2023 in Nassau County. According to Police, the Fourth Precinct Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit conducted alcohol sale checks at various locations in East Rockaway and Oceanside. Five different locations sold alcohol to underage, undercover, agents. The locations of the illegal sales are: Lucky 7s Gourmet Deli and Grocery, 276 Atlantic Avenue in East Rockaway Ultra Mini Mart, 411 Atlantic Avenue in East Rockaway Patel Smoke and Convenience, 571 Atlantic Avenue in Oceanside BP Convenience Shop, 292 Long Beach Road in Oceanside E Smoke Vape Beer Cigar, 3015 Long Beach Road in Oceanside Media reports suggest Washington may soon grant Kyivs longstanding request for the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS. While not a silver bullet, ATACMS would provide Ukraine with valuable additional capability and capacity to attack high-value Russian military targets in occupied territory. ABC News, citing U.S. officials, reported last week that the Biden administration will likely soon send Ukraine ATACMS. According to Politico, Kyiv is pushing for a final decision before the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents attend the UN General Assembly next week. But U.S. officials reportedly say the White Houses verdict will almost certainly come after that meeting. Kyiv has been asking Washington for ATACMS for well over a year. The White House initially explained its refusal by citing the risk of Russian escalation. More recently, the administration has contended that America simply has no ATACMS to spare. However, two U.S. officials told ABC News that the Pentagon has found more ATACMS in its inventory than it originally assessed, although their serviceability and variant remains unclear. Lockheed Martin has produced a handful of different ATACMS variants. Modern versions carry a 500-pound unitary warhead and can hit targets up to 300 kilometers away. By contrast, the earlier variants were less accurate and carried warheads containing hundreds of Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel (APAM) bomblets. The oldest version had a maximum range of just 165 kilometers. A Reuters report published on Monday suggests Ukraine may receive an APAM-carrying variant. This would be particularly useful for targeting Russian air defense systems. The U.S. military employed these missiles to great effect against Iraqi air defense systems during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Biden administration could also provide other ATACMS variants to Ukraine. The versions with unitary warheads would be more useful for striking Russian command posts and logistics nodes such as the Crimean Bridge, which connects the peninsula to Russia. While Ukraine has pledged not to use Western missiles to strike inside Russian territory, targets in and around Crimea including the bridge are fair game. Russia uses that bridge to transport equipment and supplies to southern Ukraine, where Kyivs forces are attempting to claw back territory as part of their ongoing counteroffensive. Kyiv hopes that degrading Russian logistics will help Ukrainian troops break through Russian defenses and then push south toward the coast. By itself, taking out the Crimean Bridge probably will not cause the Russian defense to collapse. Russia would still have other, albeit less efficient, ways to supply its troops. During Ukraines counteroffensive in Kherson Oblast last year, Russian forces held out for months despite a tenuous supply situation. Still, the fewer mines and artillery shells that Russia can deliver to the front, the better Ukraines chances. Constraining Russian logistics will become especially important as Western deliveries of artillery ammunition dwindle over the fall and winter. Although Ukraine has received Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles from the United Kingdom and France, respectively, the Crimean Bridge lies at the ragged edge of their maximum effective range around 250 kilometers. Kyiv has yet to target the bridge using those missiles, presumably because doing so would put Ukrainian pilots at unacceptable risk. Ukraines Su-24M/MR aircraft would have to fly right up to the front line, braving Russias formidable air defense systems and long-range air-to-air missiles. Those Ukrainian aircraft, meanwhile, also face the threat of periodic Russian missile and drone strikes targeting their airbases. ATACMS would be more survivable. They are ground-launched, fired by the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), both of which Ukraine already operates. These vehicles can quickly displace after firing. To date, Russia has not managed to destroy a single M142 or M270. ATACMS missiles themselves are also difficult to shoot down, thanks to their rapid descent. Moreover, ATACMS would provide Ukraine with an all-weather capability that can respond quickly to time-sensitive targets. Whereas cruise missile strikes are generally too slow to destroy mobile Russian air defense or surface-to-surface missile systems, ATACMS perhaps could assuming Ukraine can acquire and relay the intelligence quickly enough. The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), a newly developed system that Washington plans to deliver sometime this fall, will provide similar benefits in terms of survivability and responsiveness. Critically, the GLSDB is also relatively cheap, meaning Ukraine can use it to strike targets on which it cannot afford to expend a more expensive and scarce missile. But the Crimean Bridge and most of the peninsula itself lie beyond the GLSDBs 150-kilometer range. Other than ATACMS, Ukraine is also asking for the German-made Taurus air-launched cruise missile. It has a maximum range of 500 kilometers, meaning it could easily hit the Crimean Bridge. Berlin continues to equivocate on whether it will give Kyiv the missile, although a U.S. pledge of ATACMS might ease German anxieties. Another potential option is the newly developed land-attack variant of Kyivs Neptune ground-launched anti-ship cruise missile, which Ukraine has twice used to strike Russian S-400 air defense batteries in western Crimea. In late August, a Ukrainian official claimed the missile carries a 350 kilogram warhead and has a maximum range of around 400 kilometers. If true, it could also hit the Crimean Bridge (although Ukraine notably has yet to attack that target using the Neptune). However, Ukraine has produced just a couple of dozen of these missiles, the official said. Crippling a large, sturdy structure like the Crimean Bridge would require a significant number of missiles, and keeping it offline will probably necessitate repeated strikes. ATACMS would offer much-needed additional capacity particularly useful as Kyivs limited stocks of Storm Shadows and SCALP-EGs dwindle. This could free up Neptune missiles to attack targets within Russia. Alternatively, Ukraine could use ATACMS against targets in occupied territory that would have been assigned to the Neptune, then use the latter to strike the Crimean Bridge. The Neptunes terminal guidance system something ATACMS lacks might make it better suited for multiple strikes against a single weak spot on the bridge. Exactly how much additional capacity Ukraine will get remains unclear. The Biden administration has not clarified how many ATACMS it might send. According to The Wall Street Journal, plans under review would see Kyiv receive a limited number of missiles. Also unclear is when exactly Ukraine would receive them. A U.S. official told ABC News that it may be months. I hope well get [ATACMS] in autumn, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday, adding that Ukraine must avoid a pause in its counteroffensive. Before the missiles reach the battlefield, Ukrainian troops will need to undergo expedited training. Ironically, the United States will also have to reverse earlier hardware and software modifications it made to Kyivs M142 launchers to prevent them from firing ATACMS. Ukraines M270 launchers may also require software upgrades if they will be used with ATACMS. Ukraine may be on the verge of crossing a key item off its wish list. While ATACMS will not be a silver bullet, it will add an important weapon to Kyivs arsenal of long-range precision-strike capabilities. John Hardie is the deputy director of FDDs Russia Program and a contributor to FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. (Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to rise at the open on Friday after the release of encouraging Chinese data. The FTSE 100 was called to open around 40 points higher. Figures released earlier by the Bureau of National Statistics showed that retail sales an industrial production grew more than expected in August. Retail sales were up 4.6% on the year, beating expectations for growth of 3% and coming in ahead of July's 2.5% increase. Meanwhile, industrial production rose 4.5% in August on the year following 3.7% growth in July, coming in ahead of expectations of 3.9% growth. However, fixed asset investment was 3.2% higher on the year last month, down from 3.4% in July and below expectations for a 3.3% increase. The data showed a big drop in real estate investment. ING said: "While the overall economic background remains a very challenged one, there were some more positive signs in the latest data deluge, though all things related to the property market continue to struggle." There wasn't much happening on the UK corporate front, but Games Workshop said trading for the quarter to August 27 was ahead of expectations driven by healthy growth across all channels. In a brief trading update ahead of its annual shareholders meeting next week, the maker of Warhammer said core revenue had risen to 121m for the quarter, ahead of the 106m posted last year with licensing revenue doubling to 6m. Pre-tax profit was estimated at around 57m, up from 39m. "The board recognises that this performance is better than the prior year but is also aware that it is still early in the financial year. A further update will be given as appropriate," the company added. It also declared a dividend of 50p per share taking dividends declared so far in 2023/24 to 1.95 per share, up from 1.20 per share a year earlier. Join the Indian community in Luxembourg to celebrate India Day on 17 September, or take part in Durga Puja and Diwali this autumn Celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Luxembourg and now in its eighth year, India Day will take place on 17 September in Place Guillaume II from 11.00 to 18.00. Organised by the Indian Association of Luxembourg, the free festival will showcase cultural and dance performances, and you can take a culinary trip to College Street, Park Street and Camac Street in Kolkata, sampling Bengali street food. Try biriyani (a rice and curry dish), paneer tikka (curry with Indian cheese), paratha (flatbread), samosa (Indian snack), idli (rice patties served with chutneys) and chai (spicy Indian tea). There will also be a tricolour illumination on the water tower in Cloche dOr and at Place dArmes. Durga Puja and Diwali Lux Utsav will once again be organizing the Lux Durga Puja, now in its fifth year, from 20-24 October. The theme this year will be sustainability which will be reflected in the decorations adorning the Salle um Duerf at Itzig, where the event will take place. The five-day celebration will include cultural activities for children and adults, including worship rituals, dance, theatre performances, film screenings, a fashion show, and kids fancy dress. Youll also be able to sample Indian food. Indian residents in Luxembourg preparing for Durga Puja Photo credit: LuxUtsav Lux Utsav will once again be organizing the Lux Durga Puja, now in its fifth year, from 20-24 October. The theme this year will be sustainability which will be reflected in the decorations adorning the Salle um Duerf at Itzig, where the event will take place. The five-day celebration will include cultural activities for children and adults, including worship rituals, dance, theatre performances, film screenings, a fashion show, and kids fancy dress. Youll also be able to sample Indian food. Durga Puja dates back to the 16th century and it marks the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura, celebrating the triumph of good over evil. The festival, which is celebrated in India for nine days, was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2021, and is marked in 30 countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, the USA, the UK, and Luxembourg. You can find out more on this event here. The Tamil community in Luxembourg invite you to join them to celebrate Indias best-known festiva, Diwali, which will take place at the end of October/ beginning November, with the exact date to be confirmed later. It will include an afternoon and evening of traditional performances plus cuisine. The Indian Business Chamber Luxembourg is also organising a Diwali cultural event for 15 or 16 November, with more details to follow. Later in November, Lux Utsav is organizing the fourth Bijoya Sammelini, with a special six-course meal of Bengali cuisine, again in Itzig, on 25 November. Indian diaspora in Luxembourg More than 4,650 Indian nationals live in Luxembourg. Nimkee Gupta moved to Luxembourg in 2017 and works at Deloitte as a project/program manager. She is the business networking country chair for the G100 group of women leaders. She grew up in Bhopal in India, and enjoys a similar intimacy that the Grand Duchy offers: It has all the perks of its small size as well as the facilities of a cosmopolitan city. I appreciate the diverse demographic here that offers me opportunities to learn about other countries, the well-rounded education system, and the numerous events like Spillfest, the science fairs, museums, art exhibitions, and culinary expos, that give the kids multiple learning opportunities to grow beyond books, she says. Indian cuisine is one of the country's most loved exports Photo credit: Steve Eastwood She grew up in Bhopal in India, and enjoys a similar intimacy that the Grand Duchy offers: It has all the perks of its small size as well as the facilities of a cosmopolitan city. I appreciate the diverse demographic here that offers me opportunities to learn about other countries, the well-rounded education system, and the numerous events like Spillfest, the science fairs, museums, art exhibitions, and culinary expos, that give the kids multiple learning opportunities to grow beyond books, she says. Gupta also believes Luxembourg has given her the opportunity to re-invent herself: The more I understand my roots, the better I integrate into the culture and ecosystem of Luxembourg. She was a founder of LuxUtsav in 2018 and explains that local Diwali and Holi celebrations and other festivals give her family the opportunity to stay connected with India. Romit Choudhury moved to Luxembourg for work in 2014, but has since set up Softbrik, a Voice AI company which is involved in projects across the Luxembourg economy, with public institutions such as Luxinnovation and the Chamber of Commerce as well as private companies. Luxembourg is incredibly diverse and socially stable. I work with Luxembourgers and the state and feel more local than expat, he says. Originally from Bengal in the west of India, Choudhury studied in France and has lived in several countries, although his family are mostly located in the United States. I typically go to Kolkata for Durga Puja, to meet friends and family once a year. My friends and family in Luxembourg are from all over the world. Associations and commerce The Indian Association of Luxembourg (IAL) is a non-profit cultural association, registered as an asbl since 1991. Its mission is to enhance awareness of the rich heritage of India within Luxembourg, by celebrating major Indian festivals and holding cultural and musical events. It also provides a social platform for the Indian community, and works to create awareness and friendships between the Indian and both the Luxembourgish and international communities. The Indian Business Chamber of Luxembourg (IBCL), launched in March 2009, is a non-profit, non-political organization created to develop, foster, and enhance economic and business relationships, including tourism, trade, finance, IT, education, and culture, between India and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Greater Region. It provides opportunities to network and meet business partners, learn from experts, and share knowledge. The Womens Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a platform for women entrepreneurs and professionals to share, support, learn and promote each other. Globally the non-profit organization has attracted 250,000 women. The Luxembourg branch (WICCI Luxembourg) organizes free events on finding work if you are a spouse, going freelance or starting a business in Luxembourg. Try Bollywood dancing or Indian cooking If you fancy trying your hand at Indian vegan and vegetarian cooking or Bollywood dancing, you can do just that at The Second Degree, which offers classes for both with Sunita Trivedi, or sign up for dance classes at the Dance Factory. For places to try Indian, Nepalese and Pakistani cuisine, check out our article Craving a Curry. Also read: Craving a curry? LIVONIA, MICH. Karen Obsniuk, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Madonna University, has been named a notable leader in higher education by Crain's Detroit. This prestigious recognition highlights her outstanding contribution to the field of education and her unwavering commitment to the success of her students. In the Crain's Detroit Article titled 2023 Crain's Notable Leaders in Higher Education, Karen Obsniuk is lauded for her transformative work at Madonna University. Under her leadership, the College of Education and Human Development has undergone significant growth and innovation. She spearheaded the expansion of online course offerings and the introduction of an education doctoral program, making quality education more accessible to students. Karen's dedication to her students and community is truly remarkable. She played a pivotal role in streamlining education requirements and worked alongside Wayne County RESA to advocate for a substantial $1.6 million federal grant. This grant has greatly assisted 40 aspiring teachers, many of whom are immigrants working as classroom aids, in pursuing their dreams of becoming educators. Michele Harmala, a graduate program director, praises Karen Obsniuk, saying, "Karen is an inspirational leader who is so involved you may think she works 24 hours a day." Her tireless commitment to the field of education and her students is a testament to her passion for developing future classroom leaders. But Karen's impact doesn't stop at Madonna University's campus. She has actively engaged with the state of Michigan to develop a new scoring system for teacher certification programs, demonstrating her commitment to raising the standards of education across the region. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Public School Academies of Detroit and the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, further solidifying her dedication to enhancing educational opportunities for all. Angela Hentkowski, Madonna University's Certification Specialist and Academic Advisor within the College of Education and Human Development, has this to say about working with Karen Obsniuk: "In a little over a year of working with Karen, it is obvious how passionate she is about developing our students into leaders themselves. She helps students reach their potential by holding them to high expectations. Karen truly cares for each individual student and does all that is in her power to help them succeed." Madonna University takes immense pride in having Karen Obsniuk as the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition by Crain's Detroit. Her leadership, dedication, and innovative approach continue to shape the future of education, inspiring both students and educators alike. For more details on Karen Obsniuk's recognition as a notable leader in higher education, please visit the Crain's Detroit article. Remittances grew 2.6 percent in July 2023 to $2.99 billion from $2.92 billion in the same month last year, latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) show. The expansion in cash remittances in July 2023 was due to the growth in receipts from land- and sea-based workers, the BSP said in a statement Friday. This brought cash remittances in the first seven months to $18.79 billion, or 2.9-percent higher than $18.26 billion in the same period last year. The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates contributed mainly to the increase in remittances in the first seven months of 2023, the BSP said. Data showed that in terms of country sources, the US posted the highest share of overall remittances, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Japan. Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, rose 2.5 percent to $3.32 billion in July from $3.24 billion a year ago. The growth in personal remittances in July 2023 was due to higher remittances sent by land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more and sea- and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year, the BSP said. Personal remittances reached $20.91 billion in the first seven months, higher by 2.9 percent than $20.33 billion recorded in the same period in 2022. Cash remittances rose 3.6 percent to a record $32.54 billion in 2022 from $31.42 billion inn 2021 on sustained demand for skilled Filipino workers overseas. The full-year remittances growth, however, missed the official target of 4 percent set by the Bangko Sentral. The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar and United Kingdom contributed largely to the increase in remittances in 2022. Studies have shown that remittances from overseas Filipino workers have consistently been the fourth largest in the world after India, China and Mexico. The Philippines is among the biggest suppliers of nurses around the world, accounting for at least 20 percent of the total globally. It is also the top source of seafarers worldwide, accounting for about 20 percent to 25 percent of the global total. The Bangko Sentral expects remittances to grow 3 percent in 2023. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it expects more investments from South Korea, following the signing of the Philippines-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA). With South Koreas status as the 10th largest GDP [gross domestic product] in the world and second most technologically advanced nation [next to Germany], the Philippines stands to benefit from this FTA which opens more opportunities for investors, increased market access, FDI inflows, higher value-added production and export diversification combined with deeper economic cooperation and innovation partnership, said PEZA director-general Tereso Panga. PEZA said it is seeing an influx of FDIs coming from South Korea in 2023. The investment promotion agency said investments from Korea amounted to P1.4 billion as of to date, breaching the P1.09 billion recorded in the same period in 2022. The amount was also 28.4 percent higher than the full-year investment of South Korea into the Philippines last year. PEZA said that as of June 2023, it had 246 registered projects from South Korea with exports of $736.454 million and 40,688 jobs. Panga said PEZA was on track to achieving its targets for the year. The agency already achieved 72 percent of its P154.77-billion goal for 2023. We are confident that we will exceed our conservative 10-percent growth forecast this year given the increasing number of ecozone applications filed with our office as well as big ticket projects and long-term investments that we expect to register this last quarter of 2023, he said. PEZA approved in the second week of September 27 new and expansion projects which are expected to add P14.044-billion investments, $174.806 million in exports and an additional 4,614 jobs. Among the 27 projects, 11 are export-oriented enterprises, five are facilities, five IT projects, 2 logistics, 2 domestic projects and 2 ecozone developments. These projects are in Makati City, Pasay City, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Davao del Norte and Occidental Mindoro. Moscow North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a Russian military aviation factory on Friday following his summit with President Vladimir Putin, as the two countries ostracized by the West seek deeper ties. Historic allies, Russia and North Korea are both under rafts of global sanctions Moscow for its Ukraine conflict, Pyongyang for its nuclear tests with Kims rare foreign visit sparking concern from Kyivs allies over a possible arms deal. Putin, who has sought to strengthen alliances with other leaders shunned in Western capitals, met Kim on Wednesday at a spaceport in Russias far east. While Pyongyang wants Moscows help to develop its missile program, US officials and experts have said Russia is interested in buying North Korean ammunition to use in Ukraine. After their summit at the Vostochny cosmodrome, Putin told reporters that he saw possibilities for military cooperation. On Friday, Kim visited military and civil aviation plants in far eastern Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a key Russian engineering hub, Moscow said in a statement. Kim saw the production of Russias Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 fighter aircraft and watched a Su-35 demonstration flight, the statement said. We see the potential for cooperation both in the field of aircraft manufacturing and in other industries, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov after accompanying Kim around the factories. This is especially important for achieving the tasks facing our countries to achieve technological sovereignty, the trade and industry minister said. Western countries have warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making an arms deal that would defy global sanctions. Kim is visiting Russia in his bullet-proof train on his first official trip abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. He left Pyongyang on Sunday and crossed their shared border on Tuesday. Kims far east visit will last a few more days, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. Putin said Wednesday that Kim would visit the port of Vladivostok to see the capabilities of Russias Pacific Fleet. Kim is accompanied by a military-heavy entourage, while top Russian military officials were also involved in the Putin talks. Khabarovsk regional governor Mikhail Degtyarev, who joined Kim on the jet factory visit, said afterwards on Telegram: Today we stand together against the pressure of the collective West. Through joint efforts, both states will continue to defend the ideals of freedom and a multipolar world. Russia is facing unprecedented isolation from the West over Moscows Ukraine offensive, with Putin seeking to boost Soviet-era alliances. The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that Putin had accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea. It would be Putins second trip to the country. He met Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang in July 2000, shortly after becoming Russias president. The White House said Thursday that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had spoken with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts to discuss the Putin-Kim meeting. They noted that any arms exports from North Korea to Russia would directly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt, a White House statement said. A top Japanese government official said Friday that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was willing to meet Kim without pre-conditions. Kishida had previously said he was ready to hold talks with Kim, but the repeated invitation comes as regional concerns around the Putin talks grow. We would like to hold high-level discussions under direct control of the prime minister to achieve a summit meeting as soon as possible, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. Kishida has been expressing his determination to directly face Kim at any time and without pre-conditions, said Matsuno. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Friday that Seoul was considering further sanctions against Moscow and Pyongyang if they strike an arms deal. If North Korea reaches any agreement regarding arms trade through a summit with Russia, it would be an act that seriously threatens peace and security on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap news agency quoted him as saying. Asked about potential additional sanctions, he added: We are considering all possible options. AFP The importance of jumping on alliances with like-minded countries has been properly articulated by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. He had painted the changing threat situation in the West Philippine Sea, with the military citing rising concerns in the area where recently it reported some three dozen Chinese fishing vessels round three land features alone in the past weeks. The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command said aerial patrols on Sept. 6 and 7 alone showed 23 Chinese fishing vessels in the Rozul (Iroquios) Reef, five in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal and two in Baragatan (Nares) Bank. The WESCOM is on the right drift when it said the increased presence of Chinese fishing vessels raises concerns regarding the potential implications for Philippine maritime security, fisheries conservation, territorial integrity, and preservation of the marine environment. We endorse the thought these activities have been a source of tension in the West Philippine Sea and have contributed to instability in the region. Shortly after Teodoro punctuated his declaration, National Security Council assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said Chinese research vessels are reported to be roaming the eastern side of the Philippine Sea, which is the Philippine Rise or Benham Rise. Benham Rise is a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau near Aurora province on the southern side of the Sierra Madre Mountains, larger than Luzon, the Philippines biggest island, and is considered part of the countrys continental shelf. According to Malaya, a few years ago, China named some submerged features in the eastern side of the Philippines. Under the leadership of National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano, Malaya said part of the NSCs strategy is to have a 360-degree archipelagic security for the entire country, not only the West Philippine Sea. Malaya said the government bought research vessels for the National Academic Research Fleet (NARFleet), led by the UP Marine Science Institute, so Filipino scientists may also study the water resources of the Philippines. The developments add importance to Teodoros statement, following some concern raised in the Senate over the presence of a US Navy aircraft during the recent Filipino resupply mission at Aungin Shoal. Teodoro was comprehensible when he said the Philippines, given the moves of other countries in the West Philippine Sea, and now in the Philippine Rise, must leverage our alliances not for anything but to enforce rules-based international order and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. On September 15, with regard to the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku a group of servicemen of the Defense Ministry visited the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery erected in honor of the Turkish soldiers fallen in 1918, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry. ?arnations and a wreath of roses were laid at the monument on behalf of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry and the memory of Shehids (Martyrs) was honored. OTTAWA The Trudeau government is planning to use next week's United Nations General Assembly to try building momentum against states using people as pawns in diplomatic spats, with the help of former detainees such as Michael Kovrig. "We're in the midst of an international security crisis. That's the reality in which Canada and the world is right now," Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told The Canadian Press in an exclusive interview. "Now is the time to reach out to a wide group of partners," she said. Joly will co-host a meeting with her counterparts from Costa Rica and Malawi, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on ways to prevent states from arresting foreigners on political grounds. It's part of an effort Canada launched in February 2021 to try creating a norm against arbitrary detention, with an action plan that aims to prevent states from placing people in harsh conditions and denying them legal council. A meeting next week to touch base on those goals will include people who have been arbitrarily detained, including former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, whom China imprisoned for more than 1,000 days. Also slated to join is American journalist Jason Rezaian, whom Iran jailed for 18 months. The work against arbitrary detention involves a range of countries, Joly said, particularly smaller ones that Ottawa isn't in frequent contact with, such as Panama, Tonga and Benin Joly said Canada still relies on its traditional friends in the G7 or NATO, but Ottawa is also looking for like-minded countries beyond those groups. The UN General Assembly is a prime place to meet heads of government and foreign ministers from those countries, she noted. "We need to develop new relationships in order to find the right partners to reinforce the importance of the rules that have kept us safe since the Second World War," she said. "My goal will be to engage with them, to listen to them and to work on finding solutions together" Story continues The face-time will also help Canada's campaign to join the UN Human Rights Council, Joly said. "We will be advocating for our bid in every single meeting." Joly will join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in New York City, and the two will touch base with countries trying to help Haiti establish security, after brazen gangs have sowed violence across the Caribbean country. Canada is leading an effort to co-ordinate Haiti's policing needs and what resources other countries can offer, and Joly said the meeting in New York will help Ottawa push for more countries to help Haitians restore normalcy. "The goal is to bring more countries to the table," she said, noting that more civilians have been killed in Haiti this year than in Ukraine. "This is something that should attract much more the interest of countries around the world." Joly will also take part in a session of the women and girls in Afghanistan, which she said involves both assessing humanitarian needs and advocating against United Nations organizations working the Taliban until they ease a brutal crackdown on women. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2023. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, recalled in an interview with Robb Report the day he felt he was close to death surfing with the legendary Kelly Slater. The English Mercedes driver, a big fan of surfing, is a friend of Slater, 11-time winner of the World Surf League and for many the best surfer of all time. "There were waves of almost 8 meters and Kelly told me: "I don't think you can get in the water"," recalls Hamilton about that day two years ago in Pipeline (Hawaii) reported by the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Formula 1 driver ignored his friend's advice: "I've always been a risk taker. When someone tells me 'you can't climb that tree'... I'll climb it. Even though I will almost certainly fall. "I paddled out to the wave...it was a huge tube, Kelly was in front of me. I just had to make sure I didn't get caught. So I dove in, held on to the reef and prayed. I could feel the wave landing behind me, like a bomb going off. My board broke and snapped in half. I thought I was very close to the end. But this, for some reason, excites me." The 38-year-old Englishman acknowledges that "when I was younger, I was reckless on the track. I took a lot of risks and was lucky not to get injured. Now I can measure the risk more intelligently. I've always been good at knowing my limit and my limit is higher than most people. And I've always felt comfortable when I'm close to the limit." It seems that even celebrities and billionaires aren't immune to the allure of a good meme war. In a recent Twitter (or should we say X) showdown, Elon Musk, the CEO of X), initiated a meme battle with iconic rapper and actor Ice Cube. This unexpected clash began when Musk posted a silly meme poking fun at Ice Cube, which the rapper quickly countered with his own meme, taking a dig at Musk and the current state of X. Musk's random jab Musk's initial meme featured a split image with the caption, "Remember Ice Cube? This is him now, feel old yet?" On the left was a picture of Ice Cube, and on the right, was a glass of water. Interestingly, this meme has been circulating on the internet since at least 2014. Ice Cube's winning response Ice Cube wasted no time in responding to Musk's playful jab. He quote-responded Musk's meme and shared his own creation, captioned, "Remember X? This is it now, feel stupid yet?" His meme juxtaposed the old Twitter logo with an image of a dumpster fire, a clever commentary on the perceived decline of X since Musk took the reins. This meme battle coincided with changes made by X, such as moving the location of quote messages into a sub-menu, making it slightly more challenging for users to engage with Musk's posts. Musk's Taiwan comments land him in trouble Musk, who is also the owner of Tesla and Starlink Sattelite, got into a much bigger feud this week after the billionaire asserted that Taiwan was an integral part of China during his virtual participation in the All-in Summit in Los Angeles. Musk also compared Taiwan's relationship with China to that of Hawaii with the United States. Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, hit back at the billionaire in his own platform by posting a message that read "Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC [and] certainly not for sale!" The UFC has canceled the featherweight bout between Khusein Askhabov and Daniel Pineda, scheduled for October. The decision follows Askhabov's arrest in Thailand for an alleged connection to the kidnapping, torture and robbery of an Italian national from whom money and belongings worth 338,000 dollars were allegedly taken. "UFC is aware of the recent arrest and allegations regarding Khusein Askhabov. The organization will continue to gather additional details about the incident. UFC will allow the legal process to play out before making additional statements, however, his fight scheduled for Oct. 7 has been canceled," the UFC commented in a statement. Askhabov (23-1) made his UFC debut earlier this year, when he suffered a decision loss to Jamall Emmers. He withdrew from two other fights this summer for various reasons. Askhabov and his twin brother, Khasan, were arrested on September 5 in connection with an investigation into the robbery of an Italian man in Thailand, Phuket News reported A police report, cited by this media outlet, notes that the Italian national stated that he was robbed of several items, including a Rolex watch, a Patek Philippe 'Nautilus' watch, a GRAFF watch, a MacBook, iPhones, sunglasses and approximately 43,000 dollars in cash. The police report discusses an alleged relationship of the Askhabov brothers to the three men who broke into the victim's home, blindfolded, gagged and bound him before robbing him. The report states that the victim met the Askhabov brothers in Thailand a year ago and that "they had become acquainted over the past year." A new 36-acre development approved Thursday would bring apartments, offices, lab space, retail, restaurants and more to Dorchesters Columbia Point peninsula. The Boston Planning and Development Agency approved the master plan for Dorchester Bay City, a $5 billion mixed-use project proposed by Accordia Partners, a Boston-based commercial real estate investment and development company. The plan would add 21 buildings totaling 6.48 million square feet, seven of which would contain a total of 1,957 apartments, 20% of which will be income-restricted. The final master plan for Dorchester Bay City is a clear reflection of the extensive feedback we received from multiple community organizations, residents, and business owners throughout a comprehensive, three-and-a-half year design, planning, city and state public agency collaboration, and community engagement process, Kirk Sykes and Richard Galvin of Accordia Partners said in a statement. Our team started with a bold plan to create a truly spectacular, inclusive, and multipurpose space in this location; in particular, the idea of advancing economic opportunity was a driver in all major decisions about key project components, they said. The property, which includes four parcels, is the site of the former Bayside Expo Center along Mount Vernon Street and Morrissey Boulevard. Much of it is currently taken up by surface parking. It is currently owned by the University of Massachusetts and neighbors the university systems Boston campus; the developers lease agreement provides between $192 million and $235 million to support UMass education programs. In addition to the commercial, residential and cultural uses, the project will include a new street system for vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles and more than 19 acres of open space, a public pavilion, and an 8,000 square foot learning and innovation center for job training. To contribute to the Columbia Point Master Plan, adopted by the BPDA in 2011, the new street system will create connections to nearby public recreation areas such as Carson Beach, Moakley Park and Dorchester Shores Reservation. It also will encourage walking and biking with public bike sharing stations, public bike racks, interior space for about 3,700 bicycles, and its proximity to the JFK/UMass MBTA station. A map showing the area of Columbia Point where Dorchester Bay City is planned. (Accordia Partners) Construction will be split into three phases over 10 to 15 years, with each building or cluster of buildings going through its own planning and approval process with the BPDA. Because of the coastal location of the site, which is currently a key flood path, the plans include plans to reduce flood risks and impacts. The site will be raised and graded to slope to adjacent properties and the new street network will be constructed at a higher elevation. The developers will also contribute $5 million for the creation of a flood protection system within Dorchester Shores Reservation during the first phase of the project. In addition, the developers will contribute $10 million to the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliances homeownership savings program aimed at reducing racial gaps in wealth and homeownership. The developers also will also contribute about $23 million to maintenance and repairs at Moakley Park, $41.6 million in transportation improvements and $1.2 million to public art installations throughout Dorchester Bay City. Through city linkage fees, the project will contribute $53.6 million toward affordable housing and $9.9 million toward job training. The project is expected to create up to 25,000 construction jobs and between 13,000 to 17,000 permanent jobs in various industries. Last months Republican presidential debate was the first time many potential voters across the nation and here in early primary powerhouse South Carolina got a good look at the competition field. Nikki Haley threw punches, Vivek Ramaswany made a bold introduction to the electorate, Tim Scott showed everyone why hes a nice guy, and Donald Trump was both physically absent and ever-present in the nights discourse. In the three weeks since, Palmetto State been abuzz with campaign stops from at least three of those Republicans seeking the White House, while some candidates have seen an increase in fundraising. And its all led to another shakeup in The States presidential candidate power rankings. A little refresher: The State newspaper asked six political observers in South Carolina to rank their top five candidates according to who they believe would have the best chance to win the South Carolina Republican presidential primary if it were today. A first-place vote received five points in the ranking calculations, a second place vote received four points, a third place vote received three points, a fourth place vote received two points, and a fifth place vote received one point. Not ranked but receiving votes: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (1 point) and former Vice President Mike Pence (1 point). 5th place: Vivek Ramaswamy Vivek Ramaswamy, a billionaire entrepreneur, remains fifth in the ranking, garnering 7 points after debuting last month. Ramaswamy became a target of his fellow Republican candidates during the first debate but appeared to hold his own. He also had a viral moment when he was able to rap the lyrics to Eminems Lose Yourself during an August appearance at the Iowa State Fair. (He) seems to be running as the heir to Trump and, like the former president, really enjoys campaigning and garnering media attention, said Adolphus Belk, a Winthrop University political science professor. However, governing requires a different skill set than being out on the stump or dropping Eminem bars at the state fair. Ramaswamy has to convince SC voters that, despite having zero experience in government, hes up to the task. Story continues Ramaswamy has performed well in national polls and has received more attention in the media and from fellow candidates. With some recent polls placing Ramaswamy as high as third or even second behind only (former President) Donald Trump one could argue that he should be higher up this list, said Chase Meyer, a University of South Carolina political science professor. But for a candidate with no previous political experience and who the media is starting to shine the light on, I have a hard time seeing him actually beating any of the front-runners. Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who is running for the Republican Partys nomination for president, speaks at the South Carolina Republican Party State Convention at River Bluff High School on Saturday, May 20, 2023. 4th place: Tim Scott South Carolinas junior U.S. Sen. Tim Scott dropped two spots in the rankings, garnering 14 points. He did not have a breakout moment during the first presidential debate, trying to stay above the food fight and keep an optimistic approach. He was a non event in debate. Has had to deal with his single status and did so somewhat awkwardly, but his coffers are full and that matters, said Chip Felkel, a public and political affairs strategist who worked on the presidential campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Scotts campaign war chest is allowing him to stay on the air and keep getting his message out on television ads in Iowa and New Hampshire. What happens in other early voting states could play a role in what happens in South Carolina. A strong showing in Iowa among evangelical Christians could really help Scotts chances in the Palmetto State, said Gibbs Knotts, a College of Charleston political science professor. Tim Scott greets patrons at Alexs Restaurant in Goose Creek on Friday April 14, 2023. 3rd place: Ron DeSantis Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis remained in third place in the ranking, with 17 points. The governor has been a steady hand at the wheel of his campaign - and his state - over the last month. He has quieted some of the critics who dogged him over the summer, said Rob Godfrey, a South Carolina political consultant, who previously worked for Haley when she was governor. And he has the resources to continue building an infrastructure for the long haul that helps him compete well into the primary process. Recent polling hasnt been good for DeSantis, including one poll that had him in fourth place in South Carolina. DeSantis suffered the most notable drop in polling, both nationally, and here in South Carolina, Knotts said. The culture wars and his anti-woke agenda have not resonated with a large portion of South Carolina GOP voters. Team DeSantis needs to figure out a way to pull his campaign out of its current tailspin. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican Partys nomination for president, holds a rally in Gilbert, South Carolina on Friday, June 2, 2023. 2nd place: Nikki Haley Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley moved up one spot to second place in the latest rankings, tallying 20 points. In the previous ranking, she was tied in third place with DeSantis. Since the first debate, Haley has earned some of the strongest headlines. She was widely lauded for her debate performance where she came out swinging, taking shots at DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Pence, Scott and Trump. Nikki Haley ... handled the debate with aplomb and demonstrated competence with a range of issues and behaved in a way that suburban women tired of chaos may appreciate, said Danielle Vinson, a professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University. Haley saw interest in her candidacy grow after that first debate. A poll showed her solidly in second place in South Carolina, and another poll showed she would be the best Republican to go up against President Joe Biden in a head to head matchup. The first debate created buzz around the Haley campaign that hasnt existed since she announced, Godfrey said. You can see it everywhere from the volume of news coverage surrounding her campaign to the number of people showing up to her events - whether this is a moment or momentum is a question her campaign will answer in the weeks ahead. Much of Haleys post-debate messaging has been on foreign policy, a way to show case her credentials as former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Presidential campaigns are largely won or lost on domestic concerns, Belk said. Yet, in the time since her strong debate performance in Wisconsin, Haley has talked up foreign policy matters like the war in Ukraine, U.S.-China relations, and taking on the Mexican drug cartels. Its a tough play, but Haleys fighting hard to separate from the pack and gain ground on Trump and DeSantis. Nikki Haley speaks to home-town supporters during a campaign rally at The Grove in Lexington County on Thursday, April 06, 2023. 1st place: Donald Trump Former President Donald Trump remains the unanimous No. 1 pick in The States power ranking, earning 30 points. Trump skipped the first presidential debate and is now enmeshed in four criminal cases. Despite that, his support among Republican voters remains strong, maybe even improved. After skipping the first debate Trumps polling numbers did slip slightly, but they have since recovered, Meyer said. If skipping a debate and more indictments do not cause permanent harm to his campaign, then what on earth will? Trump leads in national polls and in recent South Carolina polls. In a Washington Post-Monmouth University Poll, Trump had a 28- point lead over Haley. This is still Donald Trumps race to lose. He continues to maintain strong favorability numbers in South Carolina, Godfrey said. But candidates are gaining on him. The question is whether they are in the middle of fleeting moments or building sustainable momentum. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about that. A 24-year-old man from Canton was convicted of sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl whod been reported missing by posting online sex advertisements about her and meeting with buyers, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts. Keion Rowell was charged with sex trafficking a child, and was convicted after jury deliberations for four days, the office said. His sentencing date is scheduled for Dec. 11; Rowell had been arrested and charged in April 2022, then indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022, the office stated. Around Jan. 18, 2021, officials said Rowell had met the 15-year-old girl, whod recently ran away from home and was reported as missing, the office stated. The office stated that almost immediately, Rowell had created and posted several online sex advertisements with pictures of the 15-year-old girl, including nude images, and told her she would have to prostitute herself. Rowell communicated with sex buyers, and sent the child to meet with the men and have sex with them, the office said. Rowell would keep the money the men gave in exchange for the meetings, the office stated. About 10 days after she went missing, law enforcement engaged an undercover operation to rescue her, the office said. The 15-year-old girl was saved on Jan. 28, and she had Rowells phone with her, the office said. Rowells phone had pictures of the girl, photos of himself, information on personal bank accounts, links to online sex advertisements and communications with sex buyers, the office said. Justice was delivered today. Mr. Rowell preyed on a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, grooming her and then trafficking her and pocketing the money. This conduct is despicable and has no place in a civilized society, said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. Sex trafficking causes immeasurable physical and long-term emotional suffering, and this office will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for the brave survivors. Read more: Brockton man who police say dragged state trooper after traffic stop arrested A charge for sex trafficking of a child has a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, five years supervised release and a $250,000 fine, the office said. The acting attorney made the announcement in conjunction with the FBI, and added there was assistance from the Boston and Belmont Police Departments, along with the MBTA. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, the office urges you to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. If you are a victim of sexual assault, you are not alone. SPRINGFIELD A Greenfield man accused of storming into the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection was arraigned on four federal charges Thursday. Christopher Keniley pleaded innocent to charges in federal court of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds, parading and demonstrating in a Capitol building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. He is the 11th Massachusetts resident to be accused of participating in the riot that was sparked by protesters who claimed President Joe Bidens win was fraudulent and tried to stop the transfer of power from President Donald Trump. More than 1,000 men and women nationwide, including the former president, have been charged with their roles in the breach of the Capitol over the past two years. During the court proceedings, Judge Katherine Robertson released Keniley without bail but restricted him from traveling outside the United States and required him to report to probation or pre-trial services before traveling outside New England. Keniley, who was wearing a long-sleeved gray T-shirt and tan pants during the arraignment, seemed relaxed. At times, he answered questions from the judge instead of letting his lawyer speak for him. The next hearing is scheduled as a Zoom conference, Robertson said. Kenileys case, like most, is expected to be transferred to the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. In federal court, criminal defendants first appear in federal court in the district in which they were arrested. The Capitol breach cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. Originally Robertson considered limiting Keniley from traveling outside of Massachusetts without getting approval from the courts, but his lawyer, public defender Timothy Watkins asked for that to be expanded since his client frequently travels to Vermont and New Hampshire. Keniley is also banned from traveling to Washington D.C. with the exception of traveling there for court appearances. His case is expected to be transferred to the capital in the future. Although the restrictions are not strict, Robertson warned Keniley that violations could have serious consequences. She also told him a conviction could result in jail time and other punishments. I know there was substantial damage to the Capitol building, she said. He is facing possible restitution. The agreement also bans him from possessing any firearms or destructive devices but Watkins said Keniley does not own any guns. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Breslow handled the prosecution for the arraignment. The woman accused of killing her then-boyfriend, a Boston police officer, has twice posted bail and remains free pending her trial, according to attorneys. But a Norfolk County judge is considering removing the bail requirement so she has access to the money to pay her defense team following a hearing Friday morning. Karen Read faces a count of second-degree murder in the Jan. 29, 2022 death of John OKeefe. Attorneys for a woman charged with murder in the death of her boyfriend, a former police officer, will ask a judge Friday to remove her bail, according to media reports. Karen Read faces a count of second-degree murder in the Jan. 29, 2022 death of John OKeefe. A Ludlow man was sentenced to spend seven years in federal prison for sharing child sex abuse images through a social messaging app, acting United States Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levys office said. Robert Avrett, 42, was sentenced in federal court in Springfield on Thursday, Sept. 14 for sharing numerous videos containing child sexual abuse material with an undercover agent and others online. Read More: Driver charged with assaulting Westfield student on school bus last year The content, which Averett distributed through the platform known as Kik, depicted the sexual exploitation of children as young as approximately 3-years-old, Levy said. Levys office said Avrett admitted the account was his after investigators searched his home in November 2022. He pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography in March 2023. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. As Hurricane Lee advances north, the MBTA has amended its ferry services for the weekend, due to high wind gusts that are predicted from the storm, according to a press release from MBTA. According to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center Friday morning, parts of coastal New England can expect tropical storm conditions as early as Friday afternoon. Lee could bring rough surf and possible flooding, damaging winds and bands of heavy rain to at least the coast areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the National Weather Service said on Friday at 4:03 a.m., on X, formerly known as Twitter. Hurricane Lee will make a close pass of southern New England tonight and tomorrow. Impacts will be greatest across the Cape and Islands, where wind gusts of 50-60mph are possible Sat AM. Rain will be mainly east of the I-495 corridor. pic.twitter.com/Ji8bsmB1yI NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) September 15, 2023 Here is the MBTA ferry schedule for Sept. 15-17. On Friday, Sept. 15: Lynn Ferry: All inbound and outbound trips are cancelled. East Boston Ferry: All inbound and outbound trips will be cancelled following the conclusion of the outbound 6:45 p.m. trip from Long Wharf to Lewis Mall Wharf. Charlestown Ferry: All inbound and outbound trips will be cancelled following the conclusion of the outbound 6:30 p.m. trip from Long Wharf (South) to Charlestown Navy Yard. Hingham/Hull Ferry: All inbound and outbound trips will be cancelled following the conclusion of the outbound 8:25 p.m. trip from Long Wharf (North) to Hull and Hingham. Winthrop Ferry and Hingham-Rowes Wharf Ferry services will operate as scheduled. On Saturday, Sept. 16, all MBTA ferry services will be cancelled. On Sunday, Sept. 17, all MBTA ferry services will operate their normal schedules. The MBTA said its closely tracking Hurricane Lee and will continue to coordinate with the US Coast Guard, meteorological experts, and emergency services. Riders are encouraged to sign up for and check T-Alerts for the latest service information. How will Hurricane Lee affect the Cape? Cape Cod is expected to be impacted the most, where winds could reach between 50 to 60 mph, and water levels could rise between 1-3 feet if the peak surge happens at the same time as high tide, according to the center. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for the Cape and Nantucket, meaning life-threatening flooding could occur, the weather service said. A Tropical Storm warning was issued for Marthas Vineyard and all coastal areas from Westport, Massachusetts all the way up to the U.S./Canada border also. Lee, which is about 395 miles south of Nantucket as of Friday at 11 a.m., is currently listed as a Category 1 Hurricane with winds of up to 85 mph, according to Meteorologist Domenica Davis with The Weather Channel. The storm is expect to move further away from Bermuda Friday before heading towards New England. Lee is expected to weaken and become a tropical storm before it makes landfall in Nova Scotia on Saturday, Davis said. Although the rest of Mass. is not at the same risk of feeling the impact from Hurricane Lee, there is still the potential for strong winds and rain. More information about Hurricane Lee can be found on the National Hurricane Centers website. Nearly 3/4 of a mile of Park Avenue in Worcester will be lined with artist and crafter booths Sunday for the stART on the Street Festival. In addition to 250 artists and crafters selling their homemade goods, the free festival will feature live music, fencing, belly dancing, capoiera, interactive features for all ages, street performers and more, according to the festivals website. When visitors get hungry, they will have several dining options, including food trucks, local restaurants and vegan options, the website says. The festival has been held in Worcester for more than two decades. It was started by a group of independent local artists in 2002 with the goal of changing the cultural scope of Worcester and Central Massachusetts, according to the website. The Sept. 17 festival starts at 11 a.m. and runs to 6 p.m. on the section of Park Avenue between Highland and Pleasant streets. The Worcester Police Department advises that the section of the street will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and, due to heavy pedestrian crowds, advises motorists to use caution and avoid the area. National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and celebrates the history and culture of one of the largest populations in the United States. The countrys Hispanic population reached 62.5 million in 2021 and is among the fastest-growing populations in the country. Hispanics are now the largest racial or ethnic group in California and Texas and surpasses 1 million in 11 other states. The month-long celebration of Hispanic culture began in 1968 when Congress started Hispanic Heritage Week and then expanded to a month in 1988. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, MassLive will highlight emerging Hispanic and Latino leaders across the state. The celebration begins in mid-September because it coincides with national independence days in many Latin American countries, such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, on Sept. 15. Mexico celebrates its independence on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18 and Belize on Sept. 21. In the United States, the terms Hispanic and Latino are often used interchangeably, but the words carry different meanings. Hispanic refers to people from Spanish-speaking Latin American countries as well as people from the Caribbean or from Spain itself. Latino, on the other hand, refers to people born in or with ancestors from Latin America and does not include people from Spain. Latin America stretches from northern Mexico to the end of the South American continent. Read more: Holyoke honors National Hispanic Heritage Month For example, a Brazilian could be Latino and non-Hispanic, a Spaniard could be Hispanic and non-Latino, and a Colombian may use both identities. Hispanic Heritage Month honors people identifying with Hispanic as well as Latino identities. The Hispanic population makes up a significant part of the Springfield population. In 2020, nearly 46% of the population was Hispanic. Holyoke has the largest population of Puerto Ricans in the United States, per capita, with nearly 53% of all residents, according to the U.S. Census. Springfield will celebrate Puerto Rican pride on Sept. 17 during the 33rd annual Puerto Rican Parade. This years theme will center around the idea nunca olvides tus raices, which means never forget your roots. More information on the Puerto Rican Parade can be found at https://www.springfieldprparade.com/. The migrant housing crisis in Massachusetts has evoked a governors emergency declaration and national headlines. Last Monday, this controversial issue landed in Longmeadow, as rumors spread that Bay Path University was being evaluated as a site to house migrants. Rapidly, a great deal of misinformation and sensationalism gripped the town via mass texting and social media posts. The ensuing anti-migrant sentiment and baseless criticism of Bay Path University was chilling to witness. I have been a nine-year veteran, and past chairperson, of the Longmeadow Finance Committee. I am also a trustee of Bay Path University. On Monday, Sept. 11, a half dozen friends forwarded me widely shared texts claiming Bay Path University had agreed to house hundreds of migrants and had been intentionally keeping this secret from the public. It was stated that migrant children would be enrolled in Longmeadow schools. These claims were also spread on townwide Facebook pages, prompting an uproar and a great deal of opposition. All of these claims were false. Here are the facts. Gov. Maura Healey has asked colleges in Massachusetts to consider the possibility of housing migrants. Migrants are already being lodged at both Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, and Salem State University. Sandra Doran, Bay Paths president, attended an informational meeting with representatives from the governors office to learn more. She learned this was a request to provide temporary, emergency housing of no more than 30 days for up to 156 parents (or single mothers) and their children, primarily from Haiti. Because of the limited duration of stay, the children would not be enrolled in Longmeadow schools. The migrants would occupy an unused dorm on campus and state funding would cover all expenses, including food service brought on site, staff to clean and manage the building, social services, health care, and transportation. Migrants housed would have no access to any other campus building. This information was shared with the Bay Path Board of Trustees by email on Sept. 8, and an evening meeting on Sept. 11 was scheduled to discuss it. As someone who has dedicated years to closely watching Longmeadows finances and advocating for fiscal restraint, I was pleased to know housing migrants would not burden our schools. As a believer in Bay Paths mission to educate and empower women, I saw a potential opportunity to not only help mothers and children fleeing political and economic oppression, but also a chance to involve our students in unique educational opportunities. Service-minded Bay Path students pursuing degrees in education, healthcare, or teaching English as a second language could have a unique chance to learn skills and help a cohort of desperately needy families. At the same time I planned to ask rigorous questions to assess any impact housing families might have on Longmeadow. Would the police department have extra duties or would Bay Path security officers shoulder responsibility for the needs of these temporary guests? Even possibilities as mundane as would migrant children use the playground at Bliss Park? crossed my mind. I was looking forward to having a robust board discussion and hearing what other trustees thought about the matter. Unfortunately, this conversation never had a chance to materialize in a meaningful way, at Bay Path or in Longmeadow. By the time of our scheduled meeting, strong public opposition to migrants, fueled by misinformation that stoked fear, became clear. In less than 24 hours, the topic had become so controversial that the board felt to pursue it further would be a disservice to our students and unwanted distraction from our primary goal of educating young leaders. The irony of living in a liberal state led by Democrats that advocate for migrant rights on a national level was not lost on anyone. It is popular to criticize states along our southern border for their handling of the migrant influx, and to criticize their efforts to secure that border, but when this crisis touches us, and the smallest hint of sacrifice to our community causes us to recoil, it reveals our true values and beliefs. I do not consider myself any more or less altruistic than my fellow townspeople. If bringing a few dozen migrant children to Longmeadow would have burdened our schools and strained our perpetually tight fiscal budget I would not have been as open to this proposal. I do not know if continuing discussions with the state would have ultimately led Bay Path to consider housing migrants (the states roll out of this program has been criticized), but I do know that no decision would have been made without frank and open conversation with the Bay Path community and town of Longmeadow. In my five years as a Bay Path trustee, I have seen that the board always carefully considers the impact of any decision on the Longmeadow community. This care stems from the fact that most of us live in Longmeadow and believe the interests of the university and town are aligned. Bay Path benefits when Longmeadow prospers, and Longmeadow benefits from having an outstanding and highly regarded womens university in town. Bay Path is one of the largest employers in Longmeadow and many professors and administrators are our neighbors and friends. Whereas sensational, viral messaging may have scuttled this discussion of migrant housing before it could even occur, I am hopeful the next time a controversial issue grips our community we will work hard to discern truth in what we see online and communicate with one another, and that our first instinct may always be to give our town leaders, valued institutions, and one another, an ounce of grace and the benefit of the doubt until facts become clear. Andrew Lam, M.D., is a surgeon, author, past chair of the Longmeadow Finance Committee, and trustee of Bay Path University. A Fall River man convicted of robbing four banks within five days, and attempting to rob a fifth, was sentenced to serve four and a half years in federal prison, officials announced Friday. William Sequeira, 60, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, according to the office of U.S. District Attorney Joshua Levy. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris sentenced Sequeria to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release, Levys office said. Flu season is coming fast and with it comes the decision to get a flu vaccine. Meanwhile, COVID-19 is still a threat and vaccines are available. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccines prevent around 4 to 5 million deaths per year. Diseases such as polio, tetanus, measles and chicken pox have all been reduced because of vaccines. In fact, smallpox has even been eradicated completely, with no natural cases since 1977. However, a recent study by WalletHub found that some states in the country are better than others about getting vaccinated. And Georgia is a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates, as it is ranked as the fourth least vaccinated state in the U.S. The studys findings The study, called 2023s States that Vaccinate the Most, analyzed all 50 states and the Washington D.C., specifically looking at three key dimensions: children & teenagers immunization rates adult & elderly vaccination Rates immunization uptake disparities & influencing factors Within those three dimensions, the study also studied factors such as flu vaccine rates, share of teens with certain vaccines, vaccinations required by schools and people without health insurance. Each state was then given a score on a 100 point scale in each of the three categories, with 100 being the best vaccinated. Then each score was averaged and ranked. How Georgia scored Georgia received an overall score of 40 out of 100. Heres a breakdown of the three categories: children & teenagers immunization rates: 45 adult & elderly vaccination rates: 46 immunization uptake disparities & influencing factors: 43 The study also revealed that Georgia has one of the highest rates of population without health insurance. It was ranked 49th. In comparison, heres how other Southern states ranked: South Carolina wasnt too far ahead, with a score of 48. Florida is just below South Carolina, with a score of 44. Louisiana received an overall score of 42.93. Alabama got a score of 42.85 out of 100. And in dead last place, with the lowest vaccination rate in the country, is Mississippi with a score of 18. Story continues What the experts say about vaccines So, why is it that some states are less vaccinated than others? Experts say it could be any number of things: insurance, education and even the medias opinions. In the U.S., media plays a tremendous role in shaping the culture and behaviors of our society. One way to frame the medias role is in the context of cognitive bias theories such as negativity bias, said Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel, assistant provost at Thomas Jefferson University. Here are some tips from other experts when considering vaccinations: Get educated. According to Thomas Feeley from the University of Buffalo: One of the challenges is education and communicating what a vaccine does (and does not do) and why it only works if we, as a community, or herd, all participate. It is not just for me; it is for my family, friends, and people surrounding me. Talk to your doctor. A strong, unequivocal recommendation from a physician to get vaccinated is one of the strongest predictors of whether an individual gets vaccinated. Physicians who regularly engage with the community outside of the clinic are more likely to have these opportunities to discuss vaccines, said Abram L. Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology and global public health at the University of Michigan. How do you feel about this studys findings? Comment below or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com (*This developing story will be updated.) Gov. Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency and is activating the National Guard in preparation for Hurricane Lee, a category 1 storm that is expected to bring flooding and fierce winds in parts of southern New England over the weekend. On Saturday by 7 a.m., up to 50 National Guard members will be utilizing specialized high-water vehicles -- in response to requests from at least 10 towns -- to navigate floodwaters. Our hope is that they are not needed, but the important news is that they will be in place, Healey said. The Democratic governor also has asked the federal government to issue a Pre-Disaster Emergency Declaration, which would make the commonwealth eligible for federal assistance for response costs, including equipment, supplies and evacuation assistance. The state of emergency, puts us in the best possible position to be able to respond in the ways that we need, Healey said during a press conference at the State House on Friday afternoon. The states emergency management agency has been preparing for this storm since last Sunday, according to Dawn Brantley, the director of MEMA. When a storm like hurricane Lee is headed toward the Commonwealth. We start preparing and planning well ahead of landfall, she said. After coordinating calls with several other organizations including the National Hurricane Center, The National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, MEMA has developed a checklist with over 180 actions and critical decisions in preparation for the worst to come. While we dont always need to take all of the actions when peoples safety could be at risk, we always hope for the best outcome, but we prepare for the worst case, Brantley continued. Hurricane Lee is expected to hit parts of the southern New England coastline by late Friday, with peak storm surges coming on Saturday morning, forecasters said. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Massachusetts coastline, including the Cape and Islands. While Massachusetts isnt projected to be directly hit by Lee, Cape Cod and the Islands will bear the brunt of the storm, facing wind speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, and the possibility of water levels rising by as much as four feet. The greatest coastal flooding is expected to hit the bayside of Cape Cod and Nantucket near early morning high tide on Saturday. Residents should expect to see up to three inches of rain Friday night and into Saturday. The gusty winds are expected to knock down knock down trees and limbs, which may lead to power outages, the governor said. She also warned residents to avoid fallen powerlines as they are a safety hazard. Were grateful for the extensive efforts of public safety officials who are responding to emergencies to keep people safe, Healey said. All of us can do our part to help our friends and neighbors and we encourage every Massachusetts resident to make sure they are prepared for this storm. This is of course, related to climate change and all thats happened with our, with our, with our planet. Meanwhile as your government, we need to be prepared to deal with the acute in the day-to-day and thats what today is all about, Healey said. We hope that everybody is safe out there again, um, particularly, uh, hope that the things go as well as they can on the Cape and islands and along our coast, we will be watching. Cannabis Control Commission Chairperson Shannon OBrien has been suspended from her position by Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who chose her for the job a year ago, as upheaval continues to collide with the oversight panels hefty regulatory and policy responsibilities. Goldbergs office did not say why the treasurer put the OBrien on a paid suspension on Thursday, a move that the Boston Globe reported earlier Friday afternoon. Nor did the treasurers office say whether the intention is to ultimately remove her from the CCC. A commission spokesperson would not confirm the Globes report, and said any questions about OBriens status with the oversight panel should be directed to the treasurers office. A letter that Assistant Treasurer and Chief of Human Resources Swee Lin Wong sent to OBrien by email Thursday said she was being suspended with pay, effective immediately. During your suspension, you may not return to any of the Commissions offices or conduct any work on behalf of the Commission, the letter reads. You will need to return all Commission property, including laptop, cell phone, keys, ID badge, and any Commission documents or files that you may have in your possession, as soon as possible. OBrien, who did not immediately respond to an email from State House News Service on Friday, did not participate in Thursdays CCC meeting. Commissioner Kimberly Roy said at the start of the meeting that she was designated as chair today and I will have no further comment pertaining to that. The state law that dictates how appointments to the CCC are made includes a section giving a treasurer (as well as a governor and attorney general) the ability to remove a commissioner they appointed if the commissioner is guilty of malfeasance in office; substantially neglects the duties of a commissioner; is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office; commits gross misconduct; or is convicted of a felony. The commissioner shall be provided with a written statement of the reason for removal and an opportunity to be heard before removal, the law says. It does not appear to speak directly to the suspension of a commissioner. It was a bumpy one year as chair of the CCC for OBrien, a Democrat who served as state treasurer from 1999 until 2003. The CCC wrestled with thorny and awkward issues surrounding OBrien and her one-time ownership stake in a cultivation company that had an application before the CCC. She was later cleared of any wrongdoing. And in July, OBrien caught commissioners and staff off guard when she announced that Shawn Collins, the only executive director the CCC has had in its six-year history, was planning to step down at the end of the year and that he wanted to take family leave before then. She said the situation put the CCC in crisis as it approached the finish line for its latest rewrite of cannabis industry regulations. The chairwoman later apologized for any angst or confusion she caused with her announcement. Collins publicly pushed back against the assertion that the CCC was in crisis and denied that he had any set plan to leave at the end of the year. OBrien served six years in the Massachusetts House and two years in the Massachusetts Senate in the late 1980s and 1990s. She was the state Democratic Partys nominee for governor in 2002 in the election against Republican Mitt Romney. After leaving politics, OBrien worked at Boston TV station WB-56, and then served three years as CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater Boston. S he was appointed by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to serve as chair of the Pension Reform Commission from 2008 to 2010. Shes also worked with health care, clean energy, financial services and telecommunications companies through her OBrien Advisory Group. Goldberg picked OBrien for the CCC chair position in late August 2022. She followed interim Chairperson Sarah Kim and inaugural CCC Chairperson Steven Hoffman. The treasurer is responsible for appointing someone with a financial background to chair the marijuana industry regulatory body. When it comes to hurricanes, New England cant compete with Florida or the Caribbean. But scientists said Friday that the arrival of storms like Hurricane Lee this weekend could become more common in the region as the planet warms, including in places such as the Gulf of Maine. One recent study found climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach more often into mid-latitude regions, which includes New York, Boston and even Beijing. Factors in this, the study found, are the warmer sea surface temperatures in these regions and the shifting and weakening of the jet streams strong bands of air currents that encircle the planet in both hemispheres. These jet stream changes combined with the warmer ocean temperatures are making the mid latitude more favorable to hurricanes, Joshua Studholme, a Yale University physicist and l ead author on the study. Ultimately meaning that these regions are likely to see more storm formation, intensification and persistence. Another study simulated tropical cyclone tracks from pre-industrial times, modern times and a future with higher emissions. It found that hurricanes will move north and east in the Atlantic. It also found hurricanes would track closer to the coasts including Boston, New York and Norfolk, Virginia and more likely to form along the Southeast coast, giving New Englanders less time to prepare. We also found that hurricanes are more likely to move most slowly when theyre traveling along the U.S. East Coast, which causes their impacts to last longer and increase that duration of dealing with winds and storm surge, things like that. And that was, again, for cities that included New York City and Boston, said Andra Garner, lead study author and an assistant professor of environmental science at Rowan University. Kerry Emanuel, a professor emeritus of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has long studied the physics of hurricanes, said parts of Maine will see more frequent hurricanes and heavier rains with each storm. We expect to see more hurricanes than weve seen in the last few decades. They should produce more rain and more wind, said Emanuel, who now lives in Maine. We certainly have seen up here an increase in the destructiveness of winter storms which is a very different beast. I would say the bulk of the evidence, the weight of the evidence is that well see more rain and more wind from these storms. One reason for the trend is the regions warming waters. The Gulf of Maine, for example, is warming faster than the vast majority of the worlds oceans. In 2022, the Gulf recorded the second-warmest year on record, beating the old record by less than half a degree Fahrenheit. The average sea surface temperature was 53.66 degrees (12 degrees Celsius), more than 3.7 degrees above the 40-year average, scientists said. Certainly, when we think about storms forming and traveling at more northern latitudes, sea surface temperature comes into play a lot because hurricanes need those really warm ocean waters to fuel them, Garner said. And if those warm ocean waters exist at higher latitudes than they used to, it makes it more possible for storms to move in those areas. Lee remained a hurricane with 80 mph (128 kph) winds at 2 p.m. EDT Friday as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells, strong winds and rain. Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40 mph (64 kph) across an area spanning more than 400 miles (643 kilometers) ahead of landfall Saturday afternoon. While hurricanes and tropical storms are uncommon in New England, the region has been seen its share of violent weather events. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts Blue Hill Observatory. Hurricanes Carol and Edna hit the region 11 days apart in 1954 and Hurricane Bob decimated Block Island in 1991. Superstorm Sandy in 2012 caused damage across more than a dozen states and wreaked havoc in the Northeast when it made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tropical Storm Irene killed six people in Vermont in August 2011, washing homes off their foundations and damaging or destroying more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of highway. Experts warn that policy makers need to take projections of increased hurricane activity seriously and start upgrading their dams, roadways and neighborhoods for these future storms. We definitely in our coastal communities need to be thinking about how can we make our shorelines more resilient, Garner said. Do we need to change ... where those flood zones are located, kind of thinking about how to perhaps protect the shorelines and think about solutions for that and adaptation kinds of things? she said, adding that policy makers can also implement measures to keep emissions down so the worst of effects of climate change dont materialize. During the pandemic, more Americans died of COVID-19 (1 million-plus) than died in the Civil War (620,000), than died in World War I (116,516), than died in World War II (405,399), than died in Korea (36,516), than died in Vietnam (58,209). Yet, the loss of a million lives from COVID-19 appears lost in our national consciousness. In 2012, in Benghazi, Libya, four Americans, including the American ambassador, were killed during an attack on an American compound. WESTFIELD Westfield Technical Academy media students are getting a jump start into future broadcasting careers thanks to the Massachusetts Broadcasting Association, which has selected the school as its High School Radio Project station. Steven Forni, broadcast media instructor, said WTA will now be only one of two high schools in the country involved in this kind of project. The new station will be called WTA Radio. Le gouvernement a pris note le 15 septembre 2023 que le National Cooperative Export Limited de lInde va exporter 14,000 tonnes metriques de National Cooperative Export Limited. Riz ration a travers le State Trading Corporation. Cabinet has taken note that the Government of India issued a Notification to allow the exportation of 14,000 MT of Long Grain White Rice to Mauritius through the National Cooperative Export Limited. Additionally, in order to ensure continuity of supply on the market, 1,000 MT of Long Grain Parboiled Rice has been procured by the State Trading Corporation and the consignment was expected to reach Mauritius by end September 2023. The State Trading Corporation has also awarded an additional contract of 1,000 MT Long Grain Parboiled Rice. The African Development Bank has reiterated its support to Africas tourism sector, seen as one of the continents fastest growing areas. Speaking at the 66th Tourism Conference organized by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Mauritius in July 2023, Leila Mokaddem, Director General for the Southern Africa Regional Integration and Business Delivery Hub, said the Bank would prioritise support for member countries to develop their tourism industry and other pathways to sustainable, climate-smart local economic development. The conference, hosted by the Mauritius government, was held under the theme Rethinking Tourism for Africa: Promoting Investment and Partnerships; Addressing Global Challenges . Tourism is one of the fastest growing and most interconnected sectors in the global economy with vast potential to boost GDP and investment, spur regional integration. Mauritius is a success story in that regard, Mokaddem said. The conference brought together African tourism ministers and key tourism stakeholders from the sector to discuss the development of tourism in Africa. The annual gathering offers a platform where both public and private sector industry partners come together to exchange ideas. The conference explored innovative ways to promote investment, partnerships and sustainable growth in the African tourism sector. The Bank has identified the tourism sector as a priority sector in its strategy to accelerate Africas industrialization and green growth. In this regard, it is working in close cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the specialized agency in charge of promoting tourism with a network from its membership of 158 countries. The Bank and UNWTO have agreed to strengthen their cooperation and to establish a working arrangement through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, African Union Agenda 2063 and Rio+20 development goals and objectives. This aligns with the Banks 2013-2022 Strategy and its High 5 priorities to industrialize Africa and to improve the quality of life of Africans, through creating enabling conditions for decent jobs for youth. Both parties agree that joint efforts will boost the tourism sector and help fill the gaps in the areas of advocacy, policy and analytical advice. Le gouvernement va signer un emprunt avec le Saudi Fund for Development afin de financer en partie le barrage de la Riviere des Anguilles, qui va inclure une station de traitement deau potable et une station hydroelectrique. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a loan agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development to part-finance the construction of the Riviere des Anguilles Dam with a storage capacity of 12.5 Mm3. The project would also comprise a Water Treatment Plant of capacity 50,000 m3/day and a Mini-Hydro Power Plant. At Ginza Motors, Members Business Network (Mauritius) launches the 3rd edition of Peoples Choice Awards. Two years ago, Mrs. Denise Pitot, owner and founder of MBN (Mauritius) established the Peoples Choice Awards with the vision to boost business confidence on the island following the COVID-19. Peoples Choice Awards is a free competition open to all local businesses where the people are encouraged to let their voice be heard loud and clear about their favourite small, medium or big businesses. Last year, for the second edition of Peoples Choice Awards, we had garnered about 2000 nominations of businesses on the island across 68 categories and this number is growing. In the words of Master Networker Denise, Its a simple, free, and great marketing campaign to spread positive vibes and to gain visibility. How PCA has impacted its participants? Whether they be small, medium or big, through People Choice Awards, we let all nominated and winning businesses on the island know that they are seen and valued. Indeed, it is our way to tell the entrepreneurs and their teams who dare to make their dream a reality, who take pride in their work and who keep on learning and growing, that we support them and we wish them to thrive. Its indeed a great privilege for me to receive this particular award from you. I am very much thankful to you for honouring me for excelling in the responsibility that is being given to me. I will keep my enthusiasm up in my future work as well, said a winner of PCA2022. Another winner said: It was an immense pleasure and honour for achieving the prestigious award under the Artist category. This made me, my family, clients, and the inhabitants of my village be so proud. My village is starting to shine with the award I won. In view of similar testimonies, we believe that it is important to recognise and thank they who are lifting our beloved quadricolour banner high by the fruits of their hands via this competition. The Peoples Choice Awards voting period The Peoples Choice Awards voting period is now open as from the 15th of September to the 31st of October 2023. The people of Mauritius are called to vote for their choices on the website: www.peopleschoice.mu. The Coca-Cola system has committed $1.4 million to relief efforts in Morocco following the recent earthquake. The Coca-Cola Foundation has also donated $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and $200,000 from a previously approved grant to CARE was deployed to support relief efforts in the affected regions. Along with its local bottling partners, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) Morocco and The Societe des Boissons Gazeuses du Souss (SBGS), Coca-Cola remains steadfast in its commitment to support the people and communities during these difficult times. The joint actions include the following: A direct cash donation to the special earthquake relief account at the Morocco Treasury and Bank Al Maghrib. In-kind donations to be made to several entities, including the Mohamed V Foundation, local authorities, and NGOs, which are providing assistance to those affected by the earthquake. These donations include beverages and essential supplies. In addition, and to safeguard the welfare of our system employees and their families, we have facilitated access to resources for our impacted employees in these challenging times. Our thoughts are with the people who have been impacted by this tragic event. The Coca-Cola Foundation is working with both the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and CARE to support relief efforts by delivering essential supplies such as food, water, sanitation and hygiene materials, said Saadia Madsbjerg, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. We extend our sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and those whose homes were damaged, said Luisa Ortega, president of Coca-Cola Africa operating unit. As the nation begins to navigate the path to recovery, we stand committed to supporting the resilient communities who are bravely facing this tragedy. In these trying times, we find strength in unity and resilience. As part of the Coca-Cola system, we extend our support to our valued customers, consumers, retailers, wholesalers, and our dedicated team members. Together, we are more than a business; we are an integral part of the community. We are committed to doing everything within our power and going above and beyond to ease the suffering. Our hearts are with those affected, and we stand together to rebuild and recover, Alfonso Bosch, ECCBC CEO. We are praying for our communities, and we stand in full support during this challenging time. Serving our local communities is at the heart of what we do at the Coca-Cola system, and, in this time of great need, we are committed to working with relief organizations and our partners to support their immediate needs during recovery as well as the longer-term rebuilding efforts in the weeks and months ahead, Hassan Amsrouy Belhassan, SBGS, CEO. True to its purpose of making a difference, the Coca-Cola system will continue to work with local partners to provide relief and assistance to those who need it most. We stand together with our employees, retailers, restaurants, small businesses, and communities. A man is suing the Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. (PA Archive) A man in Australia has sued a hospital for $1 billion for letting him watch his wifes caesarean section. Anil Koppula says that seeing his wifes C-section in January 2018 triggered a psychotic illness that was responsible for the breakdown of his marriage. He would, thus, like the Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne to pay him for the damages. The document submitted to the court explains: Mr Koppula alleges that he was encouraged, or permitted, to observe the delivery, that in the course of doing so, he saw his wifes internal organs and blood He says that the Hospital breached a duty of care it owed to him and is liable to pay him damages. Mr Hoppula will be representing himself in the case against the hospital. As for the hospital, it says it hasnt breached a duty of care and Mr Koppula didnt suffer any injury because of the C-section experience while he was at the hospital. It has, thus, asked the court proceedings to be discontinued. Caesarean sections, also known as C-sections, are performed when vaginal delivery is difficult, dangerous, or not preferred for other personal reasons. For instance, if the mother is pregnant with multiple babies, their baby is in the wrong position, or the baby is too big for vaginal birth, doctors will opt for C-sections. During the procedure, the mother is either given a numbing injection in her spine or put under general anaesthesia, before the doctor cuts into the abdomen and the uterus to get to the amniotic sac and remove the baby. The next steps are the umbilical cord and the placenta being cut, and the mothers uterus and abdomen being sewn. Very often, women are allowed to have their partner or family members in the room with them as they have their C-section, so that they can witness the birth of the new family member and support the mother through the procedure. However, they will often be warned to be careful about how they behave during the procedure so that they dont disrupt the doctors or put the mother or babys health at risk. Childhood cancer charities will be supported at the launch of a new 10-track album 'Chongie Road' by local Achill musician, Sean Lynch at the Wavecrest Hotel, Dooagh on Saturday, September 23. This unforgettable evening promises an exhilarating fusion of music, community and charity as local and visiting talent come together to support a major charity fundraising drive. The event will be an immersive musical experience, featuring captivating live performances by local Uileann Piper, Sean Lynch and special guests as well as some of Achill's most talented musicians including The Achill Lads, Brid McLoughlin and Aoife Fadian. Guests can expect a night filled with foot-tapping tunes, ballads and an atmosphere that celebrates the vibrant musical culture of the island. Doors open at 7.30pm for Ireland's big rugby match against South Africa on the big screen with the concert beginning directly afterwards. Tickets for the launch can be purchased in outlets across Achill for 10 and a limited number will be available on the door. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and it serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by young cancer patients and their families. The event will also mark the launch of a major fundraising initiative that aims to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children with cancer and their caregivers by supporting three worthy charitable causes - St John's Ward, Crumlin, Aoibheann's Pink Tie and local charity, Gearoid's Smile. To contribute to this cause and be in with a chance of winning the top prize of a trip for two to New York including flights and four-star accommodation as well as other great prizes please visit the online fundraising page at www.idonate.ie/raffle/ childhoodcancerfundraiser. Your generosity can make a world of difference. Tickets for this raffle, which will take place this December, start at 10 each. Ballina is awash with excitement as crowds gather to welcome 190 super cars into the town when Cannonball comes to Moyside at 6pm this evening. The event attracts over 200,000 spectators nationally every year and large crowds are expected in Ballina this evening as the super cars return to mark the town's 300th birthday celebrations. Cannonball is the largest organised road trip in Europe featuring the finest cars on the planet from the awe-inspiring power of Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren to the grace and elegance of Porsche, Aston Martin, and Maserati. The finish line this evening will be at the Quay in Ballina and the cars will be arriving in at 6pm. Tomorrow morning at 10.30am, the cars depart Ballina for stage two of the event and head towards Salthill in Galway for lunch. They will then travel to Limerick for their second overnight stay. On Sunday, the supercars will leave Limerick City at 10.30am towards Cork for lunch at Fota Island Resort before a big dramatic final finish line in Kilkenny City at 6pm. This year the official charity of Cannonball is The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation - an Irish childrens charity that funds and delivers in-home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children from birth to six years of age who have highly complex and life-limiting medical conditions. There are currently over 400 children under the care of Jack and Jill right across the country and the charitys mission is to empower parents to care for their child at home, because there is no care like home care for a Jack and Jill child. Cannonball was founded by Kildare businessman Alan Bannon and the benefit to the host towns for this event is estimated at 2,567,000 per year. Both Ballina and Enniscrone will benefit this year from the Cannonball overnight stay. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 14, 2023 U.S. local advertising is forecast to grow 4.4% to $157.1 billion in 2024, according to data released Friday from Borrell Associates. The forecast also estimates all 2024 U.S. media digital advertising formats to grow 6.0% -- lower than the projected 7.1% in 2023, with paid-search listings estimated to rise 8%. Media growth for the year includes: Digital video - 9.3% Audio - 7.7% Local broadcast TV - 9% Out-of-home - 3.4% Direct mail - 1.7% Cinema - 2% Non-digital advertising formats are forecast to grow 0.4%, after a decline of 4.9% this year. "There is somewhat of a comeback for traditional forms of media, keyed to a very interesting phenomenon of local businesses becoming more savvy in marketing," Gordon Borrell, founder of Borrell Associates, wrote in an email to Media Daily News. He added that the company has been analyzing this for several years. advertisement advertisement The more savvy the marketer, Borell said, the more inclined they are to use direct mail, TV, radio, outdoor, and newspapers. Although more interest may be tracked in traditional media, it has still endured a decline, although slower than in previous years. Some traditional forms of media that are experiencing declines include newspapers, cable, and radio. Borrell forecasts a 4% decline in print-newspaper advertising in 2024 compared with 7.8% this year. The decline in cable advertising is projected to slow to 3.2% next year compared with 5.6% this year. In radio advertising, the decline is forecast to slow 2.3% in 2024 compared with 2.8% this year. In August, Borrells quarterly SMB Business Barometer showed panelists pessimism about the economy had fallen to a level not seen since 2018, two years before the pandemic. About 13% of Borrells August panel -- the lowest in five years -- said they would cut ad spending in the last half of the year. Long term, Borrell forecasts that traditional forms of media will continue to decline, but at roughly half the rate they experienced in the past four years. Since 2019, the average annual decline for traditional media advertising was 4.5%. During the next four years, Borrell forecasts average annual declines of 2.3%. Growth in spending for digital advertising is forecast to slow, from an average annual rate of 8.3% between 2019 and 2023 to 4.4% growth from 2024 to 2027. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, September 15, 2023 When I sat down with Zenith Media chief Lauren Hanrahan earlier this week we discussed a wide range of issues impacting media planning and buying, some of which may be part of future columns, but her response to an explicit question begins with this one: "What is the next most disruptive thing that will impact media planning and buying?," I asked. "The strike," she replied. What the ultimate impact might be, Hanrahan couldn't say, but she said it likely will not just be a short-term shift in the underlying value of linear TV viewing -- and perhaps more importantly, reach -- but probably will be part of a more fundamental longer-term shift. Coming on the heels of other shifts contributing to linear TV disruption -- the shift of viewing to OTT, CTV and subscription streaming services, as well as related TV cord-cutting, the emergence of ad-supported streaming models and the explosion of free, ad-supported video-on-demand services -- the Hollywood writers' and actors' strike could be, well, linear TV reach's last one. advertisement advertisement I was planning to write about Hanrahan's observations anyway, but then I received a copy of some very topical new consumer research from Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer of radio giant Cumulus Media | Westwood One, so I'm breaking that news today. Keep in mind that the research -- a study of 1,003 U.S. adults conducted by MARU/Matchbox August 25-28 -- is 100% self-reported, so it is impossible to know how it correlates with any actual changes in consumer media usage, but the top line finding doesn't bode well for television reach this fall. Asked whether they planned to increase, decrease or keep their TV viewing the same this fall, a net 27% of linear TV viewers who said they were aware of the strike plan to watch less TV as a result of it. Among heavy TV viewers -- the ones accounting for the lion's share of television's audience impressions -- a net 22% said they plan to watch less linear TV this fall because of the strike. "Do I think it's going to be 22%? No, but I think it's going to be a couple of percentage points of [households using television] or [persons using television] possibly," Bouvard said when I asked him how the self-reported data might correlate with actual shifts in viewing behavior. In other words, the Hollywood strike is likely to exacerbate a shift that has already been underway, and the only questions are: Will linear TV reach ever bounce back, and if not, where is it going to? Not so coincidentally, Bouvard asked Americans that question too. And while those responses also are self-reported -- and not necessarily predictive of actual shifts in media usage -- the biggest beneficiaries in terms of time spent doing other things will be streaming services (92% citing), podcasts/radio (68%), time with friends and family (56%), theatrical movies (48%) or spending more time outdoors (44%). Needless to say, I asked Bouvard why he didn't ask Americans how it might impact their use of other media -- other forms of digital and analog content, etc. -- and he said it was because he wanted to focus on what the most likely impact of TV viewing displacement would be. "This is mostly a video discussion," he explained. "It's about what people are going to do when they sit down on their couch and flip through channels this fall." The digital age has changed our lives in more ways than one. For many, the advent of improved digital technology improved their quality of life, often in a myriad ways. While for others, it brought novel challenges; especially since the humble mobile phone evolved into a pocket-supercomputer more powerful than the technology that first sent people to the moon. Always on the lookout for such stories, I reached out to some folks in a bid to explore their relationship with their pocket devices. Since there are more mobile phone owners now than ever before, I wanted to understand what these tiny little computers have been doing to us, subconsciously. via GIFER After speaking with a few people, a common thread arose:Smartphone addiction. Especially one thats fueled by the dreaded feeling of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). The more I thought about it, the more I realized that its an experience that strikes a chord with nearly everyone who owns a smartphone, including me, and it's reshaping the way we live, work, and connect. But what exactly is FOMO, and how does it contribute to the burgeoning issue of phone addiction? FOMO in the Digital Age via GIFER To put it simply, smartphone-induced FOMO manifests in various ways: from the anxiety of missing out on a trending event to the fear of not staying in the loop about breaking news. So what do we do? We internalize the irresistible urge to check our smartphones every few minutes. But this incessant checking isn't just about wanting to be where the action is; it's about the unease of being left behind. For me, its gone on to become a tick of sorts, where I find myself pulling out my mobile phone every few minutes if not seconds. While Id like to believe that Im just being diligent at my job i.e staying on top of messages and alert, I know theres more at play here. Moreover, at times I feel like my phones buzzing, even when it isn't. Apparently, Phantom Buzz is what the scientific community has dubbed this eerie phenomenon. via GIFER A study on the phantom buzz concluded that it brings to light high levels of stress and problematic smartphone use among medical students during the internship. Well that makes sense. Besides myself, of the people Ive met over the last week, a majority would relate to this explanation. How bad can it get? via GIPHY So clearly, these technological wonders arent all rainbows and butterflies. There are certain ramifications to our nigh-obsessive usage of these devices. With smartphones in our pockets and social media at our fingertips, were flooded with a constant influx of information and social interactions. And this never-ending stream of content, and our chronic FOMO keeps us tethered to a world that unfolds far away from our tangibly real world: the intangible virtual realm. Dr. Julie M. Albright, a Digital Sociologist at the University of Southern California, recently likened phone addiction to hard drugs in her article Phone addiction is worse than smoking or cocaine. Explaining the rationale behind such a radical and controversial opinion, she says, While the severe health risks of smoking and cocaine use are well-documented, phone addiction particularly among teens is an emerging crisis with wide-ranging consequences that may prove to be even more detrimental yet its often unseen. She adds, The constant connectivity facilitated by smartphones has ushered in a new era of compulsive behavior that mirrors the psychological patterns observed in substance addiction. via GIPHY While everyone is vulnerable to mobile phone addiction, teenagers are most at risk. Dr. Albright explains, Teens, whose brains are still developing, are especially vulnerable to this form of addiction, she continues, According to Pew Research, teenagers are now online almost constantly, a trend that correlates with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders among this age group. via GIPHY The effects of cocaine and smoking are evident, but that of mobile phone addiction? Well, theyre far more subtle, especially if youre not paying attention. Unlike the more overt physical damage caused by smoking and cocaine, the harms of phone addiction are insidious, infiltrating mental health, disrupting sleep, encouraging sedentary lifestyles, and eroding the quality of face-to-face human interactions, expounds Albright. via GIPHY According to her, as this generation of digitally-immersed adolescents matures, we must grapple with the prospect that the societal toll of phone addiction could surpass the grim legacies of smoking and cocaine use. Real People, Real Impact via GIPHY Amits a 41-year-old workaholic frome Pune, who likes to unwind by spending quality time with his 5 year-old daughter. But, hes been struggling to focus on the quality aspect of that activity. While hes physically present with his family, his attention is usually elsewhere; encumbered by thoughts of work updates on his phone. "Work emails and messages are like my lifeline. I'm scared to miss something important, so my phone is always in my hand says the aggrieved father. He adds, It's begun affecting my health, and I just can't seem to relax anymore, even around my loved ones. via GIPHY As a successful entrepreneur, Amit built his empire through dedication and relentless effort. Which meant that more often than not, work emails and messages had to become his lifeline. The fear of missing something important, whether it was a crucial client request or a business opportunity, compelled his phone to be in hand at all times. Similarly, Ananya, a 19-year-old artist from Hyderabad also struggles to give her mobile phone a moments rest. "I used to create art effortlessly, but now I'm always swiping through reels mindlessly, says the harrowed creative. via GIPHY She adds, Initially, I used my phone and social media for inspiration. But now, I can't focus on my own creativity anymore; it's suffocating." What do we do? via GIPHY Even though there's mounting evidence of the negative impact of phone addiction and FOMO on mental and physical well-being, the response of policymakers has been rather subdued, especially when compared to the health campaigns against drug abuse and smoking. It's crucial to raise awareness about the true impact of phone addiction to the masses. Tech companies also need to be held accountable by policymakers, so that they can incorporate responsible design, and develop resources to help individuals manage their screen time more effectively. As our world becomes increasingly digital, addressing phone addiction as a significant public health issue is imperative, demanding action that matches the scale and depth of the problem. As we move forward, it's essential to help people understand the full spectrum of phone addiction's impact. This isn't just an issue for parents, educators, or health professionals; it's a societal issue that requires acknowledgment and urgent, substantive action. NRI Institute Launched NRI Business Forum - Students Federation Conclave in Association with The Commonwealth and Uganda HighCommission,UK London [UK] Published : September 14, 2023 The NRI Institute proudly celebrated its 34th year of successful operations by launching a groundbreaking initiative, the NRI Business Forum - Students Federation Conclave, in collaboration with The Commonwealth, commemorating the 50th year of The Commonwealth's youth program and in partnership with the Uganda High Commission, United Kingdom. This historic event took place at the iconic Marlborough House, the headquarters of The Commonwealth, in London, United Kingdom. Distinguished speakers at the NRI Business Forum - Students Federation Conclave included Her Excellency Nimisha Madhvani, High Commissioner of Uganda to the UK; Lord Swraj Paul; Lord Karan Bilimoria; Rt. Hon. Thomas Tabewya, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Republic of Uganda; Arjoon Sudhoo, Deputy Secretary General of The Commonwealth; Devi Nidhi Saraswat; Manu Jagmohaan Singh, Secretary General of NRI Institute; Hamid Ibrahim; and Suresh Yadav, Secretary General of Staff at The Commonwealth. The primary focus of the speeches was the empowerment and advancement of youth, recognizing them as the driving force for the future of the world. The central theme of the event was "YEAR OF THE YOUTH," highlighting the significance of investing in the younger generation. In addition to the insightful discussions, the event also featured the recognition of outstanding youth participants at the NRI Business Forum - Students Federation Conclave. Over 30 students from various countries, including India, the USA, the United Kingdom, Dubai, Singapore, and more, were awarded participation certificates in recognition of their exceptional contributions. The celebrations continued at the House of Lords with a Dialogue on Indo-British Relations, featuring Seema Malhotra MP, Lord Colgrain, Lord Jeffrey Archer, and Manu Jagmohaan Singh. The evening culminated in the presentation of the prestigious "NRI World Award," an honor that has been bestowed for 34 years to recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals across different fields. More than 30 remarkable achievers from around the world were acknowledged for their significant contributions to their respective genres. The NRI Business Forum - Students Federation Conclave will return for its next edition in November 2023, hosted once again at the Commonwealth Headquarters. This upcoming event promises to attract universities, schools, and educational institutions, further strengthening the commitment to nurturing and empowering the youth. Under the leadership and guidance of Manu Jagmohaan Singh, Secretary General of NRI BUSINESS FORUM, the organization is exploring new initiatives every year, the first being Women Around World, "Indians of the World" the colossal networking "Coffee Table Book", and NRI Business Forum - Students Federation and it will soon launch an initiative to honor the achievers from Medical Fraternity from around the world at the upcoming NRI WORLD SUMMIT. For more information, please visitwww.nriinstitute.in. Find it Useful ? Help Others by Sharing Online Comments and Discussions Within two hours of each other, two Marine V-22 Ospreys diverted Thursday due to "cockpit caution indications" in the aircraft while flying near Japan's southwestern island chain. The aircraft landed safely, according to the service, and no injuries or fatalities were reported by the Marine Corps on Thursday. Maintenance teams are evaluating the Ospreys -- which landed on islands more than 400 miles apart -- and the aircraft were to return to Futenma Air Station on Okinawa once deemed ready for flight. Outside of the warning indicators, the Marine Corps did not say what specific issue caused the flights to divert. Read Next: VA Threatened with Subpoena if It Doesn't Turn Over Abortion Data to House Committee "Operating [III Marine Expeditionary Force] aircraft safely and effectively is a top priority," Maj. Rob Martins, a spokesperson for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing on Okinawa, told Military.com on Thursday. One aircraft diverted at roughly 1:45 p.m. local time and landed at Amami Airfield, which is on an island about 200 miles southwest of mainland Japan. The other aircraft, which was flying alongside another V-22 Osprey, received a similar "cockpit caution indication" two hours later and landed at Japan's Ishigaki Airport, which is near the east coast of Taiwan. The flight diversions come two weeks after a V-22 Osprey crashed during a routine multinational training event in Australia, killing both pilots and the flight's crew chief. In the wake of the crash, Acting Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith ordered a service-wide safety review. The safety review also came days after a Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet crashed in southern California, killing the single pilot onboard. In total, four Marines died due to flight mishaps in the month of August. Military.com asked the Marine Corps whether pilots are operating with an abundance of caution following the review and the deadly Osprey incident, in which 20 other Marines survived the crash off the Tiwi Islands north of Australia. "Our pilots are trained in a way that ensures a high degree of aviation safety," Capt. Alyssa Myers, an aviation spokesperson for Marine Headquarters, said in an emailed statement Friday. "Marine Corps pilots always seek to learn any available lessons they may derive from an incident, especially one that tragically results in the loss of life," she added. "Any responsible organization such as the Marine Corps should always strive to learn what we can from a tragedy." The Osprey is the Marine Corps' primary assault troop transport. It is also used by the Navy and Air Force, though the lion's share of the V-22 fleet is owned by the Marine Corps for expeditionary operations that require quick delivery of Marines from ship to shore. While the Osprey has claimed the lives of more than 50 service members since the 1990s, it has fewer mishaps per 100,000 flight hours compared to other aircraft, according to available safety data. However, that data is outdated by at least five years. A clutch issue in the Osprey has caused concern for more than a decade. In 2022, the clutch malfunction caused an Osprey -- call sign Swift 11 -- to crash, killing five Marines. The Marine Corps has said that it has reduced incidence of the clutch malfunction significantly, but families of those who died in the crash last year remain skeptical. Last year, the Marine Corps reported that another deadly Osprey incident was attributed to pilot error. The Australian crash that occurred last month is still under investigation, and the cause of the crash is currently unknown. This week, members of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing paid tribute to the three Marines who died during the crash last month: Cpl. Spencer Collart, Capt. Eleanor LeBeau, and Maj. Tobin Lewis. "The memorial service was a tribute to their valor," the unit's post on social media said, "and a reminder that their legacy will live on in our hearts forever." Editor's note: This story was updated with a new statement from Marine Headquarters on Osprey pilot training. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: Marine Crew Chief Who Died in Australia Osprey Crash Remembered at Hometown Vigil The Naval Special Warfare Command that oversees the Navy SEAL BUD/S training program intends to take disciplinary action against three top officers who were in leadership roles during the death of a SEAL trainee last year, according to the service. A Navy official confirmed to Military.com that Capt. Brian Drechsler, Capt. Bradley Geary and Cmdr. Erik Ramey were notified that the service intends to take them to admiral's mast -- a nonjudicial form of punishment -- over their roles in the death. SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen, 24, died of acute pneumonia shortly after completing the first, brutal portion of SEAL training known as "Hell Week" on Feb. 4, 2022. At the time, Drechsler was the Naval Special Warfare Center's commanding officer, Geary was in charge of the Basic Training Command, and Ramey was the command's top medical official. Read Next: Service Was a Second Chance for the Space Force's Enlisted Leader. He Tried to Give Others the Same Shot. Rolling Stone was the first outlet to report the development and, according to its sources, the trio face charges of negligent dereliction of duty. The three officers had all previously received nonpunitive letters of reprimand over the incident. While the letters themselves carry no punishment, they typically render an officer unpromotable. Drechsler also left his post as commander of the Naval Special Warfare Center ahead of schedule. Geary's lawyer, Jason Wareham, confirmed that his client is facing mast in an email to Military.com and said that the officer "is disappointed by his command's decisions" and that they are assessing the "dubious legal and factual basis for this [mast]." The Navy, through a spokesman, has confirmed, broadly, that Naval Special Warfare Command "has decided to proceed with accountability actions for certain individuals." The spokesman added that "as the actions are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further on any specific or potential accountability actions until they are completed." Military.com reached out to the lawyers for Ramey and Drechsler but did not receive a reply from either in time for publication. Since masts like the ones these three officers are facing are nonjudicial punishments -- they don't involve many due-process protections or a jury -- service members have the right to refuse them. If a service member refuses a mast, it leaves commanders with the option of either dropping the charges or referring them to a formal court-martial. The latter would be a formal legal proceeding that would afford any of the officers more latitude in defending themselves, but it would also be a far more public and lengthy affair. Mullen's death was investigated twice by the Navy. The first investigation was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Command itself and revealed major problems at the legendary training program. Investigators found that recruits were not given adequate medical care and the course fostered a culture where seeking help in emergency situations was discouraged. One sailor told investigators that "he and the other students were instructed not to call 911 and not to go to the emergency room." The investigation determined that Mullen died of pneumonia but that his condition was aggravated by an enlarged heart. A second investigation, this time conducted by a Navy command that was completely separate from the SEAL community, revealed even more troubling issues with the culture at the Coronado, California, schoolhouse. That investigation found that the staff at the training facility was overzealous and ran largely unchecked, while students were so determined to pass that they would either lie to doctors or turn to doping. The report noted that after Mullen's death, the investigators found a stash of performance-enhancing drugs in his car, including testosterone and human growth hormone, but it stopped short of saying he had used the substances because his blood and urine were unable to be tested for them. Geary's leadership was highlighted by investigators since he had been made aware of problems with the program that were leading more recruits than usual being dropped from the course. According to investigators, at the time he largely chalked it up to the fact that "the current generation had less mental toughness." The report also noted that Geary made a deliberate decision to reduce the role of the school's civilian instructors -- veteran SEALs put in place to be a check on the less experienced and sometimes overzealous active-duty instructors. In the wake of the report, Geary went public with his version of events and criticism of the investigation, giving interviews to "Good Morning America", Fox News and The New York Post, among others. Geary told "Good Morning America" that Mullen's death was "a perfect storm of factors" and that he didn't feel responsible for it. "What I feel responsible for is speaking truth to ensure that it never happens again," Geary told "Good Morning America." In a later interview with Fox News, Geary and Wareham pointed to Mullen's enlarged heart as a detail that was not known to him and his staff. Because they didn't have reasonable notice, they couldn't act to protect Seaman Mullens [sic], even from himself," Wareham told Laura Ingraham in a TV interview. Meanwhile, Wareham told Military.com that "the Navy's decision to proceed with nonjudicial punishment lacks a foundation in credible evidence and appears to be motivated primarily by political expediency." "When all the key facts emerge, the Navy's improper actions will be exposed -- and it will be undeniable that Capt. Geary is being scapegoated as part of a larger scheme to cover up massive failures and abuses of power at the highest levels of the Navy," the lawyer said. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Navy SEAL Instructors 'Hunted' Weaker Candidates Amid Poor Medical Care, Drug Use A coalition of human rights groups, extremism experts, faith-based organizations and left-leaning veteran and military family groups is calling out the Pentagon for an apparent lack of progress in rooting out extremism in the ranks. In a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the groups pressed him to publicly detail any progress the department has made since a working group issued its recommendations on tackling extremism in the military in December 2021. "As close observers in this field, we understand the urgency of this threat and the impact it has on service members, veterans and their families," said the letter, which was organized by Human Rights First and co-signed by 35 other advocacy groups and three individual academics. "Extremism undermines the strength of the military and our democracy." Read Next: VA Threatened with Subpoena if It Doesn't Turn Over Abortion Data to House Committee The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Military.com's request for comment on the letter. Taking office in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, in which dozens of those arrested were found to have military connections, Austin vowed to make eliminating extremism in the military a top priority. As one of his first acts, Austin ordered a force-wide stand-down so the rank-and-file and leaders could discuss the issue of extremism. He also formed a Countering Extremist Activity Working Group to provide recommendations for policy remedies. But efforts to root out extremism quickly became a political lightning rod, with Republicans charging that the Biden administration was using those efforts as an excuse to target conservatives and that they were a distraction from the military's purpose of preparing for war. Austin has been admonished by Republican lawmakers for the efforts at nearly every congressional hearing he's testified at, and non-binding language adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee last year called any ongoing activity related to the counter-extremist working group "an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds" that "should be discontinued by the Department of Defense immediately." In May, the Pentagon acknowledged it had implemented just one of the six recommendations the working group provided in its December 2021 final report. The implemented recommendation relates to training service members about what constitutes prohibited extremist activity. There's no evidence that veterans and service members are more likely to become radicalized than the general population, and only a small fraction of those with military backgrounds have extremist connections. But experts say that when veterans and service members do turn to extremism, they have an outsized influence because they often assume leadership roles and are more likely to plan or to carry out mass casualty terrorist attacks. In their letter, the advocacy groups highlighted several recent cases in which service members or veterans were arrested for extremist activity beyond the Jan. 6 insurrection, including an active-duty Marine being arrested in June for allegedly firebombing a Planned Parenthood clinic, a self-identified Nazi and National Guard veteran being arrested in February for allegedly plotting to attack a power grid, and four veterans and a member of the National Guard who were members of a white supremacist organization being arrested in June 2022 for allegedly conspiring to disrupt an LGBTQ+ Pride event. Between 1990 and this past August, 659 individuals with military backgrounds were arrested for committing extremist crimes, according to data from the University of Maryland's National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism cited in the letter. "We owe it to those who are serving and who have served to make addressing this threat a priority," the groups wrote. "We urge the DoD to continue the essential work you have begun in addressing white supremacy and other forms of extremism in the military -- and to inform Congress and the American public about progress made towards fulfilling these critical commitments and recommendations." -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on X @reporterkheel. Related: The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence. A sergeant who was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter protester in Texas is still in the Army, according to the service. Daniel Perry fatally shot Garrett Foster during an Austin protest in July 2020. The law firm representing Perry told Military.com it is aiming to keep him in the Army pending a military separation board decision or a pardon from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Foster, an Air Force veteran who was carrying an AK-47 rifle, was protesting the Minneapolis Police killing of George Floyd when Perry shot him with a handgun. Both Perry and Foster are white and were legally carrying their weapons at the time of the shooting, according to the Texas Tribune. Read Next: 2 Marine Corps Ospreys Diverted After 'Cockpit Caution' Warnings Force Landing in Japan "Sgt. Perry's current duty status is in civilian confinement and is pending separation from the Army," Bryce Dubee, a service spokesperson, told Military.com on Thursday, adding that Perry is not getting paid by the military and his status in the Army is administrative. After he was convicted in April, the Army said it reviewed the evidence released by the Travis County District Court where Perry was tried and sent the information to the service's Criminal Investigation Division "to conduct an independent review of the allegations contained within the document," Dubee told Military.com before Perry's sentencing in May. A spokesperson for Perry's Alaska-based unit told Military.com in May that the 11th Airborne Division "initiated an administrative separation under Army Regulation 635-200 due to his conviction." So far, that separation board has not executed a final action as to whether Perry is going to stay in the military or not, or what kind of discharge he would receive if he were kicked out. Military.com asked the Army why it has taken this long to determine Perry's separation status, what would happen if the CID's "independent review" proved at odds with the civilian sentencing, and whether there is any chance that Perry could return to duty as his lawyers hope. Dubee, the Army spokesperson, did not directly answer the questions but showed the publication a regulation that says a soldier subject to discharge based on a conviction would not be booted until the outcome of an appeal is determined, among other legal thresholds. Legal representatives for Perry said that they have sought to appeal the noncommissioned officer's sentencing and have previously indicated they would try for a new trial after what they categorized as "political prosecution." Perry, who was working as a ride-share driver at the time, argued in court that Foster raised the AK-47 at him first, but witnesses testified otherwise and prosecutors highlighted the Army NCO's use of violent online rhetoric prior to the deadly shooting as motivation. He was then sentenced by judge and jury to 25 years in prison. Last month, Perry's attorneys submitted a petition to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Ashley Haisler, a paralegal with the O'Connell West law firm that is representing Perry, told Military.com that if the pardon petition goes through, their goal is to keep Perry in the Army. "We did the board and they said they have to send it up and it's going to be a much higher decision, but they haven't gotten back to us," Haisler said. "So we're letting that be, [but] if he is pardoned and hasn't been removed from the Army, then he'll still be in the Army. So, that's our ultimate goal." Haisler said that Perry's attorney, Doug O'Connell, went to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, over the summer to request an honorable or other than honorable discharge from Perry's separation board in the event that his pardon is rejected or the Army moves to separate him anyway. While unlikely, allowing Perry -- who was sentenced by a judge and jury of his peers for murder -- to remain in the Army if pardoned would present a contentious and largely unprecedented legal question for the service. Haisler said that Perry's attorneys have not received a response from either the Army separation board or the Texas pardon board yet. Abbott's office did not return Military.com's requests for comment asking whether Perry's pardon has been initiated or if the governor still intends to approve one. Online records state that Perry is up for parole in October 2035. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles said it had not yet determined whether to recommend a pardon for Perry. The Associated Press reported in May that the board "which is stacked with Abbott appointees -- is reviewing Perry's case on the governor's orders." Military.com submitted a request for records with the Texas Department of Justice to determine the status of Perry's pardon. Meanwhile, court records showed that Perry fantasized about shooting "looters" in the months leading up to the protest in 2020. "I am imagining standing on a rooftop with a megaphone and a MAGA [Make America Great Again] hat saying looters will be shot, leave the area immediately and then count down to zero or when they start breaking down the front door just opening up like it is open season," Perry wrote in a message to another user on Facebook, according to the court records. "I might go to Dallas to shoot looters," he said in another message law enforcement extracted from Perry's social media accounts. Perry has served in the Army as an infantryman since 2012. He deployed to Afghanistan once in 2012 and, as of the spring, was assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, at Fort Wainwright. Following the sentencing in May, Foster's mother, Sheila, addressed the court, according to The Associated Press. "After three long years, we're finally getting justice for Garrett," she said. "Mr. Perry, I pray to God that one day, he will get rid of all this hate that is in your heart," she said. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: Texas Judge Denies New Trial for Army Sergeant Convicted of Killing Air Force Veteran During 2020 Protest On Wednesday, more than 100 people experienced Chippewa Valley Technical College's unveiling at the River Falls South Education Center a hub for emergency service and residential construction programs and welding high school academy. Attendees had an opportunity to engage with stakeholders from the school district, workforce development members and faculty during the ribbon-cutting event as the center's role in education and community growth was highlighted. This newly renovated space will further education for students with a state-of-the-art welding lab, enhanced training spaces and simulation labs for criminal justice and emergency medical technician programs, instructional space for residential construction and additional student commons for collaboration and socialization. The Moody family, former owners of the building, have supported CVTC in this venture and worked with the college to facilitate the buildings purchase. This new space would not have been possible without the community, its support of the referendum and through donations. Roger Towberman vividly remembers selling his 1976 Pontiac Catalina. The one he'd curl up in for a couple of hours of sleep each night as he panhandled and chased the dreams of a musician decades earlier. The one he'd traded to a gas station attendant for a hot dinner, shower tokens and a duffel bag to haul his belongings after it exhaled its last breaths and he had to hitchhike home. Engrossed in the memory, the 55-year-old chief master sergeant of the United States Space Force nearly misses his exit off I-95 in New Jersey as he tells the story. He's recalling that low point from the plush seats of a decked-out Mercedes Sprinter van that can sometimes cost up to six figures, made for comfortable overlanding and camping, complete with amenities such as a bed for two, a bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen. Towberman was in the final weeks of his military career, a period that culminated in his being the second-ever Space Force Guardian as he was tasked with crafting the rank-and-file culture, enlisted policy and public perception of the Space Force, the first service branch to be created since the birth of the Air Force in 1947. Read Next: 2 Marine Corps Ospreys Diverted After 'Cockpit Caution' Warnings Force Landing in Japan During his 33-year career, Towberman was stationed everywhere from Hawaii to the United Kingdom until he was selected to lead the newly created Space Force as its senior enlisted leader in 2019. Not long after the Space Force was formed, House Democrats put forth a bill to abolish the newly created service. Late-night television hosts quickly honed comedic bits and tried to write Guardians off as nothing more than a zany Trump-era creation. A poorly written Netflix show threw unfunny jabs, but was effective in portraying the Space Force as a joke. With Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett looking on, U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond administers the U.S. Space Force oath of enlistment to Chief Master Sgt. Roger A. Towberman, Pentagon, Arlington, Va. April 3, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya) Further harming the public's perception is that the operations the Space Force takes on are heavily classified. But the Space Force's mission -- to protect and defend the massive U.S. satellite fleet and the nation's interest in space -- is deeply crucial to everything from the country's reliance on GPS to detecting abnormalities in the Earth's orbit. Towberman can ignore most of the criticism over the legitimacy of the Space Force because, the way he sees it, Guardians have an important job to do. His own job has been to build the culture to motivate those troops and shape what it means to be a Guardian. "His fingerprints are all over the Space Force," Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, the first general to command the Space Force, told Military.com. "I think history will show that he was a really spectacular first chief master sergeant of the Space Force and really helped set the foundation for the service going forward." The age cutoff to join the Space Force is 39 years old, the highest among the service branches. In Towberman's philosophy, that means more people from more diverse backgrounds and walks of life can rediscover themselves and give their talents to the new service. "The military, the profession of arms, is an ancient and noble profession," Towberman said. "This is what we do. Militaries for centuries, for eons, have taken human beings from all walks of life and brought them together into cohesive teams that can win." Towberman knows about military service as something of a second act. When his attempt to make it as a young rock musician in California failed, he begrudgingly decided to return to his parents in his native Wisconsin, but his Pontiac's radiator cracked and the car broke down in Nevada. When he made it home, there wasn't much of a future waiting for him. "It was a miserable string of failures on my part," Towberman said. After a series of odd jobs ranging from canning green beans to working in record shops, he caught wind of a bonus being offered to become a linguist in the Air Force. After acing an aptitude test that evaluated whether he was capable of learning a foreign language, Towberman found his second chance in life. The bet clearly paid off. He also believes those who have realized their potential, purpose and passion later in life are the future of the United States Space Force. "My firsthand experiences as a late bloomer, to put it mildly, shapes everything that we're trying to do as a Space Force," Towberman said. "The strength of the enlisted military is this sort of late bloomer cohort. ... The military gives those people a chance." The van Towberman is driving, the vehicle he plans to use to enjoy the rewards of the second life he's had, is named "Rocinante" after Don Quixote's horse. Towberman was once gifted a small statue of the literary character during his 33-year military career and describes himself as "quixotic" when it comes to many of his leadership ideas. When told that "Rocinante" was the name of John Steinbeck's camper van in his book "Travels With Charley," he admitted to not having read it but in true Space Force fashion knew it was also the name of the starship from the science-fiction television series "The Expanse." He invited Military.com to join him for the four-hour ride in his Sprinter van from where it was being repaired in Connecticut back to Washington, D.C., where he would officially end his military service Sept. 15. As he bobbed and weaved through semi-trucks and minivans on the interstate, Towberman took time to remember what the Space Force had accomplished. He believes he made a difference. But he's also pondering how the service will continue to grow. Criticism for the Space Force is real, and Towberman knows there's still work to be done. "The one thing about this job that I wasn't prepared for was the weight of responsibility. I don't feel responsible for the Guardians today," Towberman said. "I feel responsible for the Guardians of today and their professional progeny for a hundred generations, and it's heavy. I really feel like if things are screwed up in 50 years, like somehow it will have been my fault." Roger A. Towberman as a young man singing. (Provided/Space Force) Finding His Voice Towberman has a powerful voice. Literally. Reeling from his parents' divorce just as he crossed into his teen years, Towberman would escape to his room and listen to the distinct, charismatic and stadium-shattering lead vocalists for bands such as Whitesnake and the Rolling Stones in an attempt to emulate their sound. He was a fast learner. By 14, he and his friends had formed a cover band called "Chain Reaction." They'd practice in the garage, load up the van and then rock out at various watering holes throughout Wisconsin. "I've got exceptional spatial awareness," Towberman said. "Years of being my own roadie, you learn what fits in what places." The comment came after he deftly parallel-parked the three-ton Sprinter van across the street from a McDonald's in Brooklyn, New York. Even if he knew how to arrange instruments to squeeze into a van, finding his own place proved to be more difficult. At 17, Towberman -- guided by a passion for music and youthful rebellion after his parents' divorce -- decided he was going to go all in to make it as a musician. He packed his belongings into his Pontiac Catalina and sped off from his mother's double-wide trailer with California in his sights. The dream was short-lived and, at times, became a nightmare. Within a couple of years, he was living out of his car, panhandling in Palo Alto and trying to scrape up enough gas money to get back to Wisconsin. "I'm going to throw myself on the mercy of my family and start over," Towberman recalled saying to himself at the time. A few years later, a beer-league softball umpire who was an Air Force recruiter told him that linguists were in high demand and there was a $2,000 bonus involved. He took an aptitude test, scored very well and shipped off to basic training. But he never stopped singing. As the senior enlisted leader of the Space Force, he has been captured several times in uniform and on camera belting out song lyrics, loud and proud. When the Space Force unveiled its service song, which was quickly pounced upon by critics, Towberman led a whole auditorium of airmen in a sing-along at the Air and Space Force Association's Conference in 2022. The next day, footage of him singing "Don't Stop Believing" made the rounds online. He showcased his vocal talent to the entire country during a Stephen Colbert late-night special about the Space Force, during which he managed to hit the impressive high notes of the 1973 rock hit "Radar Love'' during karaoke at a Space Force base in Greenland. Karaoke, and singing in general, is a vulnerable act, one that requires a high level of self-assurance and an abandonment of self-consciousness. Towberman has had to draw on those qualities as he's served as one of the faces of the Space Force during its, at times, mocked launch. Jokes about the Space Force never bother him; sometimes, he even admits to laughing along. But there's a line that can be crossed. One late-night comic, whom Towberman didn't name, took a bit about the Space Force too far and made a joke about Guardians themselves. The senior enlisted leader was livid. "He mocked the human beings that have raised their hands to defend this country," Towberman said. "That pissed me off. ... You can make this political, you can make 'Star Trek' jokes, whatever, but these kids, they raised their hand like everybody else. You don't get to pick on them; you can't mock them." That protective streak for troops under his care isn't new. When he started as the command chief master sergeant at the 25th Air Force in Texas, he was frustrated with how people weren't being taken care of. He recalled one airman being so sick that he was having seizures, but nobody bothered to check in on him because he was responding to texts and Facebook messages. It wasn't until Towberman went and saw him in person that he was able to get the man the care he needed. "I'm starting to kind of realize that I do connect with people differently than other senior leaders," Towberman said. "I'm also learning that this bureaucracy is frustrating, and it's not going to just pause to think about individual human beings because that just isn't what happens. So, this really starts to become who I am as a leader, and I like it. I'm comfortable with it." One of Towbermans numerous deployments as an airman. (Provided/Space Force) How Towberman Tried to Make the Space Force Different Towberman's solution to the disconnect between commanders and troops? Near constant communication with the enlisted, including substantial use of social media with Guardians. Towberman has been incredibly active on Reddit, often responding in real time to tough questions and criticisms during "Ask Me Anything" sessions about policies ranging from beards to uniforms. He began lending his voice to a regular Space Force podcast to speak about issues directly to service members. He frequently praises units, enlisted leaders and new basic military training graduates on Facebook. While all of that seems par-for-the-course in the digital age, as well as a good public relations move, Towberman describes it as a responsibility and an opportunity to change lives. During his last speech as the enlisted senior leader of the Space Force at the Air and Space Force Association's conference this past week in Maryland, he talked about how a Space Force officer moderates the Air Force and Space Force subreddits and in 2022 those communities intervened 40 times when suicidal ideation was mentioned. "I really started to kind of accept this role that I'm supposed to be here," Towberman told Military.com. "To be a champion for these people. Somebody has to give a voice to people without a voice because the machine doesn't give a s--t." That's exactly what Raymond wanted when he picked Towberman to serve as his enlisted right hand. The two initially crossed paths in the Pentagon years earlier, when Towberman was working as the senior enlisted adviser to the assistant secretary of the Air Force tackling personnel and policy reforms. Immediately impressed by Towberman's background, Raymond hired him to be the command chief for Air Force Space Command and hired him again when the Pentagon decided to stand up the separate U.S. Space Command. In late 2019, when Raymond was given the tall order of starting the Space Force, he went for the Towberman trifecta to help him build the service from the ground up. "After we got done with the interview, it became really clear. There was no doubt in my mind," Raymond, who retired from the Space Force in 2022 and now serves on the board of directors at Axiom Space and also works for Cerberus Capital Management, said in an interview. "You know the old adage 'thinking outside of the box.' That's Chief Towberman. He's kind of an out of the box guy." Raymond sent a message by hiring Towberman: He wanted to care for people, and he wanted to be bold about formulating the service's culture. He wanted to show future Guardians that he cared about the enlisted. Raymond swore Towberman in as the second-ever Guardian in the Space Force, after himself. The second person to take the oath for the service could have been anyone -- another general, a bigwig -- but Towberman realized it sent a powerful message that the rank and file will be top of mind for the service. "That would have been really easy to bring in another officer," Toweberman said. "But the message that he chose to send by bringing me in was beautiful." Towberman got to work, most notably trying to craft a unique culture for the Space Force, a set of values that would guide all the doctrine and regulations to follow. He knew that if the Space Force was going to recruit from all walks of life, it needed to have a set value system they can all agree on. "If you want to effectively get people to where you want them, if you want them to clear the bar, you've got to meet them where they are and get them there," Towberman said. What was born were the 4 Cs -- character, connection, commitment and courage. Towberman made sure to make everything tie back to those. The promotion system and internal awards analyze how Guardians live up to those values. The Space Force's Basic Military Training Program, another carefully managed Towberman creation, was shaped entirely with those four values in mind. Drill instructors recognize the top four recruits from each class by selecting which of the four values they best embody. Towberman made basic military training an independent ecosystem from the historic Air Force boot camp at Joint Base San Antonio , Texas -- establishing the service's own Guardian drill instructors, traditions, classes and procedures. He gets emotional speaking about what it has become. "They're not just throwing words, books and catchphrases at these new recruits," Towberman said. "They're modeling that behavior. There's not a corner of the Space Force I'm more proud of than Basic Military Training." On Sept. 15, Towberman relinquished his role in a change of responsibility ceremony. Chief Master Sgt. John F. Bentivegna, who worked alongside Towberman at the Pentagon, succeeded him as the service's top enlisted leader. At the Air and Space Force Association's conference Sept. 12, during his final speech in his position, Towberman spoke about his legacy and how, ultimately, it's not his. It's one that's tied to hundreds of people who have inspired him. "If I'm to be remembered at all, I hope it's through a thousand different stories, of a thousand real relationships that I had with a thousand real people," Towberman said. "All of you, and all the people that raised me, and all our professional progeny for a thousand generations, if any of us are worth remembering, we're worth remembering in specific, real stories about how we specifically, really, changed each other's lives. ... Thanks for being part of my story." The crowd gave him a standing ovation. In a couple weeks, he and his wife will be moving out of Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Then, he will grab his keys, load up his personal belongings -- like he's done many times in his personal and professional career, rev up the Sprinter van and crank up the radio. "I've left nothing in the tank; I've given everything," Towberman said. "I feel like I'm the same me that I've always been. I'll still grab a microphone and sing in the next bar." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: 6 Things to Know About the Space Force from Its Top Enlisted Leader The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. In 1950, three service members from New York's 21st Congressional District -- Sgt. Howard R. Belden, Cpl. Clifford S. Johnson, and Cpl. Walter A. Smead -- were serving in the 7th Infantry Division deployed to North Korea. That November, many units in the division suffered heavy casualties during the valiant, but deadly, battle at Chosin Reservoir. The three brave heroes from Upstate New York were listed as missing in action after the battle, and for nearly 70 years, their families were left in the dark regarding the tremendous sacrifices that their relatives had made. That was until 2018 when President Donald Trump, while serving in the White House, met with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and secured the return of more than 55 boxes that contained the remains of American veterans killed during the Korean War. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) team successfully identified Belden, Johnson and Smead from these boxes and notified their families so they could give them a proper burial. These brave service members are among the thousands that the DPAA was able to identify through their diligent work and dedication to fulfilling our nation's promise of never leaving a fallen American behind. I was truly honored and humbled to participate in two of the local ceremonies when these heroes finally returned home to their beloved families and final resting place. As a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee, I recently led a large bipartisan congressional delegation to the DPAA headquarters at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where experts study historical documents, lead recovery missions, and analyze remains to identify and account for missing personnel. Through their extraordinary laboratory and fieldwork, the DPAA fulfills the promise to American service members that they will be returned home. The work carried out by the DPAA is incredibly challenging in far-flung corners of the globe. The DPAA continues to work on identifying the more than 81,000 personnel missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other recent conflicts. One of the processes by which they identify remains is through their DNA identification laboratory where family reference samples can be collected and cross-examined with the service member's records. The family reference sample is crucial in making the final determination of the remains. As we commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Sept. 15, there is a way for you to help this valiant effort as well. Currently, the DPAA faces a difficult challenge since it lacks sufficient DNA reference samples of family members of missing service members. The accountability process is meticulous, and often the family member's DNA sample can be the determining factor needed to accurately identify missing personnel. If you are a relative of an unaccounted-for American, you can contact your service casualty office and provide a reference sample or suitable artifact that will help the DPAA identify a missing relative. With each passing day, the window of opportunity for repatriating the missing personnel closes. Like the families of Belden, Johnson and Smead, everyone deserves the opportunity to get answers after waiting decades to know what happened to their loved ones. It is a reminder that America will do whatever it takes and go to the ends of the Earth to bring our brave heroes home. Our missing service members gave the ultimate sacrifice safeguarding our nation, and we owe an extreme debt of gratitude to them and their families. We each have a part to play working toward the goal of having all our American heroes accounted for. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to witness the tremendous work that the DPAA carries out, and I am hopeful that my fellow Americans will answer the call to help ensure every service member can be returned home. -- Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik represents the NY-21 District in Upstate New York. The Legislature is threatening to impeach Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz if she hears cases about redistricting. As this controversy unfolds, it is important to know the law and practice of judicial recusal and impeachment in Wisconsin and beyond a topic that we, as scholars of state courts and constitutions, have studied closely. In short, recusal is rare, and impeachment is even rarer. GOP faults donations, campaign statements Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee circuit court judge and self-described progressive, won the April election by 11 percentage points, shifting the courts ideological balance of power as major legal clashes over abortion and redistricting loom. The Republican-controlled Legislature is now demanding Protasiewicz excuse herself from considering two recently filed lawsuits. The lawsuits challenge the states legislative maps, which heavily favor the GOP, as unlawful partisan gerrymanders. Republicans argue Protasiewicz cannot be fair because during her campaign in the nonpartisan judicial race, she received millions of dollars from the state Democratic Party and criticized the states Republican-drawn maps as rigged. For its part, the state Republican Party and its allies spent millions backing Protasiewiczs opponent, who once defended a prior version of the maps in court. Judges rarely recuse for expressing views The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to an impartial judge. Additionally, every state has binding rules that prohibit judges from hearing cases involving situations deemed to pose an unacceptable risk of bias, such as when the judge is related to a party in the case or has a personal financial stake in the outcome. But judges are rarely required to recuse because of views expressed while campaigning or because they received campaign support from someone interested in a case. When it comes to campaign statements, the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2002 that judicial candidates have a First Amendment right to offer their opinions on disputed legal and political issues. Judges, the court recognized, are not blank slates. Whether on the campaign trail or elsewhere, they commonly develop and express views on issues, including ones they later encounter in court. Yet the law presumes that they remain able to adjudicate evenhandedly. Judicial candidates go too far only when they directly promise to make a particular ruling in a case. 5-4 decision turned out to be one of a kind As for campaign funds, the U.S. Supreme Court has only once held that a judge violated due process the Constitutions guarantee of fundamental fairness by hearing a case involving a financial backer. That 2009 case involved a West Virginia Supreme Court justice whose campaign received most of its support from the head of a coal company who had recently lost a $50 million jury verdict. Shortly after taking office, the justice cast the deciding vote to wipe out that verdict on appeal. Dividing 5-4, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that, taken together, those facts required recusal. But the majority repeatedly stressed that it was an exceptional case involving an extraordinary situation with facts that were extreme by any measure. The decision has turned out to be one of a kind. We are not aware of any subsequent case, in any court, finding that due process barred a judge from hearing a case because an interested party supported the judges campaign. Financial backers influenced state ethics rule Wisconsins judicial ethics code essentially the official, legally enforceable rule book for the states judges confirms that judges are generally allowed to hear cases involving campaign supporters. It states that a judge shall not be required to recuse based solely on the judges campaign committees receipt of a lawful campaign contribution, including a campaign contribution from an individual or entity involved in the proceeding. The Wisconsin Supreme Court added this language to the code in 2010, after two of the largest financial backers of the states conservative justices filed petitions proposing the change. The court rejected calls to revisit this rule in 2017. In Wisconsin and nationwide, judges have repeatedly declined to recuse themselves based on their campaign statements and financial supporters. In Wisconsins five most recent contested Supreme Court elections, the winning candidates all had million-dollar backers. Yet none of those justices has ever recused on that basis, or even been formally asked to do so. In redistricting cases specifically, justices in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere have participated despite financial and other ties to one or the other major political party. Only one judge in 175 years impeached here At the federal level and in nearly every state, lawmakers have the power to impeach judges. But that authority is traditionally limited to extreme circumstances and has been exercised sparingly. In Wisconsin, judges and other officials can be impeached only for corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors. The state Assembly can impeach by majority vote, but it takes a two-thirds majority in the state Senate to convict. Republicans now hold nearly two-thirds of the seats in the Assembly and exactly two-thirds in the Senate. Only once in Wisconsins 175-year history has a judge been impeached. That was in 1853, when Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Levi Hubbell faced 11 articles of impeachment. Allegations ranged from accepting a $200 bribe about $8,000 today from a litigant to ruling on loans and debts he purchased through middlemen and taking the courts money for personal use. Following a trial, the state Senate acquitted him. Most states have likewise had no more than one or two judicial impeachments in their histories, and Congress has impeached only 15 federal judges. Since the 1990s, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and West Virginia are the only states to have impeached a judge, and only the Pennsylvania judge was convicted and removed. Most past judicial impeachments, whether they have resulted in conviction or not, have involved allegations of criminal acts or other flagrant misdeeds. None rested on a judges nonrecusal from a case involving campaign statements or supporters. Protasiewicz could go to court if removed Impeachment threats have been more common than actual impeachments, so it remains to be seen whether Wisconsin lawmakers will indeed follow through. Protasiewicz or her allies could challenge an attempted impeachment in state court, as has happened in some other states. One lawsuit has already been filed. With little governing precedent, it is uncertain exactly how events might unfold. The stakes could hardly be higher. The impeachment of a recently elected justice based on lawful campaign conduct and a legally grounded decision not to recuse would negate the peoples votes for Protasiewicz, striking a blow to the principle of judicial independence. It could also be a setback for efforts to overhaul Wisconsins electoral maps. Based on standard gerrymandering metrics, the states maps are rated among the most politically skewed in the country. Yablon is an associate professor of law and co-director of the State Democracy Research Initiative at UW-Madison. Clinger is a senior staff attorney for the initiative at UW-Madison. They wrote this for The Conversation. GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Art of Food Festival kicked off Friday in downtown Grand Rapids. There were food booths and over 30 food trucks on Calder Plaza, 320 Ottawa Avenue, and along Ottawa Avenue on Friday, Sept. 15. Foodies can enjoy a variety of food at the event throughout the weekend. A few organizations and the city of Grand Rapids Office of Special Events teamed up to bring the community together around a love of food, including Festival of the Arts, Artprize, GR8 Food Trucks, and the Grand Rapids Food Truck Association. Organizers picked a great day and are benefiting from foot traffic from ArtPrize, the 18-day international art competition that started Thursday and the two-day Grand Rapids African American Art & Music festival getting underway at Rosa Parks Circle. Related: The Sugarhill Gang, hip hop icons, headlining Grand Rapids African American Art & Music Festival Downtown is buzzing with activity on a mild, sunny day. The Art of Food Festival also includes musical performances at Calder Plaza art activities, artist village and a beer tent as ArtPrize goes on in the downtown. The festival ends at 8 p.m. Friday, runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. I got an olive burger and its excellent, said Shawn Buggs, a youth advocate from Innovation Central High School. We brought a group of students and we toured ArtPrize today and then we stopped and ate at the food trucks. Related: Fireworks, Brouhaha kickoff ArtPrize 2023 opening celebration The Bigfoot Burger Co. food truck was selling Olive You, Man burgers - a 1/2 pound Bigfoot Blend Burger, homemade olive spread, lettuce and tomato served on a brioche bun with a 1/2 half pound of fries. The burger is big, really big, said Innovation Central 9th grader Jinnicye Thomas, 15, who was also eating an olive burger from the Bigfoot Burger Co. Food trucks include Tamales Mary (authentic Mexican food), Crepes by the Lakes (sweet and savory crepes), Fire and Rice Paella (Spanish paella), Underground Cookie Club (artisan ice cream sandwiches), Thai Cottage Cuisine, Dune Buggy (beach burgers and fries), Street Chef Shaw (Mexican and Swahili fusion) Jedi Chili (chili and chili dogs), On the Roll (pastas served on garlic rolls) and Furniture City Creamery (ice cream.) I think its good because we expect a lot of people, said Mary Martinez, owner of Tamales Mary, who operates the food truck along with restaurant locations in Wyoming and Grand Rapids Eastown. Martinez said she plans to be downtown during ArtPrize for the next three weekends. Music is from WLAV-FM, 105.3 HOT FM, and Thunder Country 107.3 FM. For more information about the Art of the Food Festival, click here. More from MLive: Your guide to ArtPrize 2023 Its the perfect day: ArtPrize 2023 kicks off in Grand Rapids Hudsonville man gets over 17 years in prison for coercing teen for nude photos Vehicles, building hit in Holland Township drive-by shooting WARREN, MI The Michigan Court of Appeals threw out the conviction in a crash that resulted in the death of a 10-year-old girl, saying the intent of the law is not to turn bad brakes into a crime, The Associated Press reports. Giana Giannini, 10, died during July 2020 when a backhoe tipped over and landed on a Honda Accord she was riding in, AP reports. The backhoe was being pulled by a dump truck driven by Tim Otto. The brakes on the truck failed as Otto approached a busy intersection. Otto was convicted of reckless driving causing death and sentenced to about two and a half years in prison; that has not been thrown out, the report said. He was previously acquitted of second-degree murder. It will now be easier for Michigan residents to get their hunting or boating safety certificates. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that it will now offer hunter education and boater safety as interactive online courses to give students an enhanced experience that exposes them to real-life hunting and boating scenarios. The interactive learning options are offered in addition to the existing traditional classroom and online learning options for both hunter and boater safety. Hunter safety is also available as a take-home study course. Were excited to offer students this new learning opportunity, said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR recreational safety, education and enforcement supervisor. Both the interactive hunting and boating programs are offered in other states and have received five star reviews. The online programs will put students in simulated real-life situations. For example, students will virtually navigate a vessel and must decide how to manage it while approaching a sailboat, or while learning the different parts of a firearm, they will be asked to click the circle that points to the safety. The difference between the online interactive and online courses is that the interactive courses include virtual elements that engage students to make their own critical decisions throughout the lesson, Wanless said. Its a more hands-on learning approach compared to the traditional online courses. The online hunter safety course features 45 interactive assessments. Once completed, students will need to attend the required in-person field day to receive their hunter safety certificate. Register for hunter education and/or field days at Michigan.gov/HunterEducation. The boater safety program will follow a storyline adventure that places students in real-life boating scenarios. Register for a traditional classroom, interactive or online boater safety education course at Michigan.gov/RecreationalSafety. READ MORE: Police use drone to round up missing horses near U.P. border Michigan State Police trooper uses Narcan to save man from heroin overdose Remains of Michigan airman who crashed into rice paddy during WWII identified CLINTON COUNTY, MI A former police officer has pleaded no contest to charges related to an incident in which he twice pulled a gun on a newspaper delivery driver while off duty and out of jurisdiction, officials said. Chad Vorce, 45, of Dewitt Township, pleaded no contest Thursday to public officer willful neglect of duty, and aggravated assault before Judge Cori E. Barkman in Clinton County Circuit Court, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Both charges are misdemeanors punishable by up to one year of incarceration. Vorce is a former City of Dewitt Police officer. LANSING, MI A former Michigan court official has been found guilty of embezzling $20,000 from 10 vulnerable adults she was appointed to protect. A Mason County jury found Jessica Englebrecht, 36, of Scottville, guilty of all 11 charged counts, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday. The charges include: Eight counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. One count of vulnerable adults caregiver commingling funds/obstructing investigations One count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $200 or more but less than $1,000. One count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult less than $200 Englebrecht was appointed as a guardian and/or conservator for the adults from 2017 to 2019. Michigan State Police began investigating Englebrecht in 2019 following a referral from Adult Protective Services. She was charged in November 2020 Those the state trusts in court-appointed positions of power as guardians and conservators must be held to the highest standards and must be held accountable when they use their position criminally, Nessel said in a statement. I applaud the jury and prosecutors for securing justice in this case, and the investigators at Michigan State Police and Adult Protective Services for their commitment to uncovering this abuse. Michigans Elder Abuse Task Force has many recommendations to protect those under guardianship, including the certification of appointed guardians, and I remain committed to pursuing that measure. Englebrecht will next appear for sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 31. READ MORE: Puppy scams, romance messages are top online threats, state police say Man accused of taking up-skirt video of woman at Michigan Walmart Motorcyclist dies after crashing into pickup truck in Benzie County MACOMB COUNTY, MI - A court-appointed conservator accused of stealing more than $100,000 from two vulnerable adults is going to trial on 18 felony counts, authorities announced. Lisa Ludy, 52, of Macomb, is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from one victims retirement savings, Social Security income, inheritance, proceeds from the sale of victims home and their bank accounts, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Attorney General. After she was charged during fall 2022, another victim came forward, officials said. RELATED: Conservator allegedly stole $100K from vulnerable adults retirement, inheritance The second victim reported that Ludy wouldnt return his money, officials said. After she was removed as the victims guardian, she allegedly stole his Social Security income from his bank account by using his debit card. She also allegedly attempted to prevent the victim from pressing charges after an investigation was initiated. In the first case, Ludy is charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, punishable by 20 years and/or $100,000; six counts of financial transaction device-stealing/retaining without consent, punishable by 4 years and/or $5,000; embezzlement from a vulnerable adult, $1,000 to $20,000, punishable by 5 years and/or $10,000; and witness bribing/intimidating/interfering, punishable by 4 years and/or $5,000. In the second case, Ludy is charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, punishable by 20 years and/or $100,000; two counts of embezzlement $1,000 to $20,000, 5-year felonies; embezzlement $20,000 to $50,000, a 10-year felony; embezzlement $50,000 to $100,000, a 15-year felony; and four counts of failure to file tax return, 5-year felonies. Court appointed guardians and conservators should be held to the highest standards so that our elderly and vulnerable adults can trust the system meant to protect them, Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. When those conservators fail that trust, my office will hold them accountable. Ludy is scheduled for arraignment in Macomb County Circuit Court on Sept. 25 before Judge Julie Gatti. CHEBOYGAN, Mich. (AP) People living near a northern Michigan paper mill that caught fire, filling the air with thick grey smoke, emerged from their homes Thursday after sheltering in place for more than a day, as environmental officials found the local air quality had improved to safe levels. Plumes of smoke could be seen for miles around on Wednesday morning after the fire broke out at the Tissue Depot property in downtown Cheboygan, about 290 miles (466 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. Fire crews contained the blaze to a storage building at the mill on Wednesday afternoon and they remained on the scene Thursday putting out hot spots, officials said. Cheboygan residents living with a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the Tissue Depot were told to shelter in place until 1:30 p.m. Thursday, when officials lifted that order following air testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Cheboygan County Sheriffs Department said in a Facebook post that the EPA found that level of particulates in the air had diminished overnight to safe levels. Roads around the fire scene remain closed around the fire scene and the public was advised to stay away from the area, the posting said. No mill employees or firefighters were injured, Cheboygan Fire Chief Don Dailey said Wednesday. The fire started in a part of the mill where no employees were working at the time, Dailey said, and crews were alerted that there were several tons of plastic stored in the building. Officials said Thursday that the cause of the fire remains unknown, but fire investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Michigans fire marshal are on scene to investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The owner of the building and the business owner are cooperating, officials said. The sheriffs update said that residents in areas downwind of the fire may notice dust or other debris in their yard and they were advised not to cut their lawns or do any work that may raise dust back in the air until the EPA receives final test results. Residents were also advised to wipe their feet, and their pets feet, if they reenter their homes after venturing outside. EPA contractors were on the scene helping clean up ground and water contaminates a process that may take several weeks, officials said. That effort includes booms that have been deployed along the Cheboygan River to collect contamination and debris downstream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam. That lock and dam, which allows boats to navigate the different levels of the Cheboygan River, remained closed Thursday afternoon, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said. Staff with Michigans Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy were sent to Cheboygan on Wednesday afternoon to help assess the situation, said spokesperson Jeff Johnston. Formerly known as Great Lakes Tissue Co., the mill once employed about 300 workers. ANN ARBOR, MI - A $20-million gift to the University of Michigan Law School will fund annual scholarships to students with financial need. The gift, among the largest in the schools history, is from 1979 alumnus John Hoyns, a leading lawyer in aviation issues and co-chair of New York-based Hughes Hubbard & Reeds Aviation group. The Hoyns Scholars program will cover the cost of tuition and associated expenses, such as living costs for the duration of a students time at the Law School, officials said. My gift will be applied to law students lowest on the economic ladder who, even if their family is able to make some financial contribution, still cant afford the Law School without incurring significant debt, Hoyns said in a statement. Law students should be focused on dealing with the rigorous demands of Law School and not finding a way to cover expenses, Hoyn said. Thanks to the generosity of Michigan, I was given a full scholarship, he said. Ive always felt that the Law School and the scholarships granted to me were critical to my success as a lawyer. I wanted to provide the same opportunity to others. Hoyns has contributed annually to the Law School for more than 40 years, with a $150,000 gift in 2019 honoring his 40th class reunion, officials said. John will provide critical support to scores of students for generations to come, ensuring that the enduring value of a Michigan Law education is more accessible to our incredibly talented students, Law School Dean Mark West said in a statement. The University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor ranked first in the state and No. 10 nationally in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: See how many Broadway stars this year are University of Michigan alums For 6 decades, this University of Michigan professor loved passing knowledge to students RunTough for ChadTough 5K returns for 10th year With the 2022-2023 fiscal year coming to a close, budgets for many places are coming due and Columbus Public Schools (CPS) is no exception. This year, according to CPS Finance Director Chip Kay, the district is expecting to decrease the overall budget by 7% with some notable changes to account for that difference being proposed. Kay elaborated that this 7% decrease, from $83,089,335 to $77,528,026 is accomplished by minimizing the increase to the operational budget for the year, as well as reducing the building fund. The district also intends to lower the tax levy by 3.3 cents, to $1.19403, its lowest since the 2011-2012 fiscal year. This would put it below the LB243 Property Tax Asking Cap. There is a planned 7% increase to overall tax asking, accounting for $2,172,407. This is intended to help balance out the general fund operating budget which increased 2% due to shifts in revenue. Legislation such as LB 583 and LB 243 affected revenue and the amount which property tax asking may increase, respectively, Kay said, which affected how they had to prepare the budget. The latter, dubbed "Property Tax Asking Authority" was set at $28,593,116 for CPS, where it is anticipated to ask $28,415,875. Kay added that, with these changes and the need for 50% of revenue to be from local property taxes, the school district has had to get creative to make things work while keeping costs down. With the average cost per student being more than $1,000 lower than the state average at $9,848.81, he noted that they try to keep quality the priority when considering these kind of changes. The Telegram spoke with Kay about these changes and the potential impacts they might have, before the Sept. 18 meetings and Sept. 20 hearing at Lakeview Question: What will be the most evident way people will see these changes, such as classroom size, or fund allotments? Answer: If you look at this budget, were not expanding any programs, services or adding staff. With this budget, everything is staying, the costs will be the same thing we did last year. Q: From 2012 and 2013 to the current day, the school district reported an increase of 402 students overall, while state aid, as a percentage of revenue, has remained around 28%, this year sitting around 26%. How does the increase of student population and not of state aid coming in affect the district overall? A: If you figure that we have a substantial increase of students - and 402 is over 10%, thats considered substantial growth costs at some point increase. If you get low 3-4% enrollment growth, typically youre staffed to handle that growth. As the district has grown at 10% over 10 years, staffing has grown exponentially to handle that growth. Weve also had an increase in services over those 10 years, you see some different services. As our budget increased, the amount we get from state aid, while its increased, it hasnt increased at the same rate as our needs, so it accounts for less of our budget. If state aid is less of our budget, the only place we can make up for that is property taxes. Q: There has been discussion among legislators about net-zero budgeting among the passing of several bills you noted have affected the budget. What is net-zero budgeting and how does it fit in this context? A: As these bills were being passed in legislature, there was the belief that this should result in net-zero process; if the state gives us an extra dollar, we just tax a dollar less from our patrons. If you do that, its net zero growth which means we cant increase wages, we cant pay the cost of increased benefits, so now were reducing staff or eliminating services. When you look at our budget almost 95% of the things in the budget are tied to state statute, federal law, services we provide to local private parochial school students or part of the base educational process for students at CPS, so its nearly impossible to do dollar-for-dollar. If the state gives a dollar, reducing property tax asking a dollar, that works if we dont lose other places. If the state gives a dollar and federal takes two dollars away, were minus a dollar already. From a legislative standpoint, a lot of conversation is "were giving you this extra money, now dont tax as much." Its more complicated than that. You might be able to run a business, whatever service or product at net zero, its not as easy to do that at a school. We cant just decide that were going to go to a class size of 35 instead of 25, its going to have a profound impact and a really profound impact on students. The federal government requires us to provide special education services. Special education services, if the population all of a sudden goes from 15-22%, you cant just say "Im sorry, were capping it at 15% of you." Those are just some examples why its so difficult to do a net-zero budgetary for schools. Q: How does it affect the schools to have a decrease in the property tax levy? A: The levy is whats used in conjunction with the valuation. The school district doesnt set the valuation of property but the levy, multiplied with the valuation, determines how much were going to collect in property taxes. The bad thing is if your valuation didnt increase, 3.3 cents means youre getting a savings. If the value increased, youre not getting a savings. If we reduce the levy, were anticipating collecting less by levy. Our tax asking by actual dollars will by go up about 7%, a little over $2.1 million. Thats going to seem like a lot to everybody but we only increased the general fund budget by 2%. That tax asking, people will ask why increase by 7% if the budget only increased by 2% but tax asking is a small part of our budget, our revenue, so a 7% increase is not going to equate to 2% of the budget; the point being even increasing the budget by 2% has that impact on tax asking. Q: With the rate of increase of students, do you see any changes planned for the future? A: We anticipate the growth. We cant add staff without a place to put them. There isnt free space in the existing facilities, the exception is the preschool at Kramer, we can add some preschool. We didnt fill those rooms, kept preschool the same. Were applying for a grant from the state of Nebraska so we can add three preschool classes extra, so thats not going to be at the expense of taxpayers. We just dont have the space and that gets to be part of the conversation and thats a delicate one because we didnt pass the bond issue but if we keep at the current pace of growing with student, class sizes are going to get bigger because we only have so many places to put people. They have to be in school so many hours, state statute says they have to have so many credits, so many classes. Sometimes our flexibility isnt what people imagine it could be. Were trying to keep our cost per student down, were trying to work and be advocates for different ways to fund schools and were committed to not doing less for our students, I think thats the important thing. Were going to be a unique story and I say that because theres going to be a lot of school districts saying were lowering our levy by 15 cents, theres more to that story. If your evaluation went way up, you can lower your levy and get the same amount of money so it really came down to to what were doing with tax asking. We try to keep tax asking as low as possible. Lets say we took $1.5 million in tax asking to make last years budget work, then people see 2.1% and ask why 2.1%? Its not all new money, some is replacing old money thats not there anymore and thats what I mean by saying every district is a little different. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Some award-winning chocolate is available at Mindo Chocolate Makers in Ann Arbor. Mindo Chocolate Makers, a bean-to-bar chocolatier based in Dexter with an Ann Arbor store at 206 N. 4th Ave. recently received recognition at the International Chocolate Awards. Its such an amazing accomplishment and just a testament to all the hard work that weve put in, Alicia Meza, Mindo Chocolate Makers events and demonstrations coordinator, said. The business submitted bars of chocolates based on what it found delicious and unique, Meza said. The company sent four of its favorites from Michigan and four from its sister location in Ecuador to be judged in different categories. Related: Bean-to-bar chocolatier opening first U.S. retail space in Kerrytown The company won seven awards at the International Chocolate Awards with three bars made in Michigan and four made in Ecuador. The business also recently received four honors at the Ecuador Chocolate Awards. I dont think Ive fully conceptualized what a big deal this is yet ... because this is like the Olympics of chocolate, she said. One of the submitted chocolates is an apricot cardamom milk bar which received silver in the International Chocolate Awards under the category of milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces. The chocolate bar made with apricot powder and cardamom chunks also competed in 2022, but only took home bronze. Meza is hopeful the chocolate bar will be able to earn gold in the future. Related: Dexter chocolatier wins international award for apricot cardamom bar Ive changed more lives with the apricot cardamom bar than I have with any of the other bars, Meza said. The apricot connects so beautifully with the stone fruit that naturally comes out of the cacao thats coming from Ecuador. Some of the other bars that earned silver were the dark milk chocolate bar and the vanilla rustic chocolate bar which is Mezas favorite. She describes the vanilla rustic bar as having a punchier chocolate flavor to it. Mindo Chocolate Makers received more awards this year than it ever has in the past, Meza said. She said this is largely due to her sister Emily Meza-Wilsons work in Ecuador and the quality of the cacao it is using this year. Meza-Wilson lives in Ecuador the majority of the year ensuring not only the quality is right, but the cacao farmers they are working with are using sustainable and ethical practices. A painter is only as good as the quality of the paintbrush and their paints, Meza said. Emily is doing the hard work down there and were just putting on the finishing touches up here. Beyond that, Meza said Mindo Chocolate Makers is constantly improving its procedures to better its chocolate and is proud that others are noticing. Sometimes it feels like were turning our wheels and were doing all of these things and its hard to see it from a day-to-day basis ... so this feels very validating, she said. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Olgas Kitchen is bringing fan-favorite foods to the Big House Chelsea State Bank temporarily suspending services at downtown location 24-story skyscraper proposed on Ann Arbors Main Street LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI -- New DNA evidence has identified the killer in a 1982 murder that has been cold for more than 40 years. Kimberly Louiselle, 16, of South Lyon, was last seen on March 20, 1982, near Eight Mile and Merriman roads in the Livonia area. Her body was located on April 14, 1982, nearly 20 miles away in the Island Lake Recreation Area in Green Oak Township. Now, new DNA evidence has linked Charles David Shaw to her death, according to a release from Michigan State Police. Shaw has also been identified as the killer of Christina Castiglione, 19, who went missing around the same time. Shaw, 26, died in 1983. Even though we will never have our day in court, I am at peace with that, wrote Cindy Arthurs, Louiselles sister, in a public Facebook post. The sky looks a lot brighter. Kim, I love you, I miss you, and I never let you be forgotten. I kept my promise. Arthurs did not respond to a request for comment. Shaw was linked to the case after DNA evidence from Castigliones homicide was published into the national Combined DNA Index System. Castiglione, 19, was reported missing by her mother in Redford Township on March 21, 1983. A little more than a week later, she was found in a state game area having been strangled to death and sexually assaulted, according to a release from the Livingston County Sheriffs Office. Read more: Killer in 40-year-old Michigan cold case identified using DNA evidence Powered by grant funding through Season of Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to using DNA evidence to solve cold cases, preserved DNA samples were tested by Othram Inc., a private forensic lab, in May 2022. A subsequent genealogical profile, confirmed by testing of relatives, confirmed Shaw as Castigliones killer. The Michigan State Police First District Cold Case Unit, in partnership with students from Michigan State Universitys School of Criminal Justice, reopened Louiselles case in 2022. The team of detectives and students spent several months reviewing the case, organizing and digitizing paper files, analyzing property and evidence, and resubmitting items of evidence to MSPs Forensic Science Division for testing, police said in the release. Police located DNA on resubmitted evidence in June 2023 which matched Shaws DNA Index profile, police said. Shaw is also suspected in other crimes that occurred in the early 1970s until his death in November 1983, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Michigan State Police Det. Sgt. Larry Rothman at 313-407-9379. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Chocolate from Ann Arbor-area business earns international awards Mouse droppings, flies on food: Eastern Michigan Dining dinged in 13 health inspections $20M gift brings scholarships for University of Michigan Law students Ann Arbor is increasingly becoming the land of the rich. With a median house price of more than $600K, it seems only someone with a healthy reserve of cash can afford to live in the city. Its having a ripple effect in the rest of Washtenaw County, which has slipped out of financial reach for most people, too. Its a far cry from the radical Ann Arbor of the 1960s and 1970s, when hippies reigned and rents were cheap. Now, high-rises are taking over. The times are certainly a-changin. A 24-story skyscraper was recently proposed on Main Street, Ryan Stanton reported. And on the south edge of downtown, plans are in the works to raze buildings on 22 properties to build a high-rise apartment building. Those are just two stories from this week. We routinely report on these kinds of developments. Which is why weve decided to take a step back and examine how the increasing cost of living has changed the identity of Ann Arbor. A series of stories exploring affordability in Ann Arbor and surrounding areas will begin publishing on Sunday and continue through the rest of next week. We examined data and statistics. We tagged along with a woman trying to buy a house in Washtenaw County in the $200,000-$300,000 range -- a daunting task indeed. We spoke with University of Michigan students living in co-op housing with dozens of roommates. We even spoke with some of the old hippies and radicals who remember when Ann Arbor was a land of cheap rents and rich ideas. Weve had a team of journalists working on the stories for the past year. I hope readers will be illuminated by what we discovered. I know we were. Also this week: Its official -- Jeanice Swift is out as superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools. The Ann Arbor School Board approved a voluntary settlement and resignation agreement with Swift by a 5-2 vote during its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Its still not clear who exactly will take the helm when she leaves at the end of October. Swift will serve in the position of transition advisor to the interim or permanent superintendent through Dec. 31, 2023. Thats what caught our eye in Ann Arbor this week. Take a look at those headlines, and others, below: What in the Sam Hill is that? New restaurant set to open near Ann Arbor Ypsilanti officials beg patience as tension rises over downtown safety: The root of the problem is housing Families living at historic Washtenaw County farmstead cant have livestock, township says High-rise proposed to replace nearly entire Ann Arbor neighborhood block 24-story skyscraper proposed on Ann Arbors Main Street Swift: It has been my tremendous honor to serve as Ann Arbor superintendent Ann Arbor School Board approves resignation agreement with superintendent About Hello, Ann Arbor: Each week, we deliver the big headlines straight to your inbox. Hello, Ann Arbor has also won awards from both the Michigan Press Association and the Associated Press for best column. Sign up here for the newsletter. John Counts is editor for MLive/The Ann Arbor News where he started as a police and court reporter in 2012. He lives in Whitmore Lake with his wife, two daughters and two dogs. He can be reached at johncounts@mlive.com. MORE HELLO, ANN ARBOR: Hello, Ann Arbor: Lawn mower knocks out towns power; program offers $528 per month Hello, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan starts in the digital dark; DTEs Bermuda Triangle Hello Ann Arbor: Welcome back students; homeowners blame gravel mine for dry wells Hello, Ann Arbor: Fighter jet crashes at airshow; whats for sale at old wedding venue WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Two Washtenaw County residents have been flown to Ohio for ongoing oxygen therapy after a near-fatal carbon monoxide incident. Ann Arbor Township fire crews were called to the 200 block of Barton North Drive around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, for a report of two unresponsive people, according to Lt. Marc Volger with the department. When crews arrived, they found the residents unresponsive and the house full of natural gas and carbon monoxide. Fire crews were able to pull the couple a 83-year-old man and 74-year-old woman from the house. The man and woman were taken to Toledo for hyperbaric oxygen treatment, Volger said. They are still undergoing treatment. Neither are in great shape, he said. Carbon monoxide levels in the house were most likely in excess of 500 parts per million, Volger said. The townships equipment maxes out at 499 parts per million. 500 and greater is fatal within a couple minutes, he said. The man and woman were found by a housekeeper, Volger said. The cause of the gas and carbon monoxide leak is unclear. Crews cleared the scene around 4 p.m. The Ann Arbor Township Fire Department was aided by crews from the City of Ann Arbor and Scio Township. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Crews respond to Ypsilanti-area garage fire Woman recognized for saving drowning man at Ann Arbor park Ann Arbor changing transit corridor zoning to allow car-oriented businesses YPSILANTI, MI - Mouse droppings in a corner. Several small flies on a display case. Food refrigerated at too high of temperatures. Thirteen inspections by Washtenaw County Environmental Health detail various health violations in Eastern Eateries, a part of Eastern Michigan University Dining operated by the private firm Chartwells Higher Education. The 13 inspections, obtained by MLive/The Ann Arbor News, show both severe and minor violations throughout 2023, which EMU Dining said it has addressed. A July 14 report filed by inspector Charles Yet at the Starbucks in the EMU Student Center discovered the presence of insects in a front counter food display, documents show. Observed several small flies in the display case in the front counter area, the report states, adding that there was a picture stating managers are working with a pest control company to control small flies. A March 28 report by Yet at the Cluck eatery found four violations ranging from grease buildup above fryers and wash cloths not submerged in sanitizing fluid. However, the most severe involved evidence of mice accessing the area, documents show. Observed mouse droppings on the floor in the corner of the store room by the single use container rack, the report states. Violations documented in the other reports range from meat and cheese not refrigerated at the required 41 degrees Fahrenheit and not handling food with sanitary gloves, as well as more minor issues such as improper labeling. The other eateries dinged for minor violations that were quickly corrected, according to Yet, include Build Pizza, Chick-fil-A, Chopd & Wrapd, Crossroad Market, Grille 734, Market Eagles Grind, Shake Smart, Sono and True Burgers. EMU Dining received these reports throughout the last semester and immediately took action, EMU spokesman Walter Kraft said. These actions included increased daily cleanings, increasing pest control activities, such as adding additional treatments and re-training team members on proper cleaning and storage techniques, he said. EMU Dining is committed to maintaining a high level of quality, safety, and service of all who visit our dining facilities, Kraft said in a statement. We regularly review our quality assurance procedures to ensure we meet and exceed health and safety standards, and support our guests, associates and the community. We will continue to monitor compliance with the Washtenaw County Health recommendations. The university contracted with Chartwells in 2016 to privatize its dining services. It extended that contract in 2018 by five years in exchange for a $5.5-million up-front cash payment. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: For 6 decades, this University of Michigan professor loved passing knowledge to students Ejection from Michigan fighter jet detailed in preliminary crash report Deal between Eastern Michigan, police union to bring about 9% pay raise ANN ARBOR, MI - Should it be an internal or external hire for interim superintendent? How will this new interim leader be selected? Who will inform the board on how to conduct a search for a new district leader? The Ann Arbor School Board began addressing these questions minutes after approving a voluntary settlement and resignation agreement with Superintendent Jeanice Swift during its Sept. 13 meeting. As the board attempts to pick up the pieces from a contentious process leading up to Swifts exit, its members primarily discussed two topics and next steps -- who will get the board up to speed on how to select a new superintendent and who will serve as interim superintendent in the meantime? Discussion concluded with the decision that the boards executive committee will return with a rough outline of a job description and expectations for an interim superintendent during another meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20. RELATED: Ann Arbor School Board approves resignation agreement with superintendent The board will then discuss before adopting a job description it can provide to internal candidates who might be interested in serving as interim leader. Before you go out and see whos interested, you have to have those answers to what it looks like, board member Susan Ward Schmidt said, referring to the boards executive committee. We have to have a sense of what we all agree on. I think we need that info to give you a charge to tell what the job looks like. Board member Susan Baskett said it is important to focus on the expectations of the interim superintendent as much as who the board wants to fill the position, including what the expectations are for them on the job and how long they are expected to fulfill that role. Are you asking me to babysit for just a short period of time - Im not firing anybody, Im not implementing anything new - what exactly are you asking (the interim) to do? Baskett said. That could potentially affect our pool of permanent applicants. Nearly all discussion of an interim superintendent surrounded members preference for an internal candidate, given their better understanding of district systems and personnel. I think the most important quality that we all identify with right now is that the person be an internal person who has worked with our personnel before, who has a record of success and competence, board member Ernesto Querijero said. I think thats a lot, but I think we have that in-house. Once a job description is approved, the boards executive committee is charged with canvasing for names and collecting information on who might be interested. Ultimately, any candidates who have expressed interest in the interim position will need to be discussed in an open session meeting by the board before a selection is made, AAPS District Counsel David Comsa said. My advice is bring everything to the full board, Comsa said, when asked if the committee should bring a select number of individuals for consideration of interim. Per the agreement, Swift will continue to work as superintendent until the board appoints an interim or permanent superintendent, but no later than Oct. 31. After that, Swift will serve in the position of transition advisor to the interim or permanent superintendent through Dec. 31. The timeline could be extended beyond that date with a written agreement between Swift and the district. Swift will continue to receive compensation and benefits pursuant to her current administrative contract through Dec. 31. While the board looks to find an interim leader in the short term, it also took a step forward in directing its executive committee to contact Michigan Association of School Boards consultant Jay Bennett about providing the board with a targeted 45-60 minute overview presentation of the superintendent search process. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. READ MORE: Ann Arbor School Board to vote on superintendent settlement, resignation at next meeting Disparaging remarks must stop, board members say as superintendent resignation vote approaches Violent incidents at Ann Arbor elementary have parents seeking answers ANN ARBOR, MI -- When Margarita Howes, 22, went to leave Bandemer Park on July 27, a nagging gut feeling told her she should stay. Within the hour, she was administering CPR to a man pulled from the water. Jamaine Atkins, 22, was swimming near the Huron River docks around 5:30 p.m. on July 27 in Bandemer Park, 1352 Lake Shore Drive in Ann Arbor, when he went under the water for several minutes. Bystanders witnessed him call out for help and were able to get him to shore. Howes, of Dearborn Heights, first became aware of the situation when she heard shouting. I started clearing the docks for when he got to the dock, throwing bags and throwing towels, not really caring where they went, because we had to make room for him when he got there, Howes said. Howes began CPR, continuing until Ann Arbor police officers arrived. Thomas Burnette, the Ann Arbor police officer who took over from Howes, credits her with saving Atkins life. Especially in todays day and age, it seems people are hesitant to step in and are hesitant to get involved with something, Burnette said. Whats helpful is when she got involved, when she went to work. Atkins, who lives in the Ann Arbor-area, was taken to the University of Michigan Hospital in critical condition, but has since recovered. Howes, alongside the police and fire crews who responded to the scene, were honored in a recognition ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 15, hosted by the Ann Arbor Fire Department. As Howes received her plaque, she pulled Atkins into a hug. It was the first time she had seen him standing, she said. Im really grateful to be alive, Atkins said, emphasizing that everyone should learn CPR. The experience has underscored her desire to be a nurse, Howes said. Although she wasnt enrolled during her life-saving efforts, she is now a nursing student at Eastern Michigan University. I feel reassured that this is where I need to be, Howes said. I feel like Im able to make more differences not just out in public, but I can continue to do that as a career. She also encouraged people to become certified in CPR. You have to have that mindset that anything can happen, she said. I wasnt planning on doing CPR on a dock in a swimsuit that day. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: DNA evidence links killer to second death in 40-year-old cold case Ann Arbor vacates never-built street to pave way for University of Michigan expansion Gravel mine hit with state violations 1 day after yanking permit application UPDATE: Michigan man arraigned after allegedly sending threatening texts to UAW president GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- A Flint area member of the United Auto Workers has been charged with two felonies related to threatening text messages he allegedly sent to UAW International President Shawn Fain. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said on Friday, Sept. 15, that a 31-year-old Davison Township man has been charged with false report or threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony, and false report or threat of bomb/harmful device, a four-year felony. Leyton said the man will be arraigned on the charges in Genesee District Court in Flint. MLive/The Flint Journal does not typically name alleged suspects before they are formally arraigned. Leyton said the man, who works for General Motors in Genesee County and is a member of UAW Local 651, was apparently angered by Fains call for a limited rather than a full UAW strike against GM. He was unhappy with President Fains strategic targeted strikes, Leyton said. He thought the strike should (have been) across the board. The man is accused of sending Fain a series of threatening text messages to the union presidents cell phone at approximately 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Fain announced three specific UAW strike targets on Thursday, Sept. 14, just hours before the unions contracts with Ford, GM and Stellantis were set to expire. The facilities are the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex and GMs Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri. A news release from the county Prosecutors Office says Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson investigated the incident, working in coordination with the security services of the UAW. I am not going to second guess (his) intentions nor am I going to view his messages as an idle threat, Leyton said in a news release issued by his office. Such tactics, no matter the reason, are uncalled for, inappropriate, dangerous and against the law. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Read more at The Flint Journal: UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time Targeted UAW strike gives union advantage over the Big Three, experts say Ford UAW workers picket outside Michigan assembly plant as strike begins GRAND RAPIDS, MI A Hudsonville man was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison for coercing a teen to share explicit photos and threatening to expose her if she told anyone. Austin Thomas Noel, 27, was sentenced Friday, Sept. 15, in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. Federal prosecutors said Noel was discovered of sexually exploiting children after a mother reported to the FBI in January 2022 that she discovered her daughter had been engaging in sexually explicit chats with a man. After investigating Noels social media accounts, prosecutors found he had been chatting online with approximately 37 young females who identified themselves as minors, more than 20 of which were ages 12-15. He made numerous efforts to meet with the minors for sex, prosecutors said. RELATED: Hudsonville man accused of coercing teen into sharing nude photos online In a statement issued by the U.S. Attorneys office Friday, prosecutors said Noel used social media to cast a wide net in search of girls and young women to sexually exploit. Now, he will serve the next 15 years in prison for his predatory behavior, U.S. Attorney Totten said in a statement. Our foot is on the gas and others who commit these crimes against children will face a similar fate. In addition to serving over 17 years in prison, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker also sentenced Noel on Friday to seven years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Devin Kowalski, acting special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, said Noels prison sentence should serve as a deterrent to anyone considering engaging in sexual exploitation of children. The FBI is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting violent predators who commit crimes against our children, Kowalski said. Successful work like this is made possible thanks to the wide network of law enforcement partners and we appreciate their critical support throughout this investigation. The criminal allegations against Noel centered around a girl who lived in West Michigan. The girls mother, who lived out of state, discovered the girl had been in contact with Noel while the teen was living with her father in West Michigan, the FBI said in court records. Investigators used a search warrant to access Noels Snapchat account and found thousands of messages between the two, beginning in December 2019 when the girl was about 13. Later, police used a search warrant at his home in Hudsonville, records said. A computer forensic examiner found over 750 images of young females on Noels cellphone, with many exposing themselves or performing sex acts. In March 2023, Noel pleaded guilty to a Felony Information charging him with sexually exploiting the victim and using her to create child pornography for him, the U.S. Attorneys office said. Sexual exploitation of a minor carries a penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison upon conviction. More on MLive: Vehicles, building hit in Holland Township drive-by shooting Financial concerns stall Kent Countys $380M plan to divert trash from landfills The Sugarhill Gang, hip hop icons, headlining Grand Rapids African American Art & Music Festival OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Signature collection can now start in the recall efforts against two Ottawa County commissioners who voted in June against a resolution forbidding county employees from events that encourage, support or normalize the sexualization of children. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the three-member Ottawa County Election Commission approved recall petition language allowing the start of signature collection that, if successful, would essentially put Ottawa County commissioners Roger Bergman and Doug Zylstra up for re-election in May 2024. Gov. Jim Pillen on Thursday appointed state Sen. Tom Briese to the state treasurer's office. Briese, a second-term lawmaker from Albion, will replace Treasurer John Murante on Nov. 1, according to a news release from the governor's office. Murante was appointed to lead the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System, which manages pensions for state employees. "Sen. Briese has the respect of his peers and has been a great representative for District 41 in the Legislature," Pillen said in a statement. "He's a proven leader on tax policy reform, which will serve him well in his new role as treasurer." Briese was first elected to the Legislature in 2016 and reelected in 2020. He currently serves as the chairman of the Executive Board and is on the Revenue Committee. Briese previously led the General Affairs Committee. A fourth-generation family farmer, Briese has degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a law degree from Nebraska Law. Briese said he was honored to be appointed to become treasurer. "I have truly enjoyed my time in the Legislature and am proud of the accomplishments achieved during my tenure, as well as the relationships that were forged," Briese said. "I look forward to this new opportunity and continuing to serve the people of our great state." Murante, who was elected to a second term as state treasurer in 2022, will leave office on Sept. 18. Assistant State Treasurer Rachel Biar will manage the day-to-day operations of the office until Briese assumes responsibilities in November. Pillen will also get to select Briese's replacement to finish his tenure in the Legislature. The governor's office said information regarding the selection process will be provided at a later date. Briese's selection comes after several high-profile candidates put their names forward for the job, including state Sen. Julie Slama, the chair of the Legislature's Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committees; Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg; former treasurer candidate Taylor Royal of Omaha; and Biar. Top Journal Star photos for September 2023 OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Sheriffs deputies are investigating a drive-by shooting that happened early Friday, Sept. 15, outside of a Holland Township business. No injuries were reported but multiple people were outside when the shooting happened around 1 a.m., Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said. Police responded to reports of multiple gunshots fired in the 600 block of Douglas Avenue, near 144th Avenue. Bullets struck several vehicles and a building, police said. The shooters were in two vehicles and fled before police reached the scene. No additional details were available. Police asked anyone with information to contact the Sheriffs Department at 616-738-4000 or Silent Observer 877-887-4536 or go to mosotips.com Read more: Puppy scams, romance messages are top online threats, state police say 2023 Michigan Irish Music Festival returns to Muskegon with over 25 bands Fireworks, Brouhaha kickoff ArtPrize 2023 opening celebration CALHOUN COUNTY, MI - A Coldwater man already sentenced to more than three decades in prison for sexual assault charges received a third sentencing Sept. 15 in Calhoun County Circuit Court, according to a Michigan Attorney Generals Office announcement. Brad Allen Risner, 31, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Calhoun County Circuit Court, and Judge Sarah Lincoln sentenced him to 15.5 to 30 years in prison in a Sept. 15 ruling. KALAMAZOO, MI - The man accused of fatal stabbings of a father and daughters boyfriend was acquitted Sept. 15 by a Kalamazoo County jury, records show. Nathaniel Fredric-Nikolas Doyle, 27, of Kalamazoo was charged with two felony counts of manslaughter for the fatal stabbings of Maurice Pearson, 49, and his son Xavier Pearson, 21, on Jan. 10 at Davis Creek Apartments in Portage. BAY CITY, MI A decade after heading to prison for his role in one of Saginaws largest drug busts, Daniel Marin is heading back there for trying to buy 17 kilograms of cocaine from what he thought was a Mexican broker. Unbeknownst to him, his supplier was an undercover Homeland Security agent. U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington on Sept. 14 sentenced the 47-year-old Marin to 145 months, or just over 12 years, in a federal prison. Once hes served his time, Marin will be on supervised release for an additional five years. Marin in March pleaded guilty to attempted possession of more than 5 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute. According to the plea agreement, Marin in the summer of 2020 agreed with codefendants Michael N. Gonzales and Benjamin H. Pluto to acquire cocaine for distribution in the Saginaw Bay area. On Aug. 21, Department of Homeland Security agents in El Paso, Texas, learned from a confidential source that Marin had been looking to buy 17 kilograms, or 37.4 pounds, of cocaine. Posing as a narcotics broker in Mexico, an undercover Homeland Security special agent on Aug. 28 was introduced to Marin over the phone. The agent agreed to sell Marin 17 kilograms of cocaine for $34,000 per kilo. Though Marin wanted the exchange of money and drugs to take place in Saginaw, he and the agent agreed to conduct this at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Flint Township on Sept. 3, 2020. On that date, Marin, Gonzales, and Pluto separately drove to the hotel. Marin was to meet with the seller in a room as his two cohorts waited in their vehicles with the money. Law enforcement had 5 kilos containing genuine cocaine and 12 additional kilos of imitation cocaine. After meeting with the seller and verifying the cocaines presence, Marin left the room and retrieved the money from Gonzales and Pluto. He then gave $525,140 to the undercover agent. Marin and the agent were about to load the cocaine in Gonzales and Plutos vehicles when law enforcement announced themselves and arrested the three suspects. Gonzales pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and is to be sentenced by Ludington on Nov. 16. Pluto, who is Marins nephew, remains charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Marin in March 2012 was sentenced by Saginaw County Circuit Judge Janet M. Boes to 78 months to 25 years in prison on convictions of conducting a continuing criminal enterprise and possessing with intent to deliver 45 kilograms or more of marijuana. Those convictions resulted from police seizing 500 pounds of packaged marijuana in November 2010. Police seized about 200 plastic-wrapped packages containing about 2.5 pounds of marijuana each as well as a pistol, $14,000 in cash, three scales, less than 50 grams of cocaine, two vehicles, and other miscellaneous bags of marijuana. At the time, officials called it one of the biggest drug busts in Saginaws history, with the marijuanas estimated street value being about $500,000. Two codefendants were charged and convicted of related offenses alongside Marin. The Michigan Department of Corrections discharged Marin in July 2018. President Joe Biden will be sending two members of his camp to Michigan after the United Auto Workers and the Big Three automakers failed to negotiate a new contract before it expired Thursday. Biden announced in a livestream Friday, Sept. 15, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House Senior Adviser Gene Sperling will head to Detroit to offer their full support for the parties in reaching an agreement. He said the pair have been somewhat involved until now, although he didnt mention specifics as to how. The bottom line is that auto workers help create Americas middle class. They deserve a contract that sustains them in the middle class, Biden said. Related: UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time Other Democratic politicians also signaled support. Gov. Gretchen Whitmers account on X, formerly known as Twitter, made a post Friday afternoon saying she stands with UAW workers and remains hopeful that this strike can be resolved quickly. A contract for the nearly 150,000 UAW members across the country expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, prompting a strike. For the first time in the unions 88-year history all three Detroit automakers, Stellantis, Ford and General Motors, are the strike targets. The union directed three locals, only one in Michigan, to strike. Those locals represent Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri. Unlike previous strikes, the UAW is strategically selecting local union chapters to strike automakers on a rolling basis rather than a full walk out of all members. Early on in negotiations, Biden urged the union and the automakers to remain at the bargaining table as long as they could to work out a compromise. Now that the strike has begun, Biden noted Friday the companies record profits as reasoning behind why they should better provide for their workers. In the first half of 2023 alone, Ford, GM and Stellantis reportedly made a combined $21 billion in profits. Workers deserve a fair share of the benefit they help create for an enterprise, Biden said. Michigan legislative leaders Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, also spoke out in separate statements about the positive contributions auto workers make to Michigans economy. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigans 12th Congressional District seated in Detroit, was seen Friday morning outside with picketers at the Wayne plant. She told MLive the autoworkers helped keep the companies afloat during the Great Recession in 2009, but ended up taking the biggest hit when plants closed. (The Big Three) take care of their shareholders, they take care of everybody else but their workers, she said. WAYNE, MI Day one of the United Auto Workers strike against the Big Three began at Ford Michigan Assembly. The plant in Wayne was missing 3,000 UAW members who took their usual shift outside of the gates on the picket line. The Ford Michigan Assembly plant was one of three locations selected on Thursday night to start the strike against Ford, Stellantis and General Motors. Hundreds of workers picketed, while across Michigan Avenue the rest of Local 900 waited in line to register for strike benefits at the union hall. At 10 p.m. on Thursday, UAW President Shawn Fain announced three locals were selected to start the strike at midnight rather than a nationwide walkout. Those locals represent Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri. Related: UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time Ramona Jocys, 56, hopped on the picket line early. Although she wasnt scheduled to hold the line until Wednesday, she woke up at her usual 4:30 a.m. and clocked in for a strike shift instead of heading into the factory for her quality control job. Jocys started at Ford 33 years ago, fresh out of Kendalls College of Art and Design. Coming from a union family she knew a job on the line meant good pay and benefits just what she needed to launch her into adulthood. This became even more important when she had her daughter. When the automotive industry filed for bankruptcy is when Jocys noticed a shift in her workplace. The UAW reopened its 2007 contract to make concessions to ease the auto companys 2008 bankruptcy. We did it willingly, she said. They promised us when things got better, wed get what we lost back. Now that theyre making record breaking profits, they have amnesia. The 2008 concessions have been a main focal point in UAW negotiations. The union wants to reinstate key merits that were lost such as cost-of-living allowances and retiree pensions and healthcare. This is alongside more time off and higher wages. Ford CEO Jim Farley said if the contract met all of the UAW demands the company would go bankrupt. Stellantis released a statement after the strike began at midnight saying it was extremely disappointed and putting the company into contingency mode. General Motors Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, responded to the strike by saying, We shouldnt allow this to distract us any longer than is has to. The UAW brought forth its economic proposals early in the negotiation, a new tactic Fain said was meant to ward off automakers pushing a deal up until the deadline. The UAW filed bad faith bargaining claims against General Motors and Stellantis for allegedly not offering counter offers in a timely matter. Both companies say the claim is baseless. After the strike was announced Fain said the Big Three squandered their time. He and other leadership left the negotiating table to picket with workers at the Ford plant early Friday morning and paused bargaining for the day. Negotiations will resume over the weekend. The UAW is holding a rally and march starting 4 p.m. Friday at UAW-Ford Joint Trusts Center, on 151 W. Jefferson Ave in Detroit. Alongside Fain, Sen. Bernie Sanders is slated to speak. Hell join the growing list of Democrats showing support for the union. On Thursday night congress women Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib joined the crowd at midnight. U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin walked the picket line during Friday afternoon. At the White House, President Joe Biden announced hes sending acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House Senior Adviser Gene Sperling to Detroit to offer their full support for the parties in reaching an agreement. Related: Biden directs staff to aid Michigan in UAW-Big Three contract talks during strike The bottom line is that auto workers help create Americas middle class. They deserve a contract that sustains them in the middle class, Biden said. After weeks of stirring rhetoric from their president, United Auto Workers in Wayne walked out of the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant as the lone Michigan employees called to begin a historic strike against all three Detroit automakers. More than 100 workers, including strikers from the plants final assembly and paint, gathered Thursday at the UAW local 900 office outside the plant, which produces the Ford Ranger and Ford Bronco vehicles. UAW President Shawn Fain, drawing a crowd, joined them after negotiations with General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis failed to generate a new contract. There is a serious double standard in this country right now. There is a billionaire class and there is the rest of us, Fain said to a crowd outside the plant as the strike launched, starting at midnight Friday, Sept. 15. We are all expected to sit back and take the scraps. Earlier in a Facebook dispatch, he said the union had to show the world our fight is a righteous fight. We are not asking for too much, we are just asking for a regular living piece, said Joseph Douglas, who has worked at the Ford plant in Wayne for several months and was standing with strikers and holding a UAW sign. With that... I can get groceries again, I can get gas again. I dont have to rob Peter on some weeks and pay Paul on other weeks. You can knock out all your bills with one or two checks versus the whole month and still having things left over. Also asked to stand up are workers at the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri. UAW members at the companys remaining plants, including others throughout Michigan, are to continue working without a contract. RELATED: UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time The strike could escalate from here. The UAW is strategically selecting local union chapters to strike automakers on a rolling basis. If we need to go all out, we will, Fain said. Ford, Stellantis and GM responded late Thursday and early Friday with disappointment. Ford said it had submitted a historically generous offer with cost of living adjustments, more paid time off and additional retirement contributions. It called the unions terms including a demand to increase wages 40% unsustainable. I believe we made four compelling offers, each being adjusted based on the feedback we were getting from the UAW discussions, Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president, global manufacturing and sustainability, said in a Friday video response posted on the companys website. Teams will continue to negotiate to reach a fair contract which rewards team members and also protects our companys future, he said. We want everyone back to work, doing what we do best, producing vehicles for our customers and doing it safely and doing it as one team We shouldnt allow this to distract us any longer than it has to. I am confident we know how to find an agreement. LANSING, MI A new financial tool is available to help local governments in Michigan upgrade infrastructure to prepare for natural hazards and disasters. This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) selected Michigan as one of eight U.S. states and the District of Columbia splitting $50 million to help communities make structures more resilient to natural disasters. Michigan is receiving a $5.1 million capitalization grant from the program, named the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program. With that money, Michigan can provide low-interest loans to help communities secure additional capital needed for projects to protect against severe flooding, rising water levels, coastal erosion and other natural hazards. Eligible projects include improving flood control, implementing changes in zoning and land-use planning needed to adapt to a changing climate, and enforcing adoption of resilient building codes. The funding can also be put toward hazard mitigation assistance grant cost-share. Communities across Michigan have faced catastrophic challenges from recent severe storms and floods, and these types of disasters will only continue to increase, said Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat who authored the enabling legislation. Other states which received funding include Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Virginia. The announcement follows an August 24 tornado outbreak in lower Michigan which spawned seven twisters and severe storms that left one person dead and a path of destruction and power outages across Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne counties. This spring, record snowmelt and precipitation in Baraga, Gogebic, Iron, Marquette and Ontonagon counties overwhelmed stormwater and sewer systems, burst dams and washed out culverts and embankments in April and May. Experts say the decision for only a percentage of the UAWs roughly 150,000 members to go on strike this week is part of an overarching strategy to disrupt the Big Threes operations while preserving union resources. By starting with a few select plants, the unions unpredictable actions give them the advantage and make it harder for Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis to make coinciding decisions about inventory and finances, labor experts said. Automakers know to stock up their supply of vehicles ahead of a pending strike. However, once that supply dwindles, it may be difficult to recoup without a stockpile of parts said Jeffrey Rothstein, a sociology professor at Grand Valley State University with a background in labor relations. Unlike previous strikes, the UAW is strategically selecting local union chapters to strike automakers on a rolling basis rather than a full walk-out of all members. The union is also going after all three companies rather than picking one target, a first in the unions 88-year history. Related: UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time Those initially selected locals represent Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and the General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri. These facilities produce some of the companys best-selling vehicles, including the Ford Ranger, the Jeep Wrangler and the Chevrolet Colorado. As the clock struck midnight Friday, Sept. 15, United Auto Workers at the three different plants walked off lines in protest over failed contract negotiations with the Big Three. Related: UAW strike may test car buyers patience, again The UAWs plan relieves pressure on the union, too, in the event that they need to extend the length of the strike, labor experts said. While in the midst of negotiations, it was unclear what actions union leaders would take. There were talks of what would happen if they had to take the most drastic course, all plants striking simultaneously. Experts believed such a move would have drained the unions $825 million strike fund within three months. By doing targeted strikes, theyll be able to save money and pay non-working members $500 a week, as well as their health insurance premiums. UAW President Shawn Fain has said previously local unions not called upon will continue to work under expired agreements. I think part of the thinking is they can inflict greater harm on the automakers than theyre going to experience if they just do targeted strike action, Rothstein said. Whereas, if they pull all workers out of all the plants, thats a very high stakes action for the union. Then, theres the possibility the union wont have to instruct additional workers to walk off the job at all. By hitting key plants, it creates a bottleneck effect that could cause other plants to shut down if they dont have the parts they need, said Michelle Fecteau, director of the Center for Labor and Community Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. If this happens, workers may be able to collect unemployment benefits and avoid depleting the unions strike fund even further. The more aggressive tactics taken by Fain and the new union leadership team signals to members that things dont have to be the way they used to, Rothstein said. The UAW has had the same style of negotiations for the last 60 or 70 years, he added. This traditionally meant focusing on one company. The last UAW strike against General Motors in 2019, for example, involved nearly 50,000 workers at more than 50 plants and lasted six weeks. Members directly elected Fain in March, and he has taken a more confrontational approach than previous leadership in his dealings with the auto companies. This leadership came into office promising the membership that it was going to do this... they were not going to take no for an answer, Rothstein said. So, yes, this is completely consistent with what they said they want to accomplish and how theyre going to accomplish it. Heads of the Detroit-based auto manufacturers have said some of the unions requests are not feasible. In an interview with CNBC Thursday night, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the unions proposal of a 40% wage hike, in addition to shortened work weeks, would put the company into bankruptcy. After the strike start, the Big Three expressed disappointment. Ford said it had made a historically generous offer. GM said it made four compelling proposals. Stellantis lamented the unions refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement. Ford warned of the strikes wide-ranging consequences for the automotive business. the economy and its 57,000 UAW-Ford workers. Similar to Rothstein, Fecteau characterized the unions actions as a more thoughtful approach than seen in years past. The UAW is in a better position as positivity about unions reached an almost 60-year high 71% of Americans approved of labor unions in 2022, according to a Gallup poll. Pressure has been building from membership, too. Employees say theyre tired of working for low-quality benefits and pay that doesnt match the cost of living. I do think a lot of the membership are really tired of sacrificing, especially in a lower tier, Fecteau said. Its been building and, as you see these people at the top just making hand over fist money, doing well financially. Ford, GM and Stellantis reportedly made a combined $21 billion in profits during the first half of 2023. Given the parties positions, a settlement being reached soon is unlikely unless something really drastic happens, Fecteau said. If theres no movement on negotiations, she estimates the next plant will go on strike within days. The union can pull that trigger pretty quickly, she said. Fain himself reiterated the idea of a simultaneous walk out Thursday night, stating that everything is on the table. Because the UAW knows the soft spots, they almost certainly have the next strike locations already mapped out, Rothstein said. This might be new and surprising to those of us watching, but I would be quite confident that the union leadership has a strategy... this is not being done ad hoc or on a whim, he said. Sign up to get positive Black news stories, words of affirmation and weekly curated playlists delivered to your inbox twice a week: Enter your email to subscribe to Black Joy. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was an act of racial terrorism, but it didnt erode the warmth of the McNair family. Evidence of this can be found in the living room of the McNair home in Birmingham, Ala. The architecture of the space evokes the feeling of a church celebrating Black life with its high, vaulted ceilings, wooden beams and collection of family photographs adorning the walls and tables. Above a piano is a large picture of Chris McNair and his wife, Maxine, smiling on their wedding day in 1950. Nearby, theres a wide shot of Maxine singing in the choir during the 50th class reunion at their alma mater Tuskegee University. Across the room, theres a picture of Chris mother and father sharing a drink during their 50th wedding anniversary. Beaming throughout the collection is the smile of Denise McNair, Chris and Maxines first born child who was killed during the church bombing on Sept. 15, 1963. At 11 years old, Denise was the youngest victim of a bombing that also murdered 14-year-olds Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins and Carole Robertson. Denises death left a heavy absence in the couples lives, and they knew racial oppression would be a constant presence in the world. But as people of faith, they didnt allow that reality to consume their wellbeing. They added more richness to their life by expanding their family. Lisa McNair was born almost a year after the bombing. About four years later, the McNairs welcomed a new bundle of joy, Kimberly McNair Brock. Chris, a professional photographer, snapped a picture of a young Lisa smiling at her new sibling the day Maxine brought Kimberly home. They were black people in America, and they knew that sometimes this stuff just goes on for a while, but theres not anything you can do about it, Lisa said. So you need to turn it over to the Lord, decide youre going to move forward, and then the joys that are in life that come to you, you take them. You make the best of those wonderful opportunities. Death didnt stop Lisa from bonding with her older sister. She pieced together Denises personality in clever ways. Some of it was through family stories that illustrated Denises silly personality. Most of it was through the photos of Denise taking her first steps, petting the family dogs, hugging a baby doll or posing next to her cousin, Lynn - a family member Denise was close to in age and spirit. Denise McNair, one of the victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing poses in the front yard with her dog Whitey in 1962 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Chris McNair/Getty Images)Getty Images Denises jolly attitude speaks to her jovial and serene upbringing. Lisa described her father as a man who would liven the environment with laughter. He was a jokester who would make funny nicknames for his daughters and would do a funky little dance sometimes when he heard music. You know how parents think they are cool, but theyre not, Lisa laughed. It was just small things like that. Maxine was known as a dedicated educator who positively influenced her students during her 33-year tenure with Birmingham City Schools. It would be 30 years before Klu Klux Klan members were convicted of the bombing, but Lisa said her mother carried a calm spirit. My mother was a very happy person, Lisa said. She just knew how to have peace peace of God and joy. She also was known for her very powerful singing voice. Dale Long, a friend of the family who was the same age as Denise when he stumbled out the wreckage of the bombing, remembers being awed by Maxines singing voice. She had a voice that you wouldnt believe, Long said. I mean, she would sing like a bird in the choir. I was just overwhelmed even as a child. When the choir was doing something and she was the soloist I mean, just unbelievable. Bombing victim Denise McNair in front of her home with her mother Maxine McNair on Mother's Day 1963(Photo by Chris McNair/Getty Images)Getty Images While Lisa knew her parents grieved Denises death, her parents didnt let that dominate the household. They didnt walk around and say, Well, Denise would have done this. Denise would have done that, Lisa said. They made a whole life for us and tried to bring us joy and happiness. Beyond the photos, Lisa deepened the connection to her sister through her book Dear Denise: Letters to the Sister I Never Knew. From 2006 until 2017, Lisa poignantly wrote to her sister as if she was catching her up on her life. Lisa even went as far as describing to Denise certain items a girl born in the 1950s wouldnt understand, like cable television and Internet. The book was a cathartic experience for Lisa. With so many changes going on in the country during her childhood, authoring a book had been a goal of hers since she was 14. A friend of Lisas suggested that she write the book as if she was talking to Denise. So getting the book published in 2022 was both a goal and a gift for Lisa as she discovered another way to bond with her sister. My life was much more integrated than her life was, Lisa said. And I wanted to share with the world what it was really like for me being part of the first generation of African Americans to move freely in this country after segregation. Chris McNair holds his daughter, Denise, in a self-portrait taken around 1954. Denise McNair died in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. Credit Christ McNair. Getty Images. Chris also played a role capturing the changing racial tides of the nation. The familys massive photo collection is a loud testament to Chris mastery in photography. His camera was a constant companion of his, putting him in a position to give the world glimpses of the movement work happening in Birmingham at the time photograph by photograph. He had photos featured in Ebony and Jet magazines. Getty Images, which has the worlds largest privately-owned photographic archive, recently reached out to the family to get access to Chris pictures. About a week before the 60th commemoration of the church bombing, Lisa and Kimberly spent a Sunday afternoon peering through a large, black photo album full of prints depicting different angles of the Civil Rights Movement. Theres a picture of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his attorney Orzell Billingsley leaving Birmingham jail, where King penned the infamous letter criticizing white clergy members for not actively fighting against unjust laws that upheld the status quo of racial oppression. Another photo shows King, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and other prominent Civil Rights legends hosting a press conference after Kings release from jail. Lisas favorite photos are more candid in nature. She smiles down at a snapshot of King and his wife Coretta laughing as activist Dick Gregory cracked jokes during the 1965 Southern Christian Leadership Conference banquet in Birmingham. Coretta laughed so hard she messed her makeup up and had to get herself together, Lisa chuckled. Seeing them as regular people just sitting in the audience is really cool because they dont talk about them just attending a conference and having lunch. During an SCLC banquet at the Redmont Hotel, American comedian and Civil Rights activist Dick Gregory (1932 - 2017) (standing) speaks from a lectern as, seated from left, married couple Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929 - 1968) & Coretta Scott King (1927 - 2006), politician Constance Baker Motley (1921 - 2005), and Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005) all laugh, Birmingham, Alabama, August 1965. (Photo by Chris McNair/Getty Images)Getty Images The album was just a fraction of Chris photography from that time. Lisa said her dad didnt print his work for about 40 years. Boxes and filing cabinets would be full of his negatives. Lisa and Kimberly are still finding hidden gems in the film and photo slides: family photos of them frolicking in the backyard when they were kids and a snapshot of Kings oldest child, Yolanda, glancing at Chris camera during a day out with her father. Chris started printing his photographs in the late 90s and early-2000s. Although her dad had talked about the history of the photos, Lisa was awed when she first saw the prints. I was like, Oh, this is a jackpot here, Lisa said. We want the rest of the world to see these. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and Coretta Scott King lock arms while singing at the SCLC Conference on August 10, 1965 in Birmingham, Alabama (Photo by Chris McNair/Getty Images)Getty Images Beyond his photography business, Chris forged a political career that started in 1973, when he became one of the first African Americans to land a seat in the Alabama State House of Representatives. He also served 15 years on the Jefferson County Commission before he passed away in May 2019. In his honor, Lisa and Kimberly curated a free exhibit this fall at Birmingham City Hall that they believe would make their dad proud. Over the past several weeks, onlookers experienced the movement from his point of view. Lisa thinks about the impact of her fathers photos. I love that this is his legacy, she said. I dont think he really knew what his legacy was. He thought it was something else, but us and these images are his legacy. They are history, Kimberly added. In the back of the photo album, Lisa points to another example of her fathers artistic range: a picture of Denise McNair on canvas. The photo was originally in black and white, but Chris added life to it with colored pencils and his attention to detail. He made sure he got the shading right as the light shines on Denises hair. Catch lights sparkle in her eyes. Its one of Lisas favorite photos of Denise, who she hopes the world wont forget. Lisa is worried about how politics will affect her sisters story as lawmakers try to erase and sanitize Black history. Florida students, teachers and parents are challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis decision to ban an Advanced Placement African American studies course. DeSantis also supported a new state history curriculum claiming Black people benefited from slavery. The bans and policies are already affecting the McNair family. Lisa said a Florida school system prevented her from speaking during a civic event in April because school officials were afraid she was going to mention critical race theory. Lawmakers like DeSantis believe these measures will protect children from being indoctrinated with woke ideologies. But Lisa believes this is a matter of white guilt. As more Black people are coming forward to tell their stories of racial trauma, Lisa said white children are asking their family members if they participated in slavery, lynchings or other discriminatory acts, which makes white people feel uncomfortable. But prioritizing white comfort over the truth of history can be dangerous. What are you gonna do about that discomfort? Thats the question, Lisa said. Black history, such as the history of the girls in the church, is our shared American history. Unless we know our history, were destined to repeat our history. Rena Murshud First Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party, former Prime Minister of Turkiye, Binali Yildirim congratulated Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from occupation, Azernews reports. He wrote about this on the social network X. Congratulations on the 105th anniversary of the liberation of the capital of Azerbaijan, the beautiful city of Baku, from occupation, the publication says. Let us note that today marks 105 years since the liberation of Baku from the Armenian-Bolshevik forces. On September 15, 1918, Azerbaijani and Turkish soldiers, having liberated the city from the Bolshevik-Dashnak junta, wrote a glorious page in the history of our country. Brazils Central Bank Pix Joins Ramp Networks Payment Solutions Source: Adobe / Timon Crypto startup Ramp Network has integrated Pix, a payment method offered by the Central Bank of Brazil. The integration of Pix is expected to significantly ease onboarding to crypto for both individuals and businesses in Brazil, given the widespread use of the payment method in the country. The move to add Pix comes after Ramp Network first added support for the Brazilian real and a number of other fiat currencies earlier this year. The news was announced by Ramp Network in a thread on social media platform X on Thursday, after teasing the community for several days that a major Brazil-related announcement was coming. Among other things, the team said in the thread that Pix users in Brazil now have instant & direct access to the fastest, easiest, & most convenient way of onboarding into our beloved web3 space. Brazil, we have arrived. We're bursting with joy to tell you that we have now enabled PIX as a payment method via Ramp! Buy crypto via Pix here: https://t.co/yDl4ZrVwOx pic.twitter.com/0CKxIoyTJ8 Ramp (@RampNetwork) September 14, 2023 Pix allows users to send payments in seconds, and was introduced by Brazils central bank Banco Central do Brasil in 2021. The payment system is today said to be used by more than 70% of Brazilians. Ramp Network offers payment solutions and fiat gateways that connects crypto to the fiat economy, and the team says their solutions enable crypto projects to easily onboard their next million users into web3. The firm established a local presence in Brazil in July this year with a goal to strengthen its footprint throughout Latin America. In addition to Brazil, Ramp Network has offices in the UK, US, and Poland, and employs more than 160 people around the world. Sign up for Reckons latest newsletter dedicated to the fight for reproductive justice, a weekly repro rundown covering the good, the fair-to-middlin' and the ugly in repro news. Enter your email to subscribe to Reproductive Justice with Reckon. When she was around 22 weeks pregnant, the patient found out that the son she was carrying didnt have kidneys and his lungs wouldnt develop. If he survived the birth, he would struggle to breathe and die within hours. The patient had a crushing decision to make: continue the pregnancy which could be a risk to her health and her ability to have children in the future or have an abortion. I dont think I stopped crying for an entire two weeks, she said. The whole world felt heavy. Its not something anybody should have to go through. Its not easy losing somebody you love. KFF Health News is not disclosing the womans name or the name of the community where she lives, because she fears harm if her identity becomes known. She lives in Missouri, which has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation. KFF Health News confirmed details of her experience. After the fetal diagnosis, the patients Missouri doctors told her that her life wasnt in immediate danger, but they also pointed out the risks of carrying the pregnancy to term. And in her family, theres a history of hemorrhaging while giving birth. If she started to bleed, her doctors said, she might lose her uterus, too. The patient said this possibility was devastating. Shes a young mom who wants more children. So she chose to get an abortion. Her Missouri doctors told her it was the safest option but they wouldnt provide one. The patient had to leave Missouri and cross the border to Illinois, which has become a legal haven for abortion rights. Because of her complicated pregnancy, she received the abortion in a hospital. Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, determining who can get an abortion and where has been complicated by medically ambiguous language in new state laws that ban or restrict abortion. Doctors in those states fear they could lose their medical licenses or wind up in jail. Amid these changes, physicians in abortion havens such as Illinois are stepping up to fill the void and provide care to as many patients as possible. But getting each medically complex patient connected to a doctor and a hospital has been logistically complicated. In response to the growing demand, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, recently launched a state program with a goal to get patients who show up at clinics, yet need a higher level of abortion care, connected more quickly with Illinois hospitals. Providers will call a hotline to reach nurses who will handle the logistics. There is little concrete data on how many more patients are traveling to other states for abortions at hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks some abortion data regarding out-of-state patients but doesnt collect it based on the type of facility theyre performed in. Hospitals are a black box for abortion-related data, according to Rachel Jones, a longtime researcher at the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute. Even before Roe fell, it was hard to wade through the hospital bureaucracy to understand more comprehensively how abortion care was provided, Jones said. Guttmacher has tracked hospital-based abortions in the past but doesnt have updated figures since Dobbs. #WeCount, widely considered a reliable tracker of shifts in abortion care over the past year, doesnt break out hospital data separately. #WeCount co-chair Ushma Upadhyay said the data would have gaps anyway. She said its been difficult to get providers in banned states to report whats happening. The Uncertainties Behind Life Exceptions All 15 states that ban abortions do allow exceptions to save the life of the pregnant person, according to tracking from the health policy nonprofit KFF. But exactly when the persons life is considered at risk is open to interpretation. Its very, very difficult to get an exception, said Alina Salganicoff, director of womens health policy at KFF. Its like, How imminent is this threat? And in many cases, patients cant wait until theyre about to die before they get an abortion. The latest ban in Indiana took effect at the end of August. In 2020, when Roe was still the law of the land, only 3% of abortions typically occurred in hospitals. Now, OB-GYNs in Chicago and other places across the U.S. that protect abortion rights say out-of-state patients are increasingly showing up to get abortion care at hospitals. Those more complex procedures and hospital stays often bring higher medical bills. More patients now need help covering the expensive price tag of the procedures, according to medical providers and abortion funds that provide financial assistance. The patient from Missouri made her way to Laura Laursen, an OB-GYN at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in May. The number of out-of-state abortions at Rush has quadrupled since Roe was overturned, Laursen said. Laursen received the patients consent to discuss her case with NPR and KFF Health News. She recalled the patient was frustrated about having to jump through so many hoops to get the abortion, and stressed about the cost of being in a hospital. The biggest thing was just making space for her to express those emotions, Laursen said. Making sure that she felt comfortable with all the decisions she was making. And trying to make her feel as empowered as possible. The patients life wasnt immediately threatened, but it was safer for her to have an abortion than remain pregnant, Laursen said. Im constantly hearing stories from my partners across the country of trying to figure out what counts as imminent danger, Laursen said. Were trying to prevent danger. Were not trying to get to the point where someones an emergency. Sending Patients Over State Lines for Care Jennifer McIntosh is an OB-GYN in Milwaukee who specializes in high-risk patients. Because of Wisconsins abortion ban, shes referring more patients out of state. Its really awful, McIntosh said, recalling difficult conversations with patients who wanted to be pregnant, but whose babies faced dire outcomes. She would tell them: Yes, its very reasonable to get an abortion. But oh, by the way, its illegal in your own state. So now on top of this terrible news, Im going to tell you that you have to figure out how to leave the state to get an abortion. In some cases, McIntosh can provide an abortion if the medical risk is significant enough to satisfy Wisconsins life-of-the-mother exception. But it feels legally risky, she said. Am I worried that someone might think that it doesnt satisfy that? McIntosh said. Absolutely, that terrifies me. Jonah Fleishers phone is often ringing and buzzing with texts. An OB-GYN who specializes in abortion and contraception at the University of Illinois health system, near Rush hospital in Chicago, Fleisher is frequently asked to see how quickly he can squeeze in another patient from another state. Since Roe fell, Fleisher estimated, the health system is treating at least three times as many patients who are traveling from other states for abortion care. He worries about the invisible patients who live in states with abortion bans and never make it to his hospital. They may have medical problems that complicate their pregnancies yet dont know how to navigate the logistics required to make their way over state lines to his exam room, or dont have the financial resources. I know that some number of those women are not going to make it through birth and postpartum, Fleisher said. More than the stress of somebody whos actually making it to see me, thats the thing that causes me more stress. Medical costs, in addition to travel, are a big obstacle for high-risk patients seeking abortion care at hospitals. The patient from Missouri owed around $6,000 for her hospital stay, Laursen said. Her bill was covered by local and national abortion funds. Some hospital bills can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars for more complicated procedures, according to the funds. The Chicago Abortion Fund pledged to cover just over $440,000 in hospital bills for 224 patients in the year following Dobbs, according to Meghan Daniel, CAFs director of services. Those bills were primarily for out-of-state patients. By comparison, in the year that preceded Dobbs, CAF helped cover just over $11,000 for 27 patients. This increase in patients needing financial help for out-of-state abortion care is happening across the nation. In many cases, patients have a hard time accessing abortion care, and the delays push them further into their pregnancies until they need to have the procedure in a hospital, said Melissa Fowler, chief program officer at the National Abortion Federation. And that costs much more. Were seeing more cases right now [of] people who are later in gestation, Fowler said. More adolescents who are later in gestation, who are showing up at hospitals because this is really their last resort. Theyve been referred all over. All of this raises questions about how long these funds can afford to help. The current financial way in which people are paying for their abortions I fear is not sustainable, Fleisher said. Nonprofit hospitals could help. In return for getting tax breaks, they have financial assistance policies for people who are uninsured or cant afford their medical bills. But the policy at UI Health in Chicago, for example, covers only Illinois residents. UI Health spokesperson Jackie Carey said that for other patients, including those who live in other states, the hospital offers discounts if they dont have insurance, or if their insurance wont pay. Laursen argues out-of-state Medicaid plans and insurance companies should be picking up the tab. Whose responsibility is this? she asked. Not Ready to Let Go Back in Missouri, the patient has a special room dedicated to her son. She brought home a recording of his heartbeat and keeps his remains in a heart-shaped casket. She talks to her son, tells him how much she loves him. Im just not ready to let him go, the patient said. Even though theyre not here on Earth anymore, you still see them in your dreams. Shes working on healing emotionally and physically. And while shes thankful that she was able to travel to Illinois for care, the experience made her angry with her home state. Theres a lot of good people out there who go through a lot of unfortunate situations like me who need abortion care, the patient said. To have that taken away by the government, it just doesnt feel right. This article is from a partnership that includes WBEZ, NPR, and KFF Health News. Hurricane Lee continues to churn in the Atlantic today, impacting many islands as it approaches the East Coast and Canada, traveling at around 18 mph. The storm is expected to continue along its north-northeast track and will be impacting the northern East Coast this weekend as well as portions of Canada, causing poor weather conditions until its remnants move out of the area on Sunday. A graphic of the forecasted path of Hurricane Lee. By this afternoon, Hurricane Lees impacts will be felt along the coasts of southern New England, with tropical storm conditions expected along the coast. Tropical Storm Warnings are already in effect for the area, with winds up to 30-40 mph and gusts potentially reaching 60 mph. Localized flooding is also possible, with rain totals reaching 2-4 inches depending on the hurricane track and where it makes landfall. Hurricane Lee will move north throughout the night and into Saturday before shifting more northeastward, affecting more of New England and portions of Canada as we move into Saturday. Tropical storm wind probability as Hurricane Lee approaches New England and Canada. Besides locally heavy rainfall and strong winds, the risk of dangerous surf and rip currents is also high for areas along the coastline. Swells caused by Hurricane Lee and powerful rip currents could impact islands in the Atlantic as well as the New England and Canadian coastlines. Some storm surge is also a possibility, with 1-3 feet of storm surge possible in areas including the Long Island Sound, Cape Cod, Boston Harbor, Flushing, New York, and portions of the Canadian border. The Rockway Inlet and Montauk Point, New York could also see 1-2 feet of storm surge. The amount of storm surge expected from Hurricane Lee as it approaches New England. Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall in Canada around Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick and Shelburne County, Nova Scotia by Saturday night. Areas around these locations will most likely have higher impact from Hurricane Lee, and Environment Canada has put out hurricane watches for portions of the region as well as rainfall and wind warnings that could be expanded later today. Heavy rains up to 4 inches, strong winds up to 60 mph, and storm surge up to 5 feet are all expected for this portion of Canada. Large waves are also expected along the coast, since strong winds will be accompanying the storm surge. Since flooding and strong winds are possible as we head into Saturday for New England, its a good idea for anyone there to be prepared. If you have friends or relatives living in the area, make sure theyre weather-aware and keep up with the updates put out by the National Hurricane Center and Environment Canada if they live outside of the country. Avoid the coastline as the hurricane passes, and do not enter the water, since strong rip currents and large waves are a risk. If the storm surge occurs during high tide, storm surge could be intensified. Impacts from storm surge could be more on the local scale, so having people watch for updates from their local National Weather Service stations will be important. Some power outages could be possible with the strong winds, and localized road flooding could occur with the heavy rains. Avoiding downed power lines is a must, and turning around to avoid flooding rather than entering floodwaters is important. Trees and tree limbs could fall due to the strong winds, and loose objects could be blown around in strong gusts. In a latest revelation, renowned TV and radio presenter, Kofi Okyere Darko (KOD), shed light on his exit from EIB Network, owners of popular media houses Starr FM, Ghone TV, and Kasapa FM. Contrary to prior reports, KOD firmly asserted that he was not terminated from his position at the network. With a noteworthy five-year tenure at EIB, KOD clarified that his departure in 2020 was the result of mutual agreement. He disclosed that he, along with several of his colleagues, chose to leave due to prolonged issues involving unpaid salaries. In May 2020, multiple media outlets had circulated reports suggesting that KOD and Jon Germain had been dismissed from EIB Network due to alleged plans to undermine the companys leadership. However, KOD refuted these claims during an appearance on Joy Prime with Roselyn Feli. According to him, he was disappointed that Bola Ray, whom he referred to as his brother within the EIB Network, did not publicly address the allegations of his dismissal. KOD elaborated on the challenges they faced, citing the closure of Unibank and difficulties in meeting financial obligations, especially amid the looming national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He recounted his efforts to resolve the salary crisis by discussing the matter privately with key individuals within the network. He stressed that his decision to assist in managing the crisis was unfortunately misconstrued as a coup, an accusation he vehemently denied. He further explained that reports of mass terminations from the network were not a situation of employees being sacked but rather a widespread departure as individuals pursued opportunities in other radio stations and projects. He therefore expressed disappointment that despite his close relationship with Bola Ray, the network had not taken the opportunity to clarify the circumstances surrounding their departures. I told Bola I was going to take a walk. I was going to take a leave without pay until things went down. So I took a walk and we were cool. Then I got a call from someone that I planned a coup with Jon Germaine and that we had been instigating people. So I called Bola and he said I know how people talk. Bola is not my friend, he is my brother so I let it go, he said. He continued, Bola called me another time and said now we have a challenge paying bills, this is what he is suggesting, he wanted me to go off Starr FMand have my show running on Ghone TV which was good news to me. so I took a walk. We signed mutual separation documents; they are in my car somehow and that was it. And that was how I left. According to him, he was surprised when he subsequently heard that they were sacked. I don't think anyone was sacked. It was a mass exodus of people at the time. People were moving into other radio stations. Others were doing their thing. It wasn't a sack. By Francis Addo The Africa Union's entry into the G20 group of the world's most powerful economies highlights the continent's growing influence and gives its leaders a stronger voice in global decision-making. African leaders applauded the move for better representing the Global South and recognising Africa in multilateral debate on problems such as climate change where it has often been the most affected but least consulted. With China and Russia asserting more influence and BRICS trade group expanding to include Egypt and Ethiopia, analysts and experts said the G20 decision also shows Africa's weight as a global player in its own right. The 55-member Africa Union joining G20 brings along the fastest-growing continent with the youngest population and huge potential to contribute to developing green transitions. "It is significant for Africa to be recognised and included. What it actually does with this membership remains to be seen," said Steven Gruzd, head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs. "It will certainly help put African issues on the international agenda, with AU in the heart of discussions." Headquartered in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, the AU has 55 member states though several are currently suspended after military coups. Pressure for G20 membership quickened this year with Senegal's President Macky Sall saying an AU seat would undo an "injustice" and EU central bank chief Christine Lagarde urging more weight for Africa in financial institutions. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the call for the AU to join the G20 at a weekend summit in New Dehli. "Africa's permanent membership of the G20 means it has been recognised as a key player on the world economic landscape," Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema said on X, formerly Twitter. "African countries must now leverage this position to accelerate development of their economies and their young populations." Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who wants to put his country, Africa's largest economy and most populous nation, back on the map as a regional heavyweight, welcomed the move towards greater inclusion. Tinubu, who heads the regional West African bloc ECOWAS, said Nigeria also looked to play a larger role. "Nigeria is poised, able and willing to be a major player in this family of the G20 and in shaping a new world, without whom, the family will remain incomplete," he said in a statement. BRICS rising Solomon Ayele Dersso, founding director of Amani African Media and Research Services think tank, said the G20 membership allowed Africa to shift identity from "being the object of decision making to an agent of decision making". "It brings a much-needed injection of legitimacy to the group, considering that some of the decisions that it adopts have far-reaching consequences for people who didn't have really a say on those decisions," he said. Analysts said while the AU already had a formula for reaching common positions among its 55 members, it would require some structures to build on that to work on G20 matters. Hannah Ryder, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Africa Program, said the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) showed how AU members worked on economic issues compared to some other free trade agreements. "It's the largest free trade area by number of countries and benchmarked against other new FTAs... is showing greater progress in terms of new protocols, piloted traded goods," she said. Climate change is certainly one issue where Africa will seek to have more of a voice on global decisions. African leaders met in Nairobi this month for a climate summit where they urged changes to global financing and support for the continent's development of renewable energy. Africa nations may also look to have more say in how global financial decisions impact the continent, said William Gumede, chairman of the Democracy Works Foundation, a Johannesburg-based think tank. "Africa will also put on the table that monetary policy in Western countries must be done in a way that doesn't harm African countries," he said. But the growth of Chinese and US rivalry, Russia's push to extend its influence and the expansion of BRICS as a competing economic group also underscored Africa's importance. "The timing underlines the continent's renewed role as a diplomatic battleground," Gumede said. "I think it then becomes critical strategically for the G7 and G20 to try to bring in more of the bigger developing country economies." Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Adwoa Sarfo has finally broken her long silence to apologize for her frequent absences from Parliament without permission. But her plea for repentance rings hollow and does little to remedy the distrust she has sewed. Adwoa Sarfo claims her misconduct was not deliberate and cites personal issues as the cause. But that begs the question - where was this explanation for the past year as Ghanaians demanded answers? She ignored repeated calls to return to duty and face the consequences of her actions. Now she comes forward only because the heat has intensified and she probably has plans for re-election, after escaping calls for her to be officially removed from Parliament. It seems her supposed repentance is motivated more by self-preservation than genuine remorse. Even more bizarre is the fact that she could spend time on TikTok but couldn't get time for Ghanaians to explain herself like she claim to have done now. She snubbed her parliamentary responsibilities for months on end with no care for how her absence impacted governanceher own partys. She did not seem concerned about letting down her constituents who elected her. If her apology was sincere, the honourable thing for Sarfo to do now would be to quit politics. Ghanaians will not so easily forget how she treated the duties of public service with such contempt. We should not accept empty words after the damage is already done. Adwoa Sarfo has proven she cannot be trusted to serve the people. It's time for her to take her final bow from politics and make room for representatives who will show up for work every day. Only a full exit can even begin to make amends. Her long overdue 'apology' changes nothing. The only acceptable response is for her to exit the political stage for good. Ghanaians deserve better than representatives who treat their mandates as optional. The German government said it has stopped taking in migrants from Italy under a European voluntary solidarity plan, in what could shape up to be a new standoff over asylum seekers in the bloc. This comes as the Italian island of Lampedusa receives a record number of new arrivals. Berlin has informed Rome of its decision to postpone its intake of migrants until further notice. "Given the currently high migratory pressure on Germany, the ongoing suspension of Dublin transfers by some member states, including Italy, reinforces the major challenges Germany is currently facing in terms of its reception and accommodation capacity," said a spokesman for the interior ministry. The voluntary scheme was aimed at easing pressure on the border nations of the European Union, which are often the first port of call for migrants. Under the mechanism, Germany was due to receive 3,500 asylum seekers who had first sought refuge in Italy. But only 1,700 have reached Germany before Berlin decided to pause the intake. Response to the Dublin agreement Under the so-called Dublin procedure, irregular migrants should be registered in the EU country they first enter. If they try to head to another nation in the bloc, they could be returned to their EU first port of call. But Mediterranean countries like Italy have argued that the rules place an excessive burden on border nations, particularly since new arrivals often want to move on and live in other EU countries. In response, Germany volunteered to take in asylum seekers, and over a million arrived, mainly from Syria and Iraq, between 2015-2016, before the arrival numbers began falling sharply. But over the last year, authorities have recorded a big uptick in arrivals again. Latest numbers provided by federal police show 15,100 irregular migrants arrived in August, up 40 percent from July's 10,714. Meloni call for help Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday she was not surprised by Berlin's decision. Her far-right party won elections a year ago on a promise to stop mass migration, and her government temporarily suspended the Dublin rules in December, pointing to "purely technical reasons" linked to over-worked reception centres or hotspots. She repeated her call for more EU help, adding: "Our hotspots are full". adding that the issue of relocation was secondary. "The question is stopping arrivals into Italy. I still don't see any concrete answers," Meloni said. Lampedusa emergency The number of migrants arriving in Italy after crossing on boats from North Africa has surged this year, at almost 124,000 since January. That's up from 65,500 during the same period in 2022, according to government data. Many land on the island of Lampedusa, where the reception centre on Wednesday warned it was reaching critical capacity. Some 7,000 migrants arrived in a span of just over 24 hours, a number that is a few hundred higher than the isle's full-time population. The Italian Red Cross said more than 100 landings within a few hours left it hosting more than 6,000 people in a facility built for fewer than 400. "The situation is difficult," the charity said, warning of the risk of passing a "critical threshold". The authorities of Lampedusa, especially one of the mayors, Filippo Mannino, called for help. Located just 145 kilometres off the coast of Tunisia, Lampedusa is one of the first points of call for migrants crossing the Mediterranean. (with newswires) 14.09.2023 LISTEN Mr Samuel Romulus Okine, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Awutu EMASA Rural Bank Limited, has called on the Bank of Ghana to clarify the relationship between ARB Apex Bank and rural banks. He said the Board wanted to be sure of the ARB Apex Bank's role; whether it was a regulator, supervisor or mother bank for rural banks. Mr Okine sought the clarification in an address delivered at the 32nd Annual General Meeting of the Bank at Awutu in the Central Region, attended by shareholders and chief executive officers of sister rural and community banks. He said there were inconsistencies in the review teams of the Bank of Ghana's report on affairs of rural banks and called for a mechanism to ensure consistency in the execution of their duties to help move rural banks forward. On Governance, Mr Okine asked for the reason why rural banks and other deposit takers institutions had separate governance directives. The Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930) was there to direct all deposit takers (banks) on their operations, he said, and that he saw no reason why there were differences in governance directives in the banking industry. Mr Okine, therefore, suggested a standard regulatory governance directive for all players in the banking sector. The Board Chairman noted that whenever the systems were up-graded, transactions, which had not been originated from rural banks, at times reflected in their transactions space. There was a time when the system was upgraded, and a loan of 1,000 Ghana cedis reflected on the space of EMASA Rural Bank, which it did not originate, he said, and called for such corrections to be made. On Inter-Agencies and In-Companies; he emphasised the need for immediate action to address challenges surrounding the system in order that their balance would go to nil at the end of every year, to protect it from crashing. Mr Okine appealed to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to direct District and Municipal Assemblies to deposit their Common Fund with the bank, to boost its operations and corporate social responsibility. He announced that the bank's total operating income stood at GHC2, 873,183.00 in 2022, compared to GHC2,287,212.00 in 2021, representing about 20.39 per cent increase. However, it made a loss of GHC720,736. 00 by December 31, 2022, saying that was because of continuous yearly bad debt provision of GHC850,000.00. I therefore take this opportunity to appeal to all customers who have defaulted in paying their debts to do well to settle their indebtedness, the Chairman said. The total deposit of the bank as at December 31, 2022, stood at GHC16, 363,170.00, representing about 12.32 per cent increase over the 2021 figure of GHC14, 567,901.00. Loans and advances also stood at GHC4,662,117.00 in 2022, compared to CHC5,468,736.00 in 2021, representing a decrease of about 14.75 per cent. He appealed to all customers who had defaulted in paying their debts to do well to settle that indebtedness. The bank's total investment increased from GHC2,320,634.00 in 2021 to CHC4,120,634.00 in 2022, representing about 77.56 per cent increase, while its assets increased from GHC16, 298.790.00 in 2021 to GHc17, 875,831.00 in 2022, with a growth of about 9.69 per cent. Total deposits as at December 31, 2022, stood at GHC16, 363,170.00 representing about 12.32 per cent increase against GHC14, 567,901.00 in 2021. Loans and advances also stood at GHC4,662,117.00 in 2022 against CHc5,468,736.00 in 2021, a decrease of about 14.75 per cent. The Board Chairman said although the bank had achieved the GHC1,000.000.00 minimum capital requirement by the Bank of Ghana directives, it needed additional capital to enhance its operational activities. He, thus, appealed to the chiefs, family heads, prominent personalities within the catchment area, staff, customers and non-customers to buy shares to help increase the share capital of the bank. In a report presented by Mr Ofei Agyekum on behalf of the Board, for the year ending December 31, 2022, Awutu EMASA Rural Bank Limited acknowledge the role corporate governance played in the sustained success of any organisation. He said the Board was committed to ensuring that best practices in corporate governance remained a fundamental part of the culture and business of the bank to promote accountability, integrity, transparency, robustness, fairness and social responsibility, while maximising long term stakeholder value. Mr Samuel Osei, the Operations Manager of Apex Bank, said it was worrying for the Bank to read a loss of GHC720, 736.00 for the year 2022. The loss, he noted, was attributed to the continuous yearly bad debt provision of GHC850,000. He said the Apex Bank believed the Board and Management of the bank must step up recovery efforts and urged its defaulting customers to settle their indebtedness quickly. Mr Osei suggested the bank pursued such defaulted customers using the services of an external debt collection company to help recover those loans. We believe that the Directors and Management could still push the frontiers of credit administration by developing more micro, small and medium enterprises and individual loan targeted at expanding the informal economy in the area, he said. Although this would not be easy, with determination and focus, the Bank could return to its winning ways, he indicated. GNA A Political Scientist and Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Kwasi Amakye-Boateng has cautioned Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia not to be too complacent in his campaign. He said winning more votes in the NDC strongholds than his contender, John Dramani Mahama will not come easy. In an interview on TV3's Ghana Tonight, on 12th September, 2023, the Political Scientist said that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia should be mindful that a lot of factors are at play in the 2024 elections. Dr Mahamadu Bawumia believes he can really pull up votes in the strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) since he is also from the Northern Region. However, he should be mindful that the dynamics of politics have changed, Dr Amakye-Boateng advised. He stated that although during the 2020 elections, Dr Bawumia, then vice presidential candidate, helped the NPP garner a number of votes in the strongholds of the NDC, things are different currently. The 2024 election is different. Citizens who were attracted to then running mate Dr Bawumia have changed. Candidate Bawumia would have changed from just being a running mate to the flagbearer himself should he win the NPP flagbearers race. Voters have changed and currently a lot of factors are at play. So Bawumia's claim that he will give the NDC's a tough match in their strongholds cannot be the case as a lot of factors are at play now, he stressed. Therefore, Dr Amakye-Boateng has advised Dr Bawumia, to purposely couch a campaign message that would resonate with members of the 'Zongo' communities and the three northern regions to enable him win their votes. -3news.com - Source: 14.09.2023 LISTEN After a battle of about four years to secure the removal of South Africa's public protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, the country's parliament finally delivered the coup de grace in early September. Parliamentarians voted to impeach her just a month before her term was due to end. President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently removed her from office . Some of the public protector's troubles landed up in court , with numerous judgments going against her. But why did it take so long? And what lessons can be learnt from the drawn-out process that sapped resources (financial and other) and left a key institution, the Office of the Public Protector , unable to thoroughly exercise its duties as a constitutionally established institution to protect democracy? The office has the power to investigate, report on and remedy improper conduct in all state affairs. The reason it took so long is that Mkhwebane used a strategy that's referred to as the Stalingrad defence . This involves wearing down the plaintiff by tenaciously fighting anything by whatever means possible and appealing every judgment made. The approach is named after the city in the then Soviet Union which was besieged by the Germans in the second world war. The Soviet forces held off the Germans for five months. Although this was achieved at great human cost, it bought Moscow time. The public protector isn't the first to have turned to this tactic to ward off the legal or other consequences of their actions. The other high profile example in South Africa is the former president Jacob Zuma's 19-year battle to avoid a case being heard around allegations of bribery. How can this strategy of vexatious litigation be allowed to continue unabated? Who should be held accountable for this waste of money, resources and time? It is not only, in these instances, the former president and former public protector who are to blame. They were aided and abetted in their abuse of the law by contentious lawyers, over-cautious parliamentarians and judges lacking courage. A public outcry ensued when a member of parliament claimed that the costs of all the hopeless or useless legal challenges by the advocate to prevent her removal amounted to R160 million (almost US$8.5 million) in total. How can things be allowed to escalate to this extent? Drawing on my almost three decades of legal experience, I have identified five possible ways to reduce the chances of rich and powerful people abusing the court system and wasting precious resources. The players Former Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron recently identified four parties who are to blame: unscrupulous clients and lawyers, the professional association now called the Legal Practice Council , and lastly judges themselves. I agree that each of these groups has something to answer for. Unscrupulous clients: Powerful politicians show no concern about dipping into the public coffers to pay for the legal games they play. While the constitution protects the right to be defended in section 34, the principle and value of equality under and before the law is as important. But I would argue that those who have the backing of the state have a massive advantage over ordinary citizens. Unscrupulous lawyers: There have been numerous instances of lawyers using delaying tactics and flouting court procedures. The Legal Practice Council : Judge Cameron stated that it has displayed lax oversight and is not asking for explanations as to why lawyers are adopting these delaying practices. No high profile action has been taken against lawyers who facilitate vexatious litigation. The judges: This is probably the most contentious claim. Yet there have been instances when a judge has appeared to be blind to the fact that certain tactics were being used cynically . In my view this could be because unprecedented attacks on the judiciary in recent years are paying off. They are leading to over-cautious and overly deferent judgments that err on the side of the other branches of government in what is a clear misunderstanding of the principle of separation of powers. What needs to be done While protecting the rights of the litigants, it's also necessary to rein in the abuse. This can be done in several ways. Firstly, the State Attorney should determine guidelines for what is or is not permissible and what the state will and will not fund. Secondly, as part of these guidelines the State Attorney may refuse to fund any legal costs in a matter where the court has awarded costs against the public official who is litigating. Such a ruling by a court follows when the court has determined that the litigation was so obviously without sound basis in fact or in law that it must be characterised as abuse of court process and or even vexatious. A cost order by a court generally requires the offending litigant to pay a relatively minor percentage of the costs. A more forceful measure would be for the State Attorney to refuse to pay all or part of the balance of the cost order where the offending litigant is a public official and has been found to have abused the court and its processes. Thirdly, punitive cost orders could be used by the courts to make litigants feel the financial burden of their misuse of the legal system. If a court wants to show its displeasure about a defendant's conduct during a trial, it may order the defendant to pay attorney and client costs, which are punitive. Fourthly, measures could be taken to protect journalists and human rights defenders against SLAPP cases. SLAPP suits (strategic litigation against public participation) are used by wealthy litigants and their legal teams to financially and emotionally exhaust opponents, regardless of the merits of their cause. In July, the European Parliament adopted a range of measures to protect journalists and human rights defenders against such cases. Fifth, there's the possibility of imposing personal cost orders against legal representatives to penalise their errant behaviour . Courts have awarded these orders for gross negligence or intentional misconduct on the part of legal practitioners including abuse of process and the dilatory and obstructive conduct of legal practitioners. Examples of intentional conduct that have been sanctioned includes conduct that results in an abuse of process, litigating recklessly, misleading the court , dilatory tactics, pursuing a hopeless case, and frivolous and vexatious litigation. Liability for punitive costs orders against vexatious litigants or costs out of legal practitioners' pockets would surely make them think twice before using Stalingrad strategies and malicious SLAPP suits. Narnia Bohler-Muller receives funding from government and independent funders for her research projects at the Human Sciences Research Council. She was shortlisted for the position of Public Protector in the year that Adv Busi Mkhwebane was appointed. By Narnia Bohler-Muller, Divisional Executive, Developmental, Capable and Ethical State research division, Human Sciences Research Council The G77+China, a group of developing and emerging countries representing 80 percent of the global population, gathers Friday in Cuba seeking to promote a "new economic world order" amid warnings of growing polarization. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, who arrived on the island Thursday, will join some 30 heads of state and government from Africa, Asia and Latin America at the two-day summit in Havana. The meeting should conclude Saturday with a statement underscoring "the right to development in an increasingly exclusive, unfair, unjust and plundering international order," the foreign minister of host Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez, told reporters on Wednesday. A draft of the closing statement underlines the many obstacles facing developing nations, and includes "a call for the establishment of a new economic world order," he said. The bloc was established by 77 countries of the global South in 1964 "to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity," according to the group's website. Today it has 134 members, among which the website lists China although the Asian giant says it is not a full member. Cuba took over the rotating presidency in January. Guterres, who will deliver the opening address with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, has recently attended a rash of multilateral summits, including a gathering of the G20 club of major economies in India and the BRICS group that includes Russia. Ahead of the Havana meeting, Guterres said "this multiplicity of summits reflects the growing multipolarity of our world." And he warned that "multipolarity could be a factor for escalating geostrategic tensions, with tragic consequences." For his part, Diaz-Canel said on X, formerly Twitter, that Cuban summit participants would "reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, cooperation and development." 'A valid interlocutor' United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrives in Cuba to participate in a summit of the G77+China group of more than 100 countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America aiming to create a 'new economic world order'. By YAMIL LAGE (AFP) Among the leaders expected to attend are Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Colombia's Gustavo Petro and Alberto Fernandez of Argentina. China will be represented by top Communist Party official Li Xi. The presence of world leaders on its soil amounts to "a recognition for the Cuban government" even as the country battles its worst economic crisis in 30 years, an analyst told AFP. "Despite the difficulties of the moment, Cuba has been recognized as a valid interlocutor," said Cuban international relations expert Arturo Lopez-Levy, a visiting professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid. The communist-ruled island is still under the yoke of US sanctions first imposed in 1962. Diaz-Canel has in recent months represented the G77+China at several international meetings including a June global financial summit in Paris and an EU meeting in July with Latin American and Caribbean states. The Havana summit theme is the role of "science, technology and innovation" in development. "I will focus on getting the 2030 Agenda back on track," said Guterres, referring to a list of UN goals to end poverty and hunger and brake climate change, among others. Police on Wednesday said Troop H in Harrisburg has seen an increase in the number of seizures in "candy" with THC or psilocybin. A Moroccan national Jamal Obaidy, who is currently on the run after allegedly committing several fraudulent crimes, has been declared wanted in Ghana. This follows a bench warrant that was issued by a Magistrate Court of Madina in Accra on 8th August 2023 for his arrest. The Ghana Police CID has accordingly declared him as a wanted suspect. See the Wanted Notice issued by the police here: According to the facts, some top Ghanaian businessmen have fallen victim to the sinister operandi of this top Arab Mafia Jamal Obaidy. Jamal Obaidy long operated in Ghana and when usually exposed by victims, threatens to contract killers to wipe out such victims and their entire families. He explores these intimidation tactics to outwit the system and his victims. He is believed to be hiding in Rabat Morocco but frequently switches base to other Arab countries. One case of reference that was reported at the Ghana Police CID was about how he defrauded one Ghanaian Businessman (Name withheld for security reasons) to the tune of USD $25,000 cash. According to A/Supt/Mr.Samuel Dzaka District Officer East Legon, the complainant and the accused are both businessmen. During the month of July 2023, the complainant gave an amount of Twenty-Five Thousand United States Dollars ($25,000.00) to the accused to be sent to a lady friend in Morocco. The accused after collecting the money failed to give same to the lady in Morocco. He revealed that the complainant called the accused on phone to find out why the money was not given to the lady, but the accused took offence and started sending threatening messages to the complainant with the warning that, if he does not take time and calls to enquire about the money again, he will contract people to kill him and his entire family. He explained that the victim then made a report to the Police but the whereabouts of the accused is not known to the Police, except that he was last seen in Rabat, Morocco. -DGN online 15.09.2023 LISTEN Three mobile phone operators have been put before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly selling pre-registered assorted SIM cards to the public at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra. The Police say all the pre-registered SIM cards were registered with different Ghana cards without the knowledge of their owners. Lydia Serwa Akoto, 36, was found to be offering for sale two -registered Vodafone SIM cards, 13 pre-registered MTN SIM cards. Appiah Danquah Ampofo, 46, was also found to be offering 19 MTN and nine Vodafone pre-registered SIM cards without authority. In the case of Kwadwo Kyei, 53, was found to be offering for sale three pre-registered Vodafone SIM cards. They have been variously charged with knowingly deals in a preregistered Subscribe Identity Module or user identity module. The three accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah has admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of GHC80,000 with three sureties each, two of the sureties were to be gainfully employed. They are expected to reappear on October 19, 2023. The Prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, said the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) of the Ghana Police Service gathered intelligence in town that some mobile money vendors within the Accra metropolis are selling pre-registered sim cards of various networks to the public. ASP Haligah said based on the intelligence, on May 4, 2023, the Directorate deployed a team of personnel to the Metropolis to clamp down on those vendors engaged in the sales of pre-registered sim cards at Circle in Accra. The team arrested Lydia Serwaa Akoto, Appiah Danquah Ampofo, and Kwadjo Kyei. According to the Prosecutor, a search conducted on the accused persons revealed the following. Lydia Serwaa Akoto was found with 13 suspected pre-registered MTN sim cards, two suspected pre-registered Vodafone sim cards and cash of GHC4,960, it said. In the case of Appiah Danquah Ampofo said 19 suspected pre-registered MIN sim cards, nine suspected pre-registered Vodafone sim cards and cash of GHC22,740 and Kwadjo Kyei three suspected pre-registered Vodafone sim cards. When they were interrogated about where they got their supply from, they told Police that they had their supplies from some agents of the various network service providers at their shops, it said. However, they did not know much about these suppliers, including their places of abode. They could identify them, though, upon coming into contact with them. The Prosecution said on May 30, 2023, all the suspected pre-registered sim cards were sent to the various Telcos to verify whether or not the sim cards were pre-registered. The prosecutor said on July 3, 2023, reports was received from MIN Ghana Limited and Vodafone Ghana Limited confirmed that the 13 MTN sim cards and two Vodafone sim cards, respectively, found on Lydia Serwa Akoto were all pre-registered. The report also confirmed pre-registration of the 19 MTN sim cards and nine Vodafone sim cards found on Ampofo. Similarly, in the case of Kwadwo Kyei the report disclosed that the three Vodafone sim cards were duly pre-registered. According to the Prosecutor, all the pre-registered sim cards were registered with various peoples Ghana cards without the knowledge of the owners. The accused persons in their investigation caution statement admitted the offence, according to the Prosecutor. GNA 15.09.2023 LISTEN A 56-year-old driver, who unlawfully had in his possession 45 white and gold foil wraps of cocaine with a net weight of 1.410 grammes has been sentenced to pay a GH6,000 fine by an Accra Circuit Court. Mr Emmanuel Mensah also had 19 foil wraps of heroin with a net weight of 2.3634 grammes in his possession unlawfully. Charged with two counts of unlawful possession of narcotic drugs, Mensah pleaded guilty. The Court presided over by Mr Jojo Amoah Hagan, convicted Mensah on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly. Mensah was sentenced to pay a fine of 500 penalty units, equivalent to GH6,000.00 in default, and serve 15 months imprisonment in hard labour. The facts as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye was that the complainants were Police Officers stationed at the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of CID Headquarters, Accra. The prosecution said the convict was a resident of McCarthy Junction. It said on March 2, 2023, at about 1015 hours, the complainants acted upon intelligence gathered and arrested the convict at a narcotic drug peddling base at Tudu, Accra. The prosecution said a search conducted on the convict revealed 45 gold foil wraps of cocaine with net weight of 1.410 grammes and 19 gold foil wraps of heroin with net weight of 2.3634 grammes after a Forensic Science examination they conducted on them. GNA 15.09.2023 LISTEN The Ghana Police Service has announced the arrest of two robbery suspects at Tweapease in the Ashanti Region. In a press release issued on Thursday night, it said the two were arrested at the Tweapease Police checkpoint when they attempted to escape from the Police during a routine stop-and-search operation. The suspects are Adams Kwame and Abubakari Sharif. The Police have arrested two suspects, Adams Kwame and Abubakari Sharif, for preparation to commit robbery. The suspects, together with two others, currently on the run, were today 14th September 2023, arrested at the Tweapease Police checkpoint when they attempted to escape from the Police during a routine stop-and-search operation, parts of the Police press release said. During the search, the Police retrieved a pump-action gun, two live BB cartridges, two machetes, and a catapult from the suspects. According to the Police release, preliminary investigations have established that the suspects had in their possession the exhibit items in their quest to commit robbery. The suspects are currently in Police custody and will be put before court while efforts are underway to get the remaining two, who are currently on the run, also arrested. The Fourth Estate, a non-profit investigative journalism project of the Media Foundation for West Africa has exposed questionable practices in the promotion of traditional herbal medicine in Ghana. The expose which was released on Thursday, September 14, 2023, titled "Dangerous Endorsements: Expose On Traditional Medicine Endorsement In Ghana" highlights lapses in the regulation and marketing of herbal medicine in the country. The Fourth Estate team conducted an investigation into advertisement for MaCoFa Herbal Mixture, a concoction made from mixing popular soft drinks in Ghana (malt, coke and fanta) on some broadcast and print media houses in four regions. This concoction was labeled as a potent herbal medicine that claimed to cure menstrual-related problems, infertility, impotence and increase libido. Operating under the guise of a fictitious manufacturing entity known as Krodwoa Herbal Enterprise, the team engaged an undercover reporter who approached the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), responsible for licensing traditional medicine practitioners and their places of practice. The TMPC official requested a fee of 870 Ghana cedis for the license, which included charges for training and premises inspection. However, the council did not conduct any training or inspect the premises before issuing the license. Furthermore, it took seven months to receive the license, despite the initial promise of one month. Further investigation revealed that the Fourth Estate contacted top media houses to advertise the MaCoFa Herbal Mixture. Greater Accra region The undercover team approached Onua TV, a subsidiary of Media General Limited, and the management agreed to advertise the product without demanding mandatory approval from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). They charged Gh1,600 for a 3-day ad run. Onua TV presenter read a Live Presenter Mention (LPM) on TV and social media platforms. The team also approached TV3, a popular English-speaking sister TV station of Media General Limited, who recommended a "Squeeze Back" advertisement on their morning program, New Day, for Gh2,700 without FDA approval. On radio, MaCoFa Herbal Mixture was advertised on Star FM and Angel FM for 1,400 and 1,000 cedis respectively. In both cases, the products were advertised without FDA approval. Ashanti Region: Oyerepa TV and radio featured MaCoFa Herbal Mixture on the mid-afternoon Domestic Dispute Resolution Show, broadcasting it live on their official Facebook page. Notably, the station expanded upon the stated remedies of the herbal mixture, potentially misleading the public. Western region: The Fourth Estate's investigation revealed that MaCoFa Herbal Mixture was advertised on Skype Power at a fee of 400 per week, all without any verification of the product's safety or efficacy. Vota Region: Volta Star Radio, an original station of the state-owned Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, promoted MaCoFa Herbal Mixture for a week at a cost of 150, disregarding the FDA's mandatory approvals. Print Media: The Fourth Estate also advertised MaCoFa Herbal Mixture in Ghana's largest newspaper, The Daily Graphic, at a rate of 1,500 per quarter page. A few months later, The Daily Graphic published an editorial addressing the issue of fake drugs and the role of regulators. Most media houses implicated in the promotion of MaCoFa Herbal Mixture did not respond to requests for comments by The Fourth Estate. The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation notably denied any involvement in broadcasting the MaCoFa advertisement, despite evidence to the contrary, including a recording of the show and a receipt of payment for the ad placement. However, not all media outlets turned a blind eye to regulatory compliance. Adom FM, Ghanaian Times, and Peace FM insisted on FDA approval before endorsing MaCoFa Herbal Mixture, demonstrating a commitment to public safety. 15.09.2023 LISTEN Della Dickson, an aspirant for the position of Volta Regional Youth Organizer within the All People's Congress (APC) Ghana has made a passionate call to the region's youth. In a heartfelt appeal, Della Dickson is urging young individuals to actively participate in the upcoming voter registration exercise, not only to exercise their right to vote but to influence the political landscape beyond traditional party affiliations. Empowering Youth Voices: Recognizing the transformative potential of youth engagement, Della Dickson is emphasizing the importance of registering to vote as a means to amplify the voices of the Volta Region's youth. The aspirant's appeal transcends party lines and encourages young individuals to rise above traditional partisan divisions. Uniting for Progressive Change: "At the heart of my call is the belief that we, the youth, hold the power to shape our region's destiny," Della Dickson stated during a media engagement. "This isn't just about voting against particular parties; it's about uniting as a force for positive change, regardless of party labels." Prioritizing Youth Concerns: Della Dickson's message highlights that youth participation in the voter registration exercise is a proactive step towards ensuring that the concerns, aspirations, and priorities of the young population are considered in policy decisions. "By registering to vote, the youth can send a resounding message that their voices matter and their needs cannot be overlooked." Beyond Partisan Divides: "The call to participate goes beyond traditional party lines," Della Dickson encourages the youth to look beyond the political spectrum dominated by the NPP and NDC and focus on the issues that truly matter to them and the development of the Volta Region. Campaign for Inclusivity: Della Dickson's campaign is rooted in the belief that youth participation is essential for an inclusive and progressive society. "By actively engaging in the democratic process, the youth can shape the narrative of the region's future and work towards policies that align with their vision." Empowerment Through Education: The aspirant is also advocating for an informed voter base. Della Dickson emphasizes the significance of seeking knowledge about candidates, policies, and the electoral process, ensuring that the youth can make informed decisions that reflect their values. About Della Dickson: Della Dickson is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment, community development, and former student leader. As an aspirant for the position of Volta Regional Youth Organizer within the APC, Della Dickson is committed to elevating youth voices and fostering a united movement for positive transformation. Source: Della Dickson Campaign Team The Directorate of Political Affairs (DPA) in the Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the Office of the Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, is holding a 4-day Experience-Sharing Engagement with the Security Forces to Enhance Electoral Security and Integrity in Liberia from 13th 16th September 2023. This initiative is part of ECOWAS measures to enhance its structural conflict prevention intervention in Liberia as elections period in our region are usually moments of heightened political tension and a potential source of conflict, especially if not properly managed. The Experience-Sharing Engagement is designed to strengthen and complement the efforts of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other sister security agencies involved in electoral security management to enhance security in the build-up and during the forthcoming historical elections in Liberia. The Engagement was declared opened by the Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, H.E. Josephine Nkrumah, represented by Dr Nathaniel Walker, Political Advisor to the Resident Representative. The meeting also had in attendance Honourable Tibli Dickson Snr, Deputy Minister of Defense (MOD), Mr Marvin M. Sarkor, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, Counsellor Massa Jallabah, Head of Program Division, Ministry of Justice, and Mr. Anders Arvidsson, Political Affairs Officer and Deputy Head of Mission, European Union Delegation to Liberia. The Experience-Sharing Engagement is being attended by strategic and operational level officers from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Ministry of Defence (MOD), Liberia National Police (LNP), Office of the National Security Advisor, Liberia Immigration Services (LIS), Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Liberia National Fire Services (LNFS), Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Executive Protection Service (EPS). The Engagement is part of ECOWAS strategic support to engage critical stakeholders in Liberia towards conducting a peaceful and violent-free electoral process. The Directorate of Political Affairs, through the Democracy and Good Governance Division, and in partnership with GIZ/EPSAO, is facilitating a series of activities in Liberia targeting different stakeholders including the Security Agencies, Media practitioners and Civil Society organizations in Liberia. The Experience-Sharing Engagement is being facilitated by staff of the Directorate of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission led by Mr Ebenezer Ofosu ASIEDU, Head of Democracy and Good Governance, supported by Mr. Al-Meyao Abass KWARASEY, Assistant Commissioner of Police, who also doubles as the Director of Operations & Commander of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) of the Ghana Police Service, and Mr. Augustine Momoh KAMARA, Chief Superintendent of Police and Head of Elections Security Management of the Sierra Leone Police Force, as resource persons. 15.09.2023 LISTEN Pa Justin Kyado, a 90-year-old man, was accused of witchcraft last year. Some mob abducted him in the middle of the night, beat him up, and set him ablaze. Kyado survived and on September 9, returned to his community in the company of advocates from Benue state. In his report, the AfAW director in the state, Dooyum Ingye, said, "Last year, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) took up the case of Pa. Justin Kyado who was accused of witchcraft. He was severely burnt by some family and community members. AfAW helped Pa. Kyado receive proper medical attention and also facilitated the arrest and trial of his persecutors. As a post-intervention policy, AfAW continued to monitor Pa Kyado's progress. Pa Kyado has been staying with his daughter since the attack". A year after the attack, Kyado with the help of AfAW returned to his village, Tse Agena, Mbavur, Mbadzoho Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State. His return is AfAW's first case of reintegration since it was founded in 2020. Advocates seized the opportunity to engage community members, especially the youths on the illegality of witch persecution and the need to adopt a scientific approach to explaining incidents of death or illness. As a tradition, people consult local diviners when people fall ill or pass away. These diviners point accusing fingers on relatives. The accused are brutally attacked or murdered. Those who attack or murder alleged witches are seldom arrested or prosecuted. In the case of Kyado, it was different. Since some suspects were arrested and charged in court, relatives have been pressuring Pa Kyado's family to withdraw the case so that they could settle out of court. They asked Kyado to return to the community and pledged not to harm him or engage in witchcraft accusations or persecutions. Our AfAW director in Benue reported what happened. "AfAW advocates arrived Pa. Kyado's hometown by 11:40 a.m., 9th September 2023. Pa. Kyado's family and community members were already gathered at the family compound waiting. Terhemba Kyado, Pa. Justin's younger son, welcomed and introduced everyone present. Thereafter, the local chief Zaki Akende Tagher introduced the AfAW advocates and the purpose of their visit to the community. Previously, the local chief's attempt to get the perpetrators bailed was rejected by the court. The rejection was premised on the brutal assault on Pa. Kyado, insensitivity to his condition, and the constant threat on the life of his daughter, who was nursing him and working with AfAW to ensure that justice is done. Pa. Kyado's family and their lawyer argued that they should be granted bail on the condition they agreed not to harm Pa. Kyado or any member of his family". As the AfAW director further explained: "The head of Pa. Kyado's kindred expressed displeasure over the attack on Pa. Kyado. However, he pleaded that the family of Pa Kyadoo, AfAW, and their supporters, should withdraw the case as the perpetrators and their families were ready to adhere to any safety condition for the victim. In turn, AfAW's Benue Director insisted that all the community members must refrain from all accusations. The kindred heads agreed and promised to end witch accusations and persecution in their community. Also, the head of every family in the community promised to abide by the resolution. As their tradition demands, the Benue AfAW Director handed Pa. Kyado to the local chief, Zaki Akende Tagher who in turn, handed him to the head of the kindreds, and then to the elders of his family. While handing Pa Justin over to the elders, Zaki Akende Tagher said, "Wanwene ka orya, ka orbatsav ga" meaning "Your son is an elder, not a witch". This process creates a chain of care, responsibility and accountability for the victim's safety and life". Pa Kyadoo's return provided an opportunity for some community outreach. AfAW's advocates addressed community members, especially the youths. One advocate told the youths that old age did not make a person a witch; that old people were not witches. He said: "If people are sick, consult medical doctors, do not consult local diviners, do not suspect or attack old family members. Do not forget that as youths you will grow old someday so you also stand the risk of being accused of witchcraft". He asked them to seek scientific explanations for illness or other events to eradicate accusations of witchcraft and prevent the horrific and degrading treatment associated with witch persecution. Community members were urged to reach out to Benue AfAW advocates for more understanding of the events or happenings around them. At the end of the event, the local chief assured AfAW that he would ensure that nobody engaged in witch-hunting or accusations in the community. The AfAW advocates presented some shirts to Pa Kyado and his family. In addition, Pa Kyado was presented with a sum of 50, 000 naira to help him resettle in his community. AfAW will monitor the situation to ensure the safety of Pa Kyado in the coming weeks and months. Leo Igwe directs Advocacy for Alleged Witches, which campaigns to end witch hunting in Africa. Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru in the Eastern Region, has urged the public to ignore false information spread by the NDC about recent developments in the cocoa sector in their routine attempt to deceive the public. This is in spite of the excitement experienced by cocoa farmers following a rise in the price of cocoa over the weekend. Kennedy Osei Nyarko stated that the NPPs recent announcement to raise cocoa prices and move the cocoa production season to September rather than October was done so that farmers would have timely access to finances and would be able to fulfill their financial obligations on time. At least during my time as deputy minister of Agric who was in charge of cocoa I was involved in the cocoa price determination and the syndicated loan negotiations so I know how its determined or arranged. Its very unfortunate that the NDC which has been in power before and are very much aware of how season prices are determined or arrived at are rather the ones throwing dust into the eyes of the Ghanaian cocoa farmers. Ghana had always used forward sales arrangements since we started selling our cocoa beans on the international market. Its very unfortunate that we have turned virtually everything in this country into politics, he wrote on his official Facebook wall. He claimed that a rise in cocoa prices would not only result in an increase in the income of cocoa farmers but would also enable them to use the additional funds to raise their standard of living, make investments in their farms, and take care of other financial needs while lessening their sensitivity to economic shocks, resulting in a more stable and secure way of life. The price of cocoa at the producer level has increased by 63.5%, from GH12,800 per metric tonne (GH800.00 per bag) to GH20,943 or $1,821 per metric tonne, or GH1,308 per bag. The new cocoa producer price in Ghana is the highest among the West African sub-regional cocoa-producing nations in 50 years. The estimates, according to President Akufo-Addo, were based on the obtained Free-On-Board (FoB) price of $2,600 per tonne from the forward sales of cocoa, with an exchange rate of GH11.50 to a dollar. He made the announcement in Tepa, in the Ashanti Region. Eric Opoku, the minority spokesperson for agriculture and cocoa affairs, is adamant that the NPP government cannot claim to have done anything unusual at a time when cocoa prices have reached record highs on the global market. The lawmaker argued that the opposition National Democratic Congresss (NDC) allegations that the government had underpaid cocoa growers were untrue and unsupported by actual events. The Minority group in Parliament also says the government should have increased the price of a bag of cocoa by no less than GH2,500, while the NDC who have also congregated at Ahafo says the NPP could do better with the current producer price. According to the former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Ghanas record-breaking crop production of 1,045,500 metric tonnes (1,045,500) in the 202021 growing season came under the NPP administration, while the over million tonnes the country produced under the NDC administration were the result of spillover effects from the interventions made by the NPP administration under President John Agyekum Kufuor. Therefore, he claimed, it was inappropriate to determine what one believed should have been the producer price using the current spot price on the global market. Police officers arrive en masse, force their way into a house and unceremoniously throw furniture and household appliances out on the street, as the helpless residents look on. The scene is a common one in the Democratic Republic of Congo's bustling capital Kinshasa, where property disputes are endemic. Unbridled corruption and soaring land prices often fuel the disputes -- and lead to evictions. "There are lots of land disputes in Kinshasa, thousands of them," said Theo Sindani Kasita, a property lawyer in the megacity of an estimated 15 million people. Families wage internecine legal battles to gain control of city plots. Swindles involving illegal land sales are also routine. Rita Mitwens, 42, is a victim of the seemingly lawless system. She, her husband and her 14-year-old son have been turfed out of their home twice in the space of six months. "The first time was in March," Mitwens told AFP, with tears in her eyes. "We spent four months outside." In late July, Mitwens managed to return to her apartment, which she says she purchased legally nearly two decades ago. But she was kicked out again on September 1. "We sleep outside," said Mitwens, recounting her story in front of piled-up furniture near the roadside in a central city district. Youngsters hired by the police to help with the eviction had also stolen valuables, she said. 'Beware crooks' Eric Tshiowa, who has moved into Mitwens's former residence, is satisfied with the turn of events, however. The 46-year-old civil servant said that Mitwens had indeed bought the property, but from an uncle of his who was not entitled to sell it. "Everyone on the street knows that this house belonged to my dad, I was born here," he said. The dark-grey wall surrounding the plot is scrawled with hand-painted inscriptions left by bailiffs who came to carry out successive evictions. A few streets away, a gate bears a sign that is ubiquitous in Kinshasa: "This plot is not for sale, beware crooks." The DRC is deeply impoverished, with weak government institutions, and beset by graft. The central African nation ranked 166th out of 180 on Transparency International's 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index. 'Manifestly illegal' Property disputes are also rife in Kinshasa's well-heeled central district, known as Gombe. AFP rents a villa, which serves as an office, in the district. But police officers carried out an eviction on the property in August due to a dispute that dates back 20 years. Office furniture and other items in the villa were flung onto the street and officers barricaded the gate. AFP was able to regain access within 24 hours after a judicial inspector judged the eviction "manifestly illegal". Sindani, the property lawyer, said that unscrupulous people take advantage of the Congolese legal system to lay claim to plots of land to which they have no title. Families are also regularly evicted without being notified of a court decision, he added, and before tenants can launch an appeal. "That's not justice," the lawyer said, suggesting that "strongmen" often get away with property crimes. "History will catch up with them one day," he said. Youve probably noticed a recent rash of lawsuits in state and federal courts around the country, seeking to keep Donald Trump off presidential ballots next year. Whether or not one agrees with the political tactic, its happening. The civil actions are separate from the 91 criminal charges Trump currently faces in New York, Georgia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The lawsuits cite the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868. The amendments Section 3 bars from public office any official who previously had taken an oath to uphold the constitution, and who later engaged in rebellion or insurrection against the government, or offered aid and comfort to those who did. One longshot GOP presidential candidate from Texas has filed a 14th Amendment challenge to Trump directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. It looks like justices could take up that case this fall. But because an American presidential election is actually 50 different state elections, most of these cases are being filed state by state. So far, theyve cropped up in Florida (already dismissed), Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Virginia. The Virginia legal action was brought by two civil rights activists from Tidewater. Roy L. Perry-Bey is a disabled veteran from Hampton. Carlos A. Howard described himself as a semi-retired mortician and broadcaster from Virginia Beach. Both said theyre in their 60s, but they declined to give me specific ages. Its not the first election-related lawsuit by Bey and Howard. Another action they filed in state court in 2021 sought to keep Democrat Terry McAuliffe off that years 2021 gubernatorial ballot, partly because McAuliffe neglected to sign his candidate declaration form. (The state Republican Party filed a similar lawsuit; both failed.) I had a conference call with them Tuesday. At the time, Bey said he was in a Veterans Affairs hospital recovering from surgery. Were just citizens, registered voters who are very concerned, Howard said. A free and fair election is our primary concern. This is crazy, what were dealing with in Virginia, Bey told me. Youve got candidates like Trump who shouldnt have a dog license in this state. While Section 3 of the amendment was designed to keep out of public office former officers of the Confederacy following the Civil War, it makes no mention of either. In the past 100 years, its been enforced only once. That came in 2022, with removal from office of Couy Griffin, an elected supervisor from Otero County, New Mexico, who founded the group Cowboys for Trump. Readers of this column may be familiar with him. On Jan. 6, 2021, Griffin protested at the U.S. Capitol but didnt enter the building. (Later, he was convicted of trespassing, acquitted of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 14 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.) That night, Griffin and an associate drove from the nations capital to the Star City. They dined downtown at Billys, which Griffin heartily endorsed. The following day, he recorded himself speaking on a downtown Roanoke hotel balcony and posted the clip online. In it, he disputed the insurrection was violent and warned of a future Second Amendment Rally at the Capitol that would leave blood running out of that building. Bey and Howard filed the lawsuit pro se (without a lawyer) Aug. 31 in U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia. Originally, Trump was the sole defendant. On Sept. 11, they filed an amended complaint, adding the Virginia Department of Elections and the Virginia Board of Elections as defendants. Were asking the court to order the Department of Elections to do its job, and keep this guy off the ballot, Bey said. The Department of Elections does not comment on pending litigation, spokeswoman Andrea Gaines wrote in an email. In a subsequent message, she said she was speaking for both entities. Tuesday, The Washington Post published a story that suggested more 14th Amendment lawsuits may be in the offing for Virginia. That article noted a lawyer at Holtzman Vogel, a high-powered election law firm usually associated with Republicans, was considering bringing such a case on behalf of a different client. Bey and Howard acted after prominent legal scholars from both sides of the political spectrum issued legal analyses indicating Trump could be barred from future elections under the amendment. One of the conservatives was retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig, who served 15 years on the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. One of the liberals was Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe, an experienced litigator before the U.S. Supreme Court. Analyses by each argued Section 3 is self-executing, which suggests any state election official can simply bar Trump from the ballot because of his actions Jan. 6 and in the weeks leading up to it. President Donald J. Trump both engaged in an insurrection and also gave aid and comfort to other individuals who were engaging in such actions, within the clear meaning of those terms as defined in Section Three of the 14th Amendment, the lawsuit states. As a result, Virginia election officials have a duty to protect democracy by keeping Trump off future election ballots based on the facts and law, Beys and Howards lawsuit contends. Were pro se at the moment, Bey told me. Im talking to lawyers who are going to take at look at [the lawsuit]. Tuesday, I emailed a copy of their amended complaint to former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick, a Roanoke lawyer who specializes in civil rights law. He was appointed to the federal prosecutors post by former President Barack Obama. I think its a creative argument, but I think its going to be a loser, Fishwick said. A chief issue, Fishwick added, is theres no mechanism within Section 3 of the 14th Amendment that permits [removal from the ballot] to take place. For that to happen, I think Congress would have to pass a law to define what insurrection is. They havent done that, Fishwick said. If they did, there could be a proceeding to determine that a person could not be a presidential candidate. That would be a court proceeding, I assume. Fishwick cited a 14th Amendment removal case from 1869, and an opinion by then-Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, in arguing the amendment is not self-executing, as Beys and Howards lawsuit contends. Thats been viewed as settled law until recently, Fishwick said. Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has cautioned the Electoral Commission (EC) against its voter registration exercise, which he says could disrupt the countrys gains in sustaining democracy. According to Ablakwa, the ECs decision to restrict the exercise to its district offices is undemocratic and could disenfranchise many eligible voters. All of us dont want coups to happen in our jurisdictions, Ablakwa said. But you see when public officials refuse to learn, it results in coups. The Gabon coup is an example and has ended in the disruption of their democracy. And we dont want that in Ghana. Ablakwa called on the EC to consult with all stakeholders in the ongoing voter registration exercise. He also urged the youth to register to vote and to hold the EC accountable if they fail to register. Look at the anger and outrage that the youth feel about these policies of Jean Mensa, Very autocratic, very undemocratic, no consultation whatsoever. And she is going ahead. citinewsroom Ghana National Association of Cocoa Farmers (GNACOF) has described the 64 percent increase in the producer price of cocoa announced by the government as woefully inadequate and that farmers will likely continue to smuggle cocoa to Ivory Coast where prices are higher. GNACOF President Stephenson Anane Boateng said the government needs to do more to discourage smuggling, which is a major problem in the cocoa sector. The price in Ivory Coast is GH1,450 per bag, and if our government increases our cocoa price to GH1,308, then we are nowhere, Boateng said. People will continue to smuggle their cocoa just because the price compared to even the previous one is not up to their level. Boateng also said that cocoa farmers no longer trust politicians to deliver on their promises. We as cocoa farmers no longer trust any politician, he said. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the 63.6% increase in the farm gate price of cocoa beans on September 9, from GH800 to GH1,308 per bag for the new cocoa season. The increase came after cocoa farmers intensified calls for an upward review of cocoa prices to prevent the prevalence of smuggling and the situation where cocoa farmers give out their lands to illegal miners. However, Boateng said that the governments latest increase is still not enough to discourage smuggling. He called on the government to do more to address the root causes of smuggling, such as poverty and lack of access to affordable credit for cocoa farmers. Citi Newsroom 15.09.2023 LISTEN The Minority in Parliament has backed former President John Dramani Mahamas allegation that government has shortchanged cocoa farmers with the new cocoa prices announced this month. In the new cocoa price for the 2023/24 cocoa season, a bag of cocoa has moved from GH800.00 per bag to GH1,308.00 per bag. The new price moved the price per tonne from GH12,800.00 to GH20,943.00. The new price represents a 63.5 per cent increment from the previous one. Early this week ex-president John Dramani Mahama reacted to the announcement of the increase in the farm-gate price of cocoa, insisting that it is a rip-off of the hardworking cocoa farmers and their families who continue to sustain the economy through their toil. In a release to back the former President, the Minority in Parliament said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo has failed. The group argued that it is disingenuous for the CEO of COCOBOD to attempt to cover up his failed sale and marketing strategy by contriving non-existent justifications. While accusing the COCOBOD CEO of toying with the life and income of cocoa farmers by hiding behind insignificant factors, the Minority wants Joseph Boahen Aidoo to resign. The fact that COCOBOD has made huge losses for the last six (6) consecutive years that Joseph Boahen Aidoo has been at the helm of affairs, shows that he is grossly incompetent and totally unfit to manage that important state institution. Even more bizarre is the fact that, the national annual yield of cocoa has sharply declined from 969,000mt to about 650,000mt under the watch of the failed CEO of COCOBOD. This is the lowest cocoa production volume in the last thirteen (13) years. HE MUST STOP THE LIES AND RESIGN IMMEDIATELY, part of the Minoritys release signed by its leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson said. Below is a copy of the release: H.E JOHN MAHAMA IS RIGHT; NEWLY-ANNOUNCED COCOA FARM-GATE PRICE IS A RIP-OFF- COCOBOD CEO MUST STOP THE LIES AND RESIGN IMMEDIATELY! 14/09/2023 1. It is an indisputable fact that COCOBOD sells cocoa through both forward sales and spot sales. 2. This fact was confirmed by the failed CEO of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo who has indicated in his so-called open letter to H.E John Dramani Mahama, that portions of the anticipated cocoa production volume for the 2023/2024 season was not sold as part of forward sales between October 2022 and March 2023. 3. It is also an irrefutable fact, that the international spot price of cocoa currently stands at $3,800 and has averaged around $3,600 in the last couple of months, as accurately stated by H.E John Dramani Mahama. 4. It is noteworthy, that the average international FOB price of $3,600 excludes the Living Income Differential (LID) of $400 per tonne that is paid by international buyers to Ghana for the direct benefit of the cocoa farmer. 5. Also, the average international FOB price of $3,600 excludes premium of $497 that Ghana got in June 2023 for every tonne of cocoa. 6. The interbank (dollar to cedi) rate as at the time the 2023/2024 cocoa season was opened was GHS11.03 and is currently hovering around GHS11.05. 7. This means that for spot sales, government is getting a gross FOB price of averagely GHS39,708 per tonne of cocoa, excluding the LID of $400 per tonne and premium of $497 per tonne. 8. This brings the gross FOB price per bag of cocoa to approximately GHS2,482, excluding the LID of $400 per tonne and premium of $497 per tonne. 9. When the LID of $400 per tonne and premium of $497 per tonne are factored into the pricing formula, the price per bag of cocoa comes to about GHS3,100. 10. It is therefore totally unfair and unconscionable for government to be giving suffering cocoa farmers a paltry GHS1,308 per bag as farm-gate price, which only constitutes 52.7% of the gross FOB price (excluding premium and LID) that the government will be getting from spot sales. 11. On the issue of forward sales, it should be noted that, while Ghanas forward sales policy has existed over the years, it has been guided by the principle of maximising income for farmers through proper market forecasting. The objective is to identify the highest price points on the futures market so as to secure the best price for our cocoa and maximize farmers incomes. 12. The quantity of cocoa sold through forward sales for various futures position are carefully managed, leaving reasonable portions for possible spot sales when the market price rises. 13. Hiding behind forward sales to recklessly dissipate and give away Ghanas cocoa at cheap prices as the failed CEO of COCOBOD is claiming, is preposterous and unacceptable. This is particularly so given the fact that, it has been amply clear from every available indicator since last year, that the international market price was going to significantly increase on account of the huge global supply deficit of cocoa. 14. Additionally, Ghanas light crop beans form only a small portion of the total production volume of the country. In recent years, good rainfall and weather patterns have resulted in even smaller and negligible quantity of light crop and small beans. 15. It is therefore disingenuous for the CEO of COCOBOD to attempt to cover up his failed sale and marketing strategy by contriving non-existent justifications. It is unacceptable to toy with the life and income of farmers by hiding behind insignificant factors. I dare the CEO of COCOBOD to declare the exact quantity and categories of cocoa sold so far since he has the data. 16. May I remind the failed CEO of COCOBOD, that cocoa in recent time is selling at a 46-year record high. The recent prices of cocoa are the highest since 1977. At this 46-year record high world market prices, I wish to reiterate that this governments much-touted gross FOB price of $2,600 if indeed true, is nothing but a product of gross incompetence, obscene corruption, willful negligence and reckless mismanagement of the cocoa pricing system. This has shortchanged our already-impoverished cocoa farmers as rightly pointed out by H.E President John Dramani Mahama. 17. The fact that COCOBOD has made huge losses for the last six (6) consecutive years that Joseph Boahen Aidoo has been at the helm of affairs, shows that he is grossly incompetent and totally unfit to manage that important state institution. Even more bizarre is the fact that, the national annual yield of cocoa has sharply declined from 969,000mt to about 650,000mt under the watch of the failed CEO of COCOBOD. This is the lowest cocoa production volume in the last thirteen (13) years. HE MUST STOP THE LIES AND RESIGN IMMEDIATELY! 18. Notice is hereby served, that your gross mishandling of the affairs of the one-time pride of the nation - COCOBOD, which has resulted in these historic losses, and your monumental incompetence which has completely crippled that institution, will soon be the subject of rigorous Parliamentary scrutiny in line with the Minority's solemn duty to the Ghanaian people. Signed. Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (MP) Minority Leader Former Chairman, Producer Price Review Committee on Cocoa, COCOBOD Former Member of the Board of Directors, COCOBOD Chairman of the Board Sub-Committee on Finance, COCOBOD. Mr Ernest Owusu Bempah, the Deputy Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party, has petitioned the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, regarding the infamous Airbus Scandal. In his formal petition, Owusu Bempah is urging the Special Prosecutor to provide the Ghanaian public with an update on the investigations pertaining to the alleged bribery scandal. He emphasised the acknowledgment by Airbus, a major European aircraft manufacturer, of hiring the brother of a prominent elected Ghanaian official as a consultant during the sale of aircraft to Ghana. Additionally, Airbus admitted to making payments to the said consultant through an intermediary, a course of action initiated after their Compliance Unit raised concerns about the close relationship between the consultant and the high-ranking Ghanaian official. This official held a pivotal role in the decision-making process for the military aircraft purchase. While expressing confidence in the competence of the Special Prosecutor's office to delve into this complex international corruption case, Owusu Bempah urged swift action to bring closure to the matter for the people of Ghana. He highlighted the gravity of the Airbus corruption case, considering it one of the largest corruption scandals in Ghana. Notably, payments of bribes were confirmed to have been made and received, with the former President, John Mahama, allegedly being the primary beneficiary, referred to as "GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1" in the United States Court documents. The allegations surrounding Airbus suggest that bribes were exchanged during the sale of three military aircraft to Ghana. Below is the full petition by Owusu Bempah Attention: Kissi Agyebeng The Special Prosecutor Haile Gabrielle Selasse Ave Ridge-Accra PETITION: Request For Action On The Airbus Corruption Please accept my compliment. I write to you to officially call for urgent action on the Airbus SE corruption. As you are aware Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France. The aircraft maker has also admitted using intermediaries over several years to bribe government officials and airline executives in order to win lucrative contracts the world over including in Ghana. Again, the company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision-maker in the purchase of the military aircraft. And rightly so, your good office has signalled its intention to delve into the matter. Its been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where youre with the investigations. Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us. The Airbus corruption is the biggest corruption case ever. Indeed, payment of bribes were made and received, and the biggest beneficiary as alleged was former President John Mahama, codenamed as GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 in the US Court documents. Again, documents were falsified in making the payments to disguise the payment of bribes to GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1. GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 is on the record of the Court as the recipient of the corrupt proceeds from this transaction. Paragraph 136 of the US Court documents actually described Government official I as having a reputation for bribe-taking. It reads: Government Official 1 had such a reputation as a prolific bribe-collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached an agreement with brother of Government Official 1, described in the US version of Court documents as Individual 1. Respectfully, everyone who is privy to the core details of the series of court documents published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom cannot allege ignorance of the persons who have brought our nation into this international shame. Bearing in mind the above realities, it is most unfortunate that your good office has, for political expediency, treated Mr Mahama with kids gloves. Like most Ghanaians, I have grown sceptical about the lip service being paid to such a huge international corruption involving our former President. I may not be a lawyer, but I suspect if those countries can benefit in fines from Airbus for corruption which our country was the real victim, then we believe that your investigations if it yield success can create an even bigger case for Ghana to also seek compensation from Airbus for the damage caused to our national treasury. Respectfully sir, the nonchalant attitude being deployed on this matter ought to give way to real action. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah Deputy Director of Communications, NPP classfmonline The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Awutu Senya West has condemned the alleged use of the military to intimidate residents during the Electricity Company of Ghana's (ECG) ongoing "Operation Zero" program. In a press statement released on Friday, September 15, the NDC Communications Bureau described the treatment of customers as "disdainful" and like "animals or objects." Our people are being treated with disdain like animals or objects and we take serious objection to that. This ill treatment must stop, the release stated in part. The NDC claimed that uninformed disconnection of meters violates consumer rights. We believe that if those unbilled meters are to be disconnected, the people must be informed in advance so they can try to meet the necessary requirements set by the Chinese-led ECG, the release said. It described the involvement of uniformed military personnel as intimidation and harassment of residents. Which part of the new Ghana - China agreement suggests that if a customer owes electricity bills, he or she must be harassed or intimidated before payment? the NDC questioned. The opposition party said the illegal actions infringe on the rights of the people of Awutu Senya West and called on the ECG to halt the brute force approach. We call on the ECG to stop this illegal operation and use a reasonable approach to capture meters and allow a flexible payment plan, so it doesnt add to the pain of the already suffering people, the release further noted. The NDC urged the DCE, as Chairman of the District Security Council, to immediately withdraw the military from the operation. The Minority in Parliament has accused the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo of being unfit to manage the important state institution. The COCOBOD CEO has come under severe backlash this week following the announcement of the new farm gate price for cocoa farmers and their cocoa. In the new cocoa price for the 2023/24 cocoa season, a bag of cocoa has moved from GH800.00 per bag to GH1,308.00 per bag. The new price moved the price per tonne from GH12,800.00 to GH20,943.00. Although this amounts to a 63.5% increase from the previous prices, the CEO of COCOBOD has been accused of shortchanging the Ghanaian cocoa farmer. In a press release from the Minority in Parliament, it has used figures to back this claim. In the release, the Minority said after supervising huge losses at COCOBOD in the six years he has been CEO, Joseph Boahen Aidoo does not deserve to be at post. The Minority insists that the COCOBOD CEO has displayed gross incompetence and must resign as a matter of urgency. The fact that COCOBOD has made huge losses for the last six (6) consecutive years that Joseph Boahen Aidoo has been at the helm of affairs, shows that he is grossly incompetent and totally unfit to manage that important state institution. Even more bizarre is the fact that, the national annual yield of cocoa has sharply declined from 969,000mt to about 650,000mt under the watch of the failed CEO of COCOBOD. This is the lowest cocoa production volume in the last thirteen (13) years. He must stop the lies and resign immediately, parts of the release from the Minority signed by its leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson said. The Minority further serves notice that the incompetence of the COCOBOD CEO will soon be the subject of rigorous Parliamentary scrutiny in line with the Minority's solemn duty to the Ghanaian people. Read the release from the Minority below: H.E JOHN MAHAMA IS RIGHT; NEWLY-ANNOUNCED COCOA FARM-GATE PRICE IS A RIP-OFF- COCOBOD CEO MUST STOP THE LIES AND RESIGN IMMEDIATELY! 14/09/2023 1. It is an indisputable fact that COCOBOD sells cocoa through both forward sales and spot sales. 2. This fact was confirmed by the failed CEO of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo who has indicated in his so-called open letter to H.E John Dramani Mahama, that portions of the anticipated cocoa production volume for the 2023/2024 season was not sold as part of forward sales between October 2022 and March 2023. 3. It is also an irrefutable fact, that the international spot price of cocoa currently stands at $3,800 and has averaged around $3,600 in the last couple of months, as accurately stated by H.E John Dramani Mahama. 4. It is noteworthy, that the average international FOB price of $3,600 excludes the Living Income Differential (LID) of $400 per tonne that is paid by international buyers to Ghana for the direct benefit of the cocoa farmer. 5. Also, the average international FOB price of $3,600 excludes premium of $497 that Ghana got in June 2023 for every tonne of cocoa. 6. The interbank (dollar to cedi) rate as at the time the 2023/2024 cocoa season was opened was GHS11.03 and is currently hovering around GHS11.05. 7. This means that for spot sales, government is getting a gross FOB price of averagely GHS39,708 per tonne of cocoa, excluding the LID of $400 per tonne and premium of $497 per tonne. 8. This brings the gross FOB price per bag of cocoa to approximately GHS2,482, excluding the LID of $400 per tonne and premium of $497 per tonne. 9. When the LID of $400 per tonne and premium of $497 per tonne are factored into the pricing formula, the price per bag of cocoa comes to about GHS3,100. 10. It is therefore totally unfair and unconscionable for government to be giving suffering cocoa farmers a paltry GHS1,308 per bag as farm-gate price, which only constitutes 52.7% of the gross FOB price (excluding premium and LID) that the government will be getting from spot sales. 11. On the issue of forward sales, it should be noted that, while Ghanas forward sales policy has existed over the years, it has been guided by the principle of maximising income for farmers through proper market forecasting. The objective is to identify the highest price points on the futures market so as to secure the best price for our cocoa and maximize farmers incomes. 12. The quantity of cocoa sold through forward sales for various futures position are carefully managed, leaving reasonable portions for possible spot sales when the market price rises. 13. Hiding behind forward sales to recklessly dissipate and give away Ghanas cocoa at cheap prices as the failed CEO of COCOBOD is claiming, is preposterous and unacceptable. This is particularly so given the fact that, it has been amply clear from every available indicator since last year, that the international market price was going to significantly increase on account of the huge global supply deficit of cocoa. 14. Additionally, Ghanas light crop beans form only a small portion of the total production volume of the country. In recent years, good rainfall and weather patterns have resulted in even smaller and negligible quantity of light crop and small beans. 15. It is therefore disingenuous for the CEO of COCOBOD to attempt to cover up his failed sale and marketing strategy by contriving non-existent justifications. It is unacceptable to toy with the life and income of farmers by hiding behind insignificant factors. I dare the CEO of COCOBOD to declare the exact quantity and categories of cocoa sold so far since he has the data. 16. May I remind the failed CEO of COCOBOD, that cocoa in recent time is selling at a 46-year record high. The recent prices of cocoa are the highest since 1977. At this 46-year record high world market prices, I wish to reiterate that this governments much-touted gross FOB price of $2,600 if indeed true, is nothing but a product of gross incompetence, obscene corruption, willful negligence and reckless mismanagement of the cocoa pricing system. This has shortchanged our already-impoverished cocoa farmers as rightly pointed out by H.E President John Dramani Mahama. 17. The fact that COCOBOD has made huge losses for the last six (6) consecutive years that Joseph Boahen Aidoo has been at the helm of affairs, shows that he is grossly incompetent and totally unfit to manage that important state institution. Even more bizarre is the fact that, the national annual yield of cocoa has sharply declined from 969,000mt to about 650,000mt under the watch of the failed CEO of COCOBOD. This is the lowest cocoa production volume in the last thirteen (13) years. HE MUST STOP THE LIES AND RESIGN IMMEDIATELY! 18. Notice is hereby served, that your gross mishandling of the affairs of the one-time pride of the nation - COCOBOD, which has resulted in these historic losses, and your monumental incompetence which has completely crippled that institution, will soon be the subject of rigorous Parliamentary scrutiny in line with the Minority's solemn duty to the Ghanaian people. Signed. Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (MP) Minority Leader Former Chairman, Producer Price Review Committee on Cocoa, COCOBOD Former Member of the Board of Directors, COCOBOD Chairman of the Board Sub-Committee on Finance, COCOBOD. Former President John Mahama[left] and Enerst Owusu Bempah 15.09.2023 LISTEN Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, the Deputy Director of Communications for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to expedite investigations into the Airbus bribery scandal. In a petition to Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, Owusu Bempah said "the Airbus corruption is the biggest corruption case ever. Indeed, payment of bribes were made and received, and the biggest beneficiary as alleged was former President John Mahama." He cited paragraphs from the US Department of Justice court documents that described an unnamed "Government Official 1" as having "a reputation for bribe-taking." Owusu Bempah stated that "everyone who is privy to the core details of the series of court documents published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom cannot allege ignorance of the persons who have brought our nation into this international shame." The Airbus case dates back to around 2018 when the European aviation giant admitted to paying bribes in several countries to secure contracts. Ghana was specifically mentioned for the purchase of three military transport planes between 2009 and 2015, when Mr Mahama was Vice President and later President. Mr Owusu Bempah accused the OSP of treating Mahama with "kids gloves" due to political expediency. He said "Like most Ghanaians, I have grown sceptical about the lip service being paid to such a huge international corruption involving our former President." The Deputy NPP Communications Director noted that, "the nonchalant attitude being deployed on this matter ought to give way to real action." Edward Omane Boamah, the Director of Elections and Information Communications Technology (ICT) for the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of pollsters. He made it clear that he does not rely on poll results churned out by some of these pollsters and prefers to focus on the party's internal research. Dr Omane Boamah emphasised that he finds poll results to be less reliable compared to the internal research conducted by the NDC. He pointed out that the party has developed a robust ICT database to work toward achieving its goal of victory in the 2024 general elections. According to the NDC's internal research, they have real-time reports suggesting that the party is winning the topmost position for the upcoming elections. Confident in the NDC's prospects, he stated that the enthusiasm within the party clearly indicates the party's belief in emerging victorious in the 2024 elections. Shifting his focus to recent developments within the judiciary, Dr Omane Boamah criticised the Ghana Bar Association for what he sees as a debasing of the association. He accused the association of bolstering the speechwriters of the sitting president, who crafted the speech delivered at the Bar Conference held in the Central Region to hurl insults at former President John Dramani Mahama. I have written speeches for a president before, I know what it takes to write speeches for a president, he said, highlighting his experience in this regard. Dr Omane Boamah's remarks on the work of pollsters and his critique of the Ghana Bar Association were made during an interview on Accra-based Asempa FM on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Classfmonline.com The Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson, has refuted claims by CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo that Ghana's new cocoa farm-gate price of GHS1,308 is not in line with the international markets due to forward sales contracts. In a statement on Thursday, September 14, Ato Forson said "it is an indisputable fact that COCOBOD sells cocoa through both forward sales and spot sales," contrary to Mr Aidoo's justification that forward sales locked in a lower price. Citing Boahen Aidoo's own admission that portions of next season's cocoa were not forward sold, Ato Forson said the current international spot price is around $3,600 per tonne. Adding premiums and bonuses, he said this translates to around GHS3,100 per bag, much higher than the new farmgate price of GHS1,308 announced by government on September 9. "It is therefore totally unfair and unconscionable for government to be giving suffering cocoa farmers a paltry GHS1,308 per bag as farm-gate price, which only constitutes 52.7% of the gross FOB price," Ato Forson decried. He accused Boahen Aidoo of hiding behind insignificant factors like light crop volumes to cover up "failed sale and marketing strategy." Describing cocoa prices as at a 46-year record high, Ato Forson reiterated that the pricing represents "gross incompetence, obscene corruption, willful negligence and reckless mismanagement." Ato Forson who served on the Producer Price Review Committee when he was Deputy Finance Minister and has intimate knowledge of COCOBOD operations noted that the CEOs "monumental incompetence" in managing COCOBOD will be subjected to parliamentary scrutiny. The Minority Leader concluded by calling for the immediate resignation of the COCOBOD CEO over the low producer price for farmers. The NDC has vehemently opposed the new price after their presidential candidate John Mahama also described it as a "rip-off." Justine Ndoumba and her two daughters wander round the aisles of a school supplies shop carrying a long list of items required to start the new term in the Gabonese capital Libreville. "The prices have increased and it's a bit difficult for us," she admits. Even with the country's new military strongman declaring an end to enrollment fees for state and religious schools this year, it is still shaping up to be a tough time for families feeling the pinch from rising prices. And it will make no difference for Ndoumba's daughters who attend a private school. President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was ousted on August 30, left behind a national education system so ill-equipped that parents will risk everything to get their children into the private sector. The senior army officers now in charge in the oil-rich central African nation have made schools a priority. "With 30,000 CFA francs (45 euros, $48) today, you can buy just three or four notebooks," says Ndoumba, a 38-year-old pharmacist. "A school bag which used to cost 15,000 (23 euros), today costs 35,000 or 40,000." Twenty-three-year-old Charlene Mabika has three children and is shocked at how much prices have gone up over the last year. "This year it really is too expensive," she says, pointing to "40,000 (60 euros) for a bag." The minimum wage is 150,000 francs a month -- about 230 euros. Corruption Gabon has abundant oil reserves, manganese and timber, but lives off imports. Its wealth is in the hands of a small elite. A third of the population lives below the poverty line -- two euros a day -- despite the country ranking among the richest in Africa, according to the world Bank. Coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema, who put an end to 55 years of rule by the Bongo dynasty and is now the transitional president, has accused successive administrations of massive corruption and disastrous management. Gabon's new military strongman has declared an end to enrollment fees for state and religious schools this year. By - (AFP) Justine Ndoumba keeps totting up the costs -- the school supplies alone will come to 180,000 francs (270 euros). "I cannot spend that amount," she says, deciding to buy items gradually until the end of January. The new school year begins on September 18 but people have already been queuing outside schools in the week before to enrol and pay the first instalment of tuition fees. Confusion Oligui won praise for his September 8 announcement of free school enrollment -- but it also led to confusion. Many people believed that school fees had also been lifted and some refused to pay them. The senior army officers now in charge in the oil-rich central African nation have made schools a priority. By - (AFP) Education Minister Camelia Ntoutoume Leclercq appeared on TV on Thursday to try to clear up the misunderstanding. At the Batavea primary school in the heart of the capital, Benoit Ndong, 38, is enrolling his two children for free -- a saving of 20,000 francs. "But that doesn't change anything for the new school year" which he estimates will cost him a total of 200,000 francs CFA (300 euros). "We will manage, we have to make do. Life in Gabon is very expensive, school costs a lot of money," says the teacher, who has not had a pay rise in eight years. Impatient Free enrollment won't change much either for 43-year-old Hella Ada Biteghe, a mother-of-four. "It's really minimal" compared with the overall cost, she says. "We have to buy books, we have to buy exercise books, we have to buy uniforms." Gabon's new military rulers have been celebrated as national saviours, liberating the population from the Bongo clan's greed. Oligui has announced a raft of measures to help the poor and promised to hand over power to civilians after elections, although he has yet to set a timeframe. But he has also raised expectations -- and some are already showing signs of impatience. Strikes and small gatherings have been held by public servants and private employees demanding sometimes months of back pay -- including in the education sector. An Albemarle County man has been charged after a shooting in the parking lot of the Fashion Square mall that injured two. Albemarle County police said Friday they arrested 19-year-old Jalontae Truriel Percer on Thursday. Percer was taken into custody after authorities said they executed a search warrant at a residence in the 900 block of Upper Brook Court southwest of Charlottesville. A firearm was recovered during the search of the residence, police said in a Friday statement. Percer faces charges of shooting a firearm with the intent to maim or kill and displaying a firearm in commission of a felony. The shooting on Wednesday put Fashion Square on lockdown shortly after 7 p.m., and Albemarle County police were witnessed cordoning off the east parking lot at the mall and inspecting vehicles parked there. The two reported victims survived their injuries, police said. Both shooting victims were treated at the University of Virginia Medical Center and have been released from the hospital, police said in their statement. A dog also received veterinarian care for injuries it received during the shooting and has since been released. Percer was in custody at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail as of Friday afternoon. The matter is still considered an open investigation. Anyone with any information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Andrew Holmes, the investigating detective with the Albemarle County Police Department, at (434) 296-5807 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at (434) 977-4000. 15.09.2023 LISTEN Senior Lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has hit back at Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta over his defense of the decision by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to build a new head office. In an article by the Finance Minister on Thursday, September 14, he called on Ghanaians to support the Central Bank in the building of its new headquarters. He argued that the idea to put up the building was conceived before the countrys economic challenges came about and as a result, Governor Dr. Ernest Addison should be spared the attacks. With respect to the BoGs new headquarters, the evidence is clear that decisions to build had already been made long before these losses occurred. It is important for us to support such a critical institution to modernise its operations and have a befitting office space for a country that hosts the AfCFTA and has the vision to become the financial services hub of the continent, the Finance Minister argued. Reacting to this defense, Prof. Ransford Gyampo says he is surprised this is coming from the Minister. With his own analogy to destroy the argument of Ken Ofori-Atta, he stressed that it is only a fool who does not change his mind. Well it may be true that the decision to construct a new BoG Headquarters was taken long before our losses. But must that decision impose a straight-jacket? If you saved to host an end-of-year party for your friends, and all your children died before the year ended in a fire outbreak that also burnt down your house and properties, will you still go ahead to throw the party, simply because you decided to do so long before your losses? It is only a fool who doesnt change his mind and I am surprised the call for support for the construction of a new BoG Headquarters is coming from a whole Finance Minister who has been embattled for being incompetent in handling our economy and finances, the Political Science lecturer said in a post on Facebook. Leadership is a deep and heavy responsibility that requires some unique ingredients to be able to execute that duty at the family, community and national levels. One must be a person of character and timber to be in leadership, especially at the national level, let alone seek the mandate of the people to be head of state. One key ingredient is integrity or honesty, which means that those who seek that mandate will speak the truth at all times even on the political platforms. That appears to be missing in the engagements of the NDC whenever it is seeking the mandate of the people, and one of the references was the wild claims Mr. Mahama and his NDC made that the Electoral Commission (EC) rigged the 2020 polls in favour of the NPP. They filed a petition before the Supreme Court, and defended their reliefs before the court. But when their petition was dismissed in 2021, Mahama lampooned the Supreme Court for shooting down his reliefs. Almost two years on, a leading member of the NDC has come to speak the truth that after all the NDC did not compile the results of the 2020 elections. Listen to what Mahama said about the Supreme Court verdict in 2021. This is a clear stab in the heart of transparency and accountability to the sovereign people of Ghana, but also on our nation's electoral system, which has deepened grave doubts harboured by many Ghanaians about the true outcome of the December 2020 presidential election, Mr. Mahama said in March 2021 after the verdict by the Supreme Court. We have always asked Ghanaians to always scrutinise Mahama's public outbursts because they lack credibility, but a section of the people think we have been overly critical of the serial presidential candidate for no stated reason. To those people, we invite them to also listen to Prof. Kpessa Whyte, the man who represented John Mahama in the EC strong room during the 2020 elections and juxtapose it with the claims by the NDC flagbearer. We know also that one of the principles of lawyers is the insistence that he who calls for equity must come with clean hands, and that being the case we shall regularly subject Mahama's pronouncements to the integrity test to ensure that his promises are no longer tongue in cheek. Prof. Kpessa Whyte said last week almost two and half years after the Supreme Court pronounced on the election petition that his party was unable to collate its results for the 2020 presidential election. He also added that the officials of the NDC at the EC strong room never got the NDC's collated results to challenge the EC's final declaration. Mr. Asiedu Nketia, then General Secretary and now Chairman of the party, has made a similar claim. The question for any right-thinking person to ask is: if these officials knew this, why did they mount the witness box at the Supreme Court to state that the EC had rigged the election for President Akufo-Addo? The NDC is a danger to our democracy if they don't mend their ways and turn their back to the Goebbelsian lies in their attempt to win power. Some leading members of the party are the serpents thwarting the progress of our democratic rule. We, therefore, urge the Ghanaian electorate to be eternally vigilant to strip the NDC lies naked. Daily Guide 15.09.2023 LISTEN There has been a murder incident at Apaaso, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region. A young businesswoman highly respected has been killed allegedly by her male house help. The deceased identified as Afua Ahenkan and popularly known as Princess Afua was found dead in the garage of her home at Apaaso on Tuesday, September 12. She was reportedly found in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds on various parts of her body. Information gathered indicates that a young man he hired from an urgency a month ago is the suspect behind the murder. The deceased employed the services of the male house help to support her at home since her husband is based in the United Kingdom. It is reported that the suspect attacked Madam Afua Ahenkan while she was on a phone call. The other person on the other end of the phone heard her scream for help but could not hear from her again. She attempted calling back but the deceased could not answer her phone. Alarmed by this, she travelled to the house of the deceased and found her dead in her garage. The suspect is said to have run away with the car, money, and other valuables of the deceased businessman. Police officers assigned from the Ashanti Regional Command from the latest information gathered on the matter have traced the suspect to his hideout and arrested him. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama this afternoon invited Master Alex Ofori from Bobikuma near Swedru for mentorship after a video of Alex went viral last weekend. Young Alex who resides in extremely less privileged community of Bobikuma was seen in the viral video telling the world how life is difficult for him but hes hoping to become successful in life like Mr. Ibrahim Mahama. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama attention was brought to the video and he quickly instructed his team to look for Alex and bring him to Accra for mentorship. Processes have started to relocate Alex to Accra for his mentorship to start after todays meeting in Accra. Alex ll be mentored in the area of construction and mining. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama also supported Alex family in Bobikuma with food items and substantial amount of cash. The food items and the substantial amount of cash were presented to Alex family in Bobikuma by Rafik Mahama, Aide to the Business Moguls and Philanthropist. The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has organized a two-day workshop on Policy Conflicts, Audits, Data and the National Public Policy Formulation Guidelines to enhance Evidence-Based Decisions among policymakers in the country. The coordination workshop, the third in a series in 2023, sought to improve the quality of public policies by relying more on official data and soliciting important input for the National Coordination Strategy Guidelines. Other objectives were to strengthen consensus in the policy formulation process, enhance policy development efficiency through the utilization of the guideline and augment networking and collaboration between NDPC, GSS Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Mr Jonathan Azasoo, a Senior Technical Advisor at the NDPC, emphasized the relevance of tackling these policy concerns for Ghana's sustainable development. He acknowledged the complexities and intricacies of the policy landscape in the country, highlighting that these challenges have hindered the effective implementation of national development policies and plans. "Our ability to make informed, evidence-based decisions is central to the success of our nation's development agenda. Without a well-structured and coordinated approach to policy formulation, we risk inefficiencies, conflicting objectives and ultimately, falling short of our development goals," he added. Highlighting the role of the National Public Policy Formulation Guidelines in enhancing policy development efficiency, Mr Azasoo explained that the guidelines would provide a structured and systematic approach to policy formulation. By following a standardized process, we can reduce redundancy and streamline our efforts, ultimately saving time and resources, he added. Regarding collaboration between the NDPC, GSS and MDAs, Mr Azasoo stated, "Strong collaboration among these key actors is essential for policy coherence and successful implementation. We must work together seamlessly to align our efforts and avoid the pitfalls of overlapping policies." He called on stakeholders to use the guidelines in future to formulate policies to improve the coordination of development policies and programmes. This will help to ensure that policies are implemented effectively and that their impact is assessed, he stated. On his part, the Government Statistician, Prof Samuel Kobina Anim, called for a strengthened capacity for policy analysis and evaluation, saying, We need to make more data available to policymakers. He called on stakeholders to support the government's efforts to improve the quality of public policies through policy audits and the use of data for evidence-based decision-making. The workshop was necessitated by the challenges involved in coordinating development policies, programmes and projects and ensuring the effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of approved national development policies and plans over the years. These challenges largely emanate from public policy overlaps and duplications, with no standard format for the formulation of policy development. There is also weak collaboration among key actors in policy making; inadequate stakeholder consultations, the absence of a well-thought-out implementation strategy and inadequate clarity by MDAs in the policy approval processes. Even more worrying are some conflicting policies between some sector MDAs and consequential conflict in legal statutes that give effect to these policies. The Minister for Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has reiterated the governments commitment to transforming the Information Services Department to carried out its mandate as the mouth piece of government. The Minister, who said this during the orientation programme of the ISD transformational agenda at the Information Ministry press centre on Thursday, explained that the transformation would aid ISD to become an organization that is fit for purpose for the future, not a champion of the past. The transformation or change that we want to bring to ISD is going to be a process and will be difficult. Not everyone will get what they desire but as a group; by the time we are done, we will get what we desire highest for ISD. In my view, the next six months or so are going to be the most critical because that is where we have to do the difficult turning around and moving people into various places to fit the new exercise, he emphasized. The Minister urged the staff to embrace the training that comes with the new focus and structure. We need the staff commitment and cooperation to enable us to succeed with the transformation agenda together. Please take ownership of your roles and assets. Also, you have the opportunity to write your own story of excellence, he added. The Acting Chief Information Officer of ISD, Mr David Owusu-Amoah, noted that the World Bank had lauded the Department for its diligence in information dissemination. According to him, the transformational programme would enable the Department to scale up its media campaigns while embracing the modern methods of disseminating information to the populace. ISD will be the one-stop shop for government information when transformation is rolled out, he stressed. 15.09.2023 LISTEN The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, at the Annual Bar Conference in Cape Coast last Monday, emphasized the critical role the legal profession plays in upholding high standards and integrity in public life. Speaking on variety of legal and judicial issues, Mr Dame said the significance of an independent judiciary was necesseray for an effective legal system. Mr Dame commended the Attorneys for their commitment to upholding high standards, stating that the legal community is crucial to establishing and preserving Ghana's legal system. He emphasized the critical role that Attorneys play in protecting justice and accountability in the nation and their significant contributions to both public service and private practice. Mr Dame noted that Ghana's judiciary is renowned for its excellence and objectivity on a global scale. The A-G also emphasized the Ministry of Justice's and Office of the Attorney-General's accomplishments in avoiding huge judgment debts and guaranteeing victory in international arbitrations. He urged the legal community to defend the integrity of the legal profession, stressing the necessity for Attorneys to speak out against practices that jeopardize the integrity of their field. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called for the rechannelling of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) approved by the Board of the International Monetary Fund to the Multilateral Development Banks. The SDR is an international reserve asset created by the Internal Monitory Fund (IMF) in 1969 to supplement its member countries official reserves. The value of the SDR is based on a basket of five currencies: The U.S. dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi, the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling. The AfDB Vice President for Finance and Chief Finance Officer, Hassatou Diop NSele, reiterated the commitment made in 2022 by African leaders including the Presidents of Ghana, and Senegal and the UN Secretary-General for the rechannelling SDRs through the African Development Bank. She added that the worlds poorest and most fragile countries have now utilized most if not all the SDRs that were allocated to them in 2021, raising further the need for fresh resources to help them respond to current and evolving economic and global challenges. The Multilateral Development Banks, she underscored, presented the best value proposition and most efficient vehicle for the IMFs SDR reallocation to developing countries thanks to their unique business model as they could multiply by three to four times the SDR allocated to them. MDBs are also able to support the private sector directly. The MDB multiplier effect means that USD 10 billion SDRs can be transformed into USD 30 to 40 billion of new MDB lending towards development projects across the world, helping address key global challenges such as tackling climate change and promoting food security among others she assured. Hassatou Diop Nsele opined that institutions such as the AfDB had triple A-ratings and strong standing and track records in the capital markets that allowed them to absorb risk on their balance sheet and offer borrowing members affordable financial terms better than market rates. Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the immediate past Vice President of Nigeria also disclosed that the AfDB could use its strong credit rating to help Africa and questioned why the IMF was the lender of the last resort while the AfDB could be empowered to support the African economy. The Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam also called for collaborative financing which would be a model that would bring together advanced countries, developing countries, international financing agencies, and the Multilateral Development Banks to address the challenges of developing countries without compromising on the objectives of the advanced countries. In 2021, a historic and unprecedented USD 650 billion allocation of the new Special Drawing Rights was approved by the Board of Governors of the IMF, and over 57 per cent was allocated to the advanced economies which had less need for them and Africa received about 5 per cent of the total allocation, the smallest portion among the different regions of the world. Ghana's Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has urged advanced countries to support and empower the emerging markets of developing countries by creating an enabling environment for international trade to thrive. Dr Adam made the call when he spoke in Nairobi at the just-ended African Climate Summit on the topic From Commitment to Action, Creating Fiscal Space for Climate Action Agenda 2063 and the SDGs in Africa. He bemoaned the situation where some policies of advanced countries indirectly stifled the economies of countries that were already in distress. He noted that based on open and fair trade, Africa could mobilize the needed resources that would make it self-sufficient to augment capital inflows from development partners. Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, UKs Minister of State for Development and Africa, pledged that the British government would increase funds allocated to Africa to tackle Climate Change. He stated that the British government would release a paper that would outline their commitment and objectives and how they intended to achieve those objectives. Mr Mitchell also indicated that it was time to inject optimism into the fight against climate change. Mr Fitsum Assefa Adala, Ethiopias Minister for Planning and Development added that it was time for African money to work for Africa and that could be achieved through an honest assessment of performance. By engaging in a frank, honest assessment of our performance, we will be able to measure our progress and know where our resources go, she added. Would be voters in North Tongu have expressed dismay with the ongoing Electoral Commissions (EC) Limited Voter Registration Exercise describing it as a disenfranchise on their civic rights. The prospective voters, residing in Juapong, Torgorme, Fodzoku, Adidokpoe and Battor, primarily first-time electorates say travelling more than 80 kilometres from their homes to the District Office of the EC was impeding resources. They cited long distance, high transport fares, the risk of crossing the Volta River and being turned back after long hours of being in a queue without getting registered as some of the major setbacks. The constituents expressed their worries during a days tour by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) to the Constituency to access at first hand the challenges his Constituents were going through in their pursuit to take part in the ongoing Limited Voters Registration Exercise. While some had decided to opt out of the exercise due to the alleged frustration they are faced with, others have urged the EC to bring the exercise closer to them. I am not going to the EC office again, on two occasions it has not gotten to my turn after all the cost and risk, Ms Mariam Alhassan, a first-time registrant said. I have my Ghana Card, it is accepted everywhere so I dont need the EC card, Master Dela Awusi said. A resident of Juapong who spoke on condition of anonymity urged the EC to bring the ongoing voter registration exercise closer to them, adding that a lot of efforts were put into the exercise when one transported him or herself to the registration centre. The EC on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, began the registration of new voters onto the electoral roll ahead of the December 19 District Level Elections. The Exercise, which is in accordance with Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution, is taking place at the 268 District Offices of the Commission, a deviation from the old system where limited registration exercises were done at the electoral areas. The 21-days exercise would afford Ghanaians who have attained the voting age of 18 years since the last registration in 2020 and others who are more than 18 years but could not register during the last registration exercise, to do so. Following the rejection of the EC's draft Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) by Parliament in April this year, the EC said it would adopt the existing Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91) (1) as Amended, for the upcoming registration exercise. The draft C.I. which was disapproved by Parliament recommended a continuous voters registration exercise and sought to make the Ghana card the sole identification document to establish an applicant's citizenship. The adoption of C.I. 91 for the upcoming registration exercise means that eligible voters could use either the Ghana Card or the Ghana Passport to establish their identity as Ghanaians. In the absence of the two identification documents, applicants would be required to present two people who are already registered voters to vouch for their citizenship and age. Mr Ablakwa alleged that the EC was treating the electorates whose taxes had contributed and continued to contribute towards the country's development with disdain. Jean Mensa's electoral commission forgets that everything they do, it's these people, the people they are treating with disdain, with disgust, with disrespect, with contempt it is their taxes. According to Mr Ablakwa, being an MP, he is privileged to know the entire budget that the EC brought and was approved by Parliament, so it was worrisome for the electioneering body to allegedly claim to be financially constrained hence its decision. Accra is not Ghana, Ridge where Jean Mensa's office is, it's not Ghana, and Ghana will not be Ghana without the contributions of all these communities and all these people who are being treated with utter contempt, so this tour is very important so that we can have broader perspectives, deeper insights, he said. Mr Ablakwa said despite alleged ruses of the Jean Mensah-led EC to suppress votes by restricting registration to single EC Offices, he was determined not to leave any 18-year-old behind. As a result, he had rolled out a movement plan within the Constituency from Tuesday, September 12 to Monday, October 2023 for a successful facilitation that would help about 3,000 first timers to be registered. Madam Paulina Rowland Agbo, District Electoral Officer, North Tongu, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said on the average officers registered 80 people. She said work was on course steadily and discounted any network issues that were alleged to be distracting their work. Madam Agbo assured the citizens of being registered accordingly. The GNA observed that Persons with Disabilities were given priority assistance at the centre. While some first-time registrants expressed excitement about getting the Voters Identification Card which would enable them to cast their first ballot during the 2024 general elections, some parents professed not to allow their children go through the stress thereby denying them of their constitutional mandate of electing their preferred leaders even at 18 years and above. GNA Two Augusta County students were taken to the hospital on Thursday after a two-bus crash in Mint Spring. The Virginia State Police said the two buses were traveling north on Route 11 about 3:35 p.m. when the first bus slowed for a passenger vehicle in front of it that had stopped to make a left turn. The second bus failed to brake in time and struck the rear of the first bus. The driver of the at-fault bus was cited for following too closely. The two students who were taken to Augusta Health were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to both Augusta County Public Schools and the state police. A total of 10 student passengers between the two buses were treated at the scene for minor injuries. The school district said a total of 62 students were on the two buses. The buses were carrying students home from Riverheads High School, Beverley Manor Middle School and Riverheads Elementary School. Augusta County Public Schools said it activated its crisis emergency plan and sent administrators to the scene of the accident. School counselors and psychologists were at the three schools on Friday to assist students. Madam Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, has stressed on the need to fix the unemployment situation to enable the nation benefit from its teeming youth population. She said Ghana's strength of youth and their infinite potential was being limited by the present unemployment dilemma and would require a boosted multi sectorial investment initiative by the government. Mrs Mogtari was addressing a youth empowerment and entrepreneurship day celebration of the Asogli Te Za (Yam festival), as the guest speaker. The youth percentage of 38 per cent is said to be the highest proportion of youth in any country in West Africa. This means Ghana should be the leading light in bringing up creativity and utilising innovation to solve our problems. It means that the youth should be the leading voices in determining the direction of our nation. Unfortunately, the youth are bogged down in unemployment, and it is estimated to be at 12.5 per cent today, she said. She said 60 per cent urbanisation of the nation's youth, according to the 2021 census, was both sweet and sour tale as the nation managed swelling cities and diminishing rural communities. These statistics require that the government plans carefully and invest in all sectors; health, education, transport, oil and gas and agriculture. Mrs Mogtari said John Dramani Mahama who is presently the flag bearer for the NDC, had unwavering commitment to youth development, and would implement well considered policies and proposals for their empowerment and to address the unemployment issue through entrepreneurial support. The entrepreneur and legal practitioner said entrepreneurial acumen among Ghana's youth has been greatly appreciated in recent years, and the implementation of measures to remove barriers such as access to finance, skill training, and regulatory barriers and excessive politicisation. She commended the Asogli State for the youth empowerment initiative and said adding such empowerment to the traditional event had helped equip them for the future. The youth empowerment event was added to the programming for the festival, last year, and this year's include an entrepreneurship component. Dr Anita Fafa Dartey, a lecturer at the UHAS School of Nursing and Midwifery, drew attention to habits flourishing among the youth, which she said unconsciously robbed most of them of their glorious futures. Dr Dartey again mentioned abuse of electronic relay screens and said increased screen time risked affecting the eyesight of the youth. Reverend Dr. Daniel Agbeko, a Senior Lecturer at the University led the youth to understand the world of education and career development. GNA 15.09.2023 LISTEN The Ghana Police Service has issued a press release to update the public on investigations into the murder of a 35-year-old woman at Apaaso near Sokoban Ampabame in the Ashanti Region. In its release on Friday, September 15, it said two suspects have been arrested for their involvement in the killing of Princess Afia Ahenkan. The Police, through a targeted intelligence-led operation on 14th September 2023, arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old woman identified as Princess Afia Ahenkan at Apaaso near Sokoban Ampabame in the Ashanti Region. The operation followed a Police report on the whereabouts of the deceased and the subsequent discovery of her body in the garage of her residence by the Police crime scene experts. Further Police investigation led to the arrest of suspect Allister John, who was the househelp of the deceased, and his accomplice, James Anokye in Accra, who went into hiding with the deceaseds KIA Sportage private car with registration No. GS 307-21 which they subsequently sold, parts of the release by the Police said. Meanwhile, the car has been found at Adenta with its documents and subsequently impounded at the Oyibi Police Station for further investigation while efforts are underway to arrest the buyer to assist the investigation. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy. 15.09.2023 LISTEN Mr. Daniel Ameduame Sotei, a Marine Navigator, has called on the government and maritime stakeholders to turn the Ada estuary into a mini-harbour as a measure to solve the perennial canoe accidents there. Residents of Ada were once again thrown into a state of uncertainty on Tuesday morning as another incident of canoes capsizing in the estuary was seen due to the roughness of the sea. The two canoes, which had 19 people together on them, capsized when the fishermen were returning from a fishing expedition. The estuary is the place where the Volta River joins the sea, with high waves leading to accidents that are often fatal. Mr. Sotei, who is also the National Financial Secretary of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that as a marine navigator, he had seen a few countries turning their estuaries into mini harbours. He said apart from generating revenue through tourism and economic activities around it, it would also serve as a permanent solution to accidents. In Dubai, for instance, such estuaries have been utilised for tourism purposes, and they are making a lot of money from it. This can lead to a lot of jobs springing up in the area instead of leaving it to kill people. He said the estuary could be widened, and the height of the sea defence around it could be increased to allow canoes to easily navigate in and out of the estuary without any problem. The Marine Navigator said that with such a mini harbour, the place could be used for water transportation, which was cheaper than other forms of transportation. This, he said, would also reduce the load on the Tema to Volta region roads. GNA 15.09.2023 LISTEN Ghana Police Service has arrested another suspect in connection with the murder of 35-year-old Princess Afia Ahenkan at Apaaso near Sokoban Ampabame in the Ashanti Region. The latest arrest brings to two, the number of suspects arrested over the incident so far. The suspects, Allister John, a househelp of the deceased, and James Anokye were arrested through a targeted intelligence-led operation on September 14, 2023. According to the police, the two suspects went into hiding with the deceaseds KIA Sportage private car with registration number GS 307-21, which they subsequently sold. The car has since been found at Adenta with its documents and impounded at the Oyibi Police Station for further investigation. Efforts are underway to arrest the buyer to assist in the investigation. The victim, known as Afua Ahenkan or Princess Afua, reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds on Monday, September 11, 2023, at the hands of the young man she had hired through an agency just a month ago. The assailant reportedly launched his attack on the deceased while she was engaged in a phone call. Her desperate cries for help raised the suspicions of the person on the other end of the line, prompting them to rush to her home after repeated, unanswered calls. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy. Read below the statement by the police POLICE ARREST TWO SUSPECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MURDER OF A 35-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AT APAASO NEAR SOKOBAN AMPABAME IN THE ASHANTI REGION The Police, through a targeted intelligence-led operation on 14th September 2023, arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old woman identified as Princess Afia Ahenkan at Apaaso near Sokoban Ampabame in the Ashanti Region. The operation followed a Police report on the whereabouts of the deceased and the subsequent discovery of her body in the garage of her residence by the Police crime scene experts. Further Police investigation led to the arrest of suspect Allister John, who was the househelp of the deceased, and his accomplice, James Anokye in Accra, who went into hiding with the deceaseds KIA Sportage private car with registration No. GS 307-21 which they subsequently sold. The car has, however, been found at Adenta with its documents and subsequently impounded at the Oyibi Police Station for further investigation while efforts are underway to arrest the buyer to assist the investigation. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy. citinewsroom 15.09.2023 LISTEN The Embassy of Ghana in Tripoli, Libya, has asked for information on Ghanaian nationals who may be victims of the recent devastating floods in Eastern Libya. The notice of request for information, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, called on the leadership and members of Ghanaian communities in eastern Libya, particularly, Derna, Shahat, Omar Al-Mokhtar, Susa and Benghazi, to provide information on Ghanaian nationals may be affected in any way by the storm and floods that struck the region. This will enable the Mission make follow-ups and offer the necessary support. It urged all who had some relevant information to reach the Mission on it's hotline: +218 94 591 5875 and Facebook page httos://www.facebook.com/Ghana embassy Libya. The Mission reassured the Ghanaian community of its readiness to assist with their consular needs. The Mission wishes to use this opportunity to convey its deepest condolences to the people of Libya and the affected families of the departed,it added. We pray fervently for the recovery of the injured and the rescue of missing persons in good time. According to a BBC report, Aid teams were battling to help survivors and locate the dead five days after the devastating flooding hit eastern Libya. Thousands of people were killed when two dams burst in the wake of Storm Daniel, washing away whole neighbourhoods in the city of Derna. The death toll is estimated between between 6,000 and 11,000 plus. Thousands are still missing, the citys mayor says the total could reach 20,000. Survivors have described terrifying escapes and people being swept away in front of their eyes. Most of the deaths could have been avoided if warnings had been issued, the UNs World Meteorological Organization, has said. GNA Auto Trader Group plc operates in the digital automotive marketplace in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company provides vehicle advertisement on its websites for private sellers, as well as insurance and loan financing products to consumers; and display advertising on its websites for manufacturers and their advertising agencies. The company offers its products to retailers, home traders, and logistics firms. Auto Trader Group plc was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Manchester, the United Kingdom. Laurentian Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services to personal, business, and institutional customers in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Capital Markets. The Personal Banking segment offers financial services, such as financial advisory services to financial intermediaries; and operates digital direct-to-customer platform to retail clients. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial services, including commercial banking, real estate financing, and equipment and inventory financing to business clients. The Capital Markets segment offers a range of services, such as research, market analysis, and advisory services; corporate underwriting services for debt and equity; and administrative services. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. School bus routes have been cut due to a lack of drivers, an achievement gap is growing between White students and students of color, schools have been renamed in spite of vocal opposition and some parents have had enough. A petition calling on the Albemarle County School Board to replace Superintendent Matthew Haas has accumulated more than 1,600 signatures as of Friday. While not requesting Haas immediate dismissal, the petition does ask the board not renew his contract with the school division when it expires June 30, 2025. My petition is not to try to immediately fire him, because I dont think theres been anything thats been an immediate fireable offense, Paul McArtor, the petitions author and the father of two children in the school division, told The Daily Progress. The plan is for him to still be around to finish off his contract, which were looking at 18 months or so. I would hope that he takes that feedback and can improve those areas that get pointed out. McArtor said he drafted the petition after filing a Freedom of Information Act request with the county and finding that Haas contract expires in roughly two years. Haas signed his current contract in September 2017 and officially stepped into the position in July 2018 after serving as deputy superintendent. An addendum was approved by the school board adding an additional three years to his term that was first set to end in June 2022. So I figured the last time there was no public input that I ever saw prior to them making the decision to renew him, and with a lot of the different issues going on I thought now was the right time to put that out there to at least make sure that the school board knows that theres some people who dont want him to just automatically be renewed as superintendent, McArtor said. McArtors petition hosted on change.org began circulating on Aug. 20. As of Friday, there were 1,636 signatures and a goal of 2,500. The school division says it welcomes the feedback, but the information presented in the petition is misleading and one sided. Regarding the petition, the board received it recently and will take the time to consider its points and the comments that have been made, School Board Chair Judy Le, who represents the Rivanna District on the board, told The Daily Progress via email. We understand and appreciate how passionate people are about their children and schools. We welcome feedback from our constituents; we take it seriously and will take it into consideration. Ellen Moore Osborne, who represents the Scottsville District on the school board, came to Haas defense and urged parents both those who did and did not sign the petition to consider the circumstances. While I was not a member of the school board when Dr. Haas was hired, he and all superintendents have served during a time of unprecedented challenges for school divisions across the nation these past few years, Osborne told The Daily Progress. He has met these challenges head-on and made tough decisions that are consistent with our values. Thats what leaders are expected to do. School division spokesman Phil Giaramita was more blunt. Negative feedback comes with the job, Giaramita told The Daily Progress. Its an experience that goes with managing a large school division involved in a lot of important issues every day. However, he said the information in the petition is simply not accurate. To make your case of whether you support the superintendent or not, I dont think its necessary for you to exaggerate or to be inaccurate in what you present, Giaramita said. Causes of concern McArtor, however, said it is not an exaggeration that Haas has lost the confidence and trust of the public, including parents, teachers, bus drivers, staff, administrators, and students, as his petition puts it. At the top of his list of concerns: the bus driver shortage. As is the case in many other school divisions, a shortage of bus drivers in Albemarle County has resulted in the loss of bus services for some students. At the start of the school year in August, the school division announced that roughly 1,000 students who had requested service would have to go without this year. The school division has been driving that number down by increasing the number of drivers and adjusting routes Haas himself has even started driving a bus route. Just days into the school year, that 1,000 had already been reduced by about 300, according to Giaramita. Solutions are not something that happen overnight, Giaramita said. We had the results of the survey in June asking for service for 10,000 students, he said. We spent all of July mapping out 550 bus routes, and it took some time to do that. Only when that process was completed at the end of July were we able to say, There are 12 open routes and you live on one of those routes, and we let people know Aug. 4 when all our work had been completed. McArtor argues that the national bus driver shortage is just part of the problem; Haas bears some of the responsibility locally. According to a former bus driver at the School Board meeting on Aug 10, 2023, bus drivers feel unheard by and dont want to work for the current administration, McArtors petition says. That has been backed up by current and former bus drivers who have spoken with The Daily Progress in the past. McArtor has been clear, however, that while the driver shortage is at the top of his list literally, it is not the chief priority among his and other parents concerns. This is not just about the school buses, McArtor said. That happened to be the most recent thing, but theres been for years issues with communication, poor decision-making and failure to think of the ramifications of decisions. Yes, the school bus issue has those, but this isnt just about the school buses. The issues with communication was a motif of McArtors petition. The petition describes the school-renaming process as riddled with problems. The community and multiple committee members feel the decisions are predetermined and the committees are a farce which wastes resources and the time of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. School stakeholders are routinely surveyed and the results disregarded if they dont match the predetermined decision of the Superintendent, according to the petition. A recent example: In January, the school board voted unanimously to rename Meriwether Lewis Elementary School to Ivy Elementary School in spite of a division-directed community survey conducted late last year that found an overwhelming majority about 85% of parents, students, alumni and county residents preferred keeping the name of the famous explorer and native of Albemarle County. But if theres a fault in the renaming process, said Giaramita, its not on the superintendent. The renaming process is guided by the school board, he said; the superintendent is just following orders. When the school board directs you to do something, you do it, Giaramita said. It was not the superintendents idea and plan, and thats simply inaccurate. Its unfair for them to make that allegation or to use that as one of the bases for their objections to him. An area where Haas was intimately involved, however, was the discussion to relocate fifth-graders at Mountain View Elementary School to Walton Middle School. Parents learned of this when they attempted to sign their 5th graders up for the after-school program. Dr. Haas had the Principals of the two schools meet with parents to discuss the idea in which they stated the decision was not made yet. At the same time, Dr. Haas was talking to the Parent Representatives of the local PTOs and stated the decision was already decided. This had to be backtracked and a committee of parents was formed to review options and figure out a solution, according to the petition. The ultimate solution was a $1 million project to install additional classroom trailers to accommodate the students at their original school. Thats exactly the correct response parents should expect of their superintendent, said Giaramita. The petitions example of lack of communication is a sign of obvious communication, he said. They discussed this issue for several meetings and they came back to the superintendent with a recommendation that the students not be moved to Walton Middle School, and the superintendent accepted it Giaramita said. To bring that up in the petition as an example of poor leadership is disingenuous because in fact the superintendent did exactly the right action. He involved the parents in the decision and changed the decision based on what he heard from parents, and thats exactly what a leader does. McArtors petition also points to the achievement gap between White, wealthy students and poorer students of color as a sign that the division is struggling under Haas. The petition notes the findings of an audit conducted by Bellwether Education Partners: Instructional tasks do not consistently match the level of rigor required by SOL tests. Adults do not have all the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the instructional needs of all students. Gaps in the curriculum around K-5 interventions and Algebra I are serving as barriers for teachers and students. The alignment of the divisions structural approaches to the goals in its strategic plan (thriving students, affirming and empowering communities, and equitable and transformative resources) is unclear. Both internal and external stakeholders are not experiencing the level of engagement with the division that allows them to be valuable contributors to the closing of achievement gaps. Instructional tasks do not consistently match the level of rigor required by SOL tests. Adults do not have all the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the instructional needs of all students. Gaps in the curriculum around K-5 interventions and Algebra I are serving as barriers for teachers and students. The alignment of the divisions structural approaches to the goals in its strategic plan (thriving students, affirming and empowering communities, and equitable and transformative resources) is unclear. Both internal and external stakeholders are not experiencing the level of engagement with the division that allows them to be valuable contributors to the closing of achievement gaps. These findings, while significant, are not unlike audits of other schools in Virginia and across the country post-pandemic. The Virginia Department of Education has even launched a pilot program called Bridging the Gap which has been billed as a learning loss recovery program in the wake of the pandemic. That program provides participating schools with individualized reports on students, personalized learning plans for students that are falling behind and comprehensive training for teachers. Albemarle was not one of the 25 school divisions participating in the pilot last year nearby Charlottesville was but the state has expressed interest in expanding it. And locally, Albemarle is already working on bridging the gap itself. In June, Haas discussed the divisions options, including increasing the number of standardized tests, upgrading instructional material particularly Algebra I and middle-grade math tutoring programs, summer camps and finessing how administrators and teachers provide feedback and input. Nuts and bolts McArtor has been vocal that his petition is not political, but he concedes that certain outspoken parties have co-opted his movement and made it about social policy decisions. To be sure, many of the most vocal proponents of the petition have been highly critical of the county school divisions LBGT-inclusive curriculum not mentioned in the petition and COVID response plan mentioned only as an aside to McArtors primary concerns. There is an attempt to try to point this out as being due to social policy decisions, McArtor said. Theres a reason that this petition was focused on the nuts and bolts of running the school system. If youre for or against the social policies, a lot of people can still agree that the nuts and bolts of running the school system is not holding up to the standard that wed expect. The Charles Schwab Corporation is a financial services company that offers a wide range of investment services, including brokerage, banking, and financial advisory services. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Westlake, Texas, the company operates through two main segments: Investor Services and Advisor Services. The Investor Services segment offers individual investors retail brokerage and banking services, while the Advisor Services segment provides custodial, trading, and support services to independent investment advisors. In 2020, the company completed its acquisition of TD Ameritrade, further expanding its client base and offerings. Charles Schwab Corporation's management team is led by Walt Bettinger, who has been the company's President and Chief Executive Officer since 2008. Mr. Bettinger joined the company in 1995 and has held various leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Head of Schwab Institutional. Over the past few years, Charles Schwab Corporation has experienced steady growth in its key financial metrics. It is reporting increased revenue and increased profit margin. Charles Schwab Corporation's valuation metrics are generally in line with industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings ratio is slightly lower than the industry average, and the company's price-to-book ratio is also somewhat lower than the industry average. Charles Schwab Corporation's stock has generally performed well over the past few years, with some fluctuations in response to broader market conditions and regulatory changes. The company's stock price has outperformed the S&P 500 for several years. The company has also experienced increases in trading volume in response to changes in market conditions and regulatory changes. Charles Schwab Corporation operates in the financial services industry, which has experienced significant growth and transformation over the past few years. The industry has been impacted by a range of factors, including advances in technology, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory changes. Charles Schwab Corporation competes with other financial services firms, including traditional brokerage firms, online investment platforms, and banks. Charles Schwab Corporation has a range of potential growth opportunities, including expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of its clients. The company has been investing in technology and digital platforms to improve its services and attract new clients. In addition, the company's acquisition of TD Ameritrade has provided new opportunities for growth and expansion. The company also focuses on expanding its international presence and exploring new markets. Charles Schwab Corporation faces a range of potential risks and challenges, including changes in regulatory and political environments that may impact the company's operations and profitability. The financial services industry is subject to a wide range of regulations, and changes in these regulations could significantly impact the company's operations. In addition, the industry is subject to intense competition, which could affect the company's ability to attract and retain clients. Another potential risk is the impact of market volatility on the company's operations. Charles Schwab Corporation generates a significant portion of its revenue from commissions and fees, which are impacted by changes in market conditions. In periods of market volatility, clients may reduce their trading activity, which could affect the company's revenue and profitability. The company also faces risks related to data security and privacy. The company collects and stores sensitive financial and personal information on its clients. Any breach of this data could significantly impact the company's reputation and financial performance. To address these risks and challenges, Charles Schwab Corporation is focused on maintaining a robust regulatory compliance program and investing in data security and privacy measures. The company is also focused on diversifying its revenue streams and expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of its clients. NextEra Energy, Inc. is the largest electric utility holding company in the US. It operates a network of power generation and distribution facilities that include fossil-fuel-generated and green energy. As of mid-2022, the company was capable of generating 58 GW of electricity with nearly 60% of the load produced by green sources including wind and solar. In their view, going green isnt an option, its the solution. NextEra Energy has been recognized multiple times as a leader in clean energy and ESG practices and was ranked the #1 electric and gas utility on the Forbes list of Most Admired Companies. The company is the result of several mergers that begin with FPL Group. FPL Group is now a subsidiary of NextEra Energy and the third-largest provider of electricity in the US servicing nearly half of Florida. FPL and its affiliates are the single largest provider of renewable energy generated from wind and sun. The group changed its name in 2010 following a decision to shift focus onto renewable energy sources. Today, NextEra Energy, Inc through its subsidiary FPL serves about 12 million people in eastern and southwestern Florida. The company employs nearly 14,900 people who service 5.8 million accounts. The company is in business to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to retail and wholesale clients. Electricity is generated through wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired facilities. The company is also engaged in the construction and operation of new facilities, specifically renewable power generation, storage, and delivery facilities, and can offer custom solutions tailored to any need. Offerings include tailored services to assist businesses with their transition to clean energy. NextEra Energy also owns and operates 7 nuclear power stations in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin generating power for the wholesale market. Unlike other companies that are targeting net-zero emissions, NextEra Energy has a plan to reach real zero and is investing heavily to reach that goal by 2045. The company had invested nearly $50 billion in green energy infrastructure and initiatives by mid-2022. The plan is to first work on reducing its own emissions and then take its knowledge and expertise to the world. The following companies are subsidiares of Novartis: 1 A Pharma GmbH, Abadia Retuerta S.A, Admune Therapeutics, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Advanced Accelerator Applications International SA, Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A., Advanced Accelerator Applications S.r.l., Advanced Accelerator Applications USA Inc., Aeropharm GmbH, Alcon, Alcon Couvreur NV, Amblyotech, Amblyotech Inc., Arctos Medical, Arctos Medical AG, Australia Pty Ltd, Beijing Novartis Pharma Co. Ltd., BioMedical Research Co. Ltd., CELLforCURE, Cadent Therapeutics, Cadent Therapeutics Cambridge, Cellerys, Cellerys AG, CellforCure, Chiron Corporation, Ciba-Geigy Japan Limited, Co. Ltd, CoStim Pharmaceuticals, CoStim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Coalesce Product Development Limited, Corthera, Development Co. Ltd., EBEWE Pharma Ges.m.b.H Nfg. KG, Encore Vision, Endocyte, Endocyte Inc., Eon Labs Inc., Farmanova Saglik Hizmetleri Ltd, Fougera Pharmaceuticals, Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gyroscope Therapeutics, HEXAL AG, Hexal, IDB Holland BV, Iberica S.L.U., Ilaclari Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, JSC Sandoz, Japat AG, Kedalion Therapeutics Inc., Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d., Lek S.A., Manufacturing Pte Ltd , Navigate BioPharma Services Inc, Neutec Pharma Limited, Novartis (Hellas) S.A.C.I., Novartis (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Novartis (Taiwan) Co. Ltd, Novartis (Thailand) Limited, Novartis Argentina S.A., Novartis Australia Pty Ltd, Novartis Austria GmbH, Novartis Biociencias S.A., Novartis Biosciences Peru S.A., Novartis Bioventures AG, Novartis Business Services GmbH, Novartis Capital Corporation, Novartis Chile S.A., Novartis Corporation, Novartis Corporation Sdn. Bhd., Novartis Deutschland GmbH, Novartis Ecuador S.A., Novartis Farma S.p.A., Novartis Farma Produtos Farmaceuticos S.A., Novartis Farmaceutica S.A, Novartis Farmaceutica S.A. de C.V., Novartis Finance Corporation, Novartis Finance S.A., Novartis Finance Services Ltd, Novartis Finland Oy Espoo, Novartis Gene Therapies, Novartis Gene Therapies EU Limited, Novartis Gene Therapies Inc., Novartis Grimsby Limited, Novartis Groupe France S.A., Novartis Healthcare A/S, Novartis Healthcare Philippines Inc., Novartis Healthcare Private Limited, Novartis Holding AG, Novartis Hungary Healthcare Limited Liability Company, Novartis India Limited, Novartis Inflammasome Research, Novartis Integrated Services Limited, Novartis International AG, Novartis International Pharmaceutical Investment AG, Novartis Investment Ltd, Novartis Investments S.a r.l., Novartis Ireland Limited, Novartis Israel Ltd, Novartis Korea Ltd., Novartis Middle East FZE, Novartis Netherlands B.V., Novartis Neva LLC, Novartis New Zealand Ltd, Novartis Norge AS, Novartis Ophthalmics AG, Novartis Optogenetics Research Inc., Novartis Overseas Investments AG, Novartis Pharma (Logistics) Inc., Novartis Pharma (Pakistan) Limited, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Pharma B.V. , Novartis Pharma GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Novartis Pharma K.K., Novartis Pharma LLC, Novartis Pharma Maroc SA, Novartis Pharma NV, Novartis Pharma Produktions GmbH, Novartis Pharma S.A.E., Novartis Pharma S.A.S., Novartis Pharma Schweiz AG, Novartis Pharma Schweizerhalle AG, Novartis Pharma Services AG, Novartis Pharma Services Romania S.R.L., Novartis Pharma Stein AG, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Limited, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited, Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o., Novartis Portugal S.G.P.S. Lda., Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited, Novartis Saglik Gida ve Tarim Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, Novartis Saudi Ltd., Novartis Securities Investment Ltd, Novartis Services Inc., Novartis Slovakia s.r.o., Novartis South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Novartis Sverige AB, Novartis UK Limited, Novartis US Foundation, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Inc, Novartis Vietnam Company Limited, Novartis de Colombia S.A., Novartis de Venezuela S.A., Novartis s.r.o., Oriel Therapeutics Inc., PT. Novartis Indonesia, Protez Pharmaceuticals, Pte Ltd, Research Inc, Salutas Pharma GmbH, Sandoz A/S, Sandoz AG, Sandoz B.V., Sandoz Canada Inc., Sandoz Egypt Pharma S.A.E., Sandoz Farmaceutica S.A., Sandoz Farmaceutica Lda., Sandoz GmbH, Sandoz Hungary Limited Liability Company, Sandoz Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Sandoz Inc, Sandoz Industrial Products S.A, Sandoz International GmbH, Sandoz K.K., Sandoz Limited, Sandoz Manufacturing Inc., Sandoz NV, Sandoz Pharma K.K, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals AG, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals d.d., Sandoz Philippines Corporation, Sandoz Polska Sp. z o.o. , Sandoz Private Limited, Sandoz Pty Ltd, Sandoz S.A. de C.V, Sandoz S.A.S., Sandoz S.R.L., Sandoz S.p.A., Sandoz South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Sandoz Ukraine LLC, Sandoz d.o.o. farmaceutska industrija, Sandoz do Brasil Industria Farmaceutica Ltda, Sandoz s.r.o., Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Shanghai Novartis Trading Ltd., Societe par actions SANDOZ, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, The Medicines Company, The Medicines Company, Triangle International Reinsurance Limited, Trinity River Insurance Co Ltd, Vedere Bio, Vedere Bio ll, Xiidra, Ziarco, and Ziarco Group Limited. Read More Herbalife Ltd. provides health and wellness products in North America, Mexico, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides products in the areas of weight management; targeted nutrition; energy, sports, and fitness; outer nutrition; and literature and promotion items. It offers weight management products, including meal replacement products, protein shakes, drink mixes, weight loss enhancers, and healthy snacks; targeted nutrition products, which comprise functional beverages, and dietary and nutritional supplements that contain herbs, vitamins, minerals, and other natural ingredients; outer nutrition products, such as facial skin, body, and hair care products; and energy, sports, and fitness products, including N-R-G tea and energy drink products. The company also provides literature, promotional, and other materials that comprise start-up kits, sales tools, and educational materials. It offers its products through sales representatives and independent service providers, as well as through company-operated retail platforms. The company was formerly known as Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. and changed its name to Herbalife Ltd. in April 2023. Herbalife Ltd. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. American Shared Hospital Services provides radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to health care providers. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia. It also provides financing services for Leksell Gamma Knife units. In addition, the company offers proton beam radiation therapy services in Orlando, Florida and Long Beach, California, as well as offers planning, installation, reimbursement, and marketing support services to its customers. American Shared Hospital Services was founded in 1980 and is based in San Francisco, California. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. The Fund invests in sectors, such as financials, energy, healthcare, telecommunication services, industrials, utilities, consumer discretionary, materials, information technology and consumer staples. The Fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the Index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the Index. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. engages in the mining, development, and exploration of minerals and precious metals located primarily in Africa. It explores for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold, rhodium, zinc, silver, germanium, and lead deposits. The company's projects include the Platreef project located in the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex; the Kipushi project located in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Kamoa-Kakula project located within the Central African Copperbelt. It also holds a 100% interest in the Western Foreland exploration project covering an area of approximately 2,407 square kilometers located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company was formerly known as Ivanplats Limited and changed its name to Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. in August 2013. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. The magic number was 2,256. But in their effort to remove a board member for his homophobic comments, Lake Monticello residents came up 143 votes short. Months after Don Polonis called homosexuals demonic and satanic in social media posts, he barely survived an attempt to oust him from the board of his Fluvanna County gated communitys homeowners association. Over the summer, 400 people signed a petition demanding he step down from his role as director of the board, and his colleagues unanimously voted to censure him. In addition to his disparaging online remarks against homosexuals, Polonis also took to the internet to share the names and addresses of people who condemned his rhetoric. At an emotional meeting on Tuesday before the final vote tally was announced, members of the community spoke out against Polonis. Not one speaker defended him. Every speaker we had expressed their disapproval of Don Polonis, Marieke Henry, a spokeswoman for the Lake Monticello Owners Association, told The Daily Progress. Speakers all said that whether they won or not, they felt the community had pulled together; they knew neighbors better had better relationships with their neighbors now. They felt like whatever the outcome was, they won. According to state law, in order for a homeowners association to remove a board member, 50% of property owners have to vote in favor of the decision. In this instance, Polonis critics came up 143 votes short. Polonis did not attend the meeting. But in May he refused to apologize for his homophobic remarks. I am a Christian, and I hold traditional Christian views. As a Christian, I believe in God, I believe in Satan and I believe that homosexuality is immoral, Polonis told a crowd of assembled residents at a May meeting. People disagree with these views, and I disagree with them. I seek to do them no harm though my beliefs may offend others and I stand by my beliefs. He did, however, apologize for posting the home addresses of his critics. Fifty people attended the Tuesday meeting, less than Henry was expecting. She said she suspects that some people chose not to attend because they worried the meeting might become rowdy. But 200 people did watch on Youtube, and an unknown number watched through a Comcast broadcast. The event was peaceful and civil, and although speakers felt the controversy had brought the community closer together, watching their vote fall just short was difficult for the crowd, Henry said. When they heard the results, they were very quiet, she said. You could tell from their faces they were pretty heartbroken. Polonis is still censured, which according to Henry effectively means the rest of board continues to disapprove of his behavior. He also is not allowed to serve on any neighborhood committees nor can he run for president, vice president or treasurer of the board. But because members serve three-year terms, his critics will likely be stuck with him for two more years. The other option would be for property owners to hold another election. But this time around, they would have to pay for it themselves. Putting together the election can cost between $6,000 and $7,000, according to Henry. The Tuesday election was funded by the dues paid by homeowners. If they wanted to do the whole process again, they can, but they would have to raise money outside of dues and pay for it out of pocket, Henry said. There is one final course of action though its a lofty one. Residents could petition the General Assembly to change the state law. Board President Larry Henson reminded his community of that after the vote. While it may seem undemocratic that a vote of 85 to 15% in favor of removal failed to succeed, the board reminds the residents that this is due to the rules laid down by the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act, Henson said. If you are feeling aggrieved, the board encourages you to petition your legislators to change this law and create a fairer system of board membership removal, not just at Lake Monticello, but across the commonwealth. 3 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Markforged in the last year. There are currently 3 hold ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" MKFG shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in MKFG, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View MKFG analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for MUFG Bank, Ltd. that provides various financial services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Digital Service Business Group; Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group; Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group; Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Global Commercial Banking Business Group; and Global Markets Business Group segments. The company offers commercial banking, trust banking, and securities products and services to retail, and small and medium-sized enterprise customers. It also provides M&As and real estate-related services; digital-based financial services; credit cards; and trust banking and securities products and services, as well as engages in the lending, fund settlement, and foreign exchange businesses. In addition, it offers corporate, investment, and transaction banking services for large corporate and financial institutions; asset management and administration services for corporations and pension funds; loans, deposits, fund transfers, and investments services for retail, small and medium-sized enterprise, as well as corporate customers; fixed income instruments, currencies, equities, and other investment products; originates and distributes of financial products; and provides treasury services. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) pays an annual dividend of $3.56 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 1.55%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 3 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 43.36%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, STZ will have a dividend payout ratio of 26.69% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for STZ. Motorola Solutions, Inc. provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Its land mobile radio communications, and video security and access control devices include two-way portable and vehicle-mounted radios, fixed and mobile video cameras, and accessories; radio network core and central processing software, base stations, consoles, and repeaters; and video analytics, network video management hardware and software, and access control solutions. The Software and Services segment provides public safety and enterprise command center, unified communications applications, mobile video equipment, and video software solutions; repair, technical support, and maintenance services; and monitoring, software updates, and cybersecurity services. The company was formerly known as Motorola, Inc. and changed its name to Motorola Solutions, Inc. in January 2011. Motorola Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company specializing in the research, development, production, and marketing of pharmaceutical products to treat diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. The company was founded in 1923 in Denmark and is headquartered in Bagsvrd, Denmark. Novo Nordisk has operations in more than 80 countries, including production facilities in nine countries, and employs approximately 48,500 people worldwide. Novo Nordisk's mission is to discover and develop innovative medicines to help people with chronic diseases lead longer, healthier lives. The company's key therapeutic areas include diabetes, obesity, hemophilia, growth hormone therapy, and other severe chronic diseases. Novo Nordisk is the world's largest producer of insulin and has been at the forefront of diabetes care for more than 95 years. Lars Fruergaard Jrgensen is the President and CEO of Novo Nordisk A/S, a position he has held since 2017. Jrgensen joined Novo Nordisk in 1991 and has held various management positions, including Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Development, Strategy and Biopharmaceuticals. Novo Nordisk has consistently delivered strong financial performance over the past few years. Novo Nordisk's profit margin has remained consistently high, with a net margin of approximately 30%. In terms of debt, Novo Nordisk has maintained a conservative approach. Novo Nordisk's debt has kept pace with its assets for several years. The company's cash reserves have not always been healthy, but in 2022 Novo Nordisk made a profit for the first time since 2018. Novo Nordisk's valuation metrics compare favorably to industry peers. It has a price-to-earnings ratio in line with its peers but a price-to-book ratio significantly higher than the industry average. Novo Nordisk's high P/B ratio reflects its strong brand, market position, and financial performance. Novo Nordisk's stock has performed well over the past few years, with a 3-year annualized return of around 23%. The stock price has shown some volatility, with significant price movements in response to regulatory and market news related to diabetes and obesity markets. Novo Nordisk operates in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving pharmaceutical industry, specifically in diabetes and obesity markets. The global diabetes market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2027, driven by the increasing prevalence of diabetes, especially in emerging markets, and the growing demand for innovative diabetes treatments. In the obesity market, the global prevalence of obesity has been steadily increasing, and it is expected to continue to rise, driving demand for effective obesity treatments. Novo Nordisk faces intense competition from several large and small pharmaceutical companies in the diabetes and obesity markets. The company's main competitors in the diabetes market include Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca, while its main competitors in the obesity market include Roche, Novartis, and Eisai. The company's competitive position is based on factors such as the quality and effectiveness of its products, its research and development capabilities, its brand reputation, and ability to adapt to changing market dynamics. Novo Nordisk is also subject to various regulatory and political issues that can impact its operations and financial performance. The company must comply with strict regulatory requirements in each country it operates, including the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Changes in regulatory requirements, such as changes to reimbursement policies, can significantly impact the company's financial performance. Novo Nordisk has several growth opportunities to pursue in the coming years. The company is investing heavily in research and development to develop new and innovative treatments for diabetes and obesity, as well as other chronic diseases. Novo Nordisk has a strong pipeline of potential products in development, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have shown promise in clinical trials for treating obesity. The company also expands in emerging markets, such as China and India, with significant and growing demand for diabetes and obesity treatments. Novo Nordisk has established partnerships with local companies in these markets to help drive growth and increase product access. Novo Nordisk has pursued acquisitions and partnerships to expand its product offerings and capabilities. In 2021, the company acquired Prothena's ATTR amyloidosis program, a potential treatment for a rare and debilitating disease. This acquisition will strengthen Novo Nordisk's position in the rare disease market. Novo Nordisk faces several risks and challenges that could impact its operations and financial performance. The company's success is heavily dependent on the success of its products in the diabetes and obesity markets, and any setbacks in clinical trials or product launches could significantly impact its financial performance. In addition, Novo Nordisk faces regulatory and political risks, as changes in regulations or policies could impact its ability to operate or sell its products in specific markets. The company is also subject to intellectual property risks, as competitors may seek to challenge its patents and market their products. Novo Nordisk also faces risks related to supply chain disruptions and production delays, as well as cybersecurity and data privacy risks. Pan African Resources (LON:PAF) pays an annual dividend of GBX 1 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.71%. PAF has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 3,333.33%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Read our dividend analysis for PAF. PulteGroup, Inc., through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West, and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand names. As of December 31, 2022, it controlled 211,112 lots, of which 108,848 were owned and 102,264 were under land option agreements. In addition, the company arranges financing through the origination of mortgage loans primarily for homebuyers; sells the servicing rights for the originated loans; and provides title insurance policies, and examination and closing services to homebuyers. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Ryanair Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides scheduled-passenger airline services in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Other European countries. It is also involved in the provision of various ancillary services, such as non-flight scheduled services and internet-related services; in-flight sale of beverages, food, and merchandise; and marketing accommodation and hotel services, car hire, and travel insurance through its Website and mobile app. In addition, the company offers aircraft and passenger handling, ticketing, marketing and advertising, and maintenance and repair services; and markets car parking, attractions, and activities on its website and mobile app, as well as sells gift vouchers. As of June 30, 2020, it had a principal fleet of approximately 440 Boeing 737 aircraft and 26 Airbus A320 aircraft; and offered approximately 2,500 scheduled short-haul flights per day serving approximately 242 airports, including 79 bases. Ryanair Holdings plc was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Swords, Ireland. Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February, 23rd. The company reported ($0.44) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.40) by $0.04. The company had revenue of $118.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $124.73 million. Sweetgreen had a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 26.30% and a negative net margin of 30.29%. The business's revenue was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($1.14) earnings per share. After being significantly outraised by her opponent Meg Bryce in the first months of the race for the at-large seat on the Albemarle County School Board, Allison Spillman appears to be closing the gap. If true, it would be a major development in the closely watched race between two diametrically opposed candidates. Spillman is a progressive, union- supporting mother of five Albemarle public school students who has voiced support for LGBT- inclusive education. Bryce is the conservative daughter of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who has questioned the countys anti-racism initiatives and whose children do not even go to public schools in the county. In numbers shared exclusively with The Daily Progress, Spillmans campaign claims she raised $41,818 in just two months. Thats just slightly more than Bryce raised from January to June, a total of $41,505 according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Bryce declined to share her July and August fundraising numbers with The Daily Progress. At the end of June, Bryce had nearly three times as much money as her opponent, a daunting financial lead. But now with a sum of $56,734, Spillman may have caught up to or even passed her opponent. That wont be clear until later, when updated fundraising numbers become publicly available. Spillmans camp plans to use the surge of funds to invest in a strong field program, mobilize community volunteers and communicate with voters. A Spillman campaign statement claims that the campaign received 254 donations from 214 unique contributors. The median donation amount stands at $50, indicative of the campaigns broad grassroots support, the campaign said in its statement. That would indicate some of the unique contributors made larger donations, which will be valuable to Spillmans cause. At the end of June, her campaign was lacking big contributions. Just 10 people had donated $500 or more to her campaign, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. One of them was Spillman herself. Bryce, on the other hand, had 34 people contribute $500 or more. And 17 of them donated at least $1,000. Just four people donated at least $1,000 to the Spillman campaign over that time period. Most of the donations Spillman collected since were from Albemarle County residents; 80% of them according to the campaign, which considers that figure to be a sign of robust support from the local community. This substantial financial backing underscores the resonance of Allisons message: ensuring that every student within the ACPS system has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed, reads the campaigns statement. Spillman thanked community members for supporting her campaign, whether it be through donations, their time or their vote. This broad support from the people of our county strengthens my commitment to work with parents and teachers to make sure students get what they need to succeed, she said in the statement. Spillman is a former parent teacher organization vice president. Bryce is a part-time psychology professor at the University of Virginia. Much has been made of the fact that none of Bryces children attend the public schools she wants to direct. Bryce has said her four children did attend Murray Elementary School in the county until she pulled them out during the 2020-21 school year, saying she had lost faith in the school board due to its response to the COVID pandemic. NiSource Inc., an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 859,000 customers in northern Indiana, as well as approximately 2.4 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland. It operates approximately 54,800 miles of distribution main pipelines, as well as associated individual customer service lines; and 1,000 miles of transmission main pipelines. The company generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 486,000 customers in 20 counties in the northern part of Indiana, as well as engages in wholesale electric and transmission transactions. It owns and operates coal-fired electric generating stations with a capacity of 722 megawatts (MW) in Wheatfield and 455 MW in Michigan City; combined cycle gas turbine with a capacity of 563 MW in West Terre Haute; natural gas generating units with a capacity of 155 MW in Wheatfield; hydro generating plants with a capacity of 9 MW in Carroll County and 7 MW in White County; and wind generating units with a capacity of 102 MW and 302 MW in White County, Indiana. The company was formerly known as NIPSCO Industries, Inc. and changed its name to NiSource Inc. in April 1999. NiSource Inc. was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. you are here: Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her Fight for Our Freedoms college tour Thursday at Hampton University and told students that abortion rights are at stake in Virginias legislative elections this fall. All 140 legislative seats are up for election in November. During this years session, Republicans held a four-seat edge in the House of Delegates, and Democrats held a four-seat edge in the state Senate. Gov. Glenn Youngkin is pushing for a measure that would bar most abortions in Virginia after 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Harris appeared to allude to reports that Youngkin told the Family Foundation last year that Any bill that comes to my desk, I will sign happily, gleefully, to protect life. He would sign a ban on access to abortion if the legislature passes it, Harris told students at Hampton. And so we want to make sure that the people in the state legislature agree that yall shouldnt be making those decisions for folks. They can make those decisions for themselves. Harris told students that Virginia is the only state left in the South that does not have a ban following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Dave Rexrode, a senior adviser to Youngkin, said in a statement: Virginia Democrats support abortion all the way up through and including full term birth. Vice President Kamala Harris and Virginia Democrats have an extreme position they believe in no limits elective abortion on demand. Its not reasonable and Virginians dont support it. Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Republicans believe common sense brings us together around 15 weeks when a baby can feel pain and with exceptions in the case of rape, incest, and when the mothers life is at risk. The vice presidents tour, which will include about a dozen schools in seven states, comes as President Joe Biden, who turns 81 in November, faces headwinds in polls, with many respondents signaling concern about his age. In a CNN poll released last week, 67% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning respondents said the party should nominate someone other than Biden, who beat President Donald Trump in Virginia by 10 percentage points in 2020. According to an April survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, while a large majority of Democrats said they would support Biden as the partys nominee, only 25% of Democrats under 45 said they would definitely support Biden in a general election. During Harris appearance Thursday, Hampton students asked about such issues as gun violence, climate change and student debt. Sean Powell Jr., a graduating senior and marketing major from Laurel, Maryland, asked about what the government can do to restrict access to certain guns and implement new gun laws. They can have courage, said Harris, who asserted that there is a false choice between being in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyones guns away. I believe in the Second Amendment, she said. I also believe we need an assault weapons ban. Harris has made a number of trips to Virginia as vice president. In May, she toured a startup micro-farming company in Richmonds Scotts Addition neighborhood to celebrate National Small Business Week. During a July 2022 visit to a union hall in Henrico County, Harris had urged more than 20 Virginia legislators to protect abortion rights. Hampton, a private, historically Black university founded in 1868, is one of five HBCUs in Virginia, along with Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia State University in Chesterfield County, Norfolk State University and Virginia University of Lynchburg. Harris previously visited Hampton in 2021 to mark National HBCU Week. Meghna Mittal MEGHNA MITTAL is Deputy News Editor at Moneycontrol. Meghna has experience across television, print, online and wire media. She has been covering the Indian economy, monetary and fiscal policies, Finance and Trade ministries. She tweets at @Meghnamittal23 Contact: meghna.mittal@nw18.com After a couple of months of doing pop up meals, Chef Dane is holding the soft opening for his new Oregon spot, CULTURE this Friday and Saturday from 4-10pm. Dane describes his food as elevated comfort food and his menu is a true fusion of southern food, with a nod towards asian and Indian. Hell also feature some vegan and vegetarian dishes. Heres a peek at the menu: Located in the space that was formerly the 416 Diner, it still has the same seating options, booths against the wall, counter seating, as well as a great outdoor patio. CULTURE Food and Vibes 416 E. Fifth Street Dayton, OH 45402 Mehul R Thakkar is Special Correspondent, Moneycontrol, Indias leading financial news platform, based in Mumbai where he is focussed on covering the real estate sector. The Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel congratulated the Jewish people on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, Azernews reports. The diplomatic mission shared the corresponding publication on the social network X. The post reads: We wish you a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year! To recall that Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is one of the most significant holidays, which symbolizes the beginning of a new year and the end of the outgoing year. Rosh Hashanah begins a ten-day period of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur. LAMEGO, Portugal (AP) Galego and Cabano, two dark-haired oxen, pulled the sacred image of Our Lady of Remedies on a procession float for more than two hours through this small town in Portugals wine country. They remained unperturbed even when two cannons fired salutes at the processions end, but their owner, a local farmer, beamed with pride. I love to work with animals, and I have a lot of faith in Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, said Antonio Faustino, who guided the massive animals in the celebration of this particular image of the Virgin Mary, venerated here since the 1500s. There is no word to explain the emotion. Lamegos festival, nicknamed Portugals pilgrimage, is one of the oldest and largest of the many religious feasts that throughout summer draw tens of thousands of people to hamlets and metropolises. They remain popular in this rapidly secularizing country, where the Catholic Church has been reckoning this year with a long-ignored clergy sexual abuse scandal that Pope Francis addressed when he marked World Youth Day last month in Lisbon. The Maronesa oxen pairs, and several others pulling floats through Lamegos steep cobblestone streets past several churches some dating back to the Middle Ages make this festival rare. Typically, its the faithful who carry the various likenesses of Mary in similar festivals across the world. It fits the agricultural traditions of the Douro River Valley, where vineyards produce port wine. In early September, the grape harvest is in full swing, predominantly done by hand on the narrow, terraced hillsides. A century ago, the Vatican formally granted special permission for animals to pull the floats with life-sized statues of the Virgin Mary, said the Rev. Fernando Albano Cardoso, who for 40 years has organized the festivities. As agriculture becomes more mechanized, however, its difficult to find farmers like Faustino, who has brought his oxen to Our Lady for 10 years and plans to continue doing so. Another uncommon aspect of the procession is the iconic century-old sacred image standing on the bow of a boat-shaped float the Virgin Mary breastfeeding infant Jesus. Its the nicest moment for a woman, to nurture a child, said Albano. The priest said the statue symbolizes the motherly care for all faithful by Our Lady of Remedies, whose statue is normally venerated in a sanctuary nearly 700 steps up a stone stairway ascending the towns highest hill. Last Friday, people two or three deep lined the procession route, many having staked out a spot with folded stools the night before. More observed from festively draped windows. They watched in silence as the oxen pulled the five floats. Proceeding with them were solemn marching bands, the bishop and local clergy carrying a sacred relic, and about 200 faithful in historical or Biblical dress. At least 50 were women dressed in pink and blue like the Virgin statue, carrying Jesus dolls or real babies. Among them was Julieta Pereira, who has lived in Switzerland for more than 30 years but came back to her native Lamego to take part in the procession as a vow to Mary for healing her from complex heart and knee operations. It will be hard, but we stop a lot, so Ill get little rests, Pereira said, adding that as a child she used to ride on the floats, as several children did this year. Filipe Mendonca brought his two children to watch the procession, as he has done since his childhood. Its a family tradition that I want to transmit, he said. Even though hes not a regular churchgoer, the feast matters as a family and community moment. That combination of faith and local traditions helps the Catholic Church remain an important institution in contemporary Portugal, where 80% of citizens describe themselves as Catholic, according to Alfredo Teixeira, a theology professor at the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon. Traditional religiosity developed in relationship with the social structures of a farming society, he added, so that Christian worship merged with reverence for the God of our land. But for all the timeless quality of the Lamego procession, there are also poignant contemporary reminders. Along the route, people applauded when more than a dozen firefighters marched in step, their golden helmets and silver axes gleaming in the sun. It signified how vulnerable locals feel to increasingly destructive wildfires raging during extreme heat waves. One of this years floats represented Our Lady of Peace, her statue framed by flags of conflict-ridden countries like Ukraine and Libya. A unit of the Portuguese Armys special forces wearing green fatigues, red bandannas and white gloves helped carry the floats from the assembly point into the streets, where they were hitched to the oxen. A contingent marched alongside the main Our Lady of Remedies float, and gingerly loaded her statue on a military jeep to carry her home to the sanctuary after the procession ended at the special operations headquarters on the same hillside, next to a granite 16th-century convent. The religious component is an intrinsic part of the community, said Lamegos mayor, Francisco Lopes, who marched alongside civil and military authorities. That makes preserving the tradition a priority even as the city grows more multicultural, he added. The festivities which aside from the Sept. 8 procession also include more than two weeks of markets, fairs and concerts give a needed boost to the local economy. While most villages in Portugals interior are slowly depopulating, even former residents come back for these feasts. Jennifer Esteves came from Germany with her two girls, ages 1 and 4, to visit the sanctuary alongside her mother and grandmother, who first brought her here to pray when she was 6. She arrived too late to enter the packed church for the Friday morning Mass, but she loved seeing the crowd. Many people have faith, especially in this Virgin, she said after reciting a prayer inside. When we visit Portugal, we always come. Rachita Prasad heads Moneycontrols coverage of conventional and new energy, and infrastructure sectors. Rachita is passionate about energy transition and the global efforts against climate change, with special focus on India. Before joining Moneycontrol, she was an Assistant Editor at The Economic Times, where she wrote for the paper for over a decade and was a host on their podcast. Contact: rachita.prasad@nw18.com SNM Abdi is an independent journalist specialising in Indias foreign policy and domestic politics. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Shell has announced today that its Australian arm has been affected by the massive MOVEit cybersecurity breach that occurred in June 2023, affecting thousands of companies and dubbed the largest hack of this year. Oil and Gas giant Shell [LON:SHEL] made a concerning update regarding a massive cybersecurity hack that occurred back in early June this year, which has sent shockwaves through its operations in Australia. Whats been dubbed the largest hack of 2023 was a wave of data breaches, which was discovered in early June after a vulnerability was found in a third-party software called MOVEit. This managed file transfer software that many large corporations employed. The full fallout of the breach has yet to be quantified, but the tally of victims at this point has exceeded 60 million and has an estimated cost of nearly $10 billion. In todays announcement, the company said that the hack affected some employees who worked with its Australian unit, BG Group, before the merger in 2016. The company has identified some personal information that was accessed without authorisation but has not yet disclosed the exact number of individuals affected. The timing of the hack could mean other victims under Shells umbrella BG Group could potentially include data from a whole host of companies within the Australian ecosystem, including QGC Ltd, previously Queensland Gas Company, which is one of Australias largest coalbed methane companies as well as a host of smaller companies surrounding Australias critical energy infrastructure. Source: TradingView Hack exposes Australias vulnerability Shell identified today that the breach involved certain employees associated with the companys unit, BG Group, prior to their merger. The company completed its $70 billion takeover of BG Group in 2016, bringing with it a considerable portfolio of infrastructure deemed critical to Australias energy security. This revelation adds Shell to the growing list of victims affected by the infamous MOVEit hack, which has wreaked havoc on businesses worldwide. In recent months, numerous organisations have admitted falling prey to the cybersecurity breach involving the software tool MOVEit. This tool, typically employed for the secure transfer of substantial volumes of sensitive data, has become an unwitting accomplice in exposing confidential information, including pension details and social security numbers worldwide. The company has diligently initiated efforts to notify these individuals about the breach and its potential implications but has refused to say how many individuals were affected. This lack of clarity raises concerns about the extent of the breach and the potential scope of the damage. While the data in question dates back to 2013, it remains a cause for concern due to the risks associated with identity theft and the potential targeting of affected individuals in phishing campaigns, irrespective of the historical nature of the data. This incident is the latest addition to a series of security breaches that have plagued the corporate landscape in Australia since late last year. These breaches prompted the Australian government to enact reforms aimed at strengthening cybersecurity regulations. A National Office of Cyber Security was also established to oversee government investments in cybersecurity and address this growing threat. Current cyber security rules, government policies and regulations are simply not at the level that we need them to be, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a meeting with industry leaders and experts earlier this year. This is really fast moving. Its a rapidly evolving threat, and for too many years Australia has been off the pace, Albanese said. Minister of Home Affairs, Clare ONeil also had choice words for the previous government in its efforts in reforming laws surrounding breaches. That law was bloody useless, like not worth being printed on the paper when it came to actually using it in a cyber incident, ONeil told ABC Radio in an interview. Theyre not fit for purpose at the moment, and I do think they need reform. Australias weak spot As more information drips out about the full extent of the breach, the hack exposes a clear problem that is facing both small and large companies and institutions within Australia. Hebe Chen, an analyst with IG Markets, said that the incident highlights one of the weakest spots in Australias corporate ecosystem once again. Not only does it expose the fragile protection measures that were in place, but it also raises questions about the effectiveness of the Australian governments national cybersecurity strategy, Chen added. The fallout among the myriad of large projects around Australia will take time to parse but no doubt there will be ruffled feathers in major sites such as the WA Prelude FLNG, which supplies Australia with at least 5.3 million tonnes per annum of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Shells admission of a cybersecurity breach involving its employees is a good sign that the company is trying to proactively manage the fallout. However, the persistence of the data could mean that the damage is largely already done. The MOVEit hack has exposed vulnerabilities in organisations worldwide, and its repercussions are far from trivial. As businesses and governments strive to fortify their cybersecurity defences, incidents like these underscore the ongoing battle against cyber threats and the critical need for enhanced protection measures in our critical infrastructure. The future demand for these critical fuels Liquefied Natural Gas is a rapidly growing source of energy and just one of the many major energy projects Shell operates on Australian shores. Demand for LNG is expected to increase by 50% globally by 2030 as many countries attempt to shift away from heavier fossil fuels. But can everyone get a slice of the pie when investment into exportation or new projects is falling each year? Our Editorial Director Greg Canavan has been looking into the cost and implications of Australias energy transition to renewables from a wide-eyed economic perspective. He thinks hes found a gap in the market where Australians can follow hedge fund investors and billionaires like Warren Buffett into smart investments before the market realises. Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway has seen the writing on the wall and is spending big, including: Buying 2.1 million shares of a Houston-based oil producer, one of the largest in the world. Increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum to 25%, worth over $13.5 billion. Spending $3.3 billion to boost its stake in a LNG export terminal in Maryland. Warren Buffett is no fool, when the Oracle of Omaha makes a move, its recommended you listen. If you want to learn more about how you can position yourself in the coming Net Zero energy environment, and the potential U-turn governments will have to make, then Click here. Regards, Charles Ormond For Money Morning Something stinks in Cuba After 65 years of subsidizing a disaster, the new plan is to subsidize more! Now it is called a 'special financing scheme.' The case of Suchel Camacho. After six and a half decades of triumphant revolution, the main newspaper of the Cuban capital still deems it fit to announce that "washing soap is assured for the patients of the prostrate and incontinent program. In addition, two bars of soap will be distributed to children under two years of age, one to people in vulnerable situations, and to the entire population, according to family unit..." In the midst of this stenchy situation, Suchel Camachos president, Yaney Cisneros, has stated that the Government has devised "new formulas" to sanitize the country again with national products: to sell dollars to her company at less than half the market value of that currency; in other words, to subsidize Suchel Camacho. After 65 years of bankrolling a disaster, the new plan is to subsidize more, but now calling it a "special financing scheme" and doing so through the foreign exchange market. Let no one say that Cuba is not transforming itself. During the last session of the National Assembly of Popular Power, Diaz-Canel announced that through this financing scheme more than 110 million dollars have been channeled to the business system a pathetically insignificant figure for most countries in the world, but extraordinary in an economy that in six months was only able to generate just 1.28 billion dollars, of which 1 billion went directly to food imports. Not matter what euphemism they use to feel more sophisticated and modern, introducing preferential exchange rates for some companies is no different from making direct transfers from the State budget, in Fidel's Stalinist style, with the aggravating factor that the useless national money is not being misused, but rather the few dollars available, and not to satisfy the needs of the people, but to sustain an economically unviable system. As a method for allocating resources, subsidies are rarely an ideal option and, of course, they are never the only one. Resorting to them constantly, and in general, as Castroism does, reveals the imbalances racking the Cuban economy; centrally planned, limited, constrained and intervened, it is always at the service of the Government and never at that of the forces of supply and demand, disconnected from both the people?s capacities and their needs. In a system designed so that there is no business competition, subsidies are a way of decapitalizing society, leaving it without options by preventing it from saving and deciding on the resources the country generates. The capital available, instead of remaining in the hands of those who produce it (as endorsed by Marxism) automatically passes into those of the Government, which, for the "good" of all, distributes it, professedly practicing social justice ? a widespread euphemism for, as John Stuart Mill explained, disguising as something just and useful what is really a compulsory economic redistribution contrary to the general interest. This "new financing formula" is not so new: Suchel Camacho has been subsidized for two years with this scheme; two years during which this heroic socialist state enterprise has managed to produce 296,000 units of shampoo, 275,000 of conditioner, 2,000 of deodorant, two million of soap, 241,000 of toothpaste, and 159,000 of cologne. This production amounts to the following: one bottle of shampoo per month for every 891 Cubans, one bottle of conditioner per month for every 956 Cubans, one deodorant per month for every 132,530 Cubans, one roll of toothpaste per month for every 1,100 Cubans, one bar of soap per month for every 132 Cubans, and one bottle of cologne per month for every 1,660 Cubans. One can now understand why buses smell the way they do in Cuba. One deodorant per month for every 132,000 people is what the Revolution has managed to produce! Such reeking misery is the result of the fact that subsidies in Cuba are not a mechanism to promote growth, as was unsuccessfully attempted in Argentina or India, or successfully achieved in South Korea or Singapore. Rather, they are a mechanism to perpetuate misery in an extractivist system always quick to quash any institution, formal or informal, that might serve to strengthen civil society; hence the naivety of believing that MSMEs might empower a sector that could eventually stand up politically to the regime. The fact that Castroism, after 65 years of a failed policy, chooses to subsidize rather than open the market to private competition in an area of such little interest to national security (we are talking about soaps and deodorants, not oil or nickel) makes it clear that, although on the surface the system appears to be changing, the essence remains the same and, unfortunately, the government has no real plans to resolve the causes of the growing penury in Cuban society, and that really stinks. A Guam Solid Waste Authority trash truck is seen Monday Aug. 7, 2023, at the GSWA facility in Harmon. Deal for new Tamuning homeless shelter to be closed by November Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks as former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley listen during the first Republican candidates' debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 23, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo The seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seen after a news conference near the International Bridge between Mexico and the U.S., as U.S. authorities accelerate removal of migrants at border with Mexico, in Del Rio, Texas, U.S., September 19, 2021. OZARK Two new citizen groups have emerged from the sparks created by Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenships social media posts urging defunding of the OzarkDale County Public Library over LGBTQ material. The social-media based Ozark-Dale Library Alliance and We the People, Dale County have gained momentum since being created following a record-breaking attendance at a special called Ozark-Dale County Public Library board meeting Aug. 30 to discuss the content of some books in the library and age-appropriate placement of those books. As issue was Blankenships social media posts urging people to ask elected officials to defund the library over what he called this trash and this liberal mess after he said he received a complaint from a parent about some books in the young adult section of the library, which is housed in the city-owned shopping center across from city hall. We have been trying to remove this trash from the kids section of our library for several months, Blankenship posted. We have been told several times it would be removed. It never happened. If we cut the funding, they will be closed and our children will not be exposed to this mess. Its time the majority of the people stand up and address this liberal mess in Alabama, Blankenship posted, attaching a notice of a special called library board meeting Aug. 30. At the four-hour Aug. 30 library board meeting, everyone in the standing-room-only crowd who wanted to express an opinion was allowed three minutes to do so. This all started with two unofficial requests to remove books from the library in March, said library board Vice Chairman Mike Cairns, explaining the process for complaints about books. There are more 21,000 books in the library, with 1,600 in the young adult section. So this is not an overrun as you have heard, he said. Most Ozark council members posted social media comments expressing support of the library and its mission. I will not be seeking to nor will I ever vote to defund our Ozark-Dale County Public Library, wrote Ozark City Council President Brenda Simechak. The government has no business censoring content in a public library. A librarys purpose for existence is to provide access to information to all of its patrons. Councilmembers Leah Harlow, Les Perault, and Winston Jackson also posted formal social media statements in support of the library. Councilman Stanley Enfinger told citizens attending the Sept. 5 council work session that he did not use social media but did not support defunding the library. At that work session, Simechak said that the city budget for the next fiscal year is approved and that any amendments to that budget would take place at a public meeting. Letting the library board run the library was the consensus at the Sept. 5 work session. No voting is done at a work session. Libraries are a vital component of American communities that provide invaluable services to all citizens. Libraries provide access for every American to express their right to free speech protected in Amendment I of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. That is part of the mission statement cited on the Ozark-Dale County Library Alliance, a social media site created by citizens in support of the public library. A public official threatening to defund a library over a personal distaste over the librarys content is un-American, inappropriate, and must be retracted. The purpose of this group is to reject Mayor Mark Blankenships call to defund the Ozark-Dale County Public library over his personal opinions on the librarys collection, the library alliance Facebook page states. (The site) is not a place for infighting between pro- and anti-LGBTQ individuals, nor a place for infighting between left and right political leanings. The Ozark-Dale County Public Library is used by citizens of Ozark and Dale County of every age, genre, race, political persuasion, sexual orientation, religion, and ideology. Information about upcoming council and commission meetings are on the library alliance site, as is a petition asking the Dale County Commission to continue support of the library. At the first Dale County Commission meeting in September, the commissioners voted to approve Commissioner Adam Enfingers motion to table a vote on the countys budget pending a library boards decision about the books in question and after the commission meeting filed what the library board vice chairman said was the first formal complaint about books the library has ever received. At the Dale County Commission Tuesday, Ozark resident Bryant Fontenot addressed the commissioner as a representative of We the People of Dale County, which he said is a rapidly growing group of concerned citizens, a very broad base assembly of your citizens and voters. Fontenot had previously addressed the Ozark council reading from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and calling the mayors social media comments at the least, a gross illiteracy of our First Amendment history and at worst, a gross disregard for it. He asked the council to make a motion for the censure of the mayor. Fontenont reiterated that stand at Tuesdays commission meeting, also questioning Blankenships relationship with Adam Enfinger, who is running for commission chairmanship. The good citizens of Dale County deserve a commission chairman who is, by past behavior, current actions and expectations, beholden to the people and no other but we the people of Dale County, he said. When the government finds place to threaten to take books from a public library, to defund that library, and to change the board that governs that library, where does it stop? Fontenont asked. We are simply a group of local citizens who are saying weve had enough. GOP Warns Cost To Register SUVs and Minivans Could Go Up In California California State Capitol Building View Photo Sacramento, CA Republicans at the California state capitol are lobbying Governor Gavin Newsom to veto a bill that they say could eventually lead to bigger fees to register heavier passenger vehicles. Assembly Bill 251 passed in the Senate and Assembly and would create a new state task force that would study the relationship between vehicle weight and injuries to vulnerable road users (like bicyclists and pedestrians), and look into how much more road damage heavier vehicles do than lighter counterparts. The end result could be to change the system so that vehicle licensing fees are based on weight. Republicans in the legislature are calling it a potential, Family Tax, because families are more likely to drive heavier vehicles, like SUVs and minivans. Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones has sent a letter to Governor Newsom, urging him to veto it. Jones says, The California Legislature should be focusing on ways to reduce costs for California drivers. Instead of targeting families and small businesses who need larger vehicles. AB 251 is part of the overall debate about how California will continue to fund roads when gas tax revenue declines over the coming years as more drivers transition to electric vehicles. Wallace Community College's adult education department will hold a book drive from Monday, Sept. 18, through Friday, Sep. 22, in celebration of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Book donations are welcome, and there are no age restrictions on the materials. Items collected from the drive will be given to age-appropriate childcare centers, community service organizations, and senior assisted living facilities. Research has shown that individuals who read at a high school level tend to have higher incomes, acquire better jobs, and are healthier than those who do not read at that level, Barbara Steger, WCCD adult education director, said in a press release. Simply put, the ability to read is necessary to manage life effectively on a day-to-day basis. Our program wants to encourage everyone to take time out of their schedules and either read a book for themselves or to someone else. Reading is fun! Drop-off boxes for the drive will be positioned at Grimsley Hall, the Heersink Health Science Building, and the Adult Education Building on Wallace's Dothan campus, and at Building A on the Spark's Campus in Eufaula. According to Wallace, National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week raises public awareness about the value of adult education and family literacy. Its goal is to increase financial and societal support for access to basic education programs for U.S. adults with low literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. For additional information about the drive, contact Allison Williams at awilliams@wallace.edu or 334-556-2375. Zambian political activist Joseph Kalimbwe has taken legal action against Patrick Chinamasa, a member of Zimbabwes Zanu PF politburo, accusing him of making death threats against Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. The move comes as tensions between Zambia and Zimbabwe escalate following Zimbabwes controversial elections last month, which received widespread condemnation from observer missions. The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) election observer mission, led by former Zambian Vice-President Nevers Mumba, released a scathing report stating that the Zimbabwean elections failed to meet regional standards. This led to strained relations between the two countries, with Zimbabwes ruling Zanu PF party attempting to discredit the report and labelling President Hichilema as a Western puppet. Joseph Kalimbwe, expressing his discontent on social media, called for Patrick Chinamasa and newly-appointed War Veterans Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa to be banned from entering Zambia. Kalimbwe accused Chinamasa of disrespecting the passing of Zambias late leader and threatened to file a criminal case against him for the alleged death threats. Patrick Chinamasa and Christopher Mutsvangwa must be banned from ever setting foot on Zambian soil. We cant have folks like Patrick mock the passing of our leader and still be allowed entry into our country, Kalimbwe said on social media platform X. This recent development follows a protest by Hakainde Hichilemas United Party for National Development supporters, who condemned the ruling Zanu PF party for the threats against their leader during the reopening of copper mines in Chingola and Chililabombwe. Patrick Chinamasa responded to the allegations by stating that he would need to read the content before making any comments. He had previously triggered controversy by defending the disputed election and suggesting that Nevers Mumba would fail, drawing comparisons to the late Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa. There are claims in Lusaka that Zanu PF is collaborating with Zambian opposition to harm Hakainde Hichilema. In response, Copperbelt provincial minister Elisha Matambo vowed to petition international and regional bodies to investigate the threats against Hichilemas life. Christopher Mutsvangwa, when approached for comment, emphasized the enduring bond between Zimbabwe and Zambia, refusing to directly address the matter. Mutsvangwa had previously criticized Nevers Mumba, dismissing him as an election observer and referring to him as a mere preacher following the August 23 elections. The situation between Zambia and Zimbabwe remains tense as these allegations and disputes continue to strain the relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Breaking News via Email If youve been watching our fundraiser headings, youll see were were on the verge of meeting our fourth goal, that of paying well-deserved bonuses to Lambert, Nick, Conor, and KLG. Your enthusiastic responses to the Harry Shearer Double Your Donation challenge pushed it over the top! We are now well on our way to our new target of $24,000 for Karoshi, aka burnout, prevention. But being who we are, your humble blogger must sound a note of reality. We are still behind where we need to be in this fundraiser. If you havent donated yet, please take a detour to our Tip Jar and chip in! And if you are in a position to be generous, please dig deep, both on your behalf to bolster the donations from people who gave despite having limited means. We are on our way to meeting our fifth target, support for extra manpower so we can make our 365 day a year, just about 24/7 coverage more sustainable. If Yves the publisher and Yves the employee were two different people, Yves the employee would have gone on strike a long time ago. Perhaps youve heard of karoshi, a Japanese word that translates roughly into death by overwork. The Guardian reported on this phenomenon: Japan has again been forced to confront its work culture after labour inspectors ruled that the death of a 31-year-old journalist at the countrys public broadcaster, NHK, had been caused by overwork. Miwa Sado, who worked at the broadcasters headquarters in Tokyo, logged 159 hours of overtime and took only two days off in the month leading up to her death from heart failure in July 2013. Sados death is expected to increase pressure on Japanese authorities to address the large number of deaths attributed to the punishingly long hours expected of many employees. Youve shown in the past how essential this coverage is. This year, Yves cleared out a house with 46 years worth of stuff in it, did 16 year of deferred maintenance and cosmetic fix ups, got it sold, dealt with other estate demands, moved overseas_but did you even much notice her absences? That was due to the great job everyone on this site does and covering for her during crunch times but it was also due to Yves taking off as little time as possibleand this year, not even a largely working holiday. Even though your generous support of the site have allowed her to have a day and a half off from posting every week, and shift more of daily Links duty to Lambert, this hasnt translated into more personal time for Yves. Even on her days off from posting, Yves is managing the business of the site, discovering and responding to e-mails she embarrassingly didnt see, sometimes catching up on research, and often vetting story ideas or articles pitched to her. A big reason that the site consumes more writing/production time than in the past is that weve kept improving our output and expanding our beats. Our Links section used to be 25-30 links. It is now 55 and sometimes more. Similarly, in runup to the crisis, when anyone who knew about finance was a one-eyed man in the land of the blind, many of our posts had only a few hundred words of commentary on an extract or extracts from news articles. Now, a significant portion of what Naked Capitalism does is quick turn-around political economy analysis of a very high caliber. We often produce think tank level work but with the aim of stripping away obfuscation and holding people accountable. That means more writer time on average per post. We joke that we run the site with 1.6 people, although with our increased commitment as a result of Covid-19, it might be up to 1.8 writer equivalents. Regardless of the precise figure, its a way to highlight that we provide a remarkable level of output and the consistency of coverage with very thin resources. The amount we are seeking for this target, $24,000 for weekend, holiday, and shit happens support.. We hope youll recognize how essential this is and donate generously to keep Yves in fighting fettle and have other talented writers like Lambert, Nick, Conor and KLG contribute more regularly. Donors keep sending kind notes. A sampling. From sproble: A good deal of you already know that NC is a frigate of clarity in an ocean of obfuscation (and even worse stuff). Some of you might not know it yet, but if youre here right now, it seems youre on your way: to being (even) better informed to interacting with a unique, intelligent online community to rewarding yourself with an alternate to the mainstream matrix. Give what you can! From Elizabeth S: Thank you for telling the Truth so vividly - very grateful -. And timotheus: Check coming with a note reading best deal in town! There are multiple ways to give. The first is here on the blog, the Tip Jar, which takes you to PayPal and our new payment service, Clover. There you can use a debit card, a credit card or a PayPal account (the charge for PayPal will be in the name of Aurora Advisors). You can also send a check (we really like checks, no middleman fees!) in the name of Aurora Advisors Incorporated to Aurora Advisors Incorporated PO Box 110105 Brooklyn NY 11211-9997 Please also send an e-mail to yves@nakedcapitalism.com with the headline Check is in the mail (and just the $ en route in the message) so we can count your contribution in the total number of donations. Our sick days, weekend and vacation coverage target is $24,000, and we are already over $1,955 towards that goal. Thanks SO much for your generous support! This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 865 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card or PayPal or our new payment processor, Clover. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year,, and our current goal, rewarding our guest bloggers. Yves here. Many many commentators, including ones on this site, have been describing the increase of the surveillance state and how the private sector has both enabled it and does its own spying for fun and profit. Rather than say the quiet part out loud, our soi-disant elites are instead trying to pretend we are all on board with new Orwellian reversals of traditional meaning, here of the word transparency. By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at Gods Spies Lyse Doucet, Sheryl Sandberg, Melinda Gates, and Justin Trudeau at Davos 2016 addressing the session Progress towards Parity (source) A brief one for today, but a shocker if you havent heard this already. Klaus Schwab is the founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and has been its chairman since 1971. The WEF famously (or notoriously) hosts the annual Davos conference, at which world political and thought leaders meet to discuss, well, the future of the world. Critics of the Davos forum, for example, the Transnational Institute (TNI), saythe Forum is planning to replace a recognised democratic model with a model where a self-selected group of stakeholders make decisions on behalf of the people. The think tank summarises that we are increasingly entering a world where gatherings such as Davos are a silent global coup detat to capture governance. (see link for footnotes) If youre one of those who believe that Davos, indeed, is one of the conferences in which elites make decisions on behalf of the people, youll love what the elites elite is saying now. Listen; the clip is short. That Word Doesnt Mean What You Think It Means As many have pointed out, this definition of transparency turns the term on its head. In Davos Mans mouth, it means, I get to see everything youre doing; you get to see nothing Im doing. About the latter, witness the prosecution unto death being visited on Julian Assange for the crime of revealing American war crimes, among other secrets. Chris Hedges: The current American Empire, damaged and humiliated by troves of internal documents published by WikiLeaks, will, for this reason, persecute Julian for the rest of his life. It does not matter who is president or which political party is in power. Imperialists speak with one despotic voice. Julian, for this reason, is undergoing a slow-motion execution. If you look around the country, you can see transparency growing as you watch. Its been happening since September 11, 2001, the day Osama bin Laden told Bush to take our freedom, and Bush said yes. George W. Bush, who stole your freedom And the programs still growing: Total Information Awareness was what the U.S. governments massive surveillance used to be called: Total Information Awareness (TIA) was a mass detection program by the United States Information Awareness Office. Admiral John Poindexter called it a Manhattan Project for counter-terrorism. According to Senator Ron Wyden, TIA was the biggest surveillance program in the history of the United States. Later they got smart and rebranded it, but no one changed what it did. Even Democrats Promote Mass Surveillance These Days Democrats used to be opposed to programs like this, some of them anyway. Witness Ron Wydens statement above. Today, not so much: House Democrats scrapped a vote to reauthorize national security surveillance authorities that have been expired since March after Republicans revolted from the measure following tweets from President Donald Trump urging them to oppose it. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Thursday morning that he was pulling the bill to renew three authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act from the floor at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a recognition the votes were not there to pass it. Does this concern you at all? It does me. Does it make Democrats harder for independents to like? I would think so. And yet they still do it. Ever ask yourself why? The United Auto Workers union kicked off historic strikes against the Big Three U.S. car manufacturers early Friday morning after the companies failed to meet workers demands for adequate pay increases and benefit improvements. The initial wave of strikes hit select Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis facilities, with the union deploying a tactic it has described as a stand-up strike. UAW members at General Motors Wentzville Assembly in Missouri, Fords Michigan Assembly, and Stellantis Toledo Assembly in Ohio were the first to walk off the job on Friday, and additional locals will be called on to strike in the coming days as negotiations continue. Those who remain on the job will be working under an expired collective bargaining agreement, though they still have status quo protections. The labor actions mark the first time the UAW has ever gone on strike against all three major automakers simultaneously. Weve been working hard, trying to reach a deal for economic and social justice for our members, UAW president Shawn Fain said in a speech late Thursday, just ahead of the midnight strike deadline. We have been firm. We are committed to winning an agreement with the Big Three that reflects the incredible sacrifice and contributions UAW members have made to these companies. The money is there, the cause is righteous, the world is watching, and the UAW is ready to stand up, Fain added. This is our defining moment. night shift is leaving the plant at GM Wentzville, with jubilant honks, the UAW strike has begun!! pic.twitter.com/WHQ7Ms1HQa keith bb (@TRAILSANDWAYS) September 15, 2023 The companies latest publicized offers to the UAW included raises of up to 20% over the course of a four-year contract, but the proposals thus far have fallen well short of the unions demands on wages, cost-of-living adjustments, retiree benefits, and other key issues. Ford CEO Jim Farley, who brought in nearly $21 million in total compensation last year, told CNN that the UAWs push for a near-40% wage increase would put us out of business, a claim that Fain dismissed as a joke. The cost of labor for a vehicle is 5% of the vehicle, Fain said from the picket line outside Fords Michigan Assembly plant. They could double our wages and not raise the prices of vehicles, and they would still make billions of dollars. Its a lie like everything else that comes out of their mouths. Between 2013 and 2022, according to an Economic Policy Institute analysis released this week, the Big Three automakers saw roughly $250 billion in total profitsan increase of 92%and the companies CEOs received a 40% pay increase. The automakers also rewarded shareholders with $66 billion in dividend payouts and stock buybacks. U.S. autoworkers wages, meanwhile, have declined by over 19% since the car industrys 2008 crisis, during which workers gave up cost-of-living adjustments and other benefits to help keep the major automakers afloat. As a single parent, Im working paycheck to paycheck, Adelisa LeBron, a striking Ford worker, told The Washington Post. I love the way Shawn is fighting for us, how hes not going to settle. Our employers only value one thing: profit. They do not value us, and the only way the working class advances is if we stand together.#StandUpUAW #Local12 pic.twitter.com/UFCkQpZai6 UAW (@UAW) September 15, 2023 In his address late Thursday, Fain urged locals that are not currently on strike to keep organizing to show the companies you are ready to join the stand-up strike at a moments notice. This strategy will keep the companies guessing, he said. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining. And if we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table. On Friday evening, the UAW is planning to hold what Fain dubbed a mass rally outside of a Ford building in downtown Detroit, where U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is expected to appear. We must show the world that our fight is a righteous fight, said Fain. On Thursday night, after a long, long election season that led to a runoff between progressive Metro Councilmember Freddie O'Connell and conservative strategist Alice Rolli, O'Connell ultimately won the race to become the 10th mayor of Metro Nashville. A two-term representative of Nashville's District 19, O'Connell built his campaign which he launched nearly 17 months ago on prioritizing the needs of residents over business interests. His message and de facto campaign slogan, "I want you to stay," worked. In the end, he beat Rolli by roughly 29 percentage points. Rolli, whose resume includes working for longtime Tennessee statesman Lamar Alexander, had a difficult time connecting with Nashville's mostly liberal electorate. "Thank you for your bravery," Rolli told supporters gathered at Plaza Mariachi on election night. "I know you had to be brave to support us, to support this. Thank you for your belief." "I did just speak with Freddie," she continued, "our mayor-elect, and I told him that man I met 10 years ago at a Nashville Next table, the person who I know has a heart for service, that we congratulate him on being our city's 10th mayor." Meanwhile across town at Eastside Bowl, O'Connell's watch party was a livelier scene. You could be anywhere," O'Connell told his supporters. "You could live anywhere. And you chose Nashville. And I want you to stay. "We're gonna make this city work for all of us," he continued. There were close races and historic moments elsewhere on election night. A slate of all women will serve Nashville as the Metro Council's five at-large representatives: The winners were Zulfat Suara (who won outright after securing the necessary votes in last month's general election), Delishia Porterfield, Quin Evans-Segall, Burkley Allen and Olivia Hill. Hill is the first transgender woman ever elected to office in Nashville. Above, see scenes from election night taken by photographers Eric England and Hamilton Matthew Masters. +7 Freddie O'Connell Wins Mayoral Race, Besting Alice Rolli District 19 councilmember heads to mayor's office after consolidating support among former opponents, plus labor, progressive and pro-business groups Metro Council At-Large Election Results All-female slate of Delishia Porterfield, Quin Evans-Segall, Burkley Allen and Olivia Hill join Zulfat Suara Winners and Losers in the Metro Council District Runoffs Cortese wins District 4, Eslick wins District 11, and Ellis wins District 29 The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to New York from Monday 18 September through Thursday 21 September 2023 to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On Tuesday 19 September, the Secretary General will participate in the opening of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He will also have meetings with world leaders and high-level officials On Thursday 21 September, the Secretary General will participate in a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations. He will also attend the Transatlantic Dinner hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Antony J. Blinken. Media advisory 21 September 14:30 (CET) Russell C. Leffingwell Lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations Media coverage Secretary Generals remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations will be streamed live on the NATO website. A transcript of the Secretary Generals remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website. For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress). Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction Bekhzod Musaev met with the Senior Director of the Human and Social Development Department of the Asian Development Bank, Ayako Inagaki, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz news agency. At the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the implementation of the agreement between Uzbekistan and the ADB on the Skills Development for a Modern Economy project. The total cost of the project is estimated at $93 million and it is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of industries in Uzbekistan, promoting inclusive growth through vocational training for youth and the unemployed population. The project will also contribute to the development of human resources as a skilled workforce in such sectors as construction, textile and clothing industry, information and communication technologies, agribusiness and food industry, as well as machine and equipment service.? A programmer works on computers in an IT office. Photo by Shutterstock/ProStockStudio A gap between IT engineers skill levels and market requirements is making 150,000-200,000 of them unemployable every year, a report by IT jobs platform TopDev warns. The recently published "Vietnamese IT market report in 2023" on TopDev says most recruiters look for three types of developers: back end, full-stack (who will build the interface) and front end (combination of the two). The top five skills that are sought are java script, Java, PHP, C# or .NET, and Python. TopDev says by 2025 Vietnam will need close to 700,000 IT engineers. The country has around 530,000 now. The number of new IT graduates is increasing steadily, but do not meet the job markets demands. Of more than 57,000 graduating annually only 30% have the required skills and expertise required by companies, and the rest need additional training by employers for three to six months. A long-term supervisor at a company based in the Quang Trung Software City in HCMC told VnExpress recently that the market has few experienced developers and an excess of "freshers." Between inadequate training in schools and a shortage of experienced people, quality candidates are always scarce and desirable. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, the Hanoi director of recruitment for Adecco Vietnam, said firms intensified their search for experts in the first half of the year. Vietnam saw a 35% decrease in the number of vacancies in IT jobs in the same period in 2022. Despite the economic downturn, the average salary of IT personnel has increased since 2022, albeit marginally, according to TopDev. More than 70% of new hires earn US$600-1,000 a month, and the salaries go up to $1,100-1,500 for mid-level jobs and $1,100-2,000 at the top level, with 10% getting around $2,500. Information and communication technology is one of the fastest growing industries in Vietnam. Its revenues have risen from less than $103 billion in 2018 to $136.15 billion in 2021. In the 2021 Global Innovation Index, Vietnam ranked 44th out of 132 economies. According to Tran Thi Nguyet Oanh, HSBC Vietnams head of human resources, plenty of future jobs are linked to IT fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, information security and financial technology. TopDev recommends that developers should improve their understanding of new technologies such as cybersecurity, DevOps, AI, and machine learning, and cloud computing and soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, time management, and foreign languages. Foes using 14th Amendment to try to derail Trumps 2024 presidential bid Calls are growing to block Donald Trump from running for president in 2024, with allegations that his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, violated his constitutional oath. Advocacy groups and individuals are attempting to have Trump's name removed from state ballots, claiming he violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies from running for office again the individuals who "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" after taking an oath to support and protect the Constitution. Secretaries of state, who often decide a candidate's eligibility to run for president, have also faced calls to block Trump from the ballots due to allegations of his involvement in an insurrection attempt. The former president, however, denies any wrongdoing and dismisses these efforts as a "trick" to hinder his chances in the 2024 election. The interpretation and enforcement of the 14th Amendment's disqualification clause have sparked significant debate, with legal scholars offering varying opinions. Any move to bar Trump from running would likely face legal challenges and possibly involve the Supreme Court. States like Colorado, New Hampshire, Michigan and Arizona have seen or are considering actions to have Trump disqualified from running for office under the 14th Amendment. These cases face various legal complexities, and the outcome remains uncertain. The 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, contains a rarely invoked "disqualification clause" that can disqualify individuals from public office if they engaged in insurrection or rebellion. Critics argue that Trump's actions related to overturning the 2020 election qualify as insurrection under this clause. Enforcing Section 3 has been rare in history, but it has been used more recently to remove certain officials from public office. The issue of enforcing the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump from running for president in 2024 remains contentious and could lead to further legal battles. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 after the Civil War to address various aspects of the conflict. While it is mostly known for ensuring equal protection under the law, it also includes the "disqualification clause" in Section 3. This clause was originally aimed at preventing former Confederate leaders from holding public office after rebelling against the U.S. government. It disqualifies individuals who took an oath to support the Constitution but later "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same" or provided "aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." After losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump allegedly made claims about widespread election fraud and sought various means to overturn the election results. He was also accused of pressuring officials, including then-Vice President Mike Pence, to intervene on his behalf. On Jan. 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol during the Electoral College vote count, aiming to prevent the certification of the election results. (Related: It was Pelosi: Former Capitol Police Chief reveals 'set up' behind January 6.) Proponents of using Section 3 argue that Trump's multi-faceted efforts to thwart the election, as well as his inflammatory rhetoric, constituted an insurrection. They point to his attempts to undermine the electoral process and the violence that ensued at the Capitol as evidence that he engaged in insurrection. Trump has been indicted on multiple charges related to his efforts to overturn the election, though these criminal cases are separate from the 14th Amendment disqualification. The application of Section 3 has sparked a legal debate, with scholars offering differing opinions. Some legal experts believe that Trump's actions meet the criteria for insurrection outlined in the clause, while others argue that it is a complex and unprecedented issue. The enforcement of Section 3 is not clearly defined in the Constitution. State election officials theoretically have the power to reject Trump's candidacy based on this clause. However, this would likely lead to extensive legal challenges and court battles. Trump has vowed to fight any attempts to disqualify him from running for president. Visit Trump.news for more stories of Donald Trump. Watch this video of Donald Trump's interview with John Solomon. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump to disprove "WITCH HUNT" GA indictments with irrefutable election fraud report. Trump 100% confident HE WILL WIN against Biden in the 2024 presidential elections. Former Trump national security adviser warns that DEEP STATE operatives within the FBI, CIA and DOJ are planning to rig the 2024 elections. Sources include: NewsWeek.com Richmond.com Aljazeera.com Brighteon.com Thrive Time Show: Indictments against Trump PROVE Americans live in a country with a two-tiered justice system Brighteon.TV The indictments against former President Donald Trump have revealed to most Americans that they are living in a country with a two-tiered justice system This is according to former government official Kash Patel, who served as chief of staff to former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper during the Trump administration. Patel made his thoughts on the matter known during the Sept. 12 episode of the "Thrive Time Show" with host Clay Clark and co-guest Julie Green on Brighteon.TV. (Related: COLLUSION: Biden staffers met with top aide for Special Counsel Jack Smith at the White House before Trump indictment.) According to Patel, who was a federal public defender before serving in government, he has advised Trump to make "destroying the two-tiered system of justice" in the United States "one of the biggest central planks" of his campaign. Before Trump's indictments, Patel noted that believing this would have had a person derided as believing in "right-wing conspiracies" or being a "Trump MAGA nut." "'There's no two-tiered system of justice, no one's unlawfully surveilled, Russiagate that was totally above board, and knocking on people's doors and kicking them down based on their house of worship [doesn't happen],'" said Patel. "But now, when you start adding all of these historic events together and you take an indictment for Donald Trump in New York, in Georgia, in Washington and Florida, everybody is now starting to say, 'Wait a second, this guy's running for president.'" Patel pointed out that, for the longest time, it has been the policy of the Department of Justice to not pursue any charges or investigations against people running for president "unless you literally commit murder." "But what people are starting to tune in on is people in the middle of the road America saying, 'Wait a second, maybe I liked Donald Trump, maybe I don't like him, but you're targeting him because he believed he won the last election? Isn't that what every single politician in U.S. history who got defeated says?'" added Patel. "They're looking at this hypocrisy and they're saying, 'What do you mean you can't challenge the results of an election?'" He noted that prominent Democrats including former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have all publicly made statements questioning the results of elections. Trump seeking to get charges against him in Georgia dropped In his recent filings following his indictment in Georgia, Trump has asked the presiding judge to throw out most of the 13 charges against him in the indictment alleging election interference. Trump and 18 other co-defendants have been accused under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law, or RICO, of coordinating an effort to thwart the proper certification of the state's 2020 presidential election results. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Trump's filings echo similar filings made by the attorneys of his co-defendants, who claim that the charge of violating Goergia's RICO law seeks to punish activity protected by the First Amendment and fails to sufficiently prove the existence of a racketeering enterprise whose goal was to overturn President Joe Biden's supposed victory in the state. Perhaps more worryingly, Trump and the attorneys representing him and his co-defendants are arguing that the racketeering conspiracy charge in Georgia is far too broad. The charge laid out by the prosecution could include basically every single person in the country who voted for Trump and who believed that there were certain irregularities in the 2020 election and were also publicly questioning certain official election results. Such a move could set a precedent for the prosecution of other people who question election results in the future. "He never advocated violence; he never cried 'fire' in a crowded theater," Trump's lawyers argued in the motion. "If advocacy in court or the legislature is a crime if it merits being branded a 'racketeer' there are very few people who will have the courage to risk engaging in such advocacy." Learn the latest developments involving former President Donald Trump at Trump.news. Watch the full Sept. 12 episode of the "Thrive Time Show" with host Clay Clark and guests Kash Patel and Julie Green discussing Trump and the indictments against him. The "Thrive Time Show" with Clay Clark airs every Monday to Saturday from 3:30 to 4 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Jack Smith's indictments of President Trump are ill-founded and unconstitutional, judicial clerk explains why. The Resistance Chicks discuss "coincidences" between Trump indictments and Hunter Biden revelations Brighteon.TV. Trump and former officials indicted for asking for phone numbers, encouraging people to watch TV, reserving rooms and other "petty" offenses. Wayne Root: Now it's official. I know it, you know it. Everyone knows it. Trump's Georgia indictment is the final proof the 2020 election was stolen. DIRTY PENCE: Jack Smith indictment reveals Mike Pence took secret notes of conversations with Trump before January 6 lied to Trump supporters on Jan. 4. Sources include: Brighteon.com NYTimes.com CBSNews.com FTX legacy? JPMorgan explores blockchain-based deposit token as new payment vehicle backed by the bank itself JPMorgan Chase & Co. is exploring a blockchain-based digital deposit token so that it can hasten cross-border payments, a move that pushes the institutional adoption of blockchain technology. According to a person familiar with the work who asked not to be identified, America's largest bank by assets has already developed the majority of the underlying infrastructure for the new payment vehicle to work. It is just waiting on final approval from U.S. regulators before actually creating the token. But the source said that once JPMorgan gets the approval, it will likely launch the product for use by corporate clients within a year. "Deposit tokens bring plenty of potential benefits, but we also appreciate that regulators would want to be thoughtful and diligent before any new product gets developed and used," the bank's spokesperson said in a statement. "Should that appetite develop, our blockchain infrastructure would be able to support the launch of deposit tokens relatively quickly." A deposit token is like a digital version of someone's deposits in a bank. These are issued on a blockchain by a depository institution to represent the deposit position, making them more accessible than traditional deposits as settlement is instantaneous. Aside from the "convenience," the tokens offer to make transactions cheaper. JPMorgan already piloted issuing the said tokens in a single transaction last year as a part of the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Project Guardian, highlighting the potential of this form of money in a recent study. The project saw the New York City-based financial firm as well as Singapore's DBS Bank and Japan's SBI Digital Asset Holdings conduct foreign exchange and government bond transactions against liquidity pools made up of tokenized Singapore Government Securities Bonds, Japanese Government Bonds, Japanese Yen (JPY) and Singapore Dollars (SGD). So, the bank is considering enhancing its efforts toward blockchain and cryptocurrency adoption especially now that there is a rise in recent filings of multiple crypto-related exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications by some of the world's largest asset managers, including BlackRock and Fidelity. "It is another sign that large corporations continue to build their blockchain capabilities during this bear market," said Markus Thielen, head of research and strategy at Matrixport. The new deposit token is said to be different from the bank's JPM Coin released in 2019, which is already used by corporate clients to transfer dollars and euros within the financial institution. The coin has been used to process around $300 billion of transactions since its launch. Meanwhile, the token will allow transactions with other banks and can be used in different forms of settlements on a blockchain, including trades of tokenized securities. Also, as per the bank source, should the regulators approve, the new deposit token could later be offered in other fiat currencies. It is not intended to be used for purchasing cryptocurrency or as a replacement for stablecoins and is strictly intended to be used within the traditional financial system, for payments, settlements and similar functions. "We believe deposit tokens will become a widely used form of money within the digital asset ecosystem, just as commercial bank money in the form of bank deposits makes up over 90 percent of circulating money today," the bank representative said. "The token form will benefit from connectivity to traditional banking infrastructures and regulatory safeguards that already support commercial bank deposits." Crypto hesitance from last year's chain of collapses However, many firms are still hesitant to deal with crypto after FTX Trading Ltd., commonly known as FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange and crypto hedge fund went into a sudden and controversial bankruptcy. After the declaration of insolvency, Sam Bankman-Fried, the firm's founder and ex-CEO was arrested in The Bahamas following a possible hack in which about $500 million worth of tokens were stolen. He was then extradited to the United States in late December. (Related: Former multibillion-dollar crypto firm FTX files for bankruptcy.) The public's fear of the deposit tokens JPMorgan is experimenting with is that they are backed only by itself and nothing else. What if the bank gets hit by a shortage of cash or liquid assets to meet its financial obligations due to high demand for the service? This is not impossible, especially since the nation's bank giant has been promoting it. Other factors could cause a crisis such as poor management decisions, a sudden loss of investor confidence, or an unexpected economic shock. This also happened with FTX back in November 2022, prior to the collapse. It faced a liquidity crisis and searched for bailout funds. Its Rival exchange Binance considered buying portions of the company but quickly backed out. Critics believe that the crypto market will always be volatile especially when the platforms are not private and secured and only backed by their own bank. Visit CryptoCult.news for more news about the collapse of cryptocurrency. Sources for this article include: Kitco.com Bloomberg.com Investopedia.com Maryland elementary school reinstates mask mandate for third graders a test to see how the parents will react Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland is set to reinstate its mask mandate after three third-grade students tested positive for Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). In a letter posted on social media, School Principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy addressed the parents of grade three students about the exclusive reinforcement of COVID-19 protocols in their classroom. "Three or more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in [redacted] class in the past 10 days. We are taking the following steps to keep our school environment as safe as possible for in-person teaching and learning," Kennedy said in the letter. Third graders will be required to wear masks at all times, except when eating and drinking, to prevent further transmission of the virus within the school. The masks will be mandatory for students and staff in the affected classes or activities for the next 10 days since the announcement on Sept. 10. The mask mandate will revert to being optional once the 10-day period elapsed. This means that the mask mandate in school could make a comeback for an extended period, perhaps depending on how the parents would react to it. Kennedy also announced that at-home rapid test kits will be sent home to students, and encouraged parents to watch for COVID-19 symptoms. The guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was also included in the letter, suggesting that testing should be conducted "five days after an exposure (starting day six)," or when symptoms manifest. However, Outkick founder Clay Travis condemned the move in a post: "This is why all the people who keep saying, 'Why do you care?' about people in masks are so wrong. These mask zealots want to force you and your kids to wear them again. This is their goal. They must be ridiculed and defeated. We have to win this battle once and for all." COVID-19 protocols are making a comeback In a related incident in August, Morris Brown College also announced a mandatory two-week mask policy when COVID-19 cases started to boom among students in the Atlanta University Center. According to the memo sent to the students and faculty, the institution outlined the reinstatement of mask-wearing, social distancing, quarantine, isolation, contact tracing and temperature checks over the next two weeks. Additionally, school events and large gatherings, including parties, have been banned on campus for the duration of the policy. Meanwhile, Lionsgate studio in Los Angeles also reinstated an immediate implementation of mandatory mask mandates due to the "rising COVID cases in Los Angeles" in that same week. In an email, the studio explained that several employees tested positive for COVID-19. So, all employees with any travel history 10 days after the announcement or symptoms of infection should have mandatory quarantine. And this reinstatement of COVID-19 protocols does not stop in private institutions. Even the White House released its official statement regarding the issue: The Biden administration plans to encourage all Americans to receive a booster shot for COVID-19 in the coming autumn to counteract a potential new wave of infections. These announcements from different institutions in the U.S. were happening amid a growing narrative across the mainstream media that COVID-19 protocols, including mask mandates, are slowly making their comeback due to a highly mutated variant known as B.2.86. (Related: Its really happening: Mask mandates, contact tracing re-implanted at colleges, offices.) And whether it is a coincidence or not, Human Events staff writer Erin Elmore has a point: The reinstatement of mask mandates and COVID-19 protocols are "eerily similar to the 'two weeks to slow the spread' narrative that was promulgated at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns." Head over to CampusInsanity.com for more stories about school districts reinstating mask mandates. Watch Paterson, New Jersey Mayor Andre Sayegh discussing possible mask mandates and virtual learning for the city's students below. This video is from the alltheworldsastage channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden admin vows to reinstate MASK MANDATES this coming winter. Power hungry COVID cultists demand return of MASK mandates so they can order people around. CDC data shows COVID hospital admission rates remain low in 97% of U.S. hospitals, but MASK MANDATES are making a comeback anyway. Parents: Dont let your childs school district re-implement mask mandates because some are once again trying. Faucis replacement, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, also loves lockdowns, medical fraud, mask mandates and forced vaccinations. Sources include: HumanEvents.com FoxNews.com McCarthy calls for meeting with top GOPs to vote on Bidens impeachment based on evidence of abuse of power and corruption House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for a closed-door meeting with top Republicans on Thursday, Sept. 14, to plan a vote on impeaching President Joe Biden based on evidence uncovered by the independent news outlet DailyMail.com regarding the president's alleged ties to his son Hunter's illegal business dealings. In the months that the House Oversight Committee has been investigating the Biden family crime syndicate, mainstream media outlets reported that the chamber has not found any proof that the older Biden is "directly financially benefitting from his son's illegal dealings, or that he made any policy decisions because of them." However, emails, texts, photos and documents have recently been unearthed by the said publication and this further added to a still-growing body of evidence suggesting otherwise. McCarthy on Wednesday also ordered the committee to open an impeachment inquiry based on the House GOP's investigations that have so far actually found a "culture of corruption" around the Biden family. "These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives," McCarthy told reporters during a brief news conference outside his office at the Capitol. I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Over the past several months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Bidens conducta culture of corruption. https://t.co/3uoDlUB3Sy Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) September 12, 2023 Apart from giving the GOP investigators more power to acquire bank statements and other documents that could further prove possible financial links Joe had with his son, the impeachment process could also see the younger Biden eventually hauled in front of Congress to testify under oath. As a response, the White House has said there is no basis for an investigation and condemned the announcement, with spokesman Ian Sams calling it "extreme politics at its worst." Biden even mocked the Republicans over the possibility of an impeachment inquiry but his team actually already established a war room with two dozen lawyers, legislative aides and communications staffers in case the proceedings push through. (Related: White House builds defense team for expected GOP impeachment inquiry against Biden.) Meanwhile, the House speaker is already facing resistance to the impeachment inquiry idea from several moderates. Democrats are expected to oppose the effort, but there are also right-wingers who are also against it. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who represents a district Biden won in 2020, has been speaking out against the impeachment inquiry for weeks already. "I think an inquiry should be based on evidence of a crime that points directly to President Biden, or if the President doesn't cooperate by not providing documents," he said on Tuesday. "There's clearly corruption with Hunter using his dad's name to earn tens of millions of dollars. But impeachment needs to be about the dad, not the son. Many of us don't want to see impeachment become something that is commonly used against every president." Moreover, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told Fox News in an interview last week "We're not there yet" when asked how he would vote on a measure to launch an impeachment inquiry. The same goes for Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said she will not vote to fund the government unless the House votes to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden. Senate would likely thwart the impeachment inquiry For two years, the Daily Mail has been reporting proven links of the POTUS to his son's shady affairs, including one that revealed the whistleblower allegations that Joe was acting as a 'chairman of the board' in his son's Latin American online gambling firm; that he shared bills with Hunter; discussed his son's business dealings with an alleged Chinese spy; collected up to $5.2 million in unexplained income; met with 15 of Hunter's business associates; and was named in multiple emails as a partner in the First Son's schemes. Despite all the exposed evidence, the first family has so far been able to dodge the allegations and the Biden family members are still free, with Joe Biden still running for reelection in the 2024 Presidential elections. Will the administration still be able to keep covering up this "mess" when the public is slowly waking up to the abuse and corruption? According to a CNN poll released last Thursday, 61 percent of Americans now believe that then-V.P. Biden 'had some involvement' in Hunter's business dealings and 42 percent responded that Joe acted 'illegally.' The Constitution empowers Congress to impeach federal officials including the president for treason, bribery and "other high crimes and misdemeanors." The POTUS can be removed from office if the House approves articles of impeachment by a simple majority and the Senate votes by a two-thirds majority to convict after holding a trial. However, observers think that the impeachment effort led by McCarthy would be unlikely to succeed even if the Republican-controlled House votes to impeach Biden. This is because it may not pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate, they fear. Follow BidenCrimeFamily.news for updates on the First Family's controversial illegal business dealings. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk AlJazeera.com TheHill.com Study reveals first case of MEWDS linked to COVID-19 vaccination and subsequent infection A new study revealed the first documented case of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) linked to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine and subsequent infection. According to the study, published in the Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection, a 28-year-old woman with 20-20 vision in her right eye has experienced dark blind spots, phantom light flashes and deterioration of vision to 20-50 just two days after getting her second dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. (Related: Study links COVID-19 vaccines to untreatable eyeball clots.) Further examinations revealed torn eye tissue, swollen optic nerves and multiple pale-colored lesions scattered throughout the black of her eye. Fortunately, her right eye vision returned to normal and all other symptoms disappeared after three months without any treatment. One year later, the woman experienced similar symptoms in her left eye. This time, the symptoms appeared seven days after she had tested positive for COVID-19. The symptoms were gone after nine months without treatment. The study conducted by scientists from New Zealand also found that there have been "15 reported cases of MEWDS following COVID-19 vaccination and at least three following COVID-19 infection," but the most recent case is the first ever recorded case of MEWDS following both vaccination and infection in one person. MEWDS also linked to other vaccinations This disease has been linked to different vaccinations like hepatitis A and B, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), chickenpox, rabies, yellow fever, and now, COVID-19. MEWDS, a mysterious inflammatory eye disease of the outer retina, is believed to be an autoimmune response and is often seen in young, nearsighted women at around 28 or over 65 years old. The white dots in the retina typically vanish after the early stage, hence the name "evanescent," and recurrences are rare. As explained, the woman experienced the early symptoms of MEWDS. The outer retina is like the camera lens of the eye. When light enters the eye, it goes through the outer retina, which then sends information to the inner retina and eventually to the brain. In short, the outer retina helps the eye take in light and start the process of "seeing." This explains why vision gets affected with MEWDS. Tests show that people with MEWDS might have problems with their peripheral vision, the central part of their vision or side vision. Through the use of a special dye, the eyes might not show anything unusual at first, but later it can reveal a ring-like pattern of increased brightness around the white spots. Another test called ERG might show changes in the electrical activity of the eye, suggesting there's some inflammation happening at the level of the photoreceptors, which are cells that help humans see. People with MEWDS usually get their vision back to normal, but the part of the eye called the foveal RPE might still look a bit grainy. Visit Vaccines.news for more updates on the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Watch the video below about Australians seeking compensation for COVID-19 vaccine-related injuries. This video is from the The Talking Hedge channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Cardiologist: Over 7M Americans may have some form of HEART INJURY due to COVID-19 vaccines. British MP calls for immediate and complete suspension of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines due to adverse effects. VACCINE for Covid-19 now documented to CAUSE MIS Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome. Josh Sigurdson: COVID-19 vaccines causing cancer rates to skyrocket. COVID-19 vaccines linked to sudden deaths, warns Dr. Peter McCullough. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com HeidelbergEngineering.com Flashback: NM Governor Michelle Grisham caught using taxpayer money to pay for her groceries, whiskey and tequila New Mexico was ranked 39th out of the 50 states in coronavirus cases at that time. (Article by Jim Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com) But after Grisham locked down the state she made a private call to her favorite jewelry store to make a purchase. Of course, she was able to do this because she is the Democrat governor. But she got caught and started changing her story. Then in 2021 the far left governor was caught using taxpayer money to pay for groceries, whiskey and tequila. FOX News reported: New Mexicos Democrat governor is on the defensive after a report this week detailed her offices spending from a taxpayer-supported expense fund. Records show Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham spent nearly $13,500 over a six-month period in 2020 on items such as groceries, dry cleaning and alcohol, the Sante Fe New Mexican reported. The booze spending included a purchase in September of more than $200 for five bottles of tequila, two bottles of vodka, two bottles of Merlot and single bottles of whiskey and gin, the report said. In the same report, the newspaper disclosed that Grisham was hosting in-person staff meetings at the governors mansion at the same time that she was urging the public against mixing households in order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. About half the $13,500 went toward food for the governors Cabinet members and staffers during those meetings, Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki told The Associated Press. On Friday Democrat Governor Grisham declared the First and Second Amendment null and void in her state. On Friday, New Mexicos tyrannical Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared gun violence a public health emergency in response to the shooting deaths of a thirteen-year-old girl on July 28, a five-year-old girl on August 14, and an eleven-year-old boy on September 6. Grisham temporarily suspended open and concealed carry laws in Bernalillo County effective immediately. This action directly infringes upon law-abiding citizens Constitutional right to bear arms. The Governor has carved out exceptions for licensed security guards and law enforcement officers. Governor Lujan Grisham says her duty to uphold her oath to the constitution is "not absolute" pic.twitter.com/Mla4rcNXMX Beau Hightower (@beauhightowerdn) September 8, 2023 The governors action is clearly tyrannical and unconstitutional. She wants to take away your rights to protect the criminals with illegal guns. In response to the unconstitutional order Sheriff John Allen from Bernalillo County north of Albuquerque announced he will not comply with the unconstitutional order. Bernalillo sheriff won't comply with temporary New Mexico gun ban. "I have reservations regarding this order. The temporary ban challenges the foundation of our Constitution, which I swore an oath to uphold." Bernalillo is a suburb north of ABQ. pic.twitter.com/XrLc02epKm Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 9, 2023 Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com Group of young migrants attack German children and teens with sticks A group of 20 young migrants attacked several German children and teenagers , some with sticks, in a public park in the city of Chemnitz in Germany's Saxony state. The incident happened at the Konkordia Park in the city's Schlosschemnitz quarter, according to Remix News. A police report about the incident stated that "around 20 unknown children and young people suddenly attacked a group of other children and young people, apparently some with sticks." The juvenile perpetrators were "around 12 to 14 years old with a darker complexion," the police report pointed out. Local radio station Radio Chemnitz attested to this, noting that "the attackers appeared to be foreigners" and "the victims were Germans." Two children, one aged 11 and the other aged 14, "were pushed to the ground, at which point they were punched and kicked." Thankfully, the two German children suffered only minor injuries. Following this attack, police stopped a group of teens aged 12 to 16 in a neighboring district. They are now investigating if this same group was involved in the assault of German children at Konkordia Park. Chemnitz and other cities in Saxony state suffering from migrant violence The Tag24 newspaper pointed out that the city has seen a steady uptick in crime due to its migrant population. It also recounted several instances of migrants committing these criminal acts. In one instance, a Libyan pepper-sprayed eight people in Chemnitz's downtown back in July injuring eight customers in a shop. Mass brawls involving migrant men have also been reported in the area. "It's getting worse and worse," said Michael Specht, a former police officer turned city councilor under the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. "Chemnitz made international headlines in 2018 after German-Cuban Daniel H. was stabbed to death by two migrants. Riots broke out following the stabbing death as tensions boiled over," Remix News recounted. " The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has a large support base in the eastern city, which is located in Saxony." The issues of migrant crime and violence aren't limited to the borders of Chemnitz. Over at the neighboring city of Plauen, migrant men have been involved in a wave of violence even including an attempted murder. (Related: Migrant gangs are blowing up ATMs in Germany at record pace.) In one case, police officers in Plauen shared that a 14-year-old Iraqi suffered a slight injury in the Postplatz area following attacks by unidentified assailants. "Subsequently, other young people Romanian and Syrian citizens came forward who were also beaten and injured by unknown perpetrators," the officers said. "The police are investigating dangerous bodily harm against unknown people." In May, a Syrian stabbed an Iraqi in Plauen, with the victim nearly losing his life. A brawl between Maghrebi migrants from North Africa and their Kurdish counterparts led to police officers arresting several at the city's Club Delta. "Unfortunately, we have to repeatedly acknowledge ugly scenes of violence and physical confrontations in the middle of our city center," said Plauen Mayor Steffen Zenner, also from the CDU. "These are predominantly caused by migrants." He pointed out that in his city, around 40 percent of migrants not hailing from Ukraine clearly need to leave the country. "Why isn't the federal government taking consistent action? In my opinion, we are witnessing the results of a failed migration policy," Zenner said. "The traffic light [coalition] government has no recognizable migration strategy. There are no regulations on upper limits on immigration, as well as European and national border security measures that take place across countries and in a concerted manner." Visit Migrants.news for more stories about migrant crime and violence in Germany and other countries. Watch Paul Harrell and Lucas Gage discuss Germany's plan to outlaw the AfD, which opposes measures to bring in more migrants. This video is from the KryptoKing187 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: RIOTS erupt across France as EU falls to migrant invasion. Hungarian expert: MIGRATION is the major reason for France riots. Swedish PM admits failure of integrating migrants, laments society becoming "too weak." MIGRANT VIOLENCE: Rioters in France DESTROY one of world's oldest public libraries. German authorities arrest Iranian immigrant for allegedly planning chemical weapons attack. Sources include: RMX.news Brighteon.com Oklahoma district hires drag queen who was previously arrested for child porn as elementary school principal An Oklahoma school district has hired a drag queen who was previously arrested for child pornography as an elementary school principal. (Article by Cassandra MacDonald republished from TheGatewayPundit) Shane Murnan, who performs under the name Shantel Mandalay when doing drag, was hired at the John Glenn Elementary School in Oklahoma City over the summer. In 2002, while working as a fifth-grade teacher, Murnan was arrested on charges of child pornography. The case was later dismissed because the state could not prove that the people in the images were minors. Murnan is also a staple of drag queen story hours, where he dresses up in full drag to interact with children. Meet Shane Murnan- elementary principal at @wh_isd. Shane is a drag queen who performs for children and reads books about gender to kids while dressed in drag. Shane was also previously arrested on child porn charges. Would you want this person in charge of your kids school? pic.twitter.com/yNuZyt3HRK Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 30, 2023 The superintendent of the State of Oklahoma, Ryan Walters, has called for Murnan to be terminated immediately. Its outrageous to have a drag queen running a school, you know, here in Oklahoma that doesnt line up with Oklahoma values, Walters told Fox News. I hear from parents every day that are concerned with this woke left-wing indoctrination or schools, this gender theory that continues to be thrust upon our kids. Its completely inappropriate. This individual is not fit to lead a school district, Walters said. It has to stop. Reports out of Western Heights are disturbing. I share parents' concern and outrage, and will always defend Oklahoma values pic.twitter.com/RvVI3KPAhy Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) August 31, 2023 Walters also posted a statement to social media, saying, Anything that might expose kids to inappropriate sexual content at school is cause for serious concern to parents and is absolutely contrary to Oklahoma values. I will not allow rogue educators to endanger our kids. OSDE is looking into all accusations and will take any necessary action to protect children. The school district responded to concerns about Murnan with a statement posted to social media. This evening, the Board of Education approved the hiring of Dr. Shane Murnan for the Head Principal position at John Glenn Elementary, the statement said. Recently, the district has been made aware of previous charges that were dismissed more than 20 years ago. Dr. Murnan has been serving the field of education for more than 25 years and has an outstanding reputation. He comes highly recommended from previous supervisors, colleagues, and educators. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a Masters of Education in Educational Administration, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration. We welcome Dr. Murnan to Western Heights, and we are very excited about his vision for John Glenn and the community. Western Heights Public Schools Superintendent Brayden Savage wrote, information began circulating about Dr. Murnan and the charges he faced more than 20 years ago for an alleged crime involving child pornography. According to news reports at the time, those charges were dismissed by the court, and the record of the charges has been expunged. Since that time, Dr. Murnan has continued to be certified as an elementary school teacher and principal, including having his certificate renewed in April of 2023 and signed by State Superintendent Ryan Walters. The State Department of Education would have conducted another felony background check upon renewing his certification. The next school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 11, 2023, at the Council Grove Elementary School. Read more at: TheGatewayPundit NIH Receives Royalties From the Pfizer COVID Vaccine Quotes below were excerpted from: https://fullmeasure.news/news/shows/conflicts-of-interest-02-23-2023 NIH doles out $32 billion in federal grant-making to 56,000 entities. And that basically buys you the entire American health care space. Such tremendous influence gives NIH the power to decide which scientists and projects get all those taxpayer billions and therefore buys you a lot of friends, buys you a lot of allies, and theres great incentive to stay on the establishment narratives that NIH disseminates on public health policy. But could those policies be influenced by forces not related to public health? A lawsuit by watchdog group Open The Books against the NIH unearthed 3,000 pages of royalty payments to NIH scientists from 2010 to 2021. During that time, 2,407 government scientists received $325 million in secretive royalty payments, averaging out to more than $135,000 each. For example The NIH invented certain aspects of the vaccine that was licensed to Pfizer. When they developed it, they have to pay that royalty. And so NIH was receiving tens of millions of dollars from Pfizer on those royalty payments. NIH Receives Royalties From the Moderna COVID Vaccine https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/moderna-pays-us-government-400m-catch-payment-under-new-covid-19-vaccine-license In Modernas earnings release Thursday, the company said it recently paid the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) a $400 million catch-up payment under a new royalty-bearing license agreement between the parties. The payment is part of a license agreement between Moderna and NIAID inked late last year. With the deal, Moderna is paying the U.S. government to access certain patent rights concerning stabilizing prefusion coronavirus spike proteins, Moderna Chief Financial Officer Jamie Mock said on a conference call Thursday. NIAID is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the time this royalty agreement was struck, NIAIDs director was Dr. Anthony Fauci. CDC Takes Millions of Dollars From Vaccine Manufacturers and Stakeholders https://www.cdcfoundation.org/financials Some of the donors: Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Merck Novartis GlaxoSmithKline Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation GAVI As reported by STAT News the CDC accepted $161 million from corporations since its inception, with $79.6 million coming during fiscal years 2014 to 2018. FDA Takes Millions of Dollars From Vaccine Manufacturers and Stakeholders https://reaganudall.org/about-us/annual-reports Some of the donors: Pfizer Merck The Rockefeller Foundation Eli Lilly Novartis Johnson & Johnson Below is a snapshot from their 2022 annual report NIH Takes Millions of Dollars From Vaccine Manufacturers and Stakeholders https://2021-annual-report.fnih.org/donors/ Some of the donors: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Pfizer Johnson & Johnson Novartis Pharmaceuticals Gilead Merck Eli Lilly Sanofi GlaxoSmithKline The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) procures funding and manages alliances with public and private institutions in support of the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (Source) Health and Drug Regulators Are Not Independent From The Companies They Are Meant to Regulate The British Medical Journal analyzed various health regulators budgets particularly the portion focused on drugs and discovered that, in each case, the majority is derived from the industry it is tasked to regulate Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia 96% European Medicines Agency (EMA) 89% Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK 86% Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Japan 85% Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 65% Health Canada (HC) 50.5% (Source: BMJ Investigation: Led astray? Industrys influence on drug and device watchdogs PDF | Webpage) Excerpts from the report: Sociologist Donald Light of Rowan University in New Jersey, who has spent decades studying drug regulation, said: a reliance on industry fees is contributing to a decline in evidentiary standards, ultimately harming patients. being largely funded by fees from the companies whose products it is charged to evaluate is a fundamental conflict of interest and a prime example of institutional corruption Doctors and patients must appreciate how deeply and extensively drug regulators cant be trusted so long as they are captured by industry funding. While historical drug disasters like sulfanilamide and thalidomide raised the stature of regulatory agencies, Light argues regulators now need their own watchdog and is calling for a drug and vaccine safety board, independent of the drug regulator, with the authority, staffing, and funds to investigate incidents of patient harm. Countries have independent safety boards for airlines and their passengers. Why not for drugs and patients too? says Light. CDC Members Own More Than 50 Patents Connected to Vaccinations https://www.lawfirms.com/resources/environment/environment-health/cdc-members-own-more-50-patents-connected-vaccinations CDC Employees Had Potential Conflicts of Interest HHS Inspector Generals 2009 report finds that CDC did not identify or resolve potential conflicts of interest for 64 percent of special Government employees in 2007 In addition, 32 percent of SGEs had potential conflicts of interest that CDC identified but did not resolve. (Source Page 4) HHS Has a Vested Interest in COVID Vaccines According to HHS Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund Report for 2022, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a department of HHS, directly supported development and manufacturing of seven [COVID] vaccine candidates including Moderna and Johnson & Johnsons Janssen vaccine. (Source: PDF | Webpage Page 119) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Gives the CDC $13.5 Million https://www.cdcfoundation.org/pr/2013/cdc-foundation-receives-three-grants-totaling-13.5-million-meningitis-and-rotavirus-global The CDC Foundation has received three grants totaling $13.5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve the lives of millions worldwide. The grants will enable the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to work in collaboration with partners to advance the implementation of meningitis and rotavirus vaccines, ensuring global disease protection. The Best Collection of COVID & Vaccine Videos Clips When creating these clips we carefully vet each one to ensure it does NOT contain conspiracy theories, innuendo, or exaggerated claims. Our mission is driven by a sincere desire to promote evidence, data, sound science and logic not ideology or politics. We believe this service is invaluable because the result is short form, high quality content that you can easily and confidently share with others. Please support this work with a donation as creating these clips takes much time, effort and resources. Some Politicians and Government Officials Are Captured Pharmaceuticals and Health Products Industry Was The #1 Lobbyist on Capital Hill in 2022, About $373.74 Million https://www.statista.com/statistics/257364/top-lobbying-industries-in-the-us/ Which Industry Spends the Most on Lobbying? https://www.investopedia.com/investing/which-industry-spends-most-lobbying-antm-so/ Spending $5.17 billion over the past 24 years, the pharmaceutical and health products industry has far outpaced all others in lobbying spending. The industry spent a record $356.6 million on lobbying in 2021 The main drugmakers lobbying group, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, remained the biggest spender within the health care sector in 2021 with outlays of $30.4 million. More Than Two-Thirds of Congress Cashed a Pharma Campaign Check in 2020 https://www.statnews.com/feature/prescription-politics/federal-full-data-set/ The Health Insurance Industry, Hospitals and Medical Associations All Spend Millions to Lobby Lawmakers on Capital Hill https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/top-spenders The Revolving Door of Government Officials and Big Pharma Executives Scott Gottlieb: FDA Commissioner (2017-2019) Pfizer board member (2019) Robert Califf: Paid consultant for Merck Sharp & Dohme, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly (2009 to 2013) FDA Commissioner (2022) Alex Azar: President of Eli Lilly (2012) Secretary of Health and Human Services (2018) Stephen Hahn: FDA Commissioner (2019) Chief medical officer at the venture capital firm that launched Moderna (2021) Julie Gerberding: CDC Director (2002-2009) President of Mercks vaccine division (2009) Ian Hudson: VP, SmithKline Beecham (1989-2001) Chief Executive, MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) (2013-2019) Board of Directors, Sensyne Health (Present) Senior Adviser for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Present) Philip Krause: FDA Deputy Chief for Vaccines (2021) Mesoblast Board of Directors (2022) Investigative journalist Maryanne Demasi reports: At the FDA, generally regarded as the worlds premier regulator, nine out of 10 of its past commissioners between 2006 and 2019 went on to secure roles linked with pharmaceutical companies. (Source Page 15) Read more at: TheBigLogic.com There is no escape from fire in tube house September 14, 2023 | 07:12 pm PT I could not believe my eyes when I first read about the fire at the mini apartment building in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan District. So many lives were lost. Such a tragedy. I am sure authorities will soon launch an investigation to find the cause of the fire. These are the facts I have seen: 45 apartments with 150 people packed inside a 200 m2, 10-story building situated deep within an alley and with few openings. As a veteran in the construction sector, I can guarantee that this building does not comply with fire safety standards and regulations. When I told a South Korean friend, the CEO of a real estate firm, about the tragedy, he was taken aback. "Fire safety requirements in Vietnam are even tougher than in South Korea," he said. And that was why he was shocked to know about the Hanoi apartment fire. Just last month he struggled with fire safety approval for an apartment project despite having abided by the design and everything else that had been approved. When fire safety standards are high but fires still cause great loss of life and property, it means there is something wrong with their enforcement. Fire safety standards are generally very stringent, especially for apartments. I and my colleagues often think about the huge costs involved in meeting these standards. For instance, last week I saw three sprinklers within 20 m2 in a house measuring 50 m2: a complete waste of resources. But tube houses and mini apartments do not have such stringent standards. Based on my own observation, fires could break out in tube houses due to the following reasons. Tube houses are often privately designed and built, and so their electrical systems can be cheap and prone to accidents. The model of using the ground floor for vehicle parking and those above for living is also very risky since a fire in a vehicle will quickly block the exit and the smoke will rise up, asphyxiating occupants. These buildings are often privately owned and so authorities are wary of ruffling feathers. I have lived in both apartment buildings and tube houses, and while I saw the apartment buildings being evaluated for fire safety standards every year, tube houses rarely were. No matter how hard we try, we can never completely eliminate the risk of fires. So, when there is a fire, the goal is to try and minimize losses as much as possible, especially of human lives. But over 90% of tube houses do not have automatic fire alarm systems. When a fire breaks out, people can only run to escape. But the problem with tube houses - and mini apartments - is that emergency staircases will be invaded by fumes and other exits like balconies and open spaces are often blocked to keep out burglars. In other words, when a fire happens in such a location, there is no escape. In 2008 I saw the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" and the dark side of urban development. Hanoi today is slowly getting crowded, and if not carefully managed, high-rise buildings that do not satisfy basic living standards will eventually show up. When that happens, whether someone survives a house fire or not will purely come down to luck. *Nguyen Hoang Nam is the general director of social housing development firm G-Home. SUPPRESSED: Since 1993, dozens of government agencies and organizations have warned against, or called for ban on, wireless technology One of the first entities to ever speak out against wireless technology and the dangers it poses to human health was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back on Nov. 9, 1993. At the time, the EPA called out the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for imposing "seriously flawed" exposure standards that put public health at risk. Just one day later on Nov. 10, 1993, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) entered a similar official comment to the FCC in a docket pertaining to the FCC's guidelines for evaluation of electromagnetic effects of radio frequency radiation. "FCC rules do not address the issue of long-term, chronic exposure to RF fields," the FDA wrote in the docket, echoing the EPA's warnings. It turns out that there are many different federal agencies and other authoritative entities that have spoken out against wireless technology over the years, only to be ignored by those with final decision-making power. That same year in 1993, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also called out the FCC for imposing inadequate standards "based on only one dominant mechanism adverse health effects caused by body heating. Again and again since that time, the FCC and other similar regulatory agencies abroad have been getting bombarded with studies and other evidence showing that wireless technology is dangerous and still nothing is being done about it. (Related: Did you know that the symptoms of 5G exposure are disturbingly similar to the symptoms associated with "COVID?") Wireless radiation damages children, birds, and really EVERYONE The Cellular Phone Task Force has been tracking this information for quite a while, showing that dozens upon dozens of expert organizations and government agencies have been sounding the alarm over the years about wireless technology dangers. Here are a few more prominent examples: In 1994, the Amateur Radio Relay League Bio-Effects Committee warned that the FCC's standard "does not protect against non-thermal effects." In 2000, the United Kingdom's Department of Education warned that children under the age of 16 should not use a mobile phone except in an emergency. In 2002, the Interdisciplinary Society for Environmental Medicine, which is comprised of more than 3,000 German physicians, recommended banning all cell phone use by children, as well as all cell phones and cordless phones in preschools, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, event halls, public buildings, and vehicles. In 2003, the American Bird Conservancy and Forest Conservation Council filed a lawsuit against the FCC because its wireless policies were causing millions of migratory birds to become disoriented, resulting in many of them crashing into cell phone towers. In 2004, the International Association of Fire Fighters protested the installation of communication antennas on top of fire stations. In 2005, the Austrian Medical Association warned that children should not use Wi-Fi, cordless phones, or cell phones under any circumstances. In 2007, the European Environmental Agency, Europe's top environmental watchdog, called for immediate and drastic action to reduce exposure to wireless radiation. In 2008, the National Library of France removed all Wi-Fi routers and wireless internet from the facility due to health concerns. Also in 2008, the Russian National Committee for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection warned that talking on a cell phone even for a few short minutes is dangerous, especially for children, pregnant women, epileptics, and people with memory loss or sleeping disorders. In 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service urged Congress to investigate the link between electromagnetic fields and "Bee Colony Collapse." In 2011, the Council of Europe passed a resolution recommending that only wired internet connections be made available in schools. In 2016, the city of Haifa, Israel, banned all Wi-Fi in schools. In 2018, cell phones were banned in all primary and middle schools throughout France. Electromagnetic radiation is doing a real number on human health. Learn more at 5Galert.com. Sources for this article include: CellPhoneTaskForce.org NaturalNews.com Leftist ADL was instrumental in Donald Trumps ban on Twitter, Elon Musk reveals Big Tech mogul Elon Musk revealed that the far-left Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has pushed for censorship of conservatives on all platforms, played an important role in getting former President Donald Trump blacklisted from X , which was formerly known as Twitter. During his appearance on the "All-In Podcast," Musk, who has been involved in an ongoing war of words with ADL, said that the international Jewish non-governmental organization slammed his decision to reinstate Trump's X account, characterizing the move as an example of hate speech. "The ADL was instrumental in getting Donald Trump deplatformed. And then when we restored the account, they made it super clear that they regarded simply restoring his account that constituted hate speech," the tech giant CEO disclosed. "He [Trump] hasn't even said anything! He has to at least say something, or post something, for there to be incremental hateful content this is absurd! And what's this got to do with antisemitism? Donald Trump's son-in-law is Jewish, he has Jewish grandkids. I'm pretty sure he's not antisemitic, okay? I mean, he was at their wedding!" The billionaire also revealed that ADL has been trying to kill the X by falsely accusing it and him of being anti-Semitic. "To be super clear, I'm pro-free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind," Musk posted in a separate tweet. .@elonmusk: "ADL did initiate a boycott. They call it a pause, but a pause that is never ending is a boycott. We saw a massive drop in U.S. advertising. We saw basically no change in advertising in Asia... This is despite repeated analysis, including third-party analysis of the pic.twitter.com/Hq4qwZacYz KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) September 12, 2023 He is also going to file a lawsuit against the organization and will ask for roughly $22 billion in damages due to their advertiser boycotts. Musk added that U.S. advertising revenue is "still down 60 percent, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by ADL. That's what advertisers tell them, he claimed. (Related: THE IRONY: Elon Musk threatens to file defamation case against Anti-Defamation League for waging advertiser boycotts against X (Twitter).) "We saw a massive drop in U.S. advertising. We saw basically no change in advertising in Asia, but domestically where the ADL is strong, we saw a 60 percent drop. So, you know, that's pretty intense," the Tesla founder also said. "The issue with the ADL is not a question of hate speech, it's not a question of antisemitism, obviously. It's that the ADL and a lot of other organizations have become activist organizations which are acting far beyond their stated mandate, or their original mandate, and I think far beyond what donors to those organizations think they are doing." The left-leaning group received a massive backlash earlier this month. Critics have been calling for the #BantheADL move. Its head, who was former Barack Obama's aide Jonathan Greenblatt, denounced supporters of the hashtag, which included a number of prominent conservatives, as "white supremacists" and "hardened antisemites." Meanwhile, ADL responded that as per policy, it does not comment on legal threats. But it noted that their officials recently met with X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who was hired by Musk to help regain advertising revenue. Yaccarino thanked ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt following the meeting last week, saying in a post on the site that: "A strong and productive partnership is built on good intentions and candor." Musk's dad worries for his son's safety amid battle with ADL Due to the recent developments, Musk's father, retired electromechanical engineer Errol Musk told the Sun that he fears his son could be in deep trouble for going up against ADL which is in direct collusion with powerful forces in the U.S. government. The older Musk reacted to a recent New Yorker piece by journalist Ronan Farrow saying: "It's a hit job, a shadow government-sponsored opening salvo on Elon. The artillery-like softening up of the enemy before the actual attack and preparing of the ever-submissive people for the attack." He added that yes, he worries that the "shadow government will try to assassinate his firstborn son. Errol, who confirmed Elon and he shared the same fear, also previously warned his son to beef up his security. The 52-year-old mogul has even previously joked that he could "die in mysterious circumstances.' The Musks' fear is not "unfounded" as the ADL was accused in the past of being involved in the Jewish Defense League's firebombing assassination of Alex Odeh at his office in Santa Ana, California. Odeh was a Palestinian-American who founded his own ADL-like group he called the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is in direct contrast with the ADL's agenda. Meanwhile, despite the gravity of the organization's interference in Musk's businesses, not a single congressman has come out to signify interest in probing or even just to criticize the incident. On the other hand, the Israeli government already professed all-out support to the pro-Israel lobbying group immediately after Musk exposed the organization. Watch the interview with Musk at the "All-In Podcast" below. Check out Censorship.news to read more news on speech suppression measures pushed on social media and tech giant firms. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com Edition.CNN.com The-Sun.com Rumble.com Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to relocate 1,600 illegal immigrants into special tent communities Newly-elected Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced his plan to relocate about 1,600 illegal immigrants housed in different police stations in the city to special tent communities. Johnson's new plan to create tent cities for these illegal immigrants contradicts his previous statement that Chicago's immigrant community is an essential contribution to the city's economy. He earlier said the presence of illegals "infuses vitality into [the city's] neighborhoods and enhances the cultural fabric of the greatest city in the world." This also comes as Johnson urged residents to make a "sacrifice" for the greater good, claiming that things could be much worse if they do not. "These families are coming to the city of Chicago," Johnson stated. "If we do not provide support for these individuals and these families, that type of desperation will lead to chaos. There is a great sacrifice that is going to be required at this moment, sacrifices we are prepared to make to ensure that this city is not chaotic and is not riddled with desperate people." Johnson's approach aligns with the sentiments expressed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has also been dealing with an influx of migrants arriving in his city. (Related: NYC Mayor Eric Adams warns illegal immigrants will DESTROY the city.) "Im not going to accept the notion that the city of Chicago is going to be destroyed," Johnson declared. "We are a city of big shoulders. Weve been through difficult moments and challenges before. And were gonna get to the other side of this." Chicago residents oppose housing illegals in tent communities The plan to house the illegals in tent communities only contributed to the increasing tensions and pushback from residents, who were concerned about the influx of migrants arriving in the city. Earlier this September, residents of Chicago held a meeting in Hyde Park to voice their concerns over the plans to convert a local hotel into a migrant shelter expected to house around 300 people. Doris Lewis, a Kenwood resident who lives near the proposed shelter, was among those who attended the meeting to express her displeasure. "I am absolutely livid, livid," said Lewis. "Back when they were there in the spring, they would be on our lawn, on our benches. Im walking around the building, what do I walk upon? Three men urinating on the building. I dont want them there." "Take them someplace else or send them back to Venezuela, I dont care where they go. This is wrong," she continued. "Seventy-three percent of the people homeless in this city are Black people. What have you done for them? What are you doing for the thousands of Black children who are not in school?" Lewis' sentiments reflect the frustrations of many residents who are concerned about the potential impacts of housing migrants in their neighborhoods. Meanwhile, other residents also expressed their worries about the accumulation of garbage near the hotel, the possibility of migrants carrying diseases and the need for thorough screening of individuals residing at the shelter. Visit Migrants.news for more stories about Chicago and other sanctuary cities. Watch this video of Chicagoans expressing frustration with the illegals in their city. This video is from the WhatsInRoom101 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Chicago mayor mulls sending ILLEGALS to suburbs in other counties. Venezuelan illegal immigrant paroled by Biden ARRESTED by ICE in Chicago for allegedly FUNDING TERRORISM. Chicago officials refuse to disclose how they spent $120M in taxpayer money on ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Chicago's Black community slams city officials over $51 million fund for migrants. Outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pleads with Texas Gov. Abbott to stop sending illegal migrants to her sanctuary city. Sources include: LawEnforcementToday.com 1 LawEnforcementToday.com 2 Brighteon.com FDA has gone rogue by approving new COVID booster shots without clinical trials, warns Dr. Robert Malone Without any clinical trials whatsoever to back their alleged safety and efficacy, the all-new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "booster" shots now being pushed by the Biden regime received the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, prompting Dr. Robert Malone to state that the corrupt federal agency has "gone rogue." In an appearance on EpochTV's "Crossroads" program on September 11, the day the FDA approved the new booster shots, Dr. Malone tore apart the corrupt federal agency for abandoning all remaining semblances of honesty and integrity. "It's difficult to conclude anything other than the FDA is no longer feeling bound by their own rules and regulations," Dr. Malone said. "The term is: they've gone rogue." Attesting to the lack of clinical trial data, particularly in humans, the all-new COVID booster shots never should have received approval and emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA in the first place. The FDA's argument in support for the shots claims that it already has all the evidence it needs without clinical trials because "neutralizing antibodies as detected in mice and their cross-reactivity are correlative protection." According to Dr. Malone, that claim "is a lie" as "there are no established correlates of protection for SARS-CoV-2." (Related: Earlier last year, Dr. Malone confirmed that life insurance company death claims are up bigtime ever since the launch of Operation Warp Speed.) FDA says it relied on "manufacturing data" from Pfizer, Moderna to approve their mRNA COVID booster "vaccines" In a statement to go along with its approval and EUA notice, the FDA said that a full evaluation of the "manufacturing data," meaning the data that Pfizer and Moderna provided to the FDA, shows that the shots are safe and effective and this is enough for the FDA. The FDA also cited "non-clinical immune response data on the updated formulations including the XBB.1.5 component" as evidence that the shots are safe and effective for human use. Because the risk-benefit profile for all the other FDA-approved and FDA-authorized COVID "vaccines" is already "well understood," according to the agency, there is no reason to continue testing all the latest booster shots because they are "a good match for protecting against the currently circulating COVID-19 variants." On September 12, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) followed through with issuing its own recommendation in favor of the shots, urging all Americans to rush out and get jabbed as soon as possible. This recommendation does not sit well with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who joined Dr. Malone in stating that "there's essentially no data" to back the new shots. "Not only that, but there are a lot of red flags," he added, noting that studies show the shots produce negative efficacy over time. "There's been no clinical trial done in human beings showing that it benefits people, there's been no clinical trial showing that it is a safe product for people," he further said. What is work, earlier iterations of these shots are linked to serious cardiac problems such as heart inflammation and the new ones more than likely do the same. "It's truly irresponsible for FDA, CDC, and others to be championing something ... when we don't know the implications of it," he further stated. Dr. Malone also commented on the negative efficacy aspect of the shots, explaining that not only is there no benefit to getting jabbed, but that it is also harmful to get jabbed. In other words, a person is better off relying on natural immunity without any vaccines, period. Once the new COVID shots start getting injected into people's arms in the coming weeks, expect more serious injury and death reports to emerge. Learn more at Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Hawaiian Holocaust, Maui massacre & Lahaina inferno: The genocidal plot and land grab exposed by telltale government moves (NOT A TRICK QUESTION) (Article republished from StateOfTheNation.co) Because she acted like a predatory and exploitative NWO land-grabbing prostitute in the aftermath of what is now known variously as the DEW-triggered Hawaiian Holocaust, Maui Massacre and Lahaina InfernoTHATS WHY! How coincidental was it that: the Hawaii State Government formed a 36-member housing development approval panel, which was created under an emergency proclamation in July, just before the fires broke out on Maui. The DEW-triggered Lahaina Inferno totally devastated the town on August 8, 2023. Such highly suspicious timing only serves to confirm that the Lahaina Inferno was carefully planned out to the very last detail. And that it was designed as a HUGE land grab from start to finish. See: Was The Manmade Maui Firestorm Really A HUGE Land Grab? You bet it was! (Video) However, the Alt Medias immediate response to this NWO genocide and property-theft black operation clued many victims in to the malevolent globalist back story. Everything that went wrong was perpetrated to go wrong ON PURPOSE on that dark day in Maui. In so doing, the perps thought they would simply steal everyones land and real estate in order to implement their various UN agenda goals. However, things are not working out so well for the land grabbers and genocidal maniacs. See: F*CK ALL OVER! Maui Indigenous Woman Goes Ballistic at Post Lahaina Inferno Meeting Hawaii Housing Chief NANI MEDEIROS Now check out the Linkedin page for Hawaiis Housing Chief NANI MEDEIROS below. Isnt there something very, VERY wrong with that picture? Everything points to NANI MEDEIROS being carefully selected and groomed for her hatchet-man position. After all, cunningly stealing land from people who just suffered the greatest loss of property and possessions is an extremely cruel and nefarious and ugly thing to do. Medeiros perfidious performance shown in the following video only validates that she was chosen to carry out the most treacherous part of this black operation. Then, when she was called out for her scandalous misconduct, she did what every narcissistic sociopath does: she and her boss, Governor Joshua Green, falsely accused her perfect foil popular professional mixed martial art fighter B.J. Penn of despicable behavior. As you can see from the previous video presentation, Penn did not exhibit even a hint of bullying behavior, he just told the raw truth in a way that government hack hates. Talk about D E S P I C A B L E What the Hawaiian governments ON EVERY LEVEL have perpetrated against their own residents is nothing less than a horrendous genocide that was quickly followed by a predacious land theft (in-progress) carried out before anyone had a chance to think about the highly organized and well planned crime spree. Conclusion There are now volumes of irrefutable evidence proving that the transparently manmade firestorms in Maui were DEW-triggered and then rapidly spread via high-frequency microwave weaponry known as MASER. As for this entire Gladio-style false flag black operation, the following report contains enough hard evidence and scientific proof to convict virtually every single stakeholder in this odious land grab. Which brings us to one and only one conclusion: that the HAWAIIAN HOLOCAUST, MAUI MASSACRE & LAHAINA INFERNO was a genocidal plot to facilitate a naked land grab which was then exposed by telltale government moves and maneuvers. Read more at: StateOfTheNation.co SHAMELESS COLLUSION: Hunter is President Bidens informal adviser despite being the reason for fathers impeachment inquiry, NYT reports Further proving the "ironclad ties" of the father and son tandem, the New York Times (NYT) reported in a recent feature that Hunter and President Joe Biden frequently speak on the phone and sometimes talk politics. The news outlet even described the younger Biden as the president's "informal adviser" who has even shaped the latter's speeches. The blatant admission came amid a recent push from the Republicans led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for an impeachment inquiry into the POTUS, wherein the son remains under active investigation by a special counsel. "People who know both men say their bond is singular in its intensity," the Times reported. "But even allies of President Biden, who prides himself on his political and human instincts, say he has at times been too deferential to his younger son, appearing unwilling to tell him no, despite Hunter's problems and his long trail of bad decisions." It added that Biden's devotion to his son means that he has long followed Hunter's lead. "Allies of the president have deep respect for the bond, but have privately criticized Mr. Biden's apparent inability to say no when Hunter sought to pull him into his business dealings," the report continued. Some even comment that his loyalty to his son inviting him to state dinners, flying with him aboard Marine One, and standing on the White House balcony with him has resulted in wholly avoidable political distractions. (Related: Timeline proves Joe Biden is head of his familys organized crime syndicate Breitbart.) The advisory position of Hunter also raised concern among Republicans as a potential conflict of interest. "The House Oversight Committee must immediately subpoena Hunter's records and have a staff deposition," Mike Davis, founder and president of the pro-Donald Trump Article III Project and former Chief Counsel for Nominations to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, told Breitbart News. Biden tries to keep his son close despite years of proven alcoholism and drug addiction. The older Biden even supported Hunter's previous romantic relationship with Joe's deceased son Beau's widow Hallie Buhle, which set off tabloid headlines and more family angst. On a trip to Ireland last spring, Hunter accompanied his father and they rode Air Force One. He reportedly slept on a cot in his father's hotel room. Whenever the son flies to Washington from his Malibu home, he stays (sometimes for weeks) at the White House. When he is in the Santa Monica Mountains region, Joe calls him sometimes more than once a day and nearly every day. For people who know them both, Hunter shares his father's tendency toward effusiveness and intensity in interactions with people he loves. Both also have a quick temper. "I'm like his security blanket," Hunter told the New Yorker in 2019. "I don't tell the staff what to do. I'm not there giving directions or orders. I shake everybody's hands. And then I tell him to close his eyes on the bus. I can say things to him that nobody else can." In 2018, Joe left a voicemail for Hunter expressing concern that sensitive information was included in a separate NYT article about the younger Biden's involvement with CEFC's chairman Ye Jianming. "Hey pal, it's Dad. It's 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance just give me a call. Nothing urgent... I thought the article released online, it's going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you're clear. I love you," the message concluded. The following year, Hunter disclosed to his daughter that "Pop Joe" collected half of his salary for 30 years. He claimed to have paid thousands of dollars for his father's house repairs from the money reportedly obtained from selling access to the then-vice president. "It's really hard. But don't worry, unlike Pop, I won't make you give me half your salary," he reportedly texted his child. Photo credits: Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Poll: Majority of Americans believe Biden as V.P. was involved with Hunter's illegal business affairs According to a recent CNN survey, 61 percent of Americans believe Joe Biden was involved in his family's business deals with China and Ukraine. Only 38 percent said the older Biden was not involved, and just one percent said he was involved and did nothing wrong. Also, 55 percent said the president has acted inappropriately regarding the investigation into Hunter over potential crimes, while 44 percent said his actions were appropriate. The vastness of the Biden family's corruption schemes is breathtaking. https://t.co/TzJ4nJ2XZV Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) July 19, 2023 The poll that was conducted before special counsel David Weiss indicated in a court filing that he intended to seek an indictment against Hunter relating to gun charges by the end of the month. It was conducted by SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) from August 25-31 among a random national sample of 1,503 adults drawn from a probability-based panel. The survey included an oversample to reach a total of 898 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents; this group has been weighted to its proper size within the population. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 points. Discover more about the Biden familys illegal international business dealings on BidenCrimeFamily.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NYTimes.com NewYorker.com DailyMail.co.uk DocumentCloud.org Rep. Jim Jordan exposes ALLIANCE between White House, FB and UK-based censorship group to CENSOR vax skeptics content Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) exposed the tripartite alliance between the White House, Facebook and the U.K.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) to censor anti-vaccine content on social media. In a Sept. 5 tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Jordan accused the CCDH of feeding false information to the Biden White House. "The Biden [administration] then uses the full weight of the federal government to coerce Facebook to censor Americans, Biden's critics and political opponents and the truth," he continued. The controversy began in March 2021 when the CCDH released a report about the so-called "Disinformation Dozen." The 12 accounts named in the report were allegedly responsible for 65 percent of anti-vaccine content on social media. However, the Ohio congressman pointed out the report's inaccuracy, stating that the actual number was closer to 0.05 percent something that even Facebook itself recognized. Nevertheless, the White House still embraced the CCDH's incorrect statistics and pressured Facebook to take action against these accounts. But the social media platform was reluctant, fearing that it could unfairly censor users who hadn't violated any rules. Internal documents suggest that Facebook employees were drafting a memo to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicating "pressure from the White House" to censor the Disinformation Dozen despite no clear justification. Accounts from the Disinformation Dozen and their affiliates numbered to 34, yet only six out of this total were found to have violated policies. By July 2021, Facebook had censored 11 of the 12 accounts in the core group. Moreover, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki mentioned the Disinformation Dozen during a July 15, 2021 press briefing. (Related: COLLUSION: Biden regime ordered Facebook to tweak algorithms to suppress Republicans.) CCDH calls to 'deplatform' the Disinfo Dozen Following the July 15 press conference, Facebook Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg met with the office of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. The site's employees attempted to prepare persuasive information about what Facebook had done about the Disinformation Dozen. However, one Facebook employee remarked: "Nothing we say will be persuasive to that crew." The Ohio congressman continued that the situation had not improved, with the press continuing to cite CCDH's faulty statistics. Facebook's relationship with the Biden White House had reportedly become strained, with the administration urging Facebook to take further action against the alleged disinformation actors. Jordan accused the social media platform of "tailoring" solutions to the White House's concerns rather than addressing real problems. The House Judiciary Committee under him has taken notice of the censorship allegations, and has demanded documents from both Facebook and the executive department. CCDH mentioned in its report that "the Disinformation Dozen continually violate the terms of service agreements on Facebook and Twitter." Ty and Charlene Bollinger, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Joseph Mercola were some of the names included in the list of 12. "While some anti-vaxxers identified by CCDH have been removed from a single platform, comprehensive action has yet to be taken, and most remain active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter," the nonprofit reported on its website. It also claimed that "[d]eplatforming repeat offenders is the most effective way of stopping the proliferation of dangerous misinformation." Watch Peggy Hall discussing the CCDH's Disinformation Dozen in the video below. This video is from THEHEALTHYAMERICAN, Peggy Hall channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Facebook promised Biden regime any messaging you want in newly released emails asked for talking points on COVID vaccines. Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter overwhelmingly infiltrated with federal agents posing as employees. DHS engaged in treasonous collusion with Twitter and Facebook to censor Americans, bombshell report reveals. Biden White House pressured Facebook to censor vaccine skeptics on private messaging service WhatsApp. Biden administration officials pressured Meta to censor private WhatsApp messages of COVID-19 vaccine skeptics. Sources include: NewsBusters.org CounterHate.com Brighteon.com America IGNORING human rights, child labor abuses in the DRC to secure supplies of METALS for EV batteries The U.S. is becoming heavily reliant on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shunned worldwide for its lax child labor policies and other abusive working conditions in its mines as it races to secure supplies of metals to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs). Known as the world's "king of cobalt," the DRC has long been regarded as the world's largest producer of the metal, accounting for nearly three-quarters of global output in 2022. A third of that output comes from the country's informal mining sector, made up of artisanal miners and children who often work with no safety equipment in dangerous, hand-dug mines. (Related: Big Tech demand for cobalt drives SLAVE MINES in the Congo.) Cobalt has become an essential component in the creation of lithium-ion batteries for EVs, and its extraction has come at a high price. A recent report released by Amnesty International and the Congo-based NGO Initiative for Good Governance and Human Rights (IBGDH) details how the search for metals has forcibly uprooted people from their homes and farms, often without compensation or adequate resettlement. The IBGDH report said some of these forced evictions are even conducted with the help of the Congolese military. In one case from November 2016, Congolese soldiers burned down the settlement of Mukumbi in the southern province of Lualaba to make way for a cobalt and copper mining operation led by the Dubai-based Chemaf Resources. Village chief Ernest Miji was told in 2015 by a Chemaf representative and several police officers that Mukumbi's residents had to move away. Residents who tried to resist were beaten by the military. Without admitting to any wrongdoing, liability or involvement in the destruction of Mukumbi or the allegation that the company directed military forces to destroy the village, Chemaf agreed to pay $1.5 million through local authorities, with former residents of the village only receiving between $50 and $300 an amount that local advocacy group Coalition for Safeguarding Human Rights called an extreme undervaluation of the losses of the victims. China dominating supply of cobalt from the DRC According to industrial estimates, about 80 percent of all the cobalt mined in the DRC is shipped to China. Chinese firms, such as Chengtun Mining, China Molybdenum, CMOC, Wanbao and Jinchuan own 15 of the 19 largest cobalt mining assets in the DRC, including the Tenke Fungurume and Sicomines, both of which alone account for 20 percent of global cobalt extraction. All of this cobalt taken from the DRC helps China account for 76 percent of global refined cobalt production. Its share in chemical refining for the production of lithium-ion batteries is even higher at 91 percent from the ore to processing, from active materials to cells and ultimately to the packs. Huayou Cobalt is the largest refiner, with a production of more than 38,000 tons. China is also tagged as the source of essential minerals that "run the world" nearly 60 percent of aluminum, also used in EV batteries, and 80 percent of poly-silicon, an ingredient in solar panels. It has an even tighter grip on rare-earth minerals that go into crucial technologies, like making smartphone touch screens and missile-defense systems, accounting for 90 percent of their refining, according to the International Energy Agency. Visit RoboCars.news for more news related to electric vehicles. Watch the following clip from Fox News showing how American consumers are not excited about the White House's push for more electric vehicles. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Experts warn that a worldwide lithium shortage could come as early as 2025. Lithium-ion battery pack sizes have increased 10 percent over the last five years, which could lead to battery supply shortages. Lithium-ion battery pack sizes have increased 10 percent over the last five years, which could lead to battery supply shortages. Car companies are expanding into the lithium mining business to secure their supplies for EV manufacturing. GREEN SHORTAGE: Lack of lithium preventing Indonesia from becoming a global hub for EVs. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com VisualCapitalist.com APNews.com Table.media WSJ.com Brighteon.com The latest report showed that alleged mummified alien corpses were presented to the Mexican politicians, causing critcisms and a trending topic on social media. NASA has been studying space and life in the universe. Reports showed that the agency has not yet found solid evidence about any possible existence of extraterrestrial life in the space. While understanding space is crucial, there is no conclusive evidence showing the potential existence of aliens. NOW: A discussion of the report by the unidentified anomalous phenomena report (UAP) independent study team. Read the full report (PDF): https://t.co/uYhsJ6stRR https://t.co/FuftbhwL4D NASA (@NASA) September 14, 2023 However, the latest news reports became viral on social media and drew criticism after two alleged non-human or alien corpses were presented to Mexico. Two Mummified 'Alien Corpses' The Mexico Congress listened to the testimony of Jaime Maussan, suggesting that the said mummified corpses were not human. The remains were unearthed in Cusco, Peru, with at least 1,000 years old. From the windowed boxes, Maussan explained that the DNA of the said remains was considered unknown. The fossils are small, adding that one had eggs inside after an X-ray. However, the fossils appeared too humanoid. Reports showed that Maussan had previously debunked claims. A fact-checking report debunked the claim of alleged alien fossils discovered in Nazca, Peru, in 2015. Later on, the corpse was found to be a human child suffering from a head deformity. The report also highlighted no evidence of alien existence in the Nazca lines. The mummified fossils could undergo possible ancient or religious practices for people with deformed heads. He explained that there were unidentified phenomena, especially that the fossils were claimed to be from algae mines. The alleged mummies also drew criticism on social media, becoming a viral topic for netizens. Meanwhile, it is also forecast that NASA will show a report to comprehend UFOs better. Furthermore, the person noted that specimens were examined by experts from Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), where it was found that the DNA was unknown. Also Read: September Rare Astronomy Events: Harvest Moon, Closer Planet Sightings to Unfold This Month More facts about the space The recent news about the alleged alien corpses could spark controversy or speculation. Researchers emphasized that there is not yet any substantial evidence about alien existence. The full report by the unidentified anomalous phenomena report (UAP) independent study team can be found here: https://t.co/RoY8p9ce5l Based on the team's recommendations, NASA will appoint a director of UAP research. At 10am ET (1400 UTC), we'll livestream a briefing from NASA (@NASA) September 14, 2023 Studying space has been vital because it could help us understand other planets or possibly life's existence. Using advanced technology and equipment, experts could now provide valuable insights about the potential behavior of other planets, helping to protect Earth from possible asteroid impacts or meteors. Here are some facts about the space that you should also know. According to the reports, people would see stars in the night skies. However, there are also stars that people cannot see. Meanwhile, the moon is said to become father yearly. This September, people could anticipate amazing astronomical sightings starting September 18, 2023. Astronomy lovers can expect the unusual brightness of Venus and the Neptune. September 23 also sets the first day of autumn! From September 28 to 30, the Harvest Moon is expected to unfold. Related Article: Polar Vortex Swallows 'Part of Sun': What Does It Mean? For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News. Weather forecasters said that Hurricane Lee is expected to create some autumn conditions in the eastern portion of the United States. Based on the weather forecast, the temperature in New York could prompt residents and tourists to wear a jacket in the evening as well as during early morning hours through the coming weekend. The breeze generated by Hurricane Lee is seen to add to the autumn-style coolness through Saturday. Meteorologists said that the daytime highs in the city through the weekend will be in the 70s. Meanwhile, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. would feel less in terms of the breeze during the weekend. On the other hand, areas in the farther south would feel the same level of coolness, including in cities, such as Charlotte and Atlanta. Meteorologists also said that the temperatures in most of the areas of Virginia, the Carolinas and northern Georgia would be in the low to mid-80s over the weekend. Read Also: Hurricane Lee: Landfall Forecasted In Maine, Canadian Maritimes As It Makes Critical Turn In Atlantic Lee's forecasted track The National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center said that at 800 PM AST (0000 UTC), the center of Hurricane Lee was spotted near latitude 32.1 North, longitude 68.0 West. Based on the forecast, Lee is tracking the direction towards the north near 15 mph (24 km/h) and this general motion with a significant increase in forward speed is expected through Saturday. Meanwhile, a turn towards the north-northeast and then northeast has been forecasted Saturday night and Sunday. Weather experts said that the center of Lee would continue to pass west of Bermuda through this evening and approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada either Friday or Saturday. Lee will then move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday. It is packing maximum sustained winds near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Meteorologists took note that a little change in Lee's strength could be observed on Friday afternoon. Furthermore, some gradual weakening is forecasted on Friday night and Saturday. Despite its weakening, Lee is expected to remain large and dangerous for the next couple of days as it is still categorized as a very large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 345 miles (555 km). So far, a sustained wind of 43 mph (69 km/h) was recently reported at the L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda. Dangerous surfs, rip currents Weather experts said that dangerous surfs and rip currents have started to affect the eastern coast of US. At present, a hurricane watch is in effect over Stonington, Maine to the US/Canada border, New Brunswick from the US/Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island, and Nova Scotia from Digby to Medway Harbour. Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning has been raised over Bermuda, Westport Massachusetts northward to the US/Canada border, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket. On the other hand, a tropical storm watch has been placed issued in New Brunswick from north of Point Lepreau to Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia west coast from north of Digby to Fort Lawrence, and Nova Scotia southeast coast from north of Medway Harbour to Point Tupper. The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters as it moves inland from the shoreline. Officials warned that the water could reach above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of a high tide. Related Article: Hurricane Lee: Nova Scotia Warned Over Powerful Winds, Floods; Impact Still Seen In Atlantic Canada Related Video: The ministry's labor department issued fines totaling 2.17 million ringgit ($463,000) against 272 employers, while the courts fined 128 employers a combined 242,000 ringgit, Bernama cited Sivakumar as saying on Thursday. The labor violations included illegal wage deductions, Sivakumar said. The minister did not name the companies, nor did he give details of the labor offenses. Malaysia is a key link in the global supply chain, manufacturing everything from palm oil to medical gloves and semiconductor chips. Malaysian companies have faced U.S. bans in recent years over allegations of abuses against migrant workers, who are employed widely in the country's manufacturing and plantation industries. The allegations of forced labor include debt bondage, excessive working hours, retention of passports and unhygienic dormitories. Malaysia has set a target to eliminate forced labor practices by 2030. Challenging weather conditions are expected to unload in parts of New Mexico, Southeastern Massachusetts and Northeast this weekend, causing possible heavy rain and severe flooding. The weather in the Northeast, including Massachusetts, is due to a strong cold front and approaching Hurricane Lee in the coming days. In New Mexico, the excessive rainfall could bring dangerous flooding on Friday. Americans with outdoor activities should check the latest forecasts this weekend, especially in parts of the Northeast. Motorists should check for possible flooded road conditions, Dangerous Flooding: Where will it impact? The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that a flood watch was issued in Central New Mexico due to the excessive rainfall. The increased moisture in the region will bring heavy rainfall and possible flooding over New Mexico. Communities near the affected areas should prepare for possible flooding, especially for people in flood-prone or low-lying places. Flooding can be likely in the following: East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains In other parts of the US, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado are also at risk of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall this weekend. In the Northeast, the cold front and Hurricane Lee will help bring rainy conditions to the region, including Massachusetts. Recently, Massachusetts experienced severe flooding due to the heavy rainfall. Residents near the Barrett Pond Dam were advised to evacuate due to possible severe flooding. On the weekend, rainy conditions with chances of thunderstorms are forecast in Portland, Boston, Halifax, Washington, Pittsburgh and Detroit. This Saturday, dangerous conditions on beaches could be possible in parts of Maine, New England, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. The waves are expected to reach eight to 13 feet. A high surf alert is forecast in the affected region. Hurricane Lee: New Developments from the storm Hurricane Lee could land over New Brunswick, parts of Nova Scotia or Eastern Maine in the coming days. As of September 14, tropical storm conditions are likely in parts of Bermuda. Hurricane #Lee is moving north at 15 mph in the western Atlantic. Dangerous surf & life-threatening rip currents are possible across the East Coast, PR, & USVI. Strong thunderstorms & locally heavy rain possible from the 4-Corners area to TX. Excessive heat continues in PR/USVI. pic.twitter.com/FJkDmpsbSY National Weather Service (@NWS) September 14, 2023 On Saturday, challenging hurricane conditions could bring coastal flooding and heavy rain in Western Nova Scotia, Eastern Maine and Southern Brunswick. A Hurricane Watch is also present to alert the residents about the stormy conditions. Heavy rainfall could unload this weekend in Atlantic Canada and New England, as a storm watch is in effect. Dangerous storm surge could hit the following areas: Southeastern Massachusetts Cape Cod Nantucket Also Read: US Weather Forecast: Widespread Showers, Thunderstorms to Unload in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah This Week Keeping safe from the hurricane conditions The latest weather reports highlighted the stormy weather in parts of the Northeast and New Mexico. Homeowners should keep updated with the weather forecasts, especially if they live in flood-prone or low-lying areas. Flooding conditions are also possible in the late week. Keeping emergency kits at home is helpful to prepare for the storm. Related Article: Heavy Rainfall to Hit in New England, Northeast This Week; Flood Watches Present in Connecticut into New Hampshire For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. Africa Climate Week (ACW) is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from different sectors and regions to discuss and promote climate action in Africa. The ACW 2023 took place from Sept 4 to Sept 8 n Nairobi, Kenya, and was organized in parallel with the Africa Climate Summit, also hosted by Kenya. One of the main topics of the ACW 2023 was forest landscape restoration, which aims to restore the ecological functions and benefits of degraded lands by planting trees and other native vegetation. Tree restoration pledges are ambitious but achievable As part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), four sub-Saharan countries - Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, and Kenya - have pledged to restore a total of 24 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. This represents almost a quarter of AFR100's goal of restoring 100 million hectares across Africa. These pledges are also aligned with the global Bonn Challenge, which aims to restore 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which calls for scaling up restoration efforts to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. Restoring forest landscapes can provide multiple benefits for people and the planet, such as enhancing biodiversity, improving soil health, increasing food security, reducing poverty, mitigating climate change, and supporting the implementation of the Paris Agreement. According to a study by the World Resources Institute (WRI), restoring 100 million hectares of land in Africa could generate $84 billion in net benefits over 30 years and sequester up to 1.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Also Read: Climate Change Aggravates Food Shortage Across the Globe, Affects Chocolate, Coffee, Chili Seed shortage is a major challenge for tree restoration However, achieving these ambitious restoration targets requires overcoming several challenges, especially in terms of seed supply. A recent study by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) found that while there is political will and international support for tree restoration in Africa, seed systems - the networks that produce, distribute, and deliver seeds and other planting materials - are not fully prepared yet. The study revealed that there is a high demand for native tree species material, but a low supply. This is due to various factors, such as lack of seed sources, poor seed quality, inadequate storage facilities, insufficient seed testing and certification, limited market access and information, and weak coordination among stakeholders. The study also found that many actors involved in restoration are not fully aware of the available resources, such as seed catalogs, databases, networks, and guidelines. The study suggested several ways to address these gaps and improve seed systems for tree restoration in Africa, such as: Increasing the diversity and availability of native tree species material by engaging local communities, farmers, and seed entrepreneurs in seed production and conservation. Enhancing the quality and viability of seeds and other planting materials by applying best practices for seed collection, processing, storage, and distribution. Improving the accessibility and affordability of seeds and other planting materials by developing market mechanisms, incentives, and policies that support seed trade and delivery. Strengthening the capacity and collaboration among seed system actors by providing training, information, and platforms for communication and coordination. Africa Climate Week 2023 was an important opportunity to advance tree restoration pledges in Africa but also highlighted the need to address the big seed shortage that remains. Improving seed systems for native tree species is essential for ensuring the success and sustainability of forest landscape restoration efforts in Africa. By working together, governments, donors, researchers, practitioners, businesses, and civil society can overcome this challenge and unlock the potential of trees for a greener and more resilient future. Related article: Food Prices May Rise as Fertilizer Shortage Worsens in North America Banded sand catsharks are a species of small, nocturnal sharks that live on the sea floor in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. They are usually found in shallow waters off the coast of northern Australia, where they feed on small fish and invertebrates. However, a recent discovery by scientists has revealed a surprising and unique behavior of these sharks: they hide inside sea sponges. Banded sand catsharks use sea sponges as shelters Sea sponges are simple aquatic animals that belong to the phylum Porifera. They have porous bodies that filter water to obtain food and oxygen. They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, and some can grow up to a meter in diameter. Sea sponges are often mistaken for plants, but they are actually animals that lack true tissues and organs. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg found that banded sand catsharks use sea sponges as shelters during their expeditions to survey marine biodiversity in marine parks off the coast of north-western Australia. They observed that some large sponges contained up to 30 banded sand catsharks inside them, ranging from 12 to 39 centimeters in length. This was the first known observation of a shark species living inside a sponge. The scientists collected some of the sponges and their shark inhabitants and examined them on board their research vessel. They found that the sponges belonged to different species, but all had many folds, crevices, and canals that provided spaces for the sharks to enter and exit. The sponges were found at depths ranging from 32 to 106 meters. Also Read: Sea Sponges Found to 'Sneeze' Their Mucus and Unwanted Waste in a New Study Banded sand catsharks benefit from sea sponge symbiosis The scientists speculated that banded sand catsharks hide inside sea sponges for various reasons. One possible reason is to avoid predators, such as larger sharks, rays, or fish, that may prey on them. Another possible reason is to conserve energy, as hiding inside sponges may reduce the need for swimming and hunting. A third possible reason is to regulate their body temperature, as sponges may provide insulation from the cold water. The scientists also suggested that the symbiosis between banded sand catsharks and sea sponges may be mutualistic, meaning that both parties benefit from the relationship. For example, the sharks may eat some of the sponge predators or parasites, such as snails or worms, that may harm the sponge. The sharks may also fertilize the sponge with their waste products, which may provide nutrients for the sponge. However, the scientists also noted that there may be some costs or risks associated with living inside sponges. For instance, the sharks may damage or stress the sponge by entering or exiting its body. The sharks may also compete with each other for space or food inside the sponge. The sharks may also expose themselves to potential infections or toxins from the sponge. Banded sand catsharks are a remarkable species of sharks that hide inside sea sponges. This behavior has never been seen before in any other shark or elasmobranch species. This discovery sheds new light on the diversity and adaptability of shark ecology and behavior. Related article: Sea Sponge: The Strongest 'Uncrushable' Glass Skeleton Species At least 4,000 people have died and another 6,000 have been wounded since fighting broke out between troops loyal to Abdel-Fattah Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and to Mohamed Dagalo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces. Nearly 25 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance. Millions have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Its estimated that nearly 400,000 people have crossed into eastern Chad from Darfur since the conflict began, said United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who visited the border between the two countries on September 6. She noted that despite the heroic effort of the government of Chad, local communities, and non-governmental workers, too many refugees still lacked food, water, health care, and other essentials. A crisis of this magnitude requires a global response, and the United States is committed to doing our part to aid the people of Sudan, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. First, we are taking further action to support the victims of this conflict. Today, I am announcing that the United States is providing nearly $163 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan and neighboring countries, including Chad, she said. These funds will go toward providing people in need with food, water, sanitation, health care, and other essentials. The money will also go toward protection of vulnerable groups, including women, youth, older persons, and survivors of violence. Second, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, the United States is taking action to hold bad actors accountable by sanctioning Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo a senior commander in Sudans Rapid Support Forces and the brother of RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo for his connection to abuses by the RSF against civilians in Sudan. At the same time, the U.S. Department of State has imposed visa restrictions on RSF General and West Darfur Sector Commander Abdul Rahman Juma for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. The reported atrocities in Darfur are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur, she said. But it has been disappointing to see how little attention this brutal conflict has received from the international community. Less than 30 percent of the 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. Thats shameful. And I am calling on the international community to do more and give more. On 14 September 2023, Enefit Green signed a 180 million loan agreement with European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance its ongoing investment programme. The term of the concluded contract is 12 years. Enefit Green will use the loan capital for the construction of the Sopi-Tootsi wind farm in Estonia. Sopi-Tootsi wind farm is the largest wind farm under construction in Estonia with a capacity of 255 MW. After its completion in 2025, this wind farm will cover approximately 40% of annual electricity consumption of Estonian households. Enefit Green is currently constructing five wind and three solar farms in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland with a total capacity of 608 MW. In 2023, Purtse hybrid wind and solar farm in Estonia and the Zambrow solar farm in Poland with a total capacity of 62MW have been completed and put into operation. During the upcoming six months, 43 MW Silale II and 75 MW Akmene wind farms in Lithuania, 72MW Tolpanvaara wind farm in Finland, 6MW Debnik and 3MW Estonia solar farm in Poland and Estonia, respectively, are expected to be completed. Further information: Sven Kunsing Head of Finance Communications investor@enefitgreen.ee https://enefitgreen.ee/en/investorile/ Enefit Green is one of the leading diversified renewable energy producers in the Baltic Sea area. The Company operates wind farms in Estonia and Lithuania, cogeneration plants in Estonia and Latvia, solar farms in Estonia and Poland, a pellet plant in Latvia and a hydroelectric plant in Estonia. In addition, the Company is developing several wind and solar farms in the mentioned countries and Finland. As of the end of 2022, the Company had a total installed electricity production capacity of 457 MW and a total installed heat production capacity of 81 MW. During 2022, the Company produced 1,118 GWh of electricity, 565 GWh of heat energy and 154 thousand tonnes of wood pellets. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Friday accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals to the tune of around Rs 45,000 crore. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Ministry of Defence said, "The AoN for procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI Aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also accorded." This will help make up for the fast dwindling fighters in the IAF. At present, the force is down to 30 combat squadrons against the 42 squadrons sanctioned for it. A normal squadron of the IAF comprises 18 fighters. Sukhoi 30MKI is a long range multi-role fighter aircraft which is integrated with potent weapons and systems including the indigenous Astra and Brahmos missiles. Astra is an indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile and BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile. The other AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force included avionic upgradation of Dornier Aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations. The procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent Indigenous Precision Guided Weapon for indigenously built ALH Mk-IV helicopters has been cleared by the DAC. ALSO READ | Indian Air Force receives first C-295 transport aircraft from Airbus, 55 more to follow For the Army, to enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of mechanised forces, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). The other approvals for the Army included procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of Artillery Guns and Radars. Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) means the government has accepted the need for the equipment and is the first step towards initiation of the procurement process. The DAC chaired by the Defence Minister is the highest decision making body of the Ministry of Defence on policy and capital procurement issues. The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing hydrographic operations. All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence industry towards achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. During the meeting, Rajnath Singh stated that it is time to upgrade ambitions towards indigenisation. The minister directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and DG (Acquisition) to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with Indian industry. "Rather than a threshold of 50% indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65% indigenous content," he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Friday accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals to the tune of around Rs 45,000 crore. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Ministry of Defence said, "The AoN for procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI Aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also accorded." This will help make up for the fast dwindling fighters in the IAF. At present, the force is down to 30 combat squadrons against the 42 squadrons sanctioned for it. A normal squadron of the IAF comprises 18 fighters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sukhoi 30MKI is a long range multi-role fighter aircraft which is integrated with potent weapons and systems including the indigenous Astra and Brahmos missiles. Astra is an indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile and BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile. The other AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force included avionic upgradation of Dornier Aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations. The procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent Indigenous Precision Guided Weapon for indigenously built ALH Mk-IV helicopters has been cleared by the DAC. ALSO READ | Indian Air Force receives first C-295 transport aircraft from Airbus, 55 more to follow For the Army, to enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of mechanised forces, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). The other approvals for the Army included procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of Artillery Guns and Radars. Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) means the government has accepted the need for the equipment and is the first step towards initiation of the procurement process. The DAC chaired by the Defence Minister is the highest decision making body of the Ministry of Defence on policy and capital procurement issues. The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing hydrographic operations. All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence industry towards achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. During the meeting, Rajnath Singh stated that it is time to upgrade ambitions towards indigenisation. The minister directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and DG (Acquisition) to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with Indian industry. "Rather than a threshold of 50% indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65% indigenous content," he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Pointing out that the Indian Ocean Region plays a vital role for the larger part of humanity, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru on Thursday stressed the significance of collaboration to address the maritime challenges in the region. Speaking at the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2023, Mahindru termed these challenges as unique both in their nature and complexity. Enhanced situational awareness of the maritime domain is required for the security agencies to respond to these challenges effectively. At the same time, the scale, scope and transnational nature of maritime activities make it difficult for any country to address these challenges individually, he said, adding, However, the Indian Ocean Region faces challenges like maritime terrorism, piracy, human and contraband trafficking, illegal and unregulated fishing, arms running and poaching. The Maritime Information Sharing Workshop brought together members of 26 countries exclusively of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment from September 14-16. The workshop was hosted by the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region. Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment is a maritime grouping, of which India is also a part. The Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region. The Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region was established keeping in mind the significance of the Indian Ocean Region to world trade and security. At the workshop, Mahindru reiterated Indias commitment to working together with all member states of the two associations towards coordinating and contributing to enhanced maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean with significant trade routes and is an important lifeline to international trade and transport. Half of the worlds container ships, one-third of the worlds bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of the worlds oil shipments pass through it. As per the Indian Navy, the significance of the Indian Ocean Region extends far beyond its geographical boundaries. It serves as a hub of economic activities, a bridge between continents, and a stage for geopolitical dynamics. Maritime security is not just crucial for economic stability but also for geopolitical equilibrium, Mahindru said. The workshop is being organised to afford cohesive and collective responses to the many maritime security challenges that the Indian Ocean Region faces and to develop a robust functional understanding among participants. India established the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram in December 2018, with a mission to enhance maritime safety and security in the region. IFC-IOR, presently headed by Captain Rohit Bajpai, is a unique centre where International Liaison Officers from partner nations collaborate to counter challenges to maritime safety and security. 1. Maritime Information Sharing Workshop is the flagship event of the Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region 2. Members of 26 countries exclusively from the Indian Ocean Rim Association & the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment attended 3. The theme this year was Advancing Maritime Security for a Sustainable Future' 4. Workshop will hold a tabletop maritime security exercise simulating various maritime contingencies Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Pointing out that the Indian Ocean Region plays a vital role for the larger part of humanity, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru on Thursday stressed the significance of collaboration to address the maritime challenges in the region. Speaking at the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2023, Mahindru termed these challenges as unique both in their nature and complexity. Enhanced situational awareness of the maritime domain is required for the security agencies to respond to these challenges effectively. At the same time, the scale, scope and transnational nature of maritime activities make it difficult for any country to address these challenges individually, he said, adding, However, the Indian Ocean Region faces challenges like maritime terrorism, piracy, human and contraband trafficking, illegal and unregulated fishing, arms running and poaching. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Maritime Information Sharing Workshop brought together members of 26 countries exclusively of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment from September 14-16. The workshop was hosted by the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region. Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment is a maritime grouping, of which India is also a part. The Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region. The Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region was established keeping in mind the significance of the Indian Ocean Region to world trade and security. At the workshop, Mahindru reiterated Indias commitment to working together with all member states of the two associations towards coordinating and contributing to enhanced maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean with significant trade routes and is an important lifeline to international trade and transport. Half of the worlds container ships, one-third of the worlds bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of the worlds oil shipments pass through it. As per the Indian Navy, the significance of the Indian Ocean Region extends far beyond its geographical boundaries. It serves as a hub of economic activities, a bridge between continents, and a stage for geopolitical dynamics. Maritime security is not just crucial for economic stability but also for geopolitical equilibrium, Mahindru said. The workshop is being organised to afford cohesive and collective responses to the many maritime security challenges that the Indian Ocean Region faces and to develop a robust functional understanding among participants. India established the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram in December 2018, with a mission to enhance maritime safety and security in the region. IFC-IOR, presently headed by Captain Rohit Bajpai, is a unique centre where International Liaison Officers from partner nations collaborate to counter challenges to maritime safety and security. 1. Maritime Information Sharing Workshop is the flagship event of the Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region 2. Members of 26 countries exclusively from the Indian Ocean Rim Association & the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment attended 3. The theme this year was Advancing Maritime Security for a Sustainable Future' 4. Workshop will hold a tabletop maritime security exercise simulating various maritime contingencies Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday attacked the Centre over the killing of security personnel in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the ruling establishment does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its 'muddle-headed policy' in Kashmir. Four security forces personnel, Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat, and a soldier were killed in the encounter with terrorists in the Gadole forests of Kokernag in Anantnag district on Wednesday morning. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Chidambaram said, "On Wednesday, 13th September, a Colonel, a Major, a DSP and a Rifleman were killed in Kashmir. The ruling establishment, the BJP does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs." On Wednesday, 13th September, a Colonel, a Major, a DSP and a Rifleman were killed in Kashmir The ruling establishment -- the BJP -- does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs It is as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its muddle-headed P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 15, 2023 "It is as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its 'muddle-headed policy' in Kashmir," the former home minister said. As long as the people of Kashmir feel alienated and betrayed, peace will not return to the valley, Chidambaram asserted. Several INDIA bloc parties had slammed the BJP on Thursday for holding 'celebrations' to mark the success of the G20 Summit on the day security personnel were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday attacked the Centre over the killing of security personnel in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the ruling establishment does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its 'muddle-headed policy' in Kashmir. Four security forces personnel, Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat, and a soldier were killed in the encounter with terrorists in the Gadole forests of Kokernag in Anantnag district on Wednesday morning. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Chidambaram said, "On Wednesday, 13th September, a Colonel, a Major, a DSP and a Rifleman were killed in Kashmir. The ruling establishment, the BJP does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On Wednesday, 13th September, a Colonel, a Major, a DSP and a Rifleman were killed in Kashmir The ruling establishment -- the BJP -- does not pause for a minute to pay homage to the martyrs It is as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its muddle-headed P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 15, 2023 "It is as if the government expects people to die in the defence of its 'muddle-headed policy' in Kashmir," the former home minister said. As long as the people of Kashmir feel alienated and betrayed, peace will not return to the valley, Chidambaram asserted. Several INDIA bloc parties had slammed the BJP on Thursday for holding 'celebrations' to mark the success of the G20 Summit on the day security personnel were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI PATNA: Bihar Education minister Chandra Shekhar has stirred a fresh controversy by claiming that ancient scriptures like the Ramcharitmanas had elements pernicious enough to be likened to "potassium cyanide". The RJD leader made remarks to the effect at a function late Thursday night, a video clip of which has gone viral on social media. "It is not just my view but even great Hindi writer Nagarjuna and socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia have said that the Ramcharitmanas contains many regressive thoughts", asserted the minister, whose similar comments had led to a controversy earlier this year. Chandra Shekhar admitted "there are many great things in scriptures" but added, "if at a feast 55 dishes are served with a sprinkling of potassium cyanide, the food is rendered unfit for consumption". The RJD leader alleged that while his remarks about caste discrimination have evoked abuse and even threats of physical violence, nobody had any problems when similar concerns were expressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He also underscored that caste census was a necessary step in the direction of forming an egalitarian society in which dignity was ensured for those involved in tasks like cleaning the gutters. The senior RJD leader, however, ended up drawing flak from ally JD(U) and rival BJP even as his own party sought to distance itself from his remarks. "The education minister has insulted the great Sanatana Dharma which includes within its fold progressive figures like Sant Ravidas and Swami Vivekananda. We want to know why Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is silent on the diatribe", said BJP media panelist Neeraj Kumar. Abhishek Jha, state spokesman of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), said "The Constitution entails that all faiths are to be accorded equal respect. Some people say things with no apparent purpose other than getting some limelight, which we disapprove of". RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav also issued a statement saying "It is true that our party stands for social justice but it also stands for respecting all religions. Any utterances which can hurt religious sentiments must be strictly avoided". Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: Bihar Education minister Chandra Shekhar has stirred a fresh controversy by claiming that ancient scriptures like the Ramcharitmanas had elements pernicious enough to be likened to "potassium cyanide". The RJD leader made remarks to the effect at a function late Thursday night, a video clip of which has gone viral on social media. "It is not just my view but even great Hindi writer Nagarjuna and socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia have said that the Ramcharitmanas contains many regressive thoughts", asserted the minister, whose similar comments had led to a controversy earlier this year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Chandra Shekhar admitted "there are many great things in scriptures" but added, "if at a feast 55 dishes are served with a sprinkling of potassium cyanide, the food is rendered unfit for consumption". The RJD leader alleged that while his remarks about caste discrimination have evoked abuse and even threats of physical violence, nobody had any problems when similar concerns were expressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He also underscored that caste census was a necessary step in the direction of forming an egalitarian society in which dignity was ensured for those involved in tasks like cleaning the gutters. The senior RJD leader, however, ended up drawing flak from ally JD(U) and rival BJP even as his own party sought to distance itself from his remarks. "The education minister has insulted the great Sanatana Dharma which includes within its fold progressive figures like Sant Ravidas and Swami Vivekananda. We want to know why Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is silent on the diatribe", said BJP media panelist Neeraj Kumar. Abhishek Jha, state spokesman of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), said "The Constitution entails that all faiths are to be accorded equal respect. Some people say things with no apparent purpose other than getting some limelight, which we disapprove of". RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav also issued a statement saying "It is true that our party stands for social justice but it also stands for respecting all religions. Any utterances which can hurt religious sentiments must be strictly avoided". Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The convicts in the Bilkis Bano case had the privilege of being released on parole for several days and several times, a Supreme Court bench observed on Thursday while considering a batch of pleas challenging their early release. Eleven persons, convicted in the case and had been serving jail terms, were prematurely released on August 15, 2022, following a decision by the Gujarat government. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said that it was only considering the correctness of the Gujarat governments decision to release the convicts early. When senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, the counsel for Ramesh Rupabhai Chandana who was one of the convicts, argued that life in jail is a completely cut-off one, the bench remarked, In this case, they had the privilege of coming out for several days altogether, several times. There are some convicts, who are more privileged than others. Fifteen years in custody. There has to be an ability to pay. I must tell your lordships the reality. The issue is, that life in jail is a completely cut-off life. You are away from home. You are reduced to labour. You have no sources, Luthra said. Regarding the courts remarks on privilege, he urged the court to consider individual circumstances and view how they have reformed. Every convict is not the same and must be looked at with a different approach, through the lens of reformation and on the basis of individual circumstances. They cant be painted with the same brush. The question is, should these people be deprived of liberty on the basis of considerations not germane to the executive arrangement? Luthra asked. The court, during the hearing, also said, Today, we are considering the correctness of the grant of remission. Very rarely is a grant of remission assailed, it said. Luthra told the court that the trial court had consciously kept the possibility of reformation open by not awarding the convicts with the death penalty. Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The convicts in the Bilkis Bano case had the privilege of being released on parole for several days and several times, a Supreme Court bench observed on Thursday while considering a batch of pleas challenging their early release. Eleven persons, convicted in the case and had been serving jail terms, were prematurely released on August 15, 2022, following a decision by the Gujarat government. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said that it was only considering the correctness of the Gujarat governments decision to release the convicts early. When senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, the counsel for Ramesh Rupabhai Chandana who was one of the convicts, argued that life in jail is a completely cut-off one, the bench remarked, In this case, they had the privilege of coming out for several days altogether, several times. There are some convicts, who are more privileged than others.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Fifteen years in custody. There has to be an ability to pay. I must tell your lordships the reality. The issue is, that life in jail is a completely cut-off life. You are away from home. You are reduced to labour. You have no sources, Luthra said. Regarding the courts remarks on privilege, he urged the court to consider individual circumstances and view how they have reformed. Every convict is not the same and must be looked at with a different approach, through the lens of reformation and on the basis of individual circumstances. They cant be painted with the same brush. The question is, should these people be deprived of liberty on the basis of considerations not germane to the executive arrangement? Luthra asked. The court, during the hearing, also said, Today, we are considering the correctness of the grant of remission. Very rarely is a grant of remission assailed, it said. Luthra told the court that the trial court had consciously kept the possibility of reformation open by not awarding the convicts with the death penalty. Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI SEATTLE: Demanding justice for Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula and the resignation of two Seattle police officers, more than 200 people from different communities held a rally at an intersection where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car. Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call. In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary. More than 200 people on Thursday took to the Seattle intersection where Kandula was fatally struck by an officer's cruiser in January, the Seattle Times newspaper reported. They called for accountability for the officer who killed her and for a police union leader's comments about the crash, which some described as "disgusting" and "abhorrent." Participants at the rally in South Lake Union called for the resignation of Auderer and the officer who struck Kandula, Dave. Speakers at the rally criticised the police system, saying it is built on white supremacy, and the criminalising and undervaluing of the lives of Black and Indigenous people and other people of colour, the report added. Signs read "Jail killer cops," "Justice for Jaahnavi," and "End police terror." People living in nearby apartments came to join the crowd. Seattle resident Rafael McPeek said he hoped to send a message that police officers can't get away with killing someone while speeding through city streets or making comments questioning the value of someone's life. "It's absolutely disgusting," said McPeek, a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which organised the rally. Another rallygoer, Kyla Carrillo, expressed anger at the number of months that have elapsed without accountability for Kandula's death. ALSO READ | Outrage in US over death of Indian student; US govt assures prompt action and investigation Carillo said she remembered attending a protest in January after Kandula was killed, adding that she and others gathered won't stop until Kandula receives justice and can then rest in peace. "I don't understand how many times the Seattle Police Department can show us they don't care about people's lives," she said. Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, reportedly on a phone call with Union President Mike Solan, appears to talk about what might happen if the victim's family sued the department. "Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value," Auderer said during the call. In response, Governor Jay Inslee said on Thursday, "It's hard to think of more hurtful things to say to magnify the scope of an already terrible tragedy than what is said in that video." "I was heartbroken. I was disgusted," said Joel Merkel, a co-chair with the Seattle Community Police Commission. Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India. India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state. "Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday. "We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said. The Consulate and the Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities, it added. ALSO READ | Jaahnavi Kandula death: AP CM writes to External Affairs Minister seeking help with case Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SEATTLE: Demanding justice for Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula and the resignation of two Seattle police officers, more than 200 people from different communities held a rally at an intersection where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car. Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary. More than 200 people on Thursday took to the Seattle intersection where Kandula was fatally struck by an officer's cruiser in January, the Seattle Times newspaper reported. They called for accountability for the officer who killed her and for a police union leader's comments about the crash, which some described as "disgusting" and "abhorrent." Participants at the rally in South Lake Union called for the resignation of Auderer and the officer who struck Kandula, Dave. Speakers at the rally criticised the police system, saying it is built on white supremacy, and the criminalising and undervaluing of the lives of Black and Indigenous people and other people of colour, the report added. Signs read "Jail killer cops," "Justice for Jaahnavi," and "End police terror." People living in nearby apartments came to join the crowd. Seattle resident Rafael McPeek said he hoped to send a message that police officers can't get away with killing someone while speeding through city streets or making comments questioning the value of someone's life. "It's absolutely disgusting," said McPeek, a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which organised the rally. Another rallygoer, Kyla Carrillo, expressed anger at the number of months that have elapsed without accountability for Kandula's death. ALSO READ | Outrage in US over death of Indian student; US govt assures prompt action and investigation Carillo said she remembered attending a protest in January after Kandula was killed, adding that she and others gathered won't stop until Kandula receives justice and can then rest in peace. "I don't understand how many times the Seattle Police Department can show us they don't care about people's lives," she said. Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, reportedly on a phone call with Union President Mike Solan, appears to talk about what might happen if the victim's family sued the department. "Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value," Auderer said during the call. In response, Governor Jay Inslee said on Thursday, "It's hard to think of more hurtful things to say to magnify the scope of an already terrible tragedy than what is said in that video." "I was heartbroken. I was disgusted," said Joel Merkel, a co-chair with the Seattle Community Police Commission. Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India. India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state. "Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday. "We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said. The Consulate and the Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities, it added. ALSO READ | Jaahnavi Kandula death: AP CM writes to External Affairs Minister seeking help with case Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday hailed the reconstituted CWC as "very balanced" and having a "good mix" of youth and experience, while asserting that the Hyderabad meeting of the party's highest decision-making body was crucial in view of the upcoming state polls. Pilot, who along with other new faces such as Shashi Tharoor found a place in the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) last month, said he has always fulfilled with utmost sincerity any role that has been assigned to him by the party but his "heart lies in Rajasthan" and that is where he "can add most value". In an exclusive interview with PTI, Pilot said the Congress has to play a "leading role" in the INDIA bloc because it is the largest party of the alliance but asserted that everyone was being given mutual respect in the bloc. It is not about who occupies which position of power or post, all those issues would be taken up at the appropriate time perhaps even after the Lok Sabha polls, Pilot said of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Asked whether the Congress would play the role of the fulcrum of the opposition alliance as it did in the UPA, the former Union minister said everyone in the alliance has a role to play but the Congress is the largest party in Parliament among the bloc and in a democracy, numbers matter. "Every constituent of INDIA is an important player and has a role to contribute. It is not about individual leaders or parties, it is about the issues that bring everyone together. It is about protecting the constitutional bodies, about institutions having the freedom and independence which is so crucial, it is about the blatant misuse of agencies against the opposition and having a government that doesn't debate, discuss or deliberate matters of national importance, so all those issues that deeply impact all of us are important," the 46-year-old leader said. "The Congress party has to play a leading role because it is the largest party of the alliance but everyone is being given mutual respect and each other's political sensitivities are being regarded, that is what matters," Pilot said. Speaking about the reconstituted CWC ahead of its first meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday, Pilot said it was in line with the criteria that the Udaipur declaration had enunciated. "As a national party, we have to take into consideration leaders from all parts of our country -- whether it is the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir or other regions. It's a very balanced working committee that has been formed by (party chief) Mr.Mallikarjun Kharge," Pilot said. "Of course it represents all regional aspirations and it has a good mix of experience and young people who are going to contribute meaningfully," he asserted. It is a good working committee, constituted after the party had authorized the AICC chief to nominate one, Pilot said, adding that the focus in the panel has been on Dalits, ST, OBCs, minorities and fresh faces. "There are also some very senior people that have been included, it is very balanced. It will be helpful for the party," he said. Asked about his induction into the CWC and whether his focus still is on Rajasthan despite the responsibility of the party at the central level, Pilot said for more than two decades he has fulfilled with utmost sincerity, whatever role the party has assigned to him. "But my heart lies in Rajasthan and that is where I can add most value. Certainly, I will do whatever the party asks me to do but my priority will be to ensure that we break this 30-year cycle of BJP-Congress and repeat the Congress government in Rajasthan," he asserted. Asked about the deliberations that would take place when the CWC meets on Saturday and at the extended CWC meeting on Sunday, Pilot said it is the highest decision-making body of the Congress where all issues of national importance need to be taken up to make the government of the day accountable. Also, strategy for the upcoming state polls as well as the next Lok Sabha elections will be firmed up, he added. This session of the CWC in Hyderabad will be crucial as it will chart out the course of the Congress in the next few months with quite a few elections coming up in November-December, he said. "I look forward to these meetings in Hyderabad. The working committee will work with renewed vigour and energy and this augurs very well for the Congress' future," Pilot said. On the Congress' chances in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as compared with 2014 and 2018, he said every election is different and the people have experienced a full majority government now for over nine years. "The 2024 elections will be based on the performance of the BJP government in the last 10 years. It won't be an election on emotive issues that are controversial, it will be focused on issues of development, people's issues of price rise, inflation, huge disparity between the rich and the poor and nine years of governance, will matter," he said. Pilot claimed that despite all the sloganeering and all the media management, the government of the day has "failed to perform". "On the other hand, after a very long time, almost the entire opposition has come together and the INDIA bloc has come together in full force. The 2024 polls will be decisive... coming together of the opposition parties is certainly ringing alarm bells in the BJP," he said. Pilot claimed that the NDA has "collapsed" as parties that were there with the BJP in 2019, were not there with it anymore. "We are well placed to defeat the BJP," he asserted. Asked what is different from 2019 when despite doing well in the state polls, the Congress had performed badly in the general elections, Pilot said, "We all know that on the eve of the 2019 polls there was a different atmosphere because of the issues at the border, that was a different time. Now it is almost 10 years of the BJP government and we have seen how things have panned out in the last few years, whether it is the economic slump, the disparity between the rich and the poor or the inflation which is biting even the upper middle class." "The farming community feels cheated and the young people are losing faith. Small-scale industries are in severe stress and there is unprecedented outflow of high net worth individuals from our country," he alleged. Pilot said the victory in Himachal Pradesh broke the belief that the BJP was unbeatable in the north. He pointed out that after that the party also won Karnataka. "The double engine sarkaar has failed. I am of the opinion that in the next round of state elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, we are on our way to victory. Those wins will certainly add to our workers' morale when we go to polls in 2024," he said. People are beginning to believe that the INDIA bloc will overcome the challenge of the BJP. "The Bharat Jodo Yatra was symbolic of what the Congress and the INDIA bloc stands for and wants to achieve - harmony, peace brotherhood, progressive thinking, inclusive economic policies and a forward-looking agenda by which India can become a top-ranking nation in the world," Pilot said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday hailed the reconstituted CWC as "very balanced" and having a "good mix" of youth and experience, while asserting that the Hyderabad meeting of the party's highest decision-making body was crucial in view of the upcoming state polls. Pilot, who along with other new faces such as Shashi Tharoor found a place in the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) last month, said he has always fulfilled with utmost sincerity any role that has been assigned to him by the party but his "heart lies in Rajasthan" and that is where he "can add most value". In an exclusive interview with PTI, Pilot said the Congress has to play a "leading role" in the INDIA bloc because it is the largest party of the alliance but asserted that everyone was being given mutual respect in the bloc.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It is not about who occupies which position of power or post, all those issues would be taken up at the appropriate time perhaps even after the Lok Sabha polls, Pilot said of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Asked whether the Congress would play the role of the fulcrum of the opposition alliance as it did in the UPA, the former Union minister said everyone in the alliance has a role to play but the Congress is the largest party in Parliament among the bloc and in a democracy, numbers matter. "Every constituent of INDIA is an important player and has a role to contribute. It is not about individual leaders or parties, it is about the issues that bring everyone together. It is about protecting the constitutional bodies, about institutions having the freedom and independence which is so crucial, it is about the blatant misuse of agencies against the opposition and having a government that doesn't debate, discuss or deliberate matters of national importance, so all those issues that deeply impact all of us are important," the 46-year-old leader said. "The Congress party has to play a leading role because it is the largest party of the alliance but everyone is being given mutual respect and each other's political sensitivities are being regarded, that is what matters," Pilot said. Speaking about the reconstituted CWC ahead of its first meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday, Pilot said it was in line with the criteria that the Udaipur declaration had enunciated. "As a national party, we have to take into consideration leaders from all parts of our country -- whether it is the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir or other regions. It's a very balanced working committee that has been formed by (party chief) Mr.Mallikarjun Kharge," Pilot said. "Of course it represents all regional aspirations and it has a good mix of experience and young people who are going to contribute meaningfully," he asserted. It is a good working committee, constituted after the party had authorized the AICC chief to nominate one, Pilot said, adding that the focus in the panel has been on Dalits, ST, OBCs, minorities and fresh faces. "There are also some very senior people that have been included, it is very balanced. It will be helpful for the party," he said. Asked about his induction into the CWC and whether his focus still is on Rajasthan despite the responsibility of the party at the central level, Pilot said for more than two decades he has fulfilled with utmost sincerity, whatever role the party has assigned to him. "But my heart lies in Rajasthan and that is where I can add most value. Certainly, I will do whatever the party asks me to do but my priority will be to ensure that we break this 30-year cycle of BJP-Congress and repeat the Congress government in Rajasthan," he asserted. Asked about the deliberations that would take place when the CWC meets on Saturday and at the extended CWC meeting on Sunday, Pilot said it is the highest decision-making body of the Congress where all issues of national importance need to be taken up to make the government of the day accountable. Also, strategy for the upcoming state polls as well as the next Lok Sabha elections will be firmed up, he added. This session of the CWC in Hyderabad will be crucial as it will chart out the course of the Congress in the next few months with quite a few elections coming up in November-December, he said. "I look forward to these meetings in Hyderabad. The working committee will work with renewed vigour and energy and this augurs very well for the Congress' future," Pilot said. On the Congress' chances in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as compared with 2014 and 2018, he said every election is different and the people have experienced a full majority government now for over nine years. "The 2024 elections will be based on the performance of the BJP government in the last 10 years. It won't be an election on emotive issues that are controversial, it will be focused on issues of development, people's issues of price rise, inflation, huge disparity between the rich and the poor and nine years of governance, will matter," he said. Pilot claimed that despite all the sloganeering and all the media management, the government of the day has "failed to perform". "On the other hand, after a very long time, almost the entire opposition has come together and the INDIA bloc has come together in full force. The 2024 polls will be decisive... coming together of the opposition parties is certainly ringing alarm bells in the BJP," he said. Pilot claimed that the NDA has "collapsed" as parties that were there with the BJP in 2019, were not there with it anymore. "We are well placed to defeat the BJP," he asserted. Asked what is different from 2019 when despite doing well in the state polls, the Congress had performed badly in the general elections, Pilot said, "We all know that on the eve of the 2019 polls there was a different atmosphere because of the issues at the border, that was a different time. Now it is almost 10 years of the BJP government and we have seen how things have panned out in the last few years, whether it is the economic slump, the disparity between the rich and the poor or the inflation which is biting even the upper middle class." "The farming community feels cheated and the young people are losing faith. Small-scale industries are in severe stress and there is unprecedented outflow of high net worth individuals from our country," he alleged. Pilot said the victory in Himachal Pradesh broke the belief that the BJP was unbeatable in the north. He pointed out that after that the party also won Karnataka. "The double engine sarkaar has failed. I am of the opinion that in the next round of state elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, we are on our way to victory. Those wins will certainly add to our workers' morale when we go to polls in 2024," he said. People are beginning to believe that the INDIA bloc will overcome the challenge of the BJP. "The Bharat Jodo Yatra was symbolic of what the Congress and the INDIA bloc stands for and wants to achieve - harmony, peace brotherhood, progressive thinking, inclusive economic policies and a forward-looking agenda by which India can become a top-ranking nation in the world," Pilot said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: DCW chief Swati Maliwal urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to form an SIT to investigate the rape of a student in school in Saharsa and called for a trial in a fast-track court. In a letter addressed to Kumar sent on Thursday, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief called for a "rigorous investigation" into the incident and said the state government should extend legal aid and compensation to the victim. Maliwal said the DCW has received a complaint regarding the "deeply distressing" incident. "It is alleged that the 30-year-old son of the school manager sexually assaulted the young girl inside the school continuously for over two years. It is also alleged that the accused made the video of the girl and blackmailed her," she said in the letter. The complainant has also alleged that the woman principal of the school regularly assisted the accused in carrying out the crime, Maliwal said. "An FIR has been registered in the matter and the accused persons have been arrested. However, the survivor has informed the Commission that till date, no one from the Bihar Government has met her." "Further legal aid and compensation is yet to reach her. Also, the family of the survivor has raised concerns regarding the manner in which investigation is being carried out in the matter," she said. Noting that the "heart-wrenching" incident has left the young survivor "deeply traumatised", Maliwal urged the chief minister to get the matter investigated by an SIT to ensure a "rigorous and comprehensive investigation". "In order to assist the survivor, the government should appoint a special prosecutor in the case which should be urgently heard in a fast track court," the DCW said. Maliwal said it is the duty of the state to ensure that she receives adequate compensation to help her overcome her trauma. The state should also facilitate proper medical treatment and rehabilitation of the survivor and a senior representative from the government should meet the family of the girl urgently and "help them in all ways possible," she said in the letter. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: DCW chief Swati Maliwal urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to form an SIT to investigate the rape of a student in school in Saharsa and called for a trial in a fast-track court. In a letter addressed to Kumar sent on Thursday, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief called for a "rigorous investigation" into the incident and said the state government should extend legal aid and compensation to the victim. Maliwal said the DCW has received a complaint regarding the "deeply distressing" incident.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "It is alleged that the 30-year-old son of the school manager sexually assaulted the young girl inside the school continuously for over two years. It is also alleged that the accused made the video of the girl and blackmailed her," she said in the letter. The complainant has also alleged that the woman principal of the school regularly assisted the accused in carrying out the crime, Maliwal said. "An FIR has been registered in the matter and the accused persons have been arrested. However, the survivor has informed the Commission that till date, no one from the Bihar Government has met her." "Further legal aid and compensation is yet to reach her. Also, the family of the survivor has raised concerns regarding the manner in which investigation is being carried out in the matter," she said. Noting that the "heart-wrenching" incident has left the young survivor "deeply traumatised", Maliwal urged the chief minister to get the matter investigated by an SIT to ensure a "rigorous and comprehensive investigation". "In order to assist the survivor, the government should appoint a special prosecutor in the case which should be urgently heard in a fast track court," the DCW said. Maliwal said it is the duty of the state to ensure that she receives adequate compensation to help her overcome her trauma. The state should also facilitate proper medical treatment and rehabilitation of the survivor and a senior representative from the government should meet the family of the girl urgently and "help them in all ways possible," she said in the letter. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ujwal Jalali By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Four labourers were killed, and five others suffered critical injuries when a service lift malfunctioned and collapsed in an under-construction building in Greater Noida on Friday morning, said a senior Noida Police official. According to the official, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. at the construction site of the Amrapali Dream Valley Society in Greater Noida West, also known as Noida Extension. The project was under the supervision of the state-run National Buildings Construction Corporation. Immediately following the accident, senior district officials, including District Magistrate Manish Verma, Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh, and Noida Authority CEO Ravi Kumar NG, rushed to the scene along with senior police personnel. The injured individuals, identified as Asul Mustaqeem, Abdul Mustaqeem, Kuldeep Pal, Kaif, and Arbaaz Ali, hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were promptly transported to a nearby hospital. Tragically, four workers, identified as Ishtaq Ali (23) from Bihars Balrampur district, Arun Tanti Mandal (40) from Banka, Bihar, Vipot Mandal (45) from Bihars Katihar, and Aris Khan (22) from Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh, were declared dead by medical personnel. The injured victims remain in critical condition. According to police sources, the lift plummeted from the 14th floor to the ground. Verma, who visited the injured at the hospital and inspected the under-construction site as well, said the matter is being investigated and action would be ensured against anyone found guilty. A thorough investigation is underway, and we will ensure strict action against those found responsible, said the District Magistrate. This incident follows the recent death of a 72-year-old woman inside a malfunctioning lift in a group housing society in Noida, possibly due to a heart attack. Currently, Uttar Pradesh lacks any legislation to govern the installation, maintenance, or usage of lifts, despite repeated demands from Noida and Greater Noida residents. In response to the elderly womans tragic death, UP Power Minister A K Sharma informed the state assembly on August 10 that the Lift and Escalator Acts promulgation in the state was in progress. Ensure action against those responsible: DM The injured victims remain in critical condition. According to police sources, the lift plummeted from the 14th floor to the ground. Verma, who visited the injured at the hospital and inspected the under-construction site as well, said the matter is being investigated and action would be ensured against anyone found guilty. We will ensure strict action against those found responsible, said the District Magistrate. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Four labourers were killed, and five others suffered critical injuries when a service lift malfunctioned and collapsed in an under-construction building in Greater Noida on Friday morning, said a senior Noida Police official. According to the official, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. at the construction site of the Amrapali Dream Valley Society in Greater Noida West, also known as Noida Extension. The project was under the supervision of the state-run National Buildings Construction Corporation. Immediately following the accident, senior district officials, including District Magistrate Manish Verma, Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh, and Noida Authority CEO Ravi Kumar NG, rushed to the scene along with senior police personnel.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The injured individuals, identified as Asul Mustaqeem, Abdul Mustaqeem, Kuldeep Pal, Kaif, and Arbaaz Ali, hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were promptly transported to a nearby hospital. Tragically, four workers, identified as Ishtaq Ali (23) from Bihars Balrampur district, Arun Tanti Mandal (40) from Banka, Bihar, Vipot Mandal (45) from Bihars Katihar, and Aris Khan (22) from Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh, were declared dead by medical personnel. The injured victims remain in critical condition. According to police sources, the lift plummeted from the 14th floor to the ground. Verma, who visited the injured at the hospital and inspected the under-construction site as well, said the matter is being investigated and action would be ensured against anyone found guilty. A thorough investigation is underway, and we will ensure strict action against those found responsible, said the District Magistrate. This incident follows the recent death of a 72-year-old woman inside a malfunctioning lift in a group housing society in Noida, possibly due to a heart attack. Currently, Uttar Pradesh lacks any legislation to govern the installation, maintenance, or usage of lifts, despite repeated demands from Noida and Greater Noida residents. In response to the elderly womans tragic death, UP Power Minister A K Sharma informed the state assembly on August 10 that the Lift and Escalator Acts promulgation in the state was in progress. Ensure action against those responsible: DM The injured victims remain in critical condition. According to police sources, the lift plummeted from the 14th floor to the ground. Verma, who visited the injured at the hospital and inspected the under-construction site as well, said the matter is being investigated and action would be ensured against anyone found guilty. We will ensure strict action against those found responsible, said the District Magistrate. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp "Adding capacity at the Gate LNG terminal fits well with our efforts to deliver reliable, lower-carbon energy into Europe from highly competitive LNG supply," said Bill Bullock, executive vice president and chief financial officer of ConocoPhillips. "Expanding our LNG footprint with agreements like this further enhances a balanced, diversified, and attractive portfolio as we progress our global LNG strategy." Gate Terminal B.V., a joint venture of Vopak and Gasunie, is an LNG hub at the Port of Rotterdam that contributes to the natural gas supply in the Netherlands and northwest Europe. The terminal began operations in 2011. ConocoPhillips' 15-year throughput agreement for approximately 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), or 2 BCM equivalent, begins in September 2031 and secures access to this important market for the company's growing global LNG portfolio. About ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips is one of the world's leading exploration and production companies based on both production and reserves, with a globally diversified asset portfolio. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips had operations and activities in 13 countries, $90 billion of total assets, and approximately 9,700 employees at June 30, 2023. Production averaged 1,798 MBOED for the six months ended June 30, 2023, and proved reserves were 6.6 BBOE as of December 31, 2022. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE "SAFE HARBOR" PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined under the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events, plans and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, and other aspects of our operations or operating results. Words and phrases such as "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "budget," "continue," "could," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," "should," "will," "would," "expect," "objective," "projection," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "outlook," "effort," "target" and other similar words can be used to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. Where, in any forward-looking statement, the company expresses an expectation or belief as to future results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to be reasonable at the time such forward-looking statement is made. However, these statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond our control. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from what is presented include changes in commodity prices, including a prolonged decline in these prices relative to historical or future expected levels; global and regional changes in the demand, supply, prices, differentials or other market conditions affecting oil and gas, including changes resulting from any ongoing military conflict, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the global response to such conflict, security threats on facilities and infrastructure, or from a public health crisis or from the imposition or lifting of crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by OPEC and other producing countries and the resulting company or third-party actions in response to such changes; insufficient liquidity or other factors, such as those listed herein, that could impact our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends such that we suspend our share repurchase program and reduce, suspend, or totally eliminate dividend payments in the future, whether variable or fixed; changes in expected levels of oil and gas reserves or production; potential failures or delays in achieving expected reserve or production levels from existing and future oil and gas developments, including due to operating hazards, drilling risks or unsuccessful exploratory activities; unexpected cost increases, inflationary pressures or technical difficulties in constructing, maintaining or modifying company facilities; legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns; public health crises, including pandemics (such as COVID-19) and epidemics and any impacts or related company or government policies or actions; investment in and development of competing or alternative energy sources; potential failures or delays in delivering on our current or future low-carbon strategy, including our inability to develop new technologies; disruptions or interruptions impacting the transportation for our oil and gas production; international monetary conditions and exchange rate fluctuations; changes in international trade relationships or governmental policies, including the imposition of price caps or the imposition of trade restrictions or tariffs on any materials or products (such as aluminum and steel) used in the operation of our business, including any sanctions imposed as a result of any ongoing military conflict, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; our ability to collect payments when due, including our ability to collect payments from the government of Venezuela or PDVSA; our ability to complete any announced or any future dispositions or acquisitions on time, if at all; the possibility that regulatory approvals for any announced or any future dispositions or acquisitions will not be received on a timely basis, if at all, or that such approvals may require modification to the terms of the transactions or our remaining business; business disruptions following any announced or future dispositions or acquisitions, including the diversion of management time and attention; the ability to deploy net proceeds from our announced or any future dispositions in the manner and timeframe we anticipate, if at all; potential liability for remedial actions under existing or future environmental regulations; potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation, including litigation related directly or indirectly to our transaction with Concho Resources Inc.; the impact of competition and consolidation in the oil and gas industry; limited access to capital or insurance or significantly higher cost of capital or insurance related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets or investor sentiment; general domestic and international economic and political conditions or developments, including as a result of any ongoing military conflict, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; changes in fiscal regime or tax, environmental and other laws applicable to our business; and disruptions resulting from accidents, extraordinary weather events, civil unrest, political events, war, terrorism, cybersecurity threats or information technology failures, constraints or disruptions; and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting our business generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless legally required, ConocoPhillips expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. By PTI BOTAD: A 46-year-old man who was a witness in the murder case of a Dalit man four years ago has died after allegedly being attacked by the accused's relatives last week, police said here on Friday. Three of the alleged assailants have already been arrested. Rajesh Makwana, resident of Bagad in Ranpur taluka in Botad district of Gujarat, was attacked near his village by seven armed men on September 6. He died at a hospital in neighbouring Bhavnagar city on Thursday night, said Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia. As per preliminary probe, the assailants, who belonged to an Other Backward Class (OBC) community, held a grudge against Makwana for being a witness in the case of the murder of Manjibhai Solanki, a Dalit social worker who lived in neighbouring Jalila village. Political rivalry between Solanki and his wife Geeta Solanki, the then village sarpanch, and the accused men led to his murder in 2019, the official said. The men allegedly involved in the attack on Makwana are related to the eight persons arrested in the Solanki murder case, he added. "Makwana was allegedly attacked by one Dhiru Khachar, his three sons and three unidentified men on September 6. He succumbed to injuries on Thursday night. While Khachar's three sons have been already arrested, Khachar himself and the other three are yet to be nabbed," said Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia. Based on a statement given by an injured Makwana at the hospital on September 6, Ranpur police registered a First Information Report on September 7 against Dhiru Khachar, his sons Haresh, Kishor and Raghu and three unidentified men from Bagad village. They were initially booked for attempt to murder under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now they would be booked for murder, the police official said. Police have been deployed in Bagad village to maintain law and order, he added. Kanshibhai Makwana, deceased Rajesh's uncle, said he was killed because he was a witness in the Solanki murder case. "We want transfer of the SP and the arrest of all the accused. Till then we will not claim the dead body," he told reporters. Manjibhai Solanki (51), a resident of Jalia village, was beaten to death on Ranpur-Barwala road on June 19, 2019. While his wife was then village sarpanch, Manjibhai himself was a member of the Jalila gram panchayat and served as deputy sarpanch. Days later, police arrested eight persons including Ashok Khachar, Pratap Khachar, Ruturaj Khachar and Raviraj Khachar in the case. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BOTAD: A 46-year-old man who was a witness in the murder case of a Dalit man four years ago has died after allegedly being attacked by the accused's relatives last week, police said here on Friday. Three of the alleged assailants have already been arrested. Rajesh Makwana, resident of Bagad in Ranpur taluka in Botad district of Gujarat, was attacked near his village by seven armed men on September 6.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He died at a hospital in neighbouring Bhavnagar city on Thursday night, said Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia. As per preliminary probe, the assailants, who belonged to an Other Backward Class (OBC) community, held a grudge against Makwana for being a witness in the case of the murder of Manjibhai Solanki, a Dalit social worker who lived in neighbouring Jalila village. Political rivalry between Solanki and his wife Geeta Solanki, the then village sarpanch, and the accused men led to his murder in 2019, the official said. The men allegedly involved in the attack on Makwana are related to the eight persons arrested in the Solanki murder case, he added. "Makwana was allegedly attacked by one Dhiru Khachar, his three sons and three unidentified men on September 6. He succumbed to injuries on Thursday night. While Khachar's three sons have been already arrested, Khachar himself and the other three are yet to be nabbed," said Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia. Based on a statement given by an injured Makwana at the hospital on September 6, Ranpur police registered a First Information Report on September 7 against Dhiru Khachar, his sons Haresh, Kishor and Raghu and three unidentified men from Bagad village. They were initially booked for attempt to murder under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now they would be booked for murder, the police official said. Police have been deployed in Bagad village to maintain law and order, he added. Kanshibhai Makwana, deceased Rajesh's uncle, said he was killed because he was a witness in the Solanki murder case. "We want transfer of the SP and the arrest of all the accused. Till then we will not claim the dead body," he told reporters. Manjibhai Solanki (51), a resident of Jalia village, was beaten to death on Ranpur-Barwala road on June 19, 2019. While his wife was then village sarpanch, Manjibhai himself was a member of the Jalila gram panchayat and served as deputy sarpanch. Days later, police arrested eight persons including Ashok Khachar, Pratap Khachar, Ruturaj Khachar and Raviraj Khachar in the case. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Neither had Hindi competed nor would it compete, with any other Indian language, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a video message on Hindi Diwas on Thursday. Referring to renowned litterateur Bharatendu Harishchandras famous poem, Nij Bhasha Unnati Ahey, Sab Unnati ko Mool, the minister said that the original and creative expressions of any country are possible only through its own language. All our Indian languages and dialects are our cultural heritage, which we have to carry with us. Neither have Hindi ever competed nor will it compete with any other Indian language. Only by strengthening all our languages, a strong nation will be created, Shah said, adding that Hindi will become a medium to empower all the local languages. In his message, Shah said that India has been a country of diverse languages; Hindi unites the diversity of languages in the worlds largest democracy. It has been a democratic language. It has honoured different Indian languages and dialects as well as many global languages and adopted their vocabularies, sentences and grammar rules... Hindi played an unprecedented role in uniting the country during the difficult days of the independence movement. It instilled a feeling of unity in a country divided into many languages and dialects. Hindi, as a language of communication, played an important role in carrying forward the freedom struggle from East to West and North to South in the country, he added. Shah informed that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Official Language has recently submitted its 12th volume report to the President. Only nine volumes of the report were submitted till 2014, but we have submitted three volumes in the last four years alone. Since 2019, Hindi Advisory Committees have been formed in all 59 ministries and their meetings are also being organised regularly, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Neither had Hindi competed nor would it compete, with any other Indian language, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a video message on Hindi Diwas on Thursday. Referring to renowned litterateur Bharatendu Harishchandras famous poem, Nij Bhasha Unnati Ahey, Sab Unnati ko Mool, the minister said that the original and creative expressions of any country are possible only through its own language. All our Indian languages and dialects are our cultural heritage, which we have to carry with us. Neither have Hindi ever competed nor will it compete with any other Indian language. Only by strengthening all our languages, a strong nation will be created, Shah said, adding that Hindi will become a medium to empower all the local languages.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In his message, Shah said that India has been a country of diverse languages; Hindi unites the diversity of languages in the worlds largest democracy. It has been a democratic language. It has honoured different Indian languages and dialects as well as many global languages and adopted their vocabularies, sentences and grammar rules... Hindi played an unprecedented role in uniting the country during the difficult days of the independence movement. It instilled a feeling of unity in a country divided into many languages and dialects. Hindi, as a language of communication, played an important role in carrying forward the freedom struggle from East to West and North to South in the country, he added. Shah informed that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Official Language has recently submitted its 12th volume report to the President. Only nine volumes of the report were submitted till 2014, but we have submitted three volumes in the last four years alone. Since 2019, Hindi Advisory Committees have been formed in all 59 ministries and their meetings are also being organised regularly, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Cow vigilante Monu Manesar reportedly played a crucial role in the double murder of cousin brothers, Nasir and Junaid from Rajasthan and he was in constant touch with more than 20 other accused in the case through WhatsApp, according to police. During interrogation, it was revealed that the attack on Nasir and Junaid was pre-planned and the accused had shared their travel plan and vehicle number through a WhatsApp group, police said. Manesar is an active member of the said WhatsApp group. WhatsApp chats show that Manesar was not just aware of the attack but also was contacted by other accused when the duo died, police said. He was in close contact with Rinku Saini, an accused who told cops that a gau rakshak had assured him not to panic even after the killing of the two. The attack on Nasir and Junaid was planned eight days before the killing. When the accused could not recover any bovine, they beat them, police said. Manesars arrest has created resentment among right-wing outfits which have accused Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of betraying them for votes. There are reports that members of Bajrang Dal in Gurugram and Nuh have started quitting citing witch-hunting. We never thought that that BJP would succumb to the political pressure and arrest Monu Manesar who has always promoted cow safety. This is done by CM Khattar himself. The way they are focusing on Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi, they should have focused on Mewat and the cow smugglers in that region, said Bharat Bhushan, state coordinator of Bajrang Dal, Haryana. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: Cow vigilante Monu Manesar reportedly played a crucial role in the double murder of cousin brothers, Nasir and Junaid from Rajasthan and he was in constant touch with more than 20 other accused in the case through WhatsApp, according to police. During interrogation, it was revealed that the attack on Nasir and Junaid was pre-planned and the accused had shared their travel plan and vehicle number through a WhatsApp group, police said. Manesar is an active member of the said WhatsApp group. WhatsApp chats show that Manesar was not just aware of the attack but also was contacted by other accused when the duo died, police said. He was in close contact with Rinku Saini, an accused who told cops that a gau rakshak had assured him not to panic even after the killing of the two. The attack on Nasir and Junaid was planned eight days before the killing. When the accused could not recover any bovine, they beat them, police said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Manesars arrest has created resentment among right-wing outfits which have accused Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of betraying them for votes. There are reports that members of Bajrang Dal in Gurugram and Nuh have started quitting citing witch-hunting. We never thought that that BJP would succumb to the political pressure and arrest Monu Manesar who has always promoted cow safety. This is done by CM Khattar himself. The way they are focusing on Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi, they should have focused on Mewat and the cow smugglers in that region, said Bharat Bhushan, state coordinator of Bajrang Dal, Haryana. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: A day after three top security officials were killed in an encounter, the Army and police on Thursday launched a massive search operation in the forest area of Gadole at Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir. Drones, helicopters and new-generation weapons and devices were pressed into service to track down Lashkar-e-Toiba militants involved in Wednesdays attack on troops. Our forces persist with unwavering resolve as they encircle 2 LeT terrorists, including Uzair Khan, police posted on X, formerly Twitter. Uzair, who had joined militancy in July last year, is among the militants involved in Wednesdays encounter. Throughout the day on Thursday, intermittent exchange of gunfire and explosions could be heard from the forest area of Gadole. Colonel Manpreet Singh (Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles), Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were killed in the gunfight with militants in the forest area of Gadole after troops launched a search operation to track down Lashkar militants hiding there on Wednesday morning. Both the Army officers were decorated with Sena medals for their bravery in anti-militancy operations. Singh was awarded the medal in 2021, while Dhonchak was awarded the medal on August 15 this year. After the killing of the three security officials, GoC 15 Corps Lt-Gen Rajiv Ghai, GoC Victor Force and J&K DGP Dilbag Singh are supervising the anti-militancy operation. The Army pressed drones and helicopters into service to locate the exact position of the militants, who are said to be hiding in cave-like hideouts in the forest area. The Army and police rushed more troops to the area. Former J&K police chief S P Vaid said that he has got information that a local source came to the Army and police with information about a hideout of Pakistani militants and led the Colonel, Major and the DySP to the area. This source was perhaps compromised and they were ambushed, he said. The militant outfit, The Resistance Front, which is said to be a shadow group of LeT, has claimed responsibility for the encounter. This is the biggest hit security forces have taken in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir since May 2020. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SRINAGAR: A day after three top security officials were killed in an encounter, the Army and police on Thursday launched a massive search operation in the forest area of Gadole at Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir. Drones, helicopters and new-generation weapons and devices were pressed into service to track down Lashkar-e-Toiba militants involved in Wednesdays attack on troops. Our forces persist with unwavering resolve as they encircle 2 LeT terrorists, including Uzair Khan, police posted on X, formerly Twitter. Uzair, who had joined militancy in July last year, is among the militants involved in Wednesdays encounter.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Throughout the day on Thursday, intermittent exchange of gunfire and explosions could be heard from the forest area of Gadole. Colonel Manpreet Singh (Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles), Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were killed in the gunfight with militants in the forest area of Gadole after troops launched a search operation to track down Lashkar militants hiding there on Wednesday morning. Both the Army officers were decorated with Sena medals for their bravery in anti-militancy operations. Singh was awarded the medal in 2021, while Dhonchak was awarded the medal on August 15 this year. After the killing of the three security officials, GoC 15 Corps Lt-Gen Rajiv Ghai, GoC Victor Force and J&K DGP Dilbag Singh are supervising the anti-militancy operation. The Army pressed drones and helicopters into service to locate the exact position of the militants, who are said to be hiding in cave-like hideouts in the forest area. The Army and police rushed more troops to the area. Former J&K police chief S P Vaid said that he has got information that a local source came to the Army and police with information about a hideout of Pakistani militants and led the Colonel, Major and the DySP to the area. This source was perhaps compromised and they were ambushed, he said. The militant outfit, The Resistance Front, which is said to be a shadow group of LeT, has claimed responsibility for the encounter. This is the biggest hit security forces have taken in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir since May 2020. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: A day after three top security officials were killed in an encounter in Kashmir, former J&K chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday pitched for India-Pakistan dialogue for ending bloodshed and lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. This destruction has been going on here for a long time. I dont see its end. I dont see the end of encounters. Today, we had an encounter in Rajouri and Kokernag. Encounters are taking place daily in Kashmir, Abdullah told reporters after visiting the family of slain deputy superintendent of police Himayun Bhat to express condolences. Reacting to Abdullahs statement, BJP Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur said that the time has come to put behind bars people who advocate dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir. It is these people who advocate Pakistans cause here and support it. India has held talks with Pakistan many times in the past but the neighbouring country always played foul, he said, adding that terrorism and talks cannot go on simultaneously. The NC leader said the government is shouting daily that militancy is over in Kashmir. Now tell me, is militancy over? The militancy has not ended. They (the government) are trying to fool people by claiming that militancy has ended. A path has to be found through which peace can be achieved. Peace cannot be achieved through a fight but it can come through talks, he said. He said India and Pakistan will have to talk. Talking to me wont prove any help. The two countries, which have this problem, have to talk. The NC president believes that till India, and Pakistan dont talk, these kinds of incidents (encounters) will continue to take place. These will not end. We are fools if we think it can end. There is no other option other than holding talks with Pakistan. Both the countries should give up their rigidness and come on table for ending bloodshed and lasting peace in J&K, he said. On the Centre saying that it wanted to reclaim PoK, Abdullah said, Let them bring it back. If they think it can resolve the issue, then they should do it. However, I want to make it clear that wars have not solved any issue. Pakistan has fought four wars with India but the border is still there, he said. Neighbouring country always played foul Reacting to Abdullahs statement, BJP Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur said that time has come to put behind bars people who advocate dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir. It is these people who advocate Pakistans cause here and support it. India has held talks with Pakistan many times in the past but the neighbouring country always played foul, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SRINAGAR: A day after three top security officials were killed in an encounter in Kashmir, former J&K chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday pitched for India-Pakistan dialogue for ending bloodshed and lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. This destruction has been going on here for a long time. I dont see its end. I dont see the end of encounters. Today, we had an encounter in Rajouri and Kokernag. Encounters are taking place daily in Kashmir, Abdullah told reporters after visiting the family of slain deputy superintendent of police Himayun Bhat to express condolences. Reacting to Abdullahs statement, BJP Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur said that the time has come to put behind bars people who advocate dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It is these people who advocate Pakistans cause here and support it. India has held talks with Pakistan many times in the past but the neighbouring country always played foul, he said, adding that terrorism and talks cannot go on simultaneously. The NC leader said the government is shouting daily that militancy is over in Kashmir. Now tell me, is militancy over? The militancy has not ended. They (the government) are trying to fool people by claiming that militancy has ended. A path has to be found through which peace can be achieved. Peace cannot be achieved through a fight but it can come through talks, he said. He said India and Pakistan will have to talk. Talking to me wont prove any help. The two countries, which have this problem, have to talk. The NC president believes that till India, and Pakistan dont talk, these kinds of incidents (encounters) will continue to take place. These will not end. We are fools if we think it can end. There is no other option other than holding talks with Pakistan. Both the countries should give up their rigidness and come on table for ending bloodshed and lasting peace in J&K, he said. On the Centre saying that it wanted to reclaim PoK, Abdullah said, Let them bring it back. If they think it can resolve the issue, then they should do it. However, I want to make it clear that wars have not solved any issue. Pakistan has fought four wars with India but the border is still there, he said. Neighbouring country always played foul Reacting to Abdullahs statement, BJP Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur said that time has come to put behind bars people who advocate dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir. It is these people who advocate Pakistans cause here and support it. India has held talks with Pakistan many times in the past but the neighbouring country always played foul, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Jagmeet Kaur, an economics teacher, with her two doting children Kabir Singh (6) and Banni Kaur (2) had just returned to Panchkula after spending time with her husband Col Manpreet Singh in Kashmir. She was devastated when the news came a fortnight later that Col Manpreet had been killed in gun battle with terrorists in Anantnag on September 13. Col Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, was a third-generation Army officer. He was leading his troops from the front when he received critical gunshot wounds. In 2012, he was decorated with the Sena Medal for gallantry after he neutralised terrorists in J&K. Family members mourn the death of Colonel Manpreet Singh. (PTI) Singh had spent almost five years with the same Rashtriya Rifles battalion, the first three as the second-in-command and then as the Commanding Officer. Singh was about to complete his tenure with Rashtriya Rifles in four months. He was recently honoured with a gallantry award by the Army. The colonel belonged to Bharaunjian village near Chandigarh in the SAS Nagar district of Punjab. His grandfather and his two brothers were soldiers in the British troops. His father and his two cousins were soldiers too in the Indian Army. A pall of gloom descended on his village in Panchakula. His body is expected on Friday and is likely to be cremated the same day. A large number of people are turning up to mourn the death. The mortal remains of my son-in-law will reach tomorrow afternoon as the Army formalities take time, said Jagdev Singh Grewal. Major Aashish Dhonchak Major Aashish Dhonchak hailing from Panipat in Haryana too laid down his life fighting terrorists in Anantnag. He leaves behind a two-year-old daughter, wife and three sisters. He was planning to visit the family on his birthday next month. Dhonchak joined the Indian Army in 2013 and was the only brother of three sisters. As the news of his death spread, villagers and neighbours rushed to his house in Sector 7 of Panipat. His uncle Dilwar Singh said, We knew there was an operation underway. But we got the news of his death from my son whos also in the Army, Singh said. Family members and relatives mourn near the mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak before his last rites. (PTI) Everyone knows that Pakistan has waged a proxy war. Our Army should give a befitting reply once and for all so that no mother has to mourn the loss of her son, no sister loses her brother again, no wife loses her husband and no child loses its father, an elderly man who lives in Dhonchaks neighbourhood in Panipat said. Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat too died on Wednesday morning in the gunfight with terrorists. He is the father of a two-month-old daughter and the son of retired Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Ghulam Hasan Bhat. Rifleman Ravi Kumar died during firing by militants in Rajouri on the same day. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: Jagmeet Kaur, an economics teacher, with her two doting children Kabir Singh (6) and Banni Kaur (2) had just returned to Panchkula after spending time with her husband Col Manpreet Singh in Kashmir. She was devastated when the news came a fortnight later that Col Manpreet had been killed in gun battle with terrorists in Anantnag on September 13. Col Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, was a third-generation Army officer. He was leading his troops from the front when he received critical gunshot wounds. In 2012, he was decorated with the Sena Medal for gallantry after he neutralised terrorists in J&K. Family members mourn the death of Colonel Manpreet Singh. (PTI) Singh had spent almost five years with the same Rashtriya Rifles battalion, the first three as the second-in-command and then as the Commanding Officer. Singh was about to complete his tenure with Rashtriya Rifles in four months.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He was recently honoured with a gallantry award by the Army. The colonel belonged to Bharaunjian village near Chandigarh in the SAS Nagar district of Punjab. His grandfather and his two brothers were soldiers in the British troops. His father and his two cousins were soldiers too in the Indian Army. A pall of gloom descended on his village in Panchakula. His body is expected on Friday and is likely to be cremated the same day. A large number of people are turning up to mourn the death. The mortal remains of my son-in-law will reach tomorrow afternoon as the Army formalities take time, said Jagdev Singh Grewal. Major Aashish Dhonchak Major Aashish Dhonchak hailing from Panipat in Haryana too laid down his life fighting terrorists in Anantnag. He leaves behind a two-year-old daughter, wife and three sisters. He was planning to visit the family on his birthday next month. Dhonchak joined the Indian Army in 2013 and was the only brother of three sisters. As the news of his death spread, villagers and neighbours rushed to his house in Sector 7 of Panipat. His uncle Dilwar Singh said, We knew there was an operation underway. But we got the news of his death from my son whos also in the Army, Singh said. Family members and relatives mourn near the mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak before his last rites. (PTI) Everyone knows that Pakistan has waged a proxy war. Our Army should give a befitting reply once and for all so that no mother has to mourn the loss of her son, no sister loses her brother again, no wife loses her husband and no child loses its father, an elderly man who lives in Dhonchaks neighbourhood in Panipat said. Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat too died on Wednesday morning in the gunfight with terrorists. He is the father of a two-month-old daughter and the son of retired Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Ghulam Hasan Bhat. Rifleman Ravi Kumar died during firing by militants in Rajouri on the same day. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Union government will launch Swachhata Campaign 3.0 next month. The campaign from October 2-31 will not incur any expense. On the other hand, it will gain an estimated Rs 400 crore. Encouraged by the results and revenue earned from the previous two rounds of the campaign, the government has designed the third round of Swachhata Campaign to clear offices and other places in very methodical ways to create wealth from waste. As part of this pan-India campaign, the pendency of files will be identified, all records rooms will be cleared and files will be handed out to individual sections to identify them in different categories A, B and C for cleaning or preserving them in digitised format. About 1.50 lakh cleanliness sites are set to be covered. Union Minister of State for Personnel and Public Grievances, Jitendra Singh, said the Centre has launched the campaign with an eye on creating wealth from waste. He said that the third cleanliness drive will go even in the remotest of remote offices having a larger public interface. He said the earlier two rounds of Swachhata campaign were mass movements. Same administration, same officials, only the leadership was lacking. The Prime Minister turned the mission on hygiene and cleanliness into a Jan-Andolan and become also a peoples social reform movement, he said. Swachhata campaign was first launched by PM Modi on August 15 in 2014. Citing data, the minister said that over 90 per cent of file works in the Central government offices have been made online under the e-office portal and created massive spaces, giving an energising working ambience. During this campaign, ministries and departments will identify the pendency in selected categories and finalise the campaign sites. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has been made a nodal department for implementation of special campaign 3.0. According to available data, since the conduct of the Swachhata campaign 2.0 in October 2022, the drive has been held at 1.37 lakh sites so far and a huge revenue running into Rs 520 crore generated from scrap. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has been appointed a nodal department for implementation of the Special Swachhata campaign 3.0. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Union government will launch Swachhata Campaign 3.0 next month. The campaign from October 2-31 will not incur any expense. On the other hand, it will gain an estimated Rs 400 crore. Encouraged by the results and revenue earned from the previous two rounds of the campaign, the government has designed the third round of Swachhata Campaign to clear offices and other places in very methodical ways to create wealth from waste. As part of this pan-India campaign, the pendency of files will be identified, all records rooms will be cleared and files will be handed out to individual sections to identify them in different categories A, B and C for cleaning or preserving them in digitised format. About 1.50 lakh cleanliness sites are set to be covered.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Union Minister of State for Personnel and Public Grievances, Jitendra Singh, said the Centre has launched the campaign with an eye on creating wealth from waste. He said that the third cleanliness drive will go even in the remotest of remote offices having a larger public interface. He said the earlier two rounds of Swachhata campaign were mass movements. Same administration, same officials, only the leadership was lacking. The Prime Minister turned the mission on hygiene and cleanliness into a Jan-Andolan and become also a peoples social reform movement, he said. Swachhata campaign was first launched by PM Modi on August 15 in 2014. Citing data, the minister said that over 90 per cent of file works in the Central government offices have been made online under the e-office portal and created massive spaces, giving an energising working ambience. During this campaign, ministries and departments will identify the pendency in selected categories and finalise the campaign sites. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has been made a nodal department for implementation of special campaign 3.0. According to available data, since the conduct of the Swachhata campaign 2.0 in October 2022, the drive has been held at 1.37 lakh sites so far and a huge revenue running into Rs 520 crore generated from scrap. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has been appointed a nodal department for implementation of the Special Swachhata campaign 3.0. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Three members of a family were shot dead, apparently by their neighbours, over a land dispute in Mohiuddinpur village on Thursday night. The deceased have been identified as Horilal (62), his daughter Brijkali (22) and her husband Shivsagar (26). They are Dalits and belonged to the Pasi community. The three persons were asleep outside their hut when they were shot dead. The three bodies have been sent for autopsy. Soon after the triple murder, the infuriated kin of the victims, accompanied by a few villagers, set two houses belonging to the family of suspects on fire. The relatives of the victims informed the police that Horilal owned a piece of land at Panda Crossing in the village located in Kaushambi district. However, some others also claimed right over the property. Horilal had constructed a shanty on the disputed land and was living there with his daughter and son-in-law, who used to run a Jan Sewa Kendra nearby. According to local sources, after the triple murder, the relatives of Horilal and a few villagers torched the houses of the accused. The villagers also pelted stones, during which Pushpendra Gautam, the tehsildar of Chail, received head injuries. As per preliminary inquiry, the disputed land was recently measured to arrive at a solution and the district police were in the process of filing a case in the matter. Kaushambi happens to be the native district and electoral constituency of UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. According to Kaushambi Superintendent of Police (SP) Brajesh Kumar Srivastava, the police got the information about the incident at around 6 am on Friday, and a team reached the spot to take control of the situation. The fire was doused, and the situation was now under control, he said. He added that a heavy contingent of police force and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel was deployed in the area, and that the primary investigations indicated a property dispute between the two families as the primary reason for the triple murders. Based on a complaint by Horilal's son Subhash Kumar, a case has been registered against eight persons -- Guddu Yadav, Arvind Singh, Amit Singh, Suresh, Anuj Singh, Rajendra Singh, Ajit Singh and Amar Singh -- all residents of Kaushambi district, the SP said. The accused have been booked under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Law Amendment Act and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he added. Two persons have been arrested and eight teams have been formed to nab the remaining six accused, the SP said. (With online desk inputs) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: Three members of a family were shot dead, apparently by their neighbours, over a land dispute in Mohiuddinpur village on Thursday night. The deceased have been identified as Horilal (62), his daughter Brijkali (22) and her husband Shivsagar (26). They are Dalits and belonged to the Pasi community. The three persons were asleep outside their hut when they were shot dead. The three bodies have been sent for autopsy. Soon after the triple murder, the infuriated kin of the victims, accompanied by a few villagers, set two houses belonging to the family of suspects on fire.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The relatives of the victims informed the police that Horilal owned a piece of land at Panda Crossing in the village located in Kaushambi district. However, some others also claimed right over the property. Horilal had constructed a shanty on the disputed land and was living there with his daughter and son-in-law, who used to run a Jan Sewa Kendra nearby. According to local sources, after the triple murder, the relatives of Horilal and a few villagers torched the houses of the accused. The villagers also pelted stones, during which Pushpendra Gautam, the tehsildar of Chail, received head injuries. As per preliminary inquiry, the disputed land was recently measured to arrive at a solution and the district police were in the process of filing a case in the matter. Kaushambi happens to be the native district and electoral constituency of UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. According to Kaushambi Superintendent of Police (SP) Brajesh Kumar Srivastava, the police got the information about the incident at around 6 am on Friday, and a team reached the spot to take control of the situation. The fire was doused, and the situation was now under control, he said. He added that a heavy contingent of police force and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel was deployed in the area, and that the primary investigations indicated a property dispute between the two families as the primary reason for the triple murders. Based on a complaint by Horilal's son Subhash Kumar, a case has been registered against eight persons -- Guddu Yadav, Arvind Singh, Amit Singh, Suresh, Anuj Singh, Rajendra Singh, Ajit Singh and Amar Singh -- all residents of Kaushambi district, the SP said. The accused have been booked under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Law Amendment Act and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he added. Two persons have been arrested and eight teams have been formed to nab the remaining six accused, the SP said. (With online desk inputs) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp DELHI/SHIVAMOGGA: Shivamogga-based IS terror accused Arafath Ali was nabbed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) at Delhi airport on his arrival from Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday. An NIA press release said Ali was taken into custody when he landed at Delhi airport. It was a major breakthrough for the agency to unearth and foil the conspiracy of foreign-based modules of IS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) to carry out acts of terror in India. Since 2020, Ali had been absconding and was accused of indulging in IS propaganda and planning terrorist acts. He had since been operating from abroad to promote IS anti-India terror agenda. NIA investigations revealed that Ali, a resident of Shivamogga district, was actively involved in the identification, radicalisation and recruitment of gullible Muslim youth into the IS fold, while working from abroad, the release said. As part of the Shivamogga terror conspiracy case, accused Mohamed Shariq had been looking for ways to plant a pressure cooker IED at Kadri Manjunatha temple in Mangaluru, when the IED exploded accidentally in an autorickshaw. Ali had been in touch with the other accused in the case and was actively involved in planning and executing the conspiracy. According to NIA, Ali was also responsible for the Mangaluru graffiti cases of 2020, when on his directions, two other accused Mohamed Shariq and Maaz Muneer Ahmed had written, Dont force us to invite Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manuvadis and #Lashkar Zindabad on the walls. SP Mithunkumar stated, Arafath Ali hails from Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district and left his hometown more than three years ago. Sources said Alis name was linked to the IED pressure cooker blast in Mangaluru, and cases were registered against him with Mangaluru and Bengaluru police. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp DELHI/SHIVAMOGGA: Shivamogga-based IS terror accused Arafath Ali was nabbed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) at Delhi airport on his arrival from Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday. An NIA press release said Ali was taken into custody when he landed at Delhi airport. It was a major breakthrough for the agency to unearth and foil the conspiracy of foreign-based modules of IS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) to carry out acts of terror in India. Since 2020, Ali had been absconding and was accused of indulging in IS propaganda and planning terrorist acts. He had since been operating from abroad to promote IS anti-India terror agenda. NIA investigations revealed that Ali, a resident of Shivamogga district, was actively involved in the identification, radicalisation and recruitment of gullible Muslim youth into the IS fold, while working from abroad, the release said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); As part of the Shivamogga terror conspiracy case, accused Mohamed Shariq had been looking for ways to plant a pressure cooker IED at Kadri Manjunatha temple in Mangaluru, when the IED exploded accidentally in an autorickshaw. Ali had been in touch with the other accused in the case and was actively involved in planning and executing the conspiracy. According to NIA, Ali was also responsible for the Mangaluru graffiti cases of 2020, when on his directions, two other accused Mohamed Shariq and Maaz Muneer Ahmed had written, Dont force us to invite Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manuvadis and #Lashkar Zindabad on the walls. SP Mithunkumar stated, Arafath Ali hails from Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district and left his hometown more than three years ago. Sources said Alis name was linked to the IED pressure cooker blast in Mangaluru, and cases were registered against him with Mangaluru and Bengaluru police. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka has refused to stay the execution and operation of a resolution by the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation allowing four associations to celebrate the Ganesha festival at the Hubbali Idgah Maidan. The petition filed by Anjuman-E-Islam on Thursday, challenging the August 31 resolution, was heard on Friday by Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum at the Dharwad bench of the HC. Apart from the HDMC, the Mayor and the State Urban Development Department were made the parties. The Anjuman trust, which claims a 999-year lease on the over 1 acre ground, stated in its petition that the Corporation's resolution which has been forwarded to the State Government for approval "is totally illegal, arbitrary and perverse." It claimed the permission was in violation of the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act and the Places of Worship Act. It had sought quashing the Corporation resolution as "The impugned resolution unnecessarily ignites the passion and sentiments of both the communities. In the present scenario, such a move on the part of the respondents is wholly uncalled for and it is more important to maintain peace and tranquility, harmony and order in society than indulge in such deliberate attempts to ignite the sentiments and passion of one community against the other." The leader of the opposition in the HDMC, Suvarna Manikuntla had also approached the court against the resolution on the grounds that three resolutions were allegedly added to the additional list of resolutions without the knowledge of the opposition. One of these resolutions was about the permission for private organisations for conducting the Ganesha festival at the Maidan. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka has refused to stay the execution and operation of a resolution by the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation allowing four associations to celebrate the Ganesha festival at the Hubbali Idgah Maidan. The petition filed by Anjuman-E-Islam on Thursday, challenging the August 31 resolution, was heard on Friday by Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum at the Dharwad bench of the HC. Apart from the HDMC, the Mayor and the State Urban Development Department were made the parties.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Anjuman trust, which claims a 999-year lease on the over 1 acre ground, stated in its petition that the Corporation's resolution which has been forwarded to the State Government for approval "is totally illegal, arbitrary and perverse." It claimed the permission was in violation of the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act and the Places of Worship Act. It had sought quashing the Corporation resolution as "The impugned resolution unnecessarily ignites the passion and sentiments of both the communities. In the present scenario, such a move on the part of the respondents is wholly uncalled for and it is more important to maintain peace and tranquility, harmony and order in society than indulge in such deliberate attempts to ignite the sentiments and passion of one community against the other." The leader of the opposition in the HDMC, Suvarna Manikuntla had also approached the court against the resolution on the grounds that three resolutions were allegedly added to the additional list of resolutions without the knowledge of the opposition. One of these resolutions was about the permission for private organisations for conducting the Ganesha festival at the Maidan. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Im an environmentalist, which means Ive got some practice in saying no. Its what we do, Bill McKibben said at the start of his cover story for the May/June issue of Mother Jones magazine. The story is titled, Yes in our backyards. In a world where giant corporations, and the governments they too often control, ceaselessly do dangerous and unnecessary things, saying no is a valuable survival skill for civilizations, McKibben wrote. But were at a hinge moment now, when solving our biggest problemsenvironmental but also socialmeans we need to say yes to some things: solar panels and wind turbines and factories to make batteries and mines to extract lithium. He talked about the complexity of the issues involved. We dont just live in a community; we also live on a planet where carbon crosses jurisdictional boundaries shortly after we spew it into the air, McKibben said. And so protecting ones backyard from any change has to be balanced against the cost it will impose on the larger whole. If Indigenous groups dont want a lithium mine on sacred territory in Nevada, thats a reasonable argument; repeating the mistakes of our history at this point is truly unforgivable. And of course all this is complicated by the fact that if we cant make a quick energy transition, then the impact of that will be felt most by the poorest McKibben talked about a report published by Thea Riofrancos. Riofrancos, who has done much work in Latin American mining regions, described the havoc that lithium extraction may wreak, and then explained that wed need a lot less of it if Americans would simply drive smaller cars and take the bus more. McKibben said that her report doesnt call for a ban on lithium mining (though it may be used to that end). But the report also doesnt try to calibrate the relative costs of delaythat slowing down lithium mining likely means extending the years we keep on mining coal The general tactic used by the opponents of projectsdelay it until it goes awayis in effect a form of climate denial, McKibben wrote. When I toured the Black Butte Copper Project in Montana this summer with a group of college students, many of them in environmental studies, these subjects came up in the conversations. Nancy Schlepp, the vice president of communications for the Black Butte project, said she recently visited with a water specialist at a conference. He spent his entire career protecting water systems and being against natural resource projects, mainly mining, and he said now that hes learned and studied modern mining for the last year, hes come to the conclusion that you can protect the systems. The water specialist said to her, Were going to have to change our language from not in my backyard to yes in my backyard. Weve got to start thinking about being a YIMBY, and doing better instead of not doing. McKibben said that environmentalists are going to have to sometimes make the tough choice to back off and let a project proceed. But in the mining world there is also the possibility that environmentalists could sometimes shift from a confrontational approach to a more collaborative approach looking at ways to help keep pushing a project along in its effort to minimize its environmental footprint. Heres an example of one instance where environmentalists could take a different approach. On April 13 the Nevada legislature had a hearing on AB 313, which would require many mines to fill in open pit mine sites to prevent the formation of pit lakes. The bill seems to have fallen to the wayside for now, but at the hearing members of the public said they are in favor of clean water, and filling in pit lakes sounds like a good idea, whereas people representing the mining industry many of them familiar with the science involved with mine sites and watersaid the requirement would be almost unworkable in some cases, could harm the environment, and could be devastating to the mining industry in Nevada. Environmental groups said there is a lot of public support for this bill, and those speaking against it are highly paid people from the mining industry who are probably twisting the truth in order to maintain the industrys high profits, so therefore the bill should be passed. If the bill did pass and mine projects were shut down as a result, that could put Nevadans out of jobs, and the metals that we are going to use might be mined in another country with lax environmental standards and shipped here. An alternative takeaway from the hearing on the bill could be: The testimony shows there is a lot of public concern about the environment and Nevadas water, but mining industry people say this bill will not work, so lets promote having scientists work together to study these issues. That might take a while but lots of processes in the mining world take quite a bit of time. The people studying the best ways to help ensure the cleanest possible environment and water for Nevadas future will look at all the options as new technologies are developed in our rapidly changing world. In this issue of Mining the West there is a story about Tersa Earth, which is developing processes for having microbes clean up mine tailings water. Maybe this will become a better way to deal with the pit lake issue than requiring open pits to be backfilled. During the tour of the Black Butte Copper Project Schlepp said, Were all going to be better off if we find the 80% that we agree on and choose to work on that together. By AFP LAMPEDUSA: Thousands of migrants began departing the Italian island of Lampedusa Friday for Sicily, alleviating strain on the hotspot where record recent arrivals equalled the tiny island's population. Men, women and children lined up in the sun to take buses and vans to the island's port, where some were later seen preparing to board ships to Sicily, where they would be transferred to migrant processing centres. Lampedusa struggled earlier in the week to cope with a surge of migrants whose numbers peaked at 7,000 people late Wednesday -- the island's local population. The Italian Red Cross, which has operated Lampedusa's so-called migrant "hotspot" since June, said Friday morning that 700 transfers had already taken place and another 2,500 people were expected to depart the island in the course of the day. "They continue to arrive, but we are managing them," said Francesca Basile, the organisation's head of migration. Charity workers and police officers were seen handing out bottles of water and food to migrants waiting for transfer. Good weather has seen a surge in arrivals across Italy in recent days, with more than 2,000 people arriving Monday, 5,000 people Tuesday, and nearly 3,000 Wednesday, according to the interior ministry. For many migrants, the first landing is on Lampedusa, located just 90 miles (around 145 kilometres) off the eastern coast of Tunisia. The surge in arrivals meant that many migrants did not even make it inside the crowded reception centre, built for fewer than 400 people, and were forced to sleep outside on makeshift cots or blankets, while police intervened after scuffles erupted during the distribution of food. A young African man from Gambia, who gave his name as Omar, was sitting in the shade as he awaited a bus Friday. "Here is not easy," he told reporters. "We are so many many here... even to eat food is a problem, there are so many people when they start to give us food, there are always people, it's a problem," said the man, who said he was hoping to reach his brother in the Netherlands. "Always fighting, fighting." Omar said he had been travelling for six months before reaching Lampedusa. "It's not easy," he said, opening a crumpled plastic bag that held a small piece of paper with his family's phone number written on it. Dancing with locals Nearby, the Red Cross began dismantling the empty cots outside the centre. One migrant giving a hand, a towel wrapped around his head to protect him from the heat, said he was also from Gambia and dreamed of being an electrician. "I want to go to Italy to start working," the man said. "Try to move away, to find a job, work, so we can feed our family." Young male migrants ventured into the historic town centre of Lampedusa in recent days, where on Thursday night some danced to outdoor music along with locals and tourists in a square. An AFP photographer found some migrants queueing for ice cream Wednesday evening, with the establishments, locals or tourists picking up the tab. Although most of the migrants arriving on Lampedusa are picked up at sea by the coastguard from rickety boats, many do not survive the journey. More than 2,000 people have died this year crossing between North Africa, Italy and Malta, according to the UN migration agency. 'Act of war' Lampedusa's migrant centre has struggled for years to cope with the arrivals, with humanitarian organisations reporting a lack of water, food and medical care. Italy's hard-right government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni allocated 45 million euros ($48 million) to Lampedusa earlier this month to help manage the migrant situation. Her government vowed when it took office last October to stop mass migration. Meloni's deputy, Matteo Salvini of the anti-immigration League party, called the arrivals an "act of war" against Italy on Thursday. On Friday, Salvini was in a Palermo courtroom where he is on trial for allegedly abusing his powers as the then-interior minister in 2019 when he prevented migrants rescued in the Mediterranean from disembarking from a charity ship. "The only one to stop the illegals, hands off Salvini," read a banner outside the courtroom. Almost 126,000 migrants have arrived on Italy's shores so far this year, up from more than 66,000 in the same period last year. The numbers are still well below those of 2016 when more than 181,000 migrants arrived. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LAMPEDUSA: Thousands of migrants began departing the Italian island of Lampedusa Friday for Sicily, alleviating strain on the hotspot where record recent arrivals equalled the tiny island's population. Men, women and children lined up in the sun to take buses and vans to the island's port, where some were later seen preparing to board ships to Sicily, where they would be transferred to migrant processing centres. Lampedusa struggled earlier in the week to cope with a surge of migrants whose numbers peaked at 7,000 people late Wednesday -- the island's local population.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Italian Red Cross, which has operated Lampedusa's so-called migrant "hotspot" since June, said Friday morning that 700 transfers had already taken place and another 2,500 people were expected to depart the island in the course of the day. "They continue to arrive, but we are managing them," said Francesca Basile, the organisation's head of migration. Charity workers and police officers were seen handing out bottles of water and food to migrants waiting for transfer. Good weather has seen a surge in arrivals across Italy in recent days, with more than 2,000 people arriving Monday, 5,000 people Tuesday, and nearly 3,000 Wednesday, according to the interior ministry. For many migrants, the first landing is on Lampedusa, located just 90 miles (around 145 kilometres) off the eastern coast of Tunisia. The surge in arrivals meant that many migrants did not even make it inside the crowded reception centre, built for fewer than 400 people, and were forced to sleep outside on makeshift cots or blankets, while police intervened after scuffles erupted during the distribution of food. A young African man from Gambia, who gave his name as Omar, was sitting in the shade as he awaited a bus Friday. "Here is not easy," he told reporters. "We are so many many here... even to eat food is a problem, there are so many people when they start to give us food, there are always people, it's a problem," said the man, who said he was hoping to reach his brother in the Netherlands. "Always fighting, fighting." Omar said he had been travelling for six months before reaching Lampedusa. "It's not easy," he said, opening a crumpled plastic bag that held a small piece of paper with his family's phone number written on it. Dancing with locals Nearby, the Red Cross began dismantling the empty cots outside the centre. One migrant giving a hand, a towel wrapped around his head to protect him from the heat, said he was also from Gambia and dreamed of being an electrician. "I want to go to Italy to start working," the man said. "Try to move away, to find a job, work, so we can feed our family." Young male migrants ventured into the historic town centre of Lampedusa in recent days, where on Thursday night some danced to outdoor music along with locals and tourists in a square. An AFP photographer found some migrants queueing for ice cream Wednesday evening, with the establishments, locals or tourists picking up the tab. Although most of the migrants arriving on Lampedusa are picked up at sea by the coastguard from rickety boats, many do not survive the journey. More than 2,000 people have died this year crossing between North Africa, Italy and Malta, according to the UN migration agency. 'Act of war' Lampedusa's migrant centre has struggled for years to cope with the arrivals, with humanitarian organisations reporting a lack of water, food and medical care. Italy's hard-right government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni allocated 45 million euros ($48 million) to Lampedusa earlier this month to help manage the migrant situation. Her government vowed when it took office last October to stop mass migration. Meloni's deputy, Matteo Salvini of the anti-immigration League party, called the arrivals an "act of war" against Italy on Thursday. On Friday, Salvini was in a Palermo courtroom where he is on trial for allegedly abusing his powers as the then-interior minister in 2019 when he prevented migrants rescued in the Mediterranean from disembarking from a charity ship. "The only one to stop the illegals, hands off Salvini," read a banner outside the courtroom. Almost 126,000 migrants have arrived on Italy's shores so far this year, up from more than 66,000 in the same period last year. The numbers are still well below those of 2016 when more than 181,000 migrants arrived. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Amritsar, Sep 14 D elhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday lauded his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann for taking efforts for the promotion of industry in the state. Addressing the gathering during the Sarkaar Sannatkaar Milni programme here, Kejriwal said Punjab is scoring new heights in every arena. He said in the form of Mann, Punjab has got the best Chief Minister for the state. "Punjab is making rapid progress in every arena which is unprecedented and unmatched." The Delhi Chief Minister said from the sacred land of Amritsar, "We made history by opening government's first hi-tech school of eminence from here yesterday and will convert all government schools into ultra-modern with world-class infrastructure institutions." He said today through such conclaves, "We will resolve all issues of industry. There were 882 steel foundry units in the past but now only 126 units are operating due to the apathy of previous state governments." The Delhi Chief Minister promised that the Punjab government will take this number to 2,000 with its industry-friendly policies. Kejriwal said he still remember that AAP had promised many guarantees to industrialists before the elections at this same place and assured that the government will fulfill each and every promise made to them. He said before a few months, the state government issued a phone number to seek feedback about the problems and issues being faced by industrialists. "After scrutiny of records we have found that industrialists had only three main issues -- electricity, road infrastructure and systematic problems." He said the AAP government was committed to redress all concerns raised by industrialists promptly. "We had not signed dummy MoUs as previous governments did during their regimes. Rather Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann personally went to each and every renowned industrialists and due to his persistent efforts, the state has received investments more than Rs 50,000 crore within one and half years after AAP came to power." He said that this investment would create 2.86 lakh jobs in the state. Kejriwal said the government was making a conducive environment for the industry and it will take every step in this regard. Kejriwal lauds Punjab CM over industrialisation Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! SC reserves order on manufacture and use of green crackers during Diwali New Delhi, September 14 T he Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will consider whether the manufacture and use of green crackers in Delhi can be permitted or not and reserved the order on the issue. A bench of justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh reserved the order after hearing the matter at length. The top court was dealing with the issue relating to firecrackers. One of the pleas was filed by BJP leader Manoj Tiwari in 2022, challenging the blanket ban on firecrackers during Diwali celebrations in Delhi. During the hearing, the court questioned whether they could act as a superior authority over the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and also remarked that one has to trust primary institutions. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the government, during the hearing, apprised the court that it was right that Barium was banned on the government proposal, but it was for the 2018 Diwali. The court remarked that as of now everything is banned whether it is green or others in Delhi. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati also apprised the court that Delhi Police has not issued any permanent licence on the firecrackers since 2016. She also apprised the court that all permanent firework manufacturing licenses have been revoked and police will inspect all premises of licensees. The court remarked that only punishing the ones who fired the crackers is not enough and authorities have to go to the source of these crackers. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said that rich people can burst crackers worth lakhs and then go back to their air-conditioned homes with air purifiers. He also pointed out that no health organization has said that barium is okay and asked to look into aspects of the harmful barium on health. Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization, in the affidavit, apprised the court about the Green Cracker approval process and said the Fireworks may be broadly classified as Sound Emitting; Light emitting and Combination fireworks. However, with respect to light-emitting fireworks, the variation maybe four to five varieties with slight differences. The combination of fireworks uses both light and sound-emitting fireworks composition, PESO said. "Accordingly, manufacturers licensed by PESO or District Magistrate with CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and obtain improved formulation or New Formulation Fireworks Composition. After obtaining the same from CSIR-NEERI the manufacturers licensed by PESO make an application with PESO for approval of the said composition along with a certificate issued by NEERI," the affidavit read. "Accordingly, applications received from the manufacturers along with a certificate from NEERI for maintaining emission standards are processed and accorded in-principle approval by the respective offices of PESO strictly adhering to the timeline stipulated by the top court," the affidavit added. "For expediting usage of green crackers PESO has already instructed all the Fireworks manufacturers licensed by PESO to comply with the directives passed by this Court vide its order dated 23/10/2018. Accordingly, all fireworks manufacturers are advised to obtain an emission test report for improved formulation or new formulation Composition from CSIR-NEERI," the affidavit further said. In the last hearing, The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Thursday apprised the Supreme Court that about the measures being taken by the concerned agencies and the Fireworks Manufacturers to address the concerns raised by the top court earlier. The Ministry of Environment also urged the Supreme Court to permit it to take steps for the smooth implementation and quality control of Green Crackers. The Ministry meanwhile apprised the court about the measures being taken by the concerned agencies and the Fireworks Manufacturers to accept and address the concerns raised by the Supreme Court earlier. The top court was hearing a plea relating to the use of firecrackers during Diwali festivals. In 2021, the Supreme Court clarified there is no blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and only those fireworks which contain barium salts are prohibited. SC reserves order on manufacture and use of green crackers during Diwali Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Kerala: 8 tons of flowers shipped through Thiruvananthapuram airport during Onam season Thiruvananthapuram, September 14 K erala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport shipped eight tons of flowers through cargo during the Onam season, according to a press release from the airport. According to the press release, six tonnes were shipped to various cities in India and two tonnes to foreign countries including the Gulf countries. The majority of the exported flowers were from areas including Tovala in Tamil Nadu. Export of perishable goods including fruits and vegetables also increased during Onam. Twenty-five tonnes were shipped to cities in India and 1,498 MT overseas. In July it was 6 tonnes and 1,299 MT respectively. A total of 1,515 metric tons of goods were exported to foreign countries in the month of August. 214 tons of goods were taken to other cities in India. 12% increase compared to July, said the press release Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Limited is handling international cargo operations at TIAL. Kerala: 8 tons of flowers shipped through Thiruvananthapuram airport during Onam season Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi Sep 15 D uring the opening speech of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's quote from the Sixth Ashoka Pillar, "The welfare and happiness of humanity should always be ensured," which resonates deeply with Buddha's teachings. At the G20 Summit, this message reflected India's commitment to Buddha's principles of compassion, peace and universal well-being. By intertwining these ancient ideals with contemporary global challenges, Modi underscored the imperative for nations to collaborate and prioritise the welfare of all, echoing Buddha's timeless wisdom that harmony and happiness are found in the well-being of humanity. Another important message in the G20 Delhi Summit was the Buddhist element backdrop picture of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, the centre of learning, which helped in dissemination of ancient wisdom at the reception of the dinner hosted by the President of Bharat, Droupadi Murmu. The teachings of the Buddha are grounded in ideals like compassion, moderation, wisdom, dignity, non-violence and interdependence. The core philosophy stresses alleviating suffering through moral conduct, mindfulness and the middle path. The recently concluded G20 Summit in Delhi saw the leaders of the world's major economies endorse the 'Delhi Declaration', laying out a vision for global cooperation. An analysis of the declaration shows how Buddha's teachings have influenced and shaped some of its key principles and commitments. The Delhi Declaration reflects many of these Buddhist values and recognises the suffering and challenges facing the world today, including poverty, inequality, climate change, and threats to peace. The Buddha's First Noble Truth of the universality of suffering (dukkha) is reflected in the G20 Declaration's recognition of ongoing issues like poverty, hunger, inequality, climate change, and lack of healthcare/education access afflicting people globally. The theme itself -- 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'One Earth One Family One Future' -- resonates with Buddha's vision of human interdependence and shared destiny. Multiple sections in the declaration seem inspired by Buddhist thinking. On economy, the declaration recognises the need for "balanced, inclusive and sustainable economic growth" and to "reduce inequalities". This aligns with Buddhist emphasis on the middle path, avoiding two extremes. There is an acknowledgment that the climate crisis disproportionately affects vulnerable sections like developing countries. The declaration hence stresses on common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. This resonates with the Buddha's compassion for alleviating the sufferings of those in distress. The declaration lays emphasis on accelerating progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to reduce poverty and hunger. It recognises access to education, health and opportunities as key enablers of human capital development. This aligns with the Buddha Dhamma's recognition of dignity and equal potential in all human beings regardless of gender. The declaration also upholds shared responsibility towards children and youth -- the teachings of the Buddha also placed special importance on educating the young. The Buddha too considered compassionate service to the poor and marginalised as an important duty and was committed to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. The Buddha's teaching of Four Noble truth are Suffering (Dukkha), cause of suffering (Samudaya), end of suffering (Nirodha) and path that leads to end of suffering (Magga). The G20 Delhi declaration was not just a document but the path that leads to end of suffering of the humanity in 21st century. The Declaration aligns with the Buddha's Fourth Noble Truth on the path to end suffering by setting Sustainable Development Goals to uplift underdeveloped nations. Initiatives like food/nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, and building climate/disaster resilient infrastructure aim to reduce poverty and hunger (SDG 1 & 2). Promoting gender equity and women's empowerment (SDG 5) reduces inequality. Climate action via renewable energy and phasing out fossil fuels (SDG 13) addresses environmental causes of suffering. Proposed digital infrastructure expansion and educational initiatives (SDG 4) also mirror Buddhist tenets on developing wisdom. The Declaration emphasis as on compassionately supporting underdeveloped and developing nations and reflects the fundamental Buddhist ideal of selflessness and concern for all beings. Proposals for cooperation in areas like global health, peace and humanitarian assistance embody the Buddhist path of morality and ethical conduct. The G20 Declaration takes a holistic approach to alleviating global suffering by adopting moral policies, developing wisdom and sustainable solutions, and working collectively -- all key aspects of the Buddha's Eightfold Path. The Declaration's recognition of shared global challenges and commitment to cooperative policy action reflects Buddha Dhamma's diagnosis of the root of suffering and prescription of compassionate collective effort to progress spiritually and socially. The G20 leaders note that global challenges like climate change and pandemics require collective action based on a "spirit of cooperation". This sentiment mirrors Buddhist ideals of interdependence and "universal responsibility". The declaration envisions G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation that can pilot innovative solutions. It aims to make progress through consensus-building. This cooperative and non-conflictual approach has parallels with Buddha's stress on concord and peaceful reconciliation of viewpoints. Conclusion The Buddha Dhamma was founded over two millennium ago, but its universal themes clearly resonate in the present-day global agenda around sustainable development, climate action and human welfare. The Declaration commits to working collectively to address these global issues and build a sustainable, just, and equitable world. Specific policy initiatives in the Declaration aim to reduce poverty, empower women, support developing countries, address climate change, and promote global cooperation and peace. This target some of the main sources of suffering -- poverty, inequality, environmental harm, conflict which was identified by the Buddha 2,500 years ago. The emphasis on shared responsibility, compassion for marginalised groups, and the goal of maximising global welfare evokes Buddhist ethical ideals of selflessness, wisdom and compassion for all beings. The Declaration's recognition of the universality of suffering and need for collective moral responsibility to create positive change mirrors Dhamma diagnosis of the human condition and prescription for spiritual progress. The Buddha taught that we must work together to overcome selfish cravings and ignorance in order to build a just world of mutual prosperity and peace. The G20 commitments embody this spirit of universal compassion and social progress. The G20 Delhi Declaration reflects core Buddhist teachings on the ubiquity of suffering, its causes, and the path towards its cessation by adopting righteous conduct, wisdom, concern for all beings and cooperative global action to create a more equitable and sustainable world. The G20 highlighted various aspects of India's proud history, tradition and heritage at every stage of the event. Noticeably relevant aspects of India's rich Buddhist heritage was given a special space. Prime Minister Modi was seen personally making efforts to explain the background and essence of India's deep Buddhist connect. Buddha Dhamma and the G20 Delhi Declaration Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Bhopal, September 14 M adhya Pradesh government on Thursday announced that it will provide LPG gas cylinders at a subsidised rate of Rs 450 under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and the Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana from September 1. The state government will bear the remaining cost of the gas cylinder. According to the government release, all consumers under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and non-Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana category registered under the Ladli Behna Yojana, having gas connections in their names, will be eligible for the benefit. The remaining amount for gas cylinder refills will be available to eligible connection holders from September 1, 2023. Eligible consumers will receive a subsidy on each refill every month. Eligible consumers will need to purchase refills from the oil company at the market rate. Any reduction in the subsidy provided by the Govt of India and the market rate determined by the state government will be transferred to the bank accounts of eligible consumers, the release read, adding that in case of amendments in the market rate for domestic LPG refills, the state subsidy will also be adjusted accordingly. The Ladli Bahana who already have a gas connection will be registered on the Ladli Bahna Yojana portal. They may also be beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. The registration process will take place at all centres designated for the Ladli Bahna Yojana, it added. The documents required for the registration includes, gas connection consumer number and LPG connection ID. The registration ID for the Ladli Bahna Yojana will be generated under this scheme based on the data received from all oil companies for the identification of beneficiaries. Information about registered beneficiaries will be displayed on the portal from September 25, 2023, and will be periodically updated. Registered beneficiaries can check this information on the portal from September 25, 2023, using their gas consumer number/gas connection ID and Laadli Behna ID, the release added. MP govt to provide domestic LPG cylinder at Rs 450 under Ujjwala Yojana Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Afghanistan will be very much on the agenda of 78th UNGA meeting: UN Chief Guterres Kabul, September 15 F ollowing the deteriorating situations in Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said that women and girls' rights in Afghanistan will be an issue that "will be very much on the agenda" of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, reported TOLO News. "The rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is absolutely central to all concerns and will be one of the issues that will be very much in the agenda," Guterres said. Leaders from all over the world will address the UNGA on September 18 and 19 in New York. Although, the Taliban said that women's rights in Afghanistan are ensured within the frameworks of Islamic principles, according to TOLO News. The Taliban's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, asked the world to respect Islamic values in Afghanistan and to not interfere in the country's internal affairs. "The issue of human rights is an excuse that is used. In reality, the people of Afghanistan have rights given to them by Sharia law. Nobody can show that someone else's rights have been violated. All individuals have rights, including men, women, children, and the elderly," said Mujahid. However, according to some university lecturers, participation of all the citizens, including women in the political arena is important. Zaki Mohammadi, a political analyst, said, "It is the responsibility of the government to provide facilities for the people, provide services. We are like the two wings of a bird in the society, and our sisters are the one wing. If we want to have a developed society, we should provide the rights of work, education and political participation." Earlier, the UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett at the UN Human Rights Council called on the "Taliban to reverse their draconian, misogynist policies and allow women to work and run businesses, including delivering essential services through NGOs and the UN." While addressing the 54th regular session of the Human Rights Council, Bennett noted that 60,000 women lost their jobs due to recent restrictions imposed by the Taliban, reported TOLO News. "Recently the Taliban has restricted women's activities even more. Beauty salons have been prohibited, eliminating approximately 60,000 jobs, depriving them of one of few remaining women's only safe spaces," he said. He also called on the Taliban to reverse the "draconian, misogynist policies" against women and allow them to work and run businesses, Tolo News reported. The education and work of girls and women are the two main issues which sparked reactions at an international level. Meanwhile, the representatives of some countries who attended the meeting also voiced concerns over the restrictions on Afghan girls and women in access to education and work. Lubna Qassim, UAE Deputy Representative to the UN Human Rights Council, said the "significant humanitarian challenges facing Afghanistan will have a significant negative impact on the Afghani society and its future." Afghanistan will be very much on the agenda of 78th UNGA meeting: UN Chief Guterres Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Kyiv, September 15 U krainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, US, next week as he sets to make the case for ongoing aid-related discussions for his country, reported Al Jazeera. However, the details of his visit appeared in US media on Thursday afternoon, with anonymous government sources confirming his further plans. According to Al Jazeera, Zelenskyy is likely to meet US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday and will make a stop at the Capitol. Biden administration has asked Congress to provide USD 24 billion for Ukraine support, including USD 13.1 billion in additional military aid and USD 8.5 billion for humanitarian aid, reported Al Jazeera. However, some of the politicians, particularly from the Republican party have resisted at the idea of providing more money and supplies to Ukraine, as it attempts to repel Russian forces. Moreover, his visit coincides with the Congress debate over federal spending, as the lawmakers face an impending September 30 deadline to pass a budget. Although, Congress has approved aid over USD 113 billion. But their last funding was in December, before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, according to Al Jazeera. Moreover, the far-right politicians hold greater say over how budget legislation is decided. Just last July, 70 House Republicans, led by Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, backed a proposal to cut off security assistance to Ukraine altogether. Furthermore, Zelenskyy's visit to Capitol Hill will be his second visit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. His first visit was in December when he delivered an impassioned speech before Congress, rallying lawmakers against Russian "aggression". "It is just a matter of time when they will strike against your other allies if we do not stop them now. We must do it," Zelenskyy told the US Congress. "Your money is not charity. It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way," he said. Although, in the past, Zelenskyy has made few visits international visits since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, reported Al Jazeera. Zelenskyy has made few trips outside his native Ukraine since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US already next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. Reportedly, his presence was not certain but according to the experts, he is trying to generate support for the Ukrainian war by meeting with world leaders in person. Earlier this, Zelenskyy also made surprise visits to the Netherlands and Japan, in a similar effort to take help globally. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy set to visit Washington for aid-related discussions Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! By Amit Kumar, Sheopur, September 15 A mid some suggestions that possible infection linked to radio collars could be the cause of deaths of cheetahs at Kuno National Park, Head of Project Cheetah SP Yadav has said that "not a single cheetah died due radio collars". Yadav, who is also a member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, told ANI in an exclusive interview on the completion of one year of reintroduction of cheetahs in the country, that carnivores and animals are monitored all over the world by radio collars and this is a proven technology. "There is no truth that any cheetah died due to radio collars. I want to say that monitoring is not possible in the wild without radio collars," he said. "A total of 20 Cheetah were brought from Namibia and South Africa out of which 14 are completely healthy and are doing well. Four cheetahs were born on the soil of Bharat and one of them is now six months old and is doing fine. The three cubs died because of climatic factors," Yadav told ANI. Nine cheetahs died in Kuno National Park since March this year. Yadav said no cheetah died at the Kuno National Park due to "hunting or poaching". "Generally, in other countries, poaching and hunting leads to deaths but our preparation was so good that not even a single cheetah has died due to hunting, poaching, or poisoning.. nor has any cheetah died due to human conflict..we have successfully achieved milestones in the past year," he said. "There has never been an attempt to move a cheetah from one continent to another and this was the first wild-to-wild translocation and there were a lot of challenges in it. Usually, in such long-distance translocation, a cheetah may die because it is a sensitive animal but no such death occurred here and the translocation was very seamless," he added Yadav said cheetah was reintroduced in the country last year after 75 years. "If we look at the last year from the point of view of success, then the benchmark we had set has been achieved," he said, adding that the survival rate of cheetahs has more than 50 per cent. "Cheetah cubs have been born on Bharat soil. The process of adaptation to climate is going as per expectations and they are creating their own territory, fighting for their own territory, doing natural hunting, all this is happening...," the senior official said. Answering a query, Yadav said as per the MoU, South Africa is ready to provide 12 to 14 cheetahs every year. "Preparations are going on for next batch of cheetahs at two sites, one is Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, where the habitat is suitable, and the work of making enclosure is going on at a very fast pace.. I hope that in November-December the work of fencing and enclosure will be complete and a decision will be taken to bring cheetahs there after inspection," he said. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi'sisit to South Africa for the BRICS summit in August, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa lauded the initiative to introduce cheetahs in India and said the country is prepared to donate more as India takes care of big cats. PM Modi released wild cheetahs, which had become extinct in India - in Kuno National Park, on September 17 last year. Cheetahs - brought from Namibia - were introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is the world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. Twenty cheetahs were relocated from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in two batches -- in September last year and in February this year. Twelve cheetahs from South Africa arrived on February 18 in Kuno National Park after South Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the re-introduction of Cheetahs in India. Eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia and were released by PM Modi. Radio collars have been installed in all the cheetahs and there is monitoring through satellite too. Apart from this, a dedicated monitoring team keeps monitoring the location. Following the translocation of 12 cheetahs in February from South Africa, the plan is to translocate 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years. The MoU on the reintroduction of cheetahs to India facilitates cooperation between the parties to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India, promotes conservation and ensures that expertise is shared and exchanged, and capacity is built, to promote cheetah conservation. The reintroduction of wild species, particularly cheetahs, is being undertaken as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines. India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures 'Project Tiger' which was initiated in the early seventies, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also to the entire ecosystem. The last three cheetahs in India were hunted by the Maharaja of Korea in Chhattisgarh in 1947-48. The Government of India declared cheetahs extinct in 1952 and the Modi government re-introduced cheetahs after almost 75 years. No cheetah in Kuno National Park died due to radio collars: Project Cheetah chief SP Yadav Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! As summer gracefully hands over the reins to autumn, central and northern Nevadas Great Basin undergoes a breathtaking transformation. This unique region, known for its rugged beauty, experiences an enchanting display of seasonal change. And this year, nature is offering an extraordinary celestial bonus a Ring of Fire total solar eclipse. In the midst of this transition, the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko is hosting a celestial watch party for this rare event, adding a touch of magic to an already mesmerizing season. The Great Basin, sprawling across parts of Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, and California, is characterized by its high deserts, rugged mountain ranges, and distinct topography. This vast region is about to embrace autumn with open arms, turning its typically arid landscape into a mesmerizing tapestry of colors. One of the most noticeable changes as autumn approaches in the Great Basin is the gradual cooling of temperatures. The relentless summer heat, with its triple-digit highs, slowly gives way to cooler, crisper air a refreshing invitation for outdoor exploration. The elevation in central and northern Nevada plays a pivotal role in this temperature shift. As you ascend in elevation, the temperature drop becomes more pronounced. Lower elevations see daytime highs in the 70s and 80s (F), while the higher reaches experience daytime temperatures in the 60s and even 50s (F). These cooler temperatures provide an ideal environment for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and stargazing. As the temperatures dip, the Great Basin transforms into a stunning canvas. The once-dominant sagebrush-covered landscape is replaced by vibrant hues of fall foliage. Among the star performers in this autumnal spectacle are the aspen trees, their leaves turning a brilliant shade of gold, gleaming like nuggets of sunlight against the azure sky. The quaking aspen, recognized by its white bark and heart-shaped leaves, becomes emblematic of fall in the Great Basin. These trees form extensive groves that seem to come alive as their leaves flutter in the breeze, creating a captivating visual display. Prime locations to witness this breathtaking phenomenon include Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. In addition to the aspens, other deciduous trees, like cottonwoods and willows, contribute their own shades to the autumn landscape. Their vibrant yellows and oranges blend harmoniously with the golden aspen leaves, weaving a rich tapestry of colors that is nothing short of enchanting. Autumn in the Great Basin ushers in a flurry of wildlife activity. As temperatures drop and daylight hours wane, many animals gear up for winter by stocking up on food. This is an excellent time for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers to observe the regions diverse fauna. Mule deer, icons of the Great Basin, engage in the rutting season during the fall. Here, bucks vie for the attention of females, their haunting calls echoing through the valleys, creating a unique and unforgettable experience for observers. Birdwatchers, too, are in for a treat during the fall migration season. The Great Basin serves as a crucial stopover for numerous migratory birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway. From sandhill cranes to tundra swans, these avian visitors grace the region with their presence as they head south for the winter. Autumn is a time of celebration in the Great Basin, with communities coming together to embrace the changing season. Amid the traditional festivities, a celestial marvel is set to occur this yearthe Ring of Fire total solar eclipse. On Oct. 14, between 9:20 a.m. and 9:25 a.m., a celestial spectacle will unfold in the skies above. During this brief window, the moon will obscure the majority of the sun, leaving only a mesmerizing outer ring of fire a sight to behold. The partial eclipse will commence around 8 a.m. and conclude at approximately 10:45 a.m. To make the most of this rare event, the California Trail Interpretive Center is hosting a celestial watch party. Its a unique opportunity to witness this cosmic dance while surrounded by the natural beauty of the Great Basin. For more information on the eclipse and the event, you can visit the NASA website at solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/where-when/. Fall in central and northern Nevadas Great Basin is a time of remarkable change and beauty. The transition in temperature, the vibrant display of fall foliage, the bustling wildlife, and the celestial spectacle of the Ring of Fire total solar eclipse all come together to create an enchanting and invigorating season. So, pack your bags and embark on a journey to witness the breathtaking transition from summer to fall in the heart of the Great Basin, culminating in the celestial watch party event at the California Trail Interpretive Center an experience you wont soon forget. And as always, Get Outside! Its great for everyone. www.nevadaoutdoorschool.org Chennai, September 15 T amil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday launched the 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam' scheme at Kanchipuram Pachayappa College. According to the scheme, monthly financial assistance of Rs. 1,000 will be provided to all eligible women beneficiaries of Tamil Nadu. CM Stalin also distributed ATM cards to the beneficiaries of the scheme. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said, "This monthly financial assistance will decrease poverty. The scheme received 1 crore 60 lakh applications since August. 1 crore 6 lakh 50 thousand women were declared as right beneficiaries." Shiv Das Meena said that those who have been rejected will be given the reason and if they wanted to claim they could approach again. "I came to know that some were asked to give OTP and account details through phone. I want to tell them that nothing is been asked so far from the government so no one should fall prey to the calls. If any calls come I appeal to people to complain to the police immediately. I thank all government officials who made this scheme possible and implemented it," Meena said. The promised sum will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of the targeted beneficiaries. Devi Sampath a beneficiary received the first ATM card for availing the honorarium from the CM. The launch of the scheme marks the fulfilment of one of the ruling DMK's key poll promises. According to party officials, the scheme marks 100 per cent fulfilment of the party's promises to the people. The launch of this welfare scheme has been timed to coincide with the birth anniversary of the late Dravidian icon and former chief minister CN Annadurai. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin launches Kalaignar Women's Rights Fund Scheme in Kanchipuram Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 15 C elebrating Air India's Vihaan first anniversary, CEO Campbell Wilson on Friday highlighted its various accomplishments, future objectives, and specifically discussed measures taken to combat pilot fatigue which is a significant contributor to flight disruptions. In an email, Wilson said, "Today, September 15, marks Vihaan.AI's first anniversary. While the hard work of writing this historic airline's next chapter began well before that, it was the launch of Air India's ambitious transformation plan that really accelerated our progress. "Though there are many miles left to go, every one of you should be proud of all the work you've put in thus far. There's no final destination when it comes to building -- and staying - a world-class airline, but every day we measure significant progress in our five transformation pillars which takes us closer to where we want to be. "We've put together a snapshot of some of our most recent milestones -- unveiling our new brand identity, getting the CCI's green light for Air India's merger with Vistara and launching the Jeppesen suite being just a few. When the scale of effort is so large, it's only natural to look at what is yet to be done so, on occasions like this, we should all take a moment to acknowledge what has been achieved. So, take a moment to congratulate yourselves and see how far we have come in the past year!," he said. "Of course, one of the major milestones of the last year was our historic aircraft order. Since then there's been a huge amount of work done to prepare ourselves for their entry to service, and to formalise all the agreements and contracts," he further said. "Earlier this week, I joined colleagues from the strategic procurement team in a visit to the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby, UK, where we completed the contracts for the engines that will power our new fleet of A350s," he further wrote in the email. "Whilst there we inspected the production line, engine test bed and the heritage centre that reinforced just how pivotal Rolls Royce was to so many of aviation's greatest achievements over the last 100+ years. It was also interesting to learn of the long history between, particularly, Indian Airlines and Rolls-Royce, and nice to resume the relationship after a number of years absence," the CEO email read. The email also detailed the airline's intentions to introduce two initiatives, the Pilot Sector Report (PSR) app and DocuNet!, aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency, and compliance. On Vihaan 1st anniversary, Air India CEO lists plans, pilot safety & efficiency measures Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Kathmandu, Sep 15 N epal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday said he will embark on an official visit to China on September 22, during which he will meet President Xi Jinping and several other top leaders. "After attending the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, I will leave straight for China's city of Hangzhou," Prachanda, as the Prime Minister is popularly known, said in an address to Parliament. "Nepal and China have shared long, cordial, and closed relations for centuries, and in recent years, these relations have become multi-dimensional and deepened too. China has become Nepal's development partner and assisting Nepal in its overall developmental endeavors," he added. In his capacity as Prime Minister, this is Prachanda's third visit to China, after making trips in2008 and 2017. "This visit will further strengthen the bilateral relations between Nepal and China and will deepen further," he added. In Hangzhou, Prachanda will meet Xi and also attend the opening ceremony of the 19thAsian Games. On September 25, he will meet his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in Beijing where both leaders will hold delegation-level talks followed by the signing of the some agreements and understandings. After completing engagements in Beijing, Prachanda will visit Chongqing city where he will make a trip to the Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other institutes, according to his schedule. "After completing the visit in Chongqing, we will leave for Tibet where we will meet senior Chinese government officials with Nepal shares a long border. Then we will return to Kathmandu," he added. In his address to Parliament, the Prime Minister also said that discussions will take place seeking Chinese cooperation and assistance in areas like Nepal's infrastructure development, agriculture, energy, tourism, health, education among others. The Himalayan nation will also seek to open the Nepal-China border points which were shut in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. After the massive 2015 earthquake and the pandemic, several border points between Nepal and China were either totally shut down or have resumed only partially "As the Prime Minister of Nepal, it is my belief that my visit will strengthen and deepen the traditional, friendly relations with China where we will also seek further avenues of bilateral cooperation," Prachanda added. Nepal PM to meet Xi during China visit Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Poll shows Haley ahead of DeSantis but far behind Trump in her home state Washington, Sep 15 I ndian-American Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley is behind her former boss Donald Trump by 28 points, but ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a new poll of likely 2024 GOP primary voters in her home state, South Carolina. According to the Monmouth University-Washington Post poll released on Thursday, only 18 per cent of likely GOP primary voters in South Carolina said they plan to vote for their former governor, while 46 per cent said they wanted Trump. Senator Tim Scott came in third place with 10 per cent support and DeSantis followed at 9 per cent, The USA Today reported. Scales started tipping in Haley's favour, who had been lagging behind in polls with single digits since February, after last month's maiden Republican primary presidential debate. In a CNN/SSRS poll released earlier this month, Haley emerged as the only Republican presidential candidate who could beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 US elections. Haley recently told CBS News that she, and not Trump, is going to be the party's 2024 presidential nominee. "I don't think President Trump's going to be the nominee. I think it's going to be me. But I will tell you that any Republican is better than what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are doing," Haley had told 'Face the Nation' on CBS. Conducted between September 6 and 11, the poll also revealed what differentiated Trump voters from other South Carolina GOP voters with close to 81 per cent of Trump voters believing that Joe Biden won the 2020 election through fraud. Two days before the second GOP primary debate in California on September 27, the former president will bring his campaign back to South Carolina in Summerville. Republicans who packed into the former South Carolina governor's events in New Hampshire in recent days described her as "very smart" and a "natural leader", the Politico reported. They "admire" her work at the United Nations. They even think she "has a good chance" in 2024. According to Politico, Haley's rise is being blunted by the same force dragging down every candidate running behind Trump Love him or hate him, many Republicans in New Hampshire say they're hard-pressed to see a scenario in which Trump is not the GOP nominee for the third consecutive cycle. mi/svn Poll shows Haley ahead of DeSantis but far behind Trump in her home state Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! India and its people have taught me so much: Outgoing French envoy Lenain New Delhi, September 15 F rance's Ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain, on Friday thanked New Delhi, terming the country's energy, optimism, and confidence in the friendship between the two nations as "invaluable." He said India and its people have taught him so much and he will cherish his experience of serving in India for the past four years. Lenain, whose four-year tenure in India ends soon, made the remarks in a video posted on X. He will take up his next assignment in Brazil. In the video, he shared glimpses of his tenure in India, noting that the two nations have made progress in the Indo-Pacific. Lenain said in the video, "To all of you who have followed me during these 4 years as Ambassador of France to India thank you. Your energy, optimism and confidence in the friendship has been invaluable. India and its people have taught me so much - I will always cherish this experience." "Dear Friends, Au Revoir, Today, I am leaving India after four wonderful years in your country. And I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have been following me, you have been sharing ideas, your energy, your optimism. It's been a great help. And our two countries have achieved new progress. Made progress in the Indo-Pacific, we have been steering through during the pandemic of COVID and we all know the suffering for our two peoples," he added. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France to attend the Bastille Day Parade and also spoke about French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India to attend the G20 Summit. He stated that there were "very good exchanges" between PM Modi and President Macron. Further, in the video, the French envoy said, "And more recently there was a superb exchange of visits Prime Minister Modi going to Paris for Bastille Day as Guest of Honour and during the visit of President Macron last weekend for the G20. There were very good exchanges with PM Modi and a new plan for further progress in the coming months, coming years. Now, I am heading to a country that is very close to India, also Brazil. And I am sure that my knowledge of India will help a lot, and maybe we can make further connections so please keep in touch in the future." President Macron and Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting in Delhi on September 10, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Following the meeting, PM Modi said they reaffirmed their commitment to take India-France relations to newer heights of progress. PM Modi posted on X, "A very productive lunch meeting with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed a series of topics and look forward to ensuring India-France relations scale new heights of progress." The two leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthen defence cooperation through partnership in the design and expansion of production in India and called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap. According to the joint statement, India and France "reiterated their commitment to strengthen the defence cooperation through partnership in design, development, testing and manufacture of advanced defence technologies and platforms, and expand production in India, including for third countries in Indo-Pacific and beyond. In this context, they also called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap." "Acknowledging the strength of the India-France partnership, founded in deep trust, shared values, belief in sovereignty and strategic autonomy, a resolute commitment to international law and principles enshrined in the UN Charter, an abiding faith in multilateralism and a mutual pursuit of a stable multi-polar world, both leaders emphasized the need to expand their collaboration to address regional and global challenges," the joint statement read. PM Modi and French President Macron reiterated their "unwavering commitment to collectively serve as a force of good, carrying the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' i.e. 'one earth, one family, one future', during tumultuous times reshaping the global order." India and its people have taught me so much: Outgoing French envoy Lenain Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, Sep 15 B ollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film 'Mission Raniganj', has paid a tribute to Jaswant Singh Gill, an unsung hero in Indian history, celebrating Engineer's Day. Taking to Instagram, the actor expressed his excitement at portraying Gill as he shared an image of the latter, and wrote "Happy #Engineers Day. I could never even imagine myself studying hard to be an engineer." "But then I got an opportunity to play a brave, intelligent engineer like Jaswant Singh Gill ji in #MissionRaniganj. (My parents wish has been fulfilled). #RealHero," he added. The post was accompanied by a real life black and white image of a young Jaswant Gill from 1961, standing proudly outside ISM college, where he pursued Mining Engineering. Jaswant Gill was the leading engineer during the 1989 Raniganj Coalfield collapse in West Bengal, which led to over 65 miners being trapped inside a mine, after using explosives to blast open the walls, trapping them inside. Six miners died inside the mines when the walls caved in, while 65 miners were able to reach the mining elevator, which had become increasingly unsteady due to rising water levels. Gill, who was supervising the operation alongside 2,000 other engineers designed a massive capsule which was put in via a crane, and was able to safely get the miners out. Jaswant Gill's story is both inspiring and heroic, as his bravery, intelligence and dedication made him a true hero in every sense, who is sadly unsung in Indian history. Akshay Kumar has been paying tribute to several heroes of Indian history in his projects lately, be it the Sikh Regiment in 'Kesari', or the great Rajput king and legendary hero Prithviraj Chauhan in 'Prithviraj'. Engineer's Day is held to celebrate the brilliance and dedication of engineers across the world, who work tirelessly to shape our world in many different ways, through their creativity, imagination and scientific knowledge and intellect. 'Mission Raniganj' also stars Parineeti Chopra, Kumud Mishra, Pavan Malhotra, Ravi Kishan, Varun Badola, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajesh Sharma, Virendra Saxena, Shishir Sharma, Ananth Mahadevan, Jameel Khan, Sudhir Pandey, Bachan Pachera, Mukesh Bhatt and Omkar Das Manikpuri. The film also marks director Tinu Suresh Desai's next thriller after 'Rustom', which won him massive critical and commercial acclaim. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Ajay Kapoor, 'Mission Raniganj' will be released in theaters on October 6, 2023. Akshay Kumar pays tribute to Jaswant Gill on Engineer's Day Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! If there is law and order, Karnataka will develop, CM Siddaramaiah tells senior police officers Bengaluru, September 15 C hief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday inaugurated the conference of Karnataka State Senior Police Officers at the office of the Director General of Police. He also held a meeting with senior police officers. After the meeting, Siddaramaiah in a press conference said "There is a lot of crime going on in the society today. Crime cases should be reduced in the society. If there is law and order in the state, the state will develop. If any person comes to the police station, that person should be given courage and justice should be given to that person. In many cities, there are rowdies, there are thieves, there are people who spread false news, the police should put a limit on all these. I am speaking from my experience here." Home minister G.Parameshwar was also present in the event. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday directed the officials of the Excise Department to curb illegal liquor in the state and recover tax arrears to achieve the set target in tax collection. "The revenue collection target of the department for the current year is 36,000 crores and the growth rate of tax collection is 5.31 per cent. All the officers should work hard to achieve the set goals," Siddaramaiah said. "The enforcement agencies should keep a close watch on the illegal liquor movement in the border areas of the state, especially from the Goa. The production and sale of illegal liquor adversely affects the income and health of the poor. The production and sale of illegal liquor should be stopped," he added. The CM also pressed on to take the necessary steps to collect the tax arrears. He also said that he will hold a separate meeting to discuss the reform measures in the Excise Department. He directed to get the services of Home Guards at the checkposts of the border areas and to submit proposals to strengthen home guards services for other facilities. If there is law and order, Karnataka will develop, CM Siddaramaiah tells senior police officers Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, Sep 15 B ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose latest release 'Jawan', has set the cash registers ringing, said that he and his director Atlee fooled actress Deepika Padukone into thinking that her role was a cameo in 'Jawan'. Speaking to the media on Friday, SRK said: "I would like to mention that I and Atlee sir fooled Deepika into believing that her role was of a special appearance in the film aur humne uske saath poori picture shoot kar li." The actor also narrated an incident when he decided that Deepika should be a part of the film. He shared with the media that he thought of adding Deepika to 'Jawan' cast while the song 'Besharam Rang' from 'Pathaan' was being filmed. He told the media: "I looked at her, she was looking all dazzling and while looking at her, I thought, 'Ye maa ka role karegi kya?' I then asked Pooja, my manager to ask Deepika if she would do the part and within 5 minutes she said yes." Deepika essays the role of Vikram Rathore's (SRK senior) wife and Azaad (SRK Junior) in the film. She gives birth to Azaad's character during her jail time in the film. Azaad the goes onto become the jailer of the same penitentiary which once held Deepika captive during her trial. Learning that she was tricked into doing the whole film, Deepika said: "Whatever it is, I will always work in anything that SRK asks me to because we share a special bond since I started my career opposite him in 'Om Shanti Om'. And as for the switch from the sultry look in 'Pathaan' to the role of a mother in 'Jawan', I don't think any actor would think like how they would look in a certain role after doing a certain kind of role." aa/kvd SRK, Atlee 'conned' Deepika into believing her 'Jawan' role was a cameo Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Bengaluru, September 15 K arnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that a people-friendly police system should be created in such a way that the poor people who come to the police station and the common people feel confident about the police system. Addressing the annual conference of senior police officers held at the office of the State Director General of Police, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said," Our government will not wash its hands by just taking action against the lower level officials, action will also be taken against the senior officials. "Instruction has been given not to wait for complainants to come in sensitive cases. Action should be taken by registering a voluntary FIR against those who disturb the peace of society through false news and rumours," CM added. CM Siddaramaiah also mentioned that 230 new personnel have been approved to strengthen the Central Crime Branch and if necessary new buildings will be provided to the staff. He also warned that the government will have zero tolerance on the issue of immoral policing. "A people-friendly police system should be created in such a way that the poor people who come to the police station and the common people feel confident about the police system," he said. Home Minister G Parameshwar, Additional Chief Secretary to Government Rajneesh Goel, State Director General of Police Alok Mohan, City Police Commissioner Dayanand, and Chief Minister's Political Secretary Govindaraju were present in the meeting. People-friendly police system should be put in place: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! By Aarushi Raina, New Delhi, September 15 A ctor Shilpa Shetty Kundra is all set and excited to bring the never-seen-before avatar 'Sukhee'. On Friday, Shilpa told ANI how her recent character Sukhee is different from the roles she has portrayed so far. She said, "I think an actor is always waiting to try something different and Sukhee's character is a kind of character that I have never done. She is really Bedhadak, Beparwah, and Besharam, in her younger days and how she changes. And her journey of self-discovery is just beautiful. When she goes to the reunion with her friends, she realizes how much difference there is between what was Sukhee in the past and what she has become now. This is a story of relationships, this is a family film, this is a story of friendship. I just feel like it's a film that will make people happy, that will make people think and entertain people." Recently the makers unveiled the trailer of the film which received decent responses from the fans. The trailer gave a sneak peek into the life of Sukhee, a dedicated housewife. However, her monotonous routine takes a turn when she decides to break free from her prosaic life and voyages to Delhi to attend her school reunion with her friends. Kusha Kapila plays the role of Shilpa's best friend in the film, while Chaitannya Choudhry essays the role of Shilpa's husband. The film deals with patriarchy and women's empowerment with a dash of comedy. 'Sukhee' marks the directorial debut of Sonal Joshi and is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra, and Shikhaa Sharma. The film has been written by Radhika Anand, with the screenplay by Paulomi Dutta, and is scheduled to release in theatres on September 22. Apart from this, Shilpa will be seen in Rohit Shetty's OTT debut 'Indian Police Force', which also stars Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi. The series will stream on the OTT platform Amazon Prime. She will also act in 'KD-The Devil' as Satyavati alongside V Ravichandran, and Sanjay Dutt. The pan-India multilingual will be released in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. Shilpa Shetty shares what makes Sukhee different Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Christian Collazo, 27, of Wells was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 151 Second St. for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence, and domestic battery. Juan P. Flores Escareno, 24, of West Wendover was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 2332 Florence Way for felony possession of a controlled substance, two counts of drug paraphernalia, and battery. Bail: $11,835 Joshua Fortenberry, 37, of Elko was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 12th Street and Opal Drive for two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, resisting a public officer, and drug paraphernalia. Bail: $20,995 Teri S. Hardy, 33, of West Wendover was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, for felony possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, and petty larceny. Bail: $10,710 James C. Hogan, 62, of Elko was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 12th Street and Opal Drive for two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, resisting a public officer, and drug paraphernalia. Bail: $20,995 Robert T. Hogan, 46, of Elko was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 440 Grant St. for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence and three counts of failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Amos M. Jackson, 70, of Spring Creek was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 436 Jasper Drive for two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Bail: $200,000 Edward G. Kay, 54, of Elko was arrested Sept. 9, 2023, at Washington Avenue and Grant Street for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence. Celina Lievanos, 42, of Elko was arrested Sept. 10, 2023, at 440 Grant St. for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence and felony possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $10,000 Patrick B. Morrow, 62, of Vancouver, Washington was arrested Sept. 9, 2023, on Interstate 80 for escape by a felony prisoner, attempted battery by strangulation on a protected person, assault on a protected person by a prisoner, resisting a public officer and false statement to obstruct a public officer. Bail: $50,000 Leslie K. Steadman, 59, of Carlin was arrested Sept. 8, 2023, at 506 Camp St. for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence and failure to appear on a traffic citation. Michael L. Andreozzi, 37, of Battle Mountain was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, at 12th and Railroad streets on a felony warrant for residential burglary. Bail: $100,000 Kayla M. Harrelson, 22, of Elko was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, at Elko County Courthouse on a drug court hold and on Sept. 14 for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence. Gustavo Nungaray-Sigala, 36, of Elko was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, at 116 Park Road for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime. Bail: $3,000 Tamara J. Reese-Tomten, 60, of Elko was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, at Elko County Courthouse on a state prison hold. Charles J. Wanamaker, 55, of Elko was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, at 2001 Errecart Blvd. for violation of parole or condition of suspended sentence, battery with a deadly weapon, and domestic battery. Christopher W. Whitted, 34, of Carlin was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, at 12th and Railroad streets on a felony warrant for residential burglary. Bail: $100,000 Luckas C. Dawe, 35, of Reno was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, in Umatilla, Oregon on a felony warrant for possessing a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and possessing a dangerous weapon. Bail: $27,500 Charlene C. Flenaugh, 33, of Richmond, California was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, on Interstate 80 on a felony warrant for possessing a credit or debit card without cardholders consent, conspiracy to commit petit larceny, and on a criminal justice detainer. Bail: $33,000 Ashley J. Fudge, 31, of Oakland, California was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, on Interstate 80 on a felony warrant for three counts of possessing a credit or debit card without cardholders consent, conspiracy to commit petit larceny, and reckless driving disregarding personal property or safety. Bail: $41,140 Jon C. Hubbard, 32, of Spring Creek was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, at 751 Bronco Drive for six counts of possessing visual pornography of a person younger than 16. Bail: $600,000 Evan F. Molina, 18, of Elko was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, at Walmart for embezzlement, grand larceny and possessing stolen property. Bail: $30,355 Brian A. Degroot, 40, of Lehi, Utah was arrested Sept. 13, 2023, for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and destroying the property of another. Ciro H. Gonzalez-Huitron, 41, of Elko was arrested Sept. 13, 2023, in the alley behind 170 Second St. for burglary of a business and petit larceny. Bail: $50,355 Colton G. Remick, 32, of Sandy, Utah was arrested Sept. 13, 2023, on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime. Bail: $30,000 Thomas Jefferson once wrote, The government you elect is the government you deserve. George Bernard Shaw echoed Jefferson by saying democracy is a device that ensures we will be governed no better than we deserve. A European, Joseph de Maistre, who lived about the same time as Jefferson, defended monarchy by advocating that government is a true religion: it has its dogmas, its mysteries, and its ministers. To annihilate a monarchy or to allow individuals and the desires of each individual to govern does not change that. A government exists through political faith, which is a type of religion. People of means, who can afford to live where they want, move to places like Hamilton, Montana, and St. George, Utah. Many times, they abandon where they once lived because the living conditions had become increasingly unbearable. However, they do not give up their political religion. In their new home, they tend to vote for the same type of people and the same ideas they suffered under at the place they escaped. California was once almost a paradise. It is now a one-party state governed by apparently ignorant ideologs whose only solution for all problems is to double-down on previous mistakes. More people are now leaving the state than moving in. Those who move out will usually vote in their new home for the same type of people and ideas they voted for in California. People do indeed get the governments they deserve. Look at cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The voters eventually get rid of the leaders who are driving these once great cities into third-world hellholes by electing people just like the ones they voted out. Awareness is growing that we have a leadership class that is corrupt. In fact, morally bankrupt at a level difficult for most people to fathom, but who put them into office and who keeps them there? News sources and opinion pieces on the internet allow readers to make comments, which are published along with the article. One of the few positive things you will find is a creative sense of dark humor. One source claimed, with tongue in cheek, that the governor of California had declared that under his administration, crime had been reduced to the lowest level since statehood. He failed to mention that the state legislators had just decriminalized all crimes. Meanwhile, many of the other comments are profane, full of moral depravity, and often definitively mean. Most writers are blind to any argument that counters what they have been told by the sources they follow. They also display a remarkable degree of ignorance. It is OK for the government to spend $2 trillion instead of $100 billion because 2 is a lot smaller than 100. It becomes almost immediately obvious that we actually get the government we deserve. Politicians use the power of their office to get rich, but how can they do that? People who vote for them and provide money for their campaigns want the government to give them money and/or power they have not earned. They make it very clear allow me to raid the Treasury and I will help you get elected. Students, for example, may expect the government to force taxpayers to pay for their tuition debt, even though they promised to pay it back themselves. The politician who encourages this breakdown in basic morality is rewarded by being reelected. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Windy with snow showers this evening. Then clearing skies later. Low 24F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Windy with snow showers this evening. Then clearing skies later. Low 24F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Higher wind gusts possible. A top UAE minister said that diverse initiatives of GCC municipalities can accelerate climate action by strengthening community engagement. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said this as she addressed the 26th Meeting of the Committee of Ministers responsible for municipal affairs in the GCC countries. Minister Almheiri said: With the GCC States focused on building a cohesive system to enhance the quality of life of the communities, municipal initiatives play a pivotal role in achieving this by ensuring exceptional services. The UAE is committed to engaging in extensive collaboration in municipal efforts, with by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment coordinating with the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, to advance municipal actions across the Gulf. The virtual meeting was chaired by Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, and President of the current session, and attended by ministers of municipal affairs of the GCC countries. Almheiri commended the significant role played by the municipalities of the GCC countries and expressed her gratitude to the GCC Secretariat for their efforts in coordinating joint action among the stakeholders. She also reiterated her confidence in the continued and fruitful cooperation for implementing the initiatives of the GCC Municipal Action Plan 2024-2030. She called on GCC ministers in charge of Municipal Affairs to showcase the GCCs climate initiatives to the world at COP28, to be hosted by the UAE in November, and foster productive discussions to address the climate change challenge. At the event, the UAE welcomed the launch of the electronic version of the Gulf Building Code and the adoption of the joint municipal action plan for the GCC countries. The meeting covered topics that focused on development of legislation and municipal control mechanisms. TradeArabia News Network Premier Li Qiang will attend and address the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. The expo aims to promote trade and investment between China and ASEAN countries. The event comes less than two weeks after Li attended the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. At the meetings, the premier reached important understandings with leaders of ASEAN countries on deepening cooperation between China and ASEAN and building a "peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home" together, Mao said on Thursday. The expo is an important platform for deepening bilateral cooperation and enhancing regional economic integration, Mao said. The theme of this year's expo is, "Work Together for a Harmonious Home and a Shared Future Promoting High-Quality Development of the Belt and Road and Building an Epicentrum of Growth". Through this year's expo, China hopes to work with all parties to seek opportunities, meet challenges and improve the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Mao said. The country also hopes to further liberalize and facilitate trade and investment between both sides, improve regional connectivity and jointly build an open regional economy. Trade cooperation between China and ASEAN has developed steadily over the years. China has been ASEAN's largest trade partner for 14 consecutive years and both sides have remained each other's largest trade partner for three years in a row. The accumulative two-way investment between China and ASEAN countries had exceeded $380 billion by July this year. To help respond to emerging and established vector-borne threats, the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEVBD), led by Cornell, has received a five-year, $8.7 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to train and educate current and future vector-borne disease professionals and to evaluate the effectiveness of community and regional prevention strategies. The award, effective as of July, follows $10 million in CDC funding, which launched the NEVBD in 2017. The current grant cycle will seek to engage diverse communities, including Indigenous people, with a goal of increasing training for members of groups underrepresented in STEM fields. Collaborating institutions include Cornell, Columbia University, the University of Maryland, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Suffolk County Vector Control and Suffolk County Cooperative Extension, and MaineHealth. We're enhancing our ability to train the next generation of public health professionals who will be more capable of dealing with the next vector-borne disease situation." Laura Harrington, NEVBD director and professor of entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) In the Northeast, tick-borne infections are a major issue, while West Nile virus is entrenched in every state, she said. "We also want to optimize the tools and resources that we have to address and prevent vector-borne disease threats and evaluate how effective they are and how we can improve them," said Emily Mader, NEVBD program manager in the Department of Entomology in CALS. In the training portion of the grant, the NEVBD will continue to support and provide continuing education for working professionals. For example, Mader holds a monthly meeting with public health and vector control officials involved in surveillance in the Northeast where they share current human and vector surveillance data with each other. Also, an annual two-and-a-half day bootcamp training program exposes early career public health professionals to essential aspects of vector biology, surveillance and control, while also giving them a chance to network. The center will continue to support vector biology education programs, aimed in part at recruiting students traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields, including an interdisciplinary two-year Master of Science in Entomology at Cornell to educate the next generation of vector biologists and public health practitioners. The degree program, which began in 2018, involves a thesis on a pressing question in the field, where students work closely with vector control professionals. Almost all graduates to date have published their theses and all have found gainful employment. All masters' students are fully funded with tuition, a stipend and health insurance. Also, an undergraduate summer internship program will provide room, board and project-related stipends for five Cornell students per year, and subcontracts will support undergraduate students and tribal youth in a similar capacity at participating NEVBD institutions. Students will be placed with a professional mentor and will be introduced to concepts in vector biology, field surveillance, research methods and public health communication. A collaboration with partner institutions will establish an undergraduate minor and a concentration for graduate students with courses in vector biology and vector-borne diseases. Support will also be available for an Applied Practice Experience program for Cornell and partner institution master of public health (MPH) students, which will provide opportunities to learn from public agency mentors in the field. Assessing the effectiveness of communication and outreach strategies will be a major focus. Mader is working with colleagues from the Cornell MPH program and the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health to evaluate and optimize messaging from Northeast health departments on the best ways to engage individuals to protect themselves. "Unfortunately, a lot of vector-borne disease falls to individual personal prevention activities and behaviors," Mader said. "Sometimes individuals aren't aware of the risks, and how to use tools and resources available to them." Within that, the team will put attention on high-risk populations, such as agricultural and other outdoor workers. The grant will continue a program to monitor and measure mosquito pesticide resistance in the Northeast. A Lyme disease control project will additionally evaluate an oral vaccine for rodents, which are reservoirs for the Lyme pathogen. With the new funding, the center will also assess how best to train clinical providers on vector-borne disease topics, as medical schools don't cover those areas well, Harrington said. The Office of the Provost has contributed support to fund one M.S. in Entomology student and one undergraduate intern. Combination immunotherapy with the anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody durvalumab and other novel agents outperforms durvalumab alone in the neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) setting for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The findings, published today in Cancer Discovery, were first presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022. The multicenter, randomized Phase II NeoCOAST clinical trial evaluated neoadjuvant durvalumab alone and in combination with each of the following novel immunotherapies: the anti-CD73 monoclonal antibody oleclumab, the anti-NKG2A monoclonal antibody monalizumab, and the anti-STAT3 antisense oligonucleotide danvatirsen. While the study was not statistically powered to compare arms, all combinations resulted in numerically higher major pathological response (MPR) rates than with durvalumab monotherapy. This study builds on the growing evidence that combination immunotherapy has a role in the neoadjuvant setting for this patient population. Ultimately, we want to give patients a chance to live longer without their cancer returning." Tina Cascone, MD., Ph.D., associate professor of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology and lead author of the study The NeoCOAST trial adds to recent progress in neoadjuvant treatment for NSCLC, including the Phase II NEOSTAR study results published in Nature Medicine, which showed nivolumab and ipilimumab together induced higher responses than nivolumab alone, and the March 2022 approval of nivolumab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy from the Checkmate-816 study. The durvalumab combinations tested previously in the Phase II COAST trial were shown to be effective in unresectable stage III NSCLC, providing rationale for testing in earlier stage disease. The NeoCOAST study enrolled 84 patients with untreated, resectable (>2cm), stage I-IIIA NSCLC, between March 2019 and September 2020. Most patients were male (59.5%) and had a smoking history (89%). The median age was 67.5, and the racial breakdown was 89% white, 6% Black, 2% Asian and 2% other. Eighty-three patients received one 28-day cycle of neoadjuvant durvalumab alone or combined with another therapy. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed MPR, defined as 10% residual viable tumor cells in the resected tumor tissue and sampled nodes at surgery. The investigators assessed pathological complete response (pCR), or complete disappearance of viable tumor cells, as a secondary endpoint. Exploratory endpoints included tumor, fecal and blood biomarkers. All combinations had numerically higher rates of MPR and pCR than monotherapy, and there were no statistically significant differences in responses between the combination arms: For the patients who received durvalumab monotherapy, MPR occurred in 11.1% and pCR in 3.7%, which is comparable to results from other monotherapy studies. MPR rates for combination therapy ranged from 19% (oleclumab) to 31.3% (danvatirsen), and pCR rates ranged from 9.5% (with oleclumab) to 12.5% (with danvatirsen). For combination therapy with monalizumab, MPR was 30% and pCR was 10%. The safety profile in the durvalumab monotherapy arm (treatment-related adverse events in 34.6% of patients) was similar to previously published data for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. No new safety signals were identified with any of the combination regimens (treatment-related adverse events seen in 43.8% to 57.1% of patients). MPR was associated with baseline tumor PD-L1 expression of 1% in the oleclumab and monalizumab combination arms. In the oleclumab (anti-CD73) combination arm, high baseline CD73 expression was associated with pathological tumor regression, and treatment decreased CD73 expression on tumor cells, as previously observed in other studies. The oleclumab combination also was associated with greater natural killer (NK) and CD8 T cell density in the tumor center on treatment compared with baseline, suggesting an increased infiltration of effector cells in the tumor microenvironment. Updated translational studies on tumor tissues and blood samples revealed the impact of neoadjuvant treatment on the immune system. Transcriptome analysis on pre- and post-treatment samples showed an upregulation of genes associated with cytotoxicity, tertiary lymphoid structures and lymphocyte recruitment, all indicators of an activated immune response. The number of patients with no detected circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) increased progressively from pre-to post-treatment and post-surgery follow up, highlighting the relationship between decreasing ctDNA levels and improved patient outcomes. Notably, surgery was the most effective intervention to result in clearance of ctDNA. Researchers also found an enrichment of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome of patients who achieved MPR. These bacteria were previously associated with a favorable immunotherapy response across several cancer types. "Our study is a testament to how clinical trials designed with translational findings in mind can support the rapid advancement of novel immune-based combinations to larger scale studies," Cascone said. "I'm encouraged by these early findings as we work toward reducing the risk of recurrence and increasing cure rates for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer." Limitations of the study include the exploratory nature of the endpoints, small sample sizes and investigator-assessed outcomes without central review. Based on these results and the recent approval of neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy, the team has launched a follow-up randomized clinical trial, NeoCOAST-2, with Cascone serving as the global principal investigator. The trial is now enrolling patients with resectable, stage IIA-IIIA NSCLC to receive neoadjuvant durvalumab combined with chemotherapy and either oleclumab or monalizumab or other novel and promising immuno-oncology (I-O) agents, followed by surgery and adjuvant durvalumab plus oleclumab or monalizumab or other I-O agents. The study was funded by AstraZeneca, which developed durvalumab, oleclumab and monalizumab (with Innate Pharma). Cascone reports a consulting/advisory role and contracted institutional support/research consulting for MedImmune/AstraZeneca. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, researchers examine the effect of immunity conferred by previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination on the infectiousness, susceptibility, and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Study: Effect of SARS-CoV-2 prior infection and mRNA vaccination on contagiousness and susceptibility to infection. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock.com Background COVID-19 continues to burden healthcare systems throughout the globe due to its long-term complications. Furthermore, the high transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 in both human and animal populations have allowed this virus to mutate rapidly, thereby resulting in consecutive waves of infection due to the emergence of novel variants with immune-evasive abilities. Understanding how immunity against SARS-CoV-2 impacts its transmission and evolution is essential in deciphering how the virus spreads. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and various COVID-19 vaccines can confer immunity against SARS-CoV-2. While mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing infection for several months following vaccination, immunity rapidly wanes, thus necessitating the need for multiple booster vaccination doses. While SARS-CoV-2 infection may confer stronger immunity than mRNA vaccines, how this type of immunity differentially impacts infectiousness, susceptibility, and SARS-CoV-2 transmission remains unclear. About the study In the current study, over 50,000 SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and over 100,000 contacts were included to understand the impact of immune status on the secondary attack rate, which is an effective measure of viral transmission for four SARS-CoV-2 variants. About 73% of index cases included adults between 18 and 64 years of age, 22% were children, and the remaining 5% were adults over the age of 65. The study considered vaccination status, as well as previous natural SARS-CoV-2 infection of the index case and contacts while adjusting for factors such as the tendency to get tested for SARS-CoV-2, contact settings, health and social factors, and demographic characteristics. An individual who was in contact with an index case was considered infected if they tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days. Data were collected between February 2020 and February 2022, which reflects the time between the first test reported and the discontinuation of contact reporting in Geneva. These data were obtained from the Actionable Register of Geneva Outpatients and inpatients with SARS-CoV-2 (ARGOS) register, which contains information from all COVID-19-positive individuals at baseline and follow-up, demographic characteristics, and all individuals they have been in contact with. The secondary attack rate or transmission was calculated by dividing the number of infected contacts by the total number of contacts who were reported susceptible by the index cases. Immune status was characterized based on the vaccination status and history of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The immunity effect estimation was controlled for a wide range of factors, including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic conditions, body mass index, and neighborhood of residence. The analysis was also categorized according to the age group of zero to 17 years, 18 to 64 years, and older than 65 years. The periods of dominance of the EU1, Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants were used to determine the SARS-CoV-2 variant of infection. Study findings The immunity conferred by vaccination and previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was more effective in protecting individuals from infection than reducing infectiousness in individuals with COVID-19. Natural SARS-CoV-2 infection also conferred stronger immunity than vaccination, whereas recent or older SARS-CoV-2 infections conferred the same level of immunity as hybrid immunity. Susceptibility to infection was more affected by the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and time as compared to reductions in infectiousness due to vaccination, which was observed to be less sensitive to newly emergent variants and waned more slowly with time. These observations highlight the role of mRNA vaccines in reducing the infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals. Disease-mitigating interventions such as proper indoor ventilation and the use of face masks also mitigated the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions The study findings indicate that while natural SARS-CoV-2 infection granted stronger immunity than COVID-19 vaccination or hybrid immunity, the immunity granted by mRNA vaccines played a significant role in reducing the infectiousness and contributed to decreasing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust have characterized a specialized type of immune cell, which plays a key role in protecting and repairing the cells in the healthy human gut. These protective immune cells are depleted in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), leaving patients vulnerable to disease progression and severe complications. The findings could lead to better clinical management and treatment options for people living with these conditions. IBD is the collective term for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two currently incurable conditions which involve excessive inflammation in the gut, causing debilitating symptoms like pain and diarrhea. IBD is common, affecting 1 in 125 people in the UK, and its incidence is growing globally. Often starting in childhood and early adult life, it impacts some of the most socially and economically important periods of a person's life. As part of their study, published today in Science, the researchers investigated tissue from over 150 patients at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, dissecting a major population of T cells called gamma delta () T cells in the colons of people with healthy guts and people with IBD. In healthy guts, there was a unique specialized subset of gamma delta cells, termed V-gamma-4 (Vg4) cells, that intriguingly were significantly altered and often conspicuously depleted in inflamed IBD samples. Prior to this work, the team at the Crick and King's had identified molecules in the healthy gut epithelium (the cells lining the gut walls) which directly interact with Vg4 T cells. So, in this new study they tested whether losing this normal interaction between Vg4 T cells and the epithelium was underpinning disease. To do this, the team looked at relatively rare individuals carrying a gene that severely limits this interaction, and found that whereas carrying this gene didn't increase the chance of developing IBD, for those who already developed Crohn's Disease, it significantly increased the risk of disease progression and the development of severe complications. The researchers also observed that, in people whose inflammation had improved, those with restored Vg4 T cell function were less likely to relapse than those who did not. This suggests that assessing the status of Vg4 T cells could be a useful biomarker for disease progression. There's currently no cure for IBD, and for a significant proportion of the patients I treat, persistent relapses are distressing, severely impacting their day-to-day lives. Treatments tend to focus on reducing inflammation, but despite improvements in therapy, relapse rates remain high. So, we need to start targeting other areas, such as repairing the gut barrier, and T cells, particularly Vg4 cells, may offer a way to do this." Robin Dart, former Wellcome trust funded PhD student at the Crick, postdoctoral clinical research fellow at King's College London, and consultant gastroenterologist at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust People living with IBD are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, especially when the disease is uncontrolled. In some cases, people develop cancerous or pre-cancerous gut lesions that need surgical removal. Adrian Hayday, principal group leader of the Immunosurveillance Laboratory at the Crick, Kay Glendinning Professor of Immunobiology at King's College London, and leader of the study, said: "The links between uncontrolled IBD and particularly severe forms of colon cancer aren't well understood. So, it's fascinating that the key immune cell subset that we have identified as missing in IBD, may also be the same as the gut T cells described by another group in Milan as having profound potential to attack colon cancer cells. We think that defects in these cells could conceivably link the two diseases. "I see gut T cells as a vacuum cleaner clearing up damage done by infections and toxins coming in through a door which has to be kept open in order for food to pass through. If the T cells aren't working properly, damage accumulates, driving inflammation and potentially cancerous changes that can build to unchecked levels." The next steps for the research are to investigate potential drug targets for the interactions between T cell and the epithelial cells and to refine approaches for routinely monitoring gut T cells as a much-needed marker for IBD progression versus recovery. The broader implications of this immune cell biology on different body surfaces should also be a focus. This research took place with thanks to all consenting patients and to the NIHR BioResource for support in providing additional samples. The outbreak of the COVID pandemic in 2020 has once again shown how important reliable and rapid detection methods are to initiate effective measures to combat a pandemic. Scientists from the Chair of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at TU Dresden (TUD) have made considerable progress in the development of highly innovative solutions for the detection of viral pathogens in two studies they presented recently. The results of their work have now been published in the journals "ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces" and "Advanced Materials Interfaces". Customized, powerful and adaptable nanoelectronic sensors represent a promising approach to be ready to fight both current and future pandemics. These sensors not only enable conventional diagnosis in cases of suspected outbreaks, but also a continuous monitoring of ambient air in buses, trains, schools or healthcare facilities. This means that appropriate and immediate measures can be taken as soon viruses appear. Since 2020, the Dresden scientists have been working intensively on the development of miniaturized sensors for the accurate and efficient detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens. In addition to the TUD team led by Prof. Gianaurelio Cuniberti and Dr. Bergoi Ibarlucea, scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg, the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research (IPF) Dresden and the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Korea were also involved in the two studies. Sybodies: a revolution in biological recognition The first study, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, describes a groundbreaking innovative approach that significantly increases accuracy and speed of SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection. It involves inserting synthetic nanobodies, known as sybodies, into biosensors as receptors. "Sybodies represent a rapid, sustainable and ethically sound alternative that, unlike conventional antibodies, is developed and manufactured using non-animal methods," said Prof. Gianaurelio Cuniberti, who coordinated both studies with Dr. Bergoi Ibarlucea. "Another key advantage of using sybodies is their smaller size compared to antibodies, so biological recognition processes can take place much closer to the sensor surface, increasing signal strength and making the sensors much faster and more sensitive," he adds. Initial tests have been successfully conducted with silicon nanowire-based field-effect transistors modified with sybodies, demonstrating the great application potential of this approach. Overcoming the loss of sensitivity in biological fluids In another paper published in the journal Advanced Materials Interfaces, the team is looking at increasing the sensitivity of the sensors when they operate in biological fluids. Such samples have a complex molecular composition, which severely limits the sensor's detection range. To solve this problem, the scientists developed a special surface modification with a hydrogel based on the dielectric polymer polyethylene glycol. This allows measurements to be taken directly in saliva and other samples from patients, and eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly sample preparation steps. In a recent study published in The Lancet Microbe, researchers evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of upper respiratory tract samples for active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) compared to standard sputum or gastric aspirate testing. Study: Accuracy of upper respiratory tract samples to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Image Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com Background Diagnosing pulmonary disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is challenging due to limited testing access, sampling difficulties, and test sensitivity issues. In 2021, over 4 million out of an estimated 10.6 million TB patients remained undiagnosed, with only 63% of those diagnosed with pulmonary TB confirmed bacteriologically. Bacterial confirmation is crucial for precise diagnosis and effective drug-resistant treatment. While adults typically use sputum for diagnosis but can alternatively utilize urine, children, who often cannot produce sputum, can resort to alternatives such as induced sputum, nasopharyngeal aspirate, and gastric lavage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently recommended stool as a sample for TB diagnosis, but there is a demand for patient-centered, easily accessible samples compatible with various tests. Upper respiratory tract sampling, which is quick and minimally invasive, could improve diagnosis access, especially for those unable to produce sputum. Further research is crucial to refine these diagnostic methods to serve patient needs better. About the study The present systematic review and meta-analysis, following an online-published protocol, was conducted using the expertise of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine library. Comprehensive searches were performed across databases such as Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Global Health, Cinahl, Web of Science, and Global Health Archive until December 2022. Search criteria encompassed various terms related to TB and methods of upper respiratory tract sampling. Compared to traditional methods, the research analyzed studies on the accuracy of upper respiratory tract sampling for TB diagnosis. It included cohort, cross-sectional, and controlled studies from various settings without language barriers, excluding studies not focused on active TB. Upon gathering titles and abstracts, unrelated ones were excluded, and a subset was double-checked for consistency by another reviewer. Two independent reviewers determined the relevance of selected manuscripts, and a third settled any disagreements. For non-English studies, translations were conducted, and data were extracted using a structured form; when manuscripts had multiple datasets, each was treated as a separate report. For Analysis, data were summarized, and forest plots were created for different sampling methodologies. Using a hierarchical random effects model, pooled sensitivity and specificity were determined. Meta-regression, accounting for two reference standards, was conducted, and diagnostic odds ratio, along with positive and negative likelihood ratios, were computed. For child studies, separate models using a combined reference standard were employed. The study's registration was with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42021262392), and the risk of bias was gaged using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Study results In the comprehensive research analysis, 9,680 studies were identified up to January 2021, and an additional 1364 were found with an extended search until December 2022. After removing duplicates, 10,159 studies remained, of which 71 were included in the systematic review. This compilation incorporated reports on test comparisons, and a subset was included in meta-analyses. These studies differentiated upper respiratory tract sampling into four primary categories: nasopharyngeal aspirate, laryngeal swabs, oral swabs, and a miscellaneous group containing nasal swabs, mouthwash, saliva, and other mucosal or dental samples. These studies span from May 1933, to December 2022, and originated from various countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Norway, and more, with some nations only contributing a single study. The data included 24,899 samples from diverse locations like clinics, hospitals, and sanatoriums, with some studies specifically targeting children and others focusing on adults. Among the demographic data, 57.7% of 3,173 participants were male, 42.3% were female, and 19.5% of 3,709 participants tested HIV positive. Further insights reveal that 41 reports assessed the accuracy of laryngeal swabs. From May 1941 to March 1968, these studies showcased varying methodologies depending on the available technology. Utilizing cultures of expectorated sputum or gastric lavage as the primary reference test, the Analysis revealed a specific level of sensitivity and specificity; however, meta-regression highlighted a notable variance in specificity, indicating significant inconsistency across the studies. Nine studies conducted between November 1998 and May 2021, exclusively evaluated the accuracy of the nasopharyngeal aspirate in children. Different methodologies were employed, and a subsequent meta-regression, factoring the types of reference tests used, showed a significant difference in specificity. Additionally, 18 studies looked into oral swab samplings compared to microbiological reference standards. The Analysis of these studies between 2015 and 2022 pointed towards a certain sensitivity and specificity rate. Further meta-regression detected a significant impact on specificity based on the chosen reference standard. Some studies analyzed alternative sample types, including mouthwash and saliva, but their number was limited and did not permit a complete meta-analysis. Finally, older studies, especially those before 1950, lacked reporting on specific domains in evaluating the risk of bias. More recent studies also displayed high risk in participant selection due to diverse designs and varied reference standards. Ducor Petrochemicals, a global partner in the development of polypropylene plastics, has developed a product range that is specifically designed for the production of medical devices and other Life Science applications. The DuCare product range is ISO 13485 certified and specifically designed for Healthcare & Life Science applications. The certification ensures that the DuCare product range meets the rigorous standards required for medical applications, providing customers with the assurance they need to develop new medical products and applications. DuCare polypropylene is suitable for a range of applications for the medical, pharmaceutical, and life science markets, including injection moulding and compound applications. It is ideal for the production of critical applications, such as (PCR)pipette tips, medical packaging, casings and components. Turn key Customers can expect controlled production, optimal product consistency and dedicated regulatory support for all products supplied in the DuCare product range, says Patrick Ottens, Sales Director at Ducor Petrochemicals. At Ducor we are able to combine this with sustainable production of polypropylene based on bio-based , bio-circular or circular feedstocks, under ISCC PLUS certification. This allows us to produce sustainable polypropylene products for the Healthcare and Life Science markets, providing real turn-key solutions enabling the healthcare sectors to make a contribution towards their sustainability goals, without having to compromise on product safety and quality. We are able to quickly bring to market new product solutions without compromising on quality, service and consistency, focused on project ramp up with a long term volume commitment. Principles The launch of the DuCare range of products, demonstrates Ducors ongoing drive for optimization, standardization, and providing security of supply to customers throughout the value chain. The DuCare range comprises the intersection of its three core principles: control, consistency, and conformance, ensuring the full benefits of each. Ducor's product quality and consistency are key features enabling future Life Science application developments with DuCare PP. The company's website, www.ducorchem.com, provides extensive information about the DuCare product range, including the Grade Selection Guide, which includes Polypropylene homopolymers and Polypropylene random copolymers. Clinical trials have begun for a drug candidate for hard-to-treat cancers, discovered at the University of Edinburgh and licensed by US biopharmaceutical company Nuvectis Pharma, Inc. Nuvectis, which focuses on the development of innovative precision medicines for the treatment of serious conditions of unmet medical need in oncology, has launched a Phase 1a dose escalation clinical trial of NXP900 in the US. The compound, NXP900, employs a novel mechanism of action to inhibit the activity of SRC family kinases (a particular group of enzymatic proteins), in particular YES1 and SRC. An association between the SRC family of kinases (SFKs) and cancer growth has been known for several decades but previous attempts at treating solid tumors using this mechanism have met with little success. The study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic properties of NXP900 in patients with advanced solid tumors. SFKs are aberrantly activated in various cancer types and they are central mediators of various oncogenic processes such as proliferation, survival, cell adhesion, invasion, and angiogenesis. NXP900 is a potent and highly selective SFK inhibitor, including low nanomolar IC 50 against YES1 and SRC (0.5nM and 2.4nM respectively) that demonstrated robust single agent anti-cancer activity against several solid tumor types in preclinical models. The drug discovery programme was led by Professors Neil Carragher and Asier Unciti-Broceta at Edinburgh Cancer Research within the University of Edinburghs Institute of Genetics and Cancer, involving more than ten years of research. Nuvectis licensed rights to NXP900 in September 2021 from the University of Edinburgh in a deal facilitated by Edinburgh Innovations, the Universitys commercialisation service. Professor Neil Carragher said: This is the news we have been waiting for, as NXP900 makes the all-important transition from the lab into a clinical setting. This is a great step towards a medicine that could treat some of the toughest cancers and extend the lives of many thousands of people. Professor Unciti-Broceta said: To know a drug discovered and developed preclinically in our lab is now to be given to patients is extremely rewarding it is the realization of years of work, collaboration and ambition. Dr John Lonsdale, Head of Enterprise at Edinburgh Innovations, the Universitys commercialisation service, said: Im thrilled to see the progress of NXP900 into its first in-human clinical trial. We are delighted to have supported and enabled this world class research to transition from the lab out into the world, where it can begin to make a difference to peoples lives. Advancing NXP900 into its first in human clinical trial is an important milestone for Nuvectis. We believe that NXP900's unique mechanism of action which completely shuts down signaling via SFK, in conjunction with its high target specificity differentiates it from other multi-kinase inhibitors that also inhibit SFK and provides it with the potential to become the first SFK inhibitor for the treatment of solid tumors. Ron Bentsur, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nuvectis As Air Indias Vihaan completed a year, CEO Campbell Wilson, among the achievements and the vision going forward, in an email listed the safety measures taken to tackle pilot fatigue, in view of the multiple cases, which leads to flight disruptions. ALSO READ | Air India Unveils New Logo as Part of Massive Transformation Plan. Maharajas Makeover Explained Vihaan.AI is a five-year transformation plan. The first year or phase called Taxi was focussed on addressing legacy issues of the flag carrier at scale and laying the foundation for future growth. The conclusion marked the beginning of Take Off, the second phase of transformation which is focused on developing the platforms, processes and systems needed to build toward excellence. The email also spoke about how the airline plans to introduce a Pilot Sector Report (PSR) app and DocuNet! to improve safety, efficiency and compliance. Wilsons email read: Today, September 15, marks Vihaan.AIs first anniversary. While the hard work of writing this historic airlines next chapter began well before that, it was the launch of Air Indias ambitious transformation plan that really accelerated our progress Though there are many miles left to go, every one of you should be proud of all the work youve put in thus far. Theres no final destination when it comes to building and staying a world-class airline, but every day we measure significant progress in our five transformation pillars which takes us closer to where we want to be, Wilson wrote. He further said the airline has put together a snapshot of some of our most recent milestones unveiling our new brand identity, getting the CCIs green light for Air Indias merger with Vistara and launching the Jeppesen suite being just a few. When the scale of effort is so large, its only natural to look at what is yet to be done so, on occasions like this, we should all take a moment to acknowledge what has been achieved. So, take a moment to congratulate yourselves and see how far we have come in the past year! the email stated. The CEO also spoke about the airlines historic order with Boeing and AirBus. Of course, one of the major milestones of the last year was our historic aircraft order. Since then theres been a huge amount of work done to prepare ourselves for their entry to service, and to formalize all the agreements and contracts, he said. I have been talking to you about the safety protocols were introducing in all aspects of our operations. We launched Coruson a few weeks ago, which was followed by the Boeing Alertness Model (BAM)3, the fatigue mitigating tool in our Jeppesen rostering system, that will prevent publishing fatiguing rosters and pairings. Yesterdays Jeppesen Crew Ambassadors session 4) discussed this in great detail along with questions on pairings/rostering, fairness, crew welfare and admin processes. Im aware of the challenges youre currently facing but assure you that these will stabilise as we move through a period of 4-5 roster cycles. Our DOPS team has introduced several new initiatives in tandem that seek to increase the stability of printed rosters and minimise disruptions, utilise standby blocks optimally, and set up efficient communications channels, he wrote. Further, we are introducing two new digital tools the Pilot Sector Report (PSR) app and DocuNet! These tools will revolutionise our flight operations and pilot satisfaction by improving safety, efficiency, and compliance. The PSR app streamlines post-flight reporting while DocuNet simplifies document distribution, ensuring up-to-date and synchronised information. Both tools are user-friendly and integrate seamlessly with our existing systems. Look out for more information being posted by Captain Sandhu today, and thanks to the hard work of Capt. Gaurav Sabharwal, he wrote. The Maharashtra government has been making efforts to create seamless transportation for people in Mumbai. In order to achieve this goal, the Urban Development Department recently introduced an order, under which it stated to expand the Metro Line 2B. Mumbai Metro 2B Line Extension Details As per the order, the concerned department will stretch the metro network from Mandale to Cheetah Camp, which is considered one of the densely populated low-lying areas near Trombay. The line will also pass through Bandra, SV Road, BKC, Kurla, Chembur, Mandale, and Mankhurd, providing a lot of needy commuters with a convenient means of transport. Mumbai Metro 2B Line Extension Connectivity Metro Line 2B will connect the Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway, Western Railway, Mono Rail, and Central Railway. Apart from this, it will also connect the Metro Line 1, which has 12 stations on the Ghatkopar to Versova route, Line 2A ( from Dahisar to DN Nagar), Line 3 (Colaba to SEPZ), and Line 4 ( from Wadala to Kasarvadavali). Mumbai Metro 2B Line Extension Benefits The report says the metro extension project is expected to provide great relief to lakhs of commuters, allowing them to save a lot of time by providing the residents a great metro access to multiple areas. Mumbai Metro 2B Line Extension Approved When? Meanwhile, it has been reported that the recently issued order was approved in October 2026, where it was planned to connect DN Nagar to Mandale at a cost of around Rs 10,896 crore. China and Cyprus have forged a profound friendship and collaboration in a multitude of areas, which has stood the test of time despite the two countries' geographical distance, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday. Speaking at a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia, held to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Christodoulides stressed that "our bilateral relationship is based on mutual trust, respect and understanding." "Firmly anchored on this very solid base, over recent years our relations have expanded. We have maintained frequent exchanges of high-level visits, developed practical cooperation across the board, and advanced trade and economic ties to the benefit of our two peoples," Christodoulides said. The two countries have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the United Nations and other international organizations, he added. Cyprus, as a European Union (EU) member state, remains a strong supporter of the advancement of EU-China relations. "The EU and China are important partners and we both have a common interest in pursuing constructive, stable, and mutually beneficial relations, especially through the EU-China high-level political dialogue, with the aim of fostering mutual understanding and addressing the various challenges on the global stage," Christodoulides said. These challenges include climate change, health pandemics and the world economy, he explained. The Cypriot President also expressed his deep appreciation for China's long-standing support on the Cyprus question, and its unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the Republic of Cyprus. Chinese Ambassador in Nicosia Liu Yantao emphasized the value China places on its friendship with Cyprus, which it hopes to continue building upon in future. RR Kabel IPO Day 3: The initial public offering (IPO) of wires and cables manufacturer RR Kabel Ltd will close today, Friday (September 15) the last day of bidding. The RR Kabel IPO was subscribed 63 per cent on the second day of bidding on Thursday, receiving bids for 83,85,846 shares against 1,33,17,737 shares on offer. On Thursday, the non-institutional investor quota was subscribed 83 per cent, while the category for retail individual investors (RIIs) got 46 per cent subscription and qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) 78 per cent. The IPO was subscribed 25 per cent on the first day of bidding on Wednesday. The RR Kabel IPO opened for public subscription on Wednesday, September 13. It will close today, September 15. The price range for the RR Kabel IPO is Rs 983-1,035 per share. At the upper end of the price band, the issue will fetch up to Rs 1,964 crore. On Tuesday, TPG-backed RR Kabel Ltd said it has mobilised Rs 585.62 crore from anchor investors. RR Kabel IPO GMP According to market observers, RR Kabel is currently trading Rs 118 higher in the grey market. The Rs 118 grey market premium or GMP is about 11.4 per cent higher than its upper issue price of Rs 1,035 per share. This means the grey market is expecting a 11.4 per cent listing gain from the public issue. Grey market premium indicates investors readiness to pay more than the issue price. About RR Kabel IPO The IPO has a fresh issue of up to Rs 180 crore and an offer for sale of up to 1,72,36,808 equity shares. The IPO allotment will take place on September 21. It will be listed on BSE and NSE on September 26. The company runs five manufacturing units one each cable and wire units in Waghodia in Gujarat and in Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and a commercial lightings plant in Bengaluru and one each fast moving electrical goods (FMEG) units in Roorkee in Uttarakhand and Gagret in Himachal Pradesh. As much as 88 per cent of its revenue comes from cables and wires. The company proposes to utilise Rs 136 crore of the net proceeds from the fresh issue to pare down debt. RR Kabel, a part of the RR Global Group, had a net profit of Rs 214 crore on a revenue of Rs 4,386 crore in FY22. Axis Capital, Citigroup Global Markets India, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India) and JM Financial are the managers to the offer. Giving Subscribe recommendation, brokerage LKP Securities in a note said, RR Kabel is well-positioned to capture a significant share of growth due to their existing market share, their brand recognition, diversified product portfolio, ability to innovate, scale of operations, sizeable and certified manufacturing facilities and infrastructure, quality and safety of their products and the reach of their distribution network. Budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd on Friday said it has paid $1.5 million to Credit Suisse to comply with the Supreme Courts directives. It said the payment was executed on Thursday, September 14, 2023. SpiceJet Ltd. has complied with the directive of the Supreme Court by remitting $1.5 million to Credit Suisse. The payment was executed on Thursday, September 14th, the airline said in a statement. A third of the amount is part of a monthly settlement plan SpiceJet had previously agreed with Credit Suisse, and the rest are unpaid dues to the bank that have accrued since last year after the airline failed to keep up with the payment schedule. Shares of Spicejet on Friday are trading higher by 2.66 per cent at Rs 39.40 apiece on the BSE during the trade at 1108 HRS. On Monday, September 11, the Supreme Court ordered SpiceJet to make the payment by September 15 in a case related to unpaid dues. The apex court also warned the airline of unspecified drastic action at the next hearing if it failed to do so. According to Credit Suisse, SpiceJet had availed the services of SR Technics, Switzerland, for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aircraft engines, modules, components, assemblies, and parts, which were mandatory for its operations. An agreement for such services was entered into between SpiceJet and SR Technics on November 24, 2011 for 10 years. The terms of payments were also agreed upon. SR Technics had given Credit Suisse the right to receive payments from SpiceJet for the services. The apex court had on July 25 given additional time to SpiceJet to make the payment to Credit Suisse as per the consent terms agreed upon by the two parties. The top court was hearing a plea by the Swiss firm seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Spicejet CMD Ajay Singh and SpiceJet over a wilful and intentional disobedience of court orders and failure to pay dues as per a settlement between the two sides. On Tuesday, September 12, SpiceJet also paid Rs 100 crore to Kal Airways promoter Kalanithi Maran, as part of a Rs 380 crore arbitral award order, following a directive from the Delhi High Court on Monday, instructing the low-cost airline to fulfill the payment obligation. The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has officially announced the BPSC 69th prelims admit card 2023 release date. According to the official website, the preliminary admit card will be accessible on September 15. Candidates may go to the official BPSC website at bpsc.bih.nic.in to access their admit cards. The exam is set for September 30 and will take place throughout multiple districts in the state during a single shift from noon to 2 pm. BPSC 69th Prelims Admit Card 2023: How to Download Candidates can download their admission cards by following the methods outlined below. Step 1- Visit the BPSC website at bpsc.bih.nic.in. Step 2 On the home page, click the BPSC 69th Prelims Admit Card 2023 link. Step 3 Enter your login information and click the submit button. Step 4 Your admit card will appear on the screen. Step 5 Examine the admit card and save the page. Step 6 Make a hard copy for future reference. Before obtaining their admit card, candidates must log in to the dashboard and upload their most recent passport-size photo in JPEG format (25 kb), according to the official announcement. They must bring two copies of their admit card. On the day of the exam, one signed copy of the hall ticket must be presented to the invigilator at the exam centre. On September 26, all candidates will receive detailed information regarding the location where the exam will be conducted. The notice stated that all candidates must reach the exam centre by 11 am. and be seated in their respective seats by 11:05 a.m. so that the authorities can conduct the biometric authentication and facial recognition processes on time. Meanwhile, the Commission issued a notice outlining the BPSC exam specifics. The paper will consist of objective-type questions, and for each wrong answer, one-third of the total marks for that question will be deducted. The number of positions to be filled by the 69th Integrated CCE 2023 has also been raised. The commission initially announced 379 openings, which were then expanded to 442 in July. National Engineers Day, celebrated annually on September 15, commemorates the birth anniversary of Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, a distinguished engineer and former diwan of the Mysore kingdom. This day serves as an opportunity to honour engineers across India, recognizing their invaluable contributions to the nations development. On this occasion, we delve into the remarkable story of Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha, the first Indian female engineer, who defied societal norms and paved the way for women in the field of engineering. Born in 1919 into a middle-class Telugu family in Chennai, Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha was the fifth of seven siblings. While her brothers pursued engineering careers, societal norms at the time restricted her sisters to basic education. Despite her marriage at the tender age of 15, Lalithas father held a strong belief in education and ensured she completed her studies up to class 10. However, her life took a challenging turn in 1937 when her husband passed away, leaving her a widow at the age of 18. In the face of societal expectations that often demanded isolation and perpetual sorrow from widows, Lalitha chose a different path. Instead of conforming to these norms, she decided to pursue a career in engineering, a field largely dominated by men. With unwavering support from her father, who was a professor, Lalitha embarked on her educational journey at the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG). Remarkably, she was the only woman in the college, but college authorities took steps to ensure her comfort and safety, providing separate accommodation. Lalithas daughter, Syamala Chenulu, who now resides in the United States, shared that students at her mothers college were supportive, challenging stereotypes of the era. Despite the initial solitude, Lalithas determination soon led to the inclusion of more women at the college, with Leelamma George and P. K. Thresia joining for civil engineering courses. In her early twenties, Lalitha worked at various organizations, including the Central Standard Organisation, Associated Electrical Industries, and the Indian Standards Institution. She even contributed as a consultant to the United Nations on engineering projects in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Beyond her engineering achievements, Lalitha was a vocal advocate for womens rights and gender equality. She staunchly believed in equal access to education and employment opportunities for women, leaving an enduring legacy of empowerment. Kaun Banega Crorepati is one of the most popular reality shows on Indian television. Hosted by veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, the quiz show is loved by fans for the way it imparts knowledge and also makes the audience feel connected to the contestants. After Punjabs Jaskaran Singh became the first person this season to win the one crore prize amount, Indores Shubham Gangrade was anticipated to be the second. However, he quit the show on Thursday after being unable to answer a question about the Hiroshima bombings. The winning question was about the first atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan. It read, What was the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6th Aug 1945, named after? Shubhams options were: a mythical weapon, a film character, the pilots mother or the place where it was built. The correct answer to the question was the third option: the pilots mother. The name of the aircraft and the pilots mother was Enola Gay. Since Shubham did not know the correct answer, he quit the show on Thursdays episode. Shubham had already used up his remaining lifelines on Wednesday on a question about famous lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi worth Rs. 50 lakh. The question read, In Sahir Ludhianvis pen-name, if Ludhianvi means that he is from Ludhiana, what does Sahir mean? The options were: king, magician, poet or warrior. Since Shubham did not know the right answer to the question, he used the Phone A Friend lifeline for his aid. After he didnt get a definite answer even then, he used his last lifeline, Double Dip. He was then able to correctly answer the question, locking magician as his choice and bagging the prize amount. Shubham went home after winning Rs. 50 lakh and Jaskaran Singh still remains the only contestant to have won the final amount of Rs. 1 crore. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has undertaken several reforms and initiatives in the last few years to strengthen and upgrade the security infrastructure near the international border adjoining Pakistan and China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has not only launched several projects related to national security, but also took measures to connect the bordering villages with the mainland through roads, infrastructure, and connectivity. The MHA is responsible for matters concerning internal security, central armed police forces, border management, disaster management, census and centre-state relations. The ministry, under Union Home Minister Amit Shah Several, has taken initiatives like Border Area Development Programme and Vibrant Villages Programme in the bordering states. Here is a detailed look on how the Home Ministry is upgrading the border security infrastructure: Border security The government has adopted a multi-pronged approach along Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh Borders which includes round the clock surveillance and patrolling on the borders and establishment of observation post; increase in number of BSF personnel; construction of border fencing and floodlighting. The government has also increased the use of water crafts/boats, floating Border Out Posts (BOP) for domination of riverine area, advance technological equipment like Hand Held Thermal Imager (HHTI), Night vision Device (NVD), Twin Telescope, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). 2 BSF personnel and 21 local civilians involved in infiltration attempts have been apprehended since year 2021. Whenever any such involvement of officials or local persons is noticed, the central and state government authorities carry out proper investigation and appropriate strict action is taken as per the law. Key Projects in Kutch Border Union Home Minister Amit Shah last month inaugurated key infrastructure projects in the Kutch district of Gujarat along the Indo-Pakistan border. During his visit, Amit Shah met personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) and visited several border outposts including the dangerous Harami Nala and 1170 pillar close to Indias last point on the border. Harami Nala is considered to be the most challenging area in Kutch to patrol. This area has also been at the centre of cross-border mischief and exploitation by Pakistani infiltrators. Border Area Development Programme Border Area Development Programme or BADP is an initiative of the ministry to adopt a comprehensive approach to Border Management in collaboration with the State Governments and Union Territories. The objective of BADP is to meet the special development needs of the people by providing essential infrastructure in six thematic areas basic infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and water resources, financial and skill development for those living in remote and inaccessible areas situated near the international borders. Under the project, projects have been sanctioned for construction of roads and bridges, infrastructure development in health, education, agriculture, sports, drinking water and sanitation projects in habitations located within 0-10 kms from the first habitation at international border in 16 States and 2 UTs. The scheme was also implemented in the Western Border states with an aim of developing infrastructure to facilitate the deployment of BSF. Increased Budget Allocation The government, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, has earmarked Rs 1.96 lakh crore in the 2023-24 budget allocation to the Home Ministry, an increase of about Rs 10,000 crore since last year. A significant amount has been allocated this time for improving infrastructure for the patrolling of international borders amidst increased enemy drone attacks, upgradation of law enforcing infrastructure and modernisation of police besides the paramilitary forces. The actual expenditure on border Infrastructure development was Rs 3,373.71 crore during the FY 2022-23. The Budget Estimate allocation for border Infrastructure works is Rs 3,464.42 crore during FY 2023-24. Vibrant Village Programme The Home Ministry in April this year launched Vibrant Villages Programme to upgrade infrastructure in the border areas. The project aims to target villages in 46 blocks abutting northern border in 19 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and UT of Ladakh. The programme includes creation of opportunities for livelihood generation through promotion of tourism and cultural heritage, skill development and entrepreneurship and development of cooperative societies including agriculture, horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs. It also calls for providing road connectivity to unconnected villages, housing and village infrastructure, energy including renewable energy, television and telecom connectivity. The objective of the programme is to finance the funding gap in the coverage of existing schemes and 100% saturation of Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State Government Schemes exclusively for the focus areas of interventions in the identified villages so that there are sufficient incentives for the people to stay on in the border areas villages. Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit has dropped a terrorist in Punjab using a drone, an intelligence source told CNN-News18 exclusively. CNN-News18 has exclusively accessed a video showing the terror group testing the capability of dropping terrorists into the Indian territory via drones that can carry payloads of up to 70kg. ALSO READ | Lashkar-e-Taiba Testing Capability of Dropping Terrorists Into India Using Drones, Shows Video | Exclusive The exclusive video, shot inside an LeT drone training camp in Pakistans Shakargarh, shows terrorists testing the capability of the drones to carry a human and dropping him in water. A few months ago, a terrorist was sent to Punjab using a drone," said the source. He disclosed that he was sent by the LeT top brass and was given money. He was told to go by drone and settle in Punjab where he was to be given a task," the source added. According to sources, the terrorist was told to collect weapons and other ammunition from his sources in Punjab. MORE THAN AN EYE IN THE SKY Terrorist groups and drug smugglers based in Pakistan use drones to drop weapons and narco consignments into the Indian territory, mainly in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). News18 had earlier reported how 2022 saw the highest movement of drones carrying drugs into Punjab from Pakistan, with central agencies suspecting that the menace was linked to Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singhs arrival in the state. According to data accessed by News18, last year, the Border Security Force (BSF), which tackles drone menace, noticed 256 drone movements in Punjab, of which 90 per cent were inside Indian territory. According to the data, the drone movements noticed by BSF in 2021 were 67. Data also revealed that the Jammu border saw a rise in drone movement last year, with a three-fold increase in total cases of sightings. Anti-national elements and smugglers have been using drones for smuggling of arms and narcotics from Pakistan to Punjab and 28 incidents of recovery of such drones have been reported in the past three years," Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik said in Lok Sabha in March. ALSO READ | 28 Drones Being Used to Smuggle Arms, Narcotics from Pakistan to Punjab Recovered in 3 Years: Govt Pramanik had said the BSF is carrying out effective domination of the borders through round-the-clock surveillance that includes patrolling, laying nakas, manning observation posts all along the International Border. The BSF is also in the process of procurement of more anti-drone systems to be installed in Punjab on the Indo-Pakistan border for which trials are going on, he had said. With small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies facing increased scrutiny from global regulators due to recurring lapses, the Narendra Modi government is planning to handhold these drugmakers. The central government has designed capacity-building workshops to assist drugmakers in navigating the regulatory requirements effectively. The concept of the workshop was proposed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industrys pharmaceutical export wing, Pharmexcil, which has been working with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to improve the good manufacturing practices of MSME drugmakers. The workshop will be conducted in collaboration with the countrys apex drug regulatory agency, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), an arm under the Health Ministry which regulates the quality and standard of drugs in India. The one-day regional workshop, which will be held in hybrid mode, will be launched in more than 10 locations across India with the inaugural workshop starting in Delhi on Friday, September 15. The other planned locations include Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Indore, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Sikkim, Visakhapatnam and Goa. The second workshop is planned for September 16 in Baddi and Hyderabad. Why Do MSMEs Need Handholding? The move is triggered by complaints over the quality of Made-in-India medicines raised by multiple global health regulators, including the World Health Organisation, Uzbekistan, the Gambia, the United States, Marshall Islands and Micronesia. With the recent WHO Medical alerts and back-to-back reporting of cases involving fatalities brought on by supply of contaminated medications by some of the Indian companies have surfaced the non-compliance by these units to the GMP and the product quality norms, Uday Bhaskar, director general, Pharmexcil told News18. He said these incidents should not come as a rude shock as there have been numerous cases which are tarnishing the image of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. There have been numerous cases in the past wherein it was noticed that there has been a particular pattern in these incidents by the MSMEs, Bhaskar added. He explained that the objective of the planned capacity building program is to create awareness of best international practices for pharmaceutical manufacturing, aiding them in maintaining the quality of the medicaments that they produce and to further elevate the image of the Indian pharma industry. According to government data, there are around 10,500 manufacturing units in the country, of which at least 8,500 are in the category of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). Of these, only 2,000 are approved by the World Health Organization and certified as WHO-GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). In August, the central government decided to implement Schedule M across all companies to tighten the manufacturing practices of pharmaceutical companies in India. Ensure Maximum Participatio, DCGI Requests Drugmakers The letter written by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), chief of CDSCO, dated September 14, informs all drug manufacturing associations about the schedule of planned workshops across India. It is decided to conduct a one-day regional workshop across India for dissemination of Revised Schedule M requirements to all stakeholders The tentative schedule of the workshop to be held at Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Baddi in the month of September 2023 is annexed, said the letter seen by News18. The regulator requests to sensitise all members of your association to attend and ensure maximum participation in the workshop on the dates mentioned in the annexure. In case members are not able to attend physically may attend virtually. The concerned CDSCO zonal office will coordinate with you in this regard, it added. The Navi Mumbai police in Maharashtra have registered a case against a 20-year-old man for troubling a 16-year-old girl and driving her to die by suicide, an official said on Friday. The station house officer of Panvel taluka police station said the case was registered against accused Bala, alias Nikesh Gayar, under Indian Penal Code section 306 (abetment of suicide) on Wednesday following a complaint by the girls father. Citing the complaint, the official said that the victim was apparently in love with Gayar. However, he would fight with her and trouble her which drove the girl to end her life in July, the official said. The police did not elaborate on the delay between the girls death and the registration of the case. Data sent by Indias first lunar mission, Chandryaan 1, suggests that high-energy electrons from the Earth may be forming water on the Moon. Scientists led by researchers from the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa in the US, who are analysing the remote sensing data from Chandrayaan-1, found that these electrons in Earths plasma sheet are contributing to weathering processes breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the Moons surface. The research, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, found that the electrons may have aided the formation of water on the lunar body. The new finding may help explain the origin of the water ice previously discovered in the permanently shaded regions of the Moon. As per the researchers, the knowledge of the concentrations and distributions of water on the Moon is critical for understanding its formation and evolution, and to providing water resources for future human exploration. Studys Findings Solar wind, which is composed of high energy particles such as protons, bombards the lunar surface and is thought to be one of the primary ways in which water has been formed on the Moon. The team investigated the changes in surface weathering as the Moon passes through Earths magnetotail, an area that almost completely shields the lunar body from solar wind but not the Suns light photons. This provides a natural laboratory for studying the formation processes of lunar surface water, said Shuai Li, an assistant researcher at the UH Manoa School of Ocean. When the Moon is outside of the magnetotail, the lunar surface is bombarded with solar wind. Inside the magnetotail, there are almost no solar wind protons and water formation was expected to drop to nearly zero, Li said. Li and co-authors analysed the remote sensing data that were collected by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument, an imaging spectrometer, onboard Indias Chandrayaan 1 mission between 2008 and 2009. They, specifically, assessed the changes in water formation as the Moon traversed through Earths magnetotail, which includes the plasma sheet. To my surprise, the remote sensing observations showed that the water formation in Earths magnetotail is almost identical to the time when the Moon was outside of the Earths magnetotail, said Li. This indicates that, in the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons. In particular, radiation by high energy electrons exhibits similar effects as the solar wind protons, he explained. Chandrayaan-1 Mission Chandrayaan-1 played a crucial role in the discovery of water molecules on the Moon. The mission, launched in 2008, was the first Indian lunar probe under the Chandrayaan programme. This finding and the teams previous study of rusty lunar poles indicate that the Earth is strongly tied with its Moon in many unrecognised aspects, the researchers added. Chandrayaan 1 was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The mission included an orbiter and an impactor. India successfully landed Chandrayaan-3 mission, with a rover and a lander, near the Moons enigmatic south pole last month, becoming the first country to do so. (With PTI Inputs) Braving the scorching sun, engineer Rinat Turganbekov patrolled through glittering solar panel arrays that adorn the expansive plains of Kazakhstan. The Kapshagay photovoltaic power station, one of the largest single solar power projects in the Central Asian country, is a part of the China-Kazakhstan green energy cooperation initiative, jointly invested and constructed by the Chinese company Universal Energy and Kazakh counterparts. As a seasoned member of Universal Energy Kazakhstan, Turganbekov has witnessed firsthand the remarkable transformation brought about by solar power stations, providing local residents with green and affordable electricity. Meanwhile, along the Belt and Road, a series of cooperative efforts aimed at sustainable development are writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. "Chinese companies have brought significant changes to my life," said the 36-year-old, who studied in Tianjin and is proficient in Chinese. Initially, he worked as a translator at the company. During his tenure, his Chinese colleagues encouraged him to venture into project coordination. During his five years at the Chinese company, the Kazakh engineer has participated in several construction projects. In 2020, the Kaskelen photovoltaic power station project, included on the list of key projects of China-Kazakhstan capacity and investment cooperation, was in a crucial phase. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, Chinese employees could not return to Kazakhstan on time. Turganbekov, along with the Kazakh team, worked remotely with their Chinese counterparts, meticulously overcoming every challenge. Eventually, their efforts paid off, culminating in the successful and timely completion of the project. "When I look back, I still get excited. We collaborated across time zones, and everyone's hearts were in the same place, striving for the same goal," Turganbekov said. With the combined efforts of the Sino-Kazakh team, the Kaskelen photovoltaic power station was successfully connected to the grid and commenced power generation in June 2020, generating 80.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and reducing local carbon emissions by 80,800 tonnes. Meanwhile, green energy cooperation along the Belt and Road brings not only clear skies, lucid waters and lush mountains, but also newfound green wealth for people. Over these five years, Turganbekov has seen his income increase and he managed to purchase a house in the major city of Almaty. "Chinese companies have helped me grow and have improved the lives of our local people," he said. According to Turganbekov, conventional power generation methods such as coal power tend to incur relatively high costs, consequently leading to elevated electricity prices for citizens. Green energy not only facilitates Kazakhstan's transition towards sustainable development but also furnishes local residents with access to cost-effective electricity. "Particularly in the southern regions, there has historically been a deficit of electricity, necessitating transmission from the northern regions. However, with the establishment of solar and wind power stations by Chinese enterprises, residents in the southern regions no longer contend with electricity shortage." Nan Yi, chairman of the Chinese energy company, revealed that since 2015, the company has been investing in new energy projects in Kazakhstan, including photovoltaic and wind energy stations. To date, it has completed the construction of six new energy stations with a total capacity of 380 megawatts, all listed on the key projects list of China-Kazakhstan capacity and investment cooperation. These projects reduce carbon dioxide emissions by one million tonnes annually, while meeting the electricity needs of approximately 600,000 local households. As of now, the cumulative electricity generation of the new energy stations invested, constructed and operated by the company in Kazakhstan has surpassed 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.7 million tonnes. "Nowadays, more and more people are joining hands with each other to build the Belt and Road," Nan said. With a growing number of Chinese companies' present in Central Asia, solar power and wind power stations have gained widespread recognition. Both state-owned and private enterprises are actively "going global," promoting standardized construction in local regions, and providing support for local development, Nan added. According to the senior executive, through cooperation along the Belt and Road, the strengths of both China and its foreign partners can be better leveraged, ultimately achieving mutual benefits. "The 'win-win example' in Kazakhstan has made it easier for us to explore the Uzbekistani market. According to the agreement, Universal Energy will invest in and construct a 500-megawatt wind power project in the country. In the future, we will also work with more countries along the Belt and Road," Nan said. This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows a vehicle carrying a component from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan, passing the Sayram Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows the vehicles carrying a batch of components from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan, passing the Sayram Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) This photo taken on Oct. 22, 2020 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 14, 2022 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2022 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows the vehicles carrying a batch of components from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan, driving on the Guozigou Bridge in Huocheng County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 14, 2022 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) Even as investigations into four different cases pertaining to the alleged Covid scam by officers from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and contractors are underway by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Mumbai polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW), almost two months after the first arrest by the central agency in the Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) case, it has filed a charge sheet. The charge sheet, which runs into 78 pages excluding annexures, has statements from more than 40 witnesses. What ED says According to the ED, the investigation found that the proceeds of the crime in the case were around Rs 32 crore. However, no attachments have been made in the matter so far, and this, sources say, will happen in the next few weeks. The charge sheet names Sujit Patkar, who is believed to be a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, Dr Kishor Bisure (BMC medical officer), and three other people. ED raids in this case were also conducted at the residences of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal and Suraj Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) in June. Following this, Patkar and Bisure were arrested as part of the investigation. What is the case? Lifeline Hospital got a contract for a Covid field hospital at Dahisar. It received over Rs 30 crore as payment from the BMC, but only Rs 8 crore was used for actual work, according to the allegations. During the Covid pandemic, several field hospitals were constructed and used by the BMC. In the initial FIR at Azad Maidan police station, it was alleged that most contracts related to field hospital management were allotted under political influence by BMC officials at inflated costs. The FIR also alleged that the civic body on the directions of then additional municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and his seniors allotted work to LHMS for managing the field hospital at Dahisar. Of the Rs 30 crore handed over by the BMC to LHMS, Rs 22 crore was allegedly diverted into shell companies and various other firms accounts for personal use. As per the records of LHMS, it was formed by Sujit Patkar in 2020 and bagged the contract for managing the field centre within a month, despite not having any experience. In a major relief to Ganeshotsav Mandals, the Eknath Shinde government has decided that organisers across the state will be granted permission for five years in one go instead of applying every year. Our government has decided that we will give permission to Ganesh Mandals for five years instead of every year. This will help them concentrate on preparations and reduce their tension, said Mumbais guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar. Every year, Mandals celebrating Ganeshotsav had to obtain permission from the local municipal corporation and local police station. Many times, Mandals would apply late which would then translate to late permissions, hampering preparations. All Ganesh Mandals need permission of the local body to erect Pandals and decorate them. They also need NoC to take temporary electricity connection apart from police permission. The latest decision of the Shinde government thus comes as a huge relief to the Mandals in Mumbai, Pune and Nasik ahead of Ganeshotsav which starts from September 19. Since assuming power, the Mahayuti government has laid more emphasis on Hindu festivals and encouraged people to participate and celebrate them on a large scale. Like last year, this year too BJP and the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena have arranged special trains and buses for Konkan region to ensure easy travel for many Mumbaikars who hail from Konkan. Last year, the government celebrated Navratri, Deepawali and Gudipadva on a large scale in the state. The governments focus on trying to attract the states urban crowd by organising and celebrating the festivals seems to be a calculated move ahead of local body elections that are expected this year. Haryana Police has arrested Congress MLA from Nuh, Mamman Khan, in connection with the violence that broke out in various parts of the city on July 31. Satish Kumar, Ferozepur Jhirkha Deputy Superintendent of Police and the head of the SIT investigating the case, confirmed the arrest on Friday. Hours after his arrest, the BJP-led Haryana government on Friday ordered the suspension of mobile Internet and the bulk SMS services in the district for two days. A government order in this regard does not mention anything about Khans arrest though. The mobile internet has also been temporarily suspended in Nuh District from 10:00 a.m. on September 15 to 11:59 p.m. on September 16. We have imposed Section 144 CrPcin Nuh and we have also requested people to offer Friday prayers at their homes, Nuh Superintendent Of Police. Khan, the Ferozepur Jhirka legislator, was named an accused in an FIR lodged after the communal clashes. He was arrested late last night, the Haryana Police said. Adequate police forces have been deployed in the entire Nuh district following Khans arrest. Tight security arrangement has been made in and around the court complex where Khan is expected to be produced by the police later in the day. Khan was named an accused in an FIR lodged after the Nuh violence, the Haryana government had told the High Court on Thursday, also claiming that the police have the phone call records and other evidence to back the charges. The Haryana government had last month too suspended mobile Internet services in the Nuh district for several days after the July 31 incident of violence. Haryanas Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal told the High Court that Khan was named an accused on September 4 after the evidence against him was evaluated. There was ample evidence against him, he later told reporters on Thursday. A Vishva Hindu Parishad-led procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh on July 31. Six people were killed, most of them during the attack. A cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram. (With PTI Inputs) "Unprecedented and historic" consensus on the first day of the G20 leaders summit, India sent a strong message to the world that it has arrived, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. The G20 adopted the New Delhi Leaders Summit Declaration on September 9, which is seen as a major breakthrough amid conflicting world views on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. "Every global leader from both sides of the divide in a very broken world wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the G20 Presidency of India to succeed, and we were able to forge an unprecedented and historic consensus on the first day itself of the G20 leaders summit, sending a strong message to the world that India has arrived," Goyal said while addressing a CII event on Clean Energy. He said the world also has seen Indias capacity and capability, whether it was during the Covid pandemic or tackling the challenges that have emerged from the conflict in Ukraine. "the world has seen India's leadership led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has seen the capability of 140 crore Indians to be able to provide the world with a better deal," the minister said. Goyal also took a jibe at certain opposition political parties "who were almost being gleeful" that India will not be able to have an outcome document. He said the nation endorses the effort being made to position India as a global leader, and this was too unfortunately sought to be politicised. The minister further said the larger companies in the renewable energy space should be looking at integrating with global companies by engaging in collaborations and partnerships. Referring to agricultural exports, Goyal said agri-related exports crossed over USD 50 billion last year and are expected to grow significantly in the years to come. Just a poster remains of the false enigma that Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh had built in his village near Amritsar before his arrest this April. His radicalisation infrastructure stands dismantled and Singh along with his aides is now locked far away in Assams Dibrugarh jail. Surprisingly, residents of Jallupur Khera village now say that Khalistan was a bogey created by Singh and no such sentiment is there on the ground. Khalistan is no issue, I dont feel sothere is nothing on the ground, some people like Amritpal created it. How can Khalistan be made? This is India and it will remain so, two village elders, Satpal Singh and Harman Singh, told News18 in Amritpals village on Thursday. The local gurdwara where Singh used to give his sermons, and a structure nearby where he ran a so-called de-addiction centre, lie deserted. Villagers said the police raided that structure to recover arms and claimed that Singh radicalised youths here and gave them arms training, rather than weaning them off drugs. Not many in the village, however, want to talk about Singh anymore, saying he is a finished force and those close to his family admit there is little chance of him stepping out of jail for many years given the strong charges put on him. Singh had absconded in March after the police tried to arrest him and he finally surrendered in Rode village of Punjab after 35 days. At his family home too, there is a pall of gloom with his parents getting few chances to meet him in jail. Some youths in the village, however, say Singh did a good job on drug eradication and his private militia enforced a drug-use ban in the area. He was a man who got misguidedthere were no thefts in the area when he was here as there was no drug abuse. Now, again, you can find drug addicts everywhere around the village and neighbouring areas, they said. People in Jallupur Khera, in fact, say the bigger issue is jobs and unemployment. There are no jobs herethe children of all of us are abroad in Canada. The Punjab government should work on that as, if jobs come, the youth will not be misguided towards drugs or Khalistani talk, Satpal and Harnam said. It is, however, safe to say that the Amritpal factor is finished. Around two-three terrorists are still trapped as the gunfight between security forces and terrorists continues even 72 hours later in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag, the ADGP Kashmir said on Friday. The army and the police launched a joint search operation to hunt down the terrorists late Tuesday night. At least two more Army officers have been injured in the encounter which has been underway in Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district since early hours on Wednesday. Two army officers and a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir died in a fierce gunfight between security forces and terrorists on Wednesday. Their deaths came less than 24 hours after another Indian Army jawan and an Army dog were gunned down in Rajouri. As per media reports, the General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) of the Chinar Corps, Lt General Rajiv Ghai, and the GOC of the Victor Force, Maj General Balbir Singh is currently monitoring the operations. Visuals from Gadole forests of Kokernag in Anantnag district, where an encounter between security forces and terrorists is underway since Tuesday evening. pic.twitter.com/UQc9oJXA46 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 CNN-News18 earlier reported that terrorists are now equipped with YSMS technology, which was used earlier in deadly attacks of 2016 and 2019. So far, four security forces personnel Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonack, and Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat, and rifleman Ravi Kumar have been killed in the gunfight with terrorists. They are believed to be have been killed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Armys XV Corps commander Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai paid homage to Colonel Singh and Major Dhonchak and laid wreaths on the coffins carrying the mortal remains of the two slain officers at the Badamibagh cantonment in Srinagar. On Friday, the mortal remains of Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchack were brought to their residences in Panipat. Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat was laid to rest on Thursday at his residence in Budgam. Anti-Pakistan protests were also held in various parts of Jammu city yesterday, against the killing of four security personnel by terrorists. The Panun Kashmir and the Eik Sanatam Bharat Dal (ESBD) paid homage to the personnel and demanded a massive operation against the terrorist ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. The Mumbai polices Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) seized mephedrone worth Rs 1.41 crore and arrested four persons for alleged possession from different areas of south Mumbai, an official said on Friday. Officials of the Azad Maidan unit apprehended two drug peddlers during patrolling in Colaba on Tuesday, the official said. The police recovered mephedrone from the duo, who gave them information about their suppliers, he said. The police team nabbed one more person from Colaba and another supplier from the Dongri area on the same day, the official said. The police have recovered 705 gms of mephedrone worth Rs 1.41 crore from the accused, he said. The two drug suppliers have a criminal history and were involved in eight offences. One of them had been externed from the city for two years. As the fear of Nipah gripped the coastal state of Kerala, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday said mortality among the infected is very high in the virus (between 40 and 70 per cent) compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3 per cent. However, ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl asserted that all efforts are on to contain the spread of the virus in Kerala. All patients are in contact of an index patient, he said. #WATCH | Nipah virus | DG ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl says, If COVID had a mortality of 2-3%, here the mortality is 40-70%. So, the mortality is extremely high pic.twitter.com/O60erWop9v ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 The brain-damaging virus has killed two people and infected three others in Keralas Kozhikode district so far. A central team, comprising experts from various fields, has also reached Kozhikode district to assess the situation and suggest remedial measures. Nipah Virus: ICMR Suggests Precautionary Measures The ICMR official also informed about precautionary measures to be taken against the prevention and spread of the Nipah virus. He highlighted the need for repeated hand washing and wearing face masks. There are 4-5 measures, some of them are exactly the same as that taken against COVID repeated hand washing, mask. In this case, the most important is the contact with the human patient because most of the time, the first patient gets it from somewhere and the others are contacts of that patientThe third most important thing is staying away or not getting exposed to body fluids, and blood. So safety biosafety, hospital safety, isolation. #WATCH | DG ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl lists out precautionary measures against the prevention and spread of the Nipah virus.There are 4-5 measures, some of them are exactly the same as that taken against COVID repeated hand washing, mask. In this case, most important is the pic.twitter.com/3SP4hLl9s1 ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl said India will procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Nipah virus infection. We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently, the doses are available for only 10 patients, he said. According to him, no one so far has been administered the medicine in India. Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection, he said, adding it can only given as compassionate use medicine. Why Nipah Cases Keep Surfacing in Kerala, ICMR Reacts When asked why cases keep surfacing in Kerala, Bahl said, We do not know. In 2018, we found the outbreak in Kerala was related to bats. We are not sure how the infection passed from Bats to humans. The link couldnt be established. Again we are trying to find out this time. It always happens in the rainy season. He said monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived. Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only given as compassionate use medicine, he said. Globally monoclonal antibody have been given to 14 patients infected with NipahVirus outside India and all of them have survived. The decision to use the antibody, however, has to be of the Kerala governments, besides that of doctors and also families of patients. It is the fourth time the virus infection has been confirmed in the state. In 2018 and 2021 it was confirmed in Kozhikode and in 2019 in Ernakulam. HOW NIPAH VIRUS SPREADS The virus can spread through infected fruit bats to people and other animals, such as pigs. People can become infected if they have close contact with an infected animal or its body fluids, such as saliva or urine. Once it spreads to people, the disease can spread from person-to-person. NIPAH VIRUS SYMPTOMS The Nipah infection can cause problems ranging from respiratory issues to fatal encephalitis, meaning inflammation of the brain. The incubation period of Nipah infection varies from 4 to 21 days. In the initial stages, there may be symptoms like fever, headache, dizziness and vomiting. Moderate to high grade fever, Headache, Vomiting, Cough, Breathlessness, Change in behaviour/sensorium, Seizures/abnormal movement, Myalgia or pain in a muscle and Fatigue are some symptoms of Nipah virus. (With ANI, PTI inputs) One more case of Nipah infection has been confirmed in Keralas Kozhikode district. State health minister Veena Georges office said that a 39-year-old man has been confirmed with the Nipah virus after his samples turned positive. He was under observation in a hospital. He had sought treatment at a private hospital where Nipah-positive affected were treated for other ailments earlier, it said in a statement on Friday. With this, the total number of Nipah cases has gone up to six in Kozhikode. Nipah Virus Top Points The ICMR has delivered the antibody requested by Kerala to combat the deadly virus. A mobile laboratory was also sent to ground zero to enable the state to test samples. The ICMRs National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune sent its mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory to Kozhikode to test samples for the virus in the district itself after five cases, including two deaths, were recorded. A five-member central team comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital and NIMHANS has been stationed in Kerala to take stock of the situation and assist the state government in the management of the Nipah infection. Apparently, samples will also be collected from bats to check for the virus presence. Additionally, a fully-equipped mobile virology testing laboratory of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) was dispatched to the northern Kerala district to strengthen virus testing and detection. The district administration has already declared a holiday for educational institutions in Kozhikode on Saturday (September 16), in addition to Thursday and Friday. George said the state has been vigilant and Kozhikodes neighbouring districts Kannur, Wayanad and Malappuram should also be cautious. Around 11 wards in Kozhikode district were declared as containment zones till Wednesday evening. ALSO READ | Check Fruits Coming from Kerala: Alert in Karnataka Amid Nipah Virus, Hospitals Prepped The Rajasthan government on Thursday directed medical officials to remain alert regarding any Nipah outbreak in the wake of cases being reported from Keralas Kozhikode district. The medical and health services department director has issued an advisory in this regard to the principals of all medical colleges and chief medical and health officers of all districts. The department has also issued an advisory for health workers. (With inputs from PTI) In her early seventies, Meena Devi heaved a sigh of relief after a special NIA court pronounced the death sentence for Atif Muzaffar and Mohammed Faisal. The two men, allegedly linked to the Islamic State terror group, killed Devis husband and retired school principal Ramesh Babu Shukla for sporting a tilak and a kalava (sacred thread) while he was on his way home in Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur district. Devi, who couldnt control her emotions as the death sentence was pronounced, said her seven-year-long battle for justice has finally ended. I can die peacefully now, she said. While pronouncing the sentence, the court observed that the motive of this murder was to spread terror among non-Muslims. The incident was reported in October 2016 near Jajmau Chowki, Kanpur under Chakeri Police Station when Babu, a Hindi-Sanskrit teacher at Swami Atmaprakash Bahmchari Junior High School, was returning home on his bicycle. Akshay Shukla, the eldest of Babus children, remembers like it was yesterday. I was attending a lecture in the college when I received my mothers call who broke the news that left us all shattered. Baba is no more, he was shot dead. We kept the police asking why he was killed, but they had no answer to our query. It was tough to understand why anybody would kill my simple living father, who was a retired school principal and was a teacher of Hindi and Sanskrit in a school, said Shukla. The family got an answer seven months later when the Kanpur Police clinched a major breakthrough and arrested one of the murderers who allegedly confessed to killing Ramesh Babu for sporting the tilak and Kalava. Kaushal Kishore Sharma, NIA special public prosecutor, said: Ramesh Babu was targeted for his religious identity. The fact has come to light during investigation that the assailants who were inspired by ISIS ideology killed the retired principal after seeing Kalava on his hand and tilak on his forehead. Mohammed Saifullah, who was the third accused in the case, died in an exchange of fire with the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad on March 7, 2017. NIA prosecutor Sharma further said that the convicts had revealed in the interrogation that they wanted to detonate a bomb at Lucknows Ramleela Ground during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit in 2016. After the convicts were sentenced to death, Meena Devi said: I can die peacefully now. I still cant understand that my husband was killed just for a Kalava or tilak, she added. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Between now and the years end, the figure could reach roughly 6 billion USD. Since early this year, the export of wood and wooden furniture has been dull, with a shortage of orders common in most businesses. In the past eight months, the export turnover neared 8.3 billion USD, down around 26% annually, Phuong said. Since May this year, the Vietnamese firms have been importing a significant amount of raw wood materials which rise by 5-10% per month. This is a sign that they are actively preparing for end-of-year orders, he added. Citing data from the International Trade Centre (ITC), Phuong revealed that the Vietnamese wood enterprises are also importing a substantial amount of machinery and equipment, totaling approximately 240 million USD, mostly from China, Europe, the Republic of Korea and Japan, among others. According to him, the 2023 Vietnam International Woodworking Industry Fair (VietnamWood 2023) and the Vietnam International Furniture Accessories, Hardware & Tools Exhibition (Furnitec 2023) will be concurrently held in Ho Chi Minh City from September 20-23. Organised by the Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company, Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co and HAWA, the events will also feature livestream sessions to introduce new technologies and a series of wood technology seminars with topics such as proactive production - simplified operations, green factories with a focus on carbon neutrality, equipment health and smart maintenance, among others. Book on Fidel Castros visit to Vietnam launched in Cuba The book "Fidel Castro, Nuestra Sangre por Vietnam" (Fidel Castro, Our Blood for Vietnam) was launched by the Latin American News Agency, Prensa Latina, in Havana on September 13, marking the 50th anniversary of the leader's historic visit to Vietnam, reported the Voice of Vietnam. The book "Fidel Castro, Nuestra Sangre por Vietnam" (Fidel Castro, Our Blood for Vietnam) is launched by the Latin American News Agency, Prensa Latina Speaking at the event, Prensa Latina President Luis Enrique Gonzalez noted that the book is a collaboration between Prensa Latina and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA). The 76-page book gathers dozens of images that mark a milestone in the relations and fraternity between Cuba and Vietnam. Fidels presence in Vietnam was a gesture of personal courage and a call for the international community to learn about the cause of the heroic Vietnamese people, and an expression of its solidarity with that struggle, he added. Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung said the book contributes to helping young Cuban and Vietnamese people to have a better understanding of countless efforts by their older generations to build and nurture the two countries relations which have been passed down generations to them. Earlier, the Vietnam News Agency Publishing House publicised a bilingual a book on the visit by Cuban leader Fidel Castro to the liberated zone in Vietnam's central province of Quang Tri during the war 50 years ago. The publication in Vietnamese and Spanish named "Fidel Castro - Vi Viet Nam, nguyen hien dang ca mau!" (Fidel Castro - Nuestra Sangre Por Vietnam" [Fidel Castro: Our blood for Vietnam]) marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban leaders visit, reminding people of his famous saying For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood. It also helps readers have a better understanding about Fidel's special affection for Vietnam, Vietnamese people, and President Ho Chi Minh. Peruvian ceramic artworks set to be exhibited in Hanoi An exhibition opening with the title of Pucara Bull is scheduled to take place at the Art and Culture Centre at 22 Hang Buom Street in Hanoi from September 16 to September 24 to mark the occasion of the 29th anniversary of Vietnam-Peru diplomatic relations, reported the Voice of Vietnam. The exhibition is being organised by the Embassy of Peru in Vietnam and will offer the public in the capital the unique opportunity to appreciate one of Peru's most iconic symbols, traditional Peruvian pottery. On display across the function will be 18 meticulously crafted ceramic artworks that exhibit distinctive designs, decorations, and a high aesthetic value. These pieces reflect the immense creativity and exceptional skills of various Peruvian ceramic artists. This cultural event is part of a larger initiative being ran by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, in collaboration with the Municipality of the "Leal Villa de Pucara" and 10 associations of Pucara artisans. These associations consist of more than 500 ceramic artisans who diligently preserve and nurture the ancient pottery tradition. The exhibition will witness the participation of two Vietnamese painters Le Huy and Tran Anh Tuan who will come together to create Pucara Bull artworks by applying typical techniques of traditional Vietnamese painting. According to Ambassador of Peru to Vietnam Augusto Morelli Salgado, the exhibition will help both countries gain a deeper understanding of their traditional culture, thereby enhancing the friendship relations between the two sides. Furthermore, the Embassy of Peru in co-ordination with Puppets Studio art workshop will organise a Pucara bull statue decoration event with the theme of "Make your own amule" between September 16 and September 17, with the occasion being free for all visitors. Since 2022, this function has been traveling to various countries around the world. In Asia, these ceramic artworks have been showcased in several countries, including Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. After Vietnam, the Pucara bull collection will continue its journey onwards to India. Vietnam developing community-based tourism associated with local culture Developing community-based tourism in association with indigenous culture has received due attention from various localities across Vietnam, as it has proved effective in attracting both domestic and foreign tourists, reported Vietnam News Agency. Xoan singing performance in Hung Lo ancient communal house (Photo: VNA) The northern midland province of Phu Tho is one among the localities well exploiting community-based tourism. Performances of Xoan singing UNESCO-recognised Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, in Hung Lo ancient communal house have become a unique cultural tourism product. Le Thi Xuan Huong, deputy director of the Phu Tho tourism promotion information centre, said that since Hung Lo ancient village was recognised as one out of Phu Thos two community-based tourist sites, it has seen surges in the number of domestic and foreign visitors. On average, each month, the village welcomes three delegations of European visitors. Hung Lo ancient communal house (Photo: VNA) Home to 54 ethnic groups, Vietnam holds huge potential in developing this type of tourism, associated with preserving and promoting the value of native culture. This type of tourism has contributed to improving the life of local people. To achieve sustainable livelihoods, Pham Hai Quynh, director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute and chairman of the Vietnam Community-based Tourism Chapter (VCTC), stressed the need for locals to get ready to develop tourism, and for authorities to support them in this work. Each locality needs to select products as orientations to develop community-based tourism, step up promotion activities, and intensify international cooperation to attract investment in this field, he added./. Ganesh Chaturthi, a significant Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, is fast approaching. During this 10-day festival, devotees present sweets and savouries to the deity, with Modak being a cherished treat believed to be favoured by Lord Ganesha. The most popular type of Modak during this festive season is the steamed version known as Ukadiche Modak, which is not only delicious but also offers health benefits. Lets delve into the advantages they provide and how to make them at home. ALSO READ: Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Date, History, Significance, Rituals, Muhurat, Puja Vidhi, Vrat Katha, and More Ukadiche Modak Benefits Boosts Iron LevelsUkadiche Modak can enhance your iron levels and help in maintaining the haemoglobin level due to the presence of jaggery. Iron intake is essential for preventing anaemia. Lowers Blood PressureUkadiche Modak contains coconut, which is known to possess several heart-healthy properties. The coconut used in Ukadiche Modak contains sterols, which are known to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and improve HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Additionally, the medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut contribute to maintaining heart health. Improves Bowel MovementGhee, another ingredient in Ukadiche Modak, can be beneficial for your gastrointestinal health. It aids in rebuilding the intestinal lining and supports the elimination of toxins, promoting regular bowel movements. This can be particularly helpful for individuals struggling with constipation. Boosts ImmunityJaggery, a key component of Ukadiche Modak, is packed with essential nutrients. It is rich in saturated fats, vitamins, and minerals, all of which can contribute to a robust immune system. Healthy during PregnancyFor expectant mothers, Ukadiche Modak can be a nutritious choice. These sweet dumplings consist of a good amount of iron, magnesium, and healthy fats. During pregnancy, magnesium supports muscle and nerve function while iron helps in preventing anemia. How to make Ukadiche Modak Ingredients: For the Outer Modak Covering: 1 cup rice flour 1 cups water 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter) tsp salt 1 cup fresh grated coconut 1 cup grated jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) 1 tsp cardamom powder tsp nutmeg powder 1 tsp poppy seeds 1 tsp ghee Method: For the Filling: Step 1: Heat ghee in a pan and add poppy seeds. Step 2: Gradually add grated coconut and jaggery. Mix well and cook on low flame for 7 to 9 minutes until the moisture from the jaggery dries up. Step 3: Turn off the flame and add cardamom powder and grated nutmeg. Step 4: Let the filling cool, and then set it aside. Making Rice Flour Dough: Step 1: Add water, ghee, oil, and salt to the pan and boil it. Step 2: Now on low flame, gradually add the rice flour while stirring continuously. Make sure that all the rice flour is properly mixed with the water. Step 3: Turn off the flame, cover, and keep it aside for 10 minutes. Step 4: On a large plate, take the dough and knead it until it becomes smooth. If the dough appears hard, or dry, add a little warm water and continue kneading. Step 5: Make small balls from the dough and roll them until smooth in your palms. Step 6: Now create a round shape by flattening dough balls with your fingers. You can apply ghee or oil to your palms while flattening. Step 7: Add the coconut and jaggery filling in the centre of the flattened dough. Step 8: Bring together all the edges of the dough and join them to enclose the filling. Remove any excess dough from the top and shape and taper the top portion of the modak with your fingers. Step 9: Grease a steamer with a bit of ghee or oil and place the shaped modak, leaving some space between them. Step 10: While placing the modak in the steamer, ensure the water is hot. Cover the pan and let it steam for 10 to 15 minutes over medium flame. Step 11: Once it is steamed, drizzle a little saffron milk on top and your Ukadiche Modak is now ready to be served. Engineers Day in India is celebrated on September 15 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of one of Indias greatest engineering visionaries, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. Sir Visvesvaraya, born in 1861, was not only a distinguished engineer but also a statesman and the Diwan of Mysore. He played a pivotal role in the development of Indias infrastructure and was a pioneer in various fields of engineering. His contributions left an indelible mark on the nation, and Engineers Day serves as a tribute to his remarkable legacy. ALSO READ: National Engineers Day 2023: Date, History, Significance, Celebration, Facts and Quotes by M Visvesvaraya On this day, India honours the countless engineers who have made significant contributions to the countrys growth and development. Its a day to celebrate the spirit of innovation, problem-solving, and technological advancement. Engineers from various fields, including civil, mechanical, electrical, computer, and more, are recognized for their relentless efforts in shaping a better future for India. HAPPY ENGINEERS DAY 2023 WISHES Wishing all the engineers a happy Engineers Day! May your innovative spirits continue to drive progress and inspire future generations. On Engineers Day, lets salute the brilliant minds behind Indias technological advancements. Your dedication to innovation is commendable. Happy Engineers Day! Your ability to turn ideas into reality is what propels the world forward. Keep innovating! To all engineers, may your equations always balance, your designs remain flawless, and your dreams come true. Engineers Day wishes to you! Engineers shape the world with their creativity and precision. Heres to all the engineers may your projects be successful and your ambitions limitless. Happy Engineers Day! Your work bridges the gap between imagination and reality. Keep building a brighter future! Engineers are the architects of progress. Your dedication to innovation is the foundation of a better tomorrow. Happy Engineers Day! Wishing all engineers a day filled with inspiration and a future filled with success. Engineers Day greetings to the visionaries of tomorrow! WATCH: 7 Bollywood Actors Who Are Also Engineers On this Engineers Day, remember that your contributions to society are invaluable. Keep designing, inventing, and innovating! Engineers Day is a reminder of the power of human ingenuity. May your ideas continue to transform the world. Happy Engineers Day! HAPPY ENGINEERS DAY 2023: QUOTES ON ENGINEERING Engineering is the art of making what is already known useful, and of discovering what is not yet known to be useful. Henry Petroski An engineer is someone who can do for one dollar what any fool can do for two. Charles Proteus Steinmetz The true test of an engineer is how well he can solve a problem that he has never encountered before. Henry Ford Engineering is the application of science to the task of making life better. Stephen Hawking Engineers are the people who make the world work, and they deserve our respect and admiration. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most important Hindu festivals of the year. It is a festival of lights that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the victory of light over darkness. Diwali is celebrated on the darkest night of the lunar month of Kartika, which typically falls in the months of October or November. From its significance and traditions to the regional variations in its celebration, here are the various aspects of the religious festival. When is Diwali in 2023? Date and Timing Diwali is celebrated on the fifteenth day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. This year, the festival of lights will be celebrated on Sunday, November 12. The auspicious festival typically spans five days, with each day having its unique significance and rituals. Diwali Muhurat Talking about the timings, the Diwali puja is performed during specific auspicious hours. Devotees seek the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha for wealth, prosperity, and wisdom. According to Drik Panchang, the Lakshmi Puja Muhurat is anticipated to take place between 5:40 PM and 7:36 PM, which is the duration of 1 hour and 56 minutes. The other important timings are mentioned here: Pradosh Kaal 5:29 PM to 8:08 PM Vrishabha Kaal 5:39 PM to 7:35 PM Amavasya Tithi Begins 2:44 PM on November 12, 2023 Amavasya Tithi Ends 2:56 PM on November 13, 2023 Auspicious Timings For Diwali Puja Date Festivals Puja Muhurat Puja Muhurat Timings 10-Nov-23 Dhanteras Dhanteras Puja Muhurat 6:20 PM 8:20 PM 11-Nov-23 Choti Diwali Hanuman Puja Muhurat 11:57 PM 12:48 PM 11-Nov-23 Choti Diwali Kali Chaudas Muhurat 11:57 PM 12:48 PM 12-Nov-23 Diwali Lakshmi Puja Muhurta 5:40 PM 7:36 PM 13-Nov-23 Govardhan Puja Govardhan Puja Pratahkala Muhurat 6:45 AM 9 AM 14-Nov-23 Bhaiya Dooj Bhai Dooj Aparahna Muhurat 1:30 PM 3:45 PM Sources: Drikpanchang What is Diwali? History and Significance The exact origins of Diwali remain undocumented, but several legends surrounding the festival all share a common theme: the triumph of good over evil. It can be said that different regions of the country commemorate this day for various reasons. In northern India, Diwali is observed as the occasion when Lord Rama, accompanied by his wife Sita, and his brothers Lakshman and Hanuman, returned to Ayodhya following 14 years of exile and their victory over the demon king Ravana. As their return occurred on a moonless night (Amavasya), people lit earthen lamps on Diwali night to welcome them. On the other hand, South Indians celebrate Diwali as the day when Lord Krishna vanquished the demon Narakasura. Additionally, it is believed that the divine union of God Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi took place on this day. Other legends also suggest that Goddess Lakshmi was born on the new moon day of the Kartik month. Diwali 2023: Celebration Date in Different Regions of India Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm across India, but the dates and customs can vary from one region to another. Heres a brief overview of Diwali celebration dates in different parts of India: South India: November 12, 2023 Goa and West India: November 11, 2023 (usually the day before Diwali) Varanasi: November 26, 2023 Punjab: November 12, 2023 All over India including West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat: November 12, 2023 City Celebration Date South India November 12, 2023 Goa and West India November 11, 2023 (usually the day before Diwali) Varanasi November 26, 2023 Punjab November 12, 2023 All over India including West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat November 12, 2023 Diwali 2023: 5 Days Festival Diwali is a widely celebrated festival in India and among Hindus worldwide. It is not just a one-day festival, it spans five days, each with its own significance and customs: 5 Days Of Deepawali Date Day Festival 10-Nov-23 Friday Dhanteras 11-Nov-23 Saturday Chhoti Diwali 12-Nov-23 Sunday Diwali 13-Nov-23 Monday Govardhan Puja 14-Nov-23 Tuesday Bhaiya Dooj Sources: Drikpanchang Day 1 November 10, 2023 Trayodashi, Dhanteras Dhanteras is a festive celebration of wealth and prosperity, marking the auspicious beginning of Diwali. People engage in house cleaning, purchase new attire, and buy gold and silver, considering it auspicious on this day. Day 2 November 11, 2023 Chaturdashi, Choti Diwali Choti Diwali sets the stage for the grand main festival the following day. Homes are adorned with decorations, colourful rangoli designs, and oil lamps are lit. Day 3 November 12, 2023 Amavasya, Diwali On the main day of Diwali, people wear new clothes and gather with their families for prayers and pooja. The most auspicious time for worship, or Puja Mahurat, is from 05:40 pm to 07:36 pm. The exchange of gifts and sweets is an integral part of Diwali celebrations. Diyas and fireworks illuminate the night sky, and people indulge in special cuisines and sweets. Day 4 November 13, 2023 Pratipada, Goverdhan Pooja and Padwa Goverdhan Pooja celebrates Lord Krishnas divine intervention, with devotees creating a replica of Goverdhan Hill using food items such as rice and sweets. This day also emphasises the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable practices. Padwa is a celebration of the bond between husband and wife, with husbands buying gifts for their wives. People also start new business accounts as it is considered auspicious. Day 5 November 14, 2023 Dwitiya, Bhai Dooj Bhai Dooj is a special day dedicated to celebrating the strong bond between brothers and sisters. It provides an opportunity to express love, gratitude, and blessings to strengthen the sibling relationship. Diwali Puja Vidhi: Customs and Traditions Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, extends over a span of five days, each imbued with its own significance and customs. The initial day, Dhanteras, is an occasion for acquiring gold, silver, and other valuable or practical items. On the second day, Naraka Chaturdashi, people wake up early, perform ablutions, and kindle diyas to dispel malevolent forces. The third day marks the centrepiece of Diwali when people don new attire, adorn their homes with rangolis, lamps, and ornamental decorations, and offer prayers to Goddess Lakshmi. The fourth day is reserved for Govardhan Puja, a commemoration of Lord Krishnas significance. During this day, people construct small heaps of cow dung symbolising the Govardhan mountain and engage in prayers. The fifth day, known as Bhai Dooj, is devoted to celebrating the cherished bond between brothers and sisters. History of Diwali: Mythological Connection with Ramayana The most renowned Diwali narrative revolves around Lord Ramas triumphant return to Ayodhya following 14 years of exile and his vanquishing of the demon king Ravana. During this exile, the wicked ruler Ravana of Lanka abducted Mata Sita. After encountering numerous challenges and embarking on a lengthy quest, Lord Rama ultimately defeated Lanka and rescued his beloved wife, Sita. Significance of Diwali: The Festival of Lights In jubilant celebration of this victory and the homecoming of King Rama, the people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with clay lamps, exchanged sweets, and ignited fireworks. This tradition, still cherished by countless Diwali celebrants, is why we refer to Diwali as the festival of lights. This symbolizes the triumph of light and knowledge over darkness and ignorance. Diwali Celebrations Diwali celebrations include performing puja (prayers), lighting diyas (oil lamps), exchanging gifts, preparing special meals, and decorating homes with rangoli (colourful designs) and flower garlands. The auspicious festival is synonymous with mouthwatering dishes and sweets. Traditional treats like mithai (sweets), namkeen (savouries), and homemade delicacies are prepared and shared with family and friends. Diwali celebrations vary across Indias diverse regions. For instance, in North India, people play with firecrackers and light diyas, while South India focuses more on elaborate rituals and the preparation of sweets. Each region adds its unique touch to this vibrant festival. Significance Of Lighting 13 Diyas On Diwali Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi is the first day of five-day-long Diwali festivities. A total of 13 earthen pots are to be lit on the day of Diwali. 1. First diya protects the family from unexpected death. It is kept facing south near garbage outside the house to ward off death. 2. Second diya must be lit with ghee on the Diwali night and kept in front of your puja mandir/place at home to usher in good luck. ALSO READ: Diwali 2023: Significance Of Lighting Oil And Ghee Lamps During The Festival 3. Third diya is supposed to be lit in front of Lakshmi to seek her blessings for good fortune, prosperity, and abundance. 4. Fourth diya is placed in front of tulsi and is meant to bring in peace and happiness in the household. 5. Fifth diya must be placed outside the main entrance of your house. It signifies welcoming the joy, love, good luck and happiness to your home. 6. Sixth diya lit with mustard oil is supposed to be placed under a peepal tree as it is considered auspicious. It signifies relief from financial crisis, health woes; and is meant to bring fame and fortune. 7. Seventh diya needs to be lit in any temple in the vicinity of your house. 8. Eighth diya must be lit near the garbage. 9. Place the ninth diya outside your washroom to maintain the flow of positive energy around the house. 10. Light the tenth diya at the roof coping as it signifies protection. 11. Decorate the window with the eleventh diya to spread the cheer. 12. Place the twelfth diya on the terrace or roof top to celebrate the festive spirit. 13. Decorate the intersection of your house by lighting the thirteenth diya. How To Celebrate Green Diwali 2023? Skip the firecrackersFirecrackers are a major source of air pollution and noise pollution, and they can also be harmful to animals. Instead, decorate your home with diyas (earthen lamps) and light them up on Diwali night. Use eco-friendly giftsInstead of giving plastic toys or other disposable items, give gifts that are made from sustainable materials, such as handmade crafts, organic food, or gift certificates to local businesses. Make your own rangoliRangoli is a traditional Indian art form that uses colored powders to create beautiful designs on the ground. Instead of buying artificial rangoli colors, make your own using natural ingredients such as turmeric, rice flour, and flowers. Reduce your electricity consumptionIf youre decorating your home with lights, use LED lights instead of incandescent lights. LED lights use less energy and last longer. Recycle and compostDiwali is a time for cleaning and getting rid of old things. Instead of throwing away your trash, recycle and compost as much as possible. When is Dhanteras 2023? Dhanteras will be celebrated on November 10, 2023. What is the muhurat time for Diwali in 2023? According to Drik Panchang, the Lakshmi Puja Muhurat is anticipated to take place between 5:39 PM and 7:35 PM, which is the duration of 1 hour and 56 minutes. Which day is Diwali in 2023? Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday, November 12, 2023. What are the 5 days of Diwali? The 5 days of Diwali 2023 are Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdasi (Choti Diwali), Lakshmi Puja (Diwali), Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj. How many days is Diwali? Diwali is a 5-day festival. What is the time of Lakshmi Pooja? According to Drik Panchang, the Lakshmi Puja Muhurat is anticipated to take place between 5:39 PM and 7:35 PM, which is the duration of 1 hour and 56 minutes. Are Crackers Banned in Diwali 2023? The Delhi government announced the re-imposition of a ban on the production, sale, storage, and utilization of all types of firecrackers in the capital region during this Diwali season. Which countries declared a Diwali holiday? The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. When is Choti Diwali? Choti Diwali will be celebrated on November 11, 2023. Is it Diwali or Deepavali? The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which means rows of lighted lamps. So, both words can be used. When was Diwali in 2022? Diwali was celebrated on October 24, 2022. Where did Diwali get its name? The name is derived from the Sanskrit term Deepavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolises the victory of light over darkness. Where did Diwali come from? According to the Jain tradition, this practice of lighting lamps first began on the day of Mahaviras nirvana in 527 BCE, when 18 kings who had gathered for Mahaviras final teachings issued a proclamation that lamps be lit in remembrance of the great light, Mahavira. Where is Diwali celebrated in the world? India isnt the only place that celebrates the festival of lights. Although Diwali is primarily an Indian festival, it is also widely observed in Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, and Fiji. In fact, in some countries, Diwali is a national holiday. World Lymphoma Awareness Day: Every year this day is commemorated in honour of the general public to understand and learn more about Lymphoma and all that it entails. While most of us have heard of this medical term we are slightly unaware of all that is associated with it. Lymphoma is a term that is associated with cancer but that is not all, it is imperative that one understands its types and the scares that it gives mankind. What Is Lymphoma? Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, Associate Director, Bone Marrow Transplant, Hematology Oncology, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital explains, Lymphomas are a kind of blood cancer which have very high cure rates with chemotherapy alone. Lymphoma is classified into 2 types Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma can further be divided into 3 types based on the cell of origin B cell (most common), T cell and NK cell. He further added, The prognosis and outcome of B cell lymphoma is better as compared to other types of lymphomas. All T cell and NK cell lymphomas need autologous BMT as consolidation treatment to have high cure rates. Symptoms Of Lymphoma The symptoms of lymphoma typically manifest in elderly individuals, more often in males. Common symptoms of this condition include fatigue, fever, unexplained weight loss, and enlarged lymph nodes. Additionally, low haemoglobin, low platelet counts, high white blood cell counts, and recurrent infections may be indicative. Types of Lymphoma Dr. Chandrakant Lahane Haematologist, Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospitals, Hadapsar, Pune, says, There are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkins lymphoma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is more common. Within non-Hodgkins lymphoma, there are two broad categories: B-cell lymphomas and T-cell lymphomas. He went on to add, The most common type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma is diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Other types include low-grade lymphomas like follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma, as well as high-grade lymphomas such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. Treatment Treatment options have evolved. In the past, chemotherapy was the primary approach, but recent developments include chemo-immunotherapy, which combines chemotherapy with targeted therapy using antibodies against specific surface markers on lymphoma cells, such as CD20. This approach has shown promising results. Salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplants is an option for refractory cases. Emerging treatments like CAR T-cell therapy are also being used for refractory lymphomas, said Dr. Lahane. Dr. Singh mentioned, In multiple times relapse/refractory cases of Mantle cell lymphoma or Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma there is now approval of CAR-T cell therapy which is highly efficacious. Recently Indian CAR-T cells have shown promising results in these types of lymphomas so it will become more affordable. Hodgkins lymphoma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma have some similarities in symptoms, but the diagnosis and treatment differ. Dr. Lahane explained, Hodgkins lymphoma was historically mistaken for lymph node enlargement due to infections like tuberculosis until it was correctly identified by Dr. Thomas Hodgkin. The diagnosis of Hodgkins lymphoma is histological, involving specific markers. Treatment for Hodgkins lymphoma has advanced, and it is now often curable. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma encompasses a wide range of lymphomas and is diagnosed differently based on histological and genetic markers. It has to be noted that while both types of lymphomas share some symptoms, their diagnoses and treatments differ significantly due to distinct histological characteristics. Hodgkins lymphoma was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who first identified it, whereas non-Hodgkins lymphoma is a broad category with various subtypes. Aamir Khans son Junaid is all set to make his debut with a one-of-a-kind David vs Goliath Story Maharaj. The production house YRF recently confirmed the same, while announcing their collaboration with Netflix for the same. This is the second film to be coming out from this partnership. Apart from Junaid Khans debut with Maharaj, the film will also star Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari & Shalini Pandey. The film has been directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra, whose last film Hichki was a global hit. Inspired by true events, Maharaj, is an incredible David vs Goliath story set in the 1800s, about how a regular man, journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role-model of society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses. The fearless reporter uncovers a series of incidents that shake the very foundation of society. The other film which will be releasing from this partnership will be the character-driver thriller, The Railway Men, a four-part series starring R. Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma and Babil Khan, which is directed by debutant director Shiv Rawail. Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, said, We are passionate about serving our broad audiences with series and films that they connect with and love, and we want to do more of this. Yash Raj Films have defined the essence of Indian film-making. They are one of the most respected storytellers in the industry. From Kabhi Kabhie to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, War to Pathaan, their signature stories have been part of our lives and continue to fuel the zeitgeist. Together, we are confident that we can entertain the world with quality films and series like never before. Akshaye Widhani, CEO, Yash Raj Films said, YRFs mission is to create entertaining, inspiring and extraordinary stories from India for the world. Netflix is the biggest streamer in the world and offers us an opportunity to tell our stories in over 190 countries. Their belief in the content-first approach, is noteworthy and synergistic with our ethos. This partnership will certainly push YRF as a storyteller to new audiences and allow them to consume Indian stories in their own languages too. India is a young and aspirational country. We have 1.4 billion stories to tell the world. We want to showcase our content, as well as provide a platform for our brilliant homegrown talent to a global audience. Apart from this, Junaid Khan has reportedly signed his second project where he has been paired opposite South actress Sai Pallavi for a love story. Junaid Khan has always had a keen interest in theatre and has attended a drama school in LA, where he was mentored for two years. He has also done a few plays in Mumbai before making his Bollywood debut. In a recent media interaction, Aamir also mentioned that Junaid never mentioned to anyone during his auditions that he was the son of the superstar and has been rejected from 15-20 places before he bagged his first project. The 53rd Kerala State Film Awards 2022 were presented on Thursday (September 14) at the Nishaganshi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram. The awards were presented by the states Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, along with State Culture Minister Saji Cherian. The awardees included celebrities like Mammootty, Vincy Aloshious, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Kunchacko Boban, Mahesh Narayanan and others. After the felicitation ceremony, during his speech, Pinarayi Vijayan called out the efforts by certain forces at the national level to spread disinformation and ill-will. Pinarayi Vijayan said that attempts are being made to revive social evils such as casteism and feudalism. Taking an indirect jibe at the film The Kerala Story, which was directed by Sudipto Sen and featured Adah Sharma in the lead, the CM said: A film was circulated, which told the story of Kerala. It was an attempt to destroy the states secularism and make it appear as a land of love jihad in front of the world. These movies are used as a weapon for propaganda. The strides made by women are being trampled upon with the focus these days being male-dominant themes. There are also efforts to suppress renaissance values, which united people, said Pinarayi Vijayan. While condemning the controversial film, he added that it was an attempt to show the state in a bad light. This is not the first time Pinarayi Vijayan has hit out at the controversial film. Before the film was released, he called the films story bogus and a product of the Sangha Parivars lie factory. It is not a licence to spread lies and communalism and divide the people in the state, he had said in an interview. The Kerala Story, written and directed by Sudipto Sen, is about a group of women from Kerala who were converted to Islam and sent to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The film minted a lifetime collection of Rs 242.20 crore. Barbie fame Margot Robbie has publicly extended support to the SAG-AFTRA strike by joining a protest rally on Wednesday, September 13. The 33-year-old diva was spotted marching from the Netflix Studio to the Paramount Studio in West Hollywood alongside other protestors. Donning an oversized T-shirt with the phrase SAG-AFTRA on strike imprinted on it, Margot Robbie held up a protesting pluckard. With brown sunglasses, her casual look was completed with white spotless sneakers. Multiple photos and videos of the Hollywood actress joining the rally have gone viral across social media platforms. In a series of photos, she smiled standing alongside fellow actress Samara Weaving, with whom she has shared the screen space in Babylon. Media reports suggest the duo also chanted slogans to display their support during the rally. margot robbie supporting the sag-aftra strike pic.twitter.com/mTWxbyV8an best of margot robbie (@margotposts) September 13, 2023 Subsequent footage from the protest features marching drums playing in the background as Margot Robbie held up the strike sign while conversing with people around her. Take a look at it here: Even during the premiere of her latest superhit flick Barbie, Margot Robbie announced her clear stand favoring the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Union. During an interaction with Sky News, the actress said, Im very much in support of all the unions. Im a part of SAG so I would absolutely stand by that. What is the SAG-AFTRA strike? The labour union of SAG-AFTRA represents thousands of people working in the showbiz industry, including writers, actors, radio artists, and other media professionals. They announced a protest on July 13 after weeks of failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that represents major studios in the industry including Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros, Walt Disney, and Paramount. In the span of two months, many prominent Hollywood personalities have joined the ongoing protest. Notably, the members of the SAG-AFTRA union are demanding better working conditions and pay along with specialised contracts over the use of artificial intelligence. Theyre seeking provisions for AI to be merely used as a tool to help support the creative and research process rather than being a replacement for employees. Popular Tamil actors Dhanush, Silambarasan STR (Simbu), Vishal, and Atharva have landed in a big trouble. The Tamil Film Producers Council in Chennai has reportedly issued red cards against these actors. The decision has left everyone completely shocked. Heres everything you need to know: Red Card Issued Against Dhanush and 3 Other Tamil Actors As reported by Deccan Chronicle, the red cards have been issued by the executive body of council members in response to several complaints against these actors. One of the complainants alleged that Simbu had a work commitment of 60 days for a movie but he worked only for 27 days. This complaint was filed by film producer Michael Rayappan who is known for producing the blockbuster movie Anbanavan Adangadhavan Asaradhavan. Dhanush has also been accused of not finishing a movie. On the other hand, Vishal Reddy, who is also the former president of the council, has been accused of mishandling of the associations funds. Popular trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan also took to his X handle (formerly known as Twitter) to confirm that a red card has indeed been issued. Tamil Producers Association CONFIRMS to issue Red Card for actor Silambarasan TR, Dhanush, Vishal & Atharva, he wrote. BREAKING: Tamil Producers Association CONFIRMS to issue Red Card for actor Silambarasan TR, Dhanush, Vishal & Atharva.#SilambarasanTR Michael Rayappan issue.#Dhanush Thenandal's film incompletion & loss. #Vishal Mishandling the association's money.#Atharva - pic.twitter.com/KQY7lTz4lW Manobala Vijayabalan (@ManobalaV) September 14, 2023 What Does This Red Card Mean? A red card by Tamil Film Producers Council means that these actors are temporarily barred from collaborating with any Kollywood producers until further notice. This also means that if an actor wants to sign a new project, they will have to resolve their disputes with the producers first. It should also be noted that these actors were reportedly given warnings in June this year by the producers body. None of these actors have reacted to red cards being issued against them as of now. Akshay Kumar recently took to his social media to celebrate Engineers Day. The actor will soon be essaying the role of Jaswant Singh Gill in his next movie Mission Raiganj. While he portrays an enginner in reel life, the actor shared that he could never imagine studying hard to become one in real. Sharing a black and white photo of Jaswant Singh Gill, he wrote, Happy #EngineersDay. I could never even imagine myself studying hard to be an engineer. But then I got an opportunity to play a brave, intelligent engineer like Jaswant Singh Gill ji in #MissionRaniganj. #RealHero. Have a look at the photo: Earlier last week, the makers dropped the teaser of Mission Raiganj. The teaser promises that the film will be a thrilling ride, packed with suspense, courage, and the determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. Have a look at the teaser : It reveals how the film is inspired by a real-life incident and presents the heroic act of the late Shri Jaswant Singh Gill who led Bharats coal mine rescue mission. Singh (portrayed by Akshay Kumar) played a significant role in rescuing all the surviving miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Raniganj in November 1989 which is documented to be the worlds largest and successful rescue mission against all odds. Sharing the teaser on his Instagram handle, Akshay Kumar wrote, In 1989, one man showed courage and conviction that saved lives! Watch it here: Besides Akshay, the film also stars Parineeti Chopra in the lead. The film also marks their second collaboration after the 2019 film Kesari. Mission Raniganj is produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Ajay Kapoor. The film is directed by Tinu Suresh Desai. It will be released in theatres on October 6, 2023. 2023 has proven to be a rather significant year for the Deols. Dharmendra grabbed attention with his performance in Karan Johars Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Sunny Deol delivered a blockbuster with the record shattering Gadar 2, Rajveer Deol is all set to make his acting debut with Rajshri Productions Dono and Esha Deols maiden production venture Ek Duaa received a special mention in the non-feature film category at this years National Awards. Much like everyone else in the family making the most of their acting careers, Esha now wants her mother to make a comeback too. The veteran actor and politician was last seen in Shimla Mirchi, which finally released in 2020, five years after its shoot was complete. Speaking to News18 exclusively, Esha says, Ive been pushing my mother to make a comeback. Ive been doing it forever! In fact, she too wants to do films again. She goes on to confide that her mom has been wanting to return to the screen since a while and has been even reading some scripts. Shes looking at some good roles and scripts. Shes the kind of person who says that only if something very good comes her way will she step out and go back in front of the camera. If anyone has something good for my mom, they should shoot her a call, shares Esha, who herself made a comeback last year with Ajay Devgns show Rudra: The Edge Of Darkness. With so many actors in the family, are conversations at home a lot about work? We do discuss work because ours is a creative family. Its so nice for us all to belong to the same profession. Theres a lot of takeaway and a lot of stuff you can talk about, she states. Talking about how Dharmendra personally asked for everyones input before starting work on Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Esha adds, Whenever my dad starts a new project, hell show us pictures from his look tests and costumes. He did the same for Taj: Divided By Blood and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. He still has that child-like excitement. And that really peps us up. Theres a constant give and take between all of us. Last month, Esha took to social media to share a picture with her siblings Sunny, Bobby Deol and Ahana Deol Vohra from a special screening she hosted for Gadar 2. Reacting to the waves the picture created online, she tells us, We function in a very simple way. Were actors and were here to perform and talk about work. When you look at my social media, youll see a lot of individual images of me. Im not the kind of person who even shows a glimpse of my daughters because Im made like that. In fact, all of us are made like that. So, wont fans be treated to more pictures of Deol fam-jams going forward? We dont feel the need to put out every picture. This picture coming out was also very organic. It just happened. People got so emotional looking at it and now they want more. But were very private as a family and well keep it that way always, asserts Esha. Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh meets with Bern Mayor Alec von Graffenried. (Photo: VNA) Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, led a delegation from Hanoi on a working visit to Switzerland on September 8-11. During the visit, the delegation had meetings and worked with Chairman of the Executive Council of the State of Bern Philippe Muller, and Mayor of Bern city Alec von Graffenried. The delegation attended the Vietnam-Switzerland Trade, Investment and Science and Technology Cooperation Seminar in Zurich city, attended the 78th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day in Bern, met the Vietnamese community in Switzerland, worked with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and visited and worked with the Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland. During a working session with Chairman of the Bern State Executive Council Philippe Muller, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh affirmed his view of valuing the relationship between Vietnam and Switzerland, expressing his wish that the two countries build programs to help bilateral relations become more in-depth and highly effective. At the same time, Hanoi wishes to promote friendly relations and cooperation with Bern based on recognizing the potential and many similarities between the two sides. Accordingly, he requested the Bern State Executive Council to encourage local agencies and businesses to strengthen connections with Hanoi city agencies and businesses, especially in Bern's strong areas such as tourism, security, high technology, urban planning and innovation; and called for investment in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park and seizing cooperation opportunities when the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and EFTA was signed. He said he is interested in wastewater treatment in Bern, asking the Swiss side to support information on solutions, as well as assigning Hanoi agencies to continue to coordinate, exchange, research and propose specific models and solutions in the coming time. The two sides agreed to cooperate and exchange experiences in the field of preserving and promoting world cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO in the two localities. In Zurich city, the delegation attended the Vietnam-Switzerland Trade, Investment and Science and Technology Cooperation Seminar. Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh emphasized that Switzerland is currently one of Vietnam's important partners in many fields, with the highlight being economic cooperation. For Hanoi city, Switzerland is a traditional and important partner, with outstanding cooperation results in many fields, especially in the field of investment. He affirmed that Hanoi will create the best conditions for investors, including Swiss investors, to invest and do long-term and stable business./. Mahesh Babu has time and again impressed us with his impeccable acting prowess. Apart from his noteworthy performances, the 48-year-old is also known for executing terrific action sequences. And the secret behind the actors applaud-worthy stunts is his strict fitness regimen. The fact that Mahesh Babu is a hardcore fitness enthusiast is quite evident from his social media posts, where he often drops glimpses of engaging in rigorous workouts. In fact, his fitness trainer Kumar Mannava once revealed that Mahesh Babu is a deft follower of performing stretching exercises. It improves the actors flexibility and enables him to carry out difficult stunts. Proving the words of Kumar Mannava true, Mahesh Babu today, September 15, shared a picture of himself on Instagram, where he was seen performing a stretching exercise. Along with the post, the Sarkaru Vaari Paata actor also explained the benefits of the stretching in the caption. The super stretch. Opens the hips, spinal column and shoulders at the same time. Movement is medicine, he wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mahesh Babu (@urstrulymahesh) The picture captured Mahesh Babu grasping the back of his head with the palm of his hands. He was in a half-seated posture, leaning in on the nearby wall for support. The actors face was turned away from the camera. Mahesh Babu was dressed in athleisure, donning a half-sleeved navy blue shirt and a pair of black Bermuda shorts. He rounded off his gym-ready look with uber-cool sneakers and a watch. Mahesh Babu fans were quick to mark their presence in the comment section. While one of them rightly called the actor a fitness freak another labelled him as the Hardest worker in the room. We need this kinda post from you sir The secrets of no aging is finally being revealed, noted a third individual. Back in July, Mahesh Babu dropped another video on Instagram where he was recorded sweating it out at the gym. From running on the treadmill to executing kettlebell swings and doing a landmine press quite adeptly, Mahesh Babu performed a variety of exercises. Take a look at the video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mahesh Babu (@urstrulymahesh) On the work front, Mahesh Babu was last seen in the film Sarkaru Vaari Paata which received mixed responses. Presently, he is geared up for director Trivikram Srinivas upcoming film Guntur Kaaram. The film will hit the big screens on January 12, 2024. Mahesh Babu has also been roped in for filmmaker SS Rajamoulis ambitious project, tentatively titled SSMB29. Malayalam actor Alencier Ley Lopez is facing backlash for making sexist comments about a female sculpture displayed at the 53rd Kerala State Film Awards 2022, which took place on September 14th in Thiruvananthapurams Nishagandhi Auditorium. In his controversial speech, the actor also expressed that he felt it was an insult to receive a female sculpture in the presence of a powerful male Chief Minister. Alencier went on to say that he would consider ending his acting career on the day he receives a male sculpture along with an award. During his speech, Alencier also raised concerns about the monetary value of the award, stating, The award carried significant weight. I received the Special Jury Award. Please dont insult me and Kunchacko Boban by giving us Rs 25,000. Please increase the amount. These sexist remarks made by Alencier have ignited a passionate discussion on social media. Many individuals from the film industry, including filmmaker Shruthi Sharanyam, who received the Special Award in the Women/Transgender category for her film B 32 Muthal 44 Vare, strongly criticized Alenciers offensive comments. In a social media post, Shruthi Sharanyam stated, The lady in my hand is incredible expressing her disapproval. Alencier responded assertively, stating, Dont approach me to preach about morality. Please refrain from provoking me further. He further stated that indeed, its important to acknowledge that both women and men face various challenges in the film industry. Alencier highlighted that its not just women but also the actors referred to as Junior artists who often endure significant hardships. He emphasized the significance of speaking out on such issues, stating, If not on a big stage, where else should I make such a comment? I spoke at the event fully aware of its significance. There is a growing demand from the public urging the state government to revoke the award given to Alencier Ley Lopez due to his controversial remarks. The 53rd Kerala State Film Awards for 2022 were handed out on Thursday, September 14th, during a ceremony held at the Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with Culture Minister Saji Cherian, presided over the event and presented the awards. It is said that democracy is always in the making, forever incomplete, founded in possibilities. As the Opposition INDIA grouping lurches into another self-inflicted controversy this time over a hate-filled diatribe by a member against Sanatan Dharma this maxim could well apply to it. With roughly 180 days to go for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the INDIA coalition is still in the making, appearing forever incomplete and struggling to convince voters of its raison detre and, therefore, not founded in possibilities. A slew of recent opinion polls shows that the alliance has had little impact in diminishing Prime Minister Narendra Modis appeal. While it is a marvel that a bloc of 26 disparate parties have been able to thus far even agree on a message to pitch at the hustings, the INDIA grouping, if it isnt inert, will realise that their message is easily discredited. The alliance is going to the polls with essentially an appeal to voters to reject the authoritarian NDA regime that, according to the Opposition bloc, has undermined the Constitution and endangered democracy. It believes Modis allegedly divisive brand of politics has pit Hindus against Muslims and other minorities and by voting for INDIA, voters can ensure that Bharat Judega Aur Jeetega (India will unite and thrive). But to get voters to sign on to and endorse this message is proving to be hard; especially, as the voters see INDIA heavyweights assembled under one roof, each representing a distinct part of the country; each representing voters that speak different languages and voice different concerns. To the ordinary voters, this poll dance of the Opposition tells them the spirit of democracy choice, pluralism and federalism is flourishing in Bharat. Also, when they hear battle-scarred commissars within Opposition ranks lustily predicting that they will defeat Modi, the voter comes away assured that contrary to the Oppositions claims it is no dara hua INDIA cowering under the glare of an alleged dictator in a dead democracy. Think about it. If, as the INDIA bloc claims, major democratic institutions like the Election Commission that ensures free and fair elections or the courts that are called into scrutinising the verdict when and if it is challenged are both compromised, would the Opposition be so certain of its own victory? Second, if Modi is a ruthless dictator with a Putinesque malevolence towards the Opposition, would the INDIA bloc be getting away with hurling a constant barrage of hate and abuse at the Prime Minister? Third, if minorities were being put to the sword by the foot soldiers of a Sangh sanctified exclusivist Sanatan Dharma would they be electing the BJPs Tafajjal Hossain from the Boxanagar seat in Tripura which has a 66% Muslim population? Fourth, if the INDIA bloc is truly against, as they say, the hateful Hindu supremacism of the likes of Veer Savarkar, why do they sup with the Shiv Sena-UBT that lionises the late Hindutva ideologue? Fifth, by championing the eradication of Sanatan Dharma or boycotting elements in the media, how is the INDIA bloc going to usher in the democratic revolution it says it wants to see? Perhaps, it isnt democracy that needs to be saved, its the Opposition that needs to be rescued from under the weight of its own contradictions. The latest one, exposed by the attack on Sanatan Dharma, may be a case of one too many. But is there anyone in the INDIA bloc that is alive to the contradictions? Most in the grouping appear convinced of the robustness of their message. They genuinely believe that they are at the threshold of welcoming 1977 once again. Indeed, the epochal 1977 verdict saw the humbling of the imperious Indira Gandhi who suspended the Constitution by declaring Emergency, thinking she alone knew what was best for the country. And who could blame her, after all, a sycophantic coterie never tired of reminding her that Indira is India and India is Indira. The people were clearly not impressed. They voted in the Janata alliance immediately after Indira Gandhi lifted the smothering Emergency. The scale of Gandhis defeat proved that people dont need to be convinced or courted when the facts are obvious. Whats more, the INDIA grouping seems to forget that, back in 1977, the Oppositions star campaigner was a socialist political ascetic called Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) who could summon vast reserves of moral authority. His renunciation of the poisoned chalice of politics led many to brand him Gandhian. However, unlike todays unyielding INDIA bloc, even the total revolutionary in JP had the awareness to tweak his politics to better represent deeper issues. Political historians will tell you that, in his lifetime, JP had metamorphosed into many different things as and when the situation demanded. That JP had been, one time or the other, an ardent nationalist and an admirer of an idealist like Gandhi; a Marxist who was a critic of the Soviet state; a non-Marxist socialist who had a detailed agenda for reforming the country; a democrat who had lost all faith in political parties; an active supporter of Sarvodaya and Bhoodan movement. The context is important because it contrasts JPs political dexterity with INDIAS ideologically catatonic leadership. The INDIA bloc can no longer hide that their shared Modi-hate is the only reason theyre together. If they truly want democracy to thrive, they must pivot the alliance to champion more public-centric causes. Who in an election year, after all, wants to be accused by voters of changing their principles for the sake of their party? Rahul Shivshankar is Consulting Editor at Network18. He tweets at @RShivshankar. The present government in Maharashtra has done nothing for the people except for giving false assurances, said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray here on Friday. The government will make many announcements for the Marathwada region but will they be implemented, asked the former minister, who is on a two-day visit to Aurangabad and Nashik districts. Talking to reporters here before visiting two villages each in Paithan and Gangapur taluka, he slammed the Eknathi Shinde government over its past assurances for the Marathwada region, which comprises Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani. This government in Maharashtra has not done anything in the past one and a half years except for giving false assurances, he said. Referring to the special cabinet meeting scheduled to be held here on Saturday, he said while the government is spending so much for the meeting, it should also tell where funds were spent in Gujarat, Guwahati (Assam) and Goa, an oblique reference to places Shinde and his supporters went after leaving the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena last year. Shindes rebellion resulted in the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and paved the way for the BJP to return to power. The government has decided to hold the cabinet meeting in Aurangabad to mark the Marathwada Liberation Day, celebrated on September 17 annually. If they are spending money and if anything good comes out of it (for Marathwada) then it can be considered, Thackeray said. Though there will be announcements for the region, will they be implemented? The farmers who were hit by excess rainfall earlier have not got aid despite crop loss surveys (panchanamas), he added. Marathwada Liberation Day, also known as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, marks the integration of Marathwada with India after security forces invaded Hyderabad and defeated the Nizam and his Razakar units on September 17, 1948. Telugu Desam Party general secretary Nara Lokesh is in Delhi to hold consultations with lawyers in connection with the arrest of his father and party chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the Skill Development Corporation scam in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu, a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, is currently lodged in the Rajamahendravaram central prison after a court in Vijayawada remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days on September 9. The TDP president has filed two pleas in the high court. One seeking quashing of the case and another is a bail plea, both are likely to come up for hearing next week. A court in Vijayawada on September 12 had rejected the house custody plea filed by the TDP chief. Nara Lokesh came to Delhi last night. He is here for legal consultations, a party source said. On Thursday, Janasena Party chief Pawan Kalyan announced that his party and the TDP will fight the next elections together in Andhra Pradesh. He made this announcement outside the Rajamahendravaram central prison after meeting Naidu. Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has reached out to Naidus son and inquired about his fathers well-being in jail. He fondly recalled their association and referred to him as a great friend and a fighter. He also offered words of encouragement to Lokesh, asking him to stay strong. The DMK governments flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women was rolled out in Kancheepuram on Friday on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon, the late CN Annadurai, with chief minister MK Stalin saying it meets the twin objectives of recognising womens hard work and eliminating poverty. Stalin launched the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (Kalaignar Scheme for Right of Women) from the hometown of Annadurai, the DMK founder who heralded Tamil Nadus first non-Congress government in independent India in 1967. Late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi (1924-2018) is popularly known as Kalaignar, which means an artist of eminence. A basic income programme, it is named after former CM M Karunanidhi and the state government has christened the assistance the right of women. The government said Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme this year. The initiative is a recognition of womens hard work, a key objective of the scheme. Nobody took into account the work of women at their homes. This scheme aims at acknowledging their work, Stalin said. The other goal is that the Rs 12,000 per annum aid would help women live with self-respect by eliminating poverty and improving their living standard. These two are the objectives of the scheme under the Dravidian model regime. We have devised this programme on the basis of lessons we learnt from Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar. Entire India is closely watching the schemes the DMK has implemented and other states are very eager to follow, he said. He added: When I go to the INDIA bloc meetings, leaders who attend the meet enquire with interest the schemes that are brought by our government. They think of implementing them in their states. Some union ministers, too, enquired about Tamil Nadus schemes when I took part in the dinner (G20) hosted by President Droupadi Murmu I do not consider this as appreciation for me. It is the admiration for the Tamil Nadu government and our people. The government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer. Slamming main opposition AIADMK without naming it, Stalin said some people, who bet on false propaganda had dubbed the Rs 1,000 plan a false assurance that could not be fulfilled. The CM said his government would have fulfilled the promise soon after his party assumed power in May 2021 but for the fiscal situation then. After addressing the issue to an extent, the promise is now honoured, he said. The AIADMK was in power from 2011 to 2021. Some people could not even tolerate this. They tried to scuttle the scheme through lies and rumours, he said. He asserted he would implement all the initiatives announced by him. I am delivering whatever you need as you chose the DMKs Rising Sun symbol and the symbol of our alliance partners on the Electronic Voting Machine (in the Assembly election). Though matrilineal society guided humans in the yore, gradually, in the course of time, women were confined to their homes in the name of religion, conservative practices, and by various hegemonic classes. Castigating child marriages, he said the scenario has now changed and girl children are going to schools and colleges. Nobody can prevent them from choosing employment. The Dravidian movement created the age of social reform, he said. Stalin said however there are also regressive elements who support child marriages. Such people have only hatred for Dravidian movement. The reason for their anger is, child marriages cannot be conducted and even if held these are illegal. The remark is seen as aimed at governor RN Ravi as he had alleged forced virginity test by the state government on minor Dikshitar girls, seen as also a defence of Dikshitars of Chidambaram temple, some of whom allegedly facilitated child marriages. The chief minister said, As remarked by Periyar, elevating women more than men is the Dravidian model. It is a matter of pride to see the children of poor women becoming doctors, engineers and teachers. In the 20th century, it was Periyars struggle that paved the way for emancipation of women and they conferred the honorific title of Periyar on him in 1938. Reformist leader EV Ramasamy (1879-1973) is popularly known as Periyar. Stalin praised his mother Dayalu Ammal, his wife Durga Stalin and daughter Senthamarai. I have got a compassionate mother, a wife who is a pillar of support and a self-confident daughter, he said, adding that all women have such great qualities and it was Karunanidhi who guarded womens welfare. He listed a slew of initiatives led by Karunanidhi and it includes equal right in properties (by amending the Hindu Succession Act in 1989) for women. Also, he cited a string of programmes of his government aimed at women development, which includes fare-free travel in state-run town buses. The crowning initiative is the Rs 1,000 basic income scheme. This is not an assistance, but your right. I repeat, this is not assistance but your right, he said. Alongside the beneficiaries of the Rs 1,000 scheme, which has 1,06,50,000 beneficiaries, if the 39 lakh beneficiaries of enhanced pension in other state schemes are also taken into account, about 1.45 crore families are benefitted in total. Reiterating the everything for everyone slogan of his Dravidian model regime, Stalin said the scheme gave socioeconomic and political strength to women. He distributed bank debit cards to several beneficiaries and state ministers rolled out the programme in their districts. A number of beneficiaries spoke on how the financial support would be very useful for them. It includes a woman, whose family, dependent on agriculture, does not have a regular income. Citing accolades from people and beneficiaries for the assistance, Stalin wondered if there could be a better appreciation for the programme, which is implemented on the birth anniversary of Anna and during Karunanidhis centenary (2023-24). The state government had months ago announced that the scheme, a key feature of DMKs manifesto ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly election, would be launched on September 15 on the birth anniversary of Annadurai. Kancheepuram is Annadurais hometown. He steered the DMK to its first ever grand victory in the assembly election in 1967 and was chief minister between 1967 and 1969. Annadurai founded the DMK in 1949. In July, Stalin inaugurated a camp in Dharmapuri to facilitate registration of applications by women to avail the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance. Stalin had described the scheme as revolutionary that would lead to a new renaissance in the lives of crores of women. The Rs 12,000 payout per annum would be great support for women, a symbol of development. It would help them improve their standards of living, lead a life of self-respect and eradicate poverty, he had said. On the 115th birth anniversary of Annadurai, Stalin garlanded a statue of the Dravidian stalwart here and paid floral tributes before he launched the scheme. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to introduce the long-awaited womens reservation bill and also take legislative measures to provide a 33 percent quota for OBCs in Parliament and state legislatures in the special session beginning September 18. He held a meeting with the BRS parliamentary party at Pragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday. The meeting adopted a unanimous resolution to introduce the womens reservation bill in the session. It also reiterated that a country will move forward on the path of development if the women are empowered at par with men in all fields. The Telangana government had passed a resolution in support of the womens reservation bill in its first assembly meeting of the newly formed state on June 14, 2014, and had sent it to the central government to be introduced with immediate effect. The meeting also demanded that the Centre should introduce the BC (OBC) Reservation Bill along with the womens reservation bill in the upcoming special parliament session. In his letter, the chief minister has urged the prime minister to show commitment towards uplifting women and the people from backward communities by introducing both bills in parliament without fail. He told Prime Minister Modi that the BRS-led Telangana government has been committed to the welfare of women and the backward castes in the state and has implemented a number of welfare schemes and development programmes in this regard. India can witness overall development after the BCs get proper representation in the legislative bodies across the nation and the same will be applicable to women also, he KCR said in his letter. You (MPs) demand for both bills. Telangana assembly has already made a relationship solution on it. You explain the need of the bills in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, KCR said. Earlier, the CM had virtually inaugurated nine medical colleges across the state in Vikarabad, Sircilla, Karimnagar, Khammam, Jangaon, Asifabad, Nirmal, Kamareddy and Bhupalpally. Addressing the gathering, he said with the inauguration of new medical colleges, altogether there are as many as 26 medical colleges in the state. He announced that the government will inaugurate eight more medical colleges within a year. Telangana is going to deliver as many as 10,000 doctors to the country in the coming days annually. It is the only state that has 22 medical seats per one lakh population. The state has the capacity of supplying 500 tonnes of oxygen. As many as 10,000 super specialty beds are available across the state, he said. The Telangana government is implementing 30 percent reservation for women in public employment and admissions in educational institutions, he added. BRS MLC K Kavitha, KCRs daughter, had held a dharna in Delhi in March seeking the passage of the womens reservation bill. PARIS:Belgium said on Thursday it would review potential health risks linked to Apple's iPhone 12, raising the prospect that more European countries might ban the model after France ordered a halt to sales due to breaches of radiation exposure limits. Apple contests the French findings, saying the iPhone 12 now a relatively old model launched in 2020 was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with radiation standards. Researchers have conducted a vast number of studies over the last two decades to assess the health risk of mobile phones. According to the World Health Organisation, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by their use. But Paris' move to halt iPhone 12 sales until Apple fixes radiation issues detected in two tests has raised the prospect of further bans in Europe though others, like Italy, said they would take no steps for now. "It is my duty to make sure all citizens are safe", Mathieu Michel, Belgium's state secretary for digitalisation, said in a statement emailed to Reuters. "I have rapidly reached out to the IBPT-BIPT (regulator) to ask for an analysis about the potential danger of the product", Michel said, adding he had also asked the regulator to review all Apple smartphones, as well as devices made by other producers, at a later stage. Germany's network regulator BNetzA reiterated that the work in France could act as a guide for Europe as a whole and that it would examine the issue for the German market if the process in France had progressed sufficiently. The Dutch digital watchdog also said it was looking into the matter and would ask the U.S. firm for an explanation, while stressing there was "no acute safety risk". Italy's industry ministry, meanwhile, said it was monitoring the situation but not taking any action for now. MONITORING Britain, where the iPhone 12 met radiation safety standards when it was released, has not announced any plans in the wake of France's decision. In Spain, consumers' associations OCU urged authorities to follow France's move and halt the sales of iPhone 12. Industry experts said there were no safety risks as regulatory limits, based on the risk of burns or heatstroke from the phone's radiation, were set well below levels where scientists have found evidence of harm. Apple doesn't break out its sales by country or model. The company launched the iPhone 15 on Tuesday and the three-year old iPhone 12 is not available to buy from Apple online in France and other European countries. It can, however, be bought from third parties, including Amazon France. "Limiting iPhone 12 sales, in and of itself, should not be that impactful for iPhone. We would be more concerned if newer models were involved," DA Davidson analyst Tom Forte said, while pointing out that Apple could face bigger problems elsewhere, such as potential curbs on the use of iPhones in China and new data regulations in Europe. Apple's revenues totalled about $95 billion in Europe last year, making the region its second biggest behind the Americas. Some estimates say it sold over 50 million iPhones last year in Europe. (Additional reporting by Riham Alkousaa and Hakan Ersen in Berlin, Giuseppe Fonte in Rome, Silvia Aloisi in Milan; Writing by Tassilo Hummel and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Mark Potter) After the launch of the latest iPhone series, Apple has confirmed that the premium smartphones will support NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), Indias indigenous navigation system. While addressing this milestone during Indias Techade, Minister of State for Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said all smartphones will be powered by NavIC by the end of 2025. Apples adoption of NavIC follows other brands such as Xiaomi, Poco, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus that have already incorporated the system into some of their models. Chandrasekhar hinted that the government may offer cashback incentives to smartphone companies that use India-designed or India-manufactured chips that support NavIC. This is in line with the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme that the government has already announced for the IT hardware industry. The minister also stated that Indian company Accord Software & Systems has developed NavIC chipsets, allowing automakers to integrate NavIC into their in-built navigation systems. However, Chandrasekhar clarified that the government wants smartphones and automobiles to use NavIC in addition to other GPS systems, such as the US GPS, Russias GLONASS, EUs Galileo, Chinas BeiDou, and Japans QZSS. NavIC Facts The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) developed NavIC, which was first approved in 2006. The system was expected to be completed by late 2011, but it didnt become operational until 2018. Many experts have stated that even though NavIC looks similar to GPS, it has some advantages, such as better accuracy in urban areas and under dense foliage. The inclusion of NavIC in iPhones and other smartphones is expected to make it easier for users in India to get accurate location-based services, such as navigation, mapping, and tracking. It will also help improve the reliability of these services in areas where GPS signals are weak or unavailable. While NavICs addition to smartphones is seen as a move that will further boost the adoption of the system and help to make it a more widely used navigation system, the development of NavIC chipsets for automobiles is also a positive step. It is believed that this move will allow automakers to integrate NavIC into their in-built navigation systems, providing users with even more accurate and reliable location-based services. Overall, the inclusion of the system in smartphones like iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models and automobiles is a significant development for Indias space program and for the countrys navigation technology. Experts also believe that it is a step towards making India more self-reliant in the field of navigation and towards providing users with better location-based services. Here are some of the potential benefits of NavIC in smartphones and automobiles: Improved accuracy: NavIC is more accurate than GPS in urban areas and under dense foliage. This could be especially beneficial for navigation apps and tracking services. NavIC is more accurate than GPS in urban areas and under dense foliage. This could be especially beneficial for navigation apps and tracking services. Better reliability: NavIC is less susceptible to interference from buildings and other obstacles than GPS. This could be especially beneficial for navigation in rural areas and in countries with weak GPS signals. NavIC is less susceptible to interference from buildings and other obstacles than GPS. This could be especially beneficial for navigation in rural areas and in countries with weak GPS signals. Lower power consumption: NavIC chipsets are designed to consume less power than GPS chipsets. This could be beneficial for smartphones and other mobile devices with limited battery life. NavIC chipsets are designed to consume less power than GPS chipsets. This could be beneficial for smartphones and other mobile devices with limited battery life. Enhanced security: NavIC is a regional navigation system that is not subject to the same level of interference as GPS. This could make it more secure for use in critical applications, such as autonomous vehicles. Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director, MapmyIndia told News18: This move by the government to ask mobile and auto OEMs to include NavIC is fantastic and we at MapmyIndia welcome this push for further enabling self-reliance and indigenisation in this area of positioning technology. Local solutions like MapmyIndia and our consumer app Mappls, which sit on top of this positioning tech further enable indigenisation and self-reliance in this area of mapping and geospatial. MapmyIndia has been actively supporting and supply NavIC enabled IoT devices to vehicle fleets, and also closely worked with ISRO to build the NavIC app optimised for use by fisherman, which was spoken about by PM Narendra Modi during Mann Ki Baat, he noted. China has denied it is prohibiting the purchase or use of Apple iPhones in the country, as several media reports claimed last week that the country has banned iPhones from use by certain government officials. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that there are no laws, regulations or policy documents in China that prohibit the purchase or use of mobile phones of overseas brands, such as Apple, according to state-run Global Times. The Beijing government said that China is committed to opening-up at a high level, protecting the investment rights and interests of foreign investors in accordance with the law, and creating a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment. We always take an open attitude toward foreign enterprises and welcome them to seize Chinas development opportunities and share the fruits of Chinas economic development, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said late on Wednesday. Ning said that they recently noticed that there have been a lot of media reports about the security incidents of Apples mobile phones. The Chinese government attaches great importance to information and cyber security, and treats both domestic and foreign companies equally, the spokesperson added. Last week, media reports surfaced that Apple was exposed to two major security flaws that could result in personal data leaks. China said that all mobile phone companies should strictly abide by its Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law and other relevant laws and regulations. Shares in Apple fell significantly last week over reports that Chinese government workers have been banned from using iPhones. The firms stock market valuation has fallen by more than 6 per cent, or almost $200 billion. China is the tech giants third-largest market, accounting for 18 per cent of its total revenue last year. Apple this week launched the new iPhone 15 series, along with Apple Watches and AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in Beijing, October 31, 2022 (Photo: VNA) Political relations maintain stable and positive trend Leaders of the two countries have reached many important common understandings, contributing to bringing bilateral relations to new heights. In 1999, during Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu's visit to China, senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries determined the motto to promote bilateral relations in the 21st century as friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and future-oriented thinking. In December 2000, State President Tran Duc Luong visited China, and the two sides signed a Joint Declaration on comprehensive cooperation in the new century. In particular, during Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh's visit to China in May 2008, the two sides agreed to establish the Vietnam-China relationship framework as a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership". In October 2022, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to China was the first direct official foreign activity between the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first foreign visit of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong after the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first highest foreign leader that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping welcomed right after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China. The official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was extremely important, strengthening and deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new period. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Liu Guozhong, along with delegates attending the Vietnam - China Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum in Beijing in June 2023 (Photo: VGP) Strong growth in economic cooperation, trade and investment Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and China has maintained good growth momentum in the context of the pandemic negatively impacting trade of most countries in the world. Vietnam has continuously been the largest trading partner in ASEAN (since 2016), and the 6th largest trading partner in the world (since 2020) of China. In 2021, the total trade turnover of Vietnam - China reach USD165.9 billion, an increase of 24.6% compared to 2020, accounting for one fourth of the total trade turnover between China and ASEAN. In 2022, Vietnam - China export turnover reach USD175.56 billion, an increase of 5.47% compared to the previous year. Vietnam continued to hold the position of China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and China's 4th largest trading partner by individual country, after the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. In terms of investment, in the first 6 months of 2023, Chinese investment reached nearly USD1.3 billion with 233 projects, making it the third largest FDI investor in Vietnam (after Singapore and Japan). As of June 20, China maintained the 6 out of 143 countries and territories investing FDI in Vietnam with 3,791 valid projects worth total registered capital of more than USD25 billion. Health cooperation, especially COVID-19 pandemic prevention, has been a bright spot in the two countries' relationship recently. China was one of the countries that provided the most and fastest vaccines to Vietnam. By the end of 2021, China had provided Vietnam with 7.3 million doses of aid and commercially provided about 45 million doses of vaccines. The 26th ASEAN - China Summit within the framework of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related conferences in Indonesia in September 2023 (Photo: VNA) Contributions of two countries to regional and world peace The two countries have promoted coordination and cooperation in regional and international multilateral mechanisms, especially within the ASEAN framework, together with other countries actively participating in contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development. In particular, cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping operations between Vietnam and China is a new area of cooperation and is opening up positive prospects. At the peacekeeping mission areas, the forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities of the two countries are working together to contribute to the common mission. In high-level meetings, Vietnamese and Chinese leaders always emphasize the importance of the two countries strengthening coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums, especially within the UN framework, World Trade Organization (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), East Asia Summit (EAS), First Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and Mekong-Lancang. The two sides have coordinated and cooperated closely at these multilateral mechanisms and forums, contributing to promoting dialogue and cooperation between countries around the world, joining hands to respond to emerging challenges that threaten peace, security and stability of the region./. The makers of Nokia Android phones are now going to make devices under a new brand. The companys CEO shared this update via post this week, confirming that the new brand will co-exist with Nokia in the market. It seems HMD Global had a six-year exclusive partnership to make Nokia-branded phones and going by the statement given here, the company is now free to make its own branded phones. The interesting part is that HMD Global has not divulged the details about the new brand and when the new phones will be launched. The company got the brand license to use Nokia and manufacture smartphones. HMD Global has relied on Foxconn for making the Nokia Android smartphones and it is likely that the new brand will also use the same vendor for making phones. HMD Global was started by ex-Nokia executives with the aim to rechristen the brand and bring Android-powered phones to the market. Weve seen a slew of Nokia phones across different price ranges that have shown promise but none that really managed to grab a major chunk of the market. Even in countries like India, Nokia phones have predominantly focused on the budget and mid-tier segment and a couple of premium flagships that have shown their versatility and innovative touch. It wasnt long back when Nokia and Zeiss Optics had a solid partnership to deliver quality cameras on phones but the latter has now moved on to Vivo where it has worked on premium camera phones. Nokia has stopped making flagship phones, so the end of the tie-up didnt really surprise people. HMD Global has been upfront about its plans and strategy, talking about the need to make affordable 5G phones and also have a special focus on sustainability by using materials which help the environment. We have mostly seen Nokia C and G series phones launching in the past 12 months. We now wait to see if the brand takes a different direction with its new phone series. The new biography on Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson reports that the Tesla owner asked his ex-girlfriend Amber Heard to dress up as one of his favourite video game characters while they were together. Now, the SpaceX mogul has dropped evidence of the intimate detail by sharing a steamy photograph of Amber dressed in cosplay attire via X (formerly Twitter). The incident occurred when an online thread by Dexerto caught the attention of Elon Musk. New Elon Musk biography reports he asked ex-girlfriend Amber Heard to cosplay Mercy from Overwatch, the media organization posted as part of their coverage of the tech billionaires new biography. The update was shared alongside two images, one of them was a pap photograph of the ex-couple, and another was a character poster of Mercy from the famous video game Overwatch. The detail of their past relationship garnered the attention of many social media users including the Tesla owner who replied with a photo of Amber Heard dressed as Mercy. Notably, author Walter Isaacson is said to have described the tumultuous relationship of Elon and Amber in the book. It is suggested that the Aquaman actress reminded the tech billionaire of Mercy, so much so that she commissioned a character costume for him. The photograph shared on Wednesday features Amber in a white bodysuit gazing fiercely at the camera. Her look was completed with a golden headpiece and metal wings. She did dress up as Mercy. It was awesome, said Elon Musk of the incident. She did dress up as Mercy. It was awesome. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 13, 2023 According to a report by Page Six, Amber Heard isnt happy with Elon sharing her private photograph on social media. A source close to the actress confirmed Amber, did not give permission to Elon to use the photo. Notably, the two were in an on-off relationship approximately for a year after her messy 2016 divorce from her ex-husband Johnny Depp. The ex-couple made their relationship Instagram official in April 2017 but called it quits in early 2018. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amber Heard (@amberheard) Last year, Amber Heards defamation trial against Johnny Depp was widely publicized in the media. A court in Virginia found Amber defamed Johnny Depp in three statements from her 2016 op-ed written for the Washington Post. The Pirates of the Caribbean fame was awarded more than $10m in damages after winning the case. While communicating through messages, users tend to express their emotions and feelings through emoticons. According to studies, it is believed that emoticons help increase the intensity of communication. But did you know that there are certain Gulf countries that can put you in prison for sharing a red heart emoji? Gulf countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia can turn these gestures into legal consequences, including imprisonment. The rise of technology and messaging systems has brought a clear cultural difference between traditional ideas and modern ways of communication. For instance, sharing heart emojis while communicating, especially with people of opposite genders, can be taken as a breach of modesty and an attempt to establish a romantic relationship against cultural standards. These Gulf countries are based on traditional Islamic cultures, thus limiting certain gender interactions. This happens as red heart emojis are commonly linked to romantic feelings and emotions and lead to consequences for those who are involved in them. As per the rules in Kuwait, people convicted of this offence can face up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 2000 Kuwaiti dinars. Whereas, as per the law in Saudi Arabia, using the red heart emoji on WhatsApp might lead to imprisonment for two to five years and a fine of 100,000 Saudi Riyals. According to sources, sending red hearts under Saudi law can be taken as harassment. If the crime is repeated, it may lead to a potential prison sentence of five years, which can reach up to 300,000 Saudi Riyals. These rules and customs portray the complications of digital communication, cultural norms and legal consequences. Hence, it is advisable to be cautious about the rules and regulations of any country before communicating with any individual, as it might be misunderstood and lead someone to imprisonment or have some legal consequences. A Spanish man was arrested after he inappropriately touched a Spanish TV journalist while she was reporting live in Madrid. Recognised as Isa Balado, the journalist was reporting on a robbery in Madrid for channel Cuatro. This is when a man entered the frame and put his hands on her. He was trying to ask her what channel she worked for. Isa, sorry to interrupt, did they just touch your butt? her colleague in the studio asked. Yes, said Balado. She then turned to the man and asked as much as you want to ask us which channel we work for, do you really have to touch my ass? Also Read: News Anchor Laughs While Reporting Bagmati River Floods, Gets Slammed The man refused to admit that he did anything wrong and walked away while touching her hair. A few seconds later, he approached her again while she was live on air and said she should tell the truth. The video did not only cause outrage in Spain but has become a topic of discussion globally. Madrid police has arrested the man for sexually assaulting a reporter live on air. Here, have a look at what exactly happened: "Do you really have to touch my ass?Yesterday, journalist Isa Balado was in the middle of a live report in Madrid when a man approached her from behind & sexually assaulted her, grabbing her bottom He was arrested soon after#MeToo #TimesUp #SeAcabopic.twitter.com/fZaS1gXGmo https://t.co/eGr8EtwfXS Stefan Simanowitz (@StefSimanowitz) September 13, 2023 Since being uploaded, the video has gathered nearly 34K views. Also Read: BuzzFix | 7 Shocking Revelations Made by Elon Musk in His Biography Meanwhile, earlier, a video which sparked massive outrage on social media features a news anchor. In the video, the anchor can be seen laughing while reporting the Bagmati river floods. The anchor belongs to a Bihar and Jharkhand-based media outlet. She is now receiving backlash for laughing on live television while reporting such a serious situation. The blunder came into notice when X user Sanjay Tripathi shared the video on the micro blogging platform. Within some time, the video went viral and caught attention from a lot of people. NASA, which recently released the first findings of its report into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), or UFOs, has reacted to the display of alien-like corpses at a Mexico Congress public hearing. David Spergel, chair of the UAP report, suggested that corpses should be made available to the scientific community. He said he saw the report on Twitter and did not know the nature of those samples. This is something that I have only seen on Twitter. When you have unusual things, you want to make the data public If you have something strange, make samples available to the scientific community, said Spergel, as reported by NDTV. Aliens? Mexico Displays 1000-year-old Non-human Fossils During the Congress hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena, the non-human corpses that were from Cusco in Peru were shown, the Independent reported. Mexico Congress hearings are live-streamed online, and the alien one sparking a debate about the existence of life beyond Earth. The corpses claimed to be the 1,000-year-old fossilized remains of extraterrestrial individuals. The event was co-hosted by journalist and ufologist Jaime Maussan. Ryan Graves, Americans for Safe Aerospace Executive Director and former U.S. Navy pilot, was also present at the event. Speaking under oath, Maussan said that these specimens do not fit not into our terrestrial evolution. He added that they were found after a UFO Wreckage in diatom [algae] mines, and were later fossilized, the Independent said. Other videos showing UFO and other unidentified anomalous phenomena were shown during the public hearing. NASA Report Says UFOs Pose Threat to US Airspace NASA chief Bill Nelson on Thursday said he believes that aliens are out there as the space agency released the first findings of its report into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), or UFOs. It announced it is appointing a director of UAP research in response to one of the recommendations made by the independent study team. The report, however, stated that due to a limited number of high-quality observations of UAP, it is impossible to draw firm scientific conclusions about their nature. The UAP independent study team, which is a counsel of 16 community experts across diverse areas, said in their report that UAP pose threat to US airspace safety and this is self-evident. It stated that the study of UAP presents a unique scientific opportunity that demands a rigorous, evidence-based approach along with a systematic reporting framework, including public engagement as well as crowdsourcing, and keeping a check on reporting stigma. It also said artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are essential tools for identifying these rare occurrences. A press release issued by NASA stated that the agency commissioned the independent study to better understand how it can contribute to ongoing government efforts to further the study observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft, or as known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective. China on Wednesday became the first nation to name a new ambassador to Afghanistan since the takeover by the Taliban terror group. The nation appointed Zhao Xing as the ambassador to Kabul becoming the first country in the world to appoint an envoy to Afghanistan under the Taliban 2.0 regime. Zhao Xing was accorded a warm welcome by the Taliban officials with Mohammad Hassan Akhund, acting prime minister in the Taliban administration, according him a warm welcome. The acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, was also present. The strengthening of ties between the Taliban and the Communist Party of China (CPC) is based on reciprocity. China is eyeing Afghanistans lithium reserves and has allowed private company Gochin to see if those reserves can be exploited following the nod from the Taliban bigwigs. China needs lithium because it wants to control the element which is required for a vital component of batteriesfor phones, laptops and for the electric vehicles which could soon become a new normal when it comes to transportation as global warming impacts all. China has been dominating the global lithium battery supply chain over the last two decades and an access to Taliban-held Afghanistans reserves could mean a control over lithium supply for several decades to come. China, which itself has lithium reserves estimated at 4.5 million tonnes, also has close ties to Chile, Bolivia and Argentina the top three nations with the largest lithium reserves. China controls 80% of the worlds raw material refining, 77% of the worlds cell capacity and 60% of the worlds component manufacturing, according to Bloomberg. The Assessment Capacities Project or ACAPs, an aid research group, said that Chinese state companies and various levels of government have sent aid worth $50 million to China. Taliban official Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar now wants China to resume the $3 billion investment made in the Mes Aynak copper mines. Gochin, the company exploring the lithium reserves, will reportedly invest $10 billion and create around 120,000 jobs. Acting mining minister Shahabuddin Delawar claimed that little known Chinese companies along with Iran, Turkey and the UK, invested $6.5 billion in mining contracts. Afghanistan is also gradually entering the ambit of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Pakistan Railway and state-owned China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group issued construction tenders to build a rail line between Karachi and Mazar-e-Sharif. India has opposed the CPEC and terms it as an inherently illegal, illegitimate, and unacceptable endeavour. New Delhi protested the project from its very beginning since it passes through large parts of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). We have seen reports on encouraging proposed participation of third countries in so-called CPEC projects. Any such actions by any party directly infringe on Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said last year. China also wants the Taliban to ensure that members within its ranks lower the rhetoric on the alleged mistreatment and human rights abuses faced by the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. It wants the Taliban to take action against the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, an umbrella name used by the CPC for Uyghur militants gathered in Afghanistan However, the China-Taliban love story is still in its honeymoon phase. It cannot be guaranteed, as evidenced by the bombing of the Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul last December, that the relationship will go ahead smoothly. China could also face repercussions on the global stage for siding with a power which has launched a full-scale attack on rights of women and minorities. It already is facing pressure for supporting Russia in the war in Ukraine. The Taliban emerges as a winner for the time being because even though there is no international recognition, Beijings embrace is helping the nation tide over issues related to food security and economic growth. (with inputs from Nikkei Asia, Wired, OneCharge and Reuters) The G77+China, a group of developing and emerging countries representing 80 percent of the global population, gathers Friday in Cuba seeking to promote a new economic world order amid warnings of growing polarization. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, who arrived on the island Thursday, will join some 30 heads of state and government from Africa, Asia and Latin America at the two-day summit in Havana. The meeting should conclude Saturday with a statement underscoring the right to development in an increasingly exclusive, unfair, unjust and plundering international order, the foreign minister of host Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez, told reporters on Wednesday. A draft of the closing statement underlines the many obstacles facing developing nations, and includes a call for the establishment of a new economic world order, he said. The bloc was established by 77 countries of the global South in 1964 to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity, according to the groups website. Today it has 134 members, among which the website lists China although the Asian giant says it is not a full member. Cuba took over the rotating presidency in January. Guterres, who will deliver the opening address with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, has recently attended a rash of multilateral summits, including a gathering of the G20 club of major economies in India and the BRICS group that includes Russia. Ahead of the Havana meeting, Guterres said this multiplicity of summits reflects the growing multipolarity of our world. And he warned that multipolarity could be a factor for escalating geostrategic tensions, with tragic consequences. For his part, Diaz-Canel said on X, formerly Twitter, that Cuban summit participants would reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, cooperation and development. A valid interlocutor Among the leaders expected to attend are Brazils Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Colombias Gustavo Petro and Alberto Fernandez of Argentina. China will be represented by top Communist Party official Li Xi. The presence of world leaders on its soil amounts to a recognition for the Cuban government even as the country battles its worst economic crisis in 30 years, an analyst told AFP. Despite the difficulties of the moment, Cuba has been recognized as a valid interlocutor, said Cuban international relations expert Arturo Lopez-Levy, a visiting professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid. The communist-ruled island is still under the yoke of US sanctions first imposed in 1962. Diaz-Canel has in recent months represented the G77+China at several international meetings including a June global financial summit in Paris and an EU meeting in July with Latin American and Caribbean states. The Havana summit theme is the role of science, technology and innovation in development. I will focus on getting the 2030 Agenda back on track, said Guterres, referring to a list of UN goals to end poverty and hunger and brake climate change, among others. The United States Ambassador paid a rare visit to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Hub Gwadar Port, raising eyebrows in international circles about Pakistans double game with China. Chinas investment worth billions of dollars in Pakistan is on Americas radar and sources have told CNN-News18 that Beijing has sought an explanation from Islamabad on Ambassador Donald Blomes visit to the key hub for China-backed economic corridor and a lynchpin of Chinas global economic corridor, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The US Envoy met Gwadar Chamber of Commerceas well as political leaders during his visit which has sparked a row in Beijing. A source said Beijing is not happy with Islamabad due to the recent developments in Pakistan. The source added that China is reviewing the recent visit of the United States Ambassador and officials to BRIs strategic port in Gwadar. According to foreign policy experts in Islamabad, the current development may put Pakistan in hot waters with China which, unfortunately, Islamabad cannot afford. Blome has previously discussed the USs assistance for the development of Balochistan through trade and investments with members of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and political leaders. During his visit, Blome was given a tour of the Gwadar Port, which has been developed and expanded with Chinese help and investments in Pakistan. The US envoy also held a discussion with Gwadar Port Authority Chairman Pasand Khan Buledi, where potential development plans and Gwadars role as a regional trans-shipment hub were explored. The conversation also touched on avenues for connecting Gwadar with Pakistans largest export market, the United States. Blome said United States is especially focused on supporting Balochistan and all of Pakistan as it strengthens climate resilience, pursues energy transformation, and fosters inclusive economic growth. The meeting came days after the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding in India with the European Union and the Gulf states of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, to set up a trans-continental economic corridor, one which not only bypasses the BRI and CPEC but also Pakistan. Flash flooding in east Libya caused by Storm Daniel tore through the coastal city of Derna, leaving more than 3,000 people dead, 10,000 missing and entire neighbourhoods in ruins. This is what we know so far about the extreme storm and flash flooding that hit the war-torn North African country. Dams Burst On Sunday afternoon, Storm Daniel made landfall on Libyas east coast after earlier lashing Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. It touched Benghazi before veering towards the Jabal al-Akhdar district towns of Shahat, Al-Marj, Al-Bayda, Susa and Derna, devastating that city of 100,000 people. Derna lies in a river wadi 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. Overnight, two dams on Wadi Derna burst, unleashing torrents of water that destroyed bridges and swept away entire neighbourhoods before spilling into the Mediterranean. Roads that were already in a poor state were cut, and access to some affected areas became impossible. Huge Toll Officials in the east of the divided country give different toll estimates, with one speaking of at least 3,840 dead. However, most fear the figure will be far higher. Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Tuesday the death toll is huge and might reach thousands, with another 10,000 missing. The International Organization for Migration on Wednesday said over 38,640 people were displaced in the hardest-hit areas of northeastern Libya, including at least 30,000 in Derna, 3,000 in Al-Bayda and 2,195 in Benghazi. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said late Thursday an estimated 884,000 people directly impacted by the storm and flash floods in five provinces need assistance. Authorities Mobilise The authorities in Libyas east and west, faced by the appalling human and material devastation caused by the floods, have mobilised, taking emergency measures to come to the aid of those stricken by the disaster. Aid convoys from Tripolitania in the west have been sent to Derna. The internationally recognised Tripoli government of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah said it was sending two air ambulances and a helicopter, as well as rescuers, 87 doctors, canine search teams and workers to try to restore electricity. International Response Relief missions have gathered pace with Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates among the first nations to rush aid to the disaster-hit country. The United Nations has launched an appeal for more than $71 million to aid the hundreds of thousands in need. The world body also called for a sea corridor to be established for emergency relief and evacuations. The European Union said assistance from Germany, Romania and Finland had been dispatched including hospital tents and power generators, as well as food, water tanks and blankets. Two planes from Germany landed at the eastern airport of Al Abraq with 30 tonnes of relief supplies. The United States, Algeria, Qatar, Italy, France and Tunisia have all also offered assistance. The United Arab Emirates sent two aid planes carrying 150 tonnes of food, relief and medical supplies. Kuwait sent a plane with 40 tonnes of supplies, and Jordan sent a military aircraft loaded with food parcels, tents, blankets and mattresses. Egypts armed forces chief of staff, an ally of east Libya military strongman Khalifa Haftar, flew to Benghazi on Tuesday aboard a plane loaded with relief supplies and personnel, reports said. Medicane Storm Daniel gathered strength during an unusually hot summer and earlier lashed Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, flooding vast areas and killing at least 27 people. Climate experts say it bears the features of tropical cyclones and hurricanes known as medicanes which tend to form in the Mediterranean near the North African coast. Medicanes form once or twice per year on average, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration While scientists generally avoid direct links between individual weather events and long-term global warming, Storm Daniel is illustrative of the type of devastating flooding event we may expect increasingly in the future, said Lizzie Kendon, a climate science professor at the University of Bristol. The EUs climate monitoring service Copernicus said rising global sea surface temperatures were driving record levels of heat across the globe, with 2023 likely to be the warmest in human history. Fresh from his G20 success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi retained his position at the top of an approval ratings list of global leaders. He was followed by Swiss President Alain Berset in second position with 64 percent approval rating and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in third position. Going by the last approval ratings released in June, US President Joe Biden retained the seventh position with an unchanged 40 percent approval rating, while UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dropped from the 12th position to 15th with 27 percent rating. At 76 percent, however, Prime Minister Modis approval rating dropped by one percentage point. The Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker released on September 14 by Morning Consult, a decision intelligence company, also found the prime minister at the top position when it released its approval ratings in February with a score of 78 percent. Since then, his approval rating has dropped by two percentage points. According to Morning Consult, the latest approval ratings are based on data collected from September 6 to 12. It said the ratings are based on a seven-day moving average of adult residents in each country, with varying sample sizes. The grand G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi praised by a majority of leaders of member countries who attended was held on September 9 and 10. The list comprises rankings of leaders from 22 countries, of which a majority are G20 members. According to the list, Australias Anthony Albanese with an approval rating of 48 percent came in fifth while Italian PM Giorgia Meloni came in sixth with a score of 42 percent. Apart from PM Modi, who belongs to the right-wing BJP, Meloni is the only other global leader in the top 10 whose party, Brothers of Italy, takes up right-wing to far right position in politics. Irish prime minister, or Taoiseach, Leo Varadkars party has a centre-right political position. The rest of the leaders Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, US, Spain and Canada belong to parties that are centre-left to left wing or follow social liberalism (Democratic Party of the US). Going by the approval ratings released in February, Berset improved his ranking to second position as well as his approval rating to 64 percent. The president of the Swiss Federation pushed Obrador to the third position, who got 61 percent approval rating. The Mexican presidents score, however, has dropped by seven percentage points since February. Albanese came in fifth with a rating of 48 percent. He had ranked fourth with a rating of 58 percent in February. Meloni remained in sixth position but her rating dropped by 10 percentage points from 52 percent in February to 42 percent. Brazils Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took over the G20 baton from Modi last week, has improved his position from sixth in February to fourth but his rating has dropped from 50 percent to 49 percent. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who was snubbed by India at the G20 summit, came in 10th but was in the eighth position in February. His approval rating, too, dropped from 40 percent to 37 percent. Trudeau was replaced by Spanish President Pedro Sanchez in the eighth position with a rating of 39 percent. He was 10th in February with a score of 36 percent. Varadkar retained his ninth position with an approval rating of 38 percent, improving his score from 37 percent in February. US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E.Knapper (Photo: VNA) The robust Vietnam US relations bring benefits to both nations, the diplomat said, stressing the US want to stand side by side with Vietnam in the latters efforts to have a digital economy by 2030, become a high-income nation by 2045, and realise its net-zero target by 2050. Environmental protection and climate change response will be among key cooperation fields between the two nations, he said, given Vietnams bold commitment to creating a greener and cleaner economy. As the Southeast Asian country has an increasingly important role in the global value chain, the two countries have agreed to step up collaboration across the fields of science-technology, semi-conductor, education, and training of high-tech workforce Vietnam needs to meet the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century, he stressed. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong receives US President Joe Biden. (Photo: VNA) Ambassador Knapper described President Bidens meetings with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue particularly moving. A small ceremony was held following the meeting with Vietnamese top legislator Hue, he said, during which war memorabilia were handed over between the two sides. Just a really powerful moment in which you had veterans from both sides meeting in the presence of our President and the presence of the head of the National Assembly. I dont know, just for me I mean, my father is a veteran; he fought here too and so for me personally it was just very moving to see individuals from both sides doing this in the spirit of reconciliation, in the spirit of growing our partnership even more going into the future, he said. The US diplomat also recalled the special moment when President Joe Biden and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry visit the monument of late Senator John McCain, who had special influence on promoting the Vietnam US relations, at Truc Bach Lake. Regarding post-war recovery, the ambassador said the US profoundly grateful for Vietnams humanitarian effort, which helped bring home remains of more than 730 US servicemen. The State visit by President Biden is not only an opportunity for both sides to further efforts to recover the war legacy, which is a pillar in the bilateral cooperation, but also an opportunity to expand cooperation in other fields. Efforts towards reconciliation and cooperation in high technology do capture the full spectrum and breadth of the Vietnam US ties, he said, adding both sides are working towards strengthening their friendship, deepening the existing areas of cooperation, and looking for new areas of cooperation. Our two countries are moving together into the future. And it was really just an extraordinary visit., he said./. In a landmark ruling, Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday scrapped the recent amendments to the country's anti-graft laws and restored corruption cases against public office holders, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was one of the major beneficiaries of the changes. The apex court was announcing its reserved decision on jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's plea filed last year, challenging the amendments made to the accountability laws by the then government led by former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz Sharif, 73, is scheduled to return to Pakistan on October 21 from London, ending his four-year-long self-exile. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah issued a reserved judgment by a 2-1 majority. Justice Shah disagreed with the majority verdict. Annulling the changes by the government headed by Shehbaz Sharif, the court declared that amendments, like limiting the jurisdiction of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the anti-corruption watchdog, to the cases involving over Rs 500 million, were against the Constitution. It restored corruption cases against public officeholders. The court directed that the cases withdrawn after NAB's jurisdiction was limited to investigating cases below Rs 500 million be fixed for hearing in accountability courts. It also declared the verdicts issued by the accountability courts null and void in light of the amendments made to the laws and directed the NAB to send the record to the relevant courts within seven days. The restoration of the old law may have implications of varying levels for several politicians, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and ex-premiers Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. They all benefited under the new law as the trial of those accused with less than Rs 500 million of alleged corruption was stopped. After the amendments were made, dozens of cases against powerful politicians and their relatives were sent back by the NAB courts last year. Nawaz Sharif, who is set to return on October 21, ending his self-exile in London, where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo has lived since 2019, may see the restoration of a Toshakhana case. In 2020, an accountability court declared him a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicles reference. Zardari and Gilani are also accused in the same case. In the case, the NAB accused Nawaz Sharif and Zardari of illegally retaining expensive vehicles gifted to them by various foreign countries and dignitaries instead of depositing them in the Toshakhana. According to the country's top anti-corruption body, Gilani, during his tenure as Prime Minister, facilitated Zardari in retaining the vehicles. Abbasi may face the LNG terminal case, while Ashraf will face the rental power corruption case. However, it is unclear if the caretaker government would challenge the verdict by filing a review in the Supreme Court against the judgment. Since Justice Qazi Faez Isa is set to take over as the new chief justice on Sunday, it is too early to say anything about the fate of the verdict if a review is filed. After Chief Justice Bandial's retirement, Justice Isa will be part of the three-member panel. As one of the judges already disagreed with the judgment, the attitude of the new chief justice toward the scrapped law would be interesting to watch. The coalition government had made several changes in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance of 1999 through the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022, which Khan challenged in June last year. These included reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years, limiting the anti-graft watchdog's jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs 500 million, and transferring all pending inquiries, investigations, and trials to the relevant authorities. After prolonged proceedings spanning over 53 hearings, the court concluded the case on September 5 and reserved its judgment, which was declared just a day ahead of the retirement of Chief Justice Bandial. Bandial, who took office as the top judge in February 2022, would be retiring on September 16. Earlier, Khan's lawyer, Shoaib Shaheen, said after the verdict that the amendments in the NAB laws were declared to be a violation of several articles of the Constitution. "The amendments were prepared by the Sharif family's personal lawyers," he alleged, adding that the changes were made for the benefit of certain individuals. Saudi Arabia on Thursday said it was hosting a delegation of Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels for talks on ending the impoverished countrys brutal war. Senior Houthi figures took off from Yemens capital Sanaa, multiple sources said, for their first public visit to oil-rich Saudi since Riyadh began spearheading a military intervention in the neighbouring country in 2015. Yemen was plunged into conflict when the Huthis overran the capital Sanaa in September 2014, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to launch their offensive the following March. The ensuing fighting has left hundreds of thousands dead and forced millions from their homes, causing one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises in a country already pummelled by decades of conflict and upheaval. Saudi state TV Al Ekhbariya said the talks, which come after a Saudi team visited Sanaa in April, were aimed at finding a comprehensive political solution in Yemen. The kingdom is hosting a negotiating delegation representing the Yemeni Huthi component, intending to continue the discussions aimed at finding a political solution, a comprehensive ceasefire, and moving from the stage of conflicts to stability, it said. The official Saudi Press Agency said Riyadh invited a delegation from Sanaa to visit the kingdom to complete talks held in the Yemeni capital earlier this year. A UN-brokered, six-month ceasefire that expired last October is still largely holding but moves towards peace have been slow since the Saudi delegation left Sanaa without an agreement five months ago. The delegation will head to Riyadh to continue consultations with the Saudi side, the Huthis political chief, Mahdi al-Mashat, said via the rebels Saba news agency. Peace was and still is our first option and everyone must work to achieve it. Back rooms to the living room The Huthis headed for Riyadh on an Omani plane, days after Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Omans sultan on his way back from the G20 summit in India. Oman has played a role as mediators in the conflict. Optimism exists regarding the mediation and the Omani efforts to achieve peace in Yemen, Ali al-Qhoom, a member of the Huthis political council, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The head of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies think tank, Majed al-Madhaji, told AFP that the Huthi visit is like moving the relationship between the Huthis and Saudi Arabia from the back rooms to the living room. By organising talks in Riyadh, both sides are legitimising this relationship and giving it an additional impetus. On the political level, it is an advanced step to end Saudi Arabias direct role in Yemen and for the Huthis to acknowledge its role as a mediator, in addition to being one of the parties to the conflict, he added. Moves towards peace in Yemen were boosted when heavyweight rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a surprise rapprochement in March, seven years after they broke off ties. The Huthi demands include payment of their civil servants salaries by the displaced Yemeni government, and the launch of new destinations from Sanaa airport, which was closed until last year when commercial flights resumed to Jordan and Egypt. Underlining Yemens problems, UN agencies and 91 international and Yemeni non-governmental organisations said on Thursday that 21.6 million people 75 percent of the population needed humanitarian assistance, calling for more funding. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned Thursday that the threat from domestic extremism remains high ahead of the November 2024 elections. The warning comes despite the prosecution and imprisonment of hundreds including members of extremist groups for the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol. In 2024, we expect the threat of violence from violent extremists radicalized in the United States will remain high, DHS said in its annual US threat assessment. The threat from domestic violent extremists those without particular international ties and extremists inspired by foreign terrorist organizations is little-changed, it said. Both will continue to be inspired and motivated by a mix of conspiracy theories; personalized grievances; and enduring racial, ethnic, religious, and anti-government ideologies, often shared online, the DHS report said. DHS said a key threat is from racially and ethnically-motivated extremists who advocate for race war. In the past two years, several attacks by extremist groups have targeted communications and energy infrastructure, such as power plants, with the goal of stirring up fear and destabilizing society. Multiple individuals have also carried out racially-motivated mass shootings. The most recent incident occurred in late August in Jacksonville, Florida, when a 21-year-old white man killed three Black people in a discount store before taking his own life. During next years election, DHS said, extremists motivated by conspiracy theories and anti-government grievances may also seek to disrupt electoral processes. It warned of possible violence or threats against government officials, voters and election officials. In addition, DHS said, Russia, China, and Iran likely see the upcoming election season in 2024 as an opportunity to conduct overt and covert influence campaigns aimed at shaping favorable US policy outcomes and undermining US stability. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged Russian-made and North Korean-made rifles during the latters ongoing visit to Russia. Putin gave (Kim) a rifle from our production of the highest quality. In return, he also received a North Korean-made rifle, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to AFP. The Russian President also gifted Kim Jong Un a glove from a space suit that has been to space several times. Kim Jong Un visited a fighter jet factory in Russias far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday where he was welcomed by women dressed in Russian traditional attire. Putin told the state-controlled media outlets that Kim Jong Un will visit an aircraft factory that builds fighter jets in the city. Kim Jong Uns visit will last for a few more days, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin also said that Kim will visit Vladivostok to oversee a display of Russian warships that would demonstrate the capabilities of the Pacific Fleet. He is also scheduled to visit a university in the region. The visit to the aircraft factory and Russian warships signals that the North Korean leader seeks help to develop its missile and space programme from his Russian counterpart. In exchange, North Korea will give Putin with anti-tank missiles and munitions. People speaking to news outlets questioned if Russia, known for guarding its sensitive technology, will readily hand them over to Kim Jong Un while officials in Moscow remain unsure regarding the state they will find the Soviet-era North Korean munitions in. Putin, meanwhile, gratefully accepted Kims invitation to visit Pyongyang. Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, will first visit Pyongyang in October. If Putin visits Pyongyang, it will be his second visit. He first visited North Korea after being elected as Russian President in 2000 to meet Kims father, Kim Jong-il. Russia and North Korea did not pay heed to the warnings by the US and South Korea and played with the idea that they could sign a potential arms deal. South Korea is concerned that its hostile neighbour will receive advanced weapons technologies from Russia, including those related to military spy satellites, which would increase the threat posed by Kims military nuclear program. The father, stepmother and uncle of 10-year-old Sara Sharif were charged with murder after police found the minors body at their residence in Surrey last August. Saras father, Urfan Sharif, 41, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 29, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 28, were arrested on return from Pakistan. The trio flew to Pakistan with five children in August. Sara is the daughter of Urfan Sharif and Olga Sharif, a Pole. The Guardian said that the trio left Pakistan on Wednesday morning after negotiations with the police and British authorities. Olga Sharif, Saras mother, was informed of the latest developments and is being assisted by specialist officers. Urfan, Beinash and Faisal also disappeared after their arrival in Pakistan. Police initially assumed that Urfan Sharifs five children, aged between one and 13, were with him but on Monday it emerged that they were staying with their grandfather Muhammad Sharif at his home in Jhelum after a police raid. These five children are now under government care in Pakistan. The Guardian in its report also said that the grandfather negotiated with local politicians and police for the fugitives to be handed over to UK authorities as they were scared of mistreatment at the hands of Pakistan police. Urfan, according to the reports by UK-based media outlets, called the emergency services in UK that Sara Sharif was dead at the house in Horsell, an area near Woking. When he called he did not identify himself as Saras father. After the police discovered her body, they began an international police search. The post mortem report revealed that the child sustained multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period. Urfan, Beinash and Faisal were charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and will appear at Guildford magistrates court on Friday, the Guardian said. These three fled to Pakistan a day before police discovered Saras body in Horsell on August 10. When they reached Gatwick airport on Wednesday evening after disembarking from a flight from Dubai, they were arrested. A Sikh high school student was assaulted at a bus stop in Canadas British Columbia province after an altercation with another teenager in an apparent case of hate crime. Canada-based news outlet CTV in a report said the incident took place earlier this week on Monday in Kelowna. The CTV report said that during the altercation which happened at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East the Sikh teenager was allegedly kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed. Officers determined a 17-year-old Sikh student was either beer or pepper sprayed by another teenage male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement. The police said that before the assault on the Sikh teenager, there was an ongoing altercation aboard the bus which led to those involved being kicked out the bus. The World Sikh Organisation of Canada claimed that the student was assaulted while aboard the vehicle. The police are yet to release more details. Two individuals approached the student and first barred his entry onto the bus and then, once allowing him to board, began to threaten him with a lighter and photograph and record him from a close distance with their phones, the World Sikh Organisation said in a statement. Guntaas Kaur, WSO vice-president for British Columbia, condemned the incident and said that the attack on the Sikh teenager is shocking and unacceptable. Mondays attack on a Sikh high school student in Kelowna is shocking and unacceptable, Kaur was quoted as saying. This is the second attack on a Sikh student in British Columbia this year. In March, a 21-year-old Sikh student from India, Gagandeep Singh, was attacked in British Columbia. They ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair. Singh encountered a group of between 12 and 15 other young people on a bus who assaulted him. (with PTI inputs) Cuban President Fidel Castro and soldiers of the Tri Thien Hue liberation army's Khe Sanh unit during a visit to the liberated zone in Quang Tri on September 15, 1973. (Photo: VNA) The online newspaper Juventud Rebelde, Cuban national news agency ACN, and many other news outlets on September 12 published articles recounting the leaders journey to the land. In speeches and dialogues with Vietnamese officials, soldiers, and people during the visit, Fidel highlighted Vietnam's extraordinary role in the revolutionary movement and the liberation of peoples worldwide. He emphasised the clear thoughts and strategies of President Ho Chi Minh regarding the organisation, education, and training in the struggle for national independence, the rights of oppressed people, deep patriotism, and a desire to break free from the slavery yoke. Cuban media stressed that Fidel's visit to Vietnam was a journey of friendship and solidarity, and of compassion and revolution that bound together the two peoples from two hemispheres. An article on the website of Radio Reloj radio station had a title literally translated as "For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed blood," an immortal statement by Fidel that reflects the deep bond and solidarity of Cuba with Vietnamese people. In the extremely difficult moments of Vietnam's resistance war, Commander-in-Chief Fidel turned his foreign trips into opportunities to mobilise support from governments and peoples of various nations for Vietnam. The article stressed that Cuba wholeheartedly supported Vietnam from the moment both countries officially established diplomatic relations in December 1960. Under Fidel's leadership, the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Vietnam was founded on September 25, 1963, spreading the spirit to schools, hospitals, factories, construction sites, armed forces, and the entire society. Nowhere else in the world are there thousands of factories, schools, residential quarters named after Vietnamese heroes and places like in Cuba. Cuban experts, sailors, and workers worked alongside Vietnamese soldiers and people during bombings in Hai Phong and in local renowned projects like the Truong Son trail and the friendship hospital in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh. Cuba also played a crucial role in rallying Latin American countries to support Vietnam's entry into the United Nations at the organisations 32nd General Assembly in 1977./. US President Joseph Biden's post on his Vietnam visit. (Photo: VNA) Following 50 years of progress in the relationship between the two nations, he was proud to have strengthened ties with Vietnam a critical Indo-Pacific partner even further, President Biden wrote. The clip summarises his activities in Hanoi, including the official welcoming ceremony, the high-level talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, and the joint press briefing during which both leaders announce the lifting of Vietnam US relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development. The clip also highlighted the US Presidents meetings with other senior Vietnamese leaders: President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue. The video also recorded the US Presidents statements in which he said that This trip is a historic moment. The US has strengthened its relationship with another important partner in the Indo-Pacific." Im incredibly proud of how our nations and our people have built trust and understanding over the decades, and work to repair the painful legacy the war left on both our nations. Vietnam is a critical power in the world and a bellwether in this vital region. I look forward to continuing this new chapter in the story of our nations, the President affirmed./. UPDATE Sep 15, 2023 10:30 AM CDT A jury acquitted three men Friday in the last trial connected to a 2020 plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. William Null, twin brother Michael Null, and Eric Molitor were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge, the AP reports. They were the last of 14 men to face charges in state or federal court. Nine others have been convicted. They were accused of supporting leaders of the plan by participating in military-style drills and traveling to see Whitmer's vacation home in northern Michigan. Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, testified in their own defense, admitting they had attended gun drills and taken rides to check out Whitmer's property. But William Null said he and his brother broke away when talk turned to getting explosives. Dec 7, 2022 6:35 PM CST Five men were turned over for trial Wednesday on charges involving a foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Michael Null, William Null, Eric Molitor, and Shawn Fix, all from Michigan, are accused of providing material support for terrorist acts as well as a gun crime. Brian Higgins of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, was charged with providing material support for terrorist acts. District Judge Michael Stepka ruled that evidence presented in a preliminary hearing justified a trial in Antrim County, where Whitmer's Elk Rapids vacation home is located and prosecutors say the abduction was to happen. Prosecutors say four of the defendants scouted the house and surroundings, and there was talk of blowing up a bridge to keep police from responding. Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Thursday to fire the state's top elections official from her nonpartisan job. An hour later, saying they didn't have the authority to remove her, Meagan Wolfe sued them. The 22-11 vote means that, until the courts decide whether Wolfe keeps her job as director of Wisconsin's elections commission, her GOP opponents will be able to argue the legality of every move she makes, the Washington Post reports. In a state that could again be pivotal in deciding the outcome of next year's presidential race, and that might have to redraw legislative districts in the next few months, the situation could be problematic, analysts say. "I think it's really worrisome because we're in the final stages of preparation for the 2024 elections," said Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and director of its Elections Research Center. "The elections commission is training clerks around the state and issuing guidance, so to have uncertainty about who the top administrator is going into this crucial election season, I think is a real problem." The struggle for control of the elections agency springs from the false claims over the last presidential election, per the AP. Wolfe has been praised by voting administrators across the country and local officials in her state. But she's also been the subject of conspiracy theories and threats from people who claim she was involved in rigging the 2020 vote in Wisconsin. Republican leaders in the Senate cited those false claims Thursday in voting her out. Wolfe said she won't bow to the political pressure. "The Senate's vote today to remove me is not a referendum on the job I do but rather a reaction to not achieving the political outcome they desire," she said. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul agreed with Wolfe that the senators lack the power to remove her. The party's own lawyers said the same thing, per the Post. (Read more Wisconsin stories.) President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky both plan to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. At some point during Zelensky's visit, the two will sit down on their own, CNN reports. Neither side would officially confirm that a meeting is planned, but Zelensky tentatively is scheduled to go to Washington to lobby on Capitol Hill on Thursday, per the Washington Post, so he might well stop by the White House. At the UN, as well as during separate meetings with other foreign leaders in New York for the session, Zelensky is planning to seek more support for his country's counteroffensive against Russian forces. A man who stormed government buildings with a mob that claimed a presidential election was rigged received a stiff prison sentence Mondayand it wasn't in Washington, DC. Aecio Pereira, 51, was sentenced to 17 years for his role in the Jan. 8, 2023 riot in Brazil's capital, the BBC reports. In the attack, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Brazil's Congress , the country's Supreme Court building, and the presidential palace. Almost 1,500 people were arrested. Pereira was the first riot defendant to go on trial in the refurbished Supreme Court building, which was trashed in the attack, the Guardian reports. Eight of the 11 justices found him guilty on five charges: criminal association; staging a coup; violent attack on the rule of law; qualified damage; and destruction of public assets, per the AP. Two justices appointed by Bolsonaro declined to find him guilty on all five counts and sought a lighter sentence. During the riot, Pereira was filmed inside Brazil's Senate building calling for a military coup. He claimed during his trial that he thought he had been taking part in a peaceful protest. After he narrowly lost the election to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last October, Bolsonaro claimed, without evidence, that there had been fraud. The Supreme Court plans to hear 232 cases on the most serious charges connected to the riots, per the BBC. Around 1,000 other people are being investigated on lesser charges. (Read more Brazil stories.) When Christina Hobbs was found dead in her Louisiana apartment in December, authorities concluded she'd died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Some seven months later, authorities concluded that the 26-year-old had in fact been murdered only after a man with which she was involved allegedly killed a second woman at the same Baton Rouge apartment. Responding to a July 3 report of a possible overdose, police officers found the body of 42-year-old Rachel Johnson covered in bruises, with eyes that "appeared to have been blackened and swollen shut," an affidavit reads, per ABC News . An autopsy determined she'd died from blunt force trauma. "It appeared as if she was slammed down on the piece of furniture breaking its leg and then beaten," according to the affidavit. Police arrested 35-year-old Cedrick Lang, who'd reportedly told a neighbor to call 911 before fleeing the Florida Vista Condominiums complex, after a witness claimed to have seen him punching Johnson and overheard him threatening to kill her. It was then that police connected Lang to the Dec. 26 death of Hobbs, a friend of Johnson, in the same apartment. Police aren't saying exactly what led them to conclude Hobbs had been murdered, but the affidavit references reports of physical abuse from three people in relationships with Lang. "We will present all of our evidence when he is in court," a police rep tells WBRZ. For now, Lang is held at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on two counts of second-degree murder, per ABC. He was booked on the second charge last week, per the Advocate. (Read more murder stories.) Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, has died at age 91. Lina Botero told the Colombian radio station Caracol that her father died Friday morning in Monaco of pneumonia complications, per the AP . Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints, and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colorful form that was instantly recognizable. During his lifetime, the artist attained global fame and influence, despite his humble origins, and his paintings were exhibited in museums globally, while his imposing bronze sculptures can be found in the parks and avenues of many European and Latin American capitals. "His success was truly immense," Botero's son Juan Carlos, wrote in a biography of his father, published in 2010. "Fernando Botero has created a unique style, that is original and easy to recognize." Botero's paintings fetched millions of dollars at international auctions, and the artist was highly esteemed in his native Colombia, not just because of his success abroad, but due to the generous donations he made to his home country, including 23 statues, that are now in a park in downtown Medellin, and have become one of the city's most visited attractions. His sculpture of a white, chubby pigeon, standing proudly on a pedestal became an emblem of Colombia's efforts to make peace with rebel groups and is currently placed in a prominent gallery inside the nation's presidential palace. Botero once said he would paint every day from morning until night, and in absolute silence, so as not to allow anything to distract him. His daughter told Colombian radio station Blu on Friday that Botero had been working at his studio in Monaco regularly, until last weekend. "He couldn't work on oil paintings," she explained, because he was too weak to stand and hold larger brushes. "But he was experimenting with water paintings." (Read more obituary stories.) For the first time, almost 20 eyewitnesses to the bombing at the Kabul airport as US forces were leaving Afghanistan will be able to tell their stories to Pentagon investigators. Gen. Michael Kurilla ordered the interviews of US personnel who were wounded in the August 2021 attack and whose public statements are at odds with the Pentagon's finding that the bombing could not have been prevented. A statement said Kurilla, who heads US Central Command, wants to make sure that "relevant voices are fully heard and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously," the Washington Post reports. Arguing that Donald Trump's attacks on the federal election interference case against him have led to the harassment of witnesses, special counsel Jack Smith has asked a judge to impost limits on the former president's rhetoric. The filing requests that Judge Tanya Chutkan curb Trump's public comments about potential witnesses, court personnel, and jurors, the Hill reports. The court made the prosecutor's allegations public on Friday, per CNN . The motion says Trump "has an established practice of issuing inflammatory public statements targeted at individuals or institutions that present an obstacle or challenge to him," including attacks on others' credibility. And Trump realizes that those attacks prompt "others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets," prosecutors wrote. The motion listed some of the former president's recent social media posts, including slams of former Vice President Mike Pence, federal prosecutors, and Chutkan, who's presiding over the DC case, per CNBC. Trump has been spreading "disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social" almost daily since he was indicted, it says. The motion also lists the more general "If you come after me, I'm coming after you" message Trump posted last month. Prosecutors accused Trump, through his statements, of trying to undermine the judicial system. They gave seven examples of people whose addresses were made public or who needed security after a mention by Trump. One former Philadelphia official has described threats to his family after Trump used his name in a tweet. Prosecutors propose that the judge bar him from making public statements concerning "the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses." Trump would still be allowed to protest his innocence, per the Washington Post. (Read more election interference indictment stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Editor: ZAD The Kazakhstan Culture Day was celebrated at the SCO Secretariat on September 13, 2023. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China, Shakhrat Nuryshev, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Deputy Chair of China's SCO Committee on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship, and Cooperation, Cui Li, as well as other diplomats, scholars, representatives from the literary and artistic communities, and members of the media, graced the event with their presence. The event featured a captivating performance of Kazakh folk music by the Turan ensemble and a fashion show showcased the innovative creations of the independent Kazakh designer brand, "Ai-zer." Undersecretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo discusses Army modernization priorities during the 2023 Defense News Conference in Arlington, Virginia on September 6, 2023. (Courtesy photo) Xi stresses building general offices of Party committees, governments into model organs Xinhua) 08:03, September 15, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded efforts to build the general offices of Communist Party of China (CPC) committees and governments into model organs that can be trusted by the Party and meet the expectations of the people. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on the work of the general offices in the new era. Xi said that the general offices of Party committees and governments play a special and significant role in the governance system of the Party and the country and shoulder important responsibilities. On the new journey, the general offices ought to resolutely uphold the Party Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership and always follow the Party Central Committee closely in thought, political stance and action, Xi noted. He urged the general offices to play a better role as the advisors and assistants of Party committees and governments, and make new and greater contributions to building China into a strong country and to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the CPC Central Committee General Office, relayed Xi's instructions during a meeting of secretaries-general of Party committees and governments from across the nation, which was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday. Attendees of the meeting pledged to implement the principles of Xi's speeches and instructions into every aspect of the work of the general offices. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the CPC Central Committee General Office, speaks at a meeting of secretaries-general of Party committees and governments from across the nation, which is held from Wednesday to Thursday in Beijing, capital of China. Instructions of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, were conveyed by Cai during the meeting. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) DMCC, the worlds flagship free zone, has announced a 30% increase in Swiss company registrations in two years, as it concluded its first Made For Trade Live roadshow in Switzerland, covering the Swiss cities of Geneva and Zurich, and showcasing Dubais thriving business environment. It hosted business leaders from across Switzerland to reinforce Dubai's favourable business conditions to companies looking to expand internationally. DMCC showcased Dubai's world-class infrastructure, unique industry-specific offerings, wide range of services and business-friendly environment, which have cemented its reputation as an international business and trade hub, said a statement. DMCC, a Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, held the roadshow in partnership with the Swiss Business Council UAE, Swiss Group and Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services and the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry. DMCC representatives briefed business leaders from various sectors on the ease of doing business in Dubai through DMCC, one of the world's most interconnected business districts, and home to more than 400 Swiss companies. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: Bilateral trade between the UAE and Switzerland has now reached over $21 billion, and the UAE is Switzerland's most important trading partner in the Middle East. With over 400 Swiss businesses in our free zone, DMCC is overwhelmingly the destination of choice for Swiss multinationals as well as SMEs, a key driver of bilateral trade and investment between the UAE and Switzerland. Through this roadshow, we will further boost our deep trade relationship with the Swiss business community, especially given areas of significant mutual interest such as energy, precious metals and gemstones. Michael Lane, President, Swiss Business Council UAE, added: The UAE is an important economic player in the region, and Dubai has risen to the global stage as a leading hub for business and trade. Our partnership with DMCC is rooted in the desire to strengthen bilateral relations between both nations and take them to new heights. We are confident that this roadshow has demonstrated to Swiss businesses the diverse opportunities available to expand their operations in the region and beyond through Dubai and DMCC. TradeArabia News Service Devotees worship idols of Buddha during the Pancha Dan festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Sept. 12, 2023. Pancha Dan, the festival of five summer gifts, is observed by the Buddhists by giving away five elements, namely wheat grains, rice grains, salt, money and fruits. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) An idol of Buddha is seen during the Pancha Dan festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Sept. 12, 2023. Pancha Dan, the festival of five summer gifts, is observed by the Buddhists by giving away five elements, namely wheat grains, rice grains, salt, money and fruits. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) Editor: ZAD Senator Orji Kalu on Friday expressed sadness over the murder of Mr Zachary Maduka, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State. Kalu, who represents Abia North in the upper legislative chamber, Kalu described the murder of Maduka, a member of his constituency, as callous and unacceptable. Maduka, popularly known as Power Zac, was beheaded by unknown persons on Thursday at Uturu in Isikwuato Local Government Area of Abia. The deceased was the Campaign Director of the LP in the 2023 elections in Uturu. He also headed the campaign of the Member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Mr Amobi Ogah. Maduka was also the home branch chairman of Uturu Union. In a statement on Friday, Kalu urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the crime. He condoled with the family of the deceased, and pledged to collaborate with the state governor, Alex Otti, and security agencies to ensure safety of lives and property in the senatorial district. People buy panda-themed products at the China Festival 2023 in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 9, 2023. China Festival 2023 kicked off in Yoyogi Park in downtown Tokyo on Saturday to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu) TOKYO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China Festival 2023 kicked off in Yoyogi Park in downtown Tokyo on Saturday to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan. The two-day event is co-sponsored by the Chinese embassy in Japan and the Executive Committee of China Festival 2023, featuring more than 80 booths on site, including China Cultural Center, China National Tourism Office in Tokyo and China Enterprises Association in Japan, with the aim of providing a platform for friendly exchanges between the people of the two countries through cultural display, food tasting, tourism promotion, etc. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao, Japan's ruling coalition party Komeito leader Yamaguchi Natsuo and other guests attended the opening ceremony of the event and delivered speeches. Fukuda, also the top advisor of the Executive Committee of China Festival 2023, said the China Festival is getting larger and larger and is becoming more and more popular among the people, expressing his hope that through the event everyone could fully experience Chinese culture and pass on the friendship between Japan and China. Wu said that China Festival is a brand event jointly created by the Chinese embassy in Japan, Japan-China friendship groups and overseas Chinese, which has received wide attention and strong support from all walks of life in both countries over the years and has played a positive role in promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan. Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Wu said that 45 years ago, the treaty stipulated in law that China and Japan should develop lasting peaceful and friendly relations, establishing timeless and enduring principles and directions for bilateral exchanges. We welcome more Japanese friends to visit China, have a look, observe the development and changes in contemporary China, and experience the vitality of Chinese society, said the ambassador. During the event, many Japanese people have experienced China's environmentally friendly electric vehicles and smart home appliances. Meanwhile, actors and artists from China and Japan will present more than 20 unique performances such as erhu and martial arts. A band performs at the China Festival 2023 in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 9, 2023. China Festival 2023 kicked off in Yoyogi Park in downtown Tokyo on Saturday to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu) Editor: ZAD President Bola Tinubu has nominated Yemi Cardoso as the new governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He has also nominated four new deputy governors; namely Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor and Bala M. Bello. Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, announced the development in a statement on Friday. Upon confirmation by the senate, Cardoso is expected to serve for a term of five years. This directive is in conformity with Section 8 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which vests in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the authority to appoint the Governor and Four (4) Deputy Governors for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), subject to confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the statement reads. In line with President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope agenda, the President expects the above-listed nominees to successfully implement critical reforms at the Central Bank of Nigeria, which will enhance the confidence of Nigerians and international partners in the restructuring of the Nigerian economy toward sustainable growth and prosperity for all. Cardoso, a banker, chartered stockbroker and public policy expert, has worked in the public, private and development sectors. He was a former commissioner of economic planning and budget in Lagos state; an erstwhile chairman of the board of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance; and most recently, chairman of Citibank Nigeria Ltd. Cardoso is the founding chairman and co-chair of the Ehingbeti Summit, the Lagos state economic summit. He is also a member of the advisory board of Lagos Business School (LBS). WHAT HAPPENS TO EMEFIELE? The statement announcing Cardosos nomination as CBN governor was silent on the fate of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended and now former governor of the apex bank. It is also unclear how the development would affect the other deputy governors of the bank. Emefiele, who is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), was suspended by the president in June. He was directed to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, the deputy governor, operations directorate. THE EMEFIELE SAGA Following his suspension, Emefiele was on July 25 arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on illegal possession of firearms at a federal high court in Ikoyi, Lagos, and was granted bail in the sum of N20 million. Nicholas Oweibo, the judge, had ordered that Emefiele be kept in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. But the DSS insisted that Emefiele must return to its custody a development that led to a face-off between the secret police and prison officials. After the face-off, DSS rearrested Emefiele on the court premises. On August 3, the federal government filed an application seeking leave to appeal against the order granting bail to Emefiele. However, on August 15, the federal government made an oral application to withdraw the charge of illegal possession of firearms. Mohammed Abubakar, the director of public prosecution (DPP) of the federation, had said the decision to withdraw the charge is backed by sections 174 (1) and (3) of the 1999 constitution and sections 108 (1), (2) and (4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. On August 17, the court granted the federal governments application and struck out the charge. In the fresh 20-count charge filed by the federal ministry of justice, Emefiele and his co-defendants were accused of engaging in conspiracy and procurement fraud, among others. Although he was scheduled to be arraigned on August 23, Emefiele was not present in court. To end recurring accidents occasioned by potholes on the Third Mainland Bridge, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, will commence remedial repair works on bad portions of the bridge next week. Specifically, the bridge will be closed on two consecutive Sundays, September 17 and 24, for the remedial works to be carried out by the state Government through the Lagos Public Works Corporation, LPWC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works. Motorists have continued to lament the bad state of the bridge, which has potholes on many parts, causing accidents. While modalities by the state government for the construction of the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge have reached an advanced stage, residents believe that the Third Mainland Bridge has been overstretched. Confirming the planned rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge to be carried out in phases staring from next week, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Abdulhafiz Toriola, said it will allow for unhindered rehabilitation works as traffic would be diverted during construction to ensure early completion of the work. Bridge to be shut for 2 consecutive Sundays Toriola, who announced this, yesterday, added that the work would take place on Sunday 17 and Sunday 24, September, 2023 between the hours of 7.00 am and 7.00 pm each Sunday. The proposed works will be strictly executed in two phases with phase one focusing on only the most critical sections on the Iyana-Oworonsoki inward Adeniji Adele/Lagos Island, he said. Toriola explained that the palliative works were scheduled for Sundays to minimize inconveniences for motorists. Travel advisory Consequently, the state government released travel advisory to ensure seamless movement of traffic. Toriola, therefore, advised motorists to ply the following alternative routes during the rehabilitation works. Route 1: The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Alapere/Ogudu axis, inwards Lagos Island, will be diverted towards Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway to link Ikorodu Road/Funsho Williams Avenue to access Eko Bridge and Lagos Island. Route 2: Motorists from Lagos Mainland going through Herbert Macaulay Road (Adekunle axis) inwards Lagos Island via Third Mainland Bridge will be diverted towards Murtala Muhammed Way to make use of Carter Bridge to link Lagos Island. He, therefore, urged motorists to be patient and observe safety measures during the palliative works on the asphalt pavement of the bridge. He added that Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, officers, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Nigeria police, and other traffic personnel would be on ground to effectively control and manage traffic. He said: We assure that despite the traffic impact on the alternative routes, LASTMA will be deployed to minimize inconveniences and ease movement along the affected corridors. Various traffic agencies involved, in conjunction with other security and safety personnel to form good synergy, will ensure appropriate traffic management measures aimed at improving the safety and flow of traffic, reducing traffic emissions and utilising traffic artery capacity more effectively throughout the duration of the exercise. Motorists lament Meanwhile, motorists plying the ever-busy 11.8km Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, second longest in Africa decried the poor state of some sections of the bridge. The bridge starts from the Oworonsoki axis of the Mainland, ending at the Adeniji Adele Interchange axis on Lagos Island. The potholes are visible on the Oworonsoki to Adekunle section and continue while approaching Adeniji-Adele junction to Sura area of the bridge. On the flip side of the bridge, the potholes start from Adekunle to Oworonsoki end. Some of the motorists narrated their daily ordeals on the bridge with a call to the governments for help. Mr Ade Olabisi, an Uber driver, said: I started this commercial transportation business two years ago after I lost my job in a private employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most times I run through Ajah and Mainland. Due to the bad spots, I have lost over three tyres within the last six months when I bumped into potholes. But I thank God. It could have been fatal if I was on high speed. I beg the Federal and state governments to fix these potholes in the interest of the public and save people from avoidable deaths. Another motorist, Mrs Florence Nwosu, who works on the Island, said: I was on my way to the office one wet morning when my car bumped into one of the potholes. I struggled to maintain balance afterward. As I was approaching the Adekunle end my steering gradually became stiff with a suspicious sound coming from the bonnet. Fortunately, I was close to where some Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command usually stationed. I opened the bonnet only to discover that my alternator belt had torn and pulled off from the roller making the steering to be stiff. This was apparently as a result of the car bumping into the pothole. I had to call my mechanic on the Island to come and fix it, while I sought protection with the RRS men as some miscreants appeared from nowhere looking for the owner of the vehicle. Another motorist, Mr. Ifeanyi Alozie, who is a trader on the Island, said: Motorists are always on high speed on the bridge despite many potholes. This often results in fatal accidents. There was a particular accident that happened right in my front few weeks ago. The owner of the Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, on top speed ran into one of the potholes and lost control hitting the side railing of the bridge. He also had his air bag ruptured in the process. This is a weekly occurrence on the bridge. Governments should ensure provision and maintenance of basic infrastructure like roads and bridges, such as this. We are begging. Mr. Mohammed Seidu, a businessman, lamented the poor state of the bridge, expressing his fear and plight while driving on the axis. His words: Despite several rehabilitation works there are many bad portions on the bridge which have posed threat to lives. Most of these government officials do drive on this bridge. I wonder why they have decided to ignore it. A stitch in time saves nine, according to a wise saying. There was a fire incident at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) power transmission station in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi state. The inferno was said to have engulfed the 330 kilovolt (kV) facility on Thursday night. Nafiu Abubakar, Kebbi police spokesperson, confirmed the incident to TheCable. He however said he did not have full details of the incident at the time. @Imranmuhdz, an X user, posted a video of the burning facility on the social media platform. KEDCO 330Kv Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Station in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State is on fire last night pic.twitter.com/VqceUpDT8K Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) September 15, 2023 The incident comes a day after the nation suffered a blackout following the collapse of the national grid. Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, had said the collapse of the grid was caused by a fire outbreak on the Kainji/Jebba 330kV line. Efforts to reach KEDCO for details on the incident were unsuccessful as the companys line was unreachable. Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has said there is no way the Federal Government could stop funding universities in the country. According to him, the funding of federal universities by government is constitutional. Osodeke said this in reaction to a statement credited to Minister of Education Prof Tahir Mamman, who recently said that the Federal Government will grant full autonomy to universities to explore new ways of funding their activities. He said: There is no way the Federal Government of Nigeria would say they would not fund public universities because it is there in the law. It is there in the Constitution. Look at Section 18 of the Constitution; it says university, primary, and secondary are free. The only problem is that it is not judicable; thats the only problem. So I said, I dont think this government, from what we have seen, is going to say we are going to hands off from university. If you check the ratio of Nigerias education budget to our GDP, its one of the lowest in the world. The Ondo State deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has told the people of the state to disregard a purported resignation letter of his currently circulating in the state. Aiyedatiwas statement followed speculations of a discreet plot to remove him from office if he failed to resign voluntarily. The deputy governor is reportedly facing threats from influential politicians loyal to the governor, pressuring him to step down or face impeachment. This comes after he served as acting governor for about four months while Akeredolu was in an undisclosed German hospital. The deputy governor, in a statement he signed on Thursday, urged the Ondo State House of Assembly and the general public to disregard his purported resignation. His statement reads partly: My attention has been drawn to a rumour of a purported pre-signed resignation letter, signed by me, being circulated in the public domain. I wish to state that I, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, have not, do not intend, and will not sign or author any letter resigning my position as the duly elected Deputy Governor in a joint ticket with my principal, the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, CON. To this end, I urge the people of Ondo State, the State Assembly, and the general public to disregard such letter now and in the future. A member of the House of Representatives representing Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State, Ngozi Okolie (LP), has claimed that his opponent in the last general election, Ndudi Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, knew he didnt win the election but believed he could buy everything with money. According to Okolie, Ndudi who challenged his victory at the election tribunal was only trying to fish and to see who could fish with him. The lawmaker alleged that the lower tribunal, which nullified his election, fished with Ndudi. Okolie made the claim while featuring on Arise Television on Friday. Recall that the court of appeal in Abuja on Thursday set aside the earlier judgment of the National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba, which nullified Okolies election and returned Elumelu as the authentic winner. The court claimed that the LP candidate was not qualified to contest the poll. However, Okolie claimed that Ndudi challenged his declaration because he depended so much on his wealth. He said, Everybody that understands law knows very well that the tribunal didnt give justice in the judgement they gave, thats why we decided to go on an appeal. And thankfully to God the appeal court saw it differently from the tribunal and restored the confidence most of us were losing in the judiciary. Everybody that hears the judgement given by the appeal court knows that something really went wrong in Asaba. The fact is that Ndudi is my friend, he knows very well that he didnt win the election but he has this erroneous believe that money can buy everything. So, he depended so much on his wealth and unfortunately the judges proved that money can not buy everything. He knows he lost the election. He knows everything he brought to the tribunal he was just trying to fish, to see who would fish with him. The lower tribunal fished with him but the wiser men said, No, money cant buy everything. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 election, says Nigeria is swinging away from the boundaries of democracy. In a post on his official X page on Friday to commemorate international democracy day, Obi called on Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing the democracy of the nation. As witnessed in the country today, the mindless erosion of the very ideals and tenets on which Nigerias democracy was built, if not checked, will only push the nation deeper into lawlessness, Obi said. The current trend of endemic corruption, abuse of the constitution, disrespect for the rule of law, and transactional politics which cuts across the executive, legislative, and judicial arms of government, have continued to conflict with our nations enforcement of democracy. Consequently, our dear nation has continued to swing dangerously away from the boundaries of true democracy. Gradually, we are losing one of the biggest intangible assets that makes a nation strong, which is respect for the rule of law. I call on all Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing our nations democracy. Obi, who came third in the presidential election, said he remains committed to a new and truly democratic Nigeria. Once again, I restate my commitment to a new and truly democratic Nigeria. I am in this struggle solely for the betterment of our society, he said. My vision of a new and truly democratic Nigeria is borne out of the deep conviction that Nigeria if given good leadership as I offer to give, will be beneficial to every Nigerian. We must not give up on our nation because a New and truly democratic Nigeria is possible. Obi and his party had gone to the tribunal to challenge the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election. But the five-man panel struck out his petitions as lacking merit. The Ondo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Rotimi Akeredolu, the state governor, to leave Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, and return to Akure to complete his tenure. In a statement issued on Friday by Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, the Ondo PDP spokesperson, the party said Akeredolu has been governing the state from his Ibadan residence since his return from medical leave. On September 7, Akeredolu returned to Nigeria after a three-month medical leave in Germany. The governor was welcomed by his close aides at his home in Ibadan where he was expected to spend a number of days before moving to the Government House in Akure. The party said with Akeredolu governing the state from Oyo, he might have been brought back into the country to foil an impeachment process. Last week, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Ondo State Chapter challenged the rationale for Akeredolu calling for a meeting in his Ibadan residence, instead of Ondo State where he was elected to govern, the statement reads. Up till this moment, the Governor has not been seen anywhere near Ondo State. Akeredolu is beginning to fuel media speculations that, against the advice of his doctors, he was hurriedly brought into Nigeria to foil an impeachment process. He also ordered an upgrade of his Ibadan residence to include a replica of Executive Council Chambers, from where he intends to hold Exco meetings. Does Akeredolu want to make Ibadan the capital of Ondo State? What is the hurry to resume all about, if he cannot come to Ondo State? Would it not have made more sense if he was still attending to his health abroad? Why did he say he has resumed when indeed he has not? The Ondo PDP asked Akeredolu to proceed on another medical leave if still unfit, rather than running the state from Oyo. Our party wishes to advise Akeredolu to come to Ondo State to complete his tenure, the statement reads. But if he does not feel fit enough to resume, he can proceed on another medical leave instead of trying to pull wool over our eyes in Ondo State. Akeredolu, 67, was sworn in for a second term in office on February 24, 2021. Upon his return, the governor said by the grace of God, he will be alive to complete his tenure, which ends in February 2025. A stray bullet suspected to have been fired by cultists has killed a year-one student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State. It was gathered that the incident occurred on Thursday evening at Miracle Junction in Ifite, Anambra State. The female student was identified as Uche Jovita Chigozirim. A colleague of the deceased, Dickson Anayochi, who spoke with journalists said Chigozirim was hit by a stray bullet at Miracle Junction. This girl, Uche Jovita Chigozirim, a 100 level student of the faculty of Health Science was killed yesterday (Thursday) evening by stray bullet shot by suspected cultists at the popular Miracle Junction. Please help us and let the world know the insecurity situation we are facing here in the UNIZIK environment and the state government is not doing anything to improve the situation. Please let the Inspector General of Police help us with a checkpoint around Ifite area of UNIZIK because we are tired of complaining to the state government. Its now a culture we are almost used to. Its really sad, he said. Attempts by newsmen to reach the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, for reaction were not successful as his mobile telephone line was not reachable. As of the time of filing this report, the lifeless body of the student was still lying at the crime scene and covered with banana leaves. The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate in the last Enugu State governorship election, Uche Nnaji, challenging the victory of Governor Peter Mbah. Mbah was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during the election. The APC candidate, who polled a total of 14,575 against Mbahs 160,895 votes, to place a distant fourth in the election, asked the court to disqualify Mbah; the Labour Party Chijioke Edeoga, and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Frank Nweke Jr. He claimed the candidates were not qualified to contest the election, having allegedly run foul of the asset declaration law among other reliefs. Nnaji petition was dismissed by the Justice K.M Akano-led Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on June 20, 2023. Dissatisfied, Nnaji approached the court of appeal, praying it to send the dismissed petition back to the Tribunal for hearing and determination of the suit. The Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Tribunal and dismissed the suit, awarded the sum of N250,000 each against Nnaji and the APC. Delivering judgement on the appeal, a five-member panel of the apex court on Friday held that the legal team of the APC and Nnaji filed an invalid brief of argument and failed to convince the court with cogent reason why the appellants incompetent brief should be allowed. In the lead judgment, Justice Tijani Abubakar held that since the appellants brief was found to be invalid, the invalidity also affected the appeal in respect of which the appeal was filed. He proceeded to dismiss the brief and appeal filed by the appellants. This aerial photo taken in April 2020 shows the vehicles carrying a batch of components from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) SHANGHAI/ALMATY, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Braving the scorching sun, engineer Rinat Turganbekov patrolled through glittering solar panel arrays that adorn the expansive plains of Kazakhstan. The Kapshagay photovoltaic power station, one of the largest single solar power projects in the Central Asian country, is a part of the China-Kazakhstan green energy cooperation initiative, jointly invested and constructed by the Chinese company Universal Energy and Kazakh counterparts. As a seasoned member of Universal Energy Kazakhstan, Turganbekov has witnessed firsthand the remarkable transformation brought about by solar power stations, providing local residents with green and affordable electricity. Meanwhile, along the Belt and Road, a series of cooperative efforts aimed at sustainable development are writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. "Chinese companies have brought significant changes to my life," said the 36-year-old, who studied in Tianjin and is proficient in Chinese. Initially, he worked as a translator at the company. During his tenure, his Chinese colleagues encouraged him to venture into project coordination. During his five years at the Chinese company, the Kazakh engineer has participated in several construction projects. In 2020, the Kaskelen photovoltaic power station project, included on the list of key projects of China-Kazakhstan capacity and investment cooperation, was in a crucial phase. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, Chinese employees could not return to Kazakhstan on time. Turganbekov, along with the Kazakh team, worked remotely with their Chinese counterparts, meticulously overcoming every challenge. Eventually, their efforts paid off, culminating in the successful and timely completion of the project. "When I look back, I still get excited. We collaborated across time zones, and everyone's hearts were in the same place, striving for the same goal," Turganbekov said. With the combined efforts of the Sino-Kazakh team, the Kaskelen photovoltaic power station was successfully connected to the grid and commenced power generation in June 2020, generating 80.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and reducing local carbon emissions by 80,800 tonnes. Meanwhile, green energy cooperation along the Belt and Road brings not only clear skies, lucid waters and lush mountains, but also newfound green wealth for people. Over these five years, Turganbekov has seen his income increase and he managed to purchase a house in the major city of Almaty. "Chinese companies have helped me grow and have improved the lives of our local people," he said. According to Turganbekov, conventional power generation methods such as coal power tend to incur relatively high costs, consequently leading to elevated electricity prices for citizens. Green energy not only facilitates Kazakhstan's transition towards sustainable development but also furnishes local residents with access to cost-effective electricity. "Particularly in the southern regions, there has historically been a deficit of electricity, necessitating transmission from the northern regions. However, with the establishment of solar and wind power stations by Chinese enterprises, residents in the southern regions no longer contend with electricity shortage." Nan Yi, chairman of the Chinese energy company, revealed that since 2015, the company has been investing in new energy projects in Kazakhstan, including photovoltaic and wind energy stations. To date, it has completed the construction of six new energy stations with a total capacity of 380 megawatts, all listed on the key projects list of China-Kazakhstan capacity and investment cooperation. These projects reduce carbon dioxide emissions by one million tonnes annually, while meeting the electricity needs of approximately 600,000 local households. As of now, the cumulative electricity generation of the new energy stations invested, constructed and operated by the company in Kazakhstan has surpassed 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.7 million tonnes. "Nowadays, more and more people are joining hands with each other to build the Belt and Road," Nan said. With a growing number of Chinese companies' present in Central Asia, solar power and wind power stations have gained widespread recognition. Both state-owned and private enterprises are actively "going global," promoting standardized construction in local regions, and providing support for local development, Nan added. According to the senior executive, through cooperation along the Belt and Road, the strengths of both China and its foreign partners can be better leveraged, ultimately achieving mutual benefits. "The 'win-win example' in Kazakhstan has made it easier for us to explore the Uzbekistani market. According to the agreement, Universal Energy will invest in and construct a 500-megawatt wind power project in the country. In the future, we will also work with more countries along the Belt and Road," Nan said. This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows a vehicle carrying a component from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan, passing the Sayram Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows the vehicles carrying a batch of components from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan, passing the Sayram Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) This photo taken on Oct. 22, 2020 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 14, 2022 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2022 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows the vehicles carrying a batch of components from Chinese green power developer Universal Energy for the 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay of Kazakhstan, driving on the Guozigou Bridge in Huocheng County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 14, 2022 shows a 50 MW wind power project in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. (Xinhua) Editor: GSY President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja, the nations capital, on Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2023, which will be held in New York, United States of America. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who confirmed this on Friday, said that the President, besides the main event of the UNGA, will be meeting with key economic stakeholders around the world. Aside from the engagements hes going to be having at the General Assembly, aside from the act of participation that the Nigerian delegation will be engaging in at the Assembly, there are a series of very important side activities that will have wide-ranging ramifications on the Nigerian economy. Following Mr Presidents successful trip to New Delhi for the G-20 Summit, and the staggering amount of investment he has been able to attract to Nigeria in a very short period of time, he is going to continue advancing very aggressively on his economic development and diplomatic drive to attract foreign direct investment into the country, Ngelale said. He affirmed that the President will be having meetings with major chief executives and leaders of multinational firms, including Brad Smith, the President of Microsoft Company Worldwide; Sir Nick Clegg, the President of Global Affairs for Meta Technologies; and the CEOs of General Electric and Exxon Mobil. According to him, the presidents engagements will include bilateral meetings on the sidelines with the presidents of the United States, Comoros, South Africa, and the European Union Commission. Tinubu will also be meeting with the prime ministers of Spain and the Netherlands, the King of Jordan, and the presidents of Algeria and Brazil. Its still dynamic. There are some that will still be added, but its fair to say that within a very short few days in New York, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will certainly be one of the most active and one of the most sought-after heads of state with respect to his engagement in both bilateral and multilateral platforms, Ngelale stated. The federal government has said that it is working on the final details on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa issue ban on Nigerians. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the 7th African Aviation Summit in Abuja, a few days after the UAE lifted its month-long visa ban on Nigerian travellers. He said that it was crucial for airlines operating between Nigeria and the UAE to have reciprocal rights as per the Bilateral Air Services Agreements. The minister was of the opinion that there was a need for balanced and fair treatment between the two countries. Keyamo noted: We are working out the details. When two countries agree at the very top level, then of course all the government operatives will begin to work out the tiny details. So, we are beginning to work out all the tiny details. I met with Emirate before I left UAE, I met with Etihad before I left UAE and we are working out the details. The time frame, we cannot say the time frame. Kicking off an airline operation again on a route, it is not that you will go and grab one empty plane sitting in a place. There is no idle plane sitting anywhere, they have to reschedule their flights, restart their routes again, and all kinds of things. All kinds of permission will be taken from local authorities, and of course, I made the point in speaking with them that they will have to give our airlines reciprocal rights under our BASA. That is the point I insisted on, and they did say that any spot we need, they will give us as much as we give them those spots within Nigeria. The minister also addressed concerns regarding trapped funds, and assured that efforts are being made to ensure that the funds of foreign airlines are repatriated. The management of the University of Lagos, has announced the reduction of its fees after meeting the representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students on Thursday. A statement made available to newsmen on Friday morning revealed that the university held a meeting with the executives of the NANS and other faculty members on Thursday evening. The statement read, Authorities of the University of Lagos led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, on Thursday, September 14, 2023, had a meeting with the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Comrade Usman Umar Barambu accompanied by top officers of the Association and UNILAG Faculty leaders drawn from nine faculties of the University and College of Medicine. The statement also revealed that at the commencement of the meeting, Barambu highlighted the demands put forth by the students. The demands include reversal of obligatory fees, reversal of hostel fees, and reinstatement of Students Union Government in UNILAG. However, Ogunsola, stressed that the aim of the University was to deliver quality education to its students regardless of class, tribe or creed. After careful evaluation of the issues raised by the students and management, the following consensus was reached at the meeting: Utility Charges for all categories of students was reduced to N15,000:00 from N20,000:00. The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students was reviewed from N126,325:00 to N116,325:00 for Courses without Lab/Studio and N176,325:00 to N166,325:00 for Courses with Lab/Studio. The obligatory fees for returning undergraduate students was reviewed from N100,750:00 to N80,750:00 for Courses without Lab/Studio; N140,250:00 to N120,250:00 for Courses with Lab/Studio; and from N190,250:00 to N170, 250:00 for Medical / Pharmacy students and students in Health Professions. The Convocation Fee to be paid by all final year students was reduced to N27,000:00 from N 30,000:00. Hostels fees were reviewed as follows: For undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba campuses, the fees was reduced to N43, 000:00 from N90,000:00. For hostels in Idi-Araba campus, the fees was reduced to N65,000:00 from N120,000:00. The fees for Sodeinde Hall was reduced to N135,000:00 from N250,000:00. It was reported that some students of the University of Lagos, on Wednesday, took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the raised tuition fees announced by the school management. In July, the UNILAG authorities announced a rise in tuition fees for both new and returning undergraduate students, citing the current economic conditions as the reason behind the decision. New Jersey will need to readjust its funding formula for average students and those with more complex needs if it wants to meet the education standards set in its constitution, according to a report released Thursday by a nonpartisan think tank. New Jersey Policy Perspective, a nonprofit working for economic, social, and racial justice, is calling for legislative hearings on adjusting the formula to reflect higher student performance goals. The authors note state exams have become more rigorous, and students are expected to meet higher standards since the last time the formula considered such factors, almost 20 years ago. Another New Jersey hospital is requiring masks as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Shore Medical Center in Somers Point announced last week that patients, visitors and hospital staff are required to wear surgical masks in patient areas. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has given its striking nurses a Tuesday deadline to accept its terms, enter into binding arbitration or continue their 43-day work stoppage. The 1,700 nurses at the 620-bed New Brunswick facility met with hospital officials and federal mediators Thursday for hours, again leaving at an impasse. During the session, the hospital proposed two options to the union for settlement: The first option ... (was) the opportunity to return to work and submit the dispute to binding arbitration which the hospital first proposed in July with the arbitrator having the authority to set terms for a new collective bargaining agreement between the parties, a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday evening in a statement. The second option was the hospitals Aug. 2 proposal to the union, which the union never submitted to its membership for a vote. The union plans a vote among its members to decide whether to accept the proposal, the offer of arbitration or continue the strike, according to Judy Danella, president of United Steel Workers Local 4-200 which represents the nurses and a registered nurse at the hospital. A date for the vote remains unclear. I think the members are disgusted that the hospital has put our backs to the wall that we stayed out there for 40-plus days, and they didnt even want to work with us on any of our proposals, Danella said. And, personally, if weve stayed out this long, I think as members we should continue to stay out there for the patients in the community and the nurses needs. The center of the bitter dispute is hospital staffing, with the nurses arguing an insufficient number of workers in some units has led to overworked employees and compromised patient care. The union has demanded staffing guidelines in the form of patient-to-nurse ratios similar to what California mandates by law. The hospital, part of the RWJ Barnabas network, has offered a $20-an-hour bonus for nurses if their respective unit falls below certain staffing guidelines known as the Aug. 2 proposal. But the union rejected that proposal before putting it in front of its members. Danella said the units would still be short-staffed regardless of nurse bonuses. She also noted that a bonus would not be paid to workers if a fellow nurse called out sick. Danella said the union made a counterproposal to the hospital, petitioning it to remove the calling-out sick clause. But the facility rejected it, she said. They want the 8/2 proposal to be placed as is for a vote, she said. Tensions have risen since the nurses voted to strike six weeks ago. Gov. Phil Murphy, in a radio interview Thursday, even urged both sides to resolve the matter. Im not happy. We are a proud, pro-labor state. Theres no group of workers that are more heroic than our frontline health care workers, Murphy said during the Ask the Governor radio show on NPR stations WNYC, WHYY and WBGO. And the fact that this is going on without any resolution is, in my opinion, unacceptable. Danella said the hospital has given the union a hard deadline of Tuesday at noon to decide what it wants to do. If we just had ratios as California and New York have, we would vote that in, in a minute, Danella said. Again, theyre going to penalize you. Theyre going to look at all the leaves of absences. Theyre going to look at sick calls. Theyre going to look at all of that, so its really no better than we have today. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Looks like new Mets executive David Stearns is already hard at work. On Thursday, the team claimed reliever Anthony Kay off waivers the the Chicago Cubs. The left-hander was sent to Triple-A Syracuse, according to Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News. BUY METS TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER Kay was drafted by the Mets in the 29th round in 2013, but he decided to go to college instead. While he grew up rooting for the Yankees, Kay was forced to change allegiances after being selected by the Mets, again, with the 31st overall pick of the 2016 MLB Draft. I was a Yankees fan, but I guess Im a Mets fan now, Kay said during a conference call with reporters. He was later traded to the Toronto Blue Jays along with Simeon Woods Richardson for pitcher Marcus Stroman in 2019. Stroman made 44 starts with the Mets, posting a 14-15 record with a 3.21 ERA, the lowest ERA he has posted with any franchise. The 28-year-old hasnt pitched well enough to sustain a steady role on a big league roster since first being called up in 2019. In 82 innings between the Blue Jays and the Cubs, he has a 5.60 ERA and 1.646 WHIP. Kays minor league numbers arent much better. in 145 innings in Triple-A, he has a 5.52 ERA and a 1.570 WHIP. Kay grew up in Stony Brook, N.Y., and attended Ward Melville High School, the alma mater of Steven Matz, who was drafted in the second round by the Mets in 2009. MORE SPORTS - Yankees Oswald Peraza flashing potential with huge stretch, mammoth blast - Yankees add former top pitching prospect to staff with chance to join rotation - Legendary Yankees broadcasters wont call upcoming series, 24-year-old among fill-ins Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Manuel Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com. The search for a missing boater in Manasquan Inlet is continuing Friday morning, hours after two others were rescued from a vessel that capsized, authorities said. The boat capsized after being hit by a wave, the Coast Guard said. The two people pulled from the water were found by Point Pleasant Beach police. Our crews, as well as other outside agencies, are working hard to locate the remaining missing person and to collect debris from the accident, the Coast Guard said in a brief statement before 7 a.m. Friday. We kindly ask the boating public to please give the rescue crews the time and space we need to complete this mission. On Friday, the Coast Guard was using a 47-foot motor lifeboat boatcrew from station Manasquan Inlet, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City and a C-130 crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina to search. A helicopter and a 47-foot boat were searching for the missing boater Thursday night. Video from the scene showed a Coast Guard plane joining the search early Friday. The U.S Coast Guard, emergency workers and Point Pleasant Beach police were standing by Friday morning with small crowds gathered on each side of the inlet. Large swells are pushing water over the inlet barriers, and multiple other rescue boats are still in the water, mainly in the inlet itself. Rescue workers and dive teams at the scene of a search for a missing person believed to be in the water in the Manasquan Inlet Thursday night, Sept. 14, 2023.Kevin Shea | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com A high surf advisory is in effect for the Jersey Shore until 6 p.m. Saturday as Hurricane Lee moves north, hundreds of miles off the coast of North Carolina. The surf advisory says large breaking waves of up to 8 feet high are expected in the surf zones in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties. The Category 1 storm is packing maximum winds of 100 mph and is expected to make its closest pass to New Jersey later Friday and early Saturday still hundreds of miles off the coast. Point Pleasant Beach police declined to comment about the overturned boat. A U.S. Coast Guard boat and crew search for a missing boater in the Manasquan Inlet on Thursday Sept. 14, 2023. (Photo by Kevin Shea | NJ Advance Media) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. A Monmouth County man charged with attempted murder last month was arrested Thursday morning in Georgia, authorities said. U.S. Marshals took Andre Paul, 27, of Ocean Township into custody in Stone Mountain, a suburb of Atlanta, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office said Friday. Authorities have been looking for Paul since he was charged last month after allegedly firing shots at a New Jersey apartment complex. No one was struck when Paul fired gunshots at the Brighton Arms apartment complex in Neptune City on May 22, but several vehicles and an apartment were hit, officials alleged. Paul was charged with attempted murder, hindering apprehension and two weapons offenses in August following an investigation. He is awaiting extradition to New Jersey, officials said. No attorney information for Paul was immediately available. He has been arrested at least three times since 2021 for robbery, theft, assault and harassment, according to court records. Anyone with information about the shooting in May is asked to call Monmouth County Prosecutors Office Detective Brian Migliorisi at 800-533-7443 or Neptune City police Detective Chris Devlin at 732-775-1615. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The Freehold Regional High School District is barring a school bus driver from driving any of its students after he made a stop at his own home during his Monday afternoon route. The driver, who is contracted through Jays Bus Service, picked up students from Howell High School before noticing that he left his roster at home, according to Rebecca Policastro, communications and districts coordinator for the Freehold Regional High School District. After departing the school, the driver made a stop at his residence to pick up the roster, which lists all of the routes proper drop-off locations, Policastro said. The students were left unattended in the parked bus for about three minutes while the driver was retrieving the document, according to the district. The district said it was notified of the incident after the trip resumed and students were being dropped off. Officials then contacted the bus company which halted the trip, but all Howell High School students had already been dropped off. The Freehold Regional High School District has since filed a Report of Students Left Unattended with the state and has barred the driver from picking up students who attend any of its six high schools. Officials did not disclose the drivers name or say whether he is still employed with the bus company. Jays Bus Service, which services more than 150 schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties, could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. On September 14, 2023, rice fields in Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, were gradually yielding a rich harvest. Local villagers seized the opportunity of clear weather to harvest the rice crops, creating a bustling scene of abundance in the fields. (Photo by Huang Xiaohai/Guangming Online) Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, GMW.cn makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information. A small banner plane crashed in South Jersey late Thursday afternoon, and the pilot apparently survived the crash, authorities said. Police were called to the Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township at 4:14 p.m. for a report of an aircraft crash and when they arrived they found that a single-engine Cessna 150G banner plane had crashed in the wooded area west of the airport while attempting to lift a banner, according to a release from the Monroe Township Police Department. The pilot, a 62-year-old male who was not identified, was the only person aboard and he was airlifted to Cooper Hospital, police said. His condition was not released Thursday night. The FAA said it was investigating the crash and that additional details would be released in the future. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said in a statement. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the pilot of the small plane was found outside the aircraft lying on the ground, but the injuries were not immediately known. This was the second crash of a small plane in New Jersey this month. On Sept. 2, one person died when a small plane crashed into a wooded area of Lacey Township, about a half mile southwest of Ocean County Airport. That crash apparently sparked a large wildfire near the airport. On Aug. 11, a small plane crashed in a field in Cumberland County, FAA officials said. A single-engine Cessna 172P flipped over after landing in the field near Millville around 2:15 p.m. The FAA said that only the pilot was on board, but officials did not release his condition. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writer Chris Sheldon contributed to this report. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. A second Jersey Shore issued a warning Friday that police will give tickets to beachgoers this weekend who defy red flag warnings barring swimming due to strong rip currents and dangerous surf from Hurricane Lee. Toms River police said Friday that violators will be cited for disorderly conduct a day after Seaside Heights made a similar announcement. While Ortley Beach in Toms River will be open this weekend and lifeguards will be on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., no one is allowed in the water due to expected high risk of rip currents from Hurricane Lee, which will makes its closest pass to New Jersey hundreds of miles off shore. Toms River police Chief Mitch Little, who is also the townships office of emergency management coordinator, issued an emergency declaration that lasts though Sunday. A rip current warning and a high surf advisory are in effect along the Jersey Shore until Saturday evening. The surf advisory says large breaking waves of up to 8 feet high are expected in the surf zones in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties. One of the four reported drownings in New Jersey over Labor Day weekend took place in nearby Seaside Park. Lifeguards and other emergency workers made dozens of rescues that weekend due to rip currents. Police in Seaside Park will not be following the lead of their neighbors in Toms River and Seaside Heights, though. We dont have any plans to do that, Sgt. Andrew Casola, a police spokesman said when asked about potentially ticketing swimmers. Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz also said people who enter the ocean when lifeguards are not on duty are also subject to being ticketed after warnings are issued. Atlantic City and Cape May City also banned swimming on Friday due to the surf conditions. NO SWIMMING ON ATLANTIC CITY BEACHES Due to dangerous rip currents, the @acbp2303 @AtlanticCityOEM is prohibiting swimming in the ocean today (9/15). Keep an eye out for the red 'No Swimming' flags this weekend and PLEASE listen to the lifeguards: https://t.co/QmCcA32fik pic.twitter.com/u0VAftFZbC City of Atlantic City (@AtlanticCityGov) September 15, 2023 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. UPDATE: Boater remains missing after vessel capsized in Jersey Shore inlet. Search ongoing Friday. The U.S. Coast Guard and local responders were searching for a person in the Manasquan Inlet Thursday night after a boat capsized, officials said. Crews from the Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet responded to the area after receiving a call from the Point Pleasant Beach Police around 8:30 p.m., according to a Coast Guard spokeswoman. She said a wave hit the boat and caused it to capsize. Two people were recovered by police, but a third was unaccounted for, the spokeswoman said. A 47-foot Coast Guard boat was aiding in the search along with a Coast Guard helicopter. As of 10:45 p.m. Thursday, the person in the water had still not been located. A U.S. Coast Guard boat and crew search for a missing boater in the Manasquan Inlet on Thursday Sept. 14, 2023. (Photo by Kevin Shea | NJ Advance Media) With Hurricane Lee spinning several hundred miles away, the Jersey Shore has been experiencing rough surf and dangerous rip currents during the past few days something that is expected to continue through at least part of the upcoming weekend. In addition to the high risk of rip currents that has local officials calling for people to stay out of the ocean, a high surf advisory was in effect from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Saturday for the Jersey Shore. Waves of 4 to 6 feet were forecast to increase to 6 to 8 feet by Thursday night, the National Weather Service said earlier in the day. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Calling a federal decision that could delay extending a light rail line to Bergen County a middle finger to New Jersey, U.S. Rep Josh Gottheimer and other lawmakers gathered Friday to vow to fight the roadblock. Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., joined Bergen County and state officials who criticized the recent U.S. Department of Transportation decision to require a do-over of a 2018 environmental study about extending the NJ Transit light rail line. BOSTON Right-handers Michael King and Clarke Schmidt showed up to Yankees camp in February as bullpen arms, touted youngsters that have been groomed to make an impact in versatile roles. King was distancing himself from the devastating elbow injury that suddenly ended his 2022 campaign with one pitch while Schmidt profiled as a depth piece in the pen, a starter by trade on the outside looking in at what was supposed to be a loaded rotation. With all thats happened this season a breakout campaign from Schmidt, a late-season transition into the starting staff from King and all the injuries up and down this clubs pitching staff that feels like an eternity ago, doesnt it? Those two are completely different pitchers now, key pieces heading into 2024. BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER After Thursdays split doubleheader in Boston, finishing off a series victory over the Red Sox, its as clear as ever that King and Schmidt are positioning themselves to have a spot in the Yankees starting rotation next spring barring an eventful offseason that pushes those righties back into flex spots in the pitching staff. King dealt in Game 1 of the twin bill, striking out eight batters over 4 2/3 innings. He took the loss, and the Yankees were zapped of all life as they fell 5-0, but King gave up just one run, tossing a career-high 87 pitches. As King continues to build up in his pitch count, his stuff continues to play against opposing hitters. Since moving to the rotation last month, King has a 1.27 ERA over five starts, striking out 29 batters while walking only four. Manager Aaron Boone said after Game 1 that Kings role is technically to be determined, but it sure seems like the Yankees are ready to keep the righty in this new role. After all, thats what King has been lobbying for over these last several years. I think we all believe he could be a starter, Boone said. I think hes probably in a lot of ways confirming that in what were seeing as hes continued to build up here these last few weeks. I think Michael is in a really good spot in that hes proven himself at this level, obviously, out of the bullpen. But I think hes also showing us now I definitely believed he could be a successful starter. So well see. Schmidt wasnt as sharp as hes been throughout this summer in the nightcap he was charged with four runs (three earned) over 5 1/3 innings but the Yankees won 8-5 (thanks to a three-run ninth inning with two coming on a huge home run from Oswald Peraza). Boston tagged the 27-year-old for seven hits and Schmidt walked three, hurt by the Yankees defense behind him. This was the fourth time Schmidt has faced the Red Sox this season, forcing the righty to change his approach, dealing with a lineup overflowing with left-handed hitters, his kryptonite. Plus, Schmidt is now up to 146 innings pitched in 2023. His career-high at this level before this year was 57 2/3. Thats the biggest thing and my mentality right now, just continuing to build bulk and set myself up to be in a good position to be able to throw 180, 190 innings next year, Schmidt said. Im feeling good being able to go out there and take the ball every five days. Its definitely something I hold a high regard to be able to be a guy that they can count on and be able to go out there and give our team a chance to win. Even as the innings have climbed, Schmidt has been remarkably consistent and reliable all summer, filling in for the likes of Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas, never looking back. Hes allowed three runs or fewer in 20 of his last 21 appearances. Subtract his career-worst night in Atlanta last month (eight earned runs allowed against the juggernaut Braves) and Schmidt has a 3.30 ERA in those 20 outings. To be able to grow alongside King makes this even more special. If all goes according to plan for those two, theyll be pitching in the same rotation for all of next season, possibly beyond. Its been a lot of fun coming up with him and being able to develop in the big leagues together, Schmidt added. It feels good to be able to contribute to the New York Yankees. We wear the pinstripes with honor, something that neither of us take for granted. Its like were living a dream right now. So to be able to do that and do it together, learn and grow with Gerrit and Rodon and other guys in the staff being able to teach us and help us grow throughout this process has been a lot of fun. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Tashi Choepel's daughter Rinchen Dolma prepares to milk in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Wang Jingyi) Tashi Choepel grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Horses are seen in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tashi Choepel grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Yaks are seen in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Wang Jingyi) Tashi Choepel's wife Dougekyi (R) arranges clothes for her daughter in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tashi Choepel's daughter Rinchen Dolma (R) talks with her mother in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Wang Jingyi) Tashi Choepel's wife Dougekyi picks cattle droppings in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel's wife Dougekyi makes butter in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel's daughter Rinchen Dolma grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel's wife Dougekyi grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tashi Choepel's daughter Rinchen Dolma prepares to milk in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel's daughter Rinchen Dolma milks in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel's wife Dougekyi takes care of a horse in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Wang Jingyi) Tashi Choepel's wife Dougekyi (L) prepares to milk in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tashi Choepel grazes in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tashi Choepel's family pose for a photo in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tashi Choepel's daughter Rinchen Dolma (L) and her cousin prepare to milk in Duosong Village, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 17, 2023. Shepherd Tashi Choepel, 41 years old, lives with his wife, son and daughter in Duosong Village in the center of the Hequ Grassland, which is located along the Yellow River bordering northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces and southwest China's Sichuan Province. He raises over 300 cattle and 400 plus sheep in his pasturage. His wife Dougekyi and daughter Rinchen Dolma milk them after breakfast everyday. The milk can bring about 300 yuan (about 41.3 U.S. dollars) per day for the family when the production and market are fine. The family will move to their winter pasturage in October. When his wife milks, Tashi Choepel will graze on horse or on motorcycle. With stable public order, he has no need to worry about the stealing of his livestock. His major problem comes with the wolves as the ecological environment improves a lot. With years of grazing experience, he can feel whether there are wolves near the sheep. If not, he will go home for dinner at noon, Otherwise, he will eat some dry food and keeps an eye on the sheep. Tashi Choepel's son Sonam Gyeltsen, 20 years old, studies in a school in Huangnan prefecture of Qinghai and wants to be a teacher in the future. His daughter Rinchen Dolma, 18 years old, studies at a high school now and wants to go to college in Chengdu of southwest Sichuan Province in the future. During the summer vacation, both of them will help with the grazing. Tashi Choepel is satisfied with his life now and respects the wills of his children. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Editor: WXL Pepps Pub and Maui-based nonprofit Spare for Change will host a benefit Saturday, Sept. 30 to raise funds for victims of the Maui wildfires. According to organizers, the benefit will feature music, drink specials and a special raffle, and all proceeds will go to Spare for Change which will distribute them to people in need on the island. More than 100 people died during the fires and thousands of residents were displaced. The fires largely leveled the town of Lahaina and has devastated the local economy which, like New Orleans, is heavily dependent on tourism. The benefit will run from 2 to 6 p.m. at Pepps, 706 Franklin St. Many people like to quote Russian emigre, anarchist thinker and activist Emma Goldman, who wrote, If I cant dance, I dont want to be part of your revolution. Tobias Rochman, half of Montreal, Canadas electronic music-punk duo Pelada, cites Goldman when asked about their mix of politics and dance music. If Goldman arrived in North America a century later, she might have embraced their fusion of punk energy and acid techno beats in underground dance parties. New Orleanians can get a taste of the mix of Chris Vargas fiery vocals and Rochmans grooves Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Poor Boys. Its their first performance in New Orleans, and theyll also DJ some sets at Chapel Club on Tuesday, Sept. 19. The Poor Boys event was organized by Jay Pennington, aka Rusty Lazer, who also will perform, along with Ruth Mascelli and DJ Pescadilla. Pelada arrives in New Orleans fresh off releasing its second album, Ahora Mas Que Nunca (Now More Than Ever), on Sept. 16 in Montreal. Like their 2019 debut album Movimiento Para Cambio, Vargas lyrics are entirely in Spanish. We play everywhere from anarchist compounds to techno super clubs, and English-speaking audiences and non-English-speaking audiences, Rochman says. A lot of people feel empowered by Chris words. Theyre sing-along songs. Theyre easy to learn and easy to memorize, so we usually get a lot of energy from the crowd. The call to action gets off to a fast start on first track, La Gente Se Levanta, translated as People Get Up, with Vargas sharply exhorting listeners to not accept corruption. Nine of the dozen tracks are about 3 minutes or less, and Vargas alternately sings to spare beats and hypnotic rhythms. The album is trimmed down considerably from their debut. With this album, were trying to trim the fat as much as possible, Rochman says. We wanted to make it a lot more punk and direct. The album has anthemic screeds against police brutality (Cerdo, which translates as Pig) and a protest about water rights (Aqua = No Mercancia, or Water = Merchandise), in part inspired by denial of clean water access to Indigenous groups in Canada. Dance clubs arent typically known for highly charged political music, but Pelada has broached that, in great part because of Rochmans house and acid grooves. It can be a good vehicle for a message, he says. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Both Rochman and Vargas were in bands before they formed Pelada in 2014. Vargas was in an industrial band called Pelvic Floor, and Rochman played synthesizer in a band called the Cosmetics. As a duo, they emerged performing in Montreals after-hours rave scene. They built a following, and in 2019 released their debut on the German label Pan. Recording with Pan offered us a lot of opportunities to play at festivals, Rochman says. They recently returned from their first shows in Australia and Japan, and later in fall will return to Germany, France and London. They recorded the new album last year in Berlin, originally planning to release it on Pan. But instead, theyre self-releasing it on a variety of platforms, including Bandcamp, Spotify and Tidal. Theres also a 57-second song about streaming platforms taking money from artists. In live shows, Pelada generally avoids pre-recorded material or computer-generated sound. We dont play with backing tracks, Rochman says. We bring a rudimentary sampler and drum machines and play as much of it live as we can. We want a bit of an unpredictable element. For more about Pelada, visit pelada.bandcamp.com. his work is supported with a grant funded by the Walton Family Foundation and administered by the Society of Environmental Journalists. Email Mark Schleifstein at mschleifstein@theadvocate.com or follow him on Twitter, @MSchleifstein. John Schroder, Sharon Hewitt, Stephen Waguespack, Hunter Lundy and Shawn Wilson take part in the first televised debate of the Louisiana governorOs race at the WWL-TV Studios in New Orleans, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. The debate was sponsored by the Advocate, WWL, WBRZ, KATC, KBTS, PAR and Urban League. (Pool Photo by Sophia Germer) This photo taken on July 27, 2023 shows lotuses blooming in a pool of Yaoxi Village, Guangchang County of east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Liu Yang) NANCHANG, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Wu Aimin, once a logistics businessman, made a life-changing decision four years ago. He returned to his hometown, a village in east China's Jiangxi Province, and established a homestay. He knew he had made the right choice as his business grew brisk lately, with nearly 80 percent of rooms booked during the summer holiday. "We provide delicious dishes and organize various activities, but I know it is the vast lotus pond that attracts tourists," said Wu. Wu hails from Yaoxi Village, Guangchang County in east China's Jiangxi Province, renowned for its white lotus. The area boasts a history of lotus cultivation spanning over a thousand years, producing white lotus seeds known for their large size, sweet taste, and beautiful color. Yaoxi Village is one of the main lotus production areas in Guangchang County, with a planting area of nearly 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares). Almost 70 percent of the villagers are engaged in lotus-related industries. Yao Liansheng, a villager in Yaoxi, has planted 20 mu of white lotus, which brings him an annual income of over 60,000 yuan (about 8,335 U.S. dollars). "Planting white lotus has beautified the village and, at the same time, improved our family earnings," said Yao. In 2022, Yaoxi Village witnessed the establishment of a factory specializing in lotus seed products. Mechanical equipment peels, shells, and dries raw lotus seeds, significantly enhancing productivity. The factory now produces nearly 2,000 kilograms of lotus seeds daily. "Our village's collective income surged from 168,000 yuan in 2020 to nearly 560,000 yuan in 2022," said Feng Guangrong, Communist Party chief of the village. With fully developed supply chains, numerous enterprises have tapped into the thriving market for high-value-added lotus products. Zhichun Food Co., Ltd., a local company specializing in lotus products, has diversified its offerings, including lotus seed juice, lotus leaf tea, and lotus root starch. The company's sales in the first half of this year alone reached almost 70 million yuan. Chen Ronghua, the company's chairman and a local from Guangchang County, rejoiced at the company's sales performance. "Our products are not only sold in major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai but are also exported to international markets such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, with total export sales worth 400,000 U.S. dollars last year." The county boasts over 20 enterprises engaged in lotus product processing, and the white lotus planting area spans approximately 110,000 mu. As the lotus industry is burgeoning, Guangchang County has witnessed rapid growth in rural tourism. Data shows that the Yaoxi Village received 119,618 visitors in July, with up to 10,000 people arriving daily to enjoy the scenery when lotus flowers bloom. Excitedly, Feng shared that the village plans to establish night markets and offer folklore performances to attract more visitors. This photo taken on July 27, 2023 shows visitors wandering in Yaoxi Village, Guangchang County of east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Liu Yang) Editor: JYZ I haven't talked to all the Black people in New Orleans, but I'm here to tell you that people are disappointed, shocked and stunned that New O Controlling stakes in Odesa port-side chemical plant, Centrenergo, United Mining and Chemical Company, Ukrainian Energy Machines, Electrotyazhmash, Sumykhimprom were among the 15 large privatization objects that are represented in the ProZorro.Sale system. According to the information on the website, they also include state-owned stakes in Dniprovsky Electric Locomotive Plant, NJSC Ukragroleasing, Indar, Oriana and Azovmash, a 51% share of Zaporizhia Titanium-Magnesium Plant and the property complexes of Krasnolymanska Coal Company, Uman Distillery and Aluminum Foil Plant. It is indicated that the organizer is the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine, but there are no deadlines for the sale. As reported, after changes were made to the privatization legislation, on July 21, 2023, changes to the resolution came into force, in which the Cabinet of Ministers determined the technical requirements for working with the direction of large-scale privatization at ProZorro.Sale for electronic marketplaces. The matter concerns the sale of state objects with a book value of UAH 250 million or more through online auctions in the system. According to the requirements of ProZorro.Sale, as the administrator of the trading system, 19 sites were accredited for large-scale privatization in early August. At the end of March this year, the former head of the State Property Fund, and recently appointed Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov admitted that large-scale privatization could be resumed as early as the third quarter of this year. NTV News 24 is a service of Nippon Television, Japan's leading broadcasting network. This page provides a selection of today's stories in English. PLEASANT TOWNSHIP A 4-year-old girl, who was reported missing after climbing out of a window at her home wearing nothing but a soiled diaper, was later found by an officer waist deep in a neighbor's pool, according to Porter County police. "I observed (the girl) was wet from her neck down and shivering," police said. After learning the child had escaped the house several times prior, including two incidents when police were called, the girl's mother, Angelic Cruz, 37, was arrested and charged with a felony count of neglect of a dependent, records show. Police said they were called most recently to the home shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday and told by Cruz that her daughter had escaped through an unsecured window. Cruz said the girl had been missing for five minutes, but police later determined that it was likely longer based on the distance away she was found and obstacles in her path. Cruz also told them the girl had escaped the house several times prior. After learning the child had been drawn to water in the past, an officer said he spotted her standing on a ladder waist deep in water in a nearby above-ground pool. Portage restaurant worker accused of having sex with underage co-worker, charges say He reportedly knew what he was doing was wrong and told her, "In the Greek culture this is perfectly normal." As the officer made his way into the secured yard, he watched the girl move up to the pool deck and then attempt to again enter the water, according to the arrest report. "I observed the pool deck had a gate that was secured with a padlock," the officer wrote. "I had to crawl over the gate to reach her." Cruz reportedly told police she was in the bathroom when the girl fled the house. While initially claiming the screen was down on the window, she later said her husband opened it before leaving the house. Police said they contacted Indiana Child Protective Services and learned there is an open case involving the child. Cruz was charged Monday and booked Wednesday into the Porter County Jail. She has since bonded out and her case is pending before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer, records show. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft law on the state budget of Ukraine for 2024 with the general funds own revenues of UAH 1.560 trillion, and general fund expenses - UAH 3.108 trillion, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "The key emphasis of this project is the defense and security of our country. We are directing more than half of all budget resources UAH 1.685 trillion. This amount is UAH 113 billion more than this year. There will be even more weapons and equipment. More drones, ammunition, missiles. Just like this year, every kopeck of taxes from citizens and businesses will go to support our security and defense forces," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram. According to the prime minister, the second priority is the social sphere, budget expenditures for which will amount to UAH 469 billion, which is UAH 25 billion more than this year. The third priority is medicine and education. We allocate UAH 179 billion for the education sector, which is UAH 23 billion more than this year. For medicine UAH 202 billion, which is UAH 24 billion more than 2023 expenses, he said. According to Shmyhal, the fourth priority is to support veterans: expenses under this program will double - from UAH 6.8 billion in 2023 to UAH 14.3 billion in 2024. The fifth priority is the restoration of our economy. No tax increases are expected. The government continues preferential lending programs, a program of non-repayable grants - work, support for Ukrainian startups. We are also launching new programs for industrial parks, the implementation of investment projects, to support Ukrainian manufacturers, he concluded. The nearly-seven-year-old federal bribery and tax violation case against former Portage Mayor James Snyder took yet another turn this week when a judge granted his request to delay surrendering himself next month to prison. U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly, who oversaw Snyder's latest trial and conviction, agreed Wednesday to postpone his surrender date until 60 days after a denial of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. James Snyder stock Former Portage Mayor James Snyder, right, exits the federal courthouse in Hammond in March 2021 with his wife, Deborah, after a jury returned Kennelly had ordered the former Republican office holder in June to surrender himself Oct. 16 to begin serving a 21-month prison term for his bribery and tax violation convictions. The judge referred at the time to Snyder's appeal as a long shot. "This is a really old case," he said. Snyder, 45, was found guilty of soliciting and accepting a $13,000 bribe in 2014 in return for steering a $1.125 million contract for the purchase of garbage trucks for the city of Portage to the local Great Lakes Peterbilt company. Additionally, federal prosecutors said he obstructed the Internal Revenue Service's efforts to collect unpaid taxes on a private mortgage company he ran. He was tried and found guilty in February 2019. When Snyders attorneys moved for a judgment of acquittal or a new trial, the district court denied the motion for acquittal but granted Snyder a new trial on the bribery charge. He was convicted for a second time in March 2021. The sentence, passed down by Kennelly in October 2021, was well below the recommended sentencing guideline of 46 to 57 months on Snyder's federal bribery and tax violation convictions. In a 36-page petition for a writ of certiorari, which is a request for the Supreme Court to hear a case, Snyder's lawyers challenge the federal statute under which he was convicted that prohibits a public official from accepting a bribe. His attorneys write that each of the 12 United States federal circuit courts interpret the law differently, and therefore requested an assessment from the nation's highest court. "On the current timetable, the Supreme Court would ordinarily consider whether to hear Mr. Snyders case at its December 8, 2023, conference," his Chicago-based attorney wrote in her petition for delay. "If the Supreme Court grants Mr. Snyders petition, the case would likely be set for argument in February or March 2024, with a decision expected by June 2024." If the Supreme Court accepts Snyder's case, he asked the court for a surrender date 60 days from the time of a denial on its merits, should that occur. "If an extension of the surrender date is not granted, there is a substantial risk that Mr. Snyder would serve nearly half of the sentence that has been imposed, only to have to retry the case if he is successful on the merits, resulting in time in custody on an invalid conviction, in violation of Mr. Snyders liberty interest under the Due Process clause of the Fifth Amendment," his attorney argued. Snyder's case has captured national attention with his request for delay attracting support from the conservative American Center for Law and Justice and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, his attorney said. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit had earlier this year rejected all of Snyder's claims of error in his case, which upheld his convictions. MICHIGAN CITY Police responding to a complaint involving a 20-year-old man said they found him in possession of a handgun converted to operate as a machine gun, as well as high-capacity ammunition and various illegal drugs. Kahlil Fly was taken into custody at his home in the 500 block of Pleasant Avenue and faces felony counts of dealing in controlled substances, dealing in narcotics, unlawful carrying of a handgun, possession of a machine gun, dealing in marijuana and dealing in a counterfeit substance, Michigan City police said. Police said they were called to the home around 4:35 p.m. Sunday and after spotting the gun and drugs, searched the residence. Officers found an additional handgun, pills, marijuana and suspected hallucinogenic mushrooms, police said. Bond for Fly was set at $25,000 cash only. CROWN POINT A Gary man was sentenced to 130 months in prison on Thursday for dealing fentanyl, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. Bobby Wright, 41, was charged in the United States Northern District Court in Hammond in May 2022 with two counts of fentanyl distribution, court records state. Wright will first serve just over 10 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, the news release states. Records indicate Wright entered into a plea agreement on April 23 that stipulated he would plead guilty to one count of fentanyl distribution and the second count would be dismissed. If Wright had been convicted on both charges, he would have been looking at up to 40 years in prison. Charging documents detail how Wright sold heroin laced with fentanyl to a confidential informant on Sept. 8, 2021 and Oct. 12, 2021. At the time of the sale, Wright was on federal supervised release for his 2019 felony conviction for distributing heroin and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school, the news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office states. Wright also allegedly tested positive for illegal marijuana usage multiple times while he was on probation for his 2019 conviction. Wright had previously been convicted for selling cocaine in Lake County in 2009, according to court records. The 41 year olds sentencing memorandum details how when he was previously incarcerated, Wright was a model prisoner with no disciplinary infractions or concerns. The memorandum also describes several mitigating factors that affected Wrights sentence. Those factors include his father leaving him at a young age and his mother being addicted to crack cocaine when Wright was a boy. Wright has purportedly repeatedly asked for drug treatment or other rehabilitation programs throughout the proceedings of this case. CHESTERTON During the Duneland School Corp. board meeting on Monday night, a parent raised concerns over potential harmful dust and noise from construction inside Westchester Intermediate and Brumitt Elementary schools. Sam Kadar works as a construction safety manager and is a parent of two children in the school district. During his public comments at the school board meeting, Kadar raised issues on the "exorbitant" amount of dust he noticed when he toured Westchester during Parents' Night on Aug. 21. He said he was most concerned about silica dust. According to the CDC, breathing in silica dust can lead to lung disease. Kadar said he pulled his two children from school as a result of the amount of dust he saw. The Chesterton parent said he had originally filed a complaint to OSHA at the beginning of the school year. They later referred him to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. In his complaint to IDEM, Kadar said he later returned to Westchester to tour the school again on Aug. 24 and said the conditions were worse than before. He also said Duneland Assistant Superintendent Robert McDermott had claimed not to see any dust when he toured the school. Duneland schools deny Kadar's claim. IDEM later referred Kadar's complaint to the state health department. They conducted an air quality test at the school but were not able to test for silica, Kadar said. The school district also said air quality tests at all school construction sites have been well within acceptable ranges according to federal guidelines. According to test results Duneland schools provided to The Times, neither dust or silica were detected at Westchester when they tested in August. During the school board meeting, he was appreciative that air quality testing had been done but was disappointed with how the situation had been handled. "I want it to be publicly known that Duneland had no intention to test the air at the school prior to my complaint," Kadar said. Duneland schools Superintendent Chip Petit later said the school district has contracted Amereco, Inc. to handle abatement and remediation since the start of construction on the schools, and all actions it has taken have been proactive. Kadar also raised the issue of noise from construction that occurred while students were at school. According to Kadar, his child at Brummitt had been given earphones to protect their ears from the noise. "How about just no noise," Kadar told the board. Duneland schools is currently performing construction and renovation work on all but one school, including building a new Yost Elementary School. Close Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. There is a life recovery service, music and message every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Three20 Recovery Community was founded to encourage long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. A cooking class is offered to members every Thursday at 6 p.m. Three20 Recovery Community was founded to encourage long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 offers a total-body resistance exercise every Thursday at 5 p.m. Three20 Recovery Community was founded to encourage long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Maria, a current member, has discovered art classes are very therapeutic for her. Three20 Recovery Community is having its second annual duathlon and relay for recovery this Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. Members have painted posters with words of encouragement for participants. Three20 Recovery Community is having its second annual duathlon and relay for recovery this Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. Members have painted posters with words of encouragement for participants. Three20 Recovery Community Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 Recovery Community was founded in Chesterton in 2019 to encourage and support long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. There is a life recovery service, music and message every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Three20 Recovery Community was founded to encourage long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. A cooking class is offered to members every Thursday at 6 p.m. Three20 Recovery Community was founded to encourage long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Three20 offers a total-body resistance exercise every Thursday at 5 p.m. Three20 Recovery Community was founded to encourage long-term recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Maria, a current member, has discovered art classes are very therapeutic for her. Three20 Recovery Community is having its second annual duathlon and relay for recovery this Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. Members have painted posters with words of encouragement for participants. Three20 Recovery Community is having its second annual duathlon and relay for recovery this Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. Members have painted posters with words of encouragement for participants. Hammond educators voiced their frustrations during a public hearing relating to their contract negotiations this week. During the nearly hour-and-a-half-long meeting Tuesday, Hammond Teachers' Federation President Louis Gikas and School City of Hammond administrators heard teachers raise issues over lack of salary increases, larger class sizes and reduction in planning periods, among other concerns. According multiple speakers, some teachers who have been working several years for the school district have pay that's remained stagnant to the point they are being paid less than new educators. "I can count on one hand how many times I've received compensation for our effectiveness or our tenure," said Rina Horgan, a teacher at Harding Elementary School. Some expressed frustration at not receiving what they viewed as adequate raises, while Superintendent Scott Miller has seen a raise. Last year, the school board approved a $28,000 raise for the superintendent as part of his new contract. Another issue raised was class sizes, with Horgan claiming elementary class sizes were over 30 students, and high school classes have around 35 to 40 students. Anita Cox, a Hammond Central High School teacher, said a math teacher across the hall from her classroom had 38 students in one class but only 36 desks. "If School City of Hammond wants to see growth and higher test scores, we need a policy of 24 [students], no more," Cox said. Several teachers attributed the larger class sizes to teacher and paraprofessional positions being cut, while they claimed positions at the administrative office were being created. Teachers also expressed grievances over reduced prep time, saying it had shrunk from 80 minutes to 45 minutes. In addition, there was frustration over students' schedules being changed and teachers being moved to different grade levels, or school buildings, weeks into the school year. "I'm afraid of starting new relationships anymore," Eggers Middle School teacher Tracy Moyer said. Tyler Anderson, a teacher at Annie Burns-Hicks Elementary, recounted how earlier this month, he was told by the school that kindergarten, third and fourth grades were going to be reduced in the number of teachers. Anderson, a third-grade teacher, believed he was going to lose his job. Instead, he was told he was going to become the new long-term substitute for a fifth-grade class. He recounted how he has built relationships with the students in his third-grade class, and that had been stripped away from him weeks into the school year. According to Anderson, his last day with the third-grade class was on Sept. 8, he then had three days to move items from his old classroom into a new one. "As a first-year teacher, this has mentally wrecked my confidence as I'm having to start over four weeks into my year," Anderson said. Another Burns-Hicks teacher said a similar situation occurred to him, as he started the year as a fourth-grade teacher before being told he would also be a long-term sub. On Friday, over two-thirds of teachers at Scott Middle School called off from work. It is not confirmed if the call-offs were connected to the issues teachers expressed at the public hearing. School districts across Indiana have begun annual contract negotiations with teachers' unions. They are required to hold a public hearing before bargaining can begin. At the end of the public hearing, Gikas said both sides would meet on Sept. 19 to exchange contract proposals. PHOTOS: New sand volleyball courts in Hammond Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts Ribbon cutting ceremony for new sand volleyball courts The Flying J Travel Center in Lake Station received a major overhaul. The Knoxville, Tennessee-based company is investing $1 billion nationwide as part of its New Horizons initiative to upgrade its stores. Flying J said its location at 1401 Ripley S., just off the Borman Expressway in Lake Station got a "complete overhaul from curb to counter." Flying J remodeled the Cinnabon, renovated the kitchen, rolled out new hot food and soup, and added a deli that will offer homestyle meals, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads, soups and snacks both hot and cold. The company refreshed its restroom, expanded showers for drivers, updated its laundry services, expanded its beverage coolers and took other steps to improve the guest experience. We are excited to showcase our newly updated travel center with the Lake Station community and the travelers we serve every day, said Allison Cornish, vice president of store modernization at Pilot Company. We continue to listen to our guests feedback and strive to make their travel experiences easier and more enjoyable. Flying J gave $10,000 to Lake Station Community Schools to celebrate the renovation, helping the school district expand its STEM programs. It's in the middle of a three-year project to renovate more than 400 Pilot, Flying J and One9 travel centers across the country. The company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, operates more than 790 restaurants, 77,000 truck parking spaces, 6,300 diesel lanes and 5,500 deluxe showers across North America. A soldier who had gone missing for 73 years after becoming a prisoner of war during the Korean War will be paid tribute to Saturday at a union hall in Gary. Army Sgt. Cresenciano Chano Garcia, Jr., who has extensive family in the Region, was recently identified after a relative from Lynwood donated her DNA and matched. He died during a death march during the Korean War and will be buried in his hometown of Laredo, Texas. But first a celebration of life will take place from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday at the United Steelworkers Union's McBridge Hall at 1301 Texas St. in Gary. At least 500 people are expected to turn out to the ceremony, which will include a rifle tribute. "It will mean closure for the family," relative Joe Perez said. Garcia, who has family in East Chicago, Hammond, Highland, Griffith, Portage, Cedar Lake, Lakes of the Four Seasons and Lynwood, enlisted in the Army while the Korean War was raging. He was deployed to Korea with Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division in 1950. He was reported missing in action during a battle by Kunu-ri in South Korea in December of that year. His remains, which had been anonymously buried in Hawaii without the family knowing, will be transported Saturday from the American Legion Hall in Lansing to the USW hall with a police escort and accompaniment by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars group and the Patriot Riders motorcycle group. "There will be police cars with sirens and flags to honor him along the route," Perez said. Local fire departments will pay tribute as the procession passes by, said relative Sandy Strong from Lynwood. "We'll sing the National Anthem and go inside for a prayer and light snack before we begin the ceremony," she said. "There won't be a 21-gun salute and that will be done once in Laredo but there will be a rightful tribute with three rifles firing three shots." Congressman Frank Mrvan is expected to attend the ceremony, the bulk of which will take place between 2 and 4 p.m. The family will display mementos such as three Mexican coins he gave to a friend before he went off to boot camp. "We wanted to have a huge tribute to him," Perez said. "Many organizations, especially the American Legion, stepped up. I'm a retired steelworker and when I found there was a 99.9% match to my uncle I knew we wanted to do something to pay tribute. My first call was to the steelworkers and they did not disappoint." GARY For Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary's most valuable asset isn't its steel mills, its lakefront, its airport or its proximity to multiple major highways and railways. It's the residents. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your mayor for the past four years," Prince said. "As I step away from this role, I do so with a deep sense of satisfaction, knowing that I have given my all to the city and its people." Gary's 21st mayor gave his last State of the City Thursday. During his final address, Prince thanked his cabinet, his family, city department heads and the Gary Common Council. He also highlighted some of the things his administration was able to accomplish throughout the last four years and discussed his hopes for the city's future. The first-term mayor was unseated by State Sen. Eddie Melton during the May 2 primary election. Melton beat Prince in the Democratic primary with just under 61% of the vote. The second term state senator will compete against Republican Andrew Delano, who was unopposed in the GOP primary, at the Nov. 7 general election. Prince has worked in local government for over 20 years. Serving as a Gary common councilman, a precinct committeeman, a Lake County councilman and as the Lake County assessor. Prince pulled off an upset victory in 2019, unseating incumbent Democrat Karen Freeman-Wilson, the city's first female mayor. Hosted at the Marquette Park Pavilion, Thursday's address began with celebration for another longtime public servant. 83-year-old Clorius Lay was awarded the key to the city. Prince said Lay has served at just about every level of local government; from 1992 to 1995 Lay was on the Gary School Board, he sat on the Common Council from 1996 to 2000, was a member of the Calumet Township Board from 2007 to 2015 and returned to the Common Council in 2020. In January, Lay joined the Lake County Council as a 2nd District representative. "It's been a long, long trip and I've enjoyed it," the attorney said as he accepted the award. Prince said he felt a "mix of emotions" delivering his final State of the City. Right off the bat, Prince's term was unprecedented the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency just 77 days after he took office. "Pride swells within me for the job I have done, often under adverse circumstances. Yet, there is also a tinge of sadness, as there is still much left unfinished that I must pass on to my successor," Prince told the crowd of attendees. He said the city was able to save lives by implementing a number of public health policies and by providing residents with daily updates. As COVID-19 cases decreased and pandemic regulations began to wane, the Prince administration worked to bring residents back together. The Gary Airshow returned as did Fest in the First; the city also began hosting weekly "Wind Down Wednesdays" and held a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. In an effort to eliminate blight, Prince started the "All in Gary!" cleanup days, which drew over 1,000 volunteers last year. The mayor also prioritized the demolition of vacant buildings; 69 buildings have been razed just this year. Shortly after taking office, Prince said he also learned the full extent of the city's financial woes. His administration expanded the city's finance department and rethought the way funds were managed. Additionally, the city received $80.5 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. Working alongside the Gary Common Council, Prince has put this money towards initiatives like the Mobile Mental Health crisis intervention pilot program, summer youth employment program, a down payment assistance initiative, grants for small businesses, a number of new housing units and several other capital improvement projects. Using the first round of federal COVID-19 funding, the city was able to reimburse all 2020 public safety costs. Prince said the money, which totaled over $2.3 million, went towards increasing public safety pension benefits by almost 41%. Police and fire also received a 15% raise, stretched over two years. Gary's public safety departments have changed a significant amount under Prince's leadership. In April of 2022, the city announced the police department would be partnering with Indiana State Police. Throughout the one-and-a-half-year partnership, ISP took a wholistic look at how the department functioned. Many of the department's procedures were changed and in June Prince named sworn in as the city's new chief of police, a position that has seen a lot of turnover. In August, Prince announced Mark Terry would take over as fire chief. Former Chief Sean O'Donnell stepped down to return to the firefighting ranks. The journey is not complete Though Prince's time as mayor may be coming to a close, he still has big plans for the city's future. "Let us remember, that our journey is not complete," the mayor's wife of 40 years, Deanna Prince, said. Prince said he and Melton have already begun discussing the city's leadership transition. He said he hopes the next administration continues some of the work he began. He discussed the Jewel Park Program, which was launched in 2020 and hopes to upgrade six of the city's largest parks one in each district. The renovations at Tolleston Park will coincide with the creation of a $30 million "Opportunity Hub," which will feature a new YMCA, a renovated Boys and Girls Club building and a health care clinic. In August, the city broke ground on an $8 million fiber monitoring center, a project that is slated to be completed next fall. "Let us continue to build upon the foundation we have laid, working together to create an even brighter future for Gary," Prince said as attendees got on their feet for a standing ovation. PHOTOS: Prince touts progress in Gary in State of the City address Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Gary State of the City Region steel mills ranked as the three worst carbon emitters among mills nationally, according to a new study. A study by Synapse Energy Economics that was commissioned by the Sierra Club found Gary Works emitted more carbon than any other steel mill in the country. U.S. Steel's mill at 1 N. Broadway in Gary released 8.11 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020, the most recent year for which data was available. The "Coming Clean on Industrial Emissions" study also found that Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor Works along the Lake Michigan shore in Porter County ranked second nationwide among steel mills in carbon emissions. It released 7.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions that the scientific community says causes climate change. Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor in East Chicago ranked third nationally with 5.96 million metric tons of carbon emissions. The study examined greenhouse gas emissions in the steel, aluminum, cement and metallurgical coke industries as well as the impact plants have on the surrounding communities. It found the industrial sector is responsible for about a fourth of America's carbon emissions. The Sierra Club hopes the report will help spur more heavy industry to become greener and cut down on pollution. It found that heavy industry could reduce carbon emissions without any technological advancements just by bringing more plants to perform at average emissions intensity. "U.S. manufacturing, once a cornerstone of the world's economy, is due for a revival. Thanks to strategic public investments and demand-side policies like Buy Clean, we have more resources than ever to rebuild our industries and transform the manufacturing sector into one that works for people and the planet. These investments will lead to cleaner air and water, support stable high-paying jobs, and deliver crucial public health benefits to communities living near these facilities, said Iliana Paul, senior policy adviser with the Sierra Club. The study found the iron and steel sector's pollution contributes to an estimated 900 and 2,000 excess deaths a year, as well as 20,000 instances of asthma exacerbation, 30,000 incidences of respiratory symptoms and an estimated 400 hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular events a year. By outlining where publicly available resources on toxic pollution lack precision, we hope to help raise public awareness about these issues and pinpoint areas for the U.S. government to intensify monitoring including through stricter EPA reporting standards, said Yong Kwon, senior policy advisor with the Sierra Club. While there is not currently a way to eliminate all PM 2.5 emissions from the heavy industrial sector, in many cases, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the use of fossil fuels would contribute to the reduction of other air pollutants as well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of reviewing its rules on air pollutants like lead and benzene from steel mills. Environmental groups have been pushing for tougher standards. While there has been increasing attention on greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollution from the fossil fuel industry, the environmental and public health impacts of the heavy industrial sector continue to garner insufficient public scrutiny. But the people living in the communities around these facilities know that their air, water, and land are being poisoned, said Joab Schultheis, Energy Committee Chair with the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter in Indiana. Many automakers are going to increasingly require green steel, and US steel makers should be able to meet that demand. The same is true for other industries. If the U.S. heavy industrial sector wants to enjoy continued long-term success, it must significantly lower emissions, which will be central to its ability to provide good paying jobs and protect the health of the communities it operates in. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ There is no connection between rising COVID cases and elections, contrary to claims online CLAIM: COVID-19 only spikes during election seasons. THE FACTS: There is no connection between rising COVID-19 cases and the electoral process, epidemiology experts say. Since the first U.S. case was confirmed in January 2020, the virus has spiked near the end of the year, but also during summer, nowhere near major elections. But some on social media are falsely claiming the virus is a tool to control election outcomes. "Some won't figure out the Mysterious Connection between The Coronavirus & The Election!!!" reads a caption on one Instagram post. "It's Called Election Interference by Mail In Ballots & the Machines. Wake-Up America." But elections do not dictate when COVID-19 spikes. "There's no biologically plausible or credible reason why spikes would be linked with election seasons," Dr. Emily Smith, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of emergency medicine and surgery at Duke University, wrote in an email to the AP. "Surges are due to increases in cases, which are related to human behavior. So reduced masking and vaccination rates are associated with case increases. Not election seasons." Although there is no formal definition of a spike, it can be characterized as the peak of a consistent increase in cases, said Dr. Janak Patel, director of the department of infection control and healthcare epidemiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The U.S. has seen rises in COVID-19 cases that coincide with election seasons in November but they have also occurred during the summer, according to Patel. Data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that the largest spike occurred the week ending Jan. 8, 2022, when 30.5% of reported COVID-19 tests came back positive. By contrast, cases had been decreasing in the lead-up to the off-year election on Nov. 2, 2021, a few months prior. Cases did spike close to the 2020 presidential election after they began rising in September of that year, but the 2022 midterms were a different story. After a peak with a 14.2% positivity rate the week ending July 23, cases went down leading up to the election on Nov. 8. "I haven't seen any particular timing with elections," Patel said. "And people campaign for elections throughout the year." It is unclear whether the current pattern of COVID-19 waves will continue, or why it has occurred thus far, since the virus hasn't been around long enough for scientists to know for sure, according to Patel. While COVID-19 hospital admissions are currently rising there were 18,871 for the week ending Sept. 2 they're a far cry from past peaks, like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the nearly 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions during the omicron surge of January 2022. Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report. ___ No, the US did not send Ukraine $6 billion by mistake CLAIM: The U.S. accidentally sent Ukraine $6 billion in military aid. THE FACTS: The claim misinterprets an announcement by a Pentagon spokesperson in June that the agency had overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the past two years by $6.2 billion. That meant more could be sent in the future without asking Congress for additional funds, not that billions of dollars had been sent in error. A recent episode of comedian Joe Rogan's podcast has resurfaced the erroneous claim. In a clip circulating online of the Sept. 7 episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan states that the U.S. "accidentally sent" $6 billion to Ukraine. Rogan made the comment during a conversation with former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard about the government's response to the recent wildfires in Maui. But Rogan, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, misconstrued the Pentagon's June statement. Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for the agency, said during the June press conference that the Pentagon had overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine since the start of the war by $6.2 billion, resulting in a surplus for future security packages. A detailed review of the accounting error found that replacement costs, rather than book value, were used to calculate the value of equipment pulled from Pentagon stocks for Ukraine, according to Singh. The Pentagon initially stated that it had overestimated the weapons' value by at least $3 billion. Final calculations showed there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last Sept. 30. Singh added that the $6.2 billion was "just going to go back into the pot of money" that's been allocated for future withdrawals of Pentagon equipment. The Pentagon this month announced a new $600 million package of long-term aid to Ukraine, which will provide funding for an array of weapons and other equipment. The assistance comes from money previously approved by Congress. President Joe Biden has requested $21 billion more in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine in the final months of 2023. Melissa Goldin ___ Bill Gates-funded climate change venture doesn't call for razing 70 million acres of trees CLAIM: Bill Gates is backing efforts to cut down 70 million acres of trees in order to fight global warming. THE FACTS: There is no plan to cut down 70 million acres of trees. The U.S. Forest Service has a ten-year plan to reduce the risk of wildfires across millions of acres of forests in the American West through a combination of controlled burns, selective tree culls and other forest management strategies. Gates, separately, is among the investors in a company proposing to help thin out California's densely packed forests and bury tree remains in Nevada. But many social media users are sharing a video that features a woman speaking in front of a screenshot of a story on a website known to publish fake or misleading content. "Bill Gates Pushes Plan to Chop Down 70 Million Acres of Trees to 'Fight Global Warming'," the story headline reads. "How is this green? the woman on the video says incredulously to the camera. "How is this helping the planet?" In actuality, the Microsoft founder is among the lead investors in Kodama Systems, a startup company seeking to selectively remove trees from dense, wildfire-prone forests in California and bury their remains across the state line in Nevada. Gates, through his Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which invests in companies developing technology and other innovative solutions to global warming, is among a group of funders that have committed $6.6 million to the company, according to a December press release. "These claims are false," Alex Reid, a spokesperson for Gates, wrote in an email. Kodama spokesperson James Sedlak similarly rejected the claims, noting that the 70 million acres cited in the posts misrepresent a figure cited in a Forbes article about the company. The July article states the U.S. Forest Service aims to "thin" some 70 million acres of densely packed forest in the American West in order to mitigate the risk of severe wildfires. "As written, this does not mean cutting down all trees in those acres and was subsequently misconstrued, likely leading to the narrative that came across your radar," Sedlak wrote in an email. What the Forest Service and Kodama are actually seeking to do is known as "ecological forest thinning," in which certain, at-risk trees are culled from dense patches of forest in order to allow mature ones to thrive, he explained. Merritt Jenkins, the company CEO, said it hopes to focus on a remote part of the Eastern Sierra Mountains in California, cutting down relatively small trees that can't easily be turned into lumber. But instead of burning the unusable trees, as typically happens in thinning efforts, the company would take the remains and bury them at an arid site in Nevada, he said in a phone interview Wednesday. The goal would be to avoid the costly and harmful effects of burning, while also preventing decay, a process that also releases carbon into the atmosphere, Jenkins explained. Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report. ___ A new study doesn't show Pfizer's COVID vaccine causes 'VAIDS' CLAIM: A new study by Australian researchers shows that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine caused vaccine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or "VAIDS." THE FACTS: VAIDS is not a real condition, experts say. The co-authors of the study say their work is being misrepresented and doesn't show that the vaccine is harmful to the immune system. The false claim is spreading as U.S. health officials recommend most Americans receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine. "Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Causes VAIDS in Children, Study Proves," reads the headline of a widespread blog post. A post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, sharing the blog post relayed a quote from it, claiming: "'Finally, we have scientific confirmation that vaccination against COVID-19 causes a marked decrease in immunity to heterologous pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.' A condition known as 'VAIDS' vaccine-induced AIDS." The blog post references a study published in August in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, "BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children alters cytokine responses to heterologous pathogens and Toll-like receptor agonists." But that study's findings are being misrepresented. Dr. Andres Noe, a co-author of the study and researcher at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia, pointed to a statement the authors published responding to such claims. "It has been brought to our attention that our recently published study is being misinterpreted and misused to claim that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous," the statement reads. "Our research does not provide any evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to the immune system of children or adults. In particular, it is incorrect to suggest that our study results show that COVID-19 vaccines 'suppress the immune system.'" The study examined blood samples from children one month and six months after receiving a Pfizer vaccine and observed changes in what's known as "cytokine production" by immune cells when encountering various pathogens, the authors explained. They noted, however, that such responses "are only one facet of the body's combined immune response and we do not know how long they last." The study did not look at what the changes mean in the real world or determine whether they're harmful or helpful. Dr. Matthew Laurens, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development who was not involved in the study, concurred that it doesn't show the vaccine is dangerous or leading to immune system problems. "On the contrary, they suggest that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 may provide protection against other infectious diseases, something that would have to be examined in another study," he said in an email. "These 'off-target' effects of vaccination are viewed as beneficial, not as a risk." Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in New Jersey contributed this report. ___ Energoatom has sent the Canadian company CAMECO the first batch of uranium concentrate produced by VostGOK state enterprise, which will be used to produce nuclear fuel for the needs of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, the companys press service reported. According to its data, special transport with uranium is currently moving around Europe. The agreement with CAMECO provides for the supply of the entire volume of uranium mined at VostGOK to Canada and its subsequent conversion into natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6). Such a process is necessary to prepare for sending it for enrichment to our other strategic partners - the URENCO company (UK), and then to Westinghouse for the production of nuclear fuel. These processes for processing nuclear material are not yet available in Ukraine. But we are working to create the appropriate capacities," Energoatom President Petro Kotin said. As reported, Energoatom and CAMECO signed a memorandum of understanding in the nuclear energy sector in 2019. In March 2023, the parties signed agreements on the use of Ukrainian uranium in the production of nuclear fuel for all Ukrainian nuclear power plants. According to the agreements, will cover the needs of Rivne, Khmelnytsky and Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plants for UF6 during 2024-2035, which will be supplied for enrichment and further use in the production of nuclear fuel. The contract also provides for the possibility of supplying Zaporizhia nuclear power plant as soon as control of the nuclear plant is returned to Energoatom. The second agreement provides for the sale by Energoatom to Canada of uranium concentrate mined in Ukraine at VostokGOK. Its uranium conversion will be provided by CAMECO for the needs of Energoatom. In April 2023, Energoatom and CAMECO signed an agreement regulating the physical supply of uranium concentrate from Ukraine to Canada. The companies also signed a memorandum on the development of the uranium mining industry in Ukraine with the support of Canadian partners. In 2019 and 2021, CAMECO has already supplied uranium oxide concentrate for the production of nuclear fuel for the needs of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. In a presidential contest cycle, Senate races dont get the same kind of attention when theres still a year to go until Election Day. But the start of the second fundraising quarter earlier this month brought a host of new candidate names some declared and some still biding their time that will help shape the race for control of the chamber in 2024 and the ultimate power dynamics for whoever is president in 2025. With more candidates launching their campaigns this month, the prospect of competitive primaries has become more real especially on the Republican side. Thats especially true in the top three seats most likely to flip, which represent the GOPs best chances to pick up the one or two seats theyd need to control the chamber, depending on who wins the presidency. (Rankings are based on CNNs reporting, fundraising figures and historical data about how states and candidates have performed.) West Virginias GOP primary mainly between the governor and a congressman was already brewing, but its looking even more contentious with outside groups like the Club for Growths political arm touting the millions theyre planning to spend. This race will be a marquee battle between the national GOPs more establishment forces and the conservative outside group. And, as in other races like Montana and Nevada, this one will test the National Republican Senatorial Committees new strategy of picking sides in primaries. Its impossible to talk about Republican primaries without discussing former President Donald Trump. Ever since 2016, loyalty to him has been a key litmus test for the GOP often much more than actual conservatism. But adherence to his election conspiracy theories has sometimes hurt Republicans in general elections, with the 2022 midterms being a prime example. The chairman of the NRSC, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, has endorsed Trump. And for now, at least, the former president appears to be playing along. CNN reported that hes informed two House Freedom Caucus members whom hes previously backed in West Virginia and Montana that they wont have his support for the Senate. (In Montana, Rep. Matt Rosendale hasnt yet announced his campaign but is expected to challenge the NRSCs preferred candidate.) This months ranking isnt all about primary drama, however. In Pennsylvania, Republicans breathed a major sigh of relief in May when election denier Doug Mastriano, fresh off his 15-point gubernatorial loss, decided not to run. The expectation that Dave McCormick will get into the race with a clearer lane and the GOPs lack of candidates right now in other states bumps the Keystone State up one spot on this list as slightly more likely to flip. Overall, the Senate map remains an offensive opportunity for Republicans. Democrats hold seven of the 10 seats most likely to flip next year, an independent holds one and Republicans hold two a breakdown thats unlikely to change much, although the order of the ranking will likely evolve in the months to come. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch's proposal to entirely eliminate Indiana's 3.15% income tax if she's elected governor next year is the centerpiece of her latest campaign ad. On Friday, the Republican released a 30-second commercial where she pledges to "axe the tax," accompanied by video of a dump truck dropping bundles of cash in a driveway while a seemingly stunned family looks on from their porch. "I can guarantee you that the radical left will scream bloody murder. But that money is not theirs, it's yours. And, as governor, I'll make sure you get it," Crouch says in the ad. Crouch has provided few specific details on how she plans to eliminate the individual income tax that last year generated $7.6 billion of the $21.1 billion (36%) in revenue for Indiana's General Fund, which pays for education, health care, public safety and nearly all other state spending. She says in the ad that reducing Indiana's $3 billion budget reserve, along with "less government," and "more efficient operations," will make it possible to "end Indiana's income tax." "We need to stop taking so much of your money, reform government, and remain competitive for jobs, talent and economic growth," Crouch said. Critics suggest Crouch's proposal ignores the elephant in the room. Namely, Indiana has been led by Republican governors since 2005 and both chambers of the General Assembly have been Republican-controlled since 2011. If fully one-third of state spending was wasteful during the tenures of former Govs. Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence, and term-limited incumbent Gov. Eric Holcomb, why didn't Crouch a state representative for Evansville from 2005 to 2014, a three-year state auditor, and Holcomb's lieutenant governor for the past seven years speak up until now? "Nice conservative talking points, but no conservative solutions," quipped former Attorney General Curtis Hill, another candidate seeking Indiana's Republican gubernatorial nomination. Under House Enrolled Act 1001 (2023), Indiana's income tax rate already is scheduled to decline to 3.05% in January, 3% in 2025, 2.95% in 2026, and 2.9% in 2027. At the same time, Crouch's proposal to entirely eliminate the state income tax would have no impact on the $3 billion a year Hoosiers also collectively pay in county income tax at rates ranging from a low of 0.5% in Porter County to 3% for residents of Randolph County in east-central Indiana. Ms. Wood said it was meaningful that, from the very beginning, we knew how to deal with each other at great moments of stress. They enjoyed a friendship for a couple of years, then started dating in 2018. Mr. Brown watched Ms. Wood settle into her beloved studio. She was very intentional in that space, he said. It was about creating a home, creating an oasis for herself, and she found that. Every piece in the apartment had a fun story and meaning for her. $4,200 | Williamsburg, Brooklyn Lauren Wood, 29 Occupation: Advertising video producer On the proximity of friends: Ms. Wood initially moved to Williamsburg during the Covid pandemic, when she and several friends considered the benefits of living close to each other. We wanted to be able to walk to each others apartments, she said. We realized how important the day-to-day, stopping by someones place or going on a walk was to us. On landing the new apartment: After viewing six apartments in one day, Ms. Wood knew the minute she stepped into the last one that it was right for her and Mr. Brown. To get the place, she said, I had to pull aside the broker at an open house and wire transfer a months rent. Everyone else is wasting time testing the water pressure, and Im thinking Ive already got my deposit in. It was during Pariss first pandemic lockdown that the fashion designer Marco Ribeiro felt hed reached a creative inflection point. I was like, I can go one of two ways, he recalls. Either very commercial but nobody was buying anything at the time, and nobody knew how long that would last or very crazy. I chose crazy. In 2019, the now-35-year-old Brazilian, whod moved to Paris after 11 years in Buenos Aires, where he sold hand-painted bags and clothing, mostly to friends, had launched his first womens wear line, a collection of tailored, minimalist pieces. But he never really felt like the work reflected him where he came from, or what he wanted to convey. His post-pandemic collections, which he showed for the first time last year, are just as rigorously structured, but theyre also exuberant, with outsize ornamentation and dramatic silhouettes: skirts with exaggerated pleats, and large, flat circles of fabric worn as either capes or tube dresses. In place of his previous monotones are color blocking, bold stripes and a clash of florals and plaids. Donald J. Trump has sued the judge overseeing the New York attorney generals civil fraud case against him, a move that could delay his upcoming trial. The lawsuit was not immediately made public, but two people with knowledge of the matter said that it accused the judge of ignoring an earlier appeals court decision that Mr. Trumps lawyers believe should significantly limit the case against him. And on Thursday, the appeals court provisionally paused the trial so it can consider Mr. Trumps action against the judge. It was the former presidents latest direct challenge of a judge presiding over one of his many legal proceedings. Earlier this week, his lawyers asked the judge in one of his criminal cases to voluntarily step aside. The civil trial stems from a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, who accused Mr. Trump, his business and members of his family of fraudulently overvaluing their assets by billions of dollars. It is scheduled to begin on Oct. 2, and it still might. Rolling out the announcement that he wont run for re-election, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah has framed it as a passing of the torch. At the end of another term, Id be in my mid-80s, he said in a video statement. Frankly its time for a new generation of leaders. Theyre the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in. He clearly means this as a rebuke to the 80-year-old Joe Biden and the 77-year-old Donald Trump, neither of whom, he said, are leading their party to confront the major issues facing our country. The next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership. The problem with this argument is that Romney despises the next generation of Republican leaders. Hes watched the transformation of Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio into a Trump lackey with disgust. I dont know that I can disrespect someone more than J.D. Vance, he told McKay Coppins, author of a forthcoming Romney biography. Hes similarly contemptuous of Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri for indulging the lies that led to the Jan. 6 insurrection. I doubt hes a fan of the Florida congressman Matt Gaetz or the hucksterish presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy. Besides, as Coppins reveals in an Atlantic excerpt from his book, Romney himself thought of running a third-party campaign for president in 2024, deciding against it only out of fear that it would throw the election to Trump. So as much as I believe that America is stagnating under the death grip of the gerontocracy, I dont think thats why Romney is bowing out. Rather, hes given up on a second Senate term because his brand of stolid, upstanding conservatism has become obsolete, replaced with a conspiratorial, histrionic and sometimes violent authoritarianism. His reluctance to say so clearly, at the cost of breaking with his party definitively, is evidence of something tragic in his character. We know what Romney really thinks because of the access he offered Coppins, with whom he met weekly, giving him diaries, private papers and emails. A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution, Romney told him. An Iowa teenager was found guilty on Thursday of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two students in January at an educational program for at-risk youths. The teenager, Preston Walls, 19, of Des Moines, fatally shot a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old who were part of the Starts Right Here program on Jan. 23, the authorities said. The police said at the time that Mr. Walls was a gang member and that the victims were members of an opposing gang. Mr. Walls had been charged with first-degree murder for both killings, but jurors appeared to partially agree with Mr. Wallss claim during trial that he had shot both teenagers because he feared for his life. During the episode, Mr. Walls also shot William Holmes, 49, who founded Starts Right Here. In that shooting, the jury found Mr. Walls guilty of assault causing serious injury. Planned Parenthood said on Thursday it would resume providing abortions in Wisconsin, where the procedure has been largely unavailable since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade more than a year ago. The decision to restart services is a victory for abortion-rights groups in the state, where the issue has reshaped politics and defined a State Supreme Court election. Wisconsin had an abortion ban from 1849 that was still on the books, but it had been unenforceable since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide in 1973. Josh Kaul, the state attorney general and a Democrat, sued to overturn the law days after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2022. The announcement from Planned Parenthood came after a judge in Dane County, which includes Madison, issued a preliminary ruling in July saying that she did not believe the 1849 law made abortion illegal. There is no such thing as an 1849 abortion ban in Wisconsin, she wrote. The judges final ruling is expected in the coming weeks. The dispute is likely to be decided by a higher court. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, will visit Washington next week following his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, according to three U.S. officials. Mr. Zelenskys plan to appear in person before the General Assembly on Tuesday, as part of the U.N.s annual gathering in New York City, was previously known. But his follow-on trip to Washington where he is expected to meet with President Biden at the White House and members of Congress on Capitol Hill has not yet been announced officially. It comes as the Biden administration works to shore up support in Congress for an additional $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine amid a grinding Ukrainian counteroffensive that has so far yielded disappointing results. Mr. Zelensky insists that Ukraine can still make major gains. Mr. Zelensky last visited Washington in December, where he addressed Congress and urged the continued supply of American weapons for his countrys battle against Russia, which is about to enter its 19th month. Since then, anxiety has grown among Ukraines supporters as they have watched a decline in U.S. public support for continuing aid to the country. Mr. Kuwayamas first solo show, at Richard Bellamys Green Gallery in Manhattan in 1961, included what could be called his signature work, Untitled: Red and Blue, a seven-foot-high paper-on-canvas piece divided across the middle into sections of red and blue. In a different painting, that division might evoke a horizon. But two pale bands along the sides of this work, rendered in white pigment overlaid with silver leaf, make it hard to read the line across the middle as anything but a line. Image Untitled: Red and Blue, 1961, on display at the Nagoya City Art Museum in Japan. It has been called his signature work. Credit... Collection of the Nagoya City Art Museum The colors are dense but dry, vibrant but strangely quiet. You cant sink into them, but they dont leap out from the surface, either. They have too much texture for the kind of flatness that the critic Clement Greenberg approved of, but not enough to create pattern or depth. Theyre nothing but color. In follow-up shows, starting with a second solo at Green in 1962, Mr. Kuwayama gradually moved from paper to canvas; from dry pigment to acrylic, spray paint and metallic colors; and into flat free-standing pieces reminiscent of the paintings. He developed a vernacular of squares and rectangles divided into halves, quarters or thirds with thin strips of aluminum. Most often every section of a given piece was the same color, but when they werent, he avoided both dissonance and obvious harmony by balancing, say, a bright yellow against a white or deep brown. If some works happened to be beautiful, others were not; for Mr. Kuwayama, that was beside the point. Regarding a 1966 series that included canvases in gray and beige, he said: I didnt want to create any distinction between good or bad colors. I wanted to treat them as equivalent to each other. So I used some horrible colors all on purpose. I thought of those works as the cheap American apartment series. In 1966, Mr. Kuwayama was included in the influential exhibition Systemic Painting at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. But after the 1970s, demand for his work came primarily from Europe, especially Germany. In recent decades he experimented with triangles and began fabricating pieces in aluminum, titanium and Bakelite, including an untitled series of 136 vertical panels in alternating pink and yellow that he produced in 1996 for the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art in the city of Sakura, Japan. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said that this year very small amounts have been raised from partners for Ukraine's fast recovery. "The equivalent of $3.3 billion has been financed for fast recovery, of course the need is greater.... Unfortunately, as of today, very insignificant amounts of several billion dollars have been raised from our partners. We are negotiating about this, there is progress," Shmyhal said at a press conference on Friday. According to the prime minister, the need for fast recovery next year will not change and will range from $10 billion to $15 billion. "Taking into account that we did not cover this year's expenses, this need is actually shifting," he said. Shmyhal said that the recovery fund was not included in the state budget for 2024, as funds are expected to be raised from partners. In particular, the prime minister said that recovery should take place at the expense of Russian assets confiscated abroad. The answer turns out to be rather simple. Chuck gets Andolov into the country as an expert witness in a different case. He allows the menacing robber baron to threaten to throw Krakow off a rooftop unless he puts the kibosh on the divorce filing and stops shtupping Grigors ex-wife. Then Chuck makes a big show of arresting him, at which point Andolov makes an even bigger show of being the most comical pro-Russian heel (wrestling jargon for villain) since Nikolai Volkoff. The American politicians look good to their domestic audience, Andolov looks good to his, and the slimy Krakow survives to ooze another day. Everyones a winner! The same cannot be said for the participants in the Mike Prince story line. Like a trio of plotters straight out of Shakespeare, Wendy, Wags and Taylor are constantly kibitzing in hopes of taking their dreaded boss down before he can win the White House. In this episode, they adopt a two-pronged strategy. While Wags whispers in the ear of Kate Sacker, Mikes formidable legal counsel, so that shell drop him for her own congressional run, Wendy orchestrates a disastrous quasi-focus group with Prince Cap employees, all of whom kiss Princes posterior when hes in the room. (They describe him as an egomaniac who loves the smell of his own flatulence when hes not.) The ploy is meant to shake the confidence of Prince, who loves himself and is convinced everyone else either feels the same way or simply needs to get to know him better. To learn that his biggest earners think hes a narcissist with a God complex is a body blow to his self-esteem potentially enough to persuade him to call off his presidential campaign. But Wendy and company didnt count on Mikes wife, Andy, nor on Kates master-of-the-universe father, Frank (Harry Lennix). Andy tells Mike that people love him not because he is inherently lovable but rather because everyone loves a winner. Thats the air he needs to project during his upcoming televised speech, which he paid to have air in prime-time on every network. Frank tells Kate its always best to stick with a winner, even when the going gets tough, because association with a winner is what gets people to pick up the phone when you call. So Kate rescinds her resignation. Prince gives his big speech and reaps a huge bounce in the polls. Both Prince and his campaign guru, Bradford, praise Wendy for pulling off the exact opposite of what she intended. And Chuck stares nervously at Prince on his computer screen, clearly wondering if the time has already come to call in that favor from Axe. At this point in its run, Billions feels a bit like a spinning top starting to wobble but I mean this as a compliment. There are only so many times the schemes of one of the shows preposterously competent main characters can go right before they start to go disastrously wrong. Each meticulously plotted episode moves us incrementally closer to that tipping point. Loose change In a tertiary plot, Charles Rhoades Sr. asks Chuck to intervene in an acquaintances case of posthumous paternity (dont ask). It turns out to be a cover for Charless feeling that he has lost of control over his legacy when he discovers his wife and daughter praying together despite his insistence that their daughter be raised an atheist. As he does elsewhere with Triple H, Chuck consults an expert on control: Mistress Troy (Clara Wong), his former dominatrix. It is she who gives Chuck the idea to tell his dad to, in effect, stoop to conquer: Act acquiescent now, and hell wind up with a kid and wife who love him more, allowing him to exert more control in the longer term. Everyones a winner, again. Sort of. In addition to seeing the returns of Malkovich, Strong, Lennix and Servitto, this episode also welcomed back Rick Hoffman as the repugnant Dr. Swerlow, Charless medical adviser, I guess? Wearing an Adidas tracksuit with The Doc monogrammed on it, Swerlow provides obscene expertise to anyone within a 20-foot radius including Ira, whom hes been providing with sublingual sexual performance-enhancing medication sub rosa for some time. Hence the videos from last week, I suspect. When did I become Lex Luthor? Mike asks Wendy plaintively. I dunno, Mike, probably when you decided to run for president as a bald billionaire, something the comic-book villain did over two decades ago. He won, too, if you can somehow imagine a United States of America willing to elect a wealthy megalomaniac as president. Try not to strain yourself. Nature was in a funny mood the day she made me, Anne Lister declares in Emma Donoghues LEARNED BY HEART (Little, Brown, 337 pp., $28), adding, Perhaps Im the connecting link between the sexes. Those who recall the BBC/HBO mini-series Gentleman Jack will be familiar with the adult adventures of this early-19th-century Yorkshire landowner and diarist, whos been called the first modern lesbian. But its her brief teenage incarceration at Yorks Manor School for young ladies that Donoghue brings to life in her latest novel. Years of research have led Donoghue to a fascinating narrator: Eliza Raine, an orphaned Anglo-Indian heiress who met Lister in 1805, when they were both 14. Roommates and eventually lovers, they are misfits in a rule-obsessed establishment dedicated to turning out wives and mothers who owe two great obligations to society: to be useful and to be agreeable. Despite the fact that her tutors have scolded any trace of India out of her, Eliza is just dark enough to be considered a foreigner. And the frenzied letters she writes to Lister a decade later, interspersed throughout the often idyllic main narrative describing their teenage passion, heighten our awareness of the fragility of her connections both to England and to the person she will always adore. Lister, by contrast, is already a forceful personality, commanding the devotion not only of Eliza but of their fellow students. With the passing years, will Eliza be able to hold her own? As Donoghue explains in an extensive authors note, the answer isnt a pretty one. Alida Becker is a former editor at the Book Review. Ukraine steps up attacks on Crimea Ukraine launched several new long-distance attacks on targets in Russia-occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, seeking to break down the Kremlins war effort with strikes far beyond the front lines. Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The Ukrainian military claimed it had hit a Russian surface-to-air missile defense system in Crimea and two Russian vessels at sea. The claims could not immediately be confirmed or refuted; the Russian Defense Ministry said only that attacks on a ship in the Black Sea had failed. In recent weeks, Ukraine has sharply accelerated the pace of strikes in and around the peninsula, which has become a critical hub for the Russian military. Russia uses Crimeas largest city, Sevastopol, as the primary base for the Black Sea Fleet, which is blockading Ukrainian ports. The Ukrainian military has long maintained that the war cannot be won without taking aim at Russian operations in Crimea. Analysis: Ben Barry, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that Ukraines deep battle against targets far behind enemy lines might set Ukraines forces up for breakout success or at least to significantly diminish Russias combat power. The British government and Tata Steel on Friday announced a 1.25-billion-pound package, or about $1.6 billion, to cut emissions and financial losses at Tatas steel mill the countrys largest at Port Talbot in Wales, potentially putting many of the plants 4,000 jobs at risk. The government said the package would help clean up a site that it said was Britains largest emitter, reducing the countrys overall carbon emissions by 1.5 percent, and would ultimately preserve thousands of jobs. It will provide 500 million, with Tata contributing 750 million. Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, said the deal was expected to save thousands of jobs in the long term. But the governments statement refers to safeguarding only 5,000 jobs in Britain; Tata Steel employs more than 8,000 people, about half of them at Port Talbot. A union that represents the bulk of steel production workers in Britain said the arrangement risked falling short of the stated goals. While Tata says the plan would preserve significant employment, it is not guaranteeing jobs and has been losing money on its British operations for years. Which leaves Irish lawmakers in a quandary. As the government prepares its annual budget statement in October, it must settle the tricky question of what to do with this pot of money. Chief among the options: save it for the future; pay off debts; invest in badly needed housing or some other infrastructure, like hospitals, schools and a subway system for Dublin; or give it away in tax cuts and support payments. Yet for peculiarly Irish reasons, none of these apparent boons would be, in itself, an easy option. Whatever they do, it will leave some people feeling very grumpy, said Cliff Taylor, a business columnist at The Irish Times. There is talk, he said, of putting the money aside in a sovereign wealth fund, to help support rising pension costs as the population ages. But if they do that, he said, other people will say that we urgently need to spend money today on things like housing and transport and health, and changing our energy system to cope with climate change. Less than a year after retiring, Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund, is threatening his former colleagues with the one thing they have worked hard to prevent: his return. Under the terms of his retirement contract, Mr. Dalio, who left the firm full time in October, has the option to retake control of Bridgewater if its financial performance flags, according to five people with knowledge of the agreement. The billionaire investor, who is 74, doesnt necessarily want to come back to run the firm he founded 50 years ago. Instead, he has repeatedly brought up the idea of starting a new fund within Bridgewater that he hopes would help improve the firms investment returns, four of the people said. Bridgewaters main fund has been on a downward slide since Mr. Dalios retirement. Some of Bridgewaters top staff and board members, including its chief executive, Nir Bar Dea, whom Mr. Dalio appointed, have repeatedly told him that they will quit if he interferes. They fear that Mr. Dalio might use the proposed fund as a way to come back and reassert control, according to people briefed on internal deliberations but not authorized to speak publicly. TikTok was fined roughly $370 million on Friday by European Union regulators for having weak safeguards to protect the personal information of children using the platform, a sign of increased scrutiny facing the social media service. TikToks default setting did not adequately protect childrens privacy, nor was the company transparent in explaining what it was doing with the data of users age 17 and younger, according to Irelands Data Protection Commission, which issued the penalty on behalf of the European Union. The fine of 345 million euros is the first one issued against TikTok by the 27 nation bloc for violating data protection laws. TikTok is becoming a more frequent target of parents, policymakers and regulators who are wary of the companys data-collection practices and the platforms effect on the mental health of young people. In a 2022 survey, 67 percent of American teens said they use TikTok, with 16 percent saying they use it almost constantly, according to the Pew Research Center. The concerns are intensified by TikToks links to China, where its parent company, ByteDance, is based. Irish regulators are separately investigating whether TikTok is unlawfully sending the data of users in the European Union to China, an inquiry that is slated to finish by the end of the year. TikTok employees in the United States expressed frustration and dismay this week after the company introduced a tool for tracking office attendance and threatened disciplinary action for failing to comply with new in-person mandates, in an unusual effort to get workers back into the office with custom data-collection technology. Employees at TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, received notices this week about the new tool, an app called MyRTO. The app, which is built into the companys internal software, monitors badge swipes and asks employees to explain deviations absences on days they are meant to be in the office according to emails and screenshots shared with The New York Times. A dashboard with the data is visible to employees, their supervisors and human resource staff members. TikTok requires many of its roughly 7,000 U.S. employees to work in offices three times a week beginning in October. Some teams are expected in five days a week. Employees were told that any deliberate and consistent disregard may result in disciplinary action and could impact on performance reviews. Rodney Cornett got up at 4:30 a.m. on Friday, hopped in his F-150 pickup and reported as usual for a morning shift at the Ford Motor plant in Wayne, a gritty city just west of Detroit. But this morning Mr. Cornett, 56, a veteran union member who has worked at Ford for 28 years, wasnt heading to the axle assembly area where hes a team leader. Instead, his work was putting in six hours on the picket line with a dozen co-workers at the plants Gate 1 as part of the strike called by the United Auto Workers late Thursday. We really havent had much of a raise in 15 years, Mr. Cornett said, holding a sign that read, Fair Pay Now! while cars and trucks constantly whizzed by, honking in support of the strikers. Weve gone through several contracts, and the company keeps saying how theyre hurting, but theyre making record profits. It cant be the status quo. The U.A.W. has been negotiating a new labor contract with the three Detroit automakers, but since the sides remain far apart on wages and most other issues, the union called a strike that began when the current bargaining agreement expired at midnight. A former top Wells Fargo executive avoided prison time for her role in the banks sham accounts scandal, after a federal judge on Friday instead sentenced her to six months of home confinement and three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and perform 120 hours of community service. The former executive, Carrie L. Tolstedt, who was head of retail banking at Wells Fargo, was the only high-ranking executive at the bank to be criminally charged for its misdeeds. She pleaded guilty this year to one criminal charge of obstructing a bank examination. Prosecutors had sought a 12-month prison sentence, saying in a legal filing that imprisoning Ms. Tolstedt, 63, would be a general deterrence to other executives who might find themselves tempted to skirt the truth. Ms. Tolstedts lawyers had pressed for probation, citing similar sentences in other cases and invoking Ms. Tolstedts lifelong charitable works. Both the prosecution and the defense also cited Ms. Tolstedts health issues, the details of which had been redacted from the public versions of legal filings, as a factor favoring leniency. A multi-media advertising partnership campaign has seen a 25% boost in bookings to Great Britain, says a statement. The partnership between Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and VisitBritain, Britains national tourism agency, involved a campaign titled Spilling the Tea on Great Britain, depicting Britains love of tea. The campaign that invited visitors to See Things Differently, ran between January to June 2023. It promoted Britains rich cultural heritage, breathtaking coastlines and landscapes, as well as its dynamic cities and destinations including London, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Manchester. Wegos statistics show a substantial surge in bookings from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait to Britain during the campaign, up 25% from January to June, compared to the same period last year. Additionally, passenger numbers travelling to Great Britain through Wego are up 27% during the same timeframe. There was also a 78% rise in Wegos searches from Riyadh to Newcastle and a 63% increase in searches to Manchester. Wego VP of Brand Marketing and Social Media, Roxana Nicolescu said: We are absolutely delighted with the campaign growth figures that our partnership with VisitBritain has achieved. This collaboration signifies our joint commitment to showcasing the unparalleled beauty and experiences that Britain has to offer. The impressive growth in engagement and bookings affirms the impact of our collective efforts in igniting wanderlust and facilitating seamless travel experiences. VisitBritain Head of Partnerships, APMEA, Jennifer Huntley said: Our partnership with Wego has been instrumental in promoting Britains diverse travel experiences across the nations and regions to a global audience. The impressive growth figures from our partnership are also testament to the allure of Britain as a destination and the power of collaboration in driving tourism growth. In an initiative to facilitate travelling for GCC nationals, the UK Government is set to launch a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme commencing in October, starting with Qatar. With an application fee of 10 ($12), the ETA will also eliminate the necessity for visas among citizens from GCC nations and Jordan making journeys to Britain more cost-effective and convenient. TradeArabia News Service The European Commission does not extend temporary restrictive measures on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, provided that Ukraine complies with measures that will avoid a new grain surge. This is discussed in the message of the European Commission, distributed in Brussels on Friday. Existing measures will expire today. Ukraine has agreed to introduce any legal measures (including, for example, an export licensing system) within 30 days to avoid grain surges. Until then, Ukraine is to put in place from September 16, 2023 effective measures to control the export of four groups of goods in order to prevent any market distortions in the neighbouring Member States. Ukraine will submit an Action Plan to the platform no later than close-of-business on Monday 18 September 2023, the message reads. What is more, it is noted that the European Commission and Ukraine will monitor the situation via the platform to be able to react to any unforeseen situations. The European Commission will refrain from imposing any restrictions as long as the effective measures by Ukraine are in place and fully working, the European Commission said. Anticipating this decision, the message says that the European Commission has analysed the data related to the impact of the exports of 4 categories of agricultural products on the EU market. It has concluded that thanks to the work of the Coordination Platform and to the temporary measures introduced on 2 May 2023, the market distortions in the 5 Member States bordering Ukraine have disappeared. A constructive attitude of all participants in the platform helped to solve concrete problems and ensured that exports to third countries outside the EU are flowing and even increasing, the EC stated. Good morning. I roasted a pig in a box, as I realize Ive been doing for close to 20 years. I had a perfect Coke float with vanilla ice cream, in a tall paper cup with a long spoon and a wide straw. I cooked without recipes elegant salads built on rounds of late-summer tomatoes, chopped cheese quesadillas, Boston mackerel crudo and I read a ton of books. There was fishing most days, adventures in the woods, plenty of naps. The rough-winged swallow babies across the way left the nest, learned to feed themselves and departed for Florida with their parents. Thus passed a fantastic vacation. Im thankful to my pals and colleagues for covering for me while I was gone, and Im thrilled to be back. What great cookings ahead of us. My colleague Eric Kim developed this ace recipe for karaage, Japanese fried chicken (above), after eating the chef Kaoru Ayabes version at 750 Myrtle Diner in Brooklyn. Its a perfect weekend feed, the chicken marinated in ginger, soy and sake, then dipped in egg, coated in cornstarch, and fried slowly at 320 degrees until theres a firm golden crust around the moist and flavorful meat. On Wednesday afternoon, 20 couples gathered in front of a stage at the National Mall in Washington to recite their commitment vows. Some brides had on white gowns while grooms wore top hats. Others donned orange T-shirts printed with the words Disability Rights Are Human Rights. We would like to get married and be able to go to the doctor, they chanted in unison. We would like to get married and not end up living in a cardboard box. Their combined voices might not have been loud enough for lawmakers at the Capitol, visible in the distance, to hear. But that, too, is something the couples and about 80 supporters who watched the Disabled Marriage Equality Now rally from lawn chairs would have liked. Dr. Leslie Hendeles began prodding the Food and Drug Administration to reject a decongestant in cold medicines when he had a mop of curly red hair and Bill Clinton had just become president. By the time opposition to the drug had coalesced, Dr. Hendeles was appearing, at age 80, as an expert to testify before the agencys advisers, his hair white and his overview of the ingredient spanning 50 years. His advocacy culminated in the advisory panels unanimous vote on Tuesday, when it concluded that the decongestant, a common ingredient in cold and flu remedies, is ineffective. Prompted by the news, consumers threw open their medicine cabinets upon learning that the decongestant, phenylephrine, was listed in more than 250 of their go-to drugs for congestion like some versions of DayQuil, Sudafed, Tylenol and Theraflu. And the decision has caused some confusion experts say the ingredient still works in nasal sprays, just not when taken orally in pill or liquid form. After a long day on the set of A Haunting in Venice, the latest Kenneth Branagh murder-mystery based on Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot stories, the hair and makeup designer Wakana Yoshihara would leave the crew, find a quiet space and sit down with the detectives prodigious mustache, a sweeping half-moon of lush gray hair and attendant soul patch. It was my ritual every night after the shoot, Yoshihara said recently in a video interview. Me and the mustache sit together. Sometimes I have a conversation with the mustache. It was very therapeutic, when you get into that space. The mustache became like a friend. Yoshihara takes facial hair very seriously. The hair and makeup designer for Death on the Nile (2022) and A Haunting in Venice, opening Friday, she is responsible for creating, styling and maintaining Poirots whiskers a painstaking work of craftsmanship that is perhaps the most important detail in these period films. This mustache is serious business, the director and star Branagh said when he took on the famous role for the 2017 Murder on the Orient Express. Yoshihara has made that business her own, and she does not take it lightly. The first iteration of Branaghs Poirot mustache was created for Orient Express by the designer Carol Hemming, with whom Yoshihara worked closely as the head of the hair and makeup departments. The colossal gray swath of hair was meant to pay tribute to Poirots military background and the vogue after World War I. But as migrants have flocked to delivery, the job has become increasingly fraught: The city has begun cracking down on unregistered mopeds the very vehicles that the newest migrants rely on. In recent weeks, the Police Department, citing noise complaints and safety concerns, has targeted several migrant shelters, confiscating delivery bikes without license plates by the truckload. Already this year, the N.Y.P.D. has seized more than 7,000 mopeds. At the same time, a new cottage industry of black-market moped brokers has emerged to serve and sometimes prey upon the newest migrants, who arrive with little money, no bank account and no tax ID or Social Security number. Several migrants, including one man who owes $15,000 to loan sharks in Venezuela, spoke openly about their reliance on a murky network of intermediaries to get motorized bikes, piggyback on app accounts and, if all goes well, get paid. Mr. Milano, desperate to pay back the large debts he incurred in bringing his wife and three children to the United States, rents a moped (with helmet, lock and bag, but no license plate) for $400 a week; for the privilege of using an Uber Eats profile under the name Jessica, he pays a weekly cut of $150 to a Venezuelan woman. These black-market fees eat up most of what he earns, but they enable him to work, which he does for more than 10 hours a day, seven days a week. He makes deliveries all over Manhattan and into Brooklyn, sometimes as many as 30 a day. For each order, Uber Eats pays him a fee determined by an algorithm, about $4 on average; customers can add a tip through the app. Jessica receives all his earnings as a direct deposit into her bank account, and then hands over his payments and tips in cash, minus the fee. At least, thats how its supposed to work. In August, after weeks of protests over the school being used as a shelter, Staten Island officials went to court to block the citys plans, and secured a brief victory when a judge issued a temporary restraining order that prevented city officials from placing migrants at the St. John Villa Academy shelter, as reported by the Staten Island Advance. But the city won its emergency appeal and the judges ruling was overturned. So residents turned to other measures heckling migrants who came looking for shelter and protesting loudly. Then the speaker appeared. Blasting a rotation of messages in five different languages, according to reporting by the New York Post earlier this week, the speaker was only a little quieter than a siren. It was on Mr. Herkerts street, but he and others residents would not confirm whether they owned it. The speaker is not currently broadcasting. Gisela Rivadeneira, 24, and her father, Roberto Rivadeneira, 52, both originally from Ecuador, have been staying at the shelter since they arrived there 12 days ago. There are just a few more weeks before a 60-day deadline to move out, which the Adams administration recently imposed on migrants. The messages from the speaker over the weekend underlined the feeling that they are not welcome. We are not afraid of the neighbors, because we are not doing anything wrong, Mr. Rivadeneira said, adding, We did not cross into the country illegally. He added that they were paroled into the U.S. at the border and have an immigration court date in the future. The Congressional visit came amid signs that the city was starting to keep up with the influx of migrants. Even though migrants continue to arrive, the number in city shelters, which had grown steadily since the spring of 2022, has been relatively flat for the last three weeks: It has increased by only 600 since Aug. 20, to 59,900, even as more than 8,800 migrants entered the system, according to statistics released by Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom. That indicates that about 2,700 per week found somewhere else to stay during that time. In the spring, the situation was different: During the three weeks from May 28 to June 18, fewer migrants arrived, but only about 1,200 people per week left shelters, city data suggests. Ms. Williams-Isom attributed the leveling off to the citys aggressive efforts to find homes for migrants including by buying them tickets to destinations outside the city and to a new rule requiring single adult migrants who have been in a shelter for 60 days to reapply and start the entire intake process over again if they want to remain in the citys care. No migrants will hit their 60-day limit until late this month, but some are leaving before their time is up. Joshua Goldfein, a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society, which represents the group that monitors conditions at city homeless shelters, said on Friday that he was encouraged. Of all the cliches about hip-hop weve endured over 50 years, the idea that hip-hop is the product of the streets with all the attendant implications about what and who is and isnt authentic remains the most tiresome. In reality, hip-hop is largely the product of kids who stayed inside. For five decades, beneath all the bluster and braggadocio, behind every park jam, party, stage show, flashy album cover or video, there were hours upon hours spent in a room, alone or with friends amid dozens, sometimes hundreds, of records experimenting, practicing, in spirited study. The records are the key to it all. From the very beginning of the culture, the earliest rappers or M.C.s were there simply to point to the D.J.: Listen to what hes doing. With two turntables and a mixer, the D.J. composed in real time annotating, cross-referencing and building on a living library of specific beats and sounds that would become the foundation of hip-hop. That library would come to dominate the sound of pop music throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s; even now, musicians and producers remain its borrowers. The records preserve the ethos of the world of the first hip-hop generation. They grew up in 1970s and 80s New York, largely within African American families or those from the Caribbean. Records were treasured objects in their parents music-filled households, displayed with pride and handled with care. This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions. lydia polgreen So guys, whats your favorite day of the week? michelle cottle Theres only one fabulous day of the week, and thats a Friday. carlos lozada Listen, I dont care if Mondays blue, Tuesdays gray, or Wednesday, too, all right? Thursday, I dont care about you. Friday, baby! All right. michelle cottle Ross, you havent signed in on ross douthat I love them all. I love all God made them all. I love them all. I love them all. What? You know? michelle cottle There is only one right answer, and its Friday. Not only because I get to kick the work week behind me, but also because that is now the day Matter of Opinion comes out. lydia polgreen Whoo! Friday, rolling into the weekend. ross douthat No! Well, that if you told me that! lydia polgreen From New York Times Opinion, Im Lydia Polgreen. michelle cottle Im Michelle Cottle. ross douthat Im Ross Douthat. carlos lozada Im Carlos Lozada. lydia polgreen And this is Matter of Opinion. Today, I wanted to start by asking you guys a genealogy question. My grandfather was obsessed with genealogy, so I have a lot of information on this topic, and hopefully, you do, too. When did your people come to this country? michelle cottle Oh, so far back on both sides. I just dont know, actually. Like, way back. lydia polgreen Interesting. Interesting. Ross? ross douthat The Douthats came to Virginia, and that would have been sometime in the early-18th century. My mothers side of the family, in fact, came at the beginning. michelle cottle Like, out of Garden of Eden? lydia polgreen Like, on the Mayflower? ross douthat Like, in the Plymouth zone. They were michelle cottle Who knew you were so fancy. lydia polgreen Huh. Wow. Wow. ross douthat Fancy is a strong word, but the Snows have been in New England, as their name suggests, since Nicholas Snow on, I think, the third ship after the Mayflower. And I believe he married Constance Hopkins, who was on the Mayflower itself. If Im getting that genealogy wrong, may all my New England ancestors strike me down. lydia polgreen Wow. Carlos? carlos lozada Well, I dont have to go back nearly as far, because it was me. I came here in 1975, a little boy of three. My dad had applied for a green cards for all of us for years. And as soon as we got them, we left Lima and moved to California. So I was a green card holder for, like, four decades, and then I became a US citizen. Joined the party. lydia polgreen Well, we are very lucky to have you. I know youre not much of a joiner, so thats really meaningful that [chuckles] that we got you, Carlos. carlos lozada I mean, my wifes American. I have three American kids. I have a house in the suburbs. I figured, OK, like, Im going to Im just going to give up and do it. lydia polgreen You might as well. carlos lozada give up and do it. Yeah. No, and its been great. Ive been here so long, I didnt think the naturalization ceremony would feel very emotional. It was intensely emotional. Its a beautiful, beautiful thing. lydia polgreen It is a beautiful thing. And I actually, sort of, bridge the divide of all of us, because on one side of my family, my mother came to the United States in 1973 when she married my father. And on the other side, I have a sort of jumble of Cornish ancestors and some who go back to the Revolutionary era. So its a real American soup. And I think that actually is a great way to get into this conversation. Because were actually going to talk about immigration today. And we think of America as being this country of immigrants, the melting pot. We all come here and take on new identities. Of course, there were people here when the original people got here, but that is the American story that we all were taught in school and love. But maybe that idea is over. And the reason I wanted to talk about this was that I saw that the mayor of my city, New York, last week, made some remarks where he basically said that the flood of migrants who are coming into New York City will, quote unquote, destroy New York City, which was really surprising and shocking to me. This is the city, of course, that is famous for the Statue of Liberty, which has welcomed thousands and thousands and thousands of people into our shores. But yeah, I dont know. What do you guys think? Is this over? Or are we no longer the melting pot? michelle cottle No, were the melting pot, although its more like I dont know at this point, its more like a goulash. Nothing melts, so much as it just jumbles together or whatever. But the New York Mayor is, for one, super dramatic. But also, hes talking about a very specific issue that not just New York has been dealing with, but also DC and a lot of other big cities, which is that there are tens of thousands of migrants, mostly asylum-seekers, waiting for their claims to be processed, that have been either coming over the border on their own and getting here or being shipped by Southern governors like Greg Abbott out of Texas. And what you wind up with is a logistical problem that theyre not equipped to deal with, thats the citys shelter system is not equipped to deal with it. The organizations that help the migrants find their way to getting aid and housing and whatever its just overwhelmed. And any time you have something that overwhelms the regular order of a city or a community, people start freaking out and using apocalyptic language. This is not the first time that America has had its issues or even issued some kind of retrograde laws because it got overwhelmed. It will not be the last time. carlos lozada Yeah, I mean, when you say its not the first time America has had its issues, I mean, the Statue of Liberty that Lydia mentioned it was dedicated in the same decade that the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, the same time that immigrants from Italy were encountering lots of hostility here. The Mother of Exiles, as she is known, cant do it alone. That lamp needs to be relit from time to time. ross douthat Yeah, I mean, it would be weird to declare the American experiment with immigration over at a time when the foreign-born share of the US population is, basically not quite, but basically, as high as it was during the last great peak of immigration in the late-19th century and when all of these controversies Mayor Adams outburst included are being driven by extremely high levels of immigration across the Southern border. So I mean, were in effect, were doing one of the more extreme versions of the melting pot experiment right now. And so theres, in fact, a clear correlation between that kind of increase and the kind of logistical and political reactions that you see in everything, from the political success of Donald Trump in 2016 to the blue state, blue city freakout at the moment. lydia polgreen Yeah. I mean, I think its not actually clear that this is exactly whats causing the huge numbers of migrants that are coming to, quote unquote, Northern cities. But you had the Governor of Texas putting people on buses to be delivered to certain hotspots, and of course, Ron DeSantis his stunt of flying a bunch of, I believe, Venezuelan asylum-seekers and migrants to Marthas Vineyard and locations like that. So this is clearly a substantive issue and one that goes to the heart of the questions about America. But its also a huge political football at this moment. Ross, as you mentioned, without this fight over immigration, its hard to imagine the presidency of Donald Trump as having taken place. ross douthat Right. The DeSantis flight to a vacation spot was, basically, a pure political stunt. The Abbott strategy is a little bit different. Its policy and politics mixed together in a way thats been, I think, quite effective at making the point that border state governors and border state politicians have been making for a long time, that we dont have a clear strategy for maintaining order on the Southern border, its creating tons and tons of logistical stress on Texas and Arizona and New Mexico and states around there, and people who support immigration and people who support the rights of migrants and so on need to be aware that the logistical problems, independent of larger questions about immigration policy just the logistical problems of the current situation are extreme. michelle cottle Well, those logistical problems also really fuel the political problems. People get really twitchy when they feel that chaos is afoot. And fair or not, the pictures from the border and the overwhelming of systems gives people a sense that things are breaking down, and that makes people more susceptible to anti-immigration rhetoric. lydia polgreen But I think that this is a manufactured crisis. I mean, I think the number in New York is 110,000 since last spring, which actually does not seem like that many people to me. I mean, this is a really, really big city of, like, 8 million people. I mean, I see the pictures of people sleeping in the streets and things like that, but these seem like problems that could potentially be solved. ross douthat Well, the issue it seems like theres sort of a its a complex issue. Because, so, one reason that blue cities are more likely to feel overwhelmed by a large influx, potentially, is that they provide social services, or they are supposed to provide social services more comprehensively than conservative and red areas. So theres, like, youre supposed to be providing shelter and resources to people in blue cities. But then, if you have a generous welfare system, it becomes strained faster, the more people are trying to take advantage of it. And then, thats joined to the fact that under asylum rules, I believe, migrants have to wait before they apply for work permits. And the purpose of that is to prevent people from just gaming the asylum system in order to come here as economic migrants. But the result is that people are more dependent on social services, more dependent on shelters and so on, because they cant work. So there is a liberal solution to this. The liberal response has been to, basically, say, we need to make it easier for these migrants to get work permits, right? This is sort of the pro-immigration critique of the Biden White House, is that its not making it easy enough for these migrants who come to New York or Chicago or wherever else, to work. The problem with that is that, that is, in fact michelle cottle An incentive. ross douthat The reason the migrants are coming is that they want to get work permits. So if you make it easier for them to work, you will get more migrants. michelle cottle You blur the line. lydia polgreen I guess the one thing that I will say is that we have an unprecedented number of people across the globe on the move, because of conflict, because of climate change, because of just all of the terrible things that are happening in the world. So the escalation of it, I think, does feel distinct. And again, not that we havent had cataclysms in this world before, but carlos lozada Lydia, do you mean the escalation of the movement? Or do you mean the escalation of the political response or backlash? lydia polgreen I mean the escalation of the movement. Weve got 100 million people whove been displaced around the world. This is a very, very tough time. I think another part of the political agenda at work here is to undermine support for the welfare state in cities like Chicago, where theyve just elected a very, very progressive mayor, feeling beleaguered by the need to provide services to migrants and to live up to the social contract of these places. It actually is very similar to the situation in Europe. I mean, one of the huge tension points in Europe is that you have these incredibly generous sets of social benefits that are being offered to people who are able to enter, and making sure that those benefits are not, quote unquote, frittered away, on people who dont, quote unquote, belong, is whats driving a lot of that right-wing populism. So I think that if there is a kind of red-state strategy to create a blue-state crisis, its not just, were dealing with this problem, you need to deal with it, too. I think its also a little bit like getting rid of the tax deductions on state taxes and real estate taxes. Its a way to undermine the political impulses and policy impulses of blue states and to make them seem untenable. michelle cottle So Ross, I have a question for you thats along those lines, which is that New York is currently one of the things that Mayor Adams wants is to get rid of the right-to-shelter policy, which New York is unusual in that, basically, if you come here, the city has to provide you shelter. Now, that system, as he points out in, and which is undeniably true, was not made to cope with the massive influx of migrants that its currently facing. On the other hand, if you get rid of it, you risk winding up with a situation like you see in San Francisco, where you have just massive tent cities with people sleeping on the street, and the downtown of San Francisco has become somewhere that businesses are moving out of and theyre closing offices, because people feel so unsafe and you cant walk a couple of blocks without problems. So what do people think is the way forward with this? I mean, on the one hand, yes, theyre completely overwhelmed. On the other hand, the alternatives are not so hot. ross douthat Well, the right I mean, the right-to-shelter part is its own issue, where there are sort of questions about how much money should you spend on shelters, how much shelter should you offer. Thats distinct from saying theres an absolute right to shelter. I think the hope of Adams is that if you dont have the guarantee, then fewer people will be likely to come, and that then you can also build up shelter capacity at the same time, theoretically, in order to avoid the tent-city scenario. michelle cottle Maybe. ross douthat And Lydia is right, of course, that yes, there is sort of a Republican sense of, yeah, were going to heighten the contradictions of the liberal social model. But you know what? The liberal social model has a bunch of contradictions. [LAUGHS] Thats the liberal social model assumes that immigrants will come to New York in an orderly fashion. But the liberal social model doesnt want to be too punitive to immigrants on the border. OK, but thats a little bit of a tension. Because its the punitiveness on the border, historically, that has enabled New York to slowly absorb migrants. And if you reduce michelle cottle And lets be clear its not just red-state governors who are doing that. Jared Polis over in Colorado was happy to bused migrants to Chicago until the Party came down on him with both feet. ross douthat Yes, it is governors who are exposed to the border. I think the question for liberals here and there are, obviously, a lot of open questions for conservatives but a question for liberals here is, where, if anywhere, are you willing to live with punitiveness? Like, if I told you you can have an extra x-hundred billion dollars to spend on shelters and English as a second language and so on, and all you have to do in return for it is build the wall, like, do you take that deal? What deal do liberals lydia polgreen The wall wont work. ross douthat Well, thats lydia polgreen The wall wont work. ross douthat Wont it? carlos lozada Well, then its a good thing you have all those zillions of dollars invested in all the social services for people who come despite the wall. ross douthat Thats right. Then, you really win. carlos lozada This shows how much of the debate is over symbolism as well. One thing Im always struck about in policy debates in the United States is that theyre not just about what is good or bad or what helps the most people or hurts the least people. It always comes down to a discussion of who we are. If you read The New York Times piece by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, he addressed the situation in New York right now, and basically, argued that you need to allow migrants to work, pretty much, right away, which, by the way, is like people come because they want work. They may be attracted to cities that have more services, because that is a temporary mechanism while they get on their feet. But people come here, because they want to work. But anyway, that was Bloombergs position in this piece is like, its not just that its smart as policy. Its because we are both a nation of immigrants and a land of opportunity. michelle cottle But thats not why migrants are supposed to be granted access to the US, and thats the dilemma that Ross is talking about. If you turn migrants into economic immigrants lydia polgreen Asylum-seekers into economic migrants. michelle cottle Yes, asylum-seekers then youve basically blurred the line entirely. carlos lozada I think that line is blurred already. That line is blurred that line is significantly blurred already. michelle cottle So then, do you just throw up your hands and say, go for it? lydia polgreen Well, I feel like we should probably take a break and talk about all of the options when we come back. [MUSIC PLAYING] And were back. So based on our conversation so far, I would venture to say that actual reform to our immigration system feels like itll be impossible. I mean, like, if we cant even find our way to supporting asylum-seekers, who were, literally, obligated to help under an international law, how can we actually hope for real change? But maybe thats too pessimistic. I dont know. What do you guys think? ross douthat I mean, theres two separate issues here. Theres the question of what flows of immigration should the US government bless and endorse, what mixture of skills from different immigrants should we be trying to encourage, should we have a more humanitarian-focused policy or a more sort of recruitment-focused policy, in the way that Canada has traditionally had, joined to what specific security measures should we have at the border. Thats the landscape of all the attempted big immigration compromises of the last 20 years. But then, theres the thing thats actually driving the crisis, which is that, as Lydia says, America has a set of obligations under our laws and international law around asylum claims. And whats happened in the last 5 or 10 years is that you have had lots and lots and by lots, I mean, hundreds of thousands and millions of people essentially, coming to the US and trying to use asylum claims as a means of economic migration. And we dont have a clear mechanism for addressing that strategy on the part of people who want to enter the United States. lydia polgreen Well, I mean, I think the direction that is happening globally is one of hardening of borders, and also the externalization of the problem. Weve tried to do that with Mexico. The European Union has done it with they pay off the Libyan Coast Guard, which is a horrific organization with a terrible human rights track record. We had the story over the summer of the Greek Coast Guard, basically, letting a ship with hundreds of people on it just drown in the Mediterranean. Just absolutely, kind of, like, morally bankrupt. But at the same time, I think that these policies are responding to a politics of refusal. And what I see is an increasingly bipartisan consensus. And you see this in the UK, where the Labor Party and the Tory Party the differences between them on these issues feels like theyre getting smaller. (CHUCKLING) Theyre getting smaller and smaller, rather than bigger and bigger. And I think all politicians who aim to hold power are struggling to contend with the fact that people just dont want outsiders to come from the poor world to the rich world. That is just the cold, hard fact. I have a lot of feelings about that. I think that migration is the least expensive form of reparations for colonialism, for slavery, for all the horrible things that the West has done to the rest of the world. But Im clearly a minority in believing so. michelle cottle Yeah, I think if you try that approach as a way to convince Americans they need to welcome in migrants, they do not want to hear about that. I mean, they just dont. lydia polgreen No, we dont want to hear about our history anyway, right? We dont want to talk about slavery. But yeah. ross douthat Well, but OK. So I disagree, Lydia, with that view of where lydia polgreen (LAUGHING) Big surprise. ross douthat Western public opinion stands. Because the way youre describing it makes it sound like were living in an era when Western countries have successfully built walls against mass migration and are just keeping people out. As I said earlier in our discussion, the United States currently has one of the highest foreign-born percentages of its population in its history parallel, comparable, to the late-19th century and in part because there was a real dip in migration under the Trump presidency. But now, immigration rates are back up. So if you just look at numbers, the West does not have a policy of refusal. It is attempting to manage incredibly large potential flows driven by changes in technology that make it easier for people to migrate long distances. We used to just get economic migrants from Mexico. Now, we get them from Central America, Latin America, and people from Africa and Asia coming through Latin America. And the West doesnt know how to manage these flows without punitive measures. A big part of the West recoils from punitive measures for good reasons. But nobody this is why I reject the idea that there is just some sort of rational policy solution. I dont know what the rational policy solution is. My views are obviously to the right, probably, of all of you guys on this question, but Im not anti-immigration. I dont think anyone is going to be anti-immigration. The number of people coming to the rich world is high and likely to increase, no matter what we do. michelle cottle Well, that speaks, though, to your earlier point, which is that, why do people get fired up about something like this. And its because they are in the midst of facing something they find scary. If you dont have high immigration, people dont get freaked out about it. Its at times of change, when they see something in their community or their country that is happening and that they feel a little bit out of control on, that they are susceptible to hideous demagoguery of the sorts that Trump traffics in. If we werent facing an influx of migrants and foreign-born folks, you wouldnt have this issue. So those things go together. lydia polgreen Carlos? carlos lozada I dont know. I I always am a bit troubled-slash-amused by the conflating of immigration and the border. We talk about a nation of immigrants. We talk about the melting pot. We talk about what it means for this country to be a nation of immigrants. And we obsess entirely over whats happening on the border and not the story of immigrants in America, all over America, transforming cities and towns, being transformed by them as well over the course of generations. I get frustrated when immigration policy is almost entirely about what happens at the border. michelle cottle Well, thats the whole thing. The majority of people who wind up illegal immigrants and were shifting from asylum-seekers here overstay their visas. Its not that they were flooding across a particular border, but that makes for less dramatic scenes and less political grandstanding. So thats not what people like to talk about, because its just much more complicated and lends itself less to those great political commercials you see where a candidate goes down to the border and has scary grainy video of somebody sneaking over. ross douthat Well, its what Democrats like to talk about. I mean, thats half of our national conversation. Theres lots of people who want to talk about what Carlos is talking about. Theyre just mostly political liberals. And no one in the Biden administration wants to talk about the border. They want to have a conversation about the positive impacts that immigration has on American society, which I agree. michelle cottle Well, then you get into the really complicated piece, which is the cultural stuff, which I think Ross was talking about when hes saying theres not a rational solution to this. Because a lot of its not rational. Its people seeing a shifting society thats becoming more diverse. A lot of people like that. A lot of people think thats great. And a lot of people dont. A lot of people are very uncomfortable with not having English spoken when they go to their local gas station or their local grocery store. And thats something that is not really fixable by policy, and its not really kind of a rational approach. And I dont know how you get around that. lydia polgreen Its a thing weve overcome in our country, in our history over michelle cottle Yeah, but it makes it more susceptible to demagoguery, and we are dealing in a time when Trump dialed it up to 11. ross douthat Well, so one, to clarify, when I say there isnt a simply rational solution, I just meant on the policy question, where it seems like figuring out how you can actually have control over the rate of immigration, while also being adequately humanitarian, living up to international obligations and so on thats a really hard challenge that there isnt there may be a rational solution, but there isnt a simple rational solution. I would dispute that people who respond negatively to their language no longer being spoken as much in their own neighborhood are being irrational. I dont know what the term, irrational, means in that context. michelle cottle I did not mean irrational in that way. ross douthat People have cultural I mean, they may be being racist. But people have cultural preferences. Thats a normal feature of human societies. And we sort of root for the people who have those cultural preferences when we see them as beleaguered and beset. If you went to rural Ireland and talked to people who were worried about Gaelic disappearing, liberals would be sympathetic to that. But people in the Midwest who dont like Spanish or other languages being spoken in their neighborhoods seem unsympathetic, because they seem like winners who are not being kind enough to the marginalized. But either way, this is just human nature. And the way weve dealt with it, historically, in the US, successfully, has been to have waves of immigration, and then have periods of immigration restriction. We have increased and decreased immigration rates in ways that have reflected peoples preferences for the speed, or lack thereof, of cultural change. And again, those restrictions were often racist, often incredibly harsh, and people dont want to bring them back. But that is the actual management strategy for that problem that has been used. michelle cottle Yeah, and thats why I dont see this as a particular turning point. Because weve done this a million times before. And you can be embarrassed that weve done it, you can be ashamed that weve done it, but its not like this is some new horrible anti-immigrant moment that we have not seen before in the US. I do think these things tend to be cyclical. lydia polgreen Well, I mean, I think I think, just given the sort of toxicity of all of this, is there a way to think about a more orderly and humane way to deal with what is clearly a problem without a solution? ross douthat I mean, I think part of the Biden White House strategy has been to try and get people to apply for asylum outside the US before they show up at the border. And I think, if Im remembering it right, the Biden administration has been sued from the Left for this policy. But that seems like one its more of a stopgap mechanism. I dont have a sort of comprehensive solution, but that has been one of the as an alternative to something like a full-scale remain-in-Mexico policy, that has been an option floated to try and manage the line and, I assume, sort of, weed out bad claims before the claimants are actually in the United States. michelle cottle And I do think its going to be multi-pronged. I mean, there is a lot of investment that could be made in the asylum courts or expanding who can process claims. Because right now, with a million claims backlog, these people who come over know that theyre going to sit around for years, literally, years, before they get their case heard. Thats just you have to have more investment in getting the system able to handle the numbers. lydia polgreen So no one wants to make the case for a grand bargain? Carlos? Do you see a grand bargain? ross douthat No, the only grand bargain I would want to see is one in which we recognize that its not merely a matter of what particular mix of policies attracts what kind of immigrants to the United States or to anywhere. People move when they have to move. People up stakes and leave when they have to leave. Venezuelan immigrants are all over South America. Its not just that people are drawn to New York or to some other place because of social welfare policies or something. People are leaving Venezuela because its an economic and political catastrophe, what that country has endured. And people are also coming because of pent-up demand for migration since the COVID restrictions went away. It is a complex mix of reasons that is creating these flows of people around the world. And I think that any debate over the technicalities of policy need to recognize first and foremost that this is a human crisis. This is I dont mean humanitarianism policy. I mean its a human crisis. Its a crisis of individual families, individual people, individual countries. lydia polgreen And has been going on throughout the history of the world, right? I mean, people have always moved. Theyve moved because the climate has changed. The movement of people is inevitable, and its going to happen. I dont know that weve come up with an orderly way to solve the problem here in America or that we ever will. So maybe we should just leave it there. ross douthat I mean, I think weve done a good job, to pat ourselves on the back, of emphasizing the genuine intractability of some of these problems, which michelle cottle (LAUGHING) We have laid bare. carlos lozada (LAUGHING) That, weve done very well. ross douthat Which is important! Theres always a sense that, well, if you could just get the reasonable people on both sides of the room to hammer out a deal, we would have a deal. And I think migration in the 21st century is going to be a situation where all policy responses are provisional. lydia polgreen Um, amen. Amen on that. carlos lozada On that michelle cottle Very upbeat note. lydia polgreen All right. Lets leave it there. And when we come back, Hot and Cold. [MUSIC PLAYING] OK, guys. Its time for Hot Cold. So whos got the Hot Cold this week? michelle cottle I gotcha. I am chilly. Not frosty, but chilly, on the obsessive customer satisfaction survey culture that we are living in. lydia polgreen Oof. michelle cottle So in part, this is just tiresome and annoying. I do not want to have to fill out a freaking survey every time I talk to my car insurance guy or buy a chair or check into a hotel. But I am frequently asked to do this multiple times per encounter. And frankly, the whole thing feels a little bit like nonsense. I mean, the airlines offer lots of customer satisfaction surveys, and yet, air travel remains a little piece of hell. So what is the point? And then, if we want to get more philosophical, this whole obsession just invites customers, consumers, patients, to whine endlessly about every nitpicky little thing, which people already do too much of. And in some cases, they want you to focus on tangential things like whether you felt properly respected by the front office staff at the dentist or by the gate agent at Delta. Like, these do not make professionals better at what they do, so much as they just teach us all that griping constantly, as I gripe constantly here, is how youre supposed to go through life. I get what the companies are going for, but Im saying, on balance, this has gone too far and is not a force for good. Its just not. carlos lozada So are you are you compelled to complete these surveys in exchange for the services that you receive? No. michelle cottle Youre not compelled, but you get multiple, multiple requests. Its on your text. Its on your email. Its at the end of your phone calls. Im not saying that Im being forced to do this. Im just saying, really? Is this necessary? ross douthat I feel like the pressure michelle cottle It isnt helpful! ross douthat But doesnt the pressure run to me, the pressure runs the other way. Its not that I feel like Im being encouraged to whine. Its more like the person who has just helped me is now acting as though their job depends on me michelle cottle Now, that is true. lydia polgreen 100 percent. ross douthat saying nice things. michelle cottle Absolutely. It feels super guilty. ross douthat I think a version of this is good. I just think simplicity is best. Like, I appreciate that Uber you can give your driver a set of stars. Its one click. If the driver has been terrible, you can give them two stars. I almost always give five stars. But there is an option for complaint. Its to me, its when you get a survey and its like, heres page 1. michelle cottle It goes on and on and on. ross douthat Right? And youre just not going to do it. But then, I feel guilty that I have let down the nice associate. michelle cottle The clerk at Macys ross douthat Yeah, the clerk at Macys deserved michelle cottle like how can you not? ross douthat They deserved my going through all those pages. michelle cottle Ugh. lydia polgreen Well, I think my primary resentment, and the place where I will join you in frustration about this, is that it feels to me like a bizarre way to force your customers to do work. The basic job of training michelle cottle Thank you. lydia polgreen of training your employees to do their job decently and I will add, those employees should be paid well, or at least decently, and have good working conditions. And that will those are the things that I think will go the furthest to improving customer service. I mean, the poor, beleaguered person whos dealing with irate passengers at the check-in desk at Delta at JFK like, theyre just part of the machine, and I feel sorry for them. So yeah carlos lozada Heres what I would suggest. michelle cottle [LAUGHS]: Please tell me, Carlos. carlos lozada I think that if you actually want to help a beleaguered your harried, beleaguered employee, its not necessarily by filling out the customer service survey. But it may be by getting the persons name who helped you and who youre so impressed by, and then going out of your way, taking a little time out of our lives, to signal to whoever their supervisor might be, that they did great today. And michelle cottle Carlos, are you making even more work for us? carlos lozada Ah! Ah! Ah! So now so now, I see, we actually dont want to help them. We just want to get rid of these cumbersome michelle cottle I find them tiresome and annoying. ross douthat Will no one will no one rid me of this troublesome clerk. michelle cottle (LAUGHING) This troublesome clerk. carlos lozada So you know, just, we can like, Im going to send a note to The Opinion editor and just say how awesome the three of you were today. michelle cottle Bring it. Bring it. lydia polgreen I am always hot on praise, so guys, thank you so much for another great discussion. michelle cottle Thanks. See you next week. lydia polgreen One day in late November 2016, back home in Tibet, I received a distressing call from my brother telling me I needed to check on his granddaughters. Something very strange is happening, he said. My young relatives, who were 4 and 5 years old at the time, had just enrolled in a boarding preschool that the Chinese government had established in my hometown, Kanlho, a seminomadic region in the northeast corner of the Tibetan plateau. Their new school was one of many I have personally tracked about 160 in three Tibetan prefectures alone and part of Beijings growing network of preschools in which Tibetan children are separated from their families and communities and assimilated into Chinese culture. Though it had only been three months since the girls had started at the school, my brother described how they were already beginning to distance themselves from their Tibetan identity. On weekends, when they could return from school to their family, they rejected the food at home. They became less interested in our Buddhist traditions and spoke Tibetan less frequently. Most alarmingly, they were growing emotionally estranged from our family. I might lose them if something isnt done, my brother worried. Concerned, I set out to the girls school a few days later to pick them up for the weekend. When they walked out of the gates, they waved to me but barely spoke. When we arrived home, the girls didnt hug their parents. They spoke only Mandarin to each other and remained silent during our family dinner. They had become strangers in their own home. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the SBU and the Navy on the destruction of "the occupiers' air defense system on the land of our Crimea." "The entire staff of the Security Service of Ukraine and our Navy should be specially commended for this. I thank you for today's triumph the destruction of the occupiers' air defense system on the land of our Crimea. It is a very significant achievement," he said in a video address on Thursday. As previously reported, on Thursday, the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system has been destroyed as a result of a missile strike in Crimea. Any talk of a cease-fire or negotiations is premature; neither side is ready to negotiate, and the United States is in no position to compel them to come to the table. Mr. Putin, who chose to wage this war, could end it today simply by calling back his troops. Yet he continues his claim to nearly a fifth of Ukraines territory and has shown no interest in a cease-fire. He has gambled from the outset that time will erode the Western commitment to Ukraine, and he would most likely read any push toward a cease-fire as confirmation that his strategy is working. And so long as Russia is not ready to talk, neither can Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, whose publicly declared goal is to drive the Russians out of all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and the Donbas. Ceding any territory to the Russian invader is anathema to Mr. Zelensky and the Ukrainians, and they would not agree to a cease-fire that might be used by Mr. Putin to regroup and attack again. The moment when both sides conclude that they have nothing more to gain on the battlefield, most likely the prerequisite for negotiations even to be considered by either side, still appears a long way off. President Bidens position from the outset of the war, shared by Americas allies, has been to give Ukraine the weapons and resources to defend itself, so that when the time comes, it would be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table. But the decision on negotiating belongs to Ukraine, as Mr. Biden wrote in a guest essay in The Times in May and has reiterated many times: I will not pressure the Ukrainian government in private or public to make any territorial concessions. While this board has questioned some specific decisions by Mr. Biden, such as supplying the Ukrainian Army with cluster munitions, we agree with him that it would be wrong and contrary to well-settled principles to pressure another country to negotiate over its sovereign territory. At the time, I didnt fully understand how the tree-planting industry worked. All I knew was that we were planting in clear cuts, areas where forests had already been harvested en masse by a logging company. In Ontario the responsibility for woodland regeneration had largely been transferred to the forestry businesses that held the logging contracts; as part of those contracts, they could do things like cut more trees or reduce their government fees if they invested in reforestation. So after my school term ended, I moved, along with a few dozen eager summer planters, to a bush camp outside Hearst, roughly halfway between Toronto and James Bay. Our job was to dig holes and plant black spruce seedlings. I carried three bags of them, one on each hip and one in the back. In steel-toe boots, I broke through shallow puddles that were covered with translucent films of ice, wallowed through mud and crawled over tree stumps. I had duct tape wrapped around each finger and on both heels to cover up the blisters. When I asked someone why our saplings were always spaced six feet apart, the answer came back with a smirk: so the cutting shears would fit between the grown trunks when they got cut down again. Despite the cynicism, our general mood was triumphant; we were working hard and replenishing the earth. Perhaps the ethos was best captured by Charlotte Gill in Eating Dirt, her book about tree planting: We didnt make millions, and we didnt cure AIDS. But at least a thousand new trees are breathing. The Canadian actor Will Arnett spent a summer planting trees, of which he has said, Theres a sense of giving back and a sense of obligation to create something bigger than yourself. Through black flies, mosquitoes, blisters and bears, we worked for pay of roughly 9 to 11 cents per tree. At my peak, I planted a few thousand saplings a day. After camp costs and taxes were deducted, I might clear $6,000 in a summer. Rumors abounded of tireless superplanters who could earn up to $10,000 in a couple of backbreaking months. Sometimes the work could be miserable. One morning, I nearly quit. In an attempt to cheer me up, my friend launched himself out of the van transporting us. Lets go make a forest! he shouted. His laugh was just enough to keep me going. Industrial-scale whaling in the 19th and 20th centuries nearly drove many whale species into extinction. Populations of some of the large marine mammals are just starting to recover after the kind of predation described in the novel Moby-Dick, while others face ongoing peril to their existence. But it turns out that whalings effects on where whales live go back much deeper into human history. A new analysis of ancient whale bones, published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science, suggests that medieval European hunting may have played a role in some whales disappearing from northeast Atlantic waters long before Captain Ahab, Ishmael and the Pequod sought their great white whale. As early as 8,000 years ago, humans carved their attempts to capture whales into South Korean cliffs. More recently, medieval texts described the whaling preferences of Europeans. For instance, an Old Norse text from around 1250 A.D. cautions that there are certain varieties that are fierce and savage toward men and are constantly seeking to destroy them at every chance, but other, more docile species of whales are constantly being caught and driven to land by the hundreds, and where many are caught, they provide much food for men. Youri van den Hurk, a zooarchaeologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and an author of the study, wanted to back up the information in these texts with physical, biological evidence. So he and his colleagues examined 719 pieces of whale bones collected at archaeological sites from Norway to Portugal. Alongside the comedy and drama, Jajas features a multitude of strand mastery, as Bioh and the director Whitney White (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord) were determined to show a range of hairdos coming to life onstage. To pull this off, most of these styles are executed in real time with a little stage magic courtesy of wigs constructed by the hair and wig designer Nikiya Mathis. Cast members, who braid hair onstage, practiced during rehearsals on wigs she designed for the performance. There are so many moving pieces to the show that involve hair, and its not just me backstage, Mathis said. Its also the actors onstage, its what Jocelyn has written, and its what Whitney will be helping us to reveal. Part of that, she continued, is going to be the magic of figuring out how were going to construct the wigs and how to potentially take them apart. Sutton Lynch rises most days before the sun, arriving at Atlantic Beach in Amagansett, N.Y., for the early-morning calm. Its the same beach hes been going to since he was a child, and where he worked as a lifeguard for years as a teenager. Now 23, he spends his mornings surveying the horizon. When he spots activity on the waters surface, he sends out his drone. Mr. Lynch has earned a devoted following on Instagram for his remarkable footage of marine life off the coast of the East End of Long Island. Alongside images and videos of humpbacks, hammerheads, dolphins, bluefish and many other species, he writes captions that range from childhood memories and research on the effects of fishing policy to explanations of animal behavior. Across the board, his work exudes a reverence for the ocean and the creatures that call it home. Bringing some order to Capitol Hill is proving to be an extraordinarily tall order. The year began auspiciously with a pledge by both Republicans and Democrats to return to the old ways when it came to the oldest of congressional duties: funding the government. Regular order was the catchphrase, one that refers to the traditional, step-by-step legislative process popularized by Schoolhouse Rock. No longer would a handful of leaders closet themselves in their Capitol office suites to hash out $1 trillion in spending at the last minute, cutting everyone else out of the bargaining. Individual spending bills would be debated and hammered out in committee, put on the floor for even more discussion, subjected to amendment proposals that lawmakers had the chance to approve or reject, and then passed just like the founders dreamed it up. It hasnt quite worked out. Just two weeks from the end of the fiscal year, the appropriations process is in chaos, not one of a dozen bills has passed, a shutdown looms, tempers are flaring and the endgame is barely beginning. Good intentions have been chewed up in the political machinery, lost to intense partisanship, vast ideological differences, bad faith and a refusal to compromise as bands of far-right Republicans in the House and Senate have proven unyielding even to their own leaders. Cant govern, dont want to govern, said Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, characterizing the demands of the extreme right in the House as, if you dont make the cuts we want, we shut the place down. Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon as a post-tropical cyclone after transitioning from a hurricane and slightly weakening earlier in the day. The storm produced winds near hurricane-force as it reached shore, forecasters from the National Hurricane Center said, and it caused tropical storm conditions along the province and coastal Massachusetts. All tropical storm warnings related to Lee were discontinued as of late Sunday morning. The storm meant New England was expected to experience weather similar to what occurs during a noreaster, said Andrew Loconto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston. During noreasters, which typically occur in late fall and through the winter months, large waves crash ashore and often flood some coastal roads. The diminished storm produced strong tropical-storm-force winds that extended far from its epicenter and reached the coastline. Deliberations began on Friday in the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, as the jury of state senators weighed allegations of bribery and abuse of office based on complaints made against him by his most senior former aides. Before deliberating, the senators 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats heard closing arguments from the House impeachment managers, led by Republican lawmakers who oversaw the prosecution, and from Mr. Paxtons lawyers. The defense isnt that he didnt do it, its that it doesnt matter because he won the election, Representative Andrew Murr, a West Texas Republican who led the impeachment managers, said in his closing argument. That is a godless, rudderless morality, and it cannot be the new normal in Texas. Mr. Paxton sat listening at the defense table, the first time he has appeared in the Senate chamber for the trial since he entered a plea of not guilty on opening day. From the spectators gallery above Mr. Paxton, at least three of his former senior aides who testified at the trial sat together, looking down on the proceedings. Against that backdrop, state prosecutors said, a group of men with antigovernment beliefs, militia ties and anger over pandemic lockdowns came together and began concocting a plan to abduct and possibly kill Ms. Whitmer at her rural vacation home, and perhaps incite a civil war in the process. Some of the men discussed attacking the governors security detail and blowing up a bridge to hinder the police response to the kidnapping. The men were arrested in October 2020, before any attack took place. Prosecutors said the Null brothers and Mr. Molitor each went on a scouting mission to the vacation home and helped advance the plot. They were charged with providing material support for a terrorist act, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Unlike some of the men who have been convicted in federal court, they were not accused of orchestrating the kidnapping plot. Still, prosecutors told the jury, the men were dangerous and wanted public officials to face harm. All the defendants here hated our government, William Rollstin, a prosecutor, told jurors in his closing statement on Wednesday. All the defendants here hated police officers. They thought police officers were the enemy and they were willing to go to war with them. But defense lawyers tried to downplay their clients actions. They suggested that the men were minor players who did not know much about the plans to harm Ms. Whitmer, were egged on by F.B.I. informants and were caught up in the overheated politics of 2020. As Republicans plunge forward with an impeachment inquiry looking into a complex web of allegations against President Biden, his family and his administration, witnesses they have summoned for closed-door interviews in recent weeks have undercut or pushed back against some of their major claims. In testimony this month, three witnesses from the F.B.I. and the I.R.S. have contradicted key assertions made by a whistle-blower who claimed there was political interference in the Justice Departments tax case against Mr. Bidens son, Hunter, according to hundreds of pages of transcripts obtained by The New York Times. Another former F.B.I. official, whom Republicans have accused of political bias in the Hunter Biden case, Timothy R. Thibault, condemned the allegations against him as false and misleading. And a bookkeeper for the Biden family told investigators in an informal interview that he was not aware of any financial wrongdoing by the president, according to notes taken by Democratic congressional aides and summarized in a report they released this week. The emergence of fresh evidence this week undercutting Republicans claims against Mr. Biden is no coincidence. It suggests that, now that the G.O.P. has decided to plow ahead with a formal impeachment inquiry, the presidents allies, including Democrats on Capitol Hill who have access to the many investigative threads Republicans have pursued, have stepped up their efforts to reveal weaknesses in the case. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov "the decisions expected from the Ministry of Defense." "I held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and discussed some key issues. The decisions that our society in general and Ukrainian warriors in particular expect from the Ministry of Defense. The Minister will present them upon finalization of all the details," he said in a video address on Thursday. He also noted the joint work of Umerov with the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets on the institution of the military ombudsman. "This is truly necessary. We need a powerful system of the warriors' rights protection in the defense sector itself," Zelenskyy said. And in a possible preview of a rematch with former President Donald J. Trump, NBC on Friday aired part of an interview in which Mr. Trump sided just as forcefully with the car companies against the unions. The autoworkers will not have any jobs, Kristen, because all of these cars are going to be made in China, Mr. Trump said in an interview set to air Sunday on the networks Meet the Press program. The autoworkers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump. Fridays walkout by the U.A.W. is in some ways a broader test of Mr. Bidens economic agenda beyond just his pro-union stand. It also touches on his call for higher wages for the middle class; his climate-driven push to reimagine an electric vehicle future for car companies; and his call for higher taxes for the wealthy. The strike is centered in Michigan, a state that the president practically must win in 2024 to remain in the Oval Office. Youve got rebuilding the middle class and building things again here, Mr. Vale said. Youve got green energy, technology and jobs. Youve got important states for the election. So all of these are sort of together here in a swirl. At the White House, Mr. Bidens aides believe the battle between the car companies and its workers will underscore many of the presidents arguments about the need to reduce income inequality, the benefits of empowered employees, and the surge in profits for companies like the automakers that makes them able to afford paying higher wages. It says something about the way things have been going for President Biden lately that being targeted for impeachment was not the worst news of a tough week. To be sure, it was not a highlight. But over the course of the past seven days, Mr. Biden was besieged on multiple fronts, both personal and political, challenging his capacity, threatening his family and jeopardizing his political position. He was panned by critics for his performance at an overseas news conference. One of his favorite columnists urged him not to run again, sparking more hand wringing in his party. A top ally implicitly questioned his choice of running mate. The auto industry fell into a paralyzing strike that could undermine the economy. His son was indicted on three felony charges. And oh yes, House Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry aimed at charging him with high crimes and misdemeanors. Politics in Washington being what it is today, Mr. Biden and his team exhibited no particular concern over the course of events. After a rocky campaign and two and a half turbulent years in office, they have become accustomed to the gyrations of the modern presidency. Facing a disagreeable short view, they prefer to take the long view, comforting themselves, and arguing to outsiders, that it will work out all right in the end because it has worked out all right before. On the face of it, Hunter Biden appears at risk of being sentenced to as long as 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines if he is convicted on the three gun charges brought against him by federal prosecutors on Thursday. In reality, few people fitting Mr. Bidens profile a first-time, nonviolent offender accused of lying on a federal firearms application, who never used the gun (in his case, a Colt Cobra .38 that he held onto for less than two weeks five years ago) to commit a crime get serious prison time for the offenses charged in the indictment. Just bringing the charges is out of the ordinary in some ways, former law enforcement officials say, and the legal basis of the prosecution is under constitutional challenge. Heres a rundown of the accusations against President Bidens son and what makes the case unusual. What are the charges? The indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Del., charged Mr. Biden with three felonies: lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail; making a false claim on the federal firearms application used to screen applicants, with a sentence of up to five years; and possession of an illegally obtained gun from Oct. 12 to Oct. 23, 2018, which carries a maximum of 10 years. The federal prosecutors who charged former President Donald J. Trump with a criminal conspiracy over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election obtained 32 private messages from his Twitter account through a search warrant this winter as part of their investigation, court papers unsealed on Friday said. Questions have lingered about what prosecutors were looking for in Mr. Trumps Twitter account ever since it was revealed last month that the government had served the warrant on Twitter in January. In an earlier release of documents, prosecutors disclosed that they had obtained some private messages from Mr. Trumps account but not how many. The 32 messages, whose content has not been disclosed, were only a small fraction of the larger body of data that Twitter was forced to turn over under the terms of the warrant, the new court papers said. Much of the legal wrangling over the matter focused on the Justice Departments demand that Twitter, purchased last year by Elon Musk and now known as X, not inform Mr. Trump of the search warrant. Mr. Trumps posts on the platform in the chaotic months after the election were mentioned several times in the indictment that the special counsel, Jack Smith, filed against him in Washington last month. What remains unclear is whether Mr. Smiths team sought the warrant for Mr. Trumps account merely to confirm that he had posted the messages that appeared in public, or whether they suspected that some private data in the account might also be important. The proposed rule addresses the move Mr. Trump tried to make late in his presidency by issuing an executive order known in shorthand as Schedule F. It would have empowered his administration to strip job protections from many career federal employees who are supposed to be hired based on merit and cannot be arbitrarily fired. While the order said agencies should not hire or fire Schedule F employees based on political affiliation, it effectively would have made these employees more like political appointees who can be fired at will. Career civil servants include professional staff across the government who stay on when the presidency changes hands. They vary widely, including law enforcement officers and technical experts at agencies that Congress created to make rules aimed at ensuring the air and water are clean and food, drugs and consumer products are safe. Mr. Trump and senior advisers on his team came to believe that career officials who raised objections to their policies on legal or practical grounds including some of their disputed immigration plans were deliberately sabotaging their agenda. Portraying federal employees as unaccountable bureaucrats, the Trump team has argued that removing job protections for those who have any influence over policymaking is justified because it is too difficult to fire them. Critics saw the move as a throwback to the corrupt 19th-century patronage system, when all federal jobs were partisan spoils rather than based on merit. Congress ended that system with a series of civil-service laws dating back to the Pendleton Act of 1883. Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, described Schedule F as the most profound undermining of the civil service in our lifetimes. Prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing former President Donald J. Trumps federal indictment on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election to impose a narrowly tailored gag order on him, citing his near-daily social media attacks on people involved in the case, according to court papers released on Friday. The request to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of Federal District Court in Washington, who has herself been the subject of some of Mr. Trumps verbal assaults, brought to a head the simmering issue of the former presidents online statements. In a 19-page motion, prosecutors said that some of the people Mr. Trump has gone after on social media including the special counsel, Jack Smith, who has filed two indictments against him have experienced subsequent threats from others. Mr. Trumps statements, they said, could also affect witnesses and the potential jury pool for the trial, which is scheduled to take place in Washington starting in March. Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the court, prosecutors and prospective witnesses, federal prosecutors wrote. Since a military coup in Niger this summer, work days for Ahmed Alhousseini have been consumed with calls from increasingly worried clients and colleagues asking the same questions. How, and where, could they get food? An executive for a leading food importer in Niger, Mr. Alhousseini said one recent morning that he had spent his weekend hunting for cooking oil in Niamey, the capital city, with no luck. Tomatoes he had bought weeks earlier were rotting in Ghana, pasta was stranded in Senegal and rice supplies would run out by the end of the month. On the busy street outside his office that morning, grocery shop owners he usually supplied were lining up as they have frequently in recent weeks. After mutinous soldiers seized power in Niger, West African countries froze financial transactions, closed their borders with Niger and cut off most of its electricity supply in an effort to pressure the generals into restoring constitutional order. The new leaders, led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, havent budged, but at an increasingly biting cost. Sanctions and other penalties are now strangling Nigers economy, with food prices and shortages growing and many medicines becoming increasingly scarce. Closing Nigers borders is like depriving us of air, said Mr. Alhousseini, the managing director of Oriba Rice. We cant breathe. Two prominent human rights activists who have tracked extrajudicial killings and disappearances in Bangladesh were sentenced on Thursday to two years in prison, raising alarm about a new escalation in quashing dissent. The Dhaka Cyber Tribunal, a court in the capital city, found Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan guilty of spreading misinformation under the countrys information technology act. The law grants wide-ranging powers of arrest and prosecution when dealing with anything the government finds defamatory. It was the latest example of a widespread campaign by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to use the judiciary, among other institutions that she has largely captured in her 14 years at the helm, to harass and bog down dissenting voices as she firms her grip over the nation of 170 million ahead of the next election. The countrys courtrooms are crowded with members of the opposition, activists and journalists enmeshed in an increasingly Kafkaesque judicial system. Chinas defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, has been placed under investigation, according to two U.S. officials, fueling speculation about further upheaval in the military after the abrupt removal of two top commanders in charge of the countrys nuclear force. General Li has not been seen in public in more than two weeks. He had been expected to take part in a meeting last week in Vietnam, but there was no word of his attendance. Asked by reporters on Friday about General Lis whereabouts, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said she had no information. The investigation points to questions about the Communist Partys leader Xi Jinpings confidence in his own military, a pillar of his ambitions abroad and dominance at home. Just six weeks ago, Mr. Xi replaced the two most senior commanders of the Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force, which oversees Chinas nuclear missiles. The abrupt dismissals suggested that Mr. Xi was seeking to reassert his control over the military and purge perceived corruption, disloyalty and dysfunction from its ranks, analysts have said. Approximately 11 million people across Ukraine today have problems with access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine Saviano Abreu has said. "The overall access to water in Ukraine has been impacted since February last year. It's not something new. The number of people that were served by the Kakhovka reservoir is 700,000 people. These people are at risk. Some already don't have water. But overall, 11 million people more or less in the whole country now have challenges to access water, sanitation and hygiene services. It is a huge figure, a huge problem," Abreu said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. He said the destruction of Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant's dam led to a significant increase in the needs of people living in the territories affected by the disaster. However, according to UN, their access to the left bank of the Dnieper River is still almost impossible. "During the first days after the destruction we did have contact on the other side, we contacted communities and we got a bit of sense of the levels of needs. But we cannot go and verify, we cannot see the situation. And worse, we could not cross and help them. And the level of attacks in Kherson city only increased after November, it's getting worse and worse. We don't think that on the other side of the river the situation would be any different.to grow. We do not believe that the situation on the other side of the Dnieper River may be different," Abreu said. Asked whether the UN continued to request access to send teams to the left bank, the spokesperson said their "negotiations have never stopped since the 24th of February." "We do send notifications to the Russian Federation regularly, we have had negotiations in many different levels, in the highest levels, but the breakthroughs of these negotiations, as we all know, are not at the level that we would have expected," he said. At the same time, the OCHA said after the destruction of Kakhovka HPP dam, they "started our support to people impacted from day one." "On the second day of the disaster, we sent a team with 11 UN staff to Kherson. On the 8th of June we had a meeting with the Kherson governor to see what else would be needed. On the 9th I went myself with the humanitarian coordinator, Denise Brown, with a group of around 20 staff from the UN to ensure that we could scale up the assistance that was taking place. Around 200,000 people were supported during June in the areas that were impacted by flooding (Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions," the UN said. A jury in a Belgian criminal court sentenced seven men responsible for organizing a series of bombings in Brussels in March 2016 on Friday to prison terms ranging from 10 years to life. The sentences arrived seven years after the deadliest terrorist assault in Belgiums history, which ruptured a multicultural society and sent shock waves across Europe. Three of the men, found guilty of murder and attempted murder earlier this year, were sentenced to life imprisonment, including one who is presumed dead in Syria. Four others, including two whom the jury acquitted of murder charges but found guilty of participating in the activities of a terrorist group, were handed sentences from 10 to 30 years. The jury did not give a new sentence to Salah Abdeslam, who already was condemned to life imprisonment over the organization of 2015 attacks in Paris and to 20 years over participation in a separate shooting in 2016, having assessed that the existing sentences were enough. The jury decided against revoking the Belgian nationality of five men, which had been requested by the federal prosecutors office. That request had brought accusations of racism from legal representatives for the five men, four of them Belgian Moroccan and one Belgian Rwandan. Since then, organizations representing the countrys large Muslim minority of about five million people have protested; some girls have taken to wearing kimonos or other long garments to school to illustrate their view that the ban is arbitrary; and a fierce debate has erupted over whether Mr. Attals August surprise, just before students went back to their classrooms, was a vote-seeking provocation or a necessary defense of the secularism that is Frances ideological foundation. Attal wanted to look tough, and draw the political benefits, but this was cheap courage, said Nicolas Cadene, the co-founder of an organization that monitors laicite in France, which is broadly the idea of a nondiscriminatory society where the state upholds strict religious neutrality. Real courage would be to tackle the lack of social mingling in our schools, leading to segregated development and separate ethnic and religious identification. France banned ostentatious religious symbols in middle and high schools almost two decades ago. This, like the Second Amendment in the United States, left much room for interpretation. The issue has been whether the 2004 law took aim equally at Muslim head scarves, Catholic crosses and Jewish kipas, for example, or was in effect a means to target an Islam viewed as increasingly threatening. The abaya, a garment that generally reflects Muslim religious affiliation but may merely amount to the choice of modest attire, had inhabited a gray area until Mr. Attals pronouncement. In practice, ostentatious, as interpreted by school officials, has tended to mean Muslim. Frances concern over the fracturing of its secular model, fueled by a series of devastating attacks by Islamist terrorists, has focused on the perceived danger that Muslims will shun purportedly universal Frenchness in favor of their religious identity, and fanaticism in its name. Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World , by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, turned out to be particularly topical this week after reports that a researcher deep inside Britains Parliament had been arrested in March on suspicion of working for the Chinese government. Allen-Ebrahimian, the China reporter for Axios, smartly combines analysis of Chinas efforts to infiltrate western institutions via authoritarian economic statecraft with a look at why the West is vulnerable to such influence campaigns. And although the book is from a nonfiction genre in which prose styling tends to take a back seat to argument, Beijing Rules contains some lovely writing, making it a pleasure to read. The enemy of my enemy is my friend has long been a well-known saying, but now, thanks to this interesting new paper in the American Political Science Review, its also political science. The authors investigate whether hostility to immigrants, particularly Muslims, has actually helped to generate support for L.G.B.T.+ rights among otherwise conservative nativist voters. They found that citizens strategically liberalize their stance on L.G.B.T.+ rights when they are told that people from an ethnic out-group for example, Muslim immigrants in Europe oppose such protections. In a particularly high-profile example, after a Muslim man committed a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in 2016, Donald Trump gave a speech calling the attack a strike at the heart and soul of who we are as a nation and an assault on the ability of free people to live their lives, love who they want and express their identity. That probably means public support for gay rights is weaker than it appears, the researchers conclude, because some of the apparent support for inclusion is actually a desire to exclude others. (Here again, Trump is a useful exemplar: Although he embraced gay rights in the Pulse speech as a cudgel against Muslims, in practice his administration dismantled L.G.BT. protections, including rolling back rules against workplace discrimination and banning transgender people from the military.) On Italys southernmost island, Lampedusa, thousands of migrants crowded a reception center built for 600, as small boats hailing from Tunisia kept arriving. Outside Rome, a bus carrying migrants en route from Sicily to a center in the north crashed into a truck on Friday, killing the drivers of both vehicles and injuring 19 migrants. The huge challenges posed by immigration were in the spotlight again in Italy this week, undermining the efforts of the far-right ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to show that she had made progress in dissuading migrants from coming. In the years leading up to her election last year, Ms. Meloni positioned herself as a hard-line opponent to migration, calling for a naval blockade and suggesting that the boats used to rescue migrants be sunk once the migrants were taken off them. Since taking power, she has changed tactics, signing a European Union deal with Tunisia aimed at stemming the flow of migrants from that country, and working with the bloc to facilitate the redistribution of those who do arrive across member states. The video, shot from a passing bus and lasting barely a minute, is harrowing. A powerful young dog bites an 11-year-old girl in front of a grocery store in Birmingham, England. As pedestrians scatter in terror, the dog chases a man into a gas station plaza, pulling him down repeatedly, its jaws clamped on the mans arm and shoulder, as he tries desperately to shake off the animal. Posted on social media last week, the footage inflamed a debate in Britain over the American bully XL, a relatively new dog breed that has become highly popular, even as it has been blamed for a string of dangerous attacks. Activists claim the animals are responsible for more than 40 percent of all dog attacks in the country and a disproportionate number of fatalities. On Friday, after yet another attack killed a man, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak branded the bully XL a danger to our communities and said his government would take steps to ban it so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. It is a replay, three decades later, of the war over pit bulls, which raged in Britain and the United States, though with different results. Pit bulls, from which the bully XL is likely descended, were outlawed in Britain but remain mostly legal in the United States, even if some cities impose restrictions on them. The authorities are still looking for people in collapsed buildings, but the chance of finding survivors is diminishing by the hour, said Rick Brennan, who directs the World Health Organizations emergency response for the Eastern Mediterranean. We expect, unfortunately, that most of the missing will not be found alive, he added. The catastrophe has prompted an outpouring of international support, with the United States and several European countries vowing to send aid. But Libya is split into two rival governments one in the west, based in Tripoli, and one in the east and its terrain has been torn up by the path of the flood, further complicating relief efforts. Key parts of Dernas infrastructure, including bridges that once crossed the citys river basin, were erased by the torrential water. Rains from Storm Daniel shattered two dams near Derna, on Libyas northeastern coast, over the weekend, destroying much of the city and washing entire neighborhoods out into the Mediterranean Sea. The authorities say the death toll runs into the thousands, with many more people missing. By Friday morning, electricity and running water had returned to some parts of Derna, relief workers said, and people were trickling in from outside the city to identify loved ones before they were buried. Some of the bodies had been laid out, wrapped in blankets, in the streets, they said. The sea is full of corpses. There are bodies under the rubble. Were still pulling them out, said Hawwa el-Bannani, a Benghazi-based doctor who traveled to the city on an aid mission. The ongoing strikes by actors and writers in Hollywood mean the broadcast networks have fewer new and returning scripted series than usual this fall. Good thing they have plenty of game shows and reality contests to plug the gaps and a seemingly bottomless appetite for more! Elsewhere there are delayed premieres and other adjustments but dont worry, there will still be plenty of TV to watch. So what can you expect to see in prime time this fall? Take this quiz to find out. Even if youve never read a Hollywood trade publication, a little familiarity with TVs recent past will serve you well. (Note: Given the ongoing negotiations and uncertainty, all schedule information here is even more subject to change than usual.) Here Are the Locations Where U.A.W. Strikes Are Happening Assembly plants Distribution centers Los Angeles Reno, Nev. Louisville, Ky. Chicago Beaverton, Ore. Dallas Denver Morrow, Ga. Orlando Los Angeles Reno, Nev. Louisville, Ky. Chicago Beaverton, Ore. Dallas Denver Morrow, Ga. Orlando Ala. Ariz. Ark. Calif. Colo. Conn. Del. Fla. Ga. Idaho Ill. Ind. Iowa Kan. Ky. La. Maine Md. Mass. Mich. Minn. Miss. Mo. Mont. Neb. Nev. N.H. N.J. N.M. N.Y. N.C. N.D. Ohio Okla. Ore. Pa. R.I. S.C. S.D. Tenn. Texas Utah Vt. Va. Wash. W.Va. Wis. Wyo. 19 locations on strike in Michigan and Ohio The New York Times The United Automobile Workers union announced on Tuesday that 5,000 workers at a G.M. plant in Texas would join its ongoing targeted strike against the Big Three automakers. This comes just a day after 6,800 workers at a Michigan Stellantis plant joined the strike. In total, the roughly 45,000 workers on strike represent about 30 percent of the 150,000 U.A.W. members who work at those companies. Company Location Strike start G.M. Arlington Assembly Arlington, Texas Oct. 24 Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Sterling Heights, Mich. Oct. 23 Ford Kentucky Truck Plant Louisville, Ky. Oct. 11 G.M. Lansing Delta Township Assembly Lansing, Mich. Sept. 29 Ford Chicago Assembly Plant Chicago, Ill. Sept. 29 Stellantis Milwaukee Parts Distribution Center Milwaukee, Wis. Sept. 22 Stellantis Winchester Parts Distribution Center Winchester, Va. Sept. 22 Stellantis Dallas Parts Distribution Center Carrolton, Texas Sept. 22 Stellantis Portland Parts Distribution Center Beaverton, Ore. Sept. 22 Stellantis Cleveland Parts Distribution Center Streetsboro, Ohio Sept. 22 Stellantis New York Parts Distribution Center Tappan, N.Y. Sept. 22 Stellantis Minneapolis Parts Distribution Center Plymouth, Minn. Sept. 22 Stellantis Quality Engineering Center Aurburn Hills, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Sherwood Distribution Center Warren, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Romulus High Velocity Center Romulus, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Warren Complex Parts Distribution Center Warren, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Marysville Parts Distribution Center Marysville, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Center Line Warehouse Center Line, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Center Line Packaging Center Line, Mich. Sept. 22 Stellantis Boston Parts Distribution Center Mansfield, Mass. Sept. 22 Stellantis Chicago Parts Distribution Center Naperville, Ill. Sept. 22 Stellantis Atlanta Parts Distribution Center Morrow, Ga. Sept. 22 Stellantis Orlando Parts Distribution Center Orlando, Fla. Sept. 22 Stellantis Denver Parts Distribution Center Denver, Colo. Sept. 22 Stellantis Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center Ontario, Calif. Sept. 22 G.M. Hudson Parts Distribution Center Hudson, Wis. Sept. 22 G.M. Martinsburg Parts Distribution Center Martinsburg, W.Va. Sept. 22 G.M. Fort Worth Parts Distribution Center Roanoke, Texas Sept. 22 G.M. Memphis ACDelco Parts Distribution Center Memphis, Tenn. Sept. 22 G.M. Philadelphia Parts Distribution Center Langhorne, Pa. Sept. 22 G.M. Cincinnati Parts Distribution West Chester, Ohio Sept. 22 G.M. Charlotte Parts Distribution Center Charlotte, N.C. Sept. 22 G.M. Reno Parts Distribution Center Reno, Nev. Sept. 22 G.M. Jackson Parts Distribution Center Brandon, Miss. Sept. 22 G.M. Ypsilanti Processing Center Ypsilanti, Mich. Sept. 22 G.M. Willow Run Redistribution Center No. 58 Belleville, Mich. Sept. 22 G.M. Pontiac Redistribution Center Pontiac, Mich. Sept. 22 G.M. Lansing Redistribution Center Lansing, Mich. Sept. 22 G.M. Flint Processing Center Swartz Creek, Mich. Sept. 22 G.M. Davison Road Processing Center Burton, Mich. Sept. 22 G.M. Chicago Parts Distribution Bolingbrook, Ill. Sept. 22 G.M. Denver Parts Distribution Aurora, Colo. Sept. 22 G.M. Rancho Cucamonga Parts Distribution Center Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Sept. 22 Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex Toledo, Ohio Sept. 15 G.M. Wentzville Assembly Wentzville, Mo. Sept. 15 Ford Michigan Assembly Plant Wayne, Mich. Sept. 15 Show 41 more + The expansion of the work stoppage could have a ripple effect, forcing other plants owned by the automakers and their suppliers to halt production, and the union has not ruled out a full-scale walkout. Should all U.A.W. members eventually go on strike, it would bring work stoppages in the United States this year to heights rarely seen in recent decades. Case 1:23-cr-00257-TSC Document 57 Filed 09/15/23 Page 5 of 19 Release, Release of Select Committee Materials (Dec. 29, 2022);7 Select Committee Transcript at 8 ("Do you know how it feels to have the President of the United States to target you? The President of the United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one. But he targeted me . . . a small-business owner, a mother, a proud American citizen who stood up to help Fulton County run an election in the middle of the pandemic. . . . And, lo and behold, when someone as powerful as the President of the United States eggs on a mob, that mob will come. They came for us with their cruelty, their threats, their racism, and their hats. They haven't stopped even today."). Within ten days of the public release of interview transcript, the defendant despite the known threats the election worker had received, and the established falsity of the claims of misconductpublicly attacked again on Truth Social through a series of repeated false claims. Likewise, the defendant recently renewed attacks on former Georgia Lieutenant Governor whose harassment the defendant inspired in the aftermath of the election. See In December 2020, after Georgia's Governor and Lieutenant Governor rejected the defendant's calls to appoint the defendant's illegitimate electors in Georgia, the defendant issued a post labeling a "Rino Never Trumper" who was "dumb or corrupt" and urged, "We need every great Georgian to call him out!" https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1336148836495069185. Thereafter, reported, he received death threats. 10 Nonetheless, last month, on August 14, 2023, when it was publicly reported that had been called to testify before a state grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, the defendant posted on Truth Social that [h]e shouldn't" testify. See https://truthsocial.com/@realDonald Trump/posts/110888087440060991. The defendant continues these attacks on individuals precisely because he knows that in doing so, he is able to roil the public and marshal and prompt his supporters. As he acknowledged in a televised town hall on May 10, 2023, his supporters listen to him "like no one else." 9 9 7 See https://january6th-benniethompson.house.gov/news/press-releases/release-select committee-materials-4. 8 https://january6th-benniethompson.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/ files/20220531 9 .pdf. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonald Trump/posts/109623460421938942; https://truthsocial.com/@realDonald Trump/posts/109623536630848334; https://truthsocial.com/@realDonald Trump/posts/109623623674619588. 10 MSNBC, Morning Joe, https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/georgia-slieutenant-governor-won-t-seek-reelection-turns-focus-to-gop-2-0-112276037799. 11 See CNN, Transcript of CNN's Town Hall with Former President Donald Trump (May 11, 2023), https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/transcript-cnn-town-hall-trump/index.html. - 5 The UN is committed to continuing negotiations to resume the functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, from which the Russian Federation withdrew in July, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine Saviano Abreu has said. "The negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative have not been easy from the very beginning. And now we all saw what happened in mid-July, when Russia decided to terminate the initiative. It was a really difficult moment for all of us, but particularly for the poorest people of the world, and the Ukrainian farmers that depend on this agreement. The UN is committed to keep the negotiations, to keep the talks," Abreu said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "Many countries of the world denounced the Russian termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, so we are committed to make sure that in the meantime we find alternatives to keep the grains going to the global market for the sake of the Ukrainians and for the sake of the world population. Negotiations will continue," he said. The UN also called the level of strikes and attacks that followed Russia's decision to withdraw from the initiative alarming. "The level of destruction is shocking. It's inhumane that in addition to terminating the agreement, Russia now has been attacking ports in the Danube. That was the alternative for the exports," the OCHA said. As reported, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was concluded in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 with the participation of the UN, Ukraine, Turkey and Russia. Its essence is to create a corridor for the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports: Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdenny in the context of the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine. The initiative was concluded for 120 days. The initiative was extended in November 2022 for 120 days, until March, then twice more for two months. It expired on July 17, and Russia said it would only return to implementation once the Russian portion of the requirements had been met. 2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Commander-in-Chief Power After Sept. 11, the N.S.A. wiretapped on domestic soil without court orders seemingly required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the C.I.A. used coercive interrogation techniques on prisoners despite anti-torture laws and treaties. In the 2014 Bergdahl deal, the military transferred five Guantanamo detainees to Qatar without giving Congress the 30 days notice seemingly required by a detainee transfer law. In each instance, executive branch lawyers said the apparent legal barriers were unconstitutional encroachments on the presidents commander-in-chief power. Were any of these actions unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe the Constitution empowers the president, as commander in chief, to override or bypass prohibitions or requirements in federal statutes? The transfer of detainees from Guantanamo was an exchange of prisoners in a conflict, and therefore a valid exercise of the commander-in-chief power. The other actions by President Bush cited in the question were not lawful. The question harkens, in part, to the N.Y.T.s expose of President Bushs Executive Order 13228, which established the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which gave the N.S.A. broad authority to gather information on U.S. citizens without a judicial warrant. Of course, these actions by President Bush and the N.S.A. were unconstitutional, violations of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments at the least. The C.I.A.s use of torture was an unmitigated human rights disaster, an absolute abomination committed in the name of the United States of America, and must never happen again. It is the essential role of Congress, as a co-equal branch of government, to check executive power and the abuses of that power. Where the U.S. Constitution or the laws of the United States are explicit, the president is required to faithfully execute those laws, and cannot pick and choose at the whim and caprice of his legal advisers. All of these actions were unlawful. According to the Constitution, the president must abide by laws and statutes. There are no circumstances in which the commander-in-chief clause crowns the president to disregard a congressional statute. Alexander Hamilton, the most vocal proponent of a muscular presidency, characterized the clause in Federalist 69 as no more than a governors authority of a state militia. There can be no question that the Constitution would never have been ratified if the delegates at the state ratifying conventions believed the commander-in-chief clause was omnipotent. It has become evident that post-9/11 surveillance measures have, at times, infringed on the rights of Americans. Thats why I put forward policies to rein in surveillance programs, increase transparency and enhance accountability as part of my federal law enforcement reform platform. It is crucial to strike a careful balance, ensuring our efforts to safeguard the nation do not compromise the privacy and rights of law-abiding citizens. As president, I will prioritize reviewing and refining surveillance practices, ensuring their compliance with the Constitution and subjecting them to proper oversight, to achieve a balance between security and civil liberties. The presidents commander-in-chief power should not be unconstitutionally constrained by Congress, but the use of that power to override federal statutes should be limited to the most exceptional and constitutionally justified circumstances. In regard to the use of torture, you should note that I was a member of the Task Force on Detainee Treatment. The United States should not engage in torture of prisoners because it is against the values of the American spirit and torture was not proven to be the most effective means of gaining necessary intelligence. FISA authorities are essential to our national security, but FISA has been grossly abused in recent years, and the legal guardrails that protect our liberties as Americans ignored. Presidents must follow the Constitution and the law, and as president, I will clean house at the Department of Justice and issue clear directives preventing such abuses. Anyone abusing those authorities and corruptly violating the liberties of Americans to achieve political ends should be terminated and prosecuted. I will similarly end the Biden Department of Justices abusive investigations into parents who voice legitimate concerns about the woke indoctrination of our children at school board meetings, or trampling on religious freedoms by using the F.B.I. to spy on a group of people based on their religious beliefs as they did in Richmond, Va. In some prior instances in which presidents relied on their inherent power to keep Americans safe, the statutes governing the exercise of that power were unclear. For that reason, I believe that the time has come for a careful codification of unclear areas of federal law governing national security powers, the legal rights of U.S. citizens, and the status of enemy combatants. The main constraint is not a separation of powers issue but the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court has declined to rule on whether the Fourth Amendment covers foreign surveillance, so Congress enacted FISA to impose restrictions on presidential exercise of surveillance authority. However, I believe the Fourth Amendment covers foreign surveillance of Americans. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. 2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Military Action Against Americans or on Domestic Soil After Sept. 11, an American citizen who had been arrested in Chicago and accused of terrorism ties was deemed to be an enemy combatant and transferred to military custody. He was held in wartime detention without trial for years before being transferred back to the civilian justice system before the Supreme Court could resolve his case. In 2011, an American drone strike targeted and killed an American citizen who had been deemed to be an operational terrorist leader whose capture was infeasible, but who had not been charged or convicted in a trial. Administrations of both parties have sent military forces to assist civilian agents at the Mexico border, but to date, they have not used the military to directly enforce immigration law. Are any of these examples unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, may a president use military force within the United States or against Americans? In rare instances in our history, citizens of the United States have engaged in violence against our nation from outside of our borders. The Supreme Court has held that U.S. citizenship alone does not immunize such individuals from being detained or even targeted with lethal force. But even and perhaps especially in those unique circumstances, it is essential for our government to ensure attention to all applicable constitutional and legal requirements and protections. If and whenever possible, U.S. citizens who are captured in the course of hostilities should be prosecuted through our law enforcement and civilian criminal justice system. D.O.D. has deployed active-duty military for support roles at the border, but they are not engaged in law enforcement or immigration enforcement actions, consistent with the law. The enemy combatant case, as well as the targeted drone attack, were violations of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and 14th Amendments, and, as such, represented watershed moments in American jurisprudence which must be recognized as deeply offensive encroachment. American citizens, no matter how repugnant their actions may be, cannot be unilaterally denied constitutional rights. Due process of law is a must. Generally speaking, the U.S. military ought never be involved in civilian law enforcement except in very rare cases, such as natural disasters. All three examples are unlawful.The Great Writ of habeas corpus a recourse where a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request the custodian bring the prisoner to court to determine whether the detention is lawful can only be suspended in times of invasion or rebellion when the public safety so requires under the Constitution. Congress has not, post-9/11, suspended the Great Writ, which requires the executive to demonstrate to a civilian court legal justification for detention. Due process prohibits the president from playing prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner to kill any American citizen the president secretly decrees is a national security threat based on secret unsubstantiated information. Read full position I would not judge them unlawful, but that does not indicate how I would decide each case. The longstanding principle of posse comitatus underscores the clear separation between military and civilian law enforcement functions to safeguard the liberties and rights of Americans. The use of military force within the United States or against Americans should be limited to the most exceptional and exigent cases that require an extraordinary response to safeguard the well-being of Americans. Read full position The president has a constitutional duty to use military force to repel sudden attacks. If American citizens commit treason by taking up arms against America, or by seeking to kill American citizens through craven acts of terrorism, I will not hesitate to use lethal force to stop them, including when appropriate through use of military force outside the United States. Captured American citizens are entitled to due process. The Posse Comitatus Act appropriately limits use of the military for domestic law enforcement. The southern border under the Biden administration has been an unmitigated disaster that threatens our national security, and use of military in a support role so that Border Patrol can do its job and secure our border is appropriate. I will work with Congress to ensure we have the legal authorities and resources necessary to secure our border. Throughout our nations history, some Americans have taken up arms against our country as enemy combatants in service of foreign powers or entities. It has long been understood that they are subject to ordinary military operations, like any other enemy combatant, and that they can be imprisoned until the cessation of hostilities or tried in military tribunals for violation of the laws of war. As president, I would ensure that all military operations, including those involving targeting U.S. citizens who have taken up arms against their country, comply with the Constitution, federal statutes and the laws of war. I support the position of the U.S. government regarding the prosecution of enemy combatants, operating under or with global terrorist organizations. Read full position The president has the authority to use the military to secure the U.S. border. The military should not carry out normal domestic law enforcement functions, which should be carried out by law enforcement. Read full position Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. War Powers In recent years, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has claimed that the Constitution authorizes the president, as commander in chief, to direct the military to attack other countries without congressional permission if the president determines that this would serve the national interests of the United States and the nature, scope and duration of the anticipated hostilities are limited, like airstrikes against Libyan government forces in 2011 and Syrian government forces in 2017 and 2018. Separately, administrations of both parties have stretched their interpretation of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to claim that Congress has already granted permission for war against entities and in places other than the original Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, like ISIS and Al Shabab in Somalia. Do you agree with the O.L.C.s reasoning about the presidents unilateral constitutional authority to use military force? Under what circumstances other than a literally imminent threat to the United States, if any, does the Constitution permit a president to order an attack on another country without prior congressional authorization? Please address whether bombing Iranian or North Korean nuclear facilities would qualify. Separately, under what circumstances, if any, would you support and sign into law if Congress were to pass it legislation repealing the 2001 A.U.M.F.? BIDEN RESPONSE: The Constitution vests Congress with the power to declare war, a power that includes the requirement to authorize uses of force that would result in prolonged and substantial military engagements. As is well established, and as the Department of Justice has articulated across several administrations, the Constitution vests the president, as commander in chief and chief executive, with the power to direct limited U.S. military operations abroad without prior congressional approval when those operations serve important U.S. interests and are of a limited nature, scope and duration. I have served in both branches of government and believe this allocation of powers has served us well. As president, I have taken great care to ensure that military actions carried out under my command comply with this constitutional framework and that my administration consults with Congress to the greatest extent possible whenever military action is taken. I will continue to rigorously apply this framework to any potential actions in the future. Read full position Domestic Military Action After Sept. 11, an American citizen who had been arrested in Chicago and accused of terrorism ties was deemed to be an enemy combatant and transferred to military custody. He was held in wartime detention without trial for years before being transferred back to the civilian justice system before the Supreme Court could resolve his case. In 2011, an American drone strike targeted and killed an American citizen who had been deemed to be an operational terrorist leader whose capture was infeasible, but who had not been charged or convicted in a trial. Administrations of both parties have sent military forces to assist civilian agents at the Mexico border, but to date, they have not used the military to directly enforce immigration law. Are any of these examples unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, may a president use military force within the United States or against Americans? BIDEN RESPONSE: In rare instances in our history, citizens of the United States have engaged in violence against our nation from outside of our borders. The Supreme Court has held that U.S. citizenship alone does not immunize such individuals from being detained or even targeted with lethal force. But even and perhaps especially in those unique circumstances, it is essential for our government to ensure attention to all applicable constitutional and legal requirements and protections. If and whenever possible, U.S. citizens who are captured in the course of hostilities should be prosecuted through our law enforcement and civilian criminal justice system. D.O.D. has deployed active-duty military for support roles at the border, but they are not engaged in law enforcement or immigration enforcement actions, consistent with the law. Commander-in-Chief Power After Sept. 11, the N.S.A. wiretapped on domestic soil without court orders seemingly required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the C.I.A. used coercive interrogation techniques on prisoners despite anti-torture laws and treaties. In the 2014 Bergdahl deal, the military transferred five Guantanamo detainees to Qatar without giving Congress the 30 days notice seemingly required by a detainee transfer law. In each instance, executive branch lawyers said the apparent legal barriers were unconstitutional encroachments on the presidents commander-in-chief power. Were any of these actions unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe the Constitution empowers the president, as commander in chief, to override or bypass prohibitions or requirements in federal statutes? BIDEN RESPONSE: The transfer of detainees from Guantanamo was an exchange of prisoners in a conflict, and therefore a valid exercise of the commander-in-chief power. The other actions by President Bush cited in the question were not lawful. Signing Statements In recent decades, presidents have started to routinely use signing statements to claim a constitutional right to bypass provisions of bills they are signing into law. The American Bar Association has called the practice unconstitutional and said presidents can choose only between vetoing bills, giving Congress an opportunity to override their judgments, or signing and obeying all of them. Other legal specialists have disagreed, saying the practice is appropriate so long as the theories of executive power used to challenge provisions are legitimate. Under what circumstances, if any, would you use signing statements to deem provisions of bills constitutionally invalid? BIDEN RESPONSE: During my administration, I have used signing statements judiciously and sparingly to identify legislative provisions that may raise constitutional concerns, and to indicate to Congress and the public how I intend to interpret those provisions in light of those potential constitutional concerns. I have also attempted, in statements of administration policy and through other means, to alert Congress at the earliest stage in the legislative process possible that bills under consideration include constitutionally problematic provisions, and to negotiate for their revision or removal. Emergency Powers Reform President Donald J. Trump invoked emergency power to direct the government to spend more taxpayer funds on an effort to expand a border wall with Mexico than Congress had been willing to appropriate. President Biden invoked emergency power to direct the government to cancel billions of dollars of student debt. There have been bipartisan proposals in Congress to reform emergency power law by providing that a national emergency declared by a president terminates after 30 days unless Congress affirms such a declaration. If Congress passed such a bill curtailing presidential emergency powers, would you sign it into law? BIDEN RESPONSE: I always look forward to working with Congress on devising sensible solutions to the challenges we face as a nation. And when facing any emergency, I will always respond with the full capacity and capability of the federal government under the Constitution and laws of the United States to protect and support the safety and security of the American people, using every tool at my disposal. Obstruction of Justice The fallout from the Mueller report revealed that there was a disagreement within the Justice Department about whether existing obstruction-of-justice laws should be interpreted as applying to a president who abuses his official powers to impede an investigation for corrupt reasons and whether, as a constitutional matter, Congress could criminalize abuse of official power even if lawmakers explicitly and unambiguously intended to do so. As a constitutional matter, does Congress have the authority to criminalize a presidents abuse of Article II powers for corrupt purposes? As a statutory matter, do current obstruction-of-justice laws apply to a presidents abuse of his official powers? BIDEN RESPONSE: As president, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any particular matter. It is fundamental to our constitutional system that no one including the president is above the law. Indictment of a President The Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel first under the Nixon administration during the Watergate scandal, and then under the Clinton administration during the Whitewater/Lewinsky scandal has asserted that sitting presidents are immune from criminal indictment and trial and so any such criminal process has to come after they leave office. That view bound the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia investigation and now binds the special counsel Robert K. Hur in the Biden documents investigation. For all: Is this the correct interpretation of the Constitution? If not, would you instruct your attorney general to rescind those O.L.C. opinions? If so, would you sign legislation tolling the statute of limitations for criminal offenses by presidents so that it does not run out while they are in office and temporarily immune from indictment? Additional question for President Biden only: In the 2020 candidate survey, you criticized the O.L.C.s reasoning and wrote that if elected, you would promptly direct the attorney general to order a comprehensive review of these opinions. But The New York Times reported this year that you had not done so. Why didnt you, and what will you now do? BIDEN RESPONSE: As president, I have fulfilled my campaign promise of restoring a strong and independent Department of Justice led by top-flight legal professionals dedicated to realizing the ideal that this nation was founded on of equal justice under the law. This means no one is above the law especially the president of the United States. Pardon Power Four days before President Richard M. Nixon resigned in 1974, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issued a terse legal opinion stating that it would seem that Nixon could not pardon himself under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case. But the Constitution does not explicitly say this, and since no president has ever tried to pardon himself, it has not been tested in court. Former President Donald J. Trump is now facing Espionage Act and obstruction-related charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents matter. For all candidates: May a president pardon himself? For former President Donald J. Trump only: Would you pardon yourself if returned to office, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against you? For all other candidates: Would you pardon former President Donald J. Trump if elected, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him? BIDEN RESPONSE: As president, it would be inappropriate for me to offer an opinion on an ongoing criminal matter. I have not directed the Department of Justice in connection with any criminal case and would not do so. Law Enforcement Independence Especially since Watergate, there has been an institutional norm of independence from White House control at the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The idea is that while a president can set broad policies, he or she should not get involved in specific criminal cases or auditing decisions except in rare situations that would affect foreign policy. This is especially seen as true for cases that affect a presidents personal or political interests, such as an investigation into himself or his political opponents. As a matter of law, do you think the president has the power to direct the Justice Department to open or close specific criminal investigations, bring or drop charges against specific people, or appoint or remove a special counsel? Do you think the president has the power to direct the I.R.S. to start or shut down a specific audit? Regardless of what the law may permit a president to do in the abstract, as a matter of good governance, would you pledge if elected to obey the post-Watergate norm that presidents do not involve themselves in specific law enforcement decisions? BIDEN RESPONSE: I appointed the individuals leading the Department of Justice based on their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, experience and credentials, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to Department of Justice independence in the performance of their law enforcement responsibilities. Under their leadership, the department has been committed to restoring the honor, integrity and independence of D.O.J., and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law not politics. As I recently stated, I made a commitment when I was elected that I would not in any way interfere with the Justice Departments prosecutorial decisions, and I have not spoken with the attorney general about any specific case. F.B.I. Director After the death of a longtime F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover, and as part of the post-Watergate reform era, Congress created a system in which F.B.I. directors are to serve single, fixed 10-year terms rather than being replaced each time a new president takes office like an ordinary political appointee. In July 1993, William Sessions resigned early under pressure from President Bill Clinton after bipartisan findings that Mr. Sessions had used taxpayer-funded resources for personal use. In May 2017, James B. Comey Jr. was fired by President Donald J. Trump amid the early Russia investigation. Mr. Trump appointed Christopher A. Wray as director in August 2017, so his term is set to end in 2027. If elected, would you allow Mr. Wray to serve out his term absent some new issue that has not yet come to public light? BIDEN RESPONSE: I intend to keep F.B.I. Director Wray in his role. Executive Secrecy Presidents of both parties have claimed that executive privilege applies not only to their own internal White House communications, but also to internal deliberations within government departments and agencies that do not involve the president. Does executive privilege extend to agency deliberations that did not involve the White House? Does Congress have legitimate constitutional authority to issue subpoenas compelling disclosure of information about potential wrongdoing? BIDEN RESPONSE: I have long believed in the importance of Congresss oversight power in informing legislation, and also in holding the executive branch accountable. Yet, I also recognize the importance of the longstanding executive branch interest in maintaining the confidentiality of certain documents that do not directly involve the White House, including documents generated in the course of the deliberative process. In the vast majority of cases, any tension between those two interests can be resolved through the long-recognized accommodations process, and I have directed members of my administration to aggressively engage in that process in order to reach agreement with Congress regarding its legitimate requests whenever possible. Read full position Unitary Executive Lawyers in the Reagan-era Justice Department developed the so-called unitary executive theory, an expansive interpretation of presidential power that aims to centralize greater control over the government in the White House. Under stronger versions of this vision, Congress cannot fracture the presidents control of federal executive power, such as by vesting the power to make certain decisions in an agency head even if the president orders the agency to make a different decision, or by limiting a presidents ability to enforce his desires by removing any executive branch official including the heads of independent agencies at will. In line with this vision, shortly before the 2020 election, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that sought (in an interpretation of statutory authority) to strip Civil Service protections from tens of thousands of career federal employees by reclassifying them as Schedule F, which would allow a president to fire or reassign them at will. But President Biden rescinded this order before it was legally tested. The Trump team also weighed an executive order that would require independent agencies, which Congress has insulated from presidential supervision, to submit new regulations and guidance practices to the White House for approval before issuing them. Is it constitutional for Congress to enact laws constraining a presidents ability to remove officials at will? Is it constitutional for Congress to limit the presidents ability to direct the actions of a government agency like the Federal Reserve? Would you seek to curtail Civil Service protections and the independence of regulatory agencies? BIDEN RESPONSE: As the question notes, on my second day in office, I rescinded the executive order that would have created a new Schedule F, which was unnecessary to the conditions of good administration and would have undermined the foundations of the Civil Service and its merits system principles. For cause removal limitations are currently at issue in pending cases, including S.E.C. v. Jarkesy, which the Supreme Court will hear in its upcoming term. Press Freedoms Prosecutors during the Trump administration expanded a criminal case against Julian Assange to include accusations that he violated the Espionage Act by soliciting, obtaining and publishing classified documents without authorization. It could establish a precedent that such common journalistic activities (a separate question from whether Mr. Assange counts as a journalist) can be treated as a crime in the United States; the Biden administration has kept those charges. Meanwhile, following a surge in leak investigations under presidents of both parties that included going after reporters communications logs and other information, the Biden-era Justice Department issued new rules barring investigators from seeking compulsory production of reporters information. Are the Espionage Act charges against Mr. Assange constitutional as a legal policy matter and would your administration keep that part of the case against him? Do you support and would your administration keep the new rules against compulsory production of reporters information in leak investigations? BIDEN RESPONSE: I wont speak specifically about the Assange case it isnt appropriate for me to offer an opinion on an ongoing criminal prosecution that is now pending in court. But I have made clear that I believe that, outside certain limited circumstances, it is wrong for federal law enforcement to seize journalists phone or email records created in the course of doing their jobs. And under my administration, the Justice Department after an extensive consultation with stakeholders, including members of the media issued new regulations codifying Attorney General Garlands directive that the department no longer use compulsory legal process to obtain information from or records of members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering, except in limited circumstances. War Powers In recent years, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has claimed that the Constitution authorizes the president, as commander in chief, to direct the military to attack other countries without congressional permission if the president determines that this would serve the national interests of the United States and the nature, scope and duration of the anticipated hostilities are limited, like airstrikes against Libyan government forces in 2011 and Syrian government forces in 2017 and 2018. Separately, administrations of both parties have stretched their interpretation of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to claim that Congress has already granted permission for war against entities and in places other than the original Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, like ISIS and Al Shabab in Somalia. Do you agree with the O.L.C.s reasoning about the presidents unilateral constitutional authority to use military force? Under what circumstances other than a literally imminent threat to the United States, if any, does the Constitution permit a president to order an attack on another country without prior congressional authorization? Please address whether bombing Iranian or North Korean nuclear facilities would qualify. Separately, under what circumstances, if any, would you support and sign into law if Congress were to pass it legislation repealing the 2001 A.U.M.F.? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: The text, history and universal original understanding of the Constitutions declare war clause is definitive. Any offensive use of the military by the president requires prior express congressional authorization. Among others, that understanding was shared and acted upon by Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, father of the Constitution. The president, however, may respond unilaterally in self-defense to repel foreign aggression that has already broken the peace. The reason for the declare war clause is compelling. All of history shows the executive branch chronically concocts excuses for war to aggrandize power and earn a place in history including limitless power to kill, spy, detain or torture citizens and noncitizens alike free from congressional or judicial accountability. A presidential war not declared by Congress is the classic definition of an impeachable offense that should result in the presidents trial in the Senate and removal from office. I would absolutely support the repeal of the A.U.M.F. Happily. Domestic Military Action After Sept. 11, an American citizen who had been arrested in Chicago and accused of terrorism ties was deemed to be an enemy combatant and transferred to military custody. He was held in wartime detention without trial for years before being transferred back to the civilian justice system before the Supreme Court could resolve his case. In 2011, an American drone strike targeted and killed an American citizen who had been deemed to be an operational terrorist leader whose capture was infeasible, but who had not been charged or convicted in a trial. Administrations of both parties have sent military forces to assist civilian agents at the Mexico border, but to date, they have not used the military to directly enforce immigration law. Are any of these examples unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, may a president use military force within the United States or against Americans? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: All three examples are unlawful.The Great Writ of habeas corpus a recourse where a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request the custodian bring the prisoner to court to determine whether the detention is lawful can only be suspended in times of invasion or rebellion when the public safety so requires under the Constitution. Congress has not, post-9/11, suspended the Great Writ, which requires the executive to demonstrate to a civilian court legal justification for detention. Due process prohibits the president from playing prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner to kill any American citizen the president secretly decrees is a national security threat based on secret unsubstantiated information. Read full position Commander-in-Chief Power After Sept. 11, the N.S.A. wiretapped on domestic soil without court orders seemingly required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the C.I.A. used coercive interrogation techniques on prisoners despite anti-torture laws and treaties. In the 2014 Bergdahl deal, the military transferred five Guantanamo detainees to Qatar without giving Congress the 30 days notice seemingly required by a detainee transfer law. In each instance, executive branch lawyers said the apparent legal barriers were unconstitutional encroachments on the presidents commander-in-chief power. Were any of these actions unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe the Constitution empowers the president, as commander in chief, to override or bypass prohibitions or requirements in federal statutes? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: All of these actions were unlawful. According to the Constitution, the president must abide by laws and statutes. There are no circumstances in which the commander-in-chief clause crowns the president to disregard a congressional statute. Alexander Hamilton, the most vocal proponent of a muscular presidency, characterized the clause in Federalist 69 as no more than a governors authority of a state militia. There can be no question that the Constitution would never have been ratified if the delegates at the state ratifying conventions believed the commander-in-chief clause was omnipotent. Signing Statements In recent decades, presidents have started to routinely use signing statements to claim a constitutional right to bypass provisions of bills they are signing into law. The American Bar Association has called the practice unconstitutional and said presidents can choose only between vetoing bills, giving Congress an opportunity to override their judgments, or signing and obeying all of them. Other legal specialists have disagreed, saying the practice is appropriate so long as the theories of executive power used to challenge provisions are legitimate. Under what circumstances, if any, would you use signing statements to deem provisions of bills constitutionally invalid? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: None. As President George Washington explained, the presidents duty is to sign or veto a bill in toto. Presidential signing statements are like line-item vetoes, which the United States Supreme Court held unconstitutional in Clinton v. New York. The president swears to uphold the Constitution, which requires vetoing any bill the president believes contains an unconstitutional provision. Presidential signing statements weaken an already effete Congress by disarming the legislature of power to bundle in a single bill provisions both liked and disliked by the president and forcing a decision that accepts all or none. Emergency Powers Reform President Donald J. Trump invoked emergency power to direct the government to spend more taxpayer funds on an effort to expand a border wall with Mexico than Congress had been willing to appropriate. President Biden invoked emergency power to direct the government to cancel billions of dollars of student debt. There have been bipartisan proposals in Congress to reform emergency power law by providing that a national emergency declared by a president terminates after 30 days unless Congress affirms such a declaration. If Congress passed such a bill curtailing presidential emergency powers, would you sign it into law? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: No, I would not. Obstruction of Justice The fallout from the Mueller report revealed that there was a disagreement within the Justice Department about whether existing obstruction-of-justice laws should be interpreted as applying to a president who abuses his official powers to impede an investigation for corrupt reasons and whether, as a constitutional matter, Congress could criminalize abuse of official power even if lawmakers explicitly and unambiguously intended to do so. As a constitutional matter, does Congress have the authority to criminalize a presidents abuse of Article II powers for corrupt purposes? As a statutory matter, do current obstruction-of-justice laws apply to a presidents abuse of his official powers? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: Yes and yes. It would be absurd to foreclose Congress from criminalizing the presidents acceptance of bribes to influence exercise of official presidential powers. The current obstruction-of-justice statute applies to the president, who clearly could be prosecuted for such an offense after departing the White House. A more difficult question is whether prosecution could be had while the president occupies the Oval Office. I think the most convincing view is that the House of Representatives could investigate and vote for articles of impeachment for such misconduct for trial, possible conviction and removal by the Senate. An incumbent president should not be immobilized by a prosecutor not elected by the people. Indictment of a President The Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel first under the Nixon administration during the Watergate scandal, and then under the Clinton administration during the Whitewater/Lewinsky scandal has asserted that sitting presidents are immune from criminal indictment and trial and so any such criminal process has to come after they leave office. That view bound the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia investigation and now binds the special counsel Robert K. Hur in the Biden documents investigation. For all: Is this the correct interpretation of the Constitution? If not, would you instruct your attorney general to rescind those O.L.C. opinions? If so, would you sign legislation tolling the statute of limitations for criminal offenses by presidents so that it does not run out while they are in office and temporarily immune from indictment? Additional question for President Biden only: In the 2020 candidate survey, you criticized the O.L.C.s reasoning and wrote that if elected, you would promptly direct the attorney general to order a comprehensive review of these opinions. But The New York Times reported this year that you had not done so. Why didnt you, and what will you now do? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: The Office of Legal Counsel is correct but incomplete. In any House of Representatives investigation of the president for impeachable misconduct, the president is stripped of any privilege to resist congressional demands for information, including the privilege against self-incrimination, the attorney-client privilege, executive privilege and state secrets privilege. Presidential invocation of any of these privileges would be grounds for impeachment, conviction and removal from office. I would sign legislation tolling the statute of limitations during any time of presidential immunity, but think that is already the law. Pardon Power Four days before President Richard M. Nixon resigned in 1974, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issued a terse legal opinion stating that it would seem that Nixon could not pardon himself under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case. But the Constitution does not explicitly say this, and since no president has ever tried to pardon himself, it has not been tested in court. Former President Donald J. Trump is now facing Espionage Act and obstruction-related charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents matter. For all candidates: May a president pardon himself? For former President Donald J. Trump only: Would you pardon yourself if returned to office, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against you? For all other candidates: Would you pardon former President Donald J. Trump if elected, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: No, I do not believe a president should be able to pardon herself. And no, I would not pardon former President Trump if elected, nor would I otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him. Law Enforcement Independence Especially since Watergate, there has been an institutional norm of independence from White House control at the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The idea is that while a president can set broad policies, he or she should not get involved in specific criminal cases or auditing decisions except in rare situations that would affect foreign policy. This is especially seen as true for cases that affect a presidents personal or political interests, such as an investigation into himself or his political opponents. As a matter of law, do you think the president has the power to direct the Justice Department to open or close specific criminal investigations, bring or drop charges against specific people, or appoint or remove a special counsel? Do you think the president has the power to direct the I.R.S. to start or shut down a specific audit? Regardless of what the law may permit a president to do in the abstract, as a matter of good governance, would you pledge if elected to obey the post-Watergate norm that presidents do not involve themselves in specific law enforcement decisions? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: I do not believe the president should have the power to direct the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation, but I think it appropriate for her to share her perspective. I would make clear my wish, for instance, that the civil rights of transgender Americans be vigorously adhered to (I see them as a targeted group, and would grant them special protection status) and any violations prosecuted. Yes, I do believe the president should have the power to close specific criminal investigations within limits. I would definitely direct the Department of Justice to drop all charges against Julian Assange. Read full position F.B.I. Director After the death of a longtime F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover, and as part of the post-Watergate reform era, Congress created a system in which F.B.I. directors are to serve single, fixed 10-year terms rather than being replaced each time a new president takes office like an ordinary political appointee. In July 1993, William Sessions resigned early under pressure from President Bill Clinton after bipartisan findings that Mr. Sessions had used taxpayer-funded resources for personal use. In May 2017, James B. Comey Jr. was fired by President Donald J. Trump amid the early Russia investigation. Mr. Trump appointed Christopher A. Wray as director in August 2017, so his term is set to end in 2027. If elected, would you allow Mr. Wray to serve out his term absent some new issue that has not yet come to public light? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: Yes, I would. Executive Secrecy Presidents of both parties have claimed that executive privilege applies not only to their own internal White House communications, but also to internal deliberations within government departments and agencies that do not involve the president. Does executive privilege extend to agency deliberations that did not involve the White House? Does Congress have legitimate constitutional authority to issue subpoenas compelling disclosure of information about potential wrongdoing? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: Unlike the express speech or debate clause privileging congressional deliberations, executive privilege is a constitutionally atextual and substantially invented concept vis-a-vis Congress. The Supreme Court has never sustained the privilege regarding congressional oversight of the executive, and the House Judiciary Committee voted for an article of impeachment against President Nixon for resisting a congressional subpoena. Congressional oversight of the executive branch, including the investigation of crime or other wrongdoing, has been legitimate at least for a century, beginning with the Teapot Dome scandal and the Supreme Courts decisions in Sinclair v. United States and McGrain v. Daugherty. Unitary Executive Lawyers in the Reagan-era Justice Department developed the so-called unitary executive theory, an expansive interpretation of presidential power that aims to centralize greater control over the government in the White House. Under stronger versions of this vision, Congress cannot fracture the presidents control of federal executive power, such as by vesting the power to make certain decisions in an agency head even if the president orders the agency to make a different decision, or by limiting a presidents ability to enforce his desires by removing any executive branch official including the heads of independent agencies at will. In line with this vision, shortly before the 2020 election, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that sought (in an interpretation of statutory authority) to strip Civil Service protections from tens of thousands of career federal employees by reclassifying them as Schedule F, which would allow a president to fire or reassign them at will. But President Biden rescinded this order before it was legally tested. The Trump team also weighed an executive order that would require independent agencies, which Congress has insulated from presidential supervision, to submit new regulations and guidance practices to the White House for approval before issuing them. Is it constitutional for Congress to enact laws constraining a presidents ability to remove officials at will? Is it constitutional for Congress to limit the presidents ability to direct the actions of a government agency like the Federal Reserve? Would you seek to curtail Civil Service protections and the independence of regulatory agencies? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: While in general I would lean in the direction of protecting the presidency from congressional interference, these are not ordinary times. Given the fact that authoritarians such as Donald Trump will remain a threat even after my presidency, I would support limiting the power of a unitary executive. The president should not be able to fire an official at will, direct the Federal Reserve or curtail Civil Service protections and the independence of regulatory agencies. Press Freedoms Prosecutors during the Trump administration expanded a criminal case against Julian Assange to include accusations that he violated the Espionage Act by soliciting, obtaining and publishing classified documents without authorization. It could establish a precedent that such common journalistic activities (a separate question from whether Mr. Assange counts as a journalist) can be treated as a crime in the United States; the Biden administration has kept those charges. Meanwhile, following a surge in leak investigations under presidents of both parties that included going after reporters communications logs and other information, the Biden-era Justice Department issued new rules barring investigators from seeking compulsory production of reporters information. Are the Espionage Act charges against Mr. Assange constitutional as a legal policy matter and would your administration keep that part of the case against him? Do you support and would your administration keep the new rules against compulsory production of reporters information in leak investigations? WILLIAMSON RESPONSE: The Espionage Act is a relic of President Woodrow Wilsons prosecution of Eugene Debs for opposing his military frolic in the Soviet Union. The act violates freedom of speech and press by criminalizing publications without proof that the disclosures were intended to and did cause material harm to the national security of the United States. The First Amendment does not permit a British-style Official Secrets Act for classified information. I would drop the Espionage Act counts against Assange. War Powers In recent years, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has claimed that the Constitution authorizes the president, as commander in chief, to direct the military to attack other countries without congressional permission if the president determines that this would serve the national interests of the United States and the nature, scope and duration of the anticipated hostilities are limited, like airstrikes against Libyan government forces in 2011 and Syrian government forces in 2017 and 2018. Separately, administrations of both parties have stretched their interpretation of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to claim that Congress has already granted permission for war against entities and in places other than the original Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, like ISIS and Al Shabab in Somalia. Do you agree with the O.L.C.s reasoning about the presidents unilateral constitutional authority to use military force? Under what circumstances other than a literally imminent threat to the United States, if any, does the Constitution permit a president to order an attack on another country without prior congressional authorization? Please address whether bombing Iranian or North Korean nuclear facilities would qualify. Separately, under what circumstances, if any, would you support and sign into law if Congress were to pass it legislation repealing the 2001 A.U.M.F.? PENCE RESPONSE: As commander in chief, the president has a constitutional duty to use his executive authority to protect the country from imminent threats. Whether a threat is imminent is a matter of judgment, and it is essential the president be a person of character, experience and competence whose judgment the American people can trust. In 2020, I warned the American people that Joe Biden has been wrong on every major national security issue for 40 years, and he has spent his presidency proving his incompetence and poor character in foreign relations. As a longtime conservative leader in Congress who has deeply studied our Constitution, I believe Congress has an essential role in providing for our national security. Congress alone has the power of the purse, and as president, I will work with Congress to keep our military fully equipped and ready for response. Read full position Domestic Military Action After Sept. 11, an American citizen who had been arrested in Chicago and accused of terrorism ties was deemed to be an enemy combatant and transferred to military custody. He was held in wartime detention without trial for years before being transferred back to the civilian justice system before the Supreme Court could resolve his case. In 2011, an American drone strike targeted and killed an American citizen who had been deemed to be an operational terrorist leader whose capture was infeasible, but who had not been charged or convicted in a trial. Administrations of both parties have sent military forces to assist civilian agents at the Mexico border, but to date, they have not used the military to directly enforce immigration law. Are any of these examples unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, may a president use military force within the United States or against Americans? PENCE RESPONSE: The president has a constitutional duty to use military force to repel sudden attacks. If American citizens commit treason by taking up arms against America, or by seeking to kill American citizens through craven acts of terrorism, I will not hesitate to use lethal force to stop them, including when appropriate through use of military force outside the United States. Captured American citizens are entitled to due process. The Posse Comitatus Act appropriately limits use of the military for domestic law enforcement. The southern border under the Biden administration has been an unmitigated disaster that threatens our national security, and use of military in a support role so that Border Patrol can do its job and secure our border is appropriate. I will work with Congress to ensure we have the legal authorities and resources necessary to secure our border. Commander-in-Chief Power After Sept. 11, the N.S.A. wiretapped on domestic soil without court orders seemingly required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the C.I.A. used coercive interrogation techniques on prisoners despite anti-torture laws and treaties. In the 2014 Bergdahl deal, the military transferred five Guantanamo detainees to Qatar without giving Congress the 30 days notice seemingly required by a detainee transfer law. In each instance, executive branch lawyers said the apparent legal barriers were unconstitutional encroachments on the presidents commander-in-chief power. Were any of these actions unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe the Constitution empowers the president, as commander in chief, to override or bypass prohibitions or requirements in federal statutes? PENCE RESPONSE: FISA authorities are essential to our national security, but FISA has been grossly abused in recent years, and the legal guardrails that protect our liberties as Americans ignored. Presidents must follow the Constitution and the law, and as president, I will clean house at the Department of Justice and issue clear directives preventing such abuses. Anyone abusing those authorities and corruptly violating the liberties of Americans to achieve political ends should be terminated and prosecuted. I will similarly end the Biden Department of Justices abusive investigations into parents who voice legitimate concerns about the woke indoctrination of our children at school board meetings, or trampling on religious freedoms by using the F.B.I. to spy on a group of people based on their religious beliefs as they did in Richmond, Va. Signing Statements In recent decades, presidents have started to routinely use signing statements to claim a constitutional right to bypass provisions of bills they are signing into law. The American Bar Association has called the practice unconstitutional and said presidents can choose only between vetoing bills, giving Congress an opportunity to override their judgments, or signing and obeying all of them. Other legal specialists have disagreed, saying the practice is appropriate so long as the theories of executive power used to challenge provisions are legitimate. Under what circumstances, if any, would you use signing statements to deem provisions of bills constitutionally invalid? PENCE RESPONSE: The president has no authority to legislate, and must follow every constitutional law. On the rare occasions Congress passes unconstitutional laws like the Alien and Sedition Acts, which egregiously violated American liberties, the president is obligated as an actor subject to the Constitution not to follow them. The executive branch must interpret laws that are ambiguous, and in ways that are consistent with the Constitution. It is most transparent and accountable for a president to issue such interpretations at the time laws are signed, rather than issuing egregiously abusive interpretations after the fact, as Joe Biden has repeatedly done in his unaccountable use of executive actions to reinterpret statutes. Emergency Powers Reform President Donald J. Trump invoked emergency power to direct the government to spend more taxpayer funds on an effort to expand a border wall with Mexico than Congress had been willing to appropriate. President Biden invoked emergency power to direct the government to cancel billions of dollars of student debt. There have been bipartisan proposals in Congress to reform emergency power law by providing that a national emergency declared by a president terminates after 30 days unless Congress affirms such a declaration. If Congress passed such a bill curtailing presidential emergency powers, would you sign it into law? PENCE RESPONSE: The Constitution makes it clear that the United States government has a duty to protect the states from invasion, such as the one taking place at our southern border at this very moment. By contrast, it was a gross offense to our laws and the Constitution for President Biden to attempt to unilaterally cancel contractual obligations owed to the taxpayers, which would have cost half a trillion dollars had it not been struck down. President Biden blatantly exceeded the limited emergency powers Congress provided, as the Supreme Court ruled and as he himself acknowledged beforehand. I support a comprehensive reform to our overly expansive emergency powers statutes to ensure they are never again abused for such frivolous purposes. Obstruction of Justice The fallout from the Mueller report revealed that there was a disagreement within the Justice Department about whether existing obstruction-of-justice laws should be interpreted as applying to a president who abuses his official powers to impede an investigation for corrupt reasons and whether, as a constitutional matter, Congress could criminalize abuse of official power even if lawmakers explicitly and unambiguously intended to do so. As a constitutional matter, does Congress have the authority to criminalize a presidents abuse of Article II powers for corrupt purposes? As a statutory matter, do current obstruction-of-justice laws apply to a presidents abuse of his official powers? PENCE RESPONSE: No one is above the law, including President Biden. In the light of mounting evidence that he may have abused his official status to secure sizable bribes for his son and himself from a foreign business, he should cease obstructing congressional investigations into the matter, turn over requested documents, and appoint a special counsel to get to the bottom of these concerning allegations. Our separation of powers prevents Congress from targeting the executive with criminal laws or from criminalizing exercises of constitutionally granted authorities, but presidents are not exempt from laws of general applicability. For example, presidents are subject to criminal prohibitions on bribing or coercing witnesses. I agree with the longstanding Justice Department position that a sitting president cannot constitutionally be indicted, but an impeached president who has been removed from office by Congress for violations of the law can. Indictment of a President The Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel first under the Nixon administration during the Watergate scandal, and then under the Clinton administration during the Whitewater/Lewinsky scandal has asserted that sitting presidents are immune from criminal indictment and trial and so any such criminal process has to come after they leave office. That view bound the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia investigation and now binds the special counsel Robert K. Hur in the Biden documents investigation. For all: Is this the correct interpretation of the Constitution? If not, would you instruct your attorney general to rescind those O.L.C. opinions? If so, would you sign legislation tolling the statute of limitations for criminal offenses by presidents so that it does not run out while they are in office and temporarily immune from indictment? Additional question for President Biden only: In the 2020 candidate survey, you criticized the O.L.C.s reasoning and wrote that if elected, you would promptly direct the attorney general to order a comprehensive review of these opinions. But The New York Times reported this year that you had not done so. Why didnt you, and what will you now do? PENCE RESPONSE: The president is not above the law. Under the framework laid down by the Constitution, it is up to the coequal legislative branch of Congress to hold the president accountable for high crimes and misdemeanors. I agree with the longstanding Justice Department position that a sitting president cannot constitutionally be indicted, but an impeached president who has been removed from office for violations of the law can. I would support tolling legislation that appropriately balances upholding the sanctity of the law with ensuring that the United States does not devolve into a banana republic in which prosecutorial authorities are abused for politically motivated witch hunts. Pardon Power Four days before President Richard M. Nixon resigned in 1974, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issued a terse legal opinion stating that it would seem that Nixon could not pardon himself under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case. But the Constitution does not explicitly say this, and since no president has ever tried to pardon himself, it has not been tested in court. Former President Donald J. Trump is now facing Espionage Act and obstruction-related charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents matter. For all candidates: May a president pardon himself? For former President Donald J. Trump only: Would you pardon yourself if returned to office, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against you? For all other candidates: Would you pardon former President Donald J. Trump if elected, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him? PENCE RESPONSE: A president may not pardon himself. I dont know why some of my competitors in the Republican Party are proceeding from the assumption that former President Trump is going to be found guilty. And I dont know why the media presumes the Justice Department will conduct his prosecution cleanly and not break the law or abuse its authorities as it did when it forged documents so that it could wiretap our 2016 campaign. Read full position Law Enforcement Independence Especially since Watergate, there has been an institutional norm of independence from White House control at the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The idea is that while a president can set broad policies, he or she should not get involved in specific criminal cases or auditing decisions except in rare situations that would affect foreign policy. This is especially seen as true for cases that affect a presidents personal or political interests, such as an investigation into himself or his political opponents. As a matter of law, do you think the president has the power to direct the Justice Department to open or close specific criminal investigations, bring or drop charges against specific people, or appoint or remove a special counsel? Do you think the president has the power to direct the I.R.S. to start or shut down a specific audit? Regardless of what the law may permit a president to do in the abstract, as a matter of good governance, would you pledge if elected to obey the post-Watergate norm that presidents do not involve themselves in specific law enforcement decisions? PENCE RESPONSE: As the head of the executive branch, the president has broad authority over the executives various departments and agencies. But all must be treated equally under the law, and the recent whistle-blower revelations of politically motivated interference in the investigation of Hunter Biden indicate an abuse of authority for which the American people will not stand. As president, I will ensure every law enforcement agency is properly led and staffed with trustworthy officials, without improper interference with law enforcement functions that will erode public confidence in our American scales of justice. F.B.I. Director After the death of a longtime F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover, and as part of the post-Watergate reform era, Congress created a system in which F.B.I. directors are to serve single, fixed 10-year terms rather than being replaced each time a new president takes office like an ordinary political appointee. In July 1993, William Sessions resigned early under pressure from President Bill Clinton after bipartisan findings that Mr. Sessions had used taxpayer-funded resources for personal use. In May 2017, James B. Comey Jr. was fired by President Donald J. Trump amid the early Russia investigation. Mr. Trump appointed Christopher A. Wray as director in August 2017, so his term is set to end in 2027. If elected, would you allow Mr. Wray to serve out his term absent some new issue that has not yet come to public light? PENCE RESPONSE: I pledge that on Day 1 of my administration, I will replace Christopher Wray with a trusted leader to restore public confidence in the F.B.I. Our institutions cannot survive without renewed trust, which requires new leadership. Executive Secrecy Presidents of both parties have claimed that executive privilege applies not only to their own internal White House communications, but also to internal deliberations within government departments and agencies that do not involve the president. Does executive privilege extend to agency deliberations that did not involve the White House? Does Congress have legitimate constitutional authority to issue subpoenas compelling disclosure of information about potential wrongdoing? PENCE RESPONSE: While Congress does have legitimate legal authority to issue subpoenas compelling disclosure of information, it has often abused this power. George Washington appropriately invoked executive privilege to protect against disclosure of the executives internal deliberations on the Jay Treaty, including communications that did not directly involve the president, and courts have recognized that executive privilege serves important separation-of-powers interests. In precedent-setting litigation, I successfully invoked the speech or debate clause, a parallel authority that applied to Congress, against the Biden Justice Department to protect my internal deliberations with my staff as president of the Senate. Read full position Unitary Executive Lawyers in the Reagan-era Justice Department developed the so-called unitary executive theory, an expansive interpretation of presidential power that aims to centralize greater control over the government in the White House. Under stronger versions of this vision, Congress cannot fracture the presidents control of federal executive power, such as by vesting the power to make certain decisions in an agency head even if the president orders the agency to make a different decision, or by limiting a presidents ability to enforce his desires by removing any executive branch official including the heads of independent agencies at will. In line with this vision, shortly before the 2020 election, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that sought (in an interpretation of statutory authority) to strip Civil Service protections from tens of thousands of career federal employees by reclassifying them as Schedule F, which would allow a president to fire or reassign them at will. But President Biden rescinded this order before it was legally tested. The Trump team also weighed an executive order that would require independent agencies, which Congress has insulated from presidential supervision, to submit new regulations and guidance practices to the White House for approval before issuing them. Is it constitutional for Congress to enact laws constraining a presidents ability to remove officials at will? Is it constitutional for Congress to limit the presidents ability to direct the actions of a government agency like the Federal Reserve? Would you seek to curtail Civil Service protections and the independence of regulatory agencies? PENCE RESPONSE: The vast majority of Americans work in at-will employment jobs, and the federal government should not be any different. The American people deserve to have a politically accountable government, and that includes federal bureaucrats. A government job should not be a sinecure, and a bureaucrat should not be harder to remove than a tenured professor. Some measure of independence from politics may be appropriate for institutions like the Federal Reserve that administer our monetary policy, but no federal institution or employee should be completely removed from accountability. Read full position Press Freedoms Prosecutors during the Trump administration expanded a criminal case against Julian Assange to include accusations that he violated the Espionage Act by soliciting, obtaining and publishing classified documents without authorization. It could establish a precedent that such common journalistic activities (a separate question from whether Mr. Assange counts as a journalist) can be treated as a crime in the United States; the Biden administration has kept those charges. Meanwhile, following a surge in leak investigations under presidents of both parties that included going after reporters communications logs and other information, the Biden-era Justice Department issued new rules barring investigators from seeking compulsory production of reporters information. Are the Espionage Act charges against Mr. Assange constitutional as a legal policy matter and would your administration keep that part of the case against him? Do you support and would your administration keep the new rules against compulsory production of reporters information in leak investigations? PENCE RESPONSE: The independence and freedom of the press is expressly guaranteed under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Why? Because, as Thomas Jefferson constantly reminded the country, we cannot sustain this experiment in self-government unless the American people are well informed. In fact, because the American people have the right to know, I introduced federal media shield legislation the Free Flow of Information Act to prevent reporters from having to reveal confidential sources. However, our laws need to balance our national security with the freedom of the press, and the First Amendment is not a shelter from the law. It does not protect so-called journalists from breaking the laws necessary to maintain our national security and keep Americans safe. Our laws need to balance these two priorities that are sometimes in conflict. 2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Pardon Power Four days before President Richard M. Nixon resigned in 1974, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issued a terse legal opinion stating that it would seem that Nixon could not pardon himself under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case. But the Constitution does not explicitly say this, and since no president has ever tried to pardon himself, it has not been tested in court. Former President Donald J. Trump is now facing Espionage Act and obstruction-related charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents matter. For all candidates: May a president pardon himself? For former President Donald J. Trump only: Would you pardon yourself if returned to office, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against you? For all other candidates: Would you pardon former President Donald J. Trump if elected, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him? As president, it would be inappropriate for me to offer an opinion on an ongoing criminal matter. I have not directed the Department of Justice in connection with any criminal case and would not do so. No. This would run contrary to a presidents oath of office to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States . Additionally, Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, which begins All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, could throttle self-pardon. At this point, the issue of pardon is speculative. No, I do not believe a president should be able to pardon herself. And no, I would not pardon former President Trump if elected, nor would I otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him. No. That is the principle that I would follow, and any president should follow that principle as well. No candidate for president should be discussing specific use of the pardon power in individual cases. President Trump is entitled to a trial on the grand jury indictment, and the trial of the case and the determination of guilt or innocence should not be undermined by candidates promising to pardon Trump. As president, anyone seeking a pardon would have to pursue clemency through the Department of Justice Office of Pardons, and it would be handled just like any other case. Read full position A president may not pardon himself. I dont know why some of my competitors in the Republican Party are proceeding from the assumption that former President Trump is going to be found guilty. And I dont know why the media presumes the Justice Department will conduct his prosecution cleanly and not break the law or abuse its authorities as it did when it forged documents so that it could wiretap our 2016 campaign. Read full position No. No president can pardon himself, just as no judge can impartially judge his or her own case. I believe that the prosecution of a past president, and any relitigation, hurts our country. I believe President Fords use of the pardon powers offers a lawful and relevant precedent for healing our deeply divided nation. At the same time, I do not believe the president should ever intervene, for political reasons, in particular criminal prosecutions. Read full position Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. 2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Obstruction of Justice The fallout from the Mueller report revealed that there was a disagreement within the Justice Department about whether existing obstruction-of-justice laws should be interpreted as applying to a president who abuses his official powers to impede an investigation for corrupt reasons and whether, as a constitutional matter, Congress could criminalize abuse of official power even if lawmakers explicitly and unambiguously intended to do so. As a constitutional matter, does Congress have the authority to criminalize a presidents abuse of Article II powers for corrupt purposes? As a statutory matter, do current obstruction-of-justice laws apply to a presidents abuse of his official powers? As president, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any particular matter. It is fundamental to our constitutional system that no one including the president is above the law. This is a dangerous direction. Interpretations may differ on what constitutes corrupt reasons for impeding an investigation. The boundary dividing ideologically based prosecutorial priorities from politically motivated prosecutions may be blurry. The Constitution grants Congress a primary check on a presidents abuse of power: impeachment. Yes and yes. It would be absurd to foreclose Congress from criminalizing the presidents acceptance of bribes to influence exercise of official presidential powers. The current obstruction-of-justice statute applies to the president, who clearly could be prosecuted for such an offense after departing the White House. A more difficult question is whether prosecution could be had while the president occupies the Oval Office. I think the most convincing view is that the House of Representatives could investigate and vote for articles of impeachment for such misconduct for trial, possible conviction and removal by the Senate. An incumbent president should not be immobilized by a prosecutor not elected by the people. The current obstruction-of-justice laws apply to the president. There is no need for further action by Congress. As a practical matter, I am skeptical that Congress would take action in a constitutionally appropriate way. Article II powers do not allow a president to corruptly use the office of president for unlawful purposes. No one is above the law, including President Biden. In the light of mounting evidence that he may have abused his official status to secure sizable bribes for his son and himself from a foreign business, he should cease obstructing congressional investigations into the matter, turn over requested documents, and appoint a special counsel to get to the bottom of these concerning allegations. Our separation of powers prevents Congress from targeting the executive with criminal laws or from criminalizing exercises of constitutionally granted authorities, but presidents are not exempt from laws of general applicability. For example, presidents are subject to criminal prohibitions on bribing or coercing witnesses. I agree with the longstanding Justice Department position that a sitting president cannot constitutionally be indicted, but an impeached president who has been removed from office by Congress for violations of the law can. The Constitution already provides the primary mechanism for addressing a presidents abuse of Article II powers for corrupt purposes: impeachment, trial and conviction. Although I do not believe that the presidents exercise of Article II powers falls entirely outside the bounds of obstruction of justice laws, the faithful application of those laws to the president must always take into account the presidents unique constitutional role. This begs the question of what counts as corrupt purposes. Who defines what is and what is not corrupt? This question is too ambiguous to answer. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. 2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Press Freedoms Prosecutors during the Trump administration expanded a criminal case against Julian Assange to include accusations that he violated the Espionage Act by soliciting, obtaining and publishing classified documents without authorization. It could establish a precedent that such common journalistic activities (a separate question from whether Mr. Assange counts as a journalist) can be treated as a crime in the United States; the Biden administration has kept those charges. Meanwhile, following a surge in leak investigations under presidents of both parties that included going after reporters communications logs and other information, the Biden-era Justice Department issued new rules barring investigators from seeking compulsory production of reporters information. Are the Espionage Act charges against Mr. Assange constitutional as a legal policy matter and would your administration keep that part of the case against him? Do you support and would your administration keep the new rules against compulsory production of reporters information in leak investigations? I wont speak specifically about the Assange case it isnt appropriate for me to offer an opinion on an ongoing criminal prosecution that is now pending in court. But I have made clear that I believe that, outside certain limited circumstances, it is wrong for federal law enforcement to seize journalists phone or email records created in the course of doing their jobs. And under my administration, the Justice Department after an extensive consultation with stakeholders, including members of the media issued new regulations codifying Attorney General Garlands directive that the department no longer use compulsory legal process to obtain information from or records of members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering, except in limited circumstances. Yes, I support and will retain the new rules. Compelling journalists to reveal their sources will stifle independent journalism, which the founders understood to be indispensable to democracy. I will drop all charges against Julian Assange. The problem here goes to the heart of what gets classified and why. He was targeted not because he published secrets that endangered the security of the United States, but because what he published embarrassed the government of the United States. The Espionage Act is a relic of President Woodrow Wilsons prosecution of Eugene Debs for opposing his military frolic in the Soviet Union. The act violates freedom of speech and press by criminalizing publications without proof that the disclosures were intended to and did cause material harm to the national security of the United States. The First Amendment does not permit a British-style Official Secrets Act for classified information. I would drop the Espionage Act counts against Assange. I have no plans to interfere with the Assange case. Yes. The independence and freedom of the press is expressly guaranteed under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Why? Because, as Thomas Jefferson constantly reminded the country, we cannot sustain this experiment in self-government unless the American people are well informed. In fact, because the American people have the right to know, I introduced federal media shield legislation the Free Flow of Information Act to prevent reporters from having to reveal confidential sources. However, our laws need to balance our national security with the freedom of the press, and the First Amendment is not a shelter from the law. It does not protect so-called journalists from breaking the laws necessary to maintain our national security and keep Americans safe. Our laws need to balance these two priorities that are sometimes in conflict. In keeping with the precedent against presidential interference in criminal prosecutions as discussed above, it would be inappropriate for a candidate for president to opine on a pending prosecution. Ultimately, any change in policies on leak investigations will be up to the Department of Justice. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. War Powers In recent years, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has claimed that the Constitution authorizes the president, as commander in chief, to direct the military to attack other countries without congressional permission if the president determines that this would serve the national interests of the United States and the nature, scope and duration of the anticipated hostilities are limited, like airstrikes against Libyan government forces in 2011 and Syrian government forces in 2017 and 2018. Separately, administrations of both parties have stretched their interpretation of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to claim that Congress has already granted permission for war against entities and in places other than the original Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, like ISIS and Al Shabab in Somalia. Do you agree with the O.L.C.s reasoning about the presidents unilateral constitutional authority to use military force? Under what circumstances other than a literally imminent threat to the United States, if any, does the Constitution permit a president to order an attack on another country without prior congressional authorization? Please address whether bombing Iranian or North Korean nuclear facilities would qualify. Separately, under what circumstances, if any, would you support and sign into law if Congress were to pass it legislation repealing the 2001 A.U.M.F.? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: The 2001 A.U.M.F., notwithstanding O.L.C. or presidential interpretations, was not a blank check to wage war, anywhere at any time, whether the intention was/is to bomb Iran, North Korea or any other preconceived target. Except in cases of imminent danger to the nation, a president must be constrained in war-making through the check and balance of congressional authority. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed S.316, repealing the A.U.M.F. It is currently held at the desk in the House of Representatives. I support its repeal. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution vests Congress with the authority to take the country from a position of peace to one of war. Several presidents have, without congressional permission, invoked the Article II designation of commander in chief to take America into war absent congressional approval. Courts have held that the ultimate power to restrain an executives extension into war lies in the discretion of Congress through its appropriation process. Read full position Domestic Military Action After Sept. 11, an American citizen who had been arrested in Chicago and accused of terrorism ties was deemed to be an enemy combatant and transferred to military custody. He was held in wartime detention without trial for years before being transferred back to the civilian justice system before the Supreme Court could resolve his case. In 2011, an American drone strike targeted and killed an American citizen who had been deemed to be an operational terrorist leader whose capture was infeasible, but who had not been charged or convicted in a trial. Administrations of both parties have sent military forces to assist civilian agents at the Mexico border, but to date, they have not used the military to directly enforce immigration law. Are any of these examples unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, may a president use military force within the United States or against Americans? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: The enemy combatant case, as well as the targeted drone attack, were violations of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and 14th Amendments, and, as such, represented watershed moments in American jurisprudence which must be recognized as deeply offensive encroachment. American citizens, no matter how repugnant their actions may be, cannot be unilaterally denied constitutional rights. Due process of law is a must. Generally speaking, the U.S. military ought never be involved in civilian law enforcement except in very rare cases, such as natural disasters. Commander-in-Chief Power After Sept. 11, the N.S.A. wiretapped on domestic soil without court orders seemingly required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the C.I.A. used coercive interrogation techniques on prisoners despite anti-torture laws and treaties. In the 2014 Bergdahl deal, the military transferred five Guantanamo detainees to Qatar without giving Congress the 30 days notice seemingly required by a detainee transfer law. In each instance, executive branch lawyers said the apparent legal barriers were unconstitutional encroachments on the presidents commander-in-chief power. Were any of these actions unlawful? Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe the Constitution empowers the president, as commander in chief, to override or bypass prohibitions or requirements in federal statutes? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: The question harkens, in part, to the N.Y.T.s expose of President Bushs Executive Order 13228, which established the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which gave the N.S.A. broad authority to gather information on U.S. citizens without a judicial warrant. Of course, these actions by President Bush and the N.S.A. were unconstitutional, violations of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments at the least. The C.I.A.s use of torture was an unmitigated human rights disaster, an absolute abomination committed in the name of the United States of America, and must never happen again. It is the essential role of Congress, as a co-equal branch of government, to check executive power and the abuses of that power. Where the U.S. Constitution or the laws of the United States are explicit, the president is required to faithfully execute those laws, and cannot pick and choose at the whim and caprice of his legal advisers. Signing Statements In recent decades, presidents have started to routinely use signing statements to claim a constitutional right to bypass provisions of bills they are signing into law. The American Bar Association has called the practice unconstitutional and said presidents can choose only between vetoing bills, giving Congress an opportunity to override their judgments, or signing and obeying all of them. Other legal specialists have disagreed, saying the practice is appropriate so long as the theories of executive power used to challenge provisions are legitimate. Under what circumstances, if any, would you use signing statements to deem provisions of bills constitutionally invalid? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: I agree with the American Bar Association. The executive branch has exceeded its constitutional bounds at the expense of the other branches of government, particularly the legislative. It is up to the courts, not the president, to determine whether provisions of a bill are constitutionally valid or not. Emergency Powers Reform President Donald J. Trump invoked emergency power to direct the government to spend more taxpayer funds on an effort to expand a border wall with Mexico than Congress had been willing to appropriate. President Biden invoked emergency power to direct the government to cancel billions of dollars of student debt. There have been bipartisan proposals in Congress to reform emergency power law by providing that a national emergency declared by a president terminates after 30 days unless Congress affirms such a declaration. If Congress passed such a bill curtailing presidential emergency powers, would you sign it into law? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: Yes, I would not only sign such legislation, I would encourage Congress to pass it. Ever since 9/11, emergency powers have been used to override the Constitution, giving the executive branch unchecked power. Obstruction of Justice The fallout from the Mueller report revealed that there was a disagreement within the Justice Department about whether existing obstruction-of-justice laws should be interpreted as applying to a president who abuses his official powers to impede an investigation for corrupt reasons and whether, as a constitutional matter, Congress could criminalize abuse of official power even if lawmakers explicitly and unambiguously intended to do so. As a constitutional matter, does Congress have the authority to criminalize a presidents abuse of Article II powers for corrupt purposes? As a statutory matter, do current obstruction-of-justice laws apply to a presidents abuse of his official powers? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: This is a dangerous direction. Interpretations may differ on what constitutes corrupt reasons for impeding an investigation. The boundary dividing ideologically based prosecutorial priorities from politically motivated prosecutions may be blurry. The Constitution grants Congress a primary check on a presidents abuse of power: impeachment. Indictment of a President The Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel first under the Nixon administration during the Watergate scandal, and then under the Clinton administration during the Whitewater/Lewinsky scandal has asserted that sitting presidents are immune from criminal indictment and trial and so any such criminal process has to come after they leave office. That view bound the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia investigation and now binds the special counsel Robert K. Hur in the Biden documents investigation. For all: Is this the correct interpretation of the Constitution? If not, would you instruct your attorney general to rescind those O.L.C. opinions? If so, would you sign legislation tolling the statute of limitations for criminal offenses by presidents so that it does not run out while they are in office and temporarily immune from indictment? Additional question for President Biden only: In the 2020 candidate survey, you criticized the O.L.C.s reasoning and wrote that if elected, you would promptly direct the attorney general to order a comprehensive review of these opinions. But The New York Times reported this year that you had not done so. Why didnt you, and what will you now do? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: Yes, I would sign legislation tolling the statute of limitations for criminal offenses by presidents. Pardon Power Four days before President Richard M. Nixon resigned in 1974, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issued a terse legal opinion stating that it would seem that Nixon could not pardon himself under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case. But the Constitution does not explicitly say this, and since no president has ever tried to pardon himself, it has not been tested in court. Former President Donald J. Trump is now facing Espionage Act and obstruction-related charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents matter. For all candidates: May a president pardon himself? For former President Donald J. Trump only: Would you pardon yourself if returned to office, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against you? For all other candidates: Would you pardon former President Donald J. Trump if elected, or otherwise direct the Justice Department to drop the case against him? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: No. This would run contrary to a presidents oath of office to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States . Additionally, Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, which begins All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, could throttle self-pardon. At this point, the issue of pardon is speculative. Law Enforcement Independence Especially since Watergate, there has been an institutional norm of independence from White House control at the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The idea is that while a president can set broad policies, he or she should not get involved in specific criminal cases or auditing decisions except in rare situations that would affect foreign policy. This is especially seen as true for cases that affect a presidents personal or political interests, such as an investigation into himself or his political opponents. As a matter of law, do you think the president has the power to direct the Justice Department to open or close specific criminal investigations, bring or drop charges against specific people, or appoint or remove a special counsel? Do you think the president has the power to direct the I.R.S. to start or shut down a specific audit? Regardless of what the law may permit a president to do in the abstract, as a matter of good governance, would you pledge if elected to obey the post-Watergate norm that presidents do not involve themselves in specific law enforcement decisions? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: There is no proscription in the Constitution against the president abusing his power in this way. But it is an abuse of power. I will depoliticize the Department of Justice, the I.R.S., the F.B.I. and other agencies. They should enforce the law impartially. They should not be used to pursue political vendettas, harass people on a presidents enemies list or serve any sort of partisan agenda. This is a matter of ethics and good governance. F.B.I. Director After the death of a longtime F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover, and as part of the post-Watergate reform era, Congress created a system in which F.B.I. directors are to serve single, fixed 10-year terms rather than being replaced each time a new president takes office like an ordinary political appointee. In July 1993, William Sessions resigned early under pressure from President Bill Clinton after bipartisan findings that Mr. Sessions had used taxpayer-funded resources for personal use. In May 2017, James B. Comey Jr. was fired by President Donald J. Trump amid the early Russia investigation. Mr. Trump appointed Christopher A. Wray as director in August 2017, so his term is set to end in 2027. If elected, would you allow Mr. Wray to serve out his term absent some new issue that has not yet come to public light? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: The post-Watergate reform was intended to prevent the F.B.I. from becoming a political instrument. The director of the F.B.I., enjoying the secure tenure of a 10-year term, would be insulated from pressure from the executive or other powerful politicians to serve their interests rather than those of the nation. However, if compelling information comes to light that Director Wray has violated this principle and allowed the F.B.I. to be weaponized, then I will replace him with someone who will return the F.B.I. to its proper mission of enforcing the laws of the United States and protecting the nation against foreign espionage. Executive Secrecy Presidents of both parties have claimed that executive privilege applies not only to their own internal White House communications, but also to internal deliberations within government departments and agencies that do not involve the president. Does executive privilege extend to agency deliberations that did not involve the White House? Does Congress have legitimate constitutional authority to issue subpoenas compelling disclosure of information about potential wrongdoing? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: Assertion of executive privilege is qualified, not absolute. The necessary and proper clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, reified in McCulloch v. Maryland 17 U.S. (4 Wheat.) 316 (1819) extended Congresss enumerated powers into the realm of implied powers. See also Watkins v. United States and Barenblatt v. United States with respect to congressional investigative powers. However, Congress does not have the power to vitiate the First, Fourth, Fifth Amendments. Since I am in favor of bringing more transparency to government, I would do my best to cooperate with all reasonable requests by Congress. Unitary Executive Lawyers in the Reagan-era Justice Department developed the so-called unitary executive theory, an expansive interpretation of presidential power that aims to centralize greater control over the government in the White House. Under stronger versions of this vision, Congress cannot fracture the presidents control of federal executive power, such as by vesting the power to make certain decisions in an agency head even if the president orders the agency to make a different decision, or by limiting a presidents ability to enforce his desires by removing any executive branch official including the heads of independent agencies at will. In line with this vision, shortly before the 2020 election, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that sought (in an interpretation of statutory authority) to strip Civil Service protections from tens of thousands of career federal employees by reclassifying them as Schedule F, which would allow a president to fire or reassign them at will. But President Biden rescinded this order before it was legally tested. The Trump team also weighed an executive order that would require independent agencies, which Congress has insulated from presidential supervision, to submit new regulations and guidance practices to the White House for approval before issuing them. Is it constitutional for Congress to enact laws constraining a presidents ability to remove officials at will? Is it constitutional for Congress to limit the presidents ability to direct the actions of a government agency like the Federal Reserve? Would you seek to curtail Civil Service protections and the independence of regulatory agencies? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: The president, as chief executive, should be able to direct, administer and reorganize all the agencies in the executive branch as he or she sees fit. This is what the people elect the president to do, in fulfillment of the popular will. This is especially important today when many regulatory agencies have been captured by the industries they are supposed to regulate. When we consider the independence of regulatory agencies, the question must be, Independent of whom? Congress is not without influence even under the unitary executive theory, because it has the power to appropriate or withhold funds, and to stipulate the manner in which funds should be spent. Press Freedoms Prosecutors during the Trump administration expanded a criminal case against Julian Assange to include accusations that he violated the Espionage Act by soliciting, obtaining and publishing classified documents without authorization. It could establish a precedent that such common journalistic activities (a separate question from whether Mr. Assange counts as a journalist) can be treated as a crime in the United States; the Biden administration has kept those charges. Meanwhile, following a surge in leak investigations under presidents of both parties that included going after reporters communications logs and other information, the Biden-era Justice Department issued new rules barring investigators from seeking compulsory production of reporters information. Are the Espionage Act charges against Mr. Assange constitutional as a legal policy matter and would your administration keep that part of the case against him? Do you support and would your administration keep the new rules against compulsory production of reporters information in leak investigations? KENNEDY JR. RESPONSE: Yes, I support and will retain the new rules. Compelling journalists to reveal their sources will stifle independent journalism, which the founders understood to be indispensable to democracy. I will drop all charges against Julian Assange. The problem here goes to the heart of what gets classified and why. He was targeted not because he published secrets that endangered the security of the United States, but because what he published embarrassed the government of the United States. 2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Signing Statements In recent decades, presidents have started to routinely use signing statements to claim a constitutional right to bypass provisions of bills they are signing into law. The American Bar Association has called the practice unconstitutional and said presidents can choose only between vetoing bills, giving Congress an opportunity to override their judgments, or signing and obeying all of them. Other legal specialists have disagreed, saying the practice is appropriate so long as the theories of executive power used to challenge provisions are legitimate. Under what circumstances, if any, would you use signing statements to deem provisions of bills constitutionally invalid? During my administration, I have used signing statements judiciously and sparingly to identify legislative provisions that may raise constitutional concerns, and to indicate to Congress and the public how I intend to interpret those provisions in light of those potential constitutional concerns. I have also attempted, in statements of administration policy and through other means, to alert Congress at the earliest stage in the legislative process possible that bills under consideration include constitutionally problematic provisions, and to negotiate for their revision or removal. I agree with the American Bar Association. The executive branch has exceeded its constitutional bounds at the expense of the other branches of government, particularly the legislative. It is up to the courts, not the president, to determine whether provisions of a bill are constitutionally valid or not. None. As President George Washington explained, the presidents duty is to sign or veto a bill in toto. Presidential signing statements are like line-item vetoes, which the United States Supreme Court held unconstitutional in Clinton v. New York. The president swears to uphold the Constitution, which requires vetoing any bill the president believes contains an unconstitutional provision. Presidential signing statements weaken an already effete Congress by disarming the legislature of power to bundle in a single bill provisions both liked and disliked by the president and forcing a decision that accepts all or none. Signing statements can be a legitimate tool for clarifying the executives understanding of a bills provisions. They should not be used to bypass or undermine the intent of Congress. Further, the use of signing statements should be approached with caution and restraint, and should only be used in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and compelling constitutional concern that cannot be resolved through other means. I will always stand up for the Constitution and the principles of limited government. As president, I would prioritize open communication with Congress to address any constitutional concerns before signing a bill into law. It is essential to respect the role of each branch of government and work within the framework of checks and balances established by the founders to ensure the proper functioning of our democratic system. The president has no authority to legislate, and must follow every constitutional law. On the rare occasions Congress passes unconstitutional laws like the Alien and Sedition Acts, which egregiously violated American liberties, the president is obligated as an actor subject to the Constitution not to follow them. The executive branch must interpret laws that are ambiguous, and in ways that are consistent with the Constitution. It is most transparent and accountable for a president to issue such interpretations at the time laws are signed, rather than issuing egregiously abusive interpretations after the fact, as Joe Biden has repeatedly done in his unaccountable use of executive actions to reinterpret statutes. I would not use signing statements as a backdoor line-item veto. The principal purpose of signing statements should be to provide public guidance on how the law will be enforced by the executive branch. The president has an obligation not to enforce unconstitutional provisions of a statute because the Constitution overrides the statute under the supremacy clause. Using a signing statement to articulate the presidents belief that a particular provision is unconstitutional merely gives notice to both Congress and the public of the presidents views, promoting transparency and underlining the separation of powers. I would continue that practice as president. The claim that the president must veto any bill containing an unconstitutional provision even if the provision is one subsection in a bill containing hundreds of sections of vital importance to national security or the national economy is entirely impracticable. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. Has not responded to this question. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, commenting on a video in which Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claims that the world is suffering from the consequences of war not because of Russian aggression, but because of EU policy, called on Brussels to request an explanation from Budapest, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said. "It turns out that the whole world is suffering the consequences of the war not because Russia attacked Ukraine, but because Europe has globalized the conflict. This is the opinion of Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who recently visited Hong Kong. In our opinion, Brussels should ask for an explanation from Budapest about why the Hungarian minister is spreading disinformation against the European Union in the interests of Russia," Nikolenko said on Facebook, attaching a corresponding video to the post. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said this is not only about Ukraine, but also about "Hungarys attempts to undermine European positions in Asia." Geraldine Schroeder Photo: Mike Auerbach Hill+Knowlton Strategies names Geraldine Schroeder CEO, Germany, effective October 9. Schroeder was most recently CEO of Grayling in Germany. Prior to that, she was managing director of strategic communications consultancy Johanssen + Kretschmer, working on projects in both the private and public sectors. She has also led the communications function at ENGIE's gas storage company, Storengy, and was head of corporate communications at Voith Hydro, a global leader in large hydropower solutions. At H+K, she will be based in Berlin, and join the firms global leadership council. She brings a valuable combination of agency and corporate executive leadership experience, along with deep market knowledge that will be instrumental to our growth in Germany, said H+K Strategies global chairman and CEO AnnaMaria DeSalva. Devin Davis Corbin Advisors, a strategic consultancy which works to accelerate value realization globally, appoints Devin Davis as senior VP, head of marketing & communications, a newly created position. Davis joins the company from Macquarie Asset Management, where he most recently served as head of digital & demand generation. He has also held senior marketing, demand generation and strategy positions at companies including BlackRock, American Express amd JP Morgan Asset Management. At Corbins, Davis will lead the companys end-to-end marketing and communications effort with responsibilities across strategy, brand, public relations, sales enablement, and client engagement and impact. Devins data-driven approach, multi-channel expertise, and values-based orientation make him the ideal cultural fit as we continue to execute our growth strategy and innovate on behalf of our clients and the broader investor relations industry, said Corbin Advisors founder and CEO Rebecca Corbin. Aaron Edelstein Rasky Partners hires Aaron Edelstein as an associate VP on its public relations team. Edelstein comes to Rasky from MikeWorldWide, where he served as a senior account executive. He previously held PR and communications positions at firms including Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications and Glover Park Group. In his new post, Edelstein supports clients in the energy, technology, and financial services sectors through media relations outreach, corporate communications strategies, messaging and positioning, and thought leadership campaigns. Arkansas Seeks Help to Grow Economy Fri., Oct. 27, 2023 The Arkansas Dept. of Commerce is looking for PR, marketing and advertising services to generate awareness that it is a desirable place to grow, relocate or start a business. A COLLAPSED bridge on a busy road in north Offaly may not be replaced until late October at the earliest, it emerged this week. The collapse of the bridge over the Yellow river near Rhode has necessitated the closure of the R400, the road which connects the Offaly village with Rochfortbridge and is the direct route to the Dublin-Galway motorway. It was also confirmed this week that similar bridges on the same road are also at risk of collapse and the quality of the diversion routes is deteriorating from overuse. An engineer with Offaly County Council, Enda Daly, said on Wednesday that the new precast culvert sections for the bridge were being manufactured off site and were due for completion by September 30. But Mr Daly added: We did encounter other issues when we stripped back the existing structure. He said it had been anticipated that the original abutments at the bridge might be suitable but when the whole structure was taken down and the site investigated they were deemed to be structurally inadequate. This mean that further site investigation had to be carried out and a new foundation has to be built. The council is currently finalising tender documents for the new foundations and the engineer said a contractor will be appointed late this month, with a completion date hopefully of late October. That date is subject to weather conditions, the water levels of the Yellow river remaining low and contractor availability. Cllr Liam Quinn expressed concern about the completion of the project, especially with the dark evenings approaching. With the road closed, an official diversion route through Croghan and Tyrrellspass was being recommended but local people were also driving by Knockdrin and Garr. When it starts getting dark by 4.30pm, said the Fine Gael councillor those little by roads that are carrying all that traffic they just get an awful lot worse. Cllr Quinn said funds will have to be allocated to repair those roads next year, because, like the R400, they were built on peat. They're bog road themselves and they're carrying a couple of thousand vehicles a day that they were never designed to carry. He added: That stone bridge that collapsed is one of two stone bridges on that road and I would ask that we look at the second one. Mr Daly told the councillor that various stakeholders, such as Waterways Ireland, Inland Fisheries and the OPW had to be kept in the loop during the bridge replacement project. It's unfortunate that these things do take time. It's very much our main priority at the moment to get the road back open as soon as possible. We are pushing as much as we can to do that. The engineer added: In relation to the other bridges on the R400 it was a concern to us that if this one has collapsed what's the potential for the rest of them. The council has examined two of them and found that one had significant work done on it 20 years ago. The third Separate Assault Brigade announced the destruction of the 72nd separate motorized rifle brigade of Russia and the liberation of Andriyivka (Donetsk region). "As a result of a lightning-fast operation, the Russian garrison of Andriyivka was surrounded, cut off from the main forces and destroyed. In two days, the third Separate Assault Brigade eliminated: the head of the enemy's brigade reconnaissance; three battalion commanders; almost the entire infantry of the 72nd brigade, along with officers and a significant amount of equipment," they said in the Telegram channel. To date, the fighting continues, Ukrainian soldiers are gaining a foothold in new positions. Specific information about enemy losses will be released later. "The capture and retention of the village of Andriyivka is our path to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut, and the key to the success of the entire further offensive. We are paying a high price for the results of these battles. And the blood of each of our fighters will be repaid only with blood," the brigade's command said. Later, press officer of the third Special Operations Brigade Oleksandr Borodin said the settlement was completely destroyed, and also clarified that there was no civilian population left in Andriyivka. "There are no civilians there. This is a fairly small settlement, there were only Russian soldiers there and for quite a long time. That is, it's not even weeks or a month many months, if not since winter, there has been no one there. Since the settlement is small, and it was heavily damaged when the enemy attacked in the winter, when they were advancing. Even then it was very much destroyed, and now what remains is what remains," Borodin said during a telethon on Friday. As reported, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced on Friday morning that the Defense Forces had taken control of Andriyivka. Earlier, Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar reported about the capture of this settlement, but the third Special Operations Brigade denied this. 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai' Scheme: How To Apply, Check Status Of 1000 Rupee Scheme Online? Chennai oi-Prakash KL Tamil Nadu Chief Miniter M K Stalin on Friday launched the DMK government's flagship Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon, the late C N Annadurai. The 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam' (Kalaignar Scheme for Right of Women) launched the scheme from Kancheepuram which happens to be the hometown of Annadurai, the DMK founder who heralded Tamil Nadu's first non-Congress government in independent India, in 1967. The DMK government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer. Who are eligible for the scheme? All women and transgenders above 21 years can apply for the scheme. It has to be noted that unmarried and widows, who are heads of their households, are eligible for the 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai' scheme. Who Cannot Avail The Benefit? Applicants must have an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh to be eligible for the scheme, making it especially advantageous for financially disadvantaged women. Land ownership is also a consideration, with applicants permitted to possess less than 10 acres of dry land or five acres of wetland. Besides income and land ownership, the annual household power consumption should be below 3,600 units. These standards are intended to focus aid on households experiencing real financial difficulties. Notably, the wife of government employees (state and central), bank employees, income taxpayers, professional taxpayers, pensioners, and elected representatives of local bodies are not eligible for the scheme. Also, the women should not have a car or any four-wheeler at home. How To Register? Eligible women should visit nearby ration shops. Each family can designate one female member on the ration card to avail the benefit. If a man is listed as the family head on the ration card, his wife will be eligible for the scheme. It's essential to note that only one beneficiary is permitted per family's ration card. How Will The Beneficiaries Get Money? The government will directly transfer the amount to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Also, a bank ATM card will be issued in order to ensure that they draw the amount easily. Documents required for registration Aadhaar Card Mobile Number Photo Domicile Certificate of Tamil Nadu Income Certificate Bank Account Ration Card Self Declaration Family Details Death Certificate of Husband (in case of Widow). How To Check Status? Log Into : https://edistricts.tn.gov.in/socialwelfare/status.html or official website https://kmut.tn.gov.in/ You will get two options: Search by Application ID or Registration Number Enter details including your date of birth. Click the 'get status' button. ED Arrests Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Mallick In Ration Scam: What We Know So Far 417 Crore: This ED Recovery In Mahadev Betting Case Will Shock You India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken action to freeze and confiscate assets valued at Rs 417 crore in connection with the Mahadev online betting case, as per officials' statements on Friday. The company, which was promoted by Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal and operated from Dubai, is alleged to have utilised the online book betting application for the recruitment of new users, the creation of user IDs, and the laundering of money through a complex network of benami bank accounts. As per the agency's official statement released on September 15, 2023, it states, "The ED has recently conducted extensive searches targeting money laundering networks associated with the Mahadev app in cities such as Kolkata, Bhopal, Mumbai, etc., and has uncovered substantial incriminating evidence. It has frozen and seized proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 417 crore." ED has conducted searches against the money laundering networks linked with Mahadev APP in cities like Kolkata, Bhopal, Mumbai etc and retrieved large amount of incriminating evidences and has frozen/seized proceeds of crime worth Rs 417 Crore. pic.twitter.com/GXHWCmKOuY ED (@dir_ed) September 15, 2023 Officials have determined through their investigation that the Mahadev Online Book App operates from a central headquarters in the UAE. It operates by franchising "Panel/Branches" to known associates on a 70-30 profit-sharing ratio, as indicated by the ED. Delhi Excise Policy Case: ED Summons BRS leader K Kavitha For Questioning Tomorrow Hawala operations on a large scale are allegedly being employed to transfer the proceeds of betting to offshore accounts. Substantial cash expenditures are also taking place in India for the advertising of betting websites, with the aim of attracting new users and franchise seekers, according to the ED. The promoters of the company are originally from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, and the Mahadev Online Book Betting application is described as an overarching syndicate that facilitates online platforms for illegal betting websites. For more details: Six-Year Old Pays Last Respect To His Father Colonel Manpreet Singh India oi-Sushmita Halder Six-year-old son of Colonel Manpreet Singh who lost his life during a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district was seen offering a salute to his father during the last rites in Punjab's Mohali district. He was accompanied by his two-year-old sister who also offered a salute to her father. Family of Colonel Manpreet Singh including his wife, sister, and mother were seen shedding tears during the funeral. 41-year-old, Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles (19 RR) and a recipient of the prestigious Sena Medal (Gallantry), breathed his last during the terrorist attack on Wednesday night, after the army and police had launched a joint operation after getting a tip-of-toe information about the terrorists. Anantnag Encounter: Last Rites Of Major Ashish Dhonchak Performed With State Honours In Panipat Three personnel, including the Colonel, a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, died in the gunfight in the Kokorenag area in the valley on Wednesday. #WATCH | Son of Col. Manpreet Singh salutes before the mortal remains of his father who laid down his life in the service of the nation during an anti-terror operation in J&K's Anantnag on 13th September The last rites of Col. Manpreet Singh will take place in Mullanpur pic.twitter.com/LpPOJCggI2 ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 The body of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who led the operation with Colonel Singh was also brought to his native village in Panipat to perform his last rites. Thousands of people joined his grieving family and officers for his final journey. The body was taken to his native Binjhol village in an Army vehicle from Panipat town this morning. His last rites were conducted after a wreath-laying ceremony and a gun salute. Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4 The funeral procession took nearly three hours as the mourners covered a distance of about eight km from the major's home in the town to reach his Binjhol village. Apart from Colonel Manpreet Singh, and Major Ashish Dhonchak, the funeral of 33-year-old Deputy Superintendent with Jammu and Kashmir Police, Himayun Muzamil Bhat took place in Budgam on Wednesday. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Police Chief Dilbag Singh paid tribute to the police officer. India's Aditya L1 Spacecraft Completes Successful Fourth Earth-Bound Manoeuvre India -Krishna Kripa In the early hours of September 15, Aditya L1 spacecraft, India's pioneering space-based mission to study the Sun, successfully underwent its fourth earth-bound manoeuvre. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed this development in an announcement posted on X, a platform previously known as Twitter. Successful Earth-Bound Manoeuvres The ISRO stated that the fourth Earth-bound manoeuvre EBN#4 was executed successfully. During this operation, ISRO's ground stations located at Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR and Port Blair were tracking the satellite. In addition to these stations, a transportable terminal currently stationed in Fiji islands for Aditya-L1 will support post-burn operations. The new orbit attained by the spacecraft is 256 km x 121973 km according to ISRO. Following this successful manoeuvre, the next one named Trans-Lagragean Point 1 Insertion TL1I - essentially a send-off from Earth - is scheduled for September 19 around 02:00 Hrs IST. Aditya L1 A Significant Leap For Indian Space Research Aditya-L1 holds significant importance as it is India's first space-based observatory tasked with studying the Sun from a halo orbit around the first Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L1. This point is situated approximately 1.5 million km away from our planet. The spacecraft has been performing remarkably well as evidenced by its successful completion of not only this recent manoeuvre but also three prior ones which took place on September 3rd ,5th and10th respectively. The series of manoeuvres are being conducted during Aditya L1s16-day journey around Earth where it gains necessary velocity for its further travel towards L1. This mission is a testament to the Indian space agency's capabilities and ambition, marking a significant milestone in India's journey into space exploration. Conclusion With the successful completion of these manoeuvres, Aditya L1 spacecraft is on track for its scheduled send-off from Earth. These developments are not only crucial for the success of this mission but also contribute significantly towards enhancing our understanding of Suns dynamics. The data collected by Aditya-L1 will provide valuable insights that could potentially revolutionise solar research. As we eagerly await more updates on this mission, it is clear that ISRO has once again demonstrated its ability to execute complex space missions with precision and professionalism. The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) of Ukraine has completed a special investigation and submitted to the court the materials of the case accusing former president Viktor Yanukovych and former prime minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov of high treason during the signing of Kharkiv Accords," the SBI said. "SBI officers have completed a special pretrial investigation against the former president and prime minister of Ukraine on charges of committing high treason and assisting Russia in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine," the bureau said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Friday. As established by SBI investigators, the former president of Ukraine in 2010 received instructions from the Russian leadership to extend the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. According to the basic Agreements of 1997 between Ukraine and Russia, this period ended in 2017. It is recalled that Ukraine previously confirmed its intentions not to extend the validity of these Agreements and prepared a bilateral Memorandum on the withdrawal of the Russian fleet. The Russian side ignored the official appeal. "Due to the energy blackmail, the Russians decided to force the then Ukrainian leadership to extend the stay of the Russian fleet in Crimea. This subsequently led to the annexation of the peninsula," the bureau said. According to the SBI, in April 2010, at the Russian state residence "Novo-Ogaryovo," the Ukrainian delegation led by the prime minister received the final text of the draft Agreement on extending the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine. "Then, at a closed meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the prime minister and the minister of foreign affairs assured those present about the need and importance of signing this Agreement, supposedly in the economic interests of the country. After all, receiving a discount on the cost of Russian gas is forced, given the state of the state's economy," the SBI said. The SBI said in addition to violating the Constitution and a number of laws, the Agreement essentially provided for the deployment of a new military base on the territory of Ukraine and actually introduced new rules for extending the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in our country. "Hurrying to please Russia, Yanukovych in a matter of days introduced a bill on the ratification of the Agreement as urgent for extraordinary consideration by the Verkhovna Rada, and on April 27, 2010, the decision was made by deputies. As a result of the criminal actions of the then leadership of the country, there was an increase in personnel and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol. These forces were used by the enemy to occupy the peninsula in 2014," the SBI said. In addition, the bureau said the investigation documented the damage to the governemnt caused by the country's former leadership due to the signing of Kharkiv Accords amounting to more than UAH 1.0008 trillion 80 billion. Anantnag Encounter: Last Rites Of Major Ashish Dhonchak Performed With State Honours In Panipat India oi-Sushmita Halder Thousands of people gathered in Haryana's Panipat on Friday to pay last respects to Major Ashish Dhonchak who was martyred in a terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. Earlier today, people in huge number gathered outside the residence of Major Dhonchak. The mortal remains of Major Dhonchak was brought to his native village Panipat. The officer fell to enemy fire during the encounter in the Kokernag area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday. Major Dhonchak was a father to a two-and-half-year-old daughter. He also had three sisters. Major Dhonchak came home on leave just two months ago. VIDEO | Thousands gather to pay last respects as last rites of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who lost his life in Anantnag encounter, are being held in Panipat, Haryana. pic.twitter.com/VcrzxSU5VR Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 Major Dhonchak joined the Indian Army in 2013. His family constitute his wife, two-year-old daughter, and three sisters. Major Dhonchak who had been living in a rented accommodation had planned to shift to a new house in Panipat in October. However, everything went in vain with his sudden death. The Major's mortal remains reached his Panipat home in an Army vehicle. J&K: Forces Use Drones, Fire Mortar Shells As Anantnag Operation Enters Day 3 Apart from Major Dhonchak, Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was commanding the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Rashtriya Rifles, was also martyred in the gunfight in Anantnag district. The mortal remains of Col. Manpreet Singh was brought to Mohali in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, expressed condolences over the sad demise of the officers in the encounter. VIDEO | Major Ashish Dhonchak laid to rest in Panipat, Haryana. Major Dhonchak lost his life in the anti-terror operation in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/qfndnO7IUF Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 A joint search operation was launched by the army and the police to track the terrorists late at night on Tuesday. The terrorist attack started in the early hours of Wednesday. The area is cordoned off and a search operation is underway. As per the reports, the security forces are using drones for attacks on the hideout of the terrorists in the Kokernag area. Meanwhile, a soldier is reportedly missing while two others have been injured in the encounter that is underway for over 48 hours. The weapons used by the security forces include strike-capable Heron drones, in their intensified anti-terror operations. Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4 The Jammu and Kashmir Police have confirmed that a local terrorist, Uzair Khan, and a foreign terrorist are still present in the area of the encounter. Reportedly, the security forces have successfully neutralized one terrorist. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 14:25 [IST] Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4 India oi-Madhuri Adnal A fourth soldier succumbed to his injuries on Friday, bringing the death toll to four in an ongoing encounter in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. The area is cordoned off, and a search operation is underway, according to an official statement. The encounter followed a gunfight that erupted between security forces and concealed terrorists in the Kokernag area of Anantnag on Wednesday. In this violent exchange, an Army Rashtriya Rifles unit Commanding Officer (Colonel), a Company Commander (Major), and a Jammu and Kashmir Police Deputy Superintendent (DSP) lost their lives. The encounter is ongoing. The four officials who tragically lost their lives are Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchack, DSP Humayun Bhat, and the fourth soldier whose identity has not been disclosed. Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchack were laid to rest in their hometown of Panipat on Friday morning. DSP Humayun Bhat was given his final farewell on Thursday at his residence in Budgam. After the encounter, the Indian Army airlifted their remains to Srinagar on Thursday, and a tribute was paid to their mortal remains on Thursday evening. J&K: 3 Security Officers Martyred In Anantnag Encounter, 2 LeT Terrorists Trapped Officials have disclosed that the army was leading the operation based on specific intelligence inputs, searching for terrorists in a hideout when the firefight erupted. The terrorists initiated gunfire, resulting in the immediate death of Colonel Manpreet Singh and injuries to two other officials who later succumbed to their injuries in a Srinagar hospital. The terrorists are believed to be associated with "The Resistance Front," a proxy group of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Security forces suspect that two to three terrorists are still hiding in the area. To facilitate surveillance and aid in the search operation, Heron drones and quadcopters have been deployed in the region, as reported by officials. In response to the killing of four security personnel, anti-Pakistan protests erupted on Thursday in various parts of Jammu city. Organizations such as Panun Kashmir and the Eik Sanatam Bharat Dal (ESBD) paid homage to the fallen personnel and called for a comprehensive operation against the terrorist network in Jammu and Kashmir. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 9:41 [IST] AP Elections 2024: Jagan Reddy Plots Strategy As TDP-Jana Sena Alliance Takes Shape India oi-Madhuri Adnal The election game in Andhra Pradesh has begun, and with it, clarity has emerged on the major alliances. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP) have announced that they will contest the upcoming elections together, and they are hopeful of forming an alliance with the BJP. However, the BJP has not yet made a decision on whether to join the alliance. This raises a number of questions. What is Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's plan? What will the BJP decide? And how will these developments impact the election? Jagan Reddy's plan Jagan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is likely to benefit from the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, as it will split the opposition vote. However, he is also aware that a united opposition could pose a serious challenge to his government. In recent months, Jagan has been working on a number of political strategies to counter the TDP-Jana Sena alliance. He has appointed people from various communities to key positions in the government and party, in an attempt to build a broad coalition of support. He has also started social engineering programs to improve the lives of marginalised communities. Janasena, TDP Will Go Together In Next Elections: Pawan Kalyan After Meeting Naidu In Prison Jagan is also hoping to gain the support of the BJP. He has met with BJP leaders on several occasions, and he has hinted that he would be willing to work with the BJP if it would help him defeat the TDP-Jana Sena alliance. BJP's decision The BJP is in a difficult position. On the one hand, it wants to defeat Jagan Reddy in the upcoming elections. On the other hand, it does not want to alienate its allies in the TDP and Jana Sena. The BJP is also aware that its decision could have implications for its national political strategy. If the BJP decides to support Jagan Reddy, it could alienate its supporters in Andhra Pradesh. However, if the BJP decides to support the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, it could alienate its allies in other states. Impact on the election The BJP's decision on whether to support the TDP-Jana Sena alliance will have a significant impact on the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh. If the BJP decides to support Jagan Reddy, it is likely that he will win the election. However, if the BJP decides to support the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, the election could be much closer. Visakhapatnam: More than half of Jana Sena workers released but situation still tense The TDP-Jana Sena alliance has a number of advantages. It has a strong base of support in rural areas, and it has a charismatic leader in Pawan Kalyan. However, the alliance is also facing some challenges. It has been criticized for being too focused on the interests of its two leaders, and it has been accused of being unable to offer a clear vision for the future of Andhra Pradesh. The BJP has the potential to be a kingmaker in the upcoming elections. If the BJP decides to support the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, it could give the alliance the edge it needs to win the election. However, if the BJP decides to support Jagan Reddy, it could help him secure a comfortable victory. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 12:10 [IST] Bihar Minister Chandrashekhar's Ramcharitmanas-Potassium Cyanide Comparison Draws Flak India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar once again sparked controversy by asserting that Ramcharitmanas, an epic poem based on the Ramayana, contains "elements akin to potassium cyanide (poison)." Speaking at an event celebrating Hindi Diwas, Chandrashekhar remarked that while Ramcharitmanas contains many positive aspects, it also includes some "harmful elements." "It's like serving 55 delicious dishes and adding a dash of potassium cyanide to them. When I raise such issues, they accuse me of being anti-Hindu and against Sanatan Dharma. But when Mohan Bhagwat says something, no one objects," Chandrashekhar stated. Amid Uproar Over 'Sanatana Dharma', Bihar Minister Claims Prophet Was 'Maryada Purushottam' I.N.D.I alliance attack on Sanatan Dharma continues, Now Bihar's Education Minister Chandrashekhar- If 55 types of dishes are served and potassium cyanide is mixed in it, will you eat it? There is something called Potassium Cyanide in Hindu Scriptures.pic.twitter.com/kgsDIgNCSM Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) September 15, 2023 In response to his comments, senior BJP leader and spokesperson Arvind Singh said, "Chandrashekhar is a source of social toxicity. He is eager to spread negativity in society. The education minister poses a threat to education and humanity alike. He repeatedly makes statements against Ramcharitmanas and Sanatan Dharma. He and his leader, who only completed ninth grade, lack an understanding of Sanatan and Ramcharitmanas. In fact, the RJD is a source of social and political toxicity that is sowing discord in society. Bihar is witnessing crimes such as murder, theft, rape, and communal tension everywhere." Earlier in January, Chandrashekhar had previously criticised Ramchartimanas and Manusmriti, stating that these books "foster hatred in society." Since then, he has consistently made statements against Ramcharitmanas. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 13:43 [IST] Skill Development Scam: No Interim Bail For Chandrababu Naidu, SC To Hear Plea On October 9 TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu Pens An Open Letter From Prison: Not In Jail, But In People's Hearts Chandrababu Naidu Files Bail Petitions In Court In Skill Development Corporation Case India oi-PTI TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody for his alleged role in a multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam, has filed two bail petitions, interim and regular, in a local court. In the interim bail petition, Naidu denied all the allegations levelled against him and claimed that there was no prima facie evidence on record against him. ''We have filed two petitions, one is for interim bail and another for regular bail. However, the hearing may not be done today (Friday),'' advocate G Subba Rao, a member of Naidu's legal team, told PTI. Rao said the Crime Investigation Department is yet to file a counter to their bail pleas. Hence, he noted that the hearing may not come up on Friday. However, the CID has been served the notice and is yet to reply, the advocate said. Vijayawada Court Rejects Chandrababu Naidu's Plea For House Arrest The bail petitions were filed on Thursday at the ACB Court which remanded Naidu. Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in connection with a case involving misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state government. He is currently lodged in the Rajamahendravaram central prison. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 12:52 [IST] CBI Probe Needed for Alleged Scam in Delhi Govt. School Construction: Claims BJP's Manoj Tiwari BJP MP Manoj Tiwari has demanded a CBI investigation into an alleged scam involving the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools, based on a report from the Vigilance Directorate. The Aam Aadmi Party claims this is an attempt by the BJP to disrupt their work in education. India -Krishna Kripa On Friday, Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged scam in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. This demand was made citing a report from the Vigilance Directorate. In response, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party released a statement alleging that BJP's intention is to obstruct the commendable work being performed by the Delhi government in education. Tiwari's Allegations and Call for CBI Probe In a press conference, Tiwari revealed that this report had been submitted by the Vigilance Directorate to Lokayukta last month. The MP had lodged a complaint with Delhi Lokayukta back in 2018 regarding suspected irregularities in constructing classrooms for government schools within Delhi. According to him, semi-permanent school structures were built at an expenditure of Rs 32 lakh while permanent classrooms constructed by municipal corporations cost around Rs 9 lakh each. He further highlighted that despite reduction in number of classrooms from 7,180 to 4,126 as stated clearly in Vigilance Directorates report submitted to Lokayukta, there was no corresponding deduction made within budget allocation. For these reasons he called for this matter to be handed over to CBI. AAP Government's Defense The AAP government has defended itself against these allegations stating that they are unfounded and politically motivated. They argue their efforts have been focused on improving educational infrastructure and quality across all public schools within New Delhi. Implications If proven true, these allegations could have serious implications not just on those involved but also on overall trust people place within governmental institutions tasked with developing public infrastructure such as schools. It would shed light on potential misuse of public funds intended for enhancing educational facilities for children. Conversely, if these allegations are proven false, it could potentially harm the reputation of those who made them and create unnecessary political tension. Conclusion In conclusion, this situation highlights the importance of transparency and accountability within government operations especially in sectors as critical as education. The demand for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in construction of classrooms by Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari underscores public concerns over potential misuse of funds allocated for public infrastructure development. It remains to be seen how this issue will unfold and what implications it may have on future educational initiatives within Delhi. 'Not Doing His Job': SC's Ultimatum To Maharashtra Speaker On Shiv Sena Member's Disqualification Pleas Excise Policy Cases: SC Defers Hearing On Bail Pleas Of Manish Sisodia To October 4 India oi-PTI The Supreme Court on Friday deferred hearing for October 4 on the bail pleas of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in two Delhi excise policy cases being probed by the CBI and ED. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti adjourned the matter after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, submitted that he needs two to three hours to argue the matter. ''Although I am in jail. We (both sides) have agreed. The hearing will take 2-3 hours at least on my side. This matter requires urgent attention,'' Singhvi said. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju agreed to his submission. Singhvi also alleged that whenever this case or Satyendar Jain's case comes up, there is a newspaper article on the merits of the case. Delhi Excise Policy Case: SC Notice To CBI, ED on Manish Sisodia's Bail Pleas The bench said it has not read newspapers and added, ''We have to get used to that''. On July 14, the top court had sought responses of the CBI and the ED on the interim bail pleas of Sisodia in the cases. Sisodia, who held the excise portfolio among the many that he handled as the deputy chief minister, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 for his alleged role in the ''scam''. He has been in custody since then. The ED arrested him in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail. Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28. The high court had denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a ''high-profile'' person who has the potential to influence the witnesses. On July 3, the high court had declined him bail in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, holding that the charges against him are ''very serious in nature''. In its May 30 order, the high court had said since Sisodia was at the ''helm of affairs'' when the alleged scam took place, he cannot say he had no role to play. Kejriwal Accuses PM Modi of Defaming Manish Sisodia through ED The high court had said with his party still in power in the national capital, Sisodia, who once held 18 portfolios, continues to wield influence, and since the witnesses are mostly public servants, the possibility of their getting influenced cannot be ruled out. According to the two federal investigative agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders. The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 12:59 [IST] From CA Aspirant to Army Martyr: Col Manpreet Singh's Tale of Patriotism and Heroism India oi-Prakash KL The last rites of Colonel Manpreet Singh were performed in his hometown in Punjab's Mohali on Friday. Thousands of people bid goodbye to the brave-hearted soldier who lost his life while fighting for the nation. Along with Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday morning. Who Was Manpreet Singh? One might be surprised to know that his first dream was to become a Chartered Accountant. However, he ditched the financially prosperous career and opted to join the Indian Army. Anantnag Encounter: Last Rites Of Major Ashish Dhonchak Performed With State Honours In Panipat Taking inspiration from his father, a distinguished Army veteran, Manpreet resolved to continue the time-honoured tradition of his family-a tradition synonymous with honour, bravery, and unswerving allegiance to Mother India. It is interesting to note that he was the 22nd member of his extended family to join the Army. A battle-hardened veteran, he received the Sena Medal for his service while serving as the second-in-command of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles. This battalion had the critical responsibility of maintaining security in South Anantnag, Kokernag, and Verinag Achabal, along with their more challenging terrains, which had been heavily infiltrated by terrorists, particularly foreign mercenaries in the past. After his promotion in 2021 as a Colonel, Singh was given a choice to opt for peace area posting. "No Sir, I would like to be posted in my 19 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) and be with my own men," was his prompt response, politely rejecting the offer that had been made to him, according to a PTI report. "In 2003, he decided to join the Army. After completing his CA studies, he cleared the army exam and joined the Army... During his leave, he used to spend time with family and friends but never talked about defence. He kept it secret... He reached this place through his efforts. He used to cycle his way to Chandigarh College and come back on time... A mountain of pain has fallen on us, but we are still proud that our son made a sacrifice for the nation," Republic quoted Colonel Manpreet Singh's uncle as saying. Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4 Colonel Manpreet Singh leaves behind his spouse, a son of six years, and a two-year-old daughter. The Army officer, a Sena medal awardee, leaves behind two children, wife Jagmeet Kaur, a government school teacher in Haryana's Panchkula district, mother Manjeet Kaur and brother Sandeep. An Extraordinary Student His teacher Asha Chadha recalled him as as an extraordinary student. "We are very sad today but at the same time proud that we are teachers of a martyr who sacrificed his life for the nation." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 17:13 [IST] Anganwadi centres should be learning centres as well, says Min Pratima Bhoumik Hyderabad: A day after his remarks on KCR's daughter, BJP MP's house 'attacked by TRS workers' Greater Noida Lift Free Fall: 4 Workers Killed At Under-Construction Society India oi-Madhuri Adnal Four workers died Friday after a service lift had a free fall at an under-construction group housing society in Greater Noida West, also known as Noida Extension, officials said. Five other workers suffered injuries and are hospitalised in critical condition, Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Manish Verma said. The incident took place at the under construction site of Amrapali Dream Valley society around 8.30 am, Additional DCP (Central Noida) Rajeev Dixit told PTI. VIDEO | Several casualties feared as lift falls off at an under-construction building of Amrapali housing society in UP's Greater Noida. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/J8Kd8zhfy8 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 ''The service lift, which is used at construction sites, had a fall from the 14th floor height,'' Dixit said. Greater Noida Teenage Girl Ends Life Following Alleged Harassment, Police Investigation Underway Speaking to news agency ANI, DM Manish Verma said,"...Four people have died...Five people are in critical condition and undergoing treatment in a city hospital...Our team is present in the city hospital...Our officers are also present on the site and no one is stranded there...Proper treatment is being given...An investigation is going on..." #WATCH | Noida: On the lift collapse on an under-construction site of Amrapali Builders in Greater Noida, DM Manish Verma says,"...Four people have died...Five people are in critical condition and undergoing treatment in a city hospital...Our team is present in the city pic.twitter.com/PIfZMYjTSC ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 15, 2023 Construction workers were utilizing the lift to access the 14th floor of a tower when, as per officials, the suspension wire of the lift gave way, causing it to plummet to the ground. Four workers died Friday after a service lift had a free fall at an under-construction group housing society in Greater Noida West, also known as #Noida Extension, officials said.#Lift #GreaterNoida pic.twitter.com/Tf2D8x9qUg Madhuri Adnal (@madhuriadnal) September 15, 2023 "Nine construction workers were aboard the service lift when it descended from the 14th floor. It is suspected that the suspension wire of the lift snapped," explained Central Noida Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP-2) RK Pandey. The project is presently under construction and is being developed by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC). For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 13:15 [IST] Greater Noida Teenage Girl Ends Life Following Alleged Harassment, Police Investigation Underway A teenage girl from Greater Noida ended her life following alleged continuous harassment by a local man. The family lodged an FIR at the Jewar police station under IPC section 354 and POCSO Act provisions. The accused allegedly molested the girl after asking for her phone number late at night. India -Krishna Kripa In a tragic incident in Greater Noida, a teenage girl took her own life while her father and brother were at the police station filing a complaint against a local man who had been allegedly harassing her. The family of the Class 8 student stated that the 20-year-old accused had been troubling their daughter for quite some time. The situation escalated when he visited their home late at night to obtain her phone number and molested her. Details of the Incident The police reported that both parties resided in the same neighbourhood and were acquainted with each other from before. They are currently investigating all allegations related to this case. An FIR has been filed under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with provisions from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Jewar Police Station. 16-Year-Old Commits Suicide By Falling From Terrace Of School In Kolkata Family's Statement to Police The victims brother approached law enforcement officials informing them about how events unfolded on that fateful night. He detailed how around 12:30 am, the accused, residing in Jahangirpur, came by his house asking for his sister's contact details and then proceeded to molest her. A Tragic End While all these proceedings were underway and as her father and brother were lodging an official complaint against this harassment, back home, unbeknownst to them, their young kin was driven by despair into taking such drastic action leading to an unfortunate end. Persistent Issue in Society This heartbreaking incident is yet another grim reminder of how sexual harassment continues its relentless torment on young girls across India. The laws may be stringent but it seems they fall short when it comes to preventing such incidents or providing timely help for victims who often find themselves cornered with no way out but resorting to extreme measures such as suicide. It is a wake-up call for society and law enforcement agencies alike. More needs to be done in terms of sensitizing people about the gravity of sexual harassment, its implications and consequences. There is an urgent need for creating safe spaces where victims can voice their issues without fear, seek help, and get justice. 2 NEET Aspirants Commit Suicide in Rajasthan's Kota Conclusion In conclusion, this tragic incident underscores the urgency with which we must address the issue of sexual harassment against minors in India. It calls for introspection on part of our society that fails to provide safety and dignity to its young girls. The laws are there but their effective implementation remains a challenge that needs immediate attention. We owe it to our children to create an environment where they feel safe, respected and valued; a world free from fear where they can grow into confident adults contributing positively towards nation-building. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna says Ukraine's goal before the NATO summit in Washington in 2024 is to demonstrate real progress in the implementation of the adapted annual national programme (ANP), as well as to fully launch the work of the Council of Ukraine-NATO. "We are ready to start work on creating joint committees and working groups within the Council," the deputy prime minister's press service said, citing Stefanishyna, following a meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Boris Ruge. The parties also discussed the practical aspects of creating joint committees and working groups within the Ukraine-NATO Council, and priority areas for Ukraine for work in the committees. The Deputy Prime Minister also conveyed to NATO the vision of priority areas of reform that will be included in the adapted annual national program. Gujarat Government's Bold Move: 27% OBC Reservation in Local Bodies Now Law The BJP-led Gujarat government has passed a new law, increasing the reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 27% in local governmental bodies. This move comes after the recommendation of the Zaveri commission. India -Krishna Kripa The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat recently passed a bill earmarking 27 per cent of seats in local bodies for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The move, which increases the OBC reservation from its previous 10 per cent, applies to panchayats, municipalities and civic corporations. This significant development occurred on Friday, September 15th. Amendment Bill Passed Amidst Protest The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws Amendment Bill 2023 was successfully passed through a majority voice vote. However, this did not occur without resistance. All seventeen Congress Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), including Congress Legislative Party leader Amit Chavda and senior MLA Arjun Modhwadia, staged a walkout in protest against the proposed bill. They demanded higher ratio of reservation and the tabling of a report by the commission led by former Supreme Court Justice KS Zaveri. Previous Announcement and Basis for Decision Prior to this legislative action, on August 29th, the BJP government had announced their intention to introduce this increased quota system. Their decision was based on recommendations made within a report submitted by the Zaveri Commission. The state governments move is seen as an attempt to ensure greater representation for OBCs within local governing bodies. Changes to Existing Legislation To facilitate this increase from 10 per cent to 27 per cent OBC reservation in local bodies, it was necessary for the state government to amend certain provisions related to reservations within existing legislation. These include The Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporation Act of 1949; The Gujarat Municipalities Act of 1963; and The Gujarat Panchayats Act of 1993. Further Implications This change will also apply to areas that fall under the Panchayats Extension. However, it is currently unclear how this will be implemented in these regions and what impact it may have on the local governance structures. In conclusion, the BJP government's move to increase OBC reservations within Gujarats local bodies represents a significant shift towards greater representation for backward classes within local governing bodies. Despite protests from Congress MLAs demanding even higher reservation ratios, the bill was successfully passed through a majority voice vote. This development marks a crucial step in ensuring more equitable representation at the grassroots level of governance. Nevertheless, as with any policy change of this magnitude, its implementation and ensuing impacts will need to be closely monitored. Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan Arrested, To Be Produced Before Court Today India oi-Madhuri Adnal Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan has been arrested by the police in connection with the Nuh violence that shook the state in July of this year. According to ANI, ADGP Mamta Singh has confirmed Khan's arrest. Security measures have been heightened outside the Nuh District Court, where Mamman Khan is scheduled to be presented today. Khan had previously failed to comply with police summons for questioning on two occasions. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the violence case had earlier issued a notice to Mamman on August 25, accusing him of inciting violence, and had requested his participation in the investigation by August 31. In response to the notice, the MLA provided a medical certificate stating that he was suffering from a fever. Subsequently, the police issued a second notice on September 5 and then again on September 10, but Khan did not respond. Mamman Khan filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking to prevent his arrest by the police. He argued that the case should be investigated by an SIT overseen by higher-ranking officials. The high court issued a notice to the state government and the relevant authorities and advised Khan to file a petition in the lower court. The next court date is scheduled for October 19. It was asserted on behalf of the MLA that he was not present in the area on the day of the incident, although the police claimed to have collected substantial evidence against him. Recommended Video Nuh Violence: Congress MLA Mamman Khan arrested, section 144 imposed in the district | Oneindia News Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan arrested by state police, in connection with Nuh violence case: ADGP Mamta Singh Security heightened outside Nuh District Court, where Mamman Khan will be produced today. pic.twitter.com/FEtjOLxQJt ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 Congress MLA Named as Accused in Nuh Violence: Haryana Government Reveals On July 31, violence erupted during the Brijmandal Yatra in Nuh district, subsequently spreading to other areas in Gurugram, Palwal, Rewari, Sonipat, and Faridabad. Six individuals lost their lives in the violence, including two home guards and a cleric, and over 80 people were injured. Rs 800 Crore Tax Evasion Revealed After IT Raids on Samajwadi Leader Azam Khan After conducting raids for three days at the residence and other associated premises of senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, the Income Tax department suspects him of evading taxes worth more than Rs 800 crore. India -Krishna Kripa The Income Tax department of India has reportedly identified a tax evasion case amounting to more than Rs 800 crore ($108 million) involving senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. The discovery was made following extensive raids conducted on Khan and his associates over a three-day period, according to official sources. Income Tax Raid at Khan's Residence Tax investigators arrived at Khan's residence on Jail Road in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh around 7 am on Wednesday and concluded their search by Friday evening. After the officials vacated his residence around 7 pm on Friday, Khan emerged to address the situation. "It was a raid of I-T department. They stayed here for three days. They conducted searches and asked questions," he stated, declining to answer further inquiries. IT Raids On Azam Khan's Properties In Tax Evasion Case Multiple Raids Across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh In addition to Rampur, the Income Tax Department carried out raids at over 30 locations across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on September 13 as part of its investigation into Khans alleged tax evasion activities. Official sources confirmed that these operations took place in Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh as well as several premises in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Raided Premises Include Those Belonging To Close Associates Among the raided properties was a house located in Rajnagar Colony in Ghaziabad which belongs to Ekta Kaushik who is known to be closely associated with Khan's family. These systematic operations are part of an ongoing probe into suspected large-scale tax evasion linked with the senior Samajwadi Party leader. The scale of these operations underscores the seriousness with which Indian authorities are addressing allegations of financial misconduct among political leaders. It also signifies an intensified effort towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the nation's political and economic affairs. UP: Azam Khan Convicted In Hate Speech Case Against PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath Implications of The Investigation While this investigation is still ongoing, its outcomes could have significant implications for Khan and his political career. If found guilty, he may face severe penalties including hefty fines or even imprisonment. Beyond personal consequences, it could also impact the reputation of the Samajwadi Party which has been grappling with several controversies in recent times. In conclusion, these raids signify a firm commitment by Indian authorities to uphold financial integrity and transparency among high-profile individuals and institutions. They serve as a stern reminder that nobody is above the law regardless of their social or political standing. As investigations continue into Azam Khan's alleged tax evasion activities, all eyes will be on how this case unfolds and what it means for India's fight against corruption. BJP Takes a Swipe at Congress Over Media Anchor Boycott Decision The BJP has taken a swipe at the opposition INDIA bloc's decision to boycott 14 broadcast media anchors. The party suggests that instead of shunning institutions like the media, courts or Election Commission, it would be more beneficial for them to boycott their own leader - Rahul Gandhi. India -Krishna Kripa In a recent development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc for their decision to boycott 14 broadcast media anchors. The BJP argued that such an approach towards media or any other institution will not yield any positive outcomes for the party. Instead, they suggested that Congress could benefit more from boycotting Rahul Gandhi as he lacks strength. Opposition's Attack on Institutions The BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra, while addressing reporters stated that there is no institution in India which this opposition alliance has not targeted. This includes key institutions like the Election Commission and courts. He expressed his concern over whether the list of boycotted anchors was more of a target list or hit list intended at filing FIRs against them. Potential Threat to Media Anchors Patra further questioned who would take responsibility if any of these boycotted anchors were physically attacked by individuals including members of these parties. His remarks come amid rising concerns about safety and freedom of press in India. Questioning Rahul Gandhi's Leadership In his statement, Patra also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi stating that all institutions are performing their duties well except him. He implied that if Congress indeed had to boycott someone for its own good then it should be their leader - Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi: A Leader without Strength? According to Patra, despite speaking about love (mohabbat), Rahul Gandhi promotes hate (nafrat). In his view, this makes him unsuitable as a leader and hence should be boycotted by his own party members. This comment seems to be an attempt by BJP to highlight what they perceive as weaknesses within the leadership structure of Congress. The Politics of Boycott This incident has brought to light the ongoing political tussle between BJP and Congress. The decision by the opposition INDIA bloc to boycott certain media anchors is seen as a direct attack on freedom of press, while BJP's counter suggestion of boycotting Rahul Gandhi points towards internal party dynamics and leadership issues within Congress. In conclusion, this latest development reflects the escalating tensions between India's ruling party and the opposition. While it remains to be seen how these events will unfold, they certainly underscore the complex nature of Indian politics where institutions are often caught in power struggles and leaders become targets for criticism. As such, it is crucial for all parties involved to engage in constructive dialogue that upholds democratic values and ensures a free and fair media environment. No let up in drone menace from Pakistan this year too: IB sources 15,000 Women SHGs To Get Agri-Drones: How This Will Help Modernise Farm Sector? J&K: Forces Use Drones, Fire Mortar Shells As Anantnag Operation Enters Day 3 India oi-PTI Drones have been pressed into service to pinpoint the location of the terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area on a hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said as the operation to flush out the ultras entered the third day on Friday. The terrorists killed four security personnel on Wednesday. ''The forces fired mortar shells on the terrain where they believe the terrorists are hiding, based on drone surveillance,'' the officials said. Recommended Video J&K: Anantnag Encounter enters days 3, forces use drones and fire mortar shells | Oneindia News The security forces have maintained a tight cordon in the area, they added. Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4 Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Army, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday morning. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 14:00 [IST] High Court in J&K Demands Information on Politicians' Retention of Govt. Accommodations India -Krishna Kripa The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has ordered an inquiry into the personal accommodations of 48 politicians who have retained government facilities in Jammu and Srinagar. The order was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Rajesh Sekhri on Friday, September 15. This ruling comes as a response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Professor SK Bhalla. Unauthorised Retention of Government Accommodations In his PIL, Prof Bhalla brought attention to the alleged unauthorised retention of various government accommodations including ministerial bungalows, flats, quarters in Jammu and Srinagar by former ministers and legislators. He argued that these individuals were illegally occupying these properties following the dissolution of the then state assembly in June 2018. The petition also called for action from the estates department to ensure eviction of these illegal occupants. Prof Bhalla's plea seeks not only justice but also aims to promote transparency within governmental operations. Directions Issued by the Bench To gain clarity over this issue, the bench directed SS Ahmed, learned counsel for the petitioner, to furnish a list containing names of those persons who possess houses either in Jammu or Kashmir as mentioned in Annexure-R1 attached with status report filed on March 28 this year under regulation 5 of regulations 2004 referred above. The court further instructed Senior Additional Advocate General SS Nanda, representing the estates department, to provide a detailed report determining whether any person named on this list possesses alternative accommodation. This step is crucial as it will help determine if there is any merit behind their continued occupation of government facilities despite having private residences at their disposal. Implications for Political Transparency This move by the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is a significant step towards ensuring political transparency. If the allegations are proven true, it would highlight an abuse of power and misuse of public resources by these politicians. The court's decision to investigate this matter demonstrates its commitment to uphold justice and maintain accountability among those in positions of power. In conclusion, this order from the High Court not only addresses Prof Bhallas plea but also sends a strong message about the importance of maintaining integrity within governmental operations. It emphasizes that no one, regardless of their position or standing, is above the law. The outcome of this case will be closely watched as it has potential implications for political ethics and governance norms in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh regions. Nipah Outbreak: New Clues Emerge As Bats Spotted At Farmland Linked To Index Case India oi-Madhuri Adnal The individual who succumbed to Nipah virus infection on August 30, serving as the index case for the current outbreak in Kerala, possessed farmland near his residence in Maruthonkara panchayat. The land was populated with areca nut trees and banana plants, and it was a common sight for locals and health officials to spot bats in the vicinity. These observations provide initial clues regarding the source of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district. However, the precise mode of transmission to the index case can only be determined once the central investigative team concludes its examination. Fruit bats are recognized as natural carriers of the Nipah virus, which can be transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals. Health officials have noted that the Bangladeshi strain of the Nipah virus can facilitate transmission both from animals to humans and among humans. On Thursday, a team of health officials collected samples of bat urine, animal droppings, and partially consumed fruit from the victim's plantation and nearby areas. The victim's residence is also in proximity to the 300-acre Janakikadu forest, known as an eco-tourist center and inhabited by various bat species. In 2018, samples of bat excretions from this area had confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus during the first outbreak, which claimed 17 lives. Nipah Virus Kerala: 6 Cases Confirmed In Kozhikode The 47-year-old, who tragically lost his life to Nipah, had returned to Kerala from a Gulf country approximately one-and-a-half years ago due to his father's illness. He had since engaged in farming and managed family-owned plantations featuring areca nut, banana, and other fruit trees. The farmland was located about 100 meters from his home, where bats were frequently observed hanging from trees, as reported by Sameera Basheer, the local ward member. Recommended Video Fifth Nipah Virus Case Confirmed in Kerala; Antibody Arrives to Combat Outbreak| Oneindia News A senior health official, preferring anonymity, suggested that the victim might have come into contact with bat secretions, possibly while handling an areca nut on the ground. The bats in the area underwent examination, and samples of their saliva and blood were collected. The exact mode of transmission will only be discerned following the analysis of these sample results. Shoba, the vice-president of the panchayat, shared that bats were widespread throughout the panchayat and neighboring areas and were known to nibble on fruits such as guava. She added that people were now apprehensive, even reluctant to touch fallen fruit. Prior to the arrival of Nipah, they used to pick guavas from the trees, wash them, and consume them without any fear. Many fruit growers in the region have been severely affected by the Nipah outbreak, which has heightened concerns about bats biting fruits. Experimental Antiviral Against Nipah, BSL-3 Lab For Testing Reach Kerala From ICMR: Govt Meanwhile, the health department recently published the 'route maps' of the two victims, including details of the places they visited after experiencing symptoms. The 47-year-old began displaying symptoms on August 22. On the 23rd, he attended a family gathering and visited a bank on the 25th. On the same day, he prayed at a nearby mosque. He visited two different clinics before ultimately passing away at a private hospital on August 30. At the time of his demise, it was believed to be a natural death, with no suspicions of Nipah. A significant number of people had attended his funeral due to his relatively young age of 47. Currently, all those individuals are on the contact list, but most of them remain asymptomatic, as noted by Shoba. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 10:20 [IST] Nipah Virus: Schools, Colleges Reopen After A Week As No New Case Since Sep 16 In Kozhikode Nipah Virus Kerala: 6 Cases Confirmed In Kozhikode India oi-Madhuri Adnal Kerala's Kozhikode district has reported another case of Nipah infection, as confirmed by the office of State Health Minister Veena George on Friday. A 39-year-old man has tested positive for the Nipah virus based on his sample results. He has been under observation in a hospital. It was noted that he had earlier sought treatment at a private hospital where other Nipah-positive individuals had received care for different health issues. With this latest case, the total count of Nipah cases in Kozhikode now stands at six. Meanwhile, the state government have initiated the procurement of the only available anti-viral treatment, a monoclonal antibody, through an order from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It's important to note that this treatment has not yet been clinically proven. Kerala: Holiday For School, Colleges in Kozhikode Till Sep 16 Over Nipah Outbreak In an effort to curb the spread of the lethal Nipah virus, the Kerala government has also issued orders to temporarily close all educational institutions in Kozhikode and other containment zones. Recommended Video Fifth Nipah Virus Case Confirmed in Kerala; Antibody Arrives to Combat Outbreak| Oneindia News The virus strain detected in the state is identified as the Bangladesh variant, which is capable of human-to-human transmission and possesses a high mortality rate, although it is less contagious, as previously mentioned by the Kerala government. The state's health minister has reported that the condition of all 76 individuals classified as high-risk contacts remains stable. Additionally, 13 individuals with mild symptoms are currently under hospital monitoring, with only the child being treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Nipah Virus: What is this fatal virus? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah infection is a zoonotic illness that can be transmitted from animals to humans. It can also spread through contaminated food or directly from person to person. The incubation period for Nipah Virus ranges from 4 to 14 days. Will Lockdown Return In Kerala Over Nipah Outbreak? Nipah Virus: Symptoms Symptoms of Nipah Virus include: Fever Headaches Myalgia Vomiting Sore throat Dizziness Drowsiness Altered consciousness Neurological signs indicative of acute encephalitis Odisha Government Opens More Gates at Hirakud Dam Following Heavy Rainfall Upstream Due to heavy rain in the upper catchment area, the Odisha government opened six additional gates of the Hirakud Dam and issued an alert for districts downstream. Despite releasing water from the dam, officials claim there is no fear of flooding. India -Krishna Kripa In the wake of heavy rainfall in the upper catchment area of the Mahanadi River over recent days, the Odisha government has taken precautionary measures to mitigate potential flooding risks. As a senior official reported on September 15th, these measures included opening six additional sluice gates of Hirakud Dam and issuing alerts to downstream districts. Increased Flow from Hirakud Dam The dam currently has 20 out of its total 67 gates open. Through these openings, approximately three lakh cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water is flowing, according to sources close to the matter. The decision was prompted by an increase in rainfall in the river's upper catchment area which recorded a significant 72 mm within just 24 hours. Alerts for Downstream Districts Bhakta Ranjan Mohanty, Water Resources engineer-in-chief, stated that officials have been put on high alert in all districts downstream of Mahanadi. To ensure uninterrupted monitoring and quick response if necessary, leaves have been cancelled for relevant personnel who are now required to maintain a vigilant watch on unfolding events. However, despite these precautions Mohanty expressed confidence that there is no imminent threat of floods even as water continues being released from the dam. Rainfall Statistics and Forecasts An official at the reservoir provided further data noting that while upstream areas were experiencing higher levels of precipitation with around 72mm recorded over one day; downstream regions had lower volumes at about 46mm during same period. This disparity underscores why increased flow from dam was deemed necessary. In addition to current conditions, future weather forecasts also factored into governmental responses. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted continued heavy rainfall for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. These areas are expected to be under the influence of a well-marked low pressure area that has moved to eastern Madhya Pradesh. Recent Rainfall in Odisha The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Bhubaneswar reported that within the last 24 hours, Odisha recorded an average rainfall of 23.8 mm across the state. This data further supports IMD's forecast and underscores need for continued vigilance regarding potential flooding risks. In conclusion, while heavy rains continue to fall over parts of Odisha and particularly around Mahanadi River's upper catchment area; authorities have taken proactive steps to manage water levels and minimize flood risk. The situation is being closely monitored with alerts issued for downstream districts as necessary. Despite this increased vigilance, officials remain confident that there is no immediate threat of flooding even as they continue managing high water volumes through Hirakud Dam's sluice gates. Who Was DSP Humayun Bhat? A Second-Generation Cop Who Followed In His Father's Footsteps 'Unable To Move My Legs': DSP Humayun Bhat Told His Father In His Last Call Before Death India oi-Prakash KL Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat, one of the three personnel who lost his life in a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag on Wednesday, was laid to rest on Thursday. As hundreds of people bid farewell to him in Budgam, it has now been reported that he had called his family members and colleagues after getting wounded in the gunfight with terrorists, according to a report in Tribune. He spoke to his family members in a WhatsApp video call with his family and colleagues until 2:30 pm on Wednesday. During the call, his father, a retired police officer, advised him to descend from the hillock. However, Bhat found his limbs to be numb and informed his father Ghulam Hassan Bhat, "I am unable to move my legs." A police officer stated, "The soldiers on the ground couldn't rescue him due to the forest being occupied by militants." Bhat, father of a two-month-old daughter, died due to heavy blood loss, officials said. Three Army personnel, including a Colonel commanding a battalion and a Major, and a soldier were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in the higher reaches of Kokorenag area in the valley on Wednesday. The outlawed Resistance Front, suspected to be an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities suspect that this is the identical group of terrorists responsible for the assault on army personnel that occurred on August 4, resulting in the loss of three soldiers in the elevated Halan forest region of Kulgam district. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 21:52 [IST] President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Friday in Kyiv with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan. "The cooperation of our state, all our law enforcement institutions, the Prosecutor General's Office with the International Criminal Court is absolutely systemic and brings closer real responsibility for Russian war crimes. Already the first clear result is a historic arrest warrant for Putin. There will be other fair results," he said in his Telegram channel on Friday. Who Was DSP Humayun Bhat? A Second-Generation Cop Who Followed In His Father's Footsteps India oi-Madhuri Adnal Among the three army and police officers who lost their lives in an encounter with militants in Kokernag area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday, Humayun Muzamil Bhat, at the age of 34, was the youngest. In light of that incident, let us take a moment to remember and reflect upon the life of Humayun Bhat. Bhat, holding the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP), was a second-generation cop. His father, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, had retired as an inspector general of police in Kashmir. Colleagues and friends of DSP Bhat described him as a leader who consistently led from the front. He had recently tied the knot and is survived by his wife Fatima, a one-month-old daughter, his parents, and a sister. The sight of his father at the wreath-laying ceremony for the young officer deeply moved people across the nation. Anantnag Encounter: Last Rites Of Major Ashish Dhonchak Performed With State Honours In Panipat Senior superintendent of police, Imtiyaz Hussain, said, "Until recently, we were shouldering the coffins of our colleagues. Tragically, today we find ourselves carrying the coffins of our own sons who are losing their lives to this Pakistan-sponsored terrorism." Ghulam Hassan Bhat, who had confronted militancy and managed severe law and order situations during his police career, was escorted to his son's coffin by another officer. Those few steps he took to bid farewell to his fallen son were perhaps the most agonizing moments of his life, even more harrowing than facing enemy fire. Former director general of police, Shesh Paul Vaid, remarked, "Our colleague laying a wreath on the mortal remains of his son... Humayun leaves behind a month-old baby. Ghulam Hassan understood the risks associated with serving in the J&K police force and still supported his son's decision to serve the country." The Kokernag operation marked the second major incident this year in which security forces lost three young officers, including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak of the army's 19 RR, and Humayun Muzamil. Hundreds of people from all walks of life attended Humayun's funeral on Wednesday night at his residence in Humhama, located in central Kashmir's Budgam. Director general of police Dilbag Singh and Kashmir additional director general of police Vijay Kumar were also present at the ceremony. Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4 Humayun, who briefly worked with the social welfare department, joined the police service six years ago after passing the exam in 2018. His friends and acquaintances remember him for his humble and down-to-earth nature. Advocate and political activist Sheikh Aamir expressed his shock and sorrow, saying, "I am devastated by the loss of my dear friend, a brilliant student, and a wonderful human being." Aamir recalled that Humayun used to visit him and his police officer brother at their Nowgam residence seeking guidance for the civil services exams. "His father would send him to us for guidance when he was preparing for the civil services. When he qualified and joined the police, I felt a sense of pride for being his mentor," said Aamir. He noted that, like his father, known for his integrity, Humayun had a lasting impact on everyone with his noble character. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 16:25 [IST] France Bans Sale Of iPhone 12 Amid Launch Of iPhone 15: Here's Why International oi-Sushmita Halder Amid the recent launch of iPhone 15 on September 12, the Apple Company has been facing backlashes as a French Agency asks the company to stop the sale of iPhone 12 owing to health issues caused by the electromagnetic radiation. According to the the French Agency, level of electromagnetic energy absorption of iPhone 12 is 5.74 watts per kilogram, higher than the EU standard of 4 watts per kilogram. The French National Frequency Agency on Tuesday reportedly said that Apple must take preventive measures for restricting the sale 0f of iPhone 12 in the market and take some strict action to bring the affected phones into compliance. The agency also said that a software update would be enough to fix the issue as the apps, programs and other operating information running on a device affects how the hardware works. Which Country Has The Cheapest iPhone 15? Reacting the agency, Apple said that the iPhone 12 is certified by multiple international entities and meets global radiation regulations. The Apple said it has also shared various lab results, including third-party tests, with the French agency to confirm compliance. According to the Apple, the iPhone 12 has a Sar of 0.98 watts per kilogram when held next to the ear and 0.99 watts per kilogram when carried or kept in a pocket - far below what the French claim. SAR Or Standard Absorption Rate is the level of energy that a body can absorb from any source of radiation. The radiation from the devices are a result of how they work by transmitting radiofrequency waves, creating electromagnetic fields. SAR is expressed in watts per kilogram of body weight. France's Digital Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has however confirmed that the sale of iPhone 12 has been put on halt currently until there is an update from the company for all affected devices. Apple Adds Indian GPS System 'NavIC' To iPhone Pro Models, Check Details The French Digital Minister also showed concerns of the the radiation levels detected by the iPhone 12 as these radiations might lead to cancer. Unlike the radiation from X-rays or gamma rays - caused by radioactive decay - phones are not capable of breaking chemical bonds or causing changes to cells in the human body- a process which can ultimately cause harm like cancer. Non-ionizing type of radiation from phones lead to heating up of the body tissue, which above the set limit and longer exposure can cause severe health effects including burns or heat stroke, according to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), a body which sets guidelines for the limits globally. Apart from France, Belgium State Secretary Mathiue Michel said that they have started investigating the issue and taking all necessary actions to ensure the safety of the users. Michael said that he has asked the IBPT-BIPT (regulator) to analyse the potential danger of the product. He further said that he had also asked the regulator to review all Apple smartphones. Apple Unveils iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, Check Out Prices In India However, it won't be easy for Apple to stop the sale all the units of iPhone 12 as it is still sold via third-party sellers. Notably, the iPhone 12 successfully passed the radiation test back in 2021 by the French agency. Apart from France and Europe, the Industry Ministry of Italy has also confirmed that the monitoring of the smartphone has taken place, but no action will be implemented for now. The use of iPhones could also face a regulatory ban in China. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 12:20 [IST] Youth-led Climate Activists Worldwide Rally Against Fossil Fuels Burning Amidst Record Heatwaves International -Sathish Raman On Friday, tens of thousands of climate activists from Europe to Africa and southeast Asia initiated protests demanding an end to the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels. These demonstrations were spurred by the world's current struggle with dramatic weather extremes and record-breaking heat. The protestors plan to continue their efforts throughout the weekend. Global Climate Groups Lead Protests The protests are being led by several local and global climate groups and organisations, most notably youth-led movements such as Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future initiative. Demonstrations took place in dozens of countries across hundreds of cities worldwide, underscoring the widespread concern over global warming and its catastrophic effects on our environment. A Call for Change in Vienna In Vienna, several thousand people marched bearing signs that demanded higher taxes for carbon emissions and an end to meat consumption - a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Members of Last Generation, a student climate awareness group, staged a sit-in protest outside parliament advocating for government action against oil and gas industries while pushing for laws designed to save the climate. "We Need National Climate Protection Laws" Anna Leitner from Global 2000 campaign emphasized Austria's role in this crisis during her speech at the protest. She stated: "We need national climate protection laws because Austria has a great responsibility; we have a historical responsibility for our emissions." She further criticized international companies headquartered in Austria and Europe that disregard environmental regulations elsewhere in the world leading to pollution. This is why she believes there is an urgent need for supply chain law enforcement. Fighting Corporate Indifference The last point made by Leitner highlights one crucial aspect of these protests: corporate indifference towards environmental degradation caused by their operations. Many entities continue polluting without any regard or respect towards environmental laws in countries where they operate. This has led to an outcry for stricter regulations and enforcement of existing laws, especially regarding the supply chain. The protestors believe that these companies have a moral obligation to safeguard the environment and should be held responsible for any detrimental effects caused by their actions. In conclusion, as global temperatures continue to rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, the urgency of addressing climate change becomes increasingly evident. These protests are a call to action for governments worldwide, pushing them towards adopting sustainable policies and practices. They also serve as a reminder that individuals can play a part in combating climate change through activism and raising awareness about this pressing issue. It is hoped that these demonstrations will lead to significant policy changes and inspire individuals around the world to take action against climate change. Dawson groomed and sexually abused a 16-year-old girl he met while teaching at a Sydney high school in the 1980s. He was found guilty in June in the NSW District Court. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Jake Paul is showin' his support for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on the platform that just might decide the 2024 election -- yep, one little TikTok dance can go a long way. The boxer shared their collab Wednesday, taking a Hunter Biden certainly didn't seem anxious before being indicted, because the day before he was chillin' with his 3-year-old boy Beau Jr., grabbing some grub in Malibu. President Joe Biden's son was trying to keep a low profile as he attended Eurasia Review 24 Sep 2023 The latest summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, held in the Russian Far East on Sept 23, has stirred up security concerns.. US media report the Ukrainian president will meet Joe Biden when he travels to the US next week. DW has the latest. The three nations say Iran is in breach of the 2015 nuclear deal by producing enriched uranium. More than 130 key travel industry professionals, media and travel influencers attended the Dubai leg of Aviareps Middle East Travel Caravan 2023, which brought together leading international travel brands and destinations under one roof. The participants converged to engage with key outbound travel agencies and meeting and conferencing professionals from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, fostering one-on-one interactions aimed at creating tailored travel packages, itineraries, and events for 2023/ 2024, designed exclusively for travellers based in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Aviareps is a global leader and expert in growing and developing outbound tourism, aviation and hospitality demand, with a portfolio of more than 100 airlines and 250 travel and tourism clients worldwide. The 2023 edition of the Aviareps Caravan featured 27 international partners, including The Royal Commission for AlUla, The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Malta Tourism Authority, Visit Hungary, Visit California, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Trnava Regional Tourism Board, Galeria Canalejas, Sunway Hotel & Resorts, Al Riyadh, and a select collection of international hospitality brands, airlines and destination management companies. Glenn Johnston, Vice President Middle East & Global Public Affairs, Aviareps said: We look ahead with optimism and excitement as we work with our partners and travel trade affiliates to redefine travel and craft journeys that captivate the imaginations of Gulf travellers, while setting new standards for responsible and enriching exploration and experiences. Johnston added: Luxury travel continues to thrive, with travellers from the Gulf countries showing an increasing appetite for bespoke experiences that cater to their discerning tastes. Our focus remains on crafting journeys that blend opulence with authenticity, providing travellers with exclusive access to hidden gems, and natural and cultural treasures around the world. The Riyadh event of Aviareps Middle East Travel Caravan was held on September 13 and drew an equally substantial interest. TradeArabia News Service The planned meetings of Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden have been officially confirmed, the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel told Interfax-Ukraine. "Immediately after the end of the Jewish New Year, Netanyahu will fly to the United States, where he will speak before the UN General Assembly (Friday, September 22), and will also hold a number of bilateral meetings. Among those planned, a meeting with President of Ukraine Zelenskyy is the first personal meeting after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Netanyahu was subjected to severe criticism for being perhaps the only leader of a democratic country who did not dare to visit Kyiv," the embassy said. In addition, a meeting between Netanyahu and Biden was announced within the framework of the General Assembly, and not separately in the White House, as the Israeli side wanted. "The reluctance of the American administration to receive Netanyahu in Washington, as well as the long-term refusal to have a bilateral meeting with the U.S. President, was a clear and strong signal to the Israeli leader regarding the policy pursued by Israel both domestically and in the region," the embassy said. The European Union has handed social media network TikTok a hefty fine over alleged breaches of child privacy laws. The Chinese-owned network says it disagrees with the fine. The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit against New Mexico Democratic Gov. Lujan Grisham over her temporary ban on concealed and open carry in Bernalillo County. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is calling for testimony from the DOJ over a number of moves, including the suing of SpaceX for alleged employment discrimination. On 18-19 September, the United Nations will convene a major summit to review the state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)the 17 global goals that governments agreed upon in 2015 to guide action towards a prosperous and just future. With research showing that the SDGs have since then had little political impact, the... More than 1,000 business leaders, policy-makers, leaders from international and civil society organizations, innovators and social entrepreneurs from more than 60 communities will meet in New York for the World Economic Forums Sustainable Development Impact Meetings to advance progress towards the United Nations Sustainable... CNA 20 Sep 2023 As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is making his case to the United Nations and the U.S. Congress for more military aid to.. The golden retriever, part of a Swedish rescue team, helped find 18 people alive under the rubble in Turkey earlier this year. He searched this week for the last missing person in a Moroccan village. A European Union regulator hit TikTok with a R7 billion fine over child data breaches on Friday, in the bloc's latest salvo against the business practices of tech titans. Venice: Venice on Thursday again escaped the tarnish of UNESCO's list of world heritage sites in danger, drawing a victory cheer from the mayor but scorn from environmentalists and scientists alarmed by the impact of mass tourism and climate change on the storied lagoon city. At a meeting in Saudi Arabia, member states disregarded expert findings that Venice's outstanding universal value was under a growing and increasingly urgent threat. Instead, they praised the city's conservation efforts, in particular, a last-minute pilot project approved two days ago that will make Venice the first city to charge entry. Venice similarly avoided joining the list of sites in danger two years ago after the Rome government announced a ban on big cruise ships past St. Mark's Square and through the Giudecca canal. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro welcomed the decision as proof that Venice is not at risk", calling the experts' recommendations misleading. Civic groups, however, continue to emphasize the threat to Venice from mass tourism, which they say is transforming the city into a mere destination, depriving it of its lifeblood as a thriving centre that would attract both residents and new businesses. The much-ballyhooed pilot project, charging 5 euros (USD 5.30) to day-trippers on 30 high-traffic days next year, only reinforces a low-brow image of Venice, they said. When you see how beautiful Venice is, what an incredible lifestyle the city can offer, when mass tourism isn't killing it, you realize that Venice is to some extent wasted on short-term visitors," said Jane Da Mosto, executive director of the NGO We Are Here Venice. Venice is a place where more people should be able to live and create more lives and families and jobs and exciting work opportunities.? Expressing disappointment in UNESCO's decision, Da Mosto said the language used by some of the delegates made me think they might be using material provided by Italian diplomatic channels". I really hope UNESCO will do something courageous to restore our hope in the convention? governing world heritage sites, she said. The Union of Concerned Scientists said the decision signals an alarming trend of nations not being held accountable for protecting some of the most iconic and irreplaceable natural and historic sites around the globe. It noted that Venice is increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding and water damage. The city's 6-billion-euro underwater barriers, cited by several member states as evidence of Venice's commitment to preservation, have been employed since severe flooding in 2019 to protect the city from the most serious flooding. But the project has been riven by corruption, cost overruns and long delays, and is not yet fully complete a lapse noted by the experts. As the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting loomed, housing activists in Venice this weekend announced that the number of tourist beds had officially surpassed the number of residents: 49,693 to 49,304. That imbalance drains the city of services and clogs the city's tight alleyways and water buses with suitcase-laden tourists, pushing more Venetians to move to the mainland, a trend that dates back decades. Too much tourism is just a threat to our city,'' said Remi Wacogne, an activist with the OCIO Civic Observatory on housing. All sorts of measures should be taken, starting with regulating short-term rentals, which are responsible for most of the increase in tourist beds." Venice officials, however, have failed to limit short-term rentals, despite being the only city in Italy allowed to do so under a special statute. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee recommended Venice for the list of sites in danger, citing the negative impact of mass tourism, damage to the lagoon by large ships and oil tankers entering via the Malamocco canal, and climate change leading to more frequent high tides, as well as uncoordinated development. After the decision, the committee reiterated its concerns and underlined that further progress still needs to be made for proper conservation of Venice and its lagoon. Italy has until December 2024 to present a detailed plan, which will be discussed at the World Heritage Committee meeting in 2025. UNESCO officials have emphasised that a downgrade is not meant to be punitive but to alert the world community that more needs to be done to address issues plaguing a World Heritage site. Venice's top budget official, Michele Zuin, was defiant heading into the vote, telling The Associated Press that Venice wanted to avoid the endangered list. But it is not as if we are slaves of UNESCO. Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) September 15, 2023: Arguably the most important journey literature in Western cultural history includes the ancient Homeric epic account of Odysseus' journey around the Mediterranean and the underworld, the Odyssey; and Virgil's ancient derivative epic account of Aeneas' journey around the Mediterranean and the underworld; and Dante's medieval account of Dante-the-character and Virgil's colorful walking journey through the Inferno, the Purgatorio, and the Paradiso, The Divine Comedy; and James Joyce's twentieth-century modernist account of certain characters walking journey around Dublin one day, Ulysses. Against this Western cultural backdrop of portrayals of different kinds of journeys, it strikes me that the white American Baptist religion scholar Robert P. Jones is constructing his own personal journey narrative ("my reeducation journey" [2023, p. 18]) through his three most recent books, all published by Simon & Schuster: (1) The End of White Christian America (2016); (2) White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity (2021); (3) The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future (2023). Make no mistake about it, Jones' new 2023 book is designed to be a sharper entry in our current culture wars in the United States today than even his 2016 and 2021 books were. Consequently, I hope that Jones' new 2023 book becomes a blockbuster best-seller. The word White appears in all three titles of Jones' most recent books. Jones appears to be excruciatingly self-conscious about being white -- not that this is the only thing about his life that he appears to be excruciatingly self-conscious. In Dante's Divine Comedy, Dante-the-character is Dante-the author's self-conscious construction of himself - or, perhaps more accurately, of his excruciatingly self-conscious, and at times humorous, self-deprecating portrayal of Dante-the-character, whose reeducation journey through the Inferno, the Purgatorio, and the Paradiso includes his being humbly instructed along the way by Virgil and then by Beatrice. In any event, Jones' new 2023 book features five blurbs about it on the back cover of the dust jacket and seven more blurbs about it on the unnumbered pages in the book before the title page. In Jones' noble subsection "Confession and Call: A Word to My Fellow White Christians" in Chapter Eleven: "Discovery and Democracy" in his new 2023 book (pp. 304-310), he uses italicized print for emphasis over three pages (pp. 304-306). As this subsection shows, he tends to see white Christians in the United States today as his fictional audience that he is addressing in his noble new 2023 book. However, even though I see Jones' new 2023 book as a noble effort of his part to address his fellow white Christians in the United States today, I am not as sure as he seems to be about what exactly might bring about healing Pope Francis and Vatican officials (p. 278) -- and others, including Jones' fellow white Christians in the United States today. In Jones' "Acknowledgments" in his new 2023 book (pp. 311-315), he says, "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy, my fifth book, is a continuation of my journey to navigate the tumultuous currents of racial reckoning in America and to discern the possible courses we might chart toward a more inclusive future" (p. 311). In Jones' "Prologue: Before America" in his new 2023 book (pp. 1-27), he includes a subsection titled "From 1619 to 1493: The Christian Doctrine of Discovery" (pp. 13-23). In it, he says, "I concede that, on its face, the claim the edicts by European popes and kings in the fifteenth century are vital for understanding our current [American] divides may seem strained. Indeed, to my knowledge, no mainstream American history textbooks have focused on the Doctrine of Discovery as critical for American self-understanding. Across my decades of graduate education in the 1990s, completing a seminary graduate degree [of M.Div. at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary] and a Ph.D. in religion [at Emory University], I never encountered the Doctrine of Discovery" (p. 17). Full disclosure: Neither did I in the course of my studies. Nevertheless, Jones now argues that a critical understanding of the Doctrine of Discovery is "critical for American self-understanding." Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). On Friday, September 15, the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company (PMC), was banned in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a terrorist organization after a corresponding order was passed in the British Parliament on Wednesday, September 6. This order comes into force with immediate effect and will make belonging to the Wagner Group or actively supporting the group in the UK a criminal offence, with a potential jail sentence of 14 years which can be handed down alongside or in place of a fine. The Wagner Group has now been added to the list of proscribed organisations in the UK, alongside 78 other organizations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the United Kingdom (Home Office) reported on its website on Friday. Currently, 79 international and 14 Northern Irish terrorist organizations have already been banned in the UK. As of March 2023, 92 people were accused of having links with them as the main crime, 56 of them were convicted. Announcing her decision last week, British Home Secretary Suella Braverman called Wagner PMC "a violent and destructive organisation which has acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putins Russia overseas," Sky News says. The recent statements from prominent military figures, including Gen Kenneth Frank McKenzie and Gen Erik Kurilla, paint a troubling picture of the evolving security landscape in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Their stark warnings about the resurgence of the Islamic State group (ISIS) and its potential to pose a significant threat are sobering reminders of the complex challenges that persist in the region. It's essential to acknowledge that former President Donald Trump played a pivotal role in brokering a deal with the Taliban, creating an opportunity for lasting peace in the region and paving the way for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. While this deal held the promise of ending a protracted conflict, it also faced skepticism from elements within the international establishment that some perceive. This skepticism raises questions about the motivations behind opposing the end of the war. In light of these complex geopolitical dynamics, it's noteworthy that former Prime Minister Imran Khan firmly rejected the idea of U.S. bases in Pakistan during a recent interview. Khan's stance reflects a commitment to Pakistan's sovereignty and an understanding of the potential repercussions of hosting American military installations in the region. This decision places both Trump and Imran Khan in the midst of a testing time, where the delicate balance between regional security and international interests comes into play. Gen McKenzie, who served as the head of the U.S. Central Command during the withdrawal, expressed deep regret over the decision to exit Afghanistan. He rightly pointed out that history might view this decision as a fatal flaw, one that allowed militant groups like ISIS to regroup and regain a foothold in the country. This perspective is a poignant acknowledgment of the sacrifices made during the two-decade-long U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and the fragile security situation left behind. Gen Kurilla's concerns about the possibility of an ISIS "external operation" against the United States within six months are particularly alarming. It underscores the urgency of addressing the evolving threat landscape and taking measures to prevent any such attacks. One of the most disconcerting aspects of this situation is the perceived opportunity that ISIS sees in the vast ungoverned spaces of Afghanistan. The withdrawal has created a power vacuum, and extremist groups are actively exploiting this vacuum to gain strength and influence. This development has far-reaching implications for regional and global security. The link between ISIS and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) highlighted in a recent UN report is also cause for concern. The report suggests that TTP and other groups affiliated with the Taliban have been supplying ISIS with Nato-calibre weapons. This cooperation further complicates the security situation in the region and raises questions about the ability to contain extremist threats. President Joe Biden's message on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks is a poignant reminder of the ongoing battle against terrorism, extremism, and political violence. It underscores the need for international cooperation and unity in the face of these persistent threats. While the White House disputes claims of leaving behind substantial equipment for militant groups, the broader issue remains that the withdrawal has created conditions ripe for extremist resurgence. Whether through direct access to equipment or merely the perception of weakened American resolve, these groups are emboldened. In this uncertain and precarious security landscape, it is imperative for the international community to remain vigilant and proactive. The lessons of Afghanistan should serve as a reminder that disengagement from conflicts must be carefully planned and executed to avoid unintended consequences. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator A power struggle in the eastern Syrian desert might end with the US withdrawal from Syria, as the occupation allies battle each other for power and lucrative energy resources. On August 27, Ahmed al-Khubail, the commander of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council (DZMC), was lured to Hasakah by the US sponsored Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the pretext of a meeting. After arriving, Khubail, his brother Adham, and four other commanders were arrested and held. Khubail is connected to the Arab tribe al-Bakir, and the ensuing response has left at least 50 SDF fighters dead, dozens wounded, and civilian dead after the SDF began shelling residential neighborhoods while battling the Arab tribes. The lines in the sand have been drawn, and on one side is the US sponsored SDF who are Kurdish communists, while the other side are the tribes of al-Bakir, al-Shuhayl, al-Dulaym and Albu Khabur. These Sunni Arab tribes had been coordinating with the SDF, but had always remained critical of the SDF primarily because the SDF are a Kurdish dominated paramilitary. In 2015 the US made the SDF their military partners in eastern Syria for the purpose of defeating ISIS. The US would sell you on the idea the US coalition defeated ISIS, but the reality it was the Syrian Arab Army, Russian military, Iranian military advisors, and Iraqi military along with the US and SDF which won the victory over the terrorists led by Baghdadi. The SDF has a powerful military wing, YPG, which Turkey considers linked to the PKK, the banned terrorist group responsible for 30,000 deaths in Turkey over three decades. The US-SDF alliance caused Turkey to invade several times and occupy parts of Syria as a buffer zone to protect Turkish national security from the Kurds. The US support of the SDF drove a deep wedge between usual allies, the US and Turkey, who view the US as state sponsors of terrorism for their support of the SDF and YPG. In 2018 the SDF tried to remove Khubail from his position as commander, but the US military would not allow it. The US military is occupying a strategic piece of the eastern desert in Syria. President Trump ordered the US military to withdraw from Syria, but the Pentagon would not allow the order to stand. Instead, the US military remained illegally occupying prime real estate in the northeastern section which houses the biggest producing gas and oil fields, Omar and Conoco. The domestic electricity in Syria is produced in power stations from both oil and gas, but since the US military and their partners SDF hold the area, the average Syrian home gets about three hours of electricity per day. The confiscated resources are shipped to the Kurdistan region of Iraq and sold. The money goes back to the SDF and the communist administration. The Arab tribes previously aligned with the SDF have long complained they did not get paid enough, and many would argue the current battles are about power and money. But, the current violence runs deeper than just power and money. The root of the violence and dispute is about blood: ethnicity and identity. The northeast region of Syria never had a Kurdish majority. The majority of the population there were Syrian Arab tribes and Syrian Christians, but there was a very large Kurdish community as well. The Syrian Kurds watched as their 'brothers' in neighboring Iraq were successful in establishing a recognized 'homeland', the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It was the US invasion and occupation of 2003 which gave the Iraqi Kurds the impetus to self-administration. The 2015 US invasion and occupation of the northeast of Syria gave the Kurds hope to follow the lead of Iraq and through huge amounts of financial support, training and weapons the SDF, YPG, and their communist administration based in Qamishli began to think of themselves as semi-autonomous in the Syrian desert. However, the Kurds' weak-link has always been, and will always remain, the Syrian people they walked upon, tortured, raped, killed and maimed while carrying out an elaborate program of ethnic cleansing. Syrians displaced by the Kurds are living in Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Latakia just waiting for the day they can return to their homes, farms, lands and businesses. They yearn for the day when the US military packs up and goes to Iraq, leaving the Kurds defenseless and venerable. They look forward to day their rights can be restored. The SDF and the US military like to blame everything on ISIS. They use the threat of ISIS as a weapon to brain-wash everyone into believing the US and SDF are justified. The truth is, there are just as many ISIS followers in USA as anywhere else, because ISIS is an ideology and is not confined to any one location. ISIS is part of the many factions following Radical Islam, which is a political ideology, and is not a religion, or a sect. The Muslim Brotherhood in USA, Europe, Turkey and Qatar are part of Radical Islam, as well as Mohammed al-Julani, the leader of HTS who holds 3 million people as hostages in Idlib, and is supported by Turkey. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Neo-Nazism is gaining momentum around the world. People even do not notice the signs of a reviving Nazism. Unfortunately, the Baltic States have become one of the centers of flourishing neo-Nazism ideology. Let's look at what Nazism was and why the actions of the Baltic States' authorities today can be classified as neo-Nazis. Nazism (National Socialism) was the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices. Term "neo-Nazism" is applied to other far-right groups with similar ideas which formed after the Second World War. Nazism was especially cruel towards Jews. In September 1935 the "Nuremberg Laws" were passed, stripping the Jews of their citizenship and forbidding intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews. Jews were banned from universities; Jewish actors were dismissed from theaters; Jewish authors' works were rejected by publishers; and Jewish journalists were hard-pressed to find newspapers that would publish their writings. Such racial doctrine has much in common with today's attitude towards illegal immigrants and Russians and Belarusian citizens in the Baltic States. Just like the Nazi regime, the Baltic authorities disseminate xenophobia through all media. The Nazi regime focused on making the Jews a symbol of all that was hated and feared, and the Baltic authorities portray some people as the enemies of Baltic society. Spreading negative images and ideas the Nazi regime constituted legal measures to expel Jews from society and strip them of their rights and property of Jews. The same do Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian governments today. Thus, Lithuania will not let in any cars with Russian license plates. Owners who defy the ban may see their vehicles confiscated. The ban covers cars, cameras, laptops and hundreds of other everyday items. This step resembles the same actions of Nazis who systematically transferred homes, businesses, artworks, financial assets, musical instruments books, and even home furnishings from Jews to the Reich. Jews were stripped of their assets and then most of them were killed. The powers to exterminate Jews were transferred to the military. Apparently, that is why Baltic politicians sent additional troops to the borders nowadays. There is a great risk that existing and new military units in the Baltic States could act as neo-Nazis towards immigrants. As usual, politicians will remain clean and the military will do all the dirty work for them. The Starlink satellite internet service, which is operated by Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX, has been a digital lifeline in Ukraine since the early days of the war. Starlink is used in most of Ukraine for civilians and soldiers in areas where digital infrastructure has been destroyed. Walter Isaacson, in his upcoming biography, "Elon Musk," said that the billionaire had ordered the deactivation of Starlink satellite service near the coast of Crimea last September to stop a Ukrainian attack on Russian ships. Isaacson said that Musk had conversations with a Russian official that led him to worry that an attack on Crimea could spiral into a nuclear conflict. Musk responded on his social media platform to say that he hadn't disabled the service. However, he refused to comply with an emergency request from Ukrainian officials to enable Starlink connections to Sevastopol on the illegally occupied Crimean Peninsula. Musk's tweet was an acknowledgment that he had made the decision to prevent a Ukrainian attack. "The obvious intent [of the Ukrainians] was to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor," he wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. "If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation." That tweet drew an angry response from Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Musk's "interference," he said, had allowed Russia's naval fleet to continue firing cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities. "As a result, civilians, children are being killed. This is the price of a cocktail of ignorance and big ego," Podolyak wrote on X. Musk's nearly total control that he wields over Internet connectivity in the war zone has prompted concern about his influence. Musk also reportedly spoke directly with Russia's President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. The Logan Act The Logan Act, enacted 1799, is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized American citizens with foreign governments having a dispute with the United States. The intent behind the Act was to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government's position. That is what Musk is doing. The Logan Act has only been used in two criminal prosecutions over the past 224 years. However, the Logan Act is still on the books, and the principle behind it is important: we don't want private citizens negotiating with foreign countries having a dispute with the United States. Russia certainly has a dispute with the United States concerning the war in Ukraine. The U.S. attorney general should write to Elon Musk and request that he provide Ukraine with Starlink service throughout the Ukraine, including on land illegally seized by the Russians. Attorney General Merrick Garland could threaten prosecution if Musk doesn't comply. Or Garland could threaten to seize Starlink through the government's power of eminent domain. Eminent Domain Starlink satellites are registered in the United States. Starlink and its owner Space Exploration Technologies Corporation are California corporations. Because Starlink is a U.S. entity it is subject to U.S. law. A U.S. company will be under the jurisdiction of the federal courts and the courts of the state in which the company is incorporated. That includes its property, wherever located, even satellites in space. Thousands of Oregon and Washington health care workers have voted to endorse a strike against Kaiser Permanente, accusing the health system of unfair labor practices amid contract negotiations. A total of 4,000 workers, who are members of the Service Employees International Union Local 49 and provide support services to patients and health facilities, could strike after their contract expires Sept. 30. The workers say Kaiser has failed to provide adequate staffing even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage, they say, has resulted in substandard patient care, with no resolution in sight. Kaiser Permanente officials declined to answer questions about the pending strike. We take any threat to disrupt care for our members seriously and have comprehensive plans to ensure continued access to needed health care services, should a strike occur later this year, a Kaiser spokesperson said in a statement. Jeffery Sanders, materials coordinator for Kaisers Central Interstate location in North Portland, said the strike is a last resort but necessary to force action from Kaiser. Weve made it clear since day one there is a staffing crisis at Kaiser Permanente and our members need to be heard, he said. We are hurting, we are tired, we care about our patients, and we demand better for our patients. Sanders, who is a member of the unions national bargaining team, also said Kaiser has repeatedly refused to bargain with the union, the basis for its unfair labor practice allegation. The strike authorization vote passed with 98% support among the Oregon and Washington workers, the union said. If a new contract cannot be reached before the end of September, union officials say the breakdown of negotiations could lead to the largest ever healthcare strike in U.S. history. In addition to the workers in the Pacific Northwest, nearly 60,000 in California and more than 3,000 in Colorado have also authorized a strike. The SEIU Local 49 workers are part of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which represents more than 85,000 health care workers across seven U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Under Oregon law, the union is required to give 10 days notice before any strike can begin. -- Kayla Nguyen, knguyen@oregonian.com The Oregon Department of Transportation is scrapping previously planned tolling on an Interstate 205 bridge, even as it moves ahead with tolling on a second span. It will also roll back plans to build a third lane on a seven-mile stretch of the road between Tualatin and Oregon City, agency staff members said Thursday. The agency has already started construction on a portion of I-205, including seismic upgrades to the Abernethy Bridge in Oregon City. The agency still plans to impose tolls on that bridge, but has now suspended plans to toll a second span that crosses the Tualatin River. It sits about six miles to the west of the larger Abernethy Bridge and nearer to the freeways Interstate 5 junction. The changes were the latest in a slew of freeway projects ODOT has pared down in the face of a funding shortfall. This summer, the agency said it was short at least $2.6 billion to complete all its planned freeway projects, and presented a modified financial plan to Gov. Tina Kotek on how to move forward . As its own anticipated revenue sources have dwindled, the transportation agency was relying on several tolling projects to help fund construction on several freeway projects. But in May, Gov. Tina Kotek directed ODOT to delay tolling until 2026 so that the state could further study its impact on local communities. The agency has already put on hold a major revamp of I-5 through Portlands Rose Quarter. That project, which would add lanes to one of the states most congested stretches of freeway, saw its price tag balloon from about $500 million to nearly $2 billion. The increase comes in part from rising material and labor costs and in part from incorporating plans to build freeway covers that would reconnect Lower Albina, a historically Black neighborhood that was partially razed for the freeways construction in the 1950s. Agency staff on Thursday told the Oregon Transportation Commission, which oversees statewide transportation policy, they still plan to move forward with the Rose Quarter project and are working on an environmental assessment. The agency is also applying for federal grants that would help it pay for the freeway covers. Travis Brouwer, ODOTs assistant director of finance, told commissioners that the policy group would need to pin down specifics on the states tolling program by the end of this year so they can present a preliminary plan to the governor. That including how to manage a low-income tolling program, which is required under the state law that authorized tolling. The state must scale tolling plans based on income, but transportation commissioners can decide whether households farther away from the poverty line will also get a discount. Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com A Portland church faces a $6 million lawsuit after a man who served as a youth leader for the congregation decades ago was convicted last month of sexually abusing a child. David N. Duong pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse Aug. 8 as part of a deal with Washington County prosecutors and is now serving six years and three months in state prison, records show. A 39-year-old Portland man on probation who assaulted a federal officer during the officers visit to his home was sentenced Thursday to more than five years in federal prison. The assaulted occurred at Andre Eugene Shaws home on April 14, 2021, when two U.S. probation officers paid him a visit. Shaw was on supervised release for multiple federal crimes, including money laundering, possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle and the extortion of people producing child pornography, according to prosecutors. The 25-year-old man accused of stabbing two teenagers on a MAX train earlier this month was arrested days before the incident, but Multnomah County Jail nurses refused to admit the suspect for medical reasons, officials said. A Portland police officer instead released Adrian Cummins on Aug. 30 and issued him a citation and a future court date, as KGW first reported. A review of court records in Oregon and Florida, where Cummins lived until at least 2022, shows Cummins had a history of missing court hearings, probation check-ins and other mandatory meetings with law enforcement. Those who know the two Portland victims said the situation could have been avoided. For me, personally, I think there were plenty of opportunities to prevent this, said Briana Rehana, a family friend of one of the victims injured in the stabbing. Refused at jail Cummins first came to the attention of Portland police in April when officers learned he was wanted in Florida on a probation violation for possessing a controlled substance. The warrant was issued in October 2022. Police found Cummins after he was shot in the face in North Portland for allegedly refusing to leave a motorhome on April 5, police spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Allen said. Police arrested the suspect in the shooting, and Cummins was treated at a hospital. He spent a week in custody, Multnomah County Sheriffs Office records show. Later that month, on April 27, police responded to the MAX station on Southwest 2nd Avenue and Yamhill Street downtown, where Cummins and another man told officers theyd both agreed to fight on the train before spilling out onto the platform. TriMet surveillance footage showed what police said was a gun fall from Cummins possession, and they later said he also had a silencer in his bag. He was arrested that day on allegations of being a felon in possession of a firearm and having a silencer then was released April 28, jail records show. He did not show up for court June 2, records show. A month later, police cited Cummins whom they identified as transient on July 4 for possessing what police said was fentanyl at Southwest Fifth Avenue and Oak Street. On July 7, police responded to reports of a man swinging a knife at a security guard at Union Station. Officers arrested Cummins at Northwest 6th Avenue and Irving Street and confiscated a knife from him, Allen said. Cummins had abscesses on his face and police called for medical assistance. Cummins was taken to a hospital and medical officials said he would need to stay overnight, Allen said. Police decided to issue Cummins a citation for menacing and unlawful use of a weapon. He again failed to appear in court on Aug. 10, and Multnomah County Circuit Judge Angel Lucero issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Portland State University officers arrested Cummins again on Aug. 23, police said. Campus officers attempted to book Cummins into jail, but he was turned away again for medical reasons, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting. He was issued a citation for carrying knives and released, OPB reported. Portland police later stopped Cummins for jaywalking near Southwest Broadway and Oak Street Aug. 30. Officers noted the warrant issued for the menacing incident at Union Station and arrested him. He was taken to Multnomah County jail again but was refused booking for a potentially infectious medical condition, police said. Police did not elaborate on Cummins health, but bacteria in abscesses can be contagious. He was served a citation and released. Multnomah County Sheriffs Office spokesperson John Plock said that when someone is refused at the jail for medical reasons, the officer who brought the person to jail can release them by issuing a citation, taking the person to a hospital under supervision or temporarily holding the person. On Sept. 2, TriMet surveillance footage showed a white man in a black sweatshirt emblazoned with the word villain jump from his seat after two Black teenagers walked by him on the MAX Green Line. The person police identified as Cummins then shouted a racist slur at the teens, one of the teens told police, and then stabbed that teen in the left arm and the other teen, a Parkrose High School student, in the chest. As rescuers rushed the badly injured teen with a chest wound to Oregon Health & Science University for open-heart surgery, Cummins bolted four blocks. At a Lents neighborhood convenience store at Southeast 92nd and Flavel Street, Cummins allegedly stole snacks, including a Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie, pulled a 3.5-inch serrated knife on a clerk and a customer and then fled. Florida history Cummins has a criminal history dating as far back as 2014 when he was a teenager, according to Florida records. Florida police arrested him numerous times in Seminole, Orange and Flagler counties. Charges included domestic violence, drug use, theft, kidnapping and sexual assault, among others. Several of the arrests were for missing court dates or violating parole, court records show. Cummins was sentenced to three years in prison in Orange County for kidnapping, sexual battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he held a woman hostage in her apartment in 2017, according to court records. The victim reported that she invited Cummins to her apartment to watch movies. He then used a kitchen knife to threaten her, locking the door and forcing her to take off her clothes. He attempted multiple times to sexually assault her, strangled her and abused her dog, WKMG 6 reported. Local news also reported that Cummins forced the woman to make him dinner, and after attempting to sexually assault her again, left the apartment. Cummins was released in July 2020, booking records show. One year later, Cummins was arrested again in Flagler County for allegedly stealing a car from North Carolina. Deputies allegedly found a folded up dollar bill with traces of fentanyl, according to reporting by The Observer. He was not sent to prison but was sentenced to four additional years of probation, records show. Cummins was indicted on 12 charges in the Sept. 2 stabbing, including second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree bias crime and three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, among others. Cummins attorney, Alicia Hercher, entered not guilty pleas Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court on his behalf. He remains in the Multnomah County Detention Center. The teen who had open-heart surgery is recovering at home, said family friend Briana Rehana: It didnt break him. The family posted a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses. Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe The man accused of randomly attacking a federal security officer at Pioneer Courthouse in July was fresh out of prison through a state early release program to reward good behavior and reduce the prison population while saving money. Jett Avery Thomas, 39, was let out of prison just a week before prosecutors say he placed the security officer in a chokehold, grabbed the guards radio and smashed him in the head with it. The officer shot Thomas twice in the torso to stop the attack, authorities said. Zaluzhny holds meeting with US, British partners, briefs them in detail on front situation Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has announced constructive negotiations with American and British partners. Meeting with American and British partners. A wide range of issues, constructive negotiations. Familiarized the Allies in detail with the operational situation along the entire front. Commanders reports were heard. Problems that developed in the groups of troops have been discussed. Our vision of the development of events on the front line was presented, wrote Zaluzhny on the Telegram channel. According to Zaluzhny, they discussed the need for the Ukrainian army in shells, weapons and military equipment. We are waiting for good news, he added. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also noted that they stopped with partners on the issues of strengthening the air defense of Ukraine, additional transport for the evacuation of the wounded, finding ways to repair equipment and restore the combat capability of military units. A separate topic was the situation in the Black Sea. I am grateful to our partners for their fruitful work and support in the fight against the Russian aggressor, Zaluzhny summed up. Another month, another major award for Portlands Kann, already the citys most acclaimed restaurant of all time. On Wednesday, Bon Appetit magazine included Kann and its subterranean sister bar Sousol in its annual guide to Americas best new restaurants. In his short review, restaurant editor Elazar Sontag wrote that Portlanders seem to know two things about the wood-fired Haitian restaurant at 548 S.E. Ash St. that its very, very good, and that its almost impossible to get into. The public already loves Gourdet after his stint on Top Chef and an equally successful debut cookbook, Sontag writes. But this is not some phoned-in celebrity restaurant. Most nights the chef is in the open kitchen, pouring his heart into a menu so personal that we cant help but love him even more. Its the latest tribute to a restaurant that effectively ran the table on local and national restaurant awards since opening in August, 2022, notably earning the top spot in Esquire magazines new restaurant list in November, our own Restaurant of the Year honor in December, and the James Beard Award for Americas best new restaurant in June. It also feels like a solid return for Bon Appetits once-influential restaurant guide, which has wobbled in the years since restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton stepped back in 2018 (not to mention a following pandemic, brownface controversy involving former editor in chief Adam Rapaport and allegations of mistreatment of workers of color). This years guide smartly ditches the magazines old top 10 format in favor of a breezy, seafood-heavy top 24, with restaurants scattered across the country from Washington D.C. to Oklahoma City to Bainbridge Island, Washington, all listed in a tidy (and interactive) periodic table at the top. Sign me up for a visit to Moeca in Massachusetts, Fishmonger in Atlanta, or Seabird on Bainbridge Island, which feels less like a restaurant and more like a fairy-tale cabin in the forest. Or even a return to Este, the Austin ode to coastal Mexican seafood which we reviewed in May. Speaking of Austin, Food & Wine dropped its annual best new chef awards on Friday, and while no Portland chefs made the cut, a restaurant with local ties did earn the magazines Restaurant of the Year honors in an accompanying piece. Birdies, a new Austin restaurant co-owned by New Delhi-born, Portland-raised wine expert and front-of-house dream weaver Arjav Ezekiel, is the restaurant that everyone wants in their neighborhood, writes Food & Wine restaurant editor Khushbu Shah. Birdies is best described as destination neighborhood dining, Shah writes. Its the place you go to at least once a week if you live down the street, and at the same time, its the place worth getting on a plane to Austin for. Birdies chef and co-owner Tracy Malechek Ezekiel, meanwhile, has a deftness with seasonal ingredients and unfussy but finessed approach to food, the magazine reports (the married couple, who have a young son, met at Gramercy Tavern in New York). In his bio on the Birdies website, Arjav Ezekiel shouts out his love for the Portland Trail Blazers, while noting that his parents run the Portland pop-up Thali Supper Club, with mom Leena as the chef and dad Joe running service. Read more: Portlands 2022 Restaurant of the Year: Kann Kann is unlike any restaurant Portland has seen before (review) Esquire picks Portlands Kann as Americas best new restaurant of 2022 Kann wins 2023 James Beard Award as Americas best new restaurant An experts guide to getting into Kann, with or without a reservation Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Oregon volleyball picked up a road win over a top 10 opponent. The No. 7 Ducks edged No. 8 Pittsburgh 3-2 (26-24, 25-17, 18-25, 20-25, 15-13) Thursday night at Fitzgerald Field House. It was a second straight win over a ranked team for Oregon (8-1), which narrowly outhit Pitt .227 to .220. Morgan Lewis and Mimi Colyer each had 19 kills and Hannah Pukis had 45 assists and 19 digs. Georgia Murphy added 13 digs and 10 assists. Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock each had 16 kills for Pittsburgh (6-2), which led the first set 24-21 before five straight points by Oregon, including a pair of kills by Gabby Gonzales (10 kills). The Ducks took a 15-13 lead in the second and scored eight of 10 to pull away, with Colyer eventually closing the frame with a kill. Pitt jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the third and though Oregon got within three it could never close the gap. UO led 10-6 in the fourth but Pitt rallied to take a 21-17 lead and closed with back-to-back aces by Valeria Vazquez Gomez to even the match. The teams went back and forth in the fifth with Pitt scoring four straight to take an 11-10 lead. Oregon closed the match with three straight points, with Lewis delivering the winning kill. Haga clic aqui para leer la version en espanol. Azael Avila grabbed a box of crayons and set to coloring a line-drawing of Mexican-American civil rights hero Cesar Chavez. Red for the barn behind the farmworker icon. Green and blue plaid for his shirt. Avila, a junior at West Salem High School, was familiar with Chavez from documentaries and a book his dad bought him about the activists life. But hed never heard of Colegio Cesar Chavez, an Oregon university named for the icon, until he attended a 50th anniversary commemoration for the now shuttered Mt. Angel college in August. For a single decade starting in 1973, Mt. Angel was home to the Chicano-serving Colegio Cesar Chavez, which historians say was the first such independent and accredited four-year college in the country. The institution focused on serving Oregons Latino and minority students through an education model that championed community service and gave credit for life experiences. Chavez himself wasnt directly involved in Colegios founding, but he did visit several times. I think it was pretty cool, pretty interesting that the Latino community had something like that, Avila said as he colored. Colegio Cesar Chavez closed in 1983 after drawn-out battles over inherited debt, but the schools legacy lives on in Oregons classrooms and halls of power. College leaders and graduates went on to inspire and mentor Latino education advocates shaping the state today. That influence was on full display last month when former lawmakers, superintendents, state and federal education leaders trekked to Mt. Angel to remember Colegio and discuss next steps for achieving educational equity for Oregons Latino students. In the last half century, Latinos have claimed a growing share of enrollment and education leadership in Oregons colleges and universities. Several Oregon universities are leaning into recruiting Latino students as both a moral and financial imperative. But higher education in Oregon is still an uneven playing field for Latino students. Latino high school graduates are less likely to enroll in college than their white peers and less likely to graduate on time if they do, according to data collected by the state. Some think its time for a revival of Colegio Cesar Chavez or at least of the values it preached. They were innovative. They were community based. They wanted to celebrate the roots and culture of the student, Beatriz Ceja, a senior director in the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Postsecondary Education said during a presentation at the commemoration event. Do we still need a Colegio Cesar Chavez? I would say we need that spirit. From the Oregonian archives: Supporters of the Colegio Cesar Chavez hold signs in Salem urging support for the college in 1975 when the school was threatened with mortgage foreclosure. Oregonian HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE By the early 1970s, more than 32,000 Latinos lived in Oregon, yet its likely that only a few hundred Mexican-American students, or Chicanos, were enrolled in Oregons colleges and universities, according to Colegio Cesar Chavez research compiled by Natalia Fernandez, curator of the Oregon Multicultural Archives. Leaders of a struggling Mt. Angel College saw an opportunity to meet the needs of Chicano students and revive the school. Administrators like Sonny Montes prioritized recruiting minority students and staff and in 1973 rebranded as the Colegio Cesar Chavez. There was a need for bringing in and recruiting Latinos in higher education. Colleges and universities were not doing a very good job of that, Montes said. When universities did recruit Latino students, they would come in through the front door and go out the back, Montes said, leaving for lack of support. The Colegio developed a bilingual and bicultural curriculum that allowed students to direct their own studies. Though the institution had hoped to grow enrollment over time, Fernandez found that most years the college had fewer than 100 students. In 1977, the college graduated its first class of 22. Founders and former staff remember the college like a family. But times were tough. The school inherited a $1 million debt to the Department of Housing and Urban Development from Mt. Angel College, prompting eviction notices and public campaigns to save the school. Founder Jose Romero remembers cold days on campus when the school administration had no oil for the boiler. Staff made $10,000 a year, but sometimes had to donate their salaries back. The Colegio was my biggest challenge, my biggest thrill, the hardest thing I ever did, but I learned from it, Romero said. After it was all said and done, we moved on and we did some really neat things. Colegio Cesar Chavez was closed by 1983, but its founders and students gained footholds elsewhere. Graduate Cipriano Ferrel started the Oregon farmworker union Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN). Montes and Romero started a leadership conference for Latino students which still gathers hundreds of students each year. A former Colegio registrar helped establish the Chicanx & Latinx studies program at Portland State. Montes was among the mentors who helped guide future lawmaker Teresa Alonso Leon. As the daughter of Woodburn farmworkers, Alonso Leon qualified for the migrant education program in her school, and was nominated to the first class of the Oregon Leadership Institute, which brought students to experience a college campus. Thats where she met Montes, who would rally the high school students for early morning runs with a cry of Vamonos!, Alonso Leon told a crowd at the commemoration event. The institute helped instill leadership skills that would eventually propel Alonso Leon into the statehouse, where she became the first Latina to chair the House Committee on Education. Many of us who were inspired by the leaders and students of the Colegio Cesar Chavez continued on the legacy of fighting to improve our education system for our Latino and underrepresented students, Alonso Leon said. 9 1 / 9 Colegio Cesar Chavez THE MODERN FIGHT FOR EQUITY Latino students enrollment in higher education is charging upward in Oregon, but students and education leaders say that colleges need to improve supports and recruit more Latino faculty and leaders. Latino students made up about 17% of Oregons community college students in 2021-22 and 15% of students enrolled at public universities. The share of young Latino students in higher ed has grown nearly 40% in the past decade, according to the Oregons Higher Education Coordinating Commission, outpacing population growth among Latino teens. Currently about 25% of the states K-12 students identify as Hispanic or Latino. Despite enrollment gains, Oregons Latino high school graduates are still less likely to attend college than their white counterparts and those who do are still less likely to finish their studies. Lionila Cisneros Herrejon wants to see more efforts to help Oregons K-12 students make college plans before they graduate high school. Students can struggle to afford college, Herrejon said, especially if they dont know about scholarships or resources available to them. Latino college students are more likely to come from low-income backgrounds than white students, according to state higher ed data, and close to 40% face unaffordable college costs. Herrejons three daughters attend schools in Forest Grove, where an Oregon State University extension program called Juntos works with Latino students and their families to plan for higher education. She learned through the program that if her daughters play sports, volunteer or pursue other extracurriculars they have a better shot at earning scholarships or getting into college a future she wants for them, because she didnt get to pursue college until adulthood. Herrejons family and friends in other districts dont know about or have the same access to the program, she said. Shed like to see Juntos at every middle and high school. I think thats whats missing: more support for Hispanics so that they can achieve their dreams, their goals of having a career, Herrejon said in Spanish. Linfield students Allan Fernandez, Teresa Marin Vazquez, Ruby Trujillo Lopez and Abisua Perez Diaz are all first generation students who participated in the colleges First Scholars program tailored to their success. The program pairs first-generation students with student and faculty mentors and brings them to campus early to get a jump on the school year. Several Oregon universities have set their sights on becoming Hispanic Serving Institutions, a federal designation given to universities with more than 25% Latino enrollment. The recognition opens new opportunities to apply for federal grants. Linfield University, a private school in McMinnville, and Western Oregon University in Monmouth are chasing that title. About 17% of Linfields students are Latino, and about 22% at Western. Vice President of Enrollment at Linfield Gerardo Ochoa has worked to help the school build inroads with Latino families for decades. Building trust with communities historically neglected by higher education takes time, he said. Universities have to get out to community events, partner with trusted organizations and build their reputation. I worry about institutions that are just starting to think about it, Ochoa said. A billboard isnt enough to build trust with communities. Administrators also acknowledge that serving Latino students takes more than getting them in the door. Universities have to support students to stay in school and succeed, Ochoa said, and building a sense of belonging is a key component. Ruby Trujillo Lopez, a college senior originally from Klamath Falls, was drawn to Linfield in part because of the schools emphasis on diversity. She saw online that Linfield had affinity groups such as Linfield University Latinx Adelante (LULA) and a First Scholars program that pairs first generation students with mentors and scholarships. I felt seen here, Trujillo Lopez said. Trujillo Lopez found community in Linfields support programs. But she thinks higher education institutions need to hire more diverse professors who can relate to students cultures and lived experiences. She knows the kind of discouragement that can stem from working with a professor who doesnt recognize the challenges of first-generation students. Trujillo Lopez was pursuing a nursing degree in her first few years at Linfield and struggling with prerequisite classes. Her advisor, a white man who came from a more privileged background than Trujillo Lopez, took a look at her grades and told her to give up, that she wasnt going to become a nurse, Trujillo Lopez remembers. As a first generation student, I just said: Okay, thats fine. What was I going to do? I didnt know how to advocate for myself, she said. His comments triggered feelings of imposter syndrome, that maybe she didnt belong at Linfield. Trujillo Lopez went back to her dorm room and cried. But Trujillo Lopez switched advisors and found the guidance she needed. She also feels comforted that she can turn to staff like Ochoa who understand her background and can help if she has a problem. Latino students everywhere would benefit from having more of that representative support, she said. Ochoa said he was saddened to hear about Trujillo Lopez experience, which reminds him of messages he heard while in college. He personally leads some of Linfields professional development with faculty around mitigating bias and building an inclusive culture, and said hes seen progress in the last five years. But sometimes, he said, people change slower than we need them to. The process of learning how to serve all our students and unlearning biases, microaggressions and more is not something that can be completed in an afternoon, he said. It is ongoing work we are committed to. Sponsors and visitors to a 50-year anniversary commemorating Colegio Cesar Chavez clap for Sonny Montes, who helped establish the school in 1973. Montes would like to see a revival of the school to meet the higher education needs of Latinos today. Sponsors and visitors to a 50-year anniversary commemorating Colegio Cesar Chavez clap for Sonny Montes, who helped establish the school in 1973. Montes would like to see a revival of the school to meet the higher education needs of Latinos today.Sami Edge CALLS TO REVIVE THE COLEGIO As Oregons colleges strive to do better by Latino students, some think a new Colegio Cesar Chavez could set an example. We are still not completely represented in higher education, said Anthony Veliz, a former chair of the Oregon State Board of Education. There is a need for an institution that really focuses on and produces top-tier bilingual, bicultural talent. Former Colegio founders and higher education representatives have been discussing a potential revival, Veliz said. He expects his Latino leadership network, PODER, will convene future conversations on the idea this year. The schools next iteration could be virtual, or through partnership with an already established university, Veliz said. Montes thinks the school could operate similar to a historically Black college or university. If successful, that will open the doors at the other colleges, the other universities that have been having difficulty recruiting our kids, Montes said. Were going to prove to them that its possible to be successful in graduating from a four-year institution of higher education. Friday is the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, marked with El Grito celebrations in Portland and Hillsboro through Saturday, Sept. 16th. This story was brought to you through a partnership between The Oregonian/OregonLive and Report for America. Learn how to support this crucial work. Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430. K-Pop group The Rose will perform in Portland on Friday, October 6 at 8 p.m. at the Moda Center during their Dawn to Dusk Tour. Tickets are still currently available at a few different price points starting at around $85 per seat. Through a special arrangement, if you are purchasing tickets for the first time through VividSeats, use our special discount promo code Oregon20 at checkout to save $20 on orders of $200 or more for the event you plan on attending. Get tickets to see The Rose in Portland: Buy tickets now from VividSeats and Stubhub, or from Ticketmaster. Formed in 2017, The Rose is a South Korean K-Pop and indie-rock group consisting of four members: Kim Woo-sung, Park Do-joon, Lee Ha-joon, and Lee Jae-hyeong. They rose to fame with their 2018 songs Shes In the Rain and Like We Used To, and have continued to gain in popularity with newer hits like Sour, Back to Me, and Beauty and the Beast. Although they do sing in Korean, they also have many songs written in English and their following has continued to grow worldwide seemingly due to their large internet presence. They will come to Portlands Moda Center on their upcoming North American tour. Upcoming events, concerts, and shows: Every major show and concert coming to Portland in Fall 2023 How to buy tickets for Taylor Swifts 2024 Eras Tour dates right now Every major show coming to Portlands Moda Center in Fall 2023 Sting comes to Portland Sept 26, tickets still available for Moda Center show No one could have guessed in 1933 that a tiny southern Oregon cheese company now called the Rogue Creamery would someday produce the worlds best cheese and have it served at the White House. Everyone, however, is invited to a block party to celebrate the creamerys 90th anniversary. The free-to-attend Artisan Corridor Block Party and Rogue Creamery Birthday Bash will be held from 2-5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, outside the Rogue Creamery facility and shop at 245-311 N. Front St. in downtown Central Point. Also participating are neighboring purveyors Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Artisan Chocolates, Coquette Bakery and Ryan Rose Wine. A ticket needed to taste bites and pairings is for sale at $6 plus a processing fee at RogueCreamery.com/celebrate. A limited number of tickets will be sold at the event, say organizers. There will also be live music, food trucks, raffle prizes and the Rogue Creamerys Vault Sale offering a limited, variable selection of slightly imperfect cheeses at discounted prices. Rogue Creamerys anniversary weekend continues at the Harvest Dinner Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Troon Vineyard, 1475 Kubli Road in Grants Pass, with the release of wheels of 2023 Rogue Creamerys World Champion cheese, Rogue River Blue, produced in the autumn at the creamerys certified-humane dairy and wrapped in Troons Syrah grape leaves. Tickets to the seated dinner prepared by Chef Kristen Lyon of Jefferson Farm Kitchen must be purchased in advance ($150, RogueCreamery.com/celebrate). On Sunday, Sept. 24, Rogue Creamery will offer a free behind-the-scenes look at its organic Dairy Farm where pampered cows graze on 65 acres of lush pasture along the banks of the Rogue River or roam at whim inside a giant, open barn called the Cow Palace. Tours will start on the hour between 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 6531 Lower River Road in Grants Pass. The artisan, certified organic cheese company became famous around the globe after its Rogue River Blue was crowned best cheese in the world at the 2019 World Cheese Awards, besting 3,800 competitors, including famous brands from Europe. 5 1 / 5 Rogue Creamery Dairy and Farmstand Here are more highlights of the Rogue Creamery since 1933, according to the company: Year-round visits: The Rogue Creamery Cheese Shop at 311 North Front St. (Hwy 99/ N. Pacific Hwy) in Central Point is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except New Years Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25 (541-200-2353, roguecreamery.com/visit-cheese-shop). Free tours of the Rogue Creamery dairy are offered twice a day when the Rogue Creamery farm stand at 6531 Lower River Road in Grants Pass is open. Check for updates at roguecreamery.com/visit-dairy. No reservations are needed except for large groups, including school field trips, which will be accommodated outside of public tour times. Call 541-471-7292 for more information. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman More on the Rogue Creamery Cheese sales at Oregons Rogue Creamery soar after White House state dinner Oregon Rogue River blue cheese is on the menu at White House state dinner tonight Rogue Creamerys Bluehorn blue cheese named among best in the world Whats so special about Rogue Creamerys world award-producing Oregon cows? See for yourself Oregons Rogue Creamery enjoys spotlight after winning world best cheese award The Tampa Bay Rays pay a visit to the Baltimore Orioles and star catcher Adley Rutschman in a battle for the AL East title tonight and a top spot in the postseason. This game gets underway on Friday, September 15 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) with with a FREE live broadcast on Apple TV Plus (free trial). You can watch this Orioles vs Rays game live for FREE with Apple TV+ (free trial), or see more streaming options below. Zach Elfin will start for the Rays in this matchup while Jack Flaherty takes the hill for the Orioles at home tonight as the starter. ORIOLES vs. RAYS POINT SPREAD, BETTING ODDS Moneyline: TBR: -125 | BAL +105 Point spread: TBR: -1.5 | BAL: +1.5 Over/Under: 8.5 Check the latest sports betting offers, promo codes for this weeks MLB games HOW TO WATCH ORIOLES vs. RAYS What: The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Baltimore Orioles in a regular season MLB matchup. Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Baltimore, Maryland When: 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) on Friday, September 15 TV channel: Apple TV+ How to watch live stream online: You can watch this game live for FREE with Apple TV+ (free trial, then just $6.99/month and you can cancel anytime). More information on how to stream live TV, sports events and movies on the cheap: How to watch Pac-12 Network on TV, online without cable (and live stream some games free) How to watch college football on ESPN+: What is it, what does it cost and include? What TV channel is NFL RedZone? Best streaming options for 2023 How to watch every Mariners game down the stretch: Streaming guide and more What is Philo? The cheapest live TV streaming service: Cost, what it includes A leading addiction recovery advocacy group this week pressed state leaders to respond with more urgency to Oregons addiction crisis, calling for a long list of new policies, including directing police to seize even small amounts of street drugs. Oregon Recovers proposed a 12-step approach to reducing fatal drug overdoses and alcohol-related deaths and reducing waiting lists for detox, residential treatment and recovery housing within six months. According to Oregon Recovers, 18% of Oregonians 12 and older report having an untreated substance use disorder. Excessive drinking is the third-leading cause of preventable death and disease and the state has among the highest rates of methamphetamine and heroin use in the country, the group says. We need short-term solutions and we need long-term solutions, said Mike Marshall, executive director of Oregon Recovers. We need them to be purposeful in reducing the addiction crisis. He said he thinks Gov. Tina Kotek is still getting her team in place and understands what needs to happen, but I think the bureaucracy needs a higher level of urgency. Koteks office did not respond to a request for comment. Kotek this year signed multiple bills that address addiction. They included bills that provide ongoing funding for an opioid overdose reversal drug, fentanyl education for Oregon students and the creation of a task force to study whether alcohol should cost more to deter addiction. The recovery groups proposals come as the debate over the future of Oregons landmark drug decriminalization law heats up. A coalition of political and civic leaders is lobbying to recriminalize minor drug possession. The law, approved as Measure 110 by voters in 2020, both decriminalized possession of small amounts of street drugs and funneled hundreds of millions of tax dollars into treatment and services that support recovery. Marshall, who opposed Measure 110, said his organization supports amending but not ending Measure 110. He said the group wants to restore consequences to encourage recovery. Oregon Recovers is an advocacy organization representing people who are recovering from addiction and workers who help them. It receives funding from treatment providers among other sources. He said police should be empowered to confiscate all illegal drugs, no matter the quantity. The approach would reduce open drug use, drive up prices for street drugs and could lead people to seek treatment. He said people who rack up multiple low-level violations for drug possession within one year should face a misdemeanor charge and the state should create a rapid expungement process linked to treatment and recovery participation. People who suffer from substance abuse addiction respond to consequences, he said. That is the science of recovery, the science of addiction, he said. The proposal goes beyond changes to drug decriminalization. Oregon Recovers wants more treatment beds for adults and juveniles alike and a statewide coordinated response to addiction with an eye toward reducing alcohol and cannabis consumption by 25% by 2025. The group wants to see more mobile detox centers that act as temporary field hospitals providing support for people to withdraw from drugs, stabilize and get access to treatment and recovery housing. And it is pushing the state to promote addiction prevention and recovery. Marshalls group also wants to see higher prices for alcohol and cannabis. The groups plan doesnt detail how to pay for the proposals. Marshall has unsuccessfully lobbied for raising alcohol surcharges and taxes, which he argued would cover the costs. He added that investments in addiction treatment and recovery will quickly pay for themselves, given the enormous costs associated with untreated addiction. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Thursday marked the official start of the 2024 election season in Oregon, with dozens of candidates turning in forms and paying fees to appear on the ballot. Candidates have until March to file for office, but early entries provide a preview of some of the races to expect next year, including Republican infighting in Lane County and an intense general election in the Columbia River Gorge. Hanging over it all is the question of whether a handful of Senate Republicans who walked out for six weeks will be allowed to run again. All 60 state House seats are up for election for two-year terms in 2024, and 15 of the 30 Senate seats are up for four-year terms. Voters will also elect the attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer, all statewide races with four-year terms, and pick the states six U.S. representatives. City councilors, county commissioners, district attorneys and judges will also appear on ballots in many parts of the state. Filling out paperwork and paying a fee doesnt guarantee a candidate will appear on the ballot. Staff in the state elections office will start verifying that candidates are qualified to run making sure theyre registered Oregon voters, belong to the Democratic or Republican party if theyre running in a primary and, in the case of state representatives and senators, have lived in their district for at least a year prior to the election. Candidates who dont meet those requirements will receive disqualification letters from the elections division and wont appear on ballots. So will the handful of Republican senators who racked up more than 10 unexcused absences and ran afoul of a voter-approved law meant to discourage legislative walkouts, confirmed Ben Morris, chief of staff for Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. Thats subject to change depending on the outcome of an ongoing court case. Several of the affected senators and attorneys for the state have asked the state Supreme Court for a quick resolution to legal questions about enforcing the voter-approved Measure 113. The court will decide whether to take the case, bypassing the state court of appeals, by Sept. 29. Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, is one of the Republican senators suing to be able to run for reelection, arguing that Measure 113s poor wording means the 10 senators with 10 or more unexcused absences are ineligible for the term after the next one meaning he could run in 2024, but not 2028. He filed in person at the state elections office, sharing a statement and declining interviews through a spokesperson. The clear language of Measure 113 allows me to run one more time, Knopp said. Oregonians are fed up with the tyranny of the majority over the past decades. Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman, a Democrat, also filed to run in the Bend-based 27th Senate District on Thursday. ALL IN THE FAMILY Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, is one of the Republican senators suing for the right to run for reelection. But if his lawsuit is unsuccessful, Linthicum has a backup plan for making sure his southern Oregon district is represented by a Linthicum: his wife and chief of staff, Diane, also filed to run for the state Senate. Neither Linthicum returned a call Thursday. REPUBLICAN SUPPORTING ABORTION RIGHTS FACES PRIMARY CHALLENGE Darin Harbick, a Republican business owner in the upper McKenzie Valley who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for U.S. Senate last year, plans to challenge state Rep. Charlie Conrad, R-Dexter. Conrad drew the ire of some Republicans for voting with Democrats for a measure intended to ensure access to abortion and gender-affirming care after talking to doctors and parents and learning more about transgender health care. When I saw some of the votes that Representative Conrad cast, I was frustrated and that gave me the desire (to run), he told the Capital Chronicle. Along with the abortion and gender-affirming care bill, Harbick said he disagreed with Conrads vote for a measure that will let voters decide in 2024 whether to adopt a ranked-choice voting system. Harbick also plans to push for more logging, keeping parents involved in public education and restricting government regulations on business. Hes been endorsed by Oregon Right to Life, the states largest anti-abortion political group. In June, Oregon Right to Life launched a campaign against Conrad, vowing to do everything it could to keep him from winning a second term. The groups Charlie Conrad, You Are Out political action committee is nearly $1,300 in the hole and received a single $25 contribution, according to campaign finance records. Conrad has not yet filed, but he previously told the Capital Chronicle he plans to run for reelection and looks forward to debating issues. CONTESTED RACE IN KEY GORGE DISTRICT Freshman Rep. Jeff Helfrich, R-Hood River, is the first incumbent representative facing a serious challenge. Nick Walden Poublon, a former legislative staffer who until Thursday was the vice chair of the Clackamas County Democrats, filed to run against Helfrich in the 52nd House District, which follows the Columbia River east from Troutdale to The Dalles. Helfrich won his race in 2022 by about 1,600 votes, and its one of the few truly competitive House seats. Helfrich said the challenge came as no surprise. Its a competitive seat and I always knew I would face an opponent, he said. Ive spent the last nine months working to be a bipartisan voice in the Legislature and spending the time to travel around my district, hold meetings and hear from my constituents. None of that is going to change, regardless of who runs against me. Walden Poublon worked for former Democratic Rep. Lori Kuechler, a Sandy nonprofit consultant who was appointed to represent the district for a few months last year. He said he wants to work on constituent services and advocate for health care for all if elected. It is a really competitive district that has swung towards Democrats in the past, Walden Poublon said. I mean, Helfrich himself has lost in previous runs for the office, has been beaten in the past. And I think that its a swing district that has a strong chance of going blue in the presidential cycle. SENATE SHOWDOWN IN EASTERN OREGON Four Republican candidates for the sprawling 29th Senate District filed Thursday, setting up what could be one of the most contested primary elections. Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, is retiring after more than a decade in the Senate and other eastern Oregon politicians are duking it out for his seat. Wallowa County Commissioner Todd Nash, political activist Andy Huwe, Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann and former Morrow County Commissioner Jim Doherty have all indicated they plan to run. All are Republicans, and the district reliably elects conservative candidates. SEEKING REPRESENTATION IN COLUMBIA COUNTY Drew Layda, a Republican who lost the 2022 primary to freshman Rep. Brian Stout, R-Columbia City, filed for a rematch, saying voters in his district have for years had less representation than other districts. Thats because Stout and his predecessor, former Democratic Rep. Brad Witt, were both stripped of legislative committee assignments over inappropriate sexual behavior. House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, removed Stout from committees before his term began because Stout was subject to a restraining order from a former campaign volunteer who alleged he sexually assaulted her and threatened her life. Witt, who left office in 2023, lost his committee posts because House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville, reported that he sexually harassed her. Stout and Witt were still able to vote on bills, but most work happens in committees. Thats where lawmakers work out amendments, hear from Oregonians and fine-tune bills before they go up for votes. I would be an extremely thoughtful committee member, Layda said. Even if there was a bill pushing forward that I didnt like, I would be very beneficial for those committees because I could say, Hey, you see those three pieces of language that you have right there, changing them by a word is the difference between 20,000 truckers and loggers coming around our Capitol or not. Stout hasnt indicated whether hell run for reelection. He beat Layda by a 2-to-1 margin in the primary last year, but Layda said this year will be different because allegations against Stout have now been substantiated by a judge. -- Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy. Multnomah Falls, it should come as no surprise, is very, very popular. The iconic Oregon waterfall recently topped a list of the 30 most Instagrammable waterfalls in the country. The online casino search site Mr. Gamble compiled the list based on the number of tags on Instagram. Water gushes at Multnomah Falls Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. Mark Graves/The Oregonian Visitors watch as water gushes at Multnomah Falls Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. Mark Graves/The Oregonian HERE IS OREGON: HereisOregon.com | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok What does online poker have to do with Instagram photos of waterfalls? Not much. But sites that offer everything from lawn care services to gambling to travel tips have started ranking people, places and things left and right and sometimes it makes for a pretty good read. Multnomah Falls According to the list, Multnomah Falls has been tagged on Instagram 285,337 times, more than any other waterfall in the country. The falls is popular with photographers, tourists and hikers. An estimated 2 million people visit Multnomah Falls each year, making it the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, according to the U.S. Forest Service. During the busy season Memorial Day through Labor Day timed entry permits are required to visit the falls. You can also help cut down on traffic to the area by using a park-and-ride service to visit. There are several car-free options available for visitors. Silver Falls State Park Silver Falls State Park near Silverton also made the top 10, coming in at No. 8. More than a million visitors view the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park each year.Jamie Hale/Staff Silver Falls offers ten waterfalls and a variety of trail options to view them. Some of the trails are fairly challenging and can be treacherous, especially during the rainy season. Dogs arent allowed on most of the parks trails for safety reasons. That hasnt stopped photographers from capturing the parks many falls on Instagram more than 97,000 times. More than a million people visit Silver Falls each year, and the park has recently made upgrades including an ADA-accessible trail with waterfall views on the north side of the park. The new North Canyon area at Silver Falls State Park includes the North Rim Trail, which leads to a viewpoint of North Falls, as well as a large parking lot and restroom. Hikers stop at the waterfall viewpoint on a cool summer morning.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian If you visit, and youre feeling especially adventurous, you can now climb one of the parks impressive 300-foot Douglas firs. Visitors can book a session with a climbing guide who will escort you to the top of what Vickie Connor, host of The Oregonians Peak Northwest travel series, called some of the states oldest and tallest trees. Snoqualmie Falls in Washington state was No. 5, while Twin Falls in Idaho was ranked No. 7. READ MORE: Representative of the Foreign Diplomatic Service of the European Union, Peter Stano, notes that the member states of the Union may have their own, different, opinions from others, but the general line of foreign policy is adopted by all 27 members of the bloc, and the EU's position regarding Ukraine remains unchanged. This position of the EU was outlined by Stano in Brussels on Friday, commenting at the request of the Interfax-Ukraine agency on recent statements by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who accused the EU of not "localizing and isolating", but making a "global" war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, because of what "the whole world is suffering." Stano refrained from commenting on the statement in essence. At the same time, he stated that "the EU's position on Ukraine is very clear: this is illegal, unjustified, unprovoked aggression by Russia against Ukraine. This is the official position of the European Union, agreed by 27 member-states including Hungary, and this position is being represented and reflected in all the votes of the United Nations, the EU representative stated. Stano once again noted that it is the Russian aggression against Ukraine that "has far-reaching and widespread negative consequences around the world." He recalled that not so long ago, in July, the leaders of the 27 EU member states, including Hungary, adopted conclusions (an official EU document) in which "they stated in paragraph number one that the European Council, that is, the member States of the European Union, the 27 EU member states confirm the strong condemnation of aggressive Russia's war against Ukraine, the European Union is unwavering in its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as Ukraine's inalienable right to self-defense. This is the position, this is the policy of the European Union, adopted by all 27 member states," he explained. At the same time, Stano pointed out that member states have the right to express their opinions, but what matters is unanimity in decision-making. According to him, there is a very clearly formulated policy in relation to Ukraine adopted by all 27 member states, including Hungary, according to which the EU unwaveringly supports the legitimate struggle and the right to self-defense of Ukraine against cruel, illegal and unprovoked aggression by Russia. Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Malian government Wednesday adopted a draft decree in the Council of Ministers, setting out the special status of the Malian Armed and Security Forces reserve to strengthen the workforce As California Receipt Bill Falters, Paper Receipts Association Stands Strong for Consumer Choice "AB 1347 is an attempt to address paper waste while ignoring the real-world hardships the bill would levy, especially on low-income and underserved communities that rely on coupons [which are often printed on receipts]." Coalition to Support Low-Income Consumers. "AB 1347 is an attempt to address paper waste while ignoring the real-world hardships the bill would levy, especially on low-income and underserved communities that rely on coupons [which are often printed on receipts]." Coalition to Support Low-Income Consumers. Sept. 15, 2023 (Press Release) - The Paper Receipts Converting Association (PRCA) is pleased to announce that California Bill AB 1347, which proposed stringent regulations on the use of paper receipts in the state, failed to move past Senate Appropriations last week. A victory for consumers and industry alike, the bill will not move forward in the state's 2023-24 legislative session. Upon AB 1347's introduction earlier this year, PRCA quickly began to communicate the value of paper receipts to lawmakers in California, working closely with other groups such as the American Forest and Paper Association, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Retail Council, and local community groups like the Imperial Valley Food Bank and Long Beach's Su Casa. As the bill aimed to limit the use of paper receipts in the state, PRCA championed not only the consumers who prefer tangible paper records, but also those who depend on them. A letter from the Coalition to Support Low-Income Consumers to the CA Assembly clearly summed up the issue: "AB 1347 is an attempt to address paper waste while ignoring the real-world hardships the bill would levy, especially on low-income and underserved communities that rely on coupons [which are often printed on receipts]." Mike Rapier, President of PRCA, expressed his appreciation for the decision, stating, "We are pleased to see that AB 1347 has been withdrawn. This decision demonstrates a commitment to balance the interests of consumers and businesses alike. Paper receipts offer a tangible and secure record of transactions for consumers, and they are vital to the operations of many businesses. PRCA has worked diligently to convey the importance of paper receipts in our modern economy, and this outcome reflects the success of those efforts." Looking to the future, the paper receipts industry is poised to offer even more valuable and innovative record-keeping solutions to consumers in California and beyond. Many efforts are underway to eliminate phenol-based chemicals from receipt paper and increase engagement with consumers. PRCA will release new consumer data highlighting preferences around paper receipts later in 2023. Ultimately, PRCA encourages ongoing dialogue with lawmakers, business leaders, and consumers to find common solutions. For more information about PRCA and its efforts to support paper receipts, visit PaperReceipts.org. PRCA is a nonprofit trade association representing the manufacturers of paper receipts. The organization promotes the value of paper receipts; encourages the use of best manufacturing practices throughout the industry; and works with legislators and governmental agencies to promote the industry's well-being. SOURCE: Paper Receipts Converting Association (PRCA) Photo: (Photo : SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images) In a move that has stoked tension and controversy, the Sunol Glen School Unified School District in East Bay, California, recently voted to restrict the display of banners on school property to only the American and California state flags. The decision has elicited strong reactions, particularly from parents, staff, and community members who believe the policy targets LGBTQ Pride flags, previously displayed to symbolize the school's commitment to equity and inclusivity. The issue came to a head during a contentious board meeting on Tuesday, where trustees and attendees engaged in heated exchanges. Sunol Glen Superintendent and Principal Molleen Barnes pointed out that the board's new policy sends a clear message. Board President Ryan Jergensen explained the reasoning behind the vote: "When a school starts endorsing any single particular point of view, that can be divisive. The school should be inclusive of all. Individual views are irrelevant. I prefer to seek more for what unites us as a school." Despite the explanations, 150 community members, many armed with rainbow boas and handheld Pride flags, were asked to leave the meeting after the public comment period. The board later passed the measure with a 2-1 vote. Timing and Community Response Critics argue that the timing of the policy is suspect, coming just after a Pride flag was displayed in front of the school in June 2022. Opponents also point to other policies they describe as "anti-LGBTQ," including a now-defunct resolution requiring teachers and counselors to inform parents if their children were using names or pronouns separate from their biological sex. Joel Souza, a parent and filmmaker, said, "This is just an obviously backdoor attempt to ban the Pride flag and everything the flag represents." Souza's sentiments were echoed by other parents who feel that the small school, which serves only 270 K-8 students, was previously an "oasis" of acceptance and safety. Read Also: Three Arrested at L.A. School Board Meeting Addressing Pride Month Representation Concerns Adding another layer to the controversy is the fact that only a quarter of families with students at the school are Sunol residents and therefore eligible to vote for board members. The rest commute from other parts of the East Bay, leading to complaints about a lack of representation in decision-making. Diana Rohini LaVigne, another parent, warned that this decision might have broader implications. "Sunol Glen is a tiny school; it's really, really small. But this could be precedent-setting," she said, noting that neighboring communities are closely watching the unfolding drama. The Sunol Glen controversy comes amid larger debates in California around LGBTQ rights. Recently, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a lawsuit against another school district over their mandatory gender identity disclosure policy. Furthermore, the California Assembly passed a resolution to recognize August as Transgender History Month, becoming the first state to do so. In this heightened climate, the Sunol Glen School District's decision has become a flashpoint, reflecting larger battles over inclusivity, representation, and the role of educational institutions in social issues. With such an array of perspectives, the debate is far from settled and continues to evoke strong feelings on all sides. Related Article: New York Police Investigates Vandalism of Pride Flags at Stonewall National Monument U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Mark Milley will pay a visit to Ramstein base in Germany on September 18 to hold a meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a briefing. This will be the 15th meeting of the UDCG since Secretary Austin formed the international group in April, 2022. The secretary and chairman will join ministers of defense and senior military officials from nearly 50 nations to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the continued close coordination by the international community to provide the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to defend their sovereign territory, she stated. The participants of the meeting will meet to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the continuation of close coordination of the international community in providing the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to protect their sovereign territory. Photo: (Photo : KYLIE COOPER / Getty Images) In a pivotal turn of events, three educators from the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School have launched a Philadelphia teachers lawsuit against the School District of Philadelphia. Their claim, deeply rooted in First Amendment rights, is a direct challenge against the punitive measures they faced for voicing concerns over asbestos exposure in schools. Backdrop to the Lawsuit Tannen, Gray, and Celli, the trio behind the Philadelphia teachers lawsuit, contend that the district penalized them for working outdoors to highlight the health risks of asbestos present in their school environment. Their protest was both symbolic and precautionary. Despite fulfilling their teaching duties from the outdoor patio of the school, they were marked absent and faced pay cuts. The narrative takes an intriguing twist, revealing that the asbestos issue in Philadelphia schools extends beyond individual concerns. Last year, the School District of Philadelphia sued the City of Philadelphia over a 2022 law focused on managing environmental hazards, including asbestos. Fortunately, this past Wednesday marked a significant breakthrough. Both parties announced a settlement agreement, pledging enhanced inspections and greater transparency. Journey Towards Safer Schools While the Philadelphia teachers lawsuit might be the talk of the town, the district's preparations for the upcoming school year are in full swing. Mitchell Elementary in Kingsessing stands as a testament to this commitment. After the discovery of asbestos exposure in schools forced its shutdown last year, intensive remediation activities took place. Mitchell was not an isolated case - it was one of six schools closed due to asbestos concerns. Representatives for the district, however, are optimistic about the future. Their hope lies in reopening all Philadelphia schools this September. Community members echo these sentiments, calling for government intervention. "Children reside in these areas, and this is their educational haven. Many can't seek education outside the city. We must prioritize their safety," remarked a local resident. The Philadelphia City Council's Education Committee held extensive discussions on ensuring students' safety and school continuity. Board president Reginald Streater showcased a positive outlook, stating, "We've charted a path forward, focusing on sustainability and adhering to legal mandates." As part of this initiative, all school buildings will undergo biannual inspections, with the findings shared online. Mayor Jim Kenney's statement on the settlement accentuated the commitment to safe schooling. A key highlight of this agreement is the allocation of $2.5 million from the Department of Public Health. This fund will bolster data management regarding environmental hazards, thereby enhancing transparency. Read Also: California Takes Bold Stand Against Harmful Additives: Red Dye No. 3 Banned in Assembly Bill 418 Community's Quest for Clarity The pervasive problem of asbestos in Philadelphia schools remains a sore point for many. The district has faced multiple school closures in the past due to the detection of asbestos, a mineral known for its heat resistance but also for the serious health risks of asbestos exposure. To address community concerns and queries, the school district has made an asbestos FAQ available on its website. This unfolding saga in Philadelphia exemplifies the intersection of individual rights, community concerns, and systemic challenges. As schools open their doors for the next academic year, one thing is evident: ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff remains paramount. Related Article: Alabama's Birthing Battle: Oasis Center's Closure Spells Alarm for Expectant Mothers Photo: (Photo : Allison Joyce / Getty Images) North Dakota finds itself at the center of a legal maelstrom, as families, pediatricians, and activists join forces to challenge the state's contentious law that bans gender-affirming care for minors. As one of 22 states grappling with gender-affirming care laws in the US, North Dakota's decisions will echo beyond its borders. North Dakota's Gender-Affirming Care Ban Launched earlier in April, North Dakota's prohibition on gender-affirming care for minors has been a focal point of national discussions on transgender rights. The mandate from North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature was swiftly signed into law by Governor Doug Burgum. However, it immediately met resistance from multiple quarters. At the heart of the opposition is the advocacy group, Gender Justice. Recently, they unveiled a lawsuit in a news conference at Bismarck. Their primary aim? To halt the ban's enforcement in North Dakota, calling upon the courts to declare it unconstitutional. The legal challenge names both the state attorney general and three county attorneys as respondents. Christina Sambor, representing Gender Justice, did not mince words. She described the North Dakota law as a move that "outlawed essential health care for these kids solely because they are transgender." With North Dakota effectively criminalizing certain forms of gender-affirming care, many see the legislation as an affront to parents' rights and a barrier to life-saving medical procedures. The Personal Impact: Tate Dolney's Story Among the voices rising against the ban, one stands out: Tate Dolney, a 12-year-old transgender boy from Fargo. Tate Dolney's transgender journey epitomizes the positive, transformative power of gender-affirming care. Following his treatment, Tate experienced noticeable improvements in his confidence, academic performance, and relationships. Speaking candidly, Tate shared, "I was finally able to just be who I truly am." However, the implications of North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care have been deeply personal for him. The Dolney family now finds themselves traveling to neighboring Minnesota for Tate's appointments, a shift that has made them contemplate leaving North Dakota altogether. Tate's parents, both advocates in their right, have been vocal about the invasive nature of the state's law. Robert Dolney, Tate's father, emphasized the undue interference by politicians into decisions that should remain within families. "Politicians have intruded on our lives," he remarked, highlighting the deeply personal impact of the gender-affirming care ban. Read Also: California Takes Bold Stand Against Harmful Additives: Red Dye No. 3 Banned in Assembly Bill 418 A National Concern North Dakota is not an isolated case. With growing discussions around gender-affirming care laws in the US, 22 states have implemented either restrictions or outright bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. These laws are now facing legal scrutiny nationwide. The specifics of North Dakota's legislation are severe. Healthcare providers could incur felony charges, accompanied by potential imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of $20,000, for performing sex reassignment surgeries on minors. Meanwhile, professionals prescribing puberty blockers or hormone treatments face misdemeanor charges. Supporters, like state Rep. Bill Tveit, argue the law's intention is child protection. However, detractors, including numerous health professionals, point to potential increased risks for transgender youth, such as heightened depression, self-harm, and suicidal tendencies. As the legal battles over gender-affirming care laws in the US heat up, North Dakota remains a crucial battleground. The state's decisions could very well pave the way for future legislative moves and judicial outcomes nationwide. With the combined weight of personal stories like Tate Dolney's transgender experience and the broader national debate on gender-affirming care laws in the US, North Dakota is undeniably at a crossroads. How the state proceeds will not only shape the futures of many transgender minors within its borders but may also influence the national discourse on gender-affirming care for years to come. Related Article: Florida Advises Against New COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for Under 65s Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The other day I came across a wonderful little essay The Minimum Working Hypothesis, It was Aldous Huxleys attempt at providing a core to his belief in a perennial wisdom. It triggered a wave of thoughts for me. And in particular how much I owe to him and two of his colleagues Gerald Heard and Christopher Isherwood. One more distantly, but two inescapably. It inspired me to pause and gather a few thoughts about these three people and the threads that came together to inform me at the beginning of my adult life. More actually, as I was beginning to think of having an adult life. Henry Fitzgerald Heard was born in 1889, the son of an Anglican priest. He graduated from Cambridge University, and then taught briefly at Oxford. He was first known in the 1930s as a popular science commentator on the BBC. He was widely admired, although some saw the very range of his interests reduced him to gadfly status. Ultimately he wrote thirty-five books ranging from mysteries, to science fiction, to science, philosophy, history, and religion. Heard was deeply interested in the conflict between human advances in technology while remaining stagnant or worse regarding the spiritual and psychological life. He believed there was an evolutionary spiritual movement connected to mysticism. Although, as he saw it, this positive direction was constantly stymied by this imbalance, where humanity over focused on individuation to the detriment of our sense of interdependence, wonder, curiosity, and love. He emigrated to Los Angeles in 1937. His longtime friend Aldous Huxley accompanied him. Noting the physical similarities between Southern California and the ancient Near East, he reveled in both the prevalence of crank religions and it being the meeting place of authentic traditions gathering from east and west. It was there that he met the remarkable Swami Prabhavananda, a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. The swami founded monasteries and convents in Hollywood, Santa Barbara, and Trabuco Canyon. As I think of it, the swami is a fourth figure in my spiritual formation. I met him mainly through his translation work with Isherwood. That and through Isherwoods memoir My Guru and His Disciple. And, well, through his imprint on all three Im writing about here In 1943 Heard purchased property in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County, where with Aldous Huxley he established his Trabuco College. It was a retreat center for the just beginning Human Potential Movement and is generally credited as the pattern for Esalen Institute. Heard envisioned it as a sort of semi-monastery, where he would mentor a new class of neo-brahmins, spiritual leaders for a new age. Heard was for a substantial period of time a successful public speaker and writer. Those thirty-five books. His later years were devoted to experimental psychotherapy, the rising psychedelic movement, and parapsychology. He was a popular early presenter at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur when it was opened. His core message that there was an emerging universal religion that synthesized the wisdom of east and west. While once widely known, his star has faded. The college would pass on to the Vedanta Society as the nucleus for a monastery. This said, his importance to Huxley and to Isherwood is hard to calculate, but was substantial. Personally, I was never attracted to his writings. Well, except for the three novels beginning with A Taste for Honey, featuring a Mr Mycroft, who might or might not be Sherlock Holmes. Aldous Leonard Huxley was born to English intellectual royalty in 1894. He was the third child of the writer Leonard Huxley and Julia Arnold, the niece of Mathew Arnold. His grandfather was Thomas Huxley, Darwins Bulldog. Aldous was named by his mother for a character in one of her sisters novels. He earned his degree at Oxford. During the first world war he was rejected by the army because of his poor eyesight. Huxley achieved fame as the author of satiric novels through the 1920s and the very beginning of the 1930s. In my late teens I read many of these novels, starting with Chrome Yellow. While in England, through Heards influence, Huxley embraced pacifism. In the interwar period he was embroiled in the practical questions of pacifism, and his thinking continued to evolve a social and spiritual sense. As the gathering clouds of war began to overtake the 1930s, he found himself increasingly isolated in England. And he followed Heard to America in 1937. My own intellectual and spiritual life would be touched by two nonfiction books of his, one written just before the war, Grey Eminence, a spiritual and political biography. The other not too many years after, The Devils of Loudin, touching on the dangers inherent in self-absorption. Although I have to admit at this point my memories of it are visual, pretty much of the movie rather than the book I read. That said what one can call warnings about the spiritual life woven through these two books found a place in my heart. Of course, its his 1945 book, the Perennial Philosophy that has proven the most important to me over the years. The core thesis is that the purpose of our lives is to find the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being. As he says in his introduction, Rudiments of the Perennial Philosophy may be found among the traditionary lore of primitive peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions. A version of this Highest Common Factor in all preceding and subsequent theologies was first committed to writing more than twenty-five centuries ago, and since that time the inexhaustible theme has been treated again and again, from the standpoint of every religious tradition and in all the principal languages of Asia and Europe. In essence he illustrates a relatively simple thesis with a wonderful collection of quotations from the worlds religious literature. Part of its charm is that he preferred lesser-known quotes to the tried and true of comparative spiritualities. Not a scholarly book, and lacking citations that I wish for, it is nonetheless something of a handbook of the universalist spiritual life. It was condemned and it was praised. Over the years I believe his Perennial Philosophy has only been outsold by Brave New World. Im grateful that it fell into my hands at a right moment. The third party of this literary and spiritual trinity is Christopher Isherwood. Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was born in 1904. The family was monied. He attended Cambridge, but his satirical writings led him to be invited to leave without a degree. He also spent six months a Kings College. His first novel was published in 1928, and from then Isherwood was considered one of the new literary lights. Heard and Huxley had a significant role in converting Isherwood to pacifism. Noted at the time because he was one of the early writers to warn about rising fascism and to endorse an armed resistance. Isherwood left England in 1939. After a brief period in New York, he followed Heard and Huxley to Los Angeles. At first, he embraced Heards New Pacifism, as a discipline. Listening to him talk about mysticism and yoga sparked another flame. Heard and Huxley then introduced him to Swami Prabhavananda. When the war broke out, while Isherwood was a registered pacifist, he was also too old for the draft. The swami suggested he move into the Vedanta center. Through the war years he lived there, by his own description as a demi-monk. It was during this time he assisted Swami Prabhavananda in producing a translation of the Bhagavad Gita.: The Song of God, which was published in 1944. This would be the translation I first read. In fact, I read all three of Prabhavananda and Isherwood collaborations, the Gita, Shankaras Crest-Jewel of Discrimination, and How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali. But it would be his wonderful 1965 study, Ramakrishna and His Disciples that would fire my adolescent imagination as I had turned from my Fundamentalist upbringing and quickly passed through a hard rationalist atheism. I cannot say how important it was to me at that turning moment in my life. So, what can I say about these three. They were all from Englands privileged classes. Each enjoyed first rate classical educations. Two were gay. Each had success pretty much right from the start. Critics say Isherwood was less of an intellectual than either Heard or Huxley, they each were brilliant. And, each in their own ways touched my spiritual life. Heard largely indirectly, but Huxley and Isherwood through my reading quite a fair number of their books. Because of them, I flirted with Vedanta. But only briefly. I admired much of what that tradition offered, and still does and I still admire them. What they did do was infuse me with a broad tolerance of the worlds spiritualities and implanted an assumption I could find wisdom, saving wisdom, anywhere around the world. My journey would continue. My principal touchstone would turn out to be Zen Buddhism, informed in many ways by the rationalist and Transcendentalist Unitarian Universalism. Today, from the vantage of my seventy-five years, I look back on these teachers of my youth. And I feel enormous gratitude. Tidal waves of gratitude. Endless bows *** Heres a clip of Alan Watts discussing Gerald Heard A security analyst, Adam Bonaa has stated that the invitation to National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah to appear before the Committee hearing the leaked tape plotting the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare is wrong. This comes on the back of the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah refusing to furnish the Parliamentary Committee probing leaked tape on the plot to remove IGP with details of investigations undertaken by his outfit. Kan Dapaah was invited by the committee to speak to the status of investigations undertaken by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) after the tape went viral. Speaking on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, the security analyst stated that the Committee should have been advised against inviting the National Security Minister. We have the whistleblowers Act so whether you know who recorded, who didnt record it and who leaked it is inconsequential. The whistle-blowers Act actually protects these people. So if you go out there and take these peoples names, identity if you have them and you put them out into the public domain through Parliament that will be an affront on the laws. Anybody who does that, that would be criminal. So for me when I heard Atta Akyea calling for National Security, I ask do we know what we are talking about. It looks like somebody is not telling Atta Akyea and the Committee that you cant do that. The Americans will not do it, the British will not do it. No nation that has proper security set up in a democracy will do that, Mr. Bonaa stated. But at a behind-closed-doors hearing Wednesday, September 13, 2023 the National Security Minister said the report of the NIB is classified and thus cannot be made public. Addressing the media after proceedings, Chairman of the Committee, Samuel Atta Akyea disclosed the full unedited original audio recording has been delivered by former Northern Regional Chairman of NPP Bugri Naabu. The Abuakwa South MP further revealed when the committee resumes its in-camera hearings on October 3, witnesses will be cross-examined as the indicted senior officers are expected to prove their claims against the IGP. This comes on the back of the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah refusing to furnish the Parliamentary Committee probing leaked tape on the plot to remove IGP with details of investigations undertaken by his outfit. Kan Dapaah was invited by the committee to speak to the status of investigations undertaken by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) after the tape went viral. Speaking on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, the security analyst stated that the Committee should have been advised against inviting the National Security Minister. We have the whistleblowers Act so whether you know who recorded, who didnt record it and who leaked it is inconsequential. The whistle-blower's Act actually protects these people. So if you go out there and take these peoples names, identity if you have them and you put them out into the public domain through Parliament that will be an affront on the laws. Anybody who does that, that would be criminal. So for me when I heard Atta Akyea calling for National Security, I ask do we know what we are talking about. It looks like somebody is not telling Atta Akyea and the Committee that you cant do that. The Americans will not do it, the British will not do it. No nation that has proper security set up in a democracy will do that, Mr. Bonaa stated. But at a behind-closed-doors hearing Wednesday, September 13, 2023 the National Security Minister said the report of the NIB is classified and thus cannot be made public. Addressing the media after proceedings, the Chairman of the Committee, Samuel Atta Akyea disclosed the full unedited original audio recording has been delivered by former Northern Regional Chairman of NPP Bugri Naabu. The Abuakwa South MP further revealed when the committee resumes its in-camera hearings on October 3, witnesses will be cross-examined as the indicted senior officers are expected to prove their claims against the IGP. Source: Starrfm.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 Exclusive interview with spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine Saviano Abreu to the Interfax-Ukraine agency Author: Valerie Proshchenko What kind of aid and support has been provided by the UN to people affected by the Russian aggression in Ukraine since 24 February 2022? From food, water, health services to cash, all essentials to maintain human dignity during this horrible time for the Ukrainian people. We had projects to support people in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts before the full-scale invasion. After 24.02.22 we had to expand this assistance to ensure that we could meet the growing needs. The full-scale invasion led to a grave humanitarian crisis here. There was a humanitarian situation in the country, but it was not as catastrophic as it is now. Were talking about 18 million people that need humanitarian assistance. Its almost half of the people that are in Ukraine now. Last year, in 2022, we managed to dramatically increase humanitarian assistance. I'm talking about water, food, assistance with repairs, preparing the displacement centers where people are fleeing to, health services, education and cash assistance as well. We reached 16 million people in Ukraine last year. That is a remarkable number, taking into consideration that we had a really small operation in the country before . This continues now in 2023. We have already provided the same kind of support to almost 8 million people in 2023. Do you expect that the number of people who need help will increase in the next months in Ukraine? Unfortunately, what we could see in the first six months of the year is that the situation is getting worse. Especially in the frontline the situation is getting worse and worse. We do see an increased number of Russian attacks impacting civilians, destroying, once again, vital infrastructure. If the war continues, and it appears to be the case, the needs of the population will either continue, because they cannot recover and go back to the situation that they were before, or it increases. So, we can expect a deterioration of the humanitarian situation, if the pattern that we observed in the first six months of the year will continue. And also the winter will begin very soon. And it does bring a new layer of risks and needs for people. Some live in damaged houses, or have no access to water, heating, or gas. Even paying for the heating during the winter could be a problem for many people in Ukraine particularly those displaced that have already exhausted their savings or coping mechanisms. So, it's a new layer of complexity to a situation that is already alarming. We are expecting to increase humanitarian assistance and provide it to up to 11 million by the end of the year. Our assistance is complementary to what the government is doing, to the impressive work that the volunteers are doing, so, out of the 18 million that I mentioned that need assistance, our objective is to assist 11 million. Does your support include any specific preparation for the upcoming winter? It does and since the beginning of the year we already had in our plan specific support for people during the winter. Now we are revising these plans to see how feasible they are, according to the funding that we have. We are planning from October to March to support around 1.3 million people with specific winter assistance. Paying for the rent for people that are displaced, for example, is one of the activities, or even paying for the utilities, heating. This is what we are planning for areas that are not close to the frontline. For citizens near the frontline our support is going to be mainly with emergency repair. We will do repairs that are going to keep people safe and warm during the winter. Also, many communities near the frontline have difficulties with access to supplies and markets are disrupted. So we go with assistance, with items to this area of the country. During the winter, this assistance would include winter clothes, blankets, heating appliances. Another important part is supporting the districts and municipalities to ensure heating, electricity and water systems are functioning during the winter. As a part of our work we support the government, local administrations, to repair these services that have been damaged during the war. Moreover, we have prepared aid in case there is a new attack. That means we can rapidly mobilize resources to support the government to conduct the repairs. Another part of our assistance is ensuring that the livestock's not going to die during the winter. We have to ensure that people have the proper inputs to feed the animals, to protect the animals. So, this is another package that goes beyond winter. But during the winter it is particularly important because access to food in areas close to the frontline can be a challenge and for some people their livestock is the only source of nutritious food. Maybe you can tell a little bit more about the humanitarian situation near the frontline? Where is the worst situation? I don't want to differentiate. It might be slightly different in some parts of the frontline, but there is an unimaginable level of suffering wherever you go, and the basic needs are more or less the same. In some areas people cannot go to the doctor or have medicines, because half of the health facilities are not functional, they are damaged or destroyed. Access to health is extremely challenging for people in these areas. As well as access to food and hygiene supplies. But also, so many communities have difficulties with water. And it became much worse after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. It is a growing issue, mainly now in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, but not only. So the needs are diverse somehow, but the main urgent, immediate needs are quite similar across the whole frontline. The level of destruction is immense. When I visited some small villages between Kherson and Mykolaiv oblast, I didn't see even one house that wouldn't have at least one hole in the wall. Some are flattened to the ground. And the same situation is in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Luhansk is extremely concerning for us because we have limited access there since Russian forces took control over some territories. And it's very disturbing because we don't even know the whole reality of the situation in Luhansk oblast. Before Russian forces entered Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, we were there and saw the level of destruction. And it was unimaginable, with health services and water systems completely decimated. About the Donbas region, where did you go last time? We go very frequently to areas close to the frontline in the Donbas region. We go usually all together with many different UN agencies, NGOs as well, they join our convoys, organized by our office. We have between two-three of these humanitarian convoys every week, not only to Donbas. But we go regularly bringing a comprehensive package of assistance. We all know that the Kakhovka disaster is devastating. Tell us about the UN's response to the catastrophe. The problem that we have with the disaster caused by the Kakhovka Dam destruction is that it affected an area already ravaged by the war, where people had already been suffering from the consequences of Russias invasion, constant shelling and attacks, for way too long. So the level of needs there was high, and has become worse. On the other side of the river our access is almost impossible. During the first days after the destruction we did have contact on the other side, we contacted communities and we got a bit of sense of the levels of needs. But we cannot go and verify, we cannot see the situation. And worse, we could not cross and help them. And the level of attacks in Kherson city only increased after November, it's getting worse and worse. We don't think that on the other side of the river the situation would be any different. But do you still continue to ask for the access? Well, our negotiations have never stopped since the 24th of February. We do send notifications to the Russian Federation regularly, we have had negotiations in many different levels, in the highest levels, but the breakthroughs of these negotiations, as we all know, are not at the level that we would have expected. After the Kakhovka dam destruction, we started our support to people impacted from day one. On the second day of the disaster, we sent a team with 11 UN staff to Kherson. On the 8th of June we had a meeting with the Kherson governor to see what else would be needed. On the 9th I went myself with the humanitarian coordinator, Denise Brown, with a group of around 20 staff from the UN to ensure that we could scale up the assistance that was taking place. Around 200,000 people were supported during June in the areas that were impacted by flooding (Khersons'ka, Mykolaivska, Zaporizhzha oblast and Dnipropetrovska). The assistance was not only because of the disaster. These areas were already suffering with other needs because of the war. Cash assistance, for example, was one of the priorities at the request of the government. And we reached 5,000 people with cash assistance in the first three days after the disaster. And just a few days later it increased to around 20,000 people who received cash assistance. And one of the examples of our help is that in June alone more than five million liters of water were supplied, over 240,000 food parcels, and this support continues. But do you have maybe some numbers of people who are suffering, who are in need of drinking water? The overall access to water in Ukraine has been impacted since February last year. It's not something new. The number of people that were served by the Kakhovka reservoir is 700,000 people. These people are at risk. Some already don't have water. But overall, 11 million people more or less in the whole country now have challenges to access water, sanitation and hygiene services. It is a huge figure, a huge problem. And it is really concerning, because it directly impacts our well-being, health and our safety and our capacity to survive. Food security is one of the main topics now. Is there any progress in the negotiations about functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative? The negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative have not been easy from the very beginning. And now we all saw what happened in mid-July, when Russia decided to terminate the initiative. It was a really difficult moment for all of us, but particularly for the poorest people of the world, and the Ukrainian farmers that depend on this agreement. The UN is committed to keep the negotiations, to keep the talks. Many countries of the world denounced the Russian termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, so we are committed to make sure that in the meantime we find alternatives to keep the grains going to the global market for the sake of the Ukrainians and for the sake of the world population. Negotiations will continue. What is really alarming is the level of attacks that followed this decision. The level of destruction is shocking. It's inhumane that in addition to terminating the agreement, Russia now has been attacking ports in the Danube. That was the alternative for the exports. In addition to the Black Sea Initiative, we have our regular programs on supporting the farmers of Ukraine to sustain their activities. For example, we have started a new program recently with the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to support demining of mainly small scale farmlands. It is for farmers that have a maximum 300 hectares of land that are facing this challenge with mine contamination. We are supporting them to clear their lands so they can resume the activities. We have other supports on mine action, but this specific one is quite interesting, in my opinion. In the project, we support the farmers with inputs to resume their activities and we also committed to buying part of their produce. The World Food Programme is going to buy this food for their humanitarian assistance. In summary, I demine your land, I give you inputs to resume your activities and then buy at least part of what you produce to ensure food assistance either here or outside of the country. So it guarantees that farmers are going to have an income and people are going to have affordable food. We have already started in Kharkiv oblast, and we are expanding activities in the coming months to Khersons'ka and Mykolaiv oblast. As you know, all these areas are greatly dependent on agriculture, and that's why the focus is on these three areas. The program started last month. It's really new. And there we are working closely with the regional authorities. We do it together, even the applications from the farmers to receive the grants go through the administration, the local government. According to the experts, Ukraine is one of the most mined countries in the world now. But president Zelensky last week said that we have only 26 vehicles for demining. How do you help us with this huge problem? There is something very specific in Ukraine about demining. The demining is always done by the government. It is a decision of your government. So the demining vehicles that are authorized to proceed are only the government ones with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU). This is how we are working, but we do provide the technical support. For example, we provided 11 pyrotechnic teams with equipment, training, transport vehicles, survey vehicles, survey equipment. So, 11 teams of SESU received this equipment directly from our colleagues from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). There is clearly a need for more. There is also an important part of the work we do that is directly with the communities on mine awareness. For example, to ensure that people are aware of the risks, know how to proceed if they find an explosive. We have a program on that. Last year, it was more than 3 million people that we reached with campaigns. But what I would tell you to complement what we discussed already is our increased efforts in the coming months that have already started, but we're going to increase even more. If we don't manage to get more support from the international community, it's going to have an impact on our capacity to support people that are still having their lives devastated by the war every day. We are now just above 30% of what we requested for the response, unfortunately. We do have some pledges, we know that more funding will arrive, but we need it now. As I mentioned before, its preparation for the winter, for soaring needs due to increased attacks by Russia. And certain kinds of support that we have to provide, like the repair work, doesn't happen in two days. So, we need to have the resources to ensure that we can start the work now. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says there was "overwhelming consensus" for regulation on artificial intelligence after tech heavyweights gathered in Washington to discuss AI. Tech bosses attending the meeting included Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Google boss Sundar Pichai. Microsoft's former CEO Bill Gates and Microsoft's current CEO Satya Nadella were also in attendance. The Wednesday meeting with US lawmakers was held behind closed doors. The forum was convened by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and included the tech leaders as well as civil rights advocates. The power of artificial intelligence - for both good and bad - has been the subject of keen interest from politicians around the world. In May, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, testified before a US Senate committee, describing the potential pitfalls of the new technology. ChatGPT and other similar programmes can create incredibly human-like answers to questions - but can also be wildly inaccurate. "I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong...we want to be vocal about that," Mr Altman said. "We want to work with the government to prevent that from happening," he said. There are fears that the technology could lead to mass layoffs, turbo charge fraud and make misinformation more convincing. AI companies have also been criticised for training their models on data scraped from the internet without permission or payment to creators. In April, Mr Musk told the BBC: "I think there should be a regulatory body established for overseeing AI to make sure that it does not present a danger to the public." In Wednesday's meeting, he said he wanted a "referee" for artificial intelligence. "I think we'll probably see something happen. I don't know on what timeframe or exactly how it will manifest itself," he told reporters after. Mr Zuckerberg said that Congress "should engage with AI to support innovation and safeguards". He added it was "better that the standard is set by American companies that can work with our government to shape these models on important issues". Republican Senator Mike Rounds said it would take time for Congress to act. "Are we ready to go out and write legislation? Absolutely not," Mr Rounds said. "We're not there." Democrat Senator Cory Booker said all participants agreed "the government has a regulatory role" but crafting legislation would be a challenge. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu has disclosed that a 3-member committee has been set to look into the cause of the explosion at a quarry site at Kobenandohkrom in the Shama District. The explosion killed four persons and left many injured. Some night workers, believed to be Chinese and Ghanaian nationals, were burnt, while others, including the managing director (MD) of the company, are still missing. Those who survived were rushed to the various hospitals in the district and Sekondi. The EPA boss speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' said apart from the committee set by REGSEC, the Agency's internal monitoring system has put together a 3-man team to scrutinize and investigate their monitoring strategies with particular reference to the Western Region. "We need to find out whether our monitoring system is working efficiently. What went wrong as far as the quarry site is concerned..." he said. Listen to his submission 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 The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed another application seeking the confirmation of the seizure of the GH2.73 million and $590,000 its officers seized at the residence of former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah. The second application is also seeking the confirmation of the freezing of the seven bank accounts of the former minister at Prudential Bank and Societe Generale. The application follows the dismissal of an earlier one filed by the OSP after an Accra High Court held that both the seizure and the freezing were not done in accordance with the law. The Office of the Special Prosecutor had released both the cash and the bank accounts to Madam Dapaah in compliance with the court order which was given on August 31, 2023. But the Office on September 5, had indicated in a press statement that the funds were seized again and the account refrozen as there was reasonable suspicion that the funds were tainted. Arrest The OSP arrested Madam Dappah on July 24, 2023, on suspicion of corruption and corruption-related offences after she and her husband reported huge sums of money was stolen from their home by their two housemaids. The OSP then administratively froze the bank accounts of the former minister and filed an application before an Accra High Court seeking to confirm the seizure of the monies at her home as well as the freezing of the accounts pending further investigation into the true ownership and source of the monies. Ruling Justice Edward,in his ruling on the first application, had indicated that based on the available facts before it, there was no justifiable basis for the authorised officers of the OSP to exercise the powers of seizure without a court warrant or order. The court said the true ownership of the money found at the matrimonial home of the former minister has not been established, leaving the court to wonder the basis for the OSP concluding that the funds were tainted property when a directive by the Attorney General on the police to establish the ownership and source of funds were yet to conclude. Justice Twum also suspended the administrative freezing order placed on seven bank accounts of the former minister at Societe Generale and Prudential Bank Limited on grounds of containing alleged tainted funds. It was the view of the court that the freezing of the account was done without any justifiable legal basis, particularly at a time when another state security institution is investigating Madam Dapaah in respect of the same subject matter for which the OSP froze her accounts. It is clear to this court that this action by the applicant was based on speculation and mere guesses and at best reactionary to public sentiments and not based any criminal intelligence gathered as the applicant wants this court to believe, the court held. New Move The Office of the Special Prosecutor on September 11, once again, filed another application seeking the confirmation of the seizure of the money found at her home and confirmation of the freezing of the seven bank accounts which are said to contain substantial amounts in both cedis and other foreign currencies. The application, which was filed before an Accra High Court, is scheduled to be heard on October 18, 2023, when the Superior Courts return from the legal vacation. Source: dailyguidenetwork.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 autopsy results of the late Felix Kuma Azibodzi, a 29-year-old private security worker in Ho in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region who died in police custody, has proven to be an unnatural death. The report authored on August 30, this year, by Dr Foster Gbagbo, a pathologist, who performed the autopsy and witnessed by a police pathologist and other actors showed haemothorax, fractured left rib with deflated contusion of the chest, which revealed a blunt force injury to the chest. The report has offered respite to the Azibodzi family to apply for death certificate towards the burial of the deceased, who suffered police brutalities in custody, when he was arrested on suspicion of a car theft on August 9, which allegedly turned out to be false. The family is hereby petitioning the authorities for a thorough independent investigation into the demise of their compatriot, who they believed was tortured and manhandled in police custody. The family is hereby petitioning President Akufo-Addo, Ambrose Dery, the Minister of Interior, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General to cause investigations into how the deceased died at the Regional Command in Ho. The family spokesperson, Michael Azibodzi told the Ghana News Agency that, the deceased was allegedly arrested at the Ho main lorry station by the police in relation to a suspected car theft case on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. He said the deceaseds arrest stemmed from a post of the said missing car on his social media handles, which the spokesperson alleged was shared by his work colleagues to aid arrest of the actual culprit, but this action was misunderstood. Mr Azibodzi said on Friday, August 11, a team of policemen led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Andrew Boadu Ekumah, Volta Regional Police Commander, flanked by his Regional Crime Officer and others came to the family with the information of the death of the deceased after he complained of an ailment in custody. The family was informed he died at the Ho Teaching Hospital, where he was sent for medical attention. He said the sad news unsettled them but they went to the morgue on Monday, August 14, believing that the case should be one of misplaced identity. But Mr Azibodzi who was accompanied by a lawyer to the morgue said the reality was the sordid state of the body they found. The spokesperson added that the body portrayed a broken arm, punched eye, broken teeth, swollen face, and broken legs with visible wounds at the back with blood oozing from the mouth and nose. He said these could only be a clear case of torture, use of excessive force and wickedness with an intention to kill. He said the family had resisted attempts by the police to convey the deceased body to the Police Hospital in Accra for autopsy as the family preferred an alternative to avoid cover-ups. We the family of the deceased hereby appeal to the powers that be to assist the Azibodzi family to attain justice in this heinous, barbaric and calculated murder in cold blood by the Ho Police. Rev. Raymond Akpatsa, lawyer for the family said the modus used by the Police to elicit information from suspects is crude, barbaric and inhumane and wonders why in the 21st Century, the Police cannot reform. Meanwhile, GNA investigation attests that the deceased was Brought in Dead on August 10, and was certified dead by Dr Emmanuel Kasu, Director of Medical Services of the Ho Teaching Hospital. Meanwhile, major actors including chiefs, queens, religious leaders and security-related NGOs have criticised police brutalities in the region, with the latest being the Gbi-Godenu and Gbi-Wegbe, leading to deaths and injuries in eight months. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seven fishermen are reported missing after two fishing boats capsized earlier today at Ada estuary in the Greater Accra Region. The incident occurred as the fishermen were attempting to navigate into the Volta River. The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the Ghana Navy have swiftly initiated a joint search and rescue operation to locate and rescue the missing fishermen. Both organizations have deployed their personnel and resources to comb through the sea and shorelines, leaving no stone unturned in their efforts. Confirming the tragic incident, Chief Naval Officer 1, Robert Lamptey, Eastern Naval Commander, informed Daily Guide Online that one of the boats, named Shalom, was carrying 11 people when it encountered a massive wave, leading to its capsizing. While 10 of the occupants were successfully rescued, one individual remains unaccounted for. Additionally, another boat named Barcelona was swept away by forceful waves and ended up washing up in the Volta Region community. Two individuals from the community managed to save themselves, but six fishermen from the boat are still missing. The boat itself sustained significant damage but was eventually retrieved. The close-knit community of Ada is reeling from the news of the disappearances and has rallied together, offering support and prayers for the safe return of the missing fishermen. The families of the missing individuals are anxiously awaiting updates on the ongoing search and rescue operation. Local authorities are urging fishermen to exercise extreme caution and prioritize their safety, especially when navigating the challenging waters off Ada. The area is known for its unpredictable currents and ever-changing weather conditions, which can present significant risks, as demonstrated by this tragic incident. The search and rescue mission remains ongoing, with authorities exhibiting unwavering determination to locate and rescue the missing fishermen. Regular updates on the progress of the operation will be provided as the situation unfolds. Source: dailyguidenetwork.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 Professor Smart Sarpong has called on all political parties in the country to assist the Electoral Commission in its ongoing limited registration exercise. The Electoral Commission began the registration exercise yesterday and will end on Monday, 2nd October, 2023. The exercise, taking place in all the 268 district offices of the Commission, is to ensure every eligible Ghanaian gets his or her name into the voters' register. Persons who have attained the age of 18 years since the last registration exercise and those who for one reason or the other did not register in 2020, should visit the District Office where they reside with either their Ghana Card or their Ghana Passport. Eligible applicants who do not possess any of the identification documents listed above are required to present two (2) persons who are already registered voters to guarantee their registration. The General Public is informed that it is a criminal offence for non-Ghanaians (foreigners) and persons who are not 18 years and above (minors) to attempt to register", a statement from the Commission read. Contributing to Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", the Senior Research Fellow of the Kumasi Technical University, Prof. Smart Sarpong asked the district and Regional executives of the various parties to directly involve themselves in sensitizing people to partake in the exercise and conveying them to the EC district offices. "Go from house to house to find out those eligible Ghanaians who don't have the card...and make arrangements. If we were going into elections, you would have arranged a bus and given them lorry fare to go and vote", 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 Humility is a key trait that added to others can ensure that a persons political aspirations are realized, this is according to Cletus Avoka, six-time Member of Parliament, currently representing the people of Zebilla in the Upper East Region. Avoka, who has announced his retirement from the House after his current tenure ends in January 2025, was a member of the first three Parliaments, 1992, 1996 and 2000 before losing in 2004 losing by 100 votes. In 2008, he came back and retained his seat in 2012 before losing again in 2016 losing by 120 votes. When I lose, I accept the verdict, no blame game. I dont start finding fault with people, I say the challenge is mine, he told a gathering of NDC lawyers on September 3 at an annual conference. He said despite it not being an easy feat to lose a seat and win it back, he has done so a record two times since 1992. It is better to step down when your image is high that to be retired by somebody else. It is better to leave the scene when your image is still high, than to wait for somebody to retire you, he stressed. He said, he had always wanted to retire voluntarily and not to say that somebody has retired me, because that is an insult to my dignity, stressing that some of his young volunteers are now lawyers and top professionals so why should he contest again. 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 flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has said that he will win the partys presidential primary slated for November 4, 2023. Corroborating the claim, Dr. Akoto noted that given the vision that he has so far espoused, he is the only aspirant who has clearly shown the way as to how he intends to diversify the countrys agricultural sector through policies and programs to turn Ghanas economy around and take Ghanaians out from the perennial hardships that they go through. Interacting with a cross section of the Ghanaian media at his campaign office on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, after placing third (3rd) on the ballot in the NPP presidential primary scheduled for November 4, Dr. Akoto said he is Ghanas hope for the future and therefore asked the delegates to ignore the intimidation and undue influences that the other aspirants are employing and massively come along with him. I am more energized than ever before to bear the flag of the NPP and go on to win power for the party. If you look at all the candidates contesting the NPP flagbearer position, who has a better message than mine? My vision for the NPP and that for Ghana inspires hope, and that is why hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians are urging me on to go all out and fight until I win power for them. I cant disappoint them, he noted. He added I am Ghanas hope. I have already laid out the broader picture of my vision. As the campaign progresses, a lot of Ghanaians have assured me of their support, and I aint backing down. He said all that he requires from the leadership of the NPP is a level playing field for all the competing candidates to showcase what they have to Ghanaians for them to make informed decisions. We were five going into the November 4 polls, but one has backed down. An impression has been created that the party machinery is skewing things to favour a particular candidate. The leadership of the party must create a free environment devoid of any intimidation to allow delegates of our great NPP to decide who should lead the party going into election 2024. With that, it is easier to close our ranks, come together, and support whoever won the primary, he averred. Dr. Akoto, who is a former two-term Member of Parliament (MP), placed 4th in the NPP Special Delegates Conference held on Saturday, August 26, 2023, surprising many political pundits and pollsters. He is expected to intensify his campaign in the coming weeks as he re-strategizes ahead of the NPP November 4 showdown. More than 200,000 party delegates are expected to exercise their franchise in the much-publicized elections. Dr. Akoto, who has worked in the UN systems for over 18 years, according to sources close to his campaign team, has targeted more than half of the votes of the delegates who will decide who should lead the NPP going into the 2024 general elections. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Member of Parliament for the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has offered an unreserved apology to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), specifically to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, for her recent behaviour. Mrs Safo clarified that her actions were unintended and were a result of personal challenges she was grappling with, both as an individual and as a member of a family. The former Deputy Majority Leader also sought forgiveness from the Majority Caucus, as well as from the party's regional and constituency executives. She expressed her remorse in a two-minute video address to the nation published on her Facebook page, urging all her constituents to forgive her actions. In 2022, Adwoa Safo faced the Privileges Committee of Parliament after being absent for over a year. The status of her seat became a point of contention, with fellow Majority members advocating for it to be declared vacant, in opposition to National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs. As of now, the Speaker has yet to make a ruling based on the Committee's report. Upon her return to Ghana from the United States of America, the former Minister of Procurement stated her intentions to participate in the partys primaries for the 2024 elections. Watch the video below; 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 Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has criticized the handlers of President Akufo Addo over his comments at the recently held Bar Conference. The President speaking at the conference described former President John Mahama as a perennial candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and criticized him for alleging that he (Akufo-Addo) had packed the courts with Judges who are members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Not only are these concepts of NPP and NDC judges new in our public discourse, but they are also extremely dangerous, and represent the most brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary, the President said. Kwesi Pratt speaking to this during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' questioned "Who advised the President" to make such comments. "So that perennial candidate, where from that, where did he get that from? Who advised him? Is it somebody who wrote the speech for him or his own speech, I don't understand...that you have contested four times, and someone who has contested three times, you are saying he is a perennial candidate, so for you, what are you?" 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 BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Azerbaijan has firmly cemented its reputation as a dependable partner across numerous domains. These assertions are not mere rhetoric; they find concurrence among leaders worldwide who hold unwavering trust in Azerbaijan. In this context, Central Asian nations are at the forefront of enhancing cooperation with Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev's dedicated focus on partnership with each of the Central Asian economies has been instrumental in reinforcing essential connections between these two significant regions on the global stage. President Ilham Aliyevs participation at the 5th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia in Dushanbe has showcased the remarkable role Azerbaijan plays on the global stage right now. This meeting marked the inaugural participation of a head of state from a non-regional country, underscoring the President Ilham Aliyev's personal influence, and signifying the deep recognition of Azerbaijans contributions to global peace, security, and the promotion of cooperation. Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia are bound by the centuries-long brotherhood ties of our peoples. Shared cultural roots are the solid foundation of interstate relations. For over 30 years, as independent states, we actively engage both in bilateral and multilateral formats. We support each others independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and actively develop economic ties. With growing economy, demographics and geopolitical potential Central Asia and Azerbaijan is a single historical and cultural geographic region of strategic significance in world politics, President Ilham Aliyev said, while addressing the participants. The leaders of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan placed special emphasis on President Ilham Aliyevs participation in the event. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his remarks that the participation of the leader of fraternal Azerbaijan is an indicator of the sincere efforts of the peoples of the both regions aimed at comprehensively strengthening the centuries-old bonds of friendship and mutual understanding. Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev underlined that Azerbaijans participation in the event is further evidence of the deep historical relations and the current high level of cooperation. Now more than ever, Azerbaijan's role becomes critical for the entire Central Asian region in sustaining further comprehensive economic development. The key transportation links required by Central Asian countries to access the European market, and moreover, the highly modernized ones, pass directly through Azerbaijan. In this regard, all participants in the meeting drew attention to the need for further development of the Middle Corridor's potential one of the key, vital projects linking Central Asia with Azerbaijan. Efforts have been underway to boost the Middle Corridor's throughput capacity to 10 million tons by 2025, as outlined in the roadmaps signed between Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Georgia. An estimated two million tons of cargo are projected to be transported along the Middle Corridor in 2023. For further development of its transportation and logistics, Azerbaijan is working on expanding the capabilities of its shipyard, for instance. Currently, Azerbaijan boasts the Caspian Sea's most extensive trade fleet, comprising more than 50 vessels. Upon the finalization of investment projects, the annual production of tankers and dry cargo vessels is expected to escalate from the current six to a range of 10 to 15 vessels. The sphere of transportation and logistics holds an important place in our relations. For the Central Asian countries Azerbaijan is a reliable transit country along the route to the markets of Turkiye and Europe. Not of the least significance is the transit in the opposite direction. Our brothers in Central Asia know that Azerbaijans entire transportation and logistics infrastructure is available to them, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out during the meeting. Shared priorities form a robust basis for cultivating enduring and sustainable cooperation in strategic spheres. Consequently, Azerbaijan and the Central Asian economies, each wielding significant leadership roles in their respective regions, have the potential and responsibility to drive interregional cooperation forward. Within this framework, President Ilham Aliyev's endeavors to foster long-term peace, security, and stability in the region are of paramount significance. Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, a Deputy Director of Communications of the ruling NPP has petitioned the The Special Prosecutor to take immediate action on the Airbus corruption saga. "I write to you to officially call for urgent action on the Airbus SE corruption . . . It's been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where you're with the investigations. Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us," he stated. According to him Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France, hence the need for the Special Prosecutor to act on the case to put this matter behind us. "The aircraft maker has also admitted using intermediaries over several years to bribe government officials and airline executives in order to win lucrative contracts the world over including Ghana. "Again, the company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft," the petition added. Read below the full statement PETITION: Request For Action On The Airbus Corruption Please accept my compliment. I write to you to officially call for urgent action on the Airbus SE corruption. As you are aware Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France. The aircraft maker has also admitted using intermediaries over several years to bribe government officials and airline executives in order to win lucrative contracts the world over including Ghana. Again, the company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft. And rightly so, your good office has signalled its intention to delve into the matter. It's been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where you're with the investigations. Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us. The Airbus corruption is the biggest corruption case ever. Indeed, payment of bribes were made and received, and the biggest beneficiary as alleged was former President John Mahama, codenamed as GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 in the US Court documents. Again, documents were falsified in making the payments to disguise the payment of bribes to GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1. GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 is on the record of the Court as the recipient of the corrupt proceeds from this transaction. Paragraph 136 of the US Court documents actually described Government official I as having a reputation for bribe taking. It reads: "Government Official 1" had such a reputation as a prolific bribe-collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached agreement with brother of "Government Official 1," described in the US version of Court documents as "Individual 1." Respectfully, everyone who is privy to the core details of the series of court documents published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom cannot allege ignorance of the persons who have brought our nation into this international shame. Bearing in mind the above realities, it is most unfortunate that your good office has, for political expediency, treated Mr Mahama with kids gloves. Like most Ghanaians, I have grown sceptical about the lip service being paid to such a huge international corruption involving our former President. I may not be a lawyer, but I suspect if those countries can benefit in fines from Airbus for corruption which our country was the real victim, then we believe that your investigations if it yields success can create an even bigger case for Ghana to also seek compensation from Airbus for the damage caused to our national treasury. Respectfully sir, the nonchalant attitude being deployed on this matter ought to give way to real action. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah Deputy Director of Communications, NPP 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 By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) Hundreds of rioters have been charged, convicted and sentenced for joining the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. Unlike their cases, Samuel Lazars appears to have been resolved in secret kept under seal with no explanation, even after his release from prison. Lazar, 37, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, was arrested in July 2021 on charges that he came to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, dressed in tactical gear and protective goggles, and used chemical spray on officers who were desperately trying to beat back the angry Donald Trump supporters. The Lancaster County man has ties to state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who ran for Pa. governor last year. There is no public record of a conviction or a sentence in Lazars court docket. But the Bureau of Prisons told The Associated Press that the man was released from federal custody this week after completing a sentence for assaulting or resisting a federal officer. Lazar was sentenced in Washingtons federal court on March 17 to 30 months in prison, according to the Bureau of Prisons, but theres no public record of such a hearing. He had been jailed since July 2021. Questions about Lazars case have been swirling for months, but the details of his conviction and sentence have not been previously reported. The Justice Department has refused to say why the case remains under wraps, and attorneys for Lazar did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. The judge overseeing Lazars case in May rejected a request from media outlets including the AP to release any sealed records that may exist. The case is raising concerns about transparency in the massive Jan. 6 investigation the largest in Justice Department history. Court hearings and records including sentencing hearings and plea agreements are supposed to be open and available to the public and the press unless theres a compelling need for secrecy. Lazar was transferred in July from FCI Fort Dix a federal lockup in New Jersey to community confinement overseen by the Bureau of Prisons, which means he was either in home confinement or a halfway house, according to a prisons system spokesperson. A social media post from Lazars sister that month shows Lazar standing outside waving an American flag with the caption: Hallelujah Praise God free at last ... #walkingfree. Secret plea hearings are not unheard of, though the records are often unsealed ahead of sentencing. In an unrelated example, the guilty plea by George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia influence investigation, was entered under seal and kept out of view for weeks until special counsel Robert Mueller disclosed that Papadopoulos had admitted making false statements to the FBI. Subsequent proceedings, including his sentencing hearing, were matters of public record. George Washington University criminal law professor Randall Eliason, who spent 12 years as a federal prosecutor in Washington, said he couldnt remember any case during his Justice Department tenure in which a sentencing hearing and sentence were placed under seal. Eliason said its possible that either theres some kind of security concern about him personally, or maybe more likely that hes cooperating in some respect that they dont want the people hes cooperating against to know about. But many Jan. 6 defendants have cooperation deals with the government, and their cases havent been resolved in secret. Defendants who agree to cooperate with prosecutors often get their sentencing hearings delayed until they finish cooperating. The fact that he also got sentenced, went to prison and is already out, that whole situation is just unusual, Eliason said. 37-year-old Samuel Lazar was identified as the man seen here approaching the police barricade Jan. 6, 2021, outside the U.S. Capitol and spraying an orange chemical irritant. (U.S. Department of Justice, file)U.S. Department of Justice Lazar is among more than 1,100 defendants charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack. Outside the Capitol that day, Lazar was carrying a bullhorn and wearing ski googles, a tactical vest with a radio attached and camouflage-style face paint. Videos captured Lazar approaching police lines outside the Capitol and discharging an orange chemical irritant toward officers, an FBI agent said in a court filing. An officers body camera showed Lazar retreat down steps after police deployed a chemical at him. Lazar then turned and sprayed two officers, according to the agent. Lazar shouted profane insults at police through the bullhorn, calling them tyrants and yelling, Lets get their guns! Another video captured Lazar saying, Theres a time for peace and theres a time for war. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather in Washington, D.C, ordered Lazar detained pending trial, ruling that he posed a threat to public safety. The magistrate noted that Lazar also had been photographed posing with firearms on a public street during an August 2020 rally. In January 2022, a new indictment charged Lazar with five counts, including felony offenses. He pleaded not guilty to the charges the following month. In March 2022, prosecutors and Lazars attorney asked for more time to negotiate a disposition of the matter short of trial. In June 2022, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson canceled a status conference for Lazars case because he wasnt available to appear by video from jail. Thats the last publicly available court filing to address the status of the case. In April of this year, attorneys for a coalition of news outlets, including the AP, asked the judge to unseal any records related to a change of plea or sentencing hearing for Lazar, noting a March NBC News story citing an anonymous source that said Lazar was scheduled to be sentenced in a secret hearing. The public docket provides no explanation as to why, despite the strong presumption of transparency in this Circuit, these judicial records are not available to the public, the coalition lawyers wrote. After Lazars secret sentencing, his brother told Lancaster Online which first reported his release from prison in July - that their mother was even more confused, adding she has no idea if and when hes coming home, assuming he was actually given a sentence today. In May, Judge Jackson denied the news outlets request after a prosecutor and defense attorney argued against releasing the records, though she said the case law cited by the press coalition plainly recognizes that there may be circumstances where a need for secrecy can be outweighed by competing significant interests. Jackson said there were no undocketed records in this or any other case pending before her, adding that nothing has been sealed in this case without leave of court. But the judge said the news outlets could renew their request, setting a Sept. 29 deadline for its lawyers to file an updated status report setting forth their position or positions on this matter. By Bret Pallotto, Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.) (TNS) A suspended Penn State student was arrested Thursday on a vehicular homicide charge after investigators accused him of driving recklessly in a crash that killed a fellow student. Ahmed M. Alqubaisi, 20, of the United Arab Emirates, was speeding when he slammed his 2024 BMW M3 into a woman jogging about 8 p.m. Tuesday along the 200 block of East Park Avenue, State College police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. Police did not indicate how fast Alqubaisi was driving, but a detective wrote it was a higher rate of speed than would be deemed safe in that area. The road was wet, borders the University Park campus and video captured the events leading up to the collision. Alqubaisi was driving westbound when he lost control of his sedan, crossed the eastbound lane and hit Lovisa Arnesson-Cronhamre, police wrote. Arnesson-Cronhamre, 25, of Sweden, was a doctoral student studying architectural engineering, university spokesman Wyatt DuBois wrote in an email Wednesday. Her injuries, police wrote, included a brain bleed, a broken neck, a shattered right arm and a broken foot. She was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center before being flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Altoona, where she died. We are heartbroken over the tragic loss of Lovisa Arnesson-Cronhamre, and we send our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones, DuBois wrote. ... Penn State Student Affairs has been in touch with her family and friends and is providing support to those who have been impacted. The crash knocked down a light pole. Evidence also showed the rear of Alqubaisis vehicle was in a raised position when it struck a tree, police wrote. Alqubaisi has limited driving experience, police wrote. He was driving with a learners permit and did not have a licensed driver in the vehicle with him as required, police wrote. Alqubaisi was also charged with one misdemeanor count each of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, as well as two summary traffic violations. A defense lawyer was not listed. He was arraigned Thursday by District Judge Gregory Koehle, who denied bail. He is detained at the Centre County Correctional Facility. Alqubaisi is suspended from the university and has no other ties to the United States, police wrote. A detective expressed concern Alqubaisi may not remain in Pennsylvania. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27. More: Fleeing sex assault suspect drove down embankment into Dauphin County plaza: police Roadway opens after tractor-trailer crashes into Susquehanna River in Dauphin County, spilling milk downstream A Pennsylvania constable is being charged with more than 700 counts of human trafficking, sex crimes and related offenses after being accused of preying on women sometimes minors who were addicted to drugs, incarcerated or both, exchanging money and drugs for sex acts. Timothy Heefner, 64, was arrested Wednesday following a two-year investigation by the Chambersburg Police Department and Franklin County District Attorneys Office. The initial report came to the Franklin County Children and Youth Services from a woman who had been victimized by Heefner, according to the investigating grand jury. Investigators within the Chambersburg Police Department (CPD) were already aware of a 2017-2018 investigation regarding inappropriate communications between Heefner and women incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail, the affidavit says. A Franklin County Detective joined the CPDs investigation after police in Waynesboro which is outside of CPD jurisdiction also received tips claiming Heefner was exchanging money and drugs for sex acts. The CPDs preliminary investigation started by listening to recorded phone calls between Heefner and women incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail and combing through Heefners Facebook account, which police say was his primary means of communication with the women he is accused of abusing. Court documents say that Heefner boasted on his Facebook account and spoke on recorded jail calls about being a sugar daddy. In an August 2021 interview, the victim who filed the initial report told investigators Heefner uses his Facebook account under the name Tim Bo to recruit and prey on jail girls. Heefner is accused of finding incarcerated or desperate women and using their drug addictions as leverage to solicit sex acts in exchange for money or drugs, the affidavit says. Court documents say Heefner would sometimes personally buy his victims drugs -- typically heroin or Suboxone/Subutex -- or drive them to purchase drugs. Heefner would also recommend the women he solicited to one of his other victims, who would sell them crack cocaine, powdered cocaine or heroin. Heefner also had different code phrases for sex acts like an oil change to refer to oral sex or a tire rotation when referencing sexual intercourse which was corroborated by several testifying victims and Facebook messages obtained by investigators. Investigators also claim Heefner would pay his victims a $100 finders fee for recruiting more women to perform sex acts on him. Police say Heefners primary way of sourcing new women/girls was through the finders fees he would pay women he was already paying for sex acts. Different witnesses said they were referred to Heefner through their friend, sister or mother. In one case, the woman was under the impression that she was there to clean Heefners apartment when he made sexual advances towards her. Nearly all of the women who testified said they were scared to say no to Heefner and ultimately relied on Heefner while in a tough position to pay for rent, drugs, childcare or other needs. A Pennsylvania Constable is being charged with over 700 offenses stemming from a multi-year investigation in Franklin County. Cell phone records from Heefners phone confirmed that he communicated with girls who were previously considered potential victims before they turned 18, police say. By early 2022, several underage girls and Facebook records confirmed Heefner was in communication with them while they were minors and several of them said that Heefner was having sexual interactions with minors, according to court documents. Nearly all the witnesses claimed Heefner kept a ledger in his phones notes detailing dates of past interactions, who he met with and how much money he paid for the sex acts, the affidavit says. He would also track the allowances he gave some of the victims in the note on his phone. Police also found 20 instances within 33,000 pages of Facebook records where Heefner directly communicated with and solicited sex acts via Facebook Messenger. Court documents also noted that the messages were sent during the day, leading police to believe he solicited sex acts while on duty as a constable. Investigators interviewed more than 10 women who were victimized by Heefner who corroborated various forms of physical evidence inside Heefners Chambersburg apartment to verify their stories. That physical evidence includes: Travel kits with the names/initials of different women used for when Heefner would take women on trips with him, police say A dry-erase/bulletin/chalkboard with names, pictures and signatures of the women he was paying for sex acts A blanket with pictures of women on it Several prepaid Visa gift cards labeled Sugar Daddy or Sugar Baby Pennsylvania constable documentation Over 100 letters from incarcerated women A Sugar Daddy candy box A black t-shirt that reads, Get higher than the Hos in Chambersburg @Southgate @Carsons in Hagerstown @7Star @Reach Witnesses testified that Heefner gave them t-shirts that displayed sexual devices and locations where Heefner would meet the victims and that he would wear shirts depicting women as wh*res. The CPD was in contact with Heefner throughout a portion of the investigation, where he confirmed his address, phone number (which is associated with his Facebook account) and his role as a constable, according to the affidavit. Police listened to more recorded jail calls that Heefner made and noted instances where he would make crude or sexual jokes such as, Lifes like a corndog man, ya know, the b****** only want some weiner if you got bread around it, and discussed prepaid cards with female inmates. Heefner also said the following in a Jan. 13, 2022, recorded jail call: Hey cops if youre listening remember that, remember that I got a new Sugar Daddy card, and also referred to himself as the big pimp of the east coast after claiming Im from Germany man, I bring these b****** all over the world here, man. He finished the call by saying, Thats for the cops so they have something to laugh about. Then, in a recorded jail call on Jan. 24, 2022, Heefner said Thats why they constantly listen to my calls, because they think Im like some f****** international pimp, because I got so many women, and Im not like Santa Claus. Santa Claus stops at three h**s. Heefner was also recorded speaking about rats within the Franklin County Jail who were telling law enforcement about his alleged crimes. One of the women who spoke to authorities worked as a confidential informant in May 2023 after a judge authorized investigators to do so. While inside Heefners apartment, the woman recorded audio of her mentioning some of the physical evidence before leaving when Heefner began to fiddle with his pants and solicited her for oral sex. When the woman started to leave Heefner was heard saying, I thought you were coming to do this. Police received search warrants for Heefners apartment and phone in June 2023, which allowed them to confirm the physical evidence within the apartment and the ledger on his phone which contained information of more than 50 women/girls. In total, Heefner had around 80 women inside and outside of Pennsylvania whom he referred to as his sugar babies, and had paid some of them upwards of $10,000 in total. The investigating grand jury was formed in November 2022 and evidence was released shortly after on Jan. 13, 2023. Heefners preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2023. Owners of an Allison Hill supermarket are expanding with a second city location. Manny Castro, co-owner of Y&F Super Market, said they will open a market at 2000 N. Sixth St. by the end of the year. The 3,200 square-foot market will cater to the neighborhood and carry essentials, ranging from meats and produce to dry goods and frozen products. Castro is joined in the project by his brothers-in-law, Yindo and Frank Perata. They opened their first market at 1304 Derry St. in 2018 after move from Reading. The combination ethnic market/traditional grocery store packs an immense inventory into a relatively small space, stretching from Hispanic ingredients such as Goya products to meats, produce and prepared foods. The store carries a diverse selection from gallons of Swiss brand iced tea to Prego sauce, rice, hot sauces, Mazola corn oil and ice cream. Castro said they are expanding to serve a need in the city for grocery stores and to create more job opportunities. The store will employ about 15 people. Ryan Murray of NAI CIR commercial realty in Lemoyne helped them find the property. One major supermarket, a Giant store, operates in the city at Kline Village. Otherwise, a smattering of ethnic and corner markets as well as the Broad Street Market cater to city residents. When the partners first opened, Castro said business was slow. It wasnt until during the pandemic, word caught on they were open and actually had hard-to-find items in stock. Business hasnt slowed down since, Castro said. Everything was like magic, he said about the boost in business. The store receives a constant shipment of deliveries including daily meat orders, Castro said. Meat selection covers chicken and pork chops to oxtail, pork feet and goat. Some of the cuts are butchered in-house. One of the hallmarks of Y & F is the owners Christian foundation. Christian music plays in the store, something Castro said a few shoppers complain about but most find to be inspirational. We say Hey, were not going to change. God is first, Castro said. A lot of people need God, thats why we are here. READ MORE: Customers at a new restaurant in Swatara Township can stop in for a meal, order a cocktail or hit the dance floor. Swatara Restaurant & Bar opens Saturday at 5610 Derry St. at the Derry Shopping Center. To celebrate the opening, free food will be shared between 10 p.m and 11 p.m. Saturday with music. Owner Netra Acharya, who is in business with his brother, Nabin, said the restaurant is designed as a place for people in the community to host events, from wedding to parties and business meetings. The dining room is outfitted with a stage and wired with a projector for presentations. Acharya, previous owner of Bhojan Ghar restaurant in Swatara Township, owns the plaza and invested $1.2 million in renovations. The plaza at the former furniture store features a variety of stores including BNN International Supermarket, Nepli Clothing Store and GlamMore Beauty Salon. By day, Swatara Restaurant will serve food, and by night focus on bar business with music including Friday DJ nights. It serves a mostly Nepali and Indian based menu featuring favorites such as momos, biryani rice dishes, tandoori chicken, tikka and curries. A kids menu includes noodles/spaghetti, pancakes, French toast with Nutella and peanut butter and chicken nuggets. A full bar includes beer, wine and cocktails. Other cuisines including Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences will be introduced on the menu. The chef has experience with Japanese cooking and worked at embassies in Japan. He makes beautiful, tasty Japanese dishes, said Bhawani Max Mahat, manager. Acharya noted instead of buying pre-mixed spice blends, they hand-grind and mix them on the premises, which lends to better tasting food. To recognize the chef, Mahat incorporated cherry tree branches with blossoms in the decor, bringing in a real tree branch and adorning it with faux pink cherry blossoms. The space is designed to represent the four seasons with one wall covered with a fall tree scene and plans for another space to be formed into a cozy winter vibe. Acharya stressed they will not tolerate misconduct at the bar and want to create an atmosphere where people are comfortable. It is open noon-midnight Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Mondays. READ MORE: A city in Pennsylvania has been named the most challenging place to live in the United States if you have asthma. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its 2023 report of Asthma Capitals and Allentown topped the list. Philadelphia came in at No. 8 on the list and Harrisburg at No. 16. Allentown is a repeat at the No. 1 spot. Allentown is the most challenging city in the U.S. to live with asthma due to its higher-than-average asthma prevalence, higher-than-average ED visits for asthma, and high deaths due to asthma, the foundation said in a news release. The report, the foundation said, shows that where a person lives can significantly impact their health. Social, economic, and environmental disadvantages play a role in determining asthma outcomes. Many of the top Asthma Capitals are also facing major challenges and inequities that lead to health disparities. The release coincides with Asthma Peak Month, which is September. In September, the foundation said there are more asthma exacerbations and emergency department visits than any other month. The peak of ragweed pollen, cold and flu season and children going back to school can create a perfect storm for people with asthma in the United States. September is a particularly challenging time to live with asthma, said Melanie Carver, chief mission officer at AAFA. AAFAs report not only outlines the conditions impacting asthma this month such as increased. Additionally, it is imperative that policymakers know that affordable and accessible health care, clean air, and economic stability are essential tools for helping people manage and control their asthma. The foundation said the report analyzes data to rank the 100 largest cities where it is challenging to live with asthma. READ MORE HEALTH NEWS U.S. approves updated COVID vaccines to rev up protection this fall More than 100,000 COVID-19 tests that are not authentic recalled in Pa. city A flight bound for Rome, Italy, headed back to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey just after midnight Thursday due to a cabin pressurization issue that caused the plane to plunge over 28,000 feet in 8 to 10 minutes. Data from the tracking site Flightware showed the plane rapidly descended over about 8 minutes from 37,000 feet at 10:07 p.m. to just below 9,000 feet at about 10:15 p.m., CNN reported. It was on Wednesday when United Airlines Flight 510 took off from Newark at 8:37 p.m., heading to Rome. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson, however, confirmed with CNN and Fox News Digital that the flight was diverted back to Newark and safely landed at around 12:25 a.m. Thursday after the crew reported a pressurization issue. CNN said that pilots will often quickly descend to lower altitudes when there is concerned about the planes pressurization. United Airlines also told Fox News Digital that the flight returned to the airport to address a possible loss of cabin pressure. The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure, the spokesperson said to the news outlet. The Boeing 777 was en route to Rome-Fiumicino International Airport with 270 passengers and 14 crew members aboard the aircraft at the time. Fortunately, the United Airlines spokesperson told sources that a different plane was used to take passengers to their destination. Read More: WILLIAMSPORT The chief executive officer accused in an August workplace fatal shooting of his brother-in-law is back in Lycoming County and in prison without bail. Kenneth Richard Michaels, 65, of the Montoursville area, was arraigned Thursday on charges of homicide and possession of an instrument of crime. He had been arrested in Cape May, New Jersey, and waived extradition. He is accused of the Aug. 17 fatal shooting of John Roskowski, 69, in the lobby of family-owned Cable Services Co. in the 2100 block of Marydale Avenue in Old Lycoming Twp., just north of Williamsport. Roskowski is a former owner of the telecommunications business and his sister is married to Michaels, who is the CEO. Michaels admitted to investigators he was the shooter but was not taken into custody that day because of the need to interview Cable Services employees, first assistant District Attorney Martin Wade had explained. Michaels claimed he fired after Roskowski took several steps and then lunged at him. That is inconsistent with physical evidence at the scene including the position of Roskowskis body, police said. Numerous employees volunteered the shooting was preventable and Roskowski had no access to the building until Michaels let him in, they said. Michaels himself acknowledged he could have left the lobby and locked a door behind him before the shooting, they said. Prior to going to the door, Michaels took a loaded .9mm handgun for which he had a license from a desk drawer and concealed it in his left pants pocket, police said. He chose to take the gun rather than a canister of mace that also was in his desk, they said. An autopsy determined the death was caused by a gunshot wound that damaged the aorta and caused massive internal bleeding. There was a documented history of altercations between the two men, Wade said. More: Ex-treasurer of Pa. volunteer fire company makes deal to avoid jail time Man admits stealing heavy equipment out of state and selling it in Pa. WILLIAMSPORT -- A federal judge has certified as a class action lawsuit that accuses the Shop-Vac Corp. of violating the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN). Approximately 425 workers were phased out when the family-owned Shop-Vac ceased operations without advance notice on Sept. 15, 2000. Three months later GreatStar, a subsidiary of Hangzhous GreatStar Industrial Co., headquartered in Hangzhous, China, purchased Shop-Vacs assets. Candice Gair who filed the suit then amended her complaint to include GreatStar. GreatStar maintains it is not a legal successor to Shop-Vac, the manufacturer of wet/dry residential, commercial and industrial vacuum cleaners. By agreement of the parties, Shop-Vac in March was dismissed from the case because it was in the process of dissolving and had no assets remaining that could provide recoverable value. Before being removed, Shop-Vac fought the suit contending it was not required to give 60 days notice because it was a faltering company. The suit claims employees were terminated without notice, severance pay or health care coverage in violation of the WARN Act, which requires a 60-day notice. GreatStar rehired 206 Shop-Vac employees, according to a court document, but required them to sign a contract that mandated arbitration for all disputes between them and the company. It was GreatStars position that Gair could not represent those who signed the arbitration agreement because she was not rehired. However, Rachael Berry, who was rehired and signed the agreement, has agreed to represent those employees. In certifying the litigation as a class action, Brann designated Gair to represent the class of Shop-Vac workers who were not rehired and Berry to do the same for those who were and signed the arbitration agreement. In arguing for class status, Gair pointed out that many individuals might have relatively small claim amounts, meaning they likely would be unable to pursue litigation on their own. GreatStar moved core production of Shop-Vac vacuums overseas but maintains U.S. distribution and its headquarters functions in Williamsport together with the manufacture of the SK Tools. GreatStar bought SK Tools in July 2021 from Ideal Industries Inc. and moved production from Sycamore, Illinois, to Williamsport. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Azerbaijan has refuted the information spread by the Armenian Ministry of Defense about the alleged shelling from the Azerbaijani side, Trend reports. "We categorically refute the information disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia that, on September 14, at 22:30 (GMT+4), units of the Azerbaijani Army allegedly shelled the positions of the Armenian armed forces located in the direction of the Yukhary Shordzha settlement," the message reads. LEWISBURG The former treasurer of a volunteer fire company in Union County spent a brief time in a cell before beginning her probationary sentence for stealing $377,153. I want you to see what the inside of a cell looks like, county Judge Michael Piecuch told Leann M. Fisher, 48, of New Columbia, as he sentenced her Thursday. He ordered her detained in a holding cell for no more than 90 minutes while probation fitted her with an ankle monitor. Fisher is to be under house arrest for the first six months of her probation. The sentencing was delayed because Fisher failed to comply with the plea agreement to have repaid the full $377,153 before the proceeding started. Her attorney Rachel Wiest-Benner told the judge she had $200,000 in her law firms escrow account, had a receipt that $78,000 had been transferred from a bank account and was told $100,000 from a credit union would be deposited by the end of the day. Piecuchs response was: This bill was due at the time of sentencing. After speaking with representatives of the White Deer Volunteer Fire Co., District Attorney D. Peter Johnson and Wiest-Benner revised the plea agreement so Fisher has until 4 p.m. Monday to pay the full amount. She was warned by the judge if that is not the case she will be in violation of the terms of her probation. Piecuch acknowledged he struggled at imposing a sentence at the bottom of the mitigated range of the guidelines saying she deserved a county jail term. The scope of her offense was extensive, he said. He accepted the plea agreement to facilitate the fire company getting the money it needed for a rescue truck that is on order, he explained. Had he rejected the plea agreement and sentenced Fisher to prison, the restitution would have been paid in installments over a long period of time. Fisher pleaded guilty in July to a theft charge admitting she took money between December 2018 and July 2022 from the fire companys equipment fund. When Piecuch asked her why she took the money she said it was to pay bills. Interjected Johnson, Because she is a thief. The theft caused loss of trust in the community along with concerns about future fundraising, Fire Chief Kevin Koch said. Its too bad one person had to spoil it for the company, said Carroll Diefenbach, chair of the board of supervisors. People are questioning whether they should still support it, he said. Wiest-Benner claimed her client is extremely remorseful and from the beginning admitted what she had done. Fisher verified funds she had stolen of which investigators were unaware, the lawyer said. You didnt help until your hand got caught in the cookie jar, was the judges response. While on probation Fisher may not be on the fire company premises and cannot hold any position of financial responsibility. The money shortage came to light when firefighters contacted Susquehanna Community Bank about available funds to buy a rescue vehicle. The only two people who had access to the funds were Rod Cromley, the fire company president, and Fisher. After the discrepancies were addressed with Fisher, who was bonded, she was removed as treasurer, Cromley told an investigator. Piecuch commended the fire company for reporting the theft noting some organizations would not do so oput of concern they would lose the publics trust. By accepting the plea agreement, members put aside their personal opinions of what should happen to Fisher in favor of the company getting its money for the new truck, he said. More: Man admits stealing heavy equipment out of state and selling it in Pa. Victim in excessive force, civil rights criminal case sues 4 cops, Pa. borough By Ximena Conde, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) PHILADELPHIA After a two-week search through the thick brush of Chester County that drew national media attention, law enforcement finally captured escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante on Wednesday morning and almost immediately drew backlash. His escape had put the county on edge, prompting business and school closures. Cavalcante had been convicted of first-degree murder for stabbing his ex-girlfriend dozens of times in front of her two young children in 2021. News of his capture brought a collective sigh of relief. Then came the aerial footage of more than 20 Pennsylvania State Police troopers and U.S. Border Patrol agents posing with Cavalcante in the middle before they took him away for questioning. Almost immediately, people bristled at the viral photo-op. One journalist and community organizer called it reminiscent of the notorious photos to come out of Abu Ghraib where soldiers posed with Iraqi detainees being tortured or placed in humiliating positions. Maria Maki Haberfeld, a professor of police science and department chair at John Jay College in New York City, said it was understandable that the officers might have felt a sense of pride having arrested a very dangerous suspect. I will still say that the optics create more of an inappropriate feeling than it actually is, she said. Laurie Levenson, professor at Loyola Law School of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, went further, saying the image looked like a trophy photo hunters take after theyve captured their prey. Like others, Levenson said law enforcement had every reason to be proud, but a group photo among themselves without Cavalcante would have been a better alternative. Instead, the posing of Cavalcante, so close to weapons and a dog, risks giving him notoriety. Levenson said the photo is much different from the already troubling practice that is the perp walk; it was a photo shoot of their capture. Parading criminals, convicted and alleged, can be traced back to the 1920s, when Edgar Hoover led the FBI, according to a 2011 Reuters report on the practice. Hoover would tip off journalists to the walks so they could obtain photos. In 1949, Camden police got their own group photo with Howard Unruh, one of the worst mass murderers of his time, responsible for the shooting deaths of 13 people, including three children. And in the 1980s, then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani made the walk an art form, according to Levenson. Levenson said the perp walk was meant to serve as a deterrent to criminals, letting them know they could not evade justice, while also offering a form of kudos to law enforcement. In Cavalcantes case, authorities did a more traditional perp walk after theyd cleaned him up and given him a hospital gown to wear. Law enforcement officers escort Danelo Cavalcante from a Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Avondale Pa., on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)AP Photo/Matt Rourke Experts like Levenson say these images sear their way into the public memory and in cases where someone awaits trial, a staged photo could inadvertently prejudice future jury pools. Cavalcante is already set to serve a life sentence, though he faces new charges for his escape. Most people were actively rooting for Cavalcantes capture. Still, the way he escaped climbing the space between two walls like some sort of human spider then managed to breach police perimeters and steal a van, turned him into a meme, with some finding the humor in how he could evade authorities. Cavalcante even became a sort of cult hero in Brazil, according to the Washington Post. By posing him in a photo with authorities, Levenson said, police risked giving him the sort of attention that can be damaging to victims and their families, and increases the risk of copycats. It wouldnt surprise me if the victims or others sympathetic to them are saying, Why are you giving this guy the limelight? she said. A U.S. Marshals spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer none of its agents were in the photo. A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent in charge told the Associated Press none of its officers were in the picture either. When asked about the photos Wednesday, State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens didnt make much of them. Those men and women worked amazingly hard, through some very trying circumstances, he said. Theyre proud of their work. Im not bothered at all by the fact they took a photograph with him in custody. A state police spokesperson could not immediately say whether the photo met the agencys conduct policy and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment. People like Levenson said the photo shoot boils down to professionalism and avoiding the risk of portraying someone in a sympathetic light. At the end of it, the prize is not a picture with what you captured, but just the satisfaction of knowing youve done your job, she said. An Allegheny County Sheriffs Office K9 is getting all the praise for a job well done after heroically locating a missing 82-year-old woman who suffers from dementia. The woman was stuck on a hillside, according to reports. It all happened when Deputy Jeff Belback and K9 partner, Ranger, were called in to help Pittsburgh authorities find the woman who had gone missing in the Greenfield neighborhood on Wednesday night. With assistance from the missing womans daughter while at her home on Alexis Street, Belback was able to use the womans pillowcase to help so that Ranger could establish a scent. Once that was done, Ranger followed the scent from the home for several hours and went through a thick brush area at the end of the street only to end up at a hillside near Greenfield Avenue, KDKA reported. The woman was stuck there for about 5 hours, WPXI reported. First responders were able to rescue her from the hill. Its all thanks to Belback and his partner. The sheriffs office praised the pooch, adding that Rangers skills were crucial to the success of the search and rescue. Read More: I write to you as a concerned citizen who shares the sentiment of countless Americans we face a challenge of unprecedented magnitude, an existential threat to our way of life. Every day we delay action on climate change, the cost of inaction mounts, both in human lives and economic turmoil. Although I reside beyond Pennsylvanias borders, I share a common concern with its residents and students who are impacted by extreme weather conditions. Recent reports of students and residents canceling activities due to extreme weather underscore the urgency of addressing climate issues. Climate change is not limited by state lines, and its consequences are far-reaching. The Climate Action Campaigns Solutions for Pollution initiative is a clarion call to address this crisis head-on. It urges the Biden administration to uphold our nations environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act, by advancing approximately 20 crucial protections across federal agencies. These actions could reduce climate pollution by half before 2030, champion public health, foster environmental justice, accelerate our shift to clean energy, and drive economic growth. In Pennsylvania, we understand that clean energy is not just a solution; its an imperative. Wind, solar, and other renewables will power our region into the future, creating well-paying clean energy jobs and bolstering energy independence. The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat. Every second of delay deepens the cost to American lives, our economy, and our environment. Our future depends on immediate, bold steps toward a cleaner, safer, and more equitable world. Chisom Nnajiofore, Philadephia, Pa. Two weeks after starting kindergarten, my five-year-old grandson told me they were learning how to hide from the bad guys, and that he wanted to have a laser gun to use against them. His comment made me truly and deeply sad, for him and every other child in the United States as well as for their parents and their justifiable worries about safety at school. Then I got furious. How dare our local elected officials allow children to experience this fear and trauma every single school day, 180 days a year, times 13 years (including kindergarten)? Every legislator who has voted against commonsense gun control laws should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing to our children. Their argument about the Second Amendment is completely bogus our Founding Fathers NEVER intended civilians to have assault weapons capable of shooting dozens of people in a matter of seconds. We all know why commonsense gun laws that a majority of Americans of all political persuasions endorse are still opposed by many legislators (especially Republicans) - MONEY from the NRA. They care more about their own elections and having that campaign cash than they do about the lives of this countrys children. Of course, they have armed security personnel to protect themselves. They protect themselves, who protects the children? Legislators, do your jobs and protect our most vulnerable citizens school children and their teachers! Cindy Gnech, Harrisburg, Pa. Hunter Biden, the surviving son of President Joe Biden, was indicted on Sept. 14, 2023, on gun-related charges facing a possible criminal trial while his father is campaigning for reelection. The charges relate to Hunter Bidens alleged lying about his drug use when he purchased a gun in 2018. And a conviction could mean prison time of 10 years or more. As Hunter Bidens legal peril rises, with all its ensuing political complications, people have rediscovered the likes of Ulysses Grant Jr., Alice Roosevelt and Neil Bush, as if the best way to make sense of Hunter Biden is found in a rogues gallery of difficult presidential relatives. As a historian of the American presidency, I see the case of Hunter Biden as a revealing indicator of the ways that presidential children have figured in American public life, whether they were beloved or reviled. Most presidents and first ladies have attempted to protect their children especially their young children from the scrutiny and the emotional toll of public life. Whether they were publicly visible or not, their children have always been factors in the presidents public lives and presidents have sought to exploit the political benefits they can draw from their children. Meanwhile, commentators and the American public alike have drawn their own conclusions about individual presidents and the presidency as an institution in part on the basis of presidential children. In my own research, I have observed that presidents have consistently looked to their adult sons as potential political allies, only to find that young children and especially young daughters have become more effective political assets. Those dynamics have only intensified over time, especially in recent decades as presidents increasingly put their private lives on public display. Johnson: Getty Images; Bush: Shealah Craighead/The White House via FilmMagic; Nixon: Nixon White House Photographs America, mirrored Presidential children have reflected how Americans think about age and gender, parenting and politics. Those sometimes abstract concepts assume real form in presidential families. And they operate in unexpected ways. The fact that gender norms often precluded presidential daughters from an explicitly political role paradoxically could make them more popular public figures. The assumption that young children should be free from the political rough-and-tumble has recently made them highly effective symbols for presidential image-making. Presidents have often sought a role for their adult sons in supporting their administrations. Many of those sons happily obliged. In 1837, Martin Van Buren appointed his son, Abraham, to serve as his private secretary, at the time a high-level confidential advisor. Over a century later, Dwight Eisenhower selected his son, John, to serve as assistant staff secretary. James Roosevelt campaigned for his father, Franklin, and quite literally supported him. In public appearances, Franklin would lean on James, holding his hand in what appeared to be an expression of affection but was actually a tactic to hide his polio-related disability. The ambitions of John Quincy Adams, son of the second president of the U.S., John Adams and himself a future president, raised accusations of nepotism in a country that claimed to have eliminated a royal class. But Martha Jefferson Randolph could fill the traditional role of first lady and serve as confidante to her father, the widower and third U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson. The sons of Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt both faced accusations that they traded on their fathers names to secure undeserved offices. In contrast, Woodrow Wilsons daughter, Margaret, served as first lady for over a year before her widowed father remarried. Her younger sister, Jessie, was an activist for womens suffrage and the League of Nations. As journalists, historians and the American public have tried to pierce the veil of privacy surrounding presidential private life over the past half-century, presidents and the politicos who surround them have also sought to remove that veil, but selectively so, with an eye toward their own advantage. Biographers celebrated presidents like Teddy Roosevelt and John Kennedy who played with their young children. Ronald Reagans children argued about whether he was a good father, claiming that his private behavior should affect whether people should see him as a great president. The White House weddings of Lynda Bird Johnson and Tricia Nixon provided opportunities to soften the image of the brass-knuckles political personalities of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. These were major public events in their own time, and the notion that Nixon wanted to exploit the event while never abandoning his antagonism toward the Washington press corps was a subplot in the 2017 film, The Post. The Johnson and Nixon weddings offered a preview of how White House children provided presidents with image management opportunities. But the process began in earnest 30 years ago, as Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama sought to preserve the privacy of their young daughters even as they made conspicuous efforts to demonstrate their role in raising those daughters. In A Place Called Hope, a promotional film for his 1996 re-election campaign, Bill Clinton beamed with pride as he discussed Chelsea Clintons growing comfort at political events. George W. Bush celebrated both of his daughters public careers, even when Barbara became an activist with left-leaning organizations. Barack Obama joked with TV host Jimmy Kimmel about managing his daughters social media accounts, as if he were just another befuddled father. In an era of identity politics, when the explicit invocation of feminism could generate a political backlash, these young daughters provided the means for these three presidents to reinforce the image of themselves as members of just another American family and modern fathers who supported their daughters. Those family-oriented images made the shift to Donald Trump all the more jarring. His approach harkened back to the 19th century, when presidents appointed their adult sons to office while young children rarely appeared in public. Rather than exploit young Barron Trumps potential to present Trump as a caring father, Trump preferred to emphasize his grown children. Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump regularly served as surrogates for their father. Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, held official appointments in the administration. Yet whatever benefit he believed he drew from these adult children, Trump found they were immediate lightning rods for public criticism. How to look normal The template of presidential children making their fathers appear more familiar and accessible still rules. While the adult children of most Republican candidates have been invisible on the current campaign trail, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis often described as awkward and lacking charm has made a point of appearing with his young children. Joe Bidens preferred political origin story is the image of the caring father who was sworn into the Senate in a hospital ward so he did not leave Beau and Hunter following the car crash that killed Bidens first wife and his only daughter. At the Democratic Convention in 2008, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden nominated his father as the partys candidate for vice president. He was the latest presidential son to campaign for his father. But Beau died from brain cancer at age 46. With Beau gone and Hunters legal problems a political liability, Biden has taken a page from his predecessors handbook. If his administration cannot cast Biden as a young dad like Ron DeSantis, they can surround him with his grandchildren. In fact, when Biden won the presidential election in 2020, one of the first photos from the Biden camp came from his granddaughter, Naomi, showing her generation of the family literally surrounding their grandfather. The indictment wasnt the only bad news for the Bidens father and son in one week. Hunter Biden had already become the ultimate lightning rod for his father, with the announcement on Sept. 12, 2023, by the House GOP that they will undertake impeachment proceedings based largely on the presidents alleged interactions with his sons business ventures. Hunter Bidens place in the story of presidential children is thus clear, a story that politicians now know by heart: As a crucial element in his fathers public image for better or for worse. Peter Kastor, Professor of History & American Culture Studies, Associate Vice Dean of Research, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Pennsylvanias Gov. Josh Shapiro is no stranger to social media. In fact, hes all over X, formerly Twitter; Facebook; Instagram; and TikTok on a daily or near-daily basis. On Friday, he announced - no surprise - on social media, a new way he wants to communicate with Pennsylvanians: text messages. You can text me at 717-788-8990. This new tool will help me stay in touch with more Pennsylvanians and keep you up to date on what were doing for good people of Pennsylvania. Text you soon! Shapiro said in a post on X. Pennsylvania, I have an exciting update for you: Starting today, you can text me at 717-788-8990 pic.twitter.com/8nxbVGq4ZR Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) September 15, 2023 Shapiro plans to use Community, a short messaging service platform that relies on 10-digit phone numbers to exchange messages, not only to share what hes doing or where hes going to be, but also receive messages from Pennsylvanians about whats on their minds. I want to hear what you think, he said in the video on X. Ill be in touch from time to time. Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder said the governor himself will respond to text messages from time to time as well as be brlefed on topics that people text about. However, the Governors Office of Digital Strategy and constituent affairs team members in the Office of Public Affairs & Marketing will oversee the day-to-day operations of the text inbox and will connect people with the resources they need. Already on the first day of its launch, Bonder said, hundreds of Pennsylvanians have already signed up to use the platform and have been saying hello and getting familiar with this new resource to connect with the governor and his office. Locked in an hour to get some replies out. Its a lot of messages, Pennsylvania keep at it. There should be no wrong door to connect with our state government. You should be able to access help and get information whether you walk in the door of a building or send me a text. pic.twitter.com/AwvgbxNdUF Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) September 15, 2023 Through the Community platform, text messages will be delivered directly to subscribers without relying on an algorithm and without selling user data, according to the administration. This is the latest development in Shapiros commitment to transforming the way Pennsylvanians communicate with their state government agencies. In April, he signed an executive order creating the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience to improve online access to government services and will supplement the in-person service it provides. Shoot us a text at 717-788-8990 to sign up, Shapiro said. * This post has been updated to include Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonders comments. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @JanMurphy. Central Pa. residents that left windows open over night Wednesday into Thursday woke up to a chill in the air. Overnight low temperatures plunged into the 50s (and in some areas, the 40s) after days of a heat wave and high humidity. Highs are in the 70s instead of the 80s and 90s Friday. The first day of autumn is Sept. 23 and the first day of winter is a ways off on Dec. 21. But, according to the Old Farmers Almanac and the Farmers Almanac, chill is something we should perhaps get used to. The 2024 Old Farmers Almanac predicts snow, seasonable cold, and all of winters delights! This winters forecast is sure to excite snow bunnies and sweater lovers alike, promising a whole lot of cold and snow across North America! The Old Farmer's Almanac is calling for a "winter wonderland" this year. (Courtesy of the Old Farmer's Almanac) The Farmers Almanac says, The BRRR is back! There are indications that an El Nino (an unusually high-water temperature off the Pacific Coast of South America), will be brewing in the latter half of 2023, lasting into the winter of 2024. If we consider that alongside our tried-and-true forecast formula, it means that cold temperatures should prevail throughout the country and bring snow, sleet, and ice, the Farmers Almanac said. The Farmers Almanac says those of us who live along the I-95 corridor from Washington to Boston should experience the opposite of last winters mild weather with lots of rain/sleet and snowstorms to contend with. The Old Farmers Almanac is calling for a winter wonderland with crisp temperatures and oodles of fluffy white in areas of the United States that typically see snow - including the Northeast. In the Northeast and Midwest, the almanac predicts snow will arrive beginning in November, with storms, showers, and flurries continuing through the start of spring. Pennsylvania is solidly within the almanacs map for cold and snowy weather. While it says winter will be warmer than normal from New England the Atlantic corridor down to Florida ... it also says, Snowfall will be above normal across the most snow-prone areas ... BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The Baku Network expert platform aired the next issue of the analytical video project "Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov", Trend reports. The guest of honor for the program was Chairman of the Board of the Center for Analysis of International Relations of Azerbaijan, Farid Shafiyev. According to him, the economic and social situation of the Armenian population living in the territory of Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region is much better than it is demonstrated to the world community. "They needed to create a myth that they are being discriminated against here. They sold this myth to Western media and Western circles. I think Armenians have not gained anything from this. Armenia does not see that during these 30 years, Azerbaijan has strengthened both militarily and economically at the international level. As long as Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan and Turkiye remain closed, the prospects for Armenia are not encouraging. Unfortunately, however, the myths propagated by the Armenian leadership continue to affect the lives of people both in Armenia and the Armenian population in Karabakh. As for those who call themselves the so-called 'leaders' in Karabakh, they once again continue the line of confrontation with the Azerbaijani leadership," he said. The Chairman also noted that speculations around the Lachin-Khankendi road and the so-called "humanitarian disaster" in Karabakh are nothing but another element of the anti-Azerbaijani campaign. "Mythical hopes that someone will put pressure on Azerbaijan and it will give in will not be justified. In the November 2020 trilateral statement, Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Lachin is confirmed by the same paragraph that talks about the movement of goods; it also says that Azerbaijan is responsible for security, this is our territory," Shafiyev emphasized. A group of health-care workers and Canada's first man to legally receive psilocybin assisted therapy have filed an application for a judicial review after their request to use a restricted psychedelic drug for experiential training was rejected by Health Canada. Thomas Hartle of Saskatoon, shown in this undated handout photo, is the first person to get an exemption from Health Canada to use "magic mushrooms" to treat end-of life anxiety for cancer patients. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Thomas Hartle *MANDATORY CREDIT* Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie stands on stage with supporters at a rally in Mississauga, Ont., on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Candidates in the Ontario Liberal Party's race to become the next leader kicked off the first official debate by taking aim at perceived front-runner Bonnie Crombie. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The Turkish Foreign Ministry shared information on the social network account on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from occupation, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports. "We congratulate our Azerbaijani brothers on the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku, the beautiful capital of Azerbaijan, and we respectfully remember all our martyrs who gave their lives for the independence of the city," the message said. Today (September 15) marks the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation. The Islamic Army of the Caucasus, which included the Azerbaijani Corps, entered Baku and liberated the city from the occupation of the Bolshevik-Dashnak troops on this day in 1918. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Speaker (Chairperson) of Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova has made an official visit to Havana to participate in the G77+China summit, the parliament said, Trend reports. Gafarova was met at the airport by the Minister of Justice of Cuba Oscar Silvera Martinez, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Ruslan Rzayev and other officials. As part of the visit, she will make a speech at the summit. The Group of 77 (G77) at the UN is a coalition of 134 developing countries, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the UN. There were 77 founding members of the organization headquartered in Geneva, but it has since expanded to 134 member countries. Cuba holds its chairmanship for 2023, succeeding Pakistan. Poker Player Randomly Jams All In for High Stakes on Hustler Casino Live, Gets Owned September 14, 2023 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. There's a new "King" in town on Hustler Casino Live, and he might just be the wildest player the show's ever seen. A new player on HCL who goes by the nickname "The King" randomly moved all in during Wednesday's stream for $50,000 in one hand, and sucked out to win the huge pot. And it wasn't the first time he's made that same crazy play, nor was it the last. During Tuesday's stream, the business owner from Kansas went all in for around $25,000 with 64 preflop and exposed his cards before action concluded. "Luda Chris," a Los Angeles live-stream veteran, made the call with 9x8x, knowing he had the best hand, and took down the pot, sending the impatient poker player home without chips. Wild Poker Player Back in Action on Hustler Casino Live The King would return on Wednesday where he picked a random hand KxJx to three-bet a $600 raise up to $50,000 and received a call from "Yoda," who had AxKx in the hole and $29,000 total. The board ran out Kx9x10xJxJx, giving The King a winning full house for a $60,000 pot suck-out. The gamble in The King didn't stop there. On the final hand of the stream, he decided to flip for his entire $88,000 stack against "Pepe," who had him covered. After the dealer pitched the cards to each player, The King turned over K8 and Pepe exposed just the 9, leaving his second card a surprise to the rest of the players at the table. The RFID reader had already picked up his second hole card, however, which was the 7. The flop came out 7K7, quite a cooler considering this was a heads-up pot. But The King was feeling confident his opponent was nearly drawing dead or to a backdoor draw given the exposed card he saw. "Give me your money, you gotta give me your money," The King said as he taunted Pepe. The turn 5 and river 10 changed nothing. Pepe then slammed his unexposed hole card on the table and shouted, "ship it," before scooping the $176,000 pot. That was the end of the road for The King, who exited the stage at Hustler Casino in Los Angeles down almost $40,000 for the day. If Pepe didn't have that seven in the hole (or a king), The King would have booked a massive win instead. On his way out the door, The King attempted to shake hands with and say goodbye to Pepe, who ignored him and refused to respond. Pepe was only up a small amount prior to that six-figure flip, but finished the stream with a $102,000 profit. Sharelines You have to see this hand from the craziest player ever on @HCLPokerShow. What promised to be a long, arduous road to crowning a champion of the 10,000 Diamond High Roller at the Grand Big Wrap festival certainly lived up to that billing as an extra day will be needed to award the title. With the clock moving past 5 a.m. local time in Rozvadov and Day 2 already entering its 14th hour of play, players agreed to stop once action reached six-handed. Quan Zhou took care of that, busting Jan-Peter Jachtmann in seventh place to take the chip lead with 8,120,000. Final Six Chip Counts Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Quan Zhou China 8,120,000 102 2 Alex Livingston Canada 6,065,000 76 3 Eelis Parssinen Finland 3,365,000 42 4 Vasil Medarov Bulgaria 2,290,000 29 5 Anton Suarez Sweden 1,890,000 24 6 Cailin Jin Austria 370,000 5 Alex Livingston is in second place with 6,065,000, followed by Finnish online legend Eelis Parssinen (3,365,000). Vasil Medarov (2,290,000) and Anton Suarez (1,890,000) are behind them, while Cailin Jin rode a short stack for most of the day but managed to survive with 370,000. Alex Livingston Day 2 began with 80 remaining players and, with late registration remaining open through the first three levels of the day, the field swelled to 221 by the time the registration period ended creating a prize pool of 2,036,515. Tony G, Theo Jorgensen, Joni Jouhkimainen, and Bertrand Grospellier were some of the names who fell short of the money. John Dawoud was eliminated on the money bubble, bringing the remaining 23 players into the money. Hossein Ensan, the 2019 WSOP champion, was eliminated in 15th place when he flopped top two pair but ran into Jachtmanns top set. Last years WSOP Europe champion Omar Eljach followed in 14th place, while start-of-day chip leader Viacheslav Osipov was eliminated in 12th. Hossein Ensan The talkative and controversial Martin Kabrhel bowed out in 11th place to Livingston, who earlier won a massive pot with a set of kings off Jachtmann to take the chip lead. Livingston also busted Maximilian Klostermeier in 10th to set the nine-handed unofficial final table. Parssinen doubled up early at the final table off Bernd Gleissner with a turned set of sevens. Gleissner then ran set-over-set into Jachtmann to bust in ninth place. Sebahattin Degermenci was then involved in a three-way all in that saw Jin triple up and Parssinen take the side pot to send Degermenci to the rail in seventh place. Suarez turned a flush to crack Jachtmanns set of aces and double up. Jachtmann then picked up aces again, this time against Zhou, and was a big favorite to double up heading to the river until Zhou hit a straight. Lucky rivers helped propel Zhou to the chip lead heading to the final table. Earlier on Day 2, Zhou was all in and down to his last card before hitting a set of kings on the river to nearly triple up. Final Table payouts Place Player Country Prize 1 500,000 2 327,000 3 211,000 4 170,000 5 135,500 6 105,000 7 Jan-Peter Jachtmann Germany 77,500 8 Sebahattin Degermenci Germany 57,500 The remaining six players return tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. local time to play down to a winner. Action resumes on Level 23 with blinds of 40,000-80,000 and a 80,000 big blind ante. It will take one day longer than planned, but a Diamond High Roller champion will be crowned here at Kings Resort and PokerNews will be back providing all the action. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The last House Democrat willing to help Kevin McCarthy keep the speakership if a motion to vacate is filed has withdrawn his offer due to Biden impeachment. Bloomberg reported: If the Speaker had been thinking of looking across the aisle for aid in case of a right-wing revolt, Representative Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat, withdrew his offer to help. Phillips said Thursday he had reeled in that potential lifeline after McCarthy abandoned any attempt at bipartisanship by starting the impeachment inquiry and otherwise pandering to a small group of hardliners. A rebellion is brewing against McCarthy because the Speaker wants to pass a short-term funding bill to prevent a government shutdown. There is a hardline group of far-right House Republicans that are opposed to any short-term funding bill, and they are threatening to fire McCarthy if he works with Democrats to pass one. Speaker McCarthy got House Republicans together for a meeting that was supposed to be about investigations but used it to talk about the government funding bill instead. He told his caucus that they wouldnt win a government shutdown and dared them to fire him through a motion to vacate. Democrats didnt help McCarthy when he was fighting to become Speaker. Rep. Phillips did have a standing offer to help McCarthy because he did not believe in what Republicans have been threatening the Speaker with on the motion to vacate, but he withdrew that offer once Kevin McCarthy caved to the far-right on the evidence-free Biden impeachment investigation. Kevin McCarthy has no Democratic friends, and if MAGA comes for him, he will be on his own. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Special Counsel Jack Smith has requested a gag order be placed on Trump to stop him from prejudicing the jury and undermining the 1/6 case against him. Smiths prosecutors wrote: Since the grand jury returned an indictment in this case, the defendant has repeatedly and widely disseminated public statements attacking the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses. Through his statements, the defendant threatens to undermine the integrity of these proceedings and prejudice the jury pool, in contravention of the undeviating rule that in our justice system a jurys verdict is to be induced only by evidence and argument in open court, and not by any outside influence. Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 351 (1966) (quotations omitted). In accordance with the Courts duty to protect [its] processes from prejudicial outside interferences, id. at 363, the Government requests that the Court take the following immediate measures to ensure the due administration of justice and a fair and impartial jury: (1) enter a narrowly tailored order pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 57.7(c) that restricts certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements; and (2) enter an order through which the Court can ensure that if either party conducts a jury study involving contact with the citizens of this District, the jury study is conducted in a way that will not prejudice the venire. Smith is not going to stand back and allow Trump to undermine the trial and contaminate the jury pool with his constant attacks on the prosecutors, the people of Washington DC, witnesses, and the judge. Trump is about to find out for the first time in his life that he cant do and say whatever he wants when he wants. Smith is asking the judge to attach consequences for the former presidents words. Donald Trump has met his match, and Special Counsel Jack Smith is not going to allow him to run wild over the trial. Finally, someone is trying to shut Trump up. Olivia Rodrigo is not shy when it comes to pouring out her feelings into a song, and she did just that with her first single, "driver's license." If you have spent any time on TikTok, you've heard this infamous song, which has created so much talk on the 'net. The Lorde/Taylor Swift-esque post-breakup ballad soared to the No. 1 spot on Billboard 's Hot 100 the first week it was released, and the music video has been watched more than 70 million times on YouTube . These are big accomplishments for 17-year-old songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. The song's heartbreaking lyrics resonated with a lot of people, but it also had a lot of people wondering one single thing: Who broke her heart and inspired her to write this song? Who Is "drivers license" About? "driver's license" is rumored to be about Rodrigo's High School Musical the Musical: The Series co-star, Joshua Bassett. Rodrigo, 17, and Bassett, 21 became close while on set filming HSMTM: The Series back in 2019. They played love interests, Nini Salazar-Roberts and Ricky Bowen, on the show, which aired on Disney+. Their on-camera chemistry, the way that Bassett (as Ricky) improvised a scene about how much he loved Rodrigo's character, Nini, and clips of affectionate off-camera behavior had fans speculating that they had a secret relationship. Their relationship never became public, because the rumor is that Bassett wanted to wait until Rodrigo turned 18 to officially date. But that apparently didn't stop any feelings and hopes of a future relationship on Rodrigo's part. Let's break down the timeline of how it all went so wrong: We're not exactly sure when the two high school sweethearts decided to end things, because they were never public. But in May of 2020, fans noted the two Disney stars slowly stopped interacting on social media. In July 2020, Rodrigo got her driver's license, and what did the caption say? "so now I can drive around the suburbs alone and cry to I miss you I'm sorry like a true American!!!!!" On July 16th, Joshua released a song called, "Anyone Else," which was rumored to be about Olivia, and his fear of her moving on. Joshua Bassett - Anyone Else [Official Video] www.youtube.com A few days after the release of Bassett's song, Olivia posted a snippet of her playing piano on Instagram, which turned out to be a preview of what is now "driver's license." In the post-heartbreak song, she writes about driving through the suburbs and crying, a clear reference to her Instagram post. She also penned the line, "I guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me," which many fans immediately believed refers to Bassett's song about her. A Love Triangle Is Born What do the most talented songwriters typically have in common? They write songs about real-life experiences. Perhaps because of this, social media quickly formulated a theory about a love triangle between Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and Sabrina Carpenter, particularly because of the "drivers license" lyric, "You're probably with that blonde girl who always made me doubt. She's so much older than me." It only took social media so long to figure out that Rodrigo was implying that fellow Disney actress, Sabrina Carpenter, 21, was the third piece of the love triangle. Now, how did people figure out the blonde girl that is mentioned in "driver's license" is Sabrina Carpenter? Well, there are a few key details. Obviously, Sabrina is blonde. She's olderfour years older than Rodrigo, making her the same age as Bassett. In the song, Rodrigo mentioned, "She's everything that I am insecure about," which causes the speculation that their age difference is what Rodrigo's insecurity is. Rodrigo and Bassett were never in a public relationship because Rodrigo was underage. Carpenter has also been seen with Bassett multiple times. In August 2020, the couple was photographed at lunch together. In October 2020, they dressed up as Sharkboy and Lavagirl for Halloween and made a TikTok together. It makes sense that Carpenter is the blonde girl Bassett was with. Right? Right. If you thought this was messy so far, it gets messier. The Plot Thickens Joshua has shown support for Rodrigo on social media, sharing and liking posts promoting his rumored ex-girlfriend's song, "driver's license." Some say it was a publicity stunt, since he broadcasted his own ballad a few days later. Joshua released "Lie Lie Lie" on January 15th, a week after Rodrigo dropped "driver's license." Now, most fans don't think the song is directed at Olivia because it was originally written back around November of 2019, when Bassett posted a preview of the song on Instagram , so the timeline does not align with this love triangle drama. However, the timing of the song's release is a little suspicious, and there are similarities in his music video when you compare it to Olivia's. Both Joshua and Olivia have 80s-style cars, which they sing and drive around in. They also both use aesthetically pleasing flashes of light and fancy camera work. Coincidence? I think not. Joshua Bassett - Lie Lie Lie [Official Lyric Video] www.youtube.com Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (Official Video) www.youtube.com Sabrina Carpenter Adds Her Two Cents Speaking of coincidences? Sabrina Carpenter added to the frenzy on January 21st by sending out her own slice of music, the song "Skin." Soon, speculation that the song was a diss directed at Olivia Rodrigo went viral on social media. Sabrina took to social media to clarify that her song "Skin" isn't a dig towards Rodrigo, but instead about a mix of experiences she has undergone. Sabrina Carpenter - Skin (Official Lyric Video) www.youtube.com Many fans can't get past the implications of the lyrics, though, as Sabrina writes, "Maybe blonde was the only rhyme," pretty clearly referring back to Olivia's line about being with that blonde girl. After the song's release, Sabrina wrote a note on Instagram thanking those who listened to her new song along with an explanation about the speculation. "I wasn't bothered by a few lines in a (magnificent) song and wrote a diss track about it. i was at a tipping point in my life for countless reasons," she wrote. "so i was inspired to do what i usually do to cope, write something that i wish i could have told myself in the past. people can only get to you if you give them the power to. and a lot of people were trying to get to me." The drama has continued to build, mostly through a complicated series of passive-aggressive social media interactions. Carpenter's ex-boyfriend, Griffin Gluck, whom Carpenter broke up with in August, posted "driver's license" on his Instagram story to show support. (Hmm. So, Sabrina, are you sure you didn't write that song about Olivia?) Then, Joshua Bassett congratulated Sabrina on her new single and record deal. "Been stuck in my head since I heard it!!!" he wrote on his Instagram story. "Congratulations @sabrinacarpenter on 'skin,' the new label, & all that's to come!!!" Isn't that just the cherry on top? The drama only will continue as the tangle unfolds and as fans sit at the edge of their seats wondering how this love triangle will end. Update: As of January 28, Bassett released another song called "Only A Matter of Time" that has fans speculating it's about Rodrigo, even though, like "Lie Lie Lie," it was written before the whole drama occurred. Listen to all four songs, and let us know what you think of this crazy love triangle. Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (Official Video) www.youtube.com Joshua Bassett - Lie Lie Lie [Official Video] www.youtube.com Joshua Bassett - Only a Matter of Time [Official Video] www.youtube.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of "Sustainable Development. Reporting. Transparency" international scientific-practical conference, Trend reports. "Dear conference participants! I sincerely welcome you to the international scientific-practical conference Sustainable development. Accountability. Transparency dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Thanks to Heydar Aliyev's tireless efforts and unwavering determination to build a democratic and law-governed state, a transparent financial and audit system was established in Azerbaijan. This year, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, we are witnessing a vibrant and strong economy the foundation of which was laid by the Great Leader. The National Leader, who saw the only way of reviving the country's economy, which was on the bring a collapse in the early years of independence, in a transition to a market economy and integration into the world economy, initiated large-scale reforms. Under his leadership, the fundamental measures taken in the field of improving corporate governance and encouraging an environment of free competition brought the development of free entrepreneurship to the fore. At the same time, Heydar Aliyev's far-sighted policy, great statesmanship experience and strategic vision ensured the economic development of the country, laid the groundwork of a multi-vector economic policy and earned Azerbaijan the status of a reliable partner in the world. The importance of a transition to international audit and accounting standards in the field of increasing transparency and strengthening financial control in Azerbaijan is particularly noteworthy. Taking into account the economic challenges of the new era, the implemented comprehensive measures have created conditions for the improvement of the financial and accounting system in the country in line with international requirements and for enhancing the possibilities of economic integration into the world economic system. Transparency should also be valued as the basis of efficient and goal-oriented use of resources and as the primary factor of accountability and provision of objective and quality information. The effective and flexible response to the global challenges of our time, as well as the construction and restoration work in the territories freed from occupation, which are the top priority issues for Azerbaijan at the present time, require further strengthening of the reforms in the countrys financial sector and mobilization of financial opportunities. In order to preserve the financial resources of the state and use them in a goal-oriented manner, economically and efficiently, it is important to invigorate discipline in this area, increase transparency and improve state control mechanism. It is also necessary to highlight the importance of state control and independent audit system adapted to the requirements of the new era, as well as the importance of public control as an important form of non-state control, as factors determining the sustainable development of our national economy. Dear conference participants! Today's conference is a wonderful opportunity for discussing challenges and opportunities on the global agenda related to sustainable development, accountability and transparency, and exchange the best practices in this field. I do believe that this event will be useful in terms of identifying opportunities for further improvement of an environment of accountability and transparency and will contribute to the improvement of the well-being of our countries. Once again, I wish you all the best and the conference every success," the letter said. Who would have thought that when Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" video was announced as the winner of the 2009 Video Music Award for Video of the Year, it would end like this: Taylor being carried out of her apartment inside a suitcase? That fateful moment in 2009 was the first domino to fall in a series of events that now haunt me, but none more than the idea of Swift concocting the idea of crawling into a suitcase to avoid being seen by the paparazzi, then being carried out into the trunk of her car. It all started off innocently enough Taylor Swift dressing as a nerdy band version of herself and an evil cheerleader alter ego both battling for a boy for a semi-misogynistic music video fit for a high school romantic comedy (I also can't stop thinking about the part where Lucas Till closes the curtain on her while she is obviously still writing to him, but one haunting moment at a time). Meanwhile, that same year Beyonce was dancing some of the most iconic choreography in stilettos for her "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" music video. One of them would win the VMA for Video of the Year. It wasn't the right one. Yes, I spent hours watching the Taylor Swift video on the tiny screen of my iPod nano imagining myself in her shoes, but I also spent hours attempting the "Single Ladies" dance. At the tender age of 10 years old, I knew Beyonce deserved the award. So did everyone else. Especially Kanye West. Famously, he jumped on stage in the middle of Taylor's acceptance speech to say, "Imma let you finish but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!" He was right, but he was wrong for it. And little did we know, his drunken interruption would transform into a feud between the two that would last for almost a decade. In the years between the 2009 VMAs and July 17, 2017 when Taylor was carried out in that giant suitcase, the two had the kind of tumultuous interactions one would expect from a Sagittarius and a Gemini. From Taylor Swift's barefoot performance of "Innocent" at the next VMAs, a kind of condescending song about forgiving West in the most petty way, to their Instagram-official reconciliation and ensuing fall out after his lyric about her in the song "Famous." After Kim Kardashian got involved at the defense of her husband (was it in this moment that she saw her future as a lawyer?) and began the association of Taylor with snakes, Swift went quiet. Really quiet. Often, she'd be seen walking sideways or backwards to avoid paparazzi, but mostly she wouldn't be seen at all. Now we know it was because she was in that suitcase. The suitcase incident occurred less than a month before Swift wiped her social media presence to begin promoting her album, Reputation, which included the lead single "Look What You Made Me Do" an elaborate, pointed attenuation of the feud. So it makes sense that a month before she was slated to reinvent herself away from her "good girl" image with Reputation, she'd want to keep a low profile. What doesn't make sense is anything about the suitcase scenario neither the impetus nor the execution. Everything about it fascinates me, especially the logistics. Yes, it was a Very Large Suitcase, but Taylor Swift is 5'10. How did she arrange her limbs? Did it hurt to be jostled and seemingly dropped by the security gracelessly transporting her from apartment to trunk and back? How did she get out, after, when she was safely in the car? How often did she do this? And, most importantly, how did that photographer know? Suitcase-gate was, after all, started when a paparazzi photographer claimed Swift was in the suitcase, with no evidence. The statement was quickly but unconvincingly recanted by the website, but not the photographer. And by then it was too late. Fans were looking for clues. The suitcase seemed to be everywhere. Pictures soon surfaced of Swift's security again carrying the heavy black suitcase into her apartment, shortly followed by Gigi Hadid appearing at the apartment though Taylor had never been spotted entering. There was even a moment where fans were convinced that a photo of Tom Hiddleston, her then-boyfriend, rolling a large black suitcase into LAX had to contain Swift. And while the thought of Hiddleston literally rolling his girlfriend through the airport is hilarious, this was a stretch. Yet I can't help but wince, totally illogically, I know, every time I land in New York's JFK or Los Angeles's LAX and watch suitcases thrown haphazardly onto the carousel. I know that even if Taylor was in that suitcase in the photos, she wouldn't be flying under an airplane and tossed around by baggage claim? While there's no proof that she was actually ever really in that suitcase, the story is too absurd to be false. Zayn Malik also confirmed that she habitually travelled around in suitcases for a while, so the story tracks "She was travelling around in a suitcase, he told British Vogue in 2018. It is not clear how long or how often Swift practiced this insane stealthiness. It's also not clear if the suitcase era was directly caused by her feud with Kanye, though the timeline suggests it might be. What is clear is what we all to find out a month later: Swift's most sacred possession was her reputation. What happened on that stage in 2009 was this: Kanye made a bad, impulsive decision (which was unfortunately not his last) and embarrassed a young musician in the process. Honestly, it wasn't about Taylor. It was about Kanye. It was about Beyonce. But to the media, it was the tragic story of an innocent white girl whose moment of happiness was destroyed. The years following were played out versions of familiar tropes, a trope that Taylor used to her advantage. There she was, blonde and barefoot for that 2010 performance, singing a song about innocence that really seemed more about her own purity and saint-like capacity to forgive than actual forgiveness. And there she was for years, cultivating a girl-squad and giving wide-eyed acceptance speeches at every award show. But Kardashian's assertion that Swift was not all innocent changed the narrative. And Swift, freshly into her New York era and trying to shed the skin (so to speak) of her old self, was faced with her changing reputation. So she wrote an album about it. In the album, the story was the same. Again, Swift was the victim. But this time, she positioned herself as a fighter who wouldn't take anyone's s--t. She used the songs to speak to not just West, but all the people who had broken her heart or speculated about her life in the media. Though it was a borderline unlistenable album, it was a masterful way to spin the story, and her fans responded. One of the most quoted lines from the album is from the lead single: "I'm sorry the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now she's dead." Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do www.youtube.com And indeed she was. Swift, with that album, drew a line in the sand between the younger self and the new self. She killed off her old self and her old reputation to start anew. And to kill that old self, she had to disappear for a while, avoid speculation, hide in a suitcase. The album would have been more dramatic had it not been preceded by suitcase-gate, which attracted the exact kind of attention Swift did not want. Now, in the public imagination, Swift In The Suitcase is the actual line in the sand, the cultural shift. Hiding in the suitcase meant there was a new Taylor emerging from it, so speak. Gone was the Taylor whose dates in the park would go viral in seconds (Harry Styles being the collateral damage in that situation). Gone was the Taylor who was defined by her naivety. The new Taylor was ambitious and unapologetic. The new Taylor was petty and proud. And while most of us were Very Tired of the feud and mildly amused by the suitcase, it definitely marked a change. From an oversharing teenager to a burgeoning adult, it must have been jarring to look at your life and realize you had no privacy, and that your reputation was only half in your hands. Still, to hide in a suitcase is quite drastic. And in hindsight, the Reputation years were definitely a transition era for Taylor, filled with more than a few proverbial stumbles alongside the literal suitcase. When whispers of the feud started again this year, Taylor was less indulgent. And again, she released an album soon after but this one wasn't about Kanye, or even her, really. It was Taylor focusing on her music, Taylor writing for Taylor like she had been in the beginning, before 2009 when she started writing about the media and the spectacle around her life. This Taylor seems like the one the 2017 version of herself wanted to be. One who was truly not phased by the tabloid drama, instead of acting like she wasn't while pulling dramatic stunts because of them. And her new music shows the shift, too. With folklore and evermore , Taylor has finally grown up. Today is Tuesday, Oct. 31, the 304th day of 2023. There are 61 days left in the year. This is Halloween. Read moreToday in History: Oct. 31, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated There have been several changes to the city of Aiken's plan to construct a building in which the Savannah River National Laboratory could lease space for a workforce development center. K.J. Jacobs, a principal at McMillan Pazdan Smith, the firm hired by the Aiken Corporation to do a feasibility study, provided an overview of the changes during a public input session held Thursday evening at the Center for African American History, Art and Culture. First, there are more potential sites for the building. In January, Aiken Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Woltz said the city was considering the Holley House, the Warneke Cleaners building and possibly the Taj Aiken building for the site. McMillan Pazdan Smith evaluated the site and four more sites in the preliminary results were revealed. Those sites are the parking lot next to the Municipal Building, the vacant lot behind Buzz Rich's law office, the former Department of Public Safety headquarters and the old Aiken County Hospital site. The firm used 13 criteria to evaluate the sites. Those criteria included economic impact to the downtown, walkability, accessibility to other meeting sites and criteria set by the Savannah River National Laboratory. Second, the building has been downsized. In January, Woltz said the building would need to be around 40-45,000 square feet. On Thursday, Jacobs said the building would need to be 36,000 square feet after the firm had conversations with the national laboratory. Aiken Standard reporter Taylor Beltz is a general assignments reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers a variety of topics from business to sports. Beltz is a University of South Carolina graduate. Follow her on Twitter @TaylorKaye09. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Picking a topic for this monthly column is never a quandary for me. I know what I want to say. During the months the legislature is in session, I summarize key legislation being considered. The remaining months offer a forum for one issue I delve more deeply into. Read moreRep. Bill Taylor: South Carolina legislative update LUGOFF Two years after announcing it would open a factory in Kershaw County, Sterlite Technologies Limited's manufacturing plant is now operational. The India-headquartered, fiber-optic cable maker was one of a number of such companies to expand in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and billions in federal funding spent to build out more high-speed internet across the United States. "It's a nice addition to the county," Kershaw economic development director Jeff Burgess said. "Especially with their emphasis on fiber optics and broadband and that cutting-edge technology." STL invested $23 million to retrofit the former Yutaka Technologies plant in Lugoff, which made parts for Honda all-terrain vehicles until its closure in mid-2012 amid a decrease in ATV sales. The plant was then used as warehouse space until STL signed a 10-year lease in August 2021, according to Colliers commercial real estate broker Chuck Salley. STL has hired upwards of 120 workers and will supply fiber to companies across North America. The plant could be further expanded with increased production capacity at a later date. As telecommunications companies scramble to get more fiber in the ground, more manufacturers have stepped in to provide the necessary cable. For example, Salley said his firm handled another fiber-related deal with Blue Diamond Industries, a subsidiary of the Swedish company Hexatronic Group AB, for a manufacturing plant in Laurens County that makes sheeting that goes around the cables. That $18 million investment came with 90 new jobs. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. President Ilham Aliyev has sent a message to the participants of the 4th meeting of the Prosecutors General of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization, Trend reports. "Dear event participants! I sincerely welcome you to the 4th meeting of Prosecutors General of the member-states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) being held in Baku. ECO was one of the first organizations the Republic of Azerbaijan became a member of after regaining its independence. It is gratifying that, as an active member of ECO, our cooperation with member-states of the organization, based on friendship and mutual respect, is also developing successfully within the framework of international platforms. As you may know, the Republic of Armenia kept 20 percent of our country's lands under occupation for nearly 30 years. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to ECO member countries for their principled position and support of Azerbaijans fair cause during the occupation and at the subsequent stage. During this period, Armenia committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, carried out ethnic cleansing out, and our territories were used for growing and transporting narcotics and training international terrorists. After these territories were liberated from occupation in 2020, Azerbaijan faced other challenges. The cities and villages of our country were deliberately razed to the ground and looted by Armenia, all cultural and religious monuments were destroyed, mosques were desecrated and looted. About 4,000 people went missing during the First Karabakh War and in subsequent periods, and the other has yet to provide information about their fate. Armenia has planted about a million landmines in our occupied territories and committed the crimes of urbicide, culturicide and ecocide. As soon as the occupation ended, our state mobilized all its resources and began extensive construction and restoration work in these areas, eliminating the consequences of Armenian vandalism. Dear participants, economic development and the existence of the rule of law are the prerequisites for the well-being of people in every state. Criminality poses a serious threat to the mentioned factors and requires international fight. In this field, especially in the fight against transnational crime, it is important for prosecutor's offices to work in conditions of mutual cooperation. At a time when global and regional threats and Islamophobia trends are growing, prosecutors of ECO member states are faced with new tasks. Illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking, corruption, cybercrime, money laundering and other crimes pose a huge threat to the future of humanity, serving as a source of funding for international terrorism. I am sure that the discussion of important issues will further strengthen cooperation in the direction of creating fertile conditions for the protection of human rights and economic development by giving participants the opportunity to benefit from international experience. I do believe that today's meeting of Prosecutors General of member states during our countrys presidency in ECO will make an important contribution to the reliable protection of human rights and freedoms in our region, the unification of our efforts in the fight against all forms of criminality, and to the more effective implementation of mutual cooperation. I wish you all the best and the meeting every success," the letter said. COLUMBIA Lexington-Richland School District Five is asking the S.C. Department of Education to waive a state regulation limiting how long its teachers are allowed to instruct each week. The request is part of the Irmo- and Chapin-area district's efforts to mitigate the teacher staffing issues which have plagued school districts around Columbia and much of South Carolina in recent years, according to Superintendent Akil Ross. "I just want another tool in the toolbox," he said. Under regulations set by the State Board of Education, teachers can't be assigned classes requiring more than four preparations per day or instruct more than 1,500 minutes, or 25 hours, per week. But administrators in Lexington-Richland Five said it's necessary for teachers at Dutch Fork High School, Dutch Fork Middle School and Irmo High School to be allowed to go over that limit in order to account for vacancies. Such work would be optional, and teachers who work over the limit would be paid both for the extra class and the additional planning it requires, Chief Human Resources Officer Tamara Turner told the district's school board Sept. 11, which soon after voted unanimously to proceed with the request for a waiver. Testimony in the trial of a man charged with boating under the influence continued Sept. 14 in Columbia, four years after a collision on Lake Murray resulted in the death of a 68-year-old man and injured the man's wife and daughter. Stanley Kiser died in the accident on Sept. 21, 2019, near the Lighthouse Marina off Johnson Marina Road. His wife, Shawn Kiser, lost a leg, and their daughter, Morgan Kiser, was also injured. Tracy Gordon, of Elgin, is charged with three counts of felony boating under the influence after the crash. Gordon was driving a cigarette boat when it struck the Kisers' pontoon boat with all three family members onboard, according to investigators with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. According to police, Gordon was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Due to the amount of time that passed between the crash and authorities testing Gordon, seven hours, Gordon's blood alcohol content level will not be admitted as evidence in the currently ongoing trial that began on Sept. 11. Shawn and Morgan Kiser gave emotional testimony on Sept. 12, including the prosecution's playing of the 911 call made by Morgan after the crash during which she screamed for help. "They did not t-bone us. They ran over us," Morgan told The Post and Courier later on Sept. 14. "My dad was literally sliced to pieces ... why did they not come back to help?" she said. Deputy Solicitor Daniel Goldberg called Gordon's wife, Angie, to the witness stand on Sept. 14, and asked her why she and her husband did not go back to help the Kisers. She replied, telling the court that they saw nearby strangers had already stopped to help, and that they asked whether 911 needed to be called and Morgan said she was already on the phone with them. Kiser's wife and daughter both spent the years following the accident spearheading efforts to get legislation on boating safety passed, and founded boating safety education advocacy group Safe the Lake as part of those efforts. As a result the S.C. Boater Education Bill passed earlier this year, requiring all boat operators born after July 1, 2007, to complete safety training administered by DNR. COLUMBIA It all started with a doodle. I used to get in trouble a lot in school for drawing all over my SATs, tests, and homework, explained Fox Haynes. One day I was just in class doodling a list of band names and Sweet Spine was the first one I thought of, kind of on a fluke. If Sweet Spines name was a fluke, then it might seem accurate to call the Greenville-based bands sudden rise to viral popularity on TikTok nothing short of tremendous serendipity. And while the extent of the virality of their single, Darkness, released this past July, was unexpected, it certainly wasnt without the groups infectious enthusiasm and sincere passion for their craft. After pondering the potential fear of not reaching a newer, broader audience outside of South Carolina, Haynes began posting on TikTok every day to promote their music; after putting out a TikTok featuring Darkness, Haynes woke up to heaps of notifications. While catching up with Sweet Spine before their headlining show at New Brookland Tavern on Sept. 8, it was clear that the bands unique blend of grunge, shoegaze and punk has attracted attention that expands far past their home state of South Carolina. In other words, its no surprise that Sweet Spine has struck such a strong chord with a widespread audience. With nearly 30,000 TikTok followers and singles featured on multiple Spotify Editorial playlists, vocalist and lead guitarist Fox Haynes, 19, bassist Evelyn Atkins, 19, and drummer Brannan Crook, 22, have found themselves in a position that has the immense potential to take them further from their hometown of Greenville than ever before. For the longest time [on Spotify] Greenville was one of our top cities, at number one or two, said Haynes. Now its not even in the top 50. We have more listeners in Iraq than we do in Greenville, which is so random but super awesome. GREENVILLE The fate of the Whataburger planned for Laurens Road which would be Greenvilles first location of the popular Texas-based fast-food chain has been thrown into limbo. The citys Board of Zoning Appeals denied a request Sept. 14 that would allow for an all-night drive-thru, citing concerns that traffic, noise and odors would irritate a nearby single-family neighborhood. Whataburger has always been a 24/7 drive-thru," project manager Anita Thomas told the board. They want to remain consistent across the various locations planned for South Carolina. Sign up for updates! Get the latest Greenville news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! But the board wouldnt accept that argument. Its members voted 6-1 to deny the restaurants request. The chain was slated to demolish and replace a former TitleMax title loan office at 1601 Laurens Road, across the street from fast-food restaurants Chick-Fil-A and Cookout. We are continuing to work with our city partners and are confident we will be able to serve up Goodness 24/7 in Greenville," said Ana Flores, who represents Whataburger, in an email Sept. 15. City staff recommended board members deny the request for what is known as a required "special exception." Eight people, mostly nearby neighbors, spoke against the request. Michael Austin from the East Lynne Neighborhood Association said his group was concerned with people loitering in the parking lot, increased traffic through the neighborhood, unpleasant smells and excessive noise and lighting. Austin referenced the GVL 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which is the citys roadmap for managing future growth while preserving open space, creating affordable housing and reducing dependence on cars. That plan focuses on preserving the quality of life and strengthening neighborhoods. BEAUFORT Mayor Stephen Murray announced his resignation early Sept. 15, effective immediately. Mayor Pro Tem Mike McFee will be the city's acting mayor until a special election can be held to fill the remaining portion of Murray's term, city spokeswoman Kathleen Williams confirmed. A special election has been scheduled for Dec. 12. The next general mayoral election is scheduled for November 2024. Murray, 42, was elected mayor in 2020 while serving his second term as a city councilman. "We're all disappointed, obviously, but we respect his wishes," McFee told The Post and Courier, adding that City Council remains committed to its positions and that city business will continue as usual. In a two-and-half page open letter posted on his Facebook page, the Beaufort native said that he never had political aspirations until he attended the Leadership Beaufort program in 2009. "I became passionate about community development and threw myself into the world of non-profit boards, hoping to make a positive difference in my hometown," Murray wrote. Murray discussed the city's achievements during his time as mayor, focusing particularly on his efforts to make the city more appealing for younger residents. That included taking a leadership role in the creation of the Beaufort Digital Corridor, the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation and the South Coast Cyber Center. He noted that progress within city government was not always easy. Without naming names, Murray said change is difficult for people "who've had their hands on political levers for a long time," adding that he actively fought against some of those people for almost nine years. That fight appears to have taken its toll. "And while Im proud of the work and I know there is still much to be done, Im tired," Murray wrote. "Im tired of the daily barrage of uncivil and rude people accusing me of impropriety without a shred of proof." BEAUFORT An email obtained by The Post and Courier sheds light on what might have motivated last month's sudden departure of Whitney Richland, who had served as deputy county administrator. Richland quietly resigned from the second-highest job in county administration just weeks after her boss, County Administrator Eric Greenway, had been fired. Hayes Williams, the county's chief financial officer, sent the email dated July 5 to County Attorney Brittany Ward expressing concerns about the April purchase of weighted blankets totaling nearly $36,000 facilitated by Greenway and Richland. The company selling the blankets, R&R Home, was owned by Richland and her husband a financial interest Richland failed to disclose, Williams asserted. "At this point, I am concerned with legal violations and ethical violations of this transaction," Williams wrote. The purchase The email, obtained by The Post and Courier through an open-records request, from Williams details a number of issues pertaining to the $35,644.70 blanket purchase. He said Greenway ordered 587 weighted blankets on April 21. R&R Home invoiced the transaction the same day. Richland allegedly told Williams the blankets had been delivered to the county in May and were to be used in a newly established wellness program. There is no indication that a payment was made on the April 21 invoice, and it remains unclear if the blankets were delivered. Williams said Richland approached him about an "after-the-fact" purchase order she said needed to be paid by June 30. This was, ostensibly, a reference to the outstanding blanket invoice. Greenway then submitted a purchase requisition for the blankets on June 28. Williams approved it the same day and a purchase order was created. (COLUMBIA, S.C.) South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced recently that 42 attorneys general sued Meta in federal and state courts alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict c Read moreAttorney General Alan Wilson joins bipartisan, multistate coalition in lawsuits against Meta for harming children The Attorney Generals Office said in its filing that the SLED agents investigating the jury tampering allegations were not involved in inquiries into any of Murdaughs alleged crimes. Murdaugh defense attorney Dick Harpootlian did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the state's response. Murdaughs appeal had not made much progress before the jury meddling claims turned the case on its head. Six months after his March conviction, attorneys were still waiting for an official transcript of the trial before laying out the case for overturning the jurys guilty verdict, which sent Murdaugh to prison for life. The states response to the allegations muddies the path to a public hearing on the jury tampering claims. Murdaughs attorneys have released affidavits signed by two jurors, who said Hill spoke with the jury foreperson at length in private and told some jurors not to be fooled by the defenses case. Prosecutors claim that SLEDs ongoing investigation has already revealed significant factual disputes. Their filing did not detail what issues investigators have found. As attention has shifted to the typically secretive dynamics of the jury room, the rest of the panel has so far remained silent. But attorney Eric Bland, who is representing four jurors, indicated that the rest of the group may not see eye-to-eye with the two who have come forward. I believe when they go under oath, they are going to not support the allegations, Bland said on Law & Crime. Im confident that its going to be a different story. The allegations mark the latest twist in the saga of Murdaughs fall from grace, which began in earnest in June 2021, when his wife and youngest son were fatally shot at the familys remote Colleton County hunting estate. CONWAY A Fayetteville, N.C., man was sentenced to life in prison Sept. 13 for a 2018 murder in the Myrtle Beach area, according to a news release from the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office. Marquis Shawn Brown, 32, of Fayetteville was sentenced by Judge William H. Seals. Life in prison was the maximum sentence Brown could have received. The victim, Mark Verhasselt of Fayetteville, N.C., was found shot to death in a parking lot on Bovardia Place in the Myrtle Beach area on July 10, 2018. The Horry County Police Department, specifically former Detective Matthew Singleton, did an excellent job with this investigation," prosecutor Mary-Ellen Walter said in the release. "They identified Brown within hours of the murder and had him in custody within days." Investigators from the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office, including Steve Brown and Ginger Pop, were instrumental in securing the appearance and cooperation of key witnesses, according to the release. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the location of the murder. The murder occurred in the unincorporated area of Horry County, not within the Myrtle Beach city limits. The story has been updated. As a frequent visitor to Charleston, I have marveled at the beauty of the state. During a recent visit, I also took a side trip to Boston, traveling by air. I am a physician as well as a patient and worker-safety advocate. So when my driver in Boston asked me how he would identify me, I resp Read moreCommentary: Charleston airport needs to improve its air quality BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Activity of prosecutor's offices in conditions of mutual cooperation is important in the fight against transnational crime, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a letter to the participants of the 4th meeting of prosecutors general of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization, Trend reports. "Criminality poses a serious threat to the mentioned factors and requires international fight. In this field, especially in the fight against transnational crime, it is important for prosecutor's offices to work in conditions of mutual cooperation. At a time when global and regional threats and Islamophobia trends are growing, prosecutors of ECO member states are faced with new tasks. Illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking, corruption, cybercrime, money laundering and other crimes pose a huge threat to the future of humanity, serving as a source of funding for international terrorism," President Ilham Aliyev said. SPARTANBURG The driver of a stolen ambulance is in custody after leading Spartanburg authorities on a multi-county chase that involved a crash with a police car and ended with use of stop sticks. The ambulance was stolen around 12:20 p.m. Sept. 14 from the Spartanburg Medical Center Mary Black Campus, Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Kevin Bobo said in a statement. Terrance Darby, 34, has been charged with reckless driving, and more charges are expected in the morning, Union County Sheriff's Office Capt. Scott Coffer said. At some point during the chase, the ambulance struck a police car in Spartanburg. Spartanburg Police Department spokesman Maj. Art Littlejohn said the ambulance struck the police car at Pine and Saint John streets in the city during the pursuit. The officer in the car wasn't injured, he said. "The ambulance was stolen at Mary Black, which is in the county, and it came through the city and went back into the county," Littlejohn said. The ambulance continued into Union County where deputies used stop sticks to bring the chase to an end at Whitmire Highway and Highway 176. It's unclear how the theft happened and whether the person was a patient. When asked by The Post and Courier for specifics, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System declined to comment and referred to a prepared statement. "An ambulance was stolen this afternoon from Spartanburg Medical Center Mary Black Campus," the hospital system said. "The damaged ambulance was recovered in Union County. No patients or EMS personnel were injured." No deputies were injured in the pursuit, Bobo said. Monthly tourism arrivals on Guam have made a full recovery from Typhoon Mawar, Guam Visitors Bureau statistics show, with more visitors touching down in the month of August than any other month this year. Around 50,000 visitors were landing on Guam each month, until Mawar struck and dropped that number to around 17,000 in the month of June. But the disaster apparently hasnt stopped visitors from Japan and Korea from making the trip to Guam this summer, and 67,000 arrivals were recorded as of the close of August. In fact, more visitors from Japan came to the island in the month of August alone, 23,560, than in the entirety of both 2021 and 2022 combined. Visitors from Japan, traditionally the islands main tourism source market, have been slow to venture back to the island in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors from Korea have been taking up the mantle as the main source of visitors in the meantime, with 31,774 Koreans landing in August, about the average for each month of 2023. With one month left in the fiscal year, Guam already has hit the cautious, post-typhoon goal of 550,000 visitors set by GVB management, a little under one-third the number of visitors the island saw in the record year of 2019. Projections have arrival numbers hitting 1 million in the upcoming fiscal year. Theres room for improvement in the Korean market numbers, GVB board Korean Market Committee Chair Ho Eun remarked during a meeting this week. Eun also is the chairman of Core Tech International. The Guam Daily Post is affiliated with Core Tech International. Korea has been picking up a little bit faster than other destinations, but still, we're looking at only 50% recovery before pandemic number. However, Korea outbound (flights)...have already recovered more than 70%, while we receive only 50% of visitors from Korea, which means there is a 20% delta that we are losing out (on)," Eun said. A bottleneck caused by airline capacity may be a contributing cause, he said, and GVB should consider any possible aid to airlines to incentivize more flights to Guam. Meanwhile, GVB is looking forward to a potential loosening of travel restrictions from the Philippines as a possible way to boost visitor numbers, GVB board Chair George Chiu said. Del. Jim Moylan has made it a goal of his while in office to have the Philippines included in the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program, which would let travelers from the Philippines stay for up to 45 days without a visa. Members of the Congress of the Philippines also have proposed an official petition to the Biden administration requesting the waivers, the Post reported earlier this month. Where are you going to go? You come to Guam, there's an immigration check before you can get on a flight to Honolulu and so, ... that's a huge market potential, I think, Chiu told his colleagues on the GVB board this week. "The economic situation in the Philippines I think have changed tremendously, the standard of living as the average pay has gone up quite a bit. So, ... I think that a lot of them will come to Guam and spend money. I've seen some of that in the retail shop for certain brands. United Airlines is expected to open up a direct flight from Manila to Honolulu by October, which will ease up the pressure on seats between Guam and Manila, opening up the possibility for more visitors to Guam. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has firmly responded to US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim, following her statements at the Senate, Trend reports. "The fact that the initiator and organizer of these hearing is Robert Menendez, pro-Armenian Senator who is notable by a traditional enmity towards our country is well-known. This persons engagement with anti-Azerbaijani activities based on false claims of radical representatives of the Armenian diaspora while the aforementioned Senator is charged with corruption and the investigation process is underway, once again proves that political morals means nothing to him at all. Coming to the allegations made by Yuri Kim, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs not reflecting the current situation and realities in the post-conflict situation in the region are just disappointing. These claims not only contradict the agreement on the simultaneous use of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads agreed during the contacts between Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State dated September 1, 2023, but also, unfortunately, contain elements of Armenia's worldwide smear campaign against Azerbaijan. Non-observance of this agreement, which is also intended to be implemented through the mediation of the US side, by Armenia and the so-called regime created by it, and groundless claims on the blockade and humanitarian situation are well-known to the US. We would like to remind Ms. Kim, who claims that the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not over, Azerbaijan has proposed a peace to Armenia based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both states following the Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020. Bilateral negotiations on a peace treaty initiated by Azerbaijan and supported by international partners, including the United States, is a fundamental process of the post-war and post-conflict period. Although the war and conflict is over, unfortunately hindering peace and stability in the region, the imitation of negotiations and the continuous military-political provocations of Armenia, as it was during almost 30-year occupation, have not ceased. In this regard, instead of denying the historical opportunity after 30 years of the conflict, we believe that ending provocations committed by Armenia and, most importantly, demanding immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces, which have not yet left the territories of Azerbaijan is critical and fair, and we call on the US side to act based on this position. Referring to the notion of rights and security of the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh while talking about the Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region within the peace treaty, containing the terminology purposefully used by Armenia to promote separatism in our territories, is against our territorial integrity and sovereignty. At the same time, this reference is disrespect to the rights of Azerbaijanis expelled from this region as a result of Armenia's policy and action of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We would like to remind the US side that the Armenian residents currently living in the Karabakh region do not represent all segments of the population of this region. In connection with the allegation on military attack, while noting that unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has never used force against the civilian population, on the contrary we declared measures to be taken to reintegrate Armenian residents into our society at the national level, and despite the obstacles put by Armenia and its puppet regime, we are determined in this direction. The reintegration process is an internal affair of our country, and interference in that regard is unacceptable. We advise the international community, including the US side not to be a part of such steps that contribute to instability in the region, and not to follow baseless smear campaign of Armenia," the ministry said in a statement. I wrote here and here about Susanna Gibson, a Democratic candidate for the Virginia House who, it turns out, live-streamed sex with her husband on the porn site Chaturbate, for money. One might think that this revelation would doom a legislative campaign, but no: Gibson has gone on offense, and the Associated Press reports that she is gaining support, especially among feminists: A Democratic Virginia legislative candidate whose race was rattled by the revelation that she and her husband livestreamed themselves having sex moved forward with her campaign Tuesday and drew some early support in the high-stakes contest. *** Gibson has been gaining support as an abortion rights candidate. *** [S]tate Sen. L. Louise Lucas, a leading Democratic lawmaker in Virginia, quickly came to her defense, calling on voters to make this the biggest fundraising day of (Gibsons) campaign. Many women voters retweeted Lucas with a link to donate to Gibsons campaign. Anybody who looks at this knows its a hit job, said Amanda Linton, a 45-year-old defense contractor who donated $25 to Gibsons campaign after reading about the videos. *** Emilys List, an advocacy group for Democratic female candidates, also defended Gibson. To get to the bottom of the controversy, I obtained and partially viewed the videos of Gibsons performances on Chaturbate. I didnt watch all of them, which would require several hours and would be soul-killing, but it doesnt take long to figure out that Susanna Gibson is no heroine, feminist or otherwise. Chaturbate is a site where people perform live sex acts in front of an audience. The site is interactive: the Chat refers to the fact that viewers, who pay for the privilege, can send messages to the performers in real time, and the performers can respond on screen. (The urbate speaks for itself, I suppose.) Susanna and her husband had a channel on Chaturbate with several thousand followers. They titled their channel hotwifeexperience. According to the Urban Dictionary, a hotwife is a married woman who is allowed and/or encouraged by her husband to pursue sexual relationships with other individuals. Often, these relationships are in pursuit of fulfilling the husbands/couples fantasies. Consistent with the channels name, Susanna was the star of the show. Her husband was a necessary accessory, but definitely second fiddle. It was Susanna who would read chat messages from viewers and respond to them in various ways, often by requesting payment. The videos consist in considerable part of these interactions. The sex itself, while XXX-rated, is predictable and unerotic, due to the fact that it is being performed for an audience. What is shocking is what Susanna says to her fans. The folks at Free Beacon took one for the team, not only viewing the videos but extracting Susannas interactions with her viewers, which I think a normal person will find appalling, coming from a candidate for public office. Feminism is not really Susannas thing. She describes herself as a submissive, and says: I like being choked. I like being hit. I do. She portrays herself as voracious and indiscriminate. In particular, she is turned on by performing in public: You know what I think about when he f***s me is all of you watching me and that is what makes me f***ing come. Im serious. *** You have no idea how turned on I am that youre watching me. Honestly I would f*** each and every one of you if you would let me. I would. I would f*** every single one of you. *** Ive had three in a day actually. Dont tell my husband that he was the third. There is much more in the same vein. No doubt exhibitionism was part of Gibsons motivation, but she was also trying to make money. Gibson offers to urinate on camera in exchange for cash. At one point, she says she and her husband will perform a particular act if her fans come up with 500 tokens. Chaturbate says that 500 tokens cost $44.99. Gibson tells her viewers that she is raising money for a good cause, and she filed for her House race during the time when she and her husband were active with hotwifeexperience, so it seems likely that the good cause was her political campaign. It is not clear, however, how much money she could have raised via online sex. What I have reproduced above barely scratches the surface of the depravity we are dealing with here. It is, frankly, depressing. And yet, the Democrats dont think Gibsons cause is lost. They are trying to spin the story as involving the leak of a sex tape featuring Susanna and her husband, and casting blame on Republicans for the leak. As usual, they are betting on voter ignorance. This story also tells us something about the decay of representative democracy. No one would seriously claim that Susanna Gibson is a person of talent or character who should be chosen to represent her constituents because of her sound judgment. No: she is a vote, plain and simple, and all Democrats vote alike. So who cares about her character? Then there is the one issue that the AP mentions: abortion. You wouldnt think that a woman who says she likes to be choked and hit and who offers to urinate in public for money would he held up as an icon by feminists. But there is only one issue that modern feminists care about. As long as Susanna Gibson will vote for unrestricted and government-funded abortion, up to and including the moment of birth, she will have their support. STEVE adds: Um. . . this is one instance where I am quite content to have been scooped by John on the details of a major story. They built an entire world-dominating society, another man exclaimed when asked by a bewildered-looking woman to justify why he contemplates ancient Rome. Three times a day, answered one womans fiance in a TikTok video. Theres so much to think about, he explained, eliciting a stunned look into the camera from his soon-to-be wife. A new social media trend prompting women to ask the men in their lives how often they think about ancient Rome reveals that it crosses the minds of many men on a weekly basis. Even daily. Or more to the surprise and confusion of their loved ones. It seems to elude the Washington Post and other hand-wringers about toxic masculinity why women might have hit upon this question for prospective dates: Fondness for ancient Rome is likely a good proxy for the kind of old-fashioned masculinity that is nowadays forbidden by political correctness. And sure enough the Post, practicing its trademark ventriloquist journalism, found academic experts to deplore this threatening trend: According to historians, one explanation could be that Western societies have historically overemphasized the aspects of Roman history that are associated with masculinity in the popular imagination. The first thing that comes to the mind is an image of the Roman legion, the imperial eagle and that sort of military aspect along with gladiators, which has a long association with masculinity and power, Hannah Cornwell, a historian of the ancient world at Britains Birmingham University, said in a telephone interview Thursday. . . Ancient Rome was of course patriarchal and violent, Lewis Webb, a historian of ancient Rome at Oxford University, wrote in an email. But it was also a diverse place: there were numerous forms of masculinity, women could have agency and power, and there were multiple gender expressions and identities, as well as various sexualities. I doubt that this last paragraph is what is inspiring men to think about ancient Rome. Soy boys perhaps, and likely the secretary of transportation. But needless to say it is prompting lots of worthy new memes: Time to bring back toga parties on campus I say. P.S. Back in the 1950s when homosexuals in Hollywood like Rock Hudson and Anthony Perkins were deep in the closet, the code phrase gays used to identify themselves to fellow travelers was, Are you a friend of Dorothy? (As in Dorothy Parker.) Im hoping Are you a fan of Rome? will become the code phrase manly young men will adopt. It will drive the libs nuts. UPDATEBabylon Bee for the win, as usual: One or more new varieties of covid are being reported, and cases are rising. This news is welcomed by the fascists among us, who already are calling for shutdowns and masks. Othersthe majority, one hopesvow not to comply with another round of repression. So what do most Americans think? This CBS News poll offers some answers at a very high level: Despite a recent rise in COVID cases and new variants, most Americans arent concerned about getting COVID. In fact, the nation voices less concern than it ever has since the start of the pandemic. There is less concern specifically about new variants today than there was about the Omicron variant as it was emerging in late 2021. That is accurate, but the numbers are not as strong as one would hope: Essentially half of Americans are concerned about what, at this point, is one of several coronaviruses that comprise the common cold. How deep that concern runs remains to be seen. This is a slightly different question, which also provides some historical context: The partisan divide on covid continues, and Im sure has widened: [V]iews about COVID remain heavily partisan, as theyve been for years. Democrats are relatively more concerned than Republicans today, and more likely to say they plan to get boosters in the fall. CBS being CBS, it comes down on the side of the Democrats: [A]s vaccines became available, polling showed similar splits consistently, and vaccine uptake for Democrats outpaced that for Republicans. (Studies also subsequently showed differing death rates in Republican-leaning counties.) The study that CBS linked to is one of the dumbest of recent times. It doesnt even purport to distinguish death rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Most likely, death rates by county reflect the percentage of residents over the age of 80. More politics: And in that line, Republicans are both the most pessimistic about the nations efforts and also the least concerned, suggesting that some of the national evaluation is more of a partisan expression against the party in power than a clinical evaluation of the risk. Got that? Republicans are irrationally expressing antagonism toward the party in power, while Democrats are clinically evaluating the risk of covid. Left unconsidered is the possibilitythe reality, in my opinionthat Democrats are expressing loyalty toward the party in power by signing up for ever more boosters, while Republicans are acting more in tune with an objective evaluation of the risk and of the benefits of ever more boosters. These numbers represent a sort of opening salvo as covid appears on the horizon. The rubber will hit the road (to mix metaphors) when totalitarians renew their call for more government domination over our lives. At this point, I am disappointed that so many describe themselves as concerned. We will find out what they mean by that in due course. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 17:00:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 939 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / The B.C. Securities Commission threw out NWST's application to discredit and disenfranchise 3 dissident shareholders from voting at the upcoming AGM less than 24 hours after it heard all the evidence."Securities regulators and courts do not react in this manner unless the matter before them is completely without any substance as was the case with NWST's most recent attempt to entrench its current board" said Concerned Shareholder Grant Sawiak who has been leading the attempt to remove the current board."A board of directors which claims to want to protect shareholders' investments does not spend the $5 million raised from a private placement in February of this year (which were originally earmarked for drilling and metallurgy) on high priced Bay Street lawyers and multiple other advisors in order to entrench themselves" continued Mr. Sawiak. "I am confident that enough dissatisfied shareholders have trusted me with their votes to replace the entrenched board and judging by all of NWST's desperate and unsuccessful actions, they believe that as well." IF YOU WISH TO VOTE WITH MR. SAWIAK TO CHANGE THE BOARD OF NWST YOU MUST CONTACT HIM BY:1. CALLING HIM AT 1.416.917.2816; OR2. EMAILING HIM AT gvsawiak@ hotmail.com ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 20, 2023.Information in Support of Public Broadcast SolicitationThe Concerned Shareholder is relying on the exemptions contained in Section 9.2(2) and Section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations to solicit proxies from no more than 15 securityholders and by soliciting proxies by broadcast, speech or publication. The Concerned Shareholder may also choose to file a dissident information circular in due course in compliance with applicable securities laws. A copy of the press release and the Nominating Shareholder Notice which collectively contains all information on the Concerned Shareholder's Nominees as required by National Instrument 51-102 and Form 51-102F5 were filed on SEDAR+ on August 4, 2023 and are available for viewing there.The information contained herein, and any solicitation made by the Concerned Shareholder in advance of the Meeting, is or will be, as applicable, made by the Concerned Shareholder and not by or on behalf of the management of NWST. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by the Concerned Shareholder and by Mr. John Kimmel, provided that, subject to applicable law, Messrs. Sawiak and Kimmel may seek reimbursement from NWST of their out-of-pocket expenses, including proxy solicitation expenses and legal fees, incurred in connection with a successful reconstitution of the Company's board of directors. Other than in respect of their beneficial ownership, control or direction of securities of the Corporation described above, none of Messrs. Sawiak and Kimmel or any of their associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting other than the election of directors.A Registered Shareholder who has given a Proxy may revoke the Proxy by: (a) completing and signing a Proxy bearing a later date and depositing it at the offices of Odyssey, 350- 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1T2 or and following the online voting instructions given to you no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on the second Business Day preceding the date of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof; (b) depositing an instrument in writing executed by the Registered Shareholder or by the Registered Shareholder's attorney duly authorized in writing or, if the Registered Shareholder is a body corporate, by a duly authorized officer or attorney either with Odyssey, 350-409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1T2 at any time up to and including the last Business Day preceding the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof or with the Chair of the Meeting prior to the commencement of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof; or (c) in any other manner permitted by Law. Such instrument will not be effective with respect to any matter on which a vote has already been cast pursuant to such Proxy. If a Registered Shareholder who has submitted a Proxy attends the Meeting, any votes cast by such Registered Shareholder on a ballot at the Meeting will be counted and the submitted Proxy will be disregarded.Only Registered Shareholders have the right to revoke a Proxy. Non-Registered Shareholders that wish to change their voting instructions must, in sufficient time in advance of the Meeting, contact their Intermediary to arrange to change their voting instructions.The Concerned Shareholder has engaged Shorecrest Group Ltd. to act as proxy solicitor in respect of this matter and will incur expenses of up to $120K plus out of pocket expenses. The Concerned Shareholder may engage the services of one or more other agents and authorize other persons to assist in soliciting proxies on behalf of the Concerned Shareholder. Any proxies solicited by or on behalf of the Concerned Shareholder, including by any other agent retained by the Concerned Shareholder, may be solicited in any other manner permitted under Canadian corporate and securities laws. Any such proxies may be revoked by instrument in writing executed by a shareholder or by his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the shareholder is a body corporate, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized or by any other manner permitted by law.The head office of NWST is located at Suite 1900, 1055 West Hastings Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 2E9. A copy of this press release may be obtained on NWST's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com For more information contact:Grant Sawiak416.917.2816 SOURCE: Grant Sawiak PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 17:00:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 367 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. ("Hawaiian Electric" or the "Company") (NYSE:HE) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Hawaiian Electric securities between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/he Case Details:The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Hawaiian Electric's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed; (2) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the Company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/he or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Hawaiian Electric you have until October 23, 2023 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 16:01:41 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 441 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Comerica Incorporated ("Comerica " or the "Company") (NYSE:CMA) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Comerica securities between February 9, 2021 and May 29, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/cma Case Details:The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose, among other things, that: (1) Comerica failed to provide meaningful oversight over the vendors to whom it contracted out day-to-day operations of the Direct Express program, a system through which it is contracted to provide federal benefits to millions of Americans without bank accounts; (2) as a result of violations in the day-to-day operations of Direct Express, including handling fraud disputes and allowing sensitive data to be handled out of a vendor's office in Pakistan, Comerica was not in compliance with the Federal Contract, and knew it was not in compliance; (3) Comerica knew and failed to disclose that it was in potential violation of Regulation E due to inadequate fraud prevention in the Direct Express program and responses to instance of fraud; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/cma or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Comerica you have until October 20, 2023, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 02:33:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 508 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Feb. 21, 2019 - Aug. 14, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 31, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/DFS Contact An Attorney Now: DFS@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges that Defendants made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) DFS maintained deficient risk management and compliance procedures; (2) as a result of these deficiencies, DFS had, among other things, failed to comply with applicable student loan servicing standards, misclassified certain credit card accounts, overcharged customers, and failed to stem its ballooning credit card delinquency rate; and (3) these issues, when they became known, would subject DFS to significant financial exposure, regulatory scrutiny, and reputational harm.The truth began to emerge on July 20, 2022, when DFS announced that it was suspending its share repurchase program "because of an internal investigation into its student loan servicing practices and related compliance matters." Then, on July 19, 2023, DFS disclosed that it had misclassified certain credit card products over an approximate 15-year period as a result of an acknowledged compliance failure. DFS stated that correction of the misclassifications negatively impacted its retained earnings and certain previous interim period net income.DFS also revealed that it received a proposed consent order from the FDIC in connection with an unrelated regulatory matter.Finally, on Aug. 14, 2023, DFS announced that Roger C. Hochschild resigned from his position as CEO and President and as a member of the company's board. The same day, DFS reported a significant increase in its credit card delinquency rate."We're focused on investors' losses and are investigating whether DFS may have concealed problems with its compliance and risk management practices," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Discover Financial Services and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Discover Financial Services should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email DFS@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 05:00:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 341 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2023 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Danaher Corporation ("Danaher" or "the Company") (NYSE:DHR) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Investors who purchased the Company's securities between April 21, 2022 and April 24, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before September 15, 2023.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at brian@ schallfirm.com The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Danaher's revenue growth from its business related to COVID-19 was declining. Despite the Company's claims, revenues from other business units were not able to compensate for this decline. The Company overstated its ability to sustain the growth it enjoyed in 2020 and 2021. The Company would be incapable of hitting its revenue targets. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Danaher, investors suffered damages.Join the case to recover your losses.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT:The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq.,www.schallfirm.comOffice: 310-301-3335info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 16:24:14 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 568 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Expanded Class Period: Nov. 2, 2018 - July 26, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Sept. 26, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/t Contact An Attorney Now: T@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895AT&T Inc. (T) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges AT&T made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that AT&T: (1) owns cables around the U.S. that are highly toxic due to their being wrapped in lead, and which harm company employees and non-employees alike; (2) faces potentially significant litigation risk, regulatory risk, and reputational harm as a result of its ownership of these lead-covered cables and the health risks stemming from their presence around the U.S; and (3) was warned about the damage and risks presented by these cables but did not disclose them as a potential threat to employee safety or to everyday people and communities.Investors began to learn the truth after the Wall Street Journal published a series of articles spanning July 9 - July 26, 2023.These articles revealed that AT&T and others left behind toxic lead cables that they laid years ago. The WSJ also reported that independently tested samples from underwater cable sites revealed lead on the banks of the Mississippi, Willamette, and Passaic Rivers as well as in parts of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.The WSJ further reported that AT&T officials have known for decades that lead in its networks was a possible health risk to its workers, some workers have illnesses that can be linked to lead, and lead could leach into the environment.Finally, on July 26, 2023, the WSJ reported that the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency are investigating whether telecom companies knew of the potential risks posed by the abandoned lead cables.As a result, AT&T's stock has been downgraded by analysts and its price was inflated over the past five years."We're focused on investors' losses, AT&T's knowledge of potential liability stemming from its sprawling network of toxic lead-sheathed cables across the U.S., and whether the company historically understated its expenses," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in AT&T and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding AT&T should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email T@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 01:31:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 499 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges UiPath Inc. (NYSE:PATH) investors who suffered $250k or more in losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Apr. 21, 2021 - Mar. 30, 2022Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Nov. 6, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/PATH Contact An Attorney Now: PATH@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895UiPath Inc. (PATH) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges that UiPath made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that it: (1) had enacted a widespread discounting program before its April 21, 2021 IPO, temporarily boosting its revenue and annualized recurring revenue ("ARR") metrics, cannibalizing future sales, eroding margins, and increasing the risk of client churn; (2) overstated its actual total addressable market ("TAM") because many companies included in UiPath's market survey did not need the type of high-cost, high-functionality automation products offered by UiPath; (3) was losing customers to Microsoft, ServiceNow, SAP, Salesforce, IBM and other established software vendors that were building automation into their own platforms; and (4) was suffering from a loss of channel sales due to strained relationships with its partners as a result of increased competition between UiPath and its partners.The truth emerged over a series of disclosures beginning on Sept. 7, 2021, when UiPath revealed an unexpected slowdown in revenues and ARR metrics and its discounting of products before the IPO. Then, on Dec. 8, 2021, UiPath revealed its growth further stalled and disclosed its third consecutive ARR decline. Finally, on Mar. 30, 2022, UiPath revealed deeply disappointing ARR and revenue guidance that indicated declining growth trends were expected to continue.In response to each of these events, the price of UiPath shares significantly declined."We're focused on investors' losses and are investigating whether UiPath may have misled investors about known trends that would adversely affect the company's growth prospects," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in UiPath and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding UiPath should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email PATH@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Milenio, a major national newspaper in Mexico, has published an article exposing Armenian propaganda regarding the so-called "blockade" and "humanitarian crisis" in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, Trend reports. The author of the article expressed doubt that the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region are experiencing "hunger" due to the so-called "blockade" of Azerbaijan's Lachin-Khankendi road taking into account other routes available to provide access to food. "Seemingly, this resulted from a series of propaganda measures conducted by the Armenian diaspora worldwide after it was recognized that Karabakh will remain an integral part of Azerbaijan following the 30-year conflict and Armenian occupation," the author noted. The article emphasized that while Armenians acknowledge the existence of the Aghdam route proposed by Azerbaijan, they refuse to use it. "Today, in the UN Security Council, many countries are talking about the use of an alternative route proposed by Azerbaijan. Armenians should consider this option instead of politicizing the humanitarian issue," the article stressed. According to the article, it's interesting that after Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement two weeks ago, mediated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to open both routes, Armenia backed out at the last minute. "At the same time, humanitarian aid from Russia has been delivered to Karabakh via the Aghdam route," the article stressed. The article also expressed concern that no media experts or representatives of the "civilized world" have mentioned the roots of the current scenario, which threatens the negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan for a lasting peace. "What happened during the years of Armenian occupation in Azerbaijan? No one has explicitly mentioned that during the Armenian occupation, hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis subjected to ethnic cleansing were expelled from their homes in Karabakh. Those concerned about the fake 'humanitarian crisis' in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan should reflect on the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis expelled from their homes and deprived of their lands for thirty years," the author said. In order to prevent the illegal transfer of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military means from Armenia to Armenian armed formations in the territory of Azerbaijan, carried out contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 (signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the second Karabakh war), and adequate to the unilateral establishment by Armenia of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, subdivisions of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan Republic set up a border checkpoint on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of Lachin-Khankendi road on April 23. On September 9, at Russias initiative, in accordance with the memorandum of cooperation between the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and the Russian Red Cross Society, in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, one heavy truck with food crossed the Samur checkpoint into the territory of Azerbaijan. In order to meet the food needs of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, the truck was set to deliver the supplies to Khankendi via the Aghdam-Askeran road. However, the truck stood in Barda for two days, as the separatists in Karabakh refused to accept the cargo. Meanwhile, the trucks with 40 tons of flour have been on the Aghdam-Khankendi road since August 29 in front of the Russian peacekeepers post. Employees of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and volunteers spend the night in tents erected on the territory. They said that they would remain here until food supplies were delivered to the Armenian residents of Khankendi. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 05:35:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 406 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 23, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE), if they purchased the Company's securities between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Hawaiian Electric and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-he/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 23, 2023.About the LawsuitHawaiian Electric and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) the Company's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed; (ii) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the Company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.The case is Bhangal v. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-04332.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 15:32:00 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 791 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LEE'S SUMMIT, MO / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / During the recent ARMA Canada Conference, ARMA International's CEO Nate Hughes, announced exciting plans for the launch of the InfoNext Conference, an MER and ARMA Partnership. InfoNext, formerly the MER Conference, will be held April 2024 in Palm Springs, CA and will be an integral part of ARMA annual event lineup. With decades of experience between ARMA and MER, this new event will draw on the heritage of both organizations to field a richer, more coordinated, and collaborative approach to education and IG program development."The InfoNext Conference will be just a piece of the puzzle of the integrated offerings we plan to roll out over the next year," said Nathan Hughes, CEO of ARMA International. "Given ARMA's focus on records and information management, InfoNext will focus more heavily on thought leadership, future trends, and new technology in the information governance landscape. The partnership between the two organizations to collaborate will provide information governance professionals additional educational opportunities." Mike Salvarezzi who has joined ARMA International from MER said, "There is a great benefit to the industry of ARMA coming together with MER to create InfoNext. We have collaborated on a lot of things over the years, and I think bringing these two organizations together is an absolute win for the community. The future of Information Governance starts at InfoNext Conference." The benefits of this partnership for the IG community will be accelerated with this collaboration and will include online webinars through the year and three leading conferences:ARMA InfoCon 2023 scheduled for October 9-11, 2023, at the Huntington Place Convention Center, Detroit, MI. At InfoCon attendees have access to top-notch education, industry titans from around the globe, certification CEUs, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The education program offers tracks for beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels, and industry round tables, with sessions focused on emerging trends, legal, and Microsoft.InfoNext , an MER and ARMA Partnership will be held April 8-10, 2024, the with plans to host the conference in Palm Springs, CA in April 2024. This new location will expand its reach and appeal to a larger audience from around the country. The conference will feature forward-looking education sessions and networking events for change-oriented, senior level professionals equipping them to better impact their organization's business objectives. Participants can connect with industry thought-leaders, solution providers, and other professionals with thought-provoking, interactive, and solution-oriented engagement events.ARMA Canada Information Conference 2024 scheduled for May 12-14, 2024 at the Westin Calgary, Canada. The education program offers expert presenters who provide up-to-date strategies, best practices, and actionable insights to take back to an organization. The education program will be focused on Advanced Information Concepts, Creating Structure and Improving Process, DEI, Ethics, Information Forward (Advanced Technology), Information Fundamentals, Legal and E-Discovery, Professional Advancement, and Reducing Organizational Information Risk."We believe that strategy and implementation are both essential to an effective IG program. With this partnership, we are striving to focus more attention on strategy at InfoNext while enhancing the implementation focus at ARMA InfoCon and our other events," added Hughes. "The benefits of such a close partnership are the fact we now can develop coordinated incentives or discounts for conference attendees and Solution Providers. As we co-develop the conference agendas and experiences, they will be tailored for specific target audiences. This will better equip our Solution Provider community to select and participate in either, both or all our events in the future." In 2018 the MER Conference expanded to include a robust series of year-round webinars under the brand MER Sapient. They announced a further expansion in 2020 scheduling day-long deep dive events focused on a singular pressing issue with accompanying solutions under the brand MER Immerse. Recently, MER Conference introduced MER Merlin: industry-defining market research reports and custom thought-leadership content. IG professionals and solution providers alike trust the MER brand for its integrity, highly relevant, non-commercial content. The MER community includes the best, brightest and most change-oriented leaders in the industry.ARMA International ( www.arma.org) , formed in 1955, is the world's leading membership organization serving almost 5,000 professionals who manage and govern information in 52 countries. Members represent the community of records management, information management, and information governance professionals who harness the benefits and reduce the risks of information. ARMA provides information professionals with the resources, tools, and training they need to effectively manage records and information within an established information governance framework. Works that are associated with the framework include the Principles, the Information Governance Implementation Model, and the Information Governance Body of Knowledge (IGBOK). ARMA recognizes professionals who have mastered these concepts through the Information Governance Professional (IGP) Certification.For further information, contact: Amy Riemer, Media Relations Representative978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell) amy@ riemercommunications.com SOURCE: ARMA International PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 21:02:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 467 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Dr. Todd H. Lanman is pleased to announce the official launch of the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to connect patients with the most skilled and experienced artificial disc replacement surgeons in their area.Artificial disc replacement, or simply ADR, has emerged as the leading surgical solution for individuals suffering from chronic neck and low back pain. ADR not only reduces pain and disability, but it also restores spinal mobility and flexibility, which are essential for leading an active and healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, not all spine surgeons offer ADR. Instead, many recommend spinal fusion, which limits spinal mobility. Moreover, not all spine surgeons are equally skilled at performing ADR. The ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program is designed to help connect patients with capable and experienced ADR providers in their area or region who can expertly perform both ADR and spinal fusion surgeries. This gives patients the option of having the right surgery for their unique needs.Dr. Todd H. Lanman, ADR pioneer and the visionary behind this revolutionary program, is dedicated to expanding the program's reach across the United States. His goal is to create the largest network of experienced arthroplasty surgeons, ensuring that patients can easily find the best ADR surgeon nearest to them. The Top Doctors in Arthroplasty program empowers patients to take control of their spinal health by providing free access to a network of renowned surgeons who specialize in artificial disc replacement, a technique that transforms lives.Dr. Jason Cuellar, a highly esteemed surgeon practicing in Palm Beach and Miami, Florida, has the distinct honor of being the first surgeon to become a part of the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program. He has extensive experience in ADR surgery and is committed to improving the lives of patients with chronic neck and lower back pain. Dr. Cuellar exemplifies the quality and experience of the spine surgeons hand-selected to enroll in the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program.Dr. Lanman is committed to expanding the program's reach across the United States and patients can expect new surgeons to be added to the program directory each quarter with the expectation of a full national roster by the end of 2024. Each surgeon is carefully evaluated and selected for their surgical expertise, commitment to patient-centered care, and outstanding track records in ADR procedures. Dr. Lanman's goal is to create the largest network of experienced arthroplasty surgeons to ensure that patients can easily find the best ADR surgeon nearest to them.As ADR Spine continues to make strides in reshaping spinal care, patients and healthcare providers are encouraged to stay tuned for further updates on this groundbreaking program.Contact Information:Brandi Kamenar PR + Brand Manager brandi@ brandikamenar.com 13109755269SOURCE: ADR Spine PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 19:50:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 314 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Logitech:Logitech has been honored by the Swiss association, the Cercle Suisse Des Administratrices (CDSA), winning their annual award for efforts in promoting diversity across the organization. The CSDA does important work and it's a cherished prize.A nine-person jury composed of prominent members of the Swiss media, academic and economic community assessed Logitech amongst other organizations, judging social impact performance from objectives and culture to diversity at all levels of the company. In particular, they were interested in Logitech's approach to gender diversity.The CSDA tracks gender diversity in Switzerland using the Schilling Report from executive search firm Schilling Partners. This year's report finds that, for the first time, more than half (52%) of the 100 largest Swiss employers employ at least 3 women on the board, and that, equally, the share of companies with at least 3 women on the executive team is now 20%.Logitech looks strong in light of these figures, with more than 30% women on the board, leadership team and employee level. And Logitech is the only company on the Swiss market Index (SMI) with a female chair - Wendy Becker. Nevertheless, it's clear that gender diversity goes much further than executive and board level - it's a question for all people - and that there's more to diversity than gender.This broad approach was one of the many reasons that the CSDA awarded Logitech the prize - a recognition of work across the organization, on diversity and inclusion as a whole, as well as on environmental impact. Delphine Donne, head of Personal Workspace Solutions business group, and a number of P&C and DEI representatives based in Switzerland represented Logitech at the prize-giving, receiving the award on behalf of the whole company.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Logitech on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: LogitechWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/logitechEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Logitech PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 14:30:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1009 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Institute of Biomedical Research Corp. (OTC PINK:MRES), a vanguard entity at the forefront of nutraceutical biotechnology, specializing in alternative plant-based cannabinoids, medical psilocybin, and cutting-edge mental health therapeutic research driven by artificial intelligence (AI), is pleased to provide the following update:In recent years, cannabidiol (CBD) has become a subject of scientific inquiry and medical interest, compelling healthcare professionals worldwide to delve into the intricacies of its chemical compounds and their profound effects on human physiology. However, many healthcare professionals remain under-informed about its potential use. Healthcare professionals should rather be at the forefront of knowledge and have the ability to guide patients on how to use CBD safely, if applicable. This webinar aimed to equip healthcare professionals with a holistic and better understanding of CBD's pharmacology and its clinical application.The cannabis plant, from which CBD is derived, has historically been engrossed in controversy and misconception, understanding that its non-intoxicating cannabinoid takes on paramount importance. A foundational aspect is distinguishing CBD from its counterpart, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While THC induces the characteristic euphoria associated with cannabis, CBD, in stark contrast, remains devoid of such psychoactive effects. This distinction sets the stage for exploring CBD's potential therapeutic applications with clarity and precision.M2Bio Sciences invited Prof Vinesh Maharaj to take us through the chemical compounds pharmacology of CBD. Prof Maharaj is the director of the Biodiscovery Centre in the Department of Chemistry and is the Deputy Dean of Research and Post Graduate Education, of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria. He is a natural product chemist trained in discovering and developing new drug leads based on biodiversity samples. Prof Maharaj also heads up the M2Bio-Discovery Centre for AI-Driven Phytomedicine Research at the University of Pretoria, where research is being conducted on behalf of M2Bio Sciences.At its core, CBD is a chemical compound with a unique and intriguing molecular structure. Its molecular formula and structural intricacies are discussed to fathom its properties fully. Additionally, Prof Maharaj covered the methods employed in isolating and extracting CBD from the cannabis plant, laying the foundation for creating various CBD products. These products come in different forms, including full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate variants, each having its own unique composition and potential applications.With an understanding of CBD's chemical foundation, the realm of pharmacokinetics, the dynamic science that elucidates how substances, such as CBD, act in the human body is discussed. An examination of CBD's pharmacokinetics shows the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) that occurs once CBD is ingested or applied. In the pharmacological effects and the mode of action of CBD, its intricate interaction with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), a complex network of receptors and endocannabinoids that plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis within the body is discussed. CBD modulates the activity of CB1 and CB2 receptors, the cornerstone of its therapeutic potential. Furthermore, a review of CBD beyond the traditional realm of cannabinoid receptors, exploring non-cannabinoid receptor pathways through which CBD exerts its influence, broadening our understanding of its far-reaching impact on human health. Finally, quality assurance and accurate product labeling are important for patient safety, ensuring that individuals can confidently access and utilize CBD products that meet stringent quality standards.The second speaker is Dr. Skye Scott, who is a general practitioner. Dr. Scott has a special interest in integrative medicine, collective well-being, and reversing chronic lifestyle diseases with behavior change. Skye co-founded Health with Heart, bringing high-quality and holistic occupational health and wellness to large corporations. She hosts a podcast that explores ideas around individual and collective well-being. Dr. Scott sees patients daily who often face problems with pain and anxiety and are subject to the side effects posed by conventional medicines. She thus has turned to plant-based medicines and employs a holistic approach to helping people achieve optimal health. Dr Scott covers the risks, benefits, and revelations of CBD, but highlights that there is a dearth of information to provide a defined protocol for general treatment in humans. The use of CBD for treating epilepsy is, at this point, the most studied field, and the FDA approved the use of Epidiolex in 2018. As Dr. Skye alluded to in her presentation, limited studies are available from which to draw information to guide healthcare professionals. In 2019, a Clinician's Guide to Cannabidiol and Hemp Oils was published, offering a foundation of information for healthcare professionals. As research continues in this field, we have no doubt that the evidence base will grow in the coming years.Ze-Ev Krein facilitated an insightful discussion at the end of the two talks, asking questions that provided deeper insight into various aspects of the subject of this webinar. Ze-Ev is the current Section Commander of the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau at the DPCI (Hawks); he coordinates drug matters for national and transnational activities. He has a chemistry, computer science and law background with a B Com (Information Systems), B Sc (Chemistry), Honours (Chemistry), Masters (Medicinal / Organic Chemistry), and an LLB. He has now also been accepted to undertake his PhD in the area of AI applications for natural product drug discovery under Prof Maharaj at the University of Pretoria. He also serves as the Chief Scientific Officer for M2Bio Sciences.Nicola Royce, Managing Director of M2Biome and organizer of the webinar was thrilled with the outcome of this event. "Not only do we strive to provide the very best evidence-based products at M2Bio Sciences, but we also aim to educate and upskill healthcare professionals so that they are able to provide the best evidence-based care for their clients. This webinar is the first of many to come, and we really look forward to covering topics on phytomedicine, nutrition, and health." For those of you who were not able to attend the live webinar, a recording can be found here.About Institute of Biomedical Research Corp./ DBA M2Bio SciencesInstitute of Biomedical Research Corp is a nutraceutical biotechnology company focused on alternative plant-based cann PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 12:00:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 510 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Nation's Fast-Growing Spa Franchise Gives Kansas City Fans an Exclusive Chance to See Taylor in ParisKANSAS CITY, MO / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / As Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" is setting records, becoming the highest-grossing tour ever with projected sales of over $1 billion, MassageLuXe is excited to join the frenzy. In collaboration with Radio station Mix93.3, MassageLuXe is offering Swifties in Kansas City a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Taylor live in Paris!Are you Ready For It? One lucky fan will win two tickets to the sold-out concert at Paris La Defense Arena from May 9-11, 2024. The prize includes airfare and lodging. And that's not all - 109 other fans will be awarded consolation prizes, which prominently feature services from MassageLuXe.Here's How to Enter the Giveaway:Interested participants must visit any of the four participating MassageLuXe locations in the Kansas City area, where they need to scan the special giveaway QR code.They will be able to call Mix93.3 up to three times daily to increase their chances of becoming a finalist- Weekdays at 7:13 am, 12:13 am and 5:13 pm.Fans are also encouraged to snap a selfie at the special station set up in the lobby of each participating spa, marking their entry into this monumental contest.On October 27, Mix93.3 will broadcast live from a MassageLuXe spa to reveal the lucky winner."We couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Mix93.3 for this incredible Taylor Swift 'Eras Tour' ticket giveaway. This tour is already making history, and we're elated to offer our Kansas City fans an opportunity to be part of that magic," said Becca Collins, Multi-Unit Franchise Owner with MassageLuXe. "At MassageLuXe, we're all about delivering exceptional experiences, and what could be more exceptional than flying out to see Taylor Swift live in Paris?"In addition to this thrilling contest, MassageLuXe is offering a stellar promotional discount exclusive to Kansas City locations. Fans can enjoy a 90-minute massage or a VIP facial for just $89. Alternatively, opt for a one-hour standard massage or a LuXe facial at only $49. This promotion lasts until October 31, 2023. Moreover, gift cards at this special rate are available for purchase, which can be redeemed until September 30, 2024.Participating MassageLuXe locations include:11536 Ash St., Leawood, KS 6621115913 Antioch Rd., Overland Park, KS 66223940 NW Pryor Rd., Suite H, Lee's Summit, MO 640811208 NE Coronado Dr., Suite J-107, Blue Springs, MO 64014For more details about this unparalleled contest, fans can call 816-224-7967.About MassageLuXeFounded in 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri, MassageLuXe is a fast-growing franchise-based spa company with a mission to provide an unparalleled experience that supports and encourages health, well-being, and quality of life. MassageLuXe delivers the highest quality massage, facial, and waxing services in a comfortable, relaxing, and luxurious environment.Massage is a service that improves health, promotes relaxation and overall well-being for the consumer, and has been practiced throughout the world for thousands of years. MassageLuXe currently has more than 80 locations across 19 states and will surpass 100 locations in early 2024.Media Contacts:Nancy Bostromnbostrom@919 marketing.com919-459-8163 Tammy Delgadotdelgado@919 marketing.com919-459-7147 SOURCE: MassageLuXe PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 17:00:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 713 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / The San Francisco 49ers' Kerry Hyder and his wife, former track runner Jasmine Hyder, have partnered with Cheba Hut "Toasted" Subs and are ecstatic to bring delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere to the local community in Dallas, Texas. The cannabis-themed restaurant and bar is eagerly anticipating its opening and can't wait to light the joint up, and be the neighborhood hangout for curing cottonmouth and the munchies.The Hyders are true supporters of the brand and proudly call themselves "Homegrown Chebies." They are thrilled to bring the brand to an area that holds a special place in their hearts.Jasmine explains, "My first Cheba sandwich that I ever had was in Tempe, Arizona, and Kerry also had his first Cheba sandwich in Arizona when he was looking for good food after late-night training sessions. This is so awesome because I grew up in Arizona and Cheba Hut has always been a huge staple for me in the community, especially when I got to college at Arizona State University. We are genuinely thrilled to be able to provide for our people in the community; jobs, community growth opportunities with collaborations, and a family-oriented fast-casual dining experience." Not only will this new Texas location be serving up a variety of dank subs, fluffy pretzel nugs, and gooey krispy treats that can cure any level of the munchies, but also, for the 21-and-up homies, it'll be slinging some delicious signature cocktails and local brews from the full bar that will obliterate any presence of cottonmouth.The Hyders, being Texas locals, believed it was vital for their shop to mirror and honor the community and its residents. One example of how they've done this within the shop is by working with the insanely talented and local artist Christopher Gonzalez.Jasmine expands on their shop's mural and vibe by explaining, "Our mural pays homage to some of the biggest and most notable people to represent Dallas, Texas, on any platform. Now, we get to add our shop to that notoriety. We feel like this neighborhood deserves a staple spot that hosts weekly themed events that everybody is and will always be welcome. A place where they can talk to one another and be themselves without judgment whilst having some drinks on the weekend and catching up with co-workers on off-days. Most importantly, they deserve a place to have some food they can enjoy in the shop or take back to their family on the way home after a day of life, right?"The Dallas-Preston shop owners understand the importance of Cheba Hut's Core Values (The Hustle, Show Respect, Own It, Pay It Forward, Keep It Real). Kerry and Jasmine state, "Keeping It Real is one Core Value that we will spread throughout our shop's culture, but The Hustle will always be a major focus. There is so much love that goes into The Hustle and I think that our shop is going to magnify that value to the utmost. We have nothing but STARS in this city and we are ready to shine, spread love, light, and awareness to our community." The shop, located at 17370 Preston Rd., Suite #410, opens its doors on Monday, Sept. 25. The brand is stoked to bring over 30 signature "toasted" subs, an array of delicious munchie treats, and cottonmouth cures for all ages (crafted cocktails for the 21+ homies) to the Dallas-Preston area.Mark your calendar, grab your buds, and celebrate the shop and its crew. For more information about opening day and upcoming events, check out @chebahut_dallaspreston.About Cheba Hut: Cheba Hut has been escaping the established and getting "toasted" since 1998. Breaking the mold of mundane fast-casual concepts by becoming the first marijuana-themed sandwich "joint," Cheba Hut is dedicated to providing customers with a delicious, memorable sandwich and munchie options in a chill, eclectic environment where genuine people serve made-to-order food. Cheba Hut's fun and authentic dining experience includes a full-service bar and highlights its menu because it's not about getting high; it's about epic food and legendary service. For more information, check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.Contact Information:Mel Banister Marketing Manager mel@ chebahut.com +17202128463SOURCE: Cheba Hut Franchising PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 20:00:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 523 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEWEST AND COOLEST KOREAN SKIN CARE IN THE USMIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / OLIVIAUMMA LLC today announced the launch of a new Korean Skin Care brand OLIVIAUMMA, Glass Skin Tanghulu. Tanghulu is sugar-coated fruit that looks like glass and is sensationally popular in Korea now. They visualized their glass skin look with Tanghulu.OLIVIAUMMA Glass Skin Tanghulu Blueberry Serum Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu Blueberry Serum: Blueberry, Camellia Seed Oil, Fig with Blue N-Emulsion Technology (What is Blue N-Emulsion Technology: Adjust oil-soluble substances to better mix with water-soluble substances, incorporating technol "It will open a new stage of Korean beauty in the US, says Hye Young Kim, Founder/CEO at OLIVIAUMMA. "When customers consume our products, it is not only about beauty products, but they can also experience our culture too. Of course, our products are based on advanced technology, and high-performance ingredients in the trendiest and most sophisticated ways. When we develop our products, we get inspiration from our Korean contemporary scene and history as well. It is a new translation of K-culture, K-pop, and K-beauty. I am also the Mom of a teenage girl in the US; she inspires me always and gave me the whole concept of this line. OLIVIAUMMA means Olivia's mom in Korean. We make products based on the same kind of love I have for my child. We will be a "connecting dot" between Mom and teens, Miami and Korea, East and West with our products!"Features and benefits of Glass Skin Tanghulu include:Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu Shine Muscat Cleansing Foam: Extracted from heartleaf, shine muscat, apple, papaya, and green plum with high-frequency technology, making the face tone even, clean, and moisturized.Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu Blueberry Serum: Blueberry, Camellia Seed Oil, Fig with Blue N-Emulsion Technology (What is Blue N-Emulsion Technology: Adjust oil-soluble substances to better mix with water-soluble substances, incorporating technology into the recipe that enables the active ingredients of the mixture to be quickly and safely delivered to the skin) - make skin glass feel and radiant, very lightweight, absorbing instantly.Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu Liptox: Lip gloss, Shea Butter, Pepper Mint (Guava), Macadamia Oil with refraction theory, making it look glossy and beautiful from any angle.All products are vegan.No Mineral Oil, No Paraben, No Artificial ColorsProducts will be available starting October 31, 2023, at $20-$40 For more information on OLIVIAUMMA COSMETICS, visit www.oliviaumma.com About OLIVIAUMMA LLC: Founded in 2016 in Korea and the US, it has been a luxury fashion platform bringing emerging designers from Miami, South America, and Italy to Korea. It has a solid customer base in Korea and the US, and now expanding to Beauty and Personal Care.Instagram: @Oliviaumma_OfficialContact InformationHYE YOUNG KIM CEO hye@ oliviaumma.com 4152720067Related ImagesOLIVIAUMMA Glass Skin Tanghulu Blueberry Serum Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu Blueberry Serum: Blueberry, Camellia Seed Oil, Fig with Blue N-Emulsion Technology (What is Blue N-Emulsion Technology: Adjust oil-soluble substances to better mix with water-soluble substances, incorporating technolGlass Skin Tanghulu by OLIVIAUMMA OLIVIAUMMA offers 4 products under Glass Skin Tanghulu : Shine muscat cleanser, Blueberry Serum, Mint Liptox, Guava LiptoxSOURCE: OLIVIAUMMA LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 17:40:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 604 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Comcast CorporationCoded by Kids students at the Universal Sphere in the Comcast Technology CenterIn July, as part of their Tech and Innovation Internship, 25 high school and college students from our digital equity partner Coded by Kids (CBK) visited Comcast Headquarters for a full day of connecting and learning with Comcast employees about the future of tech. With back-to-school season in full swing, these students will have much to reflect on as they start a new year and continue to develop their interests in coding.Students started the day with a campus tour and product experience demo, followed by a panel discussion at LIFT Labs, our hub for entrepreneurship and innovation inside the Comcast Technology Center. Featured speakers included members of BENgineers and TECHWomen, our technology resource groups supporting Black and women technologists and engineers. As part of our national volunteerism program Team UP, the panelists volunteered to share their career journeys and advice for developing product management and engineering skills. They spoke thoughtfully about the importance of passing the torch to the younger generation and what most excites them about tech.Comcast is a company that allows us to pay it forward, especially to those who are young. These kids are the future and will eventually be the ones passing the torch.QUINCY IHEMEManager, Software Development & Engineering, BENgineerTo close the day, the CBK students presented their tech projects and asked for feedback from BENgineers and TECHWomen volunteers. In small groups, they addressed potential solutions to issues across several industries including connecting consumers with local farmers to reduce food waste, using AI to combat loneliness and sleep quality issues in Generation Z, providing parents of young students access to affordable and safe after-school programming, and more. Our volunteers eagerly listened and provided notes to each team to further develop these ideas."This experience has really shown [them] a new light, that there are people out there that support you, ready to give insight and mentorship. Seeing their excitement about the opportunity to talk through their ideas with people in Comcast, it's really cool," said Lennin Antunish, Coded by Kids Team Lead.Coded by Kids is an organization that prepares underrepresented young people to succeed as tech and innovation leaders through project-based learning and mentorship. Their programs are designed to provide young people of all backgrounds with beginner to advanced level tech skills in areas where the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion are the greatest.This day of learning and exploration is just one part of CBK's Tech and Innovation Internship, a robust 8-week program designed to build technical and professional skills that will prepare high school and college students for opportunities in the workforce and entrepreneurship. As part of the CBK-led 1Philadelphia initiative, the internship program serves as a partnership model for how local organizations can work together to create meaningful pathways for young people interested in the tech industry.We are proud to support CBK's vision to create equity in the world through technology and innovation as part of Project UP, our $1 billion commitment to connect tens of millions of people to the internet and tech opportunities that advance economic mobility. Through our partnership with Coded by Kids, we are helping to create unlimited possibilities for generations to come.As a CBK chaperone said during the event, "This is a unique exposure for these kids it's a reminder of what's possible." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Comcast Corporation on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Comcast CorporationWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/comcast-corporationEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Comcast Corporation PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 14:00:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 889 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 - PBS NewsHour Crew Films Safe Pro's Team Utilizing Drones and AI to Address the Massive Humanitarian and Economic Crisis in Ukraine Caused by Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War -AVENTURA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Safe Pro Group Inc. ("Safe Pro" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based developer of safety and security solutions for people and infrastructure, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Safe Pro AI's next-generation Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning demining technology, Spotlight, was featured on a nationally-broadcast TV segment of PBS News Hour on September 14, 2023. Filmed in Ukraine, Safe Pro team members including Fred Polk, Jasper Baur and Gabriel Steinberg provided a PBS NewsHour crew, an inside look at how drones and Artificial Intelligence ("AI") can reshape the approach to the demining crisis in the country where an estimated 67,000 sq. mi.1, an area greater than the State of Florida, may be contaminated by land mines and Unexploded Ordnance ("UXO").Enabled by Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, the Spotlight software harnesses AI and Machine Learning ("ML") to process enormous amounts of centimeter-level aerial imagery collected by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) drones, rapidly identifying surface level mines as well as over 70 types of UXO including cluster munitions. The AI instantly detects, labels and GPS-tags the mines then plots the results on centimeter level, high resolution maps to provide a bird's-eye view for enhanced situational awareness during clearing and land release efforts conducted by local governments and humanitarian aid organizations.Dan Erdberg, Chairman and CEO of Safe Pro Group, said, "The scale of the UXO and hazardous remnants of war crisis in Ukraine is unprecedented, exposing millions of civilians to the risks of serious injury or death every day and devastating the country's economy. Historically, landmine surveying methods are dangerous, slow, and expensive, but with the power of AI and drones, our modernized approach to demining can immediately impact efforts in Ukraine and the world." Currently demining operations are underway in over 60 global conflict zones including in Ukraine where an estimated $37+ billion2 will be required to clear explosive remnants from the countryside over the next decade3. Safe Pro's AI-powered Spotlight demining solution has completed capability testing in Ukraine in collaboration with local stakeholders to survey large areas of land to detect, identify and map UXO. Operational testing confirmed Spotlight's ability to dramatically increase the survey speed by a factor of 1,000+% and reduce costs by nearly 90% versus existing human-based, non-robotic methodologies, significantly reducing costs versus existing methodologies, exponentially improving the potential of future remediation efforts.Mr. Erdberg added, "The accuracy, efficiency and scalability of Spotlight illustrates the tremendous value of our revolutionary patent-pending invention which coupled with the AWS cloud, can help make the world a safer place to roam and farm." Safe Pro's award-winning artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision capabilities enable the rapid, automated processing of drone-based imagery scaling through a model of crowd-sourced pilots with readily available drones. Following a multi-year development program, the patent-pending technology is currently being applied to identify, classify, and locate landmines and UXO. Built with an extensive proprietary landmine and UXO dataset, Safe Pro's Spotlight can rapidly detect ground-based threats in aerial imagery, reporting precise GPS location and actionable information to decision makers and ground personnel, greatly increasing the scale and efficacy of remediation efforts versus existing human and dog-based identification methods. Through the combination of AI, ML, and drone technologies, Safe Pro's novel demining solution disrupts current mine/UXO clearance methodologies.To view the PBS NewsHour video segment, please click here.To learn more about Safe Pro AI's capabilities please visit www.safeproai.com . For more information about Safe Pro Group, its subsidiaries, and technologies, please visit https://safeprogroup.com/ and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.About Safe Pro Group Inc.Safe Pro Group has strategically acquired and assembled best-of-breed Drone services, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and ballistic protection manufacturing companies enabling it to provide the industry's first turnkey solution for next generation demining. Safe Pro is led by a team of Executives and Subject Matter Experts (SME) drawn from the Government and Commercial sectors dedicated to assembling unique safety and security technologies and solutions. Through a layered approach to the development and integration of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning, drone-based remote sensing technologies and services, and personal protective gear, Safe Pro Group can provide Governments, Enterprises and NGOs with innovative solutions designed to respond to evolving threats. For more information on Safe Pro Group Inc., please visit https://safeprogroup.com/ About PBS NewsHourPBS NewsHour is an American evening television news program known for its in-depth coverage of issues and current events. The PBS NewsHour is broadcast on more than 350 PBS member stations and member networks, making it available to 99% of the viewing public, additionally audio from the program is broadcast by some NPR radio stations. The Program is also broadcast around the world for the members of the United States Armed Forces on the American Forces Network as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and internationally though the Voice of America.Media Relations for Safe Pro Group Inc.:Michael GlickmanMWGCO, Inc.917-397-2272mglickman@safeprogroup.com 1 Source: GLOBSEC2 Source: The World Bank, The Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (March 2023)3 Source: Ukraine's State Emergency ServiceSOURCE: Safe Pro Group Inc. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim made an anti-Azerbaijani remark at a session held in the U.S. Senate on September 14, 2023, which was convened by Bob Menendez, a senator who is currently under FBI investigation for corrupt connections to the Armenian lobby, Trend reports. The U.S. official demanded the immediate opening of the Lachin road and said the U.S. does not accept the use of force "against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh". The Western Azerbaijan Community issued a statement in this regard. "First, the US government is well aware that the Lachin road is not closed. The obstacle to the use of this road within the laws of Azerbaijan is the territorial claims against Azerbaijan by the Armenian government and the illegal regime it supports in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region," the Community said. "In connection with Yuri Kim's statements about the essentially non-existent threat to Armenians living in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, I would like to ask why the U.S. government remained indifferent to such facts as the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, its disregard for UN Security Council resolutions, the killing of more than 20,000 Azerbaijani civilians, the destruction of more than 900 Azerbaijani settlements, the contamination of part of Azerbaijan's territory with mines, and Armenia's expulsion of 300,000 Azerbaijanis from its territory and 700,000 Azerbaijanis from their homes," Western Azerbaijan Community noted. They added that it does not fit with the U.S.'s role as a "global champion of human rights" or as a partner promoting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia that the American government, aware of all the nuances of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the current situation, turns a blind eye to such injustices committed against Azerbaijanis and supports Armenia's unfounded claims. The Western Azerbaijan Community claims that despite American rants about justice and peace, Armenia's army remnants are still present in Azerbaijani territory, and illegal armed formations have not been disarmed. It is unacceptable that the U.S. is once again vacillating with regard to Azerbaijan given that it unconditionally recognizes the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other nations in the post-Soviet region and condemns separatism. "Yuri Kim's orderly tone is also inappropriate. Apparently, the State Department official has mixed up her addresses. We remind Yuri Kim that American politicians and diplomats raise the issue of America's sovereignty wherever necessary and not necessary. The sovereignty of Azerbaijan is in no way inferior to the sovereignty of any other country, including the United States, which Ms. Kim represents," the Community added. The Community also emphasized that the U.S. government should not fall for Armenia's lies, avoid ethnic discrimination in the protection of human rights, not interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs, and support the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 17:16:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 969 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSX-V:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") announces a clarification to the previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will consist of the sale of units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.03 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.05 for a period of five years from the initial closing date of the Offering. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds for working capital, including up to 10% for settling non-arm's length payables, as well as general corporate purposes including land maintenance costs.The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX-V. The closing of the Offering may occur in one or more tranches, with the initial closing date of the Offering expected to occur on or around September 25th, 2023 and is not subject to receipt of a minimum amount of gross proceeds. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and TSX-V policies. The Offering is open to participation by insiders.The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.About PelangioPelangio acquires and explores prospective land packages located in world-class gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is focused on its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of eight near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the newly optioned Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario at its newly acquired gold, silver, zinc polymetallic Kenogaming project, located 63 km southwest of Timmins, its Dome West property, situated some 800 meters from the Dome Mine in Timmins; and at its Gowan polymetallic project, located 16 km east of the Kidd Creek Mine. See www.pelangio.com for further detail on all Pelangio's properties.For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com , or contact:Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEOTel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@ pelangio.com Forward Looking StatementsCertain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Offering generally, the proceeds that may be raised in connection with the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds and the Company's exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about our ability to close additional tranches of the Offering in a timely manner, if at all, and the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the ability of the Company to meet the conditions of closing, our ability to conduct our exploration programs as planned, changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 04:45:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 421 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 2, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE:RTX), if they purchased the Company's securities between February 8, 2021 and July 25, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of RTX and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-rtx/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 2, 2023.About the LawsuitRTX and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) the Company's Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine that powers hundreds of aircraft across many airlines had been affected by a quality control issue from at least 2015-2020; (ii) the quality control issue would require the Company to recall and reinspect many of its GTF airplanes, affecting customers and harming its business; and (iii) as a result, RTX's statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.The case is Peneycad v. RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation, et al., No. 23-cv-01035.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 04:31:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 424 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 19, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Shift4 Payments, Inc. (NYSE:FOUR), if they purchased the Company's securities between November 10, 2021 and April 18, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Shift4 and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-four/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 19, 2023.About the LawsuitShift4 and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On April 19, 2023, Blue Orca Capital reported that "Shift4 [is], in reality, a roll-up of low-tech POS systems and payment processors which is substantially less profitable, generates far less cash, and is materially more levered than investors are led to believe," and that in 2022, the Company "engaged in a string of highly questionable and hyper-aggressive accounting maneuvers seemingly designed to keep the stock afloat, from cash flow manipulation to inexplicable distributor acquisitions that enabled it to capitalize a major component of COGS [cost of goods sold]."On this news, shares of Shift4 fell $5.95 per share, or 8.68%, to close at $62.59 per share on April 19, 2023.The case is O'Meara v. Shift4 Payments, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-03206.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 22:30:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 948 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Silver X Mining Corp. (TSXV:AGX)(OTCQB:AGXPF)(F:AGX) ("Silver X" or the "Company"), a rapidly expanding silver developer and producer in Central Peru, is pleased to announce results of voting at its annual general meeting of shareholders which was held on September 14, 2023 (the "AGM"). All matters submitted to the shareholders for approval as set out in the Company's Notice of Meeting and Information Circular, dated August 8, 2023, were approved by the majority of votes cast at the AGM.As a result,1. Number of directorsShareholders approved the setting of the number of Directors at four (4).2. Election of directorsThe shareholders elected the following slate of Directors:Jose Maria Garcia JimenezSebastian WahlDarryl CardeyFrancis Johnstone3. Appointment of auditorsShim & Associates LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, were reappointed as Auditors of the Company for the ensuing year with their remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors.4. Amended and Restated Share Option PlanShareholders approved the Company's amended and restated "rolling up to 10%" share option plan.5. Amended and Restated Restricted Share Unit PlanShareholders approved the Company's amended and restated restricted share unit plan.About Silver X Mining Corp.Silver X is a rapidly expanding silver developer and producer. The Company owns over 20,000-hectare Nueva Recuperada Silver District in Central Peru and produces silver, gold, lead, and zinc from the district's Tangana Mining Unit. Our mission is to be a premier silver company delivering outstanding value to all stakeholders and we aim to achieve this by consolidating and developing undervalued assets, creating value by adding resources and increasing production while aspiring to social and environmental excellence. For more information visit our website at www.silverxmining.com On Behalf of the BoardJose M. GarciaPresident, CEO and DirectorFor further information, please contact:Sebastian WahlVice President, Corporate Development+1 647 259 6901 x 101s.wahl@ silverxmining.com Paola RicardoInvestor Relationsir@ silverxmining.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" InformationThis press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain acts, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". All information contained in this press release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, exploration plans, results of operations, expected performance at the Project, the ability of the new zones at the Project to feed production at the Company's Nueva Recuperada Plant in the near term, the Company's belief that the Tangana system will provide considerable resource expansion potential, that the Company will be able to mine the Tangana Mining Unit in an economic manner, and the expected financial performance of the Company, exploration plans and expected exploration results at the Lily 19 Concession and the Ccasahuasi Concession,The following are some of the assumptions upon which forward-looking information is based: that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; demand for, and stable or improving price for the commodities we produce; receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and renewals in a timely manner; that the Company will not experience any material accident, labour dispute or failure of plant or equipment or other material disruption in the Company's operations at the Project and Nueva Recuperada Plant; the availability of financing for operations and development; the Company's ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; that the estimates of the resources at the Project and the geological, operational and price assumptions on which these and the Company's operations are based are within reasonable bounds of accuracy (including with respect to size, grade and recovery); the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and directors; and the ability of management to execute strategic goals.Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to those risks described in the Company's annual and interim MD&As and in its public documents filed on www.sedarplus.ca from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.SOURCE: Silver X Mining Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 20:00:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1028 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / The gig economy is a fast-paced sector that is based on movement, autonomy, and on-demand services. Ironically, however, managing the tax requirements of gig workers and maintaining IRS compliance is a slow and traditional process. So, how can businesses that are a central facet of the gig economy bring their tax filing and compliance process up to speed? The answer lies in automating the process.TaxBandits, an IRS-authorized, SOC 2 Certified e-file provider, now offers a complete option for business entities of all sizes to automate the W-9 collection and 1099 e-filing process with the IRS and State(s), as well as distributing recipient copies as needed. This is a fast-paced, automated solution to meet the speed of the gig economy without sacrificing accuracy or wasting administrative hours.An Overview of TaxBandits W-9 AutomationStreamlined W-9 Collection - TaxBandits API clients begin this all-inclusive process by requesting Form W-9 from their vendors. In the case of the gig economy, this will be their gig workers' or independent contractors.Clients can choose to initiate the process by sharing a link to complete the Form W-9 via email. If the client has an existing portal for self-onboarding, they are able to embed a secure link for their workers. Either way, the result is a simple, automated option for collecting the worker's tax information and e-signature.TIN Matching - A crucial step of the IRS compliance process is ensuring that you have the correct TIN for each independent contractor. Without this information, it is impossible to file a complete and accurate 1099 form at the end of the year. Once the new worker submits their Form W-9, TaxBandits performs TIN Matching to ensure that the SSN/EIN they have provided matches what the IRS has on record.Verifying the TINs eliminates the need for businesses to send multiple follow-ups for this information and helps them avoid having to initiate IRS backup withholding.Secure Storage of W-9 Information - TaxBandits API clients are able to store and access all of the requested W-9s securely with TaxBandits since they contain the PII data. This information will be used later in the process when it comes time to file 1099 forms.Automating the 1099 Process with TaxBandits APIOngoing Automated W-9 Collection and Storage - W-9 automation is the perfect solution for collecting and maintaining the crucial information needed to issue accurate 1099s at the end of the year. All of this information is verified and available for easy form generation.Record Payouts to Independent Contractors - Using TaxBandits 1099 Transaction API, the clients can record the payout transactions they make to their contractors and gig workers throughout the year. At the year-end, the administrative work required to determine which workers need a 1099 and which do not can be completely avoided. Based on the worker's W-9 information, the payment records, and the IRS Business Rules, the 1099 forms (1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, etc.) will be generated.Preview and Review 1099 Forms - TaxBandits API clients have the ability to review and approve the forms that are generated. If any updates or edits are needed, these can be made easily.1099 E-filing and Recipient Copy Distribution - Once the forms are reviewed and approved, TaxBandits e-files them with the IRS and any required state(s). TaxBandits API also includes solutions for distributing recipient copies. TaxBandits provides printing and mailing services from a SOC 2 Certified printing facility as well as a secure Online Access option.Unbeatable Features Offered by TaxBandits APITaxBandits API offers not only a comprehensive automated solution but one that is centered around advanced, intuitive technology:Seamless Integration - TaxBandits API was designed with ease in mind. This versatile solution allows businesses of all sizes and functions to integrate TaxBandits into their existing software for the seamless collection and e-filing of Forms W-9, 1099, W-2, 1095, and more.Clear documentation - TaxBandits API has a developer-focused approach. This includes clear api documentation that sets developers up for success throughout the process.Sandbox Environment and SDKs - TaxBandits API provides SDK libraries with sample codes in a variety of programming languages to meet the needs of clients and simplify testing the API from external sources. TaxBandits API clients can simulate and test the e-filing process before it enters the live environment using their Sandbox account.Status Updates through Webhooks - TaxBandits API uses webhooks to notify clients of the status of forms throughout the e-filing process. Clients can configure webhooks from their developer control panel.Advanced Security Measures - Data security is the highest priority of the TaxBandits team. Therefore, there is a layered security method complete with extensive security protocols and procedures in place to safeguard sensitive information.When asked about the solution that TaxBandits API provides for businesses of the gig economy, Agie Sundaram, the CEO and Co-founder of SPAN Enterprises (parent company of TaxBandits), responded by stating, " TaxBandits API offers a unique and profound solution for managing and maintaining IRS tax compliance surrounding gig work. Given the continued growth rate of this industry, businesses searching for a solution for automating their gig workers' tax filing will find this and so much more with TaxBandits API." Visit developer.taxbandits.com today to learn more and create a sandbox account.About TaxBanditsThe 1099 and W-2 experts! TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified, IRS-authorized e-file provider of 1099, W2, Form 1095-C, Form 1095-B, 940, 941, 943, 944, 945 and W-9, serving businesses, service providers, and tax professionals of every shape and size.Payroll providers, affiliate software providers, and gig-related software providers, to name a few, can take advantage of TaxBandits API. The integration allows them to add value for their clients and expand monetization efforts. TaxBandits API enables seamless preparation and e-filing of 1099, W-2, 941, 940, and ACA 1095 forms. Software providers can also use the developer-friendly 1099 API to request W-9s and use that information to enable seamless 1099 automation.About SPAN EnterprisesBased in Rock Hill, South Carolina, SPAN Enterprises has been developing industry-leading software solutions for IRS e-filing and business management tools for over a decade.The SPAN Enterprises portfolio of products includes TaxBandits, Tax990, ACAwise, ExpressExtension, 123PayStubs, and TruckLogics.For any media inquiries, please reach out to Stephanie Glanville, Content Writer at stephanie@ spanenterprises.com SOURCE: PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-15 16:24:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 540 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Verizon Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VZ) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Expanded Class Period: Oct. 30, 2018 - July 26, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 2, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/VZ Contact An Attorney Now: VZ@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Verizon Communications, Inc. (VZ) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges Verizon made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that Verizon: (1) owns cables around the U.S. that are highly toxic due to their being wrapped in lead, and which harm company employees and non-employees alike; (2) faces potentially significant litigation risk, regulatory risk, and reputational harm as a result of its ownership of these lead-covered cables and the health risks stemming from their presence around the U.S; and (3) was warned about the damage and risks presented by these cables but did not disclose them as a potential threat to employee safety or to everyday people and communities.Investors began to learn the truth after the Wall Street Journal published a series of articles spanning July 9 - July 26, 2023.These articles revealed that Verizon and others left behind toxic lead cables that they laid years ago. The WSJ also reported that independently tested samples from underwater cable sites revealed lead on the banks of the Mississippi, Willamette, and Passaic Rivers as well as in parts of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.The WSJ further reported that Verizon officials have known for decades that lead in its networks was a possible health risk to its workers, some workers have illnesses that can be linked to lead, and lead could leach into the environment.Finally, on July 26, 2023, the WSJ reported that the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency are investigating whether telecom companies knew of the potential risks posed by the abandoned lead cables."We're focused on investors' losses, Verizon's knowledge of potential liability stemming from its sprawling network of toxic lead-sheathed cables across the U.S., and whether the company historically understated its expenses," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Verizon and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding VZ should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email VZ@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Following Thursdays meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has announced a review of its new fees. The management of the university led by its Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, met with the student leaders on Thursday. The students were led by the President of NANS, Usman Barambu, and the meeting was part of efforts to address the lingering crisis over the fees. The university had increased the payable fees from N26,000 and about N76,000 to between N120,750 and N240,250 depending on the courses of study and year of admission. However, in an official statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES Friday morning by the universitys spokesperson, Adejoke Alaga-Ibrahim, the institution announced the reduction of the obligatory fees for students, utility bills, convocation fees and others. Breakdown of reviewed fees According to the statement, the utility charges for all categories of students have been reduced to N15,000 from N20,000 and convocation fees to be paid by all final-year students were reduced to N27,000 from N30,000. The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students were reviewed from N126,325 to N116,325 for courses without lab/studio and N176,325 to N166,325 for courses with lab/studio. Also, the obligatory fees for returning undergraduate students were reviewed from N100,750 to N80,750 for courses without lab/studio; N140,250 to N120,250 for courses with lab/studio; and from N190,250 to N170,250 for medical / pharmacy students and students in health professions. The hostel fees were also reviewed. for undergraduate hostels in the Akoka and Yaba campuses, the fees were reduced to N43,000 from N90,000; for hostels in Idi-Araba campus, from N120,000 to N65,000; while the fees for Sodeinde Hall were reduced to N135,000 from N250,000. Students other demands Apart from the reversal of the obligatory fees, the university noted in the statement that the NANS President also demanded the reinstatement of the Students Union Government (SUG) in UNILAG. According to the statement, Mr Barambu observed that the absence of SUG in UNILAG had adversely affected communication between the students and management. He also noted that students would be able to channel their grievances appropriately through the SUG. The vice-chancellor will commence the process of reinstating students union activities in the university, the spokesperson said. The university in 2016 dissolved the student union of the institution as a reaction to a protest by the students. Measures to ease payment The statement also noted that Mrs Ogunsola reiterated her commitment to the actualisation of measures put in place to ameliorate the negative impacts of the obligatory fee review. The vice-chancellor had initially explained that the measures to ease the payment of fees include an instalment payment option, scholarship, revitalisation of a work-study programme, assistance to indigent students, and partnership with Lagos Bus Rapid Transport System. She also reiterated that No UNILAG student would drop out of the institution due to fees. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development will work with state governors to harness mineral resources for maximum socio-economic development of the country. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave this assurance when the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the ministrys headquarters in Abuja on Thursday. Speaking further, Mr Alake said the ministry was determined and committed to harnessing the nations mineral resources, emphasising that Nasarawa State and other endowed states across the country will soon witness rapid development that will enhance the living standards of the citizenry under the renewed hope agenda of this administration. He said Nasarawa State is very significant in terms of the development of the mineral sector and we are putting the mechanisms together, we are crossing the ts and dotting the is to make sure that the nation derives maximum benefits from this God-given gift of minerals that are in abundance in Nigeria. Continuing, the minister said: We are going to harness and utilise efficiently, effectively and proficiently to ensure that Nigeria really expends the resources also judiciously from solid minerals. That is the next petroleum of Nigeria While acknowledging the importance and significance of Nasarawa State as sitting on the next petroleum of Nigeria, Mr Alake affirmed that it is imperative to cooperate, synergise and coordinate all the dynamics surrounding minerals exploration-exploitation and judicious spending of the resources. To this end, the minister expressed gratitude to the governor for the visit, stressing that it epitomises the synergy that is expected between the federal and state governments to develop the critical solid mineral sector. Speaking earlier, Governor Sule said he was very pleased that Mr Alake is the minister of a ministry that means more than anything to Nasarawa State. Mr Sule further enthused that he regarded Mr Alakes appointment as a win-win situation for the entire nation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Third Mainland Bridge will be shut to motorists to allow the commencement of remedial repair on bad portions of the bridge. The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation announced this in a statement signed by Abdulhafiz Toriola, its permanent secretary, on Thursday. The road repair is carried out with the collaboration of the Lagos State Government through its Public Works Corporation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. The palliative works will be carried out on the failed sections of the 3rd Mainland Bridge for two consecutive Sundays starting on 17 September (Sunday) and 24 September (Sunday) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the scheduled days. READ ALSO: The proposed works will be strictly executed in two phases with phase one focusing on only the most critical sections on the Iyana Oworonshoki inward Adeniji Adele/Lagos Island, the statement reads. The palliative works were scheduled for Sundays to minimize inconveniences for motorists. The following alternative routes have been made available for use during the rehabilitation works; In a travel advisory by the transport ministry, motorists from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Alapere/Ogudu axis, inwards Lagos Island, will be diverted towards Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway to link Ikorodu Road/Funsho Williams Avenue to access Eko Bridge and Lagos Island. Motorists from Lagos Mainland going through Herbert Macaulay Road (Adekunle axis) inwards Lagos Island via Third Mainland Bridge will be diverted towards Murtala Muhammed Way to make use of Carter Bridge to link Lagos Island. Mr Toriola urged motorists to be patient and observe safety measures during the palliative works on the asphalt pavement of the bridge. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Some residents of Agba community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on Thursday, arrested a suspected member of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who was trying to flee the community, the police have said. The man, whose identity had not been revealed, was later handed over to the police. The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, made this disclosure in a statement issued on Thursday in Abakaliki. The residents action highlights the growing unpopularity of IPOB in South-east Nigeria and how the people, apparently tired of the incessant killings and destruction in the region, have resolved to defend themselves against attacks by hoodlums. IPOB has been leading the agitation for the creation of a sovereign state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south region but the activities of the group have caused economic and social disruption, and have worsened food security in the South-east. In a related development, a suspected member of IPOB was shot dead on Wednesday in Ebonyi State when police operatives, soldiers and officials of the State Security Service raided an IPOB camp at Eke-agbebor Isu, Onicha Local Government Area of the state. Other suspected members of IPOB escaped with gunshot wounds, Ms Onovwakpoyeya, a superintendent of police, said. Two suspects 26-year-old Emmanuel Chinedu, otherwise known as Patho, and 38-year-old Paul Ani, otherwise known as Osah were arrested by the operatives, who acted on a tip-off, according to the police. The police spokesperson said the security team destroyed a shrine at the camp. The Commissioner of Police is using this opportunity to appeal to all hospitals, traditional medicine homes, chemists and all Ebonyi residents to report anyone seeking medical attention with a bullet wound to the nearest police station, Ms Onovwakpoyeya said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The international community, including the US, shouldn't be a part of such steps that contribute to instability in the region, and not to follow smear campaign of Armenia, the Spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry Aykhan Hajizada said, Trend reports. He made the remark commenting on the accusations voiced during hearings held in the US Senate with the participation of the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim. "In connection with the allegation on military attack, while noting that unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has never used force against the civilian population, on the contrary, we declared measures to be taken to reintegrate Armenian residents into our society at the national level, and despite the obstacles put by Armenia and its puppet regime, we are determined in this direction. The reintegration process is an internal affair of our country, and interference in that regard is unacceptable," the spokesperson said. The United States has committed to gift Zambia approximately $80 million in enhanced military equipment. This is a grant to Zambia that will supply four Bell 412EP helicopters to the Zambia Air Force with three years of service, parts, and training for the helicopters. The donation was announced on the first day of the 2023 Africa Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference (2023 ASEL), by US Marine Corps General, Michael Langley, who serves as the 6th Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The United States Government will be providing four new high-performance Bell helicopters to the Zambian Defence Force. These helicopters will enable Zambia to continue to support UN peacekeeping missions throughout Africa and strengthen Zambias commitment to regional security, said Mr Langley at the meeting co-hosted by Zambia and AFRICOM from 10-13 September. In a special briefing held on Tuesday, Mr Langley emphasized that he was honoured to be in the Republic of Zambia for the fifth AFRICOM Senior Enlisted Leader Conference, and the first one held on the continent of Africa. AFRICOMs Public Affairs Office characterized him as prioritizing face-to-face engagement to build our relationships and support partners in Africa. He was a key speaker at the 2023 ASEL Conference whose theme was Empower, Delegate, Trust. Reflecting on the importance of this years conference theme, Mr Langley said If you look at officers that lead militaries, we use our right-hand advisors, that senior military, that senior enlisted. Empower, delegate, and trust is what we will continuously [do]these are the best practices that we extend to our staff noncommissioned officers. He elaborated saying, I want to reiterate that a strong empowered noncommissioned officer corps is truly the backbone of any military. I learned this firsthand growing up, as my father proudly served as a senior enlisted leader in the United States Air Force. I learned from him and then learned from every noncommissioned officer that I work with. He said the conference is a place where we listen to each other, we share best practices, and we continue to strengthen our relationships and mutual understanding. Discussions were held on the challenges both the US and African countries need to overcome. The conference also explored our opportunities, said AFRICOM Command Senior Enlisted Leader Sergeant Major, Michael Woods, who accompanied Mr Langley on his visit to Lusaka. That includes everything from crisis response, rule of law, protecting natural resources, and ways to mitigate the many factors that cause instability, added Mr Woods. He outlined the work of AFRICOM and the US and what they have achieved as a direct result of dialogue with African states. He said AFRICOMs working with senior non-commissioned officers from African militaries. Now, professional and empowered enlisted leaders strengthen our partner-led, US-supported operations. Now, this conference is another example of our efforts to coordinate and cooperate with our African partners. More than 125 defence leaders took part from 27 African countries in the military-to-military engagement in which AFRICOM Public Affairs Office placed special emphasis on Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, and Senegal. At the meetings first launch in 2017, the conference had kicked off with 37 per cent participation of African countries. This was followed in subsequent years by an increase in growth, in terms of the size of African country participation more and more countries made the decision to attend the AFRICOM conference, year after year. This further increased their engagement to the extent that, even the planned meeting agendas, reflected explicit agenda items which had been specifically requested by African countries. At the 2023 ASEL defence meeting, Weve had large group discussions and have also done more focused breakout sessions where smaller groups can have in-depth discussions about what works, what doesnt work, and how we can better support each other to train the next generation of competent and committed enlisted leaders, Mr Woods said. AFRICOMs Commander Langley said that he called for transparency at the conference. Ill tell you that this year, 27 African partners participated in the conference, which is 50 per cent of the 53 countries in our area of operations. We built our agenda based on feedback and the request of our [African] partner countries. And we aim to be responsive partners, especially focused on course development for the new sergeant major academies and non-commissioned officer professional military development institutions and programmes, said Mr Woods emphasizing that they have the full support of Mr Langley. He allowed us to plan and execute these conferences. He said they heard Langley loud and clear that Bottom line is enlisted leadership is a game changer, and when General Langley says it, people hear him. Additionally, Mr Langley said, Ill just add to that and sum it up with the three words which just happen to be the theme of your conference. When I look at the staff NCO or the NCO corps being the backbone of our service militaries, its about leaders, officer leadership empowering staff NCOs, delegating tasks to staff NCOs and expectations, and extending trust. So that sums everything up, so you guys picked the right theme this year to share our ideas and best practices with our African partners. In summarizing a general overview of AFRICOMs achievements, Mr Langley said At the 10,000-foot view, yes, theres a number of activities that we do, but its along the theme as I stipulated. Our African partners, they have their prescribed national goals. There are 53 countries with my AOR and all of them have different goals and sets, but those that we extend out to and work in partnership to address their challenges and also be able to leverage opportunities. There are a number of things that are in sync with our national security interests from the United States. So, building strategic partnerships with our African partners is also at the forefront of our planning and working together and building partnership and capacity, and is institutionalized in their militaries, and then also in the realm of deterring threats. A number of opportunities that build capacity, whether it be through exercises, joint combined exchange training, or security force assistance, are a number of ways that we achieve these activities of working collectively together to reach our common goals based on our common values. At the 2023 Africa Senior Enlisted Conference, Weve had really deep robust conversations, discussions about hard leadership choices and the importance of ethical leadership, mentoring and delegation strategies that make better military leaders. This is just one of the military conferences that focused on specific topics, like the maritime domain, land forces, air forces, and intelligence sharing. Each conference increases our mutual understanding and improves our relationships, said Mr Woods. On long-lasting relationships, I want to highlight that we also have members from the US State Partnership Program, who are paired with African nations that participated in this conference and often attend our other military conferences. These state partnerships in Africa are as old, or older than, USAFRICOM, elaborated Mr Woods. He cited one example: The Michigan State Partnership Program has partnered with the Liberian armed forces to enhance and help develop various military skills. Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based White House Correspondent, and media commentator with expertise in US foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Moroccans affected by the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the North African country on 8 September are calling for humanitarian aid as they search for and hope to rescue loved ones still trapped under rubble. Yet the countrys leadership has been selective in the help being accepted. Since the disaster in Atlas Mountain villages that has now claimed approximately 3,000 lives, the country has accepted assistance from only four countries: Britain, Qatar, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. A rescue mission in such a crisis the worst earthquake to hit the region in at least a century is most useful within a few hours of the incident, experts say, noting that rescuing anyone alive after four days is unlikely. Several countries and the United Nations have offered to help, but the Moroccan government has not accepted most of these overtures. Turkiye, another country with experience in search-and-rescue efforts after its horrific earthquake last winter, still has its offer on the table. The UN said it could provide humanitarian support and coordinate resources on the ground for the victims, but it is awaiting approval from the Moroccan government. Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told journalists on 11 September that the UN is ready to pitch in but has to be invited. Our standard procedure is that we wait and stand ready, Mr Haq said on Monday, three days after the quake. We are making clear to the Moroccan authorities the sort of assistance we are ready to provide. We have the ability to bring in all kinds of humanitarian assistance needed. We are discussing this with the authorities and we will see what we can provide. Fouad Abdelmoumni, a Moroccan human rights activist, said that one reason Morocco has refused to accept offers from the UN and others is to show that it is a regional power and does not need aid from outsiders. The country is a constitutional monarchy, with a parliamentary system ruled by King Mohammed VI. The authorities do not want to accept help from Algeria and France, but because it does not want to be explicit in excluding them, the authority is making it a general policy, Mr Abdelmoumni said. Also, the marketers of the kings image are worried about having people coming here and going back with the official image of how much people were suffering in very hard conditions before the earthquake and how these areas were totally abandoned, how the government is weak, corrupt and inefficient. Rabat, the capital, has a difficult relationship with both Paris and Algiers over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, located on the northwest coast of Africa and bordered by Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. Morocco wants France and Algeria to recognize the territory formally as Moroccan. The UN established a referendum mission in Western Sahara in 1991 to help arrange a vote by the Sahrawi people in the territory to decide on Western Saharas independence or integration into Morocco. The referendum has never been held. The UN personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, was recently in Morocco, meeting with Nasser Bourita, the foreign minister, on 8 September. King Mohammed VI was in France when the earthquake struck his country on Friday evening. He made his first visit to the Marrakech area about 44 miles from the epicentre four days after the quake hit. Moroccan officials did not make comments, appear at the scene or give directions on rescue missions until the kings arrival. News reports say the king has a mansion in Paris, despite the diplomatic rivalry between the two countries. A source familiar with the ruling elite in Morocco said that state officials are scared to do anything that is not sanctioned by the king. Although Morocco has a prime minister as head of government, the monarch has tremendous power and autonomy. Morocco tries to portray itself as a modern society that has elections and political parties, but thats all facade. It is a very authoritarian, despotic regime, the source said. What you see is similar to the same thing in North Korea, and this earthquake has shown it because nobody was able to do anything until the king came. The system is too centralized. In disasters, you need prompt decisions, but this was not possible because all decisions rest with the king, who was far away. Videos and pictures emerging from the scene of the quake with most fatalities in the Al Haouz district show citizens using basic equipment like shovels and hammers to take apart rubble in search of people trapped underneath. Survivors have called for help as rescue has been slow and humanitarian help limited. A teacher posted on Facebook, the most popular social media platform in Morocco, that all her students were dead. Another survivor told Reuters that there was no access to food and shelter. In another picture, posted on social media, an injured man lay in the open while someone watched over him helplessly. People are sleeping in makeshift tents close to the ruins of the earthquake. With the rain forecasted soon for the area, Mr Abdelmoumni said, It is promising to be a very bad situation for the survivors, who are already dealing with the loss of family and properties. Mosaab Elshamy, an Associated Press photojournalist based in Morocco, said on his Facebook page that the stench of dead bodies was beginning to engulf the atmosphere. Mr Abdelmoumni corroborated this description during a separate phone interview. We also have trouble with burying bodies of people because the representative of the authorities threaten people with jail time if they bury dead bodies without public authorization, he said. The deceased are beginning to smell very bad, and there is a risk of an epidemic that could arise from this situation. Humanitarian groups operating in the area said that food, medicine and shelter were some of the most urgent needs of the survivors. The World Central Kitchen, a nongovernmental organization, said it was providing hot meals to people in Marrakech. READ ALSO: WCKs Relief Team was on the ground within hours of the temblor, using any means necessary to reach the hardest hit areas to provide immediate support, the group said in a statement released on its website. We are providing sandwiches, fruit, and water to offer immediate support and our team in Spain is on its way with multiple food trucks and kitchen equipment to begin cooking fresh meals as soon as possible. Moroccan authorities continue to rebuff criticism that they are playing geopolitics with the desperate needs of their citizens. Abdelmalek Alaoui, president of the Moroccan Institute of Strategic Intelligence, told Al Jazeera that the government wants to manage how aid is delivered so as not to create further problems. Morocco did not refuse international aid, it is trying to channel it in the best way in order to serve the best interests of the population, he said. Mr Alaoui acknowledged that one problem with accepting all the help being offered is that only one road connects to the region where the earthquake happened. You only have one road, you have a very long column of logistics now trying to get there. You have to make sure the aid is not adding a problem to a problem, Alaoui said. Mr Abdelmoumni said responses could have been faster if all decisions did not come from the king. Meanwhile, the number of people who have died keeps rising, according to the Moroccan government news site. The United States Agency for International Development, which has given up to $1 million for the quake recovery, said in a 13 September statement: First responders have spent hours searching for those still trapped. Citizens have stood in long lines to donate blood. This article first appeared on PassBlue. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Tuareg rebels in northern Mali said they have taken over a military camp and checkpoints in the town of Bourem, endangering a 2015 peace agreement. This follows weeks of fighting with the national army and Wagner mercenaries, according to Al Jazeera. The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a Tuareg rebel alliance, on 12 September, captured Bourem, which is located between the historic cities of Gao and Timbuktu. This came after the military consolidated its hold on power in two coups in 2020 and 2021 and expelled French forces as well as the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. The region, which was the birthplace of the armed uprising that has spread throughout the Sahel, is experiencing a rise in tension, partly due to the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces that helped to keep the fragile peace. Now, following a return of hostilities in the north, Malis ruling junta cancelled celebrations next week to honour the anniversary of the countrys independence, according to the council of ministers. The anniversary will be celebrated in sobriety and in the spirit of national revival, the council reportedly said after the junta leader Assimi Goitas decision to call off the celebrations. Mr Goita reportedly ordered the administration to use the money set aside to help the families and survivors of the attacks. This week, armed separatist factions with a Tuareg predominance resumed hostilities in Mali, which saw insurrections in the north throw the country into chaos in 2012. They launched an attack on army positions in the garrison town of Bourem on September 12, which the army is said to have repulsed. The resurgence of Tuareg separatist military activity coincided with a string of attacks that were mostly attributed to the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), an association of militants with ties to Al-Qaeda. It also occurred at the same time as the current demobilization of the MINUSMA United Nations peacekeeping mission, which the junta is forcing out after ten years of deployment. Numerous troops died in attacks that the GSIM claimed responsibility for, including those that occurred in the cities of Gao and Bamba on 8 and 7 September respectively. Numerous civilians were killed last week in an attack on a passenger boat on the Niger River that was attributed to terrorists. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, says the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing Limited, the company behind the Oando Retail brand in West African countries, was done in compliance with the CAMA Act which provides the process for merger and acquisition of equity. My Kyari, while appearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the acquisition, said the NNPC Limited now operates like a private limited liability company and entered the commercial relationship with OVH to take over market shares in the downstream petroleum market shares. Acquisition of OVH by NNPC Limited In 2022, NNPCL announced the outright acquisition of OVH Energy. By this acquisition, OVH Energy would be merged with NNPC Retail, a subsidiary of NNPC Limited. The assets acquired from the company, which operates Oando filling stations, also include a reception jetty with 240,000 metric tonnes monthly capacity and eight liquefied petroleum gas plants, three lube blending plants, three aviation depots, and 12 warehouses. But in June, PREMIUM TIMES investigation on the acquisition exposed the secret deals and the complicated ownership structure that left managerial control of NNPC Retail in the hands of OVH Energy Marketing. In addition, the report highlighted how Huub Stoksman, an expatriate and former chief executive officer of OVH Energy, emerged as the new managing director of NNPC Retail, a development that further compounded the structure of NNPC Retail. In July, the House, following the adoption of a motion moved by Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo), directed the NNPCL to suspend the OVH acquisition pending an investigation by its committee. Mr Kyari was supposed to appear before the committee on Monday but failed to do so. Response to issues raised Responding to the issue of opacity, Mr Kyari stated that the PIA provides the guidelines on the operation of the NNPC Limited, and the corporation also followed the process provided in the CAMA Act. He said he would be making the details of the document available to the committee. Mr Kyari said that for years, NNPC Limited has been making losses for the past 40 years, and there is a need to push the company towards making profits and competing with other players in the industry. He declared that the acquisition of the assets is already delivering profits. Five years backwards, the NNPC limited the highest we did was in 2021, we did N6.5 billion. In the first quarter of 2023, after the acquisition, this acquisition means a profit of N18.4 billion profit in one quarter. It is because we have expanded. We have a better brand and better capacity in market shares. This is the dramatic change we have had because of the acquisition. The petitioners have earlier written to the EFCC to establish whether or not anything was wrong. You can request from them. We did nothing wrong. he said. Why we retained Oando management Speaking on the appointment of Mr Stoksman, an expatriate and former chief executive officer of OVH Energy, as the managing director of NNPC Retails, Mr Kyari said the NNPC Limited wanted the culture in Oando in the post-acquisition era. He added that he begged Mr Stoksman to retain the position because NNPC Limited needed him to achieve its goals. He said such inclusion is necessary because NNPC Limited now seeks to operate as an international oil company. You created a national oil company with international affiliations, a commercial company that must do business with the world. Mr Chairman, our counterparts, by policy, they would keep 10 per cent of their total population to expatriates. Not for anything but because you can bring new cultures and new ways of doing things, new abilities you dont have, new expatriates you dont have. There is no national oil company of our size that is a private limited liability company that does not have expatriates. I begged the managing director to stay, practically begged him to stay because he had an option to leave. It took me many days of engagement and we are already seeing the value, he said. Speaking on the displacement of staff of NNPC Limited following the merger, he said the movement of staff is done based on capacity and deliverables. He added that the days of promotions based on seniority are over, instead, staff will only get responsibility based on capacity to deliver. People dont want to move. This is the challenge of mergers and acquisitions all over the world. When you do merger and acquisition, you have a function that must merge. You have responsibilities that have to be consolidated. Some responsibilities may go away. We have given them an option, if you dont want to move, you can resign. In every merger, you must allow the dominant culture to take over, this is very typical, this is a culture of service and performance. You acquired an asset because you know that they are doing better than you. The people who are used to the old system will say no because you are bringing a new system. We are doing everything we can to ensure that staff dont face negative impact. There would be pain, he said. Mr Kyari also assured the lawmakers that there are no plans to move the headquarters of the NNPC Limited to Lagos State. He explained that because 70 per cent of the operation is in Lagos, more staff will be posted there. This is not witch-huntPanel chair The Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Nalaraba, earlier in his speech, said the committee is only interested in getting to the root of the issues raised by Nigerians regarding the acquisition. There are also other allegations including but not limited to vindictive placement of the initial staff of NNPC retail, the appointment of an expatriate as a managing director, and relocation of NNPC retail headquarters from Abuja to Lagos. This hearing is not intended to witch-hunt anybody but to have clarity on the various claims and complaints brought to the attention of this committee and the House of Representatives, he said. Before adjourning the session, Mr Nalaraba said the committee will visit the assets of the NNPC. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A professor who was caught and later suspended for examination malpractices has made the short list of likely recipients of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank. The rank is reserved for Nigerian lawyers who have distinguished themselves in legal practice, either in the advocacy or academic lines. The integrity and reputation of the candidate are also part of major considerations for the award. Benedicta Daudu, the dean of the Faculty of Law at the Taraba State University, was shortlisted alongside 68 other lawyers for the SAN award by the LPPC which is domiciled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES had extensively reported on how authorities of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, suspended Ms Daudu for one academic session after she was caught cheating in a postgraduate course examination. Ms Daudu, an associate professor of law and head of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law of the Faculty of Law at UNIJOS, was caught cheating while taking an examination for a Masters degree in Research and Public Policy in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the same university. The development, after it was exposed by PREMIUM TIMES, earned her the sack from then President Muhammadu Buharis Presidential Committee Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACAC) in May 2016. Confirming her exit from PACAC, the Executive Secretary of the body, Bolaji Owasanoye, a law professor and now chairman of Nigerias anti-graft agency, ICPC, had in a text message to this newspaper as then executive secretary of PACAC, said the committee discussed the allegation against Ms Daudu, and she voluntarily stepped down from the committee until the matter was resolved. The Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption has discussed the allegations against Dr Benedicta Daudu based on information in the public domain and Dr Benedicta Daudu has voluntarily stepped down from the committee until the matter is officially concluded by the university, Mr Owasanoye wrote. Ms Daudu, who was an associate law professor, was working towards another masters in Research and Public Policy when she was caught in the examination malpractice scandal. The Department of Research and Public Policy accused her of smuggling in prepared answers during the examination for the Global Context in Public Policy course. Sources said the matter was subsequently reported to the universitys examination committee but some students and faculty claimed there were attempts at cover-ups by the university authorities. Efforts by the university management to sanction Ms Daudu based on her position as a lecturer failed owing to a legal action she instituted against the varsity. However, the university in December 2016, suspended her while trying to properly investigate the issue. But it was later learnt that Ms Daudu and the UNIJOS management reached a settlement agreement, where she resigned her appointment and was paid off. She, from there, left for the Taraba State University, where she became a professor in 2019. Fierce test ahead Ms Daudu may face another bumpy ride in her bid to clinch the SAN rank as the second stage of the selection process offers the public an opportunity to send petitions about shortlisted candidates. The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Bello, in a statement Thursday announcing the shortlisted candidates for the award, invited members of the public to comment on the integrity, reputation and competence of the shortlisted candidates. During the interview that will come up in October, shortlisted candidates will be confronted with complaints about their suitability for the rank. The first stage of selection of SANs from a pool of applicants was more about ensuring that each candidate met the basic requirements such as having the records of the minimum number of High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court judgements. The LPPC also conducts chambers inspection at the first stage of the selection process to ensure that candidates, especially lawyers working in private law firms, have the baseline facilities, libraries and financial records. PREMMIUM TIMES had reported that the LPPC, a body chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and established to give the prestigious rank to deserving lawyers annually is domiciled at the Supreme Court. Ms Bello, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, doubles as the secretary of the LPPC. Some of the shortlisted candidates include: Fumi Falana and Kayode Ajulo, both human rights lawyers; Emmanuel Enoidem, former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legal adviser; and Agada Elachi, erstwhile chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja branch. There are 12 academics including Ms Daudu on the list. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Supreme Court in Abuja has dismissed an appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the election of Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah. The APC and its governorship candidate in Enugu, Uche Nnaji, had in a joint pre-election suit, contested the emergence of Mr Mbah as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the March polls in the state. In its unanimous judgement on Friday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court said the appellants the APC and Mr Nnaji lodged a defective brief of argument. In the lead verdict delivered by Tijjani Abubakar, the Supreme Court held that the APC failed to present any logical reasons for the court to nullify Mr Mbahs candidacy. Mr Abubakar explained that the defective filing rendered the substantive suit incompetent. He thereafter dismissed the suit. The Court of Appeal had in July dismissed the appellants suit against the governor. In its decision, the appellate court held that the APCs suit was unmeritorious. The court fined the APC and Mr Nnaji N250,000 each, in favour of Mr Mbah and the PDP for filing a frivolous suit. Relying on the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, the Federal High Court in Enugu affirmed Mr Mbahs candidacy as the duly nominated governorship flag bearer of the PDP. There are precedents even from the Supreme Court where a political party is not allowed to challenge the nomination of candidates in another political party. The Electoral Act 2022 forbids such suits. However, lawyers and their litigants have stubbornly pursued party nominations up to the apex court, drawing the courts ire. Nigerias electoral commission, INEC, had declared Mr Mbah as the winner of the Enugu governorship election after he polled 160,895 votes to beat his closest challenger, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party who garnered 157,552 votes. The poll results showed Frank Nweke Jnr. of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA came third with 17,983 votes, while Mr Nnaji trailed with 14,575 votes. Mr Nnajis grouse was that Mr Mbah at the time of his nomination was not qualified to vie for elective due to allegations around certificate forgery. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, has sacked his commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Adamu Aliyu, for issuing a death threat to judges of the states governorship electoral petition tribunal . The Kano State Governments spokesperson, Halilu Dantiye, announced the sacking to reporters late Friday at a press conference at the Government House. Mr Dantiye said the governor also relieved Yusuf Imam, his Special Adviser on Youths of his appointment over a statement he made against Vice President Kashim Shettima. Mr Dantiye said the governor condemned the statements saying the statements did not represent the official position of the State Government under his leadership. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Aliyu made the statements during a protest and prayer session organised by the state government for a favourable outcome for the party at the election tribunal. Mr Aliyu also promised to unleash mayhem on residents of the state, one worse than what residents of neighbouring Kaduna and Zamfara are going through. He said if the tribunal judges ruled against his party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the petition before it, they may pay with their lives. I am sending this message to the tribunal judges, any judge that allows himself to be used and collect bribes and pass judgment that is not right, we want to tell him he must choose between his life and the bribe money he collected. We are promising you (our supporters), we are receiving your complaints, the votes you cast on his excellency (Governor Yusuf) will not go in vain unless we lose our lives or the Kano State will fall. Another message for the leaders. You have seen the conflict (banditry) in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina, I swear because of this governorship seat, everyone will die. The conflict that will start in Kano will be more deadly than the ones in those states and Borno, Mr Aliyu said. The event was attended by the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Baffa Bichi, a former deputy governor of the State, Hafiz Abubakar, top members of the states executive council and special advisers and assistants to the governor. Below is the full state from the State Government by Mr Dantiye The attention of the Kano State Government has been drawn to videos trending on social media platforms featuring the State Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Alh. Adamu Aliyu Kibiya making threatening statements on Judges of the Tribunal. While that of the Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, Alh Yusuf Imam making unguarded and disrespectful statements on His Excellency Alh Kashim Shettima GCON the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While condemning the unfortunate threat to the Judges and the disrespect shown to the VP, we wish to make it categorically clear that the views expressed do not represent the official position of the State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Alh Abba Kabir Yusuf. It is important to emphasise that neither of the two officials has any clearance to speak on behalf of the government and none of them serves as the official spokesperson of the government. Kano State Government under HE Abba Kabir Yusuf holds the Judiciary in very high esteem and expresses a tremendous amount of respect to justices and all judicial officers. Besides the good understanding between the government and people of Kano State and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Kano State Governor HE Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf deeply respects the person and office of the Vice President His Excellency Alh. Kashim Shettima GCON will not condone any iota of disrespect to the Vice President or any other Nigerian leader. For these reasons, the Governor of Kano State has relieved the two officials of their appointment with immediate effect: Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Alh Adamu A. Kibiya, and the Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, Alh Yusuf Imam. The Kano State Government has also directed that, henceforth, no official of government should speak on any matter outside the purview of their MDAs without express clearance and permission. Henceforth, Unguarded and inflammatory statements will not be condoned. The Ministry of Information is directed to ensure that all media outlets in the state especially radio stations are complying with the extant guidelines provided by regulatory agencies. While expressing our faith in the judicial process, believing very strongly that justice will prevail at all the levels of judicial processes, the Kano State Government wishes to call on all residents in the state to remain law-abiding and continue to go about their normal businesses without any hindrances, Mr Dantiye said. SIGNED: Hon. Baba Halilu Dantiye, MON, mini Commissioner of Information Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Let it be noted that the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that about 40 per cent of tourists cite culture as their motivation for travelling. Nigeria, with a nearly 220 million strong population, bristles with arts and culture. We are not even going to talk about the world of film or literature. A slice of the streets of Lagos, Kaduna, Ibadan, Abuja and elsewhere replays in Garoua, Harare, Ibiza, Joburg, Kampala, London, Mumbai, New York, all the way to Sao Paulo, Toronto and further afield. Now that Nigeria finally has a dedicated ministry, what is to stop the travel and tourism industry from growing leaps and bounds on the back of the countrys beauty, heritage and culture galore? The stage is set for the nation to welcome millions of visitors to Destination Nigeria, while creating jobs and extricating millions from dire poverty levels. Nigeria will mark this years World Tourism Day with a happy, expecting bounce in its step. The reasons are too many, not the least that tourism has a newly-minted standalone ministry in President Bola Tinubus federal cabinet. His reconfigured cabinet saw, among other changes, the long anticipated end of the co-habitation of tourism and government propaganda in one ministry. The reconfiguration has brought in Lola Ade-John, a corporate grandee, as the Minister of Tourism. Given her credentials, she is well placed to steer tourism to reignite the struggling economy through bringing the world to these shores to sample Nigerias beauty, heritage and culture galore. Crystal-ball gazers expect the sector will double the number of jobs it sustains, to exceed five million by 2032, and for tourism to grow its contribution to the GDP. The World Travel and Tourism Council pegs the sectors growth at an average rate of 5.4 per cent per year, hence significantly outpacing the 3 (per cent) growth rate of the overall economy. To be fair, what is to stop the sector from sustainably quadrupling its contribution to the national economy and supporting 10 million jobs? Also, what is to stop the country which lists Sukur Cultural Landscape and Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove as its only UNESCO designated World Heritage Sites from at least equaling Africas leading markets? Let it be noted that the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that about 40 per cent of tourists cite culture as their motivation for travelling. Nigeria, with a nearly 220 million strong population, bristles with arts and culture. We are not even going to talk about the world of film or literature. A slice of the streets of Lagos, Kaduna, Ibadan, Abuja and elsewhere replays in Garoua, Harare, Ibiza, Joburg, Kampala, London, Mumbai, New York, all the way to Sao Paulo, Toronto and further afield. Their clubs and airwaves offer music lovers some Chuku chuku and a bit of Wuru wuru. More fresh beats are available all over. Old musical talents Dr Alban, Alhaja Queen Salawa Abeni, Fela Kuti and many others left an enduring legacy that can, like todays music, be packaged to galvanise tourism. The same goes for places of interest and so on. Back to the upside, having the Emiratis and the Ugandans joining or rejoining the rest of the airlines that operate in Nigeria will spur tourism a sector that has the potential to contribute at least 10 per cent of the GDP and employ millions, or support a tenth of the workforce. Job-creation is urgent to cushion the sudden removal of fuel subsidies, a factor that exacerbates the sky-high cost of living and is leaving millions of Nigerians in poverty, says the World Bank. This is where Ms Ade-John comes in. Her experience spans leveraging and managing technology to drive strategic business results, writes Premium Times. Her journey features examples of IT innovation in banking and her arrival in civil service is well-timed, and the fraternity is already singing her praises. The protracted, ego-filled soap opera of tiffs and flight schedules, discriminatory COVID-19 tests and visa bans has, though belatedly, ended just weeks before World Tourism Day on 27th September. The story featured, as protagonists, the governments of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The costly soapie took its toll on travelers, flattened their purses, and had an adverse impact on trade and tourism in both countries, to varying degrees, even as they like the rest of the globe were still smarting from the effects of COVID-19 that took scores of lives and left battered economies in its wake. However, tourism has recovered in most regions. Now, as reported on Monday after Tinubus meeting with his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has after a year of negotiating or muscle-flexing lifted its travel ban on Nigerian travelers. Further, Emirates and Etihad Airways will resume their flight schedules into and out of Nigeria at an unstated date. Coincidentally, the UAE deal comes on the heels of Uganda Airlines announcement of its inaugural flight from Entebbe, Uganda, to Lagos on 19th October. Things are looking rosy, if you ignore the zigging and zagging soapie: Nigeria Air. Paraded to the world back in July 2018, the airline crawled from the cradle, in May this year, only to be almost instantly yanked by limbo. This July, it was put under suspension when Festus Keyamo began his shift as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. So, whats been flying and wagging back and forth are fingers of accusations. Regardless of whos in the ring and why or whos right, the imbroglio hurts Destination Nigeria. Back to the upside, having the Emiratis and the Ugandans joining or rejoining the rest of the airlines that operate in Nigeria will spur tourism a sector that has the potential to contribute at least 10 per cent of the GDP and employ millions, or support a tenth of the workforce. Job-creation is urgent to cushion the sudden removal of fuel subsidies, a factor that exacerbates the sky-high cost of living and is leaving millions of Nigerians in poverty, says the World Bank. At last count, the institution estimated that almost a third of the population lives below the poverty line. a question thats easy to forget in economies without standalone ministries, is: What discerns one destination from the next? Put differently, why do people go to Thailand, or to France? These are some of the things that the fraternity, not forgetting the newish ministry, must perfect or introduce strategically to catapult Destination Nigeria. It is urgent. Ideas and answers to buoy the industry have been streaming from before the ministry came into being. While tourism here was over-reliant on domestic travelers, who in 2019 spent US$10.4 billion (or a hefty 87 per cent of the total), domestic travelers are decreasing by the day and their contributions likewise. In the three years to 2019, the country hosted nearly six million international tourist arrivals (in the league of Cote dIvoire and Kenya but ahead of Ethiopia). Traffic to Morocco and South Africa is, respectively, six and five times larger than Nigerias. The number of arrivals, and the $1.6 billion they inject into the Nigerian economy, is puny when contrasted to those two African nations. Now that theres a dedicated ministry, we expect huge improvements to the nearly two million arrivals and the $1.6 billion they add to the economy. Given that the UNWTO lists air connectivity among key points for economies to unlock benefits, it is fair to suggest that half the battle has been won but that requires consistent slugging. Added to air connectivity, visa openness is another cog, according to the UNWTO. Nigeria should recalibrate its visa regime and migration processes to grow its numbers of visitors coming from beyond West Africa. The curiously low-hanging fruit would be to attract visitors from neighbouring states, especially as many African nationalities are already either visa exempted or they get visas on arrival in Nigeria. This is an example of the reason why easing visa restrictions can encourage inbound traffic, although it wont automatically bring in tourists. For instance, Nigerias visa regime is less open than Ethiopias. However, Ethiopia underperforms Nigeria. Thats despite the former having the public relations mileage deriving from its carrier, and numerous heritage sites. Further to the foregoing, with the exception of Thailand and Turkiye, countries in the Top 10 of international tourist arrivals have rigid visa regimes. Consider that the list, topped by France (at 90 million), is dominated by Schengen nations. The winning formula, which ought to capitalise on the regional market, takes a lot more than visa openness and a flag carrier. A well-built, graded and fairly regulated tourism industry (to maintain global standards), replete with human capital, backed by infrastructure and supportive government, is even more important. In contrast, a question thats easy to forget in economies without standalone ministries, is: What discerns one destination from the next? Put differently, why do people go to Thailand, or to France? These are some of the things that the fraternity, not forgetting the newish ministry, must perfect or introduce strategically to catapult Destination Nigeria. It is urgent. Ideas and answers to buoy the industry have been streaming from before the ministry came into being. Unsurprisingly, arts and culture dominate the discourse. The fortunes of tourism and culture are closely linked. When one thrives, the other does too, remarked UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili at the organisations Global Conference on Linking Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries. Tellingly that inaugural event, held last year, was hosted by Lagos home to Afrobeats, and a bustling and melting pot of tourism, culture and creative industries. With that, and while identifying other culture and creative mega events to host, the sector will benefit from strong ties between Ms. Ade-Johns team and their counterparts at the Hannatu Musawa-led Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy. The economy will look to tourism to breathe life into it in these trying times. The world is ready to sample more of Nigeria. The stage is set. Shoks Mnisi Mzolo is a roving storyteller with a background in arts & culture and financial journalism. He also works as an independent researcher and is an avid traveler. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful All praise is due to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be upon Allahs Messenger, his Companions and whosoever follows his guidance. Dear brothers and sisters, the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that hit Morocco last week was a rare occurrence. It was the deadliest the country has experienced in more than 60 years. At least almost 2,900 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured. The quake left thousands of people homeless, forced many to evacuate and prompted authorities to declare three days of mourning. Al-Haouz was the hardest hit area, but other provinces including Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant were also dealt significant blows. Some remote villages were wiped out completely, and rescue teams are facing challenges reaching others. This was the deadliest earthquake registered in Morocco since 1960 when a 5.8 quake struck Agadir. That earthquake was of a relatively lower magnitude and much less intense, but it inflicted a high number of casualties due to conditions at the time, including the lower structural integrity of buildings. It killed an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people and made tens of thousands homeless. Earthquakes with an intensity like Fridays are rare in the region, with no magnitude 6.8 or higher event being recorded within 300km (186 miles) of the epicentre, according to the US Geological Survey. Meanwhile, more than 5,000 people are presumed dead and 10,000 missing after heavy rains in northeastern Libya caused two dams to collapse, surging more water into already inundated areas. Tamer Ramadan, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Libya, gave the numbers of missing people during a briefing to reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday. At least 5,300 people are thought dead, said the interior ministry of Libyas eastern government on Tuesday, state media LANA reported. I cannot been able to independently verify the number of deaths or those missing. Of those who were killed, at least 145 were Egyptian, officials in the northeastern city of Tobruk, in Libya, said on Tuesday. In the eastern city of Derna, which has seen the worst of the devastation, as many as 6,000 people remain missing, Uthman Abduljalil, health minister in Libyas eastern administration, told Libyas Almasar TV. He called the situation catastrophic, when he toured the city on Monday. Whole neighbourhoods are believed to have been washed away in the city, according to authorities. Hospitals in Derna are no longer operable and the morgues are full, said Osama Aly, an Emergency and Ambulance service spokesperson. Dead bodies have been left outside the morgues on the sidewalks, he said. Anas Barghathy, a doctor currently volunteering in Derna said, there are no first-hand emergency services. People are working at the moment to collect the rotting bodies. Respected brothers and sisters, indeed Allah, the Exalted and Most High, is All-Wise and All-Knowing concerning what He decrees and ordains just as He is All-Wise and All-Knowing regarding what He has legislated, and commanded He creates whatever He wills from signs and occurrences within His creation. He decrees them to put fear into His servants, and as a reminder for them of that which He has obligated upon them in fulfilment of His rights and to warn them from falling into polytheism by associating partners with Him (shirk), to remind them about opposing His commands, and from falling into what He has prohibited just as He Almighty stated: And We sent not the signs except to warn and to make them afraid (of Allahs punishment). [Surah al-Isra: 59] Dear servants of Allah, as you can see, Tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fire and other disasters have been occurring throughout the passage of time. Seeing the human suffering, death and destruction we are all shaken. It is difficult to forget the scenes of death, pain, cries of people, men women and children. Those who believe in Allah are concerned to know why Allah allowed these disasters to happen. Those who do not believe in Allah are ready to exploit this disaster to argue against Allah or His existence. We see in this world all kinds of sufferings, evil and pain. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. We also see people who commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders, violence and wars. We know all these and many other problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are disasters. There are sufferings for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people. The world, however, is not all evil. Beside all these negative things we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We see a lot of virtue and piety. It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well then those who starve. There are more people who live decent life then those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly. Respected brothers and sisters, earthquakes, floods and other disasters continue to strike, and over the years, many theories have been put forth attempting to explain how these disasters occur and how they can be minimised, yet most Muslims are unaware that most of these theories contradict the very fundamentals of Islam. Also, many Muslims are simply oblivious to their Islamic obligations when these calamities strike. Furthermore, while most people may only view the occurrence of such events as disastrous because their understanding of this topic is purely scientific, Islam clearly explains the wisdom behind this destruction. Therefore, this sermon primarily aims to give the Islamic perspective on this topic. Not only did Allah Almighty create the universe, but He also controls its affairs. He Almighty said: Allah alternates the day and the night. Surely this is a lesson for insightful people. [Quran, 24:44] He also said: The alternation of the day and the night, the provisions that Allah sends from the skieswhich revive the earth after its death and the shifting of the winds are signs for people of understanding. [Quran, 45:5] In fact, Allah Almighty constantly arranges the universes affairs. He himself said: He is constantly arranging the affairs. [Quran, 55:29] Therefore, Allah Almighty creates and controls earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, storms, and other disasters. He said: Every calamity that befalls you or occurs on the earth was written in a book before it occurred. [Quran, 57:22] He also said: A calamity can only occur if Allah permits its occurrence. [Quran, 64:11] He also said: Ads story contains a lesson. We sent a violent wind to destroy his people. The wind reduced everything to shreds. Thamuds story contains another lesson. It was said to his people: Enjoy yourselves for a short period. They continued to defy their Lords command, so We seized them with a mighty blast when they were looking. They were not able to stand, nor were they given any assistance. Nuhs people were also destroyed. They were truly sinful. [Quran, 51:41-46] Furthermore, Jabir Ibn Abdullah (RA) narrated: When [this part of] the Quranic verse: Say: He [i.e. Allah] alone has the power to unleash a torment upon you from above [Quran, 6:65] was revealed, Allahs Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: I seek refuge with Your Face. When [the remainder of] the verse: or from beneath you [Quran, 6:65] was revealed, Allahs Messenger (Peace be upon him) [again] said: I seek refuge with Your Face. [Bukhari] Imam Al-Baghawi (rahimahullah) commented: Torment from above is like a blast, or stones, or wind, or excessive rain that causes widespread flooding, as Allah unleashed upon the people of Ad, Thamud, Shuaib, Lut and Nuh. From beneath you is like an earthquake or a gaping hole that swallows up people, as Allah unleashed upon the people of Prophet Shuaib and Qarun [See Tafsir of Imam Al-Baghawi, vol. 3, page 153] Therefore, Allah creates and controls these disasters; therefore, whoever describes them as natural disasters has committed shirk (polytheism), since this person not only claims nature creates and controls these catastrophes, but he also claims nature controls the universe. Therefore, this person is a mushrik since he ascribed a partner with Allah in His Lordship. Whoever says that an earthquake is a natural disaster is a kafir, since he ascribed [the cause of] the earthquake to nature, and nature itself is incapable of creating or altering [the creation]. This is the Islamic verdict of the person who says this. [See Al-Hukm fi man yaqulu innal Zil-zal wal-faidaanaat kawarithu Tabiiyyah, by Shaikh Muqbil Ibn Hadi al-Wadii] Only atheists describe these catastrophes as natural disasters, as they deny Allahs existence, far less for believing that He controls the universe. Shaikh Muqbil Ibn Hadi al-Wadii (rahimahullah) also said: Atheists, those who disbelieve in Allah, ascribe these events to nature. Seismologists, many of whom are atheists, say a sudden release of stress along faults in the earths crust causes earthquakes. The continuous motion of tectonic plates causes a steady increase in pressure and stress until they are released as a sudden jolt. The resulting waves of seismic energy propagate through the ground and over its surface causing the shaking we perceive as earthquakes. While Islam may not necessarily reject this theory because it is based on observable data, Muslims say Allah ultimately is the One who creates and controls earthquakes and other calamities, since He is the One who commands and controls the elements and factorslike pressure, temperature, and stressto steadily increase between the tectonic plates until they cause an earthquake. This proves that scientific theories and Islamic legislation may not always necessarily contradict each other. In recent times, the domains of social and political science have become dominated with climate crisis theories that posit the earth as an interdependent ecosystem, such that the planet and its creatures are solely reliant on each other for the continuation and prosperity of the earth. These climate hoax ideas are formulated from atheist darwinist theories that make their parishioners believe that the earth will capitulate soon without human intervention. They have even renamed the earth Gaia and created a new culture of Uluhiyyah (i.e. servitude) in which humans must be in service to the earth, a form of deity that provides for them. This emerging clima-church is frightening people into the belief that what they refer to as natural disasters are caused solely by the actions of humans. To them, earthquakes, floods, storms, hurricanes, and even global warming are the result of human behaviour alone, and the only solution to these problems are authoritarian mandates, such as ubiquitous carbon footprint tracking and restrictions and of course more carbon and environmental taxes. While Muslims do not deny that humans can cause harm to the environment by Allahs permission, the belief of the clima-cult stems from kufr (i.e. disbelief) and exaggeration. Muslims, particularly those in universities and the field of education, must be aware of this and be very careful, as these theories completely disregard Allahs Rububiyyah (i.e. His Lordship). Mankinds sins and transgressions may cause Allah to unleash these catastrophes, as Allah Almighty said: We would never destroy a society unless its people persistently transgressed. [Quran, 28:59] He Almighty also said: Allah drew the example of a society that was safe and secure. It received its provision abundantly from every place, but its people were ungrateful, so Allah made them taste the clutches of hunger and fear for their misdeeds [i.e. their ungratefulness, etc.]. [Quran, 16:112] He also said: Whatever affliction befalls you resulted from your own doing. [Quran, 42:30] Consequently, Safiyyah Bint Abi Aubai (RA) relayed: An earthquake occurred in the time of Umar Ibn al-Khattab (RA), so he said: O people, what is this?! How hasty are you to commit what you have committed [i.e. sins and transgressions]! If you continue this, I will leave this place. [See Musnad al-Faruq, 188] Therefore, if sinning causes Allah to unleash these catastrophes, we can deduce that obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions will minimise them. However, Allah himself explicitly mentions this. He said in one instance: Had they observed the Torah, the Gospel, and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would have been overwhelmed with provisions from above and below. [Quran, 5:66] In another instance, Allah Almighty said: Had the people of those societies believed and been fearful, We would have overwhelmed them with blessings from heaven and earth, but they disbelieved, so We seized them for what they used to commit [i.e. sins]. [Quran, 7:96] Dear brothers and sisters, mankinds intellect is limited, so we may be incapable of comprehending any possible wisdom resulting from death and destruction; however, AllahWho is the Most Wisemay send these signs to scare humanity so that they may reflect upon their actions, remember their defiance of His commands and their indulgence in His prohibitions, repent from their sins, and remember Him more frequently. Allah The Most High said about these catastrophes: We only send these signs to terrorise them. [Quran, 17:59] Qatadah (RA) commented in these Quranic verse that: Allah terrorises the people with whatever he desires so they may reflect [upon their actions], or remember [their defiance], or repent [from their sins]. [See Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, vol. 5, page 91] Also, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: Verily, the sun and the moon are two signs among Allahs signs. He utilises them to frighten his servants. Death does not cause the sun and the moon to eclipse. [Muslim] This destruction may also be a test and trial from Allah. Allah Almighty said: Do you think you will be admitted into Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were afflicted with suffering and adversity and [their hearts] were violently shaken such that even the Messenger and the believers cried out: When will Allahs help arrive? [Quran, 2:214] Shaikh Muqbil Ibn Hadi al-Wadii (rahimahullah) concluded: These signs may be a test and trial, or they may be terrorising events. Regardless, a Muslim must never conjure up bad thoughts about his Lord, which is a characteristic of the hypocrites and the polytheists. Allah Almighty said: He may punish the hypocrites and the polytheists who harbour evil thoughts of Allah. May ill-fate befall them! Allah is displeased with them. He has condemned them and prepared Hell for them. What an evil destination. [Quran, 6:48] Whenever such catastrophes occur, a Muslim must quickly engage in repentance, in Allahs remembrance (Zikr), and in supplication (Dua). The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: Death does not cause these signs that Allah sends. Allah utilises them to frighten his servants, so if you see one of these signs, hasten to supplicate, to make azkar, and to repent. [Bukhari and Muslim] Shaikh Ibn Baz (rahimahullah) giving advice on this topicmentioned that: Every Muslim must repent, make abundant Zikr and istighfar, supplicate, and ask Allah for safety and wellbeing. [See an-Nasiha Haulal-Zil-zal] If a Muslim resides in a non-Muslim country, he should try to make Hijrah; otherwise, the disbelievers, the polytheists, and other sinners will constantly surround him. Consequently, Umar Ibn al-Khattab (RA) addressing the Muslims during his reign as the Muslim leader said: If you continue this [i.e. sinning and transgressing], I will leave this place. And fleeing from sinners is an established practice, for the monk advised the man who killed one hundred people to forsake his land for this very reason. The monk said: You should go to such and such land. There are devoted worshipers there, so you can accompany them in worship. Do not return to your land since it is evil [i.e. populated with sinners and transgressors]. [Muslim] Some scholars say prayer is also legislated. The Hadith of Ibn Abbas (RA) supports this. Ikrimah (RA) narrated: Ibn Abbas (RA) was informed that so and so, a certain wife of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), died. He fell prostrating. He was questioned: Why do you prostrate at this time? He said: Allahs Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: When you see a sign [i.e. a disaster], prostrate. And which sign [i.e. disaster] is greater than the death of one of the Prophets wives. [Abu Dawud] Furthermore, showing compassion and empathy is recommended since the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: Al-Rahman (Allah) shows mercy to the merciful. If you show mercy to the earths inhabitants, He who is in the heaven will show you mercy. [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmizi] As a result, Umar Ibn AbdulAziz (RA) would command the governors to give charity (Sadaqah) after an earthquake. Therefore, giving charity is legislated. Additionally, aiding any Muslim victims is advised, as they may require assistance. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: If a Muslim fulfilled his brothers needs, Allah will fulfil that Muslims needs. [Bukhari and Muslim] Respected servants of Allah, earthquakes will progressively occur much more frequently, for the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: The Hour will not be established until: knowledge will be taken away, earthquakes will occur very frequently, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, murders will increase, and money will overflow from amongst you. [Bukhari] This prophecy validates the Messengers (Peace be upon him) prophethood, since statistical data shows that the frequency of earthquakes has increased significantly. Finally, although statistical data also shows that the magnitude of recent earthquakes has intensified, the shaking of the earth when the Hour will be established is incomparable. Ponder the Allah Almightys statement: When the earth is violently shaken, and the mountains crumble and turn to dust. [Quran, 56:4-6] He also said: When the earth is shaken with its [final] quake, and the earth discharges the deceased. [Quran, 99:1-2] He also said: O humanity! Fear your Lord, for the violent quaking at the Hour is surely a dreadful thing. On that Day, every mother will abandon her nursing child, and every pregnant woman will deliver her baby [prematurely], and people will appear to be drunk, but they will not be drunk. [Quran, 22:1-2] Therefore, not only will the rumbling earth cause the mountains Allah planted so firmly into the ground to crumble and turn to dust, but it will also cause the earth to discharge the deceased. It will cause a terror and a fear that will cause a mother who would always protect her children to abandon her offspring at the most vulnerable stage of his life. It will even induce labour prematurely. Furthermore, it will cause the people to appear to be drunk, but they will not be drunk. Their condition will be like this on that day. Consequently, Allah described this final shake as: A dreadful thing. [Quran, 22:1] Therefore, as a reprimand, those who were given authority over others like a leader, or a father, or a husband must not allow this authority to overpower those who have less authority and power, for Allahs Strength and Power is incomparable. He Almighty said: Certainly, Allah is the Provider, Owner of Strength, the Powerful. [Quran, 51:58] May Allah Almighty make us obedient servants, and may He protect us from any future atrocities. If, however, He decreed that an atrocity would strike us, may He provide quick relief and aid. If any lives were lost, may He have mercy upon the deceased Muslims, and may He grant them martyrdom. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: The martyrs are five: Whoever drowns, or dies from plague, or from a stomach illness, or from fallen debris, or from fighting in Allahs path is a martyr. [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim] Dear brothers and sisters, the happening of many earthquakes and floods is among the signs of the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: The Hour will not happen until knowledge will be uplifted and many earthquakes will take place. [Bukhari] Also, among the signs of the Hour is the occurrence of three major landslides. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) when mentioning the ten signs of the Day of Judgement, said: and three major landslides, one in the East, one in the West and one in the Arabic peninsula [Muslim] The earthquakes, floods and other signs in this universe are a lesson for the believer. Allah frightens His servants with such occurrences so that a Muslim should take heed and repent, and fear that what happened to others could have happened to him because of his sins. Besides, among other lessons that a Muslim learns from such an incident is that in the Sight of Allah the creation is of no value when they disobey Him, and a Muslim should remember, by the occurrence of such earthquakes and floods, the horror of the Day of Judgement and the destruction that the whole universe will undergo. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers. Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761. This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Safar 29, 1445 AH (September 15, 2023). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The six-point-eight earthquake that hit the High Atlas mountain range of the Moroccan Kingdom last Friday claimed 2,901 lives and injured 5,530. The number of casualties is likely to rise, and we may never know how many more will die. Also, quite tragically, we may never know how many might have survived had the Moroccan government not played the parochial politics of rejecting help from friends and foes alike except Spain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Even the quartet had to wait for two days before receiving the green light to deploy. When an earthquake occurs, it is an emergency, and every second counts as it is a race against time. In fact, after the first 24 hours, the chances of finding survivors begin to dim as victims may be trapped with life-threatening injuries and may die unless they are not only quickly rescued but also given emergency treatment. There is what is called the 72-hour golden period for saving lives, after which hope of finding survivors is lost. So, quick and immediate rescue is crucial, as some victims may be trapped in places with little oxygen, others may be weighed down by debris, or they may even be faced with amputation. This is more so in the Moroccan case, in which collapsing buildings have been mainly responsible for many of the casualties. Also, all some may need to survive is water. There is also the matter of aftershocks. So, any assistance available must be grabbed, as life has no duplicate. In many cases, an earthquake victim is like a drowning person, who, as a British proverb says, will clutch at a straw. Therefore, the decision of Moroccan King Mohammed VI to reject almost all aid after the quake struck, based on claims of the need to maintain the countrys sovereignty and ensure co-ordination, is playing parochial politics and constitutes a crime against the quake victims. What can the dying Moroccan trapped under rubble care about his countrys sovereignty? All he needs is to be rescued, irrespective of the colour, religion, or political persuasion of his rescuer. It would not even matter to him if his rescuer was a dog. Algeria is Moroccos neighbour, and both countries are virtually the same: Ninety nine per cent of Algerians are Arabs and Berbers, while 98 per cent of Moroccans are Arabs and Berbers. In fact, Ahmed Ben Bella, the revolutionary who was Algerias founding president, was the child of Moroccan migrants. However, both countries differ on the status of the Saharawi of Western Sahara, another country with mainly Berber stock. While Morocco occupies most of Western Sahara, claiming it as part of its kingdom, Algeria insists that the Saharawi, who are the brothers and sisters of both countries, should be allowed the freedom to run their country. Despite such differences, immediately after the earthquake occurred, Algeria offered to come across the border to aid the victims and save lives. The Moroccan government, through its Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahabi, like any reasonable government would, accepted the offer, but with the caveat that the aid be delivered in coordination with the Moroccan Foreign Ministry. Based on this, Algeria opened its airspace for humanitarian flights and mobilised 80 emergency personnel and three military aircraft carrying humanitarian aid. After waiting for two days, a counter-order came, rejecting the Algerian offer. The rejection was in line with King Mohammed VIs view stated in a speech in 2022: The Sahara issue is the lens through which Morocco looks at the world. France, which had colonised Morocco but had subsequently become a close ally, offered immediate assistance. But France had recently angered the Moroccan monarchy when, unlike the United States and Israel, it declined to recognise Western Sahara as part of Morocco. The latters reaction to Frances aid offer was a total rejection. French President Emmanuel Macron, disappointed by the Moroccan rejection, lamented: We are here and we are able to provide direct humanitarian aid We will be there in the long term on a humanitarian and medical level for reconstruction, cultural and heritage aid, and in all areas where the Moroccan people and the government consider that we will be useful. It released five million euros in aid to Moroccan NGOs for relief work. Rescuers Without Borders, a non-state French organisation, was also unable to enter Morocco. Its founder, Arnaud Fraisse, told the media: Unfortunately, we still dont have the go-ahead from the Moroccan government All of our team members who train regularly year-round for this type of thing are miserable that they couldnt leave and put their skills to use. Morocco also snubbed Germany, which had assembled a 50-person team from its Technical Relief Agency that had gathered at Cologne airport for a flight to Morocco. Germany has, like France, fallen foul of Moroccos insistence that its colonisation of Western Sahara must be accepted. To this snub, the Chair of the German Parliament Group on the Maghreb responded: It is incomprehensible that Rabat has so far forgone German help The current situation should not be about misunderstood national pride. Vladimir Vlcek, the Director General of a Czech rescue service that assembled a 70-person team, said the reason they were denied permission could be political, religious, or any other reason. A puzzle is why Morocco snubbed the United States, which has not only supported its skewed foreign policy but whose immediate past President Donald Trump had also donated Western Sahara to it. There may be brewing problems between them that are not apparent, but what is clear is the Moroccan monarchs macabre foreign policy dance. For instance, after its deviant attitude led to the collapse of the Arab Maghreb Union, AMU, rather than mend fences and try to revive it, Morocco, which is in North Africa, applied to join the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. When the Organisation of African States rejected its attempts to recolonize Western Sahara after the Spanish colonisers left, Morocco stormed out of the continental body, returning on January 31, 2017, after 33 years in the cold. So, rather than accept badly needed international aid, Morocco prefers its citizens to use pick axes and their bare hands to dig concrete rubble. The aid intended for Morocco could well go to Libya, where on September 10, 2023, Storm Daniel hit, resulting in 5,300 deaths, about 10,000 missing and neighborhoods washed away by floodwaters. However, the tragedy is that there are warring rival governments in that country, and for them, aid for the flood victims is part of the eclectic wars being waged by war lords controlled by various countries. Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The terminology "Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh" contradicts the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada said, Trend reports. He made the remark, commenting on the anti-Azerbaijani statement voiced at a US Senate hearing by acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Affairs Yuri Kim. "The reference to the peace treaty's reflection of the rights and security of the 'Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh' with respect to the Armenians living in Karabakh contradicts Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as it contains terminology purposefully used by Armenia to promote separatism in our territories. At the same time, this reference is disrespectful towards the rights of Azerbaijanis who were expelled from there as a result of Armenia's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We would like to remind that the Armenians currently living in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region are not all segments of the population of this region," he noted. The Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) has decorated the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr Umar Danbatta, with the award of Fellowship of the Nigeria Institute of Labour (NIL) under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. At the conferment ceremony in Abuja recently, which was part of the series of events marking the 40 Anniversary/Founders Day of the Institute, the Director-General of the Institute, Mr Isa Aremu, said Mr Danbatta, a professor of engineering was being recognised for his exemplary contributions and that of his team to the betterment of the Commission and national workforce. Alongside Mr Danbatta, the Director, Human Capital and Administration of the Commission, Mr Usman Malah, who is driving the effectiveness of the workforce at NCC was also honoured with a fellowship. Speaking at the event, Mr Danbatta, who was represented by Mr Malah, at the event, underscored the significance of collectively supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of Nigerian workers through increased access to affordable telecom services. Mr Danbatta stated that only through a digitally skilled and informed workforce could Nigeria fast-track national productivity and development, alongside other initiatives being put in place by the Federal Government. He said the Commission would ensure affordable and ubiquitous telecom services to improve Nigerian workers daily activities. While expressing gratitude for the recognition to him and Mr Malah, Mr Danbatta assured of his continued support to empowering NCC staff in improving skills, education and sundry capacity-building activities as well as stimulating the deployment of robust broadband infrastructure for bolstering job creation for Nigerians and improving national productivity. Meanwhile, the MINILS Director-General, Aremu, commended the Commission for promoting the deployment of telecommunications services to improve productivity and efficiency across different sectors of the economy. We have witnessed the amazing transformation in terms of broadband penetration, Internet subscribers and many other achievements recorded under the leadership of Mr Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC and how the telecom sector, regulated by the Commission he leads, has improved national productivity, Mr Aremu said. Mr Aremu stated that Mr Danbatta has played a pivotal role in transforming and advancing the nations digital space and acknowledged that his commitment to bridging the digital divide and creating employment opportunities in the telecommunications sector has earned him accolades nationwide. The anniversary, which featured conferment of Fellowship of the NIL on other chief executives and heads of Human Resources divisions of some government agencies alongside the NCC Management executives, not only celebrated the events of the past but also set the stage for a brighter future, showcasing the importance of fair labour practices, knowledge and continued collaboration between various government agencies. Aside from the new Fellowship of NIL, Mr Danbatta is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Renewable and Alternative Energy Society; the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, and the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Four people were killed while about 30 others were abducted when terrorists attacked Giyawa, a community in the Goronyo area of Sokoto State on Thursday. The attack, which residents said began around 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, continued until 04:00 a.m. Thursday. The impunity with which these bandits launch attacks is scary. They stormed the community in the night and only left early morning. They abducted several people in the village after killing four others, Jamilu Muhammad, a resident of Goronyo town said. He said at the last count, around 4:00 p.m., 30 people had been abducted. He said those killed have been buried. My brother, Maniru Bello, was killed in his house by the bandits. They fired several shots but when the bullets couldnt penetrate him, they used a huge stone in the house to break his head, Maryam Bello, who now lives in the capital city, Sokoto, said. READ ALSO: She said the terrorists did not take anything from the house after killing her brother. They also did not abduct anyone among his family members. It was terrible. May Allah forgive his shortcomings. Some residents of communities around Giyawa, especially Boyekai and Danhwaru, have been fleeing their villages for safer places with others crossing to the Niger Republic on foot. Things are becoming unbearable, a resident of Goronyo told PREMIUM TIMES via a WhatsApp voice note. He asked for his name not to be published for security reasons. Many of the villages around Giyawa are now deserted and towns like Goronyo are filled with IDPs. These people dont go to farms that are far away from their communities because of the terrorists. An official of Goronyo Local Government who asked for anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the press, confirmed the attack to PREMIUM TIMES over the phone. We just returned from the community where the chairman paid a condolence visit to families of those killed, he said. The state police spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai didnt respond to calls from PREMIUM TIMES but he confirmed the attack in an interview with a local radio, Rima FM in Sokoto While he confirmed that four people were killed, Mr Rufai said only 18 residents were abducted and seven of those abducted escaped before reaching the terrorists hideout. Goronyo, located in the eastern part of Sokoto State, is one of the most vulnerable areas in terms of terrorist activities. Other areas in eastern Sokoto like Isa, Sabon Birni, Gada, Rabah, Wurno, Illela, and Gwadabawa have all been witnessing a series of terrorist activities for almost a decade. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Kano State Commissioner of Lands, Adamu Aliyu, on Thursday, issued a death threat to the judges of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. Mr Aliyu also promised to unleash mayhem on residents of the state, one worse than what residents of neighbouring Kaduna and Zamfara are going through. Residents of mainly rural communities in Kaduna and Zamfara are being attacked, killed and abducted by terror gangs locally called bandits. These attacks have continued for more than a decade. Suggesting that judges of the tribunal may have been bribed to rule against his party, Mr Aliyu said if the tribunal judges ruled against his party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the petition before it, they may pay with their lives. The election of the governor of the state, Abba Yusuf, is being challenged at the tribunal by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasiru Gawuna. The tribunal is yet to fix a date to deliver its judgement on the petition. Mr Aliyu made the statements, on Thursday, while addressing members of the NNPP during a solidarity protest of the party. READ ALSO: The gathering also doubled as a prayer session for an outcome favourable to the party at the election tribunal. A video of the commissioner issuing the threat was later posted on Facebook by both NNPP and APC. members. I am sending this message to the tribunal judges, any judge that allows himself to be used and collect bribes and pass judgement that is not right, we want to tell him he must choose between his life and the bribe money he collected. We are promising you (our supporters), we are receiving your complaints, the votes you cast on his excellency (Governor Yusuf) will not go in vain unless we lose our lives or the Kano state will fall. Another message for the leaders. You have seen the conflict (banditry) in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina, I swear because of this governorship seat, everyone will die. The conflict that will start in Kano will be more deadly than the ones in those states and Borno, Mr Aliyu said. The protests and the prayer sessions simultaneously took place at six locations Katsina Road, Gwarzo Road, Madobi/Sharada Road, Zaria Road, Maiduguri Road, and Hadejia Road. The event was attended by the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Baffa Bichi, a former deputy governor of the State, Hafiz Abubakar, top members of the states executive council and special advisers and assistants to the governor. On 26 August, the states governor and his political godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso, led a similar mass event for the success of their party at the election petition tribunal. During the initial event, an Islamic cleric Sani Shir described those challenging the election of the states governor, at the tribunal as enemies of the state, and prayed for God to destroy them. Ban on gatherings over tribunal judgement The police in Kano State, on Monday, banned all forms of protests being planned by the members of the NNPP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in preparation for the governorship election tribunal judgement in the state. Tension is high in the state as members of the NNPP and APC await the outcome of the governorship election petition. A few weeks ago, the tribunal accused an unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of attempting to bribe her with N10 billion to temper with justice in the course of delivering judgment. The police accused both the NNPP and APC of deliberate plans to foment trouble by sponsoring protests in the state. The police commissioner in the state, Muhammad Gumel, in a statement, said the command had banned all forms of protest to prevent possible clashes and uprisings. When reached for clarification on the statement Friday afternoon, Mr Aliyu confirmed that he made the statement and he stands by it. I made the statement. This is our stand because people have voted for us and in the last hundred days the government have performed and people have witnessed development. But we are not happy with the way things are going. If there is justice, there will be peace and we need nothing but justice. My statement was not targeted at the fair and just judges, but at the opposite ones and this is our stand, Mr Aliyu told PREMIUM TIMES. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria has no business with poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment because of its enormous human capacity and natural resources. He assured that under his leadership, the narrative will be positively and permanently changed because he is not a president that would give excuses. Mr Tinubu stated this while receiving a delegation from Rivers State, south-south Nigeria, at the State House, Abuja on Thursday. The 62-member delegation led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, comprised leaders of the two major parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Former Rivers governor and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Onueze Okocha, were also part of the delegation. We are not meant to be in a position to be poor. We will turn the tide! Somewhere, somehow in this storm, theres a quiet and peaceful place for us. We will locate it! We are not lazy people. We are richly endowed. We just need to be our brothers keeper, and good neighbours to one another. I am not a president that will give excuses. I will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will run aggressively forward. Today, we may be swimming against the tide. But the waves will soon propel us forward from behind. We will achieve the goals and dreams of our forefathers. I am inspired by the nation of people I now lead, the president said. Mr Tinubu said he had heard the cries of prominent indigenes of the state on infrastructure development in Rivers State with particular reference to the Eleme Junction-Onne axis of the East-West Road, linking the Port Harcourt Refinery. The president said Mr Wike is his adviser and that he would follow up on the issue for prompt action. The Honourable Minister, Wike, is not just the Minister of FCT, he is also my adviser and an admirer of mine. He has hit the ground running and he should be encouraged by the state, he stated. He said the former governor had left big shoes to fill for the new governor and that as one of his most trusted allies, Rivers State would always have direct access to him in their joint march toward sustainable development. Advising the younger generation to be more patient with the processes of government, Mr Tinubu said, I am the captain and chief salesman of the country. We have to reverse the trend and achieve possibilities within a short period of time. Our people have high expectations for us. I pledge to work hard, and I pray to God to put me on the right path, not to disappoint Nigerians. Earlier in his remarks, Mr Fubara told the president that the delegation, which included leaders of political parties, and past and present members of the state and national assemblies across parties, was on a solidarity and thank you visit. The people of Rivers State voted for you in the last general elections based on their belief in fairness, equity and justice. This is the first time that Rivers State is truly feeling the impact of the federal government since the inception of democracy in 1999, he said. The governor noted that the delegation greatly appreciated the president for appointing capable sons and daughters of the state into highly strategic positions within his administration. He particularly thanked the president for the appointments of Mr Wike as FCT minister and Ajuri Ngelale as his special adviser on media and publicity. He also thanked him for appointing other sons and daughters of Rivers State into the boards and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other institutions. Mr Fubara applauded the president for attracting $14 billion dollars investment approval for projects nationwide during the G-20 Summit, including the expansion of Indorama Petrochemicals in Eleme, Rivers State, adding that the state had just allocated 209 hectares of land in support of the new investment. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, said they have busted a gang of kidnappers in Nnewi Ichi, a community in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Thursday, said a kidnap victim was rescued when police operatives raided a hideout belonging to the hoodlums in the community. Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the rescued victim was conveyed to a hospital in the community for treatment. The police spokesperson said one of the suspects was arrested during the operation. He said the operatives raided the hideout on Wednesday in collaboration with local vigilante operatives in the area. The operation was in response to a tip-off about the hideout, he said. One pump action gun and two locally fabricated hand grenades were among the items recovered from the hoodlums, according to the police. The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, has commended the police and local vigilante operatives for the successful collaboration against the hoodlums in the state, Mr Ikenga said. Mr Adeoye said the collaboration has been effective in the onslaught against criminals. The police commissioner enjoined the security agencies to sustain the fight against crimes in the state to the barest minimum. He said such a situation would make it possible for people to move around safely. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will not resign from his position despite recent developments in the state, this newspaper can exclusively report. Mr Aiyedatiwa, who was acting governor until last week when Governor Rotimi Akeredolu returned from a three-month medical leave in Germany, is reportedly under pressure by forces within the cabinet to resign or face impeachment Credible Government House sources familiar with the development told this newspaper that two options are being tabled by some elements in the governors camp on the fate of Mr Aiyedatiwa should he refuse to resign. The first option is to get him out via impeachment by the state House of Assembly while the second option is to ostracise him in government till the end of the administration in 2024. The arrowhead of the impeachment plan is a senior government official, who fell out with the deputy governor when Mr Akeredolu was abroad for medical care. Their dispute was allegedly over the acting governor then reportedly not being carried along in the funding of the governors treatment in Germany. Mr Aiyedatiwa was reportedly bypassed in critical issues of governance which he ought to have been in charge of as the acting governor. According to a government source who does not want to be named for fear of being reprimanded or even sacked, the senior government official and his group believe it is dangerous to keep a man perceived to be disloyal and inordinately ambitious in the cabinet. They contend that should the governors sickness relapse, the deputy governor may kick him out since he could not get his way the first time, he said. The second option, the source said, is being canvassed by moderate elements in the governors camp who believe that impeaching Mr Aiyedatiwa over trumped-up charges will portray the governor as being vindictive and vengeful, which may turn the people of the state against him in the long run. Resignation plan Contrary to the rumour of resignation currently gaining traction in the state, Mr Aiyedatiwa is determined to serve out his term with his principal, an associate of his told this reporter. Mr Aiyedatiwa is loyal to his principal. He is focused on serving out his term with the governor, he said. The associate, who craved anonymity, told this newspaper late Wednesday that to force his resignation, there are moves to forge the signature of Mr Aiyedatiwa on a letter announcing his resignation. The associate said once the letter is read at a state executive council meeting, it would be the end of Mr Aiyedatiwas time in Mr Akeredolus cabinet. The cabinet meeting may be held in the Ibadan residence of Mr Akeredolu, a source said. The governor is now ruling from outside the state, he said. The governor has yet to return to Akure, the Ondo State capital since he came back from Germany. The few official duties he has discharged so far, including the announcement of his resumption of office and signing of the LCDA Creation Bill into law were all done in Ibadan. According to the associate, a replacement for Mr Aiyedatiwa is already being sought in the southern part of the state. He said part of the drastic measures taken by those in the camp of the governor to force the resignation of Mr Ayedatiwa is the sacking of the media aides of the deputy governor recently. The press statement announcing the sacking of the media personnel by the governor, signed by his chief press secretary, Richard Olatunde, directed the Ministry of Information and Orientation to henceforth be providing press coverage for the deputy governor whenever he has any media engagement. The governors action has attracted condemnation from people across the state, although those sympathetic to Mr Akeredolu believe it was the right decision to cut the deputy governor to size. On the possibility of any feud between Messrs Aiyedatiwa and Akeredolu which may have soured the relationship between the two, the associate said there was none whatsoever as such except perhaps concerning the 2024 succession battle in the state. Mr Aiyedatiwa is rumoured to be interested in succeeding his boss come 2024, a move which is believed not to be going down well with some political operators within and outside the government. Those in the governors camp believe, however, that Mr Aiyedatiwa did not do enough to push back malicious rumours spread about Mr Akeredolus health while he was in Germany for treatment. Some believe that this is the genesis of the face-off between him and his principal. Background Mr Aiyedatiwa, initially believed to be one of the strong allies of Mr Akederdolu, was chosen by the latter as his deputy governorship candidate in the 2020 election, which they jointly won on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC). Until very recently, Mr Aiyedatiwa from Ilaje Local Government Area of the state in Ondo South senatorial district was perceived in most quarters as the governors trusted ally, hence, his choice to replace Agboola Ajayi, who fell out with Mr Akeredolu at the tail end of the latters first term in office. At what exact point the parting of ways between the governor and the deputy governor happened is not exactly clear but some sources in the state ascribe it to the way and manner the news concerning the governors health was handled, coupled with how some elements in the cabinet allegedly sidelined Mr Aiyedatiwa even when Mr Akeredolu transmitted power to him via a letter to the House of Assembly. Although Mr Aiyedatiwa was the acting governor in theory, most people in the state believe he was not in charge of the government and governance apparatus, even though the deputy governor repeatedly claimed in several fora that he was in charge. While the governors camp believed that Mr Aiyedatiwas men were behind unsavoury rumours about the governors ill health, the deputy governors camp maintained its innocence, insisting that the deputy is loyal to the governor, even in the face of insults to his person and office. The associate said, Mr Ayedatiwa remains loyal to his principal, whom he considers as his greatest political benefactor so far. He will never do anything to undermine the governor in any way. This is why he resisted the urge by some mischief-makers to sack the entire cabinet and appoint his own trusted associates while the governor was away. According to the associate, Mr Aiyedatiwa never authorised anyone to spread malicious rumours about the governors health. When contacted to speak on the allegations to impeach or force the deputy governor to resign, on Thursday, the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr Olatunde, said they were false. These allegations are mere distractions that we will not entertain. Governor Akeredolu is fully engaged in the responsibilities of governing the state. Since his return last week, he has been actively meeting with key stakeholders and recently signed the LCDA bill into law. READ ALSO: I was never disloyal to Akeredolu Ondo deputy governor The governors primary focus, the spokesperson said, right now, is advancing the state. Just last week, he met with the Ondo National Assembly Caucus, emphasising the significance of the proposed Port Ondo, adding that, He is dedicated to ensuring the swift completion of the second flyover in Akure, which is the second of its kind in the state after the successful construction of the Ore flyover. Our commitment remains steadfast in prioritising the welfare of the people. Governor Akeredolu is resolute in achieving the goals outlined in the REDEEMED Agenda of his administration. In six years, we have not only met but surpassed expectations. Therefore, rest assured that Mr Governor is diligently dedicated to the business of governance. We kindly urge you to disregard these distracting allegations, the spokesperson added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The authorized capital of the Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund of Azerbaijan has been increased from 893 million manat ($525.3 million) to 980.7 million manat ($576.9 million), Trend reports. The corresponding decree was signed by President Ilham Aliyev. Will be updated DETROIT, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- (LaPresse) - After the success of the 2022 edition, the Italian Consulate in Detroit has relaunched its presence at the 'Detroit Month of Design' through the 'LoveItDetroit' project, with an installation dedicated to sustainability, open to the public until Sept. 30, at 1001 Woodward Avenue. In particular, the installation aims to underline how Italian companies have taken the path of sustainability, integrating this approach with the essence of Made in Italy. On the occasion of the opening day of the Detroit Auto Show 2023, the exhibition hosted a panel of experts and stakeholders from the sector on Wednesday, to discuss the links between the US motoring capital and Italy, in particular Turin, and the energy transition in the automotive sector. LaPresse: USA, at LoveITDetroit showcasing innovation and sustainability of Made in Italy The ties between Detroit and Italy date back to 1899, the year of the first Auto Show, the same year in which Italy sent its first consul to this city, recalled the Italian ambassador to the USA, Mariangela Zappia. "We are currently the only European country that has a consulate in Detroit and this says a lot about the relations between Detroit and Italy and, of course, between Detroit and Turin, the automotive capital of Italy," Zappia said. "Italy is at the forefront of innovation in the automotive sector", remarked the ambassador, recalling the "Italian champions" present at the 2023 Auto Show, in particular in the electric cars sector. "Tonight we celebrate sustainable mobility, after having celebrated the Space sector and Italian fashion. We wanted to use sustainability as an underlying theme, because it crosses various sectors", said the Italian consul in Detroit, Allegra Baistrocchi, promoter of 'LoveItDetroit'. "Italy is at the forefront of the fight against climate change and is fighting for this internationally, so why not use design as a vehicle for this issue?", added the consul. Kerry Duggan, sustainability expert and CEO of SustenaibiliD, an organization she founded in 2017, after having held various consultancy roles in the Obama-Biden Administration, also spoke about the links between Detroit and Italy. "Clearly we both have in common that we create things. And not only do we produce things, we are innovative, we design, we are both known for design. Detroit is a UNESCO city of design. And obviously I don't need to say anything about Italy and the its design heritage," Duggan said, after moderating the expert panel. Among the speakers of the evening, also Marco Bruzzano, senior vice president of regularory affairs of DTE, the Detroit energy company. "Companies like DTE are focused on reaching net zero emissions as quickly as possible. We just announced that we will retire all of our coal plants by 2032. And we are on track to reduce our emissions by 85% by 2032. The innovation ecosystem that we have in Detroit, with the automotive companies, the utilities, the investments that are being made from all over the world make this an incredible moment," Bruzzano said, underlining that "in this moment, when the transition will impact so many people, from businesses to residents, it's so important to listen to all stakeholders, reach out and understand everyone's concerns, make sure no one is left behind as we navigate this transition." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211285/LaPresse.jpg SOURCE LaPresse RIGA, Latvia, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Meness Aptieka, the largest pharmacy brand in Latvia, has earned the Best Place to Work certification in Latvia for the second consecutive year. This year, over 72% of employees said it's a great placed to work, which is 5 points higher than the average of Latvian companies. Meness Aptieka has made building a positive, high-performance culture a part of key business priorities for the past coupe of years. The company has implemented employee engagement initiatives, increased development opportunities and updated benefits, onboarding, and performance management practices. In a statement from Vilma Druliene, CEO of the organization, she said, "For the second time, Meness Aptieka receives the international award for the best workplace in Latvia. We are a stable, modern pharmaceutical company, loved and valued by our customers and employees. Caring for the professional growth of our pharmacists is an important part of our sustainability journey. Together we learn, collaborate and continue to improve our daily processes and work environment. We take care of our customers and the whole community in a responsible way. The recognition we have received is motivation for further improvement and growth." Baiba Pedraudze, head of HR commented on this achievement, "Meness Aptieka has received the internationally recognized best workplace certificate thanks to our employees and managers. Teamwork and continuous development are our strength, both in our daily work, additional training and improvement of various processes. We base our daily work on the values such as care, responsibility and knowledge." Every year, the program partners with many organizations in Baltics, across different industries, to help them measure, benchmark, improve their HR practices and have access to the tools and expertise they need to deliver effective and sustainable change in their organizations. ABOUT BEST PLACES TO WORK PROGRAM Best Places to Work is an international certification program, considered as the 'Platinum Standard' in identifying and recognizing top workplaces around the world, providing employers the opportunity to learn more about the engagement and the satisfaction of their employees and honor those who deliver an outstanding work experience with the highest standards in regards to working conditions. Join our community on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. For more information, please visit www.bestplacestoworkfor.org SOURCE Best Places to Work Hear from history makers and barriers breakers as Erik Weihenmayer, Gretchen Evans, and Kate Sullivan take the stage for an unforgettable evening GOLDEN, Colo., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 26, 2023, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM MT, the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado, will be the venue for a milestone celebration, "An Evening of No Barriers." The event will mark two decades of transformative impact from non-profit organization No Barriers. In what is sure to be an inspirational evening, the experience will be filled with stories of perseverance, keynote speakers, live music, adaptive climbing, and much more. No Barriers, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering people to break through barriers, is hosting this flagship event to raise funds and establish a strong foundation for the future. Guests will have the opportunity to engage with history makers and barrier breakers, and enjoy an evening carefully curated to inspire personal growth and illuminate the organization's impact. Keynote speakers for the evening include: Erik Weihenmayer : Co-Founder of No Barriers and the first blind person to successfully summit Mount Everest. : Co-Founder of No Barriers and the first blind person to successfully summit Mount Everest. Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Gretchen Evans : No Barriers Ambassador, Founder of Team UNBROKEN, Pat Tillman Award for Service recipient. (Ret.) : No Barriers Ambassador, Founder of Team UNBROKEN, Award for Service recipient. Kate Sullivan : Host and Executive Producer of "To Dine For," exploring the stories and passions of extraordinary individuals. "An Evening of No Barriers" will be a powerful event with unique features such as a video premiere with Erik Weihenmayer and Gretchen Evans, meet-and-greet opportunities with speakers and program alumni, and live music performed by the inspiring Sarah Hardwig, a talented musician who has performed on the stages of the historic Bluebird Cafe and the Listening Room in Nashville, Tennessee. Sarah herself attended the No Barriers Summit in August, making her performance at this event even more special. Guests will also have the chance to bid on transformative experiences through an auction, enjoy hors d'oeuvres, and toast to the future with locally sourced beverages, all while supporting an organization that has transformed countless lives. "We invite everyone to reserve their seats today and join us for "An Evening of No Barriers" as we toast to 20 years of impact and raise funds for our mission to build a brighter future for individuals facing barriers," said Pat Murray, No Barriers Executive Director. "An Evening of No Barriers" is an opportunity to make an impact while experiencing an evening and community that celebrates the No Barriers mindset: "What's Within You Is Stronger Than What's In Your Way." For more information and to reserve your seats, please visit https://nobarriersusa.org/eveningofnobarriers or contact [email protected] . About No Barriers: No Barriers is a non-profit organization based in Colorado that provides transformative programs and experiences that shift mindsets, create belonging, and foster self-discovery to elevate individuals and their communities. Through a three-phase curriculum, No Barriers leads individuals through a framework so that they can embrace the belief that "What's Within You Is Stronger Than What's In Your Way." Learn more about the roadmap to overcoming adversity and building community at nobarriersusa.org . SOURCE No Barriers USA An initial study of the STOXX 600's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) published by impak Analytics impak analyzed the positive and negative contributions, as well as the mitigation of negative contributions to the SDGs at the index, sector, and corporate levels. At the halfway point to 2030, the study reveals that only 4% of the index's revenue positively contributes to achieving the SDGs. The analysis shows a total absence of positive contributions towards the SDGs on biodiversity and reducing inequalities. MONTREAL, PARIS and LONDON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the halfway point towards achieving the SDGs, impak Analytics, a fintech using artificial intelligence to support its impact analysts, has published a study on the contribution of the STOXX 600, Europe's flagship index, to the United Nations' SDGs. An initial study of the STOXX 600's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) published by impak Analytics A portrait of business progress ? Firstly, positive contributions to the SDGs were established using the percentage of group revenues. In total, positive contributions were only retained across 15% of companies . As almost all companies contribute negatively to the SDGs, an analysis of the presence or absence of mitigation measures, particularly from a sectoral point of view, was carried out. The study also looks at major issues for STOXX 600 companies such as water-related risks, which have been partly ignored until now, or the lack of consideration for stakeholders. Fundamental data for the pursuit of the SDGs "We are proud to offer the first study of its kind. In the context of the 2023 SDG Summit, it is an essential analysis that questions the real effectiveness of corporate commitment. It also explores the factors behind the mostly disappointing but predictable results," explains Marion Bitoune, Senior Impact Analyst at impak Analytics and lead author of the study. About impak Analytics impak is a fintech that develops impact rating and ranking solutions with the help of AI, which it also uses to perfect its data and impact intelligence platform. It has also created a family of impact indices, based on the impak Score and the impak database, both used notably in the development of index funds and ETFs. Media KIT Link to the study Contact Robin Placet robin.placet@impakanalytics.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212022/impak_Analytics.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2014430/4276658/impak_analytics_Logo.jpg SOURCE impak Analytics FULTON, N.Y., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BNET offers emergency reentry, now with interoperability between CEAS jurisdictional programs. This allows essential employees to be recognized and given immediate access for post-disaster reentry. MEMA partnered with BNET in 2015 to adopt the statewide Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) program. State and local governments recognize the CEAS credential as a means to identify your company's essential employees to law enforcement during a crisis. CEAS provides standard, virtual, and placard credentials that businesses issue to their esssential workers. Prepare for the unexpected with an emergency access plan. NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM) partnered with BNET in 2004 to adopt the Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) program. State and local governments recognize the CEAS credential as a means to identify your company's essential employees to law enforcement during a crisis. CEAS provides standard, virtual, and placard credentials that businesses issue to their esssential workers. Prepare for the unexpected with an emergency access plan. Adopting CEAS for Your Community New York City initiated CEAS disaster reentry program in 2004 following 9/11. Massachusetts and Rhode Island followed, along with major northeastern cities, citing the potential for post-disaster reentry complications in this densely populated region of the country. Today, CEAS Partner Programs include NYC (NYCEM); Statewide Programs MA (MEMA) and RI (RIEMA); City of Buffalo, NY; Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, PA; City of Baltimore, (MOEM) MD; City of Stamford, CT; Nassau County, NY; Suffolk County, NY; Rockland County, NY; and Erie County, NY. Emergency Access System Why do emergency managers still struggle with post-disaster reentry after all the lessons learned in the past? Having a system in place before a disaster occurs is essential for a smooth recovery process to get businesses and utilities working again and residents able to return to their homes. A system that aimed to provide access placards to West Maui residents was canceled just hours after rollout began, due to "overwhelming demand from non-essential individuals and non-Maui residents who have flooded the distribution areas," the Maui Police Department said Monday morning. The Maui News, September 12, 2023 What happened in Maui can be evaluated for future learning for all emergency managers. Complex situations, like the one in Maui, can tax everyone involved. Reentry happens after every disaster and is worth some thought about how to deal with it. Issue #1: No plan before the disaster. Failing to plan for post-disasters is a shortcoming and one of the most overlooked parts of many emergency management plans. Some parts of the country tend to overengineer post-disaster reentry, while others want to keep it simple. There is a middle ground that can work for most, but it begins with planning. Some jurisdictions are concerned with having an evenhanded approach, not wanting to create the illusion of favoring a particular group for reentry, ensuring that everyone has an equal chance. Conversely, some jurisdictions approach reentry with protocols based around strict authentication and tier classification of individuals. Both methods work if law enforcement understands the plan. Issue #2: Lumping all personnel into one process. Businesses are different from residents. Business drives the community recovery. The faster the business community can evaluate and recover, the faster the assets can be leveraged to stabilize the community. The good news is that essential employees can be credentialled via preexisting, third-party organizations like the nonprofit Business Network of Emergency Resources (BNET) through its Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS). Residents are typically the last group to reenter, not because they are less important, but because without essential lifelines to support them, they can become a liability if conditions are not favorable for reoccupation. Issue #3: Vetting everyone on-site. It doesn't take much to imagine the chaos that ensued and caused Maui officials to shut down their program. Trying to manage an ad-hoc reentry plan on site may not have been the best choice. Simple technology could have been leveraged to help alleviate the problems. An introductory online resident's registry with a printable/displayable letter or placard cwas an option that could have been deployed relatively quickly. The CEAS program is available for local governments at no cost. Businesses in locales where CEAS has been adapted can enroll online at ceas.com/enrollment . Author: Pete Picarillo, President & Chief Executive Officer, BNET, Inc., can be reached at (888) 353-2638 for reentry access program questions. Q&A: https://www.ceas.com/questions-answers/ https://www.ceas.com/virtual-credentials-faq/ SOURCE BNET Highlights The round was done at a premium to its prior valuation, amid challenging market conditions and scarcity of funding for startups in the Latin America VC ecosystem. Mottu is a motorcycle rental company focused on enabling income-generation for hard working delivery gig workers while also building the power-grid for LatAm's last-mile. Round was co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital, former Softbank executives Marcelo Claure's and Shu Nyatta's new venture capital firm, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela. and Shu Nyatta's new venture capital firm, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela. With this capital, the company will expand geographies, improve operational efficiency and customers' experience. SAO PAULO, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mottu, a Brazilian motorcycle rental company and last-mile delivery marketplace, today announced it has raised $50M in a Series C round of funding co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital. Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela also participated in the round. Mottu has secured over $150M in financing since its inception. The latest funding round has attracted world class investors, further enhancing Mottu's cap table that boasts notable names like Michael Moritz, Base Partners, and Tiger Global. Mottu started in 2020 with a mission to help workers at the bottom of the pyramid generate income for their families by offering low-cost daily motorcycle rentals for delivery drivers and couriers who could not afford to buy a vehicle or who did not have access to credit. Mottu's motorcycle rental business now serves around 50,000 customers, and it has evolved into a comprehensive last-mile logistics ecosystem connecting restaurants, retailers, and e-commerce businesses with delivery couriers. Now, the company is also entering the mobility market, focused on the large population of commuters in Brazil and Mexico who frequently rely on public transportation services with poor quality. Marcelo Claure, Bicycle Capital Founder and Executive Chairman, stated that Bicycle Capital is very excited to be partnering with Mottu. "Mottu is a company we admire for its solid business and real social impact, serving the underserved and improving the lives of thousands of customers." "Mottu stands out as a rare combination of high growth, operational excellence, profitability, and capital efficiency. This achievement is a direct result of a dedicated and exceptional team that have proven to be financially rigorous operators, precise capital allocators, and sophisticated supply chain managers. We are very excited to partner with Mottu as Bicycle's first investment," Claure added. "Mottu is doing more than just transforming the mobility and motorcycle rental ecosystems across Latin America, it is changing the reality of millions of people who traditionally would have no credit and no way to start fighting for a better livelihood," said QED Managing Partner Nigel Morris. Chuckie Reddy, the responsible partner for the deal, added, "This impact can be seen in Mottu's stunning growth over the past three years as it has delivered a best-in-class experience. This round will enable Mottu to raise its high-quality bar even higher." Mottu controls its operations end-to-end in more than 30 cities in Brazil and Mexico, so it had to establish its own assembly line in Manaus to meet the increasing demand for rentals. Mottu Sport is the only SKU assembled by Mottu and stands out as the most fuel-efficient motorcycle in Latin America, available for as little as $3.7 per day, with no credit score requirements. "We've been close to Mottu since its inception. Even though they've never failed to impress us with their growth and vision throughout the years, we believe this is only the beginning," says Mario Delara, Caravela's managing partner. Rubens Zanelatto, founder and CEO, said Mottu will use the funds to continue expanding in Brazil and Mexico, achieving greater operational efficiency, and providing its customers with a better experience across all its products. "I am very proud of my team and what we achieved so far; we will keep hustling on and building an enduring, highly efficient business to deliver our mission of helping those who want an opportunity to thrive." About Mottu Mottu believes that those who wake up early and face the street must work with safety and without fear. Hence, it offers a reliable and user friendly motorcycle rental model and a last mile logistics service to promote work opportunities for couriers and better service level for retailers. Read more in https://mottu.com.br/ About Bicycle Capital Bicycle Capital is a new growth equity firm focused on Latin America. The firm was founded by Marcelo Claure and Shu Nyatta, with an investment team located in Miami, Sao Paulo and Mexico City. Bicycle's strategy is to partner very selectively with the best founders in the region, helping them scale their startups into resilient and valuable companies. See more: https://bicycle.capital/ About QED Investors QED Investors is a global leading venture capital firm based in Alexandria, Va. Founded by Nigel Morris and Frank Rotman in 2007, QED Investors is focused on investing in disruptive financial services companies in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. QED Investors is dedicated to building great businesses and uses a unique, hands-on approach that leverages our partners' decades of entrepreneurial and operational experience, helping their companies achieve breakthrough growth. Notable investments include AvidXchange, Bitso, Current, Creditas, Credit Karma, Kavak, Klarna, Konfio, Loft, Nubank, QuintoAndar, Remitly and SoFi. See more: https://www.qedinvestors.com/ SOURCE Mottu MIAMI, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) has scheduled a conference call with analysts for Friday, September 29, 2023, at 10 a.m. (EDT); 3 p.m. (BST) to discuss the company's third quarter financial results which are expected to be released that morning. A simulcast of the call will be available via the company's websites at www.carnivalcorp.com and www.carnivalplc.com. About Carnival Corporation & plc Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company, and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn. Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com, www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com, www.princess.com , and www.seabourn.com. For information on Carnival Corporation's industry-leading sustainability initiatives, visit www.carnivalsustainability.com. SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc The global centralized refrigeration systems market is experiencing growth due to several factors, including the growth of the refrigeration industry, the rise in the number of commercial building projects, and the advantages of centralized refrigeration PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Centralized Refrigeration Systems Market by Component (Compressor, Condenser, Evaporator, Control, and Others), Refrigerant Type (Ammonia, Carbon Dioxide, F-Gases, and others), and End-User Industry (Commercial and Industrial): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20232032". According to the report, the Centralized Refrigeration Systems industry generated $29.8 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $49.5 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 5.2% from 2023 to 2032. Download PDF Sample: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/88363 A centralized refrigeration system cools a large space or multiple spaces efficiently from one central location. Centralized refrigeration systems are usually made up of a central cooling unit connected to a system of pipes or ductwork that distributes cooled air or cooled refrigerant to different areas. This type of cooling system is commonly used in commercial buildings, grocery stores, industrial settings, and other large-scale applications where cooling is required on a regular and efficient basis. Centralized cooling systems offer improved control, increased energy efficiency, and reduced maintenance requirements compared to individual cooling systems. Prime Determinants of Growth: The global centralized refrigeration systems market is experiencing growth due to several factors, including the growth of the refrigeration industry, the rise in the number of commercial building projects, and the advantages of centralized refrigeration. However, the requirement of high initial and maintenance costs and stringent government regulations restrict the market growth. Moreover, the Incorporation of the latest technology in centralized refrigeration systems presents new opportunities in the coming years. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $29.8 Billion Market Size in 2032 $49.5 Billion CAGR 5.2 % No. of Pages in Report 154 Segments Covered Components, Refrigerant, End-user Industry, and Region Drivers Rise in demand for commercial cold storage facilities Growth of the healthcare sector Rise in the food and beverages industry Opportunities Technological Advancements Restraints High initial and maintenance cost Stringent government regulations COVID-19 Scenario: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global centralized refrigeration systems market, due to the temporary closure of manufacturing firms during the lockdown. Not only the production but also the sale of refrigeration systems was hampered due to the closure of manufacturing sites across the world, especially in the initial period of the pandemic. However, the epidemic has returned to normalcy, and the market is growing rapidly. The others segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period- Based on components, the condensers segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-fifth of the global centralized refrigeration systems market revenue. Condensers are key components of any refrigeration system as they are essential for condensing the refrigerant into a saturated liquid state. In centralized refrigeration systems, water-cooled condensers and evaporative condensers are used to remove the heat extracted from the interior of the unit to the outside air. Furthermore, most of the condensers use cooling water and air as coolants, which in turn, is expected to fuel the demand for these condensers in refrigerated warehouses, cold storage rooms, and food & beverage processing industries. On the other hand, the others segment is expected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the controls segment would display the fastest CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2032. Buy This Research Report (154 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/bf613ef7e4aac70b6924ce8b62db332c The ammonia segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period- Based on refrigerant, the ammonia segment held the highest market share in 2022, contributing to more than half of the global centralized refrigeration systems market revenue, and is expected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Ammonia has a greater cooling capacity than other refrigerants, hence ammonia-based refrigeration systems are more energy efficient than those based on other refrigerants. On the other hand, the carbon dioxide segment would showcase the fastest CAGR of 7.0% throughout the forecast period. The demand for carbon dioxide refrigerant has rapidly increased in the centralized refrigeration systems market, as various industries prefer using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant where toxicity or flammability is a key concern. Carbon dioxide is used as the low-stage refrigerant in cascade installations. The commercial segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period- Based on end-user industry, the commercial segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing for more than four-fifths of the global centralized refrigeration systems market revenue, and industrial segment is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Industrial centralized refrigeration helps to remove heat from large-scale processes or materials, lowering the temperature to a desired value. Moreover, in industrial sectors, centralized refrigeration is also used in cold stores of industrial facilities, where perishable goods are stored. However, the industrial segment would portray the fastest CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific garnered the major share in 2032- Based on region, Asia-Pacific garnered the highest share in 2022, holding nearly two-fifths of the global centralized refrigeration systems market revenue, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Simultaneously the same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. Ongoing growth in online grocery shopping across the region, with continuously expanding application areas of natural refrigerant-based refrigeration systems to drive the growth of the Asia-Pacific region. Inquire Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/88363 Leading Market Players: - Johnson Controls Carrier Global Corporation Emerson Electric Co. Gea Group Bitzer Se (Bitzer Kuhlmaschinenbau Gmbh) (Bitzer Kuhlmaschinenbau Gmbh) Lu-Ve S.P.A . . Danfoss Evapco, Inc. Daikin Industries Ltd. Industrial Frigo S.R.L The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global centralized refrigeration systems market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, expansion, and acquisitions to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in HVAC Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): Smart Air Purifiers Market is projected to reach $17.7 billion by 2032 Commercial Fan and Air Purification Equipment market is projected to reach $162 billion by 2032 Europe Centralized Refrigeration Systems Market is expected to reach $12.7 billion by 2032 HVAC Actuators Market is projected to reach $6.2 billion by 2031 Cold Storage Construction Market is projected to reach $26.2 billion by 2031 Industrial Ventilation Equipment Market is projected to reach $18.2 billion by 2031 Industrial Air Chiller Market is projected to reach $7.3 billion by 2031 Industrial Air Purifiers Market is expected to reach $4,164.2 million in 2027 HVAC Electronics Market is projected to reach $38 billion by 2031 HVAC Sensor Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Blast Chillers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 HVAC Air Quality Monitoring Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 HVAC Fan and Evaporator Coil Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Warm Air Heating Equipment Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Stationary Air Compressor Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Railway Air Conditioning System Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 About us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact us: United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. On September 15, the 4th meeting of the Prosecutors General of the member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization, of which Azerbaijan has been a member since 1992 and has been chairing since 2023, was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center, Trend reports. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization, the prosecutors general of Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, delegations headed by the Minister of Justice of Turkiye and the deputy prosecutor general of Turkmenistan, as well as the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Iran and the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Economic Cooperation Organization Ali Alizadeh. The Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev welcomed the guests and noted that the 4th meeting of the Prosecutors General of the member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization falls on the 100th anniversary of the architect and founder of modern independent Azerbaijan, world-famous politician and national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, stressing that the great leader has always attached great importance to the country's relations with the Organization for Economic Cooperation. He noted that the Economic Cooperation Organization was one of the first organizations that Azerbaijan joined after the restoration of its independence. In addition, ECO Deputy Secretary General Jandos Asanov, congratulating the participants of the 4th meeting of the Prosecutors General of the member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization, noted that Azerbaijan, as a country that always supports regional and international economic initiatives and makes a great contribution to this work, cooperates with the member countries in a number of priority areas, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, the environment, and crime control. Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev informed the participants about the legal reforms carried out under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and the achievements of the country in crime control. Presentations were made on various topics, including the positive results achieved by countries in combating drug smuggling, cybercrime, and other crimes, as well as the topic of the digitalization of the prosecutor's office. In general, organizational issues were considered at the event, and a protocol and a declaration on the results of the meeting were adopted. A memorable photo was taken at the end of the meeting. WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today public sanctions against 13 current or former CFP professionals, effective immediately or on the date noted in each case. Public sanctions taken by CFP Board, in order of increasing severity, include Public Censures, Suspensions, Temporary Bars, Permanent Bars and Revocations of the right to use the CFP Board certification marks. CFP Board's Enforcement Process As part of their certification, CFP professionals make a commitment to CFP Board to abide by CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (Code and Standards) or its predecessor, the Standards of Professional Conduct (Standards), which included the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Rules of Conduct and Financial Planning Practice Standards. Individuals on the pathway to CFP certification make a commitment to abide by CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement (Pathway Agreement). CFP Board's Procedural Rules set forth the process for investigating matters and imposing sanctions where violations have been found. CFP Board enforces its ethical standards by investigating alleged violations and, where there is probable cause to believe there are grounds for sanction, presents a Complaint containing the alleged violations to CFP Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission). The Commission meets at least six times a year to review any matter in which CFP Board has alleged that a CFP professional has violated CFP Board's Code and Standards or its predecessor Standards, or an individual pursuing initial CFP certification has violated the Pathway Agreement. The Commission functions in accordance with the Procedural Rules and reviews all matters on a case-by-case basis, considering the details specific to an individual case. If the Commission determines there are grounds for sanction, then it may impose a sanction. Commission orders may be appealed by a Respondent or CFP Board pursuant to the Procedural Rules. In certain circumstances, such as when a CFP professional is in default due to failure to acknowledge receipt of a Notice of Investigation or file an Answer, a CFP professional may receive an Administrative Order of Suspension, Temporary Bar, Revocation or Permanent Bar. Administrative Orders are subject to appeal. More information on CFP Board's enforcement process can be found at CFP.net/enforcement. In addition, at CFP.net/verify, CFP Board provides the public with: An individual's CFP Board disciplinary history and CFP certification status. certification status. Links to other sources of information about CFP professionals that may be more recent or that may contain information that has not led to CFP Board discipline and does not appear on CFP Board's website. This information may include customer disputes, disciplinary actions taken by a regulator or employer, certain criminal matters and certain financial matters (such as bankruptcy proceedings and unpaid judgments or liens). professionals that may be more recent or that may contain information that has not led to CFP Board discipline and does not appear on CFP Board's website. This information may include customer disputes, disciplinary actions taken by a regulator or employer, certain criminal matters and certain financial matters (such as bankruptcy proceedings and unpaid judgments or liens). Links to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's (FINRA's) BrokerCheck and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) Investment Adviser Public Disclosure databases for individuals who are subject to FINRA or SEC oversight. The Public Sanctions on 13 Individuals A short summary of each sanction can be found below. STATE NAME LOCATION SANCTION Florida Gustavo Carlo Sanchez, CFP Lake Mary Public Censure Indiana Thomas M. Calkusic Chesterton Suspension Indiana Daniel P. Wachs Valparaiso Suspension Oregon Mateusz W. Sudol Beaverton Suspension California Joseph A. Occhipinti Orange Temporary Bar California Michael Sztrom Del Mar Temporary Bar Florida Jeffrey Freiser Land O' Lakes Temporary Bar California Lawrence A. Krause Mill Valley Revocation Delaware Jason Cooke Clayton Revocation Florida Randall B. Kiefner Orlando Revocation Texas Stephen Y. Kwan Spicewood Revocation Texas John Poulos Colleyville Revocation Kentucky Douglas Hawkins Lexington Permanent Bar PUBLIC CENSURE FLORIDA Gustavo Carlo Sanchez, CFP (Lake Mary, Florida): In July 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Sanchez received a Public Censure with Remedial Work in the form of continuing education. The Commission imposed this sanction after determining that Mr. Sanchez violated Standard A.8.b. of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (Code and Standards) when, in March 2022, Mr. Sanchez entered into an Order with the State of Florida (Florida Order). The Florida Order contained findings that Mr. Sanchez held himself out on a LinkedIn page for more than a year as a Florida-based financial planner for a firm that was not registered with the State of Florida to conduct advisory business in or from Florida. As part of the Florida Order, Mr. Sanchez agreed to the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of $10,000. The Commission also found that Mr. Sanchez violated Standard E.3. of the Code and Standards when he failed to report to CFP Board that he was the subject of a Regulatory Investigation and failed to notify CFP Board that he had entered into the Florida Order. The Commission issued Mr. Sanchez an Order of Public Censure plus Remedial Work in the form of continuing education. SUSPENSION INDIANA Thomas M. Calkusic (Chesterton, Indiana): In July 2023, CFP Board issued an administrative order suspending Mr. Calkusic's right to use the CFP Board certification marks for one year and one day. This sanction followed Mr. Calkusic's failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation, as required by Article 1.1 of the Procedural Rules. CFP Board sought to investigate information from a third party indicating that Mr. Calkusic had been terminated from his firm. Mr. Calkusic's conduct may have violated Standard D.2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to comply with the lawful objectives of his or her firm. Under Article 4.1.a. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Calkusic has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Suspension. Mr. Calkusic's administrative suspension was effective as of August 28, 2023. Daniel P. Wachs (Valparaiso, Indiana): In April 2023, CFP Board issued an order in which Mr. Wachs received a suspension for one year and one day of his certification and right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed an appeal of an August 2022 order issued by the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission). The Appeals Commission of CFP Board affirmed the Commission's finding that Mr. Wachs violated Rule 6.5 of the Rules of Conduct, which provides that a certificant shall not engage in conduct that reflects adversely on his integrity or fitness as a certificant, upon the CFP marks or upon the profession, when he failed to timely file tax returns and pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax years 2014 through 2019. Mr. Wachs' failure resulted in the IRS filing a federal tax lien against him for three of those years and a federal tax account balance of $411,673 with accrued interest and penalties. The Appeals Commission also affirmed the Commission's finding that, while the federal tax lien had been released and Mr. Wachs had paid off a portion of the tax debt, there still remained a large outstanding balance. The Appeals Commission affirmed the Commission's finding that, as of the date of the hearing before the Commission, Mr. Wachs had made payments but had not set up a formal payment plan with the IRS to pay back his outstanding federal tax debt of approximately $300,000. Among other things, the Appeals Commission affirmed the Commission's finding in aggravation that Mr. Wachs had consistently chosen to make other payments in lieu of back taxes, including his children's private school, real estate commitments, insurance policy premiums and business expansion. Pursuant to the decision of the Appeals Commission, Mr. Wachs' Order of Suspension for one year and one day is effective from April 20, 2023, until April 21, 2024. OREGON Mateusz W. Sudol (Beaverton, Oregon): In May 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Sudol received a suspension of his right to use the CFP Board certification marks for two years. In the order, the Commission found that Mr. Sudol engaged in Exam Misconduct by discussing the March 2021 CFP Exam in a 45-minute phone call with another candidate for CFP certification who had already taken and passed the March 2021 CFP Exam, and then further soliciting Exam Material from the candidate via text message conversations. In response to his solicitations, Mr. Sudol received questions, answers and calculations the candidate had observed on the March 2021 CFP Exam. Further, based on his memory from taking the March 2021 CFP Exam, Mr. Sudol disclosed, in whole or in part, Exam Material from his March 2021 CFP Exam, including two questions from the March 2021 CFP Exam to the same candidate via text message. Mr. Sudol's conduct violated subsection s. and subsection u. of the Exam Misconduct section of CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement, which provides that Exam Misconduct includes: (1) retaining the Exam questions or disclosing the Exam questions in whole or in part to any other person or entity; and (2) attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise communicating about the Exam during the Exam administration. The Commission issued to Mr. Sudol an Order of Suspension for two years. Mr. Sudol's suspension is effective from June 30, 2023, until June 30, 2025. TEMPORARY BAR CALIFORNIA Joseph A. Occhipinti, (Orange, California): In March 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Occhipinti received a Temporary Bar that prohibits him from applying for or obtaining CFP certification for five years and requires him to complete an additional 120 hours of Continuing Education (CE) credits. The Commission found that Mr. Occhipinti engaged in Exam Misconduct by participating in a GroupMe chat group titled "March 2021 CFP Exam," wherein, after taking the March 2021 CFP Exam, Mr. Occhipinti disclosed, in whole or in part, questions from his March 2021 CFP Exam to the GroupMe chat group members. Mr. Occhipinti also published a list of exam topics from his March 2021 CFP Exam and transmitted other content from his March 2021 CFP Exam to the GroupMe chat group. The Commission found that Mr. Occhipinti attempted to give assistance to candidates who had not yet taken the CFP Exam by communicating with them about his CFP Exam during the March 2021 administration period. As a result, the Commission found Mr. Occhipinti's conduct violated CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement, which defines Exam Misconduct, in part, to include: (1) "retaining the Exam questions or disclosing the Exam questions in whole or in part to any other person or entity;" (2) "disclosing, publishing, reproducing, or transmitting the contents of the Exam, in whole or in part, in any manner or by any means, for any purpose;" and (3) "attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise communicating about the Exam, during the Exam administration." The Commission issued to Mr. Occhipiniti an Order of Temporary Bar for five years, beginning on the date he took the CFP Exam, with Remedial Work. The Commission's order is effective April 21, 2023. Mr. Occhipinti's Temporary Bar is effective from March 12, 2021, until March 12, 2026. Michael Sztrom (Del Mar, California): In February 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Sztrom received a Temporary Bar that prohibits him from applying for or obtaining CFP certification for five (5) years from the date of his relinquishment of his certification on October 20, 2020. On January 15, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filed a Complaint against Mr. Sztrom, his son and Mr. Sztrom's then-firm, Sztrom Wealth Management, Inc. ("SWM"), in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California ("Court"). The SEC's Complaint alleged that, between November 2015 and March 2018, Mr. Sztrom and his son breached their fiduciary duties and defrauded clients when they concealed that Mr. Sztrom was: (1) not associated with any registered investment adviser, (2) prohibited from providing investment advice under the aegis of the clients' registered investment adviser, and (3) impersonating his son on telephone calls with the registered investment adviser's clearing broker on 38 occasions. The SEC Complaint specifically alleged that Mr. Sztrom's role as a financial planner was a "sham." The SEC's Complaint charged Mr. Sztrom, his son and SWM with violating the antifraud provisions of Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Advisers Act. The SEC's Complaint also charged Mr. Sztrom with aiding and abetting another investment adviser's violations of Section 204(a) of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder for books and records violations. On October 5, 2022, Mr. Sztrom, his son and SWM settled the SEC's Complaint, without admitting or denying the allegations of the Complaint, by each entering a Consent to Entry of Final Judgment, as reflected in a Stipulated Consent Judgment as to Mr. Sztrom that the Court entered on the same date. The Court's Stipulated Consent Judgment as to Mr. Sztrom ordered him to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $25,000 and permanently restrained and enjoined him from violating, directly or indirectly, Section 206 of the Advisers Act. The Commission issued to Mr. Sztrom an Order of Temporary Bar for five years, calculated from the date Mr. Sztrom relinquished his CFP marks on October 20, 2020. Mr. Sztrom's Temporary Bar is effective from June 26, 2023, until October 20, 2025. FLORIDA Jeffrey Freiser (Land O' Lakes, Florida): In March 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Freiser received a Temporary Bar that prohibits him from applying for or obtaining CFP certification for five years and voids the results of his CFP Exam. The Commission found that Mr. Freiser engaged in Exam Misconduct by participating in a GroupMe chat group titled "March 2021 CFP Exam," wherein Mr. Freiser communicated about the March 2021 CFP Exam during the administration period by seeking assistance from members of the chat group who had already taken the CFP Exam and receiving assistance from them before taking the CFP Exam. As a result, the Commission found Mr. Freiser's conduct violated CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement, which defines Exam Misconduct, in part, to include "attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise communicating about the Exam, during the Exam administration." The Commission issued to Mr. Freiser an Order of Temporary Bar for five years and determined to Void his results on the March 2021 CFP Exam. Mr. Freiser's Temporary Bar is effective from April 21, 2023, until April 21, 2028. REVOCATION CALIFORNIA Lawrence A. Krause (Mill Valley, California): In July 2023, CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently revoking Mr. Krause's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Krause's failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation, as required by Article 1.1 of the Procedural Rules. CFP Board sought to investigate allegations that Mr. Krause made unauthorized trades in a client account and settled that client's complaint without disclosing it to his firm. Mr. Krause's conduct may have violated Standard A.1 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to follow the lawful instructions of his client, and Standard D.2, which requires a CFP professional to comply with the lawful objectives of his or her firm. Under Article 4.1.a. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Krause has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Krause's administrative revocation was effective as of August 28, 2023. DELAWARE Jason Cooke (Clayton, Delaware): In May 2023, CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently revoking Mr. Cooke's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Cooke's failure to deliver proof of compliance with CFP Board's Interim Suspension Order and file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint as required by Articles 2.3 and 3.2 of the Procedural Rules, respectively. On August 5, 2022, a Hearing Panel of the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission issued the Interim Suspension Order to Mr. Cooke after determining that he was arrested and charged with five felony counts of dealing in child pornography in the Kent County (Delaware) Court of Common Pleas (Case No. 2204014557). As set forth in CFP Board's Complaint, CFP Board sought to investigate Mr. Cooke's criminal charges and his termination from his firm. CFP Board alleged that Mr. Cooke violated Standard E.5 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct when he failed to satisfy his Duty of Cooperation by refusing to respond to CFP Board's requests for information and a Notice of Failure to Cooperate. Under Articles 4.1.b. and 4.1.c. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Cooke has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Cooke's administrative revocation was effective as of June 20, 2023. FLORIDA Randall B. Kiefner (Orlando, Florida): In July 2023, CFP Board issued an order permanently revoking Mr. Kiefner's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Kiefner's failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation and deliver proof of compliance with CFP Board's Interim Suspension Order as required by Articles 1.1 and 2.3 of the Procedural Rules, respectively. On April 25, 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued Mr. Kiefner an Interim Suspension Order after receiving evidence he was charged with a felony crime associated with the possession of child pornography. CFP Board sought to conduct its own investigation, but Mr. Kiefner did not cooperate with that investigation. Mr. Kiefner's conduct may have violated Standard E.2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to refrain from conduct that reflects adversely on his or her integrity or fitness as a CFP professional, upon the CFP marks or upon the profession. Under Articles 4.1.a. and 4.1.c. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Kiefner has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Kiefner's administrative revocation was effective as of August 28, 2023. TEXAS Stephen Y. Kwan (Spicewood, Texas): In July 2023, CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently revoking Mr. Kwan's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Kwan's failure to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within the required time frame. CFP Board alleged that Mr. Kwan violated Standard E.5 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct when he failed to satisfy his Duty of Cooperation by refusing to respond to CFP Board's requests for information and a Notice of Failure to Cooperate. CFP Board sought to investigate a 90-day suspension of Mr. Kwan's registration as an investment adviser representative issued by the Texas State Securities Board on November 2, 2022 (Texas Disciplinary Order). As a result of the Texas Disciplinary Order, CFP Board had imposed an interim suspension of Mr. Kwan's right to use the CFP Board certification marks on December 14, 2022, pending CFP Board's completion of its investigation. Mr. Kwan failed to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of service, as required by Article 3.2 of the Procedural Rules. Under Article 4.1.b. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Kwan has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Kwan's administrative revocation was effective as of August 7, 2023. John Poulos (Colleyville, Texas): In July 2023, CFP Board issued an order permanently revoking Mr. Poulos' right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Poulos' failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation and deliver proof of compliance with CFP Board's Interim Suspension Order as required by Articles 1.1 and 2.3 of the Procedural Rules, respectively. On January 27, 2023, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued Mr. Poulos an Interim Suspension Order after receiving evidence that he was charged with causing the violent death of his then-fiancee in Colombia and fleeing that country to avoid prosecution. CFP Board sought to conduct its own investigation, but Mr. Poulos did not cooperate with that investigation. Mr. Poulos' conduct may have violated Standard E.2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to refrain from conduct that reflects adversely on his or her integrity or fitness as a CFP professional, upon the CFP marks or upon the profession. Under Articles 4.1.a. and 4.1.c. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Poulos has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Poulos' administrative revocation was effective as of August 28, 2023. PERMANENT BAR KENTUCKY Douglas Hawkins (Lexington, Kentucky): In July 2023, CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently barring Mr. Hawkins from applying for or obtaining the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Hawkins' relinquishment of his certification and failure to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within the required time frame. CFP Board alleged that, in February 2023, Mr. Hawkins was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky for investment fraud, securities fraud and mail fraud in connection with his role in a scheme to defraud investors in a real estate portfolio. In that case, the court found that Mr. Hawkins made material misstatements and material omissions about the nature of the investments and about the portfolio properties. The court also found that he concealed his own conflicts of interest in promoting those investment opportunities. CFP Board's Complaint alleged that Mr. Hawkins' conduct violated three provisions of the Rules of Conduct. First, CFP Board alleged that Mr. Hawkins violated Rule 1.4, which provides that a CFP professional must place the interests of a client ahead of his or her own. Second, CFP Board alleged that Mr. Hawkins violated Rule 4.1, which provides that a CFP professional must treat clients fairly and provide professional services with integrity and objectivity. Third, CFP Board alleged that Mr. Hawkins violated Rule 4.3, which provides that a CFP professional must comply with all applicable regulatory requirements governing professional services. Mr. Hawkins failed to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of service, as required by Article 3.2 of the Procedural Rules. Under Article 4.1.b. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Hawkins has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Permanent Bar. Mr. Hawkins' administrative permanent bar was effective as of August 28, 2023. ABOUT CFP BOARD CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public's benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP certification is held by more than 97,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession's body of knowledge. Twitter: @CFPBoard SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Company Continues Investment in New Technology to Deepen Hispanic Connection CLEVELAND, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is making significant investments to provide focused, authentic support to Hispanic homebuyers, including the launch of a new Spanish loan application. CrossCountry Mortgage is making significant investments to support Hispanic homebuyers including the launch of a new Spanish loan application. "Our support for the Hispanic community extends well past translated materials," says Eric Wilson, chief marketing officer. "We have hundreds of Spanish-speaking loan officers with strong roots in the community. Our goal is to be a trusted resource by deepening our connection with this community to generate borrower confidence. The launch of our Spanish loan application will further those efforts." CCM's Spanish application is an extension of the company's Hispanic Initiative, a program designed to advance homeownership in the Hispanic community. Educational tools and translation services, including translated disclosures, are available to provide Spanish-speaking borrowers with guidance on the loan process in their native language. CCM is also a national partner of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and will participate in the annual L'ATTITUDE Conference for the second year. Strengthening that commitment, CCM celebrated 12 loan originators who earned a spot on the prestigious NAHREP Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators list. Included in the top recipients, CCM's Phoenix-based loan originator Lizy Hoeffer earned the number one spot for the sixth year in a row. The list ranks Latino Mortgage Originators nationwide and recognizes the dedication and hard work that goes into creating sustainable homeownership for Latino families in our communities. To learn more about CCM's robust product portfolio and to connect with a local Spanish-speaking loan officer, visit ccm.com/espanol. For NY borrowers, visit crosscountrymortgage.com/Espanol. About CrossCountry Mortgage CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is one of the nation's top three retail mortgage lenders, with more than 7,000 employees operating nearly 600 branches across all 50 states. Our company has been recognized nine times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 120 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae. Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. Visit ccm.com. Contact: Natalie Lonjak Communications Manager D 440.201.9234 E [email protected] SOURCE CrossCountry Mortgage SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A bill amended 72 hours before the end of the legislative session and passed in the dead of night without debate would undermine California's new gasoline price gouging law. SB 842, authored by Steve Bradford, would prevent the California Energy Commission from stopping unnecessary refinery maintenance without consulting with "labor and industry stakeholders" and the Department of Industrial Relations. The bill slipped under the radar and was passed with no legislative debate. "With gasoline prices spiking in California, this is no time to weaken a price gouging law that has barely taken effect," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "Governor Newsom should veto this eleventh hour attack on his gasoline price gouging law. His regulators need all the tools in their shed to combat the increasing gasoline prices in California that are now $1.43 more than US gasoline prices. New state reporting shows refinery margins have doubled since January and are now at $1.20 per gallon. This is no time to take away important consumer protections. Governor Newsom is away at Climate Week this weekend where he should resolve not to weaken the landmark accountability laws he signed in March to appease oil companies and their allies in the unions that work in refineries." The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) data shows California gasoline prices are $5.25 per gallon compared to a national average of $3.82 a $1.43 gap. Gasoline prices are typically $1.10 more than US prices and should be no more than 70 to 80 cents more based on extra taxes and environmental fees. Moreover, the refinery margins reported to the state on a monthly basis have doubled since January from 66 cents per gallon in January to $1.19 per gallon in June. "California refiners are testing the state's resolve as their profit margins climb with gasoline prices," said Court. "The state needs to step up, not step back its enforcement. Governor Newsom should veto this cynical last-minute attempt to undermine state regulation." SOURCE Consumer Watchdog Forty-six graduating HPN employees receive diplomas NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Richard Merkin, Founder and CEO of Heritage Provider Network, (HPN) one of the country's largest physician founded and physician owned integrated healthcare systems, honored 46 graduating HPN employees enrolled in the Heritage Institute of Clinical Studies, a partnership program at the University of Southern California. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qEUjZfb3xg Established in 2017, this certification program in population health management, equips HPN employees with numerous additional benefits for improved patient clinical outcomes, important career advancement opportunities and continuing education accreditation for MA, LVN, RN, MD and DO levels. "The only difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra, and that little extra is represented by all of you here today. I want to celebrate you, thank you and very much congratulate you for what you've accomplished, thank you very much," said Dr. Merkin. "I'm so proud of you," he continued. The HICS certification is widely recognized in the healthcare industry as its graduates can then provide improved healthcare outcomes for large populations in the entire country. Over 700 HPN team members have received certification from the program from 2019-2023. "This collaboration between HPN and USC does many things. The most important thing it does is provide absolute state of the art education of the kinds of medicine practiced that our healthcare professionals need to know as we embark into 21st century medicine,' said Dr. Howard Hu, Flora L. Thorton Chair of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, USC. "It's a unique opportunity between HPN and USC for us to have this program as we are not only working on treating, but also working on directly improving patient care," said Dr. Shubha Kumar, PhD, MPH, Director of Online Program Initiatives, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, USC. "Through the students enrolled in this program, the healthcare providers who are really working on the front lines, to have providers increasingly trained in this space, is a fantastic opportunity for all of us." Course study includes classes in congestive heart failure, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, bipolar disorder, atrial fibrillation and diabetes. "Congratulations to all my fellow ambitious, resilient and triumphant colleagues. We came, we studied, we conquered," said Heno Yousefi, 2023 HICS graduate, clinical pharmacist, HPN. "By continuing our education and embracing a lifelong learning concept, we can stay at the forefront of patient care and make a lasting impact on our community." "This program with USC has allowed all of our employees to have the opportunity to be special. I'm so proud and I'm so grateful to all the people that are involved in this program. It just makes my heart swell," said Dr. Merkin. After the ceremony, graduates and guests were honored at a dinner reception in Town and Gown celebrating their achievements that emphasize the Heritage Institute of Clinical studies goal-Virtus Orci-clinical power. ABOUT HPN: Heritage Provider Network, Inc. (HPN) is one of the most experienced physician organization leaders of accountable care and continuous value-based healthcare delivery improvements in the country. Developing and managing coordinated, patient-doctor centric, integrated health care systems that offers some of the strongest solutions for the future of health, care and cost in the United States. HPN and its affiliates operate in New York, California, Arizona providing high-quality, cost-effective healthcare with over one million patient members and are dedicated to quality, affordable health care, and putting patients' wellness first. (www.heritageprovidernetwork.com) SOURCE Heritage Provider Network, Inc. At the conference, scholars, entrepreneurs, financiers and professionals from around the world discussed how to promote sustainable development through the implementation of ESG strategies. Ms. Christina, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, sent a video message of congratulations to the conference. ESG Road and the Future of Mankind Tu Guangshao, executive director of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance and co-chairman of the ESG Leaders Association Forum, pointed out that it is necessary to promote domestic and international exchanges and interactions in the development of ESG. He said that sustainable development, including ESG, is a common task and shared demand of the whole world, and also need global joint efforts to promote. In Tu Guangshao's view, on the one hand, in the process of developing ESG and sustainable development, China can learn more from international best practices. At the same time, in the process of promoting ESG and sustainable development, we will also contribute Chinese wisdom, such exchanges and interactions are particularly important at present and in the future. He suggested that we should participate more in the formulation of international standards and form a Chinese ESG system that combines international trends and basic norms with Chinese characteristics. Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired magazine and author of The Next 5000 Days and Excellent Advice for Living and and Liu Jun, president of Bank of Communications, discussed the future of human's sustainable development. In KK's view, the three pillars of ESG should be thought of from a technical perspective: the first is globalism, the second is inclusiveness, the third is long-termism, and technology is the most important force for change in the world. "Build a clock inside a mountain and it will last for 10,000 years. To make it last for three generations, how can we do that? If we just consider the present and don't care about what the world will be like after death, we probably can't build such a clock", said KK when talking about a prior project. He said that there will be many changes in the future, and things such as policy, economy, business, will develop slowly in the future, which is the part of what ESG has to think about now. "Also from an ESG perspective, we need to take a long-term view, to understand the future better, and to gaze with a longer and slower vision." In KK's argument that future society is protopia (progress + topia), the implication is: Tomorrow might not be as perfect as we imagine, but it will be slightly better than today. As he said, "If we accumulate a little bit progress and positive energy every year, such protopia can be achieved, and ESG can help us get there. By taking one small step forward each year, we can take a leap in the future." What's the Role of Green Finance in ESG? In Liu Jun opinion, the concept of green finance is still expanding. Systemically important financial institutions around the world offer a wide range of ESG financial products. The continuous improvement of global standards for sustainable development boosted ESG financial practices. At present, China insists on actively promoting the development of transformational finance and climate investment, and regards them as important supplements to green development. Liu said, "Financial institutions should strongly support the development of green technology. From the perspective of what we should do, finance is a value exchange across time and space, which is essentially to guide the allocation of resources to key areas. Thus, we should support innovation in green technology. In view of what we can do, in addition to offering conventional lending services to traditional green industries, financial institutions can also create innovative models to provide solutions for the full life cycle of green science and innovation enterprises." Tu Guangshao spoke specifically about promoting the interaction between companies of the real economy and the financial services system in ESG development. He said that to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 requires a huge amount of capital investment in such aspects including rural revitalization and regional coordinated development. Therefore, the financial system needs to provide more financial resources for enterprises for ESG practice. Tu said, "In turn, to meet the requirements of sustainable development of the financial system, we must continue to deepen the function of the system. As enterprises invest in ESG and sustainable development, the financial system on the one hand can provide support for the real economy, on the other hand can open up a broad space for the development of itself. Thus, it is necessary to promote the interaction between the ESG practice of the real economy and the ESG investment finance of financial institutions." Liu cited an old Bobby McFerlin song that says, "In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double." He said, "Let us follow the road of green economic development, accelerate the pace of green technology innovation, plus the effect of green finance empowerment, and continue to move forward to the future vision. It's like the song's name Don't Worry, Be Happy." ESG and High-quality Development of Real Economy Li Yangmin, president of China Eastern Airlines, said in his speech that in terms of carbon reduction, China Eastern Airlines has done a lot of work, including route optimization, taking an active role in the carbon market mechanisms, promoting the construction of the carbon market in the civil aviation industry, exploring sustainable fuels, implementing full life cycle carbon integrated flights, and developing and manufacturing aviation special vehicles and equipment. China Eastern Airlines is also the first to use sustainable fuels, in terms of passenger privacy and data security, the company has passed the international information security standards and national service management system verification, and is the first domestic civil aviation enterprise to pass the ISO international dual certification. He suggested that it is necessary to establish and improve a set of ESG evaluation system with Chinese characteristics that meets the needs of "Chinese modernization" as soon as possible, with modernized concepts, Chinese standards, international system and transparent evaluation. "CRRC has already reached its carbon peak in 2018." Sun Yongcai, chairman of CRRC, said that CRRC rail transit equipment series products, represented by the Fuxing EMU, generally have the characteristics of large volume, low energy consumption, less emissions and less pollution. Based on the whole industrial chain, the whole value chain, the whole life cycle and the whole process, the "carbon peak" and "carbon neutral" action plans have been issued and implemented. We will strive to achieve carbon neutrality in operation by 2035 and in the whole industrial chain by 2050. Wang Guoquan, deputy general manager of CITIC Group, said that CITIC will actively explore the paths of integrating ESG into Chinese enterprises, and lead more Chinese enterprises to realize all-round transformation of governance system, management capacity, development model and performance evaluation with ESG as the starting point. It will help accelerate the improvement of China's ESG policy system disclosure standards, practice guidance and evaluation methods, to create long-term value for Chinese enterprises and create new advantages and new momentum. Liu Yonghao, chairman of New Hope Group, said that New Hope will integrate ESG into the daily operation and business process, and continue to mobilize upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain to participate, to achieve sustainable development of enterprises, society and the environment. "We have united 21 large grain consumption entities to form a grain saving consortium. We hope that our joint efforts will contribute to food conservation and make our due contribution to the protection of the social environment." Nan Cunhui, member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, President of Zhejiang Business Association and chairman of Chint Group, pointed out that the practice of ESG concept will bring new requirements for business content, development strategy, management style, performance evaluation and governance system, and help realize the organic unity of shareholder value, commercial value, social value and relevant values, and thus provide protect for enterprises to achieve green innovation and high-quality development. "The fact that ESG can be universally recognized and valued around the world, is fundamentally a matter of development concept. As for enterprises, there are two kinds of development concepts, one is profit maximization as the center, and the other is sustainable value as the center."said Ding Xiongjun, chairman of China Kweichow Moutai Distillery (Group) and Chairman of Kweichow Moutai. He said that Moutai adheres to the construction of mountains, forests and micro life community, actively implements the "dual carbon" action, invests 50 million yuan annually for the ecological protection of Chishui River, and donates 100 million yuan annually to the public welfare activities of China Moutai Pillars of the Country for 12 consecutive years. Wang Shi, founder of China Vanke Group and Destone Holdings LLC, said carbon neutral communities will be representative in the future. "We expect to develop different types of carbon neutral communities in Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Ordos and Xinjiang next year, some of these are 10 square kilometers, some 0.5 square kilometers, and some 5 square kilometers. In any case, it is operated under commercial model. It's better to have subsidie, but without it we should still go forward.." Jia Shaoqian, chairman of Hisense Group, said that the premise of doing ESG well is long-termism and the key is to lead by technology. To do ESG well with long-termism needs endurance, and the fundamental of it lie is altruism and win-win. Zhang Yuliang, Chairman and President of Greenland Group, said that enterprises should take gradual steps to improve and perfect their ESG practices, which have broad prospects. He suggested to establish a unified standard and system at the national level, and give priority to expanding the scope of ESG participation among listed companies. In the process of ESG practice, enterprises should be encouraged appropriately, and we should also vigorously develop third-party institutions specialized in ESG evaluation. Tang Liang, vice chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and chairman of Aosen Group, said that in essence, the ESG evaluation system redefines the boundary between enterprises and the market, encourages enterprises to create greater value for society with the help of the market, and promotes economic and social progress and sustainable development. Zheng Hongmeng, Chairman and CEO of Foxconn Industrial Internet Co., Ltd.., said that the emphasis on ESG by enterprises has been greatly improved compared with the past. In particular, the promotion of ESG has made enterprises more effective and more obvious in the application of new technologies, large-scale applications, transparency, flexibility and resilience of responsibility supply chain, control and cultivation of talent echelon, etc., and created a different ESG business value. Zhu Jiangming, founder, chairman and CEO of Leap Motor, introduced that the company has set four environmental management targets for ESG, including energy saving targets, water saving targets, emission reduction targets and waste reduction targets, hoping to achieve a waste reduction target of 5%-10% within five years. In the keynote speech of "China's Carbon Future", Zhu Yufeng, president of GCL-CSG Group Holdings Limited, said that GCL-CSG has integrated ESG concepts into the whole process of research and development, production, sales, channels, customers, investor relations, partnerships and so on, and promoted the construction of a green and low-carbon ecosystem based on ESG concepts. "Enterprises must practice ESG if they want to pursue long-term principles. For green and low-carbon enterprises such as GCL-CSG, 'going green' with all their efforts is the biggest ESG." Yao Jinli, chairman of Meijin Hydrogen Energy Technology, said that the road traffic sector, especially commercial vehicle models, has a significant responsibility to achieve the double carbon target, and there is also much to do. Li Hualun, chairman of Zhuque Equity Investment Management Co., Ltd., believes that ESG investment will certainly promote the growth of a new generation of entrepreneurs and create greater well-being for society. In the keynote speech "ESG Enhances Corporate Social Value", Xie Chang'an, CEO of PepsiCo Greater China, said that every enterprise and individual has the responsibility to actively participate in the construction of ESG, and work together to achieve sustainable and high-quality development. Su Qingcan, chairman of Huaxia Eye Hospital Group, said that providing affordable and accessible medical resources to residents is crucial, which is also a problem that the medical industry must face and solve in the future. Sun Xi, founder and CEO of ESGuru in Singapore and chief ESG consultant of Menglang, said that ESG is not a special medicine that can produce immediate results, but a health care product that needs to work for a long time. The Development of ESG Standards and How to Enhance Potential At Venue A, Chen Kai, chairman, Greater China CEO and global management committee of EY China, said that Chinese enterprises should actively formulate action plans to continuously improve the quality of ESG information in terms of the indicators and targets of risk management on the governance strategy. They should also prepare comparable and verifiable ESG data, in response to stricter disclosure requirements, as well as the upcoming ESG information authentication work requirements. Jiang Ying, President of Deloitte China, stressed that we should focus not only on economic benefits but also on the entire transition process. She hoped that fair transition can cover the maximum social and economic benefits, truly realizing people first. "What we should do is not to emphasize the localization of international standards, but the internationalization of Chinese practices", said Feng Wen, Ph.D., managing director of Morningstar China. Wang Xiaoshu, head of APAC ESG & Climate Research, MSCI, said that climate change will bring about the largest reconstruction of the global economic model since the Industrial Revolution, in which hide ample transition opportunities, while enterprises that lag behind are at risk. More and more large institutional investors are taking ESG into considerations when making investment decisions. Mark Wang, deputy chairman, president and CEO of HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited said that banks need to develop their own near-zero emission plans in which the most important point is to gradually lower banks' investment and financing emissions, namely the total emissions generated from customers and projects funded by banks, to net zero. As a result, such customers and projects need to be deeply decarbonized for the change in the path of the real economy. Li Liang, founding partner of Hillhouse Capital, thought that ESG is not only an inherent requirement for investors, but also provides investors with natural investment criteria and the best investment, which is to find environmentally friendly companies with complete governance that can create long-term value for society. Cary Zhang, general manager of general manager of Wellington Private of Wellington Private Fund Management (Shanghai) LTD, pointed out that as a growing trend, climate change will reshape global economy, but the importance of this macro-inflection point is still underestimated, and its huge impact on the regulation of infrastructure spending and geopolitical dynamics has not been fully appreciated. Four female managers also shared their views on enterprises' sustainable development. Carol Liao, chairman of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Greater China, said that females are a strong driving force in sustainable consumption and the concept of green consumption are everywhere in basic necessities of life, including food, clothing, housing and transportation. Cherry Zhu, president of Dow Greater China, said that the pursuit of sustainable development should not only be the responsibility of one generation, but also the habit of each generation, so it is of great essential for the next generation to deeply understand the necessity of sustainable development and participate in its practice. Phyllis Cheung, CEO, McDonald's China expressed her wish to continue to promote a diverse and inclusive corporate culture, which is also the epitome of McDonald's ESG efforts in China. Guan Xiaohui, vice president of Fosun International Limited, vice chairman of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd., believes that the most significant social responsibility (in S) is the accessibility and affordability of products. In addition, Ewe Hong Tat, president of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, emphasized the importance of new learning to sustainable development in the future. In enterprises and schools, new learning can enhance our sense of identity for ESG and make us willing to support it. Only in this way can human society and the earth brace for better development. Ma Jingfen, founder of Chu Orange Manor and chairman of Chu Ma Cultural Exchange Center, who came from Yunnan Province, said in her speech that she wanted to establish a comprehensive health care and rehabilitation center. "This is what I'm always thinking about and also the last mission that I must complete in my life", said Ma. "Only 5 percent of investors' decisions are made from traditional financial information and the remaining are all non-financial information. The most important is sustainability information", said Zhang Zhengwei, special advisor to the chair of the International Suatainability Standards Board (ISSB) and Director of Beijing Office. According to Li Tao, director of Sina Finance ESG Rating Center, the center divides enterprises' ESG development into 5 stages, which are ESG deficiency, ESG cognition, ESG action, ESG influence and ESG lead These 5 stages are progressive one after another, around which the center customized 14 related services for enterprises. What Does ESG Bring to the Capital Market At venue B on the afternoon of September 13senior executives from three major stock exchanges in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, as well as from securities firms and funds, discussed how ESG can contribute to the high-quality development of the capital market. Wang Bo, executive vice president of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, stated that the core concept of ESG is highly consistent with the requirements of the development of modern capital markets with Chinese characteristics. In 2004, the United Nations Global Compact organization first proposed the concept of ESG. The core idea of green sustainable development advocated by ESG is highly consistent with China's new development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and sharing, and coincide with the Five-sphere Integrated Plan Li Hui, executive vice president of Shenzhen Stock Exchange, said that at present, there are nearly 300 listed companies in the green low-carbon field on the stock exchange, with a cumulative equity financing of nearly 1 trillion yuan and a total market value of about 6 trillion yuan, accounting for about 20% of the total market value of listed companies in Shenzhen. It covers multiple industries such as new energy, new energy vehicles, and energy conservation and environmental protection. Sun Li, deputy general manager of Beijing Stock Exchange, said that at present, the 218 listed companies on the Beijing Stock Exchange have raised a total of 43.768 billion yuan, with an average of 200 million yuan each. In terms of the use of funds raised, eighty percent of the funds raised are invested in green innovation areas such as low-carbon environmental protection, digital economy, new energy and new materials. "The securities industry is the central part of the capital market and also an important member of the ESG ecosystem, capable of playing multiple important roles in the field of ESG." Wu Zongmin, executive director and president of China Merchants Securities Co.,Ltd. mentioned that the first is to give full play to its financing service ability. It can provide financing support for enterprises that comply with national strategies and ESG concepts through equity financing and mergers and acquisitions, encouraging them to invest in sustainable development projects to promote win-win results for industrial upgrading and environmental protection. The second is to give full play to investment management ability. The third is to give full play to professional research ability. It can conduct professional research to promote the construction of a Chinese ESG evaluation system, and continuously develop ESG financial instruments and investment strategies that are suitable for China's national conditions to lead the development trend of green finance globally, and establish the professional image and status of China's securities industry in the process of global sustainable development. Ms. Jin Wenzhong, chairman of Orient Securities Co., Ltd. stated that from value discovery to resource allocation, the investment logic of the capital market is quietly changing. With the initiative of the state and regulators, the promotion of responsible investors and the attention of stakeholders, the value of sustainable investment is getting more attention and recognition. A new round of resource allocation has begun invisibly, which has brought tremendous market opportunities. Liu Zhihui, President of Industrial Securities Co., Ltd. said that green and ESG investment is the general trend. Industrial Securities subsidiary AEGON-INDUSTRIAL Fund Management Co., Ltd. began to layout ESG investment as early as 2008, putting green, social responsibility and other concepts into specific strategies and products to guide the reasonable and efficient flow of funds to physical areas in line with the ESG field. "The United Nations has now proposed a new idea called the inclusive Wealth Measurement Framework. In the past, we only talked about GDP, but now it seems that there is a conflict between ESG and it, but there is not much conflict, the reason is how many resources you use in exchange for GDP. When we are in charge of a company, we will look at the performance of a department and the performance of subsidiaries, but the prerequisite is how many resources you are consuming the company. If most resources are given to you, we don't think it's cost-effective."Liu Yuanrui, president of Changjiang Securities Co., Ltd. said frankly, "ESG evaluation is an overall evaluation of the environment, society and governance. Put in the field of securities firms and funds, for example, the evaluation of fund managers should not only have good performance, but also have sustainable good performance. " "In the past, the CSRC called the listing conditions of listed companies sustainable profits, but now it has been changed to sustainable operation, which in fact fully embodies the concept of ESG." Shen Hefu, chairman and president of Guoyuan Securities Co., Ltd. said. On how to reduce the green premium, Peng Wensheng, chief economist and Head of Research, China International Capital Corporation, Dean of CICC Globe Institute, proposed two ways: one is to increase the cost of carbon emissions through carbon pricing, carbon tax and carbon trading market; the second is to reduce the cost of clean energy through scientific and technological progress and scientific and technological innovation. "Carbon pricing is to reduce the demand for fossil energy from the demand side, and technological progress is to reduce the production cost and supply cost of clean energy from the supply side. These are two routes." He believes that there are obvious differences in the choice of routes among the world's major economies, with China focusing on supply-side measures. Wu Xinrong, executive president of E Fund Management Co., Ltd. pointed out that the connotation of responsible investment is consistent with the new development concept, and responsible investment is an important driving force for promoting high-quality development of the fund industry. "In terms of increasing the proportion of medium-and long-term funds and promoting a high level of openness, responsible investment helps to enhance long-term returns, control long-term risks, and improve the level of long-term funding for services and a high level of openness." Li Yimei, CEO of China Asset Management Company, pointed out that ESG in China has entered uncharted waters. In the past, we stressed for the promotion and popularization of the ESG concept. At present, we highlight the practice, implementation and even chinization of ESG, to make it into a more localized practice truly suitable for our national conditions, industrial features, and development stages. According to the CEO, Li's company is building a climate database for listed companies. "ESG is not only a concept of responsible investing but also a value and concept of social development. It is deeply in line with the ideas of 'promoting harmony between humanity and nature', 'putting the people first', and 'seeking harmony among all nations' in Chinese traditional culture", said Li Wen, chairman of China Universal Asset Management Co., Ltd. and chairman of Asset Management Association of Shanghai. SOURCE Sina Finance Modal title PRN Top Stories Newsletters Sign up to get PRNs top stories and curated news delivered to your inbox weekly! Enter Your Email Select Country Select Country Submit Thank you for subscribing! 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LAS VEGAS, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From September 11th to September 14th, one of the largest and most influential international exhibitions in North America and one of the most successful in the industry, RE+2023, the USA International Solar Exhibition (hereafter referred to as "RE+2023"), was held in Las Vegas, USA, on the prestigious Las Vegas Boulevard. Leading global energy storage battery supplier EVE showcased its unique technological prowess and latest achievements in the energy storage field at the event by unveiling the "Mr. Giant" 5MWh standard energy storage system, powered by the super-sized "Mr. Big" LF560K cells, demonstrating its exceptional capabilities. The RE+2023 exhibition is a solar energy industry platform with nationwide influence in the United States, and it has become a frontier for companies from around the world to explore the North American market. Consequently, numerous international enterprises made the long journey to participate in this event. Under the United Nations' "Net Zero Emissions" initiative, countries worldwide are accelerating the transition and upgrading of their energy systems from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, primarily wind and solar, to build a new type of power system. To mitigate the power fluctuations that occur after large-scale wind and solar installations are integrated into the grid, large-scale energy storage is urgently needed. Since 2023, the continuous decrease in material prices has opened up opportunities for profitability in the energy storage sector. Additionally, the implementation of the IRA Act in the United States has provided long-term and sustained momentum for the development of the energy storage industry in North America. As early as the Intersolar Europe in June in Germany, EVE had already introduced the LF560K energy storage cell, which boasts the largest capacity in the industry. At this current exhibition, EVE has not only pursued "big" but also unveiled the "Mr. Giant" 5MWh standard energy storage system, featuring the next-generation "Mr. Big" LF560K cells. "Mr. Giant" employs the Mr. Big super-sized cell stacking solution, effectively balancing safety and cost-effectiveness, making energy storage systems (ESS) more convenient, safer, and economically efficient, thereby redefining the ESS concept. CEO of EVE Energy Storage, Steven Chen stated: "We have upgraded 'Mr. Big' - LF560K, bringing a larger capacity and higher-energy energy storage cell to the industry. At the same time, we have developed the 'Mr. Giant' 5MWh standard energy storage system, which is more convenient, safer, and more economical. Our aim is to explore an intelligent energy storage integrated system that combines safety and cost-effectiveness effectively addressing the trends of the terawatt-hour (TWh) era and resolving the complexities in managing large-scale power plants, issues related to thermal control, and economic concerns." It is understood that EVE's newly released "Mr. Giant" 5MWh standard energy storage system utilizes the super-sized stacked intelligent cell, "Mr. Big," ensuring high performance, system reliability, and safety. It simplifies operation and maintenance, making it more convenient to use. Additionally, it incorporates Non-Thermal Propagation (NTP) technology from the automotive industry, effectively isolating heat diffusion inside and outside the battery pack, enhancing system stability and safety. Furthermore, by adopting an extremely compact and efficient design, advanced manufacturing techniques, and optimizing cluster-level dimensions, it can increase single-box energy by 45.6% and single-cell volume energy by 12.1%. This results in a double-digit reduction in both cell and system costs, effectively meeting the high economic demands of the energy storage market. EVE has signed a strategic agreement with Wartsila and TAE separately, aiming to drive global energy market decarbonization. This collaboration follows EVE's deep partnerships with international clients such as Powin, ABS, and GOODWE in the global energy storage market, demonstrating international customer support. This signifies EVE's energy storage battery products have gained recognition from numerous international partners and will become part of more robust global supply chains. In the future, the influence of EVE's energy storage battery products will continue to grow, contributing to the global "zero-carbon action." Currently, the global energy storage industry is in a highly prosperous phase. According to the InfoLink database, the global energy storage cell shipment volume reached 91.6 GWh in the first half of 2023. During this exhibition, EVE had the special privilege of inviting one of the world's largest information technology suppliers, IHS, to deliver a keynote speech on "Outlook of the North American Power Energy Storage Market." The presentation aimed to engage colleagues and the on-site audience in a discussion about the future of the North American market and to seize industry opportunities. According to publicly available data from InfoLink, in the first six months of 2023, EVE Lithium Energy ranked third globally in terms of energy storage cell shipments. As a leading global energy storage battery supplier, EVE has consistently pursued an international development strategy and possesses the capabilities for global manufacturing, delivery, and service. Currently, EVE has 13 production bases, 7 sales companies, and offices both domestically and internationally, allowing it to effectively meet the demands of international development. Recently, EVE has announced the establishment of manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and Hungary, expanding its global footprint. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Malaysian factory took place on August 11th, signaling that its completion is imminent. This marks the beginning of EVE's deep globalization efforts. SOURCE EVE Energy Storage Co., Ltd. Ground-breaking operation showcases Firefly's capability to rapidly launch and deploy a satellite, supporting critical national security missions VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced the company successfully launched its Alpha rocket and deployed the VICTUS NOX spacecraft following a 24-hour notice to complete final payload operations and mission preparations. Led by U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command's (SSC) Space Safari Program Office and in close partnership with the Rocket Systems Launch Program, the mission advances the nation's capability to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs during a conflict or in response to a national security threat. Firefly Alpha FLTA003 VICTUS NOX Payload Deployment Firefly Alpha FLTA003 VICTUS NOX Launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base "Today was an incredible success for the Space Force, the Firefly team, and our nation after nailing this complex responsive space mission," said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "Our combined commercial and government team executed the mission with record speed, agility, and flexibility, adding a critical capability to address national security needs." Upon receiving the notice to launch and orbit requirements from the U.S. Space Force, Firefly completed all final launch preparations, including trajectory software updates, payload encapsulation, transport to the launch pad, mating to Alpha, and fueling, within 24 hours. Alpha then launched at the first available window, 27 hours after receipt of launch orders. The flight began with a nominal countdown and liftoff at 7:28 p.m. PDT on September 14th and progressed seamlessly through each stage of flight, including stage one main engine cutoff (MECO), stage separation, and stage two ignition. Alpha then deployed the Millennium Space Systems satellite at the target destination in low Earth orbit. Firefly also successfully tested an Alpha stage two relight and targeted re-entry. "I'm incredibly proud of this team for completing these critical mission milestones and successfully launching in a matter of hours rather than weeks or months in a typical operation," said Adam Oakes, VP of Launch Vehicles at Firefly Aerospace. "As our third flight, this mission further validates Firefly's technology rigor, passion, and dedication that's required to prevail as the leading responsive launch provider for both government and commercial customers." "The success of the VICTUS NOX mission not only proves a key aspect of the United States' TacRS capability but provides true utility to the warfighter," said Col. Bryon McClain, Program Executive Officer for the Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power directorate, which oversees SSC's Space Safari program office. "Working closely with our Assured Access to Space team and industry partners, the Space Safari team continues to demonstrate how TacRS enables us to quickly respond to urgent on-orbit needs." Building on today's success, Firefly is ramping up Alpha production and testing for multiple upcoming launches, including missions in support of Lockheed Martin, NASA, the NRO, and more. About Firefly Aerospace Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners ("AEI") focused on delivering responsive, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly's small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com. Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE Firefly Aerospace, Inc. SOUTH LYON, Mich., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and User Solutions, Inc. are partnering to improve manufacturers' production scheduling. The organizations will offer a series of free seminars along with on-site assessments to identify how companies can become more competitive. Utilizing grant funding, the initial webinar will help manufacturers understand the variables and problems in generating an efficient schedule. Specifically, how manpower, materials, and personnel need to be synchronized and minimized to provide the best possible service at minimum cost. Attendees will then be offered a one-day assessment (on-site or virtual) to determine their biggest challenges regarding creating, maintaining, and tracking an efficient production schedule. In addition, these companies will be provided with options to alleviate said challenges. According to Eugene Jones, Senior Program Manager - Cybersecurity and Defense for Purdue MEP, "Many of our clients are faced with multiple production scheduling challenges. Both those with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology and those without a formal system. Some are finding that their current ERP requires tedious manipulations of information to get useful product data. While others are learning that extraneous expenses surrounding an ERP can add up, whether it is through purchasing additional support from the ERP seller or by investing in off-the-shelf software to work around current problems." Jones continues, "The purpose of these webinars and subsequent follow-up assessments is to bring to light the significant benefits of developing an ERP solution that works best for each manufacturer and to identify resources available that can help overcome ERP challenges. In some cases, it might include the exploration of alternative solutions that can function as an ERP." On-site assessments and training are grant-supported for companies in the defense industry or those interested in working in the defense industry. Implementation services are grant-supported for companies currently in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Companies in the DIB are defined as having 10% revenue from the Department of Defense in any one of the past 5 years. Who should attend: Owners, operations managers, production managers, VPs of manufacturing, plant managers, supply chain managers, material managers, and shop floor supervisors. The next seminar is October 12, 2020 Title: Production Scheduling - Beyond ERP Registration: https://purdue.ws/BeyondERPJuly27 About Purdue MEP: Purdue MEP, part of the MEP National Network, provides high-value, affordable, personalized consulting and training services that enable Indiana manufacturers to work smarter, compete, and prosper. We develop more effective business leaders, drive product and process innovation, promote company-wide operational excellence and foster creative strategies for business growth, workforce development, economic competitiveness, and greater profitability. About User Solutions, Inc.: User Solutions, Inc. founded in 1991 was chosen as a partner for this program based on their approach to adapt software to address particular unique challenges using common tools. They have solutions ranging from an Excel Template all the way to advanced cloud-based systems using the latest technologies. Their goal is always to MINIMIZE the maintenance work (including initial setup) while MAXIMIZING benefit return. They have been working with Purdue MEP for decades and many of their clients' special requests have been incorporated into Resource Manager-DB and EDGEBI (Enhanced Drag and drop Graphical Environment with Business Intelligence). 30 second overview found here: https://youtu.be/nZChakmMIOI SOURCE User Solutions, Inc. DORTMUND, Germany, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- September 14th, 2023, FRESOR, the leading vaping technology platform of ALD Group Limited, launched its latest product, FRESOR Slim, at InterTabac 2023 in Dortmund, Germany. The event, marked by high anticipation, showcased FRESOR's commitment to providing consumers with ultimate vaping experience. In-Depth Event Showcase: Where Flavor Meets Technology (PRNewsFoto/ALD Group Limited) (PRNewsFoto/ALD Group Limited) Prepare for a revolutionary experience where flavor meets technology. The event seamlessly blends fresh taste with cutting-edge innovation. FRESOR NOVA Technology is the cornerstone, establishing a new pinnacle in vaping. Its advanced leak-proof structure and exceptional energy efficiency redefine the vaping industry, allowing for more puffs while adhering to TPD regulations. Besides, every flavor is enhanced by the precision of e-liquid extraction technology, which elevates taste purity to new heights. Just get ready to dive into the taste wonderland with FRESOR. FRESOR Slim Steals the Show Introducing the star of the event- FRESOR Slim. An upgraded closed pod system, it lives up to its name with a slim and portable design. Powered by FRESOR NOVA Technology, it ensures an extended and uninterrupted vaping experience. Safety is paramount, and FRESOR Slim stands as a testament to this commitment. Equipped with a child safety lock and crystal-clear e-liquid pod, it not only prioritizes user-friendliness but also delivers a strong sense of security to you. Embrace a Sustainable Future FRESOR 2023 new product launch event stands as a resounding success, showcasing unwavering dedication to innovation and safety. With the formidable FRESOR NOVA and its innovative product series, it is set to revolutionize your vaping experience. FRESOR is about to launch a new product series with a larger capacity and is committed to continuous innovation to bring you the best e-cigarette technology. Stay tuned, because the future's about to get a whole lot brighter with FRESOR NOVA! About FRESOR FRESOR is ALD's leading vaping technology platform, aimed at enhancing people's vaping experience and shaping the future of the industry. Our product lineup currently includes two innovative vaping solutions: FRESOR Nova and FRESOR Max. About ALD ALD Group Limited, a global leader in the vaping industry, has been providing comprehensive OEM/ODM vaping solutions for vape brands worldwide since 2009. With over 14 years of experience and a dedicated workforce of over 4,000 employees, our company has earned an excellent reputation among our valued clients. Contact: Email: [email protected] Website: www.fresortech.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212015/1.jpg Photo - https:// mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212014/2.jpg SOURCE ALD Group Limited GUIYANG, China, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. ("FTA" or the "Company") (NYSE: YMM), a leading digital freight platform, today announced that it will host its inaugural Investor Day, adopting a carbon-neutral conference format, on September 19, 2023, at 9:30 A.M. China Standard Time. During the event, the FTA senior management team will share their pertinent insights into the sector and provide updates on the Company's strategic framework and business progress at its Nanjing headquarters. The Investor Day will be held both onsite and through a live webcast, and it will be conducted in Mandarin with simultaneous English interpretation. Date and Time: 9:30 A.M. China Standard Time on September 19, 2023 9:30 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time on September 18, 2023 Access to live webcast: https://h5.eventnet.cn/FullTruckAlliance/ No prior registration is required for accessing the webcast. Viewers can access the live webcast at any time during the event by clicking on the link provided above. The webcast access link can also be found on the Company's investor relations website at ir.fulltruckalliance.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the same webpage following the event. About Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YMM) is a leading digital freight platform connecting shippers with truckers to facilitate shipments across distance ranges, cargo weights and types. The Company provides a range of freight matching services, including freight listing, freight brokerage and online transaction services. The Company also provides a range of value-added services that cater to the various needs of shippers and truckers, such as financial institutions, highway authorities, and gas station operators. With a mission to make logistics smarter, the Company is shaping the future of logistics with technology and aspires to revolutionize logistics, improve efficiency across the value chain and reduce its carbon footprint for our planet. For more information, please visit ir.fulltruckalliance.com. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. Mao Mao E-mail: [email protected] Piacente Financial Communications Hui Fan Tel: +86-10-6508-0677 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: Piacente Financial Communications Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to ensure the work of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kabul, Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an interview with Azerbaijani TV, Trend reports. We are 100 percent ready to open the Azerbaijani Embassy in Afghanistan. We are ready, so to speak, to level the ground and carry out the appropriate work. We, in turn, would also like to have our representatives in Azerbaijan, he said. BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - GardaWorld Cash today announced it is seeking public assistance to help law enforcement apprehend the individuals responsible for the reprehensible fatal shooting of a GardaWorld Cash employee in Dallas, Texas. On Friday, September 1, 2023, at approximately 9:30 a.m. (CDT) a GardaWorld Cash employee was killed in a cowardly shooting while servicing a cash-checking store located in the 100 block of S. Carroll Ave., in the Baylor Meadows neighborhood of east Dallas. GardaWorld Cash is appreciative of the efforts of law enforcement and would like to assist the ongoing investigation. GardaWorld Cash is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those responsible for this heinous crime and/or recovery of the stolen funds. Anyone who witnessed the tragic incident or has any relevant information is urged to immediately contact: Detective Reginald Woods, Special Investigations Unit, Dallas Police Department (PD), at 214-283-4955 or [email protected] A reward will be paid once Dallas PD supplies written verification that a tip helped lead to the arrest and indictment of a suspect. Rewards can be split on any given case depending on the information provided and law enforcement's disposition of all tips received. GardaWorld Cash will determine the appropriate amount and timing of the reward to be paid, up to $50,000, at its sole direction. Recipients are responsible for any taxes or other costs associated with any reward. The reward may be allocated among multiple tipsters. About GardaWorld Cash GardaWorld Cash is the leading provider of customized end-to-end cash solutions in North America, including secure transportation, cash management, cash processing and ATM services. Managing and moving billions of dollars in cash every day, GardaWorld Cash is an essential provider and strategic partner to the U.S. and Canadian financial, commercial, government and corporate sectors. For more information, visit cash.garda.com. About GardaWorld GardaWorld is a global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals. Driven by a relentless entrepreneurial culture and core values of integrity, vigilance, trust and respect, GardaWorld offers sophisticated and tailored security and technology solutions through high-touch partnerships and consistently superior service delivery. With a deep understanding that security is critical to conducting business and keeping communities safe, GardaWorld is committed to impeccable governance, professional care and the well-being of everyone. Thanks to a well-earned reputation, GardaWorld is proud to be the long-standing security partner of choice to some of the most prominent brands, Fortune 500 corporations and governments. For more information, visit garda.com. SOURCE GardaWorld Cash DUBLIN, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine And Antibody Pipeline Market: Forecast up to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. RSV can be harmful, especially in infants and the elderly, even though most individuals recover in a week or two. According to the Cleveland Clinic, RSV affects around 57,000 children under the age of five in the US each year. Despite massive global research efforts and decades of targeting RSV, there is still a significant unmet medical need. Potential therapeutics have had a difficult time proving a favorable safety profile or efficacy in the past. However, the RSV vaccine development has made significant progress during the last ten years. The RSV vaccine and antibody market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31.65% during the years 2024-2030. After almost six decades of striving, the effective vaccination against the life-threatening respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been achieved. The FDA has granted approval for two new RSV vaccines in H1 2023: GSK's Arexvy, and Pfizer's Abrysvo. These vaccines specifically target adults aged 60 and above, a group highly susceptible to this infection. The commercialization and accessibilty of these is expected by 2024. The estimates are done for the period, 2024 to 2030. Considering both the modalities (antibody and vaccine) targeting all three key age groups, the global RSV vaccine and antibody market is expected to be worth US$2.61 billion in 2024, rising to US$13.59 billion by 2030. Market Segmentation Analysis: By Type: The report provides the bifurcation of respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market into two segments on the basis of type: Vaccine and Antibody. In 2024, the vaccine segment is foreseen to lead the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market. RSV vaccines are now being tested in numerous clinical trials. Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Moderna, are among the companies engaging in vaccination production. Targeting the pre fusion conformation of the F protein is a frequent trend in the last generation of RSV vaccines. The growth of the segment is expected to be driven by increased government funding for vaccine development, increased investments by major players, rising RSV prevalence, technical improvements, and activities by NGOs. The report provides the bifurcation of respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market into two segments on the basis of type: Vaccine and Antibody. In 2024, the vaccine segment is foreseen to lead the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market. RSV vaccines are now being tested in numerous clinical trials. Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Moderna, are among the companies engaging in vaccination production. Targeting the pre fusion conformation of the F protein is a frequent trend in the last generation of RSV vaccines. The growth of the segment is expected to be driven by increased government funding for vaccine development, increased investments by major players, rising RSV prevalence, technical improvements, and activities by NGOs. By End User: The report identifies two segments on the basis of end user: Adult, and Maternal And Pediatric. The adult segment is likely to dominate the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market in 2024. The rising incidence of RSV in older and immunocompromised adults has gained a lot of traction over the years, and several major players have begun adult vaccine and antibody trials, which is seen as a key factor in giving the adult segment a dominant share. The report identifies two segments on the basis of end user: Adult, and Maternal And Pediatric. The adult segment is likely to dominate the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market in 2024. The rising incidence of RSV in older and immunocompromised adults has gained a lot of traction over the years, and several major players have begun adult vaccine and antibody trials, which is seen as a key factor in giving the adult segment a dominant share. By Region: In the report, the global respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market is divided into three regions: The US, Europe , and ROW. The US is projected to dominate the market in 2024 by occupying almost half of the share of the global market. The most important factor driving the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market in the US is rising prevalence of RSV. Moreover, presence of major players and good healthcare facilities in the region would boost the US respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market in the years to come. Europe respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market provides lucrative opportunities in the coming years. Various reasons such as improved healthcare infrastructure, changing demographic divion, an active government drive to track RSV seasons, and a well-established reimbursement system for hospitals, are expected to drive the growth of the market in Europe Global Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine And Antibody Market Dynamics: Growth Drivers: The global respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market is likely to be driven by the rising prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus highlighting the greater unmet need for RSV vaccines. RSV is extremely contagious. The incubation phase might last anywhere between two and eight days. Close contact with infected people via respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces or items spreads the virus from respiratory secretions. RSV affects roughly 57,000 children under the age of five in the US each year, according to data provided by the Cleveland Clinic. RSV also causes about 177,000 adult hospitalizations each year. Furthermore, the factors such as rapid urbanization, increasing geriatric population, increase in healthcare expenditure, growing instances of RSV among kids, and favorable government support have constantly supported the development of vaccines and antibodies in the past years, propelling the growth of the market. The global respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market is likely to be driven by the rising prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus highlighting the greater unmet need for RSV vaccines. RSV is extremely contagious. The incubation phase might last anywhere between two and eight days. Close contact with infected people via respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces or items spreads the virus from respiratory secretions. RSV affects roughly 57,000 children under the age of five in the US each year, according to data provided by the Cleveland Clinic. RSV also causes about 177,000 adult hospitalizations each year. Furthermore, the factors such as rapid urbanization, increasing geriatric population, increase in healthcare expenditure, growing instances of RSV among kids, and favorable government support have constantly supported the development of vaccines and antibodies in the past years, propelling the growth of the market. Challenges: Some challenges are also impeding the growth of the market such as high cost of vaccine development and inequitable access to vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies have had substantial difficulties in developing medications to treat RSV, as seen by the approval of only one product, Synagis, in the last two decades. In the late stages of development, a huge number of monoclonal antibody and vaccine candidates have failed to attain the needed efficacy and have suffered serious setbacks. Some challenges are also impeding the growth of the market such as high cost of vaccine development and inequitable access to vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies have had substantial difficulties in developing medications to treat RSV, as seen by the approval of only one product, Synagis, in the last two decades. In the late stages of development, a huge number of monoclonal antibody and vaccine candidates have failed to attain the needed efficacy and have suffered serious setbacks. Trends: The market is projected to grow at a fast pace during the forecast period, due to various latest trends such as use of artificial intelligence (AI) in vaccine and drug design, technological advancements in vaccine administration and competitive pipeline. The use of monoclonal antibodies in neonates to enhance passive immunization is one of the key techniques being researched by pharmaceuticals in their fight against RSV. The pipeline products outperform Synagis and the other technique of vaccination pregnant mothers to provide infants with passive immunization. Competitive Landscape: The global Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market is concentrated. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) has long been a vaccine target. Vaccines are finally making their way through late-stage testing, despite a number of high-profile trial failures over the years. Key players are focusing on inorganic growth by conducting RSV vaccine clinical trials in order to increase their market share and presence, as well as expanding their capabilities with broader offers to meet growing market demand. RSV vaccines developed by Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline have been recently approved by FDA. Sanofi and AstraZeneca, as a partner are adopting a different tack by developing a preventive monoclonal antibody for infants. Collaborations and partnerships, innovative product releases, and expansions of manufacturing and distribution units are some of the primary strategies used by companies in global respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market. The key players of the global respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market are: Pfizer Inc. GlaxoSmithKline AstraZeneca Plc. Merck & Co. Inc. Sanofi Moderna Inc. Meissa Vaccines Advaccine Codagenix The players of the market are focusing on inorganic growth by conducting RSV vaccine clinical trials in order to increase their market share and presence, as well as expanding their capabilities with broader offers to meet growing market demand. Collaborations and partnerships, innovative product releases, and expansions of manufacturing and distribution units are some of the primary strategies used by companies in global respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and antibody market. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rwy7jz About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets BANGALORE, India, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global High-Frequency Trading Market is Segmented by Type (Cloud-Based, On-Premise), by Application (Individual Investor, Investment Banks, Fund Company): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2028. High-Frequency Trading estimated at USD 6463.3 Million in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of USD 12590 Million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 11.8% during the forecast period 2022-2028. Get Free Sample Research Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-17T1844/Global_and_United_States_High_frequency_Trading_Market_Report_Forecast_2022_2028 Major Factors Driving the Growth of High-Frequency Trading Market The High-Frequency Trading (HFT) industry is propelled by its unmatched speed and automation capabilities, which allow traders to carry out significant quantities of transactions in a matter of milliseconds. The ongoing quest for quicker execution times, advanced algorithms, real-time data access, and low-latency infrastructure are driving this sector's growth and enabling HFT businesses to take advantage of microsecond-level market possibilities and arbitrage techniques. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-17T1844/global-and-united-states-high-frequency-trading TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF HIGH-FREQUENCY TRADING MARKET High-frequency trading uses cutting-edge tools and algorithms to complete deals instantly. The main factor driving growth in this industry has been the competition to reduce latency and attain execution speeds at the millisecond level. More quickly than ever, traders may profit from price differences and market swings. Algorithmic trading tactics, which have advanced and become more flexible, are primarily reliant on HFT. These algorithms do extensive data analysis and trade execution on their own, making judgments in real-time depending on market circumstances, news, and other pertinent criteria. HFT companies make a substantial contribution to market liquidity. They assist in maintaining a healthy market by regularly trading huge amounts of assets, which lowers bid-ask spreads and results in better pricing for all participants. HFT excels in spotting and profiting from minute price differences across a variety of trading platforms and asset types. These arbitrage possibilities have the potential to provide substantial gains, which will draw additional participants to the market. For HFT techniques, the availability of real-time market data is crucial. The development of this business has been fueled by improvements in data feeds and technology that offer ultra-low-latency access to market information. The HFT industry has been influenced by regulatory developments, such as the adoption of MiFID II in Europe and rules intended to promote fairness and transparency in the financial markets. HFT businesses have learned to abide by these rules while thriving. A fragmented market has resulted from the expansion of trading venues, including conventional exchanges, alternative trading systems (ATSs), and dark pools. This fragmentation may be used by HFT companies to identify arbitrage opportunities and carry out transactions more quickly. HFT companies have been able to remain competitive thanks to the ongoing development of hardware and software technology. The success of this business has been largely attributed to investments in cutting-edge infrastructure, such as fast networks, co-location facilities, and FPGA-based technology. Buy Separate Chapters: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-17T1844/global-and-united-states-high-frequency-trading/1 HIGH-FREQUENCY TRADING MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS With a market share of roughly 50%, North America leads the world in high-frequency trading, with Europe coming in second. HFT activity has been heavily concentrated in the United States, particularly in financial hubs like New York City and Chicago. The U.S. market benefits from a strong financial infrastructure, a wide range of trading venues, and a climate that encourages financial and technological innovation. High-frequency trading's major international participants include SCitadel LLC, Two Sigma Investments, Virtu Financial, and others. Over 30% of the market is held by the top three producers globally. Get Regional Report on Asia Pacific: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-17T1844/global-and-united-states-high-frequency-trading/8 Get Regional Report on North America: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-17T1844/global-and-united-states-high-frequency-trading/6 Key Companies: Citadel Securities Two Sigma Investments Virtu Financial XTX Markets DRW Trading Optiver Tower Research Capital IMC Financial Markets Hudson River Trading Quantlab Financial Flow Traders Jump Trading GTS Tradebot Systems Buy Company Profiles: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-17T1844/global-and-united-states-high-frequency-trading/3 Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-17T1844&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS - High-frequency Trading Server Market - AI Crypto Trading Bot Market - Stock Auto Trading Software Market - Energy Trading & Risk Management (ETRM) Market - Commodity Trading, Transaction, and Risk Management (CTRM) Software Market - CFD Trading Affiliate Programs Market - Algorithmic Trading Platform Market - Trade Management Software market is projected to grow from USD 776.8 million in 2023 to USD 1159.9 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.9% during the forecast period. - Algorithmic Trading System market was valued at USD 11910 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 14810 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period 2023-2029. - The Energy Trading and Risk Management Software market is projected to grow from USD 1505.4 million in 2023 to USD 1926.8 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.2% during the forecast period. - Trade Promotion Management and Optimization for the Consumer Goods market was valued at USD 576.1 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 746 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period 2023-2029. - The Trade Finance market was valued at USD 8483660 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 11631260 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period 2023-2029. - The letter of credit confirmation market was valued at USD 3918.8 million in 2020, and it is anticipated to reach USD 5094.7 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of about 2.72% during the forecast period (20212030). - Cryptocurrency Exchanges Market - Payment Processing Solutions market size is projected to reach USD 52060 million by 2027, from USD 33810 million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.9% during 2021-2027. - Digital Asset Trading Platform Market - The global cryptocurrency market size was valued at USD 1.49 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 4.94 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2021 to 2030. - Online Trading Platform market size is estimated to be worth USD 1560.1 Million in 2021 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 2189.3 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period 2022-2028. - The global trade surveillance systems market size was valued at USD 780.26 Million in 2020, and is projected to reach USD 2.25 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 14.2% from 2021 to 2028. - The global investment banking & trading services market size was valued at USD 267,864.0 million in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 520,026.0 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2020 to 2027. - The global algorithmic trading market size was valued at USD 12143 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 31494 Million by 2028 registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.7% from 2021 to 2028. Click here to see related reports on High frequency trading market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports/933 https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports/934 https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports/935 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports MIAMI, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hiperbaric, the global leader in high pressure technologies, is pleased to give an exclusive first look at an innovation that will transform food processing and preservation - High Pressure Thermal Processing (HPTP). Invented by CSIRO Australia's national science agency, and further developed by Hiperbaric, HPTP combines the microbial lethality of heat with the rapid speed of high pressure into one revolutionary system. High Pressure Thermal Processing (HPTP) canister on the infeed conveyor of a Hiperbaric HPP In-Pack machin At the core of HPTP is a canister patented by CSIRO that adds mild heat to existing Hiperbaric High Pressure Processing (HPP) machines. The canister is capable of withstanding extreme pressure (87,000psi / 6,000 bar) and temperature conditions (>90 C), while keeping food products completely isolated from the surrounding water medium used. The process is simple and compatible with all existing Hiperbaric HPP machines - preheat the canister and food, hermetically seal, then use ultra-high pressure to rapidly achieve sterilization temperatures. This innovation is suitable for making some products microbiologically safe using far less heat compared to conventional food preservation technologies. Unlike conventional thermal pasteurization methods, HPTP enables sterilization at lower temperatures, maintaining the natural flavor, nutrients, and visual appeal of products. This proprietary canister will enable a wide variety of products to benefit from the advantages of HPTP in a shelf-stable format. By precisely controlling pressure and temperature, HPHT delivers major advantages including rapidly inactivating pathogens and spores to enable shelf-stable low acid products, preserving nutrition and flavor better than standard heat methods, reducing processing contaminants that can occur at high heat, and achieving commercial sterilization up to ten times faster than conventional canning based on research. "We are thrilled to collaborate with CSIRO, a world leader in scientific research, on this cutting-edge canister technology," said Dr. Carole Tonello, VP of Business Development, Hiperbaric. "It represents a major breakthrough that will expand the applications for HPTP and help our food manufacturing partners deliver incredibly fresh-tasting, shelf-stable foods to consumers." Dr Kai Knoerzer, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, added "At CSIRO, we are committed to scientific excellence and innovation that can benefit industries globally. This project leverages our deep expertise in food processing, safety, and packaging to help bring a truly game-changing advancement to the market. We look forward to seeing the exceptional products this technology will enable." The proprietary canister will be unveiled during PACK EXPO Las Vegas at the Hiperbaric booth #N-10857. With this new technology, Hiperbaric aims to revolutionize shelf-stable foods and beverages, providing exceptional quality that was previously only possible for refrigerated items. About Hiperbaric Hiperbaric is the world's leading supplier of high pressure processing (HPP) equipment for the food industry. Since its inception in 1999, Hiperbaric has designed, developed, produced and marketed its high pressure processing equipment internationally. The company is recognized for its reliability, customer support, teamwork and continuous effort in R&D. Hundreds of companies worldwide use Hiperbaric equipment for the processing of juices and beverages, meat, fish and shellfish, fruits and vegetables, dairy and prepared dishes. A highly versatile technology, HPP can be applied to a wide range of foods. With world headquarters in Spain, the company also has an office in Miami to serve its North American market. For more information, visit: www.hiperbaric.com . About CSIRO CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. CSIRO undertakes scientific research to solve industry and societal challenges facing Australia and the globe. Contact: Ramses Bermudez Hiperbaric [email protected] SOURCE Hiperbaric MISSION VIEJO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 10,000 people are missing after Storm Daniel tore through Libya on September 10th, triggering deadly flooding. More than 11,000 people have been confirmed dead, with the number expected to rise. International charity, Human Appeal, has launched emergency aid relief via its partner to support the Libyan population hardest hit with food, water, medical aid and basic essentials. The aid is needed to help avert hunger and disease after severe flooding destroyed local infrastructure bringing with it the risk of cholera spreading. Many of Libya's eastern towns have been affected but in Bayda and Derna the devastation is cataclysmic. In the port city of Derna, home to 100,000 people, entire communities have been washed away after two dams collapsed. The humanitarian situation on the ground is tragic with 25 percent of Derna has been destroyed, with buildings razed to the ground and entire neighbourhoods inaccessible. Survivors, desperate to hear news of their missing loved ones, are traumatised and in desperate need of relief aid. Human Appeal via its partner is supporting aid relief efforts in the eastern cities of Derna and Bayda working tirelessly to deliver lifesaving emergency aid to shattered families. We are also supporting the provision of nutritious milk to thousands of children affected by the devastating floods. Drawing on Human Appeal's 31 years of experience in delivering humanitarian relief globally to areas affected by climatic disaster, initial assessments indicate families with children are in vital need of emergency relief, including food, clean water and medical aid. For more information please visit: www.humanappealusa.org Or for media requests please contact [email protected] About Human Appeal USA Here for Every Human. Human Appeal is a non-profit organisation working across the globe to strengthen humanity's fight against poverty, social injustice and natural disaster. Through the provision of immediate relief and the establishment of self-sustaining development programmes, we aim to invest in real, effective solutions. Human Appeal USA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Tax ID # 87-2410117. Your donations are tax deductible. Human Appeal Inc. 26050 Acero, Suite 415, Mission Viejo, CA 92691, USA. USA Tel: 877 225 2251 SOURCE Human Appeal 'Mobis Mobility Day' held targeting Silicon Valley startups... Sharing mobility vision and announcing investment plans Nearly 2 trillion KRW invested directly in startups over the past five years... Procuring orders following discovering startups in North America , Europe , and more Expanding investments in promising global enterprises in the electrification field... Strategies to secure a competitive edge in electric vehicle by attracting overseas orders etc. Attention captured by specialized Trailer Reverse Assistance (TRA) system, tailored for high-demand pickup truck market SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Mobis is expanding its investments in global startups with core future mobility technologies. The strategy is to bolster competitive allies in specific areas, such as semiconductors, software, autonomous driving sensors, and infotainment, and support their growth into unicorn companies. In the past five years, Hyundai Mobis has come close to investing 2 trillion won directly in these companies. Hyundai Mobis held the 2nd 'Mobis Mobility Day' in Silicon Valley, USA. At this event, where Hyundai Mobis shared its future mobility vision and investment plans, over 200 attendees, including startup representatives, investors, and industry experts, participated, garnering substantial acclaim. On the 14th, Hyundai Mobis announced that it had organized the 'Mobis Mobility Day' under the guidance of the Silicon Valley startup investment hub, 'Mobis Ventures Silicon Valley (MVSV).' Over 200 attendees, including Silicon Valley mobility startup representatives, academics, and investors, attended the event, making it the second of its kind. Mobis Mobility Day is where Hyundai Mobis shares its future mobility vision with local companies and explains its investment plans. There is an opportunity to network with promising startups seeking to participate in technological development or looking for investors and also network with other investors. This year, the event was themed 'Clean Mobility on the Rise,' indicating the emergence of eco-friendly mobility centered on electrification. It is known that there were high-level discussions with speakers, including local investment representatives from semiconductor companies such as Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD, and CEOs of AI companies. Mitchell Yun, the head of MVSV who hosted the event, stated, "More startups than last year are looking for collaboration through Hyundai Mobis's investment," and "We will focus on discerning the valuable ones by understanding Silicon Valley's market trends and technological movements." Since establishing its base in Silicon Valley in 2018 with MVSV, Hyundai Mobis has continuously expanded its discovery and investment in local startups. Collaborations with these startups have led to tangible results, such as achieving significant orders based on new technologies. Hyundai Mobis is also expanding its investment and collaboration with promising global enterprises in electrification. The intention is to join hands proactively with globally promising companies to secure breakthrough technologies, ensuring a superior advantage in the electric vehicle sector. Hyundai Mobis has been committed to independent technological development, securing a competitive edge in critical electric vehicle components ahead of other parts suppliers. Recently, it has proven its global competitiveness by procuring an extensive battery system (BSA) order from Volkswagen. About Hyundai Mobis Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting, and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates its R&D headquarters in Korea, with four technology centers in the United States, Germany, China and India. For more information, please visit the website at https://www.mobis.co.kr/. Media Contact Jihyun Han: [email protected] Myong Sun Song: [email protected] SOURCE Hyundai Mobis MILAN, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffe, the global leader in high quality sustainable coffee, celebrated the one-year anniversary of its illy Monte Napoleone flagship store last night with an exclusive event. The store re-opened last year after a restyling project headed by the ACPV ARCHITECTS studio - Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. The thread that ran throughout the event was the attention that illy has always paid to quality and its care for details, which make its coffee superior. The creative concept for the event, "Quality loves details", matches the claim of the communication campaign that illycaffe launched on September 10 of this year and expresses the very essence of illy. Indeed, the Trieste-based company's unique 100% Arabica blend reflects a long journey that begins with pickling and selecting the very best coffee beans. Every cup of illy coffee is the expression of a constant attention to quality all along the value chain, to delight lovers of what its good and beautiful with the very best coffee nature can offer. Care for details made all the difference during the event: every corner of the store was set up to provide guests with a multi-sensory experience. The spectacular entrance, wrapped in the iconic illy red, ushered in the guests and led them along a lush, flower-bordered path to the elegant interior courtyard. The retail corner featured a special Christmas bar with flower decorations and ornaments customized by hand by a calligraphist. With the help of docents from the University of Coffee, the indoor spaces hosted an olfactory experience in which the aromas of coffee took guests along an evocative journey. The evening's menu featured several of the dishes from illy Montenapoleone's new menu in a novel finger food version, such as the iconic illymisu with coffee crumble. The evening's guests included Martina Ferragamo, Carlo Sestini, Tamu McPherson, Candela Pelizza, actress Anna Foglietta, photographer Julian Hargreaves, TV presenter Cristina Parodi, Helen Nonini and many of Milan's leading journalists, influencers and socialites. Behind the console, the Milan-based DJ and producer Tamati who livened up the evening with a personally curated playlist. Coffee and mixology came together with a performance by flair bartender Giorgio Facchinetti, who delighted guests with special cocktails with illy Cold Brew. This exclusive event was organized by illy to bring together all lovers of its coffee to meet and socialize at the elegant cafe in Via Montenapoleone 19. Since re-opening last year, it has become the venue of choice for high-quality coffee, providing an experience that embraces both beauty and taste. Address and opening hours: illy Montenapoleone Via Monte Napoleone 19, Milan Opening hours: From Monday to Friday: 8.00 21.00 Saturday and Sunday: 9.00 21.00 illycaffe is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans in the world. Every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafes, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafes and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors. Since its foundation, illycaffe has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Since 2013 the company is also one of the World Most Ethical Companies. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 125 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Universita del Caffe which today holds courses in 25 countries around the world. In 2021, Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffe with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans. In 2022, the company had 1230 employees and a turnover of 567,7 million. The illy single-brand network has 190 points of sale in 34 countries. For more information www.illy.com [email protected] SOURCE illycaffe SANTIAGO, Chile, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vina Concha y Toro , one of the world's most renowned wineries, is thrilled to announce that Isabel Guilisasti, Vice President of Fine Wine and Corporate Image, has been nominated for the prestigious Wine Star Award for Person of the Year by Wine Enthusiast . This year marks the 24th anniversary of Wine Enthusiast's Annual Wine Star Awards, honoring the individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and alcohol beverage world. This nomination reflects our industry's evolving landscape, where diversity and inclusivity drive progress. Post this Isabel Guilisasti, VP Fine Wine and Corporate Image This nomination recognizes Guilisasti's exceptional contributions to the wine industry and her unwavering commitment to excellence. With a career spanning over two decades, she has played a pivotal role in elevating Concha y Toro's status as a global wine leader in fine wines from South America. Guilisasti has dedicated her career to raising the profile of South American wines on the international stage. She has worked tirelessly to increase the visibility of Chile's Vina Don Melchor, Marques de Casa Concha Heritage, Carmin de Peumo, and Amelia, and Argentina's Eolo from Bodega Trivento, which together capture the essence of South America's fine wine terroir. Her visionary leadership and passion for the art of winemaking have been instrumental in Concha y Toro's international success. Under her guidance, Vina Concha y Toro has expanded the reach of its portfolio of fine wines, pushing boundaries and innovating while staying true to the winery's rich heritage. This dedication to quality and authenticity has earned Concha y Toro numerous accolades and a place of honor among the world's top wine producers. "There were very few women in the wine industry when I started twenty years ago," reminisced Guilisasti. "Today, I'm inspired by countless colleagues who have broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings. The presence of strong, talented women in the wine world is undeniable. This nomination reflects our industry's evolving landscape, where diversity and inclusivity drive progress." "We're thrilled to recognize Isabel's leadership with a Person of the Year nomination," said Jacqueline Strum, President and Publisher for Wine Enthusiast Media. "Her remarkable achievements, leadership, and passion to connect us through wine are an inspiration. Isabel embodies the pioneering spirit of Vina Concha y Toro." "I'm honored to be part of this remarkable journey and grateful for the support of Vina Concha y Toro, my tireless and talented colleagues, my family, and the entire wine community," said Guilisasti. The Wine Star Person of the Year award from Wine Enthusiast is a coveted annual honor that celebrates individuals who have made a significant impact on the wine industry. Isabel Guilisasti's nomination reflects her remarkable career and her enduring commitment to producing exceptional wines. Concha y Toro salutes all nominees for their dedication, innovation, and pursuit of excellence. About Vina Concha y Toro About Vina Concha y Toro Vina Concha y Toro is a leading global company in the wine industry with 140 years of history. It is currently Latin America's largest wine exporter, and one of the world's top wine brands, with a presence in more than 130 countries. Its production origins in Chile, Argentina, and the United States imbue its wines with character and identity, giving rise to a great family of unique global brands, recognized worldwide for their quality, innovation, and sustainability. The company is headquartered in Santiago de Chile, and has more than 12,000 hectares of vineyards planted in the main wine valleys of Chile, Argentina, and the United States. It also has 13 sales offices located in its key markets around the world. Find out more at: https://vinacyt.com/en/ SOURCE Vina Concha y Toro BOSTON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE: HTY) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC and subadvised by Epoch Investment Partners ("Epoch") announced today that effective November 1st, portfolio manager William Priest, CFA will assume the role of Vice-Chair TD Wealth and as of March 31, 2024, Mr. Priest will no longer be named a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund. The other portfolio managers on the Fund will remain unchanged. Michael A. Welhoelter, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Head of Quantitative Research and Risk Management at Epoch; Kera Van Valen, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst at Epoch; and John Tobin, PhD, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst at Epoch. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Investing involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. About John Hancock Investment Management A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com. SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management Mr. Tepper honored for his success in hiring, promoting, and supporting Black/African American financial advisors WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of African American Financial Advisors ("AAAA" or the "Association"), a non-profit membership organization for African American financial advisors and other wealth management industry professionals, honored Eric Tepper, CEO of Chase Wealth Management, with the 2023 'Spirit of the V.I.S.I.O.N. Award' at its 2023 Annual V.I.S.I.O.N. Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The Spirit of the V.I.S.I.O.N. [Value. Impact. Success. Influence. Optimize. Now.] Award recognizes leaders in the wealth and asset management community who have dedicated themselves to promoting ethnic diversity, specifically Black/African Americans in the industry. Mr. Tepper oversees thousands of financial advisors and leaders in Chase branches across 48 states who support clients in their local communities. J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is committed to recruiting and retaining diverse advisors and, in 2021, announced its goal to hire 300 Black, Hispanic, and Latino advisors by 2025. Earlier this year, Mr. Tepper and his team hosted J.P. Morgan Wealth Management's second annual Black Advisor Summit, which brought together more than 300 advisors, leaders, and executives to network, build community, and learn how to grow their businesses. "Diversity is not just a 'nice to have'; it's a 'must have,' but it takes commitment and hard work. I believe J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is the best place to work. If you want to build a successful practice as a financial advisor or manager, come work with us. You will be heard, and we will help you grow your career," said Mr. Tepper. "It's an honor to receive this award from AAAA. We have more work to do to make our industry accessible and inclusive for everyone. We are dedicated to continuing that important work and supporting Black and African American advisors and leaders." The Association of African American Financial Advisors ("AAAA" or the "Association") is a non-profit membership organization for African American financial advisors and related wealth management industry professionals. "It takes intentional, consistent leadership to achieve real change," said LeCount Davis, MBA, CFP, founder of AAAA. "Eric has demonstrated true leadership in our industry and has been a long-time champion of diversity. He has set an example that I hope other leaders in the industry will follow." About The Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA) A non-profit membership organization for African American financial advisors and affiliated professionals, the Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA) was created to address the needs and concerns of African American Financial Professionals. AAAA works in alliance with academic leaders at HBCUs that support financial planning degree programs, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and consumer interest organizations. AAAA fosters the value of financial planning and advances the financial planning profession. Media Contacts Joseph Kuo or Elizabeth Shim Haven Tower Group LLC 424 317 4851 or 424 318 4861 [email protected] or [email protected] SOURCE Association of African American Financial Advisors BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan supports Azerbaijan on the issue of territorial integrity, Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an interview with Azerbaijani TV, Trend reports. First of all, I want to say that we have always advocated and advocate that all countries respect each others borders and territorial integrity. As you know, the issue of territorial integrity for Afghanistan is extremely important. I think that it is also important for Azerbaijan to the same extent, he said. TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaye Bender Rembaum, a leading law firm specializing in community association law, is proud to announce Kerstin Henze, Esq. has been elevated to Firm Member and Managing Attorney of the Firm's Tampa location. Ms. Henze is a highly regarded legal professional with an exceptional track record assisting clients with all aspects of community association law. With over 15-years of experience, she has successfully represented numerous clients in complex legal matters, earning a reputation for delivering favorable outcomes and personalized attention. Ms. Henze is also a frequent lecturer on community association law, leading seminars for community association board members and managers. Commenting on the relocation, Firm Member Michael S. Bender expressed enthusiasm for the move, stating, "Kerstin has been an invaluable asset to our Firm, consistently demonstrating a deep commitment to our clients and their legal needs. This relocation will allow her to further expand her practice and continue providing exceptional legal services to our clients in the Tampa area." Clients and colleagues can now find Ms. Henze at the following address: 1211 N. Westshore Blvd. Suite 409, Tampa, Florida 33607 All other contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses, will remain unchanged. Kaye Bender Rembaum is a full-service commercial law firm devoted to the representation of community associations throughout Florida. With offices in Broward, Palm Beach, Orange and Hillsborough counties (Miami-Dade by appointment), the Firm was again presented with the 2023 Readers' Choice Diamond Award for Legal Services by the Florida Community Association Journal, an award they've received annually since 2015. For more information, visit www.KBRLegal.com, call 954-928-0680 and follow the Firm's YouTube channel at KayeBenderRembaumAttorneys2280. SOURCE Kaye Bender Rembaum Kempus extends its mission of community support through a charitable donation to help the wildfire victims in Maui, Hawaii. NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kempus , an online community where students can connect and discuss the university and early career experience anonymously, has made a charitable donation to Maui Strong , to help the affected people catastrophic wildfires that ravaged parts of Western Maui. This was as part of its commitment to community building beyond virtual walls. The devastating wildfires were fueled by Hurricane Dora's winds in August 2023, resulting in an unprecedented tragedy. Claiming at least 114 lives, it became the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. Thousands of homes, businesses, and historical sites were destroyed, leaving survivors scrambling for basic necessities such as food, water, and housing. Since launching in 2023, Kempus has become a valuable resource for students in terms of anonymous peer reviews, university experience sharing, and early career preparation. This initiative to help Maui's wildfire victims serves as an extension of Kempus' ongoing efforts to provide value to communities, both online and offline. Jae Lee, the CEO of Kempus, spoke candidly about the disaster. "Needless to say, the wildfires shattered a community. No amount can replace lives lost or reverse the impact, but we at Kempus are proud to be a part of planting seeds for the future. Seeds that will hopefully grow into long-term recovery and hope for those affected in Maui." Kempus encourages the general public to support the victims and the rebuilding process. In addition to Maui Strong, here are additional charities to which one can donate to help the affected people of Maui: Maui United Way Inc.: http://www.mauiunitedway.org/ Maui Humane Society Inc.: http://www.mauihumanesociety.org/ Aloha United Way: http://www.auw.org/ About Kempus Kempus (Kempus, Inc.) is an online community for verified students to anonymously connect and share reviews on their course and university experiencewithout fear of reprisal. With Kempus, students can access up-to-date reports on components of the university experience at a glance, and are further encouraged to dive into deeper discussions within Kempus' platform. Additionally, the Kempus platform assists the student body with early career preparation, for further empowerment. The Kempus community is one that strengthens its members at the individual level, to facilitate the most optimal and delightful university experience that is as unique as the students themselves. For more information about Kempus, visit www.kempus.com Download Kempus on iOS: https://kempus.ai/ios-app Download Kempus on Android: https://kempus.ai/android-app Contact [email protected] SOURCE Kempus Inc XUCHANG, China, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Klaiyi Hair, the world's leading human hair wig company, is celebrating its sixth anniversary with an upcoming Royal Anniversary Sale. From September 18th to September 24th, customers can enjoy huge discounts, specials and coupons on popular human hair wigs and extensions. Klaiyi Hair has created a variety of styles including 360 lace wigs, colored wigs, 4C edges, glueless wigs and pre-cut wigs. Klaiyi Hair To thank their customers and loyal fans for their longtime support, Klaiyi Hair is organizing a special 6th Anniversary Sale, where customers can purchase high quality and affordable real hair wigs and human hair weaves. The main 6-year anniversary special offers include: 9.11 to 9.17 New Customer Discount: $30 OFF For New Customer, Code: NEW30 Free gifts: sunglasses, elastic hair bands, large coupon codes, straightening combs, head coverings or braided hair 18% OFF Sitewide, Code: KLAIYI18 $45 OFF Over $210, Code: KLAIYI50 $100 OFF Over $400, Code: KLAIYI100 9.18 to 9.20 20% OFF Sitewide, Code: KLAIYI20 22% OFF Over $210, Code: KLAIYI22 Free Gift: Branded Hair Bands + Duckbill Clips Free bathrobe or halter dress over 199; Free braid hair or head covering over 399, limited to the first 10 orders per day. 9.21 to 9.24 22% OFF Sitewide, Code: KLAIYI22 25% OFF Over $210, Code: KLAIYI25 Free Gift: Branded Hair Bands + Duckbill Clips Free bathrobe or halter dress over 199; Free straight hair comb over 299; Free braid hair or head cover over 359, each limited to the first 10 orders per day. Daily Sale 29.9, limited to 5 per day (bob or upart headgear) For six years, Klaiyi Hair has been helping people from all walks of life embrace their unique beauty. Their wigs are more than just accessories. They are tools for self-expression, confidence and transformation. As always, shoppers can enjoy fast and free shipping, a 30-day return policy, 7/24 service and more great deals during the Klaiyi Hair 6th Anniversary Sale. What's more, Klaiyi Hair also offers buy-now-pay-later payment options such as Afterpay, Sezzle, Klarna, and Paypal. Come to Klaiyi birthday party now and buy the best. There are more offers waiting for you, so don't miss out. Frank Smith Klaiyi Hair 18337492297 [email protected] This release was issued through WebWire. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com. SOURCE Klaiyi Hair NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm McDermott Will & Emery welcomes Kate Vera as a partner in New York. Joining the Firm from Kirkland & Ellis where she was a share partner, Kate is a leading executive compensation lawyer who represents some of the world's most prestigious private equity firms and their portfolio companies. She will head McDermott's employee benefits and executive compensation practice in New York. "Kate is a client-first, business-oriented lawyer with firsthand insights into the needs of private equity firms and their portfolio companies," said Harris Siskind, head of McDermott's Transactions Practice Group. "She will play a critical role in helping our clients address complex executive compensation and tax issues." "I'm pleased to welcome Kate to McDermott," said Andrew Liazos, head of McDermott's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group. "Her sophisticated understanding of executive compensation matters, paired with her energy and commitment to client service, strengthens our capabilities and makes her well suited to collaborate across teams." Kate has extensive experience handling executive compensation matters related to mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring plans, initial public offerings, carve-outs and other business transactions. Her practice also includes advising clients on securities law matters as they relate to executive compensation. Client representative matters include: Bristol- Myers Squibb in its $13.1 billion acquisition of MyoKardia in its acquisition of MyoKardia GLP in the $18.7 billion sale of its US logistics business to Blackstone sale of its US logistics business to Blackstone Sycamore Partners in its $6.9 billion acquisition of Staples Inc. acquisition of Staples Inc. Intelsat in its confirmation of a plan of reorganization. Intelsat had approximately $14.7 billion in funded debt as of its Chapter 11 filing "McDermott is an outstanding law firm that has grown exponentially over the last several years," said Kate. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join forces with this team of superb lawyers, and I look forward to further expanding the private equity and executive compensation practices." ABOUT McDERMOTT McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve. McDermott's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group comprises 25 lawyers across the United States. They help clients maximize the value of and return on their investments in human capital while avoiding exposure to liability. The team, which includes recognized leaders within the American Bar Association and members of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, regularly advocates for clients before the US Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and the US Department of Labor. McDermott received top practice rankings in all major directories, including Chambers USA, Legal 500 US, U.S. News Best Lawyers and Law360. SOURCE McDermott Will & Emery HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Strength and consistency were demonstrated at Leland Little's Signature Fall Auction. The Signature Week was led off on Thursday, September 7th with a Fine Wine Auction. Later that evening the auction house held their Signature Lecture Series, this session focusing on a distinctive form of early Southern furniture, cellarettes, presented by Andrew Ownbey of Longleaf Antiques. As stated by Mr. Ownbey, "Arguably one of the most iconic and desired southern furnishings is the Cellarette. Found in many early inventories described simply as "Bottle Cases" this form finds its history rooted in very utilitarian beginnings." On Friday the gallery held their Rare Spirits Auction; the Signature Week culminated on Saturday with their Signature Fall Auction. The Signature Week Achieved over 1.7M Maud Gatewood (NC, 1934-2004), Breakers (Red Ball) This sale featured objects from the Estate of the late Mr. & Mrs. Charles and Cynthia Salzhauer, of Oxford, North Carolina, which showcased a beautifully curated collection of antique American furniture as well as decorative and fine art. The top achieving lot from this Estate was Lot 127, A Very Fine Japanese Large Carved and Painted Wood Sculpture of a Lady, which sold for $30,000 (all prices noted reflect a 20% Buyer's Premium). The top lot of the auction was an acrylic on canvas by Maud Gatewood (NC, 1934-2004), titled Breakers (Lot 239), which rose to $49,200. Another top lot of note was a beautiful, Loose Oval Cut Ceylon Sapphire (Lot 65), weighing 6.44 carats, which sailed above estimate and sold for $32,400. International Art achieved high bidding and an auction record was set when the gavel fell on an oil on canvas by Paul Emile Pissarro (French, 1884-1972), titled, Gerbes de Bles, Soleil Couchant (Lot 161). This work, which captures the essence of the fall season, sold for $30,000. Also of note was an India ink and watercolor on paper, titled Mujer cargando ayate (Lot 264), by Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886-1957) which achieved $27,600. Asian Art attracted active bidding. Two lots of note were an ink and colors on paper by Chen Wen Hsi (Singaporean, 1906-1991), titled Two Gibbons (Lot 113), which brought $18,000 and an impressive lacquer painting by Bui Huu Hung (Vietnamese, b.1957), titled Women in the Family, which rose to $31,200 (Lot 130). Other lots of note include a 1959 Gibson ES-355 Hollow Body Electric Guitar (Lot 195), which sailed past its estimate bringing $22,800 and a Massachusetts Officer's Civil War Grouping with Very Rare "MS" Marked Colt Revolver (Lot 270), which sold for $13,200. "We received, with appreciation and gratitude, several opportunities and collections that we were honored to represent, which culminated in this highly vetted Signature Fall Auction which was enthusiastically met by the market." - Leland Little Leland Little Auctions has specialized in the sale of fine high end collectible objects for over 20 years. We are proud to provide trusted stewardship to both our buyers and sellers. For more information please visit LelandLittle.com. Leland Little [email protected] 919-644-1243 SOURCE Leland Little Auctions Vibrant All-Over-Print Button-Down Shirts Feature Classic Characters, Iconic Scenes & More HOBOKEN, N.J., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, RSVLTS (rose-uh-velts), creators of high-quality licensed and unlicensed pop culture apparel since 2012, is thrilled to announce the release of its first-ever collaboration with BBC Studios Kids & Family for the mega-hit animated series, "Bluey." The all-new co-branded line for adults and children will feature a four-shirt button-down collection in RSVLTS signature KUNUFLEX material (soft, stretchy, never shrinks or fades). The all-new co-branded line for adults and children will feature a four-shirt button-down collection in RSVLTS signature KUNUFLEX material (soft, stretchy, never shrinks or fades). The collection will drop online at www.rsvlts.com , and via RSVLTS app (iOS & Android) on Saturday, September 16 at 4:00pm ET. Bluey and her family have arrived at RSVLTS amidst much anticipation and fanfare, with gear that also features Bluey's school friends, an ice cream pattern dripping with flavor, and a magic xylophone shirt that'll freeze people in their tracks (resist the urge to get the pen!), and more show-related Easter eggs embedded throughout the designs. Bluey x RSVLTS Collection Apparel & Background See below for more details for each item, all available across classic (unisex), women's and youth sizes for this first series of button-downs: Bluey x RSVLTS - "Meet the Heelers" Bluey! Bingo! Mum! Dad! Your favorite family of red and blue heelers is showing off their best dance moves on this outrageous KUNUFLEX button-down. Based on the famous opening sequence of the show (which you probably hum in your sleep at this point), this game of musical statues is so hot, even Bandit's trademark "sprinkler" can't cool it down. Bluey x RSVLTS - "Don't Let It Melt" Bluey. Bingo. Ice cream. Hmmm, mango or strawberrywhy choose?! This sweet KUNUFLEX button down is dripping with both fantastic flavors as well as a sprinkle of, well, sprinkles for a little added flavor. Bluey x RSVLTS - "Magic Xylophone" FREEZE!!! This playful KUNUFLEX button-down pays homage to the fan-favorite first episode of the series, where Bluey, Bingo, and Bandit have all sorts of frozen fun courtesy of a magical musical instrument. Featuring Bandit in costume and the sisters sitting side by side, and more moments, this shirt will stop any "Bluey" fan in their tracks. UNFREEZE!!! Bluey x RSVLTS - Primary Pals If they go to school with Bluey, you can bet your bottom dollar buck you'll find them here. Chloe, Snickers, Indy, Rusty, Mackenzie, and the rest of Bluey's school friends. Consider this colorful collage of classmates your personal "Bluey" yearbook! "From the first time we saw an episode of 'Bluey,' we knew there was something special about the show, its subject matter, the incredible characters, and impressive storytelling," said Mike Shriner, Director of Communications for RSVLTS. "We brought in some in-house experts - the children of RSVLTS own employees who adore the series - to help us curate some matching designs and styles the entire family would wear, so we're thrilled to see how all fans of the show enjoy the collection as well!" All Bluey x RSVLTS Collection videos and more content can also be found on RSVLTS YouTube , @rsvlts on IG and @rsvlts on TT; @officialblueytv on IG, @officialblueytv on TT and Bluey YouTube. About RSVLTS Since 2012, founded and headquartered in Hoboken, NJ, the RSVLTS brand and apparel is rooted in super high-grade pop culture fandoms and nostalgia, dedicated to those with a bold and fun spirit. What makes RSVLTS different is its approach to producing incredibly comfortable and fashionable, officially licensed gear, as well as original designs, in a unique style that kick-starts a conversation and fully captivates the room. With the RSVLTS proprietary material, the soft, stretchy, and oh so radical KUNUFLEX poly-spandex blend, as well as the line of active-leisure Breakfast Balls All-Day polos, shirts that are guaranteed to make people feel just as good as they look, for any event or occasion. About Bluey Bluey is produced by Emmy Award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC KIDS (Australia) and co-commissioned by ABC Children's and BBC Studios Kids & Family. Financed in association with Screen Australia, Bluey is proudly 100% created, written, animated, and post produced in Brisbane Queensland, Australia, with funding from the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and the Australian Government. Bluey | Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | YouTube About Ludo Studio Ludo Studio is a BAFTA, multi-Emmy and Logie award-winning Australian studio that creates and produces original scripted drama, animation and digital stories that are authored by incredible local talent, distributed globally and loved by audiences everywhere. ludostudio.com.au About BBC Studios BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with sales of 1.6bn (21/22). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on four pillars: a global Content Studio (producing, investing and distributing content globally); Channels & Streaming platforms in the UK and across the world; a Brands & Licensing operation which seeks to amplify the impact of IP; and the successful UK-based multi-channel network UKTV. Around 2,400 hours of award-winning British programs made by the business every year, with three-quarters of its revenues from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognized across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com, BBC Studios' global digital news platform, has 139 million unique browser visits each month. BBC Studios | Website | Press Office | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | SOURCE RSVLTS SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LITB) ("LightInTheBox" or the "Company"), an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. Second Quarter and First Half 2023 Financial Highlights Three Months Ended Year-over- Six Months Ended Year-over- In millions, June 30, June 30, Year % June 30, June 30, Year % except percentages 2022 2023 Change 2022 2023 Change Total revenues $ 132.4 $ 191.8 44.9 % $ 226.1 $ 339.5 50.2 % - Apparel sales $ 108.7 $ 163.2 50.1 % $ 175.9 $ 282.5 60.5 % Apparel sales/total revenues 82.1 % 85.1 % 3.0 % 77.8 % 83.2 % 5.4 % Gross margin 55.3 % 57.5 % 2.2 % 53.4 % 56.7 % 3.3 % Net loss $ (2.4) $ (1.5) $ (7.9) $ (5.4) Adjusted EBITDA $ (1.5) $ (0.7) $ (6.1) $ (3.8) As of June 30, As of June 30, In millions 2022 2023 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 65.7 $ 94.6 Mr. Jian He, Chairman and CEO of LightInTheBox, commented, "We're pleased to deliver a strong operational and financial performance in the second quarter of 2023. Amid a complex macro environment, we achieved the highest quarterly revenue in our history, primarily driven by apparel sales growth of 50% over one year ago. Meanwhile, our efforts to enhance operating efficiency paid off, evidenced by improved profitability with fulfillment and G&A expenses as a percentage of revenue at an all-time low. Furthermore, our cash balance was $95 million as of the end of this quarter, illustrating our robust free cash flow generation ability. "These solid results once again demonstrate our effective business strategy, as well as our core competitive advantages across our value-for-money offerings, quality customer cohorts, and innovative technologies. As we move into the third quarter 2023, we are seeing that macroeconomic turbulence, together with normal seasonality in the apparel sector, is impacting on our top-line performance. Nevertheless, we will continue to execute our proven business strategy and refine our operations to navigate the evolving market dynamics as we strive to deliver sustainable value to all of our stakeholders in the long run," Mr. He concluded. Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results Total revenues increased by 44.9% year-over-year to $191.8 million from $132.4 million in the same quarter of 2022. Sales from apparel increased by 50.1% to $163.2 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $108.7 million in the same quarter of 2022. Revenues from apparel represented 85.1% of total revenues in the second quarter of 2023 and 82.1% in the same quarter of 2022. Total cost of revenues was $81.6 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $59.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. Gross profit in the second quarter of 2023 was $110.2 million, compared with $73.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. Gross margin was 57.5% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 55.3% in the same quarter of 2022. The increase in gross margin was a result of the increase in the percentage of sales represented by apparel, which grew from 82.1% to 85.1%. Apparel typically has higher margins than other product types. Total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $111.8 million, compared with $75.6 million in the same quarter of 2022. Fulfillment expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $9.9 million , compared with $7.8 million in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, fulfillment expenses were 5.2% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 5.9% in the same quarter of 2022 and 5.8% in the first quarter of 2023. , compared with in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, fulfillment expenses were 5.2% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 5.9% in the same quarter of 2022 and 5.8% in the first quarter of 2023. Selling and marketing expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $94.0 million , compared with $58.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, selling and marketing expenses were 49.0% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 44.0% in the same quarter of 2022 and 46.8% in the first quarter of 2023. , compared with in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, selling and marketing expenses were 49.0% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 44.0% in the same quarter of 2022 and 46.8% in the first quarter of 2023. G&A expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $8.2 million , compared with $9.7 million in the same quarter of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, G&A expenses were 4.3% in the second quarter of 2023, compared with 7.3% in the same quarter of 2022 and 6.1% in the first quarter of 2023. As part of G&A expenses, R&D expenses in the second quarter of 2023 were $5.1 million , compared with $4.7 million in the same quarter of 2022 and $5.2 million in the first quarter of 2023. Loss from operations was $1.6 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $2.5 million in the same quarter of 2022. Net loss was $1.5 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $2.4 million in the same quarter of 2022. Net loss per American Depository Share ("ADS") was $0.01 in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $0.02 in the same quarter of 2022. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares. The diluted net loss per ADS in the second quarter of 2023 was $0.01, compared with $0.02 in the same quarter of 2022. In the second quarter of 2023, the Company's basic weighted average number of ADSs used in computing the net loss per ADS was 113,369,462. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $0.7 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared with negative $1.5 million in the same quarter of 2022. As of June 30, 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of $94.6 million, compared with $65.7 million as of June 30, 2022. First Half 2023 Financial Results Total revenues increased by 50.2% year-over-year to $339.5 million from $226.1 million in the same period of 2022. Sales from apparel increased by 60.5% to $282.5 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $175.9 million in the same period of 2022. Revenues from apparel represented 83.2% of total revenues in the first half of 2023 and 77.8% in the same period of 2022. Total cost of revenues was $146.9 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $105.5 million in the same period of 2022. Gross profit in the first half of 2023 was $192.7 million, compared with $120.7 million in the same period of 2022. Gross margin was 56.7% in the first half of 2023, compared with 53.4% in the same period of 2022. The increase in gross margin was a result of the increase in the percentage of sales represented by apparel, which grew from 77.8% to 83.2%. Apparel typically has higher margins than other product types. Total operating expenses in the first half of 2023 were $198.2 million, compared with $129.5 million in the same period of 2022. Fulfillment expenses in the first half of 2023 were $18.5 million , compared with $14.6 million in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, fulfillment expenses were 5.5% in the first half of 2023, compared with 6.5% in the same period of 2022. , compared with in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, fulfillment expenses were 5.5% in the first half of 2023, compared with 6.5% in the same period of 2022. Selling and marketing expenses in the first half of 2023 were $163.2 million , compared with $97.3 million in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, selling and marketing expenses were 48.0% for the first half of 2023, compared with 43.0% in the same period of 2022. , compared with in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, selling and marketing expenses were 48.0% for the first half of 2023, compared with 43.0% in the same period of 2022. G&A expenses in the first half of 2023 were $17.2 million , compared with $17.7 million in the same period of 2022. As a percentage of total revenues, G&A expenses were 5.1% for the first half of 2023, compared with 7.8% in the same period of 2022. Included in G&A expenses, R&D expenses in the first half of 2023 were $10.3 million , compared with $9.3 million in the same period of 2022. Loss from operations was $5.6 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $8.9 million in the same period of 2022. Net loss was $5.4 million in the first half of 2023, compared with $7.9 million in the same period of 2022. Net loss per American Depository Share ("ADS") was $0.05 in the first half of 2023, compared with $0.07 in the same period of 2022. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares. The diluted net loss per ADS for the first half of 2023 was $0.05, compared with $0.07 in the same period of 2022. In the first half of 2023, the Company's basic weighted average number of ADSs used in computing the net loss per ADS was 113,349,914. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $3.8 million in the first half of 2023, compared with negative $6.1 million in the same period of 2022. Share Repurchase Program On June 27, 2023, the Company's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $10 million of its ordinary shares in the form of ADSs no later than December 31, 2023. As of September 12, 2023, the Company has repurchased 517,240 ADSs with a total aggregate value of approximately $0.7 million. Business Outlook For the third quarter of 2023, based on current information available to the Company and business seasonality, the Company expects net revenues to be between $145 million and $160 million. Non-GAAP Financial Measure In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses a non-GAAP measure, Adjusted EBITDA, as a supplemental measure to review and assess operating performance. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The Company's non-GAAP financial measure excludes share-based compensation expenses, depreciation and amortization expenses, interest income, interest expenses and income tax expense. The Company presents this non-GAAP financial measure because it is used by management to evaluate operating performance and formulate business plans. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measure helps identify underlying trends in its business. The Company also believes that the non-GAAP financial measure could provide further information about the Company's results of operations and enhance the overall understanding of the Company's past performance and future prospects. The non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measure has limitations as an analytical tool. The Company's non-GAAP financial measure does not reflect all items of income and expenses that affect the Company's operations and does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Further, the non-GAAP measure may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited. The Company compensates for the limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating performance. The Company encourages you to review the Company's financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measure, please see the table captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Result" set forth at the end of this press release. Conference Call The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on September 15, 2023 (8:00 p.m. Hong Kong/Singapore Time on the same day). Preregistration Information Participants can register for the conference call by going to https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10033153-fue64r.html . Upon registration, participants will receive dial-in numbers, an event passcode, and a unique registrant ID. To join the conference, simply dial the number in the calendar invite you receive after preregistering, enter the event passcode followed by your unique registrant ID, and you will be connected to the conference instantly. A telephone replay will be available two hours after the conclusion of the conference call through September 22, 2023. The dial-in details are: US/Canada: +1-855-883-1031 Singapore: 800-101-3223 Hong Kong, China: 800-930-639 Replay PIN: 10033153 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.lightinthebox.com . About LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. LightInTheBox is an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide. With a focus on serving its middle-aged and senior customers, LightInTheBox leverages its global supply chain and logistics networks, along with its in-house R&D and design capabilities to offer a wide selection of comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and visually interesting apparels that bring fresh joy to customers. LightInTheBox operates its business through www.lightinthebox.com , www.miniinthebox.com , www.ezbuy.sg and other websites as well as mobile applications, which are available in over 20 major languages and over 140 countries and regions. The Company is headquartered in Singapore, with additional offices in California, Shanghai and Beijing. For more information, please visit www.lightinthebox.com . Investor Relations Contact Investor Relations LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Email: [email protected] Jenny Cai Piacente Financial Communications Email: [email protected] Brandi Piacente Piacente Financial Communications Tel: +1-212-481-2050 Email: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "targets" and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about LightInTheBox's beliefs and expectations, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as LightInTheBox's strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements. LightInTheBox may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: LightInTheBox's goals and strategies; LightInTheBox's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the global online retail market; LightInTheBox's ability to attract customers and further enhance customer experience and product offerings; LightInTheBox's ability to strengthen its supply chain efficiency and optimize its logistics network; LightInTheBox's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products; competition; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in LightInTheBox's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and LightInTheBox does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (U.S. dollars in thousands, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of Jun 30, 2022 2023 ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents 88,575 88,157 Restricted cash 5,993 6,451 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses 695 1,424 Inventories 14,260 9,427 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 6,452 18,120 Total current assets 115,975 123,579 Property and equipment, net 2,946 2,794 Intangible assets, net 5,630 4,404 Goodwill 28,177 26,835 Operating lease right-of-use assets 10,874 8,728 Long-term rental deposits 1,211 1,259 TOTAL ASSETS 164,813 167,599 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY / (DEFICIT) Current Liabilities Accounts payable 26,518 38,981 Advance from customers 32,241 27,559 Operating lease liabilities 4,993 5,184 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 90,357 94,671 Total current liabilities 154,109 166,395 Operating lease liabilities 6,576 4,103 Long-term payable 34 10 Deferred tax liabilities 111 150 Unrecognized tax benefits 107 107 TOTAL LIABILITIES 160,937 170,765 EQUITY / (DEFICIT) Ordinary shares 17 17 Additional paid-in capital 282,722 282,805 Treasury shares (28,615) (28,105) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,024) (2,754) Accumulated deficit (249,224) (255,129) TOTAL EQUITY / (DEFICIT) 3,876 (3,166) TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY / (DEFICIT) 164,813 167,599 LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (U.S. dollars in thousands, except per share data, or otherwise noted) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, June 30, June 30, 2022 2023 2022 2023 Revenues Product sales 129,828 189,730 221,171 334,331 Services and others 2,527 2,037 4,952 5,217 Total revenues 132,355 191,767 226,123 339,548 Cost of revenues Product sales (58,214) (81,142) (103,284) (145,318) Services and others (983) (435) (2,167) (1,538) Total Cost of revenues (59,197) (81,577) (105,451) (146,856) Gross profit 73,158 110,190 120,672 192,692 Operating expenses Fulfillment (7,774) (9,906) (14,638) (18,542) Selling and marketing (58,225) (94,038) (97,257) (163,150) General and administrative (9,661) (8,176) (17,727) (17,233) Other operating income 26 332 92 677 Total operating expenses (75,634) (111,788) (129,530) (198,248) Loss from operations (2,476) (1,598) (8,858) (5,556) Interest income 7 143 17 173 Interest expense (1) (1) (3) (2) Other income, net 83 (1) 945 20 Total other income 89 141 959 191 Loss before income taxes (2,387) (1,457) (7,899) (5,365) Income tax expense (9) - (9) (48) Net loss (2,396) (1,457) (7,908) (5,413) Net loss attributable to LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (2,396) (1,457) (7,908) (5,413) Weighted average numbers of shares used in calculating loss per ordinary share Basic 226,140,929 226,738,924 226,124,192 226,699,828 Diluted 226,140,929 226,738,924 226,124,192 226,699,828 Net loss per ordinary share Basic (0.01) (0.01) (0.03) (0.02) Diluted (0.01) (0.01) (0.03) (0.02) Net loss per ADS ( 2 ordinary shares equal to 1 ADS ) Basic (0.02) (0.01) (0.07) (0.05) Diluted (0.02) (0.01) (0.07) (0.05) LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results (U.S. dollars in thousands, or otherwise noted) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, June 30, June 30, 2022 2023 2022 2023 Net loss (2,396) (1,457) (7,908) (5,413) Less: Interest income 7 143 17 173 Interest expense (1) (1) (3) (2) Income tax expense (9) - (9) (48) Depreciation and amortization (861) (826) (1,719) (1,655) EBITDA (1,532) (773) (6,194) (3,881) Less: Share-based compensation (30) (78) (66) (83) Adjusted EBITDA* (1,502) (695) (6,128) (3,798) * Adjusted EBITDA represents loss from operations before impairment loss on investment, share-based compensation expense, interest income, interest expense, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization expenses. SOURCE LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Groundbreaking neuroscientists Lily Jan and Eve Marder will jointly receive the 2023 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, an award which recognizes outstanding women scientists. The award will be presented by Ellen V. Futter, president emerita of the American Museum of Natural History, in a ceremony on The Rockefeller University campus on September 20. Eve Marder (left) and Lily Jan (right) "This year's awardees are two outstanding scientists who have made fundamental contributions to neurobiology," says Michael W. Young, Richard and Jeanne Fisher Professor, Nobel Laureate, and chair of the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize selection committee. "Lily Jan's work led to the first molecular description of the potassium channel, which allows a nerve to carry electrical impulses, and Eve Marder has revealed how populations of neurons interact to produce behavior and how behavioral flexibility can be built into neural circuits." Jan's work provided landmark advances in understanding the function and regulation of potassium channels, which, among other cellular roles, modulate neuronal signaling in the brain. She also famously discovered that peptides can act as neurotransmitters to transfer messages from one neuron to another. Jan is the Jack and DeLoris Lange Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Academia Sinica (Taiwan). Marder, most recognized for her work understanding the modulation of neural networks, is the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield University Professor at Brandeis University. Studying the lobster stomatogastric nervous systemconsisting of just 30 neurons that control the muscles in the lobster digestive tractMarder has made profound discoveries about the dynamics of neuronal circuits, which balance the needs for both homeostasis and plasticity. She served as president of the Society for Neuroscience as well as on the working group for President Obama's BRAIN Initiative. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine. This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, which was founded by the late Paul Greengard, the Vincent Astor Professor of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience at Rockefeller, and his wife, Ursula von Rydingsvard, an internationally renowned sculptor with works in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and other venues. A lifelong advocate for gender equality, Greengard donated his monetary share of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Rockefeller and, in partnership with generous supporters, established an annual award to recognize outstanding women scientists. The prize, which includes a $100,000 honorarium, is named for Greengard's mother, who died during his birth. To attend the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize ceremony and learn more about the award, register here. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. About The Rockefeller University The Rockefeller University is one of the world's leading biomedical research universities and is dedicated to conducting innovative, high-quality research to improve the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. The university's unique approach to science has led to some of the world's most revolutionary and transformative contributions to biology and medicine. During Rockefeller's 122-year history, our scientists have won 26 Nobel Prizes, 25 Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, and 20 National Medals of Science. Media contact: Katherine Fenz Senior Manager of Media Relations, The Rockefeller University Office: 212-327-7913 Email: kfenz@rockefeller.edu SOURCE The Rockefeller University The only brewery in Wake County to win a Gold Medal at this year's competition. HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Local Time Brewing, a travel themed craft brewery, focusing on international styles and global ingredients while drawing inspiration from around the world, was awarded the only gold medal in Wake County as part of the NC Brewers Cup competition last week. Devin Singley Head Brewer, native North Carolinian, and recent recipient of Cary Magazine's Movers and Shakers honor produced the state's best craft beer in the International Origin category with the Phuket Sunset Thai-Style Rice Lager. He followed that up with a silver medal for the Schonbrunn Vienna-Style Lager in the European Amber Lager category. The brewery, started by Chris and Kelly Gallagher of Holly Springs opened only 5 months ago and joins a field of nearly 50 breweries in the county. Phuket Sunset was made with premium single-source, single-variety malted barley and premium imported Thai Jasmin rice. Brewed using old-world mashing techniques, the finished product is crisp and balanced. 2023 marked the 12th anniversary of the NC Brewers Cup competition, administered by the North Carolina Brewers Guild. This year, 873 entries were submitted by 122 independent North Carolina craft breweries, making this the largest commercial competition in the Southeast. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded in 36 style-based beer categories. The North Carolina Brewers' Guild, is the legislative advocacy body on behalf of the NC craft brewing industry, of which there are more than 400 breweries, and works to promote craft beer tourism and increased visibility of NC craft beer on state, national, and global levels. SOURCE Local Time Brewing Celebration of the Grand Opening will take place on Sept. 23 CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pvolve, the omni-channel fitness company with an innovative, science-led method that pairs functional movement with proprietary equipment, has opened its second franchise studio and first in Carlsbad. Located at 7030 Avenida Encinas, the newly minted location builds on the company's strong pipeline of franchise locations coming to market. The physical studios allow for a hands-on way to experience Pvolve's signature, low impact, resistance-based method, which encourages members to break a sweat, but not their bodies. The new Pvolve studio in Carlsbad is owned and operated by local husband-and-wife duo, Kristin and Jeff Springborn. For the past 13 years, the couple has resided in Carlsbad and wanted to find a way to make more of a positive impact in their community. Following 20 years of working in the technology space, Kristin found herself looking for a career change. Her passion for fitness led her to discover Pvolve and she quickly fell in love with the brand's signature method. After learning about the franchising opportunity that Pvolve had to offer, she knew she had to be part of the fast-growing business. "We are so grateful to bring this incredible method to Carlsbad," said Kristin. "We love how Pvolve not only strengthens your body but improves how you move and feel every day. We want to cultivate an environment that provides a supportive community, inspires inner strength and helps members achieve their fitness and wellness goals." Pvolve Carlsbad offers membership options that fit your fitness needs. The three tiers of memberships include Unlimited, Starter and Flex. Those who sign up for a founding membership prior to the grand opening event on Sept. 23, lock in a lifetime discounted rate. Founding members receive other additional benefits such as access to on-demand and live virtual classes, 2-week booking period and so much more. Additional membership information can be found at https://app.pvolve.com/locations/carlsbad-south-carlsbad. "We are thrilled to bring Pvolve's unique, holistic training method to the dynamic Carlsbad community," said Pvolve President Julie Cartwright. "There is nothing quite like our studios everything from the front desk team to the beautiful beauty bars, to the class itself delivered by our expert trainers is thoughtfully designed to give members a best-in-class boutique fitness experience." To learn more about Pvolve fitness studio in Carlsbad, please visit https://app.pvolve.com/locations/carlsbad-south-carlsbad, or call (760) 472-3814. About Pvolve Pvolve LLC, or Personal Evolution, is an innovative fitness company that pairs functional movement with resistance-based equipment to sculpt, tone, strengthen and restore the body while also enhancing mobility and stability. After being introduced to functional fitness in 2017, founder Rachel Katzman was determined to help others experience an approach that respects the body's holistic needs while making you look and feel great. Pvolve's Method is supported by a Clinical Advisory Board of highly credentialed doctors, trainers and experts to offer safe and effective workouts that help you break a sweat, not your body. As recently as June 2023, world-renowned actress, producer and director, Jennifer Aniston, officially partnered with Pvolve after falling in love with the Method as a member in 2021. Through its hybrid fitness model, Pvolve can be experienced via a streaming membership which offers live and on-demand classes on Pvolve.com and on the Pvolve App, and via physical studio locations available in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Carlsbad, with more franchises opening soon. For more information, please visit https://www.pvolve.com/ , https://pvolvefranchise.com/ and @pvolve on Instagram. Media Contact: Seth Goodman | Fishman PR | [email protected] | (847) 945-1300 SOURCE Pvolve BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Another group of former IDPs sent from the Gobu Park 3 residential complex in the Garadagh district of Baku has arrived in Azerbaijan's Fuzuli city, Trend reports. They were met by an employee of the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories within the Karabakh economic region, Eldar Seyidov, the Director of the Repatriation Department of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs Natig Huseynov, and other officials. At this stage, another 25 families (73 people) returned to the city of Fuzuli. Thus, until today, a permanent settlement in Fuzuli City has been provided for 144 families, or 514 people. In accordance with the instructions of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the return of former internally displaced persons to the restored city of Fuzuli continues. As a result of the victory achieved by the valiant Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of the President, Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, opportunities have been created for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of internally displaced persons to their native lands after 30 years. Fuzuli residents thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for their comprehensive care, expressed gratitude to the valiant Azerbaijani Army, which liberated the lands from occupation, and paid tribute to the martyrs' memory. NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The machine translation market by deployment (on-premise and cloud), application (defense, IT, automotive, and healthcare), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) - Forecast and Analysis 2023-2027" report has been added to Technavio offering. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Technavio has proudly partnered with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years. The potential growth difference for the machine translation market between 2022 and 2027 is USD 1.02 billion. Globalization of businesses is the key driver for the growth of the machine translation market. Companies are constantly trying to expand their operations beyond regional borders. Therefore, there is a great need for people who are proficient in translation services. The demand for translation and interpretation services is also increasing. In addition, companies need to focus on expanding their customer base globally. They can achieve this by focusing on their marketing strategy and localizing their marketing content. As a result, more and more businesses are choosing content localization services in target economies, thereby increasing the demand for language translation and interpretation services. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Get deeper insights into the market size, current market scenario, future growth opportunities, major growth driving factors, the latest trends, and much more. Buy the full report here Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Machine Translation Market 2023-2027 Market Challenge Data privacy and security risks in online translation services are significant challenges restricting market growth. Learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio. Read FREE Sample PDF Report Now The machine translation market is segmented by deployment (on-premise and cloud), application (defense, IT, automotive, and healthcare), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The market share growth by the on-premise segment will be significant during the forecast period. On-premise delivery as a delivery type has seen tremendous growth as part of the machine translation market. Organizations that handle sensitive information and comply with regulations choose to deploy in place because it gives more control over data protection and privacy. On-premises solutions are preferred in industries such as healthcare, government, and finance, which often have strict data management requirements. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. North America is estimated to contribute 29% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. View the FREE Sample Report for insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Key Companies in the machine translation market: Alphabet Inc., ARGOS TRANSLATIONS Sp. z o.o., Babylon Software Ltd., Cloudwords Inc., CSOFT International Inc., Global Lingo Ltd., Honyaku Center Inc., International Business Machines Corp., Lingotek Inc., Lingua Custodia, Lionbridge Technologies LLC, Microsoft Corp., Omniscien Technologies, Promt, RWS Holdings PLC, SYSTRAN SA, Teleperformance SE, thebigword Group Ltd., TransPerfect Global Inc., and Welocalize Inc. Related Reports: The Test Environment as a Service (TEaaS) Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20.26% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 16,458.04 million. This test environment as a service market report extensively covers market segmentation by application (large enterprises, small, and medium enterprises), type (cloud-based, on-premise, and testing as a service offering), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The reduction in the cost of application development and time is driving growth in a test environment as a service market. The Enterprise Governance, Risk, and Compliance (eGRC) Solutions Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.38% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 23,133.67 million. This enterprise governance, risk, and compliance (eGRC) solutions market report extensively covers market segmentation by component (software and service), end-user (large enterprise and SME), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The increased need to comply with regulatory requirements in driving growth in the enterprise governance, risk, and compliance (eGRC) solution market. ToC: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Deployment Market Segmentation by Application Market Segmentation by Geography Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, & Trends Company Landscape Company Analysis Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio DUBLIN, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Medical Device Coating Market: Trends, Opportunities and Competitive Analysis 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The market is projected to reach an estimated value of $11.2 billion by 2028, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4% from 2023 to 2028. The global medical device coating market is poised for growth, with opportunities emerging in applications such as neurology, orthopedics, general surgery, cardiovascular, dentistry, and gynecology. Key drivers of this market include the growing demand for early disease detection and minimally invasive procedures, increasing prevalence of hospital-acquired infections, and the need to shield medical devices from pathogens and microbes while enhancing their performance and maneuverability. The report provides insights into the medical device coating market based on product, application, and region: Medical Device Coating Market by Product: Hydrophilic Coatings Antimicrobial Coatings Drug-Eluting Coatings Anti-Thrombogenic Coatings Others Medical Device Coating Market by Application: Neurology Orthopedics General Surgery Cardiovascular Dentistry Gynecology Others Medical Device Coating Market by Region: North America Europe Asia Pacific The Rest of the World The competitive landscape of the medical device coating market includes companies such as SurModics, Sono-Tek, DSM, Hydromer, and Covalon Technologies. These companies focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, investing in research and development, developing innovative products, reducing production costs, and expanding their customer base to meet increasing demand and maintain competitiveness. Key Market Insights: Antimicrobial coatings are expected to remain the largest segment due to their affordability, compatibility with multiple devices, increasing demand for implantable devices, and the growing risk of healthcare-associated infections. Cardiovascular applications are projected to witness the highest growth due to the high demand for cardiac pacemakers and implants, the use of drug-eluting coatings in coronary stents, and the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). North America is expected to maintain its position as the largest market due to the rising cases of cardiometabolic disorders, the expansion of healthcare infrastructure, and the demand for advanced surgical treatments in the region. Key Features of the Medical Device Coating Market Report: Market size estimates in terms of value ($B) Trend and forecast analysis (2017-2022) and (2023-2028) Segmentation analysis by product, application, and region Regional analysis covering North America , Europe , Asia Pacific , and the Rest of the World , , , and the Rest of the World Growth opportunities in various applications, end-use industries, and regions Strategic analysis, including M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape assessment Analysis of competitive intensity based on Porter's Five Forces model For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qftt25 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO Group Holding Limited (NYSE: MNSO; HKEX: 9896) ("MINISO", "MINISO Group" or the "Company"), a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design, today announced that, following the expiration of the share repurchase program the Company adopted in September 2022, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") authorized and approved a new share repurchase program on September 15, 2023 (the "2023 Share Repurchase Program"), under which the Company may repurchase up to US$200 million in value of its outstanding ordinary shares and/or American depositary shares representing its ordinary shares (collectively, the "Shares") over a period of 12 months starting from the date on which the 2023 Share Repurchase Program was approved. The Company expects to fund repurchases under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program from surplus cash on its balance sheet. The Board believes that a share repurchase in the present conditions will demonstrate the Company's confidence in its business outlook and prospects and would benefit the Company and create value for the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders") ultimately. The Company's proposed repurchases under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program may be made from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades, and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and its insider trading policy. The Company shall conduct the repurchase by exercising its powers under the repurchase mandate to be given or to be given to the Board pursuant to the resolutions of the Shareholders passed at the annual general meeting of the Company each year to repurchase the Shares not exceeding 10% of the total number of the issued Shares (the "Share Repurchase Mandate") as at the date of such annual general meeting, with each mandate to expire upon whichever is the earliest of: (a) the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company; (b) the expiration of the period within which the next annual general meeting of the Company is required by the memorandum and articles of the association of the Company or by any applicable laws to be held; and (c) the date on which the authority given under the ordinary resolution approving the Share Repurchase Mandate is revoked or varied by an ordinary resolution of the Shareholders. For the period from September 15, 2023 to the date of holding the upcoming annual general meeting of the Company before the end of 2023, the Company will repurchase under the authority of the repurchase mandate granted by the Shareholders passed on December 28, 2022, and for the subsequent periods under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program, the Company will repurchase under the repurchase mandate to be granted by the Shareholders at the upcoming annual general meeting, subject to the approval of the Shareholders and the general mandate conditions as specified above. It is the intention of the Board to implement the 2023 Share Repurchase Program during the 12-month period only in such a way and only to such an extent that would not cause a mandatory general offer obligation to arise under Rule 26 of the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs. The Company will conduct the share repurchase in compliance with the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Listing Rules"). Pursuant to Rule 10.06(2)(e) of the Listing Rules an issuer shall not purchase its shares on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Stock Exchange") at any time after inside information has come to its knowledge until the information is made publicly available. In particular, during the period of one month immediately preceding the earlier of (i) the date of the board meeting for the approval of the issuer's results for any year, half-year, quarterly or any other interim period; and (ii) the deadline for the issuer to announce its results for any year or half-year under the Listing Rules, or quarterly or any other interim period, and ending on the date of the results announcement, the issuer shall not purchase its shares on the Stock Exchange, unless the circumstances are exceptional. The Company will conduct the proposed share repurchase in compliance with the memorandum and articles of association of the Company, the Listing Rules, the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs, the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands and all applicable laws and regulations to which the Company is subject to. The Board believes that the current financial resources of the Company would enable it to implement the share repurchase without causing any material impact on its working capital. The Board will review the 2023 Share Repurchase Program periodically, and may authorize adjustment of its terms and size. Shareholders and potential investors should note that any repurchase may be done subject to market conditions and at the Board's absolute discretion. There is no assurance of the timing, quantity or price of any repurchase. Shareholders and potential investors should therefore exercise caution when dealing in the Shares. About MINISO Group MINISO Group is a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide. For more information, please visit https://ir.miniso.com/. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "is/are likely to", "potential", "continue" or other similar expressions. MINISO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "HKEX"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about MINISO's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: MINISO's mission, goals and strategies; future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; the expected growth of the retail market and the market of branded variety retail of lifestyle products in China and globally; expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of MINISO's products; expectations regarding MINISO's relationships with consumers, suppliers, MINISO Retail Partners, local distributors, and other business partners; competition in the industry; proposed use of proceeds; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to MINISO's business and the industry. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in MINISO's filings with the SEC and the HKEX. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and MINISO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Investor Relations Contacts: Raine Hu MINISO Group Holding Limited Email: [email protected] Phone: +86 (20) 36228788 Ext.8039 Eric Yuan Christensen Advisory Email: [email protected] Phone: +86 1380 111 0739 SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited Outstanding ERTC claims remain on the rise, now at more than 600,000 ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) decision to pause new Employee Retention Credit (ERTC) claims should allow the agency to focus on processing legitimate claims and finally clear the backlog that has left tens of thousands of small businesses waiting years for funds, the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) said Friday. "Over the past year, we've stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the IRS, warning our members and their small business clients of the perils of ERTC mills. This is a step in the right direction for small businesses that have waited months, or in some cases, years, for their deserved ERTC monies," said NAPEO President and CEO Pat Cleary. "We hope the IRS can expeditiously clear the backlog of legitimate ERTC claims, so that the thousands of small businesses still waiting can get the money they are entitled to." The IRS on September 14 announced that it would pause the processing of new ERTC claims through at least the end of this year to focus on fraudulent claims that have exacerbated in recent months. The agency also said normal processing times of existing ERTC claims many of which are legitimate claims from small businesses would increase from the standard 90 day processing time to 180 days or longer. NAPEO supports the IRS's decision to quell these bad actors so it can focus on legitimate claims as quickly as possible. These delays have led to the rise of so-called "ERTC mills" that prey on small businesses and have collectively defrauded them out of millions of dollars. NAPEO has long maintained that the easiest way to end the mills which advertise heavily on television and radio is by clearing the ERTC backlog, which now stands at 637,000 outstanding applications. Cleary warned federal lawmakers in July of the dangers of these predatory mills during his testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee's Oversight Subcommittee. Congress enacted the ERTC in March 2020 as part of the CARES Act to encourage businesses to keep employees on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite lawmakers' intent that the ERTC provide immediate tax relief to employers experiencing financial harm during the pandemic, tens of thousands of employers are still waiting for the IRS to process their ERTC claims. These businesses have laid off employees, shuttered facilities, and taken on high interest loans as they wait just to stay afloat. NAPEO recently surveyed 43 of its members and found among just those respondents a small sampling that nearly 18,000 small business clients are still waiting for the IRS to approve at least $3 billion in ERTC credits that were filed before 2023. NAPEO's grassroots campaign to urge action on clearing the backlog of ERTC claims has generated nearly 2,000 letters from PEOs and their clients to Congress detailing the very real consequences of the processing delays. Excerpts from these letters can be found on ertcdelayshurtsmallbiz.com. About NAPEO The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) is The Voice of the PEO Industry. NAPEO's 230 PEO members provide payroll, benefits, workers' comp, regulatory compliance assistance, and other HR services to more than 173,000 small and mid-size businesses employing 4 million people. Our members account for more than 90 percent of the industry's $273 billion in revenue. An additional 250 companies that provide services to PEOs are associate members of NAPEO. For more information, please visit www.napeo.org. SOURCE National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- During a ceremony at the German Ambassador's Residence in Washington on Thursday, Germany became the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR Dr. Walther Pelzer signed on behalf of Germany. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and the following also were in attendance: From left to right, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, National Space Council (NSpC) Executive Secretary Chirag Parikh, Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy Anna Christmann, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Director General of the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Walther Pelzer, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer R. Littlejohn, German Ambassador to the United States Andreas Michaelis, and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst pose for a group photo during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony, Thursday, September 14, 2023, at the German Ambassadors Residence in Washington. Germany is the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASAs Artemis program. Credits: NASA/Keegan Barber Jennifer Littlejohn , acting assistant secretary, U.S. Department of State , acting assistant secretary, U.S. Department of State Chirag Parikh , executive secretary of the U.S. National Space Council , executive secretary of the U.S. National Space Council Andreas Michaelis , German ambassador to the United States , German ambassador to Dr. Anna Christmann , federal German coordinator of German Aerospace Policy "I'm thrilled to welcome Germany to the Artemis Accords family," said Nelson. "Germany has long been one of NASA's closest and most capable international partners, and their signing today demonstrates their leadership now and into the future a future defined by limitless possibilities in space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth." The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA's Artemis program. "Germany and the United States have been successful partners in space for a long time. For example, German companies in the space sector are already central contributing to the Artemis program. The German signing of the Artemis Accords gives a further boost to this joint endeavor to carry out programs for the exploration of space. Thus, the Artemis Accords offer a multitude of new opportunities for industry and scientific research in Germany and ultimately also across Europe," said Pelzer. NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other original signatories. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also strengthen the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners adds new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemisaccords SOURCE NASA WEST COLUMBIA, S.C., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation ("Nephron") today celebrated a successful $350 million capital raise led by BlackRock Capital Investment Advisors, LLC ("BlackRock") and PNC Bank, National Association ("PNC) to support future growth of the pharmaceutical manufacturer. The announcement was the culmination of collaboration among leaders at all three entities and kicked off a new era of unlimited potential for Nephron, a company known for bringing jobs to South Carolina and delivering life-saving medications to patients from coast to coast. "When I had the honor of assuming the role of CEO at Nephron, I had a vision that included expanding the reach of our company to deliver life-saving medications to as many patients as possible," said Nephron CEO and Owner Lou Kennedy. "We have never lost our focus, we have continued to grow, and, with this partnership, we are in the position to thrive. This is something we can all celebrate, as we help patients and doctors far beyond the borders of our state. I thank our partners at BlackRock, PNC, and not to mention, many others who have invested in our cause and had our backs. We look forward to working together for many years to come." Huron Transaction Advisory LLC served as Investment Banker and Huron Consulting Services LLC acted as Financial Advisor while John A Sowards LLC and Maynard Nexsen PC served as Legal Counsel to Nephron. White and Case LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP served as Legal Counsel to BlackRock, while Blank Rome LLP served as Legal Counsel to PNC. A West Columbia, S.C.-based company, Nephron develops and produces safe, affordable generic inhalation solutions and suspension products. The company also operates an industry-leading 503B Outsourcing Facility division which produces pre-filled sterile syringes, luer-lock vials, IV bottles and IV bags for hospitals across America, in an effort to alleviate drug shortage needs. For more information, please visit www.nephronpharm.com. Media Contact: Connor Watkins, cwatkins@nephronpharm.com SOURCE Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NSBA has named Olalah Njenga, CEO and Chief Strategist of YellowWood Group, LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina, a professional, technical and management consulting service firm as its 2023 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. Njenga was honored during the opening luncheon of the NSBA Washington Presentation Sept. 13-14. "Not only is Olalah a fierce small-business advocate unencumbered by political allegiances, she is the epitome of a small-business success story," stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. "What began at her dining room table as one person with one client has evolved into a firm with private and public sector clients in 14 industries across three continents. I am honored to recognize Olalah as NSBA's Small Business Advocate of the Year." Njenga has served under two governors from two different political affiliations to the NCWorks Commission, filling a highly-coveted seat on one of the state's most visible boards where she represents North Carolina's 900,000+ small-business owners. She has served on countless state and regional boards and administered the funding of a $2 million community grant fund. Njenga worked with state leaders to launch a small-business workforce forum that connected small-business owners to $12 million of funding for workforce issues. "I am honored to receive this recognition from an organization like NSBA, we share the belief that how you treat people matters," stated Njenga. "My philosophy of advocacy is to do the most for the most without expectation, and it has served me well as an advocate. I urge all small-business owners to get involved in our political process, to start somewhere and to start today." NSBA also recognized the following individuals for excellence in advocacy: Hope Blankenship , To the Rescue Bookkeeping, LLC, in Diberville, Mississippi. , To the Rescue Bookkeeping, LLC, in Diberville, Mississippi. Sheletta Brundidge , ShelettaMakesMeLaugh, LLC in Cottage Grove, Minnesota , ShelettaMakesMeLaugh, LLC in Chyanne Hart , CAAM Logistics in Strasburg, Pennsylvania , CAAM Logistics in Martha Hernandez , ESO Ventures in Okaland, California , ESO Ventures in Okaland, Nora Oliver , 10X Nora Oliver , LLC, in Woburn, Massachusetts Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation's first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. SOURCE National Small Business Association MONTGOMERY, Ala., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alabama's historic move to allow nursing apprenticeships through the Alabama Community College System is helping combat nursing shortages across the state. Since new rules passed last year allowing Alabama healthcare employers to enter into an apprenticeship agreement with nursing programs, an estimated 400 nursing apprentices across 17 colleges have served with nurses at more than 60 healthcare facilities. Nursing apprenticeships started last year when Coastal Alabama and Gadsden State community colleges became the first in the state to offer the program. During the initial phase, 30 apprentices played a pivotal role in filling nursing vacancies across four employers in those regions. More than 8,450 students were enrolled in registered nursing and licensed practical nursing programs at Alabama's community colleges last academic year. In that same time frame, a total of 2,950 students obtained a nursing credential. Twenty-two of Alabama's 24 community and technical colleges offer a nursing program. Students who apply and are accepted as nurse apprentices serve as employees of the healthcare facility and work alongside an experienced nurse. Nurse apprentices can continue their employment by completing their apprenticeship and passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) that certifies nurses. Trinity Carlisle, a Drake State alum who participated in the LPN Launch program with Huntsville Hospital, said she appreciated the support the apprenticeship allowed from both the college and her employer. "Our instructors supported us and wanted the very best from us from Day One, and went beyond helping us when it came to understanding a hard subject, staying after lab to practice skills, and even making sure we had what we needed outside the classroom to be successful," she said. "I cannot wait to see where this career takes me." As the Alabama Community College System celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, apprenticeships are among the system's greatest successes. Businesses work with Alabama's community and technical colleges to offer apprenticeships that help meet workforce needs in several high-demand industries, including manufacturing, nursing, and childcare. "Some of the best training is on-the-job, and we are the strongest in workforce development in Alabama when we create avenues for our students to achieve through work-based learning such as apprenticeships," said Jimmy H. Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. Media Contact: Ebony Horton Bradley Director of Communications and Marketing [email protected] 334-237-3842 SOURCE Alabama Community College System KAHULUI, Hawaii, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a heartfelt ceremony held on September 11, 2023, Boots on the Ground Maui proudly presented the Ohana Restoration Grant to 15 dedicated firefighters from the Maui Fire Department who lost their homes in the devastating Lahaina fires. The event, attended by the Fire Chief, many of the firefighters with their families, and Richard Bissen, Mayor of Maui, was a poignant tribute to these brave individuals who have selflessly served their community. Maui Firefighters received $4000 in support via multiple grants. The Maui Fire Department has been a vital cornerstone of Maui's emergency response system, and its firefighters have shown unparalleled dedication, often putting their own lives at risk to protect the lives and properties of others. Tragically, these courageous firefighters found themselves victims of the very disaster they had fought to quell. In the aftermath of the Lahaina fires, many of them lost their homes and personal belongings. Thanks to the generosity and unwavering support of the community, Ohana Restoration Grant was able to extend a helping hand when it was needed the most. Each affected firefighter's family were gifted $4,000 from multiple grants, providing critical financial assistance during their time of need. Additionally, the firefighters' families received loaded gift packages generously donated by local Maui businesses. These packages served not only as a token of appreciation but also as a reminder of the solidarity and compassion that permeates the Maui community. To learn more about "Boots on the Ground Maui" and the Ohana Restoration Grant and how you can get involved, please visit https://bootsonthegroundmaui.com/ . About Boots On The Ground Maui: Boots On The Ground Maui is a newly launched not-for-profit dedicated to sustainable rebuilding efforts in Lahaina, Maui following the devastating fires. Media Contact: Kim McLaughlin Boots on the Ground Maui 808-344-4714 Kim.McLaughlin@bootsonthegroundmaui.com SOURCE Boots on the Ground Maui WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of One Planet Group team members have recently returned from a service trip to Starfish International , an organization working tirelessly to improve access to education in The Gambia. Working with roughly 150 students annually, Starfish International works with Gambian girls and boys, supporting their journey through school and instilling them with the core values of nobility, independence, courtesy, knowledge, and service. "Our hope is to educate as many young people as possible" Post this One Planet Group team members visit Starfish International in The Gambia. Starfish International's 2023 Graduation Ceremony Volunteers from One Planet Group pick fruit from The Gambia "I profoundly believe that businesses must be a source of social good. At One Planet Group, we care deeply about the equality of women and men, which is why we are so honored to do a small part to support the incredible mission of Starfish International, an organization founded by Mam Yassin Sarr and David Fox. Their work in The Gambia is inspiring and humbling, and its impact can only be fully understood through first-hand experience." - Payam Zamani, Founder, One Planet Group The group from One Planet Group, spent a week on Starfish's main campus, working with and learning from the students, and ultimately taking part in their annual graduation ceremony. The Mentors at Starfish International guided the group throughout the community, including a trip to The Land, a beautiful piece of land that Starfish is developing into a secondary campus, including classrooms, skill building facilities and farming grounds. The group also took part in shadowing the students during "a day in the life" to see their living conditions and household responsibilities, providing crucial context to the importance of the programs at Starfish International. "We believe that girls' education, in particular, is the key to mitigating or even remedying humanity's issues. Our hope is to educate as many young people as possible, exposing them to numerous resources and opportunities that they can use to further themselves and their communities. We were so glad to welcome the One Planet team, and have the opportunity to introduce them directly to some of our incredible students." - Mam Yassin Sarr, Founder and Director of Starfish International While education for girls specifically in The Gambia has improved, in many cases, they are fighting an uphill battle. The average family in The Gambia subsists on approximately $1 per day. Early marriage and pregnancy further curtail girls' education and prospects, putting them at a much higher risk of leaving school before obtaining a degree. Socio-cultural norms can also restrict girls' mobility and participation in public spaces, limiting their exposure to diverse experiences, networks, and possibilities. Starfish International actively works to address these limitations by advocating for gender-equitable policies, raising awareness about the importance of education, and challenging deep-rooted stereotypes to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for girls in The Gambia. "Stepping into the world of Starfish International was a humbling experience that reaffirmed the power of education and grassroots empowerment. The students of their programs exuded compassion, positivity, and confidence, embodying the change they wish to see in their communities. Beyond the classroom, the program's mentors showcased the ripple effect of Starfish's efforts, as they not only impart knowledge to the student through learned experience but also manage the program and extend their impact through outreach initiatives across The Gambia and beyond." - Kirianna Longsworth, Marketing Manager, Buyerlink who took part in this trip to The Gambia As a company, One Planet Group believes that businesses should be a source for social good. We challenge the idea that only non-profit organizations can serve humanity, and firmly believe that for-profit companies need to step up to the challenge and make betterment of the world a core part of their DNA. Capitalism can serve humanity. The team members that went to The Gambia, were drawn across One Planet Group companies, including Buyerlink, Autoweb, and One Planet Studios. In total, they spent about seven days working with the students in The Gambia. The trip was funded by One Planet Group, and will be an annual initiative. About One Planet Group One Planet Group is a closely held private equity firm that owns a suite of online technology and media businesses while also investing in early-stage companies. Owned and operated businesses span a variety of industries including ad tech, publishing, and media. One Planet Group's mission is to support strong business ideas while building an ethos that helps improve society and give back to communities. Infused with foundational values which promote diversity and inclusion, unity, service to humanity, and excellence in all things, One Planet Group strives to foster an environment that promotes equality, love, and empowerment. The company's investment portfolio includes over 40 startups representing a diverse group of innovative tech-enabled products and solutions. Investing primarily in high-growth early-stage entities, with an emphasis on companies that aspire to the concept of 'Innovation + Intention.' Specific areas of focus include the future of mobility, education technology, health technology, and environmental solutions. One Planet Group's core operating businesses include Buyerlink , a leading online marketplace for performance-based marketing; Autoweb , a company that provides performance-based marketing solutions to the automotive industry; California.com , a curated guide to traveling and living in California; and Contractors.com , a site connecting homeowners and service providers. One Planet Group also operates BahaiTeachings.org , a non-profit platform that shares personal perspectives to promote the oneness of humanity. One Planet Group was founded by tech entrepreneur Payam Zamani in 2015. With offices and employees in over ten countries, their global headquarters is located in Walnut Creek, California. About Starfish International Starfish International is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a well-rounded and quality education for Gambian girls and boys. Working annually with 100 girls and 35 boys, Starfish International has been in service for 12 years, uplifting, educating, accompanying, and providing a safe haven for their students' growth, wellbeing, and development. Starfish's mission is to uplift Gambian girls by providing them with a world-class education that is focused on service to humanity while at the same time providing international service-learning opportunities for volunteers. The values and the five qualities highlighted at Starfish International are nobility, independence, courtesy, knowledge, and service. As an organization, its major achievement is to have graduated and impacted over 900 students who are now doctors, teachers, lawyers, nurses, and many other professionals in their respective fields. Their three significant areas of impact are education, health, and agriculture, with a focus on mentorship, entrepreneurship, character development, scholarship opportunities, leadership training, career counseling, public speaking, and community service. Media Contact Miriam Cohen Senior Director of PR & Communications One Planet Group (925) 237-9036 [email protected] SOURCE One Planet Group BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. With regard to the 105th anniversary of the liberation of Baku on September 15, a group of servicemen of the Defense Ministry visited the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery erected in honor of the Turkish soldiers fallen in 1918, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense. Carnations and a wreath of roses were laid at the monument on behalf of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry, and the memory of martyrs was honored. The Army under the command of Nuri Pasha liberated Baku on September 15, 1918, which allowed the Azerbaijani government to move from Ganja, where it had been since May 28, 1918. Today, Azerbaijanis honor with respect and gratitude the memory of the heroes of the Turkish Army and Nuri Pasha Killigil, who rushed to the aid of the brotherly nation 105 years ago. Having proclaimed independence on May 28, 1918, Azerbaijan signed the first agreement with the Ottoman state. The Treaty of Friendship between the Ottoman State and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was signed in Batumi on June 4, 1918, which was the first document signed by the Azerbaijani government with a foreign state. The agreement provided for the development of friendly relations between the two states in political, legal, economic and military spheres. BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulnerable island nations in the Pacific are in urgent need of resources to respond to the worsening climate crisis. Building on the success of mobilizing USD $67 million in climate finance its first year of operation, the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) is partnering with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to expand capabilities in financing where they are most needed. CFAN provides localized technical support to developing nations to respond to a clear gap in meeting country-identified needs around climate finance access. The result is a network offering technical support to unlock and accelerate climate finance at scale through deploying embedded climate finance advisors at national and regional levels. Launched in 2021 with the support of the Canadian Government, CFAN placed advisors in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu who unlocked USD $67million in climate financing to support resilience, with an additional USD $348million investment pipeline. A generous philanthropic donor has joined CFAN and allowed the network to further extend its reach in the Pacific by deploying three additional advisors in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) along with embedding an advisor in the Pacific Community (SPC). Advisors will begin their training in November, immediately following their placement in-country. SPC, the region's largest scientific and technical organization delivering development solutions in the region, owned and governed by 27 country and territory members, is well-positioned to serve its members through the dedicated support of CFAN's services. Existing CFAN advisors will also be extended in their respective countries for an additional three years due to funding support by the Australian Government. The Global Green Growth Institute, CFAN's regional implementing partner for Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, will continue to host and support these advisors. More information on the work being done by CFAN advisors in the Pacific can be found at https://cfanadvisors.org/where-we-work/ Read the full release here: https://rmi.org/press-release/pacific-countries-on-the-frontline-of-climate-change-get-support-to-unlock-climate-financing-for-the-future-of-the-region/ Media contact: Denali Hussin, [email protected] or Lisa Kingsberry, Pacific Community (SPC) [email protected] +6799252849 (whatsapp) SOURCE Climate Finance Access Network NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Up to an hour after their hearts had stopped, some patients revived by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) had clear memories afterward of experiencing death, and had brain patterns while unconscious linked to thought and memory. This is the finding of a study led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in cooperation with 25 mostly U.S. and British hospitals, in which some survivors of cardiac arrest described lucid death experiences that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious. Despite immediate treatment, fewer than 10 percent of the 567 patients studied, who received CPR in the hospital, recovered sufficiently to be discharged. Four in 10 of those that survived, however, recalled some degree of consciousness during CPR not captured by standard measures. Published online September 14 in the journal Resuscitation, the study also found that in these patients, nearly 40% had brain activity that returned to normal, or nearly normal, at points even an hour into CPR. As captured by EEG, a technology that records brain activity with electrodes, the patients saw spikes in the gamma, delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves associated with higher mental function. Survivors have long reported having heightened awareness and powerful, lucid experiences, say the study authors. These have included a perception of separation from the body, observing events without pain or distress, and a meaningful evaluation of their actions and relationships. The new work found these experiences of death to be different from hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams, or CPR-induced consciousness. The study authors hypothesize that the "flatlined," dying brain removes natural inhibitory (braking) systems. These processes, known collectively as disinhibition, may open access to "new dimensions of reality," they say, including lucid recall of all stored memories from early childhood to death, evaluated from the perspective of morality. While no one knows the evolutionary purpose of this phenomenon, it "opens the door to a systematic exploration of what happens when a person dies." "Although doctors have long thought that the brain suffers permanent damage about ten minutes after the heart stops supplying it with oxygen, our work found that the brain can show signs of electrical recovery long into ongoing CPR," says senior study author Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. "This is the first large study to show that these recollections and brain wave changes may be signs of universal, shared elements of so called near-death experiences." These experiences provide a glimpse into a real, yet little understood dimension of human consciousness that becomes uncovered with death, adds Parnia, who is also director of critical care and resuscitation research at NYU Langone. The findings "may also guide the design of new ways to restart the heart or prevent brain injuries, and hold implications for transplantation." Called the AWAreness during REsuscitation (AWARE)-II study it followed 567 men and women who suffered cardiac arrest during hospital stays between May 2017 and March 2020 in the United States and United Kingdom. Of the 567 patients, only 85 were monitored via EEG to measure brain waves during their experiences. The researchers first presented the study findings at a resuscitation science symposium, part of the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2022 in Chicago on November 6. Only hospitalized patients were enrolled to standardize the CPR and resuscitation methods used, as well as recording methods for brain activity. Additional testimony from 126 community survivors of cardiac arrest with self-reported memories were also examined to provide greater understanding of the themes related to the recalled experience of death. The study authors conclude that research to date has neither proved nor disproved the reality or meaning of patients' experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death. They say the recalled experience surrounding death merits further empirical investigation, and plan to conduct studies that more precisely define biomarkers of clinical consciousness, and that monitor the long-term psychological effects of resuscitation after cardiac arrest. Funding and support for the study was provided by NYU Langone, The John Templeton Foundation, and the Resuscitation Council (UK) and National Institutes for Health Research in the United Kingdom. Along with Parnia, other NYU Langone study investigators were Tara Keshavarz Shirazi, BA; Caitlin O'Neill, MPH; Emma Roellke, MD; Amanda Mengotta, MD; Thaddeus Tarpey, PhD; Elise Huppert, MD; Ian Jaffe, BS; Anelly Gonzales, MS; Jing Xu, MS; and Emmeline Koopman, MS. Other study investigators are Deepak R. Pradhan, MD, at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in New York City; Jignesh Patel, MD; Linh Tran, MD; Niraj Sinha, MD; and Rebecca Spiegel, MD, at Stony Brook University; Shannon Findlay, MD, at the University of Iowa; Michael McBrine, MD, at Tufts University; Gavin Perkins, MD, at the University of Warwick in Coventry, United Kingdom; Alain Vuylsteke, MD, at Royal Papworth Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in Cambridge, United Kingdom; Benjamin Bloom, MD, at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, United Kingdom; Heather Jarman, RN, at St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London; Hiu Nam Tong, MD, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust in King's Lynn, United Kingdom; Louisa Chan, MD, at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Hampshire, United Kingdom; Michael Lyacker, MD, at Ohio State University; Matthew Thomas, MD, at University Hospitals Bristol and Wexton NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol, United Kingdom; Veselin Velchev, MD, at St. Anna University in Sofia, Bulgaria; Charles Cairns, MD, at Drexel University; Rahul Sharma, MD, at Weill Cornell Medicine; Erik Kulstad, MD, at the University of Texas Southwestern; Elizabeth Scherer, MD, at the University of Texas San Antonio; Terence O'Keeffe, MD, at Augusta University; Mahtab Foroozesh, MD, at Virginia Tech; Olumayowa Abe, MD, at NewYork-Presbyterian; Chinwe Ogedegbe, MD, at Hackensack University; Amira Girgis, MD, at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, United Kingdom; and Charles Deakin, MD, at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in Southampton, United Kingdom. CONTACT: Gregory Williams [email protected] SOURCE NYU Langone Health System NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important October 23, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Hawaiian Electric 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 Hawaiian Electric class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18336 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 October 23, 2023. 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 litigate 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, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Hawaiian Electric's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed; (2) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the Company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; 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 Hawaiian Electric class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18336 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 THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. LAS VEGAS, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 12th, the highly-anticipated RE+ 2023 commenced at The Venetian Convention and Expo Center in Las Vegas, USA. As the largest professional exhibition and trade fair for the solar energy industry in North America, RE+ drew in a massive crowd. Runergy made a splendid appearance at the event, showcasing a variety of flagship photovoltaic module products which were well-received by attendees. On the first day of the RE+ exhibition, Runergy made significant strides in expanding their global reach. Hyperion, the high-end module brand of Runergy, signed a global strategic agreement with Nanosun, targeting markets such as Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Additionally, Hyperion entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Grape Solar, focusing on the U.S. market. Mr. Mitchell Aguirre, COO of Nanosun, warmly expressed strong confidence in working with Hyperion to create innovative green energy solutions. Mr. Ocean Yuan, the founder and CEO of Grape Solar, emphasized that both companies share a commitment to partnership and strategic alliances, and that there is immense potential for future cooperation. At this year's RE+, Runergy showcased a series of high-efficiency modules that use the most cutting-edge N-type cell technology, as well as the mainstream PERC cell technology. Among them, the 54 half-cell N-Type high-efficiency module is featured with full black aesthetic design that will fit for rooftop applications and its light weight is easy and hands-on for installation. Though with small size, it is big on power, with maximum power output at 425W, creating higher return and shorter investment cycle for home owners. The other two N-Type modules are 72 and 78 half-cells, perfect for ground mounted projects and tracker systems. With Runergy's leading position in high-efficiency N-type cell R%D and manufacturing, these products offer project owners lower LCOE and greater long-term value. The 72 half-cell N-type module is also recognized as an Overall Highest Achiever, with top performance in all rigorous tests of three essential disciplines including quality, performance, and reliability by RETC. The company also presented the 72 half-cell single glass PERC module, produced at its factory in Thailand. Runergy has entered the photovoltaic industry since ten years ago and its accumulated cell shipments exceeds 50GW. Runergy is dedicated to continuously providing high-efficiency products with high value for global customers. During this magnificent solar industry event, Runergy hosted a grand customer appreciation and 10th anniversary gala dinner, known as "Runergy's Night," at the Palms Casino Resort Hotel in Las Vegas. Dr. Longzhong Tao, Chairman of Runergy, and Ms. Ellen Wang, the head of global sales of Runergy, were in attendance. Dr. Longzhong Tao expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the guests, while Ms. Ellen Wang reviewed the development history of Runergy over the past decade and shared her vision for the future. The evening's activities included the cutting of a "10th Anniversary Cake," customer sharing, music performances, and other exciting events. Attendees spoke highly of Runergy's products, development concepts, and future vision, expressing their eagerness to work hand-in-hand with Runergy. Runergy Group was founded in 2013. After ten years of development and innovation, and with the support and care of its partners, it has grown into a photovoltaic enterprise with more than 10,000 employees worldwide, leading solar cell sales, and a global industrial chain. In the future, Runergy will continue to optimize the industrial chain layout, take root in technological exploration, expand internationalization, build long-term competitiveness, and work with global partners to create a reliable new energy brand for users. Learn more about Runergy: https://www.runergy-solar.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211824/image_5027829_21253337.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211825/image_5027829_21253556.jpg SOURCE Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. SEATTLE, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark Allen Institute's 20th Anniversary, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Executive of King County, Dow Constantine, have declared Saturday, September 16 "Open Science Day" in the city of Seattle and King County, a significant milestone recognizing the work and impact of the Allen Institute over the past 20 years and the thousands of hours Allenites have dedicated to help realize the Institute's ambitious vision for changeUnderstanding life. Advancing health. The Institute's foundational science, open data, and tools have helped fuel innovations in health and human biology. Post this Staff of the Allen Institute in Seattle, Washington (2023) Two decades ago, founders Paul G. Allen and Jody Allen envisioned a research institute that would transform the scientific landscape through foundational scientific research that would empower scientists across the globe to tackle and answer the most pressing questions in neuroscience. Founded on the pillars of big, team, and open science, that vision has grown to include many other facets of human biology, including the human cell, immune system, and the dynamic flow of neural processing that breathes life into conscious experience, decision making, and emotion. Paul G. Allen and Jody Allen founded the Allen Institute in 2003 with open science as a core principle. Since its inception, the Institute has openly shared its knowledge, data, and tools, to advance research around the globeaccelerating discovery and helping the global scientific community uncover new insights into human biology. During the last 20 years, hundreds of thousands of researchers have used the Allen Institute's open science resources, such as the Allen Brain Atlas , to help make discoveries on everything from Alzheimer's and autism to kidney disease and cancer. In addition to the Mayor's proclamation, the following Seattle landmarks will light up emerald green (the 20th anniversary gemstone) this weekend to celebrate the Allen Institute's two decades of impact. Lumen Field 520 Bridge Two Union Square Westin Hotel Great Wheel Pacific Science Center Seattle Convention Center (trimming) Convention Center (trimming) Russell Investments Tower Rainier Square Museum of Pop Culture About the Allen Institute The Allen Institute is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded by philanthropist and visionary, the late Paul G. Allen. The Allen Institute is dedicated to answering some of the biggest questions in bioscience and accelerating research worldwide. The Institute is a recognized leader in large-scale research with a commitment to an open science model. Its research institutes and programs include the Allen Institute for Brain Science, launched in 2003, the Allen Institute for Cell Science, launched in 2014, the Allen Institute for Immunology, launched in 2018, the MindScope Program, launched in 2020, and the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, launched in 2021. In 2016, the Allen Institute expanded its reach with the launch of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, which identifies pioneers with new ideas to expand the boundaries of knowledge and make the world better. For more information, visit alleninstitute.org . Media Contact Peter Kim, Sr. Manager, Media Relations 206-605-9884 | [email protected] SOURCE Allen Institute Chey makes visit to construction site to inspect progress, encourage employees Future competitiveness, climate positive, innovation & co-prosperity presented as new visions and roles for cluster Groundbreaking for first fab in cluster planned for 2025 with completion expected in 2027 SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) said today that SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the construction site of Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in Wonsam-myeon of Yongin city, Gyeonggi Province. SK hynix said that Chairman Chey visited the site on Friday to inspect the construction progress and encourage employees as the Yongin Cluster site preparation began to pick up speed since June. SK Group Chairman Chey Visits Yongin Cluster site SK Group Chairman Chey Visits Yongin Cluster site "Yongin Cluster is the most thoroughly and strategically prepared project on SK hynix history," Chey said, calling for utmost efforts to guarantee the success of the cluster. Putting the top priority on efficiency, Chey said that the project requires more than the challenges that the company has made so far. "What we plan and reflect in advance to stay ahead of others will shape our competitiveness in the future." Chairman Chey emphasized a deep commitment to climate and environment when building Yonging Cluster, reminding the participants of SK Group's RE100 declaration. "Attention on green energy will continue to rise and a failure to respond to this change would jeopardize our sales, so we have a very good reason to think about and reflect this." He said that the cluster should be a 'climate positive production base', which provides future energy solutions and manufactures low-power, high-performance semiconductors. He also urged the Yongin cluster to be a platform for innovation and co-prosperity by having the infrastructure that materials, components and equipment companies and high-caliber talents can freely use to lay foundation for innovation, given the difficulties of local companies and universities suffering from infrastructure shortages, including equipment and cleanroom. In fact, SK hynix is working on building a 'mini fab' within the cluster in a joint project with the government. The mini fab, a 300mm wafer-based research and test facility, will support technologies and products developed by materials, components and equipment companies to be quickly applied to the mass-production process. Chey also called for the cluster to provide jobs that the next generation prefers. "Designing a new future can be both challenging and delightful at the same time. I wish this project will be a fun challenge for all of us." Wishing safety of all the members participating in the project, Chey wrote on the visitors' book that he wishes "a success of the Yongin semiconductor project where new spirits and history of challenges and innovation will lie." Alongside Chairman Chey, executives of SK Group affiliates taking part in the project, including SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho, CEO Kwak Noh-jung, and SK ecoplant CEO Park Kyung-il, and Kim Seong-goo, who heads Yongin General Industrial Complex Inc., a special purpose company (SPC) created to build a site for a semiconductor cluster, attended the site visit. Once the site preparation is complete, SK hynix will kick off construction of its first fab in March, 2025 with completion expected in May, 2027. About SK hynix Inc. SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world's top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAM"), flash memory chips ("NAND flash") and CMOS Image Sensors ("CIS") for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company's shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com. SOURCE SK hynix Inc. FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a world increasingly focused on sustainable living and renewable energy solutions, Slenergy has emerged as a pioneering force in the residential solar industry. Following its successful debut in Germany, this May, the company is now gearing up for another groundbreaking announcement. Slenergy is about to unveil its cutting-edge one-stop solar solution, the iShare-Home tailored for the Italian market, at an exclusive event in Milan on October 13. Slenergy's iShare-Home One-Stop Residential Energy Solution Slenergy's sustainable journey began with a commitment to making solar energy accessible and simplified for homeowners. The company's active participation in renowned events like SNEC and Intersolar has solidified its reputation as a leader in residential solar solutions. During these events, the iShare-Home solution has captured considerable attention for its standardized and modular product design, simplified installation process and smart energy management system. Since its debut in May, Slenergy has made an indelible mark on the European solar landscape, particularly in Germany. The company's comprehensive local support, covering pre-sales, sales, after-sales, and product service, has contributed to its success in the German market. Slenergy's engineers have just concluded a month-long training and guidance tour across Germany, with one-stop technical salons continuing to roll out. In Spain, Slenergy maintains its strong presence by establishing a local subsidiary and warehouse in Madrid and forming a network of local key channel partners. The upcoming participation in the UNEF X Foro Solar by the Spanish subsidiary further underscores the company's commitment to knowledge-sharing and industrial development. The Milan event will serve as a platform for Slenergy to showcase its vision for residential solar solutions in Italy. After years of diligent research and market analysis, Slenergy has developed tailored one-stop solar solutions for the Italian market. Guided by the principle of making life easier through easy energy, the company aims to extend the benefits of green energy to Italian households, ultimately contributing to their energy independence. The Slenergy new product launch in Italy is scheduled for October 13 at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia in Milan. Esteemed professionals from the Italian new energy industry will be invited to witness the shining example of innovation, the iShare-Home one-stop residential energy solution. Moreover, during the event, guests will have the opportunity to engage in discussions aimed at advancing the cause of a more sustainable planet. SOURCE SLENERGY HONG KONG, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Chartered announced the signing of a Cooperation Agreement with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism to jointly promote business growth and development opportunities between Hong Kong and Dubai. The Agreement was signed by Mary Huen, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, Standard Chartered, and Hadi Badri, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Economic Development Corporation, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. Standard Chartered DET Agreement Signing According to the Agreement, Standard Chartered Hong Kong and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will deepen cooperation on a range of strategic areas between Hong Kong and Dubai, including: promoting the growth of capital market activities, family offices, asset management, fintech and virtual asset industries; developing innovative sustainable and green financing solutions; developing innovative solutions to support trade and commodity financing for imports, exports and re-exports; and promoting incubation and development of start-ups and new technology-based service providers that develop cutting edge technology-based solutions for banking, financial, investment and capital market transactions. Standard Chartered and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will also set up a joint working group to discuss about how to achieve these objectives. Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered, UAE, said: "In this era of global connectivity, our partnership with the Dubai Economic Development Corporation marks a significant milestone for us. We are committed to facilitating seamless banking services to organisations and investors within the UAE-Hong Kong corridor. This Memorandum of Understanding not only fosters trade and liquidity but also underscores our dedication to promoting sustainable finance while leveraging our extensive global network to connect businesses and individuals across both sides of the corridor to opportunities worldwide." Hadi Badri, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Economic Development Corporation, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism added: "By joining forces with partners like Standard Chartered we aim to create cross-border platforms to accelerate opportunities for trade and innovation exchange across the fastest growing economies in the world. Building on Dubai's position as a gateway to the wider Middle East, Africa and beyond; the agreement gives companies from across Asia access to a wealth of resources and expertise to reinforce their expansion and growth plans. We look forward to working closely with our partners at Standard Chartered to help their clients and customers set up successful operations in Dubai." To share insights on how global businesses can capture the opportunities arising from the increasing connectivity between China and the Middle East, Standard Chartered held a panel discussion at the Belt and Road Summit organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council ("HKTDC"). Speakers included Hadi Badri, CEO, Dubai Economic Development Corporation, DET, Benjamin Hung, CEO, Asia, Standard Chartered, Dr Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director, HKTDC, H.E. Hussain Mohammed Al Mahmoudi, CEO, Sharjah Research Technology & Innovation Park, Rola Abu Manneh, CEO, UAE, Standard Chartered, and Karen Ng, Head, China Opening & RMB Internationalisation, Standard Chartered. Around 200 business and finance leaders joined the event and witnessed the exchange of the Agreement by Mary Huen and Hadi Badri. Standard Chartered We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 53 of the world's most dynamic markets and serving clients in a further 64. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. The history of Standard Chartered in Hong Kong dates back to 1859. It is currently one of the Hong Kong SAR's three note-issuing banks. Standard Chartered incorporated its Hong Kong business on 1 July 2004, and now operates as a licensed bank in Hong Kong under the name of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered PLC. For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com . Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai's key economic sectors. The department is responsible for the full spectrum of services from economic development, licensing and classification to marketing and promotion of the key economic sectors. Through collaboration and partnership with both public and private sector entities, the department promotes Dubai's vision and develops strategies to attract tourists, talent and inward investment. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211861/Standard_Chartered_DET_Agreement_Signing.jpg SOURCE Standard Chartered Local owners in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas team up to provide the temporary, rentable containment walls on both sides of the city's state line divide KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Temporary Wall Systems (TWS), the first and leading full-service, temporary containment wall provider in the United States, is opening two new locations on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas state line and will showcase their rentable wall solutions at Innovation Expo 2023 on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Innovation Expo is held from 8 to 11 a.m. at The Builders Training Center on 105 W. 12th Avenue, North Kansas City, Missouri. The expo allows exhibitors to demonstrate the latest in construction technology to industry professionals. Local Temporary Wall Systems owners Andrea and Cody Herbster in Kansas City, Missouri, left, and Mike Macy in Kansas City, Kansas, are teaming up to provide temporary, rentable containment walls to contractors on both sides of the city's state line divide. For Cody and Andrea Herbster, owning the TWS in Kansas City, Kansas, is a goal the husband-and-wife duo has wanted to achieve for several years. The couple expects these easy-to-build and easy-to-remove walls will save contractors in their area hours, if not days, on building containment walls during renovations and construction. "I've talked to several contractors in this area, and they are adamant about the need for these walls," Cody Herbster said. "We want to build long-lasting relationships with members of the contracting community. Having a product that saves time and headaches will go a long way toward building those relationships." The Herbsters' counterpart in Kansas City, Missouri, Mike Macy, agrees that the product helps contractors. He further points out that the walls are a cleaner and more environmentally friendly alternative to using permanent construction material for temporary containment walls. "Owning and operating my own business has been a dream of mine for several years," Macy said. "Introducing an ecologically sound product that also saves contractors time and money is a win-win for both the construction industry and the environment. It's an honor to be able to provide this product to the Kansas City construction community." Both sets of owners said that the Kansas City Metro area is growing, and they see that many new businesses are being adaptive in renovating older buildings. The owners will work together to ensure the divided city's contractors have the ability to use the eco-friendly and reusable walls to protect people and property from the dangers of construction and renovation projects. Herbster is a Kansas native and has lived in Kansas City most of his life. He spent the last decade of his career in real estate development and understands the needs of general contractors as a result. Macy grew up in South Dakota, but has now lived in Kansas City, Missouri, for more than half his life. He enjoys the small town feel of Kansas City even though the city has more than 2.3 million residents. TWS is part of HomeFront Brands, a family of emerging, franchised residential and commercial property service brands that offers integrated technology, data support, lead generation, business intelligence systems and training to its partners. For more information about Temporary Wall Systems Kansas City, Kansas, please visit https://tempwallsystems.com/locations/kansas-city-ks/ and for more information about Temporary Wall Systems Kansas City, Missouri, please visit https://tempwallsystems.com/locations/kansas-city-mo/. About Temporary Wall Systems Founded in 2017 and franchised since 2022, Temporary Wall Systems (TWS) is the first and leading full-service, rentable containment wall provider in the United States. TWS offers commercial contractors and facilities managers a turnkey alternative to labor-intensive interim containment methods like drywall. Our customers benefit from clean and quiet business continuity during construction, renovation, or maintenance projects in healthcare, public transportation, education, retail, and commercial office facilities. TWS is a brand partner of HomeFront Brands, a platform company of emerging property service franchises. Explore the versatility of Temporary Wall Systems at https://tempwallsystems.com/. About HomeFront Brands HomeFront Brands empowers entrepreneurs to create thriving franchised residential and commercial property service brands. Driven by an experienced team of franchise executives and rooted in family values, HomeFront Brands helps emerging or established concepts accelerate their growth by delivering enterprise-level solutions to local business owners who aspire to build a dynasty and create generational wealth. By leveraging integrated technology, data-driven intelligence and advanced learning management systems, HomeFront Brands is building a foundation for its brands -- Window Hero, The Designery, Temporary Wall Systems, BiltRite Home Inspections, Top Rail Fence and Mozzie Dome to transform lives through franchise ownership. For more information about HomeFront Brands' current solutions, new business development, and franchising opportunities, please visit https://homefrontbrands.com/. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE HomeFront Brands BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Tariffs for universal postal services can be approved by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. This matter was reflected in a proposed amendment to the "Law on post", which was discussed at today's meeting of the Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Entrepreneurship of the Azerbaijani Parliament. According to the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev "On amendments to certain decrees of the president of the republic of Azerbaijan in connection with improving the regulation of tariffs and fees for services in the field of digital development and transport" dated September 2, 2023, tariffs and fees for services in the field of digital development (including postal) and transport must be reviewed taking into account the opinions of the Ministries of Economy and Finance of Azerbaijan and approved by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. The proposed draft law, in accordance with this decree, is prepared with the aim of approving tariffs for universal postal services by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. KENILWORTH, Ill., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Miriam Dani, MBA, DDS, is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Professional for her contributions to the field of Dentistry. Miriam Dani Dr. Dani pursued higher education at the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional and Biochemical Science. She then attended the University of Illinois in Chicago where she completed a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree; finished a General Practice Residency program at Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Center; earned a Certificate Executive MBA at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management; and capped her scholarship by completing all phases of the prestigious post-graduate program at the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Education. Implementing a holistic approach to dentistry, Dr. Dani, D.D.S. is a board-certified general dentist raised in Evanston, IL. She explained that a holistic approach to dentistry requires an understanding of each patient's lifestyle; medical history; and dental goals and that this approach results in a positive patient experience and consistently positive outcomes. Dr. Dani noted that often a patient visits the dentist more frequently than his/her primary physician, so she and her team play a key role in caring for and advising for whole-body health. The doctor is considered an expert in comprehensive dentistry; sleep apnea; full mouth restoration; Invisalign; implants; and general family practice. She is dedicated to providing the latest advancements in her field and is a member of CDS; ADA; AGD; and AADSM. While reflecting on her career, Dr. Dani considers starting her own practice as a major milestone. Dr. Dani is thankful for the leadership and guidance of her many mentors which include, Dr. Alan Waitley; Dr. Trucia Drummond; and Dr. Mary Hayes. The doctor asserts that she operates a successful practice by implementing her personal philosophy to provide a holistic approach to treating the whole patient. Aside from her professional pursuits, Dr. Dani practices yoga daily and enjoys snowboarding; SUP; mountain biking; snowshoeing; and cooking. A highlight of her personal experiences includes summiting Kilimanjaro three times. An avid mountaineer, Dr. Dani notes that her relationship on the board of the Kilimanjaro Kids.org keeps her returning to Tanzania and combining climbs. The doctor also enjoys spending time in Vermont and hiking big mountains around the world. When considering the future, Dr. Dani plans to teach dental students. Dr. Dani was honored to be invited to the People to People program for Women In Dentistry to China. She also participated in underserved areas in Lima, Peru with the Corprodeli Foundation to donate to her dental services. Dr. Dani would like to dedicate this honor to her family and thanks them for their love and support. For more information about her practice, please visit www.kenilworthdentalassociates.com. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle CHANGZHOU, China, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 12, the "Jiangsu-Germany Dialogue 2023" was held in Changzhou. This marks the third year of the event being hosted in Changzhou. The conference, themed "New Energy, New Opportunities", aims to further promote cooperation between China and Germany in fields such as trade, the new energy industry, and the digital economy. At the conference, 11 key Sino-German cooperation projects covering areas like new energy, new materials, smart manufacturing, biomedicine, and education were signed. In recent years, companies like Siemens, Thyssenkrupp, Bosch, Volkswagen, and Lanxuss have made substantial investments in Changzhou, forming German investment clusters in the city. These include the Sino-German (Changzhou) Innovation Park, the Wujin High-Tech Zone, and the Xue's Foreign Capital Town. As of the end of last year, Changzhou had a total of 247 German-funded enterprises, mainly engaged in sectors such as automotive electronics, machinery and equipment manufacturing, new materials, new energy, and environmental protection. At the same time, Germany is also an important destination for outbound investments from Changzhou, with 52 projects settling in Germany, ranking first in Changzhou's investment in Europe. Shi Mingde, President of China-Germany Friendship Association, stated that Changzhou, as a well-known manufacturing city in China, has always aimed to internationalize and benchmark itself against Germany. It has already established a favorable momentum in Sino-German cooperation. The organization of the "Jiangsu-Germany Dialogue 2023" will build a bridge for deepening cooperation in the new energy industry between China and Germany. Lukas Meyer, Deputy Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Shanghai, mentioned that "Jiangsu-Germany Dialogue" activities have witnessed the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries. The Sino-German (Changzhou) Innovation Park has become the preferred destination for small and medium-sized German-speaking enterprises seeking development in China. Changzhou is committed to deepening and expanding cooperation with Germany in fields such as technology, vocational training, and culture, which has strengthened economic relations and promoted the exchange of knowledge, perspectives, and values between the two sides. During the conference, the "German & Austrian Entrepreneur Alliance" was officially launched. It is a bi-directional exchange platform established in the context of the dual carbon economy, focusing on sharing the latest industry information and entrepreneurial experiences in complementary industries between China and Europe. SOURCE "Jiangsu-Germany Dialogue 2023" Conference Part of first-ever 5-year strategy launched during Climate Week NYC Includes pursuing Net Zero greenhouse gas emission for its global operations NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of New York City Climate Week, The Rockefeller Foundation announced that it will invest over USD 1 billion over the next five years to advance the global climate transition and help ensure everyone can participate in it. The new strategy, which is the first of its kind in The Rockefeller Foundation's 110-year history, has two central pillars: bring the world together to address climate change in a more concerted manner and seize the climate transition's opportunities and benefits for the billions of people who have historically been denied them. As part of this new commitment, The Rockefeller Foundation will also prioritize achieving a science-based Net Zero standard for its operations globally. "The Foundation has made many big bets in its history, and we believe climate change's threats and the climate transition's opportunitiesespecially for the most vulnerablejustify what will be the biggest and most impactful bet in our history," said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "The strategy is designed around a simple idea: humanity does not have to choose between addressing climate change and advancing human opportunity, we simply have to work in new ways and at a bigger scale and with new people and in new places to make sure everyone cannot just survive the climate crisis but thrive." The Foundation's philanthropic history began with an original endowment of $100 million from John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, which once controlled more than 90% of petroleum production in the United States. Building upon the $24 billion of philanthropic capital it has invested since 1913, this new strategy aligns with The Rockefeller Foundation's vision of encouraging scaled investments and seeking creative and science-based solutions to intractable problems. It also builds upon, and was informed by, a series of steps The Rockefeller Foundation took in recent years. This includes committing to divesting its endowment from existing fossil fuel interests while refraining from future fossil fuel investments, making it the largest U.S. foundation to embrace the rapidly growing divestment movement. Betting Big on Impact Because climate funding is predominantly directed at mitigation or adaptation and not the intersection that prioritizes both people and planet, The Rockefeller Foundation's strategy reflects efforts to (1) integrate climate across its four core focus areas: power, health, food, and finance; and (2) catalyze global action for solutions that will speed transformations within these systems. This includes providing additional resources, advocacy, and strategic support to a series of Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) initiatives, co-launched with the IKEA Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2021 (COP26). Then, The Rockefeller Foundation committed $500 million, which remains its largest single investment. Today, in support of the new strategy, the Foundation is announcing the following resources and support for several collaborations with GEAPP: $5 million to operationalize the global Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Consortium. The Rockefeller Foundation will support the BESS consortium's secretariat. GEAPP has committed an initial $22.5 million (with significant additional funding planned), and as ), and as this work scales with global partners and additional funding, the consortium could bring reliable electricity access to more than three billion people globally, enabling the integration of an estimated 400 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy and unlocking 90GW of peak demand storage capacity. The Rockefeller Foundation will support the BESS consortium's secretariat. GEAPP has committed an initial (with significant additional funding planned), and as ), and as this work scales with global partners and additional funding, the consortium could bring reliable electricity access to more than three billion people globally, enabling the integration of an estimated 400 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy and unlocking 90GW of peak demand storage capacity. $1 million to jumpstart the development of 1,000 minigrids in Zambia . While plans are still in process, The Rockefeller Foundation, in collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) and GEAPP, is supporting the Republic of Zambia's initial 100 minigrids, with the goal of completing 1,000 over the next three to five years to reach roughly one million people and businesses. While plans are still in process, The Rockefeller Foundation, in collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) and GEAPP, is supporting the Republic of initial 100 minigrids, with the goal of completing 1,000 over the next three to five years to reach roughly one million people and businesses. Leveraging Foundation expertise to help develop metro-grids in the Democratic Republic of Congo . As a result of deep engagement by The Rockefeller Foundation and $8 million of quasi-equity funding provided by GEAPP, Nuru, which is a local metro-grid developer, recently announced $70 million in Series B funding. The Rockefeller Foundation also has a long track record of investing in convenings to spark solutions and innovation. Under this new strategy, The Rockefeller Foundation will leverage virtual and in-person convenings at its Bellagio Center, which launched in 1959 to bring together the very best in their fields, and its new convening space in New York City, which opened in May 2023, to bring together partners needed for climate action. Additional examples of the climate strategy being announced today include: $35 million for climate-finance investments, including $5 million for grants, to accelerate nature-based solutions, decarbonization, and carbon removal strategies globally. The Rockefeller Foundation recently provided its first investment: $5 million into a fund created by Mombak, a Brazilian startup that is supporting the largest biodiverse reforestation effort for carbon removal in the region. The Rockefeller Foundation recently provided its first investment: into a fund created by Mombak, a Brazilian startup that is supporting the largest biodiverse reforestation effort for carbon removal in the region. $20 million for Invest in Our Future to accelerate climate-smart infrastructure development in the United States . Invest in Our Future (IOF), a U.S. donor collaborative to ensure that the clean energy economy strengthen communities across the country, is facilitated through RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC), a public charity founded by The Rockefeller Foundation in 2020 to pool public, private, and philanthropic resources for greater impact. To date, IOF it has raised more than $180 million with additional funding and new developments in the pipeline for this year. Over the coming months, The Rockefeller Foundation will announce a series of new grants and initiatives. This will include, but not limited to, accelerating opportunities to protect the health of those most vulnerable to, and least responsible for, climate change, and mainstreaming health priorities into the climate negotiations as a member of the COP28 Health Day Steering Committee. In addition to building upon early lessons learned from its 2022 Good Food Strategy, the $105 million investment to increase access to healthy and sustainable foods for 40 million underserved people globally, The Rockefeller Foundation will also hold a series of convenings focused on food solutions that are good for people and planet in the lead up to COP28, when there will be additional announcements. Net Zero Operations The Rockefeller Foundation reopened its headquarters in New York City in March 2023, which was renovated to comply with LEED gold certification and WELL Accreditation. As part of its climate strategy, The Rockefeller Foundation will take additional steps toward reaching Net Zero for its all of facilities, which includes its headquarters and locations in Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bangkok, Thailand; and Bellagio, Italy, and across all other areas of its operations worldwide. While its Roadmap to Net Zero is still in process, The Rockefeller Foundation completed the accounting of its carbon footprint for the 2022 baseline year, which found the philanthropic organization emits an estimated 12,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually across its operations. With this Roadmap, which will be finalized in early 2024, The Rockefeller Foundation aims not only to set realistic targets and strategies for decarbonization across Scopes 1, 2 and, 3, but also to collaborate with, and serve as a resource for, others within its ecosystem by sharing its learning and progress along the way. "The climate crisis is humanity's gravest threatand for a Foundation dedicated to its well-being, this strategy is both logical and necessary," said Adm. (ret.) James Stavridis, Chair of The Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees. "Right now, only about 2% of philanthropic capital worldwide is focused on climate change; everyone here at the Foundation is 100 percent committed to doing what we can to help." Statements of Support "Philanthropy has the ability to play a uniquely catalytic role in addressing pressing challenges. I'm thrilled that The Rockefeller Foundation is putting the climate crisis at the core of what it does and how it operates. By doing so, they're answering the most urgent call of our lifetimes, and I hope other foundations will be inspired to follow." U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry "Humanity faces an existentialist threat from the triple planetary crisis. Without a strong climate strategy, we will continue to borrow from Earth's finite resources, leaving future generations in debt. This isn't fiscal prudence, but environmental bankruptcy. A robust climate strategy helps us invest wisely, ensuring a liveable, prosperous planet for future generations. I commend The Rockefeller Foundation for this important initiative to safeguard humanity." Siddharth Chatterjee , UN Resident Coordinator, United Nations in China "From reducing food loss and waste around the world to promoting a green and equitable recovery from COVID-19 to building the next generation of digital products that drive climate action, World Resources Institute has been proud to partner with The Rockefeller Foundation to address some of the most important issues of the day. We're pleased to see the Foundation bringing its deep expertise, innovative funding and convening power to the global fight against climate change through its new strategy. With Rockefeller's leadership, we can all design and deliver the Big Bets needed to transform communities in favor of people, nature, and climate. We look forward to engaging with the Foundation in the years and decades ahead." Ani Dasgupta , President and CEO, World Resources Institute (WRI) , "The Rockefeller Foundation has consistently championed frontline communities over the years, placing individuals at the heart of its initiatives. It's heartening to witness the Foundation's commitment to a similarly decentralized approach in its climate strategy. With the monumental task of addressing climate change ahead of us, having The Rockefeller Foundation as a collaborative partner is invaluable for shaping a sustainable climate economy." Prof. Saleemul Huq, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) approach in its climate strategy. With the monumental task of addressing climate change ahead of us, having The Rockefeller Foundation as a collaborative partner is invaluable for shaping a sustainable climate economy." "International Funders for Indigenous Peoples welcomes The Rockefeller Foundation's attention to the polycrisis impacting humanity. Climate change, growing inequality, and the historical exclusion and violation of Indigenous Peoples' rights are issues that funders must address. A climate strategy that puts frontline communities and Indigenous Peoples at the center is critical for its effectiveness. An inclusive strategy that takes into account root causes and justice is an essential path to follow in philanthropy." Lourdes Inga , Executive Director, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples "The Rockefeller Foundation's climate strategy will pave the way for inclusivity for those Indigenous Communities, who will be most negatively impacted by increasing climatic fluctuations, by providing them with a number of vital resources. I have seen first-hand as an academic scholar and traditional Hopi farmer the impacts of climate change on my own community in Northern Arizona . We lack the resources, such as natural resource data, an independent energy source, and healthy foods for our people to mitigate those issues." Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Assistant Specialist-Indigenous Resiliency, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Indigenous Resilience Center, University of Arizona . We lack the resources, such as natural resource data, an independent energy source, and healthy foods for our people to mitigate those issues." "Over the past couple years, The Rockefeller Foundation has helped lead the way in identifying reforms to make the international financial architecture fit for purpose for future generations. With this commitment, the Foundation will help ensure those reforms, and the others needed to fund essential action on climate and development, become a reality." Afsaneh Mashayekhi Beschloss , Founder and CEO, RockCreek; Trustee, The Rockefeller Foundation "May this climate strategy strengthen the adaptation and mitigation efforts of women workers and help us all in Building an Economy of Nurturance." Reema Nanavaty , Director, SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association) "Climate action must be led by stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries across Africa , Asia , and Latin America and the Caribbean . The Rockefeller Foundation's climate strategy will help leaders in these regions to develop and scale innovative solutions to their most pressing challenges, ensuring opportunities and support for all citizens, especially the most vulnerable." Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, Sahel Consulting : Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd.; Trustee, The Rockefeller Foundation , , and and the . The Rockefeller Foundation's climate strategy will help leaders in these regions to develop and scale innovative solutions to their most pressing challenges, ensuring opportunities and support for all citizens, especially the most vulnerable." "At the age one, I became a climate refugee. My single mother was forced by years of unexpected and unexplained droughts and failed crops to migrate from our rural family home to Nairobi , the big city. My mother came with high hopes; but uneducated and alone, she ended up in Kibera, Africa's largest slum where I grew up. My story is one of millions; climate refugees are finding themselves filling Africa's urban slums without hope, jobs, housing, or opportunities. Solving today's climate crisis is essential to change stories like mine and to address the crisis of urbanization that is leading to devastation across my continent. I thank The Rockefeller Foundation for its vision and look forward to partnering on innovative new paths forward." Kennedy Odede , social entrepreneur and author; co-Founder and CEO of Shining Hope for Communities , the big city. My mother came with high hopes; but uneducated and alone, she ended up in Kibera, largest slum where I grew up. My story is one of millions; climate refugees are finding themselves filling urban slums without hope, jobs, housing, or opportunities. Solving today's climate crisis is essential to change stories like mine and to address the crisis of urbanization that is leading to devastation across my continent. I thank The Rockefeller Foundation for its vision and look forward to partnering on innovative new paths forward." "More and more we're seeing that companies can build lasting value by working to fix the world's problems, rather than by creating them. Humanity has no greater shared challenge than tackling climate change and building a clean, inclusive, and just global economy. The Rockefeller Foundation is striving to accelerate this transition. This is the kind of climate leadership the world needs, and it's the business opportunity of a century." Paul Polman , business leader, campaigner, and author; Trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation. "Climate change has clearly emerged as the greatest challenge of our time, threatening global food security, facilitating the spread of infectious disease, and intensifying extreme weather events. The Rockefeller Foundation's decision to 'go big and bold' in tackling this metastasizing threat is a heartening development. Not only are they in an almost unique position to make a real difference, but their statement and commitment will undoubtedly inspire other individuals, governments, and foundations to follow their lead." Mark J. Plotkin , Co-Founder and President, Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) "We established the Sustainable Development Goals with the principle that every single person deserves to be healthy, empowered, nourished, well off, secure, and free. The only way to achieve these Goals by the end of this decade is for organizations like The Rockefeller Foundation to focus all their attention, and commit all their resources, on the most important challenge of our time: climate change." Juan Manuel Santos , former President of the Republic of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate; Trustee, The Rockefeller Foundation "The climate crisis may not be the making of the younger generation, but we hold the unique blend of creativity, determination, and skills needed to lead substantive change. I keenly look forward to the impact that The Rockefeller Foundation's new climate strategy will lead to, not only to mobilize young people but also to unite key stakeholders in our shared mission to mitigate climate change." Mohammad Siraj , climate champion; UN India YuWaah Advocate "Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Young People should be integral to climate decision making process. I am hopeful that The Rockefeller Foundation's new climate strategy will pave the way for meaningful change, ensuring these communities are protected and empowered, rather than victimized by the unfolding climate crisis." Archana Soreng , Khadia Tribe ; former Member, UN Secretary General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change About The Rockefeller Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn. SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation The Star-Studded Event will honor Sarah Michelle Gellar and Benefit LA County BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army Southern California is set to host its highly anticipated Finding A Way Home Gala at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on Sept. 21. Sponsored by Payden & Rygel, the extraordinary event will honor Sarah Michelle Gellar with the Judge Harry Pregerson award while showcasing an ensemble of notable personalities, and guests. The evening is dedicated to raising awareness and much needed funds towards the critical issue of homelessness in Southern California. As the city of Los Angeles continues to tackle the urgent challenge of homelessness, where more than 75,000 individuals wrestle daily to secure shelter and stability, The Salvation Army remains steadfast as a guiding light in this crisis. Offering a diverse range of programs tailored for adults, at-risk youth, veterans, and seniors, The Salvation Army plays a pivotal role in fostering transformative journeys. Each day, it witnesses the remarkable stories of hundreds who triumph over addiction, embark on paths to recovery, and embrace sustainable living. The Gala, which will be hosted again this year by Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, features compelling videos and honored guests who will share personal stories of how The Salvation Army's life-altering impact has touched their lives. Renowned actress and dedicated philanthropist, Sarah Michelle Gellar, will also grace the stage to accept the Pregerson Award in recognition of her philanthropic work in the community, including her work with children and global hunger relief. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Dickinson, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Southern California Division, expressed excitement: "Anticipation is high as we prepare to welcome some of Hollywood's brightest stars to our gala this year. The fight against homelessness requires collective effort, and by raising awareness and funds, we can unite to create a safe haven for the residents of LA County." "I am excited to recognize my friend Sarah Michelle Geller for her incredible commitment to Doing the Most Good in our community and beyond," said Andrew Jameson, The Salvation Army's Los Angeles Metro Advisory Board Chair. "I look forward to not only celebrating her tireless philanthropic efforts, but also shedding a light and supporting the Salvation Army's vital work in addressing homelessness." Essential programs that address homelessness rely on the generosity of the public to operate effectively. To learn more about this noble mission and contribute to the cause of eradicating homelessness, please visit www.findingawayhome.org . About The Salvation Army The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1880 in the United States. Today, more than 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 7,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmy-socal.org. SOURCE The Salvation Army, Southern California Division A roundup of the week's most newsworthy energy industry press releases from PR Newswire, including tips to prepare for possible power outages. NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the energy and natural resources industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. PR Newswire Weekly Energy Press Release Roundup, Sept. 11-15, 2023. Photo provided by Seadronix. https://prn.to/468Lg7s Read more of the latest energy-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNenergy on Twitter. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. SOURCE PR Newswire A roundup of the week's most newsworthy financial industry press releases from PR Newswire, including the launch of an Xbox Mastercard. NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the finance industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. PR Newswire Weekly Finance Press Release Roundup, Sept. 11-15, 2023. Photo provided by Barclays. https://prn.to/463K0T9 Read more of the latest finance-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNfinance on Twitter. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. SOURCE PR Newswire A roundup of the week's most newsworthy culture press releases from PR Newswire, including campaigns to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering different cultural groups stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. PR Newswire Weekly People & Culture Press Release Roundup, Sept. 11-15, 2023. Photo provided by Nielsen. https://prn.to/3rd73My Read more of the latest culture-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNmltcult on Twitter. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. SOURCE PR Newswire A roundup of the week's most newsworthy travel industry press releases from PR Newswire, including United's new clubs in Denver and Royal Caribbean's adults-only escape. NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the travel industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. PR Newswire Weekly Travel Press Release Roundup, Sept. 11-15, 2023. Photo provided by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. https://prn.to/3LkgLn0 Read more of the latest travel-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNtravel on Twitter. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. SOURCE PR Newswire Community Endorsement and Media Acclaim: Building Blocks of CruiseCompete's Success DETROIT, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As we mark two decades in business, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation. Our profound gratitude is directed towards our dedicated media partners, many of whom have consistently supported and commended our cruise website, CruiseCompete.com. We also extend our thanks to our knowledgeable and exceptional travel advisors, our extensive and loyal community of traveling members, those who write about us, and our extraordinary internal team. This team, comprised of dedicated travel advisors and cherished guests, has played a pivotal role in shaping the success of CruiseCompete over the years. To see why this is such a memorable occasion for a company click here. What Cruisers Say About CruiseCompete "I've used CruiseCompete for most of my 75+ cruises. It's the easiest way to shop around for the best price" -- gb3 , New Jersey , "Well worth using Cruise Compete when you have a cruise in mind. Quick response to cruise offers and I have received excellent service from the agencies I have selected." -- v47 , Florida , "Great! Thorough, answered all "newbie" questions, pleasant and easy to chat with." - GVal4526, British Columbia Media Reviews Good Housekeeping: One of The Best Sites and Apps for Finding Last-Minute Travel Deals One of The Best Sites and Apps for Finding Last-Minute Travel Deals AARP : Great Ways to Save-16 Ways to Travel Cheap : Great Ways to Save-16 Ways to Travel Cheap MSN Canada / Kiplinger: 31 Best Travel Sites to Save You Money CruiseCompete presents a wide variety of hand-curated cruise specials, amenities and experiences across over 50 cruise lines, featuring more than 500 ships sailing worldwide. Discover the collection of expedition, ultra-luxury, premium, contemporary and river lines. Browse Cruise Ships and Cruise Lines . It's simple to use: Find the desired cruise. Request quotes. Compare personalized offers, prices, upgrades, cabin credits and more. Contact member-advisors with questions and to book. We are truly honored each time our website is visited. Thank you. Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence - About CruiseCompete: The Ultimate Cruise Destination - For nearly two decades, CruiseCompete has reigned as the leading online cruise marketplace since its inception in 2003. Here's a glimpse into what makes CruiseCompete the go-to platform for cruise enthusiasts. Discover What Cruisers Say About CruiseCompete : CruiseCompete is not just a platform; it's a community. Hear from fellow cruisers who have experienced the magic of cruise vacations and learn from their insights. Press Quotes About CruiseCompete can attest to our exceptional services. CruiseCompete CruiseTrends Unveiled Monthly: Get an exclusive inside look at the ever-evolving world of cruise travel with CruiseCompete CruiseTrends. Our monthly stats reveal consumer trends and the latest preferences in cruise vacations. Your Family Travel Authority: CruiseCompete is your ultimate resource for family travel information. We proudly present the 2023 Sea Tales Family Cruise Travel Planner at https://online.flippingbook.com/view/1012474068/ in our Travel Resources section. Recognized and Praised: CruiseCompete has garnered accolades from renowned sources. Travel + Leisure ranks us among the "Top 60 Best Apps and Websites for Travelers," and The Wall Street Journal hails us as the "Best Cruise Travel Site." The New York Times acknowledges our platform as the place where "independent travel advisors compete to offer you the best deal." Similar praise resonates from Travel + Leisure, Kiplinger, and The Washington Post. The Street even declares, "Score luxury cruises at bargain prices." Connect with Us: For more information and to experience CruiseCompete firsthand, visit us at https://www.cruisecompete.com/ or explore group cruise options at https://www.cruisecompete.com/group_cruises/ CruiseCompete is an Iowa limited liability company and is neither a travel agency nor owned by one. Stay Connected: Join us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and check out our engaging Blog for the latest cruise news and updates. CruiseCompete is your trusted partner in cruise adventures. SOURCE CruiseCompete OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vallejo, CA City Council met behind closed doors Tuesday night, September 12, 2023, and approved a $900,000 pretrial settlement in the case of Police Captain John Whitney who had been terminated after blowing the whistle on the badge bending rituals of some Vallejo Police Department Officers. John Whitney said that he meant it when he took an oath to uphold ethics and the public trust. The settlement from the City of Vallejo, CA helps to vindicate me from the damage the City caused me, my family and my community. Jayme Walker is a the lead attorney and a Partner with Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer the firm who represented Plainfiff, John Whitney. In 2019, Vallejo Police Captain John Whitney learned that an officer had bent his badge to commemorate the times he had fired his weapons at civilians. Given this wasn't the first time Whitney had learned of such a practice, he told the Chief they needed a department wide investigation. He wanted officers to be held accountable if they were found to be glorifying police shootings. When the Chief refused, Captain Whitney reported badge bending to the mayor and the City Manager. Within weeks he was placed on administrative leave for leaking confidential information and was later fired from Vallejo, allegedly for deleting data from his cell phone. In a letter of support, the mayor later said he believed Whitney was fired for "airing Vallejo's dirty laundry". Whitney brought claims against the City of Vallejo, CA for whistleblower retaliation. This week, Vallejo agreed to settle his case for $900,000.00 just a month before the civil trial was about to begin. Lead attorney, Jayme Walker, a Partner with the law firm Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer, who represented Mr. Whitney, stated, "John Whitney crossed the thin blue line to hold police officers accountable for excessive force and the practice of badge bending which glorified police shootings. Instead of commending him as a hero, the City of Vallejo terminated him. Now he has finally been vindicated and this settlement will hopefully send a positive message to all police officers who have the courage to stand up and do the right thing." When hearing of the settlement, Captain Whitney said, "The city of Vallejo and some officers in the department tried to silence me by ruining my career. I took an oath to uphold ethics and public trust and I meant it. What the City did damaged me, my family, and the community. This settlement vindicates me, and I hope the city will now do what it takes to repair the damage Badge bending did to the community." SOURCE The Law Firm of Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The general prosecutors of foreign countries visited the Alley of Honor and the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, Trend reports. The foreign general prosecutors, heads of delegations, and representatives of international organizations who are in Baku to participate in the 33rd meeting of the Coordination Council of Prosecutor Generals of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries and the 4th meeting of the Prosecutor Generals of the member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation visited the Alley of Honor to pay their respects to the memory of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, the architect and founder of the modern independent Azerbaijani state Heydar Aliyev. The guests also visited the grave of the distinguished Azerbaijani ophthalmologist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva. During visit to the Alley of Martyrs, they paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the struggle for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and laid a wreath at the "Eternal Flame" monument. The guests also participated in a ceremony of planting memorial trees in the Central Park of Baku. The 33-rd meeting of the CIS Coordination Council of General Prosecutors is attended by Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev, prosecutor generals of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia, executive secretary of the Coordination Council of CIS General Prosecutors, as well as responsible persons of the CIS Secretariat and the CIS Anti-Terrorist Center. SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, a leading innovator in the vaping industry, is proud to announce that it has been honored with eight awards at the prestigious MUSE Design Awards, including six gold and two silver awards. This recognition underscores VAPORESSO's commitment to excellence in design and innovation. The winning products include the brand's latest offerings, the ARMOUR series consisting of the ARMOUR MAX and ARMOUR S, which just made their debut at the InterTabac 2023 held from 14-16. While the VAPORESSO COSS is a game-changer in the vaping industry addressing the pain points of existing products and offering an intuitive design that caters to the vaping habits of users. These products, along with the COSS Packaging, ECO NANO, LUXE X PRO, LUXE XR MAX, LUXE Q2, and XROS 3 NANO, were recognized for their creative design and user-centric approach. The MUSE Design Awards is an international design competition dedicated to honoring exceptional original designs from around the globe. Its mission is to recognize, celebrate, and promote outstanding design innovators, making it a key platform for showcasing emerging stars in various fields. The recognition of eight VAPORESSO products at the MUSE Design Awards is a significant affirmation of VAPORESSO's pursuit of superior design and ultimate innovation. "Winning these awards is a testament to our commitment to INNOVATION, RELIABILITY, and STYLE - the three core brand value of VAPORESSO," said Jimmy Hu, Vice President of VAPORESSO. "We will continue to put our users at the center of everything we do, providing more excellent and innovative products that fully meet their usage needs and personal expression." VAPORESSO is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of design and innovation. These accolades from the MUSE Design Awards demonstrate the brand's achievement in this endeavor. Aiming to provide users with products that not only meet their needs but also exceed their expectations, VAPORESSO will continue to strive for excellence. About VAPORESSO Established in 2015, VAPORESSO is committed to creating a smoke-free world and enhancing the quality of life for its users. Through continuous innovation, stringent quality control, and substantial commitment, VAPORESSO produces products that cater to all levels and styles of vapers. For more information, please visit: https://www.vaporesso.com/ . SOURCE VAPORESSO CHICAGO , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weather Forecasting Services market is estimated at USD 1.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 2.8 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growth can be attributed to the increasing need for weather forecasting data for safety and enhancement for all type of industries. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=218398014 Browse in-depth TOC on "Weather Forecasting Services Market" 160 Tables 90 Figurespld 250 Pages Weather Forecasting Services Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $ 1.9 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $ 2.8 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% Market Size Available for 20192028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) and Volume (Thousand Units) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Industry, Forecasting Type, Purpose, Organization and Region Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Lack of effective automation Key Market Opportunities Development of high-end radars and satellites for weather monitoring Key Market Drivers Integration of weather forecasting services in transport and logistics sectors The Energy & Utilities segment held the largest growth rate in the Weather Forecasting Services market by Industry. By Industry, the Weather Forecasting Services market has been segmented into Aviation, Agriculture, Transport and Logistics, Marine, Oil and gas, Energy and utilities, Insurance, Retail, Media, Construction and mining and others. Energy & Utilities Segment to hold the highest growth rate during the forecast period. This industry is adopting widely technological applications to provide real time data access and accurate forecasting. Accurate weather forecasting enables energy & utilities to optimize their operations, reduce downtime, and enhance safety. Managing power generation and distribution during extreme weather events for scheduling maintenance and grid planning drives the market. The Weather Forecasting Services Safety segment is expected to account for the largest share of Weather Forecasting Services by Purpose in 2023. By Purpose, the Weather Forecasting Services market is segmented into Safety, Operational Efficiency and Others. The Safety offers preventive measures and resource allocation effectively. Weather Predictions provides accurate and timely weather data to make informed decisions to save lives and protect property as a safety purpose. The Short-Range Forecast segment of the Weather Forecasting Services market by Forecast type is projected to dominate the market. The Weather Forecasting Services industry based on the Forecast Type is segmented into Nowcast, Short Range, Medium Range, Extended Range and Long-Range Forecasting. The range Forecast segment to hold the highest market and Nowcast Forecast to hold the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The rapid development in the weather forecasting services for weather predictions to enhanced safety and prevent loss in various industries is driving the growth of the market. The Small and medium-sized Enterprises segment held the largest growth rate in the Weather Forecasting Services market by Organisation. By Organisation, the Small and medium-sized segment to hold the largest growth rate during forecast period. The Weather Forecasting Services market based on organization is segmented into Large Enterprise and Small and medium-sized Enterprises. Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises offers cost-effective solutions with essential weather data for day-to-day operations in industries like agriculture or local events planning. The rise in demand for cost effective services drives the growth of market for Small & Medium- Medium-sized enterprises. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=218398014 Asia Pacific is to hold the highest growth rate in 2023. The Weather Forecasting Services market industry has been studied in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World. The Asia Pacific region accounts for the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to the active demand for weather forecasting data in the region to enhance the growth of the market. India is expected to show the highest growth rate in Asia Pacific Region for Weather Forecasting Services market. Increase in rise of demand for Weather predictions for various industries drives the Weather Forecasting Services market in Asia Pacific Region Major players operating in the Weather Forecasting Services companies are The Weather Company (US), DTN (US), Accuweather (US), Fugro (Netherlands), and Enav S.P.A. (Italy). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=218398014 Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Weather Forecasting Systems Market by Vertical (Agriculture, Aviation, Transportation & Logistics, Oil & Gas, Marine, Renewable Energy, Meteorology, Weather Service Providers), Application, Solution, Forecast Type and Region (2021-2026) Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Market Size, Share & Industry Growth Analysis Report by Solution (Services, Payload Systems, and Software), Orbital Range (Near-Earth and Deep Space), End Use (Commercial, and Government & Military), Object, Capability, and Geography- Global Growth Driver and Industry Forecast to 2026 Remote Sensing Services Market by Application, Platform (Satellites, UAVs, Manned Aircraft, Ground), End Use, Resolution (Spatial, Spectral, Radiometric, Temporal), Type, Technology (Active, Passive) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 Airborne Telemetry Market by Application, Technology (Wired, Wireless), Platform, Component (Receiver, Transmitter, Antenna), Sensor (GPS, Load Cell, Torque, Weather Prediction) And Region - Global Forecast to 2021 Small Satellite Services Market by Platform (CubeSat, Nanosatellite, Microsatellite, Minisatellite), Vertical (Government & Military, Non-Profit Organizations, Commercial), Application (Remote Sensing, Communication), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/weather-forecasting-services-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/weather-forecasting-services.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening of the high-level meeting on Tuyesday, September 20, 2022. (Photo: UN).. Image Source: IANS News United Nations, Sep 14 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has paid "tribute" to India's presidency of the G20 for building consensus at the Leaders' Summit in New Delhi last week and raising the voice of the Global South. "I should pay tribute to the Indian presidency. The Indian presidency did its best in order to have the South's voice represented and did its best to put development agenda in the centre of the discussions of the G20," he said on Wednesday. "Then, of course, the conclusions are what they are. It depends on what countries are ready to accept. But I think that effort needs to be underlined." The G20 consensus document did not adopt two key proposals Guterres has been championing action to keep global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius and cut out fossil fuel, and an annual fund of at least $500 billion for reaching the UN's multi-faceted Sustainable Development Goals. But the UN chief appeared to accept that it was the cost of consensus. As for building consensus in a deeply divided forum, he said: "The simple fact of having a consensus means that there was a compromise and compromise is something that is essential in present dates." In his opening remarks at the news conference ahead of the high-level General Assembly session, Guterres said: "Effective leadership is compromise." He spoke of the emerging multipolar world and said that while "multipolarity can be a factor of equilibrium", he said that "it can also lead to escalating tensions, fragmentation and worse". Therefore, he said, "it is time for compromise for a better tomorrow. Politics is compromise. Diplomacy is compromise". "Today's multilateral institutions that were created after the Second World War reflect the power and economic dynamics of that time, and so, they need reform. "To bring our multipolar world together, we need strong, reformed multilateral institutions, anchored in the UN Charter and international law. I know reform is fundamentally about power and there are obviously many competing interests and agendas in our increasingly multipolar world," Guterres added. "But at a time when our challenges are more connected than ever, the outcome of a zero-sum game is that everyone gets zero." The Secretary-General also held up to Palestinians the example of Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violent action for Independence. Asked by a Palestinian journalist why Palestinians "when they resist occupiers" are labelled terrorists, including by UN officials, Guterres said: "I came from India and I went to pay tribute to Gandhi. Let's not forget the example of Gandhi. I do not think that it is with violence that the Palestinians will be able to better defend their interests. That is my humble opinion." A Pakistani journalist referred to the G20 Delhi Declaration deploring religious hatred and intolerance and asked Guterres if he had raised attacks on religious minorities with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said there was no bilateral meeting with Modi during the G20 Summit. "But, our position has been very clear. Religious intolerance is a violation of human rights that is totally unacceptable." Toronto, Sep 15 : Director Susi Ganesan's second Hindi film 'Dil Hai Gray', which was the choice of the National Film Development Corporation (NDFC) for the Toronto International Film Festival, premiered here with a special screening, with the director and lead actress Urvashi Rautela present in the audience. Set in three cities in Uttar Pradesh, 'Dil Hai Gray' is a sort of spy thriller-cum-family drama, highlighting the intrusion of technology and social media such as facebook and Instagram into our lives to the extent that anyone can peek into our privacy. With Vineet Kumar Singh and Akshay Oberoi in male roles, the film's plot revolves around a spymaster who has been tasked with tapping phones of big guns for corruption. Ironically, while spying on others, the spymaster himself becomes the victim of a ruthless, super smart computer geek who intrudes into his private life. The modus operandi of this evil computer geek, played by Akshay Oberoi, is to break into people's computers, befriend women and then blackmail and disgrace them. As the spymaster fights for his family honour, the sex-crazy computer geek always stays a step ahead of the spymaster as he wreaks emotional and social havoc on the latter's family. This evenly paced film, frame after frame, tries to portray the reality of modern life - that there is no privacy in today's social-media driven life. In her post-screening speech, Urvashi said it was a dream come true for her to have her film screened at the world's premier film festival. She said she jumped at the opportunity to do this film as she liked its new genre. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed FUZULI, Azerbaijan, September 15. A new school in Azerbaijan's Shusha city is planned to be commissioned this [academic] year, Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev told reporters during an event at secondary school No. 1 named after Mirza Ulugbek in Fuzuli city, Trend reports. He noted that more than 100 pupils will go to a school in Zabukh village before the end of this academic year. The activities of our school in Aghali village are expanding every day. Last year there were only about 70 pupils, and now 120 pupils continue to study there," the minister said. "At the same time, education continues at the school in Talish village. Studies are expected to be organized at school No. 1 in the city of Shusha from the second half of the academic year, the minister added. The secondary school in Fuzuli was built on the initiative of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the expense of Uzbekistan's budget. The opening of this school took place on August 23 with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and his wife Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva. Chandigarh, Sep 15 : In an intelligence-led operation, the BSF along with Punjab Police on Friday recovered 1.710 kg heroin on input shared by Jalandhar Rural Police. Till now, 24.710 kg heroin has been recovered from the possession of Malkeet Singh Kali and his associates, Punjab Police said in a post on X. First information reports (FIRs) have been registered at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) police station in Fazilka. Earlier this month, Punjab Police arrested Kali, who sent three swimmers to collect a consignment of 50 kg heroin from Pakistan. Kali's arrest came in less than a month after the Jalandhar Rural Police had arrested drug smuggler Joga Singh, who swam into the Pakistan jurisdiction to retrieve the heroin consignment and eight kg heroin. DGP Gaurav Yadav had said following forward and backwards linkages in this case, Jalandhar Rural Police have arrested Kali, who is resident of Tendi Wala village in Ferozepur, and recovered the heroin kept in his shoulder bag. Divulging details, SSP Jalandhar (Rural) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar had said Kali revealed that he was in regular touch with a Pakistan-based drug smuggler Haider Ali, who helped him in smuggling the heroin consignments to India in lieu of hawala operator. --IANS vg/svn New Delhi, Sep 15 : The Supreme Court on Friday fixed September 18 for hearing the plea filed by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren against summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to him in connection with a money laundering case. A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi acceded to the request made by the counsel appearing on Sorenas behalf seeking adjournment till Monday, September 18. Advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing ED, told the bench that similar pleas challenging the vires of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 are already pending for consideration before the top court. The bench said that it will take up the matter for hearing on September 18. The writ petition has been instituted under Article 32 of the Constitution after ED had summoned Soren to appear before it on August 24 in connection with the land grabbing case, where the central agency has already arrested 13 people, including an IAS officer. Previously, the Chief Minister of the state was questioned in connection with the illegal mining case for around 10 hours along with his wife at ED's Ranchi office. Recently on September 1, fresh summons were issued to Soren for a third time to join the probe initiated by the anti-money laundering agency. During investigation, it has been revealed that the accused used documents from 1932 to wrongfully seize people's lands and would tell the victims that their lands had already been sold by their fathers or grandfathers. The accused allegedly took possession of the lands given on lease to the Army and fraudulently sold them elsewhere. Although the case is from Jharkhand, its ramifications are extended to Bihar and Kolkata. Indian national jailed in Singapore for biting off mans finger during scuffle. Image Source: IANS News Singapore, Sep 15 : A drunk Indian national in Singapore was jailed for 10 months on Friday for biting off the front portion of a fellow Indian's index finger during a scuffle in April this year, a media report said. Thangarasu Rengasamy, a 40-year-old excavator operator, pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Nagooran Balasubramanian, 50, an electrical engineering technician. The two Indian nationals were living at separate foreign worker dormitories in Kaki Bukit, an industrial area in Bedok, at the time of the offence, The Straits Times reported, adding that the severed part of Nagooran's finger could not be found. The court heard that just before the attack, Nagooran and another construction worker Ramamoorthy Anantharaj, were drinking alcohol at around 10 p.m. on April 22 when an intoxicated Thangarasu, who was seated some five meters away from the pair, started shouting. When Ramamoorthy asked Thangarasu to keep his volume down, the latter marched towards him with his right hand raised. When Ramamoorthy responded by slapping Thangarasu, a scuffle broke out between the pair and Nagooran tried to separate them. "In the midst of the struggle, (Nagooran's) left index finger inadvertently entered the accused's mouth. The accused... bit down onto the victim's finger forcefully and did not let go," Deputy Public Prosecutor Cai Chenghan was cited as saying in The Straits Times. "The accused and the victim then fell to the ground, with the accused still biting down on the victim's finger," Cai said, adding that Ramamoorthy tried to pull Thangarasu away, but the latter did not let go of the finger. Nagooran, after he managed to free himself from Thangarasu, was rushed to Changi General Hospital where he was diagnosed with a partial amputation of the finger and was told that he needed surgery. He was given 14 days of hospitalisation leave, the court was told. Deputy Public Prosecutor Cai asked for Thangarasu to be jailed for between 10 months and a year. "The victim will... likely be permanently inconvenienced, given the nature of his profession as an electrical engineering technician," The Straits Times quoted Cai as saying. For voluntarily causing grievous hurt in Singapore, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned. --IANS mi/ksk Lucknow, Sep 15 : The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to bring in a proposal with an amendment to the Uttar Pradesh Ashashkiya Arbi-Farsi Viniyamavali, 2016, so that unregularised madrasa students can have access to modern education. State Minority Welfare and Waqf Minister Dharampal Singh has instructed his department officials to bring a proposal for the amendment to the Act. He said, "The objective of the state government is that students of the minority community can join the mainstream through religious education as well as modern education, including science, so that their all-round development can be ensured." Vocational training and computer education should be implemented effectively in madrasas, he added. Currently, there are 16,513 government-funded regularised madrasas and 8,449 unrecognised or unregularised madrasas in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Iftikhar Ahmad Javed, chairperson of UP Madrasa Board, has sent a written query to the state government, asking what needs to be done for unrecognised madrasas, as their owners were pressuring the board to give them government recognition. "The unrecognised madrasa owners were expecting that after the government survey, they would all be given validation and affiliation to the board, but now they allege that they have been cheated. Why would unrecognised madrasa follow government norms if they are not getting affiliation," said Iftikhar. He added, "The unrecognised madrasa owners have expressed several times that they want to introduce computers and science along with religious teachings, but they need the government's support." Meanwhile, following the ministeras instructions, additional chief secretary Monica. S. Garg, said, "Guidelines received from the minister will be followed in letter and spirit, and work will be done to make the schemes related to the all-round uplift of the minority community dynamic and more effective." Kolkata, Sep 15 : The Calcutta High Court on Friday imposed a fine on a Deputy Secretary of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) for not adhering to and implementing an earlier order. The single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay also observed that if a person in the rank of a Deputy Secretary is unable to implement a court order in three months, he has no right to be in the chair. "He should be either removed from that chair or any other action might be initiated against him," Justice Gangopadhyay observed. He also said that the financial penalty should be paid by the deputy secretary concerned from his own coffer and not from that of the board. There were errors in six questions in the written examination for the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) for 2014. The court had ordered the board to grant full marks for the six questions to the candidates. However, one of the candidates approached the court that he was not granted the additional six marks as a result of which he did not qualify. The court directed the board to examine the answer sheet and accordingly grant the marks to the candidate concerned within a specific time frame. However, since the deadline was not honoured, the candidate informed the court again, following which it imposed a financial penalty on the Deputy Secretary who was responsible for implementing the order. New Delhi: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal during an event. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 15 : Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday urged the country's engineers to consider the German model of specialisation and certification in specific areas in order to accelerate growth in innovation. Addressing the technocrats on Engineers Day, the minister pointed out that India's National Education Policy, introduced in 2020, has opened doors for lateral changes in education, allowing students to explore diverse fields midstream. "This flexibility will lead to a more skilled and diverse workforce," he observed. Goyal also called upon the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and the Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI) to conduct a study on international practices that restrict the participation of Indian engineering firms in global projects. The Minister said that the government would then explore reciprocal actions based on this research study to ensure a level playing field for Indian engineers and businesses. He exhorted the engineering community to achieve the USD100 billion export target in engineering services, design, construction, and R&D by 2030. Addressing the 'Global Services Export Conclave on Design, Engineering, Construction, R&D and Environmental Services: Sustainable Energy, Transportation, and Infrastructure', Goyal highlighted India's growing global stature, as evidenced by the successful organisation of the G20 Summit 2023 under India's Presidency. He said that India's voice is becoming the voice of not just the Global South but also the world now. He urged Indian companies to expand globally, capturing new markets and leveraging India's abundant talent pool of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) graduates to become leading global companies in their sectors. Regarding India's stance on global trade, Goyal emphasised the country's commitment to fair and balanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. He emphasised that India's approach involves extensive consultations with stakeholders to ensure equitable deals that benefit the nation's businesses, professionals, and MSMEs. The aim is to enter into an FTA which is a win-win for both countries, he added. The minister also highlighted the importance of celebrating Engineers Day, emphasising that it inspires individuals and the nation to reach greater heights. The occasion serves as a moment for reflection on past achievements and a call for innovation and global leadership in accordance with the spirit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a self-reliant and globally influential India, he added. Kolkata, Sep 15 : Calcutta High Court's single judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Friday slammed the West Bengal government and imposed a financial penalty of Rs 50 lakh for not complying with an earlier order of handing over probe papers related to alleged money laundering by a cooperative society in West Bengal's Alipurduar district to the CBI. Justice Gangopadhyay directed the state government to submit the penalty amount to the office of the Registrar General of Calcutta High Court within the next two weeks. It also directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit all the documents and papers related to the probe to the CBI by September 18. He also cautioned that if his order is not implemented this time he will summon the state chief secretary to the court. "CID had been enquiring about the matter for quite some time. But it is yet not aware of who all are behind the irregularities. But I know who did that. You are having fun over the money of the poor people. Those who used to roam about in bicycles before are now affording four-wheelers," said Justice Gangopadhyay. On August 25 this year, the Calcutta High Court's Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench ordered a CBI probe over the allegations of money laundering by a cash-lending cooperative society in Alipurduar. The order was based on a petition filed by one Kalpana Das Sarkar at the circuit bench, alleging that the cooperative society first collected huge amounts of deposits from the market from investors and then distributed the money as loans to those associated with it. Despite not returning the loan even after the lapse of substantial time, no action was initiated against them by the cooperative society authorities for loan recovery. The matter was referred to investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police but could not make any progress in the probe process. Hence the petitioner approached the circuit bench demanding a central agency probe in the case. However, instead of adhering to the order, the CID approached the bench of Justice Gangopadhyay for reconsideration of the earlier order by the Jalpaiguri circuit bench. On Friday that plea by CID was dismissed. As per estimated the total fund defalcation in the matter is around Rs 50 crore which has been duped from as many as 21,163 investors who had deposited their hard-earned money to that cooperative society. Poll shows Haley ahead of DeSantis but far behind Trump in her home state. Image Source: IANS News Washington, Sep 15 : Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley is behind her former boss Donald Trump by 28 points, but ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a new poll of likely 2024 GOP primary voters in her home state, South Carolina. According to the Monmouth University-Washington Post poll released on Thursday, only 18 per cent of likely GOP primary voters in South Carolina said they plan to vote for their former governor, while 46 per cent said they wanted Trump. Senator Tim Scott came in third place with 10 per cent support and DeSantis followed at 9 per cent, The USA Today reported. Scales started tipping in Haley's favour, who had been lagging behind in polls with single digits since February, after last month's maiden Republican primary presidential debate. In a CNN/SSRS poll released earlier this month, Haley emerged as the only Republican presidential candidate who could beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 US elections. Haley recently told CBS News that she, and not Trump, is going to be the party's 2024 presidential nominee. "I don't think President Trump's going to be the nominee. I think it's going to be me. But I will tell you that any Republican is better than what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are doing," Haley had told 'Face the Nation' on CBS. Conducted between September 6 and 11, the poll also revealed what differentiated Trump voters from other South Carolina GOP voters with close to 81 per cent of Trump voters believing that Joe Biden won the 2020 election through fraud. Two days before the second GOP primary debate in California on September 27, the former president will bring his campaign back to South Carolina in Summerville. Republicans who packed into the former South Carolina governoras events in New Hampshire in recent days described her as "very smart" and a "natural leader", the Politico reported. They "admire" her work at the United Nations. They even think she "has a good chance" in 2024. According to Politico, Haley's rise is being blunted by the same force dragging down every candidate running behind Trump: Love him or hate him, many Republicans in New Hampshire say theyare hard-pressed to see a scenario in which Trump is not the GOP nominee for the third consecutive cycle. New Delhi: A view of the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 15 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that it will not insist BRS MLC K. Kavitha to appear in its national capital office in connection with the ongoing probe into the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case till September 26. An oral undertaking to the above effect was made before a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency. "She has appeared twice. If she is busy, we will extend the date by another 10 days," submitted ASG Raju as the court decided to defer hearing her plea for September 26. The daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was summoned by ED on September 14 to appear in its national capital office on Friday for the purpose of attending the ongoing probe against the AAP-led Delhi government's now scrapped liquor policy. Notably, four other accused -- YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghava Reddy, former Aurobindo Group Director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's close aide Dinesh Arora -- have turned approvers in the case. Kavitha was earlier questioned by the ED on March 11, 20 and 21 for nine-ten hours on every occasion. She has petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the summons issued by the ED and sought for protection against arrest. The top court is likely to take up her plea for further hearing on September 26. Bengaluru, Sep 15 : In a major reprieve to Minister for Planning and Statistics D. Sudhakar, the Karnataka High Court on Friday granted an interim stay on the investigation against him in an alleged land grabbing and atrocity case. A bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna issued the order while considering the petition by minister Sudhakar, who is also director of Seven Hills Developers and Traders and others. The bench had issued an emergent notice to the government asking to file objections. The matter has been adjourned to October 3. Yelahanka resident Subbamma had filed a complaint against Minister Sudhakar and others in Yelahanka police station on September 10. She had alleged that Sudhakar and others have cheated her family members and got the signatures on documents. The case in this regard is with the civil court as well as in the High Court. Despite this, Sudhakar and others had come and vacated the houses. When it was questioned, more than 35 persons had attacked hurling casteist slurs, she alleged. Minister Sudhakar had clarified that he had not indulged in the atrocity case. "I have respect for all castes and I have not committed any mistake," he had maintained. DyCM D.K. Shivakumar, reacting to the development, had stated that the case is civil in nature. There is a difference between threatening and PCR. "I have got information from officers and found that it is a false case. There is no necessity for Sudhakar to tender resignation," he said. Let BJP make any conspiracy, it is a civil case. "As a President of the Congress party in the state, I have got all details regarding the case. Sudhakar had purchased the land with consent. During elections a third party had installed a compound to that land. The supporters of Sudhakar had gone to protect his land. In this connection an atrocity case has been filed through PCR," the DyCM added. Nar visited Fuzuli and Tartar to congratulate the children who start to go to school on the occasion of "Knowledge Day". The mobile operator presented all the first graders of 6 schools with necessary supplies for the new school year, including school bags. Nar has been supporting the first steps to school life of children in the regions of Azerbaijan within the framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy for several years. Other projects implemented by Nar in the direction of CSR is available at nar.az/projects. Nar currently provides high-quality communication services to 2.2 million subscribers. Nar has been the leading mobile operator in the country according to the Customer Loyalty Index for the last 4 years. The mobile operator adheres to a customer-centric strategy and provides best-in-class service at an affordable price. WhatsApp for iOS gets message editing support for media with captions. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 15 : Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out an 'automatic security code verification' feature for end-to-end encryption to a limited number of beta testers on Android. With this feature, the app will try to automatically verify if messages are end-to-end encryption without requiring any user intervention, according to WABetaInfo. This process will be called "Key Transparency", enhancing the overall security and privacy of users' conversations by checking if they are using a secure connection. However, WhatsApp still provides users with the manual verification feature in case the automatic verification fails or it is not available. According to the report, this feature is especially useful in situations where traditional QR code scanning or manual verification is difficult, such as when users need to easily verify encryption remotely. By automating security code verification, the report said that WhatsApp hopes to provide added security and convenience for their users while verifying end-to-end encryption with no additional effort on their part. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly working on bringing "third-party chat" support on Android in order to comply with the new European Union (EU) regulations. The new feature will offer users the ability to communicate with each other using different apps. For instance, someone from the Signal app could send a message to a WhatsApp user, even without a WhatsApp account. The feature comes just days after the European Commission confirmed that Meta fits the definition of a "gatekeeper" under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates that communication software like WhatsApp allow interoperability with third-party messaging apps by March 2024. New Delhi, Sep 15 : In response to a PIL, the Kejriwal government on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that it will take prompt measures to constitute the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) in accordance with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and the associated rules. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was dealing with the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by Advocate Amit Sahni sought the effective implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. According to the status report submitted by the Delhi government, Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the proposal for the formation of the State Mental Health Authority. Furthermore, he has directed that the proposal be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the necessary approval of the President. The report also mentioned that the L-G forwarded the proposal to the office of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on September 11, and it will subsequently be referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs for President's approval. In August, the high court showed disappointment over the non-constitution of the permanent State Mental Health Authority and directed the Delhi Health Secretary to appear before it on Friday. Hence, the Delhi government has requested the court to excuse the personal appearance of official and has sought a two-month period for approval of the proposal by the competent authority. The bench has directed the Delhi government to submit a fresh status report regarding the formation of the State Mental Health Authority. The court will now hear the matter on November 28. Sahni's contention is that the absence of functional mental health authorities has a detrimental impact on the treatment and care of individuals suffering from mental illnesses. The bench had, during the last hearing, asked for Delhi government's compliance with Sections 45 and 46 of the Mental Health Act, 2017, and the Mental Healthcare (State Mental Health Authority) Rules, 2018. It had further directed constituting district mental health authorities in line with the statutory provisions. The court had said that despite the assurance given by the Delhi government's counsel in November, 2022, regarding the reconstitution of the State Mental Health Authority, no progress has been made in this regard. "It is unfortunate that till date the permanent State Mental Health Authority under the aforementioned statute has not been constituted. Therefore, this Court is left with no option, but to direct that the Secretary (Health), GNCTD, remain present in Court on the next date of hearing," the court had observed. In this matter, another individual has moved a plea alongside the PIL, also demanding the reconstitution of the State Mental Health Authority and the establishment of Mental Health Review Boards, as mandated by the new law. The court had clarified that in case the Authority is constituted, the personal appearance of the Secretary shall be dispensed with. New Delhi, Sep 15 : The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Friday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals of approx Rs 45,000 crore, the Defence Ministry said. The AoN for procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was also accorded, official added. According to the Defence Ministry, to enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of mechanised forces, the DAC accorded AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). It also cleared AoN for procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) and Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of artillery guns and radars. The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing hydrographic operations, a ministry official added. All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence Industry towards achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the official added. The DAC also accorded AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force which included avionic upgradation of Dornier aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations. The procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent indigenous precision-guided weapon for indigenously-built ALH Mk-IV helicopters has been cleared. During the meeting, Rajnath Singh stated that it is time to upgrade the ambitions towards indigenisation. "Rather than a threshold of 50 per cent indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65 per cent indigenous content," he said. He directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and the DG, Acquisition, to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with the Indian Industry, the official added. Mumbai, Sep 15 : Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film 'Mission Raniganj', has paid a tribute to Jaswant Singh Gill, an unsung hero in Indian history, celebrating Engineer's Day. Taking to Instagram, the actor expressed his excitement at portraying Gill as he shared an image of the latter, and wrote: "Happy #Engineers Day. I could never even imagine myself studying hard to be an engineer." "But then I got an opportunity to play a brave, intelligent engineer like Jaswant Singh Gill ji in #MissionRaniganj. (My parents wish has been fulfilled). #RealHero," he added. The post was accompanied by a real life black and white image of a young Jaswant Gill from 1961, standing proudly outside ISM college, where he pursued Mining Engineering. Jaswant Gill was the leading engineer during the 1989 Raniganj Coalfield collapse in West Bengal, which led to over 65 miners being trapped inside a mine, after using explosives to blast open the walls, trapping them inside. Six miners died inside the mines when the walls caved in, while 65 miners were able to reach the mining elevator, which had become increasingly unsteady due to rising water levels. Gill, who was supervising the operation alongside 2,000 other engineers designed a massive capsule which was put in via a crane, and was able to safely get the miners out. Jaswant Gill's story is both inspiring and heroic, as his bravery, intelligence and dedication made him a true hero in every sense, who is sadly unsung in Indian history. Akshay Kumar has been paying tribute to several heroes of Indian history in his projects lately, be it the Sikh Regiment in 'Kesari', or the great Rajput king and legendary hero Prithviraj Chauhan in 'Prithviraj'. Engineer's Day is held to celebrate the brilliance and dedication of engineers across the world, who work tirelessly to shape our world in many different ways, through their creativity, imagination and scientific knowledge and intellect. 'Mission Raniganj' also stars Parineeti Chopra, Kumud Mishra, Pavan Malhotra, Ravi Kishan, Varun Badola, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajesh Sharma, Virendra Saxena, Shishir Sharma, Ananth Mahadevan, Jameel Khan, Sudhir Pandey, Bachan Pachera, Mukesh Bhatt and Omkar Das Manikpuri. The film also marks director Tinu Suresh Desai's next thriller after 'Rustom', which won him massive critical and commercial acclaim. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Ajay Kapoor, 'Mission Raniganj' will be released in theaters on October 6, 2023. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New York, Sep 15 : Kashyap 'Kash' Patel, the top Indian-origin aide to former US President Donald Trump and also a close associate, will be releasing a book next week, seeking to expose the "bad actors in senior leadership". Titled "Government Gangsters", the book targets multiple federal officials and "exposes the corruption of the Deep State", The Washington Examiner reported. "It exists. It's real. I wish I wasn't writing a book on the Deep State, but whether it was my time in the Department of Justice, DOD (Department of Defence), the intel community, the State Department, wherever -- there were always bad actors in senior leadership," Patel, who left government service in 2021, told the Washington Examiner. The release of the book, which was delayed, will hit the bookstores on September 19. Patel told The Examiner that he had to file a lawsuit in federal court to receive his manuscript back that saw ".05 per cent of my book redacted, with the dumbest redactions you can possibly imagine". A synopsis of the book, which will be available on Amazon, reads: "The highest levels of government have been infiltrated by an anti-democratic Deep State that can be defeated by refocusing our national security mission and relentlessly defending the truth". "A sinister cabal of corrupt law enforcement personnel, intelligence agents, and military officials at the highest levels of government plotted to overthrow a President." It further said that these corrupt officials have continued to secretly pull the levers of power without any accountability to the American people. In his book, Patel has specifically named FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and former Attorney General William Barr, among multiple judges and members of Congress. Patel said he intentionally included government memorandums "so people could see that we weren't making this stuff up". "And the government probably doesn't love that, but it's their own documents that have now been publicised, which is, I think, a good move," Patel told The Examiner. Trump praised the book, calling it "a brilliant roadmap highlighting every corrupt actor, to ultimately return our agencies and departments to work for the American Peopleawe will use this blueprint to help us take back the White House and remove these Gangsters from all of Government!" Patel said he expects a backlash from Democrats and liberal media figures on the book, adding that the information put in the book is "truth and not hyperbole". Last year, Patel had penned "The Plot Against the King", a children's book, pitting "King Donald" against the evil "Hillary Queenton". Trump had praised the book for its portrayal of "the handsome King Donald" and for telling the story of how "the MAGA King prevailed". --IANS mi/vd Mumbai, Sep 15 : Tata Steel and the UK government on Friday announced a joint agreement on a proposal to invest 1.25 billion pounds in state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking at the Port Talbot site in Britain. The investment includes a grant of 500 million pounds from the UK government. The project will bolster UK's steel security and it will be the first major step towards decarbonisation of the local steel industry, reducing direct emissions by 50 million tonnes over a decade. Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said: "The agreement with the UK Government is a defining moment for the future of the steel industry and indeed the industrial value chain in the UK. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with His Majesty's Government and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in developing the proposed transition pathway for the future of sustainable steelmaking in the UK." With a high degree of circularity the project would leverage strategic, domestically available scrap steel and promote local value addition within the UK. Tata Steel UK will soon commence consultation on the proposal and the transition period including potential deep restructuring for the carbon-intensive, unsustainable iron and steelmaking facilities at Port Talbot, where many of the existing 'heavy end' assets -- such as blast furnaces and coke ovens -- are reaching the end of their operational life. The proposed project would also involve Tata Steel's Balance Sheet being restructured with potential elimination of the current cash losses in the UK operations and non-cash impairment of legacy investments. During the transition period and project phase, Tata Steel UK would work intensively to ensure uninterrupted and reliable supply of products to fulfill customer and market commitments including through import of additional steel substrate from stable supply chains to feed its downstream units. Tata Steel's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, T.V. Narendran said: "Tata Steel UK has been facing significant challenges due to the heavy end facilities approaching their end of life. The proposed project, with one of the largest investments in the UK Steel Industry in recent decades, provides an opportunity for an optimal outcome for all stakeholders. We will work to transform Tata Steel UK into a green, modern future ready business." New Delhi, Sep 15 : On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, embark on a yatra to witness a captivating fusion of mythology woven with drama, action, romance, and fantasy that will take you on exciting journeys of devotion and understanding. From classic mythological tales to contemporary mytho fictions, prepare to indulge in a delightful adventure with films, web series and audio series on different OTT platforms, while enjoying delicious modaks. 'Adipurush' Directed by Om Raut, it brings the epic of Ramayana to life. It stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Singh and Devdutta Nage. The film follows Raghava, who's banished to the forest with his wife Janaki and brother Shesh. There, they face challenges, including a powerful demon king named Lankesh, who's invincible during both day and night. Raghava gathers a brave army of allies, including talking monkeys, and builds a bridge to Lanka with the help of the sea god. A big battle unfolds with heroic fights against Lankesh and his fierce warriors. In the end, Raghava wins, saves Janaki, and returns home to become the king of Ayodhya with Janaki as his queen. It is streaming on Netflix. 'Brahmastra: Part One- Shiva' It intricately blends ancient mystique with modern Mumbai. Legendary sages forged potent astras, including the formidable Brahmastra, safeguarded by the covert Brahmansh. In contemporary times, DJ Shiva's world collides with Isha's during a vibrant festival. Scientist Mohan, guardian of an astra fragment, faces peril, sparking Shiva and Isha's journey to Kashi with Anish, another protector. Their quest leads to the Brahmansh Ashram, unveiling Shiva's ancestral saga through encounters with Raghu and fellow guardians. Amidst chaos, Shiva harnesses fire's power, rescuing Isha from a deadly astra. The tale climaxes with the release of Shiva's father, Dev. With the dynamic trio of Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt, 'Brahmastra: Part One' seamlessly melds past and present, uniting ancient legends with contemporary allure. It is available on Disney+ Hotstar. 'Asur 2' In 'Asur 2', the search for a clever mastermind who mixes myths and technology to control and harm people intensifies. The story reveals the characters' emotional struggles and the mastermind, Shubh, uses technology inspired by the Kali vs Kalki legend to execute his dangerous plans. The plot goes beyond hunting a serial killer; it now involves a threat to the entire country. This change has both good and not-so-good sides. Asur creatively blends real-world and mythological elements, challenging viewers to pick sides in a tale that merges ancient god stories with modern issues. The narrative cleverly combines mythology, technology, and mystery, making for a captivating watch. The creators effectively untangle the story's complexities, keeping the audience engrossed in the characters' journeys. The antagonist's mysterious nature adds depth to the story, helped by the choice of an unusual actor for the role. Despite challenges, Asur 2 successfully weaves ancient themes with modern suspense, capturing the audience's imagination. It is streaming on Jio Cinema. 'Ram Setu' It follows Dr Aryan Kulshreshtra, an archaeologist who values science over religion. While on a team that uncovers treasures near Afghanistan's destroyed Buddhas of Bamyan, he's asked to prove the natural origin of the Ram Setu bridge in 2007. After denying its existence for personal gain, he faces backlash, prompting a mission to investigate its demolition. Aryan, with scientists Dr Sandra Rebello and Dr Gabrielle, uncovers signs of it being man-made. Rich businessman Indrakant opposes this and plots their demise. Rescued by AP, they persevere, facing challenges and collecting global evidence to validate Rama Setu's existence and the Ramayana's truth. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Satya Dev, delving into the enigma of Ram Setu, also called Adam's Bridge. It is streaming on Prime Video. 'Shiv Shakti Rahasya' The mesmerising audio series is about Shiva and Shakti, the cosmic embodiments of creation and harmony. Once separated for the universe's equilibrium, they now strive to reunite. Shiva's introspective quest unveils inner unity, encountering Shakti in her diverse forms a" from gentle Parvati to fierce Kali a" each representing distinct aspects of existence. With awakened energies, their fusion restores cosmic balance, nurturing creation's growth. Experience the captivating narrative as Shiva and Shakti converge, infusing the cosmos with vibrant life. It is available on Pocket FM. 'The Legend of Hanuman' The captivating animated series is created by Sharad Devarajan, Jeevan J. Kang, and Charuvi Agrawal. It unveils the divine transformation of God Mahadev into Hanuman, who emerges to serve the noble mission of God Rama. Follow Hanuman's extraordinary journey from a brave warrior to a revered deity, shining as a ray of hope in times of darkness. It is available on Disney+ Hotstar. 'Dharmakshetra' In the aftermath of the ancient Great War, the god Chitragupta presides over a trial to discern the true heroes and villains of the battle. The cast includes Chandan Anand, Dinesh Mehta, and Ankit Arora. Following the 18-day war of the Mahabharata, both the Pandavas and Kauravas find themselves in Chitragupta's court, where they must account for their actions in their past lives. Each episode puts a specific character in the spotlight as they respond to Chitragupta's inquiries on behalf of the others. It is streaming on Netflix. Guwahati, Sep 15 : A cadre of Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA), which is in ceasefire agreement with the government died, after police opened fire following an altercation in Maibong area in Assam's Dima Hasao district, officials said on Friday. Two other DNLA cadres suffered bullet wounds and they are being treated at a hospital. The doctors said that they are out of danger. The incident happened around 2 a.m. on Friday outside the designated camp of the DNLA cadres in Maibong. The deceased has been identified as Ali Dimasa. "While a police team was on patrol duty at night, the commander of DNLA cadres at the camp got involved in an altercation with the police outside their camp. He was roaming in a drunken state late at night and the police asked him to go back to the camp. But he started to quarrel with the police officers," Superintendent of Police, Dima Hasao, Mayank Jha told IANS. According to the police, soon after that, many cadres from the camp reached the spot and tried to launch an attack on the police team. "The police team fired in air to disperse the crowd; however, unfortunately a bullet hit three cadres of the DNLA. One cadre died due to bullet injuries. The other two were admitted at the hospital," Jha said. Meanwhile, former MLA from Dima Hasao district, Samarjit Haflongbar said that the police violated the ceasefire agreement and opened fire at unarmed DNLA cadres. "We urge the government to initiate a proper inquiry in the matter and take action against those who were behind the incident. We condemn the incident with the strongest words," Haflongbar said. Meanwhile, the SP said that an impartial inquiry will take place if anybody found guilty, he will get proper punishment. Earlier, in April this year, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement between the Centre, the Assam government, and representatives of Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) was signed in New Delhi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah then said that the representatives of DNLA have agreed to abjure violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, disband their armed organisation, vacate all camps occupied by DNLA cadres, and join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law. As a result of this agreement, over 168 cadres of DNLA laid down their arms. --IANS tdr/vd Mumbai, Sep 15 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday announced a waiver of road toll tax to devotees travelling to the coastal Konkan region for the ensuing Ganeshotsav festival. The toll tax will be waived from September 16 till October 1, and shall be applicable on toll posts on the Mumbai-Goa National Highway, Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway and other government roads going to the Konkan. Shinde has also directed the PWD officials to provide the toll exemptions and make other arrangements for the comfortable travel of lakhs of devotees who will throng the districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg for the 10-day festival. For the purpose, the vehicle owners would have to submit an exemption pass with full details to the Traffic Police, RTO, etc, which will provide stickers to avail the toll exemption even for the return journey. In another important move, the CM has directed that henceforth the Ganeshtsav mandals (associations) will need to obtain the permission for organising the celebrations only once in every five years. Shinde has said that all municipal corporations, councils, Nagar Panchayats and other local bodies would extend this facility to those mandals which have a good track record of adhering to all rules and regulations without facing any complaints for the past 10 years. This will benefit thousands of big and small mandals in the state, particularly those which have been organising Ganeshotsav for years or decades and some even for over a century, and help them plan better for the future. This year, Ganeshotsav celebrations will start from September 19 (Tuesday) and end on September 28 (Thursday) with the colourful immersion ceremonies of small, big and gigantic idols of Lord Ganesha, which attract millions of people, including domestic and international tourists in Mumbai, Pune, Konkan and other parts of the state. Chennai, Sep 15 : A woman, dressed in a white shirt and dark trousers, is seen interacting with people of predominantly Tamil areas of Sri Lanka, claimed herself to be Dwaraka, daughter of slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, as per a video going viral of social media. The woman is speaking to locals and identifying herself as the daughter of Prabhakaran. Some local Tamil people, however, identified her as Udayakala, a Tamil refugee who has landed in Tamil Nadu in 2014 along with her husband, K. Dhayabararaj and three children as illegal refugees in a ferry. However, the local police had then arrested them with Dhayabararaj being lodged in Tiruchi special camp while Udayakala and her children were lodged in Mandapam refugee camp. Udayakala, along with her family, including children, had went on an indefinite strike asking the authorities to unite them and Dayabagararj was shifted to Mandapam camp along with them. However, the family later left for Sri Lanka. Talking to IANS, Periyakaruppan, a Tamil businessman in Kandy, said that the woman has been telling people that she was Prabhakaran's daughter Dwaraka. He said that she had even floated a political party, Sarva Makkal Jananayaga Katchi and claiming herself to be Dwaraka. However the businessman said that Dwaraka was killed during the war and that the woman in the video was faking herself as Dwaraka and resembled Udayakala. --IANS aal/vd In a special gathering marked by camaraderie and a shared vision for international growth, the Embassy of India in Baku commemorated the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day 2023 yesterday. The event was attended by distinguished guests, including ITEC alumni, Azerbaijani government officials, and media representatives. Ambassador of India to Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Sridharan Madhusudhanan, kicked off the ceremony by welcoming the chief guest, H.E. Mr. Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, officials, ITEC alumni and other distinguished guests. The Ambassador underscored ITEC's pivotal role in international capacity building. He pointed out that India's capacity-building program has trained more than 200,000 professionals hailing from over 160 countries since its establishment in 1964. The event featured the screening of a short film about ITEC, in which Dr. S. Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs, stated that India's foreign policy strongly supports development cooperation, guided by principles of Partnership, Mutual Benefit, and Solidarity. He reinforced the message that the growth and prosperity of the world are intertwined and that "We all grow together." ITEC alumni added depth to the occasion by sharing their first-hand experiences of the training programs in India. Their testimonials served as a powerful affirmation of how the skills acquired have been put to effective use in their respective fields. Details about the ITEC program were also shared, including its offering of nearly 10,000 fully-funded, in-person training opportunities across almost 400 courses each year. These courses are hosted at more than 100 eminent institutions in India, covering a wide array of disciplines, from agriculture and rural development to governance and climate change. Remarkably, in the last financial year, all available training slots for Azerbaijani officials were filled. Eligibility criteria for participation in ITEC were outlined during the event, noting that Azerbaijani government officials aged 25 to 45 can apply. The application process was described, directing potential candidates to complete an online form and submit a printout through their respective Ministries. For further information, interested parties are encouraged to visit ITEC Official Website (https://www.itecgoi.in) or contact the Embassy of India in Baku. As a warm gesture of hospitality and cultural exchange, the Embassy also hosted a dinner for all participants, offering them a delightful taste of authentic Indian cuisine. As the event came to a close, it was evident that the ITEC program served as a crucial bridge between India and Azerbaijan. It stands as a testimony to what can be achieved when countries collaborate for mutual benefit. New Delhi, Sep 15 : Even as the scientific board of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data (TCPD) at the Ashoka University decided to dissolve itself on September 12 alleging that it was kept in the dark about major structural changes affecting the centre's leadership and functioning, 'The Edict', an independent newspaper brought out by the students since 2014, has learnt that it was a 'slow, months long draining of the centre's resources that left the institution as a shell of what it once was'. A fresh news report in the The Edict said, "On September 12, the scientific board of TCPD -- Ashoka University's award-winning, internationally-recognised platform for political research and data -- decided to dissolve itself after alleging it was kept in the dark about major structural changes affecting the centre's leadership and functioning. This is the latest in what The Edict has learnt to be a slow, months long draining of the centre's resources, leaving the institution as a shell of what it once was." It said that the TCPD is one of the most robust political data centres in the country and a popular resource for journalists covering elections in national and regional media. In June this year, TCPD's 'Lok Dhaba' dataset, which is an open and free repository of Indian election results since 1962, won the Lipsett/Przeworski/Verba Dataset Award given by the American Political Science Association, considered to be the "profession's highest recognition for public data contributions", according to an open letter recently released by the scientific board of TCPD. The news report said that "but just three months later, the TCPD's existence hangs in suspension amid the dissolution of its scientific board and former director Gilles Verniers resigning from the University". "The University administration has said it plans to merge the TCPD's data with another larger data centre, but it has not shared any details, either publicly or in communication with TCPD employees, on how the centre will be represented, or how it will function within this larger set up," it said. It also said that while the University had plans to merge TCPD into a new centre by July, it informed the scientific board only in September. What was once a leading institution on campus, with more than 50 staff and interns working in it, the TCPD shrunk to just a handful of employees earlier this year. Today, no one works at the Centre, which has seen a quiet exodus of staff since at least May 2023, it said. Talking about TCPD, it said the centre was set up in 2016 and was co-directed by former assistant professor of political science, Gilles Verniers, and visiting professor of computer science, Sudheendra Hangal, to understand Indian political and governmental processes better through data and enable a data-driven discourse. "After Hangal stepped down around two years ago, Verniers had been directing it alone," it said. "We do not know how these joint ventures will be pursued," the scientific board told The Edict over email, because it has "no details" of this new centre, the report claimed. It said, "In 2021, TCPD had a team of 11 permanent staff members and 25 affiliated researchers with three Fulbright Fellows joining the team from the USA. That year, about 40 interns worked with the centre. Now, there is no one." "In its seven years of operation, scholars at TCPD have produced 16 groundbreaking datasets, led 20 research projects, organised 80 research seminars, published 20 research papers and book chapters, and organised two major conferences on computational social sciences. "The team has also published more than 300 analytical articles in the Indian press," according to the open letter released by the scientific board. But in recent months, at least five TCPD employees (below the rank of faculty) have been looking for new jobs, are working elsewhere already, or are pursuing higher education, according to their Linkedin profiles, it claimed. It also said that more unusually, TCPD did not open applications for its summer internship programme this year. The last monthly newsletter was sent out in May 2023. Additionally, no further datasets have been released since the urban local body elections in Delhi in June 2023. The news report claimed that a source at TCPD, who wishes to remain anonymous, had told The Edict that there were murmurs of the TCPD undergoing major structural changes as early as April. "To the best of my abilities, I can tell you that TCPD will continue in some shape or form. We don't know what that shape or form is right now," the source had told The Edict in April, when asked whether TCPD is at the risk of being shut down or discontinued. The report further claimed that S.Y. Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India (2010 to 2012), who was a distinguished fellow at the centre, said he did not receive an email renewing his position this year, which he used to every July. "We used to hold meetings every week to review progress on our projects and the work of all other employees. But the last meeting was held a month or a month-and-a-half back," Quraishi told The Edict in August, it claimed. Verniers told The Edict that he had resigned from Ashoka and therefore from the directorship of TCPD effective September 5. Meanwhile, in a statement issued recently, Ashoka University said Verniers did not clear the "stringent tenure process" and that "faculty who do not qualify for tenure exit the University within three semesters". "To the best of our understanding, he was not put up for tenure or offered an alternative role. When this happens, it is impossible for an academic to stay in an institution," the scientific board told The Edict when asked about Verniers' departure. The scientific board claims in its open letter that Verniers was "forced to leave". In multiple meetings requested by the scientific board with the former Vice-Chancellor, these plans were not communicated, The Edict has learnt, the report said. The news report by The Edict also claimed that at the end of 2021, it was reported that the University plans to set up a new data centre to "deepdive into data analytics and focus on research across categories such as food and nutrition, health, epidemiology, malnutrition, sustainability and climate change". Funds had already been sanctioned and a launch was expected soon. Somak Raychaudhary, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, had announced at this year's convocation that the Centre for Data Science and Analytics (CDSA) is one of the several new centres in the pipeline to be launched this year. The CDSA aims to provide data services for all data-centric activities at the University, build capacity for data science, engage in and facilitate collaborative research and mobilise revenue for growth, according to a presentation made in July by Partha Pratim Das, visiting professor, who will be leading the centre. It will be a part of the Ashoka School of Advanced Computing (ASAC) along with the computer science department and two other centres with focused research themes. "We intend to provide a whole lot of different data services by which different department schools of Ashoka can get facilitated," Das had said. The presentation mentioned datasets from TCPD, CEDA (Centre for Economic Data and Analysis), TSB (Trivedi School of Biosciences), 3CS (Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability) and others. "TCPD will slowly become a part of the data science centre. That transition process is going on," Das had said in the presentation. He was responding to The Edict's question on political data in a webinar about the TCPD. Making such "substantial changes" governing "how the centre is run and situated within its home institution" is a "breach of academic norms", the scientific board said in its open letter. The data from the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA) will also be hosted at CDSA. But CEDA seems to be in a different situation than TCPD right now. It has recently hired a new director, Abhay Gupta, who is also part of the team building the CDSA, the news report said. No one from TCPD, however, is represented in the CDSA's leadership. "What kind of integration will they do? Is it some historical data? We used to send our people to states where elections were held. Has history stopped? Have elections stopped? Has democracy stopped," asked Quraishi about the merger on a call with The Edict. Mumbai, Sep 15 : Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is currently basking in the earth-shattering success of his recent release 'Jawan', has put to rest all rumours with regard to the release date his upcoming film 'Dunki'. While speaking to the media to celebrate the success of 'Jawan', SRK confirmed that 'Dunki ' which stars Taapsee Pannu opposite him, is all set to bow in theatres this Christmas. With this, SRK has become the only star in the history of Bollywood to bring his film on national events like the Republic Day with 'Pathaan', on Janmashtami with 'Jawan' and now on Christmas with 'Dunki'. 'Dunki', the details of which are currently under the wraps, is directed by superstar director Rajkumar Hirani who is known for the 'Munna Bhai' franchise, '3 Idiots', 'PK' and 'Sanju'. 'Dunki' marks first collaboration between SRK and Raju Hirani, the latter has otherwise collaborated more with another of India's superstar Aamir Khan on '3 Idiots' and 'PK'. Those who defy party will be shunted out, warns KCR. Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, Sep 15 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate necessary legislative process in the upcoming special session of the Parliament to implement 33 per cent reservations each for women and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Parliament and state legislatures. The Chief Minister, who is also president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), sent two separate letters to the Prime Minister after the BRS parliamentary party meeting in Hyderabad on Friday. The BRS parliamentary party meeting, presided over by KCR, as Rao is popularly known, passed resolutions demanding 33 per cent reservation each for women and OBCs in Parliament and state legislatures. KCR wrote that the Telangana legislature on June 14, 2014 passed unanimous resolutions, requesting the Centre to provide for 33 per cent reservation for OBCs and women in Parliament and state legislatures. "I am dismayed to note that the Government of India has not initiated any action on this front so far. "As you are aware, the visionary architects of our Constitution have envisaged for providing suitable provisions in the Constitution for affirmative action by the state to correct historical wrongs that were done to socially and educationally marginalised sections of the society. Part of this objective was achieved by providing for reservations for OBCs in public employment and admissions in educational institutions. However, as you would agree with me, proportionate representation in Parliament and state legislatures is a sine qua non in a democratic polity to reflect hopes and aspirations of marginalized sections of the society," reads the letter. In another letter, KCR informed Modi that Telangana government is implementing 30 per cent reservation for women in public employment and admissions in educational institutions. "However, suitable representation in Parliament and state legislatures is required in a democratic polity to reflect hopes and aspirations of marginalised sections of the society," he said. New Delhi, Sep 15 : Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday pulled up a lawyer, who sent an email saying that the Supreme Court should prioritise hearing matters filed by ordinary people over "useless" issues coming up before the Constitution Bench. "You seem to be in ignorance of what Constitution Bench matters areaYou may think that Article 370 petitions are not relevant. I donat think that is what the government or petitioners in that case feel," the CJI told advocate Mathews Nedumpara, adding that the Supreme Court "has been hearing the voice of the nation". All Constitutional Bench matters do not necessarily include interpretation of the Constitution, he said, referring to the recent instance where a Constitution Bench on September 13 asked the Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry to relook into its notifications providing that Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) licence holders do not require separate endorsement to drive a transport vehicle of LMV class as its potential decision could adversely "affect hundreds of thousands of drivers". CJI Chandrachud asked the advocate to disabuse his mind that the top court was "only dealing with some fancy Constitution bench matters which have no bearing on the lives of ordinary people". On September 5, a 5-judge Constitution Bench, headed by the CJI, reserved its judgment in the batch of petitions challenging the 2019 Presidential Order taking away the special status accorded to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two Union Territories. --IANS puneet/vd New Delhi, Sep 15 : Delhi Police have registered an FIR against five persons after a minor, who was allegedly raped by suspended Delhi government's WCD department official Premoday Khakha, alleged that she was also sexually assaulted by others at different times, an official said on Friday. The FIR came after a Delhi court recently directed police to file a fresh case on the basis of the minor's statement recorded under section 161 CrPC. Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said that during the investigation, the complainant revealed that when she was living with her family in the area of New Usmanpur, during the period between 2018-2020, she had been sexually assaulted by some persons. The Investigating Officer of Burari police station, brought the fact to the notice of New Usmanpur police station. "Accordingly, a fresh statement of the complainant was obtained and a case under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 6 POCSO Act was registered at New Usmanpur police station on Wednesday," said the DCP. The accused, Khakha, stands accused of repeatedly raping the girl between November 2020 and January 2021. The victim, who was just 14 years old at the time, is said to have suffered the initial assault on October 31, 2020, after being drugged, as disclosed by sources familiar with the matter. The victim, who is currently a student in Class 12, recently shared her ordeal with a counsellor at St. Stephen's Hospital where she had been admitted due to an anxiety attack. Subsequent to her disclosure, law enforcement acted on her complaint and initiated legal proceedings under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on August 13. Sources with knowledge of the investigation have indicated that there is evidence to suggest the victim may have been subjected to further assaults by the accused individual. "We are currently in possession of his custody, and through interrogation, we hope to unearth additional details," a source stated. The minor at the centre of this case was an adopted child who grappled with depression following the passing of her father on October 1, 2020. In an attempt to provide her with a change of scenery, she spent several days at Premodya's residence, as per sources. Meanwhile, the counsel for the accused claimed that Khakha had undergone a vasectomy in November 2005, so he could not have impregnated the girl. Khakha had also undergone a potency test before he was taken to court after the arrest. New Delhi, Sep 15 : The Supreme Court on Friday expressed its inclination to examine a plea seeking replication of the NALSA (National Legal Services Authority) Women's Integrated Help System to the entire country. The project, which is presently operating on a pilot scale in Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh, provides hassle free access to justice to women victims of violence. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia sought a report from the NALSA within a period of three weeks on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGOs The National Federation of Societies for Fast Justice and Aman Satya Kachroo Trust. The plea, filed through advocate Satya Mitra, said that NWIHS-181/15100, a technology integrated system of 181 women helpline and NALSA legal Aid helpline 15100 and other government schemes, is successfully operating on a pilot scale in J&K and Chhattisgarh for the past 3 years, and sought direction to continue the pilot project in J&K and Chhattisgarh and for its extension to all states and Union Territories of the country. It highlighted that extending NWIHS-181/15100 nationwide will not require a special budget as the software needed to manage the scheme is available for free. The operating system software, also known as Raipur software, was developed by Aman Satya Kachroo Trust from private trust funds under the framework of Social Value investment partnership. Presently, NWIHS-181/15100 provides access to justice services to women in cases like domestic violence, sexual violence, threat of violence, cybercrimes, welfare entitlements, etc. in J&K and Chhattisgarh. The matter is likely to come up for further hearing on October 16. --IANS puneet/vd Ajmer: A petrol Pump Wears A Deserted Look as Rajasthan petroleum dealers announce a two day strike. Image Source: IANS News Jaipur, Sep 15 : Petrol pump operators in Rajasthan have postponed the strike which began on Friday after holding talks with government representatives who asked them to give a window of 10 days to look into their demands. A committee has been formed in this regard. In Rajasthan, the Petroleum Dealers Association had organised a symbolic strike on Wednesday and Thursday demanding reduction in VAT. It was warned that if the demands were not met, there would be an indefinite strike from Friday. Following no response from the government on Thursday evening, an indefinite strike was announced from 6 a.m. on Friday. After this, petrol pumps were closed in 47 districts of the state since morning. Later, a meeting of state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas was scheduled with the delegation and an agreement was reached after talks. However, many pumps from Alwar, Kota, Jaisalmer, Chittorgarh and Jodhpur cities opted out of the strike due to various reasons. At the same time, 60 company-run pumps were also functioning in the state. Earlier, a symbolic strike of 8 hours each was held on Wednesday and Thursday. Hyderabad, Sep 15 : The Telangana government on Friday announced breakfast scheme for students studying in government schools across the state. As a Dasara gift, the Chief Minister decided to launch the "Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme'' for the students studying in government primary and high schools (from classes 1 to 10) across the state from October 24. The main objective of the scheme is to provide good nutritious food to the students along with quality education. The state government has issued orders in this regard for the scheme, which will cost an additional Rs 400 crore to the state exchequer annually. According to a statement from the Chief Ministeras Office, along with providing nutritious food to the students belonging to poor families, the government is taking steps towards increasing their concentration on studies. The state government will implement the breakfast scheme from Dasara to reflect the humane approach of KCR, as the CM is popularly known. The CM understood the difficulties faced by parents of students who are farm workers and leave their houses for work in the morning. KCR had recently sent a team of IAS officers to examine implementation of the scheme in Tamil Nadu. A team of officers, who studied the breakfast scheme for students, submitted a report to the government. It was brought to the CMas attention that in Tamil Nadu, it is being implemented only up to primary schools. He decided to introduce the scheme by covering high school students as well. --IANS ms/vd New Delhi, Sep 15 : An unidentified man, seemingly aged 30 years, was crushed to death by a dumper in the north Delhi area on Friday, police said. According to police, they received a police control room (PCR) call at 1.06 a.m at the Kashmere Gate police station, reporting a fatal accident near Marghatwale Mandir on the Ring Road. A police team rushed to the scene and discovered the lifeless body of an unidentified man lying in a pool of blood with severe head injuries. "After conducting an initial inquiry, it was determined that a dumper truck was involved in the incident. It was also revealed that auto driver named Shahrukh Khan, a resident of New Jafrabad, had pursued the dumper after the accident. Eventually, the dumper came to a halt near the Police Picket Khajuri," Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, Sagar Singh Kalsi said. "Consequently, the dumper was seized, and its driver, Ajay Kumar, a resident of Mainpuri district in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended. Further investigation is ongoing, with efforts underway to identify the deceased," he added. --IANS ssh/vd New Delhi, Sep 15 : The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the occasion of birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17 will organise a 'Seva Pakhwada' under which special programmes will be held, a senior party leader said on Friday. Delhi unit BJP president Virendra Sachdeva told reporters that the party will organise special programmes. "Delhi BJP will make every possible effort to take the speech of Prime Minister Modi at the launch of PM Vishwakarma Yojana and the inauguration of the first part of the new International Convention Centre in Dwarka among the people of Delhi," Sachdeva said. Sachdeva said that Delhi BJP vice president Dinesh Pratap Singh will lead the party team to organise the Seva Pakhwada while secretary Naresh Kumar Airan will assist him as co-chief. Terming PM Vishwakarma Yojana "a very big scheme", Sachdeva said Rs 13,000-crore scheme will benefit 18 different categories of workers from backward castes including carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, artisans, sculptors, cobblers, masons, washermen, tailors etc The Delhi BJP has also asked its OBC Morcha workers to organise special programmes to take the Prime Minister's launch speech among these communities by organising programmes in colonies dominated by these communities. The OBC Morcha will also organise a bike rally to promote the PM Vishwakarma Yojana. All 14 district units of Delhi will organise programmes by installing LED screens in the markets to take the Prime Minister's inaugural address to the people. Parts of west Delhi up to Dwarka will be decorated to welcome PM Modi when he will visit Dwarka to inaugurate the International Convention Centre. During the 'Seva Pakhwada', the BJP will organise exhibitions and many other programmes at various places in all the states and union territories of the country including Delhi, highlighting the achievements of the Central government during its 9-year tenure. Blood donation and health camps will also be organised. Also, apart from working on booth empowerment, cleanliness campaigns will also be conducted. The programme will conclude on October 2. FUZULI, Azerbaijan, September 15. The number of pupils in Fuzuli city can reach 400 this academic year, Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev said during visit to the secondary school No. 1 named after Mirza Ulugbek in the city, Trend reports. In Fuzuli we now have about 160 pupils, but this number is growing. Today another group of former internally displaced persons has returned to the city. At the same time, we have about 140 pupils in Lachin city, and there we also expect their numbers to grow," he noted. Amrullayev also added that new schools are expected to open in the liberated territories during this academic year. The secondary school named after Mirza Ulugbek was built on the initiative of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the expense of Uzbekistan's budget. The opening of this school took place on August 23 with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and his wife Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva. Alibaug, September 15 : A Mumbai man was arrested on Friday on charges of killing his wife and concealing her body in a remote forest area located in Maharashtra's Raigad district, police said. The decomposed remains of a woman were found in Umberwadi, situated in Pali taluka, on September 9, officials said. Upon launching an investigation, police identified the victim as Kusaba Sagar Pawar, a 24-year-old woman who had been reported missing by her husband, Sagar Pawar. The initial reluctance of her spouse to acknowledge her identity raised suspicions among investigators. However, a breakthrough emerged when the victim's six-year-old son recognised the clothing discovered at the scene, confirming her identity. Pawar ultimately confessed to murdering his wife at Umberwadi before disposing of her body. Following the ghastly act, Pawar returned to his residence and approached the police, filing a missing person's complaint in an attempt to conceal his involvement. He has been arrested under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, along with other relevant provisions. The investigation into this incident continues as the authorities work to ascertain the motive and gather additional details surrounding the crime. Woman teacher opens bottle to drink water, finds it filled with urine!. Image Source: IANS News Bhopal, Sep 16 : A woman teacher of a government school in Madhya Pradesh has lodged a complaint after she allegedly went through a sordid instance of finding a bottle of water mixed with urine after she uncapped it to drink water. As per the reports, the incident reported nearly a month ago at a government high school in Neemuch district, the bordering district with neighbouring state Rajasthan. The 35-year-old woman teacher in her complaint said the water smelt like that of urine. Suspecting something was wrong with the unusual taste of water, she informed her colleagues who then checked and were reportedly convinced that the filthy smell was of urine. The matter was then reported to the district education department. District Education Officer, CK Sharma said that the police have been informed about the incident. The police have received the water bottle, and claimed to have initiated an investigation into the matter. Bhopal, Sep 16 : Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said "freedom of press" is the backbone of a democratic country and journalists carry the responsibility of building the country. He advised journalists to work with responsibility and not to become tools for politicians or political parties for setting an agenda or narrative. "Freedom of the press can only be possible when the press becomes responsible," Dhankhar said in his address to students of the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. Visiting to Bhopal to inaugurate the varsity's new campus, the Vice President, addressing the inaugural ceremony, criticised those who "taint, tarnish, and demean" the image of the country abroad, especially at a time when the world is praising its development. He claimed India has progressed beyond imagination and it has been recognised wild-wise. aWhen something good is happening in the country, the digestive system of some people gets upset. They are unable to digest and look for an opportunity to taint our country and institutions. How to taint, tarnish and demean them. They go around the world to spread fire. No citizen of any country indulges in such an act," he claimed. --IANS pd/vd 'Rahul Gandhi will have to travel to sun or moon to become PM': Assam CM. Image Source: IANS News Patna, Sep 16 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that if he wants to become the Prime Minister of the country, then he will have to travel to the sun or moon. Sarma was in Rajgir to attend the Vaishali Mahotsav in Nalanda University held in Bihar's Nalanda district. After returning to Patna, the Assam Chief Minister visited the house of Rituraj Sinha, the convener for BJP northeastern states on Friday evening. He launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc and said that those who are raising questions over Sanatan Dharma, the people of the country will give them a befitting reply in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Leaders of INDIA bloc mocked Chandrayaan, I want to urge the scientists of ISRO to make another Chandrayaan and leave the leaders of INDIA bloc on the moon. The leaders of INDIA are making statements against Sanatan Dharma on the direction of Rahul Gandhi. In 2024, Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister of the country once again. If Rahul Gandhi wants to become the Prime Minister of the country, he has to visit the sun and moon," Sarma said. During the Mumbai conclave of INDIA bloc, Rashtiya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad had made a statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked the scientists of ISRO to send him on the moon. New Delhi, Sep 16 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday said that it has arrested Nitin Sharma, then Inspector and Dock Examiner, Mundra Port and currently working as Superintendent of Customs in Gujarat's Jamnagar and private person Shubham Sharma in Rs 2 lakh bribery case. A CBI spokesperson here said that it registered a case against the official on the allegations of demanding undue advantage of Rs 7 lakh from the complainant towards clearance of containers during his tenure of posting at Mundra Port. Nitin Sharma allegedly threatened the complainant that if his demand was not fulfilled, he would not allow them to work smoothly as a Custom House Agent. "The CBI laid a trap and caught Shubham Sharma, said to be conduit of said public servant while accepting undue advantage of Rs 2 lakh from the complainant as per directions of then Inspector & Dock Examiner, Mundra Port," the official said. After the arrest, the CBI carried out searches at the premises of Nitin Sharma, including at Mundra and Jamnagar,; which led to recovery of cash of Rs 9.50 lakh and incriminating documents from his premises. The official said that both the arrested accused will be produced before the court at Ahmedabad. New Delhi, Sep 16 : Ahead of the special Parliament session scheduled to start on September 18, a rehearsal is being undertaken during last three days before the session called by the government during 'Amrit Kaal', with both the new and old Parliament buildings made completely ready. According to government sources, for the special Parliament session, rehearsal was done for one day in the old building and two days in the new building. All arrangements are already in place for the special session in the old building, but since this time the photo session is to be held on the first day of the special session i.e. on September 18, therefore special preparations have been made there too. For the new Parliament building, this will be the first session, hence a rehearsal was conducted for two days to check all the arrangements and facilities. Especially seating arrangements for all ministers and MPs, seats, mics and display, including the trial of all technical arragements is being made to ensure that no legislator faces any kind of inconvenience in the new Parliament building during the special session. The interesting thing is that during the rehearsal and trial, the employees of the Parliament House were made to sit on the seats instead of the MPs, the mic was repeatedly tested and the display was checked. It is being told that the government will present the bill in the House only on the last three days of this special session of Parliament, which will last for five days from September 18 to 22. For the special Parlioament session, BJP has already issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the five-day special Parliament session and directed them to support the government's stand by compulsorily being present in the House. At the same time, from the government, instructions have been issued to all its ministers to remain present in the House during the special Parliament session. The government's decision to assign special duty to all its ministers during the special session after issuing a whip to the MPs and directing them to remain present in the House for all five days, has once again given rise to speculations that even though the government has made public the agenda of the session but it wants to bring some major and significant bill or proposal during this session. Amid the questions being raised by the opposition parties regarding the agenda of the special Parliament session, the government had made it public on Wednesday. During the upcoming special Parliament session, the achievements of 75 years of independence -- from the Constituent Assembly till date -- will be discussed. It has also been made clear by the government that along with discussion over the journey of 75 years of independence, four important bills are also included in the agenda of the special session. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The number of employees of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Work with Religious Structures has increased, Trend reports. The corresponding decree was signed by President Ilham Aliyev. According to the decree, the limit on the number of employees of the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations has been increased from 88 to 98. The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to resolve issues arising from this decree. The decree comes into force on January 1, 2024. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Deputy Minister of Justice of Turkiye Hassan Yilmaz has arrived in Azerbaijan on an official visit at the invitation of Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev to participate in the 4th meeting of the Prosecutors General of the member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Baku, the Prosecutor General's Office said, Trend reports. During the meeting held today between the prosecutor general of Azerbaijan and the deputy minister of Justice of Turkiye, the development of friendly and fraternal relations between the two countries was emphasized thanks to the joint efforts of the heads of Azerbaijan and Turkiye. Kamran Aliyev informed about the ongoing reforms in the country aimed at modernizing the activities of the Prosecutor's Office. Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, Hassan Yilmaz noted the high level of development of relations and fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye. At the meeting, an exchange of views was held on cooperation in the legal sphere, friendly relations were discussed, and it was also confirmed that partnership relations between the two countries will be successfully continued in the future. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing entitled "Book Bans: Examining How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature." It was not pretty. After a serious opening statement by Illinois Senator and committee chair Dick Durbin, the hearing detoured into a 25-minute partisan debate over who bears the blame for the current migrant crisis, and it got worse from there. There were flashes of serious discussion: Illinois secretary of state Alexi Giannoulias proved himself to once again be an eloquent and passionate defender of the freedom to read, and University of Illinois professor Emily Knox did her best to explain to lawmakers how libraries work. But the headlines from the hearing revolve around the Republican witnesses and senators, who used the very same shock tactic taken directly from school and library board meetings across the country: reading aloud cherry-picked graphic sexual passages from banned books. Nola.com called Louisiana Senator John Kennedy's reading from George Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue "the audiobook nobody asked for." But as the report notes, that's the point. "While the book does include some explicit sections (which is to be expected given the topic), it is largely concerned with topics like identity, consent, sexual assault and raceall of which young queer (and frankly, straight) people grapple with on a daily basis in this country," the report states. Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times reports yet another troubling wave of bomb threats and false reports of mass shootings targeting libraries in the Chicago area this week. "A rash of threats emerged across Illinois after Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias testified Tuesday about the dangers of banning books before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.," the Sun-Times reports. "The national culture clash over library book bans has been a simmering political issue in local and federal political campaignsbut its now sparking threats of violence. 'This has got to stop. Right now,' Giannoulias said in a statement Wednesday after bomb threats prompted libraries to close in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. 'Make no mistake, these bomb threats received by Illinois libraries are part of a disturbing trend that has been escalating, starting with book bans and graduating to harassing and criminalizing librariansand now to endangering the lives of innocent people,' Giannoulias said on Wednesday." In a statement, the ALA condemned the threats: "Libraries are meant to be a safe haven for our communities, welcoming of people everywhere who believe in the peaceful exchange of ideas. These ongoing and rising attacks on Americas libraries pose an existential threat to the cornerstone of our democracy," the statement reads. "ALA continues to call upon community leaders and elected officials to stand with libraries and others who promote the free and democratic exchange of ideas and to denounce those who would undermine it." The Washington Post reports on the ongoing right-wing attacks on the American Library Association, noting that at Tuesday's hearing Utah Senator Mike Lee used an out of context clip from Deborah Caldwell Stone, director of the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom, to argue that the ALA's "goal" is to "sexualize" children and provide minors with "sexually explicit" material. "The American Library Association is facing a partisan firefight unlike anything in its almost 150-year history," Hannah Natanson writes. "Like Lee, politicians and parents on the right increasingly paint the association...as a defender of pornographic literature for childrentying their allegations into a broader conservative movement that asserts school libraries are filled with sexually explicit, inappropriate texts." I ran because I care a whole lot about libraries, and I care a ton about library workers. And I know what kind of stress were under. An example from Florida: the local Citrus County Chronicle reports this week on how the County Commission has cut the library's $275 ALA membership fee (and apparently declined to let residents donate the membership fee). "The reasons: the ALAs leftist stance on LGBTQ books and drag queen story hours and the fact that its president is self-professed Marxist," the report notes, referring to a since deleted tweet by ALA president Emily Drabinski. Also this week, Drabinski addressed her deleted 2022 tweet and many other subjects, including the attacks on the ALA, in a podcast for the New York Times' Ezra Klein Show. When host Tressie McMillan Cottom asked why Drabinksi ran for ALA president in such a politically sensitive moment, Drabinksi neatly turned the question around. "Why not me? Why not me?," she asked. "I ran because I care a whole lot about libraries, and I care a ton about library workers. And I know what kind of stress were under. I see it in my colleagues. I see it in the people that I talk to. Ive been a librarian for a long time. I know librarians all over the country. And theres not one of them that feels secure in their ability to do the jobs that we want to do. And I thought that if I ran for president of the American Library Association, making a public argument about the importance, both of libraries as public institutions that secure the public good and library workers as the people who are responsible for that and need the kind of support to expand that work, that whatever happened, it would be good to have that public argument out in the world." The Oaklandside reports on a new internal report showing that library workers at the Oakland Public Library are feeling more unsafe than ever. "In his report, consultant Joseph Maurer wrote that the librarys ethic of inclusivity is one of the reasons the institution enjoys 'widespread support' from members of the community, but that this expectation also places 'enormous pressure' on library staff who often find themselves needing to navigate sensitive situations with mentally and emotionally unstable patrons," the article states. "Overall, he found that morale within Oaklands libraries is low. Many staffers feel 'more unsafe' than before, unsupported by upper management, and lack the training required to effectively work with people experiencing mental health and other crises. Staff who were interviewed said these conditions got worse during the pandemic. Some also reported experiencing verbal attacks based on their racial, sexual, or gender identity." Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen leads her weekly censorship column by discussing how school book fairs are increasingly in the sights of book banners. It's a key observation, especially after lawmakers and witnesses at Tuesday's Senate hearing repeatedly insisted that no one is banning books because the books remain for sale. "But for all that book banners claim it is okay for the books they do not like to be sold, the reality is they are not okay with that either. In the last several years, there have been attempts to censor the materials made available at school book fairs," Jensen writes. "Try not to be surprised as more and more hysteria surrounds book fairs as the 2023-2024 school year unfolds. Its been happening, and with the new wave of manufactured outrage, its going to keep happening." In Alabama, AL.com reports on comments made by Nancy Pack, director of the Alabama Public Library Service, after governor Kay Ivey sent a September 1 letter to the agency raising concerns about allegedly inappropriate books for children in public libraries (as well as concerns about the ALA). In comments made on a show called Capitol Journal, Pack insisted decisions about what libraries collect must remain community decisions, and defended diversity. "Pack said its important for libraries to strike a balance and allow children from all backgrounds to see their families and experiences represented in books too," the report notes. Nevertheless, local NBC affiliate WSFA 12 reports that the Alabama Public Library Service this week voted to post on their website a list of titles submitted by the public considered to be "inappropriate" for children. "The vote on this new feature wasnt without passionate debate from supporters and opponents," the report notes. In Maryland, CBS News reports that the Carroll County school board is stepping into review more than 50 books alleged by Moms for Liberty to be inappropriate for minors. "Some of the books that are on the ban list are well-known works of literature. They include The Handmaid's Tale and the Bluest Eye, which was the first novel written by Toni Morrison who went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature." The Washington Post reports on two Kansas librarians who are now suing after being fired after putting up "two rainbow-colored displays near the entrance of the public library in Sterling, Kansastheir way of celebrating autism and neurodiversity," the article states. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for Kansas, the librarians accuse one of the board members "of waging an illegal campaign to censor their pro-autism displays because she mistakenly thought they were promoting 'LGBTQ agendas.' And finally this week, The New Republic has a thoughtful, in-depth report on the right wing attacks on libraries (and the ALA, and ALA president Emily Drabinski) and the notable parallels of these attacks to the past. It's a must-read. "Though this movement was first shorthanded as an organized effort to ban books, the forces that quickly arrayed themselves always intended to go substantially further, all the way to an attack on the existence of public libraries themselves. What is now evident is that it was always conceived as a witch hunt, one that is blatantly reviving anti-Communist rhetorica Marxist, in the library!redolent of the anti-gay panic that was entwined within the twentieth centurys infamous Red Scare in the United States," writes Melissa Gira Grant. "What does it mean today to call a lesbian a lesbian, or a Marxist a Marxist, when one might think those words just dont carry the same charge they did during the mid-twentieth century? Rest assured, it is the same now as it ever was: to force people to distance themselves from those 'others' and to force these accused undesirables to live in a state of suspicion and threat," Grant cogently writes. "Perhaps whats also behind this present revival of the Red and Lavender Scare at the public library is that the truth is right in front of us. Libraries are a place where queer and trans kids might feel freer. Libraries are like a kind of social collider: a space intended for people to freely cross paths with ideas and others unlike themselves. Libraries are tools for getting people the things they need and want for free. Its these truths that demand our defense." The Week in Libraries is a weekly opinion and news column. News, tips, submissions, questions or comments are welcome, and can be submitted via email. Previous columns can be viewed here. The Saga Press, currently an imprint of Simon & Schuster's Gallery Publishing Group, will move to the flagship division of S&S, beginning with its 2024 titles. Editorial director Joe Monti will report to Tim OConnell, v-p and editorial director of fiction at S&S. The switch comes following the decision to double the number of titles Saga publishes by 2026. Saga will release 18 titles this year and plans to publish 24 in 2024. With the expansion of it title output, Saga is adding a number of dedicated imprint members. The new hires include: Orbit Books editor Nivia Evans, PW's 2020 Star Watch Superstar, will join Saga as senior editor on October 2 Sareena Kamath will join Saga as an editor, from Zando, on September 25 Caroline Tew has joined as an editorial assistant, from Franklin & Siegal Associates, where she was a junior scout Christine Calella, senior publicist at the flagship S&S imprint, will move over to Saga Savannah Breckenridge joined Saga as a marketing associate in June, from Abrams; she was previously a marketing assistant at S&S Karintha Parker has joined Saga, from HarperCollins, as associate publicist Saga, a publisher of fantasy, horror, science fiction, and speculative fiction, was launched in 2015, and, though it started in the children's division, it moved to Gallery in 2019 and has published such authors as Chloe Gong, Charlaine Harris, Stephen Graham Jones, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ken Liu, Peter S. Beagle, R.A. Salvatore, and Rebecca Roanhorse. Since 2015 Saga Press has been dedicated to being at the vanguard of publishing challenging, diverse, and innovative works, that wont change, well do more, Monti said in a statement. With the resources of the Simon & Schuster division we have built a dynamic and creative team of editors, marketers, and publicists, who will not just grow the imprint but raise the bar of speculative fiction publishing. This story has been updated. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. The 5G ONE4HDD consortium aims to design and deploy a Mobile 'Cell on Wheels' (CoW) equipped with Open RAN (radio access network) technology, offering reliable connectivity in crowded venues and major public gatherings such as music festivals and sporting events.The DTG says its technical approach involves the development of a portable cell site, capable of serving hundreds of users simultaneously. This cell site will be based Open RAN technology and advanced codecs to ensure high-quality data transmission even in the busiest environments, exploring the provision of services such as over-the-top (OTT) video and emergency broadcasts.The 2.64 million project has now received 1.47 million from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as part of its Open Network Ecosystems competition, an 88m research and development boost for innovative connectivity to future proof UK mobile network. The consortium partners will be supported by CellXica Radios & Wavemobile and Rohde & Schwarz The Digital TV Group and its 5G ONE4HDD consortium partners are delighted to have been selected by DSIT as part of the Open Network Ecosystems competition, said DTG CTO Alex Buchan. We believe it is vital that content continues to delight the viewer, wherever they are and whenever they are watching. The 5G ONE4HDD project will address the crucial challenge of delivering reliable mobile connectivity in crowded settings, thereby enhancing user experience and fostering technological innovation in the UK. Were excited to get to work with an incredible group of experts to drive tangible, positive impacts in the Open RAN space.With new generations seeking experiences that converge video with social media, gaming, and even shoppable TV, seamless connectivity is crucial, especially in crowded spaces, added CTO Ateme Mickael Raulet. We are thrilled to be part of the 5G ONE4HDD consortium alongside such outstanding partners, working together to enable new and exciting experiences for fan communities in high-density environments. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, September 15. A concept for the integration of logistics centers of Central Asian countries should be developed, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon said at the 5th Consultative Meeting of Heads of Central Asian States in Dushanbe, Trend reports. We should strive to implement large transport and infrastructure projects, Rahmon noted. According to him, Tajikistan is making every effort to develop this area in order to turn the country into a convenient transit zone. For these purposes, we have identified priority and internationally important trade and transit corridors that pass through our territory from East to West and from North to South," he pointed out. "In order to obtain the maximum effect from the development of international cargo transportation, we propose to develop a concept for the integration of logistics centers of the Central Asian countries," Rahmon added. Meanwhile, the trade turnover between the countries of Central Asia has grown by more than 80 percent over the past five years, amounting to $10.6 billion. Porterville, CA (93257) Today Some passing clouds. Low 41F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some passing clouds. Low 41F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. September was declared as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in 2008, with the week of Sept. 10-16 being dubbed National Suicide Prevention Week. The month is a time in which people raise awareness of suicide, recognize those who have been affected by it and provide necessary resources to those in need. Downtown Athens is known for its college bar scene, with more than 80 bars in a square mile radius. With this much access and close proximity, it is reasonable that many University of Georgia students see the downtown bars as an important aspect of their college experience. The Delhi high court (HC) division Bench on Thursday sought a response from Reliance Industries (RIL) and others regarding the governments appeal against the Mukesh Ambani-owned conglomerate and others for fraudulently and unjustly enriching themselves by draining gas from their deposits, amounting to over $1.5 billion. Photograph: ANI Photo The Centre had appealed against the single-judge Bench order of the Delhi HC on May 9, which had dismissed its petition. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani had upheld the international arbitration award of July 24, 2018, in favour of the RIL-led consortium. The consortium includes UK-based BP Plc and Niko Resources of Canada. The May order reads, This court is accordingly not persuaded to hold that the conclusions drawn by the arbitral tribunal are such that no reasonable person would reach. "Suffice it to say that the view taken by the arbitral tribunal is most certainly a possible view, which calls for no interference. Attorney-General (A-G) R Venkataramani and former A-G K K Venugopal, both appearing for the Union government on Thursday, told the Bench of Justices Manmohan and Mini Pushkarna that RIL knew about the connectivity of their gas blocks with the adjoining gas blocks of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) as far back as 2003. The government contended that RIL was guilty of fraud and unjust enrichment totalling over $1.5 billion. The government told the court, It is contended that the migrated gas alone was valued at about $1.5 billion as of June 30, 2016. The government also argued that RIL had claimed there was no connectivity between their block and the governments, but they had consciously siphoned off gas from the ONGC block without the governments knowledge. They also argued that the arbitral award they challenged was against Indias public policy. In May, the court observed that when an arbitral award is challenged, the court may interfere only if the award is induced or affected by fraud or corruption, or if it is in contravention of the fundamental policy of Indian law, or if it is in conflict with the most basic notions of morality and justice. The order read, In the opinion of this court, firstly, the aforesaid inferences are factual conclusions arrived at by the arbitral tribunal, which cannot be second-guessed by this court in exercise of its powers under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (grounds to challenge the arbitral award). "Secondly, in the opinion of this court, the factual conclusions are perfectly rational, coherent, and logical, especially considering what was in the production sharing contract (PSC), a purely commercial transaction entered into by two contracting parties. On the other hand, RIL told the court that the same set of issues cannot be argued again under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 when both the single judge of the HC and the arbitral tribunal had examined the issue. The conglomerate also pointed out that the government could have looked into the migration of gas between two blocks in 2009 before one of them was given to RIL, but it chose not to. It said it would have been unfeasible for them to siphon off gas as the ONGC block was still in its nascent stages. The matter is likely to come up again in February. The dispute between the government and RIL arose when ONGC, on July 22, 2013, wrote to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), stating that the gas pools of the Reliance block and the ONGC blocks appeared to be connected with the possible migration of gas between the two blocks. RIL, the contractor of the KG-DWN-98/3 block in the Krishna-Godavari Basin off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, was accused of making a profit by draining and selling the gas that migrated from adjacent ONGC blocks. This led ONGC to file a writ petition before the Delhi HC, in which the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), the DGH, and RIL were also made parties. The petition was disposed of by the court by directing MoPNG to consider the report produced by the expert agency named DeGolyer & MacNaughton (D&M). The agency was to undertake an independent third-party study to verify the claimed continuity and migration of gas from the ONGC blocks to the Reliance block. D&M stated on November 19, 2015, that the integrated analyses indicated connectivity and continuity of the reservoirs across the blocks operated by ONGC and RIL. MoPNG also appointed a one-man committee of Justice A P Shah, former chief justice of the Delhi HC, on December 15, 2015, to consider the D&M Report-2015 and recommend a future course of action in light of the findings contained in the report. Based on the Shah Committee report, MoPNG raised a demand of $1.5 billion and $174 million for unjust enrichment made by Reliance. The total demand is $1.67 billion. Reliance then approached the three-member tribunal headed by Singapore-based arbitrator Lawrence Boo. The tribunal rejected the government's contention and stated that the PSC doesnt prohibit the contractor from producing gas, irrespective of its source, as long as the producing wells were located inside the contract area. The government then approached Delhi HC against this order. After the single judge of the Delhi HC dismissed the governments plea, the Centre appealed the order before the division Bench of the Delhi HC. The country's imports from Russia almost doubled to $25.69 billion during the April-August period this fiscal due to increasing inbound shipments of crude oil and fertiliser, according to the commerce ministry data. Photograph: Reuters With this, Russia has become India's second-largest import source during the first five months of this fiscal. The imports were $13.77 billion during April-August 2022. From a market share of less than 1 per cent in India's import basket before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia's share of India's oil imports rose to over 40 per cent. India, the world's third-largest crude importer after China and the United States, has been buying Russian oil that was available at a discount after some in the West shunned it as a means of punishing Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. The ministry's data showed that imports from China dipped to $42 billion during the period against $43.96 billion in the same period last year. Similarly, imports from the US declined to $18 billion during the period under review from $21.86 billion in April-August 2022. Imports from UAE too contracted to $17 billion during April-August 2023 compared to $22.32 billion a year ago. On the export front, India's exports to six of its top 10 destinations have recorded a negative growth rate during the period. During the first five months of this fiscal, the country's merchandise exports to the US, UAE, China, Singapore, Germany, and Bangladesh have dipped. However, exports to the UK, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia have recorded positive growth. India's exports declined 6.86 per cent to $34.48 billion, the seventh month in a row, in August this year due to a fall in shipments from key sectors like petroleum and gems and jewellery on subdued global demand. Reflecting subdued global economic growth, Indias outward foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 33.3 per cent sequentially to $1.21 billion in August, compared to over $1.82 billion in July. According to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), year-on-year (Y-o-Y), outward investments saw a sharp decline compared to $9.76 billion in August 2022. After declining for two consecutive months, outward FDI had increased sequentially to $1.8 billion in July 2023, compared to $1.07 billion in June, marking a rise of 73 per cent. Outbound FDI, expressed as a financial commitment, comprises three components: equity, loans, and guarantees. A slowdown in economic and business activities, especially in developed markets, has impacted direct investment flows, both inbound and outbound, according to bankers. Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda, said, Most investments (outward FDI) are in subsidiaries or stakes in foreign companies. "A slowdown in the West (developed markets) means fewer opportunities. Inward FDI overseas money flowing into India has also been sluggish. Net FDI in India sharply declined to $4.99 billion in April-June 2023-24 (FY24), down from $13.92 billion in April-June 2022-23 (FY23), according to RBI data. Looking at the components of outbound FDI, equity commitments marginally increased to $454.6 million in August 2023, up from $452.3 million in July but significantly lower than the $7.71 billion recorded in August 2022. Debt commitments decreased to $269.3 million in August, down from $607.5 million in July, also lower compared to $1.38 billion in August 2022. Guarantees for overseas units declined to $494.7 million in August from $769.1 million in July, and they were lower compared to $672.9 million a year ago, revealed RBI data. Key deals in August 2023 included a guarantee by the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation of about $158.02 million provided to its Netherlands-based subsidiary, Indoil Global BV and Jio Platforms equity investment of $81.47 million in US-based Radisys Corporation. TVS Supply Chain Solutions also committed to infusing $23.87 million in equity into a UK-based subsidiary involved in transport and storage businesses. While the domestic market, with its resilient economic growth, is drawing investment interest, the capital expenditure cycle seems to be just about gathering pace. Sabnavis noted that it does not seem like corporates are investing much in India, as only some sectors are performing well in terms of investment. Rating agency ICRA, in its review of gross domestic product growth, stated that the outlook for investment activity by the private corporate sector appears quite healthy for FY24. The envisaged capital investment, based on the pipeline projects sanctioned via all sources of financing, stood at Rs 1.7 trillion for FY24, compared to the Rs 90,000 crore seen in FY23. No process can offer a panacea for ethnic conflict, but there are times at which a legal process could work to defuse violence, asserts Supreme Court lawyer Devvrat. IMAGE: Women burn effigies during a protest , in Imphal, September 8, 2023, demanding restoration of peace in Manipur. Photograph: ANI Photo In recent months, Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence, public gang rape, and the naked parading of tribal women. That this can and has happened in 2023 is a sad testimony to the times we all live in. A Rediff.com report this week tells us, three tribals belonging to the Kuki-Zo community were shot dead on September 12 morning, allegedly by militants of the banned terror groups in Kangpopki district in Manipur. The region of Manipur is inhabited by a multitude of ethnic communities, including the Kuki, Meitei, Naga, and Meitei Pangal and is home to some of India's oldest separatist insurgencies. Many of these erupted soon after Independence in 1947; reports of public rape and parading of Kuki women began to emerge as the insurgency intensified. The government imposed the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 1958 to deal with the mounting insurgency. The provision of broad-based powers for military and paramilitary groups to maintain 'public order' in 'disturbed areas', primarily applied to most regions of the north east; and this has caused deep anguish to common citizens due to widespread abuse of these powers. It is important to note that in states like Manipur, kinship relationships often define the social structure -- social, economic and political power are held and exercised on a kinship and ethnic basis. Successive government policies have contributed to a deep trust deficit between the government and the people, which is now seen in a state fractured along clear ethnic lines. In 2016, the Supreme Court of India took suo moto cognisence of a petition by human rights activists in Manipur (concerning AFSPA) and established a Special Investigation Team to investigate the rights violations in the region; the SIT uncovered numerous instances of violence, public rape, and parading of tribal women including numerous testimonies of tribal women, who had been subjected to rape and sexual violence. Among the steps the Supreme Court has taken to address these issues, it has passed orders to ensure that the perpetrators of violence are brought to justice. It has also asked the state government to register cases against those responsible and ensure that justice served includes compensation and rehabilitation. A three-member committee of three retired high court judges -- Justices Gita Mittal, Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon -- and a former Maharashtra police chief, Dattatray Padsalgikar, have been asked to oversee the manner of investigation of cases, now the responsibility of the Central Bureau of Investigation. Despite all these steps the Supreme Court response to the Manipur violence has been insufficient. India's criminal justice system, for instance, overuses preventive detention and does a poor job with witness protection -- witnesses to crimes in conflict-ridden areas are often threatened or killed, which makes it difficult to bring perpetrators to justice. There is also a lack of accountability for security forces. There is a need to address police bias and corruption, reduce prosecutorial delays (hold court in jails and expedite bail applications for example), improve access to justice for the poor and illiterate, and increase funding for the criminal justice system. IMAGE: The police fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse a crowd gathered near the Bharatiya Janata Party's regional office in Imphal. Photograph: ANI Photo To effectively address ethnic conflict through the existing criminal justice system, the courts must ask: What legal and judicial provisions can be made to address the current conflict and protect people, particularly women and children? What legal and judicial processes can result in speedy justice for victims? What legal and judicial institutions need to be set up to end this decades-long conflict in the north east, without more loss of life and damage to property, in the years to come? To answer these questions robustly it becomes essential to centre 'conflict resolution efforts' around legal processes such as mediation, arbitration and Constitutional interpretation. Such efforts must be carefully designed to take account of the variety, complexity and dynamics of ethnic conflicts and address the substantial number of ethnic groups and interests that diverge from the 'minority rights' legal model. The Indian experience in Manipur is evidence that even a well-designed democratic political system can be continually challenged by the tenacity of ethnic identification and the certainty of ethnic conflict. At the heart of this debate is the definition of identity and ethnicity. So long as a society is ethnically defined and controlled, conflicts, be those about resources, political representation or cultural practices, will be organised along ethnic lines. Political actors will always act in accordance to the underlying ethnic power structure to achieve their ends. Guaranteeing rights to ethnic minorities or indigenous groups may be effective in States dominated by a single majority group (like the Meitei in Manipur); such guarantees are unlikely to distinguish between competing claims where ethnic identity and conflicts are not limited to certain determinate groups but are ubiquitous. Such efforts are important but on their own, they are not enough. When viewing ethnic conflict as a continuum of escalating violence, one can see that at crucial moments in the development of a conflict, opportunities arise to alleviate tensions and prevent disagreement from escalating. These intermediate moments in the development of ethnic conflicts are the points in the architecture of any conflict, where 'law' traditionally has played a role in resolving disagreements. The law does this by providing the parties with legal processes as a credible alternative to self-help for resolving their disputes. This is most urgent in 'ethnically-identified States', where people identify primarily with members of their ethnic group, and only secondarily, if at all, with the State. IMAGE: MPs from INDIA parties at the Ideal College Relief camp in Imphal East, July 29, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo India's criminal justice system needs to be capacitated to deal with ethnic conflicts speedily and rigorously. From the point of view of judicial and legal processes, the following needs to be considered; Ethnic-identified states ought to consider opening their legal processes to ethnic groups in some way -- either by providing special venues or by making the pre-existing judicial system accessible to them. Legal processes could provide mechanisms for dispute resolution, transform social perceptions of the adjudicability of ethnic conflicts; and provide ethnic groups incentives to shape their behaviour and claims that can be formally cognisable and therefore, formally remediable. Multi-ethnic states (like Manipur) would benefit from a system that accounts for the influence of constituency on group practices. Constituency is built through participation in processes and can promote toleration and cooperation through self-enforcing incentives for good behaviour. For legal processes to succeed, ethnic groups must have a sense of constituency in the institutions that foster them, and legal processes themselves may help to build a sense of constituency in the state. Implementing targeted and active inclusion in peacebuilding processes to activate and maintain consistent representative communication channels will give voice to individuals and groups who identify ways to challenge the democratic State, thus making group representation perhaps the most important way to achieve this. Could the Supreme Court develop principles for Constitutional interpretation that enable Constitutional courts to weigh ethnic interests openly? Ethnic groups and their relationships are a vital part of multi-ethnic States like India. Principles that promote the multi-ethnic State's interest in maintaining its inter-ethnic relationships and its need for inter-ethnic peace could help in ethnic dispute resolution. This will need some doing alongside the establishment of protections on an institutional level to prevent expressly ethnic institutions from becoming biased. Finally, legal processes and dispute resolution theory, all suggest that groups in long-term relationships should anticipate and plan for the certainty of conflicts by establishing multi-stage dispute resolution processes within an overarching legal framework. We do this for industries, rivers and many more issues -- why not for ethnic conflicts? IMAGE: Temporary shelter homes for families displaced by the violence in Manipur. Photograph: ANI Photo What can we as lawyers and officers of the Supreme Court do to help? There are over 6,000 FIRs in Manipur that need to be digitised, tagged and tracked. Elements of the cases, such as witness protection, evidence and who the investigating officer is, need to be managed to enable broad-based data for relief and restorative justice work. This needs to be done publicly so that accountability and transparency is maintained. In an appearance before the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA) offered all possible help in bringing peace to Manipur. Members of SCAORA passed a unanimous resolution offering immediate pro-bono legal representation to all and any Manipur ethnic violence victim. Even though recent events have made it seem like ethnic identities and conflict go hand in hand; this is not true and is not the spirit of India. Ethnic conflicts need not be inevitable in multi-ethnic states. We only need the political will and legal processes to ensure peace. No process can offer a panacea for ethnic conflict, but there are times at which a legal process could work to defuse violence. This is a prospect that is well worth considering. Devvrat is an advocate in the Supreme Court of India and Secretary Supreme Court Advocates On Record Association India. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com As India's stock rises, the resolution of the border row may become even more difficult, warn Harsh V Pant and Kalpit Mankikar. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, September 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Chinese President Xi Jinping skipping the G20 summit in Delhi is being seen as a sign of the fraying India-China bilateral relationship. The development comes at a time when there has been a standoff at the border for the last three years. Ahead of the summit, there had been media speculation of a breakthrough on the border impasse. Premier Li Qiang sat in for Mr Xi and had his talking points on most issues tutored by Beijing. However, this incident gives us a peek into Mr Xi's evolving worldview in international affairs. Mr Xi attended almost all G20 summits, as it offered him a global platform to 'tell the China story well'. However, over the last few years, Mr Xi is convinced that he is witnessing 'great changes unseen in a century', which is a political phrase denoting America's decline in the world order. Moreover, he is increasingly sanguine about China's ascent as a power challenging the US. If the past is a precedent, then as a rising power, China too seeks to leave an imprint on diplomatic history and postulate its own grand vision. Creating non-Western frameworks Thus, there is a new vim and vigour in the groupings associated with China or those where it is a lead driver. Contrast Mr Xi's no-show at the Delhi G20 summit with his demeanour during the BRICS summit in South Africa. Mr Xi assesses nations joining groupings like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as evidence of China's success in world affairs. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates joined BRICS, a development that an ecstatic Mr Xi termed as 'historic'. Nations with a bone to pick with the West are gravitating towards China with Iran joining the SCO and Belarus waiting in the wings. Other nations are queuing up to join these groupings, and it seems to have given Mr Xi the confidence that China can be the other pole, pitching a China-led bloc opposed to US hegemony. Thus, the recent BRICS conclave became an opportunity to broadcast Mr Xi's spiel to nations in the Global South. Mr Xi presented black-and-white alternatives for nations: Integration and cooperation on one side, division and confrontation on the other. A devastating pandemic has led to nations looking for the quickest route to economic recovery. Here, Mr Xi wants developing nations to believe that China alone holds the key to the 'path of prosperity'. In the midst of China's competition with the US, there is an effort to address the former's objectives concealed in altruistic motives. Mr Xi has pledged to support sustainable development in the Global South, with the setting up of a 'South-South Cooperation Fund' totalling $4 billion, in addition to Chinese financial institutions instituting a $10 billion fund for implementing Mr Xi's Global Development Initiative. However, this Chinese grand vision has in recent times come up against a rising India's espousal of issues close to the heart of the Global South. IMAGE: Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives at Bharat Mandapam for the G-20 dinner, received by President Droupadi Murmu and Modi. Photograph: ANI Photo China's India challenge Under its G20 presidency, India invited 125 nations to a 'Voice of Global South' summit, taking up issues of food and energy security. It has used the G20 presidency to make a case for expediting reforms of global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to seek greater representation for developing nations. States in the Global South are also at the receiving end of geopolitical tides and the vagaries of nature. India is pursuing securing fertiliser and grain supply chains in light of the Russia-Ukraine confrontation and swifter disbursal of climate finance. In its G20 presidency, India seems to be at the apogee of its global acceptance. In the last decade, it worked assiduously to rid itself of the unnecessary bracketing with a rogue State like Pakistan, to now being seen as a counterweight to China. Under its G20 presidency, Delhi has hosted foreign delegations in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh -- a diplomatic feat unthinkable a few years ago. Thus, India's crowning moment has become an eyesore for Beijing, perhaps leading it to pare down its diplomatic presence. Rocky road for India-China bilateral Mr Xi's petulant behaviour does not portend well for the larger India-China relations, which have been characterised as 'abnormal' by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. As India's stock rises, the resolution of the border row may become even more difficult. Undoubtedly, Beijing is constantly upping the ante with renaming places in Arunachal, issuing stapled visas to the state's residents, and now releasing a map that challenges India's territorial integrity. China's internal challenges, such as an economy in distress and rising joblessness, will drive it towards increased assertiveness. A recent example is the response to a Taiwanese presidential aspirant's overseas trip, which prompted Beijing to conduct military drills. Mr Xi has launched a broadside at Japan (a Quad member) for releasing treated residue from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea even as Chinese nuclear plants spew waste water with higher levels of radioactive tritium than the defunct plant, as documented by the Japan Times. To conclude, Mr Xi is working hard to cement a rival international framework, which has meant working towards investing more in blocs associated with China. Second, the Chinese vision now has to compete with India's own outreach to the Global South. Third, Mr Xi's no-show also gives us a peek into his thinking that seems to have been shaped by the Chinese idiom 'one mountain cannot have two tigers'. Mr Xi has internalised this in his dealings in domestic politics and now seems to be applying the idiom in his diplomatic engagement with a rising India too. There seems to be a tinge of nervousness as Chinese hegemonistic ambitions get a much-needed pushback from New Delhi. Harsh V Pant and Kalpit Mankikar are respectively, vice-president for Studies and fellow for China at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com A local court in Vijayawada on Friday adjourned the hearing of two bail petitions filed by Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu to September 19. IMAGE: TDP supporters protest against the arrest of party president Chandrababu Naidu, in Hyderabad, September 13, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Naidu, who has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days for the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state government, had filed an interim bail petition as well as one seeking regular bail. "The court heard the matters in detail and directed the matter to be posted to Tuesday, September 19 to enable us (CID lawyers) to file a counter affidavit," special public prosecutor YN Vivekananda, representing the CID, told PTI. He said the CID team of lawyers have opposed both the bail petitions on the grounds of maintainability and made submissions on the merits of the matter. Considering that Naidu's legal team not filing a counter affidavit to CID custody seeking petition and also the high court being seized of these matters, Vivekananda said they have requested the lower court to take it up on September 19 so that the directions given by the high court may have a binding effect on this court. According to the special public prosecutor, the bail petitions filed by Naidu are not maintainable in law or going by facts, as both the interim bail application and main bail application were filed under the same sections and no conditions were specified, distinguishing the bail applications. He noted that the Anti-Corruption Bureau court has also observed the same issues. Likewise, Vivekananda stressed that an interim bail is not maintainable as Naidu is already in remand. Moreover, he said the CID has asked for time till September 19 to file a counter. Instead of filing counters on CID custody petitions, he said Naidu's lawyers sought that the petitions be quashed -- buying time twice -- but insisted that they will demand filing the counter on September 19. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Director of Prosecutions J Sudharshana Reddy observed that interim bail applications are generally filed during family emergencies and a detainee is given bail for 24 to 48 hours. In the interim bail petition, Naidu denied all the allegations levelled against him and claimed that there was no prima facie evidence on record. He is currently lodged in the Rajamahendravaram central prison. Religious beliefs play a large role in the life of an individual. They inform man of his role in society, indeed in the whole cosmos, inspiring him to rise to the highest ideal. In difficult times, religious teachings provide much-needed emotional and psychological support. And yet, human history has also borne witness to numerous conflicts, including wars, as a result of religious differences. Truly speaking, the words religion and conflict cannot go together at all. If each religion teaches us the values of harmony, unity and brotherhood, then there is no space for conflicts. In modern times, if religion is to remain relevant, then it must contribute to the creation of a plural society, in which people of diverse beliefs engage with each other drawing upon shared humanitarian values, instead of building walls that lock themselves in and others out. Nursultan Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Intercivilization Dialogue has done a significant work in creating a very good platform to bring people together. The Seventh Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions that took place in Kazakhstan in September 2022 marked a significant milestone in fostering interfaith dialogue and cooperation on a global scale. This prestigious event brought together spiritual leaders, influential political figures, and representatives of international organizations to address pressing issues of our modern era and explore pathways for peaceful coexistence. It was enriching experience for me as an individual to participate in the Congress as a member of Secretariate and Working Group as a representative of Hinduism. My organization - Somaiya Vidyavihar University (Mumbai, India) has always been supporting the efforts of Nazarbayev Center. Dr Shantilal Somaiya, former vice-president of Somaiya Vidyavihar was invited to the International Congress of World and Traditional Religions organized by the Honourable Nursultan Nazarbayev, first president of Kazakhstan, in 2003, 2006 and 2009 as the Leader of Hindu Delegation. At present, Mr Samir Somaiya, Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University, is the Leader of the Hindu Delegation at the Congress. Recently, on 7th August 2023, Somaiya Vidyavihar University organized a round-table conference at Mumbai in collaboration with Nursultan Nazarbayev Center to facilitate discussion on the Declaration of the Seventh Congress. H.E. Bulat Sarsenbayev, Chairman of N. Nazarbayev Center participated in the conference personally. Also, many eminent scholars and religious leaders participated in this round-table conference which was a very successful event. I wish all the success for the work of N. Nazarbayev Center. Aa no bhadrah kratavo yantu vishvatah Let noble thoughts come to us from all the sides. Secretary of the Program on Interfaith Relations and Mutual Understanding of Somaya Vidyavihar University Rudraksha Sakrikar Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday stressed that the party would fight the Rajasthan assembly polls "unitedly" and said that a decision on who would lead the next government would be taken by the high command after consultations with the newly-elected MLAs. IMAGE: Congress leader Sachin Pilot with party workers in Ajmer, September 12, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Exuding confidence that the Congress would buck the 'revolving door' trend in Rajasthan in the upcoming polls, the former deputy chief minister said the party is "absolutely united" with everyone's priority and efforts directed towards repeating the government in the desert state. In an exclusive interview with PTI ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad, Pilot said the Congress has lived up to all the election promises it made in the 2018 Rajasthan polls and that is why he believes, the state government and the party working together, will be able to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party. Asked about his assertion earlier that the party would go to the polls with collective leadership despite an incumbent CM in Ashok Gehlot, Pilot said that has been the tradition and convention in the Congress not just in Rajasthan but all over the country. "Once we win and get a majority, the legislators and the party leadership then decide who will lead the legislature party. This is not something new. This has been the practice for decades and in the states, we are going to polls in the next few months, the same policy would be followed," he said. Asked about the CM face of the party, Pilot said, "Mr (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji, Rahul (Gandhi) ji and Sonia ji are our leaders and in Rajasthan we have a Congress government. So we have to work effectively, unitedly to win the majority." "Once we secure the mandate, the legislators and the leadership will decide. Even last time in 2018, when I was the state party chief, we did not have a CM face, it was post elections that the legislators and the leadership, at that time it was Rahul ji as president, decided who will lead the government," he said. "Once we get a majority, MLAs will be consulted, leadership will take a considered view and decide on who will lead the government. It is nothing new and that is how it has always been done," he told PTI. Asked about Gehlot calling him names such as 'nikamma', 'nakara' and 'gaddar' in the past and whether he had put that behind him, Pilot said, "I have always shown utmost respect and restraint in all my public utterances. My values and upbringing do not permit me to use a language that would lower the dignity of our discourse. "It is important to set an example for young people to follow," he said. Asked about no action taken till now against three Gehlot loyalists who had not allowed a legislature party meeting to take place last year and were issued a show cause notice, Pilot said, "I don't want to comment on this, it is up to AICC to decide on such issues." Pilot claimed that the BJP is in "tatters" in the state and is facing various kinds of "contradictions" within its organisation. The BJP has not been able to perform the role of the ruling party at the Centre and has let down the people, and in equal measure it has not been able to perform the role of an opposition in Rajasthan whether inside the state assembly or outside, Pilot alleged. On the BJP criticism that the state has suffered on account of maintaining law and order due to his feud with CM Gehlot, Pilot hit back, saying that instead of politicising a sensitive issue the BJP should show the same concern at the atrocities committed on tribals and Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states. "In Rajasthan whenever there has been a problem of law and order, the government has taken action, administration has responded, nabbed the culprits and imposed strict punishment on the perpetrators," he said. "The BJP is in a complete mess as far as their organisation is concerned. They are just hoping that history would repeat itself without any efforts," he said. For four-and-a-half years the BJP was missing on the ground in Rajasthan and that is the reason that people don't trust it, he claimed and alleged that the BJP has made laws against farmers, imposed a flawed GST and tinkered with so many policies. "The Congress under the leadership of Mr Kharge, Mr Gandhi will be able to win the elections in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh, he said. Asked about his statement that he had been advised by party chief Kharge to forgive and forget and whether he had buried the hatchet with Gehlot, Pilot said, "The Congress party has always been united. Whatever issues we have, we are within our right to discuss, talk about it and make sure that people's voices are heard at the highest levels. The leadership has taken cognisance of the issues I raised and steps have already been taken to address them." Pilot exuded confidence that the Congress would buck the revolving door trend in the state to form a government again. "I think our performance, our unity, coupled with BJP's absence from the ground in the last four-and-a-half years and the constant pulls and pressures within the BJP among those trying to become CM, will see the Congress win," he said. "From the response and the feedback that I have gotten through my travels in the state, I am confident that we will be able to form the government," Pilot stressed. In July, Pilot made it clear that he had buried the hatchet with Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot on the advice of party president Kharge, saying collective leadership was the "only way" forward going into the assembly polls. In an interview with PTI just days after a crucial Rajasthan polls strategy meeting of the party, Pilot had said Kharge advised him to "forgive and forget" and move forward. "It was as much an advice as a directive." "If there is a little back and forth, then it is not a big issue because the party and the public are more important than any individual. I also understand this and he (Gehlot) also understands it," the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister had said back then. Gehlot and Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018. In 2020, Pilot led a revolt against Gehlot after which he lost the posts of the party's state unit president and deputy chief minister. Last year, an attempt by the high command to effect a leadership change in Rajasthan had failed after some Gehlot loyalists dug their heels in and acting contrary to the central leadership's directives did not allow a legislature party meeting to take place. Drones have been pressed into service to pinpoint the location of terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area on a hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said on Friday as the operation to flush out the ultras entered the third day. IMAGE: Search operation is underway at the terrorists' hideout amid the encounter between the security forces and terrorists at Kokernag, in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, September 15, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Additional director general of police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said the operation was launched based on specific input and is currently underway. In a post on X, Kumar said the two-three trapped terrorists will be neutralised. He also advised retired police and Army officers to avoid peddling ambush hypothesis in the media. "Retired police/Army officers should avoid 'ambush hypothesis'. It is a specific input-based ops. Ops is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralised," he said. As the gunfight entered its third day, security forces fired mortar shells towards the forest area on the mountainous terrain. Drones were pressed into service for aerial surveillance. "The forces fired mortar shells on the terrain where they believe the terrorists are hiding based on drone surveillance," the officials said. The security forces have maintained a tight cordon in the area, they added. Major Ashish Dhonchak, 19 Rashtriya Rifles commanding officer Col Manpreet Singh, deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday. Kashmir is reeling from a heat wave after the valley earlier this week witnessed the second-hottest September day in recorded history, causing hardships to locals and tourists alike. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: A youth jumps into the Dal lake to cool off from the heat in Srinagar. On Tuesday, Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 34.2 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal, the met office (Srinagar) deputy director Mukhtar Ahmed told PTI. He said it was the second-highest maximum temperature ever recorded in September since 1891, when the weather observatory was established. Ahmed said it broke a 53-year-old record of 33.8 degrees Celsius, recorded on September 1, 1970. The all-time record is 35.0 degrees Celsius, recorded on September 18, 1934, he added. There was a forecast of dry weather till Friday and it remained hot and dry across the valley, the deputy director said. However, there was slight rain early on Friday in some areas of Pulwama and Shopian. The weather has remained generally hot in Kashmir in the last about two decades. The temperature touched 32.7 degrees Celsius in 2017, 2019 and 2021 as well, Ahmed said. "So, it is not that the weather has been this hot for the first time. This time, it was a bit extended due to which people felt uncomfortable," he added. Ahmed said the whole of August and the first week of September remained dry and, because of the extended dry weather, the temperature increased and caused heatwave-like conditions. "The day temperature has remained 5-6 degrees above normal across most of the stations, thus falling under the heatwave category," he said. Ahmed advised children, older people and labourers to take excess fluids. "There is a drinking water crisis. The water level in rivers and streams has also gone down. The extended dry weather can result in a drop in the yield of paddy and can impact apple cultivation. The absence of rain affects the colour, quality and weight of apples," he said. The weather office, however, said there is a forecast of light to moderate rain in the valley over a few days from Saturday that can bring respite from the heatwave conditions. The hot weather in the valley has also dampened the morale of tourists in the valley. "I had not thought that it would be this hot. We expected there to be greenery and the weather to be cooler. But it is very hot here, it feels like Kolkata. While there is some respite during the nights, it becomes difficult to venture out during the day. This is quite opposite to our expectations," said Sneha Mandal, a tourist from Kolkata. She said they shopped for winter clothes before coming to Kashmir, expecting the temperatures to be lower than that in Kolkata. "We thought the weather would be like in winter but it was nothing like that. The temperature has affected our health as well," Mandal said. Happy, a tourist from Punjab, said his family planned the trip to get respite from the hot weather in his home state "but it feels like we are still in Punjab". "We had to purchase summer clothes here as we had only packed winter clothes," he added. Neetu, another tourist, said, "We expected colder conditions but the weather here is the same as in Punjab. It does not feel good." Manzoor Ahmad, a local, said it was the first time that he experienced such hot weather. The hot weather is causing problems for the people, he said, lamenting the shortage of drinking water supply points in the city. "Doctors issued an advisory to keep hydrated but there are no drinking water facilities at such a tourist place like Boulevard. The tourists also face difficulties. We have to buy mineral water," he said. Mohammad Shafi Baba, another local, said, "I have never experienced such hot weather during this month in my life. We have to find ways to escape this hot weather. But there are no water supply points in this place and we are facing difficulties." The Income Tax department suspected a tax evasion of more than Rs 800 crore by senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan after it conducted raids on him and people associated with him for three days, official sources said on Friday. IMAGE: Income Tax department's raid going on for the third day at residence of SP leader Azam Khan, in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, September 15, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Income tax sleuths who reached Khan's residence on Jail Road in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh at 7 am on Wednesday completed their search Friday evening. After the officials left his residence around 7 pm on Friday, Khan came out and said, "It was a raid of I-T department. They stayed here for three days. They conducted searches and asked questions." Khan refused to answer further questions. On September 13, the Income Tax department conducted raids at more than 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh as part of a tax evasion probe against Khan. Official sources said the department has conducted raids in Rampur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh apart from some premises in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. In Ghaziabad, the Income Tax department raided a residence in Rajnagar Colony on Wednesday. The house belongs to Ekta Kaushik, said to be close to Khan's family. The I-T probe is related to some trusts run by Khan and his family members, the sources said. The scope of investigation by the I-T department intensified with sleuths reaching the Public Works Department and district panchayat office besides Muhammad Ali Jauhar University headed by Khan, the officials said. They said the government expenditure files are being scrutinized as over Rs 800 crore tax evasion was suspected by the politician. The raids drew sharp reaction from the Samajwadi Party which vowed support to Khan and accused the BJP government of "dictatorship" and "misusing central agencies". "Azam Khan saheb is the voice of truth. He laid the foundation for a better future for children and built a university for education," the party said in a post on X in Hindi following the raids on Wednesday. "Khan has always fought against communal forces. We all stand united with his voice," it said. Countering the allegations about misuse of central agencies, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said the central agencies were well within their rights to take action to make 'Bharat corruption-free'. Last year, a court had convicted Khan in a hate speech case registered over his remark made at a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area in 2019. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, following which he was disqualified as an MLA from Rampur. Later, he was acquitted by a higher court, but his disqualification was not revoked on account of his conviction in a different case. The BJP senior leadership believes the YSRCP is a more reliable potential ally post-2024 Lok Sabha election than the TDP. IMAGE: Telugu Desam Party President Nara Chandrababu Naidu addresses a public meeting as part of the TDP's Bhavishyat ki Guarantee campaign programme in Anantapur on September 7, 2023, just prior to his arrest. Photograph: ANI Photo The Opposition bloc INDIA has reached out to the Telugu Desam Party leadership, days after the arrest of its chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu in an alleged corruption case. The outreach, led by the Trinamool Congress, comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party ignored pleas by ally Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party to enter into an alliance with the TDP for the 2024 Andhra assembly and Lok Sabha polls. In the last four years, the TDP's principal rival in Andhra, the state's ruling YSR Congress Party, has supported the central government in Parliament on crucial bills. The TMC, a leading constituent of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, contacted the TDP leadership since Naidu's arrest. A local court in Vijayawada remanded Naidu in judicial custody for 14 days on Sunday, September 10, 2023, for his alleged role in the Skill Development Corporation scam. On Tuesday, September 12, a local court rejected a house custody petition filed by Naidu. The Samajwadi Party, the National Conference's Dr Farooq Abdullah and a Congress leader in Andhra have criticised Naidu's arrest, alleging that the Centre had the foreknowledge of the former Andhra chief minister's arrest. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the head of the Shiromani Akali Dal, a former ally of the BJP, termed the arrest a 'crude vendetta exercise'. "We are in touch with the TDP and have been told that the arrest has evoked sympathy for the former Andhra chief minister, particularly in rural areas," a senior Trinamool leader said. IMAGE: Naidu's wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari, flanked by son Nara Lokesh and daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani, speaks to the media after meeting him in Vijayawada jail, September 12, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Sources, however, said it was premature to discuss the TDP's entry into the Opposition alliance at the next INDIA meeting, which is likely to be held in Bhopal, in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Naidu's arrest, terming it vindictive politics that would backfire on the ruling party, drawing parallels with Naidu's arrest and the Enforcement Directorate summoning her nephew, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. On Tuesday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed Banerjee's sentiments, saying, 'BJP and its opportunist friends' should remember that such political behaviour could return to haunt them. From the BJP, state unit chief Daggubati Purandeswari, whose sister Bhuvaneshwari is married to Naidu, protested Naidu's arrest in a post on X on Saturday. 'The arrest sans a proper notice, without his name mentioned in the FIR, without seeking an explanation and bypassing procedures is unjustified. The BJP condemns this,' Purandeswari said. The BJP state unit stayed away from Monday's state-wide bandh called by the TDP called to protest Naidu's arrest, while the Jana Sena, supported the bandh. The BJP senior leadership believed the YSRCP remained popular in Andhra and was a more reliable potential ally post-2024 Lok Sabha election than the TDP. The TDP exited the NDA in March 2018 on the question of a special package to Andhra and fought the 2019 elections in alliance with the Congress. The Centre sanctioned Rs 10,460 crore (Rs 104.60 billion) in May, the highest for Andhra Pradesh since the bifurcation. In June, it released Rs 12,911 crore (Rs 129.11 billion) for the Polavaram project. Over the last few months, the TDP's attempts to mend fences with the BJP and return to the National Democratic Alliance have failed despite Jana Sena's efforts. Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit A Shah in June, but the TDP didn't find a spot in the 38-party NDA meeting on July 18. Kabir was seen clinging to the tricolour-wrapped coffin of his father. He bowed before his father's body just before cremation. IMAGE: Kabir, s on of Colonel Manpreet Singh, who lost his life in the recent Anantnag encounter, salutes his father, at his residence in Mohali, September 15, 2023 . Photograph: ANI Photo Jai Hind Papa. A stoic six-year-old Kabir dressed in army-style fatigues saluted his father one last time before Colonel Manpreet Singh, killed in the gunfight with terrorists in Kashmir valley, was cremated at his village in Punjab's Mohali district on Friday. Since early morning, Colonel Singh's house in Bharaunjian village witnessed a steady stream of mourners who joined his inconsolable wife, mother and other family members in his final journey. An Army officer was seen holding Kabir as the family and others paid their last respects while a relative held on to his two-year-old daughter Banni. Kabir was later seen clinging to the tricolour-wrapped coffin of his father along with other family members. He bowed before his father's body just before cremation as "Bharat Mata ke Sapoot Ki Jai" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans rent the air. The cremation took place with full military honours, including a wreath laying ceremony and a gun salute. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, former Army chief V P Malik and Punjab ministers Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Anmol Gagan Maan as well as senior Army and police officers were present at Bharaunjian and laid wreaths. Lt Gen D P Vats (retd), a BJP leader, was also present. Purohit and Anmol Maan were seen consoling the family members of Colonel Singh. In the morning, Colonel Singh's mother was seen wailing as she waited at the doorsteps for her son's mortal remains. A third-generation soldier, Singh's father who died nine years ago, was an ex-serviceman. Some of the school teachers of Colonel Singh also turned up at the funeral. "He was a gem for us. He was a gem for the nation," said a teary-eyed teachers, adding, "He had said he would come in December." Asha Chadha, a teacher of Colonel Singh in Class 1, described him as an extraordinary student. "We are very sad today but at the same time proud that we are teachers of a martyr who sacrificed his life for the nation." The Army officer, a Sena medal awardee, leaves behind two children, wife Jagmeet Kaur, a government school teacher in Haryana's Panchkula district, mother Manjeet Kaur and brother Sandeep. Colonel Singh did his schooling from Mullanpur before graduating in commerce stream from a college in Chandigarh. He later cleared the Combined Defence Services examination and joined the Indian Military Academy. Major Ashish Dhonchak, who died fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, was consigned to the flames on Friday in Haryana's Panipat with full military honours. Three Army personnel, including the colonel and the major, and a deputy superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir police were killed in the gunfight with terrorists in the higher reaches of the Kokorenag area in the valley on Wednesday. In the coming months, globally as well as in India, rice might remain a hot potato. IMAGE: Women plant rice saplings in a paddy field in Assam. Photograph: Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters A fortnight or so ago, Kunwar Bahadur Yadav, a small farmer on the outskirts of Lucknow, was staring at a loss on his paddy crop, due to the deficient rains. However, rains arrived as August was drawing to a close. "The showers saved my paddy," says Yadav. Hundreds of miles away in Kerala, popular actor Jayasurya has been facing the ire of the supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist for highlighting the plight of paddy farmers in the Onam season and blaming the state government for it. For millions of paddy farmers across India, this year's kharif season has been a picture of contrasts. First, the southwest monsoon, kharif paddy's lifeline, arrived late, and just when it was showing signs of strain, it began to pour in July. Then, in August, just when the crop was beginning to mature, the rains went into hibernation. In eastern India, the rains revived in August, but the sowing was already running late. As a result, the area under paddy across the country is around 4 per cent more than last year, but there is a dark cloud over the actual production. IMAGE: Women farmers collect paddy saplings as part of the preparation of sowing these in the field. Photograph: ANI Photo As the weather played truant, the government stepped in to do its bit to control prices. In a span of a few weeks, it restricted rice exports, stopped discounted surplus rice for making ethanol, and enhanced the quantity of stocks it liquidated in the open market. This further affected the growers. Already the price of some early-sown paddy varieties, along with basmati rice, has seen a sharp drop in the domestic market in the weeks leading up to harvesting. The export curb could have been prompted by the low-priced stocks in the central pool. The stocks at the start of August, at 24.29 million tonnes, excluding the 1.96 million tonnes of unmilled paddy lying with the millers, was 13.09 per cent less than in the same month last year. "The decision to curtail rice exports is affecting us more than the rain,: says Tamil Nadu Farmers Association's Subbu Muthuchammy. Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters In Punjab and Haryana, farmers say production costs rose as the excessive showers in July inundated the fields in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Mohali, Mansa and Patiala and filled them with silt leading to re-sowing of the crop. Field reports from West Bengal, one of the country's largest paddy-producing states, show production this year might be lower than normal due to the initial deficient rains. Normally, West Bengal produces 25.3 million tonnes of paddy in both seasons -- kharif and boro. Boro, or rabi rice, is sown in winter and harvested in summer. The rainfall deficit in Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Burdwan, Nadia and Murshidabad in South Bengal was 26 to 45 per cent till early August. Though the August recovery in rains did push up the acreage, it is still lower than the target. The state had targeted to sow 4.3 million hectares under paddy this kharif, of which 4.0 million hectares had been covered till early September. "But there will be a reduction in production as the coverage is 200,000 hectares less," says Onkar Singh Meena, West Bengal's agriculture secretary. "Rice in West Bengal is grown in summer as well. So we hope to make up for the production loss in the kharif season during the summer. But, yes, there will be some deficit in production, though it might not be as significant as last year." In Uttar Pradesh, another major rice-growing state, 99 per cent of the targeted area under paddy had been sown till late August. However, with rainfall remaining sub-optimal, the Yogi Adityanath government is bracing up for the potential adverse impact. Between June 1 and September 5, 46 of the state's 75 districts had deficient rains, the paddy-growing ones being among the worst hit. Surya Pratap Shahi, the state's agriculture minister, says it is early to analyse the final impact of the rains on kharif crops, since September usually is good for rain-fed farming. "In recent years, we have seen a trend of flood-like situations in September, If the rainfall gains momentum in September, the ground situation will improve and more than make up for the deficient showers," says Shahi. The agriculture department is coordinating with the state's irrigation and energy departments to ensure optimum supply of water and electricity. Shahi says the state government is prepared to provide succour to farmers if the monsoon remains deficient. Kerala has a different problem, with 25,000 farmers yet to receive the price for paddy procured from them six months ago. Those who have been paid allege that the government provided it as a loan. The farmers were on a hunger strike on Thiruvonam Day, the main day of the Onam festival, to highlight their plight. According to Kerala farmers, it is issues like this that are hurting them more than the rains. Around the world, rice markets are in a turmoil due to the advent of El Nino, aided by India, which contributed 40 per cent of the global supplies, curbing its exports. In country after country, local governments are struggling to control the rising rice prices. The Food and Agricultural Organisation's rice price index rose to its highest level in 12 years in July due to the supply squeeze. India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Pakistan are the leading exporters of rice. China, the Philippines, Benin, Senegal, Nigeria and Malaysia the biggest importers. A recent Bloomberg report said the onset of El Nino this year threatened to parch many key growing regions across Asia, with Thailand already warning of drought conditions in early 2024. The rice crop in China, the world's biggest producer and importer, appears to have escaped the poor weather so far, but India's major growing areas need more rain. Sometime back, said the report, the Philippines was forced to place a cap on rice prices due to an 'alarming' increase in retail costs and reports of hoarding by traders. Other worried nations are opting for the diplomatic route. Guinea sent its trade minister to India, while Singapore, Mauritius and Bhutan requested that New Delhi exempt them from the curbs on the grounds of food security. The restrictions have provided an opportunity for Thailand, the world's second-biggest shipper, which has been on a roadshow in recent weeks. The Bloomberg report said the message at the roadshows was, if you want rice, we have it. Vietnam is offering support to the market, saying last month it could exceed its export target for the year without jeopardising its own food security. The Thai Rice Exporters Association is also keeping a close eye on its 5 per cent broken white rice price to ensure that the domestic markets are not impacted. In the coming months, globally as well as in India, rice might remain a hot potato. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com Early on Wednesday, September 13, Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonack, and Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Anantnag district. On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir police said it had 'encircled' two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists responsible for the murders. IMAGE: Security personnel monitor the hills where the terrorists are hiding in Kokernag, Anantnag district, here, below. All Photographs: ANI Photo A terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday, raising the death toll during an ongoing three-day search operation in a remote village in Rajouri district to three. IMAGE: Security personnel at the site where an encounter took place between security forces and terrorists in Rajouri, here and below. Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The operation to neutralise the terrorists involved in the encounter that led to the killing of four security forces personnel continued for the second day on Thursday, September 14, 2023. The police said they had 'encircled' two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists in the higher reaches of Anantnag district, south Kashmir. Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonack, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat and a jawan were murdered by terrorists in the Garol area of Anantnag district early on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. All Photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: People light candles during their protest against the killing of security personnel at the Ghanta Ghar Lal Chowk in Srinagar. IMAGE: People hold photographs of the murdered personnel during their protest. IMAGE: Senior Indian Army officers pay tribute to Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Aashish Dhonchak. IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha lays a wreath and pays homage. IMAGE: Soldiers pay tributes to Colonel Singh and Major Dhonchak. IMAGE: Army and Jammu and Kashmir Special Operations Group personnel in action near the area where the terrorists are hiding. IMAGE: Smoke rises from the area where the terrorists are hiding. Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has announced it will hold a hearing on religious freedom in India next week. Image used only for representation. Coming on the heels of two successful bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden -- the Official State Visit of the Indian leader here in June and a bilateral meeting in New Delhi in September -- USCIRF in its announcement of the meeting said the Congressional hearing is on how the US government can work with the Indian government to address violations. Fernand de Varennes, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, has been invited to testify before the Commission along with Tariq Ahmed, Foreign Law Specialist, Law Library of Congress; Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch; Sunita Viswanath, executive director, Hindus for Human Rights and Irfan Nooruddin, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University. Modi's state visit to Washington, DC, reflects the close bilateral relationship between the United States and India. 'However, over the last decade, the Indian government has enacted and enforced discriminatory policies targeting religious minorities, including anti-conversion laws, cow slaughter laws, legislation granting citizenship preferences based on religion, and restrictions on foreign funding for civil society organisations,' USCIRF said. 'Recent trends include the eruption of violence between Hindus and Muslims in Haryana in July and targeted attacks against Christian and Jewish minorities in Manipur, highlighting the need for new strategies to mitigate violence against religious minorities in India,' it said. Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that the US Department of State-designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, it said. 'Witnesses will discuss the Indian government's legal framework and enforcement of discriminatory policies, explain current religious freedom conditions, and offer policy options for the United States to work with India to combat abuses of religious freedom and related human rights in the country,' USCIRF said. Mumbai bid adieu to its iconic red double-decker buses On Friday, September 15, 2023. Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel, Hitesh Harisinghani and Afsar Dayatar took a ride on the last non AC double-decker bus. All photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/ Rediff.com IMAGE: The double-decker bus leaves Andheri East, north west Mumbai, for SEEPZ Village. September 14 was a day to remember. The rumbling red double-decker buses we grew up with in Mumbai were to go off the road on Friday, September 15. How could one miss a chance to ride them for the last time? For the sake of nostalgia. For the sake of history. For fun. A casual jaunt on any of last few buses was chalked out with colleagues Hitesh Harisinghani and Afsar Dayatar. We considered riding 137. Or 132. Else maybe 1 or 133. But were not sure which of these routes still had double-deckers running. And it turned out that 133 and 132 no longer existed and probably many other routes like these. IMAGE: A BEST employee takes a photograph with the double-decker bus. One of the south Mumbai bus depots was the practical choice to begin our adventure. Many a double decker began its journey from Colaba to traverse the length of the city reaching places as far flung as Anushakti Nagar in Trombay, north east Mumbai. At the no-longer-as-large Backbay Depot, Cuffe Parade, where a few of the shiny, spanking new electric double-deckers were parked, the khaki-clad BEST staff, swinging their metal ticket boxes, all shook their heads sadly and in Marathi told us, "Hya depot madhun gelya kahi mahinya pasun double decker bus chalat nahit (Double decker buses stopped running from the depot months ago)." Try Electric House, they suggested. The deserted and enormous Electric House depot, on Colaba Causeway, had none. Zip. Zilch. IMAGE: Children loved to sit on the front row of the double decker. An open-roofed light blue Mumbai Darshan double decker bus was tucked away in the corner waiting for its load of weekend sightseers and party-wallahs (they are apparently to be discontinued too). A single-storey bus was getting a rubdown via giant brush rollers. And three red electric double-deckers were parked abreast. The logistics man maintaining the giant log ledger at the entrance to the yard, for bus arrivals and departures, offered, "Double decker buses na scrap karaichi prakriya kahin mahinya puri pasun chalu aahe (Double decker buses have all been scrapped)." He directed us to the transport officer inside the large depot building. We were beginning to get fairly disheartened. IMAGE: A double-decker parked at the bus depot. Increasingly, it seemed there was not a single purana zamana double decker to be found. Who knew one of those dearly loved lal buses would prove so incredibly hard to locate! How sad. Was our ride not to be? What began as a bittersweet, wistful excursion to take our final double decker rides was starting to turn into a nightmare-ish (given the heat) massive vehicle hunt across Bombay for such a species of bus... What we had simply not realised was that, quietly, silently over the last few years, BEST double decker buses had been just melting away, off the streets of Mumbai, unbeknownst to us all. The transport officer at Electric House clucked sorrowfully and said: "Kurla", and was persuaded to give us a number at Kurla. Kurla in north east Mumbai said Marol in north west Mumbai. And that just two buses were running in Marol. Marol confirmed. One bus. The last apparently. And it was out on its round, schedule details unknown. IMAGE: A passenger pays the conductor the fare. Hitesh and Afsar went on ahead, and waited, sweating, on a hot afternoon, for nearly an hour at the Marol depot, fingers crossed, hoping a double decker would actually show up. Ironic that this bus, that was once a distinctive symbol of the city, one of Mumbai's famous landmarks, albeit a moving landmark, could not be found in the length and breadth of the city, even on its last day (remember almost every postcard of Bombay had a red double-decker on it, Mumbai being one of the few cities in the world to have these buses along with London, Hong Kong, Dhaka, Colombo, Dublin, Sydney, among others). Sure enough, finally at Marol, one of those grand old beauties rolled or rather trundled in. Message from Hitesh: "Just got into one." Excitement. The last bus had been found. IMAGE: Many Mumbaikars preferred the upper deck than the rather claustrophonic lower deck. It was a 415 on its Andheri East station to SEEPZ Village loop, the one solitary grandpapa double among a fleet of several 415s, the balance all sleeker but less exciting regulars. When I caught up with Hitesh and Afsar at the Western Express Highway Metro bus stop, they were on the top deck of this apparently only surviving bus with a bunch of enthu-cutlet BEST double decker hearties. The group (there are several Mumbai double decker groups on social media), some of them friends, had taken time off from their regular schedules to ride this 415 in a loop for a couple of hours, reliving fond lifelong memories. The first row, in front, before the windows, was, of course, occupied. Folks were enjoying their last time, sitting above, in a breezy, open-window bus. Tales of yore were being traded. IMAGE: S Arun hugs the double decker bus for the last time. S Arun, who works in tourism and conducts guided walkabouts of the city, and beyond (like Alibag), remembered how as youngsters, while sitting in front, they would chupke se rotate the bus numbers (that are printed on a cloth roll) with their feet, when the conductor wasn't looking, confusing passengers planning to board. They would invariably get caught and told they would be thrown off the bus if they didn't behave. IMAGE: The view from the upper deck. Ankur Jain, who works in IT and is a Bombayphile, in a black t-shirt with a BEST double decker on it and the slogan Double Deckers Are The Best In Town, recalled how some of these buses curved dangerously when they went around the now non-existent Haji Ali circle at the beginning of south central Mumbai. He was enthusiastically shooting all varieties of shots for posterity, including of Arun ringing the conductor bell. There was a mother and child who waited two hours at the Andheri East station to get onto the bus and rode it to the last stop. She wanted her son to experience a double decker ride. The little boy cutely asked his mom why they were scrapping the buses. His mother told them it was too costly to maintain them anymore. And he digested that, for whatever it was worth. At the SEEPZ depot, someone got into the driver's seat and posed. Fans also took pics with the entire bus crew. For all of us -- many, including me, were taking a double d. ride after many years -- there were so many memories to revive and sort of fill into a bottle and cap tightly, to preserve and 'keep fresh like scent' and 'live all over again' when uncorked (that famous line from Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca). IMAGE: Ankur Jain in his double decker t-shirt. Like the almost musical khat-khat-khat sound the bell on a string would make when the upper-deck conductor pulled it repeatedly to tell the lower-deck conductor or driver below that passengers from on top were still alighting. Or running up the narrow aluminium stairs -- of course, bypassing the boring auntie-log ka lower deck area, that had a 'Ladies' section, no matter how short your ride -- to find the best seats upstairs to read a novel maybe all the way, through 44 stops, to Bandra Reclamation. Like the intriguing pomh-pomh the driver's rubber horn emitted, which he used seldom, only in special bada jam situations, preferring the karkash (harsh) and louder sound of the new horn. Or the pure feel of the wind on your face in those much-in-demand front seats, especially when it went sailing down Marine Drive or Worli Seaface, and other places along the beautiful Arabian Sea. Like the rhythmic pitter-patter on the roof, that was different on these buses, during torrential Mumbai monsoon days. Or the slightly alarming noise generated when the bus hit a bunch of tree branches, which was more common on some routes -- 132 while it sped down New Marine Lines. IMAGE: The new electric double-decker. Like the sinking in your heart, you felt when you dropped something and it rolled out of that wraparound side vent at your feet, that all double deckers, had and onto the street, lost forever. Or dangerously jumping off, running, from the corner of the back door that was only possible on these buses (the reason why Bombay streets are littered with single chappals). Like the feel of your thin paper ticket which then let you ride for Rs 1.50 from RC Church (the quaint name for St Joseph Church in Navy Nagar) to nearly Vasantrao Naik Chowk, Tardeo. Such sweet memories. Memories of Bombay that only a bus could gift you, to rest in your mind's eye forever. After riding Bus 415 through 4-5 trips, we disembarked and bid farewell -- it was a packed bus, full of passengers headed home, pre-rush hour, many of who probably did not realise it would be their last ride on this 86-year-old city treasure. Through gestures and decisions, the BJP high command has signalled that Vasundhara Raje may not be the lead actor but rather play a supporting role in a high-stakes election in its stamping ground. IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit A Shah waves to the gathering at the party's Parivartan Sankalp Yatra in Dungarpur, Rajasthan, September 3, 2023. BJP National Vice President Vasundhara Raje is also seen. Photograph: ANI Photo Vasundhara Raje, who has twice led a Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan as chief minister, now finds herself at a crossroads that could lead her into a political cul-de-sac or offer a temporary reprieve, depending on the BJP's central leadership's decision to position her front and centre in the state elections this year. A question mark looms over Raje's potential role as the first among equals or merely an equal among a line-up that includes central ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Ashwini Vaishnaw, as well as Satish Poonia, the former state BJP chief, and Rajendra Rathore, the Opposition leader in the legislature. Raje stares at an uncertain future, with her only source of solace being the legislators who have openly confirmed their support for her. A state BJP functionary, not known to be part of the Raje camp, nonetheless conceded, "For 20 years, she has been a leader in Rajasthan and served as CM for 10 years. Naturally, she has a following in every assembly constituency." Through gestures and decisions, the BJP high command has signalled that Raje may not be the lead actor but rather play a supporting role in a high-stakes election in its stamping ground. "It's up to our central leaders to declare or not declare a CM candidate, but under their guidance, we are all working together," says Chandra Prakash Joshi, the BJP's Rajasthan president. Bhajan Lal Sharma, a state general secretary, adds, "People want to bring in a BJP government and we are working hard towards that end." "Vasundharaji will campaign and be part of our programmes," says Laxmikant Bhardwaj, the state BJP spokesperson. When asked if she will have a major say in nominating candidates as she did in the 2018 elections, he replies, "Tickets are finalised by our central election committee and the parliamentary board, based on surveys in each seat on who is most suited." The farming out of tickets is at the crux of electioneering and serves as a test of a leader's clout. The straws in the wind have not been favourable for Raje in the run-up. IMAGE: Nitin Gadkari, BJP president from December 2009 to Jauary 2013, with current state party president C P Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and others at a roadshow in Hanumangarh, September 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The BJP's four parivartan (call for change) yatras -- launched between September 2 and 5 and encompassing 200 assembly constituencies -- which were initially expected to be flagged off by Raje, Shekhawat, Poonia, and Joshi, were instead launched by national leaders J P Nadda, the BJP president, and his predecessors Amit A Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, ostensibly to rein in a feared joust among the Rajasthan CM aspirants, project a 'picture of unity', and convey the message that a regional satrap like Raje will have to play second string for the central command. Raje did not feature in the two key committees constituted in August -- the manifesto and election management committees. The manifesto committee was chaired by central minister Meghwal, while the election management committee included Jaipur Rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Notably, Raje's perceived rivals, Shekhawat, Poonia, or Vaishnaw, were also not part of these panels. It was suggested that the committees' mandates did not 'befit' their 'statures' as the work involved administrative minutiae. However, the BJP still needs to put in place a pivotal campaign committee, sparking speculation about whether Raje or another state leader will steer it. Meghwal's appointment seemingly riled up some of Raje's backers. IMAGE: The BJP's Parivartan Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan, September 12, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Kailash Chandra Meghwal, the Shahpura MLA, publicly accused Arjun Ram Meghwal of corruption and claimed he would seek his expulsion from the party. When asked if his demand was a tactic to pressure the leadership to restore Raje's primacy, Kailash Chandra replied, 'This is politics, after all. I will say nothing more.' On her part, Raje has been blowing hot and cold in her interactions with other leaders. She participated in the yatra on Saturday, September 9, 2023, which Nadda inaugurated, but not before sending an underlying message that she still commanded her own following. She prefixed her participation with a day-long temple peregrination, part of her ongoing Dev Darshan Yatra, primarily aimed at mobilising her supporters across Rajasthan. When asked if such manifestations of dissent could impact the BJP's prospects, Himanshu Sharma, another state spokesperson, responds, "The BJP is cadre-driven. We will win whether we have a CM face or not because Modi's reputation and work surpass everything else we have." Raje stayed away from a BJP rally in Jaipur on August 20, which highlighted the 'failures and excesses' of the Ashok Gehlot dispensation. Instead, she addressed a women's conclave convened by a chartered accountant forum in the state capital. Notably, her known backers such as MLAs Kali Charan Saraf, Ashok Lahoti and Narpat Singh Rajvi were conspicuously absent. Political observers in Rajasthan believe it is "too late" for Raje to revolt and establish her own party. Her fate, they say, is inextricably linked to her son, Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh's future. "Any extreme move from her," says a Jaipur commentator remarks, "will jeopardise Dushyant's continuance in the BJP." In the foreseeable scenario, a BJP source suggests that the best option for Raje would be to refrain from contesting the assembly elections, secure a ticket for her son, and fight the Lok Sabha polls from Jhalawar-Baran, allowing her to plunge into central politics as an MP. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 15. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has proposed to establish a center in Bishkek dedicated to implementing energy-efficient and resource-saving technologies across the Central Asian region, Trend reports. He made the remark during the 5th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia in Dushanbe. Japarov said that this initiative aims at fostering the responsible utilization of both water and energy resources throughout the region. "We are ready for constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation on matters related to water and energy," the president said. "For the rational use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, we need to take drastic, specific, and effective measures, primarily by attracting significant investments into the water and water-energy sectors, both public and private. I also want to emphasize that the activities of regional organizations on water use issues in Central Asia should align with the interests and needs of all states," Japarov added. Furthermore, Kyrgyzstans president suggested renewing cooperation within the agreement, dating back to 1998 on the use of water and energy resources of the Naryn and Syrdarya rivers among Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. How selective will China be in targeting crime groups in cross-border law enforcement? Suspects linked to telecom frauds are brought back to China from Laos at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport on Sept. 11, 2023 in Chongqing, China. For years, Chinese criminal organizations have been setting up shop across Southeast Asia, built on the proliferation of Chinese-dominated Special Economic Zones like Boten in Laos, Shwe Kokko in Myanmar, or the casinos in Cambodias Sihanoukville. Despite the fact that fugitives from Chinese law often ran these networks, Beijing saw them as a useful tool for advancing its interests. Local governments were on the take, and for the most part, Chinese authorities turned a blind eye to the problem. In Europe triads do everything from marshaling patriotic actions from overseas communities, to quelling dissent and disappearing opposition figures, to opening doors for Chinese businesses, according to a recent report by ProPublica. In Southeast Asia, Beijing similarly uses criminal gangs as instruments of statecraft. The archipelago of SEZs along Chinas southwestern flank were, in essence, splinters of Chinese sovereignty, where local law enforcement had little to no jurisdiction. Recently, however, Chinese law enforcement agencies have intensified their cooperation with Southeast Asian counterparts to address the scourge in transnational crime, money laundering, illicit drug production, human trafficking, and cyber scams. The answer to the question Why is China moving now? is becoming increasingly straightforward amid a flurry of international media and think-tank reports on lawlessness and rights abuses in Chinese-controlled economic zones in Southeast Asia. Beijing is facing reputational and diplomatic costs for turning a blind eye to labor and sex trafficking, cyber scams and other crimes in the zones. International media exposes have laid bare Chinas culpability. Many of these scam centers and human trafficking rings are being run by fugitives from China. First and foremost, they are wanted for crimes committed within China. Chinese victims More importantly for Beijing, the scam centers are preying on Chinese in sufficient numbers that authorities feel they have to take action. This is all the more so as the Chinese economy slows, and people are more susceptible to scams or human trafficking, while illicit drug use is climbing. Chinas proactive approach also reflects the fact that there are now enough Chinese citizens who are among the 120,000 trafficked people in Myanmars SEZs and 100,000 in Cambodian scam centers that authorities are being forced to act. Radio Free Asia reported in May about allegations of 1,000 Chinese in a single scam center in Myanmar whose families had to pay $30,000 to secure their release. The bigger questions are how selective will China be in the targets of cross-border law enforcement cooperation with its southern neighbors and how long will the proactive stance last? Recent law enforcement cooperation with Southeast Asian counterparts really got started in 2012, with the arrest of drug lord Naw Kham, wanted for the October 2011 death of 13 Chinese sailors. China compelled law enforcement in Laos and Thailand to assist them in the hunt, and made sure that they got the credit. Cooperation was sporadic afterward, until recently. In August 2022, Thai authorities arrested She Zhijiang, a Chinese national holding a Cambodian passport, whose Yatai International Holdings has developed Myanmars Shwe Kokko since 2017. She has been fighting extradition, but is certain to lose. In June 2023, six Chinese suspects were apprehended and returned to China from Myanmar in a joint operation, according to the South China Morning Post. Since then theres been a steady return of Chinese nationals. Just last month, news broke that Singapore authorities had arrested 10 individuals in conjunction with a Singapore$1 billion (US$737 billion) money laundering scheme from Cambodian and Philippine casinos. Authorities seized 94 properties, S$125 million ($91 million) in bank accounts, cash, 50 luxury vehicles, and countless luxury items. Police officers pose for a photo with suspects of telecom scams as they were brought back to China from Cambodia at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, Aug. 24, 2017. Credit: Wu Guangyu/Xinhua via Getty Images The investigation and asset seizures have since expanded to S$1.8 billion ($1.3 billion) and includes some 24 individuals. The probe has also expanded to include $56 million in real estate the United Kingdom. Though all were born in China, nine of the ten arrested in Singapore were naturalized Cambodian citizens. While it has gone unsaid, Chinese law enforcement provided key information on the operation to their Singapore counterparts, which fits a pattern of a much more proactive posture of Chinese law enforcement in Southeast Asia. In late August, Myanmar handed over 24 nationals to Chinese authorities, according to Radio Free Asia reporting. In September, Chinese law enforcement, working with their client in Myanmar, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), raided 11 scam centers in Shan State accused of swindling victims out of 120 million yuan ($16.4 million). Law enforcement arrested 269 people, including 186 Chinese nationals who were immediately returned to China. Chinese state media described 21 of the returnees as golden masters i.e. the ringleaders. Within days, the number of people returned to China reached 1,207. Footage of Chinese police escorting a column of detained scammers surfaced on social media. Selective actions In another but unrelated case, six people responsible for human trafficking were sent back to China from Myanmar. To date, Chinas actions in Myanmar have been focused in northern Shan state which raises the question why Chinese authorities are moving against some but not others on that conflict-ridden country's complicated ethnic map. The UWSA has not taken similar measures in their headquarters area of Kokang in Shan State. Likewise, the scam centers in areas controlled by Karen border guard forces that are aligned with the junta, such as Shwe Kokko and KK Park, or in Lashio or Tachileik in Shan State are still operational. In next-door Laos, the Golden Triangle SEZ continues its expansion into a city now with its own airport. On September 11th, Lao authorities returned 164, including 46 from the Golden Triangle SEZ, but its unclear whether this reflects an overall crackdown on Zhao Weis criminal empire. What seems more likely is that China will act selectively. Beijing wants to garner diplomatic praise when it does take action, while bolstering its influence with regional security services. China aims to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, by sending a clear signal to the syndicates that they will be targeted if they continue to commit crimes in China. Through selective but well publicized operations, the government will try to allay public concerns and demonstrate that it will not allow Chinese citizens to be victimized by criminal networks operating overseas. However, some SEZs and the criminal enterprises that run them remain in Beijings broad strategic interests. As such, it remains to be seen whether China will continue to put pressure on the governing authorities to shut the zones, illegal casinos and scam centers. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or Radio Free Asia. Recently, on the eve of the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC, an influential Chinese social media user claimed that American Airline Flight 77 never crashed into the Pentagon. Instead, he said, it was shot down by U.S. fighter jets. The claim is false. Airplane debris was found at the Pentagon, as confirmed by images and videos from the scene and an array of eyewitness accounts. The Pentagon also released security camera footage from the attack in 2006. The claim was shared here on the popular Chinese social media platform Weibo on Sept. 10 by a user with more than 3 million followers. Today in history: Who is responsible for the 911 incident? / Media wont tell the truth, the claim reads in part. The claim was shared alongside a two-minute, 39-second clip that shows an old lecture given by Ai Yuejin, a former professor of military thinking at Chinas Nankai University. Citing the bestselling book 9/11: The Big Lie written by the far-left French journalist Thierry Meyssan, Ai claimed that no wreckage or witnesses at the scene of the Pentagon attack were found and that the U.S. government anticipated and allowed 9/11 to happen as a means to justify its later invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The 9/11 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist suicide plane hijackings by al-Qaeda operatives on Sept. 11, 2001, targeting landmarks in New York and Washington, leading to the deaths of nearly 3,000 people. Most were killed when two passenger planes were flown into the World Trade Centers Twin Towers on the southern tip of Manhattan. A third jet, American Airlines Flight 77, was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon, killing all onboard and many inside the building. And a fourth jet that appeared to be bound for Washington crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers broke into the cockpit, where the hijackers had taken control of the plane. Weibo user Xiaofan Haoshe retweeted a video which questioned the authenticity of the 9/11 attacks. (Screenshot/ Weibo) However, the claims by Meyssan and other conspiracy theorists are false. The Federal Bureau of Investigation released several photos of the Pentagon wreckage, while a Department of Defence investigative report released in 2007 published Flight 77s entire course, along with records showing that three F-16 military aircraft deployed to intercept the hijacked plane were unable to prevent it from crashing into the Pentagon. Photos of plane wreckage at the Pentagon released by the FBI. (Photos/FBI Official Website) Flight trajectory of the aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon. (Photo/U.S. Department of Defense Website) The DOD also released footage from car park monitors at the site which captured the actual collision of the plane into the Pentagon. The claim about Flight 77 has been debunked by other international media outlets as seen here, here and here. Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) is a branch of RFA established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. Our journalists publish both daily and special reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of public issues. Beaten by thugs, Ny Nak is the latest victim of attacks on government critics that have gone unpunished. Undated photo of agricultural expert Ny Nak recovering from injuries in Phnom Penh. Ny Nak was the latest victim of attacks on government critics that have gone unpunished. A critic of Cambodias government who was hospitalized in critical condition this week after being beaten by thugs has pledged to join the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party provided Prime Minister Hun Manet can arrest his attackers. The attack on agricultural expert Ny Nak was the latest of dozens by helmet-wearing, baton-wielding motorbike drivers on outspoken activists in Cambodia. Most of the incidents have targeted members of the opposition, who say they are politically motivated, and none of the attackers have been brought to justice. On Friday, Ny Nak posted an undated photo to his Facebook account of him with then-General Hun Manet at the home of the former Prime Minister Hun Sen Hun Manets father and offered his expertise to the government, if it is willing to pursue his case. My only hope for Ny Nak is justice for the violence, the activist said, speaking in the third person. Samdech Hun Manet can help speed up authorities' investigation to apprehend the suspects involved with the assault and bring them to justice, he said, using an honorific for the prime minister. If Samdech helps, I will defect and serve the government after justice is served." Ny Nak, who was recently released from an 18-month jail term for criticizing Cambodias COVID-19 restrictions, was traveling with his wife Sok Sinet in the capital Phnom Penh on Tuesday when a motorbike crashed into them and its occupants began beating him with metal batons, she told RFA Khmer. Sok Sinet said she was also beaten. The unidentified men beat Ny Nak unconscious and he was taken for treatment to a local clinic. He was initially in critical condition, but Wednesday was downgraded to stable condition, his wife said. A scan shows that his skull is not fractured but he can't eat and is in pain, Sok Sinet said. Photos obtained by RFA showed the activist in bed with gauze wrapped around his head and balled up inside his ears, his hands bandaged, and his lips severely swollen. Outspoken government critic Since his release from prison earlier this year, Ny Nak had been posting comments critical of the government on Facebook under the pseudonym IMAN-KH. Hours before being attacked, Ny Nak had taken to the social media platform to slam Minister of Agriculture Dith Tina over his handling of a report on rice prices. Undated photo of Ny Nak with then-General Hun Manet at the home of the former Prime Minister Hun Sen. Ny Nak, a critic of Cambodias government was hospitalized in critical condition this week after being beaten by unidentified assailants has pledged to join the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, provided Prime Minister Hun Manet can arrest his attackers. Facebook/lifeandinvironment His post came a day after Ny Nak said he had been approached by two members of the CPP who asked him to join the party. He said he had refused the invitation, saying he is neither a member of the ruling party or the opposition. In late 2019, the agricultural expert was convicted to 18 months in prison and fined 2 million riels (US$485) after he criticized Cambodias COVID-19 policy as being too restrictive. He later apologized to Hun Sen and later posted photos of himself with the head of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, or CPP. Health improving Before posting his offer to join the CPP to Facebook on Friday, Ny Nak provided updates on his health and vowed to sacrifice my blood for the sake of the country. Photos he posted of his current condition appear to show that he has improved, although his face remains swollen and he still has several stitches in his forehead. RFA was unable to reach Ny Nak or Sok Sinet for comment on Friday, but the latter posted a video to her Facebook account showing that Ny Nak was now able to and saying that he had regained some of his strength and can meditate. I want to thank all the people who love my husband and gave him money and courage for his treatment after his assault by unknown suspects," she wrote. Attempts by RFA to reach the Phnom Penh police for comment on the status of its investigation went unanswered. At least 50 political and social activists have been victimized in similar attacks in Cambodia in recent years. Last month, two opposition party activists who sought political asylum in Thailand were also attacked. Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Reports say the probe is linked to military procurement and will likely see him removed. China's Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu salutes the audience during the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore in June 2023. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is reportedly being investigated by the ruling Chinese Communist Party after being out of the public eye since Aug. 29, according to several Western media reports. Li is the second senior Chinese official to go missing after the recent disappearance of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Reuters quoted "10 people familiar with the matter" as saying that Li is being probed for corrupt procurement of military equipment, without specifying the kind of equipment involved. "Eight senior officials from the Chinese military's procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation," the agency said in a report on Friday, citing two people in direct contact with the military. The Washington Post quoted U.S. officials as saying that Li, who was last seen in public at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing on Aug. 29, is currently under investigation for "corruption," and will likely be removed from his post. An official account of Li's last public speech from state news agency Xinhua was still available on the website of the State Council on Friday. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Li will lose his job, while the Financial Times reported that the U.S. government believes him to be under investigation. Li, 65, has missed meetings with Vietnamese and Singaporean defense leaders in recent weeks, Reuters said in an earlier report quoting sources with direct knowledge of the engagements. Another disappearance The reports came after Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, tweeted that Li was also "a no-show" for his planned trip to Vietnam, drawing parallels with Qin Gangs disappearance. "President Xis cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christies novel And Then There Were None, Emanuel wrote. "First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen in public for two weeks. Whos going to win this unemployment race? Chinas youth or Xis cabinet? Beijing has remained tight-lipped about the whereabouts of Qin, who was replaced as foreign minister by top Communist Party diplomat Wang Yi on July 25. By July 31, President Xi Jinping had also replaced the commander of the country's rocket corps -- which controls the country's nuclear missiles -- amid media reports of an investigation into his predecessor and his deputies. Chinas Defense Minister Li Shangfu attends the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore in June 2023. Credit: Caroline Chia/Reuters U.S.-based former PLA Navy Lt. Col. Yao Cheng said that move was part of Xi's bid to remove any dissenting voices from the highest echelons of military command as part of preparations for a military invasion of democratic Taiwan. "It's been the Rocket Force people who don't want to go along with Xi Jinping's plan," Yao told Radio Free Asia at the time. "They don't want a war -- they fear war because they have a very clear idea of what their missile capabilities are." 1982 army enlistment Li joined the Communist Party in 1980 and enlisted in the army in 1982, serving as director of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission and other important positions in procurement. By 2022, he had a seat on the party's 20th Central Committee, and was appointed defense minister in March 2023. Li was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department in September 2018 due to transactions with Russian arms dealers. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning declined to comment on Li Shangfu's whereabouts when asked about him during a regular news briefing on Monday. "I'm not aware of the relevant information," she told reporters. The defense ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters, while the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it had no further comment for the time being, the agency reported. Invisible factors Political commentator Johnny Lau said that arrests of senior officials in China for "corruption" can be highly selective, and have little to do with how corrupt any of them are. "We have seen in the past that there were a number of factors that were invisible ... in the Chinese Communist Party's ongoing anti-corruption campaign," Lau said. "In other words, he has chosen [whom to target], and these aren't genuine anti-corruption cases." "They don't involve the state legal system until they have figured out the impact on the party [of targeting this person], using its disciplinary system," he said. "This way of going about it feels a lot like rule by a single individual." But Lau said Beijing is unlikely to put on a big show trial, as it did in the case of former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai and his political associates. "A lot of these things are dependent on various factors, like internal reshuffles, power struggles and internal shock-dampening," he said. But Lau saw the recent changes at the head of the Rocket Force as likely to lead to less military tension, rather than more. China this week unveiled a "blueprint" for "peaceful unification" including economic incentives and sweeteners for residents of Taiwan, which has never been ruled by Beijing, to move to Chinas Fujian province to live and work. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. The chairs of four committees are among 10 lawmakers asking how Huawei and SMIC developed advanced chips. A technician stands at the entrance to a Huawei 5G data server center at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital in Guangzhou, China in Sept. 2021. Ten U.S. lawmakers including four House committee chairs have asked the Biden administration to explain how two Chinese telecoms giants developed advanced microchips in spite of U.S. export controls. Shenzhen-based Huawei this month released a new flagship smartphone, the Huawei Mate 60 Pro, which it said uses a new chip produced using 7-nanometer lithography by Chinese chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, or SMIC. The process, which uses microscopic rays of light to etch circuits onto silicone chips, was meant to be out-of-reach for Chinese chipmakers for years due to the Biden administrations export controls banning the sale to Chinese companies of machinery needed to achieve it. The announcement of the phone reportedly shocked industry insiders, who did not understand how SMIC was able to produce the chip. Perplexed A public letter released on Thursday by chairs of the House committees on foreign affairs, energy and commerce, armed services and China says they are extremely troubled and perplexed about the Commerce Departments inability to effectively write and enforce export control rules against violators, especially China. The letter singles out Alan Estevez, under secretary of commerce for the Bureau of Industry and Security, and says the committees for more than two years warned of loopholes in BIS rules attempting, unsuccessfully, to restrict technology to Huawei and SMIC. BIS has continued to grant licenses to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled companies, such as SMIC, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, it says. These companies support the CCPs military and have been responsible for manufacturing semiconductors that power Huaweis 5G devices, in violation of BIS export controls. A man visits a booth of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), at China International Semiconductor Expo in Shanghai, China, Oct. 2020. (Aly Song/Reuters) It also calls for the enforcement of export controls to ensure SMIC can no longer gain access to restricted U.S.-made technologies. The letter is signed by Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mike Rogers, chair of the Armed Services Committee, and Mike Gallagher, chair of the Select Committee on China, as well as Reps. Ann Wagner, Robert Latta, Young Kim, Gus Bilirakis, Brian Mast and Morgan Griffith. All are Republicans. Investigations National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also told reporters on Sept. 5 that the U.S. government was still evaluating the SMIC-built chip. In terms of characterizing the chip in question, that's something that we need to gain more information from before we make any definitive comments, Sullivan said, adding that the United States would continue to enforce a small yard, high fence set of technology restrictions focused narrowly on national security concerns. An advertisement for Huawei's Mate 60 series smartphones displayed at a Huawei store in Shanghai, China, Sept. 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters) A spokesperson for the Bureau of Industry and Security told Radio Free Asia on Friday that the bureau would respond to the letter via appropriate channels and seemed to question the chips make-up. They said U.S. restrictions in place since 2019 have knocked Huawei down and forced it to reinvent itself at a substantial cost. We are working to obtain more information on the character and composition of the purported 7nm chip. Lets be clear: export controls are just one tool in the U.S. governments toolbox to address the national security threats presented by the PRC, the spokesperson said, using an acronym for the Peoples Republic of China. We are continually working to assess and, when appropriate, update our controls based on the dynamic threat environment and we will not hesitate to take appropriate action to protect U.S. national security. Edited by Malcolm Foster. In a country that cracks down on superstitions, the ceremony is seen as two-faced. In this North Korea's Korean Central News Agency released photo on Sept. 8, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches as Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui smashes a bottle of champagne against the hull of a new submarine during a launching ceremony in North Korea. With supreme leader Kim Jong Un looking on, the foreign minister smashed a bottle of champagne against the hull of North Koreas latest nuclear submarine, prompting the crowd of sailors and factory workers to erupt in thunderous cheers and applause. But the reaction to the smashed bottle among the general public was less than smashing. Many North Koreans saw the ceremony, involving Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, as puzzling and even hypocritical in a country that suppresses superstitious activities which is how the submarine christening appeared to many. Everyone was surprised to see the female foreign minister come forward and break a liquor bottle by hitting it against the hull, a resident from the northeastern city of Rason told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The authorities have been cracking down on the simple rituals of fishermen performing ancestral rites and pouring alcohol to ensure the safe navigation of boats, defining them as superstitious practices, he said. In this North Korea's Korean Central News Agency released photo on Sept. 8, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claps after Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui smashed a bottle of champagne against the hull of a new submarine during a launching ceremony in North Korea. Credit: KCNA via Reuters North Korean fishermen have traditional ceremonies whenever they take a new boat out to sea or when they repair an old boat, and sometimes they involve elements of superstition that have been passed down over generations. Those rituals, which can involve a pigs head and copious amounts of alcohol, are, like the submarine christening, meant only to wish for the safety of ships at sea, the resident said. Punishing capitalist behavior Though anti-superstition laws have long been on the books they were not strictly enforced all the time, but the recent passing of a new anti-capitalist law caused authorities to be less tolerant of superstitious activities. The 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, is aimed at preserving the purity of North Korean socialist ideals by harshly punishing people for watching foreign media, speaking like a South Korean, wearing capitalist fashion, or even dancing like a capitalist. The law does not specifically mention superstitions and the fishermen are emulating their own ancestors rather than capitalist fishermen in the South, but authorities have interpreted their activity as reactionary ideology brought in from the outside. Fishermen have therefore been secretly holding these ceremonies under cover of night to avoid being punished. In this North Korea's Korean Central News Agency released photo on Sept. 8, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in North Korea. Credit: KCNA via Reuters I couldnt help but be surprised that a ceremony that the authorities say is a punishable superstitious act was held in front of Kim Jong Un, the resident said, adding that the small ceremonies fall under Article 256, a different law that forbids fortune telling, divination, and exorcism as superstitious acts. According to that law, punishments can range from up to a year in a disciplinary labor facility to a minimum of three to seven years depending on how serious the act is. After seeing the reports of the submarine launch ceremony, fishermen and other residents are saying that the authorities are two-faced, and they should no longer have to do their own ceremonies in secret, the resident said. It was the first time that a ship christening was reported in state media, a resident of Rasons surrounding North Hamgyong province told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely. It is deeply contradictory for the authorities to tell residents not to believe in superstitions and not engage in superstitious behavior, but then to do something similar [themselves.] he said. People are mocking the authorities by asking, Do [the authorities] believe in superstitions, too? Is it okay to do superstitious acts in front of Kim Jong Un? Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe for free, click here. I'm Malali Bashir, senior editor for women's programs at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead. The Key Issue Millions of impoverished Afghans are bearing the brunt of receding international aid to Afghanistan, the world's largest humanitarian crisis. International organizations operating in the country have been forced to cut their assistance to Afghans in the fields of health care and food aid in recent months, largely due to funding shortages. The UN World Food Program (WFP) said last week that it would cut emergency assistance to 2 million vulnerable Afghans by the end of the month because of a "massive funding shortage." Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross stopped funding 25 hospitals across Afghanistan on August 31, citing a lack of resources. The drop in foreign assistance has directly impacted the lives of Afghans, many of whom are reeling from the devastating economic impact of the Taliban's seizure of power in 2021. "We used to survive on food assistance [from the WFP]," Zarmina, a resident of the northern province of Parwan, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "But now this assistance has been cut off and my situation is dire." Zarmina, 27, is the sole breadwinner for her family of six. She said her family received around 4,000 afghanis ($50) worth of food handouts every six weeks from the WFP. "There's no work for me," she said. "It's very difficult. What are we going to do?" Why It's Important: Declining international assistance will worsen the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Around 6 million people -- out of a population of around 40 million -- are already on the brink of starvation, according to the UN. Wahidullah Amani, the spokesperson for the WFP in Afghanistan, told Radio Azadi that the lack of aid will specifically affect women and children, the most vulnerable segments of society. "My children suffer from malnourishment because they don't have enough food to eat," Hamidullah, a resident of the southeastern province of Khost, told Radio Azadi. "All Afghans have the same problem. We ask all humanitarian organizations to help Afghans," added Hamidullah, who is the head of an extended family of 20. What's Next: The cash-strapped Taliban government, which is unrecognized and under international sanctions, appears unable or unwilling to alleviate the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country. Some Afghans have called on the militant group to do more to create employment opportunities and deliver food to the most needy. "The government should solve these problems and provide a chance for people to find work," said Samiullah, a resident of the eastern province of Nangarhar. The Week's Best Stories Afghanistan has seen a surge in the number of female suicides since the Taliban takeover, making the country one of the few in the world where more women take their own lives than men. The spike comes amid the Taliban's severe restrictions on women's lives, including their right to education and employment. What To Keep An Eye On China has become the first country to formally name a new ambassador to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. The Chinese envoy presented his credentials to the Taliban's prime minister at a ceremony in Kabul on September 13. The Taliban government has not been recognized by any country in the world. It was unclear if Beijing's appointment was a step towards formal recognition. "This is the normal rotation of China's ambassador to Afghanistan, and is intended to continue advancing dialogue and cooperation between China and Afghanistan," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Why It's Important: It is unclear if the appointment signals China's growing interest in Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover, there was a surge in Chinese traders visiting Afghanistan to explore business opportunities and ink deals. The Taliban has boasted of Beijing's interest in expanding trade and investing billions of dollars in Afghanistan's mining sector. But experts have said that China's relationship with the Taliban has been limited and largely transactional. Experts said Beijing's primary concern in Afghanistan is the threat posed by members of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), an Uyghur extremist group. The Taliban has been accused of sheltering the militants. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org. Until next time, Malali Bashir If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe for free here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe for free, click here. I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead. The Key Issue Several powerful earthquakes and aftershocks have killed at least 2,400 people and injured thousands more in western Afghanistan, with hundreds of others still missing. Entire villages have been flattened in the past week in the western province of Herat, in the deadliest temblors to hit Afghanistan in around 25 years. At least 17,000 people have been affected by the earthquakes on October 7 and October 11, according to the United Nations. Many have lost their homes and been forced to sleep out in the open. Another earthquake was reported on October 13 in the neighboring province of Badghis. There were no immediate reports of casualties and damage. The UN children's agency UNICEF said that 90 percent of those killed in the earthquakes in Herat were children and women. Many men in Zindah Jan district, the epicenter of the first and deadliest tremor, work in neighboring Iran and send remittances to their families. Foreign aid agencies said they have sent supplies to the region, including food, medical kits, and tents. But some survivors said they have yet to receive any assistance and have been forced to fend for themselves. "We have no shelter and no food, Juma Gul, a resident of Zindah Jan, told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi. We have nothing left." Local charities and volunteers have accused the Taliban of preventing them from independently collecting and distributing aid to survivors of the earthquakes. Why It's Important: The earthquakes have exacerbated the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the worlds largest. An estimated 15 million people -- out of a population of around 40 million -- are going hungry. Another 6 million are on the verge of starvation, according to the UN. The World Food Program (WFP) has called the recent earthquakes a disaster on top of a disaster. The UN body said it could only afford to support 3 million people due to a massive shortfall in international funding. Aid agencies have appealed for more funds to deal with the fallout from the deadly earthquakes. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in an October 12 statement called for immediate international support. What's Next: Many survivors, having lost their homes and possessions, fear the harsh winter months ahead. The nights are getting very cold, Mohammad Aref, a resident of Zindah Jan, told Radio Azadi. If it continues like this, we will not be able to live in a tent. We need proper shelter. Abdul Razzaq, a medical worker in Herat, told Radio Azadi that hunger and disease are spreading in communities affected by the earthquakes. "People have stomach problems, pneumonia, and sore throats. Some people live in tents. Others dont even have tents. What To Keep An Eye On The Pakistani authorities have demolished two makeshift settlements housing mostly Afghan refugees and migrants outside the capital, Islamabad. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) said the illegal settlements located on government land were bulldozed on October 11. The settlements were believed to be decades old and consisted of dozens of houses and farms. Why It's Important: The demolition of the settlements comes as Islamabad intensifies its crackdown on the estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghan migrants living in the South Asian country. Pakistans Interior Ministry announced on October 3 that illegal migrants living without legal status in Pakistan had until November 1 to leave voluntarily or face deportation. The announcement has triggered an increase in police abuse against Afghans, including harassment, assault, and arbitrary detention, according to Human Rights Watch. In an October 12 statement, the human rights group urged Pakistan to drop its threat to deport Afghans, saying many were at grave risk of being returned to persecution and other abuse in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org. Until next time, Frud Bezhan If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe for free here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. In a major show of defiance, Iranians have staged new anti-government demonstrations in several cities to protest the death of Armita Garavand, who succumbed over the weekend to injuries suffered in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police in the Tehran subway over a head-scarf violation. Hours after the student's funeral on October 29, which was marked by the violent arrest of several civil activists, anti-government slogans and graffiti in memory of Garavand again were observed in various cities including Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Sari, and Shiraz. In Tehran's Ekbatan neighborhood, which has been one of the epicenters of protests in the Iranian capital over the past year following the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged hijab violation, protesters chanted anti-government slogans from windows and rooftops and "Death to Khamenei, the murderer" and "Death to the dictator" -- references to Supreme Leader Ali Ayatollah Khamenei -- echoed through the streets. Such slogans were also heard in several other neighborhoods in Tehran including Amirabad Tehranpars, and Zafar. Protesters also refuted the government's narrative regarding Garavand's death with slogans like "They killed our Armita and blamed it on the hijab." Videos also showed some protesters writing the name "Armita Garavand" and the slogan "Women, life, freedom" on the shores of Bandar Anzali in the northern province of Gilan. Meanwhile, reports of "violence" by security forces during Garavand's funeral have emerged. Reza Khandan, a civil activist and husband of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, confirmed his wife's arrest during the funeral. He said that during her arrest, she was severely beaten by security agents. According to Khandan, many of those arrested during Armita Garavand's funeral were held at the Vozara detention center, "the same place where Mahsa Amini was killed by government agents last year." The Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), confirmed Sotoudeh's arrest, claiming she was detained for "removing her hijab and acting against society's mental security." The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said on October 30 that Sotoudeh was released after more than two hours of detention and slammed Iranian authorities for their treatment of those marking Garavand's death. "Beating and arresting unarmed civilians for peacefully mourning yet another death of a young girl in state custody is a continuation of the atrocities the Iranian government is continuously inflicting upon the Iranian people," CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi said. "These activists were at the funeral because Iranian authorities operate with impunity, killing and detaining people including teenagers for entirely peaceful actions, like showing their hair in public, or raising their voices to demand fundamental rights," he added. The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions reported the arrest of Masood Zeinalzadeh, a board member of the Tehran Teachers' Union, during the funeral. The association also announced that Mohammad Garavand, a teachers' rights activist, was arrested by security forces. Rights groups and journalists say Garavand and two of her friends were confronted on October 1 by police officers for not wearing the mandatory hijab as they tried to enter a Tehran subway station. One of the friends has said the officers physically assaulted Garavand, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway car. Officials have said Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head. A source at Fajr Hospital, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said shortly after the incident that Garavand suffered internal bleeding in the brain. She succumbed to her injuries on October 28. Since Garavand fell into a coma, Iranian officials have pressured those around the 16-year-old student to avoid talking about the situation or later on commemorating her death. Alborz Sadeghi, the son of Manzar Zarabi, a mother who lost four family members when the IRGC shot down a Ukrainian plane in January 2022, told RFERL's Radio Farda that his mother was arrested after being "severely beaten" during Garavand's burial. Khandan said she had also been released. Garavand's case, and suggestions of a cover-up by the authorities, has drawn parallels with the events leading up to the death of Amini. In recent months, Tehran's municipality has deployed agents known as "hijab guards" in Tehran's subway to confront women and girls failing to wear the mandatory hijab. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Armita Garavand, the 17-year-old girl fatally injured in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police over a head-scarf violation, was buried amid tight security in Tehran on October 29. Unconfirmed reports say several people, including two of Garavands relatives, were arrested during the ceremony at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran. Civil rights activist Reza Khandan told RFE/RLs Radio Farda that his wife, prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, was beaten and detained at the funeral. "A number of participants were arrested and beaten up. Nasrin was among them," Khandan said by phone from Tehran. WATCH: Scores of mourners attended the burial of Iranian teenager Armita Garavand on October 29 in Tehran. Amateur video obtained by RFE/RL shows raw emotions on display at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery and at a separate funeral ceremony in the Jaberi mosque. A heavy police presence was observed at both places. He added that a number of those detained had been released, although others, including Sotoudeh, remained in detention. He said he hasn't been able to contact her. Irans semiofficial Fars news agency later confirmed that Sotoudeh had been detained, charged with violating the conservative Islamic nation's head-scarf law. Sotoudeh has previously been arrested and jailed after representing opposition activists, including women prosecuted for removing their mandatory headscarves. Video clips published on social media showed a large crowds of people -- both men and women -- attending the burial ceremony. Irans state media had reported Garavands death on October 28, nearly a month after she fell and went into a coma in the Tehran subway. Garavand was reportedly confronted by the morality police in the subway at the start of October for failing to wear a hijab. The news of Garavand's death came just over a year after the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by Irans morality police for an alleged head-scarf violation sparked nationwide protests and international condemnation. A relative told Radio Farda that security agents had told the family they would be given Garavand's body under the condition that the burial be held in Tehran and not in their native village in the western province of Kermanshah. "We live in Tehran, but we don't bury our dead [here]. We hope to receive Armita's body, the family member had said. Shortly after the subway incident, authorities isolated Garavand family members and attempted to prevent journalists from reaching them. Security measures were still being enforced as of October 28, fueling speculation that authorities were worried about renewed protests in the country. Rights groups and journalists say Garavand and two of her friends were confronted on October 1 by police officers for not wearing the mandatory hijab as they tried to enter a Tehran subway station. One of the friends has said the officers physically assaulted Garavand, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway carriage. Officials have said Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head. A source at Fajr Hospital, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said shortly after the incident that Garavand suffered internal bleeding in the brain. "Unfortunately, she went into a coma for some time after suffering from brain damage. She died a few minutes ago," the official government news agency IRNA said on October 28. Garavand's condition triggered concerns in the West and among international rights groups after a purported video of the incident circulated on social media. The video shows Garavand entering the subway car, but it does not show what exactly transpired in the seconds before her body is shown being carried back out of it. Amnesty International has issued a statement saying authorities should allow an independent international delegation, including UN experts, to investigate the circumstances leading up to Garavand's hospitalization. Tehran has left the request unanswered. The United States on October 29 said it was deeply saddened by the death of Garavand after she was beaten by Iran's morality police for not wearing a hijab in public." Iran's state-sponsored violence against its own people is appalling and underscores the fragility of the regime, White House national-security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on social media. Garavands case, and suggestions of a cover-up by the authorities, has drawn parallels with the events leading up to the death of 22-year-old Amini last year. Aminis death soon after she was arrested for allegedly violating Irans hijab law triggered the greatest threat to the Islamic republic's leadership since the 1979 revolution. State media has shown Garavand's parents speaking of various potential causes for their daughter's fall and injury. It is not clear if the statements were made under duress, but the Hengaw human rights group, which first reported the incident, said on October 5 that Garavand's mother, Shahin Ahmadi, had been detained temporarily by Iranian government security forces. Earlier this month, Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran that was triggered by her death were awarded this year's Sakharov Prize, the European Parliaments top rights award, the second honor bestowed upon Iranian women this month for their sometimes deadly struggle for human rights after activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize. With reporting by dpa BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is considering a potential involvement in the Rogun Hydropower project in Tajikistan, a source at the EIB told Trend. It was noted that the EIB is cooperating closely with other International Financial Institutions (IFIs), in particular with World Bank (WB), on an extensive review of the Rogun HPP project. "A Panel of Experts and Environmental and Social experts are reviewing technical, economic, and financial aspects of the project, including social safeguards around the significant resettlement of some 42,000 people. Given the scope and complexity of the project, multiple IFIs and bilateral financiers will be involved," the source at the EIB specified. The source pointed out that the bank's financing in Tajikistan supports development of the energy sector, including energy transmission and rehabilitation of power plants to increase the safety and efficiency. As per the information provided to Trend, the banks loans in Tajikistan amount to 107 million euros as now. "In Tajikistan, similar as in other countries of the Central Asia, the EIB operations focus, In line with the EU priorities, on the support of sustainable connectivity and the transition towards a sustainable, climate-neutral growth model. In Central Asian region, EIBs support to climate action is focused on financing green infrastructure projects - energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy transmission, water supply and sanitation as well as improvement of the access to finance of local SMEs support," the source said. Minister of Finance of Tajikistan Fayziddin Kakhkhorzoda announced in August that the countrys government is set to initiate direct negotiations by the end of this year with potential investors to secure additional financing for the construction of the Rogun HPP. Aside from the WB, the head of the Ministry of Finance mentioned the EIB, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and others as potential investors for the project. The installed capacity of Rogun HPP is planned at 3,600 MW. Following the plant's full commissioning, the annual electricity generation is expected to range from 13 to 17 billion kilowatt-hours. The completion of the power plant's construction is anticipated by 2033. BELGRADE -- If politics makes strange bedfellows, elections are the nuptials. And even shotgun weddings need witnesses. So, as it has done repeatedly in Russia and in freshly occupied Crimea nine years ago, the Kremlin once again relied on loose ideological allies volunteering from abroad to "observe" and undersign countrywide regional and local elections, which were being held in Russian-occupied Crimea but also in four other parts of Ukraine -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson. Moscow unilaterally claimed those latter places as its own in September 2022, including swaths of Ukrainian territory outside Russian troops' control. The September 8-10 voting in Ukraine has been roundly condemned by Kyiv and by leading democracies that described it in blunt terms as "sham 'elections'" in illegally occupied lands. The EU also warned Russia of the consequences for those who took part in the organization of the "illegal" elections in Ukraine. But Goran Simpraga, the director of a pro-Kremlin media outlet in Serbia who describes himself simply as a journalist and producer from Belgrade, failed to see the problem. He shared images of himself in Zaporizhzhya on Russian social network VKontakte, saying he had participated in a meeting of "international experts" with the chairwoman of Russia's Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, who was also pictured. Simpraga also posted a five-minute video in Russian praising the elections, saying, among other things, that they were organized "according to national standards." "When talking about these elections, I think that Russia is one of the few countries that is capable of organizing such elections," he said, with fellow Serbian Goran Petronijevic sitting alongside him. Simpraga and Petronijevic were two of three Serbian nationals singled out by the Ukrainian Embassy in Belgrade for their participation as "observers" in the Kremlin-led effort to legitimize Russian elections inside Ukraine's internationally recognized borders. Petronijevic was a judge during the rule of the late Yugoslav and Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, who was indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal before his death in 2006. He was also a lawyer for wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and others being tried for war crimes at The Hague. The third Serbian, Srdjan Perisic, is a former adviser to Putin ally Milorad Dodik, the current secessionist president of Republika Srpska, the majority Serb entity that along with a Bosniak and Croat federation makes up Bosnia-Herzegovina. All three are notable for their support for Putin's policies or pro-Kremlin influence-building in the Balkans, where Serbian officials led by President Aleksandar Vucic have been critical of Western efforts to punish Russia for its attack on Ukraine. At least two of the men have personal or professional ties to the Russky Dum (Russian House) in Belgrade, an office of a Russian federal agency that does diaspora outreach and humanitarian work but since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has organized and supported events seeking to justify the war. Word that Petronijevic and Simpraga were in Zaporizhzhya was initially published on September 10 by Dejan Beric, a Serbian national who is currently being tried in absentia in Serbia for allegedly fighting for the Russian side as a sniper in eastern Ukraine. Petronijevic and Simpraga "found themselves in the 'hottest' spot, in Zaporizhzhya, near the front line," Beric, who has since described himself as a war correspondent, told his 100,000 followers on the Telegram messaging platform. A day later, Perisic, who is a professor of philosophy in East Sarajevo, a hub of Serb political influence that is across the inter-entity boundary line from the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, told the Serbian news agency SRNA that he had visited polling stations in Novoazovsk, Mariupol, and Donetsk as an observer. He shared two photos of himself in a helmet and a combat vest "on a visit to Donbas," parlance for the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. It's unclear in what or whose international framework the three might have been acting as would-be observers. Any Serbian observers for the office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that monitors elections, the ODIHR, would have traveled abroad on such a mission with the consent of the Serbian Foreign Ministry, according to the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability, a pro-democracy NGO in Belgrade. But the OSCE, which operates by invitation, sent no mission to cover either the regional and local elections in Russia, which were dominated by President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, or the Russian-orchestrated voting in occupied parts of Ukraine. The Serbian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a query from RFE/RL's Balkan Service about potential observer missions to occupied Ukraine in time for this article. RFE/RL contacted all three men with questions about their "observer" status but none of them responded. The Ukrainian Embassy in Belgrade issued a statement on September 13 describing the voting as "fake elections" that are "null and unrecognized by the international community." It said they were "another attempt by the Kremlin to legalize aggression, an attempt to annex and temporarily take military control over part of the sovereign and independent European state of Ukraine." The embassy cited Petronijevic, Simpraga, and Perisic by name and added: "Persons involved in the implementation of these fraudulent elections, including the leadership of the Russian Federation, representatives of the occupying administrations and electoral structures, as well as their propagandists, will be brought to justice." It added that "Ukraine will also initiate the introduction of new international sanctions against those involved." The European Union has imposed 11 rounds of sanctions on Russia since its initial invasion of Crimea in 2014, targeting its businesses and economy, its military, and citizens' ability to travel, along with many other measures aimed at individuals it accuses of contributing to that aggression or the full-scale invasion that followed eight years later. Serbia's government has refused to join such measures, and continues to cooperate with Russia diplomatically and in the areas of trade, energy, defense, and travel. It has appeared reluctant to jail Serbian nationals for traveling to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia-backed separatists or Russian forces despite criminal legislation strictly forbidding citizens from joining foreign wars, handing out suspended sentences in dozens of cases. In some of those cases, the individuals have reportedly returned to the fighting. Serbian nationals have participated before in observer missions organized by Russia to endorse balloting in Ukraine during the current war. Misa Vacic, leader of the radical Serbian Right party, was in the occupied Ukrainian city of Volgograd in September 2022 for a referendum on joining Russia that Moscow used to justify its annexations. Vacic's party said at the time that he'd been invited by the Putin administration and that he'd toured polling stations in refugee camps in the area. Perisic was also among the Moscow-friendly observers of those votes, too. That trip earned both men criticism from Kyiv, which called such observers "puppets of the Kremlin," and a place on the FakeObservers website run by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE). The EPDE is an alliance of independent citizen-election-observation groups from across Europe. Perisic was an adviser to nationalist Bosnian Serb leader Dodik when the latter was the Serb representative on Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-member presidency, until Perisic was dismissed without explanation in 2019. But Petronijevic is arguably the most widely known of the three Serbians in Ukraine this month. In 2000, he sentenced nearly 150 ethnic Albanians from Kosovo for alleged terrorism as a judge during the Milosevic regime. After Milosevic was toppled later that year by a popular movement amid international pressure, Petronijevic became an attorney and subsequently represented alleged war criminals including Republika Srpska President Karadzic in The Hague. Last month, Petronijevic announced his plans to defend Dodik from Bosnian state charges stemming from the Bosnian Serb leader's moves to negate or ignore decisions by the country's Constitutional Court and its UN-backed overseer, High Representative Christian Schmidt. Petronijevic is listed in the Serbian business registry as the owner of Medija Centar Nogina I Kurinoja-Ruski Ekspres in Belgrade, a news agency created in 2014. Simpraga is also listed as Medija Centar's director. Medija Centar's posts are frequently shared by the Russian House in the Serbian capital, a representative office of the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, known as Rossotrudnichestvo. Rossotrudnichestvo is an independent agency under the auspices of the Russian Foreign Ministry active in diaspora relations and humanitarian efforts abroad. It has regularly organized and supported events that justify the war in Ukraine. Russian House Director Yevgeny Baranov, who enjoys diplomatic immunity, has appeared in photos alongside Simpraga on social networks. Baranov is also a former chairman of the Russian Humanitarian Mission (RHM), an NGO that Petronijevic helped found and that shares a Belgrade address with the Medija Centar news agency. The RHM's projects include financing the construction of a road in southern Serbia that has been named in honor Putin since 2016. Written by Andy Heil based on reporting in Belgrade by RFE/RL's Balkan Service correspondents Dusan Komarcevic and Milos Katic. Bustling traffic returned to Pakistan's Torkham checkpoint on September 15 as the crucial crossing on the border with Afghanistan reopened for trucks and pedestrians. Families with children and people seeking medical treatment entered Pakistan while others were returning to Afghanistan. The border gate was closed after a reported gunfight between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani paramilitary patrols on September 6. The closure left thousands of people stranded and business owners complained of serious losses. Hundreds of Afghan citizens have been detained in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh, most of them in the port city of Karachi, for allegedly not possessing legal residency documentation. But many Afghans complained they were held by police despite having the correct documents. Sindh Province Governor Kamran Tessori said on September 11 that Pakistan's federal government had decided to repatriate illegal Afghan immigrants. Authoritarian Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on September 15 in the resort city of Sochi for talks on bilateral ties and integration within the so-called union state amid their international isolation over the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin said in a statement the two leaders also discussed Putin's meeting this week with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who offered his country's "full and unconditional support" to defend what he said was Russia's security interests. The statement said Lukashenka noted at the Sochi meeting -- the seventh time Putin and Lukashanka have met this year alone -- that "three more months" are needed to accomplish the needed steps to complete the integration efforts between Russia and Belarus, and he expressed hope that his country will be included in the development of the Russia-North Korea partnership. He did not elaborate. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Putin called relations with Belarus "stable and reliable" while also highlighting "mutual issues and mutual obligations." He also called speculation that he had asked Kim for help in fighting the war against Ukraine "complete nonsense." Kim is reported to have visited military- and civil-aviation factories in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on September 15, completing his visit to Russia. While Belarus has not sent forces to join Russia's war in Ukraine, it has allowed Moscow to use its territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion it launched in February 2022. The two allies signed documents allowing for the placement of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus -- the first relocation of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union -- in May. The announcement sparked immediate criticism from governments around the world, while NATO called it "dangerous and irresponsible." On September 13, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Belarus's involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine and called Lukashenka's regime "an accomplice in the crimes committed by Russia." The resolution expressed concern about "the rampant political, economic, military, and cultural subordination of Belarus to Moscow," calling Belarus "a satellite state of Russia." The resolution also denounced the "illegal transfer of more than 2,150 children, including orphans" from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to Belarus and called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to consider issuing a warrant for Lukashenka's arrest. The ICC in March issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of being responsible for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, which constitutes a war crime. The resolution also condemned the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, calling it a "blatant violation of Belarus's nuclear-free status." Belarus has welcomed closer relations with Moscow since a wave of crushing sanctions were imposed on it by the West after a deadly government crackdown on massive protests following a disputed 2020 presidential election that handed Lukashenka a sixth term. More sanctions have followed over Minsk's role in the Ukraine war. Lukashenka showed his loyalty in late June when he took part in talks to end a mutiny by the private Wagner Group, claiming he helped halt the revolt by agreeing with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and Putin to host Wagner troops in Belarus. The Russian woman, who identified herself as Yelena, called into the live teleconference hosted by the governor of the Leningrad region earlier this month, complaining about the conditions her husband was fighting under in Ukraine and pleading for help for her exhausted spouse. "My husband has been fighting, living, sleeping, eating in a trench for almost 10 months now. He has never been on leave during this time. Of course, it's enormous physical and moral fatigue. I would even say exhaustion," she said in the September 4 call. "We, the wives, children, mothers of the mobilized send humanitarian aid. We took all the men's work on ourselves, everyday life, raising children. But human resources are not limitless." The governor, Aleksandr Drozdenko, promised to do what he could: "Thank you for your support, for the front, for your husbands, brothers, sons, for their return home. Onward to victory!" Yelena's complaints, though impossible to verify, are not isolated. They're the latest in a growing litany of grievances from soldiers, their spouses and parents, and supporters of Russia's war underscoring long-known systemic problems within Russia's armed forces. The weight of the complaints has added to calls from some commanders, hawkish military bloggers, and nationalists that Russia needs more soldiers -- just as the Kremlin has shown some potential signs that it is about to embark on a new effort to bolster its fighting forces. Just don't call it a mobilization. "I'm not sure that another wave of mobilization will [occur] in the next few weeks. But I'm sure" it will happen, said Ian Matveev, a Russian military analyst affiliated with the Anti-Corruption Foundation, an organization set up by imprisoned opposition activist Aleksei Navalny. "It's connected with the necessity of war. Russian government and military officials are trying to find new troops for voluntary contracts now. But they aren't successful now. And there's no successes at the front," Matveev said. "It makes mobilization inevitable." "There is no sense to speculate on mobilization. We will see the reality soon," said Pavel Luzin, a Russian military analyst and visiting scholar at Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts. Digital Draft Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has struggled to insulate the wider Russian population from the grim realities of war -- something increasingly difficult as estimates of Russian casualties top as many as 120,000 dead and 180,000 wounded. In September 2022, after months of stealthy recruiting efforts and with battlefield progress stalled, the Kremlin announced a mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Russians. It was the country's first since World War II and was a tacit admission that the Kremlin faced serious battlefield difficulties, bringing the war closer to home for ordinary Russians. Some 300,000 Russians were ultimately mobilized and deployed. Along with soldiers from the Wagner mercenary group, which enlisted thousands of prison inmates, the effort stabilized Russian lines, though it failed to allow for any major new offensives against Ukrainian forces. The recruitment and mobilization efforts shined a harsh light on the antiquated systems used by military recruiters to identify eligible men and compel them to serve. Authorities responded by modernizing their computer systems to track eligible men, and lawmakers moved to set up a digital database that makes it easier to serve draft papers. The system relies on an existing national government web portal called Gosuslugi, which Russians use to do things such as pay taxes or apply for pension or disability benefits. Under a new law, a person can be penalized for ignoring draft notices, regardless of whether they use Gosuslugi, including being banned from leaving the country, prohibited from driving, or getting a home or registering small businesses. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. More recently, lawmakers moved to raise the age limit for Russians in the military reserve by five years. And just this week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu issued new orders listing health conditions and diseases that will exempt draft-age men from service. "Throughout this year, we've seen how the Russian government is frantically trying to patch up all these seams and holes, to establish this entire mobilization procedure," said Sergei Krivenko, director of Citizen and Army, a Russian rights group that provides legal representation to conscripted soldiers. "Amendments and electronic summonses are being adopted, fines are being tightened, and this whole system is being adjusted," he told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "And this is the most important indicator that the military registration and enlistment office system is being streamlined: for conscription and for mobilization, of course." At the beginning of September, an edict purportedly signed by Shoigu circulated on Telegram and other social media channels, detailing an upcoming mobilization order. It was derided as a fake by some officials, including Andrei Kartapolov, an influential lawmaker and head of the Defense Committee in the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. That was preceded by other unconfirmed reports on Telegram, including one that said the Kremlin's Security Council had settled on a plan for 1.2 million draft summonses to be sent out beginning September 25, with about one-third of that figure targeted for actual mobilization. The question of a new mobilization was also raised earlier this week at an economic forum in the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok, attended by President Vladimir Putin. There was no need, Putin said, because 270,000 people had volunteered for military service over the past six to seven months. "People willingly enroll in the military under today's conditions, realizing that they will ultimately end up at the front," he said on September 12. "Our men, Russian men, realizing that they can give their lives for the motherland or be seriously wounded, still do it, consciously and voluntarily, defending the interests of the motherland." That same day, however, a closely read Telegram channel called VChK-OGPU -- which is known for leaks from the Federal Security Service, Russia's main domestic intelligence agency -- published a post saying preparations were already under way for the second wave of mobilization. The measures, the post said, were delayed until after countrywide local and regional elections finished on September 10, and needed to be put in place before the presidential election in March 2024, in which Putin is expected to run again. The issue, according to the VChK-OGPU post, had sparked "severe disagreements" among hawkish national-security officials and the Presidential Administration, an influential, domestic-policy, executive-branch entity within the Kremlin. The Presidential Administration, "fearing an unpredictable reaction from both the bottom and the very top, insists on maintaining the current order, while the [hawks], having fallen into euphoria, have decided to go all-in," it said. In its daily report on September 11, the Ukrainian military's General Staff, which has sought to exaggerate Russian problems as a part of its propaganda and information warfare efforts, said heavy casualties will force Russian commanders to start mass mobilization, aiming for between 400,000 to 700,000 people, along with another 40,000 people from the Russian region of Chechnya. In an interview with a regional TV channel on September 1, Andrei Gurulyov, another influential Duma lawmaker who is also known for close ties to military officials, also batted away the rumors of a new mobilization, saying Russia's system of equipping, arming, training, and deploying soldiers wasn't capable of processing large numbers all at once. Moreover, Russia's next biannual conscription -- whereby all men between 18-27 are obliged to serve one year in the armed forces -- is set to begin on October 1. Though the law forbids deploying those conscripts to Ukraine, they will still need to be equipped, clothed, and transported to training bases -- at the same time any possible mass mobilization might occur. "Someone is always trying to stir up trouble, rumors of mobilization, and for what?" Gurulyov said in the interview. "Yes, today there is a war going on. Today people have been sent, they're going, and we have our own obligations to fulfill in our region. "But there's a second point: In order to mobilize masses -- let's say mobilize 3 million troops -- we need to get them weapons, equipment, clothing, ammunition, the means for fighting, for logistics, fuel, food, and everything else," he said. "To mobilize people all at once, the industrial complex just won't be able to respond." That, experts say, suggests that Russian recruiters may simply rely on the existing system of recruitment: patriotic advertising campaigns that highlight lucrative salaries and benefits for volunteer soldiers, along with veterans' pensions and death benefits for widows. "Look, it won't happen in the near future, because the conscription for military service begins October 1," Mikhail Salkin, a Russian lawyer and rights activist, told RFE/RL. "Accordingly, the military registration and enlistment offices simply cannot cope with the processing and broad mobilization of conscripts. And our conscription lasts until December, so I think that this will definitely not happen during the conscription period. "And then we have a presidential election, under which, probably, these sorts of stressful situations, like mobilization, won't happen publicly," Salkin said. A new round of mobilization would repeat the same problems experienced last year, Luzin said, but would also require more coercion and cause more economic -- and political -- disruption. Recruiters could also opt to broaden short-term contracts for conscripted soldiers: younger men who are about to complete their mandatory service, he said. The benefit to that, he said, is that "18-year-old stupid and badly trained soldiers are much better than 35-year-old stupid, and badly trained ones [and] 18-year-old soldiers can be better motivated by money they have never seen." "Anyway, there is a deficit of bottom-level commanders within the Russian armed forces," he said. "So, you may mobilize people but there is [still] a problem with commanders." 'If The Authorities Refute Something, It Will Definitely Happen' Still, the Kremlin -- and in particular, the Presidential Administration, which keeps a close eye on national sentiment and public opinion -- has reportedly begun to respond more aggressively to talk of a new mobilization. At least two Russian organizations that are considered pro-government have received "urgent requests" from the Presidential Administration to refrain from covering any rumors of a new mobilization. According to the online news site Meduza, media have even been ordered to not cover public refutations or denials by officials or Duma lawmakers of such rumors. "And as we all know in Russia, if the authorities refute something, then it will definitely happen," one journalist at a Russian tabloid told Meduza. Soldiers who have served in Ukraine, meanwhile, also say they're expecting another mobilization. Speaking to RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, while on leave from fighting in Ukraine, Almaz, a Tatar man who previously served in Chechnya, said the Ukraine conflict was "a thousand times more terrible." The Ukrainians "have a lot of weapons. On our side, many people are dying, and there aren't enough people. There will be a new mobilization. It's unavoidable." DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, September 15. Tajikistan proposes to develop separate cooperation programs within the Central Asian region in the spheres of agriculture, industry and active introduction of new technologies, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said at the 5th Consultative Meeting of Heads of Central Asian States in Dushanbe, Trend reports. "Against the background of long instability of the world economy due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and a number of other factors, positive dynamics is nevertheless evident in our region. The statistics of our mutual trade turnover confirms this conclusion," he said. The president also noted that in Tajikistan's context, trade with the countries of the region has grown one and a half to two times, and the share of Central Asian countries in the total volume of Tajikistan's trade turnover last year amounted to about thirty (28.2) percent. Rahmon added that it is necessary to identify new points of joint growth and use all the potential to ensure a strategic breakthrough in the economic direction. 1 Migrants who were caught close to the Serbia-Hungary border are guarded by Serbian special forces near the city of Subotica on September 12. Serbia is on the main route for migrants from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East aiming to reach the EU. Serbian police have long been at the border but have now reinforced the area with more heavily armed personnel. Ukraine has claimed multiple victories in its ongoing counteroffensive against Russian forces as its president prepares for meetings next week with U.S. President Joe Biden and Congress that could prove influential in mustering international support for Kyiv as it battles Russia's 18-month-old invasion. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on September 15 that Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington on September 21 for what will be their third meeting at the White House. Both Biden and Zelenskiy are slated to address the 78th session of the UN General Assembly next week, and Zelenskiy is expected to use his in-person appearance with U.S. and world leaders to rally support and plead for advanced weapons and ammunition to aid his country's ongoing counteroffensive to retake Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces. Sullivan also said that Zelenskiy will visit the U.S. Capitol, where he can meet "congressional leaders from both parties to make the case that the United States has been a great friend and partner to Ukraine throughout this entire brutal war." The U.S. Congress is currently debating Biden's request to provide as much as $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. It certainly comes at a critical time, as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine, as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in their counteroffensive, and just after the next Ukraine defense contact group meeting," Sullivan said, referring to a meeting organized by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that will be held in Europe next week. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit this week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in eastern Russia in what Western officials believe could be an effort by Moscow to trade advanced technology for ammunition to feed its war in Ukraine. Putin and Kim are reportedly planning to meet again in North Korea at Kim's invitation. Reports have suggested that pressure from the United States and other allies has mounted on Ukraine to demonstrate success in the ongoing major counteroffensive it launched in June. Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials have pushed back on criticisms about the pace of the Ukrainian military's push to retake Russian-occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. Earlier this month, Zelenskiy announced that he had replaced Ukraine's defense minister because "new approaches" were needed. He also has repeatedly touted the Ukrainian military's successes on the battlefield, insisting that "no matter what anyone says, we are advancing, and that is the most important thing." Late on September 14, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address that Ukrainian forces had achieved a "triumph" earlier in the day by "destroying" Russian air defenses in occupied Crimea. But reports have nevertheless suggested that pressure from the United States and other allies has mounted on Ukraine to demonstrate success in the counteroffensive it launched in June. Last week, Zelenskiy said that "slower" arms shipments from Western countries were threatening the counteroffensive and called for a renewed drive to impose further sanctions on Moscow. The Biden-Zelenskiy meeting would be their first since the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania in July. Zelenskiy last visited the United States in December, in his first trip abroad since the all-out invasion began in February 2022. Early on September 15, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said its troops had retaken the Donetsk town of Andriyivka, about 10 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut, "inflicting significant losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment." A day earlier, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar announced the liberation of Andriyivka before withdrawing her statement and saying heavy fighting there was continuing and the situation was "very difficult and volatile." Ukraine's military also said it was having "partial success" in the nearby area of Klishchiyivka. RFE/RL cannot independently confirm claims of battlefield developments by either side in areas of the heaviest fighting. With reporting by CNN, The Washington Post, and Reuters Thousands of pilgrims from Israel and other countries arrived on September 14 in Uman, Ukraine, to mark the Jewish New Year. The city, south of Kyiv, is revered by the Hasidic movement in Judaism as the burial place of its co-founder, Rabbi Nachman. Ukrainian authorities advised against the travel amid ongoing random Russian attacks, but then strengthened local security measures in Uman due to unceasing interest in the pilgrimage. A senior U.S. diplomat has told RFE/RL that it is "crunch time" for Ukraine's counteroffensive against invading Russian forces. Speaking in Prague on September 15, Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could use a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, next week to press the case for further military support. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Bilateral trade turnover between Lithuania and Turkmenistan amounted to 17.3 million euros last year, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania told Trend. It was noted that the total volume of Lithuania's exports to Turkmenistan amounted to 15.5 million euros, which is 13 percent less compared to the same period in 2021. "The structure of total exports is as follows: vehicles (45 percent), mechanical machinery and appliances (16 percent), miscellaneous food products (7 percent), electrical machinery, audio, and video equipment (7 percent)," said the source. Furthermore, the ministry added that Lithuania imports mainly iron and steel products from Turkmenistan (28 percent of total imports); cotton (26 percent); fertilizers (21 percent); mineral fuels, oils, waxes, and bituminous materials (15 percent); cotton wool, felt, and non-wovens (7 percent). "Lithuania and Turkmenistan have had friendly bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in July 1992. Lithuania has two bilateral agreements with Turkmenistan: the Agreement on Economic Cooperation (since 2013) and the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital (since 2014)," said the source. Meanwhile, at the end of June this year, a meeting of the delegations of Turkmenistan headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vepa Hajiyev and Latvia headed by Vice Minister Mantas Adomenas was held in Ashgabat, during which the readiness of the parties to actively develop cooperation in the energy sector was confirmed. . Manish Sisodia AAP Leader's Bail Plea Hearing Postponed; Allegations of Immediate Attention Raised by Defense Counsel NEW-DELHI: The Supreme Court of India has deferred the hearing on the bail appeals of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Manish Sisodia, pertaining to two cases linked to the Delhi Excise Policy. The new hearing date has been set for October 4. Both cases are under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Decision to adjourn was made during the hearing presided over by Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti, as senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, requested additional time for a comprehensive argument. Singhvi emphasized the need for immediate attention, stating, "I am in jail. We (both parties) agree. My hearing will take at least 2-3 hours." Advertisement Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju concurred with Singhvi's request for an extension. Singhvi further raised concerns about media coverage on this case and related matters involving Satinder Jain, claiming that articles in newspapers were affecting the case. The bench responded by highlighting the importance of not allowing media narratives to influence judicial proceedings. On July 14, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to respond to Sisodia's interim bail plea. Sisodia, who held the position of Deputy Chief Minister and managed various departments, including the Excise Department, was arrested on February 26 in connection with the alleged 'scam'. He has been in custody since then. Following his arrest by CBI, the ED also arrested Sisodia after interrogating him in Tihar Jail on March 9, relating to a money laundering case associated with the black money scam. Sisodia resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on February 28, subsequent to his arrest. K. Kavitha Enforcement Directorate Continues Probe into Alleged Irregularities in Delhi Excise Policy NEW-DELHI: In the ongoing investigation into the Delhi Excise Policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a summons to K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Officials made this announcement on Thursday, indicating that K. Kavitha has been called in for questioning. This development follows her previous appearances at the ED headquarters in March. As part of the investigation, K. Kavitha is required to surrender her mobile phones to the federal agency. The case revolves around allegations of significant discrepancies in the Delhi government's excise policy for the fiscal year 2021-22, particularly concerning the issuance of licenses to liquor traders. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in the national capital had vehemently refuted these allegations. Advertisement Subsequently, the excise policy in question was revoked, and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry. Following this recommendation, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. During the course of its investigation, the ED recorded a statement from Buchibabu, an accountant believed to be associated with K. Kavitha. In his statement, Buchibabu reportedly mentioned, "There was a political reconciliation between Kavitha, the Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal), and the Deputy Chief Minister (Manish Sisodia). As part of this process, Kavitha also met with Vijay Nair on March 19-20, 2021." It's worth noting that Kavitha has consistently maintained her innocence throughout the investigation. She has also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government of politically wielding the ED for their own purposes. Congress MLA Mamman Khan Khan Accused of Plotting Communal Violence in Nuh, To Appear in Court Today NUH, HARYANA: Congress MLA Mamman Khan, representing Firozpur Jhirka, was arrested by Haryana Police late on Thursday night in connection with the Nuh violence case. DSP Satish Kumar confirmed the arrest, stating that Mamman Khan is scheduled to appear in court today (Sept 15, Friday). The Haryana government informed the High Court on Thursday that Congress MLA Mamman Khan had been named as an accused in one of the FIRs registered concerning the communal violence that occurred in Nuh on July 31. Authorities claim to possess substantial evidence against Mamman Khan, leading to his arrest. The state government's legal counsel made this assertion during the hearing on Khan's petition in the Punjab Haryana High Court on Thursday. Mamman Khan had filed a petition seeking relief from potential punitive actions against him. Advertisement Sources indicate that Khan has been implicated as an accused in an FIR filed in connection with the communal violence at Nuh's Nagina police station. Police investigations allegedly uncovered phone communication between Khan and a suspect named Muhammad Tawfiq, who had already been arrested in relation to the violence. Notably, Mamman Khan was summoned for questioning on August 31 but failed to appear, citing health issues. Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Addresses 'Govt-Industry Meet' to Boost Rural Industrialization & Job Creation JALANDHAR: In a significant push towards fostering industrial growth in Punjab, particularly in rural regions, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann extended a warm invitation to industrialists to establish industrial units in the state's rural areas. Speaking during the 'Government-Industry Meet' held in Jalandhar, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of nurturing industrialization in rural pockets, recognizing it as a crucial step to accomplish two vital objectives, driving industrial development and generating employment opportunities for rural youth. CM Mann assured industrialists of unwavering government support in setting up their ventures in these areas, underscoring the state government's commitment to expedite industrial progress. Advertisement Highlighting the state's vision, CM Mann revealed plans to construct a convention center in Jalandhar, strategically located near the airport and railway station, aimed at providing convenience to industrialists. He reiterated his dedication to advancing industrial development within the state. Proudly acknowledging Punjab's remarkable achievement in the MSME sector, Chief Minister Mann pointed out that the state had outperformed the rest of the nation. Punjab is currently home to an impressive 2.75 lakh MSMEs, with the highest registration of units in the country. CM Mann emphasized the significant role of MSMEs in driving socio-economic development, both at the state and national levels. ----People-Friendly Decisions Advertisement In a direct critique of opposition parties, the Chief Minister underscored the importance of connecting with the people while in power. He noted that politicians who neglected this essential aspect of governance had been sidelined by the people of Punjab. He emphasized that a new era had begun in the state, where people-friendly decisions were now taking precedence in the government's agenda. Chief Minister Mann highlighted the present government's commitment to serving the public by managing hospitals, schools, and other public welfare initiatives, contrasting it with the previous administration's alleged corruption. The CM also criticized previous governments for imposing restrictions on industrialists and labeling them as wrongdoers. He affirmed that the state now boasts a genuinely pro-industry government with a streamlined single-window system, replacing the previous bureaucratic hurdles. The Chief Minister highlighted the state government's efforts in ensuring a consistent supply of coal from backlog coal mines, which had resumed after 2015. He condemned the previous governments for unjustly extracting funds from private thermal plots by halting coal supply from these mines. He assured that uninterrupted power supply was now provided to industries, even during the paddy season. Advertisement Chief Minister Mann pledged the state's commitment to transforming Punjab into the country's industrial hub, despite the financial challenges inherited from previous administrations. He underscored the state government's determination to safeguard Punjab's interests and its resistance to unfavorable decisions imposed by the central government. The Chief Minister concluded by highlighting the fulfillment of promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, particularly in sectors such as health, education, and electricity. He noted that even promises not initially made had been kept, reflecting the government's commitment to its constituents. Furthermore, CM Mann mentioned the initiation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects for the development of focal points and the establishment of police posts in industrial areas to maintain law and order. He emphasized the government's accomplishments in the past 18 months, surpassing those of previous administrations spanning over seven decades. Advertisement The event was graced by dignitaries, including Cabinet Minister Anmol Gagan Maan, Lok Sabha Member Sushil Kumar Rinku, Rajya Sabha Member Raghav Chadha, and prominent personalities Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Vikramjit Sahni, Ashok Mittal, and Sanjeev Arora. Notably, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma provided an overview of the state's industrial development in the last 18 months of the government's tenure. Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh Govt Dental Colleges in Amritsar & Patiala Set to Transform, Five District Hospitals to House Advanced Dental Implant Centers CHANDIGARH: In a Significant Move aimed at enhancing oral healthcare services across Punjab's government hospitals and medical colleges, Health and Family Welfare Minister of Punjab, Dr. Balbir Singh, has unveiled a series of projects to modernize dental healthcare infrastructure. The key initiatives include the upgrade of Government Dental Colleges in Amritsar and Patiala, the establishment of trauma wards, introduction of super-specialty facilities, advanced dental implant centers in district hospitals, and the installation of orthopantomogram (OPG) machines. Dr. Balbir Singh encouraged dentists to advance their skills and expertise, announcing plans to honor the best-performing dentists in district hospitals and facilitate their direct placement in medical colleges. Furthermore, the Health Minister assured that all vacant dentist positions in the state would be promptly filled. Advertisement In a groundbreaking development, advanced dental implant centers will be inaugurated in five district hospitals, including Mohali, Patiala, Jalandhar, Rupnagar, and Amritsar. Additionally, state-of-the-art OPG machines, which provide panoramic scanning dental X-rays of the upper and lower jaw, will be installed in Amritsar and Mohali district hospitals. These services will later be expanded to all district hospitals following the successful implementation of the pilot projects. Under the National Oral Health Program (NOHP) Punjab, Dr. Balbir Singh lauded the efforts to provide oral healthcare services to Punjab's residents. This year, 5431 patients received free dental implants, and last year, 67478 school children and 48028 patients were screened and treated for various oral diseases during the dental fortnight conducted in state dental OPDs. During the event, the Health Minister recognized districts that performed the highest number of dental implant procedures during the dental fortnight. Medical Officers (Dental) who conducted the most oral surgeries in dental OPDs, demonstrated exemplary IEC content, or organized innovative anti-tobacco awareness activities on World No Tobacco Day were also honored. Advertisement Director Health, Dr. Adarshpal Kaur, outlined the purpose of the annual in-service reorientation training session, which aimed to acquaint Medical Officers (Dental) with the latest treatment methods in dental implants, prosthodontics, and orthodontics. Esteemed experts, including Dr. Nitin Verma, Head of Oral Surgery at Government Dental College, Amritsar, Dr. KBS Kukreja in MDS Prosthodontics, and Dr. Vikas Gupta in MDS Prosthodontics, conducted informative training sessions for dental surgeons from government health facilities. Notably, Deputy Director (Dental), Dr. Surinder Mal, assured the Health Minister of further improvements in oral health facilities throughout the state. Notable dignitaries present at the event included Director Family Welfare Dr. Hitinder Kaur, Principal SIHFW Dr. Jaswinder Kumari, Civil Surgeon Mohali, Mahesh Ahuja, Director Procurement PHSC Dr. Pawanpreet Kaur, and State Nodal Officer (Dental) Dr. Navrup Kaur. Journalist Harmeet Singh Harmeet Singh, Prominent Journalist, Grapples with Legal Woes & Professional Setback Amid Defamation Allegations ISLAMABAD: Harmeet Singh, Pakistan's inaugural Sikh journalist and anchor, finds himself in a precarious situation after being served a Rs 10 billion defamation notice by a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader. Singh, known for his contributions to journalism, recently faced professional repercussions after sharing a news story concerning a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation into the PPP. Singh's predicament began when he shared news on his social media handle regarding a NAB investigation into the PPP, involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party. The news stated that a substantial sum, approximately Rs 97 billion, was recovered from the residence of former minister Shazia Maryam. Singh's post followed widespread dissemination of this information by local news channels and independent journalists from Sindh. Advertisement However, upon receiving a complaint from former minister Shazia Maryam, Singh was reprimanded by his employer, Public TV, and subsequently terminated from his position. Realizing the news was false, Singh promptly deleted the tweet and issued a written apology to Shazia Maryam, acknowledging his error. Regrettably, Shazia responded by initiating a legal proceeding, seeking Rs 10 billion in damages for defamation. Expressing the grave implications of these events on his career, Singh, who also manages a YouTube channel, emphasized that media houses in Pakistan have seemingly closed their doors to him. He lamented, "It is becoming very difficult for me to live. I got many job offers from foreign channels but I wanted to work for my country, but I didn't know that this country is an elite club." For Representative Purpose Only Disturbing Incident in British Columbia Raises Concerns Over Rising Hate Crimes TORONTO: In a disheartening incident highlighting a potential hate crime in British Columbia, Canada, a Sikh high school student, aged 17, was assaulted following an altercation. The episode transpired on Monday at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East in Kelowna, where the student was reportedly pepper-sprayed and subjected to physical assault. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the assault occurred as the Sikh student disembarked from a public transport bus to head home. Detailed information regarding the incident has not yet been provided by the police. The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has expressed deep concern, alleging that the student was also assaulted within the vehicle. Advertisement Vice-President Guntaas Kaur of WSO British Columbia conveyed, "Monday's attack on a student in Kelowna is unacceptable." Notably, This is the second distressing instance of violence targeting a Sikh youth within a public vehicle in the city this year. In a prior incident in March, Gagandeep Singh, a 21-year-old Sikh student from India, fell victim to an attack by an unidentified group of individuals in the British Columbia province. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 15. Uzbekistan expressed its readiness to develop a National Water Conservation Program as part of the Development Strategy being implemented in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The statement was made by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at a meeting of the Council of Heads of the Founder States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in Tajikistans Dushanbe on September 15. The president noted that the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea is, first of all, a unique experience of the multilateral cooperation of the Central Asian countries in solving one of the most acute problems on a global scale. "I would like to note that large-scale work is currently being carried out in Uzbekistan to improve the environmental and social situation in the Aral Sea region. Based on the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on the declaration of the Aral Sea region as a zone of environmental innovations and technologies, an Action Plan and a Program of measures for sustainable socio-economic development, employment, and improving the standard of living of the population are being implemented," the president elaborated. The President of Uzbekistan called upon other Central Asian countries to strengthen cooperation in the field of water conservation by identifying it as one of the priorities of the fund's activities. In the last few years, forest plantations have been carried out on the dried-up bottom of the Aral Sea on an area of 1.7 million hectares. It is planned to create protective green lanes on another 400,000 hectares in the next two years. Natural parks, nature reserves, and state reserves were created on an area of more than 3.5 million hectares to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea disaster as well as preserve biodiversity in the region. As of today, the total area of protected natural territories in the Aral Sea region amounts to 4.6 million hectares. In addition, Uzbekistan is implementing full-scale measures to improve the efficiency of water use in the country. Over the past 7 years, water-saving technologies have been implemented on an area of more than 1 million hectares, which is about a quarter of all irrigated land in the country. China is scheduled to release a raft of data on Friday, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are August figures for industrial production, retail sales, fixed asset investment and unemployment. Industrial production is expected to rise 4.0 percent on year, up from 3.7 percent in July. Retail sales are seen higher by an annual 3.0 percent, up from 2.5 percent in the previous month. FAI is tipped to gain 3.3 percent on year, easing from 3.4 percent a month earlier. The jobless rate is seen steady at 5.3 percent. South Korea will see August figures for imports, exports and trade balance. In July, imports were down 22.8 percent on year and exports fell 8.4 percent on year, resulting in a trade surplus of $0.87 billion. New Zealand will see August results for the Performance of Manufacturing Survey from BusinessNZ; in July, the index score was 46.3. Indonesia will provide August figures for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to sink 9.55 percent on year after shedding 8.32 percent in July. Exports are predicted to plummet an annual 23.4 percent after dropping 18.03 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $1.50 billion, up from $1.31 billion a month earlier. Japan will see July results for its tertiary industry activity index; in June, the index score was 3.90. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Canadian stocks closed on a buoyant note on Thursday as investors indulged in strong buying in various sectors, reacting positively to fairly upbeat U.S. retail sales data. Mirroring widespread buying, all the sectoral indices ended in positive territory, with stocks from real estate, industrials, materials, and utilities sections rising sharply. Several stocks from healthcare, financials, consumer discretionary and energy sectors too posted impressive gains. The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended with a gain of 288.90 points or 1.42% at 20,567.84, slightly off the day's high of 20,576.52. Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC.TO) climbed nearly 7%. Canadian National Railway (CNR.TO), West Fraser Timber (WFG.TO), Teck Resources (TECK.A.TO), FirstService Corporation (FSV.TO), Stella-Jones Inc (SJ.TO) and Constellation Software (CSU.TO) gained 3 to 3.5%. Boyd Group Services (BYD.TO), Imperial Oil (IMO.TO), Stantec (STN.TO), WSP Global (WSP.TO), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP.TO), Toromont Industries (TIH.TO) and Kinaxis Inc (KXS.TO) also posted strong gains. Empire Company Limited (EMP.A.TO) gained nearly 3%. The company reported first quarter net earnings of $261.0 million ($1.03 per share) compared to $187.5 million ($0.71 per share) last year. Among the losers, Dye & Durham (DND.TO) plunged 19%. Laurentian Bank (LB.TO) tanked 12.5%. On the Canadian economic front, data from Statistics Canada showed wholesale sales in Canada rose by 0.2% month-over-month to C$81.3 billion in July 2023, compared to a preliminary estimate of a 1.4% gain and following a downwardly revised 2.1% drop in the previous month. In U.S. economic news, a Commerce Department report showed retail sales in the U.S. increased by much more than expected in the month of August. The report said retail sales climbed by 0.6% in August after rising by a downwardly revised 0.5% in July. Economists had expected retail sales to inch up by 0.2% compared to the 0.7% increase originally reported for the previous month. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News argenx SE (ARGX), a Dutch immunology company, Friday announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use or CHMP has recommended European Commission approval for Subcutaneous Efgartigimod to treat Generalized Myasthenia Gravis or gMG. The European Commission's decision on marketing authorization application or MAA is expected within approximately 60 days. gMG is a rare and chronic autoimmune disease where IgG autoantibodies disrupt communication between nerves and muscles, causing debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. The positive opinion is for the subcutaneously or SC injectable formulation of efgartigimod as an add on to standard therapy for the treatment of adult patients with gMG who are anti acetylcholine receptor or AChR antibody positive. The recommendation is based on Phase 3 ADAPT-SC study demonstrating noninferior total IgG reduction at day 29 with SC administered efgartigimod, compared to intravenous or IV administration SC efgartigimod is formulated with Halozyme's ENHANZE drug delivery to facilitate subcutaneous delivery of biologics. Jan De Bleecker, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University, said, "I'm pleased to learn of the CHMP's positive opinion as it represents a significant advancement for the gMG community who would benefit from an additional, effective treatment option that can improve quality of life and better manage this chronic condition. In particular, SC efgartigimod has the potential to have a positive impact on treatment convenience, leading to a broader positive impact for patients and healthcare systems." For More Such Health News, visit rttnews.com For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Rhodes University's Director of Internationalisation, Orla Quinlan. By Orla Quinlan and Dr Darla Deardorff The Global Leadership Summit held on 22 August in Durban, South Africa, brought together leaders of international education from numerous countries around the world to discuss the most pressing issues currently facing international higher education in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. Hosted and organised by the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) in partnership with the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), which works with senior leaders in international education, the Global Leadership Summit was the inaugural joint activity of these two professional associations. Following a welcome from Dr Lavern Samuels, IEASA president, and Dr Jeet Joshee, AIEA president, the summit opened with a global keynote from Ramu Damodaran, deputy permanent observer of the intergovernmental University for Peace to the United Nations. Perspectives on urgent climate action were shared by Dr Savo Heleta and Dr Samia Chasi, who challenged international educators to relook at the current extensive travel footprint, along with other harmful environmental practices, and to consider how leaders urgently need to approach internationalisation in a more sustainable way, particularly through sustainable partnerships and decolonised curricula. A golden era of leadership Keynote speaker Thandeka Gqubele-Mbeki, a journalist and author, shared her experience of working as a journalist with a South African broadcasting company and discussed the impact of unjust decisions that resulted in subsequent protests by journalists. It was ultimately a personal story about choices to be made and the price of ethical leadership in corrupt contexts. She asked how leaders can give voice to the silenced and address the inequities between the haves and the have-nots. Gqubele-Mbeki spoke about the golden era of African leadership, referring to the post-colonial leaders who focused on the common good rather than personal greed. She challenged leaders to return to what it means to be human, to be vehemently anti-materialist, to reclaim the prominence of Africa, and to remake higher education institutions in an African likeness. Considering the implications for universities, she suggested that universities are often an extension tool of the governing elites. As such, we need to imagine what a post-colonial African university might look like. She spoke of the need to excavate indigenous African epistemologies as part of that reimagining project. Furthering mutual understanding and tolerance becomes key in African universities of the future, she said. Throughout the summit, the need for leaders in international education to interrogate the dominant global narratives and combat the spread of hate was stressed. Other themes included the recognition that context and history are key to the nature of appropriate leadership; the necessity for leaders to actively address justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education; the need to challenge international relationships that reflect and perpetuate historical imbalances; the need to work better together as a continent; and the difficulty of promoting internationalisation of higher education in a gated world, with increasing obstacles (especially pertaining to visas) to accessing international education, especially for people from the Global South. Personal leadership journeys A panel of vice-chancellors and leaders reflected on their own journeys. Dr Esther Benjamin, CEO and executive director of World Education Services, spoke of how her family had overcome conflict and immigrated to the US to enable her to have an opportunity to be educated and take up several leadership roles. Professor Hassan Omar Mahadallah, rector and vice-chancellor of Somali National University, challenged the idea of a global citizen as a well-educated, middle-class, mobile academic, who could fit in and work anywhere in the world, comparing it to his own conception of a global citizen as someone who can flee as a refugee, learn a new language, understand a new religion, adapt and survive in a completely unfamiliar environment. Western Machiavellian styles of leadership are frowned upon in North African contexts Africa offers models of collective leadership that would be better for humanity. Ultimately, we need to revisit what it means to be human, Mahadallah suggested, flagging the need for investment in the humanities in higher education. Professor Evanilda Souza de Santana Carvalho, executive vice-rector at the State University of Feira de Santana, Brazil, shared her journey of coming from an indigenous background and having to lead in a male-dominated white space, working through a second language. Sustainable internationalisation Dr Stephen Appiah-Padi, director of the office of global and off-campus education at Bucknell University in the United States, provided a comparison and critique of recent definitions of internationalisation. Dr Quinton Johnson, director of the international office at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, said excellence, transformation and sustainability, intersecting with human potential, are the three critical pillars of his universitys internationalisation model. Dr Sonja Knutson, director of the internationalisation office at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, explored issues of sustainability and succession planning in university environments. Concerns included new university leaders as an opportunity for income generation rather than quality promotion. Sustainable international education needs to align with the core academic values of internationalisation and not just be about financial sustainability, she said. The need for ethical and democratic internationalisation was a recurring theme throughout the summit. Dr Ivor Emmanuel, director of the international office at the University of California, Berkeley, shared a model of building academic excellence to enhance reputation, becoming a magnet attracting international students from all over the world. Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion Fazela Haniff, a former president of IEASA, and a diversity inclusion HR specialist consultant in higher education and the ACEI Global Consulting Group, provided some thought-provoking insights on the challenges of promoting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in internationalisation in national contexts that are increasingly polarised, nationalistic and populist. Are we prepared to do the hard work to ensure inclusivity? Haniff asked. She said internationalisation needs to be seen as an investment and not as an expense. Participants identified an urgent need to develop a pipeline of professional international education practitioners and leaders. The importance of professional development and advanced degrees to prepare the next generation was strongly emphasised as a means to mitigate against an anticipated gap between the current expertise and the need for informed and experienced international practitioners and leaders in the future. Other recommendations included the need to consolidate resources and differentiate strengths in higher education institutions. The need for more interconnectedness between universities on the African continent was flagged as a priority, with suggestions of moving from bilateral to more multilateral partnerships across the Global South. A panel facilitated by Professor Judy Peter from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology provided commentary on the leadership lessons of the day from leaders of eight of the worlds most active international education associations, including AIEA, the Association of International Educators, or NAFSA, and the Canadian Bureau of International Education, or CBIE, from North America; FAUBAI from Brazil; the European Association of International Education, the African Network on International Education and IEASA from Africa and the International Association of Universities, which has a global reach. Members of the panel said they appreciated the difficult and challenging discussions about inequalities in international relationships. The fact that IEASA and AIEA had brought together such a wide range of international education leaders to discuss the current issues was applauded. Ultimately, international education leaders agreed that they must be agents of change, promote and ensure human rights, and speak truth to power. Orla Quinlan (Rhodes University), International Education Association of South Africa, and Dr Darla K Deardorff (Duke University), executive director of the Association of International Education Administrators, were programme directors of the Global Leadership Summit. The original article appeared on https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230914064818275 TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 15. Uzbekistans Uzaviation has offered German Lufthansa airline to start flying to Uzbekistan again, Trend reports. The issue was discussed between Director of Uzaviation agency Tahir Nazarov and the representatives of German airline. The parties negotiated on strengthening transport and logistics ties, increasing mutual tourist flows and launching new tourist routes between the two countries, more specifically, the restart of the Frankfurt Tashkent flight. Lufthansa operated regular passenger flights to Tashkent from Frankfurt from 1993 through 2001. The route was closed due to a drop in demand for air transportation after the events of September 11. The carrier resumed regular flights to the capital of Uzbekistan in 2010, but later curtailed them again. Earlier this year, Uzbekistan and Germany discussed issues of expanding tourist programs, developing new tourist routes of interest to tourists from Germany, and intensifying cooperation with German tour operators, as well as concluding contracts between travel companies and expanding cooperation networks. Health officials have determined that the person who contracted the exceedingly uncommon brain-eating amoeba that caused their infection died in Arkansas and was probably exposed to it at a country club splash pad, authorities said on Thursday. The Naegleria fowleri infection, an uncommon virus that damages brain tissue and occasionally results in death, has been reported by the Arkansas Department of Health as the cause of the death. The age of the deceased was not disclosed by the department. According to the agency, the public is not still at risk as a result of the exposure. The individual who passed away was most likely exposed at the splash pad at the Country Club of Little Rock, according to the departments analysis. Multiple samples from the pool and splash pad at the country club, according to the department, were forwarded to the CDC. The department reported that one splash pad sample had live Naegleria fowleri, and the CDC verified this. The department said that the country club had voluntarily shuttered the pool and splash pad. Pool and splash pad are still locked up. The country club, which the government said it had spoken with, had been helpful with its enquiries, it claimed. According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri infections occur when a person inhales water contaminated with the ameba through the nose. This frequently occurs when individuals swim, dive, or submerge their heads in freshwater, such as lakes and rivers. The agency emphasized the need of keeping soil pollution to a minimum and maintaining suitable disinfection levels in order to preserve swimming pools and splash pads. According to the CDC, consuming tainted water wont cause infection with Naegleria fowleri. And KTHV-TV, a CBS station in Little Rock, Arkansas, reported that the health department has determined the condition is not communicable. 2013 saw the final Arkansas case documented. Only around three Americans contract the virus each year, but these infections are typically deadly. A Brown-led team of scientists has discovered changes in malaria-causing parasites, complicating efforts to eradicate the illness in Africa. Malaria is a potentially fatal illness conveyed to people by certain species of mosquitos. Brown University, PROVIDENCE, R.I. Scientists have discovered new strains of malaria-causing parasites in Ethiopia that are both resistant to current treatments and evade detection by common diagnostic tests a development that could increase malaria cases and deaths while making eradicating the disease even more difficult. In Nature Microbiology, the scientists described their findings from a genomic monitoring research. Scientists had already discovered strains of the parasite that causes malaria that were resistant to most existing antimalarial medications in Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, and malaria parasites resistant to diagnostic testing had arisen in the Horn of Africa. Those parasites have spread independently, but the new study is the first published report to confirm the prevalence of this type of double-resistant malaria strain, according to study author Jeffrey Bailey, an associate professor of translational research and pathology and laboratory medicine at Brown University. Now were essentially seeing the worst-case scenario: parasites with the mutation that makes them resistant to treatment have also picked up the chromosomal deletions that make them invisible to diagnostic tests, Bailey explained. This means that it will be more difficult to detect infected people, and that when infected people are treated with antimalarial drugs, they may not work to prevent the disease from spreading. In Africa, fast diagnostic tests that identify certain parasite proteins in the blood that are highly expressed are used to diagnose malaria. Even if the patient is asymptomatic, the tests can prove malaria. The parasites that lack these genes have evolved to be invisible to the tests. The World Health Organization recommends a combination therapy comprising artemisinin-based pharmacological compounds as the first-line malaria treatment, which is particularly successful in avoiding mortality and minimizing transmission. The mutations discovered in Africa currently confer resistance to artemisinin. Baileys Brown University research team worked closely with researchers from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to conduct a comparative genomic analysis of malaria parasite samples with deleted protein-expressing genes collected across three regions of Ethiopia. The scientists, led by Bailey, co-director of the Ph.D. program at Browns Center for Computational Molecular Biology, employed molecular sequencing to analyze the incidence of mutations that confer artemisinin resistance. Abebe Fola, a postdoctoral researcher in Baileys group, was a key contributor to this study and is the papers first author. They discovered that 8.2% of drug-resistant parasites also had deletions in the protein-expressing gene, making them identifiable by diagnostic testing. Although the general incidence of malaria in Ethiopia is low, the illness is nevertheless prevalent across 75% of the nation, with 65% of the people at risk. Every year, more than 5 million cases of malaria are reported. The Ethiopian government has set a goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, and timely diagnosis and treatment with appropriate medications is a key component of the malaria eradication campaign. The spread of these parasites will undoubtedly make malaria elimination in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa more difficult, and will almost certainly lead to an increase in cases and deaths, Bailey said. The researchers came to the conclusion that close monitoring of the spread of combined drug- and diagnostic-resistant parasites is required, noting that a better understanding of how these mutations emerge, interact, and spread is critical to the success of future malaria control and elimination efforts across Africa. Furthermore, Bailey stated that there is an urgent need to find new malaria treatments, in addition to artemisinin, as well as vaccinations to prevent and reduce the spread of the illness. With the development and refining of next-generation sequencing, the capacity to undertake genomic surveillance to monitor mutations while hunting for new ones has considerably progressed over the previous decade, according to Bailey. His Brown group pioneered high-throughput techniques for sequencing multiple genes at once, and he has collaborated on studies like this one with teams from other institutions as well as health organizations in countries like Uganda. While this studys analysis was carried out at Brown, Bailey and other members of the research team are striving to strengthen genomic monitoring capabilities in Ethiopia and other regions of Africa. Written By Managing Editor she/her | Bridget is the Messengers managing editor. She oversees the newsroom and covers the Maple Run Unified School District and education at large. She also pays attention to recreation, food and the arts and is an avid cyclist and skier. | Hollyce Phillips at her home in Carlsbad, a local philanthropist who has served as a volunteer for many foundations including the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, San Diego Foundation and as a volunteer for numerous other groups. Twenty-six years ago, Hollyce Phillips was at the top of her game as the host of a morning news show on Seattle television. Then one day she woke up and couldnt hear a sound. Her profound deafness, caused by an auto-immune disease, ended her on-air career, but led to renewed purpose. Today, the 66-year-old Carlsbad resident is a full-time volunteer for several San Diego County charities and her tireless efforts have earned her multiple honors and awards. Phillips credits her life-changing hearing loss as a turning point that may have closed one door in her life, but it opened another. Advertisement You can miss opportunities, but that experience taught me to be centered and to be in the here and now, she said. Its been a wonderful, substantive journey. Ive met so many interesting people and I see what people are doing every day. It give me great joy and sustenance. Phillips is a co-founder and board member for the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation and a member of the board of governors for the San Diego Foundation, as well as a volunteer for numerous other organizations. In 2013, the North County Philanthropy Council named her a Volunteer of the Year. Yvonne Finocchiaro, a fellow co-founder of the Carlsbad foundation, said Phillips is a big asset to the organization, which has generated $1.3 million in charitable giving since its inception 10 years ago. Hollyce is bubbly and fun and welcoming and thoughtful, Finocchiaro said. When shes doing her work in the community, shes very thorough and so smart. Thoroughness and inquisitiveness are words that many in the philanthropic community use to describe Phillips. Those are qualities that served her well as a broadcast journalist, who dreamed in her early 20s of being the next Barbara Walters. Phillips grew up in a large, church-going Minneapolis family where all six children were taught to give back. Her inspiration was an older sister with cerebral palsy who passed away last Christmas. I was reminded every day how fortunate I was and how important it was to be aware of and helpful to those who had to struggle. It was a perspective and awareness that I try to keep front and center to this day, Phillips said. She was a great role model for her two sons, our family and her community. We all should leave such a legacy. Phillips studied political science at Stanford University in Palo Alto, then returned home to earn a masters degree in journalism at the University of Minnesota. Finding she missed the California sunshine, she moved to L.A. in 1975 to pursue acting. Thats where she met her husband of 37 years, real estate investor Robert Phillips Jr. The pair were both pursuing busy careers and spent the next decade moving around the country for work, sometimes living in different states. From 1983-1986, she was a roving TV reporter for Health Matters, a nationally syndicated medical affairs show in Philadelphia. From 1989 to 1991, she anchored television programs in St. Louis and Seattle. In her early 20s, Phillips began noticing a progressive hearing loss and tinnitus in her right ear. She would disguise her problem on-air by sitting with her good ear closest to her co-hosts. But when her left ear went dead, so did her live television career. To stop the progress of the disease, she spent months taking steroids and chemotherapy treatments to arrest the progression of the disease. With high-powered hearing aids and a skill for lip-reading, she put her experience to new use, producing education videos for grades K-12. In 1999, she and her husband moved to Carlsbad. Over the next four years she phased out her production company and began looking for an outlet for her free time. The first beneficiary was Girl Scouts San Diego, where now-retired CEO Jo Dee Jacobs helped recruit Phillips to its board in 2004. Phillips earned the Girl Scouts highest honor, the Thanks Badge, for her work chairing the organizations Urban Campout charity galas for two years in a row. We were simply astonished at her talents, commitment, dedication, and follow through, Jacobs said. Hollyce was always very popular with volunteers and staff because she took the hard jobs and carried each to completion. Her insights were often brilliant, but even better, she had a very kind and inclusive way of dealing with people. In my 25-plus years of friendship with Hollyce, I have never, ever heard a mean or gossipy word fall from her lips. In 2007, Phillips joined the San Diego Womens Foundation and helped co-found the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, which is one of the San Diego Foundations eight regional affiliates. Connie Matsui, chair of the San Diego Foundations board of governors, said Phillips is prized in the philanthropic community for her well-informed opinions. When I need somebody to bounce ideas around with or get a deeper insight from, shes viewed as a thought leader, said Matsui, a retired executive vice president for Biogen Idec. She listens to various viewpoints and she does research on her own, so that by the time she forms an opinion, its very on-target and constructive. Shes a real champion for innovative ideas and her conviction in why and how something should be done is usually irresistible, Matsui said. Phillips is most proud of the work accomplished by the 80-member Carlsbad Charitable Foundation. Each year, members give $1,000. Half goes to annual grants for projects and organizations in Carlsbad and half goes toward an endowment for future years. Since 2008, the CCF has given more than $700,000 to 44 programs, including projects to feed seniors, help for the homeless, refurbish stairs to the beach, and underwrite public murals and the Carlsbad Music Festival. Some of her favorite grantees are a camp for fifth-graders at JA BizTown, a child-size town where kids can learn about business and finance, and the Science Olympiad for Carlsbad high school students. Shes also proud of Kids for Peace, an early grantee thats gone on to international success as a childrens leadership organization. I am continually inspired by the commitment our members have made in coming together and working together for the benefit of Carlsbad, both today through our granting and forever through our endowment, she said. Although her hearing aids allow her to have conversations and attend board meetings, she can no longer enjoy music, theater or noisy charity galas. Instead she relishes her time at home with her husband and she enjoys reading, painting canvases and scarves, and enjoying the wild birds and the ocean. While shes always open to new possibilities, her commitment to the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation is unwavering. The Carlsbad Charitable Foundation gave me a way to understand my community better and meet people, she said. And those Ive met without exception have been great people. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The European Union (EU) has expanded sanctions against Iran, Trend reports via the EU Council. The Council adopted the tenth package of restrictive measures against four individuals and six entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran. Today's list includes the deputy commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at the Imam Ali Central Security Headquarters, as well as the police commanders of Mazandaran and Fars Provinces. The EU Council also imposed sanctions on the Kachua prison and its warden. Sanandaj, Zahedan and Isfahan prisons and Tasnim News agency were included in the sanctions list. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The Turkic world, with strong traditions of statehood, is experiencing a new revival, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports. "The Turkic world, with strong traditions of statehood, is undergoing a new revival and is open for development. We are constantly working to strengthen our cultural, historical, economic, and political ties. We will open a new era for our brothers and sisters, both in our country and in the diaspora. We all need to work more together. I believe that platforms like this one will arouse interest. I have no doubt that we will achieve good results in the short term," Erdogan said at the 10th Congress of the World Turkish Business Council. The 10th World Turkish Business Council Congress opened in Istanbul today. The Watch Library, a charitable foundation registered in February 2022, is committed to preserving and promoting the worlds watchmaking heritage On 1 September a new chapter opened with the launch of a digital platform that offers public access to over 320,000 archival documents. The Watch Library project began when watch publishing house Europa Star, established in Geneva in 1927, digitized its own archives. The gradual release of magazine issues spanning nearly a century triggered a broader reflection on the importance of heritage for the world of watchmaking. Inspired by the interest sparked by the release of their own archives, the Maillard family, whose passion for watchmaking spans four generations as proprietors of Europa Star, decided to help safeguard watchmaking heritage for future generations. In March 2020 the Maillard family joined forces with Martine Depresle (The Talented) to conceptualize, create and develop the project. The project was conceived as a non-profit foundation to facilitate access to the documents and enable the implementation of open data policies wherever possible. The Watch Library Foundation was established in September 2021 and granted charitable status by the Swiss Confederation in February 2022. The Foundation is built around the core belief that making watchmaking heritage accessible to the widest possible audience will stimulate imagination, creativity and innovation across the sector. Prominent horological institutions including the Musee International dHorlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Horological Society of New York were quick to join the project and commit to serving the Foundation's mission. Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille were among the first patrons, and were instrumental in getting the project off the ground. They were soon joined by other watchmakers, including TAG Heuer in the summer of 2023, as well as other major industry partners who prefer to remain anonymous, in accordance with their philanthropic values. The Watch Library launch conference at the Geneva Watch Days The Watch Library An industry-wide movement was mobilized around the goal of preserving and promoting their forgotten horological archives. It was given further impetus by the recognition of watchmaking savoir-faire by UNESCO in December 2020, which rallied many partners around The Watch Library project. Arc Horloger, the Franco-Swiss entity that championed the candidacy, sits on the Board of Trustees of The Watch Library, whose funding is secured by public and private patronage. The Watch Library is non-partisan, working exclusively towards preserving and increasing the visibility of watchmaking heritage. A scientific committee made up of experts is tasked with identifying and validating the relevance of the archives to be preserved and incorporated into The Watch Library's online platform, which was launched on 1 September in Geneva during the Geneva Watch Days. The technological side of the project turned out to be just as time-consuming as the preservation of the archives themselves. The convergence of analog heritage and digital technology found its full resonance with the launch of The Watch Library online platform, which has been thoughtfully designed and built around its users. A panel of watch enthusiasts, both industry professional and aficionados, were involved in testing the platform and providing insights that shaped its features. The platform's first version already hosts over 320,000 documents and archive pages from a dozen different sources. Enabling real-time search among tens of thousands of documents of varying formats, sizes, and sources presented a genuine challenge. Initially featuring archives in French and English, the platform will very soon be adding documents in German and Spanish, and also, as the Foundation has announced, watchrelated archives from cultural institutions in Asia. This project should be seen as the point of departure for a broader movement advocating for the importance of preserving horological archives. As watchmaking has evolved into an art form, the transmission of this universal heritage to future generations, using the most sophisticated tools, is more relevant than ever, thanks to The Watch Library foundation. Eccentric or smart? Traditional or disruptive? At Geneva Watch Days there was something for (almost) every taste, but five timepieces really stood out for me The wildest: MB&F HM9 MB&Fs Horological Machine No. 9 with its two independent flying balances, central planetary differential, eye-catching mechanics, unprecedented shape, and sapphire cockpit devoid of a single flat surface, couldnt be more out of the ordinary. Admittedly, this mechanical marvel had already been presented in 2019 (after the creation of the movement), and 2021 (first sapphire case), but the two 2023 editions confirm the power of a design and calibre that outclass anything watchmaking had been able to imagine up to that point. Once again, there will be two five-piece micro series one in yellow gold with a green movement, and one in white gold with a blue movement. So, you have the likes of Patek Philippe, Breguet, and more for traditional excellence, and for the rest, theres MB&F. MB&F HM9 MB&F ArtyA Purity Tourbillon The ArtyA Purity Tourbillon has just passed the GPHG pre-selection stage, and it is no surprise. The gifted Yvan Arpa has once again designed a watch that fundamentally renews the achievements on which many brands have fallen asleep: the tourbillon and the sapphire case. The approach is airy, open, and playful. The sapphire colours are fresh and original. The movement here is king. It is slightly reminiscent of Hyseks, or for the ultimate reference, Vincent Calabreses baguette movement, while the case cloaks it in a garment of light, which changes from green to amber depending on the angle of exposure to the light. You will never tire of a watch that never looks the same twice. New discoveries are what stood out for our Editorial Director, Sophie Furley There has been a flurry of new brands surfacing of late, popping up in my inbox, making it to the nominations of the GPHG, and now presenting at Geneva Watch Days. So, on the very last day of the fair, I decided to go and see what these newcomers were about, and what a lovely surprise it was. Artime Perhaps the biggest surprise during Geneva Watch Days was Artime. Sitting down with two of the associates, Fabrice Deschanel and Didier Bretin (there are six altogether), I asked them to start at the beginning of their story, and what a story it was. Having been friends for 25 years and having worked at all the big names in the watch industry F. P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, Audemars Piguet, Renaud & Papi, Richard Mille, Breguet, and more they decided to create their own timepiece. The inaugural model, the ART01, uses sapphire crystal in a new and intuitive way that flatters both the case and the incredible skeletonized movement within. It is a piece of architectural art that is surely going to get the worlds watch collectors extremely excited. ART01 Artime Haute Rive I had no idea what to expect when I booked an appointment at Haute-Rive. The name sounded quite fancy, ostentatious even, but the story behind it could have been anything but. The man behind the brand is Stephane Von Gunten, who had previously worked at Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin before taking the plunge into own brand territory. The name of the brand actually comes from the name of the workshop of his great-great-grandfather Irene Aubry and is a tribute to his ancestor who created a patented a pocket watch with an eight-day power reserve, a feat of engineering in 1889. Von Guntens first watch is called Honoris and is both visually and technically impressive. Impossible to describe in a few words, I will have to come back to it in more detail, but as a little teaser, this mechanical marvel has over 1000 hours of power reserve (thats 41 days, in case you were wondering)! Honoris Haute Rive Gerald Charles Gerald Charles isnt a new brand as such, it was started by Gerald Genta (1931 -2011) when he sold his eponymous brand and ultimately his name to The Hour Glass in 1996. The company was then acquired by Bulgari in the year 2000. As Charles was his middle name, he renamed it Gerald Charles. Today, things have taken an exciting new turn with the arrival of watch designer Octavio Garcia who had previously worked with Genta at Audemars Piguet. Garcia has worked on some old pencil designs of Gentas to create new models that are, quite frankly, gorgeous. I particularly liked the Maestro 8.0 Squelette with its avant-garde skeleton movement and unique case design with a baby blue rubber strap in case anyone in my family is listening! Maestro 8.0 Squelette Gerald Charles Byrne The first time I saw Byrne watches was when the brand was just starting a couple of years ago, also at Geneva Watch Days, as it happens, and it already caught my eye then. The brand has a fascinating concept where the dial changes every time the hands pass midnight to indicate Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, indexes, and no markings. It is even possible to personalize one of the faces. For example, some American athletes have been putting the numbers of their jerseys on the fourth face. The case is in grade five titanium and finds its inspiration in the Porsche Targa 911, which works really well with the dial. This is definitely a watch to track down and have a play with. Gyrodial Byrne Gelfman Ilya Gelfman has been working on his retro-futuristic IN-16 Nixie watch for over 10 years now and he is finally bringing it to market, thanks to help from fellow Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin, who consulted on production, and Atelier Gryaznov Design, which worked on the aesthetic side. It works by using Nixie tubes from the 1950s that indicate the time through a system of ten wire mesh digits that are layered on top of each other and are sealed inside two separate sapphire crystal bulbs. When powered, the digits light up to indicate the time, the month, and the remaining battery life. The watch can be set via a computer app or using the pusher on the front of the watch. It is fascinating to play with and looks really cool on the wrist. But dont take my word for it, check Gelfman out on Instagram. Venice to Ljubljana by train, not bus No reservation needed, it's turn up & go with unlimited availability. Great scenery - bring a picnic & beer if you like! Venice to Ljubljana for 23.55 Train service between Trieste & Ljubljana was restored in September 2018 with two daily regional trains each way. And in June 2021 a third train per day was added, a classic Austrian EuroCity express between Vienna & Ljubljana that's been extended to/from Trieste. These trains are the best way to travel between Venice or Trieste and Ljubljana. It's cheap, comfortable, no prior reservation necessary, can't sell out, just turn up & go. Much better than a cramped bus. The trains have air-con, wheelchair-accessible toilets, plenty of luggage space, bicycle spaces, and power sockets at seats, and there are sights to see along the way. Option 2 is a variation on the direct route, using the historic tram between Trieste and the Slovenian border at Villa Opicina, with 5 or 6 departures per day - the tram is a great experience, but unfortunately it's been temporarily replaced by a bus since an incident in 2016 and has yet to resume. Option 1, using the Trieste-Ljubljana trains Option 2, using the historic Trieste tram (suspended) Venice & Trieste to or from Lake Bled Trains from Venice to other European cities Trains from Ljubljana to other cities Option 1, Venice & Trieste - Ljubljana by train 2023 A twice-daily regional train started running between Trieste & Ljubljana in September 2018, restoring rail travel between Italy & Slovenia after a gap of several years. A third train started in June 2021, a Vienna-Ljubljana EuroCity express that's been extended to Trieste. This is now the civilised way between Venice, Trieste and Ljubljana. You can check these times at int.bahn.de. Venice & Trieste Ljubljana Ljubljana Trieste & Venice Step 1, Venice to Trieste Mon-Fri daily daily Step 1, Ljubljana to Trieste daily daily daily Regional Regional Regional Regional EuroCity Regional Venice Santa Lucia depart 06:39 09:39 16:39 Ljubljana depart: 05:47 14:21 18:50 Trieste Centrale arrive: 08:44 11:44 18:44 Trieste Centrale arrive: 08:33 17:16 21:32 Step 2, Trieste to Ljubljana daily daily daily Step 2, Trieste to Venice daily daily daily Regional EuroCity Regional Regional Regional Regional Trieste Centrale depart: 09:03 12:52 19:07 Trieste Centrale depart: 09:16 17:16 22:06 Ljubljana arrive: 11:46 15:40 22:10 Venice Santa Lucia arrive: 11:21 19:21 23:50* Read downwards, each column of times is a service you can take. * = Venice Mestre, on the mainland. No onward train to Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice until morning. Regional = Air-conditioned regional train, 2nd class only, no reservation necessary or possible, fixed price, cannot sell out, sit where you like, turn up & go... EuroCity = Air-conditioned EuroCity express train, Vienna-Ljubljana-Trieste, 1st & 2nd class, seat reservation optional, cheaper advance-purchase fares available if you pre-book, uses smart OBB (Austrian Railways) EuroCity cars. Always places available. Note: There are only 3 trains per day between Trieste & Ljubljana, as shown here. However, Venice-Trieste regional trains run every hour, only the relevant connections are shown here. Check these times at potniski.sz.si/en/trieste-trieste-airport-ronchi-udine (if this link stops working, please let me know). Stop off in Trieste! The timetable above shows the most suitable Venice-Trieste connection into or out of the Trieste-Ljubljana trains, but Venice-Trieste regional trains in fact run every hour through the day. So by all means take an earlier train from Venice to Trieste when travelling eastbound or a later one from Trieste to Venice when travelling westbound to give yourself some time in Trieste, a great city that's well worth a stopover. Indeed, along with Turin I'd say Trieste was one of Italy's most under-rated cities. You can check train times at www.raileurope.com. How much does it cost? Venice to Trieste by regional train costs 15.55. Fixed price, unlimited availability, any day, any date, cannot sell out. Trieste to Ljubljana by regional train costs 8. Fixed price, unlimited availability, any day, any date, cannot sell out. Trieste to Ljubljana by EuroCity train costs 26 full-price in 2nd class or 41 in 1st class. How to buy tickets You can buy a ticket between Venice & Trieste at the station in Venice or Trieste on the day. No reservation is necessary, tickets cannot sell out, it's that simple. Or buy online at the Trenitalia website www.trenitalia.com and print it out, if you have access to a printer. You can buy a ticket between Trieste & Ljubljana by regional train on the day at Trieste or Ljubljana station. No reservation is necessary or possible, unlimited availability, tickets cannot sell out. They cannot be bought online, and don't need to be. You can buy a ticket between Trieste & Ljubljana by EuroCity train either at Trieste or Ljubljana station on the day at the full-flex rate with unlimited availability, or buy a cheaper advance-purchase Sparschiene fare online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Click for larger map. Green = scenic routes . Reproduced from the European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people - I recommend buying a copy of the European Rail Map for your travels, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide. More details. What is the regional train like? The Trieste-Ljubljana regional trains were originally operated by air-conditioned 5-car ETR 563 trains which were authorised for both Italy and Slovenia so could run all the way. Currently, the Trieste-Ljubljana regional is advertised as a through service, but it actually consists of two separate trains: A Trenitalia regional unit between Trieste Centrale & Villa Opicina on the Italian side of the Slovenian border and a smart modern Slovenian regional train between Villa Opicina & Ljubljana. See the video . Changing trains at Villa Opicina is easy, it usually just means getting off, walking forward along the same platform, and stepping on to the waiting onward train, no big deal. It's still an integrated service. Both trains are comfortable, modern and air-conditioned, 2nd class only (although the Slovenian train has a small 1st class section). There are no seat reservations, you get on and sit wherever you like. Luggage isn't a problem, you can take what you like and it simply goes on the floor. Trenitalia regional train at Trieste Centrale... 2nd class seats. Photos courtesy DiscoverByRail.com. Switching trains at Villa Opicina is easy. That's the Slovenian train to Ljubljana in the foreground, the Trenitalia train from Trieste in the background, on the same platform. Courtesy DiscoverByRail.com. Slovenian train. Photos courtesy DiscoverByRail.com. 2nd class on the Slovenian regional train. What is the EuroCity train like? The Trieste-Ljubljana EuroCity train is an air-conditioned Austrian EuroCity express on its way to/from Vienna. It used to run only between Ljubljana & Vienna, but from 11 June 2021 it's being extended to/from Trieste. Bring your own food & drink, as only 3 Austrian seats cars run between Trieste & Ljubljana, the Slovenian dining car & Slovenian seats cars are only added between Ljubljana & Vienna. Tip: You can check the train formation, see carriage photos and view seating plans if you go to www.vagonweb.cz, select en top left for English, then click Train Formations and search for train EC 150 Emona westbound or EC 151 Emona eastbound. The EuroCity train from Ljubljana to Trieste starts its journey in Vienna, where it is seen here. Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. 2nd class seats on an Austrian EuroCity train. One car is like this, the other car has 6-seat compartments. 1st class seats. On this train, there's just one section of 1st class open-plan seats like this. Back to top Prosecco station, closed 2012... The sign is no longer readable, but this is it! Courtesy of Darryl Woodman Between Ljubljana & Trieste, these trains take the classic international route once used by the famous Simplon Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. Trains cannot climb the steep escarpment between Trieste & Villa Opicina (on the Slovenian border) like buses and the historic tram do, so after leaving Trieste Centrale the train runs a fair way west along the coast before making a giant U-turn inland and climbing steadily towards Villa Opicina. You can see on the route map above just how far out of Trieste the train has to go before turning right onto the line to Villa Opicina. The Prosecco connection Just after making that sharp U-turn inland, the train passes non-stop through the now-closed station of Prosecco - yes that's right, the village where prosecco wine originated, although the village itself lies a little way from the station between the railway and the sea. Have your camera ready as the station building dating from 1857 will be on the right hand side going towards Ljubljana, or the left hand side going towards Trieste - as far as I know the station name-board is still displayed, though dilapidated as Prosecco station has been closed since December 2011 when passenger service was discontinued. After Villa Opicina the train crosses into Slovenia, the Slovenian side of the border is Sezana. From here the train wends its way through lovely green hills towards Ljubljana. The Borovnica valley & viaduct Approaching Borovnica, just south of Ljubljana the train enters a lovely rural valley, does a 180 degree turn at the far end and heads back out on the other side of the valley, calling at Borovnica station in the process. I assumed the railway builders hadn't the funds for a viaduct across the valley mouth, but I was wrong. The builders of what was then the Vienna-Trieste Southern Austrian Railway completed a magnificent double-arched masonry viaduct across the valley in 1856. The viaduct was the scene for high drama on 28 June 1942, when Yugoslav partisans attacked an Italian train carrying arrestees to concentration camps, freeing 300 prisoners. However, those that refused to join the partisans were executed, see the Wikipedia entry for Borovnica here. The viaduct had reached a poor state of repair by World War 2, and the after the Italians withdrew the Germans constructed a diversionary route around this vulnerable link. The viaduct was attacked and partially destroyed by the USAF 489 Bombardment Group in 1944 and never rebuilt, the railway was diverted around the valley in 1947 where it still runs today. The remaining structure was dismantled by 1950, leaving just one pier still standing today as a monument in the centre of the valley. You can see this pier from the train if you know what to look for and where to look. See Wikipedia entry for Borovnica Viaduct. See Google Map showing site of remaining Borovnica viaduct pier, and the loop of the current railway around Borovnica valley through Borovnica station. The views over the valley will be on the left hand side of the train going north towards Ljubljana, or the right hand side travelling south towards Trieste. If you get more photos, please let me know! You arrive at Ljubljana's large central station, walking distance from the city centre. Built in 1848 and renovated in 1980, the Irish Author James Joyce once spent a chilly night sleeping at the station in October 1904 on his way to Trieste -there's a small plaque to mark this event. Trieste Centrale, built in 1878. It replaced an earlier building opened in 1857. Courtesy DiscoverByRail.com. Inside the wonderful Trieste Centrale. Courtesy DiscoverByRail.com. The 3-car EuroCity train to Ljubljana & Trieste about to leave Trieste Centrale. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. The climb up from Trieste towards Villa Opicina, seen from the rear of the Trieste-Vienna EuroCity train. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. The Borovnica Valley, seen from the Trieste - Ljubljana train. Photo courtesy of Steve Wood. As the train approaches Borovnica station, you can see the only remaining pier of the old Borovnica Viaduct. Courtesy of Steve Wood. Borovnica Valley. Courtesy of Steve Wood. You arrive at Ljubljana main station, walking distance from all the sights and hotels... Back to top Option 2, using the historic tram from Trieste to Villa Opicina This is essentially the same route as option 1, but instead of taking a train all the way from Trieste to Ljubljana, you use the historic Trieste tram (if operating) for the 6km (3.5 miles) between Trieste and the Italian/Slovenian border at Villa Opicina, picking up the train to Ljubljana there. The tram line isn't marked on the route map above but you can easily imagine it as a fairly direct line from Trieste to Villa Opicina (so a much shorter distance than that taken by the train, which cannot scale the escarpment behind the city). You don't get to pass through Prosecco station like you do on the train, but the tram is an experience in itself. It's the only tram in the world that becomes a funicular half way through its journey to climb the steep escarpment out of Trieste to the plateau above the city, with great views over the city and the Adriatic, have your camera ready! You get up to 6 departures a day this way rather than just two, as there are more trains between Villa Opicina & Ljubljana, in addition to the ones that extend to/from Trieste. IMPORTANT: THE TRIESTE TRAM IS STILL OUT OF ACTION, REPLACED BY A BUS The historic tram between Trieste & Villa Opicina had a prang on 16 August 2016 and has been out of action for repairs ever since. It was due to resume in April 2017 then June then August, then in April 2018, then rumours that it would resume in Spring 2020. Latest info back in February 2023, repairs are complete and there have been test runs, it now requires official approval. Resumption has been rumoured as September 2023, but no sign of that yet! You can still travel this route using the replacement local bus service running every 20-30 minutes for the same price, although now the direct trains are operating there's little point if the historic tram is still out. Do let me know if you find the tram back in service as there's no easy way to check without going to Trieste. Bus number 2 runs every 20-30 minutes between Trieste Piazza Oberdan tram terminus and Villa Opicina tram terminus (a short walk from Villa Opicina railway station). Bus number 4 runs every 20-30 minutes between Trieste Piazza Oberdan tram terminus and Villa Opicina station, saving a walk. Venice & Trieste Ljubljana Step 1, travel from Venice Santa Lucia to Trieste by regional train, these run every hour through the day taking 2h05. The fare is 13.40, buy at the station on the day, no reservation necessary or even possible, you simply buy a ticket at the station and hop on. You can check train times and prices at www.trenitalia.com. Map of Trieste. Note that some Trieste-Venice trains take a longer 3h route and cost more, 17, ideally you want the hourly direct 2h05 train. Step 2, now take the wonderful historic tram from Trieste to Villa Opicina on the Italian side of the Slovenian border (6km, 3.5 miles) or if the tram is still out of service, the replacement bus service. The tram runs from Trieste Piazza Oberdan tram terminus to Villa Opicina tram terminus, every 20 minutes 07:00-20:00, journey time 25 minutes, fare 1.35. The tram is an old-fashioned piece of Trieste heritage, and unique in that for 10 minutes of the journey it buffers up to a 'drogue' and becomes a funicular railway up the steep escarpment out of Trieste. The tram website is www.tramdeopcina.it. On arrival in Villa Opicina it's a 10-15 minute walk from the tram terminus to the mainline rail station, see map with walking directions. Step 3, take a regional train from Villa Opicina to Ljubljana. These run around 6 times per day, typical journey time 1h57, fare around 8.70, you can check times at int.bahn.de or potniski.sz.si. No reservation is necessary or possible, just hop on and pay on board. The journey is relaxing and very scenic as the train wends its way through the hills past pretty villages, and finally down into the plain to Ljubljana. The route passes Borovnica, see the section about Borovnica valley and viaduct in option 1 above. Ljubljana Trieste & Venice Step 1, travel from Ljubljana to Villa Opicina (the Italian border town) by local train. These run up to 6 times per day, journey time around 1h55, fare around 8.70. No reservation necessary, just hop on and pay on board. The journey is relaxing and very scenic as the train first crosses the plain, then wends its way up into the hills past pretty villages. At one point it enters, circumnavigates then leaves a long green valley, climbing for height all the while. Lovely! Step 2 Step 3, travel from Trieste to Venice by hourly regional train. These run every hour, journey time 2h05, fare 13.40. Fare 12.10, no reservation necessary. But I'd recommend having a longer look round Trieste as it's a lovely city, and taking a later train. You can check train times and prices at www.trenitalia.com. No reservation is necessary or possible for regional trains, you buy a ticket at the station and hop on. Note that some Trieste-Venice trains take a longer 3h route and cost more, 17, ideally you want the hourly direct 2h05 train. Trieste Piazza Oberdan tram terminal... View over the city as the tram climbs the escarpment... , transfer the 6km (3.7 miles) from Villa Opicina to Trieste using the wonderful historic tram, or if still out of service, the replacement bus service. The tram terminus is just a 10-15 minute walk from Villa Opicina rail station, see map with walking directions . The tram runs every 20 minutes 07:00-20:00, journey time 25 minutes, fare 1.35. The tram is an old-fashioned piece of Trieste heritage, unique in that for 10 minutes of the journey it buffers up to a 'drogue' and becomes a funicular railway down the steep escarpment into Trieste. Leaving the drogue behind, it then runs a few hundred metres more to the Trieste Piazza Oberdan tram terminus, which is only 3 minutes walk from Trieste Centrale station (walk back a few metres along the tram tracks, then turn left). Map of Trieste . The tram website is www.tramdeopcina.it Above left, for the ascent of the escarpment the tram couples up to a 'drogue', the only tram in the world to transform into a funicular railway for part of the ride. Above right, the tram terminus and cafe at Villa Opicina, the Italian border town next to Slovenia. Villa Opicina tram terminal... Slovenian local train from Villa Opicina to Ljubljana. These trains are modern & air-conditioned with on-board information displays, toilets & ample room for luggage. Take provisions with you, as there's no catering at Villa Opicina station or on the train. These trains run up to 6 times a day from Villa Opicina on the Italian side of the border to Ljubljana. You can check train times at the Slovenian Railways website potniski.sz.si. Back to top Back to home page Harrison is a city of more than 2,000 residents in Clare County. In an effort to help shape the future of communities by building strong foundations of planning, zoning and economic development practices, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has provided a toolkit.Developed by experts, the kit encourages communities to proactively plan, engage stakeholders, and become more attractive to developers. With the goal of becoming a place where people want to live, work, and invest, these Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) are popping up all over the state. Their streamlined approach helps welcome private and public sector support, showcasing a clear vision for the future through collaborative planning.Two communities are in the works to add hotels, with the goal of creating destination towns, and boosting further economic development regionally.The Michigan Municipal League (the League) partnered with the MEDC to provide pre-development assistance in Allegan for the public sale of The Brady Lot.Melissa Milton-Pung, League Policy Research Labs program manager, says the lot is the eastern gateway to downtown Allegan. It is adjacent to the historic 2nd Street (State Street) Bridge.At just under one-half of an acre, this parcels greatest feature is 150 feet of frontage on the Kalamazoo River Boardwalk. Along that boardwalk, it is just steps away from downtown shops and directly connected to amenities like the amphitheater, public plaza, and zipline course.Milton-Pung says the lot is very charming and a good example of how long projects can take to come to fruition. Collaborative efforts date back to 2017, but initial plans began even before then.The city had been working on this project long before we came into support, she says. Its a credit to Allegans leaders that they persisted in pursuing this journey, transforming the site from a defunct gas station to brownfield remediation to marketing the vacant lot. Theyre now seeing that vision become a reality with the new hotel one which will bring many benefits to the downtown while still maintaining public access to the waterfront.For the City of Allegan manager, Joel Dye, who has been with the city since 2017, the hotel development project can help make Allegan a place where one wants to be. Being an RRC helps expedite that process, he says.Being a Redevelopment Ready Community means that the City of Allegan has done the heavy lifting to place itself in a position to be open to development, he says. We have a proactive mindset when it comes to development and have taken the necessary steps to remove any unnecessary roadblocks to development in our community.Since his time there, this particular project has had a series of starts and stops, according to Dye. In 2019, the City entered into a due diligence agreement with a potential buyer to explore ways to transform the parcel. A year later, after an initial design review, the Illinois developer requested to purchase nearby parkland from the City. Allegan voters voted against that in March 2020.During the COVID-19 pandemic 20202021 and the huge hit on the hospitality industry, the project was unproductive. At the end of 2021, the original developer sold their development rights to a Michigan developer out of Holland.Essentially, the project restarted in 2022 with a new developer having to determine their concept for a hotel at this site, working on securing funding for this site, which is still ongoing, Dye says. Local approvals, such as site plan approval and historic district commission approval have been secured; however, due to ongoing changes in the building by the developer, new approvals will be needed.While Dye says nothing is set in stone yet, the developer, 102 Brady, LLC, is securing final financing, and plans for groundbreaking are in place for late fall/early winter in 2023, with an estimated completion date of December 2024.Local business owners in downtown Allegan have shown their excitement for the plans of the historic four-story, 55-room hotel with modern amenities, coming to the area. Concept plans include a warm, modern design element with local history woven throughout the hotel, including a fitness room, meeting room, laundry room, and pool.Dye hopes this new addition to the area can help usher in tourists and business travelers and create more local jobs.Allegan is quickly becoming a destination town as well as being home to Perrigo, one of the worlds largest generic drug manufacturers. Through this project we will see increased opportunities for people to extend their visit to Allegan as well as a place for business people to stay when in town for meetings with Perrigo, he says. This hotel will make Allegan more attractive to visitors and businesses alike. Through this development, we will be filling another void in our offerings, which will result in jobs at the hotel, more people staying a longer time in our town (spending money at local shops) as well as growing our tax base. City of Harrison manager/clerk, Justin Cavanaugh, actively collaborates with many different entities within the city to bring economic development to the area. Plans for the hotel development date back before he began his position.Around 2001, the prior city manager, Tracey Connelly, was meeting with the Middle Michigan Development Corporation, and talking about things theyd like to see come to Harrison, Cavanaugh says. It was brought up that a hotel has always been on the wish list, and how it would definitely spur economic growth. The Michigan Municipal League brought in a hotel market expert, who conducted a feasibility study with funds from MEDC Predevelopment Assistance. This market study received overwhelming responses to the local survey and culminated with nearly 50 city residents at the public forum.The Hotel Feasibility Study, completed in July 2022, showed that Harrison could support at least a 49-room hotel. Cavanaugh says the recent struggle has been trying to find an investor to make this plan a reality.Through the hotel study consultant, Harrison was connected to a warm lead with a regional hotel chain. We met with Janice from Cobblestone Hotels, based out of Wisconsin. Theyre looking to expand their franchise and are a hotel that focuses on rural communities and bringing a luxury hotel to a community that generally would only have a 10-room mom-and-pop option.After a few investor meetings, Cavanaugh says the city has about half of the $2 million needed for the project to begin.Right now, were essentially just looking for investors to try to get this project going, he says. If we can get a group of investors and get everything going, were hoping to start building by Spring of 2025. The hotel project could be built over the course of the summer, and potentially be open by 2026.In working with Cobblestone Hotels, Cavanaugh appreciates the hotel in a box method, which uses their in-house management and building companies. He also appreciates that the company can personalize specific touches according to feedback and community needs unique to the area.When theyre building a hotel, you know exactly what its going to look like, he says. I like that because it creates that brand, but I also like that they listen to their franchisees. Theyve changed some of their models after getting feedback after some of the franchisees. For example, the franchisees wanted to have a fireplace in the lobby, and now thats a standard because it was very well received.Cavanaugh hopes the hotel can provide lodging for the citys busy event calendar, which brings visitors for the Old 27 Car Tour and motorcycle runs. Typically, visitors have to stay in nearby towns like Clare and Houghton Lake.If people were staying here, it would help spur the local economy. Instead, theyre going to the next town, eating at their restaurants, shopping at their stores and getting their gasoline there instead of in our town, Cavanaugh says. If we were able to keep people here, theyd be spending their money here.Ultimately, Cavanaugh hopes this hotel development can really exemplify the Citys motto, and enable growth while keeping true to its roots.Harrison has this saying, Come for the day, we think youll stay, which is great when we actually have places for you to stay, he says. In our economy now, we barely even have enough housing. Being able to keep people here, and giving people a reason to come here and spend time and money here, would have an overall significant boost to our local economy and town. It would allow us to grow a little bit, but at the same time, still keep those hometown values that everyone comes here for.Sarah Spohn is a Lansing resident, but every day finds a new interesting person, place, or thing in towns all over Michigan leaving her truly smitten with the mitten. She received her degrees in journalism and professional communications and provides coverage for various publications locally, regionally, and nationally writing stories on small businesses, arts and culture, dining, community, and anything Michigan-made. You can find her in a record shop, a local concert, or eating one too many desserts at a bakery. If by chance, shes not at any of those places, you can contact her at sarahspohn.news@gmail.com. Two limited editions symbolising strength, nobility and success It all began with the sign of the snake in 2012. As it comes to the end of a 12-year cycle, the Metiers dArt The Legend of the Chinese zodiac Collection welcomes two 25-piece limited editions unveiled during Watches and Wonders Shanghai. A symbol of nobility, strength, good luck and success, the dragon unfurls its mystical aura while grasping a pearl, a symbol of knowledge and wisdom, on the dial of these two new creations in 950 platinum or 18K 5N pink gold, combining the beauty of the engraving and enamelling with the technical of Calibre 2460 G4. In Chinese culture, the dragon is said to be endowed with incredible virtues. As the Year of the Rabbit draws to a close, the fabulous dragon follows, majestically occupying the dial of the two new Metiers dArt The Legend of the Chinese zodiac Year of the Dragon limited editions unveiled at Watches and Wonders Shanghai. The embodiment of honour, nobility, success and good luck, this supernatural creature was also a powerful symbol of Chinese imperial power and is doubtless still the most popular zodiac sign in this age-old culture. Its sculpted snake-like silhouette now takes centre stage on this watch, a symbolic sight featuring countless details that stand out in relief against a delicately engraved and enamelled decoration. The resulting fantastical artwork epitomises a blend of strength and delicacy, born of the union of engraving and enamelling, two rare skills cultivated by Vacheron Constantin. Engraving meets enamelling The two new Metiers dArt The Legend of the Chinese zodiac Year of Dragon limited editions combine the finesse of the master enameller with the delicacy of the master engraver. The artisan first sculpts the gold dial to create a dreamlike decor of air flows and clouds, inspired by traditional Chinese artistic motifs. The dragon stands out against this refined backdrop, also hand-engraved with an unparalleled sense of detail. It takes more than three days of work to bring this mystical figurine to life, its body adorned with some 300 scales. Synonymous with knowledge, wisdom and abundance, the similarly hand-engraved pearl adds a spiritual dimension to the scene. Each 25-piece limited edition features a different dial colour, achieved through the expertise of the enamelling artisan. The 40 mm-diameter case in 950 platinum features a deep blue Grand Feu enamel dial matched with a blue Mississipiensis alligator leather strap. The likewise 40 mm pink gold version features a brown Grand Feu enamel dial of unalterable beauty, matched with a tone-on-tone Mississipiensis alligator leather strap. Metiers dArt The Legend of the Chinese zodiac - Year of the Dragon Vacheron Constantin A calibre that unleashes creativity Within the Metiers dArt collection, watchmaking technology is dedicated to the service of artistic creativity. Behind the scenes, Vacheron Constantin has opted for the in-house self-winding Calibre 2460 G4, which gives pride of place to the dial. The hands-free watch face provides a unique indication of the passage of time through four apertures opening onto the trailing hours and minutes, as well as the jumping day-date displays. Through the sapphire crystal caseback in 950 platinum or 18K 5N pink gold, Calibre 2460 G4 reveals the beauty of its finishing, starting with its 22K gold oscillating weight adorned with a motif inspired by Vacheron Constantins Maltese Cross emblem. Sum-up Presented at Watches and Wonders Shanghai, two 25-piece Metiers dArt The Legend of the Chinese zodiac Year of the Dragon limited editions celebrate one of Chinas most beloved astrological signs. Framed by an elegant 40 mm case in 950 platinum or 18K 5N pink gold, the art of engraving combines with enamelling skills to depict the dragon, a supernatural creature symbolising power, luck and nobility. This elegant work of art beats to the rhythm of self-winding Calibre 2460 G4, which powers a unique display of the hours, minutes, day and date through four apertures, giving Vacheron Constantins Metiers dArt craftspeople unlimited scope for expression. Interview with Christian Selmoni, Style and Heritage Director After the tiger and the rabbit, Vacheron Constantin closes its cycle of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac with the dragon. A grand finale? Its true that we have given particular importance to the Chinese calendar in our Metiers dArt collections, presenting all the signs of the zodiac over the last twelve years. One of the reasons for this is that Vacheron Constantins relationship with China is more than special and, above all, historical. Following the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, which put an end to the first Opium War, Vacheron Constantin, already a supplier of exceptional timepieces to court dignitaries, established its first commercial contacts in 1845, in a country we have never left since. This means that barely 90 years after its foundation, Vacheron Constantin was gaining a foothold in China, at a time when Swiss production of so-called Chinese watches was a real success, watches designed to withstand humidity, characterized by the richness of their engraved and enamelled decorations and which were sold in pairs. It is in Shanghai that we have a unique space of its kind with the Maison 1775, a historic building in the Zhangyuan district that offers a unique immersion in the world of Vacheron Constantin over four floors. Does this proximity to China explain this special serie? This serie has deep historical roots. But it is also in keeping with the broader perspective of the relationships forged by the company with its Chinese clientele. Vacheron Constantin has produced several series of watches specially dedicated to the Chinese market, including a ladies model in the Traditionnelle collection in a China Special Edition in 2019. Chinese decorative arts are also a theme we have explored extensively with Metiers dart pieces such as Laque de Chine, Florilege - Limodoron Chinois and Fabuleux Ornements - Broderie Chinoise. Chinese connoisseurs of fine watchmaking are indeed very sensitive to the work of craftsmanship and appreciate rare talents. In this spirit, last year we presented three limited series Traditionnelle Tourbillon Phoenix and Dragon with beautifully sculpted gold appliques representing the two mythical animals on the dial and a delicately engraved case incorporating our extra-flat tourbillon, Calibre 2160. For Vacheron Constantin, this type of piece underlines the special links that unite our two cultures. Planet Earth is now in such a damaged state that it can no longer be considered a safe operating space for humanity. Six of the nine "planetary boundaries" have been breached due to human-induced pollution and destruction of the natural world. ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in a scientific article published in Science Advances. Breaching the boundaries means that systems are no longer safe and stable. Planetary boundaries are the limits of key global systems, such as climate, water and wildlife biodiversity, beyond which their ability to maintain the health of the planet is at risk of being compromised. If these boundaries are breached, it means that the systems have moved far from the safe and stable state that existed from the end of the last ice age, 10,000 years ago, to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the period when all modern civilization emerged. According to the researchers, their assessment is "the first scientific check on the health of the entire planet." They clarified that in addition to the six thresholds that have already been passed, two more are close to being breached. We are talking about air pollution and ocean acidification. ADVERTISIMENT The only boundary that is currently in a safe state, according to the researchers, is atmospheric ozone. The condition of this boundary has improved significantly after humanity has abandoned destructive chemicals in recent decades, contributing to the reduction of ozone holes. The scientists called the fact that all four biological boundaries that encompass the living world have reached or will soon reach the highest level of risk called the "most alarming." This is worrying because the living world ensures the sustainability of the planet. In particular, plants absorb carbon dioxide emissions. Scientists explain that planetary boundaries have no return points and once they are breached, the risks of fundamental changes in the physical, biological and chemical life support systems of the Earth increase significantly. ADVERTISIMENT According to The Guardian, Professor Johan Rockstrom, who once headed the team that developed the boundary system, noted that "the decline in the planet's stability" is of great concern to scientists. According to him, violation of the boundaries can lead to a loss of sustainability, as a result of which humanity will not achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C, which will bring the world closer to real turning points. For her part, Professor Kathryn Richardson of the University of Copenhagen, who led the study, noted that scientists know that humanity can thrive under the conditions that have existed on Earth for 10,000 years for sure, but "we don't know if we can thrive under significant, dramatic changes." Comparing the Earth to a patient with very high blood pressure, the professor noted that the state of the planet "does not indicate a heart attack, but it does increase the risk significantly." ADVERTISIMENT The study indicates that the boundary of the biosphere's integrity, which includes the healthy functioning of ecosystems, was violated in the late 19th century when wildlife was destroyed. Massive deforestation also resulted in the land use boundary being breached in the last century. The safe limit of climate change was exceeded in the late 1980s. As for freshwater, a new indicator that takes into account both water in lakes and rivers and in the soil showed that this limit was crossed in the early 20th century. Another boundary is the flow of nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment, which are vital for life. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nitrogen is applied to fields three times as much as is needed every year. The limit for synthetic pollution, such as pesticides, plastics and nuclear waste, has also been passed. ADVERTISIMENT The limit for air pollution, which affects plant growth and monsoon rains, is still being held at the global level, but it has already been breached in South Asia and China. Ocean acidification is also estimated to be worsening and close to exceeding the safe limit. Summarizing the current situation on the planet, Rockstrom noted that "if you want to have security, prosperity and justice for humanity on Earth, you have to get back to a safe space, and we are not seeing that progress in the world at the moment." Phasing out the burning of fossil fuels and ending destructive agriculture are key actions needed. Professor Simon Lewis of University College London, who is not a member of the research team, said, "This is a strikingly grim addition to an already worrying picture. The planet is entering a new and much less stable state. This could not be a starker warning of the need for profound structural changes in our relationship to the environment." ADVERTISIMENT Earlier OBOZREVATEL reported that global warming could kill a billion people in 100 years. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL on Telegram and Viber to stay up to date with the latest news. Culinary tourism has emerged as a tempting way to explore the world, savoring the various flavors and traditions offered by different cultures. Beyond sightseeing, travelers now embark on journeys that excite their taste buds, making food an integral part of their travel experiences. Let's take you on a global, delicious adventure, highlighting some of the world's most exquisite food destinations that every epicurean traveler should consider. Culinary tourism has undergone a remarkable evolution, transforming from a vocational interest to a global phenomenon. It's no longer just about sightseeing; it's about experiencing the world through your taste buds. This evolution reflects the growing recognition of food as a universal language that bridges cultural divides. As we delve into the delectable world of good tourism, it becomes evident that food transcends borders, connects people, and tells stories as diverse as the flavors. India: Spices and Sensations Our culinary journey begins in the diverse and aromatic world of Indian cuisine. India's culinary landscape is diverse, reflecting the country's rich history and cultural diversity. In the bustling streets of Delhi, you can indulge in street food delights like chaat and parathas, where every bite is a burst of flavor. Mumbai offers a taste of the world-famous street food, vada pav, while the streets of Kolkata invite you to explore the delicate intricacies of Bengali sweets. Indian cuisine is a charming journey of spices, curries, and sweets that captivate the senses and make an eternal mark on your palate. Italy: The Cradle of Pasta and Pizza As we travel to Italy, a country renowned for its passionate embrace of food. Italy's culinary heritage is a tapestry of regional cuisines, each offering a unique culinary experience. In the vibrant streets of Naples, you can savor the iconic Neapolitan pizza with its thin, crispy crust and fresh, simple toppings. Head to Sicily, and you'll be captivated by the sweet, crunchy cannoli, a beloved dessert that encapsulates the island's rich history. From Tuscany's earthy flavors to the Amalfi Coast's seafood delights, Italy offers a gastronomic adventure that's nothing short of divine. Japan: The Art of Sushi and Ramen Next, we whisk you away to Japan, a country that elevates culinary art to a level of precision and perfection that's simply amazing. Japanese cuisine is a testament to meticulous craftsmanship, where the presentation is as important as the taste. In Tokyo, you can experience the art of sushi, where every piece of fish is a masterpiece and every grain of rice is infused with flavor. In Kyoto, you can savor a bowl of steaming ramen, a comfort food that's been elevated to an art form. Japan's culinary culture is a delightful blend of tradition and innovation, where old-world techniques meet modern culinary sensibilities. Thailand: Spice and Street Food Extravaganza Our culinary journey takes a spicy turn as we land in Thailand, a country celebrated for its vibrant and aromatic cuisine. Thai food is a symphony of flavors, where sweet, sour, salty, and spicy dance harmoniously on your taste buds. The heart of Thai culinary culture lies in its street food, where bustling markets offer a sensory overload of sights, sounds, and, most importantly, smells. In the lively streets of Bangkok, you can sample mouthwatering dishes like pad Thai, green curry, and som tum (papaya salad). Thai street food is not just about eating it's an experience that immerses you in the essence of Thai culture. France: The Epitome of Fine Dining From the bustling streets of Bangkok, we jet off to the romantic boulevards of Paris, where culinary excellence reigns supreme. France is synonymous with fine dining, and its Michelin-starred restaurants are the stuff of gastronomic legend. French cuisine is an ode to precision, where every dish is a work of art. Whether you're savoring a buttery croissant in a charming Parisian cafe or indulging in a bowl of bouillabaisse in the bustling port of Marseille, every bite in France is an exquisite affair. France's regional specialties reflect the diversity of its landscapes, from the alpine cheeses of Savoie to the seafood delights of Brittany. Vietnam: Pho and More in Southeast Asia Our culinary adventure concludes in Vietnam's vibrant and bustling streets, a country that has become synonymous with fresh and flavorful street food. Vietnamese cuisine is all about balance and harmony, where the freshness of ingredients shines through in every dish. In Hanoi, the charming capital city, you can sample the iconic pho, a fragrant noodle soup that's a national treasure. As you venture south to the Mekong Delta, you'll discover a world of exotic fruits, aromatic herbs, and savory dishes like banh mi. Vietnam's street food culture is a delightful blend of flavors and textures that captivate your senses and leave you craving more Sustainable and Ethical Food Travel In our culinary journey across the globe, we've savored a world of flavors, traditions, and cultures. However, as responsible travelers and epicurean enthusiasts, we must consider our food adventure's ethical and sustainable aspects. Culinary tourism can have a significant impact on local communities and the environment. Supporting local farmers, artisans, and sustainable practices is essential to ensure our culinary adventures leave a positive footprint. Final Note Culinary tourism is a passport to discover not only the flavors of the world but also the stories, traditions, and cultures that create them. Each destination offers a unique culinary experience that invites travelers to connect with the local community in a deeply meaningful way. Whether you're a food enthusiast or simply looking to broaden your horizons, exploring these exquisite food destinations is an invitation to embark on a flavorful journey that transcends borders and tantalizes the senses. So, pack your bags and prepare your taste buds for a global good adventure that promises to be both delicious and enlightening. As you embark on your culinary travels, remember that each dish is a story waiting to be told, a tradition waiting to be shared, and a connection waiting to be forged. Good appetite! The Aditya-L1 spacecraft, India's first space mission to study the sun, performed its fourth manoeuvre while still on Earth. According to an update from ISRO on X, the next manoeuvre for a send-off from the Earth is planned for September 19 at 02:00 IST. On September 10, the third manoeuvre was completed. "The fourth Earth-bound move (EBN#4) is successfully carried out. During this operation, the satellite was tracked by ISRO's ground stations in Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR, and Port Blair, while a portable terminal for Aditya-L1 now stationed in the Fiji islands would assist post-burn activities, according to ISRO. The new orbit achieved is 256 km x 121973 km, according to the space agency. Shifting the focus to its next space odyssey after successfully placing a lander on the moon's uncharted South Pole region, ISRO launched from Sriharikota -- the country's maiden solar mission named Aditya-L1. On September 3 and 5, the first and second earthbound movements were successfully completed. Before entering the transfer orbit towards the Lagrange point L1, the spacecraft will perform one final earthbound orbital maneuver. A total of five maneuvers will be carried out throughout the spacecraft's 16-day voyage around the Earth, during which it will build the velocity required for its subsequent journey to L1. Launched by the PSLV-C57, the Aditya-L1 mission is India's solar mission, where the spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system. The total cost of this mission is estimated to be around Rs 400 crore. The Large range point as defined by NASA, refers to "positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system like the Sun and Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion." Placing the satellite in a halo orbit around L1 of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth, enables continuous viewing of the Sun without any eclipses or obstructions. Aditya L1 is the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun. Only two other space agencies have had their spacecraft reach L1 or the Lagrange point USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to propel India into the top tier of advanced semiconductor technology manufacturing a 'giant scale of ambition' to seize on the worlds desire to reduce reliance on China. India has no history of fabbing chips and virtually none of the hyperspecialised engineers and equipment needed to launch such an initiative. Still, it says it will make them here and soon. It took TSMC and other Taiwanese companies decades, driven by government spending and countless billions in capital investment. Making microchips also requires a lot of "bespoke ingredients". According to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Indias biggest chemical plants are near Dholera and could pump out the specialised gases and liquids needed to run any chip fab. Seaports and railheads can ensure high levels of connectivity." Dholera in Gujarat has been designated as the future home of Indias first "semicon city". In July, Modi had promised 50 per cent financial assistance to players wishing to set up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the country. At the SemiconIndia 2023 in Gandhinagar, he had said that we are continuously carrying out policy reforms to accelerate the growth of the country's semiconductor sector". Highlighting the country's vast talent pool and skilled engineers, Modi stressed on the nation's global responsibility and efforts to bolster the semiconductor sector. He cited the recent initiatives like the approval of the National Quantum Mission and the introduction of semiconductor courses in over 300 colleges, aiming to produce more than 100,000 design engineers within the next five years. The government is 'offering billions to build an entire semiconductor ecosystem on vast empty plots'. 'According to Indias government, the microprocessor chips that power all things digital will soon be fully made in India. Its an ambition as unlikely as it is bold, and speaks volumes about Modis belief that he can propel India into the top tier of advanced technology manufacturing.'Today, nearly all cutting-edge logic chips are made in Taiwan. However, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), founded in 1987 by chip legend Morris Chang, has been struggling to help America get its own fabrication plants or 'fabs' going in Arizona, with help from President (Joe) Bidens subsidy-infused CHIPS Act. Indias technology scene is exulting in the limelight. Its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander reached the south pole of the moon in late August. Modi saw the Group of 20 summit as a platform to show off Indias digital-public infrastructure, the report said. According to the report, Modi has been telling nations not aligned with Beijing that India has an important role to play in building a trusted supply chain". In June, US-based Micron Technology had announced plans to set up a new $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in Gujarat. Another US-based semiconductor company, Applied Materials, also announced plans to build a collaborative engineering centre in India with an investment of $400 million over four years. Lam Research, a US supplier of wafer-fabrication equipment and related services to the semiconductor industry, announced a training programme in India for up to 60,000 high-tech engineers. The three key announcements in the semiconductor sector made during PM Modi's US visit will create a minimum 80,000 to 1 lakh direct jobs in India, according to Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. "The electronics industry created 10-12 lakh jobs in the last two years alone. The latest announcements, like by Micron, to make memory chips in India is an important milestone for us. I think there will be at least 80,000 to 1 lakh new direct jobs being created with these initiatives," Chandrasekhar said in June. "This is just a beginning as there is more to come as India rapidly grows as a significant and trusted partner to global electronics and semiconductor value and supply chain," he added. Snowflake, the Data Cloud company, is hosting the Bangalore leg of its Data Cloud World Tour (DCWT) event today. Attendees will get to hear from fellow data, technology, and business leaders including Sridhar Ramaswamy, SVP of Snowflake and Co-Founder and CEO of Neeva, and Sanjay Deshmukh, Senior Regional Vice President, Snowflake India and ASEAN, about how the Data Cloud breaks down silos, enables powerful and secure AI and machine learning (ML), and delivers business value to customers. Furthermore, the event will dig deeper into Snowflakes latest capabilities making it easier for organizations to do more with their data and simplify architectures, build without governance tradeoffs, and deliver and monetize leading applications at scale in Snowflake Marketplace. In particular, attendees will learn about new advancements in the rapidly evolving areas of streaming, support for open table formats, and generative AI. Snowflake Drives Generative AI in the Data Cloud with New Innovations and Partnerships Snowflake recently announced new innovations that extend data programmability for data scientists, data engineers, and application developers so they can build faster and more efficiently in the Data Cloud. With the launch of Snowpark Container Services (private preview), Snowflake is expanding the scope of Snowpark so developers can unlock broader infrastructure options such as accelerated computing with NVIDIA GPUs and AI software to run more workloads within Snowflakes secure and governed platform without complexity, including a wider range of AI and ML models, APIs, internally-developed applications, and more. Using Snowpark Container Services, Snowflake customers also get access to an expansive catalog of third-party software and apps including large language models (LLMs), Notebooks, MLOps tools, and more within their account. In addition, Snowflake is simplifying and scaling how users develop, operationalize, and consume ML models, unveiling new innovations so more organizations can bring their data and ML models to life. Snowpark Empowers Developers with Broader Programmability, Without Governance or Security Tradeoffs Snowpark continues to serve as Snowflakes secure deployment and processing of non-SQL code with various runtimes and libraries expanding who can build and what gets built in the Data Cloud. It lets builders work with data more effectively in their programming languages and tools of choice, while providing organizations with the automation, governance, and security guarantees missing in legacy data lakes and big data environments. Since launching in June 2021, Snowpark has helped data engineers migrate pipelines and run them faster and more efficiently, enabled data scientists to build and train models, and unlocked Snowflake as a powerful platform for application development. Snowpark Container Services further expands the scope of workloads that can be brought to customers data. It provides users with the flexibility to build in any programming language and deploy on broader infrastructure choices, including the NVIDIA AI platform for optimized acceleration, with the same ease of use, scalability, and unified governance of the Snowflake Data Cloud. In addition, Snowpark Container Services can be used as part of a Snowflake Native App (in development), enabling developers to distribute sophisticated apps that run entirely in their end-customers Snowflake account.Snowpark Container Services will also enable users to securely run leading third-party generative model providers like Reka directly within their Snowflake account, removing the need to expose proprietary data to accelerate innovation. Snowflake has partnered with dozens of third-party software and application providers to deliver world-class products that can run within their end-customers Snowflake account using Snowpark Container Services. Furthermore, NVIDIA and Snowflake are building transformative accelerated computing and software integrations for Snowpark Container Services. Yesterday, the companies announced a partnership that aims to make advanced generative AI capabilities available to enterprises everywhere. The collaboration also brings NVIDIA AI Enterprise the software pillar of the NVIDIA AI platform to Snowpark Container Services, along with support for NVIDIA accelerated computing. NVIDIA AI Enterprise includes over 100 frameworks, pretrained models and development tools including PyTorch for training, NVIDIA RAPIDS for data science, and NVIDIA Triton Inference Server for production AI deployments. Snowflake Helps Bring ML Models to Life, Delivers Improved Developer Experiences, and Expands Streaming Capabilities To streamline and scale machine learning model operations (MLOps), Snowflake is announcing the new Snowpark Model Registry, a unified repository for organizations ML models. The registry enables users to centralize the publishing and discovery of models, further streamlining collaboration across data scientists and ML engineers to seamlessly deploy models into production. Snowflake is also advancing its integration of Streamlit in Snowflake, empowering data scientists and other Python developers to increase the impact of their work by building apps that bridge the gap between data and business action. With Streamlit in Snowflake, builders can use familiar Python code to develop their apps, transforming an idea into an enterprise-ready app with just a few lines of code, and then quickly deploy and share these apps securely in the Data Cloud. In addition, Snowflake is making development within its unified platform easier and more familiar through new capabilities including native Git integration (private preview) to support seamless CI/CD workflows, and native Command Line Interface (CLI) (private preview) for optimized development and testing within Snowflake. New innovations also make it easier and more cost effective for data engineers to work with low latency data, without having to stitch together solutions or build additional data pipelines. Snowflake is eliminating boundaries between batch and streaming pipelines with Snowpipe Streaming (general availability soon) and Dynamic Tables (public preview), delivering a simplified and cost effective solution for data engineers to ingest streaming data and easily build complex declarative pipelines. On September 14, Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klychko and Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner signed a partnership agreement between the two cities at the German capital's City Hall. As a sign of the importance of cooperation with the Ukrainian capital and solidarity with Ukrainians, the mayors of the two cities passed through the Brandenburg Gate. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Vitaly Klychko on his Telegram channel. "Berlin is a city of freedom. Today, our German friends have symbolically demonstrated that Kyiv and Ukraine will always be free and a part of the European family. Berlin welcomed the largest number of Ukrainians fleeing the war among the cities of Western Europe. Currently, more than 65 thousand of our fellow citizens live here. The city continues to help them," the mayor emphasized. ADVERTISIMENT Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner noted that partnership and cooperation with Kyiv are among the priority projects for the Berlin authorities. The German capital is interested in deepening cooperation and will continue to support Kyiv. The mayors of the two cities discussed, among other things, further assistance and the transfer of city buses and municipal equipment to Kyiv. They also discussed the German capital's assistance in Kyiv's creation of a municipal prosthetics center for the military. Berlin is ready to send several prosthetic technicians from innovative Berlin companies to share their experience and provide practical training to Ukrainian specialists. Many Ukrainian soldiers are now being treated and rehabilitated in clinics in Berlin. The city authorities facilitate this. ADVERTISIMENT "Medical care, prosthetics and rehabilitation of our defenders is a very important question for Ukraine. I hope that our cooperation with Berlin, which we will develop in this direction, will help many wounded Ukrainian soldiers," Vitaly Klychko emphasized. Representatives of the Alliance of Ukrainian Organizations in Germany were also present at the ceremony of signing the partnership agreement at the Berlin City Hall. Chris Griffith has been appointed as the chief executive officer for base metals and president of international businesses by Vedanta Resources. His appointment will take effect on October 2, 2023, according to a statement from the major global metal and mining company. Owning 68.11 percent of its Indian subsidiary Vedanta Ltd., Vedanta Resources is a major player in the oil and gas, zinc, iron ore, aluminium, power, and copper industries. "Vedanta Resources today announced the appointment of Chris Griffith, former CEO of Gold Fields, one of the largest producers of gold in the world, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Base Metals & President of its International Businesses," the statement said. In his new role as CEO for Base Metals, Chris Griffith will assume responsibility for steering both Vedanta Zinc International and Vedanta Copper businesses, it added. Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Group, said, "We welcome Chris Griffith to Vedanta as the CEO for Base Metals & President International. His extensive experience in the mining industry and leadership track record at Gold Fields, Amplats and Kumba make him an invaluable addition to our team, especially as we embark on an exciting growth phase in our copper business with the return of KCM (Konkola Copper Mines) to our portfolio". Chris holds a bachelor's degree in mining engineering from the University of Pretoria. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Police responded to an armed robbery late Thursday night on a commercial block in Tompkinsville, followed by a 911 report of an attempted robbery miles away in Port Richmond. Two unidentified individuals took cash and food from a complaining victim near the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Cebra Avenue before fleeing toward Castleton Avenue, an NYPD spokesman said Friday. The age and gender of the victim was not available, the spokesman said. No injuries were reported as an investigation remains ongoing. The robbery occurred feet from where a 22-year-old man was shot and killed three years ago while on his way to grab a sandwich at a nearby deli. The perpetrator has since pleaded guilty in the case, while the dispute that preceded the shooting remains shrouded in mystery, authorities have said. PORT RICHMOND ROBBERY Hours later after the emergency response in Tompkinsville, emergency dispatchers fielded a report of an attempted robbery on a commercial block of Port Richmond Avenue, near Hatfield Place, according to emergency radio transmissions. Police were seeking two individuals following the 3 a.m. incident and may have effected arrests in the case, transmissions indicated. The NYPD could not immediately confirm those details Friday morning, the spokesman said. Both incidents occurred within steps of local businesses. __ OTHER STATEN ISLAND NEWS: >> NYPD investigating threats in letters targeting Staten Island school: Sources >> NYPD officer injured by vehicle fleeing from car stop on Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge >> Man sought for questioning in connection with robbery at shop on Staten Islands Hylan Blvd. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. If there is a school bus driver strike in New York City, it wont just impact public schools private school students will also experience disruptions to service. The school bus driver union Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1181 could potentially strike. The union represents about half the bus drivers and attendants who serve city students. Thousands of students across the city could lose their way to and from school, and that includes students in private and Catholic schools, as well. Students in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York would be impacted by a bus strike, as K-6 students use the city education departments yellow bus service. Busing is provided within a five-mile limit to students from their home. I think for all schools throughout NYC, we have to be mindful of any potential issues that come up with our students being able to come to school every day, but thankfully the Archdiocese of New York is working in partnership to make sure that continuous plans would be in place should there be a bus strike, said Jann Amato, superintendent of Staten Island Catholic schools, during an interview on the first day of school with the Advance/SILive.com. Were hoping there wouldnt be, but I am very, very confident that we will ensure that our students would be able to get to school every day. As the city laid out its plan should there be a bus strike, Catholic schools across Staten Island may also create their own guidance. Schools impacted may include: Blessed Sacrament School, West Brighton Father Vincent Capodanno Catholic Academy, South Beach Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tompkinsville Our Lady Queen of Peace, New Dorp Our Lady Star of the Sea Sacred Heart School, West Brighton St. Ann School, Dongan Hills St. Charles School, Oakwood St. Clare School, Great Kills St. Patrick School, Richmond St. Teresa-St. Rita STREAM Academy, Castleton Corners Academy of St. Dorothy, Old Town St. Joseph Hill Academy, Arrochar Notre Dame Academy, Grymes Hill Schools may create their own arrival and dismissal plans should a strike occur, such as utilizing a drop-off line during arrival, carpooling and exiting the campus as soon as children are dismissed during staggered dismissal times. Emergency MetroCards will also be available to students and families impacted by a strike, provided by the city Department of Education (DOE). The MetroCards will be valid on MTA buses and subways (excluding express bus service) which will provide a total of four trips and transfers daily from Monday through Friday between 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Some impacted families may also be eligible for additional services like rideshares and reimbursement for alternative travel. School principals and parents receive updates from NYCDOE, who provides the bussing for eligible students, said TJ McCormack, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New York Superintendent of Schools. We remain in regular contact with the New York City officials. Our families follow those same contingency plans including acquiring emergency Metro Cards and prepaid rideshare accommodations provided by the City for students with disabilities who already receive curb-to-school transportation. You should contact your school if your child is impacted. Parents who dont have a child who takes a school bus should also be prepared for longer drop-off times at arrival, and additional traffic at dismissal. BUS STRIKE COULD BE WEEKS AWAY As negotiations continue between the school bus drivers union and school bus companies, ABC7 reported that city officials dont expect a school bus strike this week. If we were to have a strike, it probably would not be for several weeks from now, Schools Chancellor David C. Banks stated after an unrelated event on Friday, according to ABC7. Banks added that the union is committed to negotiating and that parents shouldnt be concerned about a bus strike in the near future. However, Local 1181 released a statement to ABC7 that there is no commitment not to strike as negotiations are ongoing, but that time is running out. The last time there was a school bus strike was in January 2013, when workers demanded better job security. At the time, dozens of school bus drivers and matrons, who were members of Local 1181, walked the picket line outside the Pioneer Bus yard on Arthur Kill Road in Rossville. Inside the lot, more than 380 yellow buses sat idle. That walkout in 2013 lasted more than four weeks. YOU MIGHT LIKE: Potential school bus strike in NYC: How to tell if your childs route could be impacted Do NYC students get a day off for Diwali? A guide to newest public school holidays. As 2023-2024 academic year gets underway, is NYC school bus strike still a possibility? Are your kids in one of our 211 back-to-school photos? These New York schools spend the most per student, new report says STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Decker Farm (ca. 1810) on Richmond Hill Road remains New York Citys oldest continuously working family-style farm. Japhet Alston (1774-1842) and his wife Sara Decker Alston were the first known residents on the property. Among their 12 children was Sarah, who continued to reside in the house with her husband, John M. There are approximately 11 structures on 11 acres of land on this property. Significant structures include the farmhouse, a large barn, a small barn, and a drive shed. Smaller buildings include a privy, chicken coop, smokehouse, and others. Most are on their original sites, but the smokehouse was moved to this property from another location in the 1960s. Alberta Decker endowed the farm to the Staten Island Historical Society in 1955 for use as a museum farm. Today, Historic Richmond Town has teamed UP with new American farmers and supporting agencies to keep the land cultivated in recent years and offer educational and public programming to the farms many annual visitors. In fact, from Saturday, Sept.30 to Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, from 11 AM to 5 PM, the Decker Farm will hold its annual pumpkin picking event. You can search the patch for the perfect pumpkin, learn about 19th-century farm life, and indulge in delicious fall food favorites without leaving Staten Island! On September 17, 1939 this view of a field with crops growing at the Decker Farm in New Springville, Staten Island, a man stands next to a cow; both are seen from the back. There are two handwritten inscriptions on the reverse of the photo: "Sept. 17, 1939" and "Decker Farm."(From the c ollection at Historic Richmond Town) ca. 1935-1940 a view of plowing at the Decker Farm in New Springville, Staten Island. A man hold the reins of a pair of horses harnessed to a plow, while a second man guides the plow. (From the collection at Historic Richmond Town) Current photo of the Decker farmhouse add on and the field. (Staten island Advance) Left is the April 22, 1956 view of a man driving a tractor at the Decker Farm in New Springville, Staten Island. Three buildings are visible in the background, including the large barn at right and the small barn (also called the animal barn) at left. (From the collection at Historic Richmond Town) The right photo is the current site without the tractor. (Staten Island Advance) Left is a 1955 view of two barns and a drive shed at the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville. (From the collection at Historic Richmond Town) Right is a current photo of the same buildings at the Decker Farm, Sept. 12, 2023. (Staten Island Advance) Current photo of the Decker Farm shed. (Staten Island Advance) A view of haying at the Decker Farm in New Springville, Staten Island. A man holding a rake stands on top of a load of hay on a truck. Three men holding rakes stand next to the truck. Two handwritten inscriptions on the reverse of the photo: "Hay / Harvest" and "Decker Farm." Earliest Date 1930 (Collection of Historic Richmond Town) The Decker Farm, Sept. 12, 2023. (Staten Island Advance) Left is a 1911 view of members of the Decker family at the Decker Farm house in New Springville. The photo shows two men standing outdoors, two women seated on the ground in front of them, and a dog. The side of the Decker farmhouse can be seen in the background. The people in the photograph are identified as children of Sylvanus Decker; standing, from left to right, are Robert and Richard; seated, from left to right, are Gertrude and Alberta. (From the collection at Historic Richmond Town) The right is a current photo of the farmhouse, Sept. 12, 2023. (Staten Island Advance) A 1942 distant view of two barns at the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville, Staten Island, as seen from across a field. The smaller of the two barns is under construction. There is a fence and what appears to be a pile of hay in the foreground. (From the collection at Historic Richmond Town) First graders from BrooklynOs PS 185 each pick out a pumpkin to take home during their visit to Decker Farm in New Springville in 2018. (Staten Island Advance) Current views of the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville now included as part of Historic Richmond Town. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Current views of the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville now included as part of Historic Richmond Town. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Current views of the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville now included as part of Historic Richmond Town. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Current views of the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville now included as part of Historic Richmond Town. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Deer at the Decker farm on June 27, 2023. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Current views of the Sylvanus Decker farm in New Springville now included as part of Historic Richmond Town. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Related Stories Officials believe a series of arson attacks in Belgium are connected to a sex education school program, the Associated Press is reporting. Six schools in the French-speaking Wallonia region were set ablaze this week, while signs protesting the so-called Evras program were discovered in some of the buildings, the report said. The now compulsory four-hour training program which has been around for years is intended to train students 11 to 12 and 15 to 16 to develop their relationship and sex lives. One-hundred-thousand students are required to attend the two sessions of training during the current school year, the report said. While nobody has claimed responsibility for the fires and no arrests have been made, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo is seeking the help of government experts on extremism in the wake of the arsons, the report went on to say. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Eagle-eyed North Shore residents may have noticed some unexpected visitors in the waters off of Staten Island on Friday: Two cruise ships moored in The Narrows off of Stapleton. While its common to see cruise ships leaving from Manhattan and New Jersey over the weekend, its rare to see the vessels docked off our shoreline. You can blame Hurricane Lee. The two vessels, Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Escape and Regent Seven Seas Cruises Seven Seas Mariner, were among the cruise ships that had to change their itineraries because of Hurricane Lee, according to Seatrade Cruise News. The vessels can be seen from Front Street in Stapleton and from other spots on the North Shore. You can check the cruise ships positions in real time on MarineTraffic, a global ship-tracking website. Norwegian Escape is on a revised route, the cruise industry website said, and called at Saint John, in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, on Wednesday instead of at Bar Harbor, Maine. Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Escape can be seen moored off of Staten Island on its way to Manhattan after being rerouted because of Hurricane Lee. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) The vessel skipped at stop at Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada, spent a day at sea and then headed for an early return to New York. The Norwegian Escape will remain at anchorage overnight on Friday and will dock overnight in Manhattan on Saturday. Passengers will disembark as planned on Sunday, Seatrade Cruise News said. The Seven Seas Mariner is near the end of a repositioning cruise that left Venice, Italy, on Aug. 24, the industry publication said. The vessel bypassed Bermuda due to Hurricane Lee and instead sailed straight to New York. Regent Seven Seas Cruises Seven Seas Mariner is moored off of Staten Island on its way to Manhattan after being rerouted because of Hurricane Lee. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) Millions of people in New England and parts of Canada are under tropical storm warnings as Hurricane Lee heads into the region on Friday, according to USA Today. The storm is now a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph. The National Weather Service said that the storm surge from Hurricane Lee could cause coastal flooding in New York City between Friday night and early Sunday morning. The storm is not expected to deliver serious rain or wind impacts to the area. MORE STATEN ISLAND STORIES FROM TOM WROBLESKI Staten Island COVID diary: Whats that military transport ship doing moored off of Staten Island? From The Bridge to Below the Boulevard: 24 things that only true Staten Islanders know The Pond. The Plaza. The Point: 26 MORE things that only true Staten Islanders know Beachgoers in Seaside Heights who enter the ocean when no lifeguard is on duty, or when there are red flag conditions prohibiting swimming, are being put on notice they could face police summonses, the boroughs mayor said Thursday. Mayor Tony Vaz said he worked with the borough council and police department to make the enforcement decision following dozens of rescues in Seaside Heights and Seaside Park this month and due to the high rip current risks likely to be in effect all weekend with Hurricane Lee churning hundreds of miles off shore in the Atlantic Ocean. If they go in the water, were going to try to get a patrolman up there, Vaz said by phone Thursday morning. We will warn them or throw them off the beach. If it continues, we will summons them. Were going to use courtesy, but if they disrespect the authorities were going to issue them a summons. New Jerseys beaches had four drownings in 24 hours over Labor Day weekend, when strong rip currents led to dozens of rescues. That included one death in Seaside Park. Vaz said he didnt know how much a potential fine would be, but News 12 New Jersey said the amount could be as high as $1,250. While lifeguards remain on duty on the weekend through the end of September, the boroughs beaches will be unguarded on weekdays until late May. Theres a high rip current risk along the Jersey Shore through Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service. In addition, a high surf advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Saturday. Ocean conditions are expected to be particularly rough through the weekend due to swells from Hurricane Lee, which was 265 miles southwest of Bermuda at 8 a.m. Thursday. Sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s are expected through at least Sunday and the water is still plenty warm 76 degrees on Thursday morning so Seaside Heights officials are expecting crowds of people at the beach. The weather this weekend were preparing for it, Vaz said High tide, currents you have to be careful. Vaz said announcements will be made over the public address system on the boardwalk starting Thursday about the ban on swimming when there are no lifeguards. Everyone is going to be notified and if they continue, were going to give them a ticket, he said. Its a crazy year because the weather has been really positive as far as sun and so forth, but the water is dangerous. Seaside Heights police couldnt immediately be reached. Recent contributors to the Advance Editor have blasted those opposed to housing migrants in their neighborhoods. Theyve made comments like theyre racist or they have no compassion an easy assertion without even knowing these people. This is not an anti-immigration protest, as many of us are children of immigrants. What are the people really protesting? Have any migrants been tested for communicable diseases? Criminal background? Sexual predators? Gang members? Drug smugglers? Terrorist watch list? No. None. Are you comfortable with that? The migrant children who will be in schools with other children are exempt, at least initially, from receiving vaccinations. Are you comfortable with that? Staten Island faith leaders sent a letter: Open your hand to the poor and needy. Do not mistreat or oppress an immigrant because you were once immigrants in the land of Egypt. Of course they should not be mistreated. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. That is admirable we should all do that. I believe the Bible verses above (Im not a Biblical expert) relate to individuals reaching out and helping people. How many of you who criticize those who are rightfully concerned about the quality of life in their neighborhoods would invite the unvetted migrants to where you live? Yes, help and have a heart for people. We must also use our heads. It must be orderly, verified and limited. This, though, is not what is happening. This is forced, massive influx, as many as 300 or more people being sent to your block and another block and another block. What parent would be comfortable now, letting their children outside to play with their friends? Now, perhaps you understand. (Dennis Semenza is a Dongan Hills resident.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Wondering which careers are most in demand these days? A recent study has revealed the newest in-demand jobs by evaluating data from Google searches, LinkedIn and Indeed job openings, as well as the number of professionals currently available. To provide a comprehensive overview of the rapidly expanding in-demand jobs in the current employment market, this research examined one year of data between June 2022 to June 2023. The findings are outlined below. Employers are searching for 7,000 AI prompt engineers, according to the recent study conducted by Workyard. That makes it the highest in demand among all listed professions. It also has the highest Google search count of close to 60,000, indicating a strong level of interest among individuals searching for possibilities in this field. Currently, there are 3,500 AI prompt engineers employed worldwide, of which only 920 are from the United States. The human integration specialist is the second job that is getting a lot of attention. This profession has 6,000 job openings, slightly lower than the AI prompt engineer. Although LinkedIn Jobs shows a relatively lower count of 980 job openings, Indeed Jobs has about 5,020 jobs listed. There are presently no registered professionals in the United States, and just one human integration specialist globally was found during the research. The 3D printing engineer is the third most in-demand new job, which has around 3,000 job openings, showing a lower demand compared to the top two professions. Meanwhile, the Google search count is relatively high, reaching 9,000 searches, which indicates a significant interest. There are now 3,000 professionals, including 700 in the United States and 2,300 worldwide. The fourth job is AI product manager which, similar to the 3D printing engineer, also has 3,000 job openings. However, compared to the other professions stated above, the Google search count is lower, at 4,000. The number of professionals in this field matches the 3D printing engineer, indicating a comparable level of demand. The fifth sought-after fast-growing job is drone manager. It has 1,500 job openings, indicating a lower demand compared to the previous professions. The Google search count is also relatively low at 1,500, suggesting limited interest. Currently, around 25 individuals hold the position in the country, with an additional 65 professionals worldwide. The AI research scientist has 850 job openings, making it sixth on the list. However, the Google search count is relatively high at 7,550, indicating significant interest. Currently, there are 2,500 professionals working in this role, from which approximately 650 professionals are based in the United States. Not far behind the AI research scientist, the augmented reality experience designer is seventh on the list. It has 800 job openings and a relatively low count of 350 Google searches. The number of professionals worldwide remains limited, with only nine in the field. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Pavilion Hill Corp. began developing the homes on Tompkins Circle in Tompkinsville in 1916. The project included a staircase, or step street, that went from the homes on the circle down to Victory Boulevard. Tompkins Circle residents for decades have used the stairs as a shortcut to the delis, restaurants and shops on Victory and to catch buses to the St. George Ferry Terminal and elsewhere. But the staircase in recent years has become a haven for drug use, prostitution and other bad behavior. The steps are regularly littered with trash, including used needles and condoms, and sections of fencing along the staircase are damaged or missing. Overgrowth from surrounding properties has not been pruned back. Neighbors have complained about open drug use and unruly behavior on this 'secret staircase,' or step street, in Tompkinsville. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) Neighborhood residents, fearful of using the steps and frustrated by the deteriorating conditions there, have reached out to local elected officials to take control of the staircase. The residents want the step street renovated and lighting and handrails installed. They want it to be a place of neighborhood pride, similar to step stairs in other parts of the city, some of which are tourist attractions. Were not asking for extraordinary measures, Tompkins Circle resident Ann Marchesano said at a meeting at the staircase on Tuesday with officials, civic leaders and residents. This discarded syringe was found in an area off the 'secret staircase' in Tompkinsville. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) But theres one big stumbling block: Nobody knows who actually owns the property. Speaking at the meeting, Vincent MacDermot, director of land use for Borough President Vito Fossella, said that Borough Hall had asked the city Law Department to research who owns the step street property. The first thing is ownership, MacDermot said. Borough Hall Land Use Director Vincent MacDermot, in suit, speaks with community residents and others about 'secret staircase' in Tompkinsville. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) The original Pavilion Hill Corp. is defunct, MacDermot said. If an owner is found, the city can move to buy the property from them or the owner could cede the property to the city, he said. MacDermot said that the city could also petition the state Supreme Court to place a fair dollar value on the staircase for purchase. The site could also go up for auction, which would allow neighborhood residents or others to buy the property. MacDermot also said that if the city does buy the property, it could renovate the area or possibly decide to close access to portions of the staircase. That would come with a caveat: The lower portion of the staircase provides access to residents of a private home at 1 Pavilion Hill Terrace, just off the staircase, and to an apartment above a neighboring laundromat at 66 Victory Blvd. The city would be required to leave part of the staircase open in order continue to provide access to those residents. Speaking to the dangerous and dilapidated conditions on the staircase, MacDermot said, Its a horrendous thing to have in a community. The meeting was attended by Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore), representatives of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Bklyn.), City Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) and Fossellas office, as well as members of community groups and neighborhood residents. Group including state Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore), center, hold meeting about 'secret staircase' at Tompkins Circle, Tompkinsville. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) This is a public safety issue, Fall said. Im thinking about kids walking up and down here. He said his office had capital funds that could be allocated for staircase improvements, and suggested that solar powered lights be installed on the staircase in the short term. Fall said that community cleanup efforts can only go so far when dangerous debris like used needles is involved. Government needs to step in here, he said. Fall added that the city should fine owners of the wooded property surrounding the staircase who dont take care of their premises. Dennis McKeon, of the Where To Turn organization, said that his group would commit to cleaning the stairs once a month. Community activist Bobby Digi, a founding member of Friends of Tompkinsville Park, said that he would also work to organize cleanups at the stairs, including mobilizing volunteer students to take on the job. We want to see what it is that the community can do to help out, said Eileen Harrington, president of the St. George Civic Association. Borough Hall and the Sanitation Department have done cleanups of the stairs recently. NYPD patrols of the stairs have also been stepped up. MORE SECRET STAIRCASE STORIES FROM TOM WROBLESKI Signs of hope for drug riddled secret staircase in this North Shore neighborhood Support for North Shore secret staircase grows, but ownership of site remains a question Staten Island secret staircase still haunted by heroin "Energoatom continues to sever Ukraine's nuclear ties with Russia. After the first-ever loading of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant with non-Russian fuel, Ukraine shipped the first batch of domestically mined uranium to Canada. All raw materials from VostGOK will now be supplied to this country. The uranium will be used there to produce nuclear fuel for our nuclear power plants. ADVERTISIMENT "The agreement with our strategic partner CAMECO provides for the supply of the entire volume of uranium produced at VostGOK and its further conversion into natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6). Such a process is necessary to prepare for sending it for enrichment to our other strategic partners, URENCO (UK), and then to Westinghouse for the production of nuclear fuel," said Energoatom Director Petro Kotin. As of the morning of September 15, special transport with Ukrainian uranium is moving across Europe, the company said. CAMESO is expected to supply 100% of Energoatom's uranium hexafluoride needs for Rivne, Khmelnytsky and South Ukrainian NPPs from 2024 to 2035. The contract also provides for the possibility of supplying Zaporizhzhia NPP as soon as control over the nuclear power plant is returned to Energoatom. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, nuclear reprocessing processes are not yet available in Ukraine, "but we are working to create the appropriate facilities," Kotin emphasized. The main problem is that all Ukrainian nuclear power plants have Soviet-designed reactors and Ukraine was dependent on Russia for nuclear fuel supplies until February 2022. After Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine accelerated its plans to diversify its nuclear fuel supply. Now, domestic uranium will be used for its production. Westinghouse fuel was first loaded into a Ukrainian nuclear power plant on September 10, 2023. According to the British Ministry of Defense, this was an important step in Ukraine's long-term separation from Russia. ADVERTISIMENT British analysts reminded that nuclear energy provides about half of Ukraine's electricity. They emphasized that Energoatom's success in finding and installing Western fuel is important for strengthening Ukraine's energy security. As reported by OBOZREVATEL, earlier Russian dictator Vladimir Putin openly talked about strikes on nuclear power plants in Ukraine. According to him, such actions could be taken by Russia in response to "strikes on its power lines" that were invented by the Russians themselves. Only verified information on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! 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! The author of a new biography of the self-confessed paedophile Australian artist Donald Friend wants to ignite a debate about whether works by the creator should be expunged from public view. Friend, an admired painter and draughtsman who was an official war artist towards the end of World War II, lived much of his life overseas, notably in Bali for more than 20 years, and died in 1989. Four volumes of his diaries have been published posthumously by the National Library of Australia. The final one in 2006, covering his life on the Indonesian island in the 1960s and 70s, revealed his paedophilia. Ian Britain says it is impossible to deny that Friend had engaged in activities that would now be considered criminal. Credit: Paul Jeffers Subsequently, filmmaker Kerry Negara made A Loving Friend, a documentary in which she castigated the artists behaviour and the way he had been seen as a nice, culturally acceptable paedophile. Other media followed suit. Now historian and biographer Ian Britains new book, The Making of Donald Friend: Life & Art, hopes at least to bring the controversial artist back into the public eye and perhaps open a discussion on whether his work should be allowed to return to gallery walls or remain out of view. Six months after setting up a new studio in Sydney, the global visual effects and animation house helping make George Millers blockbuster new Mad Max film, Furiosa, is pondering its future in NSW. DNEG Sydney is one voice of many from the screen sector protesting massive cuts to funding for film and television flagged by the Minns government ahead of Tuesdays budget. The film and TV industry is warning of a potential exodus of thousands of jobs and the loss of NSW-based visual effects companies and production houses to Victoria and Queensland if the cuts, worth an estimated $60 million annually, are not reversed. DNEG Sydneys Andrew Jackson was special-effects supervisor on Oppenheimer. Credit: Steven Siewert The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and Screen Producers Australia held crisis talks with Arts Minister John Graham on Thursday but said they had been advised the cuts were locked into the budget. On the night of September 15, Kyiv time, Harvard University hosted one of the most important scientific award ceremonies that the whole world follows every time. We are talking about the Ig Nobel Prize, a satirical award given for research that seems ridiculous at first, but then makes you think. ADVERTISIMENT The prize is in no way shameful or humiliating. This is evidenced by the fact that the winners willingly participate in the award ceremony year after year. Moreover, it precedes Nobel Week, the period when the winners of the world's most prestigious scientific award are announced. OBOZREVATEL tells you who won the prize in 2023. There are ten nominations every year, but the list is always different. This time, the awards were as follows: Prize in Chemistry and Geology It was awarded to Polish scientist Jan Zalasiewicz for explaining why many scientists like to lick rocks. His award-winning work is titled "Eating Fossils". Prize in Literature It was awarded to researchers from France, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Finland "for studying the sensations people experience when they repeat a word many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many times." You've probably played this game as a child, where you repeat a word until it loses its meaning. These people have studied this phenomenon called "word alienation" and "semantic saturation." ADVERTISIMENT Prize in Mechanical Engineering Researchers from India, China, Malaysia and the United States received this prize for reviving dead spiders for use as mechanical gripping tools. They searched for biotic materials that could be used as ready-to-use actuators. Public Health Prize It was won by South Korean and American researcher Park Sung Min, who decided to simplify the task of health monitoring and set out to design a toilet that would collect many samples itself. He received the award "for the invention of the Stanford Toilet, a device that uses various technologies, including a urine test strip, a computer vision system for analyzing bowel movements, a paired anal fingerprint sensor with an identification camera and a telecommunications channel, to monitor and quickly analyze human excretions." ADVERTISIMENT Prize in Communications It was wan by a team from Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Chile, China and the United States, who studied the mental activity of people who can speak backwards. Prize in Medicine The winners from the USA, Canada, Macedonia, Iran and Vietnam studied human cadavers for one specific feature: whether the same number of hairs grow in both nostrils. Prize in Nutrition This award was shared by the Japanese Miyashita Homei and Nakamura Hiromi. They investigated how electrified chopsticks and drinking straws affect the taste of food and drink. Prize in Education A group of researchers from China, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom went to the most boring lectures to write their paper to investigate how this feeling affects teachers and students. The title of what they wrote as a result speaks for itself, "Boredom breeds boredom: A sample study of the impact of teacher boredom on student boredom and motivation." ADVERTISIMENT Prize in Psychology It was awarded to the American scientists who wrote the paper "Notes on the Attractive Power of Crowds of Different Sizes". In simple terms, they conducted experiments to see how many passersby would stop to look up if they saw a person standing and looking up. Prize in Physics This award was given to scientists from Spain, Galicia, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom, who decided to measure the extent to which the sexual activity of anchovies affects the mixing of ocean water. The Ig Nobel Prize was established in 1991 by science journalist Mark Abrahams and the Annals of Improbable Research journal, where he serves as editor-in-chief, to reward authors of unusual and witty research to increase people's interest in science, medicine and technology. The award has been once given to researchers who finally found out why wombats poop in cubes. A Ukrainian woman who designed a bra that can be turned into two respirators, the authors of a study on how swearing affects pain relief and the crew of a warship who shouted "boom!" instead of real shots during exercises also received the prize. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier OBOZREVATEL shared the most ridiculous discoveries awarded with the Ig Nobel Prize. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest news. Advertisement Review Eating outSt Leonards Dont miss the spectacular choc-rippled pastries at this destination croissanterie This croissant-centric bakery on Sydneys lower north shore has inspired a devoted and far-flung following for its creative takes on classic pastries. Lee Tran Lam September 11, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share The best venues to see and be seen at this October. See all stories . 1 / 8 The counter dazzles at Layers Sydney. Dominic Lorrimer 2 / 8 Frances Song with a chocolate croissant. Janie Barrett 3 / 8 Tiramisu croissant. Dominic Lorrimer 4 / 8 Layers signature chocolate bar. Dominic Lorrimer 5 / 8 Kimchi triple cheese pastry. Dominic Lorrimer 6 / 8 Triple-choc hazelnut croissant. Dominic Lorrimer 7 / 8 Coconut and almond cube. Dominic Lorrimer 8 / 8 Black sesame cube. Dominic Lorrimer Previous Slide Next Slide Cafe$$$ You cant rush the croissants at Layers Sydney each buttery pastry here takes five days to make. Theyre not ordinary baked goods, either, as a glimpse at the dazzling counter reveals. Many begin with the blueprints of a plain croissant and then bloom into something spectacular. Take the tiramisu flavour, created by co-owner Frances Song and pastry chef Coco Lam. Its a sculptural wonder: chocolate sails are cushioned with thick chantilly mascarpone ribbons and sprinkled with chocolate shavings and coffee jelly cubes. If architect Frank Gehry designed a croissant, it might look like this. But this is a pastry with a payload of oozing coffee-infused cream inside. To give this a signal boost, crushed coffee beans are added to the croissant amplifying the pastrys smoky, espresso-like power. Tiramisu croissant. Dominic Lorrimer Advertisement This isnt just an inspired take on tiramisu, it also reveals Layers Sydneys back story. The coffee that fuels this flavoured croissant is a signature blend by co-owner Jiyoon Song, a roaster at Headlands and Frances husband. They first met in Seoul and had originally planned to open a cafe in South Korea. But circumstances instead led to them launching Layers Sydney in April with Lam (whose CV includes hatted restaurants Nomad and Alpha) and baker Elwin Ung, Frances classmate at Meadowbank TAFE. During their patisserie studies, they dreamed theyd open a bakery one day. Theyve quickly gained an enthusiastic fan club for the St Leonards cafe: one group of visitors travelled from Newcastle two weekends in a row, enduring four-hour round trips for each pastry run. Another guest learnt of Layers while scrolling through social media in Dubai and made it a priority stop after Sydney Airport. The one-of-a-kind menu inspires such dedication. (Another bonus is that the pastries are designed to taste good when reheated: they dont become moistureless husks.) Triple-choc hazelnut croissant. Dominic Lorrimer So whats on this menu that inspires such devotion? Theres the signature chocolate bar croissant, an update on the classic pain au chocolat. Frances thinks the traditional pastry chocolate ratio is off balance, where the chocolate all clumps together and theres too much dough in other bites. Thats not really pleasant, she says. And Jiyoon doesnt enjoy the typical dark chocolate thats used. At Layers Sydney, theyve wrapped their croissants with bands of cocoa crisps and tucked a well-measured dose of milk chocolate inside. Advertisement To dial up your cacao intake even further, theres the triple-choc hazelnut croissant. It tastes like a fancy Ferrero Rocher, thanks to the toasted nuts and praline. The pastry is also richly pinstriped with cocoa ribbons and its packed with chocolate in dark, milk and custard forms. Theres more than chocolate; the kimchi triple cheese pastry has a shaving of gruyere atop the melted mix of tasty, parmesan and mozzarella thats encased with stir-fried kimchi. Its one of many Korean-inspired treats at Layers Sydney, such as the bulgogi beef and gochujang-spiced pork tarts. Then theres the bestselling truffle cheese and caramelised onion tart and sausage bread with tomato sauce and corn mayo salad imagine a pizza merged with a hot dog, Asian remix edition. Its the childhood bread that local bakeries have in Korea, says Frances. Layers signature chocolate bar croissant. Dominic Lorrimer The coconut and black sesame bread cubes are another highlight: instead of nursing sourdough during Sydneys initial COVID lockdown, Frances experimented with the milk bread that led to these refreshingly sweet loaves. The pastry counter might empty long before closing time, but you can still order macarons flavoured with black sesame, Earl Grey and mocha infused with Headlands custom blend. Created with roasting champion Takumi Sakamoto, the coffee is meant to evoke peanut butter and cinnamon. You can drink it with maple syrup inspired by Korean drinks. Advertisement Layers Sydney is an excellent addition to the citys baking scene and joins the gold rush of patisseries smartly reimagining what you can feature in a pastry counter (see Tenacious Croissants Korean-dumpling remix of a sausage roll, or Home Croissanteries genius potato-chip-like pastry). Were hoping in the future one day well be able to open one in Seoul, says Frances. But before they go global, Im grateful our city is the ground zero for their brilliant and unique pastries. The low-down Layers Sydney Vibe: A laneway patisserie offering inventive chocolate-rippled croissants, Korean-influenced pastries and other baked treats. Go-to dish: The tiramisu croissant, which features Callebaut chocolate shards implanted in elegant squiggles of chantilly mascarpone. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Convicted wife killer Chris Dawson has been jailed for a maximum of three years for grooming and sexually abusing a teenager in the 1980s. The former teacher, 75, pursued an unlawful sexual relationship with the 16-year-old student he met at a Sydney high school, initially getting her placed into his class and later writing a double entendre in her report card that she was a pleasure to teach. Chris Dawson, pictured in May 2022. Credit: Nick Moir On Friday, Crown prosecutor Emma Blizard told the NSW District Court that Dawson took steps to actively groom the vulnerable teenager and exploited his knowledge of her turbulent home life. Blizard said the offence was not spontaneous and jail was the only appropriate sentence. Judge Sarah Huggett said Dawson was aged about 32 at the time of his offence and singled the girl out, telling her she was beautiful and encouraging her to confide in him. She said this involved an abuse of his position of trust and authority. A sophisticated drug dealing network operating in Melbourne has encouraged its customers to migrate away from using the soon-to-be defunct encrypted messaging app Wickr to rival platform Signal. Melbourne residents signed up to a Wickr-based drug delivery service have been instructed to stop using the Amazon-owned app before its shutdown on December 31. The app has been widely used by drug dealers, hackers and paedophiles in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Wickr users are sent out a menu of what drugs are available. Credit: Getty A Melbourne group advertising more than 15 types of drugs including cocaine, ketamine and MDMA has instructed Wickr users to maintain the same alias when switching apps to enable them to keep the business running efficiently. We are starting to place orders through Signal as well, following the same order form as our original format, they wrote in a message to users seen by The Age. The insurance company behind a claim by a WA Police officer hospitalised for injuries sustained in a fall while on holiday in Croatia has revealed it is continuing to work with her family to honour her policy. Tokio Marine, the underwriters for RAC, which Ella Cutler had purchased a travel policy through, released a statement on Friday saying the claim to cover her medical and repatriation expenses was still open. Ella Cutler. Credit: Facebook We deeply sympathise with Ms Cutler and her family during this difficult time, a spokesperson for the company said. We can confirm that we have been providing a range of support to Ms Cutler and her family since the incident occurred. Notorious Perth bikie Troy Mercanti has been fined $1500 for wearing a Mongols club logo on a shirt and showing bikie tattoos when he was picking up dry cleaning for his mum in Northbridge earlier this year. The senior patched member of the outlaw motorcycle gang was also sentenced under new anti-consorting laws after he was caught having lunch with a fellow club member last March, a meeting which cost Mercanti $1200 in court on Friday. Troy Mercanti sporting a message for Attorney General John Quigley on his way to a previous court appearance. Credit: Ezra Holt Mercanti who was not present for the sentencing was warned by Magistrate Andrew Maughan that he would face a jail term if he received further similar convictions. The 54-year-old was the first person in WA to be issued a notice which forbid him from associating with 31 named bikie members. Transport Minister Catherine King has claimed public interest immunity as she withholds documents from parliament over her decision to reject Qatar Airways bid for more flights in Australia. In a move branded disappointing and shocking by the Greens and the Coalition, King said on Thursday that disclosing the material could reveal the sensitive details about relations between countries. Transport Minister Catherine King is facing criticism across the political spectrum. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen As the government has made clear, air services agreements are not commercial arrangements but treaty-level agreements between countries, King said in the letter to Labor senator and minister Murray Watt, in response to the motion from the Coalition and the Greens for the production of documents in relation to her call. The production of documents falling within the scope of these orders would, or might reasonably be expected to, disclose the nature of bilateral relations with Australias foreign partners that we have given undertakings to protect. An Indigenous boys wishes for a country that hears my voice will be used to win over voters in a $20 million, month-long blitz to pull off a miracle referendum win in a campaign bogged down in fresh racism claims from Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. Yes23 has been holding back its advertising spending to bankroll a new campaign, produced by top agency Clemenger and launching on Saturday across TV, digital, radio and print platforms. Will I grow up in a country that hears my voice? asks the boy in the new promotion. Will I live as long as other Australians? Will I get to go to a good school? Will I be able to learn my peoples language? Will I be seen beyond the sports field, recognised by the decision makers of our country? NSW Greens MPs and senators have been conspicuously missing from the Yes campaign despite the partys formal position in favour of the Voice to parliament. Analysis of social media shows public support for the governments proposal to enshrine a Voice to parliament in the nations constitution has been virtually non-existent from some Greens MPs. Some Greens MPs have been conspicuously missing in their public support for the Yes campaign Credit: Edwina Pickles A month out from the referendum and despite polling suggesting nearly 70 per cent of Greens voters will vote in favour of the referendum, Newtown MP Jenny Leong, and upper house members Abigail Boyd, Sue Higginson, and Amanda Cohn were yet to publicly promote the Yes campaign by Friday. NSW MPs Kobi Shetty and Tamara Smith had made a handful of posts. Senator David Shoebridge and NSW MP Cate Faerhmann were the outliers, each posting more than 10 times. A renewed pitch to shut down Sandown racecourse for horses and rezone the land for 7500 homes is at the centre of a fierce battle playing out on the Melbourne Racing Club board. The club owns the 112-hectare site in Melbournes south-east, next to Sandown Park railway station, and wants to turn it into a new suburb. But half of the candidates standing for election to its board want to abandon the plan to cease horseracing. Part of the proposed Sandown re-development, showing Mile Creek that currently runs through the racetrack. The racing club wants to rezone the site paving the way to develop thousands of townhouses and apartments on the land. Its rezoning application with Greater Dandenong Council will soon reach a stage where the public can comment. A new windfall gains tax came into place in Victoria in July. Sandown is currently exempt from this tax if we continue on the current re-zoning path, says the club chairman Matt Cain. This exemption is worth over $100 million to the club. Fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych and former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov will be tried for signing the Kharkiv agreements, which extended the Russian Black Sea Fleet's stay in Crimea for 25 years. ADVERTISIMENT Both former officials are suspected of treason, the Prosecutor General's Office said on September 15. The indictment has been sent to court. The news is being updated... Home prices in more than a dozen Sydney suburbs have already reached fresh record highs, and more are expected to follow suit as the property market rebounds. Home values in 18 suburbs have surpassed previous price peaks reached during the last market boom, new figures show, quickly recovering from the downturn, and climbing further as buyer demand outstrips the supply of homes for sale. Sellers Peter and Cristina Cameron, with son Jack, at their home in Glenhaven where property prices have reached new heights. Credit: dwina Pickles The median dwelling value in the north-west suburb of Glenhaven is 4.7 per cent higher than its previous peak, while values are up 4.1 per cent in Breakfast Point and 3.3 per cent in Strathfield and North St Marys, CoreLogic data shows. Figures include houses and units. Values in western and south-west suburbs like Dean Park, Pemulwuy, Punchbowl and Claymore reached fresh highs last month, each up at least 2 per cent on their previous record. Two more tourist destinations have clamped down on Airbnb in the past week, as the global war on the controversial accommodation website continues. North Devon in the UK has begun a six-week public consultation to ban houses in multiple occupation (HMO) from being let out as holiday accommodation. Councillors argue that this would stop residents from being priced out by landlords looking to make more money from the holiday lettings market. Supporters of Airbnb hold a rally outside City Hall in New York. Credit: AP/File Meanwhile, strict new regulations on short-term rentals have come into effect in New York City. The rules mean that rentals shorter than 30 days are only allowed if hosts are officially registered with the city, and the host must be present in the property for the duration of the stay. More than two guests at a time are not allowed, in what has been described as a de facto ban on the platform. Airbnb, which operates in more than 100,000 towns and cities, has faced a significant backlash since launching 15 years ago. And things seem to have ramped up in 2023. Singapore: Myanmars military regime is reportedly threatening at gunpoint bar and shop owners who dont stock a beer manufactured by its junta-owned company. The threats are designed to help soften the financial pain of a widespread boycott of products linked to the armed forces. More than 2 years since it toppled Aung San Suu Kyis government and seized power in a bloody coup, the Tatmadaw, as the military is known, is grappling with renewed protests by citizens. Customers drink Myanmar Beer, manufactured by Myanmar Brewery Ltd, at a bar in Yangon, Myanmar, before the coup. Credit: Bloomberg Among the products citizens have boycotted is military-owned Myanmar Beer, which before the coup enjoyed 80 per cent market share in the South-East Asian nation. For Dr David Mansfield, who has spent the better part of two decades researching Afghanistan and consulting on behalf of the British government, World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, the UNs latest report is tantamount to bad science. They offer no evidence of seizures of bulk pharmaceuticals, make ill-informed assumptions about relative conversion rates and costs, and completely ignore the large volumes of ephedra seized and destroyed by the Taliban, Mansfield said. Afghanistan is becoming a significant producer of methamphetamine, which is consumed in-country and exported. Credit: Kern Hendricks He also rejected subsequent media coverage as absolutely inaccurate and misleading for suggesting meth trafficking in the country was rising as a result of the Taliban ban on opium. Between 2013 and 2017, most methamphetamine from Afghanistan was produced by extracting precursors from pharmaceuticals, an expensive and complex method Mansfield describes as the old Breaking Bad medicine approach. But from about 2018, he said satellite imagery photos, videos has consistently shown meth being produced in large volumes from ephedra. You dont see over-the-counter medicines or bulk pharmaceuticals. You see dried ephedra and ephedra soaking in large tanks. This report seems to suggest UNODC are very late to the parade, and theyve arrived wearing the wrong costume. Mansfield said he was compelled to call out the report after being contacted by multiple governments, institutions and independent colleagues who were sceptical of the report. Seizures of methamphetamines in Afghanistan have soared in the five years to 2021, reflecting an almost twelvefold increase from 2.5 tonnes to 29.7 tonnes, the UNODC report said, describing a rapid and sustained expansion. Loading It examined the three key inputs for producing methamphetamine, comparing how much was needed to produce one kilogram of the drug: bulk industrial-grade ephedrine (1.75 kilograms), pharmaceutical cold medications (27.8 kilograms) and dried ephedra plant (196.8 kilograms). Between 6500 and 11,700 tonnes of fresh plant matter would have been needed to reflect the regional seizures of 29.7 tonnes in 2021, versus 26 tonnes to 47 tonnes of industrial-grade material, UNODC estimated. While the report acknowledged the use of ephedra and the fact it is cheaper to use in the short term, it said the large amount needed, and the labour involved, made it unlikely the trade could depend on the plant alone, highlighting its remoteness, limited harvest period, and low plant density. Medications and industrial chemicals were more efficient and posed a far bigger threat, it said. The emphasis on ephedra risks undermining effective law-enforcement responses, which need to be regionally coordinated and focus on preventing and curbing the diversion and smuggling of bulk chemical precursors, UNDOC said in a statement this week. Extracting ephedrine from ephedra plants. Mansfield rejected any assertion that harvesters could not capture the sort of tonnage needed for major drug production, pointing to satellite imagery from data firm ALCIS on November 27, 2021, which captured more than 9000 metric tonnes of ephedra in mounds at the Abdul Wadood bazaar, then Afghanistans largest open-air drug market. Andrew Cunningham, who oversees markets, crime and supply reduction for the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, said the agency was also surprised by the report which did not align with its understanding of the situation in Afghanistan. We can only comment about what we see and what we have evidence for. And the evidence that Ive seen so far supports that ephedra is still the main source, he said. Cunningham added that the report seemed a bit strange and lacked information to back up the warnings about bulk pharmaceuticals, urging the importance of providing evidence. Loading The whole purpose of our agencies is to present evidence to inform policy. And so, when presenting evidence to inform policy, you need to be very careful about what you present because big decisions can be made based on the analysis and the findings of your report, he said. So the UNODC, we think, must have some information, which is not explicitly stated in this report. In March, this year the AFP formally labelled Afghan-produced meth as a significant and emerging threat to Australia, as part of a crackdown on outlaw motorcycle gangs. Sao Paulo: Brazils Supreme Court has handed a 17-year prison sentence to two supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro who stormed top government offices on January 8 in a failed bid to restore the right-wing leader to office. Another received a 14-year sentence. Aecio Lucio Costa Pereira, 51, was the first of several participants in the uprising to be sentenced. Police arrested him on the day of the riot. Later on Thursday (Friday AEST), the Justices also convicted Matheus Lazaro, from southern Parana state, to 17 years. Protesters, supporters of Brazils former president Jair Bolsonaro, storm the National Congress building in Brasilia on January 8, a week after his successor Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, took office. Credit: AP A third defendant, Thiago Mathar, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, including 12 years and six months in prison and six months in open regime. PHILIPSBURG:--- Below is the free translation of the verdict pronounced in by the Court of Appeals. CIVIL MATTERS FOR 2023 RULING: September 13, 2023 CASE NO.: SXM202200845 - SXM2022H00180 JOINT COURT OF JUSTICE from Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten and from Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba ORDER regarding: the public limited company SINT MAARTEN TELEPHONE COMPANY N.V., located in Sint Maarten, defendant at first instance, now appellant, hereinafter referred to as: Telem, representatives: mrs. E.R. de Vries and S.N.J. Goldfinch -in return for- the private company MER SINT MAARTEN B.V., located in Sint Maarten, applicant in the first instance, now guarantor, hereinafter referred to as: MER, representatives: mrs. J.J. Rogers, G.J. Meijer, S.H. Barten and J.J. Oetomo. 1. The course of the procedure 1.1 Reference is made to the decision of the Court of First Instance of Sint Maarten (hereinafter: the Court) pronounced on 8 December 2022. The content of that decision applies as Kier inserted. 1.2 Telem has appealed the aforementioned decision by filing on December 19, 2022 of an appeal. 1.3 Both parties have submitted exhibits in advance for the oral hearing. 1.4 The oral hearing took place on May 16, 2023 Courthouse in Sint Maarten. Telem appeared before Mr. Putter mentioned above, as well as before Mrs. Vriezen and Dunkirk. On behalf of MER, M. Cohen and J. Enoch, assisted by MER's representatives mentioned above, who were at the Court in the Courthouse, appeared via video link. The parties' representatives have their positions further explained on submission of pleadings and questions from the Court are answered. 1.5 The ruling has been determined to date. 2. The assessment 2.1 The Court relies on the following facts, which had already been established by the General Court (see paragraphs 2.1 to 2.10 of the contested decision). 2.1.1 Telem is a government company that offers telecommunications services in Sint Maarten. 2.1.2 MER is a local subsidiary of the Israeli MER Group, a listed multinational, which is active, among other things, as a main contractor for telecommunications works. MER was specifically established as a special-purpose vehicle to act as the main contractor on Telem's work in Sint Maarten. 2.1.3 At the end of 2016, Telem issued a tender for the construction of a "fiber optic cable network" in Sint Maarten (hereinafter: the project). 2.1.4 EIA won the tender. MER and Telem subsequently entered into an agreement on June 30, 2017, and an addendum on August 15, 2017. The "total estimated contract price" was NAf 28,126,554.27. 2.1.5 The agreement is based on the model agreement "Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design Building" of 1999, also referred to as FIDIC Yellow Book 1999. The general terms and conditions of the Yellow Book form part of the agreement, with some adjustments. 2.1.6 The parties have had a dispute about the (interim) termination of the agreement and the project by Telem by letter dated October 17, 2019, as well as about some related issues. 2.1.7 MER has subsequently responded to this in accordance with the provisions of the agreement arbitration proceedings brought before the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC (hereinafter: the arbitration proceedings). The ICC consisted of Mr. Zvi Bar-Nathan, appointed by MER, Mr. A. van Wassenaar, appointed by Telem and the chairman Dr. M. Sasson, appointed on the joint recommendation of the other two arbitrators. In agreement, MER has a claim regarding work in progress and compensation has been submitted and Telem has filed various claims in counterclaim. 2.1.8 The ICC issued an Award on January 20, 2022, in which the conventional claims were (partly) granted and the counterclaims were rejected (hereinafter: Award or arbitral award). The dictum reads as follows: i. MER was entitled to an extension of the Time for Completion. ii. TELEM wrongfully terminated the Agreement. iii. TELEM wrongfully exercised the Bank Guarantee under the Schedule attached to the Agreement. iv. TELEM breached its contractual obligations under the Agreement and shall pay to MER (a) USD 561,904.80 (inclusive of TOT) and (b) USD Z671,522.38 (upon issuance of an invoice). v. TELEM shall pay to MER the costs of the arbitration in the amount of USD 282,125 (plus statutory legal interest on USD 282,125 at the rate of 4.5% from 14 May 2020 to 30 June 2020; 3% from 30 June 2020 to 30 June 2022 and such percentage after 30 June 2022 which shall be published under the relevant "Landsbesluit houdende algemene maatregelen, ter uitvoering van artikel 120 van Boek 6 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek"). vi. TELEM shall pay to MER its legal costs in the amount of USD 231,186.53 (plus statutory interest on USD 231,186.53 at the rate of 4.5% 14 May 2020 to 30 June 2020; 3% from 30 June 2020 to 30 June 2022 and such percentage after 30 June 2022 which shall be published under the relevant "Landsbesluit houdende algemene maatregelen, ter uitvoering van artikel 120 van Boek 6 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek"). vii. All other claims and requests for relief are rejected. Place of arbitration: Amsterdam (The Netherlands) Date: 20 January 2022 (...) 2.1.9 MER requested Telem in a letter dated March 25, 2022, to (voluntarily) comply with the arbitral award. Telem did not do this. 2.1.10 Telem initiated proceedings before the court on May 13, 2022Amsterdam Court of Appeal to annul the Award. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal has not yet rendered a judgment in these proceedings.2.2 In the contested decision, the Court granted MER's (primary) request for leave to enforce the arbitral award. 2.3 The appeal was presented in vain. The Court considers as follows. This is a request for recognition and enforcement of an arbitral award.Pursuant to art. 1020 paragraph 1 CCP the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (hereinafter: Model Law) applies. The art. 35 and 36 thereof read as follows: Article 35. Recognition and enforcement (1) An arbitral award, irrespective of the country in which it was made, shall be recognized as binding and, upon application in writing to the competent court, shall be enforced subject to the provisions of this article and of article 36. (2) The party relying on an award or applying for its enforcement shall supply the original award or a copy thereof. If the award is not made in an official language of this State, the court may request the party to supply a translation thereof into such language. Article 36. Grounds for refusing recognition or enforcement (1) Recognition or enforcement of an arbitral award, irrespective of the country in which it was made, may be refused only: (a) at the request of the party against whom it is invoked, if that party furnishes to the competent court where recognition or enforcement is sought proof that: (i) a party to the arbitration agreement referred to in article 7 was under some incapacity; or the said agreement is not valid under the law to which the parties have subjected it or, failing any indication thereon, under the law of the country where the award was made; or 3 (ii) the party against whom the award is invoked was not given proper notice of the appointment of an arbitrator or of the arbitral proceedings or was otherwise unable to present his case; or (iii) the award deals with a dispute not contemplated by or not falling within the terms of the submission to arbitration, or it contains decisions on matters beyond the scope of the submission to arbitration, provided that, if the decisions on matters submitted to arbitration can be separated from those not so submitted, that part of the award which contains decisions on matters submitted to arbitration may be recognized and enforced; or (iv) the composition of the arbitral tribunal or the arbitral procedure was not in accordance with the agreement of the parties or, failing such agreement, was not in accordance with the law of the country where the arbitration took place; or (v) the award has not yet become binding on the parties or has been set aside or suspended by a court of the country in which, or under the law of which, that award was made; or (b) if the court finds that: 0) the subject matter of the dispute is not capable of settlement by arbitration under the law of this State; or (ii) the recognition or enforcement of the award would be contrary to the public policy of this State. (2) If an application for setting aside or suspension of an award has been made to a court referred to in paragraph (1)(a)(v) of this article, the court where recognition or enforcement is sought may, if it considers it proper, adjourn its decision and may also, on the application of the party claiming recognition or enforcement of the award, and order the other party to provide appropriate security. 2.4 The starting point is therefore: granting leave. It is up to Telem to make it plausible to create a ground for refusal as referred to in Article 36(1)(a) of the Model Law. If, after summary assessment, the judge comes to the conclusion that: it is sufficiently plausible that a ground for refusal exists, he or she may refuse the leave. There is no room for the judge's own investigation or a full review of certain points of the arbitral proceedings or the arbitral award, as argued by Telem. 2.5 Taking this standard into account, the Court finds that the formal requirements of art. 35 Model Law has been met and none of the provisions in art. 36(1) Model Law mentioned grounds for refusal arise. Furthermore, in view of the grounds for refusal referred to in art. 36 paragraph 1, under (a)(ii) and under (b)(ii), Model Law, the Court agrees with para. 4.8. (the second, on pages 7 and 8) and para. 4.9. (except for that part that refers to art. 1039 paragraph 5 RvN1) of the contested decision and makes it his own. 2.6 Telem has not sufficiently substantiated its defense and appeal complaints that various grounds for refusal apply. Much of what Telem has put forward under the heading of substantiation of grounds for refusal amounts to objections to the arbitral award or is otherwise not relevant, for which reason it will not be discussed. 2.7 The Court sees no reason to use the provisions in art. 36 paragraph 2 of the Model Law to suspend or suspend enforcement condition of providing security. It cannot be said that it must now be judged on the basis of a summary assessment that the risk of annulment of the Award in the proceedings at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal is to be considered significant, given the procedural documents submitted in relation to that procedure. Furthermore, the Court agrees with para. 410. of the contested decision and makes it his own. 2.8 Finally, the Court agrees with para. 4.11. and 4.12. of the contested decision, dealing with provisional enforceability.2.9 The Court will confirm the contested decision. Telem, as the unsuccessful party, will be ordered to pay the costs of MER's appeal. DECISION: The Council: confirms the contested decision; and orders Telem to pay the costs of MER on appeal, estimated to date NAf 4,000 (2 x rate 5) in attorney's salary and NM 250 in additional costs without service or ANG 400 with service - all amounts in the event of non-servicepayment to be increased by the statutory interest from the fifteenth day after this decision; declares the order for costs to be enforceable immediately; rejects the additional or different request. Thus given by Mrs. E.M. van der Bunt, E.A. Saleh, and S. Verheijen, members of the Joint Court of Justice, and pronounced at the public hearing of the Court in Sint Maarten on September 13, 2023, in the presence of the clerk. Click here for the Original Verdict. PHILPSBURG:--- Orco Bank in Sint Maarten, proudly participated in the worldwide celebration of International Literacy Day by engaging with the local community in a meaningful way. Employees from Orco Bank volunteered their time to read stories to students at the Seventh Day Adventist School, fostering a love for reading and promoting literacy among the youth. International Literacy Day is observed globally to highlight the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. This year, Orco Bank took the initiative to actively contribute to this cause by organizing a reading session for the students. The event was a heartwarming experience, as Orco Bank employees connected with eager young learners through the magic of storytelling. The joy on the children's faces was palpable as they immersed themselves in the enchanting world of books. Orco Bank's participation in International Literacy Day is part of its ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement. The bank recognizes the vital role that businesses play in contributing to the well-being of society and is dedicated to making a positive impact on the communities it serves. Sierra Madre provides update on district-scale exploration at La Guitarra and extension to subscription receipts Posted by Publisher Internet Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. (TSXV: SM, OTCQX: SMDRF) (\Sierra Madre\ or the \Company\) https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/sierra-madre-gold-silver/ is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities at the 100% owned past-producing La Guitarra Silver-Gold Mine Complex (aLa Guitarraa) in Estado de Mexico, Mexico, 130 km southwest of Mexico City. Beginning in February of this year, the company started a 2,000-scale geologic mapping program, first in the eastern portion of the Temascaltepec mining district and then progressing to the west side.A This mapping program is the first-ever project-wide undertaking.A It provides additional data for understanding the structural controls on the vein-hosted silver and gold mineralization.A Gregory K. Liller, Executive Chairman and Chief Operating Officer commented, aSince acquiring the La Guitarra property in March 2023, we have completed the first-ever district-wide mapping exercise of the Temascaltepec mining district. The data will provide valuable information as we work on interpreting the controls on mineralization, advance our understanding of project-scale systems and plan future drill programs in the Eastern and Western districts.a The company\-s mining concessions cover the entire Temascaltepec mining district and contain numerous Spanish Colonial, 19th, and early 20th-century mines.A District-Scale Mapping by Sierra Madre To date, surface mapping has delineated nearly 53 km of mineralized quartz veins, breccias, and stockwork zones.Mapping in the Eastern district has delineated over 37.9 km of veining.A The dominant strike direction of veining is to the northwest, accompanied by a second set of veins, known as antithetic structures, striking more easterly.A Both groups of veins host gold and silver mineralization, with hundreds of old shafts, cross cuts, adits, and prospect pits having been located.A Host rocks for the veins are metasediments and andesites.A Approximately one-half of the area mapped thus far is covered by recent basalt flows, with the veins exposed in erosional windows (see Figure 1 below). Mapping has been completed over a significant portion of the West district.A Thus far, over 15 km of veins have been located at the surface.A While the principal vein systems, Guitarra, Coloso, and Nazareno, have been exploited, the vein swarm north of Guitarra has yet to be drill tested despite having numerous old shafts, adits, and prospect pits (see Figure 2 below). History of Temascaltepec District The Temascaltepec district was one of the six most important silver districts in Mexico (New Spain) during the 1600s and 1700s, as evidenced by the Spanish crown appointing a special overseer to monitor activities in the district. Mines, backed by European and American capital, were in operation during the late 1800\-s and early 1900\-s.A Allan Nordstrom, in 1938, reported that the Rincon mine, in the easternmost part of the district, produced 281,642 tonnes at an average grade of 6.7 g/t gold and 860 g/t silver between 1926 and 1937. Vein width was between 2 to 5 meters. Production between 1993 and 2018 came from the Guitarra, Coloso, and Nazareno mines, the focus of the company\-s production restart activities, with only limited exploration work completed outside of these areas.A Previous operators LuisMin and Genco Resources drilled 76 drill holes in the East district, focusing primarily on the Santa Ana vein system.A Drill results sufficiently encouraged Genco to start a production ramp in the Mina de Agua area.A While First Majestic did no drilling, they followed up activities in the area, securing surface rights, completing an Environmental Impact Statement (MIA), and permitting a production center on the Santa Ana, Cascaras, and associated veins. Next Steps A surface and underground sampling program will commence as soon as the rainy season is over.A The results of this program will provide information on the most favorable structural settings for silver and gold deposition.A Results from this work will be used to plan exploration drilling programs in the East and West districts. Extension of Subscription Receipts Sierra Madre announces that, further to the Companya?s news release dated May 31, 2023 (the aMay 31 News Releasea), the Company has amended the terms of all 5,123,092 subscription receipts (each, a aSubscription Receipta) in order to extend the Escrow Release Conditions and Termination (as both terms are defined in the May 31 News Release) for an additional 30-day period. Pursuant to the amended terms, each Subscription Receipt shall have met the Escrow Release Conditions and be eligible to, without the payment of any additional consideration, automatically convert into one common share in the capital of the Company upon the earlier of: (i) the holder of the Subscription Receipt receiving written notice from the Company of conversion; or (ii) October 15, 2023.A Termination shall occur on the date that is three business days following the day on which the Escrow Release Conditions occur, which shall be no later than October 18, 2023. For additional information on the Subscription Receipts, refer to the May 31 News Release. About Sierra Madre Sierra Madre Gold & Silver (TSX.V: SM, OTCQX: SMDRF) is a precious metals development and exploration company, focused on evaluating the potential of restarting the La Guitarra Mine in the Temascaltepec mining district, Mexico, and the exploration and development of its Tepic and La Tigra properties in Nayarit, Mexico. The La Guitarra Mine is a permitted, past-producing underground mine which includes a 500 t/d processing facility that operated until mid-2018. The +2,600 ha Tepic Project hosts low-sulphidation epithermal gold and silver mineralization with an existing historic resource. La Tigra, located 148 km north of Tepic, has been mined historically; Sierra MadreAs maiden 2022 drill program at the site intercepted shallow mineralization. Sierra MadreAs management has played key roles for managing exploration and development of more than 22Moz gold and 600Moz silver in combined reserves and resources. Sierra MadreAs team of professionals has collectively raised over $1B for mining companies. On behalf of the board of directors of Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd., \Alexander Langer\ Alexander Langer President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Contact: investor@sierramadregoldandsilver.com In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Best Practice Sierra Madre is committed to best practice standards for all exploration and sampling activities. The CompanyAs exploration programs have been conducted following CIM Exploration Best Practice Guidelines which are incorporated by reference in NI 43-101. Analytical quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample strings. Samples are placed in sealed bags and shipped directly to Bureau Veritas Lab located in Durango, Mexico or ALS Chemex in Guadalajara, Mexico for 30 gram gold fire assay, Aqua Regia digestion for silver and multi-element analyses by four acid digestion. Qualified Person Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo, Director of Sierra Madre, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. Mr. Smith has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein. Cautionary Note Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release contains \forward-looking information\ and \forward-looking statements\ within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as \plans\, \expects\, \is expected\, \budgets\, \scheduled\, \estimates\, \forecasts\, \predicts\, \projects\, \intends\, \targets\, \aims\, \anticipates\ or \believes\ or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions \may\, \could\, \should\, \would\, \might\ or \will\ be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the completion of the Transaction on the terms set out in the definitive agreement (or at all) and the ability of the Company to obtain requisite corporate and regulatory approvals for the Transaction, including but not limited to the approval of the Exchange, Mexican antitrust approval and other governmental approvals as currently anticipated. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including that the Company will be able to receive all required regulatory approvals by the timelines currently anticipated (or at all); and that the Company will be able to complete the Transaction on the terms of the definitive agreement. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the CompanyAs actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, the risk that the Company is not able to complete Transaction on the terms set out in the definitive agreement (or at all) and the risk that the Company is unable to obtain requisite corporate and regulatory approvals, including but not limited to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Mexican antitrust approval and governmental approval as currently anticipated. Such forward-looking information represents managementAs best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. SOURCE: Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Whether gold could be confiscated Currency crises had already led to tendencies to confiscate gold in the past. Some people think that anti-American policies could lead to a currency crisis. Large national debts can lead to a currency crisis. That, in turn, could raise thoughts of confiscating gold from investors. In 1998, for example, South Korea called on its people to donate gold to the government. The appeal was very successful. The government in China recently tried again to motivate its citizens to buy gold. If the population of the own country possesses much gold, this could be useful. Gold reserves are an important element of reserve diversification for governments. And China is striving to build up large gold reserves. So \storing gold by the people\ is China\-s motto right now. If a country is flirting with a gold-backed currency, there should be plenty of gold. After all, the more gold, the more banknotes, and the greater the power. In Australia, by the way, the confiscation of gold and silver is enshrined in law. There were gold bans in several democratic countries in the 20th century, for example in the USA in 1933 or in France in 1936 or in India in 1963. In Great Britain, a law was passed in 1966 stating that British citizens could own no more than four gold coins, and the rest would have to be surrendered. The government at the time wanted to counteract the decline in the state\-s gold reserves. In 1971, this law was repealed again. So gold is always in the interest of governments and of investors. In any case, you should not go wrong with the stocks of solid gold companies. Gold, moreover, copper in the projects own GoldMining or Torq Resources. Torq Resources https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/torq-resources-inc/ has prospective interests in Chile, such as the Santa Cecilia project. GoldMining https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/goldmining-inc/ is active in North and South America. The portfolio also includes a large block of shares in Gold Royalty and U.S. GoldMining. Current corporate information and press releases from Torq Resources (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/torq-resources-inc/ -) and GoldMining (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/goldmining-inc/ -). In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid. Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998 312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/ After the scandal with the shutdown of Starlink near the temporarily occupied Crimea, it became known that American billionaire Elon Musk did not turn on satellite Internet terminals in some areas in Donbas. He did so without the knowledge of the Ukrainian side. ADVERTISIMENT Musk justified his decision by saying that he did not want Starlink to be used for offensive purposes, because, according to him, de-occupying is not a defense. This was reported by the billionaire's biographer Walter Isaacson, The Washington Post reports. According to Isaacson, Musk did not want the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use his invention for counteroffensive rather than defense, so Starlink did not work in some areas in the east of our country. "Musk also decided not to turn it on (Starlink - Ed.) in some parts of eastern Ukraine because he does not want it to be used for offensive purposes. When I discussed this with Musk, he said, 'if you read the terms of service, it was only supposed to be used for defensive purposes'," the biographer said. Isaacson claims that he tried to convince Musk that the liberation of Ukrainian settlements by the Ukrainian Defense Forces was also defense. However, the billionaire disagreed with him. Musk explained his decision by saying that he was afraid of a nuclear escalation by Russia. ADVERTISIMENT "It's not just that he refused to turn it on, but the Ukrainians didn't even know that it was not working. Neither did Europe, you know, all this intelligence," Isaacson said. Blocking Starlink could be a serious blow to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. After all, this system helps the troops maintain communication without wires and fixed networks, which the occupiers are trying to destroy in the first place. It is the uninterrupted, stable and sustainable communication provided by Starlink that helps to ensure rapid communication and synchronization of actions of all units of the Defense Forces. Currently, Starlink is operational in Ukraine. However, if Musk decides to block them completely, Ukraine and its partners should start looking for alternative ways to ensure communication among the troops. ADVERTISIMENT Such searches are already underway. In particular, it has recently become known that the Swedish company Satcube has decided to provide Ukraine with satellite Internet terminals that can be used in the de-occupied territories where mobile and land-based networks do not work. Satcube uses the satellite network of the American company Intelsat, which has placed an order for the supply of terminals worth about SEK 70 million (EUR 5.97 million). The cost of the terminals will be paid for by Germany, which will hand them over. Earlier, it was reported that Musk disabled Starlink terminals, thwarting the Defense Forces' attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This led to the fact that Ukrainian underwater drones packed with explosives "lost communication and washed ashore without causing any damage", approaching the Russian fleet. ADVERTISIMENT The billionaire explained his decision first by saying that he "did not want to be an accomplice in a major war." He also repeatedly mentioned the possibility of a nuclear war after US sanctions against Russia and the occupied Crimea. After the scandal, Musk handed over control of part of Starlink to the Pentagon, and the US Senate demanded an investigation into manipulating access to satellite Internet in Ukraine by the billionaire. At the same time, Starlink was also disrupted on the night of September 13, when the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked a shipyard in temporarily occupied Sevastopol. Explosions occurred in the Khmelnytsky region on the morning of September 15. Air Defense work was reported. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Residents of the region were urged to stay in shelters. "Air Defense work in the Khmelnytsky region. Stay in shelters!" the message says. The Khmelnytsky Regional Military Administration also confirmed the Air Defense operation. "An explosion was heard in the region. Air defense is working. Stay in shelters until the air raid alert is over!" the first deputy head of the regional military administration Serhii Tiurin said at 06:55. According to the Air Force of Ukraine, the Russian occupiers launched Iranian kamikaze drones on the Khmelnytskyi region. A total of 17 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs were launched from the southeast (Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Russia) overnight. They were flying in the direction of Khmelnytsky region on different routes. ADVERTISIMENT "All 17 Shaheds were destroyed by Air Defense along the route. Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups of the Air Force and other components of the Defense Forces were involved," the Air Force said. As a reminder, the Medzhybizh Fortress was damaged as a result of a Russian attack on the Khmelnytsky region on August 22. At the time of the attack, more than 300 students from all over Ukraine were in the castle, but they managed to get down to the shelter. 8 people sought medical care after the attack. The invaders attack the region regularly mostly trying to hit the airfield in Starokostiantyniv. ADVERTISIMENT According to Ukraine's military intelligence, North Korea has been supplying Russia with 122-mm and 152-mm artillery shells, as well as missiles for Grad multiple launch rocket systems and ammunition for tanks for at least a month and a half. However, these shells, most of which are likely to have been produced in the 1960s and 1970s, could pose a problem for the Russian army. ADVERTISIMENT Unser the guise of helping Moscow, Pyongyang is likely to get rid of ammunition that has expired and or may explode right in the barrels. This opinion was expressed by military expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov in an interview with OBOZREVATEL. He noted that North Korea is getting rid of surplus property by handing over ammunition to Russia. "North Korea hasn't been at war since 1953, but it has been accumulating shells and all ammunition in warehouses since then. The North Korean-made ammunition I saw in the photos was produced in the 1960s and 1970s. Thus, North Korea is getting rid of surplus property, meaning shells that have expired. They are handing them over to the Russians," Zhyrokhov said. He emphasized that Pyongyang is handing over certain types of shells to Moscow, mainly 122- and 152-mm. ADVERTISIMENT "They are of reduced effect, high explosive and fragmentation. Russia needs only some types of shells that they have already used during the fighting. First of all, we are talking about long-range shells, i.e. those that can hit targets at a great distance. This is how they try to compensate for the lack of long-range weapons because our 155-millimeter artillery can shoot further than the Russians. Therefore, they primarily use these long-range shells, which they run out of very quickly," the expert emphasized. At the same time, Zhyrokhov noted that he has not seen any evidence of Russia receiving tank shells made in North Korea. "There was a video of Russians using North Korean shells for Grads, but they were also not in the best condition. They were rusty, made in the 1950s," the expert added. ADVERTISIMENT He was skeptical about the significance of North Korean assistance to enhance the combat capability of the Russian army as the invaders may have additional problems. "Such shells may not explode each time go or even pose a danger to their own crew as the shell can explode right in the barrel at any moment. This problem is well known to the Ukrainian army because we started using shells from the 1960s and 1970s in 2014. There have been a very large number of cases when self-propelled artillery pieces and shells exploded right in the barrel," Zhyrokhov suggested. But even if the North Korean ammunition performs its functions, Russia will have problems with logistics. "The Russian army may indeed be reinforced by North Korea, as the DPRK has a lot of such shells. But it's hard to say how much this will affect the frontline. Don't forget about logistics. After all, there are only two ways of supply from North Korea to Russia: either transit, i.e., the railroad, which is already overcrowded with military trains, or transportation by military transport aircraft. However, then these shells will be golden," the military expert noted. ADVERTISIMENT Kim Jong Un arrived on a visit to Russia and met with Putin on September 13. The United States is concerned about the rapprochement between Russia and the DPRK and stated that the primary topic of the talks between the two dictators is the supply of ammunition from North Korea for the Russian occupation army fighting in Ukraine. The Kremlin may pay for them by transferring some military technologies to Pyongyang, Washington fears. Meanwhile, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said that the DPRK has been supplying Russia with ammunition for a month and a half. Ms Badenoch said: What I would say to people who are concerned about job losses is that we do understand and we have a transition plan in place thats funded up to about 100 million to make sure that people have skills to retrain and move on to other things if they dont want to stay in the steel industry. Some good has come of it. Our banking system is far more robust and it is unlikely that finance bosses will ever again take the reckless risks that stoked the firestorm a decade and a half ago. Or at least if they do the alarm will be sounded at a far earlier stage. Lorna Landells at Remit Consulting said: The figures are very similar to those seen 12 months ago, and while the data has been stable for many months, given the increasing number of businesses mandating a return to the office, we may see an increase in office occupancy rates over the next few weeks. The fund, on which Peel Hunt is acting as sole financial adviser, is led by some heavy hitters including former chancellor Lord Hammond. It also boasts an investment team which has done dozens of deals in the sector and should have up to 1 billion to deploy. Typically, the investment will be between 20 million and 40 million on average, with funding provided from Series B all the way up to pre-IPO rounds. The cash will be aimed at the businesses which have a proven model which just need the extra capital to grow, backing all British companies with minority stakes. But I recognise that success today is never a guarantee of success tomorrow. Today our fashion industry is worth almost 29 billion to the economy each year and employs some 800,000 jobs across the country. Fashion is a glittering part of our society and Im determined to do everything possible to maximise the potential of our creative industries to drive growth across the country and support more good quality jobs. And thats why were backing the next generation of British fashion designers with 2 million of new funding for the future talent of Fashion Week through the British Fashion Councils NEWGEN scheme. Winsome. Too kooky by half. I thought I had Babak Jalalis indie dramedy pegged. Yet, midway through the Iranian-British directors fourth feature, things take a turn for the wondrous. The tale of a displaced and love-hungry Afghan, Fremont isnt quite as churning as Celine Songs rightly-raved-about Past Lives. Were audiences to be connected to a weep-o-meter, however, it would score highly (because it triggers tears of joy). Im jealous of anyone seeing it for the first time. Its a neat expression of the psychological as well as the physical cost of sudden disability. Henrys overworked but tireless doctor (Malinda Parris) suggests he thinks of it as ending up in a disappointing holiday destination, like Belgium. Its down to ribald, no-nonsense physiotherapist Agnes (played with knockout charisma by wheelchair-user Amy Trigg) to get his forward momentum going again. Oh, and his childhood sweetheart Katie (Gracie McGonigal) who, on seeing the pictures Henry has created with a stylus gripped in his teeth, remarks: Youre better with your mouth than you ever were with your hands. Turns out they underestimated the value, given it just sold for $1.1 million (885,000) in New York. The amount makes Dianas jumper a record breaking sale it is the most valuable sweater ever sold at auction and the most anyone has ever paid for an article of Dianas clothing, according to Sothebys. In thefall of 2023, the aggressor country of the Russian Federation has fewer missiles than it had a year ago, in the fall of 2022. However, the enemy's attacks on Ukraine will continue, in particular, with the use of Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones. ADVERTISIMENT Yuriy Ihnat, a representative of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, estimated the occupiers' missile stockpiles. He spoke on the air of theUnited News telethon on Friday, September 15 (to watch the video, scroll to the end). "It should be clarified that the number of missiles (in Russia - Ed.) is many times less as of the fall of 2023 than it was as of 2022," the military said. He emphasized that despite Western sanctions, a terrorist country can produce missiles and UAVs. "But the production of missiles continues, they are making them, there are Western components there. Both in missiles and in Shaheds... And the Western media also emphasize this, that no matter how the sanctions work, Russia continues to receive components for missiles," Ihnat said. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL wrote, on September 10, the director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, said that Iran intends to sell Russia short- and long-range missiles in addition to UAVs, which are already being used by the occupiers in a full-scale war against Ukraine. At the same time, a number of arms deals between Tehran and Moscow have been disrupted. Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! If you reply with anything else other than I understand, or if you block or unfriend this account, your nudes will be sent out. This is your first and only warning. On the day he got into the castle grounds, Star Wars fanatic Chail sent a homemade video to family and friends on WhatsApp in which he apologised for what he was about to do and called himself Darth Chailus. Five of Saras siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to the South Asian country on August 9 with Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik. A post-mortem examination later found the youngster had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period of time.The court heard her cause of death remains to be established, but she had healed fractures and injuries that clearly demonstrate the girl was subjected to multiple events of violence, The company says the project would be the best value scheme to increase our drought resilience in London. It would transfer water from the Thames via an existing tunnel to the Lee Valley reservoirs in north-east London, while replacing the water removed at Teddington with highly treated recycled water from the Mogden sewer works in Isleworth. Anyone driving a non-compliant vehicle within the expanded zone will be detected and we advise everyone to check whether their vehicle is compliant and to consider the various support that is available to help transition to greener modes of transport. But asked whether it was ever acceptable to strip-search a child, he said: In limited circumstances Im afraid it is, because sometimes, like drugs in particular, can be concealed in intimate body cavities, which doesnt, Im afraid I know its not very edifying, but it does require a strip-search on occasion. Mr Philp added: I think we need to be extremely vigilant and I think individuals who have worked in the public sector, whether a civil servant, in the military, or frankly people who have been involved in politics as well, need to be, I would say to put it mildly, exceptionally cautious, and frankly should not really, in my view, be working with sort of organs of the Chinese state after they leave public service. In an article for the Daily Express, Mrs Braverman who on her watch has seen more than 20,000 migrants arriving in Britain via small boats this year alone said: The price for Starmers dirty deal is that the UK will take our fair share of the swathes of illegal migrants who pour into Europe over a million last year. A police or council dog expert will judge what type of dog it is and whether it is (or could be) a danger to the public. The dog will then either be released or kept in kennels while the police (or council) apply to a court. In the fall of 2023, the aggressor country of the Russian Federation has fewer missiles than it had a year ago, in the fall of 2022. However, the enemy's attacks on Ukraine will continue, in particular, with the use of Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones. ADVERTISIMENT Yurii Ihnat, a representative of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, estimated the occupiers' missile stockpiles. He spoke on the air of the United News telethon on Friday, September 15 (to watch the video, scroll to the end). "It should be clarified that the number of missiles (in Russia - Ed.) is many times less as of the fall of 2023 than it was as of 2022," the military said. He emphasized that despite Western sanctions, a terrorist country can produce missiles and UAVs. "But the production of missiles continues, they are making them, there are Western components there. Both in missiles and in Shaheds... And the Western media also emphasize this, that no matter how the sanctions work, Russia continues to receive components for missiles," Ihnat said. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL wrote, on September 10, the director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, said that Iran intends to sell Russia short- and long-range missiles in addition to UAVs, which are already being used by the occupiers in a full-scale war against Ukraine. At the same time, a number of arms deals between Tehran and Moscow have been disrupted. Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Speaking to LBC, the Tory peer said: It should be done almost immediately because this is a very dangerous breed and it has actually killed children and attacked other people, and I do not accept the views of the Kennel Club and the RSPCA that breeds should not be banned. A source close to Ms Hall stressed that the exchange was a few months before the 2020 mayoral election was due to take place, before it was postponed, and that she had interpreted the tweet text (its never too late to get London back) as being about the upcoming election. The Labour leader also indicated he could be prepared to do a deal with Brussels that would involve the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers who arrive in the bloc in exchange for the ability to return people who cross the Channel. As the Licensing Sub Committee knows, the venue must implement all the new conditions and will reopen at first with test events. The commitment we give to work in close partnership with all the responsible authorities as we reopen is a serious and sincere one. Treatment continued en route to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was conveyed by land ambulance for further treatment. Unfortunately, after arrival at hospital, despite the best efforts it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him he was confirmed deceased. Teresa Jordans son Pearse was shot dead by the RUC on the Falls Road, Belfast on November 25 1992. In 2016 a coroner formally referred two former RUC officers to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether they should be prosecuted for perjury or perverting the course of justice arising from their evidence to the inquest. A prosecutorial decision has not yet been taken. Letby, 33, was sentenced to a whole life order last month after jurors convicted her of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016. A post-mortem examination is unable to establish the cause of Saras death and further tests are carried out, but the examination shows the child had suffered multiple and extensive injuries which were likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time. We are happy that this part of Vietnams heritage will be returning to its home 15 years after it was stolen, and are proud of the Mets role in its recovery. It is home to some of the worlds most impressive tanks, including the very first tank to be produced thats known as Little Willie and the only working Tiger 1 tank, the vehicle used by the Germans in World War II. The charges come as tens of thousands of climate activists around the world are protesting throughout the weekend to call for an end to the burning of fossil fuels. In the first weeks of the war last year, the Ukrainians used modified land missiles to destroy the Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea fleet. The Kilo-class Rostov-on-Don is only the second submarine to be destroyed in combat since 1945. The other was the Santa Fe, the Argentine submarine lost in the recapture of South Georgia in the Falklands war in April 1982. Any effort to return the submarine (Rostov) to service is likely to take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. There is a realistic possibility that the complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks will place them out of use for many months, it said. In addition to the new colours, 40 Barbour Re-Loved Beaufort Jackets will be available. This will involve taking jackets that the previous owner no longer wants, cleaning them, re-waxing them and repairing them so they are ready for a new owner. Each of the pre-loved Jackets is unique so you know youll be grabbing yourself something that feels like its one of a kind while also being good for the environment. As a female-founded and female-led brand, my mom has always been my biggest inspiration; she is my muse and the chicest woman I know. Her free-spirited take on fashion and living has inspired much of the LoveShackFancy brand and continues to do so. Beyond that, Im inspired by the power of women, vintage finds, flowers, iconic imagery, my daughters, and beautiful places around the world, especially in Europe, specifically FranceIll do anything to transport myself there. Mabuse, who used to be a professional on German dance show Lets Dance before becoming a judge and moving to Strictly, said: You think youve retired and youre never going to dance again and youve done it all, but then Strictly calls and then the shoes are back on. The display, which will be in the Locke Hall on the ground floor of V&A Dundee, includes concept sketches, photography of the engineering and construction, and samples of building materials, including steel bars which reinforce the museums curving concrete shell and sun pipes which bring natural light in to save energy. The publication claims that while a deal is not finalised, and there could yet be another plot twist, those familiar with the matter said discussions have been positive and there is ambition on both sides to bring the show back. The DPCs criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default. Numismatic issue dedicated to 70 years since establishment of Court of International Commercial Arbitration The National Bank of Romania (BNR) will put into circulation for numismatic purposes a silver coin dedicated to 70 years since the establishment of the Court of International Commercial Arbitration, told Agerpres. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, the coin will have a nominal value of 10 lei, a round shape, a 37 mm diametre, 31.103 grams and milled edge. The coin obverse depicts the scales of justice and a gavel, the inscription 'ROMANIA' in an arc, the face value '10 LEI', the coat of arms of Romania and the year of issue '2023'. The reverse shows the headquarters of the Bucharest-based Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania and the inscription '70 DE ANI DE LA INFIINTAREA CURTII DE ARBITRAJ COMERCIAL INTERNATIONAL'. The silver coins, housed in transparent plastic capsules, will be accompanied by certificates of authenticity in Romanian, English and French. Each certificate of authenticity bears the signatures of the Governor and the Chief Cashier of the National Bank of Romania. The maximum mintage is 5,000 silver coins. The selling price for the silver coin, including the certificate of authenticity, is lei 440.00, VAT excluded. The silver coins dedicated to 70 years since the establishment of the Court of International Commercial Arbitration are legal tender on the territory of Romania. The coins will be put into circulation, for numismatic purposes, through the regional branches of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta, Craiova, Iasi and Timisoara. Over 100k persons enter Romania on Thursday, including approximately 12k Ukrainians The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Thursday 105,080 persons entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 12,247 Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, about 237,700 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, and over 59,200 means of transport were checked at the border crossing points throughout the country (both on the entry and exit ways). As of February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict period), 6,043,941 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. In the areas of competence - crossing points and "green border" - the border police detected 73 illegal acts (44 offences and 29 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, and the value of the fines imposed amounts to approximately 102,300 lei. Goods worth approximately 182,000 lei were seized for confiscation. Also on Thursday, 15 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they did not meet the conditions provided by law and 16 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons. PM Ciolacu: Lifting CVM confirms that the rule of law in Romania is consolidated Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday that the Control and Verification Mechanism (CVM) having been closed is a decision that confirms that the rule of law in Romania is consolidated and strong, which is an additional argument supporting Romania's accession to the Schengen area. "After the political decision taken at the European level last year all the procedural steps regarding the lifting of the CVM were completed, and Romania is now officially among the other European states. It is a decision that confirms that the rule of law in Romania is consolidated and strong. And that is an additional argument that supports our accession to the Schengen area," Ciolacu told an event on the priorities of the justice system and the report on the rule of law in a national and European context. He said that many of the objections in the past were related precisely to the independence of the judiciary, noting that "lifting the CVM is a guarantee that Romania has made significant progress in that direction". "It is very important that we do not rest on this success. It is our duty, all of us, to make sure that the reforms continue and that the progress made so far is irreversible. It is our responsibility to continue to engage in order to strengthen the rule of law, to fight against corruption and promote transparency within state bodies. As the prime minister, I want to reaffirm my commitment to supporting all the necessary reforms that respect European values and the principles of the rule of law," added Ciolacu. He also said that "Romania is a reliable partner inside the European Union" and that "CVM having been closed is a big step forward". PM Ciolacu: Romania's tax legislation resembles a huge funnel Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says that Romania's fiscal legislation resembles "a huge funnel through which billions of euros flow unhindered." The statement was made on Friday at the National Bank at the release of the Tax Institute and the presentation of the study "Amendments to the new Fiscal Code: Inventory and impact (2015 - 2023)." The prime minister said that one of the conclusions of the study is that over 550 amendments to the Tax Code occurred over the last eight years under more than a hundred laws, ordinances and emergency ordinances. "It is no longer possible to operate efficiently under such circumstances. It is obvious that today all our tax legislation resembles a huge funnel through which billions of euros flow unimpeded in a system of abnormal tax exempts. We cannot wish for a European country with an offshore economy type of incomes, that is a tax haven country, but with expenses like in the European social model. We have reached the absurd situation where Romania has the heaviest labour taxation on those on low incomes and families with children in the European Union. At the same time, very low taxation has been maintained, with huge tax privileges, for certain categories of taxpayers who earn a lot. Something like that, from my point of view, cannot continue," said Ciolacu. He added that it is necessary to introduce a tax system based on equity, fairness and respect for the honest taxpayers who pay their taxes correctly and total intolerance towards tax evaders. "I will take responsibility for a tax reform that includes a large part of the extremely correct principles of those who carried out this study. Our goal is not to discourage investment. On the contrary, we come up with provisions that exempt from any form of taxation money invested by Romanian companies. We will support and protect start-ups. We are willing to help production and processing in Romania through all possible mechanisms. What I will not tolerate, however, is simple: fraud, money made by companies that have only one employee, a computer and issue invoices, because it is clear that there is only a disguised employment contract to avoid paying labour taxes. We will no longer allow hidden and outsourced profits, tax optimisations.. (...)," said the prime minister. He added that the government will take responsibility before Parliament for a package of spending cuts to combat evasion and eliminate as many exceptions as possible. "There will come a time, next year, when we will have to take responsibility together - that's why I congratulate this initiative - for a real tax reform of Romania as a country that is no longer just a developing country, but a stable, developed country that will join the OECD and that has to follow normal fiscal logic. Until then, I do not take responsbility for one thing: leaving Romania without European funds, leaving Romania outside Europe, with all the political costs that I will have to bear. I cannot take responsibility for that. It would mean the biggest disaster for Romania. We have no other way but inside the European Union," added the prime minister. Ciolacu went on to say that taxation has to be discussed responsibly with expert studies on the table, in a rigorous and respected framework, such as that of the National Bank of Romania. He said that such discussions should not be conducted in televised populist debates with petty approaches, in which characters who earn millions of euros annually pay as much taxes as an employee earning the minimum wage. "And they cry that they raise their taxes", added Ciolacu. He also said that he will take into account "solidly argued" criticism from which solutions can be derived. Romania-US High Level Defence Group discusses Russian attacks on Danube ports A delegation of the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN) led by senior official for defence policy, planning and international affairs Simona Cojocaru on Thursday participated in a round of strategic dialogue within the Romania-US High Level Defence Group, in Washington DC, told Agerpres. Cojocaru made a detailed presentation of the security situation in the Black Sea region in the aftermath of the recent attacks on Ukraine's Danube ports in close proximity to Romania's borders, according to a press statement from the Ministry of Defence (MApN). The Romanian official brought into discussion a consistent agenda for the NATO Summit in Washington in 2024, on the 75th anniversary of NATO. "From February 24, 2022, we have proved together what solidarity means and the fact that we cannot be divided, no matter how difficult the challenges we face are," said Cojocaru. On the occasion of the visit to Washington, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin awarded Cojocaru the highest decoration for foreigners of the US Department of Defense, the "Medal for Exceptional Public Service," in recognition of the efforts made in strengthening Romania - USA strategic partnership. Leading the American delegation at the meeting was U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander. Discussions at the meeting of this format of bilateral co-operation, which is annual, focused on the developments in the Russian Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine and its consequences at the regional and global level; the position of the American forces in Romania; US support for the modernisation of the Romanian Armed Forces; the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa; the recent developments in the implementation of the roadmap of defence co-operation, as well as prospects for Romania-US bilateral defence relationship. A man wakes up in a field hospital, not knowing who or where he is. He takes in everything: bandaged patients, a nurse, an astounded doctor who tests his reflexes and memory. As he recovers, his past comes back to him. He recalls his name and whats happened. Most importantly, he learns that his sister and her family have been murdered. Paulette Jiles latest novel, Chenneville, is a gritty, atmospheric revenge story, set in a nation shattered by the Civil War. The narrator is John Chenneville, 32, 6-foot-3, heir to a tobacco estate outside St. Louis. While fighting for the Union Army, John suffers a brain injury in a barge explosion. Formerly a fancy-pants kid, coddled by servants, he becomes, in Jiles skilled hands, a shrewd and fearless bear of a (unbathed) man, seeking justice. After months of recovery, John is allowed to return home, where he finds the family estate in shambles and his mother traumatized. When his uncle breaks the news about his sisters murder, Johns confusion turns to rage, and he focuses on revenge. He practices walking the crossbeam in the barn to regain balance, shoots at bottles until his aim is steady, trains himself to turn slowly in the saddle so as not to get dizzy. Eventually, he sells the estate, buys saddlebags, blankets and a cane to double as a weapon, cleans his guns and sets out into a broken, lawless land. For readers (like me) who are hesitant to invest 300 pages on a man 100% bent on settling a score, rest assured that John is more than a cliched cowboy, and Jiles descriptions are less boot-crushing-cigarette-butt macho prose and more sunlight-piercing-the-understory imagery. As John pursues his quarry shaking down miscreants, evading a U.S. marshal, falling for a female telegrapher a strange thing happens: We root for him. But we cheer him not so much because hes been wronged (the murderer is entirely depraved) but because hes a complex human who, in order not to fall off his horse, must literally focus on the natural world. Its good to ride in the saddle of a man who sees that Bobolinks rode the telegraph wires and greeted the May mornings with a cascade of wild notes, and that a storm folded over upon itself and along with the heavy snow there were odd flashes of lightning that ran like incandescent marbling inside the clouds. Jiles, born in Salem, Missouri, is known for her determined Civil War heroine in Enemy Women and the itinerant news reader in News of the World. Just as the latter was hardened but tender, Chenneville is more than a vigilante. As he regains his memory and stamina, were reborn with him into a dangerous but strikingly beautiful America. Gradually, we come to feel that his motivation is not purely revenge. As his journey unfolds, we see that behind the title characters revenge lies a recognizable, hazy despair: There is much to grieve in a country that is at war with itself. The other day, as I was heading to our local Schnucks store to pick up a few items, I spotted a very sharp little green Mini Cooper parked outside the Tinderbox, a cigar emporium in the neighborhood. There was too much traffic to make a quick turnaround, so I went to Schnucks in a hurry, hoping the Mini might still be there on my return trip home. I was happy to see that it was, so I pulled into the lot and went inside. Tony Saltamachia, one of three partners in the cigar business, was manning the store. After he finished with a customer, he was more than happy to show me the car and tell me the story of how he came to be the owner of this pint-sized machine. First, lets turn back the clock to 2018. Tony was living in England with his wife Diana where they were on deployment with the United States Air Force. Tony was serving as a reservist in the Air National Guard and Diana as active duty in the USAF, both holding the title of lieutenant colonel. While there, Tony was in need of a personal vehicle and found a 1993 Mini Cooper Mark VI, built by the Rover Group. The white car with black stripes was privately owned at the time. Tony had it shipped home to the states and sent it to Griffen Automotive Design in Bonne Terre, Mo., where it underwent a total restoration and was decked out in its present green and white livery. As you might expect, this car is a right-hand drive platform, which could be a bit of a challenge driving in the U.S. But my wife, who lived in Ocean Grove, Australia for one year, said it was not as difficult as she thought it would to make the transition. Tony's tiny car is powered by a 1.3 liter, four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox which drives the front wheels. Those wheels are 12 inches in diameter just a hair bigger than my zero-turn mower! And to my surprise, Tony said the car came with factory air conditioning that is in working order. This little buggy must be a hoot to drive! Tony liked the car so much that he purchased a 2022 model from Mini of St. Louis in the same color scheme and racing stripes. The two sit side-by-side in Tony's garage. FIN MAN Trivia: Match the model names of these British autos with their makes. 1. Sprite 2. Silver Cloud 3. Anglia 4. Continental 5. Plus 8 6. Stag 7. Gazelle 8. XK-150 9. Interceptor 10. 88 11. Victor Super 12. Sussita FIN MAN Trivia answers: 1. Austin Healey; 2. Rolls Royce; 3. Ford of England; 4. Bentley; 5. Morgan; 6. Triumph; 7. Singer; 8. Jaguar; 9. Jensen; 10. Land Rover; 11. Vauxhall; 12. Sabra. The news and editorial departments of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had no role in the creation or display of this content. For more information, contact marketing@post-dispatch.com UNIVERSITY CITY Raising Canes is coming here this fall. The chicken restaurant chain will open the doors to its 13th location in the St. Louis area on Oct. 3. At the intersection of Olive Boulevard and North McKnight Road, the new Cane's adds to the Market at Olive development. Additional businesses slated for the development include Chick-Fil-A, Panera, Chase Bank and First Watch, according to city documents. Costco and Chipotle are the only retailers currently open there. The upcoming Raising Canes location will have two drive-thrus and will be decorated with images and memorabilia reflective of University City and St. Louis. Decor will also pay respect to University City native and rapper Nelly, according to the chain. Open seven days a week, Raising Canes will operate from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. WENTZVILLE The United Auto Workers went on strike at the Wentzville General Motors plant Thursday night as union contracts with the Big Three automakers expired without a new agreement. The GM plant in St. Charles County was one of three targeted, the UAW announced Thursday night. GM workers in Wentzville picket as strike against Big Three automakers begins General Motors workers in Wentzville found themselves on strike for the second time in four years after the United Auto Workers and automakers failed to reach a contract agreement. GM workers in Wentzville make GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickups, as well as the GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express full-size vans. The other plants where strikes are underway are a Stellantis Jeep assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio, and a Ford plant that makes Rangers and Broncos in Wayne, Michigan. In all, about 13,000 union auto workers are off the job. The labor contracts for the three automakers GM, Ford and Stellantis expired at 10:59 p.m. here, or midnight in Detroit. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain announced over an online livestream at 9 p.m. which plants would go on strike. GM said in a statement Thursday night that the company had offered historic wage increases and manufacturing commitments and was disappointed by the UAW leaderships actions. The UAW has taken an unprecedented approach to negotiations during this contract cycle. The contracts for the Big Three automakers are negotiated on the same cycle, and historically the union has focused on bargaining with one company and used its deal as the template for the other two. This time, Fain has said, the union is taking the unprecedented step of striking all three companies. The money is there, the cause is righteous, the world is watching, and the UAW is ready to stand up. This is our defining moment, Fain said during the live stream. Instead of all-out strikes, this time the UAW will use targeted strikes at certain plants, a strategy that will allow the union to spend its strike fund more slowly. Fain reiterated other local union chapters will be prepared to go on strike as needed. If we need to go all-out, we will, he said. Everything is on the table. On Thursday, as the deadline approached, the city of Wentzville waited to learn if it was set to see its second General Motors strike in four years. The plant employs 4,100 people 3,700 of them represented by the UAW and the site is surrounded by a network of GM suppliers. The shops and restaurants in Wentzville are frequented by employees of all. Some of those guys come every day, said Peter Venezia, owner of Dukes BBQ, about three miles from the plant. In the hours leading up to the announcement, it was unclear whether the UAW intended to strike at GMs larger assembly plants or at the plants that build and supply components. Right now, its just a lot of chatter, Venezia said. David Whiston, a U.S. auto industry stock analyst with Morningstar, said even if the union only strikes at supplier plants at first, assembly plants, like Wentzville, would eventually run out of parts and have to stop operating, too, Whiston said. In recent decades, automakers have embraced smaller shipments from suppliers, of just-in-time deliveries. A lot of stuff is just-in-time, or close to just-in-time, Whiston said. GM has likely built up some inventory where it can, he said. But still, If youre missing even one part, you cant make the vehicle. Aisha Sultan Columnist and features writer Follow Aisha Sultan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Theres something about struggling single moms that provokes the perfect people. Those who have always made the best choices and right decisions perk up whenever I write about single mothers in difficult circumstances. Recently, I shared the stories of a mother of four working at Amazon and a pregnant mom at Arbys. Their jobs dont pay enough to cover child care and basic necessities for their families. It should be uncontroversial to say that a person working a full-time job in America ought to be able to provide basic food and shelter for their children. Women with young children at home obviously need someone to provide care while they are at work. Hearing their stories made me feel disgusted that some politicians would rather give trillion-dollar tax cuts to corporations and the wealthiest people than renew a child tax credit that lifted millions of kids out of poverty. I was raised to be able to imagine other peoples situations and feel compassion for those in bad circumstances. I assume this is how most people are raised. But reading about these womens hardships triggered a number of people in an entirely different way. Phillip, for example, wrote this about the mother working 50 to 60 hours a week at Amazon, a company that makes billions in profits: I have no sympathy for (her) whatsoever. In most cases having a child is a choice, not an accident. If (she) had given a moments thought to the consequences of having a child, she would have realized that she couldnt afford one child, much less four. He was one of several who responded to stories about financially strapped moms by attacking their life choices: How dare they have a child while poor? Why couldnt they just get a better job? Where was the father? These people seem ignorant of how a persons life circumstances can be different from their own. In America, 40% to 50% of marriages end in divorce. Not everyone goes to schools that prepare them for college or higher-paying jobs. Some people get sick or marry the wrong person or experience a streak of bad luck. Partners or spouses can leave their families and shirk their responsibilities. What kind of bubble must one live in to never have met someone whose life has taken an unexpected or difficult turn while they have children to support? Also, Im surprised this has to be spelled out, but there are a number of ways outside a womans complete control by which she can get pregnant: Birth control can fail. Partners can lie or refuse to use contraception. Women can be coerced or pressured into sex. Conceiving a child is not a one-person job, although the consequences of having a baby disproportionately affect women. Interestingly, a number of the emails condemning these single, working moms come from men. None of them suggested making birth control free and easily accessible. Birth control can cost up to $2,000 a year, depending on what your doctor recommends. None of them criticized the complete ban on abortion in Missouri and other states. You would think that those who want women to avoid having children when it would create a financial strain on the household, would also be advocating for their reproductive freedom and universal access to birth control. And regardless of how you feel about a womans personal choices, why would anyone be against ensuring all babies and children have their basic needs met? Children cant go out and get a job to support themselves. Its pretty heartless to want to see babies born into poverty suffer. I was taken aback by the lack of empathy shown by those who responded with angry rants and blame after reading about working moms who cant make ends meet. Of course, there are also always those who send emails asking how they can help. Not all of us can do that every time we encounter someone in a bad situation. But it doesnt take much to simply care. BRIDGETON Authorities have charged a DePaul Hospital certified nursing assistant with raping a patient last year. Felix Mumba, 38, is charged with two counts of sodomy and two counts of second-degree rape. He was in custody on a $500,000 cash-only bond. Investigators said Mumba was a certified nursing assistant at the hospital on April 8, 2022, when he raped the woman, who was a patient. The woman reported the incident right away, police said, but Mumba denied he had had any sexual contact with the woman. Police said his DNA was found when medical staff examined the woman. Chris King, a spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, said the office just received the application for charges and he did not know why the charges were applied for more than a year after the incident. Bridgeton police, who investigated the case, did not immediately return calls for comment. Mumba faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. HAZELWOOD The Robertson Fire Protection District is accusing two former chiefs of collecting nearly $500,000 in unlawful payouts, the latest salvo against the agencys old management from a board now made up of former district critics. Two lawsuits filed Tuesday accuse former Robertson fire chiefs Don Miner and Maynard Howell of padding their retirement packages with hundreds of unauthorized sick hours and dozens of additional vacation days worth thousands of dollars. The lawsuits also say the former board allowed the two chiefs to purchase fire district vehicles at deep discounts. In all, the payouts and vehicle sales amounted to at least $230,000 to Miner after he retired in June 2020 and $255,000 to Howell when he retired in June 2022, according to the lawsuits filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court. The amounts are on top of their regular pensions. These packages are that of fat cat CEOs in the private sector, Robertson Fire District Chairwoman Jennifer Guyton said at a Monday meeting where the board voted to approve filing the lawsuits. The difference is you, the hard-working taxpayer who may be struggling to afford your own retirement, paid for these fat cat packages for a couple of public officials. The district believes these are nothing more than giant, unlawful government bonuses, she added. Howell, reached Thursday, said the claims in the lawsuit were bogus and called Guyton, who led a successful campaign to recall all three former members of the Robertson Fire District board last year, a vindictive woman. She wont provide any proof because she has none, Howell said. We didnt do anything wrong. Miner, who retired as University City Fire Chief in 2013 before taking the helm at Robertson shortly after, could not be reached for comment. Miner is now listed as president of the Theodosia Area Volunteer Fire Department in southwest Missouri. The lawsuits raise the stakes in a fight that began over a year ago between Robertson and residents concerned that high costs at the district would bankrupt the city of Hazelwood. A nearly 30-year-old agreement required the city to pay millions to the district annually to compensate it for former pieces of fire district territory annexed by the city but still served by Robertson. Under an interim agreement, the city currently pays $4.5 million to the district while it negotiates a final resolution to the service payments. The recall campaign was a rare bit of scrutiny of one of dozens of area fire districts, which levy property taxes to fund fire and emergency medical services. Many are controlled by boards backed by the powerful firefighters union, Local 2665 of the Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri. Fire districts tax receipts allow them to pay high salaries the median compensation for a Robertson fire employee was over $110,000 in 2021 and generous benefits. Some, including Robertson before the recall election, even offer free health insurance to their board members. Now with access to the districts records, the new board is trying to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars it says was improperly paid to former chiefs. Before the latest lawsuits, the new board had already sued former chief Todd Phillips, who was fired shortly after the November recall vote. That lawsuit claims the old board approved an incredibly generous $350,000 severance package designed to insulate Phillips from the incoming board. The district is also negotiating a new union contract after suing the local over a three-year contract the former board passed the night before the recall election. Robertsons former board, Guyton said Monday, was willing to approve at least part of the generous packages offered to former chiefs Howell and Miner. They began with help from the former board selling themselves and other employees district vehicles, Guyton said Monday. There were also iPads, computers, cellphones, expensive weights, exercise equipment, Sirius XM subscriptions for personal vehicles, extravagant conference trips, the list goes on. When it was all over, they worked with the districts own attorney to draw them up golden parachute retirement packages, she added. Miner is accused in one of the lawsuits of structuring his package as a consulting agreement when he retired in June 2020, yet he provided no actual services to the district. Among other payments in his consulting agreement, the district paid Miner for 260 accrued sick days despite district policy capping the maximum retirement payout at 140 days. The sick days that Miner accrued during his employment at Robertson had either been used or bought back under a district program, the lawsuit says. Even so, on the last day of his employment, Miner was credited with 260 sick days worth $121,000 that were paid into his tax-exempt health expense account, the lawsuit alleges. There is no explanation in the districts records as to how or when or why these hours were accrued or credited to Miners sick leave account, the districts lawsuit alleges. A piece of junk The district also allowed Miner to purchase a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe for $7,500. Its value today is estimated at about $25,000, the lawsuit says. The district also provided Miner with a cellphone, laptop, iPad, and internet service for the duration of his consulting agreement, the lawsuit says. In the lawsuit against Howell, the district also claims he was inexplicably credited with 260 sick days, which were paid into his health and retirement accounts, despite the districts 140 day cap. The lawsuit also claims that Howell was paid $43,000 for 88 vacation days despite the districts policy against accruing vacation time from year to year. He would have received 39 vacation days in 2022, and he used 16 that year, the lawsuit says. In addition, the lawsuit says the district in 2018 sold Howell a 2008 ambulance with 44,000 miles on it for $7,501. The fair market value, the district said in its lawsuit, was $100,000. Shortly after defendant Howells purchase, the ambulance appears to have been shipped to Mexico, the lawsuit says. The sale of the ambulance to Howell was not conducted in accord with any public bidding process or with any consideration of fair market value. After the ambulance sale was discovered by Guyton and other district critics last year, the prior board asked Howell to retire. There were some questionable things that happened with one of the vehicles that was bought, former Robertson board member Michael Conley said last week. And over that we asked Maynard to resign and he turned in his resignation. Howell on Thursday said the ambulance he bought was worth far less than $100,000. Its not worth nothing like that, he said. It was a piece of junk when we bought it and continued to be a piece of junk. Whos the big winner? Howell said the recall vote and retribution against former Robertson employees was being driven by Hazelwood and large developers there, particularly the Kansas City-based logistics park developer NorthPoint, which owns warehouses in the city. Under an agreement with the city, the developer must reimburse Hazelwood for what the city paid to Robertson for fire services, Howell said. The city of Hazelwood is supporting her and so is NorthPoint development, he said of Guyton. Theres a lot to this story. Theres much more to this story than is ever there to meet the eye. Whos the big winner? The city of Hazelwood and NorthPoint development. While the fire district has long accused Hazelwood of pushing for the Robertson recall, Hazelwood City Manager Matthew Zimmerman said thats the first time hes heard the accusation that NorthPoint is driving it. NorthPoint has received property tax abatement from the city but it also has an agreement that requires it to reimburse the city for some of the Robertson Fire Protection District payments, as do several other developers, Zimmerman said. I dont understand what the whole recall election has to do with NorthPoint because I dont see any connection there, Zimmerman said. Theyve never said to us they have a problem making these payments. MADISON COUNTY A man was charged Thursday with murder in the strangulation of his mother in Troy, Illinois. Neil A. Howard, 44, was being held Friday morning in lieu of $3 million bail. Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine filed charges of first-degree murder against Howard. Howard's mother, Norma J. Caraker, was found dead early Wednesday in her home in the 600 block of Lower Marine Road. Police had been called about 1:30 a.m. to check on the welfare of a resident. Caraker was the widow of Charles Tom Caraker Sr., a former mayor of Troy who died in 2018. EUREKA The Gateway Space Station met the Gateway to the West on Friday when a NASA official spoke to science and math students at his alma mater, Eureka High School. Being from St. Louis maybe Im a little biased, but the gateway name has a lot of connections, said Sean Fuller, international partner manager for NASAs Gateway program and 1992 Eureka High graduate. Just like Lewis and Clark, the astronauts are exploring and learning how to go farther to live somewhere new, he said. Some of the fun as you learn in your science classes is discovering new things, said Fuller, 49. The things youre studying now, were studying as well. The Gateway Space Station is expected to start its trip to the moon in 2025, with the first crew following in 2028. The station will then serve as the launching pad for the first mission to Mars. A group of astronauts and engineers from NASA and Canadian and European space agencies met in St. Louis this week for a planning retreat for the project. When established at the moon, the Gateway Space Station will be about one-sixth the size of the International Space Station, which flew over St. Louis on Friday. Plans call for a crew of four astronauts to take one trip a year to the moon and live on the space station for 30 to 60 days researching human health and solar radiation and conducting other experiments. The mission to Mars, potentially launching in the 2030s, will take one year each way with a stopover on the planet for a few months. A Eureka student asked the team, Why Mars? Its the closest, most habitable target for the next frontier in space exploration, they said. Mars is within our grasp. If I can go somewhere, I want to go there, said Ken Podwalski, a Gateway program manager from the Canadian Space Agency. Space exploration can make us stronger, better, smarter. Its a healthy thing for the human species to be doing. Julia Badger, a 2000 graduate of Francis Howell High School, is also working on the Gateway program as a vehicle systems manager for NASA. Growing up here, were not close to any NASA space centers. But that doesnt mean we have less dreams here, she said. While a student at Eureka High, Fuller participated in the Navy JROTC program and was on the swim and water polo teams. His favorite class was chemistry. Now he works in Texas at the NASA Space Center Houston. When I was that age, I knew what I wanted to do but never in my wildest dreams did I think Id be where I am, he said after the talk in the schools theater. Its pretty special to see the students and what theyre doing in their labs, and the teachers that make it happen. Eureka principal Corey Sink said it was so meaningful for students to see where their studies can take them. This helps connect the dots from what theyre learning in the classroom, Sink said. You can reach for the stars literally and figuratively. ST. LOUIS COUNTY Three future educators from Ritenour High School joined their teachers last month on a whirlwind tour of the White House to celebrate the new school year. English teacher Christina Andrade Melly was invited to Washington in late August as the 2023 Missouri teacher of the year, and encouraged to bring students and colleagues as guests. Beth Seibold, who is coordinates Ritenour's Teach and Lead development program for future educators, chose three students from the program to join them on the trip Kayla Brown, senior, and sophomores Logan Simpson and Ryland Weeks. While in Washington, the students contributed to a display in the White House about optimism for the new school year. "There are new opportunities for everything, a million new things we can try, groups we can join, stuff to do, events to plan," Logan said. "We have so much opportunity in front of us." Melly, who graduated from Ritenour High in 2006, said she was thrilled to bring Seibold and the students on her second trip to the nation's capitol as she wraps up her term as Missouri's teacher of the year. "Whatever the next step brings, Ritenour is still my home," she said. "It will feel good to get back to normal teaching life." Ritenour's Teach and Lead program is part of the state's "Grow Your Own" initiative to encourage students to consider careers in education. "Having a good teacher is what helps you succeed, so I'm going to be that good teacher for others," Kayla said. ST. LOUIS The Mullanphy Emigrant Home, built in 1867 to welcome Irish and other immigrants to what was then a booming frontier river city, is no more. The historic structure was built with funds from the estate of Bryan Mullanphy, who was elected mayor of St. Louis in 1847 and was the son of the citys first Irish millionaire. Its prospects had been fading since 2021 storms knocked down part of a wall and the roof. Preservationists and the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group had scrambled to save it once already, back in 2006. When Dr. Wahied Gendi bought the building in 2018, there was a brief glimmer of hope as the Egyptian immigrant pledged to do whatever he could to preserve the structure and its history as a haven for those seeking to build a new life in America. But nothing happened. And a fire Thursday night closed the book on the 156-year-old structure. A pile of bricks covered North 14th Street on Friday morning, adjacent to the collapsed building just north of downtown. He had these grand plans, said Andrew Weil, president of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis. To my knowledge he hasnt done any kind of stabilization work. Its a real tragedy, Weil added. Its an incredibly significant building or was. The fire started about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, said Carol Clarkson, president and CEO of Sunshine Ministries, which works with the homeless and owns and operates several buildings nearby. The fire knocked out power in the area, and two of Sunshines buildings were still without electricity at 10 a.m. Friday. A half dozen Ameren Missouri trucks were on site Friday morning working to restore power. The building burned for a couple of hours before the fire department extinguished it, said Jeff Cleveland, a resident at Sunshine Ministries. He and Clarkson suspect squatters were living there and started the fire. Earlier this year, an abandoned church caught fire and damaged one of the nonprofits buildings, Clarkson said. I understand the value of historic buildings, she said. Its just too bad that people dont get a hold of these buildings and do something with them. Gendi said Friday he had paid an engineer to evaluate the building after the 2021 storms. The firm determined that the structure was too dangerous to restore, he said. He said he was unable to secure a loan to pay for stabilization that would have cost millions, far more than the real estate was worth. He was willing to donate the structure to an organization able to finance the work, but no one was interested, Gendi said. The building was so much damaged by the storm, it cant be fixed, Gendi said. City records show Gendi never applied for any building permits for the structure. But in May, he applied for a demolition permit. The city had condemned the building, he said, but the Cultural Resources Office referred the application to the Preservation Board because the structure is in a National Register of Historic Places district. The Preservation Board was going to hear the demolition permit appeal at its meeting later this month, Gendi said. His concern was that the homeless who frequently broke in to the structure could be injured or killed by falling bricks. Its very surprising what happened, he said. The city could have used its demolition by neglect ordinance or part of a $6 million stabilization fund to stabilize the Mullanphy Emigrant Home, Weil said. Both allow the city to make emergency repairs and bill them to owners. This is a perfect example of where the city could have used its demolition by neglect ordinance to effect repairs and stabilize and secure the building and place a lien and charge the owner for it, Weil said. Its one of these iconic buildings that the demolition by neglect ordinance was created to address. Weil said he has asked the city to use its powers both on Mullanphy and on the Second Baptist Church in the Central West End, which was damaged by a 2021 fire. There, too, the owner has not made any fixes to the historic structure. Buyers of historic buildings know full well the responsibility they are taking on, Weil said. The city should hold them accountable rather than letting them allow their buildings to fall apart to get around the citys restrictions on demolishing historic structures. We have tools through our city government to try and address those things, Weil said. And so far city government has not had the appetite to take that (demolition by neglect) ordinance for a test run. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones spokesman, Nick Dunne, and Cultural Resources Office Director Meg Lousteau didnt respond to a question about why the city didnt use the ordinance to try and stabilize the Mullanphy home. Instead, Dunne said in a statement that St. Louis was making a concerted effort to stabilize and demolish vacant buildings throughout the city. So far this year, the city has paid to tear down 133 vacant buildings and stabilize 51 structures. Through these targeted investments, we are hopeful we can avoid future losses like Mullanphy House, Dunne wrote. Photos: A look back at the former Mullanphy Emigrant Home building over 150 years The Mullanphy Emigrant Home after completion in 1867 Former Absorene building at 1609 North 14th Street Former Mullanphy Emigrant Home in April 2007 Former Mullanphy Emigrant Home in December, 2021 Former Mullanphy Emigrant Home in January 2022 Remains of the former Mullanphy Emigrant Home ST. LOUIS Two weeks ago, Becky Hormuth and her husband were sitting on the deck of their backyard in Wentzville, talking about how much their transgender son had blossomed since starting testosterone last December. After years of struggling with anxiety and depression, their 16-year-old had become a positive and inviting teen who was a joy to be around. He was happy and thriving. As a new law went into effect Aug. 28 that barred minors from starting gender-affirming medical care, they felt like they had dodged a bullet as they watched families with young transgender children expecting to need such care as they grow older move to other states. We were kind of like, But we are still the lucky ones, right? Hormuth said. At least we still have care. Then came an announcement Monday by Washington University, which staffs the Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital where her son receives prescriptions and monitoring: its physicians will no longer provide gender-affirming medical care to minors even those still eligible for the treatments under a new Missouri law. I felt like somebody basically just punched me so hard I couldnt catch my breath, said Hormuth, 52. It was so surreal to be sitting at my desk at my office, thinking this cant be happening. Parents of transgender teens and their supporters say they were devastated and caught off guard by the universitys announcement, which they first learned of in the press. The new Missouri law prevents minors from starting puberty blockers and hormone treatment, but specifically allowed for teens who have already been receiving those medications to continue. However, university officials pointed to a legal claim in the law that subjects providers to an unacceptable level of liability in treating patients with these medications as minors. We are disheartened to have to take this step, the university stated in a short press release announcing the decision. Officials stated the transgender center would refer patients to other providers for the services, but would still offer education and mental health support to patients. The decision has families scrambling to figure how to stretch their prescriptions or travel to see out-of-state providers. It also left them increasingly frustrated, feeling let down by a university that has been the states leading provider of and source of expertise in transgender health care. The centers doctors have been silent since ramped-up legislative attacks and investigations this year by Republican politicians seeking to restrict such care, fueled by allegations from a former case manager at the center that families were rushed into medical treatment and not informed of side effects allegations that multiple families deny. I cant tell you how infuriated I am with Washington University and their silence on the subject, said James Thurow, whose 17-year-old stepson is transgender, how this pillar in the community wont stand up for its doctors and wont stand up for its patients. We need someone out there advocating for us and not leaving us trying to do this on our own and trying to educate people, Thurow said. University officials declined requests by the Post-Dispatch to provide more information about where families can access care, answer whether the university is considering moving pediatric transgender care to its medical facilities in Illinois or respond to frustrations by families and advocates. Hormuth said amid the confusion about research supporting gender-affirming care for children and a slew of state legislatures voting to restrict care, now is when families need support the most. They need to know someone is going to have their backs, and if its anyone, its these doctors and these institutions, she said. They are going to have to back the research and back our kids and back us as parents and the care we need. Very disappointed The University of Missouri Health Care system in Columbia also decided last month it would stop providing hormones and puberty blockers for minors considering or wanting gender transition. Christian Basi, spokesman for the university, cited a provision in the lengthy law that allows a patient to sue within 15 years of turning 21 or after the patient ceases treatment of the injury at issue. The law includes a minimum liability of $500,000 with a judgment that would be three times the amount of damages assessed. The ACLU of Missouri, which is seeking to overturn the new law in court, said in a statement Thursday that the decision by the universities to block care for all adolescents was cowardly and betrays the patients that have placed their health in the hands of these facilities. Basi said MU Healths decision came after a thorough review and involved several administrators and medical professionals. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, which also advocates for those seeking gender-affirming care, called Washington Universitys decision shameful, especially coming from the states premier research institution. This decision both directly harms the trans and gender-expansive young people that relied on the university for this critical care, and indirectly fuels the propaganda and medical disinformation that politicians relied on in order to ban proven and established health care, Schwarz said. Republican legislators argued that minors lack the capacity to understand their gender dysphoria and will eventually regret their life-altering medical decisions as adults. Instead, they say, the youths should be encouraged to seek therapy. However, medication treatments for transgender youths who face higher rates of suicide and depression are supported by major U.S. medical organizations. Since allegations by the former case manager Jamie Reed surfaced in February, questions about care provided by the transgender center have been limited to the chancellors office at Washington University, despite an extensive media relations team for the medical school and childrens hospital that connects reporters to experts. They are a preeminent medical organization. I am very disappointed with how much they have silenced their team, said Susan Halla, president of the parent support group, TransParentUSA. Reeds allegations prompted Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to announce investigations into the center, which are continuing. The chancellors office has been tight-lipped ever since, other than issuing a few official statements. Parents say as they have tried to be sympathetic with the universitys difficult position, but the latest decision was the final straw. I feel like in the beginning they were looking out for kids, but as time went on, I felt like they were looking out for themselves and the institution, Hormuth said, and I felt like they were going to let the clinic hang out to dry basically. We didnt see it coming Hormuth said shes trying to get her son started as a patient with a gender clinic six hours away at Lurie Childrens Hospital in Chicago. Telling her son was the most devastating talk shes had to have with him, especially after feeling so hopeful. She assured him they would do their best to get him the medication and monitoring he needs, but had to be honest. I cant promise its not going to be a bumpy road, she told him. Halla, the president at TransParent USA, said members are collecting information on hospitals and clinics around the country, finding out what kind of insurance they accept, whether they are taking new patients, and how long are wait times. This problem is so sudden, said Halla, of St. Louis. Those families who didnt think they were going to be impacted are all of a sudden impacted at a moments notice. Families need prescription refills as well as monitoring of blood work to determine proper dosage levels and how the medications are interacting with other systems or the body. What is happening is government has now created a forced detransition of these kids, which is dangerous to their health, unless families have a means to get somewhere else for care, Halla said. She said parents recently met to brainstorm ways to fundraise or apply for grants to help pay for travel and missed work, and considering working with groups like Elevated Access, which relies on volunteer pilots and their small planes to move abortion patients and, increasingly, transgender patients far distances. Clinics across the Midwest, where many states have banned care, are saturated with patients, especially for those younger than 16. Planned Parenthood is continuing to provide gender-affirming care, but is only staffed with specialists able to provide hormone treatments for ages 16 and older. At this point, we are talking about the coasts to try and get care for some of these kids, Halla said. Washington University officials would not say how many patients are impacted by the decision. The internal investigation summary released in April revealed 1,165 patients have sought care at the center since June 2018, including interactions ranging from an informational phone call to medical treatment. Of those, 531 received hormone treatments, including some who had started on puberty blockers, and 67 were prescribed puberty blockers. Thurow said his family has learned from others how to ration the small syringes of testosterone to get more than one dose out of each. He hopes that will get his stepson through until he turns 18 in July. Luckily, Thurow said, they have received care long enough to determine the proper level he needs. In all honesty, we are going off script, Thurow said, which he says other families will likely have to do as well. Families are willing to do whatever they can to keep their children happy and healthy, he said. He knows over 30 families that have already moved out of Missouri. Thurow choked back tears several times thinking of how his stepson, since transitioning, is no longer depressed. Hes happy, making great grades, getting raises at work and has a girlfriend, Thurow said. The kid could not be doing any better. Mike Walk, 56, of St. Louis, has a 17-year-old transgender daughter receiving care at the center. Like others, he had breathed a sigh of relief at the legislative compromise by Republicans to allow current patients to continue care. We didnt see it coming, he said of the laws fine print that prompted Washington Universitys decision. Walk did not want to reveal the location but said he has secured out-of-state medical care for his daughter until she turns 18 next spring. We are lucky that we can, he said. His daughter started taking hormones a year and a half ago, and he cant let her lose access to the medications, he said. He has seen what happens when she had to present herself as boy his happy and energetic daughter turns into a very dark and unhappy person. I just made very clear to her that we are going to get you through this, and you will not have to detransition, Walk said You can go off to college and never have to come back here again. Hormuth said she questions what St. Louis Childrens Hospital says is its mission: The hospital will do what is right for children. Are they? she said. I dont think so. Not all children. Not my kid. Comments on this story are closed. You can use this form to write a letter to the editor. ST. LOUIS Aldermen on Friday introduced a series of bills aimed at curbing gun violence in the city. The legislation, announced by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones last month, would piggyback on existing federal laws on military-grade weapons and gun-making kits and write them into city code. It would also direct some of the money from fines assessed against offenders toward violence prevention programs. One bill, from Alderman Tom Oldenburg, of St. Louis Hills, echoes federal rules on automatic weapons, silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones indicated last month the bill would ban the AR-15 and AK-47 rifles. But federal rules only cover some short-barreled and fully automatic versions of the guns, which require prospective owners to pass a federal background check and pay a special tax before buying them. They do not address semiautomatic and long-barreled rifles. Nevertheless, officials say the new rules will be useful because they will offer city police some flexibility in how they handle offenders. For instance, juveniles caught with automatic weapons could be given a second chance under city rules. Rather than potential jail time on state or federal charges, they would face fines and community service. And some of the money generated by the fines would go toward the citys efforts to prevent violence through counseling, community engagement and job programs. A second bill, from Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, of Tower Grove East, expands the new rules for all weapons-related ordinance violations. And a third, from Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez, of Shaw, bars the possession of guns without trackable serial numbers an area of concern amid the rise of ghost guns sold as do-it-yourself assembly kits and another measure already in federal law. We want to make it clear that were not going to tolerate this kind of activity in St. Louis, Velazquez said. More bills are expected in the coming weeks. They'll aim to keeping guns out of the hands of minors and crack down on celebratory gunfire on the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve, among other things. Its not clear exactly how much of the legislation will survive legal challenges. State law largely prohibits the city from enacting rules on guns stricter than the states. And State Attorney General Andrew Bailey has vowed to fight anything he deems an infringement on the Second Amendment. Kevin Jamison, a prominent gun rights attorney in suburban Kansas City, didnt see much point in the effort. Criminals arent afraid of the federal government catching them, he said. Theyre certainly not going to be afraid of the city of St. Louis. Jones has expressed confidence that the gun bills are legal. While we need urgent action at the state level to pass measures like permitting regulations and background checks, said spokesman Nick Desideri, we are exploring every option at the local level to prevent gun violence and make our communities safer in the face of Missouris strict preemption laws. ST. LOUIS Aldermen are trying to make it easier for a city oversight board to investigate problems at the downtown jail, after what advocates have called unacceptable obstruction from Mayor Tishaura O. Jones administration. A bill from Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, of Downtown, would let the board hire its own lawyer, force city leaders to provide it more information, and trim training requirements board members say are being used to stop them from doing their work. Theyre being stonewalled and held up from doing their job, Aldridge said. We need to make it so they can do what they were intended to do. The bills introduction this week follows months of complaints from oversight board members that jail commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, City Counselor Sheena Hamilton and others are stalling investigations into jail deaths, violence and living conditions at the City Justice Center, across South Tucker Boulevard from City Hall. It responds to rising concerns among advocates and attorneys that inmates are being held without access to showers, hot food or other basic necessities. Its also a sign of dissension in the ranks of progressive Democrats in the city. Last month, Aldridge, Aldermanic President Megan Green and others blasted the administration after two inmates died in as many weeks, calling for immediate transparency and reform. But Jones sent a letter to the oversight board on Friday expressing full confidence in Clemons-Abdullahs leadership and calling the 40 hours of training required for board members commensurate with national standards. Aldridge, who Jones endorsed in his race for aldermen this past spring, said he did not see his legislation as a challenge to Jones. I see it as doing the right thing, he said. Nick Desideri, a spokesman for Jones, said Jones met with Aldridge and Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, of Tower Grove East, on the bill Thursday and had a productive conversation. We appreciate aldermanic input on this issue, Desideri said. The mayors focus remains on bringing the board into compliance with the law as it is currently written. This push for civilian oversight of the citys jail system dates back to early 2021, shortly after Jones swept into office pledging to transform how the city locked people up. She was emptying the Workhouse, the old northside jail long criticized by activists as a sweltering disgrace, and transferring its inmates to the newer jail downtown. But violent disturbances at the new jail were raising concerns, and she backed the creation of a new oversight board to look into detainee complaints of inhumane conditions there, too. Since its formation in early 2022, however, the board has struggled to do much of anything. For most of last year, litigation stalled efforts to investigate the deaths of six inmates attributed to overdoses, suicide and natural causes. And when a judge finally cleared that up, oversight board members said they faced new obstacles from the administration itself and accused Clemons-Abdullah of blocking access to the jail, its staff, inmates and important records, like those documenting use of force. Administration officials brushed off the concerns, saying board members needed to complete dozens of hours of training on confidentiality, federal and state laws and other topics before beginning investigations. And they said they would help board members get them done. Board members called that a red herring just another excuse to block their access. The stalemate came to a head in the last two weeks of August: Inmates took a guard hostage for several hours, two inmates died, and police arrested an oversight board member who went to the jail seeking answers. Aldridge and six other aldermen on the boards Public Safety Committee joined Green, the aldermanic president, in vowing to clear obstacles in the oversight boards way. Aldridges bill, to be introduced at Fridays board meeting, cuts initial training requirements for board members to an orientation of 10 hours or less. It allows the board to hire an attorney independent of the City Counselors office. And it requires officials to explain to the board their reasoning when they stall an oversight investigation because it might interfere with a criminal inquiry. These are important steps toward the board being able to do what we were told it would, said Mike Milton, a board member who also nonprofit focused on restorative justice. Jail critics say the changes cant happen soon enough. Defense attorney Jay Kanzler said his clients in the City Justice Center say theyve been going without clean clothes for weeks at a time and spending nearly every hour of the day in their cells, on lockdown because there arent enough guards to watch them. They feel like theyre being treated like animals, Kanzler said. Matthew Mahaffey, the citys chief public defender, said that after the hostage situation, inmates went without air conditioning for more than a week until officials gave a tour last Friday for Green, progressive St. Louis Congresswoman Cori Bush, and others. The next day, Green said the tour was heartbreaking. Inmates complained of having to wear dirty clothes due to lack of laundry service, limited access to showers, and rarely seeing the outside of their cells, she said. I think thats enough to tax anyones mental health, she said. Katie Kull of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. As of now SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) has over 5.000 Starlink satellites in orbit. The number was achieved with the August 26 use of a SpaceX Falcon 9 SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicle) carrying 22 Starlink satellites, raiding Starlink count to 5,005. Ultimately, SpaceX wants to have 30,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. This would provide the entire planet with low-cost, high-speed Internet access via a multiple-satellite ISP (Internet Service Provider) system. Users will need a small ground station consisting of a small satellite dish and a special modem, costing $600 with service costing $90 a month. In large quantities these stations cost about $100 each. Some nations will not allow their citizens to access Starlink while others seek to regulate what portions of the Internet users can access. This has been the experience of major competitors like ViaSat and HughesNet. When all the Starlink satellites are in orbit, Starlink will be the planets major provider of satellite Internet service. Starlink needs about ten million monthly fee paying customers to be profitable. The original gen1 Starlink system was designed to expand to over 40,000 satellites if demand by paying customers was large enough to justify and pay for it. Starlink gen2 is designed to provide so much more customer bandwidth (data transmission) that far fewer Starlink satellites will be needed. That could be up to 90 percent less than gen1. Gen2 is designed to operate more efficiently over countries that outlaw Starlink as an ISP. Nearly half the Internet users on the planet live in countries that heavily censor Internet use. Starlink makes it much more difficult to censor Internet users. Originally designed to provide affordable high-speed Internet use to those in remote areas, Starlink discovered it had gained a lot of new customer interest because of its experience in Ukraine. The gen2 satellites are described as nearly ten times more capable than the gen1 (original) Starlink satellites. Gen2 are designed to work with gen1 satellites and gradually replace them. Gen1 birds are designed to last for about seven years. At that point the satellite gradually loses altitude until it burns up reentering the atmosphere. The true capabilities of gen2 wont be known until some of them are in orbit. Gen1 satellites proved more effective than expected but the list of suggested improvements indicated that a larger gen2 satellite would be the way to go. Eventually this will mean fewer Starlink satellites in orbit but there will still be thousands of them. The main function of Starlink is to provide cheaper, more powerful and globally available access to the Internet or any other communications network that can pay for the use of the Starlink network. That includes military users that are friendly to Starlink and not considered a threat. The threat nations include China, Russia and several smaller countries like Iran, North Korea and Cuba that are hostile to Internet access they cannot control. China estimates that Starlink is able to increase the speed and throughput of military communications over a hundred times what it is now. Starlink is not the only multiple-satellite ISP system. There are similar efforts underway in several countries, including Russia and China. These efforts have fallen far behind Starlink in terms of numbers and capabilities. Starlink is unique in that it was the first to enter service and quickly proved it could do what it was designed to do. That included quickly adapting to the needs of military users. This was demonstrated in Ukraine where Starlink was activated over Ukraine days after Russia invaded in February 2022. The first of thousands of free user kits were delivered in less than a week. Currently there are over 100,000 user kits in Ukraine, most of them serving as small, local ISPs by adding an inexpensive router. As long as the Ukraine War continues, SpaceX and the U.S. government will pay for the service in Ukraine. In 2022 SpaceX announced a new subsidiary called Starshield with enhanced versions of Starlink technology on larger earth-imaging satellites with sensors to provide whatever sensing capabilities a national security customer wants. This includes photos, real-time video and all manner of data which U.S. military-grade satellite sensors can collect. Potential users include the NSA, CIA and equivalent agencies of American allies. While Starlink has achieved market dominance in space-based communications for personal and commercial users, that largely consists of high-speed Internet datalinks and inexpensive ground links that can be stationary or moving in a vehicle or ship. Starshield plans to do that same with classified data government agencies collect. Starshield satellites are designed to accept many types of capabilities provided by user-supplied modules designed for compatibility with the Starshield interface. Starshield data and control links use much more robust encryption. Starshield will use larger SpaceX SLVs (satellite launch vehicles) to put new Starshield satellites in orbit. Currently Russia is actively seeking ways to disrupt Starlink service. These attacks are nothing new, because government and military users of space-based communications systems have long worked on improving security. Starshield is organized to take business away from commercial firms like Blacksky and Maxtar that already have billions of dollars in government contracts to provide persistent imaging, including real-time video, of specific areas on earth. The United States provides these specialized imaging services to Ukraine and that provides superior satellite data on Russian forces than what the Russians can provide to their own troops. Ukrainians were impressed by the potential for Starlink and rapidly came up with new uses, some of them military. This gave Starlink a realistic test under very adverse conditions. So far this has been a success even though Russia, apparently with some help from China, is seeking ways to shut down or disrupt Starlink. Another advantage of Starlink was the rapidity of upgrades or modifications to deal with problems, including Russian efforts to jam or disrupt performance in Ukraine. Not only were the Russians unable to disable Starlink, but found its encrypted signals far superior to communications Russian troops had to use in Ukraine. Worse for the Russians was the Ukrainian ability to rapidly integrate Starlink with Ukrainian communications and fire control systems. Before Gen2 satellites were ready, SpaceX pointed out that it could put additional Starlink satellites into orbit faster and more cheaply than Russia or anyone else could destroy them. This capability was part of the Starlink design that not only allowed satellite and user software to be quickly updated, but new Starlink satellites often had new features added to improve performance and that included more resistance to hacking and jamming. Complaints that Starlink satellites would become so numerous that they would be a hazard for other satellites are unproven and even less likely once the gen2 satellites are operating. Starlink operates in LEO (low earth orbit) between 300 and 600 kilometers from earth, where there is already a lot of space junk too small to quickly fall back into the atmosphere and burn up. Any plans to destroy a lot of Starlink satellites would make the situation worse without shutting down Starlink services. If left alone the gen1 and gen2 Starlink satellites are designed to burn themselves up in the atmosphere when no longer operational. China sees Starlink as a serious threat to its current government Internet censorship and control over the population, as well as the political reliability of its military. Thats no speculation because its already happening, often live on TV, in Ukraine. China has not yet come up with a workable plan to disrupt or destroy Starlink, and considers Starlink a major obstacle to China eventually becoming the most powerful military force on the planet. That was supposed to happen before 2050. With Starlink it may take longer. Starshield also aims to provide users with a dominant position in space-based sensing. Starshield is meant to be cheaper and more responsive than any existing competitor in providing a wider array of earth sensing capabilities. SpaceX has not revealed the schedule for lifting Starshield satellites into orbit, and some may already be there testing the services Starshield will provide. Starshield activities will be less public than Starlink, which is how intelligence agencies like it. Iran continues to be the main threat for neighboring Iraq. There are many reasons for this, some of them quite ancient. For example, Iranians are largely members of the Shia branch of Islam. Only about ten percent of Moslems are Shia. Iranians are also ethnically different then their many Arab neighbors. The Iranians, or Persians, are Indo-Europeans who migrated from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf area thousands of years ago and have been dominating or fighting the indigenous Semites (mainly Arabs) ever since. Being Shia gives the Iranians one more reason to fight their Arab neighbors. The Kurds are a smaller Indo-European group that arrived in the region and did not lose their ethnic and linguistic characteristics. When Islam showed up, most Kurds pretended to convert and that is something else that rankles their Arab neighbors. While the Iranians are a persistent threat to Arabs, the Kurds are more of a curiosity or, at worst, an annoyance. An example of this is the efforts by Iran to gain control of Iraq, which has a large Shia Arab majority. Iran is losing influence inside Iraq. This is mainly because Iran is ruled by a Shia religious dictatorship that condones aggressive interference in neighboring countries. Iraq has long been the main recipient of this meddling. Iran seeks more economic and political influence in Iraq. This is made easier by Iraqs internal problems, which are largely the result of rampant and persistent corruption. Historically, what is now known as Iraq was seen as the most corrupt region in the Middle East, if not the world. According to international surveys of corruption, Iraq is no longer the most corrupt country in the world. For the last 30 years Transparency International has monitored corruption worldwide and reported their findings annually. The corruption is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The nations with the worst score are currently Syria (score of 14), South Sudan (12) and Somalia (12). The least corrupt nations are currently Denmark and New Zealand, each with a score of 88. Iraq does better than you would expect with a corruption score of 23 in 2022, up from 21 in 2020, 20 in 2019, 17 in 2017-18 and 16 in 2013. Iraqs reduction in corruption played a part in convincing a growing number of formerly pro-Iran Iraqis to change their minds about backing Iran. The current Iranian government has been an economic, diplomatic and military disaster for everyone in the area, not just Iranians. Few Iraqis want to emulate Iran and this now includes Iraqi members of pro-Iran militias. Initially Iran encouraged and maintained pro-Iran attitudes in Iraq by supplying Iraqi militiamen with weapons and regular cash payments. Growing economic problems inside Iran reduced the money available to pay the Iraqi militiamen enough to keep them loyal to Iran. The longer the Iraqi militiamen went unpaid, the less willing they were to serve Iranian interests. How much is left is questionable. Iraqis were also put off by the brutality Iran used to suppress the hijab protests'' that began nearly a year ago and only began to diminish earlier this year because so many women were simply not wearing hijabs to cover their hair. There were too many of these women for the Iranian government to arrest or otherwise punish. The Iranian government has not given up on enforcing the use of hijabs and is seeking ways to force women to comply. A proposed new law would criminalize failure of women to wear hijabs but the government is unsure what impact trying to enforce such a law would have. Most women and many men oppose the hijab restrictions and consider these laws another reason to overthrow the religious dictatorship that has misruled Iran for decades Iraqis see this Iranian obsession over the hijab as odd and scary because this is the sort of thing Iran would try to impose on Iraqis if it could. Iraq and Iran were long known as much less fanatic about this sort of thing than, say, the Saudis. That is changing in Saudi Arabia, as it already has in Iraq and, until recently, Iran. September 12, 2023: In Baghdad, 18 policemen were sentenced to jail terms of up to three years for failing to stop Iraqi protestors from entering the Green Zone and attacking the Swedish Embassy. This was a protest against Swedes who had earlier burned pages from the Koran, the Islamic holy book that must be respected by believers and non-believers. This often causes problems between Moslem and Western nations. The Green Zone is a guarded and relatively safe place for Iraqi politicians and embassies. It is a nuisance for most Baghdad residents. The zone did not exist twenty years ago. The zone was built by coalition forces after 2003 as a well-protected area in downtown Baghdad. The Zone was turned over to Iraqi soldiers and police a year before the last foreign troops left in 2011. Iraqi politicians and their families moved in along with some government agencies that required heavy security. Embassies remained as well. Iraq handled the security and did a good job. Before that it was handled by American troops and American security contractors. This ten square kilometer (four square mile) sanctuary in downtown Iraq was long a safe refuge for Americans and senior Iraqis. Most Baghdad residents wanted the Green Zone, and the way it disrupted major traffic patterns, eliminated after the Americans left. But rich and powerful Iraqis wanted to live in the Green Zone, as protection from criminals and terrorists, both of whom murder, kidnap, and rob the rich. The Green Zone lives on, under Iraqi management. But the Green Zone also became the target of increasingly frequent and well-attended demonstrations protesting the inept and corrupt government. September 10, 2023: Turkey has resumed the use of armed UAVs and helicopters to attack PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) forces in northern Iraq. The PKK is a Turkish Kurd separatist group that regularly takes refuge in northern Iraq to avoid Turkish attacks. The Iraqi government, as well as the local Kurdish government protest these Turkish intrusions but do not try to stop the Turks nor do they actively resist the PKK intrusion. Iraq ignores Turkish requests that Iraq declare the PKK terrorists. September 3, 2023: In the north (Kirkuk) Iran-backed militias fought with Kurds. Iran wants to prevent the autonomous Iraqi Kurds from gaining control of Kirkuk. There are two separate armed Kurd factions defending the Kurdish north and the factions are often rivals. This limits the Kurdish ability to halt Iranian operations in Iraq. September 2, 2023: In the north (Kirkuk) ethnic violence between Kurds and Arabs left three Kurds dead from gunshot wounds. Kirkuk is the home of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. The largest non-Kurd group in Kirkuk are Turkmen, Turks from Turkmenistan in Central Asia not Turkey. The Turkmen are not united and are divided by politics, although most favor alliance with the Kurds. Turkmen also divided by religion with some being Sunni, Shia or Catholic. The inability of the Turkmen to unite is exploited by the Shia Arab government in Baghdad as well as Iran. Most of the non-Kurds in Kirkuk province would rather be ruled by the more efficient and less corrupt Kurdish government of the north than the Arab dominated national government. August 28, 2023: In the north (Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish north) a French commando was killed while working with Iraqi forces against Islamic terrorists in the area. That makes three French soldiers killed in the last week. There are 600 French soldiers in Iraq to train Iraqi forces and that often includes the French soldiers accompanying the Iraqis on operations against ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) forces in the area. European as well as American forces are in Iraq to provide training. This effort has, over the past two years, reduced but not eliminated the ISIL presence in the area. ISIL is active across the border in Syria as well. August 24, 2023: In the Kurdish north, two Turkish UAVs used missiles to kill seven PKK members who were using northern Iraq as a base. August 11, 2023: In the Kurdish north, Turkish UAVs attacked several PKK targets today and yesterday. The attacks killed 19 PKK gunmen. This was in retaliation for earlier PKK attacks that killed six Turkish soldiers. Ateliere and qibb Partner to Enable Turnkey Hybrid Storage Integration for the Modern Media Supply Chain Customers can seamlessly integrate on-premises and cloud storage, eliminating bottlenecks, increasing efficiency, cost savings while opening doors to new business opportunities Century City, CA( ) Ateliere Creative Technologies, a leading developer of cloud-native media supply chain solutions and a 2023 IDC Innovator, has announced a partnership with media application integration specialists, qibb, to support hybrid storage workflows across the media supply chain. Ateliere's cloud-native media supply chain workflows and open API seamlessly integrate with qibb's media workflow connectors, ensuring the swift automatic transfer of local files to the cloud and vice versa. This collaboration unlocks a world of possibilities for Ateliere Connect customers who want to retain their on-premises operation while leveraging the benefits of the cloud, maintaining a cohesive workflow without the need for bespoke integrations in the process. This partnership is not just about technology; it's about delivering value. Support for hybrid workflows is critical for us as we work to make our solutions more accessible to businesses who are not yet fully operating in the cloud, says Ateliere CEO Dan Goman. Our partnership with qibb extends our offerings to companies that store and heavily leverage content on on-premises storage yet want the added benefits that the cloud provides. The highly efficient and flexible media ecosystem resolves deficient orchestration and workflow management challenges for working on premise and in the cloud. Customers with large on-premise storage pools can now easily design cloud workflows based on business needs as opposed to technical workarounds. At qibb, we're experts at making media applications work together smoothly. Ateliere is a great example to show how we can connect to services outside of our Node Catalog, says Roman Holzhause, qibb Chief Technology Officer. Via our community-based GraphQL connector, all Ateliere objects, events, job creation and workflow progress become available. This allows integrating Ateliere seamlessly with more than 100 third-party applications in the qibb catalog - including leading media applications and cutting-edge AI solutions. Together, we will ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction by enabling customized workflows and automations. About the Ateliere - qibb Integration qibbs compatibility with Atelieres GraphQL API and media system integrations enable easy workflows with Atelieres low-code environment. All objects, events, job creation and workflow progress are available via the API, allowing third-party applications like qibb to operate or react with custom behavior. Connect with Ateliere to learn how their hybrid workflow capabilities power modern media supply chains: https://www.ateliere.com/company/contact-us. Book a Meeting with Ateliere at IBC2023 The IBC2023 show will be held at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam from September 15th through September 18th. Attendees can book a private meeting with an Ateliere expert or sales professional to discuss their media supply chain and streaming needs and how Ateliere solutions can help. To request a day and time, visit https://www.ateliere.com/events/ibc-show-2023. Press Briefings at IBC2023 Members of the press are invited to connect with Ateliere for a private demonstration on stand 5.B63. Press attending the show can book a media briefing at the booth or schedule a virtual briefing before the show through press@ateliere.com. About qibb qibb enables future-proof media solutions and makes integration of professional media workflows easy. qibb is the pioneering integration platform to create and maintain low-code media workflows along the digital media supply chain. A community-driven ecosystem of adapters (nodes) and pre-integrations (flows) flanked by a versatile feature toolkit makes virtualized systems integration a reality. With qibb it is possible to integrate several apps into automated workflows all on one cloud platform. The integration platform is developed by experienced digital and media experts at the tech company Techtriq. www.qibb.com About Ateliere Ateliere Creative Technologies is a leading cloud-native media supply chain company that empowers media companies and content creators to reach consumers on a global scale. The Ateliere suite of SaaS solutions incorporates cutting-edge workflows and formats to make the vision for a studio in the cloud a reality. The nucleus of the Ateliere platform, Ateliere Connect, delivers core competencies in IMF, parallel scaling, and geographically distributed workflows. Ateliere is built by a team of experts with decades of combined experience at companies such as Amazon, HBO, Netflix, and Microsoft. Find out more at https://www.ateliere.com, and follow us on X (@TeamAteliere), Instagram (@AteliereTech), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ateliere-creative-technologies/), and Facebook (@AteliereCreativeTechnologies). TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / The B.C. Securities Commission threw out NWST's application to discredit and disenfranchise 3 dissident shareholders from voting at the upcoming AGM less than 24 hours after it heard all the evidence. "Securities regulators and courts do not react in this manner unless the matter before them is completely without any substance as was the case with NWST's most recent attempt to entrench its current board" said Concerned Shareholder Grant Sawiak who has been leading the attempt to remove the current board. "A board of directors which claims to want to protect shareholders' investments does not spend the $5 million raised from a private placement in February of this year (which were originally earmarked for drilling and metallurgy) on high priced Bay Street lawyers and multiple other advisors in order to entrench themselves" continued Mr. Sawiak. "I am confident that enough dissatisfied shareholders have trusted me with their votes to replace the entrenched board and judging by all of NWST's desperate and unsuccessful actions, they believe that as well." IF YOU WISH TO VOTE WITH MR. SAWIAK TO CHANGE THE BOARD OF NWST YOU MUST CONTACT HIM BY: 1. CALLING HIM AT 1.416.917.2816; OR 2. EMAILING HIM AT [email protected] ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 20, 2023. Information in Support of Public Broadcast Solicitation The Concerned Shareholder is relying on the exemptions contained in Section 9.2(2) and Section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations to solicit proxies from no more than 15 securityholders and by soliciting proxies by broadcast, speech or publication. The Concerned Shareholder may also choose to file a dissident information circular in due course in compliance with applicable securities laws. A copy of the press release and the Nominating Shareholder Notice which collectively contains all information on the Concerned Shareholder's Nominees as required by National Instrument 51-102 and Form 51-102F5 were filed on SEDAR+ on August 4, 2023 and are available for viewing there. The information contained herein, and any solicitation made by the Concerned Shareholder in advance of the Meeting, is or will be, as applicable, made by the Concerned Shareholder and not by or on behalf of the management of NWST. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by the Concerned Shareholder and by Mr. John Kimmel, provided that, subject to applicable law, Messrs. Sawiak and Kimmel may seek reimbursement from NWST of their out-of-pocket expenses, including proxy solicitation expenses and legal fees, incurred in connection with a successful reconstitution of the Company's board of directors. Other than in respect of their beneficial ownership, control or direction of securities of the Corporation described above, none of Messrs. Sawiak and Kimmel or any of their associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting other than the election of directors. A Registered Shareholder who has given a Proxy may revoke the Proxy by: (a) completing and signing a Proxy bearing a later date and depositing it at the offices of Odyssey, 350- 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1T2 or and following the online voting instructions given to you no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on the second Business Day preceding the date of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof; (b) depositing an instrument in writing executed by the Registered Shareholder or by the Registered Shareholder's attorney duly authorized in writing or, if the Registered Shareholder is a body corporate, by a duly authorized officer or attorney either with Odyssey, 350-409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1T2 at any time up to and including the last Business Day preceding the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof or with the Chair of the Meeting prior to the commencement of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof; or (c) in any other manner permitted by Law. Such instrument will not be effective with respect to any matter on which a vote has already been cast pursuant to such Proxy. If a Registered Shareholder who has submitted a Proxy attends the Meeting, any votes cast by such Registered Shareholder on a ballot at the Meeting will be counted and the submitted Proxy will be disregarded. Only Registered Shareholders have the right to revoke a Proxy. Non-Registered Shareholders that wish to change their voting instructions must, in sufficient time in advance of the Meeting, contact their Intermediary to arrange to change their voting instructions. The Concerned Shareholder has engaged Shorecrest Group Ltd. to act as proxy solicitor in respect of this matter and will incur expenses of up to $120K plus out of pocket expenses. The Concerned Shareholder may engage the services of one or more other agents and authorize other persons to assist in soliciting proxies on behalf of the Concerned Shareholder. Any proxies solicited by or on behalf of the Concerned Shareholder, including by any other agent retained by the Concerned Shareholder, may be solicited in any other manner permitted under Canadian corporate and securities laws. Any such proxies may be revoked by instrument in writing executed by a shareholder or by his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the shareholder is a body corporate, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized or by any other manner permitted by law. The head office of NWST is located at Suite 1900, 1055 West Hastings Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 2E9. A copy of this press release may be obtained on NWST's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com. For more information contact: Grant Sawiak 416.917.2816 SOURCE: Grant Sawiak View source version on accesswire.com: VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Evolution Global Frontier Ventures Corp. (CSE:EGFV) (the "Company" or "EGFV") announced today that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent dated September 14, 2023 (the "LOI") with 2757953 Ontario Inc. (DBA Faster) ("Faster") setting out the initial proposed terms and conditions pursuant to which the Company and Faster expect to effect a business combination that will result in a reverse takeover of the Company by the shareholders of Faster (the "Proposed Transaction"), subject to the Company and Faster entering into a definitive agreement on terms substantively similar to the terms set out in the LOI (a "Definitive Agreement"). The entity resulting from the Proposed Transaction (the "Resulting Issuer") will continue to carry on the business of Faster as a company that specializes in payment technology allowing businesses to accept electronic forms of payment namely Interac, Mastercard, Visa and American Express with faster settlement times including weekends and holidays. The LOI was negotiated at arm's length. Acquisition Terms Subject to the terms of a Definitive Agreement, the Proposed Transaction will be structured as an amalgamation, arrangement, takeover bid, share purchase or other similar form of transaction mutually acceptable to the Company and Faster. The Company intends to issue a subsequent news release with the comprehensive details regarding the Proposed Transaction, including the proposed capitalization of the Resulting Issuer, upon execution of a Definitive Agreement. The parties intend to enter into the Definitive Agreement in respect of the Proposed Transaction by no later than September 22, 2023, or such other date as may be mutually agreed upon by Faster and the Company. Under the terms of the LOI, the Company will complete, prior to closing of the Proposed Transaction (the "Closing"), a consolidation of its issued and outstanding common shares (the "Common Shares"), which aggregate consolidation may take place in multiple consolidations (the "Consolidation"). The LOI also contemplates that upon Closing, the current directors and officers of the Company will resign and that the board and management of the Resulting Issuer will be reconstituted (the "Resulting Issuer Board"), with certain directors being nominated by Faster for appointment to the Resulting Issuer Board, and new officers identified by Faster to be appointed by the Resulting Issuer Board. Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including, but not limited to, the Consolidation, the a financing of the Company's equity securities (an "Equity Financing") as discussed below, satisfactory completion of due diligence, the parties entering into the Definitive Agreement on terms acceptable to the parties and the Company and Faster obtaining any approval from their respective shareholders and the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as currently contemplated, or at all. Trading of the Common Shares will remain halted pending the review of the Proposed Transaction by the CSE and satisfaction of conditions of the CSE for listing. Equity Financing Pursuant to the LOI, Faster will look to complete the Equity Financing on an arm's length basis on terms satisfactory to the Company for gross proceeds of at least $1 million and no greater than $2.5 million. Faster is expected to issue subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") under the Equity Financing, which Subscription Receipts will be exchangeable into shares of the Resulting Issuer concurrently with the closing of the Proposed Transaction. The proceeds from the financing are expected to be used for working capital and general corporate purposes of the Resulting Issuer. Bridge Loan from Faster The Company is also pleased to announce that it has entered into a promissory note in favour of Faster dated as of September 14, 2023 (the "Note") secure a bridge loan from Faster in the principal amount of $192,950 (the "Principal Amount"). The Company will use the Principal Amount for general working capital purposes. The Note will bear interest at a rate of 8.0% per annum, calculated monthly and commencing on the date that is 6 months from the date of the Note. The Principal Amount, along with all outstanding and accrued interest, shall become due and payable on the date that is 36 months from the date of the Note (the "Maturity Date"). Pursuant to the terms of the Note, the Maturity Date shall be immediately accelerated and become due and payable within 90 days in the event the LOI is terminated prior to the Definitive Agreement being entered into. Further Information All information contained in this press release with respect to Faster, its business, the market in which it operates and the Equity Financing was supplied by Faster for inclusion herein. The Company has not conducted due diligence on the information provided and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information. EVOLUTION GLOBAL FRONTIER VENTURES CORP. Ron Miles, Director email: [email protected] Forward Looking Information: This news release contains forward-looking information and statements ("forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, that are not based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements using the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include, among other matters, the terms and timing of the Proposed Transaction, the entering into the Definitive Agreement, and on terms mutually acceptable to the parties, the Consolidation, Equity Financing and the reconstitution, and composition, of the Resulting Issuer Board, and the completion of the conditions, in particular obtaining CSE and shareholder approval. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the parties may not proceed with the LOI and the Proposed Transaction; that the ultimate terms of the LOI and the Proposed Transaction will differ from those that are currently contemplated; regulatory and CSE approval, shareholder approval; and that the LOI and the Proposed Transaction will not be successfully completed for any other reason, including but not limited to geopolitical risk, regulatory, and exchange risk. The terms and conditions of the Proposed Transaction may change based on the Company's due diligence. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analysis, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Company, its securities, or financial, or operating results (as applicable). Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, such forward looking statements has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statement. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. SOURCE: Faster View source version on accesswire.com: LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Dr. Todd H. Lanman is pleased to announce the official launch of the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to connect patients with the most skilled and experienced artificial disc replacement surgeons in their area. Artificial disc replacement, or simply ADR, has emerged as the leading surgical solution for individuals suffering from chronic neck and low back pain. ADR not only reduces pain and disability, but it also restores spinal mobility and flexibility, which are essential for leading an active and healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, not all spine surgeons offer ADR. Instead, many recommend spinal fusion, which limits spinal mobility. Moreover, not all spine surgeons are equally skilled at performing ADR. The ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program is designed to help connect patients with capable and experienced ADR providers in their area or region who can expertly perform both ADR and spinal fusion surgeries. This gives patients the option of having the right surgery for their unique needs. Dr. Todd H. Lanman, ADR pioneer and the visionary behind this revolutionary program, is dedicated to expanding the program's reach across the United States. His goal is to create the largest network of experienced arthroplasty surgeons, ensuring that patients can easily find the best ADR surgeon nearest to them. The Top Doctors in Arthroplasty program empowers patients to take control of their spinal health by providing free access to a network of renowned surgeons who specialize in artificial disc replacement, a technique that transforms lives. Dr. Jason Cullar, a highly esteemed surgeon practicing in Palm Beach and Miami, Florida, has the distinct honor of being the first surgeon to become a part of the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program. He has extensive experience in ADR surgery and is committed to improving the lives of patients with chronic neck and lower back pain. Dr. Cuellar exemplifies the quality and experience of the spine surgeons hand-selected to enroll in the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program. Dr. Lanman is committed to expanding the program's reach across the United States and patients can expect new surgeons to be added to the program directory each quarter with the expectation of a full national roster by the end of 2024. Each surgeon is carefully evaluated and selected for their surgical expertise, commitment to patient-centered care, and outstanding track records in ADR procedures. Dr. Lanman's goal is to create the largest network of experienced arthroplasty surgeons to ensure that patients can easily find the best ADR surgeon nearest to them. As ADR Spine continues to make strides in reshaping spinal care, patients and healthcare providers are encouraged to stay tuned for further updates on this groundbreaking program. Contact Information: Brandi Kamenar PR + Brand Manager [email protected] 13109755269 SOURCE: ADR Spine View source version on accesswire.com: HelloPrenup proudly announces that its CEO and co-founder, Julia Rodgers, has been selected as a key panelist at the esteemed JP Morgan Panel during Startup Week Boston 2023 hosted at Suffolk University. BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Startup Week Boston, an annual event that brings together the most innovative minds in the startup ecosystem, has always been a hub for ground-breaking ideas, networking, and fostering growth. The JP Morgan Panel, in particular, is renowned for its discussions on trends, financial strategies, and the future of entrepreneurship. Julia Rodgers, Boston Startup Week 2023 Suffolk University Julia Rodgers, Boston Startup Week 2023 Suffolk University Since co-founding HelloPrenup, Julia Rodgers has been a visionary in redefining the way couples approach and navigate prenuptial agreements. Her platform has democratized access to these agreements, making them more approachable, affordable, and amicable. Her selection for the JP Morgan Panel underscores her position as a thought leader and change-maker in the startup world. "I'm deeply honored to be selected for the JP Morgan Panel. Startup Week Boston is a testament to the thriving entrepreneurial spirit of this city, and I'm excited to share our journey at HelloPrenup and discuss the future of startups with fellow innovators," said Rodgers. The HelloPrenup team, partners, and countless satisfied users commend Julia for this recognition and are confident that she will offer invaluable insights during the panel discussion. Attendees of Startup Week Boston 2023 can look forward to insightful conversations, networking opportunities, and learning from industry leaders like Julia. It's a celebration of innovation, determination, and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the city of Boston and beyond. About HelloPrenup: HelloPrenup is a groundbreaking platform co-founded by Julia Rodgers, offering couples an easier way to draft prenuptial agreements. Its mission is to modernize and simplify the process, removing the traditional barriers that often make prenuptials challenging. With its innovative approach, HelloPrenup is setting a new standard in how couples prepare for their future. This recognition speaks volumes of Rodgers' leadership, innovation, and the transformative impact of HelloPrenup on the industry. HelloPrenup has been featured on Shark Tank, CNN Business, Forbes, The Boston Globe, GeekWire, The New Yorker among others. Want more information on Julia or HelloPrenup? Contact [email protected] or visit HelloPrenup.com to learn more. Contact Information Lauren Lavender Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] 408 476 0719 SOURCE: HelloPrenup View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Logitech: Logitech has been honored by the Swiss association, the Cercle Suisse Des Administratrices (CDSA), winning their annual award for efforts in promoting diversity across the organization. The CSDA does important work and it's a cherished prize. A nine-person jury composed of prominent members of the Swiss media, academic and economic community assessed Logitech amongst other organizations, judging social impact performance from objectives and culture to diversity at all levels of the company. In particular, they were interested in Logitech's approach to gender diversity. The CSDA tracks gender diversity in Switzerland using the Schilling Report from executive search firm Schilling Partners. This year's report finds that, for the first time, more than half (52%) of the 100 largest Swiss employers employ at least 3 women on the board, and that, equally, the share of companies with at least 3 women on the executive team is now 20%. Logitech looks strong in light of these figures, with more than 30% women on the board, leadership team and employee level. And Logitech is the only company on the Swiss market Index (SMI) with a female chair - Wendy Becker. Nevertheless, it's clear that gender diversity goes much further than executive and board level - it's a question for all people - and that there's more to diversity than gender. This broad approach was one of the many reasons that the CSDA awarded Logitech the prize - a recognition of work across the organization, on diversity and inclusion as a whole, as well as on environmental impact. Delphine Donn, head of Personal Workspace Solutions business group, and a number of P&C and DEI representatives based in Switzerland represented Logitech at the prize-giving, receiving the award on behalf of the whole company. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Logitech on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Logitech Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/logitech Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Logitech View source version on accesswire.com: COLLEGE STATION, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / In June 2023, Monarch Resource Partners LLC ("Monarch" or "Company") successfully completed its second equity capital raise which provides Monarch with additional growth capital to meet robust demand and continue to build the industry's leading 100% electric drive gas compression company. The follow-on equity raise was provided by existing investors, anchored by Table Rock Group and Appareo Capital, and includes numerous seasoned energy industry executives. In conjunction with the follow-on equity raise, Monarch closed on a new significantly larger senior credit facility led by Texas Capital Bank and syndicated with Woodforest National Bank, Susser Bank, Bank of Texas, and First Horizon Bank to provide additional growth capital for the Company. "Texas Capital is pleased to serve as lead arranger for Monarch Resource Partners' new debt capital financing," said Victor Tekell, Managing Director, Head of Houston Middle Market Banking at Texas Capital Bank. "The Monarch management team has a proven track record of success and Texas Capital is excited to assist the company in achieving its growth objectives." The equity raise was substantially oversubscribed and provides strong support for Monarch to further solidify itself as the natural gas compression industry leader, focused on transitioning to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible contract compression service offering for the oil & gas industry. About Monarch Monarch was founded in February 2021 by Brett Schubert - President and CEO; Randy Garcia - Vice President of Operations; and Kolten Kelley - Vice President of Sales. Monarch provides natural gas contract compression services with its zero-emission electric drive EcoFlex" compressor fleet. The Company's EcoFlex" fleet now serves a blue-chip customer base, including several of the largest operators in the Permian Basin, and has recently expanded to the Eagle Ford. Monarch also provides contract operations for customer-owned compression as well as turnkey solutions for compressor facility design and construction. Monarch's EcoFlex" compressor package utilizes an exclusive E-Skid" design, allowing customers to take advantage of a modular variable frequency drive solution not before offered in the contract gas compression industry. "Our EcoFlex" fleet provides customers with increased volumetric flexibility, superior reliability, and an ESG compression alternative that eliminates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a traditional gas-drive compression package," said Schubert. "While we are excited about the technology we are offering, internally we remain focused on a vision of providing our team and customers consistent, exceptional service in a work environment that focuses on family, professional growth, and pride in the product/service we deliver." About the Capital Raise "We are extremely excited to continue our partnership with a diverse and industry-savvy investor group that brings a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and a wide network of support to the team. The addition to our bank syndicate allows us to continue to provide a valuable compression solution to our growing customer base." - Brett Schubert, President and CEO of Monarch "Monarch is very excited about the launch of our new five-member bank ABL credit facility, led by Texas Capital Bank. Texas Capital Bank has established itself as a trusted leader in the Compression Industry ABL market, and they bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and integrity to the Team. Woodforest National Bank and Susser Bank, both valued partners in our previous credit facility, are both participating in our new ABL credit facility and continue to be vital to Monarch's financial future. Finally, we are thrilled to welcome The Bank of Texas and First Horizon Bank as our newest banking partners, both of which represent valued additions to our Team." - Carlos Rodriguez, CFO of Monarch "Two years ago, we were excited to back a team with a proven track record and a vision to build a world-class company. Monarch has demonstrated its value in the market and with its customers to be a disrupter in the oilfield while playing a critical role in decarbonization efforts of some of the largest operators in the industry. With this latest round of growth capital, Monarch has the ability to accelerate the buildout of electric infrastructure to keep pace with the tremendous growth of both new and existing customer demand for a cleaner, more efficient, and more reliable compression solution." - Jerad McMayon, Managing Partner of Table Rock Group "Appareo Capital is thrilled to continue our support of Monarch and its best-in-class management team. Monarch has proven that its EcoFlex" solution is cost-effective, reliable, and ESG-friendly (with a dramatic reduction in emissions). Monarch has been rewarded with long-term contracts provided by some of the largest producers in the Permian Basin. The EcoFlex solution has also proven to have significantly lower cost of operations than the legacy, gas-fired alternative." - Todd Binet, Principal and Founder of Appareo Capital For more information: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Contact Information Brett Schubert Chief Executive Officer [email protected] (281) 685-2343 Kolten Kelly Vice President of Sales [email protected] (432) 557-3421 Related Files IMG_4020.JPG IMG_4023.JPG SOURCE: Monarch Resource Partners View source version on accesswire.com: DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / The San Francisco 49ers' Kerry Hyder and his wife, former track runner Jasmine Hyder, have partnered with Cheba Hut "Toasted" Subs and are ecstatic to bring delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere to the local community in Dallas, Texas. The cannabis-themed restaurant and bar is eagerly anticipating its opening and can't wait to light the joint up, and be the neighborhood hangout for curing cottonmouth and the munchies. The Hyders are true supporters of the brand and proudly call themselves "Homegrown Chebies." They are thrilled to bring the brand to an area that holds a special place in their hearts. Jasmine explains, "My first Cheba sandwich that I ever had was in Tempe, Arizona, and Kerry also had his first Cheba sandwich in Arizona when he was looking for good food after late-night training sessions. This is so awesome because I grew up in Arizona and Cheba Hut has always been a huge staple for me in the community, especially when I got to college at Arizona State University. We are genuinely thrilled to be able to provide for our people in the community; jobs, community growth opportunities with collaborations, and a family-oriented fast-casual dining experience." Not only will this new Texas location be serving up a variety of dank subs, fluffy pretzel nugs, and gooey krispy treats that can cure any level of the munchies, but also, for the 21-and-up homies, it'll be slinging some delicious signature cocktails and local brews from the full bar that will obliterate any presence of cottonmouth. The Hyders, being Texas locals, believed it was vital for their shop to mirror and honor the community and its residents. One example of how they've done this within the shop is by working with the insanely talented and local artist Christopher Gonzalez. Jasmine expands on their shop's mural and vibe by explaining, "Our mural pays homage to some of the biggest and most notable people to represent Dallas, Texas, on any platform. Now, we get to add our shop to that notoriety. We feel like this neighborhood deserves a staple spot that hosts weekly themed events that everybody is and will always be welcome. A place where they can talk to one another and be themselves without judgment whilst having some drinks on the weekend and catching up with co-workers on off-days. Most importantly, they deserve a place to have some food they can enjoy in the shop or take back to their family on the way home after a day of life, right?" The Dallas-Preston shop owners understand the importance of Cheba Hut's Core Values (The Hustle, Show Respect, Own It, Pay It Forward, Keep It Real). Kerry and Jasmine state, "Keeping It Real is one Core Value that we will spread throughout our shop's culture, but The Hustle will always be a major focus. There is so much love that goes into The Hustle and I think that our shop is going to magnify that value to the utmost. We have nothing but STARS in this city and we are ready to shine, spread love, light, and awareness to our community." The shop, located at 17370 Preston Rd., Suite #410, opens its doors on Monday, Sept. 25. The brand is stoked to bring over 30 signature "toasted" subs, an array of delicious munchie treats, and cottonmouth cures for all ages (crafted cocktails for the 21+ homies) to the Dallas-Preston area. Mark your calendar, grab your buds, and celebrate the shop and its crew. For more information about opening day and upcoming events, check out @chebahut_dallaspreston. About Cheba Hut: Cheba Hut has been escaping the established and getting "toasted" since 1998. Breaking the mold of mundane fast-casual concepts by becoming the first marijuana-themed sandwich "joint," Cheba Hut is dedicated to providing customers with a delicious, memorable sandwich and munchie options in a chill, eclectic environment where genuine people serve made-to-order food. Cheba Hut's fun and authentic dining experience includes a full-service bar and highlights its menu because it's not about getting high; it's about epic food and legendary service. For more information, check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Contact Information: Mel Banister Marketing Manager [email protected] +17202128463 SOURCE: Cheba Hut Franchising View source version on accesswire.com: NEWEST AND COOLEST KOREAN SKIN CARE IN THE US MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / OLIVIAUMMA LLC today announced the launch of a new Korean Skin Care brand OLIVIAUMMA, Glass Skin Tanghulu". Tanghulu is sugar-coated fruit that looks like glass and is sensationally popular in Korea now. They visualized their glass skin look with Tanghulu. OLIVIAUMMA Glass Skin Tanghulu" Blueberry Serum " Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu" Blueberry Serum: Blueberry, Camellia Seed Oil, Fig with Blue N-Emulsion Technology (What is Blue N-Emulsion Technology: Adjust oil-soluble substances to better mix with water-soluble substances, incorporating technol "It will open a new stage of Korean beauty in the US, says Hye Young Kim, Founder/CEO at OLIVIAUMMA. "When customers consume our products, it is not only about beauty products, but they can also experience our culture too. Of course, our products are based on advanced technology, and high-performance ingredients in the trendiest and most sophisticated ways. When we develop our products, we get inspiration from our Korean contemporary scene and history as well. It is a new translation of K-culture, K-pop, and K-beauty. I am also the Mom of a teenage girl in the US; she inspires me always and gave me the whole concept of this line. OLIVIAUMMA" means Olivia's mom in Korean. We make products based on the same kind of love I have for my child. We will be a "connecting dot" between Mom and teens, Miami and Korea, East and West with our products!" Features and benefits of Glass Skin Tanghulu" include: Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu" Shine Muscat Cleansing Foam: Extracted from heartleaf, shine muscat, apple, papaya, and green plum with high-frequency technology, making the face tone even, clean, and moisturized. Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu" Blueberry Serum: Blueberry, Camellia Seed Oil, Fig with Blue N-Emulsion Technology (What is Blue N-Emulsion Technology: Adjust oil-soluble substances to better mix with water-soluble substances, incorporating technology into the recipe that enables the active ingredients of the mixture to be quickly and safely delivered to the skin) - make skin glass feel and radiant, very lightweight, absorbing instantly. Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu" Liptox: Lip gloss, Shea Butter, Pepper Mint (Guava), Macadamia Oil with refraction theory, making it look glossy and beautiful from any angle. All products are vegan. No Mineral Oil, No Paraben, No Artificial Colors Products will be available starting October 31, 2023, at $20-$40 For more information on OLIVIAUMMA COSMETICS, visit www.oliviaumma.com About OLIVIAUMMA LLC: Founded in 2016 in Korea and the US, it has been a luxury fashion platform bringing emerging designers from Miami, South America, and Italy to Korea. It has a solid customer base in Korea and the US, and now expanding to Beauty and Personal Care. Instagram: @Oliviaumma_Official www.Oliviaumma.com Contact Information HYE YOUNG KIM CEO [email protected] 4152720067 Related Images OLIVIAUMMA Glass Skin Tanghulu" Blueberry Serum " Oliviaumma Glass Skin Tanghulu" Blueberry Serum: Blueberry, Camellia Seed Oil, Fig with Blue N-Emulsion Technology (What is Blue N-Emulsion Technology: Adjust oil-soluble substances to better mix with water-soluble substances, incorporating technol Glass Skin Tanghulu" by OLIVIAUMMA OLIVIAUMMA offers 4 products under Glass Skin Tanghulu" : Shine muscat cleanser, Blueberry Serum, Mint Liptox, Guava Liptox SOURCE: OLIVIAUMMA LLC View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Texas Capital Dallas Startup Week exists to bring together entrepreneurs and change-makers for collaboration and learning. Held at The Star in Frisco, Texas from September 10-14, 2023, this free 5-day experience provided a space for attendees to network, exchange ideas, and grow the local business community. Participants attended lectures and discussions by subject-matter experts, networking sessions, and other specialized events. Founded in 2015, Dallas Startup Week was created by The DEC Network, a nonprofit partner of Texas Capital, who strives to drive innovation and economic impact by helping entrepreneurs start, build and grow their businesses. Dallas Startup Week is The DEC Network's largest, premiere event for DFW small business owners and entrepreneurs. On Thursday, September 14, 2023, Texas Capital hosted a panel discussion during Dallas Startup Week called "Show Me the Money." The conversation covered ways to access various types of capital in different stages of entrepreneur's business cycle. The panel featured Josh Seaman (Texas Capital), Keith Dean (Texas Capital), and Todd Adams (Lendistry) and was moderated by Michelle George (Texas Capital). "Texas Capital is proud to support The DEC Network and were honored to host a panel during Dallas Startup Week," said Michelle George, director of Community Relations at Texas Capital. "The opportunity for small business owners in North Texas is vast and Texas Capital was excited to highlight ways entrepreneurs can access different types of capital during their business lifecycles." Click here to learn more about Dallas Startup Week and here to learn more about The DEC Network. About Texas Capital Texas Capital is a full-service financial services firm that delivers customized solutions to businesses, entrepreneurs and individual customers. Founded in 1998, the firm is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth, and has built a network of clients across the country. With the ability to service clients through their entire lifecycles, Texas Capital has established commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking and wealth management capabilities. For more information, please visit www.texascapital.com. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Texas Capital on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Texas Capital Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/texas-capital Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Texas Capital View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Tapestry, Inc. To continue their shared goal of destigmatizing the mental health conversation in the Black community, The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and kate spade new york bring the first-of-its-kind "She Care Wellness Pods" to a second HBCU campus this Fall. This fall, The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF) and kate spade new york proudly announce the expansion of their joint program, the "She Care Wellness Pods", which aims to reach over 25,000 Black women on HBCU campuses with frontline mental wellness care. After a successful inaugural launch at Alabama State University in April of this year, BLHF and kate spade are expanding the initiative to a second HBCU campus location, Hampton University in Virginia. Through this groundbreaking program for HBCU students, BLHF and kate spade new york, in partnership with trusted Hampton University community resources, bring access to mental health facilities and resources directly to Black women on campus. The multifaceted program features the opening of "She Care Wellness Pods" - physical structures installed on campuses that offer a range of services, including: Free mental health therapy sessions for female students experiencing an exacerbation of stress, anxiety and hopelessness. Hangout spaces that allow students to connect with peers or avoid isolation and grief during the school year and vacation periods. Unique programming including yoga, meditation, art and drama therapy, African dance, nutrition and more, all provided by certified practitioners. Workshops that offer resources and tools for those who suffer with anxiety, sleep deprivation and insomnia. Quiet spaces for silence, rest and respite to reset from daily stressors. Founded in 2018, The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation's mission is to eradicate the stigma around mental health in the Black community. As a leading Black mental health advocacy group, BLHF provides competent therapy and integrated wellness resources. For kate spade new york, women's empowerment has been at the forefront of the brand's purpose for over a decade and remains a core pillar of the brand. This year, kate spade and the kate spade new york Foundation will invest $5 million in programming to further destigmatize the mental health conversation and continue to provide services to women and girls in need. By continuing to expand the "She Care Wellness Pods" initiative, the joint partnership aims to provide 25,000 Black women on HBCU college campuses with frontline mental healthcare. "When we first had the idea to create the Boris L. Henson Foundation Self-Care Wellness Pods, I knew we had to start with women, and specifically women on HBCU campuses. I can remember through my own experiences with stress and anxiety, not having the adequate support to deal with my issues or the education to name what I was experiencing," said BLHF Founder, Taraji P. Henson. "Black women, from a very young age, are taught to be strong and dismiss their own suffering, tending to the needs of family and community often at the expense of their own well-being. The She Care Wellness pods seek to change this narrative," says BLHF Executive Director, Tracie Jade. "Our shared vision and partnership with kate spade new york has been vital in promoting conversations and offering support to students to take care of their mental health, starting with our successful launch of She Care Wellness pods at Alabama State University. We are proud to open our second installment at Hampton University this fall," Henson stated. "At kate spade new york, we believe that mental health is foundational to women's empowerment, and recognize that it has long been under-acknowledged, underfunded, and stigmatized. We are committed to increasing accessibility of mental health resources to women and girls around the globe through our social impact work and trusted partners in this space," said kate spade new york CEO and Brand President, Liz Fraser. "We are proud to expand our partnership with Taraji, Tracie and The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. By offering space and resources dedicated to mental health, together we can create a positive difference for young women on HBCU campuses and in their communities." "The health and wellbeing of our Hampton University community is of the utmost importance," Hampton University President Darrell K. Williams expressed. "We take a holistic approach to education and, as such, we are honored to partner with the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and kate spade new york on the She Care Wellness Pods, positioning our students with additional resources for mental wellness, helping to prioritize the importance of mental health within our communities. "Hampton University is proud to be a recipient of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation's Wellness Pods," said Kristie Norwood, Ph.D., director, HU Student Counseling Center. "One out of five adults are affected by mental health diagnoses and 39% of college students experience a significant mental health issue. It is our mission, at the HU Student Counseling Center, to help normalize therapy within the Black community, and to educate our students on the importance of self-care and mental health awareness. The Wellness Pods will be part of a multi-faceted approach to ensuring the health and wellness of our students." Each She Care Wellness Pod is designed to create an environment that stimulates joy, peace and serenity through intentional design and color selection. The mural is a reflection of each campuses' unique identity, from the perspective of the student body. One student is selected by each campus leadership team to design the mural that is painted on the outside of the containers. The intention of the mural is to reflect the diversity of women and intersecting identities within the local study body. "The piece I have created reflects the importance of watering yourself based upon what your body and mind need," said Hampton University student and mural artist T'Kiyah Reeves. "As women, we must prioritize our wellness. We must treat our minds with the same love, care, compassion and grace we would give to a tangible seedling to support its growth into something beautiful." As a member of kate spade new york's Social Impact Council, which was established in January 2022, Taraji P. Henson, has continued her work with the global lifestyle brand to increase mental health resources. Alongside other social impact members, including Sofia Wylie and Jazz Thorton and Latham Thomas and more, the cohort brings unique expertise and work hand-in-hand with kate spade to propel positive change, and encourage more conversation, education and research around the cause. The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and kate spade new york will launch their second "She Care Wellness Pod" at Hampton University, a historically Black university in Hampton, Virginia. The on-campus mental health destination will officially open to Hampton University students on November 2, allowing the community to take advantage of increased mental health resources and access. About The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: Founded in 2018, BLHF has built its reputation on providing trusted referrals and demonstrating a deep understanding of the population health of communities of Color. Through timely and relevant programming and awareness campaigns, BLHF encourages mental wellness, raises awareness of the stigma and the use of stigmatizing language when referring to mental illness, and provides mental health resources to the Black community. The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation is charting a new course that encourages Black individuals to own their history, heritage, and collective wounds in empowering, empathic, and transformative ways. For more information, visit https://borislhensonfoundation.org/. About kate spade new york: Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always stood for color, wit, optimism, and femininity. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand synonymous with joy, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, gifts, home dcor and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view, and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles. Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry house of brands. About Hampton University: Rich in history, steeped in tradition, Hampton University is a dynamic, progressive institution of higher education, providing a broad range of technical, liberal arts, and graduate degree programs. In addition to being one of the top historically black universities in the world, Hampton University is a tightly-knit community of learners and educators, representing 49 states and 35 territories and nations. For more information, visit https://home.hamptonu.edu/about/ Contacts Media: LaForce, [email protected] Photo: Business Wire View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Tapestry, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Tapestry, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/tapestry-inc Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Tapestry, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: MoffettNathanson downgraded DoorDash (NYSE: DASH) to Market Perform, with a new price target of $93, down from $110 in a ... I'm a New Customer I'm a Returning Customer E-mail Address (or username, if registered via mobile device) Password Germany saw a 75% jump in imports of vehicles and vehicle parts from China, whereas trade in the opposite direction ... I'm a New Customer I'm a Returning Customer E-mail Address (or username, if registered via mobile device) Password Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) has engaged in initial discussions regarding the potential sale of its ABC network and TV ... I'm a New Customer I'm a Returning Customer E-mail Address (or username, if registered via mobile device) Password Extends Sincere Gratitude to the More than 1,200 Skilled Tradesmen and Women Working Throughout Our Company NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Every day, skilled HomeServe tradesmen and women complete as many as 1,000 jobs quickly and expertly for homeowners across the country. Whats more, over 2,600 independent contractors small businesses employing skilled trades workers in communities across the country complete thousands more jobs for our customers. These professionals are there to get homeowners lives back up and running in the wake of inconvenient and frustrating home repair emergencies. On this National Tradesperson Day, HomeServe wants to express its appreciation to these skilled workers for their commitment to their trades and to customers. A lack of qualified electricians, plumbers and other skilled workers has been well documented in recent years. A recent HomeServe State of the American Home survey examined some of the perceptions around skilled trades, including perceived starting salaries. A large percentage of respondents greatly underestimated the starting yearly salary of a skilled tradesperson (e.g., electrician, plumber), with some (8%) believing it would be less than $25,000. In reality, according to ServiceTitan.com, the average annual base salary for an entry-level electrician is $53,600, while entry-level plumbers can expect to make almost $50,000 a year with that number quickly increasing to almost $60,000 with just two years of experience. The survey also gauged perceptions of whether U.S. high schools give the appropriate amount of attention to non-four year college post-high school options, like skilled trades. More than half of respondents (57%) thought that the appropriate amount of attention was either not or probably not given to education about the skilled trades. The talented professionals in the skilled trades make up an incredibly important part of the American workforce, said Deb Dulsky, President of HomeServe HVAC. Much of the time, theyre the ones coming to the rescue in a homeowner or renters time of need when an unexpected home repair pops up. And ultimately, theyre the individuals responsible for keeping a homes systems up and running. HomeServe is committed to supporting those already in the trades and to fostering opportunities to encourage more people to go into the profession through skilled apprenticeship programs, mentoring, and educating about the current skilled trades gap. The company currently employs 1,200 talented skilled technicians and works with another 2,600 independent contractors employing more than 14,450 technicians, mainly within HVAC, plumbing and electrical trades. About HomeServe USA HomeServe USA Corp. (HomeServe), the leading residential infrastructure repair services company with nearly 5 million customers across North America, protects homeowners against the expense and inconvenience of plumbing, electrical, HVAC and other home repair emergencies. HomeServe empowers its over 1,200 leading municipal and utility partners to educate, protect and advocate for their customers who are faced with home repair emergencies. Through its network of skilled, locally based technicians, HomeServe makes a repair or install in a customers home, on average, every 34 seconds. HomeServe is also a leading installer of residential HVAC systems and has installed over $100 million dollars worth of residential efficiency upgrades over the past twelve months. HomeServe has an exceptional customer satisfaction rating, is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and is endorsed by the National League of Cities. For more information about HomeServe and to get the latest home repair advice and customer stories, please go to www.homeserve.com. Connect with HomeServe on Facebook and Twitter @HomeServeUSA, Instagram @HomeServe_USA and on LinkedIn @HomeServe-USA. For company news, follow on Twitter @HomeServeUSNews. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915091437/en/ Myles Meehan HomeServe Phone: 203-356-4546 Email: [email protected] Kristin Elder Hill+Knowlton Strategies for HomeServe Phone: 703-835-6245 Email: [email protected] Source: HomeServe USA Corp. NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New research from Clarity AI, the leading sustainability technology platform, reveals discrepancies in one in five companies between their reported CDP data and the emissions data reported in their own sustainability reports. A study conducted by Clarity AI encompassing around 1,500 data points from more than 850 companies that disclosed climate data to the CDP in 2022, revealed that one in every five companies disclose different GHG emissions in the CDP questionnaire and in their Annual or Sustainability reports. This pattern was the same for both Scope 1 and Scope 2 emission values. While 10% of the discrepancies were smaller than a 10% difference, roughly 20% of instances showed significant variations of over a 50% difference in their values. The research indicates that external verification is key to ensuring asset managers have access to trustworthy data. The data shows that the discrepancy rate drops from 27% for non-verified companies to 15% for verified companies. Furthermore, discrepancies were found to be more prevalent in emerging economies compared to Europe and North America. Specifically, companies from Asia exhibited higher discrepancy rates (31% compared to ~14% in Europe and North America). These differences are explained by human errors in 80% of the cases when companies report to the CDP, or by the use of inconsistent reporting methodologies for example when companies report only their headquarters emissions to the CDP and their full emissions in their own reports. Patricia Pina, Head of Product Research and Innovation at Clarity AI, said: As the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, investors recognize the need to incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their investment decisions. The widely recognized Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which runs a global disclosure system, plays a key role in ensuring the availability of accurate data for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Despite the advancements and great progress in GHG emissions disclosure, some challenges around data quality still remain. Corporates are navigating a number of known reporting challenges but it is critical that asset managers have access to trustworthy data; they need confidence and consistency in the GHG emissions data they use. Methodology About Clarity AI Clarity AI is a sustainability technology platform that uses machine learning and big data to deliver environmental and social insights to investors, organizations, and consumers. Clarity AIs capabilities are an essential tool for end-to-end sustainability analysis related to investing, corporate research, benchmarking, consumer e-commerce, and regulatory reporting. As of August 2023, Clarity AIs platform analyzes more than 70,000 companies, 420,000 funds, 201 countries, and 199 local governments, which represents more breadth than any other player in the market. One way Clarity AI delivers on its mission to bring societal impact to markets is by ensuring its capabilities are delivered directly into clients' workflows through integrations with partners like BlackRock - Aladdin, Refinitiv an LSEG business, BNP Manaos, CACEIS, and SimCorp. Additionally, Clarity AI's sustainability insights reach more than 150 million consumers across more than 400,000 merchants. Clarity AI has offices in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and its client network manages tens of trillions in assets and includes companies like Invesco, Nordea, BlackRock, Santander, Wellington, and BNP Paribas. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915558607/en/ Media Edelman [email protected] Source: Clarity AI AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a (Excellent) of Pozavarovalnica Sava d.d. (Sava Re) (Slovenia), the operating holding company of the Sava Insurance Group. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Sava Res balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Sava Res strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), liquid investment portfolio, prudent reserving and good internal capital generation collectively contribute to an overall balance sheet assessment of very strong. Additionally, the company exhibits low reliance on reinsurance and sound financial flexibility, with access to both equity and debt markets. Sava Re has a track record of generating strong and stable operating results, indicated by a five-year (2018-2022) weighted average return-on-equity ratio of 14.3% (as calculated by AM Best). Consistent reporting of operating profits over the past five years has been driven by sound life and non-life underwriting performance, supplemented by healthy investment income. At year-end 2022, the company reported a combined ratio of 90.4% with a five-year average combined ratio of 91.6% (as calculated by AM Best). For the first half of 2023, Sava Re reported a strong net profit of EUR 40 million and a combined ratio of 89.9%. The full-year result will be impacted negatively by the third-quarter floods, particularly in Slovenia; however, the losses are expected to be within the groups risk tolerances. The group originates approximately 70% of its gross written premium in Slovenia, where its leading competitive position and prudent underwriting helps generate strong and relatively stable earnings. Sava Re benefits from a strong position in its core domestic market of Slovenia, where it is the second-largest player and holds an approximately 28% market share (excluding supplementary health insurance business) in terms of gross written premium. The groups insurance business is dominated by premiums written in Slovenia; however, the company continues to expand in the West Balkan markets. AM Best expects to see further geographic diversification in the medium term in both the direct and reinsurance segments, as the group continues to develop its position prudently in the international reinsurance market. AM Best considers Sava Res ERM to be developed and appropriate for the companys risk profile and operational scope. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915374575/en/ Andrea Porta Financial Analyst +31 20 308 5430 [email protected] Victoria Ohorodnyk Associate Director +31 20 308 5432 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 [email protected] Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 [email protected] Source: AM Best AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a- (Excellent) of Stonefort Insurance S.A. (Stonefort Insurance) (Luxembourg), a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF Aktiengesellschaft (HOCHTIEF), a large Germany-based construction company, which is majority owned by ACS, Actividades de Construccion y Servicios, S.A. These Credit Ratings (ratings) have been placed under review with negative implications following the company boards recent decision to place Stonefort Insurance into run-off. Stonefort Insurances sister company, Stonefort Reinsurance S.A., will continue to provide reinsurance support during the run-off process. The ratings of Stonefort Insurance will remain under review until AM Best has more clarity on the companys run-off plans. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915705067/en/ Jose Berenguer, CFA Associate Director +31 20 308 5429 [email protected] Dr. Mathilde Jakobsen Senior Director, Analytics +31 20 308 5427 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 [email protected] Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 [email protected] Source: AM Best Aligning California with national legislation best for consumers SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On behalf of Californias more than 6,000 hotels and 235,000 hotel employees, the California Hotel and Lodging Association released the following statement about federal and state legislation governing hotel fees: We support a single national standard for hotels to disclose resort fees so our guests can simply and clearly see any costs associated with their stays, said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, President and CEO of CHLA. Although resort fees are no longer a common practice in California with only seven percent currently using them, fully disclosing any charges to guests should be seamless throughout the nation. About the California Hotel and Lodging Association The California Hotel and Lodging Association is the leading resource and advocate for Californias more than 6,000 hotels, motels and boutique inns that employ more than 235,000 workers. CHLA, established in 1893, is the largest state lodging industry association in the nation and is a partner with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information, go to www.calodging.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914014909/en/ Pete Hillan [email protected] 831-227-5984 Source: California Hotel and Lodging Association The highly acclaimed physicist will be responsible for leading the science and technology strategy and overall roadmap to commercial fusion for Focused Energy AUSTIN, Texas & DARMSTADT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Focused Energy, a laser-based fusion startup, is proud to announce Dr. Pravesh Patel as its new CTO. In his new role, Dr. Patel will lead the companys science and technology strategic planning and execution, developing the path to the commercialization of fusion energy. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915591321/en/ Dr. Pravesh Patel becomes Chief Technology Officer of Focused Energy (Photo: Business Wire) Patel joined the company as Scientific Director in early 2022. Prior to joining Focused Energy he spent over 20 years spearheading major laser and fusion energy research programs at the Department of Energys (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) the worlds leading lab in inertial fusion research. As CTO, Dr. Patel will play a critical role in developing our technology path, bringing us closer to functional commercial fusion plants, said Thomas Forner, co-founder and CEO of Focused Energy. I am really looking forward to leading the outstanding science and engineering team that have joined Focused Energy over just the last two years. We are well positioned to achieve our ambitions, thanks to a great team, the trust of our stakeholders, and strong strategic partnerships, added Dr. Pravesh Patel. At LLNL, Patel played a key role as a Program Element Leader within the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program during the ignition campaign on the National Ignition Facility. In 2021, it successfully produced the worlds first burning and igniting plasma in the laboratory, followed by the groundbreaking demonstration of scientific fusion energy gain greater than one. He also led LLNL and DOE Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) Programs in advancing target designs and predictive simulation capabilities for high-gain advanced ignition concepts vital for commercial inertial fusion energy (IFE), including the fast ignition inertial confinement fusion scheme pursued at Focused Energy. He has authored over 275 peer-reviewed articles, was elected a Fellow of the APS in 2013, and is the recipient of the Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award and the Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research. The US-German company Focused Energy is among the top ten best-funded fusion companies, achieving a funding of around 80 million US-dollars in just two years. About Focused Energy Focused Energy is a US and German company spun off from the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2021, that will enable safe, clean, and virtually inexhaustible energy production through laser-based nuclear fusion in just a few years. The young company is based in Austin/Texas and Darmstadt/Germany and employs the best minds from relevant research institutes and universities in the USA and in Europe. Focused Energy uses the 30 years of combined experience from its founders in fusion research, coupled with the speed of a young US-German company and private investment, to bring laser-based fusion to market and satisfy the world's hunger for energy. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915591321/en/ Michael Zell Fink & Fuchs AG Berliner Strasse 164 D-65205 Wiesbaden T: +49 611 74 13 1-(0) 57 E: [email protected] Source: Focused Energy New Partnership Strengthens Footprint in a Key Region ONTARIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GS Foods Group, Inc. (GS Foods), a leading specialized foodservice distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC (Highview) and A&M Capital Partners (AMCP), today announced its acquisition of Lamm Food Service, a full-line food distributor headquartered in Lafayette and broadly serving Louisiana. With nearly 50 years of industry experience, GS Foods encompasses a family of specialized companies that provides trusted food distribution and product solutions. Leveraging its sophisticated network of facilities and expertise navigating the complexities of foodservice programs, GS Foods operates nationally across specialized segments, including K-12 education and foodservice. Integrating Lamm Food Service into the GS Foods family is expected to strengthen our operations and expand our footprint in the Southeast, said Sean Leer, CEO of GS Foods. By combining our deep industry experience with a like-minded and trusted distributor, GS Foods expects to reach even more communities in the region with high-quality service and products. For over four decades, Lamm Food Service has been a trusted provider of exceptional service, meeting the unique needs of its diverse customer base. As a full-line food distributor, Lamm offers a wide variety of name-brand products from national manufacturers while also proudly supporting local companies that manufacture Louisiana food products. As a family-founded business, we take immense pride in our commitment to delivering exceptional service and high-quality foods to our customers, said Bruce Mattingly, CEO of Lamm Food Service. Joining forces with GS Foods, a national food distributor with a rich history and similar values, we believe will enhance our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers while preserving the legacy we have built. To ensure a seamless transition for employees and customers alike, the leadership and staff of Lamm Food Service will join GS Foods and collaborate closely with the team going forward. We believe Lamm Food Services legacy in the market makes them a natural fit for GS Foods portfolio of leading foodservice companies, added Steve Russell, Managing Director and Sr. Portfolio Manager at Highview Capital. We look forward to seeing how this partnership not only expands but strengthens operations in the Southeast. For more information about GS Foods Group, please visit GSFoodsGroup.com. To learn more about Lamm Food Service, visit LammFoods.com. About GS Foods Group GS Foods Group (GS Foods) is a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies. GS Foods uses its sophisticated network of facilities to provide trusted food distribution and product solutions to specialized foodservice segments, including education, corrections, non-profit, business and industry, and healthcare. GS Foods independent subsidiaries, Good Source Solutions, Inc. and Gold Star Foods, Inc., collectively serve over 8,500 customers nationwide. GS Foods is owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC and A&M Capital Partners. About Highview Capital, LLC Highview Capital, LLC is a global private equity investment vehicle backed by a multi-billion dollar family office. The fund employs a flexible mandate and takes a long-term perspective on middle-market businesses at an inflection point. Since 2017, Highview has deployed equity capital across more than 40 deals in industries such as business services, manufacturing, and distribution. Highview takes pride in our ability to partner closely with founders and management teams over the long term. For more information, visit www.highviewcapital.com. About A&M Capital Partners A&M Capital Partners (AMCP) is Alvarez & Marsal Capitals (AMC) flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $3.25 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporations and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, AMC is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $4.8 billion in total assets under management across six funds and four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915961337/en/ Media Contact: Amanda Haig [email protected], (410) 200-0289 Source: GS Foods Group, Inc. HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) will host a conference call on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, to discuss its third quarter 2023 financial results. The call will begin at 8:00 a.m. CT (9:00 a.m. ET). The Company will issue a press release regarding the third quarter 2023 earnings prior to the conference call. The press release will be posted on the Halliburton website at www.halliburton.com. Please visit the Halliburton website to listen to the call via live webcast. A recorded version will be available for seven days under the same link immediately following the conclusion of the conference call. You can also pre-register for the conference call and obtain your dial in number and passcode by clicking here. About Halliburton Halliburton is one of the worlds leading providers of products and services to the energy industry. Founded in 1919, we create innovative technologies, products, and services that help our customers maximize their value throughout the life cycle of an asset and advance a sustainable energy future. Visit us at www.halliburton.com; connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915032344/en/ Investors Relations Contact David Coleman [email protected] 281-871-2688 Press Contact Brad Leone [email protected] 281-871-2601 Source: Halliburton Company HubStar launches the worlds first dynamic space management solution built for hybrid work. Patented algorithms simplify the complexity that has stumped business decision-makers until now: figuring out the amount and type of office space required to serve employees, no matter how varied their attendance. LONDON & MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HubStar, an industry leader in dynamic workplace management technology, today announced the launch of a new hybrid space management solution, HubStar Space. For years, companies have wasted billions of dollars on grossly underutilized office space, because until now, they had no way of knowing how much space they need, how to reduce real estate footprint without disrupting performance, or how remaining offices should be designed to deliver an experience thats worth the commute. Workplace leaders are facing the greatest opportunity of our generation to positively disrupt the way we work, said Steve Vatidis, Executive Chairman, HubStar. Yet figuring out which work patterns and places will deliver the best outcome across three dimensions your people, your company and the planet - is complex. This transition - from relatively static workplace management to dynamic workplace management - demands flexible, connected approaches, datasets and automation. Thats why the HubStar platform exists and why HubStar Space is essential for delivering a high-performance hybrid workplace. Legacy space management tools and approaches that served workplace leaders well up until now can no longer cope with the demands of todays workforce. Why? They lack the ability to assign people to spaces based on complex work patterns and preferences, making it impossible to execute an effective hybrid occupancy strategy They are unable to update floor plans with the speed and accuracy hybrid strategies require, leading to frustration for employees relying on out-of-date office maps As a result of these shortcomings, space planners face sky-rocketing costs as they attempt to create workarounds and custom code that render systems unsupported, error-prone and requiring untenable person-hours to maintain. HubStar One which brings together integrated solutions - HubStar Scheduling, HubStar Experience, HubStar Utilization and now HubStar Space was built to solve these challenges, empowering workplace leaders to adopt an agile approach to managing continuous change. HubStar is a privately held, global company with headquarters in Marlborough, Mass and London, UK. The company provides a next-generation hybrid working platform to drive productivity, collaboration and workplace experience while reducing real estate costs. With operations in the US, UK, Europe and APAC, HubStar helps thousands of teams in over 60 countries create dynamic workplaces across diverse industries. For more information visit hubstar.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914101781/en/ For press enquiries contact Jane Young: [email protected] Source: HubStar DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), has closed 15 multifamily asset sales valued at $860 million with $1.6 billion currently under contract or in escrow in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to date in 2023. The deep conviction institutional and major private investors have for multifamily properties in Texas and in DFW specifically, is keeping the market very active, said Drew Kile, IPA executive managing director. Transactions are being completed, IPA is helping investors secure the best possible outcomes through what has been a choppy last 12 months. So far this year in DFW, IPAs Texas-based multifamily team, led by IPA executive director Will Balthrope and Kile, closed 15 transactions, has 17 transactions in escrow, and 10 properties coming to market. While bid lists are materially stronger than last fall, market volatility has made buyers even more diligent and selective on assets they pursue aggressively, said Joey Tumminello, IPA senior managing director. According to IPAs new Special Texas Multifamily Construction Report, developers in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio began just 6,500 apartments during the second quarter of 2023. That volume is down 72% from the quarterly average recorded from the beginning of 2021 through Q1 2023 when new construction was at its peak. Uncertainty in the capital markets environment and tightened construction lending have made development very challenging right now, but the significant fall off in supply points to even brighter days coming sooner than most expected in the DFW market, noted Taylor Hill, IPA senior managing director. For about the last year, it has been difficult to build in DFW, and its going to remain difficult for at least the next year. With strong job growth and the continued increase in population in DFW, the demand for apartments remains high. Investors are diligently trying to make new acquisitions work to be positioned to take advantage of what is likely going to be a strong operational run in 2025-2027 with so little new supply, said Michael Ware, IPA senior managing director. About Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) is a division of Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), a leading commercial real estate services firm in North America. IPAs combination of real estate investment and capital markets expertise, industry-leading technology, and acclaimed research offer customized solutions for the acquisition, disposition and financing of institutional properties and portfolios. For more information, please visit www.institutionalpropertyadvisors.com. About Marcus & Millichap, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) Marcus & Millichap, Inc. is a leading brokerage firm specializing in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research and advisory services with offices throughout the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2022, the company had 1,904 investment sales and financing professionals in 81 offices who provide investment brokerage and financing services to sellers and buyers of commercial real estate. The company also offers market research, consulting and advisory services to clients. Marcus & Millichap closed 12,272 transactions in 2022, with a sales volume of approximately $86.3 billion. For additional information, please visit www.MarcusMillichap.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914562761/en/ Gina Relva, VP of Public Relations [email protected] Source: Marcus & Millichap, Inc. Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry will leave on Saturday for New York to participate in the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) meetings, due to kick off Tuesday 19 September. World leaders are gathering in New York Tuesday for the opening of the UNGA 78 held this year under the theme 'Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity'. Shoukry will deliver Egypt's word before the UN assembly on 23 September and participate in a host of summits that will be held on the fringe of the global gathering. These summits include the Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the Climate Ambition Summit. Egypt's top diplomat and Sharm El-Sheikh COP27 President will also preside over the ministerial meeting on climate change losses and damages and the Global Forum to Combat Terrorism, currently co-chaired by Egypt and the European Union. Furthermore, Shoukry will speak at the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and the American Council on Foreign Relations, and meet with officials at the World Economic Forum. According to the Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Ahmed Abu Zeid, these meetings aim to lure investments to Egypt and introduce the latest measures by the Egyptian government to stimulate foreign investment. Moreover, Shoukry will exchange views on international and regional issues during the preparatory ministerial meeting for the UN Summit of the Future -- which will be held in September 2024, to consider ways to deal with present-day challenges and new threats in the future. He will also attend the ministerial meeting of Sudans neighbouring countries and the ministerial meeting to support the humanitarian response in Sudan and the region. Search Keywords: Short link: Grant projects focus on RAN intelligent controller development in the areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as energy savings and network security Competition seeks to diversify the supply chain for the UKs wireless networks while advancing Open RAN architectures Partners include 5G RuralDorset, Arm, British Telecom, the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) has been awarded two Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition grants from the UK Governments Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in partnership with 5G RuralDorset, Arm, British Telecom, the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone. Launched in early 2023, the ONE competition seeks to diversify the supply chain for the countrys wireless networks while advancing Open Radio Access Network (RAN) architectures. A total of 80 million was made available for projects addressing three key barriers to the adoption of Open RAN networks: high demand density (HDD) network optimization; RAN intelligent controller (RIC) and other RAN software automation; and radio frequency (RF) hardware and component development. Keysight and its industry partners were awarded grants for: HiPer-RAN Program: Working with the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, British Telecom, and other industry partners, Keysight will jointly develop a highly efficient, secure, and scalable RIC with advanced control modules. Working with the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, British Telecom, and other industry partners, Keysight will jointly develop a highly efficient, secure, and scalable RIC with advanced control modules. 5G RuralDorset Program: Working with 5G RuralDorset, Vodafone, Arm, and other industry partners, Keysight will jointly deploy an end-to-end Open RAN network by co-developing various Open RAN network components, specifically in the areas of RIC artificial intelligence / machine learning and security algorithms. A major focus of both projects will be the RIC network component, which controls and optimizes Open RAN network performances and enables the deployment of third-party software applications that automate network functions at scale. In addition, the projects will address network energy savings and network security. Both projects will use the Keysight Open RAN Architect (KORA) solution to emulate Open RAN networks to enable the testing and optimization of RIC and associated software. KORA offers integrated solutions that accelerate the development, integration, and deployment of O-RAN-compliant equipment. Dr. David Owens, Head of 5G Technical Trials at Virgin Media O2, said: The development of a RAN Intelligent Controller solution is a critical part of deploying a viable Open RAN network and will bring critical capabilities that will increase the efficiency and the security of our networks. By partnering with Keysight and leveraging its O-RAN solution portfolio, we will be a key part of this development and deployment of the final solution. James Grayling, Open RAN Product Integration Manager at Vodafone, said: A multi-vendor ecosystem represents an opportunity to drive operational efficiency and innovation throughout the technology ecosystem. This is a new way of working which bring clear and substantial benefits. We have embraced Open RAN at the core of our business, and we are excited to explore the opportunities with Keysight Technologies and other partners. Mosaab Abughalib, Senior Director and General Manager for Keysights Network Emulation Group, said: Keysight is pleased to partner with the industry and the UK government to advance the efforts towards an open network architecture and will bring together our solutions and expertise to resolve complex interoperability challenges that will enable successful network deployments. A key focus area will be on advancing AI/ML and network security algorithms. About Keysight Technologies At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, were delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product lifecycle. Were a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915487431/en/ Paul Erwin Americas/Europe +1 248 430 9075 [email protected] Fusako Dohi Asia +81 42 660-2162 [email protected] Source: Keysight Technologies, Inc. Key Points in this Release: New CFO Appointment: LEXI welcomes Mr. Jason Nalewanyj as its new Chief Financial Officer, bringing over 18 years of financial leadership. Antofalla South Geophysics: LEXI initiates a comprehensive geophysical exploration in its Antofalla South Project, marking a pivotal step towards lithium exploration. Antofalla North Project Advancements: LEXI successfully completed drilling its first two wells and is now mobilizing to commence the third, showcasing rapid progress. TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lithium Energi Exploration, Inc. (TSXV: LEXI), a leading exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of lithium brine assets in Argentina, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mr. Jason Nalewanyj as its new Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Nalewanyj brings over 18 years of financial expertise, having held pivotal roles in capital market strategies, fundraising, M&A advisory, and go-public mandates. He has previously held senior finance positions at Aurora Cannabis Inc., where he played a significant role in Auroras $3.2 billion merger with MedReleaf Corp. His extensive experience also includes strategic roles at Methanex Corporation, FTI Consulting Inc., and MNP LLP. Mr. Nalewanyj began his career in the audit and assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Canada. He is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Victoria. "We are excited to welcome Jason to the LEXI family. His energy and proven track record in financial leadership will be instrumental as we continue our journey towards becoming a global leader in lithium production," said Ali Rahman, CEO of LEXI. LEXI would like to extend its deepest gratitude to Mr. Chris Hobbs, our current CFO, for his unwavering dedication, hard work, and commitment to the company. His leadership and financial acumen have been instrumental in guiding LEXI through its formative years and setting it on a path of growth and success. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and are confident that he will continue to make a significant impact wherever he goes. It has been an honor to serve as the CFO of LEXI and to be a part of its remarkable journey. I fully support the appointment of Jason Nalewanyj as the new CFO. His expertise and vision align perfectly with LEXI's growth trajectory. I am committed to ensuring a seamless transition and am confident that under Jason's financial leadership, LEXI will achieve new heights and continue its rapid growth in the lithium industry," said Mr. Chris Hobbs. Having successfully drilled and completed the first two wells, the company is now gearing up to commence drilling on the third well within the Antofalla North project. LEXIs drilling will begin mobilizing towards the new site in LEA 5 this weekend and begin work on the drilling platform. In addition to the appointment of Mr. Nalewanyj and completion of its second well in Antofalla North, LEXI is proud to highlight the completion of the initial profiles in its geophysical exploration campaign in its Antofalla South Project. Under the auspices of Qualified Person, Murray Brooker, Geo Resource Ltda. (GR) with a team of 8 professionals, including geologists and geophysicists, is conducting the Phase 1 campaign utilizing Magnetotelluric (MT) and Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) geophysical measurements in LEXIs nearly 4,000 hectare LEA 26 property. Nine separate profiles, totaling over 7.5 kilometers, were surveyed during the initial ten days of fieldwork. Preliminary results show important and significant conductive anomalies within the explored areas of LEA 26. Now, the Company and GR will spend several weeks compiling and analyzing the data into geological and hydrogeological representations. Phase 2 of the geophysics is scheduled to kick off at the end of September and will consist of additional MT and TEM surveys in over 20 separate profiles, totaling over 16 kilometers of the southern section of LEA 26. The objective will be to identify and characterize the best sectors for a drilling campaign to understand the hydrogeological dynamics of the LEA 26 property. "LEXI's momentum is palpable. With the successful drilling and completion of our first two wells in Antofalla North and the samples currently under analysis, we are on the cusp of a new era for our company," added Rahman. "Our team, strengthened by the addition of Jason, is more equipped than ever to lead the charge in responsible lithium extraction, ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for all and creating significant value for our shareholders." Option Grant LEXIs board of directors has granted certain directors and officers of the Company options to purchase up to 400,000 common shares with a term of three years and an exercise price equal to $0.14 per share. About Lithium Energi Exploration, Inc. Lithium Energi Exploration, Inc. is an exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of lithium brine assets in Argentina. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with offices in Catamarca, Argentina, the Companys shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: LEXI), the Frankfurt Exchange (FSE: L09), and the U.S. over-the-counter market (OTC Pink: LXENF). LEXIs portfolio of prospective lithium brine concessions in the Argentina Province of Catamarca (heart of the lithium triangle) includes approximately 57,000 hectares and a 20% interest in Triangle Lithium Argentina, S.A., which owns an additional 15,000 hectares all located in and around the Antofalla Salar, one of the largest basins in the region, which is over 130 km long and up to 20 km across. LEXI is committed to innovation, sustainability, and quality, striving to differentiate itself from other players in the industry to maximize its potential for success. For more information, please visit our website at lithiumenergi.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ali Rahman ________________________ Ali Rahman, Chief Executive Officer & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the results of preliminary testing proving accurate and repeatable over time and at commercial scale; the absence of material changes with respect to the Company and its businesses; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties; failure to of the parties to the Transactions to comply with the terms and conditions of the definitive agreements relating to the Transactions; and the use of proceeds. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure its shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915921726/en/ Contact for media inquiries: Ian Murphy [email protected] (310) 689-6397 Source: Lithium Energi Exploration, Inc. WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Markforged Holding Corporation (NYSE: MKFG), the company strengthening manufacturing resiliency by enabling industrial production at the point of need, will host its 2023 Investor Day on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 starting at 12:00 PM ET at its Global Headquarters located at 60 Tower Road in Waltham, Massachusetts. The event will include product demonstrations, company presentations from management, an overview of an innovation, and panel discussions from existing customers, followed by a Q&A with management. Webcast Information The company will host a live audiocast, which will begin at 1:15 pm ET on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. To participate in the live audiocast, visit: Investor Day Webcast. A link to the replay, and presentation slides will be available on Markforgeds Investor Relations website for at least 90 days following the event at https://investors.markforged.com. About Markforged Markforged (NYSE: MKFG) is enabling more resilient and flexible supply chains by bringing industrial 3D printing right to the factory floor. Our additive manufacturing platform The Digital Forge allows manufacturers to create strong, accurate parts in both metal and advanced composites. With over 10,000 customers in 70+ countries, were bringing on-demand industrial production to the point of need. We are headquartered in Waltham, Mass where we design the hardware, software and advanced materials that makes The Digital Forge reliable and easy to use. To learn more, visit www.markforged.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915531681/en/ Investors Austin Bohlig, Director of Investor Relations [email protected] Media Samuel Manning, Principal Public Relations Manager [email protected] Source: Markforged Holding Corporation The Wu-Tang Clan members storied brand is now available via retailers throughout the State of New York NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TICAL Official, one of North Americas fastest-growing cannabis brands led by prolific rapper, actor, and entrepreneur, Method Man, announced its adult-use availability in New York State today in partnership with Central Processors NY and Adirondack Hemp Company. Central Processorss prerolls and edibles will launch first, with more products rolling out in the coming months. Nothing is more exciting for us than finally launching in Meths hometown of New York City, said TICAL Official Co-Founder, Nathaniel Vereen. Its been a long time coming and seeing it across the finish line with such great partners adds to the excitement of whats to come. As a lifelong New Yorker and a big fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, being able to be part of bringing Method Mans TICAL Official cannabis brand to New Yorks adult-use cannabis market is a huge deal for us, said John Vavalo, CEO at Central Processors NY, a licensed Adult-Use Conditional Processor and Cultivator (AUCP and AUCC) for New York State. Working with the team at TICAL Official has been effortless and we look forward to helping them scale across the state. It's surreal and such an honor to be working with a real legend who helped shape modern cannabis culture in New York, and who continues to provide for his community to this day, said Mike Brown, Adirondack Hemp Company CEO. Our small batch, high-quality flower is a perfect fit for TICAL Official and we're excited to help bring the brand back home. Love Jones prerolls and edibles from the TICAL Official cannabis catalog will be available at Housing Works, Strain Stars, Stage One, Greenery Spot, Flynnstoned, William Jane Herbal IQ, on a first-come, first-served basis starting today, September 15, 2023. Interviews with all Tical Officials co-founders are available upon request. About TICAL Official TICAL (Taking Into Consideration All Lives) Official is a New York-based, multi-state operating cannabis brand backed by prolific rapper, actor, and entrepreneur, Method Man. TICAL prides itself on partnering with the best licensed operators in each regulated state, to ensure that consumers always get the best flower and products possible. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915926827/en/ Media Contact for TICAL Official Corey Herscu for Cannabis Now Media [email protected] 416.300.3030 Source: TICAL Official OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Every year, more than 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured in rail crossing and trespassing incidents. Next week, Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada will mark an important milestone in its efforts to #STOPTrackTragedies: the 20th anniversary of its annual Rail Safety Week campaign (September 18-24, 2023). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915737181/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Since 2003, Rail Safety Week (RSW) has served to remind Canadians that taking risks near tracks and trainswhether its using tracks as a shortcut or a recreational path, train-hopping, ignoring railway signs and signals, or being distracted at crossingscould cost them a limb, or their life. By 2017, the U.S. had launched its own RSW campaign, followed by Mexico in 2020, making Rail Safety Week a truly North American effort. The 20th anniversary of Rail Safety Week is a time to take stock of the great work that OL Canada, its partners, and Rail Safety Ambassadors have done to save lives over the past two decades, says Sarah Mayes, OL Canadas National Director. But even one rail crossing or trespassing incident is one too manyso were calling on Canadians to help us reach as many people with the rail-safety message this year as possible. Rail Safety Week 2023 will be marked by a national digital and out-of-home advertising campaign, as well as public outreach events across the country to encourage safe behaviours around tracks and trains. OL will kick off the week with a launch event on Saturday, September 16th at 11:30 a.m. at the Toronto Railway Museum. New Look. Listen. Live. rail safety decals will be unveiled at the museums mini-train crossing, and OL will also host readings of its Stay Safe with Thomas storybook for families that afternoon. A full schedule of the days events is available on the museums website. On September 19th, law enforcement partners will join forces with OL through Operation Clear Trackthe single largest rail-safety law-enforcement initiative in North America. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies from across Canada will work to enforce rail crossing and trespassing laws, and promote rail-safety messages in communities through pamphlets, press releases, and social media posts. On September 21st, OL will unveil rail safety decals and signs in more than 30 municipalities from coast to coast, to remind pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists to exercise caution and Look. Listen. Live. at rail crossings. Communities from Revelstoke, B.C. to Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B. have installed decals this year, bringing the total number of municipalities engaged in OLs Community Safety Partnership Program to 100. OL will also launch two powerful new #STOPTrackTragedies videos during Rail Safety Week, to tell the personal stories of people affected by rail crossing and trespassing incidents, and to remind Canadians that unsafe behaviour around tracks and trains isnt worth the risk. The videos will be promoted on social media, and through pre-show ads in select Cineplex and Magic Lantern Theatres across Canada. Finally, OL will cap off Rail Safety Week by announcing the winners of its 2022 Roger Cyr Awards annual awards given to Rail Safety Ambassadors and communities that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to promoting rail safety in Canada. Canadians are encouraged to support OLs 20th anniversary Rail Safety Week campaign by heeding these rail safety tips, by following OL Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and by sharing OLs Rail Safety Week social media messages with their loved ones using the hashtags #STOPTrackTragedies and #RSW2023. About Operation Lifesaver Canada Operation Lifesaver Canada is a national public rail-safety program sponsored by Transport Canada, the Railway Association of Canada and its members, including CN, CPKC, VIA Rail, Metrolinx, exo, West Coast Express and Genesee & Wyoming, among others. Through its national network of Rail Safety Ambassadors, partnerships with safety councils, police, the trucking industry and community groups, and innovative tools such as its virtual-reality Look. Listen. Live. campaign, Operation Lifesaver Canada works to save lives by educating Canadians about the hazards of trespassing on railway property and failing to exercise caution at rail crossings. Canadians can keep up-to-date on the latest rail safety news by visiting operationlifesaver.ca. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915737181/en/ For more information, please contact: Catherine Henry [email protected] (613) 564-8100 Source: Operation Lifesaver Canada TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The President of the Airline Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) weighed in today on this issue of WestJet allowing Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre to use the public address (PA) system on a recent flight. Wesley Lesosky said WestJet was wrong to claim it was the flight crew who authorized and approved the use of the PA system. After pushback from Canadians online, some of whom were calling for a boycott of the airline, WestJet tried to throw our members under the bus, said Lesosky. But cabin crew were acting on direction from management. When the boss tells you to do something, theres not a lot of options. Lesosky said the use of a PA system on a flight for a political speech isnt appropriate and may break Transport Canadas guidelines related to the use of emergency equipment. Mr Poilievre claims he was exercising free speech, but thats nonsense, said Lesosky. There are safety rules against what he did, and they are there for good reasons. We take our responsibility for the safety of passengers extremely seriously; its a shame Mr. Poilievre and WestJet dont feel the same way. Mr. Poilievre should focus on unpaid work of cabin crew in Parliament, while we do what we do best and focus on safety. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915824752/en/ Lou Arab, [email protected] Communications Representative 780 271-2722 Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share on Ralph Lauren Corporation Common Stock. The dividend is payable on October 13, 2023 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 29, 2023. ABOUT RALPH LAUREN Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of luxury lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, footwear & accessories, home, fragrances and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren has sought to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style. Its reputation and distinctive image have been developed across a wide range of products, brands, distribution channels, and international markets. The Companys brand names which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, and Chaps, among others constitute one of the worlds most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to https://investor.ralphlauren.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914009182/en/ Ralph Lauren Investor Relations: Corinna Van der Ghinst [email protected] or Corporate Communications: [email protected] Source: Ralph Lauren Corporation Not for Distribution to U.S. Newswire or for Dissemination in the United States TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (RioCan) (TSX: REI.UN) today announced that it has agreed to issue $300 million principal amount of Series AI senior unsecured debentures (the Debentures). The Debentures will be sold at par, carry a coupon of 6.488% per annum and mature on September 29, 2026. RioCan will have the option to repay the Debentures at par, in whole or in part, on or after September 29, 2024. The net proceeds of this offering will be used to repay existing indebtedness at or prior to maturity. The balance of the net proceeds, if any, will be used for general business purposes. The Debentures are being offered on an agency basis by a syndicate of agents co-led by RBC Capital Markets, CIBC Capital Markets, TD Securities, BMO Capital Markets, and Scotia Capital Inc. Subject to customary closing conditions, the offering is expected to close on September 29, 2023. It is a condition of closing that DBRS Morningstar assign a rating of at least BBB with a stable trend and S&P Global Ratings assign a rating of at least BBB for the Debentures. The offering is being made on a private placement basis in each of the provinces of Canada, and the Debentures will be issued pursuant to RioCans trust indenture dated March 8, 2005, as supplemented. The Debentures will rank equally with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Trust. The Debentures being offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About RioCan RioCan is one of Canadas largest real estate investment trusts. RioCan owns, manages and develops retail-focused, increasingly mixed-use properties located in prime, high-density transit-oriented areas where Canadians want to shop, live and work. As at June 30, 2023, our portfolio is comprised of 193 properties with an aggregate net leasable area of approximately 33.5 million square feet (at RioCan's interest) including office, residential rental and 11 development properties. To learn more about us, please visit www.riocan.com. Forward Looking Information This News Release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. This information reflects RioCans objectives, our strategies to achieve those objectives, as well as statements with respect to managements beliefs, estimates and intentions concerning anticipated future events or expectations that are not historical facts. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as outlook, objective, may, will, would, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, should, plan, continue, or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Such forward-looking information reflects managements current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. All forward-looking information in this News Release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future events or performance and, by its nature, is based on RioCans current estimates and assumptions, which are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Risks and Uncertainties section in RioCan's MD&A for the period ended June 30, 2023 and in our most recent Annual Information Form, which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the forward-looking information contained in this News Release. Although the forward-looking information contained in this News Release is based upon what management believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with this forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are made as of the date hereof, and should not be relied upon as representing RioCans views as of any date subsequent to the date of this News Release. Management undertakes no obligation, except as required by applicable law, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915077196/en/ Dennis Blasutti Chief Financial Officer RioCan REIT (416) 866-3033 Source: RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust Grocer donates $15,000 to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and expands supplier network to include more than 60 Hispanic-owned companies JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is honoring the vibrant cultures and traditions of Hispanic and Latino Americans this Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating their past achievements and contributions, and also supporting those of the future. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915276232/en/ Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is honoring the vibrant cultures and traditions of Hispanic and Latino Americans this Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating their past achievements and contributions, and also supporting those of the future. Hispanic suppliers like Ecuador-based, Life Food Products, who helped to develop one of the grocer's latest products, SE Grocers Plantain Chips, will also be featured in stores and online throughout the month. (Graphic: Business Wire) Raymond Rhee, Chief People Officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, "As a company committed to diversity and inclusivity, we are proud to honor and celebrate the rich heritages of our Hispanic and Latino American neighbors by highlighting their traditions and flavors that are now staples in our communities. As a grocer, we actively seek partnerships with diverse suppliers to offer an expansive variety of products to our customers. In turn, we are able to shine a light on and support the future contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans, ensuring our collective cultural tapestry reflects the diversity of our communities. To support upcoming Hispanic innovators and leaders, SEG is donating $15,000 to the Hispanic Heritage Foundations 25-year-old Youth Awards program to help Latino high school students in the Southeast as they work to build successful futures. The initiative focuses on connecting, inspiring and empowering students from across the nation through leadership, academic excellence and social impact to prepare them for their career journeys, all while celebrating their Latino culture and nurturing their potential. SEG is proud to partner with more than 60 Hispanic suppliers to bring authentic and innovative product offerings to its customers. During Hispanic Heritage Month, SEG is highlighting Hispanic suppliers with special product features in stores and online to allow customers to easily identify and explore Hispanic-owned products. The grocer will also feature two new SE Grocers products produced and developed in collaboration with Hispanic suppliers: SE Grocers Plantain Chips: Crafted in partnership with Ecuador-based company, Life Food Products, these delectable plantain chips are a delicious snack or recipe addition, offering an authentic taste of Ecuador. Crafted in partnership with Ecuador-based company, Life Food Products, these delectable plantain chips are a delicious snack or recipe addition, offering an authentic taste of Ecuador. SE Grocers Export Soda Crackers: Developed in conjunction with Grupo Bocel from the Dominican Republic, these soda crackers are a delightful addition to the SE Grocers product line, reflecting the rich culinary heritage of the Dominican Republic. Now through Nov. 5, SE Grocers Plantain Chips, SE Grocers Export Soda Crackers and select Goya products are available at a lower price through the grocers cost-saving programs. At Winn-Dixie, the items are available through the grocers Down Down program along with more than 150 other commonly shopped items, offering customers a savings of more than 15% on average at their neighborhood store when shopping items marked by the red hand on signs and tags throughout the store. Similarly, items marked in yellow and green signage at Fresco y Mas and Harveys Supermarket are part of the Low Price and Low Low Price programs providing customers with deep discounts on their grocery trips. SEG will also support several community celebrations in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, including Fort Myers Latin Music Festival and the City of Apopka Hispanic Heritage Celebration, on Saturday, Sept. 16. SEGs Hispanic associates and allies resource group, Palante, has also planned several activities for local store and Store Support Center associates to embrace and commemorate the month. As a people-first organization that empowers its associates and customers to be their full, authentic selves, SEGs workplace culture has been recognized by Newsweek as one of Americas Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, Americas Greatest Workplaces for Women, named as one of Americas Most Trustworthy companies and as one of Americas Greatest Workplaces. SEG was also recently recognized on Fortunes Best Workplaces in Retail 2023 and has been certified as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years. About Southeastern Grocers Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is an omnichannel retailer and one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S., serving customers in brick-and-mortar grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies as well as online with convenient grocery delivery and curbside pickup throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and caring associates and a strong commitment to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915276232/en/ For SEG interviews or images contact: Meredith Hurley Senior Director, Communications and Community (904) 370-6029 [email protected] Source: Southeastern Grocers Inc. Upholding the Legacy, Delivering the Future PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In a move that further solidifies its position as a leading provider of NetSuite cloud solutions, Techfino LLC proudly announces its acquisition of the NetSuite practice from the esteemed Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP. This acquisition is a testament to Techfino's vision of delivering unparalleled NetSuite consulting and support services to a diverse range of clients, from emerging R&D-stage companies to established enterprise organizations. Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP (FRC), renowned for its longstanding reputation as a premier mid-market certified public accounting firm, has established itself as a leader in delivering customized services to both individuals and businesses. Its venture into cloud solutions, particularly their expertise in Oracle NetSuite, underscores their commitment to innovation and excellence in the field. As part of this acquisition, Techfino LLC will seamlessly integrate FRC's NetSuite clients under its umbrella. Techfino has been selected to carry forward the legacy of support and continuity that FRC's NetSuite clients have come to expect. Its dedication lies in offering a tailored NetSuite Support and Optimization Service, specifically designed to meet the unique needs of FRC's clientele. Techfinos commitment is genuine, and its expertise is unmatched, ensuring that every client experiences the quality of service they deserve. Bryan Willman, Managing Partner of Techfino LLC, expressed, "We've always admired the work of Frank, Rimerman + Co., and having collaborated for over eight years, this feels like a natural fit. Welcoming FRC's NetSuite clients is not just about growth; it's about family, trust, and ensuring that every client feels at home with Techfino. This is an honor for our firm, and we're committed to empowering FRC clients to grow and expand their business operations." In a collaborative spirit, FRC will channel all forthcoming NetSuite sales and service opportunities to Techfino LLC, marking a new chapter in the partnership between the two industry leaders. "This acquisition is more than just an expansion; it's a testament to Techfino's culture of excellence. Our focus will always be on quality - doing it once and doing it right. We're not only excited to welcome FRC's clientele but also deeply committed to ensuring their success, reflecting our unwavering dedication to every client's unique journey," shared Wiktor Borowiec, Managing Partner of Techfino LLC. About Techfino, LLC Based in Philadelphia, Techfino LLC stands at the forefront of international consulting, specializing in the creation, deployment, and management of superior cloud solutions. Our expertise spans the breadth of NetSuite licensing, implementation, training, and integrations, with a special focus on optimizing systems to meet the evolving needs of businesses across a broad spectrum of industries. At the heart of our strategy is our ContinuedSuccess program, a pioneering initiative that encapsulates our unwavering commitment to helping our clients navigate the complexities of their dynamic business models. We are also proud creators of proprietary data management products for NetSuite, including our latest breakthrough the CleanSweep Archive app. Discover more about Techfino LLC, our innovative product suite, and our exceptional service offerings at www.Techfino.com. About Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP Established in 1949 and based in Silicon Valley, Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP is a top-tier accounting firm, renowned in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally. With strategic offices across California and an affiliation with Baker Tilly International, we offer comprehensive accounting and consulting services to individuals and businesses alike. Our reputation is built on decades of expertise, dedication to our clients, and a commitment to innovation and excellence. As trusted advisors to high net-worth individuals, startups, and leading organizations, we consistently deliver unparalleled service. Learn more about our offerings and legacy at https://www.frankrimerman.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915126741/en/ Bryan Willman Managing Partner, Techfino LLC [email protected] Source: Techfino, LLC FHLB Dallas Partnership Grant Program Provides 3:1 Match of Members Donations DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than $557,000 in funding was awarded to 43 community-based organizations by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and 33 member institutions. FHLB Dallas members provided $157,250 in funding, and FHLB Dallas contributed another $400,000 in match-funding through its annual Partnership Grant Program (PGP). Under the program, FHLB Dallas member institutions contribute $500 to $4,000 to a nonprofit, which FHLB Dallas matches at a 3:1 ratio to provide up to $12,000 to the organization per member. The awards help promote and strengthen relationships between community-based nonprofits and FHLB Dallas members. View the award recipients. With its matching funds, our Partnership Grant Program allows our members to leverage our funds to increase their support, said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. Our members are very supportive of local community organizations and we are proud to stand with them in their endeavors. Shelia Grayson, vice president, CRA and community development officer at Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, said PGP funds have benefited many local organizations. As a community bank, we focus heavily on supporting grassroots organizations in our communities that are doing good for others, and FHLB Dallas Partnership Grant Program allows us to multiply our efforts with its 3:1 matching grant, Ms. Grayson said. Our partnership with FHLB Dallas fosters positive relationships with small nonprofits that may struggle to raise operational and administrative funding. The PGP may be used for: Organizational capacity building Assistance with applying for grants and other funding sources Research and studies Contractual services General operating expenses View this PGP video to see a complete list of the 2023 PGP grant recipients. For more information about the 2023 PGP grants and other FHLB Dallas community investment products and programs, please visit fhlb.com/pgp. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $174 billion as of June 30, 2023, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915667107/en/ Corporate Communications Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas fhlb.com (214) 441-8445 Source: FHLB Dallas PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia or any other jurisdiction in violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. Transition S.A. (Euronext Paris: TRAN) (the "Company" or "Transition") announces the achievement of the final major steps in the completion process of the business combination (the "Business Combination") with Arverne Group S.A.S. ("Arverne Group") leading to the listing of Arverne Group on the professional segment of the regulated market of Euronext in Paris. Approval of the Business Combination by the Transition shareholders' meeting Transition announces that the combined general meeting of Transition held today approved all the proposed resolutions relating to the implementation of the Business Combination. The shareholders of Transition approved in particular: - the terms and conditions of the merger of Arverne Group into Transition (the "Merger"), and the issuance of a total of 18,239,589 new ordinary shares of Transition in consideration for the Merger; - the delegations of authority to the Board of Directors of Transition to carry out (i) two capital increases (respectively for a maximum total amount of EUR 64,121,500 and a maximum total amount of EUR 28,803,780) without preferential subscription rights to the benefit of certain identified persons and (ii) a capital increase for a maximum total amount of EUR 68,878,500 without preferential subscription rights to the benefit of additional investors in a category of persons meeting specific characteristics (together, the "PIPE Capital Increase"). The Merger and the "PIPE" Capital Increase are detailed in the prospectuses prepared by the Company respectively in the context of the proposed Merger (prospectus approved by French financial market authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) or AMF under number 23-331) and in the context of the proposed "PIPE" Capital Increase (prospectus approved by the AMF under number 23-332), which are available free of charge at the Company's registered office located at 49 bis, avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008 Paris, France, and on the Company's website (www.spactransition.com) and the AMF website (www.amf-france.org). The detailed results of the votes expressed at the combined general meeting of Transition are available in the "General Meeting / Assemblee Generale" section of the Transition website (www.spactransition.com). It should be noted in particular that Transition's shareholders did not want to introduce double voting rights in the Company's by-laws as from the date of completion of the Business Combination. Approval of the Business Combination by the shareholders of Arverne Group The shareholders of Arverne Group also approved the Merger and the contribution in kind, by certain minority shareholders of Lithium de France, a subsidiary of the Company, of 418,352 ordinary shares of Lithium de France and decided to issue 214,544 new ordinary shares in consideration for this contribution. The approval of the Merger and the capital increase of Transition in consideration for the Merger by the general meeting of Transition, the approval of the Merger by the shareholders of Arverne Group as well as the final completion of the contribution of the aforementioned shares of Lithium de France constituted the last conditions precedent to the Business Combination with the completion of the "PIPE" Capital Increase which is expected to be completed on 19 September 2023. In addition, the Board of Directors of Transition, which also met today, decided to launch the "PIPE" Capital Increase and set 5 October 2023 as the date for the repurchase and redemption of the 15,246,672 Class B preferred shares for which a valid repurchase request was made during the period from 21 June 2023 to 20 July 2023 (see Transition press release of 24 July 2023). The final steps relating to the implementation of the Business Combination, which is expected to be completed on 19 September 2023, are detailed below: Dates Key steps 19 September 2023 Settlement and delivery of shares issued as part of the PIPE Capital Increase - Completion of the PIPE Capital Increase Settlement and delivery of shares issued as part of the Merger - Completion of the Merger Conversion of Class A1 preferred shares into ordinary shares and of Class B preferred shares whose redemption has not been requested into ordinary shares of the Company 5 October 2023 Deadline for completion of the redemption of Class B preferred shares, their cancellation and payment of the redemption price to the holders of Class B preferred shares who requested the redemption Important notice The distribution of this document may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. This press release is provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute and should not be deemed to constitute an offer to the public of securities, nor a solicitation of the public relating to an offer of any kind whatsoever in any country, including France. European Economic Area - France This press release is not a prospectus, but an advertisement provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute and should not be deemed to constitute an offer to the public of securities by Transition, nor a solicitation of the public relating to an offer of any kind whatsoever in any country, including France. Copies of the Merger Prospectus and a copy of the "PIPE" Listing Prospectus, approved by the AMF on July 27, 2023, respectively under number 23-331 and 23-332, are available free of charge at the Company's registered office located at 49 bis, avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008 Paris, France, and on the Company's website (www.spactransition.com) and the AMF website (www.amf-france.org). The Merger Prospectus and the "PIPE" Listing Prospectus provide a detailed description of Transition, including a section describing certain risk factors related to the Combined Entity, the Merger and the "PIPE" Capital Increase. The approval of the Merger Prospectus and the "PIPE" Listing Prospectus by the AMF should not be considered as a favorable opinion on the Transition securities covered by these prospectuses. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any securities referred to in this press release except on the basis of the information contained in the Merger Prospectus and the PIPE Listing Prospectus, as applicable. The distribution of this press release may be subject to legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Any person who comes into possession of this press release must inform him or herself of and comply with any such restrictions. The securities of Transition admitting for trading on the professional segment (compartiment professionnel) of the regulated market of Euronext Paris are addressed solely to Qualified Investors, as defined in the regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of 14 June 2017 and in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 411-2, 1 of the French Code monetaire et financier. United Kingdom This press release does not constitute an offer of securities to the public in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, this press release is for distribution only to and is directed only at (a) qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of U.K. domestic law by virtue of the EUWA which are (b) (i) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within the provisions of Article 19(5) of The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order) or (ii) high net worth entities, unincorporated associations and other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as Relevant Persons). This press release must not be acted on or relied on, in the United Kingdom, by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is only available to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Persons distributing this press release must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. United States of America This press release and the information it contains does not, and will not, constitute an offer to the public to subscribe for or sell, nor the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy, Transition securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction where restrictions may apply. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), it being specified that the Transition securities have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and Transition does not intend to register securities or conduct an offer to the public in the United States. Canada This press release and the information it contains do not, and will not, constitute an offer to the public to subscribe for or sell, nor the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy, Transition securities in any province or territory of Canada. Securities may not be offered or sold in Canada except in a transaction exempt from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws or pursuant to a prospectus that qualifies those securities in the relevant provinces and territories of Canada, it being specified that the Transition securities have not been and will not be qualified by way of prospectus under the securities laws of any province or territory of Canada and Transition does not intend to qualify any such securities or conduct an offering to the public in Canada. This announcement is not being made in and copies of it may not be distributed or sent, directly or indirectly, into the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan. Public information Potential investors in Transition should consult the Merger Prospectus and the PIPE Listing Prospectus before making an investment decision in order to fully understand the potential risks and benefits associated with the decision to invest in Transition securities. In particular, potential investors should review the risk factors described in the Merger Prospectus and the PIPE Listing Prospectus that have been approved by the AMF on July 27, 2023. Copies of the Merger Prospectus and a copy of the "PIPE" Listing Prospectus, approved by the AMF on July 27, 2023, respectively under number 23-331 and 23-332, are available free of charge at the Company's registered office located at 49 bis, avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008 Paris, France, and on the Company's website (www.spactransition.com) and the AMF website (www.amf-france.org). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914819487/en/ TRANSITION Source: TRANSITION TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Westaim Corporation (Westaim or the Company) (TSXV: WED) is pleased to announce that the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange or TSXV) has accepted a notice (the Notice) filed by the Company of its intention to make a normal course issuer bid (the NCIB). In connection with the NCIB, the Company has entered into an automatic share purchase plan (an ASPP) with Cormark Securities Inc. (Cormark) to allow for purchases of its common shares (the Shares). The Notice provides that the Company may, during the 12-month period commencing October 1, 2023 and ending September 30, 2024, or on such earlier date as Westaim completes its purchases or provides notice of termination, purchase up to 11,400,000 Shares in total, representing approximately 10% of Westaims public float of Shares as at September 14, 2023. As of the close of business on September 14, 2023, the Company had 136,558,643 Shares issued and outstanding. In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, the Company may not purchase more than 2% of its issued and outstanding Shares during any 30-day period, which as of the date hereof represents approximately 2,700,000 Shares. The actual number of Shares which may be purchased under the NCIB and the timing of any such purchases will be determined by management of the Company, subject to applicable law and the rules of the TSXV. Subject to any required regulatory approvals, all purchases of Shares under the NCIB will be conducted through the facilities of the TSXV and/or alternative Canadian trading systems at prevailing market prices, or by such other means as may be permitted by the applicable securities regulator. All Shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled. Purchases under the NCIB will be made from time to time by Cormark on behalf of the Company. Westaim has entered into an ASPP with Cormark to allow for the purchase of Shares under the NCIB at times when the Company would ordinarily not be permitted to purchase Shares due to regulatory restrictions or self-imposed blackout periods. Pursuant to the ASPP, prior to entering into a blackout period, Westaim may, but is not required to, instruct Cormark to make purchases under the NCIB in accordance with the terms of the ASPP. Such purchases will be determined by Cormark in its sole discretion based on parameters established by Westaim prior to the blackout period in accordance with the rules of the TSXV, applicable securities laws and the terms of the ASPP. The ASPP has been pre-cleared by the TSXV concurrently with the initiation of the NCIB. The board of directors of the Company (the Board) believes that the recent market prices of the Shares do not properly reflect the underlying value of such shares. As a result, depending upon future price movements and other factors, the Board believes that the purchase of the Shares would be a desirable use of corporate funds in the best interests of the Company. Furthermore, the purchases are expected to benefit all persons who continue to hold Shares by increasing their equity interest in the Company when such repurchased Shares are cancelled. To the knowledge of the Company, no director, senior officer or other insider of the Company or any of their associates currently intends to sell any Shares under the NCIB, however sales by such persons through the facilities of the Exchange or any other available market or alternative trading system may occur if the personal circumstances of any such persons change or if any such persons make a decision unrelated to these normal course purchases. The benefits to any such person whose Shares are purchased would be the same as the benefits available to all other holders whose Shares are purchased. Under Westaims normal course issuer bid expiring on September 30, 2023 (the Expiring NCIB), the Company received approval from the TSXV to purchase for cancellation up to a maximum of 11,005,494 Shares, representing approximately 10% of Westaims public float of Shares as at the close of business on September 26, 2022. As of the date hereof, the Company has repurchased and cancelled 5,068,378 Shares under the Expiring NCIB, at a weighted average purchase price of approximately US$2.66 (C$3.57) per Share including commissions. About Westaim Westaim is a Canadian investment company specializing in providing long-term capital to businesses operating primarily within the global financial services industry. The Company invests, directly and indirectly, through acquisitions, joint ventures and other arrangements, with the objective of providing its shareholders with capital appreciation and real wealth preservation. Westaims strategy is to pursue investment opportunities with a focus towards the financial services industry and grow shareholder value over the long term. Westaims investments include significant interests in Skyward Specialty, Arena Investors and the Arena FINCOs. Skyward Specialty, Arena FINCOs and Arena Investors are defined in the notes to Westaims unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and the related MD&A. The Shares are listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol WED. For more information, contact: J. Cameron MacDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer or Robert T. Kittel, Chief Operating Officer The Westaim Corporation [email protected] (416) 969-3333 Cautionary Note and Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information relates to future events or the anticipated performance of Westaim and reflects managements expectations or beliefs regarding such future events. In certain cases, statements that contain forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative of these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking information in this press release includes statements with respect to the anticipated benefits of the NCIB and the number of Shares that may be purchased under the NCIB. By its very nature forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual performance of Westaim to be materially different from any anticipated performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the risks described under the heading Risk Factors in the Company's annual information form dated March 30, 2023 for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and other risks identified in the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The risk factors referred to above are not an exhaustive list of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements about the future and is inherently uncertain, and the Companys actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Company's statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915519665/en/ For more information, contact: J. Cameron MacDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer or Robert T. Kittel, Chief Operating Officer The Westaim Corporation [email protected] (416) 969-3333 Source: The Westaim Corporation GreenPan Partners with Actor and Author Stanley Tucci for Stunning Cookware Collection NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Award-winning cookware brand and the creators of PFAS-free ceramic nonstick cookware, GreenPan announced today a breathtaking collaboration with actor and author Stanley Tucci as they launch TUCCI by GreenPan, sold exclusively at kitchenware retailer Williams Sonoma. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915711092/en/ Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma. Made in Italy at GreenPans high-tech factory, these pans blend refined architectural details with pioneering technology. This collection was designed in collaboration with Stanley Tucci and developed from the ground up with a meticulous focus on innovations that optimize the cooking experience and take cooking to the next level. The cookware colors are inspired by Stanleys home and reflect his personal style. Theyre livable and sophisticated, a balance of modern style and timeless charm. Each of the colors is offset with champagne handles finished in a PVD coating thats wear- and corrosion-resistant. Colors in the collection are: Venetian Teal, Carrara White, Stainless Steel, and Milano Black (drop ship only), all with a Piazza Grey interior. Stanley Tucci said about his new collection, With Italian cooking the rules are simple, buy the best ingredients, get the best flavour. I've built cookware with this simple idea in mind, using only the best materials right here in Italy. After all, it's where I've always found inspiration. This collection is as functional as it is beautiful and helps make cooking even more enjoyable. It's modern cookware made in Italy. These premium designs reflect a focus on uncomplicated style, authentic simplicity, and the blend of classic and modern sensibilities. Theyre uncomplicated and refined, informed by decades in the kitchen. The shapes are tailored for cooks who enjoy their time cooking. There are no hard corners for food to get trapped, so youll never have to twist and turn to scrape food out. Each pan is balanced with subtleties that enhance daily use. These subtle details deliver intuitive response and remarkable performance. Jacob Maurer, chief executive officer of GreenPan USA said, We knew that by partnering with such a sophisticated culinarian as Stanley Tucci, we needed to create the best cookware possible. We have meticulously planned and crafted every detail of this collection with precision, thoughtfulness, and style. The technology in this collection is unparalleled. From the woven induction base to the revolutionary heavy-gauge bodies, this collection is matchless. Thanks to the heavy-duty design, these pans wont warp or wobble, they brown and sear to perfection, are extra durable and scratch resistant. The added gauge delivers incredibly fast and even heating. This collection introduces GreenPans Woven Induction Technology, which is truly cutting-edge. They weave together bands of stainless steel tightly then infuse them into a 5mm thick forged base to deliver maximum induction efficiency with high performance on all stovetops and oven safe up to 600 degrees. It delivers better stability, superb frying, and no loss of energy or heat. This design futureproofs your pans. In addition to induction efficiency, the innovative base creates a stay-flat cooking surface to keep oil where you want it. The bimetal effect of both the forged base and the stainless-steel weave creates a push/pull effect that enhances stability. Since oil stays where you put it, you can use less. Cooks also get better, more even browning because the food stays in total contact with the pan. The cutting-edge Plasma Tech treatment complements GreenPans state-of-the-art ceramic nonstick for remarkable PFAS-free performance and unparalleled durability. The contemporary shapes and unique handles were individually considered for each pan to deliver a perfect balance and make cooking easier. Its cookware for people, like Stanley Tucci, who love to cook. The TUCCI by GreenPan Cookware Collection includes: The Stanley Pan: This is the star of the show. Its a big 6.5 QT pan thats perfect for finishing pasta without running out of room or crafting meals for a crowd. It also has a huge surface area thats perfect for cooking big cuts of chicken, lamb, and other meats. Price: $199.95 This is the star of the show. Its a big 6.5 QT pan thats perfect for finishing pasta without running out of room or crafting meals for a crowd. It also has a huge surface area thats perfect for cooking big cuts of chicken, lamb, and other meats. $199.95 Saute Pan: Spacious and streamlined, this is a big pan that doesnt feel big. Make broccoli rabe, fry peppers, or do 1,000s of other messy tasks without the mess. Price: No open stock. Included in the 11-Piece Set. Spacious and streamlined, this is a big pan that doesnt feel big. Make broccoli rabe, fry peppers, or do 1,000s of other messy tasks without the mess. No open stock. Included in the 11-Piece Set. Pasta Pot: A stock pot should be large enough to hold up to at least 2 lbs of pasta. Check. This pot is essential if youre feeding a crowd. The custom colander has smaller holes at the bottom than it does higher up. Why? You should be able to drain your pasta without losing it or getting it caught in the holes. Plus, the colander has feet to keep it from resting in the bottom of your dirty sink. Price: No open stock. Included in the 11-Piece Set. A stock pot should be large enough to hold up to at least 2 lbs of pasta. Check. This pot is essential if youre feeding a crowd. The custom colander has smaller holes at the bottom than it does higher up. Why? You should be able to drain your pasta without losing it or getting it caught in the holes. Plus, the colander has feet to keep it from resting in the bottom of your dirty sink. No open stock. Included in the 11-Piece Set. Saucepans: These are saucepans for sauce people. The pans have curved edges for better stirring and high walls to prevent splashing and spills. Price: 2-Quart-$149.95, 4-Quart-$179.95 These are saucepans for sauce people. The pans have curved edges for better stirring and high walls to prevent splashing and spills. 2-Quart-$149.95, 4-Quart-$179.95 Frypans: Most frypans in a collection have the same handle. Why? Its easier. But it doesnt take into consideration the balance of a pan, or how the weight will shift. Those nuances were taken into consideration with these pans. The 12 frypan has a helper handle youll love when its full. When youre done cooking, the pans nest comfortably to save room in the cabinet. Price: 8 Frypan-$99.95, 2-Pc. Frypan Set (8 and 10)-$179.95, 12 Covered Frypan-$179.95 Most frypans in a collection have the same handle. Why? Its easier. But it doesnt take into consideration the balance of a pan, or how the weight will shift. Those nuances were taken into consideration with these pans. The 12 frypan has a helper handle youll love when its full. When youre done cooking, the pans nest comfortably to save room in the cabinet. 8 Frypan-$99.95, 2-Pc. Frypan Set (8 and 10)-$179.95, 12 Covered Frypan-$179.95 Dutch Oven: The solid handles of this Dutch oven are inspired by vintage Italian pots Stanley inherited from his mother. Theyre clean, simple and functional and offer a sturdy grip that supports the way people actually use it. The angled walls eliminate tight corners and promote better stirring. The cast aluminum design heats quickly and evenly, eliminating hot spots and giving you total control over the meal. Price: 6.5-Quart-$299.95 The solid handles of this Dutch oven are inspired by vintage Italian pots Stanley inherited from his mother. Theyre clean, simple and functional and offer a sturdy grip that supports the way people actually use it. The angled walls eliminate tight corners and promote better stirring. The cast aluminum design heats quickly and evenly, eliminating hot spots and giving you total control over the meal. 6.5-Quart-$299.95 11-Piece Set Includes: 8 Frypan, 10 Frypan, 2-Quart Saucepan with Glass Lid, 4-Quart Saucepan with Glass Lid, 4-Quart Saute Pan with Glass Lid, 8-Quart Pasta Pot with Glass Lid and Stainless-Steel Pasta Insert. Set Price: $699.95 ABOUT GREENPAN Founded in 2007, GreenPan introduced the world to ceramic nonstick cookware. A Belgian cookware and small electrics brand with an international reputation, GreenPans signature Thermolon coating is manufactured without the use of PFAS, PFOA or any of the other toxic chemicals used to make traditional nonstick pans and nonstick small appliances. For more information, visit their website: www.greenpan.us/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915711092/en/ Razonia McClellan Razonia McClellan Public Relations Cell: 432.352.7477 Email: [email protected] Source: GreenPan - Tu Futuro expands to additional markets across the United States - SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In its third year, Tu Futuro, a financial literacy program and platform aimed at teaching finance basics to Spanish-speaking Latinos, has expanded to additional markets across the country including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas. The Tu Futuro program is made possible by Wells Fargo through its collaboration with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce (HISCEC) and Univision/Entravision. For the past two years, Tu Futuro has assisted Southern California Latinos in providing no-cost financial resources that have helped them build a path to home ownership, reduce the digital divide through access to digital literacy resources and tools that have allowed Latino professionals and business owners to participate more actively in the digital economy. There has been an additional focus to help build a sustainable Latino community through initiatives that contribute to strengthening local climate resiliency strategies and advancing environmental justice. "Empowerment begins with knowledge, said Tayde Aburto, President & CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce. Through Tu Futuro, we're not just teaching finance; we're sparking transformative journeys for individuals, families, and businesses. Together, with partners like Wells Fargo, we are building a legacy of financial wisdom and resilience for Latino communities." Tu Futuro, spearheaded by HISCEC and supported by Wells Fargo, has been pivotal in bridging knowledge gaps in finance for the Latino community specifically small business owners. Proud media partners Univision and Entravision amplify the program's reach and impact. Wells Fargo's unwavering dedication to small businesses, financial health, homeownership, and wealth creation comes to life through our support of Tu Futuro, said Jenny Flores, head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy for Wells Fargo Foundation. Together with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce and its media partners, Wells Fargo continues to inspire, educate, and cultivate brighter financial futures for countless Latino families. Tu Futuros forward-thinking initiative offers: Empowered decision making: Through financial education finance fundamentals, participants will gain control over their finances. Robust digital resources: Aiming to diminish the digital divide, the program ensures free and easy access to state-of-the-art digital tools and resources. Economic sustainability: Tu Futuro streamlines access to capital and offers tailored retirement planning resources to financially empower the Latino community in the long-term Culturally relevant resources: Recognizing the diverse tapestry of its audience, the program provides valuable resources in Spanish. More information about Tu Futuro visit www.tufuturofinanzas.com About Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce The Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce is a member of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, based in San Diego, California, with strategic partners in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. We represent the interests of the 43,000 Hispanic businesses owners who call San Diego home and contribute millions of dollars to our local communities every single year. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915303476/en/ Tayde Aburto [email protected] Source: Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) has been awarded two Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition grants from the UK Governments Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in partnership with 5G RuralDorset, Arm, British Telecom, the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone. Launched in early 2023, the ONE competition seeks to diversify the supply chain for the countrys wireless networks while advancing Open Radio Access Network (RAN) architectures. A total of 80 million was made available for projects addressing three key barriers to the adoption of Open RAN networks: high demand density (HDD) network optimization; RAN intelligent controller (RIC) and other RAN software automation; and radio frequency (RF) hardware and component development. Keysight and its industry partners were awarded grants for: HiPer-RAN Program: Working with the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, British Telecom, and other industry partners, Keysight will jointly develop a highly efficient, secure, and scalable RIC with advanced control modules. Working with the University of Surrey, Virgin Media O2, British Telecom, and other industry partners, Keysight will jointly develop a highly efficient, secure, and scalable RIC with advanced control modules. 5G RuralDorset Program: Working with 5G RuralDorset, Vodafone, Arm, and other industry partners, Keysight will jointly deploy an end-to-end Open RAN network by co-developing various Open RAN network components, specifically in the areas of RIC artificial intelligence / machine learning and security algorithms. A major focus of both projects will be the RIC network component, which controls and optimizes Open RAN network performances and enables the deployment of third-party software applications that automate network functions at scale. In addition, the projects will address network energy savings and network security. Both projects will use the Keysight Open RAN Architect (KORA) solution to emulate Open RAN networks to enable the testing and optimization of RIC and associated software. KORA offers integrated solutions that accelerate the development, integration, and deployment of O-RAN-compliant equipment. Dr. David Owens, Head of 5G Technical Trials at Virgin Media O2, said: The development of a RAN Intelligent Controller solution is a critical part of deploying a viable Open RAN network and will bring critical capabilities that will increase the efficiency and the security of our networks. By partnering with Keysight and leveraging its O-RAN solution portfolio, we will be a key part of this development and deployment of the final solution. James Grayling, Open RAN Product Integration Manager at Vodafone, said: A multi-vendor ecosystem represents an opportunity to drive operational efficiency and innovation throughout the technology ecosystem. This is a new way of working which bring clear and substantial benefits. We have embraced Open RAN at the core of our business, and we are excited to explore the opportunities with Keysight Technologies and other partners. Mosaab Abughalib, Senior Director and General Manager for Keysights Network Emulation Group, said: Keysight is pleased to partner with the industry and the UK government to advance the efforts towards an open network architecture and will bring together our solutions and expertise to resolve complex interoperability challenges that will enable successful network deployments. A key focus area will be on advancing AI/ML and network security algorithms. On September 18, unions, including UILM, FIM-CISL, Fismic, and Uglm called for a one-day strike at Stellantis' (NYSE: STLA) Melfi plant in southern Italy in response to the carmaker's lack of communication regarding its future production plans at the facility. In June, the Franco-Italian company had revealed its intention to manufacture five new models at the Melfi plant, which employs over 5,000 workers. However, the production of the fifth model was "subject to performance improvement". In a statement issued by the unions, they reported that during a meeting held on Friday, Stellantis declined to provide them with any updates regarding the fifth model and the specific models that will be produced at the Melfi plant pending further discussions with the Italian government regarding a broader agreement. Marco Lomio, who serves as the regional leader of UILM is urging Melfi plant employees to participate in an 8-hour strike during each of the three scheduled shifts on Mondays. This will result in a complete shutdown of the facility on that particular day. It's important to note that this strike is unrelated to the ongoing labor actions taking place in the United States, involving the United Auto Workers and three Detroit automakers: General Motors (NYSE: GM), Ford Motor (NYSE: F), and Stellantis. Shares of STLA are up 2.26% near end of day trading on Friday. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] Reuters reported Friday that as Citigroup (NYSE: C) launches its "sweeping reorganization," compliance and risk management support staff are some of the most likely to lose their jobs. Citing sources, the publication revealed that technology staff currently focused on overlapping functions are also at risk, with managers at the bank said to have already started discussions and one-on-one meetings with employees regarding potential layoffs. On Wednesday, Citi announced a restructuring plan that will "cut down management layers" and see some workers lose jobs in order to speed up decision-making. According to Reuters, Citi executives leading revenue-producing businesses held calls on Wednesday, explaining the changes and reassuring their teams. Citi believes the restructuring will "fully align its management structure with its business strategy and simplify the bank." "These changes eliminate unnecessary complexity across the bank, increase accountability for delivering excellent client service and strengthen our ability to benefit from the natural linkages that exist amongst our businesses, all with an eye toward delivering on our medium-term targets and our Transformation," said Citi CEO Jane Fraser. By Sam Boughedda TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CIK Telecom, now the largest independent internet service provider in the Canadian telecommunications industry, is proud to announce its 20th anniversary. This milestone marks two decades of delivering cutting-edge services, fostering customer relationships, and positively contributing to diverse communities across Canada. Founded in 2003, CIK Telecom embarked on a journey to transform the telecommunications landscape in Canada. From its humble beginnings, the company quickly rose to prominence by providing affordable, reliable, and high-speed internet solutions to homes and businesses. CIK's commitment to innovation paved the way for its expansion, with an extensive range of services, including internet, home phone, and IPTV, and its latest innovation, SuperFibre internet. Customer Appreciation: The Heart of CIK Over the years, CIK Telecom has prioritized customer satisfaction above all else. Its success story is incomplete without the unwavering support of thousands of customers who have chosen CIK as their trusted service provider. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, CIK is extending its gratitude to customers with exciting promotions, exclusive offers, and enhanced service features such as higher download and upload speeds. CIK would not have been able to grow this big without its customers. Continued Commitment to Giving Back to the Community and the Future CIK Telecom's journey has been about more than just business growth, it has been about creating a positive impact. From day one, CIK has been dedicated to giving back to the communities it serves. Through various initiatives, partnerships, and contributions, CIK has played an active role in supporting local causes, education, and digital inclusion programs. "We are immensely proud to celebrate our 20th anniversary," said Jordan Deng, CEO at CIK Telecom. "This milestone is a testament to our team's dedication, the loyalty of our customers, and our commitment to making a positive difference in this difficult and expensive telecommunications landscape in Canada. As we reflect on our journey, we are excited to continue innovating, providing affordable services, improving customer experiences, and contributing to the communities that have embraced us. We know the road ahead of us is tough, especially now that we know that most independent ISPs were forced to sell to the big incumbents. We want everyone to know; that we will continue the fight and not succumb to any pressure to sell out." As CIK Telecom looks towards the future, innovation remains at the forefront. To keep up with the evolving digital landscape, the company plans to introduce even faster internet speeds, enhanced services, and new technologies with its own SuperFibre internet technology. CIK is building its own fibre network in Markham and Richmond Hill to be fully independent of the incumbent ISPs. Additionally, CIK will continue to invest in initiatives that empower local communities, bridge the digital divide, and create a brighter future for all in Canada. In its 20th year and beyond, CIK Telecom remains committed to its core values of integrity, customer-centricity, and community engagement. For more information about CIK Telecom and its offerings, please visit https://www.ciktel.com/CommunitySupport About CIK Telecom CIK Telecom is the largest independent telecommunications company serving Canada for two decades with offers for both residential and business telecom services including high-speed Cable and DSL internet, Fibre internet, Home Phone, Digital TV, and Home Security services. Today, CIK has over 400 employees providing services and support to over 250,000 customers. CIK is dedicated to connecting and empowering even more communities and shaping a brighter digital future for all. Contact Management of Public Relations CIK Telecom [email protected] Source: CIK Telecom Denver, Colorado, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Daniels Fund is excited to announce the opening of the application for the Daniels Scholarship Program, providing a life-changing opportunity for students looking to pursue their higher education dreams. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming high school seniors are encouraged to apply to become 2024 Daniels Scholars at DanielsFund.org/Scholarships by 4:00 p.m. MST on Oct. 15 to be considered for the scholarship. The Daniels Scholarship Program provides the opportunity for motivated students to attend the college of their choice. The scholarship can be used at any two- or four-year nonprofit, accredited college or university in the United States. The Daniels Fund expects to award approximately 200 scholarships to the graduating class of 2024 in March. Since 2000, the Daniels Fund has provided more than $250 million to over 5,000 scholars. Bill Daniels believed a great education can be game-changing for young people with great potential, strong character, and big dreams, said Daniels Fund President and CEO Hanna Skandera. We look forward to supporting the next generation of leaders, and the positive impact they will make with this opportunity. Eligibility requirements: Be a graduating high school senior. Be a resident of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming. Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in high school (on an unweighted 4.0 scale). Earn a minimum SAT math score of 490 and a minimum evidence-based reading and writing score of 490, or a minimum ACT score of 18 in each category (writing score not required). The applicant's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less on their 2022 tax return on which the applicant is claimed as a dependent. Additional income is allowed for additional dependents; visit the Daniels Fund website for specific details and examples. What the scholarship covers: Daniels Scholars will receive a full ride if they attend a partner school within Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. A full list of partner schools is available at DanielsFund.org/partnerschools. Scholars who choose to attend a school outside the Daniels Funds four-state region can receive up to $100,000 over four years for educational expenses. Scholars attending schools within the four-state region outside of the partnership agreement can receive $30,000 over four years for educational expenses. All Daniels Scholars also receive a laptop computer, networking opportunities, leadership development opportunities, and career development. 2024 Daniels Scholars will be announced in March 2024. To learn more about the Daniels Scholarship Program or to apply, please visit DanielsFund.org/Scholarships. About the Daniels Fund The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more. ### High resolution images, video, and testimonials that can be used in coverage are available for download here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4m9s2w8pa0837gm/AABtvqf0e3hVonjnwPbJ3BESa?dl=0 Bruce Wilmsen Daniels Fund 720.941.4429 [email protected] Source: Daniels Fund Shanghai, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DongCheng, a leading manufacturer of power tools and accessories, is thrilled to announce that its Cordless Grinder - Driver Tool has been awarded the 2023 French Design Gold Award. The innovative Grinder and Screwdriver 2-in-1 work tool has set a new standard in convenience and versatility, while also meeting the highest standards of aesthetics, innovation, ergonomics, and design impact. "We are absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award and to be recognized for our commitment to innovation and design," said the product's designer. This rotary tool is a game-changer for the industry and we are proud to offer a product that not only improves safety and usability, but also contributes to a more sustainable future. The patented internal structural layout of one motor and two output components at opposite ends to ensure non-interference during operation and the clever placement of the anti-disoperation switch lock make the tool easier to operate, enhancing its safety and usability. Additionally, the tool is made from recycled flame-retardant materials, ensuring it remains useful even after its useful life is over. DongCheng 2-in-1 Cordless Grinder - Driver Tool (Rotary Tool) can now proudly wear the French Design Gold Award logo for life, proving its excellence in design and impact on society. DongCheng is always committed to providing customers with innovative and sustainable solutions, and looks forward to continuing to push the boundaries of design and functionality in the industry. "We dedicate this achievement to all our colleagues involved in the creative design and realization of this product, who made all our innovation efforts worthwhile, said the designer. "We will continue to innovate and apply it to more new products, while adhering to the concepts of safety, reliability and environmental protection to give back all users' trust in DongCheng products." About DongCheng DongCheng is a leading manufacturer of professional power tools, equipment and accessories, committed to providing customers with innovative, reliable, safe and sustainable solutions. DongCheng focuses on design, quality and performance, offering a wide range of products to meet the needs of professionals and tool product enthusiasts. Attachments Stella Su Jiangsu Dongcheng Import and Export Trade Co.,Ltd +8613774471137 [email protected] Source: Jiangsu Dongcheng Import and Export Trade Co.,Ltd NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP: Do you, or did you, own shares of Enviva, Inc. (NYSE: EVA)? Did you purchase your shares between November 3, 2022 and May 3, 2023, inclusive? Did you lose money in your investment in Enviva, Inc.? Do you want to discuss your rights? Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of Enviva, Inc. (Enviva or the Company) (NYSE: EVA) between November 3, 2022 and May 3, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the Complaint). If you purchased or acquired Enviva common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Enviva, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or [email protected]. According to the Complaint, Enviva develops, constructs, acquires, and operates fully contracted wood pellet production plants. These plants take wood fiber and aggregate and process it into dry, densified, uniform pellets that can be effectively stored and transported around the world. The Company, describing itself as a growth-oriented company, uses its wood pellets to displace coal and other fossil fuels to generate power and heat as part of its efforts to accelerate the transition away from conventional energy sources. Plaintiff alleges that Defendants represented that Enviva was on track to achieve EBITDA of $305-$335 million for fiscal 2023 and a yearly dividend payout of $3.62 per share, and that Envivas liquidity going into 2023 was strong. On May 3, 2023, Defendants issued a press release before the market opened, dramatically lowering their FY 2023 guidance downward and suspended Envivas dividend payments going forward. Defendants now projected that Envivas 2023 EBITDA would be substantially lower, in the range of $200-250 million, the Companys net loss would be substantially higher, increasing to a range of $136-$186 million, and its $0.905 per share quarterly dividend was eliminated. On this news, Envivas stock price declined $14.34 per share, or approximately 67.2%, to close at $21.35 per share on May 4, 2023. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 13, 2023 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. If you purchased or acquired Enviva common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Enviva, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or [email protected]. Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2023 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Peter Allocco Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 [email protected] TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: ERE.UN, ERES) is pleased to announce that the trustees of ERES have declared the September 2023 monthly cash distribution of 0.01 per Unit and Class B LP Unit (the September Distribution), being equivalent to 0.12 per Unit annualized. The distribution will be payable to holders of the Units and Class B LP Units (the Unitholders) of record on September 29, 2023, with payment on October 16, 2023. The Euro-denominated distribution will be paid in Canadian dollars based on the exchange rate on the date of payment (estimated C$0.01451 per Unit and Class B LP Unit). Registered Unitholders will be provided with an option to elect to receive such distribution in Euros rather than Canadian dollars. If no such election is made, registered Unitholders will be paid the distribution in Canadian dollars based on the above exchange rate mechanism. Beneficial Unitholders will not have an option to elect to receive the distribution in Euros. The final cash distribution in respect of August 2023 was C$0.01451 per Unit and Class B LP Unit. To encourage participation and reward our loyal Unitholders, investors registered in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan will continue to receive an additional amount equal to 5% of their distributions paid in the form of additional Units. ERES intends to continue to make regular monthly distributions, subject to the discretion of the ERES Board of Trustees. ERES continues to target a long-term AFFO payout ratio in the range of 80% to 90%. ERES Limited Partnership will make corresponding cash distributions to holders of Class B LP Units. About ERES ERES is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. ERESs Units are listed on the TSX under the symbol ERE.UN. ERES is Canadas only European-focused multi-residential REIT, with a current initial focus on investing in high-quality, multi-residential real estate properties in the Netherlands. As at June 30, 2023, ERES owns a portfolio of 158 multi-residential properties, comprised of approximately 6,900 suites and ancillary retail space located in the Netherlands, and owns one office property in Germany and one office property in Belgium. ERESs registered and principal business office is located at 11 Church Street, Suite 401, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1W1. For more information, please visit our website at www.eresreit.com. For further information ERESMr. Mark KenneyChief Executive Officer416.861.9404 [email protected] ERES Ms. Jenny Chou Chief Financial Officer 416.354.0188 [email protected] Source: European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Humane has awarded Prof. Theo B. Pagel, CEO of the Cologne Zoo in Germany, with the 2023 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation. This award was created in honor of Wolfgang F. Kiessling, the founder of Loro Parque and a global leader in conservation. Global Humanes Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation seeks to recognize those leading conservation scientists who are making positive and meaningful changes in the fields of conservation and species preservation. With the future of up to one million species under pressure, it is important that we recognize and celebrate animal conservationists who are racing against the clock to save them. Theo Pagel has led a global charge to push back the effects of what scientists call a Sixth Mass Extinction, with up to one million species at risk of disappearing forever. His ability to bring people together to make positive change for nature is inspiring, said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of Global Humane. We are so pleased to honor him with the Kiessling Prize as a hero for our planet and its animals. Pagel is the CEO of the Cologne Zoo and has led significant global change for animals. He was inspired at an early age by his father, also an animal lover, and started a breeding program in 1988 to save the endangered Bali Starling. His extraordinary breeding success both in zoos and in the wild includes the Bali Starling, the first German breeding of Little Penguin and the worlds first breeding of Elegant Pitta. What a great honour it is to receive the Kiessling Prize for Conservation. I am truly humbled, said Prof. Theo Pagel, CEO Cologne Zoo. I have always felt inspired to lead teams of enthusiastic animal experts and guide one of the most progressive and conservation-oriented zoos in Europe. Together, weve discovered new species and supported dozens of impactful conservation projects worldwide. Pagel was the former president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and currently co-chairs the international Reverse the Red (RtR) initiative of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The RtR is a global movement that ignites strategic cooperation and action to ensure the survival of wild species. There is simply no higher purpose than that to protect and preserve our worlds most precious asset animal life. It brings me great honor and pleasure to bestow this award on those who are leading the way in the field of conservation, said Wolfgang Kiessling, president, and founder of Loro Parque and Loro Parque Foundation. Media kit including photos, videos and soundbites can be found here for free use. About the Award: The Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation was created to shine an international light on those who achieve signicant positive change in the eld of conservation practice, theory, and research. The Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize committee is led by Wolfgang Kiessling, Christoph Kiessling, Cybell Kiessling, Dr. Javier Almunia, Dr. Robin Ganzert and Brad Andrews. The committee screens and votes on the applicants, ultimately choosing the top conservationist who receives the Kiessling Prize and a grant of $80,000 (U.S. currency) to help further their work to make signicant contributions to the practical application, research, and theory of species protection. The first winner of the award was Dr. Jon Paul Rodriguez, the Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. The Kiessling Prize is awarded annually. Applications for the 2024 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation will be open spring of 2024. Applicants can learn more about the prize and submit their credentials by visiting https://humaneconservation.org/kiessling/. About Wolfgang Kiessling and Loro Parque: Wolfgang Kiessling is a world-renowned conservationist and founder of Loro Parque, one of the most well-respected zoological institutions in the world, named twice #1 Zoo of the World by TripAdvisor, and known for the excellence of its facilities and its incredible work to save species on the brink of extinction. Up until today, Loro Parque Fundacion has saved 12 parrot species from extinction. Kiessling was awarded the Gold Medal of the bird journal Gefiederte Welt for the first breeding of the blue-throated macaw and was honored with the Gold Medal from the Government of the Canary Islands, the Gold Medal from the Government of Spain, named Adoptive Son of Tenerife by the Island Council as well as the Town of Puerto de la Cruz, and was also honored with Spains highest distinction: the Principe Felipe Award for Business Excellence. Founded in 1972 by Kiessling, Loro Parque was initially created as a paradise for parrots and began its journey with only 150 parrots. The park, located on the island of Tenerife in Spains Canary Islands, now has more than 4,000 specimens of 350 different species and subspecies of parrots, demonstrating its outstanding success in boosting the parrot population. Loro Parque is also home to flamingos, cranes, penguins, and swans, as well as many species of mammals and marine life. As billions of human beings exhaust the worlds resources, Loro Parque plays a critical role in education, science, and conservation. In 2017, Loro Parque become the first zoo in Europe to receive Global Humane Certification, reinforcing its recognition as a global leader in animal welfare. About Global Humane Global Humane is the international brand of American Humane, which is the United States first national humane organization and the worlds largest certifier of animal welfare, helping to verify the humane treatment of more than one billion animals across the globe each year. Founded in 1877, American Humane has been First to Serve the cause of animals and for 145 years has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in the humane movement. For more information or to support our lifesaving work, please visit www.AmericanHumane.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our channel on YouTube for the latest breaking news and features about the animals with whom we share our Earth. Media Contact: Judy Palermo[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95200b90-dc13-4111-9cb3-260cab5eb499 Global Humane Awards Prof. Theo B. Pagel with the 2023 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation Global Humane President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert presents the 2023 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation to Prof. Theo B. Pagel along with Prize namesake, Wolfgang Kiessling, Founder of Loro Parque and Global Humane Board Chair, John Payne. Image taken on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Images for American Humane) Source: Global Humane TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guardian Capital LP announces the following regular cash distributions for the period ending September 30, 2023, in respect of the ETF series of the Guardian Capital funds listed below (the Guardian Capital ETFs). In each case, the distribution will be paid on September 29, 2023 to unitholders of record on September 25, 2023. The ex-dividend date in each case is September 22, 2023. Guardian Capital ETFs Series of ETF Units DistributionFrequency TSX TradingSymbol Distribution Amount(per ETF Unit) Guardian Directed Equity Path ETF Hedged ETF Units Monthly GDEP CAD$0.0746 Guardian Directed Equity Path ETF Unhedged ETF Units Monthly GDEP.B CAD$0.0684 Guardian Directed Premium Yield ETF Hedged ETF Units Monthly GDPY CAD$0.1231 Guardian Directed Premium Yield ETF Unhedged ETF Units Monthly GDPY.B CAD$0.1133 GuardPath Managed Decumulation 2042 Fund ETF Units Monthly GPMD CAD$0.0667 Guardian Ultra-Short Canadian T-Bill Fund ETF Units Monthly GCTB CAD$0.1974 Guardian Ultra-Short U.S. T-Bill Fund ETF Units Monthly GUTB.U US$0.2019 Guardian i3 Global Quality Growth ETF Hedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQG CAD$01 Guardian i3 Global Quality Growth ETF Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQG.B CAD$01 Guardian i3 US Quality Growth ETF Hedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQU CAD$0.0192 Guardian i3 US Quality Growth ETF Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQU.B CAD$0.0192 Guardian i3 Global REIT ETF Hedged ETF Units Quarterly GIGR CAD$0.1183 Guardian i3 Global REIT ETF Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GIGR.B CAD$0.1183 Guardian Canadian Bond ETF ETF Units Quarterly GCBD CAD$0.1250 Guardian Canadian Sector Controlled Equity Fund Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GCSC CAD$0.1083 About Guardian Capital LPGuardian Capital LP is the manager and portfolio manager of the Guardian Capital Funds and Guardian Capital ETFs, with capabilities that span a range of asset classes, geographic regions and specialty mandates. Additionally, Guardian Capital LP manages portfolios for institutional clients such as defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments and investment funds. Guardian Capital LP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian Capital Group Limited and the successor to its original investment management business, which was founded in 1962. For further information on Guardian Capital LP, please call 416-350-8899 or visit www.guardiancapital.com. About Guardian Capital Group Limited Guardian Capital Group Limited (Guardian) is a global financial services company, which provides extensive investment management services to institutional, retail and private high and ultra-high-net worth clients through its subsidiaries. As at June 30, 2023, Guardian had C$56.5 billion of total client assets, while managing a proprietary investment portfolio with a fair market value of C$1.27 billion. Founded in 1962, Guardians reputation for steady growth, long-term relationships and its core values of trustworthiness, integrity and stability have been key to its success over six decades. Its Common and Class A shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as GCG and GCG.A, respectively. To learn more about Guardian, visit www.guardiancapital.com. For further information, please contact: Angela Shim[email protected] Unlike traditional exchange traded funds (ETFs), the GuardPath Managed Decumulation 2042 Fund (the GuardPath ETF) is a unique investment fund structure and investors should carefully consider whether their financial condition and investment objectives are aligned with this retirement-focused investment. The GuardPath ETF may be suitable for an investor primarily concerned about having sufficient income in retirement, especially in the later years of their life. It may not be suitable for an investor whose primary objective is to leave capital behind for their estate. The GuardPath ETF is not an insurance company, nor an insurance or annuity contract and unitholders will not have the protections of insurance laws. Distributions provided by the GuardPath ETF are not guaranteed or backed by an insurance company or any third party. The long-term total return and the sustainability of the rate of distributions of the GuardPath ETF may be impacted by volatility and sequence of returns risk. This is not a complete list of the risks associated with an investment in the GuardPath ETF. Please refer to the prospectus of the GuardPath ETF for details. This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase Guardian Capital ETFs and is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, and should not be relied upon in that regard. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in the Guardian Capital ETFs. Please read the prospectus before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of an ETF on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). If the units are purchased or sold on the TSX, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the ETF and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. ETF and mutual fund securities, including units of the Guardian Capital ETFs, are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that the Guardian Ultra-Short Canadian T-Bill Fund or the Guardian Ultra-Short U.S. T-Bill Fund will be able to maintain the net asset value per unit of the mutual fund units at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the Guardian Capital ETFs will be returned to you. All trademarks, registered and unregistered, are owned by Guardian Capital Group Limited and are used under licence. 1 There is no quarterly distribution for this series of ETF units, in respect of the period ending September 30, 2023. Source: Guardian Capital LP SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IPG (Intertape Polymer Group), a leading manufacturer of highly automated packaging machinery and turnkey solutions, has launched the new Tishma brand AMS (Auto Mailer Machine) in partnership with Garrido Printing Equipment out of Miami, FL. Tishma brand AMS (Auto Mailer System) The AMS is a revolutionary design that automatically creates a right sized, paper mailable package around each order. This high speed, inline system adjusts the creation of the mailer length to the product need, at a rate of 30 mailers per minute in random, or up to 80 per minute in a batched mode. With a linear, compact design, it features large roll loading with a 50 diameter x 32 wide x 20,000 linear feet that can potentially produce 15,000 mailers from a single roll of paper. This continuous motion system includes six feet of motorized infeed conveyor with IPGs patent pending horizontal and cross sealing technology. Continuous operation combined with large roll formats will have an immediate benefit increasing productivity with little to no downtime relative to changeovers, states Rob Hoffman, IPG Senior Director of Sales. Additional features include license plate barcodes by ink jet or label, integrated print and shipping label application, and WMS integration capability. Our solution immediately reduces labor, consumption and material waste while retaining a high level of product protection, states Micah Ordway, IPG Product Manager Advanced Automation. The AMS eliminates the need to purchase or stock a variety of pre-made mailer cases and pallet positions. The paper is recyclable for the end consumer, but also greatly reduces facility waste associated with stocked manual mailers. Its patent pending technology offers shipping cost savings with options to weigh, scan the order, barcode and/or apply the shipping label. It is a cutting-edge, fully automated solution for mailer production needs. Our revolutionary and proprietary heat sealable paper is an added benefit that eliminates the complexity of additional glues or glue strips to be applied, Ordway concluded. For more information regarding the AMS or other advanced automation solutions in Cartoning, Case Packing, Robotics, Palletizing, Standalone Machinery or Turnkey innovation, please contact Rob Hoffman ([email protected]). About IPGHeadquartered in Sarasota, Florida, IPG is a global provider of packaging and protective solutions across a diversified set of geographies and end-markets. The Company develops, manufactures, and sells a variety of solutions including paper and film-based pressure-sensitive and water-activated tapes, stretch and shrink films, protective packaging, woven and non-woven products and packaging machinery. For information about the IPG, visit www.itape.com. About Tishma TechnologiesPurchased by IPG in 2020 with 45 years of machine building expertise, Tishma combines quality craftsmanship, top-notch technology, and innovation for modular designs that accommodate todays flexible packaging machinery requirements. Located in Schaumburg, Illinois, Tishma has implemented 1,200+ advanced automation projects installed around the world. With high speed, continuous motion, and robotic integration, it serves the major industry needs in food, pharma, confections, beverage, and warehousing. For information about Tishma Technologies, visit www.tminn.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Rob Hoffman Senior Director of Sales [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3b52fe4-079b-4caf-a522-1e9e8c6e2e9c Tishma brand AMS (Auto Mailer System) IPG launches Tishma brand AMS Fully Automated Inline Paper Mailer System with right size technology Source: Intertape Polymer Corp CLEVELAND, OHIO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MALACHITE INNOVATIONS, INC. (OTC Mkts: MLCT) (Malachite) announces the launch of Catalyst Land Ventures, LLC (Catalyst Land), a new wholly-owned subsidiary focused on acquiring, rehabilitating and repurposing underutilized land in Appalachia to drive economic activity in disadvantaged fossil fuel-dependent communities. Malachite also announces the closing of a $1.0 million capital raise and the purchase of approximately 1,600 acres of former mine land in Lincoln County, West Virginia (Former Mine Land). Catalyst Land Ventures Catalyst Land is a newly-formed, wholly-owned subsidiary focused on acquiring, rehabilitating and repurposing undervalued and underutilized real estate throughout the Appalachian Region. Consistent with Malachites mission driven approach to improving the health and wellness of people and the planet, Catalyst Land is targeting challenging land opportunities in the most disadvantaged areas of Appalachia. Catalyst Land is prioritizing communities transitioning from an economic dependency on fossil fuels, primarily coal, to other high-growth sustainable and eco-friendly industries, including renewable energy, agriculture, and recreation. $1.0 Million Capital Raise On August 24, 2023, Malachite raised $1.0 million from Indemnity National Insurance Company (Indemnity National) with the proceeds used to fund the purchase of the Former Mine Land. Indemnity National purchased 6,666,667 shares of Malachites common stock in a privately-placed transaction at a price of $0.15 per share. Former Mine Land Purchase On September 11, 2023, CLV Azurite Land, LLC (CLV Azurite), a newly created special purpose vehicle wholly-owned by Catalyst Land, purchased the Former Mine Land through a Special Warranty Deed entered into between CLV Azurite and ERP Environmental Fund, Inc. pursuant to which CLV Azurite acquired the Former Mine Land for a purchase price of approximately $900,000. The purchase did not include any associated mining permits or reclamation bond obligations. CLV Azurite intends to rehabilitate and repurpose the Former Mine Land into a next-generation commercial use that creates jobs and drives economic activity for the nearby communities in Lincoln County, West Virginia. Catalyst Land is an integral part of our ecosystem of complementary businesses and will focus on acquiring, reclaiming, and repurposing underutilized former mine sites to reinvigorate local communities historically reliant on coal mining, stated Michael Cavanaugh, Malachites Chief Executive Officer. Our purchase of over 1,600 acres of former mine land is exemplary of our strategy to develop sustainable long-term economic activity and financial security for families living in these hard-hit coal communities. Were hard at work developing job creating plans for this new site and are committed to being an authentic leader in the transformation of former coal communities into diversified, sustainable economies for generations to come, added Cavanaugh. About Malachite Innovations, Inc. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Malachite Innovations, Inc. is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people and the planet through a novel and innovative approach to impact investing. Malachites operating businesses focus on developing long-term solutions to environmental, social and health challenges, with a particular focus on economically disadvantaged communities. Malachite takes an opportunistic approach to impact investing by leveraging its competitive advantages and looking at solving old problems in new ways. Malachite seeks to thoughtfully allocate its capital into ventures that are expected to make a positive impact on the people-planet ecosystem and generate strong investment returns for its shareholders. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in Section 27(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Although we believe that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they are subject to numerous factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those indicated in such statements. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies, timing of clinical trials and product development, business strategy and new lines of business. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Malachite Innovations, Inc.Investor RelationsP: +1 (216) 304-6556E: [email protected]W: www.malachiteinnovations.com Source: Malachite Innovations, Inc. Be Rail Smart on or around rail property and help prevent accidents and injuries at rail crossings Help share the message during Rail Safety Week (Sept. 18-24) MONTREAL, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) will offer members of the media the opportunity to talk with CN police officers in uniform during Rail Safety Week, an annual public awareness campaign that runs from September 18-24. Now in its 20th year, CN officers will travel across the country and into communities to conduct safety initiatives at commuter and railway crossings, share rail safety tips and highlight the dangers of trespassing on railway tracks and property. CN invites media to engage their regional CN contact to arrange onsite, in-studio or on-air interviews. The CN media relations team is also happy to offer visual elements suitable for on-camera interviews, online platforms, and print. CN is a proud partner of Rail Safety Week, and our goal is to keep everyone safe on and around the railway throughout the year. With the help of the communities we serve, schools and our media partners, we share important messages about rail crossing safety and the dangers of trespassing throughout North America. Safety is everyones responsibility and together we can save lives at railroad crossings and on tracks. About CN Police Every year, CN Police Services respond to hundreds of events across the eight Canadian provinces and 16 U.S. states within our network. In addition to protecting CN property, CNPS officers deliver rail safety presentations to schools, trucking agencies, bus operators and community organizations. By rolling out strategic educational initiatives and conducting targeted operations, CNPS aims to promote safe behaviours and increase awareness of rail safety. CNPS is committed to making CN the safest railroad in North America. For more information or an interview with CN Police, select a link below: Alberta Atlantic British Columbia Manitoba Ontario Quebec Saskatchewan US Canada Contact : HOUSTON, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MRC Global Inc. (NYSE: MRC) will release its third quarter 2023 results on November 7, 2023, after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, the company will host a conference call and webcast: What: MRC Global Third Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call and Webcast When: Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Central How: Via phone Dial 201-689-8261 and ask for the MRC Global call prior to the start time, or Via webcast Visit our website http://www.mrcglobal.com in the investor relations section A replay of the call will be available through November 22, 2023, by dialing 201-612-7415 using passcode 13740768#. An archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call at www.mrcglobal.com for 90 days. About MRC Global Inc.Headquartered in Houston, Texas, MRC Global (NYSE: MRC) is the leading global distributor of pipe, valves, fittings (PVF) and other infrastructure products and services to diversified end-markets including the gas utilities, downstream, industrial and energy transition, and production and transmission infrastructure sectors. With over 100 years of experience, MRC Global has provided customers with innovative supply chain solutions, technical product expertise and a robust digital platform from a worldwide network of 216 locations including valve and engineering centers. The companys unmatched quality assurance program offers over 250,000 SKUs from over 9,000 suppliers, simplifying the supply chain for approximately 10,000 customers. Find out more at www.mrcglobal.com Contact: Monica BroughtonVP, Investor Relations & TreasuryMRC Global Inc. [email protected] 832-308-2847 Source: MRC Global Continues to urge shareholders to vote on the BLUE proxy for NorthWests incumbent Board of seven directors at the upcoming annual meeting of the Companys shareholders, as recommended by the two leading independent North American proxy advisors, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass Lewis & Co., LLC. proxy for NorthWests incumbent Board of seven directors at the upcoming annual meeting of the Companys shareholders, as recommended by the two leading independent North American proxy advisors, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass Lewis & Co., LLC. For voting assistance or information, shareholders can contact Kingsdale Advisors, at 1-888-518-1565 (toll-free in North America), 1-647-251-9704 (collect call outside North America), email [email protected] , or visit www.ProtectNWST.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthWest Copper Corp. ("NorthWest" or the "Company") (TSXV: NWST) (OTCQX: NWCCF) today announced that the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) has dismissed the Companys application regarding the conduct of an activist group (the Activist Group). NorthWest made the application to try to ensure that shareholders had full access to information about the Activist Group and their alleged joint-actor conduct. NorthWest is disappointed by the decision, and still believes that the Activist Groups disclosure was inadequate and misleading. While the application may have been dismissed, the behaviour of the Activist Group nonetheless remains very concerning to the Company and its shareholders and in fact may threaten their investment. The Company again thanks shareholders for the strong support it has received already and shareholders continued rejection of the Activist Groups self-interested agenda, lack of a plan and inferior nominees. Many shareholders have indicated that they intend to vote FOR NorthWests seven Director nominees. However, we urge all shareholders to vote their BLUE proxy without delay for NorthWests incumbent Board at the upcoming annual meeting of the Companys shareholders (the Meeting). NorthWests Board consists of seven highly capable and experienced directors. Over the last 12 months, NorthWest has refreshed both the Board and management team to guide the Companys future growth. As previously disclosed, the incumbent Board has also been supported by the two leading independent North American proxy advisors, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) and Glass Lewis & Co., LLC. (Glass Lewis). The proxy voting deadline is 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on September 22, 2023 or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays or statutory holidays in British Columbia) prior to the time and date to which the Meeting is adjourned or postponed. The Meeting is scheduled for September 26, 2023 at the offices of Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP, Suite 2200, HSBC Building, 885 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3E8. Vote BLUE! Every Vote Counts NorthWest urges shareholders to vote the BLUE proxy as recommended by both ISS and Glass Lewis. Shareholders are urged to carefully review the Companys Letter to Shareholders and Circular, which can be found on www.ProtectNWST.com as well as on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Company's website (www.northwestcopper.ca). Vote FOR NorthWests refreshed Board, its strengthened executive team, and its strategic action plan designed to advance NorthWests mineral assets without delay. Instructions To Vote BLUE Every vote is important. Even if you have never voted before and no matter how many shares you own, becoming a voter is fast and easy. Heres how: To Vote FOR, vote the BLUE proxy. Follow the instructions on the BLUE proxy or VIF. Vote online: a. Registered shareholders: https://login.odysseytrust.com/pxlogin b. Non-registered shareholders: www.proxyvote.com NorthWest shareholders can contact Kingsdale Advisors by calling 1-888-518-1565 (toll-free in North America), calling or texting 1-647-251-9704 (collect call outside North America) or by email at [email protected] or visit www.ProtectNWST.com for more information. Vote BLUE To Protect Your Investment in NorthWest. For further information, please contact: Investor contact:Peter Lekich, Director Investor RelationsTel:778-389-2446Email: [email protected] Media contact:Longview Communications and Public AffairsAlan Bayless (604) 417-9645; [email protected] Joel Shaffer: (416) 649-8006; [email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to: the plans and intentions of the activist group of shareholders; and the plans and intentions of the Company. Wherever possible, words such as may, will, should, could, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict or potential or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in NorthWests periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking information are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from NorthWests expectations include risks associated with the business of NorthWest; risks related to a change in the current Board or management of the Company; risks related to reliance on technical information provided by NorthWest; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Companys mineral properties; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and First Nation groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in NorthWests filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the information are made. NorthWest does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Source: NorthWest Copper Corp. ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland & Labrador, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MADD Canada presented its Team Nick Coates Awards to 12 police officers today for their work to take impaired drivers off provincial roads and highways. This years awards honour 5 officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and 7 officers from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC). A new award was established this year the Top Performer Award to highlight the officer from each police service who took the most impaired drivers off the road. On behalf of our National Board of Directors, our Newfoundland and Labrador Chapters and Community Leaders, and most especially the victims and survivors we serve, MADD Canada is proud to recognize the amazing work of these officers, said MADD Canadas Chief Executive Officer Steve Sullivan. We are so grateful for everything they do to prevent impaired driving and make roads and communities safer. MADD Canada established the Team Nick Coates Awards in 2019 to recognize police officers for their efforts to detect and apprehend impaired drivers. Officers who have taken a minimum of 12 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Gold Award. Officers who have taken at least 8 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Silver Award. Officers also receive certificates and special challenge coins. (Charges/sanctions are based on Criminal Code investigations or 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition program sanctions.) The award is named in honour of Nick Coates, who was killed by an impaired driver in August of 2013. Nick was riding his motorcycle back from a work meeting when he was hit by a pick-up truck driven by a man who had been drinking the night before and the morning of the crash. Just 27 years old, Nick was working his dream job as a civil engineer and was engaged to be married. This years awards ceremony, held at RCMP Headquarters in St. Johns, included: Nicks father Terry Coates and stepmother Patricia Hynes-Coates, who is a former National President of MADD Canada; Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Ebert, Commanding Officer of RCMP Newfoundland and Labrador; Deputy Chief Colin McNeil, RNC; and MADD Canada Chief Executive Officer Steve Sullivan. Awards were presented to: 2022/2023 RCMP RecipientsCst. Cassandra Barker Silver (8)Cst. Jules Gittens Silver (9)Cst. Mackenzie McCoy Silver (8)Cst. Caleb Pellerin Gold (57)Cpl. Raymond Whalen Gold (13) 2022/2023 RNC RecipientsCst. Michael Carter Silver (10)Cst. Shane McClafferty Silver (9)Cst. Terence Reid Silver (8)Cst. Kurt Etchegary Gold (12)Cst. Geoffrey Heffernan Gold (17)Cst. Cody Langmead Gold (103)Cst. Bernard Morgan Gold (27) The new Top Performer Award was presented to RCMP Cst. Caleb Pellerin and RNC Cst. Cody Langmead for achieving the highest number of charges and sanctions for their respective police services. Impaired driving continues to have devastating impacts on individuals and families in this province, which is very unfortunate given these impacts are entirely preventable, said RCMP NL Commanding Officer Jennifer Ebert. I commend MADD Canada on its important work and for recognizing our police officers for their commitment to making roads safer for everyone. The pain of losing a loved one to an impaired driver is immeasurable and as demonstrated by the officers being recognized today, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is dedicated to removing impaired drivers from our roadways, said Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Chief Patrick R. Roche. We continue to increase the number of officers trained as breath technicians and drug recognition experts. We are doing our part, and I challenge all residents of the province to do their part too. If you indulge in alcohol or drugs, do not drive. Plan ahead. Please call police whenever you suspect an impaired driver. Doing so could save a life. MADD Canada thanks Patricia Hynes-Coates, Terry Coates, the RCMP and the RNC for their ongoing support of the Awards program and this annual presentation ceremony. The tragic consequences of impaired driving were powerfully illustrated prior to todays ceremony as MADD Canada unveiled a memorial bench in honour of John F. Martin, who was killed by an impaired driver in 1986. The memorial bench is located at the entrance to Upper Three Corner Pond Park on Bauline Line in Torbay. For more information, contact: Shayla Morag Steeves, MADD Canada Atlantic Regional Manager, 1-866-798-6233 or [email protected] Corporal Jolene Garland, Media Relations Officer, RCMP NL, 709-772-6170 or [email protected] Cst. James. C. Cadigan, Media Relations & Public Communication, RNC, 709-729-8658 or [email protected] Source: MADD Canada TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- nowly and Teachers Life Insurance today announced the 2023 Press Start CoLab grant recipients, a cohort of nine separate projects developed by young Canadians that address various mental health challenges in Canada. With $50,000 of seed funding from nowly and Teachers Life, as well as an additional $11,000 from OTIP, grant recipients can continue to develop original programs that will create meaningful change in our communities. The Press Start CoLab Program is a unique accelerator helping the next generation of young leaders, activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and critical thinkers tackle pressing social issues facing Canadians today. Over the course of 10 weeks, 50 program participants aged 18-29 had access to industry and impact experts who mentored them through the ideation process to develop innovative solutions focused on mental health across four areas: 1) accessibility and navigation of mental health services; 2) stigma and misinformation around mental health; 3) diversity and cultural sensitivity in mental health resources; and 4) inclusive and evidence-based research on mental health. A judging panel reviewed the proposals submitted by the 2023 Press Start CoLab participants and awarded funding to the following: Frog Pockets by Chey Kidd: designed for Canadians with sensory needs, Frog Pockets is a sensory-friendly clothing company that features innovative designs such as a hoodie with a large front pocket with snap-in custom liners such as soft fur or beaded ropes and an extra-large hood to accommodate sensitive necks, among other sensory-friendly options. Our Safehouse by Sierra Patey: a not-for-profit recovery cafe that provides online services to help those struggling with suicidal ideations navigate mental health services and social support systems to reduce suicide attempts. Reset by Alexander Lam: an app that guides individuals to take control of their mental wellbeing and to manage anxiety through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, transforming the way mental health care is delivered by combining the latest software development methodologies and evidence-based therapeutic techniques. CogniLink by Mathew Gaiser and Nicholas Lor: a platform for mental health researchers that features ready-to-go cohorts of potential study participants, reducing the time and effort required to identify and recruit study participants so researchers can stay focused on the science. The Chronic Illness Group Program by Karima Leslie: a virtual program customized for female creatives, entrepreneurs, and aspiring business owners with invisible, physical, chronic illness to improve mental wellbeing by addressing a broad range of mental, financial, emotional, physical, and environmental health issues. Rural Queer Survival Guide by Mabe Kyle: making mental health resources developed by and for rural 2SLGBTQIAP+ (Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual) youth more readily available across rural Canadian communities. jargon by Karen Huo: Canadas first virtual science cafe designed to connect young scholars and academics with their local communities to aid in disseminating and promoting mental health research in a social and accessible environment. Trans Healthcare Database by Ilya Robinson: The Trans Healthcare Database is a centralized transgender healthcare database providing more access to information and healthcare to deliver better mental health outcomes for trans youth. Plan Gratitude by Eileen Danaee: Plan Gratitude is an online website in both English and French that allows middle and secondary school students in participating Canadian schools to send anonymous messages of gratitude to anyone within the same school community (teachers, friends, staff, etc.). The mental health crisis today is both multi-faceted and unprecedented, but there is hope, said Martha Turner Osborne, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer of nowly Insurance, a division of Teachers Life. Each of the program participants brought unique lived experiences and insights to their proposals, and its inspiring to see how passionate and committed they each are to making a difference for all Canadians. Nowly and Teachers Life would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2023 Press Start Co-Lab, with special thanks to partner OTIP for the additional funding that enabled us to expand the grant recipient pool. Nowly and Teachers Life also want to thank the following thought leaders that serve as mentors to CoLab participants: Emma Aiken-Klar, Jessie Brar, Cheesan Chew, Katie Fenn, Jonathan Friedman, Patrick Glinski, Krista Hajovic, Keosha Love, Faduma Mohamed, Jonny Morris, and Cher Peng. As well, this years MC for the Program, Kwame Osei. And special thanks to its partners for the 2023 CoLab, including: Common Good Solutions, Inspiring Communities, Kids Help Phone, Loran Scholars Foundation, The Journal That Talks Back, and The Sandbox Project. For more information on the Press Start CoLab program, please visit https://nowly.ca/pressstart/colab/. About nowly nowly is a new type of insurance, offering Canadians affordable and accessible insurance on an innovative and streamlined platform, instantly. Backed by over 80 years of industry experience, nowly members will receive instant coverage and world class health and wellness benefits. As a nowly member, you are eligible for healthy living benefits by global leader Virgin Pulse and an annual 50-dollar Living Healthy rebate on any health and wellness app or membership. You can feel confident knowing you are joining a company committed to investing in lasting social impact through their new, innovative give back program called Press Start. nowly is a trademark of Teachers Life Insurance Society (Fraternal) "Teachers Life". Find out more at www.nowly.com. Media Contact: Sarah Mees [email protected] 617-462-8066 Source: Press Start NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) between February 21, 2019 and August 14, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period) of the important October 31, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Discover Financial 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 Discover Financial class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7773 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 October 31, 2023. 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 litigate 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, defendants made false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) DFS maintained deficient risk management and compliance procedures; (2) as a result of the foregoing deficiencies, the Company had, inter alia, failed to comply with applicable student loan servicing standards, misclassified certain credit card accounts, overcharged customers, and failed to stem its ballooning credit card delinquency rate; (3) the foregoing issues, when they became known, would subject DFS to significant financial exposure, regulatory scrutiny, and reputational harm; and (4) as a result, the Companys 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 Discover Financial class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7773 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 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 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION. THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A POSSIBLE OFFER FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER PANEL ACT, 1997, TAKEOVER RULES 2022 ("IRISH TAKEOVER RULES) AND IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER RULES AND THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT AN OFFER WILL BE MADE, OR AS TO THE TERMS ON WHICH ANY OFFER MIGHT BE MADE. For immediate release 15 September 2023 Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Runa announces that it made, on 14 September 2023, an all cash proposal to the Board of MariaDB (the Board) to acquire, together with Runas investment affiliates, 100% of the issued share capital of the Company not already owned by Runa, at a price of US$0.56 per share (the "Possible Offer"). As of 14 September 2023 (being the last business day before the date of this announcement), Runa and its investment affiliates owned 5,269,012 ordinary shares of the Company, representing approximately 7.8 per cent. of the Companys issued ordinary share capital as at such date. The terms of the Possible Offer represent a premium of approximately 24% to the closing price of MariaDB shares on 13 September 2023 of US$0.45 per share (being the last business day before the date of the Possible Offer proposal). Given the substantial and consistent losses the Company has incurred and its subscale level of revenue(1), Runa believes that the Company is highly challenged as a public company. The Company has expressed substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern(2) and Runa believes that the Company will continue to face severe challenges as a public company. Runa believes that the terms of its possible offer would deliver significant value for the Companys shareholders. As an interim measure, Runa is prepared to extend to the Company a $5 million bridge loan on terms to be agreed between the parties such that the Company can avert impending default under its senior debt(3). It is intended that the proposed transaction would be effected by way of an Irish law scheme of arrangement whereby Runa would acquire 100% of the issued shares of the Company other than those shares already owned by Runa. However, Runa reserves the right to implement the proposal, instead, by way of contractual offer. There can be no certainty that any offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any such offer might be made. In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Irish Takeover Rules, Runa must, by no later than 5.00 p.m. on 27 October 2023 either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Irish Takeover Rules or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Irish Takeover Rules applies. This deadline may be extended with the consent of the Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Irish Takeover Rules. Pursuant to Rule 2.5 of the Irish Takeover Rules, Runa reserves the right to vary the form and / or mix of the offer consideration and vary the transaction structure. Runa also reserves the right to amend the terms of any offer (including making the offer on less favourable terms or at a lower price than US$0.56 per share): (a) with the recommendation or consent of the Board; (b) if MariaDB announces, declares or pays any dividend or any other distribution or return of value to its shareholders after the date of this announcement, in which case Runa reserves the right to make an equivalent adjustment to its proposed offer; (c) following the announcement by MariaDB of a whitewash transaction pursuant to the Irish Takeover Rules; or (d) if a third party announces a firm intention to make an offer for MariaDB on less favourable terms or at a lower price than US$0.56 per share. A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate. Enquiries: Runa CapitalMurat Akuyev, General CounselRuna Capital, Inc. [email protected] +1 646 629 9838 Important Notices Responsibility Statement The directors of Runa accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. Further Information This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities. The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Pre-conditions to and terms of the Possible Offer and conditions to any offer Any announcement of a firm intention to make an offer by Runa under Rule 2.7 of the Irish Takeover Rules remains subject to satisfaction of or waiver of certain pre-conditions, including satisfactory completion of customary due diligence, negotiation and execution of a definitive transaction agreement containing mutually agreed upon terms (including representations, warranties, covenants and conditions) for a transaction of this nature and an expenses reimbursement agreement in customary form, approval of, and a unanimous and unqualified recommendation in the Rule 2.7 announcement by, the Board to the Companys shareholders to accept Runas offer and final approval of the Runa Investment Committees. Any offer for the Company under Rule 2.7 of the Irish Takeover Rules would be subject to terms and conditions that are typical for a transaction of that nature including, amongst other things, receipt of any necessary regulatory and competition clearances. Disclosure Requirements under the Irish Takeover Rules Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Irish Takeover Rules, any person who is 'interested' in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of the Company or a securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror which has announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an 'opening position disclosure' following the commencement of the 'offer period' and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An 'opening position disclosure' must contain, among other things, details of the person's 'interests' and 'short positions' in any 'relevant securities' of each of (i) the Company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An 'opening position disclosure' by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3:30 pm (Irish time) on the day that is ten 'business days' following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3:30 pm (Irish time) on the day that is ten 'business days' following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, interested (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the Company, all dealings in any relevant securities of the Company or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such relevant securities) must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (Irish time) on the business day following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the offer period ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an interest in relevant securities of the Company, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. A disclosure table, giving details of the companies in whose relevant securities dealings should be disclosed can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie. If two or more persons co-operate on the basis of an agreement or understanding, whether express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1 and 8.2 of the Irish Takeover Rules). In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an interest by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website. Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a dealing under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020. Sources of Information (1) See the Companys report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2023, including at pages 9 and 44. (2) See the Companys report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2023, including at pages 13, 54 and 55.(3) See the Companys report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2023 at page 30, which disclosed an outstanding term loan in the amount of US$16.3 million and which loan was stated to have a maturity date of 11 October 2023. Source: Runa Capital Fund II, L.P. DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Benekiva, a leading provider of innovative digital claims automation and optimization solutions, proudly announces the appointment of Tony Diodato as its new Chief Revenue Officer. In this strategic leadership role, Tony will spearhead the company's go-to-market strategies, with a focus on driving market growth for Benekiva within the insurance claims and servicing solutions market. With over two decades of experience in sales, relationship management, go-to-market strategy, and SaaS, Tony has a proven track record of delivering exceptional value to customers and driving revenue growth across various industries and sectors. Mr. Diodato's background includes roles at Human API, iPipeline, and Lincoln Financial Group, where he consistently delivered results by combining innovation with deep industry knowledge. His experience in sales leadership and digital transformation aligns perfectly with Benekiva's mission to provide cutting-edge solutions that empower carriers to create operational efficiencies, reduce expenses, and allocate resources to growth projects. At Benekiva, Tony will lead the sales organization, develop innovative go-to-market strategies, and enhance customer experiences. His expertise will play a pivotal role in further establishing Benekiva as the leading solution provider in the insurance claims space. Brent Williams, Benekiva Founder and CEO, expressed his excitement about Tonys addition to the Benekiva team, stating, "I am thrilled that Tony will be part of our company. His background and customer-centric approach align perfectly with Benekivas core values. We look forward to leveraging Tonys experience and leadership to continue delivering industry-leading solutions that make claims processing efficient, customer-centric, and future-ready." For media inquiries or more information, please contact: Maura Gilson ODonnellDirector of MarketingBenekivaEmail: [email protected]Phone: 203-887-1692 About Benekiva:Benekiva is a leading provider of Claims Transformation solutions. Its platform was built with a beneficiary-first mindset, facilitating anytime, anywhere, any-device accessibility for everyone involved in the claims and servicing process. Benekiva's configurable platform gives claimants, policyholders, associates, and agents access to all things claims- or policy-related through an omnichannel approach, while giving carriers the ability to process claims around the clock. Benekiva solutions enable insurers to create operational efficiencies, reduce expenses, and allocate resources to growth projects. Source: Benekiva Marijuana sales crossing state lines have proven to be a lucrative source of revenue for retailers in the United States, and recent data suggests that a similar trend is emerging along international borders, particularly with Mexico. Insights gathered from various sources, including LeafLink, quarterly reports, state agencies and interviews with marijuana companies, support this observation. LeafLinks analysis of numerous ZIP codes found that when new recreational marijuana markets open, retailers near state borders tend to Read More>> About CNW420 CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis. To receive SMS alerts from CNW, text CANNABIS to 844-397-5787 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only) For more information, please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com/Disclaimer CannabisNewsWire Denver, CO www.CannabisNewsWire.com 303.498.7722 Office [email protected] CannabisNewsWire is powered by IBN Adding Industrial Hemp Carbon Credits provides HEMPALTA with another sustainable offering to help customers decrease footprint and reduce greenhouse gas emissions Alberta-based company's hemp processing capabilities and innovative hemp-based products already making planet healthier and more sustainable Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Hempalta Inc. ("HEMPALTA" or the "Company"), a Canadian cleantech company focused on innovative hemp processing and product creation, today announced a strategic partnership with UK-based Hemp Carbon Standard, the world's leading carbon platform for industrial hemp farming. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in HEMPALTA's focus on sustainable business practices and provides the company with an additional revenue stream on top of its consumer packaged goods and commercial products divisions. "HEMPALTA's partnership with Hemp Carbon Standard rounds out our business offering. Providing hemp carbon credits aligns perfectly with our company's mission to nurture a sustainable business and contribute positively to the planet. Hemp is renowned for its environmental qualities, including its ability to remove carbon from the environment. This partnership allows us to deepen our collaboration with farmers in Western Canada and share the financial benefits of these credits, creating long-term opportunities for both parties," said Darren Bondar, HEMPALTA's President and CEO. Industrial hemp possesses the unique capacity to absorb substantial amounts of carbon dioxide ("CO2") during its rapid growth cycle. Southern Alberta boasts some of the most productive hemp growing fields in North America. Hemp Carbon Standard is an early pioneer in generating carbon credits derived from industrial hemp. The credits result from a precise quantification methodology that harnesses state-of-the-art remote sensing technology to accurately measure CO2 sequestration at scale. "We are very excited to work with HEMPALTA to introduce hemp carbon credits to markets in Canada. The credits offer corporate buyers the opportunity to secure high-quality, high-integrity credits. The credits not only enable companies to measure and contribute to their decarbonization efforts but also support regenerative agricultural practices," said Tim de Rosen, CEO at ClimaFi Limited ("Climafi"), the sponsor of Hemp Carbon Standard. Hemp Carbon Standard's quantification methodology leverages cutting-edge remote sensing technology, ensuring the precise measurement of CO2 sequestration within the biomass of the industrial hemp crop and the associated topsoil. The approach guarantees transparency, accuracy, and integrity in carbon accounting, offering a solid foundation for corporate buyers to achieve their sustainability goals. "The partnership reflects HEMPALTA's vision and direction as a company. By promoting industrial hemp cultivation and offering reliable, quantifiable carbon credits, we are taking significant steps toward combating climate change and fostering a more sustainable future. These are the goals that drive HEMPALTA and define our core philosophy," added Bondar. HEMPALTA will begin inviting companies from the energy industry as well as other industries to secure carbon credits derived from industrial hemp cultivation. By doing so, these companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, support farmers embracing regenerative agricultural practices, and contribute to a greener and more resilient planet. More information on securing hemp carbon credits from HEMPALTA is available here. About HEMPALTA Hempalta Inc. is a cleantech company focused on innovative hemp processing and product creation. It is one of the only commercial-scale hemp processors in North America able to manufacture high-value hemp products. HEMPALTA" products are made from industrial hemp grown sustainably in Southern Alberta and processed using a state-of-the-art HempTrain" Advanced Processing Plant at our production facility in the heart of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Company is led by passionate advocates for industrial hemp who have years of operations, manufacturing, marketing, consumer packaged goods and retail sales experience. We work with progressive farmers and world-recognized researchers with unparalleled expertise. Learn more at www.hempalta.com. HEMP TO BETTER THE PLANET." About Hemp Carbon Standard Headquartered in the UK, Hemp Carbon Standard is a global team of purpose-led professionals, creating a genuine and observable impact for farmers and the environment. Hemp Carbon Standard is the only financial incentive scheme in the world to reward industrial hemp farmers on their sustainable carbon farming journey. Our work is rooted in our mission to create a positive climate impact for future generations, while continuing to provide the benefits of the added value that comes from processing hemp into a wide array of products. Learn more at https://hempcarbonstandard.org. Forward-Looking Information 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 is typically, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "likely", "probably", "often", or "plan", and similar words, including negatives thereof, or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding: the execution of a final binding agreement with Hemp Carbon Standard and Climafi; the ability to align with corporate buyers on the purchase of industrial hemp carbon credits; and the financial results expected from hemp carbon credit purchases. Such forward-looking information is based on various assumptions and factors that may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, factors and assumptions with respect to: the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic plans and initiatives and whether such strategic plans and initiatives will yield the expected benefits; and the ability of the Company and ClimaFi to finalize a definitive agreement with respect to the partnership. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that it will prove to be correct or that any of the events anticipated by such forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including, but not limited to: conditions in the industrial hemp industry; general macroeconomic conditions; expectations regarding the size of future harvests; the ability of management to execute its business strategy, objectives and plans, including the negotiation and execution of the definitive agreement with Hemp Carbon Standard; changes to regulations governing the Company's current or anticipated business activities; and the impact of general economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The forward-looking information included in this news release is made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. For further information Darren Bondar, President and CEO Hempalta Inc. Email: [email protected] www.hempalta.com Tim de Rosen, CEO and Co-Founder ClimaFi Limited Email: [email protected] https://hempcarbonstandard.org To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180713 Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - ICEBERG Financial, a preeminent investment consultancy firm headquartered in Dubai, is set to make a significant impact at the forthcoming Dubai Forex Exhibition at the end of September. Beyond the regular, ICEBERG Financial raises the bar for engagement and innovation, bringing a new dimension to the expo experience for attendees and financial institutions alike. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, ICEBERG Financial introduces a unique format for participation at the exhibition. Attendees now have the unparalleled opportunity to book one-on-one meetings with the company's specialized concierge team in access during the event. This dedicated team will offer personalized insights, tailor-made investment solutions, and will answer queries that align with the individual's or institution's financial objectives. Making the event even more rewarding for its participants, ICEBERG Financial is delighted to announce an exclusive gift of AED 555 for exhibition attendees. These gifts can be conveniently collected from the designated Expo Tower Boxes, a token of appreciation from the company for the continuous trust and engagement of its clientele. But the true showstopper of ICEBERG Financial's participation lies in its product showcase. At this Forex Exhibition, the firm is set to unveil two groundbreaking products designed explicitly for financial institutions. Aimed at redefining the investment landscape, these products promise to revolutionize operations for brokers and investment firms. Prop-Trading Institutional Solution: This innovative offering is tailored for institutions seeking a robust, compliant, and efficient solution to facilitate proprietary trading. Backed by state-of-the-art technology and insights, this product promises unmatched efficiency and strategic edge in the bustling world of prop-trading. Data Analytics Engine: As data continues to shape the financial world, ICEBERG Financial's new Data Analytics Engine stands as a testament to the firm's commitment to harnessing data's power. Offering real-time insights, predictive analytics, and a user-friendly interface, this engine is designed to empower financial institutions with actionable intelligence, thereby driving informed decision-making. Financial institutions, brokers, investment firms, and individual attendees are heartily invited to visit ICEBERG Financial's Concierge Team at the expo. Together, let's explore innovations that promise to shape the future of investments and finance. Media Contacts: Name: Public Relation : Sarah Travis Website: https://iceberg.financial Business email: [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180592 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Iconic Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ICM) (OTCQB: BVTEF) (FSE: YQGB)(the "Company" or "Iconic") the Company is pleased to announce that Iconic is scheduled to resume trading on the OTCQB under its new CUSIP on Monday, September 18, 2023. For clarification, the Company's New CUSIP Number is: 450959101 and its new ISIN Number is: CA4509591018. On behalf of the Board of Directors SIGNED: "Richard Barnett" Richard Barnett, CFO Contact: Keturah Nathe, VP Corporate Development (604) 336-8614 For further information on Iconic, please visit our website at www.iconicminerals.com. The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to the Option, the Joint Venture, the amount of the Offering, the expected use of proceeds from the Offering and the future business plans and exploration activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "will", "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that investor interest will be sufficient to close the Offering, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals required for the Option Agreement and the future development of the Company's projects in a timely manner. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Smith Creek Property, requirements for additional capital, future prices of lithium and gold, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in future financings, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the business, financial condition and exploration and development activities of the Company, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, including of the TSX Venture Exchange in respect of the Option Agreement and the Offering, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management's Discussion and Analysis and filed with the Canadian Securities Authorities. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180877 Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - On September 14, Justin Sun, founder of TRON and member of the HTX Global Advisory Board, was invited to TOKEN2049 in Singapore and joined the panel session "Ecosystem and Industry Growth: Envisioning the Decade Ahead for Crypto". He also noted that the crypto world needs to double down on enhancing transparency and global consensus to restore trust in the fallout of a series of risk incidents. TOKEN 2049 is one of the major crypto events bringing together founders of world-leading Web3 companies, investors, developers, and media. This year, it has drawn over 10,000 attendees and 200-plus speakers to discuss various topics, including the regulatory landscape, artificial intelligence, Web3 games, the rise of NFTs and metaverses, scalability, and interoperability. Sun shed some light on the future of the crypto industry in a roundtable session. With a total market cap of over $50 billion, stablecoins on TRON now record a daily transaction volume north of $12 billion. Nonetheless, Sun also pointed out that people in the crypto and traditional financial worlds have their doubts about their professions in the wake of the FTX debacle. To rebuild trust with users, the industry needs "enhanced transparency and global consensus, and I believe it is important to raise awareness about transparency amongst the community," according to Sun. Zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs have been drawing interest from crypto enthusiasts since the beginning of this year, and Sun believed this is a critical step toward general trust across the space. Also, he reinforced the significance of the global consensus, which means universal agreement on the same agenda topics. Talking about the importance of decentralization, Sun commented that decentralization is not just a technical framework but also the underlying philosophy of all crypto products. The blockchain theory opens a door for developers of Web2 applications across the globe to shake things up and create innovative solutions that restore control over data and privacy to users. "A lot of infrastructures are still required to be put in place to make this happen," said Sun, "We need a blockchain so powerful that it can handle tens of millions of transactions as our core infrastructure." Founded by Justin Sun in 2017, TRON has evolved into one of the largest public chains across the globe with 184 million users. TRON hosts $46.6 billion worth of stablecoins in circulation, making it the world's top, and the circulating supply of TRC-20 USDT on it accounts for 52% of the overall circulating supply of the world's largest stablecoin USDT. Media Contact Company Name: TRON Contact: Jessie Huang Email: [email protected] Website: https://tron.network/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180748 China is sending Vice President Han Zheng to the U.N. General Assembly's annual high-level debate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday, suggesting that the country's most senior diplomat, Wang Yi, will not attend. This year's gathering of world leaders at United Nations headquarters in New York starts Monday with a sustainability summit. The weeklong general debate gets underway on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping has not attended the U.N. session in person for several years. He participated via video conference during the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic. Wang Yi attended last year and generally represented China at the U.N. Wang is the head of the foreign affairs committee of China's Communist Party. He was not mentioned in the ministry's announcement. Han is a past member of the Politburo Standing Committee, an elite group of leaders within the party. He retired from that position but assumed the position of vice president in March. Han's continued political career parallels the one of Wang Qishan, who played an influential role in the past several years in managing the tense U.S.-China relationship. Wang led the Communist Party's disciplinary body and was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. He retired at the end of 2017 but was brought back to serve as vice president in 2018. The absence of Beijing's top leader at the General Assembly may not be as conspicuous as Xi not attending the Group of 20 summit that took place in India earlier this month. The British government announced in August that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would not attend the upcoming U.N. session. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin also do not plan to be there. Search Keywords: Short link: Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - North Peak Resources Ltd. (TSXV: NPR) (the "Company" or "North Peak") announces the grant of incentive stock options to acquire a total of 525,000 common shares of the Company at an exercise price of $1.53 per share, with such options to vest as to one-half immediately and the remaining one-half on the first-year anniversary of the date of grant. The options expire five years from the date of grant. Of these options, 450,000 were granted to directors of the Company and the remaining 75,000 were granted to consultants. About North Peak The Company is a Canadian based gold exploration and development company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NPR". The Company is focused on acquiring historic sites, with low cost producing gold and other metals properties, with near term production potential and 8+ year mine life in the northern hemisphere. The Company recently acquired an initial 80% interest in the Prospect Mountain Mine complex in Eureka, Nevada (see the Company's May 4, May 23 and August 25, 2023 press releases) (the "Property"). About Prospect Mountain The Property lies in the Battle Mountain Eureka trend, in an area known as the Southern Eureka Gold Belt, where three styles of mineralization have been identified, Au only Carlin style mineralization, Carbonate Replacement mineralization (CRD) and carbonate hosted Porphyry Related Skarn lead, zinc and gold mineralization associated with cretaceous intrusions. At the Property, the CRD mineralization is heavily oxidized to depths of at least 610m (2000ft) below the top of the ridge line. A Plan of Operations is in place which covers part of the Property (totalling 81 acres) and entitles an operator to pursue surface exploration, underground mining of up to 365,000 tons per annum and certain infrastructural works. It includes a permit to extract water from a well and to build water containment facilities. The Company can give no assurances at this time that its properties and interests will fulfil the Company's business development goals described herein. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. For further information, please contact: Brian Hinchcliffe, CEO Phone: +1-647-424-2305 Email:[email protected] Website:www.northpeakresources.com Chelsea Hayes, Director Phone: +1-647-424-2305 Email:[email protected] CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ability of the Company to complete the exploration programs as proposed and on the timelines suggested, estimates of mineralization from drilling and the potential for minerals and/or mineral resources and reserves, and regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Property and the Company that may be described herein. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, accuracy of assay results, geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022, available at www.sedarplus.ca , many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180745 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Oculus VisionTech Inc. (TSXV: OVT) (OTCQB: OVTZ) (FSE: USF1) is pleased to announce the results of its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders ("Meeting"). The Meeting was held on September 15, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia. All resolutions put forward at the meeting were approved by shareholders. A total of 48,594,284 common shares (53.15% of the 91,422,569 issued and outstanding shares of the Company entitled to vote as of the July 19, 2023 record date for the Meeting) were present in person or by proxy, constituted a quorum for the transaction of business and were voted at the Meeting. The agenda items submitted at the Meeting were passed as described below. Percentages indicated below reflect the percentage of the total number of shares voted at the Meeting with respect to that agenda item. Agenda Item 1 The detailed results of voting by ballot in respect of the election of directors were as follows: Nominee Votes For Votes Withheld Anton J. Drescher 40,670,498 (97.33%) 1,115,866 (2.67%) Fabrice Helliker 40,641,952 (97.26%) 1,144,412 (2.74%) Maurice Loverso 40,664,896 (97.32%) 1,121,468 (2.68%) Rowland Perkins 40,658,318 (97.30%) 1,128,046 (2.70%) Tom Perovic 40,672,470 (97.33%) 1,113,89 (2.67%) Ron Wages 40,663,659 (97.31%) 1,122,705 (2.69%) There were 6,807,920 broker non-votes with respect to the election of directors. Votes that were withheld and broker non-votes were counted for the purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum but had not other effect on the election of directors. Agenda Item 2 To ratify the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company's independent public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The votes cast for or against this agenda item, and the numbers of abstentions, were as follows: For Against Abstain 47,492,331 (97.73%) 342,719 (0.71%) 759,234 (1.56%) There were no broker non-votes with respect to this agenda item. Abstentions were counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum, and abstentions were deemed to be "votes cast" and had the same effect as a vote against this agenda item. Agenda Item 3 To approve the continuation of the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. The votes cast for or against this agenda item, and the number of abstentions, were as follows: For Against Abstain 40,618,952 (97.21%) 1,025,307 (2.45%) 142,105 (0.34%) There were 6,807,920 broker non-votes with respect to this agenda item. Broker non-votes and abstentions were counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum. Abstentions were deemed to be "votes cast" and had the same effect as a vote against this agenda item. Broker non-votes were not deemed to be "votes cast", and therefore had no effect on the vote with respect to this proposal. The detailed "Report of Voting Results" on all resolutions for the Company's Meeting is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR, on the Company's website, in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission available under the Company's profile on EDGAR or upon request by contacting the Company's Corporate Secretary at (604) 685-1017. About Oculus VisionTech Oculus VisionTech Inc. (OVT), www.ovtz.com, is a cloud-native development-stage technology company focused on data compliance and digital privacy solutions for business customers worldwide. With offices in San Diego, California and Vancouver, British Columbia, the Company is currently expanding its' new ComplyTrustwww.complytrust.com, product suite which includes the ComplyScan cloud data protection and compliance tool and Forget-Me-Yes B2B data privacy Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, optimizing CCPA, GDPR, LGPD and other regulatory compliance legislation for Salesforce organizations worldwide that provide businesses with secure data privacy tools enabling sustained and continuous global regulatory compliance of data subject rights. OVTZ's legacy Cloud-DPS digital content protection solution implements invisible forensic watermarking technology that seamlessly embeds imperceptible tracking components into documents and video-frame content that enables tamper-proof legal auditability for intellectual property protection. Learn more about Oculus at www.ovtz.com or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/OculusVT) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OculusVisionTech/ ) . About ComplyTrust ComplyTrust Inc. https://complytrust.com/, a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Oculus VisionTech, is specifically focused on providing enterprise organizations and individuals with secure data privacy tools that provide sustained and continuous global regulatory compliance of data subject rights. Headquartered in San Diego, California, ComplyTrust was founded by industry veteran storage technology experts and is operated by an experienced management team. Learn more about ComplyTrust at https://complytrust.com/. For further information, contact: Anton Drescher Telephone: (604) 685-1017 Fax: (604) 685-5777 Website: http://ovtz.com/ TSXV: https://money.tmx.com/en/quote/OVT/company#profile-section-company-spoke US OTC Markets (OTCQB): https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OVTZ/security Berlin Borse: https://www.boerse-berlin.com/index.php/Shares?isin=US67575Y1091 Frankfurt Borse: https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/equity/oculus-visiontech Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements as to the intended uses of the proceeds received from the Offering. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "schedules", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including risks and uncertainties relating to, among others, the change of business focus of the management of Oculus, the inability of Oculus to pursue its current business objectives, the ability of the Company to obtain any required governmental, regulatory or stock exchange approvals, permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV final acceptance of the Offering and any planned future activities, and obtain the financing required to carry out its planned future activities. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the Company's industry, may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Oculus assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Although Oculus believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in Oculus' periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the United States Securities Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulators. These reports and Oculus' public filings are available at www.sec.gov in the United States and www.sedarplus.ca in Canada. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180827 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2023) - Tenet Fintech Group Inc. (CSE: PKK) (OTC Pink: PKKFF) ("Tenet" or the "Company"), an innovative analytics service provider and operator of the Cubeler Business Hub, today announced that its Cubeler Inc. subsidiary ("Cubeler") and Certified Professional Bookkeepers of Canada ("CPB Canada"), have entered into a strategic alliance agreement related to the marketing and promotion of the Cubeler Business Hub and CPB Canada's service offering. "With this partnership, Cubeler will have the opportunity to work very closely with Certified Professional Bookkeepers of Canada (https://cpbcan.ca/) and its membership base, which aligns perfectly with Cubeler's core target market," said Marc Pearson, VP, Global Channels and Alliances at Cubeler. "In return, CPB Canada and its members will benefit from the services that are available in the Cubeler Business Hub, which will give the association and its members greater visibility within the SME marketplace in Canada," added Pearson. CPB Canada is a member-based association, a national certifying body, and the leading professional and career development organization for bookkeepers in Canada. Its mission is to create a diverse professional community that inspires excellence, builds meaningful connections, and fosters innovation and learning. CPB Canada has over 2,100 members who, as of the end of 2022, were collectively providing bookkeeping services to approximately 100,000 Canadian SMEs. "CPB Canada is pleased to create a strategic alliance with Cubeler. In doing so, we enable our members to benefit themselves and assist their clients further via the support and access to the Cubeler Business Hub," said Rick Johal, Chief Executive Officer, CPB Canada. "With our members being the financial conduit to Canada's SME marketplace, we recognize the importance of bookkeeping professionals who drive the effective use and automation of financial data for small and medium-sized businesses across Canada," added Johal. The announcement of the collaboration between Cubeler and CPB Canada will be followed by the creation of a business plan to ensure the success of the strategic alliance agreement. As membership grows within the Cubeler Business Hub, Tenet plans to leverage the SME data collected on the platform to develop and commercialize business intelligence reports as well as data-driven and analytics products that the Company is planning to offer through its Tenoris3 data science subsidiary. Tenet is also pleased to announce Cubeler's participation in CPB Canada's IGNITE 2023 Conference in Toronto, Canada from September 19-22, 2023 (https://cpbcan.ca/events-learning/igniteconference.html). The conference will bring together Canada's community of bookkeeping and accounting professionals, chartered professional accountants, CFOs, managers and controllers along with a range of industry partners. It will offer peer networking, over 50 hours of professional development sessions, an expansive tradeshow, and a range of social events. "In addition to our new strategic alliance with CPB Canada, Cubeler's participation in the IGNITE 2023 conference will provide an opportunity to connect with CPB Canada's network and showcase the benefits of Cubeler Business Hub membership," added Pearson. About Tenet Fintech Group Inc.: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. is the parent company of a group of innovative financial technology (Fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. All references to Tenet in this news release, unless explicitly specified, includes Tenet and all its subsidiaries. Tenet's subsidiaries provide various analytics and AI-based services to businesses and financial institutions through the Cubeler Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.tenetfintech.com. About CPB Canada: CPB Canada is the largest and fastest-growing professional association for bookkeepers in Canada. CPB Canada maintains the national bookkeeping standard in the accounting profession through the Certified Professional Bookkeeper (CPB) designation. These standards guide the knowledge, business practices, and ethical standards required for professional bookkeepers to be certified in the accounting industry. Now more than 2,100 members and growing, CPB Canada continues to provide support and a sense of belonging to our members - helping bookkeepers gain professional recognition in the world of accounting. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.cpbcan.ca. For more information, please contact: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. Christina Boyd, Director, Investor Relations 416-428-9954 [email protected] Johnson Joseph, Chief Executive Officer 514-340-7775 ext.: 501 [email protected] CHF Capital Markets Cathy Hume, CEO 416-868-1079 ext.: 251 [email protected] CPB Canada Rick Johal, Chief Executive Officer 866-616-4722 ext. 101 [email protected] Follow Tenet Fintech Group Inc. on social media: Twitter: @Tenet_Fintech Facebook: @Tenet LinkedIn: Tenet YouTube: Tenet Fintech Forward-looking information Certain statements included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" under Canadian securities law, including statements in respect of the future operations and investments of and in the Company and any statements based on management's assessment and assumptions and publicly available information with respect to the Company. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company cautions that its plans and assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "assumes," "outlook," "plans," "targets", or other similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the outlook or any future results, performance or achievements implied by such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could affect the forward- looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, holding company with significant operations in China; general economic and business conditions, including factors impacting the Company's business in China such as pandemics (ex.: COVID-19); legislative and/or regulatory developments; global financial conditions, repatriation of profits or transfer of funds from China to Canada, operations in foreign jurisdictions and possible exposure to corruption, bribery or civil unrest; actions by regulators; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; timing and completion of capital programs; liquidity and capital resources, negative operating cash flow and additional funding, dilution from further financing; financial performance and timing of capital; and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by the Company with securities regulators in Canada, the United States or other jurisdictions. We refer potential investors to the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Company's MD&A. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other risks and uncertainties carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180702 Paid press release content from Send2Press. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. NEW YORK, N.Y., Sept. 15, 2023 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) Heads of state from around the world will attend and speak at the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit, taking place September 18-20 at the Sheraton New York Times Square during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Current heads of state participating in the summit include: H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President, Republic of Turkiye; H.E. Luis Abinader, President, Dominican Republic; H.E. Santiago Pena, President, Republic of Paraguay; H.E. Lazarus Chakwera, President, Republic of Malawi; H.E. Guillermo Lasso, President, Republic of Ecuador; H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President, Republic of Guyana; H.E. Tsai Ing-wen, President, Republic of China (Taiwan) (via video); and, H.E. Dritan Abazovic, Prime Minister, Republic of Montenegro. The leading public-private sector forum alongside the UN General Assembly, the Concordia Annual Summit, upholds a remarkable legacy of uniting heads of state, policymakers, business executives, NGO leaders, entrepreneurs, and activists for over a decade. This years gathering will establish market-led solutions to the greatest challenges of today, including the pivotal role of the private sector in combating disinformation to urgent issues like mental health, environmental sustainability, and artificial intelligence. Additional speakers include: H.E. Roberta Metsola, President, European Parliament; The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; T.H. Sadiq Khan, Mayor, City of London; Hon. Eric Adams, Mayor, City of New York; Jon Banner, EVP, Global Chief Impact Officer, McDonalds Corporation; Nazanin Ash, CEO, Welcome.US; Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman & CEO, DP World; Simon Bishop, CEO, BBC Media Action; Tim Christophersen, Vice President of Climate Action, Salesforce; T.H. Elizabeth M. Allen, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State; David Miliband, President & CEO, International Rescue Committee; and, Sam Stephens, Executive Director, AB InBev Foundation. View all confirmed speakers and the agenda at: https://www.concordialive.com/annualsummit23/speakers https://www.concordialive.com/annualsummit23/4179467 Concordias Co-Founders, Matthew Swift and Nicholas Logothetis, said: Over the last 13 years, our Annual Summit has emerged as the largest, most inclusive, and most politically balanced forum alongside the United Nations General Assembly. Through our three-day program featuring over 100 sessions and over 200 speakers, we look forward to advancing public and private sector cooperation and elevating market-led solutions to complex issues within the context of this important week for the world. They continued: Todays announcement truly demonstrates the global nature of this annual convening of a few thousand leaders from a range of sectors and industries and from across over 90 countries. There is no other time where the majority of the worlds heads of state descend upon one city and we must use this time to step up and engage. Concordias Programming Sponsors are: Libra Group (Founding Sponsor); Calamos Investments, Meta (Principal Programming Sponsors); Merck, Siemens Healthineers (Lead Programming Sponsors); APCO, AT&T, BHP, DP World, ExxonMobil, Horizon Therapeutics, Salesforce, TC Energy, Trane Technologies, McDonalds, Microdose Psychedelic Insights, Microsoft (Patron Programming Sponsors); United Airlines (Travel Sponsor). Concordias Programming Partners are: Zayed Sustainability Prize Forum (Principal Programming Partner); AB InBev Foundation, CARE USA, Environmental Defense Fund, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, International Copper Alliance, Knight Foundation, Movement Health Foundation, Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, Stop TB Partnership, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, TREAT California, Word Vision (Lead Programming Partners); Knight Foundation, International Medical Corps, Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, Food for the Hungry, NYC Mayors Office of International Affairs, Rockefeller Foundation, Operation Smile, USA For International Organization For Migration, U.S. Department of State Office of Global Partnerships (Patron Programming Partners). To attend the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit, register here ( https://www.concordialive.com/annualsummit23/begin ) for a $2000 All Access Pass, $800 General Access Pass, or $250 Wednesday-only Pass, or sign up to Concordias organizational membership program. Learn more: https://www.concordia.net/annualsummit/2023-annual-summit/ ABOUT CONCORDIA: Concordia, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, is the leading public-private sector convener, establishing and elevating market-led solutions to global challenges. Concordia was founded in 2011 by Matthew A. Swift and Nicholas M. Logothetis. Learn more: https://www.concordialive.com/ MULTIMEDIA: *LOGO Link for media: https://www.send2press.com/300dpi/22-0316-s2p-concordia-300dpi.jpg NEWS SOURCE: Concordia This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Concordia), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/presidents-of-turkiye-dominican-republic-paraguay-malawi-and-european-parliament-among-world-leaders-addressing-2023-concordia-annual-summit/ Copr. 2023 Send2Press Newswire, a service of NEOTROPE, Calif., USA. -- REF: S2P STORY ID: 97806SI.04 VANCOUVER, BC , Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Aritzia Inc. (TSX: ATZ) will release its second quarter fiscal 2024 financial results after market close on September 28, 2023 . A conference call to discuss the earnings results will follow. Conference Call Details Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 Time: 1:30pm PT / 4:30pm ET To participate in the conference call: Please dial 1-800-319-4610 or 1-416-915-3239. The call is also accessible via webcast at http://investors.aritzia.com/events-and-presentations/. A recording will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call: Please dial 1-855-669-9658 and the replay access code 0396. An archive of the webcast will be accessible on Aritzia's website. About Aritzia Aritzia is a vertically integrated design house with an innovative global platform, home to an extensive portfolio of exclusive brands for every function and individual aesthetic. We're about good design, quality materials and timeless style that endures and inspires all with the well-being of our People and Planet in mind. We call this Everyday Luxury. Founded in 1984, in Vancouver, Canada , we create and curate products that are both beautiful and beautifully made, cultivate aspirational environments, offer engaging service that delights, and connect through captivating communications. We pride ourselves on providing immersive and highly personal shopping experiences at aritzia.com and in our 110+ boutiques throughout Canada and the United States to everyone, everywhere. Everyday Luxury. To Elevate Your World. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aritzia-to-release-second-quarter-fiscal-2024-financial-results-301928591.html SOURCE Aritzia Inc. Highlights The round was done at a premium to its prior valuation, amid challenging market conditions and scarcity of funding for startups in the Latin America VC ecosystem. Mottu is a motorcycle rental company focused on enabling income-generation for hard working delivery gig workers while also building the power-grid for LatAm's last-mile. Round was co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital , former Softbank executives Marcelo Claure's and Shu Nyatta's new venture capital firm, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela. and , former Softbank executives and Shu Nyatta's new venture capital firm, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela. With this capital, the company will expand geographies, improve operational efficiency and customers' experience. SAO PAULO , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mottu, a Brazilian motorcycle rental company and last-mile delivery marketplace, today announced it has raised $50M in a Series C round of funding co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital. Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela also participated in the round. Mottu has secured over $150M in financing since its inception. The latest funding round has attracted world class investors, further enhancing Mottu's cap table that boasts notable names like Michael Moritz , Base Partners, and Tiger Global. Mottu started in 2020 with a mission to help workers at the bottom of the pyramid generate income for their families by offering low-cost daily motorcycle rentals for delivery drivers and couriers who could not afford to buy a vehicle or who did not have access to credit. Mottu's motorcycle rental business now serves around 50,000 customers, and it has evolved into a comprehensive last-mile logistics ecosystem connecting restaurants, retailers, and e-commerce businesses with delivery couriers. Now, the company is also entering the mobility market, focused on the large population of commuters in Brazil and Mexico who frequently rely on public transportation services with poor quality. Marcelo Claure , Bicycle Capital Founder and Executive Chairman, stated that Bicycle Capital is very excited to be partnering with Mottu. "Mottu is a company we admire for its solid business and real social impact, serving the underserved and improving the lives of thousands of customers." "Mottu stands out as a rare combination of high growth, operational excellence, profitability, and capital efficiency. This achievement is a direct result of a dedicated and exceptional team that have proven to be financially rigorous operators, precise capital allocators, and sophisticated supply chain managers. We are very excited to partner with Mottu as Bicycle's first investment," Claure added. "Mottu is doing more than just transforming the mobility and motorcycle rental ecosystems across Latin America , it is changing the reality of millions of people who traditionally would have no credit and no way to start fighting for a better livelihood," said QED Managing Partner Nigel Morris . Chuckie Reddy , the responsible partner for the deal, added, "This impact can be seen in Mottu's stunning growth over the past three years as it has delivered a best-in-class experience. This round will enable Mottu to raise its high-quality bar even higher." Mottu controls its operations end-to-end in more than 30 cities in Brazil and Mexico , so it had to establish its own assembly line in Manaus to meet the increasing demand for rentals. Mottu Sport is the only SKU assembled by Mottu and stands out as the most fuel-efficient motorcycle in Latin America , available for as little as $3.7 per day, with no credit score requirements. "We've been close to Mottu since its inception. Even though they've never failed to impress us with their growth and vision throughout the years, we believe this is only the beginning," says Mario Delara, Caravela's managing partner. Rubens Zanelatto , founder and CEO, said Mottu will use the funds to continue expanding in Brazil and Mexico , achieving greater operational efficiency, and providing its customers with a better experience across all its products. "I am very proud of my team and what we achieved so far; we will keep hustling on and building an enduring, highly efficient business to deliver our mission of helping those who want an opportunity to thrive." About Mottu Mottu believes that those who wake up early and face the street must work with safety and without fear. Hence, it offers a reliable and user friendly motorcycle rental model and a last mile logistics service to promote work opportunities for couriers and better service level for retailers. Read more in https://mottu.com.br/ About Bicycle Capital Bicycle Capital is a new growth equity firm focused on Latin America . The firm was founded by Marcelo Claure and Shu Nyatta, with an investment team located in Miami , Sao Paulo and Mexico City . Bicycle's strategy is to partner very selectively with the best founders in the region, helping them scale their startups into resilient and valuable companies. See more: https://bicycle.capital/ About QED Investors QED Investors is a global leading venture capital firm based in Alexandria, Va. Founded by Nigel Morris and Frank Rotman in 2007, QED Investors is focused on investing in disruptive financial services companies in the U.S. , the U.K. and Europe , Latin America , Southeast Asia and Africa . QED Investors is dedicated to building great businesses and uses a unique, hands-on approach that leverages our partners' decades of entrepreneurial and operational experience, helping their companies achieve breakthrough growth. Notable investments include AvidXchange, Bitso, Current, Creditas, Credit Karma, Kavak, Klarna, Konfio, Loft, Nubank, QuintoAndar, Remitly and SoFi. See more: https://www.qedinvestors.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brazils-mottu-closes-50m-series-c-to-expand-its-last-mile-logistics-ecosystem-301929070.html SOURCE Mottu WASHINGTON , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today public sanctions against 13 current or former CFP professionals, effective immediately or on the date noted in each case. Public sanctions taken by CFP Board, in order of increasing severity, include Public Censures, Suspensions, Temporary Bars, Permanent Bars and Revocations of the right to use the CFP Board certification marks. CFP Board's Enforcement Process As part of their certification, CFP professionals make a commitment to CFP Board to abide by CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (Code and Standards) or its predecessor, the Standards of Professional Conduct (Standards), which included the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Rules of Conduct and Financial Planning Practice Standards. Individuals on the pathway to CFP certification make a commitment to abide by CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement (Pathway Agreement). CFP Board's Procedural Rules set forth the process for investigating matters and imposing sanctions where violations have been found. CFP Board enforces its ethical standards by investigating alleged violations and, where there is probable cause to believe there are grounds for sanction, presents a Complaint containing the alleged violations to CFP Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission). The Commission meets at least six times a year to review any matter in which CFP Board has alleged that a CFP professional has violated CFP Board's Code and Standards or its predecessor Standards, or an individual pursuing initial CFP certification has violated the Pathway Agreement. The Commission functions in accordance with the Procedural Rules and reviews all matters on a case-by-case basis, considering the details specific to an individual case. If the Commission determines there are grounds for sanction, then it may impose a sanction. Commission orders may be appealed by a Respondent or CFP Board pursuant to the Procedural Rules. In certain circumstances, such as when a CFP professional is in default due to failure to acknowledge receipt of a Notice of Investigation or file an Answer, a CFP professional may receive an Administrative Order of Suspension, Temporary Bar, Revocation or Permanent Bar. Administrative Orders are subject to appeal. More information on CFP Board's enforcement process can be found at CFP.net/enforcement. In addition, at CFP.net/verify, CFP Board provides the public with: An individual's CFP Board disciplinary history and CFP certification status. certification status. Links to other sources of information about CFP professionals that may be more recent or that may contain information that has not led to CFP Board discipline and does not appear on CFP Board's website. This information may include customer disputes, disciplinary actions taken by a regulator or employer, certain criminal matters and certain financial matters (such as bankruptcy proceedings and unpaid judgments or liens). professionals that may be more recent or that may contain information that has not led to CFP Board discipline and does not appear on CFP Board's website. This information may include customer disputes, disciplinary actions taken by a regulator or employer, certain criminal matters and certain financial matters (such as bankruptcy proceedings and unpaid judgments or liens). Links to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's ( FINRA's ) BrokerCheck and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ( SEC's ) Investment Adviser Public Disclosure databases for individuals who are subject to FINRA or SEC oversight. The Public Sanctions on 13 Individuals A short summary of each sanction can be found below. STATE NAME LOCATION SANCTION Florida Gustavo Carlo Sanchez , CFP Lake Mary Public Censure Indiana Thomas M. Calkusic Chesterton Suspension Indiana Daniel P. Wachs Valparaiso Suspension Oregon Mateusz W. Sudol Beaverton Suspension California Joseph A. Occhipinti Orange Temporary Bar California Michael Sztrom Del Mar Temporary Bar Florida Jeffrey Freiser Land O' Lakes Temporary Bar California Lawrence A. Krause Mill Valley Revocation Delaware Jason Cooke Clayton Revocation Florida Randall B. Kiefner Orlando Revocation Texas Stephen Y. Kwan Spicewood Revocation Texas John Poulos Colleyville Revocation Kentucky Douglas Hawkins Lexington Permanent Bar PUBLIC CENSURE FLORIDA Gustavo Carlo Sanchez , CFP ( Lake Mary, Florida ): In July 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Sanchez received a Public Censure with Remedial Work in the form of continuing education. The Commission imposed this sanction after determining that Mr. Sanchez violated Standard A.8.b. of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (Code and Standards) when, in March 2022 , Mr. Sanchez entered into an Order with the State of Florida (Florida Order). The Florida Order contained findings that Mr. Sanchez held himself out on a LinkedIn page for more than a year as a Florida -based financial planner for a firm that was not registered with the State of Florida to conduct advisory business in or from Florida . As part of the Florida Order, Mr. Sanchez agreed to the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of $10,000 . The Commission also found that Mr. Sanchez violated Standard E.3. of the Code and Standards when he failed to report to CFP Board that he was the subject of a Regulatory Investigation and failed to notify CFP Board that he had entered into the Florida Order. The Commission issued Mr. Sanchez an Order of Public Censure plus Remedial Work in the form of continuing education. SUSPENSION INDIANA Thomas M. Calkusic ( Chesterton, Indiana ): In July 2023 , CFP Board issued an administrative order suspending Mr. Calkusic's right to use the CFP Board certification marks for one year and one day. This sanction followed Mr. Calkusic's failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation, as required by Article 1.1 of the Procedural Rules. CFP Board sought to investigate information from a third party indicating that Mr. Calkusic had been terminated from his firm. Mr. Calkusic's conduct may have violated Standard D.2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to comply with the lawful objectives of his or her firm. Under Article 4.1.a. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Calkusic has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Suspension. Mr. Calkusic's administrative suspension was effective as of August 28, 2023 . Daniel P. Wachs ( Valparaiso, Indiana ): In April 2023 , CFP Board issued an order in which Mr. Wachs received a suspension for one year and one day of his certification and right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed an appeal of an August 2022 order issued by the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission). The Appeals Commission of CFP Board affirmed the Commission's finding that Mr. Wachs violated Rule 6.5 of the Rules of Conduct, which provides that a certificant shall not engage in conduct that reflects adversely on his integrity or fitness as a certificant, upon the CFP marks or upon the profession, when he failed to timely file tax returns and pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax years 2014 through 2019. Mr. Wachs' failure resulted in the IRS filing a federal tax lien against him for three of those years and a federal tax account balance of $411,673 with accrued interest and penalties. The Appeals Commission also affirmed the Commission's finding that, while the federal tax lien had been released and Mr. Wachs had paid off a portion of the tax debt, there still remained a large outstanding balance. The Appeals Commission affirmed the Commission's finding that, as of the date of the hearing before the Commission, Mr. Wachs had made payments but had not set up a formal payment plan with the IRS to pay back his outstanding federal tax debt of approximately $300,000 . Among other things, the Appeals Commission affirmed the Commission's finding in aggravation that Mr. Wachs had consistently chosen to make other payments in lieu of back taxes, including his children's private school, real estate commitments, insurance policy premiums and business expansion. Pursuant to the decision of the Appeals Commission, Mr. Wachs' Order of Suspension for one year and one day is effective from April 20, 2023 , until April 21, 2024 . OREGON Mateusz W. Sudol ( Beaverton, Oregon ): In May 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Sudol received a suspension of his right to use the CFP Board certification marks for two years. In the order, the Commission found that Mr. Sudol engaged in Exam Misconduct by discussing the March 2021 CFP Exam in a 45-minute phone call with another candidate for CFP certification who had already taken and passed the March 2021 CFP Exam, and then further soliciting Exam Material from the candidate via text message conversations. In response to his solicitations, Mr. Sudol received questions, answers and calculations the candidate had observed on the March 2021 CFP Exam. Further, based on his memory from taking the March 2021 CFP Exam, Mr. Sudol disclosed, in whole or in part, Exam Material from his March 2021 CFP Exam, including two questions from the March 2021 CFP Exam to the same candidate via text message. Mr. Sudol's conduct violated subsection s. and subsection u. of the Exam Misconduct section of CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement, which provides that Exam Misconduct includes: (1) retaining the Exam questions or disclosing the Exam questions in whole or in part to any other person or entity; and (2) attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise communicating about the Exam during the Exam administration. The Commission issued to Mr. Sudol an Order of Suspension for two years. Mr. Sudol's suspension is effective from June 30, 2023 , until June 30, 2025 . TEMPORARY BAR CALIFORNIA Joseph A. Occhipinti , ( Orange, California ): In March 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Occhipinti received a Temporary Bar that prohibits him from applying for or obtaining CFP certification for five years and requires him to complete an additional 120 hours of Continuing Education (CE) credits. The Commission found that Mr. Occhipinti engaged in Exam Misconduct by participating in a GroupMe chat group titled " March 2021 CFP Exam," wherein, after taking the March 2021 CFP Exam, Mr. Occhipinti disclosed, in whole or in part, questions from his March 2021 CFP Exam to the GroupMe chat group members. Mr. Occhipinti also published a list of exam topics from his March 2021 CFP Exam and transmitted other content from his March 2021 CFP Exam to the GroupMe chat group. The Commission found that Mr. Occhipinti attempted to give assistance to candidates who had not yet taken the CFP Exam by communicating with them about his CFP Exam during the March 2021 administration period. As a result, the Commission found Mr. Occhipinti's conduct violated CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement, which defines Exam Misconduct, in part, to include: (1) "retaining the Exam questions or disclosing the Exam questions in whole or in part to any other person or entity;" (2) "disclosing, publishing, reproducing, or transmitting the contents of the Exam, in whole or in part, in any manner or by any means, for any purpose;" and (3) "attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise communicating about the Exam, during the Exam administration." The Commission issued to Mr. Occhipiniti an Order of Temporary Bar for five years, beginning on the date he took the CFP Exam, with Remedial Work. The Commission's order is effective April 21, 2023 . Mr. Occhipinti's Temporary Bar is effective from March 12, 2021 , until March 12, 2026 . Michael Sztrom ( Del Mar, California ): In February 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Sztrom received a Temporary Bar that prohibits him from applying for or obtaining CFP certification for five (5) years from the date of his relinquishment of his certification on October 20, 2020 . On January 15, 2021 , the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filed a Complaint against Mr. Sztrom, his son and Mr. Sztrom's then-firm, Sztrom Wealth Management, Inc. ("SWM"), in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California ("Court"). The SEC's Complaint alleged that, between November 2015 and March 2018 , Mr. Sztrom and his son breached their fiduciary duties and defrauded clients when they concealed that Mr. Sztrom was: (1) not associated with any registered investment adviser, (2) prohibited from providing investment advice under the aegis of the clients' registered investment adviser, and (3) impersonating his son on telephone calls with the registered investment adviser's clearing broker on 38 occasions. The SEC Complaint specifically alleged that Mr. Sztrom's role as a financial planner was a "sham." The SEC's Complaint charged Mr. Sztrom, his son and SWM with violating the antifraud provisions of Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Advisers Act. The SEC's Complaint also charged Mr. Sztrom with aiding and abetting another investment adviser's violations of Section 204(a) of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-2(a)(7) thereunder for books and records violations. On October 5, 2022 , Mr. Sztrom, his son and SWM settled the SEC's Complaint, without admitting or denying the allegations of the Complaint, by each entering a Consent to Entry of Final Judgment, as reflected in a Stipulated Consent Judgment as to Mr. Sztrom that the Court entered on the same date. The Court's Stipulated Consent Judgment as to Mr. Sztrom ordered him to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $25,000 and permanently restrained and enjoined him from violating, directly or indirectly, Section 206 of the Advisers Act. The Commission issued to Mr. Sztrom an Order of Temporary Bar for five years, calculated from the date Mr. Sztrom relinquished his CFP marks on October 20, 2020 . Mr. Sztrom's Temporary Bar is effective from June 26, 2023 , until October 20, 2025 . FLORIDA Jeffrey Freiser ( Land O' Lakes, Florida ): In March 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued an order in which Mr. Freiser received a Temporary Bar that prohibits him from applying for or obtaining CFP certification for five years and voids the results of his CFP Exam. The Commission found that Mr. Freiser engaged in Exam Misconduct by participating in a GroupMe chat group titled " March 2021 CFP Exam," wherein Mr. Freiser communicated about the March 2021 CFP Exam during the administration period by seeking assistance from members of the chat group who had already taken the CFP Exam and receiving assistance from them before taking the CFP Exam. As a result, the Commission found Mr. Freiser's conduct violated CFP Board's Pathway to CFP Certification Agreement, which defines Exam Misconduct, in part, to include "attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise communicating about the Exam, during the Exam administration." The Commission issued to Mr. Freiser an Order of Temporary Bar for five years and determined to Void his results on the March 2021 CFP Exam. Mr. Freiser's Temporary Bar is effective from April 21, 2023 , until April 21, 2028 . REVOCATION CALIFORNIA Lawrence A. Krause ( Mill Valley, California ): In July 2023 , CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently revoking Mr. Krause's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Krause's failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation, as required by Article 1.1 of the Procedural Rules. CFP Board sought to investigate allegations that Mr. Krause made unauthorized trades in a client account and settled that client's complaint without disclosing it to his firm. Mr. Krause's conduct may have violated Standard A.1 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to follow the lawful instructions of his client, and Standard D.2, which requires a CFP professional to comply with the lawful objectives of his or her firm. Under Article 4.1.a. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Krause has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Krause's administrative revocation was effective as of August 28, 2023 . DELAWARE Jason Cooke ( Clayton, Delaware ): In May 2023 , CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently revoking Mr. Cooke's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Cooke's failure to deliver proof of compliance with CFP Board's Interim Suspension Order and file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint as required by Articles 2.3 and 3.2 of the Procedural Rules, respectively. On August 5, 2022 , a Hearing Panel of the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission issued the Interim Suspension Order to Mr. Cooke after determining that he was arrested and charged with five felony counts of dealing in child pornography in the Kent County (Delaware) Court of Common Pleas (Case No. 2204014557). As set forth in CFP Board's Complaint, CFP Board sought to investigate Mr. Cooke's criminal charges and his termination from his firm. CFP Board alleged that Mr. Cooke violated Standard E.5 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct when he failed to satisfy his Duty of Cooperation by refusing to respond to CFP Board's requests for information and a Notice of Failure to Cooperate. Under Articles 4.1.b. and 4.1.c. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Cooke has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Cooke's administrative revocation was effective as of June 20, 2023 . FLORIDA Randall B. Kiefner ( Orlando, Florida ): In July 2023 , CFP Board issued an order permanently revoking Mr. Kiefner's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Kiefner's failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation and deliver proof of compliance with CFP Board's Interim Suspension Order as required by Articles 1.1 and 2.3 of the Procedural Rules, respectively. On April 25, 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued Mr. Kiefner an Interim Suspension Order after receiving evidence he was charged with a felony crime associated with the possession of child pornography. CFP Board sought to conduct its own investigation, but Mr. Kiefner did not cooperate with that investigation. Mr. Kiefner's conduct may have violated Standard E.2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to refrain from conduct that reflects adversely on his or her integrity or fitness as a CFP professional, upon the CFP marks or upon the profession. Under Articles 4.1.a. and 4.1.c. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Kiefner has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Kiefner's administrative revocation was effective as of August 28, 2023 . TEXAS Stephen Y. Kwan ( Spicewood, Texas ): In July 2023 , CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently revoking Mr. Kwan's right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Kwan's failure to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within the required time frame. CFP Board alleged that Mr. Kwan violated Standard E.5 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct when he failed to satisfy his Duty of Cooperation by refusing to respond to CFP Board's requests for information and a Notice of Failure to Cooperate. CFP Board sought to investigate a 90-day suspension of Mr. Kwan's registration as an investment adviser representative issued by the Texas State Securities Board on November 2, 2022 (Texas Disciplinary Order). As a result of the Texas Disciplinary Order, CFP Board had imposed an interim suspension of Mr. Kwan's right to use the CFP Board certification marks on December 14, 2022 , pending CFP Board's completion of its investigation. Mr. Kwan failed to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of service, as required by Article 3.2 of the Procedural Rules. Under Article 4.1.b. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Kwan has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Kwan's administrative revocation was effective as of August 7, 2023 . John Poulos ( Colleyville, Texas ): In July 2023 , CFP Board issued an order permanently revoking Mr. Poulos' right to use the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Poulos' failure to acknowledge receipt of CFP Board's Notice of Investigation and deliver proof of compliance with CFP Board's Interim Suspension Order as required by Articles 1.1 and 2.3 of the Procedural Rules, respectively. On January 27, 2023 , the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) issued Mr. Poulos an Interim Suspension Order after receiving evidence that he was charged with causing the violent death of his then-fiancee in Colombia and fleeing that country to avoid prosecution. CFP Board sought to conduct its own investigation, but Mr. Poulos did not cooperate with that investigation. Mr. Poulos' conduct may have violated Standard E.2 of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which requires a CFP professional to refrain from conduct that reflects adversely on his or her integrity or fitness as a CFP professional, upon the CFP marks or upon the profession. Under Articles 4.1.a. and 4.1.c. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Poulos has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation. Mr. Poulos' administrative revocation was effective as of August 28, 2023 . PERMANENT BAR KENTUCKY Douglas Hawkins ( Lexington, Kentucky ): In July 2023 , CFP Board issued an administrative order permanently barring Mr. Hawkins from applying for or obtaining the CFP Board certification marks. This sanction followed Mr. Hawkins' relinquishment of his certification and failure to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within the required time frame. CFP Board alleged that, in February 2023 , Mr. Hawkins was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky for investment fraud, securities fraud and mail fraud in connection with his role in a scheme to defraud investors in a real estate portfolio. In that case, the court found that Mr. Hawkins made material misstatements and material omissions about the nature of the investments and about the portfolio properties. The court also found that he concealed his own conflicts of interest in promoting those investment opportunities. CFP Board's Complaint alleged that Mr. Hawkins' conduct violated three provisions of the Rules of Conduct. First, CFP Board alleged that Mr. Hawkins violated Rule 1.4, which provides that a CFP professional must place the interests of a client ahead of his or her own. Second, CFP Board alleged that Mr. Hawkins violated Rule 4.1, which provides that a CFP professional must treat clients fairly and provide professional services with integrity and objectivity. Third, CFP Board alleged that Mr. Hawkins violated Rule 4.3, which provides that a CFP professional must comply with all applicable regulatory requirements governing professional services. Mr. Hawkins failed to file an Answer to CFP Board's Complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of service, as required by Article 3.2 of the Procedural Rules. Under Article 4.1.b. of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Hawkins has been deemed in default, and CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Permanent Bar. Mr. Hawkins' administrative permanent bar was effective as of August 28, 2023 . ABOUT CFP BOARD CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public's benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP certification is held by more than 97,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession's body of knowledge. Twitter: @CFPBoard View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cfp-board-imposes-public-sanctions-on-13-individuals-301929411.html SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Company Continues Investment in New Technology to Deepen Hispanic Connection CLEVELAND , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is making significant investments to provide focused, authentic support to Hispanic homebuyers, including the launch of a new Spanish loan application. "Our support for the Hispanic community extends well past translated materials," says Eric Wilson , chief marketing officer. "We have hundreds of Spanish-speaking loan officers with strong roots in the community. Our goal is to be a trusted resource by deepening our connection with this community to generate borrower confidence. The launch of our Spanish loan application will further those efforts." CCM's Spanish application is an extension of the company's Hispanic Initiative, a program designed to advance homeownership in the Hispanic community. Educational tools and translation services, including translated disclosures, are available to provide Spanish-speaking borrowers with guidance on the loan process in their native language. CCM is also a national partner of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and will participate in the annual L'ATTITUDE Conference for the second year. Strengthening that commitment, CCM celebrated 12 loan originators who earned a spot on the prestigious NAHREP Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators list. Included in the top recipients, CCM's Phoenix -based loan originator Lizy Hoeffer earned the number one spot for the sixth year in a row. The list ranks Latino Mortgage Originators nationwide and recognizes the dedication and hard work that goes into creating sustainable homeownership for Latino families in our communities. To learn more about CCM's robust product portfolio and to connect with a local Spanish-speaking loan officer, visit ccm.com/espanol. For NY borrowers, visit crosscountrymortgage.com/Espanol. About CrossCountry Mortgage CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is one of the nation's top three retail mortgage lenders, with more than 7,000 employees operating nearly 600 branches across all 50 states. Our company has been recognized nine times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 120 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae. Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. Visit ccm.com. Contact: Natalie Lonjak Communications Manager D 440.201.9234 E [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crosscountry-mortgage-launches-new-spanish-loan-application-expands-support-for-hispanic-borrowers-301929256.html SOURCE CrossCountry Mortgage ABUJA, Nigeria , Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nigeria based Air Peace, West Africa's largest airline, has placed a firm order for five Embraer (B3: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ) E175 aircraft. This strategic decision marks a significant step forward and is in alignment with Air Peace's ongoing strategy of modernising its fleet. This acquisition is in line with Air Peace's determination to become the operator of the largest and youngest fleet of aircraft in Africa. It reinforces Air Peace's commitment to enhancing its domestic and regional network connectivity and paves the way for further regional expansion. Deliveries of the 88 seat aircraft start in 2024. The value of the order, at list price, is US$288.3m . Already an operator of Embraer's newest and largest jet, the E195-E2, these smaller aircraft will complement the airlines' existing fleet, allowing Air Peace to dynamically match capacity to demand, protecting yields and route viability. The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema , said: "This is another important step in helping to realize our ambition to connect the whole of Nigeria with the entire African continent, while also feeding passengers into long-haul flights from our Lagos hub. The acquisition enables us to continue delivering on our 'no-city-left-behind' initiative connectivity is what our passengers, and Africa , demand. The deal also paves the way to establish local maintenance capabilities in Nigeria , with direct support from Embraer." "Air Peace's strategic and innovative approach continues to make them a powerhouse of aviation success in West Africa . Already an E2 operator, it now makes sense to upgauge their ERJ145 fleet, offering passengers more seats and comfort with the E175. The commonality of the cockpits between the E1 and E2 fleet also simplifies aircrew costs and management. Acknowledging Air Peace's significant investment in the acquisition of the Embraer fleet of aircraft, which has increased to 18 brand new firm aircraft to date, Embraer, in partnership with Air Peace is committed to directly supporting the establishment of local maintenance capabilities in Nigeria ," said Stephan Hannemann , VP Sales & Marketing, Head of Africa & Middle East Region , Commercial Aviation. Images: https://embraer.imagerelay.com/share/69be086e5af2416daf166f6469bfa276 About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil , Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil . The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas , Africa , Asia and Europe . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/embraer-announces-air-peace-orders-five-new-e175s-for-fleet-expansion-and-renewal-301928590.html SOURCE Embraer S.A. SHANGHAI , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 2023 ESG Global Leaders Conference was held at the Greenland Bund Center in Huangpu District , Shanghai from September 13 to 15 , with the theme of "Sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental protection". The Conference was hosted by Sina Finance and CITIC Press Group, cohosted by LaoFengXiang, and specially supported by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and Huangpu District People's Government. At the conference, scholars, entrepreneurs, financiers and professionals from around the world discussed how to promote sustainable development through the implementation of ESG strategies. Ms. Christina , managing director of the International Monetary Fund, sent a video message of congratulations to the conference. ESG Road and the Future of Mankind Tu Guangshao, executive director of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance and co-chairman of the ESG Leaders Association Forum, pointed out that it is necessary to promote domestic and international exchanges and interactions in the development of ESG. He said that sustainable development, including ESG, is a common task and shared demand of the whole world, and also need global joint efforts to promote. In Tu Guangshao's view, on the one hand, in the process of developing ESG and sustainable development, China can learn more from international best practices. At the same time, in the process of promoting ESG and sustainable development, we will also contribute Chinese wisdom, such exchanges and interactions are particularly important at present and in the future. He suggested that we should participate more in the formulation of international standards and form a Chinese ESG system that combines international trends and basic norms with Chinese characteristics. Kevin Kelly , founding editor of Wired magazine and author of The Next 5000 Days and Excellent Advice for Living and and Liu Jun , president of Bank of Communications, discussed the future of human's sustainable development. In KK's view, the three pillars of ESG should be thought of from a technical perspective: the first is globalism, the second is inclusiveness, the third is long-termism, and technology is the most important force for change in the world. "Build a clock inside a mountain and it will last for 10,000 years. To make it last for three generations, how can we do that? If we just consider the present and don't care about what the world will be like after death, we probably can't build such a clock", said KK when talking about a prior project. He said that there will be many changes in the future, and things such as policy, economy, business, will develop slowly in the future, which is the part of what ESG has to think about now. "Also from an ESG perspective, we need to take a long-term view, to understand the future better, and to gaze with a longer and slower vision." In KK's argument that future society is protopia (progress + topia), the implication is: Tomorrow might not be as perfect as we imagine, but it will be slightly better than today. As he said, "If we accumulate a little bit progress and positive energy every year, such protopia can be achieved, and ESG can help us get there. By taking one small step forward each year, we can take a leap in the future." What's the Role of Green Finance in ESG? In Liu Jun opinion, the concept of green finance is still expanding. Systemically important financial institutions around the world offer a wide range of ESG financial products. The continuous improvement of global standards for sustainable development boosted ESG financial practices. At present, China insists on actively promoting the development of transformational finance and climate investment, and regards them as important supplements to green development. Liu said, "Financial institutions should strongly support the development of green technology. From the perspective of what we should do, finance is a value exchange across time and space, which is essentially to guide the allocation of resources to key areas. Thus, we should support innovation in green technology. In view of what we can do, in addition to offering conventional lending services to traditional green industries, financial institutions can also create innovative models to provide solutions for the full life cycle of green science and innovation enterprises." Tu Guangshao spoke specifically about promoting the interaction between companies of the real economy and the financial services system in ESG development. He said that to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 requires a huge amount of capital investment in such aspects including rural revitalization and regional coordinated development. Therefore, the financial system needs to provide more financial resources for enterprises for ESG practice. Tu said, "In turn, to meet the requirements of sustainable development of the financial system, we must continue to deepen the function of the system. As enterprises invest in ESG and sustainable development, the financial system on the one hand can provide support for the real economy, on the other hand can open up a broad space for the development of itself. Thus, it is necessary to promote the interaction between the ESG practice of the real economy and the ESG investment finance of financial institutions." Liu cited an old Bobby McFerlin song that says, "In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double." He said, "Let us follow the road of green economic development, accelerate the pace of green technology innovation, plus the effect of green finance empowerment, and continue to move forward to the future vision. It's like the song's name Don't Worry, Be Happy." ESG and High-quality Development of Real Economy Li Yangmin , president of China Eastern Airlines, said in his speech that in terms of carbon reduction, China Eastern Airlines has done a lot of work, including route optimization, taking an active role in the carbon market mechanisms, promoting the construction of the carbon market in the civil aviation industry, exploring sustainable fuels, implementing full life cycle carbon integrated flights, and developing and manufacturing aviation special vehicles and equipment. China Eastern Airlines is also the first to use sustainable fuels, in terms of passenger privacy and data security, the company has passed the international information security standards and national service management system verification, and is the first domestic civil aviation enterprise to pass the ISO international dual certification. He suggested that it is necessary to establish and improve a set of ESG evaluation system with Chinese characteristics that meets the needs of "Chinese modernization" as soon as possible, with modernized concepts, Chinese standards, international system and transparent evaluation. "CRRC has already reached its carbon peak in 2018." Sun Yongcai, chairman of CRRC, said that CRRC rail transit equipment series products, represented by the Fuxing EMU, generally have the characteristics of large volume, low energy consumption, less emissions and less pollution. Based on the whole industrial chain, the whole value chain, the whole life cycle and the whole process, the "carbon peak" and "carbon neutral" action plans have been issued and implemented. We will strive to achieve carbon neutrality in operation by 2035 and in the whole industrial chain by 2050. Wang Guoquan , deputy general manager of CITIC Group, said that CITIC will actively explore the paths of integrating ESG into Chinese enterprises, and lead more Chinese enterprises to realize all-round transformation of governance system, management capacity, development model and performance evaluation with ESG as the starting point. It will help accelerate the improvement of China's ESG policy system disclosure standards, practice guidance and evaluation methods, to create long-term value for Chinese enterprises and create new advantages and new momentum. Liu Yonghao , chairman of New Hope Group, said that New Hope will integrate ESG into the daily operation and business process, and continue to mobilize upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain to participate, to achieve sustainable development of enterprises, society and the environment. "We have united 21 large grain consumption entities to form a grain saving consortium. We hope that our joint efforts will contribute to food conservation and make our due contribution to the protection of the social environment." Nan Cunhui, member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, President of Zhejiang Business Association and chairman of Chint Group, pointed out that the practice of ESG concept will bring new requirements for business content, development strategy, management style, performance evaluation and governance system, and help realize the organic unity of shareholder value, commercial value, social value and relevant values, and thus provide protect for enterprises to achieve green innovation and high-quality development. "The fact that ESG can be universally recognized and valued around the world, is fundamentally a matter of development concept. As for enterprises, there are two kinds of development concepts, one is profit maximization as the center, and the other is sustainable value as the center."said Ding Xiongjun, chairman of China Kweichow Moutai Distillery (Group) and Chairman of Kweichow Moutai. He said that Moutai adheres to the construction of mountains, forests and micro life community, actively implements the "dual carbon" action, invests 50 million yuan annually for the ecological protection of Chishui River , and donates 100 million yuan annually to the public welfare activities of China Moutai Pillars of the Country for 12 consecutive years. Wang Shi , founder of China Vanke Group and Destone Holdings LLC, said carbon neutral communities will be representative in the future. "We expect to develop different types of carbon neutral communities in Qingdao , Zhengzhou , Ordos and Xinjiang next year, some of these are 10 square kilometers, some 0.5 square kilometers, and some 5 square kilometers. In any case, it is operated under commercial model. It's better to have subsidie, but without it we should still go forward.." Jia Shaoqian, chairman of Hisense Group, said that the premise of doing ESG well is long-termism and the key is to lead by technology. To do ESG well with long-termism needs endurance, and the fundamental of it lie is altruism and win-win. Zhang Yuliang, Chairman and President of Greenland Group, said that enterprises should take gradual steps to improve and perfect their ESG practices, which have broad prospects. He suggested to establish a unified standard and system at the national level, and give priority to expanding the scope of ESG participation among listed companies. In the process of ESG practice, enterprises should be encouraged appropriately, and we should also vigorously develop third-party institutions specialized in ESG evaluation. Tang Liang , vice chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and chairman of Aosen Group, said that in essence, the ESG evaluation system redefines the boundary between enterprises and the market, encourages enterprises to create greater value for society with the help of the market, and promotes economic and social progress and sustainable development. Zheng Hongmeng, Chairman and CEO of Foxconn Industrial Internet Co., Ltd.., said that the emphasis on ESG by enterprises has been greatly improved compared with the past. In particular, the promotion of ESG has made enterprises more effective and more obvious in the application of new technologies, large-scale applications, transparency, flexibility and resilience of responsibility supply chain, control and cultivation of talent echelon, etc., and created a different ESG business value. Zhu Jiangming , founder, chairman and CEO of Leap Motor, introduced that the company has set four environmental management targets for ESG, including energy saving targets, water saving targets, emission reduction targets and waste reduction targets, hoping to achieve a waste reduction target of 5%-10% within five years. In the keynote speech of "China's Carbon Future", Zhu Yufeng , president of GCL-CSG Group Holdings Limited, said that GCL-CSG has integrated ESG concepts into the whole process of research and development, production, sales, channels, customers, investor relations, partnerships and so on, and promoted the construction of a green and low-carbon ecosystem based on ESG concepts. "Enterprises must practice ESG if they want to pursue long-term principles. For green and low-carbon enterprises such as GCL-CSG, 'going green' with all their efforts is the biggest ESG." Yao Jinli , chairman of Meijin Hydrogen Energy Technology, said that the road traffic sector, especially commercial vehicle models, has a significant responsibility to achieve the double carbon target, and there is also much to do. Li Hualun, chairman of Zhuque Equity Investment Management Co., Ltd., believes that ESG investment will certainly promote the growth of a new generation of entrepreneurs and create greater well-being for society. In the keynote speech "ESG Enhances Corporate Social Value", Xie Chang 'an, CEO of PepsiCo Greater China, said that every enterprise and individual has the responsibility to actively participate in the construction of ESG, and work together to achieve sustainable and high-quality development. Su Qingcan, chairman of Huaxia Eye Hospital Group, said that providing affordable and accessible medical resources to residents is crucial, which is also a problem that the medical industry must face and solve in the future. Sun Xi , founder and CEO of ESGuru in Singapore and chief ESG consultant of Menglang, said that ESG is not a special medicine that can produce immediate results, but a health care product that needs to work for a long time. The Development of ESG Standards and How to Enhance Potential At Venue A, Chen Kai , chairman, Greater China CEO and global management committee of EY China, said that Chinese enterprises should actively formulate action plans to continuously improve the quality of ESG information in terms of the indicators and targets of risk management on the governance strategy. They should also prepare comparable and verifiable ESG data, in response to stricter disclosure requirements, as well as the upcoming ESG information authentication work requirements. Jiang Ying , President of Deloitte China , stressed that we should focus not only on economic benefits but also on the entire transition process. She hoped that fair transition can cover the maximum social and economic benefits, truly realizing people first. "What we should do is not to emphasize the localization of international standards, but the internationalization of Chinese practices", said Feng Wen , Ph.D., managing director of Morningstar China . Wang Xiaoshu, head of APAC ESG & Climate Research, MSCI, said that climate change will bring about the largest reconstruction of the global economic model since the Industrial Revolution, in which hide ample transition opportunities, while enterprises that lag behind are at risk. More and more large institutional investors are taking ESG into considerations when making investment decisions. Mark Wang , deputy chairman, president and CEO of HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited said that banks need to develop their own near-zero emission plans in which the most important point is to gradually lower banks' investment and financing emissions, namely the total emissions generated from customers and projects funded by banks, to net zero. As a result, such customers and projects need to be deeply decarbonized for the change in the path of the real economy. Li Liang , founding partner of Hillhouse Capital, thought that ESG is not only an inherent requirement for investors, but also provides investors with natural investment criteria and the best investment, which is to find environmentally friendly companies with complete governance that can create long-term value for society. Cary Zhang , general manager of general manager of Wellington Private of Wellington Private Fund Management (Shanghai) LTD, pointed out that as a growing trend, climate change will reshape global economy, but the importance of this macro-inflection point is still underestimated, and its huge impact on the regulation of infrastructure spending and geopolitical dynamics has not been fully appreciated. Four female managers also shared their views on enterprises' sustainable development. Carol Liao , chairman of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Greater China , said that females are a strong driving force in sustainable consumption and the concept of green consumption are everywhere in basic necessities of life, including food, clothing, housing and transportation. Cherry Zhu , president of Dow Greater China, said that the pursuit of sustainable development should not only be the responsibility of one generation, but also the habit of each generation, so it is of great essential for the next generation to deeply understand the necessity of sustainable development and participate in its practice. Phyllis Cheung , CEO, McDonald's China expressed her wish to continue to promote a diverse and inclusive corporate culture, which is also the epitome of McDonald's ESG efforts in China . Guan Xiaohui , vice president of Fosun International Limited, vice chairman of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd., believes that the most significant social responsibility (in S) is the accessibility and affordability of products. In addition, Ewe Hong Tat , president of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, emphasized the importance of new learning to sustainable development in the future. In enterprises and schools, new learning can enhance our sense of identity for ESG and make us willing to support it. Only in this way can human society and the earth brace for better development. Ma Jingfen, founder of Chu Orange Manor and chairman of Chu Ma Cultural Exchange Center, who came from Yunnan Province , said in her speech that she wanted to establish a comprehensive health care and rehabilitation center. "This is what I'm always thinking about and also the last mission that I must complete in my life", said Ma. "Only 5 percent of investors' decisions are made from traditional financial information and the remaining are all non-financial information. The most important is sustainability information", said Zhang Zhengwei , special advisor to the chair of the International Suatainability Standards Board (ISSB) and Director of Beijing Office. According to Li Tao , director of Sina Finance ESG Rating Center, the center divides enterprises' ESG development into 5 stages, which are ESG deficiency, ESG cognition, ESG action, ESG influence and ESG lead These 5 stages are progressive one after another, around which the center customized 14 related services for enterprises. What Does ESG Bring to the Capital Market At venue B on the afternoon of September 13senior executives from three major stock exchanges in Shanghai , Shenzhen , and Beijing , as well as from securities firms and funds, discussed how ESG can contribute to the high-quality development of the capital market. Wang Bo , executive vice president of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, stated that the core concept of ESG is highly consistent with the requirements of the development of modern capital markets with Chinese characteristics. In 2004, the United Nations Global Compact organization first proposed the concept of ESG. The core idea of green sustainable development advocated by ESG is highly consistent with China's new development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and sharing, and coincide with the Five-sphere Integrated Plan Li Hui, executive vice president of Shenzhen Stock Exchange, said that at present, there are nearly 300 listed companies in the green low-carbon field on the stock exchange, with a cumulative equity financing of nearly 1 trillion yuan and a total market value of about 6 trillion yuan , accounting for about 20% of the total market value of listed companies in Shenzhen . It covers multiple industries such as new energy, new energy vehicles, and energy conservation and environmental protection. Sun Li , deputy general manager of Beijing Stock Exchange, said that at present, the 218 listed companies on the Beijing Stock Exchange have raised a total of 43.768 billion yuan , with an average of 200 million yuan each. In terms of the use of funds raised, eighty percent of the funds raised are invested in green innovation areas such as low-carbon environmental protection, digital economy, new energy and new materials. "The securities industry is the central part of the capital market and also an important member of the ESG ecosystem, capable of playing multiple important roles in the field of ESG." Wu Zongmin, executive director and president of China Merchants Securities Co.,Ltd. mentioned that the first is to give full play to its financing service ability. It can provide financing support for enterprises that comply with national strategies and ESG concepts through equity financing and mergers and acquisitions, encouraging them to invest in sustainable development projects to promote win-win results for industrial upgrading and environmental protection. The second is to give full play to investment management ability. The third is to give full play to professional research ability. It can conduct professional research to promote the construction of a Chinese ESG evaluation system, and continuously develop ESG financial instruments and investment strategies that are suitable for China's national conditions to lead the development trend of green finance globally, and establish the professional image and status of China's securities industry in the process of global sustainable development. Ms. Jin Wenzhong , chairman of Orient Securities Co., Ltd. stated that from value discovery to resource allocation, the investment logic of the capital market is quietly changing. With the initiative of the state and regulators, the promotion of responsible investors and the attention of stakeholders, the value of sustainable investment is getting more attention and recognition. A new round of resource allocation has begun invisibly, which has brought tremendous market opportunities. Liu Zhihui , President of Industrial Securities Co., Ltd. said that green and ESG investment is the general trend. Industrial Securities subsidiary AEGON-INDUSTRIAL Fund Management Co., Ltd. began to layout ESG investment as early as 2008, putting green, social responsibility and other concepts into specific strategies and products to guide the reasonable and efficient flow of funds to physical areas in line with the ESG field. "The United Nations has now proposed a new idea called the inclusive Wealth Measurement Framework. In the past, we only talked about GDP, but now it seems that there is a conflict between ESG and it, but there is not much conflict, the reason is how many resources you use in exchange for GDP. When we are in charge of a company, we will look at the performance of a department and the performance of subsidiaries, but the prerequisite is how many resources you are consuming the company. If most resources are given to you, we don't think it's cost-effective."Liu Yuanrui, president of Changjiang Securities Co., Ltd. said frankly, "ESG evaluation is an overall evaluation of the environment, society and governance. Put in the field of securities firms and funds, for example, the evaluation of fund managers should not only have good performance, but also have sustainable good performance. " "In the past, the CSRC called the listing conditions of listed companies sustainable profits, but now it has been changed to sustainable operation, which in fact fully embodies the concept of ESG." Shen Hefu, chairman and president of Guoyuan Securities Co., Ltd. said. On how to reduce the green premium, Peng Wensheng , chief economist and Head of Research, China International Capital Corporation, Dean of CICC Globe Institute, proposed two ways: one is to increase the cost of carbon emissions through carbon pricing, carbon tax and carbon trading market; the second is to reduce the cost of clean energy through scientific and technological progress and scientific and technological innovation. "Carbon pricing is to reduce the demand for fossil energy from the demand side, and technological progress is to reduce the production cost and supply cost of clean energy from the supply side. These are two routes." He believes that there are obvious differences in the choice of routes among the world's major economies, with China focusing on supply-side measures. Wu Xinrong, executive president of E Fund Management Co., Ltd. pointed out that the connotation of responsible investment is consistent with the new development concept, and responsible investment is an important driving force for promoting high-quality development of the fund industry. "In terms of increasing the proportion of medium-and long-term funds and promoting a high level of openness, responsible investment helps to enhance long-term returns, control long-term risks, and improve the level of long-term funding for services and a high level of openness." Li Yimei, CEO of China Asset Management Company, pointed out that ESG in China has entered uncharted waters. In the past, we stressed for the promotion and popularization of the ESG concept. At present, we highlight the practice, implementation and even chinization of ESG, to make it into a more localized practice truly suitable for our national conditions, industrial features, and development stages. According to the CEO, Li's company is building a climate database for listed companies. "ESG is not only a concept of responsible investing but also a value and concept of social development. It is deeply in line with the ideas of 'promoting harmony between humanity and nature', 'putting the people first', and 'seeking harmony among all nations' in Chinese traditional culture", said Li Wen, chairman of China Universal Asset Management Co., Ltd. and chairman of Asset Management Association of Shanghai. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/esg-global-leaders-conference-day-one-discussion-by-nobel-prize-winners-entrepreneurs-and-professionals-on-where-esg-goes-301929128.html SOURCE Sina Finance Japan's leading developer of new AI technologies Fujitsu accelerates its commitment to open source innovation with new projects hosted in LF AI & Data SAN FRANCISCO and TOKYO , Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu Limited and the Linux Foundation today marked the official launch of Fujitsu's automated machine learning and AI fairness technologies as open source software (OSS) ahead of Open Source Summit Europe 2023 , running in Bilbao, Spain , from September 19-21, 2023 . The two projects will offer users access to software that automatically generates code for new machine learning models, as well as a technology that addresses latent biases in training data. Fujitsu accelerates its commitment to open source innovation with new projects hosted in LF AI & Data. The Linux Foundation approved the incubation of two new projects, "SapientML" and "Intersectional Fairness" on August 24 to encourage developers worldwide to further experiment and innovate with AI and machine learning technologies, with plans to host future activities like hackathons to engage and build a community to promote open source AI. With these projects, Fujitsu and the Linux Foundation aim to further democratize AI to realize a world in which developers everywhere can easily and securely use the latest technologies on open platforms to create new applications and find innovative solutions to challenges facing business and society. "Offering AI technologies as OSS to developers worldwide opens up new opportunities for innovation across various industries by lowering the barrier of entry," said Vivek Mahajan , SEVP, CTO, CPO, Fujitsu Limited. "We are excited to work together with Linux Foundation to contribute to the further advancement and spread of AI by launching Fujitsu's AI technologies for the Linux Foundation's open source projects 'SapientML' and 'Intersectional Fairness.'" "We anticipate that offering Fujitsu's automated machine learning and AI fairness technologies as OSS will greatly contribute to the advancement and diffusion of AI," said Jim Zemlin , Executive Director of The Linux Foundation. "The Linux Foundation welcomes these two projects and looks forward to building the future of AI together." Japan's leading AI developer demonstrates a commitment to open innovation Fujitsu holds the largest number of AI-related inventions in Japan , with 970 patents from 2014 to October 2022 , and in April 2023 , launched "Fujitsu Kozuchi (code name) - Fujitsu AI Platform". Kozuchi enables users to rapidly and securely test advanced AI technologies and has offered a wide range of customers and partners access to some of Fujitsu's most advanced AI technologies. AI represents one of the most rapidly developing technologies of our time, contributing to the solution of various societal and industrial issues. However, this ongoing development requires advanced expertise in the development and operation of AI technologies, and concerns about the fairness of AI technology keep increasing. To enable further spread and enhancement of AI, a platform to openly share AI technologies with engineers worldwide represents an important prerequisite. Fujitsu is providing automated machine learning and AI fairness technologies as OSS via the Linux Foundation, enabling developers around the world to access and widely use Fujitsu's technology at the source code level to accelerate technological advancement and the development of new applications, while also addressing concerns around fairness and transparency that remain a critical priority in the field of AI ethics. About the two AI projects SapientML focuses on developing an Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) technology that produces code for rapidly building machine learning models using tabular data. It empowers data scientists to create precise and interpretable AI models swiftly. With this innovation, data scientists can instantly generate highly accurate models and fine-tune them for improved performance using the generated code, streamlining the model development process. focuses on developing an Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) technology that produces code for rapidly building machine learning models using tabular data. It empowers data scientists to create precise and interpretable AI models swiftly. With this innovation, data scientists can instantly generate highly accurate models and fine-tune them for improved performance using the generated code, streamlining the model development process. The Intersectional Fairness project addresses the issue of fairness in AI by targeting the detection and mitigation of biases that may not be readily apparent. It focuses on combatting discrimination against particular groups resulting from biased training data. The project's primary goal is to create an AI fairness technology capable of identifying and mitigating "intersectional biases," which arise when multiple attributes, such as age, gender, and nationality, interact in complex ways, often overlooked in AI systems. For example: imagine a group where the pass rate of young women in an exam is only 33.3%, a significantly lower rate than the rest of the group; this bias, pass rate difference, becomes apparent only when the combination of attributes for investigating the rate is considered; AI fairness technology aims to mitigate such biases while maintaining sufficient accuracy by using a method that adjusts the bias for each group and determines the acceptance line for readjusting the bias from the perspective of the whole. Fujitsu has been further providing its technologies for automated machine learning and AI fairness as "Fujitsu AutoML" and "Fujitsu AI Ethics for Fairness," together with various AI technologies and GUIs via the "Fujitsu Kozuchi (code name) - Fujitsu AI Platform." Moving forward, Fujitsu will offer technology updates for each project on its AI platform. Related Links The Linux Foundation AI & Data Projects: https://lfaidata.foundation/projects/ "Fujitsu launches AI platform "Fujitsu Kozuchi," streamlining access to AI and ML solutions to contribute to a sustainable society" (press release, April 20, 2023 : https://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2023/0420-02.html ) About Fujitsu Fujitsu's purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen ( US$28 billion ) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com . About The Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is the world's leading home for collaboration on open source software, hardware, standards, and data. Linux Foundation projects are critical to the world's infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, ONAP, PyTorch, RISC-V, SPDX, OpenChain, and more. The Linux Foundation focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org. The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact Noah Lehman The Linux Foundation [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fujitsu-and-the-linux-foundation-launch-fujitsus-automated-machine-learning-and-ai-fairness-technologies-as-linux-foundation-hosted-open-source-projects-301928582.html SOURCE The Linux Foundation BUDAPEST, Hungary and BASEL, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gedeon Richter Plc. ('Richter') together with Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. ('SMPA') and Sumitomo Pharma Switzerland GmbH ('SMPS') today announce that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use ("CHMP") of the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") has adopted a positive opinion recommending the approval of a Type II Variation application for RYEQO (relugolix 40 mg, estradiol 1.0 mg, and norethisterone acetate 0.5 mg) for the symptomatic treatment of endometriosis in women with a history of previous medical or surgical treatment for their endometriosis. The European Commission ("EC") will review the CHMP recommendation and a final decision on the Marketing Authorization Application is expected to be available in the coming months. The decision will be applicable to all member states of the European Economic Area. RYEQO was initially approved by the EMA in July 2021 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe symptoms of uterine fibroids in adult women of reproductive age. "Broadening the therapeutic reach of our core innovative products demonstrates our tireless pursuit of becoming a leading pharmaceutical company to address women's health issues," said Dr Peter Turek , Global Head of Women's Health at Gedeon Richter. "Once fully approved by the EC, this new therapy could offer a viable treatment option for many women living with endometriosis." "Endometriosis can impact general physical, mental, and social well-being. Women often go many years before receiving their endometriosis diagnosis. Some will undergo multiple surgeries in an effort to manage their pain, but many have their symptoms continue or return. This recommendation in the EU serves as an important next step towards making this medicine available for more women living with this condition globally," said Adele Gulfo , Chief Executive Officer, Biopharma Commercial Unit at Sumitomo Pharma America. This application is supported by two, 24-week, multi-national clinical studies (SPIRIT 1 and SPIRIT 2) in more than 1,200 women with moderate-to-severe pain associated with endometriosis, as well as the 80-week, open-label extension study to assess longer-term use of RYEQO. Together, these data represent up to two years of efficacy and safety information with RYEQO. About Endometriosis Approximately 10% of women of reproductive age have endometriosis. Many women with endometriosis-associated pain are not able to manage their pain symptoms with current treatment options, underscoring the high unmet need for this disease1. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the uterine lining is found outside the uterine cavity, commonly in the lower abdomen or pelvis, on ovaries, the bladder, and the colon. This endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus results in chronic inflammation and can cause scarring and adhesions. The symptoms associated with endometriosis include painful periods and chronic pelvic pain, painful ovulation, pain during or after sexual intercourse, heavy bleeding, fatigue, and infertility. Endometriosis can also impact general physical, mental, and social well-being. About RYEQO RYEQO (relugolix 40 mg, estradiol 1.0 mg, and norethisterone acetate 0.5 mg) is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe symptoms of uterine fibroids in adult women of reproductive age. RYEQO contains relugolix, which reduces the amount of estrogen (and other hormones) produced by ovaries, estradiol (an estrogen) which may reduce the risk of bone loss, and norethisterone acetate (a progestin) which is necessary when women with a uterus (womb) take estrogen. For full prescribing information and patient information, visit this link: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/ryeqo-epar-product-information_en.pdf) About Richter Gedeon Richter Plc. (www.gedeonrichter.com), headquartered in Budapest/Hungary , is a major pharmaceutical company in Central Eastern Europe , with an expanding direct presence in Western Europe , China , Latin America , and Australia . Having reached a market capitalization of EUR 3.9 billion ( USD 4.1 billion ) by the end of 2022, Richter's consolidated sales were approximately EUR 2.0 billion ( USD 2.1 billion ) during the same year. The product portfolio of Richter covers many important therapeutic areas, including Women's Healthcare, Central Nervous System, and Cardiovascular areas. Having the largest R&D unit in Central Eastern Europe , Richter's original research activity focuses on CNS disorders. With its widely acknowledged steroid chemistry expertise, Richter is a significant player in the Women's Healthcare field worldwide. Richter is also active in biosimilar product development. About Sumitomo Pharma Group Sumitomo Pharma Group is a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan with key operations in the U.S. (Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.) and Europe (Sumitomo Pharma Switzerland GmbH) focused on addressing unmet patient needs in psychiatry & neurology, oncology, urology, women's health, rare disease, and cell & gene therapies. With several marketed products in the U.S. , Europe , and Canada , a diverse pipeline of early- to late-stage assets, and in-house advanced technology capabilities, Sumitomo Pharma America and Switzerland aim to accelerate discovery, research, and development to bring novel therapies to patients sooner. Sumitomo Pharma America and Switzerland are companies of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com and LinkedIn to follow us. 1Becker CM, et al. Fertil Steril. 2017 Jul;108(1):125-136. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gedeon-richter-and-sumitomo-pharma-receive-positive-chmp-opinion-for-ryeqo-for-treatment-of-endometriosis-301929253.html SOURCE Sumitomo Pharma America 'Mobis Mobility Day' held targeting Silicon Valley startups... Sharing mobility vision and announcing investment plans Nearly 2 trillion KRW invested directly in startups over the past five years... Procuring orders following discovering startups in North America , Europe , and more Expanding investments in promising global enterprises in the electrification field... Strategies to secure a competitive edge in electric vehicle by attracting overseas orders etc. Attention captured by specialized Trailer Reverse Assistance (TRA) system, tailored for high-demand pickup truck market SEOUL, South Korea , Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Mobis is expanding its investments in global startups with core future mobility technologies. The strategy is to bolster competitive allies in specific areas, such as semiconductors, software, autonomous driving sensors, and infotainment, and support their growth into unicorn companies. In the past five years, Hyundai Mobis has come close to investing 2 trillion won directly in these companies. On the 14th, Hyundai Mobis announced that it had organized the 'Mobis Mobility Day' under the guidance of the Silicon Valley startup investment hub, 'Mobis Ventures Silicon Valley (MVSV).' Over 200 attendees, including Silicon Valley mobility startup representatives, academics, and investors, attended the event, making it the second of its kind. Mobis Mobility Day is where Hyundai Mobis shares its future mobility vision with local companies and explains its investment plans. There is an opportunity to network with promising startups seeking to participate in technological development or looking for investors and also network with other investors. This year, the event was themed 'Clean Mobility on the Rise,' indicating the emergence of eco-friendly mobility centered on electrification. It is known that there were high-level discussions with speakers, including local investment representatives from semiconductor companies such as Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD, and CEOs of AI companies. Mitchell Yun , the head of MVSV who hosted the event, stated, "More startups than last year are looking for collaboration through Hyundai Mobis's investment," and "We will focus on discerning the valuable ones by understanding Silicon Valley's market trends and technological movements." Since establishing its base in Silicon Valley in 2018 with MVSV, Hyundai Mobis has continuously expanded its discovery and investment in local startups. Collaborations with these startups have led to tangible results, such as achieving significant orders based on new technologies. Hyundai Mobis is also expanding its investment and collaboration with promising global enterprises in electrification. The intention is to join hands proactively with globally promising companies to secure breakthrough technologies, ensuring a superior advantage in the electric vehicle sector. Hyundai Mobis has been committed to independent technological development, securing a competitive edge in critical electric vehicle components ahead of other parts suppliers. Recently, it has proven its global competitiveness by procuring an extensive battery system (BSA) order from Volkswagen. About Hyundai Mobis Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea . Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting, and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates its R&D headquarters in Korea , with four technology centers in the United States , Germany , China and India . For more information, please visit the website at https://www.mobis.co.kr/. Media Contact Jihyun Han: [email protected] Myong Sun Song : [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyundai-mobis-expands-its-discovery-of-silicon-valley-mobility-startups-in-the-us-301928627.html SOURCE Hyundai Mobis MILAN , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffe, the global leader in high quality sustainable coffee, celebrated the one-year anniversary of its illy Monte Napoleone flagship store last night with an exclusive event. The store re-opened last year after a restyling project headed by the ACPV ARCHITECTS studio - Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel . The thread that ran throughout the event was the attention that illy has always paid to quality and its care for details, which make its coffee superior. The creative concept for the event, "Quality loves details", matches the claim of the communication campaign that illycaffe launched on September 10 of this year and expresses the very essence of illy. Indeed, the Trieste -based company's unique 100% Arabica blend reflects a long journey that begins with pickling and selecting the very best coffee beans. Every cup of illy coffee is the expression of a constant attention to quality all along the value chain, to delight lovers of what its good and beautiful with the very best coffee nature can offer. Care for details made all the difference during the event: every corner of the store was set up to provide guests with a multi-sensory experience. The spectacular entrance, wrapped in the iconic illy red, ushered in the guests and led them along a lush, flower-bordered path to the elegant interior courtyard. The retail corner featured a special Christmas bar with flower decorations and ornaments customized by hand by a calligraphist. With the help of docents from the University of Coffee, the indoor spaces hosted an olfactory experience in which the aromas of coffee took guests along an evocative journey. The evening's menu featured several of the dishes from illy Montenapoleone's new menu in a novel finger food version, such as the iconic illymisu with coffee crumble. The evening's guests included Martina Ferragamo , Carlo Sestini , Tamu McPherson , Candela Pelizza , actress Anna Foglietta , photographer Julian Hargreaves , TV presenter Cristina Parodi , Helen Nonini and many of Milan's leading journalists, influencers and socialites. Behind the console, the Milan -based DJ and producer Tamati who livened up the evening with a personally curated playlist. Coffee and mixology came together with a performance by flair bartender Giorgio Facchinetti , who delighted guests with special cocktails with illy Cold Brew. This exclusive event was organized by illy to bring together all lovers of its coffee to meet and socialize at the elegant cafe in Via Montenapoleone 19. Since re-opening last year, it has become the venue of choice for high-quality coffee, providing an experience that embraces both beauty and taste. Address and opening hours: illy Montenapoleone Via Monte Napoleone 19, Milan Opening hours: From Monday to Friday: 8.00 21.00 Saturday and Sunday: 9.00 21.00 illycaffe is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans in the world. Every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafes, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafes and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors. Since its foundation, illycaffe has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Since 2013 the company is also one of the World Most Ethical Companies. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist , up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 125 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Universita del Caffe which today holds courses in 25 countries around the world. In 2021, Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffe with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans. In 2022, the company had 1230 employees and a turnover of 567,7 million. The illy single-brand network has 190 points of sale in 34 countries. For more information www.illy.com [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/illycaffe-celebrates-the-one-year-anniversary-of-its-flagship-store-in-milan-with-an-exclusive-event-where-details-make-the-difference-301929292.html SOURCE illycaffe Full-service asset management for lenders, private and institutional owners CHICAGO , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Xroads Real Estate Advisors, a national full-service real estate asset management and advisory firm, launches this week, representing a new era for Crossroads Partners, the property management and brokerage group founded in 2006 by Michael Nortman . Led by Principal and Chief Operating Officer Kirsten Bowersox , the company has added new partners David Camins and Adam Mizrachi and now boasts five million square feet of commercial real estate under management. Camins and Mizrachi brings three million square feet of Class A, core Central Business District (CBD) asset management assignments to the partnership, while the former Crossroads Partners contributes two million square feet of office, medical office, retail and industrial assignments. Xroads will offer highly customized full-service asset management and advisory services including property management, agency leasing, capital markets strategies and back-office accounting services. With a legacy of both institutional and entrepreneurial experience, the firm will serve a mix of lender and owner clients, helping them to maximize value and minimize loss in today's highly unpredictable economic environment. National Expansion, Institutional Quality The joining of forces between David Camins and Adam Mizrachi with Michael Nortman and Kirsten Bowersox enables them to not only expand on the services but also the geography on a national scale. They also will have the ability to provide capital to select clients, properties and market opportunities through a separate fund vehicle led by the same team. David Camins' experience includes roles as a Wall Street lender, asset manager and debt and equity advisor. His background gives him the ability to see issues from all sides of the table, on multiple property types, and collaborate at a local property level with local stakeholders across the nation. "I really enjoy getting into the nuances of both the people involved within an asset as well as understanding the capital equation that tends to drive the outcome. We look forward to providing thoughtful and innovative solutions to our clients in each assignment. I value Xroads for its teamwork and collaborative spirit," Camins said. "As an independent shop, we have the ability to be nimble and not view the people we are collaborating with as a number or data point in a report. We pay attention to everyone, not just to companies with names that ring a bell, but focus on the people who we are respectfully working with to solve the new common goal in our industry right now, which is to recoup lost value." Adam Mizrachi , entrepreneurial and globally connected investor, brings valuable relationships and extensive experience in technology, finance, and owning and operating large Class A office properties. Additionally, industry veteran Harvey Camins , who has formed and sold three property service ventures, also will serve as a principal and client advisor with Xroads Advisors. Deep Leadership Experience and Expertise Founded by Michael Nortman in 2006, Crossroads Partners and its third-party management platform were born out of the Great Recession. "Crossroads was founded as a vertically integrated, institutional quality platform with a boutique culture. We are excited to partner with David and Adam to take the company to the next level," said Nortman. Bowersox observed, "After growing Crossroads Partners over the past 10 years, I am excited to position Xroads Real Estate Advisors as an even stronger team that is fully equipped to help clients navigate the likely challenging years ahead." Prior to joining Crossroads in 2013, Bowersox led the Other Real Estate Owned (REO) Group at MB Financial Bank (now a part of Fifth Third Bank) managing the disposition of more than $400 million of both legacy bank assets and assets covered under Loss Share Agreements with the FDIC. She spent more than 20 years as a commercial real estate banker and construction portfolio manager with both public and private institutions such as LaSalle Bank, GMAC Commercial Mortgage and Inland Mortgage Capital Corporation. In addition to her vast experience, Bowersox heads a talented team of property managers, brokers and accountants. "Given the challenges many commercial asset classes, particularly office space, are facing, cross-disciplinary experience and a solutions-oriented mindset are key factors in recovering value for lenders and equity holders in real estate investments that are under water or approaching that status," Bowersox said. "The addition of David and Adam to the leadership team already including Michael and myself adds a unique blend of sophistication and experience to our existing team," she added. "You will be hard-pressed to find another real estate group that has the collective skill set the Xroads leadership team offers, from workouts and dispositions to receiverships, institutional ownership, capital markets solutions and related services. We know how to use every available tool to recover value for owners and other stakeholders, even in the most complex and challenging scenarios." ABOUT XROADS REAL ESTATE ADVISORS (FORMERLY CROSSROADS PARTNERS) Xroads Real Estate Advisors, Inc. is a full-service asset management and advisory firm that offers tailored options including property management, agency leasing, capital market strategies and back-office accounting services. With authentic expertise and a focus on intentional and intuitive solutions, its mission is to use its collective skills from ownership, lending and management experiences to become a trusted partner for lenders and owners, maximizing value and minimizing losses. For more information, please contact Kirsten Bowersox ([email protected] and 847.239.7519) or visit www.xroadsadvisors.com, launching in early October. MEDIA CONTACT Rosa Cirianni , Akrete Communications [email protected], 908.507.8884 COMPANY CONTACT: Kirsten Bowersox , Principal and Chief Operating Officer Xroads Real Estate Advisors, Inc. [email protected], 847.239.7519 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/institutional-asset-management-veterans-join-forces-to-form-national-boutique-firm-xroads-real-estate-advisors-301928636.html SOURCE Xroads Real Estate Advisors SANTIAGO, Chile , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vina Concha y Toro , one of the world's most renowned wineries, is thrilled to announce that Isabel Guilisasti , Vice President of Fine Wine and Corporate Image, has been nominated for the prestigious Wine Star Award for Person of the Year by Wine Enthusiast . This year marks the 24th anniversary of Wine Enthusiast's Annual Wine Star Awards, honoring the individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and alcohol beverage world. This nomination reflects our industry's evolving landscape, where diversity and inclusivity drive progress. This nomination recognizes Guilisasti's exceptional contributions to the wine industry and her unwavering commitment to excellence. With a career spanning over two decades, she has played a pivotal role in elevating Concha y Toro's status as a global wine leader in fine wines from South America . Guilisasti has dedicated her career to raising the profile of South American wines on the international stage. She has worked tirelessly to increase the visibility of Chile's Vina Don Melchor , Marques de Casa Concha Heritage , Carmin de Peumo, and Amelia, and Argentina's Eolo from Bodega Trivento, which together capture the essence of South America's fine wine terroir. Her visionary leadership and passion for the art of winemaking have been instrumental in Concha y Toro's international success. Under her guidance, Vina Concha y Toro has expanded the reach of its portfolio of fine wines, pushing boundaries and innovating while staying true to the winery's rich heritage. This dedication to quality and authenticity has earned Concha y Toro numerous accolades and a place of honor among the world's top wine producers. "There were very few women in the wine industry when I started twenty years ago," reminisced Guilisasti. "Today, I'm inspired by countless colleagues who have broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings. The presence of strong, talented women in the wine world is undeniable. This nomination reflects our industry's evolving landscape, where diversity and inclusivity drive progress." "We're thrilled to recognize Isabel's leadership with a Person of the Year nomination," said Jacqueline Strum , President and Publisher for Wine Enthusiast Media. "Her remarkable achievements, leadership, and passion to connect us through wine are an inspiration. Isabel embodies the pioneering spirit of Vina Concha y Toro ." "I'm honored to be part of this remarkable journey and grateful for the support of Vina Concha y Toro , my tireless and talented colleagues, my family, and the entire wine community," said Guilisasti. The Wine Star Person of the Year award from Wine Enthusiast is a coveted annual honor that celebrates individuals who have made a significant impact on the wine industry. Isabel Guilisasti's nomination reflects her remarkable career and her enduring commitment to producing exceptional wines. Concha y Toro salutes all nominees for their dedication, innovation, and pursuit of excellence. About Vina Concha y Toro About Vina Concha y Toro Vina Concha y Toro is a leading global company in the wine industry with 140 years of history. It is currently Latin America's largest wine exporter, and one of the world's top wine brands, with a presence in more than 130 countries. Its production origins in Chile , Argentina , and the United States imbue its wines with character and identity, giving rise to a great family of unique global brands, recognized worldwide for their quality, innovation, and sustainability. The company is headquartered in Santiago de Chile , and has more than 12,000 hectares of vineyards planted in the main wine valleys of Chile, Argentina , and the United States . It also has 13 sales offices located in its key markets around the world. Find out more at: https://vinacyt.com/en/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/isabel-guilisasti-concha-y-toros-vp-fine-wine-and-corporate-image-nominated-for-wine-enthusiasts-wine-star-person-of-the-year-301928615.html NEW YORK , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kempus , an online community where students can connect and discuss the university and early career experience anonymously, is excited to announce the launch of The Kempus Podcast on Spotify, to further build on its mission to create an enriched community for college students. The Kempus Podcast, which is hosted by Kempus' Lead Program Manager, Alvin Ye , aims to be a hub of authentic college experiences. It will cover a wide range of topics including but not limited to career development, dating advice, mental health, and even adulting. The podcast is designed to foster a more enriched community by sharing a diverse range of voices and experiences from various walks of life, including students, alumni, and colleagues. The inaugural episode covers a recent record-breaking win of the Oregon Ducks, Kempus' sponsorship of the "Autzen Singalong" at the University of Oregon, and features Brennan Furber , a Program Coordinator for Kempus and the podcast's future co-host. Beyond the immediate scope of enriching the student experience, the podcast seeks to serve as a platform for Kempus' partnerships and various programs beneficial to students, including spotlights on the Kempus community, and Kempus' vibrant marketing internship program. Future episodes will feature topics such as: Navigating the intricacies of Impostor Syndrome Industry-specific episodes Product development discussions by the Kempus team Entrepreneurship insights by Kempus CEO and Co-founder, Jae Lee Recruitment tips by Kempus' team Insights on working in the the tech space in Asia Building healthy social lives and relationships in college Balancing social life and academics "I'm thrilled to bring the Kempus Podcast to life. This platform will not just offer insights but also help students make sense of their journey. We're looking to make The Kempus Podcast a place where students, alumni, and professionals can openly share the good, the bad, and the complex aspects of college and early career life." says Alvin Ye . When asked about what's in store for the podcast, Jae Lee , the CEO of Kempus, says, "This is the start of a larger conversation that resonates with the diverse needs and aspirations of students everywhere. We believe in creating value through genuine connections and real-world insights. With the introduction of The Kempus Podcast, we're not just talking about college life, we're diving deep into the experiences that shape us." Discover the Kempus Podcast now at: http://kempus.ai/podcast About Kempus Kempus (Kempus, Inc.) is an online community for verified students to anonymously connect and share reviews on their course and university experiencewithout fear of reprisal. With Kempus, students can access up-to-date reports on components of the university experience at a glance, and are further encouraged to dive into deeper discussions within Kempus' platform. Additionally, the Kempus platform assists the student body with early career preparation, for further empowerment. The Kempus community is one that strengthens its members at the individual level, to facilitate the most optimal and delightful university experience that is as unique as the students themselves. For more information about Kempus, visit www.kempus.com Download Kempus on iOS: https://kempus.ai/ios-app Download Kempus on Android: https://kempus.ai/android-app Contact [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kempus-introduces-the-kempus-podcast-your-go-to-resource-for-navigating-college-life-and-early-career-development-301929406.html SOURCE Kempus Inc Kempus extends its mission of community support through a charitable donation to help the wildfire victims in Maui, Hawaii . NEW YORK , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kempus , an online community where students can connect and discuss the university and early career experience anonymously, has made a charitable donation to Maui Strong , to help the affected people catastrophic wildfires that ravaged parts of Western Maui . This was as part of its commitment to community building beyond virtual walls. The devastating wildfires were fueled by Hurricane Dora's winds in August 2023 , resulting in an unprecedented tragedy. Claiming at least 114 lives, it became the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. Thousands of homes, businesses, and historical sites were destroyed, leaving survivors scrambling for basic necessities such as food, water, and housing. Since launching in 2023, Kempus has become a valuable resource for students in terms of anonymous peer reviews, university experience sharing, and early career preparation. This initiative to help Maui's wildfire victims serves as an extension of Kempus' ongoing efforts to provide value to communities, both online and offline. Jae Lee , the CEO of Kempus, spoke candidly about the disaster. "Needless to say, the wildfires shattered a community. No amount can replace lives lost or reverse the impact, but we at Kempus are proud to be a part of planting seeds for the future. Seeds that will hopefully grow into long-term recovery and hope for those affected in Maui ." Kempus encourages the general public to support the victims and the rebuilding process. In addition to Maui Strong , here are additional charities to which one can donate to help the affected people of Maui: Maui United Way Inc. : http://www.mauiunitedway.org/ : Maui Humane Society Inc. : http://www.mauihumanesociety.org/ : Aloha United Way : http://www.auw.org/ About Kempus Kempus (Kempus, Inc.) is an online community for verified students to anonymously connect and share reviews on their course and university experiencewithout fear of reprisal. With Kempus, students can access up-to-date reports on components of the university experience at a glance, and are further encouraged to dive into deeper discussions within Kempus' platform. Additionally, the Kempus platform assists the student body with early career preparation, for further empowerment. The Kempus community is one that strengthens its members at the individual level, to facilitate the most optimal and delightful university experience that is as unique as the students themselves. For more information about Kempus, visit www.kempus.com Download Kempus on iOS: https://kempus.ai/ios-app Download Kempus on Android: https://kempus.ai/android-app Contact [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kempus-stands-in-solidarity-with-maui-community-donates-to-maui-strong-wildfire-relief-efforts-301929371.html SOURCE Kempus Inc MARIETTA, Ohio , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Limestone Bank (now Peoples Bank) ("Limestone") responded to a data security incident that involved personal information of some individuals. As of April 30, 2023 , Limestone Bank merged into Peoples Bank; however, the incident occurred before the merger. Limestone identified unusual activity involving an employee's email account. Upon learning of this, Limestone immediately took steps to secure the account and began an investigation. A cybersecurity firm was engaged to assist. The investigation found evidence of unauthorized access to one employee email account between November 21, 2022 , and March 23, 2023 . The emails and files in this account were reviewed, and Limestone determined that some emails and files contained personal information. The information varied, but depending on the person, the information may have included name and one or more of the following: Social Security number, driver's license number, financial account information, and limited medical information. On September 15, 2023 , Limestone began mailing letters to individuals whose information may have been involved in the incident. If you believe that your information was involved in this incident and have not received a letter, it is because Limestone could not identify an address associated with your name. Limestone established a dedicated, toll-free call center to answer questions that individuals may have. If you believe your information was involved and have any questions about this incident, please visit https://www.peoplesbancorp.com/ and click on the link named "Limestone Security Incident Notification" for more information. It is always advisable to actively monitor your financial account statements, credit reports, health insurance benefit statements and healthcare billing statements for any unauthorized activity. If you notice any unauthorized activity, contact the relevant financial institution, credit bureau reporting the activity immediately or, for medical information, your insurance carrier or healthcare provider. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/limestone-addresses-a-data-security-incident-301929404.html SOURCE Peoples Bank The only brewery in Wake County to win a Gold Medal at this year's competition. HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Local Time Brewing, a travel themed craft brewery, focusing on international styles and global ingredients while drawing inspiration from around the world, was awarded the only gold medal in Wake County as part of the NC Brewers Cup competition last week. Devin Singley Head Brewer, native North Carolinian, and recent recipient of Cary Magazine's Movers and Shakers honor produced the state's best craft beer in the International Origin category with the Phuket Sunset Thai-Style Rice Lager . He followed that up with a silver medal for the Schonbrunn Vienna-Style Lager in the European Amber Lager category. The brewery, started by Chris and Kelly Gallagher of Holly Springs opened only 5 months ago and joins a field of nearly 50 breweries in the county. Phuket Sunset was made with premium single-source, single-variety malted barley and premium imported Thai Jasmin rice. Brewed using old-world mashing techniques, the finished product is crisp and balanced. 2023 marked the 12th anniversary of the NC Brewers Cup competition, administered by the North Carolina Brewers Guild. This year, 873 entries were submitted by 122 independent North Carolina craft breweries, making this the largest commercial competition in the Southeast. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded in 36 style-based beer categories. The North Carolina Brewers' Guild, is the legislative advocacy body on behalf of the NC craft brewing industry, of which there are more than 400 breweries, and works to promote craft beer tourism and increased visibility of NC craft beer on state, national, and global levels. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/local-time-brewing-strikes-gold-at-nc-brewers-cup-301928639.html SOURCE Local Time Brewing LIVERMORE, Calif. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Marina Mechanical Services, a leading commercial and industrial HVACR provider has recently updated its entire brand suite and moved to Livermore, California . The organization previously operated under the name of Marina Mechanical, and was headquartered in San Leandro, California . These changes represent pivotal and forward-looking steps for the company, which has been in operation since 1958. Working in partnership with NK Interactive ( www.nk-interactive.com ), the extensive branding refresh included the development of new positioning language, logo and brand standards, which will be applied across the organization, including signage, business systems, brand collateral, uniforms, vehicles and more. A comprehensive new website is also in the works, which will launch in the coming months. The new Livermore headquarters includes office space, state-of-the-art fabrication facilities and raw materials storage. The location not only positions the company to better serve a greater number of clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area , but is also more centrally located for employees. As an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) business, having a location that contributes to a better employee work-life balance was a key company goal. "The important changes we have already completed, and are in the midst of, are positively driving our organization into the future," said company President, Sheri Learmonth . "Refreshing our brand suite was a major step forward for us, and involved an extensive internal audit to ensure that the voices of our leadership team were heard. Moving to Livermore was strategic, as it is not only better-located for over half of our workforce, its commute-friendly setting will also help us attract and maintain the very best talent. We could not be more thrilled with the evolution of our business and brand, and how these efforts will position us for long-term success." About Marina Mechanical Services: Marina Mechanical Services is a leading provider of commercial, industrial and high-density residential solutions involving HVACR, and the fabrication of custom and sheet metals. We create safe, healthy and comfortable environments for life to be lived. From ideation and design through installation and maintenance, we approach every project with the excellence and integrity required to ensure the very best results. We foster relationships built upon mutual respect, and continually work to earn the trust and business of the people we work with, and for. To learn more, please visit www.marinam.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marina-mechanical-services-updates-branding-and-moves-to-new-location-301929390.html SOURCE Marina Mechanical Services SACRAMENTO, Calif. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients will have a greater voice in investigations into harm caused by a doctor under legislation California lawmakers sent to the governor Thursday evening. However key reforms were stripped from the medical board bill that would have further strengthened patient safety and doctor oversight in California. SB 815 by Senator Richard Roth ( Riverside ) will: Require the Medical Board of California to interview a patient before their complaint of harm at the hands of a doctor is closed; create a complainant liaison unit to facilitate information sharing between injured patients and the board; and allow patients or their family to make an impact statement to the board before discipline is issued. Injured patients and the families of those lost to medical negligence have spent years calling for these changes. The effective date of the interview and liaison unit, however, was delayed. "I would like to thank the medical board for listening to advocates and the legislature for ensuring that families now have a voice in the enforcement process," said San Jose patient advocate Maria Ibarra Navarrette. "Had these requirements already been in place, my brother's case would have had a different outcome and more patients would have been protected." Learn more about Jose Ibarra . Still, significant patient safety reforms were stripped from the bill last week and over the past several months in the face of opposition by the doctors' lobby, said Consumer Watchdog. Those changes include: Reducing the burden of proof for doctor discipline to match that used in 41 other states; giving the board a public, not doctor, member majority; and an increase in licensing fees to $1350 every two years to keep the board's lights on. The bill as sent to the governor will increase fees to $1151 in 2023 and $1250 in 2027. "Although I am disappointed that important changes like lowering of the burden of proof was removed from this bill, I am not going anywhere and we will continue to fight for improvements and rights for families," said Alka Airy, patient advocate from San Francisco. Alka Airy became an advocate after her sister Shilpa passed away due to medical negligence. Learn more about Shilpa Airy. Two years ago, the legislature delayed substantive reform of the enforcement process and board operations by appointing an Enforcement Monitor to make recommendations. The Monitor's final report was not released until last month and its recommendations including the need for direct coordination between investigators and prosecutors and mandatory investigation of all death complaints are not reflected in SB 815. A remaining gap in the bill is increased disclosure, said Consumer Watchdog. Patients in California currently have no right to know when they walk into a doctor's office if the Medical Board is investigating, has charged, or has disciplined their provider for causing a patient's injury or death. Even criminal charges are not disclosed to patients before a medical appointment. "Injured patients who have petitioned the board and legislature for years have won a real seat at the table for families harmed by medical negligence with this bill. We urge the governor to sign it. While there is more work to do to keep the public safe from dangerous doctors, SB 815 will give patients a voice in doctor discipline and is worth celebrating," said Carmen Balber , executive director of Consumer Watchdog. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medical-board-reform-bill-that-will-expand-patients-voice-in-doctor-disciplinary-process-heads-to-governor-newsom-says-consumer-watchdog-301929419.html SOURCE Consumer Watchdog GUANGZHOU, China , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO Group Holding Limited (NYSE: MNSO; HKEX: 9896) ("MINISO", "MINISO Group" or the "Company"), a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design, today announced that, following the expiration of the share repurchase program the Company adopted in September 2022 , the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") authorized and approved a new share repurchase program on September 15, 2023 (the "2023 Share Repurchase Program"), under which the Company may repurchase up to US$200 million in value of its outstanding ordinary shares and/or American depositary shares representing its ordinary shares (collectively, the "Shares") over a period of 12 months starting from the date on which the 2023 Share Repurchase Program was approved. The Company expects to fund repurchases under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program from surplus cash on its balance sheet. The Board believes that a share repurchase in the present conditions will demonstrate the Company's confidence in its business outlook and prospects and would benefit the Company and create value for the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders") ultimately. The Company's proposed repurchases under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program may be made from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades, and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and its insider trading policy. The Company shall conduct the repurchase by exercising its powers under the repurchase mandate to be given or to be given to the Board pursuant to the resolutions of the Shareholders passed at the annual general meeting of the Company each year to repurchase the Shares not exceeding 10% of the total number of the issued Shares (the "Share Repurchase Mandate") as at the date of such annual general meeting, with each mandate to expire upon whichever is the earliest of: (a) the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company; (b) the expiration of the period within which the next annual general meeting of the Company is required by the memorandum and articles of the association of the Company or by any applicable laws to be held; and (c) the date on which the authority given under the ordinary resolution approving the Share Repurchase Mandate is revoked or varied by an ordinary resolution of the Shareholders. For the period from September 15, 2023 to the date of holding the upcoming annual general meeting of the Company before the end of 2023, the Company will repurchase under the authority of the repurchase mandate granted by the Shareholders passed on December 28, 2022 , and for the subsequent periods under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program, the Company will repurchase under the repurchase mandate to be granted by the Shareholders at the upcoming annual general meeting, subject to the approval of the Shareholders and the general mandate conditions as specified above. It is the intention of the Board to implement the 2023 Share Repurchase Program during the 12-month period only in such a way and only to such an extent that would not cause a mandatory general offer obligation to arise under Rule 26 of the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs. The Company will conduct the share repurchase in compliance with the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Listing Rules"). Pursuant to Rule 10.06(2)(e) of the Listing Rules an issuer shall not purchase its shares on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Stock Exchange") at any time after inside information has come to its knowledge until the information is made publicly available. In particular, during the period of one month immediately preceding the earlier of (i) the date of the board meeting for the approval of the issuer's results for any year, half-year, quarterly or any other interim period; and (ii) the deadline for the issuer to announce its results for any year or half-year under the Listing Rules, or quarterly or any other interim period, and ending on the date of the results announcement, the issuer shall not purchase its shares on the Stock Exchange, unless the circumstances are exceptional. The Company will conduct the proposed share repurchase in compliance with the memorandum and articles of association of the Company, the Listing Rules, the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs, the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands and all applicable laws and regulations to which the Company is subject to. The Board believes that the current financial resources of the Company would enable it to implement the share repurchase without causing any material impact on its working capital. The Board will review the 2023 Share Repurchase Program periodically, and may authorize adjustment of its terms and size. Shareholders and potential investors should note that any repurchase may be done subject to market conditions and at the Board's absolute discretion. There is no assurance of the timing, quantity or price of any repurchase. Shareholders and potential investors should therefore exercise caution when dealing in the Shares. About MINISO Group MINISO Group is a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide. For more information, please visit https://ir.miniso.com/. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "is/are likely to", "potential", "continue" or other similar expressions. MINISO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "HKEX"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about MINISO's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: MINISO's mission, goals and strategies; future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; the expected growth of the retail market and the market of branded variety retail of lifestyle products in China and globally; expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of MINISO's products; expectations regarding MINISO's relationships with consumers, suppliers, MINISO Retail Partners, local distributors, and other business partners; competition in the industry; proposed use of proceeds; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to MINISO's business and the industry. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in MINISO's filings with the SEC and the HKEX. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and MINISO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Investor Relations Contacts: Raine Hu MINISO Group Holding Limited Email: [email protected] Phone: +86 (20) 36228788 Ext.8039 Eric Yuan Christensen Advisory Email: [email protected] Phone: +86 1380 111 0739 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/miniso-announces-us200-million-share-repurchase-program-301928978.html SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited WASHINGTON , Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- During a ceremony at the German Ambassador's Residence in Washington on Thursday, Germany became the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR Dr. Walther Pelzer signed on behalf of Germany . NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and the following also were in attendance: Jennifer Littlejohn , acting assistant secretary, U.S. Department of State , acting assistant secretary, Chirag Parikh , executive secretary of the U.S. National Space Council , executive secretary of the Andreas Michaelis , German ambassador to the United States , German ambassador to Dr. Anna Christmann , federal German coordinator of German Aerospace Policy "I'm thrilled to welcome Germany to the Artemis Accords family," said Nelson. " Germany has long been one of NASA's closest and most capable international partners, and their signing today demonstrates their leadership now and into the future a future defined by limitless possibilities in space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth." The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA's Artemis program. " Germany and the United States have been successful partners in space for a long time. For example, German companies in the space sector are already central contributing to the Artemis program. The German signing of the Artemis Accords gives a further boost to this joint endeavor to carry out programs for the exploration of space. Thus, the Artemis Accords offer a multitude of new opportunities for industry and scientific research in Germany and ultimately also across Europe ," said Pelzer. NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other original signatories. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also strengthen the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners adds new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemisaccords View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-welcomes-germany-as-newest-artemis-accords-signatory-301928662.html SOURCE NASA WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation ("Nephron") today celebrated a successful $350 million capital raise led by BlackRock Capital Investment Advisors, LLC ("BlackRock") and PNC Bank, National Association ("PNC) to support future growth of the pharmaceutical manufacturer. The announcement was the culmination of collaboration among leaders at all three entities and kicked off a new era of unlimited potential for Nephron, a company known for bringing jobs to South Carolina and delivering life-saving medications to patients from coast to coast. "When I had the honor of assuming the role of CEO at Nephron, I had a vision that included expanding the reach of our company to deliver life-saving medications to as many patients as possible," said Nephron CEO and Owner Lou Kennedy . "We have never lost our focus, we have continued to grow, and, with this partnership, we are in the position to thrive. This is something we can all celebrate, as we help patients and doctors far beyond the borders of our state. I thank our partners at BlackRock, PNC, and not to mention, many others who have invested in our cause and had our backs. We look forward to working together for many years to come." Huron Transaction Advisory LLC served as Investment Banker and Huron Consulting Services LLC acted as Financial Advisor while John A Sowards LLC and Maynard Nexsen PC served as Legal Counsel to Nephron. White and Case LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP served as Legal Counsel to BlackRock, while Blank Rome LLP served as Legal Counsel to PNC. A West Columbia, S.C. -based company, Nephron develops and produces safe, affordable generic inhalation solutions and suspension products. The company also operates an industry-leading 503B Outsourcing Facility division which produces pre-filled sterile syringes, luer-lock vials, IV bottles and IV bags for hospitals across America, in an effort to alleviate drug shortage needs. For more information, please visit www.nephronpharm.com. Media Contact: Connor Watkins , cwatkins@nephronpharm.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nephron-partners-announce-350-million-capital-raise-for-future-growth-301929363.html SOURCE Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation CHICAGO , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- North Park University (NPU) has received a $937K grant from the Lilly Endowment to fund a faith-based project aimed at disenfranchised youth, as well as a $15K grant for internships from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). As part of the Lilly grant, NPU's Center for Civic Engagement will launch a five-year project called "Intergenerational Inquiry: Intentional Conversations to Innovate Next Generation Faith Development" and will be led by Richard Kohng , assistant vice president for Civic Engagement. Lilly's Christian Parenting Initiative funds the project and will equip parents and congregations to share faith more effectively with children. "It is our hope that Intergenerational Inquiry will drive new innovations in youth and parent/caregiver engagement while featuring the dynamic impact of partner organizations such as the Urban Outreach Foundation," Kohng said. "We also hope this project will build new collaborative pathways with our founding denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, in supporting next-generation faith development and social impact outcomes." Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Amy Governale will help implement the proposal process and oversee program evaluation. Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies Dr. Joel Willits and Professor of Communications Dr. Daniel White Hodge will also support curriculum design. Separately, NPU received a grant from the IBHE for a one-year project through its Illinois Cooperative Work Study program to fund paid summer internships in summer 2024. The program, which will be led by Cristina Ricano , assistant director of Career Development, will allow five NPU students who are also Illinois residents to take internships at local businesses. The goal is to expand opportunities for students to pursue internships and seek permanent employment in Illinois after graduation. ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st-century America. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-park-university-receives-nearly-1-million-in-grants-for-civic-engagement-internship-programs-301929298.html SOURCE North Park University WASHINGTON , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NSBA has named Olalah Njenga, CEO and Chief Strategist of YellowWood Group, LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina , a professional, technical and management consulting service firm as its 2023 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. Njenga was honored during the opening luncheon of the NSBA Washington Presentation Sept. 13-14 . "Not only is Olalah a fierce small-business advocate unencumbered by political allegiances, she is the epitome of a small-business success story," stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken . "What began at her dining room table as one person with one client has evolved into a firm with private and public sector clients in 14 industries across three continents. I am honored to recognize Olalah as NSBA's Small Business Advocate of the Year." Njenga has served under two governors from two different political affiliations to the NCWorks Commission, filling a highly-coveted seat on one of the state's most visible boards where she represents North Carolina's 900,000+ small-business owners. She has served on countless state and regional boards and administered the funding of a $2 million community grant fund. Njenga worked with state leaders to launch a small-business workforce forum that connected small-business owners to $12 million of funding for workforce issues. "I am honored to receive this recognition from an organization like NSBA, we share the belief that how you treat people matters," stated Njenga. "My philosophy of advocacy is to do the most for the most without expectation, and it has served me well as an advocate. I urge all small-business owners to get involved in our political process, to start somewhere and to start today." NSBA also recognized the following individuals for excellence in advocacy: Hope Blankenship , To the Rescue Bookkeeping, LLC , in Diberville, Mississippi. , To the , in Diberville, Mississippi. Sheletta Brundidge , ShelettaMakesMeLaugh, LLC in Cottage Grove, Minnesota , in Chyanne Hart , CAAM Logistics in Strasburg, Pennsylvania , CAAM Logistics in Martha Hernandez , ESO Ventures in Okaland, California , in Okaland, Nora Oliver , 10X Nora Oliver, LLC , in Woburn, Massachusetts Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. , and we are proud to be the nation's first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nsba-names-olalah-njenga-of-north-carolina-small-business-advocate-of-the-year-301929137.html SOURCE National Small Business Association KAHULUI, Hawaii , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a heartfelt ceremony held on September 11, 2023 , Boots on the Ground Maui proudly presented the Ohana Restoration Grant to 15 dedicated firefighters from the Maui Fire Department who lost their homes in the devastating Lahaina fires. The event, attended by the Fire Chief, many of the firefighters with their families, and Richard Bissen , Mayor of Maui , was a poignant tribute to these brave individuals who have selflessly served their community. The Maui Fire Department has been a vital cornerstone of Maui's emergency response system, and its firefighters have shown unparalleled dedication, often putting their own lives at risk to protect the lives and properties of others. Tragically, these courageous firefighters found themselves victims of the very disaster they had fought to quell. In the aftermath of the Lahaina fires, many of them lost their homes and personal belongings. Thanks to the generosity and unwavering support of the community, Ohana Restoration Grant was able to extend a helping hand when it was needed the most. Each affected firefighter's family were gifted $4,000 from multiple grants, providing critical financial assistance during their time of need. Additionally, the firefighters' families received loaded gift packages generously donated by local Maui businesses. These packages served not only as a token of appreciation but also as a reminder of the solidarity and compassion that permeates the Maui community. To learn more about "Boots on the Ground Maui" and the Ohana Restoration Grant and how you can get involved, please visit https://bootsonthegroundmaui.com/ . About Boots On The Ground Maui: Boots On The Ground Maui is a newly launched not-for-profit dedicated to sustainable rebuilding efforts in Lahaina , Maui following the devastating fires. Media Contact: Kim McLaughlin Boots on the Ground Maui 808-344-4714 Kim.McLaughlin@bootsonthegroundmaui.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ohana-restoration-grant-benefits-maui-fire-station-firefighters-301928786.html SOURCE Boots on the Ground Maui WALNUT CREEK, Calif. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of One Planet Group team members have recently returned from a service trip to Starfish International , an organization working tirelessly to improve access to education in The Gambia . Working with roughly 150 students annually, Starfish International works with Gambian girls and boys, supporting their journey through school and instilling them with the core values of nobility, independence, courtesy, knowledge, and service. "Our hope is to educate as many young people as possible" "I profoundly believe that businesses must be a source of social good. At One Planet Group, we care deeply about the equality of women and men, which is why we are so honored to do a small part to support the incredible mission of Starfish International, an organization founded by Mam Yassin Sarr and David Fox . Their work in The Gambia is inspiring and humbling, and its impact can only be fully understood through first-hand experience." - Payam Zamani , Founder, One Planet Group The group from One Planet Group, spent a week on Starfish's main campus, working with and learning from the students, and ultimately taking part in their annual graduation ceremony. The Mentors at Starfish International guided the group throughout the community, including a trip to The Land, a beautiful piece of land that Starfish is developing into a secondary campus, including classrooms, skill building facilities and farming grounds. The group also took part in shadowing the students during "a day in the life" to see their living conditions and household responsibilities, providing crucial context to the importance of the programs at Starfish International. "We believe that girls' education, in particular, is the key to mitigating or even remedying humanity's issues. Our hope is to educate as many young people as possible, exposing them to numerous resources and opportunities that they can use to further themselves and their communities. We were so glad to welcome the One Planet team, and have the opportunity to introduce them directly to some of our incredible students." - Mam Yassin Sarr , Founder and Director of Starfish International While education for girls specifically in The Gambia has improved, in many cases, they are fighting an uphill battle. The average family in The Gambia subsists on approximately $1 per day. Early marriage and pregnancy further curtail girls' education and prospects, putting them at a much higher risk of leaving school before obtaining a degree. Socio-cultural norms can also restrict girls' mobility and participation in public spaces, limiting their exposure to diverse experiences, networks, and possibilities. Starfish International actively works to address these limitations by advocating for gender-equitable policies, raising awareness about the importance of education, and challenging deep-rooted stereotypes to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for girls in The Gambia . "Stepping into the world of Starfish International was a humbling experience that reaffirmed the power of education and grassroots empowerment. The students of their programs exuded compassion, positivity, and confidence, embodying the change they wish to see in their communities. Beyond the classroom, the program's mentors showcased the ripple effect of Starfish's efforts, as they not only impart knowledge to the student through learned experience but also manage the program and extend their impact through outreach initiatives across The Gambia and beyond." - Kirianna Longsworth, Marketing Manager, Buyerlink who took part in this trip to The Gambia As a company, One Planet Group believes that businesses should be a source for social good. We challenge the idea that only non-profit organizations can serve humanity, and firmly believe that for-profit companies need to step up to the challenge and make betterment of the world a core part of their DNA. Capitalism can serve humanity. The team members that went to The Gambia , were drawn across One Planet Group companies, including Buyerlink, Autoweb, and One Planet Studios. In total, they spent about seven days working with the students in The Gambia . The trip was funded by One Planet Group, and will be an annual initiative. About One Planet Group One Planet Group is a closely held private equity firm that owns a suite of online technology and media businesses while also investing in early-stage companies. Owned and operated businesses span a variety of industries including ad tech, publishing, and media. One Planet Group's mission is to support strong business ideas while building an ethos that helps improve society and give back to communities. Infused with foundational values which promote diversity and inclusion, unity, service to humanity, and excellence in all things, One Planet Group strives to foster an environment that promotes equality, love, and empowerment. The company's investment portfolio includes over 40 startups representing a diverse group of innovative tech-enabled products and solutions. Investing primarily in high-growth early-stage entities, with an emphasis on companies that aspire to the concept of 'Innovation + Intention.' Specific areas of focus include the future of mobility, education technology, health technology, and environmental solutions. One Planet Group's core operating businesses include Buyerlink , a leading online marketplace for performance-based marketing; Autoweb , a company that provides performance-based marketing solutions to the automotive industry; California.com , a curated guide to traveling and living in California ; and Contractors.com , a site connecting homeowners and service providers. One Planet Group also operates BahaiTeachings.org , a non-profit platform that shares personal perspectives to promote the oneness of humanity. One Planet Group was founded by tech entrepreneur Payam Zamani in 2015. With offices and employees in over ten countries, their global headquarters is located in Walnut Creek, California . About Starfish International Starfish International is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a well-rounded and quality education for Gambian girls and boys. Working annually with 100 girls and 35 boys, Starfish International has been in service for 12 years, uplifting, educating, accompanying, and providing a safe haven for their students' growth, wellbeing, and development. Starfish's mission is to uplift Gambian girls by providing them with a world-class education that is focused on service to humanity while at the same time providing international service-learning opportunities for volunteers. The values and the five qualities highlighted at Starfish International are nobility, independence, courtesy, knowledge, and service. As an organization, its major achievement is to have graduated and impacted over 900 students who are now doctors, teachers, lawyers, nurses, and many other professionals in their respective fields. Their three significant areas of impact are education, health, and agriculture, with a focus on mentorship, entrepreneurship, character development, scholarship opportunities, leadership training, career counseling, public speaking, and community service. Media Contact Miriam Cohen Senior Director of PR & Communications One Planet Group (925) 237-9036 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-planet-group-takes-service-trip-to-the-gambia-301928509.html SOURCE One Planet Group NEW YORK , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Up to an hour after their hearts had stopped, some patients revived by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) had clear memories afterward of experiencing death, and had brain patterns while unconscious linked to thought and memory. This is the finding of a study led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in cooperation with 25 mostly U.S. and British hospitals, in which some survivors of cardiac arrest described lucid death experiences that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious. Despite immediate treatment, fewer than 10 percent of the 567 patients studied, who received CPR in the hospital, recovered sufficiently to be discharged. Four in 10 of those that survived, however, recalled some degree of consciousness during CPR not captured by standard measures. Published online September 14 in the journal Resuscitation, the study also found that in these patients, nearly 40% had brain activity that returned to normal, or nearly normal, at points even an hour into CPR. As captured by EEG, a technology that records brain activity with electrodes, the patients saw spikes in the gamma, delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves associated with higher mental function. Survivors have long reported having heightened awareness and powerful, lucid experiences, say the study authors. These have included a perception of separation from the body, observing events without pain or distress, and a meaningful evaluation of their actions and relationships. The new work found these experiences of death to be different from hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams, or CPR-induced consciousness. The study authors hypothesize that the "flatlined," dying brain removes natural inhibitory (braking) systems. These processes, known collectively as disinhibition, may open access to "new dimensions of reality," they say, including lucid recall of all stored memories from early childhood to death, evaluated from the perspective of morality. While no one knows the evolutionary purpose of this phenomenon, it "opens the door to a systematic exploration of what happens when a person dies." "Although doctors have long thought that the brain suffers permanent damage about ten minutes after the heart stops supplying it with oxygen, our work found that the brain can show signs of electrical recovery long into ongoing CPR," says senior study author Sam Parnia , MD, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. "This is the first large study to show that these recollections and brain wave changes may be signs of universal, shared elements of so called near-death experiences." These experiences provide a glimpse into a real, yet little understood dimension of human consciousness that becomes uncovered with death, adds Parnia, who is also director of critical care and resuscitation research at NYU Langone. The findings "may also guide the design of new ways to restart the heart or prevent brain injuries, and hold implications for transplantation." Called the AWAreness during REsuscitation (AWARE)-II study it followed 567 men and women who suffered cardiac arrest during hospital stays between May 2017 and March 2020 in the United States and United Kingdom . Of the 567 patients, only 85 were monitored via EEG to measure brain waves during their experiences. The researchers first presented the study findings at a resuscitation science symposium, part of the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2022 in Chicago on November 6 . Only hospitalized patients were enrolled to standardize the CPR and resuscitation methods used, as well as recording methods for brain activity. Additional testimony from 126 community survivors of cardiac arrest with self-reported memories were also examined to provide greater understanding of the themes related to the recalled experience of death. The study authors conclude that research to date has neither proved nor disproved the reality or meaning of patients' experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death. They say the recalled experience surrounding death merits further empirical investigation, and plan to conduct studies that more precisely define biomarkers of clinical consciousness, and that monitor the long-term psychological effects of resuscitation after cardiac arrest. Funding and support for the study was provided by NYU Langone, The John Templeton Foundation, and the Resuscitation Council (UK) and National Institutes for Health Research in the United Kingdom . Along with Parnia, other NYU Langone study investigators were Tara Keshavarz Shirazi , BA; Caitlin O'Neill , MPH; Emma Roellke , MD; Amanda Mengotta, MD; Thaddeus Tarpey , PhD; Elise Huppert , MD; Ian Jaffe , BS; Anelly Gonzales , MS; Jing Xu , MS; and Emmeline Koopman , MS. Other study investigators are Deepak R. Pradhan , MD, at NYC Health + Hospitals/ Bellevue in New York City ; Jignesh Patel , MD; Linh Tran , MD; Niraj Sinha , MD; and Rebecca Spiegel , MD, at Stony Brook University; Shannon Findlay , MD, at the University of Iowa; Michael McBrine , MD, at Tufts University; Gavin Perkins , MD, at the University of Warwick in Coventry, United Kingdom ; Alain Vuylsteke , MD, at Royal Papworth Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in Cambridge, United Kingdom ; Benjamin Bloom , MD, at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, United Kingdom ; Heather Jarman, RN , at St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London ; Hiu Nam Tong , MD, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust in King's Lynn, United Kingdom ; Louisa Chan , MD, at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Hampshire, United Kingdom ; Michael Lyacker, MD, at Ohio State University; Matthew Thomas , MD, at University Hospitals Bristol and Wexton NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol, United Kingdom ; Veselin Velchev , MD, at St. Anna University in Sofia, Bulgaria ; Charles Cairns , MD, at Drexel University; Rahul Sharma , MD, at Weill Cornell Medicine; Erik Kulstad , MD, at the University of Texas Southwestern; Elizabeth Scherer , MD, at the University of Texas San Antonio; Terence O'Keeffe , MD, at Augusta University; Mahtab Foroozesh , MD, at Virginia Tech; Olumayowa Abe , MD, at NewYork-Presbyterian; Chinwe Ogedegbe , MD, at Hackensack University; Amira Girgis , MD, at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, United Kingdom ; and Charles Deakin , MD, at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in Southampton, United Kingdom . CONTACT: Gregory Williams [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/patients-recall-death-experiences-after-cardiac-arrest-according-to-nyu-langone-health-301929448.html SOURCE NYU Langone Health System CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quad-C Management, Inc. ("Quad-C"), a leading middle market private equity firm, today announced it has closed on an investment in the Vortex Companies ("Vortex" or the "Company"), a global provider of trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation products and services. Vortex is split into two divisions, offering both trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation contracting services and products. Vortex Services operates in 12 strategic locations throughout the U.S. and Europe . Vortex Products maintains two U.S. facilities. Its Sandy, Utah facility formulates, manufactures, and distributes geopolymers, hybrid mortars, polymerics, and resins; while the other, located in Greenville, South Carolina fabricates, trains, and sells sewer robotics, monitoring technology, and installation equipment. Formed in 2015, Vortex is currently led by its co-founder and CEO, Mike Vellano , who will continue in that capacity. "We are excited to partner with Quad-C to accelerate our growth at Vortex," said Vellano. "We have been seeking a partner with a similar mindset and history of working with companies on an ambitious expansion path." "Quad-C is very excited to add Vortex to its portfolio. Mike and his management team have done an incredible job of building a profitable company in an extremely competitive environment, with a sustainable growth model," said Tom Hickey , a Quad-C Partner. "We believe Vortex will be a great fit for Quad-C, as we are very focused on the specialty products and services sectors and we have a long history of successfully partnering with privately held, entrepreneurial minded businesses." Houlihan Lokey advised Vortex on the Transaction. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. ABOUT VORTEX COMPANIES The Vortex Companies is a leading provider of advanced trenchless water and sewer technologies. Through its products and services divisions, Vortex delivers a comprehensive suite of rehabilitation products, equipment, services, and field support to the municipal, industrial, and commercial marketplaces. This includes pipe and manhole lining systems; sewer robotics; mortars; epoxies and resin materials; installation equipment; contracting services, training, and field support. Operating globally, Vortex is focused on providing customers a broad range of industry leading, cost-effective trenchless solutions and technical expertise, best suited for their project needs. For more information, go to vortexcompanies.com. ABOUT QUAD-C Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia , Quad-C is a middle market private equity firm focused on investing in established specialty distribution, industrials, transportation / logistics, business and consumer services, healthcare, food & beverage, and consumer products companies. In its three-decade history, Quad-C has invested $4.3 billion of capital in 82 platform companies. The Quad-C team is committed to partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to accelerate growth and create long-term value. Learn more about Quad-C at www.quadcmanagement.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quad-c-management-invests-in-vortex-companies-301928379.html SOURCE Vortex Companies LAS VEGAS , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 12th , the highly-anticipated RE+ 2023 commenced at The Venetian Convention and Expo Center in Las Vegas, USA. As the largest professional exhibition and trade fair for the solar energy industry in North America , RE+ drew in a massive crowd. Runergy made a splendid appearance at the event, showcasing a variety of flagship photovoltaic module products which were well-received by attendees. On the first day of the RE+ exhibition, Runergy made significant strides in expanding their global reach. Hyperion, the high-end module brand of Runergy, signed a global strategic agreement with Nanosun, targeting markets such as Europe , the Middle East , and the United States . Additionally, Hyperion entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Grape Solar, focusing on the U.S. market. Mr. Mitchell Aguirre , COO of Nanosun, warmly expressed strong confidence in working with Hyperion to create innovative green energy solutions. Mr. Ocean Yuan , the founder and CEO of Grape Solar, emphasized that both companies share a commitment to partnership and strategic alliances, and that there is immense potential for future cooperation. At this year's RE+, Runergy showcased a series of high-efficiency modules that use the most cutting-edge N-type cell technology, as well as the mainstream PERC cell technology. Among them, the 54 half-cell N-Type high-efficiency module is featured with full black aesthetic design that will fit for rooftop applications and its light weight is easy and hands-on for installation. Though with small size, it is big on power, with maximum power output at 425W, creating higher return and shorter investment cycle for home owners. The other two N-Type modules are 72 and 78 half-cells, perfect for ground mounted projects and tracker systems. With Runergy's leading position in high-efficiency N-type cell R%D and manufacturing, these products offer project owners lower LCOE and greater long-term value. The 72 half-cell N-type module is also recognized as an Overall Highest Achiever, with top performance in all rigorous tests of three essential disciplines including quality, performance, and reliability by RETC. The company also presented the 72 half-cell single glass PERC module, produced at its factory in Thailand . Runergy has entered the photovoltaic industry since ten years ago and its accumulated cell shipments exceeds 50GW. Runergy is dedicated to continuously providing high-efficiency products with high value for global customers. During this magnificent solar industry event, Runergy hosted a grand customer appreciation and 10th anniversary gala dinner, known as "Runergy's Night," at the Palms Casino Resort Hotel in Las Vegas . Dr. Longzhong Tao, Chairman of Runergy, and Ms. Ellen Wang , the head of global sales of Runergy, were in attendance. Dr. Longzhong Tao expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the guests, while Ms. Ellen Wang reviewed the development history of Runergy over the past decade and shared her vision for the future. The evening's activities included the cutting of a "10th Anniversary Cake," customer sharing, music performances, and other exciting events. Attendees spoke highly of Runergy's products, development concepts, and future vision, expressing their eagerness to work hand-in-hand with Runergy. Runergy Group was founded in 2013. After ten years of development and innovation, and with the support and care of its partners, it has grown into a photovoltaic enterprise with more than 10,000 employees worldwide, leading solar cell sales, and a global industrial chain. In the future, Runergy will continue to optimize the industrial chain layout, take root in technological exploration, expand internationalization, build long-term competitiveness, and work with global partners to create a reliable new energy brand for users. Learn more about Runergy: https://www.runergy-solar.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/runergy-shines-bright-at-re-in-las-vegas-with-new-generation-n-type-modules-301928925.html SOURCE Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. HEFEI, China , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow Floating PV, a global leader in floating PV plants, has announced its participation in RE+, North America's largest energy event, taking place from September 12 to 14, 2023 , in Las Vegas at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center. In this exhibition, the floating PV system scheme suitable for the North American market is displayed by Sungrow Floating PV. The system scheme mainly has three advantages: flexibility and compatibility, robustness and reliability, and convenient installation. Flexibility and Compatibility: The system adopts the series design of floating body products, which can be compatible with the mainstream components in the North American market, and the snow load of the system is adjustable, ranging from 0.32 to 1.65kN/m2, which can be widely applied to the North American region. Robustness and Reliability: While the system arrangement ensures high installed capacity and high power generation, the operation and maintenance walkway adopts an ergonomic design, which ensures high stability and operation and maintenance safety and operability. Convenient installation: It further simplifies system materials and standardizes components, and increases installation efficiency by 15% and facilitates maintenance. Wang Lei , deputy general manager of Sungrow Floating PV, said in an interview with PV Tech: "Under the demand of North America's energy transition and the trend of carbon neutrality, Sungrow Floating PV is committed to driving North America towards a green future with cutting-edge technology and reliable products. From the product design of the floating PV system to after-sales support, Sungrow Floating PV has always adhered to the core concept of customer value as the center, and implemented high standards in every link of product design and production, to ensure the full life cycle performance of floating PV system, ensure the reliable landing of terminal value, and provide all-round protection for customer value." The North American floating PV market has continued to grow in recent years, and WoodMac predicts that floating PV installations in the United States are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13% over the next decade, driven by regions with high solar demand but expensive land costs such as California , Florida and New Jersey . In the future, Sungrow Floating PV will rely on the core competitiveness of technological innovation, and continue to be guided by customer value, and use high-quality products and services to promote North America steadily toward a sustainable low-carbon society, bringing stable value beyond customers' expectations. About Sungrow FPV Sungrow Floating PV is a key high-tech enterprise dedicated to providing floating PV system solutions. Relies on Sungrow Group's 25 years' accumulation of development and production experience in the photovoltaic industry, Sungrow Floating PV focuses on providing ecologically friendly, reliable, and efficient Floating PV system solutions. With the vision of "to be the global navigator of FPV", its persistent pursuit is to provide high-yield one-stop services and lead the environmentally friendly development of floating PV. Learn more at http://en.sungrowfpv.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sungrow-fpv-showcases-its-latest-floating-pv-system-solution-at-re-2023-301928886.html SOURCE Sungrow FPV Illustrated by Neil Packer Exclusive New Foreword by Dame Judi Dench & Introduction by Gregory Doran Limited to 1,000 copies | $1,500 Available exclusively at foliosociety.com/shakespeare from September 26, 2023 LONDON , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's First Folio, The Folio Society will release a landmark limited edition of Shakespeare's The Complete Plays on Tuesday, September 26, its most ambitious limited edition in the company's 75-year history. www.foliosociety.com/shakespeare The Folio Society publishes The Complete Plays by William Shakespeare celebrating 400th anniversary of the First Folio The Folio Society's editorial team has worked in close collaboration with internationally recognised Shakespeare expert, Professor Ann Thompson to create a definitive new edition of Shakespeare's plays, which will include works from the First Folio and two plays originally omitted from the 1623 First Folio: Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen. The limited edition will feature an exclusive new foreword by Dame Judi Dench , and a new introduction from the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Gregory Doran , celebrating their distinguished careers and shared enthusiasm for the Bard. Published in three volumes: comedies; tragedies; histories; and limited to 1,000 sets, each hand-numbered and signed by renowned illustrator Neil Packer . Neil has created 39 new illustrations and has designed the bindings, inspired by Elizabethan blackwork embroidery, which have been perfectly replicated in sumptuous silk and linen jacquard cloth woven by Stephen Walters & Sons the oldest silk-weaving company in Britain . Typeset in Caslon and beautifully printed throughout in black and red inks, the bindery at Smith Settle, Yorkshire , has spent months painstakingly hand-binding each volume, using exemplary craftsmanship and traditional techniques. In addition, the limitation certificate has been set in hot metal and printed letterpress by Stan Lane , a master artisan typesetter and printer, in his studio in Gloucestershire . Shakespeare's First Folio was published in November 1623 and is considered one of the most influential books in history. Containing 36 of Shakespeare's plays, the First Folio was compiled by Shakespeare's colleagues seven years after the playwright's death, ensuring that his work was preserved for future generations. With 750 copies originally published, there are now 235 copies known to remain, with 50 copies in the UK . The majority of the surviving copies of the First Folio are owned by institutions around the world, with 27 in private ownership. In 2020 a 'complete' copy was sold at auction for $10 million . The Complete Plays will be priced at $1,500 each and available exclusively from The Folio Society from September 26, 2023 . Joanna Reynolds , CEO of The Folio Society, said: "The Complete Plays is the most ambitious limited edition The Folio Society has produced. When we approached this project we knew we would need to do justice to arguably the greatest book ever published in the English language, by producing the most magnificent limited edition ever created. It has been a privilege to work with so many dedicated craftspeople and experts in creating this edition. We look forward to sharing it with our readers." Tom Walker , Publishing Director at The Folio Society, said: "This is a thrilling example of contemporary bookmaking at its very finest: using the most traditional of production techniques at the same time as designing and crafting an edition which is exquisitely modern and made to last for generations." Neil Packer , illustrator, said: "This edition is a celebration and a homage to the 1623 First Folio and although it is in no way a facsimile of that edition, we did want it to look and literally feel like it is a direct successor. I was keen to tie the images to the 'theatre' rather than 'real world' and so I have tried to inject an element of toy theatre into them. You could almost imagine the figures depicted as tiny cardboard cut outs in a miniature theatre." Additional films embed codes available upon request. Book Production Film https://youtu.be/OMVCgCsf5II Neil Packer , Illustrator https://youtu.be/7F0oTveLGVk Stephen Walters & Sons Cloth Weaving: https://youtu.be/4udj3ZuhMFU Notes to Editors About Folio Society The Folio Society, based in London , publishes beautifully produced, illustrated hardback books. From a single purchase to a lifetime of collecting, book lovers around the world can buy these exquisite editions exclusively from their website, foliosociety.com. Proudly independent for its 75-year history, in 2021 under the leadership of its CEO, Joanna Reynolds , The Folio Society became an Employee Ownership Trust. The Folio Society is committed to a progressive sharing of power and profit in publishing, and this is reflected in their new status. The Folio Society publishes some of the best names in publishing past and present, across the globe in high specification, collector editions. Notable publications include Frank Herbert's Dune, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Andrew Chaikin's A Man on the Moon and Alice Walker's The Color Purple among many other contemporary and classic titles including a publishing partnership with Marvel delivering the world-recognised, iconic brand's luxury editions. Follow the Folio Society story on: Instagram: @foliosociety Twitter: @foliosociety Facebook: @thefoliosociety TikTok: @foliosociety YouTube: @TheFolioSociety LinkedIn: The Folio Society Ltd Hashtag: #foliosociety About Neil Packer Neil was born in Birmingham in 1961. He trained at the Colchester School of Art before becoming a full-time illustrator in 1984 with the publication of his first children's book. He has had a long career working in design, publishing and advertising, mostly in the United States . He has illustrated a number of titles for The Folio Society, including I, Claudius (1994), The Name of the Rose (2001), Catch-22 (2004), One Hundred Years of Solitude (2006), Foucault's Pendulum (2016), Mythical Beasts (2021) and most recently The Divine Comedy. Packer's work has been exhibited in London , Singapore and the United States. About Professor Ann Thompson Professor Thompson , director of the London Shakespeare Centre based at King's and co-organiser of the London Shakespeare Seminar, active in a number of areas of Shakespeare Studies, and is one of the General Editors of the Arden Shakespeare series. Professor Thompson is on the Advisory Boards of the journals Shakespeare Survey and Shakespeare (the relatively new journal of the British Shakespeare Association) and the Advisory Board of the International Shakespeare Association (conference committee). She frequently lectures on Shakespeare at conferences and other events in the UK and overseas including, in the last few years, the USA , Canada , Spain , Switzerland , Germany , Japan and Taiwan . About Dame Judi Dench Since playing Ophelia in Hamlet at The Old Vic Theatre over 60 years ago, Judi Dench has garnered wide popular and critical admiration for a career marked by outstanding performances in classical and contemporary roles on both stage and screen. She has won numerous major awards including an Academy Award, ten BAFTA Awards and a record eight Laurence Olivier Awards, and in recognition of her many achievements she received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1970, became a DBE (Dame of the British Empire) in 1988, and in 2005 was awarded a Companion of Honour. About Gregory Doran Gregory Doran is Artistic Director Emeritus of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has been described as 'one of the supreme Shakespeare directors of our era' (The Financial Times), and 'one of the finest present-day directors of Shakespeare' (The Sunday Telegraph). He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company as an actor in 1987, and became its Artistic Director in 2012, programming his first season from September 2013 . Greg was awarded the Sam Wanamaker Prize for pioneering work in Shakespearean Theatre in 2012, in 2023 was the recipient of the prestigious Pragnell Shakespeare Prize, is an honorary associate of the British Shakespeare Association, an honorary senior research fellow of the Shakespeare Institute, and a trustee of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. About Smith Settle Founded in 1981, they are among the now rare breed of artisan binders, crafting beautiful books that are sewn and bound by hand, Smith Settle are proud to continue the tradition of craftsmanship in the printing and bookbinding industry with an enviable reputation for the highest quality printing and bookbinding. smithsettle.com About Stephen Walters & Sons Stephen Walters is a renowned weaving company, known globally for combining artisan skills with the latest technology to design and manufacture exclusive jacquard fabrics for the fashion and accessories market. The 300-year-old family business proudly manufactures the fabrics at their mill in Sudbury, Suffolk . stephenwalters.co.uk View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-folio-society-announces-the-publication-of-the-complete-plays-by-william-shakespeare-301929535.html SOURCE The Folio Society BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle , Edsa Negussie is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Professional for her contributions to the field of Radiology. Dr. Negussie pursued higher education while in Ethiopia at Addis Ababa University where she received a Doctorate of Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine. Relocating to Southfield, Michigan to complete a residency in radiology at Providence Hospital, the doctor also completed a body imaging fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor . She is currently a dedicated radiologist at Southfield Radiology Associates. According to Dr. Negussie , diagnostic radiology is a medical specialty that employs non-invasive imaging modalities to diagnose patients. These scans, which may utilize low doses of radiation, generate highly detailed images of specific areas. A diagnostic radiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in utilizing various imaging techniques such as x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and more. She said that tests and equipment used sometimes involve low doses of radiation to create highly detailed images of an area and that a diagnostic radiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating disease and injury using medical imaging techniques such as x-rays; computed tomography (CT); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); nuclear medicine; positron emission tomography (PET); fusion imaging; and ultrasound. The doctor notes that Southfield Radiology is conveniently located in Southfield, Michigan , and combines the most sophisticated radiology technology with personal attention to provide patients with thorough, individual care. According to Dr. Negussie , Southfield Radiology Associates provides comprehensive, personalized care with cutting-edge radiology technology. Their experienced, board-certified team covers various subspecialties, such as general radiology, ultrasound (including abdominal, pelvic, and prostate imaging), PET, MRI, CT, women's imaging (including mammography, bone densitometry, OB/Gyn, breast ultrasound, and ductography), oncologic imaging and management, vascular intervention, tissue sampling, and nuclear medicine (including liver, bone and lung scans, SPECT , and stress testing). In addition to her practice responsibilities, Dr. Negussie serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Her current hospital affiliations in Michigan are at Ascension Providence Hospital Southfield and Novi Campuses. The doctor holds a Certificate in cardiac imaging from the American College of Radiology. Additionally, she is an experienced and board-certified diagnostic radiologist by the American Board of Radiology (ABR), which is an independent, not-for-profit organization and one of the 24 national medical specialty boards under the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dedicated to providing the latest advancements in her field, Dr. Negussie is an active member of several prestigious medical organizations, including the Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Radiology, the North American Society of Cardiac Imaging, and the Michigan State Medical Society. Aside from her professional pursuits, Dr. Negussie collaborates with World Medical Relief in Southfield, Michigan to organize delivery of essential medical equipment to Northern Ethiopia . She asserts that she has numerous mentors and teachers that she would like to thank for their support during her training. The doctor has been married to Kiros Mekomnen , MD for 28 years and they have 3 children. Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, Editorialteam@continentalwhoswho.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-inner-circle-acknowledges-edsa-negussie-as-a-top-pinnacle-professional-for-her-contributions-to-the-field-of-radiology-301929360.html A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from PR Newswire this week, including J.M. Smucker's acquisition of Hostess Brands and TIME's list of 100 Rising Stars. NEW YORK , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. Read more of the latest releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNalert on Twitter. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers, and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger's next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger's next story. Subject Matter Experts: Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles. Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles. Related Resources: Our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, features regular media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-week-in-press-releases-12-stories-you-need-to-see-301928534.html SOURCE PR Newswire A roundup of the week's most newsworthy technology industry press releases from PR Newswire, including BlackBerry's monitoring solution for hazardous materials carriers. NEW YORK , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the business technology industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. Read more of the latest business technology releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNtech on Twitter. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/this-week-in-tech-news-11-stories-you-need-to-see-301928552.html SOURCE PR Newswire By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Exclusion of anyone harms efforts to achieve global development goals, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said on Friday when asked about Taiwan's appeal to be included in the campaign. World leaders will meet next week at the annual high-level U.N. General Assembly. But Taiwan is excluded under a 1971 U.N. resolution that recognizes the People's Republic of China as the legitimate representative of China to the U.N. Leaders will also attend a summit on the Sustainable Development Goals - a global "to do" list created in 2015 that includes issues such as tackling the climate crisis, achieving gender equality and ending hunger and poverty. "I think exclusion of anyone holds back the goals," Mohammed told reporters on Friday. "We said leave noone behind and I think member states have to find a way to make sure that we are not in that position where we're excluding people. "Every person matters, whether it's Taiwan or otherwise. And I think it's really important for member states to find a solution," she said. When asked about her remarks, China's U.N. mission referred to a statement by China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun on Thursday. "The so-called Taiwan's participation in the U.N. is a false narrative through and through. First, there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," Zhang said. The 1971 resolution replaced the then-government of the Republic of China that had been pushed to Taiwan following China's civil war. Proponents of Taiwan say the resolution never ruled out Taiwan's participation. U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the United Nations upholds the One China policy, adding: "We don't intend to leave any of the people of China behind and we support all of the people of China, but we stick by the One China policy." Taiwan has long called on the United Nations to admit it as a member. Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu told Foreign Policy in an interview on Thursday that it would be "very hard" for Taiwan to achieve membership, but that there was still hope. "I think there is growing attention from the international community that there has to be peace between Taiwan and China and the best forum to discuss this issue will be the United Nations," he said. "So, keeping Taiwan out of the United Nations is immoral, is unjust and is something that we have to make change to." (This story has been corrected to change the name of the Taiwan foreign minister to Joseph Wu, not Joseph Fu, in paragraph 11) (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; additional reporting by Michael Martina; editing by Grant McCool) A general view of Chevron's Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Australian government implemented a series of regulations and measures in the gas industry to meet domestic energy needs, manage soaring gas prices and reduce emissions. Gas producers have protested the measures, warning that repeated intervention could have long-term repercussions on investments and jeopardize Australia's position as a key exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Australia provides LNG supplies to major North Asian buyers such as Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. Here is a chronology outlining the actions, announcements, and decisions made by the Australian government since 2022: Date Actions, announcements and decisions made by the Australian government June 15, 2022 The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) suspended the electricity spot market across eastern Australia after soaring global energy prices, coal supply disruptions and outages at coal-fired power plants led to a power crisis in the country. June 24, 2022 AEMO formally ended its suspension of the wholesale electricity spot market. July 5, 2022 The government proposed to extend its gas security policy until 2030 to protect domestic supply and prevent a supply crunch. July 19, 2022 AEMO issued a notice identifying a gas supply shortage in the populous states of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania from July to September, which came after a previous supply shortage in June. July 19, 2022 AEMO began discussions with three East Coast LNG plants - Shell Plc, ConocoPhillips and Santos - to bridge the supply gap. Aug. 1, 2022 The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australia's competition watchdog, urged the federal government to consider curbing gas exports, warning that its east coast could face a major shortfall in the following year. Aug. 1, 2022 The government announced Australia will consider extending its domestic gas security supply mechanism until 2030 to curb LNG exports, in a move to prevent shortfalls and soaring prices. Sep. 29, 2022 The government announced it will not place curbs on gas exports following successful negotiations with three east coast producers, as it secured a solution to meet the projected domestic supply shortfall. In the agreement, producers will first offer uncontracted gas to the domestic market before offering it offshore. Domestic buyers will also not pay more for that gas than international customers. Nov. 4, 2022 The government deliberated the implementation of price caps on gas in a policy debate. Dec. 14, 2022 Parliament passed legislation to cap gas prices until end-2023, and then requires a "reasonable price" for domestic sales after the cap expires. Feb. 10, 2023 Australia's government proposed to expand its ability to curb LNG exports from three east coast projects - Queensland Curtis LNG, Australia Pacific LNG and GLNG - to meet gas supply shortfalls under a plan due to take effect in April. March 30, 2023 Parliament passed an upgraded emissions reduction plan that will cap Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions and curb some new gas and coal investments in the country, which came into effect on July 1. April 26, 2023 The government announced the decision to extend the cap on gas prices until July 2025. May 6, 2023 Australia announced plans to change its Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) to increase the tax paid by the offshore LNG industry beginning July 1. July 10, 2023 Australia finalised regulations for its domestic gas market, including the cap on gas wholesale prices but with exemptions for small, domestically focused producers. The energy minister will also have the power to exempt other producers for a variety of reasons, including new investment or supply deals. (Reporting by Ashley Fang; editing by Miral Fahmy) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian education minister Caroline Desir has condemned a series of arson attacks on schools in recent days in protest against a new mandatory sex education course, saying the attacks were acts of "extreme brutality". A total of eight schools have been targets of arson or graffiti against the Education in Relational, Affective and Sexual Life (EVRAS) program, which is based on a 300-page guide which some parents and associations have criticised for its sexual content. "They are attacking our teaching, our freedom of education. These are acts of extreme barbarity, these are acts of terrorism", Desir told Belgian broadcaster RTBF on Friday while visiting a targeted school near the southern city of Charleroi. "EVRAS is there to protect children, not to harm them. It is a public health system," Desir said. More than 100,000 pupils as young as 11 years old in the Brussels and Walloon regions have already started taking part in EVRAS-related classes. The government is investigating the attacks but said it would not give details for security reasons. The anti-EVRAS movement plans a protest in Brussels on Sunday. (Reporting by Marine Strauss; Editing by David Holmes) According to police, the number of reports of dating violence more than doubled from 9,364 cases in 2016 to 18,945 in 2020. Also, stalking reports surged 423 percent from 2,772 cases in 2018 to 14,509 cases in 2021, when it finally became illegal. Young Korean women are increasingly afraid of being assaulted by acquaintances and on a date. Lee Soo-jung, a professor of forensic psychology at Kyonggi University said, "What women are really afraid of is not violence from unspecified people but from people they know well." During a police clampdown on dating violence in July and August 2020, a majority or 65.6 percent of the victims were women, but the number of men who were attacked was substantial, suggesting an increasingly toxic climate between the sexes. After stalking became illegal in Korea in October of last year, 81.3 percent of the perpetrators were men and 80.8 percent of the victims women. Most of the violence occurred in the process of breaking up. Korea Women's Hot Line analyzed murders of lovers last year that were reported in the media and found that 26.7 percent of them involved divorce, breakup or rejection of requests to get together again. Yoon Jung-sook at the Korea Institute of Criminology said, "Perpetrators of dating violence tend to want to exercise control over the other and get angry when they are asked to break up." And Kwak Dae-kyung at Dongguk University said, "A macho culture of boasting about the women men date often condones date violence and stalking. We need to foster a social atmosphere that respects a woman's right to decide." BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil will end a tax exemption for importing electric vehicles, gradually raising the duty to 35% over three years, Industry Ministry official Uallace Moreira told Reuters on Friday. Brazil-based carmakers lobbied for the measure, overcoming pushback from Chinese manufacturers who sell electric vehicles in the country. However, the final details are still being debated, and its timing will be decided by Industry Minister and Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, Moreira said. "What can we do to stimulate local production? Make imports a little more difficult or more expensive," Moreira said, arguing that several countries have adopted protectionist policies in this sector. This week, the European Commission launched an investigation into whether to impose punitive tariffs to protect European Union producers against cheaper Chinese electric vehicle imports it says are benefiting from state subsidies. Moreira said the tariff will be implemented gradually, so as not to create a shock in the market, and will be in line with the government's plan to increase private investment in green technology. He also said the government will issue a temporary measure within 15 days to launch the second phase of its "Rota 2030" program, aimed at increasing efficiency in the automotive sector, which will be renamed the "Green Mobility Program". The new program will stimulate energy efficiency projects using tax credits, as well as create a mechanism that Moreira called "green taxation." The plan would stagger the collection of a tax on industrialized products, depending on the energy efficiency of the vehicle models, the recyclability of the products and local production density. (Reporting by Bernardo Caram; editing by Diane Craft) OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) -Burkina Faso's military junta has ordered the French embassy's defence attache to leave the country due to "subversive" behaviour, it said in a leaked letter seen by Reuters on Friday. Attache Emmanuel Pasquier's expulsion is the latest sign of increasing tension between the West African nation and its former coloniser France since a military government seized power in two coups last year. France has maintained strong ties with its former colonies and has troops stationed across West Africa, but hostility towards its presence has soared since a string of military coups. Critics see it as interference. The letter, dated Sept. 14 and verified by Reuters, said Pasquier and his personnel had two weeks to leave the country. The French embassy in Ouagadougou could not be reached. A diplomatic source said Pasquier was still in the country. France's foreign ministry said it was looking into reports of the expulsion and could not immediately comment. The letter did not elaborate on what Pasquier did to prompt his expulsion. It said the defence section of the Burkina Faso embassy in Paris had been closed with immediate effect. Burkina Faso's self-appointed transition government has already ordered the departure of France's ambassador and that of senior United Nations official Barbara Manzi. There has also been a crackdown on French media. Anti-French sentiment has grown since Burkina Faso first fell under military rule in January 2022. Several protests by opponents of the French military presence took place, partly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to tackle an jihadist insurgency that has spread in recent years from neighbouring Mali. The prolonged insecurity led to political instability and spurred two military coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020. Niger's junta, which seized power at the end of July, expelled the French ambassador last month. (Additional reporting by Geert De Clercq in ParisWriting by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Grant McCool) Cars are shown lined up at the valet parking area outside the Creative Artists Agency building in Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn/File Photo (Reuters) -Creative Artists Agency's (CAA) top staff are in line to pocket more than $200 million as part of the Hollywood talent agency's acquisition by the Pinault family, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Los Angeles-based CAA's top executives including co-chair Bryan Lourd could sell a 5% stake in the deal, reducing their holdings in the business to about a third, the report said, citing documents shared to potential lenders. A final decision on a payout has yet to be made, the newspaper said. Artemis, French luxury goods billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault's family holding company, is planning to invest $2.8 billion of its own money and will hold a 56% stake in the agency, the report said. It will have CAA borrow $425 million in loans. Artemis and CAA did not respond to Reuters requests for comments. Earlier this month, Artemis reached an agreement for a majority stake in CAA. Financial details of the deal were not provided. CAA represents thousands of actors, directors and music artists including Beyonce and Pinault's wife, Salma Hayek. The agency branched into representing athletes in 2006. (Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) FILE PHOTO: General view of Ecuador's capital city Quito with the Cotopaxi volcano seen in the background, ahead of the second round in country's presidential election, Ecuador April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo QUITO (Reuters) - The Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) has approved three credits for Ecuador worth a total of $488 million, part of which will help the next government with funding, the Economy and Finance Ministry said on Friday. A first credit of $200 million will be used to install electricity at shrimp farms and other places in five coastal provinces, a project that has been repeatedly delayed, the finance ministry said in a statement. The CAF also approved a $117.5 million credit for the health sector and another $170.2 million for education, the statement added, without giving further details on the programs or repayment conditions. Economy Minister Pablo Arosemena has been participating in a CAF meeting this week in Spain. President Guillermo Lasso, whose successor will be elected in an Oct. 15 vote, has repeatedly turned to multilateral organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for funding. Former lawmaker Luisa Gonzalez, who is facing business scion Daniel Noboa in the vote, has said she would carefully consider whether to take out more multilateral loans if she were elected. (Reporting by Alexadnra Valencia; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: Nicole Musicco Chief Investment Officer, CalPERS, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake By Isla Binnie NEW YORK (Reuters) -The Chief Investment Officer of the largest U.S. state pension manager, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), will step down on Sept. 29, CalPERS said in a statement on Friday. Nicole Musicco, who was the second woman in its history to have led the investment operations of the $463 billion fund, is leaving to "attend to the immediate needs of family in her native home of Toronto, Canada", CalPERS said. CalPERS said Musicco's deputy Dan Bienvenue will serve as interim chief investment officer and it will soon start a global search for her replacement. Musicco took the role overseeing a 400-strong investment office less than two years ago, in February 2022, according to CalPERS website. "I've spent my entire career making the necessary trade-offs between my personal and professional life," Musicco said in a post on the website. "But lately, those trade-offs have come at too high of a cost." The post added that she has two children and a "large, multigenerational family" and has "been shuttling between Sacramento and her native Toronto to attend to pressing matters". (Reporting by Isla Binnie; editing by David Evans) Canada's Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng speaks at a Lunar New Year celebration in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo By Steve Scherer OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a trade mission to India planned for October, an official said on Friday, reflecting increasingly tense diplomatic relations just days after India's prime minister scolded his Canadian counterpart at a G20 summit in New Delhi. "At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India," said Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for the minister, without giving a reason. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held formal bilateral meetings with many world leaders during the G20 summit, snubbed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, allowing only a short, informal meeting on the sidelines five days ago. Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India, and the country has been the site of many protests that have irked India. "They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship," India's government said after the leaders met. Earlier on Friday, India said it had paused trade talks with Canada. Canada made a similar announcement earlier this month, saying such a pause was needed to "take stock". Only about four months ago the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial trade agreement this year. (Reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: Geely vehicles and logo are seen at a car dealership in Shanghai, China August 17, 2021. Picture taken August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo BEIJING (Reuters) - The nationalist Chinese newspaper Global Times described as "excessive" Europe's probe into cheaper Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), and said China's superior offering are the envy of other automakers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday the investigation a week after executives at Munich's IAA mobility show said European carmakers had a fight on their hands to produce lower-cost EVs and to close the gap on China's lead in making cheaper, more consumer-friendly models. Beijing has since blasted the investigation as a protectionist act aimed at shielding Europe's own industry in the name of "fair competition", and warned economic ties could be harmed. "To tell the truth, when Chinese new energy vehicles shone brightly at the recent 2023 International Motor Show in Germany, we heard some envious and even jealous remarks but we didn't expect Europe's response to be so 'excessive'," the Global Times said in an editorial. Analysts have warned that should the EU levy duties against Chinese EVs after the probe, which could take up to 13 months, China would likely impose countermeasures, hitting European industries. "If Europe lacks the confidence and courage to win the market through fair competition, it will be impossible to establish competitiveness in the EV industry," the newspaper wrote. The investigation is expected to be a focus of talks when EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis visits China later this month, where he is expected to renew calls for fair competition. (Reporting by Ryan Woo; editing by Miral Fahmy) By Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) - A slump in China's property sector worsened in August, with deepening falls in new home prices, property investment and sales, despite a recent flurry of support measures, adding pressure to the world's second-largest economy. New home prices fell at the fastest pace in 10 months in August, down 0.3% month-on-month after a 0.2% decline in July, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. Prices were down 0.1% from a year earlier, after a 0.1% decline in July. For August, property investment fell for the 18th straight month, down 19.1% year-on-year from a 17.8% slump the previous month, separate data showed on Friday. Home sales are down for the 26th consecutive month, according to Reuters calculations based on the data. China has in recent weeks delivered a raft of measures to boost home buying sentiment, including easing some borrowing rules, and relaxing home purchasing curbs in some cities. These policies have given major cities like Beijing a tiny boost in new home sales, but some worry they might be short-lived and could potentially dry up demand in smaller cities. China's broader economy is showing signs of stabilisation with economic figures showing quickening growth in industrial output and retail sales. However, analysts say a series of supportive policies have yet to firm up the crisis-hit property sector with major Chinese developers still fighting to avoid default. "We are still hopeful that housing sales would stage small sequential pickups in the coming months, but stimulus will ultimately stop short of reflating the sector," said Louise Loo, China economist at Oxford Economics. China's central bank said on Thursday it would cut the amount of cash banks must hold as reserves, its second such easing this year. "The more material risks in the near-term come from some property developers and financial institutions, and a small RRR cut could do very little to help," said Nomura in a research note on Friday. Around 30 cities eased home purchase curbs and relaxed mortgage rules for buyers in recent weeks but analysts say Beijing may have to introduce more aggressive property easing measures to deliver a real recovery. Authorities may also need to lift almost all restrictions on home transactions, invest more in the urban renovation programme, speed up infrastructure spending and restructure local government debt, said Nomura. Moody's on Thursday cut China's property sector outlook to negative from stable, citing economic growth challenges, which the rating's agency said will dampen sales despite government support. China's property crisis is seen as one of the biggest stumbling blocks to a sustainable economic recovery, with rising risks of default among private developers threatening to imperil the country's financial and economic stability. (Reporting by Liangping Gao, Ella Cao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sam Holmes) FILE PHOTO: The Codelco El Teniente copper mine, the world's largest underground copper mine is shown near Rancagua, Chile August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Fabian Cambero/File Photo By Julian Luk LONDON (Reuters) -Chile's Codelco is ending long-term contracts to sell copper concentrate to Chinese clients from 2025, bidding to broaden its product offering to them after evaluating its production outlook, five sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The sources said Codelco is aiming to replace exclusively copper concentrate deals with others that include concentrate and value-added intermediate products such as blister and anode which are derived from concentrate and can be turned into copper metal or cathode. Some Chinese customers have protested against the changes, but will have to accept new contract negotiations that include intermediates because they will need Codelco's concentrates at a time when deficits are expected, the sources said. The Chilean miner wants to restructure its sales strategy and agreements because of uncertainty about whether it can meet its contractual obligations, the sources said. "Some measures adopted are due to the normal management of Codelco's commercial product portfolio and not to availability adjustments and/or lower production," Codelco said in response to a request for a comment. "Codelco continually updates its contracts according to the prevailing dynamics in the market." Operational problems at the state-owned miner saw its production slip last year to about 1.46 million metric tons, the lowest in around a quarter of a century and output has slipped further this year. Codelco is expected to produce between 1.31 million to 1.35 million metric tons of copper a key material for the power and construction industries. Output at the world's largest copper producer has been dropping despite $15 billion invested in flagship mines including El Teniente and Chuquicamata where costs have overrun significantly, according to an influential industry body. The sources, all of whom have long-term contracts with Codelco, said they had been receiving termination notices from Codelco from July to August and that the company wanted to start new agreements with different terms. Two of the sources said Codelco was ending their evergreen supply contracts from 2025. Evergreen contracts introduced by Codelco in 2018 are two-year and three-year deals which roll over annually, in which customers can be assured of certain amounts a year. Codelco accounts for 29% of Chile's copper production. Chile's congressional committee in late August launched an investigation to review Codelco's corporate structure and project delays. China is the world's biggest buyer of mined copper with its import volume accounting for over 60% of the world's total. The world's largest consumer of industrial metals bought 25.3 million tonnes of copper concentrates last year, according to International Copper Study Group. The global copper concentrate market is expected to see a steep deficit during 2025-2027 as Asian and African smelters ramp up capacity, outpacing mine supply. (Reporting by Julian Luk; additional reporting by Fabian Cambero; writing by Pratima Desai; editing by Veronica Brown and David Evans) FILE PHOTO: An Apple iPhone 12 is pictured in a mobile phone store in Nantes, France, Sept. 13, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's telecom network regulator said on Friday it was in touch with French authorities about a Europe-wide solution to radiation concerns with Apple's iPhone 12 which prompted France to halt sales of the model this week. The comment came after Apple said it would issue a software update for iPhone 12 users in France to settle the matter. The regulator did not give further detail or say if a solution for the bloc would include a software upgrade. (Reporting by Hakan Ersen in Frankfurt; writing by Josephine Mason; editing by Jason Neely) Small cars are enjoying a resurgence as gasoline prices reach record levels and the global recession prompts motorists to tighten their belts. Some 98,520 subcompact cars were sold from January to September in Korea, up 47 percent from the same period of last year and already more than last year's entire sales of 96,603 cars. This is the first time in eight years that subcompacts have shown an on-year increase in sales after an extended SUV boom. The release of Hyundai's new subcompact SUV led the resurgence. There had been only three subcompact models -- the Kia Morning and Ray and GM Korea's Spark -- and they have not been revamped for the last five or six years. Manufacturers were reluctant to invest in subcompacts as they make little profit from sales and consumers lost interest. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Hitachi is seen at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Hitachi has offered to sell assets in France and Germany as well as its core train control technology to gain EU antitrust approval for its 1.7 billion euro ($1.8 billion) buy of Thales' GTS railway signalling business, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The Japanese conglomerate put in its offer to the European Commission on Thursday, the same day it requested EU clearance for the deal, an EU regulatory filing showed on Friday. The remedies are similar to those offered to the UK Competition and Markets Authority in June which consisted of the divestment of its UK, French and German mainline signalling business and its core communication-based train control technology to a rival. Hitachi said then that the package comprised all the elements needed for a viable, standalone business. The EU competition enforcer, which set a Nov. 6 deadline for its decision, did not provide details of the remedies in line with its policy. It is expected to seek feedback from Hitachi customers and rivals before deciding whether to accept the remedies or demand more. Hitachi's decision to offer remedies at the same time as it formally filed for approval suggests that the company may have indications that the package may be sufficient to help it win EU clearance. The company had sought EU approval in October last year but withdrew its application a month later. The deal underscores the consolidation in the rail industry, with independent players teaming up with bigger industrial groups. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in August narrowed its concerns, saying the deal would not substantially lessen competition in the supply of communications-based train control signalling systems in the UK. A final report is due by Oct. 6. It had previously warned that the deal between two leading suppliers of signalling for mainline and urban railway networks could jack up the costs of upgrading Britain's rail network. ($1 = 0.9373 euros) (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by David Evans and Louise Heavens) People walk amidst the wreckage, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori By Ahmed Elumami, Ayman al-Warfali and Emma Farge DERNA, Libya/GENEVA (Reuters) - Residents and rescue workers in the devastated Libyan city of Derna are struggling to cope with the thousands of corpses washing up or decaying under rubble, after a flood that smashed down buildings and swept people to sea. The World Health Organization and other aid groups urged authorities in Libya to stop burying flood victims in mass graves, saying these could bring long-term mental distress to families or cause health risks if located near water. A U.N. report said more than 1,000 people had so far been buried in that manner since Libya, a nation divided by a decade of conflict and political chaos, was hit on Sunday by torrential rain that caused two dams to burst. Thousands were killed and thousands more are missing. "Bodies are littering the streets, washing back on shore, and are buried under collapsed buildings and debris. In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna," Bilal Sablouh, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) forensics manager for Africa, told a briefing in Geneva. Ibrahim al-Arabi, health minister in Libya's Tripoli-based western government, told Reuters he was certain groundwater was polluted with water mixed up with corpses, dead animals, refuse and chemical substances. "We urge people not to approach the wells in Derna," he said. Mohammad al-Qabisi, head of Derna's Wahda Hospital, said a field hospital was treating people with chronic illnesses needing regular attention. He said there were fears waterborne diseases would spread, but no cholera had been recorded so far. Swathes of Derna, centrepoint of the destruction in Libya's east, were obliterated when the dams above the city broke, and the flood that swept down a usually dry riverbed brought down whole residential blocks while families were asleep. The International Organization for Migration mission in Libya said more than 5,000 people were presumed dead, with 3,922 deaths registered in hospitals, and over 38,640 were displaced in the flood-stricken region. The true death toll could be far higher, officials say. "We should be afraid of an epidemic," 60-year-old Nouri Mohamed said, at a bakery offering loaves for free. "There are still bodies underground ... Now there are corpses starting to smell." The U.N. health agency together with the ICRC and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called for burials to be managed better. "We urge authorities in communities touched by tragedy to not rush forward with mass burials or mass cremations," Kazunobu Kojima, medical officer for biosafety and biosecurity in the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said in the statement. It called for individual graves, demarcated and documented, saying that hasty interments could lead to mental anguish for families as well as social and legal problems. The bodies of victims of trauma from natural disasters "almost never" posed a health threat, it said, unless they were in or near fresh water supplies since corpses may leak excrement. DEALING WITH THE DEAD A doctor in Derna said this week that photos were being taken of unidentified bodies before burial, in case relatives could identify them later on. Thursday's U.N. report said more than 1,000 bodies in Derna and over 100 in Al Bayda, another coastal city hit by flooding, had been buried in mass graves. The Norwegian Refugee Council, which has a team of 100 in Libya, said dead body management was the most pressing concern. "I've heard from my team that there are mass graves where rescue workers were appealing: 'Don't bring us food, dont bring us water, bring us body bags'," the NRC's Ahmed Bayram said. The ICRC sent a cargo flight to Benghazi, eastern Libya's largest city, on Friday with 5,000 body bags. Other aid has also been coming in from abroad. The Danish Refugee Council said it was sending a team of explosives disposal experts because of the risk of landmines being dislodged by flooding. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country, which has already sent three aircraft and a ship with supplies, had now sent two amphibious landing ships carrying 122 vehicles including ambulances and rescue vehicles. Some residents were frustrated that Libya's own fractured authorities were not acting faster. "The state is no of use to us," said Saad Rajab Mohamed al-Hasi, a 50-year-old security officer who lives in Susah, a town about 60 km (38 miles) away that was also damaged by flooding. "Now Im in the street with my children and wife." U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Geneva briefing that Libya needed equipment to find people trapped in sludge and damaged buildings, as well as primary health care to prevent a cholera outbreak. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami and Ayman al-Warfali in Derna, Laila Bassam in Beirut, Emma Farge in Geneva, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber, Nayera Abdallah; writing by Mark Heinrich and William Maclean; editing by Edmund Blair and Timothy Gardner) By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda stripped retired Olympic figure skater Margarita Drobiazko of her Lithuanian citizenship on Friday for her support for Russia. Once ruled from Moscow but now a member of both European Union and NATO, Lithuania has emerged as a main critic of Russia and supporter of Ukraine following the Russian invasion last year. Drobiazko, 52, was born in Moscow and was raised and trained in what was then the Soviet Union, but she was granted Lithuanian citizenship in 1993. Together with her Lithuanian partner, she represented Lithuania in five Olympic Games. Their highest achievement was taking fifth place in Salt Lake City in 2002. The president's citizenship advisory board voted in favour of removing Drobiazko's citizenship on Thursday, due to her "public support for the Russian federation". Earlier, the Migration Department said Drobiazko had broken her oath by cooperating with Russia and so discrediting Lithuania. It pointed to Drobiazko's professional and personal relationship with Tatiana Navka, figure skater wife of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Nauseda stripped Drobiazko and her partner of Lithuanian state decoration last year, after they danced in a skating show in Sochi, Russia, which was presented by Navka. In a submission to the citizenship advisory board, filed in the Russian language, Drobiazko said said she believes her dancing in ice shows in Russia strenghtened the prestige of Lithuania on the world stage. She added that the believed both Russia and Ukraine "need emotional support to avoid descending into animalistic hate". "As far as I understand, I am charged with not publicly expressing my political position. But don't I have the right, according to the Constitution of Lithuania, not to voice my position if I cannot, do not want or am not ready to do so?" she said in the submission. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Angus MacSwan) FILE PHOTO: Logitech logo is are seen in this illustration taken, May 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo By John Revill ZURICH (Reuters) - Logitech co-founder Daniel Borel stepped up his call for it to find a new chairperson on Friday, after objecting to Wendy Becker's re-election to the role at the Swiss-American computer peripherals maker's AGM earlier this week. Borel, one of three people who founded Logitech in 1981, said the maker of computer mice and keyboards had lost its way under Becker, who has chaired it since September 2019. "I am not yet a dinosaur meddling, but I am worried about the future of Logitech, the company I created," Borel told Reuters. "Logitech needs a new chairperson, someone who can react to the changed market situation." Logitech said Becker, a former CEO of British clothing chain Jack Wills, was travelling on Friday and was not immediately available to comment on Borel's views. The Swiss-listed company, whose share price has risen 10% in 2023, said Becker had the support of its shareholders. "We are grateful for Daniel's contribution over the last 40 years, and always welcome his feedback," a spokesman said. "Wendy herself - the only female chair in the Swiss blue chip index - was re-elected as chair and board member with 96% of the votes, a clear sign of shareholder confidence in her leadership," the Logitech spokesman added. Borel, who holds the honorary position of chairman emeritus at Logitech, said he would give its board time to act before pursuing his agenda further. "I want to give the board enough time to address this properly and humanely rather than a couple of weeks," he said. Borel said he wants Logitech's board to develop a transition plan to replace Becker by the end of its current financial year, which runs to the end of March 2024. Logitech enjoyed a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic as people stocked up on equipment to work from home, but sales and profit fell steeply last year. Borel, who holds a stake of around 1.5% in Logitech said the downturn had not been recognised quickly enough. The 73-year-old said Logitech had failed to reduce costs sufficiently and there had been a lack of succession planning to replace long-serving CEO Bracken Darrell who left in June. At the end of its last business year, Logitech cut 300 jobs from its 8,200 workforce, while also reducing operating expenditure by 17%. (Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Alexander Smith) By Aidan Lewis (Reuters) - When a devastating earthquake shook Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Sept. 8, residents of poor areas where it struck turned for help to the state and the man who leads it, King Mohammed VI. Yet the monarch, with his sweeping power, has kept a low profile, making just three appearances since then. He chaired two emergency response meetings with officials in Rabat and visited a hospital in Marrakech, near the disaster zone, where he gave blood after a nationwide appeal for donors. The king, who typically keeps a regal distance from the public and stays above the political fray, has not yet visited the worst affected zone where the 6.8 magnitude tremor killed more than 2,900 people, the deadliest in Morocco since 1960. This publicity-shy approach has been a hallmark of his rule since succeeding his father to the throne aged 35 in 1999, when he took charge of a North African kingdom that was poor, economically stagnant and politically repressed. He has been softer on dissent than his father, Hassan II, and he has pursued economic reforms that have attracted foreign investors and expanded the industrial base, making the kingdom an economic powerhouse in Africa. But the king, whose titles include Supreme Commander of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the Faithful, has been cautious about political change, yielding little power, which critics say stifles government initiative even in a crisis. "When the king isn't there, not only does the government not function but when it comes to big crises the state doesn't function," said Aboubakr Jamai, a professor at the American College of the Mediterranean in France. A government source said Morocco had institutions and civil society groups capable of acting without orders from the palace. The official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, also said the authorities had launched a coordinated and prompt response in the logistically challenging circumstances of the earthquake. LIMITED SHIFT When mass protests flared in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, bringing down autocratic rulers, pro-democracy groups rallied across Morocco to demand change. Mohammed handed some more power to the elected parliament, but it was only a limited shift. The king retained the right to choose the prime minister from the party with the most seats, veto cabinet appointments and nominate unelected officials to key ministries. The moderate Islamist PJD party, which gained popularity after 2011, found its power sapped. Analysts and rights groups say the political class has been largely co-opted, while real power rests with the king and his "Makhzen", or Morocco's old political establishment. They say many critics have left Morocco or been jailed. Moroccan media, meanwhile, avoids critical coverage of sensitive topics, such as any decision announced by the king. A government spokesman could not be reached for comment for this article. But the government says trials are not political and are a matter for the judiciary. It also says Moroccans all enjoy the same political freedoms. The tremor has, however, shown the unevenness of Morocco's economic development. Tangier and Casablanca in the north are linked by high speed train, but in the earthquake zone further south, the mountain tracks had to be navigated by donkeys to bring supplies to poor, remote villages cut off by the tremor. Some in the Amazigh, or Berber, villages complain of marginalisation and isolation. The government says it is working to boost investment and promote sustainable development in poorer and remote regions, and that there is no policy of discrimination. Meanwhile, Forbes ranked the king in 2015 among Africa's richest men, with personal wealth valued at more than $5 billion. Since he took the throne, the royal holding company Almada has expanded its investments, which include stakes in mining, banking, retail, renewable energy and telecoms ventures in Morocco and across Africa. The king ordered Almada to donate 1 billion dirhams ($100 million) to an earthquake response fund. Mohammed's public appearances have become more infrequent during his reign, mainly limited to a handful of annual, ceremonial events. He often travels on private trips abroad, including to France, Morocco's former colonial ruler. He has not given a media interview for years. While the king has made few appearances since the earthquake, government officials have also kept a low profile. The government's spokesman has made just one appearance, reading out a statement about a fund for victims and taking no questions. It has prompted some commentators to say the crisis demanded more public visibility by ministers. "Ministers from relevant departments in charge of health, housing, equipment, water and food should come out," said El Manar Esslimi, well-known university professor and regular commentator in the media whose remarks usually support the establishment, writing in a post on the social media site X. (Reporting by Aidan Lewis in London; Editing by Edmund Blair) FILE PHOTO: Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks at a Democratic Party of New Mexico campaign rally featuring U.S. President Joe Biden at the Gallegos Community Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S., November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamar By Andrew Hay (Reuters) -New Mexico's governor on Friday narrowed her heavily criticized blanket suspension on the right to carry guns in the state's largest metropolitan area to one just covering parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque and its surrounding county. Michelle Lujan Grisham framed the initial suspension, which a federal judge blocked after gun rights activists challenged it, and Friday's new order as a public health response to deaths of children in gun violence, including the killing last week of an 11-year-old boy in an apparent Albuquerque road rage incident. Her unusual moved pulled New Mexico into a national debate on gun rights and public safety. Im going to continue pushing to make sure that all of us are using every resource available to put an end to this public health emergency with the urgency it deserves, the Democratic governor said in a statement. A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily froze the firearms provisions of Lujan Grisham's initial health order pending further litigation. National gun rights advocates had argued, and the judge agreed, that her 30-day suspension of firearm carry rights in all areas of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County went against a landmark 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gun rights. Democrat leaders of both chambers of New Mexico's legislature backed Lujan Grisham's modified firearms suspension at a Friday press conference. Her earlier ban had met opposition from some Democrats including the state's attorney general, as well as Albuquerque and Bernalillo county police. In response to the modified firearms restrictions, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said the city had already banned guns from almost all city parks in 2020. Keller on Wednesday urged Lujan Grisham to call a special session of the state legislature on gun violence. Lujan Grisham on Friday said she had no plan to call a special session as she believed her public health order, which includes measures on drugs and juvenile offenders, would at this time achieve more than new legislation. (Reporting By Andrew Hay; editing by Donna Bryson and Grant McCool) KYIV (Reuters) - Kyiv said on Friday a Russian drone attack overnight on a region that hosts a Ukrainian military airfield showed Moscow was searching for warplanes involved in strikes this week on Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine's air force said Russia had fired 17 "kamikadze" drones at the central Khmelnytskyi region that is home to the Starokostiantyniv air base, which has been attacked repeatedly during the war. In a statement, it said it downed all of them. Debris damaged 12 homes and shattered windows in a school, but no one was hurt, regional official Serhiy Tiurin said. "Khmelnytskyi region was attacked. We understand what the enemy is looking for: where the command has hidden our bombers after the events that happened recently in the sea near Crimea," Air Force Colonel Yuriy Ihnat said in televised comments. Russia, which invaded Ukraine nearly 19 months ago, did not immediately comment on his remarks. Ukraine said it conducted a missile strike on a shipyard in Crimea's port of Sevastopol early on Wednesday, and that it seriously damaged two naval vessels. Kyiv has not said which missiles were used. Sky News reported that British-supplied Storm Shadows cruise missiles fired by Ukrainian warplanes were involved in the operation Russia seized and annexed the strategic Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. (Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Editing by Timothy Heritage) By Andrew Osborn (Reuters) - A Russian man has been convicted of treason and jailed for 12 1/2 years for sending missile components to the United States, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday, as a top official boasted that hundreds of foreign spies had been caught. News of the verdict - announced in an FSB statement via Russian news agencies - came a day after Moscow said it was expelling two senior U.S. diplomats whom it accused of working with a Russian national to collect sensitive information, a move Washington said was "wholly without merit". Relations between Moscow and Washington - Kyiv's main financial and military backer - have plunged to their lowest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis because of the war in Ukraine which has become a grinding standoff where military hardware secrets could make a difference on the battlefield. The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said a court in the Tver region had convicted Moscow-born Sergei Kabanov, 32, to 12 1/2 years in a maximum security prison colony for smuggling components used in Russian air defence missile systems and in radar-based weapons systems. It said he had been acting at the behest of U.S. intelligence services and had smuggled components via Latvia to a U.S. firm based in Alabama which it named and said was under the control of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was not immediately clear how Kabanov had pleaded. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. embassy in Moscow. FSB footage released via the state TASS news agency showed the moment of Kabanov's arrest. It showed him and another man moving a small wooden crate from one vehicle to another on a rural track before FSB agents - dressed in hooded camouflage outfits - ambushed them and pinned Kabanov to the ground with his hands behind his back. TASS also released footage of the moment Kabanov was sentenced in court and showed what is said were shipping documents and an invoice for $49,000 - apparently from a Turkish company - for two items which the FSB had used as evidence in the case against Kabanov. The number of treason cases opened by the authorities in Russia has increased sharply since the start of the Ukraine war with President Vladimir Putin urging his intelligence agencies to up their game when it comes to catching foreign spies and agents. Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, boasted in an article published on Friday that Moscow had caught hundreds of foreign operatives. "In recent years, hundreds of employees of foreign intelligence services, as well as other persons involved in organising intelligence and subversive activities against our country and our strategic partners, have been identified and neutralised," wrote Patrushev, a close Putin ally. (Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Toby Chopra and Andrew Heavens) FILE PHOTO: General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 202 By Felix Light (Reuters) - Russian general Sergei Surovikin is in Algeria as part of a Defence Ministry delegation, in an apparent return to official duties after coming under suspicion in connection with a June mutiny by the Wagner mercenary force, Kommersant newspaper reported on Friday, citing a source close to the general. The newspaper published photographs of Surovikin wearing a khaki suit without military insignia that it said had been taken in Algeria, a major buyer of Russian weapons. Surovikin, dubbed "General Armageddon" for his use of carpet bombing tactics during Russia's intervention in Syria's civil war, briefly headed Russias campaign in Ukraine last year before being demoted in January. He became popular among hardline critics of the Russian military establishment including Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a plane crash last month. As Wagner mercenaries marched on Moscow in late June, he appeared in a video looking distressed and holding an assault rifle on his lap, urging them to turn back. The general, who was praised publicly by Prigozhin, disappeared from public view after the mutiny. The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence believed he had known in advance about the revolt, the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putins authority in his 24 years in power. Various media outlets reported that Surovikin had fallen out of favour with the Kremlin and that he was being investigated for possible complicity. The state news agency RIA said last month that he had been removed as head of the air force and his deputy Viktor Afzalov had assumed the job on a temporary basis. The Kremlin has refused to comment on his status. Unconfirmed reports this month said Surovikin had been appointed head of the air defence committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which groups Russia and eight other former Soviet states. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said this would be "consistent with previous patterns of the Russian military leadership shifting disgraced and ineffective commanders to peripheral positions far removed from Ukraine without discharging them from the Russian military entirely". (Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Kevin Liffey) FILE PHOTO: Students use paper sheets to shelter from the sun while waiting for the opening of a new school built by the local charity Mona Relief, as students face challenges in Yemen amid the ongoing conflict that has disrupted infrastructure and damage CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia invited Yemen's Houthi delegation to Riyadh to continue ceasefire talks, the state news agency SPA reported on Thursday. The kingdom wanted to resume its and Oman's efforts to "reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen and a sustainable political solution acceptable to all Yemeni parties," SPA added. Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, said late Thursday that talks were continuing between Sanaa and the Saudi Arabia with Omani mediation. The discussions included "paying salaries of the Yemeni employees, opening airports and ports, releasing all prisoners and detainees, the exit of foreign forces, and reconstruction leading to a comprehensive political solution," he said. The Houthi al-Masirah TV reported earlier on Thursday that a delegation left Sanaa and was on its way to Riyadh to continue the negotiations. The trip will be the first official visit by Houthi officials to the kingdom since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014, after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government in Sanaa. The first round of the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which are running in parallel to U.N. peace efforts, was held in April when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa. The group has been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid. The peace initiatives have gained momentum since arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East. (Reporting by Alaa Swilam; Writing by Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates) Hyundai has sold 3,000 to 4,000 Caspers a month since the affordable subcompact SUV was released in September last year. That pushed up sales of subcompacts in Korea 47 percent on-year in the first nine months of this year to 98,520 cars. Subcompacts had been unpopular amid a trend to ever bigger SUVs, making automakers reluctant to develop new ones. Before the Casper came out, there were only three domestic subcompacts -- Kia's Morning and Ray and GM Korea's Spark -- and they have not been revamped for the last five or six years. What's worse is that GM Korea is considering halting production of the Spark due to low profitability. Automakers have long complained about weak demand, but the Casper has proven them wrong. There is also a limited selection of compact cars. Hyundai stopped producing the compact Accent in 2019 and only makes compact SUVs. Instead, carmakers have focused on big sedans and SUVs which guarantee higher margins. That is how Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Hyundai and others have managed to achieve record profits despite falling sales volumes over the last two years. Princess Madeleine, Chris O'Neill, Prince Daniel, Sweden's Queen Silvia, Sweden's King Carl Gustaf, Prince Carl Philip, Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria watch from the balcony during the changing of the guard in the outer courtyard of Stockholm P STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrated 50 years on the throne on Friday with ceremonies throughout the capital, including gun salutes, speeches and a lavish dinner with other heads of state. Friday is the culmination of a four-day celebration and the public was invited to the Stockholm palace courtyard to congratulate the 77-year-old king, the Nordic country's longest sitting monarch. "I think it's important to honour our king, he has had 50 years on the throne today," Charlotta Gillersten, 59, a Stockholm resident, said as she and hundreds of others gathered at the palace. "I think he does a marvelous job for Sweden." The Swedish king is the official head of state but is largely confined to ceremonial and representative duties. Carl Gustaf ascended to the throne when he was 27 years old on Sept. 15, 1973, after the death of his grandfather Gustav VI Adolf. He was only nine months old when his father died in a plane crash. Support in Sweden for the monarchy has risen and is at the highest level for 20 years, according to a survey by Gothenburg University published in May. Almost half of Swedes have confidence or high confidence in how the monarchy conducts itself. Only 11% want to abolish the monarchy and turn Sweden into a republic. The king, who suffers from dyslexia, was often ridiculed in the early years of his reign for misspeaking during speeches. But his popularity subsequently rose, in part thanks to an emotional and widely praised speech after the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia in which more than 500 Swedish holidaymakers died. He has also faced some scrutiny throughout the years. After a visit to Brunei in 2004 he was criticised for praising the "openness" in the country, a monarchy where the Sultan has absolute powers and full executive authority. (Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Tom Little; editing by Mark Heinrich) EU flag and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo DUBLIN (Reuters) - TikTok has been fined 345 million euros ($370 million) for breaching privacy laws regarding the processing of children's personal data in the European Union, its lead regulator in the bloc said on Friday. The Chinese-owned short-video platform, which has grown rapidly among teenagers around the world in recent years, breached a number of EU privacy laws between July 31, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) said in a statement. It is the first time ByteDance-owned TikTok has been reprimanded by the DPC, the lead regulator in the EU for many of the world's top tech firms due to the location of their regional headquarters in Ireland. A spokesperson for TikTok said it disagreed with the decision, particularly the size of the fine, and that most of the criticisms are no longer relevant as a result of measures it introduced before the DPC's probe began in September 2021. The DPC said TikTok's breaches included how in 2020 accounts for users under the age of 16 were set to "public" by default and that TikTok did not verify whether a user was actually a child user's parent or guardian when linked through the "family pairing" feature. TikTok added tougher parental controls to family pairing in November 2020 and changed the default setting for all registered users under the age of 16 to "private" in January 2021. TikTok said on Friday it plans to further update its privacy materials to make the differences between public and private accounts clearer and that a private account will be pre-selected for new 16-17-year-old users when they register for the app from later this month. The DPC gave TikTok three months to bring all its processing into compliance where infringements were found. It has a second probe open into the transferring by TikTok of personal data to China and whether it complies with EU data law when moving personal data to countries outside the bloc. In March the DPC said it was preparing a preliminary draft decision into that investigation. Under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018, the lead regulator for any given company can impose fines of up to 4% of the company's global revenue. The DPC has hit other tech giants with big fines, including a combined 2.5 billion euros levied on Meta. It had 22 inquiries open into multinationals based in Ireland at the end of 2022. ($1 = 0.9320 euros) (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Jason Neely) Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March while on a reporting trip and accused of espionage, stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing to consider an appeal against his detention, in M MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Moscow prison on Friday, the embassy said, as he prepares for a new appeal next week against his pre-trial detention on spying charges that he denies. "He remains strong and is keeping up with the news - including his parents' appearance at the UN this week," the embassy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up 20 years in prison. He, his newspaper and the U.S. government all strongly deny the accusation. His father Mikhail said at the United Nations on Wednesday, ahead of its annual general assembly: "We urge all world leaders to stand with Evan and what he represents: the basic right to a free press and freedom of expression." Gershkovich is the first U.S. reporter to be accused of spying in Russia since the Cold War. Washington has accused Moscow of using him for "hostage diplomacy", at a time when relations between the two countries are at their worst point for more than 60 years because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. No date has been set for Gershkovich's trial. His latest appeal against his detention is due to be heard next Tuesday, but previous ones have been rejected. Tracy had visited him three times before. This week she also visited Paul Whelan, an American convicted of espionage in 2020 and serving 16 years in a Russian penal colony on spying charges that he too denies. The United States has designated both men as "wrongfully detained", meaning it considers the charges against them to be bogus and politically motivated. (Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Daniel Wallis) FILE PHOTO: People protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in London, Britain October 29, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on four Iranian officials to mark the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's morality police. The sanctions target senior decision makers enforcing Iran's mandatory hijab law and were coordinated with similar moves by the United States, Canada and Australia, Britain's foreign ministry said in a statement. Those sanctioned include Iran's minister for culture and Islamic guidance, his deputy, the mayor of Tehran and an Iranian police spokesman, it added. "Today's sanctions on those responsible for Iran's oppressive laws send a clear message that the UK and our partners will continue to stand with Iranian women and call out the repression it is inflicting on its own people," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. The Sept. 16 death last year of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code, sparked months of anti-government protests that spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to Iranian authorities in years. Britain also sanctioned Arvan Cloud, an internet cloud service provider previously sanctioned by the U.S. and which it said was helping Iran's government to censor the internet. The sanctions impose a British travel ban on those named, block any of their British assets and prevent UK entities from doing business with them. (Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by William Maclean) (Reuters) - A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered a former government minister detained for 60 days with no option of bail on suspicion of espousing pro-Russian sentiments and committing treason. Nestor Shufrych is accused of maintaining contacts with a fugitive Ukrainian parliamentarian suspected by investigators to have worked for Russian security services and of abetting plans to encourage pro-Moscow separatism in eastern Ukraine. A video of a Kyiv court ordering Shufrych's detention circulated on numerous Ukrainian news sites. "This is what the authorities need," Shufrych said in a video issued by Public Suspilne Television as court officials placed him in handcuffs and led him away. News reports quoted Shufrych's lawyers as saying they would appeal the court's ruling. Shufrych was long a member of political groups friendly to Moscow, including one party banned since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He served as Minister of Emergency Services under disgraced President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled Ukraine after a mass uprising in 2014 that triggered Russia's annexation of Crimea. Investigators from the SBU security service said he also had close links with Viktor Medvedchuk, a business magnate and former parliamentarian sent into exile in Russia last year in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war. The investigators said Shufrych had been carrying out instructions by Russian and pro-Russian officials to promote pro-Moscow policies inside Ukraine. He held talks with separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and urged Ukraine's authorities to consider making a deal with Moscow over the creation of pro-Russian territories there. Despite the party ban, Shufrych remained a member of parliament and since 2019 had chaired a committee on freedom of speech. Authorities said a search of Shufrych's home on Friday found documents on creating separatist entities in eastern Ukraine as well as Russian medals and other regalia. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; editing by Grant McCool) FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian business tycoon and one of Ukraine's most prominent billionaires Ihor Kolomoisky appears at a court session about a preventive measure against him, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv September 2, 2023. REUTERS/Vladyslav Musiien KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian business magnate Ihor Kolomoisky has been served with notice of a third set of allegations following his detention on suspicion of fraud and money laundering, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Friday. A new court hearing on the case in Kyiv on Friday also significantly raised the bail demanded from Kolomoisky, who made his first court appearance earlier this month. News reports from the court said the judge agreed to raise the bail to be posted to the equivalent of $105 million - compared to an original amount equivalent to nearly $14 million. Kolomoisky's lawyers had previously said they would appeal his detention and would post no bail. The new allegations against one of Ukraine's richest men were first reported on Thursday by Serhiy Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist and parliamentarian who now works as an adviser in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office. The SBU, acting with Ukraine's Economic Security Bureau and the prosecutor general's office, said Kolomoisky was suspected of receiving 5.8 billion hryvnias from an alleged scheme to embezzle funds from PrivatBank, which he founded and was a shareholder of. The sum, currently worth $157 million, was the equivalent of more than $700 million at the time, the SBU said. Kolomoisky is suspected of setting up an organised group of bank employees to obtain the funds from 2013 to 2014, it said. Reuters could not immediately reach Kolomoisky or his lawyers for comment on the new allegations. Kolomoisky has in the past denied any wrongdoing. Kolomoisky is among the tycoons who built their fortunes in the ashes of the Soviet Union and amassed political power in Ukraine's fragile democracy. He is under U.S. sanctions and was once a backer of Zelenskiy, whose election he supported in 2019. Kolomoisky is a former owner of PrivatBank, which was nationalised in late 2016 as part of a clean-up of the Ukrainian banking system. He was first served notice of suspicion of fraud and money laundering this month and ordered to be held in custody until the end of October. Within days, Kolomoisky was identified by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as one of six people suspected of embezzling 9.2 billion hryvnias ($250 million) from PrivatBank. Zelenskiy is trying to root our corruption and restrict the influence of business magnates as Ukraine strives for membership of the European Union. ($1 = 36.9342 hryvnias) (Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Mark Potter, Ron Popeski and Tom Hogue) FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen of the 59th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire a BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system towards Russian troops near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Avd (Reuters) - Ukraine on Thursday pressed on with a gruelling campaign to regain ground near the shattered Russian-held city of Bakhmut and inflicted heavy casualties on Russian forces on the southern front, senior military officials said. The Ukrainian accounts outlined fierce fighting in many parts of the eastern front, but no new breakthroughs in the three-month old counter offensive. Ukrainian advances have been much slower than gains they recorded last year in recovering territory in the northeast, as they proceed methodically in the face of deep Russian entrenchments. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials have dismissed Western critics who say the three-month offensive is too slow and hampered by strategic errors, like placing troops in the wrong places. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had repelled eight attacks in the east in hotly contested areas south of Bakhmut. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said Kyiv's forces were making gains around three villages south of Bakhmut - including Andriivka. "Progress has been made there," she said on the Telegram messaging app. Maliar initially reported that Andriivka had been brought under Ukrainian control, but later said that was inaccurate as fighting was still raging around the village. Russian forces captured Bakhmut in May after months of battles left the city in ruins. Ukrainian forces have since been chipping away at Russian positions, notably south of Bakhmut. Maliar made no mention of the towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka, further south in Donetsk region, a day after she said both were being subjected to heavy Russian attacks. On the southern front, where Ukrainian forces have focused on capturing clusters of villages in a drive towards the Sea of Azov, Maliar said Russian troops had sustained "significant losses" in attacks on key towns. The Russian casualties, Maliar said, had "significantly reduced their ability to defend themselves". The drive southward is intended to split a land bridge created by Russian forces between the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and areas they hold in the east, expanded by their full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. Oleksander Shtupun, spokesperson for troops on the southern front, underscored the heavy extent of Russian losses in Moscow's attempts to recover lost positions. "The enemy, as a result of attempts to recapture at least some of the lost positions in the Tavria (south) direction in the last two days has lost 15 tanks and 12 armoured vehicles," he said on national television. He put Russian personnel losses at 665 over the two days. Reuters could not verify any of the battlefield reports. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Nick Starkov; Editing by Stephen Coates) Migrants wait at the port to be transferred to the mainland, on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency on Friday said it was imperative that the thousands of migrants who have arrived in recent days on the Italian island of Lampedusa be relocated because of its limited resources. Around 7,000 migrants arrived on the shore of the small island in a two-day period, prompting pleas for help from Italy. Authorities have organised some transfers to the larger island of Sicily to ease the situation, something the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expects will continue in the coming days. "It's imperative to move people off the island because the resources there, the capacity is so limited," said UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh. Saltmarsh said the migrants arriving were traumatised, exhausted and in need of food, shelter and medical care. It is hard to identify a single factor behind this recent spike in migrant arrivals on Lampedusa, Saltmarsh said. Calm sea conditions, the economic and social turbulence across the Mediterranean waters in Tunisia and Libya, and the conflict in Sudan could all be at play. "It can't just be on those frontline states like Italy that receive the initial arrivals to have to accommodate them for the longer term ... We think that now's the time for other countries, other states, other regions to try to support the Italians and to support the people of Lampedusa." Saltmarsh said European countries should also agree how to share out the task of settling recognised refugees. "In that case we're talking about refugees, those people who have asylum claims that are valid and that are confirmed and that have the right under international law to stay," he said. Lampedusa, which has a population of just over 6,000, sits in the Mediterranean near Tunisia, Malta and Sicily and is the first port of call for many migrants seeking to reach the European Union. (Reporting by Cecile Mantovani and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Kevin Liffey) FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks to supporters in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. March 17, 2019. REUTERS/Karen Pulfer Focht/File Photo By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who wants more mergers scrutinized, questioned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the Pentagon's role in the approval in July of L3 Harris Technologies' purchase of Aerojet Rocketdyne at a time when the number of defense contractors is at a historic low. L3 Harris said on July 26 it was informed that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission would not block its $4.7 billion deal for Aerojet Rocketdyne. It closed the deal within days. Warren, who had expressed concern about the transaction before it went forward, and other Democratic lawmakers pressed top Pentagon officials on Thursday to keep an eye on the new, bigger company. "It is imperative that the public be informed about potential conditions of the deal, what enforcement and oversight mechanisms exist to enforce promises made by L3Harris about the deal, and what information the DoD provided to the Federal Trade Commission," they wrote in the letter sent to Austin and William LaPlante, under secretary for acquisition. The letter was signed by Warren, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Personnel, as well as U.S. Representatives John Garamendi and Mark Pocan. All are Democrats. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawmakers noted concerns that the Defense Department had expressed before the transaction was announced about how the defense industrial base was "historically consolidated" because of previous transactions. They also said they were concerned about reports that L3 Harris did not have a formal consent agreement to win approval for the deal but gave assurances to supply rocket motors and engines. The lawmakers also requested correspondence between the Pentagon and the companies regarding potential conditions, including how they would be enforced. She asked for answers to these and other questions by September 27. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; additional reporting by Mike Stone; editing by Timothy Gardner) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday welcomed Saudi Arabia's invitation to a Houthi-led delegation from Yemen for talks in Riyadh and described it as an "important step towards peace." THE TAKE Saudi Arabia invited Yemen's Houthi delegation to Riyadh to continue ceasefire talks. The kingdom wanted to resume its and Oman's efforts to "reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen and a sustainable political solution acceptable to all Yemeni parties," Saudi Arabia's state news agency said on Thursday. The peace initiatives have gained momentum since arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilizing the Middle East. KEY QUOTE "This important step towards peace expands on a series of engagements between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis," the U.S. State Department said on Friday. "The talks in Riyadh follow a visit by senior U.S. officials to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates last week to consult with our regional partners and the Yemeni parties about a viable path toward peace." CONTEXT * The trip marked the first official visit by Houthi officials to the kingdom since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014, after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government in Sanaa. * The group has been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid. (This story has been refiled to say Houthis, not Houthi, in the headline) (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler) Commentary: Tech suppression futile in containing China's innovation progress Xinhua) 08:18, September 15, 2023 A staff member introduces products to a visitor at the InnoMatch Global Tech-Matching Fair of the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum in east China's Shanghai Sept. 10, 2023. A global technology matching platform associated to the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai has offered 25 billion yuan (about 3.5 billion U.S. dollars) worth of innovation matching projects. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) Economic bullying and technological blockades have, in effect, accelerated China's innovation. BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A new Chinese smartphone was launched online as U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited China at the end of August. Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, testing by Bloomberg News showed, is capable of cellular speeds "on a par with 5G devices like Apple Inc.'s latest iPhones." Though a gap still remains between China's chip-making capabilities and those of the world's most advanced, China is catching up. Such a development seems to fulfill warnings from U.S. chipmakers that sanctions wouldn't stop China, but would spur it to redouble efforts in finding alternatives to U.S. technology. Over the years, Washington has been preventing China's access to cutting-edge technology by hook or by crook. It rolled out a chip act, a thousand-page protectionist document; the groundless accusation of "China stealing intellectual property" was again hyped up; and limiting U.S. investment in China's high-tech sectors was among its latest perilous moves. If there is any validity in these rule-defying attempts, they only prove that innovation is becoming all the more important in today's world. To China, it is front and center in securing its sustainable development. Hunkering down, China has been trying hard. Official data show that China's spending on research and development totaled 427.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, up 10.4 percent year-on-year, a double-digit growth seen annually since 2016. The country, currently the largest electric vehicle (EV) market in the world, is embracing an EV boom. The overall exports of China's EVs, lithium and solar batteries, in the first half of the year, climbed by 61.6 percent compared with a year earlier. Artificial intelligence is also gaining traction. Four Chinese tech firms including Baidu Inc and SenseTime Group just debuted their AI chatbots to the public as the government greenlights AI products to widen their use. Economic bullying and technological blockades have, in effect, accelerated China's innovation. Up against the critical need for tech self-sufficiency, as the New York Times said in a July article, "if any country can overcome such a challenge, it is likely to be China." Yet wary of China making further headway, the tentacles of U.S. tech suppression are spreading even wider. Washington has been endeavoring to forge such exclusive cliques as the "CHIP4" and "U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council," wooing its allies under the guise of "security cooperation." In the wake of such maneuvers that will spill over and jeopardize global technological cooperation, people's true responses speak for themselves. South Africa said last month it would not be subject to the pressure of the United States and stop using Huawei's network communication devices. Amid doubts among U.S. policymakers about the extension of the China-U.S. Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, two Stanford professors sent an open letter to the White House standing up for renewal. Over 1,000 U.S. scientists signed the letter within a week. In the same vein, China's progress isn't forged behind closed doors. By far it has established technological cooperation with more than 160 countries and regions. Some 200 international organizations and multilateral mechanisms have China as their member. People attend the Huawei Cloud Summit Saudi Arabia 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 4, 2023. The Chinese tech giant Huawei announced on Monday the opening of a cloud data center in Riyadh, as part of its efforts to expand its online service offerings in the Middle East. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) The latest 2023 Nature Index shows that Chinese authors are an important part of natural science research in 2022. For the first time, it ranked top in the share of papers published in high-quality journals, overtaking the United States. While enhancing its independent R&D capabilities, China allows the world to share in its technological progress. This is a potent testament to its pursuit of globalization and open economy, which, Modern Diplomacy notes, have been the two key factors in human progress over the past few decades. It is true that China was once the "world factory," but as observers in the West find Huawei's and hence China's progress "better than expected," the country is well on its way to becoming a global hub for open innovation. As the "world factory" turns into an innovation hub, "the next China is (still) China," said chairman of McKinsey China Joe Ngai. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Ex-President Moon Jae-in and other senior figures have asked opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to end his hunger strike against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Ruling People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon said on Thursday that Lee's health is getting worse and "respectfully" asked him to end the stunt, which has been going on for 10 days. On Wednesday, Lee was visited in his office at the National Assembly by former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, who said Moon was very worried about him as asked him to end his hunger strike. By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department's first witness when the government kicks off the second week of the Google antitrust trial will be a Verizon executive, who will likely face questions about agreements that the search and advertising giant reached with wireless carriers to be the default on their smartphones. The trial began Tuesday with talk of the "future of the internet" but quickly plunged into the weeds of commercial agreements with Android makers like Motorola and Samsung. On Monday, the first witness will be Brian Higgins from Verizon who says on his LinkedIn profile that he is a "senior vice president of device and consumer product marketing" who focuses on Verizon's "device, product, and accessory portfolio." The Justice Department argues that Google agreements with mobile carriers and others worth $10 billion annually to win powerful default positions on smartphones and elsewhere so that it would dominate search to drive up its own profits. James Kolotouros, a Google executive responsible for negotiating the company's agreements with Android device makers and carriers, testified late in the week that Google pressed Android smartphone makers to have Google as the default search engine and other Google apps pre-installed on their machines. Under cross-examination from Google's John Schmidtlein, Kolotouros said that Google's goal in writing the contracts was to ensure the Android phones would compete with Apple's "elegance" and give users a predictable experience. The antitrust fight has major implications for Big Tech, which has spent years being scrutinized by Congress and antitrust enforcers. Companies have been accused of buying or strangling small rivals but has defended itself by emphasizing that its services are free, as in the case of Google, or inexpensive, as in the case of Amazon.com. Google argues that its search engine is wildly popular because of its quality, and payments to wireless companies or others were compensation for partners. FUTURE OF THE INTERNET Once the opening statements about the "future of the internet" were out of the way Tuesday, government lawyers spent the rest of the week wrangling over details. One big question was: Do people stick with defaults on their computers and smartphones or do they switch if they don't like the default? The government called Antonio Rangel, who teaches behavioral biology at the California Institute of Technology, to argue that people are likely to stick with defaults likes search engines or map apps if they are put on computers and mobile phones. This would show why Google would want to pay to be the default, or exclusive, to win more search queries and make higher profits advertising on them. In response, Google lawyers Schmidtlein showed data that indicated that users happily stick with Google's search engine when pre-installed on their devices but switch away from Bing or others they like less. The government also questioned a former Google executive, Chris Barton, who was at Google from 2004 to 2011. Barton said that in its revenue-sharing deals with mobile carriers and Android smartphone makers, Google pressed for its search to be the default and exclusive. If Microsoft's search engine Bing was the default on an Android phone, Barton said, then users would have a "difficult time finding or changing to Google." Early in the trial, antitrust celebrities like Tim Wu, a former Biden competition advisor, packed the courtroom along with officials from companies that have accused Google of seeking to squash them. By midday Friday, there were empty seats. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) FILE PHOTO: The UN General Assembly Hall is empty before the start of the SDG Moment event as part of the UN General Assembly 76th session General Debate at United Nations Headquarters, in New York, U.S., September 20, 2021. John Angelillo/Pool via REUTER By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - World leaders meet at the United Nations next week in the shadow of geopolitical tensions - largely fueled by the war in Ukraine - as Russia and China vie with the United States and Europe to win over developing countries. Russia's war in Ukraine, well into its second year, will again be a focus of the annual gathering in New York, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attending in person for the first time since the conflict started. Also high on the agenda this year will be concerns of the Global South, in part a reflection of the increased attention put on the developing world by Western nations eager to secure its support for the effort to isolate Russia. Several top-level meetings happening during the General Assembly focus on priorities of developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia: climate, health, financing for development, and how to get the Sustainable Development Goals - a global "to do" list created in 2015 - on track. "This is a year when the countries of the Global South have set the agenda," said Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group think tank. "Non-western countries have played this moment quite effectively," he said. "I think they have taken advantage of the fact that they know that the U.S., on one hand, and then Russia on the other, want their support." BILLIONS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE The Ukraine war is just one reason for the focus on developing countries. Over the past decade China has doled out hundreds of billions of dollars in loans for much-needed infrastructure projects as part of its Belt and Road initiative, which has come under criticism for saddling many nations with heavy debts. The United States and its allies have recently tried to counter China's growing influence with their own pledges of money for development and climate aid. Ahead of the New York meetings, diplomats acknowledged their focus on the developing world but dismissed suggestions that rivalry played a role. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, described the U.N. gathering as a chance for small countries to "lay out their priorities to us" and that she doesn't view it "as being a competition between big powers." China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun told Reuters that Beijing has "no intention to compete with anyone else" and that, as China's conditions improved, the country was "willing to do more in return for developing countries but we are not competing." Similarly, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters that Moscow was not "trying to enchant anyone." "We're just what we are and we will never condition our friendship with anybody on stepping in line and doing what we want - unlike some of our colleagues here who are twisting arms," he said. Top-level talks between China, Russia and the U.S. are out of the question next week as President Joe Biden will be the only leader to attend from the permanent five veto-wielding U.N. Security Council members. Three years after leaders were forced to send video messages to the week-long U.N. General Assembly meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, the more than 140 heads of state and government and dozens of ministers are due to turn up in person. "It is a one-of-a-kind moment each year for leaders from every corner of the globe to not only assess the state of the world but to act for the common good," said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "People are looking to their leaders for a way out of this mess," he said, citing the climate crisis, escalating conflicts, a global cost-of-living crisis, soaring inequalities and dramatic technological disruptions. THE "BIG SHOW" Zelenskiy is expected to address the General Assembly on Tuesday and speak at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday that could place him at the same table as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Nebenzia predicted the planned council meeting would simply be a "big show." Western diplomats are keen to show that their efforts to diplomatically target Russia over the war in Ukraine does not mean they can't focus on other crises and issues important to the rest of the world. "It's not a case of either/or. We need to do both," said British U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, describing Russia's invasion as "an attack on everything the U.N. stands for." Still, a senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, cautioned that geopolitical tensions could push more developing countries away from Western-led efforts and toward the BRICS group - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in the hope that it can "better deliver on some of the interests of the developing world." Last month, the BRICS - where China is the heavyweight - added half a dozen more countries to the bloc in a push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated. The U.N. is unable "to show African youths' that their impatience for jobs can be answered by democracy not soldiers," said an African diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "If no one is standing with them, then the BRICS - whatever they offer - will be attractive," the diplomat said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Don Durfee and Howard Goller) Investment Company Bond Declarations BOND NO. 106750424 Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Hartford, Connecticut (A Stock Insurance Company, herein called the Company) ITEM 1 INSURED: WASATCH FUNDS TRUST Principal Address: 505 WAKARA WAY 3RD FLOOR EMIGRATION CANYON, UT 84108 (hereinafter, Insured) ITEM 2 POLICY PERIOD: Inception Date: June 13, 2023 Expiration Date: June 13, 2024 12:01 A.M. local time as to both dates at the Principal Address stated in ITEM 1. ITEM 3 ALL NOTICES OF CLAIM OR LOSS MUST BE SENT TO THE COMPANY BY EMAIL, FACSIMILE, OR MAIL AS SET FORTH BELOW: Email: [email protected] Fax: 1-888-460-6622 Mail: Travelers Bond & Specialty Insurance Claim P.O. Box 2989 Hartford, CT 06104-2989 Overnight Mail: Travelers Bond & Specialty Insurance Claim One Tower Square, S202A Hartford, CT 06183 For questions related to claim reporting or handling, please call 1-800-842-8496. ITEM 4 If Not Covered is inserted opposite any specified Insuring Agreement below, or if no amount is included in the Single Loss Limit of Insurance, such Insuring Agreement and any other reference thereto is deemed to be deleted from this bond. INSURING AGREEMENT SINGLE LOSS LIMIT OF INSURANCE SINGLE LOSS DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNT A. FIDELITY Coverage A.1. Larceny or Embezzlement $10,000,000 $0 Coverage A.2. Restoration Expenses $100,000 $5,000 IVBB-15001 Ed. 01-16 Page 1 of 3 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. B. ON PREMISES $10,000,000 $25,000 C. IN TRANSIT $10,000,000 $25,000 D. FORGERY OR ALTERATION $2,500,000 $25,000 E. SECURITIES $2,500,000 $25,000 F. COUNTERFEIT MONEY AND COUNTERFEIT MONEY ORDERS $10,000,000 $25,000 G. CLAIM EXPENSE $100,000 $0 H. STOP PAYMENT ORDERS OR WRONGFUL DISHONOR OF CHECKS $100,000 $5,000 I. COMPUTER SYSTEMS Coverage I.1. Computer Fraud $2,500,000 $25,000 Coverage I.2. Fraudulent Instructions $2,500,000 $25,000 Coverage I.3. Restoration Expense $100,000 $5,000 J. UNCOLLECTIBLE ITEMS OF DEPOSIT $100,000 $5,000 ITEM 5 PREVIOUS BONDS OR POLICIES: The Insured, by acceptance of this bond, gives notice to the Company canceling or terminating prior bond or policy numbers: Not Applicable such cancellation or termination to be effective as of the time this bond becomes effective. ITEM 6 DISCOVERY PERIOD: Additional Premium Percentage: 100% of the annualized premium Additional Months: 12 months (If exercised in accordance with section VI. CONDITIONS, S. DISCOVERY PERIOD) ITEM 7 FORMS AND ENDORSEMENTS ATTACHED AT ISSUANCE: IVBB-16001-0116; IVBB-19002-0116; IVBB-19021-0116; IVBB-19022-0116; IVBB-19005-0116; IVBB-19010-0116; IVBB-10004-0916; IVBB-10010-1116; IVBB-10018-0617; IVBB-10021-0418; IVBB-19044-0518; IVBB-19045-0319; IVBB-19038-0422; IVBB-17019-0116; IVBB-18031-0721 PRODUCER INFORMATION: EDGEWOOD PARTNERS INS 40 MARCUS DR 3RD FL MELVILLE, NY 11747 IVBB-15001 Ed. 01-16 Page 2 of 3 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Countersigned By IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this bond to be signed by its authorized officers. President Corporate Secretary IVBB-15001 Ed. 01-16 Page 3 of 3 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Investment Company Bond Table of Contents IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 1 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 2 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Investment Company Bond with Extended Coverages I. CONSIDERATION CLAUSE IN CONSIDERATION of the payment of an agreed premium and subject to the Declarations and pursuant to all the terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations of this bond, the Company agrees to indemnify the Insured as set forth in ITEM 1 of the Declarations (herein called Insured) for: II. INSURING AGREEMENTS A. FIDELITY Coverage A.1. Larceny or Embezzlement Loss resulting directly from Larceny or Embezzlement committed by an Employee acting alone or in collusion with others. Coverage A.2. Restoration Expenses Restoration Expenses incurred by the Insured and resulting directly from a Computer Violation by an Employee. B. ON PREMISES 1. Loss of Property resulting directly from: a. robbery, burglary, mysterious unexplainable disappearance or misplacement and damage or destruction; or b. theft, false pretenses, or common law or statutory larceny, committed by a person physically present in an office of, or on the premises of, the Insured at the time the Property was surrendered, while the Property is lodged or deposited within offices or premises located anywhere. The premises of a Depository will be deemed premises of the Insured, but solely as respects loss of Certificated Securities. Coverage for Certificated Securities held by such Depository is limited to the extent of the Insureds interest therein as effected by the making of appropriate entries on the books and records of such Depository. The Company will not be liable under Insuring Agreement B for loss in connection with the central handling of securities within the systems established and maintained by any Depository unless the amount of such loss exceeds the amount recoverable or recovered under any bond or policy or participants fund insuring the Depository against such loss. This bond does not afford any coverage in favor of any Depository or exchange or any nominee in whose name is registered any security included within the Depositorys systems. 2. Direct loss, through any hazard specified in Insuring Agreement B.1. of any Property while such Property is within any of the Insureds or an Investment Advisers offices and in the possession of any customer of the Insured, any representative of such customer or any Employee whether or not the Insured is liable for the loss thereof, and provided such loss, at the option of the Insured, is included in the Insureds proof of loss, but excluding, in any event, loss caused by such customer, any representative of such customer, or any Employee. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 3 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. C. IN TRANSIT Loss of Property (occurring with or without negligence or violence) resulting directly from robbery, larceny, theft, holdup, mysterious unexplainable disappearance, misplacement, being lost or otherwise made away with, damage thereto or destruction thereof, and loss of subscription, conversion, redemption or deposit privileges through the misplacement or loss of Property, while the Property is in transit anywhere in the custody of any person or persons acting as Messenger, except while in the mail or with a carrier for hire other than an armored motor vehicle company, for the purpose of transportation, such transit to begin immediately upon receipt of such Property by the transporting person or persons, and to end immediately upon delivery thereof at destination, but only while the Property is being conveyed. D. FORGERY OR ALTERATION Loss resulting directly from the Insured having, in good faith, paid or transferred any Property in reliance on any Written, Original: 1. Negotiable Instrument (except an Evidence of Debt); 2. Certificate of Deposit; 3. Letter of Credit; 4. Withdrawal Order; 5. Acceptance; 6. receipt for the withdrawal of Property; or 7. instruction or advice directed to the Insured or an Investment Adviser and purportedly signed by a Customer of the Insured or by a Financial Institution, which (a) bears a handwritten signature which is a Forgery; or (b) is altered, but only to the extent the Forgery or alteration causes the loss. Actual physical possession of the items listed in 1. through 7. above by the Insured is a condition precedent to the Insureds having relied on the items. E. SECURITIES Loss resulting directly from the Insured having, in good faith, for its own account or for the account of others: 1. acquired, sold, delivered, or given value, extended credit or assumed liability, on the faith of any Original Written document that is a (an): a. Certificated Security; b. Document of Title; c. deed, mortgage, or other instrument conveying title to, or creating or discharging a lien on, real property; d. Certificate of Origin or Title; e. Certificate of Deposit; f. Evidence of Debt; g. corporate, partnership, or personal Guarantee; h. Security Agreement; IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 4 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. i. Instruction; j. Statement of Uncertificated Security, that (1) bears a handwritten signature material to the validity or enforceability of the Original Written document that is a Forgery, but only to the extent the Forgery causes the loss; (2) is altered, but only to the extent the alteration causes the loss; or (3) is lost or stolen; 2. guaranteed in writing or witnessed any handwritten signature upon any transfer, assignment, bill of sale, power of attorney, Guarantee, endorsement, or any items listed in items 1.a. through 1.i. above; or 3. acquired, sold or delivered, given value, extended credit or assumed liability, on the faith of any item listed in 1.a. through 1.d. above, that is a Counterfeit, but only to the extent the Counterfeit causes the loss. Actual physical possession, and continued actual physical possession if taken as collateral, of the items listed in 1.a. through 1.j. above by the Insured, an Investment Adviser, a Custodian, or a Federal or State chartered deposit institution of the Insured is a condition precedent to the Insureds having relied on the faith of such items. Release or return of such collateral is an acknowledgment by the Insured that it no longer relies on such collateral. F. COUNTERFEIT MONEY AND COUNTERFEIT MONEY ORDERS Loss resulting directly from the receipt by the Insured, in good faith, of any Counterfeit Money of the United States of America and its territories and possessions, Canada or any other country, or of Counterfeit money orders denominated in United States or Canadian currency. G. CLAIM EXPENSE Reasonable expenses necessarily incurred and paid by the Insured in preparing any covered claim for loss under any Insuring Agreement covered under this bond, which loss exceeds the Single Loss Deductible Amount applicable to such Insuring Agreement. Such expenses include costs incurred (including necessary wages of Employees) for that part of audits or examinations performed, whether or not required by State or Federal supervisory authorities and conducted either by such authorities or by independent accountants, by reason of the discovery of loss sustained by the Insured. H. STOP PAYMENT ORDERS OR WRONGFUL DISHONOR OF CHECKS Damages that the Insured becomes legally liable to pay its customers resulting directly from the Insured or an Investment Adviser having: 1. failed to comply with any notice of any customer of the Insured or any authorized representative of such customer to stop payment on any check or draft made or drawn by such customer; or 2. wrongfully dishonored or wrongfully failed to certify any check or draft made or drawn by the customer of the Insured or any authorized representative of such customer. Notwithstanding any other provision of this bond, damages under paragraph 2. above do not include the amount of any check or draft in question, or any amounts paid to the payee, endorser, or accommodation party of such check or draft. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 5 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. I. COMPUTER SYSTEMS Coverage I.1. Computer Fraud Loss resulting directly from Computer Fraud. Coverage I.2. Fraudulent Instructions Loss resulting directly from the Insured or an Investment Adviser having, in good faith, caused a transfer of funds as a result of a Fraudulent Instruction when the Insured or an Investment Adviser, prior to causing the transfer of the funds, used its best efforts to verify the identity of the person transmitting the instruction; provided that if the instruction is purported to be from a Customer, the Insured, or an Investment Adviser: a. performed a Callback Verification with respect to such instruction; or b. followed commercially reasonable Security Procedures applicable to the transaction and instruction. Such Fraudulent Instruction received and, if applicable, Callback Verification performed, must be either recorded, logged, or documented by the Insured or an Investment Adviser. Coverage I.3. Restoration Expenses Restoration Expenses incurred by the Insured or an Investment Adviser and resulting from a Computer Violation by someone other than an Employee. J. UNCOLLECTIBLE ITEMS OF DEPOSIT Loss, including dividends and interest accrued not to exceed 15% of the value of each Item of Deposit that is deposited, resulting directly from the Insured or Investment Adviser having credited an account of a customer, shareholder or subscriber on the faith of any Items of Deposit that prove to be uncollectible, provided that the crediting of such account causes: 1. redemptions or withdrawals to be permitted; 2. shares to be issued; or 3. dividends to be paid. It is a condition precedent to coverage under this Insuring Agreement that the Insured or Investment Adviser hold funds represented in Items of Deposit for the maximum number of days allowable under Regulation CC before permitting any redemptions or withdrawals, or issuing any shares or paying any dividends with respect to such Items of Deposit. Items of Deposit will not be deemed to be uncollectible until the Insureds or Investment Advisers standard collection procedures have failed. This Insuring Agreement applies to Insureds with exchange privileges if all funds in the exchange program are insured by the Company for Uncollectible Items of Deposit. Regardless of the number of transactions between funds, the maximum number of days allowable under Regulation CC begins from the date a deposit was first credited to any fund in the exchange program. III. GENERAL AGREEMENTS A. ORGANIC GROWTH If an Insured or Investment Adviser, while this bond is in force, adds additional Employees other than by consolidation or merger with, or purchase or acquisition of the assets, assets under management or IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 6 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. liabilities of, another institution, such Employees will automatically be covered hereunder from the date of such addition without the requirement of notice to the Company or the payment of additional premium for the remainder of the Policy Period as set forth in ITEM 2 of the Declarations. B. CONSOLIDATION - MERGER - PURCHASE OR ACQUISITION OF ASSETS If the Insured or an Investment Adviser, while this bond is in force, consolidates or merges with, or purchases or acquires assets, assets under management or liabilities of, or purchases or acquires more than 50% voting stock ownership of another institution (hereinafter referred to as a Transaction), coverage under this bond for loss which: 1. has occurred or will occur in the offices or premises of such institution; 2. has been caused or will be caused by any employee or employees of such institution; or 3. has arisen or will arise out of the assets, assets under management or liabilities acquired by the Insured as a result of such Transaction, is provided as follows: a. Automatic Loss Sustained Coverage If a Transaction involves assets, assets under management and liabilities in an amount that is more than 25% of the consolidated assets of all Insureds as of the most recent calendar year-end preceding the date of the Transaction, then coverage of this bond as respects the Transaction will be afforded for a Single Loss that is both discovered and for which the acts giving rise to the loss occur in their entirety on or after the effective date of the Transaction. This coverage terminates 60 days after the Transaction date, or the termination date of the bond, whichever comes earlier, unless the Insured provides notice to the Company and obtains the written consent of the Company to extend such coverage beyond said date and, upon obtaining such consent, pays to the Company an additional premium, if required. b. Automatic Discovery Coverage If a Transaction involves assets, assets under management and liabilities in an amount that is 25% or less of the consolidated assets of all Insureds as of the most recent calendar year-end preceding the date of the Transaction, then coverage of this bond as respects the Transaction will be afforded for a Single Loss that is discovered on or after the effective date of the Transaction, for the remainder of the Policy Period as set forth in ITEM 2 of the Declarations, without additional premium being charged and without notice to the Company of the Transaction. C. REPRESENTATION OF INSURED No statement made by or on behalf of the Insured, whether contained in the application or otherwise, is deemed to be a warranty of anything except that it is true to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person making the statement. D. JOINT INSURED This bond does not indemnify or hold harmless any Insured for loss sustained by an Investment Adviser, or by a proprietorship, partnership or corporation that is owned, controlled or operated by such Insured, and not named as an Insured hereunder, except as may be provided on a limited basis within General Agreement B., but this paragraph does not apply to loss sustained by a nominee organized by an Insured hereunder other than a holding company. If two or more Insureds are covered under this bond, the first named Insured will act for all Insureds. Payment by the Company to the first named Insured of loss sustained by any Insured fully releases the Company on account of such loss. If the first named Insured ceases to be covered under this bond, the Insured next named will thereafter be considered the first named Insured. In the absence of an Insured IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 7 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. being specifically next named, the Insured entity having the greatest consolidated assets of all remaining Insureds then becomes the first named Insured. Knowledge possessed or discovery made by any Insured or Investment Adviser constitutes knowledge or discovery by all Insureds for all purposes of this bond. The liability of the Company for loss or losses sustained by all Insureds will not exceed the amount for which the Company would have been liable had all such loss or losses been sustained by one Insured. E. COURT COSTS AND ATTORNEYS FEES - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS - ELECTION TO DEFEND The Company will indemnify the Insured against court costs and reasonable attorneys fees incurred and paid by the Insured in defending any suit or legal proceeding brought against the Insured to enforce the Insureds liability, or alleged liability, on account of any loss, claim or damage that, if established against the Insured, would constitute a collectible loss under this bond in excess of any Single Loss Deductible Amount, provided, however, that with respect to Insuring Agreement A this indemnity will apply only in the event that: 1. an Employee admits to being guilty of Larceny or Embezzlement; 2. an Employee is adjudicated to be guilty of Larceny or Embezzlement; or 3. in the absence of 1. or 2. above, an arbitration panel agrees, after a review of an agreed statement of facts, that an Employee would be found guilty of Larceny or Embezzlement if such Employee were prosecuted. Such indemnity is in addition to the Single Loss Limit of Insurance for the applicable Insuring Agreement or Coverage. The Insured or an Investment Adviser must notify the Company promptly after notice thereof, of any such suit or legal proceeding and at the request of the Company will furnish it with copies of all pleadings and other papers therein. At the Companys election the Insured will permit the Company to conduct the defense of such suit or legal proceeding, in the Insureds name, through attorneys of the Companys selection. In such event, the Insured and Investment Adviser will give all reasonable information and assistance, other than pecuniary, that the Company deems necessary to the defense of such suit or legal proceeding. If the amount of the Insureds liability or alleged liability is greater than the amount recoverable under this bond, or if a Single Loss Deductible Amount is applicable, or both, then the liability of the Company under this General Agreement E. is limited to the proportion of court costs and attorneys fees incurred and paid by the Insured or by the Company that the amount recoverable under this bond bears to the total amount of the Insureds liability or alleged liability. Any amount not recoverable by reason of the Insureds liability or alleged liability being greater than the amount recoverable under any insuring agreement of this bond, does not serve to reduce the Single Loss Deductible Amount applicable to such Insuring Agreement or Coverage. If the Company pays court costs and attorneys fees in excess of its proportionate share of such costs and fees, the Insured will promptly reimburse the Company for such excess. IV. DEFINITIONS As used in this bond: A. Acceptance means a Written draft that the drawee has, by signature thereon, engaged to honor as presented. B. Bond Period has the meaning set forth in section VI. CONDITIONS, C. BOND PERIOD. C. Callback Verification means a verbal conversation with the purported Customer, using a Pre-Determined Telephone Number, to verify the identity of the Customer and the authenticity of a funds transfer request. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 8 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. D. Certificate of Deposit means a Written acknowledgment by an Insured or a Financial Institution of receipt of Money with an engagement to repay it. E. Certificate of Origin or Title means a Written document issued by a manufacturer of personal property or a governmental agency evidencing the ownership of the personal property and by which ownership is transferred. F. Certificated Security means a share, participation or other interest in property of, or an enterprise of, the issuer or an obligation of the issuer, that is: 1. represented by a Written instrument issued in bearer or registered form; 2. of a type commonly dealt in on securities exchanges or markets or commonly recognized in any area in which it is issued or dealt in as a medium for investment; and 3. either one of a class or series or by its terms divisible into a class or series of shares, participations, interests or obligations. G. Computer Fraud means an intentional, unauthorized, and fraudulent entry of data or computer instructions directly into, or change of data or computer instructions within, a Computer System by a natural person or entity other than an Employee, including any such entry or change made via the internet or a Network, provided that such entry or change causes: 1. Property to be transferred, paid, or delivered; 2. an account of the Insured, or of its customer, to be added, deleted, debited or credited; or 3. an unauthorized or fictitious account to be debited or credited. H. Computer System means: 1. any computer; and 2. any input, output, processing, storage or communication device, or any related network, operating system or application software, that is connected to, or used in connection with, such computer, that is rented by, owned by, leased by, licensed to, or under the direct operational control of, the Insured or an Investment Adviser. I. Computer Violation means: 1. the introduction of a Computer Virus into a Computer System; or 2. damage to, or destruction of, computer programs, software or other electronic data stored within a Computer System by a natural person, who has: a. gained unauthorized access to such Computer System; or b. authorized access to such Computer System but uses such access to cause such damage or destruction. J. Computer Virus means any malicious code that could destroy, alter, contaminate, or degrade the integrity, quality, or performance of: 1. electronic data used, or stored, in any Computer System or network; or 2. a computer network, any computer application software, or a computer operating system or related network. K. Counterfeit means a Written imitation of an actual, valid, or verifiable Original that is intended to deceive and to be taken as the Original. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 9 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. L. Custodian means an institution designated by an Insured or an Investment Adviser to maintain possession and control of the Insureds assets. M. Customer means, only with respect to Insuring Agreement I.2., an entity or natural person that has a Funds Transfer Agreement with the Insured or with an Investment Adviser. N. Depository means a clearing corporation that is: 1. registered with the Securities Exchange Commission as a clearing agency under section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78q-1); or 2. a Federal Reserve Bank or other person or entity authorized to operate the federal book entry system described in the regulations of the Department of Treasury codified at 31 CFR 357, Subpart B, or book-entry systems operated pursuant to comparable regulations of other federal agencies. O. Document of Title means a Written document that is a bill of lading, dock warrant, dock receipt, warehouse receipt or order for the delivery of goods, and also any other Written document that in the regular course of business or financing is treated as adequately evidencing that the person in possession of it is entitled to receive, hold and dispose of the document and the goods it covers and must purport to be issued by or addressed to a bailee and purport to cover goods in the bailees possession that are either identified or are fungible portions of an identified mass. P. Electronic Data Processor means a natural person, partnership or corporation authorized in writing by the Insured or an Investment Adviser to perform services as a data processor of checks presented to the Insured by a customer or Financial Institution, but excluding any such processor who acts as a transfer agent or in any other agency capacity in issuing checks, drafts or securities for the Insured, A Federal Reserve Bank or clearinghouse will not be construed to be an Electronic Data Processor. Q. Electronic Record means information that is created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means, and is retrievable in perceivable form. R. Employee means: 1. an officer, partner or other employee of the Insured, while such person is employed by and performing services for the Insured, and whom the Insured directly compensates by wages, salaries or commissions; or for 60 days after such individuals termination of service, provided such termination is not due to employee fraud or dishonesty; 2. a guest student or intern pursuing studies or duties in any of the Insureds or an Investment Advisers offices or premises covered hereunder, while such person is performing services for the Insured; 3. any attorney retained by the Insured or an Investment Adviser, and any employee of such attorney, but only while performing legal services for the Insured; 4. any natural person assigned to perform the usual duties of an employee within the premises of the Insured or an Investment Adviser and under the Insureds supervision, by contract, including such persons provided by any employment agency furnishing temporary personnel to the Insured or an Investment Adviser on a contingent or part-time basis, and including a natural person who is leased to the Insured or an Investment Adviser under a written agreement between the Insured and a labor leasing firm to perform duties related to the conduct of the Insureds business; (all such natural persons provided by a single employment agency or labor leasing firm will collectively be deemed to be one person for all the purposes of this bond, excepting, however, the last paragraph of Condition R.2.); 5. an employee of an institution merged or consolidated with the Insured prior to the effective date of this bond, or, subject to General Agreement B., after the effective date of this bond, but only with respect to acts while an employee of such institution and which acts caused said institution to IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 10 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. sustain a loss that was not known to the Insured or to the institution at the time of the merger or consolidation; 6. each natural person, partnership, or corporation authorized by the Insured or an Investment Adviser to perform services as an Electronic Data Processor (each such Electronic Data Processor, and the partners, officers and employees of such Electronic Data Processor will collectively be deemed to be one Employee for all the purposes of this bond, except with respect to Condition R.2.); 7. any director or trustee of an Insured, Investment Adviser, underwriter (distributor), transfer agent, shareholder accounting record keeper, or administrator authorized by Written agreement with the Insured to keep financial or other required records, but only while performing acts coming within the scope of the usual duties of an officer or employee or while acting as a member of any committee duly elected or appointed to examine or audit or have custody of or access to the Property of the Insured; 8. any natural person who is a volunteer, while such person is subject to the Insureds direction and control and is performing services for the Insured; 9. any natural person who is a former employee retained as a consultant, pursuant to a written agreement with the Insured, while that person is subject to the Insureds direction and control and performing services for the Insured; and 10. any officer, partner, or employee of: a. an Investment Adviser; b. an underwriter (distributor); c. a transfer agent or shareholder accounting record-keeper; or d. an administrator authorized by written agreement to keep financial or other required records, for an Insured but only while performing acts coming within the scope of the usual duties of an officer or employee of the Insured, or while acting as a member of any committee duly elected or appointed to examine or audit or have custody of or access to the Property of any such Insured, provided that only employees or partners of a transfer agent, shareholder accounting record-keeper or administrator that is an affiliated person, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, of an Insured or is an affiliated person of the Investment Adviser, underwriter or administrator of such Insured, and that is not a bank, will be included within the definition of Employee. Employee also means any natural person described above while such person is on medical, military, or other leave of absence. Coverage applies to any such Employee while on leave, regardless of whether such person remains subject to the Insureds direction and control during the time of leave. Employee does not mean any agent, broker, factor, commission merchant, consignee, independent contractor or representative or other person of the same general character not specified above. S. Evidence of Debt means a Written instrument, including a Negotiable Instrument, executed, or purportedly executed, by a customer of the Insured and held by the Insured or an Investment Adviser that in the regular course of business is treated as evidencing the customers debt to the Insured. T. Financial Institution means: 1. a bank, trust company, savings bank, credit union, savings and loan association, or similar thrift institution; or 2. a stock brokerage firm, mutual fund, liquid assets fund or similar investment institution; IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 11 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. provided that Financial Institution does not include any such entity, institution or organization that is an Insured or an Investment Adviser. U. Forgery means signing the name of another person or organization with a handwritten signature directly applied to a Written document without authority, and with the intent to deceive. A signature written on an electronic pad that captures the signature for purposes of creating an electronic digitized image of a handwritten signature, or a reproduction of a handwritten signature, is treated the same as a handwritten signature. Any other form of electronic signature or digital signature is not treated the same as a handwritten signature. Forgery does not mean a signature that consists in whole or in part of ones own name signed with or without authority, in any capacity, for any purpose. V. Fraudulent Instruction means an intentional, fraudulent and unauthorized instruction directed to the Insured or an Investment Adviser, that is: 1. transmitted via telefacsimile, and: a. purports and reasonably appears to be from a Customer, a Financial Institution, or another office of the Insured; b. was in fact transmitted by someone other than a Customer, a Financial Institution, or another office of the Insured; and c. purports and reasonably appears to contain the handwritten signature of a person authorized to initiate such transfer that proves to have been used by an unauthorized person; or 2. transmitted verbally, via telephone, and purports to be from: a. an officer, director, partner or employee of a Customer, who is authorized by the Customer to instruct the Insured or an Investment Adviser to make such a transfer; b. a Customer who is a natural person; or c. an Employee in another office of the Insured who was authorized by the Insured to instruct other Employees to transfer funds on deposit in a Customers account; and was received by an Employee specifically designated to receive and act upon such instructions, but was in fact transmitted by someone other than a person described in paragraph V.2.; or 3. transmitted via electronic mail and purports and reasonably appears to be from a Customer of the Insured, but was in fact transmitted by someone other than such Customer. Fraudulent Instruction does not include any instruction that purports to be from a Customer unless the instruction is transmitted by a method that is authorized in the Funds Transfer Agreement between the Insured and the Customer. W. Funds Transfer Agreement means an agreement, signed by the Customer, that: a. authorizes the Insured or an Investment Adviser to rely on instructions transmitted by either voice, telefacsimile or electronic mail to make funds transfers; and b. provides the Insured or an Investment Adviser with the names of persons authorized to initiate funds transfers. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 12 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. X. Guarantee means a Written undertaking obligating the signer to pay the debt of another to the Insured or its assignee or to a Financial Institution from which the Insured has purchased participation in the debt, if the debt is not paid in accordance with its terms. Y. Instruction means a Written order to the issuer of an Uncertificated Security requesting that the transfer, pledge, or release from pledge of the Uncertificated Security specified be registered. Z. Investment Adviser means any entity defined in 202(a)(11) of, and registered under, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, but only while acting on behalf of the Insured. AA. Item of Deposit means any checks or drafts deposited into the account of a customer, shareholder or subscriber. BB. Larceny or Embezzlement means larceny or embezzlement as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, 37 as amended. CC. Letter of Credit means an engagement in writing by a Financial Institution or other person made at the request of a customer that the Financial Institution or other person will honor drafts or other demands for payment upon compliance with the conditions specified in the Letter of Credit. DD. Loan means all extensions of credit by the Insured and all transactions creating a creditor relationship in favor of the Insured and all transactions by which the Insured assumes an existing creditor relationship. EE. Messenger means an Employee while in possession of the Insureds Property away from the Insureds or Investment Advisers premises and any other natural person acting as custodian of the Property during an emergency arising from the incapacity of the original Employee. FF. Money means a medium of exchange in current use authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government as a part of its currency. GG. Negotiable Instrument means a Written document, that: 1. is signed by the maker or drawer; 2. contains an unconditional promise or order to pay a sum certain in Money and no other promise, order, obligation or power given by the maker or drawer; 3. is payable on demand or at a definite time; and 4. is payable to order or bearer. Negotiable Instrument also means a counterfeit check or Substitute Check. HH. Network means any and all services provided by or through the facilities of any electronic or computer communication system, including Fedwire, Clearing House Interbank Payment System (CHIPS), Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) and similar interbank payment or settlement systems, including any shared networks, internet access facilities, or other similar facilities for such systems in which the Insured participates, allowing the input, output, examination, or transfer of data or programs from one computer to a Computer System. II. Original means the first rendering or archetype and does not include photocopies or electronic transmissions even if received and printed. JJ. Pre-Determined Telephone Number means a telephone number that: 1. was provided by the Customer when the Customer opened the account with the Insured or an Investment Adviser; IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 13 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. 2. was provided in person by the Customer after the Customer opened the account with the Insured or an Investment Adviser, while physically present on the Insureds or Investment Advisers premises and while presenting a government-issued photo identification; 3. was provided in a Funds Transfer Agreement; 4. replaced a telephone number previously provided for the Customers account, provided that confirmation of the legitimacy of the change was achieved through direct contact with the Customer at a telephone number described in paragraph JJ.1., JJ.2. or JJ.3. above; or 5. replaced a telephone number previously provided for the Customers account and was received by the Insured or the Investment Adviser at least 30 days prior to the receipt of the Fraudulent Instruction. KK. Property means Money, Certificated Securities, Uncertificated Securities, Negotiable Instruments, Certificates of Deposit, Documents of Title, Acceptances, Evidences of Debt, Security Agreements, Withdrawal Orders, Certificates of Origin or Title, Letters of Credit, insurance policies, abstracts of title, deeds and mortgages on real estate, revenue and other stamps, tokens, unsold state lottery tickets, books of account and other records whether Written or recorded electronically, gems, jewelry, precious metals of all kinds and in any form, and tangible items of personal property that are not hereinbefore enumerated. LL. Restoration Expenses means reasonable costs incurred by the Insured or an Investment Adviser, with the Companys prior written consent, to restore, replace or reproduce damaged or destroyed computer programs, software or other electronic data stored within a Computer System, or that the Insured owns, holds or is responsible for, to the condition that existed immediately preceding a Computer Violation; provided that if it is determined by the Insured or Investment Adviser that such computer programs, software or other electronic data cannot reasonably be restored, replaced or reproduced, then Restoration Expenses means only the reasonable costs incurred by the Insured or an Investment Adviser, with the Companys prior written consent, to reach such determination. Restoration Expenses do not include: 1. expenses incurred as a result of the reconstruction of computer programs, software, or other electronic data that the Insured did not have a license to use; 2. expenses incurred to restore, replace, or reproduce damaged or destroyed computer programs, software or other electronic data if such damage or destruction was caused by computer programs, software, or other electronic data that the Insured did not have a license to use; 3. expenses incurred to design, update, improve, or perfect the operation or performance of computer programs, software, or other electronic data; or 4. expenses incurred to redo the work product, research, or analysis that was the basis of, or resulted in, any computer programs, software, or other electronic data stored. MM. Security Agreement means a Written agreement that creates an interest in personal property or fixtures and that secures payment or performance of an obligation. NN. Security Procedure means the Insureds or Investment Advisers established authentication process, other than voice recognition, that requires the use of algorithms or other codes, identifying words or numbers, encryption, or similar security devices or procedures. The following are not considered a Security Procedure: 1. a general statement that the Insured or Investment Adviser may establish security procedures; 2. a statement that the Insured or Investment Adviser may perform a callback or other security procedure; or 3. a statement that the Insured or Investment Adviser will only accept requests from persons named on the account. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 14 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. OO. Single Loss has the meaning set forth in section VI. CONDITIONS, D. SINGLE LOSS. PP. Statement of Uncertificated Security means a Written statement of the issuer of an Uncertificated Security containing: 1. a description of the issue of which the Uncertificated Security is a part; 2. the number of shares or units: a. transferred to the registered owner; b. pledged by the registered owner to the registered pledgee; c. released from pledge by the registered pledgee; d. registered in the name of the registered owner on the date of the statement; or e. subject to pledge on the date of the statement; 3. the name and address of the registered owner and registered pledgee; 4. a notation of any liens and restrictions of the issuer and any adverse claims to which the Uncertificated Security is or may be subject to, or a statement that there are none of those liens, restrictions or adverse claims; and 5. the date: a. the transfer of the shares or units to the new registered owner of the shares or units was registered; b. the pledge of the registered pledgee was registered; or c. of the statement, if it is a periodic or annual statement. QQ. Substitute Check means a paper reproduction of an Original Written check as defined in the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act of 2003, as amended. RR. Transportation Company means any organization that provides its own or leased vehicles for transportation or that provides freight forwarding or air express services. SS. Uncertificated Security means a share, participation or other interest in property of, or an enterprise of, the issuer or an obligation of the issuer, that is: 1. not represented by a Written instrument issued in bearer or registered form and the transfer of which is registered upon books maintained for that purpose by or on behalf of the issuer; 2. of a type commonly dealt in on securities exchanges or markets, or commonly recognized in any area in which it is issued or dealt in as a medium for investment; and 3. either one of a class or series or by its terms divisible into a class or series of shares, participations, interests or obligations. TT. Withdrawal Order means a non-negotiable Written instrument, other than an Instruction, signed by a customer of the Insured authorizing the Insured to debit the customers account in the amount of funds stated therein. UU. Written means expressed through letters or marks placed upon paper and visible to the eye. It does not include information contained in an Electronic Record, or only with respect to Insuring Agreement D, information communicated via telefacsimile. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 15 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. V. EXCLUSIONS A. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from forgery or alteration, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A, D, E, F or G. B. This bond does not cover loss due to war, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities (whether war is declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power, confiscation, nationalization, requisition, or destruction of, or damage to, property by or under the order of any government, public or local authority, unless such loss occurs in transit in the circumstances recited in Insuring Agreement C and unless, when such transit was initiated, there was no knowledge of such act or condition related to any of the foregoing on the part of any person acting for the Insured in initiating such transit. C. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from nuclear reaction, nuclear radiation, radioactive contamination, biological, or chemical contamination or to any related act or incident. D. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from any acts of any director or trustee of the Insured other than one employed as a salaried, pensioned, or elected official or an Employee of the Insured, except when performing acts coming within the scope of the usual duties of an Employee, or while acting as a member of any committee duly elected or appointed by resolution of the board of directors or trustees of the Insured to perform specific, as distinguished from general, directorial acts on behalf of the Insured. E. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from the complete or partial non-payment of, or default upon, any Loan or transaction involving the Insured as a lender or borrower, or extension of credit, including the purchase, discounting or other acquisition of false or genuine accounts, invoices, notes, agreements or Evidences of Debt, whether such Loan, transaction or extension was procured in good faith or through trick, artifice, fraud, or false pretenses, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A or E. F. This bond does not cover loss caused by an Employee, except: 1. when covered under Insuring Agreement A.; or 2. when covered under Insuring Agreement B. or C. and resulting directly from mysterious unexplainable disappearance or misplacement, or unintentional destruction of or damage to Property. G. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from the use or purported use of credit, debit, charge, access, convenience, identification cash management or other cards: 1. in obtaining credit or funds; 2. in gaining access to any automated teller machine; or 3. in gaining access to any point of sale terminal, customer-bank communication terminal, or similar electronic terminal of any electronic funds transfer system, whether such cards were issued, or purport to have been issued, by the Insured or by anyone other than the Insured, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A. H. This bond does not cover loss through the surrender of Property away from an office of the Insured or an Investment Adviser as a result of a threat: 1. to do bodily harm to any person, except loss of Property in transit in the custody of a Messenger provided that when such transit was initiated there was no knowledge by the Insured of any such threat; or 2. to do damage to the premises or property of the Insured, IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 16 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. except when covered under Insuring Agreement A. I. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from payments made or withdrawals from a customers account involving erroneous credits to such account, unless such payments or withdrawals are physically received by such depositor or representative of such depositor who is within the office of the Insured or an Investment Adviser at the time of such payment or withdrawal, or except when covered under Insuring Agreement A. J. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from payments made or withdrawals from a customers account involving items of deposit that are not finally paid for any reason, including forgery or any other fraud, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A or J, however, this exclusion does not apply to United States Government checks or drafts that are returned to the Insured by the United States Government for any reason after the funds for said checks or drafts have been remitted to the Insured or credited to the Insureds account. K. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from counterfeiting, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A, D, but only as respects Negotiable Instruments (except Evidences of Debt or Substitute Checks), E or F. L. This bond does not cover loss of Property while: 1. in the mail; 2. in the custody of any Transportation Company, unless covered under Insuring Agreement C provided however that non-negotiable instruments while in the possession and custody of any Transportation Company will be deemed to be covered under Insuring Agreement C; or 3. located on the premises of any Transportation Company, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A. M. This bond does not cover potential income, including interest and dividends not realized by the Insured. N. This bond does not cover damages of any type for which the Insured is legally liable, except direct compensatory damages, but not multiples thereof, arising directly from a loss covered under this bond. O. This bond does not cover any fees, costs, or other expenses incurred by the Insured in establishing the existence of or amount of loss covered under this bond except when covered under Insuring Agreement G. P. This bond does not cover indirect or consequential loss of any nature. Q. This bond does not cover loss resulting from any violation by the Insured or by any Employee: 1. of law regulating: (i) the issuance, purchase or sale of securities; (ii) securities transactions upon security exchanges or over the counter market; (iii) investment companies; or (iv) investment advisers; or 2. of any rule or regulation made pursuant to any such law, unless it is established by the Insured that the act or acts that caused said loss involved fraudulent or dishonest conduct that would have caused a covered loss to the Insured in a similar amount in the absence of such laws, rules or regulations. R. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from the failure of a financial or depository institution, or its receiver or liquidator, to pay or deliver, on demand of the Insured or an Investment Adviser, funds or Property of the Insured held by it in any capacity, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A or B.1.a. S. This bond does not cover loss involving any Uncertificated Security except an Uncertificated Security of any Federal Reserve Bank of the United States or when covered under Insuring Agreement A, E or I. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 17 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. T. This bond does not cover under Insuring Agreement I, in addition to all of the other exclusions, loss: 1. resulting directly or indirectly from entries or changes made by an individual authorized to have access to a Computer System, who acts in good faith on instructions or advices received by telegraph, teletype, human voice over a telephone, or by any other means, unless such instructions or advices are given to that individual by a software contractor (or by a partner, officer or employee thereof) authorized by the Insured or an Investment Adviser to design, develop, prepare, supply, service, write, or implement programs for the Computer System, except when covered under Insuring Agreement I.2.; 2. caused by an employee or director of an automated clearing house (including a Federal Reserve Bank), service bureau, electronic communications systems (including Fedwire, CHIPS and SWIFT) or merchants who have contracted with the Insured to perform electronic funds transfer services; or 3. resulting directly or indirectly from entries or changes made by an Employee acting in good faith on any electronic communication, unless such instructions are purportedly sent by a customer, Financial Institution, or automated clearing house, except when covered under Insuring Agreement I.2. U. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from Computer Fraud or mechanical breakdown or failure to function properly of any Computer System, except when covered under Insuring Agreement A, B, or I. V. This bond does not cover under Insuring Agreement I.2., in addition to all of the other exclusions, loss resulting directly or indirectly from the Insureds or an Investment Advisers assumption of liability by contract unless the liability arises from a loss covered by Insuring Agreement I.2. and would be imposed on the Insured regardless of the existence of the contract. W. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from theft, disappearance, destruction, or disclosure of intangible property or confidential information, including trade secrets, customer lists, customers intellectual property, confidential processing methods, formulas, patents, computer programs, negatives, drawings, manuscripts, prints and other records of a similar nature, whether such confidential information is owned by the Insured or an Investment Adviser or held by the Insured or Investment Adviser in any capacity including concurrently with another person. X. This bond does not cover expenses arising from a data security breach or incident, including forensic audit expenses, fines, penalties, expenses to comply with federal and state laws, payment card industry data security standards (if applicable), or expenses related to notifying affected individuals when the affected individuals personally identifiable customer, financial or medical information was stolen, accessed, downloaded, or misappropriated while in the Insureds care, custody, or control. Y. This bond does not cover under Insuring Agreement A.1., in addition to all of the other exclusions, loss resulting directly or indirectly from the alleged or actual destruction of Property by an Employee. Z. This bond does not cover loss, costs, or expenses the Insured or an Investment Adviser agrees to incur, or incurs on behalf of another person or entity, when the Insured is not legally obligated to incur such loss, costs, or expenses under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other common, case, or tort law, statute, rule, or code anywhere in the world, including any rule or code of any clearing or similar organization; except when covered under Insuring Agreement I.2. AA. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from the dishonest or fraudulent acts of an Employee as to whom the bond has terminated pursuant to Condition R. Cancelation, Termination, Change or Modification, provided, however, that this exclusion does not apply to loss of any Property already in transit in the custody of such Employee at the time the bond terminated or to loss resulting directly from dishonest or fraudulent acts occurring prior to the time the bond terminated. BB. This bond does not cover loss resulting from the unauthorized online Network, Computer System or internet access to a customer account maintained by the Insured, through the use of fraudulently obtained customer login, identification, password, or authentication information, except where such IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 18 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. information has been obtained directly from unauthorized fraudulent access to a secure file containing such information on a Computer System, except when covered under Insuring Agreement I.2. CC. This bond does not cover damages resulting from any civil, criminal, or other legal proceeding in which the Insured or Investment Adviser is adjudicated to have engaged in racketeering activity, except when the Insured establishes that the act or acts giving rise to such damages were committed by an Employee under circumstances that result directly in a loss to the Insured covered by Insuring Agreement A. For purposes of this exclusion, racketeering activity is defined in 18 U.S.C. 1961 et seq., as amended. DD. This bond does not cover any loss resulting directly or indirectly from a Fraudulent Instruction except when covered under Insuring Agreement I.2. EE. This bond does not cover loss or expenses due to liability imposed upon the Insured as a result of the unlawful disclosure of non-public information by the Insured, an Investment Adviser, or any Employee, or as a result of any Employee acting upon such information, whether or not authorized. FF. This bond does not cover loss resulting directly or indirectly from the input of an Electronic Record into a Computer System, either on the premises of a customer of the Insured or under the control of such a customer, by a customer or other person who had authorized access to the customers authentication mechanism. VI. CONDITIONS A. ADDITIONAL COMPANIES INCLUDED AS INSURED If more than one corporation, co-partnership, or person, or any combination of them are included as the Insured herein: 1. the total liability of the Company for loss or losses sustained by any one or more or all of them will not exceed the limit for which the Company would be liable hereunder if all such loss were sustained by any one of them; 2. the Insured first named will be deemed authorized to make, adjust and receive and enforce payment of all claims under the bond and will be deemed to be the agent of the others for such purposes and for the giving or receiving of any notice required or permitted to be given by the terms of this bond, provided however that the Company will furnish each named Insured with a copy of the bond and with any amendment to the bond, together with a copy of each formal filing of claim by any Insured and notification of the terms of any settlement of a claim prior to the execution of such settlement; 3. the Company will not be responsible for the proper application of any payment made hereunder to the first named Insured; and 4. knowledge possessed or discovery made by any partner, officer or supervisory Employee of any Insured will for the purposes of Condition B., Condition H. or Condition R. of this bond constitute knowledge or discovery by all the Insureds. B. DISCOVERY This bond applies to loss discovered by the Insured during the Bond Period. Discovery occurs when an officer or director of the Insured or of an Investment Adviser first becomes aware of facts that would cause a reasonable person to assume that a loss of a type covered by this bond has been or will be incurred, regardless of when the act or acts causing or contributing to such loss occurred, even though the exact amount or details of loss may not then be known. Discovery also occurs when an officer or director of the Insured or an Investment Adviser receives notice of an actual or potential claim in which it is alleged that the Insured is liable to a third party under circumstances that, if true, would constitute a loss under this bond. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 19 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. C. BOND PERIOD Bond Period means the period of one year following the inception date of this bond or any annual anniversary thereof, or if the time between the inception or annual anniversary date and the expiration date of this bond is less than one year, then such lesser period. D. SINGLE LOSS Single Loss means all covered loss, including court costs and attorneys fees incurred by the Company under General Agreement E., resulting from: 1. any one act or series of related acts of burglary, robbery, or attempt thereat, in which no Employee is implicated; 2. any one act or series of related unintentional or negligent acts or omissions on the part of any person (whether an Employee or not) resulting in damage to or destruction or misplacement of Property; 3. all acts or omissions other than those specified in 1. and 2. above, caused by any person (whether an Employee or not) or in which such person is implicated; or 4. any one casualty or event not specified in 1., 2., or 3. above. E. SINGLE LOSS LIMIT OF INSURANCE The Companys liability for each Single Loss will not exceed the applicable Single Loss Limit of Insurance set forth in ITEM 4 of the Declarations. If a Single Loss is covered under more than one Insuring Agreement or Coverage, the Single Loss Limit of Insurance for each applicable Insuring Agreement or Coverage will apply separately to that part of the loss covered under such Insuring Agreement or Coverage, provided that the maximum payable for such Single Loss will not exceed the largest applicable Single Loss Limit of Insurance. F. DEDUCTIBLE The Company is liable hereunder only for the amount by which any Single Loss exceeds the Single Loss Deductible Amount for the Insuring Agreement or Coverage applicable to such loss, subject to the applicable Single Loss Limit of Insurance. If a Single Loss is covered under more than one Coverage within an Insuring Agreement, the Single Loss Deductible Amount set forth in ITEM 4 of the Declarations for each applicable Coverage will apply separately to the part of such Single Loss covered under such Coverage, however the sum of such Single Loss Deductible Amounts for such Single Loss will not exceed the highest applicable Single Loss Deductible Amount for any such Coverage. The Insured will, in the time and in the manner prescribed in this bond, give the Company notice of any loss of the kind covered by the terms of this bond that exceeds 25% of the Single Loss Deductible Amount applicable to such loss, whether or not the Company is liable therefor, and upon the request of the Company will file with it a brief statement giving the particulars concerning such loss. G. NON-ACCUMULATION OF LIMITS The Single Loss Limit of Insurance of the Company is not cumulative in amount from Bond Period to Bond Period, regardless of the number of years this bond is in force, the number of times this bond may be renewed or replaced, or the number of premiums that are payable or paid. H. NOTICE - PROOF OF LOSS - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 1. At the earliest practicable moment not to exceed 90 days after discovery of loss, the Insured or Investment Adviser must give the Company notice thereof. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 20 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. 2. Within six months after such discovery, the Insured or Investment Adviser must furnish to the Company proof of loss, duly sworn to, with full particulars. 3. Lost Certificated Securities listed in a proof of loss will be identified by certificate or bond numbers if such securities were issued therewith. 4. Legal proceedings for the recovery of any loss hereunder will not be brought prior to the expiration of 60 days after the original proof of loss is filed with the Company or after the expiration of 24 months from the discovery of such loss, except that any action or proceeding to recover hereunder on account of any judgment against the Insured in any suit mentioned in General Agreement E., or to recover attorneys fees paid in any such suit, will be brought within 24 months from the date upon which the judgment and such suit will become final. 5. If any limitation embodied in this bond is prohibited by any law controlling the construction hereof, such limitation will be deemed to be amended so as to equal the minimum period of limitation provided by such law. 6. This bond is for the use and benefit only of the Insured, and the Company will not be liable hereunder for loss sustained by anyone other than the Insured. No suit, action or legal proceedings will be brought hereunder by anyone other than the Insured. I. VALUATION 1. Money Any loss of Money, or loss payable in Money, will be paid, at the option of the Insured, in the Money of the country in which the loss was sustained or in the U.S. dollar equivalent thereof determined at the rate of exchange at the time of payment of such loss. 2. Securities The Company will settle in kind its liability under this bond on account of a loss of any securities or, at the option of the Insured, will pay to the Insured the cost of replacing such securities, determined by their highest quoted market value at any time between the business day next preceding the discovery of the loss and the day that the loss is settled. In case of a loss of subscription, conversion or redemption privileges through the misplacement or loss of securities, the amount of such loss will be the value of such privileges immediately preceding the expiration thereof. If such securities cannot be replaced or have no quoted market value, or if such privileges have no quoted market value, their value will be determined by agreement or, at the option of the Insured, arbitration. If the applicable coverage of this bond is subject to a Single Loss Deductible Amount or is not sufficient in amount to indemnify the Insured in full for the loss of securities for which claim is made hereunder, the liability of the Company under this bond is limited to the payment for, or the duplication of, so much of such securities as has a value equal to the amount of such applicable coverage. If, at the instance of the Company, the Insured or any customer of the Insured becomes principal upon any bonds, or gives any undertakings, required as a prerequisite to the reissuing or duplicating of any securities for the loss of which the Company is liable under this bond, the Company will become surety upon such bonds or undertakings without premium charge and will indemnify the Insured or such customer against any loss that the Insured or such customer may sustain by reason of having become principal upon any such bonds or having given any such undertakings. The amount of indemnity under this paragraph will not exceed the amount stated in ITEM 4 of the Declarations for the applicable Insuring Agreement. 3. Books of Account and Other Records In case of loss of, or damage to, any books of account or other records used by the Insured in its business, the Company will be liable under this bond only if such books or records are actually reproduced and then for not more than the cost of the blank books, blank pages or other IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 21 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. materials plus the cost of labor for the actual transcription or copying of data that have been furnished by the Insured in order to reproduce such books and other records. 4. Property other than Money, Securities, Books of Account or Other Records In case of loss of, or damage to, any Property other than Money, securities, books of account or other records, except damage covered under Insuring Agreement B.2. or B.3., the Company will not be liable for more than the actual cash value of such Property. The Company may, at its election, pay the actual cash value of, repair or replace such Property. With respect to damage of Property covered under Insuring Agreement B.2., the Company will be liable for the full cost of repair or replacement of such Property, without deduction for depreciation. Disagreement between the Company and the Insured as to the cash value, replacement value or as to the adequacy of repair or replacement will be resolved by agreement or, at the option of the Insured, arbitration. J. ASSIGNMENT In the event of payment under this bond, the Insured or Investment Adviser will deliver, if so requested by the Company, an assignment of such of the Insureds rights, title and interest and causes of action as it has against any person or entity to the extent of the loss payment. K. SUBROGATION In the event of payment under this bond, the Company will be subrogated to all of the Insureds rights of recovery therefor against any person or entity to the extent of such payment. If the rules of a Depository provide that the Insured will be assessed for a portion of any judgment (or agreed settlement) taken by the Company based upon the assignment set forth in Condition J. above and the Insured actually pays such assessment, the Company will reimburse the Insured for the amount of the assessment. However, such reimbursement will not exceed the amount of the loss payment by the Company. L. RECOVERIES 1. All recoveries, whether effected by the Company or by the Insured will be applied, after first deducting the costs and expenses incurred in obtaining such recovery, in the following order of priority: a. first, to the Insured to reimburse the Insured for loss sustained that would have been paid under this bond but for the fact that such loss is in excess of the Single Loss Limit of Insurance, provided however, such loss does not include claim expense payments made by the Insured in excess of the Single Loss Limit of Insurance of Insuring Agreement G and such payments will not be deemed excess for purposes of establishing order of priority; b. second, to the Company in satisfaction of amounts paid or to be paid to the Insured in settlement of the Insureds claim; c. third, to the Insured in satisfaction of any Single Loss Deductible Amount; and d. fourth, to the Insured in satisfaction of any loss not covered under this bond. 2. Recovery on account of loss of securities as set forth in Condition I.2., or recovery from reinsurance or indemnity of the Company, will not be deemed a recovery as used herein. In determining the amount of any loss covered under this bond, all Money received by the Insured from any source whatsoever in connection with any matter from which a loss has arisen, including payments and receipts of principal, interest, dividends, commission, and the like, received prior to a loss settlement under this bond, will be deducted from the amount actually paid out, advanced, withdrawn, taken or otherwise lost or stolen. The value of all property received by the Insured from any source whatever and IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 22 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. whenever received, in connection with any matter from which a loss has arisen, will be valued as of the date received and will likewise be deducted from the claimed loss. M. COOPERATION Upon the Companys request, and at reasonable times and places designated by the Company, the Insured will: 1. submit to examination by the Company and subscribe to the same under oath; 2. produce for the Companys examination all pertinent records; and 3. cooperate with the Company in all matters pertaining to the loss. The Insured will execute all papers and render assistance to secure to the Company the rights and causes of action provided for herein. The Insured will do nothing after discovery of loss to prejudice such rights or causes of action and must do everything reasonably necessary to secure those rights and causes of action. If any Insuring Agreement requires that an enumerated type of document be altered or Counterfeit, or contain a signature that is a Forgery, or that it be obtained through trick, artifice, fraud or false pretenses, the alteration, Counterfeit, or signature must be on or of the enumerated document itself, not on or of some other document submitted with, accompanying, or incorporated by reference into, the enumerated document. O. LIMIT OF INSURANCE UNDER THIS BOND AND PRIOR INSURANCE With respect to any Single Loss that is recoverable or recovered in whole or in part under any other bonds or policies issued by the Company to the Insured or to any predecessor in interest of the Insured and canceled or terminated or allowed to expire and in which the period for discovery has not expired at the time any such loss thereunder is discovered, the total liability of the Company under this bond and under such other bonds or policies will not exceed, in the aggregate, the amount carried hereunder on such loss or the amount available to the Insured under such other bonds or policies, as limited by the terms and conditions thereof, for any such loss if the latter amount be the larger. If the coverage of this bond supersedes in whole or in part the coverage of any other bond or policy of insurance issued by an insurer other than the Company and canceled, terminated or allowed to expire, the Company, with respect to any loss sustained prior to such cancelation, termination or expiration and discovered within the period permitted under such other bond or policy for the discovery of loss thereunder, will be liable under this bond only for that part of such loss covered by this bond as is in excess of the amount recoverable or recovered on account of such loss under such other bond or policy, anything to the contrary in such other bond or policy notwithstanding. P. OTHER INSURANCE OR INDEMNITY Coverage afforded hereunder applies only as excess over any valid and collectible insurance or indemnity obtained by: 1. the Insured; 2. anyone other than the Insured; 3. a Transportation Company; 4. another entity on whose premises the loss occurred or that employed the person causing the loss; or 5. the messenger conveying the Property involved. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 23 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Q. COVERED PROPERTY This bond applies to loss of Property: 1. that is owned by the Insured; 2. that is held by the Insured in any capacity; or 3. for which the Insured is responsible, prior to or at the time of the occurrence of the loss. This bond is for the sole use and benefit of the Insured. R. CANCELATION, TERMINATION, CHANGE, OR MODIFICATION 1. Cancelation a. This bond is canceled in its entirety immediately upon receipt by the Company of a Written notice from the Insured or an Investment Adviser of its desire to cancel this bond, provided the Insured or Investment Adviser has provided at least 60 days advance Written notice to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Company will notify all other Insureds of the receipt of such a cancelation request from the Insured or Investment Adviser, however the cancelation will not be effective until 60 days after receipt of Written notice by all other Insureds. b. This bond is canceled in its entirety 60 days after the receipt by each Insured and the SEC, of a Written notice from the Company of its desire to cancel this bond. c. Coverage is canceled as to any Employee, or as to any partner, officer, or employee of any Electronic Data Processor 60 days after the receipt by the Insured and the SEC, of a written notice from the Company of its desire to cancel coverage under this bond as to such person. 2. Termination a. This bond terminates in its entirety immediately upon the Expiration Date set forth in ITEM 2 of the Declarations. b. This bond terminates as to any Insured: (1) immediately upon the surrender of such Insureds charter to any governmental authority; or (2) immediately upon the taking over of such Insured by a receiver or other liquidator or by any State or Federal official, whichever occurs first. Termination of the bond as to any Insured terminates liability for any loss sustained by such Insured that is discovered after the effective date of such termination. c. Coverage terminates as to any Employee, or as to any partner, officer, or employee of any Electronic Data Processor: (1) as soon as any Director or Officer or Insured not in collusion with such person, learns of any dishonest or fraudulent employment related act, including Larceny or Embezzlement; or (2) 60 days after any director or officer of the Insured not in collusion with such person, learns of any dishonest or fraudulent non-employment related act, IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 24 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. including Larceny or Embezzlement, that resulted in a loss of Property in excess of $25,000, either of which were committed by such person at any time, whether in the employment of the Insured or otherwise, whether or not of the type covered under Insuring Agreement A, against the Insured or any other person or entity, without prejudice to the loss of any Property then in transit in the custody of such person. However, termination of coverage as to any Employee as set forth in c.(1) and c.(2) of the preceding paragraph, will not apply to any such person provided the Insured has received and retains an original letter signed by a prior insurer reinstating coverage for such individual for whom the Insured discovered had committed a dishonest or fraudulent act prior to the effective date of this bond. 3. Change or Modification This bond or any instrument amending or affecting this bond may not be changed or modified orally. No changes in or modification of this bond will be effective unless made by Written endorsement issued to form a part of this bond and including the signature of the Companys Authorized Representative. When a bond covers only one Insured no change or modification that would adversely affect the rights of the Insured will be effective prior to 60 days after Written notification has been furnished to the SEC by the Insured, Investment Adviser or the Company. If more than one Insured is named under this bond, the Company will give Written notice to each Insured and to the SEC not less than 60 days prior to the effective date of any change or modification that would adversely affect the rights of such Insured. S. DISCOVERY PERIOD At any time prior to the cancelation or termination of this bond in its entirety, whether by the Insured, an Investment Adviser, or the Company, the Insured or an Investment Adviser may give to the Company written notice that it desires under this bond an additional period of 12 months within which to discover loss sustained by the Insured prior to the effective date of such cancelation or termination and will pay an additional premium therefor. Upon receipt of such notice from the Insured or an Investment Adviser, the Company will give its written consent thereto; provided, that such additional period of time terminates immediately: 1. on the effective date of any other insurance obtained by the Insured, its successor in business or any other party, replacing in whole or in part the insurance afforded by this bond, whether or not such other insurance provides coverage for loss sustained prior to its effective date; or 2. upon any takeover of the Insureds business by any state or federal official or agency, or by any receiver or liquidator acting or appointed for this purpose, whichever occurs first, and without the necessity of the Company giving notice of such termination. In the event that such additional period of time is terminated, as provided above, the Company will refund on a pro-rata basis, any unearned premium. The right to purchase such additional period for the discovery of loss may not be exercised by any state or federal official or agency, or by any receiver or liquidator, acting or appointed to take over the Insureds business for the operation or for the liquidation thereof or for any other purpose. The Companys total liability for any loss discovered during such additional period of time is part of, and not in addition to, the Single Loss Limit of Insurance of the Bond Period that terminates immediately preceding the effective date of such additional period. T. HEADINGS The titles of the various paragraphs of this bond and its endorsements are inserted solely for convenience or reference and are not to be deemed in any way to limit, expand or affect the provision to which they relate. IVBB-16001 Ed. 01-16 Page 25 of 25 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SOCIAL ENGINEERING FRAUD INSURING AGREEMENT ENDORSEMENT This endorsement changes the following: Investment Company Bond It is agreed that: 1. The following is added to ITEM 4. of the DECLARATIONS: Insuring Agreement Single Loss Limit of Insurance Single Loss Deductible Amount Social Engineering Fraud $250,000 $25,000 2. The following is added to the DECLARATIONS: Aggregate Limit of Insurance Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement $250,000 3. The following INSURING AGREEMENT is added to section II. INSURING AGREEMENTS: SOCIAL ENGINEERING FRAUD Loss resulting directly from the Insured having, in good faith, caused a transfer of funds from its own account as a result of Social Engineering Fraud, provided that the Insured performed a Transfer Verification prior to transferring such funds. Such Transfer Verification must be recorded, logged, or otherwise documented by the Insured. 4. Solely with respect to the Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement, part 3 of section IV. DEFINITIONS, R., Employee is deleted. 5. Solely with respect to the Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement, the following replaces the last paragraph of IV. DEFINITIONS, R. Employee: Employee does not mean any agent, broker, factor, commission merchant, consignee, independent contractor, attorney retained by the Insured or any employee of such attorney, or representative or other person of the same general character not specified above. 6. The following are added to section IV. DEFINITIONS: Client means an entity or natural person for which the Insured performs services as specified in a written agreement, but only while the written agreement is in effect. Social Engineering Fraud means the intentional misleading of an Employee through the use of an electronic, telegraphic, cable, teletype, telephone, or written instruction received by such Employee that: 1. purports to be from: a. a Vendor; b. a Client; or Issuing Company: Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Policy Number: 106750424 IVBB-19002 Ed. 01-16 Page 1 of 3 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. c. an Employee, but was in fact transmitted by someone other than such Vendor, Client, or Employee, and without the knowledge or consent of such Vendor, Client, or Employee; 2. directs the Employee to transfer, pay, or deliver funds, or to change the method, destination or account for payments to such Vendor, Client, or Employee; 3. contains a misrepresentation of a material fact; and 4. is reasonably relied upon by the Employee, believing the material fact to be true. Transfer Verification means a verbal conversation with the purported Vendor, Client, or Employee, using a Verification Method, to verify the identity of the Vendor, Client, or Employee and the authenticity of a funds transfer request or a request to change the method, destination or account for future payments. Vendor means an entity or natural person that has provided goods or services to the Insured under a genuine, pre-existing written agreement. Verification Method means: 1. with respect to a Vendor or Client, calling a telephone number that: a. was provided by the Vendor or Client when the written agreement was first established with the Insured; b. replaced a telephone number previously provided by the Vendor or Client, provided that confirmation of the legitimacy of the change was achieved through verbal contact with the Vendor or Client at the previously provided telephone number; c. replaced a telephone number previously provided by the Vendor or Client and was received by the Insured at least 30 days prior to the occurrence of the Social Engineering Fraud; or d. was provided in person by the Vendor or Client while the Vendor or Client was physically present on the Insureds premises; 2. with respect to an Employee, calling a telephone number obtained on a published or electronic company directory maintained by the Insured, or having an in-person conversation with the Employee. 7. The following is added to section VI. CONDITIONS, E.: AGGREGATE LIMIT OF INSURANCE SOCIAL ENGINEERING FRAUD INSURING AGREEMENT The Companys total liability under the Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement for all loss discovered during any one Bond Period, regardless of when paid, will not exceed the Aggregate Limit of Insurance - Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement as set forth above. Such Aggregate Limit of Insurance for a Bond Period will be reduced, and may be exhausted, by the amount of any payment under the Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement for any loss discovered during that Bond Period. The reduced Aggregate Limit of Insurance will then become the Aggregate Limit of Insurance Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement. Upon exhaustion of such Aggregate Limit of Insurance by any such payment: a. the Company will have no further liability under the Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement for any loss discovered during that Bond Period, whether or not previously reported to the Company; and IVBB-19002 Ed. 01-16 Page 2 of 3 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. b. upon notice by the Company to the Insured that such Aggregate Limit of Insurance has been exhausted, the Company will have no further obligation for payment or indemnification of court costs and attorneys fees as set forth in General Agreement E., with respect to any loss, claim or damage under the Social Engineering Fraud Insuring Agreement, whether or not the Company has elected to defend any action thereunder. The Aggregate Limit of Insurance for any Bond Period will be reinstated by the amount of any applicable cash or ultimate cash equivalent recovery made by the Company and applied in accordance with Conditions J., K. and L. The Aggregate Limit of Insurance for any Bond Period will not, however, be increased or reinstated by any remaining portion of any Aggregate Limit of Insurance from any previous Bond Period. The amount of any cash or ultimate cash equivalent recovery as set forth in the preceding paragraph will be net of any and all expenses incurred by the Company in effecting such recovery and will only serve to reinstate the applicable Aggregate Limit of Insurance for the Bond Period in which the loss was discovered. In the event that loss of Property is settled by the Company through the use of a lost instrument bond, such loss will not reduce any Aggregate Limit of Insurance. Nothing herein contained shall be held to vary, alter, waive, or extend any of the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of the above-mentioned policy, except as expressly stated herein. This endorsement is part of such policy and incorporated therein. IVBB-19002 Ed. 01-16 Page 3 of 3 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. NOTIFICATION ENDORSEMENT This endorsement changes the following: Investment Company Bond It is agreed that: The following is added to VI. CONDITIONS, R. CANCELATION, TERMINATION, CHANGE, OR MODIFICATION: In the event this bond is canceled, terminated, reduced, non-renewed or restrictively modified by the Company, the Company will endeavor to give 60 days advance notice to the party listed below, but failure to do so will not impair or delay the effectiveness of any such cancelation, termination, reduction, nonrenewal, or restrictive modification, nor will the Company be held liable in any way for such failure. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Nothing herein contained shall be held to vary, alter, waive, or extend any of the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of the above-mentioned policy, except as expressly stated herein. This endorsement is part of such policy and incorporated therein. Issuing Company: Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Policy Number: 106750424 IVBB-19021 Ed. 01-16 Page 1 of 1 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. ADD OR DELETE INSUREDS ENDORSEMENT This endorsement changes the following: Investment Company Bond It is agreed that: The following amendments are made to ITEM 1 of the Declarations: 1. The following entities are deleted from the list of Insureds: 2. The following entities are added to the list of Insureds: Wasatch Core Growth Fund Wasatch International Growth Fund Wasatch International Opportunities Fund Wasatch Micro Cap Fund Wasatch Micro Cap Value Fund Wasatch Small Cap Growth Fund Wastach Small Cap Value Fund Wasatch Ultra Growth Fund Wasatch-Hoisington U.S. Treasury Fund Wasatch Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund Wasatch Emerging Markets Select Fund Wasatch Emerging India Fund Wasatch Global Opportunities Fund Wasatch Frontier Emerging Small Countries Fund Wasatch Global Value Fund WA Holdings, Inc. Wasatch Advisors, Inc. d/b/a Wasatch Global Investors Wasatch Funds Trust (f/k/a Wasatch Funds, Inc.) Wasatch Global Select Fund Wasatch International Select Fund Wasatch Greater China Fund Wasatch Long/Short Alpha Fund Wasatch US Select Fund Nothing herein contained shall be held to vary, alter, waive, or extend any of the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of the above-mentioned policy, except as expressly stated herein. This endorsement is part of such policy and incorporated therein. Issuing Company: Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Policy Number: 106750424 IVBB-19005 Ed. 01-16 Page 1 of 1 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. UNAUTHORIZED SIGNATURE ENDORSEMENT This endorsement changes the following: Investment Company Bond It is agreed that: 1. The following is added to section II. INSURING AGREEMENTS, D. FORGERY OR ALTERATION: Loss resulting from the Insured accepting, paying, or cashing any Negotiable Instrument or Withdrawal Order made or drawn on a customers account, which bears an unauthorized signature or an unauthorized endorsement, provided that the Insured has on file the signatures of all persons authorized to sign or endorse such Negotiable Instrument or Withdrawal Order. 2. The following replaces section VI. CONDITIONS, N. ANTI-BUNDLING: N. ANTI-BUNDLING If any Insuring Agreement requires that an enumerated type of document be altered or Counterfeit, or contain a signature or endorsement which is a Forgery or which is unauthorized, or that it be obtained through trick, artifice, fraud, or false pretenses, such alteration, Counterfeit, signature, or endorsement must be on or of the enumerated document itself, not on or of some other document submitted with, accompanying, or incorporated by reference into, the enumerated document. Nothing herein contained shall be held to vary, alter, waive, or extend any of the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of the above-mentioned policy, except as expressly stated herein. This endorsement is part of such policy and incorporated therein. Issuing Company: Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Policy Number: 106750424 IVBB-19010 Ed. 01-16 Page 1 of 1 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE BOND. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. NEWLY CREATED INVESTMENT FUNDS OR PORTFOLIOS ENDORSEMENT This endorsement changes the following: Investment Company Bond It is agreed that: 1. The following replaces section III. GENERAL AGREEMENTS, A.: A. ORGANIC GROWTH This bond will include coverage for any Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolio, provided the Insured or the Investment Adviser submits to the Company, following the end of each Bond Period, a list of all Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolios created and offered during such Bond Period, including the estimated assets of each Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolio and copies of any prospectuses and statements of additional information relating to such Newly Created Investment Funds or Portfolio, unless such prospectuses and statements of additional information have been previously submitted to the Company. Following the end of each Policy Period, any Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolio created during such Policy Period will continue to be insured only if: 1. the Company is notified as set forth in this General Agreement; 2. the information required by this General Agreement has been provided to the Company; and 3. the Company acknowledges the addition of such Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolio by Written endorsement issued to and forming a part of this bond. 2. The following is added to section IV. DEFINITIONS: Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolio means any new fund or portfolio created and offered by an Insured or Investment Adviser and for which registration with the SEC has been declared. Newly Created Investment Fund or Portfolio does not include any fund or portfolio that was part of any consolidation, merger, purchase, or acquisition as described in section III. GENERAL AGREEMENTS, B. Nothing herein contained shall be held to vary, alter, waive, or extend any of the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of the above-mentioned bond, except as expressly stated herein. This endorsement is part of such bond and incorporated therein. Issuing Company: Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Bond Number: 106750424 IVBB-10004 Ed. 09-16 Page 1 of 1 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE BOND. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEMS ENDORSEMENT This endorsement changes the following: Investment Company Bond It is agreed that: 1. The following is added to ITEM 4. of the Declarations INSURING AGREEMENT SINGLE LOSS LIMIT OF INSURANCE SINGLE LOSS DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNT AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEMS $2,500,000 $25,000 2. The following is added to section II. INSURING AGREEMENTS: AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEMS (APS) Loss caused directly by an APS Transaction, where the request for such APS Transaction is unauthorized or fraudulent and is made with the manifest intent to deceive the Insured; provided that the entity that receives such request generally maintains and follows during the Bond Period all APS Designated Procedures with respect to APS Transactions. The isolated failure of such entity to maintain and follow a particular APS Designated Procedure in a particular instance will not preclude coverage under this Insuring Agreement. 2. The following are added to section IV. DEFINITIONS: APS or Automated Phone System means an automated system that receives and converts to executable instructions (1) transmissions by voice over the telephone, or (2) transmissions over the telephone through use of a touch-tone keypad or other tone system; but does not include transmissions from a Computer System or part thereof. APS Designated Procedures means the following procedures: 1. Logging: All APS Transaction requests must be logged or otherwise recorded so as to preserve all of the information necessary to effect the requested APS Transaction transmitted in the course of such a request, and the records must be retained for at least six months. Information contained in the records must be capable of being retrieved and produced within a reasonable time after retrieval of specific information is requested, at a success rate of no less than 85 percent. 2. Identity Test: The identity of the caller in any request for an APS Transaction must be tested before executing that APS Transaction by requiring the entry by the caller of an identification number consisting of at least four digits or characters. 3. Contemporaneous Confirmation: All information in each request for an APS Transaction that is necessary to effect such APS Transaction must be contemporaneously repeated to the caller, and no such APS Transaction will be executed unless the caller has confirmed the accuracy of such information. 4. Written Confirmation: A written confirmation of each APS Transaction must be sent to the shareholders to whose account such APS Transaction relates, at the record address, by the end of the Insureds next regular processing cycle, but no later than five business days following such APS Transaction. 5. Access to APS Equipment: Physical access to APS Equipment must be limited to duly authorized personnel. Issuing Company: Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America Bond Number: 106750424 IVBB-10010 Ed. 11-16 Page 1 of 2 2016 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. APS Election means any election concerning dividend options available to the Insureds shareholders that is requested through an Automated Phone System. APS Exchange means any exchange of shares in a registered account of one Insured into shares in an identically registered account of another Insured in the same complex pursuant to exchange privileges of the two Insureds, which exchange is requested through an Automated Phone System. APS Purchase means any purchase of shares issued by an Investment Advisor that is requested through an Automated Phone System. APS Redemption means any redemption of shares issued by an Investment Advisor that is requested through an Automated Phone System. APS Transaction means any APS Redemption, APS Election, APS Exchange, or APS Purchase. Officially Designated means designated in writing signed by a shareholder of record of an Insured, either in such shareholders initial application for the purchase of an Insureds shares, with or without a Signature Guarantee, or in another document with a Signature Guarantee. Signature Guarantee means a Written guarantee of a signature that is made by a Financial Institution whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or by a broker that is a member of any national securities exchange registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 3. Solely with respect to the Automated Phone Systems Insuring Agreement, the following are added to section V. EXCLUSIONS: This bond does not cover: a. Any loss covered under any other Insuring Agreement of this bond: b. Any loss resulting directly or indirectly from: (1) Any APS Redemption, where the proceeds of such redemption were requested to be paid or made payable to other than (a) the shareholder of record, or (b) a person Officially Designated to receive redemption proceeds, or (c) a bank account Officially Designated to receive redemption proceeds; (2) Any APS Redemption of an Insureds shares that had been improperly credited to a shareholders account, where such shareholder (a) did not cau It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box): As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 15, 2023 If you have any questions regarding this Supplement, please contact your financial professional or us toll free at 800-265-1545. Please keep this Supplement for future reference. The following table is added to the Monthly Administrative Fees section: Monthly Administrative Fees. We deduct a monthly administrative charge from your Policy Value to compensate us for issue and administrative costs. The monthly administrative charge is $8 per month. We also deduct a monthly administrative charge for the Initial Face Amount which is equal to a fee per $1,000 of Initial Face Amount per month for the first 10 Policy Years. The actual fee varies depending on the Insureds Issue Age, sex and rate classification, Face Amount (for Policies with an application signed on or after November 20, 2023) and is set forth in your Policy. Representative administrative charges per $1,000 of Initial Face Amount for an Insured male non-tobacco at each specified Issue Age, and a Face Amount of $100,000 are set forth below: Effective November 20, 2023, the first paragraph of Monthly Administration Fees is deleted and replaced with the following: Cost of Insurance Rates . The cost of insurance rate for a Policy is based on and varies with the Issue Age, sex and rate class of the Insured, Face Amount (for Policies with an application signed on or after November 20, 2023), and on the number of years that a Policy has been in force. Protective Life places Insureds in the following rate classes, based on underwriting: Juvenile (ages 0-17), Preferred (ages 18-80) or Nontobacco (ages 18-80), or Select Preferred (ages 18-75), or Tobacco (ages 18-80), and substandard rate classes, which involve a higher mortality risk than these classes. Protective Life guarantees that the cost of insurance rates used to calculate the monthly cost of insurance charge will not exceed the maximum cost of insurance rates set forth in the Policies. The guaranteed rates for standard classes are based on the 2017 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Tables, Male or Female, Smoker or Nonsmoker Mortality Rates, and composite for Juvenile (ages 0-17) (2017 CSO Tables). The guaranteed rates for substandard classes are based on multiples of, or additions to, the 2017 CSO Tables. Effective November 20, 2023, the first paragraph of the Cost of Insurance Rates is deleted and replaced with the following: The CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS section is amended as follows: Administrative Charge (for Policies with an application signed on or after November 20, 2023): (3) Cost of Insurance (for Policies with an application signed on or after November 20, 2023): (1)(2) The Cost of Insurance and Administrative Charge sections in the FEE TABLE Periodic Charges Other Than Fund Operating Expenses section is amended to include the following: The purpose of this supplement is to make certain current fee changes that only apply to Policies with an application signed on or after November 20, 2023. This Supplement amends certain information in your variable universal life policy Prospectus. Please read this Supplement carefully and keep it with your Prospectus for future reference. C-3 C-7 Item 31. Directors and Officers of the Depositor Name and Principal Business Address* Position and Offices with Depositor Adams, D. Scott Executive Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Strategy & Innovation Banerjee Choudhury, Shiladitya (Deep) Senior Vice President, and Treasurer Bartlett, Malcolm Lee Senior Vice President, Corporate Tax Bielen, Richard J. Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director Black, Lance P. Executive Vice President, Acquisitions and Corporate Development Cox, Kathryn S. Senior Vice President, and President, Protection Division Cramer, Steve Senior Vice President, and Chief Product Officer Creutzmann, Scott E. Senior Vice President, and Chief Compliance Officer Drew, Mark L. Executive Vice President, and Chief Legal Officer Evesque, Wendy L. Executive Vice President, and Chief Human Resources Officer Harrison, Wade V. Executive Vice President, and Chief Retail Officer Herring, Derry W Senior Vice President, and Chief Auditor Karchunas, M. Scott Senior Vice President, and President, Asset Protection Division Kohler, Matthew Senior Vice President, and Chief Information Officer Kurtz, Richard J. Senior Vice President, and Chief Distribution Officer Laeyendecker, Ronald Senior Vice President, Executive Benefit Markets Lawrence, Mary Pat Senior Vice President, Government Affairs Lee, Felicia M. Secretary, Vice President, and Senior Counsel McDonald, Laura Y. Senior Vice President, and Chief Mortgage and Real Estate Officer Passafiume, Philip E. Executive Vice President, and Chief Investment Officer Peeler, Rachelle R. Senior Vice President, and Senior Human Resources Partner Perry, David A. Senior Vice President, and Chief Executive Officer, Concourse Financial Group Pugh, Barbara N. Senior Vice President, and Chief Accounting Officer Radnoti, Francis L. Senior Vice President, Chief Product Officer, and Designated Illustration Actuary Rahman, Pooja T. Senior Vice President, and Chief Risk Officer Ray, Webster M. Senior Vice President, Investments Riebel, Matthew A. Senior Vice President, and Chief Distribution Officer Seurkamp, Aaron C. Senior Vice President, and President, Retirement Division Wagner, James Senior Vice President, and Chief Distribution Officer Wahlheim, Cary T. Senior Vice President, and Senior Counsel Walker, Steven G. Vice Chairman, Finance and Risk, and Director Wells, Paul R. Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Director Whitcomb, John Senior Vice President, Retirement Operations and Strategic Planning Williams, Doyle J. Senior Vice President, and Chief Marketing Officer Williams, Lucinda S. Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer * Unless otherwise indicated, principal business address is 2801 Highway 280 South, Birmingham, Alabama 35223 C-8 Item 32. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With the Depositor or Registrant The registrant is a segregated asset account of the Company and is therefore owned and controlled by the Company. All of the Companys outstanding voting common stock is owned by Protective Life Corporation, a subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc. Protective Life Corporation is described more fully in the prospectus included in this registration statement. For more information regarding the company structure of Protective Life Corporation and Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc., please refer to the organizational chart incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Form N-4 Registration Statement (File No. 333-261426), filed with the Commission on August 7, 2023. Item 33. Indemnification Article XI of the By-laws of Protective Life provides, in substance, that any of Protective Lifes directors and officers, who is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any action, suit or proceeding, other than an action by or in the right of Protective Life, by reason of the fact that he is or was an officer or director, shall be indemnified by Protective Life against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such claim, action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of Protective Life and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. If the claim, action or suit is or was by or in the right of Protective Life to procure a judgment in its favor, such person shall be indemnified by Protective Life against expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of Protective Life, except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to Protective Life unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which such court shall deem proper. To the extent that a director or officer has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any such action, suit or proceeding, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified by Protective Life against expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith, not withstanding that he has not been successful on any other claim issue or matter in any such action, suit or proceeding. Unless ordered by a court, indemnification shall be made by Protective Life only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the officer or director is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct. Such determination shall be made (a) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to, or who have been successful on the merits or otherwise with respect to, such claim action, suit or proceeding, or (b) if such a quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or (c) by the shareholders. In addition, the executive officers and directors are insured by PLCs Directors and Officers Liability Insurance Policy including Company Reimbursement and are indemnified by a written contract with PLC which supplements such coverage. Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. C-9 Item 34. Principal Underwriters (a) Investment Distributors, Inc. (IDI) is the principal underwriter of the Contracts as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. IDI is also principal underwriter for the Protective Variable Annuity Separate Account, PLICO Variable Annuity Account S, Protective COLI VUL, Protective COLI PPVUL, Variable Annuity Separate Account A of Protective Life, PLAIC Variable Annuity Account S, and Protective NY COLI VUL. The principal underwriter, IDI, is also currently distributing units of interest in the following separate accounts: Variable Annuity-1 Series Account, Variable Annuity-1 Series Account of Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York, Variable Annuity-2 Series Account, Variable Annuity-2 Series Account [New York], Variable Annuity-3 Series Account, COLI VUL-2 Series Account, COLI VUL-2 Series Account of Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York, COLI VUL-4 Series Account of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, Maxim Series Account of Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, Prestige Variable Life Account, Pinnacle Series Account of Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, Trillium Variable Annuity Account. (b) The following information is furnished with respect to the officers and directors of IDI Name and Principal Business Address* Position and Offices Position and Offices with Registrant Coffman, Benjamin P. Assistant Financial Officer Senior Director Financial Reporting Creutzmann, Scott E. Director Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Gilmer, Joseph F. Assistant Financial Officer Senior Analyst Financial Reporting Guerrera, Darren C. Chief Financial Officer Vice President Hicks, Victoria Ann Senior Supervisory Principal Senior Supervisory Principal Johnson, Julena G. Assistant Compliance Officer Director Regulatory Lee, Felicia M. Secretary Secretary, Vice President, and Senior Counsel Lippeatt, Jason H. Supervisory Principal Supervisory Principal McCreless, Kevin L. Chief Compliance Officer Senior Director Regulatory Morsch, Letitia A. Assistant Secretary, and Director Vice President, Head of Retail Retirement Operations Reed, Alisha D. Director Vice President, Head of Marketing Strategy Richards, Megan P. Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary Tennent, Rayburn Assistant Financial Officer Senior Analyst Financial Reporting Wagner, James President and Director Senior Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer * Unless otherwise indicated, principal business address is 2801 Highway 280 South, Birmingham, Alabama, 35223. (c) The following commissions were received by each principal underwriter, directly or indirectly, from the Registrant during the Registrants last fiscal year: (1) Name of Principal Underwriter (2) Net Underwriting Discounts (3) Compensation on Redemption (4) Brokerage Commissions (5) Other Compensation Investment Distributors, Inc. N/A None N/A N/A Item 35. Location of Accounts and Records. All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules thereunder are maintained by Protective Life Insurance Company at 2801 Highway 280 South, Birmingham, Alabama 35223. Item 36. Management Services. All management contracts are discussed in the Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. Item 37. Fee Representation. Protective Life Insurance Company represents that the fees and charges deducted under the Contract, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by Protective Life Insurance Company. C-10 Item 4. Purpose of the Transaction The 976,071 shares of Class A Common Stock and 6,343,357 shares of Class B Common Stock were purchased for Mr. Shepards own account for the purpose of holding such shares as a personal investment. The Reporting Person intends to review his investment in the Issuer on an ongoing basis and, in the course of his review, may take actions (including through his affiliates) with respect to his investment or the Issuer, including communicating with the Board, members of management or other securityholders of the Issuer, or other third parties from time to time, taking steps to implement a course of action, including, without limitation, engaging advisors, including legal, financial, regulatory, technical and/or industry advisors, to assist in any review, and evaluating strategic alternatives as they may become available. Such discussions and other actions may relate to, subject to the terms and conditions of the documents described herein to which the Reporting Person is a party, various alternative courses of action, including, without limitation, those related to an extraordinary corporate transaction (including, but not limited to a merger, reorganization or liquidation) involving the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, including with a person in which a Reporting Person has an interest; business combinations involving the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, a sale or transfer of a material amount of assets of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries; material asset purchases; the acquisition by any person of additional securities of the Issuer, or the disposition of securities of the Issuer (which may include distributions to limited partners and transfers to affiliates); subsequent offerings; the formation of joint ventures with the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or the entry into other material projects; changes in the present business, operations, strategy, future plans or prospects of the Issuer, financial or governance matters; changes to the Board (including board composition) or management of the Issuer; acting as a participant in debt financings of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, changes to the capitalization, ownership structure, dividend policy, business or corporate structure or governance documents of the Issuer; de-listing or de-registration of the Issuers securities, or any action similar to those enumerated above. Such discussions and actions may be preliminary and exploratory in nature, and not rise to the level of a plan or proposal. Subject to the terms and conditions of the documents described herein to which the Reporting Person is a party, the Reporting Person or his affiliates may seek to acquire securities of the Issuer, including capital stock and/or other equity, debt, notes or other financial instruments related to the Issuer or the capital stock (which may include rights or securities exercisable or convertible into securities of the Issuer), and/or sell or otherwise dispose of some or all of such Issuer securities or financial instruments from time to time, in each case, in open market or private transactions, block sales or otherwise. Any transaction that the Reporting Person or his affiliates may pursue, subject to the terms and conditions of the documents described herein to which the Reporting Person is a party, may be made at any time and from time to time without prior notice and will depend on a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the price and availability of the Issuers securities or other financial instruments, the Reporting Persons or his affiliates trading and investment strategies, subsequent developments affecting the Issuer, the Issuers business and the Issuers prospects, other investment and business opportunities available to the Reporting Person and his affiliates, general industry and economic conditions, the securities markets in general, tax considerations and other factors deemed relevant by the Reporting Person and his affiliates. Except as described in this Schedule 13D, the Reporting Person does not have any present plans or proposals that relate to or would result in any of the actions described in subparagraphs (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D. However, subject to the agreements described herein, as part of his ongoing evaluation of this investment and investment alternatives, the Reporting Person may consider such matters and, subject to applicable law, may formulate a plan or proposal with respect to such matters, and, from time to time, may hold discussions with or make formal proposals to management or the Board, other stockholders of the Issuer or other third parties regarding such matters. Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer a) As of the close of business on September 13, 2023, the Reporting Person may be deemed to beneficially own 976,071 shares of Class A Common Stock and 6,343,357 shares of Class B Common Stock and, in the aggregate, 7,319,428 shares of Common Stock, representing approximately 7.32% of the Issuers outstanding Common Stock (based upon a total of 57,147,501 shares of Class A Common Stock and 42,852,499 shares of Class B Common Stock, outstanding, for a combined total of 100,000,000 shares of common stock as of July 26, 2023, as reported in A U.S. soldier assigned to 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery receives his 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade shoulder patch during a ceremony Aug. 3, 2023, in Ansbach, Germany. A new air defense unit under the brigade, the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, will be based out of Ansbach, with one of its batteries operating in Vicenza, Italy. (Yesenia Cadavid/U.S. Army) STUTTGART, Germany A new U.S. Army air defense unit will be activated next month in Europe with soldiers taking up positions in Germany and Italy, according to officials from the service. The 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment will be based out of Ansbach, Germany, and one of its batteries will operate in Vicenza, Italy, the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command said in a statement Thursday. The battery headed to Italy will support the 173rd Airborne Brigade, which serves as the Army contingency response force in Europe. This battalion will provide additional surface-based air defense to the European theater, the statement said. The unit will fall under the command of the recently activated 52nd Air Defense Brigade, which assumed authority last month over Army air defense artillery in Europe. The moves are part of a broader effort to expand Army air defense capabilities on the Continent, where concerns about Russian aggression have prompted a push to rebuild a force that dwindled during a long post-Cold War military drawdown. The new units were announced by President Joe Biden during the 2022 NATO summit in Madrid and came in response to worries about a potential spillover into allied countries from Russias war on Ukraine. In this undated photo, U.S. soldiers practice counter-drone operations during exercise Red Sands at the Shamal-2 range in Saudi Arabia. About 300 troops apiece from the U.S. and Saudi militaries participated in the exercise, which ended Sept. 12, 2023. (U.S. Army Central/Facebook) U.S. and Saudi forces took turns shooting down aerial drones from dawn to dusk as part of a joint exercise in the Middle East during the past week. The drills at the northern Shamal-2 Range in Saudi Arabia were the largest counter-drone exercise in the U.S. Central Command area to date, Col. Robert McVey, director of the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center, told Stars and Stripes on Thursday. About 300 U.S. and 300 Saudi troops took part in the drills from Sept. 8 through Tuesday. Nine systems were tested this month. Among them were Stinger missiles, with teams from the Army and Marines firing at drones. Its not often that the soldiers get their opportunity to live-fire that weapon system, McVey said. U.S. military leaders have highlighted the impact that aerial drones have had in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The exercise reviewed better defenses against drones, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement Thursday. In this undated photo, U.S. soldiers fire a counter-drone system during exercise Red Sands at the Shamal-2 range in Saudi Arabia. Teams tested nine weapons systems to destroy or disable unmanned aircraft. The exercise started Sept. 8, 2023, and ran through Tuesday. (U.S. Army Central/Facebook) The UAS threat is real, and the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center represents a significant step, not only in defeating (unmanned aerial) threats, but in demonstrating a shared commitment to regional security by both Saudi and U.S. forces, Kurilla said. Smaller suicide drones like those provided by Iran to its proxy groups in Yemen, Iraq and Syria have made an outsized impact in those conflicts, with one such attack occurring in Saudi Arabia in 2019. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia began plans to open a testing site for anti-drone and anti-missile technology in 2022, and the site hosted its first exercise in March. This months exercise involved more anti-drone systems, more targets to shoot down and more complexity, McVey said. In one scenario, a Saudi F-15 Eagle fighter jet worked with a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter to shoot down a drone in air-to-air combat. In another, troops defended against a drone swarm, a tactic that has been used against U.S. bases in Syria in the past. Task Force 39, the Armys tech team, showed off CARPE Dronvm, a phone app intended to function as a live alert system when drones are sighted. The task force also showcased its semi-autonomous driverless trucks, which ferried ammunition between ground-based counter-drone systems. The Army hopes to hold spring and fall live-fire counter-drone exercises in Saudi Arabia annually, McVey said. The exciting thing is that were getting at identifying and being able to respond in real time to the rapidly evolving mobile (drone) threat, McVey said. Army Col. Jon Meredith, who is assigned to Fort Cavazos, Texas, will face a court-martial scheduled for Sept. 25, 2023, on two counts of conduct unbecoming of an officer, according to Army officials. (U.S. Army) AUSTIN, Texas A former Fort Cavazos brigade commander will no longer face a sexual misconduct charge in a court-martial for allegations that he groped and kissed the wife of another officer, base officials said. Col. Jon Meredith still faces two counts of conduct unbecoming of an officer and has a court-martial scheduled for Sept. 25 at Fort Cavazos, said Lt. Col. Tania Donovan, spokeswoman for III Corps, which is based at the Texas installation. Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commander of III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos, made the decision Monday to withdraw two counts of the charge abusive sexual contact, which was filed against Meredith earlier this year, Donovan said. The decision was based on an assessment of multiple factors including a careful consideration of the current evidence, the interests of justice, input from the alleged victim, and preservation of good order and discipline, she said. Sherry Bunn, Merediths defense attorney, said she was surprised by Bernabes decision because she had participated in a hearing last week for the charges against Meredith. It appears the government reassessed its case after the motions hearing on Friday afternoon [Sept. 8] where several issues were litigated before the court, Bunn said. Unfortunately, lawmakers continued insistence that every alleged victim is truthful and every case should be prosecuted to the fullest leads to prosecutors and commanders forcing charges that are unsupported and contradicted by the evidence in the case. Meredith, 47, is accused of going to the home of the victim, who is the civilian wife of an Army officer, on July 23, 2022, while the womans daughter and another person were present, according to a charge sheet detailing the allegations against the colonel. The Bernie Beck Main Gate at Fort Cavazos, Texas, as seen May 23, 2023. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) Meredith knew the womans husband was away at a field training exercise and did wrongfully grope [the womans] inner thigh and crotch, kiss her repeatedly on the mouth, and tell her he wanted to [expletive] her, according to the document. All names apart from Merediths are redacted from the document. At the time of the incident, Meredith was commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team in the 1st Cavalry Division. He was removed from command in October and arraigned in military court in May. The court-martial for the lesser charge of conduct unbecoming of an officer is expected to last five days in the Fifth Judicial Circuit at Fort Cavazos. Meredith has entered a plea of not guilty, according to online court records. Now, we are left with the charge of conduct unbecoming of an officer, Bunn said. Given this originated with allegations of a sexual offense, you have to wonder why this case is still at a general court-martial. It appears as if the intention is to make an example out of Jon Meredith rather than making the objective, albeit tough, assessment of how the remaining charge of conduct unbecoming is best addressed. Before removing the charge, Bernabe consulted and coordinated with the Armys new Office of Special Trial Counsel, Donovan said. This included an assessment by a civilian expert who is a seasoned prosecutor with decades of experience prosecuting sexual assault in the civilian criminal justice system, she said. Mandated by Congress, each service branch has begun establishing an Office of Special Trial Counsel to manage prosecution of most felony-level offenses within the military that do not impact unit discipline, such as murder, sexual assault and kidnapping. The offices should be fully operational by the end of the year. The Navys newest surveillance drone, the MQ-4C Triton, taxis at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Aug. 4, 2023. (U.S. Navy) The Navys newest surveillance drone, the MQ-4C Triton, is back on Guam with further improvements and Navy approval to begin operations as it eases into the fleet. Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., returned to Andersen Air Force Base on Sept. 9 to further refine MQ-4C tactics, techniques and procedures and operate in the Indo-Pacific region, Naval Air Forces said in a news release Thursday. The Triton returned to Guam with a declaration of initial operating capability, according to a news release Thursday from its manufacturer, Northrop Grumman Corp. Initial operating capability means the squadron may put the MQ-4C to work and has qualified personnel to maintain it. Its a level higher than early operational capability, a narrower development stage. The third step is full operational capability, meaning all units scheduled to receive the system have received it. Now that the system has achieved initial operating capability, commanders will be able to fully leverage Tritons powerful sensor suite to detect and deter potential adversaries around the world, Rho Cauley Bruner, director of Northrops Triton program, said in the companys news release. The Navys newest surveillance drone, the MQ-4C Triton, taxis at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Aug. 4, 2023. (U.S. Navy) A Triton assigned to the squadron took its first flight under the new designation at Andersen on Aug. 18, according to Naval Air Forces. Northrop thus far has delivered five Tritons to the Navy, the latest in June 2023, according to the release. The Navy trimmed its Triton order in May from 70 to 27, and reduced its deployable locations, or orbits, from five to three, according to a May report by Seapower magazine that cited an unidentified Navy spokesperson in May. The squadron last deployed to Guam between January 2020 and October 2022. Since then, the Triton has been upgraded with a new sensor suite and other improvements, according to the Navy. Leveraging all the lessons we learned from our first deployment to Guam, Triton is poised to bring significant improvements that will increase its effectiveness in the battlespace, enabling our manned-unmanned team to maintain awareness in the maritime domain, Rear Adm. Adam Kijek, commander of the Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, said in the news release. Spokespeople for Andersen and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command did not immediately respond to requests for comments by Friday afternoon. Northrop has received more than $600 million in Navy contracts to produce and modify the Triton since 2017. Each Triton costs $32.8 million to support and operate per year over a 20-year lifespan, according to a December 2021 Navy acquisition report. Designed for both the Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, the Triton is a multi-mission drone with an operating altitude of 50,000 feet and a 24-hour endurance, according to Northrop. It is particularly suited for maritime patrol, surveillance, communications and search-and-rescue operations. The amphibious assault ship USS America, center, the South Korean guided-missile frigate ROKS Seoul, left, and the Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver train together in the Yellow Sea, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (South Koreas Ministry of National Defense) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea Warships from the United States, South Korea and Canada drilled Thursday in response to continuing tension with North Korea, and ahead of the reenactment of a pivotal Korean War landing. The amphibious assault ship USS America, homeported at Sasebo Naval Base, Japan, joined the South Korean guided-missile frigate ROKS Seoul and Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver on Thursday in the Yellow Sea, according to a news release that day from South Koreas Ministry of National Defense. The warships drilled on tactical maneuvers and helicopter operations, the release said. This exercise served as momentum to further improve our reaction posture and ability to deal with North Koreas threats through the combined multilateral naval exercises by [South Korea], the U.S. and Canadian naval forces, South Korean navy Cmdr. Kim Hyunseok said in the release. The U.S. and South Korea have carried out several exercises around the Korean Peninsula with partner forces this summer. The amphibious assault ship USS America, center, the South Korean guided-missile frigate ROKS Seoul, bottom, and the Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver train together in the Yellow Sea, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (South Koreas Ministry of National Defense) On Aug. 29, the Japanese guided-missile destroyer JS Haguro joined the USS Benfold and South Korean destroyer Yulgok Yi I for a ballistic missile defense exercise in international waters south of South Koreas Jeju Island. Canada is a member of the U.N. Command headquartered at Camp Humphreys in South Korea. Canada also took part in Augusts large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with U.S. and South Korean forces and in Sea Dragon, a U.S.-led multinational anti-submarine exercise off of Guams coast in March. The country is committed to maintaining a persistent regional presence to help promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific at large, the Vancouver posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. Thursdays drill occurred one day before the America, Seoul and Vancouver steamed for Incheon to help reenact an amphibious landing during the 1950-53 Korean War, according to the National Defense Ministry. Roughly 20 South Korean navy ships, 10 aircraft and 3,300 service members commemorated the 73rd anniversary of Operation Chromite a pivotal U.S.-led amphibious assault that turned the tide of the Korean War with a reenactment ceremony on Friday. Starting Sept. 15, 1950, U.S. Marines and U.S. and South Korean soldiers battled their way into the port city of Incheon and another 18 miles east to the capital. Eighteen days later, they liberated Seoul from the North Koreans and lifted their hold on the peninsula. Three Canadian destroyers took part in Operation Chromite as part of a naval blockade and to provide logistical support for vanguard forces, according to the Canadian Department of National Defenses website. Around 600 U.N. Command troops were killed and 2,750 were wounded in the operation. About 14,000 North Korean troops were killed and 7,000 were taken prisoner. Members of boy group Zerobaseone and girl group Kep1er, and other stars in school uniforms posed for the cameras in Seoul on Thursday before heading to a set to shoot a TV program. Beers aplenty will be served and hoisted in celebration on Theresienwiese in Munich as Oktoberfest begins this weekend. (iStock) On Saturday, Sept. 16, the 188th edition of whats surely among the worlds best-known festivals will officially open its gates. Over the course of the Oktoberfests 18-day run, its anticipated that up to six million locals and visitors will take part in the festivities. The official Oktoberfest website publishes many facts of interest to the press and public alike. One of the most eagerly anticipated bits of information is the cost of a Mass, which approximates a liters worth of beer. The cost of such a pour in 2023, which applies to all the beer sold on-site at the Oktoberfest, will come in between 12.60 euros and 14.90 euros. A visitor will naturally want to temper his or her intake of alcohol with the consumption of some hearty fare. An Oktoberfest classic treat is a Hendl, half a grilled chicken, which will go for up to 20.50 euros in some tents this time around. To provoke laughs and amusement, the local press provides a list of some of the items that ended up in lost and found during the fests previous edition. During the first week of Oktoberfest in 2022, items gone missing included 160 wallets, 145 mobile phones, 75 sets of keys, two wedding rings, a snare drum and an XXX-L-size pair of Lederhosen. Here are some tips for those new to the Oktoberfest scene: The cost of renting a hotel room is out-of-this world ridiculous: Its no secret that when a major event unfolds in a city or town, hotels always jack up their rates accordingly. But what happens in Munich during the time of Oktoberfest can be truly shocking. Hotels at all ends of the budget/quality spectrum charge prices that could keep a familys fridge full for weeks. A Saturday-to-Sunday overnight stay in a double room at the posh Mandarin Oriental in the Old Town would set one back 1,888 euros. And a single traveler spending that same night in the much more modest Euro Youth Hostel would have to pay 245 euros for his or her bed in a dorm. The workaround? Finding a hotel along a direct train route out of town. While the rates will likely still be heavily inflated, the savings might be enough to make this an attractive proposition. Another idea is just to make merry at the Oktoberfest by day and into the evening, then board a train or bus back home. For example, traveling between Munich to Stuttgart with the long-distance bus company Flixbus on one of the Oktoberfest dates could set you back as little as 11.99 euros. On-base services such as USO or Outdoor Rec might also offer transportation to and from the festival. No two days have to be the same: Aside for drinking a bit too much in one of the beer tents (for which youll need a reservation at a table anyway), theres lots of action everywhere, from scary rides to a midway packed with gaming booths. There are also plenty of one-off events, such as the traditional costume and hunters parade (10 a.m., Sept. 17), a brass band concert at the foot of the Bavaria statue (11 a.m., Sept. 24) and traditional gun salutes by the Bavaria statue (noon, Oct. 3). Theres also plenty going on in Munich outside the Theresenwiese. Cultural happenings coinciding with Oktoberfest include a flea market at the Olympia Park (starting at 7 a.m. Sept. 16), a concert by Element of Crime at the Isarphilharmonie (8 p.m. Sept. 23) and a concert by Paul Weller at the Muffathalle (8 p.m. Sept. 26). Explore the wonder of the Alps in early autumn: Combine a visit to Munich with fun activities outside the area, such as watching an Almabtrieb, a cattle drive in which cows or other livestock descend back into town from their summer grazing areas all done up in finery created from nature. Mittenwalds cattle come back to town at 11 a.m. Sept. 17. The following weekend, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the site of a lively Street Arts Festival (Sept. 22-24). The action unfolds along Ludwigstrasse in Partenkirchen. Consider alternative Oktoberfests: While Munichs Oktoberfest should be experienced once in a lifetime, this might not be the year for it. Other cities have their own versions of it, to include Mainz (Oct.2-29); Wiesbaden (Sept. 27-Oct. 13); Frankfurt (Sept. 16-17, 20-24; 28-30 and Oct. 1-3 and 5-8). Stuttgarts massive beer bash, the Canstatter Volksfest, runs Sept. 22 through Oct. 8. Boxes of Freedom's Choice pasta, minus penne rigate, fill shelves inside the commissary at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan The Defense Commissary Agency has removed its own brand of penne rigate pasta from store shelves after consumers reported finding insects in several boxes. Now that we have been made aware of the situation, we have pulled the product and will have our medical food inspectors inspect this product and other similar items for wholesomeness, agency spokesman Keith Desbois told Stars in Stripes by email Thursday. Desbois did not immediately respond Friday to requests for further information, including the scale of the product recall. Freedom Choice-brand penne rigate pasta was still on the shelves Friday morning at the Ramstein Air Base commissary in Germany. A box purchased Friday and opened by a customer did not contain any insects. The commissary agency had already heard two complaints about insects in the Freedoms Choice pasta, Desbois said, before a third shopper posted on Facebook that she found bugs in boxes purchased Wednesday at Yokota. Shoppers enter the commissary at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) Freedoms Choice is the commissarys brand of lower-cost food items. Check the freedoms choice penne if youve bought any recently I bought these boxes this morning and they are full of bugs, said wrote in the Yokota Community group. The woman who posted the message did not respond to a message seeking further information Wednesday. In a subsequent post, the Yokota shopper identified the insects as weevils, based on an older photograph posted by another person. Weevils are common kitchen pests often found in pantries and dry food cupboards, according to Pestdefense.com, a pest control and prevention service. They are commonly discovered in flour and wheat products, but are safe for human consumption. The Defense Commissary Agency and the military services work together in unison to ensure the safety of your groceries, Desbois said. Our ultimate goal is to safeguard and protect the food that commissary patrons bring home to their families. If any patron would like to return the item for a full refund, please see the customer service office. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 train in Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 13, 2022. (Diana Jimenez/U.S. Marine Corps) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa Japans army is poised to fly one of its tiltrotor aircraft over Okinawa for the first time despite objections from the prefectural government. The V-22 Osprey from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is scheduled to take part in next months Resolute Dragon 23.2, a multi-domain exercise with the U.S. military. Although a Japanese Osprey will make its first flight over Okinawa, two squadrons of Marine Ospreys fly there routinely from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Since June 2022, eight Marines have died in two incidents involving Ospreys in Australia and the U.S. On Thursday, two Marine Ospreys diverted to airports in southwestern Japan after cockpit warning indications, according to a Marine spokesman on Okinawa. Resolute Dragon 23.2, scheduled for Oct. 15-31 across Japan, will involve thousands of U.S. Marines and Japanese troops in stand-in force exercises, such as command and control, precision fires and maneuvering, III Marine Expeditionary Force spokesman 1st Lt. Alejandro Arteaga said by email Friday. A stand-in force a key tenet of the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 is a smaller, mobile unit inserted within range of enemy missiles to seize and hold key islands and deny enemy vessels access to surrounding seas. The Japanese Ospreys will ferry simulated casualties from New Ishigaki Airport on Ishigaki, 160 miles east of Taiwan, to Amami Oshima, northeast of Okinawa, and then to Kyushu, the southernmost of Japans main islands, a Ground Self-Defense Force spokesman said by email Friday. Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media on condition of anonymity. Okinawa prefecture lobbied the Okinawa Defense Bureau, which represents Japans Ministry of Defense on the island, and the Ground Self-Defense Force to exclude Japanese Ospreys from the exercise to minimize the impact to Okinawas local population, the prefectural Military Base Affairs Division announced Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Osprey has been a point of contention in Japan since it first arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on the main island of Honshu in July 2012. The aircrafts development history, coupled with several high-profile crashes, has made it the target of an Okinawa protest movement. Three Marines died and several others were hospitalized in Australia on Aug. 27 when their Osprey crashed during the multinational Talisman Sabre exercise. Two days later, Gen. Eric Smith, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, ordered a thorough and harsh safety review. The review was expected to be completed Friday. Another five Marines died in a June 2022 crash in the Southern California desert, an incident tied to an ongoing mechanical problem a hard clutch engagement in the gearbox, according to a Marine Corps accident investigation. On Thursday, a pair of MV-22 Ospreys from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa made forced landings on remote Japanese islands due to cockpit caution indications, Maj. Rob Martins, a spokesman from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, said Friday by email. The first aircraft diverted at around 1:45 p.m. to Amami Airport on Amami Oshima, Martins said. The second landed two hours later at Ishigaki Airport. The crews of both aircraft landed their respective tiltrotors safely. No injuries or damage resulted, and the landings caused no delays at either airport, spokesmen from Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures airport divisions said by phone Friday. Marine maintainers were still troubleshooting the aircraft at both airports at 11 a.m. Friday, Martins said. III MEF will contribute most of the 4,500 U.S. troops participating in Resolute Dragon next month, Arteaga said. Another 2,000 will come from Japans Western Army, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported Thursday. Training will take place across the country, from Hokkaido in the north to Yonaguni, an island 70 miles east of Taiwan. About 80 U.S. soldiers and Marines will take part from Camp Ishigaki, a Ground Self-Defense Force base, for the first time. Adm. John Aquilino, left, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and the Philippines' military chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, recently visited three sites being developed to support U.S. forces in the Philippines. (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) The U.S. military is seeking access to more bases in the Philippines, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command told reporters during a press conference Thursday. U.S. forces already have access to nine sites in the country, including four announced in February, under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The U.S. is looking for more locations, Adm. John Aquilino said in the Philippines alongside that countrys armed forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, according to a Friday report by NHK. General Brawner and I made recommendations to our senior leaders for the consideration of additional sites, but theres still work to do there, the INDOPACOM commander said. INDOPACOM posts Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, show Aquilino and Brawner visiting three sites being developed to support U.S. forces in the northern Philippines: Cagayan North International Airport, also known as Lal-lo; Camilo Osias Naval Base; and Cesar Basa Air Base. The main purpose of the base-sharing agreement is training and disaster response, not for responses to regional security threats, Brawner said in the NHK report. However, recent clashes between Chinese and Philippines coast guard vessels in disputed areas of the South China Sea and an exercise this week by the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong carrier off the Philippines northern coast are driving Washington and Manila closer, according to Leland Bettis, director of the Pacific Center for Island Security on Guam. The threat posed by Chinese missiles to large operating bases has spurred efforts by U.S. forces to develop skills needed to fight from many smaller locations throughout the region. All the U.S. services are looking for more places to operate from in the first (and second) island chain to support their distributed and dispersed operating concepts, Bettis said in an email Friday. The Philippines is no doubt looking to bolster more U.S. operational support for enforcement of their national claims in the South China Sea. A candidate for another shared base is in the Batanes islands, where a U.S. team recently assessed a port less than 125 miles from Taiwan, Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said Friday in an X message to Stars and Stripes. The U.S. is looking to enhance its ability to respond to contingencies in the South China Sea and involving Taiwan, according to Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii. Adm. John Aquilino, right, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and the Philippines' military chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, far left, recently visited three sites being developed to support U.S. forces in the Philippines. (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) Adm. John Aquilino, left, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and the Philippines' military chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, recently visited three sites being developed to support U.S. forces in the Philippines. (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) Rumors suggest the Navy seeks to regain access to Subic Bay and a return by the Air Force to nearby Clark Air Base cant be ruled out, he said by email Friday. Subic and Clark formed Americas largest overseas military presence before both were damaged in the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and soon after returned to the Philippines. A US return to either Clark or Subic would be a real attention-getter both positively (as a message to China) and negatively (as a rallying cry for anti-US elements), Cossa wrote. Seeking access to smaller facilities still sends a message to China but would likely draw less attention and complaints, he added. Discussions over access to smaller Philippine bases is consistent with the direction the two allies have taken, Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said by email Friday. As for candidates for bases, I think the U.S. has for some time been working with the Philippines to develop a network of dispersed, smaller bases rather than massive ones like a Clark or a Subic, he said. President Yoon Suk-yeol will deliver a keynote speech at the 78th UN General Assembly in New York next week to warn against military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. He will seek to rally the international community on the side of the values of freedom and democracy. During the visit from Sept. 18 to 22, Yoon will also hold bilateral talks with leaders from at least 30 countries to promote Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030, a task made much more difficult for him by the recent debacle of the abortive World Scout Jamboree in southwestern Korea. The Snake River forms the border between Oregon and Idaho. (Joseph Haeberle for The Washington Post) ONTARIO, Ore. - The Snake River has formed the border of Oregon and Idaho for more than a century and a half, slicing through fields of onions, sugar beets and wheat that roll out for miles through Treasure Valley. Here on the Oregon side, where Bob Wheatley has lived his entire life, are a collection of high-end cannabis shops, a new Planned Parenthood clinic, and gas prices a dollar higher than those just over the river. Across the river in the town of Fruitland, in western Idaho, new housing subdivisions stretch out for miles from the main streets. Agriculture, bottling and construction businesses that just months ago were based in Oregon are thriving. One of Fruitlands new problems is building enough schools to accommodate the out-of-state arrivals, many of them from Oregon. Things have changed, said Wheatley, who retired recently after five decades as a local pharmacist. And its the politics that have changed fastest. These twin towns across an old border straddle a seam in the nations deepening political polarization, neighboring opposites living under starkly different laws. The river separates states that, perhaps more than in any other part of the nation, embrace the two parties most extreme positions on gun control, abortion rights, environmental regulation, drug legalization and other issues at the center of the American political debate. The result in eastern Oregon, from the volcanic Cascade Range to this border town, is a sense of profound political alienation. The disaffection among conservatives has spawned a movement to change the states political dynamic in a novel if quixotic way - rather than relocate or change the politics, which seems impossible to many here, why not move the border and become residents who live under the rules of Idaho? This is no small task. Both the Oregon and Idaho state legislatures, which are controlled by Democrats and Republicans respectively, would have to approve a border shift, which in this case would be the most significant geographically since western states began forming in the mid-19th century. The issue would then go to the U.S. Congress. But, as more than two dozen interviews across the state made clear, there is momentum behind the cause among a lightly populated region of ranch land, swift rivers, and vast pine forests. It is known formally as the Greater Idaho movement. So far 12 counties in central and eastern Oregon have voted in favor of local ballot measures that compel county leaders to study the idea of moving the border about 270 miles west. The movement envisions 14 full counties joining Idaho, along with parts of others. A 13th county is scheduled to take up the question on the May 2024 ballot. The region accounts for less than 10 percent of Oregons population, but most of its territory. The push to change the border is rooted in policy differences and a sense that, in Oregon, there will be no way for conservatives to influence the laws and regulations made by the elected representatives of the far more numerous Democratic voters who live on the western side of the Cascades. Idaho offers a much more comfortable political home for eastern Oregons conservatives, who live in many of the most racially homogenous counties in the state. In nearly every county that has voted to explore joining Idaho, White residents account for more than 80 percent of the population. The political contrast between the states is stark. Oregon Democrats have a more than 30 percent edge in voter registration over Republicans, and Joe Biden won the state by 16 percentage points in 2020. Idaho offers a mirror image: Republican voters outnumber Democrats more than 5 to 1, and Donald Trump defeated Biden by 30 percentage points. Both states have sent two senators from the same party to Washington - Democrats in Oregon, Republicans in Idaho. At 74, Wheatley has been considering a move across the river for years, returning his wife, Chrystine, a retired nurse, to the state where she grew up. But he could not sell his home for enough money to buy something comparable in Fruitland, where prices are rising because of the Oregon arrivals. So, in late 2020, Wheatley, never before a political activist, volunteered to gather signatures to place a measure on the May 2021 ballot compelling Malheur County commissioners to study joining Idaho. It passed easily. () I told Chrys, I cant move you, but maybe I can move the border, Wheatley said. So thats what were trying. A sense of alienation In many parts of the country, the divide between red and blue has prompted a re-sorting in which moving states has seemed simpler to tens of thousands of people than changing the party in charge. The Greater Idaho movement may be among the most extreme versions of this trend. But deep-blue California is also experiencing pockets of red resistance to dominant Democratic rule. El Dorado County, which bumps up against the southern tip of Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border, has been the venue recently for boisterous town hall meetings over whether to secede. Last year, San Bernardino County supervisors voted to study creating its own state. A movement to carve out a new state of Jefferson from parts of northeastern California has been simmering for more than a half century. Here in Oregon the divide is geographic and political. Nearly 9 in 10 Oregonians live west of the Cascades along the Interstate 5 corridor, namely in the cities of Portland, Eugene and Salem, the capital. But the western region accounts for a small fraction of the land, which unfolds east from the Cascades in expanses of sere high desert, lush pasture and thick forest. Four state senators represent the east - less than a fifth of the chambers total - and earlier this year they were part of a six-week walkout to protest the terms of abortion rights and gun-control legislation. It was the longest such boycott in state history. Theres just a pervasive sense that the values that the western side of the state holds are being imposed, in a kind of oppression, on the east, said Nicole Howard, a professor of history at Eastern Oregon University in the city of La Grande. And the belief held out here is that either they dont get us or they dont care. Howard, who moved from Californias Bay Area more than a decade ago, said the term rural is often cited by eastern Oregon separatists as a way to contrast their beliefs with those who live in the western cities. Her school sought and received the designation as Oregons rural university to underscore its more conservative leanings. Theres a dog whistle in the term, too, Howard said. It is conservative versus liberal, but the issue of race is also baked into it. It gets to the idea of rural as a stand-in for deep cultural touchstones. A wake-up call In recent years, sharp policy differences have widened the divide between left and right. Oregon legalized cannabis eight years ago and through a 2020 ballot measure decriminalized the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Idaho continues to outlaw marijuana and the other drugs, consistent with federal law. Abortion remains legal in Oregon. In Idaho, the Republican legislature passed a law last year that bans abortion after six weeks except in cases of rape and incest. In addition, the legislature passed a first-of-its-kind abortion trafficking bill that punishes health-care providers with prison time for helping a minor secure the procedure out of state. Oregon voters passed among the nations strictest gun-control measures in November, while Idaho gun laws are among the most permissive in the nation. Much of the Oregon agenda, including a law requiring that by 2035 all new vehicles sold in the state are electric, has been adopted despite the objection of the eastern counties. What were looking for is local control, not foreign control, said Oregon state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, a Republican former software engineer and cattle rancher. And by foreign I mean Portland, Salem and the rest of those in the west who have decided they know better than we do how to run our lives. Linthicum carried a resolution in the recent legislative session asking Oregons government to begin talks with Idaho on a border shift. The resolution never got a hearing. (The Idaho House passed a resolution that calls for the states to begin negotiating a change in the border. But the measure has stalled in the Idaho Senate, despite Republican control.) Tina Kotek, a Democratic former speaker of the Oregon House who was elected governor last year, said in a statement that she believes people need to see their governor and she is listening to them. She has pledged to visit each of the states 36 counties on a One Oregon Listening Tour, which so far has included at least eight counties that have voted to study joining Idaho. She recognizes that it is a wake-up call for the whole state when people are frustrated enough about not being heard to consider joining another state, the statement said. In a statement on the same subject, Idahos Republican governor, Brad Little, said Oregonians are looking to his state because of our strong economy, regulatory atmosphere and our values. But, Little added, Theres a lot that needs to happen before moving the border is within the realm of possibility. Melissa Wintrow, the Democratic minority leader of the Idaho state senate, said the resolution did not get a hearing in her chamber because it had no chance of passing. But she said the divide - and how rapidly she says it is widening - is a concern especially in a part of the country where armed anti-government groups have acted on both sides of the border recently. This movement is a push for ideology over the real-world issues that we are facing, said Wintrow, whose district includes the Idaho capital of Boise. But any system that is out of balance, whether Republican or Democrat, is bad for our country. Guns and the green push In recent years, the city of Bend has become a dot of blue in the red sea of eastern Oregon, a city of roughly 100,000 people where big, groomed beards, bespoke tattoos and wine clubs abound. Diamond Lake Highway, looking toward eastern Oregon. (Joseph Haeberle for The Washington Post) But not far outside the city limits, across fields of clay-red lava, is the home of Mike McCarter, a Vietnam-era veteran whose driveway is marked by a sign announcing his business: Cascade Concealed Carry. He is a firearms instructor, originally from Portland, and the Idaho state flag flies from the eaves of his single-story home alongside the Stars and Stripes. At 76, he is president of the Greater Idaho movement, even though his home county would probably vote against such a border shift because it includes blue Bend. If you live in western Oregon, you really dont know what you are dealing with in the east, said McCarter, who with his wife, Pat, raised nine children and have 27 grandchildren, some of whom live on the western side of the Cascades. The nearest grocery store is nearly an hour away. So is the closest hospital. The attitudes, the life we live, are different, more like the Old West, he said. While McCarter disagrees with Oregons gun restrictions, he is particularly upset by what he calls the green push by western Oregon legislators, including the mandate of all-electric new vehicle sales by 2035. He wonders if anyone in Portland understands that there are few viable electric tractors yet or sufficient charging stations in many parts of the east. I dont have a problem with green technology, McCarter said. But common sense says you replace diesel engines when you have stable options already in place. As of now, we dont. But he is under no illusion that his project is a simple one. He said lobbying the state legislature will be the movements next focus as the eastern counties continue to vote. Its a mountain to climb, but its not impossible by any means, he said. Matt McCaw, the movements spokesman, who has lived in Powell Butte with his family of 10 since moving from Portland during the pandemic, said the campaign before next years vote in Crook County will entail door-knocking, a booth at local county fairs, and little else. There is no real budget. We have to rely on the strength of our idea, he said. And people here see it. We just have to convince them its possible. A release valve From Powell Butte, Highway 26 twists through canyons and rushes past pasture, cattle more visible than people as it runs east through a long line of Purple Heart Counties, before reaching the town of John Day. Just off the main street, Sandie Gilson, the movements vice president, sits behind a large desk in the business she owns with her husband. Gilson said she was once what she called a welfare mom, single and out of work and raising three children. She describes herself as a Reagan conservative unconcerned with some of the cultural battles animating national politics. I dont care who you marry, she said. And while I believe we should be focusing more on preventing unplanned pregnancies and saving babies lives, abortion is not a major issue for me. Youre allowed to disagree with people. Its okay. Weve just forgotten that. What prompted Gilson to join the movement was a law that does not affect her directly. In 2019, the Oregon legislature passed the corporate activity tax, which applies a levy on businesses that gross more than $1 million annually. The tax revenue is directed to education spending. What struck Gilson, though, was the bills explanation that the tax was being imposed for the privilege of doing business in Oregon. She says doing business is not a privilege, but a right. It affects our ranchers, our loggers, our local grocery store, Gilson said. It was pretty hard to swallow. John Day sits on the northern side of the Malheur National Forest where, in 2016, an armed group occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. One of the men occupying the building was fatally shot by law enforcement during the 40-day standoff. Gilson, who is 47, said the Greater Idaho movement is in part a way to head off future armed threats in a deeply disaffected region. Were not angry, and we do not want this to come to violence, Gilson said. We want to do this peacefully, but there is no doubt there is a lot of anger out there. This movement can be a release valve. Even those unsure about the movement say they understand its causes. In Wallowa County, which voted in May to study joining Idaho, Doug Longs home flies a Trump for President banner alongside a smaller Move Oregons Border yard sign. A former rancher, Long voted for the recent ballot measure. But he identifies strongly as an Oregonian, born and raised, and said, Im kind of in the middle on it, to be honest. My hope, he said, is that it will put some pressure on Democrats to hear us. Connections across the river Bob and Chrystine Wheatleys family sits on all sides of the geographic divide. One daughter now lives in Idaho. One son lives in Eugene, on the western side of the Cascades. Another daughter is here in Ontario, on the Snake River border. The town of roughly 12,000 people, birthplace of the Tater Tot, has an economy based in agriculture, health care and the large state prison on its outskirts. But the citys once-surging growth has stagnated, much of it as a result of cross-river migration into Idaho. On both sides of the river, in Ontario and its Idaho mirror image, Fruitland, irrigated farmland is planted with onions, beets, wheat and corn. Cattle graze in broad pastures. There is cattle, too, on both sides. A billboard just outside Ontario proclaims, Cowboy Lives Matter. Up closer, though, the towns reflect the nations political divisions. Planned Parenthood opened its clinic in Ontario in spring, following the Supreme Courts decision last year to nullify abortion as a federal right and in response to Idahos strict abortion law passed soon after that ruling. Weedology, the Bud House (formerly an auto body shop), Cannabis & Glass are just three of the most prominent marijuana dispensaries in Ontario, a draw for Idahoans as well as locals, judging by the license plates in the parking lots. They have brought in revenue, Bob Wheatley said during a driving tour that spanned the river. But I dont think they have covered the cost of new police hires needed as a result of the crime that they have caused. There is no proof the dispensaries have led to more crime. But for the Wheatleys, the shops are just part of a larger disaffection, even distance, they feel for the place they have lived their lives. The Wheatleys area code is 208, which is an Idaho area code. The Oregonian, based in Portland, no longer distributes newspapers in Ontario. Bob Wheatley said the couple used to get one Portland news station in their cable package, yet now even that has disappeared. Their county is in the Mountain time zone, unlike any other in Oregon. So much of our interaction is with Idaho, Wheatley said. So much of what we relate to, whats consistent with our values, is now on that side of the river. The U.S. Capitol is seen on Thursday Sept. 14, 2023, in Washington. Leaders from four VA hospitals still using a troubled computer system that is going through a reset period told members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday that the pause has yet to produce results for their patients and staff. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) In hearings on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and Thursday, officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs said they remain committed to a troubled computer system that has harmed patients in the Inland Northwest, despite uncertainty about when and if its problems will be fixed. Nearly three years after Spokanes Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center became the test site for the Oracle Cerner electronic health record system to track patient information and coordinate care, the new system continues to limit the number of patients who receive care and contribute to harmful medical errors. In April, VA Secretary Denis McDonough ordered a halt to the systems rollout, but it continues to be used in facilities serving about 200,000 veterans during what the department is calling a reset period. Leaders from four of the five hospitals using the system in Spokane, Walla Walla, Roseburg, Oregon, and Columbus, Ohio told members of the House VA Committee on Thursday that the pause has yet to produce results for their patients and staff. A day earlier, the VA official in charge of the systems deployment, Neil Evans, testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee alongside Mike Sicilia, an executive from Oracle. The tech giant acquired Cerner, a health technology firm, for $28.3 billion in 2022. The two men told the panel, which controls spending on the project, they are working together to fix problems but hadnt yet determined how to decide when the system is safe enough to launch elsewhere. The next launch of the system is scheduled for a joint VA-Defense Department hospital in Chicago in March 2024, which will mark the end of the Pentagons rollout of a similar system that was first tested at Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane in 2017. Despite warnings of similar problems at military hospitals and clinics in Washington state, the Trump administration gave Cerner a $10 billion contract in 2018 for the VA to adopt virtually the same system. Despite the VA projects origins, its future has largely avoided the partisan bickering that derails so much work in Congress. While some members of the House VA Committee want to scrap the Oracle Cerner system if it doesnt improve dramatically, both Republicans and Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee said Wednesday they remain committed to staying the course. I dont think theres a plan B if it doesnt work out, Rep. John Carter, a Texas Republican who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee in charge of VA funding, said in an interview after the hearing. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, the top Democrat on the subcommittee, said after the hearing that switching back to the VAs existing electronic health record system, which remains in use at all other VA facilities, is preposterous. It wouldnt be appropriate to throw out the whole process, having wasted all the resources, she said in a brief interview, although she rejected the idea that the project is too big to fail. Halfway into what was supposed to be a 10-year, $16 billion project to implement the new system, Wasserman Schultz said Congress has already appropriated $10 billion for the effort, including $5 billion in payments to Oracle Cerner. An independent cost estimate by the Institute for Defense Analyses, commissioned by the VA, projects that the rollout could actually cost more than $33 billion over 13 years. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, isnt a member of the House VA Committee but made a special appearance at Thursdays hearing to repeat her call for the project to be canceled. The Oracle Cerner electronic health record system has been a complete failure, McMorris Rodgers said. Irresponsible doesnt even begin to describe it. The Spokane congresswoman asked Robert Fischer, Mann-Grandstaffs director, about specific problems with how the system handles chemotherapy, which involves using precise doses of potentially lethal drugs to treat cancer. Fischer said the Spokane hospital has an experienced oncologist who has been reluctant to use the Oracle Cerner system for multi-agent chemotherapy without first testing it in a way that doesnt risk the safety of a real patient. Meredith Arensman, chief of staff at the VA hospital in Columbus, the only other site that uses the Oracle Cerner systems oncololgy module, told McMorris Rodgers she shares those concerns. Arensman, like some of the other witnesses, said she had only a moderate level of confidence that the broad range of problems with the system could be fixed. According to records The Spokesman-Review received from the VA through a Freedom of Information Act request, as of July 17 the Oracle Cerner system had contributed to 4,423 cases of patient harm at the five sites that have implemented it. Nearly all of those cases occurred at the two largest facilities using the system, with more than 1,900 in Spokane and almost 2,300 in Columbus, Ohio. More than 78% of the total cases are classified as minor harm, which the VA defines as not causing injury or requiring additional care. Another 885 incidents are considered moderate harm, meaning that they increased the length of stay or level of care needed for one or two patients. Major harm defined as a permanent loss of bodily function, disfigurement, a problem that requires surgical intervention, or that requires a longer hospital stay or higher level of care for at least three patients occurred in 44 total case, including 18 in Spokane. There have also been nine cases of catastrophic harm , which involve death or major permanent loss of function, including four in Spokane, four in Columbus and one in White City, Oregon. The VA acknowledged in March that problems with the system had contributed to the deaths of four veterans. VA Secretary Denis McDonough attends an event at the White House on March 3, 2023. In April, McDonough ordered a halt to a troubled computer systems rollout, but it continues to be used in facilities serving about 200,000 veterans during what the department is calling a reset period. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) The current reset period follows multiple delays to the systems initial launch in Spokane, another pause McDonough ordered when patient harm first emerged and postponed launches at larger hospitals in Seattle, Boise and elsewhere. Evans, who has headed the systems rollout for only six months, assured lawmakers in both hearings that the current pause is different and wont end until the VA and Oracle Cerner make real progress. Rep. Mike Bost, an Illinois Republican who chairs the VA panel, said Congress has been letting VA grade its own test for too long. We were far too hands-off at the beginning of this project, he said. Its simple: the project has to deliver results or end. Bost said he and Rep. Mark Takano of California, the committees top Democrat, have been working together to revise legislation that originated in the Senate VA Committee to prevent the department from launching the system at any other sites until it can prove the system is safe. Bost has also cosponsored a bill that would end the project altogether, but that legislation has little support from other Republicans and none from Democrats. It cannot be understated how big this problem is, both in terms of cost and scale, Takano said, but he added that a modern electronic health record system is necessary if we want VA to be able to provide world-class health care and for its providers and veterans to be able to access new health care technology. Since the system launched in Spokane, it has been plagued by frequent outages and degradations, which force health care workers to document patient information on paper until the system is back online. Sicilia, an executive vice president at Oracle, told House appropriators that his company has made swift progress with the systems reliability, with zero outages caused by Oracle in 11 of the previous 12 months. On Thursday, Arensman said those numbers dont tell the whole story. Despite fewer total outages, she said, system degradations have forced workers at her hospital to revert to paper documentation about once a month, including twice in the previous two weeks. Switching to a new electronic health record system invariably reduces the number of patients a hospital can see until employees get used to the new system, but all four hospital leaders told lawmakers Thursday that productivity still had not recovered, forcing them to send more veterans elsewhere for care. In an exchange with Rep. Matt Rosendale, a Montana Republican who chairs the VA subcommittee charged with oversight of the system, Fischer said that nearly three years after the systems launch in Spokane, Mann-Grandstaff still cant care for as many patients as it did before, and it is hard to predict whether that will ever change. While much of the attention from Congress has been focused on outages, the hospital leaders agreed that even when the system is working as designed, its unintuitive setup could continue to cause problems. Fischer said the systems launch at Chicagos Lovell Federal Health Care Center in March will be a critical test, because that will be the first highly complex, level-one VA facility to use it. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in an interview Wednesday that she remains committed to funding the Oracle Cerner systems development, while admitting she is not a technical expert. That points to the fundamental challenge Congress faces in providing oversight to a highly technical project with billions of dollars at stake. Theres no wonderful, good options at this point, so what Im really focused on right now is the reset, she said. I want to hear from my constituents that things are going better. If that doesnt happen, Murray said, Congress and VA leaders will need to have a discussion about changing course. But man, that is a painful discussion, so I dont think its one we should opt into just without thinking about it. Asked whether she is concerned about the possibility of the government being locked into a contract that isnt sure to succeed, she said that problem began when the Trump administration gave Cerner a sole-source contract in 2018. Do I wish that we hadnt done that? Yeah, Murray said. But here we are, five years into it, and its just a real challenge, and I think were all trying to work our way through it. Orion Donovan Smiths work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspapers managing editor. (c)2023 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Visit The Spokesman-Review Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi's post-arrest bail in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case. ATC Judge Abual Hsanat Zulqarnain announced the verdict on the PTI leader's plea and directed him to submit a surety bond of Rs20,000 against the bail. The PTI president was arrested hours after his release from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody on September 1, despite the fact that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had explicitly restricted the authorities from arresting him earlier that day. The September 1 order was a reiteration of similar orders issued by the high court on July 13, 2023. Elahi has been arrested and detained repeatedly since the May 9 riots. The PTI president is accused of sending rioters to Islamabad to vandalise the judicial complex along with providing vehicles and batons for the same, the police claimed, adding that the physical remand was being sought to question him about unidentified criminals and recover vehicles. In the previous hearing, Judge Zulqarnain had sent the PTI leader to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand after rejecting the prosecution's request seeking a 10-day physical remand. During the hearing today, Elahi's lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq told the court that his client's name was added to the first information report (FIR) six months after it was filed. The Elahi counsel said that others including PTI Chairman Imran Khan and party leader Asad Umar were granted bail in the same case, pleading that his client should also be granted bail. However, the prosecution opposed the bail plea. Lawyer Babar Awan told the court that Elahi was not named in the FIR, adding that the police could not recover anything during the three-day physical remand. "Parvez Elahi was arrested on the basis of suspicion," added Awan. At this, Prosecutor Raja Naveed said that the provisions under which the FIR was registered are non-bailable. " The judge observed that Elahi was not nominated in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case. He added that nothing was recovered during his physical remand. After hearing the arguments, the ATC judge accepted Elahis bail application. Judicial complex riots On March 18, PTI workers suddenly began pelting stones at the authorities inside the premises of the Federal Judicial Complex during Khans appearance before different courts in connection with multiple cases filed against him. The former prime minister came with hoards of people who had wooden sticks and stones in their hands from the opposite side of the road in violation of Section 144. The situation resulted in injuring 52 police and personnel of other assisting forces, said the police, adding that the PTI workers also damaged 12 Islamabad police vehicles. Three police vehicles of the Punjab police and Frontier Corps (FC) were also damaged by agitated workers. Moreover, the workers also set fire to four cars of the federal police which were completely burned, added the police. Subsequently, a terrorism case was registered against the PTI workers at the counter-terrorism department (CTD) police station for vandalism. Islamabad police had also registered an FIR against the PTI cheif and other party leaders for their alleged involvement in attacking cops, setting ablaze vehicles and destroying property. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial Friday said in his statement on last day in the bench before his retirement that he is grateful to Allah for taking his service for the country and justice. He said that they must criticize the decisions but not the judges as they cannot defend themselves in response to criticism. According to details, CJP Umar Atta Bandial is retiring from his post tomorrow (Saturday) and will be replaced by the senior-most judge of Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faiz Esa who will take oath as the Chief Justice of Pakistan on September 17. On the last day in the bench of Supreme Court, Chief Justice Umar Atta thanked the lawyers and journalists and said: Good to see you all my friends. Lawyer Mian Bilal stated when it was your first case in High Court, I appeared before you. Today it is your last case in the Supreme Court, again I am appearing. Speaking to the lawyer, Chief Justice replied: Your case has become ineffective, but if you give arguments, it is a good idea to keep the heart happy. Lawyer Mian Bilal added you always listened to us patiently, to which Justice Bandial said it is our duty to listen patiently to everyone. We always get to learn and support from the bar. The Chief Justice of Pakistan continued to say that by wearing a black coat, we consider ourselves a part of the bar. Justice Sahir Ali used to say that bar is our mother, God willing, we will meet in the bar room, he added. Justice Umar Atta said: Thanks to my colleagues in the media who kept me diligent. I welcome the criticism of media. They must criticize the decisions but not the judges as they cannot defend themselves in response to criticism. Before criticizing a judge, check whether it is based on truth or speculation, criticism of judges should not be based on lies, added Umar. The Chief Justice said that he is grateful to Allah who took his service to serve the country and justice, he did the duty for Allah. The Supreme Court of Pakistan struck down amendments to the National Accountability Law on Friday. The amendments had been challenged by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan. Chief Justice of Pakistan anounced the 2-1 decision of allowing Khans petition, with Justice Mansoor Ali Shah dissenting. The judegment said that all cases against public office holders that had been closed by the amendments would be reopened. The judgement will restore all the accountability cases against a host of politicians. The judgement has added that all such cases should be reopened within seven days. All decisions handed by accountability courts under the amended law have also been declared null and void. The decision also struck down a clause that had said that cases involving less than Rs500 million would not be seen by NAB. Clauses regarding plea bargains and shifting the burden of proof to the prosecution have also been declared void. The decision also strikes down changes in definitions of assets beyond means and benami properties. The judgement comes on the last workday of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandials tenure. A total of 53 hearings were held in the case. Reserving the judgment on September 5, CJP Bandial had said that the court will hand down a short and sweet judgement before his retirement. A notice issued on Friday morning said that a three-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would announce the decision at 12:15 pm. The time was later changed to 12:30pm. The case is based on a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in 2022 against the amendment passed by the parliament during the Pakistan Democratic Movement governments tenure. The decision was announced after a total of 53 hearings. The NAB amendments had restricted the bureaus powers to probe corruption to only include cases involving atleast Rs500 million. The las had also reduced the tenure of the bureaus chairman and ordered that pending inquiries should be transferred to relevant authorities. Imran Khan had said in the petition that the amendments had been brought to legitimise corruption and provide benefit to influential personalities. Reports of date violence also surged from 49,225 to a record 70,790 over the same period. The number of stalking reports received by police rose 6.5 times from 4,513 in 2020 to 29,565 last year, and in the first eight months of this year there were already 21,815 reports. Requests for police protection also rose from 1,428 in 2021 to 7,091 last year. According to the National Police Agency, law enforcement officers were dispatched 6,245 times after stalking and date violence reports last year, a surge from 1,419 times in 2020 or 17.1 incidents a day on average. A female worker in her 20s at the station was stabbed to death in the restroom by a former coworker who had been stalking her for three years. A brutal murder in Sindang subway station a year ago has led to growing awareness of stalking and tougher police action, but the menace continues. Critics say protections do not go far enough. Stalkers tend to be repeat offenders and need to be kept apart from the victim. Police can resort to emergency measures, while the courts can issue injunctions and even jail offenders. Emergency measures include ordering perpetrators to stay at least 100 m away from the victim's home and barring phone calls to them, but the violation rate was 11 percent from October of 2021 to July this year. Courts have four options -- a written warning, an off-limits order, a no-contact order and incarceration for up to a month. But from October of 2021 until this July, eight percent of those court orders were not obeyed. Police say the incarceration order needs to be enforced more often. Police requested 1,913 incarceration orders for stalkers from December of 2021 until July of this year, but courts granted only 45.6 percent of them, compared to some 90 percent for other orders. A police spokesman said, "The best time to prevent a violent crime is when the first police report is filed. It is too bad that the courts are still reluctant to resort to the incarceration option." But legal experts warn that extreme caution must be exercised before putting people in jail. Others call for harsher punishment. Han Na-ra at the Judicial Policy Research Institute analyzed court rulings in 1,295 stalking cases from January to May of this year and found that 32 percent were dismissed, 33 percent resulted only in a suspended sentence, 27 percent in fines, and just 5.4 percent in jail terms. "The judiciary must strengthen punishment to meet the demands of the public," People Power Party lawmaker Chung Woo-taik said. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency earlier this week offered W2 million to help stalking victims move to a new home (US$1=W1,326). Police promised to assign two bodyguards to stalking victims who cannot afford to move or if the perpetrator is not arrested. Sergiu Vlasanescu, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and public intoxication. The incident happened on the Liffey boardwalk in Dublin A drunken man called gardai racists when they asked him his name in central Dublin, a court heard. Gardai were asking Sergiu Vlasanescu (39) for his details after he was seen shouting at tourists, Dublin District Court heard. Vlasanescu, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and public intoxication. The court heard gardai saw the accused shouting at tourists while leaning against the Liffey boardwalk railings, holding an open beer can at 5.45pm on April 3 this year. He was unable to speak coherently or stand, and refused to give his details. Gardai found two phones on the boardwalk and asked his name so they could see if either phone was his. Vlasanescu aggressively squared up to the gardai and said: F**k off, you racists. He was also arrested for a separate incident on Liffey Street, where he again told gardai to f**k off when they found him stumbling and shouting at passers-by. The accused had very little recollection of the incidents, his lawyer said. Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case for a probation report. Vlasanescu was remanded on continuing bail to a date in October. The landlord and tenant lived in the same building at the time of the alleged offence on October 1 last A 71-year-old landlord has appeared in court charged with the sexual assault of his tenant at an Ennis apartment last year. At Ennis District Court, the pensioner appeared charged with the alleged sexual assault offence on October 1st last contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Amendment Act. The alleged victim in the case is a 26-year-old man. Solicitor, John Casey for the accused told Judge Alec Gabbett that his client is contesting the case and requested a hearing date. The landlord and tenant lived in the same building at the time of the alleged offence on October 1st last. Judge Gabbett asked Mr Casey: They are hardly still living together? In response, Mr Casey said: They are. Judge Gabbett imposed reporting restrictions on the identity of the accused and alleged victim in the case. Sgt Louis Moloney said that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that the case be heard in the district court. After hearing an outline of the facts in the case against the accused, Judge Gabbett said that he would hear the case in the district court. He said: That seems to be appropriate. Outlining the States case against the accused, Sgt Moloney said that the alleged victim made a formal complaint at Ennis Garda Station on October 1 that was in his bedroom earlier and was the subject of a sexual assault by his landlord. Sgt Moloney said that the alleged victim alleges that the defendant entered his bedroom and said: I love you and I want to have sex with you and in reply the alleged victim said: I dont want anything sexual with you. Sgt Moloney said that the alleged victim will allege that the 71-year-old man remained on the bed and started touching his penis. Sgt Moloney said that the alleged victim asked what are you doing? and the older man replied because I like it. Sgt Moloney added: The injured party further alleged that the defendant tried to pull down his pants and told him to stop and that he would call gardai. Sgt Moloney stated that the alleged injured party alleged that his penis was touched a second time and he then went to Ennis Garda station and also called 999. Judge Gabbett told Sgt Moloney that he could find out from the alleged injured party how he wanted to give evidence for the hearing date. Judge Gabbett remanded the accused on continuing bail to December 14th for hearing. Garda Michael McCabe said the DPP had directed summary trial in the district court on a guilty plea only, but the man pleaded not guilty, and the court heard a book of evidence would be required. A Dublin man accused of the historical indecent assault of his sister has been sent for jury trial. The man, who is in his 60s, was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Swords District Court. The accused, who cannot be named to protect the alleged victim, is charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a woman at a location in north Dublin in the 1980s. The man replied I am not guilty, after he was charged, a court had heard. Garda Michael McCabe said the DPP had directed summary trial in the district court on a guilty plea only, but the man pleaded not guilty, and the court heard a book of evidence would be required. A state solicitor told Swords District Court the book of evidence was now ready and had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge John Brennan gave the accused the formal alibi caution. The judge also assigned defence solicitor Fiona DArcy and one junior counsel on free legal aid. As part of his bail conditions, the accused has been ordered to sign on once a week at his local garda station and have no contact with the alleged victim, either directly or through social media. He was remanded on bail to appear before a court in the Criminal Courts of Justice next month. Martin Farrell of Orchard Court, Clonsilla was ordered to complete the restorative justice services programme. Photo: Irishphotodesk.ie A Dublin man who called a garda a n***** and told him to f**k off back to your own country does not have great social skills, a court heard. Martin Farrell (36) did not understand why he was being arrested and he lashed out in a totally unacceptable way, his lawyer said. Judge Susan Fay said she found the use of words by Farrell to be really disturbing. Judge Fay said it was very positive that An Garda Siochana had embraced diversity, adding that no one should be subjected to the comments made by the defendant. Judge Fay ordered Farrell to work with the Probation Service and complete the restorative justice services programme. She adjourned the matter to a date in November. The defendant, with an address at Orchard Court, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, admitted threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour on March 3, 2020. Garda Subomi Etti told Blanchardstown District Court that gardai were called to the defendants home in relation to a separate incident. Gda Etti said Farrell was verbally abusive towards him. He stated that Farrell told him f*ck off n***** and go back to your own country. The court heard that the defendant had no previous convictions. Defence lawyer Mark McMahon accepted the crime was troubling, but he said that Farrell doesnt have great social skills. Gda Etti said he did not know what poor social skills had to do with what was said. Mr McMahon said the defendant was very remorseful and wished to apologise to Gda Etti for his behaviour. Mr McMahon said Farrell, who was unemployed, lived with his elderly parents and suffered a number of health issues. In relation to this incident, the defence lawyer said tensions had been high on the night and his client did not understand why he was being arrested. Farrell lashed out in an unacceptable way, the lawyer said. Judge Fay said this matter was very disturbing but she would leave Farrell without a conviction if he completed the restorative justice service programme and made a donation to charity. The public order case is unrelated to Kiely's 12 million High Court damages case claiming U2 unlawfully used a song he himself had written and performed for model Cindy Crawford. Maurice Kiely (62) was arrested for his behaviour in a convenience store where he alleged he did not get the correct change for a 20 purchase A MUSICIAN who is suing U2 in a disputed claim that he wrote one of their songs has been fined for hurling abuse at a shopkeeper he maintained had short-changed him. Maurice Kiely (62) was arrested for his behaviour in a convenience store where he alleged he did not get the correct change from a 20 purchase, Dublin District Court heard. The public order case is unrelated to Kiely's 12 million High Court damages case claiming U2 unlawfully used a song he himself had written and performed for model Cindy Crawford. Judge Bryan Smyth fined him 200 for using threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour to cause a breach of the peace. Representing himself, Kiely, with an address at the Simon Community, Barrack Street, Dundalk, first asked the judge if he could offer a no contest plea. Judge Smyth said he could not and Kiely said he was pleading guilty. The court heard the incident happened at Spar on Abbey Street Lower, Dublin on April 23 this year. Gardai were called to a dispute that had occurred in relation to charging over a purchase made by Kiely. The accused was verbally abusive, causing disruption and annoyance to the staff and customers, the court heard. Kiely was also abusive to the gardai when they arrived and was arrested as a result of his behaviour. I was being short-changed in the shop, Kiely told the court. The manager had been called and they wouldnt give me the correct change, he claimed, alleging that his way had been barred." He said that when he explained the situation, the garda ignored me and took the managers side. He said he had been to Store Street garda station seeking CCTV footage but was not given it. The court heard he had previous public order convictions. The judge gave him five months to pay the fine. Kiely has brought a High Court claim for damages against U2 Ltd, the bands corporate entity, alleging unlawful use of the song A Man and a Woman. The track features on 2004s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album but Kiely claims he himself composed it in 1998 and offered it to U2 under terms which the group did not honor. He also claims that he performed the song for model Cindy Crawford and, accordingly, the lyrics address Mrs Crawford and have a special significance for the plaintiff concerning his feelings for her and their relationship. Kiely alleges U2 was short of material for its 2004 album and that he entered into an oral agreement with bass player Adam Clayton over the song's use. Kiely claims that the terms were that the song would only be used on the album and would never be performed live by U2 or registered as their own composition. U2 Ltd denies all of his claims, insisting Bono wrote the lyrics and all four band members composed the music. In March, Mr Justice Brian OMoore refused to compel bass guitarist Adam Clayton to answer pre-trial questions on oath. The case is yet to go to hearing. Garda Burke alleged that the accused walked up to the pensioner at Lower Rathmines Road and swung a punch A MAN accused of attacking a pensioner who was allegedly knocked unconscious in Dublin has been sent forward for trial. Nathan Kirby, 22, with an address at Kilcronan Court, Clondalkin, Dublin, is accused of assault causing harm to the 76-year-old pensioner who was allegedly punched and kicked in the face in Rathmines on January 6. He was granted conditional bail three days later and appeared again at Dublin District Court today. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed the case should proceed to a higher level with potentially broader sentencing powers. A book of evidence was served on the accused, and Judge Michele Finan granted a return for trial order, sending Mr Kirby forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case will be listed for mention on October 26. The accused was remanded on bail. At his bail hearing in January, Garda Natasha Burke told the court that the broadband worker made no reply to the charge. The court heard that the elderly man had previously complained about the accused when he worked in a shop as a cashier. Afterwards, Mr Kirby left that job. Garda Burke alleged that the accused walked up to the pensioner at Lower Rathmines Road and "swung a punch", which did not connect but caused him to "cower down in fear". She alleged that about 20 minutes later, he placed his hand on the complainant's right shoulder and swung a punch in his direction. But it fell short of connecting, and he walked away. Garda Burke said that the accused approached for a third time and "threw a punch into his face, causing him to fall to the ground". The garda said that while the elderly man tried to get onto his hands and knees, Mr Kirby allegedly "kicked him to the head and face". The pensioner, who lives in a local retirement home, fell "headfirst to the ground unconscious". Staff from a Boots pharmacy ran out to assist him while an ambulance and gardai were on the way. He had regained consciousness when Garda Burke arrived but had suffered a broken jaw, had a tooth knocked out and damaged dentures. The court heard the accused had no prior criminal convictions, had a supportive family, and had the offer of an address with relatives in Clondalkin. He must stay out of Rathmines, have no contact with the alleged victim, reside at an address he provided to the court, remain contactable by phone, and sign on at a Garda station once a week. A number of murals were defaced with swastikas and Iron Crosses Repairs to the murals are carried out US cops have busted a man in connection with the vandalism of a mural dedicated to journalist and activist Lyra McKee in Orlando, as well as the destruction of other works of wall art. Lyra was killed during riots in Northern Ireland in 2019. She was shot in the Creggan area of Derry whilst standing beside a police Land Rover. Authorities announced on Wednesday that Matthew Michael Robinson (34) has been arrested and charged with three counts of criminal mischief. Lyra McKee mural The murals outside support centres The Center and Zebra Youth, which celebrate gay and trans pride, were defaced on August 25 with homophobic graffiti, Nazi symbols, and an infamous anti-gay Bible verse. One of the murals paid tribute to the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. On September 13, 2023, Matthew Michael Robinson (34yoa W/M) was arrested and charged with 3 counts of Criminal Mischief. We will be seeking enhancements for evidence of prejudice during the commission of these crimes. Full details of the crimes he committed pic.twitter.com/QYeuS9HoB7 Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) September 13, 2023 In images posted to Instagram by The Center, the murals could be seen smeared in graffiti with words like gay is not okay and stop the lies, as well as Leviticus 20 18, a bible verse that calls homosexuality an abomination. The murals had also been defaced with swastikas and Iron Crosses, as well as a sign for Knights of the Black Sun a white nationalist and neo-Nazi group. Repairs to the murals are carried out After word spread of the destruction online, the community around Mills Avenue were photographed restoring the murals to their original state in the space of just 24 hours. Lyra McKee A statement from Orlando Police on the arrest reads: On September 13, 2023, Matthew Michael Robinson was arrested and charged with three counts of Criminal Mischief. We will be seeking enhancements for evidence of prejudice during the commission of these crimes. "We are still encouraging anyone who has information related to this incident to contact the Orlando Police Criminal Investigations Division or pass on their information anonymously through Central Florida Crimeline. This investigation is still ongoing. Back in June, a new annual bursary to help a student to pay the fees for a masters degree in journalism was launched in the name of Ms McKee. The Press Council of Ireland has entered into a partnership with four leading Irish universities to provide the annual Bursary worth 3,000 to help students who might not be able to afford to do a postgraduate degree without support. Half of the bursary will be paid by the Press Council and half by whichever of the universities the student is to attend. The participating universities are the University of Limerick, University of Galway, the Technological University Dublin, and Dublin City University. Samsung is waging a campaign to encourage staff to travel domestically and help boost the economy that way. The conglomerate is encouraging some 250,000 executives and staff in its 20 subsidiaries across the country to spend their long Chuseok holiday in Korea rather than abroad, a group spokesman said Thursday. The group is also promoting seafood sales at its online mall to boost the fisheries industry, which has been shaken by the release of wastewater from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. The campaign includes banners as well as information on local tourist spots, local events and accommodation by e-mail, bulletin board and elevator screen. Samsung Electronics, the group's flagship company, has invited famous travel bloggers to give lectures for its staff and is drawing up a map of the best restaurants in each region based on staff recommendations. The campaign will continue until the end of the year. Seventeen subsidiaries including Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI and Samsung C&T have opened a marketplace at the group's online mall where they are promoting sales of some 400 fishery products. This brings to 15 the total number of individuals arrested to date in connection with this investigation Gardai have made three further arrests as part of ongoing investigations into a public order incident in which a car drove at a group of people in a shopping centre in Galway last weekend. The incident in which a number of fights were recorded on camera and a car was filmed driving at a group of people a number of times took place on the Headford Road in Galway City last Sunday afternoon. Three males, one in his 40s one in his 30s and a third in his 20s, were arrested in the course of an operation this Friday morning in the Galway area. They are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Western region. This brings to 15 the total number of individuals arrested to date in connection with this investigation. Gardai in Galway continue to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward. They are particularly appealing to those who were in the College Road and Headford Road areas in Galway between 5.45pm and 6.45pm on Sunday evening and observed any violent behaviour, to contact them. Additionally, individuals with camera footage, including dash cam recordings, from the area are urged to provide this material to the Gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station at 091 538 000, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Captagon has been dubbed poor mans cocaine Dubai cops have seized 86 million tablets of the amphetamine known as Captagon hidden in furniture, authorities said on Thursday, estimating the street value at approximately 1 billion. It is understood the drugs were found after detectives searched a suspicious looking transport container. Images showed Dubai police ripping open wooden panels and doors where some 86 million pills were stashed. Dubai police said they seized five shipping containers holding the 13 tonnes of pills in the major discovery. Footage released from a chopper showed cop cars surrounding trucks on a motorway during the operation. Captagon has been dubbed poor mans cocaine, and is reportedly popular amongst young people in the far east. It is not known where the drugs originated but Syria has been reported as one possible location, according to the BBC. Police surround trucks containing drugs The drug is highly addictive and often laced with caffeine, which soldiers reportedly use going into battle in order to increase courage and awareness. Syria has been decimated by civil war in recent times. Poverty is said to have forced many Syrians to become involved in the illegal Captagon trade, which is worth billions. The United States, Britain and European Union accuse Syrian President Bashar Assad, his family and allies, including Lebanons militant Hezbollah group, of facilitating and profiting from the trade. They say that has given Assads rule a dig out at a time when the Syrian economy is falling apart. The Syrian government and Hezbollah deny the claims. Reports have linked various figures in business and the military circles to the manufacturing and distribution of Captagon. Video footage UAE cops released showed police following the containers and monitoring suspects, as well as dismantling 651 doors and 432 wooden panels to get to the pills. Captagon pills An international crew planned to ship the drugs hidden in containers to the UAE and then transport them to another country, said Maj Gen Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb, head of the police's anti-drugs unit. An X-ray machine and a canine unit helped uncover the haul, he added. Six people were nabbed during the cops operation. It is thought this discovery may be one of the biggest in the history of the world. The UAE stands as an impenetrable fortress against any threat aimed at jeopardizing the security and well-being of the Emirati society, Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement. The value of the seizure given by authorities put the price of a pill at nearly 12. Costs can be as high as 25 a pill in neighboring Saudi Arabia, reportedly. Passengers travelling from destinations across Europe have been impacted More than 40 flights arriving into Dublin Airport this evening have been hit with delays. Its understood a number of these delays are as a result of repairs to a taxiway. Passengers travelling from destinations across Europe have been impacted, including those arriving from London, Brussels and Prague. It appears a number of flights departing Dublin Airport have also been affected. There are minor delays to some flights at Dublin Airport this afternoon as repairs are being carried out on one of the taxiways, said Graeme McQueen, the Media Relations Manager at daa, the operator of Dublin Airport. A taxiway is a shorter path used by aircraft to move to and from a runway. On average, it appears flights impacted at Dublin Airport this evening are experiencing delays with some passengers waiting up to two hours from their originally scheduled time. A number of airlines have been impacted by the repairs, including Ryanair and Aer Lingus. More to follow... We ask everyone to wear pink colours or bright colours, pink ties or shirts for the boys The family of a young Dublin mother who died whilst on holiday in Turkey at the weekend has requested everyone wear bright colours to her funeral, to match her spirit. Mary Murphy had been rushed to hospital after taking ill, where she later died, leaving the local community in Finglas devastated by the news. Her death notice on RIP.ie states: "We ask everyone to wear pink colours or bright colours pink ties or shirts for the boys, we want Mary to have the biggest brightest send off as she deserves it, she lit up every room she walked into. Mary who was suddenly taken to heaven to her baby girl Billie-Mae leaving behind her broken hearted partner Keith, sons Killian, Alex and Dawson, mother and father, sisters Anne-Marie and Leanne, brother Martin, grandson Hunter, her nephews Lewis and Logan, nieces Chantelle, Chloe and many more, sisters and brothers in-law, aunties, uncles, cousins and extended family and large circle of friends. Reposing at 127 Berryfield on Sunday and Monday. Removal on Tuesday to St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Rivermount arriving for Requiem Mass at 10am and thereafter to Glasnevin Cemetery. A fundraising appeal that was launched to help Marys family bring her home has reached its 30,000 goal. One person paid tribute to the mum with "a heart made of pure gold" while another added: "You should be still enjoying your holiday and then going home to your little boy. The GoFundMe appeal was set up by friends to help the family with repatriation and funeral costs. The Our diamond Mary page reads: "As many of you know Mary and Keith took a well-deserved break to Turkey to celebrate Keith's 40th birthday. "Mary and Keith have had a very hard couple of years after burying their precious daughter Billie Mae. "During their holiday, Mary took very unwell and was taken to hospital. "Her family have rushed to be with Mary as things were not looking good. "Unfortunately, Mary passed away suddenly, and the family are going through unimaginable pain. "Mary is back with her princess but has left behind three beautiful children. Many poignant tributes have been left on RIP.ie including: "Mary will always be remembered as the gentlest and sweetest lady who was to good for this world, and Thank you for all the memories we shared together. I will miss you dearly you have left a big hole in our hearts that will never be filled. Love you always. Mourners heard how Peter McDermott was a fine and hardworking man who had a great passion for nature The funeral of a man who died in Westport following a fatal assault last week heard how his greatest achievement in life was creating a beautiful family and home with his wife and daughter. Mourners gathered at St Patrick's Church, Louisburgh, in Co Mayo, this afternoon to celebrate the cherished memory of 60-year-old Peter McDermott, whose great passion was his huge love for his family. Peter died at Mayo University Hospital on Sunday following the assault. His family thanked priests, An Garda Siochana, emergency services and the kind and caring nurses for all that they did. Today we have gathered here in sorrow, maybe full of grief, shock and perhaps even anger. "These are all human emotions at the death of a person we have loved. These emotions can even overwhelm us, Fr Martin Long said. He asked that mourners both smile and laugh at the wonderful memories to be shared of Peter and his personality, in order to make sense of such a tragedy. Mourners heard how Peter was a fine and hardworking man who had a great passion for nature, braving the elements to pick stones at hillsides, mountains or by the sea. Michael, Peters eldest brother, delivered the eulogy, telling of how they grew up by the border in Co Leitrim, Peter being the third youngest in a family of 11, who had no luxuries early in life. As a young boy, at night, all the siblings kept warm by being stuffed into one bed, mourners heard. They amused themselves by chatting or playing cards and when the first TV arrived when he was 14, Peter immediately fell in love with Western films. Their only mode of transport at that time was a tractor until one of his older brothers got a car back in 1977. Peter was described in school as a great and loyal friend, a true gentleman. His brother Michael told how Peter enjoyed the social aspect of school but wanted to get out and work, which he did, the very next day after finishing. He worked for five years in a butcher shop in Co Sligo as a young man, where he gave his money to his beloved mother. He later moved to London and New York, where he became a skilled tradesman. Mourners heard how Peters life changed when he met his wife Lorraine Walsh in Sligo, before eventually settling down together in Mayo, where they raised their now adult daughter Croia. They heard how Peters crowning achievement was the beautiful family and home he created. Symbols of Peters life as a father, uncle and friend were brought to the altar by his four sisters, including a set of rosary beads, said in the family home each night, when he was a young boy. Two pictures were brought to the altar, one of Peter with his parents and one of Peter with his wife Lorraine and daughter Croia. Stones picked by Peter were brought to the altar to symbolise his love of nature. A photograph with the view from his home over Clew Bay was also presented. Upon the view lies three silhouettes, Peter, Lorraine and Croia, standing upon their forever home together in Murrisk. Mourners heard that Peter and Lorraines home became the nucleus for the extended family, who were always welcomed for social events, particularly on New Years Eve. Most of all, Peter was remembered as a dear friend to all. His interest in people was enormous and the essence of Peter was that he truly loved life. He always offered his ear for support and advice when it was needed, his brother Michael said. He could make you believe anything good was possible. Plans to expand garda powers to carry out drug testing at crash scenes are being considered by the Government as part of new road safety measures. The Irish Independent can reveal that ministers have discussed expanding garda powers in relation to drug testing of motorists, in a move that would effectively align with current laws around breathalysing motorists for alcohol. The proposed change was raised by Justice Minister Helen McEntee at Cabinet on Wednesday as part of discussions on Junior Transport Minister Jack Chambers proposals to lower speed limits on many of the countrys national, rural and local roads. Mr Chambers told the Irish Independent last night: I am committed to bringing reform in this area so there is mandatory drug testing at a serious collision to replicate the current legislative provision for mandatory alcohol testing. At present, gardai have broad discretion to carry out testing on motorists for the presence of alcohol in their system. It is effectively mandatory where a garda has a suspicion that a motorist is driving under the influence of drink and where they are attending the scene of a road crash in which a person has been injured. The proposed plans would involve giving gardai powers to also carry out drug tests in these same circumstances. It follows discussion between Ms McEntee and senior gardai on the issue in recent weeks. Tanaiste Micheal Martin signalled changes to current laws around roadside drug testing of motorists at a press conference yesterday, when he was asked about plans to reduce speed limits by 20km on many of the countrys roads a plan which is expected to be rolled out next year once legislation is passed in the Oireachtas. It is unclear if the legislative changes would fall to the Department of Justice or the Department of Transport but there is a consensus across the Coalition on the need to reform the current laws. A senior Government source said that the laws around drug testing motorists need to be tighter and suggested the list of drugs that would be tested for will also be expanded. At present, garda roadside drug tests analyse a saliva sample for the presence of opiates, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and cannabis. Mr Martin said that legislative changes would be part of a broader examination and reform of road safety measures. It comes after a summer of tragedy on Irish roads that has seen a substantial increase in the number of road deaths in comparison with previous years. There is evidence emerging of increased drug taking, and perhaps need for legislation there in respect of the mandatory nature of checking for drugs as opposed to checking for alcohol, Mr Martin said. Mr Chambers said that new roadside drug wipe equipment being used by gardai in recent months will enable the introduction of the reforms around drug testing. I have asked my officials in the Department of Transport as part of the legislative group to progress work on this so the necessary legislative changes can be drafted, he said. Drug driving is as serious an issue as drink driving and the legislation needs to reflect this. Drug drivers must face the full consequences of the law. Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Gibraltar castle lit green to show solidarity with Moroccans after tragic earthquake The chief minister and officials paid their respects to victims SUR in English Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Gibraltar's Arabic castle was illuminated with green lights this week as a tribute to the Moroccan people and to show support after the tragic earthquake that struck north of Marrakesh last Friday. Members of the government and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo held a vigil outside N 6 Convent Place to pay their respects to victims and all those affected. Gibraltar to hold general election next month The government has now been dissolved and voting for the 17 members of parliament will take place on 12 October SUR in English Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The government of Gibraltar was officially dissolved on 12 September in a proclamation issued by the governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel. He has requested a General Election of Elected Members of Parliament to be held on 12 October. Elections are held in Gibraltar every four years to elect the 17 members of the Rock's parliament. In 2019 the GSLP-Liberal Alliance won their third consecutive election, retaining their majority in the parliament and Fabian Picardo returned for his third term of office as Chief Minister of Gibraltar. "The last four years have been, without doubt, the toughest four years this community has ever faced," said Picardo on Tuesday, citing the Covid pandemic and post-Brexit negotiations among the challenges faced. SUR in English Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The first cochlear implant was carried out in Gibraltar last Friday. A cochlear implant is an implanted electronic hearing device, designed for persons with severe to profound nerve deafness. It works by electrically stimulating nerves inside the inner ear allowing the patient to hear some sounds. The surgery was carried out by a team of visiting ENT surgeons from University College London Hospital, Mr Sherif Khalil and Professor Shak Saeed. Actor Michael Pena plays astronaut Jose Hernandez in 'A Million Miles Away.' Daniel Daza (Daniel Daza/Prime) Two moments shaped the destiny of Jose Hernandez. The first occurred when he was just 10 years old. As the youngest son in a Mexican family, he was entrusted with holding up the rabbit ears those ancient antennas over the television set. It was an old, black-and-white contraption with shaky reception and the family wanted to watch the Apollo 17 Moon mission. Young Jose watched spellbound as Eugene Cernan became the last person to walk on the Moon, his first encounter with outer space. The second significant moment occurred in 1981 when he completed high school in Stockton, California. He would be pursuing an engineering degree in college, but his dream of becoming an astronaut had never faded. That year, a piece of news would leave a lasting impact on him. While hoeing a row of sugar beets in a field, he heard on the radio that Costa Rican astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz would become the first Latin American to travel into space. He came from a humble family just like me and spoke with an accent just like mine. It sparked something in me, and I couldnt help but ask myself, If he can do it, why cant I? said Hernandez. He was turned down 11 times by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). But in 2009, this son of migrant farmworkers from Michoacan (western Mexico) who grew up harvesting fruits and vegetables in American fields, became the third Latino in history to travel to space. A Million Miles Away, a new film by Mexican director Alejandra Marquez Abella, tells the story of how Jose Hernandez fulfilled his dream of conquering the stars. Marquez says that the movie starring American actor Michael Pena also the son of Mexican migrants presented a time management challenge as it aimed to tell a 50-year story in two hours. We had the difficult task of creating montages that portray 10 years in two minutes. So I watched films by masters like Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson who do this so well. Their films are wonderful and very inspiring for me, she said. Jose Hernandez (left) and actor Michael Pena (seated) on the set of 'A Million Miles Away' Daniel Daza (Daniel Daza/Prime) Hernandez was born in California in 1962, during one of his parents annual trips north from La Piedad, Michoacan. Every year, they harvested fruits and vegetables all over southern California for six months. When he was 10 years old and revealed his dream of becoming an astronaut, his father didnt discourage him. Instead, he shared his recipe for success: Define the goal and acknowledge that you are far from it. Then plan a path to the goal, study hard, and put the same hard work you do in the fields into achieving your dream. Hernandez followed his fathers advice closely. In the 1980s, he earned a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the University of the Pacific, and a masters degree in computer engineering and electrical engineering from the University of California. From there, he went to work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the next 14 years, where he contributed to the development of a new tool for the early detection of breast cancer. Finally, on his 12th application, Hernandez was accepted into NASAs astronaut program in 2004. I really wanted to make sure the film projected a very positive message that captured the spirit of my dads advice for reaching the stars, and the perseverance it requires. That was very important to me. I know that condensing a whole life into a two-hour film is tough, but Alejandra really hit the mark, said Hernandez during a visit to Mexico City to promote the film. Director Alejandra Marquez Abella during the filming of 'A Million Miles Away' Daniel Daza (Daniel Daza/Prime) Marquezs filmography includes Semana Santa (2015); Las Ninas bien (2018), in addition to a few episodes from the third season of Narcos: Mexico (2021) and El Norte sobre el vacio (2022). The latter recently won Best Picture at the 2023 Ariel Awards that recognize the best of Mexican cinema. Marquez mostly makes small independent films, which is why she says that working with a large studio like Amazon on A Million Miles Away was a new and challenging experience. I often joke that it felt like my own personal NASA mission, given the immense effort involved, said Marquez. Surprisingly, it was a liberating experience. Portraying a character as admirable as Jose, who is truly incredible in every sense, was a departure from the darker films Ive made in the past. It was vital to honor Jose's compelling life sincerely and in a profound and intriguing way. Both Hernandez and Marquez highlight the challenges faced by Latinos in the United States. Hernandez talks about the racism and discrimination he experienced, while Marquez describes her struggles with representation and inclusion in the film industry. This year, were seeing more Mexican and Latino representation in mainstream films. However, the percentage of films with Latinos or Hispanics in lead roles still seems very low to me. The experiences of millions of people in the United States remain largely invisible in mass media. Its clear we still have a long way to go, said Marquez. Being Latino in the US is not necessarily easier now, said Hernandez. With the current political climate, it seems even more challenging. However, as the Hispanic population continues to grow, the resistance will eventually subside, leveling things out. Progress is crucial, and with the support of family and the community, you can achieve your dreams. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A green land to escape to After a summer with little rain, if you are missing green landscape then it is time to visit one of the greenest regions of Spain - Galicia Alekk M. Saanders Viveiro Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Galicia, the north-west corner of Spain, is known for its wild landscape, which looks Irish or Scottish. It boasts one of Spain's most beautiful coastlines, which remains green all year round. Breathtaking scenery with impressive cliffs can be enjoyed along a stretch of 100 kilometres from Viveiro to Ortigueira. Shades of green on the coast. A.M.Saanders Viveiro is one of the liveliest towns and especially loved by Spaniards. The town lies at the Ria of Viveiro. If 'rio' in Spanish defines a river, 'ria' means an estuary. The local river Landro flows into the Cantabrian Sea, forming a very large estuary in the very centre of he town. The region has ancient connections to the north. Historical findings reveal a fairly early settlement by Celts. Besides, Vikings used to attack the coast. However, the modern name of the town was given by Romans and relates to the impressive bridge that connects two parts of Viveiro: the old town and a newer one, Covas, where holidaymakers enjoy sunbathing. Viveiro and surroundings. A.M.Saanders Viveiro is surrounded by lush green valleys and rugged mountains. The Miradoiro de San Roque is a natural vantage point at a height of 353 metres. A complete panoramic view over the estuary, the town of Viveiro itself and a good part of the coast is to be enjoyed from there. It also offers a fairly extensive recreational area where there are some traditional 'horreos' (raised granaries) and the Chapel of San Roque (co-patron saint of Viveiro). Pig's Snout Moving to the west you come across sheer cliffs and wild, frothing seas which sometimes skilfully reflect greenery. Pig's Snout is something not to be missed. The official name of this unsual headland is Punta Socastro but everyone knows it as 'O Fucino do Porco' meaning in English 'pig's snout'. An impressive green route runs along a wooden pedestrian walkway and offers an amazing walk across cliffs that look out over the Cantabrian Sea as well as hills covered with pines and eucalyptus trees. Pig's Snout, one of the best benches in the world, goose barnacles. A.M.S. If Andalucia attracts many with its most southern point in Tarifa, Punta de Estaca de Bares is popular as the most northern point of Spain. It is located nearly halfway between Viveiro and Ortigueira. This place also marks the start of the Atlantic Ocean. And if Grazalema in Andalucia is known as the rainiest place in the country, Estaca de Bares is one of the rainiest places in Europe. This provides the area with a unique ecosystem creating a landscape with multiple shades of green. A unique ecosystem close to Estaca de Bares. A.M.Saanders Visitor tips A place to rest The best place to stop and sit down for a snack is a bench at Loiba coast in the municipality of Ortigueira. The bench is very special. Once some visitors engraved the inscription 'the best bench in the world' on its back, and later Unesco popularised it with a beautiful night photo by photographer Dani Caxete from Viveiro. As a result, thousands of visitors head to this great must-see. From my own experience, sitting on the bench with dreamy views let you indeed experience the feeling of infinity as all guide-books claim. In this area permanent eucalyptus scent combines with the smell of grilled seafood A place to eat In this area permanent eucalyptus scent combines with the smell of grilled seafood. Near the beach of Mourozos in Ortigueira you can find A Cabana do Fos. This popular local eatery offers an excellent selection of seafood and meat dishes - from fried razor clams, pulpo a la gallega (spiced boiled octopus) to a juicy entrecote with chips and diamond-shaped percebes, aka goose barnacles, lightly boiled in brine and served whole and hot under a napkin. To drink you will be offered Estrella Galicia, a beer praised by some as the best in Spain and in the world, as well as local wine made of Albarino white wine grape perfectly accompanying any local dish. Loventura. A.M.S. A place to stay Ortigueira has a very few places to stay in the town itself. However, there are plenty rural hotels and complexes allowing visitors to enjoy the peaceful and picturesque landscape. One of them is the rural hamlet of Loventura, located in a quiet forested zone. Partly restored 300-year-old stone farmhouses surrounded by two hectares of land with large shrubs, fruit trees and grassy terraces are hidden on the south slope of the intense green valley at the edge of the village of Baleo. Ortigueira has plenty rural hotels and complexes allowing visitors to enjoy the peaceful and picturesque landscape Tony Bryant Costa del Sol Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram In order to mark World Alzheimer's Day (21 September), the association of relatives of Alzheimer's patients and other dementias of Benalmadena and Torremolinos (AFAB) has prepared a series of activities in order to raise awareness of, and funds for, their work in the two Costa del Solmunicipalities. The initiative, which was announced on Tuesday by the president of AFAB, Mari Cruz Azuaga, and the Benalmadena councillor for Social Welfare, Aurea Peralta, will include information stands set up in several streets in the towns from Friday 15 September. Under the banner of Integrating innovation, the stands will be manned by volunteers of the association, who will offer help and advice in order to give visibility to the diseases. The main event - Encuentros con la Copla - will take place in the municipal auditorium in Benalmadena on Saturday 23 September. This fundraising concert will present some of the top performers of Spanish copla music, including Pedro Gordillo, Rocio Alba, Fini Mesa, Laura Cebrian, Adolfo Cisneros and Julia Belmonte, along with the participation of the Coro Albarelo choir. Tickets for the show cost ten euros and are available from the AFAB headquarters in Arroyo de la Miel. In addition, the association, which was founded in 1996, has launched a social media awareness campaign with videos focusing on how the disease does not only affect the elderly. Alzheimer's is still very stigmatised and many famous people do not want to reveal that they suffer from it. The only way to increase research and seek solutions is to make it visible, because, although new drugs are appearing, much remains to be done. Today it is them, but tomorrow it could be one of us the president said. For more information, see the AFAB Facebook page. Tony Bryant Torremolinos Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Torremolinos will host the first national autism conference at the Palacio de Congresos on Saturday 7 October, an event that will feature different experts who will offer talks and training workshops concerning the most current and relevant issues for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The conference was announced by the towns mayor Margarita del Cid, who said, This event aims to contribute to providing knowledge to relatives, colleagues, professionals and all those who are closest to people with ASD. Del Cid explained that experts in the field will address some of the key factors to promoting the autonomy and wellbeing of suffers of the disorder with actions that will improve their care in all aspects, such as education, employment, health and social inclusion. The activities will begin at 10.30am, when Almudena Calero, psychologist and technical advisor of the Asprodis Foundation, will give the opening presentation. This will be followed at midday with a talk - Adulthood and active aging in ASD by Daniel Comin, editor of Autismo Diario. At 4pm, Daniel Millan, psychologist and author of the book, The Autistic Guide, will offer a lecture, Detection and diagnosis: minors, adults and women. The final presentation will take place at 6pm, when psychologist Maria Verde will present the talk, Students with autism: knowing their needs and priorities. To conclude, a round table will be held in which to share thoughts about the meeting. The president of Fundacion Autismo Sur, Luciano Alonso, thanked the town hall for its involvement and support with highlighting autism with acts, not words, and with actions such as the one that gives autistic children the possibility to attend the San Miguel fair. Alonso pointed out that it is estimated that there are more than 450,000 people with autism in Spain, figures that show the need to continue researching and addressing actions for the benefit of these people. Tickets are available through www.entradium.com and cost 50 euros in advance and 75 euros on the day. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Choosing the cheapest petrol station to fill up can mean a saving of more than 23 euros for an average 60-litre tank. And this is especially true for Malaga, which is the Spanish province (only behind the Canary Islands) where there is a greater price difference between the 'low cost' and branded stations, although only in the case of petrol. That is according to the report distributed yesterday by Spain's national association of automatic (generally non-staffed) fuel stations (Aesae), which is the employer's association that brings together the so-called 'unattended' forecourts (although some of them do have a minimum staff to help users). Monolith with prices yesterday at a conventional petrol station. Nito Salas The maximum saving, depending on the area, varies between 8 and 23 euros in the case of 95-octane petrol, and between 11 and 24 euros in the case of diesel, for an average 60-litre tank. The greatest price difference in Spain is in the Canary Islands, with up to 48 cents for petrol and 46 cents for diesel. But in mainland Spain, Malaga stands out, a province where, according to this report, a difference of up to 0.39 euros per litre of 95-octane petrol can be found. Signage showing the prices at a low cost petrol station. Nito Salas As for diesel, which is the most used fuel, the change (although not negligible) is not so great: if you choose the cheapest one, you can save up to 0.35 euros per litre, or 21.00 euros per tank. In this case, Malaga drops to eighth position and Madrid, with 41 cents, is the province with the most radical differences. The study was carried out this September, after comparing the highest and lowest price offered in each region, using the information supplied by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge's website, explained the organisation. "In a context where we are returning to the highs of the last year in prices, it is necessary to go for competition and transparency. Petrol stations are working hard to offer the lowest prices and to help drivers. This policy of low prices is more evident when the price of fuel rises", commented Aesae. The main reason for this difference is the lower cost structure of fully automatic stations compared to traditional ones. In addition, these types of centres have the freedom to choose the product from the wholesaler, approved by the authorities, who offers the best price, so that the savings are passed on to the consumer, according to the group. Jose Rodriguez de Arellano, CEO of Plenoil, which is one of the main operators in this new 'low cost' market in Malaga province, considers that the results of the report "are not unreasonable", and explained: "The prices in the most expensive petrol stations are going up a lot to offer discounts for combined consumption (for example, electricity or gas); they raise the price on the board and then on top of that they give you a discount". The growing presence of this operator in the market is reflected in the fact that it has just become the first company in the self-service station sector to become a member of the main national business organisation, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE). Is it really that much? SUR has consulted an independent expert on the conclusions of the report. Antonio Ruiz is a Malaga businessman specialising in the sale of diesel to professionals, who also has his own service station in the province of Seville. "The market is 100% free and anything can happen, although we still tend to think of a monopoly. In the Spanish market there are operators like Repsol who have 50% of the petrol station market and who sets the price, but you can have another station next door that sells it cheaper". Ruiz did a quick exercise in Malaga and what he observed was that, as of yesterday, the maximum difference was 22 cents per litre in the province, although "there may be days and times when it is greater". "0.20 euros is the average difference between the most expensive and the cheapest, which is good enough," he said. In his opinion, the key is the increase in competition, which has almost doubled, so the market has become more fragmented: "Before, they used to sell a tanker full or one and a half a week, now there are petrol stations that take between two and three weeks to sell it". The businessman is in favour of the 'low cost' brands: "They offer a product of the same quality as the others, even with additives, and they have found a segment of the market; but there are also people who love their car and who like to use a prestige brand because they think it is better, and they have every right to do so". Ignacio Fernandez Martinez, technical secretary of the Agrupacion Andaluza de Vendedores al por menor de Carburantes y Combustibles (Agavecar), the employers' association of regular service stations, questioned the conclusions of the study carried out by the competition, insofar as it does not take into account the loyalty discounts that several of the main oil companies offer their customers. "Repsol gives discounts that add up to 40 cents, that has to be assessed and seen before giving a definitive figure and if they are not taken into account, they are cheating". To which he added: "We start from different positions, we have to evaluate the whole service as a whole, but I doubt that it is that much, because in some areas, where the unattended ones are isolated, the prices are similar to conventional ones". Filling up the tank has become a lot more expensive for many motorists in Spain. Antonio Contreras Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The cost of filling up the fuel tank at service stations across Malaga province has shot up again recently. The price for diesel has increased by an average of 56.50% in just three years, new data shows. The average price per litre in September 2020 stood at 1.072 euros in the province, while on 11 September 2023, the average was at 1.666 euros, according to tSpain's Ministry for Ecological Transition. The Andalucia region has experienced a very similar increase, where diesel has risen by 55.41% in three years. Meanwhile, there's been no let up in other fuel prices, with 95-octane petrol costing 46.87% more in Malaga, and 47.06% more in Andalucia, compared to three years ago. The average price of 95 petrol in September in Andalucia stands at 1.728 euros, while in Malaga it has risen to 1.762 euros per litre. These are the fuel stations in Malaga province with the lowest prices today The fuel price increase comes down to many factors such as rising taxes, distribution costs and the price for raw materials. Within the price of fuel, around 40% of the payment is tax. Fuels are not considered a basic necessity, so they are not subject to reduced Spain's IVA sales tax. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is also sticking to its plan, launched in April 2023, to reduce production by 1.1 million barrels per day, which aims to increase the profits extracted from each barrel and continues to push up the price of a barrel of Brent on the market. The trade rift with Russia, one of the main oil exporting countries, following the invasion of Ukraine is also a major factor. Pilar Martinez Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Malaga is expecting to welcome 200,000 cruise passengers at the city's port this high season for the travel sector, which kicked off this week. Three ships docked in the port of Malaga this week, a sign of what's to come until November, which is when the high season finishes. During this period around 200,000 passengers are expected to arrive on board 117 ships. It is the same number of cruise ships as last year, but carrying many more passengers. Of these ships, seven of them will be docking into Malaga for the first time. Three are new luxury-premium ships which will arrive in the next few days. They are the Seabourn Pursuit, which docked on Thursday 14 September at the Palmeral terminal, the Viking Neptune which will arrive this Friday 15 September, and the Silver Nova which will spend the night on 22 September at the South Berth. New routes Passengers will also be able to travel from Malaga to Egypt, or Miami, for the first time. MSC Cruises has programmed the new routes from next November. The first is a 23-night cruise on the high seas aboard the MSC Orchestra, which will depart on the 1 November for Sharam el-Sheikh in Egypt. Passengers will be flown back to Madrid at the end of the cruise. Those who prefer to cross the Atlantic will have two options. The first is a cruise departing from Malaga on 5 November on the MSC Magnifica, with a price starting at 869 euros. The second option is aboard the MSC Divina for 20 nights, with a fare from 1,469 euros. In both cases the return flight ticket to Malaga from Miami is not included. The port's busiest day will be Friday 3 November, when five cruise ships are expected to dock. In October alone, 49 ships will arrive, and 41 in November. Europa Press Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram A contingent of firefighters from the Diputacion de Malaga provincial brigade (CPB) is helping with search and rescue efforts in the area devastated by floods following the torrential rain in Libya that led to the collapse of two dams in Derna. Floodwater roared down the Wadi Derna river and through the city centre, sweeping away entire neighbourhoods, and it is estimated that more than 11,000 people have died in the catastrophe. Malaga city council has also offered to provide logistical support to the NGDO Firefighters Without Borders organisation. The latest deployment comes as Malaga's provincial fire brigade also sent a contingent of professionals to help in the search rescue operation in Morocco after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck north of Marrakesh on Friday 8 September. Five firefighters travelled to Morocco on Sunday. One lorry at the gates of the Fuengirola mosque, loaded with the donations. Lorena Cadiz Fuengirola Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Three 12-metre-long lorries parked outside a mosque in Fuengirola have been filled full of donations to help survivors of the Morocco earthquake. The donations will be delivered to Tangier, where they will then be transported to the survivors of the the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck last Friday 8 September north of Marrakech. The imam of the Fuengirola mosque, Mohamed Kamal Mostafa, encouraged the Muslim community living in the town to participate in a donation for the victims in Morocco and was overwhelmed with the response. Two of the lorries left for Tangier on Thursday 14 September and the third will leave this Friday. "If things continue to arrive we will continue to make deliveries, but for the moment we have stopped the collection because all the spaces are full," said Ali Ahmad, head of social affairs at the Fuengirola Mosque. Most of the donations are medicines, food, clothes and tents. "As far as we know, this may be the largest collection for Morocco that has ever taken place on the Costa del Sol. We know that there have been other initiatives, but none have had a response of this magnitude," Ahmad added. More new firms being set up in Malaga province than ever before In the first seven months of 2023 the province gained 4,521 companies, 12.4% more than in the same period of 2022 Cristina Vallejo Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram There were 500 new companies with Malaga province addresses set up in July. This was a 9.2% rise compared to the same month in 2022. It was the best July for the province since records began in 2008. Malaga was the third Spanish province with the highest number of new companies created, behind Madrid and Barcelona. In the first seven months of 2023, 4,521 companies opened in Malaga, 12.4% more than in the same period of 2022. March held by separatists on 'Diada' day in Catalonia The event on 11 September was a chance for pro-independence supporters to take to the streets of Barcelona city centre SUR Barcelona Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Monday this week (11 September) was the annual Catalonia Day in the northeastern region of Spain. Known as the Diada, the day historically celebrates distinct Catalan cultural and political identity, with the date commemorating the end of a period of resistance to the rest of Spain in the eighteenth century. As usual, it was a chance for pro-independence supporters to march in the centre of Barcelona. This year, with the vote of Catalan separatist MPs key to deciding the next government, the rest of Spain was paying more attention than usual to the celebrations. The Dominican Republics president announced Thursday he would close all borders with neighboring Haiti starting Friday in a dispute over a canal on the Haitian side that would use water from a river along their frontier. President Luis Abinader said air, sea, and land borders would close at 6 a.m. local time Friday and would remain shuttered until necessary, signaling that last-minute talks between the countries had failed to head off the closure. It is a rare move for the Dominican Republic, and could hit economies in both countries, though it will be most acutely felt in Haiti. The closure is a response to the excavation of a canal by a farming group on the Haitian side that targets waters from the Massacre River, which runs along the border shared by the two countries on the island of Hispaniola. Abinader in recent days also suspended issuing visas to Haitians and closed the border near the northern town of Dajabon, paralyzing a key economic lifeline for Haitians who buy and sell goods there several times a week. Those who live in Haiti, but work in the Dominican Republic also cross the border daily. They are suffering a lot here in Dajabon, and in Haiti, too, because there are a lot of goods that are spoiling, said Haitian businessman Pichelo Petijon. There are millions of dollars in losses. Abinader accused Haiti of trying to divert water from the Massacre River, and said it would affect Dominican farmers and the environment. The river is named after a bloody clash between French and Spanish colonizers in the 1700s, and it also was the site of a mass killing of Haitians by the Dominican army in 1937. On Wednesday, Haitis Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was meeting with Dominican officials in the Dominican Republic to talk about the situation. The Dominican government said Thursday that the meeting had stretched into its second day but provided no details. The meeting was continuing when Abinader announced he would close all borders starting Friday. Meanwhile, Jean Brevil Weston, leader of a farmers group near the border, was quoted by Haiti radio station Magik9 as saying that he will not stop working on the canal. Its the canal or death, he was quoted as saying. We are ready to be buried by the canal. The office of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry could not be immediately reached for comment. Claude Joseph, Haitis former prime minister and an aspiring presidential candidate, said the excavation does not violate any agreements or treaties between the two countries, and urged workers to keep working on the project. Joseph previously clashed with Abinader over an unrelated issue, prompting the Dominican president to ban him from his country. A line already was forming Thursday at the Dominican border town of Dajabon, with dozens of people seeking to cross into Haiti for various reasons, many with heavy bags balanced on their heads or suitcases in hand. Dominican authorities were opening the gate only three times a day, and only for crossings into Haiti. Among those waiting to cross was a 47-year-old Haitian man who gave his name only as Egnel, who said he had a job at a banana farm in the Dominican Republic. He said he needed to return to Haiti to take one of his daughters there to the hospital, and that he was willing to take the risk of not being able to return to his job. My objective is to take care of my daughter, he said. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Pasarela Larios 2023: everything you need to know about Malaga's great fashion festival The city hosts its biggest designer event this weekend on Europe's longest catwalk - here are all the details Almudena Nogues Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram For 12 years now on a weekend in September Malaga city centre has been turned into a giant catwalk for a two-day fashion show: Pasarela Larios. The double event will take place this weekend: Friday 15th and Saturday 16th in the commercial heart of the city. The now iconic blue carpet will once again stretch the length of Calle Larios, creating the longest catwalk in Europe, at 350 metres. There the latest collections by outstanding local, national and international designers and fashion houses will be displayed, allowing onlookers to examine new trends and get an insight into an industry that is becoming increasingly important in the productive fabric of the province. Here is a quick guide with everything you need to know for a fashion experience this weekend in the city. Where and when The show takes place in Calle Larios, a privileged open-air setting that makes the event unique in Europe. It is the longest fashion runway in Europe, a blue carpet of more than 300 metres in length. The fashion shows will be held on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 September from 8pm onwards. On the first day, local, national and international designers will shohw their collections, while on the second day, commercial firms and new talent will take centre stage. How to attend as a member of the public To be able to attend this event, all you have to do is find one of the many chairs available for the occasion along Calle Larios (from the entrance in front of the Plaza de la Marina to the Plaza de la Constitucion). Admission is free. The organisers have already distributed tickets to districts and social and cultural groups in the province, but there are still many free seats along the blue catwalk. However, it is advisable to arrive in good time to get a seat (the event starts at 8pm). The lineup On Friday -15 September- the event will be opened by Spanish designer Angel Schlesser. He will be followed on the blue carpet by Malaga couturier Jesus Segado (who will premiere his new Air Ballet collection), followed by Argentinian Romina Brunelli and Jokoth of Portugal. Then it will be the turn of four other local designers: the men's fashion brand Lebrel, Montesco, Susana Hidalgo and La Mosquita Spain. Ending the day will be Romeo Couture from Morocco and Lina Sevilla, an Andalusian firm with more than 60 years of history and a pioneer in the flamenco fashion industry, who will receive this year's Golden Pin award. On Saturday 16 September it will be the turn of the latest collections of local designers Inma de la Riva, Violeta Vergara, Macarena Delgado, Shamat, Celia Pergaz, Blackpier, Alejandra Marineto, Maria Jurado and Sandra Rojas, in a fashion show organised by the Malaga provincial authority (Diputacion). Previously, from 8pm, Malaga designer Pepe Canela, will share the catwalk with Livia Montecarlo, Bananamoon, Cala, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Hassan Bouchikhi Style, Rahma Kaba Fashion Style, Niza (Dolores Promesa) and Vertize Gala. An opportunity for new talent In addition, the Diputacion will give a dozen new designers the opportunity to showcase their designs through the MFW Prize 2023 competition. Florencia Diambri, Raul Dona, Maria Fernandez, Laura Maria Alvarez, Julio Ferrucho, La Lole, Sara Sanchez, Jiro Moreno, Macarena Yague, Maria Gloria Coca and Azahara Cris will be on the catwalk, as well as the winners of the 2022 competition: Andrea Mazzone and Miguel Angel Ocon. Finally, designer Felix Ramiro will close the twelfth Pasarela Larios. Golden Pin for Lina Sevilla The most coveted award of the Pasarela Larios, the Alfiler de Oro (Golden Pin), has been granted this year to the Andalusian firm Lina Sevilla, flagship of avant-garde and traditional Spanish fashion since 1960. The brand will collect the distinction this Friday on the opening day, after showcasing on the catwalk its collection 'Malaga' in which ruffles, embroidery and fringes -symbols of the brand- will merge in a range of bright colours, as the company has announced. New Fashion Talent 2023 Award Sponsor company Nails Factory, in support of new emerging talent, will present the 'New Fashion Talent 2023' award, which aims to promote and recognise creativity and innovation in fashion. The award ceremony will take place on Saturday. MY Award for the best models The Pasarela Larios catwalk also hosts this Friday the third MY Best Model Pasarela Larios Award, which the beauty and aesthetic medicine firm Maribel Yebenes created in 2018 to recognise the talent and know-how of these fashion professionals and which in 2019 was extended to male models. Each award winner will be presented with treatments worth 3,000 euros, which they will be able to enjoy at the MY Malaga boutique centre. Twelfth year Pasarela Larios was born in 2011 and, since then, has established itself as the great annual event for local fashion. This 2023 it celebrates its twelfth year. The event is organised by Nuevamoda and is sponsored by official bodies such as the Junta de Andalucia, Malaga city hall, the provincial Diputacion through its brand 'Malaga de Moda' and organisations such as the Asociacion de Creadores Moda Espana, Fundacion Unicaja, AC Hotel by Marriott Malaga Palacio, Hotel Larios, Agrupacion de Cofradias, Nails Factory, Maribel Yebenes, Kaleido Port, La Zenaida Luxury, Ifergan Collection, Grupo Fissa, Antonio Eloy Escuela Profesional, Laboratorios Kapyderm and LindaMagazine. Cristina Pinto Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The new exhibition at Malaga's contemporary art centre is not just a display of artistic talent. It delves into themes of family, memories and origins. Atanda Quadri Adebayo's impressive works, comprising of nineteen paintings and two sculptures, dominate the central exhibition space at CAC Malaga. They depict life in Makoko, the largest floating settlement in the world, often referred to as the Nigerian Venice. In this exhibition, titled For Future Purposes, Adebayo pays tribute to his family and a community that faces adversity on a daily basis, but takes immense pride in confronting life in the shanty town. The interplay of light and shadow can be appreciated in this new exhibition, which is open until 26 November. Family Family plays a significant role in Adebayo's work, as it was from there that his artistic journey began. His mother sold pieces of charcoal in Lagos, his hometown, to support the family, and he used the leftover bits to create his initial drawings. This is why he excels in charcoal, which dominates the entire body of his work. Adebayo merges charcoal with his identity, stating, "I use charcoal to draw my figures, emphasising the texture and beauty of black skin." Memories are another central theme, evident in the exhibition's title, For Future Purposes, which references the artist's grandmother. "The essence of my family is my grandmother because she has always been the keeper of our memories. She kept everything because she believed that things could always be useful. Just last year, on the anniversary of her death, I remembered what she used to say, and I wanted to document it," Adebayo said during the inauguration of the Malaga exhibition. The black and white section reflects this influence, displaying photographs his grandmother kept and colourful paintings of his friends and of the people in his immediate circle living in Makoko. Origins are also an important focus, as the Nigerian artist endeavours to capture the essence of an entire community in this marginalised neighbourhood of Nigeria. "They have been discriminated against, and my way of paying tribute to them is through art; that's my way of giving them the recognition they deserve. It was important for them to be represented in such a powerful way," Adebayo said. These origins are reflected not only in the portraits and the expressions of the people he paints, but also in the two sculptures included in the exhibition. Both represent the shanties of Makoko, crafted from wood, metal and recycled materials. The roofs are covered with church leaflets. "This community was built for religious gatherings," said Adebayo. Celebrating identity Atanda Quadri Adebayo's art is influenced by his early love of hip-hop culture, and he feels like he is "part of a movement that celebrates its own culture and identity", known as Afrofuturism. It is a way of blending the present and the past of the Afro community by showcasing elements of their culture but without dwelling on pain and suffering. This is precisely what you can see in Adebayo's exhibition at CAC - a blend of the past and present, rooted in the origins and memories of a family who, despite facing adversity, feel empowered. Tony Bryant Tolox Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The Encuentro Internacional de Art Tolox will celebrate its seventh year highlighting local artists and their work in the streets and public spaces of the town this weekend. More than a dozen artists will come together for the event, which begins today (Friday) and continues until Sunday 17 September. Organisers claim that this year's gathering will offer even more "artistic aspects and surprises", during an event that transforms the town into an open-air cultural museum. Along with exhibitions of millinary techniques such as encaustic, contemporary art, painting, photography and presentations of short films and books, there will be graffiti workshops aimed at children and adults. There will be two stages that will offer a variety of musical genres: these will include reggae and rock concerts, a contemporary tango show, and a performance by the Gaston Drummers, who use recycled elements instead of percussion instruments. There will also be a performance of a 52-piece Norwegian choir in the San Miguel church, and a performance by the sound artist Santiago Lopez, who creates music with everyday household items. This popular avant-garde meeting has, since 2016, gathered momentum in the artistic environment as a focus of creativity and projection, attracting art lovers whose tastes venture way beyond the boundaries of the norm. It is a neighbourhood initiative, supported by the town hall, that endeavours to bring alternative culture and art to the interior of the province. The activities will begin at 10am each day, culminating on Sunday with an exhibition of the artwork created during the meeting. More information can be found online at: www.facebook.com/art.tolox St. Josephs Physicians announced that Nikki D. Ramos has been hired. She joined St. Josephs Health Primary Care Center West located at 321 Gifford St., in Syracuse. Ramos returns to Syracuse following several years in the Columbus, Ohio, area where she practiced as a registered nurse specializing in primary care, diabetes education, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and nephrology. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Top officials from Micron Technology and the federal governments CHIPS Act office will come to Syracuse Monday to talk about training workers for the semiconductor industry at community colleges. Reginald Hicks, CHIPS for Americas head of facilities workforce, and Ida Habtemichael, Microns senior project manager for the companys plans to build a massive chip-making plant in Clay, will be members of a panel on Community Colleges as Pathways to Semiconductor Careers. The event begins at 2 p.m. at the SRC Arena, on the Onondaga Community College campus. The 90-minute event is free and open to the public. Micron, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of semiconductors, also known as chips, plans to build a $100 billion complex in the town of Clay over the next 20 years. The company said it will hire 9,000 workers, and a state-sponsored impact report said more than 6,000 nearby supplier jobs would also be created. Also on the panel will be OCCs president, Warren Hilton, and the presidents of Northern Virginia Community College and the College of Western Idaho. Micron has fabrication plants, or fabs, in Manassas, Virginia, and at its company headquarters in Boise, Idaho. The federal CHIPS and Science Act contains $39 billion to subsidize the building of semiconductor plants in the U.S. Micron said it is building the fabs in Clay because the federal government is handing out billions of dollars to semiconductor manufacturers to make chips in the U.S. Most of the worlds chips are made overseas, especially in Taiwan. Congress, rattled by chip supply chain shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns and by Chinas antagonism toward Taiwan, passed the CHIPS and Science Act to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to America. Micron has applied for CHIPS Act money, although it doesnt say how much. Eastern Libya on Thursday began the process of burying thousands of people, many of them in mass graves, who were killed in the floods that swept through the region earlier in the week. According to initial counts by local authorities, the catastrophe has already left more than 5,000 people dead, although it is feared that the final figure could even increase fourfold. The Libyan Red Crescent raised the death toll to 11,300 on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The scale of the tragedy, which is becoming clearer as rescue teams gradually comb the worst-affected areas, is generating growing outrage among citizens amid calls for an investigation. When the two dams collapsed, [the water] hit the center of the city, where more than half of its inhabitants lived. Buildings collapsed; many people, entire families, died. I lost more than 20 relatives on my mothers and fathers side. Its tragic, horrible, Ghaith Alsanusi, a human rights activist from Derna now living in Canada, told EL PAIS. Derna is now divided and people from the east cannot go to the west or even to the center, because it is closed off by military personnel, adds Alsanusi, who points out that the situation around the city is equally bad. There are people I know who have not been able to contact their relatives 72 hours later because of internet problems, he notes. The president of Libyas Presidential Council, Mohamed Al Menfi, said Thursday that he has asked the state prosecutor general to open an investigation into the catastrophe and to hold accountable those who committed an error or negligence or refrained from taking measures that [triggered] the collapse of the dams. Menfi also called for investigations to be extended to all those who obstructed international aid efforts or their arrival in affected cities. The number of victims of the catastrophe remains unclear. Although the initial count by local authorities and emergency services puts the death toll at over 5,000, the mayor of Derna, the worst-hit city, has stated that it could reach between 18,000 and 20,000, a figure that tallies with that of the Red Crescent, which has said there are still over 10,000 people missing in addition to the 11,300 the organization estimates have been killed. The center of the coastal city of Derna was completely devastated after Storm Daniel destroyed two nearby dams, releasing huge volumes of water along a valley that rushed directly into the town. People in the city are in a state of panic, they are afraid. No one in Derna expected this, and the problem now is that there is no coordination [in aid arriving], Farhat Al-Karimi, president of the student union at Derna University, explains by phone from the city. The situation is really catastrophic. An aerial image of the city of Derna aftert the passage of Storm Daniel, September 14. AYMAN AL-SAHILI (REUTERS) Risk of infections In addition to the vast number of fatalities and thousands of people that are missing, the tragedy has displaced over 30,000 residents, which is putting a lot of pressure on rescue and emergency teams operating with very limited capacities. The search for the missing is still ongoing inside Derna, and relief operations are continuing to provide household goods and personal materials to the displaced families who have survived, says Muhammad Al-Warfalli, spokesman for the Libyan Humanitarian Relief Agency in Benghazi, the main city in the east of the country. The large number of deceased still scattered around the city, many of them under rubble or in the water, and the lack of body bags for those being located is also causing concern. We are in the fourth day and there are many bodies that have not yet been found, which have entered the stage of decomposition and putrefaction, posing a great risk of spreading infections through the air or the water, says Muhannad Al-Sharif, a doctor specializing in infection control based in Benghazi. Various reports state the tragedy was caused by political negligence in the maintenance of the dams in Derna, which were known to be in poor condition. The difficulties being faced by search, rescue, and emergency operations are generating growing unrest and are exposing the consequences of the instability that Libya, a country politically and administratively divided in two, has been mired in for more than a decade. The secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, Petteri Taalas, told a news conference in Geneva on Thursday that casualties from the floods could have been avoided if Libya had a functional weather service. The same agency noted on Tuesday that warnings had been issued for Storm Daniel up to 72 hours before its passage, and that Libyan authorities were urged to take preventive measures. In addition, an academic paper published last year has been circulating on social media. The report, produced by Libyas Sebha University, concluded that Derna was at at risk of flooding because of the poor maintenance of the dams and that in the event of a flood, the consequences will be disastrous for the residents of the valley and the city. A former member of the Libyan Parliament has also produced a document showing significant sums of money were allocated in 2020 for the maintenance of the dams, but no work was carried out. Libya has two rival governments: the internationally recognized one established in the west under Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dabeiba, and another in the east presided over by Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter, the commander of the Libyan National Army. Despite being an oil-rich nation, years of division, paralysis, mismanagement, and corruption have left public services and infrastructure decrepit and incapable of withstanding extreme events such as the recent floods. The political fracture of the country is becoming evident in the public management of the crisis, in which there has been some cooperation but for which not even a central emergency Cabinet has been established. Both governments are making parallel announcements about their own responses. In this vein, the operations room formed in the east, announced Wednesday night, is headed by General Saddam Khalifa, Hafters son and one of the most powerful men in the region. In the capital, Tripoli, located in the west, another emergency response committee has been organized under Dabeiba, who in recent days has announced the dispatch of funds, supplies, medical equipment, and the dispatch of a ship with 700 berths to the affected area. This disunity of Libyas political leaders is being answered by a major civilian mobilization to try to assist or send aid to the population of Derna and other eastern cities affected by the storm. [The mobilization] is huge, I cant even describe how much. In every neighborhood there are initiatives to collect aid for the east, says Mohamed Tantoush, a volunteer working with the Libyan Red Crescent in Tripoli. The arrival of rescue teams and shipments of emergency supplies from countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates is also accelerating while Spain has sent a rescue team of firefighters to the area. Frasier trailer takes Kelsey Grammer back to Boston Whos ready for more Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs? The first trailer for the Frasier reboot brings back Kelsey Grammer as radio therapist Dr. Frasier Crane, now returning to his Cheers roots in Boston to reconnect with his estranged adult son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott). But will we see his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), or his old bar buddies like Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson? The 10-episode revival series premieres with two episodes Oct. 12 on Paramount+, followed by new episodes weekly on Thursdays. The first two episodes will also broadcast on CBS Tuesday, Oct. 17, starting at 9:15 p.m. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer Jason Momoa is back as DCs underwater superhero in the first trailer for Aquaman 2, a.k.a. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Directed by James Wan, the sequel features Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) challenging Atlantis (including Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson and Dolph Lundgren). Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom splashes into theaters on December 20. New music TGIF! New music out this week includes J. Balvins revival of Ushers Yeah! and Diddys star-studded The Love Album, plus releases from Maren Morris, SZA, and Noah Kahan. MORE BUZZ: Donald Glovers Star Wars spinoff Lando will be a movie, not series ( RS Lessons in Chemistry: Brie Larson is a TV chef with a feminist message ( ET Netflixs live-action One Piece returning for season 2 ( SF Sia details severe depression 3 years after divorce ( E! Megan Thee Stallion joins Big Mouth season 7 ( RS *NSYNC: No plans for new album, tour after VMAs reunion ( TMZ Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities. Dolgeville, N.Y. The state Attorney Generals Office released a report Thursday saying there is not enough evidence to charge a state trooper in the fatal shooting of Carson Dobson in Herkimer County in 2021. According to a 911 call, Dobson, 24, stabbed his mother with a pair of scissors at her home in the town of Dolgeville before running to his nearby camping trailer on Dec. 24, the AGs Office report said. New York state is devoting $55 million in new initiatives to combat rising car thefts, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday. The money will go to new police and public safety equipment as well as diversion programs for young people. It will be distributed so that more goes to areas in the state with the largest number of car thefts. Erie and Monroe counties account for nearly two-thirds of reports of stolen vehicles in the state outside of New York City, Hochul said. The two counties saw increases in car thefts of 345% and 213% respectively in the first seven months of the year compared to the same time span in 2022. Kia and Hyundai vehicles, thanks to easy-to-use means of stealing the cars, are fueling thefts across the U.S. In Syracuse, more than half of cars stolen this year are Kias and Hyundais, according to a syracuse.com analysis of police data through July 2023. Of 692 reported stolen cars, 352 are Kia or Hyundai models. Syracuse itself has seen car thefts rise 36.1% year to year, according to Syracuse police department data for the year through Sept. 11. Car thefts in the city rose 63% so far this year compared to the 5-year average for the same period, the data shows. Related Wave of stolen Kias and Hyundais fuels crime and death in Syracuse, U.S.; Oh my god! Thats my car See how fast a Kia in Syracuse can be stolen: The Comprehensive Auto-Theft Reduction Strategy that Hochul laid out in Rochester Friday calls for $50 million for new license plate readers, public camera systems, computer-aided dispatch systems, communication software and other equipment to police agencies. The program also will direct the State Police and Division of Criminal Justice Services to implement new enforcement efforts and support to local district attorneys in the prosecution of car thefts and other crimes in the form of money for case discovery. The program also sets aside $5 million for diversion programming that targets teens and young adults to change their thinking and behavior, and promote positive development, the governor said. Police agencies in communities seeing the greatest increases of car thefts say suspects ages 13 to 24 are most often arrested in car theft cases, according to Hochul. Hochul said the DMV will also send letters to 440,000 Kia and Hyundai owners to encourage them to install anti-theft measures, like updating the vehicles software. Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950. Cortland, N.Y. A small plane landed upside down Thursday at the Cortland County Airport, state troopers said. The Cessna plane landed on the runway around 3:06 p.m. The pilot was able to get out the plane on his own, troopers said. The pilot, Bradley S. Fitchett, 58, of Kansas, was taken to Cortland Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Fitchett was piloting the plane from Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport and was landing to refuel on his way to Kansas, police said. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the landing. Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950. Oneida, N.Y. A 17-year-old boy who crashed a stolen car into an Oneida home, causing a gas leak that led to the house exploding, was so intoxicated just hours before that he was taken to a hospital, troopers said. Less than three hours later, the teen crashed the car into the home causing the massive explosion that destroyed the home and damaged others nearby, police said Around 11:49 p.m. on Sept. 8, officers were called to a residence on State Route 31 in the town of Verona for a domestic dispute, said Trooper Jack Keller, a spokesperson for State police. When troopers arrived, the teens 16-year-old girlfriend told them she was involved in a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, but she didnt tell them what happened during the dispute, Keller said. The girlfriend just wanted the boyfriend to leave, he said. Keller said officers found him shirtless behind the home. The teen was too intoxicated to identify himself or provide information about what happened, he said. Due to the teens level of intoxication, officers called emergency medical services to take the teen to a hospital, Keller said. New York States mental hygiene law requires emergency services be provided for people who are intoxicated, impaired or incapacitated by alcohol or other substances. If the intoxication of a person could result in the harm to a person or others, officers can take them into custody and provide immediate observation, care and emergency treatment. Vineall Ambulance secured the teen on a stretcher and he was taken to Oneida Health, Keller said. He was turned over to a nurse at the hospital, he said. Keller said the boys father was contacted, but he was an hour away and couldnt come to the hospital right away. The 17-year-old didnt have a legal guardian in the area, but his fathers contact information was provided to hospital staff, he said. The teen was released from Oneida Health early on Sept. 9, Keller said. He did not know why the teen was released, referring questions to the hospital. Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard contacted the hospital for comment, but have not heard back. Soon after his release, the teen stole a 2012 Toyota Rav4 from a home on South Willow Street. Around 3 a.m., the teen crashed into the home at 532 West Elm St. police said. The crash severed the natural gas line at the house. Three hours later, the home exploded. County officials said the teen driving the RAV4 had a hand and wrist injury. Oneida City Police Chief Steve Lowell said Thursday the teen is expected to be charged. Police are working with the county attorney to draft applicable charges for the juvenile, he said. 7 1 / 7 House explosion in Oneida More Syracuse.com coverage CNY house explosion: National Grid not saying why gas not shut off after leak reported nearly 3 hours earlier See moment Central New York home explodes from gas leak (video) Massive house blast shatters nearby windows, rains debris on homes: It shook my bed Explosion destroys Central NY home after stolen vehicle crashes into it (video) Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com Attention all CNY 2023 high school seniors, The Post-Standard and Syracuse.com are seeking applicants for Best & Brightest Awards. Applications for the 2023 Best & Brightest Awards are now open. The Best & Brightest awards, sponsored by Upstate Honda Dealers Association, recognize the remarkable accomplishments of local high school seniors. Previous Best & Brightest winners have demonstrated excellence in academics, sports, theater, or have been actively engaged as community or environmental activists. Central New York seniors with a positive impact on their school or community are invited to apply for the 2023 Best & Brightest class. To be considered, students are required to submit an application, essay, letters of recommendation, and details about their academic successes, extracurricular activities, and service to their school and community. Applications will be accepted from Aug. 15 to Oct 15. Interested seniors can apply HERE. Eligible students are high school seniors with at least a B or 3.0 grade point average attending school in Section 3 (Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oswego, Oneida, Otsego counties). Winners will be selected by a community judging panel. The 2023 Best & Brightest class will be celebrated during an award ceremony on Nov. 8 and will receive notable recognition in The Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. The Upstate Honda Dealers Association is presenting sponsor for the 2023 Best & Brightest awards. Interested high school seniors can complete the application at https://www.advancemediany.com/best-and-brightest/. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Friday signed a new city law that limits how many retailers will be able to sell tobacco products and where they can sell them. The mayors signature follows a public hearing on the law held Monday. Four people spoke, all in support of the measure. The Syracuse Common Council passed the law unanimously at its Sept. 5 meeting. The new local law creates a tobacco product retail licensing system within the city. Businesses licensed by the state to sell tobacco products, including vaping materials, will now have to apply annually for a city license, as well. Walsh proposed the law in July, saying it would help reduce smoking by city residents, especially minors. It faced opposition from the New York Association of Convenience Stores, which told city officials the measure would add red tape and costs for legal tobacco retailers while failing to curtail youth access to tobacco via the black market. The group also expressed concern about the impact of a provision that does not allow transfers of city tobacco sales licenses when a business changes ownership. After hearing about this concern, city officials provided an exemption to the transfer restriction for tobacco sellers that also sell gasoline at the same location. The convenience store group did not comment at the public hearing. One of the people who did speak at the hearing addressed the claim that the local tobacco license would fail to curtail youth smoking. Brittany Taylor, community impact director for the American Heart Association and a Syracuse resident, said there is no truth that such laws bolster illicit sales. Tobacco control policies are thoroughly researched and are supported by science to decrease smoking rates, she said. What the tobacco industry allies wont tell you is that they make their profits from selling to kids and getting them hooked on these deadly and addictive tobacco products. Other speakers who testified in support of the law represented the American Cancer Society, Tobacco-Free CNY and the Onondaga County Health Departments Environmental Health Division. The law takes effect on Oct. 1. The yearly license application fee will be $250. Applications could be rejected for a variety of reasons, including outstanding fines and violations from the county health department. The law caps the number of total licenses available in the city at an amount equal to the number of state-licensed retailers operating in Syracuse at 90 days after effective date. After the laws first year, the city will issue one new tobacco retail license for every two that are revoked or expired. Licenses also would be prohibited for businesses within 750 feet of a school or public park, but existing state-licensed retailers in such a place will be exempt. This is a matter of public health, Walsh said in a news release Friday. Our goals are to reduce the number of individuals of all ages who use tobacco products and electronic smoking devices and, importantly, to stop the sale of these products to minors. There are currently about 180 state-licensed tobacco retailers in Syracuse, according to Tobacco-Free CNY. Thats nearly half of the sellers for all of Onondaga County. City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook. After nine weeks of bargaining the United Auto Workers and the Big Three have not reached an agreement. A contract for the nearly 150,000 UAW members across the country expired at 11:59 p.m., prompting a strike. For the first time in the unions 88-year history all three Detroit automakers, Stellantis, Ford and General Motors, are the strike targets. At 10 p.m. Thursday, UAW President Shawn Fain announced three locals only one in Michigan were selected to start the strike at midnight. Those locals represent Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex and General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri. Inside Ford Assembly, workers erupted when they heard Local 900 was chosen to start the strike. Ford told overnight workers to leave early, go to the union hall and stay off Ford property. Less than an hour after Fain ended his Facebook Live, a crowd of 50 or more UAW workers were gathered at UAW local 900s office outside the plant, which produces the Ford Ranger and Ford Bronco. As the crowd grew, many made their way to the median to hold signs to passing cars along Michigan Avenue. Tiff Williams, 56, of Wayne has been working at the plant for 30 years. With retirement on the horizon as a legacy worker she said her fight is for the younger generation and the Tier 1 employees who dont have the same hourly wage or pension she was grandfathered into. This will be her first strike but Williams said shes been saving in preparation for the pay cut that will come with the $500 weekly strike allowance. If you want what you want you got to fight for it, she said. Unlike previous strikes, the UAW is strategically selecting local union chapters to strike automakers on a rolling basis rather than a full walk out of all members. The union is also going after all three companies rather than picking one target. Fain told members that a simultaneous walk out is still possible but the targeted approach gives the negotiation team more leverage. If we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table, he said Thursday night. Automakers were quick to fire back. We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leaderships refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers, Stellantis said in a statement. We immediately put the company in contingency mode and will take all the appropriate structural decisions to protect our North American operations and the company. For the first time in union history all three companies came to the UAWs Solidarity House downtown Detroit, Fain said. All three automakers made multiple counteroffers but none have been accepted. Brandon Szczesniak, 21, of Dearborn is a third generation Ford employee who works at the Wayne assembly plant. He already lives paycheck to paycheck making $19 an hour. The 40% wage increase the UAW is demanding would be life changing he said. I wouldnt have to decide between gas money and food money anywhere, he said. Theres been times where I didnt know if I was gonna be able to make it to work because of gas. Szczesniak has seen his hours decrease since he started in 2021, making his overnight shift less lucrative. A major talking point has been the wage increase the UAW stuck to throughout negotiations. The hike comes from the estimated pay raise the CEOs have received since the last contract was ratified. General Motors last offer was 20% over four and a half years with a 10% bump in the first year. Ford was also at 20% and Stellantis came in at 17.5% over the life of the contract. Ford has bargained in good faith in an effort to avoid a strike, which could have wide-ranging consequences for our business and the economy, Ford said in a statement Thursday night. It also impacts the very 57,000 UAW-Ford workers we are trying to reward with this contract. Hourly employees would take home nearly 60% less on average with UAW strike pay than they would from working, Ford noted. And without vehicles in production, the profit-sharing checks that UAW workers could expect to receive early next year will also be decimated by a significant strike. Its latest offer was historically generous, the company reported in the hours before the strike began. Fords CEO Jim Farley took to cable news on Thursday night saying the wage hike in addition to shortened work weeks would put the company into bankruptcy. You want us to choose bankruptcy over supporting our workers, said Farley, in a CNBC interview. RELATED: Over 1,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield UAW workers walk out on strike In a Thursday statement touting General Motors latest offer CEO Mary Barra added, Remember: We had a strike in 2019 and nobody won. Early Friday, Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, said in a video response he believes the company made four compelling offers, and bargaining teams will continue to work with the goal of securing a contract that rewards team members and protectors our companys future. RELATED: UAW strike against Big Three could cause over $5B in economic losses, report finds We want everyone back to work doing what we do best, producing vehicles for our customers, and doing it safely, and doing it as one team... we shouldnt allow this to distract us any longer than is has to, he said. Fain says the companies were slow to come to the table at the beginning of negotiations. The UAW filed bad faith bargaining claims against General Motors and Stellantis for allegedly not offering counter offers in a timely matter. Both companies say the claim is baseless. By Joshua Solomon | Times Union, Albany Albany, N.Y. It was nightfall and a group of migrants began gathering on the balcony of the Red Roof Inn in Amherst, just outside of the University at Buffalo. They quietly watched as police arrived at the hotel that has functioned as a shelter for them since August. A woman with children was at the center of the emergency response. She had been around the hotel since Sunday. One of her children was sick. She was seen leaving by foot in the rain, seeking medical care possibly arriving at the childrens hospital in the city. While word of the incident has spread, public officials are left looking for answers to the same question theyve been trying to answer for months: What services are DocGo supposed to provide as part of its taxpayer-funded contract? The scope of the work DocGo is contractually required to provide remains unclear. City and state officials, along with the company, continue to refuse to release the contract, directing those requesting it to file Freedom of Information Law requests that are still not producing the public document. Questions also have mounted about the assertions of DocGo and its top official, CEO Anthony Capone. Last week, a Times Union story called into question prior statements made to investors by Capone, including the scope of a potential multibillion-dollar contract with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Capone had pegged the contract at about $4 billion, but government sources said it was never that high and is for about half that amount. Michael Padovano, the companys spokesman, disputed that Capone misrepresented the contract by citing facts for which he declined to provide documentation because he said he was not at liberty to share them. This week, the Times Union found another discrepancy involving DocGo: Anthony Capone has said he went to the State University of New York at Potsdam for his undergraduate degree, according to his biography on the companys website. Capones biography also says he received a graduate degree in artificial intelligence from Clarkson University, which has a campus in Potsdam. But a spokesman for Clarkson University said the school has no record of Anthony Capone enrolling in or completing a graduate degree at the university. Late Thursday, Capone responded through his spokesman and admitted in a statement the information is false. I want to address a serious issue concerning incorrect information about my educational background. Specifically, it has come to my attention that my public biography erroneously states that I hold a bachelors degree from Clarkson University, Capone said. I must clarify immediately: I do not have a masters degree from Clarkson University, nor from any other institution. This inaccuracy should have been corrected, and I deeply apologize for this error. I do, however, have an undergraduate computer science degree with a focus in artificial intelligence from an accredited university. Capone added that he takes full responsibility and am making immediate corrections to all official bios, profiles, and any other materials where this incorrect information appears. The questions about Capones public assertions and professional biography come as the companys handling of New York Citys migrants continue to mount. In Amherst this week, when the woman with the sick child arrived back at the hotel on Tuesday, she was told by staff with DocGo, the private company in charge of New York Citys relocated migrants, that she could not stay there, according to multiple people familiar with the situation. Instead, if she wanted to remain in the Buffalo-area, the mother would need to make the 400-mile trip to New York City. She was instructed that in Manhattan, likely at the Roosevelt Hotel, she could be processed through the same system other migrants have gone through and officially enter into the care of DocGo, the publicly traded health care company that was awarded a $432 million no-bid migrant services contract in May. It is unclear where she ended up, although sources familiar with the matter have heard the mother and her children were relocated to Niagara Falls. Local police confirmed they responded to a call from a social worker about a woman who was not designated to stay at the hotel at 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, a school night. By the time police left at 12:30 a.m., the woman had agreed to go to another hotel, according to Amherst Police Capt. Christopher T. Meyer. The situation left at least some members of the immigrant community at the hotel alarmed. Some of those migrants, who had been interested in speaking with members of the media, stopped any communication. Beth Garvey, an attorney with Greenberg Traurig, a well-known lobbying and law firm, recently enlisted by DocGo, has reached out to lawmakers about her representation of the company. In certain cases, lawmakers and their staff say Garvey who had been a top counsel to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has informed them about the work DocGo is required to do, and noted that work does not include legal services or education funding. Acknowledging a different understanding of facts, Adam Kramer, a spokesman for Republican state Sen. James Tedisco, said he told Garvey to straighten out what DocGo is supposed to provide. Sources familiar with the contract have said it specifies that if New York City sees a need for legal services or education funding, it can be a part of the scope of the contract with DocGo. A spokeswoman for the citys Housing Preservation and Development agency, which signed the contract with DocGo, referred questions to the office of Mayor Eric Adams, where officials did not respond to requests for comment. The services provided at the hotels where DocGo is running migrant shelters upstate have varied. The companys work also has been plagued with controversy, including allegations that reporters are being prevented from interviewing migrants by private security guards used by DocGo, including some who may not be licensed. In Amherst, the company entered into an agreement with Jericho Road Community Health Center, which says it runs the largest immigrant shelter in the country. The agreement was a byproduct of a meeting among officials from DocGo, Jericho Road, elected officials and New York City officials. Jericho Road has been able to provide assistance with health care needs, but also immigration casework, including providing a road map to access legal services to seek asylum or apply for work authorization. Area groups, Journeys End Refugee Services and the Volunteer Lawyers Project, have also helped individuals with their limited resources as the pool of immigration lawyers to draw from remains scarce. Capone, DocGos CEO, told investors at a conference hosted by Morgan Stanley Wednesday that the company has developed a 50-step highly sophisticated software to help asylum-seekers move through the system and exit the workflow. He also said the company is responsible for social work, case management and medical care, and trying to make sure they have the ability to graduate into a life where theyre self-sufficient and theyre able to be independent. The comments came as the companys stock was approaching its lowest value as it tumbled in recent days. The Times Union previously reported DocGo, along with city and state officials, were not following prescribed state regulations for shelters that include sketching out a detailed plan for individuals in a shelter to leave the facility. Jericho Road has also worked to make sure migrants have proper insurance. Some individuals they have processed have been signed up for a Medicaid managed care plan that they do not appear to be eligible for. Capone told investors last month that we have already signed up over 3,000 asylum-seekers onto New York state Medicaid through United Healthcare. Padovano, who is with the public relations firm used by DocGo, said DocGo does not enroll anyone in Medicaid programs. A United Healthcare representative said the insurance company does not have a contract with DocGo. Padovano has said that any shelter with families has an advanced care provider on site, which typically means a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant. The Red Roof Inn in Amherst does not have a nurse practitioner on site, according to sources familiar with the situation. In Amherst, the migrants have faced a series of challenges. In the beginning, they were initially without shampoo, or toothbrushes or toothpaste, according to multiple people familiar with the situation. In more recent instances, advocates have expressed concern over migrants receiving inadequate amounts of baby formula. Other times, they have voiced frustration about delayed health care services, including when a child sliced her finger, requiring stitches. The voices are often uplifted by advocates and neighbors who are helping out on their own and are not constrained from sharing stories because of contractual agreements with DocGo. Regardless of their status, you allowed them in and you have them here and you have funding it absolutely makes no sense that they would be living in these conditions, said Monica Graesser, who lives near the Red Roof Inn in Amherst. I was actually annoyed when they were placed at the hotel, Graesser continued. It prompted her to look closer at the situation at the neighboring hotel and who was there. Soon enough, she had become a regular participant in helping those staying there. These people need help. They really do. One of the managers at the Red Roof Inn is Enrico Capone, who identified himself as the younger brother of the companys CEO. The family is from Erie County. Graesser said Capone has repeatedly expressed concern about drawing attention to the hotel, including when it was ordered to replace mattresses because they were littered with bed bugs an allegation that was backed up with photos provided to the Times Union. ___ (c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com WASHINGTON (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill next week as he visits the U.S. during the United Nations General Assembly. Zelenskyys trip comes as Congress is debating President Joe Bidens request to provide as much as $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Zelenskyy will meet with Biden at the White House next Thursday. The trip to the Capitol was confirmed by two congressional aides granted anonymity to discuss the plans. The Ukrainian president made a wartime visit to Washington in December 2022 and delivered an impassioned address to a joint meeting of Congress. At the time it was his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February of that year. In his speech to cheering lawmakers, Zelenskyy thanked Americans for helping to fund the war effort and said that the money is not charity, but an investment in global security and democracy. Details of Zelenskyys visit next week were not yet being made public. It was first reported by Punchbowl News. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on Zelenskyys plans, including whether he would meet with Biden at the White House. Meanwhile, the Treasury and State departments announced they were imposing new sanctions on more than 150 individuals and entities connected with Russias invasion of Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. was continuing our relentless work to target Russias military supply chains and deprive (Russian President Vladimir) Putin of the equipment, technology, and services he needs to wage his barbaric war on Ukraine. Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. It also includes $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors through the World Bank. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Donald Trump, the former president, are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine. Congress is working to pass its annual appropriations bills before a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the U.S. government running. Fredrick Adesoji is fed up. The resident doctor at Lagos State University Hospital, in Nigeria, tells EL PAIS that he and his colleagues are still demanding back pay from 2014. Angered by the lack of solutions to this problem as well as by low salaries and overwork Dr. Adesoji says he will soon become one of the many doctors leaving Nigeria in search of greener pastures in the United Kingdom. Six in 10 of the countrys doctors plan to emigrate to a foreign country, according to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors. The poor economic situation in the West African country doesnt help it has been exacerbated by the end of fuel subsidies, which were stopped in May. I have completed the travel paperwork and will be leaving soon, Adesoji sighs. Im leaving because the government isnt treating its health workers well. There is no updated data on how many Nigerian doctors have left the country, but some local media outlets estimate that more than 9,000 emigrated between 2016 and 2018. The majority went to work in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. In an attempt to stop the departure of healthcare workers like Adesoji, the Nigerian government has taken a radical decision: it intends to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act and force professionals who were trained in Nigeria to practice for a minimum of five years in the country, before granting them a full license to practice. Ganiyu Johnson one of the legislators promoting the norm declared this past May: The government has invested a lot in training these doctors the least we can expect is that they give something back to society over a period of five years. The main complaint of doctors like Adesoji is that medical professionals are poorly paid. In 2019, a doctor who had just started his career the most common profile of those who leave Nigeria, according to the Association of Resident Doctors was earning 1.8 million naira (approximately $2,300) per year, according to the National Salary Commission. Since then, the sector hasnt experienced any salary increase. Still, conditions in the medical sector are better than other professions, such as law where workers earn an average of 600,000 naira annually or accounting, with 840,000 naira being the average, according to the National Salary Commission. Other reasons doctors leave the country are the harsh working conditions, Adesoji explains. We have to work longer hours due to lack of personnel and diagnostic tools, or to supplement our monthly income. This lack of doctors was experienced firsthand this past July by Seyi Oladuni, a Nigerian government worker who went to the Badore General Hospital, in Lagos State, to undergo surgery. First, he had to wait in line for more than two hours. He had been diagnosed with appendicitis and was due to have surgery that same month. However, activity at the hospital was at a minimum, due to lack of staff. When he finally had surgery in August two of his relatives had to act as nurses to assist the surgeon during the operation. They also had to act as caregivers in the postoperative period. The doctor in charge asked them to give me medication until I was discharged, because most of the nurses in the hospitals have resigned and are willing to move abroad, he recalls. The West African country needs 363,000 doctors to serve its more than 200 million people, according to Uche Rowland, president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). Today, however, Nigeria only has about 24,000 medical graduates annually. This situation translates into a heavy workload for many physicians, especially as more are leaving. Nigeria currently has one doctor for every 8,300 patients, while the world average is one doctor for every 254 inhabitants, according to data from the World Bank. The country has a universal health coverage index score of less than 55, with 100 being total public health coverage of the population. We have lost many doctors who go to work in other countries substitutes arent hired. Doctors resign almost every month. Those who stay are overworked and dont receive care, complains Alfa Yusuf, the spokesperson for the Association of Resident Doctors. In a report published in March of 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that, by 2030, there will be a global shortage of 10 million healthcare workers. The shortage will especially affect low-income countries, such as Nigeria, due to workers going abroad in search of opportunities. In 2021, the WHO publicized a recommendation which was renewed this year that rich countries not steal health personnel from 55 vulnerable countries (including Nigeria) which are contending with staff shortages. Health workers are the backbone of every health system, yet 55 countries with some of the most fragile health systems in the world dont have enough of them. Many are losing their health workers to international migration, lamented Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus director-general of the WHO in a press release in March. Another patient Muna Salami is also saddened by the long wait times at Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. On August 25, she was in the hospital waiting room for six hours before she was able to see a doctor. There werent enough doctors to care for the sick and thats why some people prefer to self-medicate, rather than come to the hospital. Even in times of emergency, quick attention is barely achieved, she criticizes. There are many things that dont work in our health system. While the public health situation falters, the government and health workers have repeatedly engaged in disputes over issues related to the well-being of workers and the infrastructure deficit in the health sector. In August, doctors across the country went on a three-week strike to demand a pay raise, to help them cope with the rising cost of living in Nigeria. Alfa Yusuf doesnt give much importance to the proposed legislative change that would force him and his fellow resident doctors to remain in Nigeria for five years. Doctors will continue to leave if our well-being isnt taken care of, he warns. Members of the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) argue that the proposed law violates the rights of their newly-graduated colleagues. The group claims that the bill is unpatriotic and untimely, while also in violation of the fundamental human rights of doctors, which are enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. The European Parliament on Thursday urged member states to promote the so-called Swedish model to combat prostitution which punishes the client and not the person, usually a woman, who solicits while asking the European Commission to develop common guidelines to ensure the fundamental rights of prostitutes, who are usually among the most vulnerable people in society. The non-binding report calls on the EU-27 to implement measures to tackle the issue in view of the asymmetry between national rules on prostitution within the EU, which given its cross-border nature, leads to more victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and makes for fertile operating ground for organised crime. It also calls on member states to act in the areas of prevention and decriminalization of prostituted persons, especially women, as well as seeking ways to improve social protection, tackle school failure, promote education, and the establishment of inclusive policies that support womens empowerment and economic independence, along with measures that condemn those who exploit. Countries should also implement high-quality exit programs from prostitution and guarantee sex workers unconditional access to social security and integration into society. This is often one of the most difficult steps and one where countries that already have measures in place often show deficiencies. This is the case in France, where even advocates of the abolition of prostitution have acknowledged that the inadequacy of mechanisms for escaping sex work is hindering the social reintegration of prostitutes. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has just accepted the processing of a lawsuit by 261 French sex workers who have denounced the prostitution law adopted in France in 2016 that criminalizes the client, claiming that it has led to a dangerous degradation of their living and working conditions. In a meeting prior to Thursdays vote, the author of the report, German Social Democrat MEP Maria Noichi, acknowledged that there are still loopholes in these regulations. States have to provide funding so that these people can enter society, otherwise such legislation is reduced to being law on paper, but not in reality, she said. In fact, the report stresses that, when implementing the Swedish model or similar measures, national governments should take advantage of the best practices used in other Member States to avoid repeating mistakes. In addition, the text proposes that the European Commission compile comprehensive data that could serve as the basis for a study analyzing the different measures in the Member States to combat prostitution and establish common European guidelines guaranteeing the fundamental rights of persons engaged in prostitution. A divided vote The vote was tighter than is usual 234 in favor, 175 against and 122 abstentions and was divided between political formations: social democrats and populists voting almost en bloc in favor, while liberals, greens and many of the conservatives and the far-right were positioned against or abstained, as noted by news agency EFE. Nevertheless, Noichi celebrated the fact that, with the approval of her report, the European Parliament giving a voice to people, and especially women, who have traditionally been overlooked, marginalised and stigmatised in our societies. Prostitution is a form of violence and both a cause and consequence of gender inequality, she added. This report outlines the reasons why the big majority of people end up in prostitution, and it highlights the way forward: create exit programmes and alternatives, eradicate poverty and social exclusion, dismantle stereotypes and inequalities, and reduce demand by tackling the buyers. During the debate preceding the vote, held on Wednesday, MEP Maria Eugenia Rodriguez Palop of the Spanish left-wing populist party Podemos backed the report and the measures it proposes, stating, a sexual relationship cannot be the subject of a labor contract even when there is consent, because that contract always involves a violation of sexual freedom. Prostitution is not only a radically capitalist institution, but it would not exist if patriarchy did not exist, because the only thing that gives it meaning is the male fantasy of domination. Normalizing it means institutionalizing the sexual privileges enjoyed by men and consolidating the structural subordination of women, said the jurist, professor of philosophy of law. Advocates of the criminalization of prostitution also supported the report, such as Romanian writer and abolitionist activist Amelia Tiganus, who at a press conference in Strasbourg asked that it be made clear that prostitution cannot be considered a job. Something the report specifically echoes, pointing out that prostitution is not an individual act of a person renting his or her body for money, but rather it is a system organised for profit which is intrinsically violent, discriminatory and deeply inhuman and that operates as a business and creates a market where pimps plan and act to secure and increase their markets and where buyers of sex play a key role in boosting them. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 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. turbospooler BHPian Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Pune Posts: 368 Thanked: 876 Times News websites mislead readers with fake headlines on the Maruti Fronx's safety aspect . I laughed, but then he sent me a screenshot which showed a news article from ABP Live showing that the Fronx got 5-star safety rating from GNCAP! I was immediately shocked as I didn't see any discussion, any promotional material of Fronx using this "award"! I delved into my own research and understood what had happened and how easy it is to fool customers using Google Search! I searched on Google with the keywords "Fronx gncap". URL attached for the search result over Image attached below on how it looks like: On clicking the 1st link of ABP Live, I found the title had been reworded . You can see the result for yourself below! I would consider this cheating as many people just use the first page of Google result and don't go into any further research mode at all! What do you think about this? I was debating about vehicle safety with a friend, when he mentioned that Fronx is a 5-star GNCAP rated vehicleI laughed, but then he sent me a screenshot which showed a news article from ABP Live showing that the Fronx got 5-star safety rating from GNCAP!I was immediately shocked as I didn't see any discussion, any promotional material of Fronx using this "award"!I delved into my own research and understood what had happened and how easy it is to fool customers using Google Search!I searched on Google with the keywords "Fronx gncap". URL attached for the search result over here Image attached below on how it looks like:On clicking the 1st link of ABP Live, I found the title had been reworded. You can see the result for yourself below!I would consider this cheating as many people just use the first page of Google result and don't go into any further research mode at all!What do you think about this? A hot potato: In 2020, many companies migrated to the cloud to try and adapt their infrastructure to a pandemic-affected world. The migration brought both new business opportunities and new security threats, as a recently unveiled IBM report highlights. According to IBM X-Force, Big Blue's platform for threat intelligence sharing and research, the cloud is now the main focus of cyber-criminals trying to sell logins to script kiddies on dark web marketplaces. Stolen cloud credentials now make up almost 90% of digital goods on sale through darknets, and they are extremely cheap as well. The latest IBM X-Force Cloud Threat Landscape Report analyzed "real world" cloud cyber-security incidents IBM has responded to over 12 months, collecting information from threat intelligence, pentests, and dark web analysis (in partnership with Cybersixgill) compiled between June 2022 and June 2023. Companies were quick to adopt cloud infrastructures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report highlights, but the same cannot be said for a proper, cloud-specific security posture. On the other hand, X-Force Head of Research John Dwyer says that criminals are quicker to adapt their tools and methodologies in search of the best way to gain access to networks. This access is increasingly based on cloud services, because of their rapid expansion and technology complexity. Stolen cloud credentials are also very cheap these days, as according to Dwyer they can be purchased "for the same cost as some donuts." Most organizations also use more than one cloud service, which makes things even more complicated and potentially insecure. X-Force analyzed 632 new cloud-related CVE-tracked vulnerabilities during a 13-month period, which constitutes a whopping 194% increase from last year. The number of security vulnerabilities discovered in 2022 was, however, unusually low (about 200), while the flaws tracked in the latest report are almost on par with the numbers recorded in 2021. This year's bugs were more dangerous, though, because about 60% of these flaws were able to provide cyber-criminals with a successful access to information, user privileges or login credentials. X-Force also discovered an embarrassing amount of plaintext credentials on user endpoint systems (33%), which were obviously involved in the cloud-related incidents IBM analyzed. Valid credentials have become the most common initial access vector in cloud security breaches, X-Force reports, as they are (ab)used in 36% of all cases. The report also suggests what organizations can do to mitigate the dangers coming from the cloud. Network segmentation to restrict access to sensitive resources could help a lot, and best-practices for endpoint security are also valid for cloud environments. Therefore, companies should implement a "zero-trust approach" to security with multi-factor authentication, modern identity and access management, and forcing users to avoid reusing usernames and passwords. What just happened? Google has made a policy change relating to Chromebooks that will expand the length of time they receive automatic security updates to 10 years. Starting in 2024, models made in and before 2021 will automatically receive these updates, while the option to turn them on will be available in older products. A report from the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) in April highlighted how Chromebook churn has become a huge problem in schools. Part of the issue highlighted in the report was the four-year average expiration date for Chromebook software updates, after which time teachers reported that expired laptops are unable to access websites for state testing - not to mention the security issues they face. The situation led to many of these machines ending up as e-waste and more taxpayer money being spent on new machines. Chromebooks initially came with three years of automatic updates following their arrival in 2011. This was extended to five years in 2016 and then to eight years in 2020. But as The Verge points out, these automatic updates start when the company certifies a Chromebook, not when the owner starts using it. The PIRG report estimated that doubling the lifespan of Chromebooks could save $1.8 billion in taxpayer money. Google might not have gone that far, but an extra two years will help. "Google's decision is a victory for the parents, teachers, students and environmentalists who asked to extend the life of Chromebooks in response to our Chromebook Churn report," said Lucas Rockett Gutterman, director of PIRG's Designed to Last campaign. "With a lifespan of 10 years, fewer working laptops will be disposed of because they've reached their 'death date.'" Google lists Chromebook models by company in its database, so you can see when the automatic updates will stop. Google does state that even after a Chromebook stops receiving automatic updates, it still comes with strong, built-in security features. Prajakta Gudadhe, Senior Director of Engineering for ChromeOS, said Google is also working with partners to build Chromebooks with more post-consumer recycled materials (PCR). Google is also rolling out an update to its repair program that will allow authorized repair centers and school technicians to repair Chromebooks without a physical USB key. Gudadhe says this will reduce the time for software repairs by over 50% and limit time away from the classroom. If you're interested in a Chromebook, make sure to check out our 'best of' feature that looks at several options at different price points. Bottom line: Apple is developing a patch to "fix" an alleged radiation leak in the iPhone 12. However, Cupertino is only pushing the patch to French customers. Should you be concerned? According to Apple, no. The iPhone 12 is perfectly safe and has passed regulatory tests in every country but France. The patch is only to address the specific testing protocol France uses. Apple is updating the iPhone 12 in France after regulators threatened to force a recall over radiation concerns. French regulators claim that the device emits electromagnetic radiation in excess of levels allowed in the European Union. Apple says the iPhone 12 is perfectly safe and points out that France is the only country out of 27 EU nations that has raised the complaint since the phone launched in 2020. It says the issue arose from a specific test protocol only the French government uses. The regulatory agency ANFR (Agence nationale des frequences) claims the iPhone 12 failed one of two tests it conducts to determine the specific absorption rate (SAR). Reuters notes that the ANFR's freeze on iPhone 12 sales caught the attention of other EU members, including Belgium, Germany, and Italy. Those nations and others are closely monitoring the situation. Initially, Apple contested the order, but has since decided it would issue a patch that should fix the problem, rather than argue about the safety of the phone. "We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators," Apple told Reuters. "We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France." Apple did not go into specifics, so it is unclear exactly what the patch will do or if it will affect signal reception or performance. The iPhone 12 is one of 140 phones ANFR is currently testing to see if SAR levels fall within EU guidelines. The sales ban has been in effect since September 12, the day Apple announced the latest lineup of its flagship iPhone 15, which ships on September 22. Cupertino does not anticipate the radiation issue to affect new device sales. However, it expects the French regulator to retest the iPhone 12 promptly after the update, lift the sales ban, and put the issue to rest. Image credits: Trusted Reviews, Marco Verch The maintenance of optimal indoor air quality necessitates vigilant temperature monitoring within the room. If the room becomes excessively hot, the individual should activate the air conditioner. Conversely, if the room grows too cold, they should switch on the radiator. For individuals who are in good health, these considerations may not command significant attention as long as they can breathe comfortably without perspiring excessively or feeling excessively cold. However, what often eludes their awareness are the imperceptible pollutants that float within the confines of their homes, contributing to the proliferation of viruses and adversely affecting their health. Introducing the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS -a sophisticated thermo-hygrometer designed for monitoring room temperature and humidity levels. It offers the convenience of remote temperature tracking via a Wi-Fi connection using a smartphone. There are prescribed temperature ranges that must be adhered to in order to attain an optimal level of comfort. For instance, newborn infants require a room temperature ranging from 68 to 72F (20 to 22.2C), while indoor plants thrive best in conditions ranging from 70 to 80F during the daytime and 60 to 68F at night. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of indoor air quality cannot be denied. Research indicates that maintaining higher room temperatures can significantly reduce the infection rates of viruses compared to colder temperatures, thereby diminishing the risk of virus transmission. Furthermore, humidity levels influence indoor air quality by creating conditions conducive to the manifestation of certain allergies due to increased fungal and mite activity. What is a thermo-hygrometer used for? A thermo-hygrometer, such as the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS, serves the purpose of measuring both temperature and humidity levels within the air. It also employs comfort level icons to indicate whether the conditions are ideal for occupants. This device boasts a temperature accuracy of 0.3/0.5, humidity accuracy of 3RH, and a 500mAh battery capacity. Should the air become excessively dry, hot, or cold, the smart device promptly issues an alert, allowing users to take appropriate action to maintain comfort. Setting Up the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS Setting up the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS is a straightforward process. Users simply need to activate Bluetooth and location services on their smartphones, download the INKBIRD app, and then add the device once installation is complete. It's essential to ensure that the device's Wi-Fi button has been pressed to enable detection on the app. Once the device is paired, users can configure settings and remotely manage the digital hygrometer from a distance. Users have the option to select their preferred temperature unit and customize the desired temperature and humidity comfort range. Safety alarms can also be configured to notify users when measurements fall below the minimum or exceed the maximum temperature and humidity thresholds. The device supports voice commands and mobile app integration, facilitating effortless monitoring of measurement changes over time. The INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS app displays readings from the hygrometer, enabling continuous monitoring of indoor air quality, even when not physically present in the room. The frequency of temperature and humidity readings depends on the chosen time interval, which can be set to 10-minute, 30-minute, 60-minute, or 120-minute intervals. By setting the recording time interval to 10 minutes, users can extend the humidity sensor's battery life to one month. For maximum battery efficiency, larger recording intervals of 60 minutes can extend the humidity sensor's lifespan to 6 months, while 120-minute intervals can provide a full year of operation. In the event of a depleted battery, recharging the smart thermo-hygrometer is easily accomplished using the provided charging cable. Design of the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS Weighing a mere 6.38 ounces, the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS boasts a compact and user-friendly design. It incorporates a foldable stand at the rear, facilitating placement on various flat surfaces. Additionally, a hanging hole on the back allows users to mount the device on a wall, keeping it out of reach from children. The device features a sizable LCD screen that presents temperature and humidity readings with precision. Equipped with a Swiss-made sensor renowned for its accuracy, users can trust the device's measurements. This ensures that users can make informed decisions regarding the activation of appliances such as dehumidifiers or air conditioners to maintain optimal indoor air quality and ensure the comfort of everyone in the room. FAQs What voice command is compatible with the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS? Users can connect the humidity sensor to Amazon Alexa through the Amazon Alexa mobile app to enable voice commands. Is the product waterproof? No, the smart thermo-hygrometer is not waterproof. Can I export the data of the INKBIRD app to my computer? Yes, users can access temperature and humidity data through historical graphs on the INKBIRD app and export it to their computer. It's important to note that the app can store data for up to one year. Can more than one smartphone control the device? Yes, the INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS can be controlled by multiple smartphones simultaneously. Additionally, one smartphone can control multiple humidity sensors. Conclusion The INKBIRD IBS-TH3 PLUS is available for purchase at a price of $36.99 on Amazon. As a prominent IoT brand, INKBIRD remains committed to delivering exceptional smart home living products to global markets. The company's product lines encompass smart controllers, food thermometers, and smart sensors. With the introduction of its latest smart humidity sensor, INKBIRD strives to provide users with the most comfortable home environment possible. Look out for substantial discounts on September 15 as the company celebrates its 13th anniversary. Invest in and uphold superior indoor air quality for the well-being of yourself and your loved ones. 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Making a virtue out of necessity is a useful mantra when a military superpower wants to wipe you off the map. Ukraine has been at war with Russia since 2014, when the Kremlin supported a separatist uprising in the Donbas region and annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Moscows full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, has forced Ukraine to develop weaponry more rapidly, an industry largely based on private initiative to produce cheaper armaments, reduce Kyivs dependence on its international allies, and to strike on Russian soil. One of the most significant changes of the conflict in 2023 is that Ukraine has taken the war to Russia. Ukrainian drones are launched at military targets and infrastructure in Russia on an almost daily basis. Even Moscow, over 300 miles from the Ukrainian border, has been attacked by drone bombs. Kyivs NATO allies have drawn a red line on such operations, stating that the weaponry they supply should not be used to attack Russian territory. That is why the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using aircraft designed by national companies. At least two drones recently incorporated into the Ukrainian Army have been confirmed as part of the arsenal used against Moscow: the UJ-22 drone, made by Ukrjet, and the Bober, the producers of which have not been made public. The UJ-22 is a reconnaissance device, with a range of 500 miles, which has been converted into a bomb drone. The Bober has a range of over 600 miles each device costs around 100,000 ($106,500) to make. The Morok has a similar range to the Bober and although it is at a less developed stage, it has already been used against targets in Crimea. Another unmanned craft produced in Ukraine, unveiled publicly in August, are drones made of cardboard, which makes them more difficult to detect by radar and drastically reduces the cost of production. According to military media, these devices cost no more than 3,000 ($3,200). Ukraine had been using cardboard drones produced by Australian company Sypaq, but the Ukrainian Security Services (SSU) claimed that the August 27 attack on the Russian Kursk airbase was carried out with a new model of its own. Cardboard drones cannot carry heavy explosive charges: in the case of Sypaq models, the limit if five kilograms. In the Kursk attack, the aircraft was armed with fragmentation mines, which release small projectiles over a wide radius that, while not completely destroying the target in this case, Russian bomber aircraft do cause significant damage. These cardboard drones have a range of up to 90 miles. All indications are that they were launched from within Russias borders. The SSU claimed that the strike against the Kursk base was carried out together with a Russian paramilitary group that opposes Vladimir Putin. The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, claimed that the drones that attacked the Pskov air base, 700 kilometers from Ukraine, on August 30 were also launched from inside Russia. Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Mykhailo Fedorov observing prototype weapons produced in Ukraine. The main advantage of the Ukrainian arms industry over its Russian counterpart is the autonomy of the production companies and of military units at the front. In early September, EL PAIS visited a secret drone development workshop of the Ukrainian 92nd Mechanized Brigade in the province of Kharkiv. The head of the unit, codenamed, Gansk, stressed that the Russian industrial model has a larger public budget. But because it is very hierarchical, improvements and innovation are slow to come into effect. Gansk illustrated the point with examples of ongoing cooperation with private enterprises in improving the adaptation of explosives to commercial drones or even to prototypes they develop in their workshop, such as two models made of polystyrene. But the crown jewel of the 92nd Mechanized Brigades armory is the Vampire, a large six-propeller drone produced by a group of Ukrainian companies that since August have been delivered in bulk to the front lines. The Vampire can carry 15 kilograms of bombs, which are dropped on the target. Other strategic drones in regular use on the battlefield are the Shark, a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft made by Ukrspectsystems, and the small front-camera drones produced by the company Air Unit, which are widely used as bombers against enemy positions. Air Unit explained to the Ukrainian media last month that it intends to increase the effectiveness of these devices to over 20%. According to the company, the Russian Lancet drone bombs, one of the most-used weapons in Moscows arsenal, have an efficiency of 30%. According to The Economist, between 35% and 40% of Ukrainian drone bombs hit their targets. Ukrainian soldiers prepare a reconnaissance drone in the Donetsk region on June 27. GENYA SAVILOV (AFP) Ukraines first cruise missile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a meeting on 28 August with his Cabinet and leading domestic arms producers to seek ways for manufacturing to be maximized. Zelenskiy singled out the production of ammunition, drones, armor, and missiles. As far as armor and heavy weapons are concerned, Ukraines greatest success has been to introduce its Bohdana self-propelled howitzer with a range of over 25 miles to the battlefield in record time. The president himself delivered the most eagerly awaited new on August 31: the first Ukrainian cruise missile has already been successfully tested. The rocket, according to Zelenskiy, hit its target at a distance of 430 miles. This is a leap forward in Ukrainian military power because so far Kyivs NATO allies have withheld long-range weaponry with the exception of the British Storm Shadow for fear that these missiles will be used against Russian territory. Last Wednesday, an attack with 10 cruise missiles was launched against a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol, in the Crimean Peninsula, damaging two warships, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk implied that the missiles used were Storm Shadows. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, told Radio Ukraine on September 2 that rapid progress was being made and that, in the not-too distant future, the range of domestic cruise missiles would increase to 1,500 kilometers [930 miles] inside Russian territory. Sevastopol is waiting, Kamchatka is waiting, Kronstadt is waiting, Danilov wrote on his social networks. Sevastopol, in Crimea, is the primary base for Russias Black Sea fleet; Kamchatka is a peninsula in eastern Russia and Kronstadt is a port city neighboring St. Petersburg. Ukrainian-designed nautical 'Sea Baby' drone bombs. Servicios de Seguridad de Ucrania It was initially believed that such a long-range missile was responsible for the August 23 destruction of a Russian S-400 anti-aircraft battery in Crimea. The nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory to the S-400 position was a little over 100 miles away. The confusion was generated by Danilov himself when he confirmed that a new missile was used in the attack. Ukrainian military analysts and media subsequently reported that the missile was an evolution of the Ukrainian Neptun anti-ship missile, which has been adapted to hit targets on land. Ukraines advances in maritime warfare have been significant because the Russian Navy dominates the Black Sea, Ukraines main commercial outlet. Two of the most audacious operations launched by the SSU have been carried out with a new nautical drone bomb developed by Kyiv and baptized the Sea Baby. In July, this device was used to partially destroy the Kerch Bridge, the only land link connecting occupied Crimea with Russian territory. In August, a Sea Baby traveled more than 400 nautical miles undetected to hit the Russian ship Olengorskii Gorniak in the port of Novorossiysk, in the Russian province of Krasnodar. The Sea Baby was also employed in Wednesdays attack on the Sevastopol shipyard. Maps have evolved as technology continues to transform the utility of different media. No longer are they simply sheets of paper that are used as a guide in navigation, to locate the distance between two places, or to visualize the world's many landforms and bodies of water. Today, maps can show geodata and highlight essential information regarding a specific location, such as population density or an establishment's services. Web mapping platforms include these features and make the results instantly shareable across the internet. What Are the Benefits of Web Mapping? Web mapping enables developers to integrate various features and customize the virtual elements of their web maps through mapping software. They can share multiple layers of geographical data, making them more visually appealing to their audience. Maps can be made more interactive and impressive in their design and utility. A web map can provide essential information in just a few clicks, enabling users to learn directly through its features. People can explore distant terrains, travel virtually through historical landmarks, or simply find the fastest route to arrive at their destination. With the appropriate mapping software, anyone can create and design their web maps to enhance the visualization of information. Listed below are the top 5 web mapping platforms of 2023: 1 MapTiler Overview Over 350 million people see MapTiler maps every month; in news articles, weather forecasts, the infotainment systems on airplanes, and many more places. MapTiler has been chosen by thousands of businesses and institutions from all over the world. As a company, MapTiler aims to address the limitations and privacy concerns found in the maps available from other companies. Often, these maps are difficult to customize and simply expensive to integrate into existing web applications. As mapping software, MapTiler provides web maps that can communicate complex data in a geographical context. There is extensive documentation and code samples to guide development and seamless integration. It also offers flexibility and personalization of web map creation, all at a fair price. MapTiler provides satellite and street mapping data along with software and online services that allow organizations to transform geodata into visually appealing, customizable, and reliable web maps. The company uses a global infrastructure with over 250 servers on five continents, enabling the fastest possible loading times anywhere on the planet. Unlike large companies, MapTiler has no intention of selling personal information to advertisers or third parties. It is a pure mapping software intended only to improve the creation of web maps for developers. Even if they are currently smaller in comparison to other large incumbent competitors, the company intends to deliver proper customer support and quality web mapping services at an affordable price. Many companies like NASA, Siemens, and the BBC have relied on the web mapping platform MapTiler to highlight their core business data in the right geographical context. With its user-friendly interface, complementary map styles, and integrations, anyone can design and develop maps through MapTiler. Features Map Customization The mapping software of MapTiler offers beautiful map styles for a range of different purposes all of which can be customized in a simple yet powerful interface. Anyone can modify its elements to match the brand of their organization. Developers and designers can adjust the colors, fonts, and language to accommodate the needs of their target audience. For businesses, they can choose to highlight their locations above their competitors to gain more geographic visibility. MapTiler currently supports over 70 world languages. Developers can set the language to match the browser settings or the location that the user is logging in from to best serve the audiences, especially consumers located in different regions. It is inclusive, just as it is holistic for map visualization. Moreover, MapTiler offers more detailed customization of map layers, enabling developers to add fine details or remove them for a more transparent data overlaying. They can choose to highlight the buildings or the roads of cities or hide them from the surface area of the web map. With its customization tool, MapTiler also enables the addition of customers' geodata that they have uploaded to MapTiler Cloud. Developers can layer their geodata with the existing map style to improve its visual effect. By using the JSON format, they can constantly adjust the map style of their custom web maps. Maps API Maps API serves as the building blocks or the foundation for location intelligence. MapTiler provides developers with its maps API for web or mobile applications through the MapTiler Cloud service. The mapping software has ready-to-use base maps to serve as the foundation of web maps. These include satellite, street, outdoor, dataviz, and 3D maps. They are also available for customization to deliver the objectives of the brand. Developers can also upload their tiles for map hosting from the reliable global infrastructure of MapTiler. JavaScript Maps SDK MapTiler's JavaScript Maps SDK offers an environment for creating interactive vector and raster maps through the open-source TypeScript library of the mapping software. Developers can make web maps more interactive by adding filters or clickable features to improve map visualization. They can animate the map camera around a single location to present the 3D design of a city or display a 3D terrain map of a country. MapTiler has also greatly simplified the way developers add features such as map controls to their maps. Moreover, by using its JavaScript maps SDK, developers can connect their web maps with analytics to display information like population density or statistical information. MapTiler can also offer real-time data filters for users to easily locate information that meets their search criteria. Similar to the visual elements, developers can simply adjust the properties of the web map to highlight information that's needed by their audience. MapTiler is a dedicated map provider, hence, its sole focus lies on creating digital mapping solutions businesses and end-users can benefit from. They guarantee no external influences factor in the implementation of their services, ensuring the privacy of end users is safe and protected. From its multiple customizations, built-in language localization, and open-source SDKs, companies can leverage MapTiler to develop web maps for the flexibility and personalization it can offer. This mapping software can improve map visualization and map literacy for everyone with the amount of information and visual elements it can provide. 2 Google Maps Platform Overview The Google Maps Platform is a web service by a multinational technology company that offers detailed geographical information about regions and sites worldwide. Developers can use its APIs and SDKs to embed the web mapping platform into applications or web pages. It can offer efficient routes, provide local information, support rides and deliveries, and more. Features Google Maps offers real-time traffic updates. It offers the best route when traveling with its ability to display traffic jams, accidents, and other road-related problems drivers want to avoid. It also provides real-time updates for public transportation, highlighting crucial information such as estimated time of arrival or time of departure. With a redesigned Explore tab, anyone can locate restaurants, hotels, and other establishments, making city explorations quick and easy. Businesses can utilize the web mapping platform to make their services accessible. Google Maps can show the direction to the target destination and related information about the establishment like its menu and reviews. Users can make advanced bookings or inquire online directly through the platform. Google Maps also offers a Live View feature to help users effectively navigate and reach their location, regardless if it's indoors or outdoors. Users can also benefit from using aerial and satellite views, allowing them to prepare ahead of time when traveling to a new city. With its ease of use, navigation features, and customizations, it's an all-in-one mapping solution for businesses and consumers alike. 3 Mapbox Overview As a company, Mapbox drives innovation in the field of navigation for people, packages, and transportation. Over 700 million active users benefit from their maps, and over 3.9 million developers have built their maps through its SDKs and API. Companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Uber have utilized their mapping software to drive their businesses. Features The platform of Mapbox is backed by a globally distributed network, which ensures low latency delivery of its web maps and availability even during challenging scenarios like natural disasters. It can handle tens of thousands of requests per second, scalable to the organization's needs. It offers Core Styles base maps developed by professional cartographic designs. They are customizable in the Mapbox Studio. It enables users to take control of every detail and property of the web map, including uploading and creating custom geodata. Mapbox also supports cross-platform SDKs, ensuring a seamless experience for users accessing the maps on web browsers or mobile. Moreover, with MapBox Tiling Service, users can upload and transform their geospatial data into customizable maps and services within the platform. It can process massive data sets and sync them automatically across multiple regions where they are accessed. Overall, Mapbox is ideal for large companies looking for mapping software that can cater to a global audience. 4 TomTom Overview TomTom Maps Platform is a standardized map database built on an expanding network of mapping data, validated and standardized by OverTure Maps Foundation, OpenStreetMap, partner data, sensor-derived observations, and TomTom's proprietary data. With the richness of open data and proprietary data, many brands such as Uber, Ford, and Mitsubishi Motors leverage the mapping software to create accurate and reliable web maps. Features TomTom utilizes machine learning and AI to process large volumes of data and create accurate, updated web maps. It conducts quality checks to detect changes in locations. Together with input from social institutions and qualified authorities, it displays in real-time the ongoing constructions and other road projects that affect the road navigation of end-users. It also features Address Point, which increases the geocoding accuracy of the maps by associating the specific street addresses to physical buildings, enabling faster address identification and last-mile navigation. Built with text-to-speech technology, TomTom offers instructions in local dialects and regional accents, making it safe and easy for drivers to navigate the road, especially when exploring a new city. To enhance the user experience, TomTom offers points of interest where food, hotel, and retail establishments are highlighted, even gas stations or vehicle charging points. The mapping software supports over 30 languages and offers web map customization through its SD Map and maps API. Trusted by the world's biggest tech and automotive companies, businesses can leverage the web mapping platform for its expansive database and fast map delivery 5 HERE Overview HERE allows customizable maps and spatial intelligence content to be built through its platform. It can transform data, generate insights, and build applications through its map-making tools and technologies. Anyone can easily make web maps according to the needs of the user. As you create individually or collaboratively, HERE ensures user privacy and protection of business data and intellectual property. Features The mapping software platform of HERE enables customization. Users can modify the web map's markers, colors, and stylistic elements to highlight specific areas. They can also layer the maps with more information, such as roads, POIs, postal code points, and 3D landmarks. With every edit made, HERE automatically updates the changes in real-time to ensure consistency and accuracy of geographical information. HERE has an easy-use-to-dashboard where users can manage their visualizations. They can layer, combine, edit, and even filter data, and these instantly reflect on the content of the web map. Moreover, it can include data or algorithms relevant to the business. HERE also offers location services, SDKs, and tools to improve the customized private maps for seamless integration, allowing users to monetize their web maps through the HERE Marketplace. This web mapping platform is also ISO/IEC 27001 certified and SSAE SOC Type 2, GDPR, and CCPA compliant, proving its credibility to uphold the industry standards. Overall, HERE can streamline operations and improve the user experience through real-time updates and visually appealing, customizable web maps. In Summary To summarize, below are the main reasons to use these five web mapping platforms: MapTiler: customizable maps, built-in localization, open-source SDKs, no user tracking, advanced user traffic analytics, more map datasets, customer data hosting services, standardized weather data and visualizations, offline maps solution, easy account set up, no ads-based results, 2-4x cheaper, better quality cartography, highly-rated customer support Google Maps: ease of use for the most basic of use cases, real-time data, rich geospatial data, simplified trip planning, assisted route navigation Mapbox: global infrastructure, scalable, the best for companies with a global audience TomTom: real-time traffic data, driver assistance systems, increased geocoding accuracy, full control of data, customizable maps, large database HERE: modern interface, customizable web maps, real-time updates, industry certifications Conclusion Creating custom, visually appealing, and versatile web maps requires access to real-time information to ensure that accurate geographical information is communicated to the audience. After all, the stylization of maps serves no purpose if a web map fails to deliver relevant and reliable information to the end user. Each of these web mapping platforms has a unique selling point. It is recommended to choose based on one's objective and the solutions they can offer to improve overall map visualization and map literacy of your target audience. 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Most coastal areas globally are projected to face "100-year flood" events annually until the end of the century, according to a new study. Accelerated glacier melting due to global warming is causing increased sea levels, leading to more frequent and severe coastal floods. (Photo : ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - A man walks against heavy winds after the passage of Hurricane Irma, at Caibarien, Villa Clara province, 330km east of Havana, on September 9, 2017. Facing '100-Year Floods' Annually The accelerated melting of glaciers due to global warming is causing a notable rise in sea levels, resulting in more frequent and severe coastal flooding incidents, primarily attributed to climate change. Interesting Engineering reported that most coastal regions worldwide will experience "100-year floods" despite the scenario involving moderate carbon emissions. According to Science Daily, a "100-year flood" is a flood event with a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year and is based on historical data. The "100-year floods" can reportedly occur in the same area multiple years in a row or not at all within a century. According to the study, what was once predicted using historical data is now deemed unreliable for forecasting future flood occurrences. The research reveals that these traditional methods are no longer sufficient for accurately predicting future flood probabilities. Hamed Moftakhari, a civil engineer and professor at the University of Alabama who supervised the study, explained that what was once considered "100-year flood" events, expected to occur once every century on average, will become more common in a warmer climate. Over time, these events will no longer conform to the traditional "100-year flood" definition, signifying a significant shift in flood patterns. This transformation arises from a complex interplay of elements driven by rising sea levels and evolving climate dynamics. Read Also: NASA Warns of MASSIVE Flood To Hit Earth Due to 'Moon Wobble' Projecting Future Extreme Sea Levels In their empirical research, the scientists utilized dynamic approaches and discovered that extreme sea-level fluctuations won't follow a consistent pattern across numerous tide-gauge sites, Science Daily reported. They scrutinized data from 300 tide gauges across the globe to delineate the global flooding landscape. Additionally, they employed two carbon emission scenarios outlined by the International Panel on Climate Change to project future extreme sea levels. The study explores two distinct scenarios: one wherein carbon dioxide emissions steadily increase until the close of the century and the other wherein emissions peak by 2040 and decline due to climate mitigation efforts. Considering both scenarios, the research findings indicate a higher frequency of 100-year flood events will be experienced in most coastal regions due to rising sea levels. Research supported by NASA has revealed that approximately 50% of the glaciers in the Himalayas have undergone melting, primarily due to the Earth's temperature exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold. The study concentrated its investigations on the Imja-Lhotse Shar Glacier, situated in the vicinity of Mount Everest's base, during the period spanning from 2013 to 2017. They utilized computer simulations and a global glacier model, with the exception of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, to project that glaciers across the globe may experience a reduction in their mass of as much as 40 percent by the year 2100. Related Article: NASA Study Reveals Himalayas Glaciers Rapidly Melting Amid Worsening Climate Crisis Google has come to an agreement with the state of California, settling a lawsuit regarding its location-privacy practices. According to the Associated Press, this settlement amounts to a significant $93 million, marking another step in resolving the ongoing investigation into the company's tracking of user locations. This development follows a prior settlement in November 2022, when Google agreed to pay $391.5 million to 40 states, aiming to address concerns about the way it monitored user locations. Google 'Location History' Feature The investigation was initially prompted by a 2018 Associated Press report, which uncovered Google's continued tracking of location data even when users explicitly opted out through the "location history" feature. California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressed his stance, saying, "Our investigation revealed that Google was telling its users one thing-that it would no longer track their location once they opted out-but doing the opposite and continuing to track its users' movements for its own commercial gain. That's unacceptable, and we're holding Google accountable with today's settlement." It is important to note that Google did not concede to any wrongdoing in conjunction with this settlement. Nevertheless, the company did commit to a series of actions. These include heightened transparency concerning location tracking, notifying users about the potential utilization of their location data for tailored advertising, and furnishing extra details to users while adjusting settings related to location. Google's response to the settlement underscored the substantial strides it has taken in refining its policies in recent times. The company affirmed that this resolution tackles concerns originating from antiquated product policies, which underwent modification years ago. Read Also: Google Faces High-Stakes Antitrust Trial: Largest in 25 Years Google Embroiled in a 10-Week Trial In related news, Google was also embroiled in a 10-week trial in Washington, DC, where it faces allegations of leveraging its influence to maintain a dominant position in internet search. The trial centers on anti-competitive practices and tests the extent of US regulators' authority over tech giants like Google, particularly in instances wherein it serves as the default search engine on various platforms, including Apple devices. Central to the government's argument is Google's yearly payments to major tech companies like Apple, Samsung, and Mozilla to ensure Google remains the default search engine on their devices, thereby preserving its market dominance. Prosecutors assert that this information is pivotal in understanding the dynamics of the industry. This trial underscored that Google became Apple's default search engine in 2002 without engaging in any financial transactions. However, by 2005, financial incentives became part of the equation, and there were even threats to withdraw if other companies were granted similar access. The government contends that Google's actions constitute encouragement of monopolistic behavior, allegedly instructing Apple to limit the scope of its search product development and urging Samsung to refrain from partnering with businesses that employ alternative search methods. While Google maintains that consumers can easily switch to other search engines, the heart of the matter lies in the payments made to secure its position as the default search engine on popular devices. Google argues that it faces fierce competition not just from major players like Microsoft's Bing but also from niche websites and applications tailored to specific customer needs. John Schmidtlein, Google's attorney, asserted that the company competes on merit to secure pre-installation and default status. He emphasized that data demonstrates users still overwhelmingly prefer Google, highlighting its superior search capabilities. Related Article: Google Maps' New Update Adds Emoji Support for Faster Search 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a significant archaeological find, researchers have uncovered a vast Palaeolithic cave art site, potentially the most significant ever found on the Eastern Iberian Coast in Europe. This remarkable discovery consists of over a hundred ancient paintings and engravings, believed to date back at least 24,000 years, located within a 500-meter-long cave known as "Cova Dones" or "Cueva Dones." Situated in Millares near Valencia, Spain, the cave has been a familiar spot for locals and enthusiasts, yet the existence of Palaeolithic artworks went unnoticed until experts from the universities of Zaragoza and Alicante (Spain), affiliated with Archaeology at the University of Southampton (UK), made the remarkable revelation in June 2021. Palaeolithic Cave Art Site in Spain Dr. Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, Senior Lecturer of Prehistory at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) and a research affiliate at the University of Southampton (UK), commented on the significance of this finding. He said, "When we saw the first painted auroch [extinct wild bull], we immediately acknowledged it was important. Although Spain is the country with the largest number of Palaeolithic cave art sites, most of them are concentrated in northern Spain. Eastern Iberia is an area where few of these sites have been documented so far." He further noted that the true magnitude of its importance only became fully apparent after they conducted a thorough and systematic survey. It became evident that they were dealing with a major cave art site, comparable to those found in regions like Cantabrian Spain, southern France, or Andalusia, but conspicuously absent in this territory. The collaborative research team, consisting of Dr. Virginia Barciela-Gonzalez, Senior Lecturer of Prehistory at the University of Alicante (Spain), and Dr. Ximo Martorell-Briz, a research affiliate at the University of Alicante (Spain), have meticulously documented over a hundred unique "motifs" or designs within Cova Dones thus far. According to the archaeologists, the sheer number of motifs and the diverse techniques employed in their creation elevate this cave to the status of being the most significant Palaeolithic cave art site along the eastern Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This discovery rivals, and perhaps surpasses, even the renowned Atxurra site in Bizkaia, discovered in 2015, in terms of the sheer number of motifs. Read Also: Archaeologists in Israel Discover 'Most Ancient Gate' From 5,500 Years Ago Ancient Animal Representations The research brings to light a minimum of 19 confirmed animal representations featuring creatures like hinds, horses, aurochs, and deer. What sets this discovery apart is the predominant use of clay in creating these paintings. Ruiz-Redondo explained the process, saying that animals and signs "were depicted simply by dragging the fingers and palms covered with clay on the walls." He added that the "humid environment of the cave did the rest: the 'paintings' dried quite slowly, preventing parts of the clay from falling down rapidly, while other parts were covered by calcite layers, which preserved them until today." While the application of clay in Palaeolithic art is known, instances of its use or preservation are rare. Yet, in Cueva Dones, it emerges as the primary technique employed. However, it must be noted that the team's investigations are still in the nascent stages, with many areas yet to be surveyed and numerous panels awaiting documentation. This means that more art could come to light in the future. The findings were recently published in the journal Antiquity. Related Article: Archaeologists Unearth Some of the Largest Prehistoric Stone Artifacts in Britain 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla's little-known Autobidder product has emerged as a financial juggernaut, raking in over $330 million in trading profits, Engadget tells us in a report. Initially, under the radar, this cutting-edge platform has captivated the energy industry, shifting the balance of power and profitability. In this report, we unravel the intricacies of Tesla's Autobidder, a real-time trading and control platform shaping the future of battery asset monetization. A Closer Look: Autobidder Tesla's Autobidder, introduced in 2020, is not just a tech buzzword. Designed for independent power producers, utilities, and capital partners, Autobidder leverages advanced machine learning to maximize the utilization and monetization of battery assets. At its core, it's about turning batteries into lucrative revenue streams. According to Tesla, Autobidder offers "value-based asset management and portfolio optimization," allowing owners and operators to configure strategies that align with their business objectives and risk preferences. It is a hands-free approach to squeezing every penny out of your batteries. Read Also: Toyota Set to Begin Production of Next-Generation BEVs in 2026, Prioritizing Affordability and Performance The $330 Million Power Play The real showstopper here is the mind-boggling $330 million in trading profits that Autobidder has already delivered to early storage investors. Rohan Ma, in charge of Autobidder, recently confirmed this astonishing figure on LinkedIn. He revealed, "Autobidder has grown its global portfolio to over 7GWh of battery storage under direct dispatch next year, and our real-time algorithms have already returned over $330 million in trading profit to early storage investors." In retrospect, Autobidder managed over 1.2 GWh of energy storage in 2021, according to Engadget. Such impressive numbers are a testament to Autobidder's prowess in the energy market. In a relatively short time, it has established a significant energy capacity and generated substantial profits, setting a new benchmark for battery asset monetization. Electric Utility Sector Autobidder's meteoric rise has not gone unnoticed, and it has been sending ripples across the electric utility sector. Traditional utilities, accustomed to being in control for decades, now face a game-changing disruptor. They are suddenly confronted with the reality that their grip on the market is slipping. Tesla's Autobidder is shifting the paradigm by giving more autonomy and profitability to battery asset owners. It is a trend that has utilities scrambling to catch up. In an attempt to stay relevant, electric utilities are now investing heavily in energy storage products at scale, including Tesla's Megapack. Megapack Mania Tesla's Megapack, a part of its energy storage portfolio, is experiencing unprecedented demand. Despite ramping up production, Engadget tells us that there is a roughly two-year backlog of orders. This situation underscores the popularity of Tesla's energy solutions and also the transformative impact of Autobidder. The success of Autobidder has not only brought financial windfalls but also technological innovation and competition to the energy sector. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: How Tesla's Technological Breakthrough Could Change the EV Industry 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A prominent UK court of appeal judge made history by using ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, to summarize a legal topic. Lord Justice Birss, an expert in intellectual property law, called the AI-driven chatbot "jolly useful" after it gave him a good summary of a particular legal area. The British judge acknowledged the enormous potential of generative big language models in remarks he made at a symposium the Law Society organized. "I think what is of most interest is that you can ask these large language models to summarize information. It is useful and it will be used and I can tell you, I have used it," he expressed, as reported by The Guardian. Taking Full Responsibility Lord Justice Birss made it clear that ChatGPT only helped him with work he was going to complete and that he independently checked and approved the findings, stressing that he bears full personal responsibility for the substance of his decisions. "I am not trying to give the responsibility to somebody else. All it did was a task which I was about to do and which I knew the answer and could recognize as being acceptable," he said. This is the first time a British judge has used ChatGPT to support a ruling in a court case. Judges using ChatGPT are not subject to any official instructions from the Judicial Office. A Colombian judge made news earlier this year when they asked ChatGPT for help in assessing whether a handicapped child's medical insurance should pay for associated therapy, per The Telegraph. The use of AI in this setting sparked a worldwide discussion on the incorporation of AI into judicial systems. Read Also: Cancer Treatment Breakthrough: Gold Nanoparticles Induce Self-Destruction in Glioblastoma Cells ChatGPT's Integrity Questioned Two lawyers in New York were fined for using ChatGPT to help with a legal problem. While processing personal injury litigation against the airline Avianca on behalf of a client, they provided a legal document with forged case references. Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca from the Manhattan legal firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman were accused of making false and misleading statements to the court by District Judge Peter Kevin Castel. Even though the court acknowledged that using trustworthy AI technologies for help was not necessarily "inappropriate," he chastised the attorneys and their company for failing to fulfill their duties. They had filed bogus legal opinions, replete with ChatGPT's artificial intelligence-generated quotations and citations. Furthermore, even when legal orders cast doubt on the validity of these bogus opinions, they continued to support them. While ChatGPT and other AI technologies have many benefits, there are also possible drawbacks. According to Cryptopolitan, the problem of AI hallucination, when the AI provides information that may be factually erroneous or deceptive, is one of the major worries. Due to worries about client confidentiality and the creation of inaccurate legal material, law firms have sometimes avoided using ChatGPT. In contrast, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, helped Magic Circle business Allen & Overy create its AI chatbot, Harvey. With human attorneys assessing the output to assure correctness and dependability, Harvey intends to automate operations like contract preparation. Related Article: X Unveils Government ID Verification for Premium Users with Exclusive 'Prioritized Support' 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Three international health groups warn against rushed mass funerals in Libya after this week's massive floods. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) all emphasize that while it is upsetting to see corpses, there is little to no danger to the public's health. The global health groups address the myths about corpses in disaster and war situations in a united statement. Contrary to the widely held idea that they transmit illness or pollute water systems, they noted that corpses arising from armed conflict or natural catastrophes seldom pose health concerns to communities. Dead Bodies from Natural Disasters Pose Low Health Risks According to the WHO news release, the corpses of the Libya flood victims "should not be left in contact with drinking water sources." It also quoted Pierre Guyomarch, the head of ICRC's forensics unit, saying: The belief that dead bodies will cause epidemics is not supported by evidence. We see too many cases where media reports and even some medical professionals get this issue wrong. Those who survive an event like a natural disaster are more likely to spread disease than dead bodies." To guarantee correct burial procedures, the health organizations recognize their presence in Libya and support local authorities there with advice, supplies, and training. While acknowledging the sorrow caused by departed corpses, they advise against mass burials, which may harm people legally and emotionally. Instead, they support properly managed funeral arrangements that include individual graves, meticulous paperwork, accurate body placement, and the preservation of heirlooms. This method guarantees the deceased's respect and dignity but has no positive effects on public health. "An unnecessary rush to dispose of the bodies of those killed in disasters or conflict deprives families of the opportunity to identify and mourn their loved ones while providing no public health benefit," said Gwen Eamer, the IFRC's senior officer for public health in emergencies, as quoted by VOA. She noted that according to local cultural and social traditions, the dead must be identified and mourned properly. Read Also: Cancer Treatment Breakthrough: Gold Nanoparticles Induce Self-Destruction in Glioblastoma Cells What Happened? The citizens of Derna were startled out of their rest at 3 a.m. on a Monday when Libya, which was experiencing terrible floods, experienced a disaster. According to CNN, an initial dam breach was quickly followed by another, causing a large flood of water to erupt and rush across the mountains into the seaside city of Derna. Derna, in eastern Libya, had 100,000 people before this calamity. Authorities estimate at least 10,000 missing people. The ICRC reported that a 7-meter (23-foot) tsunami devastated buildings, households, and critical infrastructure in the city. Storm Daniel brought heavy rain to Libya on Sunday. Storm Daniel changed into a "medicane" over the Mediterranean after passing over Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, where it produced significant flooding and killed more than 20 people. Medicane, a rare hurricane-typhoon-like weather system, strengthened over the extremely warm Mediterranean seas before dumping copious rainfall on Libya. Al-Bayda, a city west of Derna, broke a new record for 24-hour rainfall with an astounding 16 inches (414 mm) of rain. While the storm's cause is still being investigated, experts are more certain that climate change intensifies severe weather occurrences like hurricanes. The University of Reading in the UK's Hannah Cloke, a professor of hydrology, emphasized that storms "are becoming more ferocious because of climate change." Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said the city's Libya flood death toll might reach 18,000 to 20,000 due to substantial district devastation. He also noted that the Libya flood has prompted rescue teams from Egypt, Tunisia, the UAE, Turkey, and Qatar, as reported by Al Jazeera. Related Article: Honduras Innovates in Dengue Epidemic Fight by Deploying Special Mosquitoes 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sony is rumored to release Xperia 1 V1, the next flagship. The information came from an alleged sales representative who knows about the company's plan. According to the source, the most interesting thing about this handset is its 6x zoom camera with a large sensor. Will We See the Sony Xperia 1 V1 in Late 2023? As GSM Arena spotted via Reddit, the upcoming Sony handset is coming with the most sustainable packaging in the world. Upon looking at the picture circulating on r/SonyXperia, you will see an image of an egg tray which appears to be too good to be true. "This is a self-declared rumor made using an egg tray and past Xperia launches. Some of these images are from the teaser for the Xperia Pro-I. The Exmor logo is incorrect here since the new Exmor T image sensor will most likely be used on the Mark 6 series. Take this with the lightest grain of salt," one Redditor says. Another commenter writes that the egg tray packaging is featured so consumers can portray Sony as an "environment-friendly" company. Most people questioned the identity of the source since seeing an egg tray next to the Sony Xperia 1 V1 is ridiculous to imagine. From the looks of it, another person says that the rumored packaging image is fake. He adds that it's likely a photoshopped image when you zoom it in. The logo does not match the shade that the egg carton has. The rumor also claims that the Xperia 1 V1 will be released at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in late February 2024. Related Article: Sony Xperia I V Now Shipping in the US, Grab the Latest 120Hz OLED Flagship for $1,400 Sony Xperia 1 V1 Will Have Massive Camera Upgrade Now for the exciting part, another rumor claims that the Sony flagship will boast an impressive camera upgrade. According to the unknown source, the Xperia 1 V1 will feature a zoom camera that allows up to 6x zoom. It will arrive with a large sensor. On top of that, the camera is rumored to have Clear Image Zoom courtesy of Sony's technology. If that is true, we could potentially see this smartphone in a sustainable packagean old tradition in the company. Sony Xperia 5 V is Epic Tech Times reported back in August that Sony will launch the Xperia 5 V on Sept. 1. Viewers who witnessed the livestream were surprised to see the flagship with interesting features. One of the impressive features it has is the ability to take pictures during the day and night. It's highly versatile even for dark mode photography. Apart from that, it excels with 33W fast charging and 16GB RAM, making it a good substitute for Sony's high-end Galaxy smartphones. At that time, the Geekbench listing spotted that the device would have a motherboard named "Kalama." It's also compatible with Android 13 OS. Read Also: Apple to Issue Software Update For iPhone 12 Users in France Following Radiation Issue 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tech giant Apple said on Friday it would issue a software update for all iPhone 12 users in France in the next few days after regulators raised concerns that these devices breach the European Unions radiation exposure limit. For those unaware, earlier this week, French watchdog group Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR) released a public statement announcing that the iPhone 12 released in 2020 breaches radiation levels that exceed the limit permitted to be absorbed by the human body. The ANFR recently checked the specific absorption rates (SAR) of 141 mobile phones, including Apples iPhone 12, sold in the French market. SAR is a measure of the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body from the equipment being measured. As per the French agency, the phones were analyzed both when they are near the body, i.e. in your hand or pocket, and when they are at a distance of 5 millimeters, such as in the pocket of a jacket or in a bag. The ANFR found out that iPhone 12s SAR was 5.74 watts per kilogram, which is above the limit set by the European Union for a phone when held or kept in a pocket. The watchdog notified Apple of the findings and ordered a temporary halt on the sales of iPhone 12, and directed the tech giant to release a fix as quickly as possible or face a recall. The French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) is instructing Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the French market as of September 12, 2023, after the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limit for this model was exceeded, the French agency wrote in a statement on Tuesday. ANFR enjoins Apple to implement all available means to rapidly remedy this malfunction. Failing this, Apple will be required to recall any units already sold, it added. Although Apple disputed the findings, saying the iPhone 12 was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards. To prove their claim, the Cupertino giant also added that it had submitted various lab results conducted by Apple and third parties. However, the company on Friday said it would still issue a software update to comply with a specific testing protocol used by regulators. It also added that there were no safety concerns with its phone, and it does not pose a health risk for users. We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France, Apple said in a statement to Reuters. This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern, it added. Welcoming the decision of Apple, the French government said once the software update has been issued, it shall be verified by the ANFR. If it passes the test, they would re-allow the sales of the iPhone 12. One of the most recent research projects organized by 32-year-old Brazilian anthropologist Fernanda K. Martins found that platforms such as Spotify recommend more male artists to users than women, regardless of the musical genre being searched for. This is what academics call algorithmic discrimination. It seems logical that this anthropologist would take her research on gender and race to the internet probably the most challenging universe of our time given that Brazil is one of the most hyper-connected countries in the world. Martins is the director of the Internet Lab: a respected interdisciplinary research center, which examines the space where law and the internet meet. Shes also an active participant on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) and its effects on society. The daughter of a Black and Indigenous woman and a white man, Martins was nine-years-old when drought and inequality led her entire family to emigrate to Sao Paulo. She lived in the Brasilandia favela until the family moved to the exclusive Jardins district, where her father works as a doorman. She clearly remembers the moment when she discovered her Blackness. It was the day I uttered the phrase you blacks and a teacher answered me: And what about you? Fernanda K. Martins, anthropologist and director of the Internet Lab, in Sao Paulo. Avener Prado Question. Each Brazilian surfs the internet for an average of nine hours and 32 minutes each day only behind South Africa and three hours above the world average. What drives this hyperconnectivity? Answer. Vanity [and] image are very present in Brazilian popular culture. Due to our Indigenous ancestry, the body is very important we are very used to affection. The internet plays a role [in supporting this] connection among historically marginalized populations. We wanted to understand how Native Americans and Black people who got into colleges through quota systems (affirmative action) view the internet. They told us that it was important at a time when they were often the only [minorities] among a white majority. [In Brazil], we access the internet a lot, but in a very uneven and highly-concentrated way. The providers offer free internet in Brazil for certain applications, such as WhatsApp. And, among the most vulnerable populations, theres the conviction that the internet solely consists of those free applications. Theres no space for people to determine what kind of internet they want to build. For this reason, the more we strengthen the big platforms, the less space we find for innovation and creativity. Q. How is your personal relationship with the online world? Constructive? Improvable? Do you set limits on screen time? A. Its intense. Coming from a public school, I wasnt taught about computers in class, I was self-taught. I started surfing the web at the age of 10-11, on a computer my older brother bought. I had peers who didnt know how to plug a computer in or how to use it. Do I set limits? I have taught myself how. When I take the dog for a walk, I go without my phone. The internet produces that feeling of always being accompanied, but it also aggravates loneliness. Youre present, but youre not. Q. Tell us more about your research on the algorithms that reinforce inequality. A. The research was born in an interdisciplinary team, when the debate on algorithmic discrimination was very intense. Some say that the internet is a reflection of an unequal society. I think it goes further. I believe that the internet and technology produce other inequalities. Our research shows that, when you ask streaming music platforms for recommendations, women are less recommended than men, regardless of musical genre. And there the question arises about whats the social role of the tech platform to try to balance that out. We need the platforms to show that theyre making every effort not to create and perpetuate inequalities. We were able to analyze the gender [of users], but not the ethnic-racial profiles, because theres no data on either the artists or the users. Perhaps in parts of the Global North that isnt important, but in Brazil, its crucial. Q. Brazil is considered to be a good laboratory for analyzing internet problems in general and social media in particular but also for shedding light on possible solutions. A. Brazil is interesting for several reasons. While were a country from the Global South, were so hyper-connected that most of the big tech companies have offices here. This allows us to build a dialogue with multiple actors involved in the debates and the research investigations, in an attempt to solve problems. Furthermore, were going through a wave of growth in conservatism. In the last four years with [President Jair] Bolsonaro, weve seen the potential for disinformation, which isnt limited to the internet. And we now have a progressive government that is intensely considering how to regulate digital platforms. This wont solve all the problems, but maybe it can solve some. Internet Lab director Fernanda K. Martins, in her office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Avener Prado Q. There are different models of regulating the internet and technology. This is a super broad and technical matter, but what do you think must be included in that Brazilian governments law? And what should be left out? A. The main challenge when we think about the regulation of digital platforms not only in Brazil, but in our Latin American neighbors is not to import the European model. We need to find out what our way is. Transparency the possibility of auditing the data provided by the platforms is essential to addressing disinformation, political violence, or hate speech. We mustnt lose sight of the fact that Brazil like other Latin American countries is a very fragile democracy. In Brazil, we need an autonomous body with financial independence to carry out these audits, without the risk of being hijacked by politicians, the public sector. or the private sector. Civil society and academia must participate in this debate. The ultimate goal is to offer a healthy ecosystem to Brazilians, where they can create policies and make connections. We must flee from extreme polarization and silence. Q. You mention polarization and disinformation. Today, we have access to more information than ever before, but much of it is of very poor quality. How do you propose we deal with this? What should be the priority? A. When we talk about disinformation, we cannot only think about social media platforms. We need to address the Brazilian media model. For instance, how the television channels are in the hands of a few families. Q. Do you think its possible to fight against misinformation when hate is more lucrative than sober and quality information? A. Disinformation will continue to be a phenomenon that requires a search for solutions by different sectors and social actors. We must think about alternative, independent, local and regional media about public policies that support Indigenous media, produced in the peripheries, by Blacks, by traditional communities. And then, theres education. People need to know how to check if a news story is fake or not, but they differ on what they consider to be a reliable source. For some, its a YouTube channel. For others, its a trusted person. We need [media] literacy across society in general, as well as a commitment to journalism. We have to think about broad pacts, because the problem isnt concentrated in a single actor. In the Bolsonaro government (2018-2022), many consensuses that we were building around human rights, women and Black people were weakened. Violent discourse and attacks were normalized. We need to believe again in a future built from new consensus. We must actively listen to historically marginalized populations, but the rest [of the population] must also look inward and ask, who were my ancestors? Q. You mean that the historically favored should reflect on white privilege and masculine privilege, but dont they have an advantage merely for being who they are? A. I wouldnt use the term privilege, because it causes many people to react negatively, trying to protect themselves. Its time that the anger which has been important for the traditionally marginalized to harness be shared a little. The people who benefited from the system should be angry with their past. We must build anti-racist people. Women, Blacks and Indigenous people arent going to be able to conquer their rights alone. We need a broad coalition, so that people understand that its important that society deals with that anger. When we think about the regulation of artificial intelligence, social media platforms, or the remuneration of journalism, we must place race and gender at the center of the debate. Q. Lets talk about gender. Female parliamentarians only make up 18% of the Congress of Brazil, but whether theyre on the left or right of the political spectrum theyre the main target of online hate. Why is this? A. When they get into politics, they occupy spaces where they were never present before. We see that anger translates into attacks on women, but not for what they do politically. Rather, its for what they represent. When we compare the attacks on social media, we see that straight white men are questioned for their political positions, while women are critiqued for their hair, their clothes, their morals. Q. In recent months, the Supreme Court of Brazil issued a series of rulings which some consider to be controversial against the disinformation that led to the coup attempt on January 8. Do you consider this action to be proportional to the risk? A. We were very afraid about what could happen to Brazilian democracy. The Supreme Court had a strong presence in the elections and, on January 8, in the effort to protect democratic institutions. The problem is the drift towards personalism. Q. Are you referring to the role of Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has been accused of imposing censorship by certain individuals? A. Yes. But how do we protect Brazilian democratic institutions without this being considered a problem? We need all the powers and every Brazilian to assume their responsibility. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Rogelio Enriquez: "It seems that all famous chefs are men, but in the kitchens of Madrid there are a lot of women who do not appear in the photos and we want to bring them to light" When a person gets older and begins to lose his or her memory, even to forget the names of their loved ones, it is already too late. Alzheimers has been quietly destroying the brain for years. If you could open the skull, you would see dead neurons and accumulations of two characteristic proteins: amyloid and tau. The disease threatens to wipe out civilization in the coming decades there are 10 million new cases of dementia every year but the scientific community still has no idea what causes it. An international team, including Spanish neuroscientist Amaia Arranz, has introduced 100,000 human neurons into the brains of mice to try to investigate in vivo what happens during the advance of Alzheimers disease. The authors have observed how the cells perish and have managed to avoid this neuronal death with a simple oral treatment. Their breakthrough was published Thursday in the journal Science. Mice are not susceptible to Alzheimers, but the researchers genetically modified them to suffer from an accumulation of the amyloid protein. By introducing human neurons into the brains of these rodents, the scientists were able to identify the exact mechanism of neuronal destruction: activation of the MEG3 gene induces necroptosis, a genetically programmed cell death, which is also present in cancer. A drug approved for the treatment of leukemia, ponatinib, and another for melanoma, dabrafenib, prevented neuronal death in these mice. The anti-inflammatory necrosulfonamide achieves the same effect. There are still no drugs that cure or help alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimers disease. This study could help to find therapies that prevent the loss of neuronal cells, says Arranz of the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience in Bilbao. The work was carried out in the laboratory of Belgian biologist Bart De Strooper, of the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research (CBD). Arranz and fellow scientist Ira Espuny participated at the CBD in 2017 in the development of the first mouse with human neurons that recreated something similar to Alzheimers. The new study has gone a step further by implanting both human and mouse neurons in the rodents. The human neurons immediately showed the hallmarks of the disease: tau and amyloid proteins and cell death. The mouse neurons, on the other hand, remained intact. In the authors opinion, these results reveal a human-specific vulnerability to Alzheimers disease. The brain of a mouse is the size of a pea, weighs half a gram and contains about 70 million neurons. Arranz explains that the 100,000 implanted human neurons remain in a very specific region. The mouse brain is still a mouse brain, with a little piece where there are human cells. We are not going to create monsters or Frankensteins, says the neuroscientist. Her research center is named after Nicolas Achucarro, a Spanish physician who was working in Munich in Alois Alzheimers laboratory when the German neurologist described a new disease in 1906, based on the case of a 50-year-old woman with memory loss issues. More than a century later, mankind continues to ignore the causes of Alzheimers disease. Amaia Arranz of the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience. Achucarro Biologist Estela Area Gomez won last years Oskar Fischer Prize for postulating a hypothesis that links neuronal death in Alzheimers disease to failures in cholesterol metabolism. In her opinion, the scientific community has been stuck for decades on a false premise: that deposits of amyloid and tau proteins are responsible for dementia. The researcher recalls that the Colombian neurologist Francisco Lopera found two people with an aggressive genetic mutation that condemned them to suffer early Alzheimers, but they remained healthy for years due to other protective mutations. Those patients had a lot of amyloid plaques. In other words, it has been shown that it is not the amyloid plaques that lead to the disease, says Gomez, of the Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research in Madrid. Gomez is skeptical about the conclusions of the new study, in which she did not participate. These mice, at a technical level, are wonderful, but I have serious doubts as to whether they really reflect what happens in humans, she says. Its like if you want to make a mouse that models a covid infection and, instead of infecting it with the cause the coronavirus you decide youre just going to induce an increase in fever. What youre doing is mirroring the symptoms of the disease in the mouse, but not the disease per se. Two years ago, the United States authorized aducanumab, touted as the first drug to attack the presumed causes of Alzheimers disease. The drug developed by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Biogen and priced at about $42,500 euros per patient per year eliminates the amyloid proteins that accumulate between neurons. The European Medicines Agency, however, has refused to approve aducanumab because it found no evidence of its efficacy. My question is how long are we going to continue investing all our efforts in eliminating amyloid plaques, when we are seeing that there are people with three, four or five times more amyloid plaques than an Alzheimers patient and they have no cognitive defects, says Gomez. The biologist recalls that carrying the APOE4 gene multiplies the risk of suffering from Alzheimers and is related to cholesterol metabolism. Nature is shouting at us that the failure of cholesterol metabolism in neurons is one of the causes, if not the main cause, of Alzheimers. De Strooper founded the prestigious Dementia Research Institute in the UK in 2016, where he directed the work of over 800 scientists until last year. The Belgian is one of the worlds leading experts on Alzheimers. His study suggests that understanding the molecular intricacies of neuronal resistance in mice to the disease will illuminate the path to protecting the human brain. Phenylephrine, a widely sold nasal decongestant, is ineffective when taken orally. Tom Merton (Getty) Phenylephrine, a widely sold nasal decongestant, is ineffective when taken orally, offering no clinical benefit compared to a placebo. This is the main finding of a thorough review of all the scientific evidence conducted by a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory board. This finding doesnt apply to other forms of administering phenylephrine (ophthalmic, nasal or intravenous) as the ingredients effectiveness in these forms hasnt been disproven. The FDA review could lead to the removal of phenylephrine from American pharmacy shelves, a crucial market for the global pharmaceutical industry, which would have to replace the ingredient with another decongestant with proven effectiveness. Ineffective drugs should be withdrawn and replaced as the risks outweigh the advantages all medications have side effects, even if they are mild and infrequent. A similar review of phenylephrine has not been initiated in Europe, but the Spanish Agency for Medicine and Health Products (AEMPS) believes that the European Union must now take action. Given the significance of the [FDA] decision that impacts numerous authorized medicines, it is imperative to address this matter within the European Medicines Agency (EMA), stated AEMPS in a written response to a query by this newspaper. Phenylephrine is included in medications to induce vasoconstriction, thereby reducing blood flow to the nasal passage and alleviating inflammation. But this review found that it does not have the expected efficacy as a decongestant. This is an example of how we learn as science progresses, said Carlos Fernandez Moriano, who is responsible for scientific dissemination at Spains General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges, the professions representative body. Fernandez says that medicines with phenylephrine usually include an analgesic (paracetamol, ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid), an antihistamine (chlorphenamine), and a cough suppressant (dextromethorphan). The goal is to provide symptomatic relief for colds or allergies that manifest as fever, headache and nasal congestion, he said. None of these medications are publicly funded, and most are available without a prescription, except for those containing high doses of paracetamol or active ingredients like codeine. I think we clearly have better options in the over-the-counter space to help our patients, and the studies do not support that this is an effective drug, said Maria Coyle, the chairperson of the FDA panel. Leslie Hendeles, another FDA panelist and pharmacist from the University of Florida, told The New York Times, If you have a stuffy nose and you take this medicine, you will still have a stuffy nose. Other decongestants could replace phenylephrine The experts we consulted say alternative decongestants with proven effectiveness are oxymetazoline and pseudoephedrine, which could replace phenylephrine if it is withdrawn from the US market. However, the EMA is currently investigating the safety of pseudoephedrine due to some reported serious side effects on brain blood vessels. Ana Padilla, a physician with La Fe Hospital in Valencia (Spain) believes reviews like the one carried out by the FDA are very important. Proper evaluation of new medications is rightfully emphasized, but it is equally important to reassess the effectiveness of long-standing drugs on the market. However, this is often neglected, except for instances involving public health or safety concerns. As such, many drugs remain in a state of uncertainty. The FDA initiative is intriguing, and regulatory agencies should adopt and expand upon it. Most pharmaceutical companies that sell over-the-counter (OTC) products have one or more medications with phenylephrine, including well-known brands like Sudafed PE, Benadryl Allergy D Plus Sinus and Vicks DayQuil Cold and Flu Relief. The phenylephrine molecule is also produced and marketed by several of the largest generic drug companies. Bayers Aspirina Complex granulated effervescent cold medicine with phenylephrine is sold in Spain and other countries. The company said it was surprised by the FDAs conclusion, but that it is only a recommendation until the agency makes the final decision. The pharmaceutical company is confident that the US regulator will consider the weight of scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of oral phenylephrine as a nasal decongestant, the extensive body of rigorous scientific studies spanning nearly five decades, the Koller meta-analysis of relevant clinical studies, and the two previous recommendations from FDA expert committees. The Ferrer pharmaceutical company, who also markets a cold medicine (Gelocatil Gripe Forte) with phenylephrine, said, The Spanish Medicines Agency has evaluated and approved this medicine, including the effectiveness of its ingredients such as phenylephrine, as stated in the products current technical sheet. The company also collaborates closely with regulatory agencies to incorporate any required updates regarding the applicable legislation for our products. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and family hold a candlelight vigil, Aug 30, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C., in honor of professor Zijie Yan, who was killed on campus earlier that week. Three decades ago, as a University of North Carolina student, he covered a deadly shooting for the school newspaper. Last month, as a journalism professor at the same school, Ryan Thornburg kept his students safe during a lockdown after another shooting. In some ways, the era of campus shootings has come full circle. Other UNC-Chapel Hill alumni who remember the 1995 tragedy now have children enrolled at their alma mater, where an associate professor was shot to death Aug. 28 (and where a second brief lockdown was imposed Wednesday). But vast changes in the way information spreads make their recent experiences less like replays and more like double exposures: new technology, new emotions superimposed upon the same setting. Twenty-eight years ago, there was no way for university officials to alert the entire community that a gunman had opened fire on the edge of campus, killing two people and wounding two others. E-mail existed but wasnt widespread. Calling home meant long-distance surcharges and leaving messages on answering-machine tapes when no one picked up. Thornburg, the former student journalist, didnt even think to call his parents in California about the 1995 shooting until he saw a television news van near the scene. As he said in an interview last week: That made me go, Oh, my parents might know about this sooner rather than later, I better give them a call. Experiences relived, differently Thornburg was a sophomore when law student Wendell Williamson walked down the street firing a semiautomatic rifle on Jan. 26, 1995. Continuing to shoot even after he was wounded by police, Williamson eventually was tackled by two bystanders and later committed to a psychiatric hospital after being found not guilty by reason of insanity. Thornburg, then the city editor at The Daily Tar Heel, was headed to the police station to get information for an unrelated story when the shooting began. He used a pay phone in the lobby to relay updates to the newsroom, then spent a long night working on the next days edition. Its kind of embarrassing, but the exhilaration I felt at the end of that I didnt feel like I wanted to go away from it or look away. I wanted to really engage and do more, he told his students at the start of this semester when one asked what sparked his passion for journalism. A few days later, it was their turn to experience a campus shooting. Thornburg was teaching Introduction to Newswriting when a campus-wide alert about an active shooter popped up on his computer and was projected on a screen behind him. The response began: As sirens blared with instructions to take cover, text messages went out to students, faculty, and staff. Thornburg hustled some students in from the hallway and locked the doors. At one point, he told them to hide under their desks. Together, they listened to a broadcast of police scanner traffic and watched a local news livestream. Rumors were flying. I said, I know youre all on social. What are you hearing? Lets talk about it, and lets talk about whats reliable and whats not, Thornburg said. It was a little bit of a teachable moment. Everything is fast now the bad and the good While campus alert systems have become much more robust, so too has the spread of misinformation, said Paul Dean, president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Cutting through the clutter can be a challenge, as is finding the balance between security and anxiety. Students who grew up in the age of school shootings are arriving on campus extra jumpy, he said. These kinds of alerts trigger people, and Im cognizant of that, said Dean, chief of police at the University of New Hampshire. Its a difficult balance. On one hand, there were no warnings in 1995 to prevent students from stumbling into the line of fire. On the other hand, many knew nothing of the shooting until hours later, and thus were spared the fear and panic of lockdown. Zoe Bright, a current UNC sophomore, was on the phone with her father when she received the first alert last month. After reassuring him she was safe in her dorm, she started checking on her friends. They were all doing the same. One friend sought shelter in the bathroom of a downtown bar after her building was evacuated before sprinting to Brights dorm room. Basically everyone Ive ever met in my entire life was texting me, Bright said. Everybody at the school, every group chat on every platform that I have, was blowing up for the whole three hours. She told her father, Mark, about hearing helicopters outside, something he had reported to his own parents when he was a senior at UNC in 1995. But beyond that, their experiences were vastly different. Mark Bright remembers hearing shots and seeing the commotion downtown as he left class that day. He clustered with classmates in the doorway of a nearby building for a while, then went back to his dorm, thinking maybe a beer truck had gotten robbed. His wife, fellow 1995 graduate Presley Bright, cant recall how she found about the shooting. But they both remember learning the details from the student newspaper the next day. That front page featured Thornburgs lead story and four others about the shooting, a map of the crime scene and a photo of a victims body covered by a sheet. In contrast, the current Daily Tar Heel staff filled the front page with oral history as it unfolded emotional texts that students received during the lockdown. In Thornburgs view, this years newspaper staff captured the moment far better. When I saw it, I viscerally knew that it captured the experience of being in our unique situation, but that it also transcended so many other lockdowns, said the professor, who was teaching the same class during the second lockdown on Wednesday. Just the way we are now This year alone, there have been at least 86 incidents of gunfire on K-12 schools and college campuses, resulting in 27 deaths and 57 injuries, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control research and advocacy group. Over the last decade, such incidents have increased in frequency, says Dan Flannery, director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention and Research at Case Western Reserve University. Its horrible to even think that thats just the way we are right now. People have accepted that this is a thing thats going to keep occurring, and were all kind of getting more desensitized to it as a more normal part of our culture, Flannery said. Indeed, some UNC alumni were not particularly surprised by the recent shooting not because they had been through it before, but because of what they know about American society. Once I got over the initial shock of what was happening and making sure that we were doing the right thing, it was sort of like, Okay, todays the day. This happens, said Thornburg, who called the lockdown simultaneously surreal and the least surprising thing ever. Likewise, Mark Bright said because his daughter had a lot of angst about where to go to college, he briefly thought: If she had been at a different college, this wouldnt be happening. Then the reality of the United States in 2023 quickly set in. Then my second thought after that was, It doesnt matter what college you go to, he said. It doesnt really matter at all nowadays. It could be anywhere. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers ability to access satellite communications via Starlink. Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday. The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacsons biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships. Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war. The three senators said the confusion over what actually happened demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musks role in the incident. The reports raise serious concerns about whether Mr Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key US partner at a critical juncture, the letter said. Several officials, including the three senators, have shared similar worries that commercial satellite companies similar to Starlink could cause issues by intervening in significant decisions like this one. Senator Jack Reed who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Armed Forces, said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg, that the situation with Mr Musk raised concerns about national security. Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to US national security, Mr Reed said. Weve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagons actions and contractual arrangements, Mr Reed added. Senate Armed Services Committee members (L-R) Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sen Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) (Getty Images) At the time of the incident, Starlink had no contract with the Pentagon and therefore no directive from US officials. Mr Musk said had he received an order from President Joe Biden to extend services to Ukrainians in Crimea he would have done so. In June, the Pentagon and Starlink signed a contract in which the DoD agreed to buy its services for Ukraine. Now, the three senators are imploring leaders to consider the implications of Mr Musks actions and look to prevent situations like this from arising in the future. We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr Musks whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign countrys self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests, the letter said. The senators requested Mr Austin provide answers by the end of October. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The embattled head of the Move Forward party, which finished first in Thailands general election in May but was denied power by Parliament, announced his resignation on Friday as its chief so the party can appoint a new member to serve as Parliament's opposition leader. The constitution requires the leader of the opposition to be an elected lawmaker and a leader of a political party. Pita Limjaroenrat, Move Forwards 43-year-old leader, is currently suspended from his duties as a member of Parliament pending a court ruling on whether he violated election law. Pita wrote on social media that he decided to resign as Move Forwards leader because he has to comply with the courts order of suspension, so he cannot perform his duties as a lawmaker and cannot be an opposition leader in the foreseeable future. He did not say when the new party leader would be selected but noted Move Forward will hold its next assembly on Sep. 24. The role of opposition leader is greatly important to the parliamentary system, and is supposed to be held by the leader of the main opposition party in Parliament, which currently is Move Forward, he said. The opposition leader is like the prow of a ship that directs the oppositions performance in Parliament, performs checks and balances in the government and pushes for agendas of change that are missing from the governments policy. As Pita was seeking Parliaments support in July to be named prime minister, the Constitutional Court suspended him from holding his seat in the House of Representatives pending its ruling on whether he violated the law by running for office while holding shares in a media company, a charge he has denied. The violation is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 60,000 baht ($1,720). His party can be fined up to 100,000 baht ($2,865). The Constitutional Court has yet to set a ruling date for Pitas media shares case. In late August, it allowed him a 30-day extension to prepare his defense. The progressive Move Forward party won the most votes in Mays elections but was blocked from taking power by the conservative members of the Senate, who, though not elected, vote jointly with the Lower House to approve a new prime minister. The Senate was given that power under a constitution promulgated under military rule that was meant to maintain conservative influence in government. The Pheu Thai party, which finished second in the May election, was able to form a coalition acceptable to the senators, and had one of its candidates, Srettha Thavisin, confirmed as prime minister. Srettha's coalition embraced military-supported parties that include members linked to a 2014 coup that ousted a previous Pheu Thai government. Move Forwards bid to lead the opposition was complicated not only by Pitas suspension, but also because one of its members is currently serving as the first deputy house speaker. Padipat Suntiphada was selected for the post while Move Forward was still seeking to form a government, but the rules bar members of parties leading the opposition from holding speakers positions in the House. It is not immediately clear if Padipat will resign from the post. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said Donald Trump is unlikely to be elected president again if convicted in any of the four criminal cases he faces. DeSantis made the comments in an interview with CBS News that aired Wednesday night. The Florida governor has sharpened his critiques of Trump, seeking to paint him as unelectable as he strains to catch up to the former president in the GOP presidential race. I didnt think even before all this that the president, the former president, should have run again, DeSantis said in the interview. Theres too many voters, who, hes a dealbreaker for them. DeSantis, who is in a distant second in the race, has gradually hardened his criticisms of the former president as he runs against him. He joined almost all of the GOP candidates on the debate stage last month in saying they would support Trump, the frontrunner, as the partys nominee, if hes convicted. But in the new interview, DeSantis said Trump likely cant win if hes convicted. I think the chance of getting elected after being convicted of a felony is as close to zero as you can get, he said. Trump faces 91 charges across four criminal cases, two filed in federal court in Washington and Florida and two in state courts in New York and Georgia. The cases are related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, allegations he mishandled classified documents and hush money payments made to hide claims of extramarital affairs. DeSantis has in the past made comments agreeing with Trumps statements suggesting the cases against him are politically motivated, with the governor saying the criminal justice system was being politicized. Trumps campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement that DeSantis knows he has no shot of ever becoming the nominee he is slipping to third place after all but cozying up to Never Trumpers and lunatic Democrats is an all-time low for him, almost as low as his poll numbers. DeSantis also criticized Trump for adding to the national debt as president. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, the gross national debt by $7.4 trillion over the Trump years. DeSantis said both parties have added to the debt and Republicans talk big when theyre out of power, but when they get in, they dont put their money where their mouth is. Donald Trump added almost $8 trillion to the debt in four years. He ran saying he was going to eliminate the national debt, he said. He did make that promise, and they did the opposite. Trumps campaign did not respond to DeSantis comments on the debt. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Men incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary filed a class-action lawsuit Saturday, contending they have been forced to work in the prison's fields for little or no pay, even when temperatures soar past 100 degrees. They described the conditions as cruel, degrading and often dangerous. Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Trump Tower to give a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James who sued Trump and his Trump Organization, in New York City, U.S., April 13, 2023. The Justice Department is challenging efforts by former President Donald Trump to disqualify the Washington judge presiding over the case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smiths team wrote in a court filing late Thursday that there was no valid basis for U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to recuse herself. Trumps lawyers filed a long-shot motion earlier this week urging Chutkan to step aside, citing comments she made in separate sentencing hearings related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol that they say taint the Trump proceedings and call into question whether she has already prejudged the Republican former presidents guilt. In one such hearing, Chutkan told a defendant who was sentenced to more than five years in prison that he had made a very good point that the people who exhorted and encouraged him to go and take action and to fight had not been charged. Chutkan added that she did not make charging decisions and had no influence on that. I have my opinions, she said, but they are not relevant. But the Justice Department said the Trump team had taken Chutkans comments out of context and failed to show that she harbored any bias against the former president, who lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden and falsely claimed the election was stolen from him. The Justice Department said the statements the Trump lawyers had cited show the judge simply doing her job responding to, and rejecting, efforts to minimize their own culpability by pointing the finger at Trump, who had told his supporters to fight like hell at a rally shortly before the deadly Capitol insurrection. Chutkan did not say, prosecutors wrote, that Trump was legally or morally to blame for the events of Jan. 6 or that he deserved to be punished. Although the defendant tries to claim otherwise, the Courts statements about which he complains are core intrajudicial statements statements that the Court made while performing its official duties, in direct response to the arguments before it, and which were derived from knowledge and experience the Court gained on the bench, the prosecutors wrote. They added: As such, to mount a successful recusal claim based on the cited statements, the defendant must show that they display a deep-seated animosity toward him. The defendant cannot meet this heavy burden. Trumps motion is unlikely to succeed given the high standard for recusal. A similar effort to seek the recusal of a judge in a separate New York prosecution he faces was unsuccessful. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Gov. John Bel Edwards, left, gets one of the latest COVID-19 booster shots, this one from Pfizer-BioNTech, administered by LSU Health registered nurse Julie Robicheaux, right, just after getting his yearly flu shot at Our Lady of the Lake North Clinic on Airline Highway following a press conference on the importance of the shots, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. Others getting shots included La. Dept. of Health Secretary Dr. Courtney N. Phillips, La. State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter and state Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge. The governor said stressed the importance of getting the flu shot, and said that if persons have had their first two COVID-19 shots, they are still not fully vaccinated until they've had one the latest boosters, which are bivalent, protecting against both the original strains of COVID-19 as well as the latest variations. The bivalent vaccines are expected to be widely available after later this week, Kanter said. King Piankhi also known as Piye was highly respected by the ancient Egyptians. They erected the Triumphal Stele of Piankhi as a tribute to his restoration of religious traditions and military achievements. The name Piankhi is typically pronounced as. Piankhi, a highly regarded king of the Nubian Dynasty in ancient Egyptian history, left an indelible mark on the annals of that era. His name reverberates through numerous Egyptian inscriptions and texts, where he is celebrated for his remarkable reign and military prowess. Among these historical records, the Triumphal Stele of Piankhi stands out as an iconic monument, highlighting his significant contributions to the history of ancient Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush. Piankhi was a King of the Kingdom of Kush, an ancient African kingdom located to the south of Egypt. He ruled during the 8th century BCE. He is best known for his military campaigns in which he sought to reunify Egypt and bring it under Nubian rule. In 747 BCE, he initiated a series of campaigns to conquer and unify Egypt, which had fragmented into smaller states. His military prowess allowed him to achieve significant victories. Piankhi's forces successfully captured the Egyptian capital of Memphis in 744 BCE. He then expanded his control over other parts of Egypt, ultimately establishing the 25th Dynasty, with its capital in Napata, in the Kingdom of Kush. His rule marked a period of Nubian control over Egypt. He is often considered the founder of the 25th Dynasty. During his reign, he worked to restore Egyptian religious traditions and temples that had fallen into disrepair. The reunification of Egypt under Nubian rule by Piankhi was a momentous accomplishment that had a profound impact on the history of ancient Africa. During his reign, a remarkable era of stability and cultural exchange ensued between Egypt and Nubia, leaving an indelible mark on the region's cultural and political landscape. Special Rock That Tells the Story of Piankhi Also Known As the Triumphal Stele of Piankhi A stele is a vertical, inscribed stone or wooden slab, often used as a monument or marker that contains inscriptions on historical, religious, or commemorative information and is often placed in prominent locations for public viewing. Steles have been used throughout history to record significant events, laws, or messages. Piankhi is mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions and texts, including the famous rock, the Triumphal Stele of Piankhi. Located in modern-day Sudan, the Triumphal Stele of Piankhi is an ancient Egyptian monument that commemorates the military campaigns and conquests of King Piankhi. The Triumphal Stele of Piankhi also known as the Stele of Piye is a large, well-preserved stone monument that stands over seven meters or about 23 feet in height. It is made of pink granite and features inscriptions and reliefs carved into its surface. The stele was originally erected in the ancient Egyptian city of Gebel Barkal, which was a religious center of the Kingdom of Kush. Today, it is located in the Sudanese town of El Kurru, near the banks of the Nile River. Piankhi's inscriptions emphasize his role in restoring traditional Egyptian religious practices and temples, presenting him as a champion of the Egyptian gods and their cults. He was particularly devoted to the god Amun, whose influence had waned in Egypt. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of our extensive coverage of the 2023 Melbourne Fringe. Find more reviews, interviews and a guide to whats on in our collection. See all 8 stories . In news that will shock no one, this years Melbourne Fringe is the largest ever. The festival has grown steadily over four-and-a-bit decades, leaving it with a curious dilemma: is there such a thing as too big? Audiences dont seem to think so, as crowd numbers have rocketed just as fast as the program has expanded. The only question, then, is where do you start among the 475(ish) events on offer? That depends on the kind of experience youre hunting. Our pick of five shows in four categories is one place to start. Five shows that will make you laugh Fringe predates the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, so its always been home to local and international acts looking to deliver the funnies. Its not just stand-up, either its also where youll find comedy that doesnt resemble anything youve seen or heard before. EULOGISER BUNNY Cameron Ribbons performs his own funeral. Cameron Ribbons only got serious about comedy post-lockdown but already has the confidence of artists who have been at it forever. This show sees him performing his own funeral in a comedy/performance art combo thats part self-satire, part murder mystery. Therell be dancing and smoke and videos but likely no tears at this send-off. Trades Hall from Oct 4 Advertisement SPEED: THE MOVIE, THE PLAY Speed: The Movie, The Play taps into the Keanussance. This show is exactly what it promises: 1994s classic Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock action thriller is (somehow) transformed into a comedy hour set on board a real bus. This show has scored great reports from Adelaide and Sydney seasons, and taps into the Keanussance thats gripping our society right now. Prahran Square from Oct 10 GREECE LIGHTNING Maximalist comedian Gary Starr. Garry Starr announced his maximalist brand of comedy in a 2018 debut in which he attempted to perform all of theatre in an hour. Hes since wowed critics and won awards from Adelaide to Manchester, and returns with another ludicrously ambitious work in which he crams the entire pantheon of Greek myth into one show. And if anyone can do it, by Zeus Festival Park from Oct 3 Advertisement A DODGEBALL NAMED DESIRE Art meets sport head-on. Two of Melbournes favourite things art and sport go head-to-head in this irreverent, action-packed show, which pits some of our most original theatre makers against a real AFL team (sub-elite you can imagine the top-tier players are a bit busy right now). Itll be balls to the wall as two very distinct forms of performance compete to win the audience to their side, and it might be more than just egos bruised over the course of the evening. fortyfivedownstairs from Oct 18 BRADBURY THE MUSICAL Tribute to an accidental legend: Bradbury the Musical Loading Sticking with sport, one of Australias most wince-worthy victories is relived in this tribute to an accidental legend. Australia scored our first Winter Olympic gold medal when speed skater Steven Bradbury sailed past the crumpled bodies of his entire opposition, despite having placed last until the moment they all crashed to the ice. Expect pumping tunes and plenty of blood. Trades Hall from Oct 18 Advertisement Five shows that might shock you There was a period in the 80s and 90s when fringe performance was synonymous with transgressive, in-your-face fare that revelled in shock for its own sake. These days the artistic landscape is more defined by care and checking in with audiences comfort levels, but that doesnt mean there wont be things to cause the odd unexpected shriek. Just know youre in safe hands. JUST THE TIP Spankie Jackzon explores her years as a teenage drag queen. Spankie Jackzons cocktail of raunchy ribaldry and likeable dagginess helped score a RuPauls Drag Race Down Under win. This show leads you through her early life as a teenage drag queen growing up in the country. From small town to wrongtown, Jackzon is a skilled tour guide. Trades Hall from Oct 20 PERPETUAL HORROR Scary: Kerith Manderson-Galvin. Advertisement The title might be a hint that this solo wont feature much thats warm and fuzzy. Taking inspiration from the cinema of body horror (think David Cronenberg), Kerith Manderson-Galvin explores an uncontainable queer body through desire, disgust, disturbance, and oblivion. MKA Richmond from Oct 4 SHES CROWNING All five seasons of The Crown are crammed into one wild show. Fans of the monarchy will be clutching their pearls at the conceit behind Shes Crowning. All five seasons of The Crown are jammed into a theatrical sausage grinder to produce something you probably wouldnt serve to members of The Firm. Its just over a year since Liz exited the building, but dont expect a reverential anniversary tribute here. Trades Hall from 11 Oct WHALE Whale holds up a mirror to audiences internalised biases. Youll be laughing for much of Whale, an exploration of the persona of the funny girl who uses humour to deflect the expectations of a culture that defines people by appearance. But this true story may prove uncomfortable in the way it holds up a mirror to audiences, asking us what troubling messages we have internalised and how we might be complicit in a system of invisible discrimination and body shaming. None of this is about finger-wagging, though ultimately its a show that aims to empower and enable. Queen Victoria Womens Centre from Oct 3 Advertisement Beauty entrepreneur Poppy King has returned to Australia to give her fairytale the happy ending it deserves. Once upon a time 1995 to be exact King was hailed as a home-grown success story. That was when she became Young Australian of the Year, and the business she started in 1991, aged 19, reported profits of $6.5 million. Poppy King in Melbourne for the launch of her new lipstick Original Sin. Based in New York, King will now return to Australia four times a year to produce her latest brand. Credit: Justin McManus That happy ever after faded when Poppy Industries entered receivership in 1998 and King was branded with a scarlet red F for failure. I joke with my friends in America that if I were ever to win the Nobel Prize, the headline in Australia would be Failed lipstick queen wins award, King says. But thats not the narrative she follows. One of the oddest, little-known contradictions in this country will be occurring in Christchurch St Laurence, on the fringes of the Sydney CBD, this weekend, quietly and with little fanfare. The most powerful woman in the Australian Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Perth Kay Goldsworthy, will be preaching in the Sydney Diocese a place where women are not allowed to be priests or lead congregations that contain men. Here, Goldsworthy cant be an archbishop, a bishop or even just a priest once her planes wheels hit the tarmac in Sydney she can only operate on the lowest rung of the clergy, as a deacon. Illustration: Simon Letch. Credit: If she were to fly here when a bloke was being consecrated as bishop or inaugurated as archbishop, she could not take her rightful part alongside her male colleagues, but would sit in the pews. She cant wear her funky purple episcopal robes, either. Its so weird, and wildly offensive to female clergy around the country. You are less, you are different, you must step back, here, you must submit to men. Horrific revelations of assault and exploitation of the countrys most vulnerable people in disability group homes will be exposed in an upcoming Royal Commission report that seeks to provide a blueprint for how Australia can become more inclusive. Abuses in group homes and widespread exclusion of disabled children in the school system have been highlighted as particular concerns of the four-year Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which came to an official close on Friday. Chair of the Royal Commission, Ronald Sackville, KC. Credit: Rhett Wyman Six years after institutions were made to account for widespread abuse of children in the royal commission into responses to child sex abuse, the disability royal commission called by then-prime minister Scott Morrison in 2019 will make adverse findings and deliver confronting reading when it hands down its final report at the end of this month. Over four years and 154 days of hearings, the commission heard of a mother found dead on the floor of a group disability home; privately-run homes that spent just $2 a day per person on food; and a 21-year-old who drowned in a bath. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has expressed to fellow Liberal party members his support for prominent Voice No campaigner Warren Mundine to replace outgoing Liberal senator Marise Payne. Mundine is expected to nominate for the NSW Senate position, though in public he has played a dead bat to questions about his intentions without ruling out a run. Warren Mundine, at a press club address on Thursday, has said: Look we do need good people to go into the Senate, not that Im saying Im a good person or anything. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Morrison, who remains in parliament, has backed Mundine for positions previously and has told several party members he is again supporting the 67-year-old, who has developed a national profile via the Voice referendum. Sources close to Morrison, who spoke anonymously because party rules prohibit public commentary about preselections, confirmed the Cook MP was backing Mundine and would likely provide a formal endorsement if and when Mundine announced his candidacy. By Honoka Ito and Rosi Byard-Jones, KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 22:44 | Feature, All On a farm in Hampshire in the south of Britain, pungent wasabi plants that can be ground up to provide an essential condiment to accompany traditional Japanese dishes like sushi are flourishing. Starting with 400 wasabi plants 13 years ago, the Wasabi Company, founded by CEO Jon Old, now harvests roughly 1.5 tons per year after much trial and error throughout the cultivation process. Helped by the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine in Britain and the image of it as healthy, the company not only sells wasabi to several Japanese restaurants in London and beyond but also to Michelin-starred British chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and the 5-star Dorchester Hotel near Hyde Park. The freshness of its newly harvested produce has helped the Wasabi Company establish a considerable reputation, with its exports now going to seven European countries. Step onto the company's farm near the village of Micheldever, and you will find the lush dark green wasabi leaves spread out all around under protective black netting. Groundwater pumped from 40 meters below flows like a stream underfoot, and thick gravel of different shapes and sizes replicates an environment much like the natural streams where wasabi, known by the scientific name eutrema japonicum, grows in Japan. While it has been challenging to replicate the perfect environment for wasabi to grow, the fact that the company uses former watercress farms has worked wonders given the similar conditions in which both plants thrive. A former watercress farmer, it was this knowledge that inspired Old to become the first commercial grower of wasabi in Britain. In 2010, one of Old's regular watercress customers, a South African chef, approached him about the possibility of growing wasabi, and the rest is history. Old now runs three different wasabi farms in the south of England with his son, Guthrie, 20, who helped him until late August. But before 2010, Old had only heard of wasabi as an ingredient for sushi. When he discovered that it grew in the same conditions as watercress -- which demands moving water to provide a steady supply of fresh minerals -- he decided it was something he might be able to do. Although he obtained his first batch of 20,000 wasabi plants from a farmer in Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, his initial attempts at cultivation on his Dorset farm ended with half the crop dying due to the English county's climate. But a trip to Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture -- initially met with some hesitation from growers of the plant -- to learn from experienced wasabi farmers proved invaluable. Armed with new expertise, Old returned to Britain and began to apply it to his own wasabi plants, typically harvested after 18 months to 2 years, when the rhizomes grow to around 2-3 centimeters thick and 10 cm long. Although Old first marketed his wasabi to restaurants in 2012, he encountered resistance from chefs who were skeptical of wasabi grown in Britain. Japanese restaurants also tended to opt for Japanese imported produce, meaning that few were willing to take a chance on the fledging Wasabi Company. It was only after he personally invited these chefs to his wasabi farms to see how it was being grown and to taste some freshly picked samples for themselves that he gained a reputation for quality. When demonstrating the quality of their produce to visitors, either Old or Guthrie often take a freshly harvested wasabi rhizome and scrape the outer layer with a knife, releasing its pungent aroma, Guthrie said in an interview in June. He added when visitors taste it, they experience an immediate burst of spiciness followed by a subtle hint of sweetness. "The most interesting thing I find about wasabi is that if you tasted it right after grating, it wouldn't have much flavor," Guthrie said. "But after five minutes, all the heat will come out -- and then after 15-20 minutes, it will lose its flavor again." Now firmly established, the Wasabi Company not only enjoys the high regard of chefs across Britain but also supplies Japanese and Western restaurants in the Netherlands, France and Sweden, among other countries. For Guthrie, who joined his father in the business two years ago, working his way up through the Wasabi Company's ranks was a welcome challenge, allowing him to learn about a unique business. "I started pretty much packing boxes for a year and then slowly worked my way up," Guthrie said. "It's been great just learning about something new and challenging myself. But growing wasabi in the U.K. was always going to be the perfect challenge." Alongside wholesale wasabi, the company also has a wide range of products for individual purchase on its website, from wasabi vodka and mayonnaise to "Grow Your Own Wasabi Kits." The wasabi rhizomes are priced at 10 pounds ($13) per 50 grams. "More than anything, I'm really grateful to Japan for giving us these wonderful ingredients, which have also opened up the European market," Old said. Related coverage: FEATURE: "Yatai" food stalls bring spark to nightlife in Japan's Fukuoka FEATURE: Japan-founded project changing perceptions of cancer patients FEATURE: U.S. veterans visit South Korea 70 years after Korean War KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 12:14 | All, World U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was indicted Thursday on three federal counts of firearm offenses. The indictment, marking the first prosecution of a sitting leader's child in U.S. history, comes as the 2024 election looms and as Republicans in the House of Representatives push to open an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic president over his son's business dealings abroad. Of the three counts, two accuse Hunter Biden, 53, of making false statements when he purchased a Colt Cobra revolver in Delaware in 2018, and the third accuses him of possessing the gun while addicted to narcotics, according to the indictment filed by a special counsel overseeing the case in federal court in the U.S. state. The only surviving son of the 80-year-old president could be on trial during his father's campaign for re-election. Hunter Biden was charged after a proposed plea deal between him and the Justice Department that would have resolved the gun charges as well as tax charges he is facing unexpectedly fell apart at a July hearing. The next presidential election is likely to be an unprecedented contest, as former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican Party's 2024 nomination, faces a total of 91 felony counts at the state and federal levels. Last month, Trump was indicted for the fourth time in five months, with prosecutors in Georgia accusing him of having attempted to overturn his narrow 2020 presidential election loss by interfering with the state's vote-counting procedures. Related coverage: Trump surrenders at jail, becomes 1st ex-U.S. president to have mug shot KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 20:22 | All, Japan Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida's government approved on Friday a list of new senior and parliamentary vice ministers, devoid of any female members, in stark contrast to the reshuffled Cabinet lineup with a record-tying five women. There are 26 senior vice ministers and 28 parliamentary vice ministers on the list, all of whom are male lawmakers belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party or its junior coalition partner Komeito. In a news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the government has put "the right people in the right positions," taking into account the diversity of the entire Cabinet, including ministers and special advisers to the prime minister. Kishida on Wednesday appointed five women as ministers, including the top diplomat, in an apparent attempt to freshen up the image of his Cabinet and bolster its sagging approval ratings. The government also tapped two female special advisers to Kishida, including a former opposition lawmaker, a move seen as a prelude to a potential realignment of the ruling coalition. Wakako Yata, 57, who served as deputy chief of the labor union-backed Democratic Party for the People, became an adviser in charge of wage and employment. The former senior member of major manufacturer Panasonic's labor union was elected to the House of Councillors in 2016. But she retired from politics after losing in the 2022 upper house election. The appointment comes amid speculation that Kishida intends to include the opposition party, which has many labor union voters, into the existing ruling coalition. The other female special adviser is the LDP's upper house lawmaker Michiko Ueno, 65, who is in charge of female empowerment and elderly and consumer administration. Related coverage: Support for new Kishida Cabinet rises 6 points to 39.8%: Kyodo poll FOCUS: More female lawmakers key to elevating women to leadership in Japan Kishida revamps Cabinet with record 5 women to boost sluggish support Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 30F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 30F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 21:54 | All, Japan, World Japan's new Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Friday he has quit as a senior member of a cross-party group of lawmakers dedicated to boosting Japan-Taiwan relations. Kihara told a press conference that he resigned as secretary general for the group before he officially became defense chief on Wednesday in a Cabinet reshuffle so that he could "devote" himself to his new duties. When asked about his view on the "one-China" principle, Kihara said, "Japan is consistent in maintaining working relations with Taiwan on a nongovernmental basis, based on a joint communique with China in 1972." In the joint document, Tokyo acknowledged Beijing as China's sole legitimate government and severed diplomatic ties with Taipei. As part of the group's activities, Kihara visited Taiwan in August last year along with Keiji Furuya, head of the group who met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. Furuya and Kihara are lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Kihara succeeded Yasukazu Hamada as defense minister. The 54-year-old House of Representatives member previously served as a special national security adviser to former prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga. Related coverage: No women appointed as vice ministers under Japan's reshuffled Cabinet FOCUS: More female lawmakers key to elevating women to leadership in Japan Profiles of Japan PM Kishida's Cabinet members KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 19:57 | All, Japan Police on Friday searched the headquarters of used car dealer Bigmotor Co. in Tokyo on suspicion of property destruction, investigative sources said after roadside trees near its dealership outlets were found to have withered unnaturally. The search is another blow to the company's reputation, already battered by a recently revealed scandal over insurance fraud. As part of efforts to turn around the business, Bigmotor has closed some outlets and scrapped plans to open new stores. It is also considering selling itself out to potential sponsors, industry sources said. Soil inspections at its stores carried out by local governments detected traces of herbicide, and police are investigating whether the company's headquarters were instructing the stores to carry out the damage, the investigative sources said. The search came amid speculation that the scandal-hit company was intentionally damaging trees near its stores so that the cars on display at its outlets were more visible to passers-by. It is thought to be the first time police have searched the headquarters of the used car dealership and repair chain, which came under fire after it was found to have charged excessive repair fees by intentionally damaging cars and making fraudulent insurance claims. In an attempt to take responsibility for the scandal, Bigmotor's president announced his resignation in July. "It is true that (the headquarters) have been searched. We will fully cooperate with the investigation," a company official said. The latest move came after police searched nine outlets in Tokyo and three outlets in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture earlier this month. In Kanagawa, the Kawasaki city government said last month that a senior Bigmotor official revealed during its investigation that an outlet in the city had removed nearby trees following the instructions of the headquarters. The company's sales have dropped significantly since the revelations. In a bid to cut costs, the company has decided to move its headquarters from Tokyo's upscale Roppongi district to inside one of its outlets in the capital's suburbs, it said. Police investigations are also underway in multiple prefectures outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area, following reports of damage to trees in other municipalities. Related coverage: Sompo Japan president to resign over Bigmotor insurance fraud scandal Japan fair trade body probes scandal-hit Bigmotor over subcontracts Transport ministry inspects Bigmotor dealerships over alleged fraud AICTE officials, college owners sentenced to 3 yrs in bribery case Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Two AICTE officials and three college owners in Bhilai-Durg have been sentenced to three years imprisonment for accepting bribes to grant recognition to private engineering and polytechnic colleges against the law. In a significant development, two officials from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the owners of three colleges in Bhilai Durg have been handed three-year prison sentences for their involvement in a bribery scandal. The case, which has been going on for 11 years, finally reached its conclusion when Special Judge Mamta Patel of the Special Court Trial of CBI Cases in Raipur pronounced the sentences on Tuesday. The accused individuals were apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while accepting bribe money in a hotel in Durg. The courts decision, detailed in a 91-page judgment, stipulates that all sentences will run concurrently. Among the convicted individuals were Professor Pushya Mishra, also known as PM, from the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology in Bhopal, who served as the director of AICTEs MP-CG Central Zone. Sanjay Soni, an Assistant Professor from the same institution, was a member of the Expert Visiting Committee responsible for inspecting and granting recognition to colleges, acting under the instructions of PM Mishra. AICTE plays a crucial role in recognising private engineering and polytechnic colleges across the country. In May 2012, Sanjay and his team conducted inspections of colleges in Raipur, Durg, and Bhilai and lodged at The Avalon hotel in Durg. Following these inspections, Sanjay allegedly demanded bribes from the owners of 12 colleges in violation of the law. Three local residents, Praveen Vishwakarma, Sanjeev Khullar, and Sushil Chandrakar, who had applied for college recognition, collected money from other college owners and handed it over to Sanjay. Subsequently, a complaint was filed with the CBI, leading to a raid on The Avalon hotel. During the raid, CBI seized 12 gold biscuits and Rs 11.71 lakh in cash from Sanjay. Sanjay, Praveen, Sanjeev, and Sushil were all arrested and interrogated, which eventually led to the arrest of director PM Mishra in Bhopal. After a few months, all the accused were released on bail, and the case remained pending in the Raipur CBI court until Tuesdays sentencing. The court has imposed fines of Rs 15,000 each on PM and Sanjay, and Rs 5,000 each on the remaining three individuals. Furthermore, the seized amount has been confiscated. The punishments have been issued under different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, but they will all be served concurrently Army salutes supreme sacrifice of bravehearts killed in gunfight NEW DELHI, ARMY Chief General Manoj Pande and all ranks of Indian Army have saluted the supreme sacrifice of Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak and Dy SP Humayun Muzamil Bhat of Jammu and Kashmir Police, who laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists in Anantnag, and expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. A Colonel, and Major of the Indian Army and a Deputy Superintendent of Police were killed as an encounter raged between terrorists and security forces at Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday, officials said. The Army salutes the valour and sacrifice of Colonel Manpreet Singh, SM and Major Aashish Dhonchak, SM of 19 RR Bn who laid down their lives in the line of duty and leading from the front in the highest traditions of the Indian Army, on September 13, while fighting terrorists in Operation Garol, Anantnag, the Indian Army said in a statement. The bodies of Singh and Dhonchak were airlifted from Kokernag to the Armys 92 Base Hospital in the Badamibagh Cantonment here, officials said. They said top Army, police and civil administration officials paid their last respects to the slain officers. Conflict within BJP: Balya Borkar levels allegations against Kukde Staff Reporter Ex-corporator and a senior functionary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Balya Borkar has alleged that the partys City President Jitendra Kukde is utilising services of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) employees. He had also alleged that the employees who were helped by Kukde to get the job never attended the duties and their salary amount should be recovered. The conflict within BJP is haunting the senior leaders of the party. When The Hitavada contacted Jitendra Kukde, he said, he would not speak on the issue. According to some leaders, who on condition of anonymity, said, a person Nikhil Kawle hails from a poor family whose elder brother is bed-ridden. Nikhil has to look after him and never avoided attending duties. He was helped by Kukde in getting the job. Senior BJP leaders are not speaking openly about the issue though they are aware of the facts, sources added. Meanwhile, Balya Borkar alleged that he received a life-threatening call from Nikhil Kawle. Borkar held Kukde responsible for not allowing him to talk to media. According to Borkar, his two niece are being ill-treated by the NMC officers at the behest of Kukde. There was never all well between Kukde and Borkar. In 2020 when Kukde was made Chairman of Transport Committee of NMC, he started several projects including Nagpur Darshan. But Borkar, after succeeding Kukde, did not care for those projects. BJP may overcome this particular dispute but it also shows all is not well even inside it, like in the constituents of MVA. According to sources, Kukde would prefer to resign as the city chief but wont allow his supporter to become a scapegoat. According to a senior leader, the issue is likely to be sorted out by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis when he visits Nagpur in next two days. Domestic air traffic rises 22.8% to 1.24 crore in August: DGCA Business Bureau Domestic air passenger traffic rose 22.81 per cent to 1.24 crore in August this year as against 1.01 crore in the year-ago period, according to DGCA data released on Thursday. Budget carrier IndiGo flew 78.67 lakh passengers and accounted for 63.3 per cent of the total domestic passenger volume during the month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Air India, now owned by the Tata Group, and its wholly-owned subsidiary AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), transported 12.12 lakh and 9.78 lakh passengers, respectively, during August, DGCA said. During the month, Air Indias market share was 9.8 per cent while that of AIX Connect was 7.1 per cent. Vistara -- a 51:49 joint venture airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines that and is in the process of getting merged with Air India -- flew 12.17 lakh passengers with a market share of 9.8 per cent, DGCA said. The three airlines -- Air India, Vistara and AirAsia India -- together flew a total of 33.07 lakh passengers in the previous month. Vistara also recorded the highest load factor at 91.3 per cent among all domestic airlines during the previous month. With 89 per cent of its flights arriving and departing as per schedule to and from four key airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru -- IndiGo had the highest on-time performance during the previous month. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 20:44 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a fighter jet factory in the Russian Far East city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday after arriving there by train in the morning, Tass news agency reported. The plant in the Khabarovsk region manufactures warplanes such as Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets as well as the Sukhoi Superjet 100 civilian aircraft, the news agency said. Kim was accompanied by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who also serves as industry and trade minister, according to sources close to Russian authorities. Kim has been visiting Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin and Pyongyang is believed to be aiming to ramp up its military cooperation with Moscow through the plant visit. On Wednesday, Kim met with Putin for the first time in over four years at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space launch center amid concern that North Korea could provide ammunition to Russia, which is struggling to replenish its rapidly depleting stockpiles as its war in Ukraine drags on. After visiting Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the North Korean leader is expected to travel to Vladivostok to inspect the Russian military's Pacific fleet, the sources said. Related coverage: North Korea reaches "satisfactory agreement" with Russia at summit North Korea's Kim pledges support for Russia, enhancing ties: Tass North Korean leader Kim Jong Un enters Russia for talks with Putin: sources India slashes solar imports from Chinaas domestic manufacturing thrives NEW DELHI, IN A departure from global trends, India has recorded a substantial 76 per cent drop in solar module imports from China during the first half of 2023 which reflects New Delhis resolute shift towards self-sufficiency in solar manufacturing, a new report said on Thursday. Year-on-year, Indias solar module imports from China plummeted from 9.8 GW in the first half of 2022 to a mere 2.3 GW during the corresponding period in 2023, the report by global energy think tank Ember said. This strategic shift, coupled with the imposition of tariffs, underscores Indias determination to minimise dependency on imports and prioritise the development of its domestic manufacturing capacity. Neshwin Rodrigues, an India Electricity Policy Analyst at Ember, said, Indias dependence on China for solar module imports is well and truly reducing post-2022. Domestic manufacturing is gaining momentum, thanks to recentpolicy interventions. As India edges closer to selfsufficiency in solar manufacturing, reliance on Chinesemodules and cells is no longer a constraint. Whats crucial now is creating an enabling policyenvironmenttoensure that solar installations keep pace with the National Electricity Plan, he said. Indiastartedlevyingacustoms duty of 40 per cent on solarmodulesand25percent onsolar cells fromApril 2022 in a bid to cut imports and boost local manufacturing. The countrys commitment to reducing import dependencyand nurturing a robust domestic solar manufacturing ecosystem aligns with the nations broader goals of sustainability and energy self-reliance. According to its updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs),whichare national plans to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius,Indiahascommitted to achieving 500 GW of installedpowercapacityfrom non-fossil fuel-based resources by 2030. Solaris at the heart of this ambitious goal. The report also said Chinas exports of solar panels rose by an impressive 3 per cent in the first half of 2023, reaching a total of 114 GW shipped worldwide. This marks a substantial increase from the 85 GW exported during the same period in the previous year. Embers data lead, Sam Hawkins, said,Solar growth is going through the roof. Chinas dominance in the solar panel manufacturing market,accountingforabout 80 percent of the global market share, has significant global implications. Europe experienced the most substantial absolute growth worldwide, with exports from China increasing by 47 per cent year-on year (21GW),reachingatotal of 65 GW during the first half of 2023 compared to 44 GW in the same period the previous year. Jarange ends hunger strikeafter Shinde meets him AURANGABAD : MANOJ Jarange, who was on a hunger strike to demand reservation for the Maratha community, on Thursday ended his fast on the 17th day of his protest after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met him and assured that the Government was committed to providing quota to Marathas. Chief Minister Shinde, accompanied by some of his ministerial colleagues and other leaders, arrived in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district around 10.45 am. The CM met Jarange and held talks with him for some time. Around 11.15 am, Jarange ended his fast by drinking a glass of juice offered by CM Shinde. His hunger strike to press for the demand of reservation in government jobs and education to the Maratha community, was on since August 29. On September 1, police had lathi-charged a gathering at Antarwali Sarati village during Jaranges hunger strike, leading to angry reactions in many parts of the state. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said his Government was committed to providing reservation to the Maratha community. The Maharashtra Government is committed to giving reservation that will sustain. The Government is in favour of it and it will not stop without giving reservation to the community and that will be done without any friction with other communities. Manoj Jaranges fight is not for any personal demand and that is why it received so much support from the community, he said. In the past, the Government provided reservation to the community,but it could not stand in the Supreme Court.The present Government is working on giving to the Maratha community all benefits which have been provided to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community. We are working through a dedicated commission to rest oret he reservation, he added. The State Government has set up a five-member panel headed by Judge Sandeep Shinde (retired ) to determine the Standard Operating Procedures, including legal and administrative framework, for giving caste certificates to Maratha community members referred to as Kunbis (part of OBCs now) in Nizam-era documents. This will allow Marathas from the Marathwada region to avail quota benefits under the OBC category. The CM said, Justice Shinde committee is working on the Maratha communitys demand of getting Kunbi caste certificates. The committee held a meeting earlier and another one will take place on Friday. The committee is studying how the community is socially and educationally backward, and it will preparea comprehensive report to decide how Kunbi certificates can be issued. He asked Jarange to suggest a name of an expert, who can be included as a member in the committee. We will welcome if anyone from Jaranges side is willing to join the committee. The Governmentis working to fit the reservation issue in the legal framework, he said. CM Shinde was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve, Maharashtra Ministers Sandipan Bhumre, Uday Samant, Girish Mahajan, Radha krishna VikhePatil,Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Arjun Khotkar, NCP MLA Rajesh Tope and others. Monsoon active again, many parts to receive heavy rains Staff Reporter Once again monsoon becomes active over entire Madhya Pradesh, including Jabalpur. Most of the districts of the division have started experience light to moderate rainfall. Due to the low-pressure system forming in the Bay of Bengal, most of the regions of the State including Bhopal, Ujjain, Sagar, Shahdol and Jabalpur are likely to witness heavy rainfall. Spokesman of local Weather Department informed that the city on Thursday received 15.8 mm rainfall, which has added the total rainfall figure to 1332.6 mm (52.46 inches). Last year, during the same period, there was 1195 millimeters (47.04 inches) of rainfall. The fresh spell of rainfall has led to a fall in temperature. On Thursday morning, the minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was 31.5 degrees Celsius, which dropped gradually after the rainfall. Anyways, the entire State is set to witness heavy rainfall once again as significant changes in the weather are expected from Friday. The active presence of a strong system indicates a moderate to heavy rainfall possibility in entire State. Meteorological department informed that significant weather changes are anticipated in the coming days due to persistent low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and monsoon activity until September 20. Furthermore, another cyclonic system is expected to become active from September 20, with its impact observed throughout the State until September 25. As per the Meteorological Department, the state will continue to experience intermittent rainfall. Moreover, a cyclonic disturbance is present in the upper atmosphere of southwestern Uttar Pradesh, which will influence the weather conditions in the State. Jabalpur division may experience heavy rainfall in certain areas. Anyway, the fresh spell of rainfall has giving much needed relief from heat to denizens. Weather Department said similar conditions will prevail for coming days and the city will receive moderate to heavy rainfall. Narayanpur district shines at Jal Jeevan Survekshan 2023 Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Department of Drinking and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India felicitated Narayanpur district for its exceptional performance in the the Jal Jeevan Survekshan 2023. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has congratulated the residents of Narayanpur district and the officers and employees of Jal Jeevan Mission for this achievement. It may be mentioned that providing pure drinking water to every villager in naxal affected Narayanpur district, which has very difficult settlements, was a challenging task. For carrying it forward successfully, the Central government honoured Narayanpur district under aspirational district. The Jal Jeevan Survekshan 1 was conducted by the Central Government from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. In this, the work of Narayanpur district under the aspirational districts was found excellent. For this, Jal Jeevan Mission had set a target of providing pure drinking water to 30,322 families, out of which tap connections have been provided to 18,072 families. There are 14 villages where 100% families have been given water tap connections. It is noteworthy that on the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the work of providing pure drinking water under Jal Jeevan Mission is being done on mission mode in the entire State. Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission Alok Katiyar said that under the continuous guidance of Chief Minister Baghel, desired progress has been achieved with standard quality in the works of Jal Jeevan Mission. In the present situation, the state is achieving an average of 7000 domestic connections per day and 60 percent families have been given domestic connections. Till now, water certification for every household has been done in a total of 422 villages of the state. It is noteworthy that there are two development blocks- Orchha and Narayanpur in Narayanpur district. Most of the area of Orchha development block comes under Abujhmad, which is spread over an area of about 4,000 square kilometers and is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. Survey of these areas has not been done yet. There are more than 275 villages in this unsurveyed area, keeping in view the interests of the farmers, the Chief Minister had given instructions for the work of mass survey. Survey work is going on in Masahati villages. Solar pump based drinking water schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission are proving to be a boon for the villagers living in far-flung settlements of Narayanpur district. It may be mentioned that under Jal Jeevan Mission in the state, running water has been provided in a total of 43,974 schools (86.78 percent), 41,719 Anganwadi centers (83.39 percent) and 5246 health centers (97.86 percent). Running water facility has been provided in 100% i.e. 2470 ashram schools of the state. The target of providing more than 70 percent household connections has been achieved in 7 districts of the state namely Dhamtari, Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mungeli, Janjgir-Champa and Sakti district. In Dantewada district, domestic tap connections have been provided to 26,891 (53.01 percent) rural families. Tap connections have been provided to 100% families in 19 villages of Dantewada district and water certification has been done for every household in 5 villages. Certification has been done by celebrating Jal Utsav in every house in 6 villages in Narayanpur district. Under the efforts to provide water to every house in Narayanpur district, work is on completion in villages like Udidgaon, Gulumkodo, Kokodi, Kundla, Khadkagaon, Guria and Palli etc. in the inner villages of Orchha development block. 338 solar based schemes have been completed in the district, continuous water supply is being ensured through solar based drinking water schemes in remote forest areas, thus the internal and electricity-less villages of Narayanpur district are also getting the benefit of drinking water facility Naresh Goyal sent to 14-day judicialcustody, to stay in Arthur Road jail MUMBAI : A SPECIAL PMLA court here on Thursday remanded Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in 14-day judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to an alleged fraud of Rs 538 crore at the Canara Bank. The court accepted Goyals request to send him to the Arthur Road jail in South Mumbai. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Goyal on September 1 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following a long session of questioning at the central agencys office here. The 74-year-old businessman was produced before the special judge for cases under PMLA, MG Deshspande, at the end of his ED remand on Thursday. The court remanded him in judicial custody as no further remand was sought by the probe agency. The court also acceptedGoyals request to send him tothe Arthur Road jail in Bycullainstead of Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai. Later, Goyal movedan application saying he suffers from a host of health issuesand requested that he beallowed to undergo daily medical checkups by his familyphysician, specialist consultingdoctors and personal doctors, and be provided with medical facilities on a regular basis during his stay in the jail. New Economic Corridor By K Raveendran THE proposed India, Middle East, Europe economic corridor is expected to go a long way to increase the political clout of Middle East countries, particularly the Gulf countries, which the West has hitherto been looking at mainly as a market for arms as well as the security might of US and allies, apart from a dependable source of oil supplies. The ambitious plan to link three continents with the help of sea and rail networks is seen to usher in a new era of connectivity and as a counterweight to Chinas aggressive Belt and Road Initiative in the region offers the scope for greater political participation for Middle East countries in the western geopolitical algorithms. The proposal has been hailed as a major achievement for both US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the prime movers of the idea. European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the US and other G20 partners signed the deal on the sidelines of the Delhi G20 summit. The deal seeks to link the Middle East by railway and connect them to India by port, helping the flow of energy and trade from the Gulf to Europe, by cutting shipping times, costs and fuel use. The corridor envisages that cargo from India would reach the ports of Gulf countries and the Israeli Mediterranean ports and from there transported to Europe by rail. Already a trans-Gulf rail network is under development, while rail and road networks between the Israeli and the Arabian peninsular ports with links to Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Sudan and Libya are progressing. The route will also enable electricity and digital connectivity, as well as pipes for clean hydrogen export. It will be an alternative to the Chinese project, which Biden has described as a noose and debt programme, taking cue from the Belt and Road name of the Chinese initiative. Countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan have experienced the bitter taste of Chinese economic assistance. The new arrangement serves Joe Biden very well as he has been trying to bring rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia, both staunch supporters of the United States, together on the same page. The US has been watching with concern the growing Chinese influence in Middle East as well as Africa as well as the Gulf countries, which have been trying to maintain a balance between their traditional western partners and the emerging new superpower China. At least three Gulf countries in the new corridor are already members of Chinas BRI and these include Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Beijing launched the massive infrastructure project in 2013 and has poured around $1 trillion into its projects so far. China has claimed that it has signed up more than 150 countries for its ambitious scheme, besides over 30 international organisations. The growing Chinese clout has also led to a certain distrust between some of the Gulf countries and the United States, particularly Saudi Arabia under the leadership of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. There is a love-hate relationship between Biden and the crown prince over the US allegation connecting Bin Salman to the killing of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It is noteworthy that Israel, which has made it a priority to normalise ties with Saudi Arabia, has hailed the project, saying it changes our global and historical situation and advances the vision of joining Israel to the world, as per a CNN report. The new Asia-Europe economic corridor is in a way a revival of a train route that extended from Paris in western Europe to Istanbul, the junction between Asia and Europe. It was used to transport raw materials to Europe and industrial products in the reverse direction. Cargoes and people from Morocco, Egypt and Israel reached Beirut and Tripoli by ship enroute western Europe via Aleppo and Istanbul. The revival of the old route was first mooted at the recently formed I2U2 forum of India, Israel, US and the UAE. The US quickly realised its potential to bring arch rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia, which Joe Biden has taken to the next level at the Delhi G20 summit, pledging American investment for the development of the new economic corridor. (IPA) Parties not involved in State may help in seat-sharing talks among I.N.D.I.A. bloc NEW DELHI, A DAY after the Opposition coalition I.N.D.I.A. decided to start seat-sharing talks for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it has been learnt that a representative from a party which does not have stakes in a particular State may act as a bridge in negotiations between alliance partners. According to a source in a key Opposition party, the formula for deciding on the strongest party in a State will take into account the results of previous elections. While the parties will finalise the formula at State level in their negotiations, the source said, it would be based on the results of last Lok Sabha elections, or the last Assembly elections, or both, depending on what the parties concerned decide. In States where there has been no previous alliance between the partners, or in cases where the talks may get stuck, a representative from a party in the alliance which does not have stakes in the State will act as a bridge in the talks, the source said. While the alliance is focused on Lok Sabha elections, with elections coming up in five States, some leaders have suggested that there should also be an understanding so that the alliance augments the prospects of the partners in State polls as well. Another source said talks on seat-sharing are already on in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, where the INDIA bloc partners are also in alliance in the State. At the meeting on Wednesday, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had suggested that seats which have an Opposition MP should not be disturbed. PM accuses Congress Govtof neglecting States devpt Staff Reporter Raigarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a fiery speech at the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Vijay Shankhnad Rally in Raigarh, after the inauguration of development projects worth Rs 6,400 crore. The event saw the presence of prominent BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, State In-charge Om Mathur, State President Arun Sao and many others. Prime Minister Modi wasted no time in critiquing the Congress Government in Chhattisgarh, accusing them of neglecting the States development. He alleged that the benefits of central schemes had not reached the people of Chhattisgarh under Congress rule, specifically citing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, where 4 crore houses were provided to the poor across the country, but Chhattisgarh residents were left without their share. Prime Minister Modi took aim at the Congress partys promises, pointing to their failure to implement a liquor ban and alleged involvement in liquor-related scandals. He also criticised the Congress Government for what he called the cow dung scam, questioning the ethics of a government embroiled in such controversies. In contrast, Prime Minister Modi lauded the previous BJP government in Chhattisgarh for transforming State from a Naxalismaffected region into a hub of development. He emphasised the BJPs commitment to the welfare of the poor, while he claimed that the Congress Government was mired in corruption scandals. Prime Minister Modi also highlighted his governments achievements on the international stage, mentioning its role in the G20 summit and the success of Chandrayaan 3. He proudly stated that Chhattisgarhs agricultural produce was served to world leaders during the G20 summit, and Indias Chandrayaan mission was earning global recognition. The rally concluded with Prime Minister Modi urging the people of Chhattisgarh to vote for the BJP in the upcoming elections, emphasising the need to retain the lotus button as a symbol of development and progress in State. Police help mentally unstable man reunite with family after 50 days By Kumar Ankur A 40-year-old man who was found injured near a showroom in the State capital was reunited with his family in Chhatarpur, all thanks to good Samaritans and Bhopal Police. He had climbed atop a showroom and had fallen from there on Tuesday. The showroom staff mistook the man as thief and they informed police. The reality, however, was different as the man Pappu Yadav had gone missing from his home on July 25, and he anyhow reached Bhopal. He was mentally unwell and was unable to tell anything about him to the cops when he was found. He only remembered his name and the name of a police station near his home, said police. His health had also deteriorated as probably he was surviving on begging only, said a cop. SHO of Chunabhatti B K Sandhu said that the man was badly injured and they rushed him to a state run hospital. She said that the man was unable to describe anything about him but for his name and a police station in his area. She said that we took help from self help groups and the man was counselled and his family members were traced. A social worker Mohan Soni said that they counselled the man after police informed them about the incident. During the conversation, they found out that he was a resident of Chhatarpur but he only remembered the Harpalpur police station. We co-ordinated with the local police and the cops in Harpalpur helped us trace his family, added Soni. The family members reached Bhopal on Thursday and returned with the man. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded warm welcome in Bhopal Staff Reporter Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhopal on Thursday for a short stay. Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra and Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang along with Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, Additional Director General of Police Anil Kumar and other public representatives and army and police officers warmly welcomed Prime Minister Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the State hangar at 9:50 am by Air Force One special plane. From here the Prime Minister left for Bina in Sagar district by army helicopter. There he will perform bhoomipujan of the petrochemical complex costing of Rs 50,000 crores and other industrial areas. On the arrival of Prime Minister Modi, MLAs Rameshwar Sharma, Krishna Gaur, Mayor Malti Rai, Lieutenant General Vipul Singhal, Ramkunwar Navrang Gurjar and other public representatives and senior officials were present on the occasion of welcome at the airport. Ministers along with public representatives, officials bid farewell to PM Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a touching farewell from the State airport. Modi was accorded farewell by Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra and Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang, Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, Director General of Police Sudhir Saxena along with public representatives, senior administrative, army and police officers. Modi reached the State airport by army helicopter after inaugurating the petrochemical complex and various industrial areas at Bina in Sagar district. Prime Minister Modi left for Raipur Chhattisgarh by Air Force One special aircraft at 2:15 pm. MLA Rameshwar Sharma, Mayor Malti Rai, BMC Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi and presidents, vice-presidents of various corporations and boards etc. were present. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 11:12 | All, Japan, World The top national security advisors of the United States, Japan and South Korea held a three-way call to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House said Thursday. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan agreed with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, Takeo Akiba and Cho Tae Yong, respectively, that any arms exports from North Korea to Russia would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions that Moscow itself had voted to adopt, the White House said. According to the Japanese government, the three officials shared "serious concern" during their conversation on Thursday that the summit at a rocket launch facility in Russia's Far East could lead to transfers of weapons and related equipment between Moscow and Pyongyang. On Wednesday, Kim pledged his support for Putin, who in return suggested boosting military cooperation, including helping North Korea develop missile technologies. Sullivan, Akiba and Cho also reaffirmed their cooperation toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea, according to the White House and the Japanese government. The call was made in line with the countries' recent commitment to engage in high-level three-way consultation in the event of special circumstances. Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, where the leaders made the commitment as one of the key steps in bringing the three countries' cooperation to a new level. Related coverage: North Korea reaches "satisfactory agreement" with Russia at summit North Korea's Kim pledges support for Russia, enhancing ties: Tass North Korean leader Kim Jong Un enters Russia for talks with Putin: sources Search op underway to nab terrorists in Anantnag ANANTNAG, DRONE surveillance and search operations are underway by security forces after an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists yesterday in the Anantnag district. After three officers lost their lives in an encounter in Anantnag, the Indian Army along with the local police continued their operation against a group of two or three terrorists hiding at the spot, officials said on Thursday. According to the Indian Army, the security forces including Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police are being provided support by small quadcopters and larger drones to keep an eye on the entire area. The Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Rajeev Ghai and Rashtriya Rifles Victor Force commander Maj Gen Balbir Singh have already visited the encounter site to boost the morale of troops in operations, officials said. Security forces have recovered a large quantity of warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that continued on Wednesday evening according to officials. The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday said it has encircled two or three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in Anantnag district where three security officers were killed in an encounter a day earlier. UNSC REFORMS TOPPING the appreciation the world is showering upon Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi for the success of G-20 Summit in New Delhi is the crisply-worded praise by Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Showering an uninhibited praise on Mr. Narendra Modi, Mr. Francis has said in a media interview that the unanimous New Delhi Declaration is a testament to Mr. Modis diplomatic skill and dexterity. Calling the statement a fantastic outcome of the G-20 Summit, Mr. Francis has stressed that the world needs solidarity and cooperation to build better understanding of the global community. In the same breath, Mr. Francis also stated that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also needed urgent reforms -- understandably referring to the demand for inclusion of India into the top UN body as a full member. This stand points to a changing world opinion on the issue India has been pressing for for years. More and more people who matter are becoming amenable to reforms. Mr. Dennis Francis, who took over UNGA presidency just a few months ago, insisted that there was a need to democratise the UNSC, possibly suggesting that more members should be added to the core body. It is only natural that India has the most important stake in the UNSC reform so that it can become a full member of the UNSC and play its deserving role in global matters. It is actually a matter of detail, so to say. For, even if it is still not the UNSC full member, India has already assumed its own place in the Sun playing a critical role in world affairs. The New Delhi Declaration is the latest testimony to Indias growing diplomatic clout and international prowess -- as has been rightly indicated by Mr. Dennis Francis. The New Delhi Declaration has won an unequivocal praise from all quarters around the world for its unanimity despite the contentious issue of Russia-Ukraine conflict. Various world powers had to give up their obstinate stances on the conflict at Indias insistence because they saw a good sense in the argument put forward by the Indian delegation in the 200 hours of gruelling negotiations that preceded the New Delhi Declaration. Even if a few nations had agreed to accommodate the Indian point of view for whatever reason, it was not without any substantial reason. For, in international diplomacy, nothing is done only to please somebody -- unless of course there is something much bigger at stake. Obviously, India has has acquired a critical mass in global diplomacy so that the world does not want to ignore New Delhis point of view. This latest development -- of course backed by many similar ones previously -- makes a strong case for urgent reforms in the United Nations Security Council and the subsequent inclusion of India as a full member there. Enough indications are available from various corners of the international diplomatic arena that many factors may come together to agree to undertake serious and dynamic reforms of the UNSC in particular and the UN in general. Once that movement gathers momentum, India will go still closer to realising its effort to become a full member of the Security council -- and then start participating in world affairs from a vantage position. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has everything possible in the past 8-9 years to achieve this national goal, a testimony to which is available in appreciation of persons of importance such as Mr. Dennis Francis. He is a much respected global diplomat and his word is always listened to with much attention. His opinion on India at this crucial hour has its own criticality which will go a long way in adding value to building a case for UN reforms. Western Coalfields and Vensar Construction Co sign agreement Business Bureau Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) and Vensar Construction Company Limited recently signed an agreement to start the work of Valni underground mine. Walni underground mine in Nagpur area of WCL has been closed for a long time. Under the agreement with Vensar Construction Company Limited, mining work will start at the site. The agreement was signed between Manoj Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of WCL, and Vanshi Krishna, Director of Vensar Construction Company Limited, at WCL Headquarters, here in the city. The agreement was signed for a period of 25 years, on revenue sharing basis. The total coal production proposed during this period will be 6.05 million tonnes. Coal production from Valni mine is estimated at 0.25 million tonnes per year. Valni underground mine is the first mine of WCL where mining work will be done on revenue sharing basis. On this occasion, Manoj Kumar expressed hope that Valni mine will play an important role in meeting the coal requirements of the nation. J P Dwivedi, Director- Technical, WCL; A K Singh, Director -Technical, WCL; Ajay Mhetre, Chief Vigilance Officer, WCL; Ramesh Rao, General Manager of Vensar Construction Company Limited; B. P. Singh, Advisor, were present. It is noteworthy that on December 20, 2022, a letter of award (LoA) was issued by WCL to Vensar Construction Company for carrying out mining operations in Valni underground mine. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 18:01 | All, Japan, World Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit New York next week to attend the U.N. General Assembly, as well as related meetings and events, the government said Friday. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who assumed the post in Wednesday's Cabinet reshuffle, will also pay a visit to the city in her first overseas trip as the top diplomat, according to the Foreign Ministry. Kishida is scheduled to deliver an address to the General Assembly and join events related to global issues, including nuclear disarmament, the war in Ukraine and sustainable development goals, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference. During his three-day trip from Tuesday, Kishida is also expected to hold bilateral talks with other world leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly session, the top government spokesman said. The gatherings come as the United Nations has been viewed as dysfunctional in dealing with international disputes, especially those over the Ukraine war launched in February last year by Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the world body's Security Council. Kishida seeks to "emphasize the significance of efforts to strengthen the function of the United Nations, including reforms" of the body at the General Assembly, Matsuno added. Kamikawa told a separate press conference Friday that she will chair a foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized countries, and attend other engagements, during her five-day stay from Monday in New York. Kamikawa, who succeeded Yoshimasa Hayashi to become Japan's first female foreign minister in around two decades, also said she will hold bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and counterparts from other nations, such as Indonesia and Australia. "As this year's chair of the G-7, Japan will deliver a strong message about the importance of the United Nations that should play a central role in promoting the rule of law," Kamikawa said. Related coverage: Top diplomats of Japan, U.S., Australia, India eye talks in Sept. Japan's new foreign minister, Blinken vow cooperation on China challenges Royal Bank of Canada reiterated their sector perform rating on shares of Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD Free Report) in a report published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $7.00 price objective on the stock. Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Brookdale Senior Living in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Get Brookdale Senior Living alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Brookdale Senior Living Brookdale Senior Living Stock Up 0.8 % BKD stock opened at $4.01 on Tuesday. Brookdale Senior Living has a 52-week low of $2.27 and a 52-week high of $5.43. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $3.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.25, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $754.78 million, a P/E ratio of -8.02 and a beta of 1.27. Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 7th. The company reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $750.79 million for the quarter. Brookdale Senior Living had a negative net margin of 3.48% and a negative return on equity of 24.43%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Brookdale Senior Living will post -0.62 EPS for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Brookdale Senior Living during the 4th quarter worth $57,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Brookdale Senior Living by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 71,627 shares of the companys stock worth $211,000 after purchasing an additional 20,718 shares during the last quarter. Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Brookdale Senior Living during the 4th quarter worth $1,078,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Brookdale Senior Living by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,214,177 shares of the companys stock worth $9,482,000 after purchasing an additional 126,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Brookdale Senior Living by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 120,537 shares of the companys stock worth $356,000 after purchasing an additional 11,213 shares during the last quarter. About Brookdale Senior Living (Get Free Report) Brookdale Senior Living Inc owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Brookdale Senior Living Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookdale Senior Living and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. reduced its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW Free Report) by 1.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,109 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 53 shares during the quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $1,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA bought a new position in Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth $1,551,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth $1,561,000. Prelude Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 116.6% in the 1st quarter. Prelude Capital Management LLC now owns 2,172 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $529,000 after buying an additional 1,169 shares during the period. Sheets Smith Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, Empower Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth about $98,503,000. 79.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Illinois Tool Works alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently commented on ITW shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 25th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $235.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $213.00 to $198.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $256.00 to $258.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $281.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $237.18. Illinois Tool Works Price Performance NYSE ITW opened at $239.67 on Friday. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 12 month low of $180.27 and a 12 month high of $264.19. The stock has a market cap of $72.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.71, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 1.15. The companys 50 day moving average is $246.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $2.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.39 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.14 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 94.14%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.37 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 9.74 earnings per share for the current year. Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 29th will be given a dividend of $1.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 28th. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.34%. This is a boost from Illinois Tool Workss previous quarterly dividend of $1.31. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.83%. About Illinois Tool Works (Free Report) Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ITW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Illinois Tool Works Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Illinois Tool Works and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- No women appointed as vice ministers under Japan's reshuffled Cabinet TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida's government approved on Friday a list of new senior and parliamentary vice ministers, devoid of any female members, in stark contrast to the reshuffled Cabinet lineup with a record-tying five women. There are 26 senior vice ministers and 28 parliamentary vice ministers on the list, all of whom are male lawmakers belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party or its junior coalition partner Komeito. ---------- China checks seawater loaded on Japan ships amid row over Fukushima BEIJING - China began checking ballast water loaded on cargo ships arriving from Japan at some key ports, likely for radiation level inspections, at roughly the same time the neighboring country began releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, trade sources said Thursday. The monitoring of ballast water -- seawater used to provide stability and maneuverability during a voyage -- began as Beijing voiced its strong opposition to Japan's release of the treated water into the Pacific Ocean, which commenced on Aug. 24. China also suspended all seafood imports from Japan due to safety concerns. ---------- Centenarians in Japan hit record 92,139, women account for 88% TOKYO - The number of centenarians in Japan is estimated at a record 92,139, led by women, who account for 88.5 percent of the total with the world's longest life expectancy, welfare ministry data showed Friday. The number of those aged 100 or older as of Sept. 15 was up 1,613 from a year earlier for the 53th consecutive annual rise, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said ahead of the Respect for the Aged Day holiday next Monday. ---------- Police search Bigmotor headquarters amid scandal over withered trees TOKYO - Police on Friday searched the headquarters of used car dealer Bigmotor Co. in Tokyo on suspicion of property destruction, investigative sources said after roadside trees near its dealership outlets were found to have withered unnaturally. The search is another blow to the company's reputation, already battered by a recently revealed scandal over insurance fraud. As part of efforts to turn around the business, Bigmotor has closed some outlets and scrapped plans to open new stores. It is also considering selling itself out to potential sponsors, industry sources said. ---------- U.S. believes China defense chief Li under investigation: FT BEIJING - The U.S. government believes Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu is under investigation and has been stripped of his responsibilities, the Financial Times reported Thursday, as the general has not been seen in public for more than two weeks. Reuters said Thursday that Li abruptly pulled out of a meeting with Vietnamese defense leaders last week. Li's disappearance from public view follows the removal of Qin Gang as Chinese foreign minister in July after a mysterious one-month absence from public duties. ---------- Death toll in Libya floods surpasses 11,000 with 20,000 still missing JERUSALEM - The death toll in eastern Libya has topped 11,000 people four days after devastating flooding caused by storms, with around 20,000 people still missing, local media reported Thursday, citing the Libyan Red Crescent. Neighbors including Egypt and Tunisia have rushed to offer help with rescue efforts, including in worst-hit Derna, the media reports said. ---------- China congratulates Kamikawa on assuming foreign minister post BEIJING - China on Friday congratulated Yoko Kamikawa on assuming the post of Japan's foreign minister earlier this week, expressing Beijing's hope that the two Asian neighbors will step up dialogue and cooperation while managing differences and disputes. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that Kamikawa once traveled to China as a member of a delegation and participated in an activity at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo as a senior vice minister of internal affairs and communications. ---------- Japan to give $3 mil. in emergency aid to quake-hit Morocco TOKYO - Japan will extend around $3 million in emergency aid to Morocco through humanitarian organizations after it was hit by a deadly earthquake last week, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Friday. Separately, Japan will provide relief supplies and food aid to Libya following the recent massive floods in the country, Kamikawa told a press conference. ---------- Video: Fans celebrate as Hanshin Tigers clinch pennant Equities researchers at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of China Green Agriculture (NYSE:CGA Get Free Report) in a research report issued on Wednesday. The firm set a sell rating on the basic materials companys stock. China Green Agriculture Price Performance NYSE:CGA opened at $1.62 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.76 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.15. China Green Agriculture has a 1 year low of $1.61 and a 1 year high of $7.80. Get China Green Agriculture alerts: Institutional Trading of China Green Agriculture Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Susquehanna International Group LLP purchased a new position in shares of China Green Agriculture in the first quarter worth about $175,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of China Green Agriculture by 67.8% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 19,051 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 7,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of China Green Agriculture in the first quarter worth about $115,000. 0.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About China Green Agriculture China Green Agriculture, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various fertilizers and agricultural products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through three segments: Jinong (Fertilizer Production); Gufeng (Fertilizer Production); and Yuxing (Agricultural Products Production). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for China Green Agriculture Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Green Agriculture and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Austin Gold (NYSE:AUST Get Free Report) and Excellon Resources (OTCMKTS:EXNRF Get Free Report) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and valuation. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Austin Gold and Excellon Resources revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Austin Gold alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Austin Gold N/A N/A -$1.07 million ($0.16) -5.25 Excellon Resources $25.82 million 0.10 -$18.84 million N/A N/A Austin Gold has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Excellon Resources. Institutional and Insider Ownership Analyst Ratings 0.1% of Austin Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 70.7% of Austin Gold shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.2% of Excellon Resources shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Austin Gold and Excellon Resources, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Austin Gold 0 0 0 0 N/A Excellon Resources 0 0 0 0 N/A Profitability This table compares Austin Gold and Excellon Resources net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Austin Gold N/A -15.25% -15.05% Excellon Resources -72.96% -37.89% 16.01% Risk & Volatility Austin Gold has a beta of 0.99, meaning that its share price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Excellon Resources has a beta of 0.75, meaning that its share price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Austin Gold beats Excellon Resources on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Austin Gold (Get Free Report) Austin Gold Corp., a gold exploration company, focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of mineral property interests in Nevada. The company holds interest in Kelly Creek Project located in the Kelly Creek Basin, in southeastern Humboldt County, Nevada; Fourmile Basin Project that comprises various unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 6410 acres located in Nye County; the Lone Mountain Project consisting of various unpatented lode mining and patented mining claims located near Lone Mountain in Elko County; and the Miller Project consisting various unpatented lode mining claims located in Elko County in Nevada. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. About Excellon Resources (Get Free Report) Excellon Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and advancement of mineral properties. It primarily explores for silver, lead, zinc, and gold deposits, as well as base metals. The company holds 100% interests in the Platosa property covering an area of approximately 11,000 hectares located in Durango State, Mexico; the Evolucion property that covers an area of 31,280 hectares situated in the states of Durango and Zacatecas, Mexico; and the Silver City project totaling an area of 340 square kilometers in Saxony, Germany. It also holds 100% interests in the Kilgore project comprising 789 unpatented federal lode claims that covers an area of 6,788 hectares located in Clark County, eastern Idaho; and the Oakley project covering an area of 2,833 hectares in Oakley, Idaho. In addition, the company has an option to acquire the La Negra project located in Queretaro State, Mexico. Excellon Resources Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Toronto, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Austin Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Austin Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zuora, Inc. (NYSE:ZUO Get Free Report) CRO Robert J. Traube sold 16,147 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.98, for a total value of $145,000.06. Following the sale, the executive now directly owns 4,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,568.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Zuora Stock Performance NYSE ZUO opened at $8.78 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.75. Zuora, Inc. has a twelve month low of $5.45 and a twelve month high of $12.12. The businesss fifty day moving average is $10.12 and its 200 day moving average is $9.72. Get Zuora alerts: Zuora (NYSE:ZUO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 23rd. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.04 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $108.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $108.81 million. Zuora had a negative return on equity of 71.64% and a negative net margin of 26.67%. Zuoras revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.25) EPS. Equities analysts predict that Zuora, Inc. will post -0.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analyst Ratings Changes Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Legato Capital Management LLC raised its position in Zuora by 39.0% during the 2nd quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 76,175 shares of the companys stock worth $836,000 after purchasing an additional 21,359 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its position in Zuora by 70.4% during the 2nd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,324,567 shares of the companys stock worth $25,500,000 after purchasing an additional 960,540 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in Zuora by 17.5% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 134,041 shares of the companys stock worth $1,470,000 after purchasing an additional 19,975 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in Zuora by 15.9% during the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 63,755 shares of the companys stock worth $699,000 after purchasing an additional 8,769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of Zuora in the 2nd quarter worth about $119,000. 72.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. ZUO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a buy rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Zuora in a research report on Thursday, August 24th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of Zuora in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. Lake Street Capital raised their target price on Zuora from $11.00 to $12.00 in a report on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on Zuora in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. They issued a neutral rating and a $12.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $12.38. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ZUO About Zuora (Get Free Report) Zuora, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides cloud-based subscription management platform that enables companies in various industries to launch, manage, and transform into a subscription business. The company offers Zuora platform that acts as an orchestration engine that allows customers quote-to-cash and revenue operations; and Zuora Billing that helps customers to set payment terms, manage hierarchical billing relationships, consolidate invoicing across multiple subscriptions, and tax transactions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Zuora Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zuora and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Trane Technologies plc (NYSE:TT Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of Hold by the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $194.81. TT has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays increased their target price on Trane Technologies from $210.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Trane Technologies from $210.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Mizuho upped their price target on Trane Technologies from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Citigroup upped their price target on Trane Technologies from $218.00 to $237.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Trane Technologies from $194.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Get Trane Technologies alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on TT Trane Technologies Trading Down 2.5 % Shares of TT stock opened at $202.05 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.15 billion, a PE ratio of 24.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.01. Trane Technologies has a 1-year low of $139.07 and a 1-year high of $211.58. The business has a 50-day moving average of $200.57 and a 200 day moving average of $187.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.77. Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.61 billion. Trane Technologies had a return on equity of 31.22% and a net margin of 11.18%. Trane Technologiess quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.16 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Trane Technologies will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Transactions at Trane Technologies In related news, CAO Mark Majocha sold 2,202 shares of Trane Technologies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.28, for a total value of $427,804.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,797 shares in the company, valued at $737,681.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Mark Majocha sold 2,202 shares of Trane Technologies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.28, for a total value of $427,804.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,797 shares in the company, valued at $737,681.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Evan M. Turtz sold 6,108 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.21, for a total value of $1,253,422.68. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 19,666 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,035,659.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 20,374 shares of company stock valued at $4,080,669. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Trane Technologies Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of TT. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in Trane Technologies in the second quarter worth approximately $742,000. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group acquired a new position in shares of Trane Technologies during the second quarter worth $205,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Trane Technologies by 6.8% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 70,605 shares of the companys stock worth $13,510,000 after purchasing an additional 4,513 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of Trane Technologies by 429.5% during the second quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 9,801 shares of the companys stock worth $1,875,000 after purchasing an additional 7,950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Trane Technologies during the second quarter worth $4,954,000. Institutional investors own 80.66% of the companys stock. Trane Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report Trane Technologies plc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and services of solutions for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, custom, and custom and transport refrigeration in Ireland and internationally. It offers air conditioners, exchangers, and handlers; airside and terminal devices; air sourced heat pumps, auxiliary power units; chillers; coils and condensers; gensets; dehumidifiers; ductless; furnaces; home automation products; humidifiers; indoor air quality assessments and related products; large and light commercial unitary products; refrigerant reclamation products; thermostats/controls; transport heater products; variable refrigerant flow products; and water source heat pumps. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Trane Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trane Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 19:54 | World, All The U.S. government believes Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu is under investigation and has been stripped of his responsibilities, the Financial Times reported Thursday, as the general has not been seen in public for more than two weeks. Reuters said Thursday that Li abruptly pulled out of a meeting with Vietnamese defense leaders last week. Li's disappearance from public view follows the removal of Qin Gang as Chinese foreign minister in July after a mysterious one-month absence from public duties. Two top generals at the Chinese military's Rocket Force, which oversees a unit handling nuclear weapons, were also replaced in July, fueling speculation that they were investigated over corruption. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday that Li might be under house arrest, with the hashtag "#MysteryInBeijingBuilding." The envoy had also sarcastically said in a Sept. 8 post that the Cabinet lineup of Chinese President Xi Jinping is "now resembling Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None," referring to the mysterious absences of Li, Qin and the Rocket Force personnel. The Financial Times said U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence did not say what had led President Joe Biden's administration to conclude that Li was being probed. Reuters, meanwhile, quoted Vietnamese officials as saying Li skipped an annual gathering on defense cooperation scheduled for Sept. 7-8 on the Southeast Asian country's border with China due to a "health condition." Asked about Li's situation at a press conference on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that she is "not aware" of any "relevant information." The defense minister was last seen in public on Aug. 29, when he delivered a speech to a security forum with African nations in Beijing. During a session of the National People's Congress in March, Li was appointed as defense minister. In June, he held talks with then Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in Singapore on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue. Li was sanctioned by the United States in 2018 over Chinese weapons purchases from Russia. China rejected a U.S. proposal for official talks between Li and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Singapore, urging Washington to lift the sanctions. Related coverage: Qin removed from China foreign minister post, Wang reinstated: media China open to dialogue with U.S., says conflict would cause disaster U.S. warns impact of conflict in Taiwan Strait would be devastating That release could not be found. The founder and Executive Cairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, has expressed delight over the N98 billon profit recoded by BUA Foods in the first six months of 2023. The Executive Chairman of BUA Group who commended the management of the company for the landmark feat, urged them to continue in their focus. With this feat, BUA Foods is with this feat leading Nestle Nigeria, 20 Others in the industry. The 21 companies in the consumer goods category on the Nigerian Exchange include BUA Foods, Cadbury Nigeria, Champion Brew., Dangote Sugar Refinery, DN Tyre & Rubber, Flour Mills Nig., Golden Guinea Brew, Guinness Nig, Honeywell Flour Mill, International Breweries, McNichols, Multi-Trex Integrated Foods, Flour Mills, Nascon Allied Industries, Nestle Nigeria and Cadbury Nigeria PLC. Others are Nigerian Breweries, Nigerian Enamelware, PZ Cussons Nigeria, Unilever Nigeria, Union Dicon Salt, and Vitafoam. In his words, We are quite happy. The business did very well last year. They posted over 80 billion naira as profit after tax. So we are really very pleased with the performance of the business. We are actually going to do much better this year. The only issue or problem is that all along there has been Ukraine- Russia war that affected and still affecting a bit of the price of wheat although that has improved in the sense that the price has come down. But again we have the issue of the Naira float. But so far so good, I must commend management for a job well done. They did very, very well. The business is a young business. It is only two years. This is our second AGM. Yet, we have turned out to be the most profitable goods consumer business in the country today posting 81 billion naira profit last year after tax. And this year, the first six months, we have already posted over N98 billon for six months of 2023. We expected that to continue. A fresh fire outbreak has reportedly occurred at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State in the early hours of Friday. According to reports, residents around the location of the burning TCN facility behind Mechanic Village in Birnin Kebbi said they heard a loud bang followed by fire and thick smoke from a section of the electric installations at about 12: 32 am. Meanwhile, the cause of the explosion was yet to be ascertained as the time of filling this report. It was however learnt that the fire was still raging at about 1 a.m. as firefighters were not on the ground yet, and the fire had extended to other facilities around. The development is coming barely 24 hours after a fire outbreak on the Kainji/Jebba 330 kilovolt (kV) line caused a national grid collapse on Thursday. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, explained that the fire led to about 356.63MW generation loss. Taking to micro-blogging platform X, formerly Twitter, the minister said, At 00:35Hrs this morning, a Fire outbreak with an explosion sound was observed on Kainji/Jebba 330kV line 2 (Cct K2J) blue phase CVT & Blue phase line Isolator of Kainji/Jebba 330kV line1 was observed burning. This led to sharp drops in frequency from 50.29Hz to 49.67 Hz at 0:35:06Hrs with Jebba generation loss of 356.63MW, he said. Kainji started dropping load from 451.45 MW at 00:35:07Hrs to zero. At 00:41Hrs frequency dropped further from 49.37 Hz to 48.41Hz then resulted in system collapse of the grid. The acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has charged members of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) to be strategic in reviewing the current state of play in the implementation of the trade facilitation agreement and take decisive decisions to improve Nigeria's rankings in various indexes. The Customs boss gave the charge at the ongoing 2-day National stakeholders retreat on implementing the trade facilitation Agreement in Nigeria, held in Lagos, on Wednesday, September 13th, 2023. According to him, the NCS has taken some measures in furtherance of its trade facilitation mission, which includes the automation of trade procedures. In his words: "Customs has raised the bar with the recent launch of the advanced ruling and the recent migration from fast track 2.0 to the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) system. He added that the AEO is a globally recognized program introduced by the World Customs Organization to secure and facilitate global trade. He noted that the committee has played a vital advisory role in all trade-related matters. "A number of member countries of the WTO have made a very good use of this committee; this committee have played not only a very strong advisory role but has also built a very good report and role in all matters related to trade," he said. "We will identify such countries and, working with all our stakeholders, I will propose that we also have benchmarking visits to study best practices, to note what works in those places and what does not work and why our system can also measure up with what they're doing," he added. The Customs Boss charged members of the committee to be deliberate in their actions in the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. "I really want to charge us that we must be deliberate in our actions, we must be honest in reviewing our current state of play in the implementation of the trade facilitation agreement, and we must be ready to take very bold and courageous decisions to improve our rankings in various indexes," he said. "As we gather in this event, I encourage robust discussions and the sharing of innovative ideas that will contribute to the sustainable economic growth and development of Nigeria," he concluded. Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf of Kano State has sacked Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, and Yusuf Imam, Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, over death threat issued to governorship tribunal judges by the duo. It was reported that Adamu Aliyu Kibiya in a viral video on Thursday after a special prayer by the NNPP supporters, publicly issued a death threat against the tribunal judges if as a result of bribe-taking, they gave judgement not favourable to them. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association has swiftly urged the state governor, Abba Kabiru Yusuf to sanction the commissioner so as to distance the state from the statement. On Friday night, while addressing journalists, Baba Halilu Dantiye, state commissioner for Information, announced the sacking of the two political officeholders over unguarded statement. Baba Dantiye said, The attention of the Kano State Government has been drawn to videos trending on social media platforms featuring the State Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Alh. Adamu Aliyu Kibiya making threatening statements on Judges of the Tribunal, while that of the Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, Alh Yusuf Imam making unguarded and disrespectful statements on His Excellency Alh Kashim Shettima GCON the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While condemning the unfortunate threat to the Judges and the disrespect shown to the VP, we wish to make it categorically clear that the views expressed do not represent the official position of the State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Alh Abba Kabir Yusuf. It is important to emphasise that neither of the two officials have any clearance to speak on behalf of the government and none of them serves as official spokesperson of the government. Kano State Government under HE Abba Kabir Yusuf holds the Judiciary in very high esteem and expresses tremendous amount of respect to justices and all judicial officers. He further said, Besides the good understanding between the government and people of Kano State and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Kano State Governor HE Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf deeply respects the person and office of the Vice President His Excellency Alh. Kashim Shettima GCON and will not condone any iota of disrespect on the Vice President or any other Nigerian leader. For these reasons, the Governor of Kano State has relieved the two officials of their appointment with immediate effect : Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Alh Adamu A. Kibiya, and the Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, Alh Yusuf Imam. The Kano State Government has also directed that, henceforth, no official of government should speak on any matter outside the purview of their MDAs without express clearance and permission. Henceforth, Unguarded and inflammatory statements will not be condoned. The Ministry of Information is directed to ensure that all media outlets in the state especially radio stations are complying with the extant guidelines provided by regulatory agencies. While expressing our faith in the judicial process, believing very strongly that justice will prevail at all the levels of judicial processes, the Kano State Government wishes to call on all residents in the state to remain law-abiding and continue to go about their normal businesses without any hindrances, he added. KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2023 - 16:20 | Arts, All, Japan Japanese rock musician Yoshiki was honored in Hollywood on Thursday with his handprints and footprints immortalized in cement outside the TCL Chinese Theatre for its Forecourt of the Stars. The member of "X Japan" is the first Japanese star joining hundreds of legendary celebrities whose artistic achievements have been recognized in this unique and historical fashion by the theater, one of its officials said. At the imprint ceremony, which included him pressing his drumsticks above his prints, Yoshiki, wearing dark sunglasses and clad in a black suit, joked around and posed as photographers called out to him to get snapshots. But during an emotional speech almost entirely in English, he said there were countless times he wanted to give up but didn't because of his fans and mother. "I wanted to prove that nothing is impossible. I wanted to prove that a person from Asia, a person from Japan, who didn't speak English could still pursue (the) American dream, could still pursue the Hollywood dream regardless of race, regardless of who you are," he said. "Nothing's impossible. Be your own rock star," he added before thanking his fans, friends, band members and parents in Japanese. Marilyn Monroe and film director Steven Spielberg are among the some 300 stars honored at the site, according to Japan House, a Japanese government facility promoting the country's culture overseas. Related coverage: Japan's Ryusuke Hamaguchi wins runner-up Grand Jury Prize at Venice Sound-only film about foreigners aims to open eyes to their presence Famed Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto mourned across the world Phuket officials crack down on taxis, foreign businesses PHUKET: Officials in Phuket have intensified their efforts to combat illegal tourist-oriented businesses on the island. Although no specific campaign has been announced, both Phuket Immigration and the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) have been conducting inspections within their respective areas of authority throughout this week. crimeRussiantourismpolice By The Phuket News Friday 15 September 2023 04:57 PM Illustration from the report of the press conference by NBT Phuket. Image: NBT Phuket PLTO officers check vehicles in Kathu. One driver of a taxi registered outside Phuket was busted. Photo: PLTO Phuket Immigration at Motorbike Sharing Co., Ltd. No work-related violations were reported as found. Photo: Phuket Immigration Phuket Immigration at Motorbike Sharing Co., Ltd. No work-related violations were reported as found. Photo: Phuket Immigration Phuket Immigration at Art Detailing Co. Ltd. No work-related violations were reported as found. Photo: Phuket Immigration Phuket Immigration at Art Detailing Co. Ltd. No work-related violations were reported as found. Photo: Phuket Immigration Phuket Immigration and PLTO launched their crackdown on Monday (Sept 11), the first working day after Phuket Immigration Chief Col Thanet Sukchai and PLTO Chief Adcha Buachan joined Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikiong at a press conference addressing concerns about rising criminal activities and illegal business activities among newly arrived Russian nationals on the island. Foreign business checks On Monday (Sept 11), Phuket Immigration officers visited the premises of Art Detailing Phuket Co., Ltd. on Chao Fa East Road in tambon Wichit. Led by Lt Col Rangsinan Chanphet, the team conducted the raid following a complaint about an illegally working Russian national, as stated in the report posted by Phuket Immigration on Facebook. Art Detailing Phuket presents itself as a branch of Russia-based firm Art Detailing Spb and claims to have been providing car detailing services in Phuket for several years, according to its website. However, the Thai company, Art Detailing Phuket Co., Ltd., was registered only on May 1, 2023, according to the Department of Business Development. The companys registered capital is stated as B2 million, enough for one work permit for a foreign national. "Phuket Provincial Immigration officers inspected Art Detailing Phuket Co., Ltd. following a tip-off that a Russian national was working there illegally. The inspection revealed that the said foreigner had a valid work permit issued according to the law," Phuket Immigration stated in the report. On Tuesday (Sept 12), Lt Col Rangsinan led officers to inspect another vehicle-related Russian business in Wichit, this time located opposite Makro on Wichit Songkram Road. The raid also followed a tip-off, as reported by Phuket Immigration. During the inspection, officials checked the premises of Motorbike Sharing Co., Ltd., established on June 29, 2023, with registered capital of B4 million. Also registered at the same address was It Easy International Co., Ltd., a property business registered in 2013 with capital of B5 million. At the premises, officials found one Thai employee and four foreigners from Russia and Kazakhstan, with the Russians all sharing the same family name. Two Russians had Non-B visas allowing employment, while the third had a student visa. The man from Kazakhstan had a Non-B visa. Phuket Immigration reported finding no employment-related violations. One of the Russians with a Non-B visa was charged with not registering foreign tenants as prescribed by the Immigration Act of 1979 and "recommended to strictly follow the Immigration Act of 1979 and other relevant laws." Phuket Immigration supplemented both reports with copies of the Sept 9 announcement encouraging Phuket residents to report "bad foreigners" via the Traffy Fondue app, the 096-0365485 hotline, or a newly created Google Form. Illegal taxi hunt Demonstrating their efforts to combat illegal work in Phuket public transport, the PLTO reported two checks of local taxis conducted this week. Officials focused on "investigating the illegal use of private cars for passenger pick-up" (essentially serving as taxis) and other potential violations of provincial taxi regulations. These reports became the first ones since June. On Monday (Sept 11), a checkpoint was set up near the entrance to Phuket International Airport, a standard location during the active "black taxi hunt" from February through June and the exact location of the last reported check in June. According to the PLTOs report, officials found four drivers providing taxi services in vehicles registered for personal use only. Officials did not elaborate on whether any foreigners were among the four. "The cases have been referred to the PLTO for imposing fines and considering license suspensions for the violators, in accordance with the law," reported the PLTO. On Thursday (Sept 14), officials set up a checkpoint in Kathu, also in a regular spot near what used to be known as the Thung Thong Police Box. The inspection led to the apprehension of one driver of a green-plated taxi registered outside of Phuket. The driver would be referred to the PLTO for imposing fines and considering license suspension, according to the report. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping speaks at an event celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in New York, the United States, Sept. 13, 2023. (Photo by Zhou Huanxin/Xinhua) "China is ready to work with the U.S. to enhance dialogue, manage differences, advance cooperation and bring this relationship back to the right track at an early date," says Huang Ping. NEW YORK, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China must create favorable conditions to improve their relationship, said Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping on Wednesday. Facing new challenges in China-U.S. relations, the two countries "need to continue to strengthen confidence, maintain patience and pool strength," said Huang in his speech at an event celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China Wednesday evening. "To strengthen confidence, we need to have faith in China-U.S. relations in the long term," he said. Much has changed bilaterally and globally over the past few decades. But the importance of China-U.S. relations to the two countries and the world has remained the same, Huang said. "The fact that we share extensive common interests and are interdependent has not changed. Our peoples' enthusiasm about greater exchanges and cooperation has not changed," he said. "China is ready to work with the U.S. to enhance dialogue, manage differences, advance cooperation and bring this relationship back to the right track at an early date." "To maintain patience, we need to remove disruptions for the stable development of China-U.S. relations," said Huang. "The current situation does not serve the fundamental interests of our two peoples, nor does it meet the international community's common expectations." The senior diplomat noted recently that the two countries have had a series of high-level interactions. The two sides have agreed to return to the Bali agenda, signaling the need to enhance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation to stabilize the bilateral relationship. "The two sides need to start with specific steps to create conditions and remove disruptions to pave the way for a better relationship," said Huang. "To pool strength, we need to work together with American friends from all walks of life," he said, calling the guests in attendance "the most important force" in promoting the friendship between China and the United States. "For years, you've worked tirelessly to bring people from both sides together. I hope you will continue to be the bond and bridge of our friendship and cooperation, helping more American people understand China truly and objectively, encouraging and calling up more American people to work together with us to move our relationship forward," the Consul General said. "Restrain State Govt" | IMPHAL, Sep 14: The Zomi Council Steering Committee (ZCSC) has appealed to the Government of India to take urgent efforts to restrain the State Government from its alleged design of inflicting heinous crimes against the Zo ethnic population. The alleged atrocities against the Zo people (Kuki-Zomi-Hmar) only highlight the collective failure of the Indian Nation, said a press release issued by ZCSC. It also accused the State Government of fomenting unrest at the expense of the Zo ethnic community. The sudden surge in casualties on account of the changed war tactics adopted by the State forces is taking the State further away from any peace initiative, it said. The ZCSC, while denouncing the State Govern- ments actions, once again reaffirmed their stand for a permanent political solution. Mario Cutajar, chairman of Heritage Malta, speaks during an interview in Kalkara, Malta, on Sept. 11, 2023. The rich cultures of China and Malta are under the spotlight at Heritage Malta, the country's national agency for museums, conservation and cultural heritage, its chairman Mario Cutajar said ahead of his visit to China. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua) VALLETTA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The rich cultures of China and Malta are under the spotlight at Heritage Malta, the country's national agency for museums, conservation and cultural heritage, its chairman Mario Cutajar said ahead of his visit to China. As the agency is seeking to boost cooperation in the preservation of artifacts and in making them accessible to more people, Cutajar explained how Heritage Malta aims to cooperate with China, citing the upcoming exhibition of Chinese porcelain in Malta as an example. Cutajar said that the main objective of his visit next week will be to hold meetings to bring more exhibitions to Malta to showcase China's rich culture. "(The visit) has the objective of understanding each other through culture, mainly by holding meetings to try and get exhibitions to Malta, so that we can explore more the rich Chinese culture and even perhaps exhibitions from Malta to China," he told Xinhua in an interview before his departure. This would be his second visit to China. The first took place in 2007 after the conclusion of the exhibition of the famous Terracotta Warriors in Malta, which was "a huge success." He took the Terracotta Warriors back to Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, through Beijing. "I love China. It's a beautiful country," he said, adding that "Our culture is completely different and that is why more understanding between us both will prove fruitful for sure." On the upcoming exhibition of Chinese porcelain, Cutajar said that although Malta had its own porcelain culture, China's is "world-renowned" and the exhibition would teach visitors about the methods used and the paintings on them, giving them "a better understanding of the level of culture and the timelines of both cultures." He said the exhibition would involve a lot of behind-the-scenes logistics, including bringing the artifacts to Malta, so he does not expect it to happen before two years' time. Cutajar explained how Heritage Malta has established a very strong partnership with the China Cultural Center in Malta. The agency will be holding its first Malta Biennale next year and China will be taking part in that event, he said. He also spoke about the importance of exchanges to explore modern museology and the conservation of heritage. "Even though we are a very small country, we still can provide expertise from our experience," he said. "The preservation of heritage is so important that it needs cooperation between countries to further preserve it, to save it for future generations," he added. The Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, gave verbal assurance to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of no coercive police action against them in the case of an inadvertent file download by a central agency official from a computer of an office liked to a prime accused in the multi- crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal. The ED official had downloaded 16 personal files while conducting raid and search operations at the office last month, following which an employee of the corporate entity filed a case at the cyber-crime division of Kolkata Police accusing the central agency of planting evidence. On Tuesday, the central agency approached the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, accusing unnecessary harassment in the matter by the city police cops. After hearing the matter in the second half of the court session, Justice Sinha observed that since the hard disc of the computer where the 16 personal files were downloaded had not been confiscated by ED after the raid and search operations, there is no reason to believe that those files were downloaded with any ulterior motive. Advertisement Thereafter, she told the state government counsel that she hopes that henceforth the city police will not send any further communique to the ED officials in the matter. There should be an end to charges of harassment, she said. The ED has already clarified that the files were inadvertently downloaded by one of its officers after the raid and search operations and those 16 files were related to student hostels that he was searching for his daughter who was admitted to a reputed engineering college in state. The officer concerned has been removed from the investigation team and transferred to Guwahati from Kolkata. Guillermo Escribano, DG Spanish language, held a meeting with West Bengal chief secretary H K Dwivedi, and Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chief advisor to the chiefministerMamataBaner- jee in Madrid to discuss the possibility of facilitating Spanish language learning by students in the state as well as teachers training in the language. There is a demand for foreign language studies in the universities and colleges of Bengal. The state government has recently brought out the new state education policy and learning of foreign languages forms an integral part of it. Both the Spanish and Bengal governments would explore an agreement in connection with Spanish language learning in the state and MoU might be signed in this regard in Bengal Global Business Summit in Novbember. Advertisement Miss Banerjee along with business delegates of Bengal is visiting Spain to woo business in the state. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said that leveling up is needed in the countrys engineering sector to achieve the USD 100 billion target on engineering services, design, construction and R&D by 2030. Speaking at a conclave on Global Services Export Conclave on Engineering and Environmental Services: Sustainable Energy, Transportation, and Infrastructure in Delhi, the Union Minister said that the engineering sector should identify countries with restrictive practices where Indian talent doesnt get opportunities and assured them that the government will help sort out this issue. Identify countries where there are restrictive practices where they dont give Indian talent the opportunity to bid or to participate and the government can sort that to ensure international growth, he said. Advertisement Congratulating the engineers on the Engineers Day celebrated on the 15th of September, Goyal said, leveling up is needed in the engineering sector. As engineers, I urge you to now reflect on how to go to the next step. The time has come for our engineering sector to have levels of engineers like generalists, specialists and a skilled workforce that supports them. Once we have this complete eco-system in place, we will be able to achieve the 100 billion dollars target on engineering services, design, construction and R&D by 2030. The conclave brought together key industry players, government officials, subject matter experts, and dignitaries. The objective was to identify growth opportunities, address challenges, and strategize methods to leverage Indias capabilities in the Engineering, Construction, and Environment services sectors. The primary goal was to create an action plan that would facilitate the growth of Indian companies in the export of services. The conclave is expected to play a significant role in enhancing engineering export services to diverse countries. The event was a platform for stakeholders to come together and discuss the challenges and opportunities in the sector. It also helped to create awareness about the governments support schemes for the export of services. In a fresh revelation, it has been found that the Delhi minor victim who had faced sexual assault by Delhi Government official had also encountered sexual assault when she resided with her family. According to the victim the incident occurred in New Usmanpur by some individuals at separate occasions. The police have registered a new case under section 376 of Indian Penal Code(IPC) and section 6 of POCSO Act. The case has been registered at New Usmanpur police station. The Deputy Commisioner of Police , North East , Dr Joy Tirkey informed The Investigating Officer of Burari Police Station, North District brought the fact to the notice of police station New Usmanpur North East District. Accordingly, fresh statement of the complainant was obtained and a fresh case has been registered in this regard. The victim had faced sexual harassment when she lived with her father friend and his family soon after his demise in 2020. The victim had been sexually assaulted by government officer and had also been given pills for abortion by his wife. The accused are currently in Judicial custody. Advertisement As the Lok Sabha elections approach, the National Peoples Party (NPP) led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma occupies a strategically significant position in the political landscape. With alliances both at the national level with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and regional considerations in states like Meghalaya, the NPPs stance and actions are of importance. In an interview with Abhijit Deb, the young CM talked about his relationship with the BJP-led government at the Centre and his partys position on some of the key issues confronting the North East in general, Meghalaya in particular. Q. How is your alliance with the NDA going, and what will be the NPPs stance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections? A: The NPP has a long-standing alliance with the NDA at the national level and forms a coalition with the BJP in Meghalaya. While we maintain our historical ties, its essential to establish our unique identity and presence in specific areas. We emphasise the importance of contesting elections on our own terms, driven by our vision to provide a strong platform for the North East region. While we maintain a cooperative approach with the NDA, we are prepared to assert our independence if we perceive any marginalisation. Advertisement Q. Youve recently met with heads of various regional parties at the national level, including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao. Is a new political alliance shaping up? A: My recent meeting with Chief Minister KCR of Telangana was to learn from successful governance models. For that matter I keep on visiting states like Delhi, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to study the successful models and how we can replicate them for the benefit of the people of Meghalaya. My visit was completely related to economics. However, political issues do come up. As I said while remaining committed to our NDA affiliation, the NPP remains open to the possibility of contesting elections independently if the situation demands it. Q. There are rumours of many BJP members within the state joining NPP in Meghalaya. What is your response to this? A: In the dynamic landscape of politics, I acknowledge that individuals may switch parties. We believe in providing space for such shifts while keeping our primary focus on advancing the North East agenda. This commitment extends to being willing to contest elections even against the BJP, if circumstances require it. Q. How has connectivity improved in a remote state like Meghalaya? A: We commend the success of the UDAN scheme, advocating for subsidised flight rates between Shillong and Delhi. We have also urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to consider upgrading Shillong to an international airport. Additionally, there have been marked improvements in road connectivity, particularly between Shillong and Guwahati, as well as enhanced interconnectivity among North Eastern states. Q. Regarding the resolution of the Coal Mining Ban in Meghalaya, what is the way forward? A: Despite challenges posed by bans and legal battles, our government has made progress toward resuming mining operations in four mines. The coal mining ban had detrimental effects on government revenue, job opportunities, and the local economy, highlighting the significance of reinstating mining for the states financial stability and the livelihoods of many families. Q. What is your stance on uranium mining in Meghalaya? A: Our government maintains a cautious stance on uranium mining, emphasising the need for comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders to address safety concerns. At present, we do not support uranium mining in Meghalaya. Q. What are your thoughts on the Manipur Imbroglio and what could have been done to stop the ethnic violence? A: The prolonged Manipur issue and the damage it has caused is immense. Decisions, including the possibility of a leadership change or invoking Presidents rule, lie with the Central government. However, we stress the urgency of substantial political engagement to rebuild confidence and heal divisions between Kukis and Meities in Manipur. Q. Could Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit heal the situation? A: Unfortunately, it may be too late as much damage has already been done, leading to growing mistrust between Kuki and Meitei communities after prolonged violence. However, as the head of the country, the Prime Minister should visit the state and attempt to instill confidence in the people who have been affected by the violence. Q. The North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a platform of non-Congress parties, was launched to create a unified voice for the North East. Has it delivered on its objectives? A: While acknowledging NEDAs potential as a platform for addressing regional issues and fostering cooperation among North Eastern states, there are concerns about its underutilised potential due to infrequent meetings. NEDA could have played a significant role in addressing critical issues such as the Manipur dispute and the Assam-Mizoram border issue. Additionally, there was a proposal to establish a cultural centre in Assam to promote regional unity and development, but that has not materialised. Q. You have been vocal on issues concerning the North East states, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Can we expect Conrad Sangma to take on leadership roles on issues that concern the entire North East region in the future? A: My leadership is dedicated to championing North East issues and unifying the regions voice on the national stage. I see youth empowerment, tourism promotion, and the Act East policy as potential drivers for creating a unified North East voice in Indian politics. I have taken up issues like the CAA with the central government, even though I didnt receive support from the BJP. In politics, numbers matter, so as we expand our base, I will continue to advocate for the North East agenda with the Centre for the overall benefit of the region. Follow our camera to take an on-site visit to the village of Amizmiz near the epicenter of the Morocco earthquake. Another soldier of the Army died on Friday in the ongoing gunfight with terrorists in the Kokernag area of South Kashmir. The soldier was among the two jawans injured on Thursday evening who were admitted to the hospital where one among them succumbed, reports said. This has increased the number of Army and police casualties to five in the encounters at Kokernag and Rajouri. Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was the commanding officer of 19 RR, Major Ashish Dhonchak and DSP Humayun Bhat, were killed during the initial exchange of fire. Rifleman Ravi Kumar of 63 RR lost his life in the Rajouri encounter. The Army intensified its operation against the terrorists by inducting special forces and surveillance gadgets. CRPF and the special operations group (SOG) of J&K Police were also participating in the operation against terrorists. Advertisement The Kashmir Zone Police said on Thursday morning that two LET terrorists, including Uzair Khan, have been encircled. However, so far there is no report of any terrorist having been killed even two days after they inflicted loss on the security forces. The security forces, including Army and police, are being provided support by helicopters, quadcopters and drones to keep eye on the entire thickly forested area. The Chinar Corps Commander Lt General Rajiv Ghai and Rashtriya Rifles Victor Force commander Major General Balbir Singh visited the encounter site. Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachud said on Friday that any formulation of new system in the international investor law must be a fair and balanced system for the resolution of investor-state disputes, pointing out that the international investment law has been criticized for being disadvantageous to developing countries. it was essential that the formulation of any new systems in international investment law, such as the creation of a permanent court, (should) adequately account for these concerns (of the developing countries) and ensure that they do not remain areas of concern as the need of the hour is a fair and balanced system for the resolution of investor-state disputes, Chief Justice Chandrachud said. CJI said that it was essential as international investment law has been criticized for being disadvantageous to developing countries. Advertisement Chief Justice Chandrachuds exhortation for a fair and balanced system for the resolution of investor-state disputes came in his inaugural address at the three-day 2023 UNCITRAL South Asia conference. The conference has been jointly hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, UNCITRAL, and the UNCITRAL National Coordination Committee for India (UNCCI) Recalling his earlier participation in the UNCITRAL conference in 2016, Chief Justice Chandrachud said he had spoken on the Investor-State Dispute settlement Reform (ISDS), which at that point was an unsettled question. The issue was whether UNCITRAL should address the topic of the ISDS reforms. CJI Chandrachud told the UNCITRAL South Asia Conference today that since then (2016) UNCITRAL Commission has come a long way having just adopted the first texts on ISDS reforms. CJI described the adoption of the first texts on ISDS reforms as an example of the pivotal role played by India at UNCITRAL in having this topic allotted to a Working Group of UNCITRAL. Besides Chief Justice Chandrachud who inaugurated the conference, it was also attended by the Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS), Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, the Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani, Secretary of UNCITRAL Ms. Anna Joubin-Bret and noted jurist, senior advocate and Chair of UNCCI Fali S. Nariman. Attorney General R. Venkataramani mentioned the fallacies facing the investment treaty regime and the need to revisit the same. The Attorney General mentioned the need for a Declaration on Global Investment Law, spearheaded by India and expressed hope of having a New Delhi Convention. Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh mentioned that India shares a unique relationship with UNCITRAL and has been a member of UNCITRAL since its inception being one of the first 29 member States. He also mentioned the diversity of the region and the economic strides made by the South Asian Region. Secretary of UNCITRAL, Ms. Anna Joubin-Bret gave an overview of the various projects and subjects undertaken by UNCITRAL through its Working Groups and the status of the same. At the conclusion of the inaugural session, Fali Nariman pointed to the ailments faced by the international arbitration system including the debate on arbitrator bias. Nariman called for the need to have a balanced and fair system of arbitration. The three-day conference, inaugurated today, is in continuation of the conference held in New Delhi, in 2016 to celebrate 50 years of UNCITRAL and is aimed at furthering Indias engagement with UNCITRAL and encouraging interaction between UNCITRAL, Judiciary, bureaucracy, academia and the legal fraternity. The Economic Diplomacy division of the MEA had set up the arbitration cell as a point of repository of investment treaty, UNCITRAL and arbitration-related issues. The division has over the years organised various conferences and capacity-building workshops which was acknowledged by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Chandrachud. The inaugural session of the conference was also attended by judges of the Supreme Court of India, judges from various High Courts across the country, senior advocates, legal experts from across the world, academia and the government. Even as Indian defence forces continue their operation in the forest area on the hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district for the third day on Friday to flush out the ultras there are reports that one soldier is missing. To locate the militants who are hiding in the Anantnag jungle, the Indian Armed Forces are using drones and quadcopters. So far, the terrorists have killed four personnel of security forces including officers. Based on drone monitoring, the soldiers are believed to have fired mortar shells at the area where they think the terrorists are hiding. Advertisement On Thursday, police in south Kashmirs Anantnag district claimed to have encircled two Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists. Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat, and a soldier were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday morning. Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Army, was also killed. On Thursday, anti-Pakistan demonstrations condemning the terrorist murder of four security officers took place throughout Jammu. Two terrorists were shot dead by security personnel on Tuesday in the Narla neighbourhood of Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir. During a search that led to an encounter that lasted well into Wednesday evening, security personnel claimed to have found warlike supplies, including pharmaceuticals, with Pakistani markings. Two soldiers were injured in a gunfight with terrorists on Thursday evening when the Army intensified its operation against the terrorists who killed three security forces personnel in South Kashmirs Kokernag. The Kashmir Zone Police said in the morning that two LET terrorists, including Uzair Khan, have been encircled. The security forces, including Army and local police, are being provided support by helicopters, quadcopters and drones to keep eye on the entire area. Advertisement The Chinar Corps Commander Lt General Rajiv Ghai and Rashtriya Rifles Victor Force commander Major General Balbir Singh visited the encounter site to boost the morale of troops in operations. Search operation, which was put on hold for night, resumed in the thick foliage forest area of Gadol and the terrorists have been encircled, police said Thursday. Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was the commanding officer of 19 RR, Major Ashish Dhonchak and DSP Humayun Bhat, the son of former DIG Kashmir Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, were killed during the initial exchange of fire. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha along with Chinar Corps Commander, Chief Secretary, Security Advisor to LG, DGP J&K and other officers laid wreaths to pay homage to the bravehearts, Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchak who made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. The mortal remains of the martyrs would be laid to rest with full military honours at their respective hometowns, said a defence spokesman. Ahead of the meeting of its working committee in Hyderabad, the Congress launched a frontal attack on K Chandrasekhar Rao saying his party and the BJP were brothers in reality but the BRS supremo pretends to be against the BJP for fear of losing Muslim votes. For the first time, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be meeting outside Delhi to discuss strategy for the upcoming elections in five states including Telangana besides the current political situation in the country. With both BRS leaders, KT Rama Rao and Kalvakuntla Kavitha, attacking the Congress ahead of the CWC, the grand old party too chose to hit back, hence the allegation of an understanding with the BJP. Advertisement Here, he (KCR) wants some Muslim votes, so he is acting like he is anti BJP. But in reality they are together. They are brothers. People will know about it. This election will show that, said KC Venugopal, the party general secretary in charge of organisation. It may be noted that in the upcoming elections, both the Congress and the BRS are vying for Muslim votes outside Hyderabad where the AIMIM does not contest. Last time, the BRS had cornered a chunk of the minority votes because of its understanding with the AIMIM. Our fight is with Narendra Modi all over India. Our principal enemy in politics is BJP and their ideology. We are fighting tooth and nail. When farmers law came what was the role of KCRs party? They supported the farmers law. Whenever this type of anti democratic law is coming to the Parliament we have seen that this party (BRS) is supporting. Whoever is supporting BJP they are actually against the people they are anti-democratic, said Venugopal. When asked about Kavithas recent dig at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his Amethi defeat, another senior party leader, Jairam Ramesh, shot back saying, Kavitha should not be concerned about Rahul Gandhi, but concentrate on ED. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will convene the first meeting of the newly constituted Working Committee tomorrow at 2:30 pm with Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonial Gandhi, party MP Rahul Gandhi and all other members including permanent and special invitees and the four chief ministers of Congress ruled states attending the meeting. Next day, the party will hold an extended meeting to be attended by nearly 147 members with all PCC chiefs. A rally, Vijaya Bheri will be held in the afternoon where the Congress in the presence of its national leadership will announce its six guarantees in the lines of Karnataka Congress. With a view to helping farmers sell their farm-fresh natural vegetables directly to the consumers, a new initiative Natural Produce on Wheels under the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y) of the Department of Agriculture in Himachal Pradesh was launched. With the launch of this initiative on a pilot basis by Secretary of Agriculture, C Paulrasu at the state Secretariat here on Friday, the consumers in the state capital Shimla will now get natural produce. Speaking on the occasion he said the new initiative under the PK3Y will help the farmers and the consumers both. Advertisement The mobile van will help the farmers take their chemical-free natural produce directly to the consumers, he said. Paulrasu said the natural farming technique is being adopted on a big scale by the farmers in Himachal Pradesh and the government will encourage the non-chemical low-cost natural farming technique in horticulture also. To begin with, under the initiative Natural Produce on Wheels, the PK3Y is facilitating farmers of three development blocks around Shimla, namely Totu, Mashobra and Basantpur to sell their natural produce in mobile vans. The van will be stationed in the State Secretariat, Himachal Pradesh University campus and Krishi Bhawan every Friday, where the consumers can buy chemical-free natural produce, including vegetables, fruits and some processed products like pickles and desi ghee. The mobile van, which will take the produce to select places in Shimla, carried 10 quintal seasonal vegetables, fruits and other products on the inaugural day. The initiative evinced a huge response among consumers, who came in great numbers to buy healthy chemical-free produce, including a variety of vegetables immediately after the launch. PK3Y, State Project Director, Hemis Negi said the residents of Shimla can buy the natural produce at rates comparable with the market around them. We will gradually make naturally produced cereals also available to the consumers, along with vegetables and fruits. We will replicate the Natural Produce on Wheels initiative at other locations in Shimla and in other districts based on the response, he said Negi said efforts are being made to provide the natural produce in local mandis so that the consumers get the natural produce easily in routine. Besides, a marketing mechanism for natural produce is being worked out by organising the farmers to form Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) under PK3Y. Seven FPCs have been formed in the state for natural produce and PK3Y is also focussing on the branding of natural produce and products. As many as 1.71 lakh farmers are currently practicing natural farming technique in the state involving an area of over 24,000 hectare. The impact evaluation studies by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad and the Academy of Management Studies, Lucknow on the benefits of natural farming in agriculture in Himachal Pradesh have found that the average reduction in the cost of cultivation with natural farming technique is 36 per cent. The studies have shown that the average increase in net returns/profits of farmers doing natural farming is 28.6 per cent. While 87 per cent of beneficiary farmers believed that natural farming has improved drought tolerance and water management of crops, the natural farming technique is said to have helped in better management of diseases in different crops, compared to other agriculture practices. The state government is targeting to bring all the 9.61 lakh farmers in the state under natural farming so that Himachal Pradesh gets recognition as a natural farming state. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to declare the natural calamity triggered due to the floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh as a National Disaster. In her letter dated September 15, the Congress leader said that the disaster clubbed with central governments decision to reduce the import duty on foreign apples will double the economic impact on the people of Himachal Pradesh. it is not right to hurt the farmers in this difficult time. On the contrary, if the central government can provide any kind of financial help to the farmers of Himachal Pradesh, it will be a relief for them. I appeal to you to declare this disaster as a national disaster like the Kedarnath disaster of 2013 and provide financial assistance to the victims and the state so that the people of Himachal Pradesh can get relief and the state can be reconstructed in a proper manner, Gandhi wrote. Advertisement Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu had said that he raised the demand to declare Himachal disaster as national disaster with the Prime Minister during the G20 dinner. He also demanded a special package for the state. The state government is continuously demanding the central government that the disaster here should be declared a national disaster. Also, the Central Government should give a special relief package to Himachal, but till now both demands have been ignored, CM Sukhu said. The Himachal government has announced to pay house rent to people who lost their homes in the disaster. The state government will pay Rs 5,000 in rural areas and Rs 10,000 in urban areas till 31 March 2024. Dressed in an Army uniform, six-year-old son of Colonel Manpreet Singh saluted before his fathers mortal remains kept in the courtyard of their home in Punjabs Mullanpur Garibdass. Standing near the body was his mother, unconscious. His sister was seen trying to console her. The family then goes near to the coffin in which Colonel Manpreet Singhs body was kept. The six-year-old then waved his hand over the coffin that contained his fathers body probably trying to feel the presence of his father for last time. Col Singhs two-year-old daughter was sitting in the lap of her mother, who seemed to be in a state of despair. A few women were seen standing on the roof of neighbouring homes, one of them held a tricolor. Hundreds of people gathered outside the house of Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district on Wednesday. The encounter that started on the intervening night of September 12-13 is still going on. So far, four soldiers, including Col. Singh have laid down their lives. Advertisement #WATCH | Son of Col. Manpreet Singh salutes before the mortal remains of his father who laid down his life in the service of the nation during an anti-terror operation in J&Ks Anantnag on 13th September The last rites of Col. Manpreet Singh will take place in Mullanpur pic.twitter.com/LpPOJCggI2 ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 Amid chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Colonal Singh was cremated with full state honours and accorded a guard of honour by his RR regiment he commanded. Watch: Major Ashish Dhonchak gets cremated amid chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai A highly decorated officer of the Indian Army, Manpreet Singh hailed from Bharonjian, a small village in Punjab on the outskirts of Chandigarh. He was posted in Kashmir with the Rashtriya Rifle and his tenure was about to end in four months. Singh is survived by his mother, wife Jagmeet Grewal and two children a six-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. His father, who died a few years ago, was also a retired Indian Army veteran. In 2021, Manpreet Singh was decorated with the Sena Medal for Gallantry when he was a Lieutenant Colonel with the RR. Indias international stature has been rising with its thoughtful, balanced policy on the Ukraine- Russia conflict and this rise culminated with the success in achieving consensus for a joint declaration at the G20 summit. This was not easy, given the fact of how deeply divided various countries are on this issue, and Indian diplomacy must be con- gratulated on the significant achievement of a declaration, which also helps the cause of world peace with its emphasis on one earth, one family, and one future. Now the next step should be to increase the international stature of India further by taking up some urgent and overdue domestic reforms which will also result in providing much needed relief to many people and reduce their distress. First and foremost, reforms which result in creating a more inclusive society must be emphasised, with significant steps being taken to reduce inequalities. According to The World Inequality Report, in recent years India has reported one of the highest economic inequalities (generally measured in terms of wealth and income) in the world. This must be reduced significantly, so that those at the bottom can access a higher share of income and wealth. Advertisement Although government data, sup- ported by some UN data, show that poverty levels in India have reduced significantly in recent years, there is other evidence which points to seri- ous and increasing distress suffered by about one-third of the population at the bottom of the rural as well as urban society. The government should be open enough to the viewpoints expressed by others regarding the continuing distress and problems of this section of society. This section includes the rural landless, marginal farmers and the substantial unorganized, informal sector urban workforce, Dalits and tribal communities, includ- ing nomadic and semi-nomadic groups and denotified tribes. The government must reform its policies with respect to these sections of society, with the objective of bringing more relief to them and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for them. In the context of tribal communities in particular, many of those involved with the welfare of these communities for a long time have been proposing policies which are sig- nificantly different from the approach followed now, and the government should give more attention to this viewpoint. This can help us move towards an inclusive society. Another way of ensuring this would be to take steps to assure the minorities regarding their security and welfare. While this is particularly true in the case of Muslims, in some areas it is also true in the context of Christians. In specific situations such as in Manipur, there are certain sections who have suffered a lot of insecurity and this must be addressed too. The more widespread concern at the national level has related to Muslim citizens feeling insecure in many places. There have been several complaints of innocent Muslims being attacked and adequate action not being taken against those responsible. In turn this has led to such violent persons becoming even more aggressive and causing new disturbances, as was seen recently in Haryana. What is most disturbing is that sometimes government authorities have themselves acted in arbitrary ways that have targeted the Muslims. This was seen in the context of several bulldozing actions in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana about which the media and the judiciary have commented adversely. The government needs to take remedial actions and bring relief to distressed victims, while restraining aggressive elements. The government should realize that lumpen elements who try to achieve a false sense of glory by targeting minorities con- stitute a serious threat to democracy. Of course we cannot forget that the ruling party has to satisfy its political constituency, but the ways of doing this should be chosen carefully. If this is achieved by development of pilgrimage sites in beautiful and eco-friendly ways, without displacing people in unjust ways, then everyone can live happily with this. If this is to be achieved by bringing out how several religious texts give a message of peace, compassion and environment protection, then again everyone can be happy about this. The problem arises only when minorities become the tar- gets of injustice and violence. In addition, of course, the overall human rights situation should improve significantly. Several cases of arbitrary actions against social activists and organizations have been reported from time to time. In addition there have been some cases of arbitrary actions against journalists and media organizations as well. More recently the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties has highlighted two cases of unjust action against a team sent by the Editors Guild to Manipur, as well as raids on social activists in parts of Uttar Pradesh. These deserve serious attention from the government. The very essence of democracy is that the government, by remaining more responsive to public opinion as well to opposition voices is much more likely to take corrective actions compared to authoritarian systems. Clearly such corrective actions if taken properly and adequately in good time will only add to the stature of the country as well as its government. (The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children and A Day in 2071.) The American state of California, home to 35 of the top 50 Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies in the world, is once again living up to its reputation as the trendsetter on public policy. Both for the USA and, by implication, for the rest of the world, as the Digital Revolution unfolds globally at an ever-dizzying pace. The state has moved to the forefront of AI planning through Governor Gavin Newsoms new executive order which has among its key features creative efforts to rethink regulation, government procurement, ethics, and workforce development. The order represents a comprehensive approach that raises important issues in terms of the need for AI guardrails, writes the Brookings Institutions Darrell M. West. The executive order recognises the state has a unique responsibility to promote innovation, as well as responsible AI policies and regulations. It iterates that while AI algorithms have the potential to unleash remarkable benefits for the public good, they also pose significant risks of bad actors, unintended consequences, and threats to democratic and legal processes. It directs state agencies to examine the impact on vulnerable communities, the threats created by high-risk applications, and challenges imposed by new developments in generative AI. Crucially, this policy stance confirms the move away from the libertarian approach that has dominated American tech policies for decades in favour of responsible regulation that improves transparency, privacy, safety, and equity. Indeed, it may be termed the first such thorough executive intervention anywhere in the world which imposes specific 2024 deadlines on Big Tech to generate concrete and actionable recommendations to guide future AI development. Advertisement As West puts it, the executive order will lead to new rules, processes, and principles that will bind all the tech companies that operate within the legal jurisdiction of the state of California and sell products to government agencies. The fact that Californias $310.8 billion budget is larger than that of a majority of countries in the world means that it has massive purchasing power. Governor Newsom seems intent on leveraging that power as his order directs the states Operations Agency, Department of General Services, Department of Technology, and Cybersecurity Integration Centre to find ways to reform public sector procurement so that agencies consider uses, risks, and trainings needed to improve AI purchasing. It also doubles down on the principles outlined in the White Houses Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and emphasises that state rules should address and prioritise safety, algorithmic discrimination, data privacy, and notice of when materials are generated by GenAI. A tall order, perhaps, but a start nonetheless to reclaim common sense, if not intelligence, by the human race. Policy inaction in the early days of social media platforms created the current dystopia of extremism, polarisation, defamation, and disinformation that continues to plague the world. One can only hope policymakers dont make the same mistake on AI. Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, meets with First Lady of Zambia Mutinta Hichilema in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. The Zambian first lady accompanied Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on his state visit to China. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Friday met with First Lady of Zambia Mutinta Hichilema, who accompanied Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on his state visit to China. During their meeting in Beijing, Peng said she appreciated the Zambian first lady's long-term commitment to humanitarian and public welfare causes, as well as her great efforts to protect the rights and interests of vulnerable groups, women and children. She also spoke about China's achievements in education for women and girls, and in AIDS prevention and control work, as well as the progress the country has made in improving the rights of people with disabilities. Peng said that China and Zambia enjoy a long-standing friendship, and that the Tazara Railway is a monument to that friendship. She said she believes that under the guidance of the two heads of state, the two sides will continuously strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and bring benefits to their two peoples. The Zambian first lady spoke of the all-weather friendship forged by older generations of Zambian and Chinese leaders, as well as the spirit of the Tazara Railway. She also shared what she had seen and heard during President Hichilema's visit to China, and expressed deep admiration for China's development achievements. She introduced Zambia's work on education for women and girls, as well as its AIDS prevention and control work. She thanked Peng for her long-term concern for the development of Zambian women, children and adolescents, and said she looks forward to contributing to deepening the Zambia-China friendship. Our inequality materializes our upper class, vulgarizes our middle class, and brutalizes our lower class. ~ Mathew Arnold. The term inequality has many connotations. The Cambridge dictionary describes it as the unfair situation in society when some people have more opportunities, etc. than other people. Advertisement The United Nations describes it simply as the state of not being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities, according to Development Issues No. 1: Concepts of Inequality, published by its Development Strategy and Policy Analysis Unit. Much of the discussion over the issue concerning economic inequality always takes the form of two views: One is chiefly concerned with the inequality of outcomes in the material dimensions of well-being that may be the result of circumstances beyond ones control (ethnicity, family background, gender and so on) as well as talent and effort; and the other view is concerned with the inequality of opportunities. Indeed, the term inequality itself is quite vast and also has various interpretations. However, for the purpose of simplicity, Oxfam International, a British NGO, seeks to classify and view inequality in two aspects: economic inequality and social inequality which are deeply intertwined and where one often effects the other. Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen argued in his book entitled Inequality Reexamined (1992) that inequality is a central notion to every social theory that has stood on time. The world has always been an unequal place. Social inequality occurs when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly across the socially defined and orchestrated categories. The differentiation preference of access to social goods in society is triggered by differentials in power, religion, kinship, prestige, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, and class. It usually implies the lack of equality of outcome, but may alternatively be conceptualized in terms of a lack of equality in access to opportunities. It is linked to economic inequality, usually described on the basis of unequal distribution of income and wealth. Social inequality is found in almost every society. India sees a much louder form of social inequality across the dimension of gender and caste. With so-called economic liberalization, the concentration of economic power in the hands of a few super rich persons accentuates the injustice on account of uneven redistribution of wealth and rings the bell for catastrophe, given the potentiality of a severe impact on opportunities and access to essential utilities for the people at large. There exists a highly unequal distribution of incomes and assets within the countries as well as between the countries. We live in a data-abundant world and yet we lack basic information about inequality. Economic growth numbers are published every year by governments across the globe, but they do not tell us about how growth is distributed across the population who gains and who loses from economic policies. In the words of Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General and Nobel laureate: The widen- ing gap between rich and poor is at a tipping point. It can either take root deeper, jeopardizing our efforts to reduce poverty, or we can make concrete changes now to reverse it. We see that over the last three years, the pandemic has widened the gaps. Those who were prosperous before its outbreak have added to their wealth and increased inequality. The world in 2020-21 did make feeble attempts to address the deepening inequality, at least in income and wealth, through a few major global agreements. But it appears that the strategies to fix inequality have only benefitted the already advantaged. In fact, a person born today will inherit a world that has never been more affluent nor more unequal. The gap between haves and have nots will further widen as the inheritor grows up. The first thing the inheritor will note is that nearly half of the worlds population has neither the wealth nor the capital necessary for a decent life. Next, the person would find that his or her country is richer than it has ever been. But the government, after going on a privatisation spree for decades, is becoming poorer and holding fewer assets. Indeed, globally public wealth or assets held by government dropped in the last five decades. It means that the government has neither the wealth nor the capital required to meet an economic shock such as that caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; it will be forced to borrow from private sources, adding to the inheritors debts. On the other hand, the other part of the worlds population has become richer: it now owns more wealth and earns more income than the country itself. To put it in perceptive, global wealth is now concentrated in the hands of few private individuals. They have, effectively, become the economic rulers of the world. Such is the concentration of wealth in the private sector that it owns more wealth and income than governments. In the last four decades, countries have become wealthier while their governments have consistently reported a decline in assets. The World Inequality Report 2022 says: The share of wealth held by public actors is close to zero or negative in rich countries, meaning that the totality of wealth is in public hands. The World Inequality Report 2022 has been published by the Paris-based research organization World Inequality Lab. It came after the maiden year of a pandemic that disrupted the world economy and, for the first time in many decades, pushed up extreme global poverty. Over 100 researchers across the world measured for four years (since the last edition of the report came out in 2018) the pace at which inequality is widening, and quantified it in terms of wealth and income, gender and even carbon emission. It is the most authoritative and comprehensive account available of global trends in inequality. The report says that the top 10 per cent of the population owns collectively 76 per cent of total global wealth, the middle 40 per cent owns 22 per cent and the bottom 50 per cent owns 2 per cent. The status wealth concentration reveals the extreme inequality. The report also highlights Indias wrinkled socio-economic development policies. It places India among the worlds most unequal countries, afflicted with the highest poverty. Further, it points out that the country also has several rich people; the most after the US and China. India has also the highest number of dollar billion- aires. Around 57.1 per cent share of the annual national income has gone to the 10 per cent of its richest people and 64.6 per cent of the countrys wealth is held by these super-rich. Regret- tably, people lying at the lowest economic strata hold only 5.9 per cent of the countrys wealth. Lately, there has been a growing notion that it is the middle class that plays the most effective role, as seen from the political lens. However, one needs to understand the status of the middle class, which compromises as much as 40 per cent of the Indian population, according to estimates. Further, economic inequality in India is directly linked with global inequality. The report says due to less availability of employment, women earn only 18 per cent of the total labour income, which this has a cumulative impact on lessened wealth. The report clearly states most benefits of liberalized economic development have accrued to the 1 per cent of the richest. A Forbes report mentions that the value of wealth held by the 100 richest Indians is Rs 58.12 lakh crore, whilst the total annual budget of the country for the financial year 2021-22 pro- vided an outlay of Rs 34. 83 lakh crore. (The writer is a retired IAS officer) The Narendra Modi government has released the tentative agenda of the five-day special session of Parliament starting from Monday, September 18. According to the government notification, five bills have been listed for consideration and passing in the special session. Besides, a discussion on the Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings will also take place in both the houses. Earlier this month, the government had announced that a five-day special session of Parliament will be convened from September 18-22. However, the government didnt reveal what would be the agenda of the special session. Advertisement The Opposition questioned governments intentions behind its decision to hide the agenda. This also led to speculations that the Centre is planning to dissolve the Parliament and announce early elections as part of its one nation, one election move. The other speculated items were Uniform Civil Code and Womens Reservation bill. The speculations were fueled further after it announced formation of a committee under former President Ram Nath Kovind to look into possibilities of simultaneous polls. Even after the announcement of the agenda, the Opposition is sceptical of governments intentions and reading between the lines. Reacting to the agenda, Trinmool Congress said that the government may not have revealed all as a line in the notification reads this is not the exhaustive agenda. Meanwhile, an all-party meeting has been called on September 17 to discuss the business of the special session. The business and the bills The bills which will be taken up during the special session are the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, The Repealing and Amending Bill 2022 and the Post Office Bill. Of the five, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill is the most crucial as well as opposed by the Opposition parties. The Bill seeks to constitute a three-member committee to appoint the members of the Election Commission of India. The new committee will have the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM. This will directly clash with the Supreme Courts ruling in March this year. The top court ruling said that Election Commissioners must be picked by a high-power committee of the PM, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The Bill also seeks to revise the salary structure of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the two Election Commissioners. The government is planning to bring their salary and allowances at par with that of a Cabinet secretary. Currently, they get salary, allowances and additional post retirement perks at par with that of a Supreme Court judge. Experts believe if the Bill is passed the authority of the CEC and the two ECs will carry the same weightage as that of a Cabinet Secretary and could find it hard to check on the poll-related violations of a Cabinet Minister, who will become a rank superior to them. Ava DuVernays film Origin is making waves at prestigious film festivals like Venice and Toronto International. The film, based on Isabel Wilkersons book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents, has garnered significant attention, but one actor, in particular, has captured headlines Professor Gaurav J Pathania, who portrays Dr. BR Ambedkar in the movie. Lets delve into the world of this multifaceted individual. Gaurav J Pathania holds the position of Assistant Professor of Sociology and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Virginia, where he contributes significantly to the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP). Pathanias academic journey has seen him teach at esteemed institutions like Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Catholic University of America, all located in Washington, DC. Advertisement His debut book, titled The University as a Site of Resistance: Identity and Student Politics and published by Oxford University Press in 2018, explores the concept of student resistance within the landscape of higher education in India. More about Gaurav J Pathania: Pathanias research portfolio extends to the examination of socio-political activism within the South Asian diaspora residing in the United States. Additionally, he has taken up the role of Assistant Editor for the South Asia Research Journal, a publication affiliated with SOAS in London. Beyond the academic realm, Gaurav J Pathania spearheads a Global Initiative for Equity and Justice, where he collaborates with scholars engaged in anti-caste, race, and feminist studies focused on higher education and social justice. He also manages the website mindsofcaste.org, providing a platform for scholars conducting research on caste and mental health. Notably, he is an anti-caste poet, writer, and community builder, having received national recognition for his poetry, which has found its way into both popular and academic publications. As a dedicated community organizer, Pathania is a vital part of the Authors Lab at the Ambedkar International Center, where he mentors emerging scholars in the field of caste and social justice. Professor Gaurav J Pathanias diverse contributions to academia, his commitment to social justice, and his creative pursuits as a poet and writer underscore the profound impact he continues to make within multiple spheres. Haryana Police has arrested Mamman Khan, the Congress MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka constituency, in connection with the communal violence that took place in Nuh district on July 31. The violence left six people dead, including two homegaurds, and a cleric and injured at least 88 others. Two names were cropped up in the violence one was Bajrang Dals Monu Manesar and the other was Congress MLA Mamman Khan. Khans arrest came days after Monu was detained and handed over to Rajasthan police, who was looking for him in connection with a double murder case. He is the prime accused in the murder of two Muslim men Junaid and Nasir over suspicion of cow smuggling. The Congress MLA is accused of inciting the violence in Nuha with his provocative statements. Khan was arrested by a special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana police. He was produced in a local court on Friday and remanded in police custody for two days. Advertisement Who is Mamman Khan? Mamman Khan is a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly representing the Ferozepur Jhirka Assembly constituency. Also known as Engineer Mamman, Khan won the Ferozepur Jhirka seat in 2029 elections on a Congress ticket. He was born in Ferozepur Jhirka, Haryana. He is a graduate in civil engineering. He has been involved in politics since his youth. He was elected as the sarpanch of his village in 1995. He was elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 2009 and 2014. He had raised the issue of Monu Manesar in Haryana Assembly as well. This Monu Manesar got his pictures clicked with Amit Shah at one place, with Arun Jaitley at another. Does he want to scare the Mewatis by showing that he is a big man? If he dares visit Mewat again, he will be crushed like an onio, he said in the Assembly during the budget session in February this year. In recent months, Russia has significantly increased its imports of aluminium, the crucial raw material for aluminum production, from India. This strategic move by Russia serves multiple purposes, including diversifying its supply sources, reducing dependence on China, and lowering production costs. This development has gained attention amid the backdrop of sanctions imposed on Russia. According to data from the Indian Commerce Ministry, Indias exports of alumina to Russia surged from nil in the corresponding period of the previous financial year to a substantial 2.58 lakh tonnes in April-February of the financial year 2022-23 (FY23). This surge in imports by Russia comes as the country faces challenges in its aluminum production due to geopolitical events. After Russias invasion of Ukraine, which is the worlds second-largest producer of aluminum, Russia lost access to two critical sources of alumina. A Ukrainian refinery suspended its alumina production, and Australia banned alumina supplies to Russia. Advertisement Alumina plays a vital role in the production of aluminum metal, as well as being used in various applications such as abrasives and refractory materials due to its hardness and high melting point. More about aluminium trade in Russia: With Australia and Ukraine no longer supplying aluminium to Russia, the country sought alternative sources. China and India stepped in to fill this gap, with Indias alumina exports to Russia witnessing a remarkable increase. Russia has now become the third-largest consumer of Indian alumina by volume and value, surpassing China in this regard. Notably, alumina has become Indias most valuable export to Russia in terms of volume. This shift in supply dynamics is crucial for Russias Rusal, the worlds largest aluminum producer outside China. Rusal needs to secure alumina supplies to sustain domestic aluminum production, especially when faced with a challenging aluminum price environment. In summary, Russias increased alumina imports from India reflect a strategic move to secure essential raw materials and diversify its supply sources, particularly in the face of geopolitical disruptions affecting its traditional suppliers. This development underscores the intricate interplay of global supply chains and geopolitics in the aluminum industry. Tata Steel and the UK government on Friday announced a joint agreement on a proposal to invest 1.25 billion pounds in state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking at the Port Talbot site in Britain. The investment includes a grant of 500 million pounds from the UK government. The project will bolster UKs steel security and it will be the first major step towards decarbonisation of the local steel industry, reducing direct emissions by 50 million tonnes over a decade. Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said: The agreement with the UK Government is a defining moment for the future of the steel industry and indeed the industrial value chain in the UK. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with His Majestys Government and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in developing the proposed transition pathway for the future of sustainable steelmaking in the UK. Advertisement With a high degree of circularity the project would leverage strategic, domestically available scrap steel and promote local value addition within the UK. Tata Steel UK will soon commence consultation on the proposal and the transition period including potential deep restructuring for the carbon-intensive, unsustainable iron and steelmaking facilities at Port Talbot, where many of the existing heavy end assets such as blast furnaces and coke ovens are reaching the end of their operational life. The proposed project would also involve Tata Steels Balance Sheet being restructured with potential elimination of the current cash losses in the UK operations and non-cash impairment of legacy investments. During the transition period and project phase, Tata Steel UK would work intensively to ensure uninterrupted and reliable supply of products to fulfill customer and market commitments including through import of additional steel substrate from stable supply chains to feed its downstream units. Tata Steels Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, T.V. Narendran said: Tata Steel UK has been facing significant challenges due to the heavy end facilities approaching their end of life. The proposed project, with one of the largest investments in the UK Steel Industry in recent decades, provides an opportunity for an optimal outcome for all stakeholders. We will work to transform Tata Steel UK into a green, modern future ready business. Through the activities of the Sikh community, humanitys everlasting spirit shines brightly in the midst of the chaos and conflict that have recently engulfed Ukraine. The humanitarian activities of the Sikh community in Ukraine have received notice thanks to a recent LinkedIn post by journalist Ravinder Singh Robin. In his piece, Robin describes how a Ukrainian journalist approached him during the G20 Summit and thanked him for the immense humanitarian help the Sikh community had given throughout the conflict. For many Ukrainians who have been impacted by the ongoing conflict, the Sikh community has served as a ray of hope. Members of the Sikh community have committed themselves to offering those in need of aid, such as food, shelter, and medical attention, among the upheaval. Advertisement In these humanitarian initiatives, the United Sikhs charity organization has assumed a prominent role. With its close ties to the United Nations, this multinational NGO has shown a steadfast dedication to easing Ukrainians suffering. They have set up relief camps along the Polish-Ukrainian border, sending out teams nonstop to provide urgent aid to individuals in need. Responding to the gratitude expressed by the Ukrainian journalist at the G20 Summit, United Sikhs expressed that such stories of appreciation demonstrate the communitys commitment to selfless service. The organisation remains dedicated to its ongoing relief efforts in Ukraine and extends heartfelt appreciation for the support received from the global community. Balwant Singh, the director of United Sikhs, eloquently elucidated the organisations overarching mission, stating that their primary goal is to provide immediate relief to those in need and to help them rebuild their lives. He underscored the organisations enduring commitment to standing up for humanity and extending a helping hand to those who are suffering. The recognition of the Sikh communitys remarkable humanitarian endeavours in Ukraine is a testament to the dedication and compassion exhibited by organizations like United Sikhs. These organizations have not only delivered tangible aid but also demonstrated the essence of Sikh values to the world, inspiring countless others to emulate their selfless actions. As the global community continues to grapple with challenges and crises, the Sikh communitys contributions to Ukraine serve as a poignant reminder of the power of collective compassion and the enduring capacity of humanity to rise above adversity. James Rosen is a former political reporter and Pentagon correspondent. The Society of Professional Journalists, which in 2021 named him top opinion columnist. He wrote this for InsideSources.com . Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People on Friday. Xi pointed out that Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as the destination for his first bilateral visit after taking office, which fully demonstrates the great importance the new Cambodian government attaches to consolidating and developing China-Cambodia friendship. China and Cambodia are ironclad friends, Xi said, adding that over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides have always maintained a high degree of mutual trust, treated each other as equals, achieved win-win results, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. Xi stressed that China firmly supports Cambodia in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, and stands ready to maintain regular strategic communication with Cambodia and deepen the exchange of governance experience. He said the two sides should make good use of the mechanism of the intergovernmental coordinating committee and implement the new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future. Xi also called on both sides to enrich the China-Cambodia "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, jointly build the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," and promote the early implementation of relevant key cooperation projects. China is willing to carry out regular law enforcement and security cooperation with Cambodia and continue to crack down on cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, said Xi. He said the two sides should continue to host activities to celebrate the "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" and expand cooperation in the fields of youth, localities, education, tourism and health so that China-Cambodia friendship will bring more benefits to the two peoples. Xi pointed out that no matter how the international and regional situation may change, China is always Cambodia's most reliable friend and staunch supporter, and that China stands ready to join hands with Cambodia to uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. Hun Manet said that he chose China as the destination for his first official visit to show that the new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy toward China and further carry forward the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China. The prime minister said Cambodia will abide by the one-China principle, firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests, and support the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi. Cambodia appreciates China's long-term strong support and assistance for Cambodia's economic and social development, and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen Belt and Road cooperation, and push for further development of bilateral cooperation in industry, agriculture, investment, culture and other fields under the "Diamond Hexagon" framework, Hun Manet said. Hun Manet noted that the Cambodian side is willing to closely cooperate with China in regional and international affairs to push the bilateral ties to a new height. Wang Yi was present at the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Job Title: Reception Center Assistant (Fresher Jobs) Organisation: ALIGHT Duty Station: Kyangwali, Uganda Salary Scale: 1M 1.3M About US: ALIGHT, formerly the American Refugee Committee (ARC), is an international non-profit, non-sectarian organization that has provided humanitarian assistance and training to millions of beneficiaries over the last 40 years. In 2011, Alight helped nearly 2.5 million people get essential services to regain their health and take back control of their lives. Alight works with its partners and constituencies to provide opportunities and expertise to communities of refugees and internally displaced persons in seven countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, including Iraq, Kosovo, and in the Darfur region of Sudan and is currently providing for emergency relief and recovery in Haiti. Alight provides shelter, clean water and sanitation, health care, skills training, microcredit education, protection to help survivors of war and natural disasters to rebuild their lives with dignity, health care, security and self-sufficiency. Job Summary: Reporting to the Reception Center In-Charge, the Reception Center Assistant will be responsible for supporting the implementation of effective general management of Transit and Reception Center activities in line with overall ALIGHT programming. He/she will be responsible for conducting a range of activities, including information provision, regular protection and assistance interventions to ensure that new arrivals, asylum seekers and protection cases at the reception center access and enjoy their rights. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Ensure that the hot meal preparation and provision at reception center level is done effectively. Regularly check the Reception Centre to ensure that there is enough space for accommodation for POCs. Coordinate with protection staff of ALIGHT, OPM and UNHCR in explaining to the new arrivals the process of relocation to settlements. Liaise with ALIGHT protection and Community Service staff to provide special attention to UAM/SCs and persons with specific needs (PSNs) such as Disabled and elderly persons. Coordinate with ALIGHT / other Partner Protection /Community service staff for the receipt of the relocated Persons of Concern at Reception /Settlement, especially PSNs. Record and share the relocation Information actual and against target for onward submission. Coordinate with ALIGHTC, OPM and UNHCR staff to assist the new arrivals to Board BUSES/TRUCKS by calling their names and checking their presence as per the relocation list. Supervise Casual workers especially those assisting in Loading of Luggage and Shelter Pole distribution. Prepare timely activity, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports Contribute to project planning, development of proposals and lessons learned processes. Prepare and submit weekly action plan to the supervisor. Adhere to the ALIGHT code of conduct. Perform any other duties assigned to you. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelors degree in Social Sciences, Arts and Development studies from recognized Institution. At least two years experience in a similar or relevant role. Experience of working with UN or NonGovernmental organizations. Good communication skills and ability to conduct training and awareness. Computer skills. Good organizational and people management skills. Strong knowledge of the local population and language. Fluency in Swahili is added advantage. Ability to ride a Motorcycle with a Valid License (Class A) is a MUST. How to Apply: All candidates should send their applications online at the link below Click Here Deadline: 19th September 2023 at 5:00pm For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline An Ethiopian expert has said that the successful transfer of knowledge and skills from China in the fields of science and technology is helping Ethiopia realize its development aspirations. Acknowledging China's pivotal role in recent technological advancements, Haftom Gebregziabher, deputy director-general of the Ethiopian Technical University (ETU), emphasized that cooperation with China is empowering Ethiopia with a skilled workforce required to fill the gap in the modern industrial landscape. Gebregziabher highlighted the Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational training program, as a manifestation of the ever-expanding Ethiopia-China cooperation in the field of science and technology. The ETU hosts the Luban Workshop, which was launched in April 2021, in partnership with China's Tianjin University of Technology and Education under the guidance of the Ministry of Education of China. Ethiopia is among a growing list of African countries where the launch of a Luban Workshop lines up with China's plans to boost vocational skills training for African youth under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The Artisan Volunteer Fire Company, 20 Maple St., Jermyn, has served the community for for 125 years. It will celebrate this milestone anniversary while hosting the 93rd Annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Volunteer Firemens Federation Convention on Friday and Saturday. The creation of the fire company began on Jan. 7, 1897, when the citizens of the town decided they were going to need a second company since the town was growing and the large hose carriage was hard to pull to some areas. On Sept. 17, 1898, the Lackawanna County Court approved the charter for the Artisan Fire Company of Jermyn, according to the research by Joe Klapatch, author of three books on the history of local fire departments and volunteer with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Volunteer Firemens Federation. According to Klapatch, this will be the fifth time Jermyn hosts the convention in the federations 93-year history. The federation was first organized in 1930 in Dickson City. Jermyn previously hosted the convention in 1931, 1965, 1969 and 2018. Klapatch wrote a short history of the company which will appear in the program book for the convention. He gathered information found in old newspapers, the companys and councils recorded meeting minutes and research from the late Mark Coons. A copy of the program will available to read anytime after the convention at the Carbondale Public Library and Archbald History Society. The convention is a time for firefighters in the area to get together and discuss future endeavors and concerns, and award members for their service, according to Tricia Dabney, president of the Artisan Volunteer Fire Company of Jermyn. The Federation is comprised of fire departments from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Wayne counties. It gets everyone out there to show what it means to be a firefighter coming together in brotherhood and sisterhood to help upkeep the company, said Dabney. Dabney has served with the fire company for over 20 years and as president for the past year. Her family has a history of service starting with her father, the late James Nicholson, who was fire captain for 40 years, and her mother, the late Mary Ellen Nicholson, who served in the ladies auxiliary group. Her son, Michael James Ball, continues the family tradition, serving as captain for the past year. It takes a team to make a fire company run, said Dabney. The company of Jermyn has 30 active members. The convention will kick off at 8 p.m. Friday with the annual Booster Night at the fire company grounds. The convention is open to the public and will offer drinks, hot dogs and other refreshments and live music by Nuttin Fancy. Guest speaker James Kuzmak of the William Walker Hose Company and Camp Freedom in Mayfield will give a presentation. Saturdays events will include a parade that will travel through the borough beginning at 2 p.m. on Washington Avenue and ending at the Maple Street fire hall. A variety of attractions and activities will be available after the parade including food trucks, kids games, a dunk tank, cornhole and raffles. The awards ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. QBALL will provide live music until 9:30 p.m. Tickets for Booster Night will be available at the door for $10 per person and T-shirts will also be available for sale. Proceeds from the convention will help keep the fire company running. It is to help us help them. It is a fundraiser for us to keep our community safe, said Dabney. Ahead of Telangana elections, the Congress will announce six guarantees which would be implemented within a month of the party coming to power. The guarantees will be unveiled by Sonia Gandhi at a public meeting to be held on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday. The guarantees are likely to include schemes related to farmers, senior citizens, women, and the poor. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will kick off its historic three-day meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday. The meeting will be a game-changer in Telangana politics, said Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal. He outlined the agenda of the meeting which includes poll preparation for election-bound states, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Mizoram. He expressed confidence that Congress will form government in Telangana while labelling the current state government as corrupt. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao form two sides of the same coin. Venugopal further said current issues like the Manipur crisis will be discussed during the meeting. On Day 1 of the programme, 84 attendees will include special invitees and four Congress chief ministers. Day 2 will see the participation of 147 leaders which will include CWC members, state party presidents, parliamentary party office bearers and central election committee members. The same evening, a public meeting will be held under the banner of Jayabheri. On the final day, party leaders will go to 115 assembly constituencies of Telangana to campaign for the party. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh emphasised the historic nature of this meeting, as it was the first time it has been extended to three days and taken place outside of Delhi. He highlighted that this historic gathering was influenced by the upcoming elections. A. Revanth Reddy, president of the Telangana Congress, acknowledged the challenges they faced, including the state government's denial of permission for a public meeting. He praised the support of farmers who voluntarily provided their land for the event and hinted at new leadership joining the Congress during the programme. The search operation to recover the bodies of people, who went missing in the boat capsize in Bagmati river in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, continued for the second day on Friday. Two bodies were found in the search operation that was carried out in the morning. Meanwhile, nine people were still missing, said officials. District Magistrate Pranav Kumar told PTI that bodies of a 40-year-old man and a four-year-old child were found. Searches are underway to trace the remaining missing persons, he said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is conducting search for the remaining nine missing persons. Meanwhile, videos of the rescue operations after the incident were seen in some news portals, where some residents were seen jumping into the river to pull out the children. Reportedly, people of Madhupur Patti village of Benibad, under Gaighat police station area of Muzaffarpur have to travel to Bhatgama to attend school or market. It takes around eight kms to reach Bhatgama by road. Opting for the shorter travel, people usually prefer crossing the river by boat to get to the opposite side. Children also travel by boat to reach Balaur High School located on the other side. Reportedly, the demand for a bridge has not materalised so far. A boat with around 30 people capsized near Madhur Patti ghat of Bagmathi river on Thursday morning when it was on the way to Bhattgama ghat on the opposite side. Soon after the incident, 20 children were rescued. While 11 persons, including students and women, went missing. Congress MLA Mamman Khan has been arrested in connection with the communal clashes that broke out on July 31 in Haryana's Nuh. Satish Kumar, Ferozepur Jhirkha Deputy Superintendent of Police and the head of the Special Investigation Team investigating the case, confirmed the arrest. The Ferozepur Jhirka MLA was arrested on Thursday night after being named an accused in an FIR. Khan will be produced in front of the court on Friday, after which the police will seek his custody for thorough interrogation. Security has been tightened in and around the court complex in Nuh. VIDEO | Security heightened outside district court in Nuh, Haryana where Congress MLA Mamman Khan, arrested earlier today in a case pertaining to the Nuh violence, will be produced later in the day. pic.twitter.com/3qOGV2gMHN Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 His arrest comes after the state government informed the High Court on Tuesday that Khan had been named in the FIR on September 4 after police gathered phone call records and other evidence implicating him in the communal clashes. "In FIR No.149 dated August 1, 2023, registered under Sections 148, 149, 153-A, 379-A, 436, 506 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 at Police Station Nagina, District Nuh, Haryana; there are 52 accused persons out of which 42 persons have been arrested. One Taufiq, who is also an accused in the FIR was arrested on August 9th, and Taufiq named Mamman Khan as one of the accused in this case." According to the state government, the investigation revealed that the key accused Taufiq contacted Mamman Khan on July 29th and 30th one day before the Nuh clashes. Tower location hinted that Khan was within an area of 1.5 km from the place of occurrence on July 29th and 30th. This proved Khan's argument that he was not in Nuh in the days leading to the incident void. Two police officials have also confirmed that Khan was within a range of 1.5 km from the place of occurrence on July 29th and 30th. Also, Mamman Khan had posted on Whatsapp and Facebook on July 30th that 'nobody needs to worry as the petitioner had fought for them in the Vidhan Sabha and will fight for them in Mewat also.' The state further submitted before the court that another accused Abdulla Khan, who is still at large, had mentioned "Engineer Mamman Khan MLA Mission complete." Haryanas counsel added that Khan was sent a notice for questioning on August 25. He replied on August 31st, saying he was unwell and sought 10 days to join the investigation. He didn't turn up even after 10 days. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had addressed the Mamman Khan case at a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday. "If during investigations he is found involved then he will not be spared," he said. Meanwhile, section 144 has been imposed in the state following the arrest. A huge posse of police have been deployed, including a team of Rapid Action Force. The communal clashes occurred after a Vishva Hindu Parishad-led procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh. Six people were killed, most of them during the attack. A cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram. Meanwhile, Khan has claimed that he was being framed in the case when he wasn't even in Nuh the day the violence broke out. His counsel told the court o Tuesday that Khan has only now come to know that he has been named in the FIR. The court had said Khan can seek appropriate remedy "for protection of liberty in accordance with law", the counsel had said. In his petition, Khan stated that he was at his Gurugram residence between July 26 to August 1 and did not go to the places where the violence had occurred. Heavy rainfall in many parts of the state over the past few days has partially improved the deficiency in Madhya Pradesh. However, farmers continue to worry as crops have been impacted due to the long gaps in monsoon, poor rainfall in many areas, and pest infestation. At least 17 districts of the total 52, most of them in western and central Madhya Pradesh, are still significantly rain deficient and crops have been particularly impacted in these areas. Soybean, the major crop of Kharif season, is facing the dual impact of poor rains and tobacco caterpillar infestation. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and chief of Madhya Pradesh Congress Kamal Nath has written to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, directing his attention to the losses that farmers are expected to face, demanding an immediate survey and release of compensation within seven days. In the letter, Nath mentioned that due to deficient rainfall and gaps in monsoon, crop losses are likely in districts like Khargone, Sehore, Vidisha, Dhar, Neemuch, Harda, and Hoshangabad. Tobacco caterpillar attack on soybean crops has added to the problems caused by deficient rain. The pest infestation is not getting controlled despite repeated spraying of pesticides, which also indicates adulterated and fake pesticides getting marketed, Nath said. He added that farmers have been protesting demanding crop damage survey and compensation, but no positive action has been taken by the government. The anger of farmers over the damage to crops may go on to become a poll issue if the state government does not take timely and adequate steps to compensate for the losses. The Congress has already started to raise the issue in many areas. Agar-Malwa MLA Vipin Wankhede had threatened to not let the Jan Ashirwad rally of BJP enter the district unless farmers issues were resolved. Heavy rain spell continues With monsoon circulation becoming active in the Bay of Bengal, rainfall started in many parts of the state from last week after a long gap spanning the second half of August and September first week. A fresh spell is lashing the southern parts of the state at present and the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Bhopal, has predicted that the rainfall will continue till September 17. Intermittent rainfall is expected till September 26, senior scientist with RMC, Vedprakash Singh, told THE WEEK. The rainfall over the past week has improved the deficiency situation in the state. In the beginning of September, the state was facing an overall deficiency of 16 per cent, with 26 of the 52 districts receiving over 20 per cent deficient rain. Nine of these districts, including Bhopal, were over 30 per cent deficient. The situation mainly developed because during the month of August, the state, on average, received as much as 40 per cent less rainfall than expected; with 28 districts reporting between 40 to 94 per cent of deficit. However, over the past week, the state on average received about 144mm of rainfall almost 86 per cent of the entire September quota, to bring the deficiency situation under control. As on September 15, the average deficiency in Madhya Pradesh is at 10 per cent. From June 1, a total of 805.7mm rainfall has been received till now. The normal rainfall for the duration is 894.4mm. There is, however, a deficiency of over 20 per cent in 17 districts, including Bhopal. Though the continuing rain might further improve the deficiency situation and dams might get filled up to ensure water supply, crops might have already faced irreversible damage in several parts of the state. The security operations at Kokernag in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir entered day three on Friday as two more security personnel were injured in the fire exchange. There are also unconfirmed reports that one soldier has gone missing. This comes as two Army officers and a senior police official were killed on the first day of the operation to neutralise the terrorists. Police on Thursday claimed to have "encircled" two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in the higher reaches of Anantnag district of south Kashmir. "In the ensuing operation, two more personnel have been injured. The operation is still under progress," local media quoted the Indian Army. The soldiers are being treated. The security forces have reportedly deployed heavy-diameter quadcopters (heavy drones) to trace out the hiding terrorists. However, the operation was halted for the night. "All the modern technology is being used in operation to find out terrorists involved in the carrying out the attack," Greater Kashmir quoted a senior Army officer. "The cordon has further been tightened and at same time terrain is very difficult," he said. Officials said that the terrorists were believed to be hiding in a natural cave in the mountains. The Week had earlier reported how the militants are increasingly adopting the tactic of luring the security forces into an area of their own choosing before trapping them with volleys of heavy gunfire. The area of the encounter is in the hills and forests where militants are already well-entrenched in a vantage position yet with adequate cover from the returning fire. Coming well-prepared to engage, they also position themselves with adequate storage of ammunition, weapons and food in preparation for a long gunfight. Security personnel arriving at Gadole in Kokernag | PTI Reinforcements were rushed to the area as gunshots were heard in the Gadole forests of Kokernag. Besides the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces were on the spot and were monitoring the operation against the terrorists. All the exit and entrance points have been sealed. Kerala Health Minister Veena George's office on Friday said that a 39-year-old man has been confirmed with the Nipah virus, bringing the tally of positive cases to six. The patient was under observation after he came in contact with a Nipah-positive person in a hospital where the latter sought treatment. Another 24-year-old health worker had become fifth confirmed Nipah case on Wednesday. Of the three infected people under treatment, the condition of a nine-year-old boy remains critical. So far, the number of people in the contact list prepared by the state government has touched 950, including 287 health workers. Of this, 213 are in the high-risk category. While four in high-risk categories are currently in a private hospital, 17 people are under surveillance at the Kozhikode Medical College. Monoclonal antibody The state has said that the antibody requested by the state to combat the deadly virus has reached the state. So far, the antiviral is the only option available to the government to treat the infection, though its efficacy has not been clinically proven yet. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the stability of the antiviral was discussed with a central expert committee. The m102.4 monoclonal antibody, an experimental therapeutic, was imported during the 2018 Nipah outbreak for the treatment of infected patients on compassionate grounds. It was not used back then as the outbreak had ended by the time it arrived. The standard operating procedures and protocols for its use were prepared at the time with the ICMR's support. A mobile laboratory has also sent to ground zero to enable the state to test samples. The ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune sent its mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory to Kozhikode to test samples for the virus in the district. A five-member central team comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital and NIMHANS has been stationed in Kerala to take stock of the situation and assist the state government in the management of the Nipah infection. Apparently, samples will also be collected from bats to check for the virus' presence. (With inputs from PTI) The Principal Sessions Court on Friday reserved orders on DMK Minister V. Senthil Balajis bail plea for September 20 after hearing the arguments. Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate after searches at his official residence by the agency on June 13, in connection with a money laundering case. The orders were reserved by the Principal Sessions Judge S. Alli after hearing the elaborate arguments made by Senthil Balajis counsel Kapil Sibal and N.R. Elango, and Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan who appeared on behalf of ED. Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the agency in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister in the erstwhile AIADMK government under J. Jayalalithaa. The ED in its chargesheet stated that Balaji had acquired Rs.1.34 crore disproportionate to his income. Incidentally, in its 20-page counter affidavit, ED opposed the bail plea filed by Balaji saying that the accused was completely non-cooperative and evasive during the course of interrogation. EDs Investigation Officer (IO) Karthik Dasari in the counter affidavit stated that the prosecution has established the involvement of the accused in the recruitment process for various posts in the transport corporation after conducting extensive investigation under PMLA. The investigation into the recruitment process irregularities at MTC unveiled a series of irregularities done by MTC officials, working in collusion with Senthil Balaji, the accused herein and his personal assistants (PAs), Shanmugam and Karthikeyan. The ED also established the links between Balaji and his PAs by providing details of the train ticket quota release requests filed by the latter for the former. The ED also said that it had provided ample summons and opportunities to the accused to substantiate the cash deposits made in his account by his PA Shanmugam. He has not been able to explain or substantiate a single cash deposit during interrogation proceedings. Therefore, it is an afterthought process to create a false narrative so as to suit the convenience of the accused. Even in the present petition, he has not disclosed a single persons name or details of who made cash deposits in his bank accounts as per the counterfoil slips of cash deposit challans, ED said in its counter affidavit. Meanwhile, Kapil Sibal during his argument in the court said that the ED asked, Why Balaji is not joining the BJP. The ED denied this and said the counsel for the accused was making such claims to secure bail for Balaji. The Tamil Nadu government on Friday launched the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (Kalaignar women rightful money scheme) that will provide Rs 1,000 as monthly cash throughout the year for 1.065 crore women heads of families across the state. The cash dole was one of the seven important promises made by the DMK in its 2021 election manifesto. Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the scheme in Kanchipuram. The temple town near Chennai was chosen for the launch of the scheme as it is the birthplace of DMK founder and late chief minister CN Annadurai. September 15 is CN Annadurai's birth anniversary. In his speech after launching the event, Stalin said, Annadurais reign will be remembered as long as the state is known as Tamil Nadu. Annadurai was the reason behind renaming the state of Madras as Tamil Nadu. Likewise, as long as women in Tamil Nadu received their rightful money, it would only mean that Stalin was administrating the state. As many as 1.06 crore women will receive Rs 1,000 on 15th of every month, which is a recognition of their hard work towards uplifting their families. It is not an assistance. It is your rightful money. I was able to implement the scheme only because you voted for the DMK alliance, Stalin told the women who gathered at the launch event in Kanchipuram. In his speech, the Chief Minister spoke about sacrifices made by women to ensure that their family members prosper. I would like to thank my mother who is an embodiment of affection, my wife, who stood behind me, and my daughter who loves me unconditionally, Stalin added. Stalin handed over ATM cards to 13 beneficiaries as a token of launching the scheme, while the ministers launched the scheme in their respective districts and constituencies. The cash dole was credited to the accounts of 1.065 crore women on Thursday and Friday. I got the money yesterday itself. Stalin has done what he promised. This helps meet my gas cylinder expense every month, says S Revathi who lives at the Nallan Kuppam in Ashok Nagar. Since the DMK came to power in 2021, this is the third signature scheme launched by Stalin exclusively for women in Tamil Nadu. The free bus travel for women, and the Rs 1,000 per month for female students from 6th to 12th standard in government schools are the two schemes that the Stalin government launched earlier. The opposition AIADMK and the BJP have criticised the DMK government for fixing eligibility criteria for women who can receive the monthly cash dole. The DMK in their manifesto said that it is for all women. But they fixed eligibility criteria. The DMK has not kept up its promise, AIADMK spokesperson and former minister D Jayakumar told the media. Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the scheme was made possible only because of the Jan Dhan account scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A member of a handicraft cooperative makes accessories for "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Tourists visit a handicraft cooperative in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) Members of a handicraft cooperative make "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Yijie) A member of a handicraft cooperative makes a "Lucky Doll" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Members of a handicraft cooperative make clothes for "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) Members of a handicraft cooperative pose for a group photo with their handmade "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) Members of a handicraft cooperative make "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Yijie) This photo taken on Aug. 24, 2023 shows "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Yijie) A member of a handicraft cooperative makes a "Lucky Doll" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) This photo taken on Aug. 24, 2023 shows unfinished "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) A member of a handicraft cooperative makes accessories for "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) This photo taken on Aug. 24, 2023 shows a "Lucky Doll" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) Members of a handicraft cooperative make "Lucky Dolls" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) This photo taken on Aug. 24, 2023 shows "Lucky Dolls" along the zigzag watercourse of the Yellow River in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) A member of a handicraft cooperative makes a "Lucky Doll" in Baihe community of Tangke Town in Ruoergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 24, 2023. In 2016, a handicraft cooperative was established in Baihe community. Members of the cooperative integrated local traditional culture and modern design into a handmade doll named "Lucky Doll". Sold both at home and abroad, the "Lucky Doll" has become a distinctive local industry and increased the residents' income. (Xinhua/Wang Yijie) European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children's privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe's strict data privacy rules. Ireland's Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, said it was fining TikTok 345 million euros and reprimanding the platform for the violations dating to the second half of 2020. The investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos. Those default settings also posed a risk to children under 13 who gained access to the platform even though they're not allowed. Also, a family pairing" feature designed for parents to manage settings wasn't strict enough, allowing adults to turn on direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent. And it nudged teen users into more privacy intrusive options when signing up and posting videos, the watchdog said. TikTok said in a statement that it disagrees with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed. The company pointed out that the regulator's criticisms focused on features and settings dating back three years. TikTok said it had made changes well before the investigation began in September 2021, including making all accounts for teens under 16 private by default and disabling direct messaging for 13- to 15-year-olds. Most of the decision's criticisms are no longer relevant as a result of measures we introduced at the start of 2021, several months before the investigation began, TikTok's head of privacy for Europe, Elaine Fox, wrote in a blog post. The Irish regulator has been criticized for not moving fast enough in its investigations into Big Tech companies since EU privacy laws took effect in 2018. For TikTok, German and Italian regulators disagreed with parts of a draft decision issued a year ago, delaying it further. To avoid new bottlenecks, the Brussels headquarters of the 27-nation bloc has been given the job of enforcing new regulations to foster digital competition and clean up social media content- rules aimed at maintaining its position as a global leader in tech regulation. The Irish watchdog also examined TikTok's measures to verify whether users are at least 13 but found they didn't break any rules. The regulator is still carrying out a second investigation into whether TikTok complied with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation when it transferred users' personal information to China, where its owner, ByteDance, is based. TikTok has faced accusations it poses a security risk over fears that users' sensitive information could end up in China. It has embarked on a project to localise European user data to address those concerns: opening a data centre in Dublin this month, which will be the first of three in the continent. Instagram, WhatsApp and their owner Meta are among other tech giants that have been hit with big fines by the Irish regulator over the past year. With the morgues overwhelmed in Libya and rescue efforts becoming extremely difficult due to destroyed roads, the country is going battling against all odds. The death toll has crossed over 11,000 and the humanitarian efforts are continuing in the flood-hit country. The Libyan Red Crescent, aid group, had stated that the death toll stood at 11,300, while the official number stood at 6,000. Libya's ambassador to the United Nations said about 6,000 people were confirmed to have died. Earlier, Derna's mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi had said that as many as 20,000 people might have lost their lives- based on an assessment of the damage. Thousands of people were swept away as Storm Daniel burst two dams lashing tsunami-like situation in Derna. As the rescue efforts continue and more bodies are retrieved from the mud, the death toll is likely to rise. Amid all the woes and despair, the residents and even authorities are pointing fingers at the countrys alert system. UN also criticised the government for lack of warning. World Meteorological Organisation head said that most of the casualties could have been avoided if residents had been warned and given time to escape. If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings, Petteri Taalas told reporters. Marie el-Drese, the aid group's secretary-general, told The Associated Press that further 10,100 people were reported missing in the Mediterranean city. Countrys vulnerabilities exposed The countrys vulnerabilities were also exposed in this situation of disaster. The real question raised is was the disaster a natural one or man-made? Since the 2011 uprising that toppled the ruling dictator Muammar Gaddafi, governance in Libya has been troublesome. Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade- one in the east, the other in the capital Tripoli. Among many issues, one major result has been the neglect of infrastructure. In this photo provided by Turkey's IHH humanitarian aid group, rescuers retrieve the body of a flooding victim in Derna, Libya | AP Though the eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm on Saturday, they ordered the residents to evacuate coastal areas but there was no warning about the dams collapsing. Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, collapsing buildings and washing people out to sea. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said that despite allocation of over 2 million euros for maintenance of dams in 2012 and 2013, the government failed to do so. The Tobruk-based government of eastern Libya is leading the relief efforts, while the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns. Most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were transferred to nearby towns and cities. Libya's eastern based parliament, the House of Representatives, on Thursday approved an emergency budget of 10 billion Libyan dinars-roughly $2 billion to address the flooding and help those affected. The storm had also killed people in other parts of eastern Libya including towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj. The International Committee of the Red Cross said that it has provided 6,000 body bags to local authorities. Aids were sent from countries including Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed a committee on Friday to probe allegations levelled by Channel-4 in its documentary based on Easter bomb attacks. According to reports, Wickremesinghe has appointed a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court Justice to probe the channels allegations. Daily Mirror reported that committee would be headed by retired SC Justice S.I. Imam. A committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice S I Imam has been appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to investigate Channel-4 allegations about the Easter attacks, Daily Mirror reported. The publication reported that retired Air Force Commander ACM Jayalath Weerakkody and Harsha A.J. Soza PC are also part of the investigation committee. As many as 270 people, including 11 Indians got killed in the 2019 Easter terror attacks by an Islamist extremist group. UK's Channel 4 aired a documentary titled Sri Lanka's Easter Bombings - Dispatches' alleging the involvement and complicity of certain government officials, including intelligence service chief Major General Suresh Sallay, in orchestrating the 2019 Easter suicide bombings. It called the attacks a "crafted act aimed at forcing a political change in favour of the Rajapaksa brothers- a charge denied by them. The attacks that took place on April 21, 2019, were carried out by nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS. A series of devastating blasts tore through three Catholic churches in predominant Catholic areas during the Easter Sunday mass and as many luxury hotels killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500. The attacks led to a significant political change in Sri Lanka. It has emerged that the then authorities had ignored prior intelligence on the attack by Indian intelligence agencies. Then President Maithripala Sirisena and the entire top police brass were ordered to pay compensation by court during a hearing of fundamental rights petitions filed by the victims' relatives. Wickremesinghe has also pledged to appoint a parliamentary select committee to investigate allegations levelled by a former Attorney General that the whole attack was a conspiracy and there is a mastermind behind the attacks. The two reports would then be presented in parliament for final action. (With PTI inputs.) Jaahnavi Kandula, the Indian student killed by a speeding police car in Seattle, will be awarded her degree posthumously, a statement from the Office of the Chancellor of the Northeastern University said. Mourning her death, the statement said the campus remembered Jaahnavis tremendous engagement and sense of humor and infectious personality. "Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and faculty. The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family," it said. "The callous and insensitive remarks by a Seattle police officer have become public, reopening wounds and deepening our collective heartbreak. We also recognise that our Indian student communityacross all Northeastern campuseshas been especially impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and have every expectation that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability," it added. Jaahnavi, a youth student at Washington's Northeastern University was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23, 2023. However, the bodycam footage of a police officer came out a few days ago in which Seattle police officer Daniel Auderer was heard discussing the fatal collision. He can be heard saying, "Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value." Meanwhile, the Indian American lawmakers have hit out at the Seattle Police in the incident and urged an investigation into the death of Jaahnavi. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said Jaahnavi's death was a horrible tragedy, and the scale of her loss should not be diminished or mocked by anyone. "The recording of a Seattle Police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable. I urge the Seattle Police Department to pursue its investigation into this matter with the seriousness it demands," Krishnamoorthi said. The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) also passed a resolution urging all relevant authorities to prioritise investigation, community engagement, and respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals, the victims and the community in suffering and grief. The statement said that it was appalled to see shocking footage of a Seattle police officer belittling the killing of an Indian woman by another police officer, saying her life had limited value. Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal strongly condemned the incident. "Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by a speeding police car. Then, police officers joked about her death and devalued her life. I'm sick to my stomach. This is exactly what happens when we normalise xenophobia and racism. It needs to stop," she said. US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, on Thursday, has been indicted on gun charges after a plea deal fell through in July. The development comes at the heels of an announcement that Biden will face an impeachment inquiry. This is the first time an offspring of a sitting president has been indicted on federal criminal charges. The indictment against 53-year-old Hunter has been brought by US Special Counsel David Weiss, a US attorney for Delaware. Reportedly, Hunter Biden is planning to plead guilty to a couple of tax misdemeanours and strike a deal with federal prosecutors to dismiss the charge of gun possession. The indictment gives Republicans fuel to use this case to win political points on the debate stage. Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell said, We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr. Biden, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court. Its a sad situation, I mean, nobody should be happy about this, former president Donald Trump told NBC News. The federal court in Delaware has indicted Hunter Biden on three counts tied to possession of a gun while using narcotics. If found guilty, he could face up to 15 years in prison. Each of the three counts also carries a fine of $250,000. Hunter, who is said to have struggled with crack cocaine addiction also faces trouble on the professional front. He has been under media scrutiny for his connections to a scandal-plagued, now-bankrupt Chinese energy giant, CEFC China Energy. His dealings with Ukraine have drawn attention. He has been accused of using his father's position as vice president to gain favours. Hunter's indictment is likely to be weaponised in the same manner as Hillary Clinton using private email while being secretary of state. It also makes it difficult for Democrats to capitalise on Trump's current legal troubles. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said Biden's alleged involvement in his son's business dealings demands deeper review. These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, he said. The Los Angeles Times observed, The indictment will give radical Republicans in Congress the talking point they need to muddy the waters with respect to Trumps multiple criminal indictments. However, according to experts, the real issue affecting Biden's re-election campaign would be his age. The president reportedly appeared confused and bewildered during a press conference in Vietnam last week. Republicans have been using Hunter as a vessel to investigate the president for the last four years. There has been no substantial evidence of any crimes, Democratic strategist Michael Starr Hopkins told NBC News and added that the president should try to stay above the fray. One thing, however, seems certain, between Hunter Biden's indictment and Donald Trump's legal troubles including that of his attempt to overturn results of the 2020 presidential elections, certainly throws a wrench into the 2024 election campaign and might make debates interesting, if not heated. Kolkata, Sep 14 (PTI) Tempe Grupo Inditex (Zara), a major Spain-based player in the textile industry, is expected to start production in West Bengal before this Christmas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday. The state government would be providing 100 acres of concessional land besides all support to the company, said Banerjee who is now in Spain. An exciting development is on the horizon! Tempe Grupo Inditex (Zara), a major player in the textile industry, is expanding its operations. They are partnering with private entities to shift manufacturing to West Bengal, with production set to begin before Christmas 2023, Banerjee posted on X. The Bengal CM, who is on a 12-day official tour to Spain held a meeting with company officials there in this regard. Banerjee is hopeful that the venture would help in growth, sustainability, and a prosperous future for West Bengal. During the Bengal Global Business Summit in 2019, a segment titled 'Downstream Polymer and Plastic Industry,' was conceived aligning with our collective vision, she said. Meanwhile, an MoU was signed between the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, which organises the International Kolkata Book Fair, and the Madrid Book Fair for the promotion and marketing of books, as well as dissemination of information related to books and foster bilateral cultural relations, the state government said in a statement. Representatives of the Guild are accompanying Banerjee to Spain. The MoU will develop strong institutional relationships in order to establish a sustainable mechanism to create broader platforms for book publishers on both sides, it said. New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) A global company and an Indian firm have joined hands to bring the world-leading Articulated All-Terrain Vehicle (AATV), the 'BvS10', to the Indian defence market, according to an official statement issued on Thursday. BAE Systems and Larsen & Toubro have teamed up to bring the AATV to the country under the 'Make in India' programme, it said. "The two companies have signed an agreement to offer the BvS10 for an Indian armed forces programme", the statement said. Under the agreement, L&T is the prime bidder for the Indian market, with the support of BAE Systems Hagglunds, the Swedish manufacturer of the highly successful BvS10 family of vehicles. "BAE Systems and L&T have upgraded the BvS10 to meet the specific requirements of the Indian armed forces. This new variant will be known as the 'BvS10-Sindhu'. The AATV programme aims to deliver vehicles from L&T's Armoured Systems Complex, Hazira along with integrated logistic support (ILS)," the statement said. Our BvS10 all-terrain vehicle will demonstrate the critical capabilities the Indian Army needs when it participates in the trials later this month. Unsurpassed mobility, flexibility and the ability to work in extreme climatic conditions are at the core of BvS10 design, Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, Managing Director of BAE Systems Hagglunds, was quoted as saying in the statement. Our teaming with Larsen & Toubro gives us the opportunity to expand into the Indo-Pacific market. Larsen & Toubro said it sees this opportunity as an impetus for L&T's Armoured Systems business to build on the aegis of a strong manufacturing and design base coupled with the experience of BAE Systems. L&T and BAE Systems' tie-up synergises our strengths to provide a solution to meet the requirements of the Indian Army, Arun Ramchandani, Executive Vice President & Head L&T Defence, was quoted as saying in the statement. The BvS10-Sindhu is the ideal vehicle for the extremely challenging terrain and climatic conditions in which it is proposed to be deployed," the statement said. The BvS10 vehicle on display at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in London this week features a Mobile Short Range Air Defence system (MSHORAD) configuration, it added. The BvS10's articulated mobility provides optimal maneuverability across varying terrains including snow, ice, rock, sand, mud, swamps, and steep mountain environments. The vehicle's amphibious features also allow it to swim in flooded areas or coastal waters. It can deliver personnel and supplies as well as mounted lethality to address any threat in the modern operating environment, the statement said. The vehicle is currently in service in Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK, among others, it added. Kolkata, Sep 15 (PTI) Leading private lender HDFC Bank entered into a co-lending partnership with CreditWise Capital (CWC) for extending two-wheeler loans. CWC said in a statement on Friday that by virtue of the co-lending agreement, loans for two-wheelers will be available in Tier 2, 3 and 4 towns of the country. Founder and director of CWC Aalesh Avlani said that the agreement signifies a paradigm shift in the lending landscape. The partnership combines the strength of HDFC Bank's expertise in offering credit facility and CWC's loan processing platform for assessing potential borrowers and also their credit profile. Prashant Patel, executive VP, Capital and commodity markets, HDFC Bank, said "The collaboration with CWC aligns with our vision of expanding the reach and to cater to the evolving needs of our customers". Chandigarh (India), September 15: Amidst the chaos and strife that have gripped Ukraine in recent years, the unwavering spirit of humanity shines bright through the actions of the Sikh community. A recent post on LinkedIn by journalist Ravinder Singh Robin has brought attention to the humanitarian efforts of the Sikh community in Ukraine. In his post, Robin recounts how he was approached by a Ukrainian journalist at the G20 Summit who expressed his gratitude for the immense humanitarian help provided by the Sikh community during the war. The Sikh community, renowned worldwide for its ethos of compassion and selflessness, has been a beacon of hope for many Ukrainians affected by the ongoing conflict. Amidst the turmoil, members of the Sikh community have dedicated themselves to providing essential assistance, including food, shelter, and medical care to those grappling with the dire consequences of war. A UN-affiliated nonprofit organization, United Sikhs, has taken center stage in these humanitarian efforts. This international nonprofit, with its strong affiliations to the United Nations, has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to alleviating the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Along the Polish-Ukrainian border, they have established relief camps, tirelessly dispatching teams to distribute emergency aid to those in need. In addition to these efforts, United Sikhs has set up bomb shelters within the warzone and provided crucial tactical medicine training to civilians, equipping them with life-saving skills in the face of danger. Responding to the gratitude expressed by the Ukrainian journalist at the G20 Summit, United Sikhs expressed that such stories of appreciation "demonstrate the community's commitment to selfless service." The organization remains dedicated to its ongoing relief efforts in Ukraine and extends heartfelt appreciation for the support received from the global community. Balwant Singh, the director of United Sikhs, eloquently elucidated the organization's overarching mission, stating that their primary goal is to "provide immediate relief to those in need and to help them rebuild their lives." He underscored the organization's enduring commitment to standing up for humanity and extending a helping hand to those who are suffering. Singh further emphasized the organization's extensive history of providing humanitarian aid to individuals in need, expressing profound pride in the organizations ability to support the people of Ukraine during this challenging period. The recognition of the Sikh community's remarkable humanitarian endeavors in Ukraine is a testament to the dedication and compassion exhibited by organizations like United Sikhs. These organizations have not only delivered tangible aid but also demonstrated the essence of Sikh values to the world, inspiring countless others to emulate their selfless actions. As the global community continues to grapple with challenges and crises, the Sikh community's contributions in Ukraine serve as a poignant reminder of the power of collective compassion and the enduring capacity of humanity to rise above adversity. In times of darkness, the Sikh community's light of hope continues to shine, illuminating the path toward a more compassionate and united world. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The basic customs duties and other levies will continue on eight products, including apple and walnut from the US as well as other countries, a senior government official said on Friday. Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Peeyush Kumar said that India has imposed retaliatory customs duties on 28 American products in 2019 against US measure to imposes duties on certain steel and aluminium products. He added that India has withdrawn only retaliatory duty on these eight products -- chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnut, apple, boric acid, diagnostic reagents -- in 2023 and its value of imports into India from the US stood at USD 1.08 billion in 2022-23. In return, India has gained market access for indefinite period into the US through commitments for granting approval to 70 per cent and 80 per cent of exclusion requests, respectively, for Indian steel and aluminum products. Total volume approved is 3.36 lakh MT (metric tones) and its total value is USD 1.01 billion, Kumar told reporters here. "The existing BCD (basic customs duty) rates for all the 8 products along with applicable surcharge, cess, IGST, etc. prevails for these imports from all the countries including the US," he said. In addition, he said, Indian apples would be shielded against dumping of low quality and predatory pricing through the Minimum Import Price (MIP) of Rs 50 per kilogramme for imports from all countries except Bhutan. The retaliatory duties removed are 10 per cent on chickpeas, 20 per cent on lentils, Rs 7-20 per kg on almonds,; and 20 per cent each on walnuts, apple, boric acid, and diagnostic reagents. The BCD on these goods are 60 per cent on chickpeas, 30 per cent on lentils, Rs 35-100 per kg on almonds, Rs 100 per cent on walnut; 50 per cent each on apples, 7.5 per cent on boric acid, and 10 per cent on diagnostic reagents. London, Sep 15 (PTI) The UK on Friday announced that it had agreed a joint investment package with Tata Steel for the countrys largest steelworks in Wales, including a grant worth up to GBP 500 million dubbed one of the largest British government support packages in history and a defining moment for the steel industry. As part of the agreement, the Indian steel giant is expected to invest GBP 1.25 billion, including the government grant, in a new Electric Arc Furnace and related facilities for greener steel production at Port Talbot in South Wales, currently the UKs largest single carbon emitter. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said the proposal, which is subject to information and consultation processes led by Tata Steel, has the potential to safeguard over 5,000 jobs across Britain. The UK government is backing our steel sector, and this proposal will secure a sustainable future for Welsh steel and is expected to save thousands of jobs in the long term, said UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch. This is an historic package of support from the UK government and will not only protect skilled jobs in Wales but also grow the UK economy, boost growth and help ensure a successful UK steel industry, she said. Tata Steel UK employs over 8,000 people, including at Port Talbot, which was under serious threat without substantial investment. The company also supports around 12,500 further jobs in the upstream supply chain. The agreement with the UK government is a defining moment for the future of the steel Industry and indeed the industrial value chain in the UK, said Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, who had been working with the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak led government in developing a "transition pathway" for sustainable steelmaking in the UK. The proposed investment will preserve significant employment and presents a great opportunity for the development of a green technology-based industrial ecosystem in South Wales. We look forward to working with our stakeholders on these proposals in a responsible manner, he said. The new electric furnace is to replace the existing coal-powered blast furnaces, which are nearing the end of their effective life, and reduce the UKs entire carbon emissions by around 1.5 per cent as a result. An Electric Arc Furnace uses an electric current to melt scrap steel or iron and produce steel, whereas blast furnaces use coke, a carbon-intensive fuel made from coal to produce steel. This proposal is a landmark moment for maintaining ongoing UK steel production supporting sustainable economic growth, cutting emissions, and creating green jobs. It is right that we are ready to step in to protect this world class manufacturing industry and to support a green growth hub in South Wales, said UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Tata Steel UK will now inform and consult with staff and unions on the agreed proposals, with unions fearing thousands of job losses. Unions should have had a seat at the table throughout this process, as it is clear the interests of the workforce have not been considered in the rush to sign off a deal to do decarbonisation on the cheap," said the Community steelworkers, among those concerned about the arrangements. Stephen Kinnock, Opposition Labour MP for Aberavon which covers Port Talbot, said the investment to decarbonise was long overdue, but that he was concerned that ministers did not "adequately consult steel unions". The UK government said it would also ensure support for any staff affected by the transition, working with the devolved Welsh government and Tata Steel to establish a dedicated transition board to support both affected employees and the local economy with up to GBP 100 million funding. Steelmaking remains a vital part of the Welsh economy and this huge support package from the UK Government ensures that the industry now has a bright future to match its long and proud history in South Wales, added Welsh Secretary David T C Davies. Cape Town, Sep 15 (AP) US-based pharmaceuticals company Johnson & Johnson is being investigated in South Africa for allegedly charging excessive prices for a key tuberculosis drug, the country's antitrust regulator said Friday. J&J's Belgium-based subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals is also under investigation, South Africa's Competition Commission said. The commission, which regulates business practices, said it opened the investigation this week based on information that the companies may have engaged in exclusionary practices and excessive pricing of the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline, which is sold under the brand name Sirturo. The Competition Commission declined to give further details of its investigation, but health advocacy groups in South Africa say the country is being charged more than twice as much for bedaquiline than other middle- and low-income countries. Bedaquiline was approved in 2012 and is used to treat drug-resistant TB. It is desperately-needed by South Africa, where the infectious disease is the leading cause of death, killing more than 50,000 people in 2021. South Africa has more than 7 million people living with HIV, more than any other country in the world. The World Health Organisation says that nearly one-third of deaths among people who have HIV/AIDS are due to tuberculosis. Globally, TB cases increased in 2021 for the first time in years, according to the WHO. J&J has previously faced calls to drop its prices for bedaquiline and said last month that it would provide a six-month course of the drug for one patient through the Stop TB Partnerships Global Drug Facility at a cost of USD 130. The South African government purchases its bedaquiline directly from J&J and Janssen and not through the Stop TB facility and was paying around USD 280 for a six-month course for a patient, according to Professor Norbert Ndjeka, who leads the national department of health's TB control and management. Ndjeka said that South Africa had recently concluded a new two-year deal with J&J for bedaquiline at a slightly higher price than $280 per course, according to a report on the News24 website. The Competition Commission said it was confirming the investigation due to heightened media interest, but would not respond to requests for comment or more information about the probe. It comes a week after a health advocacy group released details of South Africa's COVID-19 vaccine purchase contracts with numerous pharmaceutical companies, including J&J and US-based Pfizer. They were obtained after the group, the Health Justice Intiative, won a freedom of information case in court. The group says the contracts show J&J charged South Africa 15% more per vaccine dose than it charged the much richer European Union. Pfizer charged South Africa more than 30% more per vaccine than it charged the African Union, even as South Africa struggled to acquire doses while having more COVID-19 infections than anywhere else on the continent. In the contract, South Africa was required to pay Pfizer USD 40 million in advance for doses, with only USD 20 million refundable if the vaccines weren't delivered, the Health Justice Initiative said. J&J also required a non-refundable downpayment of USD 27.5 million. Pfizer reported record revenues of USD 100.3 billion in 2022. J&J made USD 94.9 billion in sales last year. (AP) SCY SCY Lucknow, Sep 15 (PTI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that Uttar Pradesh is working diligently as the growth engine of India and the state has become an an integral part of India's development journey in a true sense. Addressing a summit organised by the Indian Steel Association here, the chief minister said, "Uttar Pradesh offers an excellent environment for investment" and assured the investors that his government guarantees the security of their investments and is ready to provide all kinds of support, according to an official release issued here. Uttar Pradesh is working diligently as the growth engine of India. In a true sense, UP has now become an integral part of India's development journey, the chief minister said. He pointed out that over the past six years, the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh has seen significant improvement. Today there are no riots or disturbances during festivals and celebrations in the state, he said, adding that the visits of VVIPs are conducted in a very safe and peaceful manner. He also recalled the successful conclusion of Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in 2019 which accommodated 24 crore devotees. He said that Uttar Pradesh has also made significant strides in improving its ease of doing business. "Currently, Uttar Pradesh has the largest single-window platform in the country for investment. The state has introduced policies for 25 sectors. Monitoring of MOUs signed with the Uttar Pradesh government is being done through the 'Nivesh Sarathi' portal," he added. Stressing that the state now has better air connectivity, the CM said that significant work has been done in the infrastructure sector in Uttar Pradesh. Further, he said that the Bundelkhand region, which was once considered the economically weakest area of Uttar Pradesh, is now connected via an expressway. "Today, Uttar Pradesh is advancing its development journey in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. The establishment of a multi-modal terminal in Varanasi has also progressed on a war footing," he said. He further said that the inter junctions of both the dedicated freight corridors are in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. Work on the construction of a multi-modal logistics hub there and the establishment of a multi-modal transport hub in Bodaki have also progressed on a war footing. Ludhiana, Sep 15 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that the restrictions on exports of basmati rice imposed by the Union government is against the interests of the farmers and demanded its immediate rollback. Addressing a gathering during "Kisan Mela" organised here at the Punjab Agricultural University, the chief minister lamented that "this illogical decision will do considerable damage to the economic situation of the farmers as well as the traders". The Union government has fixed Minimum Export Price of basmati at USD 1,200 per tonne "which adversely hit the domestic price of the crop". Mann, according to an official statement, said that the Union government must remove all these restrictions to safeguard the interests of the farmers from the state. The chief minister said that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state are already at a crossroads due to the ever escalating cost of the farm inputs and "low MSP". He said that the state produces maximum basmati rice in the country and this decision of the Centre will adversely hit the interests of the peasants of the state. Mann said that on one hand the state government is making concerted efforts for crop diversification by encouraging the farmers to produce moong, basmati and other alternative crops but on the other hand "such decisions of the Union government are giving major setbacks to it". Mann said the Centre's move is anti-farmer and anti-state and the state government will vehemently oppose this decision. In the wake of these restrictions the state government is contemplating selling the basmati crop to states like Kerala, West Bengal and others, Mann said. He said that the farmers had played a vanguard role in making the country self reliant in food production "but such draconian moves of the Union government is against their interests". The chief minister also slammed the Centre for allegedly stalling Rural Development Fund (RDF). Mann said that he had earlier called on the Union Rural Development Minister who had assured him that these funds will be released soon but it never happened and the Union government has "stalled" the RDF of the state worth more than Rs 3,622 crore. Meanwhile, Mann said that in order to cope up with the problem of paddy straw burning, the state government had mooted the idea of compensating the farmers by giving them Rs 2,500 per acre. "Out of this, Rs 1,500 was to be given by the central government and Rs 1,000 was to be shared by the state government. Instead of agreeing to this demand, the Union government rejected it without any logic," he said. The chief minister said that it is overwhelming to note that a large number of youth are showing their keen interest in the Kisan Melas. He said that over one lakh farmers have participated in the Kisan Mela on the first day. Mann said that introduction of technology in agriculture will help in transforming the destiny of the farmers and agriculture. Mumbai, Sep 15 (PTI) Streaming platform Netflix and Yash Raj Films (YRF) on Friday announced a multi-year creative partnership, under which the studio will create films and series that will define storytelling in India and across the world. The first two projects to come out of this partnership are thriller series "The Railway Men" and "Maharaj", a film marking the acting debut of superstar Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan. Inspired by true events, "Maharaj" is an incredible David vs Goliath story set in the 1800s, about how a regular man, journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role-model of society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses. The fearless reporter uncovers a series of incidents that shake the very foundation of society. Also starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari and Shalini Pandey, the film has been directed by Siddharth P Malhotra. Four-part series "The Railway Men" is based on the deadly gas leak in the central Indian city of Bhopal. It is the untold story of the unsung heroes, who rose to the occasion that night to save the city and its people. The thriller show stars R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma and Babil Khan. It is directed by debutant Shiv Rawail. We are passionate about serving our broad audiences with series and films that they connect with and love, and we want to do more of this. Yash Raj Films have defined the essence of Indian film-making. They are one of the most respected storytellers in the industry. "From 'Kabhi Kabhie' to 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'War' to 'Pathaan', their signature stories have been part of our lives and continue to fuel the zeitgeist. Together, we are confident that we can entertain the world with quality films and series like never before," Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, said in a statement. Akshaye Widhani, CEO, Yash Raj Films, said the partnership with Netflix will push the company as storytellers and help them showcase the Indian content to global audience. "Netflix is the biggest streamer in the world and offers us an opportunity to tell our stories in over 190 countries. Their belief in the content-first approach, is noteworthy and synergistic with our ethos. "This partnership will certainly push YRF as a storyteller to new audiences and allow them to consume Indian stories in their own languages too. India is a young and aspirational country. We have 1.4 billion stories to tell the world. We want to showcase our content, as well as provide a platform for our brilliant homegrown talent to a global audience," Widhani said. Washington, Sep 15 (AP) The Biden administration said on Thursday that Egypt's poor human rights record hasn't improved, but it won't withhold as much military aid as it did last year regardless. Administration officials cited what they said were overriding US national security interests for the decision to limit the extent they would penalise Egypt for the abuses. The officials cited regional stability and international support for Ukraine's battle against invading Russian forces as among the US national security interests served by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, despite Sisi's retreat on some human rights benchmarks. They briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under rules set by the State Department. Egypt has been a top recipient of US military aid since it signed a US-brokered peace deal with Israel in 1979. Congress in recent years has attached restrictions meant to pressure Egyptian leaders to curb human rights abuses to a comparatively small portion of the more than USD 1 billion in annual military aid to the country. Rights groups and some congressional Democrats had urged the Biden administration to take a hard line against Egypt on human rights, while some lawmakers said strategic interests should be prioritized. An international rights advocate expressed disappointment Thursday, saying the Biden administration's decision was consistent with a long line of US presidents backing oppressive Middle East leaders in the name of stability. I appreciate this honesty, that they say the situation is really bad but we have to do it because of other national interests, Amr Magdi, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, said of administration officials. But they should rethink what I would say is their short-sighted vision of security, Magdi said. The US decision comes as Egypt has released some writers, journalists and other political detainees in recent weeks and months. But even as the US decision on military aid neared, Egypt detained many other journalists and activists or their family members, including veteran newspaper publisher Hisham Kassem. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, called it "a missed opportunity to show the world that our commitment to advancing human rights and democracy is more than a talking point. The decision on how much of that portion of the rights-conditioned aid to give has become an annual assessment of the Egyptian government's retreats or advances on human rights, and an annual test of how hard US administrations and Congress are willing to press for human rights versus strategic concerns. This year, the amount of rights-conditioned aid was USD 320 million. Of that, the State Department said the administration would withhold USD 85 million that it said it was legally obligated to keep back given Egypt's lack of progress on some specific rights, including regarding political prisoners. The administration intends to send USD 55 million of that to Taiwan and the rest to Ukraine. For the other USD 235 million, however, the Biden administration this year is exercising a congressionally allowed waiver for U.S. national security interests to waive the rights restrictions and give that full amount, officials said. The administration in the past two years had said it would hold back USD 130 million of the aid over Egypt's rights abuses. US officials said the decision announced on Thursday did not signal that the US believed Egypt had made progress on human rights. They also said the US would keep up its pressure on Sisi's government for reforms. Sisi's military-backed government has ruled Egypt since 2013. Sisi overthrew an elected president whose Islamist background alarmed Egypt's military and some Gulf countries. Freedom House rates Egypt with 18 points out of 100 points on a global freedom scale. Rights groups and the US State Department cite arbitrary killings, torture and detention and allege systematic repression of civil society, free press and free expression. Rights groups estimate the number of political prisoners in Egypt in the tens of thousands. Under US pressure, the government this year and last released many of the detainees ahead of the US decisions on military aid, and by last year started what it called a national dialogue. However, US officials said on Thursday that Egypt had slowed the pace of releases of political prisoners while stepping up the pace of detentions. Rights groups said the government ultimately detained far more people than it released. Those newly detained include a teacher's union advocate who had been a member of the national dialogue, his associates said Thursday. The PEN America advocacy group and Amnesty International called Thursday for the release of another newly detained rights advocate, Kassem, 64, a longtime Egyptian news publisher. Authorities arrested Kassem last month for alleged libel and slander punishable in Egypt by prison over criticism of the country's labor minister. Prosecutors referred him for urgent trial, which began on September 2, according to Amnesty. Kassem for decades ran a series of news outlets that helped keep alive pockets of independent, free press in the country. Like Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia, who was killed by Saudi officials in 2018, generations of foreign journalists came to Kassem for his insights on his country's political situation. International publications have quoted him on everything from the quality of Egypt's beer to decades of past cases of detentions of writers and others. It's not safe to think in this part of the world," Kassem told one news organisation, Newsweek, in 2001. (AP) PY PY Seoul (South Korea), Sep 15 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un peered into the cockpit of Russia's most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between the increasingly isolated countries. Since entering Russia aboard his armoured train on Tuesday, Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations locked in separate confrontations with the West. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia. On Friday, Russia's state media published video showing Kim's train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Kim's convoy sweeping out of the station on the way to the city's aircraft factory. Russia's Cabinet later released video showing Kim, on an elevated platform, looking at the cockpit of the Su-57 Russia's most sophisticated fighter jet while listening to its pilot. Kim beamed and clapped his hands after a Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight. According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well. It said he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of (North Korea), Manturov said in the statement. We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries' task of achieving technological sovereignty. Kim is to travel next to Vladivostok to view Russia's Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim on Wednesday. It was Kim's first foreign trip since April 2019, when he visited Vladivostok for his first meeting with Putin. The 2019 Russian visit came two months after Kim failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from the United States during a second summit with then US-President Donald Trump in Vietnam. Kim's earlier trip was likely primarily meant to seek Russian help to overcome the brunt of US-led sanctions. But this time, Putin appears to be desperate to receive North Korean conventional arms to replenish his exhausted inventory in the second year of Russia's war in Ukraine. Experts say Kim, in return, would seek Russian assistance to modernise his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program. The summit between Kim and Putin on Wednesday took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's most important domestic launch centre. The venue is likely linked to North Korean struggles to put into space an operational spy satellite to monitor US and South Korean military movements. Asked if Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space research, Putin said: That's why we have come here. (Kim) shows keen interest in rocket technology. They're trying to develop space, too. Since last year, the U.S. accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, likely much of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine. On Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the US, South Korea and Japan talked by phone and expressed serious concerns about prospective weapons deals between Russia and North Korea. They warned Russia and North Korea would pay a clear price if they go ahead with such deals, according to South Korea's presidential office. The White House said the three national security advisers noted that any arms export from North Korea to Russia would directly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia, a permanent member of the UN council, itself voted to adopt. They reiterated their cooperation toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well, according to a White House statement. After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies' nuclear deterrence strategies, U.S. and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea. Sasha Baker, the US acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said that Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while tightening security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it proceeds to help advance Pyongyang's weapons program. A possibility that Russian may aid North Korea's nuclear weapons program stocked anger in South Korea, where some argued that Seoul could provide lethal arms to Ukraine in retaliation. But South Korea's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remains unchanged. Seoul has far limited its support of Ukraine to non-lethal military supplies and humanitarian items. Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its closely guarded high-tech weapons technologies with North Korea in return for its conventional arms. But others say Russia would do so because of its urgent need to refill its drained reserves. Putin told reporters that Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in spheres like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbour with humanitarian aid. But he avoided talking about military cooperation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procuring weapons from North Korea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Putin had accepted Kim's invitation to visit Pyongyang and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit North Korea in October. During Wednesday's summit, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin in what he described as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Information on Kim's trip to Russia is largely from the two nations' official media outlets. North Korean media did not provide updates Friday on Kim's activities. They typically report on Kim's activities a day later, apparently to meet the need for North Korean propaganda to glorify Kim. (AP) FZH Seattle, Sep 15 (PTI) Demanding justice for Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula and the resignation of two Seattle police officers, more than 200 people from different communities held a rally at an intersection where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car. Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call. In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary. More than 200 people on Thursday took to the Seattle intersection where Kandula was fatally struck by an officers cruiser in January, the Seattle Times newspaper reported. They called for accountability for the officer who killed her and for a police union leaders comments about the crash, which some described as disgusting and abhorrent. Participants at the rally in South Lake Union called for the resignation of Auderer and the officer who struck Kandula, Dave. Speakers at the rally criticised the police system, saying it is built on white supremacy, and the criminalising and undervaluing of the lives of Black and Indigenous people and other people of colour, the report added. Signs read Jail killer cops, Justice for Jaahnavi, and End police terror. People living in nearby apartments came to join the crowd. Seattle resident Rafael McPeek said he hoped to send a message that police officers cant get away with killing someone while speeding through city streets or making comments questioning the value of someones life. Its absolutely disgusting, said McPeek, a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which organised the rally. Another rallygoer, Kyla Carrillo, expressed anger at the number of months that have elapsed without accountability for Kandulas death. Carillo said she remembered attending a protest in January after Kandula was killed, adding that she and others gathered wont stop until Kandula receives justice and can then rest in peace. I dont understand how many times the Seattle Police Department can show us they dont care about peoples lives, she said. Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, reportedly on a phone call with Union President Mike Solan, appears to talk about what might happen if the victim's family sued the department. "Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value, Auderer said during the call. In response, Governor Jay Inslee said on Thursday, It's hard to think of more hurtful things to say to magnify the scope of an already terrible tragedy than what is said in that video." "I was heartbroken. I was disgusted, said Joel Merkel, a co-chair with the Seattle Community Police Commission. "What the community wants. What the police commission wants is a culture change in SPD. "The most important thing is that the investigation is done fair and impartially." Deepali Jamwal owns a dance studio a block from where the fatal collision happened. After he said she is dead, and he laughed it is haunting me, said Jamwal. "I just want everyone to come together and fight for justice for Jaahnavi. She was one of us and this feels too close to home." The officer who hit and killed Kandula has not been criminally charged. The people that are in charge of enforcing the rules are not made accountable when they break them. The system is failing, said Ray Mitchell, with the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (SAARPR). Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a masters degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India. India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state. "Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandulas death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday. "We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said. The Consulate and the Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities, it added. Taipei, Sep 15 (AP) China is sending Vice President Han Zheng to the U.N. General Assembly's annual high-level debate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday, suggesting that the country's most senior diplomat, Wang Yi, will not attend. This year's gathering of world leaders at United Nations headquarters in New York starts Monday with a sustainability summit. The weeklong general debate gets underway on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping has not attended the U.N. session in person for several years. He participated via video conference during the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic. Wang Yi attended last year and generally represented China at the U.N. Wang is the head of the foreign affairs committee of China's Communist Party. He was not mentioned in the ministry's announcement. Zheng is a past member of the Politburo Standing Committee, an elite group of leaders within the party. He retired from that position but assumed the position of vice president in March. Zheng's continued political career parallels the one of Wang Qishan, who played an influential role in the past several years in managing the tense U.S.-China relationship. Wang led the Communist Party's disciplinary body and was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. He retired at the end of 2017 but was brought back to serve as vice president in 2018. The absence of Beijing's top leader at the General Assembly may not be as conspicuous as Xi not attending the Group of 20 summit that took place in India earlier this month. The British government announced in August that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would not attend the upcoming U.N. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin also do not plan to be there. (AP) AMS AMS Lahore, Sep 15 (PTI) PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif has tasked the party ticket holders of Punjab province to mobilise a huge crowd to give a rousing welcome to her father and Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is scheduled to return to the country from London on October 21 to lead the party's election campaign, it emerged on Friday. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has set an ambitious target of gathering over 200,000 people to receive the 73-year-old party supremo at the Lahore airport as he plans to end his over four years of self-imposed exile in the UK, the Dawn newspaper reported. Presiding over a meeting at the party secretariat in Model Town on Thursday, Maryam, 49, was more concerned about the historic welcome PML-N workers should give to Nawaz, the report said. The PML-N chief organiser tasked the party ticket holders of Punjab to bring as many people as they could to give a rousing welcome to her father, it said. The participants, the aspirants of the party tickets for Punjab and national assemblies, were also excited, hoping this time around there would be no change in the homecoming date of Nawaz, the report said, adding that the participants pledged to give a historic welcome to the former prime minister. Earlier, some senior PML-N leaders had given his return date on several occasions, but this is the first time the party president Shehbaz Sharif has officially announced his elder brothers homecoming on October 21. Nawaz had left for London in November 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment. But he never returned to Pakistan where he was convicted of corruption and jailed. He was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. He was serving a seven-year imprisonment at Lahores Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to proceed to London in 2019 on "medical grounds". Shehbaz, 71, has previously said that Nawaz will be the next prime minister if the party returns to power in the general elections. In August, Shehbaz said his elder brother would return to Pakistan in September to face his pending court cases and lead the party's campaign for the general election. However, the plan was changed after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to conduct a fresh delimitation of Constituencies on the basis of the new census, delaying the general elections, which were scheduled to be held within the 90-day constitutional period since the August 9 dissolution of Parliament. According to a Geo News report, the three-time prime minister's return was delayed till mid-October, not because of the ECP announcement but over the advice of party loyalists that September is too hot and severe for large-scale political gatherings, making mid-October a better time for return. The decision to return around mid-October was taken after Shehbaz held meetings with the PML-N supremo when the former visited London in August. In 2016, Nawaz stepped down as the prime minister after the Supreme Court disqualified him for life for concealing assets. His appeals against the conviction are currently pending in the relevant courts. He was disqualified by the Supreme Court in 2017. In 2018, he became ineligible to hold public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case. He was expected to come back when his party came to power after Imran Khan was toppled in April last year but the expectation was not fulfilled. However, his PML-N party maintained that he would come back before the election and lead the party. Sharif is considered a crowd-puller and a major force to bring voters to the polling stations. MEXICO CITY, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Mexico has expressed its "great concern" over a decision by the Federal Court for the Southern District of Texas in the United States to declare the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unconstitutional. Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement issued Wednesday night and disseminated Thursday on social media that it took "note of the decision with great concern," noting it "impacts more than 580,000 people, the vast majority Mexican." DACA is a program that grants undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children permission to live and work lawfully. The ministry announced it will promptly work to inform and provide consular protection, legal assistance and advice on the situation to DACA beneficiaries and their families. Judge Andrew Hanen, of the Texas court, rejected on Wednesday an appeal from President Joe Biden's government and again declared DACA illegal. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. DACA has been the subject of several political controversies. In 2017, then U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to end the program but faced legal challenges that ordered it to be reactivated. Brussels, Sep 15 (AP) A series of school arsons in Belgium believed to be connected to a controversial school programme in some parts of the country is prompting authorities to strengthen their police response. Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden on Friday called for a halt to the attacks in the French-speaking Wallonia region hours after another school was set on fire, the sixth in the Charleroi area since the start of the week. We don't touch our schools, the minister wrote on the X social network, formerly known as Twitter. Arson attacks in Brussels and Wallonia must stop. I have therefore asked the federal police to provide support to local areas to avoid any escalation. Signs protesting the so-called Evras project were discovered on some of the schools. The Evras programme is described as a tool designed to help children and teenagers develop their relational and sexual lives. This school year, some 100,000 pupils in the Wallonia-Brussels federation ages 11-12 and 15-16 will have to attend two sessions, for a total of four hours of training. The programme had been around and available all age groups for years but was not compulsory before this school year. In addition to the arsons, protests gathering a few hundred people have also been organised in Brussels. Several Islamic groups have also condemned the programme in a joint statement over fears it will favour the hypersexualisation" of children while rumours about the nature of Evras spread on the Internet. I would like to call on everyone to calm down and try once again to cut through the lies circulating about the Evras system," the education minister in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Caroline Desir, said on Friday. No, it does not prepare a pedophile system. No, it doesn't plan to make children want to change gender. No, it doesn't plan to teach children how to engage in sexual activities. Local media quoting the Charleroi prosecutor's office said the investigation has not established a link between the six arsons so far. Charleroi mayor Paul Magnette compared the arsons to a "form of terrorism. These are arson attacks on schools, which are sacred places, he told Sudinfo media. They are places where children learn respect and tolerance. According to local media, two other schools in the city of Liege have also been vandalised. (AP) SCY SCY Seoul (S Korea), Sep 15 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russia's most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between the increasingly isolated countries. Since entering Russia aboard his armoured train on Tuesday, Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations locked in separate confrontations with the West. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia. On Friday, Russia's state media published video showing Kim's train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. An Associated Press journalist saw Kim's convoy, his limousine sporting the Russian and North Korean flags, sweeping out of the station on the way to the aircraft factory. On Friday, Russia's state media published videos showing Kim's train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Kim's convoy sweeping out of the station on the way to the city's aircraft factory. Russia's Cabinet later released video showing Kim, on an elevated platform, looking at the cockpit of the Su-57 Russia's most sophisticated fighter jet while listening to its pilot. Kim beamed and clapped his hands when a Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight. According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of (North Korea), Manturov said in the statement. We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries' task of achieving technological sovereignty. Kim travels next to Vladivostok to view Russia's Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim on Wednesday. Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested that Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in three-way cooperation. It was Kim's first foreign trip since April 2019, when he visited Vladivostok for his first meeting with Putin. The 2019 Russian visit came two months after Kim failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from the United States during a second summit with then US-President Donald Trump in Vietnam. Kim's earlier trip was likely primarily meant to seek Russian help to overcome the brunt of the US-led sanctions. But this time, Putin appears to be desperate to receive North Korean conventional arms to replenish his exhausted inventory in the second year of Russia's war in Ukraine. Experts say Kim, in return, would seek Russian assistance to modernise his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program. Asked whether Russia asked North Korea to send troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Putin flatly dismissed the idea, calling it sheer nonsense," according to Russia's state media. Putin reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday. Experts say it's highly unlikely for North Korea to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war, though it has publicly supported Moscow's invasion. But they say North Korea and Russia aren't likely to publicise any deals on weapons supplies to avoid stronger international criticism. The Kim-Putin summit took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's most important domestic launch centre. The venue is probably linked to North Korean struggles to put into space an operational spy satellite to monitor US and South Korean military movements. Asked if Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space research, Putin said: That's why we have come here. (Kim) shows keen interest in rocket technology. They're trying to develop space, too. New video of Putin and Kim talking at the cosmodrome about rocket launches was released Friday. In the video, posted by Russian state news reporter Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel, Putin was heard telling Kim, You are a specialist, after a translator was heard relaying the North Korean leader's comments on where the separated rocket stages would fall after launch. Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, likely much of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine. On Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the U.S., South Korea and Japan talked by phone and expressed serious concerns about prospective weapons deals between Russia and North Korea. They warned that Moscow and Pyongyang would pay a clear price if they go ahead with such deals, according to South Korea's presidential office. After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies' nuclear deterrence strategies, U.S. and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea. Sasha Baker, the US acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while tightening security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Korea's weapons program. The possibility that Russia may aid North Korea's nuclear program stoked anger in South Korea, where some argued that Seoul could provide lethal arms to Ukraine in retaliation. But South Korea's Defence Ministry said Thursday its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remains unchanged. Seoul has far limited its support of Ukraine to nonlethal military supplies and humanitarian items. Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its closely guarded high-tech weapons technologies with North Korea in return for its conventional arms. But others say Russia would do so because of its urgent need to refill its drained reserves. Putin told reporters Wednesday that Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in areas like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid. The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin accepted Kim's invitation to Pyongyang, and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit in October. At Wednesday's summit, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin in what he described as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Information on Kim's trip to Russia is largely from the two nations' official media outlets. North Korean media did not give updates Friday on Kim. They typically report on his activities a day later, apparently to meet the need for North Korean propaganda to glorify Kim. (AP) FZH Portland (US), Sep 15 (AP) After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee. A tropical storm warning was in place from Maine to Massachusetts and part of Maine was under the first hurricane watch in 15 years as the storm packing powerful gusts and 20-foot (6-metre) ocean swells approached. Forecasters said there would be tropical storm-force winds 40 mph (64 kph) or greater across an area spanning more than 400 miles (643 kilometres) ahead of landfall Saturday afternoon. President Joe Biden granted a disaster declaration requested by Maine Gov. Janet Mills to ensure access to federal resources and personnel, officials said Friday. Mills already declared a state of emergency for the state. While landfall was projected for nearby Nova Scotia, the storm was big enough to cause concerns over a wide area. Parts of coastal Maine could see waves up to 15 feet (1.5 metres) high crashing down, causing erosion and damage, and the powerful gusts will cause power outages in a state where the ground is already saturated from heavy rain, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine. Up to 4 inches (10 centimetres) of rain was forecast for eastern Maine. In Canada, residents were warned about the risk of power outages and flooding a year after the remnants of Hurricane Fiona washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was convening the incident response group, which meets only to discuss events with major implications for Canada. Consisting of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, it was previously convened over events including the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the record wildfire season this year. In New England, the Coast Guard and emergency management agencies also warned residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm's way. It's a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day, owner Kim Gillies said Thursday. Similar scenes played out elsewhere, including at Kennebunkport Marina, where crews planned to take 100 boats out of the water, said Cathy Norton, marina manager. Commercial lobster fisherman Steve Train said fishermen have been sinking gear in deeper water to protect against storm damage. Fishing boats were also headed to the safety of harbors. Earlier in the week, the region saw 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain over six hours. Tornado warnings were issued Wednesday in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and more heavy rain created sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several areas. The National Weather Service in Boston confirmed Thursday that damage to trees and power lines in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut the day before was caused by four tornadoes. Dozens of trees snapped or were uprooted by a twister in the town of Glocester, Rhode Island, and a structure used as a bus shelter was blown away, the weather service said. The three tornadoes in Connecticut and Rhode Island were categorized as EF-1, while the one in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was an EF-0. Friday morning, Lee was spinning about 490 miles (785 kilometers) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and moving away from Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), according to the National Hurricane Centre. Maine's eastern coast known as the Down East region and the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were expected to bear the brunt of the storm, which was travelling north on a path that could lead to landfall Saturday afternoon in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm. One thing is working in the region's favour: The storm surge will not be accompanied by an astronomical high tide, helping to lower the risk for coastal areas, Fode said. New England has experienced its share of flooding this summer, including a storm that dumped up to two months of rain in two days in Vermont in July, resulting in two deaths. Scientists are finding that storms around the world are forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall more frequent. In Maine, the last time a hurricane watch was declared was in 2008, for Hurricane Kyle, but residents are accustomed to rough weather. Lee's projected wind, rain and surf are akin to a powerful Nor'easter, and Mainers are familiar with those. (AP) FZH Islamabad, Sep 15 (PTI) Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar on Friday refused to give a date for the country's general elections, asserting that it was the job of the election authorities. Kakar was speaking at a press conference after a meeting at the PM House when he was asked if he would like to set a date for the upcoming national elections. "If I were to announce elections, I would be engaging in an unlawful act, and as a journalist, you should be aware that if you steer us towards illegal actions and pose questions that might tempt us to break the law, then what should my response be?" he said. He was asked the same question earlier this week and responded that it was for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide a date. The date for the general elections has become a controversial matter in Pakistan as polls should be held within a constitutionally mandated 90-day period after the dissolution of the National Assembly, which was done on August 9. However, just days before the end of its term, the previous government endorsed the results of the countrywide census. The decision made it mandatory for the election commission to devise new electoral districts before elections, for which it has been provided 120 days by the country's constitution. The ECP has announced to complete the delimitation process by November 30 and then announce election schedules, which are expected to be held in January. However, President Ari Alvi and some political parties insist the elections should be held within 90 days. In a letter to the ECP chief this week, Alvi, who was a founding member of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, proposed November 6 as the day for the polls, but the top election body has so far not commented on the suggestion. It is believed that polls will be held somewhere in January, but without a firm date, rumours are making rounds about the intention of the caretaker set-up to prolong its tenure. Earlier this week, Kakar clarified that the interim government had no intention of extending its term. He had sided with the ECP and said on a Geo News programme that, per the law, deciding the date for general elections was the ECP's prerogative. Mumbai, Sep 15 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1700 HRS. BOM10 CG-YATRA-NADDA-RALLY * Nadda alleges Congress agenda to 'abuse and disrespect' Sanatan Dharma Jashpur: BJP president JP Nadda on Friday hit out at opposition alliance INDIA and claimed the agenda of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, top leaders of its key constituent Congress, was to "abuse and disrespect" Sanatan Dharma. BOM3 MH-AIRPORT-PLANE-VICTIM * Private jet accident: Co-pilot with spinal injury moved to another hospital, others stable Mumbai: Neil Diwan, the co-pilot of a private jet that skidded off the runway at Mumbai airport suffered a spinal injury and has been moved to another hospital for surgery, Dr Deepak Namjoshi, the director of Criticare Asia hospital said on Friday. * BOM4 MH-WAIKAR-FIR * Sena (UBT) MLA Waikar, 5 others booked for cheating over construction of hotel in Mumbai Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police has registered a case against Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Ravindra Waikar and five others in connection with the construction of a luxury hotel in a western suburb, an official said on Friday. * BOM9 MP-SANATAN-RUPALA * INDIA outfits must decide if they want to be with anti-Sanatan Dharma forces: Union minister Indore: Union Minister Parshottam Rupala on Friday attacked the opposition bloc INDIA for remarks made against Sanatan Dharma by some leaders of its constituent party DMK. * BOM5 MP-SANATAN-NATH * Sanatan Dharma does not teach anyone to keep other religions away: Kamal Nath Bhopal: Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Friday said India is home to many religions and Sanatan Dharma does not teach anyone to keep other faiths away. * BOM6 MH-SHINDE-RAUT * Will attend CM Shinde's press meet as journalist if police allow: Sanjay Raut Aurangabad: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said he would attend as a journalist Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's press conference scheduled to be held here on September 16 following a meeting of the state cabinet, if police allow him to remain present there. * BOM11 MH-CONG-CABINET Govt indulging in 'five-star luxury' on public money for Marathwada cabinet meet: Patole Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday accused the state government of spending several crore rupees on cabinet meetings and rubbing salt on the wounds of people affected by drought-like conditions in Marathwada. * BES9 MH-KASHMIR-SAAMANA * Govt claim Article 370 removal would improve J&K situation turned out to be false: 'Saamana' Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Friday targeted the Narendra Modi government over the recent killing of security personnel in Kashmir, and said the Centre's claim that the situation in the Valley would normalise after the abrogation of Article 370 has turned out to be false. * Patna, Sep 15 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Friday strongly condemned Bihar minister and RJD leader Chandra Shekhar's controversial remarks likening scriptures such as Ramcharitmanas to "potassium cyanide". In a strongly worded statement, Rai, who is a former Bihar BJP president, alleged the remarks "betrayed a sick mentality" and were aimed at "appeasement of a section of the society". "The remarks did not only cause hurt to Hindus, but these were also harmful to the social segment which the minister sought to appease," said Rai, referring to comments of the RJD leader, who holds the education portfolio, and had allegedly made the controversial utterances while criticising the caste system. Rai said, "It is the RJD, known for patronising criminals and indulging in corruption, that deserves to be compared to cyanide. So do all its allies, including (Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's) JD(U)." He also added, "The 'ghamandia' (arrogant) coalition stands exposed and the people of the country will punish all its constituents in the Lok Sabha polls next year." Notably, the state minister allegedly made the remarks late on Thursday evening and it created a furore when a video clip, the authenticity of which PTI could not independently verify, went viral on social media. Criticism has come from BJP allies such as Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal headed by former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha. The RLJD national secretary general and spokesman has come out with a strongly worded tweet criticising Chandra Shekhar. Senior JD(U) leader and state minister Shravan Kumar also voiced disapproval of the utterances of his cabinet colleague, saying, "Nobody should speak anything that hurts religious sentiments." Imphal, Sep 15 (PTI) As many as 175 people were killed, and 1,108 others injured while 32 are missing in the ethnic strife that has rocked Manipur since early May, police said. Altogether, 4,786 houses were set on fire and 386 religious structures vandalised, they said. Addressing a press conference here, IGP (Operations) I K Muivah said, In this challenging time that Manipur is in, we can reassure the public that the police, central forces and the civil administration are trying round-the-clock to bring normalcy back." Of the weapons that have been lost, 1,359 firearms and 15,050 ammunition were recovered, Muivah said on Thursday. A large number of arms and ammunition of the police have allegedly been looted by the rioters during the violence. As many as 5,172 arson cases were reported, Muivah said, adding, 386 religious structures - 254 churches and 132 temples - were vandalised. "Security barricades from Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district to Kangvai in Churachandpur district have been removed, while security has been provided on national highways," he said. IGP (Administration) K Jayanta said of the 175 people who died, nine are still unidentified. Seventy-nine of the bodies have been claimed while 96 remain unclaimed. At RIMS and JNIMS (hospitals in Imphal), 28 and 26 bodies have been kept respectively, while 42 are at Churachandpur hospital," he informed. Jayanta said that 9,332 cases have been registered and 325 people were arrested. Meanwhile, IGP (Zone-3) Nishit Ujjwal said NH-32 and NH-2 are functioning normally. Ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts. Guwahati, Sep 15 (PTI) The Assam government has provided land patta (ownership document) to more than 1.30 lakh people in the last five years, the assembly was informed on Friday. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mogan, replying to a question by BJP MLA Terash Gowalla, said the land ownership is being given to indigenous people as per the Assam Land Policy, 2019. Accordingly, 1,34,532 landless people have been granted land ownership rights in the last five years, he said. Of these, the highest number of 16,441 were given in Dhemaji district, followed by 15,360 in Jorhat and 12,389 in Dibrugarh. In reply to another question by the Congress Bhaskar Jyoti Baruah, Mohan said there are 48 declared tribal belts and blocks in the state, of which 19 are in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and the rest in non-scheduled areas. The BTR is an autonomous division created under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for the Bodo-dominated areas of Assam. BTR comprises four districts - Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri. The land area of the tribal belts and blocks in BTR is 36,04,447 bighas, and in non-scheduled areas, it is 51,47,806 bighas. New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The BJP on Friday took a swipe at the Congress over the opposition INDIA bloc's decision to boycott 14 broadcast media anchors, saying shunning media or any other institution will do it no good and the party can only benefit by boycotting Rahul Gandhi as he has no strength. There is no institution in India that this opposition alliance has not attacked, be it the Election Commission or courts, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters. All of them are doing their work well, he said before targeting Gandhi. "If there is someone who is not up to it and who the Congress should indeed boycott for its own benefit, then his name is Rahul Gandhi... Your leader has no strength. Who all will you boycott? If you have to boycott and move ahead, then boycott your leader." The Congress leader speaks about 'Mohabbat' (love) but sells 'Nafrat' (hate), he claimed. Patra asked if the list of journalists that the opposition alliance will boycott is more of a "target list", indicating that they will be slapped with criminal cases and will not be spared. If they are targeted by some people, including members of these parties, then who will be responsible, he posed. Hitting out at the opposition for Congress leader Saifuddin Soz's and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah's pitch for talks with Pakistan, he said the remarks came soon after the death of security officials in an encounter with terrorists in Kashmir and added that the INDIA bloc should boycott leaders like them than journalists. Soz has asked the Union government to try to understand the minds of militants, he said, condemning the Congress leader. It is such a painful and unfortunate statement, he added. Patra said that the Congress has a history of going after the media, citing the first amendment brought by Jawaharlal Nehru to curb absolute freedom of expression, the Emergency promulgated by Indira Gandhi and the defamation law proposed by Rajiv Gandhi. Congress leaders questioned the existence of Lord Ram while the likes of Bihar minister and RJD leader Chandra Shekhar targeted Ramchairtmanas. These leaders are not boycotted but journalists questioning these parties about corruption in states ruled by them and saying "good things" about G20 and India are boycotted, he said. "Netas can raise questions on God but journalists can't question these netas," Patra said. Jammu, Sep 15 (PTI) Assuring the people of Kargil a free and fair hill council election next month, Ladakh Lt Governor Brigadier (Retd) B D Mishra has defended his adminstration's protracted but unsuccessful battle in the courts against the granting of the 'plough' symbol to the National Conference. He rejected as "totally wrong" allegations that he was biased or was working at the behest of BJP. On September 6, the Supreme Court set aside the August 5 notification of the election department of the Union Territory of Ladakh for the hill council polls and ordered the issuance of a fresh election schedule within a week. Holding that the National Conference is entitled to the 'plough' symbol, a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also dismissed the plea by the Ladakh administration opposing the allotment of the symbol to the party and imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the dispensation. National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the Supreme Court order and said the BJP and the Ladakh administration "did everything possible" to deny them their right, but the court saw through it. The election to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil is now scheduled for October 4 as per the fresh notification issued by the Ladakh election department. "I am a worshipper of the Constitution of India and I have taken an oath to defend, preserve and protect it. I am a devotee of democracy and therefore I am a watchman for free and fair elections. It is my resolve that free and fair elections should take place," Brigadier (Retd) Mishra told PTI-Video in an exclusive interview in Jammu. The Lt Governor said he is monitoring the entire election process including the deployment of staff to ensure elections are held in a "free and fair" manner. "It is all being taken care of and I can assure (the people) that the hill council elections will be absolutely 100 percent free, fair and timely," he said. On the National Conference's accusations the he was biased, Mishra said, "it is a totally wrong statement or a wrong insinuation." "I am the Lt Governor there (in Ladakh) and to me every party is the same. I am having no brief, suggestion or instruction from any party... responsible parties know that in a democracy, elections have to be free and fair and it has to be decided by laws, rules and regulations. "So I am not having any brief from anybody, which is the first thing. And secondly, if somebody is saying that I am having a brief, it is totally a lie. I do not entertain such a statement because these are incorrect," the Lt Governor said. The army veteran said he studied everything before the elections as he knew such issues may come up. "When I studied and discussed it with my secretaries and everybody, the issue of reserving any symbol for a party was not there. So then I consulted the legal luminaries at Delhi and even I consulted very senior people, advocates who are there for the government. They said the election symbol can be reserved by the election commission of India and not by the UT government," he said. The Lt Governor said he took the decision after self study and on the basis of the advice he got. "The case went to high court, but once I had studied everything and once I had all the free and frank opinions from very learned advocates, I thought I had to contest it (the decision of the court). "The advocates said what UT has decided is correct and therefore I had to go through the legal process. I could not have left it halfway because that would have (given a notion) that I don't have conviction. I had conviction, I had honesty, I had studied and I was convinced that the decision was correct. Therefore, I had to go through the legal process," he said. The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court had earlier dismissed the Ladakh administration's plea against a single bench order that had allowed NC candidates to contest the LAHDC, Kargil, polls on the party symbol. The administration had approached a division bench of the high court against the single bench order of August 9 which directed the NC to approach the office of the Election Department of the administration of Ladakh to notify the reserved symbol "plough". Earlier, the polls for 26 seats of the 30-member LAHDC, Kargil, were scheduled for September 10. The reset of the four members are nominated by the administration with full voting rights. ANKARA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye said on Friday that nine people in the country have tested positive for the new COVID-19 variant EG. 5, also known as Eris. "This is a development that should not be considered a subject of concern. The Eris variant, which we know has low virulence, was seen in nine people in the examination carried out in our reference laboratory," Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "They have international contacts and are in the same province. We will continue with the current measures and our daily life," he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the EG. 5 strain of COVID-19 as the "variant of interest" which at this time does not seem to pose more of a threat to public health than other variants. However, the health watchdog warned that it should be closely watched due to the risk evaluation. Jaipur, Sep 15 (PTI) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi on Friday targeted the Congress government in Rajasthan over alleged lack of law and order, atrocities on women and paper leak incidents, and said that people will remove the party from power in the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking to the media when the party's Parivartan Yatra reached Dudu, Joshi said that there have been 19 paper leak incidents in this term of Congress rule. A Congress MLA has accused the state mining minister of corruption, but still no action is taken, the Union minister said. "This is a Congress government that lies and loots in Rajasthan. The people of Rajasthan have made up their mind to uproot it. Change is bound to happen in Rajasthan. The BJP will certainly form the next government." Referring to DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks on Sanatan Dharma, Joshi said the whole world is feeling proud of the G20 Summits theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', which is the identity of Sanatan Dharma. The alliance partners of the Congress party are, however, talking about eradicating Sanatan Dharma, Joshi added. Recently, DMK leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin and A Raja had allegedly made disparaging comments about Sanatan Dharma. This is appeasement politics which they have always done, the minister said. Arun Chaturvedi, BJP spokesperson and coordinator of the Parivartan Yatra, said that the yatra is getting immense public support, which is an indication that the people of Rajasthan have made up their mind for change in the state government. Chandigarh, Sep 15 (PTI) The mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, who was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag, reached Haryana's Panipat where the last rites will be conducted on Friday. The mortal remains of Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was also killed in the gunfight, have been brought here and are expected to reach his home in Mullanpur in Mohali district shortly, sources said. Major Dhonchak had planned to shift to a new house in Panipat in October. The family had been living in a rented accommodation. The Major's mortal remains reached his Panipat home in an Army vehicle. Scores of people turned up on Friday at the residence of Dhonchak. His family members were inconsolable as the body reached at his Panipat home. The body was being taken to the cremation ground in an army vehicle and the last rights will be conducted shortly. At Colonel Manpreet Singh's house in Mullanpur, there was a steady stream of mourners. The families of the Army officer were inconsolable. His wailing mother was seen waiting at the doorsteps for her son's mortal remains. A third-generation soldier, Singh leaves behind his mother, wife, a two-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son. Dhonchak's family includes his wife, a two-year-old daughter and three sisters. Three Army personnel, including the colonel and the major, and a deputy superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed in the gunfight with terrorists in the higher reaches of the Kokorenag area in the valley. Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were critically injured in the gunfight that ensued in the Garol area of Anantnag district in the morning hours of Wednesday. The officers succumbed to injuries during treatment. Noida, Sep 15 (PTI) With the arrest of eight suspects, the Noida Police on Friday said they have busted a key gang involved in the theft of cars in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). The police have recovered 10 cars, including a couple of Toyota Fortuners, Hyundai Cretas, from their possession which were lifted by them from Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurugram. The police suspect that the gang is involved in hundreds of vehicle thefts in Delhi NCR over the years which were sold by them in states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. "It's a complete chain of people involved in the theft of cars. From those breaking the lock and stealing it, then someone who handles the tampering of its chassis number and forgery of documents to buyers of stolen vehicles," DCP (Noida) Harish Chander told reporters. "Overall, eight people have been arrested in this case and 10 cars which were stolen from Delhi, Ghaziabad Noida, and Gurugram recovered," said Chander, flanked by Additional DCP Shakti Mohan Avasthy, ACP 1 Rajneesh Verma and ACP 2 Sushil Kumar. The case was busted by a joint team of officials from the Sector 20 and the Phase 1 police stations in pursuance of information they had been receiving about the gang, he added. ACP Verma said the numbers of some cars have been changed while a couple of cars are almost brand new with no number plates. The police said after lifting the cars, the gang would take them to Meerut and keep them in hiding for some days to evade tracking. "In Meerut, they used their technique which they called 'thanda karna' (cooling down), which means tapering chassis number, forging documents, uninstalling GPS trackers, if any, or other devices which could lead to the tracking of cars," Verma said. The police identified those arrested as gang leader Saqib alias Daddu, Mohd Imran, Monu alias Jamshed, Mohd Farman, Rashid alias Kaala, Mohd Sahibzada, Rohit Mittal and Ranjeet Singh Of these, Mittal and Singh -- both residents of Punjab -- were buyers of stolen cars, while all others hailed from Meerut and were involved in theft, the police said. An FIR has been lodged against the accused and further legal proceedings are being carried out, the police added. New Delhi, Sept 15 (PTI) Delhi Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand on Friday wrote to Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh urging him to extend the deadline for admissions of reserved category students till all the seats for them are filled up. He also sought details of the total number of undergraduate seats and the allocation of seats to both general and reserved category students. The admission process is underway. "It has come to my notice that the seats of undergraduate programmes kept reserved for the SC/ST/OBC category students as per their respective percentage of quota fixed by the government could not be filled till now," Anand wrote to the vice-chancellor. Since the admission process is stated to be coming to an end, it would adversely affect the prospects of the students aspiring to pursue undergraduate programmes at Delhi University, he said. "I would like you to ensure that the admission window is kept open till SC/ST/OBC students are admitted against all the available reserved vacant seats," the minister added. New Delhi, Sept 15 (PTI) Citing a vigilance directorate report, Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Friday demanded a CBI probe into an alleged "scam" in construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. Addressing a press conference, Tiwari alleged that the report was submitted by the Vigilance Directorate to Lokayukta last month. In 2018, the MP had filed a complaint at the Delhi Lokayukta against alleged irregularities in construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. "Semi-permanent schools were constructed at a cost of Rs 32 lakh while permanent classrooms were constructed by the municipal corporations at a cost of Rs 9 lakh," Tiwari said in the press conference. "The report submitted by the Vigilance Directorate to the Lokayukta clearly states that the number of classrooms reduced from 7,180 to 4,126 but no deduction of any kind was made in the budget for this," Tiwari said. The matter should be handed over to the Criminal Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he added. Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana said the time has come that those responsible for the "scam" be put behind the bars. No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi government or the ruling Aam Aadmi Party over Tiwari's allegations. New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) A doctor at LNJP Hospital was attacked by two men who robbed her purse and mobile phone in central Delhi, police said on Friday. The accused have been identified as Tushar (21), a resident of staff quarters, Maulana Azad Medical College, and Mohammad Umar (24), a resident of Nai Basti, Bada Hindu Rao, they said. According to the police, Tushar hit the doctor on her head when she was crossing a road late in the evening and robbed her purse containing a mobile phone and other documents. Umar, who was waiting near the spot, helped him escape after the spot, they said, adding the snatched phone was activated with a new SIM card which was immediately traced and the police nabbed the accused and recovered the phone. Tushar is a drug addict and was previously involved in a theft case. Umar is an e-rickshaw driver, police said. Srinagar, Sep 15 (PTI) A journalist was arrested here for alleged criminal conspiracy and extortion, police said on Friday. Majid Hyderi, resident of Peerbagh area of the city, was arrested after police registered a case against him following orders from a local court here, they said. FIR No 88/2023 U/S 120-B, 177,386,500 of IPC registered in Sadder PS on basis of order issued by Honble court of JMIC Srinagar. One Majid Hyderi S/o Jahangir Hyderi R/o Peerbagh arrested for criminal conspiracy, intimidation, extortion, giving false information, defamation etc, the Srinagar Police said on X. Hyderi, a journalist who has worked with a number of publications and news portals, is also a regular on TV news channels as a political analyst. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti slammed the arrest of the journalist. Majid Hyderis arrest late last night has exposed the nexus between conmen & certain intelligence agencies. He was dragged from his home like a wanted terrorist without following any legalities. His mother & sister pleaded to see a warrant but this too was denied. This is how journalists who expose scams are accused of intimidation & defamation, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister alleged in a tweet However, the police said all legal formalities were followed. It is clarified that all legal procedures of formal arrest as mandated by law were fully followed. Family was clearly informed about the order of Hon'ble court regarding this. It is requested to kindly not fall prey to misinformation campaign by vested interests (sic), the Srinagar Police said in another tweet. The police was responding to Mehbooba's allegations on X. New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has lamented that less than 10 per cent of all Indian arbitrators on various international panels are women, terming the situation as a diversity paradox. The CJI was speaking at the inaugural session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) South Asia Conference, 2023 on Thursday. Justice Chandrachud hailed the fact that now various international arbitral institutions have curated regionally diverse panels of arbitrators. However, the gendered compositions of these panels are hard to miss. We face what is called a diversity paradox i.e. a mismatch between our stated objectives and actual appointments. Less than 10 per cent of all Indian arbitrators on various international institutional panels are women, he said. He referred to a report on Gender Diversity and said it identified unconscious bias was contributing to this gender mismatch. It suggests using gender-neutral pronouns in our legislation and rules. It is heartening to see that some arbitration rules have taken the cue in employing gender-neutral pronouns in their texts. However, the overwhelming majority of empanelled arbitrators are men. Women, as persons of all genders, also belong in all institutions of dispute resolution, he said. The CJI said countries must learn from others and the successes and difficulties that they faced with its people, businesses, and legal systems. This is all the more possible in this conference because South Asian countries have much and more in common the many similarities in our cultural and social set up undoubtedly seep into our business practices and legal systems. Our economies are also inter-connected, especially in the digital age.... he said. Our legal frameworks must evolve in tandem with the expansion of the digital economy, he said and referred to the MoU signed between India and Singapore last week on advancing cooperation in judicial education and research. Sunshine, as they say, is the best disinfectant. Fortunately, UNCITRAL assisted countries in the simplification and uniformisation of their laws and rules, which in turn has made the justice delivery system more accessible, he said. Legislative efforts in India in ensuring clarity, as well as judicial thrust on party autonomy significantly reduced the sense of unease amongst contracting parties, he said, highlighting the importance of alternative dispute redressal (ADR) mechanism. With its eye on best practices, India has steadily charted a course where arbitrations are the preferred mode of dispute resolution, he said, adding, Indian courts have encouraged the use of ADR mechanisms over the years. In enforcing arbitration agreements, they have remained watchful of attempts to undercut party autonomy by artfully drafted contracts. Besides the CJI, Attorney General for India R Venkataramani and senior advocate Fali Nariman attended the function. Jaipur, Sep 15 (PTI) The police have launched a search to nab three juveniles who escaped from a juvenile here by breaking the mesh of a bathroom window, officials said on Friday. The trio escaped from the juvenile home at Transport Nagar here by breaking the window mesh of the bathroom late Thursday night, they added. Two of these juveniles were lodged in a murder case while another was lodged for robbery, Transport Nagar SHO Dharam Singh said. Based on a complaint by the superintendent of the juvenile home, a case was registered on Thursday night and the three accused are being searched, the SHO said. Jammu, Sep 15 (PTI) Police on Friday arrested two criminals in connection with two separate cases of rape and murder in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said. Ali Mohammad, who hailed from Kathua district, allegedly raped a woman with disabilities in Samba last month, they said. When she got pregnant, he caused her miscarriage by administering drugs. He also threatened her about not disclosing the matter. To escape the police, Mohammad fraudulently solemnised their marriage before divorcing her by forging her signature, the officials said. In the second case, Mohammad Riaz alias Raju -- a native of Samba district -- allegedly killed Zakir Hussain of Balole Khad in 2022, they said. Senior Superintendent of Police (Samba) Benam Tosh said 83 hardcore criminals involved in heinous crimes have been arrested in eight months in Samba. Dozens of other top criminals are under the police's radar and they will be arrested on priority. BEIRUT, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese security forces on Friday busted a human smuggling network operating between Syria and Lebanon, the National News Agency reported. The network of five Syrian nationals smuggles people from Lebanon's northern region of Wadi Khaled to the southern city of Nabatieh in exchange for a sum of money, according to the report. The suspects were referred to judicial authorities for investigation, the report added. The country's security forces have been cracking down on human smuggling, particularly in areas near the border with Syria, as Lebanon is suffering a steep financial crisis and the refugees weigh heavily on its already strained economy. Lebanon, a country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, is home to about 1.5 million Syrian refugees. Its authorities have been calling on the international community to assist them in returning refugees to their homeland. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Three masked individuals brazenly entered a popular kosher Miami Beach steakhouse on Tuesday night, holding several diners at knifepoint before making off with their belongings. The audacious robbery unfolded at the Grill House, a popular kosher steakhouse located at the intersection of 41st Street and Alton Road. Surveillance footage captured the criminals loitering outside the restaurant before entering. Once inside, they confronted three patrons who were savoring their meals, brandishing knives and demanding their valuables. Startling images from the surveillance cameras show the culprits menacingly brandishing their weapons as they absconded with their victims property. Local law enforcement in Miami Beach immediately sprang into action, mobilizing efforts to track down leads in the investigation. This is a closely-knit Jewish community, and patrons here have a genuine affection for the delectable cuisine, Jesse Elkouby, an employee at the Grill House, told local media. Authorities are now investigating the possibility that the assailants might have trailed the victims into the restaurant. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) About half of Americans say they have little or no confidence that the Justice Department is handling its investigation into Hunter Biden in a fair and nonpartisan way, and 1 in 3 are highly concerned about whether President Joe Biden may have committed wrongdoing related to his sons business dealings, according to a new poll. But the political divide is stark. Sixty-six percent of Republicans and just 7% of Democrats are very or extremely concerned about whether Joe Biden committed wrongdoing when it comes to his sons business dealings, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, Democrats are far more wary of faulting the president at all with regard to his sons business dealings. The way I look at it, if Biden did something wrong, then he should be held accountable, said Pilar DeAvila-Pinsley 60, a New York Democrat. But there is no proof of this. The poll was conducted just before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched a formal impeachment inquiry aiming to link the president to the business dealings of his son and deflect attention from Donald Trumps legal peril as the two men battle anew for the White House. A special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland is investigating Hunter Bidens business dealings, after a plea deal on tax and gun charges fell apart. Over the yearslong probe, federal prosecutors have not indicated Joe Biden is connected. And so far, Republicans have unearthed no significant evidence of wrongdoing by the elder Biden, who spoke often to his son as vice president and did stop by a business dinner with his sons associates. The White House, for its part, maintains Joe Biden was not involved in his sons business affairs. Those assurances havent stopped Americans from worrying, and shifts in White House explanations from earlier insisting Biden had never spoken to his son about his overseas business dealings to now saying Biden was not in business with his son have caused concern. Derik Wieland, 47, a Republican who lives outside Raleigh, North Carolina, said Biden has already admitted to some of the issues. I dont know any dad who doesnt know what his son is doing. I would be concerned about a dad who didnt know what his son was doing. For Wieland, the allegations laid out by House Republicans are a sign of a larger problem in Washington, one he believes ensnares Biden, too. A guy who has been in higher levels of power for ages, and kind of plays fast and loose with what he does, he said. Hes been there too long. Too many of them have. The White House messaging shift was also concerning to 40-year-old Nicholas Zumbusch, an independent who lives in a Minneapolis suburb. He isnt fully convinced that Biden profited off his sons business dealings but thinks its very clear that Joe Biden lied about knowing about his sons business. The narrative changed, and then that narrative changed again, Zumbusch said. The poll also found that just 19% of Americans are very or extremely confident that the Justice Department is handling its investigation in a fair and nonpartisan way. An additional 30% are somewhat confident, and 50% say they are not too confident or not at all confident. That view is especially common among Republicans: 79% say they have little to no confidence in the fairness of the investigation. Even Democrats express mediocre levels of confidence: 33% are highly confident, 36% are somewhat confident and 29% have little confidence. The political polarization is reflective of the larger divide in the U.S., and bright political lines have also been drawn around the validity of the 2024 election, and Trumps first impeachment. An August AP-NORC poll, for example, found that 85% of Democrats but just 16% of Republicans approved of the Justice Departments indictment of Trump in the federal case involving allegations that he worked illegally to overturn results of the 2020 presidential election. There was a similar partisan divide in beliefs that Trump did something illegal in the Florida classified documents case, his role in what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and his alleged attempt to interfere in Georgias 2020 presidential vote count. Zumbusch said he has confidence in the rank-and-file Justice Department; its the agencys leadership that troubles him. My big concern is the people who have connections with any administration thats in power, he said. I feel like they tend to be influenced, whether its Republicans in power, or Democrats in power. I think they feel their boss is the administration. The poll shows a majority of Americans, 56%, say theyve heard at least some about the investigations into Hunter Biden, although only 18% say theyve heard a lot. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say theyve heard at least some about the investigations (68% to 51%) and that theyve heard a lot (27% to 13%). Among Republicans, those who say theyve heard at least some about the investigations are more likely than those who have heard less to say they are highly concerned about whether Joe Biden committed wrongdoing (76% to 45%) and that they have little to no confidence that the Justice Departments investigation is fair (88% to 60%). Among Democrats, those who are paying at least some attention to the investigations are no more or less likely than others to be concerned about Joe Bidens role, and are actually somewhat more likely than those paying less attention to say theyre highly confident in the Justice Departments investigation being fair, 42% to 24%. Ryan Laiche, 44, a Democrat from Wheaton, Illinois, said if you are paying attention to the news, its obvious Garland is working independently and fairly. House Republicans, he says, are hellbent on making Biden look bad to distract from Trumps crimes. Its an investigation looking for a crime, he said. We knew this was going to happen when Republicans took over the House. Theyre so predictable. But they cant answer any of the questions was Biden involved? If he was, prosecute him, impeach him. If theres legitimate evidence. But therein lies the rub theres no evidence. (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill next week as he visits the U.S. during the United Nations General Assembly. Zelenskyys trip comes as Congress is debating President Joe Bidens request to provide as much as $21 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Zelenskyy will meet with Biden at the White House next Thursday. The trip to the Capitol was confirmed by two congressional aides granted anonymity to discuss the plans. The Ukrainian president made a wartime visit to Washington in December 2022 and delivered an impassioned address to a joint meeting of Congress. At the time it was his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February of that year. In his speech to cheering lawmakers, Zelenskyy thanked Americans for helping to fund the war effort and said that the money is not charity, but an investment in global security and democracy. Details of Zelenskyys visit next week were not yet being made public. It was first reported by Punchbowl News. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on Zelenskyys plans, including whether he would meet with Biden at the White House. Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. Biden has sought a package of $13 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8 billion for humanitarian support. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Donald Trump, the former president, are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine. Congress is working to pass its annual appropriations bills before a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the U.S. government running. (AP) Yaffed raises millions of dollars from those who share its anti-yeshiva animus. To keep its supporters happy, it makes more and more outrageous claims. A recent filing with the State Education Department sets a new low. Yaffed demands that SED require the City to conduct an investigation of a large yeshiva at 82 Lee Avenue. The problem is that the City visited 82 Lee Avenue years ago and quickly realized it is a butcher shop. You can see for yourself what goes on at 82 Lee Avenue: Despite those clear facts, Yaffed recently claimed that 4653 children are enrolled in school there. In fact, Yaffeds lawyer signed an oath that its claim is true under penalties of perjury Not only that, he stated that he knows that it is true that 4653 children attend school there. How does he know? Well, he says, he read it on the internet. Really, thats it. With all its anti-yeshiva money, you would think Yaffed could visit 82 Lee Avenue for itself and see that there is no school there. We guess they dont want to be seen in a frum neighborhood. This would all be funny if it wasnt so sad. Its time for us to say, enough is enough. Israels foreign minister on Wednesday said that Israel would not cave in to foreign dictates on its treatment of the Palestinians in comments that came in a meeting with his Norwegian counterpart coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Oslo peace accords. The remarks by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen underscored the deterioration of Mideast peace efforts since the historic interim peace deal. Israel will not submit to external dictates on the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Cohen said in the meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, according to a statement from his office. Cohen told Huitfeldt that Israel will continue to work toward normalizing relations with other countries in the Middle East. Israel reached diplomatic accords with four Arab countries under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020 and is now hoping to establish official ties with Saudi Arabia. Sponsored Content Dear fellow Jew, In a heartfelt appeal, Nir Menachem, a dedicated father, beseeches us for assistance as his young son, Lavi, confronts a life-threatening medical condition that demands immediate intervention. Lavi, a vibrant 8-year-old, was born hale and hearty, but recent months have seen him grappling with severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, and debilitating diarrhea. Extensive medical evaluation revealed a rare and grave intestinal disorder wreaking havoc on his digestive system and large intestine. Click here to help>> To secure Lavis future, an imperative abdominal surgery at the Childrens Hospital in Philadelphia is the only path forward. Yet, the staggering cost of this procedure, totaling approximately $200,000, has placed an unbearable financial weight on the Menachem family. Until the scheduled surgery in January, Lavis life teeters on the precipice. He requires ceaseless care, intensive daily treatments, and unwavering medical oversight to purge his body of toxins. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, as any delay in treatment could imperil this young life. The Menachem family, despite their unwavering resolve, grapple with an overwhelming set of challenges. The fiscal strain stemming from exorbitant medical expenses and the necessity of remaining by Lavis side has plunged them into a chasm of debt. Click here to help>> Nir Menachem extends an impassioned plea to our Jewish heart, appealing to your compassion and support to rescue his son. Lavi, at just 8 years old, brims with vitality and yearns to flourish. Every contribution, regardless of size, propels them closer to affording Lavi the vital surgery he so desperately requires. Contributions are eligible for tax deduction under 501(c)(3) regulations, offering a tangible means for compassionate individuals to effectuate a significant change in young Lavis life. Let us unite as a community to offer Lavi the opportunity for a brighter tomorrow. Our hearts and thoughts are with Lavi and the Menachem family as they navigate this arduous journey. May we all be graced with joy, health, and a New Year filled with prosperity. Shana Tova umetukah Click here to help>> Dr Martens will launch a shoe repair service in Britain next month as the firm looks to polish its sustainability credentials, according to reports. The iconic London-listed firm hopes the move will encourage customers to extend the life of their boots, while creating a new revenue stream, its boss told the Reuters news agency. The maker of leather boots, shoes, and sandals is currently testing the service with its employees, ahead of a UK trial. Dr Martens will launch a shoe repair service in Britain next month as the firm looks to polish its sustainability credentials The UK launch is a pilot, with a view to expanding the service to continental Europe. The iconic British bootmaker is working with The Boot Repair Company in Leeds to offer the repairs. CEO Kenny Wilson told Reuters customers will have to pay 81 to replace worn-out soles on a pair of boots - a procedure that requires taking the whole boot apart, while other repairs would likely be less expensive. In comparison, a new pair of Dr Martens 1460 boots, excluding sales, can be purchased for 169 on the company's website. Even if the repair service displaces some demand as people opt for repairing their boots over buying a new pair, Wilson said it would bring benefits to the brand overall. He continued: 'Could it potentially lose us some business short term? Yes, but we think about it long-term, therefore we think it will breed customer loyalty, and it's the right thing to do. 'I get letters from people every week saying can I get my DMs repaired.' Earlier this year, the group reduced its annual profit outlook again after 'operational issues' at its Los Angeles-based distribution centre led to higher costs and lower wholesale revenue. The iconic British bootmaker now predicts underlying earnings for the financial year ending March will be around 245million, compared to a previously downgraded estimate of between 250million and 260million. In the past year, the firm's newly-opened warehouse in California was affected by a significant bottleneck when it was flooded with stock being transferred from its Portland base and factories more quickly than expected. Overall, Wilson said he sees a big opportunity in the second-hand market for Dr Martens, with the potential to grow to a tenth of group revenue. In May last year, the company launched a resale service with second-hand marketplace Depop. Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services. The company offers its products and services for facilities maintenance and municipalities, such as office complexes, apartment complexes, government, hospitals, data centers, parks and recreation departments, schools and universities, shopping centers, pavement/kerb repairs, and golf course maintenance; construction of airports, highways and bridges, office buildings, data centers, schools and universities, shopping centers, residential, remodeling, manufacturing plants, and green energy plants; emergency response for fire, hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, winter, storms, residential and health emergencies, alternative care facilities, points of distribution, and mobile testing facilities; and entertainment and special events, including national events, concerts, sporting events, film and telvision production, theme parks, festivals farmers' markets, local 5k runs, and cycle races. It operates 1,094 stores in the United States, 119 stores in Canada, and 185 stores in the United Kingdom under the Sunbelt Rentals brand. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. The following companies are subsidiares of L3Harris Technologies: 1231670 Ontario Inc, ASV Global LLC, Aastra Digital Video, AeroElite Limited, Aerosim Academy Inc, Aerosim Technologies Inc, Applied Defense Solutions Inc, Applied Kilovolts Limited, Asian Aviation Training Centre Ltd, Audio Broadcast Group Inc, Autonomous Surface Vehicles LLC, Autonomous Surface Vehicles Limited, Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems LLC, Aydin Yazilim ve Elektronik Sanayi AS, Azimuth Security LLC, Azimuth Security Pty Ltd, Azimuth Security Trust, Beijing MAPPS-SERI Technology Company Ltd, CHOICE Microsystems Inc, CK Industrial Engineers Limited, CR MSA LLC, CTC Aviation Training (UK) Limited, Calzoni Srl, Carefx, Core180 Inc., Crucial Security, DMRAC-Aviation Corporation - SGPS Unipessoal LDA, Defence Investments Limited, EAA Escola de Aviacao Aerocondor SA, EDO (UK) Ltd, EDO MBM Technology Ltd, EDO Western Corporation, EMC Srl, Eagle Technology LLC, ElectroDynamics Inc, Encoda Systems Holdings Inc, Exelis, Exelis Arctic Services, Exelis Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Exelis Australia Pty Ltd, Exelis Holdings Inc, Exigent International Inc, Felec Services Inc, Flight Data Services Limited, ForceX Inc, G Air Advanced Training Lda, G Air II Maintenance Lda, G4U Gestao de Activos Aeronauticos Sociedade Lda, Hamilton BioVentures LP, Harris Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Harris Atlas Systems LLC, Harris C4i Pty Ltd, Harris Canada Systems Inc, Harris CapRock Communications, Harris Cayman Ltd, Harris Communications (Australia) Pty Ltd, Harris Communications (Spain) S L, Harris Communications FZCO, Harris Communications GmbH, Harris Communications Limited, Harris Communications MH Spain S L, Harris Communications Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Harris Communications Pakistan (Private) Limited, Harris Communications Systems India Private Limited, Harris Comunicacoes e Participacoes do Brasil Ltda, Harris Defence Ltd, Harris Denmark ApS, Harris Denmark Holding ApS, Harris Geospatial Solutions BV, Harris Geospatial Solutions France SARL, Harris Geospatial Solutions GmbH, Harris Geospatial Solutions Inc, Harris Geospatial Solutions Italia SRL, Harris Geospatial Solutions KK, Harris Geospatial Solutions UK Limited, Harris Global Communications Inc, Harris Holdco LLC, Harris International Chile Limitada, Harris International Holdings LLC, Harris International Inc, Harris International Saudi Communications, Harris International Venezuela CA, Harris Luxembourg Sarl, Harris NV, Harris Orthogon GmbH, Harris Pension Management Limited, Harris Solid-State (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Harris Systems Limited, Hirschmann Multimedia Communications Networks, Honeywell TCAS Inc, ImageLinks Inc, Intraplex Inc, Jariet Technologies, L-3 Brasil Importacao Exportacao e Comercio Ltda, L-3 Communications, L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP, L-3 Communications Investments Inc, L-3 Communications Korea Co Ltd, L-3 Communications Limited, L-3 Communications UK Ltd, L-3 Domestic Holdings Inc, L-3 Global Holding UK Ltd, L-3 International UK Ltd, L-3 Security Equipment Trading (Beijing) Co Ltd, L-3 Societa Srl, L-3 Technology & Services UK Ltd, L-Tres Comunicaciones Costa Rica SA, L3 Applied Technologies Inc, L3 Australia Group Pty Ltd, L3 Aviation Products Inc, L3 CTS Airline Academy (NZ) Limited, L3 CTS Airline and Academy Training Limited, L3 Cincinnati Electronics Corporation, L3 Commercial Training Solutions Limited, L3 Doss Aviation Inc, L3 ESSCO Inc, L3 Electron Devices Inc, L3 Foreign Holdings Inc, L3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems Inc, L3 International Australia Pty Ltd, L3 Investments LLC, L3 Investments UK Holdings Ltd, L3 Kenya LTD, L3 Kigre Inc, L3 Latitude LLC, L3 MAPPS INC, L3 MAPPS Limited, L3 MAPPS Sdn Bhd, L3 Magnet-Motor GmbH, L3 Micreo Pty Limited, L3 Oceania Pty Limited, L3 Open Water Power Inc, L3 Security and Detection Systems Inc, L3 Technologies Australia Group Pty Ltd, L3 Technologies Canada Group Inc, L3 Technologies Canada Inc, L3 Technologies Inc, L3 Technologies Investments Limited, L3 Technologies MAS Inc, L3 Technologies UK Group Ltd, L3 Unidyne Inc, L3 Unmanned Systems Inc, L3 Westwood Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, Leitch Technology Corporation, Linchpin Labs Limited, Linchpin Labs Pty Limited, Louth Automation, MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) SEA PTE Ltd, MacDonald Humfrey Automation Middle East Control Systems LLC, Manatee Investment LLC, Manu Kai LLC, Melbourne Leasing LLC, Multimax Inc, Mustang Technology Group LP, Narda Safety Test Solutions Srl, NexGen Communications LLC, Northeast Broadcast Lab Inc, NovAtel Communications, Optimal Solutions Inc, Orkand Corporation, Pacific Research & Engineering Corporation, Patriot Technologies, Peak Nano Optics LLC, Power Paragon Inc, Riptide Autonomous Solutions LLC, SARL Assured Communications, SC Harris Assured Communications SRL, SPD Electrical Systems Inc, SignaCert, Sovcan Star Satellite Communications Inc, Sunshine General Services LLC, Tyco Electronics Wireless, Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems, Wavtrace Inc, Wescam USA Inc, and Zandar Technologies. Read More HAVANA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China has been actively engaged with the Group of 77 (G77) to advance multilateralism, a Cuban expert said ahead of the G77+China Summit scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Havana. "China has developed different initiatives that are related one way or the other with the aims of the group," Jose Ramon Cabanas, director of the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, told Xinhua. The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will be held in Beijing in October and mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is significant for the G77, he said. Cabanas also highlighted the impressive economic performance of the Chinese economy over the past decades. The researcher said that China's economic relations with the international community do not depend on political issues. Chinese people are sharing what they have with other countries with even completely different political approaches, said Cabanas. Indeed, the stance in which China gets closer to other regions is not like that of some other major countries, he said. Noting the importance of G77+China Summit, he said that the meeting will discuss topics affecting the Global South countries. "We have the only option of working together, reaching consensus and not imposing the will of one country over the others," he said. Highlighting the importance of technology, innovation, and science for developing countries, he said that it is fundamental to bridge the digital gap and pay attention to Artificial Intelligence use across societies. The summit will also contribute to boosting the 2030 UN Development Agenda while helping find solutions to mitigate climate change's impact, he added. The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 17111 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Armtec Countermeasures Co., Armtec Countermeasures TNO Co., Armtec Defense Products Co., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Services China Ltd., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Aurora LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Chelton Avionics Holdings Inc., Chelton Avionics Inc., Chelton Limited, Cobham Aero Connectivity, Cobham CTS Limited, Cobham Defence Communications Limited, Cobham Defense Products Inc., DART Aerospace, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, European Antennas Limited, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, Hytek Finishes Co., ILC Holdings Inc., IRVIN AEROSPACE LIMITED, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Korry Electronics Co., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Corporation, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Germany GmbH, Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Mexico Holding LLC, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., Mason Electric Co., Mastsystem Int'l Oy, McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., NAT Seattle Inc., NMC Group Inc., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, Nordisk Aviation Products LLC, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas LLC, Norwich Aero Products Inc., Palomar Products Inc., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Aerospace Co., TA Mfg Limited, TDG Bavaria GmbH, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Telair International, Telair International GmbH, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm Technologies India Private Limited, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Defence UK Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, Young & Franklin Inc., and exas Rotronics Inc.. Read More Viad Corp operates as an experiential leisure travel, and live events and marketing services company in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, and Iceland. It operates through Pursuit, Spiro, and GES Exhibitions segments. The Pursuit segment offers vertically integrated attractions and hospitality in destinations with a collection of attractions, lodges, and sightseeing tours. The GES Exhibition operates as an exhibition services company that partners with exhibition and conference organizers as a full-service provider of strategic and logistics solutions to manage the complexity of their shows. The Spiro operates experiential marketing agency that partners with brands around the world to manage and elevate their global experiential marketing activities. In addition, the company offers a collection of travel experiences in recreational attractions, food and beverage, retail, and ground transportation services. It serves event organizers and corporate brand marketers directly, as well as through a distribution channel network that include tour operators, tour wholesalers, destination management companies, and retail travel agencies. Viad Corp was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) pays an annual dividend of $3.72 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.44%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 7 consecutive years, indicating the company has a new, but growing committment to grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 203.28%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, SUI will have a dividend payout ratio of 51.38% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for SUI. Metso Oyj provides technologies, end-to-end solutions, and services for aggregates, minerals processing, and metals refining industries in Europe, North and Central America, South America, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and India. The company operates in three segments: Aggregates, Minerals, and Metals. It offers a range of equipment, parts, and services for quarries, aggregates contractors, and construction companies; and process solutions, equipment, and aftermarket services for mining operations. The company also provides solutions for processing virtually various types of ores and concentrates to refined metals. The company was formerly known as Metso Outotec Oyj. Metso Oyj was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada and the United States. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; and merchandise freight, such as energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals and consumer, automotive, and forest products. It transports intermodal traffic comprising retail goods in overseas containers. The company offers rail and intermodal transportation services through a network of approximately 13,000 miles serving business centers in Quebec and British Columbia, Canada; and the United States Northeast and Midwest regions. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. O-I Glass, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of glass containers to food and beverage manufacturers primarily in the Americas, Europe, and internationally. The company produces glass containers for alcoholic beverages, including beer, flavored malt beverages, spirits, and wine. It is also involved in the production of glass packaging for various food items, soft drinks, tea, juices, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the company offers glass containers in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors. It sells its products directly to customers under annual or multi-year supply agreements, as well as through distributors. The company was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio. The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Bapcor Limited sells and distributes vehicle parts, accessories, automotive equipment, and services and solutions in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. The company operates through four segments: Bapcor Trade, Bapcor Specialist Wholesale, Bapcor Retail, and Bapcor NZ. The Bapcor Trade segment offers automotive aftermarket parts and consumables to trade workshops for the service and repair of passenger and commercial vehicles; automotive workshop equipment, such as vehicle hoists and scanning equipment, including the servicing of the equipment; and automotive accessories and maintenance products to do-it-yourself vehicle owners. The Bapcor Specialist Wholesale segment engages in the wholesale distribution and network channel areas of the organization, including AAD, Baxters, Bearing Wholesalers, MTQ Engine Systems, Roadsafe, Diesel Distributors, Federal Batteries, JAS Oceania, Premier Auto Trade, Toperformance, Truckline, and WANO. The Bapcor Retail segment operates retail stores comprising under Autobarn, Autopro, and Opposite Lock brand name, as well as offers workshop services under Midas and ABS brand name. The Bapcor NZ segment is involved in the wholesale of batteries, steering and suspension products, auto electrical and precision equipment, and vehicle workshop equipment. This segment also supplies automotive parts and accessories to workshops, trucks, and trailer parts through the Truck and Trailer Parts brand. The company was formerly known as Burson Group Limited and changed its name to Bapcor Limited in July 2016. Bapcor Limited was founded in 1971 and is based in Melbourne, Australia. Superdry plc designs, produces, markets, and sells clothing, footwear, and accessories primarily under the Superdry brand for men and women in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Retail and Wholesale segments. The Company operates through stores, concessions, various Internet sites, multi-brand independents and distributors, franchise, and license stores. It operates 213 owned, and 410 franchised and licensed stores; and 18 international websites. The company was formerly known as SuperGroup Plc and changed its name to Superdry plc in January 2018. Superdry plc was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Cheltenham, the United Kingdom. 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. A group of 22 journalists from 14 countries has arrived in China's Xinjiang to attend a media event themed "approaching the core area on the Silk Road Economic Belt." Produced by Xinhua Global Service Mueller Water Products, Inc. manufactures and markets products and services for the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water used by municipalities, and the residential and non-residential construction industries in the United States, Israel, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions. The Water Flow Solutions segment provides iron gate and specialty valves, and service brass products; and valves for water systems, such as iron gate, butterfly, tapping, check, knife, plug, and ball valves, which are used to control distribution and transmission of potable water and non-potable water, as well as in water transmission or distribution, water treatment facilities, or industrial applications. The Water Management Solutions segment offers dry-barrel and wet-barrel fire hydrants for water infrastructure development, fire protection systems, and water infrastructure repair and replacement projects; pipe repair products, such as couplings, grips, and clamps used to repair leaks; residential, fire line, and commercial water metering products, systems, and services; water leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services; machines and tools for tapping, drilling, extracting, installing, and stopping-off; gas valve products for use in gas distribution systems; and intelligent water solutions, including pressure control valves, advanced pressure management, network analytics, event management, and date logging. It sells its products under the Canada Valve, Centurion, Ez-Max, Hydro Gate, Hydro-Guard, HYMAX, HYMAX VERSA, Jones, Krausz, Milliken, Mueller, Pratt, Pratt Industrial, Repamax, Repaflex, Singer, Echologics, Echoshore, ePulse, Hersey, i2O Water Ltd, LeakFinderRT, LeakFinderST, LeakListener, LeakTuner, Mi.Echo, Mi.Data, Mi.Hydrant, Mi.Net, Mueller Systems, Sentryx, and U.S. Pipe Valve and Hydrant brands. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) pays an annual dividend of $1.40 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 5.15%. CAG has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 4 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 62.22%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, CAG will have a dividend payout ratio of 50.91% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for CAG. Evolution Petroleum Corporation, an energy company, engages in the development, production, ownership, and exploitation of onshore oil and gas properties in the United States. The company holds interests in a CO2 enhanced oil recovery project in Louisiana's Delhi field. Its Delhi Holt-Bryant Unit covers an area of approximately 13,636 acres located in Northeast Louisiana. The company also holds interests in the Hamilton Dome field covering 5,908 acres located in Hot Springs County, Wyoming; Barnett Shale field covering an area of 123,777 acres located in North Texas; Williston Basin covering an area of 145,743 acres located in North Dakota; Jonah Field covering an area of 5,280 acres located in Sublette County, Wyoming; and small overriding royalty interests in four onshore central Texas wells. Evolution Petroleum Corporation was founded in 2003 and is based in Houston, Texas. Phreesia, Inc. provides an integrated SaaS-based software and payment platform for the healthcare industry in the United States and Canada. Its Phreesia Platform offers access solutions that offers appointment scheduling system for online appointments, reminders, and referral tracking; registration solution to automate patient self-registration; revenue cycle solution, which offer insurance-verification processes, point-of-sale payments applications, post-visit payment collection, and flexible payment options; and network connect solution to deliver clinically relevant content to patients. The company deploys its platform in a range of modalities, such as Phreesia Mobile, a patients' mobile device; Phreesia Dashboard, a web-based dashboard for healthcare services clients; PhreesiaPads, a self-service intake tablets; and Arrivals Kiosks, an on-site kiosks. It serves patients; single-specialty practices, multi-specialty groups, and health systems; and pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology companies. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Oracle Corporation is a leading technology company developing software solutions for businesses worldwide. Founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates, the company is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has a presence in over 175 countries. Oracle's primary focus is on providing cloud-based software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to its customers, helping them to streamline their operations and reduce costs. The current management team at Oracle is led by Chief Executive Officer Safra Catz, who has been with the company since 1999 and served in several senior leadership positions before assuming her current role. Other key management team members include Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, who co-founded the company, and Executive Vice President of Product Development, Steve Miranda. Oracle has reported slight growth in recent years, with its revenue around $40 billion in the last several years. Its net income has also been relatively stable over the past several years. The company's debt levels have remained relatively unchanged over the past few years. Oracle's current valuation metrics show that it trades at a price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratio below the industry average. These valuation metrics suggest that the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers in the technology industry. Regarding market performance, Oracle's stock has shown some volatility in recent years but has performed well. Its stock price has increased from around $44 in 2017 to $102 in 2022, although it has experienced some dips and spikes during that time. The company has also seen an increase in trading volume in recent years, indicating that it is attracting more investor interest. Oracle operates in the highly competitive technology industry, competing with other software giants like Microsoft and Salesforce. The industry is constantly evolving, with new trends and innovations emerging regularly. One direction that has gained prominence in recent years is adopting cloud-based solutions, which have been a key focus for Oracle. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, which can impact the operations of companies operating in the space. Oracle has identified several growth opportunities, including developing new products and services, expanding into new markets, and making strategic acquisitions. The company has recently announced plans to expand its cloud infrastructure footprint by adding new data centers in several countries. Additionally, Oracle has made several acquisitions in recent years, including its acquisition of NetSuite in 2016 and TikTok's US operations in 2020. Like any company, Oracle faces risks and challenges that could impact its future growth and profitability. One significant risk is the changing preferences of consumers and businesses, which could affect the demand for its products and services. Additionally, increased regulatory scrutiny and competitive pressures could impact the company's operations. ANKARA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's talks with China on building the country's third nuclear power plant have made progress, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday. Bayraktar made the remarks at a round-table meeting with foreign journalists in the Turkish capital of Ankara. "We have been in talks with a Chinese company for a very long time, and we are now at a stage where we need to finalize this in a few months," said the minister. He said "enough negotiations" have been made "for some certain parts of the deal" on building the plant. "We are quite close. There are some differences, but not major ones. So we are able to fill the gaps and strike a deal soon with China," explained Bayraktar. Turkiye plans to build its third nuclear plant in the northwestern Thrace region, with works ongoing to determine the precise location. Construction of four reactors for the country's first nuclear plant, inaugurated in April, is currently underway in the southern coastal Mersin province, with the first reactor expected to be operational this year. The second plant is scheduled to be erected in the northern province of Sinop. CANBERRA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- A leading think tank has called for the Australian government to increase regional investment to help spread out the country's population. The Regional Australia Institute (RAI), a Canberra-based independent think tank founded in 2011, has released a 10-year plan to boost the proportion of the Australian population living in regional areas. Under the plan - titled A Framework to Rebalance the Nation - the RAI calls for greater investment from the government to build workforces in regional areas, and make rural towns more liveable with upgraded infrastructure to better spread Australia's population out across the country. According to RAI data, more than three million Australians are eager to move out of urban areas, but recruiting for positions in regional Australia is growing harder. It found that 77 percent of employers recruiting in regional Australia reported difficulty filling advertised roles in 2022 - up from 37 percent in 2019. The institute identified housing availability as a major hindrance for people looking to move away from cities. The RAI plan aims to increase the number of people living prosperously in Australia's regions from 9.6 million currently - approximately 36 percent of the population - to 11 million by 2032. This Account has been suspended. Photo taken on April 13, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Shen Ting/Xinhua) The U.S. hegemony has become "the most pressing problem of the modern world," Novikov warned, saying all progressive and freedom-loving nations must fight against this dangerous threat, said senior Russian official Dmitry Novikov. MOSCOW, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- American military hegemony severely hinders progress and human development, becoming a pressing challenge for the world, senior Russian official Dmitry Novikov told Xinhua in a recent interview. "It is difficult to deny that U.S. military hegemony runs counter to the goals of promoting peace and human development," said Novikov, deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs. According to Novikov, U.S. hegemony has impeded progress, created humanitarian catastrophes and become a significant source of global instability. Iraqi protesters take part in a demonstration against the presence of U.S. troops in the country in Baghdad, capital of Iraq, Jan. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Novikov believes that U.S. military hegemony is a product of capitalism, and the growth of this hegemony coincides with the country's aggressive capital expansion goals. He added that the United States has managed to gain control of global markets and major economic arteries in the aftermath of the First and Second World Wars. "Today, the United States is trying to establish full control over raw material sources and capital to retain markets and maintain its competitive advantage regarding the production of value-added products," Novikov noted, adding that Washington is attempting to achieve such goals via military means. In the past few decades, millions of people in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Syria have suffered from the consequences of the U.S. military hegemony. Before that, people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Vietnam and Grenada suffered, said the official. Protesters gather in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Dec. 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Xinhua Institute, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, released a report on Sept. 5 on the "Origins, Facts and Perils of U.S. Military Hegemony." Novikov believes the report has significantly exposed the inhumane essence of U.S. imperialism and military hegemony. He said that the report, which has shown the truth about the perils of U.S. military hegemony by presenting facts and data, have attracted the attention of politicians and experts worldwide. The U.S. hegemony has become "the most pressing problem of the modern world," Novikov warned, saying all progressive and freedom-loving nations must fight against this dangerous threat. "The solution to this problem will become an indispensable condition for mankind's path towards justice, as well as equitable and sustainable development," Novikov said. Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan wore a dramatic look of a corseted black velvet dress and a statement black and gold headpiece to attend the star-studded Vogue World event. The actress, 36, joined stars from the worlds of fashion, music and theatre including Kate Winslet, Alexa Chung and Stormzy at Londons Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Thursday night. The blockbuster show included appearances from supermodels Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, a musical performance by Annie Lennox and a monologue from actress Sophie Okonedo. Coughlans dress was custom-made by British-American designer Harris Reed. Reed has previously dressed celebrities including Beyonce, Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, and debuted his most recent collection on Wednesday night at London Fashion Week, with model Ashley Graham taking to the catwalk. Reed told British Vogue the look for Coughlan was inspired by Old Hollywood styles, re-imagining them for a modern movie star. What I love about Nicola and so many of the individuals I get to work with, like Ashley Graham and Precious Lee, is that they feel so confident within their skin and know how they want their body to feel, he said. Nicola owns who she is, she knows what she wants and shes fierce. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aimee Croysdill (@aimeecroysdill) The gown was made of black velvet with a silk double duchess satin wrap, and the ethereal halo-style headpiece was by Reeds regular collaborator, accessories designer Vivienne Lake. Coughlans make-up artist, Neil Young, described her look on Instagram as channelling celestial radiance. Using Pat McGrath products, she had glowing skin, a black cat-eye, a slight shimmer on her lids and on-trend peach lips. The Pat McGrath Divine Bronzer in Naked Desire (retailing at 37) was used on the edges of the face to sculpt and shape, Young wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neil Young (@neilyoungbeauty) The Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner (34) was used to create the extreme cat-eye. To get the look yourself, Young said: Sweep [the eyeliner] along the upper lash line starting at the inner corner of the eye. Extend straight out at the outer corner and repeat at the outer corner to thicken and intensify the liner. Finally, the lip shape was defined using the PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil in Buff (28) and finished with the Satin Allure Lipstick in Nude Romantique (29). Galway-born Coughlan shot to fame on TV series Derry Girls inspired by writer Lisa McGees experiences growing up in Northern Ireland in the 1990s and more recently appeared alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the summer blockbuster Barbie. She also plays Penelope Featherington in period Netflix show Bridgerton, with the next series set to put the spotlight on her romance with Colin Bridgerton (played by Luke Newton). Coughlan has made a name for herself as an experimental red carpet dresser, who is not afraid of bold silhouettes and bright colours. She wore another Old Hollywood-inspired outfit to the European premiere of Barbie in July a glamorous Wiederhoeft gown dripping with Swarovski crystals and dazzled in a structured couture Valentino dress at the Baftas in February. September 15, 2023 Albanian-owned Credins Bank is supporting national strategy for tourism It's great to hear that a bank is supporting a national strategy for tourism! Banks can play a significant role in supporting various industries, including tourism, through financial services and initiatives. Here are a few ways in which a bank might support a national strategy for tourism: Financing and Loans: Banks can provide financial assistance to tourism-related businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and tour operators. These businesses often require capital to expand, renovate, or improve their services. Investment: Banks might invest in tourism infrastructure projects, such as the development of new tourist attractions, resorts, or transportation systems. These investments can contribute to the growth of the tourism sector. Financial Advisory: Banks can offer financial advice to businesses in the tourism sector, helping them manage their finances, optimize their operations, and plan for growth. Specialized Products: Banks can design financial products tailored to the needs of the tourism industry, such as seasonal loans to help businesses manage cash flow during peak and off-peak seasons. Partnerships: Banks can collaborate with tourism boards, government agencies, and industry associations to create partnerships that promote tourism and boost local economies. Digital Solutions: Banks can develop digital payment solutions that cater to tourists, making it easier for them to make transactions while traveling. This can include foreign exchange services, international payment options, and secure online banking for tourists. Sustainable Tourism: Banks can support environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism practices by offering incentives or loans to businesses that adopt eco-friendly initiatives. Data Analysis: Banks can leverage their data analytics capabilities to provide insights into tourism trends, visitor behavior, and economic impact. This information can help governments and businesses make informed decisions. Promotion and Marketing: Banks can help promote tourism destinations and events by sponsoring marketing campaigns or offering discounts to tourists who use their services. Capacity Building: Banks can provide training and workshops to tourism businesses to enhance their financial literacy, management skills, and overall competitiveness. Support for Small Businesses: Banks can focus on supporting small and local businesses in the tourism sector, as they often contribute significantly to the uniqueness and authenticity of a destination. In January this year, Albania registered an almost 100% increase in tourism. After being closed off from the world for nearly 50 years, the country is now working hard to attract tourists to their 300 miles of coastlines, rolling countryside, medieval constructions, as well as their beautiful lakes and mountains that attract hikers. At the International Tourism Convention held in April, the World Tourism Organization concluded that the Albanian government is considering tourism a priority sector in their economy. After all, more than 7.5 million foreign citizens have entered Albania in 2022, while revenues from touristic traveling amounted to approximately EUR 2.8 billion an increase of 48.5% compared to 2021. This will lead to fiscal incentives and infrastructural developments that can be supported both by the government and companies like Credins Bank. In this initial phase, Credins Bank is focusing on small and micro businesses operating in tourism and agro-tourism, as well as larger businesses that are more engaged in these same sectors. Credins ranks first for lending, with a market share of about 19%, but it also has extensive experience in the market and a wide network established over the years. Moreover, Credins is an Albanian-owned company, a very important competitive advantage. This is why it has a great deal of knowledge of the specific national requirements when it comes to environmental resources and infrastructure, economy and culture. Such proximity ensures that both local and foreign investors can start projects with flexibility and professionalism. With Credins, customers can also have access to a variety of services and products, including financing for investments and working capital, POS payments, wire transfers with competitive fees, a wide network of branches, businesses credit and debit cards and more. More recently, the bank also introduced the Mobile Branch service, which is a van that travels to serve customers wherever they are, but with a focus on tourists in particular. According to the Albanian Ministry of Tourism, it is expected that the country will host about 10 million tourists this year. With a diversity of destinations, the country is both attractive to those seeking to spend time in nature but also for those who want to learn more about local culture and history, as well as their cuisine. That last part is a highlight considering that Albanians have a tradition to offer abundant food at the table for their guests, even at difficult times. In order to meet the most exigent customers' standards, the Albanian government is offering fiscal incentives to 4-5 star hotels. During the International Tourism Convention, the Minister of Finances and Economy, Ms. Delina Ibrahimaj, said that this strategy was set to allow established facilities to prosper and new ones to be started. Compared to 2021, in 2022 Albania had already increased 44.6% of their investments in tourism, while the turnover of entities operating in this sector or connected with it increased by 39.9%. For a Credins Bank's spokesperson, Albania could be even considered a "second home for many foreign tourists, who are amazed by the diverse lifestyle they find in various parts of the country and passionate about traditional Albanian cuisine." They explain visitors should expect a combination of oriental cuisines and other Balkan countries, which gives it a unique approach. As for the nationalities that are most interested in visiting Albania, it is especially the Spanish and then the British tourists who are on the top of the list. In the case of American tourists, it is even possible for them to stay in the country for up to a whole year, in case they fall in love with its Balkam charm. September 15, 2023 Search engine optimization is the mainstay of online visibility for businesses. While SEO relies on tried-and-tested tactics, it continues to evolve. Changes in search engine algorithms make it essential to keep adjusting your strategy. With algorithmic updates, search ranking factors may witness a shuffle, disrupting your existing plan. Did you know that Google (News - Alert) changes its algorithm 500-600 times a year? It also uses more than 200 ranking factors to rate and rank websites. The sheer numbers sound overwhelming to a business owner looking to implement an SEO plan. The bottom line is that you cannot take shortcuts or use a set-and-forget approach. The best piece of advice is to start your campaign after in-depth research of the critical ranking factors. For businesses already implementing an SEO strategy, keeping an eye on these factors is essential to maintain results. Since these parameters may change on the fly, you must have a clear view of the current ones. Here is a checklist of ranking factors to prioritize in 2023 and beyond: Content (Quality, Relevance, and Usability) Artificial intelligence has disrupted the content and SEO landscape in recent times. The adoption of AI is widespread, with 44.4% of small businesses using it for content production. Although AI tools make content creation quick and cost-effective, they hardly reduce the value of content as a ranking factor. Quality, relevance, and usability are the key parameters for creating content that ranks. Content quality encompasses the freshness, uniqueness, and usefulness of a page in relation to a search query. Likewise, Google is more likely to rank a page offering content relevant to user searches. Even if you use AI content writing tools, practice caution and ensure that your content complies with these ranking essentials. Also, the content should be optimized (not over-optimized) with relevant keywords. Backlinks Like content, backlinks have always been a significant ranking factor and continue to hold their place in 2023. Your SEO consulting partner will emphasize the value of incoming links from relevant and authoritative sources from the get-go. Websites with fewer backlinks often fall short of organic traffic because they hardly get anyone landing from outside sources. SEO Inc notes that link-building is a consistent and ongoing effort that requires gathering quality backlinks to consolidate your profile. The more links you have, the higher you rank over time. But remember that link-building is about quality, not just the numbers. Successful SEO campaigns stand on the foundation of a robust inbound link profile built with relevant backlinks. User Experience Statistics show that 88% of online buyers never return to a website after a bad user experience. UX is also a key ranking factor. An excellent UX spells high dwell time, low bounce rates, and more conversions for a website. Together, these factors make your website a good candidate for a higher ranking in the long run. Here are the elements of a good UX you must ensure for your website: A high-loading speed Mobile-responsiveness Quality content An engaging design Intuitive navigation A robust site structure On-Page Optimization Regardless of the algorithm changes, on-page optimization is an SEO ranking factor that will never lose its significance. On-page optimization is more than creating high-quality, keyword-optimized, and well-formatted content for your web pages. It also entails the use of optimized meta tags and header tags. These are the elements that guide Google bots to interpret your content. Targeted meta titles and descriptions can also enhance the organic traffic to your website. Image optimization and geotagging are other factors to consider. Branding Signals If you want to ace SEO rankings in 2023 and beyond, you must pay attention to branding signals in your strategy. The more your brand gets mentioned by external sources, the better your search engine visibility. It is like getting endorsements from others, making your website more credible and valuable for search engines. Brand signals also educate, motivate, and inspire the target audience, giving them a reason to stick with your brand. Not surprisingly, well-known companies achieve high rankings because they thrive on brand mentions. You can improve brand signals with the following strategies: Create content showcasing niche expertise and thought leadership Build a robust social media following Become a guest contributor on relevant blogs Get press coverage Conclusion A hit-and-miss approach is the last thing you should adopt for your SEO strategy. Although it may pay off, sustainable results come with a focused plan. You can create it by understanding the ranking factors and following them as your guiding light. Also, being nimble and adapting quickly to changes in algorithms and ranking factors can give you a winning advantage. [September 15, 2023] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Pozavarovalnica Sava d.d. Tweet AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a" (Excellent) of Pozavarovalnica Sava d.d. (Sava Re) (Slovenia), the operating holding company of the Sava Insurance Group. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Sava Re's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Sava Re's strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), liquid investment portfolio, prudent reserving and good internal capital generation collectively contribute to an overall balance sheet assessment of very strong. Additionally, the company exhibits low reliance on reinsurance and sound financial flexibility, with access to both equity and debt markets. Sava Re has a track record of generating strong and stable operating results, indicated by a five-year (2018-2022) weighted average return-on-equity ratio of 14.3% (as calculated by AM Best). Consistent reporting of operating profits over the past five years has been driven by sound life and non-life underwriting performance, supplemented by healthy investment income. At year-end 2022, the company reported a combined ratio of 90.4% with a five-year average combined ratio of 91.6% (as calculated by AM Best). For the first half of 2023, Sava Re reported a strong net profit of EUR 40 million and a combined ratio of 89.9%. The full-year result will be impacted negatively by the third-quarter floods, particularly in Slovenia; however, the losses are expected to be within the group's risk tolerances. The group originates approximately 70% of its gross written premium in Slovenia, where its leading competitive position and prudent underwriting helps generate stong and relatively stable earnings. Sava Re benefits from a strong position in its core domestic market of Slovenia, where it is the second-largest player and holds an approximately 28% market share (excluding supplementary health insurance business) in terms of gross written premium. The group's insurance business is dominated by premiums written in Slovenia; however, the company continues to expand in the West Balkan markets. AM Best expects to see further geographic diversification in the medium term in both the direct and reinsurance segments, as the group continues to develop its position prudently in the international reinsurance market. AM Best considers Sava Re's ERM to be developed and appropriate for the company's risk profile and operational scope. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915374575/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] GardaWorld Cash Offers Up to $50,000 Reward for Information in Dallas Homicide Tweet BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 15, 2023 /CNW/ - GardaWorld Cash today announced it is seeking public assistance to help law enforcement apprehend the individuals responsible for the reprehensible fatal shooting of a GardaWorld Cash employee in Dallas, Texas. On Friday, September 1, 2023, at approximately 9:30 a.m. (CDT) a GardaWorld Cash employee was killed in a cowardly shooting while servicing a cash-checking store located in the 100 block of S. Carroll Ave., in the Baylor Meadows neighborhood of east Dallas. GardaWorld Cash is appreciative of the efforts of law enforcement and would like to assist the ongoing investigation. GardaWorld Cash is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those responsible for this heinous crime and/or recovery of the stolen funds. Anyone who witnessed the tragic incident or has any relevant information is urged to immediately contact: Detective Reginald Woods, Special Investigations Unit, Dallas Police Department (PD), at 214-283-4955 or [email protected] A reward will be paid once Dallas PD supplies written verification that a tip helped lead to the arrest and indictment of a suspect. Rewards can be split on any given case depending on the information provided and law enforcement's disposition of all tips receied. GardaWorld Cash will determine the appropriate amount and timing of the reward to be paid, up to $50,000, at its sole direction. Recipients are responsible for any taxes or other costs associated with any reward. The reward may be allocated among multiple tipsters. About GardaWorld Cash GardaWorld Cash is the leading provider of customized end-to-end cash solutions in North America, including secure transportation, cash management, cash processing and ATM services. Managing and moving billions of dollars in cash every day, GardaWorld Cash is an essential provider and strategic partner to the U.S. and Canadian financial, commercial, government and corporate sectors. For more information, visit cash.garda.com. About GardaWorld GardaWorld is a global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals. Driven by a relentless entrepreneurial culture and core values of integrity, vigilance, trust and respect, GardaWorld offers sophisticated and tailored security and technology solutions through high-touch partnerships and consistently superior service delivery. With a deep understanding that security is critical to conducting business and keeping communities safe, GardaWorld is committed to impeccable governance, professional care and the well-being of everyone. Thanks to a well-earned reputation, GardaWorld is proud to be the long-standing security partner of choice to some of the most prominent brands, Fortune 500 corporations and governments. For more information, visit garda.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gardaworld-cash-offers-up-to-50-000-reward-for-information-in-dallas-homicide-301928704.html SOURCE GardaWorld Cash [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Green Leadership and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Award Presented to Qisda Corporation at the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2023 Tweet SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) 2023 is pleased to honor 30 outstanding business leaders and enterprises for championing sustainable and responsible business practices. Presented by leading regional NGO Enterprise Asia, the AREA is the most reputable award recognition program recognizing organizational efforts in creating a culture of compassion, integrity, and in being socially responsible corporate citizens. The AREA serves as a badge of excellence to spur further innovation and best-practice sharing for organizations and the world at large. The Qisda Corporation (Qisda) was among the recipients who were conferred with the Green Leadership and Corporate Sustainability Awards. Qisda was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Taiwan. It operates in the fields of information and communication technology, healthcare, smart solutions, and 5G network connectivity. For its Green Leadership award, Qisda's "Deepening Earth-Friendly Green Products" project, also known as "Green Design 555", measures the environmental impact of the company's products at the design stage, aiming to reduce environmental harm and enhance the products' sustainable value. By providing customers with more sustainable product services, this initiative also helps lower operational costs through energy savings and waste reduction. "Green Design 555" seeks to achieve a yearly 5% energy savings, 5% waste reduction, and 5% carbon reduction in product manufacturing. This gradual decrease in carbon emissions helps mitigate the impact of climate change. Qisda incorporates green design elements into its product research and development, establishing management systems and a carbon management platform aligned with IEC 62430 and ISO 14006. Qisda has obtained declarations of conformity for IEC 62430 and ISO 14006, covering a significant portion of its product lines, including multifunctional displays, general displays, projectors, and more. Energy savings, waste reduction, and carbon reduction are the goals of Qisda's green product designs. These new products have also achieved eergy efficiency improvements, total weight reduction, packaging volume reduction, mechanism weight reduction, optimized Crtl BD design, and carbon reduction which all serve as performance indicators. In 2022, Qisda also achieved significant improvements in its green products performances compared to 2021, with energy savings of 42.32%, waste reduction of 38.95%, and carbon reduction of 45.47%. For its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Award, Qisda follows the value creation process, Qisda invests in the six capitals, which are "finance", "manufacturing", "intelligence", "humanresources", "social", and "natural", as the foundation for its sustainable development. The company engages with stakeholders to identify significant issues and areas of focus. Qisda responds to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals through five dimensions of sustainable management, which are financial performance, social responsibility, green products, green operations, and a green supply chain. In addition to defining its transformation direction, Qisda incorporates its subsidiaries into the strategic planning for sustainable development, aiming to amplify the impact of its overall fleet. To ensure effective communication with stakeholders during the planning and decision-making processes of its corporate sustainability development, Qisda adheres to the AA1000APS Principle Standard, which encompasses inclusivity, materiality, responsiveness, and impact. In the future, Qisda will cultivate green talents and hold awareness courses starting from the research and development until the end of the product's lifecycle, building a complete green design framework. Senior R&D personnel will participate in specialized courses tailored to their needs, enhancing their knowledge and skills in areas such as international standards, product lifecycle, and product disassembly analysis. For management-level employees, green management courses will be provided to enhance their understanding of the latest management strategies and identify areas for environmental improvement, enabling the formulation of more suitable and sustainable management policies. About Enterprise Asia Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs, and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation, and courage for the future generation. Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org for more information. About Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards program recognizes and honors Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship in the categories of Green Leadership, Investment in People, Health Promotion, Social Empowerment, Corporate Governance, Circular Economy Leadership, Corporate Sustainability Reporting, and Responsible Business Leadership. For more information, visit https://enterpriseasia.org/area. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/green-leadership-and-corporate-sustainability-reporting-award-presented-to-qisda-corporation-at-the-asia-responsible-enterprise-awards-2023-301928906.html SOURCE Enterprise Asia [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] SmartCardia Receives FDA Clearance for its 14-Day 7-Lead ECG Real-Time Patch and Cloud Platform Tweet LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartCardia has received FDA clearance for its 7-lead real-time ECG monitoring patch and cloud platform. SmartCardia's 7L patch is easy-to-wear, cable-free, waterproof and can be used for continuous monitoring for up to 14 days. "SmartCardia's 7L patch and cloud platform is a single solution that covers the entire spectrum of cardiac monitoring including screening, post-operative follow-up, and remote patient monitoring. It has been designed ground-up to meet the stringent requirements of these different applications", said Srinivasan Murali, co-founder and CEO of SmartCardia. One of the major limitations of cardiac patches in the market is the lack of multiple, reciprocal leads that enable accurate arrhythmia detection. SmartCardia's 7L patch provides excellent P and QRS waves, unprecedented signal quality and allows foraccurate detection of arrhythmias thanks to its 7 ECG leads. According to the CTO, Francisco Rincon: "100% of the ECG data, not just events, is transmitted in real-time, and the automated analysis is performed throughout the entire signal. While full-disclosure analysis allows for highly accurate arrhythmia detection, easy navigation on the cloud platform allows the clinician to quickly view and analyze ECG at any point in time." The 7L platform features real-time view of the patient's ECG and can deliver visual and audio alarms. It also provides automatic trigger of abnormal events with notifications to clinicians, and analysis of a comprehensive set of arrhythmias. The patch and cloud platform are CE Class IIa approved. SmartCardia is expanding its global footprint with widespread adoption in Europe and India and quickly reaching new geographies. The company has been recognized by Frost & Sullivan with the 2022 Global New Product Innovation Award in cardiac monitoring. About SmartCardia: SmartCardia is a leading provider of an integrated cloud platform and patch for cardiac and remote patient monitoring. Integrating accurate ECG and vital sign data with clinician cloud SaaS platform enables SmartCardia to provide actionable insights into patients' health. The solution provides excellent clinical, operational, and financial benefits to hospitals and patients globally. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smartcardia-receives-fda-clearance-for-its-14-day-7-lead-ecg-real-time-patch-and-cloud-platform-301928873.html SOURCE SmartCardia [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 14, 2023] The ReThink Foundation Announces 2023-24 Impact Projects Tweet Seed Funding Aims to Foster Collaboration for Greater Impact in Hong Kong HONG KONG, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The ReThink Foundation, a registered not-for-profit supporting the work of local Chapter 88 organisations by providing funding and resources for social and environmental impact projects, today announces the three impact projects it will be supporting in 2023-24 following the launch of its inaugural programme earlier this year. With the mission to foster collaboration between Hong Kong charities for greater social impact, The Rethink Foundation asked applicants to present projects developed by two or more organisations working together leveraging each other's strengths, expertise, and resources. Three impact projects have been selected, and each will receive HK$100,000 seed funding as well as further support through delivering a capacity building and engagement programme facilitated by Humans Matter. This is to ensure that the selected NGOs, empowered through training and consulting, are provided with the tools to develop and grow sustainably. The ReThink Foundation received an overwhelming number of project applications. The final three projects were selected following a thorough review process by The Foundation's Advisory Board: Mark Harper (Group Head of Sustainability, John Swire & Sons), Christy Kan (Senior Reporter, Now TV), Kalmond Ma (Director for Hong Kong Social Impact and Innovation Initiatives, Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation), Paul McComb (Executive Director, The British Chamber of Commerce), Chelsea Perino (Managing Director, Global Marketing & Communications, The Executive Centre) and Kiri Sinclair (Founder & CEO, Sinclair). The three projects selected are: Humanity Seekers Cooking for More Good More Good Foundation, Humanity Seekers & Justice Centre More Good Foundation, Humanity Seekers & Justice Centre Peace: A New Literacy Peace Generation & The Hong Kong Association of Heads of Secondary Schools Peace Generation & The Hong Kong Association of Heads of Secondary Schools Light Up Together Running in the Dark & Runnerful https://rethink-foundation.org/ Chris Brown, Founder & Director, ReThink HK & The ReThink Foundation, said: "We are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of projects to be funded by the ReThink Foundation which is building on the great work being done at ReThink HK. We are committed to making a positive impact in Hong Kong and fostering collaboration and empowering charities to make meaningful change. We are delighted with the three projects chosen by our advisory board and aim to make a difference and build a sustainable Hong Kong." Upon hearing of their selection, the impact project leaders shared their thoughts: Tina Pavri of More Good Foundation shared: "More Good, Justice Centre and Humanity Seekers are honoured to be a recipient of the inaugural ReThink Foundation programme. The funding will empower refugees to give back to society by targeting food insecurity in Hong Kong. The refugee-led initiative aims to accelerate social development by removing the traditional beneficiary and benefactor models." Kit Choi at Peace Education said: "Peace is the new literacy. It enables us to communicate with one another in increasingly complex social systems. Peace education focuses on everyday conflict sensitivity and peace strategies so we can all take part in building sustainable peace." Tommy Chan of Running in the Dark commented: "Some people may see visual impairment as a physical disability, but we treat it as a present. We arrange workshops for students, teachers, parents, and corporate staff to experience the impact of vision loss so that they can explore different senses, understand things from another perspective, and learn how to communicate with others in effective ways". The ReThink Foundation aims to be a catalyst for co-creation and co-learning in the community, ensuring resilient and sustainable projects. By supporting these projects, with the shared objective of bringing communities together for greater impact, all attendees and supporters of ReThink HK are contributing to advancing amazing work, by amazing organisations, that will make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged communities and work to improve awareness and action for environmental causes. The ReThink Foundation would like to express its gratitude to its advisory board, our supporters and all the fantastic projects submitted. Their unwavering support has been the driving force behind the foundation's success in creating a positive impact. To learn more about The ReThink Foundation and how to get involved, visit https://rethink-foundation.org/ or reach out to Louisa Dearlove ([email protected]). Together, we can make a difference and build a sustainable Hong Kong About The ReThink Foundation The objective of the ReThink Foundation is to follow on from the great work being done at ReThink HK and bring communities together to collaborate and share resources for greater impact on social and environmental projects. ReThink HK's mission is to drive sustainable development in Hong Kong. ReThink HK addresses the challenges and opportunities of accelerating environmental and social sustainable development in Hong Kong. All proceeds generated from delegate pass sales for ReThink HK will fund impact projects and provide a capacity building and engagement programme for organisations via the ReThink Foundation, registered by guarantee as a not-for-profit organisation. The ReThink Foundation will support the work of local Chapter 88 organisations and provides funding and resources for social and environmental impact projects that facilitate greater collaboration between charities. The ReThink Foundation aims to foster collaboration between Hong Kong charities for greater social impact. Each project application should be developed by two or more charities working together leveraging each other's strengths, expertise, and resources. As well as financial support, the ReThink Foundation is committed to further supporting these organisations through delivering a capacity building and engagement programme. This is to ensure that we are empowering NGOs through training, consulting, and providing them with the tools to develop and grow sustainably. To learn more, visit https://rethink-foundation.org/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/the-rethink-foundation-announces-2023-24-impact-projects-301928655.html SOURCE ReThink HK [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Repairon Appoints Co-Founder Dr. Lothar Germeroth as Chief Executive Officer Tweet GOTTINGEN, Germany, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Repairon, a clinical-stage German biotech company focused on developing a novel reparative treatment for heart failure, today announced Dr. Lothar Germeroth, Executive Chairman of Repairon GmbH, has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Germeroth, who is a Co-Founder and a major shareholder of Repairon, will retain his role as Executive Chairman. Dr. Germeroth is a trained biochemist and serial biotech entrepreneur with extensive expertise in founding and developing small and medium size biotech companies. Through the founding of Stage cell therapeutics GmbH, which developed high performance processes for production of cell therapeutics, Dr. Germeroth became involved in several successful business transactions, including the acquisition of Stage cell therapeutics by Juno Therapeutics. Juno was then acquired by Celgene, which itself went on to become a subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Germeroth joined each company as part of the terms of each acquisition and until now served as a member of the Juno Therapeutics management team and the Bristol Myers Squibb global cell therapy management team. He holds several patents for automated cell manufacturing systems. "It is a privilege to take up the role of CEO at Repairon where I will be working closely with the company's experienced and talented team to establish Repairon's engineered heart muscle product as a transformative treatment for advanced heart falure," said Dr. Lothar Germeroth, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Repairon. "This is a very exciting time for Repairon. Our lead asset is making extremely encouraging clinical progress in the BioVAT-HF Phase 1/2 trial showing a good safety profile and first signs of improved heart function in patients with advanced heart failure. We are expecting interim data on the highest tested dose in Q2/Q3 2024 and we are beginning to advance our plans for commercial product development. I look forward to leading Repairon towards the achievement of our next important milestones, working hard to significantly improve the quality of life for patients with advanced heart failure." "Dr. Germeroth has been a leading figure at Repairon since the company was founded in 2014 and we are very pleased to welcome Lothar to his new role as Chief Executive Officer," said Professor Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, Co-Founder of Repairon, Inventor of the EHM technology, and BioVAT-HF Study Director. "Lothar's extensive experience in biotech and business as well as his intricate understanding of Repairon and our mission make him the ideal candidate to advance the company to the next stage of our clinical and commercial development." About Repairon Repairon is a clinical-stage private German biotech company focused on developing a treatment for heart failure. The company was founded in 2014 on the pioneering work of Professor Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann and his team, who have developed several tissue engineering technologies with documented applicability in organ repair. Repairon's lead therapeutic candidate, engineered heart muscle (EHM), is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial as Biological Ventricular Assist Tissue in Terminal Heart Failure (BioVAT-HF). Repairon maintains strong partnerships with the University Medical Center in Gottingen and the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). The company is headquartered in Gottingen, Germany. Contact Contact Rudolf-Wissell-Str. 28a 37079 Gottingen, Germany www.repairon.de Dr. Lothar Germeroth Chief Executive Officer [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Knest Aluminium Formwork signs landmark MOU with ABR Jeddah Contracting Co. from Saudi Arabia Tweet NEW DELHI, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Knest, India's largest & the world's fastest growing aluminium formwork company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ABR Jeddah Contracting Co. from Saudi Arabia. The signing event was organised on September 11 as part of the India - Saudi Investment Forum 2023 during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. The MOU has been endorsed by key government and industry partners including Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment, India's Ministry of Commerce & Industry & the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The objective of the strategic alliance is to set up an aluminium formwork factory in Saudi Arabia that will boost its supply in Saudi & other Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. Along with the investments, the alliance is set to kickstart knowledge sharing and collaborative growth in the sector. Talking about the alliance, Nitin Mittal, Chairman & MD, Knest, shared, "The effort is to take Knest to the world, and continue building an efficient, inter-connected & consistently productive global real estate ecosystem. We are grateful to both the Indian & Saudi Governments for supporting us in creating value for all." p>Mr Yaser A. Almalki, Chairman, ABR Jeddah , commented, "Knest is a pioneer in the aluminium formwork industry, and we have been fascinated by their value engineering. Our vision is to start using the technology in Neom, Al-'Ula & National Housing Company for housing & commercial projects. And then take it to the entire MENA region. We are confident that working with Knest & India will be a watershed moment for all." About Knest Knest is a construction-tech solutions company with aluminium formwork offerings for real estate and infrastructure development. It prides itself on delivering the world's best engineered aluminium formwork. An Indian multinational from Pune, Knest has worked with 500+ clients in over 8 countries. For more information: Website: www.knestaluform.com LinkedIn: @knestaluform Facebook: @knestaluform Instagram: @knestaluform YouTube: @knestmanufacturers Contact: [email protected] Photo:https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2210998/Knest_x_Saudi_Agreement_Signing.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2210997/Knest_New_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/knest-aluminium-formwork-signs-landmark-mou-with-abr-jeddah-contracting-co-from-saudi-arabia-301928051.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A demonstrator holds a placard during a climate protest in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 15, 2023. The environmental activist group Fridays for Future (FFF) called for a global day of strikes on Friday, with climate protests planned in nearly 250 locations in Germany alone. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) BERLIN, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The environmental activist group Fridays for Future (FFF) called for a global day of strikes on Friday, with climate protests planned in nearly 250 locations in Germany alone. "We are in the midst of a climate crisis," the group said in a statement. "That's why we need to get out of coal, oil and gas now. We need a real change in transport and a fresh start at all levels." In Germany, FFF is calling for a CO2 tax on all greenhouse gas emissions and for compensating consumers with so-called climate money that the government decided to introduce in its coalition agreement. The activists also want to bring forward the country's net zero emission target by ten years. Germany's current climate protection law aims to reach net zero by 2045 compared with 1990 levels. Even without a tightening of climate policies, Germany is struggling to expand renewable energies quickly enough to reach its targets. In August, the Expert Council on Climate Change (ERK) found that although a climate action program proposed by the German government in June could enable a significant reduction of emissions, a "large gap" would remain to reach the set goals. FFF has been active in Germany and many other European countries for more than five years now. Despite their efforts, only one in four Germans feels "strongly" or "very strongly" influenced by them, according to a survey published by public broadcaster ARD on Friday. A large majority of Germans, 75 percent, even said that the protests have little or no influence on their personal attitudes toward climate and environmental issues, the survey found. A demonstrator holds a placard during a climate protest in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 15, 2023. The environmental activist group Fridays for Future (FFF) called for a global day of strikes on Friday, with climate protests planned in nearly 250 locations in Germany alone. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Demonstrators take part in a climate protest in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 15, 2023. The environmental activist group Fridays for Future (FFF) called for a global day of strikes on Friday, with climate protests planned in nearly 250 locations in Germany alone. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) A demonstrator holds a placard during a climate protest in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 15, 2023. The environmental activist group Fridays for Future (FFF) called for a global day of strikes on Friday, with climate protests planned in nearly 250 locations in Germany alone. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) [September 15, 2023] Islamic Coin Announces a Landmark MoU with CoinDesk Indices Tweet A New Era in Digital Assets Emerges as Strong Partnerships Bolster Islamic Coin's Vision DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- During his speech at TOKEN2049 in Singapore, Mohammed AlKaff AlHashmi, Founder of Islamic Coin, announced a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Islamic Coin, a native currency of HAQQ, a community-run network, dedicated to empowering an ethics-first Shariah-compliant financial ecosystem, and CoinDesk Indices (CDI) , the leading provider of digital asset indices by AUM since 2014, to explore a strategic partnership to develop groundbreaking index strategies. "This partnership marks a promising alignment of interests as both entities look to tap into the rapidly growing interest in crypto and inclusive finance," said Mohammed AlKaff AlHashmi. "With the global Islamic finance market forecasted to surpass $3.69 trillion by 2024, this collaboration is poised to reshape the landscape of Shariah-compliant digital financial services. Major highlights of this proposed relationship include: Index-Based Products Licensing of various CDI indices for exchange-traded financial products, paving the way for innovative instruments such as an Islamic Coin ETF, Staked Islamic Coin ETF, and multi-token Shariah-compliant products. Licensing of various CDI indices for exchange-traded financial products, paving the way for innovative instruments such as an Islamic Coin ETF, Staked Islamic Coin ETF, and multi-token Shariah-compliant products. New Indices Creating new Shariah-compliant indices, incorporating the Shariah oracle and compliant systematic strategies. Creating new Shariah-compliant indices, incorporating the Shariah oracle and compliant systematic strategies. Index Data CDI will offer API access to selected digital assets for HAQQ's internal use, including its digital asset exchange. "We are excited to expand our presence into the MENA region through this collaboration," said Alan Campbell, President of CoinDesk Indices. "CoinDesk is committed to serving global markets and offering solutions that drive the digital asset opportunity and community forward." Over the past yer, Islamic Coin has garnered massive support from the industry. Earlier this year, the project partnered with Sushi, one of the world's top decentralized exchanges. This partnership promises several benefits for the Islamic Coin community, including liquidity provision, asset staking, and token earning during the liquidity mining phase. The project has also won several awards including, Most Promising ESG Crypto and the Golden Excellence Award from The Middle East Blockchain Awards. The latest proposed collaboration between Islamic Coin and CDI heralds a new chapter in ethical finance and digital currency. With a shared vision and commitment, both entities intend to drive revolutionary change and grow participation in digital asset solutions. Be the first to know about updates regarding this exciting partnership by contacting us today . About Islamic Coin Islamic Coin is a Shariah-compliant cryptocurrency native to the HAQQ ethics-first financial ecosystem. It aims to equip the global Muslim community with halal financial instruments for the digital age, enabling seamless transactions and interaction while supporting transparency, innovation, and philanthropy. Shariah Oracle's on-chain mechanism controls a whitelist of smart contracts to ensure users interact only with Shariah-compliant dApps. At the same time, 10% of each $ISLM issuance is deposited into Evergreen DAO for further investment into Islam-related ventures or charities, bringing direct economic value to the community. The project raised $400 million during a private sale, beating all previous records. Islamic Coin is set to launch on both centralized and decentralized exchanges in September 2023. About CoinDesk Indices CoinDesk Indices (CDI), a subsidiary of CoinDesk, has been the leading provider of digital asset indices by AUM since 2014. CDI is driven by research and a desire to educate the marketplace and empower investors. CoinDesk is the most trusted media, events, indices and data company for the global crypto economy. CDI has three distinct product lines: single-asset reference rates and indices, broad market and sector indices, and dynamic strategy indices. The CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (XBX) has the longest index track record and underlies the world's largest digital asset products. The broad market and sector indices offer the most comprehensive suite of broad market benchmarks, and the investible sectors are constructed using CDI's industry-adopted taxonomy. The dynamic strategy indices help investors target specific outcomes. Press Contacts Islamic Coin Anastasiia Kulibaba, PR Manager [email protected] Casey Craig, Global Head of Communications at CoinDesk [email protected] JConnelly [email protected] Disclaimer View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/islamic-coin-announces-a-landmark-mou-with-coindesk-indices-301928689.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Amagi Transforms Single Live Events Broadcasting With the Launch of Cloud-based Amagi DYNAMIC Tweet LONDON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amagi , a global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced the launch of Amagi DYNAMIC at IBC2023, a ground-breaking platform that empowers rights owners and holders to effortlessly deploy cloud-based live production and playout systems for single live events. By eliminating the need for costly upfront hardware investments, Amagi DYNAMIC allows users to spin up cloud infrastructure only for the duration of the event. It enables them to efficiently manage infrastructure resources, run multiple live events in parallel, expand distribution, engage viewers, and increase ad revenues, all while providing immediate and demonstrable ROI. "For far too long, broadcasters, rights owners, and rights holders have grappled with the limitations of hardware-driven infrastructure, resulting in underutilized content libraries and underexplored distribution networks," said Baskar Subramanian, CEO & Co-founder at Amagi. "Amagi DYNAMIC empowers users to maximize their content investments, optimize distribution, and create new avenues for viewer access. This transformative solution will have a profound impact on the way the industry approaches single live events and opens up new monetization opportunities." With Amagi DYNAMIC, broadcasters can swiftly provision cloud infrastructure for the duration of an event and deactivate it once the event concludes, effectively creating pop-up channels. This innovation is particularly beneficial for rights owners and holders of live sports, music, news, or special events, enabling the simultaneous broadcast of multiple events and expanding distribution to D2C apps, thereby widening viewership and boosting ad revenues. Additional benefits of Amagi DYNAMIC include: Improved Cost Savings: With features such as multi-source, multi-protocol ingest, Amagi DYNAMIC streamlines content integration by allowing resources to be consumed only when required. Additinally, achieving a low latency of just two seconds ensures that resources are used optimally during live events, minimizing unnecessary resource consumption and associated costs. Flexible Remote Control: With group control of live source inputs and distribution outputs, Amagi DYNAMIC enables users to control multiple events remotely from a single instance, regardless of the location. This remote management capability not only saves time but also enhances operational adaptability. Increased Viewer Engagement and Retention: Features such as frame-accurate live controls enable dynamic adjustments to breaks, graphics, and other elements, creating an engaging live event experience for viewers. The quick edits feature, with its two-second turnaround time, ensures that live event coverage remains up-to-date and captivating. Integrated Amagi LIVE Functionality: Building upon the success of Amagi LIVE, Amagi DYNAMIC offers an intuitive platform for managing live segments for both linear TV and OTT channels. This integration ensures a seamless transition to Amagi DYNAMIC and a consistent, high-quality broadcasting experience. Enhanced Operational Flexibility: Thanks to its multi-tenant system, Amagi DYNAMIC supports deployments in multiple regions for redundancy and operational flexibility. This feature provides the necessary infrastructure and scalability to manage multiple events seamlessly, adapting to various scenarios and changing demands. Amagi provides a complete suite of solutions for channel creation, distribution, and monetization. Amagi's global clients include ABS-CBN, AccuWeather, A+E Networks UK, beIN Sports, Cinedigm, Cox Media Group, Crackle Plus, Fremantle, Gannett, Gusto TV, NBCUniversal, PAC-12, Tastemade, and The Roku Channel, among others. For more information about Amagi and its streaming TV solutions, visit www.amagi.com . Amagi DYNAMIC will be on display at Booth #5.A81, IBC2023, Amsterdam. About Amagi Amagi is a next-generation media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi enables content owners to launch, distribute and monetize live linear channels on free ad-supported streaming TV and video services platforms. Amagi also offers 24x7 cloud-managed services bringing simplicity, advanced automation, and transparency to the entire broadcast operations. Overall, Amagi supports 700+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and over 2100 channel deliveries on its platform in over 40 countries. Amagi has a presence in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore, and broadcast operations in New Delhi, and an innovation center in Bangalore. Agency Contact Joseph Lesieutre Wall Street Communications Email: [email protected] Amagi Contact Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar Vice President - Corporate Marketing Email: [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/amagi-transforms-single-live-events-broadcasting-with-the-launch-of-cloud-based-amagi-dynamic-301928740.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] wedotv Launches FAST Platform on Eutelsat's HOTBIRD Satellites for Audiences in Italy Tweet Regulatory News: Eutelsat Communications (Paris:ETL): Global AVOD and FAST channel programmer and distributor wedotv is expanding its distribution strategy to include satellite platforms, with the launch of a new wedotv FAST channel platform for audiences in Italy via Eutelsat's HOTBIRD satellites, at 13 East. Through this launch, wedotv will be able to enhance and extend their current reach across Italy to a larger audience of connected TVs, as well as to reach a new audience of non-connected TV viewers. Starting this month, wedotv will add a lineup of 30 FAST channels, including its own proprietary FAST channels, wedo movies, wedo big stories and wedo sports. Viewers with a connected TV will be also able to watch the AVOD content through wedotv via an HbbTV App, which is accessible via an embedded link. This will enable viewers to switch between the linear channel and streaming content. This client-centric, technology-agnostic approach, using satellite distribution to deliver internet content, enables wedotv to extend the reach of their FAST native content to audiences in hard-to-reach areas beyond terrestrial networks. The HOTBIRD satellites are the reference video neighbourhood for audiences in Italy. "Through our partnership with Eutelsat, we are forging new territory in the distribution of FAST cannels; expanding the reach of OTT-delivered services to traditional distribution platforms via HbbTV technology and further blurring the lines of the notion of linear TV," said Philipp Rotermund, CEO, wedotv. "Ultimately, wedotv's goal is to provide a seamless and convenient viewing experience for its consumers, wherever they are located, and this is yet another step toward doing just that." Laurence Delpy, General Manager of Eutelsat's Video Business Unit added: "We are delighted to welcome wedotv, our first FAST channel platform, to our flagship HOTBIRD video neighbourhood. The launch of wedotv on HOTBIRD highlights the relevance of satellite to bring new types of content to audiences wherever they are located. By expanding their strategy and including satellite distribution in their business model, wedotv can now reach audiences in homes beyond terrestrial networks, with a cost-effective, sustainable and high-quality video distribution solution." About Eutelsat Communications Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of 36 satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Around 7,000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Committed to promoting all facets of sustainable development across its business activities, Eutelsat leverages its in-orbit resources to help bridge the digital divide while maintaining a safe and uncluttered space environment. As an attractive and socially responsible employer, Eutelsat assembles 1,200 men and women from 50 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service. For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230914645645/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] CRISIL to acquire Bridge To India Energy Pvt. Ltd. Tweet The acquisition will enhance CRISIL's positioning in the renewables and new energy sector MUMBAI, India, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CRISIL, an S&P Global company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bridge To India Energy Private Limited ('Bridge To India'), a leading renewable energy consulting and knowledge services provider to financial and corporate clients globally. Bridge To India provides its clients 360-degree insights into the renewable energy market founded on deep domain expertise and a comprehensive set of databases and tools. Amish Mehta, Managing Director & CEO, CRISIL said, "Sustainability and climate change are drawing sharper attention from clients worldwide. The acquisition of Bridge To India, with its positioning and expertise in the space, will strengthen our bouquet of offerings spanning sustainability services and decarbonisation. The transaction underscores our steadfast commitment to sustainable growth." Vinay Rustagi, Managing Director, Bridge To India said, "Bridge To India has built its vantage in the renewables sector with more than a decade of consulting experience, strong research coverage and market connect. Being part of CRISIL will further enhance value to clients through adoption of global best practices." The acquisition is subject to applicable regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, and expected to close in the next three months. About CRISIL Limited CRISIL is a leading, agile and innovative global analytics company driven by its mission of making markets function better. It is India's foremost provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions with a strong track record of growth, culture of innovation, and global footprint. It has delivered independent opinions, actionable insights, and efficient solutions to over 100,000 customers through businesses that operate from India, the US, the UK, Argentina, Poland, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is majority owned by S&P Global Inc, a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analyticsand data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. For more information, visit www.crisil.com Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram About BRIDGE TO INDIA BRIDGE TO INDIA is India's leading clean energy-focused consulting and research services company. Our unique portfolio of businesses gives us a unique 360 insight into the market and has enabled us to form a rich network of industry stakeholders across the sector. We combine strong sector knowledge with an interdisciplinary approach by bringing together strategic, financial, regulatory, techno-economic and entrepreneurial aspects of business. CRISIL PRIVACY NOTICE CRISIL respects your privacy. We use your contact information, such as your name, address, and email id, to fulfil your request and service your account and to provide you with additional information from CRISIL and other parts of S&P Global Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) you may find of interest. For further information, or to let us know your preferences with respect to receiving marketing materials, please visit www.crisil.com/privacy. You can view the Company's Customer Privacy at https://www.spglobal.com/privacy Last updated: May 2018 DISCLAIMER This Press Release is transmitted to you for the sole purpose of dissemination through your newspaper / magazine / agency. The Press release may be used by you in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof but with due credit to CRISIL. However, CRISIL alone has the sole right of distribution (whether directly or indirectly) of its Press Releases for consideration or otherwise through any media including websites, portals etc. Certain statements in this communication constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "see," "continue," "could," "can," "may," "will," "likely," "depend," "should," "would," "plan," "predict," "target," and similar expressions, and may include references to assumptions and relate to CRISIL's future prospects, developments and business strategies. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this communication are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that may cause CRISIL's actual results to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. CRISIL wishes to caution you that you should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. CRISIL does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Information has been obtained by CRISIL from sources which it considers reliable. However, CRISIL does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of information on which this Press Release is based and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this Press Release. CRISIL, especially states that it has no financial liability whatsoever to the subscribers/ users/ transmitters/ distributors of this Press Release. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211784/CRISIL_logo.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2211783/BRIDGE_TO_INDIA_logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/crisil-to-acquire-bridge-to-india-energy-pvt-ltd-301928954.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Mattermost Launches New Partnerships to Drive Increased Innovation and Adoption in the Public Sector Tweet Palo Alto, California., Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mattermost, the leading secure collaboration platform for technical teams, today announced the launch of a series of public sector-focused partnerships to drive increased support for Microsoft and Atlassian solutions across the DoD, facilitate technical innovation and the overall adoption of AI, Dev/Sec/ChatOps and Zero Trust solutions across defense and civilian agencies. These partnerships include: Contegix - Leverage a central hub for FedRAMP-certified Dev/Sec/ChatOps By partnering with Contegix, an Atlassian Platinum Solutions provider and Government Verified Partner, Mattermost can now operate as a central, secure collaboration hub to support Contegixs FedRAMP high platform. This collaborative capability enables public sector agencies to access and use native Atlassian applications within a single, unified interface to streamline workflows and eliminate silos. Mobius Logic - Collaborative AI enhancements for Microsoft applications Through partnership with Mobius Logic, a leading AI solutions innovator, Mattermost can help drive AI adoption as a key tool offering as part of the organizations agreement with Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services. Additionally, with the assistance of Mobius Logics expertise, Mattermost can also be deployed directly within Microsoft Teams through the MS Teams Connector, making Mattermost a key component of collaboration through Microsoft and creating a reliable ecosystem of tools for public sector technical teams. SOS International (SOSi) - Secure federation and open source intelligence for MLOps Mattermost is working closely with SOSi and subsidiary Exovera to develop support for the exoINSIGHT platform dedicated to analyzing datasets and extracting insights to support the decision making process. This relationship will enable Mattermost to serve as the primary interface for reviewing analysis results and will allow insights to be shared securely across Mattermost instances through military-grade federation. Defense Unicorns - Tap into secure generative AI at the edge Expanding on an existing partnership with Defense Unicorns, a leading provider platform technologies that deliver rapid and reliable capabilities across a wide range of mission and technology areas, Mattermost offers air-gapped and zero trust support for teams to explore innovative generative AI use cases with LeapfrogAI. Through this partnership, public sector teams bound by strict security requirements can responsibly test and vet LeapfrogAIs generative AI capabilities by deploying the plugin in OpenOps, Mattermosts open source sandbox. These public sector-oriented partnerships are the next step to delivering innovation to agencies subject to strict security requirements, said Ian Tien, CEO and co-founder of Mattermost. Deploying Mattermost in collaboration with our industry partners enables technical teams across federal agencies and organizations to securely leverage key capabilities like Dev/Sec/ChatOps, MLOps, generative AI and more that are proven to streamline workflows and maximize results. Its exciting to see the work Mattermost is doing to position itself as an ideal partner for the Department of Defense and to make the technology included in these partner solutions accessible to agencies across the public sector, said Christian Manasseh, CEO at Mobius Logic. Flexibility is crucial for adapting to and supporting specific mission requirements, and weve witnessed first-hand Mattermosts ability to streamline workflows and the decision making process. Were proud to work closely with Mattermost to bring these capabilities to our clients so that they can leverage familiar tools with unprecedented efficiency. Working with these key industry partners will enable defense and civilian agencies to rapidly adopt emerging technologies in a manner that is already approved for government use, said Barry Duplantis, vice president and general manager, North America public sector at Mattermost. These solutions offer the support necessary to streamline the decision-making process and move at speed of the mission to maintain decision advantage. Mattermost will work with these new and existing public sector partners, including Ask Sage, to continue to bring flexibility and innovation to the edge. For more information about the details of each partnership, visit our recent blog post. About Mattermost Mattermost provides secure, workflow-centric collaboration for technical and operational teams that need to meet nation-state-level security and trust requirements. We serve technology, public sector, national defense, and financial services industries with customers ranging from tech giants to the worlds largest banks, to the U.S. Department of Defense and governmental agencies around the world. Our self-hosted and cloud offerings provide integrated team messaging, audio and screen share, workflow automation and project management on an open source platform vetted and deployed by the worlds most secure and mission critical organizations. We co-build the future of collaboration with over 4,000 open source project contributors whove provided over 30,000 code improvements towards our shared product vision, which is translated into 20 languages. To learn more, visit www.mattermost.com. Mattermost and the Mattermost logo are registered trademarks of Mattermost, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Amy Nicol Mattermost +1 650 667 8512 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Top Web3 Companies Launch the Second Iteration of Competition to Advance Zero-Knowledge Technology Tweet SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZPrize, the first-ever competition with the goal of advancing the development of zero-knowledge technology, today announced the kickoff of ZPrize 2023. The event's successful launch in 2022 has fueled excitement for the future of zero-knowledge cryptography, promising further collaborative initiatives to keep advancing this essential technology for the new generations of the web. Teams will compete to win financial rewards of up to an equity-free prize pool of $1.5 million in both U.S. dollars and tokens in a range of categories that aim to advance the development of practical and accessible ZK systems. Submissions are judged against current technical benchmarks, with the largest rewards being paid out to those who create the most innovative improvements on existing technologies and create new systems to further the adoption of this vital technology. ZPrize 2023 is supported by some of the biggest names in tech, including Aleo, AMD, Aztec, TrapDoor, SupraNational, Demox Labs, Ingonyama, ZKValidator, Cysic, and W3bCloud. Bringing together the hardware experts from web2 with ZK technology is a powerful initiative, one that will likely have a long-lasting impact, said Anna Rose of the Zero Knowledge Podcast and ZKValidator. It adds muscle to an already powerful cryptographic tool and will allow for efficient industry-grade ZK technology producs to be deployed in the near future. This opens the door for new systems to be competitive against the incumbent systems. It will enable the emergence of a new generation of private, secure and efficient ZK-based products - products that we have been designing and building towards for many years. The first iteration of ZPrize resulted in significant technological advancements, marking a new era of ZK cryptography, bringing together web3 innovators with flagship technology brands. The competition celebrated remarkable achievements, including: Substantial improvement in multiscalar multiplication on GPU and Android mobile devices makes advanced use cases like zkSNARKs more feasible. Groundbreaking implementation of the Poseidon zero-knowledge friendly hash function, slashing constraint count by half, thus significantly reducing the cost of generating Merkle trees inside a SNARK. Optimize the low-level mathematical primitives essential for zero-knowledge cryptography using both GPUs and fully-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) The need for zero-knowledge technology is clearer today, more so than ever before, commented Alex Pruden, CEO of Aleo and Co-Founder of ZPrize. Advancing ZK and ensuring the future of this groundbreaking technology is accessible to everyone is not just a technical ambition, but a societal imperative. We are truly humbled by the collective efforts of the global community, from the innovative companies of Web 3.0 to the traditional technology sectors, all coming together for this cause. Every advancement, every open-sourced submission, speaks volumes about our shared commitment to an open and cohesive ecosystem for the next generation of the web." Those interested in participating in ZPrize 2023 can visit the competition website at www.zprize.io . About ZPrize ZPrize is a competition aimed at employing private funds to accelerate the advancement of zero-knowledge prover technology essential for extending blockchain features to accommodate numerous mainstream use cases. Anyone with academic or industry experience in mathematics, cryptography, electrical engineering, hardware engineering, or optimization is encouraged to apply to help drive the next wave of blockchain innovation. Contact: Garret J. Shaw [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Brazil's Mottu closes $50M Series C to expand its last-mile logistics ecosystem Tweet Highlights The round was done at a premium to its prior valuation, amid challenging market conditions and scarcity of funding for startups in the Latin America VC ecosystem. Mottu is a motorcycle rental company focused on enabling income-generation for hard working delivery gig workers while also building the power-grid for LatAm's last-mile. Round was co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital, former Softbank executives Marcelo Claure's and Shu Nyatta's new venture capital firm, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela. and Shu Nyatta's new venture capital firm, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela. With this capital, the company will expand geographies, improve operational efficiency and customers' experience. SAO PAULO, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mottu, a Brazilian motorcycle rental company and last-mile delivery marketplace, today announced it has raised $50M in a Series C round of funding co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital. Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela also participated in the round. Mottu has secured over $150M in financing since its inception. The latest funding round has attracted world class investors, further enhancing Mottu's cap table that boasts notable names like Michael Moritz, Base Partners, and Tiger Global. Mottu started in 2020 with a mission to help workers at the bottom of the pyramid generate income for their families by offering low-cost daily motorcycle rentals for delivery drivers and couriers who could not afford to buy a vehicle or who did not have access to credit. Mottu's motorcycle rental business now serves around 50,000 customers, and it has evolved into a comprehensive last-mile logistics ecosystem connecting restaurants, retailers, and e-commerce businesses with delivery couriers. Now, the company is also entering the mobility market, focused on the large population of commuters in Brazil and Mexico who frequently rely on public transportation services with poor quality. Marcelo Claure, Bicycle Capital Founder and Executive Chairman, stated that Bicycle Capital is very excited to be partnering with Mottu. "Mottu is a company we admire for its solid business and real social impact, serving the underserved and improving the livesof thousands of customers." "Mottu stands out as a rare combination of high growth, operational excellence, profitability, and capital efficiency. This achievement is a direct result of a dedicated and exceptional team that have proven to be financially rigorous operators, precise capital allocators, and sophisticated supply chain managers. We are very excited to partner with Mottu as Bicycle's first investment," Claure added. "Mottu is doing more than just transforming the mobility and motorcycle rental ecosystems across Latin America, it is changing the reality of millions of people who traditionally would have no credit and no way to start fighting for a better livelihood," said QED Managing Partner Nigel Morris. Chuckie Reddy, the responsible partner for the deal, added, "This impact can be seen in Mottu's stunning growth over the past three years as it has delivered a best-in-class experience. This round will enable Mottu to raise its high-quality bar even higher." Mottu controls its operations end-to-end in more than 30 cities in Brazil and Mexico, so it had to establish its own assembly line in Manaus to meet the increasing demand for rentals. Mottu Sport is the only SKU assembled by Mottu and stands out as the most fuel-efficient motorcycle in Latin America, available for as little as $3.7 per day, with no credit score requirements. "We've been close to Mottu since its inception. Even though they've never failed to impress us with their growth and vision throughout the years, we believe this is only the beginning," says Mario Delara, Caravela's managing partner. Rubens Zanelatto, founder and CEO, said Mottu will use the funds to continue expanding in Brazil and Mexico, achieving greater operational efficiency, and providing its customers with a better experience across all its products. "I am very proud of my team and what we achieved so far; we will keep hustling on and building an enduring, highly efficient business to deliver our mission of helping those who want an opportunity to thrive." About Mottu Mottu believes that those who wake up early and face the street must work with safety and without fear. Hence, it offers a reliable and user friendly motorcycle rental model and a last mile logistics service to promote work opportunities for couriers and better service level for retailers. Read more in https://mottu.com.br/ About Bicycle Capital Bicycle Capital is a new growth equity firm focused on Latin America. The firm was founded by Marcelo Claure and Shu Nyatta, with an investment team located in Miami, Sao Paulo and Mexico City. Bicycle's strategy is to partner very selectively with the best founders in the region, helping them scale their startups into resilient and valuable companies. See more: https://bicycle.capital/ About QED Investors QED Investors is a global leading venture capital firm based in Alexandria, Va. Founded by Nigel Morris and Frank Rotman in 2007, QED Investors is focused on investing in disruptive financial services companies in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. QED Investors is dedicated to building great businesses and uses a unique, hands-on approach that leverages our partners' decades of entrepreneurial and operational experience, helping their companies achieve breakthrough growth. Notable investments include AvidXchange, Bitso, Current, Creditas, Credit Karma, Kavak, Klarna, Konfio, Loft, Nubank, QuintoAndar, Remitly and SoFi. See more: https://www.qedinvestors.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brazils-mottu-closes-50m-series-c-to-expand-its-last-mile-logistics-ecosystem-301929070.html SOURCE Mottu [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Operation Lifesaver Canada Marks 20th Annual Rail Safety Week Every year, more than 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured in rail crossing and trespassing incidents. Next week, Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada will mark an important milestone in its efforts to #STOPTrackTragedies: the 20th anniversary of its annual Rail Safety Week campaign (September 18-24, 2023). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915737181/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Since 2003, Rail Safety Week (RSW) has served to remind Canadians that taking risks near tracks and trains-whether it's using tracks as a shortcut or a recreational path, train-hopping, ignoring railway signs and signals, or being distracted at crossings-could cost them a limb, or their life. By 2017, the U.S. had launched its own RSW campaign, followed by Mexico in 2020, making Rail Safety Week a truly North American effort. "The 20th anniversary of Rail Safety Week is a time to take stock of the great work that OL Canada, its partners, and Rail Safety Ambassadors have done to save lives over the past two decades," says Sarah Mayes, OL Canada's National Director. "But even one rail crossing or trespassing incident is one too many-so we're calling on Canadians to help us reach as many people with the rail-safety message this year as possible." Rail Safety Week 2023 will be marked by a national digital and out-of-home advertising campaign, as well as public outreach events across the country to encourage safe behaviours around tracks and trains. OL will kick off the week with a launch event on Saturday, September 16th at 11:30 a.m. at the Toronto Railway Museum. New "Look. Listen. Live." rail safety decals will be unveiled at the museum's mini-train crossing, and OL will also host readings of its Stay Safe with Thomas storybook for families that afternoon. A full schedule of the day's events is available on the museum's website. On September 19th, law enforcement partners will join forces with OL through Operation Clear Track-the single largest rail-safety law-enforcement initiative in North America. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies from across Canada will work to enforce rail crossing and trespassing laws, and promote rail-safety messages in communities through pamphlets, press releases, and social media posts. On September 21st, OL will unveil rail safety decals and signs in more than 30 municipalities from coast to coast, to remind pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists to exercise caution and "Look. Listen. Live." at rail crossings. Communities from Revelstoke, B.C. to Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B. have installed decals this year, bringing the total number of municipalities engaged in OL's Community Safety Partnership Program to 100. OL will also launch two powerful new #STOPTrackTragedies videos during Rail Safety Week, to tell the personal stories of people affected by rail crossing and trespassing incidents, and to remind Canadians that unsafe behaviour around tracks and trains isn't worth the risk. The videos will be promoted on social media, and through pre-show ads in select Cineplex and Magic Lantern Theatres across Canada. Finally, OL will cap off Rail Safety Week by announcing the winners of its 2022 Roger Cyr Awards - annual awards given to Rail Safety Ambassadors and communities that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to promoting rail safety in Canada. Canadians are encouraged to support OL's 20th anniversary Rail Safety Week campaign by heeding these rail safety tips, by following OL Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and by sharing OL's Rail Safety Week social media messages with their loved ones using the hashtags #STOPTrackTragedies and #RSW2023. About Operation Lifesaver Canada Operation Lifesaver Canada is a national public rail-safety program sponsored by Transport Canada, the Railway Association of Canada and its members, including CN, CPKC, VIA Rail, Metrolinx, exo, West Coast Express and Genesee & Wyoming, among others. Through its national network of Rail Safety Ambassadors, partnerships with safety councils, police, the trucking industry and community groups, and innovative tools such as its virtual-reality Look. Listen. Live. campaign, Operation Lifesaver Canada works to save lives by educating Canadians about the hazards of trespassing on railway property and failing to exercise caution at rail crossings. Canadians can keep up-to-date on the latest rail safety news by visiting operationlifesaver.ca. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915737181/en/ [September 15, 2023] Wipro Opens New Office in Jefferson City & Celebrates Partnership with Jobs for America's Graduates, Missouri Tweet Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading technology services and consulting company, announced that it has inaugurated a new office in Jefferson City, Missouri, and will partner with the state's Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program to attract local talent. The 75,000-square-foot office is the main support center for some of Wipro's biggest clients, specifically in the healthcare and government sectors. The state-of-the-art office houses a healthcare solutions innovation lab, which focuses on building digital-first solutions for Medicaid and Medicare programs. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and cloud technologies, these solutions aim to enhance user experience and increase the value delivered to citizens. The inauguration event that celebrated the partnership between JAG and Wipro took place on Thursday, Sept. 14, with Teresa Parson, First Lady of the state & Co-Chair of JAG, Missouri, as the guest of honor. The JAG program helps place high school graduates in jobs that they can develop into careers. Teresa Parson, First Lady of the state & Co-Chair of JAG, Missouri, said, "I'm delighted that Wipro has chosen Jefferson City as its base in Missouri. The opening of this new workspace will boost the local economy as well as attract new talent to the region. Job creation is something I am passionate about and I'm proud to have Wipro's support for our Jobs for America's Graduates program." Mike Parson, Governor of Missouri, said, "The establishment of Wipro's new facility in Jefferson City reflects the State of Missouri's growing reputation as a destination for talent. Our students are the workforce of tomorrow and critical to Missouri's future, and it's great to see companies like Wipro partner with Missouri's JAG program to help our young people capialize on the amazing opportunities in the latest technology areas right here in our state. We are committed to growing JAG's footprint in Missouri to benefit more of our youth, and projects like this help us do just that." Srini Pallia, Chief Executive Officer, Americas 1, Wipro Limited, said, "We're delighted to open this brand-new facility in Jefferson City and celebrate our partnership with JAG. This working space highlights our commitment to all our clients in the area as well as our efforts in creating local jobs." Earlier this year, Wipro ranked #3 Top Employer in the U.S. by the Top Employers Institute. About Wipro Limited Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients' most complex digital transformation needs. Leveraging our holistic portfolio of capabilities in consulting, design, engineering, and operations, we help clients realize their boldest ambitions and build future-ready, sustainable businesses. With 250,000 employees and business partners across more than 60 countries, we deliver on the promise of helping our clients, colleagues, and communities thrive in an ever-changing world. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro's beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside Wipro's control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro's growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915485604/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] EnsembleIQ's Progressive Grocer Unveils 2023 Editors' Picks Award Winners CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnsembleIQs Progressive Grocer , the No. 1 grocery industry business intelligence provider, today unveils the 2023 Editors Pick Award winners. The 19th annual awards program is one of the highest accolades a brand can receive for successful product innovation, differentiation and category performance. The program recognizes the evolution of cutting-edge product innovation, giving retail buyers a comprehensive guide to the latest and greatest products that meet consumers ever-increasing demand for functional, interesting and on-trend products. Click here to see all of the winners. Gina Acosta, Editor-in-Chief, Progressive Grocer said, We carefully reviewed more than 200 submissions and evaluated the products according to innovation, functionality, value and packaging design. We discovered many wonderful items that have been released in the past 12 months and believe the 84 products we selected were the best of the best.We congratulate all of the companies that made the 2023 list." Progressive Grocer will open the 2024 Editors Picks contest in January. About Progressive Grocer Progressive Grocer is the #1 business intelligence brand in the grocery industry, connecting the markets most important retailers. Through its leading industry reporting, digital platforms, research, relevant and focused events and sophisticated industry database, retailers turn to Progressive Grocer for guidance in navigating the fast-paced, ever-changing industry. Stay connected with Progressive Grocer on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn . About EnsembleIQ EnsembleIQ is the premier resource of actionable insights and connections powering business growth throughout the path to purchase. We help retail, technology, consumer goods, healthcare and hospitality professionals make informed decisions and gain a competitive advantage. EnsembleIQ delivers the most trusted business intelligence from leading industry experts, creative marketing solutions and impactful event experiences that connect best-in-class suppliers and service providers with our vibrant business-building communities. To learn more about EnsembleIQ, visit ensembleiq.com . Media Contact Gina Acosta Editor-in-Chief Progressive Grocer [email protected] HONG KONG, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Arthur Lam, co-founder and CEO of a Hong Kong-based startup specializing in intelligent building solutions, was thrilled that his company made its first step into the Middle East market. During the 8th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong which concluded Thursday, the company, Negawatt Utility Limited signed a cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Catalyst, a startup technology accelerator based in Masdar City FreeZone in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The cooperation was one of the 21 MoUs signed during the summit, covering a range of areas including renewable construction resources, sustainable energy, research and development, infrastructure and logistics, according to the summit organizers. The two sides will step up cooperation in technologies related to smart city development, an area that the Middle East and China both pursue, said Suleiman Ali Amin, managing director of the Catalyst. "The exchange is reciprocal. It's not just technology companies coming from Hong Kong to the Middle East. It's vice versa as well," he told Xinhua after the signing, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has greatly facilitated these exchanges. The two-day summit also saw over 280 investment projects matched, covering main fields such as energy, natural resources and public utilities as well as innovation and technology. To explore fresh opportunities in emerging markets under the BRI, the summit for the first time set up a Middle East forum, featuring speakers from the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and more. Organized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the summit was themed "Prospering on a Decade of Collaboration," in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the BRI. The event, which brought together some 90 government officials and business leaders from more than 70 countries and regions along the Belt and Road, garnered significant attention, attracting some 6,000 participants from around the world. The BRI, a reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was initiated by China in 2013 to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond ancient Silk Road trade routes. [September 15, 2023] U.S. News and EARTHDAY.ORG Partner for the Great Global Cleanup Tweet Media company's employees to participate in a cleanup day in honor of its 90th anniversary. WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today announced a partnership with EARTHDAY.ORG to host a cleanup day in Washington, D.C. and around the country in locations where its remote employees reside as part of The Great Global Cleanup , a worldwide campaign to rid the environment of waste and plastic pollution. In honor of the 90th anniversary of its founding, U.S. News which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. is partnering with four community-based organizations on September 19 to provide meaningful service opportunities for its employees in the Washington metropolitan area. In addition to EARTHDAY.ORG, those organizations include D.C. Central Kitchen, Little Lights and the Friendship Academies at D.C. Public Schools. "Over its 90-year history, U.S. News has believed that employees that work together work better and that includes giving back to our local community," said Marion Phillips, III, U.S. News senior vice president, community development & diversity, equity and inclusion. "We are excited to partner with EARTHDAY.ORG to host a cleanup day in Washington, D.C. and around the country for or employees to make even a small step toward a cleaner America and ultimately, a cleaner planet." As a key moment in the Great Global Cleanup's annual effort, World Cleanup Day 2023 will be celebrated on September 16. Each September since 2018, it has brought together millions of people for the biggest waste collection day in human history. Individuals wishing to participate in a local cleanup in their area can find one on this interactive map . "Nearly 80% of all trash that makes its way into the oceans is plastic," said EARTHDAY.ORG president Kathleen Rogers. "Eventually it degrades into tiny pieces called micro-plastics which in turn get into the food chain so we are all eating plastics! Which is why Earth Day's theme for 2024 is Planet vs Plastics calling on all of us to demand a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040 to alleviate our trash problem and for the good of our health." A conversation between Phillips and Rogers on the global waste problem and how World Cleanup Day is part of the solution is available here . About U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C. About EARTHDAY.ORG EARTHDAY.ORG 's mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world's largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day actions each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Learn more at earthday.org . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news-and-earthdayorg-partner-for-the-great-global-cleanup-301929255.html SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Wells Fargo Elevates Financial Empowerment in Latino Communities through Expanded Partnership with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce's Tu Futuro Program Tweet In its third year, Tu Futuro, a financial literacy program and platform aimed at teaching finance basics to Spanish-speaking Latinos, has expanded to additional markets across the country including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas. The Tu Futuro program is made possible by Wells Fargo through its collaboration with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce (HISCEC) and Univision/Entravision. For the past two years, Tu Futuro has assisted Southern California Latinos in providing no-cost financial resources that have helped them build a path to home ownership, reduce the digital divide through access to digital literacy resources and tools that have allowed Latino professionals and business owners to participate more actively in the digital economy. There has been an additional focus to help build a sustainable Latino community through initiatives that contribute to strengthening local climate resiliency strategies and advancing environmental justice. "Empowerment begins with knowledge," said Tayde Aburto, President & CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce. "Through Tu Futuro, we're not just teaching finance; we're sparking transformative journeys for individuals, families, and businesses. Together, with partners like Wells Fargo, we are building a legacy of financial wisdom and resilience for Latino communitis." Tu Futuro, spearheaded by HISCEC and supported by Wells Fargo, has been pivotal in bridging knowledge gaps in finance for the Latino community specifically small business owners. Proud media partners Univision and Entravision amplify the program's reach and impact. "Wells Fargo's unwavering dedication to small businesses, financial health, homeownership, and wealth creation comes to life through our support of Tu Futuro," said Jenny Flores, head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy for Wells Fargo Foundation. "Together with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce and its media partners, Wells Fargo continues to inspire, educate, and cultivate brighter financial futures for countless Latino families." Tu Futuro's forward-thinking initiative offers: Empowered decision making: Through financial education finance fundamentals, participants will gain control over their finances. Robust digital resources: Aiming to diminish the digital divide, the program ensures free and easy access to state-of-the-art digital tools and resources. Economic sustainability: Tu Futuro streamlines access to capital and offers tailored retirement planning resources to financially empower the Latino community in the long-term Culturally relevant resources: Recognizing the diverse tapestry of its audience, the program provides valuable resources in Spanish. More information about Tu Futuro visit www.tufuturofinanzas.com About Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce The Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce is a member of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, based in San Diego, California, with strategic partners in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. We represent the interests of the 43,000 Hispanic businesses owners who call San Diego home and contribute millions of dollars to our local communities every single year. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915303476/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Colibri Real Estate Celebrates National Online Learning Day Tweet Colibri Real Estate, the leading provider of real estate learning solutions nationwide, today announced its recognition and celebration of National Online Learning Day. Colibri Real Estate and its family of brands offer online learning solutions for every career stage, from getting started to maintaining a license, growing a brokerage and developing a specialty. "As a professional learning company, we know how to optimize education to make it convenient and engaging for people to start and advance their career as they learn the latest regulations and requirements," said Jennifer Dixson Hoff, General Manager - Professional Portfolio and Partnerships, Colibri Real Estate. "Remote learning has evolved significantly and is required for people to stay relevant in today's workforce, which is why we continue to evolve our student learning experience to make it easier and more engaging." Research shows that from 2011 to 2021, the number of learners reached by massive open online courses (MOOCs) increased from 300,000 to 220 million. The US tops the standings with more than 17 million people enrolled in online learning. Colibri Real Estate online pre-licensing courses offer flexibility and convenience for aspiring agents to learn at their own pace. Students can choose to learn in a live online classroom known as livestream or in a self-paced online environment. Earlier this year, the company launched new online pre-licensing classes for aspiring real estate agents in Michigan and Massachusetts with new innovative features, including shorter and more easily digestible lessons, chapter video summaries, flashcards and other activities that help each learner identify whether they understand or need to review course content. Similar updates will be released in many additional states over the coming months. "Colibri Real Estate has transformed our learning experience based on student feedback to make it easier for students to learn, stay engaged in the process and complete their coursework," said Andrew Robinson, Head of Product, Content, and Innovation, Colibri Real Estate. ""Every day is a celebration of online learning at our company, and we are excited to have a special day like today to recognize all the people who learn online and enable others to learn online." National Online Learning Day was created in 2016 to recognize and celebrate the importance of online learning and the progress made in advancing distance learning. Customers of Colibri Real Estate and its family of brands are encouraged to share their learning stories on social media using the hashtag #OnlineLearningDay. ABOUT COLIBRI REAL ESTATE Colibri Real Estate empowers aspiring and seasoned real estate professionals to start or advance their career through unmatched learning solutions. Colibri Real Estate is part of the Colibri Group, an education company composed of elite brands that provide learning solutions to licensed professionals. For more information, visit https://www.colibrirealestate.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915646105/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] KBRA Comments on Potential Impact of United Auto Workers Strike on Auto ABS Transactions Tweet On September 15, 2023, the United Auto Workers (UAW) launched strike action targeted at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler). The UAW and automakers failed to renew their contract, which expired at midnight on September 14, as the automakers and the UAW could not agree on terms regarding wages, cost of living adjustments, a shorter workweek, as well as other benefits changes relative to pensions and retiree health care for its 150,000 members. This is the first strike action in history that will simultaneously affect all three of the U.S. major auto manufacturers. While the strike action currently targets a limited number of factories at each automaker, its duration and scope are unclear. A prolonged and more widspread strike action, by reducing new production levels, would lead to lower new vehicle inventory, and likely increase new and used vehicle prices. Total inventory as of September 4 was approximately 2.1 million units and the days of supply was 58 days, up 46% from a year ago, according to Cox Automotive. Despite vehicle prices declining from late 2022 through 2023, price levels remain elevated. The strike action could temper this trend and pressure vehicle affordability. Conversely, higher vehicle prices may have a positive impact on auto loan recovery rates. KBRA will continue to monitor developments of the strike action and its potential to affect the performance of its rated universe of 170 auto ABS transactions. About KBRA KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRA's ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915516227/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Landscape Report 2023-2024: Explores Taiwan's Position in the Global Semiconductor Industry Supply Chains and Progress of Three Major Sectors DUBLIN, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Taiwanese Semiconductor Industry Landscape, 2023 and Beyond" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report offers an outlook on the global semiconductor market forecast for the period 2023-2024, explores Taiwan's position in the semiconductor industry supply chains, and delves into the progress of three major semiconductor industry sectors: IC design, IC manufacturing, and IC packaging and testing (OSAT). Additionally, the report includes a top-10 company ranking for each sector. The global semiconductor market is projected to reach a value of US$515 billion in 2023 and is expected to continue growing in 2024. Building on the strong growth witnessed in 2021 in IC design, IC manufacturing, and IC packaging and testing (OSAT), Taiwan's semiconductor industry demonstrated a remarkable double-digit xpansion in 2022, outperforming the global average. However, the industry is likely to face various degrees of adjustment in 2023, with shipment value predicted to exceed NT$3.85 trillion (US$125 billion). Key Topics Covered: Taiwan's Global Position and Development in the Semiconductor Industry Global Position and Development in the Semiconductor Industry Development of Taiwan's Major Semiconductor Industry Sectors A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes Ardentec ASE Chipbond ChipMOS Episil Formosa Advanced KYEC Macronix MediaTek Mosel Nanya Technology Novatek Nuvoton Orient Semiconductor Powertech PSMC Realtek Sigurd TSMC UMC VIS Walton Advanced Winbond For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hz38us About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/taiwan-semiconductor-industry-landscape-report-2023-2024-explores-taiwans-position-in-the-global-semiconductor-industry-supply-chains-and-progress-of-three-major-sectors-301929019.html SOURCE Research and Markets [September 15, 2023] Kempus Introduces The Kempus Podcast, Your Go-to Resource for Navigating College Life and Early Career Development Tweet NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kempus , an online community where students can connect and discuss the university and early career experience anonymously, is excited to announce the launch of The Kempus Podcast on Spotify, to further build on its mission to create an enriched community for college students. The Kempus Podcast, which is hosted by Kempus' Lead Program Manager, Alvin Ye, aims to be a hub of authentic college experiences. It will cover a wide range of topics including but not limited to career development, dating advice, mental health, and even adulting. The podcast is designed to foster a more enriched community by sharing a diverse range of voices and experiences from various walks of life, including students, alumni, and colleagues. The inaugural episode covers a recent record-breaking win of the Oregon Ducks, Kempus' sponsorship of the "Autzen Singalong" at the University of Oregon, and features Brennan Furber, a Program Coordinator for Kempus and the podcast's future co-host. Beyond the immediate scope of enriching the student experience, the podcast seeks to serve as a platform for Kempus' partnerships and various programs beneficial to students, including spotlights on the Kempus community, and Kempus' vibrant marketing internship program. Future episodes will feature topics such as: Navigating the intricacies of Impostor Syndrome Industry-specific eisodes Product development discussions by the Kempus team Entrepreneurship insights by Kempus CEO and Co-founder, Jae Lee Recruitment tips by Kempus' team Insights on working in the the tech space in Asia Building healthy social lives and relationships in college Balancing social life and academics Alvin Ye . When asked about what's in store for the podcast, Jae Lee, the CEO of Kempus, says, "This is the start of a larger conversation that resonates with the diverse needs and aspirations of students everywhere. We believe in creating value through genuine connections and real-world insights. With the introduction of The Kempus Podcast, we're not just talking about college life, we're diving deep into the experiences that shape us." Discover the Kempus Podcast now at: http://kempus.ai/podcast About Kempus Kempus (Kempus, Inc.) is an online community for verified students to anonymously connect and share reviews on their course and university experiencewithout fear of reprisal. With Kempus, students can access up-to-date reports on components of the university experience at a glance, and are further encouraged to dive into deeper discussions within Kempus' platform. Additionally, the Kempus platform assists the student body with early career preparation, for further empowerment. The Kempus community is one that strengthens its members at the individual level, to facilitate the most optimal and delightful university experience that is as unique as the students themselves. For more information about Kempus, visit www.kempus.com Download Kempus on iOS: https://kempus.ai/ios-app Download Kempus on Android: https://kempus.ai/android-app Contact [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kempus-introduces-the-kempus-podcast-your-go-to-resource-for-navigating-college-life-and-early-career-development-301929406.html SOURCE Kempus Inc [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 15, 2023] University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies Releases Special Edition of Phoenix Scholar Academic Periodical on Assessment Topics Tweet University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has released a special edition of its quarterly Phoenix Scholar academic research periodical. The periodical, launched in 2017, highlights the commitment of University of Phoenix faculty, students and alumni to leading research through evidence-based practice. The special edition focuses on assessment in higher education and contributing authors from across the University Colleges and departments explore traditional mechanisms of assessment of learning and how the University's focus on skills-aligned curriculum is validated in meeting working adult learner needs. "As higher education continues to coalesce at this intersection of education and careers, authentic assessment and skills-aligned curriculum at the University of Phoenix cultivates learners who simultaneously demonstrate the comportment indicative of engagement in higher education and in their respective industries," shares Eve Krahe Billings, Ph.D., dean, Academic Innovation & Evaluation at University of Phoenix and guest editor of the issue. "It's exciting to lead this edition and be able to bring together this work into a dedicated space for academic consumption." Articles from the special edition of the Phoenix Scholar include: Mindset Matters: Enhancing Grading Practice with a Mindset Check Summative or Formative Assessments? That is the Question Design 2.0 Innovative Curriculum Initiative, Part 1: Evaluating Implementation Using the Developmental Evaluation Approach Design 2.0 Innovative Curriculum Initiative, Part 2: Findings, Effectiveness, and Recommendations Curriculum and Program Assessment and Evaluation Increasing Learning, Competency, and Employability Through Assessment and Assessment Feedback Practices in Higher Education Supporting DEI Management Strategies and Practices Through Roust Assessment Efforts Feedback Strategies and Modalities in Online Higher Education Phoenix Scholar serves as the scholarly platform for communicating the results and outcomes of the University of Phoenix research endeavors, and their relationship to the broader scope of learning and scholarship. Last year, the periodical was assigned an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) by the U.S. ISSN Center at the Library of Congress. The assignment for Phoenix Scholar is online format ISSN 2771-6503 and print format ISSN 2771-6422. The College of Doctoral Studies research centers contribute to the publication findings: Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR), Center for Leadership Studies and Educational Research (CLSER), Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Research (CWDIR), and the University of Phoenix Career Institute. As longtime leaders in online education, the university utilizes research to develop solutions in the core areas of leadership, workplace diversity and instructional technology to enhance student outcomes, improve communities and to help students, faculty and alumni grow in their career aspirations. Read the current issue of Phoenix Scholar here. Learn more about the Phoenix Scholar publication here. About the College of Doctoral Studies University of Phoenix's College of Doctoral Studies focuses on today's challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The College's research program is built around the Scholar, Practitioner, Leader Model which puts students in the center of the Doctoral Education Ecosystem with experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor's and master's degree programs and a Career Services for Life commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915148445/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Carnegie Learning Announces New Milestone Carnegie Learning, a leader in AI-driven technology, curriculum, and professional learning solutions for K-12 education, today announced that the company has reached a new milestone: providing over 72,000 high-dosage live virtual tutoring sessions, serving over 13,000 students. Carnegie Learning has one of the largest teams of certified teachers as tutors in the nation, partnering with school districts across the U.S. to accelerate learning. This school year (2022-23, including this summer), the company's high-dosage tutoring team served 9,675 students across the United States. On average, 94% of students who completed feedback forms found their tutoring sessions helpful and 84% of students had a response rating of 4 or 5 (5 being the highest rating) regarding their confidence in returning to math or ELA class because of their tutoring session. The average student growth rate from pre-assessment to post-assessment was approximately 70%, well above the national average. Research shows that high-dosage tutoring - tutoring that takes place at least three times per week in small groups or one-on-one - is one of the most effective ways to prevent learning loss. "Carnegie Learning has spent years building and implementing structured high dosage tutoring programs that expand teachers' impact and accelerate learning," said Courtney Lewis, Vice President of Tutoring Services, Carnegie Learning. "We've invested in identifying ways to help make tutoring programs accessible, affordable and sustainable, so school districts in Virginia can implement effective district-wide programs with proven results." Carnegie Learning continues to invest in its high dosage tutoring program significantly, increasing the number of certified tutors from 42 to 425 (912%), and the number of school districts the company is supporting by 243% (7 districts last year and 24 districts this year). A role model for high-dosage tutoring success is Prince George's County Public Schools. Carnegie Learning launched its tutoring service at Prince George's County Public Schools during the COVID-related school closures of 2020, and the school district went that extra mile when they used CARES Act funds to implement online math tutoring services in partnership with Carnegie Learning. Since the program started, more than 3,000 middle and high school students have scheduled tutoring sessions to supplement classroom instruction, connecting their students with high-quality tutoring. High-dosage tutoring extends teachers' impactoutside of the classroom, allowing live tutors to build on the solid curriculum and help fill any gaps. Not all tutoring programs only use certified teachers, but Carnegie Learning ensures that its tutors are formally certified and able to carry out the curriculum wherever students are in their learning journey. Every student learns differently, so pre- and post-assessments, as well as ongoing formative assessments, measure growth and actively suggest new areas for growth. Carnegie Learning's high dosage tutoring services include: Live tutors who are certified teachers with deep content and pedagogical knowledge Bilingual and multilingual tutors Instruction that aligns with districts' standards and scope and sequence Standards-aligned, high-quality instructional materials to support grade-level learning Robust pre- and post-assessments to regularly track student growth and performance Carnegie Learning believes that students can reach far beyond their perceived potential, academically as well as socially and emotionally. To help students achieve this, we bridge the gap between access to high-quality instructors, award-winning AI software, and high-quality instructional resources. Find more information on Carnegie Learning High-Dosage Tutoring, please visit https://www.carnegielearning.com/solutions/services-overview/tutoring-services/ About Carnegie Learning, Inc. Carnegie Learning is celebrating 25 years as a leader in AI-driven technology, curriculum, and professional learning solutions for K-12 education. Our award-winning math, literacy, world languages, professional learning, high-dosage tutoring, and MATHstream products deliver real and lasting results. Born from cognitive science research at Carnegie Mellon University, we are known for harnessing the power of data to improve student performance. Our range of products allows us to support more than 2 million students and educators in all 50 states and Canada. Named a Top Place to Work for six years in a row, our employees are passionate about partnering with educators in the classroom. For more information, visit carnegielearning.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915821064/en/ Adding more firepower to longstanding complaints from local government and residents . . . INDEPENDENCE, MO LAUNCHES SECOND LAWSUIT AGAINST JACKSON COUNTY AMID ONGOING PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT OUTCRY, COMPLAINTS & ACTIVISM!!! Here's the word and the latest reports . . . "The City of Independence announced Friday it will be the second city joining the City of Lees Summit to sue Jackson County over the 2023 property assessment process." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com linkS . . . 2nd city planning to sue Jackson County over property assessments Independence, Missouri, is following a neighboring city's lead in suing Jackson County over property tax assessments that skyrocketed this year. Independence joins Lee's Summit in filing lawsuit over Jackson County assessment process The City of Independence announced Friday it will be the second city - joining the City of Lee's Summit - to sue Jackson County over the 2023 property assessment process. Developing . . . There is nobody who has ever visited the courthouse who will argue against DESPERATELY NEEDED renovation. Accordingly, here's a newsworthy note from the Exec's office about legislation that hopes to start repairs: Jackson County Executive eager to enhance downtown courthouse accessibility Monday public hearing on Ordinance 5783 balances ADA compliance of north steps with preservation of historic facility KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Jackson County Executive is enthusiastically calling on all organizations and community members concerned with accessibility in public spaces to lend their voice in support of Ordinance 5783. Slated for a public hearing on Monday, Sept. 18 at Noon, this vital ordinance seeks to marry modern-day accessibility needs with the preservation of the historic essence of the Jackson County Courthouse. Introduced by 5th District Jackson County Legislator Jeanie Lauer on August 21, the ordinance is a manifestation of the county's unwavering commitment to fostering an environment that's welcoming and accessible to every resident. Additionally, all improvements will meet the current ADA Standards for Accessible Design and Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). Beyond the essentials of accessibility, the project is meticulously designed to preserve and enhance the architectural aesthetics, further beautifying the downtown courthouse. Major aspects of the renovation encompass: - The selection of Gunter Construction Company, a reputable women-owned business, to execute the renovation - Architectural preservation respecting the Art Deco design - Integration of ADA-compliant ramps and architectural hardware updates - Comprehensive stair modification improvements - Augmentation of retaining walls, landscaping and paving -Significant mechanical, electrical and plumbing renovations Following a rigorous bid process, a committee of experts from the Purchasing and Public Works Departments endorsed the Gunter Construction Company for this project, ensuring quality workmanship and a keen focus on inclusivity. The 2021 facility assessment report, commissioned by the county, revealed over $250 million in deferred maintenance needs for the downtown courthouse. This renovation, thus, represents a timely and significant step forward in addressing these concerns. "The very essence of democracy is rooted in providing equal access and opportunities to all, said Jackson County Executive, Frank White, Jr. Our county courthouse, a symbol of justice and community, should embody this principle in every brick and beam. Ensuring its accessibility for every individual, irrespective of their abilities, is not just a project it's a promise." The north steps of the downtown courthouse have been temporarily inaccessible for a period of time due to safety concerns for residents entering the facility. The attached pictures illustrate the hazardous condition of these steps, characterized by cracked concrete, uneven surfaces and gaps in the foundation. Approval of this critical project will allow the County to begin the process of ushering in a new era of accessibility while paying homage to its rich heritage. The Jackson County Courthouse stands as an architectural timepiece, capturing the spirit of its age. Commissioned in 1934, this Art Deco masterpiece was designed by the illustrious firm Keen and Simpson, in collaboration with Edward F. Neild and Frederick C. Gunn. Serving as a beacon of hope during economically tumultuous times, its construction provided much-needed employment to Kansas Citians, symbolizing progress and a bright future. ### Photos from Jackson County included in this press release via www.TonysKansasCity.com collage: Developing . . . KABUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Four commuters lost their lives and 19 others sustained injury in two road accidents in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday. In the first crash which occurred in Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar province late Thursday night, three travelers including two children were killed and 11 others injured, some in critical condition, provincial police spokesman Hafiz Sabir said. The official blamed reckless driving for the accident, saying irresponsible driving often claims the lives of innocent commuters in the province. In a similar accident, a mini-bus turned turtle in the western Ghor province on Thursday night, leaving one dead and injured eight others, police spokesman in the province Abdul Rahman Badri said. Ramshackle roads, lack of security measures during travel, old vehicles and reckless driving are often blamed for road mishaps in Afghanistan. Right now we wanted to share a quick update on sketchy local policy, ALLEGED misdeeds and more crime news from across the metro. Check TKC news gathering . . . KC Council votes on marijuana sales tax to fight violent crimes Kansas City Council voted yes on Thursday to a marijuana sales tax that could help fight violent crimes in the city. BPU warns of new phone scam targeting its customers The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is warning of scams telling residents their utility bills are past due and service will be shut off. Serial Leavenworth burglar convicted for crime spree, including using fake $100 bill to buy Little Caesars A serial thief and burglar in Leavenworth was convicted of several crimes he committed, including using a fake $100 bill to buy chicken wings and pizza from a Little Caesars. KC-area san accused of trying to drive away with stolen property worth $5,500 Clay County Sheriff's Deputies stop a man accused of trying to steal $5,500 worth of property from a Liberty-area business to sell for scrap. Owner of Olathe pharmacy agrees to settlement of $250,000 for alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act Four B. Corporation, trading as Balls Food Stores, has agreed to a civil settlement of $250,000 with the federal government. Kansas man sentenced for trying to intimidate witness from jail Leavenworth, Kansas, man is sentenced to a year in prison for witness intimidation and domestic abuse-related crimes. Pleasant Hill, Missouri police looking for armed suspect after shots fired into vehicle Pleasant Hill police are looking for a man accused of firing his gun into a vehicle occupied by a family member. Developing . . . Forgiveness can be a powerful thing. In the current digital age . . . We've noticed that mobile phones are killing the memory of the younger generation so maybe political declarations about social justice second chances are overwrought. Then again . . . It's also important to pay attention to more critical voices who remind us: Criminal records are part of justice for VICTIMS OF CRIME and any hardship confronted by ex-cons was part of their choice in committing acts of violence, theft or fraud. Like it or not . . . Some but not all progressive activists mistakenly believe that anyone with a criminal record has been persecuted by the system . . . When, in fact, quite a few people who have done time in the can are just dangerous ex-cons. And all of these considerations lead us to one last observations . . . AMID HISTORIC & DEADLY KANSAS CITY CRIME, MAYOR & COUNCIL WORK TO CLEAR CRIMINAL RECORDS!!! Again . . . Critical voices might LEGITIMATELY argue that, at this point, enforcement and getting more cops on the street is far more important than working to grant pardon. Nevertheless . . . Here's a recent action and corresponding links from Mayor & Council that was unreported so far by local news: RESOLUTION - Recognizing National Expungement Week in Kansas City. WHEREAS, approximately 1.8 million people in Missouri have a criminal record; and WHEREAS, Kansas City is committed to creating a fair and equitable justice system; and WHEREAS, many residents of Kansas City with a criminal record continually face significant barriers in employment, housing, and societal participation due to lingering criminal or municipal ordinance convictions; and WHEREAS, the process of expungement, which involves the sealing of criminal and ordinance violation conviction records, can provide a fresh start for individuals, allowing them to fully participate in our community and contribute to our local economy; and WHEREAS, the first Friday of every June, observed as Kansas City Expungement Day, recognizes the importance of providing second chances to individuals with criminal records through the process of expungement; and WHEREAS, as CEO of the University of Missouri-Kansas Citys Clear My Record Expungement Program, Johnny Waller Jr. is a recognized leader in assisting residents navigate the expungement process on Kansas City Expungement Day and every day throughout the year; and WHEREAS, September 17 - 24, 2023, is recognized as National Expungement Week; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council wish to recognize and honor the work performed by the Clear My Record program in Kansas City and raise awareness about the importance of Expungement and available resources during National Expungement Week; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council support and encourage the Kansas City Municipal Court to continue efforts to allow eligible individuals to seek expungement of municipal ordinance violation records to support equity, justice, and opportunity for all residents; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY: That the Mayor and Council hereby declare September 17-24, 2023, as National Expungement Week in Kansas City; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that a copy hereof be presented to Johnny Waller Jr. and The Clear My Record Project at the University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Law with the Mayor and Council encouraging all residents to learn about the benefits of expungement and support available through the Clear My Record program, and to support those seeking a second chance. ##################### Sadly, all of that was rather pedantic and meaningless. However . . . For those dedicated souls who have made this this, via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .We share a much more inspiring glimpse at Expungement Week from a beloved B-list Hollywood Star. Check-it . . . Developing . . . This is worth remembering . . . VOTERS ACROSS KANSAS CITY IGNORED JUNE ELECTIONS THAT GARNERED SINGLE-DIGIT TURNOUT IN MANY PARTS OF TOWN!!! There wasn't a credible opposition candidate for Mayor, there were three council positions that were basically uncontested and a small cadre of activists declared an election victory even after one of their candidates was defeated and MOST voters stayed home. Nevertheless . . . KANSAS CITY STAR SUPPORT FOR UNITED NATIONS EFFORTS MIGHT NOT RESONATE WITH INQUIRING COWTOWN READERS!!! It's interesting that U.S. corporate media has dressed up the occasion as U.S. Democracy Day. Here's the backstory on the occasion . . . The International Day of Democracy, observed on September 15th, was officially designated in 2007 via a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The establishment of the International Day of Democracy can be traced back to the Universal Declaration on Democracy, which was formally adopted on September 15, 1997, by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The IPU is an international organization that comprises national parliaments from various countries. According to the United Nations, the International Day of Democracy serves as a valuable occasion to assess the global status of democracy. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . International Day of Democracy 2023: What is it and why is it important? It's International Day of Democracy on Friday 15 September, an event created by the UN to celebrate democratic societies. Finally, the offending note from the newspaper . . . I will register to vote in Kansas City. Will you join me in your own hometown? | Opinion Your KC Opinion editor will sign up to cast her ballot for National Voter Registration Day. The League of Women Voters will be out to help. Developing . . . Call this a victory for the old school economy and the suburbs and single-family homes might soon become a thing of the past . . . Because nobody can afford them. Check-it: U.S. District Court Judge Holly Teeter has sided with the city, granting its motion to dismiss the case. Shawnee spokesman Doug Donahoo said the city is pleased with the ruling. The judge ruled that as a corporation, HomeRoom does not have standing to assert constitutional claims on behalf of its tenants. She also found that the ordinance does not violate due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Much of her decision was based on a 1974 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas, which held that a zoning ordinance restricting the number of unrelated people from living together does not violate the Constitution. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . We like this story if only because it shows us the leaders of this nation are every bit as catty as cheerleaders and American Democracy is really more of a popularity contest than anything else. Here's the money line . . . Retiring Senator Romney, after announcing his plans to not seek reelection next year, revisited some previous comments in which he called it disingenuous for Senators to challenge election results. When first asked about Hawley and Cruz, Romney offered these comments I really do believe many of the people in leadership, meaning elected officials, who claimed 2020 was a stolen election, that we need to recount the ballots, other than through the normal judicial process, I think they knew better, said Romney. I have expressed that numerous times. Its not a surprise. More explanation . . . Per one excerpt of the book cited by CNN, Romney was again critical of Hawley. They know better! Josh Hawley is one of the smartest people in the Senate, if not the smartest, and Ted Cruz could give him a run for his money, read one excerpt published by CNN via The Atlantic. Hawley reportedly responded to these comments in an audio clip shared on YouTube page @ForbesBreakingNews. That is probably the nicest thing he has ever said about me to the public, said Hawley. You should see what he says about me in private. I did like the part where he said I was smarter than Ted Cruz, so I would say on the balance, he was probably like 47% accurate. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . This will result in the provision of high-quality health services, ranging from diagnostic tests and treatments to the management of healthcare facilities and health research A delegation of Egypt's Health Ministry, led by Minister Prof. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, visited on Wednesday, September 13, the facilities of the Athens Medical Group and held a series of strategic discussions with its management, ANA reports. Following the talks, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoU). According to the announcement, the signing of the memorandum marks the beginning of a new partnership between private and public bodies (PPP) and a transitional step forward in the countries' cooperation in the health sector. This strategic collaboration stems from the shared vision of the two sides for the continuous development and improvement of the health system, daily improving medical services and the quality of life of their people. The cooperation regards in particular the transfer by the Athens Medical Group of its specialized know-how in the provision of medical services as well as its leading medical technologies to the already existing infrastructures of Egypt in the health sector. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Fitzcarmalan Reporter Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it. When Queenie Seguban moved to Canada from the Philippines at age 11 in 2002, she used her passion for dance to connect with others and make friends. There was a comfort in dancing and being around people and not having to use words to express yourself, she said, noting English wasnt her first language. As someone super young at that time, finding your identity and belonging are really crucial so dance was my means to connect with people. It was also through dance that Seguban found her business partner Kelly Gammie. After university, we decided that we wanted to continue to dance together and teach together because we have that common passion of sharing dance to the younger generation, Seguban said. Seguban and Gammie, who together founded a street dance mentorship and training program called School of Groove, are among roughly 30 professional artists involved in the third annual Common Ground Dance Festival (CGDF), which takes Sept. 21 to 23 at two locations in Willowdale: Lee Lifeson Art Park (223 Gladys Allison Pl.) and North York Central Library (5120 Yonge St.). The festival, produced by artist-run, non-profit, Toronto-based contemporary dance organization Toes for Dance, will feature dance workshops, performances with live music and artist chats. Toes for Dance co-director and CGDF co-host David Norsworthy said the festival aims to showcase local performing artists, many of whom were hard hit by the pandemic, and bring dance into public spaces. Instead of dance performances and workshops happening behind closed doors, inside dance studios or in theatre, in addition to being inside the public space of (Lee Lifeson) park, were also doing some programming at the North York Central Library inside the atrium, which is highly visible and highly accessible, and also in their auditorium, he said. This is all about creating these little moments of curiosity and joy along peoples daily path of life so that they have a moment where they can stop and reflect and think and feel something and maybe get interested enough to engage further with the artists, either through one of our chat series or through one of the workshops. North York-based dancer Queenie Seguban will be leading one of the workshops at the Common Ground Dance Festival. | Nino Vicente photo One workshop, dubbed Its a Party! with School of Groove, is led by Seguban and Gammie and is billed as an opportunity to learn some of hip-hops most famous party grooves and social dances. (We) will be teaching a few hip-hop social dances just to get people moving and enjoying themselves on a Friday evening, Seguban said. Its open to all ages (and) all abilities, and were very excited to share the joy and the love that we have for dance to anyone and everyone who will be present. Sukriti Sharma, who moved to Canada from India seven years ago, will be one of five Kathak dancers performing at CGDF. (Kathak is an) Indian dance form, and it is very (much) associated with our culture, she said, adding CGDF is a great platform to see different dance forms. David Norsworthy is co-director of Toes for Dance, which is hosting the Common Ground Dance Festival. | Dan Pearce/Metroland Norsworthy said the festivals chat series aims to create relationships between artists and audiences that also provide more context to the performances. Its going to mean that in a more intimate setting, we can invite audience members into conversation with some of the artists to be able to hear about their work, whats important to them and how their values become embodied through their work, he said. Those conversations somehow really get to the heart of connection and belonging, which seem to be some of the driving forces behind what were doing. Norsworthy said the festival invites people to witness and then also participate in dance as well as reflect on the relevance of dance. There are a lot of things that are digital and a lot of things that are online, but theres something so crucial about the viscerality of dance in a three-dimensional in-person experience that reminds us of the materiality of our body and its relation to the air, the water and that land thats around us and supporting us, he said, adding were trying to create spaces inside which we can truly feel embodied in a connection with each other. Although CGDF is a free unticketed event, those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP to receive updates and weather-related scheduling changes. Visit toesfordance.ca/common-ground for full festival details and to RSVP. Its going to be a real space where different kinds of inspiration meet and conjure into some kind of really amazing community experience, so the invitation is to come and contribute ones energy and presence to that and to bear witness to all the work that these artists have put into making these performances happen, Norsworthy said. People who attend our event will have the opportunity to get to know a wide spectrum of whats happening in dance across the city. Seguban stressed dance is so much more than just a really cool thing to watch. Its an experience that brings people together, she said. While Rosemary Sullivan is best known for her biographies, especially the award-winning Stalins Daughter (2015), the Canadian poet and author has also crafted some exceptional travel literature. Now, in Where the World Was, the 76-year-old melds the two genres or, to be exact, blends autobiography and travelogue in a collection of essays, some previously published, that add up to a memoir as attuned to Sullivans interior life as it is to her travels. The tenor is set from the start, in a raw and revealing preface. There are quick sketches of traumatic childhood moments, a vicious mugging when Sullivan was a student at McGill, a developing determination to defy expectations and face her fears head-on, and more than a touch of romantic obsession the last an attribute shared by almost all her biographical subjects. It makes for a fine introduction to the opening essay: the writer at 30, already well-travelled in Canada and the UK, currently fleeing a job, a marriage and a lover. Sullivan journeys to a Sufi camp in North Carolina. Her account makes for a wild story in itself, and offers a near-perfect snapshot of the late (and unlamented for good reason) 1970s. After that, Sullivan ranges widely from Cold-War Moscow and Prague to as far afield as Indira Gandhis India, Egypt, Italy, Cuba, Chile and Mexico City at first for intensely personal reasons but increasingly to research her biographies. Before a final, post-COVID lockdown trip with her sisters to the Great Bear Rainforest, there is little about natural wonders, and more about human edifices, particularly tombs The Man Who Was Buried Standing Up, Sullivans account of her guided tour through Havanas Necropolis Cristobal Colon, is a gem. Most of the writing, though, is about people. Some are sources for her books, some the famous dead (Robert Capa, D.H. Lawrence) who had trod the same ground that Sullivan was then walking, and most are ordinary individuals. And about how their hopes and fears for the future mirrored or opposed Sullivans own, and how she grew through her encounters with them. Random connections are a persistent subtext several essays, disparate in place and time, feature historical figures who link to another of Sullivans admired artists, British sculptor Leonora Carrington. Meeting and later writing the biography of Canadian Elizabeth Smart, whose 1945 novel about her tumultuous decades-long affair with poet George Barker, By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, made her an icon of romantic obsession, enabled Sullivan to overcome her own feelings. When Svetlana Alliluyeva, Joseph Stalins daughter, died in 2011, Sullivans reputation was such that a publisher approached her to capture the life of one of the Cold Wars most famous defectors. Sullivan was drawn by the burden Alliluyeva bore the shadow cast by her father and by the vast geographic expanse involved (Russia, Georgia, London, the U.S.). And its fair to wonder which aspect pulled the hardest. By this point in her book, the author has begun to muse about something long apparent to her readers, namely how much travel biography demands. By the evidence of the engrossing essays in Where the World Was, Sullivan is as likely as not to have taken up biography precisely because of the travel involved. Brian Bethune has written extensively about books, ideas, religion, culture and business for Macleans and other publications. He earned his PhD in medieval studies from the University of Toronto. Montreals reputation as one of the quirkier cities in Canada is well established. The city is infused with an unconventional spirit that can be noticed everywhere: in the hippy-dippy drum circle at the base of Mont-Royal every weekend; in the lost-in-time eateries like Wilenskys Light Lunch, whose decor and menu appears to have been unchanged since its opening in 1932; in the age-old pastime of people-watching on the patio of Cafe Olimpico. The best way to get to know Montreal is to explore it from every angle, as I did on my latest visit this summer. Keep your eyes open to observe the unexpected. You wont be disappointed. On its streets Thanks to its status as one of the oldest cities in the country, Montreal has some of the most fascinating architecture in Canada: a jumble of 17th-century stonework mixed with opulent Beaux Arts buildings and 1960s brutalist strongholds. Right down the street from the Basilique Notre-Dame (currently home to a ticketed immersive multimedia experience called Aura), palatial marble and mahogany-filled bank buildings from the 1800s sit, waiting to be admired. Unlike similar buildings in New York City that require a security pass for entry, in Montreal you can simply walk in off the street and sip coffee underneath the magnificent cathedral ceilings of the former Royal Bank building (now the coworking space Crew Collective & Cafe), or relax in the InterContinental Montreal lobby, formerly the Nordheimer piano factory, amid stained-glass light fixtures and intricate tile-patterned floors. Book a Beyond the Basilica walking tour with Spade & Palacio to learn about the treasures that await on the streets. On the water For approximately the price of a fancy gourmet sandwich, you can hop aboard an electric boat with Le Petit Navire and see the Old Port district from the breezy vantage point of the St. Lawrence River. The guided 45-minute tours ($25 per adult) depart from Jacques-Cartier Pier and zoom past the cluttered cubes of Habitat 67 (the citys distinctive housing complex), a small waterfall, and the blue-and-white tents of Cirque du Soleil. From the boat, catch a stunning glimpse of the city skyline, complete with a view of the landmark cross perched at the top of Mont-Royal. At a long-favoured restaurant Located in the post-industrial neighbourhood of St-Henri, Le Vin Papillon remains a gem in Montreals crowded culinary scene. Ten years since its inception, the bistro continues to delight with its classic yet unpretentious approach to food and hyper-local rotating chalkboard menu. Case in point: the eatery earned a spot on the 2023 list of Canadas 100 Best Restaurants. Standout dishes include the boeuf cru pan con tomate, a heap of beef tartare infused with umami-rich heirloom tomatoes served alongside a charred, crispy baguette; the deceptively simple jambon de Petite Bourgogne, toast stacked with thinly shaved ribbonettes of ham that melt on the tongue; and the crunchy endive salad topped with grassy Fleur des Monts cheese. Through its nightlife scene There may or may not be toilet paper in the bathroom of Les Foufounes Electriques, the famous dive bar whose name translates to the electric buttocks, but this music venue has played host to such legendary acts as Radiohead and Nirvana. The drinks are cheap ($7 bar rail), the decor is weird (giant skull sculptures), and the lighting is neon. According to local music enthusiasts, Montreal has one of the most vibrant hardcore punk scenes in North America, and on a recent evening, Beef and Electric Chair battled it out in the mosh pit. If you can get past the sticky, graffiti-covered interior, this spot is not to be missed. Isabel Slone travelled as a guest of Bonjour Quebec and Tourisme Montreal, which did not review or approve this article. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in Beijing on Friday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, commended on the important and unique role that China-Zambia relations had played in the history of China-Africa friendly exchanges. The profound historical heritage and solid political foundation of the bilateral relationship have withstood the vicissitudes of the international landscape and remain rock-solid, said Zhao. Noting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Zhao said China is ready to work with the Zambian side, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to further deepen political mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies and jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road, and to achieve new and greater development of bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the two peoples. Zhao added that China's NPC is willing to work with Zambia's National Assembly to strengthen friendly exchanges in various fields and at all levels, carry out experience exchanges in rule of law and other areas, safeguard and develop the common interests of the two countries. Hichilema shared Zambia's admiration of the brilliant development achievements of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, underscored the significance of relations with China, reiterated the nation's firm adherence to the one-China policy, and voiced willingness to deepen the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between Zambia and China for the benefit of the two peoples. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) DPI Research has published a new research report titled "India Outbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Market 2023: Outlook, Trends, Opportunities and Forecasts to 2031 in its research database. According to the latest research study 2023, India Outbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism market size is expected to reach US$ 13.4 billion by 2031. The Indian Outbound Tourism (MICE) is experiencing significant growth due to a combination of economic factors, government support, infrastructure development, and increasing awareness among businesses and individuals of the benefits of attending international MICE events. As India continues to expand its global business presence, the outbound MICE tourism market is likely to continue its growth trajectory. The market's best insights begin with a simple request get your sample now: https://dpiresearch.com/reports/india-outbound-mice-tourism-market-size/ The growth of Indias outbound MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism market is influenced by several key factors. MICE tourism is a significant segment of the overall travel industry, and Indias increasing participation in this market can be attributed to the following factors: Economic Growth: Indias expanding economy has resulted in a larger disposable income for businesses and individuals. This has led to increased corporate spending on MICE activities, including international events, conferences, and exhibitions. Globalization of Businesses: Indian businesses are increasingly going global, which necessitates international meetings, collaborations, and networking opportunities. This drives the demand for outbound MICE tourism. Infrastructure Development: The growth of the outbound MICE tourism market is closely tied to the development of infrastructure, including modern convention centers, hotels, and transportation. India has been investing in improving these facilities to attract international events and conferences. Government Support: The Indian government has been actively promoting tourism and has introduced initiatives to facilitate outbound MICE travel. This includes visa liberalization, simplified regulations, and financial incentives for hosting international conferences in India. Rising Education and Skill Development: Indias education and skill development sector is booming, and students and professionals are increasingly seeking international exposure through conferences, workshops, and educational events. This drives outbound MICE tourism, particularly in the education sector. Diverse Business Sectors: India is home to a wide range of industries, including IT, pharmaceuticals, finance, and manufacturing. These industries frequently participate in international trade shows, exhibitions, and conferences, contributing to outbound MICE tourism. Corporate Incentive Programs: Many Indian companies use outbound MICE tourism as part of their employee incentive programs. This encourages employees to achieve targets and participate in international conferences and events. Increasing Connectivity: Improved air connectivity and more affordable international flights have made it easier for Indian travelers to explore international MICE destinations. Growing Awareness: There is a growing awareness among Indian businesses and organizations about the benefits of participating in international MICE events. Networking, knowledge sharing, and business opportunities are significant incentives. Destination Diversity: Indian travelers are increasingly looking for diverse destinations, both popular and emerging, to host MICE events. This diversification of destinations adds to the growth of outbound MICE tourism. Technology Advancements: The use of technology, such as virtual and hybrid meetings, has made it easier for Indian companies to participate in international MICE events, even during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. Industry Collaboration: Collaboration between various stakeholders in the travel and MICE industry, including event organizers, travel agencies, and hotels, has played a vital role in promoting outbound MICE tourism. India outbound MICE tourism market is a comprehensive study and presentation of drivers, restraints, opportunities, demand, market size, insights, forecast and trends for the period 2015 2031. In addition, the report provides historical market data from 2015 to 2022 and forecasts to 2031. The report uses data and analysis to discuss potential lucrative opportunities, current and future trends related to Indian outbound MICE tourism flow, spending and key target markets. The report provides a clear insight into the current and future tourism developments in the Indian outbound MICE tourism market. In addition, this report uses country-specific analysis to study the India outbound MICE tourism market. A detailed country-specific analysis of the market is presented, covering a total of 30 countries. The driving forces and restraints are studied in detail to better understand the market and identify future growth opportunities in the market. After a thorough study of the historical and current growth parameters, the growth prospects of the Indian outbound MICE tourism market are determined with utmost precision. The Report Analyses the Market on the Basis of Countries and Presents the Forecast in Terms of Value and Volume for the Next 8 Years. The Top 30 Countries Included in the Report are: Singapore Thailand United States Australia China Japan New Zealand Sri Lanka Taiwan Nepal Cambodia Mauritius Canada Philippines Myanmar Malaysia Turkey Oman Qatar United Arab Emirates (UAE) Bahrain Saudi Arabia Kuwait Egypt Germany United Kingdom Italy Netherlands France Switzerland This Well-Versed and Comprehensive India Outbound MICE Tourism Market Research Report 2023 Delivers: Comprehensive Research Methodology of the India Outbound MICE Tourism Market Detailed and Extensive Market Overview with Key Analyst Insights Insights about Market Determinants that are Stimulating the India Outbound MICE Tourism Market To Analyze the Historical Growth in the Market Size of the India Outbound MICE Tourism from 2015 to 2022 To Estimate and Forecast the Market Size of the India Outbound MICE Tourism Market from 2023 to 2031 and Growth Rate until 2031 The Market Size of the India Outbound MICE Tourism with Eight Years Forecast Provides Comprehensive Insights on the Latest Indian Outbound MICE Tourists Going Abroad with Eight Years Forecast Detailed Market Share Assessment of the India Outbound MICE Tourism Market with Eight Years Forecast Includes a Detailed Analysis of the India Outbound MICE Tourism Spending in the Top 30 Most-Visited Foreign Countries Detailed Insights of the India Outbound MICE Tourists Going to the Top 30 Most-Visited Foreign Countries Delivers an In-Depth Analysis of Evolving Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints of the India Outbound MICE Tourism Market The Report Helps Answer the Following Questions: What is the current size of the overall India outbound MICE tourism market? How much will this market be worth from 2023 to 2031? How many outbound MICE tourists are there in India? Which foreign country is best for Indian to travel? What are the top outbound MICE destinations from India? What are Indian outbound MICE tourism trends? How many Overall Indian MICE tourists visit globally? Which country has the highest MICE tourists visit by the Indian people? What are the market shares of the India outbound MICE tourism visitation and market? What are the main drivers and restraints in the India outbound MICE tourism market? How will the industry evolve during the forecast period 2023 2031 Browse In-depth Market Research Report (180 Pages, Charts, Tables, Figures) : https://dpiresearch.com/reports/india-outbound-mice-tourism-market-size/ About DPI Research We Are Best Market Research Reports Providers. DPI Research is a leading market research publisher which offer bespoke market research reports, custom research and consulting services across multi geographies and industry verticals. We deliver a wide range of cutting-edge research solutions that help organizations in making better decisions of the business to business needs. DPI Research provides a high standard of business research reports to the clients across industry verticals comprising Life Sciences, Information Technology, Telecom & Internet, Food Beverages & Agriculture, Travel & Tourism, Consumer Goods & Retail, Education and Social Sciences. We are committed to using advanced analytical tools and methodologies to help clients with crucial industry information for decision making. Browse Complete Report Here https://dpiresearch.com/reports/china-outbound-tourism-market-size-2023-2031/ Request for Customization on this Report as per your requirements (We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.) Email Directly Here with Detail Information: sales@dpiresearch.com Contact US Maria Rai Head of Business Development DPI Research | Web: https://dpiresearch.com Direct Line: +91-766-764-8693 E-mail: sales@dpiresearch.com New Delhi, India 110030 ### BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has a great tradition of respecting and embracing other civilizations, and has been highly committed to promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between different countries, officials and experts have said. Attending the two-day 2023 Beijing Culture Forum that concluded here on Friday, they have also emphasized the urgency to advance dialogue and sharing among civilizations in this world of turbulence. What today's world needs is "not leadership in the old Western colonial sense of leading by dictating other people on how they should behave or by coercing them into doing what they want, but leadership that respects other parties," said David Ferguson, honorary chief English editor of Foreign Languages Press. "And that is a feature of China's international diplomacy. It has always insisted (that) all countries, no matter how strong or how weak, no matter how powerful, how large or small, should have an equal voice," said Ferguson, who received China's Orchid Awards earlier in September for facilitating cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. "What is very much needed at the moment is a form of leadership that is based on that mutual respect, based on the understanding that every country should have an equal voice, that every country is of equal importance, and behind that that every civilization has strength and is a valid civilization," he added. Recalling her visit to China recently, Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, said she "was impressed by the unprecedented investment and high-level commitment (of China) that is being deployed in the field of culture, among many other domains." Calling the forum "timely and important," she called for "stronger cooperation and occasions of mutual learning, including in the area of culture." "Culture is the foundation of our societies. It nurtures our mind and souls regardless of our background, origin or status. As such, culture is a global common good that deserves our full consideration for the benefits it brings to people's lives," she said. "We can not work alone. We need to mobilize our partners, especially if our ambition is to meet global challenges," she added. China has been promoting cultural exchanges with a basis of equality and mutual benefits, and has shown much respect for other cultures, said Egyptian Culture Minister Nevien El Kilany. "We appreciate China's unremitting efforts in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, which has opened a new chapter for cultural exchanges between Egypt and China, as well as among countries worldwide," she said. Throughout history, exchanges between China and the Middle East, for example via the ancient Silk Road, were "founded on mutual respect, interaction and human sharing that have even strengthened the bonds of humanity," said Jordanian Ambassador to China Hussam Al Husseini. "It is important we acknowledge and recognize the contribution of each civilization to humanity," he said. "History tells us that many nations vanished while facing similar challenges, but it also tells the stories of our survival, when we worked together. And our human race needs more than just togetherness in times of crises. We need to enhance our dialogue, so together we can explore ways to face our future challenges," he added. For centuries, Western countries have been holding the wrong belief that their cultures were better than and superior to others, noted Christine Cayol, vice-president of the Sino-French Cultural Forum. "The right way is to reexamine our own culture and find our own problems by learning from other cultures, instead of engaging ourselves in judging which culture is superior," she said. Noting that dialogue among civilizations is key to mutual understanding, Cayol said "culture has nothing to do with controlling, but rather with sharing feelings and emotions." "Against the backdrop of climate change, geopolitical divisions and other global challenges, we should not just call for cultural cooperation, but emerge ourselves in concrete actions for closer cooperation," said David Gosset, a sinologist and initiator of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, adding that the priority lies in "avoiding prejudice." They are the same batteries used in car keys and the like and lots of folks fly with their car keys in their pockets. So I expect you wont have any trouble. Hi all, Hope you're all doing well! My girlfriend and I really want to visit Nicaragua and we're exploring the possibilities for visiting Nicaragua in June 2024. We're planning for a 17-18 day trip. However we encounter a lot of websites that warn about the start of rain season and that June is known for heavy rain. We're both experienced travelers so we are aware that these warnings sometimes do not say anything at all and that local people as well as people that have been to the place in that period can give far better insights. So our question to you is, how is the actual weather in June in Nicaragua? - Does it rain everyday? - Do these rains last all day? Or is it just a heavy rainfall for an hour or so? - Despite the rain season will the skies be bright during the day in June? Or are the skies mostly covered with clouds during the day? Since we really want to enjoy Nicaragua to the fullest and experience all the beauty the country has to offer, we hope for less cloudy skies such that everything looks more beautiful. I hope some of you can help us, the help is much appreciated. Best regards Thomas and Merel SYDNEY, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Queensland state would have more direct flights connecting its capital Brisbane and China's major cities, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, with increased services by Chinese airlines, the state government has announced. In a statement released on Thursday, the Queensland government noted that from Oct. 29, China Eastern Airlines would fly non-stop to Brisbane Airport three times a week, with the flights grown to five times a week within three years. According to the statement, China Eastern Airlines is expected to land almost 41,000 seats in Brisbane during the first year of operation. "China Eastern Airlines will launch flights from Shanghai to Brisbane starting next month. That means thousands more visitors to the Sunshine State and a big boost for our tourism businesses and workers," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. The announcement came only a day after the state government confirmed that China Southern Airlines is expanding direct Brisbane services from Guangzhou to daily from December to February. The daily seasonal services would coincide with the traditional Chinese New Year peak travel season. "It's fantastic to welcome back more international guests to Queensland," said Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Brett Fraser. "Seasonal flights can be a shot in the arm for the tourism industry and we hope to see an influx of visitors during the Chinese New Year travel period." "Re-establishing and strengthening the connection between China and Queensland is vital to our long-term tourism success," Fraser added. Data from the state government showed that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, China was Queensland's biggest tourism market with almost 500,000 visitors contributing 1.6 billion Australian dollars (approximately 1.03 billion U.S. dollars) to the state's economy each year. National Carnival Commission chairman-Winston Gypsy Peters.. is hoping that the NCC could be more involved in Tobago's October Carnival in the future. Drone completes first flight from Nenana to Fairbanks airport Alaskas leading public uncrewed aircraft program made another significant advance Friday when a drone flew from the Nenana airport and landed at Fairbanks International Airport. The flight, conducted by a University of Alaska Fairbanks research center, was the first in Alaska of a drone departing one airport and arriving at a controlled airport. The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration achieved the milestone when its SeaHunter aircraft touched down at the Fairbanks airports general aviation area at about 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2023, after making the 45-mile flight from Nenana. The Federal Aviation Administration required ACUASI to have visual contact with the drone from either the ground or a chase aircraft for the entire flight. ACUASI used a Robinson 44 helicopter as the chase aircraft. Photo by Peter Houlihan. The SeaHunter drone of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration flies to Fairbanks International Airport from Nenana on Sept. 8, 2023. Photo by Nick Adkins. ACUASI, a unit of the UAF Geophysical Institute, last year flew its SeaHunter aircraft out of the Fairbanks airport and back in a designated flight pattern used for departures, arrivals and runway approach practice. That flight was the first civilian large drone operation at an international airport in Alaska. These are some of the first steps for drone deliveries across Alaska, ACUASI Deputy Director Nick Adkins said of Fridays flight. With the control tower at FAI and a route along the Tanana River, the drone and support team encountered almost all of what is needed to fly from Fairbanks to Galena, for example. A flight like this allows testing and proving of command and control links, aircraft capability, detect and avoid technologies, controlled and uncontrolled airport operations, and integration of the drones and crew into the National Airspace System, he said. The SeaHunter is a twin-engine, 299-pound fixed-wing aircraft with a 16-foot wingspan. It carries enough fuel to fly for 10 hours. A pilot of a crewed or uncrewed aircraft wanting to enter the controlled, Class D airspace of Fairbanks International Airport must first contact the airports approach control. The pilot then must contact the Fairbanks tower for further instructions and contact airport ground control to taxi to the hangar. Nenana is a different class of airspace and has no control tower to help with aircraft traffic flow. Pilots use a common traffic frequency to announce their aircrafts position and their intentions to others flying in the area. In addition to regular airline service, Fairbanks International Airport controllers also handle traffic from Ladd Army Airfield at Fort Wainwright, Metro Airfield in South Fairbanks and Chena Marina float pond. What we are doing is demonstrating that drones can and will be able to integrate into normal operations at airports, Adkins said. The flight into Fairbanks International Airport resulted from work that began in February 2018 to obtain approval from the FAA, managers at the Fairbanks International Airport Operations Department, Nenana airport and from the Fairbanks Air Traffic Control Tower. Fridays successful flight followed two flights from Fairbanks to Nenana earlier in the week. UAF is one of seven FAA-designated unmanned aircraft systems test sites established to develop and test drone technology. It has numerous flight test areas around the country. ACUASI manages and operates the test site. ACUASI has become a national leader in implementing the safe operation and integration of unmanned aircraft. It sponsored the first Global Autonomous Systems Conference last month in Anchorage. The 2024 conference is scheduled for Aug. 13-15 and will again be held at Anchorages Denaina Civic and Convention Center. ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Olena Ellis, 907-455-2035, oaellis@alaska.edu 043-24 Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Germanys Rheinmetall has handed over a mobile field hospital to Ukraine. The relevant statement was made on the companys website, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In September 2022, the German Federal Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Rheinmetall Groups subsidiary, Rheinmetall Mobile Systeme GmbH, or RMS, for the hospital and related training support. The order is worth around EUR 9 million. This field hospital encompasses 32 beds, including eight intensive care beds, an operating room with associated sterilization facilities, diagnostic imaging technology (x-ray and computer tomography), a laboratory, a pharmacy, and administrative and personnel tracts. In two additional deliveries scheduled for late 2023 and early 2024, RMS will also be supplying Ukraine with two high-mobility medical support facilities. Besides the field hospital itself, Rheinmetall has also furnished Ukraine with the necessary transport assets. A total of 10 truck/trailer combinations carried the 20 containers to their destination. The hospital is a complete autarkic medical support unit. It not only includes medical modules in expandable containers and tents, but also an independent power generation capability and facilities for producing medical gases. The hospital also features its own water supply, including treatment and decontamination as well as billets with sanitation modules for patients and personnel. It can therefore be safely transported by land, sea or air, and is ready to operate upon arrival. Designed for maximum operational mobility, all of the systems and equipment in the hospital can be reused repeatedly. Ten Ukrainian soldiers took part in a 14-day training course to learn how to assemble and disassemble and operate the hospital. The formal handover to Ukraine then took place at a specified location. We kept our word and have supplied the Ukrainian military with a major first-class field hospital at extremely short notice. The men and women of our company and those of our partners demonstrated outstanding commitment in carrying out this project. We never forgot for a single day how important a speedy delivery was. This system will hopefully save many lives in Ukraine. We are proud to be contributing our special capabilities to Rheinmetalls support for Ukraine, RMS Managing Director Hauke Bindzus noted. The company also shared a video of how the mobile field hospital looks like. #Rheinmetall has supplied @Ukraine with a mobile #fieldhospital. Just one year ago, in September 2022, the German ministry of #defence awarded Group subsidiary Rheinmetall Mobile Systeme GmbH the contract for the #hospital and related training support. pic.twitter.com/TJQB56QFIt Rheinmetall (@RheinmetallAG) September 12, 2023 A reminder that the Federal Government of Germany instructed Rheinmetall to deliver 40 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. Photo: DPA Ukrainian Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk has thanked Ukrainian pilots for their excellent combat work in Sevastopol. Oleschuk reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "While the occupiers [] are still recovering from nighttime explosions in Sevastopol, I would like to thank the pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for their excellent combat work," he wrote. Ukrinform reported earlier that several powerful explosions rang out in temporarily occupied Sevastopol early on Wednesday, September 13. Russia's Defense Ministry reported a cruise missile attack on the Ordzhonikidze shipyard in temporarily occupied Sevastopol, which damaged two warships. Ammunition from North Korea could help Russia win time by giving its defense industry a chance to catch up with military demand. Such a statement was made by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraines Defense Ministry Kyrylo Budanov against the background of Kim Jong-uns visit to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin, Ukrinform reports with reference to NV. North Korea has been supplying Russia with 122mm and 152mm artillery rounds and rockets for Grad multiple rocket launchers for a month and a half, Budanov says. According to Western media, during Kim Jong-uns visit, the Kremlin seeks to secure the supply of ammunition from North Korea in exchange for other weapons, as well as technology and oil. Read also: UK urges North Korea to cease arms talks with Russia As reported earlier, The New York Times, citing sources, wrote that Vladimir Putin seeks to receive from North Korea artillery rounds and anti-tank missiles, while Kim Jong-un wants Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear submarines. In addition, Kim is seeking food aid for his country. The White House said Putin and Kim recently exchanged letters, and Russian Defense Minister Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang in July included discussions of the arms deal. Explosions rang out in Russias Bryansk region, where air defense forces reportedly shot down a group of unmanned aerial vehicles. This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Russian media. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, at least four aircraft-type kamikaze drones were allegedly destroyed in the skies over Bryansk region in the early hours of Thursday. Regional governor Aleksandr Bogomaz says no casualties or damage were reported from the ground. As Ukrinform reported earlier, over the past 12 months, Russia launched over 2,000 Shaed-type one-way attack drones at targets across Ukraine. The West must gird for a long war in Ukraine and to deal with an increasingly hostile Russia even after hostilities are over. This was stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army, Karel Rehka, who spoke in an interview with Reuters. While some Western officials have expressed concern about Ukraine's slow counteroffensive, Rzeha is not at all frustrated by the pace of the Ukrainian progress. "This is how a military offensive looks," he said. "It is not like a World War Two movie. It takes time." In general, in his opinion, there is no capacity on either side to reach their ultimate declared objectives any time soon. "It wont last a few weeks, it will last for long, probably. And it's important that we keep supporting Ukrainians for a long time." Rehka noted that the Czech Republic still has weapons in its storage that it could provide to Ukraine. We are going through different storages and plans and concepts and trying to identify what more we can provide. We still have some, including some heavy equipment." Rehka predicts that Russia will act less predictably and pose a more serious threat to the West even after the war ends. At the same time, according to the chief of the general staff, the war spurred Western allies to take more seriously to the former Soviet-era satellite nations who experienced decades of control from Moscow. "Overall, I think the Eastern Flank is a little bit more listened to right now," he said. "Many things that are now taken seriously were articulated by the Baltic states and Poland before, but no one listened." Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reads a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum and delivers a speech in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) NANJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang read a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum on Friday in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, and delivered a speech, calling for joint efforts to develop the China-Europe Railway Express. Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said as a flagship project and a landmark brand of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe Railway Express has explored a path of development featuring consensus building, win-win cooperation, and vitality. He said it has become a popular international public good and won widespread praise from the international community. Ding called for joint efforts, unity, and coordination to develop the China-Europe Railway Express, open up a broader path for the common development of countries along the routes, and inject new impetus and vitality into the recovery of the world economy. He stressed that the first thing is to jointly build an efficient transport system for the China-Europe Railway Express, accelerate the establishment and improvement of multilateral and bilateral inter-governmental cooperation mechanisms for the China-Europe Railway Express, promote the convergence of rules and standards, and continuously consolidate the foundation of international cooperation for the China-Europe Railway Express. "Secondly, we should jointly build a safety governance system for the China-Europe Railway Express, strengthen security risk management along the lines, deepen information exchange and cooperation, strengthen law enforcement cooperation, improve emergency response capabilities, create a safe and stable development environment for the China-Europe Railway Express, and jointly set a model for international transport safety," Ding said. He said the third thing is to explore new international transport routes and accelerate the formation of a diversified pattern of the China-Europe Railway Express while building and maintaining existing transport routes. "Fourthly, we will jointly build an innovative development system for the China-Europe Railway Express, promote the IT application, digitization, and intelligent construction, accelerate the application of green and environmental protection technologies, and make it more beneficial to the people of countries along the routes," he added. First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar read a written message from Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. After the opening ceremony, Ding met with Roman Sklyar to exchange views on China-Kazakhstan relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields. The forum, which opened on Friday, was themed "Deepening Interconnectivity and Promoting Win-Win Cooperation." Experts and scholars from home and abroad, entrepreneurs, government officials, and representatives of international organizations attended the opening ceremony. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar after the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 15, 2023. Ding read a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum on Friday, and delivered a speech. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Over the past day, Ukraines Air Force conducted 12 strikes on enemy manpower and equipment clusters and two on the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems. That's according to a mornign update by the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports. Missile and artillery units hit a Russian command post, an anti-aircraft missile system, a manpower and weapons cluster, 15 artillery systems, two ammunition depots, and an e-warfare station. During the past day, 29 combat clashes took place along the front lines. The enemy launched two missile attacks and 92 airstrikes, as well as 42 strikes involving multiple rocket launchers, targeting military positions and civilian objects. According to the latest update, yesterday the invaders launched 47 kamikaze drones of the Shahed-136/131 type, of which 35 were destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses. As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, a number of civilians were killed and wounded. Port infrastructure, households, and other civilian infrastructure sustained damage and destruction. The settlements of Morokhovets, Pletenivka, Petropavlivka, and Kislivka in Kharkiv region were hit by airstrikes as were Stepok of Sumy region; Novoselivske, Novoyehorivka, and Bilohorivka of Luhansk region; Siversk, Spirne, Kurdiumivka, Klishchiivka, Krasnohorivka, and New York of Donetsk region; Robotyne, Zapasne of Zaporizhzhia region; and Odradokamyanka and Prydniprovske of Kherson region. About 100 settlements in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions came under artillery fire. Ukraines Defense Forces remain on the defensive defense in the east and south of Ukraine, pursuing offensive operations in the Melitopol and Bakhmut directions, gradually gaining a foothold. In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation saw no significant changes. In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions, the Russians retain groups of troops covering the state border, conducting active subversive activities in the border areas in order to prevent the Ukrainian forces from moving to higher-risk war zones, and increasing the density of mine and explosive barriers along the state border in Belgorod region. In the Kupiansk and Bakhmut directions, the enemy keeps trying to penetrate Ukraines defenses in the areas northeast of Berestove in Kharkiv region, Bilohorivka in Luhansk region, and Bohdanivka in Donetsk region. In turn, the Ukrainians saw partial success in the course of offensive operations in the areas of Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Kurdiumivka of Donetsk region, inflicting significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment. Ukraines defenders are firmly holding their defense in the Marinka area, where during the past day the enemy made 14 unsuccessful attempts to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions. In addition, all enemy attacks in the areas of Mala Tokmachka and Verbove in Zaporizhzhia region resulted in significant manpower and equipment losses for the Russian troops. At the same time, in the Avdiivka, Marinka, and Shakhtarske areas, the Defense Forces retain the initiative, putting pressure on the enemy, conducting assaults, and reclaiming territory. Read also: German defense minister says Putin not ready for peace talks In the Melitopol direction, the Ukrainian forces continue the offensive operation, inflicting significant losses in terms of manpower and equipment on the occupying troops. In the Kherson direction, the Ukrainians are engaged in counterbattery battles, destroying enemy depots and inflicting damage beyond deep into the Russian defense network. Four F-35 fighter jets landed Thursday at an airbase in Denmark in the first installment of the U.S.-made planes ordered by the NATO member to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, some of which have been promised to Ukraine. AP reported it as follows, according to Ukrinform. Four F-35 fighter jets landed Thursday at an airbase in Denmark in the first installment of the U.S.-made planes ordered by the NATO member to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, some of which have been promised to Ukraine, the statement reads. Dignitaries and officers clapped as the planes, in Danish Air Force colors, did several flyovers before landing at the Skyrdstrup Air Base. Ukraine has been asking for Western fighter jets to help it resist the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The United States recently gave its approval for Denmark and the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with the American-made jets. Denmark has ordered a total of 27 F-35 fighter jets for $2.2 billion. They will replace the countrys fleet of 30 F-16s, which are more than 40 years old, in a transition that will last through the end of 2025. Following Thursdays ceremonial arrival, the initial four planes will be formally handed over to Denmark by the U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin on Oct. 1. Read also: Deputy Head of Russian Ministry of Health is not allowed to attend WHO meeting in Denmark As reported, Denmark and the Netherlands play a leading role in the 'aircraft coalition' to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and to provide training for Ukrainian military pilots and maintenance personnel. On August 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Skridstrup military air base to inspect one of the F-16s. During the visit, President Zelensky spoke with Ukrainian pilots who are undergoing training on F-16s. Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine are conducting searches at the home of Ukrainian deputy Nestor Shufrych, but there is no talk of arrest. This was reported to Ukrinform by sources in the SBU. "He is suspected of treason. It turns out that Nestor not only regularly got hit in the head in parliamentary fights, but also worked closely with FSB officer and former MP Volodymyr Sivkovych. The same one who coordinated the work of Russian agents in Ukraine from his Moscow office," the source said. According to him, on the task of Sivkovych, Shufrych was one of the Kremlin's mouthpieces in Ukraine. "For example, he said that our state is an 'artificial formation'. Now he will have more time to read normal historical literature in prison," the SBU said. The SBU promised to provide additional information later. Read also: Zelensky to propose that Parliament should equate corruption with high treason As reported, the Security Service and the State Bureau of Investigation exposed 15 companies in the Kyiv region that worked for the former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Volodymyr Sivkovych, who is suspected of treason and espionage, and the Russian Federal Security Service. Today, social media reported that the Security Service of Ukraine had allegedly detained MP Nestor Shufrich at his home in Kozyn village, in the Kyiv region. Bulgarias National Assembly approved a decision to lift the ban on the imports of various foodstuffs from Ukraine after September 15. According to The Sofia Globe, 124 MPs supported the decision, while 69 voted against. Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev said that he had been persuaded by the macroeconomic indicators presented to the Cabinet that showed that it was not a matter of concern for the ban to be scrapped. He noted that measures to control all Ukrainian goods, especially cereals, had been stepped up, with strict checks. As reported, Polands Council of Ministers at its meeting on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to extend the ban on the import of four types of agricultural products from Ukraine from September 15. If Brussels does not make a corresponding decision, Warsaw will unilaterally extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain. The document says that the ban will remain in effect "until relations in the agrarian sector between Poland and Ukraine are settled." In May 2023, the European Commission banned the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania at the insistence of these countries. On June 5, the ban was extended until September 15, 2023. These countries want to extend the import ban until the end of the year and expand it to some other goods. The Ukrainian authorities insist that if the European Commission continues the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain after September 15, Ukraine may consider taking mirror measures. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine would appeal to the WTO arbitration if Poland blocks the export of Ukrainian grain. U.S. President Joe Biden has named former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker as Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery. That's according to a statement posted on the White House's website on Thursday, September 14, Ukrinform reports. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images "As an accomplished public servant, former Secretary of Commerce, and transformative industry leader - with deep familial ties to Ukraine - Special Representative Pritzker brings decades of experience and expertise to this critical position," Biden said. Pritzker is expected to work in lockstep with the Ukrainian government, U.S. allies and partners, international financial institutions, and the private sector and drive the United States' efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy. This includes mobilizing public and private investment, shaping donor priorities, and working to open export markets and businesses shut down by Russia's brutal attacks and destruction. "Special Representative Pritzker will also work with Ukraine's other international partners, including via the G7 coordination platform, to ensure that international efforts are complementary and mutually reinforcing, as well as to encourage international partners to keep stepping up their support for Ukraine's immediate economic recovery needs," the statement said. Special Representative Pritzker will help the Ukrainian government make reforms needed to strengthen its economy. She will also work with Ukraine to help ensure that as Ukraine begins to rebuild, it rebuilds stronger. Ukraine will be forced to go to World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitration if Ukrainian grain exports are blocked. But the country hopes for a consistent position of the European Commission (EC) and the responsibility of neighboring countries. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said this at a press conference in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "In the event of unilateral blocking of Ukrainian grain exports by neighboring countries, Ukraine will apply to the WTO International Arbitration. We have great respect for our neighbors and are grateful for their support and aid in the war, but we are responsible for the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU. We want responsibility in response to our conscious and balanced behavior," Shmyhal said. He stated that in the first six months of 2023, agricultural exports accounted for about 60% of total exports. But the blocking of some neighboring countries, the Prime Minister noted, could affect exports from Ukraine. "That is why we are making every effort to work with the EC to prevent the blockade," he said. According to him, the government is trying to expand transit routes for Ukrainian goods. Ukraine has agreed with Romania to increase the flow of goods through its territory from 2 million tonnes to 4 million tonnes, Shmyhal added. "We are developing the Danube direction extremely well," he noted. The Prime Minister also said that 19,000 transit declarations have been issued over the 11 months of customs visa-free travel. "This greatly accelerates the transit of Ukrainian goods," he stated. As Ukrinform reported, the Polish Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on Tuesday calling on the EC to extend the ban on imports of four types of agricultural products from Ukraine beyond September 15. If Brussels does not decide, Warsaw will unilaterally extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain. The document states that the ban will remain in effect until the relations in the agricultural sector between Poland and Ukraine are settled. In May 2023, the EC banned imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania at the insistence of these countries. On June 5, the ban was extended until September 15, 2023. These countries want to extend the ban on imports until the end of the year and expand it to some other products. The Ukrainian authorities said that if the EC extends the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain after September 15, Kyiv may consider mirror measures. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine would appeal to WTO arbitration if Poland blocks Ukrainian grain exports. At the same time, he noted that Ukraine still expects the EC to lift any restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products after they expire on September 15. If the European Commission (EC) does not decide by the end of the day to extend the embargo on imports of Ukrainian grain to the markets of five EU countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria), the Polish government will independently adopt such a decree, which will be indefinite. Polish Minister of Development and Technology Waldemar Buda stated this in an interview with PAP on Friday, Ukrinform reports. Buda said that if the EC does not extend the embargo by midnight, he will sign a decree extending the current embargo. When asked whether it would be in effect until the end of this year, the minister replied that it would be indefinite. Buda emphasized that the Polish government is sending a clear message to Polish farmers: no matter what decision the EC makes, the embargo will remain in place, and Ukrainian grain will not be supplied to Poland. The minister expressed the opinion that the grain issue should not negatively affect Polish-Ukrainian relations. Poland should accept this decision and continue to work, Buda emphasized. As Ukrinform reported, the Polish Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on Tuesday warning the EC that it would unilaterally extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain after September 15 unless Brussels makes a decision. The embargo will remain in effect until relations in the agricultural sector between Poland and Ukraine are resolved. In May 2023, the EC banned imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania at the insistence of these countries. On June 5, the ban was extended until September 15, 2023. These countries want to extend the import ban until the end of 2023 and expand it to some other products. The Ukrainian authorities insist that if the EC extends the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain after September 15, Ukraine may consider mirror measures. The EC is expected to make a final decision on this issue on September 15. Photo: PAP The enemy's special services have issued instructions to "unstable" Ukrainians - from bosses to kindergarten teachers - on how to set up Russia "in Ukraine" I am carefully looking at the latest "trophy" of Ukrainian hackers on my computer desktop - a manual for potential Ukrainian collaborators. Our cyber craftsmen have often passed on to the agency or printed in open space correspondence, notes and other "Kremlin" blanks on how to overcome Ukraine. This manual is from the same opera, apparently compiled by employees (in our opinion) of the propaganda structures and special services of the russist federation. The manual was sent to the e-mail addresses of civil servants of ministries and other authorities. The goal is to consolidate the hidden "vata" in Ukraine (citizens with pro-Russian views, potential collaborators, not many of them, but they exist), to push them to commit treason. Because there is a list and descriptions of various topics for discussions about the Ukraine-Russia war that need to be monitored and reported to the relevant Russian structures. In other words, in the second year of the full-scale invasion, Russian propagandists believe that they will be able to organize accomplices in the rear of Ukraine who will report to them on the fly about what they do not know and what they do not need to know. Reading and analyzing all this is not an easy task, no matter how you look at it. There used to be a popular joke: two worms, a father and a son, crawl out of nowhere. The son looks around and says: "Dad, it's so nice here, sunshine, grass... Why do we always live in shit?" "But that's our Soviet homeland, son," the old worm replies. This flat anecdote, 32 years after the fall of the Soviet empire, may have its modern-day sequel, so to speak. In the second year of the full-scale war with Ukraine, the "daddy worm" crawled into our territory and is looking for like-minded people who still care about the "Soviet family" The authors give advice to the "waiters", among whom, as they dream, are teachers, law enforcement officers, priests, heads of various institutions, office plankton... We decided to go through the sections of this manual and show what exactly the "old worm" offers for the resuscitation of the "Soviet family". BRIEFLY ABOUT THE SORE SPOTS OF 30 YEARS... The manual begins with a kind of prologue. It begins with a historical background, an introduction to the recent history of Ukrainian-Russian relations that led to the full-scale invasion. It contains a textbook set of Russian lies about Ukrainian events. They say that the West "destroyed Ukraine" by forcing a third round of elections in 2004. And then we quote what is in italics, the worst pain of the "ordinary Russian man": "the peasants broke into power and began to shape a new reality." For example: - history textbooks began to be filled with "nonsense" from TV programs. (This is, obviously, about the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Holodomor) - monuments were demolished (about Lenin and other steps of decommunization); - the energy industry was taken over by the Americans (this is about the intentions of nuclear industry officials to untie the industry from Russian fuel rods and Russian spent nuclear fuel storage facilities); - the "Church of the Patriarch of Istanbul" was created (this is about the Tomos and autocephaly for the OCU); - "biological weapons laboratories" were created (this is about the hit of false propaganda). And..., the authors continue, Russia was forced to launch the "special military operation" (SMO) to protect "Russian people" from Crimea to Chukotka... What is noteworthy is that the manual is written and organized as if the state of Ukraine no longer exists. And it is about the "territory of Russia", so it turns out that high treason (for which we give life imprisonment) looks like not much of a betrayal for the "waiters"... TO SAVE "SOOTECHESTVENNIKOV" BY BETRAYING COMPATRIOTS There is a section in the manual that is a kind of science of hypocrisy for "sootechestvennikov" [Russian word for compatriots]: how to pretend to be "anti-vata" in Ukrainian society. There are tips, for example, such as "say you don't understand politics" when asked about politics, and "lie" when asked whose Crimea is Ukrainian. They also advise to "read something about the work of the underground during the "Great Patriotic War," and after reading it, they recommend organizing "Russian poetry evenings" at home. Gradually, the authors of the manual move on to calls to do things that lead directly to prison. If a latent "vatnik" knows that another vatnik is being held somewhere else in a detention center, he is advised to contact the Russian ombudsman. But this is only a gentle introduction to treason. Then the ostensible clauses about "caring for compatriots" are exhausted and specific instructions are given: if you have valuable information that will help the war against the "Kyiv junta," then report it "where necessary." By the way, the QR codes indicated there lead directly to where to report. In other words, the "dadovskii" method of agitation is combined with the latest techniques. FORMS OF "CIVIL RESISTANCE" Perhaps the authors of the manual would be very disappointed if they were to be transported to the streets, cafes, and subways of the Ukrainian capital today. For the most part, Kyiv already speaks Ukrainian, and in some areas - trade and service - it is total. Meanwhile, the manual gives a clear instruction to the "unknown vatnik": do not speak Ukrainian, and if you do, speak it slowly, with ridiculous (a la Azarov) Russisms, to force the interlocutor to switch to Russian. Do not buy Ukrainian-language literature. Under no circumstances should you participate in embroidery days, sing the national anthem together, or watch Ukrainian news. And then say that language, embroidery and the anthem are not weapons. When patriotic people approach them, the vatniks are advised to say that they do not understand what they are being told, and they are also advised to spread rumors that Zelensky will "check everyone for reliability." It seems that the authors are provoking potential collaborators to create tension, even to the point of street fights. They cannot help but realize that neither Kyiv nor other Ukrainian cities are within their grasp, but they want to create chaos and stir up high-profile scandals where they cannot control the situation directly. ADVICE TO BOSSES, PRIESTS AND... KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS The manual goes on to give instructions on sabotage, with a division into the specialization of the latent "vatnik". For example, bosses are advised to limit creative and active employees. To make meaningless decisions and set impossible tasks. Assign the same tasks to different team members. Promote slowness, i.e., hold back timely decision-making, involve intermediaries in everything. And also: to hold long meetings where you tell anecdotes and anecdotes. Information about corruption is a taboo, and it's better to keep quiet about it. Interestingly, the authors advise against ordering office supplies for office employees, saying that the banal lack of paper in the workplace halts the process. Apparently, they are simply unaware of the pace of digitalization in Ukraine, because in many departments, "papers" are almost gone. "Advice" to teachers and kindergarten teachers is a separate topic. They are advised to remember to tell children that there are different approaches to events at the front and at the rear. And that there are textbooks "dictated by political expediency." Even if the children do not understand what we are talking about, they will bring them home, where they can "understand". And they offer the "vatnik" doctor to steal medicines and bandages to use them in the interests of the "resistance". Special attention is paid to refugees, especially those who are abroad. They are advised, if possible, to set up social networks in the language of the host country, to organize, say, street parades and demonstrations in defense of "traditional values." They are also advised to regularly send comments to local online media calling for more space for Russian representatives. The authors advise "vatnik" priests to go to people in prisons and give them special "pastoral care." I can't say for sure, but since one of the priests literally coordinated the landing of the Russian troops in Gostomel at the beginning of the Great War, I wouldn't be surprised to know what kind of "pastoral care" this would be. We asked Dmytro Zolotukhin, an expert on information warfare and competitive intelligence, executive director of the Institute of Post-Information Society, to comment on the effectiveness of the "textbook." - This "manual" reminds me of a well-known fragment of Allen Dulles' alleged work on how the United States allegedly wanted to destroy the Soviet Union. The authenticity of this document has never been confirmed, but it has been circulating on the Internet and is still circulating. Allegedly, the CIA had prepared a sabotage manual for the Soviet people. And it contained many of the above-mentioned points from the manual for Ukrainian civil servants. We need to hold more meetings, we need people to come in at nine and leave at eighteen, and we need to create more routine. In other words, the advice had the same leitmotif: no need to actively oppose, no need to declare anything, no need to fight with anyone. You have to do what you do, just do it badly. You won't be punished for doing it badly. And this document had been circulating in the information space for so long and widely that the legend of its existence was perceived as a reliable fact in the Ukrainian special services. Some intelligence officers even used it as trolling to evaluate people in the following way: that this leader works according to the CIA's methodology, holds several meetings every day, is determined to destroy the structure, does not sign anything, and does not let anyone go anywhere. In fact, the idea is not new, but the rethinking is quite creative. So I would look not so much at the document itself as at the scale of distribution, the nature of the mailing. The nature of the mailing makes it more likely to assess who the author and initiator is. For example, it may not be the Russian state secret service, but some volunteer community engaged in information activities against Ukraine. To what extent does this affect Ukrainians? I would not exaggerate the scale of this. Because there is routine sabotage of work even without this. I communicate a lot with various government agencies, and all of them have similar problems: weak management, as if everyone is doing something, but there is no result. Therefore, to get a fuller picture, we need to analyze more carefully which officials receive this money, what is the scheme behind it: ordinary employees or managers, individual bodies or a fan effect on all bodies, what is the system behind it. Then we will better understand whose idea it was, who set the task, and who checked the extent of implementation. Then it will be possible to understand whether the activity is structured, systematic, purposeful, or at the level of a creative idea: let's try it, it won't be worse... It's like a drop in the bucket... PS Water does indeed wear away a stone, but the stones launched by Ukrinform to the "other side" have disrupted many Russian information operations. And in our collection of information battles, there were examples of much more modern approaches and delivery channels. We will continue to monitor the "project" of this Russian agitprop. In particular, we will try to find out how exactly and to whom the "letters of Soviet happiness" were delivered to the offices of government agencies. Of course, we have retold only a small part of the theses and "useful tips" from this manual in order not to create unnecessary temptations, for example, for the office plankton, which may see a saboteur in a slow bureaucrat. The slowness of a Ukrainian civil servant is not always a direct sign of he or she "vata" - as we know all too well. However, the manual actually provides a lot of food for thought. Reading it carefully, you realize how accurate the old joke about the two worms is. For almost every paragraph there is not only a rather primitive recipe for sabotage, but also a call to recreate the Soviet system with its double morality, hypocrisy, and disregard for people. The authors (encouraging potential collaborators to act) simply want to "squeeze" everything possible out of their supporters-even if they face prison for their actions. We even feel a little sorry for the "vatnik" whose inability to change is being exploited by the descendants of the NKVD-KGB. So we have no other choice. We have to work with the former, to persuade them, not losing hope that it will bear fruit. And with the latter, the "worms," we have to weed them out. Because we have already lived the way they suggest. And if we don't eradicate them, let them go back to the place where their "Soviet homeland" is... Lana Samokhvalova, Kyiv The objective of the United States in Ukraine is to prevent Russia from achieving strategic success in its aggression, as well as to ensure the economic, military, and democratic prosperity of the Ukrainian state in the future. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an interview with Pod Save The World, published on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports. "The ultimate objective, really, () is two-fold. First, of course, is to deny Russia any kind of strategic success in Ukraine, because if we dont then, as I said, its open invitation for aggressors everywhere," the head of American diplomacy noted. In this regard, he emphasized that Moscow has already failed in its efforts to erase Ukraine from the map, to end its identity as an independent country, and to subsume it into Russia. So, now, according to Blinken, where exactly the lines are drawn is fundamentally up to the Ukrainians, who continue their counteroffensive. "And we want to stand with them to maximize their ability to take back the remaining territory that Russia seized," Blinken noted, adding that Russia still controls about 17% of Ukraine's territory. Read also: Blinken hopes Starlink will remain fully available to Ukrainians In addition, the United States wants Ukraine not only to survive, but also to thrive, and to this end the U.S. continues to back the country economically and support its democratic emergence. In this context, the objective is "to make sure that Ukraine can stand on its own feet." The U.S. secretary of state stressed that Ukraine must reach a point when it can stand firmly on its own feet in military, economic and democratic terms. As Ukrinform reported earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a two-day visit to Ukraine last week, where he held meetings with the top officials and civil society leaders. Newly appointed Foreign Minister of Japan Yoko Kamikawa has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and promised to maintain severe economic sanctions against the Russian Federation. She stated this at the first press conference following her appointment, Ukrinform reports with reference to Kyodo. At the same time, Kamikawa has said that Japan will "appropriately address" matters that Tokyo and Moscow should deal with as neighbors, such as fishing quotas, "from the perspective of what will contribute to national interests. She also stated that it is important for Japan to maintain frank dialogue with China to improve the strained ties between the Asian powers, and pledged to build "constructive and stable" ties with Beijing. Kamikawa, 70, assumed the post at a critical time when Japan-China relations are strained by the dispute over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the now-defunct Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan into the Pacific Ocean, which started on August 24. Japan and China have also been at odds over issues including the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and China's intensifying joint military activities with Russia near Japan amid the war in Ukraine. As reported by Ukrinform, Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday reshuffled the government, appointing five women to the positions of ministers. Yoko Kamikawa, a former Justice Minister, became the new Foreign Minister. Photo: EFE-EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON GENEVA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat in Geneva on Thursday called on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council to pay more attention to Japan's nuclear-contaminated water discharge issue and urges Japan to immediately stop its discharge into the sea. Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to UN at Geneva, said during an interactive dialogue with UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation that if the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is truly safe, Japan wouldn't have to dump it into the sea -- and certainly shouldn't if it's not. Chen pointed out that the Japanese government unilaterally and forcefully started the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, which seriously violated the rights to health, development and environment of people in Pacific coastal countries and even around the world. He further stressed that the legitimacy, legality and safety of the discharge have been questioned by the international community, and have been strongly opposed by people in Japan and South Korea. The Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the world's most serious nuclear disasters to date. Hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns and generated a massive amount of contaminated water which is known to have more than 60 radioactive elements. Ignoring the appeals of domestic fishermen, neighboring countries and worldwide environmental experts, Japan started releasing the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean on Aug. 24. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna has proposed holding a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council on energy security due to the possible intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraines energy sector. She said this at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Government portal. The parties discussed a wide range of issues, including the implementation of the Vilnius Summit decisions, as well as Ukraines urgent needs to counter Russian aggression. The NATO Summit in Vilnius has become an important milestone on this path, and its decisions are important for the strategic development of relations between Ukraine and the Alliance. All of them bring Ukraine closer to NATO, and we are committed to implementing them in full, the Deputy Prime Minister said at the meeting. Read also: Stefanishyna to meet with Stoltenberg in Brussels She reminded that the first extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, convened after Russias unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative, was held in July this year. The official stressed that Ukraine sees the newly created Council as a tool for integration into the Alliance. Given the possible intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraines energy sector, Olha Stefanishyna proporsed holding a Council meeting on energy security in the near future. During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister presented Ukraines vision of the structure and format of the adapted Annual National Programme (ANP). The parties also discussed the NATO-Ukraine Interoperability Roadmap, which should contain detailed steps to support reforms in Ukraines security and defence sector and harmonise it with the relevant defence planning processes of the Alliance. Stefanishyna thanked the Alliance leadership for its unwavering support for Ukraine, including through the renewed Comprehensive Assistance Package, which would be a unique multi-year programme of logistical, institutional and advisory support to strengthen Ukraines defence capabilities. One of the key topics of the discussion was the current security situation and Ukraines urgent needs. The more weapons we receive, the sooner we will liberate all our territories. Our most urgent needs remain unchanged air defence systems, tanks, heavy armoured vehicles, ammunition, F-16 fighters, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed. As reported, Olha Stefanishyna started her visit to Brussels on Thursday. Seoul could potentially impose unilateral sanctions against Moscow amid a recent summit between North Korea and Russia that has prompted concerns of military cooperation between the two countries. South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin told this to reporters at a forum in Seoul, Ukrinform reports, citing Yonhap. "North Korea reaching any agreement related to arms trade with Russia through their summit would be an extremely serious threat to security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said. When asked if Seoul is reviewing unilateral sanctions against both North Korea and Russia, Park replied, "We are reviewing all possible measures." South Korea has often imposed unilateral sanctions on North Korea over illicit nuclear, missile and cyber activities, but it has only participated in international sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Park added that military cooperation, including arms trading, between North Korea and Russia constitutes a violation of UN Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang. "The government is issuing a stern warning and urging against such activities from happening," the minister said. When asked if the results of the North Korea-Russia summit have been shared by Russian authorities, he responded, "Not yet." Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has submitted to the court an indictment against former President Viktor Yanukovych and former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on charges of treason and aiding Russia in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine. That's according to the SBI's press service, Ukrinform reports. According to SBI investigators, in 2010, the ex-president received instructions from the Russian leadership to extend the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea and Sevastopol. According to basic agreements signed by Ukraine and Russia in 1997, this term was to expire in 2017. Earlier, Ukraine confirmed its intention not to prolong the term of these agreements and prepared a bilateral memorandum on the withdrawal of the Russian fleet. Russia ignored an official request from Ukraine. Using energy blackmail, the Russians decided to force the then Ukrainian leadership to extend the stay of the Russian fleet in Crimea. This later led to the annexation of the peninsula, the SBI said. In April 2010, in Russia's Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, the Ukrainian delegation led by the prime minister received the final text of the draft agreement extending the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine. Then, at a closed meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the prime minister and the foreign minister assured those present about the necessity and importance of signing this agreement allegedly in the country's economic interests, because receiving a discount on the price of Russian gas is a necessity in view of the state of the national economy. In addition to violating the Constitution of Ukraine and a number of laws, the agreement, in fact, provided for the placement of a new military base in Ukraine and actually introduced new rules for extending the period of stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine. "Hurrying to please Russia, Yanukovych in a matter of days submitted a draft law on the ratification of the agreement as urgent for extraordinary consideration by the Verkhovna Rada, and on April 27, 2010, the decision was adopted by MPs," the SBI said. As a result of the criminal actions of the then Ukrainian leadership, Russia increased the number of its troops and military equipment in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. The enemy then used these forces to occupy the peninsula in 2014. The investigation also documented more than UAH 1.08 trillion worth of damage done to the state by the ex-leadership of Ukraine due to the signing of the Kharkiv Pact. The former state leaders are charged with committing treason and aiding the Russian Federation in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The Prosecutor General's Office is carrying out procedural guidance. In April 2023, Ukraine's Constitutional Court opened proceedings in the case of the constitutionality of the agreement of April 21, 2010 between Ukraine and Russia regarding the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine. Six Ukrainian children, who were successfully returned from Russia after the invasion forces deported them from Ukraine, arrived in The Hague. Five children come from Mariupol and another one from Kharkiv. These are four boys and two girls, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. During the press conference, the children told journalists the stories of their return. The Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, and the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children's Rights and Rehabilitation, Daria Herasymchuk, also spoke at the event. In an exclusive comment to Ukrinform, Lubinets said: "My team was engaged in Veronikas return. We dealt with this case for more than nine months and even a separate meeting was organized at the level of the UN Security Council, where Veronika's mother spoke, and after that we managed to get a signal from the Russian side that they were ready to hand over the child. For me, this is a manifestation of the fact that, in this case, the international community worked and put enough pressure on Russia. Therefore, I am a supporter of us needing to apply new approaches, new mechanisms of pressure on the Russian Federation. We need to force the Russians to hand over and return all Ukrainian children whom they actually abducted, deported, took away, and separated from their parents." According to him, it is very important that the children came to The Hague where they can speak up. "The importance of their arrival here is an indicator that we are ready to show and provide testimony of specific children who were under pressure from Russia. So definitely, their testimonies, their stories should become separate pages in the volumes of criminal cases against Russia, and it was in The Hague, where the meeting with the leadership of the ICC will take place. In my opinion, it was most important not only for the official representatives of Ukraine to come, but also for the children so that they could tell their own stories", Lubinets emphasized. He also said that international institutions should do everything to help Ukrainian children return home. "As a state, we remain supporters of the idea that international institutions should do everything to help Ukrainian children because by helping us, Ukraine, our children to return, the world is actually helping itself. We must initiate real mechanisms for the return of our children. Today it is a terrible situation for Ukrainian children, but if there is no reaction tomorrow, children from any country, any nation may find themselves in the same place. We cannot allow the war crimes committed by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian children - deportations, murders, mutilations, crimes of sexual violence committed by the Russian military that continue to be committed to remain unanswered and unpunished, because impunity breeds chaos," Lubinets said. He also told Ukrinform that the ICC leadership will be meeting the said group of children tomorrow. The "Stolen Voices" event is supported by the "Orphans Feeding Foundation" and is organized within the framework of the Bring Kids Back UA action plan approved by the President. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on September 13, 2023, it became known that three children were returned to the Ukrainian-controlled territory from Russia and temporarily occupied areas. Also, on September 8, Lubinets said Ukraine had managed to bring back home nine more children. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the UN Shelter and Non-Food Items Cluster in Ukraine has provided humanitarian assistance and shelter to 1.6 million Ukrainians. John Wain, Shelter and Non-Food Item Coordinator in Ukraine, who has been involved in humanitarian missions worldwide for over 30 years, told Ukrinform about the type of assistance provided and winter preparations. The Cluster team is well aware of Ukraines needs during the war. John Wain has repeatedly witnessed massive Russian missile attacks, providing emergency shelter to Ukrainians in Dnipro. THE MAIN ACTIVITIES - What are the main activities of the UN Shelter and Non-Food Item Cluster in Ukraine? - First of all, we should explain what the Cluster is. The Cluster system was developed back in 2005 after the previous crisis that didn't go so well. I've been in Sri-Lanka after the tsunami in 2004, and the coordination of humanitarian activities was not going well. There was a lot of competition between agencies to secure projects and coordination between all actors was not adequate. It was chaos. So, as part of the humanitarian reform process, the cluster system was introduced in December 2005 to address this lack of sectoral coordination and improve leadership technical support, and accountability of humanitarian response. Twelve sectors developed into clusters, including the Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) Cluster. The Cluster system has been activated in Ukraine for several years now. Immediately before the full-scale Russian invasion, it was in the process of handing over activities to the Government of Ukraine. When the full-scale Russian invasion happened, the system had to be reactivated for coordination and technical support. - What projects have been implemented since Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine started? - The primary activities of the Shelter and NFI Cluster are needs assessment, service delivery support, planning and strategy development, monitoring and evaluating performance, building national capacity on shelter and non-food items issues and advocacy/fundraising. So, for 2023, one of the components of the Humanitarian Response Plan was to identify 8.3 million people within Ukraine in need of shelter and non-food item support. We are targeting 3.3 million to help in 2023, and our estimation for all these activities amounts to $525 million. To date, we have reached 1.6 million people, with approximately 27% of funding. To date, we have received funding of $145 million out of the $525 million needed. Generally, shelter needs and conditions fall under three pillars: first, the shelter itself, the structure could be a simple prefabricated existing building or tent, also everything to live comfortably within the shelter. This is the ability to cook, take a sleep, and to live contentedly within this building that is the second pillar and the third is outside the shelter services healthcare, education, infrastructure, and transport. The three referenced pillars: - What are the non-food items? - It is a middle pillar to provide people with what they need for a normal life. We have the Technical Working Group designing non-food items kits. The household kit consists of items for cooking pans, pots and all things for cooking, sleeping equipment, matrasses, blankets, and items for hygiene so this is what we mean by non-food items. These items are consolidated into a kit that the agency with partners can procure, preposition, and then distribute. We have non-food items kits for winter, so we design kits to support people through the upcoming winter. We put it together as a kit with consultation with our partners and the Technical Working Group. We would devise specifications for these items and pricing. That's generally what non-food items consist of. - What about accommodation and temporary housing projects? - The shelter pillar consists of activities to shelter people immediately following the crisis. Let's say it was an attack on the city, and hundreds of houses were damaged. We have developed emergency shelter kits with plastic sheeting, battens, nails, and wood boards. These kits will be prepositioned to the locations for rapid distribution so people can have adequate accommodation immediately following the strike. Moving up from that, we have activities called light repair of houses that consists of repairing roofs and windows, price range of $1,500 to $2,500, and medium repairs price range of $2,500 to $4,000. If the repairs are significant, we have heavy repairs that will involve structural support and be far more expensive, from $5,000 to $15,000. The agency is also doing modular homes such as prefabricated housing. These are manufactured structures with a minimum standard. We follow guidance on cost and required space for a person (SPHERE Standards). So, these modular houses have been built and delivered to the people whose homes were completely destroyed. However, the camps using modular housing are costly and would differ from our first preference for the Shelter Cluster. Generally, the unit costs approximately $ 20,000, and when you create camp-type settings, there is a lot of dependency. People depended on the agency and units we and other Clusters partners provide - that dependency is hard to stop. Sustainability is essential, as is access to services. The community needs to get access to infrastructure, education, and schools. These services must be in place before we settle a community. We have modular houses, but it wouldn't be our first choice of response. Another response we have is rental support. We are supporting people with rent to fund the rent payments for up to six months if people's house has been destroyed. We implement a rental program trying to be connected with households because sustainability is important. Once people get rent for six months, we cannot continue paying this rent, and people have to be able to look for themselves afterward (connection with livelihoods actors). We also work in collective centers, generally schools, hostels, and university hostels. Their buildings were remodeled for the people in crisis. A lot of work last year was done to repair the collective centers and accommodate the internally displaced people during the war. - How do you identify whom to help first? - There are 8.3 million people who need the shelter / NFI support, and we can't afford to give this amount of support. We have identified the most vulnerable, working closely with the Protection Cluster on the criteria. We established which people needed support the most. Single-headed households, the elderly, and families with disabled members are our priority support, and we are working very closely with local authorities on beneficiaries. Local authorities know their community, and they can share lists with our sub-hubs, after we provide support to these people who are the most vulnerable. - In which regions are the Cluster's activities most present? What are the priorities? - The Cluster is very active in the east. We have four Shelter Clusters subnational hubs in Ukraine. There is a national hub here in Kyiv. We have the east hub in Dnipro, another central hub is in Vinnytsia, and the west hub is in Lviv. In the east, it is primarily the emergency shelter response. The most needed activities in the east are the non-food items kits, the emergency shelter kits, and the light repair of housing. In the center and west of the country, we have more collective centers where people are displaced, most of all they need a place to stay. The Cluster renovated collective centers, and we are active with the rent support. It is a different response geographically spread, but the primary focus is obviously on the frontline regions in the east. PREPARING FOR A DIFFICULT WINTER - The next winter could be very tough for Ukraine. Is the UN going to help and support Ukrainians in the wintertime? - Winter response consumed us for the last month, we developed winter recommendation guidance. We have been extremely busy with winter preparations targeting 1.1 million people. We estimate that $200 million is needed for S/NFI activities in Ukraine this coming winter. In collaboration with our partners, we have developed the Working Group for winter recommendations. These recommendations outlined where and what our response should be. We developed kits specifically for winter high-thermal blankets, matrasses, winter closing, electrical heaters, and solid fuel heaters. Another big part is the fuel firewood, coal briquettes. We are working closely with the Ministry of Reintegration on what the costs are, and what support is required in every region, and then we match these requirements with the plans of our humanitarian partners. Last week, we had a good meeting on the Ministry's current mapping requirements. Also, the agency will provide in-kind support, which means that the agency's partners are actually purchasing firewood and fuel and deliver. The other modality is cash - this modality is often the preference of large organizations. Delivering in cash means we have to fully understand the markets. Doing market assessment on what fuel is available in various regions is another huge part of what we need to coordinate as the Cluster in order to support delivery through cash mechanisms, which in the current environment is the preferred response of the agency because procurement could be challenging. - How can an ordinary Ukrainian get UN assistance? - The first protocol for ordinary Ukrainians is the community groups and the local authorities. First, they should contact city and regional authorities to get support it is the primary protocol. The Cluster cooperates with the authorities on beneficiary lists, which is coming through local authorities. Volunteer community groups cannot be praised enough in Ukraine. We were in Khmelnytskyi last week. There was a strike on the military construction there, which hit over 350 houses, and this is outside the east zone. It is something we should be very conscious of these strikes are happening all throughout Ukraine. Just focusing on the east will not be fair. We have to get a balanced approach. Three hundred fifty houses were damaged, and we have been able to coordinate the delivery of construction roof shiffer, glass windows, plastic, and nails - so that people are able to do the work themselves. The community mobilized workers to help, and even the school boss transported his workers from house to house it was incredible to see. The strength and usefulness of ordinary Ukrainians is often underestimated. Frequently, respondents to the crisis are the people themselves, and they are hugely strong. For the people who need support, it should be local community groups and local authorities. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE - You are probably traveling to the hostility areas yourself. Do you feel danger? How do you keep up with it? - There is always an element of danger. Particularly, when you first arrive and see alerts on your phone, it's quite scary. I think the longer you are here, the more familiar you are with it. I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing. Definitely, it's important to follow security protocols. UNHCR has very strict security protocols. It could be very scary and shocking what is going on here. Personal security is a primary concern for all foreigners in Ukraine - Maybe it was a particular situation youve been in? - I have been doing this humanitarian work for over 30 years now and have found myself in some scary situations. Recently, when I was in Dnipro, massive attacks were going on, and some explosions happened so quickly, that it was difficult to move to the shelter quick enough. It was far from us, but it is a horrible and shocking reminder of what could easily happen if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oleksandr Klitina, Kyiv Photo credit: Kyrylo Chubotin The UN expects the humanitarian situation in Ukraine to worsen if the current trend continues and plans to provide humanitarian aid to 11 million Ukrainians this year. Saviano Abreu, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine, said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. "We do see an increased number of Russian attacks impacting civilians, destroying, once again, vital infrastructure. If the war continues, and it appears to be the case, the needs of the population will either continue, because they cannot recover and go back to the situation that they were before, or it increases. So, we can expect a deterioration of the humanitarian situation, if the pattern that we observed in the first six months of the year will continue," he said. Abreu also said that the winter would begin very soon and it does bring a new layer of risks and needs for people. According to him, some people live in damaged houses, or have no access to water, heating, or gas. "Even paying for the heating during the winter could be a problem for many people in Ukraine particularly those displaced," he said. "It's a new layer of complexity to a situation that is already alarming," Abreu said. He noted that the UN is expecting to increase humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and provide it to up to 11 million Ukrainians by the end of the year. "Our assistance is complementary to what the government is doing, to the impressive work that the volunteers are doing, so, out of the 18 million that I mentioned that need assistance, our objective is to assist 11 million," Abreu added. According to UN data, 7.3 million Ukrainians received humanitarian aid in the first six months of this year. 09/15/2023 By Lynne Schaufenbil Please join the Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology on Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Wannalancit 255 for Massachusetts Alliance for Space Technology and Sciences (MASTS) Information Night, where you can learn about our organization and how to get involved in our mission to advance the emerging small satellite industry. Meet like-minded individuals, network with industry professionals, and observe the latest trends in the industry. Meet members of partner institutions, hear about our upcoming projects, see plans for our test facilities space. You will also hear from three members of partner institutions in a fireside chat format: Moise Solomon, Technical Director and Division Head at The MITRE Corporation; Joel Pedlikin, Chief Operating Officer at GreenSight; and Jeffrey Hoffman, Professor of the Practice of Aerospace Engineering at MIT and Director, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium. Please RSVP for this free event. We hope to see you there! BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will attend the General Debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly from September 18 to 23, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced here on Friday. On the margins of the General Debate, Vice President Han will attend the UN SDG Summit, the Climate Ambition Summit and the high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative (GDI) Cooperation Outcomes hosted by China. He will also have bilateral meetings with the UN Secretary-General, the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly and leaders of relevant countries, Mao added. BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Zambia on Friday issued a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The following is the full text of the statement: The Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Zambia on Establishing the Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership At the invitation of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, President Hakainde Hichilema of the Republic of Zambia paid a State Visit to the People's Republic of China on 10-16 September 2023. During the Visit, the two Heads of State held talks in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, where they had in-depth exchange of views on China-Zambia relations, China-Africa relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest and reached extensive and important consensus. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council and Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China held separate meetings with President Hichilema. The two Heads of State valued the all-weather friendship between the two countries developed by the older generation of leadership and commended their close political and economic cooperation since the establishment of their diplomatic relations, especially since the relationship entered a new era. The two Heads of State decided to upgrade the bilateral relationship to Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership. 1. On jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind China and Zambia support each other in international affairs, as role models in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and international equity and justice and active contributors to regional and global peace and development. (1) The two sides reaffirmed the commitment to real multilateralism, safeguard the UN-centered international system, the international-law-based international order and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold solidarity and cooperation in the international community, advocate the common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by humanity and work for a community with a shared future for mankind. (2) The two sides reiterated their support for the UN authority, agreed that it is necessary to reform the UN and its Security Council to allow for a bigger role of the developing countries, support improved representation and a bigger say of Africa in the Security Council and rectify the historical injustice to Africa. The Zambian side reiterated the importance of the Ezulwini Consensus and thanked China for being the first G20 country to support the AU in joining the group. (3) The two sides recognized the importance of exploring their own paths to democracy suited to the needs of their people on the basis of their own national realities. (4) The two sides agreed that human rights are a cause shared by mankind, and that countries should regard the right to existence and development as the most important part of fundamental human rights, and the countries should improve their human rights situation based on their own national realities and the will of their people. Human rights exchanges and cooperation should be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and equality. (5) The two sides agreed that climate change is a challenge facing humanity and that the international community needs to collectively respond to the challenges. The developed countries shoulder inescapable historical responsibilities over climate change, and should, therefore, take the lead in undertaking emission reductions obligations by a large margin and faithfully honor their commitment to the developing countries regarding financial, technical and capacity-building support. (6) The Zambian side thanked the Chinese side for the key role it played in the Zambian debt restructuring process as Co-chair of the Official Creditors' Committee under the G20 Common Framework. They further expressed appreciation at the efforts that the Chinese side continues to make for a sustainable solution. (7) The two sides appreciated the important role played by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in advancing China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership, agreed to step up consultations and coordination on FOCAC affairs and jointly implement practical cooperation in all areas under the framework of the Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024). 2. On deepening high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (8) Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Zambia on Cooperation within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative signed in 2018, the two sides will deepen high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promote practical cooperation in related areas to achieve more fruitful results, and jointly safeguard the safety of cooperation projects and personnel of enterprises of both sides. The Zambian side highly appreciated the positive role that the BRI had played in promoting national economic development and people's livelihood improvement of the relevant countries since it came into being 10 years ago and wished the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation a complete success. Zambia stands ready to step up efforts to develop a synergy between its 8th National Development Plan and the BRI to promote win-win cooperation and common development. (9) The two sides will establish a green development strategic partnership and enhance cooperation on environmental protection, combating climate change, green economy, and emergency risk response mechanism, among others. The two sides will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on renewable energy such as photovoltaic power, and electric vehicle industries to promote energy transition and ensure energy security. The Zambian side applauded the Chinese efforts, determination and actions to pursue green and low-carbon development and to participate actively in international cooperation against climate change, and will take them as an opportunity to advance relevant cooperation between the two sides. (10) The two sides will enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in mineral exploration and mining and industries aimed at value addition. The Zambian side invited Chinese mining businesses to continue active participation in the mining sector. The Chinese side encourages Chinese businesses to invest in Zambia's new-energy battery value chain development so as to support Zambia's efforts to upscale industrial chains and boost its capability for independent development. (11) At the request of the Zambian side, the Chinese side is ready to support the upgrade and renovation of the TAZARA Railway in line with market and commercial principles. (12) The two sides welcomed the participation of Chinese businesses in infrastructure development in Zambia through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and other models. 3. On implementing the Global Development Initiative China and Zambia are active and important forces for international peace and development. Taking the lead in implementing the Global Development Initiative is a concrete step towards further enhancing the bilateral relations. (13) The Zambian side expressed once again warm congratulations on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and on the re-election of H.E. Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The Zambian side commended China for the great achievements made in the past 10 years of the new era, and recognized that Chinese modernization has created a new model of human advancement which has provided a new option for other developing countries to independently pursue modernization and explore diverse paths towards modernization. The Zambian side stands ready to learn from China's successful experience in its modernization endeavors, and fully believes that under the leadership of the CPC, China will build itself into a great modern socialist country in all aspects, achieve the 2nd centenary goal, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization. (14) The Chinese side applauded Zambia's historic political stability and peaceful and friendly relations with countries in the region, and commended its achievements in economic development and improvement of people's livelihood under President Hichilema's leadership. The Chinese side believes that under President Hichilema's leadership, Zambia will fully implement the 8th National Development Plan and attain economic transformation in order to deliver a better life for its people. The Chinese side recognized that President Hichilema will play a bigger and more positive role in safeguarding regional and global peace and development. In this regard, President Xi expressed congratulations on and support for President Hichilema's assumption to the Chair of COMESA as well as the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation. (15) The Chinese side reaffirmed its relentless support for the Zambian people's independent choice of development path suited to its national conditions, and for Zambia's efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, security and development interests. The Zambian side reaffirmed its firm adherence to the One-China Principle, recognized that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the Zambian side firmly supports the Chinese government's efforts to achieve national reunification. The Zambian side supports China's legitimate measures to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong, believes that China is capable of safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and opposes any comments or actions that undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. (16) The Zambian side appreciated the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, which has steered countries to put development back to the core of the international agenda and accelerated the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Chinese side welcomed Zambia's new membership in the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, and the two sides will promote practical cooperation in various fields under the framework of the Global Development Initiative. (17) The two sides noted that the year 2024 marks Zambia's 60th anniversary of independence as well as the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. The commemoration should be an opportunity to bring into full play the political leading role of the head-of-state diplomacy, keep the momentum of high-level exchanges and dialogue, enhance political mutual trust and consolidate the political foundation for the bilateral relations. The two sides stressed that mutual respect, equality and common development are important principles of China-Zambia relations. The two sides agreed that it would be in the fundamental interests of the two peoples of China and Zambia if they were to enhance practical cooperation and strengthen economic ties. The two sides agreed to designate 2024 as the Year of Business Cooperation. (18) The two sides will enhance trade cooperation. The Chinese side will invite Zambia to continuously participate in the China International Import Expo. The Chinese side will actively explore the possibility of providing market access to more Zambian products and provide facilitation for holding trade promotion events in China. The Zambian side expressed gratitude towards China for the invitation and appreciation for the series of important measures of China on high-level opening-up. China supports the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). (19) The two sides will enhance investment cooperation. The two sides agreed to establish an investment cooperation working group mechanism to promote investment cooperation in areas such as digital economy and green development. The Chinese side encourages more Chinese businesses to invest in Zambia's manufacturing sector through partnerships in order to create more jobs and fulfill social responsibilities. The Zambian side will, by establishing one-stop service platforms and other means, further improve its business environment and provide facilitation for Chinese businesses' investment and operation in Zambia. The two sides will strengthen the development of economic cooperation zones, support the upgrading of those economic cooperation zones in Zambia into industrial chain and supply chain cooperation demonstration zones, and the Chinese side will support Zambia's investment promotion activities in China for the relevant zones. (20) The two sides will implement the Joint Statement on Deepening Agricultural Cooperation and Ensuring Food Security. The Zambian side will provide necessary support for Chinese investment in Zambia's agriculture sector. The Chinese side encourages Chinese businesses to participate in cooperation throughout the industrial chains of agricultural products and invest in production of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural machinery in Zambia. (21) The two sides encourage greater use of national currencies in trade and investment, and help businesses of both countries reduce costs of currency exchange and lower exchange rate risks. The two sides will also create a favorable policy environment for promoting settlements in local currencies and support a greater role of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) settlement bank in Zambia. (22) The two sides recognized that a redeveloped Mulungushi Textiles factory with modern efficient technology will align with the Zambian Government's development strategy of industrialization and promotion of agro-processing and value-added exports to China, which also creates jobs and alleviates poverty, especially among the rural communities engaged in cotton growing. The Chinese side encourages well-established Chinese businesses to advance the relevant work in line with market principles. 4. On implementing the Global Security Initiative The Zambian side supports the Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. China and Zambia are ready to jointly implement the Global Security Initiative and contribute to the promotion of lasting peace and development in the world. (23) The two sides appreciated each other's positive contribution to maintaining regional and world peace and stability. They agreed that all countries should stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue, and maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. (24) The two sides agreed to commit to protection of the safety and lawful rights and interests of each other's citizens and institutions on their territories. (25) The two sides will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation on peace and security, intensify high-level exchanges between their military forces, and strengthen cooperation in the areas of personnel training, combating transnational crimes, military medicine, equipment and technologies, etc. China will continue to send military medical expert teams to Zambia. (26) The Zambian side appreciates China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis proposed by the Chinese side. The Chinese side appreciates that President Hichilema and other African leaders formed a peace mission to visit Russia and Ukraine and put forward the African Peace Initiative. The two sides agreed that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable solution and that all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be encouraged and supported. The two sides call on the international community to jointly address the spillover effects in food, energy, finance, transportation and other fields, and reduce the negative impact of the crisis on the developing world, especially on African countries. The two sides call on more countries to play a constructive role in the peaceful settlement of the crisis. (27) The two sides support the cooperation in addressing climate change and maintaining stable and smooth supply and industrial chains, and avoid the politicization and weaponization of energy and food security issues, so as to maintain smooth supply and price stability of energy and food. 5. On implementing the Global Civilization Initiative The two sides recognized that all countries are faced with common challenges in the pursuit of peace, development and modernization that call for unity, collaboration and dialogue, while division and confrontation still impede international solidarity and cooperation. The two sides agreed to take the lead in implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, by enhancing civilizational exchanges and amity between their peoples. (28) The ruling parties of the two countries will strengthen party-to-party exchanges and cooperation based on the principles of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, by carrying out experience sharing activities in the field of party building and governance. (29) The Zambian side supports the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. The two sides applauded the cooperation results between the two countries in culture, tourism, education, public health, youth, think tanks, media and sports, and agreed to enhance cooperation in these fields. The two sides also decided to designate 2024 as the Year of Culture and Tourism. (30) The Chinese side appreciated Zambia's visa-free policy for Chinese tourists. The Zambian side thanked China for listing Zambia as the second batch of pilot countries for outbound group tours by Chinese travel agencies and welcomed Chinese tourists to Zambia. The two sides agreed to further facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries. (31) The two sides will strengthen health cooperation. The Chinese side will continue to support Zambian public health system building and dispatch medical teams to Zambia. The Zambian side expressed gratitude for China's continued support in Zambia's health sector, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. (32) The two sides look forward to the opening of direct flight routes on an early date to further facilitate personnel exchanges. The two sides agreed that President Hichilema's State Visit to China was a complete success and is of great significance to the development of China-Zambia relations and a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. President Hichilema sincerely thanked President Xi and the Chinese Government and people for the warm hospitality. President Hichilema invited President Xi to visit Zambia in 2024 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Microsoft Azure is making another impressive performance in the cloud computing market. Based on the company's most recent financial reports, the cloud business has been a good one for the software company in the past few months. Azure has turned more positive in recent months as it becomes a credible challenger and viable alternative to the 600-pounds Apex predator of the cloud computing market- the Amazon AWS. Microsoft Beefs Up Its Cloud Portfolio To Boost Its Cloud Competitive Stakes Microsoft has been aggressively beefing up and expanding its Azure cloud business, while at the same time, lowering the cost of cloud service. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a killer cloud partnership with Qualcomm to accelerate Azure's next generation cloud services utilizing Qualcomm's newest 10-nanomweter Centriq 2400 platform. According to Forbes, the cloud partnership will see Microsoft using the ARM-based processors in its Windows-based servers, instead of Intel chips. The move to Qualcomm-built ARM processors is aimed at lowering the IT costs by using a new whole kind of hardware that is more flexible and cost-effective, allowing the company to maintain its competitive stakes in the hotly contested cloud computing market. Analysts Downgrades Amazon Due To The Growing Cloud Competitions Microsoft may have been late to the cloud web hosting party, but it's been growing its Azure Cloud business at a remarkable speed, probably the fastest in the history of the cloud computing. The growth it so fast that it's prompted a financial service firm Pacific Crest Securities to downgrade its investment rating on another major cloud player just last week. As mentioned earlier on Fortune, Pacific Crest analyst Brent Bracelin has made the tough decision of his career when he downgraded the $400 billion e-commerce behemoth, the Seattle-based Amazon.com. The analysts have lowered his price target on Amazon to $895 from $905 a share. However, Bracelin's recent decision has nothing to do with Amazon's recent cloud troubles, but for what its cloud computing competitor is doing now in the cloud market. According to Bracelin, the main reason behind his action is that AWS is facing a real threat from the likes of Microsoft Azure in the brutal highly competitive cloud market. Pacific Crest has pointed to the fact that Microsoft Azure has continued to gain grounds and made major inroads. The company has made some major drives to sign great numbers of startups and Fortune 500 companies for Azure cloud service. Bracelin also stressed out that the recent AWS outage that took several major websites offline wasn't a key factor on his downgrade of Amazon. Bracelin based his decision from multiple sources and feedback from cloud industry leaders that suggest to him that Microsoft Azure has just starting to gain some momentum with some of the industry's largest companies and also government agencies that are moving more aggressively to public cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure. The tech industry is about to get some disruption this week. ARM Holdings has just entered the technological arms race, unveiling a new generation of chip design that has a strong focus on AI and machine learning. The new microarchitecture named ARM DynamIQ could be the new foundation for the next era of computing, ARM claims. ARM's latest moves could alter the balance of power in the tech playing field, disrupting everything from AI to autonomous vehicles. And it's not just about disruption, it also puts tech stalwarts like Intel, AMD and even Nvidia into full high alert, telling them that something scary is coming. ARM's latest salvo could trigger a new technological arms race, one that can be nasty. For a starter, ARM Holding is a UK-based semiconductor and software design company. Based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, ARM has been considered to be market dominant for processors in mobile phones and tablet computers. The company is also well-known in the Graphical Processing Units (GPU) space. Its lines of GPU are used in laptops, Android-powered tablets, and also some versions of Samsung's smartphones and smartwatches. According to The Verge, which got the full details of the ARM story, the Cambridge-based tech company has just unveiled to the world its next generation of processor designs, the new ARM DynamIQ platform, which said to integrate the functionality required for an artificial intelligence or machine learning tech into ARM's chip design. ARM said that chips being built on DynamIQ platform will be much easier to configure than traditional chip design. This would result to a more powerful breed of system-on-chip (SoC) and processors that can better handle the computing requirement of the future, which include AI, self-driving tech, machine learning and more advanced use. The new architecture will also let chip makers optimize their silicon for specialized tasks like machine learning and AI. This will provide chip makers with the option to build AI accelerators directly into the chips, thus allowing systems to manage data and memory more efficiently. In a recent interview with The Verge, John Ronco, ARM marketing product head, Ronco said that ARM has already licensed the new architecture to a number of the manufacturer, so the crowd could expect to see the first ARM DynamIQ-powered devices to hit the market by next year. Some of the big highlights include a built-in power saving features, autonomous CPU memory power management, faster and more complex data processing for advanced computing, a new single cluster design with up to eight heterogeneous CPUs, and a redesigned memory subsystem. Finally, ARM's new chip design could also help the companies challenge tech behemoth Intel in the hotly contested data center market. Fully equipped with AI and machine learning chops, ARM DynamIQ will also be able to improve performance and efficiency, thus leading to much cheaper consumer electronics products and longer battery lives. For more information about the ARM chip technology, check out the ARM Community website. Customs and border officers from the UNODC-supported Border Liaison Office intercept a shipment of around 70 kilograms of narcotic drugs Interagency cooperation, intelligence-sharing and information exchange among law enforcement agencies in Central Asian countries play a key role in fighting against drug trafficking. UNODC has been concentrating its efforts on supporting the vulnerable border areas by strengthening the border crossing points and establishing working intelligence-sharing and enhanced cross-border communication mechanisms allowing detection and interception of contraband, including narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. On 7 September 2023, customs and border officers from the UNODC-supported Border Liaison Office (BLO) at the Sariosiyo border crossing point (BCP) located in the Surkhondaryo region of Uzbekistan intercepted a large shipment of narcotic drugs. During the inspection of a truck trailer arrived at the border crossing point, the officers found 69.2 kg of narcotic drugs 30 wrappages with 31.9 kg of heroin and 36 wrappages with 37.3 kg of hashish. BLO at the Sariosiyo BCP was established in 2014 and is one of 23 BLOs in the Central Asian region established at the key border crossing points under the Regional Initiative on Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation in Central Asia of the Sub-programme 1 Preventing and Countering Transnational Organized Crime of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025. It is the first project to establish BLOs in Central Asia, and its stakeholders are the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Border Troops, Customs and Drug Control Agencies of each country. The project strengthens the capacities of officers working at the BLOs representing all law enforcement agencies in countering transnational organized crime, including through various training programmes. Read more about the project: unodc.org/documents/centralasia//2023/Publications/Cross-Border_Cooperation_Project_brochure_EN.pdf *Photo is taken from the website of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. For further information, please contact: Nurangez Abdulhamidova Communications and External Relations Specialist UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia Email: nurangez.abdulhamidova[at]un.org SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 15th Sep, 2023) Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) participated at the Belt and Road Summit, which took place in Hong Kong from 13th-14th September. Invest in Sharjah was represented by Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq); Marwan Saleh Alichla, Director of Investment Promotion & Support at Invest in Sharjah; Elie Armaly, Director of business Development at Shurooq and Fatima Al Shamsi, Investment Promotion Coordinator at Invest in Sharjah. Invest in Sharjah showcased in its booth the emirate's thriving investment climate, highlighting emerging sectors that are shaping the future of Sharjahs diverse economy and offering investors a plethora of new opportunities across diverse fields of interest. The entitys officials shared with the summits visitors Sharjahs focus on the vital sectors of health, education, technology, agriculture, industry, tourism, culture, research, and innovation and how new developments in these sectors are leading the emirate on its path of comprehensive sustainable development. Sharjah is home to 1,225 Chinese companies, including 245 in its free zones. Trade volume between the two sides has exceeded AED 47 million, with AED 15.1 million between Hong Kong and Sharjah. Part of the official UAE delegation led by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, Invest in Sharjah met with John C. Lee, the CEO of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and explored the means to enhance mutual economic relations in the sectors of the new economy, trade, investment, technology, and small and medium-sized projects. During the mission, Invest in Sharjah participated in the Ministry of Economy visit to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP), engaging in discussions with senior officials and technology experts to explore cooperation in the technological investment and innovation sectors. The delegation also met with Li Qinwu, Secretary-General of the Guangdong Foreign Economic Cooperation Association, to explore trade and investment opportunities between Sharjah and the key industrial province in southern China. Invest in Sharjah also participated in the Ministrys visit to Cyberport, and discussed managing and financing digital assets, insurance services, health insurance, and electronic games. At the BRI Summit in a session titled Middle East Market Expectations, Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer explored trade, investment and collaboration opportunities BRI offers to those countries that fall along the belt as well as to emerging markets in the region. He also provided insights about Sharjahs success in establishing itself as a pioneering model of sustainable development, characterised by a firm balance between economic growth and community development. Elie Armaly, Director of Business Development at Shurooq, held a presentation about food security and sustainability, noting that aquaculture is a fundamental part of UAEs National Strategy for Food Security. He stressed that through in-depth study, planning and organised partnership strategies, Shurooq seeks to develop inclusive aquaculture on a commercial scale in Sharjah through a 60,000 sqm project in Kalba. Marwan Saleh Alichla, Director of Investment Promotion and Support, Invest in Sharjah, stated, Sharjah deeply values cooperation with BRIs partners and beyond. Our strategic position and global initiatives have significantly contributed to enhancing investment opportunities, economic exchange, knowledge transfer and international partnerships across various industries. This further solidifies the emiratess commitment to fostering cooperation, opening doors to new opportunities and broader market access. An annual event organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong stands as a pivotal international platform for bolstering cooperation and partnerships among BRIs partners. Drawing over 20,000 participants, this dynamic event delves into more than 280 investment projects across diverse sectors, including infrastructure, energy, technology, and financial services. The summit presents a unique opportunity for over 800 investor-entrepreneur meetings, featuring over 60 exhibitors. It is also backed by more than 250 partners and sponsors, showcasing strong support for the BRIs vision towards crafting a brighter future for all. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 15th Sep, 2023) The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library (MBRL) donated more than 40,000 books to various governmental and educational institutions and libraries, and more than 5,000 books of different subjects to 11 new educational complexes in the Zayed Educational Complexes in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. The library aims to distribute 5,100 books in the upcoming period, to support its vision of making knowledge accessible to the public. This comes within the framework of MBRLs continuous efforts to promote a culture of reading and dissemination of knowledge among all members of society, and in line with its initiative A World Reads. This reflects MBRLs commitment to supporting the educational and cultural sector in the UAE, as part of A World Reads initiative. The initiative is an affirmation of the librarys extensive efforts to facilitate free and easy access to knowledge sources for all members of society, achieve excellence in the cultural and educational fields, and promote awareness on the importance of reading and its significant impact on personal, educational, and social development. A World Reads initiative was commended by the officials in the targeted educational complexes, who stressed that this step embodies the UAEs vision and strategy to foster a culture of reading and learning. They highlighted that these books will be a source of inspiration for students, and will contribute to shaping their academic future to be brighter and more advanced as each book is an opportunity for them to discover new worlds. Launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in collaboration with local publishers, special-publication institutions, and a select group of authors and writers, 'A World Reads' initiative strives to support and enrich school libraries, educational institutions, centers, clubs, reading cafes, and government departments with a valuable and diverse collection of Arabic and English books for children, youth, and adults. This supports the UAEs strategy to spread knowledge, encourage reading, empower schools across the country, in addition to supporting the students participating in the Arab Reading Challenge. A World Reads offers a unique collection of books in Arabic and English, as well as Braille books for children, youth, adults, people of determination, and the visually impaired. This aims to increase awareness on the importance of reading and its positive impact on personal, educational, and social development. It also provides free and easy access to various knowledge and information resources. SHENZHEN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 15th Sep, 2023) Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, held talks with high-level officials and investors from China and Hong Kong. During the talks, the two sides discussed ways of enhancing their economic relations and finding new opportunities to deepen the strategic partnership between the two nations. Al Marri also invited investors to take advantage of new economic opportunities. China and the UAE share a deep bond that extends to various areas of cooperation and common views on regional and global issues, he said, stressing that their leaders have established a strong strategic partnership that has achieved remarkable results in various economic sectors. This partnership has also supported their developmental goals and enhanced ties with Hong Kong, opening new opportunities for economic collaborations, he added. Al Marri made this statement on the sidelines of his participation in the Belt and the Road Initiative Summit held in Hong Kong on 13th and 14th September, 2023. The meeting also addressed ways of boosting the joint aviation and tourism activities between the two countries, to strengthen their economic cooperation and pave the way for businesses and companies to access available economic opportunities, as well as boost their bilateral partnership, most notably in the areas of information technology, electronics, transport, storage, business services, and the green and circular economy. Al Marri affirmed his eagerness to enhance the cooperation between the two countries in supporting green developmental tools by launching joint projects between their private sectors. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 15th Sep, 2023) The Federal Capital Public Prosecution has initiated an investigation into a group of suspects who defraud individuals by promoting counterfeit currencies on social media platforms, under the cover that they are genuine currencies with discounts of up to 50 percent off the actual Currency value. Investigations have revealed that the suspects advertise the availability of frozen or suspended currencies on social media, offering them to interested parties at discounts of up to 50 percent off the original price and when the victim contacts them, they provide a location for exchange and delivery. The collaborators within the internal criminal organisation attend the meeting, hand over the counterfeit currencies to the victim, and receive genuine Emirati Dirhams in return. They then flee the scene, leaving the victim to discover that they have been the victim of fraud, and their money has been replaced with fake bills. The UAE Public Prosecution urges the public to obtain and exchange currencies through licensed authorities and not to believe or trust what some individuals promote falsely on social media platforms, particularly those targeting individuals seeking quick wealth. Moscow, Sept 15 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2023 ) :Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gifted each other rifles, the Kremlin said Thursday, after the two held a high-profile summit in Russia's Far East. Putin has sought to strengthen alliances with other hardline leaders ostracised by the West, and met with Kim amid speculation they would agree on an arms deal. Putin "gave (Kim) a rifle from our production of the highest quality. In turn, he also received a North Korean-made rifle," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Putin also give Kim "a glove from a space suit that has been in space several times", Peskov said, while Putin "gratefully" accepted an invitation to visit North Korea. He said Kim's visit to Russia would last "a few more days". The North Korean leader arrived in Russia on Tuesday. The friendly ties between the two leaders come as Russia faces isolation from the West and some of its traditional partners over its full-scale offensive in Ukraine. US officials and experts have said Russia is interested in buying North Korean ammunition to use in Ukraine, a move the White House warned would have consequences. Riyadh, Sept 15 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2023 ) :Yemen Huthi rebels said they hoped to overcome "challenges" on Friday as they head into unprecedented talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at ending their devastating eight-year war. The delegation of Huthis, close to Tehran, flew in late on Thursday for their first public visit since the coalition launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015. Their visit, five months after hosting a Saudi team in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, is the latest hopeful sign for a war that has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. "We hope that a serious discussion will take place in the interest of both peoples and that the challenges will be overcome," senior political leader Mohamed Ali al-Huthi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, early on Friday. "Dialogue can only take place with the... coalition, considering that the decision... of the siege and stopping it is in its hands."Yemen was plunged into conflict when the Huthis took control of the capital Sanaa in September 2014, ousting the internationally recognised government and prompting the coalition to launch their offensive the following March. TRIPOLI, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Abdoulaye Bathily, special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, on Thursday said the Libyan people "have set a great example of unity, compassion and resilience" in the face of the devastating flood disaster triggered by Hurricane Daniel. "Today, I see one united Libya, no east, west, or south. I urge all Libyan authorities and institutions to continue coordinating their response efforts," Bathily tweeted. Mohieddin Monji, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, said on Thursday the ministry sent field hospitals and medical professionals to eastern Libya to detect and contain any possible diseases in the flood-hit areas. Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives (parliament) decided to allocate 10 billion dinars (2.06 billion U.S. dollars) to help deal with the flood aftermath. Moreover, since the storm hit, the Libyans have been sending large quantities of basic relief materials and civilian volunteers to the disaster zone. Osama Ali, spokesperson of the Emergency Department of the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua on Wednesday that over 5,500 died, over 7,000 were injured and over 10,000 people have been reported missing in eastern Libya due to the hurricane-triggered floods. The final death toll could not be determined yet as the body recovery work was still underway, Osama said. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2023 ) :Caretaker Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hassan Fawad called on caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar here on Friday. During the meeting, the prime minister congratulated Fawad Hassan Fawad on assuming the charge of the ministry. He also expressed best wishes for him. The prime minister hoped that the caretaker minister for privatisation would play a key role in implementing the government's vision to bring reforms in the institutions and revive the country's economy. US President Joe Biden will meet with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, a White House official said, after months of tensions Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2023 ) :US President Joe Biden will meet with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, a White House official said, after months of tensions. The pair will meet to discuss "the shared democratic values between the United States and Israel and a vision for a more stable and prosperous and integrated region, as well as to compare notes on effectively countering and deterring Iran," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Friday. Netanyahu had announced earlier this month that he would visit the United States, one of Israel's staunchest allies -- but initially there had been no plans for meeting with US officials during the trip, an unusual case for visiting Israeli leaders. Biden has criticized the judicial overhaul that Netanyahu's hard-right government is advancing, which opponents describe as a threat to democracy in Israel. Netanyahu has yet to be invited to the White House since returning to power in December at the helm of what Biden had described as "one of the most extremist" administrations in Israeli history. In July, the White House said Biden and Netanyahu would "meet in the United States later this year," without providing further details. Southern Miss History Class Students to Tour the African American Military History Museum and Make Exhibition Proposals for Forthcoming Moeller Museum Fri, 09/15/2023 - 09:57am | By: Lisa Conn On Tuesday, Sept. 19th at 11 a.m. Dr. John C. Winters Public History class from The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will visit and tour the African American Military History Museum at the Sixth Street Museum District. Dr. Winters students, who are 300-level students enrolled in Public History in Theory and Practice will analyze the permanent exhibition at the African American Military History Museum and create a mock exhibition proposal for the forthcoming Moeller Museum, which is a project of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. As our students work on these projects, they will gain job-ready skills in public writing and exhibition development all while forming a deeper personal connection to, and appreciation for, this important Hattiesburg institution, said Dr. Winters. This partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi History program provides an opportunity for the Museum District to engage the next generation of historians, researchers and museum professionals, and it gives these students the chance to connect with the community and gain practical skills and knowledge of the important role museums play in public history and cultural education, shared Museum Operations & Education Supervisor, Vanessa Molden. The Moeller Museum is currently in the design stage, with an expected opening of 2025. The museum will house eleven military vehicles that were used during wars and military action from World War II through Desert Storm. Dr. Donald R. Moeller, Lt. Colonel, US Army, Retired, chose the African American Military History Museum as the home for his collection after extensive research. He was impressed with how the museum tells the stories of African American service men and women through interactive exhibits that the museum is intentional about appealing to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, feel and smell. We are honored Dr. Moeller chose us to house and appropriately display his collection, said Director of Museums, Latoya Norman. We will take the recommendations of Dr. Winters students and combine them with our master schematics as we determine our final plans for the creation of the Moeller Museum. When completed, the Moeller Museum will give guests a new look at the role and evolution of vehicles used to help our service men and women in the heat of battle, continued Norman. The Moeller Museum will be an important part of military history and will complement the other museums in the Sixth Street Museum District as well as the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum. Dr. Donald R. Moeller had an extensive career in the US Army where he served in the Dental Corps. After retiring as Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Martin Army Hospital Fort Benning, Georgia. He entered the University of Alabama Medical School and obtained a Doctor of Medicine degree, which was followed by a Transitional Medical Residency at the Columbus Medical Center. After retiring from his practice in oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Columbus Georgia he continued his career as a Neuroscience Researcher in the area of PTSD comorbid sleep disruption. Dr. Moeller is Board Certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. John C. Winters is Assistant Professor of History and directs the Graduate Certificate Program in Public History at the University of Southern Mississippi. He writes about Indigenous and museum history and has a decade of public history experience in New York, Virginia, and Mississippi. He is the author of "The Amazing Iroquois" and the Empire State. Running a small business can be incredibly rewarding, but it is no easy feat. The small-business owner has to be the strategist, the marketer, the accountant and the customer service representative -- all rolled into one. Juggling these roles without a clear framework can lead to burnout, missed opportunities and a lack of direction. That is where business systems come in, which will be the subject of a webinar Friday, Sept. 22. Tonya Harrison will present a Wyoming Community Navigator Program (CNP) webinar titled Business Systems Unlocked from 11 a.m.-noon. To register, go here. Registration is free. The Wyoming CNP, through the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network at the University of Wyoming, provides small-business resources and assistance for traditionally underserved entrepreneurs throughout Wyoming. This workshop will provide small-business owners with a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the seven core foundational systems crucial for their businesses success. These systems will streamline operations, boost efficiency and, ultimately, increase profits. Harrison, founder and CEO of Cignal Partners, is transforming operations and helping small businesses move from being busy and burned out to profitable and productive by integrating automation and the right systems. Harrison spent 25-plus years helping organizations successfully turn around low-performing departments and develop efficiency through systems and automation. She spends her days hosting techshops, one-on-one strategy sessions and partnering with organizations to facilitate workshops and webinars to help startups and solopreneurs integrate technology and optimize their operations. For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu. Madison Crawford, who received her bachelors and masters degrees in zoology and physiology from UW, poses in front of a bee poster in Lusha Tronstads office. Crawford led a study that tested the hypothesis that wind turbine color attracts insects. She was lead author of a paper that was published recently in the journal Western North American Naturalist. (Lusha Tronstad Photo) Anyone who has driven around Wyoming has likely noticed large wind turbines dotting the prairie landscape. And while the large white rotor blades may catch a motorists eye, they also could be attracting insects due to their light color. To test the hypothesis that wind turbine color attracts insects, a group of University of Wyoming researchers -- headed by former UW masters student Madison Crawford -- sampled insects near experimental wind turbine mimics with nine different colors during summer 2017. The mimics were located on a hill with characteristics similar to sites of nearby wind energy facilities. Madisons study found that insects are attracted to colors with high reflectance generally. White reflects a high proportion of all wavelengths, says Lusha Tronstad, lead invertebrate zoologist with UWs Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD). We noticed that the vertical structure also appeared to attract more insects. We compared white traps adjacent to a base mimicking a white wind turbine mimic base compared to locations with only a white trap (the base was absent), suggesting the vertical structure attracts insects as well as the color. Tronstad was last author of a paper titled Insects are attracted to white wind turbine bases: evidence from turbine mimics that was published recently in Western North American Naturalist, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on biodiversity and conservation of western North America. According to the study, even just painting the bottom portions of turbine bases a darker shade of color may decrease the abundance of insects and their predators colliding near wind energy facilities. This would provide three benefits: More insects that perform ecological services may be conserved; fewer insect predators, including birds, may be attracted to wind turbines; and fewer insects may soil the surface of blades, leading to a substantial increase in wind turbine energy output. I hope a variety of folks read our study because I would like to see this hypothesis tested on a larger scale. To test our idea at a larger scale, we need to work with the wind industry and government officials, Tronstad says. Insects do not come to mind when people think of wind turbines, but they should. Insect debris on turbine blades can reduce the power produced by 50 percent when wind speeds exceed 26 mph. If we can reduce insects at wind facilities, more energy may be produced, and fewer birds may be around turbines. That is a potential positive result worth testing. Crawford, who received her bachelors and masters degrees in zoology and physiology at UW, was the papers lead author. She performed fieldwork, analyzed data and wrote the paper. Crawford, of Newcastle, is now a botanist with the U.S. Forest Service in Dillon, Mont. Madison Crawford, who received her bachelors and masters degrees in zoology and physiology from UW (left, holding stake), and Bryan Tronstad, an invertebrate taxonomist with UWs Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, install structures for Crawfords study that tested the hypothesis that wind turbine color attracts insects. During the study, which took place in the foothills of the Medicine Bow Mountains during summer 2017, insect abundance was highest next to the white, violet and blue turbine mimics and lowest adjacent to the turbine mimics that were green, orange, yellow, light gray and dark gray. (Lusha Tronstad Photo) Delina Dority, a UW masters student from Casper at the time of the study, and Michael Dillon, a UW professor of zoology and physiology, were other authors on the paper. Along with Tronstad, both mentored Crawford during the study. Dority had been investigating insects at wind facilities. Crawford was a UW undergraduate student at the time and wanted to work on her own project, Tronstad says. Wind power is one of the fastest-growing forms of renewable energy, but interactions between wind turbines and insects are largely unknown beyond observations that the accumulation of dead insects on turbine blades drastically reduces the power the blades produce, the paper says. Globally, most turbines are painted white so that the structures blend into the sky at ground level, can visibly be seen by aircraft and provide protection from excessive heat, according to the paper. Our results suggest that white, the predominant color of wind turbines globally, is one of the most attractive colors to insects, Crawford wrote in the paper. We encourage others to investigate whether painting turbine bases a less attractive color -- gray or green -- may drastically reduce the attraction of insects to wind energy facilities. During the study, which took place in the foothills of the Medicine Bow Mountains, insect abundance was highest next to the white, violet and blue turbine mimics. Insect abundance was lowest adjacent to the turbine mimics that were green, orange, yellow, light gray and dark gray. The group sampled insects twice a week from mid-June to the end of July. The research team collected 1,167 specimens representing six orders of insects. True flies, at 58 percent, were most abundant, followed by bees, wasps and ants at 34 percent; beetles at 4 percent; moths at 2 percent; and caddisflies at 1 percent. We suggest more studies because this study is the first of its kind. The wind turbine mimics we used were much smaller than commercial wind turbines, Tronstad explains. Testing our hypothesis on residential or commercial wind turbines is a next step; however, county, state and federal laws dictate the color of turbines. We predict painting turbine bases, perhaps only the bottom 10 or 20 yards, may have positive implications for insects and birds near wind facilities. The Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium and the Wyoming Research Scholars Program at UW funded the research. These programs supported Crawford throughout her project and enabled her to gain excellent skills and conduct valuable research, Tronstad says. About the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database WYNDD offers the most complete source of data for species and vegetation communities of management concern in Wyoming. Its mission is threefold: Identify and rank species that are priorities for management in Wyoming; amass existing data and develop new data for species needing management efforts, and for Wyoming vegetation types; and distribute these data upon request, under the philosophy that the best decisions regarding natural resources will be made only when everyone has access to complete and current scientific data. BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China is preparing to handle 1.96 million domestic air passenger trips each day during the upcoming eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, up 17 percent from the figure recorded for the same holidays in 2019, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on Friday. There will be 14,000 domestic flights each day of the holiday, which starts on Sept. 29, up 18 percent from the 2019 level, administration official Jin Junhao told a press conference. It is estimated that over 21 million people will travel by plane either domestically or internationally over the eight days, reflecting robust demand for holiday trips, Jin said, citing presale data. The administration said it is working on resuming international passenger flights. Currently, the number of weekly international passenger flights is at 52 percent of the 2019 level, the administration said. The numbers of flights to 14 countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy and the Maldives, have surpassed pre-COVID figures, it said. Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto has won his asylum appeal to remain in the United States, 15 years after seeking refuge amid fear of persecution in Mexico and deportation efforts by U.S. officials, a media organization said on Thursday. The Board of Immigration Appeals this week ruled Gutierrez, who came to the United States legally 15 years ago and now resides in Michigan, was eligible for asylum, the National Press Club (NPC) said in a statement. "I hope that my case will shine a light on the need to protect those journalists in Mexico and around the world who are working and risking their lives to tell the truth," Gutierrez said in the statement from the U.S.-based group, which represents journalists and advocates for press freedom. Gutierrez is one of several journalists whose cases have drawn attention in recent years, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being detained in Russia, and freelance reporter Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria over a decade ago, among others. The NPC has been pressing Gutierrez's case since 2017, when U.S. officials moved to deport him just weeks after he accepted the club's press freedom award on behalf of Mexican journalists who "are routinely targeted by drug cartels and corrupt government officials," it said. In a notice dated Sept. 5, the three-member appeals panel said an immigration judge had twice ruled in error to deport Gutierrez, writing: "We conclude that the respondent's subjective fear of persecution upon return to Mexico is objectively reasonable and well-founded." Representatives for the Department of Homeland's Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a media rights organization, in a report last year said journalists in Mexico face an "exceptional" crisis and some have been killed, noting that "news coverage in some regions is on the brink of disappearing" amid the violence. YAOUNDE, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed by gunmen Friday morning in Cameroon's war-torn English-speaking region of Southwest, according to local and security sources. Gunmen believed to be separatist fighters operating in the region opened fire on a car that was driving to Buea, chief town of the region, said a military official in the region. "Two people were killed including the driver and a passenger. The other miraculously survived. They are all civilians who were going about their daily activities before the terrorists did that despicable act," the official who asked not to be named told Xinhua by phone. There has been renewed violence in the country's two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest since Monday last week after separatists declared a two-week lockdown to disrupt school resumption. Cameroon has been fighting an armed separatist insurgency in the regions since 2017. Afghanistan's Taliban have detained 18 staffers, including an American, from a nonprofit group for allegedly preaching Christianity. The Afghan-based International Assistance Mission (IAM) confirmed Friday that Taliban authorities had twice raided its office in central Ghor province this month and taken away the staff. The charity, registered in Switzerland, said one foreigner was among those detained, but did not reveal that persons nationality. "We are unaware of the circumstances that led to these incidents and have not been advised of the reason for the detention of our staff members," an IAM statement said. "The well-being and security of our colleagues are paramount to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and secure their swift release," it said, adding that the detainees have been transferred to the Afghan capital of Kabul. Local media quoted provincial government spokesman Abdul Wahid Hamas as saying several women, including an American, were among the detainees. They were taken into custody on charges of "propagating and promoting Christianity" in Afghanistan, he added. The IAM says on its website that the nonprofit group has been working in Afghanistan only to improve lives and build local health, community development and education capacity. "We are a partnership between the people of Afghanistan and international Christian volunteers, and we have been working together since 1966." The Taliban have imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, since seizing power from a U.S.-backed Afghan government in Kabul two years ago. They have barred teenage girls from schools beyond the sixth grade nationwide and ordered most female government employees to stay home. The Taliban have also banned women from working for aid organizations in impoverished Afghanistan. Women are not allowed to visit public parks, gyms or bathhouses, and a close male relative must accompany them for long road trips. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters in New York this week that "the question of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is absolutely central to all concerns and will be one of the issues that will be very much in the agenda" of the General Assembly session this month. Just hours after epic storm Daniel dumped torrential rains on Libya's coast, breaching dams and killing thousands, some called it perhaps the deadliest and costliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone ever recorded. Described by some scientists as the latest extreme weather event linked to climate change, analysts tell VOA that conflict, political division and neglect of public infrastructure also played a role in making Libya helpless as Daniel's downpour burst two dams, sweeping entire neighborhoods of the coastal city of Derna into the sea. "Bodies are lying everywhere in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings," one Libyan official told the Associated Press. Some experts familiar with the stricken region say the sheer scope of the devastation goes beyond a climate crisis-induced catastrophe. "Years of conflict and division, administrative malfeasance and misgovernance hitting this very vulnerable area" has compounded the impact of the storm, said Stephanie Williams, a non-resident senior fellow at Washington's Brookings Institution, who served as a U.N. special advisor on Libya. "All of this converged to create a terribly catastrophic situation now," she told VOA. "Political instability is quite complicating in this environment and I'm sure there will be many who will want to play the blame game." Saudi Arabia's Arab News newspaper said the "startling death and devastation" caused by the storms intensity also exposed Libya's vulnerability after being divided between rival governments and "torn apart by chaos for more than a decade." "Libya, for the past 10 years, has gone [from] one war to another, one political crisis to another, Claudia Gazzini, a senior Libya analyst for the International Crisis Group told The New York Times newspaper. "Essentially this has meant that, for the past 10 years, there hasnt really been much investment in the country's infrastructure." Malak Eltaeb, an analyst with Washingtons Middle East Institute, told VOA by email that conflict and unrest have left social services severely weakened. "And a failure to maintain facilities, like dams unfortunately, there were no mitigation strategies, early warning systems or evacuation plans in place, she said of the disaster in Derna, which lies some 900 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli, an area controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar's forces. "No measures were taken to protect civilians or reduce damage." But Brookings analyst Williams said that despite the geopolitical divide, the rival, internationally recognized government based in Tripoli in western Libya and allied with other armed groups, is coming to the aid of citizens in the country's east. "There's a great outreach from all Libyans to the people, particularly in Derna, of the internationally recognized government in Tripoli," she said. "It has sent assistance; it's allocating funds to help with immediate humanitarian needs and long-term rebuilding." Desperately needed aid, she added, is also reaching people by civilian convoys from western Libya and by the national oil company to Libyans in the east. "The division right now is not a barrier to assistance," she said. Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, World Health Organization spokesperson Margaret Harris described the flooding as being of "epic" proportions. Humanitarian groups have also expressed concerns that migrants and refugees from more than 40 countries who use Libya as a launch point for Europe may have been caught up in the floods. Some information is from the Associated Press. As Chinese tourists return to Thailand after the pandemic curtailed travel, so are the scams that Thai authorities worry will taint the country's reputation even if most of the victims and perpetrators appear to be Chinese. Deputy Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn said at a news conference last month that 18 Chinese were charged with fraud for allegedly selling overpriced, supposedly holy, amulets to Chinese tourists visiting Khao Chi Chan temple in Chonburi province. The temple, a Buddhist landmark, is about 160 kilometers southeast of Bangkok in an area famed for its natural beauty and delectable seafood. The alleged fraud involves sales of amulets, objects of either faith or fashion, coveted by Chinese tourists. Real ones sell for thousands of dollars depending on their provenance and material. The ones sold to Chinese tourists, while expensive, are fake. The fraudulent sales occurred during the first half of 2023, and 20 people have been charged, according to police. Sixteen are male, 18 are Chinese and two are Thai. Temple investigations The Khao Chi Chan temple incident signals the return of a long-standing tourist scam that disappeared as the pandemic arrived. Surachate told VOA Thai that four other temples in Chonburi are under investigation for running similar scams. Some two dozen other Chonburi-area temples suspected of selling fake amulets closed after authorities announced the arrests at Khao Chi Chan temple, Surachate said. Police Colonel Danprai Kaewwehol, the Immigration Bureau's deputy investigation commander, said at the news conference that a group of tour operators persuaded Chinese tourists to purchase amulets after they participated in rituals inside the Kao Chi Chan temple. The religious items, priced at $715 to $2,830, were worth about $11 each, he said. The amulets are copies of those in one of the most famous amulet collections, Phra Somdej Wat Rakang. Police recovered about $3.7 million worth of cash, land and property from the Chinese suspects. Wisutthammanusitsomsak, the Khao Chi Chan abbot, was charged with malfeasance and granted bail for leasing space to the tour operators, according to Surachate, who added that a relative and an aide of the abbot were also involved. As abbot, Wisutthammanusitsomsak uses only one name. The investigation also found that sales from credit cards were credited to entities in China, according to Surachate. The money kept the operation running in Thailand, police said. Yuttasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), told VOA Thai that such scams threaten the nation's post-pandemic tourism industry, which has targeted Chinese tourists with ads and offerings. He urged law enforcement to close businesses that exploit Chinese tourists "by bringing them in with a low cost and seeking to profit by selling them low quality goods at high prices from their own network of outlets." Surachate said at the news conference that China's President Xi Jinping more than five years ago urged putting an end to such zero-dollar tourism. "He [President Xi] wanted Chinese people to come and see the history of the Thai nation, see the Temple of Emerald Buddha, not locked in a route to tourist attractions or restaurants," Surachate said. Amulet sales Thai Buddhists have long purchased amulets as religious totems, charms and collectibles. Prices range from almost nothing to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on an amulet's origin and the holy powers attributed to it. Thai temples generate operating income by producing and selling amulets and other sacred goods. The government and Thailand's Buddhist governing body, the Supreme Sangha Council, regulate the sales. Intiporn Chan-iam, acting director of the National Office of Buddhism, said at the news conference that temples have become targets of fraudulent activity and urged abbots to be aware of the regulations covering sales of religious items. But growing demand coming from inside and outside Thailand coupled with sophisticated technologies have made amulets, real and counterfeit, a big business with Chinese buyers, pushing prices up for the past decade. Complicating any crackdown is the belief that once a monk sanctifies a fake, the amulet "will still afford protection to the owner as long as he or she respects it, and behaves well according to Buddhist precepts," says Tanistha Danslip in her book, Things Thai. Wang Lei, an amulet dealer in Beijing, told the Global Times that most Chinese tourists view the amulets as fashion accessories rather than religious items, although some of his customers believed wearing an amulet would bring them good luck. Through the first six months of 2023, Thailand welcomed 15.4 million foreign tourists, a five-fold increase over the same period in 2022, on track to reach the government's goal of 25 million visitors. After the 2.4 million Malaysians, Chinese are the second largest group with 1.85 million, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. Russians, South Koreans and Indians are next at about 800,000-900,000 each, while Americans account for about 534,000. September engagements by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in India, Vietnam and Indonesia underscored a trend in international affairs that countries in the Global South are seeking a more multipolar world in which they can chart their own courses independent of great powers agendas. This trend is a backdrop to the Biden administrations view of the power and purpose of American diplomacy at what it sees as a "historic inflection point" the end of the post-Cold War era and the early days of fierce competition to define what comes next. The result is a policy that is increasingly less ideological and more pragmatic. Biden attended the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9-10 and continued with a historic visit to Hanoi to upgrade bilateral ties with Vietnam. On Sept. 6-7, Harris attended the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, with leaders of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations and the East Asia Summit that brings together ASEAN and its partners. The themes outlined in these engagements are expected to re-emerge in the Biden administrations approach in this months U.N. General Assembly session in New York. Global South pushing back In Jakarta, leaders attending the East Asia Summit saw strong pushback against the geopolitical rivalry among the U.S., China and Russia, summed up in Indonesian President Joko Widodos forceful call to ease tensions and avoid conflict. Widodos calls were echoed by leaders of other Southeast Asian countries, from Singapore, which is closely aligned with the U.S., to Vietnam, a communist country seeking diplomatic diversity by upgrading ties with Washington amid Beijings increased aggression in the South China Sea. The region saw much bloodshed during the Cold War. And states such as South Vietnam failed because they chose a side and lost, Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center's Southeast Asia Program, told VOA. In New Delhi, G20 leaders unanimously welcomed the African Union, the second regional grouping to be part of the bloc after the European Union. The AUs inclusion bolsters the push to give the Global South a bigger voice on global platforms. The Global South is getting stronger, and will get stronger in the coming years, said Aparna Pande, director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia, at the Hudson Institute. It remains to be seen whether the group will have hard power potential, Pande told VOA. But in a world where both the U.S. and China are willing to allow more countries to stay in the middle rather than join the other side, the Global South will have increased diplomatic leverage. Compromise on Ukraine The tricky dance of the great power rivalry was on display as leaders of the 20 largest economies came to a compromise on Ukraine in New Delhi, brokered by summit host India and last years chair, Indonesia, both of whom have good relations with Moscow and the West. This years softer G20 communique language avoided direct criticism of Russia, a member of the group, only reiterating that states must refrain from "the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition." In last years Bali summit declaration, by contrast, "most members" condemned "aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine." The breakthrough was only possible because the Biden administration sees India as an important counterweight to China and did not want the summit to end without consensus. That would have been a first in the groups history, embarrassing the Narendra Modi government. Countering China The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summits allowed the Biden administration to project the U.S. as a Pacific power that will counter Chinese aggression, including by bolstering alliances in the region. Harris quietly did that by inviting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to chat as leaders were enjoying a gala dinner in Jakarta. She then released a statement underscoring U.S. "opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo in the South China Sea and East China Sea." In New Delhi, Biden, Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a new initiative, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a transnational rail and shipping route spread across two continents to bolster economic integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf countries, Israel and Europe. The corridor is funded under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the administrations alternative to Beijings infrastructure investment juggernaut, the Belt and Road Initiative. More pragmatic foreign policy Biden campaigned to turn Saudi Arabia into the "pariah that they are" over its human rights abuses and began his administration with a foreign policy that pits "autocracies versus democracies." But the IMEC deal with Salman, Bidens growing partnership with an Indian leader criticized for his treatment of minorities, and his meeting with Vietnamese Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong are more proof that his foreign doctrine has evolved. "It's not that the United States is going to Vietnam and opposing communist parties globally," said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow focusing on U.S. strategy in Asia at the American Enterprise Institute. "We're dealing with the Communist Party there, where we think our interests are aligned," he told VOA. The approach is characterized by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as "diplomatic variable geometry." "We start with the problem that we need to solve, and we work back from there assembling the group of partners thats the right size and the right shape to address it," Blinken said in a Wednesday speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. "Were intentional about determining the combination thats truly fit for purpose," Blinken added. Activists have questioned this approach, especially when they believe human rights are treated as an afterthought. "The White House statement afterwards was pathetic, flagging an ongoing U.S.- Vietnam human rights 'dialogue' that conveniently sequesters human rights issues to a symbolic, once-a-year meeting with midlevel officials who talk but dont get anything concrete done," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Phil told VOA. Britain, France and Germany announced Thursday they will keep their sanctions on Iran related to the Mideast country's atomic program and development of ballistic missiles. The measures were to expire in October under a timetable spelled out in the now defunct nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In a joint statement, the three European allies known as E3 and which had helped negotiate the nuclear deal, said they would retain their sanctions in a "direct response to Irans consistent and severe non-compliance" with the accord, also known by its official name as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. The measures ban Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and bar anyone from buying, selling or transferring drones and missiles to and from Iran. They also include an asset freeze for several Iranian individuals and entities involved in the nuclear and ballistic missile program. Iran has violated the sanctions by developing and testing ballistic missiles and sending drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine. The sanctions will remain in place until Tehran "is fully compliant" with the deal, the E3 said. The sanctions, according to the accord from eight years ago, were to expire Oct. 18. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the European decision an "illegal, provocative action" that will hamper cooperation, in comments quoted by the country's official news agency IRNA. "The actions of the European parties will definitely have negative effects on the efforts to manage the tension and create a suitable environment for more cooperation between the JCPOA parties," the ministry said. The 2015 nuclear deal was meant to ensure that Iran could not develop atomic weapons. Under the accord, Tehran agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the accord, saying he would negotiate a stronger deal, but that did not happen. Iran began breaking the terms a year later and is now enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, according to a report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Formal talks to try to find a roadmap to restart the deal collapsed in August 2022. The E3 have informed the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, about their decision, the statement said. Borrell, in turn, said he had forwarded the E3 letter to other signatories of the 2015 deal China, Russia and Iran. The development comes at a delicate moment as the United States is preparing to finalize a prisoner swap with Iran that would include the unfreezing of Iranian assets held in South Korean banks worth $6 billion. Irans mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington was in touch with the European allies over "the appropriate next steps." "We are working closely with our European allies, including members, of course, of the E3, to address the continued threat that Iran poses including on missiles and arms transfers with the extensive range of unilateral and multilateral tools that are at our disposal," he said. Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes, though Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for "several" nuclear bombs if it chose to build them. Under the terms of the nuclear deal, a U.N. arms embargo against Tehran will expire on Oct. 18, after which countries that do not adopt similar sanctions on their own as the E3 likely Russia and perhaps also China will no longer be bound by the U.N. restrictions on Iran. However, Iran has lately slowed the pace at which it is enriching uranium, according to a report by the IAEA that was seen by The Associated Press earlier this month. That could be a sign Tehran is trying to ease tensions after years of strain between it and the U.S. "The decision makes sense," Henry Rome, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said of the European decision. "The real question is how Iran will react. Given the broader de-escalation efforts under way, I would expect Iran not to act rashly, but we never know." British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Friday for a ban on American Bully XL dogs following the death of a man who was attacked by two dogs believed to be of that breed. West Midlands County Emergency Services officials said they responded to a call Thursday in the village of Stonnall, north of Birmingham in central Britain, where they found a man seriously injured after being attacked by two dogs. They said he was in critical condition with multiple injuries and died later after being taken to a local hospital. Local police told the BBC the two dogs involved in the attack were killed, with one dying after being restrained and the other being put down with an injection by a local veterinarian. They said the dogs were believed to be American Bully XLs, but tests are being conducted to confirm their breed. They reported a 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack. Dogs of the breed have allegedly attacked several people in Britain in recent months. An attack on an 11-year-old girl last week and a similar attack on a 4-year-old boy in London prompted British Interior Minister Suella Braverman to call Bully XLs a clear and lethal danger. In a video posted to social media Friday, Prime Minister Sunak said he is taking steps to ban the breed. Sunak said, Its clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs. Its a pattern of behavior, and it cannot go on. He said he has asked his cabinet to bring together a team of experts to definitively identify the breed of dog behind the attacks with a view to then outlawing it by the end of the year. The U.S.-based United Kennel Club describes the American Bully XL as an extension or sub-breed of the American Pit Bull Terrier, characterized by a compact, strong, thick-set structure and build. They can weigh as much as 60 kilograms (132 pounds), and the organization describes them as first and foremost, a companion and an excellent family dog. Dog and animal rights groups have in the past opposed the banning of specific breeds of dogs, instead citing irresponsible owners and breeding. On its website, the American Animal Hospital Association cites studies showing breed bans to be ineffective because identifying specific breeds can be difficult, even for the most highly trained professionals. The group said dogs are more likely to bite and act aggressively because they have been trained specifically to do so or have been abused. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and Agence France-Presse. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, as well as UNICEF and the Norwegian Refugee Council, said this week that more than 13,200 schools in eight African nations have had to close because of insecurity, affecting the education of at least 2.5 million children. According to the agencies data on school closures over the last four years, the number of schools closed in the Sahel region has grown more than fivefold, from 1,700 to 9,000, with Burkina Faso accounting for two-third of the closures. Thousands of schools in Africa have been closed because of insecurity and conflict, depriving at least 2.5 million children of education in the past four years. According to a statement from UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, 13,200 schools have been closed in eight countries, jeopardizing the future of millions of children. Barnaby Rooke, UNICEF West and Central Africa education in emergency and resilience specialist, says the lack of learning institutions poses great risk to the young boys and girls on the continent. "It's a situation which is of grave concern, of course, because a school closed means that children lose out on learning," said Rooke. "It also means that children are exposed to a great number of risks, including early pregnancy and early marriage for girls, potentially recruitment into nonstate armed groups for adolescent boys." School attacks have become frequent, with 147 incidents reported in the region between January and August, according to the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which tracks political violence and protest around the world. Insecurity has driven families and teachers to flee, disrupting learning for the affected children and communities facing overcrowding and an educator shortage. According to the aid agencies, the situation is particularly dire in the Central Sahel region, where school closures have surged from 1,700 to 9,000, with Burkina Faso accounting for 6,000 of these closures. Burkina Faso is among six African nations that have witnessed coups in the past three years and face threats from terrorist organizations. Leandro Salazar, regional education adviser in central and west Africa for the Norwegian Refugee Council, says the school attacks reverse progress in keeping children in classes. "Attacks on schools have exacerbated existing structural challenges to education for all, more specifically poverty, poor school infrastructure, low access, insufficient numbers of well-trained teachers, and in some cases, it has reversed decades of well-earned progress for education systems," said Salazar. "These disturbances may also lead to diminished quality of education and learning and students falling behind. Lower rates of transition to higher education levels, overcrowding and reductions in teacher recruitment. The longer children are out of school, the less likely they are to return." According to UNESCO, 20% of children aged 6 to 11 are out of school and 60% of those aged 15 to 17 are not in school in sub-Saharan Africa. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies says 3.2 million people were displaced this year, bringing the total number of Africans displaced by conflict to 40 million, with 31 million internally displaced. Health experts say conflict and violence make children nervous, lonely, or emotionally distraught and aggressive. With the help of locals and authorities, Rooke says his organization is creating temporary learning facilities to continue childrens education and look after their well-being. "There is a rapid-response mechanism which has been created to tend to the needs of these children, which involves staff traveling to the areas impacted by school closure, setting up a temporary learning space in the briefest possible time, and then following up with a greater level of qualitative services including not only learning but mental health and psychosocial support for children," said Rooke. Salazar says there is a need for educational support for children wherever they are and to train more teachers to help students. "It is urgent to increase access to education in areas of displacement, and especially in remote and blockaded areas, more specifically in Burkina Faso and Mali," said Salazar. "There is a need to accelerate the redeployment of teachers where they are most needed, to open new classrooms whenever possible, whenever and wherever possible, and make sure that schools continue to work at their full capacity." The three agencies are urging governments, rebel groups and militant organizations to uphold the Safe Schools Declaration, which commits warring parties to protect educational institutions and ensure the continuity of learning, even during conflicts, while reducing the military use of schools. As the U.N. mission to Mali withdraws from the northern part of the country, hostilities between the Malian army and Tuareg rebels have reignited and Islamist attacks have increased amid the chaos. Residents say they are effectively stuck in a war zone as the north is cut off from the south via road, air and river after a deadly attack on a passenger boat and the suspension of flights by Malis only commercial airline. The Coordination of Azawad Movements, or CMA, a coalition of Tuareg separatist groups who signed a peace agreement with the Malian government in 2015, declared itself at war with Mali this week. Tuareg rebels launched an offensive in 2012 in northern Mali backed by Islamist militants. The rebels and militants eventually splintered, and Islamist forces seized control of northern Mali before the French army intervened and pushed them out of power in 2013. An Islamist insurgency continues to ravage the north and center of the country. On Tuesday, CMA rebels launched an attack on the Malian army in Bourem, a town in northern Mali. People started to hear heavy weapons, loud shouting and vehicle motors around 9:15 a.m., a resident of Bourem who wished to remain anonymous for safety reason told VOA via a messaging app. Before long, he said, he heard the shout of Allahu Akbar. The Malian army retains control of the town, the resident said, but much of the population depends on farming to survive and cannot access their fields. The CMA said in a statement that it temporarily took control of Bourem and killed 97 Malian soldiers. The Malian army said it lost 10 soldiers and neutralized 46 terrorists in the incident. Fatouma Harber, a journalist and blogger from the northern city of Timbuktu, said Islamist forces have blockaded the city for weeks. Militants attacked a passenger boat heading into Timbuktu last week, killing at least 49 people by official government counts, with residents claiming a higher death toll. Sky Mali, the only commercial airline in the country, stopped flights to Timbuktu last week amid frequent attacks on the airport. Harber said that authorities need to stop their denial of the situation in Timbuktu and find a solution quickly. The city is being asphyxiated and the people are suffering, she said. Fodie Tandjigora, a sociology professor at the University of Bamako and researcher on security in Mali for several organizations, told VOA that he anticipated increased tensions amid the withdrawal of the United Nations mission, known as MINUSMA. Malis military government asked MINUSMA to leave the country after MINUSMA launched investigations into atrocities allegedly committed by the Malian army. MINUSMA withdrew from its base in Ber last month, and CMA forces quickly attempted to take control. The situation could be fixed with dialogue between the government and the CMA, Tandjigora said, but the CMA has refused because the MINUSMA camps have been transferred only to the Malian state. MINUSMA states on its website that it is transferring camps only to state authorities. Tandjigora also said there already are signs of CMA collaborating with Islamists as they did in 2012. The government of Democratic Republic of the Congo will closely follow the case of detained journalist Stanis Bujakera, communications minister Patrick Muyaya said on Thursday in the government's first comments since his detention last week. Bujakera, who works for international media outlets including Reuters, was detained at the airport in the capital, Kinshasa, on September 8 on suspicion of spreading false information about the killing of a prominent opposition politician in an article published by French news magazine Jeune Afrique, the magazine said. Bukajera is accused of "spreading false rumors" and the "dissemination of false information" about the case, the magazine said in online statements. But it said the article in question did not carry his name, and "he cannot be held responsible" for its content. Local and international rights groups including Human Rights Watch have expressed concern about his detention, calling it an attack on press freedom. Speaking to journalists in Kinshasa, Muyaya said "a journalist going to prison is not good news." Muyaya declined to comment on the merits of the case, citing the independence of the judiciary from the government, but said "we will follow the case closely until its conclusion." "We hold freedom of the press dear. It is a cardinal value of democracy, but it is also a freedom which does not give a blank check for disinformation," he said. "We hope that the case, which is following a normal course, ... can be resolved quickly." The Dominican Republic's president announced Thursday that he would close all borders with neighboring Haiti beginning Friday morning over a feud about a Haitian canal that would use water from a river along their shared border. Air, sea and land borders are set to close at 6 a.m. local time on Friday and will remain blocked "until necessary," President Luis Abinader said. The Dominican Republic also deployed 20 armored vehicles to a military camp on the border. "Unfortunately, they left us no alternative but to take drastic measures," Abinader told reporters during a news conference on Thursday. "We have been prepared for weeks, not only for this situation but also for a possible peace force in Haiti." The decision came after Haitian and Dominican officials held talks on Wednesday and Thursday to try to come to a resolution. Those talks are set to continue. The dispute is over the excavation of a canal by a farming group in Haiti that would use water from the Massacre River, which runs along the border that the two countries share. The Dominican president has accused Haiti of trying to divert water from the shared river and said it would impact Dominican farmers and the environment. Haiti's government responded, saying it has the right to use the shared river, in line with a 1929 treaty. The government said it "will take all necessary measures to protect the interests of the Haitian people." Work on the canal had been paused since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, but construction has since resumed, according to the International Crisis Group. The Dominican Republic last fully closed its border with Haiti following Moises assassination. Relations between the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola, have grown increasingly fraught in recent years, including over border security and the treatment of Haitian migrants and asylum-seekers, many of whom are fleeing deadly gang violence in Haiti. Since the impending closure was announced, hundreds of Haitians have returned from the Dominican Republic. In a statement, the U.S. embassy in Haiti said American citizens looking to cross the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic will have to make other plans. The U.S. government discourages American citizens from traveling to Haiti due to safety risks. Neither the Dominican Republic nor Haitis Washington embassies immediately replied to VOAs emails requesting comment. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has decided to impose sanctions on two U.S. companies due to their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. In disregard of China's firm opposition, the U.S. government deliberately supplies weapons to China's Taiwan region. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, contravenes international law and basic norms governing international relations, and undermines China's sovereignty and security interests. The United States is going further down the wrong and dangerous path of arming Taiwan, Mao said at a daily press briefing. Mao said Lockheed Martin Corporation, St. Louis, MO directly participated in the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan announced on August 24 as the principal contractor. Northrop Grumman participated in several U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. "In accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China, China decides to impose sanctions on these two above-mentioned U.S. defense corporations," she said. The Chinese government never wavers in its resolve of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mao stressed. "We call on the United States to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop arms sales to Taiwan, stop military collusion with Taiwan, and stop arming Taiwan, otherwise it will be met with China's resolute response," she added. Kinshasa again sounded the alarm Thursday over the humanitarian tragedy being caused by Rwandan "aggression" inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ahead of the U.N. General Assembly next week. Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya and Justice Minister Rose Mutombo set out their case against Kigali in a news conference in the capital. They repeated allegations that DRC's eastern neighbor Rwanda has been backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebels, which Kigali has repeatedly denied. The force has seized swaths of territory in North Kivu, on the two countries' border, since taking up arms again in late 2021 after years of dormancy. Muyaya referred to "irrefutable proof of criminal activities run by the Rwandan army with its M23 supporters." Presenting an update of a previous white paper on the issue, he said the conflict had forced more than 2.3 million people to flee their homes and left hundreds of schools destroyed or occupied. It had also caused "incalculable" damage to the Virunga National Park and cost millions of dollars in customs receipts. The conflict had also made it impossible to add people in the affected regions to the electoral roll, which would affect the general elections due in December, he added. U.N. experts have also accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel force, and in July, the EU condemned the country's military presence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. In August, Washington announced sanctions against six people, mainly rebel leaders they said had contributed to the recent escalation of the conflict in the DRC: Rwandan and Congolese citizens. Muyaya, while welcoming the recent diplomatic support, called for a more vigorous international response to the crisis. On September 8-10, Russia claimed to have held elections in five partly occupied regions of Ukraine. The illegal voting, which allegedly took place in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, was for candidates to Russian regional parliaments. A Russian State Duma deputy was supposedly elected in annexed Crimea. Moscow announced that the turnout for these elections was high, with hundreds of thousands of people supposedly voting. On September 10, Marina Zakharova, the chairwoman of the electoral commission that Russia set up in Ukraines occupied Kherson region, claimed: "In total, 65.14% of the Kherson regions voters took part in the voting." That is false. First, such war zone elections are illegal under international law. Citing the United Nations Charter and the General Assembly resolution ES-11/4, which deemed the Russian occupation of Ukraine illegal, a senior U.N official said on September 8 that Russias latest so-called elections had no legal grounds and undermined the peace process. Apart from making unverifiable claims to have held the elections, Russia also claimed turnout numbers that exceed the total population of the occupied Ukrainian towns and cities. Less than 63% of the Kherson regions population lives in the area currently occupied by Russia, making it highly unlikely that 65.14% of the regions voters cast ballots. According to the Kherson region's main department of statistics, the regions permanent population was 1,000,166 as of January 1, 2022. As of early September 2023, Ukraine fully controlled the Kherson regions Berislavsky district, with a population of 94,940 people, as well as the city of Kherson, with a population of 275,529 totaling 370,469 people, or 37% of the region's population. In addition, Ukraine controls about a third of the territory of the Kherson district, whose population, excluding Kherson city, is 170,325. Thus, according to the most conservative estimate, more than 37% of the Kherson regions residents live in areas controlled by Ukraine, while less than 63% live in territories controlled by Russia. The BBC reported that the results and turnout of the Russian "elections" in the occupied Ukrainian territories were impossible to verify because there were no independent observers and voters voted at gunpoint: Photos depict voters dropping ballots into boxes seemingly under the watchful eyes of heavily-armed, balaclava-clad soldiers. Some photos showed polls being dropped into clear plastic ballot boxes, with the votes visible. Andriy Magera, a former member of Ukraines Central Election Commission, posted a video on Facebook showing a military man in a balaclava and a woman in civilian clothes walking down the street in one of the Kherson regions occupied villages, knocking on doors and demanding that residents vote. A resident of a Russian-occupied area of the Kherson region told the BBCs Ukrainian Service, on condition of anonymity, that local collaborators and Russian soldiers were walking around with machine guns and ballot boxes in their hands. Ukraine and the West have denounced Russia's attempts to legitimize its occupation of Ukraine, including by faking elections. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on September 8 that Russias so-called, sham elections demonstrate its blatant disregard for U.N. Charter principles like respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, which underpin global security and stability. The U.S. will never recognize the Russian Federations claims to any of Ukraines sovereign territory, Blinken said, warning any potential international supporters of Russian actions that they may be subjected to sanctions and visa restrictions. G7 foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, and the High Representative of the European Union, called the elections a sham and a further violation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and of the UN Charter. A federal judge has ruled again that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is illegal. The policy protected from deportation hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. The decision does not immediately affect DACA recipients, whose status remains the same through the legal appeals process. They also can continue to renew their status, as they are required to do every two years. So, what is next? The Biden administration is expected to appeal the ruling, delivered Wednesday by Judge Andrew Hanen of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, leaving the ultimate decision on the fate of DACA and its more than 500,000 recipients and their families in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. "Consistent with the ruling, USCIS will continue to process DACA renewals, and DHS will continue to advocate on behalf of DACA recipients every day, in the courts and through our actions. We stand ready to work with Congress on an enduring solution for our Dreamers," U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement, referring to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Beneficiaries of the program are sometimes referred to as "Dreamers." The case is expected to return to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. That court last ruled on DACA in October 2022, when it returned the case to Hanen for review of a new regulation. Immigration advocates said a hearing in the 5th Circuit would not take place until 2024. And if the appeals court agrees with Hanen's finding, the three-judge panel's ruling could include an end to the current DACA renewals. Whatever the appeals court decides, it will likely be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A decision from that would not come until at least spring 2025, according to immigration advocates. DACA recipients and immigration advocates said this fight has been going on for too long but they do not plan to stop fighting. "Ultimately the issues that are key here in this case, which are the issues around standing and the legality of the DACA program, will have to be resolved in the higher courts," said Andrea Senteno, regional counsel at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Senteno said even though she believes the judge's decision is flawed, the takeaway from Wednesday's decision remains this: Legislation is the only way to resolve this issue, and it is long overdue. "Congress has abandoned its responsibility to the public to consider and enact legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for DACA holders and others," she said. 'At the mercy of courts' Areli Hernandez is one of the more than 580,000 current DACA holders. Originally from Mexico, she was brought to the U.S. when she was 5 years old. Hernandez said the judge's decision is "deeply upsetting." "Immigrants with DACA have to live with the lack of permanency, and yesterday's decision lets us see that it's at the mercy of courts," she said. Hernandez works for an immigration advocacy group while coping with her own immigration situation. DACA holders work legally in the U.S. "I'm a DACA holder. My family is here. My heart is here. My home is here. Like me, there are more than half a million folks who are DACA holders, and we have developed deep roots along with our families and immigrant community [in the U.S.]," Hernandez said. In Hanen's 50-page order, he wrote: "While sympathetic to the predicament of DACA recipients and their families, this court has expressed its concerns about the legality of the program for some time." "The solution for these deficiencies lies with the legislature, not the executive or judicial branches. Congress, for any number of reasons, has decided not to pass DACA-like legislation. ... The executive branch cannot usurp the power bestowed on Congress by the Constitution even to fill a void," he said. Hopeful for 'checks and balances' Republican-led states have challenged the DACA program in court, aiming to terminate it. In 2018, Texas and several other Republican-led states sued the federal government, arguing that DACA had harmed states financially because they were spending resources on education, health care and other services on undocumented immigrants, who were allowed to remain in the country. They also argued that only Congress has the authority to grant immigration benefits. In a statement in 2018, now-suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was "hopeful that our judicial system will once again deliver a victory for American sovereignty and for proper checks and balances against the executive branch." But Hanen declined the states' request to end the program within two years and said his decision did not force the government to do anything against DACA recipients, who are also known as Dreamers after the Dream and Promise Act or Dream Act first proposed in 2001. The legislation passed the U.S. House twice, in 2021 and 2022, and would create a pathway to permanent residence for those brought to the U.S. as children. But it has yet to pass in the Senate. The Dream Act was introduced again in 2023. Ukrainian forces recapture the village of Andriivka, near Bakhumt. We look ahead to the UNGA meeting and Volodomyyr Zelenskyys visit to Washington. And we learn what role friendship and empathy can play in political debates. Plus, a look at using seized Russian money to rebuild Ukraine. The new trade corridor linking India and the Mideast to Europe is being hailed as a modern version of the Spice Route, the road of yore that connected East and West and as a way to counter Chinas modern Belt and Road Initiative. VOAs Anita Powell reports from Washington on how the U.S. and allies are promoting the rail and maritime route. Princeton student Ukyung (Heidi) Nam, a first-year student from South Korea, says that the school's International Orientation program needs to do a better job of educating students on race in America. "IO [International Orientation] shouldnt stop at teaching about topical and logistical issues, such as visas and paid work," she writes in The Daily Princetonian, the student newspaper. "It must integrate an actual session on race and the history and culture of racism in the United States into its programming." Read her opinion piece here. (October 2023) After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee. As the Category 1 system impacted Bermuda, Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills. The water-logged region prepared for 6-meter waves offshore and wind gusts up to 129 kph, along with more rain. The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds and coastal flooding were expected to arrive Friday afternoon in southern New England and spread north. Although Lee did not contribute to the flooding that hit New England earlier in the week, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already waterlogged. The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm's way. Its a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day, owner Kim Gillies said Thursday. Similar scenes played out elsewhere, including at Kennebunkport Marina, where crews planned to take 100 boats out of the water, said Cathy Norton, marina manager. Commercial lobster fisherman Steve Train said fishermen have been sinking gear in deeper water to protect against storm damage. Fishing boats were also headed to the safety of harbors. In Canada, residents of western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick were warned about the risk of power outages and flooding this weekend. A year ago, the remnants of Hurricane Fiona washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea. New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety Kris Austin urged residents to assemble a 72-hour safety kit that included batteries, water, food, medication and a radio. In her emergency declaration, the Maine governor urged people to take the storm seriously and to make preparations. Mills, a Democrat, also asked President Joe Biden to issue a preemptive presidential disaster declaration to give the state access to federal resources. Earlier in the week, the region saw 25 centimeters of rain over six hours. Tornado warnings were issued Wednesday in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and more heavy rain created sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several areas. The National Weather Service in Boston confirmed Thursday that damage to trees and power lines in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut the day before was caused by four tornadoes. Dozens of trees snapped or were uprooted by a twister in the town of Glocester, Rhode Island, and a structure used as a bus shelter was blown away, the weather service said. The three tornadoes in Connecticut and Rhode Island were categorized as EF-1, while the one in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was an EF-0. Friday morning, Lee was spinning about 785 kilometers southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and moving away from Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was traveling north on a path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm, forecasters said. The system could bring a mix of threats. The storm surge and waves could lash the coast, damaging structures and causing erosion; powerful wind gusts could knock down trees weakened by a wet summer; and rain could cause flash flooding in a region where the soil is already saturated, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine. The state's eastern coast known as the Down East region and the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were expected to bear the brunt of the storm, though the track could shift before the system arrives, Fode said. One thing working in the region's favor: The storm surge will not be accompanied by an astronomically high tide, helping to lower the risk, she said. New England has experienced its share of flooding this summer, including a storm that dumped up to two months of rain in two days in Vermont in July, resulting in two deaths. Scientists are finding that storms around the world are forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall more frequent. An Iraqi court on Thursday sentenced an Islamic State group member to death after convicting him of involvement in a 2014 suicide bombing that killed 17 pilgrims, the judiciary said. The attack in Taji district north of Baghdad targeted one of the many stalls providing free food and drinks to pilgrims during Shiite Muslim festivals. The pilgrims had been heading on foot to Samarra, about 100 kilometers north of Baghdad, to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Hassan al-Askari, one of 12 imams revered by Iraq's Shiite majority. A criminal court in Baghdad on Thursday sentenced "a terrorist to death for the explosion ... in 2014" during the pilgrimage in Samarra, the judiciary said on its website. The statement did not name the convict but said he had "filmed the tragedy because he was a member of the terrorist groups of Daesh," using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State, also known as IS. The convict has the right to appeal the verdict. After rapidly taking over large swathes of territory in Iraq and neighboring Syria, IS saw its self-proclaimed "caliphate" collapse under successive offensives in both countries. Iraqi authorities declared "victory" over the Sunni Muslim extremist group at the end of 2017, but jihadist cells continue to sporadically launch attacks, particularly on military and police personnel in remote areas of central and northern Iraq. In late August, three people were hanged in Iraq after being convicted over an IS attack that killed 323 people in Baghdad in July 2016. Amnesty International said Iraq was the world's sixth biggest executioner last year, with at least 11 carried out. More than 41 death sentences were issued in 2022, and more than 45 people were executed in 2020, according to the London-based human rights group. Ukraine's military said Friday it has recaptured the village of Andriivka, some 10 kilometers south of the key frontline Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, following intense battles with Russian troops. The latest victory in Ukraines protracted, multipronged counteroffensive comes just days ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys expected visit to Washington. Also Friday, Britains Defense Ministry confirmed that a missile strike targeting the naval headquarters of Russias Black Sea Fleet in Crimea earlier this week delivered a blow that may have crippled portions of the facility for weeks or possibly months to come. The landing ship Minsk and Kilo 636.3 class submarine Rostov-on-Don were undergoing maintenance at the Sevmorzavod shipyard in the bases dry docks when the missiles hit during a pre-dawn strike on Wednesday. Open-source evidence, the ministry said, indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage. According to the ministrys report, any effort to get the submarine up and running would likely take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, the British ministry said, there is also a realistic possibility that the intricate task of removing the damaged vessels from the dry docks could put the docks out of commission for months and present Russia with a significant challenge in sustaining fleet maintenance. The Rostov was, according to the British ministry, one of four of the Black Sea Fleets cruise-missile capable submarines that have played a major role in striking Ukraine and projecting Russian power across the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. Zelenskyy White House visit Fridays developments precede Zelenskyys anticipated arrival in Washington next week as the U.S. Congress continues to debate $21 billion more in aid to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia. U.S. lawmakers are increasingly divided over whether to provide Ukraine with more aid. President Joe Biden is seeking $13 billion in military aid and $8 billion in humanitarian aid, but some Republican lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine. Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Biden next week at the White House after the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. Although Ukraines counteroffensive push against the Russian invasion has been slower than expected, Zelenskyy Thursday celebrated what he described as Ukraines destruction of a Russian air defense system on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message. The invaders air defense system was destroyed. Very significant, well done! New sanctions Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. sanctioned more than 150 businesses and individuals in Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to crack down on evasion of trade restrictions aimed at blocking funding for Russias war against Ukraine, now in its 19th month. The newest sanctions package is one of the biggest imposed by the State Department and the U.S. Treasury. It targets those who are selling Western technology to Moscow to aid its war effort, particularly businesses and people in Turkey, a member of the Western military alliance that supports Ukraine. The sanctions, which block any assets the businesses and individuals might have in the U.S., are also aimed at hobbling the development of Russias energy sector, which provides war funding, including Arctic natural gas projects, along with mining and factories producing and repairing Russian weapons. In addition, the U.S. sanctions target several Turkish and Russian companies that the State Department says help Moscow source U.S. and European electronic components such as computer chips and processors that can be used in civilian and military equipment. The State Department also is targeting Turkish companies that have provided ship repair services to a company affiliated with Russia's Defense Ministry. Before the war, James O'Brien of the State Departments sanctions coordination office said that Russia imported up to 90% of its electronics from countries that are part of the G7 major industrial nations, but sanctions have dropped that figure closer to 30%. Fighting continues On the battlefield, Ukraines military said it shot down 17 of the 22 drones that Russia used to target multiple areas of Ukraine in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian military said Russia launched several waves of attacks directed at the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Russias Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down multiple Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia early Thursday. Russia also said it repelled an attack on a patrol ship in the Black Sea, with Russian forces destroying five unmanned boats. Over Russian-controlled Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram it destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones. Some information in this article came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. North Koreas Kim Jong Un continued his official visit to Russia on Friday, stopping to inspect a fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions due to the war in Ukraine. The visit comes just days after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare summit that stoked Western concerns. There is unease that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could strengthen Russia's military in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyang's missile program. During Wednesday's talks, Kim and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and Russian help for North Korea's satellite program. On Friday, South Korea and the United States said that military cooperation between the two countries was a violation of United Nations sanctions and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay. But it was not immediately clear what if any leverage the United States and its Asian allies would have over either Russia or North Korea, which both have close ties to China. In Russias Far East, the 39-year-old North Korean leader was shown on Russian state television carefully inspecting the cockpit of a fighter jet as Russian officials explained its capabilities via a translator. Russia has gone out of its way to publicize the visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union. For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a supply of artillery for his war in Ukraine. Putin also could give Kim access to some of Russia's sensitive missile and other technology. Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world's biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea would supply arms to Russia. U.S. and South Korean officials have called on Moscow to show responsibility as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. There was no comment from either Kim or Putin on the U.S. warnings, although Russian diplomats pushed back against the criticism. The Kremlin says that it abides by U.N. sanctions, but that it has a right to develop neighborly relations, including on sensitive topics. As Abraham Jimenez Enoa walked his 3-year-old son home from kindergarten, two men sidled up beside them. We know you are near your home, one of them said. The experience shook the exiled journalist, who says he decided to leave his adopted city of Barcelona for a while after the encounter in July. Despite being expelled from Cuba last year for writing what he says is the truth about the countrys communist government, Jimenez Enoa says he has been targeted by unidentified men in Europe, including in Madrid and Amsterdam. Each time, the men spoke with Cuban accents. The journalist, who writes for The Washington Post, said he believes those targeting him are Cuban agents. Members of his family were senior military figures, so Jimenez Enoa once lived a cushioned life at the heart of the Communist Party establishment. His family had close ties to the late Fidel Castro and Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. The 34-year-old turned his back on this life to forge a career as an independent journalist. Neither the International Press Center in Havana a government agency that handles media queries nor the Cuban Embassy in Madrid replied to requests for comment from VOA about Jimenez Enoa's allegations. Jimenez Enoa, like other dissidents who flee hostile regimes, says he is a victim of transnational repression, a tactic in which governments target critics outside their own borders. Freedom House, which has been monitoring the phenomenon, says there were 854 verifiable incidents from 2014 to 2022, which included abductions, assassinations and attacks. Of these, 11% involved journalists. Journalists in exile are targeted because they reveal uncomfortable facts about what is going on in their own countries information that their governments do not want to make public. China, Egypt, Russia, Turkey and Tajikistan were involved in the largest number of cases, according to Freedom House reports. China has been involved in 30% of the incidents, it said. Jimenez Enoa believes the incident in July was an attempt by the Cuban government to intimidate him. He told VOA the two men approached him and said they knew where he lived. I didnt know who said it. There were lots of people around, he told VOA in an interview in Barcelona. I saw two men who were laughing to themselves. They were dressed as Cuban diplomats [with a shirt and tie], then they went. Jimenez Enoa, who published The Hidden Island, a book about Cuba, said he was also followed at a book fair in Spains capital in May. At the book fair in Madrid, during the whole day, there was a man watching me and filming me. He did not say anything. Someone I spoke with said they had spoken to him and they said that he had a Cuban accent, Jimenez Enoa recalled. In March of last year, at a meeting in the Netherlands, Jimenez Enoa came face-to-face with a man he believes was a Cuban agent. "A man started to offend me, saying everything I did was a lie. He continued to offend me. The organizers had to get him out of the place, he said. A diplomat [later] showed me a picture of the man and said he worked at the Cuban Embassy in Holland. Of his three encounters in Europe with what he believes were Cuban agents, the last incident was most disturbing, he said. I was with my son, and it was around the corner from my house. Each time these people had Cuban accents, he said. Jimenez Enoa said he did not report the incidents to the Spanish or Dutch police because he did not have any evidence to present. The Committee to Project Journalists, which in 2020 honored Jimenez Enoa with an International Press Freedom Award, has called on Spanish authorities to investigate and ensure his safety. The experiences are unsettling because Jimenez Enoa fled Cuba to avoid threats after enduring a campaign of harassment. I was put under house arrest; my phone was bugged. I was later arrested, handcuffed, strip-searched and questioned by security officers. Then they secretly filmed me and put my image on television, claiming I was a CIA spy, he told VOA in an earlier interview. Later, they telephoned me and said I had to leave the country, or they would put me in prison and terminate my family and the family of my wife. His family also paid dearly for Jimenez Enoas chosen profession. His father, who was a lieutenant colonel in the Ministry of the Interior, was forced to retire early. His sister, a captain in the ministry, also lost her job. For a while his relatives were distraught at the way their lives had been torn apart and would not speak to him. Now, the family has reconciled. Grady Vaughan, a Freedom House research associate, said exiled journalists are targets for authoritarian governments because they are still seen as a threat even though they are no longer living in their home countries. I think the main motive [behind why Jimenez Enoa] and others are targeted is that journalists act as whistleblowers to inform their people about things which their governments do not want coming out, Vaughan said in a telephone interview. They share uncomfortable facts about things which are going on in their homeland. Opposition figures and insiders are also targets. In May, two Cuban activists, Lucio Enrique Nodarse and Emilio Arteaga Perez, were attacked, allegedly by supporters of the Cuban government, when they staged a demonstration at a concert in Madrid, Vaughan said. Spanish police did not act on the incident because they did not receive a report. The Cuban Embassy declined to comment. Javier Larrondo, president of the Madrid-based Cuban rights group Prisoners Defenders, told VOA he believes the international community turns a blind eye to the cross-border pursuit of journalists. The persecution and threats of the Cuban regime against independent journalists are fearsome and their effects are lethal since they manage to carry out the threats by arresting them, abusing them, torturing them while the voices of the worlds democrats remain silent as if the matter were not important, Larrondo told VOA. The silence is such that that even gives room for harassment operations to also take place outside of Cuba. We feel solidarity with Enoa, who has experienced real threats in Spain. A press freedom group based in Austria has been combating a cyberattack since early September that the group believes is in retaliation for its recent report on similar attacks against independent media in Hungary. The International Press Institute announced Thursday that the group has been fighting a targeted and sustained cyberattack since September 1. The assault on IPI began with a series of distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, attacks that took the organizations website offline for three days. A DDoS attack is a form of cyberattack that temporarily slows or crashes a website by overloading its servers with millions of simultaneous access requests. It really has just strengthened our dedication and our commitment to our mission, IPI advocacy director Amy Brouillette told VOA from Vienna, where IPI is based. Its sharpened our resolve. We are more committed than ever to our mission, and were more committed than ever to supporting Hungarian independent media and independent media around the world, Brouillette added. IPIs website has since been restored, but the organization continues to face milder DDoS attacks, the group said in a statement. The persistent assault marks the most severe attack on IPIs online infrastructure since the group was founded in 1950, IPI said. In response to the attack, IPI has reinforced its security measures and filed a report with Austrian polices cybercrime unit. IPI believes the cyberattacks are in retaliation for an August report the group published about cyberattacks against independent media in Hungary. More than 40 Hungarian media websites have been hit by DDoS attacks in the last five months, the report found. Outlets that are critical of the government were hit particularly hard, according to the report. IPI said evidence suggests the same attacker that has been targeting independent media in Hungary is also responsible for the attack on IPI. No actor has taken responsibility for the attacks against Hungarian media, but IPI reported in August that the perpetrator appears to go by the nickname HANO, which is a Hungarian acronym for a medical condition that causes bodily swelling. The attacker left a similar message to IPI. In the log data of the attack, the perpetrator left a message in English: See you next time Hano hates u. Brouillette said IPI wasnt taking that warning very seriously. The first phase of the attack on IPI did not knock out the groups website, but between September 6 and 8, the perpetrators brought it down multiple times. On September 8, the attack increased to 350,000 requests per second. DDoS attacks can be significantly larger. It was aggressively persistent, Brouillette said. The attacks came from servers around the world, including the United States, Germany, Russia, France, Indonesia and Singapore, but IPI said that doesnt reveal much about where the attacker is located because the traffic is rerouted. It is unclear whether the DDoS attacks against IPI and independent media in Hungary are government-backed, according to Brouillette. Hungarys Washington Embassy did not immediately reply to VOAs email requesting comment. Brouillette said the attack on IPI underscores the concerning state of press freedom in Hungary and around the world. In terms of media freedom, Hungary ranks among the worst countries in the European Union. It reflects a wider and alarming pattern of the abuse of digital tools by malicious actors, not only against journalists but also against the organizations that defend journalists, Brouillette said. Brouillette added that the assault on IPI underscores the increasing threat that DDoS attacks are posing around the world from Kosovo and Kyrgyzstan to Nigeria and the Philippines. DDoS attacks in general are on the rise, she said. Its a really big and very dangerous new front in the war against press freedom. Last September, protests erupted across Iran in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died while in police custody. In the months following Amini's death, authorities arrested dozens of journalists. By year's end, 62 were behind bars, according to an annual census conducted by the New York-based nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. Over the past year, at least 95 journalists have been arrested in Iran. More than 30 of those arrested were women, CPJ data showed. The numbers tell only part of the story, said Kiran Nazish, founder of the Coalition for Women in Journalism, an organization that protects women and nonbinary journalists. "What we saw right after last September was an unprecedented number of arrests of women journalists," Nazish told VOA. More concerning, she said, were the reports of women being assaulted before the arrests and while in prison. "There are physical assaults, there's pulling of the hair, there's beating, there is screaming, there is abusing within the prisons, and at least from three prisoners, we've heard this consistently," said Nazish. In a letter written from Evin Prison where she is serving a 10-year, nine-month sentence, activist Narges Mohammadi detailed cases of women entering prison covered in bruises. One woman had a fractured cheekbone, another a broken leg. The full letter was posted to Instagram last month by the nonprofit organization Middle Eastern Matters. Iran's Mission to the United Nations did not respond to VOA's emailed request for comment. Earlier this month, journalist Niloofar Maroufian went on a hunger strike while in prison to protest the treatment of women and her own assault by authorities, Agence France-Presse reported. Maroufian was first arrested last October after she interviewed the father of Mahsa Amini and covered the subsequent protests. Maroufian has been released and rearrested four times in the past 10 months, a pattern of intimidation that sends a message to other journalists, said Nazish. Many journalists who have been released on bail are banned from leaving the country, working as journalists, posting to social media, or even speaking to friends and family about their experiences in prison. Nazish recalled a recent conversation she had with a journalist in Iran: "She's out of prison, but that doesn't mean she's safe. That doesn't mean that she feels free," Nazish said. "Because all of these limitations that are put upon journalists," she still feels like she is in prison. In addition to arrests, journalists and women across Iran have faced an increase of oppression over the past year, according to Negin Shiraghaei, former BBC Persian anchor and founder of the Azadi Network a nonpartisan foundation aimed at advancing "women, life, freedom" values and elevating Iranian women's voices. "We shouldn't forget the government has been pushing even more than before and oppressing people," Shiraghaei told VOA. She cited policies that prevent access to reproductive rights and put pressure on women not obeying the mandatory hijab law. Despite the pressure, women continue to protest, many walking the streets without hijab in defiance of the law. That's the same law for which Amini was arrested. Iranian journalist Afra Amid, who fled Iran in 2021 for fear of arrest and uses a pen name to protect her identity, said she's maintained a close eye on events in the country, and has watched as the culture has begun to shift, despite the massive crackdown. Amid recalls walking through Tehran with her shawl around her shoulders as an act of defiance. But the covering was available to pull over her hair if the morality police agents who patrol the streets to enforce the dress code confronted her. Today, she said, she sees videos and photos of women in Iran walking without a hijab or a shawl and when confronted, telling authorities, "It's at home." "In the last 44 years, it is the first time we're seeing this," Amid told VOA. "We always carried our shawls because there was something like this fear was hidden somewhere. But now there's no fear." Amid credits the younger generation of Iranians members of Gen Z for their bravery and willingness to stand up for their rights. "This generation, some of them even financially cannot afford to emigrate," said Amid. "To stay in Iran is their only chance, and they look at everywhere and there is no future. They're like, 'Either I will go and fight and take my future and my present back or I will die, because anyway I'm dying if I continue this life.'" Though younger Iranians are credited with leading the protest movement, women from all ages and walks of society have joined in and expressed solidarity, said Shiraghaei. "Different women have lived the same experiences from different parts of the country and that unites them," Shiraghaei told VOA. "So, it doesn't matter if they're old, if they're young, if they're educated or uneducated, there's unity around that pain. The shared pain exists for women." Both Amid and Shiraghaei are hopeful the movement will lead to more change, however incrementally it might happen. "I do believe that there is no way to go back," said Shiraghaei. "And I've heard this from a lot of people inside Iran that they say, 'Oh, we're not going to go back to before the 16th of September. For us, there is only one way and that's [for] this government to go away.' "A year after, still, the movement is really alive. They know what they want, and they know what they don't want, so one way or another, they're going to create the change." The president of Somalias Galmudug regional state was unhurt but two federal lawmakers were wounded when a bomb-laden car exploded in a central Somali village Friday, according to witnesses and officials. The al-Shabab militant group said it was behind the suicide attack that appears to have targeted regional president Ahmed Abdi Kariye, also known as Qorqor. The officials were in Las-Gaamey, a small village in the Mudug region, when the blast struck, the commander of Galmudug regional troops, General Mohamed Nur Ali Gadar, told VOA. Our valiant soldiers foiled the attack by opening fire on the suicide car bomb as it speedily tried to enter the center of the village. The bomber was shot dead and his car bomb exploded, the commander said. Local officials said the car blew up about 300 meters from the guest house where the president and his traveling party were staying. Abshir Abdi Shikhow, the Galmudug information minister, said three government soldiers were killed and several others, including the lawmakers, were wounded. Lawmaker Abdisalam Haji Dhabancad said he and Senator Abdi Hassan Qaybdid sustained minor injuries when pieces of wall fell on them after the blast. The two federal lawmakers wounded in the attack were visiting the village to encourage government troops. Somali government forces and local militia recently liberated Las-Gaamey from al-Shabab control. In a recorded video, Galmudug President Kariye said that the al-Shabab attack had failed. The cowardly terrorist attack had failed. Thank God. We are safe and sound. Such attacks show how they are desperate in the war and in coming days you would hear significant government [progress] in the war against al-Shabab, said Kariye. Earlier this week, a member of the Galmudug regional parliament and a local councilor were killed in a landmine explosion in El-Garas town in the Galgadud region. In August 2022, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched what he called a total war against al-Shabab. In the first phase, Somali forces, backed by local militia, took control of al-Shabab-ruled areas in the central regions of Hiiran and Middle Shabelle. Last week, President Mohamud said the ongoing military offensive against al-Shabab aims to eliminate the al-Qaida-linked group within a few months. Somalia's federal government has been engaged in a protracted war against al-Shabab for more than a decade, with support from international partners and the African Union military. Despite significant progress, the extremist group maintains control of large rural areas of the country and continues to carry out attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and other areas. Abdiwahid Isaq contributed to this report. As global leaders converge in New York for the 78th U.N. General Assembly this month, the United States and China, already embroiled in a fierce contest for expanded global influence, have unveiled distinctive visions for the next era of international order. One era is ending, a new one is beginning, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he outlined the Biden administration's ambitious blueprint for the future on Wednesday. Blinken said the United States is building up alliances to strengthen democracies, promote human rights and enhance economic development. Lambasting China for supporting autocratic regimes worldwide and Russia for launching an unjust war against Ukraine, Blinken declared the United States' commitment to nurturing alliances that bolster democracies, champion human rights and foster economic development. "We will advance this vision guided by a sense of enlightened self-interest that has long animated U.S. leadership at its best," he said. Meanwhile this week, Beijing unveiled its Proposal of the People's Republic of China on the Reform and Development of Global Governance. Humanity is once again at a crossroads, said the 5,400-word Chinese proposal, which calls for greater multilateralism in international affairs with a reformed United Nations and an expanded Security Council at its core. Together, we will create a better future for humanity, the proposal concluded. Persistent doubts The United States and China both express the desire for a global governance system with increased participation from developing countries. Both agree on the need to expand the U.N. Security Council. But the expansion has remained a topic of heated debate without concrete action from either side. Also, doubts loom over the true intentions of the two superpowers. What both sides say is not what they really want, said Hossein Askari, a professor of politics at George Washington University in the U.S. capital. Beneath the veneer of multilateralism, the major powers may seek to safeguard and expand their own interests, Askari told VOA. So, China, Russia say that they want a new multipolar world with no dominant power. But that is their sweet talk. They espouse new power for the [Global] South in order to get their support in the struggle with the U.S., said Askari. The U.S., on the other hand, wants to stay at the top of the unipolar world. The U.S. needs new alliances around the world to challenge a rising China, he noted. Building a truly multipolar world would necessitate the superpowers willingly ceding or sharing their unequal influence on the international stage to empower the majority of less powerful countries. This is not necessarily a win for the vast number of developing states, said Jeffrey Taliaferro, professor of political science at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. While Global South states may obtain a bit more voice in forums like the BRICS, the G20 and other venues, the two superpowers will still call the shots, Taliaferro told VOA. The United States and its Western allies historically the architects of post-World War II and post-Cold War global institutions have formed formidable alliances to protect and advance their common interests. Simultaneously, China, despite criticism of its one-party political system, has been gaining traction in global public opinion as a burgeoning world power. A recent survey conducted by the George Marshall Fund, or GMF, indicates that younger generations in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Europe are more inclined to predict a shift toward multipolarity, with China replacing the United States as the world's most influential actor, and the European Union emerging as a more influential third player. Human rights One of the central points of divergence between the United States and China is their stance on universal human rights. U.S. officials emphasize the importance of promoting and protecting human rights, including those of women and minorities, as a core element of their foreign policy. Blinken envisioned this as "a world where international law and the core principles of the U.N. Charter are upheld, and where universal human rights are respected." China, on the other hand, has said there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to promoting and protecting human rights because of varying historical backgrounds, cultural heritages, social systems and levels of socioeconomic development among nations. Accusations of human rights abuses by China, such as the alleged genocide of Uyghur Muslims and restrictions on freedom of speech, have led the U.S. to argue that crimes against humanity should not be treated solely as internal matters of a state. The U.S. aims to protect against a world where authoritarian regimes prioritize regime preservation and enrichment at the expense of their people and neighbors, according to Blinken. The United States has faced criticism, though, for appearing to grant preferential treatment to some repressive regimes, leading to noticeable divisions in perceptions of the major powers, even within Western countries. The GMF survey suggests that compared with older adults, younger respondents are more likely to view U.S. influence negatively and view Chinese and Russian influence more favorably. As the world's preeminent economic and military powers chart the course for a new world order, concerns mount over potential risks, including military confrontations and even nuclear conflict. A direct military confrontation between the U.S. and China or the U.S. and Russia would be catastrophic, since all three are nuclear-armed superpowers, said Taliaferro. The U.S. military acknowledged providing assistance to a Somali government operation against al-Shabab leaders last week in which five civilians died. A spokesperson for the U.S. military's Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, said the U.S. forces didn't accompany Somali forces during the operation but assisted them remotely. The U.S. "did not conduct airstrikes during or in support of this operation, nor were there U.S. personnel accompanying Somali forces during this counterterrorism operation against high-level al-Shabab combatants on September 6, 2023, in the vicinity of El Lahelay, Somalia," Major Jessica Tait said in an email. "U.S. forces were advising and assisting the Somali forces' mission from a remote location." Tait confirmed that Somali children were among those killed in the incident. "The command's initial assessment is that one woman and three children were killed at the site," she said. "At the request of the government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command medically evacuated two injured children, with one surviving." The al-Shabab militant group in a statement on September 7 blamed the U.S. military for the killing of the civilians. Al-Shabab alleged the U.S. forces took away the bodies to "conceal" the truth of the incident. The U.S. denied al-Shabab's accusation. "The claim being spread by al- Shabab that U.S. forces caused the unfortunate harm to civilians is false," AFRICOM said in the September 8 statement. Tait said that U.S. forces "did not fire at any time while conducting the medical evacuation." The Somali government said it was investigating the incident. "The government has received reports that civilians were hurt. An investigation is ongoing to verify that," Minister of Information Daud Aweis told VOA Somali on Thursday. "We can't confirm yet until the investigation is done." The Somali government declared in a statement on September 7 that three al-Shabab operatives had been killed in the operation. It identified the three as Olol Ali Guled, head of mobilization for al-Shabab's Jabhat [military] in the area; Isse Barre and Shuuke Ali Dheeg. All were described as "wanted criminals." A Somali security commander who did not want to be identified told VOA that Guled was involved in an attack on a Somali base used by U.S. forces to train Somali forces in September 2019. Barre was one of the commanders of al-Shabab's police in the Bay and Bakool regions but was recently sent back to his clan base to mobilize fighters in light of the government offensive, while Dheeg was a weapons storage keeper, according to the commander. Grandfather speaks out The grandfather of the children, Ahmed Mohamud Shuuke, told VOA Somali that the children four boys by his son and a girl from his daughter were staying with his wife on the night of the operation. He said he was away from home that night along with the parents of the children and didn't hear about what had happened until dawn. "This disaster came upon them, and we don't know where it came from," he told VOA Somalia in a telephone interview. Shuuke said he thought there had been an airstrike. He also said the family saw the tracks of vehicles at the site of the incident on the morning after the operation. He said the bodies of his wife and grandchildren were unaccounted for. "Their bodies have been taken away," he said. "Up to now we don't know their whereabouts." He said he had not had any contact from the government. He appealed for the return of any surviving relative. During the interview, he did not single out any side or group for the killing, although when he spoke to al-Shabab media he appeared to have blamed "U.S. planes." "The people who killed [the children] know themselves, and the world sees it," he said. "I want any surviving ones given back," plus compsenation for the deaths, he said. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. U.S. lawmakers this week marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in Iranian police custody, and they are divided about how to hold Iran accountable for human rights abuses. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports. U.S. officials are warning of a "high risk" from domestic and foreign terrorists for the coming year, part of a new threat assessment released Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security. The report points to the prevalence of conspiracy theories, personal grievances and what it describes as "enduring racial, ethnic, religious, and anti-government ideologies," often shared in online forums, all serving to motivate small groups and individuals within the U.S. It also warns that prominent foreign terror groups, like al-Qaida and the Islamic State, are actively seeking to rebuild their brands and will be looking to inspire followers to carry out acts of violence. "Foreign terrorists continue to engage with supporters online to solicit funds, create and share media, and encourage attacks," according to the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment, calling out the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, also known as IS-Khorasan or ISIS-K. IS-Khorasan "has garnered more prominence through a spate of high-casualty attacks overseas and Englishlanguage media releases that aim to globalize the group's local grievances among Western audiences," the report says. Additionally, the new assessment warns that foreign terrorists appear to be probing the U.S. for soft spots. "Individuals with terrorism connections are interested in using established travel routes and permissive environments to facilitate access to the United States," it says. The latest assessment is largely consistent with a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin that DHS issued in May, when it warned the U.S. was stuck in a "heightened threat environment." But the warnings about IS-Khorasan and potential attempts by foreign terrorists to infiltrate the U.S. stand out in the wake of recent statements by DHS officials and those from other U.S. agencies that seemingly sought to reassure Americans about their safety. In March, for example, DHS counterterrorism coordinator Nicholas Rasmussen said the possibility of an attack resembling the one on Sept. 11, 2001, when al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four aircraft and killed nearly 3,000 people, was "almost inconceivable." "We have achieved what I would call [a] suppressive effect on the ability of groups like ISIS and al-Qaida to carry out large-scale attacks here in the homeland," Rasmussen said at the time, using an acronym for Islamic State. And Monday, on the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack, National Counterterrorism Center Director Christy Abizaid said al-Qaida in Afghanistan is practically dead. "Its revival is unlikely," she said. "It has lost target access, leadership talent, group cohesion, rank-and-file commitment, and an accommodating local environment." Other U.S. officials have cautioned that while groups like al-Qaida are unlikely to be capable of carrying out what they describe as spectacular attacks, it is difficult to eliminate the threat of attacks from followers inspired by their propaganda or attacks carried out with minimal direction from a terrorist operative working online. The biggest danger, according to the new report, is "marked by lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning." Homeland Security officials also argue that while the number of encounters with individuals on the department's Terrorist Screening Data Set trying to cross into the U.S. has been increasing, it is still rare, and comes as the overall number of encounters at the border has been rising. "These encounters represent significantly less than 0.01% of total encounters per fiscal year in recent years," a DHS official told VOA, agreeing to share the data only on the condition of anonymity. "These encounters may include individuals who are not known or suspected terrorists, such as encounters with family members of a [known and suspected terrorist]," the official added. "We work closely with our interagency and international partners to detect and prevent people who pose national security or public safety risks from entering the United States, often receiving intelligence before they attempt to enter the United States." Some U.S. lawmakers have voiced growing concern, especially after an August report by CNN that more than a dozen migrants from Uzbekistan traveled to the U.S. southern border to seek asylum with the help of a smuggler connected to IS. "Just when it seems President Biden's border crisis can't get any worse, it does," said Republican Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a statement last month. "The federal government is now scrambling to find individuals who traveled and entered the U.S. with help from an ISIS-linked smuggler," McCaul added. "It is way past time for this administration to secure the border and protect Americans from criminals and terrorists seeking to do us harm." Iran In addition to the threat from domestic and foreign terrorists, the latest DHS assessment renews the department's warning about Iran. "Among state actors, we expect Iran to remain the primary sponsor of terrorism and continue its efforts to advance plots against individuals in the United States," the DHS assessment said. "Iran relies on individuals with pre-existing access to the United States for surveillance and lethal plotting using dual nationals, members of criminal networks, and private investigators and has attempted plots that do not require international travel for operatives," the report added. FBI officials warned in April that Iran, along with China, has been ramping up operations to target individuals on U.S. soil. Some of Iran's attempts have made headlines, including multiple plots targeting Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American human rights activist and VOA Persian TV host. In a separate plot last year, U.S. prosecutors charged a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a murder-for-hire plot targeting former U.S. national security adviser Ambassador John Bolton. Here's a summary of Uyghur-related news from around the world this week: Elon Musk's Controversial China Stance Revealed in Biography Elon Musk's biography reveals that during a talk with journalist Bari Weiss, Musk, leading Twitter (now X), acknowledged that the platform would be cautious with China due to Tesla's interests, stating that the Uyghur issue had "two sides." Musk's China ties have drawn criticism, including Teslas pledge of commitment to China's socialist values, a Tesla store in Xinjiang, support for Taiwan-China reunification and refusal of satellite access to the Ukrainian military during the conflict with Russia. These events raise questions about Musk's alignment with China and his international stance. Investigation into Xinjiang Uyghur Crackdown Finds Locked Homes, Unanswered Questions During a recent visit to Xinjiang by Agence France-Presse, homes of individuals who disappeared during China's crackdown on Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim groups remain locked and abandoned, with locals wary of inquiries into the detainees' fates. This crackdown reportedly resulted in more than a million Uyghurs being detained, with reports of widespread abuses. Despite China's claims that all detainees graduated from what it calls reeducation camps in 2019, human rights groups and leaked government documents suggest otherwise. Doubts Persist Over Xinjiang Camps as Investigation Hits Roadblocks While China asserts that the Xinjiang internment camps were voluntary centers aimed at providing vocational education and that they have subsequently closed as detainees "graduated" into stable employment, Agence France-Presse's efforts to investigate these sites have been obstructed by roadblocks and limited access. These challenges have left significant uncertainties regarding the fate of the detainees and the current status of these facilities. China Rebranding Xinjiang for Tourism Amid Signs of Repression In an effort to reshape troubled Xinjiang into a tourist destination, China is promoting state-backed tourism, drawing domestic and foreign travelers to the region. This transformation includes presenting a state-approved version of Uyghur culture, despite past attempts to suppress Uyghur traditions. Tourists flock to old Kashgar, an ancient Silk Road city, where they engage in heavily commodified Uyghur experiences. Despite the push for tourism, signs of cultural and religious suppression still persist, such as the closure of mosques and prohibitions on Islamic practices. Additionally, the remnants of internment camps continue to exist on the outskirts of Kashgar, according to Agence France-Presse. Kazakh Refugee Escapes China's Persecution, Faces Deportation From Poland Ersin Erkinuly, a Kazakh man from Xinjiang, fled his homeland due to the threat of being sent to a Chinese "reeducation camp." He embarked on a perilous journey through 13 countries to reach Europe, where he sought refuge. In Kazakhstan, he faced surveillance by Kazakh special services, prompting him to continue his journey to Poland. Despite facing challenges and being detained multiple times, Erkinuly is determined to avoid deportation to China, where he believes "death awaits him," according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In brief Chinese officials and academics convened in Urumqi to discuss the implementation of a national plan to "Sinicize" Islam in Xinjiang, where Islam itself is being engineered to align more closely with Confucianism, according to Radio Free Asia. This effort, part of a five-year work outline launched in 2018, aims to consolidate political power, pacify society and construct culture through religious transformation. The Chinese Communist Party is working to eliminate any public practice of Islam not under its direct supervision and aiming to exert greater control over Muslim populations, including the Uyghurs, as part of a broader campaign of Sinicization for major monotheistic religions in the country. Quote of note "There has been no letup in efforts to erase cultural autonomy of the Uyghur people." James Millward, historian of Xinjiang at Georgetown University in Washington, to Agence France-Presse. A delegation from Yemen's Houthi rebels have flown into Saudi Arabia for talks with the kingdom on potentially ending the yearslong war tearing at the Arab world's poorest nation, officials say. It remains unclear what terms now are being discussed between Riyadh and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital of Sanaa since September 2014. But the trip comes after regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a Chinese-mediated detente earlier this year and as there's been a flurry of diplomatic activity between the different parties in the proxy war. This latest effort appears to have begun with a visit Monday to Oman by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the assertive son of King Salman who launched the kingdom-led war back in March 2015. Oman long has served as an interlocutor between both Iran and the Houthis during the war. On Thursday, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed reportedly received letters from Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, who is a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The substance of the letters was not publicly acknowledged by either country, but it came as an Omani delegation visited Houthi officials in Sanaa. Field Marshal Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the Houthis supreme political council, issued a statement via the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency praising the peace efforts. Peace was and remains our first choice, which must be worked on by everyone," al-Mashat said. In response to the mediation of Oman, the national delegation will go, accompanied by the Omani delegation, to Riyadh to complete consultations with the Saudi side. Early Friday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency acknowledged that a Houthi delegation had been invited to the kingdom, without elaborating. The English-language newspaper Arab News, which is owned by a company long tied to the kingdom's royal family, reported that 10-member Houthi delegation had flown into Riyadh on Thursday night. Yemens conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north. The internationally recognized government fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later, and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom. However, international criticism over Saudi airstrikes killing civilians saw the U.S. pull back its support. But the U.S. is suspected of still carrying out drone strikes targeting suspected members of Yemen's local al-Qaida branch. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters. A cease-fire that expired last October largely has held in the time since, however. Saudi Arabia, its local allies and the Houthis conducted a prisoner exchange in April as part of peace talk efforts. This photo taken on Sept. 14, 2023 shows the signing ceremony of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for strategic cooperation between Airbus Helicopters and Wanjiang Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. at the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in north China's Tianjin. (Xinhua) TIANJIN, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Airbus Helicopters signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for strategic cooperation with Wanjiang Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. during the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Thursday. According to the LOI, both parties will provide one-stop customized helicopter products and financing solutions for Chinese enterprise customers in general aviation, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Airbus Helicopters has been a key partner in the Chinese helicopter sector for over 50 years. Currently, there are more than 300 Airbus helicopters flying in China, serving more than 90 customers. Wanjiang Financial Leasing, registered in the city of Wuhu in east China's Anhui Province, is a state-controlled non-banking financial institution. Its aviation finance business has put a total of 200 general aviation aircraft on the market since its establishment in 2015, including 55 helicopters, 25 of which are Airbus helicopters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Washington next week as Congress continues to debate $21 billion more in aid to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia. U.S. lawmakers are increasingly divided over whether to provide Ukraine with more aid as its battle against the Russian invasion continues. President Joe Biden is seeking $13 billion in military aid and $8 billion in humanitarian aid. But some Republican lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine. Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Biden next week at the White House after the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. Although Ukraines counteroffensive push against the Russian invasion has been slower than expected, Zelenskyy on Thursday celebrated what he described as Ukraines destruction of a Russian air defense system on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. "A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message. The invaders air defense system was destroyed. Very significant, well done! New sanctions Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. sanctioned more than 150 businesses and individuals in Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to crack down on evasion of trade restrictions aimed at blocking funding for Russias war against Ukraine, now in its 19th month. The newest sanctions package is one of the biggest imposed by the State Department and the U.S. Treasury. It targets those who are selling Western technology to Moscow to aid its war effort, particularly businesses and people in Turkey, a member of the Western military alliance that supports Ukraine. The sanctions, which block any assets the businesses and individuals might have in the U.S., are also aimed at hobbling the development of Russias energy sector, which provides war funding, including Arctic natural gas projects, along with mining and factories producing and repairing Russian weapons. In addition, the U.S. sanctions target several Turkish and Russian companies that the State Department says help Moscow source U.S. and European electronic components such as computer chips and processors that can be used in civilian and military equipment. The State Department also is targeting Turkish companies that have provided ship repair services to a company affiliated with Russia's Defense Ministry. Before the war, James O'Brien of the State Departments sanctions coordination office said, Russia imported up to 90% of its electronics from countries that are part of the Group of 7 wealthy democracies. Sanctions have since dropped that figure closer to 30%, he said. Fighting continues On the battlefield, Ukraines military said it shot down 17 of the 22 drones that Russia used to target multiple areas of Ukraine in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian military said Russia launched several waves of attacks directed at the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said wreckage from one of three drones downed over the region damaged buildings and cars and started a grass fire. Lysak said that Russian shelling also struck the region, but that no casualties were reported. Russias Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down multiple Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia early Thursday. Russia also said it repelled an attack on a patrol ship in the Black Sea, with Russian forces destroying five unmanned boats. Over Russian-controlled Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that it had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones. That came a day after a Ukrainian missile hit a strategic shipyard in Crimea, wounding 24 people and damaging two ships that were undergoing repairs. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says arrested Harare Deputy Mayor, Kudzai Kadzombe, is expected to appear in court facing charges of assaulting a Zanu PF activist. In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, the ZLHR said, "In Harare, we are engaged in representing the recently elected Ward 14 Councillor @KudzieKadzombe arrested for alleged assault & she is set to appear in court on Friday. She is represented by @TinasheChinox & @PaidaSaurombe of @ZLHRLawyers." Her attorney, Jeremiah Bamu said the complainant is one of the people who was contesting in the ward claiming that Kadzombe assaulted her. Bamu said, The matter is being brought to court following her election as deputy mayor. This is an attempt to bring her down after she defeated the complainant in an election. Kadzombe, a member of the opposition Citizens Coaltion for Change led by Nelson Chamisa, is among several party activists being targeted by state security agents, a few weeks after Zimbabwes disputed general elections. Some CCC activists who have been arrested of late are Sunningdale lawmaker, Maureen Kademaunga, Gift Ostallos Siziba, five party members based in Goromonzi - Patrick Cheza, Elias Madhuveko, McMaster Chidyahunye, Courage Mugova and Delight Zinyemba. The latter are facing charges of assault. Charges of attempted murder laid against Kademaunga have been dropped. Siziba, who was accused of allegedly engaging in violence in a match pitting Highlanders and Dynamos FC, is now a free man. But their colleagues Clayd Mashozhera and Daudi Jessub, who are facing attempted murder charges, are in remand prison. Seke CCC activists Councillor Alice Tsingano, Givemore Marovha and WInana Konoso are also behind bars, charged with election-related violence. CCC maintains that its members are being arbitrarily arrested following the partys calls for fresh elections. The August 23 polls were condemned by the Southern African Development Community, African Union and European Union who said the polls fell short of regional and international standards. CCC interim spokesperson, Promise Mkhwanazi, Zanu PF is attempting to silence the opposition, which is demanding fresh elections to be supervised by SADC. Mkhwanazi said, We are under siege. We are not complaining about the election results. We are just stating the facts as they are that the elections were condemned as a shame and they continue to be condemned. As I speak, a lot is happening behind the scenes to try bring Mr. Mnangagwa to the negotiating table to discuss the modalities of free and fair elections. So, we are not complaining but just reiterating and reaffirming the correct position stated by ourselves as CCC, SADC and all other observer missions. There is no single organizations, international or regional, that has endorsed Mr. Mnangagwas election. Everybody says there must be a fresh, free and fair election and that is the objective and the focus of the CCC. But Tafadzwa Mugwadi of the ruling Zanu PF party said the opposition should forget about any elections. What elections? The elections have been held and President Emmerson Mnangagwa was re-elected and I also won the seat of Member Parliament. The elections were conducted as per the countrys constitution and therefore the next elections will be in 2028, said Mugwadi Scammers Inc. Photo-Illustration: Vulture. Photos: Getty Images Theranos? More like theres-a-no belly fat to be found on this scammers bod. Elizabeth Holmes, object of Amanda Seyfrieds singular obsession, is currently in prison, but its not like shes not making friends. Specifically, shes bonding with another attention fiend who knows her way around a scam Real Housewives of Salt Lake Citys Jen Shah. Theyre friends. Theyre both rehabilitating and have bonded over being on this journey of positive change, Chris Giovanni, a representative for Shah, told People. Their situations brought them together, and they have a good understanding of one another. Theyre getting through it together. Their friendship is both terrifying and beautiful, but even better is that Shahs currently training Holmes, who apparently attends Shahs fitness class Shah-mazing Abs. Jen gets all the ladies together and they rally behind her while she teaches them fitness moves, and Elizabeth has been there right along with them, Giovanni says. We hope for our sake that the two convicted criminals arent training to take on a heist. Who could stop them? An international conference focusing on cooperation between Europe and China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is held to mark the BRI's 10th anniversary in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sept. 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liang Jianqiang) An international conference celebrating the Belt and Road Initiative's 10th anniversary was held in Bulgaria, highlighting the economic benefits of the Initiative for Bulgaria and emphasized the importance of strong China-EU economic relations. SOFIA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- An international conference focusing on cooperation between Europe and China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was held here on Wednesday to mark the BRI's 10th anniversary. The event was attended by over 120 participants from 20-odd countries and regions. "The organization of such forums in our country, attended by experts from various fields, proves that Bulgaria can serve as a strategic location for Chinese businesses," Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev said in a letter address to the conference participants. "I am convinced that with strong political will and energy, Bulgaria will be able to embrace the opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative," Radev said. Deng Li, secretary general of the Secretariat of Cooperation Between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and China's vice minister of foreign affairs, said in a letter that the BRI has not only contributed "Chinese wisdom" to the peaceful development of the world, but also offered Chinese solutions to promoting win-win cooperation among countries. Over the past decade, guided by the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the BRI has remained committed to the vision of open, green and clean cooperation, and pursued the goal of high-standard, sustainable and people-centered development, Deng said. Guests visit the China-Central & Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) China's Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun said at the two-day event that the BRI "originates from China but belongs to the world." Rositsa Kirova, vice president of Bulgaria's National Assembly, said that her country and the European Union (EU) need a solid, stable and respected partner such as China, especially to preserve peace in the world. All the initiatives that would enable the deepening of relations between China and Bulgaria should be supported, Kirova said. Nikolay Pavlov, Bulgaria's deputy minister of economy and industry, said the Bulgarian government attaches great importance to cooperation with China. "For us, the expansion of bilateral commercial and economic ties is a priority," he said. "We welcome Chinese companies that are interested in entering the EU market and establishing their production bases and development centers in Bulgaria," he said. Zahari Zahariev, chairman of Bulgaria National Association for the Belt and Road, said that the topic of the conference was complex and comprehensive. The BRI has marked many milestones in global development over the past decade, he said. Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez has said that the Group of 77 plus China (G77+China) Summit, which is held in Havana on Friday and Saturday, will tackle "core" development issues. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Rome roadworks coincide with back-to-school traffic. Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri is under fire from motorists whose movement around the city has been slowed down significantly due to major infrastructure projects underway ahead of the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee Year. The main cause of woe for Roman drivers is the roadworks in Piazza Pia, located between Castel Sant'Angelo and St Peter's, which is closed to traffic to allow for the construction of a new underpass. This has led to traffic jams in the surrounding Prati district, an already congested area, hampered further with the reopening of schools after the summer. The gridlock has prompted the city to revisit its mobility plan for the area, reorganising cycle lanes and removing parking spaces to free up extra lanes for traffic. Gualtieri on Thursday pledged more traffic police on the ground and zero tolerance for double-parked cars, as well as stepping up checks on delivery drivers and those entitled to access the restricted traffic zone, news agency ANSA reported. #Giubileo2025, il grande cantiere per la riqualificazione di Piazza Pia, nell'area tra Castel Sant'Angelo e via della Conciliazione, ha portato molte modiche alla viabilita. In questo video della nuova #WebTv INFORoMA troverete tutte le novita #RomaSiTrasforma pic.twitter.com/5SMAaKHvso Roma (@Roma) September 15, 2023 Piazza Pia is just one of many large-scale projects underway in the capital ahead of Jubilee 2025 - when extra millions of pilgrims and tourists are expected to arrive in Rome - all of which compound the capital's mobility difficulties. The city is currently renovating the fire-damaged Ponte di Ferro, the bridge linking the Ostiense and Marconi districts, which will stay closed to traffic until autumn 2024. Rome is also carrying out major maintenance works on its tram lines and subways, with work getting underway recently in the central Piazza Venezia on the Metro C station, a 700 million project set to take 10 years to complete. A public transport strike scheduled for 18 September, the first Monday that all the city's schools are open again after the holidays, is likely to cause further traffic problems. However there was some recent good news on Rome's transport front: residents aged 11 to 19 can avail of an annual travel pass - valid for the entire local public transport network - for just 50. There has been a boom in requests, the mayor Roberto Gualtieri said on Friday, with around 45,000 young people obtaining the new travel pass since it became available a week ago. Photo ANSA Venice avoids UNESCO list of heritage sites in danger. Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano on Thursday hailed the decision by UNESCO not to declare Venice an endangered world heritage site as "a victory for all of Italy". The United Nations' cultural body last month warned that Venice was at risk of "irreversible damage" from climate change and mass tourism, blaming Italian authorities for a "lack of strategic vision" and not doing enough to protect the canal city. However at a meeting in Riyadh UNESCO member states disregarded warnings by experts that Venice was in peril, lauding Venice's recent efforts to ease pressure on the fragile lagoon city. #Venezia non sara iscritta nella lista dei siti in pericolo del patrimonio @UNESCO. Una vittoria per tutta lItalia. Sconfitti coloro che pur di far polemica politica si schierano contro la loro Patria. Prevale il buonsenso. pic.twitter.com/vSYzEsTsB9 Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) September 14, 2023 Delegates praised the city council's plan to trial a 5 entry fee system for day-trippers on 30 key holiday dates next spring and summer as part of efforts to encourage day-trippers to choose off-peak days for their visit. In a statement, Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro welcomed the decision as recognition of how authorities are attempting to protect the city, slamming the proposal to include it on the danger list as "very political and not very technical." #Venezia rimane nel Patrimonio mondiale dellUnesco!! La dimostrazione di come siano stati riconosciuti da tutti gli sforzi che stiamo mettendo in campo, ad ogni livello istituzionale, per la salvaguardia di Venezia e che la proposta di inserimento in danger list era molto pic.twitter.com/MvinW8VtnT Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) September 14, 2023 "Common sense prevails", Minister Sangiuliano wrote on social media, adding that the decision was a "defeat for those who take sides against their homeland in order to make political controversy." Venice, which has been a World Heritage Site since 1987, avoided being added to the UNESCO blacklist in 2021 after Italy adopted several measures, notably the banning of large cruise ships. Share Comment on this story Comment Add to your saved stories Save An unprecedented wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere is stressing communities and roiling politics in country after country. But with a shortage of human capital also posing a huge challenge, this movement could be an opportunity for countries and economies that can integrate the millions of sojourners in their midst. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 100 million people worldwide have been driven from their homes by natural disasters, political repression, conflicts and violence. Over 20 million one in five of these migrants are in the Western Hemisphere. More than 7 million Venezuelans have been forced out by political repression and economic collapse. Close to 2 million Haitians, more than 1 million Cubans, and hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans and other Central Americans too have fled authoritarianism, poverty, and violence. Advertisement Although many set their sights on the United States, the majority remain in the region. Colombia alone hosts some 2.5 million Venezuelans; Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Panama absorb another 3 million. Nearly half of Nicaraguas escapees are in Costa Rica, while hundreds of thousands of Haitians are in the Dominican Republic and, somewhat surprisingly, Chile. Latin American governments have often welcomed these wayfarers, setting up residential neighborhoods, offering services, and doling out working papers. But as the numbers escalate, they struggle to house, feed, educate, and cure the millions on the run. Immigration agencies were already understaffed and underfunded. And some nations lack the basic legal rules and frameworks to incorporate refugees, asylum seekers, and aspiring residents. As the pressures mount, so too have the backlashes. Many nations have scuttled work permits, ended temporary residency visas, limited paths to citizenship, and even militarized borders as migrants are increasingly seen as a fiscal drain and a political liability. Advertisement Economic studies offer a different take. Scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology find migrants are far more likely to start businesses and create jobs than native-born citizens, adding to the economy and government coffers especially over the medium to long term. Aggregate data show the same: At just over 3% of the worlds population, migrants fuel more than 9% of global GDP. Country-specific studies in Latin America attest to the benefits too. For instance, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has found that while migrants comprise 9% of Costa Ricas population, they produce almost 12% of its GDP. The International Monetary Fund forecasts Venezuelan migrants will boost economic output in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru by an additional 2.5% to 4.5% over the rest of this decade. Recent Latin American history supports such predictions. After being blacklisted by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2002, thousands of engineers and petro-scientists working for state-owned energy company PDVSA left for Colombia. Over the next decade, they helped almost double Colombias oil production. The labor of other displaced Venezuelans has boosted Colombias coffee output. In Chile, Venezuelan doctors brought health care to its farther reaches, bettering the lives of locals. Advertisement And migrants provide at least a partial solution to looming demographic challenges. Latin America isnt as young as it once was. In Chile and Uruguay, more people are already leaving the workforce than entering each year. Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico will follow in the next decade, given current trends. The United States has long boosted its workforce and economic productivity through migration; some nations in Latin America could similarly benefit from following its lead. Share this article Share Yet the true potential economic upside of migration requires integration. To start, every nation needs basic legal frameworks for asylum, refugees, and paths to citizenship so migrants arent left in legal limbo. But as a regional phenomenon, todays migration wave also needs regional solutions. At the 2022 Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles 20 countries across the hemisphere signed onto a vision to manage migration together. Latin American nations are having the same migration conversations, says Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute. Now they need to set the same principles, and work toward if not the same solutions then coordinated ones. That means making good on promises to coordinate resources and aid, to jointly establish legal pathways, to humanely enforce migration rules in concert, and to set up an early warning system to alert each other to future movement. Other nations and international organizations can help. The US and other governments can expand current programs that provide not just humanitarian relief but also those that fund shelters, schools, and social services; help farmers shift to more weather-resistant crops, and work with governments to develop legal frameworks and border management tools. Multilateral banks can finance affordable housing, worker training, and provide seed capital for migrant-led business ventures. And international companies can work with local businesses and governments to target, train, and employ migrants. Advertisement Poverty, violence, political instability and repression, and extreme weather and natural disasters will likely keep millions on the move in the Western Hemisphere, where migration currently outpaces most places in the world. The regions local governments and policymakers must decide if and how to welcome these newcomers. But for those nations far-seeing enough to accept them, their integration will open a wider path to greater prosperity for all their citizens over decades to come. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Britains Migrant Policy Needs More Than a Slogan: Editorial Bidens Border Strategy Will Blunt GOP Critics, and Help Cartels: Eduardo Porter Want Lower Food Prices? Ease Immigration Crackdowns: Amanda Little This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Shannon ONeil is a senior fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The group wants all victims of the 17th century witch trials exonerated to not just correct the record, but to learn from the mistakes of the past. Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcoming ceremony for Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. Li held talks with Hun Manet, who is on an official visit to China, on Friday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People on Friday. China and Cambodia have always stood together through thick and thin and helped each other since establishing diplomatic ties 65 years ago, Li said, noting the two countries have set an example of equality and mutual benefit between countries. China is ready to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to give full play to the leading role of high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, and push for new progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, said the premier. Li pointed out that China firmly supports the Cambodian side in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its national conditions. He said China is willing to enhance development-strategy synergies with Cambodia, use the mechanism of the intergovernmental coordinating committee, and upgrade cooperation on industry, agriculture, the economy, and trade to achieve more practical results. Li also called on the two sides to continue to host activities to celebrate the "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" and expand people-to-people exchanges cooperation in health, education, culture, and tourism. "China will continue to closely cooperate and support each other with Cambodia in regional and international affairs, push for deeper and more solid Lancang-Mekong cooperation, carry out regular cooperation in non-traditional security fields such as combating online gambling and electricity fraud, and build a closer Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future," said Li. Hun Manet hailed the "ironclad" friendship with China, stressing that the new Cambodian government maintains no change in promoting this friendship with China and intends to work with China to carry forward the traditional relationship between the two countries. Cambodia abides by the one-China principle, resolutely opposes external forces interfering in China's internal affairs, and supports the significant initiatives put forward by China, Hun Manet said. He expressed hopes to further expand cooperation with China on energy, agriculture, infrastructure construction, investment, and humanities under the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and build a community with a shared future between Cambodia and China. After the talks, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents in industry, agricultural infrastructure, the digital economy, green development, inspection and quarantine, and development cooperation. Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) RBC analyst Owen Birrell said there was a rising risk the watchdog may deny other Qantas partnerships. We note the rising risk that a similar argument could be made by the ACCC in reference to [Qantas] other partnership-style arrangements as they come due, namely with Emirates (due 2028) and American Airlines (due 2026), Birrell said on Friday. Loading Qantas was granted conditional approval to continue its partnership with Emirates in August. It was also granted approval to continue coordination with its low-cost carrier Jetstar in the Asia-Pacific region in April. Qantas application to extend its partnership with JAL was rejected in 2021. Qantas has been embroiled in a series of scandals since posting a $2.47 billion profit for the 2023 financial year last month. The most serious of these issues was the ACCCs move to take legal action in the Federal Court against the airline over allegations it had advertised and sold tickets on more than 8000 already cancelled flights for a period of two weeks. This revelation led to the shock departure of former chief executive Alan Joyce. At this stage we are not satisfied that the likely harm to competition from Qantas and China Easterns proposed co-ordination would be outweighed by any potential benefits, ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey said. Qantas said it noted the ACCCs draft determination and said it would review the decision in detail and work to address the concerns. China Eastern is the only carrier servicing the Sydney to Shanghai route. Credit: Oscar Colman This tie-up was first approved in 2015 and in that time, millions of customers have benefited from the co-ordination on flight schedules, frequent flyer programs and streamlined check-in and connections, a spokesperson said. The flow-on benefits for tourism have also been significant, Qantas said. Members of the aviation industry told a Centre for Aviation conference in Brisbane the fiascos at Qantas in recent weeks proved the airline business has lost sight of its people. Loading The head of the Australian Airports Association James Goodwin also called out the Australian government over what he deemed inadequate knowledge of the sector, and said it has exacerbated workplace issues across the 340 airports his association represents. Politicians like flying, but they do not understand it, Goodwin told the Centre for Aviations annual summit in Brisbane on Friday. Transport Minister Catherine King has faced an influx of criticism from the industry over her handling of the governments Qatar Airways rejection after the Doha-based airline applied to double its flights to Australia. The governments reasons for the rejection have changed multiple times, with King maintaining the additional flights were not in the national interest. Goodwin said the governments knowledge gap has been worsened by the now expired data which covers the industry and does not account for the rapid changes in numbers, demographics and entitlements of aviation workers. Qantas may have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation after losing a last-ditch High Court appeal which found it illegally sacked 1700 ground handling staff in 2020. The landmark loss has emboldened a legislative push on controversial industrial reforms and ends a long-running legal battle between the carrier business and the Transport Workers Union after the group stood down employees at 11 airports in November 2020. The Flight Attendants Association of Australias Teri OToole told the conference that Qantas creation of a multitude of different agreements for the airlines flight attendants has had a worse effect than COVID-19 itself. We now have a situation where people working on an aircraft are getting paid considerably differently and have different entitlements. I think this has tarnished the experience as people want to be paid the same. Its done more damage than COVID-19 in my opinion, OToole said. The challenges of getting people back to aviation tend to not necessarily be about aviation itself, Goodwin said, asserting that external factors including housing affordability and concerns of job security continue to restrict prospective employees. The head of the Qantas pilots association Captain Tony Lucas said the most critical part of a successful airline business is its people and the pride of working for Qantas has been affected since COVID-19. Loading I dont think Im the only Qantas employee in attendance, but I may be the only one who admits it, Lucas quipped. Qantas and Jetstar pulled their respective speakers at the annual conference earlier this week in light of the ongoing issues at the carrier. Iconic fashion magazine title Elle is returning to print in 2024 thanks to a resurgence in readership of hard copy publications, a phenomenon its publishers boss, Jane Huxley, calls extraordinary. The title will return to shelves in March, with a second to be published in September, each coinciding with the biggest seasonal fashion points of the year, before moving to four editions in 2025. Are Media is returning iconic title Elle to print. Elle is a womens fashion magazine with 45 editions globally, published locally by Are Media, and Huxley describes it as one of the most influential fashion brands in the world. With readership on the rise and the luxury advertising market hitting fine form, the decision was easy, says the media executive. The new edition will come almost four years after it last hit the printing presses. It was axed alongside seven other titles including InStyle and Harpers Bazaar in 2020 by then-owners Bauer Media, when the company was grappling with the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a buyout, its new owners revived Elle in digital form later that year. Things [spending conditions] are tough, we all know that. But the opportunity for Myer now is to take market share when their competitors are struggling, said lead portfolio manager at Wilson Asset Management, Oscar Oberg. Wilson is the fourth-largest shareholder of the company, according to Bloomberg, with a stake worth 4.25 per cent. There is no debt in the business, there is over $100 million of cash in the bank and inventory is clean. Theyve just got to ride it out and use this period as a great opportunity, Oberg said. Since taking the top job in 2018, John King has run a turnaround plan known as Customer First, focused on improving the groups online offer, reducing floor space within Myer stores and exiting some sites. The other thing was he had a close eye on productivity and efficiencies, Morningstar analyst Johannes Faul said. Profits came back, and the financial health of the business improved significantly. Michael Saba, chairman of the Happy Saba group and the seventh-largest Myer shareholder according to Bloomberg records, is also unfazed about how the department store will perform if economic conditions deteriorate further. It [spending slowdown] is only temporary, but most the important thing is that the foundations have been built to restore Myers glory, he said. The business has found a stable base to work from, but its clear the winds of change will be flowing through Myer once again next year. King confirmed earlier this year that he would exit the business in 2024, sparking a global search for his replacement. Myer chief financial officer Nigel Chadwick, who has played a key role in the groups turnaround strategy, announced on Thursday that he would also retire from his position next year. Whoever takes the helm at the business from here will have to gain the nod of approval from retail billionaire and Myers biggest shareholder Solomon Lew, who now owns close to 30 per cent of the company through Premier Investments. Loading Lew has never held back in his critiques of Myers strategy and management, and secured a significant win in 2022 when his candidate, former Myer Grace Bros boss Terrence McCartney, secured a spot on the board. Premier has continued to build up its stake in the company and has been increasing its position by three per cent every six months under creep law provisions, which allow major shareholders to up their stake gradually without having to make a formal takeover offer. Lews growing stake has prompted speculation that Premier would put up another board candidate for election at Myers annual general meeting this November, but a spokesperson for Premier confirmed this week that it had not made a nomination. No matter who takes the top job at Myer next year, they will have to grapple with the future of the department store model in an environment where consumers may be much less inclined for shopping sprees. Debates about the possible demise of the department store are nothing new, and the sale of Myers rival David Jones to private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners in 2022 once again sparked conversations about how the sector should position itself into the future. The results presentation this week holds some clues about what Myer of the future will look like, based on where it is investing and seeing growth. While e-commerce sales are slowing from their COVID-19 peaks, online retail will play a bigger and bigger part of Myers strategy. The business achieved $690.5 million in online sales in 2023, and is targeting annual turnover of $1 billion a year a goal King is confident it can achieve in the next five years. The group is ramping up an automated national distribution centre in Victoria, which is hoped to deliver a better and more consistent online delivery experience. It will allow us to significantly improve options for how customers get delivery and the speed of the delivery, King said. Data and loyalty is also set to play a much bigger part in the future of the business. The department stores Myer one program now has 4.2 million active members 16 per cent of Australias population. Whoever takes the helm at Myer will have to gain the nod of approval from the companys largest shareholder Solomon Lew. Credit: Natalie Boog I think the loyalty program will develop a life of its own over the coming five years and will branch out to other services, King said this week. The company has already started to ink partnerships with other platforms such as Virgin and American Express to expand how customers can leverage their points when shopping at Myer. Despite the vast financial resources at his command, Sheikh Tahnoons entities have sometimes struggled to hammer out cross-border deals, like the one for Standard Chartered, due to difficulties navigating complex M&A regulations overseas. There are likely to be more challenges ahead. Bankers and lawyers warn that some of Abu Dhabis investment vehicles could be slowed by national security reviews as the US Committee on Foreign Investment broadly conducts more stringent checks on deals by international investors with business ties to the Chinese government. The UAE is also set to join the BRICS grouping of major emerging markets, moving closer into Beijings orbit. US deals have become more complex for Gulf entities, according to Lynn Ammar, an Abu Dhabi-based partner at law firm Cleary Gottlieb. The broad geographic scope is likely to continue to attract attention from FDI authorities, such as CFIUS, who may be concerned about potential information flow to China, she said. Abu Dhabi is one of the worlds biggest oil producers, giving its ruling royal family a reservoir of cash. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Such added pressures come at a time when Sheikh Tahnoons investment vehicles are showing a particular affinity for emerging markets. G42s tech fund is building teams in Asian cities, including Shanghai, to scout for investment opportunities, Bloomberg has reported. Meantime, his private investment firm Royal Group has long prized India, which executives there have called the potential growth engine of the next decade, people familiar with the matter said. G42 has also been in advanced discussions to expand its human genome project to countries across Africa and Asia, according to the people. The US, Europe and Latin America are additional markets of interest to Royal Group. Sheikh Tahnoons International Holding is actively exploring opportunities in emerging markets, the Abu Dhabi conglomerates chief executive officer Syed Basar Shueb said in written comments in response to questions from Bloomberg. Shueb, one of the royals top lieutenants, said joining BRICS would allow the country to strengthen its global partnerships. Representatives for Royal Group, G42, the UAEs government media office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs didnt respond to requests for comment. Sheikh Tahnoon was handed control of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority following a reshuffle in March. Days later, UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed- known as MBZ - named his eldest son Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed as crown prince and thus heir, after having held the position open for a year. The $US993 billion ADIA is among the worlds largest wealth funds and ranks as the second-biggest spender on deals among regional peers since the start of 2022 - just behind Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, according to data from Global SWF. Sheikh Tahnoons other vehicles, including the secretive Royal Group, have splashed out billions more. Loading The Middle Easts wealth funds bolstered their reserves as oil prices surged after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Still, Abu Dhabis financial heft hasnt always been enough. First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, the lender overseen by Sheikh Tahnoon that weighed a bid for Standard Chartered, bought Bank Audis Egyptian unit in 2021. But a year later it withdrew a $US1.2 billion bid for Egyptian investment bank EFG-Hermes after facing lengthy regulatory delays, Bloomberg has reported. In the case of Standard Chartered, getting a deal done was ambitious given the differences in the scale of the two banks. Regulatory approvals and compliance were also obstacles to a successful deal. The emirate remains a hub of dealmaking, though, and Sheikh Tahnoon has been central to the citys efforts at leveraging its expanding financial influence to draw more billionaires. Bridgewater Associates founder Dalio is setting up a branch of his family office in Abu Dhabi and partnering on deals with Sheikh Tahnoon, Bloomberg has reported. As a diplomatic troubleshooter for his brother, the president, Sheikh Tahnoon has also helped his country push into geopolitically significant markets around the world. The UAE has signed a string of agreements to invest in Asian and African economies, including in Indonesia where G42 and Dalio have held discussions about partnering to help build the new capital city. Regionally, the royal has been at the forefront of investments in Egypt and, more recently, Turkey - where the Gulf country has pledged to pump in more than $US50 billion. Bridgewater Associates founder Dalio is setting up a branch of his family office in Abu Dhabi and is partnering on deals with Sheikh Tahnoon. Credit: AP Theres definitely a geostrategic component to some of Abu Dhabis overseas investment, said Steffen Hertog, an associate professor at the London School of Economics. Given Sheikh Tahnoons security background and role as high-level emissary in the MENA region in particular, youd expect the funds under his control to incorporate such dimensions. Local influence Sheikh Tahnoons influence has, of course, been felt locally, too. A key part of his empire is IHC, which has morphed into a $US240 billion behemoth from an obscure fish farming firm in just a few years. Its now twice the size of Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, but that hasnt enticed many international investors and IHC isnt covered by analysts tracked by Bloomberg. IHCs commitment to transparency is evident in its day-to-day business activities, which include consolidating real estate assets and forming strategic collaborations that drive synergies and value, CEO Shueb said in written comments. These activities allow IHC to unlock new opportunities and maximise the potential of its assets on both local and international levels. The firms surging stock price has helped buoy the local bourse, which has rallied 92 per cent since the start of 2020. In a period that saw investors flee emerging markets - the benchmark MSCI index is down about 11 per cent - the Abu Dhabi Exchange, owned by ADQ, added over $US600 billion to its market capitalisation, which stood at about $US750 billion as of the end of last week. Former prime minister Scott Morrison still slumps mute on the furthest parliamentary bench from the stage he once occupied, a cast-off reminder of his time of bluster and conceit. But the depth of division and the grubbiness on display in the current Yes-No conflict have reached an extremity where it is difficult to imagine a civil word again passing between some of the combatants. Juxtapose this. Michael Long, having finished his second punishing march in 19 years from Melbourne to Canberra in the hope of bringing attention to Indigenous disadvantage, stood outside Parliament House on Thursday next to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging Australians to vote Yes in the coming referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament. Down the hill, the latest inhabitants of the 50-year-old Aboriginal Tent Embassy, dominated now by a coalition of extreme sovereign groups radicalised during COVID lockdowns, have strung up a banner declaring Vote No to referendum: we deserve more than a Voice. Earlier in the week, Paul Sakkal of this masthead revealed that thousands of campaigners for a No vote were being schooled in the darker arts of deception, employing fear over facts. The Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra, now in the control of so-called sovereign radicals. Credit: Tony Wright Reason would always lose out to emotion, the No campaigners were advised by their chief trainer. Suggest, when calls are made to members of the public, that youd heard the Voice would come with financial reparations, the troops were told (oh, and dont mention upfront that youre from the No side). The Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, who chose to align his parliamentary team with the No vote in what looks very much like a strategy to cause political defeat to Albanese, rather than a matter of national principle, and who has very successfully fostered distrust of the Yes movement ever since, has pointedly avoided placing distance between himself and those campaigners using manipulation through subterfuge. Instead, he and his colleagues went after Indigenous elder Professor Marcia Langton this week after she called out the No campaign for racism and spreading misinformation. Loading It is worth recording Langtons words, because she has been accused of ripping into No voters, when in fact she was criticising the campaigners described above. Every time the No cases raise their arguments, if you start pulling it apart you get down to base racism. Im sorry to say thats where it lands or sheer stupidity, she said. If you look at any reputable fact-checker, every one of them says the No case is substantially false, they are lying to you. Dutton responded by tweeting a misleading newspaper headline No voters branded racist, stupid by prominent Voice campaigner Marcia Langton and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, in the high dudgeon she regularly assumes these days, called for the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, to condemn Langton. Burney, in her unassuming manner of never rising to the bait, replied simply that she had faith in the Australian people to engage in this debate respectfully. Burney rarely appears to be quite up to the job of engaging in hard political debate, but her insistence on reciting the points upon which Australians will be voting drives the opposition to fury. The Voice, she repeats, is nothing more than the establishment of an advisory body and that body will give advice to the government and to this parliament. Meanwhile, Dutton insists Albaneses support for a Yes vote is responsible for division in the community. Loading Duttons opening question to Albanese in parliament on Wednesday began with a reference to the slow-moving train wreck that is the Albanese government, and declared: The prime ministers campaign on the Voice is a disaster dividing families and our nation. Albanese countered with the accusation that the leader of the opposition has a record of deception as long as your arm before reciting a litany of Duttons reversals on policy. This included that he told his own party room the official position would be a legislated national Voice and then blindsided them by going to a press conference and getting rid of any concept of a national Voice. Elsewhere, the battle rages across the wilds of the cybersphere, giving Treasurer Jim Chalmers the excuse to accuse Dutton of taking the weirdest whispers from the furthermost fringes of social media and legitimising and amplifying them. Workers peel shrimp at a factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 7, 2023. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) "This is the first time that Cambodia exports wild aquatic products to China directly, departing from the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port to the Port of Shanghai," said Cambodian export manager Heng Mengty. PHNOM PENH, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday exported its first batch of wild aquatic products directly to China, marking another fruitful cooperation between the two countries in the fisheries sector. Kim Chou Co., Ltd Import Export and International Transportation is the first Cambodian company authorized to export wild aquatic products directly to China. "This is the first time that Cambodia exports wild aquatic products to China directly, departing from the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port to the Port of Shanghai," Heng Mengty, export manager of Kim Chou Co., Ltd Import Export and International Transportation, told Xinhua. "In this first shipment, we export two kinds of products, namely frozen eels and frozen freshwater glass shrimps, in a total amount of 10 tons," he added. Mengty said the shipment is expected to reach Shanghai on Oct. 15 or 16. He said the products were purchased from fishermen in some provinces around the Tonle Sap Lake, including the provinces of Kampong Thom, Pursat and Siem Reap. "For products' quality and sanitary standard, we have complied with China's requirements because we have trained our employees, and Chinese experts have directly controlled the quality," he said. Workers put frozen glass shrimp into boxes at a factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 7, 2023. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) "This export will contribute to economic growth, creating jobs for our farmers and fishermen." Mengty expressed his sincere thanks to China for granting the direct access of Cambodia's wild aquatic products to its market, saying that the company is expected to export some 240 tons of wild aquatic products to China per year. Phat Sokra, a 30-year-old worker at the Kim Chou company, said his routine duties are sifting, selecting, peeling and packaging glass shrimps in plastic bags before putting them into a freezer. "When the shrimps are frozen, we arrange them into boxes and put into containers for exporting to China," he told Xinhua. "These wild aquatic products will be put for sales in the Chinese market. I feel happy because their purchase has created jobs for us and generated income for our fishermen," he added. The export came after the General Administration of Customs of China in May allowed the Southeast Asian nation to ship its wild aquatic products directly to China, and the company is allowed to export 11 kinds of Cambodian wild aquatic products to China, including wild shrimp, wild fish, wild eel and wild snails. Im Rachna, undersecretary of state and spokeswoman for Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said it was good news, expressing her confidence that Cambodian wild aquatic products would also be popular among Chinese consumers. "It is a new success for the development of our fisheries sector, and the export of our wild aquatic products to China will not only give a boost to Cambodia-China trade volume, but also improve the livelihoods of our farmers," she told Xinhua. Wild aquatic products are the Cambodia's second agricultural products authorized to be exported to China this year after pepper. A mystery letter levelling incorrect and defamatory allegations against senior staff at the City of Perth has sparked further inquiries by the Department of Local Government, which has issued a demand for more information. The departments director general Lanie Chopping has given the city until Wednesday to comply with a notice for information requested, which it says stemmed from an anonymous letter received in August. The anonymous letter contained a slew of defamatory claims about high-ranking staff. Credit: Nine. But a department spokesperson refused to be drawn on exactly which documents had been requested. The notice comes just weeks after Nine News Perth revealed the city, several councillors and Premier Roger Cook had been sent a letter, seen by this masthead, containing a slew of defamatory claims about high-ranking staff. Singapore: Chinas Defence Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public in more than two weeks after pulling out of a meeting with Vietnamese defence officials. Li is the second senior government minister to have a prolonged unexplained absence after former foreign minister Qin Gang was sacked in July. Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu. Credit: AP The disappearance follows President Xi Jinpings purge of two generals at the top of the Chinese Rocket Force the secretive Peoples Liberation Army unit responsible for the countrys nuclear arsenal. Two Vietnamese officials told Reuters on Thursday that Li had pulled out of a meeting in Hanoi last week due to a health condition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed Qin had also been suffering from health setbacks before he was wiped from all official communications and websites in July. He has not been heard from since. This may be the toughest moment yet for McCarthy who is trying to survive his first year as speaker and live to fight another day. Loading But now, after promises made and possibly dashed, he has barely any days left. At the moment McCarthy has just nine working days to pass the spending bills needed to fund the government or risk a politically devastating federal shutdown. An interruption in government services would ripple across the country, almost certain to hurt his party politically as Republicans are blamed for the disruption and disarray. In May, the most recent US debt limit dispute prevented Biden from travelling to Australia as planned for a Quad meeting. Biden said in a speech on Thursday that McCarthy and House Republicans seem unable to honour the commitments they made as part of a June debt-limit deal and are now seeking deeper cuts. In his remarks, the president did not address the impeachment inquiry nor the indictment on Thursday of his son, Hunter, on gun-purchasing charges. Theyre back at it again, breaking their commitment, Biden said in Maryland. Threatening to shut down the government again this month. Led by Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, a core group of McCarthy critics is holding the threat of removal over him unless he meets conservative demands. Loading A top Trump ally, Gaetz reiterated the conservative flanks many demands after McCarthys meeting single-subject spending bills, a subpoena for Hunter Biden in the impeachment inquiry and other priorities. So instead of emotionally cursing, lets do this, Gaetz chided. We must begin immediately. Pull yourself together, Kevin! None of the hard-right opponents of McCarthy rose to speak during the private morning meeting in fact, few even showed up. But McCarthy still addressed them directly and profanely. Kevin doesnt live in fear about this, said Representative Brian Mast. McCarthy has prided himself being a survivor, who rose from the ranks over the past nearly 20 years to lead House Republicans. At the start of the year, he suffered through 14 votes in his reach for the speakers gavel before colleagues finally agreed to give it to him on the 15th vote. Top McCarthy ally Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene who is also close with Trump recaptured the speakers message. He said, If you want to throw in a motion to vacate, thats fine. I didnt survive 15 rounds for nothing and Ill survive another 15 rounds. That said, there still is no viable plan or having the House pass the bills needed to run the government by September 30, when current funding runs out, risking the shutdown. Freedom Caucus conservatives are demanding cuts lower than what McCarthy agreed to in a budget deal with Biden earlier this year - and even lower than the speaker promised he would fight for when he agreed to their demands during his election to become speaker. Its not just Trump influencing House Republicans from the campaign trail. Republican rival Ron DeSantis has also connected with conservatives and is supportive of us trying to fight to get change up here, said Freedom Caucus member Representative Chip Roy. Loading House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, House Republicans have made clear that they are determined to shut down the government and try to jam their extreme right-wing ideology down the throats of Americans. Jeffries said he had not talked to McCarthy this week about a solution, but he has spoken with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and they have agreed the only way forward is a bipartisan path that funds the government at the current fiscal year levels. The Senate meanwhile, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats, pushed ahead with a rare and overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, 91-7, to advance a package of spending bills toward final passage until it was stalled by Senate conservatives. And now all of a sudden, you have a group, a small group in the Senate, trying to mimic the Freedom Caucus in the House, Schumer said, calling on Republican leaders to intervene for the good of the country. McCarthy told the lawmakers to go home for the weekend they were not in session on Friday for the Jewish holiday and be prepared to stay in session next week until they get the job done. I dont walk away from a battle, the speaker said, preparing to return to fight another day. Exasperated, McCarthy had already showed signs of strain the night before. Washington: US President Joe Bidens son has been charged over alleged multiple gun crimes and faces the prospect of jail if he convicted, in the latest pre-election saga to engulf the First Family. With 14 months until the presidential election, the White House faces a fresh crisis after a grand jury indicted Hunter Biden with illegally owning a gun and lying about his drug use when he bought it in 2018. President Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden. Credit: AP The move comes weeks after a sweetheart plea deal meant to keep Hunter from being prosecuted collapsed at the eleventh hour after the presiding judge raised concerns about its scope. Now, in a significant setback, the 53-year-old faces a potential trial over three gun charges while his father campaigns for re-election next year. ABUJA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 151 gunmen were killed and 456 others nabbed by troops in various operations across Nigeria in the past two weeks, a military official said Thursday. Edward Buba, spokesman for the Nigerian military, told reporters in the capital of Abuja that dozens of hostages were also freed during the period, as troops embarked on clearance operations. During the period, the troops recovered various arms and ammunition while raiding hideouts of criminal gangs across the country, Buba said, adding that the superior firepower of troops during gunfights with the criminal gangs, especially in the northeast and north-central regions of the country, led to the high number of casualties in the camps of the gunmen. ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Tadesse Degefa, a senior cupper at S.A Bagersh Private Limited Company (PLC), a renowned Ethiopian coffee firm and the birthplace of coffee Arabica, is witnessing a surge in interest among Ethiopian coffee producers and exporters to penetrate the rapidly growing Chinese coffee market. Degefa emphasizes the uniqueness of Ethiopian coffee beans, which are grown organically in the highlands without the use of chemicals or herbicides. He further underscored the crucial role of cupping in identifying the best coffee varieties, ensuring that the beans meet the highest standards in terms of body size, flavor, aroma, and other qualities before they are shipped. "With the cupping, we identify the flavor, the body, the acidity and the other qualities of the coffee," Degefa told Xinhua in a recent interview. He argues this uniqueness of the Ethiopian coffee beans as well as its cupping and production process offers coffee exporters an important impetus towards penetrating the lucrative Chinese coffee market. Kassahun Hirutu, the Operation Manager of S.A Bagersh PLC, also sheds light on the meticulous processes involved in preparing the coffee beans for export, which eventually boosts the final output's export standard. The meticulous coffee process mainly undergoes two main techniques - sun-drying and wet washing. After pulping, the beans are soaked in a tanker for 32 to 46 hours, followed by repeated washing and drying on nets for at least 21 days. Hirutu anticipates an increase in coffee exports to China, mainly attributing to the growing trend and preference among the Chinese population for coffee, especially the youth, as well as the high-quality of Ethiopian coffee. "We are making good relations with the Chinese. Chinese companies are also approaching us. I think in a couple of years, we will have the same market as other countries, also in China," he said. He highlights the positive relationships established with Chinese companies, indicating that in the coming years, Ethiopia will have a significant presence in the Chinese coffee market. Wondweson Mengesha, a senior technician at S.A Bagersh PLC, also observed a notable rise in the volume of organic coffee shipments to China over the past three years. He expressed optimism about the market prospects, particularly in China, where the demand for Ethiopian coffee is growing. "This time around we are sending an increasing volume of coffee to China. We have witnessed a better market there," Mengesha said. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation next to Nigeria, is widely recognized for its rich coffee quality and flavor, which ranges from winy to fruity and chocolaty, making its coffee varieties on demand across the globe. The East African country earned more than 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from exporting around 240,000 metric tons of coffee to the international market during the just-concluded Ethiopian 2022/23 fiscal year that ended on July 7, according to figures from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority. The coffee market has been evolving over the years in China where tea has been a traditional drink, Gizat Worku, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Ethiopian Coffee Association, which is engaged in promoting Ethiopian coffee in the international market, told Xinhua recently. "China is an emerging market for Ethiopian coffee exporters. Any businessman cannot ignore China whose market potential has turned out to be rich over time," Worku said. According to Worku, Ethiopia's coffee export volume to China has seen impressive growth with an export volume of 4,200 tonnes in the 2019/2020 Ethiopian fiscal year, 8,400 tonnes in the 2020/2021 fiscal year and 11,200 tonnes of coffee last fiscal year which ended on July 7, 2022. Ethiopian coffee exporters are optimistic that within the coming 10 years, more Ethiopian coffee might go to China and his association is ready to satisfy the growing demand there with timely delivery of the specialty coffee which he referred to as "de facto organic." CAIRO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- France is willing to help Egypt solve its debt problems and attract foreign investments, said visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Thursday in Egypt. Colonna made the remarks in a joint press conference in the capital Cairo with her Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. France is aware of the difficult economic conditions Egypt is going through and is willing to help Cairo in its talks with international financial institutions, the French foreign minister told reporters. Egypt's foreign debt reached 165.3 billion U.S. dollars by the end of March 2023, registering a 4.8-percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Central Bank of Egypt. Colonna said France will work on finding better solutions to Egypt's debt problem and smoother international finance to support the Egyptian economy. "We would also like to work on increasing foreign investments in Egypt," she said. Earlier in the day, Colonna held talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on bilateral relations and a number of regional crises, according to the Egyptian presidency. SYDNEY, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Police in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) confirmed on Friday that a woman died in hospital after she was tasered and shot with a bean bag round during a standoff against officers. NSW Police Force said in a statement that at around 12:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, officers called to a unit complex on Mitchell Street in Stockton, following reports of a woman threatening people with an axe. Police were able to gain entry to the property at about 9:45 p.m. local time and the 47-year-old woman was taken into custody after a number of tactical options were implemented, including the use of a Taser and impact munitions. She was then escorted from the scene to an ambulance. But her condition worsened and later died in a hospital. NSW Police Force has launched a critical incident investigation over the woman's death. At a press conference held on Friday, NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said that officers were threatened by the woman with her axe before she retreated back into the unit. "During the arrest, the woman sustained an injury to her right shoulder," McKenna noted. He explained to reporters that the woman was hit by a bean bag round, which is a "less than lethal option" used by law enforcement agencies. "Local police attended shortly after 12:30. As I understand it, they attempted to negotiate with the woman themselves for quite some time. And when that wasn't able to be achieved, then the technical police were brought in," said McKenna. According to the assistant commissioner, the critical incident investigation would cover multiple issues, including mental health and other options that could have been utilized to disarm people. Earlier in May, a 95-year-old woman died in hospital after being tasered by a senior constable from the NSW Police Force during an incident at a Cooma nursing home. On May 17, dementia patient Clare Nowland was tasered when she was approaching police at a slow pace and holding a steak knife in her hand. She was transported to hospital in a critical condition and died on May 24. The senior constable was charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault. Weather Alert Bulletin: ...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 26 possible. * WHERE...Portions of central, northern and southern Delaware, northeast Maryland, central, northern, northwest and southern New Jersey and east central and southeast Pennsylvania. * WHEN...From late Wednesday night through Thursday morning. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && Info: Type: Freeze Watch start_time_local: 2023-11-02T00:00:00-04:00 end_time_local: 2023-11-02T10:00:00-04:00 county_name: state: NJ headline: Freeze Watch from THU 12:00 AM EDT until THU 10:00 AM EDT county_fips: category: Met url: urgency: Future severity: Severe certainty: Possible geographicname: Warren County state_name: New Jersey It has been over two months since the devastating flooding in Berks County, and there are families that are still displaced throughout Berks County. Antietam Middle Senior High School is still shut down after the floods tore through on July 8. There is still no response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency , any other federal agency or the White House. Meg Coyne volunteers on her local grassroots response team, helping victims of the flood. They still meet regularly. "There is a school building that is unusable and 550 children that don't have a school," Coyne said. "There shouldn't be red tape." However, there is red tape. On July 31, Gov. Josh Shapiro put in the request to receive federal aid. Now, the Berks County Board of Commissioners recently sent their own letter asking for a response for federal aid. U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) is also putting pressure to get the funds. In August, she wrote to President Biden and says she has not heard back. "It's past time frankly for there to be a response, and I am hopeful that I will have an answer shortly," Houlahan said. Her patience on that matter, like so many others, is wearing thin. "I would say honestly, there is little to no excuse, except for as you know, quite a lot of emergencies that are going in this country right now," said Houlahan. "Some unfortunately that get more attention than others. Some of them that are on the larger scale than others." She vows to continue to pressure the president and FEMA. "I absolutely will not quit on this," she said. Coyne hopes the aid comes through. "It would be a huge deal for the families that are still trying to rebuild, the families that can't live in their homes," she said. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides speaks at a reception held by the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Sept. 14, 2023. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua) NICOSIA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Cyprus have forged a profound friendship and collaboration in a multitude of areas, which has stood the test of time despite the two countries' geographical distance, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday. Speaking at a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia, held to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Christodoulides stressed that "our bilateral relationship is based on mutual trust, respect and understanding." "Firmly anchored on this very solid base, over recent years our relations have expanded. We have maintained frequent exchanges of high-level visits, developed practical cooperation across the board, and advanced trade and economic ties to the benefit of our two peoples," Christodoulides said. The two countries have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the United Nations and other international organizations, he added. Cyprus, as a European Union (EU) member state, remains a strong supporter of the advancement of EU-China relations. "The EU and China are important partners and we both have a common interest in pursuing constructive, stable, and mutually beneficial relations, especially through the EU-China high-level political dialogue, with the aim of fostering mutual understanding and addressing the various challenges on the global stage," Christodoulides said. These challenges include climate change, health pandemics and the world economy, he explained. The Cypriot President also expressed his deep appreciation for China's long-standing support on the Cyprus question, and its unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the Republic of Cyprus. Chinese Ambassador in Nicosia Liu Yantao emphasized the value China places on its friendship with Cyprus, which it hopes to continue building upon in future. Reading, PA (19601) Today A partly cloudy, cool, and dry evening with trick-or-treat temps in the mid 40s, then mostly cloudy after midnight with a spotty rain or snow shower towards morning. . Tonight A partly cloudy, cool, and dry evening with trick-or-treat temps in the mid 40s, then mostly cloudy after midnight with a spotty rain or snow shower towards morning. READING, Pa. - The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) is launching a new initiative to assist area employers in attracting local talent. The Meet Greater Reading talent attraction program was designed to facilitate connections between job seekers and local Berks County companies. GRCA is working with RoleCall, a national talent attraction consulting agency, on a trial run for the program that will run from September through the end of the year. An official launch is anticipated in January 2024. A vibrant and skilled workforce is vital to the success of local businesses and our economy," said Keith Stamm, director of workforce for GRCA. "This initiative aims to bolster and cultivate our community's workforce, which has contracted in recent years, primarily attributed to our aging population. For this reason, we have been working with RoleCall, local businesses and partners over the past year to identify specific ways to support our employers talent attraction efforts while also developing strategic solutions to attract new talent to the area. The main selling points of the region will be highlighted through a paid, digital marketing campaign targeting candidates interested in moving to the Greater Reading area, which will result in a "talent roster" that GRCA will then distribute to local employers. Officials say candidates will receive curated information relevant to their industry and interests, with a special emphasis placed on nine key industries including education, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing and skilled trades. The program was funded largely by the County of Berks as well as GRCAs economic development investors. U.S Congressman Dan Meuser is hoping to repeal a new tax on one of the biggest industries in his district - battery manufacturing. He's working on legislation to repeal "polluter pays" taxes on the three main chemicals that make up sealed lead acid batteries: lead oxide, antimony, and sulfuric acid. "This tax has not been enacted for 25 years," Meuser said. "It was repealed 25 years ago and as a matter of fact it's a lot harsher than it was 25 years ago when it was last repealed." "Polluter Pays" taxes were enacted in 1980, designed to fund the remediation of toxic land Superfund sites. They expired in 1995, until the infrastructure bill reinstated and doubled the tax on 42 chemicals. "Therefore, domestic-made batteries were put at a disadvantage to foreign imports." Meuser said. "That didn't make any sense. As well, in my district I have two large battery manufacturers that employ over 20,000 of our local residents." Those two companies are East Penn and EnerSys. Meuser says the tax on those three chemicals amounts to around $15-20 million, and many of the country's battery manufacturers are in Pennsylvania. However, there are those against the idea. "I do believe that all of the polluting industries should have to pay for the harmful pollution they're putting into our communities," said Flora Cardoni, Regional Director for PennEnvironment. Cardoni fears removing a few chemicals will lead to more. Cardoni says one in six Americans live near a Superfund site, with many in Pennsylvania, and if the companies don't pay for cleanup, taxpayers will. "When this bill passed in 2021, it did pass through the Senate with a vote of 69-30, so it had a huge bipartisan margin," Cardoni said. Meuser says he plans to attach the proposal to a larger tax bill designed to help businesses. "So I'm hoping we can get it reversed," Meuser said. "I think we're going have Republican and Democrat support by bringing this to light." U. MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. At Jesus Son of Mary Mosque, the parking lot fills up fast Friday afternoons. Volunteers wearing reflective vests and waiving batons make sure that everyone gets a spot during two back-to-back services. "This is our weekly congregational prayer," said Imam Mohammad Elshinawy. The congregation slips off their shoes and enters the prayer hall, known as "musallah" in Arabic, to hear this week's message and to pray. But long before the congregation arrives, Oumou Fall has been busy making takeaway meals. "I love to make food," said Fall. "I make it with love. It's like my passion." While she's wrapping things up for the day, she's thinking about the open house the mosque is holding Saturday. "I'm going to make the chicken jollof rice," said Fall. She says it's usually a dish you make for a special occasion because it takes all day to prepare. "I got to warn everybody: while supplies last," Elshinaway said. "We're going to be basically be bringing food from 15-20 different sort of ethnicities." Elshinawy says while the food is a huge draw, the point is fellowship with the Lehigh Valley's non-Muslim community. "We are your neighbors," Elshinaway said. "We are Muslims that believe in many of the things that you hold dear, and this, number one, can create a sense of multiplied force for the collective good." Fall says she is excited about the open house. She hopes the community comes with an appetite and leaves with a better understanding of the Muslim faith. The open house is Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jesus Son of Mary Mosque, located at 6635 Tilghman St. in Upper Macungie Township. NEW TRIPOLI, Pa. The New Tripoli Fire Co. is introducing new equipment that it says will be crucial for doing its job. "We're here to show off our brand new Pierce Kenworth tanker," said Chief Gary Kuntz Jr. of the New Tripoli Fire Co. The tanker brightly colored and glistening in the afternoon sunlight holds 3,500 gallons of water and has a 1,500 gallon-a-minute pump on board. "Unfortunately, where we live here out in the country, we don't have fire hydrants," Kuntz explained. "So, this is our water supply at a fire scene." The tanker is like a mobile fire hydrant and is a safer state-of-the art unit in comparison to their old 1997 freightliner, he said. Another new apparatus is called a "porta-pond," and it's described as a mini swimming pool. The chief demonstrated, giving an inside look as to how the process would normally work: "Where we can dump water into, and then our engine pulls the water out of there. And this can go and refill, and then it comes back and dumps in there again," he explained. The fire department secured funding from former state Sen. Pat Browne and former state Rep. Gary Day. "These are operated, they're maintained by volunteers," said New Tripoli Fire Company Deputy Chief Nick Gruber. "We all work full-time jobs, families, sports. You name it. We're doing it like everyone else." Less than a year ago, the fire company suffered an unfathomable tragedy when two of its members, Marvin Gruber and Zachary Paris, were killed fighting a fire in Schuylkill County. This new equipment provides a ray of light for their future. "When there's a fire call that we're going to be there responding, you know, with our engine and our water supply," said Bill McQuilken, president of the New Tripoli Fire Co. "And we're there to fight that fire." BETHLEHEM, Pa. - More than 1,000 volunteers from dozens of local businesses rolled up their sleeves Thursday to help brighten communities in the Lehigh Valley. They participated in a variety of service projects as part of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley's 30th "Day of Caring" event. We spotted helpers from Just Born cleaning and decorating Marvine Elementary School in Bethlehem. Volunteers also stocked and organized local food pantries, installed fire alarms in homes, and beautified outdoor spaces. CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. - Following the capture of escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante, the Chester County Commissioners will hold a series of town hall meetings for Chester County residents to provide information on security enhancements at Chester County Prison. County officials say the town hall meetings are a way to explain the emergency communication process to county residents and to offer counseling services for those who have experienced emotional stress related to the manhunt. The first two town hall meetings will take place on Monday, September 18 and Wednesday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m. at Pocopson Elementary School, located at 1105 Pocopson Road. In addition to county commissioners, acting warden Howard Holland, director of emergency services Bill Messerschmidt and the county Disaster Crisis Outreach Referral Team (DCORT) will be on hand. The nightmare of the past two weeks may have concluded with the capture of Cavalcante, but there are many questions that we know our residents have, especially those who live close to the prison. These town hall events will serve to provide an update on prison security and emergency communication and will also give us the chance to listen to residents and answer their questions, said county commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline. We stand ready to bring the resources of Chester County to bear, to support residents as they process and recover from this incident. Additional town hall meetings will be scheduled as needed. We're learning how escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante was able to elude police for two weeks. He offered up a lot of details in his interview with law enforcement Wednesday, after he was caught. "Three times he described that law enforcement officials almost stepped on him, within seven or eight yards. Three times, but that just proves to you how thick the vegetation and the foliage was," said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark. Clark said, in addition to the difficult terrain, Cavalcante didn't make it easy on them. "He didn't move for the first couple days, he said. He survived on a watermelon that he found on a farm. He drank stream water. He was hiding his fecal matter under leaves and foliage so that law enforcement couldn't track him," said Clark. Cavalcante also stole supplies from homes along the way, including the Eagles sweatshirt he was wearing when he was captured, and other things to change his appearance. "The backpack that he obtained was obtained early in his flight. He had taken it from a residence, and that's where he obtained a razor. I know a lot of people have talked about how did he get so clean shaven? Did somebody assist him? Well quite simply, that razor was in the backpack," said Clark. Police finally found him with the help of thermal imaging cameras. When they spotted Cavalcante in the woods, only the top of his head was poking out of the brush, and the injury to his head was caused by multiple bites from a police dog trying to hold onto him. "There was no holding when you bite someone on the crown of their head. So Cavalcante was again bit in a lower extremity area," said Clark. Clark said it's lucky officers caught him when they did, because Cavalcante had plans to make a break for it. "His endgame was to carjack somebody and to head north up to Canada, and he intended to do that in the next 24 hours," said Clark. Nearly one in 10 of Americas unionized auto workers went on strike Friday at Detroits three automakers. They are seeking higher wages in an era of big profits, and as the industry makes a costly switch from gas guzzlers to electric vehicles. By striking simultaneously at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the United Auto Workers union is trying to inflict maximum pain. The strikes were limited to three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. Union President Shawn Fain says more plants will be added if the companies dont deliver better contracts. The workers are seeking 36% higher wages over four years. VILNIUS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The company Neste Lietuva in Lithuania started a "Together for a cleaner Baltic" campaign this summer to clean the sunken fishing nets in the Baltic Sea, the news website 15min reported on Monday. Neste Lietuva is a Finnish energy company. It's their second year in a row initiating this campaign to draw public attention to the pollution in the Baltic Sea and contribute to a better ocean environment. Last year, the campaign collected 10,246 euros (10,963 U.S. dollars) to clean the Baltic coast. This year, Neste allocated 0.10 euros (0.107 dollars) from each customer's payment to cooperate with the "Lithuanian Diving Academy" in cleaning the sunken fishing nets in the Baltic Sea, the report said. Julija Matisone, head of Neste Lietuva, commented in a news release that pollution of the Baltic Sea is a problem that affects all, and people must work together to solve it. The results of the campaign show that the local residents also care about a cleaner Baltic. The contribution can be significant for future generations. According to the report, the Baltic Sea is still at the top of the list of the most polluted seas, and the largest amount of pollutants in the sea consists of microplastic particles smaller than 5 mm and invisible to the naked eye. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton moved closer to a verdict Thursday as closing arguments were set in the historic case that has put the embattled Republican's career in jeopardy over accusations of corruption and bribery. Both sides were scheduled to present final arguments Friday before a jury of state senators begins deliberating whether Paxton only the third sitting official in Texas nearly 200-year history to be impeached should be removed from office. Deliberations will be done privately. It is unclear how quickly the Texas Senate could reach a verdict. But Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the trial will continue through the weekend if necessary. Late Thursday, Paxtons defense team rested after calling just four witnesses, all of them current employees. I assured myself and I assured my wife that if there were ever anything that I saw that were illegal or unethical that I would step away, said Austin Kinghorn, a senior lawyer in the attorney generals office. And Im still here. Im proud of the work we do. Im proud to serve General Paxton. With time running out, Paxton on Thursday pointed to renewed support from Donald Trump, who blasted the impeachment as shameful in the waning moments of a trial that has showcased fractures in the party. Paxton was impeached by the Republican-led Texas House in May, and activists on the hard right have sought to dial up pressure on GOP senators to acquit. Democrats are feeling very good right now as they watch, as usual, the Republicans fight & eat away at each other. Its a SAD day in the Great State of Texas! Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. The trial centers on accusations that Paxton abused his power and broke the law to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was indicted earlier in June on charges of making false statements to banks in order to obtain more than $170 million in loans. Paul has pleaded not guilty. Attorneys for the bipartisan group of lawmakers prosecuting Paxtons impeachment rested their case Wednesday after a woman who was expected to testify about an extramarital affair with the attorney general made a sudden appearance at the trial, but she never wound up taking the stand. The affair is central to the historic proceedings in the Texas Senate and accusations that Paxton misused his power to help Paul, who was under FBI investigation and employed the woman, Laura Olson. One of the 16 articles of impeachment against Paxton alleges that Paul's hiring of Olson amounted to a bribe. Paxton, who was suspended from office pending the trial's outcome, is not required to attend the proceedings and has not appeared since testimony began last week. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, is required to attend but is not allowed to vote. Paxton has said he will travel to Maine next week to talk with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. On Thursday, he touted Trump's support in an online appeal for donations that included photos of him with the former president. Like Trump, Paxton is facing an array of legal troubles and the accompanying lawyers' fees. He remains under federal investigation for the same allegations that gave rise to his impeachment and faces a bar disciplinary proceeding over his effort to overturn the 2020 election. Also, he has yet to stand trial on state securities fraud charges dating to 2015. Paxton pleaded not guilty in that case, but his lawyers have said removal from office might open the door to him making a plea agreement. Paxton's impeachment trial has focused on the testimony of his former staff, including a group of senior deputies who reported the attorney general to the FBI in 2020, accusing him of breaking the law to help Paul. The prosecutors spent considerable time establishing the group's conservative credentials. The people Paxton needs to ultimately convince are Republican senators serving as the jury. A two-thirds majority or 21 senators is required for conviction, meaning that if all 12 Democrats vote against Paxton, at least nine Republicans would have to join them. Bleiberg reported from Dallas. Find APs full coverage of the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at: https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton A pilot is leaving a lasting impression on the airlines as he gets ready to retire. And on one of his last flights, Southwest Airlines pilot Ruben Flowers got to recreate one of his favorite moments after more than 30 years on the job. This is Captain Ruben in the cockpit, along with his son of the same name, Ruben Flowers. Young Ruben is also a pilot a First Officer. The two took the original photo 30 years ago, when First Officer Ruben was just a toddler. He says his dream was to fly with his dad one day, and the timing worked out. He is starting his career as his father's is ending. They recreated their favorite photo on a flight from Omaha to Chicago last spring. Southwest Airlines created this video detailing Captain Ruben's long career. "I don't think he understands how many people he has touched. For me to come to this company and hear how much my dad has affected other people, and how it's carrying over to me and then as well my friends I came to speak about adopt a pilot and it's just been a major feeling for me to grow up," said First Officer Ruben. There are a lot of pilots in their family, and it all started with Captain Ruben. His brother and cousin were also on that retirement flight, so it was a family affair. Captain Ruben has been looking back on his career and says there was a pivotal moment in his childhood when a pilot invited him up to the front of the plane to visit the cockpit. When he sat in the seat, he dreamed of being a pilot one day. He then worked to make that dream come true, becoming a flight instructor after college and working for an airline after graduation. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived Friday in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in far eastern Russia and is expected to visit a plant that builds fighter jets as South Korea has said its concerned his visit is focused on expanding military cooperation in a possible arms-for-technology deal. The visit to Komsomolsk-on-Amur is one of several the North Korean leader is making on a days-long trip to Russia. Arriving on an armored train from North Korea, he rolled into Russia Tuesday and was met by officials at a station near the Russia-North Korea border. After a long train trip north, on Wednesday Kim met President Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome and was greeted by Putin with a 40-second handshake. On Thursday, he largely disappeared from view, before reappearing local time Friday. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti published a video which showed Kim's train pulling into the station as North Korean officials waited by a specially constructed ramp and red carpet. Shortly afterwards, his convoy swept out of Komsomolsk-on-Amur station. Putin told Russian state TV after the summit that Kim would visit an aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and then go to Vladivostok to view Russias Pacific Fleet, a university and other facilities. The visit to the aircraft plant would possibly hint at what Kim seeks to gain from Russia in exchange for help fueling Putins war on Ukraine. Washington warned that Kim and Putins summit could lead to a deal for North Korea to supply Moscow with ammunition and there is widespread concern in Seoul that North Korea would in return receive advanced weapons technologies from Russia, including those related to military spy satellites, which would increase the threat posed by Kims military nuclear program. We express our deep concern and regret that despite repeated warnings from the international community, North Korea and Russia discussed military cooperation issues, including satellite development, during their summit, said Lim Soo-suk, South Koreas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thursday. Any science and technology cooperation that contributes to nuclear weapons and missile development, including satellite systems that involve ballistic missile technologies, runs against U.N. Security Council resolutions, he said in a briefing. Lim also pointed out that Kims delegation in Russia includes several people sanctioned by the Security Council over involvement in illicit North Korean weapons development activities, including Korean Peoples Army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol and Jo Chun Yong, a ruling party official who handles munitions policies. Lim said Moscow should realize there will be very negative impacts on its relations with Seoul if it proceeds with military cooperation with North Korea. Before Kims arrival, traffic police in Komsomolsk-on-Amur blocked the entrance to the station with a police car and ticker tape prompting passengers who were still arriving on scheduled trains to lift it up to move past. Some residents were pictured peering out from their balconies to watch as Kims convoy swept past. Shortly after Kims convoy left the station, a group of women in Russian national costumes and headdresses, presumably part of a welcoming party, were pictured leaving. Flowers were also planted near the station and residents were told roads would be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday so that the North Korean leaders car could travel through the city, according to local Telegram channels. The map of road closures shared by one Telegram channel showed closures from the station, across town to an area where the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant is based. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, who handles affairs with North Korea, warned that potential arms transfers between the North and Russia would invite stronger responses from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, which have been stepping up their trilateral security cooperation to cope with regional threats. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday that North Korea would face consequences if it supplies arms to Russia. No nation on the planet, nobody, should be helping Mr. Putin kill innocent Ukrainians, Kirby said. If the countries decide to move forward with an arms deal, the U.S. will take measure of the arrangement and deal with it appropriately, he said. The world has been largely relying on Russian and North Korean media for information about Kims diplomacy in Russia, which underscores an aligning interest between the nuclear-armed countries locked in escalating tensions with the West. A day after giving intense coverage to the summit, Russian media outlets were largely silent about Kims whereabouts Thursday. North Korean state media have been reporting on his activities in Russia a day late and crafting their reports to support the governments propaganda needs. North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that Kim had invited Putin to visit North Korea at a convenient time and that Putin accepted with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history of friendship between the nations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin had accepted the invitation and said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit North Korea in October. During their meeting on Wednesday at Russias spaceport in the Far East, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin in what he described as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome suggested that Kim is seeking Russian help in developing military reconnaissance satellites. He has previously said they are crucial to enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles. North Korea has repeatedly failed to place spy satellites into orbit. Some analysts question whether Russia, which has always closely guarded its sensitive weapons technologies, would be willing to share them with North Korea in exchange for what may end up being limited supplies of munitions moved slowly through their small land link. They say military cooperation between the countries could be more about conventional capabilities, such as Russia possibly helping North Korea improve its badly aged air force that remains reliant on fighter jets sent by the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Putin told reporters that Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in spheres like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid. But he avoided talking about military cooperation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procuring weapons from North Korea. Wednesdays meeting came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in testing since 2022, as Kim used the distraction caused by war in Ukraine to accelerate his weapons development. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived Friday in the far eastern Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur where he was expected to visit a plant that builds fighter jets. The visit is one of several the North Korean leader is making on a days-long trip to Russia and will be followed, Putin said, by a visit to Vladivostok where Kim will view Russias Pacific Fleet. On Wednesday Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, where he was greeted with a 40-second handshake by Putin. Washington has warned that their summit could lead to a deal for North Korea to supply ammunition for Moscows war in Ukraine, which U.S. officials say would violate sanctions. Theres widespread concern in Seoul that North Korea would in return receive advanced weapons technologies from Russia, including those related to military spy satellites, which would increase the threat posed by Kims military nuclear program. THIS IS BREAKING NEWS. Previous version of story below: North Koreas Kim Jong Un vowed full and unconditional support for Russias Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as the two leaders isolated by the West held a summit that the U.S. warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscows war in Ukraine. The meeting, which lasted over four hours at Russias spaceport in the Far East, underscores how the two countries' interests are aligning: Putin is believed to be seeking one of the few things impoverished North Korea has in abundance - stockpiles of aging ammunition and rockets for Soviet-era weapons. Such a request would mark a role reversal from the 1950-53 Korean War, when Moscow gave weapons to support Pyongyangs invasion of South Korea and in the decades that followed, when the Soviet Union sponsored North Korea. Reporting on the meeting Thursday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at a convenient time and that Putin accepted with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history of friendship between the nations. The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russias most important launch center on its own soil, suggests Kim is seeking Russian help in developing military reconnaissance satellites. He has previously said that is crucial to enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles, and North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit. Putin met Kims limousine, brought from Pyongyang in the North Korean leaders armored train, at the launch facility, greeting his guest with a handshake of about 40 seconds. Putin spoke of the Soviet Unions wartime support for North Korea and said the talks would cover economic cooperation, humanitarian issues and the situation in the region. Kim, in turn, pledged continued support for Moscow, making an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Russia is currently engaged in a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, he said. North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, analysts say. Washington has accused North Korea of providing Russia with arms, including selling artillery shells to the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Russian and North Korean officials deny such claims. But either buying arms from or providing rocket technology to North Korea would violate international sanctions that Russia has previously supported. It would both underscore and deepen Russias isolation in the 18 months after its invasion of Ukraine drew increasing sanctions that have cut off Moscows economy from global markets and shrunk the circle of world leaders willing to meet with Putin. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are also at their highest point in years as the pace of both Kims weapons demonstrations and the United States combined miliary exercises with South Korea have intensified. There are concerns the North would seek advanced weapons technologies from Russia that would increase the threat posed by Kims military nuclear program in exchange for fueling Putins war on Ukraine. Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson of South Koreas Defense Ministry, said Seoul was closely monitoring the diplomacy between Moscow and Pyongyang and urged Russia to properly follow U.N. Security Council resolutions. When asked whether North Korean arms shipments to Russia would inspire Seoul to change its policy of limiting its support of Ukraine to non-lethal supplies, Jeon said theres no change in the governments stance of not providing lethal weapons to Kyiv. Moscow's priority is success in Ukraine, and it would do pretty much anything in order to achieve that, said James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank. Russia possibly wants to settle in for a longer war, but it cant meet the necessary industrial capacity," he said. In return, Pyongyang is likely to get food and missile technology from Moscow, a relatively easy gift" for the Kremlin, Nixey said. As the leaders toured a Soyuz-2 rocket launch facility on Wednesday, Kim peppered a Russian space official with questions. Kim and Putin met together with their delegations and later one-on-one, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. After the talks, there was an official lunch for Kim, Russian state media reported. Kim has described space-based reconnaissance capabilities as crucial for enhancing the threat of nuclear-capable missiles designed to target the United States and its Asian allies, South Korea and Japan. Following repeated failures, North Korea may want to launch a spy satellite on a Russian space launch vehicle, said Yang Uk, a military expert at South Koreas Asian Institute for Policy Studies. He said North Korea could also ask Russia to build a more powerful spy satellite than the one it has been trying to launch. Its possible that North Korea pushes to participate in the production process of the satellite, rather than just acquiring a finished product, to set up a natural transfer of technologies, Yang said. Putin told Russian state TV that Kim will visit two more cities in the Far East on his own after the summit, flying to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he will visit an aircraft plant, and then go to Vladivostok to view Russias Pacific Fleet, a university and other facilities. Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in spheres like transportation and agriculture, Putin said. Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid, but there also are opportunities for working as equals, he added. He dodged the issue, however, of military cooperation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procuring weapons from Pyongyang. There are certain restrictions, Russia is following all of them. There are things we can talk about, we're discussing, thinking. Russia is a self-sufficient country, but there are things we can bring attention to, we're discussing them, he said. James OBrien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. State Department, said Russia was scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for help because its having trouble sustaining its military, A deal between the countries would violate existing sanctions, O'Brien said, and would trigger the U.S. to try to identify the individuals and the financial mechanisms used to at least limit their ability to be effective." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a news conference that any form of cooperation of any country with North Korea must respect the sanctions regime that was imposed by the Security Council. Wednesday's meeting came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in testing since 2022, as Kim used the distraction caused by war in Ukraine to accelerate his weapons development. Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said they landed in waters outside the countrys exclusive economic zones and there were no reports of damage. Official photos showed Kim was accompanied by Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Koreas space science and technology committee, and Adm. Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines. Kim also brought Jo Chun Ryong, who heads munitions policies and had joined him on tours of factories producing artillery shells and missiles. South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said it was the first time the North launched a missile while Kim was abroad. Kim could have ordered them to show he is in control of military activities even while outside the country, said Moon Seong Mook of the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. Asked whether Moscow will help North Korea build satellites, Putin was quoted by Russian media as saying thats why we have come here. The DPRK leader shows keen interest in rocket technology. Theyre trying to develop space, too, using the acronym for North Koreas formal name. Asked about military cooperation, Putin said: We will talk about all issues without a rush. There is time. Noting what he called the laconic official presentation of the summit's outcome, Alexander Vorontsov of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Asian Studies was quoted as saying by the Tass news agency that "we can assume that ... most of the agreements reached ... will remain secret for the time being. At their lunch, which reportedly featured regional delicacies such as Kamchatka crab dumplings and taiga lingonberries with pine nuts, Kim said he and Putin agreed to deepen their strategic and tactical cooperation. Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press journalists Haruka Nuga and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo; Emma Burrows in London, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Jim Heintz in Tallinn contributed. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between the increasingly isolated countries. Since entering Russia aboard his armored train on Tuesday, Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations locked in separate confrontations with the West. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia. On Friday, Russias state media published video showing Kims train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. An Associated Press journalist saw Kims convoy, his limousine sporting the Russian and North Korean flags, sweeping out of the station on the way to the aircraft factory. Russias Cabinet later released video showing Kim, on an elevated platform, looking at the cockpit of the Su-57 Russias most sophisticated fighter jet while listening to its pilot. Kim beamed and clapped his hands when a Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight. According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of (North Korea), Manturov said in the statement. We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries task of achieving technological sovereignty. Kim travels next to Vladivostok to view Russias Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim on Wednesday. Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested that Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in three-way cooperation. It was Kims first foreign trip since April 2019, when he visited Vladivostok for his first meeting with Putin. The 2019 Russian visit came two months after Kim failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from the United States during a second summit with then U.S.-President Donald Trump in Vietnam. Kims earlier trip was likely primarily meant to seek Russian help to overcome the brunt of the U.S.-led sanctions. But this time, Putin appears to be desperate to receive North Korean conventional arms to replenish his exhausted inventory in the second year of Russias war in Ukraine. Experts say Kim, in return, would seek Russian assistance to modernize his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program. Asked whether Russia asked North Korea to send troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Putin flatly dismissed the idea, calling it sheer nonsense," according to Russia's state media. Putin reiterated that Russia would abide by U.N. sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday. Experts say it's highly unlikely for North Korea to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war, though it has publicly supported Moscow's invasion. But they say North Korea and Russia aren't likely to publicize any deals on weapons supplies to avoid stronger international criticism. The Kim-Putin summit took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russias most important domestic launch center. The venue is probably linked to North Korean struggles to put into space an operational spy satellite to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements. Asked if Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space research, Putin said: Thats why we have come here. (Kim) shows keen interest in rocket technology. Theyre trying to develop space, too. New video of Putin and Kim talking at the cosmodrome about rocket launches was released Friday. In the video, posted by Russian state news reporter Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel, Putin was heard telling Kim, You are a specialist, after a translator was heard relaying the North Korean leader's comments on where the separated rocket stages would fall after launch. Since last year, the U.S. has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, likely much of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine. On Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the U.S., South Korea and Japan talked by phone and expressed serious concerns about prospective weapons deals between Russia and North Korea. They warned that Moscow and Pyongyang would pay a clear price if they go ahead with such deals, according to South Koreas presidential office. After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies nuclear deterrence strategies, U.S. and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea. Sasha Baker, the U.S. acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while tightening security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Korea's weapons program. The possibility that Russia may aid North Koreas nuclear program stoked anger in South Korea, where some argued that Seoul could provide lethal arms to Ukraine in retaliation. But South Koreas Defense Ministry said Thursday its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remains unchanged. Seoul has far limited its support of Ukraine to nonlethal military supplies and humanitarian items. Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its closely guarded high-tech weapons technologies with North Korea in return for its conventional arms. But others say Russia would do so because of its urgent need to refill its drained reserves. Putin told reporters Wednesday that Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in areas like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid. The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin accepted Kims invitation to Pyongyang, and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit in October. At Wednesdays summit, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin in what he described as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Information on Kims trip to Russia is largely from the two nations official media outlets. North Korean media did not give updates Friday on Kim. They typically report on his activities a day later, apparently to meet the need for North Korean propaganda to glorify Kim. Burrows reported from London. More of APs Ukraine coverage is available at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ISTANBUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Rescue teams sent by Turkiye have joined Libya in its search and rescue efforts while new aid supplies have been shipped out from the Turkish western port city of Izmir, Turkiye's local media reported Friday. "Turkiye's helping hand has reached Libya," the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "We stand by our Libyan brothers and sisters in the disaster zone where one of the biggest floods of history occurred," read the post. In addition to the three relief planes that departed on Tuesday, three military ships left Izmir on Thursday night, carrying 550 personnel and 4,000 tonnes of aid material, the state-run TRT broadcaster reported. Speaking to reporters at the Alsancak Port in Izmir, Okay Memis, head of the AFAD, said the supplies in the ships include vehicles, boats, tents, blankets, food parcels, and hygiene kits, among others. The storm-induced floods, the largest and worst in decades, have claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing in eastern Libya, Osama Ali, spokesman of the Emergency Department of Libya's Ministry of Health, told Xinhua Wednesday. The World Health Organization estimates the disaster has affected 1.5-1.8 million people in the country. Wu Xiaofei (1st L), a painter on Dongji Island, shows the picture she drew as a gift in return for a painting from Britain about the Lisbon Maru incident in Zhoushan City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 6, 2023. (Xinhua) HANGZHOU, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- After traveling nearly 10,000 km, a package from Britain arrived at the memorial hall of the Lisbon Maru incident on Dongji Island in Zhoushan City, east China's Zhejiang Province, in early September. Inside the package was a painting depicting a scene in which British prisoners of war (POWs) can be seen doggedly evading a Japanese attack during World War II. The painting belonged to Graham Saxby, a British man whose father was one of the POWs. In October 1942, the Lisbon Maru, a cargo vessel requisitioned by the Japanese army to carry more than 1,800 British POWs from Hong Kong to Japan, was hit by the U.S. army off the Zhoushan Islands in Zhejiang. A total of 384 British POWs were rescued by local Chinese fishermen, for which the British government and people were deeply grateful. Saxby entrusted the painting to the Chinese Embassy in Britain, hoping to pass it on to the Chinese fishermen on Dongji Island as a present, at a New Year's reception on Feb. 19 for the relatives of Lisbon Maru survivors and other people involved in the incident. A special screening of the documentary "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" was held in London on Aug. 15. Survivors of the Lisbon Maru incident recalled in the film that after the ship was hit, the Japanese troops soon evacuated but left the POWs battened down below deck. The POWs managed to escape the confinement and started jumping into the sea, but were then shot at by the Japanese troops. Chinese fishermen risked their lives amid the shooting and rescued as many POWs as possible using their small sampan boats. Retired British soldier Brian Finch, who has been committed to collecting historical documents concerning the Lisbon Maru, said the documentary exposed the cruelty of the Japanese soldiers and showed "the incredible courage and humanity" of the Chinese fishermen. The Chinese Embassy in Britain handed the painting over to staff of the Zhejiang provincial government who attended the event, and entrusted them with taking it to the fishermen on Dongji Island. The move was echoed by similar kindness in China. After learning that Saxby was going to give the locals a work related to the Lisbon Maru incident, Wu Xiaofei, a painter on Dongji Island, drew a picture as a gift in return. "My grandfather was one of the Chinese fishermen who took part in the rescue at the time, rowing a sampan back and forth several times to rescue the British POWs," Wu said. "As a descendant of the local fishermen, I came up with the idea to reciprocate the friendship of our British friends with a painting." Wu finished her work, which shows the joy, unity and harmony of local fishermen, in just three days. The friendship between the Chinese and British people, which has lasted for 81 years since the Lisbon Maru incident, is continuing. To help bring the forgotten tragedy to light, Saxby is now commissioning a second work to show the rescue scene of the incident, while another painting related to the incident created by Wu has been completed and is ready for exhibition. Coca-Cola HBC AG engages in the production, distribution, and sale of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages under franchise in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers sparkling soft drinks, adult sparkling, hydration drinks, juices, ready-to-drink tea, energy drinks, dairy, coffee, water, plant-based drinks, premium spirits and flavored alcoholic beverages, and snacks. 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The company was formerly known as TeliaSonera AB (publ) and changed its name to Telia Company AB (publ) in April 2016. Telia Company AB (publ) was founded in 1853 and is based in Solna, Sweden. 3.8 Earnings Growth Earnings for ZTO Express (Cayman) are expected to grow by 20.00% in the coming year, from $1.50 to $1.80 per share. Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market The P/E ratio of ZTO Express (Cayman) is 16.48, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 111.99. Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector The P/E ratio of ZTO Express (Cayman) is 16.48, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Transportation sector average P/E ratio of about 9.97. Price to Earnings Growth Ratio ZTO Express (Cayman) has a PEG Ratio of 0.84. PEG Ratios below 1 indicate that a company could be undervalued. By Zhou Xiaotian ROME, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Italy and China are playing a pivotal role in fostering understanding and acceptance among diverse civilizations through a range of cultural communication activities, Rosanna Binacchi, an Italian arts and culture strategist and coordinator, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview recently. Binacchi worked as a prominent curator for the exhibition "Tota Italia: Origins of a Nation" held at the National Museum of China in 2022. The event featured a collection of 503 artifacts from 26 distinguished museums all over Italy. "China had the privilege of showcasing exclusive projects and masterpieces of Italian cultural heritage, which had rarely left the country," she said, adding that the success of the exhibition profoundly showcased the value and significance that both nations attached to cultural communication. Binacchi was responsible for coordinating a working group that involved liaisons between 20 Italian museums in Italy and their counterparts in China. She recalled the experience of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We overcame differences in customs, operational standards, time zones and language. Both sides exhibited exceptional professionalism, mutual respect and trust, ultimately forming a highly successful partnership," Binacchi said. The exhibition in Beijing attracted over 300,000 visitors. Binacchi said she was delighted to witness the appeal of Roman culture to the audience in China. "The success of these cultural exchanges was truly remarkable. The exhibition has made a lasting impression on the audience," she said. Binacchi said that as two inheritors of ancient civilizations, Italy and China have a rich history of communication, exemplified by Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci, who dedicated themselves to knowledge exchange. Binacchi envisions marking the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death in 2024. She sees the anniversary as an opportunity for fresh exchanges, including in innovative cultural domains that have yet to be extensively explored. Looking ahead, Binacchi said that contemporary arts and technologies could serve as a bridge, connecting the younger generations of both nations. "I aspire to see increased collaboration in contemporary art exchanges and cross-pollinations that facilitate mutual understanding and shared visions for the future," she said. Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) pays an annual dividend of $1.15 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 1.04%. The company does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 20.68%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, CHH will have a dividend payout ratio of 16.81% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for CHH. Danaher Corporation, founded in 1984 by brothers Stephen and Mitchell Rales, is a globally diversified conglomerate headquartered in Washington, D.C. The company has evolved into a major player across various industries, offering a wide range of products and services in the medical, industrial, and commercial sectors. Danaher's mission is to innovate and provide high-quality solutions that positively impact people's lives worldwide. Danaher's began in 1984 as a Massachusetts real estate investment trust called DMG, Inc. The company underwent several reorganizations and strategic acquisitions, culminating in its present-day structure and diverse product portfolio. Danaher is involved in designing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad array of products and services. Its offerings span medical diagnostics equipment, life sciences and diagnostics tools, environmental solutions, water quality analysis systems, industrial automation tools, and other specialized instruments. Danaher's mission is to leverage its technological expertise and commitment to continuous improvement to develop innovative solutions that enhance human well-being and drive sustainable growth. The company's diverse product portfolio includes cutting-edge medical diagnostic devices, scientific instruments used in research and healthcare settings, water quality monitoring systems, and automation equipment for industrial applications. Danaher caters to various markets, including healthcare, life sciences, diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation. Its products and services find applications in research institutions, healthcare facilities, industrial manufacturers, and government organizations. Danaher Corporation boasts a leadership team comprising highly accomplished individuals with diverse expertise, driving the company's success and strategic direction. At the helm is Steven M. Rales, the Co-Founder and Chairman, who played a pivotal role in establishing Danaher and has been instrumental in shaping its strategic vision. With his visionary approach, Rales has steered the company towards sustained growth and innovation. Rainer M. Blair holds the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, leading Danaher's day-to-day operations and spearheading its growth strategies. Blair's dynamic leadership has been crucial in driving the company's expansion and ensuring its position as a market leader. Danaher has displayed excellent financial performance in recent years, with consistent revenue growth and profitability. The company's financial stability and strategic acquisitions have contributed to its robust performance. Danaher's strong financials indicate its ability to generate revenue and profits, which has positively influenced investor sentiment and contributed to its favorable valuation. Danaher's valuation metrics demonstrate positive investor sentiment and confidence in the company's future growth prospects. Its favorable price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-cash flow ratio reflect investor willingness to pay a premium for its earnings potential and cash generation capacity. Danaher's stock performance has been noteworthy, driven by its strong financials, strategic initiatives, and positive market sentiment. Investors should closely monitor any recent news or events that may have impacted Danaher's share price, such as industry developments or major acquisitions. Danaher operates in diverse industries with various competitors. Its competitive advantages, including a broad product portfolio and emphasis on innovation, position it well within its industries. Danaher has ample growth opportunities, including expansion into emerging markets, strategic acquisitions, and research and development investments. The company's strong focus on continuous improvement and customer-centric solutions will drive its pursuit of growth opportunities. Danaher faces potential risks and challenges, including market fluctuations, regulatory changes, and economic uncertainties. However, its proactive risk management strategies mitigate potential impacts on the company's financial performance. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products. The Proprietary Products segment offers stoppers and seals for injectable packaging systems; syringe and cartridge components, including custom solutions for the needs of injectable drug applications, as well as administration systems that enhance the safe delivery of drugs through advanced reconstitution, mixing, and transfer technologies; and films, coatings, washing, and vision inspection and sterilization processes and services to enhance the quality of packaging components. It also provides drug containment solutions, including Crystal Zenith, a cyclic olefin polymer in the form of vials, syringes, and cartridges; and self-injection devices, as well as a range of integrated solutions, including analytical lab services, pre-approval primary packaging support and engineering development, regulatory expertise, and after-sales technical support. This segment serves biologic, generic, and pharmaceutical drug companies. The Contract-Manufactured Products segment is involved in the design, manufacture, and automated assembly of devices used in surgical, diagnostic, ophthalmic, injectable, and other drug delivery systems, as well as consumer products. The company serves pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device companies. It distributes its products through its sales force and distribution network, as well as contract sales agents and regional distributors. The company was incorporated in 1923 and is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania. Ford Motor Company is the second largest US auto manufacturer by market cap and market share and ranks 4th globally. The company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford following a series of cars that led to the introduction of the Model T. The Model T revolutionized the automobile industry not only because it made vehicles affordable for the budding middle class but it changed the way manufacturing was done. The Ford factory features the worlds first moving assembly line, an introduction that not only improved the pace of production but lowered the cost of its vehicles. Other prominent innovations made by Mr. Ford include the strict standardization of parts that allowed for easy construction and repair and the standardized workweek. Henry Fords switch to a $5 workday and 8-hour shifts allowed him to run 3 shifts per day and improve productivity while providing his employees with the power to buy their own products. Today, Ford Motor Company makes and markets a large lineup of cars, trucks, SUVs, EVs, and Lincoln luxury vehicles globally. The companys iconic F-series of trucks is the worlds best-selling pickup truck for decades running and the new all-electric Lightning is on track to dominate the top spot in the EV market. Other iconic brands in the Ford lineup include the Thunderbird introduced in 1954, the Mustang in 1964, and the Transit work van in 1965. The Mustang, notably, was created for the Worlds Fair and expected to sell 100,000 in its first year but shocked the industry with 22,000 units sold on the first day. The company operates through four segments including Ford Blue (ICE vehicles), Model e (EVs) Mobility, and Ford Credit. The Ford Blue and Model e segments sell Ford and Lincoln vehicles, parts, and accessories while the Mobility segment designs and builds advanced technologies including but not limited to self-driving autonomous car systems. The Ford Credit segment primarily offers commercial and retail loans to auto dealers and car buyers. This segment not only provides financing for new purchases and dealer inventory but makes loans for new dealerships and expansions of old ones. Ford has fully embraced the switch to EV and is planning for an all-EV future. To that end, the company pledged to spend up to $50 billion on EV infrastructure by 2026. The plans include the build-out of an entirely new campus dedicated to EV manufacture from batteries to motor platforms, manufacturing capacity, and new vehicles. In regard to total capacity, the company is targeting 2 million in total annual EV sales by that same year. Accenture plc is a global professional services company that operates in various industries worldwide. With a mission to provide exceptional strategy and consulting, interactive technology, and operation services, Accenture has established itself as a leader in the professional services sector. The company's headquarters are located in Dublin, Ireland. Accenture offers its diverse client base a wide range of products and services. Its application services cover areas such as agile transformation, DevOps, software and quality engineering, data management, and intelligent automation. The company also provides strategy and consulting services, focusing on data and analytics, metaverse, sustainability, and HR transformation. Accenture's technology services encompass cloud infrastructure management, AI, and technology consulting. Additionally, the company offers engineering and R&D digitization, business process outsourcing, and various services related to technology innovation. Accenture is led by a highly experienced and accomplished management team. Julie T. Spellman Sweet serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Accenture, bringing her expertise in driving growth and delivering strategic value to clients. Kathleen R. McClure is the Chief Financial Officer overseeing the company's financial operations. Gianfranco Casati serves as the Executive Chairman of Growth Markets, and Jean-Marc Ollagnier leads as the Chief Executive Officer of Europe. James O. Etheredge holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of North America. These executives bring a wealth of knowledge and industry experience to their respective roles, contributing to Accenture's success. Accenture has consistently delivered strong financial performance over the years. The company has reported substantial revenue, impressive earnings, and healthy profit margins. Accenture's financial performance reflects its ability to generate significant income and maintain a strong market position. Furthermore, the company has effectively managed its debt levels, ensuring financial stability and flexibility. Accenture's valuation metrics, such as price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratio, are generally favorable compared to industry peers. The company's strong financial performance, market leadership, and growth potential contribute to its favorable valuation. Investors recognize the company's value and prospects, which may be reflected in the stock's performance. Accenture operates in the broader professional services industry, which is characterized by intense competition and evolving trends. The industry's landscape is constantly changing due to technological advancements, regulatory changes, and shifts in client demands. Accenture competes with other major professional services firms, each vying for market share and differentiation. Its strong reputation, global reach, and comprehensive service offerings give it a competitive advantage. Moreover, Accenture's ability to leverage emerging technologies and provide innovative solutions positions it well in the industry. Accenture has numerous growth opportunities in various areas. The company can leverage its expertise in emerging technologies such as AI, data analytics, and automation to drive innovation and expand its service offerings. Additionally, Accenture can explore new markets, capitalize on digital transformation initiatives and pursue strategic acquisitions to enhance its capabilities. The company's strong relationships with key customers and ability to provide tailored solutions enable it to seize growth opportunities effectively. While Accenture has demonstrated resilience and adaptability, it faces certain risks and challenges. Changes in consumer preferences, technological disruptions, and evolving regulatory landscapes pose potential dangers to Accenture's business. Consumer preferences can shift rapidly, requiring the company to stay agile and continuously innovate to meet changing demands. Moreover, technological disruptions, such as advancements in artificial intelligence or automation, can impact the traditional service offerings of professional services firms. Accenture must stay at the forefront of emerging technologies and adapt its services to remain relevant and competitive. Additionally, regulatory changes can introduce uncertainties and compliance challenges. As governments worldwide implement new regulations and policies, Accenture must navigate the evolving landscape to ensure compliance while providing valuable services to clients. Close monitoring of regulatory developments and proactive engagement with relevant stakeholders is essential for the company to mitigate potential risks. Despite these challenges, Accenture's robust risk management strategies and ability to anticipate and respond to market dynamics position it well to address potential risks. The company's focus on innovation, investment in talent development, and strategic partnerships contribute to its ability to overcome challenges and sustain its growth trajectory. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a leading global biopharmaceutical company with a long and impressive history of innovating and developing medicines that improve the lives of patients around the world. Founded in 1887 when William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers purchased the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company, the company was initially named Bristol, Myers and Company. Its first nationally recognized product, Sal Hepatica, was released in the 1890s. Bristol Myers-Squibb offers chemically synthesized drugs and biologics administered through injections or infusions to patients. The company's pharmaceutical portfolio includes a large number of well-known products. BMS's primary research and development sites are in New Jersey, California, Spain, Massachusetts, New York, Belgium, Japan, India and Massachusetts. The company's products sell to wholesalers and distributors around the world. Bristol Myers-Squibb has a robust pipeline of investigational medicines in its pipeline. In addition, the company has established strategic collaborations and partnerships with various companies, successfully launching new products. These partnerships and investments generate portions of the company's revenue. Bristol Myers-Squibb has acquired several companies over the years, including Medarex in 2009, ZymoGenetics in 2010, Inhibitex Inc. in 2012, Amylin Pharmaceuticals in 2012, iPierian in 2014, Flexus Biosciences in 2015, Cardioxyl in 2015, Padlock Therapeutics in 2016, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals in 2017, IFM Therapeutics in 2017, Celgene in 2019, Otezla in 2019, Forbius in 2020, MyoKardia in 2020 and Turning Point Therapeutics in 2022. In 2005, the company divested individual consumer products and its subsequent consumer products businesses. In December 2014, the company received FDA approval for its cancer drug, Opdivo, used to treat skin cancers that do not respond to drug therapies. In 2019, the company divested its consumer health business, UPSA, to Taisho. The company has also faced several scandals, lawsuits and investigations over the years, the biggest of which is the ongoing $1 billion lawsuit from Guatemala for the company's role in a 1940s experiment that infected hundreds with syphilis. In 2001 BMS faced an accounting scandal that resulted in a restatement of revenues from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, BMS faced a lawsuit based on illegally maintaining a monopoly on Taxol, a chemotherapy medication. The former head of the pharma group and the ex-CFO were indicted for federal securities violations in 2005. In July of 2006, an FBI raid on the company's corporate offices revealed that the company took steps to delay the release of a generic version of one of its drugs. BMS began a significant restructuring in 2009, focusing on the pharmaceutical business and biologic products, productivity initiatives and cost-cutting. The U.S. attorney forced the company into oversight and appointed a monitor as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Lou Schmukler joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2010 as global product development and design president. In 2013, Forbes magazine ranked the company as the drug company of the year. Dr. Giovanni Caforio took the reigns as CEO in 2015. In 2017, reports began to surface that activist investor Carl Icahn took a stake in the company, widely seen as a signal for a potential future takeover. As Bristol-Myers Squibb continues to experience success and growth, the company is committed to delivering innovative treatments to patients and staying ahead of the curve in the biopharmaceutical industry. With its focus on research and development and a long and rich history of delivering innovative medicines, BMS offers an excellent long-term investment opportunity. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund invests in sectors, such as consumer non-cyclical, financial, energy, technology, communications, industrial, consumer cyclical, basic materials and utilities. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc operates as an industrial technology company in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Civil Aerospace, Defence, Power Systems, and New Markets. The Civil Aerospace segment develops, manufactures, markets, and sells aero engines for large commercial aircraft, regional jet, and business aviation markets, as well as provides aftermarket services. The Defence segment is involved in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of military aero engines, naval engines, and submarine nuclear power plants; and offers aftermarket services. The Power Systems segment engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of integrated solutions for onsite power and propulsion for the marine, defense, power generation, and industrial markets. The New Markets segment develops, manufactures, and sells small modular reactor and new electrical power solutions. The company provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. New Found Gold Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the identification, acquisition, and exploration of mineral properties in the Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario. The company primarily explores for gold deposit. It holds 100% interests in the Queensway project that includes 94 mineral licenses and 6,649 claims covering an area of 166,225 hectares of land located near Gander, Newfoundland; and the Lucky Strike project comprising 11,684 hectares located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The company was formerly known as Palisade Resources Corp. and changed its name to New Found Gold Corp. in June 2017. New Found Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he appointed Penny Pritzker, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, to serve as an envoy to help Ukraine with its economic recovery. In her new capacity as U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, Pritzker will be "working in lockstep with the Ukrainian government, our allies and partners, international financial institutions, and the private sector," driving U.S. "efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy," Biden said. The 64-year-old former commerce secretary during the Barack Obama administration will also coordinate "complementary and mutually reinforcing" efforts among the Group of Seven wealthy nations, and "help the Ukrainian government make reforms needed to strengthen its economy," Biden said. Pritzker will work from the State Department and report to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. She plans to travel to Ukraine in the coming weeks to assess the state of the Ukrainian economy and hold talks with the country's political and business leaders, The New York Times reported. The United States is "committed to ensuring that Ukraine not only survives, but thrives. And Secretary Pritzker will work to ensure that is the case," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during the department's regular press briefing. In the latest 1-billion-U.S.-dollar aid package for Ukraine that the United States announced last week when Blinken was on a trip to Kiev, 203 million dollars will be spent on supporting the "transparency and accountability" of Ukrainian government institutions, "bolstering key reform efforts related to anti-corruption, rule of law and the justice sector," according to the State Department. The fund is also going to be utilized "to enable economic recovery in Ukraine, strengthening public financial management practices to meet international standards," the department said in a statement issued on Sept. 6. WEX Inc. operates a commerce platform in the United States and internationally. The Fleet Solutions segment offers fleet vehicle payment solutions, transaction processing, and information management services. It also provides account and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; account management; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions; and ancillary services and tools to fleets to manage expenses and capital requirements. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to businesses and government agencies with fleets of commercial vehicles; and indirectly through co-branded and private label relationships. The Travel and Corporate Solutions segment provides payment solutions, including embedded payments; and accounts payable automation and spend management solutions. Its products include virtual cards that are used for transactions where no physical card is presented. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to customers in travel, fintech, insurance, consumer bill pay, and media verticals, as well as businesses and financial institutions. The Health and Employee Benefit Solutions segment offers software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for consumer directed healthcare benefits and full-service benefit enrollment solutions. Its SaaS platform includes embedded payment solutions and plan administration services for consumer-directed health benefits; COBRA accounts; and benefit enrollment and administration services. This segment also provides custodial and depository services for health savings accounts; and payroll-related benefits. This segment markets its products through third-party administrators, financial institutions, payroll providers, and health plans. The company was formerly known as Wright Express Corporation and changed its name to WEX Inc. in October 2012. WEX Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Portland, Maine. Malaysia Day 2023: Every year on September 16, Malaysia comes alive with vibrant colors, joyful celebrations, and a profound sense of national pride. This is Malaysia Day, also known as 'Hari Malaysia,' a day that commemorates the historic moment in 1963 when the Malaysian Federation was formed. While Malaysia already has its Independence Day on August 31, Malaysia Day holds its own significance, celebrating the unity and diversity of a nation born out of a complex historical journey. The Historical Significance To understand the importance of Malaysia Day, we must delve into the historical backdrop against which it unfolded. The journey to the formation of the Malaysian Federation was a long and intricate one. The Birth of the Federation On September 16, 1963, a new nation was born as the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, together with the former British Colony of Singapore, merged with the Malaya Federation. This unification marked a significant moment in the history of the region, as it brought together diverse cultures, languages, and peoples under a single banner. Sabah and Sarawak, both rich in resources and natural beauty, had their own unique histories. Sabah, situated on the island of Borneo, had been a British colony for 17 years before becoming part of Malaysia. Its rich petroleum resources made it a coveted territory, with both the Philippines and Malaysia seeking control. Sarawak, on the other hand, had been ruled by the 'white rajas,' the Brooke Dynasty, which had overseen its transformation and expansion. Its integration into Malaysia added another layer of complexity to this union of states. Challenges and Conflicts The road to Malaysia's formation was not without its challenges. One of the most notable was the separation of Singapore from the Federation on August 9, 1965. This separation was prompted by political and ideological differences, making Singapore an independent nation. Additionally, the issue of sovereignty and territorial disputes was significant. Sabah's rich resources and its location were points of contention. This led to disputes with the Philippines over who had rightful ownership, further complicating the nascent nation's political landscape. In the 1970s, Indonesia's mass exodus of refugees and the dispute over Sabah's right to neighboring islands, such as Sipadan and Ligitan, added fuel to the fire. Eventually, these islands were officially declared part of Sabah, cementing its place within the Malaysian Federation. Recognition of Malaysia Day Despite the historical significance of Malaysia Day, it did not initially receive the recognition it deserved. It was not declared a public holiday until the request made by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in 2010. This recognition was a momentous step, acknowledging the importance of this day in the nation's history. Commemorating Malaysia Day Today, Malaysia Day is a time for Malaysians to come together and celebrate the strength of their diverse nation. The celebrations are marked by various national ceremonies, parades, cultural performances, and gatherings that showcase the rich tapestry of Malaysian culture. One of the most notable events is the raising of the Malaysian flag, known as the 'Jalur Gemilang,' which features 14 alternating red and white stripes representing the 13 states of Malaysia and the federal territories. This flag-raising ceremony symbolizes unity and solidarity among the diverse regions of the country. Cultural festivals and exhibitions are also held throughout the nation. These events highlight Malaysia's cultural diversity, with displays of traditional dances, music, clothing, and cuisine from various ethnic groups such as Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous communities. It's a time when Malaysians take pride in their multicultural heritage and celebrate the harmonious coexistence of different cultures within the same nation. The Significance of Malaysia's Dual National Days Some may find it curious that Malaysia has two national days: Independence Day on August 31 and Malaysia Day on September 16. However, both of these days are deeply significant, each representing a unique facet of Malaysia's history. Independence Day, celebrated on August 31, marks the nation's liberation from colonial rule. It is a day of remembrance for the sacrifices made by those who fought for Malaysia's freedom from British colonialism. On this day, Malaysians reflect on their hard-won independence and the progress the nation has made since then. On the other hand, Malaysia Day, observed on September 16, commemorates the birth of the Malaysian Federation. It represents the coming together of different regions, cultures, and histories to form a united nation. Malaysia Day celebrates diversity and unity in equal measure, underscoring the nation's commitment to embracing its multicultural identity. Malaysia Day, also known as 'Hari Malaysia,' is a day of immense historical and cultural significance. It serves as a reminder of the complex journey that led to the formation of the Malaysian Federation on September 16, 1963. While Malaysia already celebrates its Independence Day on August 31, Malaysia Day offers a unique perspective, highlighting the unity and diversity of a nation born out of a tapestry of cultures, languages, and histories. The challenges faced during the formation of the Federation, the complexities of integrating diverse states like Sabah and Sarawak, and the eventual recognition of Malaysia Day as a public holiday all contribute to the rich tapestry of Malaysia's history. In the modern era, Malaysia Day is a time for celebration, reflection, and unity. It is a day when Malaysians come together to honor their diverse heritage and express their commitment to a harmonious coexistence. Through cultural festivals, flag-raising ceremonies, and various other festivities, Malaysians proudly showcase their multicultural identity. In essence, Malaysia Day encapsulates the spirit of a nation that cherishes its past, celebrates its present, and looks forward to a future where unity, diversity, and progress continue to be its guiding principles. Remembering the 2008 Delhi Serial Blasts A Dark Chapter in India's History This Day in History: The 37th US President Gerald Ford's Controversial Pardon of Richard Nixon This Day In History: Akbar's Triumph, Decisive Battle of Ahmedabad and Conquest of Gujarat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Jan. 25, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. Three men were acquitted September 15 on all charges against them in connection to allegations that they were involved in a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a new age-progression photo, seen on the right, of Dulce Maria Alavez. The horrific scope of the death and destruction caused by Storm Daniel across eastern Libya continues to emerge, as rescuers and reporters arrive in the flood zone. Towns across eastern Libya are devastated, with 11,300 confirmed dead as of last night in Derna, which was flooded by a massive wall of water after two dams burst. Its mayor, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, has warned that the death toll in his city alone could reach 20,000. A general view of the flooded city of Derna, Libya, is seen Wednesday, September 13, 2023. The rainwater that gushed down Derna's mountainside and into the city has killed thousands and left thousands more missing, washing entire neighborhoods out to sea. [AP Photo/Muhammad J. Elalwany] The estimated number of deaths in the city could reach between 18,000 to 20,000, based on the number of buildings in the districts destroyed by the flood, Gaithi told Al-Arabiya television. We actually need teams specialised in recovering bodies. I fear that the city will be infected with an epidemic due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water. The failure to maintain basic infrastructure and to prepare emergency response policies, flowing from the 2011 NATO war in Libya that plunged the country into an ongoing 12-year civil war, has exacted a horrific human cost. Inhabitants of Derna heard what sounded like explosions when the two dams burst, and shortly afterwards the city was submerged under seven-meter high waves. I heard a whoosh, I thought it was an aeroplane. The force of the water collapsed my neighbours house, one man told the Financial Times. When he left his home after the flood waters receded, he added, I was walking on corpses. Another survivor said that he and his mother barely managed to reach safety by scrambling inside a house that was not carried off by the flood waters. He added, The scene I saw afterwards, whatever I say, its impossible to describe. Bodies were floating on the water, cars were floating by, girls were screaming. It lasted an hour or an hour and a half, but if felt like more than a year. A quarter of Derna was swept out to sea, and thousands of bodies are still trapped under the rubble of buildings or are washing up ashore. The victims are being buried in mass graves. Theres no time or space to bury them in single graves. We removed 500 bodies in a single operation, said Osama Ali, a spokesman for the Ambulance and Emergency Center in Libya. Rescuers are calling for emergency shipments of body bags to the region. Bodies are everywhere, inside houses, in the streets, at sea. Wherever you go, you find dead men, women, and children. Entire families were lost, aid worker Emad al-Falah told AP. Map shows the flood damage extent in Derna, Libya [AP Photo/Phil Holm ] Rescue efforts are further complicated because only two of the seven roads into Derna survived the floods. Currently, many rescue workers are forced to rely on helicopters for transportation, and water and electricity are cut off in the city. Other cities near Derna have also been shattered. Journalist Mohamed Eljarh said that rescuers had still not reached the coastal city of Susah and other nearby villages. In Susah, he said, Hundreds of homes are buried under mud, debris and water. No help has arrived. Other areas have been similarly affected. The death toll is going to be staggering. This is the product of the 12 years of fighting since the 2011 NATO war on Libya and the ensuing eruption of civil war between governments in eastern and western Libya. Rival militias whom the NATO powers had supported as their proxies to wage war on Colonel Muammar Gaddafis regime have tore the country apart. As Libyas economy fell by half, and major oil companies plundered Libyas oil wealth, nothing was spent on dam repair or emergency services. The risk of a flood catastrophe was well known to scientists and state officials in Libya. Last year, hydrologist Abdelwanees A. R. Ashoor of Omar Al-Mukhtar University published a paper warning that a major flood in Derna would be likely to cause one of the two dams to collapse. He wrote, If a huge flood happens, the result will be catastrophic for the people of the wadi and the city. Another scholarly journal also published last year by Sebha University similarly warned of the poor maintenance of the Derna dams and called for urgent action. The results that were obtained demonstrate that the studied area is at risk of flooding, its findings stated. Therefore, immediate measures must be taken for routine maintenance of the dams, because in the event of a big flood, the consequences will be disastrous for the residents of the valley and the city. But with local authorities controlled by rival NATO-backed militias focused on waging war against each other, such warnings went unheeded. Moreover, the warnings and evacuation orders that would have been given by Libyas meteorological service prior to the NATO war were not issued, because the meteorological service has collapsed during the past 12 years of fighting. Petteri Taalas of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva told RFI: Before, Libya had a relatively modern meteorological service, but this is no longer the case. It virtually does not work at all anymore. The observation network is virtually destroyed. Thus, the storm arrived but virtually no evacuation took place. Of course we could not have avoided economic losses, but we could have avoided most of the human losses. WMO officials said they issued warnings and contacted Libyan officials 72 hours before the dams collapsed, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Libya. But instead of ordering an evacuation of low-lying areas, the eastern Libyan governments Interior Ministry ordered a curfew. This forced inhabitants of these cities to stay in the path of the flood surge unleashed by the dam collapse. Libyan prosecutors have now launched an investigation into the disaster response to decide whether to press negligence charges against any officials. Above all, however, responsibility for the disaster lies with the NATO imperialist powers who launched a war for regime change in Libya with catastrophic consequences. The failure of dams and of critical public services in the Derna region flow from the fact that all of Libya has been plundered for over a decade by imperialism. There are mounting indications of mounting popular anger at the handling of the floods, and of fear in ruling circles of the working population. Al-Jazeera reported that the Libyan National Army (LNA) militia of warlord and CIA asset Khalifa Haftar, which controls Derna, is stopping journalists from entering Derna and confiscating their cell phones. Fadellalah, an IT worker in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, whose family lived in Derna, spoke to the Associated Press (AP). He said he had called his family on Sunday to urge them to move to higher ground, but that now at least 13 members of his family are confirmed dead and 20 are missing. Some of them didnt have cars. They didnt have a way to get out, he said. AP noted that Fadelallah asked that his surname not be used because he fears reprisals from government officials and armed groups who could view his story as criticism of their efforts. Indias military is consideringwith urgency and at the highest-levels what support it could and would provide the US and its allies in a war with China over Taiwan. The options that the military identifies will reportedly soon be placed before Indias far-right, Narendra Modi-led government and, no doubt in some form, subsequently communicated to the White House and the Pentagon. Multiple news reports dating back to the beginning of last month say the ongoing examination of how Indias three armed servicesarmy, navy and air forcemight assist US imperialism in waging war on China was ordered by Indias Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, after US officials raised the issue in multiple forums. Last week, as US President Joe Biden began a visit to India for the G20 summit, Bloomberg and the Times of India published a report citing senior Indian officials as saying two options have been identified and are now to be the object of detailed study. One option the Indian military will study, Bloomberg reported, involves serving as a logistics hub to provide repair and maintenance facilities for allied warships and aircraft, as well as food, fuel and medical equipment for armies resisting China. India has already entered into a series of foundational agreements to enable and facilitate joint action with the US military. These include a Logistics-Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) under which US warplanes and warships can make routine use of Indian ports and bases for resupply and repair. However, as India is not a US treaty ally this does not automatically apply in wartime. It should also be noted that among the many agreements Modi and Biden announced at their summit in Washington last June was one between the US Navy and three Indian shipyards to provide service and repair to US warships mid-voyage. Tanks on the banks of Pangong Tso lake region, in Ladakh along the India-China border on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. [AP Photo/India Army via AP] The second option is even more provocative and makes clearlest there be any doubtthat a US-China war, whatever its initial trigger, would rapidly escalate into a global conflagration. A more extreme scenario, reports Bloomberg, would assess the potential for India to get directly involved along their northern border, opening up a new theater of war for China. Beijing has unquestionably long been aware of such a threat. That it is now publicly being discussed as under active consideration by Indias military and political leaders is new, and highlights just how advanced are US plans to instigate a war with China, using Taiwan much in the same way as it did Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, the Indian military is under orders to finish its study as soon as possible. Indiaoften described by US war planners as Chinas soft underbellyhas a longstanding border dispute with China, one that has dramatically escalated since 2020 and in which Washington has obtrusively inserted itself. For the past three years, both India and China have forward deployed tens of thousands of troops, tanks and warplanes along their undefined Himalayan border, while undertaking crash programs to build fortifications, air bases, transport links and other war-related infrastructure. Up until 2020, Washington had a professed stance of neutrality on the Indo-China border dispute. Since then, and as part of the all-sided diplomatic, economic and military-strategic offensive against China initiated under Trump and ratcheted up by Biden, it has inserted itself ever more directly into the conflict. The US government and Congress now routinely tie the Indo-China border dispute to the US-incited territorial conflicts between China and its neighbours over the South China Sea, saying they are proof of Beijings aggression. In December, shortly after the conclusion of a joint Indo-US military exercise in high altitude warfare less than 100 kilometres from Indias border with China, Indian officials boasted that they had blocked a Peoples Liberation Army border incursion thanks to real-time intelligence provided by Washington. The admission via leaks that Indias military is weighing the possibility of opening a second front in the event of a US-China war can only further inflame relations with Beijing. It comes shortly after three recently retired Indian forces chiefsArmy Chief Manoj Naravane, Navy Chief Karambir Singh, and Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauriavisited Taipei to participate in the Taiwan government-backed Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue and meet with officials from Taiwans key defense think tank, the Institute of National Defense and Security Research. The retired status of the three enabled New Delhi to officially maintain the pretense that it is not seeking closer military ties with Taiwan or violating its adherence to a one-China policy. There is no question, however, that the trip was undertaken at the Modi governments behest. Neither Bloomberg nor the Times of India reports mentioned, let alone raised any concern, over the fact that both China and India are nuclear powers, and that New Delhi has justified its development of a nuclear triad equipped with intercontinental missiles with claims that China is its principal strategic threat. Similarly, these reports ignored the implications for the balance of power in South Asia of Indias role as a frontline state in a US war on China. Pakistan, Indias historic strategic rival, has forged ever deeper military-security ties with China over the past decade and a half in response to Washingtons showering New Delhi with strategic favours. With the aim of harnessing India ever more tightly to its drive to strategically isolate, encircle and subjugate China, the US has given New Delhi access to high-tech weaponry and civilian nuclear technology, and endorsed its illegal and provocative surgical military strikes inside Pakistan. In the event of a US war on China, and all the more so if India directly attacked China, Pakistans ruling class would face massive geostrategic compulsions to throw its military forces, also nuclear-armed, into the balance. Indian military doctrine calls for it to be capable of waging a two-front war against China and Pakistan and its generals frequently boast that they have the weaponry and prowess to do so. Chilling as are the options India is said to be weighing they hardly exhaust the means whereby New Delhi could aid and abet a US war on China. From Indias expanding network of northern air bases, US warplanes could reach deep into China. India also has a large and growing bluewater navy and is eager to assume a bigger role in providing security in the Indian Ocean, through which the worlds most important sea-lanes pass, including those that convey much of Chinas export trade and the energy and other resources that fuel its economy. While India has thus far refrained from mounting joint naval patrols with the US in the South China Sea, its ships now routinely show the flag there. It regularly stages quadrilateral joint naval exercises elsewhere with the US and its principal Asia-Pacific allies, Japan and Australia, and in recent months has bolstered its military-security ties with both Vietnam and the Philippines. The Modi government responded to the intensification of the global capitalist crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic by doubling down on the twin pillars of the class strategy the Indian bourgeoisie has pursued for the past three decades. These are pro-investor reforms aimed at intensifying the exploitation of the working class so as to attract global capital and the strengthening of the Indo-US global strategic partnership. Over the past three and a half years, New Delhi has dramatically increased its integration into the US war drive against China, strengthening bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral strategic tiesas exemplified by the quasi military-security alliance known as the Quadwith the US, Japan and Australia. Nevertheless, New Delhi balked at the demands from the US and its NATO allies that it break its decades-long close military-strategic and commercial ties with Russia at the beginning of the Ukraine war. Cheap Russian oil has helped alleviate mounting pressure on the Indian economy, and New Delhi continues to depend on its ties with Moscow to equip its military forces, assist with its civilian nuclear program and provide it some strategic autonomy from the western powers. Various petty bourgeois pseudo-left forces opposed to the struggle to mobilize the global working class against war on the basis of a revolutionary socialist programlike the Indian Stalinist US-based academic Vijay Prashadhave celebrated the Modi governments failure to line up four-square behind the US-NATO war on Russia. They claim this is part of the emergence of a new non-alignment and a multi-polar world that can provide the basis for accommodating the mutual interests of the imperialist powers and the capitalist regimes of the Global South. This is all willfully blind. Under the political leadership of the vile Hindu supremacist Narendra Modi and under conditions where the NATO war on Russia has demonstrated the western powers readiness to risk nuclear war in pursuit of their imperialist interests, the Indian bourgeoisie is integrating itself ever more fully into the US war drive against China. It is doing so in pursuit of its own reactionary ends, including its ambition to transform India into global capitals prime alternate cheap-labour production chain hub to China, but also to offset pressure from Washington over its ties with Russia. As for Indias much-vaunted policy of strategic autonomy, there is nothing progressive, let alone anti-imperialist about it. Its purpose is to enable the Indian ruling class to better pursue its own predatory interests. Chief among them are haggling for a higher price for its role as a US satrap against China, and pulling the wool over the eyes of Indias workers and toilers as to how deeply complicit and implicated it is in American imperialisms war drive against China. As twice in the last century, global capitalist breakdown is leading to an imperialist drive to repartition the world through world war. But the same crisis is fueling a mass upsurge of the global working class and creating thereby the objective basis for the development of a mass anti-war movementin opposition to all the political representatives of the rival nationally-based capitalist cliques and their governmentsand the overthrow of the profit system, the source of all war, imperialist oppression and social inequality. Join the next online meeting of the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network to discuss uniting workers for an all-out strike across the auto industry. Register here to attend. Stellantis Toledo Jeep workers picketing on September 15, 2023 At midnight on Friday morning, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain ordered almost 95 percent of autoworkers to keep working and called a strike at only three facilities: GM Wentzville Assembly in Missouri, Stellantis Toledo North Assembly in Ohio, and Ford Michigan Assembly, where only the final assembly and paint departments are on strike. It would be the greatest danger for workers to accept Fains claim that the UAWs stand-up strike is a new innovation that keeps the companies guessing. This so-called strategy was devised in the closest coordination with the Biden administration and the auto companies, and its purpose is to crush autoworkers and carry out the Big Threes war on the working class. It violates the will of 97 percent of the rank and file who voted to strike to win workers demands. The Big Three and the network of Wall Street banks that back them are openly gloating as the UAW forces workers to keep production going. Share values for two of the Big Three jumped on Friday: GMs stock rose 0.83 percent and Stellantis rose 2.18 percent, while Fords climbed to a month high before closing down 0.12 percent. A banner headline on CNN read, Auto stocks head higher as investors shrug off strike. The article noted that investors didnt seem too bothered by the selective strike. The credit rating agency Fitch Ratings issued a statement Friday celebrating the fact that the strike would have a limited financial impact on the three major automakers. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the selection of Wentzville Assembly, Toledo North Assembly and part of Michigan Assembly Plant was deliberately aimed at minimizing the impact on corporate profits, noting the action could have been more disruptive, and some analysts were surprised the union didnt target more. There is no doubt these plants were selected well in advance by the UAW in collaboration with the companies. Investment banker Louis Navellier told CNN that a limited strike is actually good for the Big Three, especially because the UAW did not select engine plants with the ability to shutter additional facilities. There is currently an excess inventory of these vehicles on dealer lots, so the UAW strike will help the Big Three get their inventories under control, Navellier said Friday. A short strike for two weeks or so could help the Big Three tighten their inventories and stop excessive discounting. The Free Press cited labor Attorney L. Steven Platt at the pro-management law firm Howard and Howard and explained that Fains plan will divide workers to weaken their resolve and create tension between those who are striking and those who are not. Platt, the management-side attorney, also said the UAWs decision to force workers to work under an expired contract was giving a major advantage to the Big Three. Here, the union did not agree to extend the agreement on existing terms during contract talks, Platt told the Free Press. Usually, it is management that doesnt agree to extend. I did not understand why the union did this given the leverage it gives management by doing this. CNBC acknowledged that the UAWs strategy to keep workers working without a contract gives the companies much more ability to lock workers out and more easily opens the door for companies to hire permanent replacement workers. On Friday, President Joe Biden intervened immediately in the strike, announcing that he was deploying Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House advisor Gene Sperling to Detroit to offer their full support for the parties in reaching their contract and prevent the strike from growing. Lets be clear, Biden said, No one wants a strike. Ill say it again, no one wants a strike. During a brief press conference announcing the intervention, Biden acknowledged, Ive been in touch with both parties about this in the last few weeks, an admission that the White House and the companies helped concoct the selective strike as a mechanism for breaking workers will. This is also why Biden declared last week that he knew there would be no strike. This was the plan from the start. The rapidity of the intervention of the Biden administration shows that strategic geopolitical issues are at stake for Wall Street and US imperialism. The transition to electric vehicles is a top geopolitical priority, necessary to counter the ruling classs rivals in China. But beyond this, Bidens intervention is also aimed at securing a low-paid and subservient workforce for wartime production as it escalates the war against Russia into a more and more direct conflict. The political establishment and corporate media are aware that Fains move has provoked immense anger among rank-and-file workers. Politico noted that the UAW bureaucracy has tempers to tame among the rank-and-file, and the Wall Street Journal warned that members are also riled up. Merrick Masters, a Wayne State University professor in labor-management relations, told the Free Press, You cant assume that these other workers who are silent are going to be highly supportive of this. Citing another labor lawyer, the Free Press added that Fains move may breed contempt among workers. These nervous statements are a recognition that autoworkers possess immense potential power. That power is restrained by the UAW bureaucracy, which is collaborating with the White House and the companies to sell workers out. There is a powerful movement emerging among rank-and-file autoworkers in the US and around the world. There are 1,100 UAW members on strike against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and over 100 on strike against auto parts maker Dometic in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. In the coming weeks, contracts for tens of thousands of UAW workers are expiring, including at Las Vegas Casinos, Yangfeng, General Dynamics, Allison Transmission, Flex-N-Gate, Mayco, Mack Trucks and more. American autoworkers are part of an international movement of the working class. The contract expires on September 18 for 20,000 Canadian autoworkers, and contracts for 150,000 autoworkers and metalworkers in Turkey and 30,000 autoworkers in South Korea are expiring this month. Autoworkers at GM plants in Mexico are calling on their coworkers to slow production to support the strike in the US. Autoworkers in Germany are also fighting plant closures caused by the transition to electric vehicles. Autoworkers have powerful allies across all industries. A strike involving well over 100,000 actors and writers is currently ongoing, and 85,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente just voted to strike by 98 percent. Autoworkers at Lear in Hammond, Indiana, and meatpackers at Hormel in Austin, Minnesota, have recently rejected sellout contracts. For decades the trade union bureaucrats in each country have kept these struggles separate in order to sap the working class strength, but today it is urgently necessary to bring these struggles together into one powerful movement for social equality. This requires new methods of struggle. In every plant and every shift, autoworkers must begin speaking to each other and organizing themselves in committees whose aim is to countermand Fains keep working order and launch an all-out strike against each of the Big Three. The bureaucracy has no plans to call out all 150,000 Big Three workers, so the rank and file must fight to do it themselves. This requires establishing alternate power structures to take control away from the bureaucrats and put decision making in the hands of workers on the shop floor. An all-out strike is necessary, but it must be fought for. Such a strike is critical not only from the standpoint of winning the struggle by Big Three autoworkers, but to spur a movement that will reverse decades of attacks on the rights and living standards of workers all over the world. A report has highlighted the anti-democratic impact of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)s definition of antisemitism, which maliciously equates criticisms of Israel with anti-Jewish hate. The Adverse Impact of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism was co-authored by Palestinian legal advocacy group the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRSMES). It examines 40 antisemitism investigations in universities following accusations levelled under the IHRA. Not one has resulted in the accused being found at fault: 38 individuals or organisations have been cleared and two investigations are ongoing. The Adverse Impact of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism co-authored by Palestinian legal advocacy group the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRSMES) [Photo: brismes.ac.uk] The report concludes that critics of the Israeli state, advocates for Palestinian rights and those teaching the history and politics of the region have been subjected to false allegations of antisemitism and that those falsely accused have felt their reputations to have been sullied. Accusations have had an adverse effect on academic freedom and freedom of speech on campuses, leading, in some cases, to the cancellation of events. They have created a a chilling effect among staff and students, deterring individuals from speaking about or organising events that discuss Palestinian human rights. The IHRA definition has been adopted by 119 universities (75 percent) following a relentless cross-party campaign covered previously by the World Socialist Web Site. We warned in October 2020 that then Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was preparing for the censorship of hundreds of thousands of students and higher education staff as the latest move in a five-year conspiracy of the Conservative government, the Labour Party and Zionist organisations aimed at criminalising vast swathes of the political left. The ELSC-BRSMES report covers 24 cases involving staff members, nine involving students, and seven involving student groups across 14 different universities11 of them in the prestigious Russell Group. Its authors note a common feature across several cases is the occurrence of significant levels of monitoring and surveillance of any publicly expressed analysis or opinion about Israel or Palestine. This includes recording student speeches, staff lectures, and other presentations; monitoring student or staff social media posts (including the collection of social media posts several years after they were written); reviewing academic publications; and reviewing course syllabi and reading lists. In most cases, students or staff were made to suffer a prolonged period of official harassment and interference on the basis of false accusations. Seven students were put through disciplinary hearings lasting several months, resulting in prolonged student stress and anxiety. A highlighted case saw one student investigated for two months for sharing a Human Rights Watch infographic about Israels apartheid system in the West Bank, which they referred to entirely fairly as ethnic cleansingreminiscent of South African apartheid. Seven student societies had pro-Palestinian events or initiatives disrupted, with accusers focussing on Israeli Apartheid Week activities. Four events were fully cancelled by the university. Others had outrageous vetting conditions imposed, like requiring the organisers to declare their support for the IHRA definition in advance, to change the titles of their events, record them and refuse access to the public. Staff members were sent to monitor some events for IHRA compliance. Dr. Somdeep Sen, Associate Professor at Roskilde University, felt forced to cancel a lecture on his book Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas between the Anticolonial and the Postcolonial at the University of Glasgow. The Jewish Students Society lodged a complaint claiming the topic was antisemitic, leading the university to demand Dr. Sen provide details of his talk in advance and promise not to say anything that would contravene the IHRA. He refused to comply with these discriminatory conditions. Eighteen staff members were investigated or given formal disciplinary hearings, all of which produced findings of no case to answer or exonerated of all charges. One was forced onto leave by stress and many cited adverse consequences for their teaching preparation and research. This is political repression worthy of a dictatorship, carried out to safeguard the criminal Israeli state from criticism and cow its left-wing opponents. But the reports publication is another indication of a growing backlash against the campaign to enforce the IHRA. It notes, for example, the opinion of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, E. Tendayi Achiume, that the definition should not be used owing to its susceptibility to being politically instrumentalised and the harm done to human rights resulting from such instrumentalization. Legal experts Hugh Tomlinson KC and Geoffrey Robertson KC, and the retired lord justices of appeal Sir Stephen Sedley and Sir Anthony Hooper have also been critical, with Robertson commenting pointedly, The definition does not cover the most insidious forms of hostility to Jewish people and the looseness of the definition is liable to chill legitimate criticisms of the State of Israel and coverage of human rights abuses against Palestinians. The WSWS commented on the downplaying of far-right danger by the left antisemitism campaign last December. In April this year, over 100 international and Israeli civil rights groups including BTselem, Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch wrote to the UN urging it not to adopt the IHRA, explaining: Adoption of the definition by governments and institutions is often framed as an essential step in efforts to combat antisemitism. In practice, however, the IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe. This response cannot be separated from events in Israel-Palestine, where the Netanyahu governments warmongering and dictatorial aspirations, backed by his fascistic coalition partners, are laying bare the character of the Israeli state and its oppression of the Palestinians. At the same time, critics of the IHRA have doubtless been emboldened by the hundreds of thousands of Israelis protesting the government and visibly tearing apart the idea that the State of Israel represents all Jews for all time, or that opposition to it is inherently antisemitic. But the widespread criticism of the IHRA raises fundamental questions. How did it become so entrenched in the first place, and how does the antisemitism witch-hunt continue to smear so many? The answer is the bipartisan support lent by Britains main capitalist parties, and the politically criminal retreat orchestrated by former leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn. Accusations of left antisemitism and the IHRA came to prominence in Britain in a slanderous attack waged by the Labour and Conservative parties and the media on Corbyn and his supporters, designed to ruin his chances of election and set a chilling example to left-wing, anti-imperialist workers and youth. Corbyn capitulated, allowing the accusations to fester and accepting and even facilitating the expulsion from the Labour Party of some of his closest allies. In September 2018, he accepted the IHRA definition in full. An extensive account of the witch-hunt and Corbyns role was published by the WSWS in April 2020. The Conservative government and the Labour Party cannot be allowed to continue dictating political opinions to students and academics. Israels crimes cannot be shielded by a sham definition of antisemitism which terrorises opponents of dictatorship, oppression and war. The Jewish population in Israel and around the world cannot be falsely and dangerously equated with the right-wing ruling class in charge of the Israeli state. The Socialist Equality Party and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality have fought consistently against this reactionary offensive in politics, academia and cultural life and call on all students and university workers to do the same. On Tuesday, body camera footage taken by Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer was released to the public as a result of an internal department investigation. Auderer, also vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, inadvertently took the footage in response to a January 23 incident involving fellow officer Kevin Dave, who struck and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula in the middle of a crosswalk in Seattle, Washington. Dave had been responding to a drug overdose call when he barreled through the intersection at 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone, killing Kandula, a graduate student in Information Sciences at Northeastern University in Seattle. In addition to her schoolwork, Kandula had also been working part time to help support her mother in Andhra Pradesh in India. A statement from the family read, Jaahnavis tragic and untimely death has left her family and community with a huge hole in their hearts that will never be repaired. In spite of earning less than $200 per month, her mother educated Jaahnavi and encouraged her to travel to the United States hoping Jaahnavi would have a better future and better life abroad. Dave, 35, is a former US Marine hired by the Seattle Police Department as part of a mass hiring initiative in 2019. The officer, while having no significant disciplinary history with the SPD prior to the January incident, did have a previous Arizona drivers license suspended in 2018 for unpaid traffic tickets and failure to appear in court. Daves driving record also includes a 2018 traffic ticket for running a red light in Washington state. The leaked body camera footage in question shows Auderer in his patrol car speaking over the phone to a man later identified as guild president Mike Solan a day after the January accident. Auderer is heard assuring Solan the incident would not be the subject of a criminal investigation and stated that driving 50 miles per hour through a 25 mile per hour intersectionnot the actual 74 miles per hourwas not reckless for a trained driver. Auderer then gave Solan his own interpretation of witness testimony regarding the incident. I think she [Kandula] went up on the hood, hit the windshield, then when he [Dave] hit the brakes, flew off the car. He then told Solan, but she is dead and then proceeded to laugh out loud. In a subsequent statement dripping with horrifying contempt for the working class student, Auderer tells Solan, Its a regular person. Yeah, just write a check. $11,000. Auderer then states, mistaking Kandulas age, She was 26 anyway. She had limited value. Jaahnavi Kandula Seattle area right-wing radio host Jason Rantz later claimed to have received a written statement from Auderer provided to the citys Office of Police Accountability. In it, Auderer claimed to be sarcastically mocking how the city and its attorneys would respond to the incident. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy, Auderer allegedly stated. These justifications have failed to gain any significant credibility, however, as outrage over Auderers recorded remarks continues to grow not only within the Seattle area but across the country and internationally. The mass outpouring of anger, particularly on social media, has compelled Seattle area officials, primarily Democrats and pseudo-left Socialist Alternative/Democratic Socialists of America city council member Kshama Sawant, to conduct a massive damage control exercise. On Wednesday, Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales requested that Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz take action against Officer Auderer for his comments. As the department and Seattles Police Officers Guild ask for more funding for recruitment and hiring, its becoming clear the top deterrent to attracting high-quality officers may be the culture of the department itself. In the case of Sawant, who has also been a member of the Seattle City Council since 2014, a tweet was released Wednesday, in which she noted, The so-called Office of Professional Accountability has singularly failed to hold Seattle Police accountablecops overseeing cops will never work. We need independently elected community oversight with full powers over the police. But to win this, working people will need to organize independently of the Democratic Party. However, such statements run counter to the actual practice of Sawant and Socialist Alternative. In actual fact, Sawant, who is being considered as a running mate for Cornel Wests Green Party presidential campaign, has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to accommodate the Democrats and the corrupt trade union apparatus. Socialist Alternative and Sawant, before its current effort to sow illusions in the bankrupt, pro-capitalist Green Party, heavily endorsed the 2016 and 2020 campaigns of Bernie Sanders, even after the latter quickly pivoted to endorsing Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in 2016 and 2020 respectively. In fact, Socialist Alternative has made direct appeals to the police unions such as the Seattle Police Officers Guild, of which Auderer is Vice President, in order to carry out futile reforms which will do nothing to address the epidemic of police killings. They wrote amid the George Floyd protests in 2020, in a shameless denial of the role of the police as instruments of capitalist rule, We believe in the right of the police to form unions so that they have a way to resist being used by the ruling class against working people. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco also issued a statement Wednesday, calling the incident deeply troubling. It also contacted authorities in Seattle and Washington, D.C. calling for a thorough investigation of the incident and for action to be taken against those officers involved in Kandulas death. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, a Democrat, was compelled, nearly 9 months after the actual accident, to send a letter to Kandulas family expressing his condolences. I want to be clear, Harrell wrote, that the comments made by one person do not reflect the feelings of our city or the communities that call it home. In fact, Auderer has a long history, extending back at least 13 years with the SPD, of condoning the most egregious incidents of police misconduct, if not directly participating in such incidents himself. He has been the subject of eighteen separate Office of Police Accountability investigations since 2014. Far from such actions leading to termination or even slightly hampering his career, Auderer continued to hold prominent posts within the SPD and the police union, leading to his appointment as vice president of the officers guild. In 2010, Auderer was caught on camera with fellow officer Corey Williams promising to skull f*ck two Mexican immigrants stopped under false pretenses. Also that same year, Auderer was one of twelve officers who savagely beat Brian Torgerson, a mentally ill man, causing him permanent brain damage. Other investigations included allegations that Auderer had sexually assaulted a female arrestee while in detention and had viciously beaten another female arrestee while she was in handcuffs. In 2017, Auderer also punched and choked a homeless man inside the emergency room of Harborview Hospital in Seattle. Only a few weeks prior to the accident, Divest SPD, a community police oversight group, revealed that internal reports submitted by Auderer revealed immense hostility to local protests against the 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a shift report submitted after he was assigned to monitor the one-year anniversary demonstration against Floyds death, Auderer wrote that he had managed, the weekly DSA, Antifa and various other groups that the city has allowed to grow and flourish by not using the authority of government to keep order and marginalize political violence. Such comments are not only the views of Auderer as an individual, but express the immense hostility of the police departments around the country to the free speech rights of workers and youth. They are further emboldened by city, state and federal governments, whether led by Democrats or Republicans, who continue to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars of advanced tools and weaponry to them. Such tools will be ruthlessly employed against the working population as the capitalist crisis leads workers further into struggle. Workers and youth are viewed by police as military targets, or simply collateral damage, in Jaahnavi Kandulas case. Join the next online meeting of the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network to discuss the latest developments in the contract fight and the rank-and-file strategy for workers to win their demands. Register here to attend. For information on joining a rank-and-file committee to organize a fight against concessions, fill out the form at the bottom of this article. Only hours before the expiration of contracts for 150,000 workers at Ford, General Motors (GM) and Stellantis auto assembly plants in the United States, Unifor President Lana Payne convened on Thursday an online information session on the Canadian unions contract negotiations with Ford Motor Company which kept workers in the dark about any concrete details on demands for significant wage increases, the elimination of tiers, expansion of pensions and guarantees for job security. Unifor President Lana Payne at the opening of contract talks with Ford. [Photo: Unifor/Twitter] Ford was earlier selected by Payne as the target company with which to negotiate a pattern agreement that will then become the template for similar deals with the Canadian operations of GM and Stellantis. All three contracts expire on Monday, September 18, only four days after the United Auto Workers strike deadline south of the border. This year marks the first time that the contracts for 150,000 US autoworkers at the Detroit Three companies expire at virtually the same time as those of 18,000 Canadian autoworkers employed by the same companies. But rather than mobilizing workers in a joint struggle against the auto bosses on both sides of the border, Payne once again pumped out the same nationalist poison that has hamstrung autoworkers for generations. Payne used the information session to push the unions Charting our own course campaign. This virulently nationalist slogan, aimed deliberately at ramming a wedge between Canadian and American autoworkers who are exploited by the same globally operating auto giants, has been the bureaucracys motto for the ongoing auto contract negotiations in Canada. That Canadian course has seen decades of concessions contracts forced down the throats of an ever-declining membership in the auto plants as competing nationalist bureaucrats in the UAW and CAW/Unifor have whip-sawed jobs and wages back and forth across the border to the lowest bidder in a never-ending race to the bottom. That divisive strategy could not have been expressed more clearly than Windsor Stellantis Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidys earlier assertion that Were both going in at the same time. The fact of the matter is that if it comes down to product, I can play nice in the sandbox right until the facts come that its between us and the UAWthen the gloves go off. Yet, the contract struggle in the United States, according to Payne, has little to do with the contract fight by autoworkers in Canada because of differences in the political, social, economic and contractual environments in the two countries. What hogwash! The auto industry in North America is so completely integrated that a strike in the United States, Canada or Mexico can quickly stop production across borders. At the meeting, even Payne was forced to admit that should a strike occur among UAW members that it will impact some or all of our Canadian facilities. That impact is currently difficult to assess. Already, the UAW bureaucracy is working to suppress any meaningful strike action in the US after contracts there expired late Thursday night. But UAW workers are incensed. Rank-and-file committees in plants there are mobilizing against the unfolding betrayal. In the United States, as the strike deadline passed on Thursday night, Shawn Fain, Paynes counterpart at the head of the UAW, quickly went into action to prevent any movement toward an industry-wide strike. Flying in the face of widespread calls for all-out strike action, Fain ordered 95 percent of the membership to remain on the job, only sanctioning token strikes at GM Wentzville Assembly in Missouri, Stellantis Toledo Assembly in Ohio, and the final assembly and paint unit of Fords Michigan Assembly. Payne is aware of the extremely volatile situation. Any developing strike action in the US can cause not only reduced production in some operations in Canada but also, conversely, a re-allocation of resources from strikebound US facilities to Canadian operationsthat is to say, an attempt to use Canadian workers to weaken the fight by UAW workers. Either occurrence can convince Canadian autoworkers to quickly enter the fray. Thus, Payne felt it prudent at the meeting to remind Unifor autoworkers that regardless of events in the United States, they must report for their regular shifts until they hear otherwise from the union bureaucracy. What both Fain and Payne fear above all else is a rebellion by their rank-and-file memberships who are demanding militant, all-out strike action to press their demands. Already, the UAW has instructed workers not to take any solidarity action at non-striking plants. It has distributed flyers telling these workers they cannot resist speedup and forced overtime because under expired contracts they would have no protection from being fired if management accused them of engaging in even a partial strike. For Payne, her order against any militant, independent action by the membership goes double for autoworkers at Ford Canada who, like their counterparts at Ford and Stellantis, voted by over 98 percent for strikes should agreements not be reached with Unifor. Payne reported at the information session that negotiations with Ford were moving very slowly. The union president seemed quite perplexed by this. After all, hadnt she developed such strong relationships with a very sympathetic Ford management team? Unifor is a loyal partner. How could they do this to her? We are meeting resistance from Ford on our priority issues for our members, complained Payne. This resistance covers all four of the unions core economic pillarspension improvements, wage package increases, electric vehicle transition support and investment commitments. Despite Paynes protestations, these concerns are mirrored in the contractual demands of American autoworkers. The stakes for autoworkers on both sides of the border have never been higher. The auto bosses are waging a relentless global assault to reduce labour costs and slash jobs in order to dominate the markets and technologies for electric vehicles (EVs). Extensive plans have already been prepared to fund the transition to EVs while maintaining their enormous corporate profits by further suppressing wages, defending the divisive two- and three-tier systems, expanding the use of poverty wage Temporary Part-Time (TPT) workers, shredding what remains of protections against forced overtime, increasing production quotas, suppressing income protection during downtime re-tooling and obliterating standard work rules. Payne and the Unifor top brass are well-informed of these plans since they have helped formulate them. In a deepening of the reactionary tripartite corporatist partnership it has developed over the past four decades with the automakers and the state, the Unifor bureaucracy has been working hand-in-glove with the auto bosses and the federal Liberal and Ontario Tory governments to secure a major role for Canadian capitalists in global EV production. The has included shilling for massive public subsidies and ensuring the global competitivenesshere meaning ever-increasing profitsof Canadian industry. During Thursdays information presentation, Payne gloated, The tentative settlement we present will be the one that our committee can stand behind, an agreement that our members can be proud of. And if that cant happen, then there will be no deal. And if anyone thinks that Im bluffing right now, just follow what our union has been doing this past year, these past weeks. What is she talking about? Paynes record in her first year as president has set new lows for misrepresentation, abject surrender and betrayal. Significant strikes last year at Metro Toronto wholesale grocery warehouses and this year at Windsor Salt and Greater Toronto Metro retail grocery stores all showed workers roundly rejecting miserable tentative contracts enthusiastically proposed by Unifor. At the Metro warehouses, 900 workers were presented with a virtually identical contract to that they had rejected only the previous week. That better deal simply extended the contract from 4 years to 4.5 years and mirrored the same cut in real wages that had previously been boosted by the union. The same sleight of hand was performed by Payne at the just-defeated Metro retail grocery strike. There, 3,700 poverty-wage workers overwhelmingly rejected a tentative agreement that Payne had gloated was the best deal in decades. Five weeks later, workers now hard-pressed to even make their monthly rent again were presented with a similar contract but now front-loaded and extended from 4 to 5 years with real wages by the end of the deal representing yet another cut in living standards. And at Windsor Salt, miners rejected a unanimously-recommended Unifor contract after months on strike. After 192 days and starved out, a new deal was finally ratified that failed to properly address primary job security concerns. Autoworkers are very familiar with the unscrupulous methods used by Unifor to ram through rotten agreements. During the 2020 contract fight, rank and file workers presented a well-supported petition demanding that they be given sufficient time to see and discuss full details of any contract before a vote was called. That demand was ignored by the union. Workers at the ratification meetings were once again simply given brief self-serving highlights by the leadership and told to immediately vote without ever seeing the actual contract. Workers are aware of the immense contractual changes that accompany massive EV change-over. They have seen the insufficient and often unspoken contractual clauses at GM CAMI that destroyed worker protections at that inaugural Canadian EV plant in 2021. In a nutshell, they do not trust their leadership. But at Thursdays information session Unifors lead negotiator at Ford, Unifor Local 200 President John DAgnolo, reacting to a flood of rank-and-file demands to democratize ratifications, dodged the concerns with dubious generalities about accessible and informative meetings. Another massive betrayal of the legitimate aspirations of autoworkers is being prepared by both the UAW and Unifor bureaucracies. Rank-and-file workers at the Detroit Three in Canada must join their brothers and sisters in the US who have established rank-and-file committees at a series of plants and founded the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network to help unify their fight. These committees will enable workers on the shop floor to take the contract struggle into their own hands in opposition to the nationalist and pro-corporate Unifor bureaucracy. In this fight, workers must unite across workplaces and international borders through the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees in order to win what workers need, not what the union bureaucrats and company executives say they can afford. Contact the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter for assistance in building a rank-and-file committee at your plant and developing a new strategy to win the fight. The FIA has issued a warning to Helmut Marko following the Austrian's recent comments made on Sergio Perez, reminding the Red Bull motorsport boss of the governing body's code of ethics. Speaking on Servus TV after a day after the Italian Grand Prix, Marko addressed the difficulties encountered by Perez this year and claimed that the Red Bull driver's "South American" origins were part of the problem. "We know that he has problems in qualifying," Marko stated. "He has fluctuations in form, he is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max is or as Sebastian." Marko's remarks predictably led to a massive backlash on social media that eventually forced the Red Bull chief to issue a formal apology. The Austrian also held a private conversation with Perez in which he apologized to the Mexican driver for his "offensive" words, with Perez accepting Marko's offering of remorse, insisting he took no offence from the latter's clumsy commentary. The FIA has now confirmed that it sent Marko a written warning in the wake of his derogatory comments. "We can confirm that Helmut Marko has received a written warning and been reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport in line with the FIA Code of Ethics," the FIA stated. In Singapore, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner explained why the team had not issued its own statement on Marko's posture "Firstly those comments were, they weren't right. Helmut quickly recognised that and apologised for that both publicly and directly to Sergio," Horner explained. "He spoke directly to Sergio about it and I think you're always learning in life, even at 80 years of age, and inevitably lessons have been learned. "He's not an employee of Red Bull Racing so in terms of why didn't we put out a statement, he's part of the Red Bull wider group and the Group issued that apology through the Servus TV channel. "We've spoken about it, I know he regrets what he said." Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Ten Lifestyle Group's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions The top 6 shareholders own 50% of the company Insiders have been selling lately To get a sense of who is truly in control of Ten Lifestyle Group Plc (LON:TENG), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 66% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Ten Lifestyle Group, beginning with the chart below. View our latest analysis for Ten Lifestyle Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Ten Lifestyle Group? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Ten Lifestyle Group. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Ten Lifestyle Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Ten Lifestyle Group. The company's CEO Alexander Cheatle is the largest shareholder with 13% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 11% and 9.5% of the stock. Story continues We did some more digging and found that 6 of the top shareholders account for roughly 50% of the register, implying that along with larger shareholders, there are a few smaller shareholders, thereby balancing out each others interests somewhat. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Insider Ownership Of Ten Lifestyle Group While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Ten Lifestyle Group Plc. It has a market capitalization of just UK82m, and insiders have UK16m worth of shares in their own names. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 14% stake in Ten Lifestyle Group. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Ten Lifestyle Group you should be aware of. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Richard Martin's body was discovered Thursday afternoon after first responders were alerted to an airplane that had crashed in a wooded area Dowagiac Police Department/Facebook Richard Martin. The body of an 82-year-old Michigan pilot was found after he was last seen taking off Sunday in his home-built plane. Richard Martin's body was discovered Thursday afternoon after first responders involved with the search and rescue were alerted to an airplane that had crashed in a wooded area off of M-51 North near Elm St., about two miles north of Dowagiac, the Dowagiac Police Department said in a news release. "First Responders were guided to the location of a downed airplane by Michigan State Police Aviation Unit," police added. "Once, on scene Officers located the downed aircraft and confirmed it was a silver Sonex Airplane with Tail Number N569SX." Related: Mom of 4 Kids Who Went 40 Days in the Amazon After Plane Crash Initially Survived, Oldest Child Says Martin's body was then found at the crash site with his plane, police added. The search for Martin began after his small plane took off from Dowagiac Municipal Airport around 11 a.m. local time Sunday, per a previous news release. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Dowagiac Police Department/Facebook Richard Martin's Sonex Plane. Related: Grandparents Killed in Plane Crash on Their Way to North Carolina to See Family for Thanksgiving Oscar Azevedo, Martin's close friend and airport manager, told CBS affiliate WWMT-TV that Martin took the "routine flight" inside his 2005 experimental aircraft. ""Its something he does frequently when the weather is good," Azevedo added. By Wednesday, drones, ATVs, planes and people were being used in the search, per CBS affiliate WSBT-TV. Martin did not share a flight plan, which made it difficult to find him. Related: Pilot, 46, Killed in Medical Plane Crash Was a Proud 'Girl Dad' to 3 Daughters and Loved Giving Back Kathy, Richard's wife, would always wait for him to return from his flights, according to WWMT-TV. The pair would arrive at the airport, and she tanned as her husband flew, Azevedo noted. "The time frame was entirely too long that it took him to come back this time," he said. Kathy had been hopeful that her husband was still alive, per WWMT-TV. An investigation into what caused his plane to crash is ongoing, the department said. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Agatha Christies greatest mystery may be her own puzzling disappearance. | Associated Press Agatha Christies greatest mystery may be her own puzzling disappearance. On the night of Dec. 6, 1926, the whodunit novelist kissed her 7-year-old daughter goodnight and sped off from the England home she shared with her husband, Col. Archibald Christie, with nothing more than an attache case, per The New York Times. It was a rather insignificant turn of events until the writer didnt turn up for nearly two weeks. At just 36, Christie was already a prolific mystery novel writer. She had published several notable detective novels, including: The Man in the Brown Suit, The Secret Adversary and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Her disappearance felt like a plot straight out of her own novels. The strange circumstances sparked a massive manhunt. More than a thousand police officers were tasked with tracking Christie down. Hundreds of civilians joined the search. For the first time, even airplanes got involved in the case, reports History Extra. Police quickly located Christies abandoned vehicle on a steep slope near Guildford, England. Evidence at the scene was limited. There was still no sign of where Christie ran off to or why she ran away at all. The novelists car was found abandoned near Guildford on the edge of a chalk pit, the front wheels actually overhanging the edge, The New York Times reported in 1926. The car evidently had run away, and only a thick hedge-growth prevented it from plunging into the pit. In the car were found articles of clothing and an attache case containing papers. As the police search spread, so did rumors. Some claimed Christies disappearance was nothing more than an elaborate publicity stunt. Others had darker theories, suggesting the writer had deliberately drowned herself or was murdered by her husband, who was known to have a mistress, per History Extra. Several people even believed Christie was attempting to frame her husband for murder. She set out deliberately the facts shout it to throw murder suspicion upon her husband, one biographer claimed, per the Guardian. To this day, the intentions behind her disappearance remain vague. Police expand their search for Christie After searching for three days, Police claimed Christies brother-in-law had received a letter from the novelist confirming her whereabouts. According to the alleged letter, she had gone to a Yorkshire spa for rest and treatment, per The New York Times. Apparently unconvinced by the letter, police expanded their search with trained canines, Christies own pet dog and help from amateur sleuths. A week into Christies disappearance, detectives remained puzzled. No reliable witness has seen her since the night she left her house in Sunningdale a week ago, the Times reported in 1926. Detectives began to believe Christie had committed suicide. Police had three potential clues. Before taking off, Christie wrote letters for her secretary, her husband and her brother-in-law. Strangely, the letters written to Christies husband and brother-in-law were both burned. Before her disappearance, Mrs. Christie wrote three letters in none of which she said anything indicating mental aberration. The most important one was left to her secretary. It was the only one that was not destroyed and is in the hands of the police, the Times reported in 1926. One of the letters was a personal letter to her husband. He declared there was nothing in it having any possible bearing on his wifes whereabouts. Wild theories regarding the novelists disappearance continued to unfold. Some police believed Christie was disguised and probably in mens clothes, The New York Times wrote during her disappearance. Others claimed the writer has left behind a sealed envelope to be opened in the event her body was found. More than a week had passed and there were still no solid answers regarding Christies whereabouts. The police have information which they refuse to divulge and which leads them to the view that Mrs. Christie had no intention of returning when she left home, wrote The New York Times in 1926. Where did Agatha Christie stay during her disappearance? On Dec, 14, 1926, a full 11 days following her disappearance, Agatha Christie was found alive. But the strange circumstances of her reappearance raised more questions than answers. Christie was found in a hotel in Harrogate with complete memory loss due to a car accident, per History Extra. Though alive, Christie was in a fugue state or psychogenic trance. This is a rare condition resulting from trauma or depression. Upon arriving at the Harrogate spa, Christie checked in under the assumed name of Theresa Neele her husbands mistress. She was eventually recognized by a member of the hotels band, who alerted the police, per History Extra. She does not know who she is she has suffered from the most complete loss of memory, Christies husband told reporters at the time, per The New York Times. After crashing her vehicle into a hedge, Christie abandoned the car and took on a newfound identity. Up to this moment I was Mrs Christie, she finally realized she could be something else, reports the Guardian. As Mrs Neele, Christie said, I was very happy and contented. At Harrogate, she said, per the Guardian, I read every day about Mrs Christies disappearance I regarded her as having acted stupidly. She later wrote that at the time of her disappearance she was, at the beginning of a nervous breakdown, per the Guardian. I just wanted my life to end, Christie explained, per the Guardian. All that night I drove aimlessly about. In my mind there was the vague idea of ending everything. I drove automatically down roads I knew to Maidenhead, where I looked at the river. I thought about jumping in, but realized that I could swim too well to drown then back to London again, and then on to Sunningdale. From there I went to Newlands Corner. When I reached a point in the road which I thought was near the quarry I had seen in the afternoon, I turned the car off the road down the hill towards it. I left the wheel and let the car run. The car struck something with a jerk and pulled up suddenly. I was flung against the steering wheel and my head hit something. Some people are not convinced by Christies account of her disappearance, but BBC historian Lucy Worsley argues Christie truly entered a fugue state, per the Independent. Discovering her husband was having an affair with a younger woman and the recent death of her mother both could have led to Christies deteriorating mental state, explains Worsley. She reported forgetfulness, tearfulness, insomnia, an inability to cope with normal life, Worsley told the Independent. Her mental state became so bad that she considered suicide. She then entered, I believe, into a fugue state. Thats not framing your cheating husband for murder, that is living with a really serious mental health condition, Worsley continued. And yet the narrative is that she was somehow a bad person who was playing some sort of trick on the world; to frame her husband or get attention to sell novels. Though she lived on for another nearly 50 years, she never talked about her disappearance. So, after illness, came sorrow, despair and heartbreak. There is no need to dwell on it, Christie wrote in her autobiography, Agatha Christie: An Autobiography. Beta Film has dropped the trailer for Estonia, a Scandinavian limited series about Europes deadliest civil maritime disaster. The eight-part cinematic show, which is represented in international markets by Jan Mojtos Beta Film (Babylon Berlin), charts the sinking of the Ms Estonia on Sept. 28, 1994, which killed over 850 people. More from Variety The series is directed by Swedish director Mans Mansson and Finnish director Juuso Syrja. While the sinking of the ship is an important part of the show, Estonia also spotlights the tentacular probe launched in the aftermath of the tragedy by the Joint Accident Investigation Committee established by Sweden, Estonia and Finland. Showrunner Miikko Oikkonen (Bordertown, Helsinki Syndrome), who co-wrote the series with Olli Suitiala and Tuomas Hakola, said that when he started to read the final report and went through the material, (he) realized the investigation itself was even more interesting than the accident. It was a power play, a political game between these countries and it involved many conflicts of interests. The investigation was an equally horrible experience, and it was metaphorically also sinking. These two storylines are mirroring each other. When they started the investigation, they said that it is going to take two weeks, then maximum two months. Oikkonen hopes the show might help us see the many sides of the catastrophe and better understand our need to search for different kinds of answers. Mansson, meanwhile, said he found the scripts about the investigation and the reasons behind the accident truly intriguing and captivating. Its a pleasure to collaborate with a Finnish, Estonian, and Swedish team on a tragedy that is still affecting our countries profoundly, Mansson continued. Variety visited the set of the series in Belgium, at an indoor water stage, last year. The cast is driven by Pelle Heikkila, one of Finlands biggest stars, as well as Doris Tislar, Katia Winter, Jussi Nikkila, Peter Andersson and Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey. The series was produced by Matti Halonen (Bordertown) and Johannes Lassila (Bordertown) at Fisher King, the BETA-owned company behind Nymphs and Bordertown. Here is the exclusive trailer: This embedded content is not available in your region. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Chris Christie says any GOP challenger should drop out of the race if theyre not doing well in the first few states and to him, that means being in the top four. The former New Jersey governor stopped by Chris Cuomos show Thursday on NewsNation, and was asked by the Cuomo host under what circumstances hed jump out of the race. Look, what I said was I have to do well, I didnt say I have to win, Christie, whos been polling in the low double-digits, said. I said, I have to do well in New Hampshire. And I think thats just being realistic. Christie, who went deep in his run against Donald Trump in 2016, continues to criticize the former president at a higher volume than his competition. It remains to be seen how that strategy will play in primary season next year but Christie says he wont stay past his welcome. If you dont do well in the first few states, you should get out of the race. Voters are speaking, money will dry up, he said. Im just being practical about it. Cuomo then asked Christie what his definition of doing well would be. I think you got to be top four, he replied drily. Look, you know, the latest New Hampshire poll, Im in second place at 14%, he continued. So Im already beating [Vivek] Ramaswamy and [Ron] DeSantis. Only behind Trump. So, you know, I feel like were going to do very well there. And so I think top four is absolutely attainable for us. And thats what were going for. Cuomo also pressed Christie on whether his staunchly anti-Trump stance is going to work against the runaway frontrunner for the Republican nomination. If it kills me in the minds of 35% of my party, it doesnt kill me in the minds of 65% of my party, Chris, Christie said. The fact is, Im not going to compromise on the truth. The truth is what matters in this race and the truth is what matters in this country. And thats what we got to get back to. And thats what Im doing. Thats the kind of race Im running. Cuomo then grilled Christie on how he planned to successfully attack a candidate that was polling over 50% among GOP primary voters. I think youre going to get him in in a number of different ways, Christie said. First, is that he didnt accomplish what he said he would accomplish as president. He said hes going to build a wall across the entire border of the U.S. and Mexico he built 52 miles of wall. He said Mexico was going to pay for it Mexico hasnt paid us one peso yet. And, you know, if he keeps it, that pace, he needed 110 more years as president to finish the wall. Christie also mentioned Trumps broken promises to repeal Obamacare and balance the budget and of course those pesky indictments. But more importantly, the conduct that underlies [them] is a very, very, very big problem, he said. And I dont think independent voters in this country, and many Republicans, are going to vote for him in a general election. So we also want to get rid of him because he cant win. And I dont want another four years at Joe Biden. Watch the entire exchange in the video above. The post Chris Christie Suggests Hell Quit Race if Hes Not Top 4 in New Hampshire Primary: Im Just Being Practical (Video) appeared first on TheWrap. Bass Reeves has been popping up pretty regularly in popular culture over the last few years. The great Delroy Lindo stepped into his cowboy boots in 2021's under-appreciated The Harder They Fall. Reeves appeared briefly in HBO's 2019 limited series Watchmen as the inspiration behind Louis Gossett Jr.'s Will Reeves, a.k.a. Hooded Justice. He was portrayed by Colman Domingo in a 2016 episode of Timeless and by Jaleel White in a 2015 episode of Drunk History. But way before that, Reeves was a possible inspiration behind The Lone Ranger. And no wonder. As the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River, Reeves made some 3,000 arrests without ever suffering a single wound. The Lone Ranger is well known to Americans as an icon of the Wild West, but his real-life and Black counterpart has only just begun to break into the national conscious. Lawmen: Bass Reeves, a new series from Taylor Sheridan, creator of the massively popular Yellowstone universe, starring and co-produced by David Oyelowo, could introduce this American hero to a whole new generation and audience. David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in Lawmen: Bass Reeves streaming on Paramount+ Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' Originally intended as a spinoff of 1883, which itself was a prequel to Yellowstone, the project morphed into an anthology not tied to the Yellowstone-verse that would follow the adventures of other officers of the law, beginning with Reeves. Chad Feehan serves as creator and showrunner with Sheridan as an executive producer. "Bass Reeves was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life at an extraordinary time in America's history," Oyelowo says in an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. "He was enslaved, he went on to fight in the Civil War, he escaped enslavement during that time, lived with Native Americans for a number of years where he learned a bunch of skills that became applicable when he went on to be a deputy marshal, and had a career that spanned nearly 40 years in law enforcement." Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Lauren E. Banks and David Oyelowo as Jennie and Bass Reeves Oyelowo, who's no stranger to portraying American heroes, continues, "When you contextualize that life with these seminal moments in American history of slavery, Reconstruction, going into Jim Crow, and to have that level of success and notoriety as a lawman is just extraordinary." Reeves was born into slavery in Arkansas in July 1838. When the Civil War broke out, he was forced into the Confederate Army by George Reeves , the son of his owner, Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. He eventually escaped the Army, fleeing to Indian Territory to live among the Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment legally ending slavery in America. Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves Reeves returned to Arkansas a free man where, thanks to his facility with Native American languages, he was recruited by Judge Isaac Parker as a deputy marshal for the western area of the state in 1875. Reeves served 32 years as a federal peace officer, retiring in 1907, with a record of arresting thousands of felons including his own son, who was charged with murder. "One of the joys of this show has been populating the cast with truly great actors who can embody the time," Oyelowo says. "There are actors who have something contemporaneous about them, and then there's actors like Dennis Quaid, Shea Whigham, Barry Pepper, Forrest Goodluck, and Lauren E. Banks who sort of feel like they've been here for a long time. "And I'm not talking about their age, I'm just talking about that sort of primal feeling," Oyelowo explains. "It's been amazing to have these sets, have these costumes, and then have these actors that, you know, if you squint and block out the cameras, you do feel like you've somehow found yourself in a time machine and that's been a real joy." Further proving Oyelowo's point, EW can exclusively share these authentic tin-type images, shot using the 19th century wet plate collodion method, the style of photography that would have been prominent during Bass Reeves' era. The images were shot on a period, late-1800s large format camera with an 1863 Dallmeyer lens lending them a dreamy timeless quality. Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Dennis Quaid as U.S. Deputy Marshal Sherrill Lynn Quaid stars as fellow U.S. Deputy Marshal Sherrill Lynn, Banks as Reeves' wife Jennie, and Demi Singleton as his daughter Sally. Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Dennis Quaid as Sherrill Lynn Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Lauren E. Banks as Jennie Reeves Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Demi Singleton as Sally Reeves Donald Sutherland recurs as Judge Parker, along with Garrett Hedlund as Garrett Montgomery, a member of Reeves' posse, and Dale Dickey as the Widow Dolliver, a woman who's "seen it all." The cast also includes Whigam as George Reeves; Pepper as Esau Pierce, leader of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles; and Goodluck as Billy Crow, a young Cherokee man with an affinity for dime store books and gaudy style. Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Shea Whigham as George Reeves Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Barry Pepper as Esau Pierce Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sarah Coulter/Paramount+ Forrest Goodluck as Billy Crow After years of appearing as a side character, with Lawmen, Bass Reeves finally gets to take center stage as the star of his own narrative, 113 years after his death. Although he's British, Oyelowo is excited to shine a revelatory light on Reeves and this period of history for an American audience. "My goal, my hope, my ambition for this has always been to have an opportunity to contextualize the contribution of Black people to this country in a way that colors outside of the lines of what we have normally seen," Oyelowo says. "I really hope people come away [with], and have a reframing and an acceptance of, the fact that even though it was under duress, Black people were so instrumental in building this country," the Selma actor continues. "I really hope that, especially as we get so many slave narratives in this period, this is one of empowerment literally this man is empowered, and he takes that power and he uses it for the good of his community and his country. And that's really what I hope people are left with at the end of the show." Lawmen: Bass Reeves premieres Nov. 5 on Paramount+. Make sure to check out EW's Fall TV Preview cover story on Gen V as well as all of our 2023 Fall TV Preview content, releasing through Sept. 21. Related content: Day two of the 2023 Bourbon & Beyond promises to be "killer." The weather looks great, the bourbon is flowing and The Killers are Friday's headliner proceeded by Duran Duran. What a lineup! If you haven't heard, the world's largest bourbon and music festival is taking over the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville through Sunday. The multi-day celebration of top-shelf music and jammin' whiskey is known for offering dozens of specialty bars and exciting musical performances across four days. The 2023 festival has brought together more than 65 musical acts including headliners Bruno Mars, The Killers, Brandi Carlile (who returns after an incredible set in 2022), and The Black Keys. Recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Duran Duran plus Billy Strings, The Black Crowes, Blondie, The Avett Brothers, Train, Hozier, Jon Batiste, Brittany Howard and more will also play Bourbon & Beyond 2023. Besides multiple days of music from more than 60 musical acts in Americana, roots, blues, country and rock n roll, the festival offers a range of culinary programming from some of the country's top chefs and a wide palette of bourbon tastings and workshops celebrating the rich culture of Kentucky. And we're here all weekend. Follow along with our live updates to see all the action and happenings at Bourbon & Beyond. 9:37 p.m.: Time for The Killers Its been four long years since weve been here, Louisville. Theres been a lot of changes, but one thing remains the same. If youre looking for some rock 'n' roll, we are purveyors of some of the finest rock 'n' roll, The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers said to a packed crowd Friday night. 8 p.m.: A proposal at Hozier Congratulations! Hozier just announced an engagement in the front row during his Bourbon and Beyond performance. Were too far back in the crowd to see the lucky couple - but best wishes just the same. Congratulations we just witnessed an engagement in the front row at Hoziers concert during Bourbon and Beyond@courierjournal pic.twitter.com/X9DL0JEGfk Kirby Adams (@kirbylouisville) September 15, 2023 7:30 p.m.: From Chicago and Austin to see The Killers Erica Rosskamm, left, and Jessie Lai enjoy their first Bourbomn & Beyond in Louisville on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Erica Rosskamm, from Austin, Texas and Jessie Lai, from Chicago, were in town for their first Bourbon and Beyond and excited to see The Killers. The friends, who met in Chicago, only had Friday passes but added some extra sightseeing activities to their trip to Louisville, including a bourbon tour earlier in the day at Castle & Key Distillery. Were having a big Chicago reunion. Theres a big group of us here, Lai said. In addition to a bourbon tour, the friends also took some time to play Pickleball on the Ohio River. We love it, its so fun, the pair said of Louisville. 6:30 p.m.: Bluegrass with The Cleverlys The Cleverlys at Bourbon & Beyond on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Courier Journal was so excited to sit down with The Cleverlys. If you havent heard this band do yourself a favor, they are hilarious. And really fine banjo, fiddle and bass musicians. Their bluegrass versions of popular songs like Katy Perrys I Kissed a Girl, Blackstreets No Diggity and Gangnam Style by Psy are pure genius. We all come with ideas for songs and there is really no rhyme or reason. At this point we know if it will be successful or not, said Paul Harris. Its got to be something our audience will like, which is literally 9-90. The Cleverlys bluegrass version of Flo Ridas Low and Radioheads Creep are good selections to add to your Spotify lineup. Plus they recently released a new album Solid Butter, which is destined to become a solid hit. 5 p.m.: Wayne Newton smokes cigars, drinks expensive Pappy Wayne Newton, center, joins the Smokin and Sippin panel following his performance Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at Bourbon & Beyond. After his set, Mr. Las Vegas Wayne Newton visited the Smokin and Sippin panel to drink some Pappy Van Winkle 23-year alongside Carrie Greener of Pappy & Co., and Willy Herrera of Drew Estate cigars. Were at the Smokin and Sippin panel at @BourbonNBeyond which features special guest Wayne Newton. The panel is going to be sampling Pappy Van Winkle 23-year. @courierjournal pic.twitter.com/hO13DbbkAY Kathryn Gregory (@kitgregory) September 15, 2023 4:45 p.m.: Is that a Star chef we see? Kirby Adams bumped into Louisvilles Superchef Darnell Ferguson ("Food Network Star") on his way to a food panel at Fridays Bourbon and Beyond. Hell be doing a food demo at 2:55 p.m., Sunday, with SelvaRey Rum and invites everyone to stop by if you are at the festival on the final day. Bumped into a Louisville superstar on the way into Bourbon and Beyond on Friday. Superchef Darnell Ferguson working the culinary panels and demos this weekend. @courierjournal @bourbonandbeyond pic.twitter.com/3cYpfLxwAK Kirby Adams (@kirbylouisville) September 15, 2023 4:30 p.m.: First festival fashion Julian Bernal and Andrea Florez attend their first Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Leaven and Tony Sackett, from Cincinnati, are attending their first Bourbon & Beyond. The couple drove to Louisville late Thursday night but were at the festival grounds early Friday. Were just excited to be here, Leaven said, who was sporting some knee-high black motorcycle boots and a breezy summer dress. The couple was excited to see The Black Keys and The Killers. Cant wait, Tony said. Leaven and Tony Sackett, from Cincinnati, attend their first Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Julian Bernal and Andrea Florez, of Tennessee, were also attending their first Bourbon & Beyond. Were excited to see The Killers and Hozier, pretty much everyone, Julian said. The couple, who wore complementary festival outfits, said there was no secret to their spot-on festival look. We just looked around at what people wear to these kind of events and went from there, he added. 4:00 p.m.: One band's 'secret sauce.' Hint: It's bourbon Members of Nashville rock band Goodbye June, from left: Tyler Baker, Landon Melbourne and Brandon Qualkenbush, showcase their bourbon brand Three Chord at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Goodbye June, a rock band from Nashville, performed early in the day Friday at Bourbon & Beyond. The band is composed of cousins Landon Milbourn (lead vocals, tambourine), Brandon Qualkenbush (rhythm guitar, bass, drums, backing vocals), and Tyler Baker (lead guitar). The cousins have their own bourbon, 3 Chord Bourbon, which can be ordered on their website. We may have had a little before our set, Qualkenbush said. Its our secret sauce. What is the secret sauce that makes Nashville based rock band Goodbye June so great on stage at 2023 Bourbon & Beyond ? The Courier Journal got a taste backstage. @courierjournal @GoodbyeJune @2023boubonandbeyound pic.twitter.com/B2UsxLPb8Q Kirby Adams (@kirbylouisville) September 15, 2023 3:30 p.m.: Comfortable, Montana style Squire Hobgood, left, and Emory Ycaza, from Montana, attend the second day of Bourbon & Beyond on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Emory Ycaza and Squire Hobgood traveled all the way from Montana for their second Bourbon and Beyond. It was so just so much fun last year, we just loved it, Hobgood said, so when the lineup came out for this year, they knew they had to come back. Were camping this year too, so its a whole different vibe out there, Ycaza said. On day two, the pair opted for some tried and true, comfortable outfits. I dressed all cute yesterday and wore a dress for like the first time ever and I wasnt as comfortable as I wanted to be so now I am going for comfort, Ycaza said of her look, which featured a breezy coverup and cowboy boots. Hobgood opted for comfortable overalls. This is what I wear every day in Montana, so here I am, she said. 3 p.m.: Wayne Newton brings Las Vegas to Louisville Wayne Newton performed on the Oak Stage of Bourbon & Beyond Friday afternoon. Sept. 15, 2023 The Highland Festival Grounds felt a bit like the Vegas Strip Friday afternoon. Dressed in a crisp black suit with a cherry red pocket square, Wayne Newton yes, The Wayne Newton serenaded the crowd with a golden microphone as he sang My Way, Cant Help Falling in Love, and of course Danke Schoen. We grew up with Wayne Newton and to see him here on the Bourbon and Beyond stage is really special and fun, said Matt Dragatsis, who is visiting from Denver. Wayne Newton performs Friday at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville. Sept. 15, 2023 The 81-year-old performer, known as Mr. Las Vegas," put on a slick set and spoke often to the crowd gathered in the 2 p.m. sun, occasionally commenting on the early set time. Oh, excuse I keep calling this 'the evening.' These are not my normal hours, laughed Newton. 2:30 p.m.: Picking the right outfit takes time Angela Kraft, left, and Alex Driscoll, both from Cincinnati, are attending their first Bourbon & Beyond this year. Sept. 15, 2023 Alex Driscoll and Angela Kraft, from Cincinnati, are attending their first Bourbon and Beyond and looking forward to seeing Hozier and The Killers. Im really excited about seeing Black Keys tomorrow, Driscoll said. The pair, who drove in for Thursdays show, said headliner Brandi Carlile, who also performed in 2022, was top-notch No wonder they asked her back. She was incredible, Driscoll said. The friends spent weeks figuring out the perfect festival outfit with Driscoll picking a yellow dress from Urban Outfitters and some ankle cowboy boots, while Kraft opted for a handkerchief tank top and shorts. Ive been stressing about what to wear to this music festival for like months and wanted something that was boho and rock that fit all the different genres, Driscoll said. Yeah the vibe is all over the place, Kraft said. But I love looking around and everyone is wearing something fun. 10 a.m.: Heading to Bourbon & Beyond today? Don't miss Wayne Newton! "Mr. Las Vegas" himself, Wayne Newton, is performing at Bourbon & Beyond today at 1:40 p.m. on the Selvarey Oak Stage. The 81-year-old entertainer has been a mainstay on "The Strip" for more than 60 years and we're 99.9% positive Newton is the only musician performing at the four-day festival who personally knew members of the Rat Pack Frank Sintra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Newton is also scheduled to be a special guest on the Kentucky Venues Bourbon Stage for "Smokin' and Sippin,'" a bourbon and cigar workshop from 4:40-5:15 p.m. As reporter Kirby Adams wrote earlier this week: "We have to say "Danke Shoen" (thank you) to the festival producers for booking this legend on the 2023 lineup." 8:30 a.m.: What is the weather forecast for Friday at Bourbon & Beyond? (R-L) Liam Oakes, Justen Betcher, and his cousin Brad Betcher sang along as they watched Shakey Graves perform on the Oak stage at Bourbon and Beyond in Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 15, 2022. According to the National Weather Service office in Louisville, the forecast for Friday is sunny, with a high near 81 degrees with a light and variable wind. Friday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 55 degrees, which means you may need a jacket by the time Hozier, Duran Duran and The Killers take the stage. 8:15 a.m.: Road closures around Highland Festival Grounds Heading to Bourbon & Beyond today? You might need a heads-up about some road closures in the area. Gate 1 of the Kentucky Exposition Center, where parking is located, is closed, so people going to the festivals will need to use Preston Highway to enter through Gate 6 or Crittenden Drive to access Gate 2 and Gate 4. Phillips Lane from Preston Highway to Freedom Way has been closed since Sept. 4. There are a few interstate ramp closures that might impact your drive, too: Insterstate ramp closures: now through Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Interstate 264 Eastbound ramp to Phillips Lane / Kentucky Exposition Center Gate 1 Interstate 264 Westbound ramp to Phillips Lane / Kentucky Exposition Center Gate 1 Interstate 65 Northbound ramp to Phillips Lane / Kentucky Exposition Center Gate 1 Interstate 65 Southbound ramp to Phillips Lane / Kentucky Exposition Center Gate 1 Whose performing Friday at Bourbon & Beyond? Here's the lineup for Bourbon & Beyond on Friday, Sept. 15: Brittany Howard performs at the Newport Folk Festival in 2018. T-Mobile Barrel Stage Goodbye June: 11:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. Darrel Scott Band: 1:05-1:35 p.m. Inhaler: 2:20-3 p.m. Gaslight Anthem: 3:55-4:40 p.m. Bastille: 5:40-6:40 p.m. Duran Duran: 7:50-9:10 p.m. Selvarey Oak Stage Boy Named Banjo: 12:30-1 p.m. Wayne Newton: 1:40-2:15 p.m. Joy Oladokun: 3:05-3:50 p.m. Brittany Howard: 4:45-5:35 p.m. Hozier: 6:45-7:45 p.m. The Killers: 9:15-10:45 p.m. The Bluegrass Situation Stage Armchair Boogie: 12:30-1:15 p.m. Lola Kirke: 1:45-2:30 p.m. Twisted Pine: 3-3:45 p.m. The Cleverlys: 4:15-5:15 p.m. The Lil' Smokies: 5:45-6:45 p.m. Bourbon & Beyond 2023 Monogram Culinary Stage Including free tasting at every panel Brisket sandwiches offered during the grand opening at Pig Beach BBQ. Sandwiches include Chef Jeff's Brisket with pickles, crispy onions and their "world champion" BBQ sauce. The bbq-inspired, chef-created menu features the creations from top chefs like Matt Abdoo, who received a four-star review at his former NYC restaurant Chef de Cuisine of Del Post. The chefs of Pig Beach also have won several BBQ awards nationally and internationally. Aug. 31, 2023. 2:30-2:55 p.m.: Deep Thoughts with Christian Petroni (hosted by Chris Santos) 4-4:30 p.m.: Claudette Zepeda, La Jefa (hosted by Chris Santos) 5:30-6 p.m.: Pig Beach Meats Louisville (hosted by Ed Lee and featuring Matty B of Pit Beach BBQ) Bourbon & Beyond 2023 Kentucky Venues Bourbon Stage Including free tasting at every panel Chef Amanda Frietag gives the crowd thumbs up as she prepares to do a cooking demonstration on the Better in the Bluegrass stage at Bourbon and Beyond on Sept. 22, 2019. 1:40-2:25 p.m.: Building an Influential Bourbon Collection: The Expert Edition (moderated by John Wadell, Single Barrel Coordinator Peerless.) Panelists: Tyler Zoller, Louisville Bourbon Buzz; Brandon Smith, The Daily Dram; Steve Higdon, Big Bourbon Club; Blake Riber, Bourbonr/Seelbach. 3-3:45 p.m.: Between the Chefs: Dishing & Drinking (moderated by Chris Blandford.) Panelists: Chef Chris Santos, Chef Darnell Ferguson, Chef Amanda Frietag 4:40-5:15 p.m.: Smokin and Sippin: Pairing Cigars with Whisky(moderated by Chris Blandford.) Panelists: Carrie Greener, Pappy & Co.; Willy Herrera, Drew Estate. Special guest, Wayne Newton 6:05-7 p.m.: The Firkin Podcast LIVE: Telling Stories (hosted by Chris Blandford.) Special Guests: Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley You may like: Bourbon and Beyond 2023: Lineup, stages and set times for Friday in Louisville Where can I park on Friday at Bourbon & Beyond? General parking will be available at the Kentucky Expo Center for a daily fee of $30. Parking is not reserved and your vehicle will be parked based on your arrival time and entrance point into the Kentucky Expo Center parking lots. Visit any of the Entrance Gates at the Kentucky Exposition Center, including Gate 2, Gate 4, and Gate 6. It is suggested to arrive early if youd like to park on-site. Parking lots open at 10 a.m. Cash will be accepted. Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com. Reach features editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: LIVE: 2023 Bourbon & Beyond music festival Day 2 in Louisville Estranged Wife of Alleged Gilgo Beach Killer Rex Heuermann Seeks Return of His Guns Worth Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars The estranged wife of alleged Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann has launched a legal battle to reclaim his cache of hundreds of firearms, which her lawyers say are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Asa Ellerup, 59, is arguing she has the legal right to retain her spouses expansive gun collection, which includes nearly 300 firearms that her attorney says were legally purchased. Ellerup is also attempting to retain jewelry, clothing, and cash that were taken during the raid on the familys Long Island residence following her husbands arrest in the Gilgo Beach serial murders case. Ellerup claims shes entitled to the marital assets as her and husbands divorce case proceeds through the courts. RELATED: Could Suspected Long Island Serial Killer Rex Heuermann be Tied to This Missing South Carolina Womans Case? The county has no lawful right to any of it thats not considered legal contraband, said Ellerups attorney, Robert Macedonio, according to Newsday. Macedonio said he expects to file a notice of claim on the property but only after Nassau County police take custody of the collection for the purposes of reviewing possible gun charges. Serial killer Rex A. Heuermann's daughter Victoria Heuermann (left) and wife Asa Ellerup, 59. Serial killer Rex A. Heuermann's daughter Victoria Heuermann (left) and wife Asa Ellerup, 59. Photo: James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images Heuermann was charged in July with three counts each of first- and second-degree murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27. All of the victims were sex workers whose bodies were found in December of 2010 near Gilgo Beach. Heuermann was arrested in midtown Manhattan after DNA found on a discarded pizza crust linked him to the murders. Heuermann is also the main suspect in the killing of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes, whose remains were discovered in December of 2010 near the other three victims. RELATED: Ex-Police Chief Who Oversaw Gilgo Beach Killings Investigation Arrested for Allegedly Soliciting Prostitution Upwards of 280 guns were confiscated by authorities from the Long Island architects home following his arrest. After a review by Suffolk police, investigators determined that Heuermann had possessed a handful of weapons that violated state gun laws, according to court records cited by Newsday. He allegedly only had permits for 92 firearms. Heuermanns cache of firearms includes a number of historic long guns, which arent bound by permitting in New York, as well as several hunting rifles, revolvers, and semi-automatic weapons, including an Uzi and Tommy Guns, according to Newsday. Some of the weapons' manufacturing dates trace back to the mid-19th century. Others were reportedly used in world wars. The guns were manufactured in Switzerland, England, Sweden, Russia, Israel, France, and Italy. A mugshot of Rex Heuermann Rex Heuermann Photo: Suffolk County Sheriffs Office via AP The collection is estimated to cost anywhere from hundreds of dollars to $5,000 per firearm. Macedonio insists the whole stash is valued around $300,000. The guns arent believed to have been used in the Gilgo Beach slayings that Heuermann is accused of. They are valuable collectors items that he collected legally, Macedonio said. He described Heuermann as a gun guy, noting the alleged Long Island serial killer attended NRA conferences in the past. Ellerup filed for divorce days after Heuermann was taken into custody. Authorities said that she was away at the time of the suspected killings. RELATED: Rex Heuermann's Estranged Wife Has Cancer as Gilgo Beach Murder Suspect Awaits Trial Following Heuermanns arrest, Ellerup publicly claimed that she was left without a mattress when authorities tore apart the familys ranch-style Massapequa Park home while searching it. I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering, Ellerup said in a July 31 interview with the New York Post. My children cry themselves to sleep. I mean, theyre not children. Theyre grown adults but theyre my children, and my son has developmental disabilities and he cried himself to sleep." Heuermann remains in custody ahead of trial. He turned 60 on Wednesday. The incident took place at Union Pacifics Bailey Yard in North Platte Ryan Herzog/The Telegraph via AP Smoke emanates from Union Pacific's Bailey Yard after a railroad car fire Evacuations were ordered in western Nebraska after an explosion inside a shipping container on a rail yard. The explosion took place at around 12 p.m. local time on Thursday at Union Pacifics Bailey Yard the world's largest railyard in North Platte, Nebraska, according to a post from North Platte Volunteer Fire Department on X (formerly known as Twitter). The fire department's post also noted an "emergency evacuation for the area between splinter and front North of railroad track due fire at the railroad involving heavy toxic smoke." "Highway 30 between Hershey and North Platte closed due to heavy toxic smoke at Bailey Yards railcar fire," the volunteer fire department also wrote in a subsequent post. Emergency evacuation for the area between splinter and front North of railroad track due fire at the railroad involving heavy toxic smoke Explosion at Union Pacific Railroad Bailey Yards at approximately 12:10 pm. #hazmat #Northplatte #Nebraska pic.twitter.com/zxJWkw2BE5 North Platte VFD (@NPVFD69101) September 14, 2023 Several hours later, they posted an update on X urging more locals to prepare for evacuation "in the next one to two hours due to wind and weather changing." North Platte is located in Lincoln County and has a population of about 23,000. According to a report from the Associated Press, evacuations took place within a one-mile radius of the explosion and no injuries occurred as a result of the incident. Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said, per the AP, that the cause of the explosion is not yet known, though one of the containers involved in the incident contained perchloric acid a hazardous material that is used in explosives. This embedded content is not available in your region. Related: 'Catastrophic' Explosion Possible After 150-Car Train Carrying Chemicals Derails in Ohio Tysver also told local news outlet The North Platte Telegraph that No Union Pacific personnel were injured, and our employees have been safely evacuated. WMTV reported on Thursday that the rail car had been stationary for several hours and the explosion was not caused by a derailment. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Ohio Train Derailment Killed Over 43,000 Animals, Officials Estimate Local man Gregg Robertson shared his experience of seeing the incident with The North Platte Telegraph. "I just saw something and I looked and it was just a big ball of flame," he said. Robertson continued, "And then it was just fire, fire, fire, constant for 10, 12 minutes maybe. And then the fire went down and smoke kind of increased, and then it was just sparks coming out." He also told the outlet that he had seen two smoke plumes rising from the blast site: 'The east plume was like black smoke. The west plume was orange smoke, something like Ive not seen from a fire." Around three hours after their first post detailing the explosion, the North Platee Volunteer Fire Department revealed in a post on X that Fire & Hazmat are on scene with Union Pacific Rail Road. The incident is contained at this time. They are monitoring the situation and the weather, adjusting their tactics and evacuations to keep responders and citizens safe. Multiple outlets reported that the fire was extinguished by approximately 5.30 p.m. local time and the evacuation order was lifted shortly after. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. French Montana has launched an emergency relief fund for Morocco with a $100,000 donation after his home country was hit with a 6.9 magnitude earthquake earlier this month. While presenting at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Tuesday (Sept. 12) night, the Unforgettable hitmaker announced his partnership with Global Citizen and CARE to help Moroccans and called on people to take action and help out as well. In a press release that followed, it was revealed that the funds will assist the most vulnerable populations, including women and girls, youth, and disadvantaged groups, with water, food, shelter, and medical support. Donations can be made here. The terrible earthquake that just hit Morocco, my home country, has been devastating to watch as weve seen entire villages destroyed, countless families torn apart, and too many lives lost, a statement from French on the website read. Im partnering with Global Citizen to help the people of Morocco get through this difficult time, and you can too. Join me by donating and help so many in need. Thank you! The Coke Boys founder shared videos of Moroccans thanking him for his thoughtful contribution on his Instagram page. In the caption, he wrote, My people in Morocco are hurting from this tragedy. Please donate here to help those in need; even a little goes a long way. Im starting this emergency fund off with $100K. More of my friends will be joining [Morocco flag emoji]. As previously reported by REVOLT, in October of last year, Pencils of Promise (PoP) honored French with the 2022 Innovator Award for his humanitarian efforts in Africa. Making more history for my people, the 38-year-old wrote of the news on Instagram. Thank you Pencils of Promise for honoring me with the Innovator Award at last nights gala. Trending Stories Long-established in the Business Services industry, ADT Inc (NYSE:ADT) has enjoyed a stellar reputation. It has recently witnessed a surge of 5.27%, juxtaposed with a three-month change of -0.62%. However, fresh insights from the GuruFocus Score Rating hint at potential headwinds. Notably, its diminished rankings in financial strength, growth, and valuation suggest that the company might not live up to its historical performance. Join us as we dive deep into these pivotal metrics to unravel the evolving narrative of ADT Inc. ADT Inc (ADT): A Deep Dive into Its Performance Potential Understanding the GF Score The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank. Based on the above method, GuruFocus assigned ADT Inc the GF Score of 66 out of 100, which signals poor future outperformance potential. ADT Inc: A Snapshot of the Business ADT Inc is a provider of monitored security, interactive home and business automation, and related monitoring services in the United States and Canada. It offers residential, commercial, and multi-site customers a comprehensive set of burglary, video, access control, fire and smoke alarm, and medical alert solutions. The company segments include Consumer and Small Business (CSB), Commercial, and Solar. It generates maximum revenue from the Commercial segment. With a market cap of $5.7 billion and sales of $6.45 billion, the company has an operating margin of 15.86%. Story continues ADT Inc (ADT): A Deep Dive into Its Performance Potential Financial Strength Analysis ADT Inc's financial strength indicators present some concerning insights about the company's balance sheet health. The company's interest coverage ratio of 2.36 positions it worse than 86.48% of 784 companies in the Business Services industry. This ratio highlights potential challenges the company might face when handling its interest expenses on outstanding debt. It's worth noting that the esteemed investor Benjamin Graham typically favored companies with an interest coverage ratio of at least five. The company's Altman Z-Score is just 0.28, which is below the distress zone of 1.81. This suggests that the company may face financial distress over the next few years. Additionally, the company's low cash-to-debt ratio at 0.02 indicates a struggle in handling existing debt levels. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 2.92, which is worse than 92.38% of 892 companies in the Business Services industry. A high debt-to-equity ratio suggests over-reliance on borrowing and vulnerability to market fluctuations. Additionally, the company's debt-to-Ebitda ratio is 5.32, which is above Joel Tillinghast's warning level of 4 and is worse than 81.15% of 785 companies in the Business Services industry. Tillinghast said in his book Big Money Think's Small: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing that a high debt-to-Ebitda ratio can be a red flag unless tangible assets cover the debt. Profitability Analysis ADT Inc's low Profitability rank can also raise warning signals. Additionally, ADT Inc's Gross Margin has also declined over the past five years, as evidenced by the data: 2018: 77.27; 2019: 72.88; 2020: 71.47; 2021: 70.79; 2022: 68.10. This trend underscores the company's struggles to convert its revenue into profits. Growth Prospects A lack of significant growth is another area where ADT Inc seems to falter, as evidenced by the company's low Growth rank. The company's revenue has declined by -1.3 per year over the past three years, which underperforms worse than 65.92% of 983 companies in the Business Services industry. Stagnating revenues may pose concerns in a fast-evolving market. Over the past five years, ADT Inc has witnessed a decline in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). The three-year growth rate is recorded at -7.5, while the five-year growth rate is at -5.3. These figures underscore potential challenges in the company's profitability. ADT Inc (ADT): A Deep Dive into Its Performance Potential Conclusion Given the company's financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GuruFocus Score Rating highlights the firm's unparalleled position for potential underperformance. While ADT Inc has a strong reputation in the Business Services industry, its current financial indicators suggest that it may struggle to maintain its historical performance. Therefore, investors should exercise caution when considering this stock. GuruFocus Premium members can find more companies with strong GF Scores using the following screener link: GF Score Screen This article first appeared on GuruFocus. The second season of Prime Videos original series, The Wheel of Time, hit the streaming service on Sept. 1. The intense follow-up features the return of prominent cast members, new characters, a peak into unknown worlds and unfolding shocking plot twists. The Wheel Of Time is based on the best-selling fantasy series by Robert Jordan . The 14-book series was adapted for television by executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hemlock Grove). Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television produce the dramatic fantasy. Season 1 ended with the revelation of the young farm boy, Rand alThor (Josha Stradowski), learning he was the Dragon Reborn. He and the fellow chosen ones from Two Rivers are recruited by the Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike). Along their journey, they learn how to tap into their magic abilities to help them fight against a rising evil. Shadow and Act went behind the scenes on set in Prague, Czech Republic, to get an inside look at what viewers can expect this season. The Wheel of Time sets itself apart from other programs in the fantasy genre with such a diverse cast. Women are the only characters that wield power. Their elite society, the Aes Sedai, comprises an all-female counsel led by the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche. British Nigerian actress Sophie Okonedo portrays Siuan Sanche. The gender and racially diverse cast is an intentional effort, according to directors Sanaa Hamri and Thomas Napper. Its a huge element of the show, said Napper. The veteran director (Jawbone, Widow Clicquot, World on Fire) noted the series made the crucial decision to reach out to casting pools in different countries to ensure they had a diverse range of talent when selecting the cast. Although its great to see, Napper noted that racial diversity in casting has been an elephant in the room for the fantasy genre. I think long overdue. Its been a while coming, he added. Hamris dedication to the diversification of the cast was rooted in her wanting viewers to see something that reflects their image. Its really great for all of us, she said. Thomas can see himself and the show, as can I, so we have equal equilibrium. The Morocco-born creative has directed films such as Just Wright with Queen Latifah and Common and music videos for Jadakiss, Prince, Mariah Carey and more. Hamri shared that representation in The Wheel Of Time starts behind the scenes. If were going to make a change, it comes from behind the scenes because once you have that philosophy and stand by it, you will have a more diverse crew.. and a diverse cast because the world is diverse, she said. Thats the real world. Its not the other. Executive producer Marigo Kehoe (The Crown, Wallander, Strike Back) echoed the idea of various cultural representations as a big part of the original works, saying, It was very important that we shared this world and the future. Its the world that we live in. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video / Amazon Studios This season, production traveled to areas in Italy and Morocco. With these locations as backdrops, characters representing possibly indigenous ethnic groups are introduced. The makeup and hair team paid particular attention to details, telling the stories of the diverse cast and new additions. Emmy-nominated hair and makeup designer Davina Lamont led us through the hall of hair, explaining how even the coifs play a part in the diversity of the cast. Characters in the series represent the Indigenous groups of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Intricate braids, textured hair and telling details allow fans to fall in love with the physical characteristics of each character. Lamont mentioned some of the series staple characters, such as Alaana, who required bells weaved through her hair and Loial, the giant Ogier, who requires hours of makeup. Jordans original works named over 2787 distinct characters, and Lamont has created looks for those listed within the two seasons. I have over 400 wigs within my warehouses and sometimes I get less than a week to turn around the looks of a new character, she said. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video / Amazon Studios Having such a cohesive character aesthetic is also relevant in the costume department. Sharon Gilham helms the costume design team, ensuring each characters looks are as individualized as the hair. Gilham plays on the idea that characters can blur the realms of time. You will see clothing that resembles medieval times and some that could be modern-day attire. she said. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video / Amazon Studios Color schemes also play an essential part in the series storytelling. This season, viewers will learn different colors representing class systems, ethnic groups and power levels. As a dramatic fantasy series, the battle scenes take top billing in the episodes. Veteran stunt coordinator Jan Petrina gives life to the script with thrilling fight sequences. While his 32 years of experience have allowed him to build a well-oiled stunt-performance team, Petrina prides himself on having the actors complete 90% of their stunts themselves. We train them to do the actions without using a double, he said. The battle scenes are pretty active and intense. Season 2 of the Wheel of Time continues to bring to life impeccable storytelling and rich creativity while flawlessly incorporating diversity and cultural references into a fantasy world. Episodes 1-3 of season 2 are now available on Prime Video. New episodes are released every Thursday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend day six of the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend day six of the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took a break from their Invictus Games commitments to celebrate his 39th birthday. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, 42, rang in the occasion at Im Goldenen Kessel, a traditional German restaurant, in Dusseldorf, according to the Daily Mail. Harry was a lovely man and was having a very jolly time. Meghan was lovely, the establishments owner, Thea Ungermann, told the outlet on Thursday, September 14. The royal couple, who are in Germany for the 2023 Invictus Games, even posed for a photo with Ungermann and her staff. Harry opted for a gray button-down and a pair of jeans, while Meghan wore white skinny jeans, a maroon striped shirt and carried a Cuyana handbag. According to the restaurant staff, Harry and Meghan sampled an array of the countrys classic cuisine. Head waiter Frank Wackers told the Daily Mail that Harry enjoyed six small beers before trying wiener schnitzel, pork knuckle, sausage and plates of roast and mashed potatoes. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated his 39th birthday early with beers and traditional German food at a brewery and restaurant in Dusseldorf. Schumacher Altbier-Manufaktur / MEGA They were very happy. He is a lovely man, and they were so nice, Wackers added of his royal run-in, noting that Harry even joked about the alcoholic beverage he was served. He said that he would kill me if the beer was bad, but I know he was joking. No birthday celebration is complete without a special cake and the restaurant had it covered. According to the British outlet, Harry was presented with a white chocolate cake after a rendition of Happy Birthday. At the end of the night, Ungermann found that Harry himself paid the bill and left the staff a big tip. Harry and Meghan, who share 4-year-old son Archie and 2-year-old daughter Lilibet, arrived in Germany separately earlier this month for the Invictus Games, which Harry cofounded in 2014. He kicked off the tournament solo on September 9 before Meghan joined him days later. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend day six of the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Chris Jackson/Getty Images It is so special to be here, and Im so sorry that I was a little late for the party, she told attendees at the Family & Friends party after her arrival on Tuesday, September 12, per Hello! magazine. Just like so many of you, we know this is about family and friends and the community that Invictus has created, that Fischer House has created, and so I had to just spend a little bit more time getting our little ones settled home. Meghan joked that she did school drop-off with her kids back home in California before catching her overseas flight. I just landed a couple of hours ago. I am thrilled that the first event that I can do with Invictus is here with all of you, she added at the time. It is amazing. Harry and Meghan, who made their public debut as a couple at the 2017 Games in Toronto, have actively participated in this years event by watching various matches and handing out trophies to the winners. The first-ever Peoples Choice Country Awards might be happening in Nashville, but its going to be a Knoxville party. Morgan Wallen , Kelsea Ballerini , Kenny Chesney and Dolly Parton all of whom have Knoxville or East Tennessee ties will be honored during the awards ceremony. Ballerini is set to perform during the fan-voted awards show Sept. 28 at the Grand Ole Opry House. Wallen is one of the top nominees of the night and Chesney and Parton are each up for two awards. Wallen has 11 nominations within the 12 categories and Ballerini nabbed four. Both artists are vying for the big prizes: artist of the year and album of the year. And although shes from Georgia, Megan Moroneys hit Tennessee Orange has nominations for song of the year and music video of the year. The video prominently features people wearing Vols gear. A limited number of show tickets and VIP packages are available now at Opry.com. Awards show performers also include Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay, Carly Pearce , HARDY, Jelly Roll, Little Big Town, Toby Keith and Wynonna Judd. Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Pearce and Judd all have upcoming shows in Knoxville. Ballerini is scheduled to headline her first arena concert Nov. 2 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets sold out almost immediately when they went on sale Sept. 15. She also surprised students at Central High School, her former school, with two free tickets each to the show. Hosted by Little Big Town, the first People's Choice Country Awards air live at 8 p.m. Sept. 28 on NBC and Peacock. Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Morgan Wallen, Kelsea Ballerini at Peoples Choice Country Awards Every year from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, the history and culture of the Latinx community are honored during Hispanic Heritage Month, which spans a period that includes Independence Day celebrations for Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. In Arizona, we are fortunate to have rich Latinx representation in all aspects of daily living, especially when it comes to cuisine. Food is a sure way to not only bring people together, but also to share ones culture with others. And no one knows more about this power than chefs. From traditional mole and flan to personal spins on foie gras and dry-aged duck, we asked five metro Phoenix Latinx chefs about a dish that best reflects their Hispanic heritage, not only this month but all year long. Meet me at Rosita's Place: Her Phoenix Mexican restaurant is older than she is Chef David Brito of Geordies at Wrigley Mansion Chef David Brito (left) and Chef Jacob Hilliard prepare food in the Reserve kitchen on Jan. 13, 2023, in Scottsdale. "A dish that best reflects my personal Hispanic heritage would be our 14-day dry aged duck. It's a perfect story that melds my culinary upbringing here in Arizona and my Mexican heritage on a plate," chef David Brito of Geordie's at Wrigley Mansion explained. He sources Rohan Ducks from New York and dry ages them in-house before pairing the meat with a dish a little closer to home. "We pair the duck with a huitlacoche tamale. Huitlacoche is essentially corn smut that grows on ears of corn around the kernels, in puffy gray clouds that look like river stones. An extremely versatile by-product of corn that is indigenous to Mexicans, but unfamiliar to most, we make a puree out of it to fold into our masa that is enriched with foie gras fat and 60-day Pima cornmeal from Ramona Farms in Sacaton," he said. "We serve the tamale open faced to showcase the color of the huitlacoche and the duck leg confit. For acidity, we fermented local mulberries from Pinnacle Farms for 7-Days in a 2% salt brine. The sauce that brings the entire dish together is a sauce utilizing all the roasted dry aged bones and caramelized honey." For Brito, interpreting his heritage in a traditional fine dining setting is the best way to honor the legacy of both. "To me this dish speaks my story of being a Mexican chef and the vision of Geordie's as we showcase timeless and indigenous ingredients in a unique and elevated fine dining experience." He grew up obsessed with 'Iron Chef:' Now 26-year-old David Brito leads a top Phoenix restaurant Chef Ivan Jacobo of Anhelo "The foie gras torchon is on the current menu and has a little bit of Mexican influence. It's a classic French preparation, but it's accompanied by Mexican papaya that's cooked in piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar) and topped off with pomegranate seeds and crushed pistachios," explained chef Ivan Jacobo of Anhelo restaurant downtown. The dish was the result of a last-minute change-of-plans, when Jacobo drew on his knowledge of tropical ingredients on the fly. "Believe it or not, (using the Mexican papaya) actually wasn't planned out. The mangos we originally ordered weren't up to our standards so we decided to go with fresh papaya. The tropical flavor from the papaya pairs great with the piloncillo." Chef Yulissa Acosta of Hearth 61 at Mountain Shadows "If I were to pick a dish that best represents me and my heritage, it would be carne en su jugo," chef Yulissa Acosta of Hearth '61 said. "Its a Mexican stew with meat, pinto beans and pork tomatillo. There are different textures and bright flavors, making it very comforting. My family is from a small town in Sinaloa, and my mother always made different variations depending on what we had on hand. Its a very simple yet intricate dish because there are many steps to get it where it should be. I love this dish because it signifies that cooking is truly a labor of love." CRUjiente Tacos co-owner and chef Richard Hinojosa at his Arcadia neighborhood restaurant on Feb. 1, 2023. Richard Hinojosa of CRUJiente Tacos "I was introduced to mole when I was 7- or 8-years-old. There was a celebration and my godmother prepared this mole con pollo. It was my first time having this, and it was like nothing I had ever tasted So rich, so much flavor and depth," chef-owner of CRUJiente Tacos, Richard Hinojosa explained. And those flavors stuck with him. "I had this several times over the years from my godmother and from my grandmother. Later in life I took their recipes and developed my own. Mole is a celebratory food, as it takes so long, and so much care and love to prepare it properly. It will always hold a very special place in my heart." Only at CRUJiente This Phoenix taco has serious island vibes Maria Arenas of ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho "Flan con dulce de leche y crema is one of the many classic Argentinian desserts. Every grandma or grandpa knows how to make flan, and all have their own way of doing it," chef Maria Arenas of Zuzu explained. "The main ingredient is eggs. My grandma used 20 eggs for an 8-inch flan. Yes, that's a lot. But in Argentina, its kind of a competition between the abuelas and abuelos on how many eggs you put in your flan. Every Sunday, we would go to my abuela's house and have great food, especially the desserts. She would always share her recipes with me." And the beloved desert set Arenas on her current path. "The first time I made flan was with my abuela Nora. Typically, you eat this dessert with dulce de leche, whipped cream, or both, like my mom," she said. "I didn't go to culinary school right after graduating high school. But after a couple years, I realized my passion was in pastry. I have my abuela Nora to thank for that, and the first time she taught me how to make flan." It's official: This historic, family-run Mexican restaurant makes best burritos in Phoenix This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How these top Phoenix chefs celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month all year The famous garment, worn by the late Princess of Wales in 1989, was auctioned off by Sotheby's in New York on Thursday Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Princess Diana's iconic black sheep sweater Princess Diana's iconic black sheep sweater is breaking records. On Thursday, the garment sold for $1.1 million at Sothebys latest Fashion Icons auction during New York Fashion Week marking the highest price paid at auction for an item worn by the late Princess of Wales. According to a press release from Sotheby's, the sweater sold for a total of $1.143 million, with bidding jumping from $190,000 to its final price after a 15-minute bidding battle. The knit was offered with an estimate of $50,000 to $80,000. The garment broke the record set by Dianas Victor Edelstein aubergine evening gown, which made fashion history when it sold for $604,800 in January. The dress, which was designed for Diana in 1989 and also auctioned off by Sothebys, fetched five times the pre-estimate. Sally Muir, co-founder of Warm and Wonderful, tells PEOPLE exclusively that she was with her designing partner Joanna Osborne when the news broke. "I went to Jos for the last two hours of the auction, and we had bucks fizz and sat down with some friends of hers and watched it," she says. "Nothing happened for hours, and then it all went berserk in the last 10 minutes. It was nail-biting because it had been stuck at the same level at around $180,000 all day, which we thought was brilliant, and then it just went mad. Everyone just screamed every time it went up!" Muir added that she's "absolutely dying to know" to know who bought the piece. "But its all confidential unless it goes to a museum and then we might find out. Its kind of frustrating but also quite intriguing because of course we have been speculating!" Asked what Princess Diana would think of the sale, Muir says she would be "quite amused by it: its just the power of Diana, it goes on and on." Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Princess Diana wearing her black sheep sweater in June 1981 Related: How Princess Diana's Glamorous Gown Heading to Auction Showed She Was the 'People's Princess' Sothebys announced the iconic sweater was going up for auction in June. Diana famously wore the garment with a pair of blue jeans as a 19-year-old to watch the then-Prince Charles play a polo match in June 1981, just a month before their royal wedding at St Pauls Cathedral in London. Its an obvious metaphor for not quite fitting in. But also, that its okay to stand out and be different," Cynthia Houlton, Sothebys Global Head of Fashion and Accessories, said of the sweater ahead of the auction. The item was discovered in storage over 40 years later by one of the designers of the British knitwear brand Warm & Wonderful who created the fashion statement. Soon after Diana first wore the design, Muir and Osborne received a letter from Buckingham Palace saying that Diana had damaged the sweater and asked if it could be repaired or replaced. A new garment was sent and the original, damaged item was forgotten about until Osborne came across it in storage earlier this year. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images The black sheep sweater Related: Princess Diana's Statement Dress Is Up for Auction and It's by Designer of Queen Camilla's Coronation Gown I was in the attic in February searching for a pattern, and I just happen to notice this old wine box in a corner and there was a red sheep jumper wrapped in a cotton bedspread. It was well preserved, and I had a kind of Groundhog Day moment and thought, 'Could this be the one?' I looked at the cuff which had obviously been sewn back on, and I called Sal and said, 'I think Ive found the actual real Diana jumper! Osborne exclusively told PEOPLE. We had just sort of forgotten about it, added Muir. Osborne continued, We looked at all photographs of her wearing it, and we compared the two and we both felt certain that it was the actual one. We just knew because every jumper is different, so it was easy to see. So we called Sotheby's! Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images Princess Diana wearing her second version of the sweater in 1983 Ahead of the auction, Houlton also exclusively told PEOPLE that the way in which the garment was re-discovered raised the stakes for the sale. They very randomly came across this sweater, it's not like they were sitting on this sweater for some period of time and then decided who they should sell it to, Houlton said of Muir and Osborne. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Diana wore her second version of the sweater for another one of Charles polo matches in 1983, teaming the item with a white blouse with a black bow and white pants. Last week, three of Dianas gowns were also sold at auction for around $1.62 million. The fashions were up for auction at Juliens Auctions and Turner Classic Movies Presents Legends: Hollywood and Royalty, which was held from Wednesday to Friday in Beverly Hills and online. The items sold included a red silk Bruce Oldfield gown and two designs by royal favorite Catherine Walker. The first was a black silk velvet and white silk strapless gown, while the second was an off-the-shoulder dress with a black bodice and green silk skirt. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Project Runway s Korto Momolu proved that her rocky exit from the shows twentieth season was not the end of her status in the fashion industry, but rather, a boost, as she presented a 22-piece collection at New York Fashion Week on September 9, 2023. The shows all-star sat down with me via Zoom before the fashion show to talk about her frustrating time on the shows latest season which aired this summer but was filmed last winter. Read more Momolu is well aware that her African-inspired pieces are not the most in-demand in the mainstream fashion industry, but chooses to continue pushing her culture (being from Liberia) forward even if shes alone. There arent too many designers that do what I do. Its scary, you know, no one wants to take a chance and not be accepted or maybe not get the masses, but Im not for the masses. And I think in my career I learned that and its ok. From Korto Momolus NYFW 2023 show From Korto Momolus NYFW 2023 show Momulo was eliminated from the competition after a clash with the judges. She created a pair of pants that split the panel as they all had strong feelings about the creation. What irritated Momolu the most was that the judges expressed their dissatisfaction with the outfit, though they asked her for bolder pieces after a stream of safe weeks in the competition. The boldly printed and shaped pants were her attempt to stand out. Korto Momolu and the pants she created that got her eliminated Korto Momolu and the pants she created that got her eliminated Instead of bowing out quietly after elimination, she decided to push back and confront the judges about their inconsistencies and told the other designers that she wasnt sad to leave because she expected it to happen saying: I stood for something and I knew it wasnt gonna be popular. But I had to stand up because every single week Im getting these responses from the judges that make no sense to me. So, yeah, I think maybe Im just too real for that platform now. Its my last time going on the show, Im gonna wish them all the best. But yeah, I think we just need to figure out the judging. However, months later after the show wrapped in 2022, she was introduced to Maggie and Hubert Delany, founders of EPN Fashion Week through designer Malan Breton. They asked her to create a solo show to present at New York Fashion Week 2023, a coveted event for any designer to present at. Hows that judges for a dated designer? More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Ron Wood, a member of the Rolling Stones for 47 of the bands 61 years, says his efforts in keeping the peace between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been the key to its longevity. But it hasnt always come easy. Wood, speaking to The New York Times before the bands first album release of new songs in 18 years drops next month, said when it came to keeping the band together, he has been committed to whatever means necessary. That has been my thing all these years, to keep my institution going, Wood told the Times. When Mick and Keith fell out, Id do my best to get them together again at least get them talking and start the engines roaring again. Wood, 76, joined the Rolling Stones as an official member of the band in April 1976, after touring with the band in the previous year. His addition came during a tumultuous period as the replacement of longtime guitarist Mick Taylor . But Wood was also tapped to fill a void for Richards, who was going through the worst years of his heroin addiction, an era that marked the beginning of a long conflict between Richards and Jagger. The low point might have come relatively quickly after Woods arrival. During the recording of Tattoo You, which was released in 1981, Jagger and Richards werent even talking. And they needed an album, Chris Kimsey , a longtime producer for the band, told Vanity Fair for a story published in 2016. If the efforts Wood spoke of came in the early 80s, they didnt do much beyond holding the band together formally. When the Stones recorded their next album, Undercover of the Night, Kimsey said Jagger and Richards had become nearly unbearable to be around. When we got to making Undercover, that was the worst time Id ever experienced with them, Kimsey said of the 1983 record. The decade would eventually see Jagger record two solo albums and Richards one before the duo made amends in 1988 during a meeting at The Savoy hotel in London. Were a weird pair, man, Richards said said in an interview for The New York Times story. I love him dearly, and he loves me dearly, and lets leave it at that. Richards 2010 memoir, Life, in which he details the many years of what he viewed as Jaggers transgressions and outlandishly over-the-line behavior, would reopen old wounds. But 13 years later, Jagger, 80, seems unfazed, calling the Stones only a band. I said to Keith, If we dont have a deadline, were never going to finish this record, Jagger told the Times. So I said, The deadline is Valentines Day 2023. And then were going to go out and tour it. Thats what we used to have to do. You know, youve got to finish Exile on Main Street because youve got a tour booked. Now, two years after the death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts at 80, the Stones on Oct. 20 are releasing Hackney Diamonds, an album named after the shattered glass of warehouse windows in the industrial neighborhood of London. The record is said to be reminiscent of some of the best sounds of the Stones six decades. We worked fast, but that was the idea, Richards, 79, told the NYT with a laugh. Im still recovering. The post Rolling Stones Ron Wood Says Band Has Long Relied on His Mediation Between Mick and Keith: That Has Been My Thing appeared first on TheWrap. In his latest feature, Sing Sing, the director Greg Kwedar crafts a sincere story of friendship and artistic expression at Sing Sing, a maximum-security prison in upstate New York. Rehabilitation Through the Arts, or RTA, is a program that helps people in jail cultivate community through theater, dance and other artistic mediums. Using a mix of professional actors and alumni from the program, Kwedar chronicles the experiences of a group of incarcerated men preparing to stage a new and ambitious production. Sing Sing doesnt set out to be an overtly political film, but its sensitive approach to portraying the lives of its characters makes it an urgent document of our time. The riots and demonstrations of 2020 renewed conversations about the reach of the carceral state in the U.S. Abolition became a hot topic, but for those unaffected by the tendrils of the American prison system, the lives of the people inside can feel abstract. Sing Sing tries to close that distance by foregrounding the story of Divine G and Divine Eye, two men who form an unlikely bond. The film has an unhurried pace that some might find taxing. But patient audiences will find the experience rewarding, especially as the film invites independent research about the program and the filmmaking teams own ethical production model. More from The Hollywood Reporter Colman Domingo plays Divine G, a mellow man who has structured his decades in prison around the group. Along with his buddy Mike Mike (Sean San Jose), Divine G finds purpose in staging productions by and for his community. The duos love for the program is evident from Sing Sings opening sequence, in which Divine G and Mike Mike scan the yard for potential recruits. Divine G wants to give Divine Eye played by Clarence Divine Eye Maclin, on whom the character is also based the opportunity to audition. Mike Mike worries about Divine Eyes discipline: He is one of the most feared people at Sing Sing for his anger and aggressive approach to collecting on his debts. Divine G brushes away Mike Mikes concerns and they take a chance on Divine Eye. The new recruits struggle to embrace the radical vulnerability of the theater troupe becomes the central narrative of Sing Sing. Kwedar and Clint Bentley, who collaborated on 2021s Jockey, team up again to write a story of friendship and second chances. Their screenplay pulls from multiple sources: the real-life relationship between Divine Eye and Divine G, alumni of the RTA program; an Esquire piece by the writer John H. Richardson; and Breakin the Mummys Code, a play written by the programs theater director, Brent Buell. The pair are delicate in their approach to the narrative, building a process story and non-exploitative portrait of life in the correctional facility. It turns out that Divine Eye knows more about theater than he lets on. When Divine G approaches the younger man, hes surprised to hear him reference Shakespeares King Lear with a cool admiration. Their relationship starts off as one between a calm elder soul and a restless young spirit, but eventually evolves into something deeper and more interdependent. Domingo shines, proving himself once again as an actor of wide range and deep feeling. As Divine Eyes mentor, he channels the tough paternal energy he displayed in Euphoria in the role of Rues Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. But when Divine Eye, once his protege, questions the traditions of the program and later lands a pivotal role in the production, Divine G must confront the less flattering parts of himself. Domingos performance reflects the undulating texture of his characters emotional development, from disappointment to rage unearthed by a poignant loss. After a series of discussions about why they always stage Shakespeare, the group chooses to put on a play written by their program director (Paul Raci). The unwieldy book represents the diversity of the troupes interests and includes a role for everyone. Divine G, who hoped his own original play might be chosen, initially recoils at the idea of this new production, but eventually accepts it. His relationship with Divine Eye changes, too, as both men realize they have more in common than they initially thought. Kwedars film is a portrait of friendship and a tribute to arts restorative value. The helmers considered direction coaxes a lot of big lessons from this quiet film. Sing Sing is about the gift of creating with community and the redemptive nature of self-expression. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. Europe has very strict online-privacy laws, as TikTok was reminded today. The China-based social media company was hit with a $368 million fine by Euro regulators for failing to protect the privacy of children. Its the first time the video-sharing platform has faced punishment for breaching European rules, the Associated Press reports. More from Deadline An investigation begun in September 2021 by Irelands Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default. That allows anyone to view and comment on their videos. Those settings also posed a risk to kids younger than 13 access the platform even though theyre not allowed. TikTok pointed out that the regulators criticisms focused on features and settings dating back three years and said in a statement that it disagrees with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed. The company said it had made changes well before the investigation began, including making all accounts for teens under 16 private by default and disabling direct messaging for users ages 13-15. The Irish watchdog also had examined TikToks measures to verify whether users are at least 13 but found the company didnt break any rules. The regulator is still carrying out a second investigation into whether TikTok complied with the EUs General Data Protection Regulation when it transferred users personal information to China, where its owner, ByteDance, is based. 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. Court reporter Meghann Cuniff appears to have gotten under rapper Tory Lanezs skin. According to the journalistwho gained social media notoriety as Meghann Thee Reporter thanks to her coverage of Lanezs Megan Thee Stallion shooting trialLanez called her a googly-eyed bitch during his final appearance in court this week. Last December, a Los Angeles jury found Lanez guilty of all three charges prosecutors had raised against himassault with a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm, and negligent discharge of a gunfor shooting Megan Pete, aka Megan Thee Stallion, in 2020. This August, Lanez received a 10-year prison sentence, and on Thursday, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied his motion for bail. I didnt hear it and Im still working to see if transcript has it, but Ive confirmed Tory Lanez chose to use his final courtroom moments to profanely insult me, calling me a googly eyed bitch as he looked at gallery. Conflicting reports on whether he named me. A fitting end. Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 14, 2023 In her final report on the court case, Cuniff repeats her allegation (first shared on Twitter Thursday) that Lanez insulted her during his last moments in court. I couldnt hear him, Cuniff writes in her report, published Friday, but several people in the courtroom, including sheriffs deputies, heard him say googly-eyed bitch as he looked at me in the gallery. When reached for comment, Lanezs attorney, Jose Baez, asked whether The Daily Beast was referring to the blogger? and added, The person I believe you are talking about does not work for any news outlet. (Cuniff runs the Substack Legal Affairs and Notes with Meghann Cuniff and has previously written for and contributed to outlets including Law & Crime, The Washington Post, and The Daily Beast.) Baez seems to be aware of Cuniff already: In August, after Cuniff questioned the lawyers dedication to the case as he posted photos from Italy, Complex reported that Baez had responded with a post on Instagram that did not mention her by name but instead alluded only to a blogger. For the record I travel to Italy 2 to 4 times a year, Baez wrote in an Instagram Story, per Complex. I have both business interests as well as clients who have business in Italy. It is a beautiful country and a privilege to visit. This blogger has had a clear bias against Tory and has attacked everyone associated with him as well as made numerous inaccurate assumptions. In fairness to her, she has no legal training and has never worked in the court system, so her opinions have little to no merit whatsoever. After his sentencing in August, Lanez wrote on Instagram that he refuses to stop fighting till I come out victorious. Meanwhile, Megan Thee Stallion seemingly responded to news of Lanezs sentencing last month during a concert at San Franciscos Outside Lands Music Festival. Yelling from the stage, she said, Fuck all my haters. None of the shit you was saying or doing broke me. 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. Value-focused investors are constantly seeking stocks priced below their intrinsic value. One such stock that demands attention is Altice USA Inc (NYSE:ATUS). Currently priced at $3.21, the stock recorded a gain of 8.45% in a day and a 3-month increase of 9.18%. According to its GF Value, the fair valuation of the stock stands at $12.45. Understanding the GF Value The GF Value represents the current intrinsic value of a stock, derived from our exclusive method. The GF Value Line on our summary page gives an overview of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on three factors: Historical multiples (PE Ratio, PS Ratio, PB Ratio, and Price-to-Free-Cash-Flow) that the stock has traded at. GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth. Future estimates of the business performance. Altice USA (ATUS): A Smart Investment or a Value Trap? An In-Depth Exploration An In-Depth Analysis of Altice USA (NYSE:ATUS) Despite its seemingly attractive valuation, certain risk factors associated with Altice USA should not be overlooked. These risks are primarily reflected through its low Altman Z-score of 0.39. These indicators suggest that Altice USA, despite its apparent undervaluation, might be a potential value trap. This complexity underlines the importance of thorough due diligence in investment decision-making. Understanding the Altman Z-Score Before delving into the details, it's essential to understand what the Altman Z-score entails. Invented by New York University Professor Edward I. Altman in 1968, the Z-Score is a financial model that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within a two-year time frame. The Altman Z-Score combines five different financial ratios, each weighted to create a final score. A score below 1.8 suggests a high likelihood of financial distress, while a score above 3 indicates a low risk. Story continues Company Introduction Altice USA operates under the Optimum brand name, providing television, internet access, and phone services to approximately 9 million U.S. homes and businesses. Despite its extensive operations and a market cap of $1.5 billion, the company's low Altman Z-score and other financial indicators suggest potential financial distress, making it a potential value trap for investors. Altice USA (ATUS): A Smart Investment or a Value Trap? An In-Depth Exploration Conclusion While Altice USA (NYSE:ATUS) may seem like an attractive investment opportunity due to its current undervaluation, the company's low Altman Z-score and other financial indicators suggest potential financial distress. Therefore, it's crucial for investors to conduct thorough due diligence before making an investment decision. GuruFocus Premium members can find stocks with high Altman Z-Score using the Walter Schloss Screen . This article first appeared on GuruFocus. The post V of BTS Brings Layover to Tiny Desk Korea: Watch appeared first on Consequence. BTSs V, fresh off the release of his solo project, has shared his visit to South Koreas Tiny Desk. Backed by a crew of stellar instrumentalists and vocalists, the jazz-loving member of the septet reimagined three cuts off of Layover. Watch the full episode below. Filmed in Seoul, V enlisted a drummer, backup vocalists, a saxophone player, a keyboardist, and a handful of other players (most of whom flew in from the US) to round out the backing band of his dreams. They kicked things off with the albums pre-release single, Love Me Again, and followed it up with an extra dreamy live arrangement of the focus track, Slow Dancing, after V dedicated some time to introducing the members of the band. (Slow Dancing wisely then built in ample time for a saxophone solo.) This episode is the latest in a recently launched South Korean version of the immensely popular NPR series, a joint venture between the US media organization and Koreas LG U+. V and the band closed their installment out with a mellow take on Vs For Us. Between performances at South Koreas music shows, where artists spend time promoting new music, V has sold over 2.1 million physical copies of the album domestically, according to South Koreas Hanteo Chart. V is the first K-pop solo artist to achieve this milestone. Read our review of Layover here. For more BTS-related content, listen to the Stanning BTS podcast, and subscribe to Mary Sirokys Fan Chant newsletter. V of BTS Brings Layover to Tiny Desk Korea: Watch Mary Siroky Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. In his directors statement for The Wait (La espera), F. Javier Gutierrez describes his latest feature as a slow-burn supernatural neo-western set in Spain in the 1970s. Thats certainly an apt summary, but one that also underscores the movies main problem: Its trying to be too many things at once, and by doing so amounts to less than the sum of its parts. The Spanish filmmakers debut from 2008, Before the Fall, tried to combine a disaster flick with a home-invasion flick, yielding similarly sketchy results. In both cases, Gutierrez showcases a keen sense of style but an inability, despite all the genre-jumping, to make something that feels truly original. World premiering at Oldenburg, with additional dates set for Sitges and Fantastic Fest, the film could provide decent streaming fodder for fans of international thrillers while finding a small theatrical audience at home in Spain. More from The Hollywood Reporter During the rather languid opening half-hour, The Wait introduces us to Eladio (Victor Clavijo), a disheveled hunter who takes a job guarding the massive Andalusian estate of landowner Don Francisco (Manuel Moron). He brings along his wife, Marcia (Ruth Diaz), and son, Floren (Moises Ruiz), setting up a new life for the family on a desolate ranch that Don Francisco lends out to hunters so they can chase down wild boar. The neo-western vibe is present from the start, with cinematographer Miguel Angel Mora capturing the sunbaked Spanish landscapes in elegant wides, then pulling in for extreme close-ups to focus on Eladio and his son as they practice shooting together. That vibe, however, doesnt last long. A freak accident results in Florens death, driving his mother to suicide and setting his father on a course of rampant alcoholism during which he not only experiences strange visions, but begins uncovering all sorts of gory clues slaughtered chickens, a goats head buried in the dirt, a human toenail in a bowl of beef stew, scraps of clothing wrapped in barbed wire that lead him to believe this may all be the devils work. Thus the supernatural part, which takes over much of the second half of The Wait, but also leaves the viewer in the dust. Gutierrez never manages to establish an interesting main character Eladio is a man of few words, but also of few thoughts or feelings beyond grief and so were never invested enough in his plight when all the horror stuff starts happening. Sometimes it feels like the director is improvising as he goes along, throwing in twists for the sake of it, with a whole subplot involving backcountry voodoo thats never remotely credible or scary. He also fails to take advantage of the time setting theres a lot to say about fascist-ruled Spain in the 70s which seems to be there merely for aesthetic purposes, allowing for lots of neutral color tones and washed-out vintage costumes. Despite the narrative snags, the director reveals a certain command of style and tone, especially when staging the films handful of set-pieces. Favoring fixed shots and few cuts over fast-paced handheld confusion this is the slow-burn aspect he gives a clear grammar to the wordless action, making it much more legible than the plot itself. Gutierrez has already made one foray into Hollywood, helming the universally panned Rings back in 2017. With any luck, The Wait, which does have the merit of being well-made, will allow him to take on something more ambitious, and hopefully more convincing, at some point in the future. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. At least 2,000 grass lovers are invited to mow down a little greenery while vibing to many bands at the sixth annual Weedstock festival this weekend. That's why the tagline for the event is "Bring your best buds," another form of "BYOB" that gives folks the green light to have a good time. Just don't bring your kids, as this event is strictly 21 and up. Delaware's only cannabis-themed music and camping festival returns Friday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16, at Fire Base Lloyd in Townsend. This year is special because it marks the first Weedstock where guests get to celebrate the legalization of marijuana in the state. That means this also will be the first year Weedstock organizers and guests won't have to look over their shoulder for the police. "I'm relieved that it's now legalized. You do realize we've been doing [Weedstock] since 2017, often putting ourselves at risk," Cynthia Ferguson, executive director of Weedstock, said. "This is honestly the first year that I can honestly say I am breathing a sigh of relief." What is Weedstock? Revelers looking for a dope time at the festival will encounter a host of vendors selling various marijuana-themed products and accessories. That could be anything from vendors selling soap made with hemp to artwork that pays homage to Mary Jane. There will be food vendors to satisfy guests' munchies, and plenty of live music. Is weed legal in Delaware? Delaware recently became the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana use on April 23. The law makes it legal only for adults ages 21 or older. Like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol in Delaware, it's illegal to consume marijuana if youre underage. Marijuana is legal in Delaware: What does it mean for you? Is it legal to smoke weed at Weedstock? Marijuana plants are grown from seed at First State Compassion, Delaware's first licensed medical marijuana distribution center and largest cannabis growing facility. Marijuana is used in a new line of edibles. Yes, it's legal for guests to consume the legal amount of weed at Weedstock. Although it's illegal to still consume cannabis in public in the First State, Fire Base Lloyd allows guests to smoke marijuana on their private property for this festival, said Laura Sharer, executive director for Delaware NORML. What bands are playing Weedstock? Lower Case Blues is playing the six annual Weedstock festival in Townsend on Saturday, Sept. 16. Musical flavors of rock, blues, psychedelic and more will be cooked up. The festival lineup features headliner Echoes, a Pink Floyd tribute band, as well as Lower Case Blues, The Knotty G's, DMT (Dustin Manucci Trio), Traitor, The Ty Mathis Experience, Mad Dabbers, Hippocampus, The Blues Reincarnation Project and Down Confidential. Who does Weedstock benefit? The festival is presented by Delfire Group, a production company for events that benefits social causes. Proceeds from Weedstock benefits Delaware NORML, a nonprofit working to reform cannabis laws in the state. Sharer said the next cause Delaware NORML is advocating for is that residents be able to legally grow their own weed for personal consumption. "[What] we're fighting for next is for home cultivation, marketing it as like '#GrowDelaware' campaign." Fire Base Lloyd (474 Fleming Landing Road, Townsend) at 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 15; and noon, Saturday, Sept. 16. Tickets start at $50 per day (plus fees). Camping per night starts at $25 (plus fees). Visit weedstock.org or (302) 497-3833. More festival news 7 things to know for Phish fans: Before heading The Woodlands Dover for 2024 festival Phish jam band hooked for Delaware fest: Here are the details Fall festival frenzy: Delaware Renaissance Faire, Scrapple, Powwow, Fairy Fest & more Bob Marley: 9 music festivals to see in and near Delaware this fall If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Weedstock festival is a 21 and up event with music and more A lawsuit filed in against UW Medicine accuses the hospital of losing a patient's bladder tumor before they were able to test for cancer. Jeremy Morton-Maxson was already dealing with news no one wanted to hear. At the age of just 39, he had gone to doctors after experiencing painful urinary issues, which raised red flags for the carpenter who comes from a family with a history of bladder cancer. After waiting upward of five months to get in to see a specialist at UW Medicine in Seattle, Morton-Maxson was informed in August of 2022 that a tumor was present on his bladder and that it was "likely cancer," according to a lawsuit filed this summer and originally reported on by the Seattle Times. Morton-Maxson was urged to have prompt surgery to remove the mass so that the hospitals pathology department could determine if it was malignant, said a press release provided by Morton-Maxson's attorney, Austin Neff. He did just that two days later at UW Medicine Northwest. It was then the worst of all waiting games began. Morton-Maxson waited weeks for the call from his doctor, eventually resorting to sending daily messages and making frequent phone calls to the clinic, becoming increasingly panicked at the lack of response. When I didnt hear back, I began calling the urologist, but as anyone knows, gone are the days when you could actually reach anyone on the phone, Morton-Maxson said in the press release. I began calling repeatedly and sending notes on the physician groups electronic medical records portal, MyChart, figuring if I made a big enough pest of myself, they would call me back. It was finally in early September that he got the call he had been dreading, only to receive news of an entirely unexpected complication: UW Medicine had lost the tumor before it could be analyzed, something they formally admitted in later court documents. If the tumor was malignant, a pathology report would have told us how aggressive the cancer is and help his care team make critical decisions, including what targeted therapies would have served Jeremy best," Neff in a statement. "Now, because of UWs actions, Jeremy is left with nothing but bad options. Clinic resumes abortions in Wisconsin: Planned Parenthood Wisconsin resumes abortion procedures after new court ruling More questions than answers Indeed, Morton-Maxson was left with more questions than answers after the incident. Options for treatment are now less precise and up the air, causing stress that Morton-Maxson said has colored every part of his life. He was offered two courses of action following the news: Undergo preventative chemotherapy in case the tumor was malignant after all, or have invasive diagnostic procedures done every 60 days to reexamine the inside of his bladder, said court documents. Morton-Maxson, who is very physically active not only by merit of his job but in his free time as well, did not find either course of action "acceptable," especially considering the doctor told him post-surgery that she believed she had "gotten all" of the tumor, meaning intervention in the form of intense chemotherapy may not even be necessary. For Morton-Maxson, not knowing is the worst outcome of this saga so far. Anyone who has battled cancer knows the uncertainty surrounding the disease is crippling, and in my case, the uncertainty is amplified by the hospitals mistake, Morton-Maxson said in a statement. I am a young man, and I wake up every morning with this hanging over my head." While UW Medicine did admit to losing the tumor, they have denied other allegations made in the suit, according to court documents, including injury caused to Morton-Maxson. In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, UW Medicine Spokeswoman Susan Gregg said the hospital was unable comment on specifics regarding pending litigation, but said, "UW Medicine cares deeply about our patients and takes concerns seriously. Our dedicated healthcare professionals work diligently to provide quality care. To support this goal, we examine and enhance processes as a part of our quality improvement program when needed." Gregg did not respond to questions asking if an investigation was being conducted by the hospital. Family sues for autopsy photos online: Georgia family of baby decapitated during birth claims doctor posted images online Lawsuit seeks accountability The deciding factor for Morton-Maxson in filing the suit, according to court documents and a press statement, was administration's apparent unwillingness to address the issue. Had UW owned up to their error and apologized, we would not be here today," Morton-Maxson said. Neff concurred, telling USA TODAY in an email, "A formal apology and a full explanation from hospital administration would have gone a long way. Unfortunately, UW chose silence. We look forward to full and final justice for Jeremy." As for Morton-Maxson, he chose to forgo chemo and stick with a diagnostic procedure performed every 60 days. With the lawsuit, he is seeking monetary damages from UW to compensate for the anguish caused. I understand that we all make mistakes I know how understaffed, overworked and underpaid hospital nurses and technicians are, which I am sure played into this, Morton-Maxson said in a statement. But in those instances, you need to hold up your hand and say, I messed up and I am sorry. No one from UW has ever offered me an apology. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Washington man's tumor lost before cancer test done; hospital sued What happened to Arizona teen Alissa Turney, who disappeared in 2001? When Michael Turney reported his 17-year-old stepdaughter Alissa Turney missing in May 2001, Phoenix police believed she was a rebellious runaway. There was a note in her room saying she was headed to California, and her friends and siblings said she was weary of her stepfathers overly strict rules and couldnt wait to turn 18 and be on her own. Then, in 2006, the case went from a presumed runaway to a possible homicide. A convicted murderer in Florida, Thomas Hymer, claimed to be a serial killer and seemingly confessed to killing Alissa. Investigators found his claims of being a serial killer and the confession to be false, but it resulted in two Phoenix detectives taking a closer look at the teens disappearance. It wasnt long before they began to suspect something wasnt adding up, and they turned their attention to Michael Turney as a possible suspect. Turney maintained he was innocent throughout the investigation. He was eventually tried and acquitted of Alissa's murder. With no remains ever found, Alissas disappearance continues to haunt her family more than two decades later. PHOTO: Alissa Turney is shown in a photo around the time she disappeared in 2001. (Phoenix Police Department) A new 20/20, airing Friday, Sept. 15, at 9 p.m. ET, delves into Alissas case, featuring new interviews with Michael Turney, the lead detectives, a forensic psychologist, Alissas friends and family and journalists who have covered the case. ABC News first covered the disappearance of Alissa Turney in 2009 when Michael Turney sat down for an interview with John Quinones. Watch the all-new "20/20" episode "Since You've Been Gone" airing Friday, Sept. 15, at 9 p.m. ET and streaming the next day on Hulu. Alissa Turney was born in 1984 to Barbara Farner and Stephen Strahm. Her parents divorced when she was 3 years old, and her mom got remarried to Michael Turney. They blended their families Michael Turney had three kids from a previous relationship, while Farner had Alissa and an older brother, both of whom were adopted by Turney. The couple also had a daughter together named Sarah. Alissas mom died of cancer when she was only 9 years old, leaving Michael Turney to raise Alissa and Sarah by himself. By then, the other four children were grown and already out of the house. Alissa seemed to be a typical 17-year-old who liked to have a good time. James, one of Alissa's older brothers, recalls his teenage sister as having an "incredible smile" and that she liked to read and draw and was incredibly social. James also claims that Alissa had an unpleasant" and "tense" relationship with their father, who he says was strict and controlling at home. Friends of Alissa also said her stepfather was strict and protective and that she would often complain about him. When asked in 2009 if he was a strict father, Michael agreed, saying he was "very strict" and claimed it was "more of a task for a parent to protect Alissa and keeping her in school." MORE: 'Devil Woman': How investigators cracked the 2014 murder of Michigan resident Chris Regan Before Alissa went missing, there were signs she wanted to go to California. In 2000, she wrote a drivers ed essay in which she calculated how long and how far it would take to drive to California. In 2001, she asked her boyfriend in a phone call recorded by her father and later released by investigators, "Would your parents let you to go to California with me? Alissas older brother says Alissa asked to live with him before she disappeared, and a maternal aunt in California was also willing to take her in for the summer at the request of Michael Turney. On May 17, 2001, it was Alissa Turneys last day of her junior year of high school. Her boyfriend, Jon Laakman, said Alissa told him that day that her stepdad was picking her up from school to take her to lunch. At lunch, Michael says their conversation turned into an argument when Alissa said she wanted to be able to stay out later at night with her friends. I told her, Thats just not gonna happen with this. You know, as long as youre under my roof, were gonna have to check in with daddy, cause daddys a nervous wreck if you dont, Michael Turney told ABC News in 2009. [Alissa] said for the last year or so, that she was ready to leave home. She wanted to go live somewhere else. I didnt think she was ready. I didnt want her to. I wanted her to stay, Turney said. Upon realizing Alissa wasnt home and learning of the note in her bedroom, Michael says his heart just completely stopped. He started calling around to try and find Alissa and eventually called police later that night to let them know his 17-year-old daughter had run away from home. Phoenix police say they deal with thousands of similar reports every year. A week after the disappearance, Michael got a phone call early in the morning and told ABC News that the voice he heard belonged to Alissa. The conversation was sort of scrambled. I said, Is this you Alissa? And she said a few cuss words about, Leave me alone, and then the phone went dead, Michael said in 2009. Michael says his home phone recording system was not turned on when the call came in. He eventually obtained a record of the phone call which showed it originated from a payphone in Riverside, California - about an hour from where Alissa's aunt lived. Hoping to discover information about her, Michael traveled to Riverside and handed out flyers with Alissa's picture, but he did not find anyone who had seen her. Michael also contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to register Alissa as a missing teen. Then, after the 2006 false confession from Thomas Hymer, a man serving a life sentence in Florida for the murder of his travel companion, detectives William Andersen and Stuart Somershoe started noticing some red flags in Alissas case. PHOTO: Phoenix police detective William Andersen and retired detective Stuart Somershoe are shown in an interview in 2023. (ABC News) Alissa had around $1,800 in savings, but never used any of it, police said. "When people run away, they dont leave a note to say where theyre going, because they dont want to be found," Somershoe said. Alissa also left her cell phone behind, which investigators thought was unusual for a teenage girl. Then detectives began interviewing Alissas family and friends, who shared some disturbing allegations about Michael Turney. The friends, when we ask, Is there anything negative in her life? They continually point out her relationship with her stepfather, Andersen told ABC News. Alissas friends claimed in interviews with police that Alissa told them Michael had attempted to molest her, Andersen said. Michael Turney strenuously denies the allegations of abuse and having anything to do with Alissa's disappearance, telling ABC News in 2009, All I can say, until hell freezes over, I didnt do a damn thing to my daughter. Michael Turney had Alissa sign a contract that gave extensive detail about what she agreed to do or not do until she was 18, Dr. Erin Nelson, a forensic psychologist who worked on the case, told ABC News. It included all kinds of specifics about sexual conduct, Nelson said. The contract also included rules for Alissa to follow about not drinking alcohol or using drugs. Another document was a statement indicating that she agreed [Michael Turney] had never physically or sexually abused her, Nelson said. They were incredibly disturbing. And way outside the bounds of even a protective parent-child contract," Nelson said. When asked in 2009 if the contracts were abnormal for a parent, Michael Turney said, Oh, it depends on who you talk to. If it would have avoided anything happen to my daughter, yes. I don't think it was far beyond. At the time, I look back at it, because she ran away as a result of that? Yeah, course I feel bad about it. PHOTO: ABC News' John Quinones speaks to Michael Turney while Turney was being held in federal custody on bomb charges in 2009. (ABC News) The case took a surprising turn in December 2008, when police executed a search warrant at Michael Turneys home. There they found more than two dozen improvised explosive devices, 19 firearms, two silencers and a document detailing what, policy say, seemed like a plan to attack an electrical workers union building in Phoenix. Detectives say the document also mentions Turney's belief that assassins were hired by the union to murder Alissa and dump her body in Desert Center, California. When asked in 2009 about what he had in his home, Michael Turney told ABC News, "Firecrackers, a few things to make some noise, start a fire...I wanted attention brought to Alissa." He denied there was an alleged plan to bomb a union building, saying it sounded "insane" and questioning why he would "murder a bunch of innocent people." Police conducted an extensive and detailed search of the home that Alissa last lived in, but did not find evidence of a crime scene. Michael Turney went on to plead guilty to unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices, and the other charges were dismissed as part of his plea deal. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was released in 2017. But the explosive discovery was just the beginning. Alissa's sister, Sarah, who once believed her father had nothing to do with her sister's disappearance, changed her perspective and took to social media to tell her personal story. She urged the Maricopa County District Attorney to take action against her father. Although authorities had not found Alissas body and had no forensic evidence linking Turney to a murder, Michael Turney was arrested and charged with Alissa's murder in 2020. MORE: 19 years after teen disappeared, stepfather arrested and charged with murder Michael Turney was acquitted by a judge in July. After the prosecution rested their case, Turneys defense motioned for the judge to dismiss the charges under an Arizona court statute known as Rule 20, which allows the court to enter a judgment of acquittal on any offense if there is no substantial evidence to support a conviction. PHOTO: Michael Turney is shown during an interview after he was acquitted of second-degree murder in the disappearance of his stepdaughter, Alissa Turney in 2023. (ABC News) There has not been a shred of physical evidence in this case. No body, no crime scene, no evidence to suggest that a murder took place, Michael Turney's attorney Olivia Hicks argued in court. Judge Sam Myers said, The court is deciding whether a reasonable inference can be made that the defendant caused or the defendant engaged in conduct that resulted in Alissas death. The court is unable to make that finding. The court has considered the evidence and finds that substantial evidence does not exist to warrant a conviction, Myers said. When asked about the acquittal, Michael Turney, who has proclaimed his innocence all along, told ABC News, "Did it exonerate me from what my children were thinking, the negative stuff that they were fed? No, that damage is done...It might someday recover itself, but that's only going to happen if we find Alissa." What happened to Arizona teen Alissa Turney, who disappeared in 2001? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The last three men to stand trial in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have been found not guilty on all counts. Eric Molitor and twin brothers William Null and Michael Null were among the 14 men charged in state and federal court over the alleged plan to kidnap the governor at her vacation home in Antrim County in 2020, largely over the Democratic governor's strict COVID-19 shutdowns. Molitor, 39, and the Null brothers, both 41, had pleaded not guilty to state charges of providing material support for terrorist acts and illegally possessing firearms. PHOTO: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Jan. 25, 2023, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich. (Al Goldis/AP) The Antrim County jury reached its verdict on Friday after about a day of deliberations following a three-week trial. Molitor broke down in tears of relief after his verdict was read. During closing arguments on Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin told the jury that the defendants were going to help the plot leaders "bring terrorism to Antrim County." "If you're going to help somebody, knowing that they planned a terrorist act, that's wrong," Rollstin said. MORE: Opening statements set to begin in final trial over alleged plot to kidnap Michigan's governor Molitor's defense attorney, William Barnett, said in his closing that the state's case is "weak" and accused the prosecutors of attempting to mislead jurors in their presentation of evidence. "This thing just became a good story they couldn't back out of. They're here pulling the shortcuts to try to get somebody convicted, an innocent person," Barnett said. Prosecutors argued during the trial that the three men "hated" their government and assisted in the kidnapping plot, with the Nulls providing the "muscle" and Molitor recording video of Whitmer's Antrim County property. PHOTO: This booking photo provided by the Antrim County, Mich., Sheriff's Office shows William Null. (Antrim County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) PHOTO: This booking photo provided by the Antrim County, Mich., Sheriff's Office shows Eric Molitor. (Antrim County Sheriff's Office via AP) William Null and Molitor testified in their own defense, claiming they didn't know the true nature of the plot until the last minute. William Null told the jury that while on a nighttime surveillance mission, he didn't know they were going to the governor's cabin. Molitor testified he feared for his life during surveillance of the cabin with Adam Fox, one of the plot leaders who was convicted on federal charges. "What happens if we don't do this stuff?" Molitor told the court. "He wasn't saying, 'Shoot somebody' -- that would have been a hard no. He didn't say, 'Blow something up' -- that would have been a hard no. He said, 'Take a video.' I took a video." Michael Null declined to testify. PHOTO: This booking photo provided by the Antrim County, Mich., Sheriff's Office shows Michael Null. (Antrim County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) The men were linked to the militia group the Wolverine Watchmen, prosecutors said. They were arrested in October 2020 after a member of the group turned into a confidential FBI informant once talk turned to harming law enforcement and public officials, according to prosecutors. Whitmer was unharmed. Previously, nine of the militia members have been convicted in state or federal court in connection with the alleged plot, while two have been acquitted. Pete Musico, Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar were found guilty by a jury in Jackson County of providing material support for a terrorist act, the most serious charge, as well as firearms charges and membership in a gang and given yearslong state prison sentences in December. MORE: The alleged kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as told in photos Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were found guilty of federal conspiracy charges in a retrial last year after a previous trial ended in a hung jury. They both received double-digit sentences. Kaleb Franks and Ty Garbin pleaded guilty to lesser charges last year and agreed to testify in the federal case against Fox and Croft. Franks was sentenced to four years in prison, while Garbin was sentenced to 30 months. Brian Higgins and Shawn Fix each pleaded guilty to reduced state charges earlier this year in Antrim County and have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Both have yet to be sentenced. A jury found two of the members -- Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta -- not guilty of federal conspiracy charges during a trial last year. In a statement released following that verdict, Whitmer's office said the alleged plot was "the result of violent, divisive rhetoric that is all too common across our country." "There must be accountability and consequences for those who commit heinous crimes. Without accountability, extremists will be emboldened," her office said in the statement. Editor's note: The original version of this story misidentified the prosecutor delivering the closing remarks. It was Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin, not James Rossiter. Last 3 men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer found not guilty originally appeared on abcnews.go.com As efforts to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment gather steam, some election officials are pushing back and legal scholars are arguing doing so would be anti-democratic, among other concerns. After two members of the conservative Federalist Society endorsed the idea that he could be disqualified in the Pennsylvania Law Review, two serious challenges to Trump's eligibility have surfaced. In Colorado, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW), has filed a lawsuit on behalf of six Republican and unaffiliated voters in state court. And in Minnesota, the organization Free Speech for People has filed a legal challenge on behalf of a group of voters in that state's Supreme Court. Both challenges argue that Trump would be ineligible to hold federal office again under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a constitutional clause that says a candidate is disqualified if the person "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against" the United States, or had "given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof," unless granted amnesty by a two-thirds vote of Congress. Trump has branded efforts to bar him under the 14th Amendment "election interference" and claimed he's done nothing wrong. PHOTO: Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a South Dakota Republican party rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, Sept. 8, 2023. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) MORE: 14th Amendment, Section 3: A new legal battle against Trump takes shape Some election officials from both parties oppose While disqualification efforts have been mounted in several states, including Michigan, Virginia and Connecticut -- urging secretaries of state to remove Trump from their respective ballots -- New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, a Republican, said on Wednesday he has no legal basis to do so. "There is nothing in our state statute that gives the secretary of state discretion in entertaining qualification issues," he said at a news conference. "If a candidate for president preferably submits their paperwork during the filing period and pays the required fee, their name will appear on the ballot." Other Republican officials have warned against efforts to disqualify Trump, calling them extreme moves that deny voters a choice. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who found himself at the center of Donald Trump's election pressure campaign, leading to Trump's fourth indictment, and Gabriel Sterling, another Georgia elections official who has repeatedly rebuked Trump's claims of voter fraud in 2020, have both spoken out against the prospect of partisan politicians like secretaries of state disqualifying candidates. "Invoking the 14th Amendment is merely the newest way of attempting to short-circuit the ballot box. Since 2018, Georgia has seen losing candidates and their lawyers try to sue their way to victory. It doesn't work," Raffensperger wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed after the Colorado lawsuit was filed. "We have a constitutional republic of laws. We have to trust the voters in this. And anybody using an electoral scheme or a constitutional interpretation to remove anybody from the ballot is going to be a dangerous precedent," Sterling said on CNN after the petition was filed in Minnesota. "We need to have grownups through and look at the long-term implications of these things." And on Wednesday, Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post that only a court could rule Trump ineligible. "Michigan, unless a court rules otherwise, Donald Trump will be on the ballot for our Republican presidential primary on Feb. 27, 2024," Benson wrote. "Whether Trump is eligible to run for president again is a decision not for secretaries of state but for the courts." PHOTO: In this June 21, 2022, file photo, Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, testifies at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP, FILE) Was Jan. 6 an 'insurrection'? Enacted in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, Section 3 was used to disqualify from federal or state office those who held roles in the Confederacy. But even though the mob of Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 was trying to stop the constitutional transfer of power -- one legal scholar who spoke with ABC News questioned whether that amounts to the same thing as trying to overthrow the government. "Number one, was January 6 an insurrection within the meaning of the Constitution?" said Gerard Magliocca, an Indiana University law professor and expert on the history of the 14th Amendment. Magliocca said that opponents of efforts to take Trump off the ballot could argue that there is no precedent for invoking the clause in the case of a relatively small-scale riot such as Jan. 6 -- compared to the South's armed rebellion. He also said that opponents might argue that because Trump has never been criminally charged for inciting insurrection or rebellion, that weakens any case to disqualify him under the 14th Amendment. PHOTO: In this undated file photo, the Minnesota Judicial Center is shown in St. Paul, Minnesota, (STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images) "So, somebody could say -- I mean, and Trump will certainly say -- 'Look, it was a riot. You could describe it any number of other ways, but it's not an insurrection. It's too far removed from the Civil War to be something considered a constitutional insurrection,'" Magliocca said. Mere verbal support for an insurrection might not be enough to prove that Trump "engaged" in insurrection or rebellion. "Now there are efforts to interpret the word "engage" to include all manner ... of support," said Michael McConnell, professor and director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School. "He wasn't at the Capitol when the violence happened. He made a speech but the speech was not enough to say that he was directly involved," Magliocca suggested Trump's team might say in their defense. Sterling, the Georgia elections official, predicts courts would find that a lack of a Trump criminal conviction would be a key reason against disqualification. "If somebody's adjudicated -- if they're convicted, somewhere of insurrection -- that's one thing. That's not the case here and even in these other cases that are running right now. Our big concern is if you have a hung jury or is acquitted on anything, he will take his full exoneration," Sterling said. On the other hand, McConnell argues finding Trump ineligible for office under the 14th Amendment doesn't require that he be criminally convicted of engaging in insurrection. "I don't think that the fact that Trump has not been convicted of insurrection is an insurmountable problem, McConnell, the Stanford professor, said. "It doesn't necessarily say must have been charged with insurrection or been convicted thereof." "You don't need a criminal charge or conviction for Section 3 to apply. None of the individuals disqualified after the Civil War were charged with a crime, or convicted of a crime," Magliocca said. MORE: Trump hit with sweeping indictment in alleged effort to overturn 2020 election Practical concerns Removing Trump from enough individual state ballots could be difficult, as that would be subject to countersuits and potentially unsympathetic courts -- even if the matter eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court. And while all of the current challenges to Trump's ballot access correspond to his candidacy in primary elections, the primaries are not actually an election to choose a president -- they're elections to choose who will be the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidency. "Even if a state like Colorado were to keep Donald Trump from running in the primary election, for president, there is nothing that would keep the Republican National Convention from nominating him. So, even if these groups were successful, legally, it's not clear that it would accomplish anything," said McConnell, the Stanford professor. "All of this is exceedingly speculative. The high degree of confidence with which some people have been speaking I just think is out of place. No one really knows. And these are questions that haven't come up in 150 years. So, you know, we're all really operating in the dark," he continued. MORE: 14th Amendment challenges against Trump's candidacy mount as campaign pushes back ABC News' Hannah Demissie contributed to this report. Some say using the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump is anti-democratic originally appeared on abcnews.go.com When Dominique Piek traveled to the Maldives for the first time in 2010 with SI Swimsuit, she was fulfilling a lifelong dreama trip to the South Asian country. Ive always wanted to come here, she remarked while on set. While there, she had the opportunity to stay in one of the breathtaking villas right on the water. Its one of the, if not the, most beautiful places Ive ever seen in my life, she gushed of the location. The model certainly lived up to the beauty of her surroundings too, posing in the water and on the sand in a variety of neon bikinis, which were fitting for the tropical location. But not only did the location fulfill a dream, the photoshoot itself was about as good as Piek could have hoped for. We couldnt do a better shoot than this, she said. Its supposed to be fun and natural, and its just amazing. These days, the 38-year-old continues to model, building on a successful career that brought her to the covers of GQ and Cosmopolitan, even prior to her rookie feature with SI Swimsuit in 2010. And since that year in the Maldives, she has also become a mother to a young daughter. Her trip to the Maldives really was as idyllic as Piek painted it. Here are five of our favorite photos from her SI Swimsuit feature in the South Asian country. Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." I'm still thinking about Sofia Vergara's birthday trip to Italy over the summer. And her beach style streak. The actresswho turned 51 on July 10shared Instagram posts from the festivities featuring two luxe outfits. I'm still thinking about Sofia Vergara's birthday trip to Italy over the summer. And her beach style streak. The actresswho turned 51 on July 10shared Instagram posts from the festivities featuring two luxe outfits. One was a glamorous yacht look composed of a white asymmetrical one-piece swimsuit with see-through lace cutouts throughout. She styled the piece with a large gold chain necklace, gold bracelets and rings, and full glam. Later, for lunch at a pier with friends, she wore the suit with matching white linen pants and beige espadrilles. "What a bday day!!!" she captioned the post. Her second look, for her birthday dinner, was a strapless bright orange bodycon dress with a sweetheart neckline and a bow in the middle. The Modern Family star wore bronzy makeup, including a smoky eye, and soft waves for the outing. "So lucky to have my best friends in my favorite restaurant in my favorite island!!! I love u @cb0728 @alejandroasen," she captioned a post. 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But there are many more films to come: Documentaries, first-run independent films and a monthly series showcasing classics from the American Film Institutes 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time. Theyll all be shown in an upgraded theater with more than $100,000 in new theater equipment, says Alliance for the Arts executive director Molly Rowan-Deckart. We made it sexy! Rowan-Deckart says and laughs. I mean, the equipments really great. That includes a retractable, 108-inch by 192-inch movie screen, surround sound and a 10,000-lumen Epson digital projector. The projector boasts an approximately $6,000 lens for a better cinematic throw to fill the screen, Rowan-Deckart says. The result, she says, will be movie images that are bright, crisp and beautiful. Foulds Theatre will still be home to Theatre Conspiracy Before coming to the Alliance in 2021, Rowan-Deckart worked extensively with the film industry in Idaho, including as an arts lobbyist focused on film and director of the Idaho Horror Film Festival for seven years. And shes been wanting to open an art-house cinema at the Alliance for two years. I was very much in that independent film world and love what it does for the economy, Rowan-Deckart says. Im just a big supporter. Eric Raddatz, founder of the Fort Myers Film Festival, says hes excited about the new theater and plans to show some of the festivals movies there this season. Hes been screening indie movies in Fort Myers for 14 years at both the festival and its monthly Thank God It's Monday series at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The Alliance entering the arena is welcome, Raddatz says. We both will benefit from the new theater and more awareness (of) indie film, as will the indie film community, I believe. Anything that supports independent local filmmakers is something I support. The Alliance for the Arts put its new movie screen to use during the Sept. 9 book launch event for "Storm Stories." The Alliance's Art House Cinema debuts its first full film on Friday, Sept. 16, with the Pixar cartoon Coco." The 135-seat Foulds will remain the home of theater troupe Theatre Conspiracy and other theater performances, Rowan-Deckart says. But converting the Foulds into a part-time art-house theater helps get more use out of the space. Traditional theater will always live here, Rowan-Deckart says, but we produce between five and eight (theatrical) shows a year. Theres a lot of down time, and its such a great cozy space to see a film. What to expect at Fort Myers' new Art House Cinema After "Coco," the documentary One Pint at a Time opens a new a monthly film series held in collaboration with the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. The documentary looks into the craft-beer industry, beer's Egyptian and African heritage, and the Black-owned breweries that make up less than 1 percent of U.S. breweries. The screening will also let the audience meet brewers from two breweries featured in the movie (Atlantas Atlantucky and Tampas Bastet Brewing), drink beer from Bastet and take part in a Q&A with the filmmaker after the movie. That educational component is an important part of the new Art House Cinema, Rowan-Deckart says. And it's something the separates art house theaters from other independent theaters. "One Pint at a Time" director Aaron Hose Rowan-Deckart envisions the theater working hand-in-hand with the Alliances new Digital Arts Lab. She sees people shooting movies on their phones, editing them in the lab and them showing them on the Art House Cinema screen. Its a great way to involve your community, Rowan-Deckart says. Its a very collaborative process. Its very hard to make a movie on your own. I think just the artistic spirit of film is exciting, and the community doesnt get many opportunities to collaborate in that way. More about the AFI, Southern Circuit Tour series The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers series will feature six documentaries from independent Southern filmmakers, Rowan-Deckart says. They run the gamut from beer to voting rights. A poster for the documentary "Crossing Overtown," which explores the history of race relations in Miami. Other films in the series will be: Crossing Overtown (Oct. 17) Breaking News (Feb. 21, 2024) Battleground (March 20, 2024) Razing Liberty Square (April 17, 2024) And 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture (May 8, 2024). Rowan-Deckart plans to start showing the first movie in the monthly AFI series in October, but shes hasnt decided yet which movie that will be. For more information on the theater and its schedule, call 939-2787 or visit artinlee.org/experience/art-house-cinema. Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1). This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers' Alliance for the Arts opens Art House Cinema movie theater AMSTERDAM, September 15, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a" (Excellent) of Pozavarovalnica Sava d.d. (Sava Re) (Slovenia), the operating holding company of the Sava Insurance Group. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Sava Res balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Sava Res strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), liquid investment portfolio, prudent reserving and good internal capital generation collectively contribute to an overall balance sheet assessment of very strong. Additionally, the company exhibits low reliance on reinsurance and sound financial flexibility, with access to both equity and debt markets. Sava Re has a track record of generating strong and stable operating results, indicated by a five-year (2018-2022) weighted average return-on-equity ratio of 14.3% (as calculated by AM Best). Consistent reporting of operating profits over the past five years has been driven by sound life and non-life underwriting performance, supplemented by healthy investment income. At year-end 2022, the company reported a combined ratio of 90.4% with a five-year average combined ratio of 91.6% (as calculated by AM Best). For the first half of 2023, Sava Re reported a strong net profit of EUR 40 million and a combined ratio of 89.9%. The full-year result will be impacted negatively by the third-quarter floods, particularly in Slovenia; however, the losses are expected to be within the groups risk tolerances. The group originates approximately 70% of its gross written premium in Slovenia, where its leading competitive position and prudent underwriting helps generate strong and relatively stable earnings. Story continues Sava Re benefits from a strong position in its core domestic market of Slovenia, where it is the second-largest player and holds an approximately 28% market share (excluding supplementary health insurance business) in terms of gross written premium. The groups insurance business is dominated by premiums written in Slovenia; however, the company continues to expand in the West Balkan markets. AM Best expects to see further geographic diversification in the medium term in both the direct and reinsurance segments, as the group continues to develop its position prudently in the international reinsurance market. AM Best considers Sava Res ERM to be developed and appropriate for the companys risk profile and operational scope. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915374575/en/ Contacts Andrea Porta Financial Analyst +31 20 308 5430 andrea.porta@ambest.com Victoria Ohorodnyk Associate Director +31 20 308 5432 victoria.ohorodnyk@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 al.slavin@ambest.com Mexican Independence Day is a vibrant and exciting celebration that takes place every year on Sep. 16. In fact, it is the most important holiday for Mexicans, garnering the largest celebrations. It commemorates the day in 1810 when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla , a priest in the town of Dolores, rang the bell of his church and called for the countrys independence from Spanish rule. This historic event sparked a war that ultimately led to Mexicos independence. The holiday is a time of joy, pride and cultural celebration throughout Mexico. Travelers visiting the country during its independence day can expect an unforgettable experience as they immerse themselves in rich celebratory traditions. Here are some of the top cities to experience the Mexican Independence Day festivities in. These cities offer a combination of historical significance, breathtaking architecture, delicious food and festivities that truly embody the spirit of the day. Viva Mexico! Mexico City As the capital of Mexico, its no surprise that Mexico City is a hub of activity and grand celebrations during Independence Day. The city comes alive with parades, concerts and street parties. The main event takes place in the Zocalo, the citys central square, where thousands of people gather to witness the presidents traditional Grito de Dolores ceremony. This ceremony reenacts Miguel Hidalgos call for freedom. There is a magical fireworks display that lights up the night sky after the ceremony. Throughout the city, youll find mariachi bands playing traditional music, street vendors selling delicious Mexican cuisine and dance performances showcasing the countrys rich cultural heritage. Guanajuato Guanajuato, located in central Mexico, played an important role in the fight for Mexican independence. During Mexican Independence Day, the city takes its festivities to another level. The streets of Guanajuato come alive with parades, marching bands and colorful costumes. The citys theaters also host various cultural events, including concerts, dance performances and art exhibitions. Visit the Monumento al Pipila, a monument erected in honor of war hero El Pipila. Then, try the delicious street food, such as chiles en nogada or traditional tamales, while you soak in the festive atmosphere. San Miguel de Allende San Miguel de Allende has a Spanish colonial architectural style and lively arts scene. Each year, the city bursts with color and excitement in celebration of Mexican independence. The festivities kick off with a parade through the streets, featuring traditional dance groups and live music. The main square has patriotic decorations, and locals gathered to celebrate. San Miguel de Allende also hosts a variety of cultural events, including concerts, art exhibitions and street fairs. Make sure to visit the local markets and shops to purchase traditional Mexican crafts and souvenirs. Puebla Located southeast of Mexico City, Puebla is the birthplace of the famous dish mole poblano. Mexican Independence Day in Puebla is a lively and colorful affair. The city hosts a grand parade, and the streets have flags and banners up for decoration. The air is filled with the aroma of delicious Mexican cuisine. Puebla is also known for its elaborate soapbox races, where locals compete in handmade carts down the citys steep streets. Dont miss the opportunity to visit Pueblas historic sites, including the stunning Puebla Cathedral and the beautifully tiled buildings of the city center. Oaxaca Located in southern Mexico, Oaxaca is a city renowned for its indigenous cultures and ancient ruins. During the Mexican Independence Day celebrations, locals and visitors gather in the town square in a passionate display of patriotism. Oaxaca is known for its culinary delights, so indulge in traditional dishes, like tlayudas, mole and mezcal during your visit. Take the time to explore the nearby archaeological sites, such as Monte Alban and Mitla, for a deeper understanding of Mexicos rich history. When restaurant owner Telie Woods moved to Ghana in 2022, he had no idea what was in store for him. Hed been having major success at Jerk Soul, a Caribbean infusion restaurant hed opened in St. Louis, Missouri. However, hed clearly heard the voice of his creator telling him to relocate to Ghana. I saw so many Black expats on Youtube sharing their stories and that gave me a lot of hope, Woods said. Six-months later, Woods took the leap of faith and headed to Africa. He moved both his personal and business life all in an instant. It didnt take him long to find housing in the Ghanaian capital of Accra. He reopened his restaurant on the rooftop of the Oyarifa Mall and the blessings have been nonstop since his arrival. Now, Woods life has forever been changed. Locals in the city have accepted and welcomed him. His business has continued to blossom. Woods has found an everlasting peace in Ghana that he couldnt seem to locate while living in America. A Simple, Peaceful Life Upon first thought, Woods believes one of the biggest difficulties about living in Ghana is his lack of access to Chicago-style pizza. Afterall, he is a Chicago native and after years of living in St. Louis, then Ghana, Woods doesnt always get back to the Chi for a slice. While he could always go for a piece of classic, deep dish, Woods believes his move to Ghana has transformed him in unimaginable ways. Although he does miss some of the standard normalities associated with American living, the peacefulness hes found in Africa is unlike anything hes ever experienced. A lot of the things I thought were important living in the states Ive come to realize are minuscule when you live amongst the people here in West Africa, he said. Woods has learned peacefulness and patience through his time spent with locals. In exchange, he taught them about finances and entrepreneurship in Western culture. Im becoming more of a patient person, and they are learning how to get some money, he said. Overcoming Trauma Through Travel The perfect peace he has in Ghana is a catalyst for his healing journey. Hes realized that although his healing journey will be long, it is worth the work and the wait. Unfortunately, Woods said many Black men are unable to heal from past trauma while still residing in the United States. True healing begins, for a black man, when you leave the land of your captivity, he said. As time passes, Woods said he oftentimes finds himself missing his family and friends back in the states. However, he believes his relocation to Ghana was an intricate part of his divine destiny. Whether other Black Americans intend to simply visit Africa or relocate permanently, Woods encourages all people of color to visit the continent, especially if they are on a personal healing journey. Theres 400 years of untreated trauma floating around in our DNA and my people need a break and they need to heal, he said. On the morning of Oct. 18, 1967, Tallahassee awoke to the news of a second multiple slaying just four days less than a year from the last multiple killings. This marked the beginning of a topsy-turvy ride through the criminal and civil processes for the next nine years. During the night of Oct. 17, 1967, two young women were found bludgeoned and one shot at Blue Sink, a small lake located in the Apalachicola National Forest south of Tallahassee. A well-known popular spot for swimming during the day, it was also known as a Lovers Lane at night. At the time, Tallahasseeans were still reeling from the tragic, unsolved Sims family murders that occurred on Oct. 22, 1966. Three members of the Sims family had been brutally murdered in their home in Northwest Tallahassee. Initial thoughts were that the same person was responsible for both crimes. Blue Sink, a small lake located in the Apalachicola National Forest south of Tallahassee shown on Aug. 20, 2023. The bodies of two young women were found at the location in 1967. The crime The first notice of the murders came at 1 a.m. on Oct. 18 when an anonymous man, who remains unidentified 56 years later, called the Tallahassee Police Department and reported to Lieutenant George Granger that he had seen two bodies at Blue Sink. He refused to identify himself saying that he shouldnt have been there. In a strange coincidence, Lt. Granger later learned that one of the victims was his cousin. Leon County deputy sheriffs rushed to the area and found the two bodies who were later identified as Elizabeth Ann Wood and Kaye Granger. Both were 17-year-old seniors at Florida High School in Tallahassee whose families lived close to each other in a quiet neighborhood close to Florida State University. Robert Scott Sanders, who was arrested later that day for the homicides, had driven to the hospital in Madison County for treatment of a gunshot wound in his arm. The hospital staff reported this to Madison County Sheriff Simeon H. Moore. Sheriff Moore told the staff to hold him, ostensibly until he could determine if a shooting had occurred somewhere. The gun However, Sanders left the hospital with James Friesner, a friend who had driven him there and lived in the area. Later that morning, Sheriff Moore visited the Friesner home, where Sanders was living, and found an Oldsmobile with a bullet pierced windshield, along with evidence of blood in the front seat, trunk, and front tire. When questioned, both Sanders and Friesner initially told the sheriff that Sanders had shot himself accidently while cleaning the gun at the Friesner home. A common story that always raises the antenna of any police officer. Sanders continued to relate that he had dropped Friesner off at a bowling alley on Apalachee Parkway shortly after 8 p.m. Later, he was driving on the Blue Sink road when he encountered a car with girls screaming for help. He had stopped, and gotten into a fight with one of the men in the car and claimed he had been shot during this fight which accounted for the blood in the car the sheriff had located. Friesner said that Sanders had picked him up at the bowling alley around 11:45 p.m. Sanders was wounded so they drove to the hospital in Madison. Given that Tallahassee Memorial Hospital was only about a mile north on Magnolia Drive from the bowling alley, their story was becoming increasingly suspicious. Bill Joyce was Leon County Sheriff in 1967. After learning that the two bodies had been discovered in Leon County, Sheriff Moore, along with a deputy and a state beverage agent, detained the pair and notified the Leon County Sheriffs Office. Leon County Deputy Sheriff Willie Meggs, who later became the long-time State Attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit in Tallahassee, drove to Madison and took photos of Sanders for the investigation. Leon County Sheriff Bill Joyce and Chief Deputy Jack Dawkins responded and brought the two suspects back to Tallahassee. The investigation and trial The first confirmed indication of Robert Bobby Scott Sanders, a California native who drifted into Tallahassee after going AWOL from the Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, was when he registered at the Helms Rooming House located at 123 North Adams St. on Oct. 19, 1966. He roomed there until January, 1967. The federal courthouse is at that location now. He had been working at Mannheimers filling station, located downtown on West Tennessee St. and received his first pay check on Oct. 22, 1966. The police arrested Sanders on May 16, 1967 for being Absent Without Leave from the Army. After being returned to Fort Benning, he escaped and came back to Tallahassee thus beginning a series of bizarre events that continued for the next nine years. Four days after escaping, on May 22, Sanders and his friend James Friesner registered at the Sunset Motel on Apalachee Parkway. As the investigation continued, a Tallahassee bartender reported that he had roomed with Sanders at the Helms Rooming House, along with other rooming houses on both Calhoun and Gadsden Streets. They were asked to leave because Sanders was bringing girls up to his room. The victims He added that Sanders had a violent temper and once kicked in the dashboard of his car. Later, Sanders roomed with Friesner and his wife and children at a residence on Capital Circle when they both worked at Mannheimers service station. He stated that Sanders had occasionally dated Kaye Granger and she had been at their home before. Elizabeth Wood picked up Kaye Granger at her home around 8 p.m. on the evening of their murders when they told their families they were going to a drive-in. Kaye was seen at the Wagon Wheel restaurant, on South Monroe St., shortly after that. The Wood family station wagon was found parked at the Burger Chef restaurant on West Tennessee St. the next morning. It was speculated that the girls had met Sanders, gotten into his car, and drove to the Blue Sink area. With James Friesner offering testimony, Sanders was formally charged with the two murders. According to court records, Sanders testified in his own behalf in a rather, clear, intelligent and lucid manner as to his trip from Madison with a friend, leaving the friend at a bowling alley to be picked up later along with meeting the girls, taking them in his car and riding around. They went to the Blue Sink area to observe parked couples. He related that he had a gun, tussled with Miss Granger who was sitting in the middle of the front seat between he and Miss Wood, and arguing over the gun. He also testified that the gun was fired and Miss Wood screamed that she had been shot. Testimony was offered by the examining psychiatrists that resulted in Sanders being found not guilty by reason of insanity for the death of Kaye Granger. This precluded any prosecution for the death of Elizabeth Ann Wood. Sanders was sent to the state hospital in Chattahoochee for evaluation and treatment. The strange story continues After being confined at the state mental hospital for 7 years, the attending psychiatrists decided that Sanders was mentally stable enough to be released. Under what was defined as a convalescent release, Sanders was allowed to leave the hospital and travel to Texas to live with his father. Sanders apparently liked Florida more than Texas and soon returned to the Chattahoochee area to visit friends. It was later learned that a notice was filed with the Leon Circuit Court clerk dated June 17, 1974 to ensure that the judge handing the case would be notified. He never was. Next, he was found working as an armed security guard at the Pensacola Public Library. Its a reasonable assumption that lots of high school girls frequented the library. State Attorney Harry Morrison had Sanders placed back into the state hospital. In April, 1976, Sanders was released from the state hospital and given a plane ticket to Alaska where he was going to live with his mother in Ketchikan, Alaska. That was the last Tallahassee heard of Robert Scott Sanders who disappeared into history. More history: When St. Teresa Beach went to war: Amphibious soldiers in Tate's Hell | David Brand David Brand, Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Florida Sheriffs Association, is an occasional guest columnist for the Tallahassee Democrat and lives in St. Teresa. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: The Blue Sink Murders: The strange story of Robert Scott Sanders Earlier this week we saw the first installment of the new season of Nic von Rupp's surf series, "Portugal Back to Back." In the full episide, which is available here on YouTube, von Rupp surfs the Azores, nine volcanic islands located nearly a thousand miles off the coast of Lisbon. Today, von Rupp posted a clip of the episode on his Instagram page, that gives a brief history of the connection between Hawaii, surfing, Portugal, and people of the Azores. Von Rupp starts the clip above with: "Pretty crazy how two very different islands, two oceans across, have such a deep bond, Hawaii and the Azores." He shares more detail in the clip above, which he captioned: "Two islands, two oceans apart! "It's mind-blowing how Portuguese Azorean immigrants journeyed across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to work in Hawaii's sugar cane fields. "Amazing to see how the Portuguese influenced the Hawaiian culture and Hawaii influenced the Portuguese, some even say the first surfers in Portugal were returning emigrants from Hawaii, following in the footsteps of the father of surfing, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku." Von Rupp kept the history lesson short and sweet, but it's still a pretty fascinating story. Press play above to learn a little more about surfing. It may help you next time you're at trivia night. His followers loved it. Read a few of their comments below: "Amazing info, thanks for this." "Wow that's so cool .. Nicholas the surfing heritage! Show more of this story!!" "Surfing is health and magic. Although my handicap is History. I'm more of a now and tomorrow person. Thanks, Nic!" *** Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos. In a now-viral story, "alien" bodies were unveiled before Mexico's congress Tuesday (Sept. 12). But is there any real science behind this bizarre event? Not by a long shot, according to scholars, who denounced the claim and affirmed that the bodies are not alien. Mexico's congress was holding a hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), a term that is now used to describe UFOs. UAPs have also been the subject of congressional hearings in the United States over the past two years. During the presentation, a team that included Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan and military medical doctor Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez presented two bodies which appear to be no more than 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall and appear skinny with grayish skin and large heads in coffin-like boxes before Mexico's congress. They claimed that DNA tests reveal that the remains of these three-fingered beings are not human and that their abdomens hold eggs that may be used in reproduction. The duo also said the bodies came from Peru and that radiocarbon dating shows they date back 1,000 years, National Public Radio reported. The same bodies made headlines in 2017 and 2018 , Maussan told Live Science in an email. At the time, scholars denounced those bodies as consisting of manipulated human body parts. Maussan told Live Science that since that time, more tests have shown that the bodies are not human. He also stressed that he is not saying these bodies are necessarily alien just that they are not human. Related: Why are we seeing so many UFOs over America all of a sudden? "We never said they are extraterrestrial," Maussan said, adding that they had found evidence for implants made of the elements osmium and cadmium inside the bodies, "a technology unknown 1,000 years ago." Live Science was unable to reach de Jesus Zalce Benitez at press time. We see two Scientists blast claims "Let me tell you that all this is complete nonsense," Rafael Bojalil-Parra , research reinforcement director at Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAD) in Mexico City, told Live Science in an email. "That our Congress gives a forum to this self-proclaimed UFOlogist is a reflection of the anti-scientific mood that prevails in our country today." There were reports in some media outlets that tests on the bodies were performed at UAD. But Bojalil-Parra said no DNA tests were performed at the university, and while a carbon-14 test was conducted in 2017 , a commercial agreement prevents the university from disclosing the results. Tellingly, if the bodies were aliens, then carbon-14 dating would be useless. "Radiocarbon dating is based on Carbon 14 atoms which are created when the sun's radiation strikes the Earth's upper atmosphere," David Anderson , an assistant professor of anthropology who has written about pseudoarchaeology extensively at Radford University in Virginia, told Live Science in an email. "To radiocarbon date extraterrestrial beings, we would have to know what the rate of production of 14-C was on their home planet, not ours." Other scientists also denounced the claims. "It is sad to see the well debunked claims of Jaime Maussan returning to the internet," Andrew Nelson , chair of anthropology at Western University in Ontario, told Live Science in an email. The bodies "have been debunked on the basis of anatomy," with studies showing that some of the bodies "are human mummies that had been deliberately manipulated to appear alien," Nelson said. They show, for example, the feet of the "aliens" could have been created by mutilating the foot of a human mummy. "The feet would have suffered mutilations of digits I and V, in addition to the cutting of the skin and soft tissue of the foot behind the toes, producing a foot with extremely long toes," Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi , a vertebrate paleontologist at the Cayetano Heredia University and the Museum of Natural History in Lima, wrote in a 2017 analysis. Nelson said that "while Maussan claims to have CT, C-14 and DNA evidence, he has not presented that evidence for peer review by the scientific community." Nelson added that if these remains are in fact 1,000 years old and from Peru, it raises questions as to whether they were looted and how they left the country. Related Stories Are aliens real? NASA concludes first-ever public UFO briefing. What did we learn? 7 out-of-this-world alien stories from 2022 Another scientist said that if the remains are human, those involved with the claims should face legal implications. They "should be arrested and tried for whatever laws might apply for exploiting or desecrating human remains," Ken Feder , an archaeology professor at Central Connecticut State University, told Live Science in an email. The hearing in Mexico took place partly because there have been high profile hearings on UAPs in the United States congress noted Jeb Card, an assistant teaching professor of anthropology at Miami University in Ohio. While "no one has yet wheeled out alien bodies in the US Capitol," Card told Live Science in an email, there has been testimony before the U.S. Congress made by former military officials that the American government has biological remains of aliens . The growing popularity of conspiracy theories helps to explain why stuff like this is occurring, Card said. "The simple reality is that it is now profitable figuratively and literally to push narratives that 'elites' are inflicting their will on the broader people through devious, conspiratorial, and at times supernatural means." Live Science contacted Peru's Ministry of Culture, which did not return requests for comment by the time of publication. If you're after a new, romantic comedy to watch on Netflix this weekend, then Love At First Sight has to be on your list. The film, starring Haley Lu Richardson, Ben Hardy and Jameela Jamil, follows two strangers who fall in love on a flight from New York to London. But, when they are separated from each other after landing, will fate bring them together again? Here is the ending of Love At First Sight explained. Love At First Sight ending explained After Oliver and Hadley get separated at Heathrow, she heads to her father's wedding where she overhears a conversation between guests about a memorial happening in Peckham, where Oliver previously said he would be. So, she leaves before the reception and heads straight there to try and find him. Netflix Meanwhile, Oliver is at the memorial which is, in fact, a party for his mum, who has cancer and wants to say goodbye to her loved ones before she passes away. When Hadley arrives, she and Oliver end up arguing about him not being honest with her or himself, so she leaves. But, she accidentally forgets her bag behind. Lost in London and with a dead battery, Hadley calls her dad on a stranger's phone and he comes to pick her up, where she tells him about Oliver. They discuss her dad's divorce from her mother and make amends. At the memorial, Oliver's mum, dad and brother persuade him to go after Hadley after finding an invite to her dad's wedding reception in her bag she left behind. So, they drive there together, Oliver finds Hadley and they kiss. So romantic! Netflix Then, as Jameela Jamil's voice over narrates, Hadley and Oliver will stay together, get married, grow old, have a daughter and more. Yeah, that's pretty much the best ending we could have asked for. Love At First Sight is streaming on Netflix now. You Might Also Like What you need to know One UI 6 Beta 3 arrives for the Galaxy S23 series with a revamped video player control layout wrapped in its 1.4GB size. The video player update includes more playback speed controls, providing options of 0.25x to 2.0x. Some One UI home screen crashes have been patched alongside a fix for a crash when accessing video mode in the camera app. Samsung's One UI 6 Beta 3 is rolling out on the Galaxy S23, bringing a large download packed with fixes and tweaks. Tarun Vats on X spotted the new beta for Galaxy S23 series users with firmware version S91xUSQU1ZWI8 (via SamMobile). The download size is 1.4GB and has been spotted in the U.S., India, the U.K., and Germany. What's new is the September 2023 security patch for enrolled testers and an enhanced video player control layout. Samsung's changelog explains the new layout groups buttons with similar functions together while the play button is centered on the screen. Beta 3 is also introducing new playback speed options, giving users the choice of picking between 0.25x and 2.0x. The company swapped out the old slider in favor of dedicated buttons for these speeds, as well. Breaking news As Expected, One UI 6 beta 3 update is now live in USA!Build: S918USQU1ZWI8 S918UOYN1ZWI8S918USQU1ZWI8Size: 1.4 GB#GalaxyS23 #GalaxyS23Ultra #OneUI6 pic.twitter.com/bXLAtR0z2oSeptember 14, 2023 See more Several more fixes for Beta 3 are as follows: Fixed One UI home crashes Fixed freezing when long-pressing the home screen Fixed Bixby call error in certain situations Fixed app termination when entering camera video mode Fixed Samsung Pay not working with swipe gestures Improved the shape of the notification icon in text messages Fixed the notification bar color errors when running apps on DeX However, according to SamMobile, there is an undocumented change involving the media player widget in the notification panel and the lock screen. With Beta 3, the widget will now remember if a user chooses its expanded or collapsed form. Moreover, the existing and new emojis Samsung introduced in Beta 1 have been spruced up a little. It looks like the company has worked to improve the overall appeal of the emojis, giving them some better contouring and shading when compared to their previous appearance. Looks like Samsung added contours to EMOJIS in One UI 6 Beta 3Comparison below for reference to Beta 1 pic.twitter.com/jPp4rFOQB1September 14, 2023 See more There are a few known issues with Samsung's current beta. The company states users will not be able to install the Kids app while using One UI 6. This should be rectified by mid-September. The Korean OEM is equally aware of onboarding problems related to Samsung Pass and the Samsung account. Using voice recognition to accept a call is also not working as it should, while Google Assistant has been giving a persistent error when swiping up to activate in "specific situations." One UI 6 (based on Android 14) brought in a new video editor and a redesigned Samsung Health in Beta 2. The company explained that "Studio," the new editor, allows users to engage with more complex and powerful tools for projects. This new tool is built into One UI 6 and is just another way Samsung is trying to improve the capability of its Galaxy phones. The appearance changes to Samsung Health included moving a user's exercise goals to the top of their screen and some more customization for those tracking their daily water consumption. While tentative, it's expected that Samsung will roll out One UI 6 in a stable fashion sometime in November typical of its previous release behavior. There is also speculation that Google could release the stable version of Android 14 as early as September 18, considering QPR1 Beta is apparently starting next Monday without the actual OS in consumer hands. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung's latest flagship advancement consisting of a 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The S23 Ultra is fluid and clean when scrolling and swiping. With a strong internal chip, the device can hold strong through intensive gaming sessions and stream videos with ease. In the midst of Central America lies a gem: Costa Rica. A land that is every bit as rich as its name suggests from its lush rainforests to its golden beaches. Known for its Pura Vida way of life, this magnificent country is a sanctuary for anyone looking to step away from the hustle of everyday life. It presents an opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of natural beauty and warm, welcoming people. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm If youre not a planner, Intrepid Travels Costa Rica makes their itineraries for travelers to experience the best of the country. From local cuisine and cultural customs, there is a little something for every type of traveler. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm Heres why Intrepids Costa Rica itineraries stand out as the best way to experience Pura Vida. Premium Costa Rica Itinerary: Where Adventure Meets Culture If youre someone who wants to experience Costa Rica luxuriously, while also connecting with its natural beauty and culture, the Premium Costa Rica itinerary is for you. This nine-day trip begins and ends in the countrys capital city San Jose. However, the itinerary takes you through a whirlwind of experiences in between. Youll explore rainforests, volcanoes and stunning beaches. You will be guided by a knowledgeable local tour guide who provides the inside scoop into Costa Rican life. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm Key highlights of this itinerary include hiking around Arenal Volcano and an immersive organic farm tour in La Fortuna. If youre looking for a bit of relaxation, Manuel Antonio National Park offers an unforgettable tour. After an incredible experience spotting wildlife like sloths and monkeys, you can unwind at a pristine beach. Make sure to watch out for the monkeys. While super cute, these tiny monkeys always are looking for travelers food to snag while on the beach. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm This itinerary covers airport transfers, tipping, luggage transport, daily breakfasts and curated meal experiences. It also brings you 24/7 on-ground support for a truly worry-free vacation. Best of Costa Rica Itinerary: Natures Best-Kept Secrets For nature lovers who love keeping it simple while traveling, the Best of Costa Rica itinerary captures the quintessence of the countrys biodiversity. Your journey will take you to the heart of unspoiled nature in Corcovado National Park and Manuel Antonio. Youll be able to hike, swim and marvel at the undeniable natural beauty of this country. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm Enjoy an intimate coffee farm visit where youll learn about one of Costa Ricas prime exports. You have a chance to taste the coffee, and learn about how coffee is produced organically from seed to cup. What sets this itinerary apart is the opportunity to interact with the Terraba, an indigenous group with a history of sustaining themselves off their land for over five centuries. A member from the community will walk you through the land. They will show you important cultural practices, like carving your own wooden mask and harvesting chocolate from the cacao plant. Its the perfect trip for travelers looking to dive deep into Costa Ricas rich natural and cultural diversity. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm The Best of Both Worlds I had the opportunity to experience a blend of Intrepids Premium and Best of Cost Rica itineraries. My week-long experience was nothing short of magnificent. From visiting the Terraba community and learning the cultural importance of cacao and traditional crafts to exploring Manuel Antonio National Park with its abundant wildlife, the trip was a lesson in the essence of Pura Vida. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm The days were filled with learning and exploration. The Tierra Amiga ecological farm taught me about organic coffee farming. While at Juanilama, a cooking class led by local women allowed us to taste traditional Costa Rican dishes. At La Fortuna, the thermal mineral waters at the base of the Arenal Volcano were heavenly. The waters are healing and especially beneficial if you have skin ailments, like eczema and psoriasis. Spending time with the dwindling Maleku tribe brought me back to the reality of the need for environment conservation. There are only 650 people left in this tribe, making it the smallest in Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lebo Lukewarm What You Should Know Before Visiting While Costa Rica offers a variety of experiences, its important to remember that it has a tropical climate. Stay hydrated and be prepared for hot and humid conditions. Whether youre an adventure seeker or a cultural enthusiast, Intrepid Travels Costa Rica itineraries offer the best of both worlds. From breathtaking landscapes and indigenous experiences to luxury accommodations and experiences, these curated trips are your passport to experiencing Costa Rica in its truest form. Pura Vida! A hot meal prepared by World Central Kitchen costs between $2.50 and $4. But, the impact the organization has had on communities in crisis around the world is priceless. Since its conception in 2010, WCK has worked in the Bahamas, Mozambique, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Tijuana, and countless other countries. It provided domestic relief too, helping curb food insecurity after the COVID-19 pandemic and feeding families displaced by Hurricane Ian in Florida last fall. Founder Jose Andres has become just as synonymous with his Michelin stars as it is with his humanitarian work. Andres and World Central Kitchen were the subject of the documentary "We Feed People" directed by Ron Howard, which debuted at SXSW in 2022. The chef was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his work with WCK and was named Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 2018. So, what sets World Central Kitchen apart? The team is all about lending a helping hand on the front lines, a mission statement lived out by being among the first responders to various crises around the world. As Andres recounts via the WCK website, "World Central Kitchen started with a simple idea at home with my wife Patricia: when people are hungry, send in cooks. Not tomorrow, today." "The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope" is a compilation of recipes and stories from the organization's relief work around the world. Read more: 29 Authentic Spanish Dishes You Need To Try At Least Once The Beginning Of A Revolution Meals provided by World Central Kitchen - VDB Photos/Shutterstock It probably doesn't come as a surprise that a world-renowned chef like Jose Andres has always had an interest in food. He cut his teeth working at El Bulli before the age of 20. But, Andres' passion for helping folks in need extends just as far back. During his 20s, he volunteered at Washington DC Central Kitchen, later becoming the board chairman. Fast forward to 2010. The chef hopped on a plane to Haiti, which had just been struck by one of the most devastating natural disasters in human history. Over 300,000 people lost their lives in an earthquake, and hundreds of thousands more were left without homes, resources, electricity, communication lines, or roadways. There, Andres saw the difference that nourishment made in restoring the health of people in crisis, but he also observed firsthand how the art of food revitalized people's souls and boosted morale in a more intangible way. He learned to cook black beans in the local Haitian style, taking time to replicate a familiar dish to comfort folks in need. But, most importantly, Andres noticed that "we didn't have organizations led by cooks the same way we had rebuilding organizations led by architects or health organizations led by doctors," as he told Smithsonian Magazine. The same year, the Asturias-born chef founded World Central Kitchen using his $50,000 prize money from the Vilcek Foundation, which he received for his outstanding contributions to America as an immigrant. Millions Of Lives Changed In 13 Years World Central Kitchen in Ukraine - Scott Peterson/Getty Images Today, from storms to floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and war -- you name it, WCK will be there (and has probably already seen it before). When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, World Central Kitchen was there. It was there again in Puerto Rico a month later after Hurricane Maria, serving 3.7 million meals in the span of just nine months. That's nearly 14,000 meals per day, and it inspired Andres' book "We Fed an Island." As WCK executive director Nate Mook told Smithsonian Magazine, "People ask, Jose, how do you get the food? He always looks at them like they're crazy. 'I'm a chef. That's what I do. I get food.'" WCK was there on day one when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit California in July 2019. Five days later, Hurricane Barry hit Louisiana, and WCK sent chefs there, too. In perhaps its highest-stakes mission, the nonprofit worked in an active warzone in Ukraine in the summer of 2022 and was subsequently hit by multiple missiles, targeted by Russian airstrikes for their immensely helpful relief work. Undeterred, WCK went on to serve over 150 million meals in Ukraine by early September. WCK isn't only doing immediate relief efforts, either. The organization has put its efforts toward long-term nutrition solutions as well, initiating the Clean Cooking program to help Haitian home cooks lower their reliance on dangerous open fires and shift toward safer heat elements. Andres even opened a culinary school in Port-au-Prince. Read the original article on Tasting Table. (Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. is targeting a logistics void left by Shopify Inc.s abrupt retreat from shipping services earlier this year, which created an opportunity for the online retailer to make money delivering products ordered on sites other than Amazon.com. Most Read from Bloomberg The e-commerce giant is promoting Buy With Prime, which was introduced last year and offers online merchants fast delivery of customer orders placed on other websites. The company, at its Accelerate sellers conference Thursday, revealed metrics highlighting the sales boost merchants see when shoppers take advantage of their Amazon Prime membership to receive fast shipping and other benefits. Three-of-four Buy With Prime purchases are from customers who are new to that particular online brand, Peter Larsen, an Amazon vice president, said in an interview. The service helps attract those shoppers because they are familiar with the Amazon experience and trust their orders will be delivered quickly, he said. In January, Amazon disclosed that merchants using Buy With Prime increased sales conversions by 25%. Not only are you acquiring new customers, youre converting them at a higher rate, Larsen said. Amazon dominates e-commerce in the US, capturing almost 38% of all online spending this year, according to Insider Intelligence. The company is increasingly making money by providing services, such as product packing and delivery, to online merchants rather than selling products directly itself. Amazon, which has seen its own online sales growth slow, expects more shoppers to buy products directly from brand websites rather than online marketplaces like Amazon.com and Walmart.com. Story continues Direct-to-consumer sales, where shoppers buy items directly from a brands website, will increase 17% this year to hit $182.6 billion, nearly double the 9.3% growth rate of overall online spending, according to Insider Intelligence. While Amazon didnt disclose how many merchants are using Buy With Prime, Larsen said the company overall is going big on this. Still, Amazon has got some work to do, he added. Shopifys retreat from logistics appears to have ushered in a truce between the companies. Tensions between them escalated last year when Shopify purchased logistics startup Deliverr in a deal worth $2.1 billion, signaling ambitions to compete more directly with Amazon. But Shopify abandoned those plans in May when it sold its logistics unit to San Francisco startup Flexport Inc., which just replaced its chief executive officer and is going through its own strategy shift. The truce was cemented in August when Shopify and Amazon struck a deal to let merchants with Shopifys e-commerce tool also use Amazons logistics network. Larsen said the integration went smoothly since both companies want what is best for merchants and shoppers. I dont think we need to have this Amazon versus Shopify narrative anymore, he said. Some merchants have been impressed so far with Buy With Prime. Aaron Cordovez, co-founder of Zulay Kitchen, which sells about 1,000 products on Amazon, said the service is helping him increase sales on his website because customers trust the Amazon process. Theres not many downsides, so I think more people will try it. Amazon has struggled in the past to expand its e-commerce success beyond its online store. It relaunched Amazon Pay in 2013 to let customers shop on other sites using payment information stored with Amazon after killing earlier iterations. In 2015, it began closing is Amazon Web Store business, an earlier attempt to sell services that let online merchants create their own stores similar to Shopify. The Buy With Prime push could have better success as online merchants recognize the need to sell through multiple channels such as marketplaces, their own websites and brick-and-mortar stores, said Ben Rey, chief revenue officer at Teikametrics, a Boston-based software firm that manages almost $1 billion in annual advertising spending on Amazon, Walmart and other platforms. Theres a lot of interest diversifying to other channels, and the challenge has always been fulfillment, he said. Amazon is striking when the iron is hot. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. PARIS LOreal Group has launched a 15 million-euro endowment fund focused on communities facing the biggest disaster risks. We have noticed, like everybody, in the last years more and more climate change-related disasters, Alexandra Palt, chief corporate responsibility officer at LOreal Group and chief executive officer of the Fondation LOreal, told WWD. We know that it will become even more frequent [and severe] in the next years. More from WWD She was speaking just after the devastating earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Derna, Libya, took place, claiming thousands of lives. Estimates show that disasters driven by climate have increased five-fold over the past 50 years and represent 50 percent of all natural catastrophes. Up to 3 billion people live in areas that are exposed to such disasters, and that number is expected to rise by 1 billion by 2050. LOreals new fund, to be unveiled at Climate Week NYC that runs from Sunday to Sept. 24, is created to reach vulnerable communities via partnerships with local disaster relief organizations and nongovernmental organizations. The Climate Emergency Fund will concentrate on organizations that prepare to help reduce the impact of climate disasters before they occur and that repair to reestablish key infrastructures and services after theres a disaster. The first two organizations to receive backing from the new fund include The Solutions Project and Start Network. The Solutions Project is a U.S.-based NGO that funds and amplifies climate justice solutions created by Black people, Indigenous people, immigrants, women and communities of color. We cannot just think that climate disaster is going to touch the poorest in the poorest countries, but also the poorest in richer countries, Palt said. Its always people who are either poor, discriminated or excluded who will be those who suffer most from climate change. Start Network is an alliance of more than 80 NGOs across five continents. They work a lot on innovation, and early and rapid financing in order to support people when they are in a crisis, to really provide early and effective responses when the crisis strikes, Palt said. It is clear that while climate emergencies are global in nature, some communities are at far greater risk of near-term climate disasters and must develop resilience to these looming crises before they strike, said Christina Bennett, chief executive officer of Start Network, in a statement. In partnership with LOreal and local organizations rooted in their communities, we will enable these communities to prepare and protect themselves, with the tools and know-how delivered by local teams familiar with their circumstances and well-placed to help them rebound more quickly, she said. LOreals Climate Emergency Fund is not currently undertaking a call for proposals, but continues itself to identify innovative solutions, Palt said. She explained there is a learning curve in finding the solutions, as the frequency and severity of climate-related and natural disasters has escalated. The fund is part of a larger ecosystem LOreal has put in place to help burgeoning humanitarian and environmental challenges. The group also has launched the LOreal Fund for Nature Regeneration, the Circular Innovation Fund and the LOreal Fund for Women. We have a lot of experience with innovative solutions in the philanthropic space, Palt said. All these funds try to create new models that can bring answers and responses to the new challenges. What we have seen in in our activities and experiences is that we need new ways of financing and intervention, she continued. And so we will be once again direct our fundings to local small community stakeholders. It will be either through local networks or bigger organizations who are connected with these local stakeholders. The idea is to develop solutions for communities so they can react and act themselves. Thats what we have done through the LOreal Fund for Women, Palt said. She said the Climate Emergency Fund will complete LOreals philanthropic endeavors, which have a total investment of more than 200 million euros. Of course, all this does not change or slow down any of our own environmental transformation, Palt said. But we also think that we have a responsibility to contribute externally. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. With nearshoring becoming more and more popular for companies looking to diversify or move their production outright from Asia, Mexico has become an important resource for expanding supply chains. Now Lectra announces it will expand its Furniture on Demand solution to Mexico, making it available to producers south of the border. The cloud-based Furniture on Demand system connects to cutting room floor machinery to streamline production, reduce repetitive daily tasks, integrate orders and optimize costs. Furniture on Demand is designed to allow companies to produce custom pieces with a faster turnaround, without requiring manufacturers or retailers to carry excess inventory. More from Sourcing Journal The furniture industry has undergone a major transformation post pandemic as more and more products are being made to order and customization continues to grow in importance for consumers, said Leonard Marano, president, Lectra Americas. Furniture On Demand is an answer to the economic complexities currently faced by the industry that also improves speed, quality and traceability in the entirety of the manufacturing process. Lectra offers the Industry 4.0 on-demand solution for the apparel and automotive industries, as well. With each platform, manufacturers can offer customization to the consumer via their website, which connects to cutting machinery via the digital platform. Patterns and material specifications, along with other production rules, are pre-loaded into the system to facilitate the production process. A number of furniture brands have implemented Lectras Furniture on Demand system in their operations, including Zanotta, Karimoku, Neptune, King Hickory and Leisure Creations. What Lectra offered that I hadnt seen before was a beginning-to-end process from the order input to shipping the customer the furniture, said Chris Williams, owner and president, Leisure Creations, an Alabama-based, manufacturer of commercial pool and patio furniture. At the end of the process, everything was tied together. Furniture companies have done business in Mexico for a while, with interest in establishing production in the country ramping up considerably after the pandemic significantly disrupted importing from China. In the past couple of years, companies specializing in upholstered furnishings such as Man Wah, Innova Luxury Group, Kuka Home and Stanton Sofas, among others, have added Mexico to their production locations. Click here to read the full article. Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Twice is a statement, not a coincidence. Even as a royal, Meghan Markle wasn't one to follow so-called fashion rules (she mixed black and navy blue, wore ripped jeans, and refused to match her handbag to her shoes). So, wearing white after Labor Day? Not such a big deal. Getty Case in point: At the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany this week, Meghan has worn all-white not once, but twice already. First, she and Harry attended a volleyball match between Ukraine and Nigeria, and for the occasion, the Duchess of Sussex wore a white Ralph Lauren sleeveless sweater vest and a pair of white skinny jeans. And the following day, she doubled down on breaking the no whites after Labor Day rule this time, in a belted Zara romper. Meghan's exact creamy color is no longer available, but you can shop similar styles from Amazon and Nordstrom. Getty She paired her collared playsuit with a coordinating blazer with the sleeves rolled up, and accessorized with flat black sandals and a matching shoulder bag. A gold wristwatch, sculptural earrings, and aviator sunglasses completed her rebellious look, while her brunette hair was worn down with a middle part and styled straight. Shop White Rompers: Another volleyball match at today's Invictus Games served as a birthday celebration for Prince Harry , who just turned 39. Players and spectators sitting in the stands serenaded the Duke of Sussex with a rendition of "Happy Birthday," to which he gave everyone a thumbs up. Meghan, meanwhile, beamed at her husband with a huge smile. Related: Meghan Markle Wore All White After Labor Day But Her Outfit Had an Autumnal Twist Invictus Games organizers also sent Harry birthday wishes on Twitter. "From all of us at the @InvictusGamesDE, a heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the founder and patron of @WeAreInvictus, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex," they wrote alongside a silly picture of the royal in sunglasses. "You've given hope, inspired millions and never stop putting a smile on peoples faces." From all of us at the @InvictusGamesDE, a heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the founder and patron of @WeAreInvictus, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex You've given hope, inspired millions and never stop putting a smile on peoples faces pic.twitter.com/ibbTuURDEj Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 (@InvictusGamesDE) September 15, 2023 Make like Meghan and wear the color beyond Labor Day with some of our favorite white rompers, below. Vetinee Belted Short-Sleeve Romper Amazon $41 $33 Buy on Amazon Rails Bessie Belted Romper Nordstrom $238 Buy on Nordstrom For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on InStyle. Steamboat Resort, Colorado, announced earlier this week on September 12th that it had officially completed cabled splicing for the Wild Blue Gondola expansion, a piece of resort infrastructure slated to become North America's longest and fastest 10-person gondola. Tune in to the update below. From the caption: "Yesterday the second and final splice for the upper section of the Wild Blue Gondola was completed. One step closer to debuting the longest, fastest 10-person gondola in North America." The first phase of the Wild Blue Gondola opened to skiers last season, providing access to the Bashor, Greenhorn Ranch, and Thunderhead lifts. Now, Steamboat is polishing off Wild Blue's second phase, which travels from the mid-station to Sunshine Peak. As noted before, once this second phase is completed, Wild Blue will be the longest and fastest 10-person gondola in North America. The process shown in the above video is called cable splicing, wherein two ends of a lift cable are joined together -- doing so is highly technical and typically involves large crews. Steamboat anticipates opening the second leg of the Wild Blue Gondola this upcoming December. Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos. Theres no question that Americans love the ridiculous over-the-topness of Outback Steakhouse (we think the Bloomin Onion has plenty to do with it). But one thing we dont often consider is how well Americas favorite restaurant chains fare in other countries. Some have a global presence and an avid fanbase worldwide, and Outback is one of them. CNBC reports that one country in particular has a fascination with Outback: Brazil, whose market accounts for a whopping 83% of the chains international sales. Why is Brazil so excited about this Aussie-themed restaurant? Read more Why Outback Steakhouse succeeds with Brazilian customers In a way, it only makes sense that a chain steakhouse would do well in Brazil; after all, Brazilians practically invented the model of eating large quantities of beef in one sitting. Here in the United States, the experience at Fogo de Chao is modeled after Brazilian steakhouses rodizio style of service, where servers regale diners with tableside meats. In its reporting on the phenomenon of Outback Steakhouses in Brazil, The Washington Post even notes that there are more cows in Brazil than humans. You can see why the idea of having meat as the centerpiece of a meal might do so wellespecially when customers want to try something novel in the relative comfort of a themed restaurant, where you can expect the same sort of experience through every location. And as the middle and upper class grows in Brazil, those particular customers have have enough disposable income to indulge in things they love. In this case, its beef, and plenty of it, in contrast to the cheaper, traditional staples of rice and beans. And yes, many Outback Steakhouse locations in Brazil are situated similarly to what we see herethat is, theyre near shopping malls. I guess chowing down at a theme restaurant after a day of shopping for branded goods makes sense (hey, I do it too, despite my love of mom-and-pop joints). Comfort is a universal language, and theres something about a slab of red meat on your plate that lets you know youre being taken care of. More from The Takeout Sign up for The Takeout's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Pati Jinich is a Mexican-Jewish chef, celebrated television host, and acclaimed cookbook author known for her James Beard Award-winning PBS series "Pati's Mexican Table" and "La Frontera," a culinary travel special that seeks to celebrate understanding, joy, and exceptional cooking from communities along the US-Mexico Border. "Pati's Mexican Table", now in its 12th season, is an exploration of different regions of Mexico where Jinich spends time with local communities, studies the food, learns about the cultural history, and shares authentic recipes with her at-home viewers. This season of "Pati's Mexican Table", Jinich travels to Yucatan and becomes immersed in the rich Mayan history that's evidenced as much in the culinary traditions as it is in the people's spiritual connection to the land. We recently connected with Pati Jinich to talk about how her identity as a Mexican-Jewish-American mother influences her culinary style. Speaking exclusively with Tasting Table, Jinich shares her favorite foods to eat at the Borderlands, her Mexican-inspired dishes for the upcoming Jewish holidays, and a few tricks to recreate the flavors of Yucatan cooking at home. Read more: Try These 8 Traditional Mexican Dishes Cooking As Culture Identity Pati Jinich and a chef cooking in an outdoor kitchen - Pati Jinich Both of your television series, "Pati's Mexican Table" and "La Frontera" explore the relationship between food and culture. What was the inspiration behind showcasing the two together and how has that relationship manifested in your own life? I'm Mexican-born, Mexican-raised. All of my family is from Mexico and lives in Mexico City. I come from grandparents who, at different times and from different regions of the world, had to flee, and found their way to Mexico City. That's where they grew really deep roots. I've always been fascinated with sociology, history, and geography, and I wanted to contribute to a country that had given so much to my family and to be part of that community. As a Mexican immigrant in the US, as a Mexican Jew in Mexico, as a mother to Mexican-American kids here in the US, in the kitchen, I was able to navigate all those identities and to honor all the foods that I inherited by being Mexican. I learned firsthand from my grandmothers, who came from Austria and Poland, how they were able to build a spiritual, emotional, and physical home in Mexico by way of weaving what they brought from where they came from with what they found in Mexico. I found myself doing the same thing here in the US. I became so nostalgic for the tastes of home, for my family, and our traditions. I felt that the way that I was able to stay close to my roots, while at the same time growing roots here as a new immigrant in this country, was to make and share the foods that I love that I missed and that had nurtured me. That's how I got into cooking. Increasingly, my kitchen became this way where I was able to make sense of myself and my different pieces. After almost a decade of going back and forth, between Mexico and the US, I started traveling to the border, and to the US-Mexico Borderlands and realized that if there were myths and preconceptions about Mexico and Mexicans in our food in the US, there was a place with even more prejudice and myths that didn't have an opportunity to speak as to who they are. [In "La Frontera"] we track the entire 1,951 miles of the US-Mexico Borderlands and live life with people from there. The show doesn't have any political bias. [It's about] wanting to understand what happens in a place where these two countries continuously meet, and what happens to the food and the culture, the incredible possibilities of what happens when two cultures and communities enrich each other in that intensity. Food has become this incredible vehicle that allows me to experience who we are as people today, by the way of how we eat, what we eat, and the stories behind it. Eating At The Borderlands Pati Jinich holding mussles - Pati Jinich At the Borderlands, the food is reflective of the melding cultures. What does that food mean to you and what are some of your favorite Borderlands dishes? The people in the Borderlands are some of the most generous, kind, and hardworking people I've ever met. There's this pride in making things from scratch: the tacos that you eat, the burritos that you eat, the soups that you eat, the salads that you eat. There's an intensity to the ingredients at the border, and there's an intensity to the passion by which the food is cooked that I have not found in other places. That really translates to the experience of eating it. There's a lot of really close one-to-one communication. There's a lot of pride and passion that's put into the food that makes a huge difference. There are so many incredible foods at the border: nachos, fajitas, taquitos, fish tacos, burritos, and Caesar salad a Caesar salad eaten right in Tijuana, in the place where it was created. This is a salad that had its birthplace in Mexico and that so many people think is Italian. I believe it's the most well-known salad around the world, and it doesn't give due credit to its Mexican origin. How does a Caesar salad in Tijuana compare to a Caesar salad in an Italian restaurant in the US? [In Tijuana, a Caesar salad] is so intensely flavored. That's something that I found with all of the food at the Borderlands. Ingredients are super real and raw. I don't know if it's because many of the ingredients that are used are so local, but [it's evident] in the intensity of the food. They're not making the dressing for the Caesar salad once a week and storing it in the fridge. They're making it from scratch every time you order a salad. The bread is fresh and freshly toasted. The lettuce is insanely crispy. The limes are juicy and tangy. The garlic is pungent and fragrant. In Tijuana it's incredible the most exquisite version of the Caesar salad. The Flavors Of Yucatan Are Different From The Rest Of Mexico Pati Jinich standing in Yucatan - Pati Jinich Season 12 of "Pati's Mexican Table" is an exploration of Yucatan in Mexico. Each of the previous seasons followed the culinary histories of different regions of Mexico. What about traveling through Yucatan has particularly affected you? Each season, we go to a different region of Mexico and fully explore it. It's been incredibly humbling continuing to grow roots in Mexico while learning more about Mexico. "Pati's Mexican Table" became an adventure of exploring the Mexico that I was yet to know. For this season, we went to Yucatan and dug deep into the Maya culture and the unique intersection that exists between the Maya world, which is so prevalent in Yucatan and different from the rest of Mexico, where there were the Aztec, the Totonac, the different Native Mexican tribes. In Yucatan, it's the Maya, so you see chiles that you don't see in other places like the xcatic, chili guero, and there's a predominant use of habanero, [which is] super feisty, colorful, and citrusy. The oregano from Yucatan is much larger, more fragrant, and aromatic it really smells like dried roses. It's much warmer than Mediterranean oregano, which is a little bit harsh and strong. It's also different from the Mexican oregano from Nuevo Leon, which is very woodsy. The food from the Yucatan is very rustic, charred, and citrusy with a lot of these flowery notes. There's a lot of food [in Yucatan] that's cooked underground. The tamales in Yucatan are typically wrapped in banana leaves [instead of] corn husks, and there's a lot of use of recado rojo or achiote paste. All of these ingredients you can now get in the US or anywhere in the world online. You can start making meals in your kitchen that suddenly magically bring in the Yucatan to your home wherever you may be living. How can home cooks recreate the flavors of underground cooking in their own kitchens? [I have a recipe] for cochinita pibil, which you can make with pork, turkey, or chicken. I put the meat in the oven, wrap it in banana leaves, and let it roast. [I use the banana leaves] to seal the meat, which replicates the smoky, intense, moist cooking from underground. I also have a fast track take for cochinita pibil, or for chicken pibil, where you make the sauce by roasting a lot of the ingredients, like the tomato, the garlic, the onion you char or roast them until the skin has practically burned, which is what they do in the Yucatan. The roasting and the charring push the ingredients to bring forward an intensity that is hard to find when boiling fresh ingredients. If the tomatoes are sweet and you roast or char them, they will become that much sweeter, and juicier the flavor comes forward that much stronger. You can make a seasoning sauce by charring or roasting the ingredients and also by toasting the spices. Then, you add the cooked chicken, turkey, or pork, and you pretty much get a similar thing, which is rich, exciting, and delicious without having to dig an underground pit in your backyard. Simple Delicious Mexican Meals At Home A whole roasted chicken and broccolini - Pati Jinich What guidance can you share for home cooks looking to make a delicious meal at home with little time and simple ingredients? I have a new chicken recipe that I made for this upcoming season in the Yucatan, which is easy to make and affordable. You buy a whole chicken in the store, and you spatchcock it, which means that you butterfly it, which is so easy. You remove the backbone, and flatten the whole chicken, which takes about one minute. Then, you make a citrus marinade, which is very simple, and you put the chicken in the oven for 45 minutes and it's cooked and beautiful. If you want a full meal, add broccoli or broccolini. [Without too much effort], you come out with a full meal that has roasted chicken that's citrusy and delicious with broccoli or broccolini that you can cook in those same chicken and citrus sauces, too. Spatchcocking the chicken or butterflying the chicken is a great tip, because you're saving by not buying the already cut-up chicken, and you're also keeping a lot of the flavor using the skin and the bones. Butterflying the chicken is a great trick to know when you're getting the whole chicken, because butterflying makes it cook evenly, cook faster, and have that top crispier brown layer. Speaking of making a full meal, what are your recommendations for preparing nourishing rice dishes? I have so many rice recipes! I have a honey habanero and pea rice that's absolutely phenomenal; you can use jasmine or basmati. It's fragrant and cooks so beautifully. You cook the rice in either vegetable broth or chicken broth with a little bit of honey, and you cook habanero with a little bit of onion and garlic, and that makes the base. Then, you add peas at the end, and it's incredible. You don't need to just make white rice, or brown rice, or plain rice. You can enrich your different rice dishes by bringing in more chiles, and citrus, and underused ingredients like peas, which are so delicious and beautiful and are packed with nutritional flavor and that beautiful sweet taste. I have another rice recipe that's inspired by the smoked meats of the Yucatan. In Yucatan, they smoke a lot of meats, a lot of pork, and chorizo, and longaniza. I make this black rice with chorizo, which is normal rice that I cook with a black bean broth. When you make black beans, save that broth and use it to cook your rice. The rice ends up with a beautiful color and a beautiful inky taste from the black beans. It's delicious! You add brown chorizo, and you cook the rice in the chorizo fat. I dress that with pickled onions. Eggs Are Your Most Important Brunch Ingredient A plated and seasoned soft-boiled egg - Pati Jinich What are your favorite ways to elevate brunch at home? Eggs, eggs, eggs. I'm obsessed with eggs. I love eggs. I now not only use the fresh Eggland eggs but also the already hard-boiled Eggland eggs. They're so easy to do a chopped salad. I love chopped egg salad sandwiches. If you want to do a Sunday brunch, you can make different kinds of salads and you can put different fillings in people can put them on bagels or sandwiches. I also love typical Mexican style eggs. When we went to Yucatan, we ate some soft-boiled eggs that, instead of being soft-boiled in water, were soft-boiled in the ashes of a fire where tortillas were cooked. They were absolutely delicious. There are also Motulenos eggs, where you make sunny-side-up eggs that get baked in a sauce that has tomatoes and onion, a little habanero, peas, and diced ham. You eat it with caramelized plantains and refried beans. You don't need anything else. It's so extraordinary. For this season [of "Pati's Mexican Table"], we also did a chaya scramble. The chaya is a beautiful green leafy plant, very similar to spinach or watercress. I made an easy scramble with caramelized onion, banana peppers, jalapenos, and chaya but you could also use spinach or watercress. Then, you make a scramble and you add a little salsita and avocado on top, and you have a feast. There are so many ways to go. You can put the chaya scramble in breakfast tacos, or moms can make burritos for their kids. It's so easy to repurpose. Many chefs have strong opinions about what should and should not be added to the base of an egg scramble. What is your professional take? I love eggs so much. I love them straight. You don't need to add anything to them as long as you know how to cook them. The egg in a soft scramble is a beautiful thing. I add a little bit of salt and then whatever I'm mixing them with you have to make sure that the pan is very hot. Once you pour the eggs in before you scramble, you reduce the heat to medium-low, so they cook slowly and gently thicken. Then, cook and scramble. You have to make sure that you don't overcook them so they don't become dry or rubbery. I love my eggs just like that. I don't add anything to them. Mexican-Inspired Dishes For Rosh Hashanah Mexican-inspired matzo ball soup ready to eat - Pati Jinich How do you celebrate your Mexican-Jewish identity in your cooking during the Jewish holidays? I adapted my grandmother's matzo ball soup recipe. She makes hers with steamed mushrooms, jalapeno, and cilantro. I add toasted sesame seed oil and nutmeg to the matzo balls. They're so rich and flavorful. I also have a couple of brisket recipes, one with pasilla, piloncillo, and tomatillos that add a lot of dimension. I have a recipe for brisket in Chili Colorado, which is a rich dried chili base. I cook it low and slow. For black pepper brisket, first, you sear it and brown it to get that nice crusty taste. Then, you use all those crusty bits and you braise it for a long time, long and slow. You take it out [of the oven], slice it, and cook it a little bit more with the sauce so that it falls apart. For this Rosh Hashanah, I promised my kids I was going to make an almond and bitter chocolate soft challah. I'm still testing the recipe for that one. I'm playing a lot with challah this year. I love playing with new things. My grandmother used to make a thin crepe soup that I also want to make this year. Another popular recipe I make is a Gefilte fish in the Mexican style with a Veracruz sauce with rich tomatoes and pickled jalapenos. Mexican Ingredients In A Store Near You Hands making masa - Pati Jinich Where are your favorite places to shop for Mexican ingredients? There are so many places where you can now get Mexican ingredients. Kroger has a new Mercado brand where they have queso fresco, Oaxaca, corn and flour tortillas, and crema. They even have already cooked and shredded carnitas. Kroger is always a fantastic place to find things. The brands that I really love and have used since [I lived in] Mexico, you can now find everywhere, like La Costena salsas, or the avocados from Mexico that are so buttery and rich and creamy. If I'm looking for something very specific, say fresh or dried chiles, I will go to the Latino store, but increasingly, you can find more and more ingredients in mainstream stores, and some things you can even find online. For tortillas, do you prefer to make yours from scratch or do you use store-bought tortillas? I don't always make [tortillas] from scratch -- only when I have the extra time, which means on the weekends, or if I want to treat my kids to special burritos with specially homemade flour tortillas. Goya has fabulous corn tortillas. I always have packs of tortillas at the ready, because I'm not going to have time every day to make 20 tortillas from scratch. I combine. When I have extra time I do make them at home, or if I want to season them and flavor them with something. For the new season of "Pati's Mexican Table", I made herb corn tortillas where I mixed the masa with cilantro and chives. They're beautiful and delicious. As the tortillas cook, they get so powered and infused with the herbs inside of the masa. Check your local PBS station's listings to find out when new episodes of "Pati's Mexican Table" air in your area. This interview has been edited for clarity. Read the original article on Tasting Table. It's time to book a trip to Vermont. Women aren't waiting for an invitation from a travel partner to get out and explore the world. According to statistics from Kayak, searches for single-person flights increased by 36 percent for travel in 2023 compared to 2022, while additional data from Industry Global News revealed that 85 percent of solo travelers registered with travel company Overseas Adventure Travel are women. While more and more women are getting out in groups, with families, or on their own, safety remains top of mind. To help women find places where they can explore without fear, TrustedHousesitters conducted the 2023 Solo Female Traveler Report, unveiling the 10 best states that are ideal for those looking to explore on their own. Corey Hendrickson/Getty Images The report determined its rankings by looking into several factors, including a states internet speed (via data from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission), the states existing popularity among female solo travelers, and female safety, which it retrieved via data from the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Reporting Program. And after factoring in all the data, Vermont came out on top. The northeastern state offers women a perfect R&R getaway, the website shared in its findings. With the lowest rate of violence against women and the highest rate of women who report feeling safe in the nation, it comes as no surprise that the destination is already popular with solo female travelers. The website added, On TrustedHousesitters, women traveling alone make up more than half of all overnight stays in Vermont. Pennsylvania came in second thanks to its beauty, friendly locals, access to the internet, and high safety rating for women. Delaware came in at third, scoring high marks for its ranking as the second safest state in the nation with the fourth-best internet speeds, Trusted Housesitters noted. Rhode Island and Maryland rounded out the top five for the best states to travel. The website also ranked states purely from a safety perspective, with Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, and Idaho rounding the top five. Those looking to travel internationally alone should look into Japan, Switzerland, and Slovenia, which ranked as the safest countries on Earth for solo travelers in a 2023 study. And, before you do jet off all alone, make sure to learn the 10 mistakes to avoid while traveling alone so you can focus on having a great time instead of worrying about a thing. Related: The Ultimate Solo Travel Packing List and Essential Tips For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Fancy escaping to sunny Australia through your TV screen? Youre in luck, as the second season of Surviving Summer just dropped on Netflix. The series follows Summer Torres, an American teenager who is sent to live with family friends in Australia after being expelled from school. There, she learns to surf, falls in love and more. With fans eagerly waiting for more episodes of the hit series, here is everything we know about season two of Netflixs Surviving Summer. What is Surviving Summer about? The Australian teen drama follows Summer Torres, played by Sky Katz, a teenager from New York who is sent by her mother to live down under after being kicked out of school. The official Netflix synopsis reads, Expelled from school and exiled to Australia, a rebel New York teen makes waves among a young surfer's inner circle and leaves a mess in her wake. Netflix Will there be a season 2 of Surviving Summer? In short, we dont know yet. With the second season dropping on Netflix on 15th September, we might have to wait a little longer until we find out about the future of the show. Keeping our fingers crossed! Who might the cast of Surviving Summer season 2 be? We would expect pretty much all of the main cast to return for a second season, including: Sky Katz Kai Lewins Lilliana Bowrey Joao Gabriel Marinho Savannah La Rain Courtesy of Netflix Surviving Summer is streaming on Netflix now. You Might Also Like Seven-time SI Swimsuit model Samantha Hoopes is a total franchise legend. The 32-year-old made her debut in 2014 and double-dipped for a bodypaint feature with talented artist Joanne Gair and a breathtaking photoshoot on the beaches of St. Lucia with Walter Iooss Jr. She returned to the fold the following six consecutive years. Hoopes traveled to Oregon with Yu Tsai for her sophomore photoshoot, was photographed by Ben Watts in Malta and Curacao, and was captured by Josie Clough in Nevis, Kangaroo Island and Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands for her most recent feature in 2020. My first year, I came inI dont like to use the word lostbut at 22, youre still kind of finding yourself, figuring out what you like and dont like, Hoopes told SI Swimsuit. Seven years later, its a big difference. Im a woman. I have a baby. The Pennsylvania native shares a 4-year-old son named George and a 2-year-old daughter, Kennedy, with her husband, Salvatore Palella. I just feel so much more empowered and Im excited to see my changes, she said about her personal growth with the brand. Beauty is more about a feeling and a personality. Super down to earth, super real, thats beautiful to me. To me, beauty is really something that comes from within. Its your energy. Its more than a physical characteristic. Below are five gorgeous photos from Hoopess SI Swimsuit debut with Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia. Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! By Emily Chow and Yuka Obayashi SINGAPORE/TOKYO (Reuters) - Long before labour unrest at liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants threatened to disrupt supplies, Australia was on track to lose its crown as the world's top exporter due to green government policies, measures to protect domestic energy needs and expansion plans from Qatar and the United States. Workers at two LNG platforms owned by Chevron, and that account for over 5% of global supply, plan to escalate the rolling strikes they began last week after failing to resolve disputes over pay and conditions. While the industrial action has rattled European gas markets, buyers of the Australian super chilled fuel say they're more worried about a series of measures introduced by the government to meet domestic energy needs, manage soaring gas prices and reduce emissions. "There is a concern that the willingness to invest in Australia and confidence in the country may decline," said a spokesperson for Japan's Kyushu Electric Power, which has long-term contracts with Chevron's strike-hit Wheatstone plant and Woodside Energy Group's North West Shelf facility off the coast of Western Australia. Australia was the world's top LNG exporter last year, sending out 80.48 million metric tons according to Kpler data, but export volumes have fallen behind the United States and Qatar for the first eight months of 2023. China and Japan are Australia's main buyers, followed by South Korea and Taiwan. Japan's top energy producer Inpex, which is considering expanding its Ichthys LNG project in Australia, said the government measures "could reduce investment in Australian LNG projects, which may have a significant impact on the development and growth" of the industry. "We will continue to call on the Australian government to maintain and improve an appropriate investment environment," a spokesperson said. Asked about these concerns, a spokesperson for federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King said Australia was committed to remaining a long-term, reliable supplier of resources and energy to its trading partners, and was committed to being a stable and secure destination for investment. Story continues CONSIDERABLE COMPETITION LNG buyers are particularly sensitive to anything that affects the security of their supplies, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent European buyers scrambling for alternatives to Russian piped gas, triggering a surge in prices. For Australia, the supply concerns coincide with plans by the United States, which has the world's largest liquefaction capacity, and state-owned QatarEnergy to ramp up production. "We've certainly seen Australia's reputation being affected as some existing buyers expressed interest in diversifying their suppliers for long-term supply," said Ryhana Rasidi, LNG analyst at analytics firm Kpler. "This is somewhat reflected in the fact that a lot of the new contracts we've seen being signed have been with Oman, Qatar and the U.S. - whereas very little has been with Australia." QatarEnergy, which plans to boost capacity by over 60% to 126 million metric tons per year in 2027, has signed deals to supply major Chinese buyers. "Australia is the closest gas supplier we can get. By far, Australia, U.S. and Qatar are the three pillars in LNG supply chain. If any of them is having problems, we would indeed be nervous," said Jane Liao, vice president at state-run energy firm CPC Taiwan. As well as its political stability, its proximity to Asia might be Australia's saving grace, industry analysts say. Japanese LNG importers including Tohoku Electric Power, Kyushu Electric Power and Osaka Gas say Australia is and will continue to be a stable and important supplier, company spokespersons said. "Ties are very strong between North Asia and Australia as a legacy supplier, so many participants are keen to continue the relationship," said Kaushal Ramesh, LNG analyst at Rystad Energy. "Regulatory annoyance aside, there are still a lot of advantages." (Reporting by Emily Chow in Singapore and Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, additional reporting by Muyu Xu in Singapore, Andrew Hayley in Beijing, Joyce Lee in Seoul and Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Editing by Florence Tan and Miral Fahmy) Plus, learn how to make your own. Marie Hickman/Getty Images Fact checked by Haley Mades As the spooky season creeps upon us, youre likely inundated with all sorts of macabre and witchy decor. However, not all symbols of the Halloween season are morbid, nor are they scary in any way. Sugar skulls, a Mexican tradition, can be seen in Mexican households and spaces across the world, and theyre far more than a skeleton-shaped candy. But what are sugar skulls? Seen in countless colors, sizes, and styles, these items are now ubiquitous, but carry a deeper meaning. If you didnt grow up around sugar skulls, heres what you need to know to appreciate the annual tradition: What Are Sugar Skulls? Sugar skulls, also called calaveritas de azucar (or calaveritas, for short), are literally skulls made from sugar. Theyre found in Mexico and Mexican households for the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos tradition, which takes place annually on the evening of November 1 through the next day. Related: 45 Simple, Last-Minute Halloween Costumes That Don't Require a Trip to the Costume Store Sugarcane isnt indigenous to Mexico, but rather a product of colonialism. The concept for sugar skulls, in fact, originated in Palermo, Italy, where sugary confections were created to celebrate holidays. The tradition migrated to Spain, and when the Spanish conquered Mexico, the tradition became a part of Mexican culture and folklore as well. Skulls, or calaveras, made from clay or other materials, were often popular symbols in celebrating the Day of the Dead, and sugar skulls became prominent over a century ago. What Is the Meaning of Sugar Skulls? During Dia de los Muertos, we build ofrendas, altars made to remember our loved ones who have passed away, says chef Fernanda Serrano of elNico at The Penny Williamsburg. We decorate these altars with flowers, colorful papel picado, pictures, and food or drinks as a way to celebrate their lives. On these colorful and lively ofrendas, found in homes and public spaces, sugar skulls are often included. Among the decorations, it's common to find calaveritassugar skullsthat are decorated with colorful icing sugar, and, in some cases, beads, says Serrano. Calaveritas always have a piece of paper featuring the deceased person's name attached to the forehead, to represent the person being remembered. Related: 53 Halloween Desserts and Treats That'll Have Guests Howling for More Are Sugar Skulls Meant to Be Eaten? Like anything made out of sugar, sugar skulls can be enticing, but are primarily decorative. Calaveritas are made for decoration, but can be eaten, as theyre made from a sugar cane mixture, says Serrano. The decorations are made of icing and food coloring. Of course, if you make or buy sugar skulls yourself, you can eat them, but Serrano notes that some may have beads or other adornments, which would make them not edible. Sugar skulls placed on an ofrenda arent an all-you-can-eat candy display, but a traditional object that would be disrespectful to remove from the altar and eat. How Are Sugar Skulls Made? Sugar skulls are made from a simple mixture of sugar and water, blended into a paste that dries in a skull-shape mold. Icing made from sugar and water, plus food coloring, can also be easily made to decorate the sugar skulls. Nowadays, people might add meringue powder to the sugar mix to make it more stable, Serrano advises. Related: 16 Deliciously Spooky Halloween Cocktail Recipes Heres now to make sugar skulls, thanks to Serranos recipe: Sugar skull ingredients: 1 cup of white sugar 1 teaspoon of meringue powder 1 teaspoon of water Skull-shape molds Instructions: Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and work the mixture until incorporated. The mixture should feel like beach sand, and should stay together when you press it. Fill the molds with the sugar mixture, pressing each time to make sure the whole mold is filled. Once the mold is full, scrape the bottom part with a knife to make it smooth. Remove the sugar skull from the mold, and let it dry. Decoration ingredients: 2/3 cup of water cup of meringue powder 2 pounds of powdered sugar Food coloring of your choice Piping bags Instructions: Mix all of the ingredients with an electric mixer together until all of the sugar is incorporated, theres no lumps, and the icing peaks. Divide the icing in different containers, depending on how many colors you would like to use. Start coloring the icing, and mix well. Place icing in different piping bags. Once the sugar skulls are dry, start decorating them with the colored icing. For more Real Simple news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Real Simple. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Now that its fall, it seems like all of our favorite stores are finally loading their shelves with seasonal autumn treats, starring flavors like pumpkin spice, caramel apple, toffee nut, and more. But the truth is that not all of these seasonal items live up to expectations. So when we hear about a new item thats already getting great reviews, like these are top down one of the best bakery items, we get really excited. The newest product were stocking up on is from Trader Joes: Apple Cinnamon Buns, and the author of Cooking Through Trader Joes can vouch that these are a hit. More from SheKnows Today's Top Deals Instagrammer TraderJoesFoodReviews (the Cooking Through Trader Joes author) showcased the chains new Apple Cinnamon Buns on their page. Trader Joes describes them as being crumb topped Danish pastries with apple filling & cinnamon, and theyre Danishes in the true sense these pastries are made by a Trader Joes partner in Denmark. Its a partnership that paid off, apparently, because TraderJoesFoodReviews says this sweet treat is nearly perfect, giving it a 9/10 rating. Cooking Through Trader Joes Cookbook Price: $23.19 Click here to read the full article. Buy Now They said that the pastries are like a cross between a cinnamon roll and an apple pie, and said that theyre not dry at all. In fact, the only reason they lost a point was that they were almost too moist in the center. There are two buns in each package, which costs $4.49. Trader Joes fans in the comments on the post were ready to heap praise on this limited time fall pastry, too. 10/10 for our family!! Our of this world, raved one, while another said we air fried them with homemade vanilla brown sugar whipped cream on top. 10/10 in my book. There were some commenters who complained that the pastries tasted a little stale out of the box, but others pointed out that heating the pastries up usually fixes that. Like most fall treats at Trader Joes, these apple cinnamon buns are a limited time offering, so if you want to give them a try before supplies run out, you should stock up soon. Just be careful there are a lot of other Trader Joes fall savory and sweet foods that youll be tempted to throw in your cart, too. Before you go, check out our slideshow below: Watch: How to Make a Halloween Grazing Board More Top Deals from SheKnows Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. UPS is laying off employees in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as part of a regional restructuring plan. The job cuts come as Americas biggest parcel carrier recently finalized a massive new contract covering 340,000 employees represented by the Teamsters. The deal will boost wages and benefits for unionized workers by an average 3.3 percent annual rate over the next five years. The new contract will cost UPS roughly $500 million more this year than it originally planned. More from Sourcing Journal We regularly align our staffing to meet the needs of our customers and current demand. We have made the difficult decision to eliminate some management positions in the Dallas area, a UPS representative told Sourcing Journal on Friday. We are well positioned for continued and future growth, and this move is designed to create an even stronger UPS. A person familiar with the matter told Sourcing Journal that 50 percent of all Dallas-Fort Worth-area managers have been been asked either to accept a severance package or take a demotion to the role of full-time supervisor. One-quarter of all full-time supervisors have been presented with the separation plan. Employees have until the end of September to find another job, the person said. UPS did not reveal how many employees are affected by the layoffs. This has naturally raised concerns about the impact on the workforce, as well as the motivations behind such a decision, the source said. Jeremy Tancredi, a partner in the operations excellence practice at consulting firm West Monroe and a former industrial engineer at UPS, said he expected that any UPS job cuts would affect management roles. UPS will be looking to offset the costs associated with the higher Teamster pay, which will most likely come in the form of operations management, Tancredi told Sourcing Journal. When volume peaked during the pandemic, UPS increased their operations management to handle the additional volume. Now that some of the volume has receded, they will look to reduce management head count to ultimately protect margins and shareholder value. UPS cut 2,500 management positions and more than 1,700 operations and overhead function roles in the second quarter versus 12 months prior, company executives told investors on an Aug. 8 conference call. The cuts free up resources to help fund the new labor contract. Full-time annual driver pay and benefits will average about $170,000 by the contracts final year. Part-time union employees will earn $25.75 per hour in the final year, along with full healthcare and pension benefits. The threat of a Teamsters strike cost UPS $200 million in lost sales. The company handled approximately 1 million fewer packages per day compared to the year prior as concerned customers gave their business to other carriers. UPS was already dealing with falling package demand this year as people got cautious with spending. When not accounting for the strike threat itself, the company said it lost out on another 200,000 packages per day compared to 2022. UPS revenue declined 10.9 percent to $22.1 billion in the second quarter. Consolidated operating profit declined 21.4 percent to $2.8 billion. The Atlanta-based company cut its full-year revenue and profitability targets for full-year 2023. The company is adjusting delivery surcharges, chief financial officer Brian Newman said in a presentation Monday, and using automation and RFID to enhance productivity. Despite the moves to increase margins and cut costs, UPS authorized a 5.9 percent general rate increase (GRI) to match chief competitor, FedEx. Analysts had speculated that UPS could break from tradition this year and implement a higher rate than its rival. But both companies went for a smaller increase than they did for2023, when they put 6.9 percent GRIs into effect. FedEx on Thursday said it was laying off staff to cut $4 billion in costs by 2025, saying it would reduce IT and finance positions. FedEx did not disclose the exact number of or locations of layoffs, but said it was a small percentage of positions in the two departments. Click here to read the full article. As per various reports from reputable sources, the leadership of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has given their endorsement to Salt Lake City's bid to host another Winter Olympics, expressing a preference for the year 2034. The USOPC has conveyed that 2034 holds greater appeal as a hosting year when compared to 2030, primarily due to the scheduling of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Notably, Salt Lake City, Utah, has previously hosted the Winter Games in the year 2002. The podium in 2022 for men's halfpipe was a United States sweep! 1. Ross Powers (USA) 2. Danny Kass (USA) 3. Ross Powers (USA) The Women's podium still held a USA gold: 1. Kelly Clark (USA) 2. Doriane Vidal (FRA) 3. Fabienne Reuteler (CH) During a media briefing, USOPC Chair Gene Sykes stated, "While there may be other prospective bids, none may surpass the appeal of Salt Lake City, Utah, for either the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympics. However, we firmly believe that 2034 presents the ideal opportunity for the United States to host the Winter Games." He further added, "This preference has been communicated to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). We are prepared to collaborate with them for the 2030 bid if required, but they are actively exploring alternative bids for the 2030 Olympics." It's worth noting that countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, and France are also in contention to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging snow-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional rider or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SNOWBOARDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality snowboarding videos. Don't miss another headline from SNOWBOARDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of snowboarding. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The View audience experienced some truly interesting moments while watching Matthew McConaughey promote his new children's book, Just Because. The actor appeared on a September 12 taping of the show to discuss his project with Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin. The conversation went fine enough... until they played a 2006 clip that shows Matthew giving Joy a foot massage. After showing it, Joy put her foot on the table, and to everyone's surprise, Matthew obliged in rubbing it. After a minute or so, Whoopi put an end to it by saying, "We're just going to let all of that go by," which prompted Joy to say "thank you," and move on. However, the discussion turned much more serious after the actor shared why he started a new initiative for his Just Keep Living Foundation. The Greenlights Grant Initiative works by connecting schools with grant writers so they can get money from the government to create safer learning conditions. It began after Matthew and his wife got involved with school safety in the wake of the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which is Matthew's hometown. "We found out these superintendents have to fill out these grants a lot of them are also driving the school bus, they're the PE teacher and this grant is 50 pages and intimating, so they don't have the expertise or the time," Matthew revealed. "So we're helping with the grant wiring process. We hire grant writers to come on and go to these schools throughout the United States that need the safest schools the most we're helping them write the grant." After seeing and learning more about Matthew's commitment, over the past few months, many people have suggested he run for political office. When Sunny brought up the topic, Matthew made it clear that it's not out of the question, but right now, he's focusing on fatherhood. But when Joy asked him if he thought he could become an elected official in his home state of Texas while being "anti-gun," things took a turn. "One thing about me and politics is to give you a direct statement right there," Matthew said while pointing at her. "It's playing a game that I'm not interested in playing." That led Joy to hold up her hands and say, "Okay, don't do it." You can see it at the 10:06 mark: As Whoopi witnessed Matthew and Joy's exchange play out, she decided to quickly turn to the audience and revealed a surprise for them. "I have to tell you, everybody in this audience," she announced as Matthew looked on. "Just so you know, everybodys going home with a copy of the book." Some viewers left in the comments that they felt the exchange was "awkward" even though Whoopi managed to shift the conversation so swiftly. Sunny also shared during the second segment that she believed Matthew's stance was "pro gun responsibility and legislation," to which he replied "facts." If you want to learn more about Matthew's initiative, go to GreenlightsGrantInitiative.org. For more on gun safety, visit Everytown.org. You Might Also Like Whoopi Goldberg surprised one of her The View co-hosts, Alyssa Farah Griffin, by asking her if she was pregnant seemingly out of the blue. Goldbergs question came out of nowhere mid-discussion. The daytime talk show co-hosts were deliberating the news on Utah Senator Mitt Romneys recent announcement that he had decided not to run for re-election in 2024. The pair then went on to muse about the future of the Republican party. But about two minutes into the discussion, Goldberg, 67, turned to Farah Griffin and asked her an unexpected question. For me, at least, its always the rot has always been there. You cannot have built the country without it. Too much has happened in the country for the rot to have not been there. And it doesnt have to be Black folks, its Native American folks, its folks who come from other places. Weve always had this kind of thing. But it doesnt not stop us from doing the right thing when people are in need, Goldberg said. And so the toughest thing for me has been to watch the disregard for people Then the Sister Act star paused mid-sentence to turn to Farah Griffin and ask: Are you pregnant? In complete shock, the 34-year-old former Trump aide, who is now a high profile critic of the ex-president, laughed and exclaimed: No! Oh my God! You cant say that while my mother-in-law is here! Shes been dying for me to get pregnant. Why would you say that? Joy Behar, 80, asked. Goldberg replied, I just got a vibe. Im so sorry! It just it was just Please say its not my tummy! Farah Griffin exclaimed, but later clarified that she and her husband Justin Griffin whom she married in 2021 were not pregnant. Im very open to being pregnant soon. I am not blessed to be pregnant yet, but my husband and I are thinking about it. Are you sure? Sunny Hostin asked, to which Farah Griffin responded that she was pretty sure. Theyre working on it, Sara Haines cheekily added before looking at Farah Griffins mother-in-law and saying: Im sorry, earmuffs! MITT ROMNEY WILL NOT SEEK SECOND TERM: After the senator announced he will not seek a second Senate term, #TheView co-hosts weigh in on him saying it's "time for a new generation of leaders." https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/CRPGvxJykg The View (@TheView) September 14, 2023 Forgive me. Im just, I just you have this I see a glow, Goldberg explained, and Griffin replied that at home shed take a test to make sure. Meanwhile, Haines joked that Farah Griffin should name her firstborn after Goldberg. Dont do that to the baby, Goldberg joked before profusely apologizing for asking. Some viewers werent too impressed with Goldberg, with one viewer writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: Thats super rude to ask another woman on live tv. Why not ask while they are preparing for the show beforehand. This is so wrong. Whoopi is a mess, someone else chimed in. Even if she were pregnant, she would have forced her to announce with that question. She could ask during break or before the start of the show. Such a disgusting behavior. Meanwhile, other viewers defended the Ghost actor. Those of us at a certain age lose our filters, one user reasoned with naysayers. Ive blurted out things I would never have said when I was younger and gave a s***. Whoopi gonna be Whoopi. It was a bit rude but oh well. Another person added that Goldbergs intuition might be right, I did the exact same thing to my nephews wife at a family wedding in June and three weeks later, we got the confirmation call. Older ladies can tell when someone is pregnant. When someone mentions Costco, many of us think of the more bizarre things you can buy there -- gigantic tubs of Nutella, huge wheels of cheese, and hunks of meat large enough to feed an entire army. We think of bulk goods, and a wide variety of them. However, as regular Costco shoppers might have noticed, the chain's selection of fresh fish is, well, sparse at best. Costco's seafood department includes only about a dozen options, and just about a quarter of those are actually fish. There's a good reason for that: Back in 2011, Costco extended its sustainability policy to seafood, deciding to no longer sell endangered species like bluefin tuna, swordfish, and Atlantic cod, among others. Per Costco's Sustainable Development Goals, the chain now sources its seafood only "from wild fisheries or farmed aquaculture in ways that help meet current demand without compromising the availability of scarce resources for future generations." In other words, if Costco can't source seafood in a World Wildlife Fund-approved manner, the chain won't sell it. Read more: 7 Types Of Seafood You Should Be Eating And 7 You Shouldn't Where Does Costco Get Its Seafood? fish farms in the ocean - Dudits/Getty Images As mentioned, Costco primarily sources its seafood through sustainable wholesalers and fisheries, doing its part to avoid harming already endangered species. For instance, Costco's ahi tuna and Alaskan cod are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, with many of the chain's other seafood options labeled as being sustainably farmed or wild-caught. That being said, as of 2015, GreenPeace ranked Costco at a 5.34 out of 10 for sustainable seafood, and conservation group SeaChoice noted in 2020 that Costco had still only "partially" met its sustainability goals. As of 2023, in fact, Costco continues to sell: Chilean sea bass despite the species being overfished, wild orange roughy despite the controversy regarding its status as sustainable, and Atlantic cod despite agreeing in 2011 to cease doing so. For the average shopper, it's hard to tell if your seafood is actually sustainable. But while it would be nice to have our seafood labeled as such (let alone, have that label be trustworthy), we're ultimately left to our own devices. All we can do, at the end of the day, is research the products we're buying and do our best to make responsible choices. Read the original article on Mashed. As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry cheer on competitors at the 2023 Invictus Games, eagle-eyed royal fans have noticed Meghan is without a meaningful accessory: Her engagement ring. When Prince Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017 at Kensington Palace, he gave her a three-stone diamond ring, using two smaller stones from Princess Diana's jewelry collection and a larger one sourced from Botswana. Chris Jackson - Getty Images The initial ring was on a yellow gold band. As Harry said in their engagement interview, "The ring is obviously yellow gold because that's [Meghan's] favorite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewelry collection, to make sure that she's with us on this crazy journey together." In 2019, following the birth of their eldest, Prince Archie, Meghan's engagement ring was reset on a thin micro-pave band. Recently, however, a setting came loose on her ring and it is being serviced, per People, which is why Meghan hasn't been wearing it in Dusseldorf for the Invictus Games. Last month, while out to lunch with her friends Cleo Wade and Kadi Lee, she was also spotted without it, and Page Six reported at the time the ring was being fixed. However, Meghan has been wearing her wedding ring, and an eternity band designed by Lorraine Schwartz that Harry gifted her in 2019. In addition, Meghan has also been sporting a pinky ring at some of the events. picture alliance - Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be at the Invictus Games through Saturday, when the closing ceremonies are held. You Might Also Like TOKYO Yoshiharu Fukuhara , the influential former chief executive officer of Japans largest cosmetics company Shiseido, died Aug. 30 at age 92 of natural causes. He worked for Shiseido his entire career, and is credited with taking the company from a domestic manufacturer to a major world player. More from WWD He made the corporation global, Leonard A. Lauder told WWD of Fukuhara in 2012. He led his company in very strategic arrangements and alignments. He was the most visionary of all the Japanese business leaders. Fukuhara was the grandson of Shiseidos founder, and he led the companys international expansion beginning in the 1960s. After joining the company in 1953 upon his graduation from Keio University, he became its first U.S. manager in 1966, and head of its international operations from 1978. He was also responsible for Shiseido becoming one of the first international cosmetics companies to enter the Chinese market in the early 70s. When former Shiseido president Yoshio Ohno died unexpectedly in 1987, Fukuhara stepped into the job, only five months after he had been named vice president. But 10 years later he resigned from the position and rose to the post of chairman of the board. He finally retired from active duty in 2001, when he was appointed honorary chairman. Fukuhara told WWD in 2012 that of all his accomplishments at Shiseido, he was most proud of the work he did to turn it into a global organization. Even before the war, Shiseido had to become international. Otherwise, it was just going to be a local company of ours. There was that desire, which of course, because of the war and various other things, didnt happen. But there was that basic drive to become international, and I was able to do that during my tenure, he said. When asked how he would like to be remembered, Fukuhara replied at the time, One thing Ive said is I dont want people to remember my name, I just want them to remember what I did. Shiseido said that a farewell gathering to Fukuhara would be held at a later date. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. It doesnt take much for sentiment to shift abruptly on Wall Street. Markets could be up one moment, then all of a sudden crash on account of a negative development. And looking at its current state, it wont take much for it to come tumbling down, says Morgan Stanleys chief investment officer and chief US equity strategist, Mike Wilson. The S&P 500 risk/reward today is one of the worst Ive ever seen, given the earnings setup that we see in front of us combined with the valuation that we have today, Wilson noted. The equity market is not trading well under the surface, he goes on to add, citing businesses with troubled balance sheets, good news already reflected in high valuations, real estate sector challenges, the potential for regional bank troubles to flare up again, amongst other bubbling issues with anyone tipping over into a crisis potentially leading to a meltdown. The result? The S&P 500 could see a drop of more than 25% from current levels. So, whats an investor to do to safeguard against such a scenario? Lean into the classic defensive play, dividend stocks, and preferably ones with high yields. Weve gotten this process started and have pulled out of the TipRanks database two such names certain Wall Street analysts are pointing investors toward right now and one of these even boasts a yield of 13%. Lets see why these could be the right choices to offer protection in the event of a sharp shock to the markets. Patria Investments (PAX) Patria is one of the leading investment firms in Latin America, and can boast of a global footprint with offices in 10 cities on 4 continents. The company has 30 years experience, and as of June 30 this year had more than $28 billion in total assets under management, an increase of 7% compared to the same time in 2022. Patrias portfolio isnt just large, its also well-diversified. The company has investments in private equity, in credit and capital financing, in real estate, and in strategic infrastructure projects in energy, transportation, and data. Patrias overall investment strategy has always focused on generating attractive returns for its own investors. Story continues In the companys last financial release, for 2Q23, Patria showed good headline results, along with a dividend declaration that should get return-minded investors to take notice. At the top line, Patrias revenue was solid, coming in at $78.6 million. This figure was up an impressive 41% year-over-year, and beat the forecast by over $14 million. At the bottom line the EPS of 30 cents per share, missed the estimates by 1 cent although it was up 50% from the prior-year figure. Turning to the dividend declaration, we find that the company set a 25.1-cent payment per common share, that went out on September 8. This payment is fully covered by the firms earnings, and the annualized rate of just over $1 gives a solid yield of ~7%. Latin America is sometimes overlooked in the worlds economic market, but it has potential to be a true powerhouse. With a population of 665 million, and several dynamic capital markets, its no surprise that the region has produced leading investment firms such as Patria. This is the background to BTG Pactual analyst Eduardo Rosmans bullish view. We consider Patria a premium asset manager in LatAm, reflecting its strong brand power and unique funding (in hard currency with long-term commitments). Moreover, Patria could be one of the key platforms consolidating the LatAm asset management market. We believe the valuation is attractive With the Brazilian and Chilean capital market recovering and the liquidly of the stock improving, we think the stock in one to watch closely in 2H23. We are Buyers at current levels, Rosman wrote. Along with a Buy rating, Rosman sets a $21.50 price target for the next 12 months, suggesting a gain of 48% could be in the cards. (To watch Rosmans track record, click here) Overall, this stock has 4 recent reviews from Wall Streets analysts, with a 3 to 1 breakdown favoring Buys over Holds for a Strong Buy consensus rating. The $14.78 current trading price and the $18.83 average price target combine to imply a 27% increase for the year ahead. With the annualized dividend added in, thats a potential one-year return of 34%. (See Patria stock forecast) MFA Financial (MFA) Now, lets dive into MFA Financial, a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the residential real estate sector. The company manages residential mortgage assets with leverage, encompassing both residential whole loans and residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The companys portfolio totals over $8.85 billion as of June 30 this year. MFA reported total assets at the end of 2Q23 of $9.73 billion. This represented a gain of approximately $620 million in six months. Importantly, more than $329 million of the companys total assets were in unrestricted cash or cash equivalents, which can be used to support a generous dividend. REITs are required by government regulators to return capital and profits directly to investors, and frequently use dividends to meet that obligation. The company doesnt just hold strong cash assets, it also generates a profit. While revenues were down in Q2, falling 15% y/y to $44.5 million, and missed the forecast by over $9.4 million, the companys EPS was sound. Distributable earnings, the non-GAAP measure of income, came to 40 cents per share, or 6 cents ahead of the forecast. With the companys cash holdings, this EPS guaranteed full coverage of the quarterly dividend payment. That dividend was last paid on July 31 at 35 cents per common share. The annualized rate of the current common share dividend, $1.40, gives a sky-high yield of 13%. This REIT has caught the attention of Wedbushs 5-star analyst Jay McCanless, who sees the firms ability to expand the portfolio and maintain the dividend as key attractions. McCanless writes of MFA, We expect to see modest net interest margin expansion over the next several quarters, driven by modest loan portfolio growth with higher yields from an increasing mix of business purpose loans. While funding costs are also expected to rise, they should be held in check, at least in the near term, by the companys swap portfolio, which provided $26 million of positive carry in 2Q23. We also expect a stable and consistent contribution to revenue from Lima One fees and a modest increase in operating expenses over our forecast horizon. At this time, we expect the companys $0.35 quarterly dividend to hold steady through at least the end of 2025. The analyst quantifies his stance with an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating, and a $12 price target that implies a 10.5% share appreciation in the next 12 months. (To watch McCanless track record, click here) In total, there are 6 recent analyst reviews here, with a 3-3 split between Buys and Holds to give the stock a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The average price target of $12.35 is somewhat more bullish than McCanless allows, suggesting ~15% increase from the current share price of $10.76. That increase, plus the dividend, together point to a return of ~28% in the coming year. (See MFA stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A $1.3 million federal grant was awarded to the Wolf River Conservancy to protect an additional 1,536 acres of wetlands along the Wolf River. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant was approved by the Department of Interiors Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, according to a press release from Congressman Steve Cohen. Wolf River Conservancy awarded $1 million federal grant It is expected to be matched by $2,095,142 in funding from partners including the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the City of Memphis, Shelby County, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and private landowners. Congressman Cohen made the following statement regarding the grant. The Wolf River is a unique and wonderful natural resource in our region, teeming with wildlife. This funding to expand its footprint will protect migrating birds and preserve their habitat in West Tennessee and will enhance the experience of those seeking to explore and enjoy its natural beauty. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. A northern Iowa community has been left shaken after an on-duty officer was shot and killed while trying to make an arrest. Shooting suspect Kyle Ricke, 43, was arrested in Minnesota after a four-hour manhunt and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Algona police officer Kevin Cram. Here's what we know about the shooting so far: Where and when did the Algona police shooting occur? The shooting happened at about 8 p.m. Wednesday in the 1100 block of South Minnesota Street in Algona, a few blocks north of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Algona is about 140 miles north of the Des Moines metro at the intersections of Highways 169 and 18. The incident took place near a ravine behind a quiet residential neighborhood on the south side of town. Algona police officer Kevin Cram was shot Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Algona, Iowa. He died at a local hospital. What lead to the shooting of officer Kevin Cram? Cram, 33, was on patrol in Algona, a town of about 5,300 residents, when he was called about an arrest warrant for a harassment charge out of Palo Alto County. Cram went to a home on Minnesota Street, where he believed Ricke could be, according to Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Mortvedt said it's unclear whether it was Ricke's home or a family member's. When Cram told Ricke he was going to be placed under arrest, Ricke allegedly shot him with a handgun, according to a release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Kossuth County EMS vehicles are at the scene of an officer-involved shooting north of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds on South Minnesota Street on Thursday, September 14, 2023 in Algona. After the shooting, Ricke said "too late mother f-----," according to court documents. Court documents say Ricke also told police "I did it 'cuz I am tired of this s---." Officers and first responders took Cram to the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona where he died, according to the release. The state medical examiner will perform an autopsy on Cram. Mortvedt said he could not say whether there were any other witnesses to the incident as the investigation continues. How was Kyle Ricke caught? Ricke fled after the shooting, prompting a four-hour manhunt. Nearby residents were placed on lockdown during the search, which included drones and police aircraft with law enforcement from Iowa and Minnesota, Mortvedt said. Iowa Department of Public Safety Stephan Bayens speaks during a press conference at the Kossuth County Election Center on Thursday, September 14, 2023 in Algona. Ricke was found just before midnight in Leavenworth Township, rural Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, according to a news release from the Brown County Sheriff's office. The area is about two hours north of Algona and to the west of Mankato. Deputies with the office took him into custody and he was booked at the Brown County Jail. He will be brought back to Iowa at a later date, according to a release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Details of how police found him are unclear. What is a Blue Alert in Iowa? Law enforcement also sent out a Blue Alert, a notification system similar to an Amber Alert but sent to agencies registered with the Iowa Department of Public Safety to help apprehend someone suspected of killing or seriously injuring an officer on duty, according to Iowa law. It is also used if an officer goes missing while working. What was Kyle Ricke charged with? Ricke was charged with first-degree murder, according to a release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Who was Algona police officer Kevin Cram? Cram was a police officer in Iowa for 10 years and with the Algona Police Department since 2015, Mortvedt said. He also was a father and husband. His first boss, Nora Springs Police Chief Jessie Dugan, said Cram was a great officer and served his community with pride and compassion." He was a great friend and coworker. We spent our off-duty time hunting and fishing together. Officer Cram will be missed by all, Dugan said. More: Kevin Cram, police officer for 10 years, followed in his brother's footsteps, grandma said His grandmother Mariann Cram said he likely followed in his brother's footsteps to become a police officer. Steven Cram was an officer in Eagle Grove, she said. The family is from Corwith, a tiny town just east of Algona. Stephan Bayens, commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said at a Thursday news conference that Cram was a beacon of light who died a hero. "The law enforcement community in Kossuth County is hurting, but they are not broken. They are shaken, but they are not broken," Bayens said. "Their hearts are heavy, but they will continue to honor Kevin's legacy by being that beacon of light in their communities." A memorial is set up outside the Kossuth County Law Enforcement Center after the Wednesday night death of Algona police officer Kevin Cram on Thursday, September 14, 2023 in Algona. Who is Kyle Ricke? Not much is yet known about Ricke, though he appeared in Kossuth County court the same day of the shooting for a charge of third-degree harassment. According to court documents, an officer on Aug. 23 found 63 unread messages and several missed phone calls over two hours from Ricke to the victim. This happened after the victim told Ricke she no longer wanted contact with him, court documents say. Four days later, the victim returned to police with more messages from Ricke. He allegedly admitted to contacting her after police warned him not to. Ricke was arrested and charged Aug. 28 and a no contact order was filed the following day. When is Kevin Cram's funeral? The funeral service for Kevin Cram, the Algona police officer killed this week, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Ed & Betty Wilcox Performing Arts Center, 600 S. Hale St., in Algona. A public visitation is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the same location. Oakcrest Funeral Services in Algona is making the arrangements. Is there a fundraiser for Cram's family? A memorial fund has been established for Cram's family at Iowa State Bank, 5 E. Call St., Algona, Iowa, 50511. Other Iowa officers killed in the line of duty Cram is the 219th officer to die in the line of duty in Iowa, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Some died of natural causes or in car crashes. There have been 141 officers killed by another person, whether it's gunfire or assault. Find a list at the link below. More: Database of Iowa law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty Reporters Noelle Alviz-Gransee and Chris Higgins contributed to this story. Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Algona officer Kevin Cram died. What we know about the case, suspect An Alva man faces prison, accused of killing his father whose body deputies found in a freezer. Jake Hemmert, 31, faces charges of second-degree murder of his father Brian Hemmert, 60, as well as credit card fraud and grand theft, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office in a Friday release. Lee County detectives launched an investigation Aug. 28 when Brian's father, Paul, reported him missing. They went to Brian's home, and Jake arrived driving his father's vehicle, according to an arrest report. Jake told detectives his father was on a hunting trip in the western U.S. and that he had recently spoken to him on the phone. Jake allowed deputies to look through the house but declined to open a bedroom claiming that's where his father kept his guns. Deputies noted Jake was nervous. They pinged his father's phone, which showed Brian should be in the area of their shared Alva home. During the investigation, deputies learned Jake had an outstanding warrant for theft in Maricopa County, Arizona. Deputies arrested him. Deputies then contacted detectives to assist in the investigation. A detective obtained a search warrant and found Brian's cell phone and credit card in a drawer in Jake's bedroom, the report states. Blood was visible in the bathroom of the master bedroom. The detective obtained another search warrant to further document the scene. In a follow-up interview, Jake told investigators his father fled the country to fight human trafficking. As the investigation continued, a detective learned a large chest freezer was delivered to the home June 22. This coincided with a change in Brian's credit card usage and cellular activity, according to the report. People visited the father and son's shared home via a Facebook Marketplace posting for the sale of tools. They met with Jake, who sold tools belonging to his father. Members of the Lee County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit responded to the home again Sept. 7. During their search, they found a large chest freezer, which had been concealed beneath supplies. The freezer was running and duct taped closed, the report states. They removed the tape, opened the freezer and revealed a male body. He was immediately pronounced dead. The District 21 Medical Examiner's Office investigator responded to the scene, where the dead body was removed from the freezer and processed, the report states. The victim had two traumatic injuries and was transported to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The autopsy confirmed the injuries to be gunshot wounds, and the death was ruled a homicide. Financial records obtained by detectives showed Jake had used his father's credit card daily since his disappearance around June 20. He spent around $23,000, according to the report. Jake's account had been deactivated by his bank due to being overdrawn. Processing of the freezer revealed prints consistent with prints from Jake. Items found in the attic were tested and matched Brian's DNA. Jake admitted to shooting his father in bed Sept. 13 and said it was a suicide request. He confessed to cleaning up the scene, destroying the mattress and spending as much as $30,000 on his father's card. Jake is booked in the Lee County Jail. His next court date is Oct. 16. Emma Behrmann is a breaking news reporter for Naples Daily News and the News-Press. You may reach her at emma.behrmann@naplesnews.com This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida man accused of shooting father, putting him in freezer Vigil series 2 spoilers follow. Suranne Jones returns for an all-new investigation in the first look at Vigil's second series. The BBC has today (September 15) unveiled first-look photos showing Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie returning as Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva and Detective Sergeant Kirsten Longacre for a startling new case. Having previously unravelled a murder mystery aboard a ballistic missile submarine, the detectives must now look to the skies to solve their latest case. BBC BBC Related: Maryland: Suranne Jones' new show is unlike anything weve seen her in The duo are once again on the trail of a killer, this time after there are multiple suspicious deaths at the site of a weapons test in Scotland. Amy and Kirsten's investigation takes them from the Highlands to the Middle East, as they infiltrate the ranks of the air force to discover who's really behind this string of suspicious killings. Joining Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie for this second series of Vigil will be fellow returning cast member Gary Lewis, reprising his role as Detective Superintendent Colin Robertson. An impressive crop of newcomers for these six episodes includes Becoming Elizabeth's Romola Garai, Dougray Scott (Batwoman), SAS Rogue Heroes' Amir El-Masry and Sex Education star Chris Jenks, among others. Series creator Tom Edge returns for these episodes, which have been filmed in Scotland and Morocco. BBC BBC Earlier this year, Suranne Jones spoke about one of the biggest changes for the second series of Vigil there are absolutely no submarines involved. "There's no submarines, which I'm thrilled about because that was hardcore and it was in the middle of COVID," she told The One Show. "It's all in the skies, that was under the water and now we're looking up to the skies." BBC BBC Vigil will return for its second series on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer later this year. You Might Also Like WASHINGTON Joe Biden s campaign finance team is offering a series of sweeteners to its most prodigious fundraisers, promising invitations to events with the president and Vice President Kamala Harris, participation in Zoom meetings with campaign staff, or other perks depending on how much money people bring in. A breakdown of the benefits shows that the highest tier carrying the most generous benefits is that of Biden-Harris Presidential Partner and applies to those who raise $2.5 million by collecting checks from other donors, known as "bundling." These campaign supporters will be entitled to four tickets to a special event with Biden and Harris in Washington, D.C., in July 2024, according to a copy of the benefits sheet viewed by NBC News. The Partners will also be entitled to four seats at a Biden "gathering" in Chicago following his speech at the Democratic nominating convention in August 2024. Additionally, they will be offered admission to quarterly meetings of the campaigns national finance committee, and a luncheon with Biden-Harris campaign and Democratic National Committee leaders, among other perks, the list shows. It is not uncommon for presidential campaigns to offer such inducements in hopes of boosting their fundraising haul. In 2012, then-President Barack Obama's campaign created the title "Obama Victory Trustees" for those who pulled in contributions of at least $100,000. In return, these bundlers were allowed to join conference calls and attend campaign briefings. This week, some of Bidens fundraisers have been meeting in Chicago with the re-election campaign one way that the Biden camp keeps its reliable donors engaged and motivated. Bidens finance team has also created lower tiers for those bringing in smaller total amounts. Each of these levels comes with perks, albeit not as generous. A member of the Biden-Harris Leadership Circle, for example, must raise $1,250,000. Instead of getting four seats at the special event with Biden and Harris, though, these supporters will get two. A Biden-Harris Principal Shareholder must raise $750,000; a Founding Partner, $400,000. At the lowest level, National Finance Committee Member, a supporter must raise $46,000 in campaign funds by the end of the year. In return, these supporters get admission to one event with Biden, one event with Harris, and weekly campaign update emails, among other benefits. Donors received a copy of the contribution levels during a national finance committee meeting as part of this weeks huddle in Chicago. That meeting followed a Democratic National Convention preview held for state party chairs and executive directors from across the country. Even as the Biden campaign offers inducements for those who bundle contributions, it is also rolling out new incentives and messages to entice smaller donors to give. One effort underway is the recruitment of 1,000 new fundraisers by January who will look to bring in contributions in the $250 to $1,000 range. With no major primary competition or Democratic debates on the schedule, the Biden campaign needs to find other ways to motivate donors, one person close to the campaign said in an interview. Campaign officials and veteran fundraisers said they expect that raising money will get much easier in the new year when Republicans pick their nominee. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com If he wins the presidency next year, hell be the oldest person ever elected to the White House. Yes, that would be President Joe Biden . But it would also be former President Donald Trump . Biden was the oldest presidential winner ever, when he won in 2020. The fact that hed beat his own record is a historical footnote that has voters concerned. Trump is no spring chicken either. In fact, hes just three years younger than Biden. But hes not facing nearly the same scrutiny for his age. Trump just comes off as a much younger person, said Renee King, a two-time Trump voter in Mondamin, Iowa, who is undecided for 2024. (King declined to give her age.) Just the way he speaks, the way he walks. Just everything he does. Hes more into social media, said Jane Story, 56, a Trump supporter in Ames, Iowa. I mean, anybody has to learn with the times. And I just feel as though Trump has moved with the times and Biden has not. Dawn Brockett, 57, an independent from Hampton, New Hampshire, said Trump seems like hes blessed with that ability to like a Mick Jagger, like hell be young forever. Brockett said she plans to write in a candidate if the general election ends up being Biden against Trump. NBC News interviewed dozens of voters in roughly half a dozen states about why Bidens age is more of an issue than Trumps. The responses showed that voters of all ages are concerned about whether Biden is up to another full term in one of the worlds most demanding jobs, although many also said that theyd like to see more younger candidates across the board. No doubt in my mind, I will vote for Biden. But we need age limits in politicians, and I would like to see much younger candidates, said Tammy, a Democratic voter in Geauga County, Ohio, who declined to give her last name. Mary Miller, 60, from Novelty, Ohio, voted Republican much of her life but supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. She is happy with Bidens performance but says she does worry about his age. When I listen to him speak publicly, I kind of hold my breath sometimes, she said. But you know, hes the guy weve got, and I dont think its such a bad thing. When it came to Biden and Trump, some also thought the age gap was bigger than it really is. Lisa Dumont, 49, a voter from Salem, New Hampshire, who voted for Trump twice but now backs former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, said Bidens age was a huge problem because Biden can barely speak. She guessed the president was 86 (hes 80) and Trump is 75 (hes 77). Story, from Iowa, shaved some years off both men, guessing 70-something for Biden and 60-something for Trump. But for the most part, voters were pretty close in knowing or guessing their ages. And for them, it was just a number. Trump, they said, has simply aged better. Its genetic, said Ilia Charlat, 53, from Bedford, New Hampshire, who plans to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis next year. It comes from that, and lifestyle, but just you can see that Biden is just an older person. You can see [with] Trump how quick he is. Its not really age. Its how you function at that age, rather than anything. And Trump functions a lot better than Biden, said Isiah Chamberlain, 18, from Rindge, New Hampshire, who plans to vote Republican. Trump, of course, has done everything he can to make Biden not seem up for the job. Since the 2020 election, hes called him Sleepy Joe and questioned his intelligence. You look at him, he cant walk to the helicopter. He walks he cant lift his feet out of the grass, Trump told conservative pundit Tucker Carlson last month. Hes physically incapable and hes mentally worse than physical, Trump added in a Sept. 2 interview with Real Americas Voice. And if he gets to the starting gate, it would be a miracle to me. Several voters also picked up on unproven or false talking points on the right, including that Biden may have dementia or even that his occasional stuttering is proof of his decline. (Biden has stuttered since he was a child and has spoken openly about working to overcome it.) Virgil Thorstenson, 74, an ardent Trump supporter from Waukon, Iowa, had an even more dramatic theory of whats going on with Biden: His cognitive abilities have deteriorated greatly. I dont think Biden is in control. I think hes a puppet being controlled by somebody else. Maxine Wheling, 62, a Republican voter from Gering, Nebraska, said she feels bad for the president. I feel like hes being pressured and propped up, which I dont feel is right, she said. I think hes lived out his life. Enjoy his retirement time with his family. Tom Johnson, 59, a Trump supporter from Rapid City, South Dakota, said he felt like a big difference was that the former presidents wits have been tested. I look at what they did to President Trump, Johnson said. They tested him as far as they gave him this test on his IQ. I mean, he aced it. And, you know if Joe Biden could do that, fine. But we know that he cant. In 2020, Trump liked to boast that doctors had given him a cognitive test and that he had aced it, using it as proof of his mental fitness. He said the doctors told him, Thats amazing. How did you do that? I do it because I have, like, a good memory, because Im cognitively there, Trump said. But it wasnt an IQ test. It was a 10-minute test designed to detect mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Trumps boast came at a time when he, too, was facing questions about his physical and mental abilities after being caught unsteadily walking down a ramp and appearing to struggle drinking a glass of water. This cycle, its Biden who is battling more scrutiny. Over the summer, he tripped at the Air Force Academys graduation ceremony. Last year, he called on a congresswoman at a public event even though she had died a month earlier. More recently, he wrongly said he was at ground zero the day after 9/11 when he was actually there a week later. The 9/11 comments came right at the end of a whirlwind international trip the type of travel that can be grueling and exhausting for people no matter their age, and something that Trump doesn't have to do as much as a presidential candidate. Biden has also had to deal with some misinformation, including the false claim that he fell asleep during a memorial for the Maui wildfire victims. Conservatives including Fox News host Sean Hannity circulated a low-quality video on social media to push the claim, even though a clearer version of the moment showed that the president simply looked down for about 10 seconds. Biden has responded by starting to crack jokes about his age, with knee-slappers like: I know Im 198 years old, and, I know I look like Im only still 29. But Ive been around a long time. Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz pointed to Democrats wins in the midterms as proof that voters back the president and his party. Next years election will be a stark choice between President Biden and the extreme, unpopular MAGA agenda, he said. Well win in 2024 by putting our heads down and doing the work, not by fretting about polls. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Democrats, not surprisingly, are less concerned about Bidens age than Republicans are but that doesnt mean its not a concern, or that they think its ideal. My real concern as a Democrat with Biden is that he wont serve that whole second term, said Thalia Floras, 75, a Democrat from Nashua, New Hampshire. We are in a country that is primarily controlled by older people, people who maybe have like five, 10, maybe one year left running, said Gabriel Reynolds, 19, from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, who is a registered independent but leans Democratic. I mean, we see people freezing up in meetings and stuff. Its not good. We need to have people with a vested interest in the future of the world. We cannot be giving our world to the hands of those who are not long for it. As of now, its clear that age is on voters' minds, but its obviously not the only issue and it doesn't mean it'll be a dominant issue a year from now. Trump is dealing with a number of legal problems, Republicans are figuring out how to neutralize abortion as an issue this cycle, and Biden is trying to pitch voters on his economic successes. Roger Stephenson, 66, is a Stratham, New Hampshire, voter who voted for Biden in 2020 and would consider voting for him again. He was a Republican but switched away from the party to undeclared after Trump won in 2016. Trump, he said, has bigger problems than his age. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com "The ideology (with) which this terrorist carried out this attack by some is labeled as a sickness or a disease. It is not. Racism, hatred and white supremacy are lifestyles that are chosen." Zeneta Everhart, whose son was wounded in May 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, at February state sentencing of killer Payton Gendron. Should Payton Gendron be executed for his racist massacre of 10 Black people last year at a Buffalo supermarket? Should he be strapped to a gurney and a fatal chemical cocktail pumped into his veins, shutting down his heart? Or should he spend the remainder of his life behind bars with no opportunity for freedom? It would likely be decades; he is now only 20 years old. Locally, the decision is being closely monitored by those who suffered the most the families of the murdered victims. Zeneta Everhart and her son, Zaire Goodman, who was one of the three people injured during the Buffalo shooting that killed 10 people. "The victims in this case will have differing views on this issue," the defense lawyers for Gendron wrote in court papers. "Some may support a capital prosecution. Others may, instead, prefer the criminal case to be resolved expeditiously with a sentence of life without parole while they pursue civil remedies to bring accountability to others." The decision also has the keen interest of individuals who monitor our country's use of the death penalty. The choice of whether to kill Gendron or let him live could have political implications, especially with a presidential election approaching and a Justice Department that has not mapped out a clear stance on federal executions. "You just can't predict (the decision)," said local defense lawyer William Easton. Easton has navigated the waters before, handling federal death penalty cases across New York. "There are too many political factors and also internal factors at the Department of Justice," Easton said. A sign with hands around each person's name who died in the mass shooting was left across from the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo, NY with a message on May 16, 2022. For Gendron and his lawyers, a Sept. 18 meeting with Department of Justice officials could be key toward determining what route the federal prosecution of Gendron takes. While the meeting may not be the last, in recent years a Department of Justice decision has come within months afterward in other criminal cases. At the Sept. 18 meeting defense lawyers are likely to highlight why they think Gendron's life should be spared and he instead should be sentenced to life without parole a sentence he has already received for a plea in state court in Buffalo to 10 murders. They are likely to stress the social media and online platforms he traveled, where his racism appears to have been fostered and violently radicalized. "Right now (Gendron) is not a danger to anyone," said Buffalo lawyer John Elmore, who represents some of the victim families in a civil lawsuit against online platforms where Gendron joined other racists and where he outlined his plans for violence. The families have also targeted those who sold and distributed the semiautomatic rifle and body armor used by Gendron. Were it not for social media, Elmore contended, Gendron's intolerance may not have violently exploded. "The dangers are the social media platforms that are allowing this hate speech and radicalization-type of speech," Elmore said. Celestine Chaney, right, with her sister Jo-Ann Daniels, who was with Chaney when Payton Gendron killed 10 Black people at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo. Chaney was one of the murder victims. Presidential politics connected to death penalty usage "I don't wish the death penalty on you. I wish they keep you alive so you have to suffer with the thought of what you did for the rest of your life. To me, killing you is the easy way out." Wayne Jones, the son of murder victim Celestine Chaney, at the Gendron state sentencing. President Joseph Biden came to office opposed to the death penalty after his predecessor, Donald Trump, oversaw a spate of federal executions at a previously unmatched pace. The Biden administration, however, has not intervened with cases that began in previous administrations and were eligible for the death penalty. Nor has the administration designated any new cases as eligible for capital punishment. Miriam Krinsky "I would hope that the decision is made based on all of the appropriate factors that can and should be considered based on (Justice Department) policies and guidance and not based on any political overlay," said Miriam Krinsky, a former federal prosecutor who heads the nonprofit Fair and Just Prosecution, which promotes equity and fairness in prosecutions. "The second thing I would hope is that we would see the president stand behind what he said in the campaign that led to his election to office that we should end the federal death penalty." Among those watching for the decision, and what it reveals about the state of the federal death penalty, is the Rev. Sharon Risher. Risher's mother, Ethel Lance, was one of the nine Black people gunned down in a Charleston, South Carolina church by a 21-year-old racist neo-Nazi, Dylann Roof, in 2015. Roof has been sentenced to die in South Carolina. Throughout his trial, Risher wrote notes to herself to help maintain calm. One read, "I hate hearing his voice." Sitting within 15 feet of Roof, she found herself wondering, "What is in this little boys soul?" she later told Elle magazine. In a stance that has created schisms within her own family, including with her daughter, Risher is now a staunch death penalty opponent. "In the beginning I was kind of like everybody else the person who commits the most heinous crime should die," Risher said in a telephone interview. She saw Roof as "pure evil." At first she supported capital punishment. She later had a change of heart because of her Christian faith and her recognition of past inequities, she said. "I started to realize that we can't pick and choose (whom to execute). Can you imagine being in a cell for the rest of your life? That is suffering to me. I dont want you to die. I dont want you to get an easy way out." Public support waning for capital punishment "Your life was meaningless before May 14th, 2022, and you woke up every day feeling small. You clearly did not value your own life, which allowed you to devalue the lives of others. Even with all of the heartache that you have caused, you still have failed to break our family spirit. You thought you broke us, but you awoke us." Simone Crawley, granddaughter of Buffalo massacre victim Ruth Whitfield, at state sentencing of Payton Gendron. The history of capital punishment in the United States includes the executions of individuals who were likely innocent and, as studies cited by the Death Penalty Information Center show, the inequitable treatment of Black people when compared with white people accused of similar crimes. In the U.S., 23 states and the District of Columbia now prohibit the death penalty. The public support for the death penalty has significantly declined in the last 30 years, but recent Gallup polling shows about 55 percent of the public support the death penalty for convicted murderers. (If given the choice, 60 percent choose life without parole over execution.) Still, as Gallup demonstrates, a majority do support capital punishment for killers, and there is no question of Gendron's culpability with the Buffalo murders. He recorded himself live during the assault, as if the central character in a violent video game, and has admitted his guilt in state court. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia told the Buffalo News that he has encouraged federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. As I have said since the day this crime was committed, this was an act of pure evil, Garcia told the Buffalo News earlier this year. This was a racist crime that involved extreme planning. He drove here from 200 miles away, scouted out the location. Then he put the whole crime on the internet for all the world to see. As far as Im concerned, if you dont use the death penalty in this case, when would you ever use it?" That is the question now confronting federal prosecutors: When, if ever, is execution the proper punishment? In July 2021 U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland imposed a moratorium on federal executions: The moratorium includes a study of capital punishment and how it has been administered within the federal system. The findings of that study may dictate the immediate future of capital punishment as a choice within the federal courts, said Robin Maher, the executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, which produces research on the death penalty. While the Biden administration has allowed some previously approved death penalty cases to go forward, "they have not authorized a (new) case," Maher said. Pittsburgh and Buffalo hate crimes prosecuted "I pray to God for your soul. I forgive you, but I forgive you not for your sake but for mine and for thisBlack community. I forgive you because that's the only way we gonna heal. But you can best believe, I will never forget your name. I will follow you ... your parole, whenever you in court, whatever you're goingthrough, I'm going to follow you." Brian Talley, brother-in-law of Buffalo murder victim Geraldine Talley, at Gendron state sentencing. Prosecutors and Gendron's lawyers were in federal court last month to update a federal judge about progress with the prosecution of Gendron. That same afternoon a federal jury 200 miles away in Pittsburgh ruled that Robert Bowers, the man who gunned down 11 worshippers at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, should be executed for his crimes. The Biden administration did not impede the capital punishment prosecution. Payton Gendron listens as he is sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 in Buffalo, N.Y. Gendron, a white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison after listening to relatives of his victims express the pain and rage caused by his racist attack. There are obvious parallels between the two crimes, most prominently the hate that served as the motivational undergirding for the murders the racism with Gendron, the antisemitism with Bowers. Bowers was found guilty of federal hate crimes; Gendron is charged in federal court with hate crimes and, in his earlier guilty plea to state crimes, he admitted that his murders were driven by racist bile. Both men carried out their massacres at community hubs Bowers targeting Jewish victims, including Holocaust survivors, at a place of worship; Gendron choosing a popular Tops supermarket in a neighborhood he knew to be mostly Black in population. There are also differences. "One is the influence of social media on this kid," Rochester-based lawyer Easton said of Gendron. "How could this young man go out there and lose his mind to the hatred? To thoroughly explore that, wouldn't you like to have the defendant reveal what happened?" The civil suits are targeting the social media operations that allowed Gendron a voice and a platform. The litigation has created an unusual alliance: Gendron's defense lawyers and attorneys representing the victims' families. Gendron's defense lawyers want to be able to copy and share some evidence with the civil lawyers for the lawsuits, while prosecutors have maintained that there can be no copying of the materials and there should be other limits on what can be shared. "I'm disappointed that the federal government has not turned over to us evidence that would move the litigation onward, knowing that Gendron's lawyers have consented to it," Elmore said. "Even Gendron's parents have consented to it and we're suing them." Prosecutors say the criminal case is of foremost importance to them now and, while sympathetic to the families, they are wary of releasing information that could impact witnesses or the case. The federal prosecutors have acknowledged that the opinions of the victims' families will be a factor in the decision over the death penalty, but just one factor. "While the Department of Justice may and here fully intends to consider the views of the victims family members on seeking the death penalty during this internal process, their opinions are one of many factors that will be taken into consideration, and those views are not dispositive," federal prosecutors wrote in recent court papers. Attorney General Garland will be the arbiter of Gendron's fate. If the case is deemed eligible for the death penalty, there would be a trial. The jury, if it convicts Gendron, would also determine whether he should be executed. If the Justice Department decides against capital punishment as an option, Gendron will plead guilty. If it does not, the trial will commence, possibly in 2024. "As humans, we have the ability to decipher right from wrong and make choices accordingly," Zeneta Everhart said at Gendron's state sentencing. "No matter what choice we make, we have to deal with the consequences of that choice, good, bad or indifferent." Gary Craig is a veteran reporter with the Democrat and Chronicle, covering courts and crime and more. You can reach Craig at gcraig@rocheste.gannett.com. He is the author of two books, including "Seven Million: A Cop, a Priest, a Soldier for the IRA, and the Still-Unsolved Rochester Brink's Heist." This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Should Payton Gendron face death penalty for Buffalo Tops massacre? As a string of last-minute deals surfaced this week before tonights end of the legislative session, one highly anticipated proposal was not among them a plan to keep insurance companies in California even as the financial risk from wildfires grows. A key deadline passed Monday night without a bill, dooming the effort for the year, despite involvement from legislative leaders, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Gov. Gavin Newsom . Negotiators struggled to find a balance between loosening regulations on an insurance system that has been pushed to the brink and maintaining protections for homeowners who could face much higher premiums to stabilize the industry, a politically fraught prospect. The Legislature wont return to Sacramento until January, leaving the issue unresolved for another fire season, though there will be hearings and potentially regulatory changes in the months ahead that could reframe the conversation. Thats the progress weve made here, said Michael Soller, a spokesperson for Laras Department of Insurance. Fixing the home insurance market is now a priority across state government, he said, and there is urgency to get something done. During an interview Tuesday night with Politico California, Newsom said a working group within his administration has focused on this waving red flag issue for months, in addition to the discussions with the Legislature. So weve gamed out some different strategies, he said, declining to specify whether that might include calling a special legislative session or issuing an executive order this fall. We can do a lot of things. And Im very mindful. We can do all of that. A spokesperson for the governor said he would have more to announce as soon as next week. Wildfires fueled a looming crisis in Californias insurance market for years. After disastrous fire seasons in 2017 and 2018 wiped out decades of profit, insurance companies began dropping tens of thousands of customers by refusing to renew their policies. But the situation reached a blaring emergency in May, when Californias largest home insurer, State Farm, announced that it would stop selling new policies altogether across the state. Another major provider, Allstate, soon acknowledged that it had done the same months earlier, while Farmers Insurance limited its offerings in July. The industry says it has become too expensive to operate in California, blaming the high cost of rebuilding, growing risk from natural disasters and increasing expenses from buying reinsurance, or insurance for their losses, which state law prohibits them from passing onto customers. The rippling consequences make it more difficult to build new homes, because of a lack of insurance options, as California tries to climb out of a severe housing shortage. It also imperils the states FAIR Plan, which offers limited insurance to homeowners who cannot secure a plan through a private insurer. The FAIR Plan is funded by a levy on insurance companies, so it faces insolvency as they leave the market and more customers are pushed into the program. Negotiations for a legislative solution considered whether to allow companies to use forward-looking catastrophe models, rather than past losses, to set insurance rates, as they are already allowed to do for earthquakes; whether to let them factor reinsurance into their prices; how to set assessments for the FAIR Plan; how to speed up regulatory review of rate increase requests; and whether to require insurers to operate in communities with the biggest threat of wildfires. We thought we had a sensible, viable solution that we could continue to massage, said Sen. Susan Rubio, a West Covina Democrat who leads the Senate Insurance Committee. We were ready to act this year. With just a few weeks to maneuver at the jam-packed end of session, however, lawmakers and advocates say it was too late to reach an agreement that could earn widespread support. Denni Ritter, a vice president of government relations for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, one of several insurance industry organizations, said there was broad consensus around incorporating catastrophe modeling and reinsurance costs into rates, but a framework for FAIR Plan assessments was still unresolved. Many legislators also wanted to ensure the bill would offer as much benefit to consumers as it did to the industry, she added. Everybody was still trying to wrap their heads around hard solutions, Ritter said. We just ran out of time. An unexpected bomb dropped last Thursday when Sen. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat who was involved in the deliberations because his district has been slammed by wildfire damage, publicly declared a deal is dead, days before the deadline. Dodd told CalMatters this week that a secret recording of a building industry lobbyist describing efforts to jam a bill through the Legislature, leaked by the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, scared many of his colleagues, who worried that the plan would be a giveaway to insurance companies. Even without that, this is a very complicated issue, Dodd said. It was not helpful. Jamie Court, the president of Consumer Watchdog who recorded the lobbyist on a flight, said consumer groups like his did not have a seat at the table, which delegitimized the negotiations for some lawmakers. He encouraged the Legislature to consider homeowner-oriented solutions such as giving people money to harden their homes against wildfires and then guaranteeing their access to insurance if they do in a more transparent process next year. I think the secrecy was the main thing. No one saw it, even people in the building. And thats no way to make policy, Court said. You cant jam it down peoples throats. Assembly counterparts tried to keep the negotiations alive. The day after Dodds declaration, Assemblymembers Lisa Calderon, a Whittier Democrat who leads the Assembly Insurance Committee, and Jim Wood, a Healdsburg Democrat whose district has been battered by wildfires, jointly issued a statement signaling that discussions would continue into the final weekend before the end of session. But no proposal ultimately surfaced by Monday night. Calderon and Wood both declined multiple interview requests. Our Caucus has been steadfast in putting consumers first, and Im grateful for their dedication, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Hollister Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday announcing a series of public hearings this fall on the insurance system. Our mission has always been to ensure homeowners and businesses across California can access and retain comprehensive insurance coverage. The Senate has no similar plans, though Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat, said in a statement, We know we have to act to address insurance availability before we experience the market failure weve seen in Florida and elsewhere. The focus now shifts to Lara, who as insurance commissioner has broad regulatory authority to reshape Californias home insurance market without the Legislature. During his reelection campaign last year, critics accused Lara of not doing enough to protect homeowners in wildfire areas. His office began enforcing a new regulation in October requiring rate discounts for homeowners and businesses that adopt wildfire safety measures. Ritter of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association said a solution could largely be handled through regulations. Even if Lara acts quickly, however, it will take months more for companies to recalculate rates and get them approved by the insurance department, a process that the industry complains takes far too long. This is not an overnight fix, Ritter said. That was part of the heartache with the negotiations there are no overnight fixes. Soller, the spokesperson for Lara, said a workshop at the end of September to explore catastrophe modeling how it would affect the availability of insurance and future rates, how models would take into consideration safety investments could inform a rulemaking process. The department is also working to modernize the FAIR Plan, he said, and to streamline reviews of rate filings. The causes are far more complex than often gets acknowledged, Soller said. The solutions are far more complex. The Legislature may still want to have its say as well. Dodd said lawmakers will keep working over the recess and could introduce a proposal next year, based on what Lara does this fall, that is ready to move right away. Once the insurance commissioner does what hes going to do, that frames the whole issue and allows all sides to opine, Dodd said. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Insurance in California: Lawmakers failed to fix market. What comes next? Article first published: Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023, 5 a.m. ET Article last updated: Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023, 8 a.m. ET On Thursday at 8 am, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Category 2 Hurricane Lee is 265 miles southwest of Bermuda and 795 miles south of Nantucket Massachusetts, with maximum sustained wind of 100 mph. Its moving 12 mph to the north. "A turn toward the north-northeast and then northeast is forecast Saturday night and Sunday." forecasters explained. "On the forecast track, the center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda today and tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday." They also said "Weakening is forecast, but Lee is expected to remain a large and dangerous hurricane for the next couple of days." YESTERDAY (Wednesday): Yesterday, the Category 3 hurricane Lee weakened into a Category 2 hurricane. Portions of atlantic Canada under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm watch, forecasters report. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: - Stonington, Maine to the U.S./Canada border - New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island - Nova Scotia from Digby to Medway Harbour A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: - Bermuda A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: - Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Stonington, Maine - Block Island - Martha's Vineyard - Nantucket - New Brunswick from north of Point Lepreau to Fort Lawrence - Nova Scotia west coast from north of Digby to Fort Lawrence - Nova Scotia southeast coast from north of Medway Harbour to Porters Lake A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: - Cape Cod Bay - Nantucket A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life- Threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov. Interests elsewhere in the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada should monitor the progress of Lee. For storm information specific to your area in the United States, HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: WIND: Tropical storm conditions will continue on Bermuda through Friday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch areas in Down East Maine and in Atlantic Canada on Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area in coastal New England and Atlantic Canada late Friday into Saturday. STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... Chatham, MA to Sagamore Beach, MA...2-4 ft Cape Cod Bay...2-4 ft Nantucket...2-4 ft Sagamore Beach, MA to Border of US/Canada...1-3 ft Boston Harbor...1-3 ft Flushing, NY to Chatham, MA...1-3 ft Montauk Point, NY to Flushing, NY...1-3 ft Long Island Sound...1-3 ft Martha's Vineyard...1-3 ft Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY...1-2 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. A dangerous storm surge could produce coastal flooding within the wind watch areas in Atlantic Canada in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. SURF: Swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and are beginning to reach Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. RAINFALL: Outer rain bands from Lee could produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches, or 25 to 50 millimeters, across Bermuda today into early Friday. From Friday night through Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches, or 25 to 100 millimeters, across portions of eastern New England into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This could produce localized urban and small stream flooding. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the Sun Herald Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Full hurricane coverage at sunherald.com/news/weather-news/ FILE PHOTO: A ground worker walking near a Qantas plane is seen from the international terminal at Sydney Airport in Australia By Roushni Nair and Rishav Chatterjee (Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator on Friday said it planned to end a long-surviving partnership between Qantas Airways and a Chinese state-owned carrier over claims that it would lessen competition and provide the airlines a chance to hike airfare. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a draft order to deny authorisation for Australia's flagship carrier and China Eastern Airlines to continue their operations between the two countries. ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey expressed concerns over the authorisation saying it would provide both the companies "incentive to increase prices" as compared to what they charge in absence of the alliance. ACCC had first authorised the agreement between the two carriers in 2015 with certain conditions, but it is now moving to block the extension deal. "An agreement for coordination between two key competitors may breach competition laws," the regulator said. Qantas is seeking an extension for the alliance with China Eastern, which allows the two companies to coordinate passengers and cargo movement between Australia and China. China was Australia's biggest tourism market before the COVID-19 outbreak and the move to block the deal would end a cooperation that Qantas has relied on for over 10 years. "We will review the ACCC's draft decision in detail and work to address their concerns ahead of a final determination," Qantas told Reuters in an emailed statement. Brakey added that the key difference between the current situation and the previous authorisations is a lack of evidence that the coordination would lead to additional services on other routes between the two countries. RBC Capital Markets analyst Owen Birrell noted the new ACCC development might put risk on Qantas' other partnership arrangements, especially with American Airlines and Emirates. In March, the ACCC had granted interim authorisation to the airlines which would remain in place till the carriers made submissions to persuade the regulator against blocking the deal. (Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Rashmi Aich) Sol y Luna performs "Ballet Folklorico" as it passes Columbus City Hall on Sept. 17, 2022, as part of the first Columbus Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month parade. Latino Heritage Month kicks off this weekend, with Columbus' second annual parade taking place Downtown on Saturday at 11 a.m. Various events to celebrate and share the diversity of Latino cultures will take place between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, including music and dance performances, a night market, an art show, a documentary screening and several public discussions regarding identity, place-making and policy issues, among other events. (See the list of events in the accompanying text box.) The city's Latino Heritage Month Committee, founded last year by City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, is helping organize many of the events. Latino Heritage Month, which is recognized nationally, begins part-way through the month so that it can coincide with the independence days of Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. On Tuesday evening, community members gathered at City Hall to honor two "padrinos" (godfathers) and two "madrinas" (godmothers) community leaders who will be feted as special guests during Saturday's parade. Speakers celebrated how far Columbus' Latino community has come over recent decades. When I was little, I remember, if we were somewhere and we heard someone speaking Spanish, we immediately went over and exchanged numbers" because Spanish-speakers were so uncommon then, said Barroso de Padilla, who is Cuban American. The amount of Latinos in the state has tripled since the '80s, has doubled since the early 2000s. And that trajectory is only going to continue to grow. About 59,000 of Columbus' roughly 898,000 people were Hispanic in 2021, according to the Census Bureau. Aliandra Robertson, center, waves to people on the sidewalk Sept. 17, 2022, during the first Columbus Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month parade. Sandra Lopez is honored as a "madrina" (godmother) of Latino Heritage Month at Columbus City Hall on Tuesday. Derek Amaya, one of the night's honorees, said he was happy to see the growth of Latino Heritage Month as an avenue for celebrating his culture. When I first moved here in 2001, the Latin community was really, really tiny. The only thing that we had was the Latino Festival, and then as the community started growing, people have started to care more about exposing our culture to Columbus," said Amaya, a Honduran American who owns The Cave Bar & Lounge Downtown and is a musician who goes by the stage name DJ Cale. Besides Amaya, council members presented sashes to the other padrino and madrinas: Henry Guzman, a former director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, who is of Puerto Rican heritage and has had several prominent roles in Columbus' and Cleveland's city governments; Sandra Lopez, a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus who is originally from the Dominican Republic and sits on the board of several nonprofit groups dealing with women's and girls' issues; and Alma Rosa Diaz-Cruz, the founder of Alianza 614, a nonprofit working with Latino youth, who is originally from Mexico and serves a caseworker at Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS). Rosa Rojas, a museum curator, is organizing "Celebrando A Dialogue on Latinx and Hispanic Cultural Experiences" at the Ohio History Connection on Sunday, which will focus on identity, place-making, and the recognition of historical landmarks with Latino ties in Ohio. We are preserving our stories and, at the same time, pointing out that we are not one same country, heritage or culture. We are many, but we are joined by some things that are the same, or similar in our background, said Rojas, who is Dominican American. Domonique Couch and Olaniyi Gaiusbayobe salsa dance to Alex Matos during Festival Latino in Genoa Park in August. The following events will take place during Latino Heritage Month in Columbus. A full schedule is accessible at latinoheritagecbus.org; for some events, RSVP is recommended. Peter Gill covers immigration, new American communities and religion for The Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at: bit.ly/3fNsGaZ. pgill@dispatch.com @pitaarji This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus kicks off Latino Heritage Month with parade, cultural events Over the past year, Hannah Dreyfus has published a stream of parents worst nightmare journalism on ProPublica. A recent story featured a Colorado mom, Christine, who lost custody of her young son to his father despite the many times over the years that mandated reporters had registered their suspicions of his physical and sexual abuse with the state. Another, from earlier this year, examined the case of Utah siblings Ty and Brynlee Larson, who barricaded themselves in a bedroom and broadcast their story on TikTok after a court ordered their mom to return them to their father. Child welfare investigators for the state had determined that their claims that their father sexually abused them were supportedbut, to the judge, that didnt matter. In both cases, the controversial theory of parental alienationthe idea that one parent had brainwashed the kids to turn against the other parenthad swayed a family court judge to the alienated parents side. In other instances, Dreyfus reported, courts have ordered kids found to be alienated to attend mandatory reunification camps run by therapists who believe in the theory and think that compelled togetherness is the way to bring families back together. The cases Dreyfus has reported on, and the ones Type Investigations/Insider featured in a recent series by reporter Olivia Gentile, showcase kids whose parents, when accused of abuse, have leveraged accusations of alienation to regain custody. The details of these cases can be shocking: In one, reported by Gentile, a mother lost custody due to accusations of alienation after her son accused her ex of sexual abuse. She then found child porn her ex had uploaded on an old cloud drive they had shared. (For now, pending his trial, she has her kids back.) Its hard to know how often accusations of parental alienation make a difference in a custody case when possible abuse is involved, because generally records from family court are sealed unless they are appealed, and parents accused of alienation may not want to rock the boat by speaking to a reporter. But behind the scenes, Dreyfus said that shes heard from hundreds of parents whove had alienation accusations used against them. On the other side of the ledger, you can find communities of people on Reddit and YouTube commiserating about having been the target of what they believe is a campaign of alienation. Dreyfus and I spoke recently about why parental alienation isnt recognized by mainstream mental health professionals, the origins of the idea, and what changes, if any, may be coming in the way family courts handle accusations of alienation. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Rebecca Onion: How did you get involved with reporting on parental alienation? Hannah Dreyfus: I moved to the Southwest to take up a spot with ProPublica, and we did a call in the fall of 2021, I believe, for stories in Colorado. And this one mom, Christine, reached out with this sort of unbelievable story where there had been a series of professionalstherapists, medical professionals, school principal, teacherswho had voiced concerns that her son was being sexually and physically abused by his father. Yet, the courts were taking away her custody, and citing the damage that she was having, psychologically, on her kid. I connected with Christine. I heard her story. At that point, she had primary custody of her son, and it didnt even occur to her that she would lose it. She was reaching out to let me know what was going on in the courts and what the allegations that were being leveled against her were. And we went through this journey together, a very painful journey of watching the courts decide to take away her son based on claims that she had been psychologically manipulating him to believe he was abused, in a process of parental alienation. And thats what sort of brought me down the rabbit hole of this theory that continues to have a lot of influence in family courts across the country, and yet has never gained acceptance in mainstream scientific circles. I sort of splintered off on a bunch of different veins of reporting, but I stuck with Christines story all this time, and publishing it was the culmination of all of the work that Ive done to try to understand how this concept plays out intimately in peoples lives and in family court. The story of the two kids who barricaded themselves in their bedroom in Utah came up along the way, Im assuming? I was working on Christines story all along, and as I became more acquainted with the community of parentsboth parents who believed themselves to have been alienated and parents who had been accused of alienation and were suffering the consequencesthese really outrageous stories were coming to my attention. And so, when the Utah story came up, I said to my editors, Hey, do you mind if I take a quick break from these other long projects? Because I think this story really has the potential to really bring this issue into the limelight. It involved teens who are willing and able to talk, which is something thats really valuable in this reporting, and definitely not always the case. And it has a pretty clear structure: a father who had been accused of abuse; that abuse was substantiated by child welfare officials in Utah; despite that substantiation, the judge was ordering these teens back into their dads full custody on the basis that they were being emotionally harmed through parental alienation. And I said, This is a chance to really show people whats at stake here in a very dramatic way. You cite the work of legal scholar Joan Meier, whose 2020 study found that when an accusation of parental alienation is leveraged against a motherin a case where the father has been alleged to be abusivethe mother is almost twice as likely to suffer a loss of custody. (The effect didnt hold when the genders of the parents were reversed.) You dont heavily emphasize the gendered aspects in your reporting, but reading these stories and seeing Meiers study, I worked my way around to the belief that the idea of parental alienation is fairly anti-female. The way people making accusations of parental alienationwho might be male or femalepoint to the women in these cases as being anxious, controlling, bitter, vindictive, and sometimes gold-digging felt like it was playing on tropes of women being good at manipulation and relational violence. Is this fair to say? I think its important to realize that the origins of this idea, which lie in the 1970s and 1980s, when psychiatrist Richard Gardner coined the term Parental Alienation Syndrome, are extremely dependent on the portrayal of women as irrational and hystericaljust the oldest tropes in the book. The worst thing women can do when theyre bitter, angry, vengeful, or so the trope goes, is try to frame a spouse as an abuseras a child sexual abuser, even worse. If you just dip into Gardners writings, youll be shockedhe has a book called Sex Abuse Hysteria: Salem Witch Trials Revisited. He does not shy away from this presentation of women. Thats where this theory, in its first iteration as a syndrome, originated, relatively recently. So, thats No. 1. Today, you have scholars who study parental alienation who have worked really hard to distance the theory from its gendered roots. Psychologist Jennifer Harman, for example, would very much take issue with the idea that this is a gendered phenomenon. My perspective is that those who try to whitewash and separate the idea from the history of this theory, according to my research and my wanderings into the original work of Richard Gardnerit cant be divorced from that. If scholars nowadays are saying that this is more of a relational phenomenon, and that its just something that is happening between families and it doesnt have to do with gender, thats definitely moving far afield from the way the theory was originally intended and used. Claims of parental alienation get leveled at fathers and mothers, but in its original iteration and use as a way to deflect or explain a claim of abuse, it was very specifically targeted at women, and used the concept that mothers were hysterical and vengeful, and that is why these abuse claims were coming up, because they were brainwashing their children to believe they were abused in order to get back at an ex. You mentioned there are people who are trying to get parental alienation labeled as a psychological condition, and even included in the DSM-V. (It was last submitted for inclusion in the DSM-V in 2012, but the application was rejected.) Why would someone want it to be a diagnosable condition? Anytime you write about something this personal and charged, its inevitable that people are going to criticize your reporting and say, How dare you say parental alienation is not real? Im a parent. Ive been alienated. Its the most painful thing thats ever happened to me. First of all, we never made the claim that parental alienation is not real. Im absolutely sure that there are parents who have been alienated. What weve been focusing on are cases where alienation is used specifically to offset claims of abuseand claims of abuse where theres a significant amount of evidence. Alienating behaviors when theres no abuse? Its definitely possible that in any contentious divorce, a parent might try and bring kids to their side. But I think theres a difference when theres another explanation for why a child doesnt want to be with a parent, and if that explanation is, I was physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, that should be taken pretty seriously. Where does it stand in the DSM-V sense? In terms of its acceptance as a disorder, usually when something is accepted as a disorderlets say schizophreniait has a specific group of symptoms that occur equally across a random sample of the population, that manifest equally with people of all different socioeconomic backgrounds, and you can point to a series of diagnosable conditions and symptoms of the disorder. I think what experts say is that parental alienation is missing a lot of these factors. Also, going against the idea that it might become accepted as a disorder is the fact that this only shows up in a very specific setting, and is usually only alleged in families where parents have a lot of money, because the cottage industry to treat parental alienation is extremely expensive and paid for personally. The courts do not pay for forced reunification therapy. Linda Gottliebs four-day program, which costs $15,000, not including aftercare, is paid for out of pocket by parentscourt-ordered, but paid for by parents, and so its not being diagnosed equally among the population. And its not being diagnosed by clinicians. Its being diagnosed by lawyers and judges who are leveraging it more as an argument in court. Frequentlynot always, but frequentlythe people who diagnose it dont have any psychological training. If a guardian ad litem is appointed by the court and says, These kids are being alienated, what psychological training do you have to diagnose this condition and recommend that a court treat it with any sort of psychological therapeutic program? A lot of the people who are the biggest defenders of parental alienation themselves are not licensed therapists. Some of them are, but some are not. What else do you think people need to understand about this? Kids have a mind of their own. I think everybody knows that. If youre trying to program a 16-year-oldliterally brainwash them to think somethingtheyre not going to necessarily cooperate. Somebody put it super well for me: Its not a crime for kids not to want to associate with their parents. One legal scholar I was talking to pointed out: What right do parents have to their kids? They have a right to parent them, but do they have an enforceable right to be loved? Do they have an enforceable right for kids to want to spend time with them? Because thats what these reunification programs are trying to do. Theyre trying to court-order teens and kids who are resisting time with the parent. Theyre trying to literally force them to, and theyre pathologizing it and saying, These teens are suffering from parental alienation, and theyre blaming it on the other parent for being the influencer and the cause of that. That completely removes the agency of a child from the equation, even if there are no allegations of abuse. Kids resisting parents, thats not a disease. That happens everywhere, always; that happens in healthy families and unhealthy families. Its very hard to pathologize the fact that a teen doesnt want to spend time with a parent. Its very difficult to do so. DENVER (KDVR) The third annual Colorado Latino Policy Agenda was released Wednesday. A coalition of advocacy groups took the opinions of 1,600 Coloradans across the state to find out the top issues facing the Latino community. The survey touched on a variety of topics, but the key takeaway from members of the Latino community is that Colorado is becoming way too expensive for people to live here. Will Prop HH eliminate TABOR refunds? Scenario likely over time This years data shows 61% of our community has less than $1,000 in savings. If something were to happen, $1,000 is not enough to pay rent, and they would be without a home with just one paycheck, said Mar Galvez Seminario. 1,600 Latino Coloradans polled Galvez Seminario is a legislative and research coordinator at the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, or COLOR for short. The Colorado Legislative Policy Agenda released a poll to 1,600 Latino Coloradans, an initiative from COLOR and Voces Unidas. The survey found cost of living and improving wages were the top two issues for folks in the Latino community. Some 76% of people surveyed said they would be more likely to support candidates who prioritize lowering rents and making housing more affordable. Its a no-brainer. We want people who are gonna fight for us, said state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, a Democrat whose District 57 includes Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties. Failing to obey Colorados new roundabout law could cost you $70 The first-year representative and co-chair of the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus championed a bill that would have let localities introduce rent control. It cleared the House but not the Senate. She said it is an issue the state will be working on for years to come. You have representatives who really care and who are going to bring back a lot of legislation that did not pass. You know, for example, just cause eviction, rent control maybe not next year but in the future. And we will continue to fight and elevate the need for affordable housing, Velasco said. Is Colorado moving in the right direction? Other members of the states Democratic Latino Caucus, like Rep. Matthew Martinez of the San Luis Valley, said the caucus is ready to tackle the issues. We are excited to hear that those issues are prevalent in the Latino community. Those are some of the issues that we started to address this last legislative session and Im sure that we are working on diligently to make sure those issues are addressed this upcoming legislative session, and we are excited to roll up our sleeves and get some work done, Martinez said. Folks taking the survey were also asked if the nation and the state were moving in the right direction. Most said the U.S. was moving in the wrong direction, but most felt Colorado is moving in the right direction. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. Erie healthcare providers expect to be giving the new COVID-19 vaccine within the next week to 10 days, depending on how quickly shipments arrive. The mRNA vaccines, made by Pfizer and Moderna, target more recent variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. They were approved by the Food & Drug Administration, and a Centers for Disease Control & Prevention advisory committee recommended them for anyone 6 months of age and older. "I'd like to say we will start providing vaccine at the end of next week ... but it's more likely that we will start on Sept. 25," said Jim Caputo, LECOM Health's vaccine coordinator. Janae Andrews receives a COVID-19 vaccination from Gloria Hennessy, R.N., 53, at the LECOM Center for Health & Aging, 3910 Schaper Ave., in January 2021. The center will provide the new COVID-19 vaccines later this month. The LECOM Health Center for Health & Aging, 3910 Schaper Ave., will initially offer COVID-19 shots at its vaccination clinic. The Millcreek Township-based health system also plans to provide vaccine at long-term care facilities, senior centers and at clinics throughout northwestern Pennsylvania, Caputo said. UPMC Hamot and Saint Vincent Hospital also expect to receive significant amounts of vaccine. They have said the hospitals plan to offer COVID-19 shots at physician offices and might open clinics if the demand is strong. The new vaccine is also expected to be available at chain pharmacies, including Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid. "Our clinic will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.," Caputo said. "If we see a strong demand, certainly we'll open five days a week." To schedule an appointment at the clinic, call 814-488-3939 or email: vaccineinfo@lecomslc.org. What will the new COVID-19 cost? This will be the first COVID-19 vaccine whose cost is not covered by the federal government. People with Medicare or Medicaid will not have any additional costs, and those with private health insurance will likely have little or no out-of-pocket expenses, Caputo said. Those without health insurance might qualify for no-cost COVID-19 vaccines through the Bridge Access Program. Visit vaccines.gov to find a participating provider. The out-of-pocket cost of the shot is $110-$130, according to USA Today. Who should get a COVID-19 vaccine? Erie County's demand for COVID-19 vaccine has declined over the past two years. Nearly 70% of county residents received at least one dose of the original vaccines, but less than 19% received the bivalent booster offered in 2022-23. Caputo recommends people get the new vaccine, especially those at risk of COVID-19 complications. They include older people and those with lung issues, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "If you just had COVID, it's believed you have immunity for at least 30 days, and in most cases 90 days, so you can wait that long to get vaccinated," Caputo said. "A person who has comorbidities, it's advised they only wait 30 days after a COVID infection to get vaccinated." Only one dose of the vaccine is needed for most people, including those who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine. The only people who might need multiple doses are unvaccinated children younger than 5 and those with weakened immune systems. Will the new vaccine be effective against the latest subvariants? The new vaccine targets the XBB.1.5 subvariant, which is no longer among the most common subvariants circulating in the United States. But the new subvariants, including EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, are similar enough that the vaccine remains effective, Caputo said. More: Has your doctor's office or hospital returned to normal 3 years after the pandemic began? "As long as the new subvariants are within the omicron family, the vaccine should provide good coverage," Caputo said. Omicron has been the dominant variant in the United States since spring 2022. And while COVID-19 doesn't appear to be as virulent as it was early in the pandemic, getting vaccinated still reduces your risk of severe illness and hospitalization. COVID-19 hospitalization rates have risen in recent weeks across the country and in Erie County, though they remain well below the levels seen as recently as last spring. The county hospitalization rate per 100,000 increased from 0.7 the week ending July 29 to 2.1 the weeks ending Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. More: COVID-19 cases, admissions rising in Erie County as fall approaches Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ETNBruce. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: New COVID-19 vaccine expected to be offered in Erie within 10 days HOUSTON, Texas (WFLA) An alligator in Texas gave a Girl Scout troop a weekend they wont forget after it began to charge at them during a swim at a state park. According to KPRC, a group of 11-year-olds were on an overnight camping trip at Huntsville State Park to explore and earn badges. Shortly after the troop got into the water, panic and chaos ensued as the alligator, estimated to be about 12 to 14 feet long, swam toward the children. Shouting and screaming could be heard on video that captured the incident. Pesky sea lice strikes Florida beaches as Hurricane Lee churns waters I was thinking, This is the day I die,' Ava Miller told the news station. It was moving, like, faster than us or about the same. David Siljeg, who shot the video, told Storyful that he thought the gator would leave once it saw people swimming and splashing, but that was not the case. The alligator switched to attack mode and was aiming quickly toward the little kids, he said. Troop leader Nichole Gleen quickly helped some of them to safety. There was no doubt in my mind that that alligator was going to try and eat somebody, she said. Gleen, who put herself between the girls and the gator, said, I always say that I love them to death, I always say I would do anything for them. Now, I definitely know I would do anything for them. KPRC reported that the swimming area of the park was shut down for the rest of the day after the incident. The state agency has removed alligators from the park in the past and is evaluating if the same needs to be done for this gator. The Girls Scout troop told KPRC that they named the gator Karen and said the experience taught them an important lesson. I was close enough to get hurt. And I didnt even know it was there, Erin White said. So I should probably focus on my surroundings more. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. (The Hill) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that he does not support criminalizing abortion in his state. We have no criminal penalty, he said in a CBS News interview. The penalties are for the physician. Floridas six-week abortion ban is not in effect, pending a lawsuit, but would enable the state to pursue felony charges against any person who willfully performs or actively participates in a termination of pregnancy, it reads. DeSantis said those penalties would be for medical providers, not women seeking care, saying he is absolutely not in favor of criminalizing abortion for women and that it will not happen in Florida. DeSantis says he would send military to southern border The presidential candidate has not said whether he would support a national ban similar to his states pending six-week law or the current 15-week law. I support pro-life policies, he said. Ill be a pro-life president. But at the same time, Ive got to chart the course and be honest with people about, Okay, how do you advance the ball like we did in Florida? And the way you do that is really bottom up. Abortion has proven an important issue on the 2024 GOP campaign trail. While all GOP candidates consider themselves to be anti-abortion, some have endorsed national bans, while others have not. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former Vice President Mike Pence are among the candidates who have said they would back a national 15-week abortion ban. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. A Dunkin employee was arrested after Ohio authorities say she assaulted a customer during an argument about sugar. Police in Fremont said the incident happened Sunday, Sept. 10, and led to the arrest of 18-year-old Aniyah McClain. A customer wanted regular sugar in her coffee but instead received liquid sugar, according to a police report obtained by McClatchy News. When she asked McClain about the sugar, the worker told her, You need to ask for that, the report says. McClain and the customer began arguing, then McClain came from behind the counter and punched the customer in the eye, police said. Surveillance footage showed McClain then drag the customer by her hair behind the counter and continue assaulting her, according to the police report. At least one of the witnesses who was interviewed by police helped break up the fight, police said. Officers said the customer had a red eye and a scrape to her shin from being dragged. McClain was charged with assault and arrested at the restaurant, police said. Fremont is about 85 miles southwest of Cleveland. Pregnant Dunkin worker exposed to fentanyl at drive-thru from mans $10 bill, cops say Customer rams SUV into Popeyes over missing biscuits, nearly hitting worker, GA cops say Zaxbys worker gets doused in hot grease during co-workers attack, SC cops say Election officials in key states have recently rejected calls to unilaterally remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot and are saying courts should decide whether hes disqualified by the 14th Amendments insurrectionist ban. The secretaries of state who oversee elections in Michigan, Georgia, New Hampshire and Minnesota have recently said they dont have the power on their own to invoke the 14th Amendment and block Trump from the presidential ballot. These officials, which include Democrats and Republicans, come from states comprising 45 electoral votes. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, said Thursday in a Washington Post op-ed that this unilateral approach was misguided and the courts should decide. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that this would reinforce the grievances of those who see the system as rigged and corrupt. A provision of the 14th Amendment, which was approved after the Civil War, says any American official who takes an oath to uphold the US Constitution is disqualified from holding future office if they engaged in insurrection or rebellion or have given aid or comfort to insurrectionists. However, the Constitution doesnt spell out how to enforce this ban, and it has been applied only twice since the late 1800s, when it was used against former Confederates. Liberal advocacy groups and some leading conservative legal scholars believe this arcane provision applies to Trump because of his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and block the peaceful transfer of power and for inciting the attack on the US Capitol. Trump denies wrongdoing regarding the January 6, 2021, attack and says these candidacy challenges have no legal basis. He has pleaded not guilty to separate federal and state indictments that charged him with crimes stemming from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The left-leaning groups have filed major lawsuits in Minnesota and Colorado, asking courts to prohibit election officials from putting Trumps name on the ballot. But some of these experts have also claimed the provision is self-executing, meaning that election officials involved in the ballot-printing process can simply disqualify Trump on their own. That more aggressive approach is now being rejected by election officials in key states. Many states do not have a law on the books empowering the secretary of state to judge the eligibility of presidential candidates, said Derek Muller, an election law expert who teaches at the Notre Dame Law School. Its no surprise that many secretaries would disclaim any such power. The Democratic secretary of state in Minnesota and the GOP secretary of state in New Hampshire also said they wont block Trump from the ballot without court intervention. As long as he submits his declaration of candidacy and signs it under the penalty of perjury, pays the $1,000 filing fee, his name will appear on the presidential primary ballot, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan told reporters Wednesday. Ron Fein, the legal director of Free Speech for People, which is one of the organizations behind the anti-Trump candidacy challenges, said his group will continue to press this critical matter in the courts so election officials will carry out their duty to bar Trump from their state ballots. While some secretaries of state may claim that they do not have the authority to follow the constitutional mandate of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, the bottom line remains that Donald Trump is disqualified from appearing on any state ballot based on his role of inciting, mobilizing, and facilitating the January 6th insurrection, Fein said in a statement. This story has been updated with additional details. CNNs Alison Main contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Rudy Noorlander was trying to help a hunting group find a deer when he was attacked Courtesy KateLynn Davis Rudy Noorlander recovering after a bear attack A Navy veteran is recovering after being attacked by a grizzly bear while assisting a hunting party in Montana. A member of the hunting party called 911 just after 1:45 p.m. local time Friday and told Madison County Dispatch that "an individual had been attacked by a grizzly bear while tracking a deer" on the Yellow Mule Trail, per the Gallatin County Sheriffs Search and Rescue team's news release. The group had contracted Rudy Noorlander's company, Alpine Adventures in Big Sky, "to rent out some of his ATVs," his daughter KateLynn Noorlander said in the description of a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised nearly $40,000 to support her father's recovery. "After hearing that the hunters killed but were unable to find a deer, Rudy being the Good Samaritan that he is decided to help them search for it," his daughter wrote. "He had tracked a deer but it turns out it was not the deer the hunters had shot." Related: Georgia Man Gets Bitten by Brown Recluse Spider and Almost Loses His Leg: 'Very Lucky' At one point, Rudy came face-to-face with a 10-foot-tall grizzly bear after attempting to scare away another adult bear his daughter shared. The second bear, which was far more aggressive than the first, lunged at Rudy after the mans gun misfired. Rudy tried to punch the bear in hopes of slowing it down, but was unfortunately unsuccessful, KateLynn said. The bear was on top of Rudy after the veteran threw a punch at the animal. Courtesy KateLynn Davis Rudy Noorlander holding his daughter's hand Rudy sustained various injuries in the attack, including a large scratch down his right chest, and bites to his arms and legs. He also had his lower jaw torn off following what he described as the most disgusting french kiss of his life. "The whole bottom part of his mouth is gone, teeth, jaw," said Kary Noorlander Lyman, Noorlander's sister, according to FOX affiliate KSTU. The bear also broke part of his throat during the attack, she added. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: How to Prevent a Shark Attack and What to Do If Bitten? An American Lifeguard Association Expert Weighs In Luckily, KateLynn said that "the hunters were there to scare the bear away" before calling for help. Her father lay on the ground for two hours "while still fully conscious" until help arrived, per the GoFundMe. The victim was transported to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center via Life Flight Helicopter, GCSSAR said. The Yellow Mule Trails, including all access to Buck Ridge Trail, were temporarily closed following the incident, the agency said. Related: Man Bitten in the Face by Shark While Surfing at Beach Known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World' Rudy underwent an initial surgery before he was later flown to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he is now in stable condition, according to the GoFundMe page. But Rudy is still finding ways to make others smile, even while hes recovering from gruesome injuries, according to KSTU. Courtesy KateLynn Davis Rudy Noorlander writing on a dry erase board "One of the nurses, when he first came in, said, 'We understand you're kissing bears,' and he wrote on [a board], 'Bear french kiss me,' and she said, 'Oh, bad breath?' and he said yes," Lyman told the outlet. Katelynn is also blown away by her dad's resilience, saying in the fundraiser that he's "bravest and strongest man I know." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Company Logo Dublin, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Analysis on Baidu's Intelligent Driving Business, 2022-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Baidu, a leading technology company in China, is deeply involved in the development of autonomous driving technologies and solutions through its Apollo program. Here are the key highlights and developments related to Baidu's autonomous driving initiatives: Apollo Platform: In July 2017, Baidu launched the Apollo program, an open-source autonomous driving platform. The Apollo program encompasses solutions in three major fields: autonomous driving, intelligent vehicles, and intelligent transportation. Baidu Apollo's vehicle intelligence solutions have been integrated into 134 models under 31 auto brands, with over 7 million vehicles equipped with these solutions. On December 28, 2022, Baidu released Apollo 8.0, aimed at enhancing usability and ease of operation for developers. Robotaxi (Apollo Go): By April 2023, Baidu's Apollo program had conducted tests covering a total mileage of more than 50 million kilometers. Baidu's mobility brand, "Apollo Go," has been operating autonomously in several major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Wuhan. Apollo Go is expected to expand its operations to cover up to 65 cities by 2025. Baidu had released six generations of production autonomous vehicle products as of July 2022. The sixth-generation product, Apollo RT6, is scheduled for deployment in Apollo Go in 2023. Intelligent Driving Solutions: Baidu offers a range of intelligent driving products, including Apollo City Driving Max, Apollo Highway Driving Pro, Apollo Parking, and Apollo Cockpit-driving Integration. In April 2023, Apollo introduced its flagship product, Apollo City Driving Max, featuring a "lightweight HD map" that is approximately 80% lighter than conventional HD maps. Apollo City Driving Max utilizes vision-based navigation for urban autopilot, with plans to add LiDAR for redundancy in the production stage. Baidu's Voyager FREE, unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2023, is equipped with Apollo Highway Driving Pro, offering various driving assistance functions, including highway pilot, urban driving assist, and efficient parking. Apollo Highway Driving Pro received an upgrade in 2023, with the computing platform transitioning to a single TDA4-VH platform, and collaboration with Black Sesame Technologies to deploy the solution on the HuaShan-2 A1000 chip platform. Baidu's first-generation Apollo Cockpit-driving Integration uses Qualcomm 8295 to enable intelligent cockpit and driving assistance functions. Story continues Domain Integration and Partnerships: Domain integration, including cockpit-driving integration, is a significant trend in the intelligent driving industry in 2023. Baidu, along with other industry players such as Huawei and Desay SV, has deployed product lines in both intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit fields. Baidu's strategic partnership with Banma Zhixing and HoloMatic Technology aims to co-develop a cockpit-driving integrated solution, reflecting the industry's collaboration in this domain. Baidu's Apollo program is at the forefront of autonomous driving development, with a focus on providing comprehensive solutions for various aspects of autonomous vehicles, from city driving to highway navigation and intelligent cockpits. Key Topics Covered: 1 Overview of Baidu 2 Apollo (Autonomous Driving Open Platform) 2.1 Overview of Apollo 2.2 Development History of Apollo 2.3 Business Layout of Apollo 2.4 Intelligent Driving Product Matrix of Apollo 2.4.1 Apollo City Driving Max 2.4.2 Apollo Highway Driving Pro 2.5 Apollo 8.0 2.5.1 Module Structure of Apollo 8.0 2.5.2 Perceptual Framework of Apollo 8.0 2.5.3 Toolchain of Apollo 8.0 2.6 Apollo Simulation Platform 2.6.1 Apollo Simulation Platform: Architecture 2.6.2 Apollo Simulation Platform: Scene Library 2.6.3 Apollo Simulation Platform: Evaluation Criteria 2.7 Driving-parking Integrated Solution: ANP 2.7.1 Version Comparison of ANP 2.7.2 Features of ANP 2.0 2.7.3 Driving-parking Integrated Solution: ANP 3.0 2.8 Vision-only Solution: Apollo Lite 2.8.1 Integrated Perception Solution: Apollo Lite++ 2.9 Autonomous Driving Perception 1.0 2.9.1 Main Algorithms of Autonomous Driving Perception 1.0 2.9.2 Autonomous Driving Perception 2.0 2.9.3 Autonomous Driving Perception 2.0- Application Challenges 2.10 Perception Algorithms of Apollo 2.10.1 Perception Algorithms of Apollo - Vision Algorithm 2.10.2 Perception Algorithms of Apollo - Traffic Light Algorithm 2.10.3 Perception Algorithms of Apollo - Radar/Ultrasonics Algorithm 2.11 ERNIE Foundation Model 2.11.1 Overview 2.11.2 Application - Long Line-of-sight 3D Perception 2.11.3 Application - Multi-modal End-to-End Perception 2.11.4 Application - Data Mining 2.12 Apollo Cloud 2.12.1 5G Cloud Chauffeur 2.12.2 5G Cloud Chauffeur Solution 2.12.3 Autonomous Vehicle Cloud Security System 2.12.4 Driving-cloud Integration, Data Closed Loop 3 Intelligent Driving Domain Controllers 3.1 Intelligent Driving Domain Controller Product Layout 3.2 Comparison between Intelligent Driving Domain Controllers 3.3 Intelligent Driving Domain Controller - "Wuren" 3.4 Intelligent Driving Domain Controller - "Sixi" 3.5 Intelligent Driving Domain Controller - "Sanxian" 4 Autonomous Shuttle 4.1 Product Layout 4.2 Minibus 4.2.1 Minibus Application Cases 4.3 Robobus 4.3.1 Robobus Application Cases 4.3.2 Robobus Operation 4.4 Intelligent Platform Solutions 4.5 Robotaxi 4.5.1 Apollo RT6 4.5.2 Distribution of Robotaxi by City 4.5.3 Status Quo and Goals of Robotaxi 4.5.4 Customer Feedback of Robotaxi 4.5 Development History of Robotaxi 4.5.6 Robotaxi Cooperation 4.5.7 Robotaxi Is Issued an Autonomous Driving Service License 4.5.8 100 Robotaxies Are Launched in Wuhan. 5 Electronic Maps and Positioning Services 5.1 Electronic Map Product Planning 5.1.1 Electronic Map Product System 5.1.2 ADAS Map Approval by Guangzhou/Shenzhen 5.1.3 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (1) 5.1.4 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (2) 5.1.5 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (3) 5.1.6 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (4) 5.1.7 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (5) 5.1.8 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (6) 5.1.9 Advantages of Electronic Map Products (7) 5.1.10 HD Maps and Intelligent Driving System 5.1.11 Human-machine Co-driving Map/Parking Integrated SDK 5.2 Combined Positioning Technology Solutions 5.2.1 Combined Positioning Technology Solutions (1) 5.2.2 Combined Positioning Technology Solutions (2) 5.2.3 Combined Positioning Technology Engines 5.2.4 Combined Positioning Algorithms (1) 5.2.5 Combined Positioning Algorithms (2) 5.2.6 Evolution of Apollo High-precision Positioning Technology 5.3 "Vehicle-Road-Cloud-Map" Coordinated Development 6 V2X Business For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/540kl2 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Mark Dickey spent 12 days more than 3,400 feet underground in a Turkish cave after he fell ill on August 31 Serkan Avci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images American caver Mark Dickey is giving thanks to his fiancee, who played a pivotal role in saving his life. Im alive because of the rescuers but she is the one that saved my life initially, Dickey said about Jessica Van Ord in an interview with ABC News, which aired on Good Morning America Thursday. He added, She is one hell of a woman, one hell of a caver, one hell of a rescuer, one hell of a paramedic and shes awesome. The 40-year-old New Jersey native was trapped in the Morca cave the third-deepest cave in Turkey for over a week after he became ill while on an expedition when he experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, according to NBC News. Related: American Caver Rescued in Turkey Says It's 'Amazing to Be Above Ground': 'I Was Very Close to the Edge' Throughout the entire 12-day ordeal, he told GMA he always "knew I would get to the surface," but the logistics surrounding getting him aid including life-saving medications weighed heavily on him. And thats where Van Ord, who had accompanied him on the expedition, sprang into action. "I knew we had to get the ball rolling if there was going to be a rescue and to have treatment started," Van Ord told ABC News in an interview on Wednesday. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Van Ord, who is also a paramedic, knew that her fiance was suffering from internal bleeding based on his symptoms, so she made the tough decision to leave his side and to climb to the surface in a harrowing, hours-long ordeal. Teams from the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service and Bulgarian Cave Rescue soon arrived on the scene, with Italian, Croatian and Polish teams also converging later in the week to aid in the rescue, according to a European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) news release. Related: Rescuers Race to Save American Man Who Fell Ill While Thousands of Feet Deep Inside Turkish Cave By last Friday, around 200 caving experts had flown in to help Dickey in his ascent back to the surface, according to The Washington Post. Upon reaching safe ground, Dickey was hospitalized in intensive care in the city of Mersin. Now in stable condition, doctors are currently running more tests to determine exactly what happened, he said on GMA. But despite the good outcome, looking back at his arduous rescue, Dickey said he nearly lost hope. Theres lots of different medical terminology, but circling the drain is one of them, and I was down pretty deep in that drain, Dickey said on the Today show Thursday. He added, I was down to single-word communication, I was in a fetal position, barely moving. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. MUNCIE, Ind. Muncie Community Schools named Evan Shroyer the new principal at East Washington Academy. A Muncie native and a Southside High School graduate, he began the year as East Washington Academys assistant principal, and has now been selected to permanently replace Sarah Anglin, who left in July to move closer to family. Evan Shroyer, principal at East Washington Academy What an honor! It feels surreal to lead some of Muncie's finest students, staff and families, Shroyer said. I truly love this community, and I am excited to serve in this role. I hope to translate the success I had as a teacher to my leadership as EWAs principal. Shroyer is a former fourth-grade teacher at East Washington Academy, where he was named Teacher of the Year for the 2021-22 school year. He holds a bachelors degree and a masters degree from Ball State University, as well as an associates degree from Ivy Tech. He has served as a mentor teacher to others and has been rated a highly effective teacher in each of his last four years of teaching. Evan is a natural leader and will continue the tremendous strides weve taken at EWA in recent years, Muncie Community Schools Director of Public Education and CEO Lee Ann Kwiatkowski said. He knows whats needed in classrooms and he does a tremendous job building rapport with other educators and with families. Were excited to have another home grown administrator leading one of our schools. Shroyers career included stints in Lafayette School Corp. and Cowan Community Schools prior to coming to Muncie Community Schools. He said he plans to influence every facet of East Washington Academy with positivity, encouragement and a sense of belonging while focusing on empowering students and staff to become leaders themselves. He also wants parents to know he has high expectations for their children and that the school cant succeed without their support. We expect Wildcat excellence, he said. This means our students exhibit integrity, courage, perseverance and compassion. I am proud of the students that come into our building, and I have met many incredible parents here. This is a very supportive community! In addition to his professional accomplishments, Shroyer is a founder and past president of the Education Outreach Club at Ivy Tech; preforms regularly with the Muncie Civic Theatre as a drummer; and serves as a bishop at his church. He and his wife, Emily, have five children, including four who are school age three who attend East Washington Academy and one who attends Northside Middle School. Shroyer officially takes over principal duties immediately with interim principal Betsy Biederstedt staying on in a support role through the end of September. A search for a new assistant principal is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Evan Shroyer named new principal at East Washington Academy A former middle school teacher could spend the next six decades in prison after he pleaded guilty to having sexual contact with a student. Fourth District Judge Lynn Norton sentenced Cory Gaylor, who taught Spanish at Kuna Middle School, to up to 60 years in prison after he groomed and sexually abused the student in his classroom on several occasions, according to a news release from the Ada County Prosecutors Office. The 52-year-old could be eligible for parole after 13 years in prison. Every day parents send their kids off to school a place that is supposed to be protected, a place where kids are supposed to get to be kids, a space that is safe for kids to learn and grow, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Katelyn Farley said during the Thursday sentencing. The defendant was a teacher and was supposed to be teaching (the victim). Instead, the defendant took this safe place and used it to select a victim. The fact that he used his position to engage in this conduct is reprehensible. Gaylor pleaded guilty to lewd conduct with a child under 16 and enticing a child over the internet in July, online court records showed. Two other felony charges, another count of lewd conduct and one count of sexual abuse of a minor, were dropped against him. Gaylor texted the victim prior to the assault for several weeks to entice the victim for sex, according to the news release. I want to acknowledge the victims courage in coming forward to report this crime, Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said in the news release. Resources for sexual assault survivors The Faces of Hope Victim Center is available for sexual assault victims in need of emergency services at 417 S. 6th St. in Boise. Survivors should call 911 in emergencies or call 208-577-4400 on weekdays during business hours. Faces of Hope provides free medical care and forensic examinations for victims, as well as assistance with filing police reports and mental health care. Survivors who may need help are also encouraged to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. A Northern Kentucky woman who admitted stealing more than $180,000 from the city of Covington has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison Allison Donaldson, who was an administrative manager for the city, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning sentenced Donaldson, 50, on June 8. Bunning ordered her to report to prison Dec. 4. In her job, Donaldson had a city credit card and access to the credit card information of other employees. During a two-year period ending in February 2022, Donaldson charged personal items to city cards, including repairs to her Mercedes-Benz, furniture, luxury items such as a Chanel tote that cost $1,899, an outdoor fireplace and remodeling work on her master bedroom and garage, according to court records. Donaldson also forged receipts to make it appear other Covington employees had made purchases and that theyd been approved by a supervisor, when the purchases were actually for her. An audit showed that Donaldson used her city credit card and card information on other employees to make $184,736 in purchases for her benefit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. Winslow said in a sentencing memorandum. Donaldson grossly betrayed the trust imposed on her and undermined the communitys faith in its government, the prosecutor said. Donaldson paid the city $165,587 in restitution in March, according to the court record. A former Kentucky police chief was sentenced Friday to five months behind bars after being accused of stealing more than $25,000. Jason D. Cross, who was police chief in Columbia, took the money between February 2020 and February 2021, according to a news release from Michael A. Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, and Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. Cross took money from the evidence room at the Columbia Police Department and from a fund used to make undercover drug buys, according to the release. Cross will be on supervised release for a year after completing his jail time. Cross, 46, began working as a deputy sheriff in Adair County in March 1999 and then took a job with the police department in Columbia in 2001, ultimately becoming chief. He retired March 1, 2021, according to a court document. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser said in a sentencing memorandum that the officer who took over as chief after Cross, Junior Murphy, ordered an audit of the evidence room which showed that $18,990 in cash seized in various cases was missing. One example involved $9,750 that police seized during the search of a motel room. After officers counted the money and put it in an evidence bag, they gave it to Cross. The bag and money were not in the evidence room during the audit, according to the prosecution memo. Murphy contacted Cross during the audit and asked if it would show problems. Cross told him that the $9,750 from the hotel search was in a locked cabinet at the police department, not in the evidence room, the memo said. When Murphy had a locksmith open the cabinet, he found the evidence bag torn open and the money missing, according to Weisers memo. Cross later asked Murphy to come and pick up guns and clothing he had that belonged to the police department. When Murphy got to Cross house, Cross directed him to the dining room, where there were six torn evidence bags on the table with cash on top of each, as well as two envelopes of cash from evidence bags Cross had apparently misplaced, the memo said. There also was a Ziploc bag with $9,742, representing the missing cash from the hotel room search, but the serial numbers did not match those on the bills police had initially seized and recorded, according to Weisers memo. Some of the bills Cross turned over to police were crisp $100 bills with consecutive serial numbers not consistent with what police would expect to seize from a street-level drug dealer, the memo said. The implication was that Cross replaced the money he took with other cash to cover the theft. Weiser said that while awaiting sentencing, Cross gave court officials a fantastical account claiming he accidentally took home a plastic box from the office and discovered a month later that it magically happened to contain over $18,000 in cash missing from the evidence room. Records also showed that Cross had requested $9,000 from the fund to make undercover drug buys, but officers only used $1,995, leaving $7,005 unaccounted for, according to the prosecutor. Cross attorney told Scott Hammond, a state police detective, in May 2021 that if he was looking for missing drug-buy money, it was under a safe near the police chiefs office. An officer looked under the safe, which is in a hallway and has legs so there is a space under it, and found a bank bag containing $6,920, Weiser said. Police speculate that after Cross figured out Hammond was investigating the drug-buy fund, Cross gave the bag of cash to a friend who surreptitiously left it under the safe, according to the prosecutor. Cross attorney, Frank Mascagni III, said in a sentencing memo that Cross returned the $18,000 and that he had stored about $7,000 under a safe which was never removed from the police department. There are facts in dispute and certainly the interpretation of those facts remain in dispute, Mascagni said of the case. Cross entered an Alford plea in the case, meaning he did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was sufficient evidence for a conviction. The effect in a criminal case is the same as for a guilty plea.. St. Marys Food Bank offers Arizona residents free admission to the State Fair by helping those in need. St. Marys is partnering with the fair, Sanderson Ford and Operation Santa Claus to bring Feel Good Fridays to the Arizona State Fair. Anyone who brings 10 cans of nonperishable food items on any Friday the fair is open will receive free admission from noon to 6 p.m. There is no limit on the number of people who can use this promotion, but 10 items per person are required. Feel Good Fridays brought in roughly 140,000 pounds of food in 2022 and 750,000 pounds since its inception, according to a news release from St. Marys. Fairgoers should be on the lookout for St. Marys volunteers at each of the three main entrances. "We need to stock our shelves for the upcoming holidays and are very appreciative of the Arizona State Fair and Sanderson Ford for supporting St. Marys with 'Feel Good Fridays' each year. We encourage everyone to enjoy the Fair and feed families, CEO Milt Liu said. The State Fair will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 29. The fair will have 67 rides and attractions, a concert series, and delicious treats like cotton candy, funnel cakes, caramel apples and popcorn. Ultimate Arizona State Fair 2023 guide: Concerts, prices and when it opens This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: St. Mary's Food Bank offers free AZ State Fair tickets for donations Arizonas looming U.S. Senate race is shaping up to be among the most closely watched in the country despite the fact that three of the likely candidates have yet to announce whether they are even running. Kyrsten Sinema , who bailed on the Democratic Party in December to become an independent, would appear to have all the usual advantages of an incumbent, though her ability to pull even a small number of voters from her former party seems to be a significant challenge. The fact that shes not using that incumbent advantage to have announced a re-election campaign yet is mystifying to experts. Republicans Kari Lake and Blake Masters are expected to jump in the race, but have yet to do so, leaving the only official candidates at this point as Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego and Republican Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb. Adding to the intrigue are reports that former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the potential race in an attempt to play kingmaker, but his preferred candidates lost the Arizona Senate race, governorship, Secretary of State and Attorney General to Democrats in 2022. Its fair to say the political class is salivating at the idea of a three-way race with Kyrsten Sinema the incumbent running as an independent, and a MAGA candidate on the right and a bona fide liberal on the left, and all that means for proving who Arizona is when it comes to self-governance, said Stan Barnes, president of Copper State Consulting Group and a Republican consultant. There appears to be some chance former President Donald Trump taps Lake to be his 2024 running mate, but it appears more likely the general election will pit Gallego, Sinema and Lake against each other. Its going to be three people with built-in constituencies, plenty of money and a lot of confidence to pull it off, Barnes said. Its going to be extremely fun to watch if you are an amateur political scientist. It will be Kyrsten Sinema's hot race, if she runs Barnes anticipates Sinema will run, despite her delay in announcing as much. Other Arizona experts are less sure Sinema will run, even if they respect the allure of Sinema as a candidate. She will have to run a super-aggressive campaign, said Chuck Coughlin, president of HighGround Inc., a Republican-leaning consulting firm. Because the campaign is inevitably going to be about her if she chooses to run. Another question is whether Sinema can win considering the animosity she faces from her former party, which includes outsized reaction in 2021 to a social-media post of her wearing a ring emblazoned with an expletive that was taken as a missive to her Democratic critics. Even if that ring wasnt directed at Democrats, it was perceived that way, and Sinema did not bother to clarify it. Then theres her fundraising so far. I was surprised that the last report was not more robust, Coughlin said of her financial take. Barnes gives Sinema more of a fighting chance. Her personal dynamism, incumbency, her ability to raise money, her record and the fact that she probably is the best politician now in office in Arizona with a Bill Clinton-like ability to make you feel important when you talk to her one on one. If anyone could pull this off, she could, Barnes said. He added that should she win as an independent, shed immediately wield more power than any other U.S. senator, and that would seem almost impossible to pass up. Shes following the path that the average guy allegedly wants. The theoretical average guy, which is this above-party, pragmatic position in state politics, Barnes said. Thats where shes going. And I believe she has the temerity and personality energy necessary to test that theory. Kari Lake likely to jump in, political observers say Both Coughlin and Barnes see it as a near certainty Lake eventually gets in the race though, likely by Thanksgiving, Coughlin predicts. Coughlin has questions about whether Lake, loser of the 2022 governors race, can win statewide. I think she already hit her high-water mark in that election. I dont think shes expanded her voter universe, Coughlin said. Masters has a path, but it's difficult, experts say Lake's 2022 statewide defeat leaves a possible lane for Masters, who also lost a statewide race in 2022 running for Senate against Democrat Mark Kelly. Masters would be expected to run as a MAGA candidate after having Trumps endorsement for his last effort, but to try this time around to position himself as more electable than Lake, should the two one-time allies face off in a primary. Its difficult for Masters to run as MAGA, but hes electable, Coughlin said. Its a very difficult path for him to run. But not impossible. Barnes is with Coughlin on that prediction for Masters. I think he might (run) because hes still got ambitions and hes still young, Barnes said. But he and Kari are so much chasing the same constituency. And Kari is higher profile, working harder, probably has a head start on name identification and fundraising. Trump, who lost the state of Arizona in his 2020 loss, apparently chimed in on the potential primary match-up between Lake and Masters, according to the New York Times, which recently reported Trump called Masters to tell him he couldnt beat Lake. Neither Masters nor Lake responded to requests for comment on the New York Times story. Lake has been discussed as a possible vice presidential running mate to Trump, but it's unclear why he would bother to make such a call to Masters if he were considering Lake as a running mate. Experts would be surprised by primary victory for Lamb Coughlin and Barnes agree on one other point regarding the race: Neither believes Lamb has a shot. Its common consensus around the chattering class of the Capitol that Mark Lamb is a great candidate and great sheriff, but he does not have a built-in name identification or resources that Kari Lake has or for that matter that Blake Masters has, Barnes said. It is hard to imagine Sheriff Lamb becoming Senator Lamb when others in the Republican primary are so well-known and so well-funded. Campaign fundraising: Lamb makes lackluster debut in initial financial report. Coughlin concurred. Where does he get his money? I dont understand how to fund a statewide Senate campaign from the base from which he comes, Coughlin said. Hes not perceived by the donor community or Republican base as a credible candidate. Reach reporter Ryan Randazzo at ryan.randazzo@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4331. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @UtilityReporter. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sinema, Lake and Gallego would be a historic Senate race The family of a 16-year-old boy who died after drowning on Labor Day at Pointes West Army Resort in Columbia County has created a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses. SeVonn Christian Small was swimming with his 21-year-old sister and another person when he went under the water and did not resurface, according to previous reporting. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office Boat Team and Columbia County Fire Department Dive Team responded to scene, but Small's body was found at about 3:30 p.m. in 7 feet of water, according to officials. Small's sister was transported to the hospital for water inhalation. FILE - The Pointes West Army Recreation Area sign is seen on May 24, 2006. The GoFundMe noted that Small's sister "is still on her way to recovery from her drowning" as the family mourns the loss of her brother. Small is being remembered as "an astute young man full of goals and dreams," according to the site. The GoFundMe has raised more than $7,400, as of Friday morning. The goal is listed at $40,000, according to the site. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office and Georgia Department of Natural Resources are continuing with the investigation, but the sheriff's office said the drowning death appears to be accidental. Fort Gordon confirmed Small was a family member of a military retiree who was visiting the Fort Gordon MWR, Pointes West Army Resort. The retiree does not work on Fort Gordon, according to officials. To donate to the GoFundMe, visit https://tinyurl.com/5dd4wb4p. Initial report: Sheriff's office: Drowning death of boy, 16, at Clarks Hill Lake appears accidental This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: GoFundMe raises money for 16-year-old who died after drowning Amid growing tensions between the city's LGBTQ+ and Muslim communities, Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously this week to approve a new law to penalize minority and ethnic intimidation, a move that was strongly opposed by ACLU Michigan and queer activists who fear the law will be used to target them. "The ACLU will be watching very closely" to see if this ordinance punishes activists and protesters, Ramis Wadood, an ACLU attorney, said at the Tuesday council meeting. The new ordinance sets punishments for anyone found guilty of intimidating or harassing someone "because of that person's race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin," according to the text of the law. The incident also has to involve physical contact, damaging property, placing an object on a vehicle or making threats. The punishment is up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. The Tuesday vote came after an intense debate and heated exchange between the all-Muslim elected leadership and liberal activists, with both sides accusing the other of being intolerant during the nearly four-hour council meeting. A queer activist called for more protests while Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib fired back at some LGBTQ+ advocates, telling them: "You are the one who is causing all this tension, not us. You can't come and threaten us." Activists are trying "to make it (Hamtramck) look like it's all queer," Ghalib added. "That's not going to happen." After the council voted in June to ban LGBTQ+ pride flags from being flown on city property, some activists called for a year of protests. They have been placing pride posters, stickers and other symbols in support of their cause on some buildings and walls, including over the posters of some elected officials. Liberal activists fear the new law will be used to fine and jail them for their protests against city officials. They said there has been a spike in vandalism this summer against pride flags and attacks against LGBTQ+ people. On the other side, some have complained about campaign posters of city councilmen being defaced with queer symbols and a sticker reportedly left on the mayor's car. The Free Press has observed stickers with pro-queer messages placed on some campaign posters. The part of the resolution that referenced targeting vehicles was not included in an earlier version, Wadood noted. Ghalib, who recommended the new ordinance, said the law is needed to protect both LGBTQ+ people and Muslims from acts of bigotry. "I denounce any kind of vandalism," Ghalib said. "And this is just one way to express our rejection to this vandalism whether it's to you (LGBTQ+ people) or to others (Muslims). Just a two way street to stop it from both sides." Hamtramck City Council member Mohammed Hassan listens to public comment before a vote about banning the LGBTQ+ pride flag on government buildings and city property, as well as other flags representing racial and political issues, during a city council meeting at Hamtramck City Hall on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Ghalib also criticized what he said was a flyer depicting him and calling him a "terrorist," calling it Islamophobic. Former Mayor Karen Majewski said she found the flyer in a trash can recently. It's unclear if there was more than one flyer, or who made the flyer. "You're labeling every Muslim as a terrorist," Ghalib said. Ghalib has faced criticism for meeting two times in recent weeks with Michael Flynn, a former Trump aide who has previously made remarks seen as anti-Muslim. "If I disagree with you, you can't call me a bigot or a terrorist," Ghalib said. "You come to warn me about the Republicans ... you're acting worse." Ghalib appeared to make a reference to some children facing $1,000 fines for recent vandalism. He didn't offer specifics on the case, but suggested police overreacted. More: Ex-Trump advisor Michael Flynn visits Hamtramck to engage with Muslims and mayor He and Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan, one of six members of the council, said people who obey the law have nothing to fear from the new law, implying that people opposing the law are the ones committing acts of vandalism. Hassan said LGBTQ+ stickers have been placed on his forehead and mouth on images of him on posters. "I don't know why some people are worried if you have no intention to keep doing it," Ghalib said. "I'm not worried because I have no intention to do it. Put 10 years in jail (in the ordinance), I don't care, because I'm not going to do it." Mayor of Hamtramck Amer Ghalib speaks at the start of a city council meeting about banning the LGBTQ Pride flag from government buildings and city property, along with other flags representing racial and political issues, at Hamtramck City Hall on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. LGBTQ+ activist Gracie Cadieux called for continued protests, speaking out against the new ordinance "We all know why this ordinance exists, because of our response to your flag ban," Cadieux said of the new law. "You brought about every sticker, every poster. Every action that has occurred from the Queer community directed at this council has been by your own design. You guys ... chose to do that on June 13, when I stood up here and I told you, if you chose to brand your hate on civic government we would respond, we would resist, we would protest you." Before the council members voted to approve the ordinance, she said to them, using an expletive: "If you pass this resolution I am calling upon the queers of Hamtramck to once again paper ... this city with stickers, with protests, with outright dissent to what you're doing." Wadood, the ACLU attorney, said at the meeting that as a Muslim man with brown skin, he's sensitive to the issue of hate crimes targeting minorities in Hamtramck, but "this ordinance is not the right approach." More: Hamtramck city council ousts commissioners who raised LGBTQ+ flag Wadood told the Free Press the new law is unnecessary because "there is already a near-identical state ethnic intimidation law and various other property destruction laws on the books. We dont need multiple laws criminalizing the same conduct thrice over. I understand the need to combat hate and discrimination, but threatening jail time for hateful speech or actions isnt a thoughtful or effective way to bring the Hamtramck community together." Moreover, "multiple elected officials took issue with stickers being placed on their cars as an act of protest, and they channeled a personal vendetta into a law that carries criminal penalties," he said. "Not only is that inappropriate, but the law they passed is not even going to prevent or penalize the very conduct they personally took issue with." Also during the meeting, the city council voted unanimously to remove Majewski from the DDA (Downtown Development Authority) board, accusing her of being divisive and opposing state money for Hamtramck. They also rejected a proposal to use license plate readers to track cars. Wadood of ACLU Michigan praised the council for rejecting the license plate readers, saying they could be abused by law enforcement. Last week, ACLU Michigan also raised concerns about city council placing some restrictions on public comments. Ghalib said during the meeting he has been trying to meet with LGBTQ+ activists, but alleges they are demanding he first put a pride flag outside City Hall. He indicated there may an upcoming meeting with some activists. Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, Facebook.com/nwarikoo, Twitter @nwarikoo. Below is a copy of the new ordinance on minority or ethnic intimidation passed unanimously by Hamtramck City Council on Sept. 12, 2023. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hamtramck City Council passes new bias crime law opposed by ACLU Hurricane Lee live tracker: Hurricane watch issued in New England as flooding threat to Boston, New York Hurricane Lee was pounding Bermuda with high winds and dangerous surf early on Thursday as conditions deteriorated along much of the US east coast. The monster hurricane is around 500 miles (nearly 800km) wide with winds reaching 100mph. Lee is moving north across the Atlantic at around 12mph, and is expected to gain speed through Saturday. A hurricane watch spanned the US-Canada border including parts of New England and up into Nova Scotia. The Category 2 storm expected to make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia this weekend. The center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda into tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported. Forecasters warned of storm surge and tide leading to coastal and inland flooding. If peak storm surge occurs at high tide, parts of Cape Cod could see up to 4ft of flooding while Boston Harbor could experience up to 3ft. And it wont just be in New England as parts of New York are also under threat. Montauk and the Long Island Sound could see up to 3ft of flooding along with Flushing in Queens, while the Rockaways could see 2ft. Key Points Heavy surf from Hurricane Lee pound Bermuda Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado amid wild weather ahead of Hurricane Lee When will Hurricane Lee reach New England? Where is Hurricane Lee currently? The hurricanes projected path US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year and theres still four months to go Wednesday 13 September 2023 15:00 , Martha McHardy The deadly firestorm in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalias watery storm surge helped push the United States to a record for the number of weather disasters that cost $1 billion or more. And theres still four months to go on whats looking more like a calendar of calamities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Monday that there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion this year through August, eclipsing the year-long record total of 22 set in 2020. So far this years disasters have cost more than $57.6 billion and claimed at least 253 lives. And NOAAs count doesnt yet include Tropical Storm Hilarys damages in hitting California and a deep drought that has struck the South and Midwest because those costs are still to be totaled, said Adam Smith, the NOAA applied climatologist and economist who tracks the billion-dollar disasters. Read more: US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year -- and there's still 4 months to go Tropical storm conditions expected to begin across parts of coastal New England later this afternoon 13:00 , Joe Sommerlad Heres the latest from the National Hurricane Center this morning: Hurricane #Lee Advisory 40A: Lee Remains a Large Hurricane Over the Western Atlantic. Tropical Storm Conditions Expected to Begin Across Parts Of Coastal New England Later This Afternoon. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 15, 2023 5 am AST Fri Sep. 15 Key Messages for Hurricane #Lee. Tropical-storm-force winds across portions of New England and Atlantic Canada could lead to downed trees and potential power outages tonight and on Saturday. Beach conditions along the U.S. east coast will remain hazardous pic.twitter.com/mFakV2GHXC National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 15, 2023 Hurricane Lee to make landfall near US-Canada border on Saturday 12:00 , Graig Graziosi The National Hurricane Centre is forecasting that Hurricane Lee will make landfall near on Saturday near the US border with Canada. The storm may be a post-tropical storm by the time it reaches the northeastern portion of the US and Canadas east coast. Forecasters are predicting that heavy rain up to four inches will fall over eastern Massachusetts and most of Maine, new Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The storm is likely to bring flooding and high winds may topples trees and powerlines, causing outages throughout the region. Maine power officials warn Hurricane Lee may down trees, powerlines 11:00 , Graig Graziosi Hurricane Lee is approaching New England less than a week after the region was soaked with heavy rain, which has already softened and begun to erode the soil in the region. Jon Breed, spokesperson for Central Maine Power, told The Weather Channel that the current erosion, paired with the expected rain and tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Lee may result in toppled lines and trees. [Previous rain] has led to a lot of soil, soil erosion, nutrient runoff, he said. That means that the root systems on a number of trees are rotting. He warned that downed lines can be extremely dangerous and advised residents to steer clear of them in the event of any line collapses. As always, if those trees bring down lines, we want customers to stay very well clear of those lines that can be incredibly dangerous and call us so our crews can come and resolve that problem, he said. Saturday morning into Sunday expected to be peak of Hurricane Lees impact on New England 10:00 , Graig Graziosi The National Weather Service expects Saturday morning and Sunday to be the peak of Hurricane Lees impact on New England. It looks like early Saturday morning into Saturday evening should be the peak in New England, Weather Channel senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said. The hurricane is currently churning up the US east coast on its way toward New England. A state of emergency has already been delcared in Maine, where officials are expecting high winds, heavy rain, significant storm surge and possible flooding as a result of the hurricane. State of emergency declared in Maine ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival 09:00 , Joe Sommerlad Officials in Maine have declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival in the northeast. We continue to closely track the storm and expect heavy rains and high winds that likely will cause storm surge, flooding, infrastructure damage, and power outages, Governor Janet Mills said in a social media post on Thursday. We continue to strongly urge Maine people particularly those Downeast to exercise caution and to take steps to ensure they have what they need to stay safe as the storm draws closer. In preparation for Hurricane Lees impending landfall tomorrow night, I have declared a State of Emergency and requested that @POTUS issue a preemptive Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration for Maine. Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) September 14, 2023 National Weather Service shares photo of gargantuan Hurricane Lee 08:00 , Graig Graziosi The National Weather Service office serving Portland, Maine, shared an image showing the size of Hurricane Lee as it approaches the US east coast. Hurricane Lee is expected to produce tropical storm force winds along the US east coast in the coming days, and Bermuda has already closed schools for Thursday and Friday as it feels the effects of the passing storm. Satellite gives us a good idea of just how large Hurricane Lee actually is. This is also a reminder of why impacts from this storm may be felt a long way from the center of the track. pic.twitter.com/K0CNHTszEE NWS Gray (@NWSGray) September 14, 2023 Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts 07:00 , Graig Graziosi A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week. The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm. Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night. READ MORE Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts Massachusetts urges residents to prepare for storms arrival 06:00 , Graig Graziosi Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency issued a checklist of preparations for residents on Thursday as Hurricane Lee is expected to bring life-threatening conditions to parts of the state. MEMA is actively monitoring Hurricane #Lee as it makes its way up the east coast. Now is the time to make sure youre prepared for any potential impacts, including storm surge flooding, strong wind & heavy rain. Learn how to prepare: https://t.co/dTeZQ4qXlN pic.twitter.com/WvaUFs4mgv MEMA (@MassEMA) September 14, 2023 Watch: Preparing for Hurricane Lee 04:59 , Graig Graziosi Bermuda suspends ferries and shuts schools amid impacts from Hurricane Lee 04:00 , Graig Graziosi The government of Bermuda shared updates on safety measures as Hurricane Lee began to impact the island early on Thursday. Schools were closed on Thursday and Friday, and citizens were asked to stay off the roads. Ferry services had also been suspended and L.F. Wade International Airport in St Georges was closed at noon. Satellite gives us a good idea of just how large Hurricane Lee actually is. This is also a reminder of why impacts from this storm may be felt a long way from the center of the track. pic.twitter.com/K0CNHTszEE NWS Gray (@NWSGray) September 14, 2023 Pictured: The vast scale of Hurricane Lee captured from space 03:00 , Graig Graziosi A satellite image, from 8am (eastern) on Thursday, shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Lee looks poised to wallop New England even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado. This Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, 7:51 a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Lee looks poised to wallop New England later this week even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado. (NOAA via AP) Life-threatening storm surge warnings 02:00 , Graig Graziosi Thursday morning storm surge warnings from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 11am Thursday for Massachusetts and New York are as follows: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, NHC reported. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide. - Chatham, MA to Sagamore Beach, MA: 2-4 ft - Cape Cod Bay: 2-4 ft - Nantucket: 2-4 ft - Sagamore Beach, MA to Border of US/Canada:1-3 ft - Boston Harbor: 1-3 ft - Flushing, NY to Chatham, MA:1-3 ft - Montauk Point, NY to Flushing, NY: 1-3 ft - Long Island Sound: 1-3 ft - Marthas Vineyard: 1-3 ft - Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY: 1-2 ft Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity on most key measurements, study says 01:00 , Graig Graziosi Earth is exceeding its safe operating space for humanity in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said. Earths climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and novel chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesdays journal Science Advances. Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said. We are in very bad shape, said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick. READ MORE: Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity, study says Why US floods are getting flashier Friday 15 September 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi Last year, The Independent explored why the United States is at risk of a future filled with flashier flash floods. Read more below Why US floods are getting flashier Hurricane Lee in Bermuda Thursday 14 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi Hurricane Lee was pounding Bermuda with high winds and dangerous surf early on Thursday as conditions deteriorated along much of the US east coast. The hurricane has winds nearing 100mph and is moving north near 12mph, with an increase in forward speed expected through Saturday. A hurricane watch spanned the US-Canada border including parts of New England and up into Nova Scotia. The Category 2 storm expected to make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia this weekend. The center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda today and tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported. Forecasters warned of storm surge and tide leading to coastal and inland flooding. If peak storm surge occurs at high tide, parts of Cape Cod could see up to 4ft of flooding while Boston Harbor could experience up to 3ft. And it wont just be in New England as parts of New York are also under threat. Montauk and the Long Island Sound could see up to 3ft of flooding along with Flushing in Queens, while the Rockaways could see 2ft. Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity on most key measurements, study says Thursday 14 September 2023 22:49 , Louise Boyle Earth is exceeding its safe operating space for humanity in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said. Earths climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and novel chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesdays journal Science Advances. Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said. We are in very bad shape, said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick. Read more Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity, study says Watch: Hurricane Lee advances towards US as warnings issued for New England Thursday 14 September 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi Hurricane Lee to make landfall near US-Canada border on Saturday Thursday 14 September 2023 21:41 , Graig Graziosi The National Hurricane Centre is forecasting that Hurricane Lee will make landfall near on Saturday near the US border with Canada. The storm may be a post-tropical storm by the time it reaches the northeastern portion of the US and Canadas east coast. Forecasters are predicting that heavy rain up to four inches will fall over eastern Massachusetts and most of Maine, new Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The storm is likely to bring flooding and high winds may topples trees and powerlines, causing outages throughout the region. Maine power officials warn Hurricane Lee may down trees, powerlines Thursday 14 September 2023 21:05 , Graig Graziosi Hurricane Lee is approaching New England less than a week after the region was soaked with heavy rain, which has already softened and begun to erode the soil in the region. Jon Breed, spokesperson for Central Maine Power, told The Weather Channel that the current erosion, paired with the expected rain and tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Lee may result in toppled lines and trees. [Previous rain] has led to a lot of soil, soil erosion, nutrient runoff, he said. That means that the root systems on a number of trees are rotting. He warned that downed lines can be extremely dangerous and advised residents to steer clear of them in the event of any line collapses. As always, if those trees bring down lines, we want customers to stay very well clear of those lines that can be incredibly dangerous and call us so our crews can come and resolve that problem, he said. Saturday morning into Sunday expected to be peak of Hurricane Lees impact on New England Thursday 14 September 2023 20:48 , Graig Graziosi The National Weather Service expects Saturday morning and Sunday to be the peak of Hurricane Lees impact on New England. It looks like early Saturday morning into Saturday evening should be the peak in New England, Weather Channel senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said. The hurricane is currently churning up the US east coast on its way toward New England. A state of emergency has already been delcared in Maine, where officials are expecting high winds, heavy rain, significant storm surge and possible flooding as a result of the hurricane. State of emergency declared in Maine ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival Thursday 14 September 2023 20:26 , Graig Graziosi Officials in Maine have declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival in the northeast. We continue to closely track the storm and expect heavy rains and high winds that likely will cause storm surge, flooding, infrastructure damage, and power outages, Governor Janet Mills said in a social media post on Thursday. We continue to strongly urge Maine people particularly those Downeast to exercise caution and to take steps to ensure they have what they need to stay safe as the storm draws closer. In preparation for Hurricane Lees impending landfall tomorrow night, I have declared a State of Emergency and requested that @POTUS issue a preemptive Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration for Maine. Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) September 14, 2023 National Weather Service shares photo of gargantuan Hurricane Lee Thursday 14 September 2023 20:02 , Graig Graziosi The National Weather Service office serving Portland, Maine, shared an image showing the size of Hurricane Lee as it approaches the US east coast. Hurricane Lee is expected to produce tropical storm force winds along the US east coast in the coming days, and Bermuda has already closed schools for Thursday and Friday as it feels the effects of the passing storm. Satellite gives us a good idea of just how large Hurricane Lee actually is. This is also a reminder of why impacts from this storm may be felt a long way from the center of the track. pic.twitter.com/K0CNHTszEE NWS Gray (@NWSGray) September 14, 2023 Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts Thursday 14 September 2023 19:40 , Louise Boyle A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week. The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm. Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night. Graig Graziosi reports Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts Massachusetts urges residents to prepare for storms arrival Thursday 14 September 2023 19:10 , Louise Boyle Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency issued a checklist of preparations for residents on Thursday as Hurricane Lee is expected to bring life-threatening conditions to parts of the state. MEMA is actively monitoring Hurricane #Lee as it makes its way up the east coast. Now is the time to make sure youre prepared for any potential impacts, including storm surge flooding, strong wind & heavy rain. Learn how to prepare: https://t.co/dTeZQ4qXlN pic.twitter.com/WvaUFs4mgv MEMA (@MassEMA) September 14, 2023 Watch: Preparing for Hurricane Lee Thursday 14 September 2023 18:46 , Louise Boyle Hurricane Lees potential impacts: Mapped Thursday 14 September 2023 18:25 , Louise Boyle The National Weather Service shared its forecast models for Hurricane Lee on Thursday which revealed hurricane conditions and coastal flooding possible in portions of eastern Maine, southern New Brunswick, and western Nova Scotia on Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are also expected on Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard, and Nantucket. Tropical storm conditions are possible elsewhere across New England and Atlantic Canada, NWS added. Whats more, heavy rainfall from the storm may produce flooding across eastern New England and into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from Friday night into Saturday night. There is the potential for life-threatening storm surge flooding in portions of southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Nantucket, late Friday and Saturday. Forecast of arrival time of winds from Hurricane Lee on Thursday, September 14 (NOAA) Rainfall forecast for Hurricane Lee on Thursday, September 14 (NOAA) Peak storm surge forecast for Hurricane Lee on Thursday, September 14 (NOAA) Bermuda suspends ferries and shuts schools amid impacts from Hurricane Lee Thursday 14 September 2023 18:03 , Louise Boyle The government of Bermuda shared updates on safety measures as Hurricane Lee began to impact the island early on Thursday. Schools were closed on Thursday and Friday, and citizens were asked to stay off the roads. Ferry services had also been suspended and L.F. Wade International Airport in St Georges was closed at noon. An update regarding public and emergency services: pic.twitter.com/nbTt6tp09R Bermuda Government (@BdaGovernment) September 14, 2023 Key messages on Hurricane Lee from the National Hurricane Center Thursday 14 September 2023 17:39 , Louise Boyle Here are the 11 AM Thursday Key Messages for Hurricane #Lee. Tropical Storm Warning issued for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Follow the latest at https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/idFYeWTzNZ National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 14, 2023 Pictured: The vast scale of Hurricane Lee captured from space Thursday 14 September 2023 17:19 , Louise Boyle A satellite image, from 8am (eastern) on Thursday, shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Lee looks poised to wallop New England even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado. Satellite image at 8am (eastern) on Thursday, September 14, 2023 of Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean (NOAA) Life-threatening storm surge warnings Thursday 14 September 2023 17:05 , Louise Boyle Heres the latest on storm surge warnings from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 11am Thursday for Massachusetts and New York. The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, NHC reported. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.- Chatham, MA to Sagamore Beach, MA: 2-4 ft - Cape Cod Bay: 2-4 ft - Nantucket: 2-4 ft - Sagamore Beach, MA to Border of US/Canada:1-3 ft - Boston Harbor: 1-3 ft - Flushing, NY to Chatham, MA:1-3 ft - Montauk Point, NY to Flushing, NY: 1-3 ft - Long Island Sound: 1-3 ft - Marthas Vineyard: 1-3 ft - Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY: 1-2 ft Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity on most key measurements, study says Thursday 14 September 2023 16:50 , Louise Boyle Earth is exceeding its safe operating space for humanity in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said. Earths climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and novel chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesdays journal Science Advances. Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said. We are in very bad shape, said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick. Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity, study says Why US floods are getting flashier Thursday 14 September 2023 16:04 , Louise Boyle Last year, The Independent explored why the United States is at risk of a future filled with flashier flash floods. Read more below Why US floods are getting flashier New England faces a walloping (again) Thursday 14 September 2023 15:49 , Louise Boyle Hurricane Lee looks poised to wallop New England later this week even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado. The looming arrival of the hurricane threatened to unleash more violent storms on a region that earlier in the week saw 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rainfall over six hours and on Wednesday saw communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island deal with tornado warnings and more heavy rain that opened up sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several areas. (AP) The latest forecast on Hurricane Lee Thursday 14 September 2023 15:11 , Louise Boyle Hurricane Lee was pounding Bermuda with high winds and dangerous surf early on Thursday as conditions deteriorated along much of the US east coast. The hurricane has winds nearing 100mph and is moving north near 12mph, with an increase in forward speed expected through Saturday. A hurricane watch spanned the US-Canada border including parts of New England and up into Nova Scotia. The Category 2 storm expected to make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia this weekend. The center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda today and tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported. Forecasters warned of storm surge and tide leading to coastal and inland flooding. If peak storm surge occurs at high tide, parts of Cape Cod could see up to 4ft of flooding while Boston Harbor could experience up to 3ft. And it wont just be in New England as parts of New York are also under threat. Montauk and the Long Island Sound could see up to 3ft of flooding along with Flushing in Queens, while the Rockaways could see 2ft. Watch: Hurricane Lee advances towards US as warnings issued for New England Thursday 14 September 2023 14:41 , Louise Boyle Latest advisory from National Hurricane Center Thursday 14 September 2023 12:30 , Stuti Mishra Hurricane and tropical storm conditions are possible across portions of coastal New England and Atlantic Canada late Friday and Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest 5am advisory. Storm surges and heavy rainfall is already battering Bermuda as the hurricane continues to move northward. The storm was located about 370 miles (595 kilometres) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had winds of up to 105 miles per hour (165 kilometres per hour) and was moving north-northwest at 9mph (15kph). Here are the key messages: (National Hurricane Center) Rhode Island governor asks people to keep an eye on updates Thursday 14 September 2023 11:30 , Stuti Mishra Rhode Island governor Dan McKee said on social media that the state's emergency operations centre was activated and would be monitoring the fast-changing weather conditions over the next few days. "The best thing you can do right now: Stay tuned for frequent updates," Mr McKee said. 'Take the storm seriously,' authorities warn as heavy surf from Hurricane Lee pound Bermuda Thursday 14 September 2023 10:30 , Stuti Mishra The outer bands of Hurricane Lee have started to lash Bermuda, with the Category 2 storm expected to make landfall on the coast of New England or Atlantic Canada over the weekend. The storm was located about 370miles (595km) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had winds of up to 105mph (165kph) and was moving north-northwest at 9mph (15kph). Lee was expected to pass just west of Bermuda, prompting forecasters to issue a tropical storm warning for the island. I cannot stress enough that we must all take this storm seriously, David Burch, acting national security minister, said in a press conference. Where is Hurricane Lee currently? Thursday 14 September 2023 09:30 , Stuti Mishra Latest map from the National Hurricane Center shows Hurricane Lee swirling towards Bermuda after a northward turn. The storm was located about 370 miles (595 kilometres) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had winds of up to 105mph (165kph) and was moving north-northwest at 9mph (15kph). The storm is expected to impact New England as early as Friday. (National Hurricane Center) When will Hurricane Lee reach New England? Thursday 14 September 2023 08:30 , Stuti Mishra Hurricane Lees winds could begin to buffet portions of New England as early as Friday as the storms centre is expected to pass close to the regions southeast before barrelling near or over Maine and Atlantic Canada over the weekend as a large and dangerous cyclone, according to the National Hurricane Center. Though the storm now a Category 2 hurricane is expected to weaken as it approaches, it will still have a massive radius of damaging winds that will be significantly felt along coastal New England and Canadas Atlantic provinces. Hurricane conditions, heavy rainfall, and coastal flooding are possible in portions of eastern Maine on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said. The area is under a hurricane watch. Life-threatening storm surge flooding could inundate parts of southeastern Massachusetts late Friday and Saturday, the agency said. Tropical storm conditions expected in Bermuda 'in a few hours' Thursday 14 September 2023 07:30 , Stuti Mishra The National Hurricane Center has warned of tropical storm conditions in Bermuda in a few hours, in its latest advisory issued 2am ET. The Hurricane could bring heavy rainfall and high tides to the island this morning, triggering localised flooding. Here are the key messages from NHC: Hurricane Lee advisory Thursday 14 September 2am (NHC) Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado amid wild weather ahead of Hurricane Lee's arrival Thursday 14 September 2023 06:37 , Stuti Mishra Hurricane Lee barrelled north toward New England on Wednesday and threatened to unleash violent storms on the region just as Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities were dealing with tornado warnings and another day of heavy rain that opened up sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several communities. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for portions of Maine. A tropical storm watch was issued for a large area of coastal New England from parts of Rhode Island to Stonington, Maine, including Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The National Weather Service in Boston said that looking at radar data and videos it appears likely that a tornado toppled trees and knocked down power lines in Rhode Island and Connecticut on Wednesday. Rob Megnia, a meteorologist with the weather service, said they received reports of about 20 trees down in Killingly, Connecticut, and trees and power lines down in Foster, Rhode Island. The agency said it would survey the storm damage in both states on Thursday to help determine the tornado's strength, maximum wind speed and its path. Emergency sirens could be heard late Wednesday afternoon in parts of Providence, Rhode Island, as cellphones pinged with a tornado warning. One bumpy ride Thursday 14 September 2023 04:59 , Louise Boyle The 403rd Wing of the US Air Force Reserve Command, otherwise known as the Hurricane Hunters, shared a video of their aerial weather reconnaissance of Hurricane Lee this past weekend. Sometimes #Hurricane flights can get a little bumpy. Video by Tech. Sgt Nate Calloway, Sept. 8, into hurricane #Lee pic.twitter.com/PFSWrJvyEi Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 12, 2023 New England braces for more rain after hourslong downpour left communities flooded Thursday 14 September 2023 04:02 , Louise Boyle More heavy rain was in the forecast Wednesday in New England, where residents were cleaning up after downpours dropped nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in six hours and flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The rainfall was a 200-year event, said Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston. Two communities declared a state of emergency and officials ordered evacuations out of concern for a dam listed in poor condition. Rain from Hurricane Lee didnt contribute to Mondays flooding but could inundate parts of the coastal Northeast during the weekend, forecasters said. Read more New England braces for more rain after hourslong downpour left communities flooded What is Hurricane Lees cone of uncertainty? Thursday 14 September 2023 03:00 , Louise Boyle Hurricane Lee is tearing across the Atlantic bringing strong winds and dangerous currents to parts of the Caribbean, before it is expected to pivot and travel up the US East Coast, potentially making landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada on Sunday. The National Hurricane Center graphic below shows the probable path of Hurricane Lee. Areas under a hurricane warning are marked in red; hurricane watch in pink; tropical storm warning in blue; and tropical storm watch in yellow. The orange circle shows the current position of the cyclones center. However NHC tropical cyclone forecast tracks have room for error, the agency notes. This uncertainty is conveyed by the track forecast cone - the solid white and stippled white areas in the graphic. The solid white area depicts the track forecast uncertainty for days 1-3 of the forecast. The stippled area depicts the uncertainty on days 4-5. The entire five-day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the cone about 60-70 per cent of the time, according to historical data. National Weather Service Hurricane Lees cone of uncertainty (NOAA) Peak Atlantic hurricane season Thursday 14 September 2023 02:04 , Louise Boyle Last Sunday was the climatological peak of Atlantic hurricane season with conditions ripe for tropical storms and hurricanes. This week has seen considerable action with two hurricanes - Lee and Margot - currently swirling across the Atlantic. At peak season, ocean waters are typically at their highest temperatures, and the shearing winds which suffocate storms decline to a minimum, creating the perfect conditions to generate powerful cyclones. Rapid intensification of more storms likely as ocean waters warm Thursday 14 September 2023 01:05 , Louise Boyle Hurricane Lee is in rare company. Only two recorded storms Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Felix in 2007 strengthened faster than Lee over a 24-hour period. Lee developed from a Cat 1 to a Cat 5 last week before slowly weakening to its current Cat 2 status (although it remains a large and dangerous storm, according to the National Weather Service). Brian McNoldy, from the University of Miami, told NBC News that warm conditions in the Atlantic were ripe for the storms rapid intensification. The vertical wind shear was very low and the water temperature under it was very warm, he said. Lee took full advantage of both, he added. In 2022, Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified over two separate periods before striking Florida as a Category 4 storm. Last Last month, Hurricane Idalia recently strengthened from Cat 1 to Cat 4 within 24 hours. Its a huge problem, and the past is not a good guide to what we should expect going forward, Jeff Masters, a former hurricane scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told NBC. Watch: Massachusetts city got nearly 10 inches of rain in 6 hours Thursday 14 September 2023 00:02 , Louise Boyle Not taking any chances' Wednesday 13 September 2023 23:02 , Louise Boyle While the most severe impacts of Hurricane Lee were forecast for New England and Atlantic Canada this weekend, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that she is not taking any chances and deploying the National Guard. Its too early to predict how Hurricane Lee will impact New York, but were not taking any chances, Governor Hochul posted on X, formerly Twitter. Ive deployed [the New York National Guard] on Long Island & directed agencies to prepare emergency response assets. Please watch the forecast & be ready to act, if necessary, to stay safe. It's too early to predict how Hurricane Lee will impact New York, but we're not taking any chances. I've deployed @NationalGuardNY on Long Island & directed agencies to prepare emergency response assets. Please watch the forecast & be ready to act, if necessary, to stay safe. Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 12, 2023 Watch: Hurricane Lee inches closer to New England Wednesday 13 September 2023 22:33 , Louise Boyle What to know about renters insurance and what it does and doesnt cover Wednesday 13 September 2023 22:02 , Louise Boyle When the unexpected happens whether fire, hail, or human error renters insurance can provide much-needed stability. But many choose not to purchase coverage, including in places most frequently and hardest hit by natural disasters, new research shows. Read more What to know about renters insurance and what it does and doesn't cover Watch: How does Hurricane Lee compare to past hurricanes that have struck New England? Wednesday 13 September 2023 21:29 , Louise Boyle US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year and theres still 4 months to go Wednesday 13 September 2023 21:00 , Louise Boyle The deadly firestorm in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalias surge helped push the United States to a record number of weather disasters that cost $1 billion or more in 2023. And theres still four months to go on whats looking more like a calendar of calamities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion this year through August, eclipsing the year-long record total of 22 set in 2020. So far this years disasters have cost more than $57.6 billion and claimed at least 253 lives. And NOAAs count doesnt yet include Tropical Storm Hilarys damages in hitting California and a deep drought that has struck the South and Midwest because those costs are still to be totaled, said Adam Smith, the NOAA applied climatologist and economist who tracks the billion-dollar disasters. Read more US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year -- and there's still 4 months to go An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent carries evidence into a police department. The OSBI arrested Christopher Michael Summers, accusing him of killing Samuel Crawford in order to steal and sell parts of his truck. GLENCOE An auto mechanic has been charged with first-degree murder after the body of a missing person was found on rural property he had access to, court records show. Christopher Michael Somers, 21, was charged Thursday in Payne County District Court in the death of Samuel Cade Crawford. An arrest affidavit said Crawford's body was found in a "clandestine grave," along with parts of his truck on property owned by Somers' employer. Somers is accused of killing Crawford, 21, to sell parts from his truck, according to the affidavit by an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation special agent. Acquaintances of Somers told investigators Somers had told them he was paid by someone in Cushing to kill people, and just days before Crawford's disappearance he had talked about killing Crawford for his truck. "I can get him to come hang out with me, and I'll take care of him," Somers was heard to say, according to the affidavit. Somers was arrested by the OSBI on Sept. 8, and is being held without bond in Payne County. He does not yet have an attorney, an online court docket shows. He is scheduled to appear before a judge Sept. 21. The search for Samuel Cade Crawford An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation flyer searching for Samuel Cade Crawford, who was later found dead from gunshot wounds. On Aug. 31, the Noble County sheriff's office received a missing person report on Crawford. An exigent circumstances cellphone "ping" revealed the phone was not turned on and the last data available was from Aug. 29. Family members and friends of Crawford told investigators the disappearance was out of character. Law enforcement officials learned early in the investigation that on the morning of Aug. 29, Crawford was having mechanical issues with his truck. Crawford had asked his boss, Ethan Petree, to help him get in touch with Somers, who was a mechanic. In an interview with law enforcement on Aug. 31, Somers said he had met with Crawford and told him what parts were needed to fix his truck, but that Crawford never showed up to their later meeting time. In an interview with Somers' aunt, she told investigators he had told her he would be buying a white pickup. Crawford drove a white 2014 Dodge Ram, according to a missing person alert from the Stillwater Police Department. Helicopter search reveals 'badly decomposed human body' After days of investigation, a helicopter search was conducted Sept. 8 for Crawford's missing truck. Portions of the truck were located in a large field off E VFW Road in Glencoe. Somers had access to this property through an employer, the affidavit said. The truck cab, truck bed and a large brush guard were on the property but "largely separated from each other," several hundred feet apart. The brush guard was the same distinct one that was attached to Crawford's truck, the affidavit said. More: Alleged Oklahoma chop shop owner arrested after dead body discovered in helicopter search After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found a recently dug hole that was partially filled in. On Sept. 10, "a badly decomposed human body" was unearthed from the hole, with two likely gunshot wounds in the back of the skull. OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee told The Oklahoman the medical examiner's office identified the body as Crawford's on Thursday. Christopher Michael Somers arrested Also on the property was a skid steer belonging to Mike Ritter, the property owner. Ritter told investigators Somers was the only person to use the equipment in the last few weeks. A flatbed trailer belonging to Somers' grandfather was also on the property, with the cab of Crawford's truck on the trailer. "Investigators learned from Mike Ritter that Chris Somers had the means, equipment, and knowledge to dismantle a pickup and could complete that task within a day or two," the OSBI agent wrote. Investigators also learned that between Sept. 5 and Sept. 8, Somers sold a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun for $200. The man he sold the gun to told investigators he had known Somers for three months, and in that time Somers had told him he "routinely stole pickups, dismantled them, and sold the parts for money," the agent wrote. Another witness told investigators Somers had talked about killing Crawford or another man, for their vehicles. Both men were called between Aug. 20 and 25 in an effort to lure them to Ritter's property. Somers allegedly threatened to have his friends killed if they told anyone about the plan. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma man allegedly shared plan before killing for truck parts President Joe Biden is running for reelection. But a lot of Democrats would rather vote for someone else. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats say they want a different candidate, according to a CNN poll released in September. Thats down from 75% who said the same in the summer of 2022, but its still extremely high for a sitting president. This has a lot of pundits all voicing the same question. A recent New York magazine piece by Jonathan Chait asks: Why isnt a mainstream Democrat challenging the president? In The Washington Post on Wednesday, David Ignatius argued that Biden should step aside. Back in February, liberal New York Times opinion columnist Michelle Goldberg also argued that Biden shouldnt run again. That same month, journalist Mark Leibovich put forward his Case for a Primary Challenge to Joe Biden in The Atlantic. So far, no serious candidate has emerged to challenge Biden. The reason may be fairly simple. Incumbent presidents are rarely replaced, whether via the old smoke-filled rooms of party bosses or in the plebiscitary field of the modern primary election system. And when they do face serious, existential challenges, their challengers tend to highlight the incumbents weaknesses, bruising them for the general election. Since political parties tend to want to win elections, just as the individual politicians do, it takes particular circumstances for someone to mount a challenge. It usually requires an ideological divide within the incumbents party that a challenger can capitalize on. But Bidens Democratic Party doesnt appear to have the kind of rancorous divides that existed when previous incumbents faced real challenges. This kind of internal strife, by contrast, was highly visible during the last three serious primary challenges to incumbent presidents, in 1968, 1976 and 1980. President Joe Biden is not facing a primary challenge from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (center) or any other serious Democratic politician. President Joe Biden is not facing a primary challenge from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (center) or any other serious Democratic politician. In 1968, the Democratic Party was viciously divided over multiple issues from civil rights and segregation to crime and rioting in the cities but the biggest issue that cleaved the party was the Vietnam War. Sen. Eugene McCarthy (Minn.) launched a primary bid in 1967 against President Lyndon Johnson largely as an anti-war protest. Following the disaster of the 1968 Tet Offensive, McCarthy surged into second place in the New Hampshire primary with 42% and held Johnson under 50%. Four days later, Johnsons most feared opponent, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (N.Y.), entered the race. Johnson announced he would not seek reelection a few weeks later. Following Kennedys assassination, the party bosses selected Vice President Hubert Humphrey as their candidate, but the divisions over Vietnam crippled his candidacy, leading to a loss to former Vice President Richard Nixon. Eight years later, President Gerald Ford faced a primary challenge from former California Gov. Ronald Reagan. While occupying the White House, Ford was an unusual incumbent, having never run for the office of president or vice president but instead rising to the Oval Office following the double scandals that led to the resignations of Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew. His lack of a national electoral record provided a strong rationale for a primary challenge. A longtime GOP star, Reagan was aligned with the rising New Right a collection of free-market economists, anti-civil rights populists, neoconservatives and right-wing evangelicals. Ford represented the clubby moderation of the old Republican elite, committing the heresy of choosing Nelson Rockefeller, the icon of liberal Republicanism, as his vice president. Reagan represented a new breed of assertive conservatism that dreamed of fusing a new governing majority and overthrowing the New Deal order that, as they saw it, Republicans like Ford had come to accept. Reagans bid took off when he latched on to an issue of patriotic emotional resonance: the agreement to hand over the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government. By the time of the partys 1976 convention, Reagan trailed Ford by fewer than 50 delegates. The GOP coalesced around Ford, but Reagan stole the show with his rousing convention speech, setting the stage for his comeback in 1980. Ford ultimately lost his first real election campaign to Democrat Jimmy Carter. When Carter, now the incumbent, ran for reelection in 1980, he faced his own primary challenge from another Kennedy specifically, Sen. Ted Kennedy (Mass.). Carter, a Washington outsider and the first candidate to capitalize on the new primary rules instituted in 1972 that removed power from party insiders, bucked the Democratic establishment by breaking with labor unions while pushing deregulation of business and technocratic management of government. The president also frequently clashed with congressional Democrats, creating a rift in the party. A rancorous primary led to an awkward photo op between challenger Sen. Ted Kennedy (Mass.) and President Jimmy Carter at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. A rancorous primary led to an awkward photo op between challenger Sen. Ted Kennedy (Mass.) and President Jimmy Carter at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Kennedy stepped in as the standard-bearer of the old Democratic faith, and a tribune of the New Deal coalition crumbling beneath the partys feet. But even before he announced his primary bid, he stumbled when he couldnt answer the seemingly easy question of why he wanted to be president. Carter bested Kennedy in the primary campaign, but Kennedy refused to drop out before the convention, leading to bitter divisions within the party. Carter went on to lose badly to Reagan. If we want to go back further, Teddy Roosevelts challenge to President William Howard Taft in 1912 represented a divide within the GOP between progressives and conservatives. Other lesser primary bids, like Pat Buchanans 1992 bid against President George H.W. Bush, featured similar ideological divides, with Buchanans proto-Trump right-wing nationalism rallying against Bushs moderate internationalism. Even further back, the last time an elected incumbent president made a serious bid for renomination and was denied was in 1856, when Democrats replaced President Franklin Pierce with former Secretary of State James Buchanan. And that was during the old days of cigar-chomping party bosses. This is how rare it is to succeed in challenging an incumbent. For the sake of making a comparison to Bidens predicament, lets focus on the three most recent examples of incumbents facing significant primary challenges. They have a number of things in common. First, the challenges all represented real factional divides within their party. Second and this may sound like it should be a given they all ran with the intent of actually winning the nomination. (Maybe not McCarthy, but definitely RFK.) And, third, in each case the incumbent party lost the ensuing general election. In Bidens case, none of the primary candidates floated by pundits to challenge him represent any kind of factional divide within the party. Do big names like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Raphael Warnock (Ga.) or Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) have any real policy objections to Bidens governance? Do they represent any faction within the party that is particularly, or even somewhat, aggrieved by Bidens actions? No. Were a challenge to emerge based on an internal divide, you would expect it to come from the partys left wing. But Biden has deftly cultivated relationships with the partys left. He includes Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in policy-making decisions, and considered appointing him as labor secretary. Bidens administration is filled with former staffers of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.). And he listens to labor unions. The younger standard-bearers of the Democratic left are either too young to run, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), or are content to wait, like Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.). Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), a leader of the Democratic Party's left-most faction at age 33, is currently too young to run for president. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), a leader of the Democratic Party's left-most faction at age 33, is currently too young to run for president. The lack of genuine internal party divides would sap any prospective primary bid of the most common force that prompted them in previous elections. But as Democratic voters and pundits note, a challenge to Biden would emerge not over policy differences, but over aesthetics and fears of continuity. You see, Biden is old. At age 80 now, he is the oldest person ever to serve as president. If reelected, he would finish his second term at 86. In that recent CNN poll, 64% of Democrats listed age, mental acuity or health as their biggest concern about Biden. Whether or not Biden is intensely and actively involved in directing his administration and in his recent book, The Last Politician, Franklin Foer makes it clear that he is he looks old, and Democrats worry that is hurting his reelection chances. Bidens age isnt just a Fox News trope; its been the subject of dinner-table conversations across America this summer, Ignatius wrote in his Washington Post op-ed calling for Biden to step aside. The idea, seemingly proposed by pundits, is that a primary challenger will emerge and will, very nicely, without attacking Bidens age, usher him off the stage, a la Johnson in 1968. This would somehow also push aside Vice President Kamala Harris. But if the question of Bidens age is the paramount issue, it would be impossible for a challenger to avoid commenting on it especially if, like Reagan, the Kennedys and to a lesser extent McCarthy, they are running with the intent to win. This is obviously extremely fraught. What politician who hopes to have a future in their party wants to attack their incumbent president as too old, and then based on the history of challenges to incumbents probably lose a primary campaign? Attacking Biden as senile didnt exactly work out for former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro in 2020. He was booed by the debate crowd and denied a speaking spot at the partys 2020 convention. The only elected Democrat who has even half-floated a 2024 primary bid, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, has repeatedly denied that Bidens age is an issue, dodged questions about it and failed to explain exactly how he would win. Party insiders arent just looking out for their own careers when they refuse to attack Bidens age. Theyre also looking back at the general election losses that followed each significant primary challenge in 1968, 1976 and 1980, and even the lesser challenge to Bush in 1992. Whether or not political scientists agree that primary challenges to incumbents damage them in the general, the politicians directly engaged in politics sure think they do. Related... Jury selection is slated to begin Friday in the joint trial of two of five defendants charged in connection to the 2019 death of a 23-year-old Black man who was stopped by police in a Denver suburb, restrained and injected with ketamine. Elijah McClain's death gained renewed attention amid racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and five police officers and paramedics were subsequently indicted by a Colorado grand jury on manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and other charges. The group, including Aurora police officer Randy Roedema, 41, and former officer Jason Rosenblatt, 34, pleaded not guilty to the charges in January. Roedema and Rosenblatt will be the first in the group to stand trial as jury selection gets underway Friday. The trial is scheduled to last until Oct. 17, according to Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesperson for the Colorado Attorney Generals Office. Here's what to know about the case: FILE - Demonstrators carry placards as they walk down Sable Boulevard during a rally and march over the death of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colo., on June 27, 2020. A group of police officers and paramedics charged in the death of McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was forcibly restrained and injected with a powerful sedative, are scheduled to appear in court Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, to enter pleas to the allegations. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) What happened to Elijah McClain? McClain, a massage therapist, was walking home from the store on Aug. 24, 2019, when he was stopped by police after a 911 caller reported a man who seemed sketchy. McClain was not armed or accused of committing a crime. But officers quickly threw him to the ground and placed him in a since-banned carotid artery chokehold. Paramedics later arrived and injected him with ketamine, a powerful sedative. He died days later. An original autopsy report written soon after his death did not list a conclusion about how he died or the type of death. But an amended autopsy report released last year determined McClain died because of "complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint." The amended report still lists his manner of death as "undetermined." Officers, paramedics indicted after protests A local prosecutor initially declined to bring criminal charges over McClain's death parly because of the inconclusive initial autopsy report. But as the case received more attention after Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis police officers, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser launched a grand jury investigation. Rosenblatt was fired in 2020 not for his role in the restraint, but after he responded "HaHa" to a photo of three other offices reenacting the chokehold at a memorial to McClain. Roedema, fellow officer Nathan Woodyard, and paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec were suspended. Former Aurora Police officer Jason Rosenblatt attends an arraignment at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton, Colo., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Aurora Police officers Nathan Woodyard, Randy Roedema and former officer Jason Rosenblatt along with paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec were indicted by a Colorado state grand jury in 2021 on 32 combined accounts related to Elijah McClain's arrest and death in August 2019. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via AP) In 2021, Roedema, Rosenblatt, Woodyard, Cooper and Cichuniec were charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Cooper, Cichuniec, Roedema and Rosenblatt are also facing second-degree assault and crime of violence charges. But last month, prosecutors dropped the crime of violence sentence enhancers, which carry mandatory minimum prison sentences, against Roedema and Rosenblatt, the Denver Post reported. Woodyards trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 16 and Cichuniec and Cooper are scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 27, according to Pacheco. Paramedics Peter Cichuniec, fourth from left, and Jeremy Cooper, fifth from left, flanked by their attorneys, left, and prosecutors, right, attend an arraignment at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton, Colo., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Aurora Police officers Nathan Woodyard, Randy Roedema and former officer Jason Rosenblatt along with paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec were indicted by a Colorado state grand jury in 2021 on 32 combined accounts related to Elijah McClain's arrest and death in August 2019. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via AP) City agrees to settlement, reforms Aurora agreed to pay $15 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by McClain's parents in 2021. Also in 2021, a civil rights investigation into the Aurora police and fire departments found they violated state and federal law through racially biased policing, use of excessive force, failing to record community interactions and unlawfully administering ketamine. The city later agreed to a consent decree, which required officials to make specific changes regarding "policies, training, record keeping, and hiring," according to the office responsible for monitoring progress on that agreement. Contributing: The Associated Press, Christine Fernando and Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: First trial for officers charged in Elijah McClain's death begins A Springfield man was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday in the 2018 shooting deaths of his roommate and a friend. A Sangamon County Circuit Court jury took less than a day to convict Jason R. Danenberger, 43, of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Thomas S. Poudzunas, 53, and John T. Buecker, 47, both of Springfield. Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin presided over the four-day trial. Danenberger was arrested in 2018 after Poudzunas, his roommate, was found dead in their driveway in the 800 block of North Daniel on June 15, 2018. A day later, Buecker, a friend of Danenberger's, was also found dead at a mobile home in the Oakwood subdivision just off Peoria Road. Sangamon County sheriff's deputies arrested Danenberger at a mobile home park in Riverton after Buecker was found. More: Springfield Police investigating the death of a man found in his home as a homicide Danenberger was represented at trial by Springfield defense attorneys Daniel Fultz of Brown, Hay & Stephens and Mark Wykoff of the Wykoff Law Office. Both took the case after a pair of attorneys at the Sangamon County Public Defender's Office Tawnya Frioli and Michael Sullivan left to take other positions. Frioli serves as a circuit judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, which includes Sangamon County. In a statement following the verdict, State's Attorney Dan Wright praised the work of the jury and law enforcement. "The defendant has been held accountable for the senseless shooting deaths of Thomas Poudzunas and John Buecker," Wright said. "We are deeply grateful for the dedication and professionalism of the Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County Sheriffs Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Illinois State Police Forensic Science Command for a multi-agency collaboration to bring the defendant to justice." Assistant State's Attorneys Derek Dion and Phil Maddox assisted with the prosecution. Danenberger will be sentenced on Dec. 19 at 1:30 p.m. He faces mandatory life in prison. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield man convicted of first-degree murder in 2018 deaths George, 6, left, and his sister, Coralina, 9, center, wait with their mother, Amanda Betette, after getting their COVID-19 vaccination at Hartford University School, Milwaukee, in 2021. Appointments are now available for children to get updated COVID-19 vaccines in Wisconsin. Health officials are recommending families make plans to get vaccinated, warning about a triple threat of respiratory viruses this fall and winter: COVID-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The new COVID vaccines are better formulated to target COVID-19 variants that are spreading now similar to how flu shots are updated each year to match viruses in circulation. At Children's Wisconsin, primary care president Michael Gutzeit said while children aren't hospitalized with COVID-19 as often adults, his team is anticipating more children getting sick in the coming weeks as is typical for this time of year, as school resumes. He urged families to get vaccinated as soon as they're able. "We know that the vaccine provides protection against not only getting COVID in the first place but against getting serious infections that are associated with COVID," Gutzeit said. "Healthy children are able to stay in school, are able to participate in their social activities, are able to do all the things that kids want to do." Heres what to know about when and where children can get vaccinated. What age groups are recommended to get the new COVID-19 vaccine? Health officials recommend all children older than 6 months get one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they have had prior doses or infections. Can kids get the new COVID-19 vaccine for free? COVID-19 vaccines are no longer free for all children because of the ending of the federal public health emergency. Children who are uninsured, enrolled in BadgerCare, or are enrolled members of tribal nations, can still get the vaccine for free from the Milwaukee Health Department. These children can also get the vaccine for free from a number of other providers through the Vaccines for Children Program. For other children, most insurance plans are expected to cover the full cost of the shots through in-network providers. Where is the vaccine available? Families can get the vaccine through their primary care doctors or through local pharmacies. Vaccine availability by age and location can be found at vaccines.gov. Pharmacy spokespeople said Walgreens locations would be able to vaccinate children 3 and older, while CVS planned to vaccinate children 5 and older. Appointments can be booked through their websites. Wisconsin's Hayat Pharmacy planned to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all children as young as 6 months. Appointments can be scheduled at hayatrx.com/covid-19-vaccine. For those who are uninsured or enrolled in BadgerCare, free vaccines will be available at Milwaukee Health Department clinics when the department receives its supply of vaccine, with no appointment needed: Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St.: 3-6 p.m. Mondays, 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Road: 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays The Milwaukee Health Department will also offer vaccination clinics to children who are uninsured or enrolled in BadgerCare at: Lincoln Avenue School, 1817 W. Lincoln Ave., on Sept. 20; Elm Creative Arts School, 900 W. Walnut St., on Sept. 27; and Engleburg School, 5100 N. 91st St., on Sept. 28 all from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The COVID-19 vaccine will be available at those clinics, if the department receives it in time. Should children get vaccinated for flu and RSV at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine? Health experts say its safe to get flu shots and COVID-19 shots at the same time. RSV vaccines, which are new this year, are only recommended for some children younger than 19 months. Families should talk with health professionals about whether and when to get the vaccine. Are COVID-19 numbers rising in children? COVID-related hospitalizations have been rising in Wisconsin since June, though those numbers are still lower than theyve been since 2021. Health officials have also looked to wastewater to track local levels of COVID-19 in feces, which has shown rising levels of the virus in Wisconsin since July. Without as much reporting of individual COVID-19 test results, its become more difficult to monitor spread specifically within age groups. Milwaukee Public Schools has also stopped tracking COVID-19 cases. National data show hospitalizations rising for children alongside adults since July, but at lower rates. Do children need the new COVID-19 vaccine? Are there side effects? Health workers recommend children get vaccinated to prevent severe illness from COVID-19, and to reduce spread to other family and community members. A CDC study found that during the COVID-19 surge in the winter of 2021-22, unvaccinated children were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated children. A June study of over 800,000 households with adults and children found that about 70% of household COVID-19 transmissions started with children, more so during in-person schooling and less so during school breaks. At Children's Wisconsin, Gutzeit said the COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild side effects similar to other vaccines, like soreness near the area of the injection and fatigue for 24 to 48 hours. He said COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe. "We know a lot more about the COVID vaccine now than we did when it first came out," he said. "The current COVID vaccine is every bit as safe and as effective as the previous vaccines were, and having the ability to look at the data over a long period of time now, we see that that's holding true." Journal Sentinel reporter Sarah Volpenhein contributed to this report. Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane. 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: What to know about getting the new COVID-19 vaccine for kids The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has found mosquitoes in six towns carrying the eastern equine encephalitis virus, including in Voluntown. The infected mosquitoes were found in the Pachaug State Forest on Sept. 5. The Uncas Health District is urging people to protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases, a press release from Uncas Health District states. "We encourage residents of southeastern Connecticut to take simple measures such as wearing mosquito repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active," Patrick McCormack, MPH, Director of Health, stated in the release. The other five towns are Hampton, Killingly, Thompson, Tolland and Woodstock. Redevelopment: Two more former Thermos factory buildings to be demolished in Norwich What is eastern equine encephalitis, commonly called EEE EEE is a rare but serious virus transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes only get the virus by feeding on infected wild birds. The virus is usually found in species of mosquitoes that feed on birds, but the virus is occasionally passed to other mosquito species known to bite people and horses. The virus cannot be passed from person to person or from horses to humans, the press release states. The risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases usually increases through the late summer and early fall. Mosquitoes are active until the first heavy frost, the press release states. What are the symptoms of EEE Infection with EEE virus can cause serious illness affecting the brain. Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and decreased consciousness. Many of those who recover experience lasting health problems. Individuals EEE symptoms should contact their physician immediately. But, the disease is fatal in 25% to 50% of cases. Norwich Public Utilities customers: NPU's $200 million wastewater plant replacement to improve technology and service. Are there vaccines for EEE No human vaccine against EEE virus infection or specific antiviral treatment for clinical EEE virus infections is available. How to protect yourself from EEE and mosquito bites To reduce the risk of mosquito bites, people should Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Check that door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair. Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin. Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect babies when outdoors. Consider using mosquito repellent, according to directions, when it is necessary to be outdoors. For information on EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases, what can be done to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the latest mosquito test results and human infections, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website at https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: EEE found in mosquitoes in six Connecticut towns, including Voluntown A NASA image shows the Ring of Fire during the annular solar eclipse that will be visible in the southeastern Utah towns like Monticello and Mexican Hat in mid-October. | NASA Its been 11 years since the last annular solar eclipse crossed the western United States, but on Oct. 14, millions will have a chance to see another one. See the eclipse in Utah: Viewing locations include Baker, on the border of Nevada, Richfield, Panguitch, Monticello and Mexican Hat with a population of less than 100 that is nestled up against the banks of the San Juan River. It can also be seen over Four Corners. There are also prime recreation areas where it will be visible, including: Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands national parks. Natural Bridges National Monument. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Karen Garthwait, spokeswoman for Arches and Canyonlands, said the parks are expecting big crowds at a time when they are already crowded since October is an ideal, cooler time to visit. One of Canyonlands two campgrounds does offer reserved spots, but all the reserved spaces at the Needles site are already taken. The parks are bringing in extra staff to help with congestion. If, once the eclipse happens and everyone is trying to leave at once, that will be problematic. It would be helpful if people plan and pack some extra patience that day, she said. Check Canyonlands website for tips on visiting during the eclipse as well as the website for Arches. At Bryce, park staff are expecting its first come first serve camping spots to fill up in advance of the eclipse as well, said spokesman Peter Densmore. This is, of course, depending on if we have a winter-style event that could change availability. Anyone visiting the great outdoors to catch a glimpse of the eclipse should come prepared with plenty of food, water, gasoline and other supplies, park officials advised. Garthwait also said eclipse enthusiasts should: Expect heavy congestion, traffic gridlock, and long delays. RVs are not recommended. Allow extra time to get to your destination. Bring and use eclipse viewing glasses. Never look directly at the sun without them. Refrain from blocking traffic flow or access for emergency vehicles or face towing and ticketing. There will be no roadside parking. Most hotels are at capacity or nearing capacity in San Juan County, according to a Facebook post the county put out Sept. 12. The post warned residents that supplies may be limited due to the anticipated influx of visitors, so preparations should be made in the next few weeks, specifically area residents should make sure to have a full tank of gas and stock up the refrigerator and cupboards. Falyn Owens, executive director of Bryce Canyon County/Garfield County Office of Tourism, said hotel rooms are being snapped up quickly. I connected with a few hotels near Bryce Canyon and the gateway communities. They are reporting hotels being very close to capacity. A hotelier in Tropic said whenever they get a cancelation it fills back up within the hour. She said she also anticipates an increase in dispersed camping on nearby public lands. There are so many places in Garfield County to view the eclipse that we expect to see an influx in traffic on Scenic Byway 12 and the surrounding communities. Related More about the Ring of Fire eclipse: An annular solar eclipse happens when the size of the moons disc is slightly smaller than the apparent size of the sun. As a result, only the outer edge of the sun is visible if you are in the path of the eclipse, creating a ring of fire both eerie and awesome. According to the Great American Eclipse, a website chock full of just about everything youd want to know about the Ring of Fire eclipse, it first meets up with the United States at 9:13 a.m. Pacific time at Reedsport, Oregon. The shadow of the moon at this point is screaming at 7,534 miles per hour. The maximum duration of annularity at the Oregon coast is 4 minutes, 29 seconds and the eclipse will be 13 degrees high in the sky, the site said. It hits Utah in the 9:07 to 9:09 a.m. range Mountain time when the partial eclipse begins. After that, the annular solar eclipse begins in the 10:24 a.m. range and by about 90 minutes later, the partial eclipse is over. It ends in Texas at 12:03 Central time. Across the United States, according to the website, a little more than 6.6 million people in the United States live in the path of the eclipse. In Utah, there are 86,000 people who live in its path, and visitation to the state could bump up by as much as 314,000. A total solar eclipse next year on April 8 bypasses Utah and most of the West. Instead, the Great Plains region and the upper East Coast will get the treat. The Housing Fellowship (THF), with the help of student builders, will began construction on a single-family home at 724 Ronalds Street in Iowa City. Once completed, this project will provide a two-bedroom, energy efficient home in a historic neighborhood with limited affordable housing options. A group of high school students are teaming up with local leaders to redefine local development. Construction is underway on a new single-family home in Iowa Citys northside neighborhood with the help of the Iowa City Community School District. The Housing Fellowship and several aspiring student carpenters will spearhead the two-bedroom energy-efficient home. The Student Built House program provides students with on-site vocational training by building a home while working with an experienced team of trade partners. Iowa City High School, West High School and Liberty High School students took a prerequisite course during the 2022-2023 school year to prepare for this year's in-person project. They will spend about half their school day on-site. The Housing Fellowship is hoping to take advantage of a proposed zoning change that allows affordable housing to become more equitable. The Iowa City City Council will vote on the proposed zoning changes at a future meeting, hoping to provide more code flexibility as well. Here is what you need to know about the student project and affordable housing in Iowa City: What is The Housing Fellowship? The Housing Fellowship (THF) is a non-profit organization that aims to provide long-term, affordable housing to income-qualified families in the Iowa City area. To make this project possible, THF has joined forces with the Iowa City Community School Districts Student Built House Program, the Iowa City Home Builders Association, the City of Iowa City, and the Vocational Training Council. The partnership is the first of its kind in the Northside community. What is affordable housing? Affordable housing is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national or local government. The council approved its first affordable housing action plan in 2016, which included 15 action steps and changes to zoning regulations. The city also released a Fair Housing Choice Study in 2019, which identified the lack of affordable rental housing in Iowa City. The city then updated its Affordable Housing Action Plan in 2022. A recent study also revealed that residential growth isnt keeping up with housing demand. Iowa Citys neighborhood development and services committee offered a number of zoning code amendments at a city council work session Aug. 15. The goal of the amendments are to improve housing choice, increase housing supply and encourage affordability. Our community is growing, however, housing supply is not meeting the demand, Anne Russett with neighborhood development and services said during her presentation Aug. 15. The goals of the proposed zoning code changes would increase housing availability while offering diverse housing options. The changes, Russett said, will remove barriers for homes that cost less than single family homes, i.e. duplexes, townhomes and accessory apartments. The changes will also address limited access for persons with disabilities. The Iowa City City Council is scheduled to make a decision on the zoning changes at Tuesdays meeting. A public hearing seeking public input on the zoning codes is also set for Sept. 19. How will affordable housing maintain historic standards? The new home will be located at 724 Ronalds St. in a historic neighborhood with limited access to affordable housing. The house will be energy-efficient while adhering to historic standards, replacing an old, crumbling structure. The design was approved by the City of Iowa Citys Historic Preservation Commission, and the project broke ground on Sept. 6. Student Contractors Local Iowa City high school students will work on the project with THF and partnering organizations to complete the house. With the help of its partners, this new venture is possible due to construction and land costs, as well as the expenses associated with historic district design requirements and energy efficiency features. Moving Forward The student-built house is expected to be complete by May of next year. Plans for a second affordable house are already in motion, to be built next door. The contractors plan to have the second house completed next school year. Funding for the Student Built Home Program is being provided by Iowa Citys Affordable Housing Fund in addition to loans from the Housing Trust Fund and First Interstate Bank. The school district is also seeking donations and grant funding. Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@presscitizen.com. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Students partner with The Housing Fellowship to build affordable Iowa City home Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach continues to offer his legal services through his private practice. Kobach, who had long been paid a $10,000 annual retainer by Fremont, Nebraska, told city officials that he can still represent them. "In response to your question, Kansas law does not prohibit an attorney general from maintaining a private law practice in his personal capacity," Kobach wrote in an email. "Nor are there any other constraints preventing me from assisting Fremont in the defense of the immigration ordinance." Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach told the city of Fremont, Nebraska, that he can still provide legal services through his private law practice. The email was sent at 10:06 p.m. Sept. 9 from Kobach's private Gmail address to Fremont City Council member Paul Von Behren's government email address. It was obtained by The Capital-Journal, after a tip, through a public records request with Fremont following the council's Tuesday vote to accept the document into the record. A spokesperson for the Kansas Attorney General's Office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, including for any legal analysis, policies or guidelines on the matter and whether staff attorneys are also permitted to maintain private law practices. Von Behren said he hopes Kobach's statement provides clarity to the city council. "It's been alleged several times here that Kobach is not eligible to represent the city of Fremont ... so I asked him to just give us a simple statement," he said. Nebraska town has $1.35 million in fund if they need to hire Kobach Kobach's legal work for Fremont, which is a town of about 27,000 people roughly 40 miles northwest of downtown Omaha, is defense of the city's immigration ordinance, which he wrote. The town's voters approved the ordinance in 2010, but it did not go into effect until 2014 after withstanding the ACLU's federal court challenge and incurring more than $600,000 in legal fees, the Associated Press previously reported. The town still has a sizeable fund of $1.35 million committed to defending the immigration ordinance, if it were to see further legal challenges. The last payment from the fund went to Kobach, who had a $10,000 annual retainer with Fremont until the council ended its contract with Kobach Law LLC earlier this year. But the money is still there should the city have need to hire Kobach, or someone else. "When we stopped paying our lawyer a yearly fee, we said that money would be kept toward the defense fund if we ever needed it," said council member Sally Ganem. Ganem was the one who proposed canceling the contract with Kobach. "The attorney general is the attorney for the state and its agencies," Ganem said at a May meeting. "Let me be candid: No attorney general should be moonlighting representing a city of another state. And this contract needs to be terminated." More: Do you want to sue Joe Biden? Kansas AG Kris Kobach will pay an attorney up to $120,000. The ACLU lost with a divided panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. But Fremont resident Brenda Ray worried that defense of the ordinance is not over. "I don't trust the ACLU, and having a little money that we can fight them with deters them just a little bit," she said. Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Alatidd. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas AG Kris Kobach says he can work as Nebraska town's attorney Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG Months after a landmark court decision found Pennsylvanias public school funding system unconstitutional, a commission tasked with resolving statewide disparities held its first series of hearings this week. The hearings kick off a process that could affect generations of students. But lawmakers said theyre still far apart on bedrock issues, like how much additional cash theyll need to pump into the system. School superintendents, union leaders and education experts spoke to the lawmakers who make up the 15-member Basic Education Funding Commission about a range of issues. The state of school facilities, student mental health and labor conditions all came up repeatedly during the three detailed meetings in Allentown, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Lawmakers said they tried to enter the discussions with open minds. They will hold more hearings across the commonwealth over the next two months, and plan to release a report on their discussions by the end of November. In order for this commission to be effective, we cannot have a preconceived idea or notion of where this commission will go or what its outcome will be, said state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York, who co-chairs the commission. We may like what we hear, we may not like what we hear. A $6.2 billion question Lawmakers are approaching the issue from the ground floor, beginning with the basic question of how much money theyll need to spend in order to satisfy the courts order, and where it will come from. I dont know, said state Sen. Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill, who serves as majority chair of his chambers education committee, when asked how the funding talks were developing. I just know that when the court case was resolved, there were many legislators who congratulated the court on its findings. But none of them ran up to the attic to the Legislative Reference Bureau to file a bill for a $6 billion tax increase. That $6 billion number came up at the commissions first meeting in Allentown. The centerpiece of that hearing was testimony from school funding scholar Matthew Kelly of Penn State, who served as an expert witness during the funding lawsuit and this week presented new research that estimates exactly how much more money the commonwealths schools need. Kelly determined funding shortfalls by comparing district-by-district finances to spending, relative to students needs, in districts that are considered successful. He told lawmakers that statewide, the funding shortfall is $6.2 billion or about 20% of Pennsylvanias total education spending and that this insufficiency is concentrated in the commonwealths poorest districts, which serve about 20% of its overall students. These funding gaps do not impact all student populations equally, Kelly wrote in the testimony he submitted to lawmakers, noting Black and Latino students are disproportionately affected. Lawmakers havent yet committed to allocating that kind of revenue to schools a political state of affairs that was also apparent in this years state budget process. Pennsylvanias most recent budget, which is still missing parts of its enabling legislation, allocates $7.8 billion to K-12 education. Of that, only money invested since 2016, approximately 25%, gets sent to school districts using a new formula that considers factors like how many students are learning English or experiencing poverty when doling out cash. The rest, approximately $5.8 billion, gets divided up using a formula that mostly relies on population data that are 30 years old. And even though the state has taken advantage of a recent surplus to boost education spending, lawmakers like state House Education Committee Majority Chair Pete Schweyer, D-Lehigh, pointed out that other programs that helped school districts were simultaneously slashed. For instance, the same year lawmakers agreed to the updated funding formula, they also ended $300 million in annual funding to reimburse school districts for construction and renovation projects. Before we continue down this conversation of historic funding, historic funding, historic funding lets look at history just a little bit closer and understand were playing catch-up on a decade-plus, if not longer, of education cuts, Schweyer said at Wednesdays hearing in Harrisburg. After Wednesdays meeting, Schweyer told Spotlight PA he is optimistic that Republicans will come around to spending more money on education. I just think its going to take a little time for them to get to that point, and theyre allowed to ask the questions that they need to to feel comfortable with the analysis and how (researchers) got to that number, he said. Argall, meanwhile, was still pondering where the money would come from. The senator has lobbied for years to reduce the local property taxes that make up the majority of school districts budgets. In his ideal world, part of the education funding solution would include the state doing away with these taxes completely and replacing the revenue with a statewide sales or income tax increase. It should at least be part of the discussion, he said. A good start The advocates who filed the original lawsuit also testified at this weeks hearings, urging lawmakers to focus on the importance of paying for updated school facilities and programs like pre-K and early education. Its a good start, Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, who represented the Public Interest Law Center before the state Supreme Court during the school funding case, told Spotlight PA after Wednesdays hearing. A lot of good issues are being raised but the most important thing will be how they filter these (ideas.) Susan Spicka, executive director of advocacy group Education Voters of PA, said she feels the commission is generally grappling with the most important issues. Im really hoping that its soaking in, in these underfunded districts, these choices are impossible, Spicka said. The rubber is gonna hit the road when the commission decides what the end product will be of all these meetings.She added that the commissions report will determine her final thoughts on the lawmakers efforts. She hopes they release it in time for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to begin implementing their recommendations during his next budget proposal. Superintendents in a number of the commonwealths poorest school districts stressed how their aging school facilities compounded their students problems. Superintendent Carol D. Birks of Allentown called her district a microcosm of the infrastructure problem. Of her districts 21 schools, she told lawmakers, Two-thirds think about this two-thirds are more than 50 years old, with a startling 12 school buildings that have exceeded the century mark. The truth remains, she continued, that these aging structures struggle to accommodate the demands of modern 21st-century learning. Vouchers still a GOP focus Legislative Republicans have made clear that they are still prioritizing enacting a plan to use public dollars to fund private school scholarships. The issue is fraught in Harrisburg. Although $100 million for such a program was included in a budget deal passed by the GOP-controlled state Senate earlier this summer, Shapiro vetoed it amid pressure from organized labor and state House Democrats who didnt support the provision. State House Republicans held a meeting Tuesday in Philadelphia on education and heard from parents, students and officials who support alternatives to public schools. Jaslin Vasquez-Gonzalez told the panel that after her dad was deported by federal immigration authorities, her mother told her she either had to go to her local public school, which she said had safety issues, or find out how to pay for a private school herself. Vasquez-Gonzalez said a nun helped her find a scholarship to attend a private Catholic high school for girls in Philadelphia, where she thrived. Now Vazquez-Gonzalez is a student at St. Josephs University. I was given a chance, I was given an opportunity, she told lawmakers, but more simply, I got lucky. At the end of the hearing, Republicans remained optimistic that they could still find an opening for the scholarship program. I dont feel like the issue is dead, said state Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Tioga, and a sponsor of a similar voucher bill last session. Your advocacy is what is going to take it over the edge. Schweyer, meanwhile, said Democrats position on vouchers also remains firm. My caucus has made it abundantly clear that were not going to do PASS scholarships, he said, referring to the name of Republicans current voucher proposal. Certainly, were not going to get any scholarships until we reach a level of adequacy and an equity that we feel comfortable (with). BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Michael Kennelly poses for a portrait in front of an antique pump organ on September 8, 2023 at the former Grace Baptist Church in Marshfield. Kennelly recently purchased the property in order to have more space for his vast collection of pump organs and other antiques. MARSHFIELD - This time, Michael Kennelly vows, he won't be moving again. This church, he says, will be his forever home. The 66-year-old Navy veteran said this before. The last time was about three years ago, when he moved from a ranch home in Milwaukee into the Kingdom Hall once used by the Marshfield-area Jehovah's Witnesses. Kennelly bought the large, open building so he could live there with his collection of antique pump organs. He owned about 40 at the time, and most of them were stored by friends. A couple years after he bought the Kingdom Hall, he told the Marshfield News-Herald that the former Kingdom Hall was "the best home I ever had. I couldn't be happier here." And it was true. But after the story ran in March 2022, he was tempted with offers from people mostly older, mostly downsizing to take their pump organs. Kennelly loves pump organs so much that he had a hard time saying no, and his collection jumped to about 50. (He doesn't really count them; and some he takes to use for parts.) That's when he started looking for a bigger place and found the church building he lives in now on East Ninth Street a few blocks from downtown Marshfield. This church was used by a Marshfield-area Baptist congregation. Its footprint isn't larger than the old single-story Kingdom Hall. But it has three stories, giving Kennelly about twice the space for his collection of pump organs and many, many other antiques, including furniture, portrait photographs, glass items and grandfather clocks. "I thought I was going to live there (in the Kingdom Hall) forever," Kennelly said. "But this will my last stop, here." Will it really? "Yes, yes," Kennelly said. "The move here was quite difficult. To go through this, to move again, would be impossible. I couldn't do it again." Get outside: 5 great bike rambles to take this fall in Wisconsin Michael Kennelly has about 50 pump organs. He's arranged them to sit where the pews were located when the church he now owns was Grace Baptist Church. Living in a 100-year-old church fits Kennelly's aesthetic lifestyle The former Baptist church suits Kennelly's aesthetic lifestyle even more than the modern Kingdom Hall did. The red-brick building, complete with bell tower, will be 100 years old next year, Kennelly said; its year of construction roughly matches when pump organs were popular. The church has a Gothic look. Kennelly leaned into that vibe by painting trim portions of the building, such as the downspouts, black. The basement level is where the church members had their gatherings, and it has a fine kitchen. Kennelly's living quarters are down there. The main-floor sanctuary is where Kennelly keeps his pipe organs. They are lined up in dramatic rows like parishioners sitting in pews. A towering pipe organ, distinct from the smaller pump organs, is a recent addition that Kennelly purchased from an estate sale in Wausau. It sits in a place of honor at the head of the church, on the altar. The interesting thing about Kennelly's passion for pump organs is that even though they are in working order, he doesn't play them. He just loves the way they look. Handmade from hardwood by craftsman, the instruments feature ornate carvings, full of curlicues and other artistic elements. Kennelly finds the fine woodworking so irresistible that it just makes sense for him to forge the rest of his life around that passion. Michael Kennelly purchased this former Baptist church at 312 E. 9th St. in Marshfield in order to have more space for his collection of pump organs and other antiques. More room for pump organs now, but hard choices are coming In addition to the organs themselves, Kennelly finds deep satisfaction in arranging them and the rest of his antiques. Like a good curator of an art exhibition, he uses his own sense of interior design and aesthetic values to make the display into a work of art itself. It's not for everybody, he said. A visitor to the Kingdom Hall once told him that it was so crowded it was hard to breathe. But Kennelly likes the feeling of being surrounded by his things, all of which he chose because he feels their beauty. Kennelly once thought he might used the Kingdom Hall as a museum, but he's given up on that idea with the church. He thinks, instead, the church could be used as a wedding venue, and he's in the process of reaching out to wedding planners to offer the building to couples who might revel in being surrounded by a late 1800s vibe. Michael Kennelly's living space is in lower level at the former Grace Baptist Church in Marshfield. It has a more modern feel than the rest of the church, but Kennelly still intersperses museum-quality antiques with more modern pieces. Once Kennelly buys something he loves, he never sells it, which is why he moved from the Kingdom Hall into the church. The larger building gives him more space to revel in his hobby. "I've got room to fit in some more (pump organs)," he said. The move is only a temporary fix, and soon Kennelly will need to make some hard choices. He winces at the thought of having to say no to getting another beautiful organ. He's already begun collecting new things, old grandfather clocks and pieces made from red glass. It's easier to find places to display those. He knows that living in a church and orienting his life around his collection of pump organs is unusual. But it makes him happy, he said. "I like to live different than most people," he said. An antique pump organ is seen on the alter at the former Grace Baptist Church in Marshfield on Friday, September 8, 2023. Michael Kennelly bought the church in order to have space for his collection of organs and other antiques. Contact Micheal Kennelly Although Kennelly's collection of pump organs and other antiques is not open to the public, he often welcomes visitors on a one-on-one basis. And even though his space is limited, he's open to looking at people's pipe organs to add to the collection. To learn more, people may call him at 414-702-6606. Contact Keith Uhlig at 715-845-0651 or kuhlig@gannett.com. Follow him at @UhligK on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram or on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Passion for antique pump organs led collector to buy Marshfield church This weeks breaking health news includes a look at the large share of Americans who know personally someone who struggles with addiction and what they think can be done. And have you ever thought about seeing your dentist through telemedicine? Thousands or more Americans started to do that during the pandemic, when an in-person visit was too challenging. Finally, researchers believe they may have figured out what kind of inflammation is more likely to raise the risk of dementia. Helping others overcome addiction More than 1 in 3 adults say they know someone who struggles with an addiction, according to a poll by the American Psychiatric Association. And theyd like to help and feel qualified to do so. The recent survey found that 7 in 10 American adults know how to help someone struggling with addiction. More than half said theyd turn to a doctor to provide that assistance. Thats according to the associations new Healthy Minds Monthly poll that shows respondents are more than happy to start a conversation about addiction. Its promising that Americans show such openness to talking with loved ones who may have substance use disorders or behavioral addictions, Dr. Petros Levounis, president of the association, said in a news release. The survey was taken online by Morning Consult from August 12 to 13 and included responses from 2,201 adults, its margin of error plus or minus 2 percentage points. In the poll, addiction included psychological or physical dependence on either alcohol or drugs and noted it could also refer to behavior disorders, including problem sexual, internet or gambling activities. The survey found that adults ages 18 to 34 were twice as likely as adults 65 or older to say they know someone battling an addiction (44% vs. 22%). Most had ideas about how to help someone, though the ideas varied and ranged from seeking inpatient treatment to Alcoholics Anonymous. Just 7% said they did not think recovery from a mental illness or addiction is possible. Does infection raise risk of dementia? Dementia is among the most feared health crises. A new study in JAMA Network Open says that inflammation from infection may be responsible for an increased risk of neurocognitive decline. While inflammation has been suspected in the past, the new research homes in on the type of infection. Related The study, led by Janet Janbek, of Copenhagen University HospitalRigshospitalet, and her and colleagues looked at a massive amount of data collected over 40 years from 1978 to 2018 and included almost 1.5 million adults from Danish national population registries. None of them had been diagnosed with dementia at the beginning of the study, which found a nearly 1.5-fold increase in risk among those who had inflammation from infection, while a link to inflammation from autoimmune diseases was less clear. The individuals were born from 1928 to 1953, were alive and living in Denmark on Jan. 1, 1978, and were included in the study upon their 65th birthday. None of the individuals had a record of diagnosed dementia upon enrollment. According to a Psychiatric News Alert from the American Psychiatric Association, Over the study period, dementia occurred about 1.5 times as often in people who had infections than in people without infections. Furthermore, the more infections people had, the higher the rate of dementia. In contrast, dementia occurred in people who had autoimmune diseases at about the same rate (1.04 times) as people without autoimmune diseases; being diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases did not appear to increase the rate of dementia. The researchers couldnt explain the mechanism or reach conclusions about the role of inflammation based on their work, but they say it could point toward a role for infection-specific processes, rather than generic systemic inflammation. Can teledentistry make care more available? Telemedicine has made big inroads for mental health consultations and general medicine especially since COVID made in-person consultations harder and more risky. But whats the role of telemedicine consultations online for dentistry? The University of Albanys Center for Health Workforce Studies in its School of Public Health found that the pandemic also prompted a dramatic increase in teledentistry. And the role online consultations play is not likely to diminish in the future, the researchers say. A recent report by the center found that teledentistry is effective for triage, consultation, diagnosis, referral, follow-up and health education, covering aspects of dentistry that dont require in-person care. But state regulations may present barriers, the report said. In background material, the university reported that state-level variability in teledentistry regulation often limits the ability of safety-net clinicians to provide virtual oral health care. The barriers include the inability to get Medicaid reimbursement to treat low-income patients in a way that may be more accessible than having to take time off work or arrange transportation to appointments, for instance. The study said just 14 states paid for Medicaid patients to use teledentistry after the COVID-19 public health emergency expired in May. Other barriers include restrictions that say only dentists can provide teledentistry services. The report notes that some services could be provided by dental hygienists. Swarming crowds and extravagant locations are par for the course at New York Fashion Week. But sometimes its the smallest venues that leave the biggest impression. On Monday, a packed rooftop show hosted by convicted felon Anna Delvey became one of the more unusual runways the city has seen in recent years. And thats before taking the post-show pizza party into consideration. Delvey (real last name Sorokin) has been under house arrest for nearly a year as she appeals deportation to Germany following a two-year stint in prison for grand larceny, among other financial crimes, and an additional 18 months detained by immigration authorities for overstaying her visa. Her ascent up New Yorks social ladder as a fake heiress and subsequent downfall for defrauding financial institutions (and others) out of more than $200,000 were recounted in multiple magazine features and a book written by a former bestie, before being dramatized in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna last year. Delvey (left), wearing a bedazzled suit jacket designed by Shao Yang, poses with publicist Kelly Cutrone (right) after the show. - Courtesy Shao Models in the lobby of Delvey's East Village apartment building before beginning their ascent to its rooftop. - Dominik Bindl/Getty Images Thanks to her court-ordered ankle monitor, Delveys involvement in New York Fashion Week or, indeed, any event that would see her going outside might have been limited. But as it happened, fashion week came to her with the help of powerhouse publicist, and owner of the PR agency Peoples Revolution, Kelly Cutrone. The pair have formed a new pop-up fashion PR agency called the OutLaw Agency. The first designer they chose to showcase was Shao Yang, a bespoke tailor debuting her new label, Shao. Though Delveys taste for designer clothes is well documented, with her carefully-curated courtroom looks often going viral during her 2019 trial, her involvement in a runway show has understandably sparked skepticism. But in a video call with CNN the day after the show, Delvey stepped handily into the role of publicist. I love the clothes I would have never done this if we didnt love the collection, she said. Because, yeah, I mean I can get publicity doing anything, she said with a laugh. Wouldnt that be great press? Debut collections can often make a splash, but typically not under these conditions. Hosted atop Delveys apartment building in New Yorks East Village (so that she never had to leave the premises), attendees packed onto a wet rooftop that almost certainly wasnt intended to hold large, raucous crowds, following a downpour less than an hour prior. Though Delvey said she didnt obtain permission from her landlord in order to spare him potential liability, she did seek neighbors approval to host the show. A model is styled for the show in an elevator, due to the space constraints in Delvey's building. Cutrone told CNN that most of the hair and makeup was done off-site, before the models were bussed in. - Dominik Bindl/Getty Images Outside, as guests sipped on drinks and smoked while waiting to be admitted by two brusque bouncers in black T-shirts and jeans, one woman apparently a neighbor of Delveys was quickly allowed to bypass the line so that she and her little pet dachshund could get home. As the crowd swelled, designer Yang was at one point almost denied access to her own show. Models reached the stairs from a double-parked party bus on the street then climbed five stories up to the rooftop, where guests including Nicola Formichetti and former Real Housewives of New York star Leah McSweeney sat in close quarters. Some guests went as far as to brave seats on the buildings brick parapet. Post-show, Cutrone, in den mother mode, loudly discouraged models from getting too close to the rooftops edge for the requisite selfies, though at one point was heard remarking deadpan to Delvey: What if we fell off and died? Wouldnt that be great press? An all-black look featuring leather corsetry from Shao's Spring-Summer 2024 collection. - Courtesy Shao Tennis skirt-style pleating featured on a coat dress in another look from the collection. - Courtesy Shao Yangs collection spanned sharp tailoring, pinstripe pieces, oversize shirt dresses and denim workwear with contrasting stitching details. Amid a primarily black and white color palette, a high-waisted skirt in a mottled, metallic silver pattern stood out, as did a pop of acid neon yellow on one of the labels suits. With models navigating a single, narrow loop in front of an air conditioning unit some more successfully than others there were moments when proceedings all felt a bit chaotic, though this was perhaps inevitable given the circumstances. People can think whatever they want Yang, who joined Delvey on the video call with CNN, said that her collection was very inspired by old New York, especially the 80s. Everything in the collection is completely genderless anybody can wear it, she added. Its very important for me to have clothes that are not super fussy; you should be able to love it put it on, feel like yourself, feel great, and then walk out the door. The designer was enthusiastic about the outcome of the show. She recounted being on board the moment Cutrone presented the idea to her, despite the fact that Yang knew Delveys notoriety might attract more press than the clothes themselves. I thought it was brilliant, Yang said. I feel blessed just be a part of it, because as a new designer with a new brand, no ones going to come to your show. No ones going to really know about you. Models pose in looks from Shao's Spring-Summer 2024 collection, which was inspired by counter-cultural, rebellious New York. - Dominik Bindl/Getty Images As Yang described her collection, Delvey chimed in with an anecdote about getting disciplined in prison for hand-sewing alterations to her uniform. I learned about a lot about tailoring being in jail, she said. During a post-show press gaggle, Cutrone told reporters that two agencies had pulled their models from the show upon learning of Delveys involvement. Asked about this in the video call the next day, Delvey, seemingly unaware, declined to comment. She separately said that another modeling agency had bucked industry norms by asking to be paid upfront. If youre not feeling comfortable, whatever no hard feelings, she said. Im like, I Google myself. She and Cutrone have more ideas in the works, but the collaboration is all so fresh, she said. For now, Delvey added, she wants to direct all the focus to Yangs new label. Its all about Shao, she said. People can think whatever they want, but we just like having fun and they can take it or leave it. Who cares? For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com We wanted to give everyone the opportunity to send him love and to thank him for all he has done. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images Former President Jimmy Carter continues to defy the odds. Now in his seventh month of hospice care, the 98-year-old has managed to shock even those closest to him. "These last several months have been surprising for all of us," his grandson, Jason Carter, chairman of The Carter Center, told People, "but it's been a real blessing." With Jimmys 99th birthday on October 1st fast approaching, The Carter Center is cooking up something extra special for the milestone moment. As part of its "Jimmy Carter 99" campaign, theyre asking the public to share messages and well wishes to be featured in a digital mosaic for President Carter, his family, and communities around the world to enjoy, The Carter Center shared in a news release. President Carter has dedicated his life to making the world a better place, and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to send him love and to thank him for all he has done, Paige Alexander, chief executive officer at The Carter Center, told USA Today. You can submit your tributes on The Carter Center website or by posting on social media the #JimmyCarter99 hashtag. Submissions will be shared with the Carter family and compiled into a digital mosaic illustrating the magnitude of President Carter's impact on people all over the world. "When you think about his legacy, it is this legacy of all of these individual personal stories that he has helped to define," Jason explained to People. "We thought it was a really appropriate gift, and we're just thrilled that we get to give it to him." Following a few brief hospitalizations, Jimmy announced his decision to forgo further medical intervention in February. Three months later, the Carter family revealed that 96-year-old Rosalynn, Jimmys wife of 77 years, has dementia. The couple has spent the last few months visiting with friends and family at their home in Plains, Georgia, and enjoying their final days together. I think the beautiful thing is that they are still together, Josh told People last month. "They are still holding hands. It's just amazing." For more information and to submit a message to the 39th president, visit cartercenter.org. For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. Pacsun is riding the wave of the fast-growing third-party logistics (3PL) market. The lifestyle apparel retailer is putting Cart.com in charge of its lone fulfillment center and chasing the benefits of outsourcing. Pacsun aims to gain from Cart.coms logistics expertise and order and inventory management capabilities to support nationwide fulfillment. More from Sourcing Journal The more than 320-store retailer will hand over the management of its 2 million-square-foot Groveport, Ohio fulfillment facility to the 3PL. The warehouse marks the 14th omnichannel fulfillment center in Cart.coms nationwide network, which now encompasses nearly 8 million square feet. The automated facility includes advanced sortation capabilities and more than 25 miles of conveyance. The transition comes a month after Cart.com clinched a similar deal managing operations at JP Outfitters fulfillment facility near Cincinnati. We are pleased to partner with Cart.com and believe their scale, proprietary technologies and operational expertise will enhance our efficiency and increase customer satisfaction, said Russell Bowers, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Pacsun in a statement. The location will fulfill online orders and ship to the companys store network, according to Remington Tonar, co-founder and chief growth officer at Cart.com. They do all their store replenishment through there as well, and we have a lot of facilities that do both for customers, Tonar told Sourcing Journal. Our focus is very omnichannel, so were always looking for facilities that can support omnichannel fulfillment and distribution, and our software is built to do that as well. Through our software, all of our facilities are enabled to fulfill and track inventory orders across those channels. Most of the 14 facilities Cart.com operates serve multiple customers, ranging from three to 15 depending on the size of the facility. According to Tonar, the Pacsun facility will also be converted to a multi-customer warehouse down the line. During Covid, there were a lot of folksAmazon includedthat kind of overbuilt. They might have too much space on their hands in the post-Covid environment, said Tonar. We can maximize the value of that space more readily than a private company or individual brand, can given that all of our facilities are multi-tenant. Pacsuns warehouse transition comes as logistics costs continue rising. Business logistics costs hit $2.3 trillion in 2022, growing 19.6 percent year-over-year over 2021 totals, according to the State of Logistics Report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Kearney. This marked the highest cost growth over the past decade. Inventory carrying costs, including storage, were 52 percent higher at $759.3 billion, illustrating the drawbacks in operating a fully owned network. Beyond keeping costs down, Cart.com believes clients choose to work with 3PLs because they easily integrate multiple software platformsa tall task for most retailers. As retailers have to take orders from and ship product to or through more channels, it becomes more complex, Tonar said. And a lot of merchants just decided that they dont have to contend with that complexity. Pacsun warehouse employees will keep their jobs, with Cart.com retaining all site supervisors and managers. Acquiring that talent is also part of why we do these deals, said Tonar. Were really excited to absorb the employees at that facility and leverage their knowledge to make our entire network better and cross pollinate that knowledge into other fulfillment centers as well. Cart.com has worked on meshing e-commerce software with a robust fulfillment and contract logistics network that helps merchants to sell and fulfill across channels, whether it be Amazon, Etsy, Walmart or others, supporting 6,000 brands and hosting $8 billion in total gross merchandise value (GMV) across its fulfillment ecosystem. Cart.coms fulfillment services are powered by proprietary software as well as predictive analytics, which Pacsun can use to reduce increasing logistics costs and gain real-time inventory visibility insights. Cart.com was founded in November 2020, has raised over $440 million and had a valuation of $1.26 billion after the companys Series C funding round in June. For Pacsun, the partnership comes as the Gen Z-leaning retailer beefs up its omnichannel customer experiences, recently implementing Manhattan Active Point of Sale from Manhattan Associates. By expanding its solution set to include the POS solution, Pacsun intends to give associates a streamlined, intuitive experience across all in-store selling, engagement and fulfillment functions. Click here to read the full article. Morning show host Brian Slacker Adams, of the classic rock radio station 101 The Fox in Kansas City, was released from the hospital Thursday after receiving treatment for blood cancer. Adams was discharged from the University of Kansas Health System two weeks earlier than expected following a bone marrow transplant, according to a Sept. 14 post by his family. The radio host had announced his hiatus from on-air work in August before undergoing chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia, which he was diagnosed with in July, according to an Aug. 16 post on the fundraising site Caring Bridge. As anybody who has walked this journey or has had a love one on it know, it is a dark path with many obstacles, Adams wrote. On one bright note, I wont be worrying about losing my hair! Lol. After Adams announcement that he would be going off the air and receiving treatment, fans shared their reactions in voicemails to the beloved host, which were posted to the stations website. Hey Slacker its Ronnie, just wanted to let you know Im still thinking about you... Youll get through this man I have faith, one listener said. Slacker hang in there buddy. I know you can beat this, said another listener who identified themselves as Elmer. Youre in our thoughts and prayers man. We love you, said Tammy and her husband, listeners from Richmond, about 44 miles east of Kansas City. The radio station did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday morning. Fundraising for Brian Slacker Adams Having been off the air since August, Adams and his family were accepting online donations to help shoulder the financial costs associated with treatment. A GoFundMe has has collected more than $18,000 as of Friday, with a goal of $150,000. The financial burden of what he is enduring will be extremely challenging without our help, wrote a fundraisers organizer Anthony Trevino. Trevino, who described himself on the fundraising page as a dear friend of Adams, pointed out the radio host had participated in multiple charitable events while hosting the Kansas City classic rock station, including Cars for Heroes campaign, which provides free transportation to veterans. Yet, the 44-year rock radio veteran had been hesitant to ask for support. He always thinks of others before himself, Trevino wrote on the GoFundMe page. Other admirers of the beloved host have set up fundraisers to assist the family in purchasing meals, groceries and more. They can be found through Adams profile on the Caring Bridge website, where patients can document their health journey and share resources online. Adams also encouraged listeners to sign up for the National Marrow Donor Program by texting SLACKER to 61474. Participants would receive a cheek swab kit to submit to the programs registry of bone marrow donors. This story explores mental health. If you are at risk, please stop here and contact 988 Suicide and CrisisLifeline. One month after graduating from Madison Central High School in 2009, Michael Vinson joined the U.S. Air Force and rose through the ranks to reach the role of technical sergeant working on search and rescue planes. After seven years in the air force, he earned an honorable discharge, but he faced mental health issues in silence before taking his own life in 2019. As a result his mother, Susan Cleland of Madison, founded Mission Vigilant For the 22 the next year in 2020. Susan Cleland, author of Mission Vigilant: A Mothers Crusade to Stem the Tide of Veteran Suicide, sits outside her Madison, Miss., home Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. In the foreground is a photo fo her son, veteran Michael Vinson, who she lost to suicide in 2019. "No one ever knew his struggles were so deep," Cleland says on the Mission Vigilant website. Mission Vigilant began as a way for Cleland to heal, she said. Following the tragedy, she connected with Michelle Ladd, founder of the Facebook group Mothers of Veteran Suicide. Cleland Obit: Michael Ryan Vinson Ladd encouraged Cleland to share her journey of faith and healing. Cleland decided to start a non-profit dedicated to helping Mississippis veterans connect with mental health services. Cleland said Mission Vigilant aided 21 veterans last year by covering the costs of their counseling. This year, she hopes to double that number. The name Mission Vigilant shares the same initials as Michael Vinson, Cleland said, noting that the name helps her remember and honor her son every time she says it. The For the 22 came Cleland said after she heard that 22 veterans die by suicide each day in the United States. The accuracy of that number is uncertain but in recent years as many as 16 per day, according to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, have been reported, and Cleland said she wants to keep that number from growing. Mission Vigilant is a donation-based nonprofit and will host a fundraiser called Ruck22 Buddy Check from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Bellevue Clubhouse at Lake Caroline, 667 Bellevue Dr., Madison. This Saturday will mark the third-annual event held in September in honor of Suicide Awareness Month and will feature several activities including a 5K ruck, a bake sale and a silent auction with art from local artists. The grand prize for this years silent auction is a one-week stay in an Alabama cabin. Participants can sign up on the nonprofits Facebook and their website. A "ruck" involves soldiers carrying everything on their backs while traveling on foot, sometimes for miles. Cleland said a ruck is more than a physical journey. Its a time to tell your stories. Its a time to keep everybodys morale up, Cleland said. Participants are not required to carry anything during the ruck, but Cleland hopes the activity will invoke endurance and camaraderie even without the weight. The fundraiser begins with a warm-up at 8:30 a.m. before the ruck begins at 9 a.m. The remaining activities begin at 10 a.m. A book detailing Cleland's journey, "Mission Vigilant: A Mothers Crusade to Stem the Tide of Veteran Suicide," available now on Amazon, will officially debut at Saturdays event where co-authors Cleland and Sherye Green will sign copies. Green During her healing, Cleland came to Green, a Jackson-based author and her friend of 20 years, and told her they needed to turn her experience into a book. Over the course of the last 18 months, Green worked with Cleland to tell her story. Green previously wrote "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin: One Womans Remarkable Escape from Nazi Germany." Green worked closely with the books subject, Mildred Schindler, in order to craft the narrative from Schindlers perspective. Mission Vigilant Using interviews with Cleland and transcriptions from Clelands prayer journals, Green pieced together her story. In comparison to "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin," Green said her personal relationship with Cleland made it easier to craft a narrative in someone elses voice. Still, she said the most challenging part of the writing process was accurately portraying Clelands experiences through her eyes. Both "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin" and "Mission Vigilant" are faith-based, but Green said the reader doesnt have to be Christian to find meaning in Cleland's story. She hopes the book will touch others with similar experiences who might feel isolated. Its human nature for any of us to think when we have a problem, 'No one would understand me, or if I told someone this, they would think I was nuts,' Green said. One of our greatest hopes with this book is to bring into the mainstream conversation the subject of suicide. The book takes the reader through four parts: Part one details Cleland's experience with Michael. Part two centers around the phenomenon of veteran suicide across the country. Part three describes Clelands healing journey, and part four focuses on the nonprofit. There is an additional section with several pages of mental health resources. Cleland, who normally spends her days as a traveling hair stylist for home-bound people, said she wanted to write the book to give mothers like her a sense of resilience. The first few chapters describe the hardships she went through losing her son. Then comes the hope. After you get past the hard part, you start to feel like your heart is filling up with hope, Cleland said. You think you know your purpose in life and God is going to just slap it in your face and say, This is your purpose in life. Green said another goal the pair hopes to achieve is curbing the stigma surrounding suicide within the military. With her son, Mark, in the Navy Reserve, Green said she feels a great sense of responsibility to bring attention to the mental health of active and former military members. She hopes Saturdays event will continue the conversation. There are a lot of veterans we found in these last years that have attended, Green said. Sometimes even in a non-assuming way, you can begin a conversation with someone that, you know, you hope maybe later might save a life. When asked what she would say to a struggling veteran, Clelands message mirrored Greens: Dont give up. Its minute to minute. Hold on. It will go away. There is hope. If you go What: Ruck22 Buddy Check When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 Where: Bellevue Clubhouse at Lake Caroline, 667 Bellevue Dr., Madison This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Madison MS donation-based nonprofit works to prevent veteran suicide Leer en espanol PHOENIX Mexico's Independence Day, celebrated on Sept. 16, is commonly confused with the U.S.-centric celebration of Cinco de Mayo even by people who are of Mexican descent. With celebrations taking place throughout the United States, here's what you need to know about how the fight for independence in Mexico began, and how that celebration has transcended borders more than 200 years later. How is Independence Day celebrated in Mexico? September marks Mexico's Mes de la Patria, or patriotic month, with Sept. 16 commemorating the beginning of the fight for independence against Spanish forces, who controlled the country for more than 300 years. As the days go by, the streets fill with vendors selling Mexican flags of different sizes, rattles, and typical clothing folkloric skirts, peasant blouses, shawls, zarapes and huarache sandals. In schools, classrooms are decorated with green, white and red papel picado (perforated paper), and patriotic parties are organized where students gather to share Mexican dishes and watch ballet folklorico. What is 'El Grito de Dolores'? How the fight began This celebration is characterized by the performance of El Grito de Dolores, or battle cry. El grito was inspired on Sept. 16, 1810, when Catholic priest Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bells of his parish and called on the Mexican population to take up arms against the Spanish authorities in a fight that would last 11 years. Every year, a performance of the battle cry is carried out in the National Palace in the capital of Mexico City. Inside the building in the Ambassadors Hall, a military escort made up of students from the Heroic Military College delivers the flag to the current president of Mexico while the national anthem plays. Later, the president approaches the balcony and addresses the attendees in the Zocalo esplanade to ring out the same cry, which includes the names of the heroes of independence, such as Miguel Hidalgo, Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez and Ignacio Allende. Cities and organizations around the country plan events focused on this celebration for people to come together and learn about Mexican culture. Fireworks are launched over the National Palace during the ceremony of "El Grito," marking the start of Independence Day celebrations in Mexico City on Sept. 15, 2022. How is Mexican Independence Day celebrated in the U.S.? The General Consulate of Mexico, located in major cities such as Las Vegas, New York and Miami, also organizes community events that feature a performance of the battle cry. Similarly, several universities, media groups and local organizations prepare events throughout cities with large concentrations of Mexican residents. From El Grito ceremonies and concerts featuring famous Mexican musicians to art exhibitions and festivals for the whole family, the day is always commemorated in a massive way and usually aims to educate and emphasize the importance of the date for those who live in the United States. Mexican Independence Day vs. Cinco de Mayo Confusion persists in the United States about when Independence Day is actually celebrated in Mexico, according to Irasema Coronado, director of the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University. May 5 has become a completely commercialized holiday to celebrate in a big way, right?" she said. "There are even people who tell you, 'Have a happy Cinco de Mayo,' and that is not at all part of the reason why May 5th is celebrated. It is a very misunderstood holiday and I think Sept. 16 is the same. Cinco De Mayo: How did the holiday become more popular in the United States than Mexico? While May 5 has become a day to celebrate Mexican culture in the United States, the holiday is relatively minor in Mexico. Also known as the Battle of Puebla, it commemorates the battle won against the French troops that invaded the country in 1862 in an attempt to establish their empire in Mexican territory. Hispanic Heritage Month Another celebration that is also combined with that of Mexican independence is Hispanic Heritage Month, which is commemorated in the United States between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. Throughout the month, people organize events that celebrate the achievements, traditions and stories of people of Latino or Hispanic origin. The Cultural Committee of Salinas (Comite Cultural De Salinas) hosted its annual El Grito Festival to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in Salinas, California. The month has been recognized as a holiday by law since 1968 thanks to President Lyndon Johnson. During these days, the anniversaries of the independence of several Latin American countries, such as Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, also are celebrated. Coronado said it's up to Latinos of Mexican origin to study the history of the United States and Mexico to understand the importance of the connection between these two countries and educate others on the importance of accurately celebrating Mexico's origins. Want to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day? Events around the US Visit these USA TODAY Network sites to find events to celebrate near you. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Mexico's Independence Day? No, it's not on Cinco de Mayo Editor's Note: The school board approved a proclamation recognizing LGBTQ+ History Month on Oct. 18, 2023. Palm Beach County Schools will continue to recognize LGBTQ+ History Month while other school districts around Florida choose not to, school leaders said Wednesday night. Superintendent Mike Burke said the district will proclaim October as LGBTQ+ History Month at its Oct. 18 school board meeting. Proclamations are often read by school board members and recognize meaningful events such as Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15), Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month (April) and Overdose Awareness Month (August). But responding for the second year in a row to pressure from conservative activists and state politicians aiming to restrict classroom instruction on gender and sexuality, Miami-Dade County school leaders voted last week not to mark LGBTQ+ History Month. Pride parade participants march during the Palm Beach Pride Parade in March in Lake Worth Beach. We have to focus on what our core responsibility is, which is to educate our students on their core subjects math, English, sciences, history, Robert Alonso, a Miami-Dade County school board member who voted no on the measure, told Miami's NBC 6. In Palm Beach County, school leaders have tried to maintain the status quo and follow the law, while board members say they're trying to avoid "overreacting" to each new edict from the legislature or the state Board of Education. For example, Palm Beach County has had very few book challenges in comparison with other Florida counties just one formal challenge and five informal complaints in the past year. None resulted in book removals. School leaders faced pressure from public speakers from inside the classroom and out on Wednesday night. They urged the board to hold fast in its recognition of LGBTQ+ history. Giving in, speakers said, will erase students' identities and potentially lifesaving representation in schools. "If I knew that these people might have been gay in a history class or a science class, I might have had hope that I could be anything I wanted," Tom Lander, chairman of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Safe Schools South Florida said Wednesday after listing historical figures who were gay such as mathematician Alan Turing and astronaut Sally Ride. Florida AG weighs in: So-called 'Don't Say Gay' law doesn't apply to school library books William Rizzo, a Palm Beach County teacher and sponsor of a Gay-Straight Alliance club, said club membership has dropped this year after students have been required to turn in permission slips to participate in all after-school clubs. He said he felt the policy "intentionally" targets GSA clubs, adding that positive social supports are crucial to mental health of LGBTQ+ students. "I'm the one who has to stand before them and tell them they no longer have that space," he said. "What are you going to do to protect me and all the other LGBT teachers. How are you going to show us that you understand my plea and are actually concerned? "And most importantly, how are you going to protect my students, who now have no safe place to go to?" he asked. From 2022: Palm Beach County schools reviewing LGBTQ+ policies after state raises legal questions LGBTQ+ History Month differs from LGBTQ Pride Month, which is typically held in June. The former is a monthlong observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history, the history of gay rights and of related civil rights movements. LGBTQ+ History Month was founded in 1994 by a 29-year-old high school history teacher in Missouri named Rodney Wilson, according to the Huffington Post. Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today! This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County to recognize LGBTQ+ history month in October 2023 President Biden is dispatching two top aides to get more directly involved in negotiations between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Big Three automakers, wading more deeply into the politically complicated strike that began Friday morning. In brief remarks Friday Biden also said that he understands the workers' grievances, especially in the face of what he called record profits by the companies involved: Ford (F), GM (GM), and Stellantis (STLA). "Those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers," the president said, adding that the negotiations should end in "record contracts for the UAW." On Friday morning, as the deadline for a deal passed, the UAW began a new "stand up" strike strategy that saw selected plants go on strike with others still working but remaining on call to walk off the job at any time. President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and auto companies in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Sept. 15. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) The two aides dispatched by Biden acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House Senior Adviser Gene Sperling have largely been involved from afar up until now. Now both will be headed to Detroit to try and mediate directly in the days ahead as both sides try to avert a protracted strike. These Biden officials have histories with auto negotiations, notably Sperling who helped lead the rescue of the auto industry in 2009 during the Obama administration. Biden's speech in the Roosevelt Room of the White House reflected the complicated political calculations for Biden that have been evident since the talks began. Biden himself has been pulled between his longtime allegiance to union workers and his championing of the nascent electric vehicle industry, which has disrupted the traditional auto industry and helped contribute to the current standoff. Biden alluded to the challenge, arguing Friday that the US need for strong unions "is especially true as we transition to a clean energy future, which we are in the process of doing." "We need labor agreements for the future," he added. Story continues GM workers with the UAW Local 2250 Union strike outside the General Motors Wentzville Assembly Plant on Sept. 15 in Wentzville, Mo. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images) Biden has also had close ties with auto CEOs themselves since taking office, with Ford CEO Jim Farley and General Motors CEO Mary Barra often visiting the White House. "He's in a very difficult position," noted Kate Bronfenbrenner, a director of labor education research at Cornell University, during a Yahoo Finance Live appearance Friday. She noted Biden "wants to be careful about putting his weight into the strike because it could go either way." The move by the White House to get more closely involved was a marked change after weeks where the administration tried to keep its distance publicly from the talks. On Thursday, Biden gave what was billed as a major address on his economic policy, but the looming strike didn't come up during that 34-minute speech. Now with the strike underway, Biden and the White House are trying to tread a line and end the standoff as quickly as possible before the economic costs begin to mount. "Let's be clear, no one wants a strike but I respect the workers' right to use options under the collective bargaining system," says Biden. Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory predicting large breaking waves of 5 to 8 feet, the water conditions are being caused by Hurricane Lee churning off the South Carolina coast. The alert is effective from noon on Thursday, Sept. 14 to Saturday, Sept. 16 at 2 a.m. The alert says that conditions for surfing and swimming along Horry County beaches will be dangerous and warns that rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. Those rip currents contributed to Myrtle Beach being named one of the most dangerous beaches in the U.S. in a recent study. SC has one of the deadliest beaches in the US, ranking shows. Heres where Check with the nearest lifeguard and heed flag warnings posted above all area lifeguard stands. However, local surfers may be bummed that the website Swellinfo.com predicts that the biggest waves to occur on Friday morning at 3-4+ feet in the Myrtle Beach area, but expects those shoulder to head-high waves to be choppy and bumpy with North winds of 10 to 15 mph. Live beach webcams throughout the Myrtle Beach area will allow viewers to check out the wave conditions in real-time. With great opportunity comes great responsibility. As was the case earlier this year, the Governor and Legislature will again have significant revenue to allocate once they meet in January of 2024. At a recent legislative hearing, Secretary of Taxation and Revenue Stephanie Schardin Clarke spoke eloquently about both the opportunity and the responsibility. She said the state is building a bridge from peak oil to income that is more predictable and sustainable. Such a bridge is built on investments in our people what economists refer to as our human capital. In fact, the state has already begun work on that bridge. In 2023, our New Mexico Legislature, under the incredible leadership of Speaker of the House Javier Martinez, Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham enacted several measures that will make a noticeable difference in the lives of people across the state. Among those measures were the historic investments they made in the lives of New Mexico kids, specifically our youngest learners. They set aside more funding for child care, universal pre-K, and early childhood development programs. They made school meals free for everyone and increased a state Child Tax Credit that benefits every child in the state. New Mexicos children deserve every opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. With the critical funding our Legislature appropriated, these programs will reduce childhood poverty and improve educational outcomes for children. They will also expand economic opportunities for families across New Mexico. And we know that kids do better when families have the resources they need. Progress like this doesn't come easily. It is an important reminder that voting matters. Last November, by an overwhelming margin of 70%, voters approved constitutional amendment 1, which directs the state to use an additional 1.25% from the $24 billion Permanent School Fund for early childhood care and K-12 programs. Research shows that these kinds of long-term investments in our children and families lead to generational improvements in health, education, and economic outcomes, but they must be given time to work. Fortunately, the resources will be available to continue building on the work done in 2023 and prior years. So, as the Legislature and Governor craft the budget for next year, we encourage them to frame each decision around how the expenditures will help provide better opportunities for our children. In other words, we must continue building the bridge and ensure that no one is left behind. Further investments in human capital could include baby bonds, paid family and medical leave for all workers, supporting a career ladder for early childhood professionals, continuing to rebuild behavioral health services, fully funding environmental cleanup and pollution enforcement, and significantly boosting wages for Child Protective Services workers and other hard-to-fill vacancies within state government. We hope everyone will join us in thanking our legislators for their incredible work during the 2023 legislative session. Next time you see your state representatives around town, take a moment to say thanks. And then encourage them to keep investing in our children, families and communities. James Jimenez is executive director of the NMVC Action Fund and Amber Wallin is executive director of NM Voices for Children. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: One state must continue its historic investments in families and kids Oak Ridge Associated Universities has donated $100,000 to the Roane State Foundation in support of the Knox Regional Health Science Education Center, a new Roane State campus being constructed in West Knoxville. The 130,000-square-foot facility will be at 9575 Sherrill Boulevard, across from Parkwest Medical Center, and will house health science programs offered by both Roane State and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville. This is a rendering of Roane State Community Colleges new 130,000-square-foot facility, Knox Regional Health Sciences Education Center. It is set to open in fall 2025. Once open, the center will replace Roane States current Knox County Center for Health Sciences and allow both colleges to significantly expand health science courses and programs, a Roane State news release said. Current Roane State programs to be housed in the new center include nursing, EMS, polysomnography, and respiratory therapy, with the college planning to add new programs such as cardiovascular technology, healthcare administration, and public health, the release said. Additionally, the center will feature a large multi-purpose simulation center aimed at immersing students in real-world scenarios that elevate their training. Roane State broke ground on the project Aug. 1, with completion scheduled for fall of 2025. As part of ORAUs ongoing commitment to advancing national priorities in science, health, and education, we are honored to be a partner in bringing the new Knox Regional Health Science Education Center one step closer to reality, said ORAU President Andy Page. This center will help prepare students to be a vital part of our future healthcare workforce, further strengthening the economy of East Tennessee. This project will allow us to serve our students at the highest level so they can enter the healthcare workforce highly skilled, ready to save lives and enhance patient care, Roane State President Chris Whaley said. ORAUs gift supports our mission of improving lives through higher education and building communities that truly thrive. The total estimated dollar amount for the project is $75 million. The state contributed $67.5 million. Roane State needs at least $7.5 million in private philanthropy to complete the project and sustain funding for the students who will attend. Parkwest Medical Center gave the largest single gift in Roane State history, donating a 10-acre parcel of land to house the new facility. Interested supporters can learn more about getting involved with the fundraising effort or making a contribution at roanestate.edu/foundation. From left: Roane State President Chris Whaley, ORAU President and CEO Andy Page, and Roane State Foundation Campaign Manager Joey Gilbert. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: ORAU donates $100,000 for Roane States new Health Science Center MERRILL - The pre-kindergarten school in a northern Wisconsin school is now providing bottled water for students and staff, after elevated levels of "forever chemicals" were found in the well serving the building. Culligan water is being provided in every room in Pine River School for Young Learners where students drink water or brush their teeth, said Shannon Murray, superintendent of the Merrill School District. So far things have been going smoothly, Murray said, and the bottled water and open conversation are helping to keep the community calm. "The kids have been great. The families have been great. Social media has been very supportive," he said. "It's not like anybody's done anything wrong, but I would classify it as a pretty significant inconvenience." Mandatory testing in early August found PFOS, one of the two most well-known and well-researched PFAS compounds, at 78 parts per trillion in a well serving the school, above the state standard of 70 parts per trillion for the compound. PFOA was detected below the limit at 54 parts per trillion. Several other PFAS compounds that are unregulated in the state were also detected by the test, according to state data. The levels of both PFOA and PFOS are both above recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency of 4 parts per trillion, which could become federal regulations if approved. While PFAS can be harmful to adults as well, the EPA suggests that the compounds could be worse for children, because they drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. More: Gov. Tony Evers asks for safeguards on PFAS bill to ensure communities can access state relief In testing conducted by the Journal Sentinel last summer, Merrrill's water system had low levels of PFAS, but nothing near the levels of the Pine River school. Burton said that at this point, the source is unknown, and could have come from anywhere. But a drive past the school doesn't give any additional clues as to where the contamination could be coming from. Surrounded by agricultural fields, the closest businesses to it are a storage company and a combination Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell restaurant. "Right now we're working with the school to reduce exposure. We really haven't done any kind of investigation," said Kyle Burton, the field operations director of drinking water and groundwater for the DNR. "There's no real smoking gun, there are so many sources of PFAS." More: Forever chemicals are a growing problem. Heres what we found when we tested Wisconsins drinking water. In the meantime, the DNR and the school district are exploring options for treating the contamination. "Longer term, the DNR kind of walks us through some long-term solutions, including connecting up to city water and the city water has passed all PFAS tests so far," Murray said. "That estimate would be about a million and a half bucks without getting too far into it." The district is also exploring moving the operations of the school to a different building next year, which would be connected to the city water instead of the private well. The district has an empty building that used to be an elementary school, so that option could be viable, Murray said, and the community is talking about the option. A lack of information on how long PFAS have been in the well or how many students may have been exposed is raising concerns. Murray's own children attended the school when they were younger, but the district can only focus on solutions at this point, and how those will eventually be paid for. Money will be a bit of an issue, but the district will do what it can to ensure no other students are exposed. "We just cut 3 million from our budget coming into the school year," he said. "It's a surprise." More: 'Forever chemicals' found in Wisconsin River, lakes near Stella, raising concerns over fish About PFAS PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time. The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water. PFAS have been found across Wisconsin. Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: PFAS found in well water puts Wisconsin pre-K school on bottled water U.S. Sen. Jim Risch , R-Idaho, tried to use his position of power and privilege to benefit himself by diverting planes away from his Southwest Boise ranch. We call that corruption and abuse of power. According to reporting by the Idaho Statesmans Kevin Fixler, Risch went to great lengths to divert planes taking off from the Boise Airport to fly not over his 44-acre ranch, but over parts of Meridian and Nampa, even though those flight patterns would have been less safe and less efficient. The lengths that Idahos junior senator went to were extraordinary. He lobbied the Boise mayors office and the Boise Airport. They said no. He lobbied the FAA. They told him no. He spoke directly with the FAA director. He told him no. When none of that worked, he went to a fellow Republican senator, Ted Cruz of Texas, to get a section slipped into an FAA bill. Risch used his position of power to gain access to people and processes that are not available to ordinary citizens. Could you imagine, as a resident of Meridian or Nampa, picking up the phone and speaking with the director of the Federal Aviation Administration to complain about airplane noise over your house? Or stroll over to Cruzs office and have him surreptitiously slip in a clause in a bill that would benefit you personally? This was a clear abuse of power for Rischs own benefit. And it was an abuse that would have harmed the residents of Meridian and Nampa the people hes supposed to represent and affected traffic in and out of the Nampa and Caldwell airports. Funneling the vast majority of louder/large aircraft over one specific point is anything but noise mitigation, J.R. Williams, a longtime commercial pilot who keeps a private plane at the Boise Airport, wrote in an email to Meridian Mayor Robert Simison about the issue. It may be mitigation for Mr. Risch, as overflight over his house would become a criminal misdemeanor. Sen. Risch doesnt seem to care about the folks in Meridian, Eagle, Star or Nampa. He only wants jets to stay away from his house. Williams knows what hes talking about. Williams also commands a unit of the A-10s at Gowen Field as a colonel in the Idaho Air National Guard and was previously an Air Force Thunderbird elite aerial jet pilot for 12 years. Even though Risch claimed that he was acting on behalf of other people who were complaining, no one else has any other evidence of significant complaints. Not the city, not the airport, not even Corey Barton, who has built dozens of houses in the area. The FAA said it didnt have enough complaints to warrant action. And when asked for evidence of the complaints that he supposedly received, Risch refused to supply them. Not even how many he received. Risch practically admitted that he was using underhanded tactics to get around protocol when he told Fixler that bypassing federal bureaucracy was the intent behind adding the language to the bill after the FAA wasnt responsive to his request. Its the equivalent of a public official pulled over for speeding and telling the trooper, Do you know who I am? This type of petty self-interest, though, is in character for Risch, who in 2018 blocked a vote from taking place on the budget that year until leadership removed a provision renaming the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness that included the name Cecil Andrus, a former Idaho Democratic governor and political rival of Rischs. With this latest stunt, it once again looks like Risch represents himself much more than his constituents. Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Mary Rohlfing and Patricia Nilsson. Of course Robin Vos is a wolf in wolfs clothing. He doesnt even deserve to be called a wolf in sheeps clothing for apparently embracing an Iowa-style nonpartisan redistricting" model that would allow the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau to write new legislative maps followed by the approval of lawmakers and the governor. The Assembly Speaker hasnt suddenly joined the chorus of good-government types seeking an even playing field where both parties battle it out in competitive districts. Despite flatly opposing Iowa-style plans in the past, on Tuesday he introduced legislation mirroring Iowas that is expected to be voted on by the Assembly today, giving the public a whopping 48 hours to digest a fundamental shift in how the state draws legislative and congressional districts. For Vos, this has always been about holding on to power at all costs. The only reason Republicans have been able to build supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature is because they drafted the maps and spent millions of taxpayer dollars defending them in court. Iowa model didnt come from idyllic Field of Dreams sequence Iowas politicians didnt adopt their model plan in some idyllic Field of Dreams sequence in a corn field. One side was afraid it was going to lose its grip on power, so it passed something fairer to avoid having to get a taste of its own medicine. With a new liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, GOP leaders are afraid this time they'll be the ox getting gored. Just the same, lets not suffer from the illusion Democrats are any less likely to succumb to the temptation of crafting maps that favor their party. Allowing partisans alone to craft electoral districts is a little like, you guessed it, allowing the fox to guard the hen house. The best system would allow civil-service professionals draft maps and make provisions for the public to weigh-in throughout the process. A fairer framework must also balance political interests, meaning it can pass in both chambers of the legislature, be signed into law by the governor and survive court challenges. In some respects, the Iowa model hits the mark on many of those points, but some critics say it works in a relatively homogeneous state like Iowa, but wouldnt in Wisconsin which has slightly more racial and ethnic diversity. Yet Vos may have quite unintentionally done something constructive. Hes broached the possibility of a negotiated solution. There is still time this fall for the legislative process to work the way it's designed. Let interested parties weigh-in on what they think the best design is for a non-partisan system in Wisconsin. Lawmakers can debate the merits, negotiate with each other and the governors office. And, more importantly, in a timeframe greater than 48 hours yet still with plenty of time before 2024 elections. Impeachment could turn Wisconsin into political spectacle The other scenario comes with far more risks. The specter of impeaching a Supreme Court Justice even before shes heard a single case may excite ideologues, but it risks plunging Wisconsin into a spectacle that could badly backfire. It's not clear Republicans have a coherent legal or ethical case for removing newly elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz. Vos has called on the judge to recuse herself from the case for comments she made during her campaign criticizing the maps. Nor can they claim the high ground on the high court. Conservative members of the court quashed recusal rules and, like Protasiewicz, have made little attempt to conceal where their sympathies or campaign support stand. In some versions of the story, the sheep see through the disguise and get the upper hand on the wolf. The speaker would be wise to recognize his clever move comes from a position of weakness. He should put off a forced 48-hour vote and negotiate on the structure for a fairer system for Wisconsin before its too late. Contact Jim Fitzhenry at (920) 993-7154 or jfitzhen@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter at @JimFitzhenry, Instagram at @jimfitzhenry or LinkedIn. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin impeachment threat, redistricting bill mask Republican woes The village's 175th anniversary celebration will take place at Cascade Memorial Park, as seen, Thursday, September 14, in Cascade, Wis. VILLAGE OF CASCADE Cascade will commemorate its 175th anniversary with music, a potluck and presentations from several politicians Sept. 16. The celebration will be at Cascade Memorial Park, 401 Milwaukee Ave., from noon to 4 p.m. Village President Tanya Powers will speak, the Cascade Legion will present the colors and the winner of the 175th anniversary queen contest will be announced. The contest was based on an essay competition for residents between ages 14-19. The potluck will start at the beginning of the celebration. Brats and burgers will be provided. Drinks will be available to buy. A DJ will also play music. This week's 'Throwback Thursday': Sheboygan's first three mayors, all born in eastern states, led the fledgling city U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, U.S. Rep. Glen Grothman, State Rep. Terry Katsma and State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu are expected to speak in the afternoon, too. Johnson will take questions from the public after he speaks at the celebration around 3 p.m. Katsma is expected to present a Wisconsin state flag, a U.S. state flag and a plaque to the village, according to Village Trustee Josh Karmasin. To learn more about the event, contact the village at 920-528-8642 or cascade175th@gmail.com. Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexx_garner. This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Glenn Grothman, Ron Johnson to attend Cascade 175-year anniversary President Joe Biden on Thursday tapped Chicagoan and former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker to lead U.S. efforts to rebuild Ukraines economy amid international concerns over its future as a result of the damage Russia has inflicted on the countrys infrastructure and businesses. Working in lockstep with the Ukrainian government, our allies and partners, international financial institutions, and the private sector, she will drive the United States efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy, Biden said in naming Pritzker, the sister of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, as a special U.S. representative within the State Department. Special representative Pritzker will also work with Ukraines other international partners, including via the G7 coordination platform, to ensure that international efforts are complementary and mutually reinforcing, as well as to encourage international partners to keep stepping up their support for Ukraines immediate economic recovery needs, the president said. Like her brother, Penny Pritzker is an heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune. She is an entrepreneur with extensive business contacts and was a major backer of Barack Obama in his rise to the U.S. Senate and the presidency, helping to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for his political campaigns. After winning a second term in the White House, Obama named her as commerce secretary. Pritzker, 64, is expected to use her experience to help create investment opportunities in Ukraine, including public and private investment from U.S. allies in the effort to end Russias invasion. Rebuilding areas devastated by Russian military strikes could cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Ukraine also has a history of political corruption, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to combat. Biden said Pritzker will help the Ukrainian government make reforms needed to strengthen its economy. The Pritzkers are descendants of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, something Biden noted in his announcement. As we take this next step to help Ukraine forge a stronger future, we remain steadfastly committed to helping it defend its freedom today, Biden said. The brave people of Ukraine have inspired the world with their resilience and resolve, and as this announcement reaffirms, the United States remains committed to stand with them, for as long as it takes. The Jewish High Holy Days begin soon, with the first of the faiths most significant holidays falling this weekend. Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Rosh Hashana, which translates from Hebrew to mean the head of the year, is commemorated with special prayers, foods, gatherings and more. What is Passover or Pesach? The Jewish holiday explained What is Hispanic Heritage Month? Latinos and Latino culture can be celebrated year-round Here's what you need to know about Rosh Hashana and where to observe it in Rochester: When is Rosh Hashana? Rosh Hashana starts at sunset on Friday and ends at dusk on Sunday. The celebration of the new year is the only Jewish holiday that is two days long both inside and outside Israel. Its called yoma arichta, translated as a long day because the 48-hour celebration may be thought of as one extended day. Why is Rosh Hashana celebrated? Boys play outside as men celebrate the New Year inside at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov on Sept. 18, 2020, in Uman, Ukraine. Rosh Hashana is often treated as a time to reflect on the previous year and focus on hopes for the coming year, according to Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It's the beginning of the Jewish calendar, and like all new years there are, its a time for sort of taking stock, right? What do I want to improve? You know, the equivalent of joining the gym in January, he said. Rosh Hashana is also important for some Jewish people as a celebration of the creation of humanity. It may be referred to as the "birthday of the world," marking the time when God created or when the breath of life entered Adam and Eve. Many Jewish people will attend services at synagogues and other spaces for worship on Rosh Hashana. Jewish congregations will recite special prayers and songs to mark the new year. Some Jewish communities will blow a Shofar, a curved rams horn. Its meant to kind of stir you, awaken you to the idea of thinking of new year, taking stock, preparing to atone, and in the month leading up to Rosh Hashana it begins to be used as a kind of wake up, Rosenblum said. It really kind of pierces the air, and you can't ignore it. Some Jews may also pray near a body of water in a Tashlich ceremony, in addition to tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize sending off sins. Where to observe Rosh Hashana in Rochester NY? Some listed events are set to take place at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Brighton, unless otherwise noted. Friday, Sept. 15 Erev Rosh Hashana service will begin at 6 p.m. at Temple Beth El, 139 S. Winton Road, Rochester. Rosh Hashana Eve Service will be held at 7 p.m. at Chabad Lubavitch of Rochester, 1037 S. Winton Road, Brighton. A community dinner will follow. Erev Rosh Hashana Service will begin at 7 p.m. at Temple B'rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Ave., Brighton. Erev Rosh Hashana Service will be held from 8 to 10 p.m. at the JCC. Temple Emanu-El's Erev Rosh Hashanah Service runs from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the JCC's lounge area, near the cafe. Saturday, Sept. 16 First-day services at 9:30 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. at Chabad Lubavitch of Rochester, 1037 S. Winton Road, Brighton. Services begins at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., youth and family services start at 10 and 10:30 a.m., young adults meet at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Beth El, 139 S. Winton Road, Rochester. Morning service at 10 a.m. at Temple B'rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Ave., Brighton. Traditional Service, Family Service, Young Family Service and Teen Service, all for Rosh Hashana, will run from 10 a.m. to noon. The main service will be in the JCC auditorium. Temple Emanu-el's morning service will begin at 10 a.m. in the JCC's lounge area, near the cafe. Tashlich service will begin at 12:30 p.m. Meet at the entrance to the Erie Canal near the JCC's Wolk Children's Center parking lot. Rosh Hashana in the Woods features music, movement and reflection while connecting to the earth-based origins of the Jewish tradition. The special event runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Dawn Lipson Canalside Stage (the tent) at the rear of the JCC property. Sunday, Sept. 17 Second-day services at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Chabad Lubavitch of Rochester, 1037 S. Winton Road, Brighton. Morning service will start at 8:30 a.m., youth and family services begin at 10 and 10:30 a.m. and young adults meet at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Beth El, 139 S. Winton Road, Rochester. Kiddush lunch will follow the morning service. Second-day services at 10 a.m. at Temple B'rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Ave., Brighton. Second-day morning services will begin at 10 a.m. in the JCC's lounge area, near the cafe. Second-day services will run from 10 a.m. to noon at Temple Sinai, 363 Penfield Road, Brighton. Tashlich service for Temple Beth El will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Lake Riley in Cobbs Hill Park in Rochester. Nonmembers are asked to preregister to attend services at Temple B'rish Kodesh and Temple Beth El by contacting each temple before the scheduled events. Is it OK to say 'Happy Rosh Hashana'? Yes, happy Rosh Hashana or happy new year are both appropriate greetings if you are talking to Jewish friends, family, co-workers, or classmates around the holiday. You can also say Shanah tovah, which means good year in Hebrew. USA Today network reporters Marina Pitofsky and Victoria Freile contributed to this report This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rosh Hashana 2023: Where to celebrate in Rochester NY Rosh Hashanah, one of the largest Jewish holidays of the year, kicks off at sunset on Friday and begins a two-day celebration that leads into a longer stretch culminating in Yom Kippur. Both are some of the most familiar and important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar. Rosh Hashanah, which can be translated as first or head of the year, marks the start of the Jewish New Year. The holiday also begins the Jewish High Holy Days that lead to Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism, where Jews reflect on sins or wrongdoings from the previous year. Heres what to know about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Heat lightning: Did Floridians see heat lightning during recent storms? Nope, here's what it really was When is Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown on Friday and continues through sundown on Sunday. Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Sept. 24 and continues through the next day. What is Rosh Hashanah and why is it celebrated? Rosh Hashanah, sometimes referred to as the birthday of the world, represents the start of the Jewish New Year. Its often spent reflecting on the previous year and hopes for the coming year through special prayers, foods and gatherings. The celebration of the new year is the only Jewish holiday that is two days long inside and outside Israel. Its called yoma arichta, translated as a long day because the 48-hour celebration may be considered as one extended day. The Jewish High Holy Days kick off the Friday evening Rosh Hashanah begins. The 10 Days of Awe are when Jews focus their attention on repentance and reflection leading up to Yom Kippur. According to tradition, the names of the righteous are written in the Book of Life and names of the wicked are written in the Book of Death. Everyone else has 10 days to repent before their fate is sealed in one of the two books. How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated? Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by attending services at synagogues and other spaces for worship. Jewish congregations will recite special prayers and songs to mark the new year. Some Jewish communities will blow a shofar, a curved rams horn. This is also used to observe Yom Kippur to ceremonially conclude the celebration. During Rosh Hashana, others may also pray near a body of water in a Tashlich ceremony, in addition to tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize sending off sins. What is Yom Kippur? Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism and is when Jews reflect on sins or wrongdoings from the previous year. Jewish people will spend time attending services at synagogues or other congregations, reciting special prayers and singing special songs. How to greet people during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur If youre not sure how to greet someone on Rosh Hashanah, you could just say Shanah Tovah, which means good year in Hebrew. The word umetuka meaning and sweet is sometimes added to the end of that phrase as in good and sweet year. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Rosh Hashanah starts tonight. What to know about Jewish New Year Diego Stolzs family mourned his death after he was killed by a sucker-punch in school (WILL LESTER/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER VIA AP) The largest-ever United States settlement in a school bullying case was reached after a boy was punched to death in a California school . The San Moreno Valley School District was ordered to pay $27 million to the boys family on Wednesday. The judgement came just before the four-year anniversary of the death of Diego Stolz, 13, who was killed on 16 September 2019. Mr Stolz died after two 13-year-old boys punched him from behind, causing him to fall and hit his head on a concrete pillar. The boys then continued to punch him as he lay on the ground. He died of a brain injury nine days later. In 2021, the pair pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and assault in juvenile court. A Riverside County judge sentenced them to 47 days in juvenile custody as well as community service and therapy. The family of the victim filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district and claimed that their son had gone to the school administration about the bullying, yet no action was taken. The familys attorneys said the school promised Mr Stolz and his family that the boys would be discplined and suspended, but they were not. "The following Monday when Diego came to his middle school, they killed him, the attorneys said in a statement . We hope this case is a [wake-up] call to all schools in the U.S. take your anti-bullying policies seriously, and when a student complains, take action. You have a duty to protect kids at school. The attack was caught on video while it took place in the lunchroom of the middle school. Mr Stolz is seen with his hands at his side before he is approached and punched. Mr Stolz had been attacked by the two teenagers a few days before. The victim and his family then went to the assistant principal, who said she would review security footage, something that allegedly did not happen. The statement added that the assistant principal was approached again a few days later, which she said she would be suspending the boys and would change the schedules of the three students so they would not have any classes with Mr Stolz. In addition that day, she sent the victim home early. Yet, when Mr Stolz returned the Monday morning of the attack, the bullies had not been suspended, the lawyers continued, and the security footage still had not been reviewed. Neither Diego nor his guardians were informed of this. The $27 million settlement was reached four years after Diego Stolzs death (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) After the death of Mr Stolz, his legal guardians, who were his aunt and uncle, decided to file a lawsuit against the school for failing to intervene despite the victim reporting previous assults within the school, according to the lawsuit. Mr Stolz had been bullied in 2018 and 2019, and received several physical attacks before the fatal blow, according to NBC. The huge payout by the school district was described by the attorneys as the largest school bullying settlement in US history. The family will forever be heartbroken by the death of Diego but they hope this case brings about change in school districts across the country, said Dave Ring, the familys attorney. His aunt and uncle, Juana and Felipe Salcedo, had raised Mr Stolz since he was a baby after his parents died and was regarded as their son, the statement said. A letter to family and school staff from San Moreno Valley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Martinrex Kedziora outlined new policies meant to prevent similar tragedies. Meanwhile, the sheriffs department announced in September 2019 that Stolzs family had donated his organs "to transform this tragedy into the gift of life for other children." In September 2020, according to the attorneys, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2445, which was inspired by Diegos tragic death and clarified that legal guardians have standing to bring suit in civil claims involving a minor whose death may have stemmed from a wrongful or negligent act, but only if the childs natural parents are deceased. Legislators, working with local and regional grass-roots coalitions, launched a campaign to address the proliferation of single-use plastics in Massachusetts. The hat belonging to Eileen Ryan, the leader of Beyond Plastics in Greater Boston, a Watertown resident, decorated by some of the single-use plastics targeted by the coalition aiming to update the state's Bottle Bill as well as reduce the use of certain plastics Single-use plastics are not easy to get rid of; they are convenient, said Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester. Im thrilled this day arrived. The group has set its sights on reducing the use of plastics in Massachusetts. Legislators have filed bills that range from updating the states bottle bill to banning the use of plastics as incinerator fuel. A modernized bottle bill would increase the deposit while also extending the type of containers subject to a deposit and not just carbonated beverages. The coalition, with upwards of 16 members so far and working with strong advocates in the House and Senate, has a goal of making Massachusetts plastic free. This is a critical issue, Lewis said. Rep. Michelle Ciccolo, D-Lexington, organizer of the legislatures Zero Waste Caucus, said she was thrilled to help launch the campaign to address the states plastic dependence. Its not easy to make policy changes. As she discussed the campaign, she noted recyclable plastics, and not all can be recycled, can only be repurposed seven times at most. Once used, food containers and bottles cannot be recycled into food-grade containers for reuse. Massachusetts incinerates 3 million tons of plastic a year; and 35% of our plastic is exported to other communities with less stringent laws, Ciccolo said. Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham, helped launch a campaign to update the Massachusetts Bottle Bill and reduce the use of proliferation of single-use plastic at a State House rally Wednesday. Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham, called the proliferation of plastic, and its pollution, a crisis of our own making. We need to take steps now to decrease damage to the planet, to our own physical health and the environment. We need to limit the proliferation of single-use plastics, Rausch said. Single-use plastics include beverage containers like water bottles, plastic shopping bags, food containers and shipping materials and packaging, items destined for immediate disposal and a possible trip to the landfill. Call your legislator, call your friends, have them call their legislators, Rausch suggested, adding that residents can request their representatives to sign up as sponsors of the bills already filed. We need to address plastics this legislative session. Fossil fuel industry behind the proliferation of single-use plastics Plastics, Rausch said, are a product of the fossil fuel industry. In reviewing statistics on plastic disposal, Rausch said that once used, 32% of items end up in the environment, 40% are sent to landfills, 14% are recycled, while only 2% are made into something better than a plastic bottle or plastic bag. Plastic is mostly down-cycled, Rausch said. We cannot burn, bury or recycle our way out of this crisis; we need systemic change. Eileen Ryan, Watertown, leader of Beyond Plastics of Greater Boston attended the launch of a campaign to update the state's bottle bill and address the proliferation of single-use plastics. Mara Shulman, of the Conservation Law Foundation, said one of the goals is to return responsibility for ethical disposal of plastics to the manufacturers. The people who make plastics need to reduce the toxicity, increase the recyclability and decrease the amount of plastic in packaging, Shulman said. Merely burning or reprocessing plastic is not acceptable. A call to increase the required container deposit could create more incentives for Massachusetts residents to redeem their coins. But the ultimate goal, especially for plastic, is to refill and reuse containers. Convenience reason for proliferation of single-use plastics The single-use culture is so convenient, Shulman said. Massachusetts has started to address its solid waste crisis creating community diversion programs for textiles, mattresses, compost and plastic bags. It's time, agreed the legislators and activists, for the state to step up and address the issue of single-use plastics. We all take pride in Massachusetts being a global leader in universal health care, civil rights, climate change, but to be honest, it lags behind other states in addressing solid waste issues, Lewis said. Its time to take action. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Bills filed could increase container deposits, bar burning plastic Two stray dogs caught by AVS after killing multiple cats and displaying aggressive behaviour. (Photos: Yahoo reader and Hui Ting/Kim Keat Cats) SINGAPORE The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) has captured two stray dogs which had allegedly killed dozens of community cats, and displayed aggressive behaviour towards residents. In a media statement on Friday (15 September), AVS said that it was alerted to the sighting of three free-roaming dogs at Fernvale Lane in Sengkang on 8 September. The dogs were reported to have been behaving aggressively towards residents in the area. Upon capturing two of the three dogs, AVS observed that they resembled the ones that had been previously reported for attacking cats in several areas, including Ang Mo Kio. AVS is currently caring for the dogs, and will work with animal welfare group partners to rehome the dogs. Previous attacks by stray dog pack Two community cats in Toa Payoh were recent victims of the pack of dogs. According to a coordinator from informal animal welfare group Kim Keat Cats, following a fatal attack of one of the cats on 24 August, AVS had mobilised a team to patrol the Kim Keat estate in Toa Payoh. AVS' group director of community animal management, Dr Chang Siow Foong, had previously said that the group would increase surveillance, and continue targetted trapping operations in northern Singapore. Prior reports had showed that the dogs roamed widely, were elusive, and avoided traps. Two cat corpses were also found in Woodleigh in late April this year. Kim Keat Cats thanked AVS, Cat Welfare Society, as well as other animal welfare groups and agencies, for listening to concerns raised by independent rescuers and feeders, and acting on feedback. The group has told AVS that they do not wish for any harm to befall upon the dogs, and hope the dogs can be rehabilitated and rehomed. 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. Yahoo Singapore Telegram Volker Perthes, the United Nations special envoy to Sudan, announces his resignation Wednesday during a speech to the U.N. Security Council. Photo by Loey Felipe/Unite Nations/UPI/X Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The five-month-old bloody conflict in Sudan shows no sign of abating and could be "morphing into a full-scale civil war," the United Nations envoy to the northeast African country said during a speech to the Security Council in which he announced his resignation. Volker Perthes has served as the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan since early 2021, but was labeled persona non grata by Sudan's foreign ministry in June, seemingly on accusations of stoking the conflict, which erupted mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its breakaway Rapid Support Forces. Days before being barred from the country, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "shocked" by a letter he had received from Sudan's military leader Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan that reportedly called for Perthes to be removed. In his speech before the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Perthes offered no reason for stepping down but said it had been "a privilege" to serve as Guterres' representative. During a press conference later Wednesday, Guterres said he had accepted Perthes' resignation. "He has very strong reasons to resign and I have to respect his will and accept his resignation," the U.N. chief said. Guterres has previously voiced support for Perthes, and said in response to al-Burhan's letter sent in May that he is "proud of the work done" by the German official and "reaffirms his full confidence in his special representative." For years, Sudan had teetered on the precipice of war following the ousting of the country's former three-decade dictator government of President Omar al-Bashir in a civilian-backed coup in 2019. Amid its crawl toward civil rule, al-Burhan and his deputy, RSF head Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, executed another coup but infighting over control of the government turned into bloodshed on April 15. During his speech to the council Wednesday, Perthes said with neither side appearing close to a military victory, there are no signs of the conflict coming to an end, with fierce fighting continuing in the capital of Khartoum where on Sunday a SAF airstrike killed at least 43 people. At least 5,000 people have been killed in the fighting and more than 12,000 injured, but Perthes said Wednesday that the actual numbers are likely much higher. With fighting continuing in the capital, violence worsening in Darfur, civilians being targeted due to their ethnicity, tensions deepening in the relatively calm east of the country and former regime elements calling for the continuation of the war, Perthes said these developments add to "the risk of a fragmentation of the country." "What started as a conflict between two military formations could be morphing into a full-scale civil war," he said. "Each side is still waiting for the other side to be weakened into surrender. This is futile," he said. "The war is destroying the lives of the Sudanese men and women, violating their basic rights and depriving them of the future they deserve." He continued that the conflict is leaving a "tragic legacy" of human rights abuses committed by both sides, including indiscriminate killings by the SAF and widespread acts of sexual violence, lootings and killings in areas controlled by the RSF, while both are arbitrarily arresting, detaining and torturing civilians. "We need to impress on the warring parties that they cannot operate with impunity, and there will be accountability for the crimes committed," he said. Edem Wosornu, director for operations and advocacy of the United Nations office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the council that the number of displaced in Sudan now stands at more than 5 million, equalling 1 million people newly displaced every month. Of those, 1 million have fled across borders into neighboring countries. The fighting, she said, has also put civilians at risk due to an "almost complete breakdown" of the healthcare system, which is "making it almost impossible to control increasing outbreaks of diseases." Elon Musk , the owner of X/Twitter, was called out on his platform by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs after calling the island nation an "integral part of China" and insisting that he understands "China well." Mr Musk made the comments on the "All In" podcast while answering a question about China and the future of his involvement with the nation. During the interview, Mr Musk said "I think I understand China well," and notes that he's been there several times and has met with high-ranking officials. He then turns his attention to Taiwan, and compares its relationship to China to Hawaii's relationship to the US, insisting it is "an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China. That comparison is flawed in two major ways: first, Hawaii is not a contested region, but is unquestionably a US state with all the same powers and freedoms granted any other US state; second, Taiwan's assertion that it is its own state is not arbitrary, but instead a position it has held for decades. Mr Musk said he expected that China's military presence would out-power the US's military presence in the region soon, and said it was only a matter of time before Beijing used its martial power to bring Taiwan back under its rule. The Tesla CEO said that the US's involvement is likely a major reason why such a takeover has not happened already. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took offence to Mr Musk's comments and called him out on his social media platform. "Hope @ElonMusk can also ask the #CCP to open @X to its people," the account wrote, referring to the fact that X/Twitter is officially blocked in the nation by the Chinese government. Hope @elonmusk can also ask the #CCP to open @X to its people. Perhaps he thinks banning it is a good policy, like turning off @Starlink to thwart #Ukraines counterstrike against #Russia. Listen up, #Taiwan is not part of the #PRC & certainly not for sale! JW https://t.co/HEhyTYYXFp Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) (@MOFA_Taiwan) September 13, 2023 The ministry needled Mr Musk further, dropping a reference to his reported decision to suspend his Starlink satellite service to Ukraine during a pivotal moment in Russia's invasion of the nation. "Perhaps he thinks banning it is a good policy, like turning off @Starlink to thwart #Ukraine's counterstrike against #Russia," the ministry wrote. "Listen up, #Taiwan is not part of the #PRC & certainly not for sale!" This isn't the first time Mr Musk has irked Taiwan with his comments; last October he suggested to the Financial Times that China "figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable," but noted it "probably won't make everyone happy. Special administrative zones are the arrangements China uses to rule Hong Kong and Macau. Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the US, thanked Mr Musk for his idea, but Taiwanese officials were less receptive. "Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale," Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan's representative to the US, said, according to CNN. Taiwan is not for sale, and neither is it part of China, said Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a rebuke to Elon Musk who called the island an integral part of China. Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC and certainly not for sale! Taiwans Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu said late Wednesday on X, also formerly known as Twitter. PRC refers to the Peoples Republic of China, the official name of China. The message was in response to a comment made by Musk during the All-In Summit, which was recently held in Los Angeles. I think I understand China well. Ive been there many times and have met with senior leadership at many levels .. for many years, Musk said. I think Ive got a pretty good understanding as an outsider of China. Taiwan has been governed independently of China since the island split from the mainland in a civil war in 1949. Beijing continues to view Taiwan as part of its territory that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. Musk, the owner of X and the CEO of SpaceX and electric car maker Tesla, went on to say: Chinas policy has been to reunite Taiwan with China. From their standpoint, maybe it is analogous to Hawaii or something like that, like an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China. Hope @elonmusk can also ask the #CCP to open @X to its people. Perhaps he thinks banning it is a good policy, like turning off @Starlink to thwart #Ukraines counterstrike against #Russia. Listen up, #Taiwan is not part of the #PRC & certainly not for sale! JW https://t.co/HEhyTYYXFp Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) (@MOFA_Taiwan) September 13, 2023 CNBC could not immediately reach Musk for comment outside office hours. Wu, in his tweet, added that he hoped Musk could also ask the Chinese Communist Party to allow its people access to X, which is currently banned in China. Hope Elon Musk can also ask the CCP to open X to its people. Perhaps he thinks banning it is a good policy, like turning off Starlink to thwart Ukraines counterstrike against Russia, Wu said. In the early days of Russias war on Ukraine, Musk had reportedly curtailed a Ukrainian military attack on Russia by limiting access to the SpaceXs Starlink satellite network. The move attracted backlash from Ukraine and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. This is not the first time that Musk has drawn ire from the self-ruled island. Last October, the billionaire also drew rebuke from Taiwan for his suggestion that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved if Beijing had some control over Taiwan. CORRECTION (Sept. 15, 2023, 12:30 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated Elon Musks position at X. He is its owner, not its CEO. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Former President Trump in a new interview brushed off the prospect of setting off a war with Mexico if he were to deploy troops across the border to fight drug cartels. Trump, in an interview with Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show, said he would not commit to sending troops to Mexico or reveal specific plans, but something has to be done to combat the cartels and the drug crisis, which he argued is costing the U.S. thousands of lives. We cant have a war with Mexico, Kelly said. No, its a war on cartels. Mexico is petrified of the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico, Trump responded. But if we send our troops across the southern border if the Mexican president doesnt like it, were in a war, Kelly said. I know. But, well, Im not too worried about that war, Trump replied. Mexico is sending their troops into our country in the form of illegal aliens that are killing people, in many cases, that are causing lots of disease and lots of problems. Trump similarly downplayed any friction an escalated fight against the cartels would cause with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, saying the two have a good relationship. Lopez Obrador earlier this year warned against foreign governments intervening in Mexican territory after some U.S. lawmakers had called for tougher action against cartels following the kidnapping of Americans. In a campaign video published in January, Trump laid out his plan to crack down on the cartels, saying he would order the Pentagon to use special forces, cyber warfare, and other overt and covert actions to inflict maximum damage on cartel leadership, infrastructure and operations if needed to fight the cartels, which he also pledged to designate as foreign terrorist groups. Trump also vowed to deploy all necessary military assets, including having the Navy impose a full embargo on cartels. He also outlined plans to cut off the cartels access to the global financial system and to ask Congress to ensure convicted drug traffickers can be eligible for the death penalty. Sending military assets to Mexico to fight drug cartels has become an increasingly popular position among Republicans running for the partys 2024 presidential nomination as candidates seek to propose policies that are tough on crime and tough on the border. One of Trumps top rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), has said he would send the military to the U.S.-Mexico border if elected president and authorize service members to use deadly force against drug cartels. DeSantis said in an interview with CBS News on Wednesday that troops would be allowed to use deadly force against individuals identified as members of a drug cartel who are trying to break through the sections of the border wall built during the Trump administration. The Florida governor has previously vowed to send the military into Mexico on Day 1 to fight the drug cartels, saying at the first GOP presidential debate last month that the cartels are killing tens of thousands of our fellow citizens. Updated at 1:53 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former president Donald Trump is scheduled to make an appearance in Lexington next week at a fundraiser for his 2024 presidential campaign. The event will take place next Friday, Sep. 22, according to Fayette County GOP Chair Fran Anderson. Tickets to the event start at $3,300. After having lost a re-election bid in 2020, Trump is the current frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, though the contest does not begin in earnest until January. A contact for the event, veteran GOP fundraiser Meredith ORourke who has a role in Trumps Super PAC, has yet to respond to questions about the nature of the fundraiser and why its being held in Lexington. WEKU first reported the news of Trumps Lexington plans. Beginning in March of this year, Trump has been indicted four times, twice for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, in different jurisdictions across the United States. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, those indictments have not dampened Trumps prospects in the primary. Hes leading the current runner-up, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , by more than 30 points in most national polls, according to poll aggregation site fivethirtyeight.com. Coincidentally, DeSantis held a Lexington fundraiser on Tuesday. The event was hosted by third-place GOP gubernatorial primary contender Kelly Craft and her husband, according to an invitation obtained by the Herald-Leader, among others. Tickets started at $3,300 per person. DeSantis gave Craft a late-game endorsement in the primary this year, which was recorded in a robocall sent to voters. Craft, who has left the political spotlight in Kentucky as her primary opponent Attorney General Daniel Cameron takes on Gov. Andy Beshear in November, told followers to stay tuned regarding her next move recently. Trump endorsed Cameron in the gubernatorial primary before Craft entered the race, and Trumps fundraiser in Lexington would not be his first event there. In 2019, the then-president attended and spoke at a rally for former GOP governor Matt Bevin at Rupp Arena the day before the election that year. Bevin lost in a narrow race to Beshear by about 5,000 votes. Trump also attended a fundraiser in Lexington in 2016 before his presidential win over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. That event was hosted by the Crafts, who are nationally known GOP megadonors. In 2022, Trump hosted a $75,000 per person fundraiser at the Kentucky Derby. Bitcoin rose on Friday morning in Asia to trade above US$26,500. Ether also moved higher to over US$1,600. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies gained with Tron networks TRX token leading the winners with a 24-hour rise of over 3%. The rise in crypto prices coincided with an announcement from Deutsche Bank that said the largest German lender would provide crypto custody services. U.S. stock futures edged up after Wall Street closed higher on Wednesday following strong economic data from the U.S. Bitcoin, Ether gain; Deutsche Bank news pumps optimism into crypto markets Bitcoin rose 1.49% in the last 24 hours to US$26,610.48 as of 07:30 a.m. in Hong Kong and went up 1.60% for the week, according to CoinMarketCap data. The worlds largest cryptocurrency reclaimed US$26,774.62 on Thursday evening, the highest price since Aug. 31. Bitcoins rise this week coincides with a noticeable return in investor sentiment, Samer Hasn, market analyst at Australia-based global multi-asset broker XS.com, said in an emailed comment. By the end of Wednesday, open interests in Bitcoin derivatives reached about 7.525 billion its highest levels since Aug. 31, and the same applies to Ether open positions that reached around 3.7 billion, said Hasn, citing data from blockchain intelligence platform CryptoQuant. Ether gained 1.38% to trade at US$1,629.33 but was still down 0.95% for the past seven days. The crypto market received a boost from news that Deutsche Bank a German lender that had US$1.4 trillion in total assets at the end of 2022 will launch custody services for cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets of institutional customers in a partnership with Swiss fintech firm Taurus, according to a Thursday press release. As the digital asset space is expected to encompass trillions of dollars of assets, its bound to be seen as one of the priorities for investors and corporations alike. As such, custodians must start adapting to support their clients, Paul Maley, global head of securities services at Deutsche Bank, said in the announcement. Story continues Deutsche Banks recent announcement to offer crypto custody services is a positive step towards a growing acceptance and development of crypto in the mainstream financial sector. It could also be potentially providing a renewed sense of confidence among investors, said John Stefanidis, chief executive officer and co-founder of blockchain infrastructure decentralized organization, Balthazar DAO. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies posted gains in the past 24 hours. Trons TRX led the winners, which rose 3.46% to US$0.08388 and added 6.15% for the week. Meanwhile, the positive sentiment came amid regulatory battles in the U.S., as the SEC earlier this week charged Stone Cats 2 the company behind the Stoner Cats animated series with conducting an unregistered offering of crypto asset securities in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Back in July 2021, Stone Cats 2 sold 10,000 NFTs for US$800 each to fund the Stoner Cats series. The firm has agreed to a cease-and-desist order and will pay a civil penalty of US$1 million. The total crypto market capitalization gained 1.27% in the past 24 hours to US$1.06 trillion, while trading volume edged up 3.00% to US$28.28 billion. U.S. equities rise following strong economic data Image: Getty Images U.S. stock futures moved up as of 09:10 a.m. in Hong Kong, after Wall Street closed higher on Thursday, with Dow Jones Industrial Average leading the winners with a 0.96% increase. Most main stock indexes in Asia rose on Wednesday morning. Chinas Shanghai Composite, Hong Kongs Hang Seng, South Koreas Kospi and Japans Nikkei 225 all logged gains, with Nikkei 225 spearheading the gains with a 0.87% rise. Wall Streets Thursday day rally followed strong economic data coming from the U.S. The countrys retail sales in August rose 0.6% by month, beating the analysts expectation of 0.2%. However, the unexpected retail sales growth was largely due to the surge in oil prices, as receipts at gasoline stations jumped 5.2% by month. With gasoline excluded, retail sales edged up 0.2% in August, decelerating from 0.5% in July and among the weakest readings this year, according to Bloomberg on Thursday. The 0.2% uptick is still higher than the median forecast of a 0.1% drop, but also points to a slowdown in the U.S. economy. While consumption has been more resilient than anticipated so far this year, the case for a slowdown is building, Michael Pearce, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said in a note seen by Bloomberg. More broadly, the renewed rise in gasoline prices is hitting real incomes at a time when slowing wage growth, hours worked and payroll gains are pressuring income growth. Elsewhere on the economic data front, the U.S. producer price index (PPI) also booked a bigger-than-expected monthly growth of 0.7% as the gasoline cost jumped 20%. Meanwhile, the number of U.S. initial jobless claims rose to 220,000 in the week ending Sept. 9, but was lower than the analysts expectation of 225,000, according to Reuters on Thursday. There is nothing in todays reports to prompt a Fed rates response next week, even though the labor market remains out of balance, Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at U.S.-based financial markets research firm FWDBOND, told Reuters. The economy is in a good place for now with moderate consumer demand that is not hot enough to bring inflation back to life. The CME FedWatch Tool predicts a 96% chance the central bank will maintain the current rate unchanged in its meeting on Sept. 20, which is currently in the range between 5.25% and 5.50%. It gives a 63% chance for another pause in November, up from 58.4% on Thursday. Investors are now waiting for a slew of economic data from China on Friday, including house prices, fixed asset investment, retail sales, industrial production and unemployment. Analysts expect an acceleration in the countrys retail sales and industrial production growths in August, but also a slowdown in its fixed asset investment growth, Reuters reported on Friday. (Updates with equity section.) The United Auto Workers have gone on strike. After one month of negotiations failed late Thursday night with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, workers at three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri walked out. About 13,000 of the union's 150,000 members were involved as of Friday morning. Will the strike reach Middle Tennessee? General Motors operates a manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, but it's not clear if local workers will join the action. Vanderbilt finance professor Josh White said the UAW is showing strength to leverage recent collective-bargaining contracts for UPS and airline pilots. In those deals, unionized workers got significant raises. But union strength has waned in the auto industry because of corporate relocations to southern states and Mexico, and there are heavy price pressures from the industry's transition to electric. "I anticipate the negotiations will unfold prominently in the public eye, which is tactic unions employ to put pressure on executives," White said. "I fear that pushing for a steep raise could backfire, prompting companies to relocate production to areas with lower costs or to ramp up automation both strategies potentially leading to diminished workforce at unionized plants over the long run." Here's what else we know about how this strike impacts the Tennessee plant. Is the General Motors Plant in Spring Hill on strike? The movement is calling the "Stand up Strike," a sequel to the 1937 "Sit-Down Strike" which was considered to be the "first major labor dispute in the U.S. auto industry." At the moment, the strike hasn't reached the Spring Hill facility. The local UAW guild that represents Spring Hill workers said late Thursday that it supports those striking and "stands ready for the call." The assembly plant builds three types of Cadillac SUVs and the GMC Acadia. The plant employs more than 3,700 workers. Ultium Cells: Amid UAW strike, GM electric battery supplier announces raises for hourly workers Spring Hill Mayor Jim Hagaman said the city is aware of the potential strike and hopes for a swift resolution. "Over the past several days, City of Spring Hill officials have met with leadership on both sides of the ongoing contract dispute between General Motors and United Auto Workers," Hagaman said. "The GM plant has been a cornerstone of Spring Hill for decades, and the UAW Local 1853 members that allow that facility to thrive have been a mainstay in our community for just as long." Why aren't all General Motors, Ford and Stellantis plants striking? The "Stand up Strike" is a new take on the tactic, the union said. "Instead of striking all plants at once, select locals will be called on to 'Stand up' and walk out on strike," the union said on its website. There is still the option to call on all workers at all plants to walk out. "The Stand Up Strike gives our union the ability to escalate all the way up to a national, all-out work stoppage if necessary," UAW said. "It keeps the companies guessing, and builds economic leverage against the Big Three over time if they refuse to negotiate a contract we deserve." Those that are not called will continue working, but will do so without a contract agreement. A car every 78 seconds: GM's Spring Hill facility is changing Tennessee. Here's how. Where is the UAW striking? Workers in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri are on strike. The UAW asked members at the Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio, to participate in the strike. Only members working in the Final Assembly and Paint portion at Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Assembly in Wayne walked out. Workers at the General Motors' Wentzville Assembly in Missouri also walked out. What is the UAW striking for? Negotiations are focused on wage increases both pay-rate raises and cost-of-living adjustments. The UAW also asks for the companies to re-establish retiree medical benefits and increase pay. "We owe our retirees everything," UAW said. "They built these companies and they built our union." The sticking point, said White, is that automakers are spending heavily on the transition to electric vehicles and battery manufacturing. "Shareholders will be looking for cost cutting in other areas of the business to offset these investments, which is the opposite of what the unions seek," White said. "Given the potential option to relocate production to cheaper locales, and the untimely rise in labor costs given the investment in EV, UAW probably holds lesser negotiation leverage compared to the pilots and Teamsters at UPS. But either of these options would take time to implement." This embedded content is not available in your region. What is the union saying about contract negotiations with General Motors? On Sept. 7, the guild responded to GM's contract offer. "After refusing to bargain in good faith for the past six weeks, only after having federal labor board charges filed against them, GM has come to the table with an insulting proposal that doesnt come close to an equitable agreement for Americas autoworkers," UAW President Shawn Fain said. The union called out GM's soaring profits and the offer that included an "unacceptable pay offer," no cost-of-living adjustments and rejected all increases to retiree pay. "The company earned more than $7 billion in profits in the first half of this year," the union said. "While Big Three executives and shareholders have gotten rich off our labor, UAW members have been left behind." This embedded content is not available in your region. What is General Motors saying about the strike? GM CEO Mary Barra released a statement Thursday ahead of the contract expiration detailing an updated offer. "We have been bargaining in good faith to deliver a better package with historic wage increases and manufacturing commitments, recognizing your contributions to our company past, present and future," the statement said. The updated offer included 20% wage increases, unspecified details about job security at manufacturing and warehousing sites and two weeks of paid parental leave and up to five weeks of vacation. It also included a $20 per hour temporary team member wage and a $500 payment to retirees. Upon news of the strike, leadership expressed disappointment. "We'll continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible for the benefit of our team members, customers, suppliers and communities across the U.S.," the company said. "In the meantime, our priority is the safety of our workforce." Sandy Mazza contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: UAW Strike: Tennessee's GM plant is ready for the call. What we know The United Nations human rights body (UNJHRO) has received reports of at least 13 mass graves in the Sudanese city of El Geneina, a special envoy to the war-torn country told the UN Security Council Wednesday. The mass graves are believed to contain civilians from the ethnic Masalit tribe who were killed in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militias, according to UN envoy Volker Perthes. Perthes, who announced he was stepping down as the UN Special Representative for Sudan, added that the human rights violations were being documented and if verified, may constitute war crimes. Ethnic related killings have intensified since fighting broke out mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The Masalit tribe and other non-Arab communities in Sudan are often targeted by Arab militias, with support from the RSF, according to Human Rights Watch. A report released in July by the human rights body found that at least 28 ethnic Masalit were executed by the RSF and its allied militias during an attack on Misterei, a village in El Geneina that is home to thousands of Masalit residents. Experts have expressed concern that the recent ethnic related killings reverberate the Darfur genocide of the early 2000s that left hundreds of thousands of people killed during an ethnic cleansing campaign by an Arab militia known at the time as the Janjaweed. The recent discovery of mass graves containing members of the Masalit tribe is the second such discovery this year. At least 87 people, mostly ethnic Masalit, were discovered in a mass grave in El-Geneinas Al-Madaress and Al-Jamarek districts in July. The UN Human Rights Office said they may have been killed a month before by the RSF and their allied militia. Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on RSFs deputy leader Abdelrahim Dagalo for human rights violations after a series of CNN investigations exposed the groups brutal war strategies. Sudans military government also issued a decree to dissolve the RSF citing rebellion, including the grave violations they committed against citizens, among others. Fighting between Sudans armed forces and the RSF has escalated in the countrys capital Khartoum, leaving at least 5,000 people dead and over 12,000 inured, according to UN figures. At least 43 people were killed on Sunday after a market in southern Khartoum was hit by an airstrike, a Sudanese doctors union said. Another 32 civilians were killed days before in a similar strike in Omdurman, also in Khartoum. More than 4 million people have fled the violence across Sudan, with more than half having fled the capital alone, according to the International Organization for Migration. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The U.S. on Friday imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Iran ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Aminis death, which prompted a mass wave of protests across the Middle Eastern country against police brutality and oppressive government control last year. The State Department slapped sanctions on 25 Iranian individuals, three Iranian state-backed media outlets and one Iranian internet research firm. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that all the individuals and entities are connected to the Iranian regimes violent suppression of nationwide protests following the death of Amini in police custody. Blinken added in remarks later Friday that the Iranian government brutally crushed these peaceful protests, killed hundreds of demonstrators, including children and arrested thousands more. The United States will continue to support Iranians and all people who are defending their human rights and fundamental freedoms, he said. And today, we join people from across the globe in honoring the memory of Mahsa Amini and those killed. Iran erupted into widespread protests following the Sept. 16, 2022, death of Amini, who was arrested by the governments Morality Police for wearing a hijab loosely. Police claimed she died from a heart attack, but her family said the 22-year-old died from beatings in police custody. Tehrans security forces cracked down harshly on the protests. Human rights groups have said more than 500 people were killed and up to 20,000 people may have been arrested. In July, Irans Morality Police resumed the hijab patrol. The U.S. action announced on Friday is the 13th round of sanctions imposed by Washington since Aminis death, with 70 Iranian officials and entities already sanctioned. The latest sanctions, which were coordinated with allied nations such as the U.K., Canada and Australia, target several officials who were part of Irans security forces, as well as state prison officials and government allies who worked to shut down internet access during the protests. The three state-run media outlets are Tasnim News Agency, Fars New Agency and Press TV, which the U.S. targeted for working closely with the Iranian government during the crackdown on the protests. Brian Nelson, under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said the U.S. would continue to take collective action against those who suppress Iranians exercise of their human rights. As we approach one year since Mahsa Aminis tragic and senseless death in the custody of Irans so-called Morality Police, we recall that the movement of men and women across Iran, inclusive of different faiths and ethnic groups, was met with horrific violence, mass incarceration, and systemic internet disruption by the Iranian regime, he said in a Friday statement. The U.S. on Friday also restricted visas for 13 Iranians connected to the suppression of the protests last year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By David Shepardson ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema on Friday declined to order a Justice Department official to stay out of the government's advertising antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet's Google but said the department "should think about it." In November 2021, Google asked the Justice Department to consider requiring Jonathan Kanter , assistant attorney general in charge of antitrust, to recuse himself because of his work for a long list of Google critics. The government has argued that Google should be forced to sell its ad manager suite. Google has denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department filed the advertising lawsuit in January in Arlington, Virginia, along with eight states, and nine other states joined in April. While Brinkema declined to order Kanter recused, she seemed skeptical during a court hearing that he should be involved and added that the Justice Department should "use some wisdom" in deciding what to do. In addition to its well-known search engine, which is free, Google makes revenue through its ad tech businesses. The government has accused Google of abusing its dominance in digital advertising to win higher profits. Advertisers and website publishers have complained that Google has not been transparent about where ad dollars go, specifically how much goes to publishers and how much to Google. Separately, in nearby Washington, D.C., Google is fighting a 2020 antitrust lawsuit filed by the United States which accuses the company of using illegal means to stay on top in search. The trial in that case wraps up its first week on Friday. Google has denied wrongdoing in both cases. In the search case, it argues that it is on top because of its high quality. In the advertising technology, it argues that its market share, 70%, is not high enough to have market power and that there is no evidence that advertisers were harmed because of Google's conduct. (Reporting by David Shepardson; additional reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Timothy Gardner) WAYNE James Sun likes to help people, so when he had a chance to get involved in one of the largest forced migrations in human history, he did the most responsible thing that he could do. He stepped forward to enlist. Sun, a senior at Wayne Valley High School, traveled more than 4,200 miles to Vienna this summer to volunteer at a community center for Ukrainian refugees. He worked for several weeks in a childrens room there, looking after boys and girls displaced from their homeland. He sought out the honorable assignment because he was interested in polishing his Russian-speaking skills, but he said the experience was far more enlightening than he anticipated. The refugees, Sun said, do not have a platform to express all of their needs. James Sun, senior, Wayne Valley High School. And everything that they left behind just because of this pointless war, said Sun, 17, the Student Council president at the high school. He said he identified with their painful stories since his own family endured similar crises in Asia. I felt that connection, he said, because of how there was a parallel there. Suns paternal grandparents fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War, a decades-long conflict that ended in December 1949. His mothers uncle, he said, fled to a refugee camp in Malaysia following the fall of Saigon, which effectively finished the Vietnam War in April 1975. He said his great-uncle was later granted asylum in Vienna, and it was with his family that he stayed during the overseas trip. Sun recently reported on his visit to the Board of Education, drawing a round of applause from officials. Children's room at Train of Hope community center in Vienna. James, thats a wonderful story, said Mark Toback, the schools superintendent. Youre a credit to your school community. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 6.2 million people have fled from Ukraine since the nation was invaded by Russia in February 2022. All but 369,200 of them are scattered throughout Europe, including in Vienna, the capital of Austria. RELIGION: At 60, Wayne fellowship set in historic home embraces its ultra-liberal approach The agency that Sun volunteered for there, Train of Hope, provides free clothes and meals to the refugees, and it assists them in finding housing and jobs. Sun held an online fundraiser for Train of Hope when he returned home, collecting $4,270 that he said will offset its operating costs. Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: devencentis@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne Valley student travels to Europe to help Ukrainian refugees Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu has been stripped of his responsibilities and placed under investigation, US officials believe. Li, who has not been seen in public for two weeks, was "taken away last week by authorities for questioning", a source "close to decision making in Beijing" told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The "mystery" around Li and other vanished officials has "prompted new questions about China's governance," which has "doubled down on secrecy", it added. It has also heightened speculation that a corruption purge is underway in Beijing. What did the papers say? Li's unexplained absence "mirrors" the disappearances of other senior officials recently, said the WSJ. In July, Beijing "abruptly removed" Qin Gang as foreign minister after he "vanished without explanation", and within days President Xi Jinping named a new commander for China's strategic missile force, "ousting a general who hadn't been seen in public for months". Vietnamese officials said that Li abruptly cancelled a meeting last week because of a "health condition", reported Reuters. But there's scepticism about this claim because in the run-up to Qin's ousting, the Chinese foreign ministry explained his absence from official events as being health-related. "Speculation of a military corruption purge first began to mount online in early August," said the BBC. Two generals in China's rocket forces, which "control land-based missiles", were replaced and the president of the army's military court was also removed, just "months after his appointment". A US official told the WSJ that the "trouble" surrounding Li pointed to "deep-seated issues" that Beijing "continues to grapple with" years into Xis campaign to shake up China's military, with "anticorruption purges and structural reforms". The disappearance "could be the latest sign of turmoil" in Xi's government, agreed The Japan Times. Therefore, the investigation into Li "raises questions about the effectiveness of the anti-corruption campaign" that Xi, who serves as chair of China's Central Military Commission, had "pursued against the armed forces", said the Financial Times. Dennis Wilder, a former CIA expert on China's military, told the paper that the removals suggest that Xi's "vetting process for selecting top officials" is "deeply flawed" and "suggests corruption is commonplace within the system despite Xi's decade-long campaign against it". Xi has the "HR problem from hell", said Bloomberg after Qin was removed from his post in July, as that exit showed the "tough challenge the Chinese strongman faces in finding reliable younger leaders". Rahm Emanuel, the US envoy to Japan who is known for attention-grabbing tweets, wrote on X that the "unemployment rate" in the Chinese government was very high. He also compared the absence to an Agatha Christie mystery "And Then There Were None", noted the BBC. "As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,'" he said. What next? There are mixed predictions on whether Li's removal will help or hinder US-China military relations. It will boost the ties, said the Financial Times, by "removing the obstacle" that Beijing insisted would prevent any meeting with US defence secretary Lloyd Austin. Any purge of Li could improve the two nations' "military ties", agreed The Japan Times, because the Chinese defence chief has been "subject to sanctions by Washington since 2018 in connection with China's purchase of Russian weapons". However, the BBC pointed out that Emanuel's tweets "would be seen as unusual" for a high-level US diplomat, "especially one who is ambassador to a major US ally, Japan, which has a fraught relationship with China". Ian Chong, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China, told the broadcaster: "It is possible that Mr Emanuel is trying to elicit some response from China regarding the disappearance." There are also predictions of further ministerial casualties after the second exit in three months. "It could be even worse than that," a US official told The Washington Post in a separate report on Li, alluding to the potential for further purges. Meanwhile, it could take a while for Li's fate to become officially known, said the paper. Chinese military websites still list him as minister of defence and "traditionally, when Chinese officials are ousted for corruption or other disciplinary crimes", Beijing "refrains from citing a reason, and confirmation can take months or even years", it said. MADISON After a decade of Democratic efforts to adopt the "Iowa model" of nonpartisan redistricting in Wisconsin, GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos who shot down the idea at every turn appeared to have a change of heart. Assembly Republicans introduced a bill on Tuesday that he said would do just that. But this time, Democrats wanted no part of it. Within an hour of the announcement, it was clear the minority party saw the proposal as more of a fig leaf than an olive branch. Gov. Tony Evers called it "bogus." Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer wrote it off as "an obvious attempt to distract from (Republicans') efforts to impeach Justice (Janet) Protasiewicz and undermine our democracy." Sen. Kelda Roys characterized it as a ridiculous political stunt meant just to manipulate headlines, otherwise known as the Robin Vos special. "Sometimes you have to listen, and you change your mind," Vos told reporters of his about-face on Tuesday. While he prefers Wisconsin's existing redistricting system, the Assembly Speaker said, he thinks "people want politicians who say, 'I have an open mind to be persuaded.'" Democrats arent buying that. I don't see this as a genuine offer, said Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit. I think Speaker Vos doesn't do anything unless it benefits him. And there's a reason he's putting this out right now to distract from his talk of impeachment, and to try to find any excuse to delay action in the state Supreme Court that might overturn his gerrymandered maps. I don't think it is his goal to get fair maps and end gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Republicans aggressively used the redistricting process in 2011 to draw maps that heavily favor the party in legislative races, after the GOP wave election in 2010 that gave the party control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor's mansion. The state Supreme Court last year ruled in favor of maps drawn by legislative Republicans that made minimal changes to the 2011 election boundaries that handed them a lop-sided majority. More: Gilbert: How Wisconsin's redistricting guarantees a lopsided Republican legislature in a 50/50 state After years of opposing such plans, Vos and Assembly Republicans announced Tuesday they would pursue legislation this week that would allow the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau to write new legislative maps instead of partisans. Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) speaks during a news conference by Assembly Democrats Thursday, September 14, 2023 at the Capitol in Madison, Wis. The move is aimed at bypassing lawsuits before the state Supreme Court that seek to rewrite the current GOP-favorable maps that were adopted in 2021. Republicans have threatened to pursue impeachment proceedings against Protasiewicz if she doesn't recuse herself from the cases, having referred to the state's maps as "rigged" during her election campaign this year. "Hopefully it means that we will take all of the money that has been wasted by the liberal interests suing us over the maps and instead we get to say we don't need to waste those taxpayer dollars because we can adapt the process that has been used flawlessly in Iowa," Vos said Tuesday. More: Wisconsin is famous for its cliffhanger elections. But further down the ballot, competition barely exists. The Assembly is set to take up the legislation on Thursday. Vos said he has "briefed" the state Senate but did not say whether Senate Republicans were supportive. Its clear, though, that Democrats are not even those who have spearheaded previous efforts to implement nonpartisan redistricting. I dont like to vote for any bill on any subject that isnt properly vetted, said Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay, who noted the bill is going to the floor two days after its introduction, without a public hearing. If its worth doing, its worth doing right, and this is a false deadline. Democratic lawmakers who have worked on redistricting bills are put off by the fact that the GOP proposal is most similar to a bill from 2015 rather than more recent proposals that have been adjusted and still received support from a handful of Republicans. Those measures were included in several of Evers budget proposals and removed by Republicans. A key difference between those proposals and the one introduced by Assembly Republicans lies with what happens if the Legislature cant agree on a set of maps after three tries. Under the GOP bill, the Legislative Reference Bureau would submit maps to the Legislature, which could reject the first two proposals. Once a third proposal is introduced, lawmakers could amend it with a simple majority. It would then require the governors approval, and would likely end up in the courts without an agreement unless the Legislature were able to override the governors veto. Recent bills, and Evers budget proposal, would have required a three-fourths majority to approve the final maps. "We don't want to make a change just for the sake of making a change. What we want is a system that guarantees that the voters of Wisconsin get to elect their legislature rather than politicians picking their own voter," Roys said. In 2021, the last time the Marquette University Law School polled on the question, 63% of voters said they thought a nonpartisan commission should be responsible for drawing legislative districts, compared to 25% who thought it should be left to the Legislature and the governor. THANK YOU: Subscribers' support makes this work possible. Help us share the knowledge by buying a gift subscription. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why GOP suddenly backs redistricting reform and Dems aren't buying it A Geauga County woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on state Route 700 in Hiram Township Wednesday evening, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a media release. Kathryn Dent, 83, of Middlefield, was driving a 2019 Nissan Rogue northbound when the SUV went off the east side of the road and struck a ditch, culvert and embankment before coming to a rest at about 7:34 p.m. Dent, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene, the highway patrol said. The Portage County Sheriff's Office, Hiram Township Fire Department and EMS, Hiram Police Department and Portage County Coroner's Office assisted at the scene. The road was closed for a time after the crash, which remains under investigation. Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Woman, 83, killed in Hiram Township crash Wednesday evening Yakima Police Department officers stand outside a cordoned-off area of West Arlington Avenue where a shooting took place in Yakima, Wash., on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Key Insights Brave Bison Group's estimated fair value is UK0.018 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Brave Bison Group is estimated to be 31% overvalued based on current share price of UK0.024 Does the September share price for Brave Bison Group plc (LON:BBSN) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for Brave Bison Group Is Brave Bison Group Fairly Valued? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or 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, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK2.50m UK2.07m UK1.82m UK1.68m UK1.60m UK1.55m UK1.52m UK1.51m UK1.50m UK1.51m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Est @ -17.37% Est @ -11.75% Est @ -7.81% Est @ -5.05% Est @ -3.12% Est @ -1.77% Est @ -0.83% Est @ -0.16% Est @ 0.30% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 7.7% UK2.3 UK1.8 UK1.5 UK1.3 UK1.1 UK1.0 UK0.9 UK0.8 UK0.8 UK0.7 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK12m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.4%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.7%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = UK1.5m (1 + 1.4%) (7.7% 1.4%) = UK24m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK24m ( 1 + 7.7%)10= UK12m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK24m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK0.02, the company appears potentially overvalued at the time of writing. 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 Brave Bison Group 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 7.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.061. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Brave Bison Group Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat No apparent threats visible for BBSN. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. 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 exceeding the intrinsic value? For Brave Bison Group, we've put together three essential items you should assess: Risks: Be aware that Brave Bison Group is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Future Earnings: How does BBSN'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 British 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. Voters in November could close the only library in Columbia County, the result of a yearlong dispute over the placement of young adult books that address gender, sexuality and race. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times) Cars are shown lined up at the valet parking area outside the Creative Artists Agency building in Los Angeles (Reuters) -Creative Artists Agency's (CAA) top staff are in line to pocket more than $200 million as part of the Hollywood talent agency's acquisition by the Pinault family, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Los Angeles-based CAA's top executives including co-chair Bryan Lourd could sell a 5% stake in the deal, reducing their holdings in the business to about a third, the report said, citing documents shared to potential lenders. A final decision on a payout has yet to be made, the newspaper said. Artemis, French luxury goods billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault's family holding company, is planning to invest $2.8 billion of its own money and will hold a 56% stake in the agency, the report said. It will have CAA borrow $425 million in loans. Artemis and CAA did not respond to Reuters requests for comments. Earlier this month, Artemis reached an agreement for a majority stake in CAA. Financial details of the deal were not provided. CAA represents thousands of actors, directors and music artists including Beyonce and Pinault's wife, Salma Hayek. The agency branched into representing athletes in 2006. (Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) Apple to update iPhone 12 to address radiation concerns Apple will update the iPhone 12 to become compliant with European rules on electromagnetic radiation, according to a report by Agence France-Presse and confirmed by Politico. The U.S. tech giant pledged to provide a software update in the coming days, a French official from the digital ministry told Politico. Earlier this week, the French National [] The post Apple to update iPhone 12 to address radiation concerns appeared first on Stiri online, ultimele stiri, presa online, ziar online - Sursazilei.ro . Citeste articolul mai departe pe sursazilei.ro Sursa articol si foto: sursazilei.ro Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Europes natural gas futures jumped after a leak was discovered on a pipeline in the Baltic region, sparking concerns that the event could be similar to blasts on the undersea Nord Stream gas pipeline just over a year ago, according to Bloomberg. The benchmark contracted surged as much as 8.3% to trade - Autoritatile din Belgia, Olanda si Germania au anuntat ca fac anchete legate de scandalul iPhone 12. Decizia a fost luata dupa ce Franta a decis sa opreasca vanzarile telefonului despre care s-a spus ca emite un nivel prea mare de radiatii, potrivit BBC. Apple said it would issue a software update for - China accused the European Union of naked protectionist behaviour on Thursday after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched an investigation into state subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles, according to Politico. China expresses its high concern and strong dissatisfaction over the probe - European natural gas futures headed for a third weekly gain as concerns over potential strikes in Australia inject renewed volatility into the market, according to Bloomberg. The possibility of walkouts at three liquefied natural gas facilities operated by Chevron Corp. and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. - NATO was in cleanup mode Wednesday after a senior official sparked a dust-up over his suggestion that Ukraine could cede territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, according to Politico. The controversy started Tuesday when Stian Jenssen, director of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenbergs - UPDATE Cele trei persoane scoase inconstiente au fost declarate decedate, a anuntat ISU Dobrogea. De asemenea, o alta persoana a fost scoasa din apa inconstienta, tot in statiunea Mamaia, dar in alta zona. Barbatul de 38 de ani a fost resuscitat si transportat cu elicopterul SMURD la Spitalul Judetean - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki proposed holding a referendum asking citizens whether they support the arrival of thousands of illegal migrants coming from the Middle East and Africa under the European Unions relocation policy, according to Politico. In a video posted on social networks - Romania is working to find more ways to help transport Ukrainian grain, the countrys foreign minister said Monday, describing the security situation in the Black Sea region as quite serious, according to Politico. More than half of Ukrainian exports using the EUs solidarity lane corridors set up Caravana Gaudeamus Radio Romania este gazduita de Timisoara Ultima editie din acest an a Caravanei Gaudeamus Radio Romania este gazduita de Timisoara, Capitala Culturala Europeana, iar deschiderea are loc la Centrul Regional de Afaceri maine, cand Radio Romania implineste 95 de ani de existenta neintrerupta. 40 de participanti edituri, [citeste mai departe] By Isla Binnie NEW YORK (Reuters) -The Chief Investment Officer of the largest U.S. state pension manager, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), will step down on Sept. 29, CalPERS said in a statement on Friday. Nicole Musicco, who was the second woman in its history to have led the investment operations of the $463 billion fund, is leaving to "attend to the immediate needs of family in her native home of Toronto, Canada", CalPERS said. CalPERS said Musicco's deputy Dan Bienvenue will serve as interim chief investment officer and it will soon start a global search for her replacement. Musicco took the role overseeing a 400-strong investment office less than two years ago, in February 2022, according to CalPERS website. "I've spent my entire career making the necessary trade-offs between my personal and professional life," Musicco said in a post on the website. "But lately, those trade-offs have come at too high of a cost." The post added that she has two children and a "large, multigenerational family" and has "been shuttling between Sacramento and her native Toronto to attend to pressing matters". (Reporting by Isla Binnie; editing by David Evans) The questions child welfare caseworkers ask every day can have life-altering consequences: Is the child safe in this home? Are there signs of abuse or neglect? Can they remain with their biological parents, and if not, whats the right foster home for them? Whats the likeliest path to a permanent home? Its a demanding job and the stakes are incredibly high. Child welfare caseworkers within the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) worked hard to help families, but they also needed help. Their caseloads were too high; their jobs were extremely stressfulthen the pandemic strained the system further. Every day, these dedicated professionals were making decisions that impacted livesbut gathering data to inform those decisions was often challenging. Some information had to be captured in the field and manually entered into databases hours or days later. Caseworkers often required additional information from disparate parts of the human services or justice systems. Inefficiencies and outmoded systems cut into time caseworkers could otherwise spend helping children and their families. While the primary objective of child welfare is the safety and well-being of children, DHW also valued its staffs safety and well-being. To better meet the needs of the department, its caseworkers, andmost importantlychildren and families, DHW needed better tools. Hungary is the most steadfast and vocal proponent of the cause of families and demographics in European politics, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the 5th Budapest Demographic Summit. Orban said the Hungarian government was preparing to draft the countrys family policy 2.0, and called on participants to turn European family policy around together. Liberals attacks against Hungary for its pro-family, conservative and patriotic policies are in vain, that only make us tougher there will be no change, Orban said. He welcomed the participants, saying that the large number of visitors showed how the matter of families and children moves people everywhere in the world. Since the last summit two years ago, the world has changed, and we now live in the shadow of war, he said. At the same time, he welcomed that right-wing parties and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni won the elections in Italy. We thought Italy would never have a patriotic, family-loving, Christian government again. Orban agreed with Meloni that Europes future was in families, and that it is important for children to have a father and a mother. He said Italy and Hungary were both the homeland of freedom fighters. Orban Greets Intl Politicians at Summit Prime Minister Viktor Orban greeted the Chairman of the Azeri parliament, the Serbian president of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bulgarian president at the Budapest Demographic Summit on Thursday. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev is the guarantee for stability in Bulgaria, an important ally of Hungary in the fight against illegal migration and in protecting energy security, he said. Orban said Europe was led by a progressive liberal elite busy with all kinds of nonsense instead of important European issues, such as the future of the continents demography. He cited a survey of the Matthias Corvinus Collegium, which said that European surveys were biased towards the fears of the progressive political elite and did nothing to probe the real concerns of Europeans. This is the most worrying development in the West in the past 70 years, he said. Leaders may have no idea of the real problems of real life in a dictatorship, but that is unimaginable in a western democracy, he added. European citizens want to be able to start families in safe homes, to raise their children in peace and security. These are demographic issues, which continue to be far down on the agenda in European politics. Orban said the root of that phenomenon was that liberals had hacked the political life in the West. Western political life, the discourse, the outlook, the way of thinking, the interpretation framework of how the world works, has been hacked by the liberals in two steps, he said. The first step was spreading the view that the individual was the most important thing in the world. They see dictators in everyone who sets boundaries to their individual wishes, he said. Those boundaries, however, are also rail guides, he said. The boundaries of family life are essential for freedom; freedom requires at least two people, one person alone is not free but lonely. Liberals also tried to hack European life by spreading strategic fears of the future, the prime minister said. Liberals strive to keep irrational fears from the future on the agenda, and to magnify them, he said. Liberals expect people to live submitting all their actions to an impending apocalypse, he said. Orban said the mindset of a community was something that defined the future. He added, however, that the western way of thinking prevented the Europeans from being able to identify the most important challenge facing them which he said was demography. He said that instead of addressing the issue of demography, politicians were focusing their attention on how to enforce carbon quotas in the economy and gender quotas in society. Europe is acting out of fear and fear turns us into defeatists. We say there is no future which thus will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, Orban said. The prime minister called Hungary an incubator house of conservative policies which he said covered such areas as a labour-based economy, a modern cooperation of state and church and a patriotic education policy. Speaking about Hungarys demographic policy, the prime minister listed five goals. Those include promoting the advantages of raising children, government incentives supporting home-building, giving mothers priority as the pillars of family policy, turning the entire countrys operation into a family-friendly direction and protecting families with laws. Speaking about the achievements of his government that took power in 2010, Orban noted that the per capita income of families raising a child had doubled and that of families raising more children had tripled. He said that a government subsidy scheme had helped every fifth family to buy a new home. Among the family support measures, he noted the personal income exemption for mothers under 30 and the personal income tax exemption for mothers with four children. The personal income tax exemption will be extended to families with three children, he said. We would normally not admit it, but in Hungary women keep the families together, Orban said and praised women for their achievements. He said the most important teaching of Hungarian family policy is that if you want a future for your country, you must support mothers. Orban said that Hungarys constitution protected the institution of marriage as a union based on a voluntary decision between a man and a woman, as well as the family which forms the basis for the survival of the nation. The present first phase of Hungarys family policy is concluded, now the next phase can begin, Orban said. We have earned a lot of appreciation for what we have done so far, but we consider this to be insufficient, so we must move on, he said. Orban said that we have no chance to convince the present progressive, liberal elites we must push them aside. The post-liberal era replacing progressive liberalism is not going to introduce itself, somebody will have to do it, he added. And who is going to do that if not us? Such a change would require conservative pro-family forces to take power in as many European countries as possible, the prime minister said. Orban said that we have everything to turn the balance of power to our advantage at the European Parliament elections next year. In the meantime, we, Hungarians have to do our homework and draft programme 2.0 of Hungarian family policy, the prime minister said. Meloni: Demography the Issue that Defines a Nation's Future Demography is not simply one of the main issues, it is an issue on which the future of a nation depends, Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, said in her address to the 5th Demographic Summit in Budapest, She said it was a top priority of her government to bring about a fundamental cultural change as regards the approach towards family affairs in Italy which, just as the rest of the western world, is hit by a serious demographic crisis. The number of births fell, and a strong anti-family atmosphere has developed; the image of the family gradually faded in the media and has been taken over by individuals as consumers. We live in an era when the most important elements of our identity are under attack, and yet without this identity we are just numbers, tools in the hands of others, she said. Fewer and fewer children are being born in Europe, so resources must be mobilised to support families, as Hungary perfectly exemplifies, the Italian prime minister said. Thanks to the governments efforts, Hungary has managed to reverse the deteriorating fertility rate, the number of marriages and the number of the employed has increased, and, very importantly, the number of the employed among women increased, Giorgia Meloni said. She said the Hungarian example shows that with a family-friendly policy, women do not have to choose between work and family. Real freedom is when women can choose to have children alongside work, and Hungary is a good example for this, Meloni said. Many people believe that migration can help ensure prosperity, she said, adding that she did not accept this view. Nations must assume responsibility for their own future, she argued. Meloni said she had been shocked by the recent controversies related to the 1956 uprising against the Soviets. 1956 was not only an uprising against a foreign power, but also an uprising against those who wanted to destroy the foundations of Hungarian identity: family, national identity, and religion, she said. There are pages of history that cannot be rewritten, she said. We see the same thing in Ukraine today, and this cannot be accepted, Meloni said. Bulgarian president Rumen Radev said the rivalry between societies in the digital 21st century will no longer be about territory, but about human capital, as this is the most important value. He noted that over the past ten years his country lost 12% of its population, largely due to emigration. Expanding the family support system will help support this, but the most important thing is to strengthen the rule of law and fight corruption, he said. Orban Holds Talks with Italian Counterpart Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni met in Orbans office on Thursday to discuss the most important European and international issues, and the excellent bilateral relations between Rome and Budapest, Orbans press chief said. Commenting on the Budapest Demographic Summit, they reiterated the importance of pro-family policies, also in light of the demographic challenges facing Europe, he said. The two prime ministers condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine and called for peace. They noted the support granted to Kiev and stressed the importance of maintaining European unity in support for Ukraine. Commenting on migration, they reiterated that fast and resolute action was needed. Migration is a common challenge for the European Union and requires a collective response, the prime ministers said. In order to prevent people from leaving their homes, it is necessary to focus on the external dimension, such as political and economic support to origin countries and the fight against human smuggling networks, they said. The prime ministers expressed their commitment to maintaining close cooperation between their respective governments, with special regards to the Hungarian presidency of the EU in the second half of 2024, the statement said. The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below. You can see the new edition of the Xpat E-Magazine here: https://xpatloop.com/newsletters/2023/14-september.html First up, here's is a quick look at a great variety of 10 + 1 happenings on the horizon this month: 1. Budapest Classics Film Marathon inc Free Open-Air Screenings, on until 17 Sept, 2. Free Entry to Presidential Palace in Budapest this Sunday, 17 Sept, 3. Taste The Best 100 Hungarian Wines at Corinthia Budapest, 16 Sept, 4. Free Chain Bridge Festival: Reopening Celebration, 16 Sept, 5. Ars Sacra Festival, Nationwide Around Hungary, 16 - 24 Sept, 6. Pink Running Event: Race for the Cure in Csopak, 17 Sept, 7. Brain Bar, House of Music Budapest, 21 - 22 Sept, 8. Independent Records Fair, House of Music Budapest, 23 Sept, 9. She Wants Revenge Gig - Lady Gaga's Favourites at Durer Kert, 24 Sept, 10. Costello & Nieve in Concert, Palace of Arts Budapest, 30 Sept, +1. Budapest International Book Festival, 28 Sept - 1 Oct. Next, you can see a wide selection of events happening these days below and in Xpat Calendar: E.g. 100 Best Local Wines Event, Louis Tomlinson Gig, Faithless Wife Dance, Prize-Winning Pianist. Also for your interest there are new Movies and Specials, plus News, Information & Inspiration: E.g. Outdoor Dining Guide, Exhibition of Renoirs Nudes Ahead, Most Tricky Local Words for Expats. We hope you like what's in it for you. Best wishes from Team XpatLoop Hungary will have no future, and the nation cannot be preserved unless the birth rate can be raised, President Katalin Novak said in an interview published in the weekly Mandiner. The number of children born in Hungary is falling each year, and the number of women in childbearing age has fallen by 20% in the past 20 years, she said. The state has a role in ensuring that raising children does not come with financial setbacks, and that families with children dont live in worse conditions than those without children, she said. Hungary maintains its commitment to supporting families even amid the economic difficulties resulting from the war in Ukraine. Hungary is spending on the verge of its capacities to fulfil that commitment, she said. That is not an expense but the best investment, she said. Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys statement that he is ready to provide all rights to Hungarians living in Ukraine that Ukrainians in Hungary enjoy, Novak said that step would be an important step forward. Reliability is an important characteristic of countries aspiring to become European Union member states. I trust that the Ukrainian president is a serious man and meant what he said, she added. Regarding Swedens NATO accession, Novak said: I definitely think that we should support Swedens NATO integration. The decision is with Hungarys parliament, she added. President Novak: Being Pro-Family Should Be 'National Minimum' Being pro-family should be a national minimum, President Katalin Novak said in her address to the 5th Demographic Summit in Budapest. We are here today as allies of each other and families, she said, adding: Today we are fighting the freedom fight of families. The demographic winter faced by the developed world is currently turning into an ice age, but without children there is no future, Novak said. We are increasingly defenceless against the demographic ice age, she said. The pillars of our lives, the foundations of are Christian culture are beginning to crack, and if we dont protect the values we believe to be impermeable, we will voluntarily sacrifice ourselves before we become victims of the coming ice age. As the heirs to their freedom-fighting ancestors, Hungarians have learned that freedom does not come for free, and it is something they have to fight for again and again, she said. Modelled on the 1848 revolution, Novak listed twelve demands of Hungarian families. The first demand concerns the freedom to raise children, meaning it should be the exclusive right, responsibility and obligation of parents without the interference of any ideology, she said. We wont allow our children to be deprived of the sense of safety stemming from their identity, Novak said. Someone who is born a girl should be allowed to grow up as one, and a boy should grow up as a boy. Hungarian families demand pro-family decision makers who do not agitate against families, Novak said. Being pro-family should be a national minimum, she added. Also, families do not want Hungary to approve decisions that go against the family, she said. Kindergartens, schools, the country and its borders should be safe for children and aging parents, she said. Parenthood should not be a poverty risk factor, she said, stressing that those who have children should not be worse off than those who do not. Novak also noted the need to respect the elderly and that women should not have to sacrifice motherhood for their work and vice-versa. The president underscored the need to help young people to buy their own homes. She also called for competitive public, vocational and higher education, modern health care, supporting those who live in more difficult conditions and devoting greater attention to Hungarian families beyond the border. She said that after years of anti-family measures in the 2000s, Hungarian families stood up for a more secure future, putting together civil movements and family organisations along with the Demography Roundtable. The freedom fight waged by families was not in vain, Novak said, noting that Hungary had seen a pro-family turnaround. The number of marriages doubled and the number of abortions halved over a ten-year period. The number of divorces has gone down, and more couples want children than anywhere else in Europe, she said, adding that the number of large families and living standards had both gone up. But the freedom fight is not over, Novak said. Families will not back down, they will not give up the churches or the schools and will take back everything that is theirs, she added. MTI Photo: Noemi Bruzak Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday said Pratt & Whitney will issue a service bulletin regarding the second phase of recall of its engines in two months, and most of the engine removals are expected in the first quarter of 2024. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also taken up with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) the three incidents of IndiGo planes suffering engine issues in recent weeks and had sought urgent intervention, according to a note. Out of the three incidents of In-Flight Shut Down (IFSD), two happened on August 28, involving Madurai-Mumbai and Kolkata-Bengaluru flights that were operated with A321 neo planes. The third one, involving the Amritsar-Delhi flight, operated with an A320 neo aircraft, happened on September 3. IndiGo's fleet of A320 planes is powered by P&W engines and a total of 11 engines were impacted due to the high-pressure turbine (HPT) hub issues that were flagged by the engine maker in July. Globally, a total of 200 engines were to be recalled due to the HPT hub issues, which could only be detected with an Angular Ultra Sonic Inspection (AUSI) at the shop level. In the first phase, the impacted engines were required to be removed before September 15 for the AUSI in a shop. Also Read - Indian Air Force To Organise Air Show To Celebrate 76th Anniversary Of J&Ks Accession: Check Details In the note, DGCA said that 11 engines of the IndiGo fleet were impacted and out of these, 6 were part of the current P&W AOG (Aircraft on Ground) and only 5 were operating engines, which were removed before September 15. "On September 11, P&W indicated that the phase 2 recall is being reviewed by P&W, which will require the removal of up to 600 engines between 2023 and 2026, with most of the removals in Q1 of 2024. P&W will issue a Service Bulletin in the next 60 days with the fleet management action plan," as per the note. In the wake of the three incidents on August 29 and September 3, the regulator took up the matter with P&W and demanded its "urgent intervention of the highest level for suitable mitigation". "P&W was also advised to identify the probable cause of the HPT blade damage along with the additional inspection(s)/ task(s), recommended by P&W, if any, to detect the deterioration at an early stage to be intimated along with the data of such failures globally and the mitigation measures recommended by P&W to be shared with DGCA," as per the note. On August 29, there was a commanded IFSD in IndiGo's A321 neo aircraft that was operating from Madurai to Mumbai wherein the crew observed high vibration and low oil pressure on an engine, followed by an engine stall. "Upon landing at Mumbai airport, metallic chips were found on the oil chip detector," DGCA said. On the same day, the airline's A321 neo plane operating from Kolkata to Bengaluru was involved in a commanded IFSD, wherein similar observations were made by the crew on an engine and the aircraft landed back at Kolkata. In that instance also, metallic chips were found on the oil chip detector. Later, on September 3, there was a similar incident with IndiGo's A320 Neo aircraft that was flying from Amritsar to Delhi. In that case, low oil pressure was observed by the crew on an engine and the aircraft landed back at Amritsar. External oil leak was observed on the affected engine but no vibration or oil chip was reported, DGCA said. Following the incidents, a Boroscopic Inspection (BSI) of the engines concerned was done by IndiGo, wherein damage to the Stage 1 blades of the HPT was observed on the engines involved in the incidents on August 29. However, no anomaly was observed in the BSI of the affected engine in the incident on September 3. According to DGCA, the engines involved in the three incidents had done more than 3,000 hours since the last shop visit. Subsequently, the regulator directed IndiGo to identify and conduct BSI of the engines installed on A321 aircraft, which had done more than 3,000 hours since the last shop visit. Three engines were identified but no abnormality was observed after BSI. Further, as a precaution, DGCA asked IndiGo to undertake BSI for engines installed on A321 aircraft that have done more than 2,500 hours since the last shop visit. Accordingly, five engines were identified but BSI did not find any abnormality in those engines. New Delhi: Haryana government on Thursday imposed section 144 in Nuh district and suspended all types of internet services for two days in the district to maintain law and order. Internet services will remain suspended from 10 am on September 15 to 12 am on September 16. "Home secretary, Haryana do hereby order the suspension of mobile internet services, bulk SMS and all dongle services etc. provided on the mobile networks except the voice calls in the jurisdiction of district Nuh od Haryana state," stated the official notification. Mobile internet was temporarily suspended in Haryana's Nuh District from 1000 hours on 15th September to 2359 hours on 16th September We have imposed Section 144 CrPcin Nuh and we have also requested people to offer Friday prayers at their homes: SP Nuh pic.twitter.com/SaJZkWOyzr ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 #WATCH | There are charges of inciting violence against him. He will be produced before the court by police to obtain his remand. So far, investigation reveals his involvement. Facts reveal that he was present at the site just before violence broke: SP Nuh on the arrest of pic.twitter.com/qLsDbq5SrW ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023 Meanwhile, Congress MLA Mamman Khan will be produced, on Friday in a case pertaining to the violence that took place in Nuh on July 31. Khan was arrested by Haryana police in the early hours of Friday, a day after the state government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had named him as an accused in an FIR in a case pertaining to the Nuh violence, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mamta Singh said. China lashed out at Taiwan and, indirectly, the United States on Thursday over the self-ruled island's attempted involvement in the United Nations General Assembly as the world's leaders gather in New York next week for the annual conclave. "Recently, the Taiwan authorities, in collusion with some 'external forces', again clamoured for so-called Taiwan's participation in the UN," China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun said Thursday in a statement, invoking an oft-used phrase for the US. "This is yet another political farce staged by separatist forces for 'Taiwan independence' and some anti-China forces news-jacking the incoming 78th session of the UN General Assembly. 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. "It is essentially political manipulation under the disguise of Taiwan's so-called international participation." China's Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun took issue with recent actions by "so-called Taiwan". Photo: EPA-EFE alt=China's Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun took issue with recent actions by "so-called Taiwan". Photo: EPA-EFE> China views Taiwan as a renegade province to be eventually reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. Few countries, including the US, recognise the self-governing island as an independent state. But Washington is bound by law to support Taiwan's military defence capability and by policy to further Taiwan's expanded presence in global health, crime prevention and aviation - objectives Beijing opposes. The sharp words come as China sends mixed signals on its support for global organizations even as it works to block Taiwan's involvement. Reports suggest that China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi may skip the assembly. Story continues Additionally, earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping opted out of the Group of 20 summit in India. And questions remain whether Xi will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in San Francisco in November. Zhang's office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification regarding exactly what recent Taiwanese action or events he was referring to - although given Taiwan's strategy of pushing limits, there are no shortage of candidates. In late August, Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned China for its international containment strategy toward the island. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi may reportedly skip the UN General Assembly. Photo: AFP alt=China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi may reportedly skip the UN General Assembly. Photo: AFP> It also criticised the UN for yielding to Beijing's pressure and called on the UN to: stop excluding Taiwan's 23 million people from the international system; facilitate peace across the Taiwan Strait; allow Taipei to participate in relevant meetings and activities; and stop its "discriminatory policy" toward Taiwan passport holders and journalists. Taiwan has long sought to expand its international space even as an ascendant China has worked to narrow its scope. Following a recent switch in diplomatic recognition to Beijing by Honduras earlier this year, just 12 countries plus the Vatican out of 193 UN member states maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei, down from 23 a decade ago. Though the cross-strait battle over recognition has gone on for decades, Taiwan's bid has gained more support in Washington recently as US-China trade, military and diplomatic relations have hit new lows. While the island is challenged diplomatically, it looms large in trade, manufacturing and investment as one of Asia's largest economies, technology powerhouse and the world's most advanced semiconductor maker. On Saturday, around 300 supporters held a "March for Taiwan" starting at the People's Republic of China consulate on Manhattan's West Side and winding across 42nd Street before boarding a ship that sailed along the East River past the UN. Marchers held banners and shouted "Keep Taiwan Free" and "UN for Taiwan". The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Tecro) in New York, Taiwan's de facto consulate, showed its support for the march, providing among other things a food truck emblazoned with the slogan "Global Peace for Taiwan" that offered bystanders bubble milk tea popsicles. "Taiwan is not, nor has it ever been, a part of the PRC," James Lee, Tecro's New York director general, said in a statement. "The undeniable reality today in the Taiwan Strait is that the PRC and TW are two separate entities, with two separate governments representing different peoples. This is also the status quo across the Taiwan Strait." In other recent moves that enraged Beijing, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen transited through the United States in the spring - en route to Central America - and met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Beijing responded by holding three days of unprecedented combat-readiness drills around Taiwan, sending missiles flying over the island into waters near Japan. Taiwanese Vice-President William Lai Ching-te, who is the presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic People's Party (DPP), also stopped over in the US last month on his way to Paraguay. Taiwanese presidential contenders traditionally visit the US as candidates. But in the diplomatic dance between Washington, Beijing and Taipei, Tsai's visit was a "private" unofficial transit, according to the White House. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng would attend the general assembly next week in lieu of Wang, who attended in 2022. Xi addressed the assembly virtually from China in 2021. Beijing is particularly rankled by the independence-leaning DPP, which leads in the polls, preferring in recent decades the Kuomintang the more Beijing-friendly opposition party. KMT candidate Hou Yu-ih, the mayor of New Taiwan, is starting an eight-day trip to the US that his office has billed as a "journey of dialogue and deepening friendship". Ambassador Zhang said that Taiwan's "so-called international participation" was intended to bolster the DPP's election campaign and aid "the strategy by some external forces to use Taiwan to contain China". During the general assembly's leaders week, dozens of monarchs, presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers descend on New York - US President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend Tuesday and Wednesday - snarling traffic and creating massive security challenges for the city's police department. Looking in from the outside, Taiwan's ministry said that it planned four side events around the gathering focused on regional security, sustainable development, public health and technology. It also sent a legislative delegation to New York - including several representatives who took part in the Saturday march - and would reach out to sympathetic UN delegations for support. "The so-called Taiwan's participation in the UN is a false narrative through and through," Zhang countered. "Whatever excuses used, the so-called Taiwan's participation in the UN will not succeed." 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 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka on Thursday decided to make it mandatory for schools and colleges, both government-run and private, to read the Preamble to the Constitution every day. On International Democracy Day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attended a reading of the Preamble near the Vidhana Soudha, the state Assembly, on Friday. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and fellow cabinet members Dr G Parameshwara, Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, KJ George, and Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad also attended the Preamble reading event. State minister for Social Welfare, HC Mahadevappa, said, "The citizens need to discharge their basic duties as are enshrined in our Constitution. Hence, across schools and colleges, the reading of the Preamble to the Constitution is being arranged to make children aware of the ideals and principles that went into making it while also informing them of the constitutional responsibilities." According to sources, the government has made it mandatory for students and teachers at all educational institutions of the state to read the Preamble during the morning prayers and take an oath to adopt and incorporate the constitutional principles in their everyday lives. "The Constitution was a gift to all the citizens from BR Ambedkar. It is a sacrosanct statute book stressing fairness and equality. Hence, there is an important purpose behind reading the Preamble. It will help our children understand the basic principles and ideas on which our country was founded," Mahadevappa said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be dedicating to the nation Phase 1 of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) called Yashobhomi at Dwarka on September 17. With a total project area of over 8.9 lakh square metre and total built up area of more than 1.8 lakh square metre, YashoBhoomi will be among the worlds largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities. The Convention Center, built across more than 73 thousand square metres of area, comprises 15 convention rooms including the main auditorium, the Grand ballroom and 13 meeting rooms with a total capacity of holding 11,000 delegates. The Convention centre claims to have the largest LED media facade in the country. The Main auditorium is the plenary hall for the Convention Center and is equipped with a seating capacity of around 6,000 guests. The auditorium has automated seating systems which allows the floor to be a flat floor or an auditorium style tiered seating for different seating configurations. The Grand Ballroom, with a unique petal ceiling, can host around 2,500 guests. It also has an extended open area that can seat up to 500 people. The 13 meeting rooms that are spread across eight floors are envisaged to hold a variety of meetings of different scales. YashoBhoomi also claims to offer one of the largest Exhibition halls in the world. These Exhibition halls, built across over 1.07 lakh square metres, will be utilised for hosting exhibitions, trade fairs, and business events, are connected to a grand foyer space which is uniquely designed with copper ceiling which filters light in the space through the various skylights. Foyer will house various support areas such as Media rooms, VVIP lounges, Cloak facilities, visitor information centre, ticketing among others. It consists of materials and objects inspired from Indian culture in the form of terrazzo floors with Brass inlay representing rangolis patterns, Suspended sound absorbent metal cylinders, lit up patterned walls. YashoBhoomi is equipped with a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system with 100% wastewater reuse, rainwater harvesting, rooftop solar panels and its campus has received Green Cities Platinum certification from CIIs Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). YashoBhoomi will also be connected to Delhi Airport Metro Express line with the inauguration of the new metro station at Dwarka Sector 25. Delhi Metro will also increase the operational speed of Metro trains on Airport Express Line from 90 to 120 km/hr reducing the travel time. The total journey from New Delhi to YashoBhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 will take about 21 minutes. Bhilwara: Union Minister Anurag Thakur attacked the Congress-led state government in Rajasthan on Thursday and said that after forming government BJP will make the state free from corruption and establish Ram Rajya. Thakur was addressing a public rally in Bhilwara when he said, "We believe in 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'...After forming the government in Rajasthan, we will make Rajasthan free from corruption, crime against women, paper leaks and jungle raj. We will establish 'Ram Rajya'." "Congress is ashamed of Sanatana Dharma, they want to end Sanatana Dharma, they want to insult Hindus and they want to crush the Constitution," he further added. "Every day Congress and leaders of their supporting parties say that they will end Sanatana Dharma. They have now also started boycotting journalists and have started filing complaints. Whether it is in Chennai or Bengal, they are filing complaints out of fear," said Thakur. #WATCH | Bhilwara, Rajasthan: Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, "We believe in 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'...After forming the government in Rajasthan, we will make Rajasthan free from corruption, crime against women, paper leaks and jungle raj. We will establish 'Ram Rajya'..." pic.twitter.com/qTILI4qUu1 ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2023 While also addressing the public meeting, Anurag Thakur also made several other allegations against the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. Indirectly attacking Gandhi family, Thakur accused the Congress government of "engaging in pleasing brother-in-law (Robert Vadra) and Rahul Gandhi". He further said that Congress and the opposition used many harsh words for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had said, "Will a tea seller run the country?" Thakur said, "When Congress was in power, it emptied the entire treasury but the Modi government has filled the treasury again while building homes and think tanks for the countrymen." New Delhi: Belgium's state secretary for digitalization said on Friday he had asked Apple to upgrade the iPhone 12 software across EU countries, adding however that based on a preliminary review by the Belgian regulator the handset presents no danger to users. Mathieu Michel said in a statement that while a review of the phone by the IBPT regulator was still underway, the first results were "reassuring" and there was no need for a recall of the phone in Belgium. (Also Read: In Which Country Apple iPhone 15 Is Cheapest? Here's List Of Countries Where The Smartphone Is Available At Lowest Price) Belgium said on Thursday it would review potential health risks linked to Apple's iPhone 12, raising the prospect that more European countries might ban the model after France ordered a halt to sales due to breaches of radiation exposure limits. (Also Read: 10 Largest Malls In India And Their Impressive Sizes) New Delhi: Actor Hrithik Roshan has dropped a heartfelt video praising Friday Storytellers' show 'The Freelancer'. He watched the show and couldn't resist praising the team and the show. Friday Storytellers' action thriller 'The Freelancer' was released on 1st September and gave the audience an absolute dose of action and adventure. The 4 episodic series has been immensely loved by the audience. While praising Friday Storytellers' action thriller 'The Freelancer', Hrithik Roshan took to his social media and wrote, "Just got done watching The Freelancer on Hotstar - which is yet another brilliant work of art by Neeraj Pandey, Shital Bhatia and team. I thought Special Ops was peak, but you all have me in awe with this one too. Unbelievably thrilling! Firstly , what a novel concept.. watching the show just made me realise this is an unexplored universe with so much potential. I cannot wait to watch the upcoming episodes. Anupam Sir, Mohit & Kashmira and all the cast members are simply outstanding. Guys.. if you'll haven't watched The Freelancer on Hotstar yet.. please add it to your watchlist immediately! This is one webseries you must not miss!" 'The Freelancer' has been garnering immense love from all across ever since its release. Well studded with a talented star cast Mohit Raina, Anupam Kher, and many more. Coming from the house of Friday storytellers, who have always given the audience some fresh and original content, 'The Freelancer' is definitely a must-watch content available only on Deinsy+ Hotstar. From Special OPS 1.5, Kaun Praveen Tambe?, Khakhee- The Bihar Chapter, Secrets of Kohinoor, Bande Mei Hai Dum and many more are some of the content that are the most enjoyed ones from the house of Friday storytellers. Unattended lumps in the neck, armpits, or groin that do not cause any pain, could be a sign of lymphatic cancer. Medical experts form King George's Medical University (KGMU) have warned against alternative treatments. Doctors explained that the lymphatic system is a network of vessels and nodes that helps fight infection and disease. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped lumps of tissue found throughout the body. When the body is fighting an infection, lymph nodes can swell. However, if the lymph nodes are swollen and painless, it could be a sign of cancer. Former head of the haematology department at KGMU, Prof A K Tripathi, mentioned that about 90 per cent of the 20-25 patients who come to KGMU do so in advanced stages, after five to six months of alternative medicine. Also read: 10 Ways You Can Maintain Healthy Diet At Workplace He added, "Patients experience shortness of breath and unexplained weight loss by the time they see a doctor, making management more challenging." Prof Sanjeev, a faculty member at Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), explained that many patients come to him after receiving treatment for tuberculosis with no relief. He advised to seek a second opinion from a specialist if they are not improving. He also mentioned that new treatments such as gene editing, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) could revolutionize the way the disease is managed. Experts said that ADCs are designed to specifically target cancer cells while sparing healthy ones, and ICIs work by removing the "brakes" that inhibit the immune system's ability to recognise and attack cancer cells. The doctors further said that gene editing could potentially allow doctors to correct genetic abnormalities responsible for lymphoma, leading to more effective treatments and improved patient outcomes. NEW DELHI: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Friday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals of approx Rs 45,000 crore, the Defence Ministry said. The AoN for procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was also accorded, official added. According to the Defence Ministry, to enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of mechanised forces, the DAC accorded AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). It also cleared AoN for procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) and Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of artillery guns and radars. The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing hydrographic operations, a ministry official added. All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence Industry towards achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the official added. The DAC also accorded AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force which included avionic upgradation of Dornier aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations. The procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent indigenous precision-guided weapon for indigenously-built ALH Mk-IV helicopters has been cleared. During the meeting, Rajnath Singh stated that it is time to upgrade the ambitions towards indigenisation. "Rather than a threshold of 50 per cent indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65 per cent indigenous content," he said. He directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary and the DG, Acquisition, to work towards increasing the minimum indigenous content threshold in consultation with the Indian Industry, the official added. BENGALURU: More than 15 prominent leaders and former corporators from BJP and JD-S joined Karnataka's ruling Congress n Bengaluru on Friday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The function was held at the Bharat Jodo Auditorium at the party office here. Former Deputy Mayor L. Srinivas, Prasad Babu, and former taluk panchayat member Anjinappa were among the main leaders. Shivakumar gave them Congress flags and welcomed them to the party. After pulling in BJP and JD-S leaders from Yeshwantpur and R R Nagar constituencies in Bengaluru, this is the third major operation carried out by the Congress. Srinivas, after joining the Congress, said that he worked for the BJP for 33 years. "BJP and JD-S leaders from Padmanabhanagar constituency who worked as a big force behind capturing power in Bengaluru city corporation are now with Congress. The BJP leaders have not treated them well and now they are knocking our doors," Shivakumar said. He has openly stated that they would take steps to strengthen the party. He is working towards achieving victory in the forthcoming Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections and Lok Sabha elections. Sources state that Shivakumar had assured the high command of winning more than 20 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. He is talking to more than 20 MLAs from BJP and JD (S) and trying to pull them into the Congress. Defending the move, Shivakumar had questioned whether the BJP was right in toppling elected governments in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh. After the Anantnag shootout, the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police's joint operation has been going on for over 65 hours to eliminate the terrorists. This operation will continue until the terrorists are neutralized. The army has also deployed high-tech drones to trace the terrorists. Be it day or night, the security forces have vowed to kill these terrorists and the combing operation is not going to end before that. These cowardly terrorists had deceitfully attacked the brave sons of the country on 13th September. In today's DNA analysis, Sourabh Raj Jain explained why it's taking so long for the security forces to eliminate the terrorists: Why Is The Operation Taking So Long? It is noteworthy that the area where terrorists are hiding is a dense forest. This terrain is very challenging. According to SP Vaidya, the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police are facing difficulties in this operation because it is a dense forest area and the operation is being conducted to ensure that there are no more casualties among the security forces during the operation. Let us tell you that this area is called Pir Panjal Hills. The mountains here are considered a haven for terrorists. The mountains of Pir Panjal are 13,000 feet high. It rains a lot in this area. There are many natural cave like structures that serve as a hideout for terrorists. The army is scanning these mountains and forests very minutely and is leaving no chance for the terrorists to escape. Terrorists Changed Their Strategy Now let us tell you why the security forces have suffered a huge loss due to the terror attack. According to experts, Pakistan-sponsored terrorists have changed the method of terrorist activities. They hide in forest areas and attack like guerrilla warfare and then hide in the forest again. Former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir Police, SP Vaidya, said that thousands of terrorists were killed in the ongoing operation All Out since 2017. Hence, terrorists and Pakistan intelligence agencies are carrying out terrorist incidents by adopting different methods. Pakistan Clarifies, Fears Surgical Strike Pakistan probably also thinks that it can re-establish terror in the valley. But Pakistan should understand well that their plans will never succeed. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, that they are trying to independently verify the authenticity of the claim made by India that Islamabad is behind the terror attack. Islamabad alleged that India has a habit of dragging Pakistan into its domestic politics and Pakistan would not be surprised if India does so again. Pakistan Will Get Befitting Reply: Modi Govt The revenge for the Anantnag encounter will not be completed until the final status of the terrorists is not known. However, the Modi government has made it clear that Pakistan will get a befitting reply for its cowardly act. Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that this is a very sad incident and a befitting reply will be given to the perpetrators. His statement has increased fear of another surgical strike in Pakistan. As soon as the statement came from Delhi, there was panic in Islamabad. After the Anantnag incident, there was a fear of surgical strikes in Pakistan. Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar Yadav created another stir with his remarks related to Ramcharitmanas after he compared the Hindu book to Potassium Cyanide. However, this time, the RJD leader is finding it difficult to get support from its ally JDU. The ruling party RJD and JDU are at loggerheads over the controversial statement. JDU has advised RJD leader and minister Chandrashekhar to keep his thoughts to himself. During a program on Hindi Diwas, Chandrashekhar Yadav compared Ramcharitmanas with potassium cyanide. Now CM Nitish Kumar's party Janata Dal United (JDU) has retaliated on the issue. Responding to the Education Minister's statement, JDU spokesperson Abhishek Jha said that be it Ramcharitmanas, Guru Granth Sahib, Quran Sharif, Bible, all are matters of faith and one should respect all. Jha further said that those who see potassium cyanide in religious texts should keep their ideology to themselves. This cannot be the ideology of the party and 'INDIA' alliance. Jha said that INDIA alliance respects everyone, but many times it happens that some people impose their ideology on the group to get TRP from the media and to remain in the headlines which is not appropriate. Addressing the students at the convocation ceremony of Nalanda Open University in January 2023, the education minister had said, "In Manusmriti, abuses were made against the large section of the society comprising 85 percent of the population. It is written in Uttar Kand of Ramcharitmanas that people of lower caste become poisonous like snakes after receiving education. These are texts that sow hatred." He also said that Ramcharitmanas has Potassium Cyanide. BJP leader Giriraj Singh also slammed the RJD saying that Lalu ji and Nitish Babu have gone on the path of Stalin and the INDIA alliance has taken the contract to destroy Sanatan Dharma. It may be recalled that last week, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's son Udhayanidhi Stalin had compared Sanatan Dharma with many diseases and vowed to eradicate it. FILE PHOTO: Lockheed Martin's logo is seen during Japan Aerospace 2016 air show in Tokyo By Joe Cash and Liz Lee BEIJING (Reuters) -China will impose sanctions against U.S. aerospace and defence firms Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin for providing weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday. The sanctions are being enacted under China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing. "We urge the U.S. side to effectively abide by the one-China principle... cease U.S.-Taiwan military liaison and stop arming Taiwan, or else it will be subject to a resolute and forceful retaliation by the Chinese side," she said. Mao named Lockheed Martin Corp's branch in Missouri as the prime contractor that was directly involved in an arms sale to Taiwan on Aug. 24 and said Northrop Grumman has repeatedly participated in the sale of weapons to Taiwan. China has applied sanctions on U.S. companies over selling weapons to Taiwan on numerous occasions before, and it is not immediately clear how they work or what they are intended to achieve given that neither company sells to China. U.S. President Joe Biden last month approved the transfer of up to $80 million in funds to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing programme, according to a notification sent to Congress. The sanctions were imposed during a week of busy military activity around the democratically-governed island, in which a Chinese naval formation led by the aircraft carrier Shandong passed within 60 nautical miles (111 km) of Taiwan's southeast. Taiwan has also reported dozens of Chinese fighters, bombers and other aircraft flying into its air defence zone this week. Beijing views the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a breakaway province that must accept Chinese sovereignty and has never renounced the use of force to achieve that goal. China's wide-ranging law to counter foreign sanctions came into force in 2021 in an apparent move to legalise tit-for-tat retaliation against punitive actions taken by foreign countries. It has extraterritorial reach and is part of a suite of laws Beijing has introduced in recent years that analysts say may enable China to police countries' behaviour towards it beyond its shores. (Reporting by Joe Cash, Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christian Schmollinger) JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association (RPDA) has postponed its strike for the infinite time after the third round of talks between the government and the association. The strike was called by petrol pump dealers to appeal to the CM of Rajasthan to reduce diesel prices as they are higher compared to other states. The RPDA president Rajendra Singh Bhati said that the strike has been postponed after the government's assurance that the committee consisting of dealers and officials will come up with a solution. "The government has constituted a high-level committee to study its report on the rate of VAT on petrol and diesel. The committee will include members of the Petroleum Dealers Association and government officials" said Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Consumer Affairs Minister. Khachariyawas said that the committee will give its report in the next 10 days and that the government should bring petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST. Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said "The Rajasthan government has no objection to bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST. The central government is charging many charges on petrol and diesel in the name of tax and cess." Pratap Singh Khachariyawas talked about the petrol and diesel prices during the Manmohan Singh regime. Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, "When Manmohan Singh's government was at the centre, the price of crude oil in the international market was higher than today, but petrol and diesel were available at Rs 70 to 75 per litre." He said that the central government should answer why petrol and diesel are available for more than Rs 100 per litre today. The petrol pump operators in Rajasthan held a two-day strike that started on Wednesday demanding a reduction in diesel prices as VAT in other states was less compared to Rajasthan. Jashpur (Chhattisgarh)/Patna: BJP president JP Nadda on Friday alleged that top Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi had handed over the "agenda of abusing and disrespecting" Sanatan Dharma to their key ally DMK and other partners of the "arrogant" opposition coalition INDIA. Nadda made the allegation even as fellow BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dubbed the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a "civilizational fight" in which people of the country will vote for "protecting the Sanatan Dharma". Several union ministers also targeted the new opposition alliance over the Sanatan Dharma issue. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, meanwhile, said India is home to many religions and Sanatan Dharma does not teach anyone to keep other faiths away. His statement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the opposition INDIA bloc of trying to "destroy" Sanatan Dharma. Hitting out at the anti-BJP coalition, Nadda claimed the "agenda" of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was to "abuse and disrespect" Sanatan Dharma. "My allegation is that the mother-son duo handed over the agenda of abusing and disrespecting Santana Dharma at the Mumbai meeting to the DMK and other parties (of INDIA). Actually, it is the agenda of Sonia and Rahul," he said, slamming the two Congress leaders. Addressing a rally at Jashpur in north Chhattisgarh to flag off the second 'Parivartan Yatra' of the state's opposition party BJP ahead of the assembly polls, he also targeted Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and asked him to clarify his stand on anti-Sanatan Dharma remarks made by Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose party DMK is a member of INDIA bloc. Indi alliance... Ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance held a meeting in Mumbai on September 1. On September 3, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin's son Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose party DMK is a key partner of the alliance, disrespected Sanatan Dharma by linking it with serious diseases. He left no stone unturned in disrespecting Sanatan Dharma in every way, Nadda said. The next day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son, who is a minister in the Karnataka government, attacked Sanatan Dharma and subsequently another minister from Tamil Nadu, too, targeted the ancient faith, the BJP chief said. "What should we understand from this? Sonia Gandhi is silent till today on the issue. Rahul goes all over the world and talks about the Constitution, but avoids saying even a single word on it (Sanatan issue)." Nadda also sought to know if the Constitution has given the right to anyone to disrespect a religion. "Is it written in the Constitution that any religion, any idea, any belief should be abused or has the Constitution given right to disrespect any religion? You (Rahul) say that you run 'mohabbat ki dukan' (shop of love), but hatred is being sold in your shop." Chief Minister Sarma, who spoke to journalists at the Patna airport, alleged that the INDIA bloc was "formed with the sole intent to destroy our civilization and culture". Sarma was responding to queries about the escalating "Sanatan Dharma" row. "The remarks against Sanatan Dharma show that the alliance has been formed with the sole intent to destroy our civilization and culture. Hence, I see the Lok Sabha polls as a civilizational fight in which the people of the country will take part to protect Sanatan Dharma", said Sarma. Queries on the row were also posed to Meenakshi Lekhi, the Minister of State for External Affairs, when she reached the Patna airport. Lekhi said Sanatan Dharma stands for democracy and freedom since its adherents are at liberty to approach the divine in whichever way they feel like. "But this is something the opposition alliance cannot appreciate since it believes in dynasty rule and, hence, is undemocratic". Union minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia asserted Sanatan Dharma is the foundation of India and those talking about its eradication will be themselves "destroyed" by the "140 crore people of the country". He questioned the "silence" of Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties over critical statements made on Sanatan Dharma by the DMK and claimed the opposition bloc is riddled with internal contradictions. Scindia, talking to reporters at the Indore airport, said the INDIA front has parties ranging from north to south and they speak in different voices. "There is a party in north which thinks the move to make Kashmir an integral part of India was wrong. This alliance includes a party from south India which has called for destruction of Sanatan Dharma, he said. In a reference to the critical statements made by DMK leaders, Scindia said rest of the INDIA parties were silent on the issue "as if someone had put tapes on their mouths". Udhayanidhi Stalin had likened Sanatan Dharma to diseases like malaria and dengue, and called for its eradication. "There is talk of destroying Sanatan Dharma that The Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi followed till his last breath. The alliance that talks about destroying Sanatan Dharma, which is the foundation of India, will be destroyed by the 140 crore people of the country, Scindia said. Union Minister Parshottam Rupala said leaders of INDIA will have to decide if they want to contest next year's Lok Sabha polls with persons who are anti-Sanatan Dharma. Speaking at a function in Indore, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said, "The parties in the INDIA bloc should think about what kind of people they are with." "These parties will have to decide whether they want to contest elections by carrying the burden of persons who talk about eradication of Sanatan Dharma or by standing with the culture of the country," Rupala said. The fundamental concept of both Sanatan Dharma and the Constitution was that all religions should be respected and no religion should be insulted, he asserted. Those making irresponsible statements against Sanatan Dharma are violating this fundamental concept, Rupala added. India recently concluded the G20 event with much success. While hundreds of events related to G20 were also held since India took over the presidency, the event set the stage for India's success not only on the diplomatic front but also on policy levels. One of the events was G20 One Health One Earth where the Health Ministry and FICCI invited several industry leaders for participation. Among them were Dr. Vipender Sabherwal, the Managing Director of Jeewan Hospitals and Senior Vice President of the Indian Medical Association. During his address at the event, Dr. Sabherwal emphasized the urgent need to anticipate, prepare, and respond to health emergencies, echoing the sentiments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He highlighted that equitable access to medical countermeasures is not just a privilege, but a fundamental right, echoing the words of the Health Minister. During the event, Dr. Sabherwal also had a discussion with Tedros Adhanom, the Director General of the World Health Organization. Furthermore, Dr. Sabherwal also had a positive discussion on the vital role of global digital health in empowering individuals worldwide with S.P. Bhagel, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Dr. Vipender Sabherwal, hailing from a family of 150 doctors, boasts the largest family of medical practitioners in Asia, with a legacy spanning a remarkable 100 years. Their contributions were recently acknowledged and honored in the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, where they received accolades from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Culture. In a ground-breaking achievement, Dr Sabherwal also signed a record-breaking MOUs with 44 nations such as Egypt, Congo, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Maldives, Mexico, and Singapore. New Delhi: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha police's crime branch may interrogate Bollywood actor Govinda in connection with a Rs 1,000-crore pan-India online ponzi scam. This was said by EOW's DSP Sasmita Sahu, who has been part of the team that is investigating the multi-crore ponzi scam involving Solar Techno Alliance (STA-Token). The company, according to the EOW, was involved in illegally operating a pyramid-structured online Ponzi scheme under the garb of crypto investment. "We may issue summons to Govinda for appearing before the EOW for questioning or a team be sent to Mumbai for the purpose," said Sahu, adding that the actor had attended STA's grand function in Goa in July and promoted the company in some videos. Stating that the EOW does not consider him as suspect or accused, another official said Govinda's role in promoting the company is established from the video. "If EOW finds that the actor's role was limited to only endorsement of the product (STA-Token brand) as per their business agreement, then we will make him a witness in our case," he said. The EOW had last month arrested the ponzi firm's country head Gurtej Singh and its Odisha chief Norod Das. On August 16, the investigating agency had apprehended Ratnakar Palai, an up-line member of STA having huge number of members below him (known as down-line members in the MLM/pyramid-based schemes/scams). An official statement by the EOW said the company had reportedly collected Rs 30 crore from 10,000 people in Odisha's Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Bhubaneswar. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration also issued a lookout circular against David Gez, a Hungarian national. He was heading the Ponzi firm which allegedly lured people on social media to invest in crypto-currency and encouraged its members to enroll more investors. New Delhi: Actress Ridhi Dogra is on Cloud Nine. Afterall, the 'Jawan' team is recieving a lot of love and praise from all sides. Taking to Instagram, Ridhi Dogra expresses her healtfelt gratitude towards the fans for showering love on Jawan, and pens a heartfelt note. Ridhi Dogra is getting all the appreciation for her portrayal of 'Kaveri Amma' in SRK-starrer. However, it's interesting that Ridhi's character is inspired by Swades famous 'Kaveri Amma' which enjoys its own separate fan base. Ridhi Dogra has enjoyed 4 back to back releases this year. Starting from 'Lakadbaggha', Ridhi Dogra impressed the fans and the audiences with her exceptional talent. Post this, Rishi left a noteworthy mark in 'Asur' Season 2 and 'Badtameez Dil'. Now, 'Jawan' has went on to astound many with its performance. After looking at the unanimous response to the film and her performance, Ridhi has shared a heartfelt note and expressed her gratitude to everyone for pouring so much love into making 'Jawan' a big success. The actress took to her social media and shared a photo of herself with a folded hand, where she is expressing her gratitude for the love from fans. Pouring her emotions out, Ridhi said, "I have to take a moment. Apart from all the retweeting I'm doing. To Say A Big Huge Heartfelt Thank You. From the beginning of my career, I have lived for your feedback, your word is the only word that has ever mattered to me My Dear Audience that praises me, encourages me, -corrects me, Critiques me. You always meant the world to me and always will. I'm aware there's a lot of new audience that is seeing me and I'm so incredibly grateful." Adding more, Ridhi said, "For an actor who has nothing but her craft to show - No mechanism, no marketing, no godfathers - You are all that for me. all- And I always did and always say an extra prayer for you My angels here on earth who support an Actor for what she is sincerely trying to do - Act. Everyday I'm grateful for the light god is shining on me through you all. You are the wind beneath my wings. I bow down to you all. The generous audience. New and old. For believing in me and most importantly for being VERBAL. This journey with you all started since Maryada in 2011. And only and only coz of you I exist on screen. YOU. Mean. Everything." The love and praise Ridhi Dogra is receiving for 'Jawan' is a testimony to her exceptional talent and she has stamped that with her ability she can take on every role and can ace them. With 'Jawan' currently running in cinemas, Ridhi Dogra will be next seen in an important role in the much-awaited 'Tiger 3' alongside Salman Khan, and the film is scheduled for worldwide release on Diwali 2023. New Delhi: Actress-model and former Bigg Boss star Nikki Tamboli has once again raised the heat on Instagram with her sexy video in a very racy outfit. The actress took to social media and dropped a series of photos from her latest sensuous photoshoot, leaving netizens in disbelief. The actress is an absolute treat for her fans in her latest sizzling photos. Known for her daring and bewitching personality, Nikki is known to hit the headlines for her bold looks. This time, the actress is seen striking some serious, killer poses in a racy orange outfit. The actress is seen wearing orange beachwear and flaunting her hot curves. She shared the photos, writing, "Icons are born not made. Fans dropped heart emojis in the comment section. One of the fans wrote, Your hotness has no limits. Recently, she shared a hot video of her flaunting her bombshell body. In the video, Nikki was seen posing in a backless jumpsuit featuring a plunging neckline. She was seen striking a series of sensuous poses while looking into the camera. Sharing the video, Nikki wrote, Im stuck on you, like blue." Nikki Tamboli has done several Tamil and Telugu movies and was even seen in the television show 'Sirf Tum' in 2021. However, it was her stint on Bigg Boss season 14 which skyrocketed her popularity. The actress often gets trolled on the internet for her bold photos. Nikki Tamboli is not new to the concept of being trolled on social media. But, things crossed the line, when the actor, on her recent pictures she shared on Instagram, received a lot of hate and some even called her a porn star. Not one to take such remarks seriously, the actor insists she's not seeking any external validation. Referring to these nasty comments in particular, the 26-year-old adds, "Comparing me or anyone else to an adult film star is an insult to those ladies. Why demean a woman at the cost of another woman for no reason? Aren't these the same horrendous individuals who enjoy similar adult films with their lustful eyes? Even an adult film star deserves respect on a humanitarian level." Targeting Cookies These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. The US is among the top five foreign investors in China's economy, which makes it susceptible to Beijing's current economic malaise. Reuters/Petar Kujundzic China's flailing economy could impact the US more than some experts think. That's because the US is a top foreign investor in China, economist David Rosenberg said. China also buys 40% of all exports from Chile, 34% of all exports from Australia, and 32% of all exports from Peru. China's tanking economy will have a bigger impact on the US than some experts think, according to top economist David Rosenberg. In an op-ed for the Financial Post on Tuesday, the Rosenberg Research founder and Atakan Bakiskan, a junior economist at Rosenberg's firm, pointed to the potential spillover effects stemming from China's economy, which has floundered since dialing back its zero-COVID policies. "The Chinese economy has headed into a severe slowdown, with its economy entering deflationary terrain and the property sector remaining in crisis mode. The economic downfall will weigh negatively on the global economy, primarily through trade channels on countries with a high dependency on China," Rosenberg and Bakiskan said. The commodities trade in particular will feel the effects of China's economic problems, and countries that are top exporters of key metals are exposed, Rosenberg and Bakiskan said. China is one of the largest importers of copper and iron in the world. The nation purchases 40% of all exports from Chile, 34% of all exports from Australia, and 32% of all exports from Peru, putting those nations at highest risk of spillover effects. Meanwhile, total foreign direct investment in China plunged to $5 billion in the second quarter from $101 billion in the first quarter of 2022, representing a 95% plunge. "So, when some pundits say 'don't worry about the United States, it doesn't export much to China,' what is missing from that statement is that the US is in the top five when it comes to foreign direct investment exposure in China," the economists wrote. "And the companies that operate there with a view towards serving the Chinese economy (and the rest of Asia) are surely going to see a dampening effect on their worldwide profits and from that indirect effect, end up having negative repercussions for the stock market (or at least those companies with footholds in China who will be affected)." Experts have warned that Beijing could even risk an economic crisis as it continues to grapple with a litany of problems, including high debt loads, poor demand, a failing property sector, and deflation. But the economic outlook could perk up so long as China keeps monetary policy appropriately loose, Morgan Stanley strategists said. Read the original article on Business Insider Its taken a few decades, but I finally realized that Mark Twain was right; most of the things we worry about never happen. This axiom holds reasonably true with respect to economic matters, as well. The most threatening economic risk is seldom the thing that dominates the headlines. If everyone is worried about a concern that is widely televised, those expectations are likely already built into consumer, employee and management behavior. A year ago, news stories overwhelmingly warned that the world was headed for a recession. Those worries seemed to culminate in a July 7 CNBC headline that reported Americans fear a recession may be as severe as 2008. Instead, in the past year the U.S. economy has grown 2.5%. So much for worrying about the economy. News reports now tell us that recession fears are easing, as the economy has been boosted by strong consumer spending. President of China Xi Jinping looks on during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Aug. 24. Rather than focus solely on the prospect of Chinas economic influence outpacing that of the U.S., what happens if China falls into a recession? Im not forecasting anything, but as a contrarian by nature, I raise my recession antenna a little higher when no one is expecting a recession. China concerns me, but not in the same way it seems to distress so much of permanent Washington. Elected officials and even corporate executives seem concerned that China might somehow flex either its economic or military muscle in order to impose pain on the U.S. Policymakers and pundits seem fawningly deferential to Chinas economic strength, but too few of them seem concerned that the opposite might be true. Rather than focus solely on the prospect of Chinas economic influence outpacing that of the U.S., what happens if China falls into a recession? That is a real risk and I suspect, much more likely than a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan or Ukraine. China is our third-largest trading partner, behind Mexico and Canada. In 2022, U.S. exports to China totaled $154 billion. (Imports into the U.S. from China were $536 billion.) After reporting annual gross domestic product growth of 10% for several decades, Chinas economy grew only 3% in 2022. In the past three years, Chinas stock market has declined 26%. Compared to the U.S. dollar, the Chinese yuan has fallen to its lowest level in more than 15 years. Story continues Property values in China are in severe decline, which has a massive effect on consumers, as 70% of household wealth is in real estate. Meanwhile, youth unemployment has reached such dire levels that the government has simply stopped reporting it. Yet the most common China theme presented by financial analysts is that Chinas economic prowess is a significant threat to the U.S. I suggest a bigger threat might be Chinas economic weakness. It is certainly a less expected one. David Moon, president of Moon Capital Management, may be reached at david@mooncap.com. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: David Moon: China's weakness, not its strength, may be riskier to US Launching African youth's dream into space Xinhua) 08:36, September 15, 2023 NAIROBI, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- "Art tells stories. So, even if I couldn't go to space to tell a story to others, my work is already there. It is already telling my story," said Prosper Oshoname Dania, a Nigerian college student whose painting was exhibited on China's Tiangong space station on Wednesday. Dania is one of 10 African youths whose paintings were sent by the Shenzhou-16 mission to the Chinese space station at the end of May. During Wednesday's exhibition, three Chinese astronauts, namely, Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, showed the world the passion of the African youth for space exploration, their commitment to peace and development, and how they cherish the profound China-Africa friendship. "Launching African youth's dream into space is just a starting point and the prospect for China-Africa space cooperation is as broad as a starry sea," Jing, commander of the Shenzhou-16 mission, said via video link. "If the young generation has ideals and commitment, the country will have promising prospects, the nation will have hope, and the China-Africa friendship will have a future," he said. Ethiopian teenager Abigail Berhanemeskel, whose artwork has won the second prize in the "My Dream" painting competition for African youth, holds a certificate of honor while posing with Shen Qinmin, the minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 8, 2023. (Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia/Handout via Xinhua) DREAMS COME TRUE The "My Dream" painting competition for African youth, co-hosted by the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and some Chinese embassies and consulates in African countries, received submissions from some 2,000 youths from over 40 African countries. Out of these submissions, 10 works were selected as winners of the Tianhe Award, named after the core module of China's space station. These winning paintings had the unique opportunity to fly into space along with the crew of the Shenzhou-16 mission. Dania was excited that his dream of traveling to space has finally come true, in a way. "It is every child's dream to go to space," and now, with his work in space, he feels like he is there already. Dania's painting aimed to convey the shared aspirations of China and Nigeria, emphasizing unity. "The dream of partnership between China and Africa in space is one that ignites hope and inspiration, a testament to the boundless possibilities that arise when nations unite for a common goal," Dania said. Six-year-old Kawkib Mohamud from Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, painted a dove in his painting titled "Peace." Zhu said he was touched because this is the most innocent wish of a child. "Peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it... I sincerely hope that children all over the world will have a peaceful, happy and carefree childhood," said Zhu. The cultural symbols embodied in the paintings "eventually intermingle in the universe," Gui said via video link. "From this I can see that the radiant civilizations of China and Africa are transcending time, space, as well as national boundaries." SHARED ASPIRATION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION Dania said his painting reflects a shared aspiration of Africa and China, adding that his work aims to help others understand that Africa is in space with the help of China. Nicole Njanjari, a participant of the "My Dream" painting competition for African youth, listens while a Chinese astronaut responds to her question during an awarding ceremony of the competition in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sept. 13, 2023. (Photo by Tafara Mugwara/Xinhua) The works of Dania and other African youngsters as well as the collaborative efforts between China and African countries in space exploration symbolize a shared aspiration and a joint endeavor. Moreover, the cooperation between China and African nations in the field of space exploration has yielded tangible fruits. In December 2017, Algeria launched its first communications satellite, Alcomsat-1, with China's assistance. This satellite, covering the entire territory of Algeria, has been employed in various sectors, including broadcasting, television, broadband access, mobile and emergency communications. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alcomsat-1 played a crucial role in launching a tele-education system, providing students with remote learning opportunities. In recent years, Alcomsat-1 has delivered crucial communication services to Algerian provinces, where network disruptions had occurred, thereby ensuring vital support for disaster relief efforts and maintaining essential daily life. The satellite's significance is so profound that its image has been featured on Algeria's newly issued 500 Dinar banknotes, which shows national pride. This June, Egypt received two prototype satellites for the MisrSat II satellite project with China's support. This project has allowed Egypt to assemble, integrate and test satellites independently. The satellites are expected to contribute to agriculture, mineral resource exploration, urban planning and coastal monitoring. Sherif Sedky, chief executive officer of the Egyptian Space Agency, said the project inaugurated the largest satellite assembly, integration and test center in Africa as well as in the Middle East. "The center is the first of its kind to localize the satellite industry in Egypt. It also gives Egypt a leading role in transferring this technology to Africa," Sedky said. Among other countries, Kenya has received the opportunity to conduct experiments on board China's space station. This collaborative effort extends to all United Nations member states, with a particular focus on developing countries. Research in fields like space medicine, space life science, and biotechnology will be conducted on the space station, promoting international cooperation in space exploration. "Exploring the unknown universe and developing space technology are the common endeavors of mankind. It is necessary to have the full cooperation of all countries in the world, including Africa," Zhu said Wednesday. BROADER CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION Exploring the universe is a shared dream of the whole world, regardless of race and age. The cooperation between China and African countries in space exploration represents a significant success, and it reflects the broader aspirations and hopes of the people involved. Sinovuyo Khanyisile Mkula, a student of traditional Chinese medicine at the University of the Western Cape who won the First Prize in the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth with her artwork "Harmony," takes an interview in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 14, 2023. (Confucius Institute at University of Western Cape/Handout via Xinhua) Sinovuyo Khanyisile Mkula, a student of traditional Chinese medicine at the University of the Western Cape, expressed her dream through her painting named "Harmony." She envisions using her knowledge and skills in Chinese medicine and acupuncture to help disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Her goal is not only to introduce traditional Chinese medical practices, however. "Hopefully, I can collaborate with the people from China too, so that we can build a better South Africa," she said. Lisa Grace, whose ancestors came to Mauritius from China about 150 years ago, shared her dream of equal access to education for all. Her painting embodies the aspiration that all children, regardless of different backgrounds, may have the opportunity to go to school. "I was incredibly lucky to have a good education, but unfortunately this is not the case in other African countries, while in China the education is remarkable," Grace said. These young artists' dreams and the symbolism in their paintings highlight the shared values of cooperation, cultural exchanges, and a better future for their nations and the world. They demonstrate how initiatives like the cooperation between China and African countries in space exploration can inspire and empower youth to work towards positive change in their communities and beyond. Besides aerospace, healthcare and education, the cooperation between China and African countries over the past decade has yielded a wide range of fruitful results across various sectors. In terms of bilateral trade, China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. The two sides have together constructed and commissioned over 10,000 kilometers of railway, nearly 100,000 kilometers of highway, and an array of important infrastructure, including airports, docks, bridges and power plants, within platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative. "With deep friendship and close ties, China can help Africa in many ways," said Grace. "In the future, with my multicultural background, I can see myself becoming a link between the two continents." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) SHANGHAI, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 52nd China International Furniture Fair (Shanghai) ("CIFF Shanghai 2023") has successfully concluded, attracting a total of 93,474 professional visitors over four days, a 10.44% increase from 2019 in overseas attendees. CIFF Shanghai 2023 meticulously planned eight major thematic exhibition areas and concurrently held four sub-exhibitions: Shanghai International Furniture Machinery & Woodworking Machinery Fair, CIFF Commercial Office Space Exhibition, CIFF Trend Life Aesthetics Exhibition and CIFF Urban Outdoor Exhibition. The event brought together 1,500 industry brands and covered an exhibition area of 340,000 square meters at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai Hongqiao. In collaboration with a star-studded lineup of brands, the fair showcased a vast array of exquisite new products, setting a new benchmark for beautiful home living with its forward-looking, creative, and leading all-round display. The professional pioneer special exhibition explored the future possibilities of home design, leading a high-end, trendy, and diverse lifestyle. The fair brought together domestic and international exhibitors, professional buyers, and enthusiasts of the industry. It effectively promoted industry communication, helped Chinese companies enter the international market, sought new development opportunities, and expanded global horizons. During the four-day exhibition, the 2023 Global Furniture Industry Development Forum - China Commercial Design Trend Conference were held, inviting over 20 speakers and dialogue guests. They shared their long-term observations, thoughts, and practical explorations in their respective fields from perspectives such as urban renewal, sustainable design, technological change, lifestyle, cultural integration, and space shaping. For years, CIFF Shanghai has been consistently evolving, concentrating on the upscale domestic market, and nurturing global partnerships. It effectively connects top industry brands at the fair with key distribution channels in both Chinese and international markets. CIFF Shanghai is dedicated to creating a world-class exhibition platform, encouraging worldwide industry interactions and collaborations, and contributing to the high-quality growth of the home furnishing industry. Story continues For more information, please visit: www.ciff.furniture Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ciff-shanghai-2023-successfully-concludes-with-surge-in-global-participation-301928933.html SOURCE The 52nd China International Furniture Fair (Shanghai) TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) Bethany Patton steps up to the counter and places her pink mug into a shoebox-sized dishwasher. It spins. It whirs. Water splashes inside. After 90 seconds, the door opens and steam emerges. A barista grabs the mug, dries it and prepares Pattons order a 16-ounce Starbucks double espresso on ice. For bringing her own cup, Patton gets $1 off her drink. Saving the environment is important and all, but I probably come here more in knowing that Im going to get a dollar off, says Patton, 27, a cancer researcher at Arizona State University. Two friends who came on the afternoon coffee run nod in assent as they hold the cups that they, too, brought along. Just as noteworthy as what theyre carrying is what they are not: the disposable Starbucks cup, an icon in a world where the word is overused. For a generation and more, it has been a cornerstone of consumer society, first in the United States and then globally the throwaway cup with the emerald logo depicting a longhaired siren with locks like ocean waves. Ubiquitous to the point of being an accessory, it has carried a message: I am drinking coffee from the world's most recognizable coffee company. Now, in an era where concern for the environment and sustainability can be good business, the Starbucks disposable cup may be on its way to extinction thanks to an unlikely force: Starbucks itself. By 2030, Starbucks wants to move away completely from disposable cups, which represent big portions of the companys overall waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The stated reason is that its the right thing to do for the environment, and Starbucks has a long history of lofty sustainability goals around many aspects of their global operations. Some have been met, such as new stores being certified for energy efficiency, while others have been scrapped or revised along the way. For example, in 2008 the company said that by 2015 it wanted 100% of its cups to be recyclable or reusable, which its far from achieving even today. Story continues Todays drive to completely overhaul the cup arguably comes with a business imperative, as extreme weather events and other manifestations of climate change make waste like disposable cups more notable, and by extension increased expectations from customers for the company to be part of the solution. At the Arizona State location where Patton gets her coffee, Starbucks already doesnt serve any coffee in disposable paper or plastic cups. Customers who dont bring their own are given a reusable plastic one that can be dropped off in bins around campus. Its one of two dozen pilots over the last two years, all aimed at fundamentally changing how the worlds largest coffee maker serves its java. The goal: to cut the companys waste, water use and carbon emissions in half by 2030. Pulling that off will be tricky, is fraught with risks and provides a window into what companies must do to go from ambitious sustainability targets to meeting those goals. Our vision for the cup of the future and our Holy Grail, if you will is that the cup still has the iconic symbol on it, says Michael Kobori, head of sustainability at Starbucks. Its just as a reusable cup. Starbucks is not the first company to push toward a reusable cup. But as the largest coffee company in the world, with more than 37,000 stores in 86 countries and revenues of $32 billion last year, Starbucks could force change across the industry. Overhauling how coffee is served means doing two major things in parallel that are seemingly in conflict: Move toward only reusable cups while developing disposable cups that use less material and are more recyclable. At the Arizona State store, if customers dont bring their own cup, they are given a reusable plastic one with a Starbucks logo. If they bring it back, they get $1 off, just like customers who bring their own. And if they dont want to hold onto it? There are bins around campus, and the cups are washed by the university part of a partnership with Starbucks and returned to the store. For several years, Starbucks has been increasing the amount of recycled material in disposable paper cups. In some markets last year, Starbucks began using single-use paper cups made with 30% recycled material, an increase from 10%. The plan is to have all cups at 30% recycled material in the U.S. starting in early 2025. A similar testing and refining process is happening with disposable plastic cups used for cold drinks. At an innovation lab in Starbucks Seattle headquarters, drinks with ice in plastic cups are placed in holders attached to a platform. It then shakes as technicians look for leaks and flaws. By the end of 2023, the goal is to reduce by 15% the amount of material in each cup. To do that, technicians examine different parts of the cup to see where less material may be used without weakening the cup. Then, if it passes tests with baristas, then we would put it in the stores, says Kyle Walker, a packaging engineer on Starbucks research and development team. Eventually, the goal is to get rid of single-use cups. Thats because no matter the tests or technological innovations, there are limits to how much waste can be reduced with disposable paper and plastic cups. Long-term reductions in waste will come from reusable cups. The company has a long way to go. Since the reintroduction of reusable cups in some stores in July 2021 reusable cups were not used during much of the pandemic only 1.2% of worldwide sales in fiscal year 2022 came from reusables. Starbucks wouldnt provide data on how many disposable cups they use or the costs. Valencia Villanueva, a barista at the Arizona State store, has noted a growing level of consciousness among customers about the cup-washing machine on the counter and the borrowed cup program. That gives her confidence that reusable cups are the future. Nobody, she says, has complained and said they wanted a single-use cup. ___ Peter Prengaman is news director of The Associated Press climate and environment team and can be followed here. Video journalist Manuel Valdes in Seattle contributed to this report. ___ AP climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Cycle0 The facilities are located in the Catalonian municipality of Vallfogona de Balaguer. Cycle plans to have 20 biomethane plants underway or operating in Spain by the end of 2024. These facilities represent a total investment of 50 million and will produce 240 GWh of biomethane annually Cutting the Ribbon on Spain's First Biomethane Plant with Ammonia Stripping Cycle CEO, Laurence Molke and FNX Managing Director Jordi Berengue Pique join farmers Domingo Serret Sr. and Domingo Serret Jr. to cut the ribbon on Cycle's new biomethane plant. The plant, located at Granja La Carbona in Catalonia, is one of 20 the company plans to have underway or operational in Spain by the end of 2024 Key facts: The facility will help Granja La Carbona reduce nitrate pollution, minimise transport costs related to waste management, increase revenue, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ammonia stripping technology will produce ammonium nitrate and sulfate from the liquid fraction of the waste byproduct of the biomethane production process. This will reduce the need for carbon-intensive mineral fertilisers on the farm. Cycle will have a total of 20 plants underway or operating in Spain by the end of 2024. This represents a 50 million investment that will produce 240 GWh of biomethane annually. group of people inaugurating biomethane plant LONDON and BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For Domingo Serret of Granja La Carbona, like all Spanish livestock farmers, manure management is a big challenge. But, through a partnership with biomethane producer Cycle, Granja La Carbona has found a solution that has turned this challenge into an opportunity. The farm is home to the first biomethane facility in Spain that integrates ammonia stripping technology, which transforms manure into sustainable fertiliser and represents a clear example of a circular economy in action. The second in a series of Cycles investments in Spain This small-scale plant joins another facility in Vilanant, Catalonia, to become Cycles second operational installation in Spain and the companys first fully developed, owned, built and operated facility in the country. Cycle invested 2.5 million in the development and construction of the facility in Granja La Carbona, which has a maximum production capacity of 15,000 MWh per year. Thats enough power to reduce the equivalent of 9,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Story continues Cycles industrial subsidiary, FNX, developed, designed, and built the biogas upgrading technology used in this plant. This includes proprietary, optimised membrane-based cleaning and biogas compression equipment that allow the plant to produce Bio-CNG or Bio-LNG with 99% purity. Were very excited about this project, said Jordi Berengue Pique, Managing Director of FNX. This is an excellent example of how our modular biogas upgrading technology can bring numerous benefits to the agri-food sector, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing circular economy models. The project is the second in a series of investments the company is making in Catalonia and Spain. In the coming months, Cycle will complete its third Spanish facility, located on another livestock farm near Granja La Carbona. The company has invested 2 million in the plant, which will produce 10 GWh of biomethane per year, equivalent to the annual consumption of 1,250 households. Bringing biomethane development to rural areas Spain has the potential to generate over 163 TWh of biomethane power. But much of the feedstock needed to realise that potential is located in rural areas where its hard to access. As a response, Cycle is focused on developing, building, and operating its own small- to medium-scale biomethane plants. The facilities use proprietary modular upgrading and liquefaction units designed and built by FNX that enable access to valuable feedstock sources. The biomethane we produce can be injected into existing gas grids, and the Bio-CNG or Bio-LNG can be used as fuel for heavy transport, explained Cycle CEO Laurence Molke. Through projects like this one, were investing in Spains emerging bioenergy market and helping meet national decarbonisation targetswhile working with farmers to reduce costs and increase sustainability. Spains first plant to integrate ammonium stripping technology The project at Granja La Carbona is Spains first biomethane project to incorporate ammonia stripping. The process transforms ammoniacal nitrogen contained in the liquid fraction of the digestate byproduct of anaerobic digestion into a sustainable fertiliser suitable for use on all the farm's crops. "This biomethane facility with ammonia stripping is a significant step forward for our operation," said Domingo Serret. "Not only will it reduce our waste management costs, but it will also provide us with valuable organic fertiliser, reduce our carbon footprint and make our operations more sustainable." Projects like these are contributing to our mission to help the world reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and meet the RePower EU target of 35 million bcm of biomethane by 2030, Molke said. Were also excited to help meet Spains energy transition goals. About Cycle Cycle is a European biomethane platform. The company is an integrated producer of compressed and liquefied biomethane, capturing methane emissions from the agri-food sector and turning it into renewable natural gas used to decarbonise the transport industry and gas grid. Cycle builds, owns, and operates small to medium-scale, decentralised biomethane projects. Through its subsidiary FNX, located in the Spanish Basque Country, Cycle possesses market-leading upgrading and liquefaction technology. To learn more about Cycle, visit www.cycle0.com About FNX FNX specialises in the design, manufacturing, installation and operation of biogas upgrading and biomethane liquefaction equipment, offering a renewable alternative to natural gas. FNX brings its fifteen years of engineering expertise to the Cycle Group, a leading European biomethane platform, and has developed market-leading modular biogas upgrading and liquefaction technologies. To learn more about FNX, visit fnxlng.com Contact: Andrea De Asco Cortes Senior Marketing Manager Mobile: +44 7874 162 897 andrea.deasco@cycle0.com Migrant Rights Network When Parliament returns Trudeau must deliver on his promise TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 200 organizations representing millions of people in Canada have joined forces behind migrant and undocumented actions taking place in 15 cities across Canada this weekend on the eve of Parliaments return (details for each action below). The groups are calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to deliver on his promise to provide permanent status and equal rights for all migrants in Canada. It has been twenty months since Prime Minister Trudeau gave mandate letter instructions to provide permanent resident status for undocumented people, migrant workers, students, and families. This commitment has since been reiterated repeatedly by multiple elected officials and civil servants in government media statements, in Parliamentary committees and in meetings with migrant-led movements. Hundreds of thousands of people in Canada suffer from poverty, fear, and exploitation because they are denied permanent resident status. Migrants care for grandparents and children, work in factories, keep our hospitals running, and build homes, but they are excluded from the same rights that others in Canada take for granted. This weekends actions are endorsed by over 200 organizations including major labour bodies like Unifor and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE); environmental groups like Climate Action Network, Greenpeace and David Suzuki Foundation; faith bodies like the United Church of Canada; health organizations like Canadian Doctors for Medicare and Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions and human rights groups like Oxfam Canada and dozens of immigrant and refugee rights organizations. We live in fear. We are hopeless sometimes. I have been spat at, pushed, abused and denied fairness at work but I cant leave because I am undocumented and no one else will hire me. I am a personal support, I worked to save so many people in COVID-19. My mother is sick, I havent seen her in six years, and I think I may never see her again unless we get permanent resident status for all like prime minister Justin Trudeau promised twenty months ago. We want status for all so we can all live a complete and equal life. Jane, undocumented, Migrant Rights Network Story continues "The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) will continue fighting for fairness and justice for migrants. These workers and their families contribute greatly to the economy and society and deserve pathways to security and permanency. Many live and work in fear of detection, detainment and deportation. Their status also makes them vulnerable to workplace exploitation and abuse. Today, the CLC expresses its continued support for migrants in the fight for their rights and freedoms." Siobhan Vipond, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress "The people of The United Church of Canada hold the belief that we are called to love and show hospitality to everyone in our midst. We believe in the dignity of creation and of God's loving grace and its equitable expressions. We also believe that love for the whole community of creation is a universal value, shared by all peoples of the world. It is these beliefs that drive us to call on Canada to ensure equal rights for all by extending permanent residence to 1.7 million migrants, including 500,000 undocumented migrants who bring their whole selves and skills to their new lives on this land. Status for All will benefit Canada greatly, enhance the diversity of our country and ensure that all people in our country are able to live with dignity and access their inherent human rights." Rev. Dr. Jennifer Henry, Executive Minister, The United Church of Canada "The Canadian Health Coalition supports regularizing the immigration status of a half million people because it would lift up Canada's public health care system in three important ways. First, so many temporary and undocumented residents are trained health care professionals who want to fill the staffing shortages from home care to hospital emergency rooms in our communities. Not having permanent residency status restricts where people can work. Second, not having permanent residency status denies migrants the right to health care. Nell Tousssaint, who lost her status to stay in the country after experiencing employer abuse, brought Canada to court for denying her essential health care because of her status. She died far too young due to not having timely access to health care. Finally, by denying public health care to certain groups of people, we further kick open the door to privatization when we should be shutting it. Let's regularize the immigration status of people to stop private interests from profiting from vulnerable populations. It supports Canada's dream of Medicare to give all of us accessible and comprehensive public health care." Steve Staples, National Director, Canadian Health Coalition As a grandson of immigrants, I know the sting of discrimination as my Canadian born parents and I were denied all rights of citizenship during World War II, incarcerated for three years then expelled from British Columbia at wars end. The exploitation of migrants today is simply a consequence of the continuing racism on which this nation was founded. I am ashamed that the county hasnt been able to transcend this legacy. David Suzuki The federal government committed almost two years ago to regularize the status of a range of vulnerable migrant populations who are living, working and contributing to Canadian society without access to permanent residence from seasonal workers to caregivers to those fleeing persecution and exploitation. The silence on this file is now deafening. Our 200 members see how every day of continued precarity for these individuals perpetuates a two-tiered society and leaves many migrants generally racialized and largely women without access to their rights. Its past time for status for all. Gauri Sreenivasan, Co-Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) "This summer's accelerating climate disasters have taken an especially heavy toll on migrants - who play an essential role to feed us, take care of us, and, most importantly, are valued members of our communities. As Canada continues to pour fuel on the fire of the global climate crisis, which is displacing more and more people from their homes, Status for All is a matter of climate justice. Politicians have waited long enough. The moment to act on a historic and pragmatic opportunity to better thousands of lives is now." Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada Migrant Rights Network Actions in Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Montreal, Ottawa, St Catharines, St Johns, Sudbury, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse and Winnipeg. EDMONTON, AB: September 17, 1:00 PM, Alberta Legislature Media Contact: Clarizze Truscott, Migrante Alberta, 780-716-5284 HALIFAX, NS: September 15, 11:30am, MP Andy Fillmores office, 1888 Brunswick Street Media Contact: Stacey Gomez, No one is illegal - Nova Scotia, (902) 329-9595 HAMILTON, ON: September 17, 1:30pm, MP Filomena Tassi's Office, 1686 Main St W Media Contact: Monika Dutt, Justice for Workers - Hamilton, 905-818-5978 KINGSTON, ON: September 17, 11am, MP Gerretsens office, 841 Princess Street Media Contact: Sayyida Jaffer, Migrant Justice YGK, (613) 539-8594 LONDON, ON: September 17, 1pm, Victoria Park - North-West entrance Media Contacts: Sam Kaplun, Democratic Socialists of Canada, (416) 312-2671; David Heap, People for Peace London, (519) 859-3579. MONTREAL, QC: September 17, 2pm, Minister Millers office, 3175 Rue Saint-Jacques Media Contact: Solidarity Across Borders, 514-809-0773 OTTAWA, ON: September 16, 11am, Parliament Hill Media Contact: Emilio Rodriguez, Citizens for Public Justice, 343-996-4199 ST CATHARINES, ON: September 17, 2pm, MP Chris Bittle's Office, 61 Geneva Street Media Contact: David Tulloch, 905-380-6133, Justice for Workers - Niagara ST JOHNS, NL: September 24, 4pm, Harbourside Park Media Contact: Adi Khaitan, Migrant Action Centre, 709-693-6032 SUDBURY, ON: September 17, 1pm, Memorial Park Media Contact: Scott Florence, Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre, 705-470-3323 TORONTO, ON: September 17, 2pm, Bloor & Yonge Media Contact: Rajean Hoilett, Migrant Right Network - Ontario, 289-923-3534 VANCOUVER, BC: September 17, 4pm, CBSA HQ, 300 West Georgia Street Media Contact: Byron Cruz, Sanctuary Health Vancouver Collective (SH), (604) 315-7725, Julie Diesta, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights (CDWCR), (778) 881-8345, WeiChun Kua, Migrant Students United at SFU, (778) 887-4936 VICTORIA, BC: September 17, 11am, BC Legislature Media Contact: Pamela Charron, Worker Solidarity Network, 705-698-6380 WHITEHORSE, YT: September 15, 12-3pm, 308 Hanson St, Whitehorse Media Contact: Jess Dorward, Yukon Status of Women Council, 867-332-5541 WINNIPEG: September 17, 3pm, City Hall Media Contact: Damon, No One Is Illegal Treaty One, 431-293-6534 About Migrant Rights Network Migrant Rights Network is Canadas largest coalition of migrant-led organizations, with nearly 40 members in 8 provinces and territories. To see our list of members, please visit www,migrantrights.ca/about Cross-Country Media Contact: Syed Hussan, Migrant Rights Network Secretariat, 416-453-3632, hussan@migrantworkersalliance.org On September 13, 2023, Director Charles Frischer of Kingsway Financial Services Inc (NYSE:KFS) purchased 4,100 shares of the company, adding to his growing stake in the firm. This move is noteworthy as insider buying can often be a positive signal about a company's future prospects. Charles Frischer is a seasoned financial professional with a deep understanding of the financial services industry. His decision to increase his stake in Kingsway Financial Services Inc is a strong vote of confidence in the company's future. Kingsway Financial Services Inc is a holding company functioning in the insurance industry. It operates through two segments: Extended Warranty and Leased Real Estate. The Extended Warranty segment provides after-market vehicle protection services distributed by credit unions. The Leased Real Estate segment leases real estate to a third party pursuant to a long-term triple net lease. Over the past year, Charles Frischer has purchased a total of 42,700 shares and has not sold any shares. This trend of consistent buying by the insider is a positive signal for potential investors. Director Charles Frischer Buys 4,100 Shares of Kingsway Financial Services Inc The insider transaction history for Kingsway Financial Services Inc shows a total of 54 insider buys over the past year, compared to 15 insider sells over the same timeframe. This trend of more insider buys than sells can be an encouraging sign for investors. On the day of the insider's recent buy, shares of Kingsway Financial Services Inc were trading for $8.32 apiece, giving the stock a market cap of $229.753 million. The price-earnings ratio is 4.03, which is lower than the industry median of 16.53 and lower than the companys historical median price-earnings ratio. This suggests that the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers and its own historical valuation. Director Charles Frischer Buys 4,100 Shares of Kingsway Financial Services Inc With a price of $8.32 and a GuruFocus Value of $7.35, Kingsway Financial Services Inc has a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 1.13. This means the stock is modestly overvalued based on its GF Value. The GF Value is an intrinsic value estimate developed by GuruFocus that is calculated based on historical multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor, and future estimates of business performance from Morningstar analysts. In conclusion, the recent insider buying activity at Kingsway Financial Services Inc, coupled with the company's relatively low price-earnings ratio, suggests that the stock could be an attractive investment opportunity. However, potential investors should also consider the company's modest overvaluation based on its GF Value. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. On September 12, 2023, William Sandbrook, a director at Comfort Systems USA Inc (NYSE:FIX), sold 7,500 shares of the company. This move comes amidst a year where the insider has sold a total of 7,500 shares and purchased none. William Sandbrook is a key figure at Comfort Systems USA Inc, a company that provides comprehensive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement services within the mechanical services industry across the United States. The company operates through three segments: HVAC Services, Mechanical Services, and Building Products. The insider's recent sell-off raises questions about the company's current valuation and future prospects. Let's delve deeper into the company's financials and insider trading trends to gain a better understanding. Director William Sandbrook Sells 7,500 Shares of Comfort Systems USA Inc The insider transaction history for Comfort Systems USA Inc shows a trend of more sells than buys over the past year. There have been 17 insider sells and only 1 insider buy. This could indicate that insiders believe the company's shares are overvalued, prompting them to sell. On the day of the insider's recent sell, shares of Comfort Systems USA Inc were trading at $187.52, giving the company a market cap of $6.75 billion. This is significantly higher than the company's GuruFocus Value of $140.50, suggesting that the stock is significantly overvalued. Director William Sandbrook Sells 7,500 Shares of Comfort Systems USA Inc The company's price-earnings ratio stands at 27.87, which is higher than both the industry median of 14.39 and the company's historical median price-earnings ratio. This further supports the notion that the stock is overvalued. The GF Value, an intrinsic value estimate developed by GuruFocus, is calculated based on historical multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the companys past returns and growth, and future estimates of business performance from Morningstar analysts. With a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 1.33, Comfort Systems USA Inc's stock appears to be significantly overvalued. In conclusion, the recent sell-off by the insider, coupled with the company's high valuation metrics, could be a signal for investors to exercise caution. It's always important to conduct thorough research and consider multiple factors before making investment decisions. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. The United States of America leads in electric commercial vehicle MRO revenue due to advanced services and EV numbers, while Europe's growth relies on its thriving EV industry NEWARK, Del, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global electric commercial vehicle MRO market is anticipated to generate a total revenue of approximately US$ 638.7 Million in 2023. Freshly released estimates suggest that the demand for MRO services in the electric commercial vehicles sector is set to experience substantial growth in the coming years, with a remarkable annual growth rate of 23.8%. Moreover, as per the analysis report on the electric commercial vehicle market, the market's total valuation is projected to soar to US$ 5,401.6 Million by the year 2033. Logistics and transport businesses have indeed been facing the cost surcharges connected with the maintenance and repair of their electric vehicles. End users quickly adopted the introduction of companies providing such maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, making it a high-potential business soon. Gain expert insights and supercharge your growth strategies. Request our market overview sample now: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16478 Fleet owners around the world are adopting electric cars (EVs) as a more and more common means of logistics and transportation these days. Moreover, Federal governments are extending sufficient support to this sector as it is projected to produce many employment opportunities in the hinterlands. Key Takeaways from the Electric Commercial Vehicle MRO Market Study Report The United States contributes 18.4% of the revenue generated from MRO services for electric commercial vehicles. It is higher than any other country and this trend is projected to remain unharmed for some more years ahead. Germany is second in the overall ranking for its regional electric commercial vehicle MRO market value at around US$ 62 million in 2023. It is nearly 9.7% of the global market revenue share making Germany the leading market in the whole European Union. On the other hand, the United Kingdom is a remarkably growing region in terms of demand for the electric commercial vehicle MRO market. By following the predicted growth rate of 28%, this country is anticipated to emerge as a key region against Germany. Among all the forefront Asia Pacific nations, China holds the major share of electric commercial vehicle MRO services. It is going to witness a year-on-year growth rate of 21.1% and retain its dominance in the Asia Pacific regional market. Japan is the strong competitor for China in this region and has established sufficient infrastructure for many types of MRO services. In the previous year 2022, the total revenue generated by the Japan electric commercial vehicle MRO market was nearly US$ 4 million. India is another remarkably growing region in terms of the adoption of the electric commercial vehicle MRO market. As per the recent report, currently, it is experiencing a year-on-year growth rate of 25.2% which is expected to continue through the forecast years. Among the different types of electric commercial vehicles operating in the real world, buses create the most demand for MRO services. As per the electric commercial vehicle MRO sector statistics, this segment constitutes an astounding 78.6% of the overall market size. Story continues Uncover Exclusive Market Segments Insights! Buy Now to Discover Vital Trends, Drivers, and Challenges in this Industry: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/16478 Competitive Landscape for the Electric Commercial Vehicle MRO Market Name of some of the leading players operating in the global electric commercial vehicle MRO market is Robert Bosch GmbH, LKC Corporation, The Hybrid Shop, Hyundai Motor Company, Singapore Technologies Engineering, Performance Consulting Associates, Inc., Micron Technology, Inc., TMD Mobility PTE. Ltd., Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, and NM and E Co., Ltd. among others. Recent Developments in the Electric Commercial Vehicle MRO Services Industry Custom masking options that are highly tailored, particularly for eCoating, Insulation Coating, and Class-A Paint Coatings, make up Echo's MRO expertise for the EV sector. Key Segments of Electric Commercial Vehicle MRO Service Sector By Vehicle Type: Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle (PEV) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Others By Service Provider: Franchise General Repairs OEM Authorized Service Centres Other Service Providers By Region: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia and the Pacific Middle East and Africa (MEA) About FMI Automotive The Automotive division of Future Market Insights (FMI) Research offers a novel approach and innovative perspective in analyzing the automotive market. Comprehensive coverage of capital, portable, process, construction, industrial, and special-purpose machinery across the manufacturing sector and distinctive analysis of installed base, consumables, replacement, and USP-feature-application matrix make us a pioneering voice in the industry. Author Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries. His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making. Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times. Explore Wide-ranging Coverage of Future Market Insights Automotive Landscape: Electric Passenger Car MRO Services Market Share is estimated to reach nearly US$ 28,317.3 million by 2033, expanding from US$ 4,140.2 million in 2023. Electric Two Wheelers MRO Services Market Size is anticipated to reach US$ 1,414.9 million by 2033. Non OEM EV MRO Market Growth is expected to expand at a rate of 10.2%. The overall market size is anticipated to grow from US$ 411.8 million in 2023 to about US$ 1,087.7 million by 2033. Air Transport MRO Market Demand is expected to attain a valuation of US$ 79.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$ 130 billion by 2033, trailing a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period. Automotive Repair & Maintenance Services Market Outlook is expected to attain a valuation of US$ 915.88 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$ 1,850 billion by 2033, registering a CAGR of 7.2%. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer, Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 5000 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Nandini Singh Sawlani Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Rationalstat LLC global Water E-Bike market is expected to approach US$ 42.4 million by 2030, with an annual growth rate of more than 13.20% says RationalStat Wilmington, Delaware, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Water E-Bike Market was valued at US$ 17.8 million in 2023 and is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of over 13.20% over the forecast period of 2023-2030, according to the latest market report by RationalStat Market Definition, Market Scope, and Report Overview A water e-bike, also known as a water electric bicycle or water e-bike, is a type of watercraft that combines the qualities of an electric bicycle with a watercraft, allowing users to pedal and maneuver on water with the assistance of an electric motor. This novel recreational equipment is intended for usage on placid bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and canals. Many water e-bikes are built with safety features including stability, buoyancy, and easy boarding and dismounting, making them appropriate for riders of all skill levels. Nonetheless, the mix of sustainable technology and outdoor experience is propelling the water e-bike business forward. According to a deep-dive market assessment by RationalStat, the global Water E-Bike market has been analyzed on the basis of market segments, including propulsion type, battery type, power, application, sales channel and geography/regions (including North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific) . The report also offers global and regional market sizing for the historical period of 2019-2022 and the forecast period of 2023-2030. Market intelligence for the global Water E-Bike market covers market sizes on the basis of market value (US$/EUR Million) and volume (Units) by various products/services/equipment, demand assessment across the key regions, customer sentiments, price points, cost structures, margin analysis across the value chain, financial assessments, historical and forecast data, key developments across the industry, import-export data, trade overview, components market by leading companies, etc. In addition, the long-term sector and products/services 10-year outlook and its implications on the global Water E-Bike market. It also includes the industry's current state Production Levels, Capacity Utilization, Tech quotient, etc. Key information will be manufacturing capacity by country, installed base, import volumes, market size, key players, market size, dynamics, market data, insights, etc. Story continues Request A Customization- https://store.rationalstat.com/store/global-water-e-bike-market/#tab-ux_global_tab Global Water E-Bike Market: Segmental and Market Share Analysis On the basis of propulsion type, in 2021, the pedal assisted category dominated the market, accounting for more over 55% of the market. Pedal-assisted e-bikes provide more power from the motor, allowing riders to travel quicker and pedal more effortlessly. On the basis of battery type, the lead acid battery category led the market in 2021, owing to the several advantages offered by lead acid batteries, such as low cost and resilience. Report Synopsis Report Metrics Details Base Year 2022 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Base Year Market Size US$ 17.8 million Market Size Forecast US$ 42.4 million Growth Rate 13.20% Key Market Drivers Rising Tourism and Rental Opportunities Developing Innovative Water E-bikes Companies Profiled AIMA Technology Co. Accell Group Giant Bicycles Rad Power Bikes Pedego Electric Bikes Specialized Bicycle Components Electric Bike Technologies Inc Trek Bicycles Sunra Yadea Yamaha Motor Company Trek Bicycle Corporation Merida Industry Co. Ltd Explore more about this report- https://store.rationalstat.com/store/global-water-e-bike-market/#tab-ux_global_tab Competition Analysis and Market Structure These players adopt various strategies in order to reinforce their market share and gain a competitive edge over other competitors in the market. Mergers & acquisitions, partnerships and collaborations, and product launches are some of the strategies followed by industry players. Some of the key developments in the global Water E-Bike market include, In January 2022, Manta5, a New Zealand-based hydrofoil electric bike business, revealed plans to raise US$ 10 million in cash to fund the production of its water-ridable bikes. Some of the prominent players and suppliers operating and contributing significantly to the global Water E-Bike market growth include AIMA Technology Co., Accell Group, Giant Bicycles, Rad Power Bikes, Pedego Electric Bikes, Specialized Bicycle Components, Electric Bike Technologies Inc, Trek Bicycles, Sunra, Yadea, Yamaha Motor Company, Trek Bicycle Corporation, Merida Industry Co. Ltd among others. Get A Free Sample- https://store.rationalstat.com/store/global-water-e-bike-market/#tab-ux_global_tab RationalStat has segmented the global Water E-Bike market based on propulsion type, battery type, power, application, sales channel and region Global Water E-Bike Market Value (US$ Million), Volume (Units), and Market Share (2019-2030) Analysis by Propulsion Type Pedal-assisted Throttle-assisted Global Water E-Bike Market Value (US$ Million), Volume (Units), and Market Share (2019-2030) Analysis by Battery Type Lithium-ion Battery Lead-acid Battery Global Water E-Bike Market Value (US$ Million), Volume (Units), and Market Share (2019-2030) Analysis by Power Less than or equal to 250W Above 250W Global Water E-Bike Market Value (US$ Million), Volume (Units), and Market Share (2019-2030) Analysis by Application City/Urban Trekking Cargo Others Global Water E-Bike Market Value (US$ Million), Volume (Units), and Market Share (2019-2030) Analysis by Sales Channel Online Offline Global Water E-Bike Market Value (US$ Million), Volume (Units), and Market Share (2019-2030) Analysis by Region North America Water E-Bike Market US Canada Latin America Water E-Bike Market Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Western Europe Water E-Bike Market Germany UK France Spain Italy Benelux Nordic Rest of Western Europe Eastern Europe Water E-Bike Market Russia Poland Hungary Other CIS Countries Rest of Eastern Europe Asia Pacific Water E-Bike Market China Japan India South Korea Australia ASEAN Indonesia Thailand Philippines Vietnam Malaysia Rest of ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Water E-Bike Market GCC Saudi Arabia (KSA) United Arab Emirates (UAE) Rest of the GCC South Africa Nigeria Turkey Rest of the Middle East & Africa For more information about this report- https://store.rationalstat.com/store/global-water-e-bike-market/ Key Questions Answered in the Water E-Bike Report: What will be the market value of the global water e-bike market by 2030? What is the market size of the global water e-bike market? What are the market drivers of the global water e-bike market? What are the key trends in the global water e-bike market? Which is the leading region in the global water e-bike market? What are the major companies operating in the global water e-bike market? What are the market shares by key segments in the global water e-bike market? Explore Our Trending Reports Research Methodology RationalStat has developed a state-of-the-art research methodology to crunch numbers and provide the best possible real-time insights to clients. We combine a varied range of industry experience, data analytics, and experts viewpoint to create a research methodology for market sizing and forecasting. RationalStat combines a mix of secondary sources as well as primary research to assess the market size and develop a forecast. Key steps involved in accurately deriving the market numbers are: Defining the problem by understanding the type of market and data required by the client. Data gathering and collection through relevant paid databases, publicly available sources, company reports, annual reports, surveys, and interviews. Formulating a hypothesis to create market numbers, forecasts, influencing factors, and their relevance. Evaluating and analyzing the data by referring to data sources utilized and leveraged. Validating, interpreting, and finalizing the data by combining the details gathered from primary and secondary sources with the help of experienced analysts. Download Key Insights and Market Data - Raise a Query About RationalStat LLC RationalStat is an end-to-end global market intelligence and consulting company that provides comprehensive market research reports, customized strategy, and consulting studies. The company has sales offices in India, Mexico, and the US to support global and diversified businesses. The company has over 80 consultants and industry experts, developing more than 850 market research and industry reports for its report store annually. RationalStat has strategic partnerships with leading data analytics and consumer research companies to cater to the clients needs. Additional services offered by the company include consumer research, country reports, risk reports, valuations and advisory, financial research, due diligence, procurement and supply chain research, data analytics, and analytical dashboards. Contact RationalStat LLC Kimberly Shaw, Content and Press Manager sales@rationalstat.com US Phone: +1 302 803 5429 UK Phone: +44 203-287-1245 LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest FILE - A tractor collects straw on a field in a private farm in Zhurivka, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. The European Union faces a Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, deadline to decide whether to extend a ban on Ukrainian food from five nearby countries that have complained the influx has hurt their farmers. But they still allow grain and other products to head to parts of the world in need. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) The European Union on Friday decided not to renew a ban on Ukrainian food heading to nearby countries that have complained that an influx of agricultural products from the war-torn nation has hurt their farmers. The move sets up a clash with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, which have said that food coming from Ukraine has become stuck within their borders, creating a glut that has driven down prices for local farmers and hurt their livelihoods. The issue threatens European unity on supporting Ukraine against Russias invasion. Polands prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, reacted by saying that his government will extend its own the ban on Ukrainian grain, regardless of any lack of consent from the European Commission, the EUs executive arm. Officials said the measure would be published Friday. We will do that because it is in the interest of Polish farmers, Morawiecki said during a campaign rally ahead of Oct. 15 parliamentary elections in which the governing Law and Justice party is trying to attract farmers votes. Hungary announted that it will not only extend its ban on grain imports from Ukraine but unilaterely restrict the import of 24 other Ukrainian agricultural products as of midnight Friday, among them rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, vegetable oil, honey, certain meats and eggs. We are defending the interests of farmers, so now that Brussels has decided to no longer maintain the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, our country will do so under national competence and even extend it to a wider range of products, said Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy. Slovakian Prime Minister Ludovit Odor said in a statement that his government decided to extend the ban on grain imports from Ukraine till the end of the year. We have to prevent the Slovak market from the excessive pressure and be fair to local farmers, Odor said. The European Commission said that the market distortions created by Ukrainian grain have disappeared. Ukraine has agreed to put measures in place starting Saturday to control the export of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds to neighboring EU countries. Story continues It also will introduce proposals for example, an export licensing system within 30 days to avoid grain surges, the EU said. In a turnaround, Bulgaria lawmakers on Thursday approved resuming imports of Ukrainian food products. Finance Minister Asen Vassilev says the ban has deprived the government of tax revenue and led to higher food prices. Ukraine praised Bulgarias decision and had pressed for an end to the ban, saying any further restrictions would have a clear destabilizing effect on the global food market, Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Grain and other Ukrainian food had been allowed to pass through the five European countries on the way to parts of the world in need. In July, Russia pulled out of a U.N.-brokered deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain safely through the Black Sea. Routes through neighboring countries have become the primary way for Ukraine a major global supplier of wheat, barley, corn and vegetable oil to export its commodities to parts of the world struggling with hunger. Recent attacks on Ukraines Danube River ports have raised concerns about a route that has carried millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to Romanias Black Sea ports every month. That has meant road and rail routes through Europe have grown increasingly important. While facing blowback from neighbors, they arent ideal for agriculture-dependent Ukraine either, whose growers face higher transportation costs and lower capacity. After the countries passed unilateral bans earlier this year, the EU reached a deal allowing them to prohibit Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from entering their markets but still pass through their borders for export elsewhere. The EU also provided an additional 100 million euros ($113 million) in special aid on top of an initial support package of 56.3 million euros ($60.2 million) to help farmers in the affected countries. On September 14, 2023, Greg Redinbo, the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Applications at Axcelis Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:ACLS), sold 600 shares of the company's stock. This move is part of a larger trend of insider selling at Axcelis Technologies Inc, which we will explore in this article. Axcelis Technologies Inc is a leading provider of innovative, high-productivity solutions for the semiconductor industry. The company's core product offerings include high energy, high current, and medium current implanters for all application areas. Axcelis is dedicated to delivering comprehensive, integrated, and innovative system, process, and service solutions to semiconductor manufacturers globally. Over the past year, the insider has sold a total of 1,600 shares and has not made any purchases. This trend of selling without buying raises questions about the insider's confidence in the company's future performance. EVP Marketing and Applications Greg Redinbo Sells 600 Shares of Axcelis Technologies Inc The insider transaction history for Axcelis Technologies Inc shows that there have been no insider buys over the past year. Meanwhile, there have been 60 insider sells over the same timeframe. This trend of insider selling could be a signal that those with the most insight into the company's operations see limited upside or potential downside. On the day of the insider's recent sale, shares of Axcelis Technologies Inc were trading for $180.18 apiece. This gives the stock a market cap of $5.87 billion. The price-earnings ratio is 28.81, which is higher than the industry median of 23.96 and higher than the companys historical median price-earnings ratio. This suggests that the stock may be overvalued. EVP Marketing and Applications Greg Redinbo Sells 600 Shares of Axcelis Technologies Inc With a price of $180.18 and a GuruFocus Value of $98.57, Axcelis Technologies Inc has a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 1.83. This means the stock is significantly overvalued based on its GF Value. The GF Value is an intrinsic value estimate developed by GuruFocus that is calculated based on historical multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor, and future estimates of business performance from Morningstar analysts. In conclusion, the recent insider selling at Axcelis Technologies Inc, coupled with the stock's high valuation metrics, could be a signal for investors to exercise caution. As always, investors should conduct their own due diligence and consider multiple factors before making investment decisions. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Value-focused investors are always on the hunt for stocks that are priced below their intrinsic value. One such stock that merits attention is First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG). The stock, which is currently priced at 5.87, recorded a gain of 5% in a day and a 3-month increase of 3.93%. The stock's fair valuation is $11.48, as indicated by its GF Value. Understanding GF Value The GF Value represents the current intrinsic value of a stock derived from our exclusive method. The GF Value Line on our summary page gives an overview of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on three factors: historical multiples (PE Ratio, PS Ratio, PB Ratio and Price-to-Free-Cash-Flow) that the stock has traded at, GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth, and future estimates of the business performance. First Majestic Silver (AG): A Smart Investment or a Value Trap? An In-Depth Exploration However, investors need to consider a more in-depth analysis before making an investment decision. Despite its seemingly attractive valuation, certain risk factors associated with First Majestic Silver should not be ignored. These risks are primarily reflected through its low Altman Z-score of 1.23. These indicators suggest that First Majestic Silver, despite its apparent undervaluation, might be a potential value trap. This complexity underlines the importance of thorough due diligence in investment decision-making. Decoding the Altman Z-Score Before delving into the details, let's understand what the Altman Z-score entails. Invented by New York University Professor Edward I. Altman in 1968, the Z-Score is a financial model that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within a two-year time frame. The Altman Z-Score combines five different financial ratios, each weighted to create a final score. A score below 1.8 suggests a high likelihood of financial distress, while a score above 3 indicates a low risk. Story continues First Majestic Silver: A Snapshot First Majestic Silver Corp is engaged in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver and gold production in North America. It owns four producing mines, three mines in Mexico consisting of the San Dimas Silver/Gold Mine, the Santa Elena Silver/Gold Mine, the La Encantada Silver Mine and the Jerritt Canyon Gold Mine in Nevada. First Majestic Silver (AG): A Smart Investment or a Value Trap? An In-Depth Exploration First Majestic Silver's Low Altman Z-Score: A Breakdown of Key Drivers A dissection of First Majestic Silver's Altman Z-score reveals First Majestic Silver's financial health may be weak, suggesting possible financial distress: The Retained Earnings to Total Assets ratio provides insights into a company's capability to reinvest its profits or manage debt. Evaluating First Majestic Silver's historical data, 2021: -0.16; 2022: -0.21; 2023: -0.29, we observe a recent decline following an initial increase in this ratio. This downward movement indicates First Majestic Silver's diminishing ability to reinvest in its business or effectively manage its debt. Consequently, it exerts a negative impact on its Z-Score. The EBIT to Total Assets ratio serves as a crucial barometer of a company's operational effectiveness, correlating earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to total assets. An analysis of First Majestic Silver's EBIT to Total Assets ratio from historical data (2021: 0.05; 2022: 0.00; 2023: -0.10) indicates a descending trend. This reduction suggests that First Majestic Silver might not be utilizing its assets to their full potential to generate operational profits, which could be negatively affecting the company's overall Z-score. When it comes to operational efficiency, a vital indicator for First Majestic Silver is its asset turnover. The data: 2021: 0.37; 2022: 0.31; 2023: 0.30 from the past three years suggests a decreasing trend in this ratio. The asset turnover ratio reflects how effectively a company is using its assets to generate sales. Therefore, a drop in this ratio can signify reduced operational efficiency, potentially due to underutilization of assets or decreased market demand for the company's products or services. This shift in First Majestic Silver's asset turnover underlines the need for the company to reassess its operational strategies to optimize asset usage and boost sales. Conclusion: Navigating the Value Trap Despite its seemingly attractive valuation, the combination of First Majestic Silver's low Altman Z-Score and declining key financial ratios suggest that it may be a potential value trap. Therefore, investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough due diligence before considering an investment in First Majestic Silver. GuruFocus Premium members can find stocks with high Altman Z-Score using the following Screener: Walter Schloss Screen . This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Joseph Hodge's home on the Northeast Side rose in value 169% in the county reappraisal. A decade ago, Joseph Hodge paid $40,000 for his three-bedroom split-level home off Agler Road on the Northeast Side. Hodge was therefore shocked when he recently learned that the Franklin County Auditor's office believes his home is worth $198,600, a 169% jump over the home's current $73,900 valuation. "I was livid when I saw it," he said. "Where's their evidence? How could this be?" More: Typical sales prices in one central Ohio city approach $1 million Hodge's 1970s-era subdivision, called Bridgeview Hills, is one of nine Franklin County neighborhoods where average home values climbed more than 200% from their last appraised values, set in 2020, according to the Franklin County Auditor's first full county reappraisal in six years. The auditor's office found that homes overall in Franklin County rose an average of 41% in value, the biggest jump in the county's history, raising concerns among homeowners about their upcoming property tax bills, which are based on the appraised values, but don't rise proportionally with values. Huge range in home value changes A detailed look at the county's 1,052 neighborhoods reveals an enormous range in value changes. While 23 neighborhoods, many on the East and Northeast sides, saw values jump more than 150%, eight areas actually saw values decline, including pockets of Upper Arlington, New Albany, Italian Village and Clintonville. Neighborhoods that saw the biggest percentage jumps in home values have one thing in common: Their values were (and for the most part, remain) well below the region's average. In six of the eight neighborhoods with the biggest jumps, average home values were below $50,000 before the reappraisal, and none had average values higher than $75,000. Those low values helped draw buyers, including investors and home flippers, in recent years, pumping up values. Some neighborhoods that saw big value jumps may also be experiencing a correction from unusually low prior values. Story continues John Anderson's home in Bridgeview Hills, for example, was valued at $48,900 before jumping 193% to $143,400. "Forty-eight thousand!" said Anderson, who paid $93,100 for the house in 2007. "I don't know where they got that from. That's crazy. They were off, way off." East Side concerns Many of the neighborhoods that saw the biggest jumps in value are on the East Side, especially along Cassady Avenue north of Bexley and in the Near East Side north of East Broad Street, an area that has seen significant investment and development in recent years, in part because of tax abatements some residents consider unfair. Homes in the Parkwood/Maryland neighborhood, south of Leonard Avenue and east of Taylor Avenue, rose 234% in total value, the highest jump in the county, with average home values climbing from $44,261 to $140,870. Nearby, in Capitol View Estates, a small neighborhood built in the 1990s north of Atcheson Street, average values climbed 202%, from an average of $71,453 to $215,982. For longtime residents, the value changes reflect the neighborhood's transformation in recent decades. "I've been here long enough to see drastic changes," said Pamela Shields, who bought a home on Woodland Avenue in 1995. "When I came into the neighborhood, there was a serious problem with crack houses, crack addiction, drug addicts coming on our property, laying and hiding under trees, getting high. Youd see needles, drug paraphernalia, a tremendous amount of break-ins. That went on for years." The neighborhood in many ways has improved, as investors and homeowners and builders, helped by tax breaks for new investment, started buying in the area. "The gentrification started about 15 years ago," she said. "People started coming in and were able to get houses for a little of nothing. Some previous homeowners were just fed up with what they had to deal with. These houses are huge, theyre expensive to heat and maintain. Homeowners were approached by developers who said, 'Well give you cash, and you can go away' and the next thing I know, I'd look up and there were new people in there." But the investment comes at a price for Shields and other longtime owners. The appraised value of Shields' home jumped from $180,300 to $428,400. Her taxes are forecast to rise more than $2,000 from the current $3,273 a year she pays. As a retiree on a fixed income, she doesn't know how she'll be able to afford that. "Are they trying to intentionally price me out so I cant afford to live here?" she asked. "My new taxes are way beyond what I can afford. I live off Social Security, on a fixed income. Did I work all these years to give my home away, to sell it?" Kate Curry-Da-Souza, chair of the Near East Area Commission, is concerned about rising property values in the neighborhood. She is shown with her husband, Ewart Da-Souza, and son Niko, 10, at their East Long Street home. Around the corner from Shields, Kate Curry-Da-Souza and her husband, Ewart Da-Souza, paid $59,540 for their home a dozen years ago on East Long Street. Now, the auditor's office says it's worth $298,200, more than twice the $130,400 the home has been valued at. As chair of the Near East Area Commission, Curry-Da-Souza is happy to see the area improve, but shares Shields' concerns that longtime homeowners won't be able to afford the higher taxes that come with rising property values. "Fortunately, my husband and I both work, and well figure this out," she said. "Were not on a fixed income. My concern is we have a lot of neighbors who are not able to do that, and thats really unfortunate. It becomes a penalty, and for a lot of them, these home values are very scary." Tax abatement concerns Curry-Da-Souza is especially concerned about the effect, and fairness, of the city's tax-abatement policies, which she believes benefits wealthy new homeowners at the expense of not-so-wealthy neighborhood veterans. New homes in much of the Near East Side, which sell for $400,000, $500,000 or even more, receive 100% tax breaks for 15 years. They bring investment and residents to the neighborhood but also help push up values of existing homes, which don't receive tax breaks. "There's a frustration by residents who see people moving into the neighborhood who are not paying their fair share," Curry-Da-Souza said. "A public policy of giving tax abatements to homes of upward of $400,000 to $500,000 ignores investments neighbors have made over the past 50 or even 100 years, who are third or fourth generation." Kate Curry-Da-Souza is chairperson of the Near East Area Commission. Another neighbor, Scot Kaplan, agrees that longtime residents are paying the price for tax breaks that benefit the wealthy. The value of his property, on Woodland Avenue, jumped nearly three-fold, from $112,700 to $335,900. "This neighborhood is the ideal of what we should all be striving for, the most integrated and representative neighborhood. It's lovely," said Kaplan, an Ohio State University professor who bought the property in 2009. "I'm obviously connected with my neighborhood; its a great demographic representation and a real model for neighborhoods. but thats not going to remain the case because the less affluent, the long-standing residents, the old people on fixed incomes, will be forced out. They just will be, theres no question." Statewide concerns over property taxes have become so pronounced this year that some state legislators have proposed freezing property taxes for homeowners over 70 years old who make less than $70,000 a year. Urbancrest village on the rise Most of the areas to see big value jumps are urban neighborhoods. One exception is Urbancrest, a historically low-income village just north of Grove City, which saw values leap 213% from the last appraisal. Average home values in Urbancrest shot from $19,980 to $59,770. "For years, Urbancrest was sort of pushed aside, but the amount of growth in Grove City pushed into Urbancrest itself," said Shellil Yohannes, an agent with EXP Realty. "Youve got all the luxuries of Grove City and none of the taxes. It's a village, its cute, it has nowhere else to go but up." Urbancrest, a historically low-income village just north of Grove City, saw values leap 213% from the last appraisal, after being discovered by flippers and builders. Average home values in Urbancrest shot from $19,980 to $59,770. Property values in Urbancrest, like those in some city neighborhoods, have benefitted from investors and flippers. Yohannes is listing a home on 4th Avenue in Urbancrest for $225,000, built on the foundation of a home that sold three years ago for $18,700 and was demolished and rebuilt. Other examples of investor activity in the village include a renovated home on Central Avenue that sold in July for $215,000, three years after an investor bought it for $20,000; and a home on Main Street that sold in January for $60,000 that sold again in June for $160,000 after renovation. In addition to flipped homes, the village has seen new homes built on former Franklin County land bank lots. "Where there was blighted property, a lot of blight has been replaced with new homes, or homes have been refurbished and rebuilt," said Urbancrest Mayor Joseph Barnes, Sr. "Were doing that throughout the community; thats made a lot of difference. For homeowners who are here, the pride theyre taking in their homes, propertywise, beautification, upgrades, things of that nature, have really made a lot of difference." Barnes' own home value rose from $85,600 to $181,700, a 112% jump. But he says rising property values and presumably rising property taxes aren't what people are talking about in Urbancrest. "I havent talked to any of the residents about it," he said. "The residents are just talking about how good the community looks and how well things are going." A drop in value? While some undervalued urban neighborhoods saw values leap, a handful of condominium complexes and relatively affluent neighborhoods saw values actually decline from the previous appraisal. While that doesn't mean home values are going down in those areas, it does suggest they may have been excessively high before the appraisal. Among neighborhoods to see drops were two in New Albany including one of the county's priciest areas: New Albany Farms and the Kitzmiller Road neighborhood, home to billionaire retailer Les Wexner. Those concerned about Wexner's home value needn't worry: The appraised value of his main residential property rose from $47.75 million to $49.42 million. jweiker@dispatch.com @JimWeiker Neighborhood values spike Nine Franklin County neighborhoods saw total property values jump more than 200% (not including neighborhoods that saw big jumps because of new subdivisions). Note: New homes, or the demolition of old homes, means the overall percentage change in the value of residential property may differ from the percentage change between average home values before and after the reappraisal. Parkwood/Maryland, south of Leonard Avenue and east of Taylor Avenue on the Near East Side, rose 234% in total residential value. Average home value climbed from $44,261 to $140,870. Franklinton, east of Route 315 and west of the Scioto River, rose 212%. Average value climbed from $41,155 to $113,921. Urbancrest, the historic village north of Grove City, rose $213%. Average value climbed from $19,980 to $59,770. Bridgeview Hills, a 1970s-era subdivision off Agler Road on the Northeast Side, rose 211%. Average value climbed from $31,728 to $98,573. East Columbus Heights, an East Side neighborhood of older homes east of Cassady Avenue south of Interstate 670, rose 209%. Average value climbed from $36,104 to $111,453. Kensington, another East Side neighborhood, with 1950s and 1960s ranches, west of Cassady and south of Interstate 670, rose 205%. Average value climbed from $56,904 to $173,291. CE Morris, also on the East Side, an older neighborhood around Cassady and 5th Avenue, rose 204%. Average value climbed from $37,484 to $113,792. Mulbur Park/Mulber Heights, a neighborhood of 1940s-era small homes east of Cleveland Avenue and north of East Hudson Street, rose 204%. Average value climbed from $39,234 to $119,152. Capitol View Estates, a small Near East Side neighborhood north of Mount Vernon Avenue, rose 202%. Average value climbed from $71,453 to $215,982. Some neighborhoods saw values decline Concord Village Townhomes, a condominium complex south of Henderson Road west of Dierker Road in Upper Arlington, fell 4%. Average value dropped from $319,760 to $306,664. New Albany Farms, between Morse and Dublin-Granville roads east of Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road, fell 4%. Average value dropped from $1,400,063 to $1,332,414. The Commons at Parkridge, a townhome complex east of Westerville Road north of Morse Road on the Northeast Side, fell 2%. Average value dropped from $81,079 to $79,692. Inverness Place, a new community off Greensward Road in New Albany, fell 2%. Average value dropped from $438,496 to $430,344. Tarrington Woods, a neighborhood of large homes, some of them million-dollar properties, built about 20 years ago on the north side of Henderson Road west of Sawmill Road in Upper Arlington, fell 1%. Average value dropped from $895,937 to $884,897. Glenmont, a single street that runs between High Street and Indianola Avenue in Clintonville, fell 1%. Average value dropped from $368,494 to $363,173. Wesley Sawyer Arms, a Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority community developed in the early 1970s near Trevitt Elementary School on the Near East Side, fell 1%. Average value dropped from $161,296 to $156,262. Jeffrey Place Townhomes, condominiums in Italian Village, off North 4th Street, fell 1%. Average value dropped from $739,912 to $733,766. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Where did property values rise and fall the most in Franklin County? MANILA, Philippines, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the success of their 9.9 Super Shopping Day, Gaabor proudly announces their collaboration with the multi-talented David Licauco as the brand ambassador for the Gaabor Philippines, to highlight the essence of "Prime Life". From being an ordinary gentleman to becoming the beloved "Pambansang Ginoo," David is ready to embrace his newfound life with confidence. And he wants you to know that you deserve the best too, with the help of Gaabor Philippines. As one of the most sought-after actors in the industry, David's captivating smile and striking good looks have left people swooning. However, there's much more to this heartthrob than just his appearance and acting prowess. David is not only an actor but also a skilled cook and a successful entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, with four food businesses. As the new ambassador for Gaabor Philippines, David's multifaceted background adds an authentic and dynamic touch to his advocacy, and is thrilled to reveal his top 6 kitchen essentials from Gaabor Philippines that have become his trusted companions in the kitchen. These include the 2L Airfryer, 4.0L Airfryer, 6.5L Airfryer, 2L Electric Pot, 3L Rice Cooker, and the Sandwich Maker. These Gaabor appliances have not only elevated his culinary experiences but have also made his cooking experience in the kitchen enjoyable and efficient. David's partnership with Gaabor Philippines is a testament to our commitment to delivering quality and inspiring others to reach their prime potential. As the best representation of Gaabor, he not only showcases the excellence and quality we stand for but also serves as an inspiration to others. His dedication to excellence, his passion for his craft, and his unwavering commitment to his fans align seamlessly with our brand's values. His journey through life reflects the transformative power of our products, as he continues to thrive in his prime years with no signs of stopping. Story continues Together with David, Gaabor Philippines aim to inspire countless individuals to embrace the Gaabor lifestyle, where quality, convenience, and fulfillment are at the forefront of their daily experiences. For more exciting and peak "Prime Life" products, be sure to connect with Gaabor on their social media platforms: Facebook: @gaaborphilippines Instagram: @gaabor.ph TikTok: @gaaborph You can also explore their range of products on leading e-commerce platforms: Shopee and Lazada. Stay updated and join the Gaabor community for the ultimate "Prime Life" experience! Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/gaabor-philippines-introduces-david-licauco-as-brand-prime-life-ambassador-301926066.html SOURCE Gaabor Global X ETFs has launched a defense technology exchange-traded fund that aims to capitalize on rising defense spending. The Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD), which made its debut on Wednesday, tracks companies that focus on security and defense applications of technology such as cybersecurity, advanced weapons systems and security-related artificial intelligence. Global defense spending has risen since 2020, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.2%, compared with roughly 1% between 2010 and 2020, according to April 2023 data cited by Global X from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Global Xs blog post on SHLD predicts this increased rate of expenditures will continue through 2030. The tech focus is driven by U.S. defense research and development gaining the largest percent increase in military spending between 2012 and 2022, rising to 15% of total U.S. military spending in 2022 from 11% 10 years earlier. Weve seen the Department of Defense and the Biden administration open their wallets to upgrade defense and national security, said Tejas Dessai, a research analyst at Global X. Defense ETF Has 'Moat' Advantage Defense tech firms differ from other technology and industrial companies because of the high barrier to entry for defense contracts. According to Dessai, its very difficult to work with the government on such projects because they operate on a very different timescale and set of considerations. That can put a damper on competition and potentially increase profits. You cant have tech systems for national defense built with the bare minimum of testing and development, so the government gravitates to companies that have established experience and expertise, Dassai said. SHLDs Geographic Blind Spots The fund focuses on companies that derive more than half of their revenue from defense and national security technology, with the aim of being a pure defense-tech investing play. The SHLD press release also says this is generally unconstrained by geographical limitations, and while the funds top 10 holdings include companies from the U.S., the U.K., Germany and France, there are some major exceptions. Story continues Dassai says that because of the difficulty accessing local markets, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Kuwait and Pakistan are excluded from the fund. China, Russia, India and Saudi Arabia are four of the top five countries by military spending, after the U.S. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.50%, in line with the average for defense ETFs. Correction: The name of Tejas Dessai was spelled incorrectly in the fourth paragraph in a previous version of this story. Permalink | Copyright 2023 etf.com. All rights reserved For most investors, how much a stock's price changes over time is important. Not only can it impact your investment portfolio, but it can also help you compare investment results across sectors and industries. Another factor that can influence investors is FOMO, or the fear of missing out, especially with tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks. What if you'd invested in MercadoLibre (MELI) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to MELI for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today? MercadoLibre's Business In-Depth With that in mind, let's take a look at MercadoLibre's main business drivers. Buenos Aires, Argentina based MercadoLibre, Inc. is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in South America. The company is a market leader in e-commerce in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, and Uruguay based on unique visitors and page views. The company also operates e-commerce platform in Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Portugal. MercadoLibre reported revenues of $10.5 billion in 2022. The company offers a bunch of six integrated e-commerce services: MercadoLibre Marketplace enables businesses and individuals to conduct sales, purchase online and list their merchandise. MercadoLibre Classifieds offers online classified listing services for motor vehicles, real estate and services. These listing charge only optional placement fees and hence they are different from Marketplace listings. MercadoPago FinTech platform allows users to send and receive payments seamlessly within MercadoLibres marketplace. Outside of this, merchants are allowed to process payments via websites, mobile apps and mobile point of sale. MercadoLibre advertising program enables advertisers and seller to display their product ads on the companys webpages. MercadoShops online webstores solution aids users in managing and promoting their online stores. MercadoEnvios logistics service provides integration with third-party carriers and logistics service providers to the sellers on the companys platform. MercadoLibre has four reportable geographic segments Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Other Countries. In 2022, Brazil generated 53.8% of the companys revenues. Argentina, Mexico and Other Countries generated 23.7%, 17.7% and 4.8% of revenues, respectively. Effective Dec 1, 2017, MercadoLibre deconsolidated its Venezuelan subsidiaries. The company no longer includes the balances, results of operations and cash flows of the Venezuelan subsidiaries in its consolidated financial statements. Story continues Bottom Line Anyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio requires research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in MercadoLibre ten years ago, you're likely feeling pretty good about your investment today. A $1000 investment made in September 2013 would be worth $11,034.78, or a gain of 1,003.48%, as of September 15, 2023, according to our calculations. This return excludes dividends but includes price appreciation. In comparison, the S&P 500 gained 166.89% and the price of gold went up 38.61% over the same time frame. Analysts are anticipating more upside for MELI. MercadoLibres shares have outperformed the industry in the year-to-date period. The company is benefiting from strengthening online-to-offline offerings. Further, robust mobile-point-of-sale business and growing adoption of MercadoPago are driving the total payment volume growth of the company. Also, increasing traffic and engagement rate by buyers on the companys online retail platform is a positive. Growing penetration of managed networks is another positive. Additionally, rapid adoption of Mobile Wallet remains a major tailwind. Further, robust shipments growth via MercadoEnvios, and rising commerce and fintech revenues are contributing well. The company remains optimistic about its fintech and logistics businesses. However, rising expenses related to warehousing, free shipping subsidies and mPOS discounts are major concerns. The stock is up 15.62% over the past four weeks, and no earnings estimate has gone lower in the past two months, compared to 4 higher, for fiscal 2023. The consensus estimate has moved up as well. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Logo of Hitachi is seen in Zurich By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Hitachi has offered to sell assets in France and Germany as well as its core train control technology to gain EU antitrust approval for its 1.7 billion euro ($1.8 billion) buy of Thales' GTS railway signalling business, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The Japanese conglomerate put in its offer to the European Commission on Thursday, the same day it requested EU clearance for the deal, an EU regulatory filing showed on Friday. The remedies are similar to those offered to the UK Competition and Markets Authority in June which consisted of the divestment of its UK, French and German mainline signalling business and its core communication-based train control technology to a rival. Hitachi said then that the package comprised all the elements needed for a viable, standalone business. The EU competition enforcer, which set a Nov. 6 deadline for its decision, did not provide details of the remedies in line with its policy. It is expected to seek feedback from Hitachi customers and rivals before deciding whether to accept the remedies or demand more. Hitachi's decision to offer remedies at the same time as it formally filed for approval suggests that the company may have indications that the package may be sufficient to help it win EU clearance. The company had sought EU approval in October last year but withdrew its application a month later. The deal underscores the consolidation in the rail industry, with independent players teaming up with bigger industrial groups. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in August narrowed its concerns, saying the deal would not substantially lessen competition in the supply of communications-based train control signalling systems in the UK. A final report is due by Oct. 6. It had previously warned that the deal between two leading suppliers of signalling for mainline and urban railway networks could jack up the costs of upgrading Britain's rail network. ($1 = 0.9373 euros) (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by David Evans and Louise Heavens) (Bloomberg) -- Republican lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to completely cut off Huawei Technologies Co. and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. from their American suppliers after Huawei launched a new phone using highly advanced technology the US has been trying to keep out of Chinas hands. Most Read from Bloomberg The phone, which uses a made-in-China 7-nanometer chip that appears to rely on US technology, has stoked debate in Washington over the effectiveness of US attempts to curtail Chinas technological and military prowess. Huawei and SMIC, the Chinese company that produced the chip, are both already subject to partial US sanctions and are among the primary targets of an export control regime the Biden administration has imposed over the last year. The GOP lawmakers want to escalate restrictions on the companies to full sanctions. Huaweis advanced phone shows existing restrictions arent effective, a group of 10 Republican representatives led by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul wrote in a Thursday letter to Alan Estevez, the undersecretary for industry and security at the Commerce Department. The group, which also includes the leaders of the Energy and Commerce, Armed Services and China Select Committees, requested a briefing from Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security as well as the Departments of Defense, State and Energy by Sept. 28. Read More: US Probes Made-in-China Chip as Tensions Flare Over Technology Due to the ubiquity of US origin technology throughout the semiconductor supply chain, these reports suggest a violation of US export control regulations, the lawmakers wrote. We are extremely troubled and perplexed about the Bureau of Industry and Securitys (BIS) inability to effectively write and enforce export control rules against violators, especially China. Story continues The Commerce Department has stayed silent on whether SMIC is violating US sanctions as they investigate the new chip. The department didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Huawei and SMIC are already blacklisted by the US, meaning that American suppliers and others need to obtain special trade licenses to ship to both firms. The companies also are among the targets of export controls announced last year that aim to block Chinas semiconductor production from advancing beyond a 14-nanometer chip thats about eight years behind the most cutting-edge technology. The Biden administration has been weighing changes to its Huawei licensing policy for months, and has long been under pressure from Republican lawmakers to deny any new licenses to the firm. Now, lawmakers are seizing on the new Huawei phone as more evidence that the US needs to ratchet up its regime. Read More: Biden Team Weighs Fully Cutting Off Huawei From US Suppliers Specifically, the letter calls for complete blocking sanctions against SMIC and Huawei and a ban on US imports of SMIC-produced chips. The lawmakers also say Commerce should place SMIC, Huawei and all of their subsidiaries on a so-called entity list, subjecting them to trade restrictions, as well as revoke all existing licenses and deny new licenses, and pursue criminal charges against executives at both firms. --With assistance from Jenny Leonard. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Huawei Technologies Co.s controversial Mate 60 phones use SK Hynix Inc. memory that has been available for years, TechInsights found after disassembling multiple devices. Most Read from Bloomberg The particular Hynix modules have been available since at least 2021, when TechInsights first came across them in a Lenovo Group Ltd. handset. Huawei also used the memory in its Mate X3 and P60 Pro devices earlier this year, the researchers said. Huaweis latest phones have ignited celebration in China and consternation in the US, thanks to their advanced made-in-China processor. Icheon-based Hynix was drawn into the debate when its components were identified in a TechInsights teardown of the Mate 60 Pro for Bloomberg News. Hynix said it hasnt done business with Huawei since US sanctions were imposed on the Shenzhen-based company and is looking into the matter. Read more: SK Hynix Investigating Use of Its Chips in New Huawei Phone Washington officials have also started a probe into the Mate 60 Pro and its processor. Republican lawmakers on Thursday pressed the Biden administration to completely cut off Huawei and its chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., from American suppliers, arguing that Huaweis device demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the sanctions imposed on those firms so far. --With assistance from Yoolim Lee. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: An employee walks past a signage board in the Infosys campus at the Electronics City IT district in Bangalore BENGALURU (Reuters) - India's second-largest software services exporter Infosys said it signed a $1.5 billion contract for a 15-year period with a "global company". Under the deal, Infosys will provide enhanced digital experiences and business operation services, leveraging the company's platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, it said on Thursday. Infosys did not name the company nor mention whether it is an existing client. Earlier in the month, U.S. chip maker Nvidia announced AI partnerships with Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries and the Tata group's Tata Consultancy Services to develop generative applications. In July, Infosys signed a $2 billion deal with an existing client to provide AI and automation services for five years. Shares of the company were marginally high at 0.4%, trimming the stock's losses to 0.1% so far this year compared to a 15.46% rise in the Nifty IT index. (Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman) Transparency Market Research Rapid industrialization and a rise in demand for expensive and large surface filters from end-use industries are expected to drive the global industrial filter cartridge market. Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global industrial filter cartridge market is projected to flourish at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2031. As per the report published by TMR, a valuation of US$ 8.3 billion is anticipated for the market in 2031. As of 2023, the market for industrial filter cartridges is expected to close at US$ 5.9 billion. Rapid industrialization and urbanization in emerging economies have led to increased industrial activities, creating a higher need for filtration solutions to manage pollutants and maintain environmental standards, propelling the market demand during the forecast period. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=74187 Competitive Landscape The global industrial filter cartridge market is fragmented with the presence of large players. Key vendors in the industrial filter cartridges market are focused on investment in R&D, expansion of product portfolios, and adoption of merger and acquisition strategies to enhance their market share. Brother Filtration Equipment Co. Ltd Delta Pure Filtration Eaton Filtcare Technology Pvt. Ltd. Filter Concept Private Limited Filtration Group BV Gopani, Merck Millipore Nordic Air Filtration Pall Corporation Rosedale Products Inc. S S Filters Pvt. Ltd. Key Developments in the Industrial Filter Cartridge Market Pall Corporation has continued to invest in research and development to create advanced filtration technologies. Their products cater to diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and food and beverage. Eaton has been actively involved in product developments, introducing new filter cartridge solutions with enhanced filtration performance. Their products are used in industrial processes, hydraulics, and manufacturing. Sartorius is known for its filtration and purification solutions. They have been working on developing innovative filter cartridges for the biopharmaceutical and life sciences industries. 3M has expanded its range of filtration products, including filter cartridges, for applications in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Their focus on sustainable solutions aligns with environmental trends. Story continues The increasing demand for industrial filter cartridges in manufacturing sectors, such as automotive, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, requires precise air and fluid filtration to maintain product quality and compliance with industry standards, driving the market demand. The increasing demand for clean and potable water, coupled with wastewater treatment requirements, fuels the growth of filter cartridge applications in municipal and industrial water treatment facilities. The increasing application in the oil and gas industry as it utilizes filter cartridges for various applications, including hydraulic control systems and gas processing. Ongoing exploration and production activities drive market growth. Key Takeaways from the Market Study As of 2022, the coffee servers market was valued at US$ 5.6 billion Based on material, the polypropylene segment holds the largest market share of the industrial filter cartridge market. Polypropylene is used to make all types of filter cartridges. In terms of the end-use industry, the water and waste treatment segment holds a notable market share of the industrial filter cartridge market. Industrial Filter Cartridge Market: Key Trends and Opportunistic Frontiers The healthcare sector uses filter cartridges for medical gas filtration, air purification in hospitals, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The healthcare industry's growth contributes to filter cartridge demand. The expansion of industrial facilities and infrastructure projects in emerging markets fuels the demand for filter cartridges Ongoing advancements in filter cartridge technology, such as the development of high-efficiency and specialty cartridges, offer improved filtration performance and broader applications. Contact us for Special Discount and Pricing @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=74187 Industrial Filter Cartridge Market- Regional Analysis Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global industrial filter cartridge market in the coming years due to rapid urbanization and industrialization in the region. The growth of manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas, and food and beverage industries in Asia Pacific is expected to fuel the market during the forecast period North America, is expected to accumulate a significant share in the industrial filter cartridge market. The region's industrial base, including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals, drives the demand for filter cartridges. Stringent environmental regulations also contribute to the market's growth. Industrial Filter Cartridge Market Key Segments Product Type Melt Blown Filter Cartridge String Wound Filter Cartridge Pleated Filter Cartridge Membrane Filter Cartridge Sintered Filters Cartridge Carbon Filter Cartridge Others Category Surface Filtration Depth Filtration Material Polypropylene Carbon Blocks/Powder Stainless Steel Polyamide Cotton Others Media Type Thin Media Thick Media Sintered Media End-use Industry Chemical Metals Oil & Gas Water & Waste Treatment Food & Beverages Pharmaceutical Others Distribution Channel Online Offline Direct Indirect Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa South America Place an Order Copy of Industrial Filter Cartridge Market Report at: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=74187